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2013: The year the smartphone became boring

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 08:36:00 +0530

This may be remembered as the year smartphones became boring.

Although high-definition displays on smartphones have gotten bigger and their cameras have gotten better, the pace of gee-whiz innovation has dawdled.

Smartphone and software makers are working on ways to snap out of this technological lull, although it probably will be at least another year or two before breakthroughs revolutionize the design and function of mobile computing devices.

In a foreshadowing of things to come, LG Electronics Inc. is boasting about the G Flex (First impressions), a new phone with a curved display. Previously available in Korea and Singapore, the concave device arrived in Hong Kong on Friday.

"We want to claim this as the future of smart devices," Ramchan Woo, the head of LG's mobile product planning division, said during a recent demonstration in San Francisco.

If such visions are realized, smartphones and tablets will be equipped with display screens that can be rolled up like a scroll or folded like a wallet.

Making the devices even easier to carry around will be important if software makers want to deepen the bond between people and their phones. That could happen as smarter tracking tools and voice-recognition technology let smartphones understand habits and thoughts like a family member.

The future smartphone "will be small enough to carry with you at all times without thinking about it, and it will be essential enough that you won't want to get rid of it," Silicon Valley futurist Paul Saffo said. "It will become a context engine. It will be aware of where it is, where you are going and what you need."

The G Flex provides a peek at the shape of things to come. Despite its name, the G Flex isn't pliable. The device is slightly bowed from top to bottom, allowing it to curve toward a person's mouth when used for phone calls. It also has a curved battery, something LG says is a first for smartphones. LG applied a "self-healing" protective coat on the G Flex to automatically repair any minor scratches.

More than anything, the G Flex is meant to begin the smartphone's evolution from the primitive state of flat screens. In theory, the curved-screen technology will lead to bendable screens, which will then pave the way to foldable screens. If that progression plays out, it would be possible to fold a larger smartphone so it can easily fit into a pocket.

For now, though, the G Flex's size makes it too cumbersome for most people to lug around. It has a six-inch screen, measured diagonally, making it among the largest phones out there. The cost also will limit its appeal. LG introduced the G Flex in its home country of South Korea last month for $940. LG wants to sell the G Flex in the U.S., but hasn't set a date or price or reached distribution deals with any wireless carriers.

Another Korean company, Samsung Electronics Inc., also is selling a concave smartphone there. Unlike the G Flex's vertical bow, Samsung's Galaxy Round (Review) curves horizontally from left to right when it's held upright. With a price tag of about $1,000, the phone is more an expensive novelty than a mainstream product.

Like LG, Samsung is setting the stage for bigger things to come. Samsung Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun told analysts last month that the company believes it can produce a mobile device with a foldable display by 2015.

Samsung appears to be working on two slightly different concepts, according to two analysts who saw prototypes of what's in the company's product pipeline during last month's meetings. Reporters weren't given a chance to see the prototypes. One featured a tablet-sized display panel that could be folded in half in the screen's midsection, according to the analysts. The display was thin and could be folded in only one direction. The rest of the panel was firm and flat, the analysts said. Another version had a more flexible screen capable of bending anywhere.

An Apple Inc. blueprint for making a device with a curved display was granted a U.S. patent this week, a development likely to feed recent speculation that the iPhone maker is working on a concave model. The Cupertino, Calif., company declined to comment.

Other device makers may show off products with curved screens in Las Vegas next month at CES, where tech companies often unveil their latest innovations.

Building smartphones with more pliable screens will pose several challenges for manufacturers. The battery, smartphone chips and other key components will have to become flexible, too, so they can bend with the device. Flexible screens also will probably be made of plastic, a material more likely to degrade or fail when exposed to high temperatures, oxygen or water.

The push to turn smartphones into more intelligent devices appears to be further along than the attempts to transform the display screens.

Both Apple and Google Inc., the maker of the Android operating system and the world's dominant search engine, already offer voice recognition technology and virtual assistants that enable smartphones to engage in rudimentary conversations and offer helpful tips. The ultimate goal is for smartphones to become so intuitive and efficient that they reflexively cater to their owners' needs.

"You'll be speaking to the phone, asking it to do things, and it will be responding and actually doing what you intend," said Dennis Woodside, CEO of Google's device-making subsidiary, MotorolaMobility.

The technological advances could border on the supernatural, according to IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. He expects the future relationship between people and their phones to be akin to fictional billionaire Tony Stark's connection with the computer-controlled armor that he dons to become Iron Man, a comic-book hero popularized in a trilogy of movies starring Robert Downey Jr.

If Llamas is right, future smartphones will become a person's navigator, security blanket, counselor and talisman. Without a smartphone to come to the rescue, a person may even feel reduced to being a mere mortal.

India lags behind Bhutan, Nepal and Zimbabwe in Internet download speeds

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Mon, 2 Dec 2013 18:54:00 +0530

The Internet infrastructure in India is improving with broadband speeds going up, though penetration is still low due to the high cost of bandwidth. However, the country still lags behind countries like Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal, Nigeria, Laos and Zimbabwe when it comes to Internet download speeds.

