THE ONE STOP PLACE 4 TECH NEWS

Nokia Lumia 625 and Nokia Lumia 925 launched in India

2013-08-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

As expected earlier, Nokia today launched two new Lumia smartphones in the Indian markets. The Nokia Lumia 625 and the Nokia Lumia 925, which is said to be the biggest Lumia till now, are the latest entrants in the Indian smartphone markets.

The Nokia Lumia 625 features a 4.7 inch Corning Gorilla Glass 2 display, making it the largest Lumia device till now. The device is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor with just 512 MB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. The smartphone has a small 5 MP rear facing camera and a VGA front facing camera. The device is priced at Rs. 19999

The Nokia Lumia 925 has a 4.5 inch super AMOLED display with 1280 x 768 pixels resolution. The device is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor along with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The device is equipped with an 8.7 MP rear camera with dual LED flash and a 1.2 MP front facing camera. The smartphone is supposed to have the Amber update of Windows Phone 8 OS. The smartphone will go on sale at Rs. 33499.

Specs of the Nokia Lumia 625:

4.7 inch display
800 x 480 pixels resolution
1.2 GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor
512 MB RAM
8 GB internal memory
5 MP primary camera
VGA front facing camera
Windows Phone 8 OS
2000 mAh battery

Complete Specs of Nokia Lumia 625.

Specs of the Nokia Lumia 925:

4.5 inch display
1280 x 768 pixels resolution
1.5 GHz dual core Snapdragon processor
1 GB RAM
16 GB internal memory
8.7 MP primary camera
1.2 MP front facing camera
Windows Phone 8 OS
2000 mAh battery

Complete Specs of Nokia Lumia 925.

source:mobigyaan.com

Beware! Your smartphones can harm your eyes

2013-08-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

If smartphones have made our lives easier, there is a flip side too -- they cause vision impairment, says a leading laser eye surgeon.

If smartphones have made our lives easier, there is a flip side too -- they cause vision impairment, says a leading laser eye surgeon.

Femalefirst.co.uk reports that Surgeon David Allambym has revealed that smartphones have caused cases of myopia (short-sightedness) among young Britons to surge.

Allamby, founder of Focus Clinics, has reported a 35 percent increase of patients with advancing myopia, since the launch of smartphones in 1997, and warns that worsening Myopia in young adults could increase by 50 percent within 10 years.

Half of Britons own smartphones and spend an average of two hours per day using them. Combined with the amount of hours spent in front of a computer screen, laptop, tablet and television, it means that particularly young people and children are at risk of permanently damaging their vision.

New research found that the average smartphone user holds the handset 30 cm from their face, with some people holding it just 18 cm away, compared to newspapers and books, which are held 40cm away from the eyes.

According to Allamby, excessive screen watching at a close proximity keeps the genes that control myopia activated well beyond the age that short-sightedness would historically have stabilized, around the age of 21. This is known as 'epigenetics'. Myopia used to stop in our early 20s but now we see it progressing throughout the 20s, 30s, and even into our 40s.

"If things continue as they are, I predict that 40-50 percent of 30-year-olds could have myopia by 2033 as a result of smartphones and lifestyles in front of screens, an epidemic we call Screen-Sightedness. People need to ensure they limit screen time wherever possible even by going outside without their phone for a period of time each day, and also seriously consider the age at which they give their children a smartphone," Allamby said.

Allamby says today's generation of children are most at risk of myopia, with children as young as seven being given their first smartphone.

It is predicted that by 2014 children aged 12 to 17 years will be the second biggest market for smartphones behind 18-24 year olds.

Motorola Moto X hands-on: First look

2013-08-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

It's been a while since Google bought Motorola and it's been a while. It's only now that we finally see the fruits of that cooperation. By this point, we were already overly excited because we couldn't wait to see what rabbit would come out of Google's and Motorola's proverbial hat.

After weeks and weeks of rumors, leaks, assumptions we're now finally here, looking at the Motorola Moto X and taking in its quality finish, sleek display and seamless construction, the colorful interchangeable back cover and the whole shebang.

The Motorola Moto X doesn't premiere with promises to be the most powerful device on the market. Instead, it strives to attract the most attention, relying on several intriguing assets. First off, it comes with nearly completely stock software on board. Unfortunately, it's not the latest Android Jelly Bean 4.3. The Motorola Moto X has Jelly Bean 4.2.2 on tap instead.

Beyond everything else, our inner (and outer!) geeks find the camera the most interesting. The camera uses a clever technology, dubbed Clear Pixel, which lets up to 75% more light to the camera sensor, compared to regular smartophone cameras. But more on that later.

The device is powered by a custom-built Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System, which is based on a Snapdragon S4 Pro chip with two Krait cores, clocked at 1.7 GHz each, but adds extra processors for various specialized tasks. The Adreno 320 handles graphics and there are 2 gigs of RAM to carry out the heaviest of loads.

Motorola Moto X at a glance

General: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, quad-band UMTS/HSPA, 100 Mbps LTE with a second LTE antenna
Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
Dimensions: 129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4, 130 g
Display: 4.7" 16M-color 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) capacitive touchscreen RGB AMOLED display with curved Gorilla Glass and ~316 ppi
CPU: Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait
GPU: Adreno 320
Chipset: A custom-built Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System, based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset
RAM: 2GB
OS: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Memory: 16/32GB storage
Cameras: Primary 10 megapixel auto-focus Clear Pixel camera with 1.4 µm-sized pixels, f/2.4 aperture, native 16:9 aspect ratio, face detection, HDR mode, panorama, geo-tagging; Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps with HDR, Secondary 2MP front-facing camera with FullHD video capture; Quick capture allows you to activate the camera with a double twist of your wrist;
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, standard microUSB port with MHL and USB host, GPS receiver with A-GPS, GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, wireless screen sharing (Miracast protocol)
Misc: Composite plastic materials - surrounding back panel and curved edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass front; dual-mic setup for noise cancellation; water-repellent coating on electrical components for trouble-free operation in the rain; some 50 GB worth of extra free Google Drive storage for 2 years (on top of the usual 15GB); Active Display system, showing notifications on a fraction of the screen size when the screen is off; Touchless control - voice control capabilities in standby (with the screen off).
Battery capacity: 2200mAh.

The Motorola Moto X is more than camera prowess and software trickery, though. The housing is just as appealing as the innards. For one, there's a new type Gorilla Glass on board, which is curved towards the edges and covers the whole front.

Moto X by Motorola

The back panel is made out of high-quality plastic and is available in 18 color options. The primary Moto X variants, which you will be able to buy in store are the Woven Black and the Woven White colors.

But more on the hardware in the second chapter. Follow us to get the full scoop.

