Tech Tock

iPod touch 6th Generation launched with iPhone 6 Specifications !

2015-07-15T22:04:00.001+05:30

The changes were updated on Apple's webpage late Tuesday.

The new iPod touch carries the same design as its predecessor launched in 2012, but sports highly upgraded specs and new colours ( Gold, Pink, Blue ).

It houses the powerful A8 processor along with the M8 motion co-processor and 1 GB of RAM.

The only other real change is the camera, which has been upgraded to an 8MP shooter which is on par with the iPhone 5S's camera.

It has a 4" display with a resolution of 1136x640.

Overall, it's a decent upgrade.

The pricing is as follows:

16GB : $199

32GB : $249

64GB : $299

128GB : $399 ( Available exclusively through Apple )

App Review: Molecules

2014-12-25T20:43:00.001+05:30

The App Store is a great place to find many educational apps.

In this article I'm reviewing one of them.

Molecules (by Sunset Lake Software)

Introduction:

Molecules is a chemistry app which renders Organic Molecules on your iDevice.

It renders the Molecule in 3 Dimensions beautifully.

The App in Use:

The following compound is Benzoic Acid.

The column on the Right is the color key.

The app comes with a few molecules preloaded, such as DNA and Insulin.

DNA:

How to download more molecules.

You can download many other molecules from within the app itself.

To download more molecules,

1. Tap on the molecules button on the Top Left.

2. Then tap the '+' button.

3. Finally search for the molecule you want.

Example:

Verdict:

This app is one of its kind and can be used by school and

college students alike to study Organic Chemistry.

This app also doesn't take too much space only around 2 MB.

4 Tips to improve your iPhone's Battery Life

2014-04-22T17:23:00.000+05:30

Most of us who use iPhones may feel that it's Battery Life isn't up to the mark. It's battery barely lasts a day, that nothing compared to Android phones, which at factory settings give around 1.5 to 2 days of Battery life. So, here are 5 tips that will surely increase the Battery life of your iPhone.

No.1 : Never Charge your iPhone with your iPad's Charger

Never ever charge your iPhone with your iPad's charger or a higher watt capacity charger as it will decrease the capacity of your iPhone in the long run. The iPad charger may charge your iPhone quickly but at the cost of the capacity of the Battery. Only use a 5W wall adapter for your iPhone.

Never use this for your iPhone

Always use this.

No.2 : Never leave your iPhone on charge once it has reached 100%

Your iPhone is never going to reach 110% charge so, never leave it on charge when it reaches 100%. What happens is that the phone then discharges to 95% forcefully and then charges it again. This your iPhone will run through Battery cycles more quickly and hence reducing its charge retaining capacity.

Unplug it from the charger as soon as it reaches 100%

No.3 : Turn off 3G whenever not required

Using 3G or LTE on your iPhone gives you really fast data speed, but also munches up your battery quickly, so switch of 3G whenever your not using it. You'll notice the difference. Apple themselves warn you that using 3G consumes a lot of battery life.

No.4 : Switch off "Fetch" Mail

When you associate your iPhone with any mail ID, it automatically fetches mail every 15min, this is a huge drain on your iPhone's Battery. You need to change it to manual, the problem is solved then !!!

I hope that these tips help you increase the duration of your iPhone's Battery.

These tips also apply to other Devices in General.

Peace Out

iPad Multitasking Gestures iPad iOS 7

2014-04-04T17:36:00.001+05:30

Hey Guys, in this Tutorial I'm going to show you the 3 Multitasking Gestures available on Apple's iPad.

Apple has included Multitasking Gestures in the iPad since it's inception in 2010. These Multitasking Gestures comes in handy very often and you find it difficult without them if you use someone else Android Tablet.

To Enable the Multitasking Gestures

Open the Settings App,
Select General
Scroll down and Enable Multitasking Gestures.

The Multitasking Gestures:

Swipe up with 4 or 5 fingers to reveal the Multitasking Pane. At any Screen, simply swipe up with 4 or 5 fingers to reveal the Multitasking Pane.
Swipe from sides with 4 or 5 fingers to switch between open Apps. In any app. if you swipe from the side of the screen with 4 or 5 fingers, it moves on to the next app that was open. The app that the iPad switches to depend on the Apps that you had opened previously.
Pinch with 4 or 5 fingers when in any app to go back to the Home Screen. Save your home button, this Multitasking Gesture eliminates the need to press the home button to quit an App. When any app is open, to close it, just pinch the screen with 4 or 5 fingers and the iPad returns to its Home Screen.

Tutorial: Enabling the Emoji Keyboard on your iDevice

2014-04-02T15:39:00.001+05:30

Hey Guys,

Check out the Video, the Instructions along with illustrations are given below

Enjoy the Video !!!

Hope you found the Video useful !!!

Tutorial: Enable the Emoji Keyboard on your iPhone or iPad

2014-04-01T22:27:00.000+05:30

Hey Guys, Life sans emotions is much like a meal without a main course. In the world of geeks { or even if you are just the average surfer and chatter}, emotions are typically displayed via Emoticons.

Have you ever wondered whether your iPhone/iPad can also have the amazing Emoji keyboard that Android devices come with. Well... your wish just came true. .

In this tutorial, I'm gonna show you how the inbuilt emoji keyboard can be unlocked for use, on your iPhone or iPad.

May come as a surprise to some of you--- but All Apple Devices come with Apple's own Emoji keyboard which is power-packed with 1000 different and unique emoticons. All you have to do is enable it.

This tutorial will help you enable this Awesome (but hidden) Emoji keyboard on your iDevice.

Step 1:

Open the Settings App.

Step 2:

Scroll down to 'General' and tap on it, then scroll down to 'Keyboard' and tap on it.

