FEATURES
7-inch capacitive multitouch LCD, 800x480 pixels 600Mhz processor, 512MB RAM, 512MB storage 3MP rear camera, 0.3MP front camera, GPS Quadband GSM, Android 2.2, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth PROs Good build quality, bundled case CONs More expensive than identical Olive Pad. Price : 32,000
THE VIEWPAD 7 IS YET ANOTHER tablet from display major ViewSonic. If you think it looks familiar, you’re right, because it is identical to the previously launched Olive Pad. Save for the branding and a few colour differences, both devices are identical, right down to the placement of ports, functionality and specs.
There’s no doubt that the ViewPad (and Olive Pad) are miles ahead of the ‘basic’ Android tablet in terms of build quality and appearance. As compared to the numerous unnamed Chinese contenders, the ViewPad has a sturdy frame, solid construction and a reassuring feel. It can work as a regular GSM phone as soon as you insert a SIM card, though you can only make/receive calls using the speakerphone or a headset.
Android 2.2 (Froyo) is the OS of choice, and ViewPad will presumably be allowing an update to Android 2.3 sometime next year. For the time being though, 2.2 works just fine and you also get some cool extras, like the ability to share your GPRS/3G data connection over Wi-Fi with other nearby devices.
The interface is basic Android, without any embellishments or customizations by ViewSonic. Of course, you can choose to add home screen launchers and themes from the Android App Market, but you have to understand that Android was never initially meant for tablet use. View-Sonic should have added a few features specific to the screen size of the ViewPad.
Performance is acceptable for all normal needs like multimedia, web browsing, games and phone calls. But it is rather easy to find the limits of the 600Mhz processor; run a few intensive apps simultaneously or try to play an HD video and the device struggles. Battery life is an acceptable 4 to 5 hours with normal usage and a few calls thrown in.
So what else does the ViewPad 7 get to the table that the Olive Pad already hasn’t? In a word: nothing! In fact, the ViewPad does not include GPS software and maps whereas the Olive Pad has lifetime MapmyIndia maps bundled. And things don’t look too good for the View-Pad 7 because it’s been launched at a price of 32,000, a fair bit more than the 24,000 Olive Pad. One wonders why the ViewPad has been priced so high, considering that the US price currently hovers around the $450 mark.
ViewSonic is also selling the ViewPad 10 ( 38,000), a larger device with an Intel Atom processor that can dual boot Android 1.6 and Windows 7. A far more interesting and unique proposition as compared to the ‘me-too’ ViewPad 7, we think.
If you’re still looking to buy a 7-inch tablet and have some cash to spare, the Samsung Galaxy Tab (now at a market price of about 33,000) is a far better proposition. It has a faster 1Ghz processor, a higher quality and higher resolution ‘super’ LCD, TV-out, amazing preloaded software and customizations and overall better performance. Or you could wait for the official launch of the iPad.
FAQ's
I’m using an old HP laptop and the hard drive has now crashed. I need to get a new drive, but can’t seem to find a replacement drive in the local markets. Is it possible to use an external 4 or 8GB USB pen drive as a hard disk?
While it is possible to load up a Live version of an operating system on a USB flash drive and boot your computer from it, this doesn’t work well as a long term solution. Plus, you have no additional storage. The reason you’re probably not getting a replacement drive is that your laptop uses the older type of IDE hard drives, rather than the newer SATA type. While difficult to find, it’s not impossible. You can buy a 2.5-inch (laptop size) internal IDE drive online. Check here: http://goo.gl/kdkiu. The only disadvantage of IDE is that they are rare to find, and therefore quite a bit more expensive than SATA hard drives. For example, 3,000 will get you an internal 500GB laptop SATA drive or a 160GB laptop IDE drive.
I have a Dell laptop with Windows XP and Outlook Express. For the last few days, I keep getting a message that says ‘To free up disc space, Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes.’ If I let it continue, it starts compacting all folders of Outlook express. However the message reappears again.
What is the significance of this message? Is it harmful to the laptop? Can I ignore it? How can I stop the message from reappearing?
You can let Outlook Express do the compacting - this is nothing but a cleanup of old or deleted emails that happens periodically. It is not harmful to the laptop, but depending on the size of your Outlook Express email folder, it may take a while. You may also find that the program stops responding while the compacting is taking place. Once you complete the compacting of messages a few times (and it is successfully completed) — the message will go away. It’s important that you don’t interrupt the process though.
Also note that the speed of Outlook Express is impacted by the size of the PST (data) file. Over time, with all your mails and attachments, collected over years, the file can become very heavy. Do a complete maintenance of your Outlook email folder by deleting old mails (and clearing deleted items folde too).
New gadgets prices, reviews and tips
LËKKI PHONES
Mobile phone design has changed drastically over the past decade or so. But if you’re still in love with older designs, French company Lekki can help out.With a completely apt tagline of ‘Back to Basics’, Lëkki sells completely refurbished versions of Motorola’s iconic StarTac and Nokia’s sturdy 3210. You can opt for an original finish, one of the multi-coloured designs or even create your own design by mixing and matching various coloured panels. Even the battery is a new (compatible) unit, guaranteed to give you battery life like a fresh unit. Prices start at € 85 for the 3210 and € 130 for the StarTac.
LG E90 LED MONITOR
LG has launched the E90 LED monitor, boasting of an ultraslim (just 7.2mm) metallic design. With a panel size of 21.5-inches, LG’s E90 has a full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), 250cd/m2 brightness, 2ms response time and multiple inputs including HDMI, DVI and VGA. The power supply socket and video inputs are on the back of the table stand in an effort to reduce cable clutter. LG also claims that the E90 reduces energy consumption by as much as 40 percent as compared to a CCFL-backlit LCD monitor of the same size. The E90 is available immediately. Price: 16,900
ROHOS MINI DRIVE
USB flash drives are handy to carry around but also easy to lose. Which is why you should secure your personal data on the drive with strong encryption. Rohos Mini Drive (www.rohos.com) is a free utility that creates an encrypted partition on a USB drive which you can password protect. Encryption of your data is automatically done with AES 256 bit key length, making it extremely difficult to access by hacking. The free edition has a limit of a 2GB virtual disk size (but you can use it with USB drives of larger capacity; just the encrypted partition is capped at 2GB). Rohos Mini Drive has full functionality, but the paid version offers a few extras. Rohos Disk Encryption is the full version of the software, which can be purchased for $35.
ELIXIR FOR ANDROID
Elixir is a system information utility for Android devices. Various bits of information are available to you in the form of widgets, that you can place as you normally do on the device’s multiple homescreens. The widget size can be customised to your preference. Some of the detailed information available to you is CPU usage, battery life, memory usage, internal and external storage (MicroSD capacity), display brightness, Wi-Fi connection and signal strength, mobile network strength, GPS status, Bluetooth and information from various sensors. Elixir is available for free from the Android App Market.
Mobile phone design has changed drastically over the past decade or so. But if you’re still in love with older designs, French company Lekki can help out.With a completely apt tagline of ‘Back to Basics’, Lëkki sells completely refurbished versions of Motorola’s iconic StarTac and Nokia’s sturdy 3210. You can opt for an original finish, one of the multi-coloured designs or even create your own design by mixing and matching various coloured panels. Even the battery is a new (compatible) unit, guaranteed to give you battery life like a fresh unit. Prices start at € 85 for the 3210 and € 130 for the StarTac.
LG E90 LED MONITOR
LG has launched the E90 LED monitor, boasting of an ultraslim (just 7.2mm) metallic design. With a panel size of 21.5-inches, LG’s E90 has a full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), 250cd/m2 brightness, 2ms response time and multiple inputs including HDMI, DVI and VGA. The power supply socket and video inputs are on the back of the table stand in an effort to reduce cable clutter. LG also claims that the E90 reduces energy consumption by as much as 40 percent as compared to a CCFL-backlit LCD monitor of the same size. The E90 is available immediately. Price: 16,900
ROHOS MINI DRIVE
USB flash drives are handy to carry around but also easy to lose. Which is why you should secure your personal data on the drive with strong encryption. Rohos Mini Drive (www.rohos.com) is a free utility that creates an encrypted partition on a USB drive which you can password protect. Encryption of your data is automatically done with AES 256 bit key length, making it extremely difficult to access by hacking. The free edition has a limit of a 2GB virtual disk size (but you can use it with USB drives of larger capacity; just the encrypted partition is capped at 2GB). Rohos Mini Drive has full functionality, but the paid version offers a few extras. Rohos Disk Encryption is the full version of the software, which can be purchased for $35.
ELIXIR FOR ANDROID
Elixir is a system information utility for Android devices. Various bits of information are available to you in the form of widgets, that you can place as you normally do on the device’s multiple homescreens. The widget size can be customised to your preference. Some of the detailed information available to you is CPU usage, battery life, memory usage, internal and external storage (MicroSD capacity), display brightness, Wi-Fi connection and signal strength, mobile network strength, GPS status, Bluetooth and information from various sensors. Elixir is available for free from the Android App Market.
The 2010 year technology
A lot happened in 2010 as far as new technology was concerned says Vishal Mathur. The new developments make it difficult to imagine how we used to survive in the pre-2010 age.
2010 WAS BIG IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY. The mobile application became king, upstaging mobile hardware. Google's Android went from strength to strength, even unsettling the mighty iPhone. The tablet was completely reinvented as a handheld device. People started to read books on electronic devices. Cloud storage became a viable data backup destination. And throwing round birds at smug pigs became the favorite pastime of over 50 million people!
In what was a very vibrant year, these are some of the biggest developments when it came to technology, and the best gadgets launched.
Smartphones became Smarter
• Apple iPhone 4
It came, it saw and it conquered. Such is Apple's following that people actually began to wonder if they had been holding a phone wrong all these years. The iPhone 4 arrived with a completely redone look as well as the new iOS4 operating system. Even though it has not officially arrived on our shores yet, that has not stopped people from buying it at hefty premiums from the grey market.
• Google Nexus S
Android is big now. A lot of Android phones which were expecting to be crowned the 'phone of the year'. But, in the nick of time, Google launched the Nexus S- the first phone with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). Also, since this is Google's baby, there are no OEM customizations to the OS, no skins and no pre-installed apps. Not available in India officially, but you can still get it for about 32000.
• Blackberry Torch
The combination of a touchscreen, QWERTY keypad and new OS6 is supposed to lead Blackberry's fight back against the soarbing popularity of iPhone and Android. The second handset with OS6 (BlackBerry Bold 3) has already launched at a price of 27,990.
• HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z
The Desire HD is a serious upgrade to the Desire while the Desire Z brings a QWERTY to complement the touch experience.
The Mobile OS Battle
The battle for mobile OS supremacy has been an interesting one. No one left a stone unturned to offer the best experience to the users. Apple rolled out iOS4 (in sync with the iPhone4 launch), which was followed with the arrival of the first Symbian^3 phone? the Nokia N8. Blackberry rolled out the revamped OS6 with more social features. Google, meanwhile, was the most active with Android. They went from Android 2.1 to 2.2 with several few features including the ability to share a data connection via Wi-Fi. Android 2.3 was launched with the Nexus S, and we're already hearing about Android 3.0, which arrives next year.
The Tablets have landed
If 2009 was the year of the netbook, 2010 belongs to the tablet. Not only did the poor netbook not progress as much as expected, but came up against a new enemy - the tablet. Apple pulled out the form factor from obscurity, gave it some new functionality, added some powerful apps and took the tech world by storm with the iPad. Seeing the rocketing popularity, everyone jumped onto the tablet bangwagon, including Samsung, Dell, BlackBerry, Motorola, ViewSonic and hundreds of unnamed Chinese manufacturers. Safe to assume, 2010 was the 'Year of the Tablet'.
• Apple iPad
As of this writing, Apple has sold between 8 to 9 million iPads since launch in 2010. The rate of adoption has been the fastest ever in tech circles, surpassing even that of the original iPhone in 2007. Though not officially launched in India, those who wanted to own the product found ways to get it from abroad or the grey market.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab arrived this year to grab a piece of tablet pie. Seen as the first real competitor to the iPad, the Galaxy Tab is no slouch. Importantly, India was one of the major launch markets for the Tab. Originally priced at 38,000, market prices have already dropped to 32,000 with further drops likely before the iPad hits officially.
• Dell Streak
Somewhere between a phone and a tablet, this device has carved out a sub category for itself. We like of think of it more like a mini-tablet. It has a 5-inch screen and Android 2.2. But exclusivity is not cheap; you'll have to pay 36,000 for the mini-tablet/mega-phone device. And you'll be certain to turn a few heads when you have this pressed against your ear while on a call!
• Olive Olivepad
Striking the best balance between usability and value, the Olive Pas has Android 2.2 at a price of less than 25000. Like the Galaxy Tab, it can double up as a phone, but lacks the firepower and glamour.
• ViewsonicViewPad 7 and 10
The ViewPad 7 has a 7-inch screen and bears more than a passing resemblance to the Olive Pad. Android 2.2, all the same features and identical design for 32,000. The ViewPad 10 meanwhile, has a 10 inch screen, is powered by Intel's Pine Trail processor and dual boots between Android 1.6 and Windows 7. Even Aero works well in Windows 7! Costs 38000.
Cloud Computing & Cloud OS
Imagine a scenario when your PC isn't a PC. You can still access all your files, folders and documents which you traditionally store on hard drives. You can still run all the programs that you're used to, play multimedia files, browse the web. The PC boot up times will be a few seconds. All your files will be stored virtually, accessible wherever you go, without you having to physically carry a machine around. This is the operating system of the future. Google recently showed off Chrome OS to the world, and the idea doesn't seem so outlandish anymore! It will take time to catch on, with the broadband penetration (or the lack of it) being a problem in most developing countries. But 2011 will witness further tweaks to this concept.
Advanced Motion Gaming
The Nintendo Wii introduced us to it in 2005. But 2010 is where the big guns came out in the form of the Sony PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect. Motion gaming not only adds a new dimension to how we play games, but can also add that little dose of good health and family fun to the experience! Microsoft's Kinect has been the real eye-opener here, introducing advanced hardware at down-to-earth prices. With the numerous Kinect hacks doing the rounds in the latter part of 2010, it's no wonder that gaming is turning out to be the precursor for advanced graphical interfaces. It could mean the beginning of the end of the computer mouse.
E-book readers
Many people flirted with the idea of reading books on the PC and mobile phones. But 2010 is the year when e-book readers really gained popularity. The primary reason? The ability to buy books anytime, anywhere, thanks to connected e-book readers. And the ability to carry hundreds of books around in a device that weighs barely 300 grams. The Amazon Kindle rules the roost here, and is available direct from Amazon. Others like the Wink e-Reader and Infibeam Phi are notable contenders.
2010 WAS BIG IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY. The mobile application became king, upstaging mobile hardware. Google's Android went from strength to strength, even unsettling the mighty iPhone. The tablet was completely reinvented as a handheld device. People started to read books on electronic devices. Cloud storage became a viable data backup destination. And throwing round birds at smug pigs became the favorite pastime of over 50 million people!
In what was a very vibrant year, these are some of the biggest developments when it came to technology, and the best gadgets launched.
Smartphones became Smarter
• Apple iPhone 4
It came, it saw and it conquered. Such is Apple's following that people actually began to wonder if they had been holding a phone wrong all these years. The iPhone 4 arrived with a completely redone look as well as the new iOS4 operating system. Even though it has not officially arrived on our shores yet, that has not stopped people from buying it at hefty premiums from the grey market.
• Google Nexus S
Android is big now. A lot of Android phones which were expecting to be crowned the 'phone of the year'. But, in the nick of time, Google launched the Nexus S- the first phone with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). Also, since this is Google's baby, there are no OEM customizations to the OS, no skins and no pre-installed apps. Not available in India officially, but you can still get it for about 32000.
• Blackberry Torch
The combination of a touchscreen, QWERTY keypad and new OS6 is supposed to lead Blackberry's fight back against the soarbing popularity of iPhone and Android. The second handset with OS6 (BlackBerry Bold 3) has already launched at a price of 27,990.
• HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z
The Desire HD is a serious upgrade to the Desire while the Desire Z brings a QWERTY to complement the touch experience.
The Mobile OS Battle
The battle for mobile OS supremacy has been an interesting one. No one left a stone unturned to offer the best experience to the users. Apple rolled out iOS4 (in sync with the iPhone4 launch), which was followed with the arrival of the first Symbian^3 phone? the Nokia N8. Blackberry rolled out the revamped OS6 with more social features. Google, meanwhile, was the most active with Android. They went from Android 2.1 to 2.2 with several few features including the ability to share a data connection via Wi-Fi. Android 2.3 was launched with the Nexus S, and we're already hearing about Android 3.0, which arrives next year.
