Tech Planet

BEOMES’ LAUNCHES ITS FIRST OUTDOOR COLLECTION

2019-07-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

BEOMES, a name synonymous with beautiful home décor, launches its first outdoor rug collection inspired by Moroccan and European designs. The collection that spells out loud beauty and excellence are designed in USA and manufactured in India.

Nothing beats a smooth and clean feel of your floor tiles or hardwood flooring. But there’s something about outdoor rugs that give your home a touch of vibrancy. Lay it out in your patio for a welcoming feel for your guests or in your garden. Place it near your pool or simply use it indoors.

Apart from giving you that perfect decor you desire, it is also very affordable.

The collection is environment friendly and durable, made using 100% polypropylene. The products are light weight, hence easy to carry and super convenient to clean. Also can be used all year round

Below are some of our favourite picks that you can't afford to miss out on.

1) As the name implies, it has an all-weather design. Also, the BEOMES, Modern Honeycomb Outdoor Rug 3 x 5ft comes with unique traditional patterns that give it a very stylish and exotic look. With this rug, your home would have a touch of beauty and uniqueness.

2) Originally crafted in India, BEOMES IBIZA - Pink Outdoor Patio Rug has exotic, traditional and contemporary patterns

Further, the rug gives your indoor a stylish look with its Pink/Orange colour. It also makes your outdoor have a fabulous appearance. Aside from giving you that perfect decor that you desire, it is also very affordable.

The BEOMES Ibiza rug has a fashionable all-weather design. It is well suited for the backyard, the patio, porch, deck, or the poolside. You can also place it in the living room, hall, kitchen, or pet areas.

3) Beomes Diamond All Weather & Uv Resistant Indoor/Outdoor Rug

It has African pattern that gives your home a nice beautiful look. It is originally crafted in India and is quite affordable.

4) Beomes Infinity Outdoor Round Rug

This is a bit different from the other rugs. It is round in nature and portable. It, however, still comes in the fashionable all-weather design. Its traditional and contemporary patterns give it a beautiful appearance.

5) Beomes Indoor/Outdoor Table/Placemats

Beomes Indoor/Outdoor Table Placemats are made from 100 % Polypropylene. The Red and Orange colors they come in give your table a sharp and attractive look.

Uses

You can place them under cups, tableware, vases, and ashtrays. They serve as decorations to your dining tables and tea tables. It is also possible to use them as placemats, coasters, and potholders on dining tables. BEOMES table mats help to protect your table from candle burns or any other type of damage.

Get your exquisite mat from Amazon.com

ABOUT BEOMES

BEOMES is a brand committed to providing a beautiful touch that your home deserves. As the name suggests, BEautiful hOMES, offers a wide range of products. The products are design high, reversible and lightweight, easy to use, store and clean; dream functionality for any household.

The collection includes indoor/outdoor rugs, placemats and beach mats. Latest Collection comes with classic European and Moroccan designs

A well-designed home brings a special feeling along with it. It goes beyond the compliments you get from visitors. It's more about the sense of fulfilment and accomplishment that it gives you. BEOMES knows the value of a beautiful home. We curate our designs from artists across the world and pin it to form best-crafted home decor products. Also, we give you a perfect combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern design.

BEOMES has 27 years of experience when it comes to rug manufacturing. We pay great attention to preserving and protecting the environment. For this reason, we only produce easy to recycle and durable products..

Excellence is our watchword, so we serve you only the very best.

For more information on BEOMES please visit www.beomes.co

Hands on: Nokia Lumia 1520 review

2013-10-29T05:32:00.001-07:00

FOR

MicroSD slot
Great screen
Powerful camera

AGAINST

Messy homescreen
Late to launch in some countries

Hands on: Nokia Lumia 1520 review

Nokia's latest flagship raises a few eyebrows

The Nokia Lumia 1520 is a phone that takes all the best bits of the Finnish brand and stuffs them into a dramatically oversized package.

The handset, which brings the first round of supercharged Windows Phone handsets to the market, is really rather large. Think HTC One Max rather than Galaxy Note 3 and you'll get the picture.

The Lumia 1520 is the first Windows Phone with 1080p resolution, and it's rocking the biggest screen yet – a 6-inch offering in a large, polycarbonate body.

It's also the first Nokia to come with a nanoSIM tray, meaning a number of sad upgraders who realise that once again they'll have to order a new SIM card.

It doesn't make a lot of sense, given this is the biggest phone Nokia has ever created, but does mean that future models will be given a little more design room to play with.

It's also using a Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU, supplemented with 2GB of RAM, to really make things speed along under the finger.

In our testing, the speed really was there, and it's hard to explain how important the upgrade to the 800 processor really is. We wouldn't advocate an upgrade to a quad-core CPU for the sake of it, but in this case it's a significant improvement over the Lumia 1020.

Everything opened that little bit quicker, the overall speed of browsing (which has always been reliable, rather than nippy, on Windows Phone) was improved and generally you could tell that things were working a bit more smoothly when using the phone.

For instance, using the Pureview 20MP camera was a lot faster in general use, and web pages opened with much more urgency than they had before.

Even we managed to flick up on the six inch display with more aplomb, and while the zooming ability of the phone was still hampered by the need to use Internet Explorer we still found it to be a real step forward when it came to using the phone for the fun tasks we'd want a larger display to allow.

What else impressed us? Well, the addition of the microSD slot means you can supplement the 32GB of onboard storage with 64GB of expandable goodness… Google and friends might be trying to rip these from our handsets, but we're really happy to see hot swapping on offer.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 will be on sale very soon for those in the US, although other territories will have to wait a little longer… Europe is covered but we've got a scary feeling that we'll be into 2014 before it goes on our shelves.

The Pureview camera is obviously a big step up for Nokia again - it's not the 41MP option found in the Lumia 1020, but it does pop in at 20MP, and loses the extra heft the cameraphone flagship brought.

It also dispenses with the Xenon flash, but that, combined with the Snapdragon 800 processor moves the Lumia 1520 into a more useable option... we got so fed up with the processing speed of the 1020, despite the results often being brilliant.

Another great ability of the Lumia 1520 is the ability to output RAW files, although it can't manipulate them on the device itself. However, it's another boon for the Finnish firm, as it means professional photographers, or those that like to really edit properly, will be able to get the maximum from the photos.

Optical image stabilisation, something we thought we'd be seeing on a lot more phones by now, is thankfully here again, proving the photo-ability of the device nicely - plus the 5MP shareable shot is something we're always glad to see for social networking.

Here, Nokia's mapping team, has combined with the photo guys to create Storyteller, an app that places your pics and other such juicy photonuggets on a map, enabling you to create a location-based tale that you can easily get to by pinching inwards on the snap to jump straight into the map view.

This was handled easily by the Snapdragon processor, and we were impressed with the overall design of the app. We're not fans of the way Here maps looks generally, but this little addition does go some way towards improving it.

The final thing we'd like to talk up is the battery: Nokia has slapped a 3400mAh power pack in there to keep things ticking along. Combined with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU this should equate to some really long standby time.

More importantly, this means that when you're taking loads of photos at max resolution you'll be able to use the phone for more than a minute before it dies in your hands.

The price is a little more palatable though for this slice of technological power from Nokia, with the $749 price tag (around £460 / AUS$775) meaning it will rival the likes of Samsung's Note 3 and HTC's One Max in the pricing wars, while beating them both in some ways on specs.

That's not a phrase we thought we'd be saying about Nokia any time soon.

Early verdict

What's Nokia done here? Made something that we can't criticise from the spec sheet alone? The answer has to be yes: the CPU, screen, design and expansion offerings are all the things we've been gagging to see for months, if not years.

The extra apps are standard fare from the firm: bringing user upgrades in a way that delivers actual performance… we're actually quite intrigued by Storyteller as an app, although it can be a little cumbersome to use.

We'll be fleshing out this hands on in the next hour or two, so pop back later today to see more of an in-depth look at Nokia's flagship… but if you're the odd sort who makes an instant decision and won't budge from it, we can honestly say this might be the first Nokia phone in ages that we can recommend without worry.

That's if you can get past the craziness of more Windows Phone tiles on your home screen, that is…

Nokia sells 8.8 million Lumias in Q3 as US demand skyrockets

2013-10-29T04:40:00.003-07:00

Nokia has just released its interim report for Q3 2013 and, although its overall financial situation is still a bit muddy, it's clear the company is starting to see real success in the US. Thanks to a burgeoning range of Lumia devices and a big marketing push to go with them, the Finnish manufacturer saw net unit sales increase by 180 percent to 1.4 million units in North America, up from just 0.3 million in the same quarter last year. This growth helped to push global Lumia sales up by almost a fifth, reaching 8.8 million units in the space of three months. Nokia didn't fare so well in other regions, however, where overall device and service sales continued to fall, reflecting droopy demand for its older product lines. This caused a steep 22 percent drop in total revenue, although the company still managed to scrape an operating profit of 118 million euros. Overall, it's clear that Lumia sales aren't yet sufficient to balance out problems in other areas, but they certainly seem to be enough to keep the company relevant until it can step under Microsoft's umbrella next year.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids in India

2013-10-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile), a leader in tablet choice, today introduced the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids, a tablet designed for kids and parents alike. Featuring dual operating modes, the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids lets parents easily switch between Kids mode and Standard mode. In Standard mode, parents can enjoy a traditional Android tablet experience and many of the benefits of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 7-inch.

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids comes equipped with parental controls, educational and entertainment apps, and unique content just for kids in a fun, interactive and secure family tablet. The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids will be available for pre-order beginning Nov. 1, launching in stores Nov. 10 for $229.99, and comes with a protective bumper case.

“Today’s kids are incredibly tech-savvy and regularly use technology at home, at school and on-the-go,” said Nanda Ramachandran, vice president of emerging business, Samsung Mobile. “Studies* show that 70 percent of tablet owners share their tablets with their children. The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is engaging, encourages learning and fosters creativity in a safe environment that parents can easily manage.”