Step 3:

Tap on the 'Keyboard' option and then tap on the 'Keyboards' option.

Step 4:

Tap on 'Add New Keyboard...'

Step 5:

Scroll down to 'E' and tap on Emoji. Well, there you go-- you've just Activated the Emoji Keyboard on your iDevice.

Step 6:

Exit Settings and open an that uses a Keyboard, for example, the Notes app.
The keyboard pops up and you have your normal Keyboard. But, now at the bottom you have an icon that looks like a Globe, tap on it and Voila, you have your Awesome Emoji keyboard.

To revert back to the normal keyboard, tap on the same button and you get your normal English keyboard.

Hope you liked this Tutorial, subscribe to my Blog and my Youtube channel for more such Tutorials and Videos.

Peace Out

Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1TB HDD Unboxing

2014-04-01T21:51:00.001+05:30

Hey Guys,

Check out my Unboxing Video of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1TB HDD.

Please do subscribe to my Youtube channel and my Blog.

Hope you Enjoy the Video !!!

iPad Air Review

2013-11-24T20:25:00.001+05:30

The iPad Air is the 5th Generation iPad. It was launched at a special event on October 22 at San Francisco. The iPad Air features an all new design that is similar to that of the iPad mini that was launched last year.

Design

It's been a long time since Apple delivered unto us a proper redesign of the iPad. The original box-like design of the iPad lived only for about 11 months before being replaced by the iPad 2 in March 2011. The same design language survived until now for more or less 2.5 years. That period was punctuated by 2 updates to the iPad bringing a better 'Retina' Display and Faster processors.

The iPad Air was the full redesign that we have all been waiting for. The iPad weighed so little that it had to be given a new name, i.e., the iPad Air. The iPad Air weighs just 1 pound which in metric units is just about 469 grams. Thats a weight reduction of about 28% from the 4th gen iPad. It is also 20% thinner at just 7.5mm. It is the thinnest full size tablet produced by Apple till now. It has thinner bezels much like the iPad mini. Infact it becomes difficult to tell the 2 apart without any visual cues. Also the volume of the iPad has been reduced by 24%.

There are Stereo speakers flanking either side of the lighting connector. But you easily cover the speakers while holding the iPad in Landscape mode. The Lock/Unlock Button, the Volume rocker are all made of metal, as opposed to plastic in the previous iPads. Apple has also failed to include the Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the iPad Air as it would prove to be uncomfortable unlocking the iPad with your finger.

A7 Power

The iPad Air comes equipped with the latest Apple A7 processor. It is a dual-core processor clocked at 1.39GHz vs. the 1.29GHz A7 chip in the iPhone 5s. The iPad Air has 1GB of RAM. Most important of all, the iPad Air brings desktop class performance to the tablet with 64-bit OS. The A7 Processor is a 64-bit processor. The iPad Air also comes with the M7 motion co-processor. This provides the iPad with unparalleled power and performance. The iPad is the Fastest tablet on the market as of now according to the Benchmark tests. The second faster being the Microsoft Surface 2 Pro.

When the iPad Air was put through some popular benchmark tests, the results were quite compelling. In Sun Spyder 1.0.2, the Air blasted through in 385ms average; the fastest tablet. Geekbench 2 was similarly improved, 1797 vs. 2382, and on Geekbench 3, the gap widened, 1249 vs. 2383. Infact, the iPad Air's single-core score of 1475 is higher than the dual-core score of the 4th Gen iPad.

Web pages render more snappily, and overall responsiveness of the operating system is improved. The 4th Gen iPad remains a great performer, but the iPad Air takes it to a whole new level, despite not suffering on battery life.

Battery Life

Apple promises a 10 hour batter life for the iPad Air, which is similar to all the other iPads launched previously. The iPad Air provides this extraordinary battery life in a smaller package. The iPad Air has a 32.4Wh battery as compared to the 4th gen iPad's 42.6Wh battery. Yet the iPad Air delivers better battery life due to the A7 chip which manages power efficiently. The iPad Air will easily last for about a day and a half with moderate use.

Camera

I'm no fan of tablet photography and perhaps Apple agrees it isn't an area worthy of focus, as the (already quite competent) 5MP, rear facing camera of the iPad Air hasn't changed.

The front-facing, 1.2 MP FaceTime HD camera has, however, seen an upgrade, and a noticeable one. That's the same megapixel count as last year's, but its a new sensor with backside illumination and bigger pixels. the result is far better low-light performance, which is important if you don't want to look like you're FaceTiming from a Dungeon.

Connectivity

Apple, with the iPad Air has stepped up the wifi to a dual antenna system called MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output). It also comes equipped with Dual Channel 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi. The iPad Air also has Bluetooth 4.0 . However, the absence of 802.11ac is disappointing as there are many compatible routers available now.

For those who opt for the wifi + cellular model of the Air will be able to get EDGE, HSPA+, CDMA & LTE connections. Since there is only one iPad Air model worldwide, you will be able to change from carrier, regardless of where you travel, you will be able to get a connection, if the carrier has nano-sims available.

What's in the Box?

As with Apple, there isn't much in the box. There is just the 12W power brick, the USB-to-Lightning cable, a few pages of Legal Information and a couple of the Apple Stickers. If you buy the cellular version, Apple also includes a tool to open the SIM tray.