Specifications:-

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
		CDMA 800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA
		CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
	4G Network	LTE
	SIM	Nano-SIM
	Announced	2013, August
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2013, Q4

BODY	Dimensions	129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 mm (5.09 x 2.57 x 0.41 in)
BODY	Weight

DISPLAY	Type	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	720 x 1280 pixels, 4.7 inches (~312 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	no
MEMORY	Internal	16/32 GB, 2 GB RAM

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL / EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, LE, EDR
	NFC	Yes
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	10 MP, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	1.4 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps
	Secondary	Yes, 2 MP,1080p

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8960Pro Snapdragon
	CPU	Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait
	GPU	Adreno 320
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, temperature
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	TBD
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Black, White
		- SNS integration - MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA player - MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player - Google Search, Maps, Gmail - YouTube, Google Talk, Picasa - Organizer - Photo viewer/editor - Document viewer - Voice memo/dial - Predictive text input

BATTERY		Li-Ion 2200 mAh battery
	Stand-by
	Talk time

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.

Airtel announces new 4G plans starting from Rs. 450

2013-06-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

To provide high speed internet access to its customers, Airtel has introduced a host of new 4G plans which include special on-demand services.
The new 4G plans introduced start from a monthly rent of Rs. 450 for 2 GB right up to Rs. 4799 for 80 GB data plus additional access to movies and games on demand. The on demand benefits are not applicable to the 450, 650 and 750 plans and start from the 999 plan. The on demand services provide acces to an entertainment library of 1,000 movies and 100 games powered by BigFlix and indiagames for free.
Currently the new 4G plans are rolled out in Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune and Chandigarh and the super-fast internet services are expected to be available in other areas soon thereafter. Airtel 4G leverages the world’s most advanced 4G LTE technology to allow superfast access to data services for customers to stream High Definition (HD) videos, enjoy multiple chatting, instantly upload photos, download rich content and more

Tata DoCoMo to slash 2G and 3G data charges by 90 percent starting from July 1

2013-06-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

Soon after the telecom majors like Idea and Airtel announced rate cuts in their 2G charges after Vodafone took the initiative by slashing up to 80 percent rates, Tata DoCoMo also followed suit and announced a 90 percent cut in their data charges.

According to the revised rates which will be applicable from July 1, on exhaustion of the free 2G and 3G data units availed by recharging by Rs. 126 (2GB for 30 days), Rs. 149 (2.5GB for 30 days) and Rs. 249 (3GB for 60 days) and 3G data pack – Rs. 255 (2GB for 30 days), customers will be charged at 1 paise per KB for additional usage instead of the earlier 10 paise per 10 KB.

Interestingly, Tata DoCoMo has made the rates applicable for even the 3G data, thus making their 3G charges even cheaper. The revised rates will however be applicable only across 19 service areas where it provides services.

Idea offers Free Facebook Messenger Access for 3 months

2013-06-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

The whole world is on Facebook and every mobile network on the face of this earth has tried to cash on to that. Idea is no different. It has struck a partnership with Facebook, to allow you to make Facebook updates via messenger, absolutely free.

In the words of Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular ,“With the increasing mobile broadband penetration in India, the mobile phone is becoming the most important device for accessing Internet and social networking platforms. Nearly 50% of data users on the Idea network access Facebook on their mobile phones. The free Facebook Messenger service will enhance their social networking experience and enable Facebook users to chat with their contacts while on the move.”

To activate the service by dial *800*88# from your Android or iOS device.

Some things you need to glance over first:

The offer is valid only for pre-paid subscribers
Idea isn’t offering unlimited data, you have only 200 MB/per month
The offer is valid for three months from the date of activation.
You need to register before the 31st of July to claim the offer.

Facebook now lets you comment with photos

2013-06-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

Users can now add photo comments to posts across Facebook. The new feature is initially available to web and mobile site users.

Facebook has made interaction on the social networking more fun as it now allows you to reply your friend's status update by images. Users can post photo comments using the new camera icon in the reply bar. The new feature is being rolled out globally, initially to web and mobile site users.

"Now you will be able to add photo comments to posts across the site," PCMag quotes a Facebook spokesperson as saying. Facebook hasn't yet revealed when the new feature will be available on its mobile apps, though its availability looks inevitable.

Facebook's Bob Baldwin has posted some examples of the new feature, saying, “When I'm talking with a friend, sometimes showing a photo helps me tell a story much better than words alone. If we're hanging out in person, I can show a photo from my phone, but on Facebook I'd have to post a link to a photo. Now, you'll be able to attach a photo directly when posting a comment. I hope this will make threads with friends more expressive and engaging.”

Baldwin further said he had developed the feature at Facebook Hackathon with Eric Faller, Zizhuang Yang, Ashwin Bharambe, Brandon Souba, and Alex Madjar.

“I also got some clutch help just before launch from Aditya Koolwal, Dan Muriello, Eugene Bogatov, and Summit Shrestha. I'm so happy to launch, as this is the most exciting photos feature I've shipped to date,” he added.

Facebook's new photo comment feature certainly makes interacting on the network more fun, as compared to previous a text-only comment system.

What do you guys think about Facebook's photo comments feature? Let us know in the comments section below:

Airtel reduces data charges by 90 percent

2013-06-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

After Vodafone slashed their data charges by as much as 80 percent, Airtel went a step further and slashed their data rates by a whopping 90 percent.

In a move triggered by growing competition, Bharti Airtel has scaled down their data usage charges by 90 percent for pre-paid subscribers in Punjab and Haryana. The Volume Based Charges (VBC) on its recharge vouchers for 2G data usage of three denominations have been reduced to 1 paise per 10 KB from the existing 10 paise per 10 KB.

The new rates are applicable on recharge vouchers of Rs 22, Rs 25 and Rs 125 which have a free download limit of 125 MB for 30 days, 150 MB for 30 days and 1 GB for 90 days respectively. After the free usage, subscribers will be charged at 1p/10KB.

Via

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review

2013-06-18T01:36:00.000-07:00

Rating: Good

4/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

Fantastic sexy build and design
Good battery life
Skin and preloaded features are nice
Waterproof
Works as a universal remote
India-specific Sony content like TV shows, music and more

CONS

Expensive
Late Android updates
Only 16GB built-in storage
Display is a fingerprint magnet

MRP: 44990

Xperia Tablet Z has taken the 'best Android tablet money can buy' title in India today. It offers a slew of features such as India-specific content, a good skin, slim and sexy form factor, and some brilliant power under the hood. On the downside, the device may be late in receiving Android updates and 16GB onboard storage isn't the best. Nonetheless if a powerful, weatherproof Android device is on your horizon with price not being a problem, you can consider this device. It is a worthy contender to the iPad, which will still be your primary weapon of choice if a robust apps ecosystem is what you want.

REVIEW
SPECIFICATIONS & PERFORMANCE

Sony as a company has given us some pretty impressive innovative products only to have the limelight stolen from it at an opportune moment. Here we have a company that gave us the Walkman only to be replaced with the iPod. Once upon a time a Sony TV was considered the epitome of TVs to own. Today, people prefer a Samsung.

Sony Ericsson smartphones too were quite interesting especially the high-end ones before the dawn of the iOS and Android war. Sony’s PlayStation franchise has also been at the pinnacle of gaming. So, it’s safe to say that the company knows what it’s doing. Then again, Sony’s Android-powered smartphones weren’t the best when compared to the offerings from HTC and Samsung. The company has pulled up its socks and we now have smartphones like the Xperia Z, which is quite good.