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids features a bright, colorful display and an intuitive Kids mode that children can easily navigate. The new 7-inch Wi-Fi tablet’s content-rich features create a dynamic, interactive and fun experience for kids while keeping them safe and secure.

“Samsung is committed to offering products that fit the needs of all consumers and the addition of the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids offers a safe introduction to mobile technology,” said Travis Merrill, vice president of tablet marketing, Samsung Electronics America. “The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids provides a tablet experience that can grow and adapt with the whole family.”

The tablet is packed with free pre-loaded content and entertainment specifically for kids, including game applications. The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids lets users browse apps in the Samsung Apps store, with an added level of protection through the Applications Manager. The Applications Manager allows parents to review and manage the apps their kids can access, giving full control over what apps are purchased and explored. Kids can also discover and request new content by creating a wish list within the new Kids Store. Parents can then review and purchase the apps they think are appropriate for their child.

Pre-loaded content and features include:

- Special Kid’s Interface: Easily access kid-specific content through the easy to navigate user interface, including kid-friendly apps and games.

- Kid-Friendly Games: Toca Train, Wipeout, Fruit Ninja, Disney’s Toy Story: Smash It! and Where’s My Perry£¿ and more.

- Educational Apps: Learn ABCs and 123s with educational apps including I Learn With Ocean, Dolphin Reader, Inventions 2 and Kids Planet Discovery

- Built-In Camera: Capture moments or create movies with the 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. In Kids mode, the camera features fun and interactive settings that let kids add stickers or costumes to photos.

- Parental Controls: Manage a child’s tablet experience, including what content kids can access, as well as when and how long they use the tablet at one time. In addition, you can control the transition between Standard mode and Kids mode with PIN-based access.

- Built-For-Kids Case: Protect the lightweight, portable tablet from bumps and bruises with the colorful, easy-to-hold case available in orange.

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids comes with access to additional content and services through Galaxy Perks, including a $10 credit for the purchase of applications, books, movies and music in Google Play; free 12-months of Boingo Mobile Wi-Fi access; 3-Month Hulu Plus Membership for new users; two years of up to 50GB of DropBox storage; and more. Learn more about Galaxy Perks at http://www.samsung.com/us/galaxyperks.

Here is the Difference Nokia Lumia 1520 vs Samsung Note 3

2013-10-29T04:24:00.003-07:00

DESIGN
Device type	Smart phone	Smart phone
OS	Windows Phone 8	Android (4.3)
Form factor	Candybar	Candybar
Dimensions	6.41 x 3.36 x 0.34 inches (162.8 x 85.4 x 8.7 mm)	5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 inches (151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm)
Weight	7.37 oz (209 g) the average is 4.5 oz (128 g)	5.93 oz (168 g) the average is 4.5 oz (128 g)
Design features		S Pen
Side Keys	Right: Volume control, Camera shutter, Lock/Unlock key	Left: Lock/Unlock key; Right: Volume control
Colors	Black, Yellow, Red, White

DISPLAY
Physical size	6.0 inches	5.7 inches
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density	368 ppi	386 ppi
Technology	IPS LCD	Super AMOLED
Colors	16 777 216	16 777 216
Peak brightness	600 cd/m2 (nit)
Touchscreen	Capacitive, Multi-touch	Capacitive, Multi-touch
Features	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 2), Polarizing filter	Light sensor, Proximity sensor

BATTERY
Talk time	27.40 hours the average is 12 h (740 min)	25.00 hours the average is 12 h (740 min)
Stand-by time	32.0 days (768 hours) the average is 21 days (498 h)	22.0 days (528 hours) the average is 21 days (498 h)
Talk time (3G)	25.10 hours the average is 12 h (697 min)	21.00 hours the average is 12 h (697 min)
Stand-by time (3G)		17.5 days (420 hours) the average is 19 days (467 h)
Stand-by time (4G)		380.0 days (9120 hours) the average is 54 days (1285 h)
Music playback	124.00 hours	84.00 hours
Video playback	10.80 hours	13.00 hours
Capacity	3400 mAh	3200 mAh
Type	Li - Ion	Li - Ion
Not user replaceable	Yes
Wireless charging	Built-in

HARDWARE
System chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974
Processor	Quad core, 2200 MHz, Krait 400	Quad core, 2300 MHz, Krait 400
Graphics processor	Adreno 330	Adreno 330
System memory	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel, 800 MHz) / LPDDR3	3072 MB RAM (Dual-channel, 800 MHz) / LPDDR3
Built-in storage	32 GB	32 GB
Storage expansion	microSD, microSDHC up to 64 GB	microSD, microSDHC up to 64 GB

CAMERA
Camera	20 megapixels	13 megapixels
Flash	Dual LED	LED
Aperture size	F2.4	F2.2
Focal length (35mm equivalent)	26mm
Camera sensor size	1/2.5"
Features	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Optical image stabilization, Face detection, Exposure compensation, ISO control, White balance presets, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, Effects, Self-timer	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Face detection, Smile detection, Exposure compensation, ISO control, White balance presets, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer
Camcorder	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)	3840x2160 (4K) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (720p HD) (120 fps)
Features	Optical image stabilization, Video light	Digital image stabilization, Continuous autofocus
Front-facing camera	1.2 megapixels	2 megapixels
Video capture	1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps)	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)

specifications continue after the ad

MULTIMEDIA
Music player
Filter by	Album, Artist, Playlists	Album, Artist, Playlists
Features	Album art cover, Background playback, Dolby Headphone	Album art cover, Background playback
Supported formats	MP3, AAC, eAAC, WMA, WAV, M4A (Apple lossless), MP4	MP3, AAC, eAAC, FLAC, WMA, WAV
Video playback
Supported formats	MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV	MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV
Radio	FM, Stereo, RDS
Speakers	Earpiece, Loudspeaker	Earpiece, Loudspeaker
YouTube player	Yes	Yes

INTERNET BROWSING
Browser	Internet Explorer 10
supports	HTML, HTML5, CSS 3, XML	HTML, HTML5
Built-in online services support	Facebook, YouTube (upload), Flickr, Picasa/Google+, Twitter	YouTube (upload), Picasa/Google+

TECHNOLOGY
GSM	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS	850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
FDD LTE	800 (band 20), 900 (band 8), 1800 (band 3), 2100 (band 1), 2600 (band 7) MHz	700 (band 17), 800 (band 18), 850 (band 5), 900 (band 8), 1700/2100 (band 4), 1800 (band 3), 1900 (band 2) MHz
Data	LTE Cat4 Downlink 150 Mbit/s, LTE Cat3/4 Uplink 50 Mbit/s, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 11 Mbit/s	LTE Cat4 Downlink 150 Mbit/s, LTE Cat3/4 Uplink 50 Mbit/s, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
Micro SIM		Yes
nano-SIM	Yes
Global Roaming	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS, A-GPS, S-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Navigation	Turn-by-turn navigation, Voice navigation, Points of interest (POI)	Turn-by-turn navigation

PHONE FEATURES
Phonebook	Unlimited entries, Caller groups, Multiple numbers per contact, Search by both first and last name, Picture ID, Ring ID	Unlimited entries, Caller groups, Multiple numbers per contact, Search by both first and last name, Picture ID, Ring ID
Organizer	Calendar, Alarm, Document viewer, Calculator, Stopwatch	Calendar, Alarm, Document viewer, Calculator
Messaging	SMS, MMS, Threaded view, Predictive text input	SMS, MMS, Threaded view, Predictive text input
E-mail	IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange	IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
Instant Messaging	Windows Live / MSN	Google Talk, ChatON

CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0
Profiles	Advanced Audio Distribution (A2DP), Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), Generic Audio/Video Distribution (GAVDP), Handsfree (HFP), Object Push (OPP), Phone Book Access (PBAP)	Advanced Audio Distribution (A2DP), Audio/Video Control Transport Protocol (AVCTP), Audio/Video Distribution Transport Protocol (AVDTP), Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), Generic Attribute Profile (GATT), Generic Audio/Video Distribution (GAVDP), Handsfree (HFP), Headset (HSP), Human Interface Device (HID), Message Access Profile (MAP), Object Push (OPP), Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN), Phone Book Access (PBAP), Serial Port (SPP)
Wi-Fi	802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz, ac	802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz, ac
Mobile hotspot	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi Direct		Yes
USB	USB 2.0	USB 3.0
Connector	microUSB	microUSB
Features	Mass storage device, USB charging	Mass storage device, USB Host, USB charging
Headphones connector	3.5mm	3.5mm
HDMI		via microUSB
Charging connector	microUSB	microUSB
Other	NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync	NFC, DLNA, MHL, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, Infrared

OTHER FEATURES
Notifications	Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone	Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
Additional microphone/s	for Noise cancellation, Video recording
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Thermometer, Barometer, Humidity
Hearing aid compatibility		T3
Other	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording, TTY/TDD

REGULATORY APPROVAL
EU SAR
Head		0.29 W/kg

AVAILABILITY
Officially announced	22 Oct 2013	04 Sep 2013
Scheduled release	Q4 2013 (Official)

SHOPPING INFORMATION
Accessories	Nokia AC-60 MicroUSB Charger, Nokia Charging and Data Cable CA-190CD, Nokia Headset WH-208, Quick guide, SIM Door Key
MSRP price	$ 749

Nokia's Best Lumia 1020 features 41 megapixel camera

2013-07-12T01:07:00.000-07:00

Nokia has unveiled a new handset with a 41 megapixel sensor which it claims can record "details never thought possible from a smartphone".

It says consumers will be able to zoom in and reframe their photos without worrying about the image quality suffering.

Analysts who have tested the device said that it was "without doubt" the best smartphone camera on the market.