According to Ookla's Net Index, the average download speed in India was 4.18Mbps, ranking it at 130th position. In contrast, the average download speed in Nigeria was 5.14Mbps, while Nepal had an average download speed of 4.92Mbps, Cambodia had 4.66Mbps, Laos had 4.73Mbps, Bhutan had 4.41Mbps, and Zimbabwe had 4.20Mbps.

The top five positions were taken by Hong Kong at 71.22Mbps, Singapore at 52.75Mbps, Romania at 50.26Mbps, South Korea at 47.20Mbps and Sweden at 42.35Mbps in terms of download speeds. The US ranked 31 with an average download speed of 20.74Mbps, while the global average was 16.20Mbps.

Countries such as Afghanistan, Malawi, Cuba, Benin and Gambia were at the bottom with average download speeds of 1.13Mbps, 1.16Mbps, 1.21Mbps, 1.36Mbps and 1.46Mbps, respectively.

In terms of upload speeds, India's position was a little better as it ranked at 93rd position with an average upload speed of 2.91Mbps. Hong Kong recorded the highest average upload speed at 58.99Mbps, followed by South Korea at 40.06Mbps, Singapore at 37.14Mbps, Macau at 36.48Mbps and Andorra at 35.98Mbps. The US recorded an average upload speed of 6.30Mbps while the global average was 7.08Mbps.

According to Ookla, the company that offers Speedtest.net and its mobile apps which help in comparing and ranking consumer download speeds around the globe, the data is based on over 1.5 billion records. The company claims this is the largest number of broadband speed and quality results ever compiled.

As per the company, the results are based on millions of recent test results from Speedtest.net. "The value is the rolling mean throughput in Mbps over the past 30 days where the mean distance between the client and the server is less than 300 miles," it informs.

Google officially launches its election portal in India

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Mon, 2 Dec 2013 18:47:00 +0530

After Facebook, Google has jumped on the bandwagon of polls in India, the world's biggest democracy, by setting up an election portal that gives all polls and politics related news to users in India.

The US-based search engine major Thursday launched its election portal which also provides information on political parties.

"Election portal will serve as a one-stop destination to help voters get answers to their elections and voting-related queries to make an informed decision," Google said in official blog.

In the first phase of the launch, the portal will cover news information and videos related to state elections in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram covering news from leading publications and broadcasters both in English and Hindi.

Users will also be able to watch content hosted by YouTube partners on elections and links to Hangouts done by political representatives in the recent past.

Earlier this month, social networking site Facebook joined hands with the Association for Democratic Reforms to help the voters access election candidates' criminal, financial, educational, professional information directly on their mobile via Facebook using USSD technology.

Facebook launched 'Register to Vote' feature, which seeks to promote its users to exercise their voting rights.

The feature encourages users to add on his/her Facebook timeline as a life event that the person has registered to vote and share this story with other connected users.

With over 200 million Internet users in the country, the Internet audience in India has reached a critical scale and it will play an important role in influencing decisions of a large proportion of the urban Indian population in the upcoming elections, Google said.

"Elections related search queries on Google have shown a considerable increase and the interest in news information related to elections and politics have started to peak," Google India Head of Public Policy and Government Relations Chetan Krishnaswamy said.

Leading political parties are active on most social media platforms, and users will be able to access all information sent out by the political parties on platforms like YouTube, Google+ and connect directly with the candidates in their constituency, he added.

Nokia's 6 New Exciting Devices

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Sat, 9 Nov 2013 17:41:00 +0530

Nokia, on a mission to regain its old glory is churning out variety of models in short time span. The latest ones to join this list is the first ever Lumia tablet and two models of Lumia phablets. Adding to it, the company has also released three new models under the prominent Asha series. The gadgets were unveiled during the Annual Nokia World event hosted at Abu Dhabi. Here are the 6 new exciting models that will hit India soon, as compiled by TOI.

# 6 Nokia Lumia 2520

Lumia 2520 is the ever first tablet released by Nokia. The makers have added a 10 inch wide screen displaying HD images at 1080 pixel guarded with Gorilla glass 2 protection. The gadget is running Windows-RT and packs a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor under the hood. The tablet has 2GB of RAM coupled with 32GB built-in memory and houses a 6.7MP primary camera and a 2MP secondary camera. The other features of Lumia 2520 include 4G-LTE connectivity, free SkyDrive storage and two USB ports. The device houses 8000mAh battery case and also has an additional battery which can provide charge for another extra 5 hours. The device comes in red, white, cyan and black color variants and has free apps like Nokia’s story teller, Video director and Microsoft office preinstalled.