The Tablets have landed
If 2009 was the year of the netbook, 2010 belongs to the tablet. Not only did the poor netbook not progress as much as expected, but came up against a new enemy - the tablet. Apple pulled out the form factor from obscurity, gave it some new functionality, added some powerful apps and took the tech world by storm with the iPad. Seeing the rocketing popularity, everyone jumped onto the tablet bangwagon, including Samsung, Dell, BlackBerry, Motorola, ViewSonic and hundreds of unnamed Chinese manufacturers. Safe to assume, 2010 was the 'Year of the Tablet'.
• Apple iPad
As of this writing, Apple has sold between 8 to 9 million iPads since launch in 2010. The rate of adoption has been the fastest ever in tech circles, surpassing even that of the original iPhone in 2007. Though not officially launched in India, those who wanted to own the product found ways to get it from abroad or the grey market.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab arrived this year to grab a piece of tablet pie. Seen as the first real competitor to the iPad, the Galaxy Tab is no slouch. Importantly, India was one of the major launch markets for the Tab. Originally priced at 38,000, market prices have already dropped to 32,000 with further drops likely before the iPad hits officially.
• Dell Streak
Somewhere between a phone and a tablet, this device has carved out a sub category for itself. We like of think of it more like a mini-tablet. It has a 5-inch screen and Android 2.2. But exclusivity is not cheap; you'll have to pay 36,000 for the mini-tablet/mega-phone device. And you'll be certain to turn a few heads when you have this pressed against your ear while on a call!
• Olive Olivepad
Striking the best balance between usability and value, the Olive Pas has Android 2.2 at a price of less than 25000. Like the Galaxy Tab, it can double up as a phone, but lacks the firepower and glamour.
• ViewsonicViewPad 7 and 10
The ViewPad 7 has a 7-inch screen and bears more than a passing resemblance to the Olive Pad. Android 2.2, all the same features and identical design for 32,000. The ViewPad 10 meanwhile, has a 10 inch screen, is powered by Intel's Pine Trail processor and dual boots between Android 1.6 and Windows 7. Even Aero works well in Windows 7! Costs 38000.
Cloud Computing & Cloud OS
Imagine a scenario when your PC isn't a PC. You can still access all your files, folders and documents which you traditionally store on hard drives. You can still run all the programs that you're used to, play multimedia files, browse the web. The PC boot up times will be a few seconds. All your files will be stored virtually, accessible wherever you go, without you having to physically carry a machine around. This is the operating system of the future. Google recently showed off Chrome OS to the world, and the idea doesn't seem so outlandish anymore! It will take time to catch on, with the broadband penetration (or the lack of it) being a problem in most developing countries. But 2011 will witness further tweaks to this concept.
Advanced Motion Gaming
The Nintendo Wii introduced us to it in 2005. But 2010 is where the big guns came out in the form of the Sony PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect. Motion gaming not only adds a new dimension to how we play games, but can also add that little dose of good health and family fun to the experience! Microsoft's Kinect has been the real eye-opener here, introducing advanced hardware at down-to-earth prices. With the numerous Kinect hacks doing the rounds in the latter part of 2010, it's no wonder that gaming is turning out to be the precursor for advanced graphical interfaces. It could mean the beginning of the end of the computer mouse.
E-book readers
Many people flirted with the idea of reading books on the PC and mobile phones. But 2010 is the year when e-book readers really gained popularity. The primary reason? The ability to buy books anytime, anywhere, thanks to connected e-book readers. And the ability to carry hundreds of books around in a device that weighs barely 300 grams. The Amazon Kindle rules the roost here, and is available direct from Amazon. Others like the Wink e-Reader and Infibeam Phi are notable contenders.
The Empire Strikes Back - HTC HD7
FEATURES
4.3-inch, 480 x 800 pixel capacitive display 1Ghz processor, 586MB RAM, Windows Phone 7 16GB storage, 5MP cam, Wi-Fi, GPS, 162 grams PROs Large, clear display, slick interface CONs Windows Market not working in India yet price: 29,990
THE NEW HTC HD7 SEES HTC repeat the large display formula of the HD2, only this time with Windows Phone 7 running under the hood. The huge touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution dominates the front with three touch buttons (home, back and search) below it, while the back nurses a 5 MP camera with dual LED with a kickstand placed over it. You can flick open the kickstand and rest the phone on it in landscape mode to watch videos if you wish. Made mainly of plastic, the HTC HD7 looks sleek enough and while it does not have the drop-dead good looks of the iPhone 4, those who look at it will definitely give it more than one look (although we did find the yellow shade around the camera a tad odd). The HD7 scores heavily in the specs department too, with a 1GHz processor, 16 GB onboard storage (not expandable, alas), 576 MB RAM, a host of sensors (compass, proximity sensor, etc.) and all the connectivity options (Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi) you could ask for.
But the biggest star of the show is perhaps Windows Phone 7. The tiles and hub interface throws menus totally out of the window (pun intended), looks very good indeed, and is extremely easy to use. You can switch from the homescreen to a complete list of applications on the phone by just swiping your finger to the right. And while Android and iPhone fans might point out that the OS has just one homescreen, the fact that it scrolls down seemingly endlessly, allowing you to place as many tiles as you wish on it, compensates!
The large display is terrific for browsing the Web and the overhauled Internet Explorer now serves up tabs too. As in most mobile versions of Windows, Windows Phone 7 too comes with a stack of software goodies, including a mobile version of MS Office, seamless connectivity to Skydrive (its online storage service), excellent push mail support, Bing search and maps, and a Zune app to play and transfer videos and music. Top that off with a superb People app that gets all your Facebook and other contacts in one place and also keeps you tuned in to Facebook updates by them, a marvellous onscreen keyboard (the best we have since the iPhone), excellent sound performance and you have every reason to believe that the HD7 is one of the best phones in town.
That it fails to live up to that tag is once again the fault of its OS. There is no multitasking, beyond the option to play music in the background, no cut and paste, and while Bluetooth is present, you cannot use it to transfer files, although the option to mail them and upload them directly to Skydrive exists. You have to use Zune to transfer music and video (reminiscent of being tied down to iTunes) and a far cry from the relative openness of both Android and Symbian. Round that off with a camera that is more often than not mediocre and battery life that struggles to see through a day and the HD7 starts looking very human indeed.
There is no doubt that using Windows Phone 7 is an absolute joy, but the absence of apps, especially in a phone that costs almost Rs 30,000 is inexcusable.
FAQ's
I read about Recuva in ET Tech; the software that can help recover deleted files. But if deleted files can be recovered, what is the way to permanently delete them from the PC?
Just like Recuva helps you recover deleted files, a free (open source) software called Eraser helps you permanently delete files from a hard drive or USB flash storage. This is especially useful if you are giving away or selling an old computer to someone and don’t want your private date to be visible to anyone else. You can download Eraser from http://eraser.heidi.ie. It works by overwriting your data with random patterns. Even if someone tries to recover data after the hard drive has been completely erased, they will only get gibberish.
Is it advisable to fit resin/plastic covers on an iPod Touch? I have noticed that the device gets hot after some use and I feel that an additional cover may not allow that heat to dissipate. But not fitting a cover means that the chrome back gets scratched easily.
The iPod Touch does not have any cooling requirements, so you can go ahead and use a case or cover with it. With some usage, the device may become warm, but this is normal. You can get a case, and all you have to make sure is that the case/cover is not ill-fitting; i.e., it should be specifically made for the iPod Touch you have (The currently available iPod Touch with cameras is the 4th generation).
Is there any software available that can help increase my internet speed?
There is no specific software for this purpose, as the internet speed depends on the deal you have with your internet service provider. However, you can optimise your computer and browser for better speeds. For example, if you are using an older version of Internet Explorer, you can upgrade to the latest IE9, Opera, Firefox or Chrome browsers for an instant speed boost. These browsers render pages faster and hence make better use of your existing internet speeds. You can also install certain extensions like AD Blockers with Firefox and Chrome, which effectively block out unwanted pop-up and banner ads on certain websites — this will ensure that those pages load faster as well. Finally, certain extensions like FasterFox (on Firefox) and FastestChrome (on Chrome) can make some automatic adjustments to boost speed.
4.3-inch, 480 x 800 pixel capacitive display 1Ghz processor, 586MB RAM, Windows Phone 7 16GB storage, 5MP cam, Wi-Fi, GPS, 162 grams PROs Large, clear display, slick interface CONs Windows Market not working in India yet price: 29,990
THE NEW HTC HD7 SEES HTC repeat the large display formula of the HD2, only this time with Windows Phone 7 running under the hood. The huge touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution dominates the front with three touch buttons (home, back and search) below it, while the back nurses a 5 MP camera with dual LED with a kickstand placed over it. You can flick open the kickstand and rest the phone on it in landscape mode to watch videos if you wish. Made mainly of plastic, the HTC HD7 looks sleek enough and while it does not have the drop-dead good looks of the iPhone 4, those who look at it will definitely give it more than one look (although we did find the yellow shade around the camera a tad odd). The HD7 scores heavily in the specs department too, with a 1GHz processor, 16 GB onboard storage (not expandable, alas), 576 MB RAM, a host of sensors (compass, proximity sensor, etc.) and all the connectivity options (Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi) you could ask for.
But the biggest star of the show is perhaps Windows Phone 7. The tiles and hub interface throws menus totally out of the window (pun intended), looks very good indeed, and is extremely easy to use. You can switch from the homescreen to a complete list of applications on the phone by just swiping your finger to the right. And while Android and iPhone fans might point out that the OS has just one homescreen, the fact that it scrolls down seemingly endlessly, allowing you to place as many tiles as you wish on it, compensates!
The large display is terrific for browsing the Web and the overhauled Internet Explorer now serves up tabs too. As in most mobile versions of Windows, Windows Phone 7 too comes with a stack of software goodies, including a mobile version of MS Office, seamless connectivity to Skydrive (its online storage service), excellent push mail support, Bing search and maps, and a Zune app to play and transfer videos and music. Top that off with a superb People app that gets all your Facebook and other contacts in one place and also keeps you tuned in to Facebook updates by them, a marvellous onscreen keyboard (the best we have since the iPhone), excellent sound performance and you have every reason to believe that the HD7 is one of the best phones in town.
That it fails to live up to that tag is once again the fault of its OS. There is no multitasking, beyond the option to play music in the background, no cut and paste, and while Bluetooth is present, you cannot use it to transfer files, although the option to mail them and upload them directly to Skydrive exists. You have to use Zune to transfer music and video (reminiscent of being tied down to iTunes) and a far cry from the relative openness of both Android and Symbian. Round that off with a camera that is more often than not mediocre and battery life that struggles to see through a day and the HD7 starts looking very human indeed.
There is no doubt that using Windows Phone 7 is an absolute joy, but the absence of apps, especially in a phone that costs almost Rs 30,000 is inexcusable.
FAQ's
I read about Recuva in ET Tech; the software that can help recover deleted files. But if deleted files can be recovered, what is the way to permanently delete them from the PC?
Just like Recuva helps you recover deleted files, a free (open source) software called Eraser helps you permanently delete files from a hard drive or USB flash storage. This is especially useful if you are giving away or selling an old computer to someone and don’t want your private date to be visible to anyone else. You can download Eraser from http://eraser.heidi.ie. It works by overwriting your data with random patterns. Even if someone tries to recover data after the hard drive has been completely erased, they will only get gibberish.
Is it advisable to fit resin/plastic covers on an iPod Touch? I have noticed that the device gets hot after some use and I feel that an additional cover may not allow that heat to dissipate. But not fitting a cover means that the chrome back gets scratched easily.
The iPod Touch does not have any cooling requirements, so you can go ahead and use a case or cover with it. With some usage, the device may become warm, but this is normal. You can get a case, and all you have to make sure is that the case/cover is not ill-fitting; i.e., it should be specifically made for the iPod Touch you have (The currently available iPod Touch with cameras is the 4th generation).
Is there any software available that can help increase my internet speed?
There is no specific software for this purpose, as the internet speed depends on the deal you have with your internet service provider. However, you can optimise your computer and browser for better speeds. For example, if you are using an older version of Internet Explorer, you can upgrade to the latest IE9, Opera, Firefox or Chrome browsers for an instant speed boost. These browsers render pages faster and hence make better use of your existing internet speeds. You can also install certain extensions like AD Blockers with Firefox and Chrome, which effectively block out unwanted pop-up and banner ads on certain websites — this will ensure that those pages load faster as well. Finally, certain extensions like FasterFox (on Firefox) and FastestChrome (on Chrome) can make some automatic adjustments to boost speed.
New gadgets prices, reviews and tips
IOMEGA SCREENPLAY TV LINK MX
The Screenplay TV Link MX is an affordable HD media player that helps playback and upscale digital content stored on a hard drive or USB flash drive. It connects to a TV via HDMI but also has the basic composite video connection for older CRT TVs. The TV Link MX supports playback of all the usual video formats like AVI, ISO, VOB, MKV, MOV, WMV, FLV, MP4, AVCHD, RMVB and M2TS. In addition, it also plays all the usual photo and audio files. The single front USB port supports all formats of hard drives (FAT32, HFS, NTFS) and connection of digital still cameras and video cameras. An infrared remote control, composite cable & power adapter is supplied. PRice: 4,499
MOTOROLA ATRIX
Rcently showcased at CES 2011, Motorola’a Atrix is not only one of the most powerful smartphones around, but with the help of some unique accessories, it can also replace your desktop and laptop computer. Under the hood, you’ll find a dual core 1Ghz Tegra 2 processor and 1GB RAM — enough to comfortably playback (or output) 1080p full HD video. With optional accessories like the HD Multimedia Dock, the Atrix can function like a desktop PC, powering a larger monitor, standard USB keyboard and USB
mouse. Another unique accessory is the Laptop Dock; the Atrix slots in neatly, and functions allday for basic computing (web browsing, multimedia, email and document editing) with an impressive 8-hour battery life. Prices have not been disclosed yet, but you can expect it to be about $700.
MAC APP STORE
You’ve been used to seeing the app store on your iPhone, iPod or iPad, but the App Store is now also available for the MAC platform. Available with the latest MAC OS X SNow Leopard operating system with just a simple software update, the Mac App Store lets you browse apps according to genre or simply search for something that you’re looking for. An obvious advantage here is that installation is much simpler; just enter in your iTunes password and the app will get downloaded and installed in one step (just like on the iOS devices). You also have much more choice, and the App Store keeps track of your installed apps and tells you when updates are available.
NAT GEO TV FOR iOS
Fans of the National Geographic channel should get this immediately.The app is offered for free, and keeps you updated with the latest videos and photos from the channel.You can also browse though detailed TV listings to see what’s playing and set reminders so that you don’t miss your favourite show. Works best on a broadband connection using Wi-Fi and is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
The Screenplay TV Link MX is an affordable HD media player that helps playback and upscale digital content stored on a hard drive or USB flash drive. It connects to a TV via HDMI but also has the basic composite video connection for older CRT TVs. The TV Link MX supports playback of all the usual video formats like AVI, ISO, VOB, MKV, MOV, WMV, FLV, MP4, AVCHD, RMVB and M2TS. In addition, it also plays all the usual photo and audio files. The single front USB port supports all formats of hard drives (FAT32, HFS, NTFS) and connection of digital still cameras and video cameras. An infrared remote control, composite cable & power adapter is supplied. PRice: 4,499
MOTOROLA ATRIX
Rcently showcased at CES 2011, Motorola’a Atrix is not only one of the most powerful smartphones around, but with the help of some unique accessories, it can also replace your desktop and laptop computer. Under the hood, you’ll find a dual core 1Ghz Tegra 2 processor and 1GB RAM — enough to comfortably playback (or output) 1080p full HD video. With optional accessories like the HD Multimedia Dock, the Atrix can function like a desktop PC, powering a larger monitor, standard USB keyboard and USB
mouse. Another unique accessory is the Laptop Dock; the Atrix slots in neatly, and functions allday for basic computing (web browsing, multimedia, email and document editing) with an impressive 8-hour battery life. Prices have not been disclosed yet, but you can expect it to be about $700.