Competition

The iPad Air has a lot of Competition in the Tablet market, from within Apple to other companies. The Surface 2 starts at $449, $50 less than the iPad Air. The Surface 2, is a very well built tablet, but much more thicker and heavier. Windows RT also does not have as great an app ecosystem as Apple's. The iPad mini with Retina display from the house of Apple is it self the greatest competitor to the iPad Air as it is just a smaller version of the iPad Air at $100 lesser. It also has a great display with the highest pip of 326 among its competitors. In the Android world, there is the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 that starts at $549 for 16GB, but comes with a stylus. There is also the Google Nexus 10 from last year that costs just $399 for the 16GB version. All in all, the iPad mini the most compelling alternative to the iPad Air.

Conclusion

The iPad Air is the iPad in an whole new avatar. It's in a much lighter and thinner body and features the latest A7 processor that's 64-bit. The only let down on the iPad Air that it lacks the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Perhaps, Apple is saving that feature for later. But the performance increase and the same, if not better battery life, shows that progress is still being made on the inside. The old iPad always felt a little hefty, but this one is compellingly lithe.

My Verdict, if you are using an iPad 2 or older, it's a good time to upgrade to the iPad Air. If you have the 3rd of 4th Generation of the iPad, its worth holding no to them for a while. For those looking to enter the Apple ecosystem this is the perfect place to do so. In India the iPad Air starts at Rs.35,900 for the 16GB wifi only model.

iPhone 5C Rumour Roundup

2013-09-05T19:08:00.001+05:30

The iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S are expected to be released on September 10 at Apple's Headquarters in Silicon Valley. But, there have already been many leaks of the iPhones at regular intervals.

Rumoured Specs:

Apple A6 Processor.
4 inch Retina Display 1136x640 resolution.
8MP iSight Camera.
1.3MP Facetime Camera.
1GB RAM.
Polycarbonate Back Shell.
5 colour options - White, Yellow, Green, Blue and Pink.
The iPhone 5C is expected to be priced between $450-$550 off contract.

First there was a leak of the boxes for the iPhone 5C.

First Picture of the iPhone 5C Packaging

2. Then came a leak of the Back shell for a White iPhone 5C.

iPhone 5C White

3. Then around the 2nd half of August came a few photos of the back shells of the iPhone 5C in various colours and there was another photo depicting dozens of iPhone 5C's being tested at Pegatron (Apple's assembly partner).

iPhone 5C in Yellow, Red and Green

All the rumoured colours of the iPhone 5C together

iPhone 5C units undergoing testing at Pegatron

4. Finally last week photos of packaged units of the iPhone 5C appeared on the Internet with the instructional manuals.

Photo of White, Blue and Yellow packaged iPhone 5C's

Partially Unboxed Blue iPhone 5C

Dozens of Packaged Red/Pink iPhone 5C's

Documentation for iPhone 5C

Apple sends invites for September 10 iPhone event

2013-09-04T18:40:00.000+05:30

It's Official. Apple has sent out Invites for a September 10, and I think that it's for releasing 2 new iPhones. Read On.

Mark your calenders for next Tuesday, September 10. Apple has just sent out invites for media event, in which I am expecting 2 new iPhones.

This Year's Tagline says: "This should brighten everyone's day.

The special event will be taking place at One, Infinite Loop, Silicon Valley which is Apple's headquarters at 10am PDT or 10:30pm Indian Time. Apple will most likely offer a live video stream of the event on their website as they did for the iPad mini event and WWDC 2013. Otherwise you can check Engadget's Live Blog.

The last time an event took place on campus was for the release of the iPhone 4S in 2011. This time Apple is expected to release the successor to the iPhone 5 i.e., the iPhone 5S and the low-cost iPhone 5C. It is also rumoured that Apple will be discontinuing the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.

Blue Color iPhone 5C with iPod-esque Packaging

iPhone 5S with Gold and Graphite Backs

Gadget Related New Stories of the Week - 03/06/2013 - 09/06/2013

2013-06-09T08:37:00.002+05:30

1. Sony to launch Nexus version of Xperia Z soon.

2. Microsoft says used games will work on Xbox One.

3. Sony Xperia ZU 6.44inch Phablet to be launched on June 25.

4. iPhone with 4.8inch screen in the works.

5. Samsung S4 Zoom, with 16MP camera and 4.3" qHD sAMOLED to be launched on June 20.

6. iOS 7 to be debuted on Monday at WWDC 2013.

7. Apple signed Sony Music in iRadio deal. Apple has all Music companies on Board.

8. Leaked Windows Phone screenshots reveal notification center, UI changes, and more.

9. Google has patented Facial Password, hopes to make Android safer.

10. FIFA 14 Trailers and Screenshots have arrived.

11. ASUS launched MeMo Pad FHD 10 with a Full HD Screen.

12. BlackBerry Q10 launched in India for Rs.44,990.

13. Nokia EOS Pureview Phone leaked with 41MP Camera.

14. Smartwatch for Golfers showcased at Computex 2013.

15. Samsung Galxy S4 Active announced. Waterproof and Dustproof. It has a 5" FHD Screen powered by a 1.9 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM.

16. Google releases stock Android Keyboard as standalone app on the Play Store.

17. Huawei launches MediaPad 10 Link Tab for Rs.24,990.

18. Mind Controlled Games showcased at Comptex 2013.

19. Seagate unveils Ultrathin Hard Disk for use in mobile devices. It is just 5mm thick.

20. iOS 7 may offer inter-device file transfer via Air-Drop.

Gadget Related New Stories of the Week - 26/5/13 to 2/6/13

2013-06-02T10:14:00.000+05:30

1. Sony's Xperia Tablet Z is available for pre-order on Flipkart for Rs.44900 for the 16GB version.

2. Samsung has released 2 models of Galaxy Mega, the 5.8 and the 6.3 starting from Rs.25000.

3. Tim Cook had promised great things to come at the Apple Shareholders Conference.

4. iPhone 5S rumours indicate that it may come with a Retina+ Display to compete with the likes of the S4, Xperia Z, HTC One, with a pixel density of anywhere from 450ppi to 500ppi.