#5 Nokia 1520

The debut phablet from the Finnish manufacturer runs on Windows 8 mobile OS and has a 6 inch wide HD display screen with 1920 X 1080 pixel resolution. Nokia 1520 is fueled by a 2.2Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB expandable memory. The phablet sports a 20MP OIS camera with PureView technology and supports NFC connectivity. A 3,400mAh battery provides uninterrupted power supply for the device.

#4 Nokia 1320

Nokia 1320 is also one among the newly released phablet with a 6 inch wide screen display at 720 pixel resolution. The gadget is powered by a dual-core Krait processor coupled with 1GB RAM. The Micro-SD card allows the user to expand the 8GB built-in memory upto 64GB. The other features of the phablet include a 5MP rear snapper, VGA front facing unit and 4G-LTE connectivity. The model comes in orange, yellow, black and white color and is powered by a 3,400mAh battery.

#3 Nokia Asha 500

The gadget comes in both single and dual SIM variants and sports a 2.8 inch capacitive display screen. Asha 500 has 64MB of RAM and supports upto 32GB of expandable memory. A 2MP camera can be sported on the rear side of the device. The new model supports connectivity features including bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM, AV jack, WLAN and micro-USB.

#2 Nokia Asha 502

Nokia Asha 502 is a dual-SIM phone featuring a 3-inch capacitive QVGA screen and a 5MP primary camera with LED flash. The gadget includes 64MB of RAM which is expandable upto 32GB with the assistance of an Micro-SD card slot. The makers have added bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM, AV jack, WLAN and micro-USB connectivity into the device.

#1 Nokia Asha 503

Nokia Asha 503 is the first phone under Asha touchscreen series to provide 3G support. The gadget houses a 3 inch display screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection and comes in single SIM and Easy Swap dual-SIM variants. Similar to other new release Asha phones, Asha 503 as has 64MB of RAM with expandable memory upto 64GB. The gadget supports connectivity features including bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM, AV jack, WLAN and micro-USB.

Review: Google Plus thoughtful answer to Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 07:08:00 +0530

My first thought about Google Plus: "Here we go again." After Google's earlier attempts at social networking failed spectacularly, it was easy to scoff at this seeming Facebook wannabe.

Its "Picasa ultimatum" didn't help much either. If you have an account with Picasa, Google's photo-sharing service, the first thing Google asks is whether you'd want to share your Picasa photos. Say no, and you're not allowed to sign up at all. That seemed unnecessarily harsh.

But I quickly became addicted to Google Plus, a free service that the company is testing with a small group of users for now. It has smart and thoughtful solutions to some irksome limits entrenched in other social-media sites, mainly related to privacy settings and how to share links and posts with groups.

Google Plus seems aimed at people who are more interested in sharing things with people or groups with similar interests rather than simply amassing the biggest number of online "friends." Its seamless integration with other Google services you may use, from search to online documents, makes it easier to share things online.

I found privacy settings much easier to manage on Google Plus than on Facebook. The Picasa ultimatum forced me to learn about the settings. After all, the first thing you're likely to do after joining is limit who can see your photos.

Privacy - deciding whom you share different posts with - seems to be top of mind on Google Plus. That's a relief after Google's earlier debacle with Google Buzz, which had arrived unsolicited and initially created circles of friends automatically based on whom
they've corresponded with on Gmail. That meant your boss could see lists of people you've been corresponding with for a new job.
With Google Plus, no one gets added automatically. Once you sign up, you add people - similar to how you follow people on Twitter.
Then, rather than throwing everyone into the same bucket, you choose a circle to put them in.

Four circles are standard: "friends," "family," "acquaintances" and "following." You can follow anyone without being accepted, whereas Facebook requires the consent of both sides.

You can create new circles, too, such as "co-workers" and "cousins." Facebook has customizable groups, as well, but I found the groups on Google Plus much easier to use and quicker to navigate.

Separating people into categories can seem awkward at first. I felt impolite putting people in "acquaintances" rather than "friends" even though no one can see which circle you put them in. But once you get used to it, you can easily share photos of your beach vacation with just your friends - your actual friends, not the broad Facebook definition. Those photos could be off-limits to your boss or your great aunt Zelda, say.

Any post or link goes only to the circle or circles you designate, and you can drill down to sharing with just one or two people, or no one. You can also make a link public to share it with everyone - including people who have added you to their circles but whom you haven't added to yours.

However, the privacy settings aren't perfect. Although you can choose to share a post with a limited number of people, the recipients can re-share the post further. It takes some digging to figure out that you can disable re-sharing by clicking on an icon to the right of a post. Google Plus is in very early testing, so these types of settings could still change.

Unlike Facebook, Google Plus also lets you edit posts after you post them and decide for each post whether to allow comments, a feature I liked.

Two other features, the ability to group video chat via webcam, called a "Hangout," and the ability to chat with a group, called a "Huddle," have proven to have so much appeal that Facebook quickly followed suit. The company said Wednesday that it will also roll out group chatting and video chatting by teaming with Internet phone company Skype. It will be interesting to see if Facebook ends up adding other Google Plus features.