MAC APP STORE
You’ve been used to seeing the app store on your iPhone, iPod or iPad, but the App Store is now also available for the MAC platform. Available with the latest MAC OS X SNow Leopard operating system with just a simple software update, the Mac App Store lets you browse apps according to genre or simply search for something that you’re looking for. An obvious advantage here is that installation is much simpler; just enter in your iTunes password and the app will get downloaded and installed in one step (just like on the iOS devices). You also have much more choice, and the App Store keeps track of your installed apps and tells you when updates are available.
NAT GEO TV FOR iOS
Fans of the National Geographic channel should get this immediately.The app is offered for free, and keeps you updated with the latest videos and photos from the channel.You can also browse though detailed TV listings to see what’s playing and set reminders so that you don’t miss your favourite show. Works best on a broadband connection using Wi-Fi and is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
2011 Tech Adventures
Buyers have become very picky in opting for the slimmest, sleekest and most intelligent tech-toys. Neenu Abraham takes a peek at what’s in store in 2011.
WHEN RENE PENNING DE VRIES, THE chieftechnology officer of NXP Semiconductors, talked two years ago about a technology that could tell you whether the milk in your refrigerator has turned bad, many found it hard to believe. But the latest display of products and technologies of the future at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas shows that the day is not too far off when you can actually access internet and watch YouTube on your refrigerator.
Mobile phones and computers constituted the chunk of consumer electronics devices purchased in 2010, according to this year’s edition of Accenture’s Consumer Electronics Products and Services Usage Report. In 2010, BRIC consumers have shown a higher rate of adoption of the newest technologies and a greater willingness to pay premiums for features and enhancements.
This explains why many gadgets with ultra-cool features are making their way to India. Take Samsung’s C9000 series of 3D TVs, for instance. Users can see their programmes on the remote control screen of this TV anywhere in their house.
Also, 2011 seems to be poised for a tablet war. With India being an attractive market for these gadgets, here are some exciting technologies and products to watch out for.
Tablets/Tablet-PCs
Right from the jaw-droppers — the Motorola Xoom to BlackBerry’s Playbook — a line of exciting tech toys are out. LG unveiled its first tablet, which runs on the Android version of Honyecomb. Toshiba also has been showing off its 10-inch tablet running on Honeycomb.
In India, the biggest hit last year was perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs on the Android Operating System 2.2. It offers PC-like web-browsing on its 7-inch display screen, and special customised applications suitable for India.
"With 3G services being rolled out, Indian consumers can download new content faster," says Ranjit Yadav, country head, Samsung Mobile and IT. “As the mobile industry gears up for the convergence era, 2011 will see a further spurt in the growth of smartphones and tablets,” he says.
As of December 2010, the global sales of Galaxy Tab have already surpassed one million units. It may not be running Honeycomb, but it may a take a long time before the Xooms and Playbooks and Asus’s Eee Slate EP121 come to India.
Meanwhile, India’s first 3G tablet PC — the Olive Pad — has also seen considerable interest among Indian users. The Olive Pad, which works on the Android open source platform, supports camera, video call, micro USB port, 3.5G net connectivity and includes features like an ebook reader and smartphone.
According to Sahil Sachdeva of Olive, a number of variants of the Olive Pad can be expected this year. Variants without the smartphone feature is also being worked upon. Olive Pad is expected to see a 10% growth this year, he says.
3D & Smart TVs
3D TVs, which were expected to catch up in a big way in 2010, surely fell short of expectations. But this hasn’t stopped analysts from projecting a 500% purchasing growth rate for 3D TVs in 2011, according to the Accenture report.
Going by what the likes of LG and Samsung are offering, it won’t be surprising to see more and more Indian consumers switching on to 3D and smart TVs. In fact, the latest smart TVs to be offered by LG runs on the ‘point, click, control, simply smarter’ concept.
Its remote has a six-button controller that resembles that of Nintendo’s Wii. If you press the button, a mouse cursor appears on the TV screen, with which you can flip through the menus and surf the Web through a built-in browser.
LG will offer Smart TV features in many of its upcoming 2011 model TVs, but its official launch date is to be announced. “A new range of Flat Panel Displays (FPDs), which include plasmas and LCDs, will be launched by May 2011,” says Rohit Pandit, business head, home entertainment, LG India.
And, there is Samsung’s C9000 premium full HD 3D LED TV, which shows off an ultraslim profile at 7.98 mm. What’s most fascinating about this TV is its remote control, which features a 3-inch touchscreen.
So, even if you are away from the television screen you can see the live feed on the remote control display through wi-fi, anywhere in your house. This is priced at 4,44,000 in India.
Consumers seem to be expecting a lot of ‘non-traditional’ activities from their televisions. According to the Accenture study, around 21% of consumers were found to search the Internet via their television, and 14% used the emailing facility. If this is a yardstick, the smart 3D series of TVs are likely to catch on in India in a big way.
USB 3.0 Flash Drives
Tablets are likely to flood the market, leading to a surge in demand for flash memory products, especially those compatible with USB 3.0 standards. SanDisk brought out their smallest USB flash drive — the Sandisk Cruzer Blade, which weighs just 2.5 grams.
The drive supports plug-and-play and is compatible with all commonly used computers. The SanDisk Cruzer Blade USB flash drive is available in capacities ranging from 2 gigabytes (GB) to16GB, ranging from 699 (2GB) to 2999 (16GB).
For the ultra-speed drives, Kingston has started shipping its HyperX MAX 3.0 from December. It has a read speed of up to 195MB/sec, and a write speed of up to 160MB/sec, when paired with a USB 3.0 compatible device.
During one of its internal testing, a 10GB movie file was transferred in just 1 minute and 12 seconds to the HyperX MAX 3.0 from a USB 3.0 system. HyperX MAX 3.0 is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Moving or backing up HD video, RAW images or other large project files will not be difficult at all with this flash drive.
Google’s Chrome OS
Last year, Google had announced its efforts to design an operating system that is built and optimised for the web. It’s a cloudbased operating system that works inside the Chrome browser.
By building an operating system that is essentially a browser, they can make computers faster, much simpler and more secure, according to the Google blog post. All your data would be accessible from anywhere. But the efforts are not complete. Some of the features of Chrome OS may require new hardware, according to the post. They will be launching a pilot programme where test notebooks will be given to qualified users to get feedback.
Chrome OS is designed to work across a wide range of screen sizes and form factors, enabling partners to deliver computing devices beyond notebooks.
WHEN RENE PENNING DE VRIES, THE chieftechnology officer of NXP Semiconductors, talked two years ago about a technology that could tell you whether the milk in your refrigerator has turned bad, many found it hard to believe. But the latest display of products and technologies of the future at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas shows that the day is not too far off when you can actually access internet and watch YouTube on your refrigerator.
Mobile phones and computers constituted the chunk of consumer electronics devices purchased in 2010, according to this year’s edition of Accenture’s Consumer Electronics Products and Services Usage Report. In 2010, BRIC consumers have shown a higher rate of adoption of the newest technologies and a greater willingness to pay premiums for features and enhancements.
This explains why many gadgets with ultra-cool features are making their way to India. Take Samsung’s C9000 series of 3D TVs, for instance. Users can see their programmes on the remote control screen of this TV anywhere in their house.
Also, 2011 seems to be poised for a tablet war. With India being an attractive market for these gadgets, here are some exciting technologies and products to watch out for.
Tablets/Tablet-PCs
Right from the jaw-droppers — the Motorola Xoom to BlackBerry’s Playbook — a line of exciting tech toys are out. LG unveiled its first tablet, which runs on the Android version of Honyecomb. Toshiba also has been showing off its 10-inch tablet running on Honeycomb.
In India, the biggest hit last year was perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs on the Android Operating System 2.2. It offers PC-like web-browsing on its 7-inch display screen, and special customised applications suitable for India.
"With 3G services being rolled out, Indian consumers can download new content faster," says Ranjit Yadav, country head, Samsung Mobile and IT. “As the mobile industry gears up for the convergence era, 2011 will see a further spurt in the growth of smartphones and tablets,” he says.
As of December 2010, the global sales of Galaxy Tab have already surpassed one million units. It may not be running Honeycomb, but it may a take a long time before the Xooms and Playbooks and Asus’s Eee Slate EP121 come to India.
Meanwhile, India’s first 3G tablet PC — the Olive Pad — has also seen considerable interest among Indian users. The Olive Pad, which works on the Android open source platform, supports camera, video call, micro USB port, 3.5G net connectivity and includes features like an ebook reader and smartphone.
According to Sahil Sachdeva of Olive, a number of variants of the Olive Pad can be expected this year. Variants without the smartphone feature is also being worked upon. Olive Pad is expected to see a 10% growth this year, he says.
3D & Smart TVs
3D TVs, which were expected to catch up in a big way in 2010, surely fell short of expectations. But this hasn’t stopped analysts from projecting a 500% purchasing growth rate for 3D TVs in 2011, according to the Accenture report.
Going by what the likes of LG and Samsung are offering, it won’t be surprising to see more and more Indian consumers switching on to 3D and smart TVs. In fact, the latest smart TVs to be offered by LG runs on the ‘point, click, control, simply smarter’ concept.
Its remote has a six-button controller that resembles that of Nintendo’s Wii. If you press the button, a mouse cursor appears on the TV screen, with which you can flip through the menus and surf the Web through a built-in browser.
LG will offer Smart TV features in many of its upcoming 2011 model TVs, but its official launch date is to be announced. “A new range of Flat Panel Displays (FPDs), which include plasmas and LCDs, will be launched by May 2011,” says Rohit Pandit, business head, home entertainment, LG India.
And, there is Samsung’s C9000 premium full HD 3D LED TV, which shows off an ultraslim profile at 7.98 mm. What’s most fascinating about this TV is its remote control, which features a 3-inch touchscreen.
So, even if you are away from the television screen you can see the live feed on the remote control display through wi-fi, anywhere in your house. This is priced at 4,44,000 in India.
Consumers seem to be expecting a lot of ‘non-traditional’ activities from their televisions. According to the Accenture study, around 21% of consumers were found to search the Internet via their television, and 14% used the emailing facility. If this is a yardstick, the smart 3D series of TVs are likely to catch on in India in a big way.
USB 3.0 Flash Drives
Tablets are likely to flood the market, leading to a surge in demand for flash memory products, especially those compatible with USB 3.0 standards. SanDisk brought out their smallest USB flash drive — the Sandisk Cruzer Blade, which weighs just 2.5 grams.
The drive supports plug-and-play and is compatible with all commonly used computers. The SanDisk Cruzer Blade USB flash drive is available in capacities ranging from 2 gigabytes (GB) to16GB, ranging from 699 (2GB) to 2999 (16GB).
For the ultra-speed drives, Kingston has started shipping its HyperX MAX 3.0 from December. It has a read speed of up to 195MB/sec, and a write speed of up to 160MB/sec, when paired with a USB 3.0 compatible device.
During one of its internal testing, a 10GB movie file was transferred in just 1 minute and 12 seconds to the HyperX MAX 3.0 from a USB 3.0 system. HyperX MAX 3.0 is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Moving or backing up HD video, RAW images or other large project files will not be difficult at all with this flash drive.
Google’s Chrome OS
Last year, Google had announced its efforts to design an operating system that is built and optimised for the web. It’s a cloudbased operating system that works inside the Chrome browser.
By building an operating system that is essentially a browser, they can make computers faster, much simpler and more secure, according to the Google blog post. All your data would be accessible from anywhere. But the efforts are not complete. Some of the features of Chrome OS may require new hardware, according to the post. They will be launching a pilot programme where test notebooks will be given to qualified users to get feedback.
Chrome OS is designed to work across a wide range of screen sizes and form factors, enabling partners to deliver computing devices beyond notebooks.
QWERTY Cutie, With Brain - NOKIA X5
NOKIA MAY HAVE BEEN GAINING more attention for its efforts in the newer version of the Symbian operating system (Symbian ^3), but that does not mean that it has abandoned Symbian Series 60 (3rd edition); the version that powers all the devices in its famed E series and a number of non-touch smartphones from the N series. The company has been releasing handsets on the platform aimed at those who want a smartphone experience without having to mess with a touchscreen (yes, there are a lot of people like that), and the latest in that series is the X5.
Although marketed mainly as a music and messaging phone, the X5 is in fact a full-fledged smartphone packing in the same operating system that runs devices like the Nokia E72 and the more recently released E5. However, what really marks it out is its form factor. The X5 is squareshaped, with a 2.36 inch display that hides a full and surprisingly spacious QWERTY keypad. Like the similarly shaped Motorola Flipout, it has an undeniably ‘cute’ and compact look to it. But that does not mean that it is flimsy - it is very solid and feels good to hold, even a tad heavy for something so small.
And Nokia has managed to pack in a whole lot of goodies inside this pocketfriendly device. You get all the routine Symbian S60 goodies including free push mail, Ovi Store, Ovi Music, and even a view-only version of QuickOffice. In terms of connectivity, there is support for 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth although we were a bit surprised at the absence of GPS. In best Symbian tradition, the X5 is a wiz at multi-tasking (we ran four to five apps at the same time on it, and it handled them with ease) and has a battery that will comfortably see out almost two days before screaming “recharge.”The display might be a tad on the small side, but has an accelerometer, which paves the way for some neat tricks - you can change tracks by shaking the phone, and even better, find out how many messages have come by holding down the volume key and giving it a shake at which the X5 will emit a knocking sound to show new messages (honestly, we think it is simpler to have a sound alert, but still the “shake to discover new messages” is kind of cool). And as this is a music phone, the sound quality is very good indeed, right up there with the best XpressMusic handsets.
All of which makes it a very good value for money proposition at 9,490. Yes, there will be those who will say that S60 seems so “old” compared to the likes of Android, Windows Phone and iOS, but there can be no denying the fact that it performs, albeit at a tad slower pace. We would have liked to have had a bigger and higher resolution display (320 x 240 does not make it great for Web or video), definitely a better camera (with autofocus, please) and the absence of GPS means that this is one of the few S60 phones that we cannot use to find our way around town reliably, but even with those shortcomings, the X5 is a very good device for those looking for a smartphone to get their music and messaging fix without spending five figures
FEATURES
2.36-inch, 240 x 320 display
Series 60 v3, QWERTY keypad
5MP camera with LED flash
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FM, 129 grams
PROs Cute form factor, comfortable keypad
CONs Ordinary camera, small display, no GPS
Price: 9,490
FAQ's:
Why do many headphone manufacturers say that they can damage hearing? Is it just a case of paranoia?
Depending on how loud you listen to music and for what duration, a pair of headphones can lead to permanent hearing damage. The risk is higher with headphones than with loudspeakers because of the isolation and proximity between your eardrums and the speaker drivers. Basically, the louder the sound, the less time it takes for the damage to occur. For example, a set of powerful headphones or earphones can even produce 110db of sound pressure, equivalent to what you would find in a discotheque with large speakers. Find out if the audio source you're using has a volume limiter function and use it .
My camera can click RAW images. What is the advantage of RAW over normal JPEG images?
RAW images are uncompressed, and often used by professional photographers. JPEG files are compressed, and that’s why you’ll notice that they have a much smaller file size for the same image as compared to RAW. The advantage of JPEG is that they offer acceptable quality, wide compatibility and you can fit a lot more images onto a memory card. RAW images cannot be opened by normal image viewers, and the camera will usually include a disk with some software to view and edit RAW files. If you can’t be bothered about opening and editing images, just stick with JPEG. The main advantage of the RAW format is that it offers a higher quality image, and a lot more room for you to post process the image on a computer.
What is the easiest way to convert videos to play on the iPod Touch?
To convert video files specifically for the iPod Touch, head to www.videora.com and download the appropriate converter software. Apart from the iPod Touch, they also offer converters for other Apple devices like the iPhone (all versions), iPad, other mobile phones and game consoles. The converter offers a ‘simple’ mode, where you don’t need to be bothered with any conversion settings; just select a file to convert, select a location to save it in and click ‘convert’. Depending on the hardware of your computer, this can take time. You can also try getting the VLC Player app (by Applidium) from the App Store. You can then transfer videos without conversion to the iPod using iTunes.
Although marketed mainly as a music and messaging phone, the X5 is in fact a full-fledged smartphone packing in the same operating system that runs devices like the Nokia E72 and the more recently released E5. However, what really marks it out is its form factor. The X5 is squareshaped, with a 2.36 inch display that hides a full and surprisingly spacious QWERTY keypad. Like the similarly shaped Motorola Flipout, it has an undeniably ‘cute’ and compact look to it. But that does not mean that it is flimsy - it is very solid and feels good to hold, even a tad heavy for something so small.