5. XOLO Q1000 launched with 5" screen and quad-core processor for Rs.14999.

6. HTC One now available in retail stores for Rs.42900.

7. Samsung Galaxy Note III may feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

8. Flipkart shutting down Flyte music services, due to competition from iTunes.

9. Cheaper iPhone to made by Pegatron, not Foxconn.

10. S4 mini launched with 1.7GHz quad-core processor, Android 4.2 and a 4.3" HD Screen.

11. Apple launched a new 16GB variant of the 5th Gen iPod touch without an iSight Camera and the iPod touch loop for Rs.17800. Apple have also discontinued the 4th Gen iPod Touch.

12. Sony is Prepping an Xperia Phablet.

13. HTC One with Stock Android released for $599.

14. Wickedleaks launches Wammy Pazzion Z with a 5" 1080p Display, Android 4.2 for Rs.14990.

15. Apple has sold 100,000,000 iPod touch units since 2007.

16. New 'smart-lock' app turns your phone into a house key.

17. HTC T6 specs leaked online, reveal 5.9" Full HD Display, 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of Storage and a 3300mAh battery.

Element Case Vapor 4 for iPhone 4/4S Review

2013-05-28T19:36:00.001+05:30

Element Case is a famous manufacturer of cases in the US. They make high quality Aluminium Cases for smartphones. I was able to get a hold of their Vapor 4 Case for the iPhone 4.

The case I received was Reddish Pink in colour, not the colour that I expected to say the least. The case is surprisingly light considering that it is made of metal.

The Case is a Bumper Case and protects the iPhone from most possible drops. It avoids denting of the iPhone to a great extent. They have provided a special button to access the lock/wake button. The Case supports only Apple original 30-pin connectors which is a bummer. The Case looks amazing, though I guess it would look much better if it had a Black - Red combination. The height of the Bumper make the iPhone look like an iPhone 5.

Verdict

Overall I would say that this Bumper Case is a Stunner, but has a few minor drawbacks. But at only Rs.1,099 I would say that it is a Steal. Get it while you can. This product is available on eBay.

Photos Courtesy : Shashank PM

Nikon P510

Samsung Galaxy S4

2013-04-16T21:39:00.002+05:30

The Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched on the 14th of March amidst a lot of fanfare. The pre-orders for the Galaxy S4 have begun. The S4 is priced at $199, sames as the iPhone 5. The S4 received a lot of buzz before it was released as a user on YouTube posted a few videos which highlighted a few of the key features of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S series of phones has gotten thinner, now at just 7.9mm thick. The S4 retains the plasticky look and feel of its predecessor the S3. The S4 if of the same height of the S3 and the width is reduced by a millimeter. The most impressive design feature, is how they have managed to fit a 5" screen in the body of sub 5" screen phone. It weighs only 130g, 3g lesser than the Galaxy S3. For such a large phone the lightness is amazing. The S4 is straight as compared to the subtle curves of the S3.

Display

One of the main features of the Galaxy S4 is it's 5" Full HD 1080p Super AMOLED display with an amazing pixel density of 441ppi. It has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The screen is Utra Sharp and you cannot distinguish the pixels. The Gorgeous display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 to protect it from fingerprints and scratches.

Hardware

The S4 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz quad-core Cortex A-15 processor or the Samsung Exynos 5 1.6GHz octa-core processor depending on where you buy it. The processor has 2GB of RAM to work with. The GPU is a PowerVR SGX 544MP3. The S4 has Bluetooth 4.0, with A2DP, EDR and LE. It also has a NFC chip built-in. It has Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac. It is 4G Capable. The Galaxy S4 also has an IR blaster to control your TV, with an already loaded app. The S4 has a micro-USB port. It can be wirelessly charged. The S4 has a 2600 mAh Lithium-ion battery.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a primary 13MP Camera with LED Flash. It also has a 2MP front Camera. The primary camera can shoot 1080p videos at 30fps. Another impressive feature is that you can take photos and videos using both the front and back cameras and combines them into one photo or video. Also included is the option of taking many photos with Audio.

Software and OS

The Samsung Galaxy S4 runs on Android 4.2.2, the latest version of Android you can get now. As usual you get the Samsung TouchWiz interface on top of Android, which is really getting long in the tooth now. Samsung uses Touch Wiz to add a lot of software enhancements and a beefier notification bar which provides all the functionality of SB Settings in the iPhone. Also included are some features from the Note 2 such as split screen. NFC can be used to share files between NFC enabled phones. Another great feature is the S Health which is a calorie counter and a pedometer. It uses the phone's Accelerometer and Barometer to track steps, etc. Samsung also released a fitness band which works with the S4.

New Features including Eye Tracking

Samsung introduced a whole array of new features with the Galaxy S4, including some amazing eye tracking features. The 2 new eye tracking features are Smart Scroll and Smart Pause.

Smart Scroll

The Smart Scroll feature works by recognizing your face as you look at the screen and sensing movements of the wrists, the pages scroll up and down. As you near the bottom of the screen, more paragraphs of text will appear.

Smart Stay

The Smart Stay feature recognizes your face when you are watching a video, and if you look away from the screen the phone automatically pauses the video for you.

Air View and Gestures

Samsung has added new hovering features to the Galaxy S4 which don't use styluses but use your own fingers. Hover your finger over a picture and you get a preview of the photo, hover over a video and you get a preview of the video, you can magnify calendar, preview emails, speed dial, etc. Flipboard has also launched an Air View compatible app. In addition to hovering with a finger, you can also swipe your hand over the phone to navigate photos in the gallery, answer a phone call and also change the song playing, move to another tab in the browser, scroll up and down by waving your hand.