After some bad experiences with the Tablet S and the Tablet P, Sony today has the Xperia Tablet Z available in the market. It is priced at Rs. 44,990. Has the Xperia Tablet Z done anything to grab our attention?

At a Glance
The tablet is touted as the slimmest one available in the market at 6.9mm in thickness. The tablet is quite light at 495 grams. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the OS has a skin overlaying it. The tablet comes with a bunch of Sony-specific and India specific content such as a bank of all Sony TV shows that are available in India, music content and more. The tablet is also PlayStation certified giving you access to Sony’s library of games. The tablet has the ability to work as a universal remote and is also waterproof.

Let us see how the Xperia Tablet Z stacks up against competing tablets in the market when it comes to specifications.

Model	Sony Xperia Tablet Z	iPad (4th Gen)	Samsung Galaxy Note 800	Nexus 10	Samsung Galaxy Note 510	iPad mini
Display size	10.1-inches	9.7-inch	10.1-inch	10.1-inch	8-inches	7.9-inch
Display Type	LED-backlit LCD	LED-backlit IPS LCD	PLS TFT	Super PLS TFT	TFT	LED-backlit IPS LCD
Display resolution	1920x1200	2048x1536	1280x800	2560x1600	1280x800	1024x768
OS	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean	iOS 6	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean	iOS 6
Skin	Sony custom UI	NA	Samsung TouchWiz UI	NA	Samsung TouchWiz UI	NA
Built-in storage	16GB	16/32/64/128GB	16GB	16/32GB	16GB	16/32/64GB
Expandable Storage	up to 64GB via a microSD card	NA	up to 32GB via a microSD card	NA	up to 64GB via a microSD card	NA
Rear Camera	8.1MP	5MP	5MP	5MP	5MP	5MP
Front Camera	2.2MP	1.2MP	1.9MP	1.9MP	1.3MP	1.2MP
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064	Apple A6X	Exynos 4412	Exynos 5250	Exynos 4412	Apple A5
CPU clock speed	Quad-core 1.5 GHz	Dual-core 1.4 GHz	Quad-core 1.4GHz	Dual-core 1.7 GHz	Quad-core 1.6GHz	Dual-core 1GHz
RAM	2GB	1GB	2GB	2GB	2GB	512MB
GPU	Adreno 320	PowerVR SGX554MP4	Mali-400MP	Mali-T604	Mali-400MP	PowerVR SGX543MP2
Battery	6000mAh	11560mAh	7000mAh	9000mAh	4600mAh	Li-Po battery (16.3 Wh)
Price	Rs. 44,990	Starting at Rs. 28,990	Rs. 34,500	Not available in India	Rs. 29,990	Starting at Rs. 21,900

From the above specifications it is clear that the hardware under the hood of the tablet is pretty impressive. The display resolution is good on paper even though it doesn’t match up to the fourth generation iPad.

Design
The Sony Xperia Tablet Z is the first device that we instantly fell in love with that doesn’t have curves-like Scarlett Johansson. When we showed it to people, one look at the tablet and “whoa!” is the reaction we got.

The Tablet Z is really slim and light. The best thing is that it is very comfortable to hold. This is because the rear of the tablet has a smooth matte rubberized finish to it. The top left corner of the back houses the camera of the tablet, however, there is no flash.

The front of the Tablet Z has the 10.1-inch display, the front camera and no physical buttons. The display is glossy and a fingerprint magnet. The left of the Xperia Tablet Z has the power button which sticks out like a pimple along with the volume rocker which is a little too embedded into the spine of the tablet. Above the power button you have a flap, which houses the headphone jack. There are two flaps at the extreme corner of the bottom of the tablet. One houses the microUSB port where as the other has the SIM card slot along with the microSD card slot.

Sony has done something quite smart with the placement of the speakers on the Xperia Tablet Z. You have two speakers that rest at the bottom of the device (when held in landscape mode) and one adjacent to it on the left and the right spine of the tablet respectively.

Overall the design of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is quite sexy and elegant and at the same time quite simple and ergonomic. Considering the past Tablet S and the disastrous Tablet P, this is a major improvement and a design we are truly impressed with.

UI and Interface
The Sony Xperia Tablet Z runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean straight out-of-the-box and there is no information about the 4.2 update. The UI of the tablet is skinned. You can swipe the lockscreen up to unlock the tablet and you also have the ability to quick access the Walkman app for your music or go directly to the camera.

Once unlocked, the Xperia Tablet Z gives you access to a maximum of seven homescreens that you can load with apps and widgets. If you have an empty homescreen, you can delete it and have only as many homescreens as you’d like on the tablet. You can also add and remove apps and widgets from the comfort of your home screen. No need to go into the apps and widget list to select the one you want for the homescreen.

The Xperia Tablet Z also comes preloaded with a bunch of interesting features. Here’s a quick look at what the tablet has to offer.

Sony Music: Sony Music gives users access to 6 months of free unlimited streaming and downloading from a library of over 15 lakh songs from international, Bollywood and regional songs.

Sony LIV: This service gives users the ability to watch from over 77 programs from SAB, Sony Entertainment and Max. Users will have access to exclusive content for Indian Idol and KBC on the tablet. At the event we saw a few episodes of CID and it was quite a pleasant experience.

X4 Video: This feature gives users the ability to watch four HD videos simultaneously on the tablet. The four videos play in a grid and you can select the video whose audio you’d like to hear by simply taping on it. You can also double tap a video to make it full screen.

Sony Select: The Sony Select section on the tablet that is essentially an additional app store. This gives you access to apps, games and more apart from the Google Play store. The down side to Sony Select is that there is no search option.

Walkman app: You also have Sony’s Walkman app in addition to Google Music. The Walkman app on the tablet gives you access to ClearAudio+, a setting that automatically gives you more clarity to the sound. There is also a sound enhancement option that lets you customize the audio output to suit your requirement. This is a feature that will appeal to the audiophiles and the level of customization is quite impressive.

Movies app: The movies app gives you the option to recognise the movie and give you a synopsis of it by connecting to the Internet. You can also play content from your computer on the tablet and content from the tablet to your TV or other devices via Wi-Fi direct. It’s quite a handy option. All you need to do is be on the same Wi-Fi network and follow the steps mentioned on the tablet.

Another feature with regards to the interface is that you can house shortcuts to four apps in the top left corner of the Xperia Tablet Z’s display. No matter what homescreen you are on, these apps will remain constant. It’s a nifty way to house your most frequently accessed apps.

At the bottom of the display you have two buttons. The little purple one gives you quick access to the universal remote control app on the tablet. This app works as a pop up window so you don’t need to leave the comfort of your work while using the remote. It works in the same way that we have seen the pop up apps work on Samsung smartphones and tablets and the Asus FonePad.

The other button at the bottom of the display gives you quick access to apps that can work just like the pop up apps on the Asus FonePad. The downside is that you can have just one pop up app working at a time be it the browser, calculator, notes or timer.

Performance
Phew! With the slew of features out of the way, let’s take a look at how the Xperia Tablet Z performs when compared to the other Android tablets available in the market.

As you can see from the benchmark scores, the Xperia Tablet Z does perform very well. Considering the power under the hood, it is no surprise the scores that the tablet has achieved.