But they added that was not a guarantee that it would be a bestseller.

Market research firm IDC recently carried out a survey of smartphone owners in 25 countries to identify what factors were most likely to drive future purchases.

The results placed camera resolution 15th on a list of 23 features. Audio quality for voice, battery life, device security and browsing came top of the poll.

"Most people just look at their photos on their smartphone or via a social network on a computer - and for this the other vendors already provide very good quality," Francisco Jeronimo, a mobile phone analyst at the firm, told the BBC.

"Nokia needs to convince consumers that this new handset outperforms others in low-light conditions, otherwise they would only really notice the difference if they zoomed in on the images on a large screen or printed out a poster.

Zoomable video

The Lumia 1020 marks the second time Nokia has fitted a 41MP sensor to one of its phones.

Last year it launched the Pureview 808 model, but its appeal was limited by the fact it ran the ageing Symbian operating system for which few developers are still writing software. The new handset instead runs on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform which has more than 160,000 apps.

As well as offering highly detailed photos at up to 38MP resolution, the new phone also uses a process called "oversampling" to combine the pixels of an image into a smaller 5MP version from which it removes unwanted visual noise.

Unlike its predecessor, the Lumia 1020 can save both types at the same time, meaning that the owner does not need to worry about switching settings.

In addition, the handset's video recording capabilities take advantage of the extra resolution, allowing the user to zoom in four times while recording a 1080p high definition video without losing quality, and six times into a 720p version.

It also adds optical image stabilisation by mounting the lens system on ball-bearings and using a gyroscope and motors to counteract any movement to prevent the problem of camera shake.

Stephen Elop, chief executive of Nokia: "We've also made the back the new front"

However, all this comes at a premium price. When it launches in the US it will cost $300 (£198) on top of a two-year contract.

One analyst suggested Nokia wanted the new handset to act as a "halo device", attracting shoppers to other products in its range.

"Nokia is positioning the Lumia 1020 as a flagship product for the next generation of smartphones," said Ben Wood, chief of research at the CCS Insight consultancy.

"Alone it will not transform Nokia's fortunes but the significant media coverage it will generate centred on its innovative camera technology will be a major boost not only to the Lumia brand but also the Windows Phone platform.

"Its high price will undoubtedly come under scrutiny and Nokia must carefully manage this, stressing that it is a flagship product that will likely generate relatively modest volumes."

Android rivals

Nokia's boast that its device is perfect for users wanting to "shoot first, zoom later" contrasts with the approach taken by other brands.

Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy S4 Zoom - a handset with a 10x optical zoom which extends out of the device to allow users to close in on a scene at the time of the snap. This feature is more commonly found in compact cameras than smartphones.

Meanwhile, HTC introduced what it calls an "ultrapixel" sensor to its flagship One model.

Each pixel on its sensor is bigger than normal, a feature that the Taiwanese firm says allows it to offer high-quality low-light shots. But the trade-off is that fewer pixels can be fitted in. As a result its 4MP resolution means image quality deteriorates more quickly if users zoom in on photos to crop the shots.

IDC said Nokia now had the edge.

"For an amateur or professional photographer who needs a quality camera on the move, this is the best option available on a smartphone," said Mr Jeronimo.

"The camera's user interface is a lot more intuitive and easy to use, as well.

"But to be able to compete with Apple and Samsung, Nokia will need to price it aggressively and to increase activities in the stores to show consumers how much better the camera performs against the competition.

"Failing that, the Nokia Lumia 1020 will become a niche product for a niche segment - professional mobile photographers."

Nokia said the device would go on sale on 26 July in the US, and would launch before September in parts of Europe and China.

Leaked images of ‘cheaper iPhone’ in multiple colours

2013-07-01T01:00:00.002-07:00

A new set of leaked images of the allegedly upcoming cheaper iPhone has surfaced online, showing multiple colour options

While rumours about the next-generation iPhone keep flying left, right and centre, the allegedly upcoming cheaper iPhone is also getting its fair share of attention. From analysts predicting dates for its launch to leaked images suggesting the design language, it has been in the news for the past few months. Now, another set of leaked images have surfaced online, giving credence to the speculation about multiple colour options.

The new images come from two sources, one from China and the other from France. The Chinese post on microblogging website Weibo claims that the images have been taken in aFoxconn factory and show the back panel of the cheaper variant comes in green colour.

French tech news website NoWhereElse, which has a credible record when it comes to leaks, showed photos of the back panel of the device in funky green, yellow and pink colours. These leaks are in line with rumours that the cheaper iPhone will be launched in several hues.

Both the images show the glossy back panel of the upcoming iPhone that seems to be made from polycarbonate plastic a la Nokia's Lumia range. On the top left corner is the camera and LED flash, the Apple logo is in the middle, while 'iPhone' is written at the bottom.

A recently leaked image of cheaper iPhone also showed a glossy back, the Lighting port and a bumper case surrounding the curved body.

Previously, it has been reported that Apple will go for multiple colour options for the cheaper iPhone, namely navy, gold orange, white, pink and green. Reports had suggested that the phone will be up for field test in June with about 1,000 units. It is rumoured that the handset will be priced between $300 and $400.

Ford EcoSport SUV Launched, priced at Rs 5.6 lakh

2013-06-26T01:16:00.003-07:00

Ford's Fiesta-based compact SUV 'EcoSport', the second most important car launch this year in India after the Honda Amaze, has come with a cracker of a starting price of around Rs 5.6 lakh. The car launched today with a 1.5-litre petrol variant as the base model, followed by a 1.5-litre diesel variant and another premium petrol variant sporting the 1-litre turbocharged Ecoboost engine.

With this aggressive pricing, the EcoSport's target would be customers of entry sedans such as the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the Honda Amaze, and not the Renault Duster as was earlier believed. Ford would also aim to not repeat earlier pricing mistakes — while the Figo did well after its launch in 2010, the new Fiesta's high starting pricing of R8.23 lakh in 2011 meant volumes never really took off. Instead, the EcoSport will aim for a sweet spot between premium hatchbacks/entry sedans and compact SUVs.

"It's quite a bit smaller than the Duster and really feels like a bigger hatchback with better road presence and all-round view. So pricing has to reflect that. The only worry is that the market is not responding very well, so whether this will help Ford pick up overall volumes is the question," an industry executive said.

With around $2 billion worth of investments committed to India and a second plant in Gujarat expected to start next year (the first plant is near Chennai), the EcoSport is critical to success of Ford's India gameplan. This importance is underlined by the multiple visits paid by Ford's global president and CEO, Alan Mulally, for a single model — he came in January last year to unveil the EcoSport just before the Delhi Auto Expo, coming again this month to inaugurate nationwide deliveries of the EcoSport from Chennai. Globally, the EcoSport will be made at five plants, but Chennai will be responsible for exports to Europe as well.

The EcoSport is also expected to boost Ford's overall volumes, which have lagged for much of the last year — monthly total domestic volumes are now down to around 4,000 units from a high of around 9,000 units about a year back when the Figo hatch was doing well. With accumulated losses of around R1,400 crore in India and FY13 volumes declining 17% to 77.225 units, the EcoSport will have a tough task of bringing Ford India back to the black.

"The question is if in a depressed car market, the EcoSport will be able to create enough excitement so as to push up Ford's overall volumes. Any new launch creates a push," an industry analyst said. After car sales touched a 12-year low in FY13, volumes in April-May FY14 again fell 11% to 2.94 lakh units due to subdued consumer sentiment, rising fuel prices and high interest rates.

One of EcoSport's main competitors, the Maruti Dzire sells about 18,000 units a month and was the top-selling car in the country in May. The Honda Amaze, launched recently in April, sells about 6,000 units monthly while Renault's strong success, the Duster, sells around 5,200 units.

"I think the Mahindra Quanto would face the toughest competition from this in urban areas apart from entry sedans. The EcoSport will be a strong option for a rational buyer in an entry sedan segment," another industry executive said.

Acer launches world's smallest Windows 8 tab @ Rs 27,999

2013-06-25T04:49:00.001-07:00

Acer India launched its Iconia W3 in India, the world's smallest tablet running on Microsoft's latest OS. Apart from that, the Taiwanese manufacturer launched the Aspire P3 ultrabook and Aspire R7 touch-and-type laptop.

The all-new Acer Iconia W3 tablet has an 8.1-inch screen, Intel Atom CloverTrail dual-core processor and 2GB RAM. This device has been priced at Rs 27,999 for the Indian market, in direct competition to Apple iPad mini and Samsung Galaxy Note 510. Acer Iconia W3 runs on the full version of Windows 8, supports all desktop apps and comes with free Microsoft Office suite.

The Aspire R7 laptop has a touch-enabled device that comes with a 15.6-inch full HD screen. The laptop comes with a keyboard dock called Ezel, which positions the users' hands such that the touch-and-type experience is optized, claimed Acer. The Acer Aspire R7 laptop will cost Rs 69,999 in India.

Acer Aspire P3 is the company' latest ultrabook for the Indian market. It comes with an 11.6-inch screen that supports 720p video support. This ultrabook also supports touch-based input and can be converted into a laptop. It runs on a third-gen Intel processor and has two cameras, 5MP on the back and 1.3MP in the front. The ultrabook will cost Rs 49,999.

Ford EcoSport SUV Launched, priced at Rs 5.6 lakh

2013-06-25T04:48:00.001-07:00

Sony launches water-resistant smart watch and smartphone with 6.4-inch screen

2013-06-25T04:42:00.001-07:00

Sony has launched the SmartWatch 2, an update of its Android-based watch, while the competition still seems largely to be in development mode. The company is also hoping to attract users that want a smartphone with a really big screen with the 6.4-inch Xperia Z Ultra.

Smart watches have been in the spotlight recently, with reports that Apple, Google and Samsung are all working on products. But Sony is already offering a third-generation device in this category with the SmartWatch 2, the company said on Tuesday at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai.