Verdict

Most of us expected the Galaxy S4 to be revolutionary phone, but it isn't one. What it is, is an evolutionary phone which pushes the boundaries of mobile computing and gives us immense power to do whatever we want to do with our phones. The only thing missing from the S4 is a Full HD projector, I'm sure that it will be included in the S5 for sure. The S4 is reasonably priced at $640 which is approximately Rs.35000, but expect it to be priced well above Rs.40000 in India. The S4 is surely one of the best utlrasmartphones out there now.

Images Courtesy

C-net and Samsung

Amazon Kindle Fire - Hands-on review

2013-03-27T22:38:00.000+05:30

Amazon released the Kindle Fire Tablet in Nov'11. The Kindle Fire was originally priced at $199, but the price was reduced last year to $159. The Kindle Fire is not available in India. The Kindle Fire Tablet is now available in 3 variants that is the: Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9".

Design

The Kindle Fire feels solid in your hand. It is quite heavy weighing in at 413g. It is easy to hold in one hand but starts hurting after sometime. The front of the Kindle is very fingerprint prone, very much like the 4th Gen. iPod Touch. The back has a soft almost velvety finish and embossed on the back is the word 'Kindle'. At the bottom there is the Amazon logo and some product information.

Hardware

The Kindle Fire has a 1 GHz TI OMAP Dual core processor. It comes with 512MB of RAM. The Kindle comes with 8GB onboard storage of which 1.17GB is dedicated to Application Storage and 5.36GB can be used for other media such as books, movies, music, etc.

Display

The Kindle Fire features a 7.0" LCD Screen with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. It has a pixel density of 169 ppi. The display has an aspect ration of 16:9 which is comfortable for watching movies. The screen is not pin-sharp, the retina display of the iPhone and the iPad are much better offering more vivid colours.

Software

The Kindle Fire runs on an extremely masked version of Android, Google's mobile operating system.

The user interface feels slick, but at times is sluggish. The home consists of a carousel which consists of all the books, movies, apps and music which you have used recently. Holding on the icons gives you options whether to remove the icon from the carousel or to delete the file. Below there is favorites bar to which you can add your Favorite books and music. You cannot have apps on the Kindle unless you have a US Credit Card, but you can install apps via your computer.

Price

The Kindle Fire as of now is not officially available in India. But you can get it from the US for a price of just $159 or the Kindle Fire HD for $199. It is an amazing budget tablet, but has some constrains if you are using it outside of the USA. I would pass it for now until Amazon releases it in India officially.

Kindle Fire courtesy: Mr. Pravin Shekar

kreator-in-chief at krea

The Top 10 Gadgets of the Year 2012

2013-01-01T18:25:00.000+05:30

2012 was a great year for technology. A lot of breakthrough devices were released this year such as the New iPad, The Nexus 10, The Nikon S800c, The Parrot AR Drone 2.0. New categories were created this year with the release of the Nikon Coolpix S800c and the Samsung Galaxy Camera, which creates a new segment called the "Smart Camera". So here is my roundup of the best Gadgets of 2012. Also a great new service was introduced in 2012 called "Wizpert" which offers a platform for people to ask their doubts on Technology and Other Stuff. You can go and check it out.

No.10: HP Envy 14 Spectre

HP released its new range of 'Envy' Ultrabooks this year in spectacular style at CES 2012. The Envy 14 comes with NFC (Near Field Communication) receiver which works well with some Android Apps. It has an Intel Core i5 Processor and comes with 4GB RAM. It is supplied with a Beats Audio Subsystem. It has 128GB of Flash Storage and comes in with Intel Integrated Graphics 3000. It has a Corning Gorrilla Glass Edge to Edge Display. It is slightly thick for a Ultrabook, hence it comes in at NO:10.

No.9: The Elevation Dock for iPhone

The Elevation Dock was featured in Kickstarter early this year. The Project had around 12500 backers who had pledged and had contributed $1,464,706. The Elevation dock was shipped in May this year.
Its main features are its aluminium unibody finish and its support for both iPhone 4, 4S and 5. It has a low friction dock connector which makes removing the iPhone very easy. The Elevation Dock fits iPhone with cases on also, Which makes it more easy to plug it in. It also has an optional Audio Out.

No.8: Samsung Galaxy Note 2

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the second iteration of the Original Galaxy Note. It comes with a bigger 5.5" 1280*720 screen. It runs on Android 4.1 aka. Jelly Bean with Touch Wiz user interface. It has an 8.0 Megapixel rear shooter and a 1.9 Megapixel Front Camera. Both the Cameras give excellent results in all lighting conditions. There is also the S-Pen, which can be used to take notes, write down memos, edit photos, etc. It runs on a Quad-Core Samsung Exynos Processor running at 1.6 GHz. It has 2GB RAM.

No.7: Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display

Apple refreshed its range of MacBooks this June at the WWDC held in San Francisco, California. During the event Apple announced the new range of Retina Display MacBook's. The 15" MacBook Pro has a Screen Resolution of 2880*1800 which equates to about 5.1 Million Pixels. It is the worlds highest resolution Notebook screen. It comes all Flash Storage upto 768GB and upto 16GB of RAM. It runs on Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 and i7 Processors. It is only 1.7 cm thin and weighs at 2.02 kg. Overall it is a really good notebook PC for Pro Photographers and Engineers. Although it is priced exclusively, it deserves No.7 on the list

No.6: Apple iPad with Retina Display

The 4th generation iPad was unexpectedly released this October during the Apple Event. It was released along side the new Mac mini, the new iMac, The MacBook Pro Retina, and the iPad Mini. The dimensions are the same. It has the same Retina Display with a resolution of 2048*1536. It has a new upgraded Dual-Core A6X Processor which runs at 1.4GHz. It has 1GB of RAM. It has an upgraded FaceTime HD Camera which gives clear pictures and Videos. The iPad also comes with Siri, the personal assistant. Overall it is a Great Improvement to the iPad 3.