Moving on to the real world performance of the Xperia Tablet Z – it is extremely good. Sure, considering this is a high-end device we are going to nitpick and say that the tablet does have that slight lag when changing the display orientation, switching between apps and at some points of browsing and navigation, but overall its performance is excellent.

The Xperia Tablet Z’s keyboard feels smooth and great to type on. The display responds to a feather touch and it is just a treat to navigate the touchscreen. The display doesn’t have a resolution to match the retina display of the iPad but the resolution is very impressive nonetheless. Videos look crisp and vibrant, and the viewing angles are great too. Since the power under the hood is good the games we played on the tablet ran very smoothly. Real Racing 3, Dead Trigger, Angry Birds and more ran very smoothly on the tablet. It was a treat playing the games as the display was good and responsive, audio was clear and the overall performance was smooth.

One more interesting feature of the tablet is that it is water resistant. So, if you want to take the tablet with you to the bathtub and watch your favourite movie or catch up on some CID, you can do so in the comfort of your bubble bath without worrying that the tablet will get damaged.

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z has an 8.1MP camera shows off Sony’s Exmor R technology. You also have a bunch of features such as iAuto and more, which are found on Sony’s cameras. The good thing is that the images clicked during the day are crisp, sharp and good. Low lit conditions images are average. They aren’t really bad but they aren’t good either. The lack of flash also contributes to this. Even though the camera of a tablet isn’t used a lot as a primary camera, it is nice to see Sony fit the tablet with a good sensor that gives good images.

In our continuous video playback test, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z ran for nearly 5 hours, which is average. We ran a 720p MP4 HD movie on the tablet on loop. The brightness and audio was kept at max and the Wi-Fi was left on.

Bottom LinePut simply, the Xperia Tablet Z has taken the spot as the 'best Android tablet money can buy in India' today. It brings to the table a slew of features such as India specific content, a good skin on the Android OS, slim and sexy form factor, and some brilliant power under the hood. On the downside, the device may be late in receiving Android updates and 16GB onboard storage isn’t the best. Nonetheless if a powerful, weatherproof Android device is on your horizon with price not being a problem, you can consider this device. It is a worthy contender to the iPad, which will still be your primary weapon of choice if a robust apps ecosystem is what you want.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 images leak

2013-06-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Now that Samsung’s flagship device is launched and in the market, the next device we await from the smartphone giant is the Galaxy Note 3. While it has been hard to get any news on the device, we might have finally got the images of the device.

The pictures of the alleged Samsung Galaxy Note 3 shows the form factor of the device to be the standard Samsung design model. Surprisingly, the rounded corners seen in the latest device is replaced with sharper corners.

It is speculated that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will feature a 5.99 inch Super AMOLED full HD display. While it is hard to decide which processor will be used, it either the Octa-core Exynos 5 CPU or a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz. The device is also said to have a 13 MP primary camera and the yet to be announced Android v4.3

Via

Lumia 920 running Windows Phone 8.1 leaks, shows off Notification Centre

2013-06-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

A developer misplaced his Lumia 920, which got leaked into the wild, revealing some interesting features that will come with the next update of the OS.

With all the excitement building up towards the June 26 launch of the preview build of the Windows 8.1 (Blue) update, it would seem that one developer got a little to careless with his Lumia 920. The phone was allegedly running a developer build of Windows Phone 8.1 OS, or Windows Phone Blue.

The Reddit user Chinaman28 purchased the phone from an eBay post, only to find that what he had received was a Lumia 920 running a somewhat different version of Windows Phone 8. He posted screenshots of the new features and was soon tracked by Microsoft, who requested him to return the phone. However, unlike another company who we know to have misplaced a prototype in the past, the company refunded the money the Reddit user had spent on the Lumia 920, along with giving him a brand new unit of the phone as well.

So, what was so special about the phone? According to the screenshots posted, the phone ran Windows Phone 8.1, albeit an early build. The phone had a functioning notification centre, something that many users have been wanting for a while. Along with that, the new OS also apparently allows you to close apps right from the multi-tasking window.

There’s also an option to sort apps by frequency of use, and not just alphabetically. This should come as a great respite to those who are always scrolling up and down to find their right apps. Microsoft will also be introducing Data Sense, a utility that monitors data usage (both mobile and Wi-Fi) and should come in really handy for those who have smaller data caps than others.

Microsoft has clarified that the build shown on this developer phone is a much earlier one, and that the OS has undergone various iterations since then. The notification centre, before being pulled out of the update, was made a part of something called “People’s Hub.” The update is expected to hit the download queue later this year, but there is no confirmed word on a release timeline yet.

BlackBerry Q10 launched in India at Rs. 44,990

2013-06-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

The BlackBerry Q10 has finally arrived in India, launched at an event in New Delhi today.

BlackBerry has launched its second BB10 OS powered smartphone in India, the BlackBerry Q10, a device that continues the hardware QWERTY keypad tradition that the company’s famous for. Launched at an event in New Delhi, the Q10 has been priced in the premium segment, at Rs. 44,990.

The BlackBerry Q10’s price tag has raised quite a few eyebrows, especially since the full-touch Z10 was infamously launched at Rs. 43,490. BlackBerry is obviously targeting the device at high-level corporate users or the spendthrift, and letting the others wait for the recently announced, less expensive Q5.

Let us run you by the specifications of the Q10 – it features a 3.1-inch 720x720 pixel (328 ppi) Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, and is powered by a dual-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A9 (TI OMAP 4470) processor with a PowerVR SGX544 GPU, coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD card – up to 64GB). It supports only Micro SIM cards.

Weighing in at 139 grams and measuring 10.4mm in thickness, the BlackBerry Q10 features an 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash, and 1080p HD video recording. The Q10 also has a 2MP front-facing camera, capable of 720p HD video recording. In terms of connectivity, it features GPRS/EDGE, HSDA, dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n with hotspot functionality, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and NFC, apart from a microUSB port and 3.5mm jack. No FM radio however. It features a 2,100mAh battery that is rated to deliver 10 hours of talktime.

BlackBerry’s unrealistic pricing for the Q10 thankfully (like other flagships) will get an easy EMI offer, just like the Curve 9220 and Z10, making the hefty sum a little easier to swallow. The company seems to be happy settling for lower volumes, obviously not expecting the sort of the numbers the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4 can command. What do you think of the Q10’s pricing? Has BlackBerry shot itself in the foot?

Google's stock Android 4.2 Keyboard app now available through Play store

2013-06-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

With the availability of the Keyboard app, users can have Nexus typing experience on their phones and tablets, running Android 4.0 and up.

Google has of late made quite a few stock Android apps available to users through its Play store. The latest native Android app to hit the Google Play store is the Keyboard app. The app supports Android 4.0 and up and is currently only available in English-speaking regions, though Google plans to add new countries soon.

For those who don't know, Google's gesture-typing keyboard is one of the popular features in the Nexus devices. However, now owners of non-Nexus devices such as Samsung and HTC phones can also access the app.

Google Keyboard comes with gesture typing that lets you glide through letters to form a word, just lifting your finger to enter a space. It also features automatic error correction and word predictions. There's also an option to compose messages with Voice Typing. The app currently supports dictionaries for 26 languages along with keyboard layouts for a dozen more.