The SmartWatch 2's water- and dust-resistant body is made of aluminium and has integrated support for NFC. The watch has a 1.6-inch screen with 220 x 176 pixel resolution, a slight improvement over the previous SmartWatch, which had a 1.3-inch screen with a 128 x 128 pixel resolution, and Sony also promises improved battery life. The SmartWatch was preceded by the Sony Ericsson LiveView, which the company described as a wearable wireless micro-display.

Sony pitches the SmartWatch 2 as a second screen for Android-based smartphones. Compatibility has been improved over the previous generation, and the device should be compatible with most smartphones based on Google's OS, according to Sony. It serves as a multi-functional watch, Android app interface and phone remote control. On the screen users can read email, text messages and calendar reminders. It is also integrated with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. A new SDK will soon be available for app developers, with added support and new features for the SmartWatch 2.

The SmartWatch 2 will start shipping in September, Sony said, without elaborating on price.

Recently, Sony launched the Open SmartWatch Project, which will make it possible for developers to create and install alternative software on the already-released SmartWatch. Sony didn't say whether the SmartWatch 2 will become part of the program.

While the SmartWatch 2 has one of the smallest screens available on a mobile device, the Xperia Z Ultra has the largest Full HD smartphone display at 6.4 inches, according to Sony.

The waterproof LTE smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor at 2.2 GHz. There is also an 8-megapixel camera with HDR for videos and photos. The device is 6.5 millimeters thick and weighs 212 grams.

It will compete with products from the likes of Huawei, Asus and last but not least Samsung Electronics. Just like with Samsung's Note products, users can write and sketch on the Xperia Z Ultra's screen.

The Xperia Z Ultra will be available globally during the third quarter, although the exact timing of availability will vary by market, Sony said without elaborating. Again, the company didn't say what the device is expected to cost.

Mercedes Benz E 250: so clever it can drive itself

2013-06-22T03:41:00.000-07:00

MOTORING

MERCEDES-BENZ E 250

What exactly is it? A substantially updated version of what many think of as the quintessential Mercedes-Benz. Aside from styling changes, the latest E Class carries a new package of safety features intended to re-establish it as the technological flagship of the marque – at least until the new S Class arrives at the end of the year. The E 250 models have been launched first. The new E 400 (with a twin-turbo V6) and E 63 AMG S will come in September, while the E 350 CDI arrives in November.

Powertrain: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four producing 155kW/350Nm (E 250) or 2.1-litre turbo-diesel four producing 150kW/500Nm (E 250 CDI). Seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive. Combined fuel consumption 6.4/4.9 litres per 100km.

Anything interesting in the equipment list? Under the banner of Intelligent Drive, all E Class models now have Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control with Steering Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, BAS braking with pedestrian recognition, Pre-Safe Plus that now covers impending rear-end collisions, Cross Traffic Assistant, blind-spot warning, adaptive high-beam lights and automatic parking.

Base price: $114,000

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The new Mercedes-Benz E Class can drive itself.

It can but it won’t, because Mercedes has built safeguards into the car so that ultimate responsibility remains with the driver. Nonetheless, the E Class is now the closest thing to a production version of the autonomous car.

Under the re-skin
This is not a brand-new version of the E Class: the platform, interior architecture, some engines and many body panels are carried over from the previous model.

But under what may look like a mild re-skin is a package of cutting-edge safety and driver-assistance technologies, which are grouped together under what Mercedes-Benz calls Intelligent Drive. The most impressive and advanced is a new function for the cruise control called Steering Assist.

Mercedes-Benz already has an excellent adaptive cruise control system called Distronic Plus, which will automatically keep the car not only at the selected speed but also the correct distance from the vehicle in front, right down to a standstill if necessary. Distronic Plus is now standard on all E Class models, which is significant in itself.

But Distronic Plus also now has a Steering Assist function. Using a stereo camera unit in the windscreen, a radar in the grille and the new electric power steering system, the E Class can read the road ahead, track the direction of the car in front and actually steer itself.

The technology as it stands is sufficient to guide the car completely without human input. But the E Class won’t actually do that, for obvious reasons. So for the system to be active, you have to have your hands on the wheel.

Steering Assist stays active by sensing tension on the tiller. It will give you up to five seconds of hands-free driving before it shuts down and it will only steer the car at a wheel angle of up to 45 degrees. But that’s quite a lot.

I’ve experienced lots of advanced driver-assistance systems but this one is surreal. It’s really configured for motorway driving, where it gently (but obviously) keeps the car in the centre of the lane. It works in conjunction with the existing Lane Keeping Assist system, which prevents the car from straying over a white line if the driver is not indicating.

The new E Class has a lot of technology with Assist in the name.

Safety authority
Steering Assist is the glamour technology of Intelligent Drive but there is a lot more to talk about. The twin-camera system can “see” up to 500m down the road but, within 50m, it can recognise the human form in three dimensions (something a radar cannot do) and brake the car automatically to prevent or minimise pedestrian accidents.

The same automatic braking function is also combined with a function called Cross Traffic Assist that scans intersections as you enter and can stop or slow the car if another vehicle is approaching from the left or right.

The drive survives
The great danger with such advanced active safety systems is that they become intrusive and take away the pleasure of driving the vehicle. I don’t think that’s the case with the E Class: most of the new safety systems only intrude when it’s too late for the driver to act, with the exception of Steering Assist and Lane Keeping Assist.

Of the former, remember that the steering is only subject to assistance when the cruise control is operational, so it’s your choice. The latter? That can be annoying, as it interrupts your progress with a jolt at times. But it can be disabled. Or I could learn to drive between the lines a bit more convincingly.

The E Class platform is largely unchanged from the previous model, which is no bad thing: despite its sometimes-sober image, it has a fantastic balance of ride and handling. The chassis simply becomes more composed the harder you push it.

New for the E 250 petrol is a 2.0-litre turbo engine that makes 5kW/40Nm more than the previous 1.8-litre but is faster to 100km/h and consumes 6.4 litres per 100km (previously 6.6 litres). It’s an impressive new engine and endows the E 250 with performance that belies its four-cylinder status, although the new petrol still plays second fiddle to the carryover 2.1-litre turbo diesel.

Now, I will admit that the E 250 CDI (turbo diesel) sounds like a Munich taxi at low speed. Check out the taxis next time you’re there and you will see why that makes sense. But the four-cylinder diesel is an incredibly good powerplant, producing as much torque as a six and endowing the E Class with an effortless gait.

I reckon you’d have to be a real diesel-hater to go past it. Although you’ll also have to be happy with a prestige car that really sounds like a diesel.

The modern tradition
I’ve always thought of the E Class as a very traditional Mercedes-Benz for a very traditional buyer. I have always rather admired it for that.

That applies a bit less now and it’s the one aspect of the new car that leaves me a bit cold. All New Zealand models now come as standard with a sports exterior package and Avantgarde-specification frontal styling, which takes the Mercedes-Benz emblem off the bonnet and repositions it in the grille.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of piloting a Mercedes-Benz and looking at the road ahead through the Three Pointed Star on the end of the bonnet, you’ll realise why I’m a bit sad about that.

The old-school “roundy” rear wheel arch has been reshaped into a more contemporary feature line. With the sports package, interior trim changes and bright LED lights, there is just a bit more bling and a bit less elegance.

But hey, that’s my reactionary opinion. According to Mercedes-Benz, the reason the new model has been tricked-up so much is that customers ordered the old one that way.

BUT WAIT – THERE'S MORE
Groundbreaking features have been introduced to the E Class as part of a mid-life facelift: that’s classic Mercedes-Benz methodology, introducing customers to new technology without overwhelming them.

The overwhelming part usually comes later – in this case the all-new S Class, which will arrive in New Zealand just before the end of the year. Mercedes-Benz is clear about its ambition to build “the best automobile in the world” with S Class. One role of the new E Class is to preview the level of technology that will be available in the S Class.

Naturally, the S Class will have everything the new E Class does … and so much more. For example, the stereo camera system introduced as part of Intelligent Drive on E Class has extended functionality called Road Surface Scan in the S Class.

The cameras analyse the road ahead and communicate with the electronically controlled suspension to adjust accordingly.

The Pre-safe system from the E Class is extended to an Impulse function, which pulls the driver and front passenger away from the direction of the impact at a very early phase of an impending crash.

Like the E Class’s intricate exterior lighting? The S Class is the world’s first production car that does not employ a single light bulb. LED lighting is used throughout the vehicle – up to 500 in total.

Nokia Lumia 925: The best Windows Phone yet

2013-06-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

According to Nokia, the new Lumia 925 is its "third flagship" phone at the moment. It hasn’t retired the other two Lumias (the 920 and the 928) which continue to sail proudly alongside the 925, with all their flags fluttering.

However there are times when one must wave a pedantic arm from the back of the class where the naughty boys sit, and utter the two words all teachers dread: “But s-s-s-sir…”

My knowledge of all things nautical is based upon the profound observation, taught to me while being dandled on my father’s knee, that “at sea, things happen slowly”. Watching ships crawl along the North Sea coast confirmed the fundamental truth of this – and there wasn't much more you really needed to know. It has also proved true in the reporting of Microsoft’s progress with Windows Phone, where things happen slowly, too.

Now to the multiple flagships. In my dictionary a fleet has just one "flagship" at any one time, the ship that carries the fleet’s admiral or commander. Since the Editor of this esteemed organ is a former naval officer who commanded his own Royal Navy vessel, some things cannot pass unnoticed.

Nokia’s explanation is that all three, um, "flagships" sit at the top of the range, and each has its own USP. And in any case, one of them is only available via one carrier in just one country, limiting its availability. What’s not in doubt is that the new Lumia 925 is the lightest and most svelte of the three by some distance. It’s the swankiest ship with the swankiest flags – and possibly the most attractive Windows phone anyone has made to date.