And Nokia has managed to pack in a whole lot of goodies inside this pocketfriendly device. You get all the routine Symbian S60 goodies including free push mail, Ovi Store, Ovi Music, and even a view-only version of QuickOffice. In terms of connectivity, there is support for 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth although we were a bit surprised at the absence of GPS. In best Symbian tradition, the X5 is a wiz at multi-tasking (we ran four to five apps at the same time on it, and it handled them with ease) and has a battery that will comfortably see out almost two days before screaming “recharge.”The display might be a tad on the small side, but has an accelerometer, which paves the way for some neat tricks - you can change tracks by shaking the phone, and even better, find out how many messages have come by holding down the volume key and giving it a shake at which the X5 will emit a knocking sound to show new messages (honestly, we think it is simpler to have a sound alert, but still the “shake to discover new messages” is kind of cool). And as this is a music phone, the sound quality is very good indeed, right up there with the best XpressMusic handsets.
All of which makes it a very good value for money proposition at 9,490. Yes, there will be those who will say that S60 seems so “old” compared to the likes of Android, Windows Phone and iOS, but there can be no denying the fact that it performs, albeit at a tad slower pace. We would have liked to have had a bigger and higher resolution display (320 x 240 does not make it great for Web or video), definitely a better camera (with autofocus, please) and the absence of GPS means that this is one of the few S60 phones that we cannot use to find our way around town reliably, but even with those shortcomings, the X5 is a very good device for those looking for a smartphone to get their music and messaging fix without spending five figures
FEATURES
2.36-inch, 240 x 320 display
Series 60 v3, QWERTY keypad
5MP camera with LED flash
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FM, 129 grams
PROs Cute form factor, comfortable keypad
CONs Ordinary camera, small display, no GPS
Price: 9,490
FAQ's:
Why do many headphone manufacturers say that they can damage hearing? Is it just a case of paranoia?
Depending on how loud you listen to music and for what duration, a pair of headphones can lead to permanent hearing damage. The risk is higher with headphones than with loudspeakers because of the isolation and proximity between your eardrums and the speaker drivers. Basically, the louder the sound, the less time it takes for the damage to occur. For example, a set of powerful headphones or earphones can even produce 110db of sound pressure, equivalent to what you would find in a discotheque with large speakers. Find out if the audio source you're using has a volume limiter function and use it .
My camera can click RAW images. What is the advantage of RAW over normal JPEG images?
RAW images are uncompressed, and often used by professional photographers. JPEG files are compressed, and that’s why you’ll notice that they have a much smaller file size for the same image as compared to RAW. The advantage of JPEG is that they offer acceptable quality, wide compatibility and you can fit a lot more images onto a memory card. RAW images cannot be opened by normal image viewers, and the camera will usually include a disk with some software to view and edit RAW files. If you can’t be bothered about opening and editing images, just stick with JPEG. The main advantage of the RAW format is that it offers a higher quality image, and a lot more room for you to post process the image on a computer.
What is the easiest way to convert videos to play on the iPod Touch?
To convert video files specifically for the iPod Touch, head to www.videora.com and download the appropriate converter software. Apart from the iPod Touch, they also offer converters for other Apple devices like the iPhone (all versions), iPad, other mobile phones and game consoles. The converter offers a ‘simple’ mode, where you don’t need to be bothered with any conversion settings; just select a file to convert, select a location to save it in and click ‘convert’. Depending on the hardware of your computer, this can take time. You can also try getting the VLC Player app (by Applidium) from the App Store. You can then transfer videos without conversion to the iPod using iTunes.
New Gadgets prices, reviews and tips
DELL PRINTERS
Dell has launched a range of printers for the Indian market, specifically catering to home offices, small and medium businesses and workgroups. The range includes single and multi-function printers, with both laser and cutting-edge LED technology options. Part of the new launches is the 1250C, which Dell claims is the world’s smallest single-function A4 color printer ( 17,000). Also part of the range is the affordable Dell 1130 priced at 6,500. The similar 1130n adds Ethernet networking and is priced at 16,000. The 2230dn (pictured) is the flagship model, priced at 30,000.
SAMSUNG D8000 LED TV
If you’ve ever wondered how TV design can get better, this is it! You will probably notice the ultra-thin bezel on the new Samsung 8000 Series LED TV right away.The advantaged of the design are numerous.Apart from the obvious aesthetic advantages, this design allows for a larger screen size and a smaller footprint. For example, in the same size as a conventional 42-inch panel, you would get 43 or 44-inches of viewable screen. In commercial applications, these TVs can also easily be used for video walls, with multiple TVs making up a giant, single screen. These new TVs will be in India as early as March 2011. Prices will start at approximately 1,50,000.
CV MAKER
Don’t like the way your résumé looks? You can make a fresh, contemporary résumé in minutes at www.cvmaker.in. Right up front, they have formatted PDF résumés available to view. Or you could just head right in and start filling up your information in the pre-set text boxes. Once you've filled in all the fields, the résumé is automatically generated and you can download it immediately. Signing up does give you the benefit of saving your work online, and editing it later. The only possible downside is the limited number of templates. But it’s free, so there's no reason to complain!
GRAVITY GUY FOR iOS
This is a fun platformer game from Miniclip.com. The premise is simple; you have to make your character get away from the bad guy by running along various pathways.The character runs automatically and you can’t jump.The only control available is to reverse gravity, which you can do by tapping the screen. Various obstacles will come in your way, & you have to flip gravity & run on the ceiling to get around them.There are various checkpoints,& if you get caught, you re-start from the previous checkpoint. Get it free on the App Store or play the full version of on www.miniclip.com through your web browser.
Dell has launched a range of printers for the Indian market, specifically catering to home offices, small and medium businesses and workgroups. The range includes single and multi-function printers, with both laser and cutting-edge LED technology options. Part of the new launches is the 1250C, which Dell claims is the world’s smallest single-function A4 color printer ( 17,000). Also part of the range is the affordable Dell 1130 priced at 6,500. The similar 1130n adds Ethernet networking and is priced at 16,000. The 2230dn (pictured) is the flagship model, priced at 30,000.
SAMSUNG D8000 LED TV
If you’ve ever wondered how TV design can get better, this is it! You will probably notice the ultra-thin bezel on the new Samsung 8000 Series LED TV right away.The advantaged of the design are numerous.Apart from the obvious aesthetic advantages, this design allows for a larger screen size and a smaller footprint. For example, in the same size as a conventional 42-inch panel, you would get 43 or 44-inches of viewable screen. In commercial applications, these TVs can also easily be used for video walls, with multiple TVs making up a giant, single screen. These new TVs will be in India as early as March 2011. Prices will start at approximately 1,50,000.
CV MAKER
Don’t like the way your résumé looks? You can make a fresh, contemporary résumé in minutes at www.cvmaker.in. Right up front, they have formatted PDF résumés available to view. Or you could just head right in and start filling up your information in the pre-set text boxes. Once you've filled in all the fields, the résumé is automatically generated and you can download it immediately. Signing up does give you the benefit of saving your work online, and editing it later. The only possible downside is the limited number of templates. But it’s free, so there's no reason to complain!
GRAVITY GUY FOR iOS
This is a fun platformer game from Miniclip.com. The premise is simple; you have to make your character get away from the bad guy by running along various pathways.The character runs automatically and you can’t jump.The only control available is to reverse gravity, which you can do by tapping the screen. Various obstacles will come in your way, & you have to flip gravity & run on the ceiling to get around them.There are various checkpoints,& if you get caught, you re-start from the previous checkpoint. Get it free on the App Store or play the full version of on www.miniclip.com through your web browser.
The Mobile Appplications
The smartphone craze is getting stronger day by day & growing app stores for most mobile OS have given plenty of opportunities to professional developers to cash in on the craze, says Aral Lobo
FROM SOCIAL NETWORK APPS TO communication apps to games, the possibilities with mobile apps are just endless. The latest figures from IDC show that smartphone sales recorded a 34.2% quarter-onquarter growth and a 294.9% yearon-year growth. The Informate October 2010 track by Informate Mobile Intelligence says the number of users visiting an App store has jumped 108% in October 2010 versus the year ago period. All these factors have contributed to a large number of Indian developers jumping on to the mobile appmaking bandwagon.
Be it Nokia, iOS, Android or BlackBerry, Indian programmers are excited about the prospects of the sector. “With the rollout of 3G happening across the country, we see the market for apps going up 10 times from its present figure,”says Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal.
Indian developers mostly create apps with local content or themes and these apps are the ones seeing a huge number of downloads on the respective app stores. “Nokia games like Cricket T20 Fever and Cricket T20 World Cup have been our constant chart toppers,” says Gondal whose company based in Navi-Mumbai has so far developed 40 games.
Since the smartphone market is still in its infancy and is still very fragmented, app-makers are forced to develop apps cross platform. Most companies like Indiagames have developed tech solutions which allow for the porting of games across different mobile operating systems so as to maximise the revenue they can earn.
Few firms have taken the specialisation route and develop apps just for a single OS. “Corporates spend million on a yearly basis, primarily to allow access to emails and enterprise data. We intent to leverage the existing BlackBerry Enterprise infrastructure that organisations already have and allow senior top executives to learn on-the-move,” says Akash Shah director and co-founder Deltecs InfoTech, whose firm primarily develops only BlackBerry apps. “As our solutions are targeted towards corporates, the security aspect is of utmost importance. No other platform (iPhone/Android) other than BlackBerry can give one such a secured communication channel,” Shah adds.
One problem that app developers in India face is that they are not properly compensated when they publish their apps on the VAS portals of mobile operators. “In the App Store, Apple keeps 30% of the revenue and the developer gets the rest. But the situation is the opposite here. The service providers keep the majority while the developer gets only a small share. We hope this situation changes soon so that more developers start making mobile apps,” says Vishal Gondal.
Despite the few pitfalls, Indian app makers have surely left an indelible mark on App markets and are sure to make their presence felt even more in the days to come. Here are just some of the apps built by Indians.
iOS
LANDMARK LOCATOR
Developer: Net Solutions, Chandigarh
Landmark Finder is an attraction, sightseeing, and historical event finding tool for any traveler. Using your location, Landmark Finder guides you to over 25,000 noteworthy landmarks in both walking and driving distance from you.
BIRDIE THIS
Developer: IndiaNIC Infotech, Ahmedabad A meditation Application with OM sounds. With this app, you can send positive energy to your friends . Type in your name and up to three email addresses, and just click send.
BlackBerry
DRONA V-CAST Developer: Deltecs InfoTech, Mumbai DRONA V-CAST is a Blackberry enterprise level application for learning and communication for corporates. It is used to deliver highly effective video-based courses to a senior executive's Blackberry device.
OFFICE YOGA
Developer: Webdunia.com India, Chennai This app provides quick and easy ways to calm down stress during your day at office desk with Office Yoga exercises.
Android
THE PLATEAU Developer: Sourcebits Technologies, Bangalore The Plateau is a 50-level game of mind twisting puzzles. Each level is generated using an advanced AI algorithm, so every game you play is unique.
ABILITA
Developer: Openxcell Technolabs, Ahmedabad
Abilita is an Italian word which means the Ability. Abilita is an App for people to share things they're willing to do for $5. Once one registers, you create a Bingo which can be used by other users to contact you if they are interested.
Symbian
CRICKET T20 FEVER
Developer: Indiagames, Navi-Mumbai
With this game, you can play in a variety of modes including tournaments, ODIs, T20 Matches and the exciting Powerplay style match.
COMICS CREATOR
Developer: Nextwave Multimedia, Chennai
Comics Creator lets you create a cartoon, comic or photo journal on your Nokia handset. One can easily add text, backgrounds and character, whether you’re an artist or not. Your finished cartoons can then be shared with your friends.
Make your own App
Inspired by the apps showcased above and want to make one yourself? Well, there are applications like the Nokia Ovi App Wizard and the Google App Inventor which allow you to do just that, even without any coding knowledge. These tools don't allow the creation of complex apps but gives non-developers a way to try their hand at app making.
Ovi App Wizard
This official application from Nokia was created with basic users in mind. The Ovi App Wizard allows users to mobilise their own content within minutes with just a few clicks and simple instruction. The wizard uses RSS feeds to generate content. RSS and Atom feeds for video, audio, text and images for blogs, YouTube, Twitter and news are all compatible with the App Wizard. This ensures that the finished app delivers fresh content to the Nokia device every time the feed is updated. The wizard supports the creation of apps for Symbian^3 and S60 devices. "The Nokia App Wizard is an excellent way for a non-technical user to showcase his or her content," says Jasmeet Gandhi, head of devices, OPM and services - marketing, Nokia India.
The Ovi App Wizard is free, and requires no registration fees. It is open to both businesses and individuals. As of now, publishers in India can’t monetise their apps with ads but Gandhi said that developers and publishers in India would get the opportunity to add ads “within the next few weeks”. Users can easily publish these apps on the Ovi Store, which are usually approved within 24 hours and then users worldwide can download the app.
“Using the Ovi App Wizard, a student created a GMAT app which provided tips to students studying for the exam. A Rajinikanth fan used the wizard to create an app which was constantly pulling RSS feeds about the Tamil superstar,” said Gandhi while explaining the possibilities of apps that could be created. Till date, over 3,500 apps have been created by more than 2,500 publishers from more than 90 countries. These apps have been downloaded in more than 180 countries across 90 different Nokia devices.
Google App Inventor
Google’s App Inventor allows anyone to create simple apps for their Android phones. The App Inventor uses a simple and intuitive webbased graphical user interface that runs on the Java platform and allows users to test the application via a connected phone running the Android operating system at any phase during the creation process.
The App Inventor has a design interface which is used to create the layout and overall appearance of the application. On the left side of the interface is a column of user controls that consist of things like text boxes, labels and buttons. There are also controls for adding media and sensor functionality. Located at the centre of the design interface is the virtual phone screen where the controls can be dragged and dropped. On the right hand side of the interface are the properties for the currently selected control. For example, if a button control is selected, you can add an image or adjust the color and size of the button. Using the App Inventor apps for Android can de developed within minutes.
AppMakr
Though not an official tool, App-Makr is one of the leading platforms for non-developers to create native iOS apps. AppMakr lets users turn existing RSS or Atom news feed quickly into an iPhone application. The RSS or Atom feeds can originate from Twitter, iTunes podcast feeds, Flickr streams, YouTube, Wordpress and many other sources. If you have multiple feeds, you can create multiple tabs within the app to represent each feed. AppMakr also provides a few options for making money off your app. You can submit the app to the App Store as either a free or paid download. A version for Android and Windows Phone devices has also recently been launched.
FROM SOCIAL NETWORK APPS TO communication apps to games, the possibilities with mobile apps are just endless. The latest figures from IDC show that smartphone sales recorded a 34.2% quarter-onquarter growth and a 294.9% yearon-year growth. The Informate October 2010 track by Informate Mobile Intelligence says the number of users visiting an App store has jumped 108% in October 2010 versus the year ago period. All these factors have contributed to a large number of Indian developers jumping on to the mobile appmaking bandwagon.
Be it Nokia, iOS, Android or BlackBerry, Indian programmers are excited about the prospects of the sector. “With the rollout of 3G happening across the country, we see the market for apps going up 10 times from its present figure,”says Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal.
Indian developers mostly create apps with local content or themes and these apps are the ones seeing a huge number of downloads on the respective app stores. “Nokia games like Cricket T20 Fever and Cricket T20 World Cup have been our constant chart toppers,” says Gondal whose company based in Navi-Mumbai has so far developed 40 games.
Since the smartphone market is still in its infancy and is still very fragmented, app-makers are forced to develop apps cross platform. Most companies like Indiagames have developed tech solutions which allow for the porting of games across different mobile operating systems so as to maximise the revenue they can earn.
Few firms have taken the specialisation route and develop apps just for a single OS. “Corporates spend million on a yearly basis, primarily to allow access to emails and enterprise data. We intent to leverage the existing BlackBerry Enterprise infrastructure that organisations already have and allow senior top executives to learn on-the-move,” says Akash Shah director and co-founder Deltecs InfoTech, whose firm primarily develops only BlackBerry apps. “As our solutions are targeted towards corporates, the security aspect is of utmost importance. No other platform (iPhone/Android) other than BlackBerry can give one such a secured communication channel,” Shah adds.
One problem that app developers in India face is that they are not properly compensated when they publish their apps on the VAS portals of mobile operators. “In the App Store, Apple keeps 30% of the revenue and the developer gets the rest. But the situation is the opposite here. The service providers keep the majority while the developer gets only a small share. We hope this situation changes soon so that more developers start making mobile apps,” says Vishal Gondal.