“Android is an open platform, so you can customize your device to your liking; choosing your own keyboard is just one example of what’s possible – and there are a lot of great keyboards to choose from on Google Play. (Some of our other favorites are SwiftKey and TouchPal – check them out here: http://goo.gl/Hgj9k),” says Google in a blog post.

Google's Keyboard app is available for free via Play store now.

Canon PowerShot A2500 Review

2013-06-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

PRICE IN INDIA

5,995

TECH2 RATING

6.0

AVERAGE USER RATING

0.0

How we test

CONTACT

Canon India Private Limited

info@canon.co.in

+91 0124 4160 000

www.canon.co.in

High-resolution sensor, fun-to-use effect filters, 5x optical zoom and HD video recording are some of the features that are common to point-and-shoot cameras. You can expect these even in the most basic models that are priced below Rs 6,000. One such camera we came across recently was the 20 megapixel Nikon Coolpix L28, which looked good on paper but didn’t deliver to our expectation. Today, we have the 16 meagapixel Canon PowerShot A2500 – one of the 12 new cameras that Canon launched in India in April 2013. Let’s find out if it gives the L28 a run for its money or is it the other way round.

A 16 megapixel point-and-shoot camera with 5x optical zoom

Design and features

The Canon PowerShot A2500 is almost identical to the A2400 IS. The difference is quite obvious looking at the model number—the missing suffix “IS” indicates that the A2500 lacks optical image stabilisation. Apart from this and a few subtle design changes, the feature set of the both of the cameras is the same. Had Canon not added the silver accent on the front of the shell and retained the black back panel, it would have been difficult to differentiate between the A2400 IS and A2500 just by their looks. Also, the A2500 comes in different colours than the A2400 IS—black, silver and red. However, note that only the front panel is coloured. The rear, sides and most of the top panel is silver. So, the silver colour variant is all-silver.

Weighs 125 grams with battery; quite slim at 20.9 mm

Weighing in at only 125 grams (with the battery), the A2500 is very light. It’s lighter than the Nikon Coolpix L28 by 40 grams and also slimmer by around 8 mm, all thanks to the li-ion battery pack it uses. Good, but the advantage of AA batteries is that you can resort to spare batteries if the ones in the camera run dry. Here, you will have to buy a spare battery pack or take a break from shooting if the battery dies. If you ask us which one between the PowerShot A2500 and Coolpix L28 looks good, we would say it’s the L28 hands down. Although it’s a bit chunkier, the L28 looks more stylish. You will like the A2500 if you like sober colours and design.

At 28 mm, the lens of the A2500 is slightly less wide than the one in L28, which starts from 26 mm. However, with a focal length of 140 mm at the wide end, you get a closer view with the A2500. You don’t need optical image stabilisation for a 5x zoom lens when you shoot in broad daylight and in good lighting conditions. But the lack of optical IS is Achilles Heel in low light. The Nikon L28 too doesn’t have optical IS, but the A2500 features digital IS to make up for the lack of optical IS.

The rear of the A2500 sports a 2.7-inch, 230K dot LCD monitor. To its right is the control panel comprising a 5-way D-pad and buttons for video recording, help, playback and menu. Canon has taken a slightly different approach with the provision of shortcuts on the D-pad. Pressing the Up button toggles the Auto mode, which is nice if you want hassle-free shooting. It’s equivalent to Smart Auto mode found in many cameras, wherein the camera analyses the scene or subject and uses optimal settings. The Left button toggles Eco mode. When active, this mode turns off the display to save battery life when the camera is idle for 10 seconds. The other two directional buttons are for flash settings and display info. Shortcuts for EV, macro or self-timer would have been more useful than the Auto and Eco mode toggles. In this case, you have no choice but to navigate menus to access the functions. Eco mode could have been included in the camera settings and selecting Auto mode using the menu wouldn’t have been an issue.

Compartment for Li-ion battery pack and memory card

The A2500 can record videos at 640 x 480 or 1280 x 720 at 30 fps. A good thing is that you have optical zoom at your disposal while recording videos.

User interface

As with most entry-level point-and-shoot digital cameras, you don’t have granular control over exposure. The aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/6.9 and the shutter speed ranges from 15 to 1/2000 sec, but these are automatically set by the camera depending on the light conditions and the scene modes you select. The mode that offers most flexibility is the Program mode, which allows setting the white balance, EV, metering mode, ISO and drive mode (single shot or burst). The user interface of the A2500 is intuitive and snappy. The Function/Set button at the centre of the D-pad brings up the stack of controls on the left side of the display. You then use the directional keys to set the shooting parameters. Only the parameters applicable to the selected shooting mode are highlighted and the rest are greyed out. The shooting modes include Auto, Program, Portrait, Low Light, Toy Camera Effect, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Monochrome, Poster Effect, Fireworks and Snow. To keep things simple, Canon hasn’t categorised these into Scene mode and Effect filters. You have everything in one list, which makes selection easier.

Control panel with large buttons; Macro mode available via menu

Even if you’re a novice, it won’t take much time getting used to this camera. If you need help, there’s the Help button which explains most of the camera’s functions in simple language.

Build quality and ergonomics

The shell of the A2500 sports matte finish, because of which it doesn’t feel too plasticky. The overall build of the camera is good, but it doesn’t have the feel of a premium product. The use of metal like in the IXUS range would have made a big difference. The A2500 is quite comfortable to use even single-handed. The slim design and dimpled thumbgrip next to the video recording button lend good grip, but only if you have small hands. The bulge around the battery compartment in the Nikon Coolpix L28 felt somewhat more comfortable.

Performance

Unlike the L28, which was a laggard when it came to initialisation and time between shots, the A2500 is eager to spring into action. We used the same 16GB SDHC card (class 6) that we used for testing the L28. The camera takes around 2 seconds to get ready to shoot from the time you press the on/off button. With the resolution set to highest (16 megapixel), the time between shots is around 3 seconds—twice as quick as the L28.

ISO 100

ISO 400

ISO 800

With settings for ISO, light metering and tracking focus, the A2500 offers some flexibility over exposure and focus. The noise is well controlled at up to ISO 200, after which you should boost the ISO only if you don’t get fast shutter speeds; for instance, late in the evening or in low ambient lighting. At high ISO, the noise isn’t too coarse, but the details are blotchy and there’s presence of colour noise, which is more apparent in darker areas of the frame.

The outdoor performance in broad daylight is very good. The colours are punchy and reproduction of details is excellent. Not much compression artefacts and graininess are visible even when you view photos at 100 percent zoom. That’s because the camera uses the lowest ISO speed. But when the ISO is even boosted in low light, there’s great loss of details and colour noise.

Purple fringing wasn’t visible around dark areas against strong backlight, but slight chromatic aberrations are visible along the edges of the frame.

The A2500 is best at capturing macros and close-ups. The closest shooting distance is about an inch from the object, and the results are excellent—crisp details, vibrant colours and good background blur.

The quality of video recording is very good. The optical zoom comes in handy when you want to zoom into subjects while recording videos. There’s negligible stutter in videos and the picture quality is good even in low light.