Other facts: Google Plus has a "+1" button rather than a "Like" button, but the feature is similar. The only difference is, once you sign up for Google Plus, you see this "+1" button next to every single Google search item, which feels a bit Big Brother-ish.

On that note, whenever you are on the main Google site or any of its progeny, you also have a black Google bar across the top of your browser, with a Google Plus link. That makes it easy to log on at odd moments. A red notification box alerts you to Google Plus activities, such as when people add you to one of their circles.

Google Plus has a few gaping holes.

For example, you can't search ... yet. And there are no addictive third-party apps such as "FarmVille," which people have sunk countless hours playing on Facebook.

Another thing you can't do easily, strangely, is send a message. To do that you have to create a post and only select one person to see it. It's not rocket science, but with Facebook you can simply click on a person's profile and send a message instantly. I realize
Gmail is a button click away, and Google Plus is intended to be a sharing site rather than a full-service social media site, but I still wanted this feature.

Overall, in my early testing, I find Google Plus a compelling answer to some existing problems in social media. Because of its integration with other Google services and its general ease of use, I would probably prefer using Google Plus to Facebook or Twitter.

But it all depends on how many people sign up. A sharing site isn't much fun if no one is around to share with. For now, I can't invite friends to join. Google Plus is free, but the company is restricting new sign-ups. Even those who already got a coveted invite are told to try joining later because Google Plus had exceeded its capacity.

That points to widespread interest the service and its potential to challenge Facebook. Unlike Google Wave and Google Buzz, which never resonated with users, Google Plus does seem more attuned to what people actually want.

As my co-worker put it, Google Plus is the "grown-up Facebook."

Do we really need that? We'll see.

Facebook leads an effort to deliver data to the developing world

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 06:29:00 +0530

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a campaign Wednesday with global technology giants to connect billions of people worldwide who lack access to the Internet.

The project is entitled Internet.org and its goal is to extend Internet access to five billion people by cutting the cost of smartphone-based Internet services in developing countries.

"There is no guarantee that most people will ever have access to the Internet. It isn't going to happen by itself," Zuckerberg, the 29-year-old billionaire founder of the popular social network said in a statement.

"But I believe connectivity is a human right, and that if we work together we can make it a reality."

Other partners in the project are Finland-based Nokia, Sweden's Ericsson, Samsung of South Korea, US-based Qualcomm, MediaTek of Taiwan and Norway's Opera. US-based social networks Twitter and LinkedIn are also due to sign up.

Today some 2.7 billion people, just over a third of the world's population, have access to the Internet, and the number of new users is growing only slowly each year, organizers said.

"The goal of Internet.org is to make Internet access available to the two-thirds of the world who are not yet connected, and to bring the same opportunities to everyone that the connected third of the world has today," they said in a statement.

The seven founding partners are going to develop joint projects, share knowledge and mobilize governments and industry to bring the world online.

Specifically, they want to simplify mobile apps to make them more efficient and improve telephone components and networks so they perform better while consuming less energy.

They also want to develop lower-cost, higher-quality smartphones and partnerships to more broadly deploy Internet access in underserved communities.

Zuckerberg insisted in an interview with CNN that the project was not simply aimed at generating more customers.

"If we were just focused on making money, the first billion people we've connected have way more money than the rest of the next six billion combined. It's not fair but it's the way that it is," he said.

The partnership resembles one launched by Facebook in 2011 called Open Compute Project, which aims to improve the materials used in call centers and make them less energy-hungry.

That project was originally met with skepticism but has gradually won over the major players in the computer industry.

The latest plan marks an expansion in Zuckerberg's interest in public policy, months after he launched the advocacy group Fwd.us to lobby for US immigration and education reform along with support for scientific research.

The new thrust comes at a key time for tech groups. Mature markets are saturated, while poor regions have vast and growing reservoirs of potential new customers.

"The Internet not only connects us to our friends, families and communities, but it is also the foundation of the global knowledge economy," Zuckerberg said.

"By bringing everyone online, we'll not only improve billions of lives, but we'll also improve our own as we benefit from the ideas and productivity they contribute to the world."

His comments were echoed by heads of other companies taking part in the initiative.

"We are committed to shaping the Networked Society where everyone and everything will be connected in real time; creating the freedom, empowerment and opportunity to transform society,"Hans Vestberg, president and chief executive of Ericsson, said

MK Tsai, chairman of MediaTek, said: "Global Internet and social media access represent the biggest shift since the industrial revolution, and we want to make it all inclusive."

Google Chromebook Pixel review

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 06:22:00 +0530

Google's first high-end laptop, the Chromebook Pixel, is an impressive machine. It feels light and comfortable in my hands and on my lap. Its high-resolution display makes photos look sharp and video come to life. From a hardware standpoint, it's everything I'd want a laptop to be.