Nokia has won plenty of plaudits for its newer low-cost Lumias this year, and deservedly so. The 520 and 620 are available on either side of £100 contract-free, and that kind of money barely buys you a three-year-old iPhone. Yet they offer a slick and reliable experience superior to anything in the price bracket. The 620 even pulled off something pretty unusual in a cheap phone – a handset with character and charm.

Crouching wowser, hidden chargin'

But the fortunes of Nokia’s high-end devices have been rather different. Nokia must show something more than "good value" for its years of multibillion-euro expenditure on R&D boffinry; it needs to include a bit of "Wow". This it delivered with last year’s Lumia 920, a phone boasting eye-catching low light photography, rock-steady video recording and stunning live audio capture.

The 920 also boasted Qi wireless charging and Nokia rolled out a range of nice wireless charging accessories. But all this Wow came at a cost: the sturdily built behemoth tipped the scales at 185g encasing a 4.5-inch display… and 90° corners.

And while some cherished the dense, rugged mass for its resilience but for many consumers and carriers it was too much. In addition, Nokia opted to give carrier exclusivity to EE in the UK for its first few months, limiting the appeal to enthusiasts. EE could only offer 4G LTE in a few locations and its tariffs until recently, were punitive.

The Lumia 925 attempts to cram the "Wow" into a much slimmer, lighter and more modern-looking package – the 920 has gone on a crash weight-loss programme.

Design and construction

Flagship number 3 borrows the guts of the 920, offers a tweaked camera and stunning OLED display of the same size. The new phone is around the same weight of the Galaxy S3 and S4, something the market is evidently comfortable with. At 139g, it’s 46g lighter – and believe me, you appreciate every gramme.

The 925 also breaks with recent Nokia industrial design practice of using dyed polycarbonate shells in a range of strong, eye-catching, sorbet colours. This has undoubtedly been good for differentiating Nokia from its rivals – you can spot a Lumia at the other end of the bus.

But not everybody wants to make a statement and many professional and business users are looking for something, well … business-like and professional, possibly. Just as you don’t see too many fluorescent Minis in the executive car park, it isn’t surprising DayGlo Lumias haven’t caught on with professionals, either.

The 925 certainly makes amends. It uses an aluminium frame and harks back to the Nokia designs of 2010 – the late OPK*-era, or the “Years of Madness” as it’s called round here. Premium phones such as the N8, E7, C7 and the C6-01 made classy use of sleek anodised aluminium bodies and while they may have been panned for their Symbian software, they looked handsome, felt like Volvos, and picked up design awards.

The Lumia 925 uses a polycarbonate shell back cover to keep the weight down, and it’s a much more business-like and subdued design that still manages to feel expensive. It certainly sends the message "professional", rather than "urban attention seeker". For my money, this year’s most stylish phone is the HTC One, but Nokia deserves praise for dispensing with design dogma, and turning out something so elegant.

I should advise, and it’s a matter of some urgency if you’re in the market for one of these devices, then get your protection in first. The screen picks up scratches alarmingly easily, even though it's nominally using the scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass. Nokia is using a thinner (2.5D vs 2.25D) glass than on the 925 but that shouldn’t affect its resistance to surface scratches. Other reviewers have also picked up on this. Perhaps the Gorillas were out for the afternoon when this batch rolled out?

Good casing is also essential.

What do you get?

The 925 packs in the much-praised camera unit of the Lumia 920, with an additional lens for daylight photos. Like the 920 it also has a sealed battery and no SD card slot. The latter is one of the few negative points to consider, as the European exclusive for the 32GB model has been given to Vodafone and so all other carriers must settle for the 16GB model. 32GB is available SIM-free, but at a price. “I’d like to have it but the compromise wasn’t worth it,” Nokia’s Kevin Shields told us in aninterview explaining the design decisions.

Space matters here rather more than on a premium phone from last year: it’s a phone many will want to buy for its superb video recording, which at 1080p HD quality, but this will fill the phone quickly. With Windows Phone 8GB gobbling up 2.5GB out of the box, you may have to be more careful than you would otherwise be with a 32GB model. The processor, memory and battery capacity are all the same as the 920, which means there should be some juice left at the end of the day.

The 925 loses wireless charging, which is a shame. It feels like a Roman indulgence to splurge on a couple of Qi charging pads, but once you have a few around the place, trust me, you’ll never look back. It changes the experience of owning a phone in quite a subtle way. With one in the car and one on your office desk, for example, the phone is almost always topped up. Wireless charging can be added via a £20-£24 clip-on plate, but this rather spoils the clean lines, adding 22g to the weight and 4mm to the depth of the phone. Take advantage of price cuts and retail bundle offers – Three and Carphone Warehouse are throwing in a free charging stand and a clip-on cover with Lumia 925 pre-orders – and you only really need two. With the Nexus 7 and Galaxy S4 also adopting wireless, it’s a reasonable investment. Alas Nokia appears to have hit pause on wireless charging as it tries to slim down the phones. Only the Verizon-exclusive 928 this year has Qi built in.

Nokia chose to use an AMOLED display here, rather than the in-plane switching LCD of the 920. Personally, I’m a huge fan of these displays, which have an eerie sci-fi quality for me: the blacks are so black they seem to absorb the surrounding light - it’s like carrying a tiny black hole with you.

OLED screens also complement Windows Phone quite naturally, throwing the text into clear relief, and allowing more colours of the limited palette to be used as the accent highlight colour – I find the Cobalt, for example, is too dim to be the accent colour on an IPS LCD but pops out of an AMOLED screen. The drawback of OLEDs was poor outdoor visibility, but this is bright and perfectly legible outdoors, the screen is specified to 600 nits and I had no problems, the brightness control is now very smooth.

I wouldn’t be too distressed if I never used an other IPS display again, but your mileage may vary.

Performance was superb, and there’s no indication that the chipset inside was mature even last year. The only lags evident were with Nokia’s Smart Camera app, which is doing a lot of work (more below), and which is not mandatory. Windows Phone 8 is far more efficient than Java-based power-guzzlers of Android, the experience is smoother and much less cluttered. Call quality was excellent, and the use of the aluminium frame as an antenna didn’t result in any iPhone 4 style death grips.

What's new in the Windows GDR2 'Amber' bundle?

The 925 also sees the debut of the latest minor revision to Windows 8 Phone: GDR, which with some new Nokia enhancements gets the marketing-friendly moniker of the ‘Amber Update’. All WP8-based Lumias will receive this in the next few weeks.
Microsoft additions include a data counter (allowing you to monitor and cap mobile network data usage) called Data Sense and a Wi-Fi hotspot finder. CalDAV and CardDAV have been added, which is fairly vital to accessing your Google contacts and calendar. And FM radio support has been restored – it went AWOL in Windows Phone 8. All Nokia’s WP8 devices bar the 520 have an FM radio, and now you can use it. GDR2 also includes a Wi-Fi hotspot finder, although as you can see from the screen grab, a little more on screen information would be handy.

Nokia's Amber update rolls up the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update with Nokia's own additions, such as Colour Profiles (right).

GDR2 includes a data counter and data-capper.

Left: the Wi-Fi hotspot finder, right: Nokia's continues to improve its Accessories support

Nokia’s big addition is a new camera app and a standby clock, Glance. All this does is tell you the time when the phone is in standby, and allow you to unlock with a double tap. It’s very much a beta effort: the only option available is to mute the colour at set hours, or turn it off altogether.
This is all a bit of a comedown after using the Symbian 808 PureView, which has a wonderful standby screen, offering a shimmering display of very slowly, subtly changing backgrounds which are actually quite informative – you’d know if you’d missed a call or received a text. Nokia also adds colour profiles into its Amber update.
Nokia continues to throw in its own suite of ever-improving apps, including the exclusive streaming music service Nokia Music, and less-exclusive HERE+ Maps and HERE+ Drive, which offers turn-by-turn navigation. The latter two are available to all Windows Phone licensees. Maps is excellent, lacking only the StreetView integration of Google Maps and until now, a compass in the main map app. The iPhone has had compass-orientation in its Maps since 2009. Nokia’s rather gimmicky City Lens augmented reality overlay is now folded into the main Maps app. More usefully the excellent "Transit" or "Transport" app – a best-in-class public transport app – is not bundled, but is available as a free download.
Apple paid Windows Phone a backhanded compliment last week by remodelling iOS7 on the Modern UI: text labels replace buttons across the user interface. However, while iOS looks like Windows Phone, it doesn’t really work much like it. The WP UI may look like it was designed by a self-indulgent graphic designer, its real strengths are very practical: in the interaction design, making the phone simple and consistent to use, which is all built on a rock solid foundation ensuring good battery life and reliability.
There are disadvantages to entering the game late, though. The Windows Phone application store reflects a market almost entirely split between iPhone and Android.
Things are improving, steadily but slowly.
Not everyone is looking for that Long Tail, merely a modern reliable phone that’s easy to use, doesn’t require constant monitoring or maintenance, excels at one or two features such as photography and maps, has a smattering of the essentials. The 925 fits that bill.

The phone that goes Roamin' in the Gloamin'

The 925’s imaging system hardware uses extra hardware, commonly found in dedicated shooters and cams, to steady the shot. The camera module floats on springs, while sensors and gyroscopes compensate for wobble before the picture has been captured, or while video is being recorded. Most rivals can only apply smoothing after the picture has been taken, which the 925 does too. In practice this means better results in low-light conditions, and videos are much smoother.
The system has been tweaked a little in the 925, with the addition of an extra lens to the 920, that Nokia says improves daytime photos. As with its fellow flagships, low light photography is quite miraculous – provided you have a steady hand. It’s quite eerie to peer into the "viewfinder" (the display) when you’re taking a photo and see only darkness, then take a picture that’s filled with light and detail. Daylight photos are very good, but less spectacular.