Sample shots (click on the photos for full view)

Crisp and punchy outdoor shots

100 percent crop of the above shot

Shot using Miniature effect filter

Shot using Toy Camera effect filter

Shot using Monochrome filter

Spot metering was used to meter the exposure of the flame

Crisp focus and good background blur

Great looking macro shots

Verdict and price in India

At an MRP of Rs 5,995, the Canon PowerShot A2500 is priced at par with the Nikon Coolpix L28. The package includes a 4GB memory card and a carrying pouch. Given a choice between the A2500 and L28, the former is definitely a better choice despite L28’s more-intuitive user interface and handier shortcuts on the D-pad. The A2500 is snappier and the overall imaging quality is a notch better than that of the L28. It’s also more fun to use with a raft of effect filters you get. The quality of video recording is also better and the option to use optical zoom while recording videos is a bonus. Although the provision of optical IS would have been nice, the A2500 is still good value for money.

Specifications

Basic
Type of Camera	Compact
Effective Resolution	16MP
Sensor Type	CCD
Digital Zoom	4x
Lens
Optical Zoom	5x
Focal length	5.0-25.0 mm
Aperture range	f/2.8-6.9
Screen
LCD Size(Inches)	2.7
Resolution(dots)	230K
Aspect Ratio	4:3
Shooting Specs
Imaging Processor	DIGIC 4
ISO Sensitivity Range	Auto, ISO 100â��1600
White Balance	Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom
Shutter Speed(Seconds)	1â��1/2000
Burst Mode(Continuous Modes)	0.8fps
Scene Modes	Auto - P - Live View Control - Digital IS - Portrait - Face Self-timer - Low Light - Fish-eye Effect - Miniature Effect - Toy Camera Effect - Monochrome - Super Vivid - Poster Effect - Snow - Fireworks - Long Shutter
Video
Maximum Resolution	1280 x 720
Maximum Frame rate	25fps
Media
Storage	SD, SDHC, SDXC
File formats supported	JPEG
Connectivity
USB Cable	Yes
PictBridge	Yes
Battery
Type of Battery	Li-Ion
Numbers of Shots	220
Dimensions
Dimensions (W x D x H)	97.7 x 20.9 x 56 mm
Weight	125 grams
More Features
Other Features	Red-Eye Correction - Histogram - Playback Zoom - Self Timer - Smart Auto plus Help Button - Digital IS - Face Detection - Live View Control
After Sales Service
Warranty Period	2 Years

SOURCE: TECH2

How to Control Your Computer With Your Phone

2013-06-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Talk about tail wagging the dog. Used to be that your smartphone was controlled with your computer. Turns out, now you can do it the other way around. A bunch of new apps can help you use the smartphone to control a personal computer.

This helps at times when we just want to sit back and use the bigger screens that most of our computers offer us. Apart from this, these apps are quite handy when one has to give a presentation.

Most of these apps need your phone and computer connected to the same router, and requires that you have assigned a static address for your computer on the network. You will also have to download a small server client for each app to establish a connection.

iOS Apps to Control Your Computer

HippoRemote Pro

This app turns your iPhone and iPad into a Wi-Fi keyboard, trackpad, and remote control. It works with Mac, Windows and Linux. You can also create app profiles which help you to control various applications like Windows Media Center 7, Hulu Desktop, your web browser and iTunes. You can also wake up your device over LAN and use international keyboards.

There are two versions of the app. While the Pro one has all the features, the lite offers a trial of the keyboard and the trackpad. Give the lite a try and see if you need to upgrade.

Download: HippoRemote Pro 2.0 ($4.99), HippoRemote Lite (free)

Teamviewer

This is one of the most and complete and secure application for controlling your Mac or Windows PC. The app is available in both free and paid versions. After installing the app on your iPhone, there is also a small client which has to be installed on your Mac or PC. You can then have access your computer either via using a code or a partner list. You have full control of it with a series of on-screen tools like a keyboard, a mouse and special function keys. With this app users can also remotely reboot a computer or automatically adjust the screen resolution of the remote computer.

Download: TeamViewer (free), TeamViewer Pro ($99.99)

LogMeIn

LogMeIn can be used to control your Mac or PC remotely from your iOS device. This app also requires you to download a small client on the desktop before a connection can be established. This app offers a series of upgrades in the form of in-app subscriptions, ranging from 3-month to yearly periods. These subscriptions enables a series of very interesting features, including HD video and audio streaming and ocal file saving. One can even use a 3G connection to remotely access files, run applications and control your desktops from anywhere.

Download LogMeIn (free, in app subscriptions to unlock features)

Android Apps to Control Your Computer

Unified Remote

This is by far one of the best and simplest apps to use in this list. It easily converts your Android device into a WiFi or Bluetooth universal remote control for your Windows PC. (Mac support is expected soon). You can easily control your favorite program, mouse, and keyboard with this app. It even comes with widget support and the ability to set up custom remotes in the full version.

To begin with you would have to download the app and also the server client for the desktop. When the two are connected on the same WiFi network there is automatic server detection. One can switch between remotes using gestures. The free version has remotes like basic input, file manager, Windows Media Player, VLC, YouTube etc while one would have to upgrade to get access to remotes for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, iTunes, PowerPoint, Winamp etc.

Download: Unified Remote (free), Unified Remote Full (Rs 210)

Remote Control Collection

The Remote Control Collection is a basically a compilation of remotes, which you can use to wirelessly control your PC. The unified remotes enable you to control the PC beyond mouse and keyboard and includes speech recognition, scroll and shortcuts. It can control various media players like Windows Media Player, iTunes, VLC, Media Monkey, etc. The scroll remote helps you to navigate through long websites like Facebook, Twitter, 9gag.

Download: Remote Control Collection (free), Remote Control Collection Full (Rs 175)

Windows Phone Apps to Control Your Computer

PC Remote

This is the best app to control your PC from your Windows Phone. It is very easy to setup a secure conncetion. You can control your mouse and even Windows 8 gestures like swiping from edges. It has support for the full keyboard. This app even allows you to view the desktop screen on your phone. You can create custom remotes and also fully control Windows Media Center from you Windows phone.

The pro version has additional features like no ads, auto-connect shortcut by creating tile at start, Pin each remote to start, wake up PC, copy and paste text from phone to PC etc.

Download: PC Remote (free), PC Remote Pro (Rs 160)

Samsung unveils waterproof version of Galaxy S4

2013-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Samsung today launched GalaxyS4 Active, the waterproof iteration of its current flagship smartphone. The new handset features an 8MP camera that can take photos underwater, a feature that is only available in the recently unveiled Sony XperiaZR. Apart from being able to withstand water up to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes, this IP67 certified phone is also resistant to dust.

The all-new Galaxy S4 Active has a 5-inch TFT screen, as compared to the SuperAMOLEDpanel of the Galaxy S4. The display hasresolution of 1920x1080p and has pixel density of 441ppi. The phone runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), layered with TouchWiz UI, and packs a 1.9GHz quad-core processor. The phone comes with 16GB internal storage, microSDsupport up to 64GB and 2GB RAM.