But the Pixel isn't very practical at least not yet - for most people. It works well when you have a steady Internet connection, but can't do much once you lose that connection. And because it uses Google's own operating system, it doesn't run enough software yet to replace your other machines.

I brought the Pixel along for a nearly three-week trip to Thailand and Cambodia, where I knew I wouldn't have the type of round-the-clock access I'm used to in the U.S. I was surprised by how much I could do, but quickly got frustrated when I couldn't do more.

Such frustration doesn't come cheap. Prices for the Pixel start at $1,299, just $200 less than a MacBook with a comparable screen and the ability to do much more offline. A higher-end Pixel with cellular access costs $150 more than the basic model and is scheduled to start shipping Monday.

For those unfamiliar with Google's entry into the laptop market - I guess that's many of you - the Pixel and other Chromebooks run a Google operating system called Chrome OS. Based on the Chrome Web browser available for Windows and Mac computers, Chrome OS underscores Google's vision of letting the Internet do all the heavy lifting instead of your computer.

As a result, you can power up and start working on the Chromebook right away. Boot time is minimal because there's not a lot of software to load. Those functions are pulled from the Internet as needed. That also means updates come regularly and don't need any installation on your part.

There's not a lot of storage on the machine either. The idea is to keep as much as you can online, through a storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

Think of the Chromebook as a gateway to the Internet. You can download apps from Google and others to run on the Chromebook, but many of those apps do little more than access a website on your Chrome browser when you're online.

Previous Chromebooks haven't been too powerful. They have tended to be low-cost machines ideal for casual users who mostly need computers for Internet tasks such as email and Facebook.

Google is changing the dynamics with the Pixel. It's targeting power users who are willing to pay more money for the best features.

For $1,299, you get a well-built machine sporting a touch-sensitive display that measures nearly 13 inches (33 centimeters) diagonally. The screen's resolution is among the best out there. At 239 pixels per inch, it tops the 227 pixels per inch on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, though your eyes might not be able to discern that small difference.

The basic Pixel model comes with 32 gigabytes of storage and has a slot for external storage, such as a camera's SD card. Each machine also comes with a three-year subscription for 1 terabyte of online storage through Google Drive. It's normally $50 a month.

Google also offers a $1,449 model that has double the internal storage, at 64 GB, and 100 megabytes a month of LTE cellular data access through Verizon Wireless for two years. That's suitable for occasional use, but if you'll be away from Wi-Fi a lot, you'll need a data plan. Prices start at $10 a day.

The LTE model isn't set to ship until Monday, but Google lent me one to try out. I was impressed with the LTE offering, as the cellular access would help cover some of the gaps I'd have outside my home and office. But it's of no use abroad.

Nor is LTE of use on airplanes. Both models offer 12 free sessions with Gogo's Wi-Fi service on airplanes, but those are good only for flights that offer that capability. Those tend to be domestic flights in the U.S.

So I found myself trying to use Chromebook without a steady Internet connection.

Before I left, I configured the Chromebook browser to enable offline access to Google Docs, the company's set of online tools such as word processing and spreadsheets. With offline access, you're able to access and edit documents. Changes get synced with the online versions the next time you connect to the Internet.

I was able to do a fair amount of writing offline, but every now and then, my document would disappear, replaced by Google's "Aw, Snap" error message sporting a sad face icon. That would be cute if hours of work weren't at stake.

Although I was usually able to recover the file and never lost more than a paragraph of writing, I got nervous with every crash. Google Docs lets you save copies on your computer as text files or in Microsoft's Word format. But that function works only when you are online, even for changes you are making offline.

Even without the crashes, I wasn't getting tools such as spell-checking while offline. That's not an issue when using Word or Apple's Pages on other machines.

Beyond text documents, the Chromebook is able to view photos, PDFs and other files, just like any other computer. It can also read files in Microsoft's Word and Excel formats, though you must convert them to Google Docs to make changes.

And obviously, it can browse the Web. I successfully paid credit card bills, bought magazines and watched Hulu video on the Pixel. I was able to read an e-book on Amazon's Web-based Kindle app, too.

But there are limits, particular when sites require plug-ins that aren't available for the Chromebook.

And while I was able to write this story on a Chromebook, our publishing system isn't compatible with it.

Chromebooks are ideal for those who have steady Internet access and do most of their computing on Web browsers. But those people may be fine with one of the other, much cheaper Chromebooks. One is the $249 Samsung Chromebook, which I have tried and like for simple tasks when Internet access isn't an issue.

If you need a machine as powerful as the Pixel, you might also need an operating system that can do more, especially when offline.

Google executive Caesar Sengupta admits that Chromebook owners might still have to turn to a Windows or Mac computer now and then. In many ways, it reminds me of the early days of the Mac, when most software was written only for Windows.

That makes the Pixel expensive for a machine that can't serve as your sole computer. At $1,299, I'd rather spend another $200 for a MacBook with a high-resolution display and four times the storage, at 128 gigabytes. You don't get a touch screen with the MacBook, but frankly, I didn't use the Pixel's touch controls even once during my Asia trip.