Photos show good depth and detail, on typically overcast London summer’s day it was excellent. But they’re still noticeably softer pictures and prone to white-out than rivals. For dark conditions, high-end ISO is 3200. Of those rivals the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a smaller sensor but its aggressive sharpening algorithms give a casual impression of better quality.

Bootleggers' paradise

The phone also contains another gem from Nokia’s boffins: professional quality audio recording at extremely high volumes. I’ve captured footage with the 920 from right in front of the PA at a decent-sized indoor venue (standing capacity over 3,000) and it plays back in rich stereo with no distortion. How do they do that? Nokia developed the HAAC (High Amplitude Audio Capture) system over several years in partnership with microphone manufacturers, and it made its debut in the 808 PureView last year. Naturally it’s a boon for bootleggers, but for the rest of us it just means more professional everyday video without the confusion caused by Wow and Flutter - the top end of the range is 140dB).

Sunset + 11 mins
[ Click to enlarge ]

Sunset +12 mins - with focus on the sky, the 925 struggles to capture the detail
[ Click to enlarge ]

Sunset +14 mins ... even darker now, but the 925 captures a mass of detail

Taken at the same times as the photo above it, the Lumia 925 captures detail very well in poor light

Nokia decided it needed to showcase its imaging wizardry in Smart Camera, a dedicated image capture application which makes its debut here but will be available to all WP8 Lumias in the Amber release. You can choose to make Smart Camera the default snapper activated by the hardware camera button. Smart Camera takes ten images rather than one, all ten are preserved, and allow a choice of effects to be applied. These are a mixture of the practical and the gimmicky.

On a practical level, Smart Camera can choose the best composite from a group shot, offer to remove unwanted objects that have wandered into frame, and suggest the best of the 10. It also offers a couple of more frivolous tricks: an action shot and a motion blur effect. All will find their audience, no doubt, but face recognition was rather poor unless there’s just a few faces prominent in the photo - some group shots of ten children only picked out a couple of faces. The potential is rather hindered by the time it takes to snap ten shots, and the size of the results: each smart camera shot is around 20MB. Most annoyingly there’s no way to switch to video recording from within the Smart Camera – you need to fire up the default Camera app for that. That aspect alone meant I started up the regular Camera most of the time.
Full marks to Nokia for showcasing its technology so imaginatively, but Smart Camera feels like a kind of stop-gap until these features are built into the default applications. Which is a bit of a shame, as I know how useful the group shot feature can be; kids are almost impossible to snap well, and Grandma likes a nice picture.
Last year Nokia released a unique phone with a 41 Megapixel sensor, the PureView 808, capable of stunning results. The launch of the first Windows-based Lumia incorporating the technology is apparently imminent. So you may be wondering how the Lumia 925 stands up to the 808 PureView. Well, I'm glad you asked.

Photo taken from the same spot; Left: Lumia 925, Right: PureView 808

Detail: Left: Lumia 925, Right: PureView 808
[Click to enlarge ]

Both photos were taken from the same spot, using default settings in each case. The PureView packs in a lot more pixels, which accounts for the size difference. The difference really becomes striking when you examine the full sized image. Look at the black pebbles as the the foot of the statue - on the 925 photo they're indistinct, whereas on the 808 photo each one is well defined. The grouting of the base also makes a good comparison, as does the way they grapple with the paler patch of grass to the right.
The Lumia is an excellent camera phone. But if Nokia has succeeded in incorporating something like the 808 sensor into its Lumia line, then buyers are in for a treat.

The Reg Verdict

The Lumia packs great photography and video capture into a top notch all-rounder. The usual caveats apply: if you want complete breadth of app coverage, and this is paramount, buy an iPhone 5. If you want the best imaging, Samsung’s Galaxy Zoom offers a pocket camera with an Android phone bolted on the top, but it’s a cumbersome affair. Or you may wish to wait for Nokia’s own gazillion-pixel Lumia, which we expect to be announced in three weeks. This brings the incredible 41Mp PureView 808 camera to Windows, and in a much slimmer package, if "leaks" are to be believed. If you’ve simply wanted an excellent Nokia but been deterred by the bulk and weight of the predecessors and the child-friendly plastics, it’s delivered.

Not your average iPhone

Of course, it is valid to ask about future-proofing. Apple does a superb job here, with year-old iPhones getting the latest software in the annual release cycle. You may not get all the new platform features, but you’ll get most of them. Updates have improved for Android owners too – and it’s more open and hackable.
Last spring, Nokia launched the Lumia 900 “flagship” into the US that was superseded within a few months by Windows Phone 8 devices, and the concessionary 7.8 upgrade for Lumia 900 owners was months late and offered only resizable tiles. Some kind of assurance for 925 purchasers should be made.
Nokia now looks like a hare in a hurry that has decided to take a ride on a very slow-moving traction engine. It opted for Windows Phone 30 months ago because of the ecosystem support ('markets' in plain English) but the app market for Microsoft lags behind and is only getting there very slowly.
Microsoft effectively spent 2012 porting the feature set of the 2011 Mango update (7.5) to an entirely new OS, and it did it so smoothly that nobody noticed much disruption. Now Microsoft needs to do the “easy part”: address user-land issues like notifications and make dozens of minor tweaks that make a big difference in everyday life. It’s a hell of a lot easier to add a Week View to the Calendar app, or add email message Flags, than it is port an OS to a new kernel.
Nokia’s answer to the Three Flagship Puzzle is that “it’s a different expression of what we delivered in the 920” – a reasonable description of bringing last year’s advanced technology to something most people can live with comfortably. It’s a whole lot more sleek and stylish than anything Nokia has produced since switching to Windows Phone, and classier than its plasticky-feeling rivals too.
Kudos to Sony and HTC too for trying to raise the standards of industrial design this year. It demonstrates Nokia is on top of its game, and able to deliver quality as well as good value at the bottom of the market. ®

Nokia confirms Lumia phone with 41MP camera

2013-06-22T03:27:00.001-07:00

Nokia changed the benchmark for smartphone cameras last year when it launched the 808 PureView with 41MP snapper. It was rumouredto have included this camera in its flagship Lumia920 last year, but that was not to be. However, speculation is now rife that the Finnish manufacturer will launch a Lumia phone 41MPcamera at its July 11 event in New York. And the company has nearly confirmed it too.

On the Nokia Conversations website, the company has put up a teaser that says there will be "41 million reasons" to attend the July 11 event. "41 million" is a clear hint towards the 41MPcamera, as it is the same number of pixels in the sensor of the upcoming Lumia phone. In the invite Nokia sent for the July 11 event, it said it will reinvent zoom, suggesting the launch of the phone currently being called Lumia EOS in tech circles.

In a blog post on Nokia Conversations, it picked five of its favourite internet memes. One of the memes carried the tagline: "Oh, so you've got a smartphone with a zoom lens... I bet that fits in your pocket perfectly." This is a jibe at Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy S4 Zoom phone, which comes with a 16MP camera and 10X optical zoom.

The Nokia Lumia smartphone with 41MP camera has surfaced on the internet via leaked photos many times in the past few months. The images suggest a body similar to Lumia 920's made of polycarbonate and a huge camera sensor hump on the back. This camera is said to run on Windows Phone 8 operating system, have speaker grilles at the bottom, support wireless charging via a strap-on supported covers and come in red, white, yellow and blackcolours.

Is iOS 7 "Under the Influence"? Why Borrowing Matters

2013-06-12T01:16:00.002-07:00

I woke up today to a number of sources claiming that Apple implemented features of both Android OS and Windows OS in iOS 7, what Apple now calls “the world’s most advanced operating system.” There are those on the side of Android who have said, “Apple stole from Android’s ideas,” and there are Windows OS fans who have said that Apple also stole from Windows to create what many consider to be a major overhaul to iOS since the iPhone first emerged on the scene in 2007.

There are two sides to consider here, and I want to voice my own view on the subject of whether or not Apple “copied” from other mobile OSes in its WWDC 2013 Keynote.

iOS 7 Borrows But Also Creates

Aaron Souppouris of The Verge writes the following about iOS 7:

Apple’s new incoming call screen, which calls on users to ‘swipe to answer,’ is similar in function to Samsung’s TouchWiz, and looks just like Windows Phone 8…aren’t those ‘motion backgrounds,’ which feature circles and lots of soft bokeh, just like the wallpapers introduced by Google in Android Ice Cream Sandwich? The list goes on.

Souppouris is aware of iOS 7′s influences and acknowledges them head on; at the same time, he says that Apple is doing nothing different from other manufacturers and producers:

Taking concepts and interpreting them as your own is something all creatives do. It’s this interpretation and improvement of ideas that’s key. With iOS 7, the question isn’t whether Apple’s artists are copying or stealing good ideas — it’s whether they’re doing a good job evolving them.

While Apple’s new iOS 7 is “under the influence” of other manufacturers and other OSes, Apple brings its own style to iOS 7 with some of its icons revamped (such as Game Center) as well as its new weather app (that comes with live animations).

As both an iPhone 5 and GS3 user, I can tell you that Apple’s new weather application is one I embrace. I really like the clear design and the fact that Apple has placed the live animation into iOS 7 itself — not made it a distinct wallpaper that drains battery life, as is the case with Android. If Apple’s weather animation drains battery life, it will do so at the same pace as any other typical app — which is negligible at best.

Cory Gunther of Android Community agrees with Souppouris about Apple’s being “under the influence”:

We’ve seen all sorts of rips at Apple today. Some blogs calling iOS 7 the update that turned Apple devices into Android, and all types of crazy stuff. Yes they share features and designs, blatantly rip some off, but who cares? I don’t. It isn’t just Android. We see hints from all aspects of mobile here, and I feel like the competition is a good thing. At the same time the ‘copying’ is a validation of just how awesome and successful Android really is. So yes, I’m ok with it.