No.5: Lytro; The Light Field Camera

The Lytro Camera is a Light Field Camera. It means that you can capture a photo and focus it later. It works by capturing all the light rays with a Light Field Sensor. The Light which is then captured is then processed by the Light Field Engine. The Lytro Camera can capture 11 Megarays of Light. The Camera produces Amazing Living Pictures which can be refocused whenever needed. It is truly a remarkable piece of technology.

Check it out at https://www.lytro.com/

No.4: Raspberry Pi: Model B

The Raspberry Pi Model B is a credit card sized computer, which can perform all the basic functions of a computer. The makers of Pi want it to be used mostly for educational purposes. The Raspberry Pi costs $25 - $35. It can be used to play HD Video, Create Spreadsheets, Play Games, etc. It has 512 MB RAM, 2 USB Ports, 1 Ethernet Port. It has a SoC (System on Chip) running an ARM 11 Processor running at 700 MHz. It also has a Videocore GPU capable of playing Blu-Ray quality video. It is quite a capable computer and can run Linux. It is quite an innovative idea and deserves No.4 on the list.

No.3: Sony DSC RX-100

The Sony DSC-RX100 is a Digital Camera released by Sony in Jan' 2012. It features a new 1.0 Exmor CMOS Sensor, with a maximum resolution of 20.2 Megapixels. It has 3.6x Optical Zoom and 7.2x Digital Clear Zoom. It sports a F1.8 Carl-Zeiss Vario Tessar Lens. It has a 3" Xtra Fine LCD Display. The RX100 records video at 1080p@30fps. The RX100 produces great photos, such as

No.2: Apple iPad mini

Apple released the much awaited iPad mini in Oct' 2012. The iPad mini was an instant hit and was praised by critics. The only reason the critics disfavored it was because of its pricing. The iPad mini has a 7.9" 1024*768 display. It has a Dual-Core A5 processor and 512MB of RAM. It has Siri and Voice Dictation enabled. Moreover the iPad mini supports all the iPad apps available in the App Store. The iPad mini also has LTE connectivity. It also has a FaceTime HD Camera and and 5MP iSight Camera with advanced optics at the back. Hence the iPad mini thoroughly deserves No.2 on the top 10 list.

No.1: Apple iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 is the 6th Generation of iPhone released by Apple. The release of the iPhone 5 took the Apple shares above $700. Apple sold over 2 million iPhone 5's on the opening weekend. It was released on Sep' 12 2012. The main feature of the iPhone 5 is its 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen measures 4" diagonally and has a resolution of 1136*640 @ 326ppi. The iPhone 5 has an Apple designed A6 processor. The iPhone has a FaceTime HD Camera and an 8MP iSight Camera with Advanced Optics and a Sapphire Crystal Coating which makes the lens more durable. The Camera can take a 240 degree panorama shot of 28 megapixel size. Here are a few Pictures taken with the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5 comes with the all new EarPods which produce excellent audio quality. The iPhone itself has 3 Microphones which provide for great call quality. The iPhone 5 works with the new Nano Sim Technology. It has an anodized aluminium back which is available in Slate and Silver. The silver colour gives the feel of a MacBook. The iPhone 5 feels premium and is worth the money you pay for it.

The iPhone 5 thoroughly deserves the position of Gadget of the Year.

Hope you like my reviews and please share it with all your friends and also dont forget to follow my blog.

Wish you a Happy New Year.

Shashank PM

shashanksd11@yahoo.co.in

Phorce: The World's First Smart Bag

2012-11-27T19:18:00.000+05:30

Phorce: The World's 1st Smart Bag

The Phorce Bag is the 1st bag of its kind. It is a bag with an integrated charging system that can charge and iPhone 5 over 8 times, a Galaxy S3 6 times and an iPad 4 once. All that in an extremely light package that weighs only 1.7 kg.

Phorce can charge upto 3 USB devices simultaneously, Cameras, Smartphones, Tablets, Headphones, etc. Phorce can also power a MacBook Air for more than 7 hours and a MacBook Pro for more than 5.5 hours.

Phorce is also accompanied by a Smartphone App which connects with Phorce via Bluetooth. It shows you how much battery power your bag has left and what you can do with it. You will automatically receive a notification on your Smartphone as soon as your Phorce is out of range, so that you can go back and grab it.

Phorce can function as a Briefcase, Messenger Bag and also as a Backpack in 3 Transformations. Its is also Water resistant. With its cable management system and dedicated pockets for all your devices, Phorce keeps your gear organized. Its A4-sized front pocket and spacious main compartment are perfect for bringing along paper, pens, magazines, books, water bottles, and lots of other stuff.

The Phorce's Laptop, Tablet, iPhone compartments are lined with very soft fabric that cleans your devices effectively.

Here is list of charge times and tech specs for the Phorce.

The Phorce is available in 4 colors : Black, Red, Dark Green and one 'Voters Choice' color.

SimonBlog quotes that "This awesome smart bag is your all-around gadget charger on the go....technology is much convenient and engaging"

TechCrunch quotes that "Anything that gives gadgets some extra life is a worthwhile project in my book."

Overall the Phorce seems like an awesome Project. It is worth looking forward to.
The first Phorce bags ship on May 2013.

Pictures Courtesy

kickstarter.com

Microsoft Surface with Windows RT - Review

2012-10-29T12:38:00.001+05:30

By Microsoft.