On the other hand, Sengupta told me that selling Pixels isn't Google's main goal with the machine. Rather, the company made it to showcase Google's vision for the future of computing. In that case, Google has succeeded in producing a machine that is a pleasure to use - as long as you're online.

About the Chromebook Pixel
The device represents Google's entry into the high-end laptop market. It runs Google's Chrome OS operating system, which largely assumes you'll have round-the-clock Internet access. You can still work with the device offline, but functionality is limited.

The basic model costs $1,299 and comes with 32 gigabytes of storage. For $1,449, you get 64 gigabytes and LTE connectivity through Verizon Wireless. Both models come with a terabyte of online storage through Google Drive for three years, a $1,800 value at $50 per month. Not everyone will need as much storage, and Google Drive offers free and cheaper plans.

The pricier Pixel model also offers 100 megabytes a month of LTE cellular data access through Verizon Wireless for two years.

If you need more, you can buy a day pass with unlimited data for $10. Or you can buy 1 gigabyte of data for $20, 3 GB for $35 or 5 GB for $50. Those are good for a month. If you're a Verizon customer with a plan for sharing data allotments over multiple devices, you can add the Pixel for just $10 a month.

The Pixel is sold through Google's online Play store and Best Buy's website

Nokia Asha 501 review

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 06:19:00 +0530

he Nokia Lumia range might be making headlines, but Nokia's feature phones including its relatively new Asha series phones are the ones making cash registers ring for the company across India. The latest to join the bandwagon is the Asha 501, which was unveiled a few months back by Nokia chief Stephen Elop at an event in India.

Nokia has been known to come out with solid, sturdy devices rather than flashy, glitzy ones when it comes to its budget phones. However, we think that the Nokia Asha 501 is here to change that and reveals the brand's playful side in the feature phone segment. The much hyped Nokia Asha 501 has finally made it to the Indian market. But does it live up to expectations? We take a close look.

Build/ Design

At a time when phones seem to be getting bigger, the Nokia Asha 501 goes the opposite direction, opting for a compact build with dimensions of 99.2x58x12.1mm. When we got the device in our hands the first time, the word that came to our mind was 'cute'.

The Asha 501 easily reminded us of the Lumia smartphones and though it is a bit chunky, thanks to its design, it fits in one hand easily. It is pretty light in weight at just 91 grams.

Be it an entry-level feature phone or a Lumia smartphone, the one thing that remains consistent in a Nokia phone is its style and design, which generally exudes quality and matches international design standards. The Nokia Asha 501 lives up to this legacy.

The front panel is dominated by a 3-inch display that is surrounded by a black bezel with a physical 'Back' key placed at the bottom of the panel and the Nokia logo on top of the screen just below the earpiece. Nokia has followed the same Lumia design language, placing the physical keys for volume controls and power buttons on the right. We did miss a camera hardware key, though. The top panel houses a 2.5mm charging port, a Micro-USB port and a 3.5mm audio port.

The back of the device includes a 3.2-megapixel camera placed at the centre towards the top, with a vertical Nokia branding just below the camera. At the bottom of the rear panel, there's a button that can be pressed to remove the back panel. This sounds simple, though it took some time to get used to.

The back panel is an exchangeable shell which can be replaced with other bright coloured panels that include Red, Cyan Yellow, Green, White and Black colours. The battery is removable and a Micro-SIM card slot hides behind it in the same compartment. The second Micro-SIM can be changed without switching off the device and same is the case with the memory card. Overall, the Nokia Asha 501 is impressive in design and, definitely a looker. The handset, despite its relatively low price, feels solid and is comfortable to use.

Display

The Nokia Asha 501 includes a 3-inch capacitive display, a huge advantage for a device in the price segment. The 3-inch TFT capacitive display comes with a resolution of 240x320 pixels and boasts a pixel density of 133PPI. It includes options like brightness control, RGB Stripe, and support for the double tap to wake up gesture. The display is responsive to touch, though at times it has a bit of a lag. It supports two-point touch and includes a proximity sensor. The display has good viewing angles and is readable under the sun.

Software/ Interface

With the Asha 501, Nokia has introduced a new platform, which it calls the Nokia Asha software platform 1.0 instead of S40 (Series 40) which powers other Asha devices. However, the user-interface is similar to that of the S40 operating system found in previous versions of the Asha series of touch phones, based on the Nokia N9's swipe concept.

Nokia Asha 501 comes with a UI that is easy to use and largely dominated by gesture controls like swiping. The Back hardware key proves to be handy when stuck in app or for closing an app.

Nokia unveiled the Fastlane feature for the Asha 501. It collectively shows all the recent apps in a list form according to dates. The feature gives a quick overview yout activity. For instance, if you played a game or used an app on the device it will automatically be featured on the Fastlane as a log. It is also the default homescreen when one unlocks the phone, and doubles up as a task-switcher of sorts. Swiping the screen from either side, from any app or game takes you directly to the Fastlane. While using an app, you can access options by swiping up from the bottom and these appear. It worked well for us.