Gunther is a bit more vocal about his view that Apple “blatantly rip [ped] off” Android, but still agrees that Apple provides formidable competition against Android. I couldn’t agree more.

Why Borrowing Matters in iOS 7

But…you guessed it! There is another angle from which many have failed to view this whole situation.

Yes, it’s true that all great companies, including Apple and Samsung, have borrowed from other companies to create great software and hardware. With Android manufacturers this year, LG and now Samsung (with its GS4 Active) have borrowed IP waterproof certification from Sony’s Xperia Z and used it in their own devices.

At the same time, Apple is no ordinary company. Last year marked one of the most unforgettable smartphone company lawsuits in all of history, with Apple taking Samsung to court and suing the Korean manufacturer for $1.05 billion (over $2 billion initially). The one claim Apple’s attorneys made in court, time and time again, was that Samsung “blatantly ripped off” Apple’s designs and Apple wanted compensation for it. While Samsung and Microsoft may never take Apple to court for iOS 7, they have as much right to do so as Apple did last year.

Why does borrowing matter? It matters because Apple sued Samsung and sent the message then that borrowing matters. Now that iOS 7 has been previewed at WWDC 2013, Apple cannot send the message that “it is okay for us to copy others’ ideas without penalty” while making Samsung pay billions for its own “copying.” If one is “under the influence” and faces no penalty, then all can be under the influence without penalty. If one is wrong, then all are wrong.

In short, borrowing is okay; but it is not okay to send mixed messages about it.

Google set to buy Israeli startup Waze for more than $1 billion

2013-06-11T06:10:00.003-07:00

Navigation app's development center will remain in Israel for at least three years.

Google is set to acquire much sought-after Israeli navigation app startup Waze, after the two companies agreed in principle to most term, including a price tag exceeding $1 billion in cash, sources said Sunday.

In addition, Waze's research and development center will remain in Israel for at least three years as will the company's CEO, Noam Bardin. Waze will retain its independent identity both as a company and as a brand, they said.

The agreement comes about a week-and-half after talks between the Israeli company and Facebook collapsed, apparently over Waze's insistence that its R&D operations remain in Israel. Facebook had sought to fold the company's operations into its California headquarters and re-brand them as a Facebook product.

Facebook had offered about $1 billion for the Israeli company, but when its exclusive right to hold acquisition talks expired, Waze apparently turned to Google as its preferred suitor. In addition, to letting Waze keep its operations in Israel for now, Google offered all cash, as against Facebook's offer to pay half the purchase price in cash and half in shares.

Moreover, the U.S. company agreed not to reduce the size of the R&D staff during the next three years.

None of the companies involved had officially commented on the reports as of late yesterday.

Waze is a crowd-sourced, mobile-oriented navigation device for drivers that relies on information provided by its 47 million members to populate its maps.
Mapping services are among the five most-used applications on smartphones and are crucial to engaging and retaining mobile users. The key advantage of owning, rather than licensing, a mapping service is that it allows the product to be personalized for users.

Google's interest in Waze stems principally from its aim of blocking Facebook's growth. The search company operates its own navigation service that competes head on with Waze. It has invested heavily in its system, including the ambitious Google Street View database of images and satellite images.

Teaming up with Waze would have enabled Facebook, which right now doesn't have a similar product, to put the social media company into competition with Google in a key area. With this threat in mind, Google was ready to offer more generous terms than Facebook reportedly did to eliminate the competition.

Apple was also a rumored bidder, but its CEO, Tim Cook, told a conference at the end of May that the company made no such bid.

Waze uses satellite signals from members' smartphones to generate maps and traffic data, which it then shares with other users, offering real-time traffic info. Because its technology is designed for social media, Waze was considered a good fit for Facebook, analysts said.

Mapping services are among the five most-used applications on smartphones and are crucial to engaging and retaining mobile users. The key advantage of owning, rather than licensing, a mapping service is that it allows for the product to be tailored and personalized for users.

"Whoever holds the mapping data is going to be a hot commodity," Brian Proffitt, author of several books on mobile technology and an adjunct instructor of management in the University of Notre Dame, told Reuters last month. "As larger vendors acquire mapping data, businesses and consumers will discover that it's more difficult to gain free access and correct errors."

Waze is owned by a group of local and foreign investors, including the Israeli venture capital funds Magma and Vertex. Chinese investor Li Ka Shing invested $30 million in the company via Horizon Ventures in October 2011. Other invesotrs include the U.S. VC funds Kleiner Perkins and Blue Run Ventures as well as the U.S. tech companies Microsoft and Qualcomm.

Altogether some $67 million has been invested in the company since it formed in 2008 by Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Uri Levine.

Waze has enjoyed years of spectacular growth. About 12% of its users hail from the United States, and it also has high penetration in Italy and Brazil. Its user base has skyrocketed to 47.5 million today from about seven million in 2011. By the end of 2013, the company expects it to reach 70 million.

By its estimates, this year alone it will have saved users some 82 million hours of time not stuck in traffic and the global environment some 844,000 tons of carbon monoxide. The average Waze users shaves 15% off his or her driving time.

Check out the new wireless computer mouse from Audi

2013-06-10T06:02:00.003-07:00

Samsung Galaxy Note III, Galaxy S4 Zoom 'leaked'

2013-06-10T06:01:00.005-07:00

Samsung's flagship phone Galaxy S4 already has two variants -- the waterproofGalaxy S4 Active and the smaller sibling Galaxy S4 mini -- and now rumours are rife that the company is readying its another variant called S4 Zoom. Tech news website SamMobile has released an alleged leaked image of Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, which reportedly has a 16MP rear camera with 10X zoom. The image suggests a huge lens on the back and a dedicated camera key on the right, below the lock and volume keys.

Rumoured hardware specifications of Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom include a 4.3-inch screen with 960x540p resolution and 256ppi pixel density and 1.6GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM. It is said to pack 8GB onboard storage, support microSD card up 64GB and run on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) with TouchWiz Nature UX. Other details about the device include Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi for connectivity and white and black colour options. It is said that this phone will be unveiled at the Samsung event scheduled for June 20 in London.

An alleged leaked image of Samsung Galaxy Note III, the third iteration of the company's successful phablet, too has surfaced online. Tech news websites TechTastic and SamMobile have leaked the image which shows a large-screen phone with curved corners and thin bezel.

According to tech grapevine, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note III will feature a 5.99-inch SuperAMOLED touchscreen with 1920x1080p resolution and is likely to be unveiled in September. It is said to have a 13MP camera on the back, support S Pen stylus and run on the latest iteration of Google's Android operating system.

Apple to unveil iOS revamp, iRadio, Siri update -- analyst

2013-06-10T06:00:00.003-07:00

Apple's WWDC should reveal a redesign for iOS, the unveiling of iRadio, changes to the Maps app, and a Siri update, says analyst Gene Munster.

Apple will unveil a new paint job for iOS and introduce its new iRadio music service at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, forecasts Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.

In an investors note out today, the analyst offered his predictions on what to expect from Apple as WWDC kicks off. Several reports have already pointed to a redesign for Apple's mobile OS with iOS 7, and Munster sees that as 90 percent likely.

iOS 7 will mark the first change to iOS spearheaded by Apple design guru Jony Ive, and the first time in six years that Apple will overhaul its familiar interface. Such a change can be risky, but Munster sees it as necessary.

"We believe making these changes is the right move for Apple given consumers are increasingly interested in some fresh ideas from Apple around the iOS interface," the analyst said. "The risk of doing nothing is greater than the risk of disrupting the winning iOS formula."

CNET's live coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013 keynote

iRadio has an 80 percent of being tuned up at WWDC, according to Munster. By offering its own music streaming service, Apple has an opportunity to slice off a healthy chunk of that market based on sheer numbers, Apple has more than 500 million active iTunes accounts. In comparison, Spotify has 30 million users with 7 million to 8 million of them paying customers, while Pandora enjoys 70 million active users with around 2.5 million paying ones.

Still, iRadio won't contribute to a huge amount to Apple's bottom line, according to Munster. But it would be a feather in Apple's cap.

"Even if Apple is successful in the streaming music space, it likely won't move the needle for the company," the analyst said. "If Apple were to equal Pandora's [Wall Street] revenue estimate in [2014] of $875 million, it would add about 0.5 percent to overall Apple revenue. More importantly, we view the music offering as an opportunity to show consumers that they can deliver new, useful services with great experiences to make up for disappointments in Mobile Me and Maps."

Munster also sees an 80 percent chance that Apple will announce changes to its Maps app and an update to Siri. But above all, WWDC will point the way to what's ahead for the rest of 2013.

"Monday will set the stage for more measurable products over the next six quarters (iPhone 5S, cheaper iPhone, television, iPhone 6, iWatch, and possibly payments)," Munster added

New 2013 Skoda Octavia spotted testing in India

2013-06-10T05:58:00.003-07:00

The new 2013 Skoda Octavia has made a lot of news all around the world. The latest generation of the Octy has already been launched in European markets and it is a matter of time before this car comes to the Indian car market.

It has always been pretty much for sure that the new Octavia is headed to our country and we have seen many test mules of the 2013 Skoda Octavia on Indian roads. Seen here is a fresh set of new Octavia test mule which has been spotted testing in Maharashtra.

The new Octavia that has been spotted testing wore MH20 registration plates, which is usual for most cars from Skoda’s Aurangabad plant.

Skoda is betting big on its new Octavia and people from around the world are of the belief that the new car might up the ante in the very competitive mid-size sedan segment. The new Octavia is underpinned by the much publicized MQB platform. This is the same platform that which underpins quite a few modern Volkswagen group cars.

There is a section of auto industry watchers in India who are of the belied that the 2013 Octavia will be sold alongside the Laura (the last gen Octavia) and this might continue until Skoda India comes up with entry level variants of the new Octy for completely replacing the Laura. It may be noted that the sales of current Laura have already taken a hit with the launch of the new Elantra and the Cruze.