The 8MP camera of the new phone, compared to the 13MP unit in Galaxy S4, has Aqua mode that "can be used to increase visual quality and clarity for enhanced underwater images and video," says Samsung. The volume rocker on the left side of Galaxy S4 Active also doubles up as a hardware camera key. Alongside the rear camera is the LED flash, and a 2MP unit that records HD videos is located in the front.

Connectivity features of the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active include2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0 and Infrared. Powered by a 2,600mAh battery, this handset comes in grey, orange and blue colours.

Intel to power smartphones with new Merrifield chip

2013-06-05T04:09:00.000-07:00

While it was already known that Intel was entering the lower-level smartphone domain, the company made it official today by announcing its first prototype smartphone built on its next Atom smartphone chip.

Intel’s first prototype smartphone is built on an Atom smartphone chip codenamed Merrifield. The processor chip is said to have a 50 percent performance boost over current chips with an improved battery life.

The Merrifield is expected to ship to carriers and device makers early next year, with phones powered by the chip to feature at the next Mobile World Congress. Also seen were Android tablets powered by the Bay Trail chip that has LTE capabilities. Similar LTE capabilities are expected to feature on the Merrifield chip.

Via

Share 1GB files with your friends on Facebook with Pipe

2013-06-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Say hello to the first ever file-sharing system that you can use over Facebook. After a year of invite-only and beta status, Pipe, the Facebook-integrated app is going to be available more widely starting today.

There is no dearth of cloud storage and file-sharing apps today, with heavyweights such as Dropbox and Google Drive providing a plethora of space and options to share files. Pipe, however, ties up peer-to-peer sharing with your social media self to give sharing with friends a whole new dimension.

The app incorporated within Facebook has been developed by a Berlin-based company called Pipe Dream Technologies. Since it is fixed inside your Facebook account, it lets you connect with your friends and share files up to 1GB in size in real time on the social networking website.

You can share up to 1GB of data with your Facebook friends

You will simply need to drag and drop a file into the Pipe app to send it to a friend. Pipe will be available on the App Center on Facebook in a few hours from now, so you can start sending out files to your contacts today onwards.

Pipe establishes a P2P connection with your friend’s computer when both of you are online. The app makers assure that neither does Pipe make use of any servers to establish contact between two computers, nor do your files pass through Facebook. In case a contact is offline and you need to send him a file, Pipe will store the file in a locker for your friend to retrieve it later. These lockers can store up to 100MB of data and you can make use of as many of them as you like.

“We’ve worked really hard to make Pipe this simple. Anyone can use it. The user just drops a ﬁle in the Pipe and their friend receives it. We’ve made the technology invisible,” said Simon Hossell, Founder and CEO of Pipe.

While Pipe is limited only to desktops as of now, mobile versions of the app seem to be in the works. The CEO says that while the iOS version of Pipe is almost ready, an Android version is still being developed.

Google offers pure Android versions of Galaxy S4 and HTC One

2013-06-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

HTC One (left) and Samsung Galaxy S4 (right)

Google is stepping up its efforts to offer users pure versions of its Android operating system without the extra software – or as critics call it “bloatware” – added on by phone manufacturers.

The web software giant, which offers Android as a free and open-source program to phone and tablet computer makers, is to offer users an unlocked HTC One with the original version of Android for 599 dollars, while an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available for 649 dollars.

Google’s Android chief Sundar Pichai made the announcement last month at the All Things D conference in Rancho Palo Verdes in southern California.

Pichai said that the move to promote a pure Android experience did not detract from Google’s commitment to keeping Android open to changes by individual companies.

“These are the beginning steps about us thinking about how we can get the right user experience including the differentiators some OEMs (phone makers) want,” he said.

“We’re developing a user experience that scales across the world,” Pichai said, explaining why the Google Edition devices are now a priority for the company. “We’re making Android the operating system that is consistent across all of these devices.” “The challenge is related to what is great about Android. The scale and scope of Android is pretty breathtaking,” Pichai explained further. “From a Google perspective, we care about how users use Android and the user experience.”

Amazon launches Indian marketplace at Amazon.in

2013-06-04T22:55:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com, the world's largest online retailer, has made an entry into the fast-growing Indian e-commerce market with its Amazon.in, which is designed as a market place that facilitates transaction between buyers and sellers.

The marketplace-available online at amazon.in-model helps Amazon overcome Indian regulatory hurdles that prevent foreign online retailers from having a fully owned Indian arm selling directly in India. Country manager Amit Agarwal said the model adopted by Amazon is fully compliant with all relevant Indian laws.

With about 130 million internet users, which is fast-growing, India is one of world's largest opportunities for online retailers.

In the current model, Amazon.in does not own any of the merchandise that is sold through the website but merely acts as an aggregator to all the retailers who wish to exhibit their products on the website. In Amazon's US website, there are both Amazon-owned goods and third-party products being sold.

To begin with, Amazon.in will sell some 7 million book titles available for purchase and nearly 13,000 movie titles and the online retailer plans to expand into other categories such as cameras and phones in the near future. Agarwal refused to share any timeline for this.

"Our vision is to become a trusted and meaningful sales channel for retailers of all sizes across India, enabling them to succeed and grow their business online," said Amit Agarwal, vice president, and country manager, Amazon India.

Amazon has been actively lobbying with the government of India to relax the regulations against foreign e-commerce companies and allow foreign direct investment in online retail. Global Vice-President Paul E Misener met commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma in Friday to discuss the issue.

While the government had relaxed norms for offline multi-brand retail, where it allowed 51 percent FDI, it decided against implementing similar provisions for the players on the web.

Apart from letting retail sellers from exhibiting their products on the website, Amazon Indiahas an option called Fulfillment by Amazon wherein it would provide end-to-end logistics solutions to retailers who wish to avail of this service.

"This is the same model which is followed by Amazon.com in other countries where fulfillment is done by Amazon. The seller still owns the inventory," said Greg Greeley, vice present- international expansions.

Amazon has started off by setting up a fulfillment center on the outskirts of Mumbai where merchandise is stored and delivered from, using Amazon's own personnel as well as third-party couriers.

Amazon.in faces stiff competition from Indian retailers like Flipkart, Snapdeal andHomeshop18. Amazon India is already operating Junglee.com, a price-comparison portal launched in February last year. Instead of selling products on its web page, Junglee.com sends visitors to the website of the seller.

Acer launches world's first 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet

2013-06-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Acer has launched an 8-inch Windows 8 based tablet Iconia W3 that it claimed "brings desktop into your hands."

Taiwan's computing major Acer announced it was working on launching a slew of new devices that will "reinvent the way computing is looked at" in PCs, tablets and notebooks.

A day ahead of Asia's biggest IT show Computex 2013, the company launched a 8.1-inchWindows 8 based tablet Iconia W3 that it claimed "brings desktop into your hands."

Speaking on the occasion, Acer chairman and CEO JT Wang said: "Users are becoming smarter and don't need to keep buying new devices. PC makers should understand this and explore beyond our own limits. Acer is prepared to collaborate with industry leaders to create innovative products with better user experience. We want to be category leaders in tablets and smartphones."