Despite the few pitfalls, Indian app makers have surely left an indelible mark on App markets and are sure to make their presence felt even more in the days to come. Here are just some of the apps built by Indians.
iOS
LANDMARK LOCATOR
Developer: Net Solutions, Chandigarh
Landmark Finder is an attraction, sightseeing, and historical event finding tool for any traveler. Using your location, Landmark Finder guides you to over 25,000 noteworthy landmarks in both walking and driving distance from you.
BIRDIE THIS
Developer: IndiaNIC Infotech, Ahmedabad A meditation Application with OM sounds. With this app, you can send positive energy to your friends . Type in your name and up to three email addresses, and just click send.
BlackBerry
DRONA V-CAST Developer: Deltecs InfoTech, Mumbai DRONA V-CAST is a Blackberry enterprise level application for learning and communication for corporates. It is used to deliver highly effective video-based courses to a senior executive's Blackberry device.
OFFICE YOGA
Developer: Webdunia.com India, Chennai This app provides quick and easy ways to calm down stress during your day at office desk with Office Yoga exercises.
Android
THE PLATEAU Developer: Sourcebits Technologies, Bangalore The Plateau is a 50-level game of mind twisting puzzles. Each level is generated using an advanced AI algorithm, so every game you play is unique.
ABILITA
Developer: Openxcell Technolabs, Ahmedabad
Abilita is an Italian word which means the Ability. Abilita is an App for people to share things they're willing to do for $5. Once one registers, you create a Bingo which can be used by other users to contact you if they are interested.
Symbian
CRICKET T20 FEVER
Developer: Indiagames, Navi-Mumbai
With this game, you can play in a variety of modes including tournaments, ODIs, T20 Matches and the exciting Powerplay style match.
COMICS CREATOR
Developer: Nextwave Multimedia, Chennai
Comics Creator lets you create a cartoon, comic or photo journal on your Nokia handset. One can easily add text, backgrounds and character, whether you’re an artist or not. Your finished cartoons can then be shared with your friends.
Make your own App
Inspired by the apps showcased above and want to make one yourself? Well, there are applications like the Nokia Ovi App Wizard and the Google App Inventor which allow you to do just that, even without any coding knowledge. These tools don't allow the creation of complex apps but gives non-developers a way to try their hand at app making.
Ovi App Wizard
This official application from Nokia was created with basic users in mind. The Ovi App Wizard allows users to mobilise their own content within minutes with just a few clicks and simple instruction. The wizard uses RSS feeds to generate content. RSS and Atom feeds for video, audio, text and images for blogs, YouTube, Twitter and news are all compatible with the App Wizard. This ensures that the finished app delivers fresh content to the Nokia device every time the feed is updated. The wizard supports the creation of apps for Symbian^3 and S60 devices. "The Nokia App Wizard is an excellent way for a non-technical user to showcase his or her content," says Jasmeet Gandhi, head of devices, OPM and services - marketing, Nokia India.
The Ovi App Wizard is free, and requires no registration fees. It is open to both businesses and individuals. As of now, publishers in India can’t monetise their apps with ads but Gandhi said that developers and publishers in India would get the opportunity to add ads “within the next few weeks”. Users can easily publish these apps on the Ovi Store, which are usually approved within 24 hours and then users worldwide can download the app.
“Using the Ovi App Wizard, a student created a GMAT app which provided tips to students studying for the exam. A Rajinikanth fan used the wizard to create an app which was constantly pulling RSS feeds about the Tamil superstar,” said Gandhi while explaining the possibilities of apps that could be created. Till date, over 3,500 apps have been created by more than 2,500 publishers from more than 90 countries. These apps have been downloaded in more than 180 countries across 90 different Nokia devices.
Google App Inventor
Google’s App Inventor allows anyone to create simple apps for their Android phones. The App Inventor uses a simple and intuitive webbased graphical user interface that runs on the Java platform and allows users to test the application via a connected phone running the Android operating system at any phase during the creation process.
The App Inventor has a design interface which is used to create the layout and overall appearance of the application. On the left side of the interface is a column of user controls that consist of things like text boxes, labels and buttons. There are also controls for adding media and sensor functionality. Located at the centre of the design interface is the virtual phone screen where the controls can be dragged and dropped. On the right hand side of the interface are the properties for the currently selected control. For example, if a button control is selected, you can add an image or adjust the color and size of the button. Using the App Inventor apps for Android can de developed within minutes.
AppMakr
Though not an official tool, App-Makr is one of the leading platforms for non-developers to create native iOS apps. AppMakr lets users turn existing RSS or Atom news feed quickly into an iPhone application. The RSS or Atom feeds can originate from Twitter, iTunes podcast feeds, Flickr streams, YouTube, Wordpress and many other sources. If you have multiple feeds, you can create multiple tabs within the app to represent each feed. AppMakr also provides a few options for making money off your app. You can submit the app to the App Store as either a free or paid download. A version for Android and Windows Phone devices has also recently been launched.
Phones That Dare to Differ
WITH SMARTPHONES GETTING so much attention these days, its easy to overlook some of the other requirements that people may have. That’s why these two phones from iBall are like a breath of fresh air.
The devices pictured here are the iBall ‘Aasaan’ from the Senior series and the ‘Floater’ from the Waterproof series. Both are affordable and both cater to very specific requirements.
The ‘Aasaan’ (Simple) is exactly that; an easy-to-use phone that is specifically catered for elderly users. It has a large, monochrome display with a large font, very large keys and a simple interface.
Besides the simplicity, the added advantage is that the phone has great build quality and a very attractive design. In fact, it has also been awarded the iF Product Design Award in 2010. To make it more suitable for elderly users, it has a unique SOS feature. A large orange SOS slider switch at the back of the phone activates the SOS function of the phone. First, it sounds a siren to alert nearby people that the user may be in some trouble. Then, the phone automatically sends a distress SMS to 5 pre-defined mobile numbers. After the messages, it starts calling those numbers in quick succession till one is answered.
It also has built in FM, a 3.5mm audio out port, LED flashlight and attractive multi-color backlighting. To make it easier to operate, there are dedicated slider switches for the flashlight and to lock the keys.
The ‘Floater’ can actually float on water, although the usefulness of that feature is debatable. It has a sealed keypad, ports covered by a rubber flap and a battery cover with a waterproof seal. Because of this, it also effectively blocks out dust and rain.
The design is meant to offer superior grip, but because of the smooth plastic, the purpose is defeated somewhat. The screen quality and interface is strictly average; probably the same as you would find in hundreds of cheap, noname brand phones. Unlike the ‘Aasaan’, this only has one proprietary port, used for both charging and earphones. Thankfully, the call quality and signal strength are passable.
There are some other downsides too; the keys are small and hard to press and the build quality does not inspire much confidence. It feels too light and flimsy; hardly worthy of a ‘rugged’ tag. However, given the low price and effective waterproofing, some users may find it useful, especially those who work in the outdoors, those into adventure sports and our military and armed forces.
Overall, the ‘Aasaan’ definitely gets a thumbs up, not just for the unique features but also for the design appeal. This is a phone that many might consider as a second phone or as a gift for an elderly family member. Someone looking for a rugged device however, will be better served by Samsung’s rugged B2100, also priced under 3,000.
iBALL AASAAN
FEATURES RATING
Monochrome, large font LCD, amber backlight Ultra large keypad, SOS function, FM LED flashlight, 3.5mm audio out PROs Great design and build quality CONs Limited feature set. Price: 3,250
iBALL FLOATER
FEATURES RATING
‘Military’ rugged design, dustproof, shockproof waterproof, 1.44-inch color display FM, LED flashlight, call blacklist function PROs Rugged, floats on water CONs Poor design and build, feels flimsy. Price: 2,900
How often have you wanted to take a video of something using your smartphone, but by time you hit the record button, the fleeting moment has passed? This app called Precorder for iPhone and iPod Touch (4th Gen only) can help. Fire up the app, and unknown to you, it is constantly recording video, keeping about 10 seconds of past video available to you before you actually press the record button. So now, instead of just recording video endlessly, you just wait for something cool to happen, press the record button and wind the dial back so you start the video with the footage of the event you actually wanted to record.Very useful for YouTube addicts, and only $0.99.
FAQ's:
I have been deleting files using Shift + Delete key. How can I recover them?
If you have deleted files using the Shift+Delete method, you have essentially bypassed the recycle bin. The Shift + Delete method should be used only if you are absolutely sure you want to delete a file. You may or may not be able to get the files back — you can try a free software program called Recuva. Another free program that works well to recover photographs and with removable media (flash cards and USB drives) is Convar's PC Inspector.
I want to buy a DSLR. Should I buy the Canon SX30 IS or the Nikon P100?
DSLRs, or Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras are a very specific type — those that have interchangeable lenses, a single lens for viewing and image capture, large image sensors and a mirror in front of the image sensor that flips up while taking a photograph. DSLRs have a lot of advantages over regular cameras because of these features. The primary advantages are better quality of images, better low light sensitivity and expandability. The disadvantage is that they are typically larger and heavier than other cameras. Also, buying additional lenses and accessories is an expensive proposition. The cameras you refer to, do have a single lens for viewing and picture taking, but they do not have interchangeable lenses, large image sensors or mirrors. These cameras are also sometimes referred to as ‘prosumer’ cameras. The advantage is that they offer more features than a compact point-andshoot camera and usually have long zoom lenses built in.
Some attractive entrylevel DSLRs you can consider are the Canon EOS 1000D or the Nikon D3100 (if you want video as well). The Canon 1000D is available with an 8-55mm kit lens for as low as 22,000 while the Nikon D3100 with an 18-55mm optically stabilised lens can be bought for 32,000.
The devices pictured here are the iBall ‘Aasaan’ from the Senior series and the ‘Floater’ from the Waterproof series. Both are affordable and both cater to very specific requirements.
The ‘Aasaan’ (Simple) is exactly that; an easy-to-use phone that is specifically catered for elderly users. It has a large, monochrome display with a large font, very large keys and a simple interface.
Besides the simplicity, the added advantage is that the phone has great build quality and a very attractive design. In fact, it has also been awarded the iF Product Design Award in 2010. To make it more suitable for elderly users, it has a unique SOS feature. A large orange SOS slider switch at the back of the phone activates the SOS function of the phone. First, it sounds a siren to alert nearby people that the user may be in some trouble. Then, the phone automatically sends a distress SMS to 5 pre-defined mobile numbers. After the messages, it starts calling those numbers in quick succession till one is answered.
It also has built in FM, a 3.5mm audio out port, LED flashlight and attractive multi-color backlighting. To make it easier to operate, there are dedicated slider switches for the flashlight and to lock the keys.
The ‘Floater’ can actually float on water, although the usefulness of that feature is debatable. It has a sealed keypad, ports covered by a rubber flap and a battery cover with a waterproof seal. Because of this, it also effectively blocks out dust and rain.
The design is meant to offer superior grip, but because of the smooth plastic, the purpose is defeated somewhat. The screen quality and interface is strictly average; probably the same as you would find in hundreds of cheap, noname brand phones. Unlike the ‘Aasaan’, this only has one proprietary port, used for both charging and earphones. Thankfully, the call quality and signal strength are passable.
There are some other downsides too; the keys are small and hard to press and the build quality does not inspire much confidence. It feels too light and flimsy; hardly worthy of a ‘rugged’ tag. However, given the low price and effective waterproofing, some users may find it useful, especially those who work in the outdoors, those into adventure sports and our military and armed forces.
Overall, the ‘Aasaan’ definitely gets a thumbs up, not just for the unique features but also for the design appeal. This is a phone that many might consider as a second phone or as a gift for an elderly family member. Someone looking for a rugged device however, will be better served by Samsung’s rugged B2100, also priced under 3,000.
iBALL AASAAN
FEATURES RATING
Monochrome, large font LCD, amber backlight Ultra large keypad, SOS function, FM LED flashlight, 3.5mm audio out PROs Great design and build quality CONs Limited feature set. Price: 3,250
iBALL FLOATER
FEATURES RATING
‘Military’ rugged design, dustproof, shockproof waterproof, 1.44-inch color display FM, LED flashlight, call blacklist function PROs Rugged, floats on water CONs Poor design and build, feels flimsy. Price: 2,900
How often have you wanted to take a video of something using your smartphone, but by time you hit the record button, the fleeting moment has passed? This app called Precorder for iPhone and iPod Touch (4th Gen only) can help. Fire up the app, and unknown to you, it is constantly recording video, keeping about 10 seconds of past video available to you before you actually press the record button. So now, instead of just recording video endlessly, you just wait for something cool to happen, press the record button and wind the dial back so you start the video with the footage of the event you actually wanted to record.Very useful for YouTube addicts, and only $0.99.
FAQ's:
I have been deleting files using Shift + Delete key. How can I recover them?
If you have deleted files using the Shift+Delete method, you have essentially bypassed the recycle bin. The Shift + Delete method should be used only if you are absolutely sure you want to delete a file. You may or may not be able to get the files back — you can try a free software program called Recuva. Another free program that works well to recover photographs and with removable media (flash cards and USB drives) is Convar's PC Inspector.
I want to buy a DSLR. Should I buy the Canon SX30 IS or the Nikon P100?
DSLRs, or Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras are a very specific type — those that have interchangeable lenses, a single lens for viewing and image capture, large image sensors and a mirror in front of the image sensor that flips up while taking a photograph. DSLRs have a lot of advantages over regular cameras because of these features. The primary advantages are better quality of images, better low light sensitivity and expandability. The disadvantage is that they are typically larger and heavier than other cameras. Also, buying additional lenses and accessories is an expensive proposition. The cameras you refer to, do have a single lens for viewing and picture taking, but they do not have interchangeable lenses, large image sensors or mirrors. These cameras are also sometimes referred to as ‘prosumer’ cameras. The advantage is that they offer more features than a compact point-andshoot camera and usually have long zoom lenses built in.
Some attractive entrylevel DSLRs you can consider are the Canon EOS 1000D or the Nikon D3100 (if you want video as well). The Canon 1000D is available with an 8-55mm kit lens for as low as 22,000 while the Nikon D3100 with an 18-55mm optically stabilised lens can be bought for 32,000.
New Gadgets prices
MOTOROLA MILESTONE XT800
Motorola’s new XT 800 is India’s first CDMA + GSM dual SIM Android touchscreen phone. Both SIM cards can be active at the same time (dual standby mode). Powered by Android 2.1, the XT 800 has a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen display, 550Mhz processor, 512MB RAM, 5MP camera with dual LED flash, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FM, GPS and 720p HD video output. A 2GB micro SD card is supplied, and the device can accept 32GB cards as well. The XT 800 has a HDMI output port, to directly connect to a flat panel TV, and an HDMI cable is also included in the box.
Price: 31,999
JTT CHOBI CAM ONE
As a maker of miniature digital cameras, Japan’s JTT has already proven itself.The new Chobi Cam One however, takes things to a new level altogether with a miniature DSLR design, complete with detachable lenses. It has a built in battery and weighs just 12 grams. Just like with a full-size DSLR, you can choose to buy an additional ‘conversion’ lens separately, or buy a kit.The lens snaps on to the front magnetically and it can take 2MP (1600 x 1200 pixel) still photographs and 640 x 480 pixel AVI videos at 30fps. Storage is via micro SD card and the camera is priced at $120.
WAYBACK MACHINE
The internet is constantly changing. Websites that you visit often may look completely different now as compared to when they first started out. If you’re a believer in the ‘old is gold’ adage, you may want to check out the Wayback Machine at http://waybackmachine.org.The Wayback Machine is an initiative by the Internet Archive (www.archive.org) and aims to put the history of the world wide web at your fingertips. Just type in any website name, and the site lists out when changes were made in a calendar format, and you can go back and see what all the previous versions looked like.
PRECORDER FOR iOS
How often have you wanted to take a video of something using your smartphone, but by time you hit the record button, the fleeting moment has passed? This app called Precorder for iPhone and iPod Touch (4th Gen only) can help. Fire up the app, and unknown to you, it is constantly recording video, keeping about 10 seconds of past video available to you before you actually press the record button. So now, instead of just recording video endlessly, you just wait for something cool to happen, press the record button and wind the dial back so you start the video with the footage of the event you actually wanted to record.Very useful for YouTube addicts, and only $0.99.