If you want to change the location of an app or even delete it, just long press and hold the app icon on the menu list. There are not many personalisation options on the Asha 501, which is a bit of a let down and one can only change the wallpaper and sound profiles. The phone comes with the default standby screen with a digital clock, and you can change it in the Settings through the 'Glance screen' option. There is a notification bar at the top, similar to what we have already seen in previous Asha phones. You can pull it down to see SIM information and adjust Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data and sound profile settings.

The Nokia Asha 501 comes with the company's proprietary Xpress Browser, which was introduced for the Asha range of phones. The browser compresses the data, much like the Opera Mini. We had no complaints browsing the web on the phone. One can open up to 6 web pages on the device at once and can switch between them.

The phone comes with some preloaded apps and games. The games are Java-based but the experience was great for a phone at this price point. Some popular apps that come pre-installed include Facebook, Twitter, Nokia Chat, twist Music and NewsHunt. The Asha 501 comes with 40 free EA games that can be downloaded using Wi-Fi. WhatsApp is said to be available on the platform shortly. One can browse and download apps through the Store. We downloaded the Here Maps Beta version on our Asha 501 and it worked well with Wi-Fi.

Camera

The Nokia Asha 501 comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera without flash and auto-focus options. The camera comes with some basic features and offers toggles for timer settings, white balance, effects and photo resolution adjustment. The resolution can be changed to 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960 and 640x480.

The camera can take decent shots in daylight with good colours but lacks details, and we found that night shots were not that great. Same was the case with indoor photos which were rather grainy. The Nokia Asha 501 is not a device to click close-up shots because of the camera's fixed-focus nature. The camera comes with digital zoom up to 3X.

The pictures miss out on detail but considering the price and the audience that Nokia is targeting, we can say it doesn't disappoint completely.

Performance

The Nokia Asha 501 handled swiping well and was smooth and responsive for most part.

Some apps did freeze at times, but we were able to exit to the home screen through the back key. The phone offered good call clarity with both the SIM slots and the FM radio reception was decent. The phone can be unlocked either by using the power key or by double-tapping the screen, which is a cool feature.

Sadly the music player of the Asha 501 misses out on basic options like adjustable equalisers and pre-set music profiles. The music player interface does show the artwork related to the song and the album. The speaker was good and loud.

We had no complaints watching some of our favourite videos on the device through YouTube, though the video playing experience was limited with no support for MP4, MOV, MKV or AVI file formats. It was unable to play 720p (or higher) video either.

We would have loved if Nokia included a notification light as it would have enhanced the overall experience of using the handset.

The Gallery app supports pinch to zoom and gives options to share images through Bluetooth and email. The pinch to zoom feature worked well during our time with the phone.

The Nokia Asha 501 comes with 128MB of internal storage and 64MB of RAM. It also supports expandable memory cards up to 32GB thanks to microSD card slot. Connectivity features include like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Micro-USB. However, we did miss 3G on the device.

The device packs a 1200mAh battery that the company claims, delivers 624 hours of standby time and a talk time of 17 hours. However, we were not very happy with the back-up.

When we used the device (with Wi-Fi) for Web browsing, chatting, playing games like Litle Big City, Bubble Bash, Wolverine and others, we found that the battery just about lasted a day, which is less than what you expect from phones in this category.

However, when not using Wi-Fi or data on the phone and using it for just normal calling, messaging, occasionally clicking photos and playing some games, the device lasted a couple of days with just one full charge.

Verdict

The Nokia Asha 501 is definitely good in some departments but disappoints in some. If we consider the price of the device and the features that it brings, it is overall a very good deal.

For those looking to buy a feature phone that delivers a smartphone-like experience, the Nokia Asha 501 is a decent package. One thing that surprised us was that both the SIM slots supported Micro-SIM, which may be an inconvenience for some. Overall, the Asha 501 scores well in terms of design, user-interface and build quality.

Those looking for alternatives can go for a Samsung's Galaxy Star that comes at a price of Rs. 4,900. Another Android option is the Micromax Bolt A35, which comes at a price of Rs. 4,400.

If you want a Nokia alternative then you can also opt for Nokia Asha 305.

Nokia Asha 501: In pictures

Price: Rs. 5,199

Pros

Easy to use UI
Smart design and form-factor
Value for Money

Cons

Battery back-up with data and Wi-Fi usage not satisfactory
No 3G

Ratings (Out of 5)

Design: 3.5
Display: 2.5
Performance: 2.5
Software: 2.5
Battery Life: 3
Value for Money: 3.5
Camera: 2.5
Overall: 3

NASA says Arctic sea ice ‘Unlikely To Break Records’ in 2013 | Watts Up With That?