The 2013 Octavia is considerably larger than the Laura and various international auto publications are of the opinion that the new car is almost as big as the Superb flagship sedan. This means that the new Octavia would be half a shoe size larger than the Chevrolet Cruze, the new Hyundai Elantra and the Volkswagen Jetta.

The engine options for the 2013 Octavia are likely to be carried over from the current car would get a 1.8 TSI turbocharged petrol engine and a 2.0 TDI turbocharged diesel engine. Skoda India might also add an entry level 1.6 Liter TDI turbo diesel engine variant to keep the costs under check.

It is pretty much for sure that the new Octavia will be costlier than the Laura but on the same time, the car might come across as a much more value for money proposition due to its larger size, newer technology and a bigger equipment list.

We just can’t wait for the new Octy to hit Skoda India showrooms. What about you?

Lots of thanks to Lalji Singh for sharing the pics with us.

HP launches Slate7 Android Consumer Tablet in the Middle East

2013-06-10T05:57:00.001-07:00

HP has announced the arrival of its first Android tablet, HP Slate⁷ in the Middle East. HP Slate⁷is affordable Android Jelly Bean consumer tablet that provides customers with easy access to Google Mobile services.

With a 17.78cm (7-inch) diagonal screen and weighing 368 grams (13 ounces), the HP Slate⁷ is an ideal trusted personal companion, featuring a stainless-steel frame and soft black paint in gray or red on the back. It also is the industry’s first tablet to offer embedded Beats Audio, for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a tablet.

The HP Slate⁷ delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps and digital content through Google Play.

“There is high demand in the consumer technology segment in the Middle East arena. Consumers in the region have vast consumer tech knowledge and are always on the lookout for the newest and most outstanding products,” said Salim Ziade, General Manager, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Middle East. “HP is a leading player in the PC market and has implemented similar innovative practice for the tablets industry, introducing its first Android consumer tablet, HP Slate⁷. The HP Slate⁷on Android represents a compelling entry point for consumer tablets, and delivers the service and support people expect from HP”

The HP Slate⁷ joins the recently introduced HP Chromebook as part of HP’s push to offer access to the Google experience.

HP’s tablet offerings reside in the company’s newly formed Mobility Global Business Unit, established in September 2012 with the hiring of Torres. Torres joined HP from Nokia, where he was executive vice president and oversaw the MeeGo products and platform.

Access and enjoy

Powered by an ARM Dual Core Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz processor, the HP Slate⁷ is fast and responsive. Integrated wireless allows customers to access email, the internet and key applications, while the High-aperture-ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel offers wide viewing angles that provide easy viewing of documents, games, photos and videos—even in outdoor lighting conditions.

The HP Slate⁷ includes a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA camera on the front for chatting, videos and photos.

With the HP ePrint⁽²⁾ application, customers can easily print while at home or on the go, and an exclusive native printing capability enables customers to print directly from most applications. A micro USB port allows customers to easily transfer files, and a suite of applications from HP spans exclusive games to productivity tools.

HP will provide an array of simple and easy-to-access support tools and resources to help customers take full advantage of all of the features the HP Slate⁷ has to offer. In addition to extensive phone and online support offerings included with the HP Slate⁷, HP is offering customers the opportunity to expand and extend the standard product limited warranty with its HP Care Pack services.

Pricing and availability

The HP Slate⁷ is expected to be available in the Middle East beginning of July 2013 with a starting price of 599 AED.

Nexus 4 launches in India @ Rs 25,999

2013-05-16T01:49:00.001-07:00

LG and Google announced that Nexus 4, the official Android phone, would be available in India in the coming days at an MRP of Rs 25,999.

NEW DELHI: LG and Google announced that Nexus 4, the official Android phone, would be available in India in the coming days at an MRP of Rs 25,999. Yesterday, the device became available for pre-order on Flipkart, an e-commerce site, starting at a price of Rs 25,990.

Sources said that the pre-order was part of an exclusive deal that Flipkart had struck with LG.

"LG Electronics is pleased to partner Google on the release of the Nexus 4 in India," shared Soon Kwon, managing director, LG Electronics India. "We added the best of our talent to our strength, and the result is a feature-packed smartphone that packs superb hardware under a slim hood."

For now, LG had announced details about only the model with 16GB internal storage and not about the 8GB one, which could be cheaper by at least a few thousands rupees.

Nexus 4 has a 4.7-inch screen with 720P resolution. The phone is powered by a quad-core processor and has 2GB RAM. It has a 8MP primary camera and a 1.3MP front camera. The phone doesn't support microSD card and has a battery that cannot be replaced by users.

The real appeal of the Nexus 4 lies in the software it runs. Like all Nexus devices, it is powered by an unmodified version of Android and is guaranteed to get quick updates whenever Google comes out with the new version of the OS.

This is in stark contrast to other devices that get updates several months after Google had introduced the new version of Android. In an interview to Wired, Sundar Pichai, Android division head at Google, acknowledged that the company was working to fix the update process.

Google usually sells Nexus devices online through its Play Store. But sources said that Nexus 4 would be sold only by LG and its retail partners.

The phone was launched in the global markets last year. At that time an LG executive claimed that it would be available in India in October. But the plans to launch it didn't materialize.

So far Google has made six Nexus phones and tablets. Nexus 4 is the third from the series to hit India. The other two are Nexus S and Nexus 7.

Panasonic launches 5-inch smartphone @ Rs 26,990

2013-05-16T01:47:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI: Panasonic today re-entered the smartphone market with the global launch of its new P51 smartphone in India. The phone runs on a quad-core processor and has a 5-inch display, a feature seen in many top-end models nowadays. It has been priced at Rs 26,990 in the Indian market and will compete against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC One X and LG Optimus 4X HD, among others.

The company said it has inked a partnership deal with Times Internet Limited, the online division of The Times Of India Group, and the new handset will come preloaded with TOI and ET apps.

The all-new Panasonic P51 features an IPS display with 1280x720p resolution and 295ppi pixel density; the touchscreen boasts of Asahi DragonTrail scratchproof and damage-proof glass for added durability. This device runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the latest iteration of Google's free mobile operating system. It has a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU under the hood and packs 1GB RAM and 4GB onboard storage, along with microSD card support up to 32GB.

The connectivity suite of this dual-sim phone comprises features like 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB. An 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash is placed on the back of the phone, while a 1.3MP HD unit is used in the front. Powered by a 2,500mAh battery, Panasonic P51comes with a free magnetic flip cover and supports input via stylus. This phone measures 8.5mm along the waistline, weighs 135gram and will be available in white and black colours.

The Japanese manufacturer has roped in Student Of The Year star Varun Dhawan as the brand ambassador for its smartphone range. He joins Katrina Kaif, who is the brand ambassador for the company's air conditioners, in endorsing the company's products.

Panasonic has joined hands with Jaina Marketing for the distribution, marketing and customer care support of its P51 smartphone. It has said that it will invest Rs 200 crore over the next year in brand building for the mobile range. Panasonic is eyeing an 8% share of the Indian smartphone market in the first year

Daizo Ito, president, Panasonic India, said, "We are now launching our innovative smartphone which will redefine the Indian smartphone consumer experience. We are confident that our product will provide the Indian consumer a great multimedia experience and the 'best value for money' proposition."

The radio is making a comeback this summer with Windows Phone 8 update

2013-05-15T05:33:00.005-07:00

Update also includes Google's new sync protocols

Following Tuesday's Nokia Lumia 925 launch, Microsoft revealed the device will be running an updated version of Windows Phone 8 that brings back one feature and adds a few more for good measure.

Coming this summer to Windows Phone 8 devices, the software update will see the return of the FM radio, which had been laying dormant in the current generation of devices.

As well as access to the airwaves, Windows Phone users who rely on Google accounts will be pleased to know that Microsoft is updating the OS to keep up with Google's new syncing tech.

In a post on the Windows Phone blog, the company said "the update also ensures Windows Phone continues to work with Google services by adding support for the company's newest sync protocols - CalDAV and CardDAV."

Hundreds of improvements

The update will bring "hundreds" of small improvements to the OS, including some tweaks for Xbox Music that improves the accuracy of song data.

Owners of the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 can also expect to receive the 'double tap to wake' feature announced alongside the impressive Lumia 925 today.

With high profile Android and iOS launches expected to arrive in the next few months, will these modest improvements to Windows Phone 8 be enough to satisfy fans of the OS?

Let us know in the comments section below.

BlackBerry Launches New Mid-tier Smartphone

2013-05-15T05:30:00.001-07:00

BlackBerry has launched a new mid-tier smartphone, with the classical BlackBerry keyboard, targeting consumers from emerging markets. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company also said its BBM messenger service will be offered on iOS and Android devices.

The BlackBerry Live conference was kicked off on Tuesday with the launch of BlackBerry Q5, which is slated to ship in summer in the emerging markets, in several colors including pink, red and white. It is the third smartphone from BlackBerry, which will run on the BlackBerry 10 operating system. The new phone has a 3.1-inch touch screen with a QWERTY keyboard, and looks almost the same as the BlackBerry Q10.

In addition to the new phone, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins also announced the release of BlackBerry 10.1, the update to its latest smartphone operating system, for existing Z10 phones. Heins also said US carriers will start selling Q10 in early June. Q10 is already available in Canada and several other countries.

BlackBerry expects its new devices powered by its new BB10 OS to boost its revenues and bring it back in black. BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion, once had been the dominant force in the smartphone industry, but lost its position to Apple's iPhones and Samsung's Galaxy series phones running on Google's Android platform.

In a surprise move, Heins also said its BBM messenger service will go cross-platform to iOS and Android devices. He said BBM would be available for free download this summer on iPhone and Android devices, if approved by Google Play store and Apple's App store.