Motorola’s new XT 800 is India’s first CDMA + GSM dual SIM Android touchscreen phone. Both SIM cards can be active at the same time (dual standby mode). Powered by Android 2.1, the XT 800 has a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen display, 550Mhz processor, 512MB RAM, 5MP camera with dual LED flash, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FM, GPS and 720p HD video output. A 2GB micro SD card is supplied, and the device can accept 32GB cards as well. The XT 800 has a HDMI output port, to directly connect to a flat panel TV, and an HDMI cable is also included in the box.
Price: 31,999
JTT CHOBI CAM ONE
As a maker of miniature digital cameras, Japan’s JTT has already proven itself.The new Chobi Cam One however, takes things to a new level altogether with a miniature DSLR design, complete with detachable lenses. It has a built in battery and weighs just 12 grams. Just like with a full-size DSLR, you can choose to buy an additional ‘conversion’ lens separately, or buy a kit.The lens snaps on to the front magnetically and it can take 2MP (1600 x 1200 pixel) still photographs and 640 x 480 pixel AVI videos at 30fps. Storage is via micro SD card and the camera is priced at $120.
WAYBACK MACHINE
The internet is constantly changing. Websites that you visit often may look completely different now as compared to when they first started out. If you’re a believer in the ‘old is gold’ adage, you may want to check out the Wayback Machine at http://waybackmachine.org.The Wayback Machine is an initiative by the Internet Archive (www.archive.org) and aims to put the history of the world wide web at your fingertips. Just type in any website name, and the site lists out when changes were made in a calendar format, and you can go back and see what all the previous versions looked like.
PRECORDER FOR iOS
How often have you wanted to take a video of something using your smartphone, but by time you hit the record button, the fleeting moment has passed? This app called Precorder for iPhone and iPod Touch (4th Gen only) can help. Fire up the app, and unknown to you, it is constantly recording video, keeping about 10 seconds of past video available to you before you actually press the record button. So now, instead of just recording video endlessly, you just wait for something cool to happen, press the record button and wind the dial back so you start the video with the footage of the event you actually wanted to record.Very useful for YouTube addicts, and only $0.99.
Camera Convergence Confusion
As a camera user, do you take more still photographs or video? The devices you choose have normally reflected that type of usage, but that’s not true anymore.
MANY of us carry multiple devices around with us. That's because each device does something really well; a function that we need in our daily lives. A cellphone is good to make calls, a laptop for computing and a tablet for media consumption.
It’s the same deal with cameras. Traditionally, video cameras (or camcorders) were always preferred to capture video. Still cameras were meant primarily for photographs, although most were also capable of video. Then came the first area of confusion; digital camcorders acquired the ability to take still photographs. Second, still cameras started to take better quality, even HD video. But these devices were never perfect. Camcorders usually have lower megapixel sensors, so you get only 1 or 2 Megapixel images. Worse still, some used digital interpolation to artificially create larger images. Digital still cameras also usually have many limitations when it comes to video - many can only record a few minutes of video at a time, some take choppy video at reduced frame rates and most do not allow the use of optical zoom while shooting video.
Now you can also get cheap HD video cameras that fit in your pocket. The confusion is further compounded by the arrival of digital SLRs that can take video. DSLRs are widely acknowledged to take the best still photographs as compared to other cameras. A DSLR is what you would use if you want images with the greatest clarity, the lowest noise and maximum sensitivity to light - to shoot images in low light. So what, then, do you choose?
Pocket-friendly HD camcorders
A new class of cameras rapidly emerging is pocket-sized HD camcorders. Roughly the size and weight of an average cellphone, these camcorders usually have fixed lenses (without an optical zoom, though an exception is Samsung’s HMX U20 which has a 3x optical zoom), a small color screen, a built in battery and flash storage memory or SD card slot. They either record 720p or 1080p video and can output the same to a larger display through a built in HDMI port. The keyword here is convenience, because you can have high-quality HD video to complement your HD TV in the palm of your hand. They are also ideal when you want to upload to video sharing websites; just a quick USB connection to drag-and-drop videos to a computer. There is also very little to adjust by way of manual controls or settings. All you have to do is point and record. Happily, they aren't too expensive either, with prices starting as low as Rs 9,000. The cheapest traditional HD camcorder still costs at least three times as much. The only downside of the pocket cameras is that most of them do not have features like image stabilization, so you do have to hold them very still to avoid getting shaky video. Check for one with a tripod socket, so that you can mount it on a small tripod for professional-looking videos. Various options available include the Creative Vado ( 9,000), Kodak Zi8 ( 10,000), JVC Picsio ( 12,000), Sanyo VPC CG-20 ( 12,000), Samsung HMXU20 ( 9,000) and Panasonic TA-1 ( 9,000).
The do-it-all DLSRs
With the advanced imaging processors and large sensors that DSLRs have, it was only natural that they would progress to recording high quality HD video. Go to any popular video sharing website and search for videos taken by a DSLR, and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in quality between that and a professional video camera. In fact, several filmmakers are now extensively using DLSRs to record video. DSLRs like Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II have been used for video in big budget Hollywood blockbusters like Iron Man 2, TV series like House and in many music videos, documentaries and short films. The advantages are simple; great quality, a small and lightweight camera which can go undetected in public, hundreds of add-on lenses for various effects and a much lower cost as compared to expensive film cameras. The cheapest DSLR that also records excellent quality full HD video is the Nikon D3100. Priced at just 32,000 with a bundled 18-55mm VR (vibration reduction) kit lens, the D3100 is unbeatable value for money. Canon is yet to launch something that records full HD video in this price bracket. Other options that can take great stills and video include the Canon EOS 550D ( 44,000 with 18-55mm IS lens), Canon EOS 60D ( 65,000 with 18-55mm IS lens) and the Nikon D7000 ( - 85,000 with 18-105mm VR lens).
So the verdict is clear; a pocket HD camcorder is good for a lark and it’s not too expensive either. But if you need the very best in both stills and video, get yourself a video-capable DSLR.
MANY of us carry multiple devices around with us. That's because each device does something really well; a function that we need in our daily lives. A cellphone is good to make calls, a laptop for computing and a tablet for media consumption.
It’s the same deal with cameras. Traditionally, video cameras (or camcorders) were always preferred to capture video. Still cameras were meant primarily for photographs, although most were also capable of video. Then came the first area of confusion; digital camcorders acquired the ability to take still photographs. Second, still cameras started to take better quality, even HD video. But these devices were never perfect. Camcorders usually have lower megapixel sensors, so you get only 1 or 2 Megapixel images. Worse still, some used digital interpolation to artificially create larger images. Digital still cameras also usually have many limitations when it comes to video - many can only record a few minutes of video at a time, some take choppy video at reduced frame rates and most do not allow the use of optical zoom while shooting video.
Now you can also get cheap HD video cameras that fit in your pocket. The confusion is further compounded by the arrival of digital SLRs that can take video. DSLRs are widely acknowledged to take the best still photographs as compared to other cameras. A DSLR is what you would use if you want images with the greatest clarity, the lowest noise and maximum sensitivity to light - to shoot images in low light. So what, then, do you choose?
Pocket-friendly HD camcorders
A new class of cameras rapidly emerging is pocket-sized HD camcorders. Roughly the size and weight of an average cellphone, these camcorders usually have fixed lenses (without an optical zoom, though an exception is Samsung’s HMX U20 which has a 3x optical zoom), a small color screen, a built in battery and flash storage memory or SD card slot. They either record 720p or 1080p video and can output the same to a larger display through a built in HDMI port. The keyword here is convenience, because you can have high-quality HD video to complement your HD TV in the palm of your hand. They are also ideal when you want to upload to video sharing websites; just a quick USB connection to drag-and-drop videos to a computer. There is also very little to adjust by way of manual controls or settings. All you have to do is point and record. Happily, they aren't too expensive either, with prices starting as low as Rs 9,000. The cheapest traditional HD camcorder still costs at least three times as much. The only downside of the pocket cameras is that most of them do not have features like image stabilization, so you do have to hold them very still to avoid getting shaky video. Check for one with a tripod socket, so that you can mount it on a small tripod for professional-looking videos. Various options available include the Creative Vado ( 9,000), Kodak Zi8 ( 10,000), JVC Picsio ( 12,000), Sanyo VPC CG-20 ( 12,000), Samsung HMXU20 ( 9,000) and Panasonic TA-1 ( 9,000).
The do-it-all DLSRs
With the advanced imaging processors and large sensors that DSLRs have, it was only natural that they would progress to recording high quality HD video. Go to any popular video sharing website and search for videos taken by a DSLR, and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in quality between that and a professional video camera. In fact, several filmmakers are now extensively using DLSRs to record video. DSLRs like Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II have been used for video in big budget Hollywood blockbusters like Iron Man 2, TV series like House and in many music videos, documentaries and short films. The advantages are simple; great quality, a small and lightweight camera which can go undetected in public, hundreds of add-on lenses for various effects and a much lower cost as compared to expensive film cameras. The cheapest DSLR that also records excellent quality full HD video is the Nikon D3100. Priced at just 32,000 with a bundled 18-55mm VR (vibration reduction) kit lens, the D3100 is unbeatable value for money. Canon is yet to launch something that records full HD video in this price bracket. Other options that can take great stills and video include the Canon EOS 550D ( 44,000 with 18-55mm IS lens), Canon EOS 60D ( 65,000 with 18-55mm IS lens) and the Nikon D7000 ( - 85,000 with 18-105mm VR lens).
So the verdict is clear; a pocket HD camcorder is good for a lark and it’s not too expensive either. But if you need the very best in both stills and video, get yourself a video-capable DSLR.
RIM & Sprint in talks for bigger tablet play
WITH 2011 set to become the year of the tablet with 55 million units expected to be sold, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has joined hands with Sprint Nextel to make a mark with its PlayBook in the fast crowding tablet market. RIM is launching the WiFi-only version of its PlayBook in the US market in March. It will sold under $500.
But its wireless version to be released later will run on Sprint’s fast wireless 4G technology and sold through the third largest wireless carrier in the US, according to the Wall Street Journal. The daily says the Sprint or wireless version of the tablet won’t be available until summer, and the companies are yet to reveal the price of the product.
According to the report, Playbook won’t be able to run a significant number of the applications built for RIM’s BlackBerry smartphone because the tablet runs on a new operating system built by QNX Software Systems. RIM bought Ottawa-based QNX Software Systems for $200 million in April to have exclusive access to its software technology for its tablet.
Unveiled in September, the seveninch Playbook has a dual-core computer chip to run high- definition video and other application simultaneously. Moreover, it supports Flash which Apple’s iPad does not, thus enabling PlayBook users to fully access YouTube and Facebook.
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But its wireless version to be released later will run on Sprint’s fast wireless 4G technology and sold through the third largest wireless carrier in the US, according to the Wall Street Journal. The daily says the Sprint or wireless version of the tablet won’t be available until summer, and the companies are yet to reveal the price of the product.
According to the report, Playbook won’t be able to run a significant number of the applications built for RIM’s BlackBerry smartphone because the tablet runs on a new operating system built by QNX Software Systems. RIM bought Ottawa-based QNX Software Systems for $200 million in April to have exclusive access to its software technology for its tablet.
Unveiled in September, the seveninch Playbook has a dual-core computer chip to run high- definition video and other application simultaneously. Moreover, it supports Flash which Apple’s iPad does not, thus enabling PlayBook users to fully access YouTube and Facebook.
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The Ideal Sidekick
CANON POWERSHOT S95 FEATURES
10 megapixel CCD, 3.8x Optical zoom with IS f2.0 lens, full manual control, 3-inch LCD 720p HD video, 193 grams PROs Fast lens, larger sensor than usual
compact cams CONs Expensive, looks plain 26,995
IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH AT first, but the Canon PowerShot S95 is a special compact camera. The primary thing that sets it apart is a larger CCD sensor than what is found in most similarly sized cameras. The size and quality of the light sensor, being one of the most important aspects in image quality, automatically endows the S95 with surprisingly good results. That’s why it can be the ideal sidekick to a larger DSLR, for when space is tight.
Clad in a sober, understated black, the S95 has no visible design flourishes or anything that will make you look twice. Even some of Canon’s own IXUS cameras that cost less than half of this, have better visual appeal. Canon calls it an ‘alumite' finish, and they refer to the textured finish that you find on many mid to high end DSLRs. It also helps to keep the surface smudge free.
All the controls fall easily to hand. The 3-inch LCD dominates the back, but there is also a nice d-pad and a standard control dial on top. Apart from the larger light sensor, the highlight of the S95 is the large control ring around the lens. This rotatable ring easily comes to hand while taking a photograph, and you can configure it to control functions like ISO, optical zoom and even for adjusting focus in manual focus mode. This way, you can change your preferred setting without taking eyes off your subject.
There are advanced controls too - you can shoot both RAW and JPEG images; rare for a compact camera. There are full manual controls, with an ISO range of 80 to 3200 and a surprisingly wide f2.0 fast lens that lets in more light. Not only does the lens let in more light (which works to your advantage in low light), but it also allows for creative blurring of the background when used right. And you get very good 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) HD video shooting with 30fps frame rate.
Image quality, as expected with the larger sensor, is great all round. There is very little lens distortion. You need to shoot in RAW for better quality, though the camera is slower and the images take up more space in this mode. ISO performance is good till ISO 400 and acceptable at ISO 800.
Minor niggles include a power pop up flash that opens right where many people normally hold a camera, a small, fiddly zoom lever and a somewhat slow startup time. Also, if we were to nitpick, there’s not much of a price difference between this and the Sony NEX-3, which has a DSLR-size APS-C sensor.
The S95 is a great camera, and the one to choose if you need great quality in a pocketable size. And for even more features at a slightly higher price, you can get the Canon PowerShot G12. The G12 offers several extras like a flash hotshoe, vari-angle LCD, optical viewfinder, 5x optical zoom and almost double the battery life.
10 megapixel CCD, 3.8x Optical zoom with IS f2.0 lens, full manual control, 3-inch LCD 720p HD video, 193 grams PROs Fast lens, larger sensor than usual
compact cams CONs Expensive, looks plain 26,995
IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH AT first, but the Canon PowerShot S95 is a special compact camera. The primary thing that sets it apart is a larger CCD sensor than what is found in most similarly sized cameras. The size and quality of the light sensor, being one of the most important aspects in image quality, automatically endows the S95 with surprisingly good results. That’s why it can be the ideal sidekick to a larger DSLR, for when space is tight.
Clad in a sober, understated black, the S95 has no visible design flourishes or anything that will make you look twice. Even some of Canon’s own IXUS cameras that cost less than half of this, have better visual appeal. Canon calls it an ‘alumite' finish, and they refer to the textured finish that you find on many mid to high end DSLRs. It also helps to keep the surface smudge free.
All the controls fall easily to hand. The 3-inch LCD dominates the back, but there is also a nice d-pad and a standard control dial on top. Apart from the larger light sensor, the highlight of the S95 is the large control ring around the lens. This rotatable ring easily comes to hand while taking a photograph, and you can configure it to control functions like ISO, optical zoom and even for adjusting focus in manual focus mode. This way, you can change your preferred setting without taking eyes off your subject.
There are advanced controls too - you can shoot both RAW and JPEG images; rare for a compact camera. There are full manual controls, with an ISO range of 80 to 3200 and a surprisingly wide f2.0 fast lens that lets in more light. Not only does the lens let in more light (which works to your advantage in low light), but it also allows for creative blurring of the background when used right. And you get very good 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) HD video shooting with 30fps frame rate.
Image quality, as expected with the larger sensor, is great all round. There is very little lens distortion. You need to shoot in RAW for better quality, though the camera is slower and the images take up more space in this mode. ISO performance is good till ISO 400 and acceptable at ISO 800.
Minor niggles include a power pop up flash that opens right where many people normally hold a camera, a small, fiddly zoom lever and a somewhat slow startup time. Also, if we were to nitpick, there’s not much of a price difference between this and the Sony NEX-3, which has a DSLR-size APS-C sensor.
The S95 is a great camera, and the one to choose if you need great quality in a pocketable size. And for even more features at a slightly higher price, you can get the Canon PowerShot G12. The G12 offers several extras like a flash hotshoe, vari-angle LCD, optical viewfinder, 5x optical zoom and almost double the battery life.