The Microsoft Surface. It was one of the most anticipated Tablet of the Holiday Season 2012. The Surface was unveiled in June this year. It was launched to customers Last week at $499 for the 32GB Tablet Only and an additional $100 for the touch cover.

First Impressions are that it looks 'Stunning' with its kick stand and its 3mm thin keyboard cover. It is as slim as Apple's iPad 4 at 9.4mm or 0.37". It weighs in at 680g, a touch heavy. The Outer Shell of the Surface is encased in Magnesium, which makes it 3x lighter than Aluminium.

The Surface runs on Microsoft's new Windows 8 RT. The look is adopted from the Windows Phone 7.5 with its Iconic Live Tiles. The Surface comes preloaded Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 Preview. The Pack has been optimized for Touch. There is a Windows Store for the Surface from where you can download Apps and Games. There is also a new feature called Snap Apps where you can have 2 apps open at any time. Xbox gives you access to Music, Movies and Games.

The Surface has a Full Sized USB 2.0 port, with which you can Transfer Files using Pen Drives, etc.. The Surface comes with a Touch cover which is 3mm thin and also serves as a Keyboard. If you are uncomfortable with the Touch Cover, you can buy a Type Cover with a Mechanical Keyboard which is only 6mm thin.

The Type Cover

The Touch Cover

The Surface has an Integrated Kick Stand which is extremely useful. The Surface then stands like a Photoframe.

The Kick Stand

The Surface comes Equipped with 2 Cameras. Both 720p Front and Rear. It can be used to take photos and videos as well as Video Calls.

Now for the Insides.

Surface has a 'Quad-Core' NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset with 12 Graphic Cores. Surface has 2GB of RAM and Storage of 32 or 64GB.

It has a 10.6" HD Ready Display with a Resolution of 1366 x 768, an Aspect Ratio of 16:9 and 5-point Multitouch. The 16:9 aspect ratio is convenient for watching movies. It has 2 Microphones and Stereo Speakers.

Surface has a microSDXC card slot, a headset jack, a HD video out port and a Cover Port. It also has a Gyroscope, an Ambient Light Sensor, a Compass and an Accelerometer. Surface has a 31.5 Watt-hour Battery which is charged by a 24W power supply.

Surface has Wi-Fi 802.11 (a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.0. It comes with 1 year Warranty.

Overall the Surface Tablet is expected to be very productive. It can be used to create content, not only to consume it. Acer, Samsung and Apple in the form of the Transformer Infinity, The Galaxy Tab and the iPad 4, respectively pose stiff competition to the Surface.

Pictures Courtesy Microsoft and Phone Arena

Review of the iPad Mini Launch event

2012-10-24T20:15:00.000+05:30

Apple conducted an Event in San Jose, California on the 23rd of October. Here is a review of all that happened in the California Theater.

Apple 1st announced that they had sold over 100 million iPads.
Tim also spoke about the success of the iPhone 5 and how people welcomed it.
iOS 6 now runs on over 200 million devices.
300 Billion iMessages have been sent so far. At the rate of 28000 per second.
160 Million Game Center accounts.
35 Billion apps Downloaded. $6,500,000,000 paid to Devs.
iBooks updated. No more page turning.
MacBook Pro 13" launched with Retina Display starting at $1699.
New Mac Mini launched at $599.
New iMac launched with 5mm sides starting at $1299 for the 21.5".
iPad 4 launched with A6X Processor at the same price.

iPad mini is finally out there. It sports a 7.9" Display with a resolution of 1028x768.

iPad mini comes with a dual-core A5 chip.

iPad mini comes with a Facetime HD Camera and a 5MP iSight Camera which shoots 1080p videos. It is LTE enabled and comes with Siri. It sports the Lightning Connector same as the one on the iPhone 5. All the iPad specific apps run on the iPad mini.

It is astonishingly thin, at just 7.2mm thin. As thin as a Pencil and it weighs only 308g.

iPad mini starts at $329 for the 16GB version. It is available in Black and White.

The iPad 2 stays around at $399 and the Ex- new iPad is Discontinued.

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Amazing iPad Tips and Tricks

2012-10-08T20:47:00.001+05:30

Check out these things you never knew your iPad could do.

How to use iOS6 Passbook in India

2012-10-05T18:51:00.001+05:30

Passbook

Passbook is a new Feature in iOS 6 for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. It keeps things like airline boarding passes, movie tickets, and gift cards all in one place. Passbook works fine in the USA, UK, Germany and other developed Countries. It does not work that well in India. But it can be used. There are currently 5 apps for Passbook in India. They are :

Airbnb
Lufthansa
iHotel - Hotel Search
United Airlines
American Airlines

All these apps work quite well. You have to either enter you Ticket or Booking Number in the App and it Creates a Pass or else you can directly book on your iPhone and iPod Touch.

Here are a few screenshot of the apps available.

Lufthansa

Airbnb

United Airlines

American Airlines

iHotel

Over all, all these apps work quite well. But the Functionality of Passbook in India is quite limited. Over time all Airlines operating in India will also add their apps for Passbook. Also Indian Diners and Cinemas such as PVR, BIG Cinemas should add their app. Passbooks is a really good app. It is worth using.

iOS 6 Review on iPad 2 Wi-fi

2012-09-20T14:53:00.000+05:30

At Last iOS 6.0 is out. Apple claims that it adds about 200 new features. The most anticipated feature was the Facebook Integration. Let us run down the main features for the iPad 2 :

In iOS 6 Apple ditched Google Maps and created their own Map Service. The Maps provide turn by turn Navigation. Another new feature is Flyover, this mode shows the buildings and terrain in 3D in select Cities and Countries (not available in India).