The other major launch was Acer's brand new Liquid S1 smartphone with 5.7-inch HD display and 88 degree wide angle camera, a quad-core processor, Float app, Float call.

The company also reiterated the launch schedule of the much-awaited Aspire R7 hybrid notebook with flip screen and touch screen.which had already been announced by the company.

Iconia W3 offers full HD display with 1280x800p resolution, 8-hour battery life, has a keypad hidden inside and is quite light-weight. It is based on Intel processor that was yet to be announced and has Microsoft Home and Office bundled. Not just office productivity, the device also boasts good gaming prowess.

It also launched the second generation of its flagship Aspire S7 notebook that will have patented dual torque hinge for the touch operation, with Gorrila glass construction, 33% longer battery life, WQ HD 560 by 1200pixel display that can be Acer's equivalent of Apple's retina display, 60 frames per second video rendering for better picture quality.

The other launches included the smaller Aspire S3 with similar specs and wakes up in one second, and the slimmer Aspire V Series which was earlier known as R Class.

Yahoo discontinues Mail Classic, forces users to upgrade to the new version

2013-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yahoo has announced closing down Mail Classic but forces users to switch to new version that goes through your e-mails to deliver relevant ads.

Yahoo has announced discontinuing older versions of its e-mail clients including the Mail Classic. Moreover, the company has made it mandatory for all Mail users to switch to the new version of the service, and accept a Terms of Service and Privacy Policy that allows Yahoo to scan your e-mails.

“Beginning the week of June 3, 2013, older versions of Yahoo! Mail (including Yahoo! Mail Classic) will no longer be available. After that, you can access your Yahoo! Mail only if you upgrade to the new version. You should have received an email from Yahoo! letting you know that your account required an upgrade,” says Yahoo in a help post.

On scanning of e-mails, Yahoo says the “acceptance of automated content scanning and analyzing of your communications content, which Yahoo! uses to deliver product features, relevant advertising, and abuse protection”.

Users have the option to opt out of the ads through Yahoo’s Ad Manager. However, if you don't want to be scanned, Yahoo clearly says either you should go to another IMAP client or close their account.

Yahoo's announcement regarding closing down older versions of its e-mail clients comes months after the company rolled out a new design for the e-mail service on mobile as well as desktop platforms. The redesigned Yahoo has fewer buttons, improved search and cleaner interface including more space to view and compose emails. Prior to the announcement, Yahoo had allowed users to use the old version.

While many may think Yahoo's new e-mail policies are invasion of privacy, Yahoo isn't the first major e-mail service provider to scan your mails to deliver relevant ads. Google's Gmail service already analyses your e-mails. Here's what Gmail says on scanning your e-mails:

“...if you’ve recently received a lot of messages about photography or cameras, a deal from a local camera store might be interesting. On the other hand, if you’ve reported these messages as spam, you probably don’t want to see that deal. This type of automated processing is how many email services provide features like spam filtering and spell checking.”

“You can opt-out of the use of additional information from the Ads Preferences page. If you do opt-out, you may still see contextual ads based on the message you are reading as well as other relevant ads.

If you don't want to see ads in Gmail, you can choose to use Gmail’s basic HTML view, or POP or IMAP.”

Karbonn, Vodafone tie up to offer new data plans with Titanium S5, Smart A12

2013-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

1GB of 3G data for 3 months to Vodafone consumers buying Karbonn Titanium S5

Karbonn has teamed up with Vodafone India to provide special bundled Internet plans to customers buying Karbonn's Titanium S5and Smart A12 smartphones.

As part of the tie-up, Vodafone customers buying Karbonn Titanium S5 will get 1GB 3G/2G/EDGE Unlimited Internet Plan free for 3 months on Vodafone. For Karbonn A12 buyers, Vodafone offers 500 MB 3G/2G/EDGE data free for 2 months.

“Our aim remains to provide a unique user experience to the consumers and through our latest offering we seek to engage the consumer base with a power package which allows them to seamlessly navigate the internet with the best of hardware devices – the Karbonn Titanium S5 and Karbonn Smart A12 and the best of Internet network provided by Vodafone,” says Shashin Devsare, Executive Director, Karbonn.

“At Vodafone, we always endeavour to provide superior connectivity at affordable rates. We are delighted to partner with Karbonn and are confident that this tie-up will empower our customers by opening up a whole world of internet possibilities on their mobile phones,” comments Vivek Mathur, Chief Commercial Officer, Vodafone India on the initiative.

Karbonn Smart A12

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 and 10.1 tablets announced

2013-06-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

While there has been a lot of heat around the Samsung Android tablets, the company added two more devices in the Galaxy Tab 3 range.

The newly unveiled tablets – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, are both Android 4.2 based tablets. The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has an 8 inch display whereas the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has a 10.1 inch display with both having the same resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

While the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual core processor with 1.5 GB of RAM, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has a 1.6 GHz dual core processor with 1 GB of RAM. Both are available with 16/32 GB of internal storage.

While the pricing of either tablets is not yet announced, both the devices are expected to be available globally within the first week of June.

Specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0:

8 inch display
1280 x 800 pixels resolution
1.5 GHz dual core processor
1.5 GB RAM
16/32 GB internal memory
5 MP primary camera
1.3 MP front facing camera
Google Android v4.2 Jelly Bean
4450 mAh battery

Specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1:

10.1 inch display
1280 x 800 pixels resolution
1.6 GHz dual core processor
1 GB RAM
16/32 GB internal memory
3 MP primary camera
1.3 MP front facing camera
Google Android v4.2 Jelly Bean
6800 mAh battery

Govt. to finalise Aakash 4 specifications soon: Reports

2013-06-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

The draft of the Aakash 4 specifications has already been prepared.

After the completion of the Aakash 2 project, the government has begun preparations for the next versions of the ultra low-cost tablet. According to an Economic Times report, specifications of the fourth version of the Aakash tablet are going to be finalised very soon.

"...the draft of the specifications has been prepared, formally it has to be placed before a committee... We are waiting for a suitable date to do that," Department of Electronics and IT (DEITy) Secretary J Satyanarayana told PTI.

According to the official, the specs of the tablet will be designed on the basis of contemporary technological developments as well as ensuring the price of the tablet is not very high.

"We should not add so many features so that the cost will go beyond. Our interest is to finalise the technical specifications at this stage and notify these specifications...promote domestic manufacturers of such tablets so that electronics manufacturing is given a priority under the electronics policy," Satyanarayana said.

When asked if any private player has shown interest in setting up a manufacturing faclity in the country for Aakash, he responded: "Not yet...but once we notify the specifications probably more proposals will come."

DataWind, the company spearheading the first Aakash project, recently announced completion of shipments of the Aakash project. The company also showcased the UbiSlate 7C+, its recommendation for the next Aakash tablet.

The UbiSlate 7C+ a 7-inch multi-touch capacitive touchscreen with 800 x 480 pixels resolution. It runs Android 4.0.4 (v4.1 update due in June-end), and is powered by 1GHz Cortex A8 processor. Read DataWind showcases the UbiSlate 7C+, its recommendation for the Aakash 3 and DataWind to offer next-gen Aakash tablet at Rs. 2,500

Source: Economic Times