New Gadgets in the Market
HTC HD7
The first Windows Phone 7 device to be launched in India, the HTC HD7 borrows its design heavily from the HD2 (also Windows Mobile). It has a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen, 1Ghz Qualcomm processor, 576 MB RAM, 5MP camera with dual LED flash, 720p HD video recording plus all the usual features of a high end phone like Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. The HD7 is available with a special offer from Airtel, which allows 2GB data download per month (for six months, at a rate of 300 per month). 29,990
LG LZ9700 72-INCH LED TV
Soon to be unveiled at the CES in Las Vegas, LG’s LZ9700 will be the world’s largest 3D-ready LED backlit TV at 72-inches. Full details are not available yet, but the TV is reported to feature local dimming LED backlighting, 400Mhz technology for stutter-free images, 3D compatibility (with a 2D to 3D upscale feature), internet connectivity for various applications, games, social networking and a motion-sensitive remote control that allows you to control on-screen actions with a flick of the wrist.
iXPENSEiT FOR iOS
Don’t know where all your cash goes at the end of the month? iXpenseit is a useful expense tracker that can display and track expenditure in Indian rupees. The idea is simple; input all your expenses, in different categories, and the app will provide you with detailed break-ups. The free version of iXpenseit can get you started easily, and up to 200 records are permitted. If you decide that the app is useful, you can purchase the full version for $4.99, which removes the limitations. It also offers a quick transfer of all your expenditure records from the free to the paid version.
Quick TIP
ABOUT.ME
If you need to set up a quick homepage for yourself on the internet, without spending any cash or taking up too much time, head to http://about.me. Once you sign up, you can choose your username, which also becomes the URL for your page (http://about.me/your name). For customisation, you can upload your own image or choose from any of the available backgrounds for the home page. About.me can also link with your Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Wordpress, Linkedin or Blogger accounts to display your updates on the page itself. The service provides detailed statistics of visitors too, all for free.
The first Windows Phone 7 device to be launched in India, the HTC HD7 borrows its design heavily from the HD2 (also Windows Mobile). It has a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen, 1Ghz Qualcomm processor, 576 MB RAM, 5MP camera with dual LED flash, 720p HD video recording plus all the usual features of a high end phone like Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. The HD7 is available with a special offer from Airtel, which allows 2GB data download per month (for six months, at a rate of 300 per month). 29,990
LG LZ9700 72-INCH LED TV
Soon to be unveiled at the CES in Las Vegas, LG’s LZ9700 will be the world’s largest 3D-ready LED backlit TV at 72-inches. Full details are not available yet, but the TV is reported to feature local dimming LED backlighting, 400Mhz technology for stutter-free images, 3D compatibility (with a 2D to 3D upscale feature), internet connectivity for various applications, games, social networking and a motion-sensitive remote control that allows you to control on-screen actions with a flick of the wrist.
iXPENSEiT FOR iOS
Don’t know where all your cash goes at the end of the month? iXpenseit is a useful expense tracker that can display and track expenditure in Indian rupees. The idea is simple; input all your expenses, in different categories, and the app will provide you with detailed break-ups. The free version of iXpenseit can get you started easily, and up to 200 records are permitted. If you decide that the app is useful, you can purchase the full version for $4.99, which removes the limitations. It also offers a quick transfer of all your expenditure records from the free to the paid version.
Quick TIP
ABOUT.ME
If you need to set up a quick homepage for yourself on the internet, without spending any cash or taking up too much time, head to http://about.me. Once you sign up, you can choose your username, which also becomes the URL for your page (http://about.me/your name). For customisation, you can upload your own image or choose from any of the available backgrounds for the home page. About.me can also link with your Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Wordpress, Linkedin or Blogger accounts to display your updates on the page itself. The service provides detailed statistics of visitors too, all for free.
Browser Enhancement
Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome are popular choices for web browsers. Aral Lobo shows you how free extensions can truly augment their usefulness and functionality.
BOTH Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome come with a large number of features out of the box, but you can make them even better by adding extensions and personalising them to suit your needs. Extensions are add-ons that are developed to enhance browser functionality. They can be complex (like an entire application) as well as simple (like a toolbar or a button). Extensions can be used for things like notifications from sites you visit often, bonus information about a page, to do things with fewer clicks and even view images and tabs in a new way. Read on to see some of our top picks.
FOR BOTH FIREBOX & CHROME
IE Tab
Since some Web pages work only with Internet Explorer, the IE Tab extension allows you to run IE from within a tab in Chrome or Firefox so you can display them without leaving the browser. You can configure the extension to automatically switch to IE for URLs you specify. It's also very handy for sites like Outlook Webmail, which requires IE for full functionality.
Cooliris
Cooliris is a fast and cool way to browse photos and videos. Rather than clicking through pages and pages of images and waiting for each page to render, you scroll through a 3D wall to search for images and videos. This plugin works on a number of sites like Google, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa and Facebook. You can also search and windowshop stores of online retailers.
ForecastFox
The Forecastfox Weather extension adds an icon for current conditions and the temperature on your toolbar for weather at a glance. It pops out with an extended overview with just a click if you need more info. You can see the seven-day forecast, without even opening a tab.
Shareaholic
Though both the Chrome and Firefox extension library offer numerous options for integrating Web content with social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, we found Shareaholic one of the best extensions for the purpose. It supports almost all the popular social networking site (Twitter, Facebook, Digg, LinkedIn) and also integrates with Gmail and Yahoo. You can share, save or e-mail the page you're visiting to Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Google Reader and over 80 more. Videos, blogs and images can also be shared the same way.
Xmarks Bookmark Sync
Xmarks is a popular bookmarking tool. It gives you a backup of your bookmarks and lets you sync them across browsers and across computers. Xmarks also lets you control which bookmarks are synced to which computers, so that you can keep private bookmarks at home while syncing everything else to a work computer.
LightShot
LightShot makes taking screenshots of any selected area in a browser tab easy. You just hit the LightShot icon on the toolbar or status bar (or press ALT+T), select the area you want to make a screenshot and click ‘Save’ or ‘Upload to server’. If you upload, you instantly get link to the screenshot which can then be shared. It is also possible to resize and move the selection area right in the browser tab without opening any additional applications. The screenshots can also be edited (add text, draw lines and other such functions).
AutoPager
AutoPager is a browser extension that loads the next page of a website automatically. By default, it works with a large number of websites like Google, New York Times, Digg and many more. Custom autopaging can be added to unsupported websites using the site wizard. It is very useful when going through search results; auto loading of the next page really helps speed things up.
Flash Video Downloader
Flash Video Downloader helps you to download flash video (.flv) from YouTube, Google Video and other sites with similar embedded video files in one click. You can download videos in the mp4 (iPod), AVI and other media formats. The extension also allows download of Flash Games from sites like gamespot.com, gamesvine.com, zoopgames.comandflashgames247.com.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR GOOGLE CHROME
Gmail Checker
This extension embeds a little notification icon for your Gmail account in your toolstrip (the little bar at the bottom of the Chrome window). When you receive email, you will be alerted and a simple click will open a new Gmail window.
Google Talk From Your Browser
This little script allows you to add a GTalk icon to your launcher which, when run, opens up a window that simply requires your login and password to get you chatting.
Google Chrome Backup Extension
The Google Chrome BackUp add-on creates, backups, restores and manages Chrome profiles. All history, bookmarks and related stuff are maintained easily with this add-on. So in case there is a system crash or accidental deletion, you can easily restore or get back all the lost settings.
Facebook for Google Chrome
This unofficial extension lets you check your Facebook news feed, wall, inbox and notifications. Once logged in, it automatically displays new notifications or unread messages. The extension also uses Facebook Connect as a more reliable way to retrieve your information.
Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer
Much faster than using other plug-ins, Google's very own PDF reader extension pops up instantly when you navigate from a link that leads to an Acrobat or PowerPoint file rather than a standard web page. It does this by opening the file on the Google docs site. It may not have all the features of the software used to create the file, but it displays the files properly in most cases.
RemindMe
RemindMe lets you quickly scribble down reminders like ‘pay bills’ — and set automatic reminders to do the same tasks in the future. The icon also shows pending tasks, for when you stumble across some free time and want to clear your plate.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR FIREFOX
AutoProxy
AutoProxy is an add-on which helps you use your proxy (http/socks) automatically & efficiently. With this, you no longer need to manually switch your proxy status between on & off. If you prefer to visit a website via proxy, just add the domain to AutoProxy's preference. After that, whilesurfing, the specified websites will be transferred through a proxy while others connect directly. You can also subscribe to rule lists maintained by people who have similar requirements as you. This saves you the work of creating all proxy rules by yourself.
FoxTab
FoxTab is a free 3D tab management add-on. With its six layouts, FoxTab enables grouping, filtering, closing and switching between tabs quickly and easily. It has the following features: Top Sites (a.k.a. Speed Dial) for quickly accessing your favorite web sites, Tab Flipper — to easily flip between opened tabs using the mouse or keyboard gestures and Recently Closed Tabs — for reopening a tab that was recently closed.
FastestFox
FastestFox is like a Swiss Army Knife for a virtual researcher. It allows you to save on-page video to your hard drive, even if there isn't a download link. If you highlight on-page text, FastestFox will offer a Wikipedia definition as well as links to multiple search engines for the selection. Clicking on the Wikipedia link will open all related Wikipedia articles into a handy left-column list.
Adblock Plus
Adblock is used to eliminate undesired elements and other annoying content like ads in pages. Adblock Plus is easily customisable and offers an entire subscription based automatic solution for the block list. Sometimes, Adblock Plus may omit necessary content and this is its only downside, but you can easily disable it temporarily if required.
Download Statusbar
With this extension, downloads can be conveniently managed in the Firefox statusbar rather than displaying a separate dialog that pops up everytime. You can instant notifications and can easily pause and resume downloads by double clicking on the icons.
BOTH Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome come with a large number of features out of the box, but you can make them even better by adding extensions and personalising them to suit your needs. Extensions are add-ons that are developed to enhance browser functionality. They can be complex (like an entire application) as well as simple (like a toolbar or a button). Extensions can be used for things like notifications from sites you visit often, bonus information about a page, to do things with fewer clicks and even view images and tabs in a new way. Read on to see some of our top picks.
FOR BOTH FIREBOX & CHROME
IE Tab
Since some Web pages work only with Internet Explorer, the IE Tab extension allows you to run IE from within a tab in Chrome or Firefox so you can display them without leaving the browser. You can configure the extension to automatically switch to IE for URLs you specify. It's also very handy for sites like Outlook Webmail, which requires IE for full functionality.
Cooliris
Cooliris is a fast and cool way to browse photos and videos. Rather than clicking through pages and pages of images and waiting for each page to render, you scroll through a 3D wall to search for images and videos. This plugin works on a number of sites like Google, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa and Facebook. You can also search and windowshop stores of online retailers.
ForecastFox
The Forecastfox Weather extension adds an icon for current conditions and the temperature on your toolbar for weather at a glance. It pops out with an extended overview with just a click if you need more info. You can see the seven-day forecast, without even opening a tab.
Shareaholic
Though both the Chrome and Firefox extension library offer numerous options for integrating Web content with social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, we found Shareaholic one of the best extensions for the purpose. It supports almost all the popular social networking site (Twitter, Facebook, Digg, LinkedIn) and also integrates with Gmail and Yahoo. You can share, save or e-mail the page you're visiting to Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Google Reader and over 80 more. Videos, blogs and images can also be shared the same way.
Xmarks Bookmark Sync
Xmarks is a popular bookmarking tool. It gives you a backup of your bookmarks and lets you sync them across browsers and across computers. Xmarks also lets you control which bookmarks are synced to which computers, so that you can keep private bookmarks at home while syncing everything else to a work computer.
LightShot
LightShot makes taking screenshots of any selected area in a browser tab easy. You just hit the LightShot icon on the toolbar or status bar (or press ALT+T), select the area you want to make a screenshot and click ‘Save’ or ‘Upload to server’. If you upload, you instantly get link to the screenshot which can then be shared. It is also possible to resize and move the selection area right in the browser tab without opening any additional applications. The screenshots can also be edited (add text, draw lines and other such functions).
AutoPager
AutoPager is a browser extension that loads the next page of a website automatically. By default, it works with a large number of websites like Google, New York Times, Digg and many more. Custom autopaging can be added to unsupported websites using the site wizard. It is very useful when going through search results; auto loading of the next page really helps speed things up.
Flash Video Downloader
Flash Video Downloader helps you to download flash video (.flv) from YouTube, Google Video and other sites with similar embedded video files in one click. You can download videos in the mp4 (iPod), AVI and other media formats. The extension also allows download of Flash Games from sites like gamespot.com, gamesvine.com, zoopgames.comandflashgames247.com.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR GOOGLE CHROME
Gmail Checker
This extension embeds a little notification icon for your Gmail account in your toolstrip (the little bar at the bottom of the Chrome window). When you receive email, you will be alerted and a simple click will open a new Gmail window.
Google Talk From Your Browser
This little script allows you to add a GTalk icon to your launcher which, when run, opens up a window that simply requires your login and password to get you chatting.
Google Chrome Backup Extension
The Google Chrome BackUp add-on creates, backups, restores and manages Chrome profiles. All history, bookmarks and related stuff are maintained easily with this add-on. So in case there is a system crash or accidental deletion, you can easily restore or get back all the lost settings.
Facebook for Google Chrome
This unofficial extension lets you check your Facebook news feed, wall, inbox and notifications. Once logged in, it automatically displays new notifications or unread messages. The extension also uses Facebook Connect as a more reliable way to retrieve your information.
Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer
Much faster than using other plug-ins, Google's very own PDF reader extension pops up instantly when you navigate from a link that leads to an Acrobat or PowerPoint file rather than a standard web page. It does this by opening the file on the Google docs site. It may not have all the features of the software used to create the file, but it displays the files properly in most cases.
RemindMe
RemindMe lets you quickly scribble down reminders like ‘pay bills’ — and set automatic reminders to do the same tasks in the future. The icon also shows pending tasks, for when you stumble across some free time and want to clear your plate.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR FIREFOX
AutoProxy
AutoProxy is an add-on which helps you use your proxy (http/socks) automatically & efficiently. With this, you no longer need to manually switch your proxy status between on & off. If you prefer to visit a website via proxy, just add the domain to AutoProxy's preference. After that, whilesurfing, the specified websites will be transferred through a proxy while others connect directly. You can also subscribe to rule lists maintained by people who have similar requirements as you. This saves you the work of creating all proxy rules by yourself.
FoxTab
FoxTab is a free 3D tab management add-on. With its six layouts, FoxTab enables grouping, filtering, closing and switching between tabs quickly and easily. It has the following features: Top Sites (a.k.a. Speed Dial) for quickly accessing your favorite web sites, Tab Flipper — to easily flip between opened tabs using the mouse or keyboard gestures and Recently Closed Tabs — for reopening a tab that was recently closed.
FastestFox
FastestFox is like a Swiss Army Knife for a virtual researcher. It allows you to save on-page video to your hard drive, even if there isn't a download link. If you highlight on-page text, FastestFox will offer a Wikipedia definition as well as links to multiple search engines for the selection. Clicking on the Wikipedia link will open all related Wikipedia articles into a handy left-column list.
Adblock Plus
Adblock is used to eliminate undesired elements and other annoying content like ads in pages. Adblock Plus is easily customisable and offers an entire subscription based automatic solution for the block list. Sometimes, Adblock Plus may omit necessary content and this is its only downside, but you can easily disable it temporarily if required.
Download Statusbar
With this extension, downloads can be conveniently managed in the Firefox statusbar rather than displaying a separate dialog that pops up everytime. You can instant notifications and can easily pause and resume downloads by double clicking on the icons.
Facebook @ $50 billion
Stock Valuation By Goldman Sachs Puts It Ahead Of eBay, Yahoo!
FACEBOOK, the popular social networking site, has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor, in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, according to people involved in the transaction. The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies like eBay, Yahoo! and Time Warner.
The stake by Goldman Sachs, considered one of Wall Street’s savviest investors, signals the increasing might of Facebook, which has already been bearing down on giants such as Google. The new money will give Facebook more firepower to steal away valuable employees, develop new products and possibly pursue acquisitions – all without being a publicly traded company. The investment may also allow earlier shareholders, including Facebook employees, to cash out some of their stakes.
The new investment comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission has begun an inquiry into the increasingly hot private market for shares in Internet companies, including Facebook, Twitter, the gaming site Zynga and LinkedIn, an online professional networking site.
Some experts suggest the inquiry is focused on whether certain companies are improperly using the private market to get around public disclosure requirements. The new money could add pressure on Facebook to go public even as its executives have resisted. The popularity of shares of Microsoft and Google in the private market ultimately pressured them to pursue initial public offerings.
So far, Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has brushed aside the possibility of an initial public offering or a sale of the company. At an industry conference in November, he said on the topic: “Don’t hold your breath.” However, people involved in the fund-raising effort suggest that Facebook’s board has indicated an intention to consider a public offering in 2012.