Flyover is a really great feature, like you get to experience the building in real. Traffic is also available (not in India). If you live in the USA or UK or Canada, Maps i a great App. If you live in India, it is absolutely useless. This is a big d(ow)n of iOS 6.

Big Ben - Flyover

Facebook Integration was the most anticipated feature of iOS 6. It works beautifully . You can like apps and songs on the App Store and Post it on your wall.

It is also possible to share photos though the Photos app and comment on them. It is very useful.

You can also update your status through the notification center.

Facebook Integration is one of the best features of iOS 6.

Shared Photo Streams i great feature in iOS 6 with which you can share selected photos with selected people. You can comment on the photos, like them.

The iTunes Store, App Store and the iBook Stores have been remodeled. There is a Carousel on the top and the rest are the same.

Clock App for iPad

A new Clock app has been added for iPad. Here are a few Screenshots:

World Clock

Stopwatch

Timer

Your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more are now all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place.

No more hunting through your wallet for gift cards, coupons, passes, or tickets. Passbook keeps everything organized

Passbook is time and location enabled, so passes and tickets show on your Lock screen when and where you need them — just swipe to get your pass.

These are the main new features for iPad 2 Wifi. Other new features are:

Improved Siri for iPhone 4S and new iPad
Facetime over 3G
Improvements to mail and Safari
iCloud Tabs
Do not Disturb
New Phone Features
Better Accessibility

Aircel Offer iPhone 3GS at 9,999/-

2012-08-03T20:36:00.002+05:30

iPhone 3GS

The New Offer by Aircel, iPhone 3GS at Rs.9,999 is a Tempting Offer, but as you would expect there are some catches. The first of them is that you have to pay Rs.3,000 as an advance to get Unlimited 3G and 2G for 1 year (High Speed 2GB per Month). But that is all right you are paying for your services. Also the Earphones separately cost Rs.1,700 and the USB cable and the Charger Adapter together cost around Rs.2,000. So if you factor in other things, the iPhone itself costs only Rs.6,300. So it is a Great Deal and also you are not locked in with Aircel. Now coming to the iPhone itself.

Display

The iPhone 3GS comes with a 3.5 inch, 480 by 320 screen with a pixel density of 163ppi. It has an aspect ratio of 3:2. The Display also has an Oleophobic coating which prevents fingerprints.

Hardware

The iPhone 3GS runs on an underclocked MHz Cortex A8 Processor. It has 256MB of RAM and comes only with 8GB of storage, which after formatting gets reduced to 6.2GB. The iPhone has a 1219 mAh battery.

The Other Key Features are :

Assisted GPS
Digital compass
Wi-Fi
3G

Talk time: Up to 5 hours on 3G, up to 12 hours on 2G
Standby time: Up to 300 hours
Internet use: Up to 5 hours on 3G, up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi

Camera

The iPhone 3GS has a 3.15 Megapixel Camera with autofocus. The camera also can capture video at 480p @ 30fps. It can also focus during the video. It has Photo and Video geotagging built in.

Connectivity

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
802.11b/g Wi-Fi
2.1 + EDR wireless technology

Ergonomics

The iPhone feels sturdy in the hand. It fits perfectly into the palm and I feel that it is just the right thickness, not too thin nor too fat. Here are the dimensions:

Height: 115.5 mm (4.5 inches)

Width: 62.1 mm (2.4 inches)

Depth: 12.3mm (0.48 inches)

Weight: 135 grams (4.8 ounces)

There is only one button on the main face which is the Home Button. At the left side there is the volume rocker and a ring/silent switch and at the top is the on/off button.

Conclusion

I Feel that the iPhone 3GS is a Good Buy at the price. Buy it while the stocks last. The Apple Premium for ten thousand rupees is a must buy. So, buy it while Stocks last.

Google Nexus 7

2012-06-30T00:16:00.001+05:30

Google Nexus 7

Display

It sports a 7" HD Display (1280x800) with a pixel density of 216 ppi. The New iPad has a Pixel Density of 264ppi. It has a Corning Glass Display (which most probably means Gorrila Glass) which is Scratch Resistant.

Hardware

The Nexus 7 has the new nVidia Tegra 3 Quad Core Processor which clocks 1.15GHz on all 4 Cores. It has 1GB of RAM which is plenty. It has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4. It sadly doesn't have a MicroSD card slot, which is terrible considering that the maximum storage on offer is 16GB. It also has a GPS Chip, Near Field Communication, Gyroscope and an Accelerometer. There is no 3G or 4G. There is a Front- Facing 1.2 Megapixel Camera and a speaker at the back. The Battery pack is also very good at 4325mAh. The Nexus 7 is made by Asus.

Design

The tablet look and according to THE VERGE it also feels good. The back panel is not removable. There is a Micro USB at the bottom. It weighs in at 0.74 pounds and is 0.41 inches thick (The New iPad is 0.37 Inches thick)

Software

The Nexus comes with the all new Jelly Bean, which is Android 4.1. 4.1 makes Android feel more like iOS and fells more like home as you go on using it. The performance is buttery, absolutely no sluggishness al all and with battery topping out more than 8 hours it is great.

Price

The most important factor is the price. The Google Nexus 7 Costs $199 only. As of now the Google Nexus 7 has not yet been announced for India.

Wrap Up

Overall the Nexus 7 is Great tablet with its awesome hardware, smooth performance and low price.

It Definitely Challenges The iPad and the Kindle Fire. It surely will sell like Widfire. The Nexus then is a Good Buy

My recommendation is to buy the Nexus 7 as soon it is launched in India and if you are on a Shoestring Budget. It definitely beats the Micromax Funbook and all others.