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 13:10:00 +0530

A video animation follows. Note also that Dr. Walt Meier is now with NASA Goddard, after leaving NSIDC at the end of July. This is his first report from NASA. – Anthony

Arctic Sea Ice Update: Unlikely To Break Records, But Continuing Downward Trend

The melting of sea ice in the Arctic is well on its way toward its annual “minimum,” that time when the floating ice cap covers less of the Arctic Ocean than at any other period during the year. While the ice will continue to shrink until around mid-September, it is unlikely that this year’s summer low will break a new record. Still, this year’s melt rates are in line with the sustained decline of the Arctic ice cover observed by NASA and other satellites over the last several decades.

“Even if this year ends up being the sixth- or seventh-lowest extent, what matters is that the 10 lowest extents recorded have happened during the last 10 years,” said Walt Meier, a glaciologist with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “The long-term trend is strongly downward.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSuUe8dhZ0

The icy cover of the Arctic Ocean was measured at 2.25 million square miles (5.83 million square kilometers) on Aug. 21. For comparison, the smallest Arctic sea ice extent on record for this date, recorded in 2012, was 1.67 million square miles (4.34 million square kilometers), and the largest recorded for this date was in 1996, when ice covered 3.16 millions square miles (8.2 million square kilometers) of the Arctic Ocean.

Watching the summertime dynamics of the Arctic ice cap has gained considerable attention in recent years as the size of the minimum extent has been diminishing – rapidly. On Sept.16, 2012, Arctic sea ice reached its smallest extent ever recorded by satellites at 1.32 million square miles (3.41 million square kilometers). That is about half the size of the average extent from 1979 to 2010.

Sea ice extent is a measurement of the area of the Arctic Ocean where ice covers at least 15 percent of the ocean surface. For additional information about the evolution of the sea ice cover, scientists also study the sea ice “area,” which discards regions of open water among ice floes and only takes into account the parts of the Arctic Ocean completely covered by ice. On Aug. 21, 2013, the Arctic sea ice area was 1.98 million square miles (5.12 million square kilometers).

This year’s melting season included a fast retreat of the sea ice during the first half of July. But low atmospheric pressures and clouds over the central Arctic kept temperatures up north cooler than average, slowing down the plunge.

With about three weeks of melting left, the summer minimum in 2013 is unlikely to be a record low, said Joey Comiso, senior scientist at Goddard and coordinating lead author of the Cryosphere Observations chapter of the upcoming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“But average temperatures in the Arctic fluctuate from one week to another, and the occurrence of a powerful storm in August, as happened in 2012, could cause the current rate of decline to change significantly,” Comiso said.

This year, the Arctic has witnessed a few summer storms, but none of them as intense as the cyclone that took place in August 2012.

“Last year’s storm went across an area of open water and mixed the smaller pieces of ice with the relatively warm water, so it melted very rapidly,” Meier said. “This year, the storms hit in an area of more consolidated ice. The storms this year were more typical summer storms; last year’s was the unusual one.”

The Arctic sea ice cap has significantly thinned over the past decade and is now very vulnerable to melt, Comiso said. The multiyear ice cover, consisting of thicker sea ice that has survived at least two summers, has declined at an even faster rate than younger, thinner ice.

Meier said that a thinner, seasonal ice cover might behave more erratically in the summer than multiyear ice.

“First-year ice has a thickness that is borderline: It can melt or not depending on how warm the summer temperatures are, the prevailing winds, etcetera,” Meier said. “This year’s conditions weren’t super-favorable for losing ice throughout spring and summer; last year they were. Whereas with multiyear ice, it takes unusual warm conditions to melt it, which is what we’ve seen in the most recent years.”

On the opposite side of the planet, Antarctic sea ice, which is in the midst of its yearly growing cycle, is heading toward the largest extent on record, having reached 7.45 million square miles (19.3 million square kilometers) on Aug. 21. In 2012, the extent of Antarctic sea ice for the same date was 7.08 million square miles (18.33 million square kilometers). The phenomenon, which appears counter-intuitive but reflects the differences in environment and climate between the Arctic and Antarctica, is currently the subject of many research studies. Still, the rate at which the Arctic is losing sea ice surpasses the speed at which Antarctic sea ice is expanding.

The sea ice minimum extent analysis produced at Goddard – one of many satellite-based scientific analyses of sea ice cover – is compiled from passive microwave data from NASA’s Nimbus-7 satellite, which operated from late October 1978 to August 1987, and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, which has been used to extend the Nimbus 7 sea ice record onwards from August 1987. The record, which began in November 1978, shows an overall downward trend of 14.1 percent per decade in the size of the minimum summer extent, a decline that accelerated after 2007.

Mahatma Gandhi Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Good Times) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:37:00 +0530

These selections are from his speeches and writings and will give the reader some idea of the working of Gandhi's mind, the growth of his thoughts on peace, nonviolence, truth, love, God and the practical techniques which he adopted.

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