There has been an explosion in user interest in social media sites. The social buying site Groupon, which recently rejected a $6-billion takeover bid from Google, is in the process of raising as much as $950 million from major institutional investors, at a valuation near $5 billion, according to people briefed on the matter who were not authorised to speak publicly.
“When you think back to the early days of Google, they were kind of ignored by Wall Street investors, until it was time to go public,” said Chris Sacca, an investor in Silicon Valley who is a former Google employee and an investor in Twitter.
FACEBOOK, the popular social networking site, has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor, in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, according to people involved in the transaction. The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies like eBay, Yahoo! and Time Warner.
The stake by Goldman Sachs, considered one of Wall Street’s savviest investors, signals the increasing might of Facebook, which has already been bearing down on giants such as Google. The new money will give Facebook more firepower to steal away valuable employees, develop new products and possibly pursue acquisitions – all without being a publicly traded company. The investment may also allow earlier shareholders, including Facebook employees, to cash out some of their stakes.
The new investment comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission has begun an inquiry into the increasingly hot private market for shares in Internet companies, including Facebook, Twitter, the gaming site Zynga and LinkedIn, an online professional networking site.
Some experts suggest the inquiry is focused on whether certain companies are improperly using the private market to get around public disclosure requirements. The new money could add pressure on Facebook to go public even as its executives have resisted. The popularity of shares of Microsoft and Google in the private market ultimately pressured them to pursue initial public offerings.
So far, Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has brushed aside the possibility of an initial public offering or a sale of the company. At an industry conference in November, he said on the topic: “Don’t hold your breath.” However, people involved in the fund-raising effort suggest that Facebook’s board has indicated an intention to consider a public offering in 2012.
There has been an explosion in user interest in social media sites. The social buying site Groupon, which recently rejected a $6-billion takeover bid from Google, is in the process of raising as much as $950 million from major institutional investors, at a valuation near $5 billion, according to people briefed on the matter who were not authorised to speak publicly.
“When you think back to the early days of Google, they were kind of ignored by Wall Street investors, until it was time to go public,” said Chris Sacca, an investor in Silicon Valley who is a former Google employee and an investor in Twitter.
New Gadgets in the market
Dell is hitting the netbook segment hard with the launch of the new Inspiron M101z, Priced at an affordable 20,900 (plus 900 delivery charges), the M101z features a 11.6-inch widescreen LCD, AMD Athlon II Neo processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, ATi Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics card, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and pre-loaded Windows 7 Starter Edition. Unlike most other netbooks, the M101z has HDMI out and is capable of HD video playback. You can also configure the M101z with Windows 7 Home Premium, 4GB RAM and up to 320GB hard drive.
20,900 onwards, 900 delivery charges
Complete details are unavailable at the time of writing, but the HTC Thunderbolt, pictured here, could be HTC’s first phone with a dual-core processor. Like the HTC Desire HD, the Thunderbolt will have a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, but the dual core processor and likely 1GB RAM will enable it to record, playback and output full HD 1080p video with ease. To live up to its flagship status, the Thunderbolt will also have 16GB on-board storage, an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and a tiny kickstand.
On an Android phone, if you receive an SMS, you can get alerted with a sound and a notification. But a small (and free) application called SMS Popup integrates into messaging and gives you a quick pop up with the text of the message. Not only can you read the SMS, but you can also quickly reply to it without opening the messaging application, or simply press the ‘Speak’ button to call the sender immediately. A small, but efficient enhancement to the stock messaging features.
Quick Tip
Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer users can easily save YouTube video (and streaming video from 200 other popular video sites like DailyMotion, Break, Metacafe, Blip.tv and Spike) onto their computer for later viewing.A free extension called Flash Video Downloader quickly gets it job done.All you have to do is install the extension for the browser, and click the blue arrow in the status bar that appears when you are viewing a video.Visit the website for details or simply search for the extension from the add-ons/extensions section of the browser.
20,900 onwards, 900 delivery charges
Complete details are unavailable at the time of writing, but the HTC Thunderbolt, pictured here, could be HTC’s first phone with a dual-core processor. Like the HTC Desire HD, the Thunderbolt will have a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, but the dual core processor and likely 1GB RAM will enable it to record, playback and output full HD 1080p video with ease. To live up to its flagship status, the Thunderbolt will also have 16GB on-board storage, an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and a tiny kickstand.
On an Android phone, if you receive an SMS, you can get alerted with a sound and a notification. But a small (and free) application called SMS Popup integrates into messaging and gives you a quick pop up with the text of the message. Not only can you read the SMS, but you can also quickly reply to it without opening the messaging application, or simply press the ‘Speak’ button to call the sender immediately. A small, but efficient enhancement to the stock messaging features.
Quick Tip
Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer users can easily save YouTube video (and streaming video from 200 other popular video sites like DailyMotion, Break, Metacafe, Blip.tv and Spike) onto their computer for later viewing.A free extension called Flash Video Downloader quickly gets it job done.All you have to do is install the extension for the browser, and click the blue arrow in the status bar that appears when you are viewing a video.Visit the website for details or simply search for the extension from the add-ons/extensions section of the browser.
Affordable Android
MICROMAX ANDRO A60 FEATURES
Android 2.1, 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen, 3.2MP camera, MicroSD slot (32GB supported), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, 1280mAh Li-ion battery, 105 grams
PROs Amazing price
CONs Dual band GSM, resistive touchscreen
6,999 (current market price)
THE MICROMAX A60 IS THE cheapest, branded Android smartphone for sale in the Indian market. It certainly fills a niche and ticks a lot of the right boxes too; Android 2.1, 2.8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi and a 600Mhz processor.
The A60 is actually a rebranded ZTE Penguin, and it has been designed for emerging markets. While the intention is good, the biggest disappointment with the A60 has to be the screen. Now that everyone is used to super-sensitive capacitive touchscreens, the small resistive touchscreen on the A60 feels like a major step backwards. The sensitivity of the screen drastically reduces towards the edges of the screen. Resolution is a bog-standard 240 x 320 pixels and viewing angles and colours are not too great either. The screen is obviously one big way that Micromax has cut costs; the other being the inclusion of a dual band GSM module, as opposed to quad band.
The look and feel of the A60, while not premium, is satisfactory. On the front of the device is a D-pad and answer/end keys. Just below the display is a row of touch-sensitive buttons for home, menu and back, though like the resistive touchscreen, even these need a fair amount of pressure to register a press. Thankfully, you get dedicated volume adjustment, a 3.5mm audio out and micro USB for data transfer and charging.
With the small resistive screen and a tiny on-screen Android keyboard, it is almost impossible to type accurately while holding the phone in portrait mode. The saving grace is an XT9 keyboard, using which you can type a word by drawing a line through the word you want to type, starting at the first letter and ending at the last. Use this in landscape mode, and you can type. Else, use a stylus (one is not provided).
Performance, battery life and camera quality are all acceptable. The camera has no flash, so daytime photographs are what you will be clicking most. All the apps from the Android App Market work just like any other Android phone. Factor in the cost of a good navigation software and maps (about 2,500 extra for the Sygic Mobile Maps for example) if you plan to use the built-in GPS.
For 7k, going with Android is way better than going for a feature phone. The free apps alone can add so much more functionality to the phone that it is hard to resist. If budget is tight and you need Android, there really is no other viable choice. But be prepared to heavily compromise on the screen. If you can spend about 3,000 more ( 9,990), you can go for the Spice Mi-300 Android phone. The Mi-300 has a higher resolution capacitive multi-touch LCD, 5MP camera with LED flash and quad band GSM radio, keeping all the other specs of the A60 intact.
Android 2.1, 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen, 3.2MP camera, MicroSD slot (32GB supported), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, 1280mAh Li-ion battery, 105 grams
PROs Amazing price
CONs Dual band GSM, resistive touchscreen
6,999 (current market price)
THE MICROMAX A60 IS THE cheapest, branded Android smartphone for sale in the Indian market. It certainly fills a niche and ticks a lot of the right boxes too; Android 2.1, 2.8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi and a 600Mhz processor.
The A60 is actually a rebranded ZTE Penguin, and it has been designed for emerging markets. While the intention is good, the biggest disappointment with the A60 has to be the screen. Now that everyone is used to super-sensitive capacitive touchscreens, the small resistive touchscreen on the A60 feels like a major step backwards. The sensitivity of the screen drastically reduces towards the edges of the screen. Resolution is a bog-standard 240 x 320 pixels and viewing angles and colours are not too great either. The screen is obviously one big way that Micromax has cut costs; the other being the inclusion of a dual band GSM module, as opposed to quad band.
The look and feel of the A60, while not premium, is satisfactory. On the front of the device is a D-pad and answer/end keys. Just below the display is a row of touch-sensitive buttons for home, menu and back, though like the resistive touchscreen, even these need a fair amount of pressure to register a press. Thankfully, you get dedicated volume adjustment, a 3.5mm audio out and micro USB for data transfer and charging.
With the small resistive screen and a tiny on-screen Android keyboard, it is almost impossible to type accurately while holding the phone in portrait mode. The saving grace is an XT9 keyboard, using which you can type a word by drawing a line through the word you want to type, starting at the first letter and ending at the last. Use this in landscape mode, and you can type. Else, use a stylus (one is not provided).
Performance, battery life and camera quality are all acceptable. The camera has no flash, so daytime photographs are what you will be clicking most. All the apps from the Android App Market work just like any other Android phone. Factor in the cost of a good navigation software and maps (about 2,500 extra for the Sygic Mobile Maps for example) if you plan to use the built-in GPS.
For 7k, going with Android is way better than going for a feature phone. The free apps alone can add so much more functionality to the phone that it is hard to resist. If budget is tight and you need Android, there really is no other viable choice. But be prepared to heavily compromise on the screen. If you can spend about 3,000 more ( 9,990), you can go for the Spice Mi-300 Android phone. The Mi-300 has a higher resolution capacitive multi-touch LCD, 5MP camera with LED flash and quad band GSM radio, keeping all the other specs of the A60 intact.
Ten Apps For Your Tablets
A tablet is only as good as the software that runs on it. Nimish Dubey suggests some Web apps that gel well with your computer, and help you work smarter.
MANY ARE CONSIDERING 2010 AS THE YEAR IN which the tablet came out of the cold, thanks in no small measure to yet another device from a fruity-sounding company in Cupertino. However, as in all things computing, a tablet is only as good as the software that runs on it. And while there is no shortage of applications that can run on tablets, not all of them are actually designed to run on them — many are, in fact, applications meant for smaller phone screens that do not perform as well on the larger displays seen on tablets. In fact, while most iPhone and Android applications can work on iPads and Android tablets, respectively, not all of them work perfectly, simply because many are not designed for them. So, a Facebook application or an office suite might end up looking stretched or pixilated on a larger display or in some cases, might even occupy only a portion of the screen, leaving the rest blank, defeating the very purpose of using a tablet!
Of course, the iPad does have a section of the App Store with applications optimised for it (a similar one is expected in the Android Market in the coming days), but trawling through it does require a lot of patience. To save you the trouble, here are 10 apps that will not just work perfectly on your tablet, but will also deliver a decent dollop in terms of utility:
Keynote
Apple has ported its iWork suite of apps to the iPad (not the iPhone and iPod touch, though) and while most of the apps in it pack quite a punch, none of them is as remotely impressive as Keynote, the presentation tool. One of the biggest shortcomings in mobile forms of presentation tools has been the relative absence of special effects and the option to add videos. Keynote scores in both these departments, letting you create full-fledged presentations, almost as you would on a computer, throwing in images, charts, pictures and a whole bevy of effects . It supports PowerPoint, lets you save presentations in PDF format, and enables printing using AirPrint over a wireless network. You can even connect your iPad to a projector (you would need a special adaptor, though) to make the presentation or make it on the iPad's terrific 9.7-inch display itself. Well worth the $9.99 price tag.
Available for: iPad (App Store)
Price: $ 9.99
QuickOffice
If you think that investing almost $30 on the three different components of iWork is spending just a tad too much, or you just do not have an iPad, we would advise picking up a copy of the QuickOffice office suite. It is available for both iPad and Android and has a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation combo, with full support for MS Office. Although not really in the class of the iWork suite for the iPad, QuickOffice is a brisk operator and perfect for those who are not looking for anything too snazzy in terms of interface and performance. Most basic editing options are available, and the word processor especially packs a decent punch. A very good option for those on a tight budget and wanting basic MS Office functionality on their tablets.
Available for: iPad (App Store) and
Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: $14.99 (iPad), $19.99 (Android)
Fuze Meeting
One of the best online conferencing and Web meeting services has now come to tablets. Using the Fuze Meeting app, users can actually log onto Web conferences, participate in discussions using IM or voice, view audio and video, and access data that is being shared from a computer on their tablets. In some cases, they can even share contents on their tablet with other participants. Yes, it can work on phones too, but we are honestly not too enamoured of squinting at the screen to see presentations or shared documents. And quite amazingly, Fuze Meeting is free as well. A must-download for all those with tablets and a Web conference to attend.
Available for: iPad (App Store),
Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: Free
Kindle
Amazon's Kindle e-book reader has been facing a lot of competition from tablets, and ironically some of this is because of its own excellent Kindle app that works on both the iPad and Android tablets. It not only gives you access to books you have purchased from the Kindle store, but also lets Android tablet users browse through the magazines and newspapers they have subscribed to and even subscribe to new ones. The interface is simple and the books and magazines adhere to the largely text-rich format seen on the Kindle, attempting to deliver a paper-like look. Excellent for book lovers and in many ways a more intuitive reading experience, as you have to hit no buttons to turn the page as you have to on the Kindle. It's being free is a bonus, of course.
Available for: iPad (App Store), Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: Free
Zinio
For magazine-loving tablet wielders, there is simply no better application, albeit it is available only on the iPad as of now. You can use the app to browse magazines on your iPad in all their glory (no watered down text versions here) with full colour images and sometimes even video and audio clips thrown in. You can view some content for free and can even subscribe (at very reasonable rates) to magazines or just buy a single issue if you so wish — most leading publications are available here. You won't feel like looking at a paper magazine again. What else can we say? Android tablet users need not despair — Zinio is coming soon to the Android Market as well.
Available for: iPad (App Store)
Price: Free
Skyfire
It might not have made many waves on smartphones, but Skyfire has come to the fore as one of the best browsers to use on a tablet because of its ability to render most websites exactly as they would on a PC — yes, it even handles Flash, and even on the iPad, for good measure. The menus that seemed to clutter the screen of a phone are much easier to navigate on a larger tablet screen and yes, there is a special version for the iPad while the Android version works just fine on phones as well as tablets. It has terrific integration with Facebook and Twitter, including a very handy Fireplace feature that lets you see the links that your friends are sharing, and of course, has the usual Web browser features like tabbed browsing, sharing links, bookmarks, Web search and so on. It might seem a bit slow at times, but if you are one who browses the Web a lot on your tablet (and you should), then this is one browser you need to install.
Available for: iPad (App Store), Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: $4.99 (iPad), Free (Android)
TouchDown
Considered by many (us included) as THE app to have for those using Android tablets in corporate offices, TouchDown keeps the user up to speed with their corporate mails, calendar, contacts and tasks. And in best tablet tradition, it does so by splitting the screen into two parts wherever convenient — so for instance, you could see a list of mails on one part of the screen, and the details of the highlighted mail on the other. It is not as sleek as the mail on the iPad, but much better than the default Android client, with features like remote wipe and data encryption thrown in for good measure. It is not cheap at almost 900, but we think it is decent value for money, especially if you want secure corporate mail on your tablet (the RIM PlayBook has not yet been released, after all!).
Available for: Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: 893.55
PhotoShop Express
Phone versions of PhotoShop Express, the watered down, but still extremely handy version of Adobe's image-tweaking software has been available for a while now, but it is on the tablet that the real power of the suite comes out. You can make more minute changes, get a better idea of what your tweaks are doing. The editing options are pretty much the same as on the phones (crop, edit, rotate, mess with borders and effects, tweak saturation and exposure, et al), but on the tablet, it is a whole lot easier simply because you are literally working on a bigger (digital) canvas.
Available for: iPad (App Store), Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: Free
GoodReader
If you use your tablet for reading a lot of text, then this is the app to have. As its name indicates, GoodReader is basically an app designed to let one read documents, although it is not an e-book reader on the Kindle model. Nay, GoodReader's forte lies in its ability to handle PDF, Doc, Excel , and other formats, including Web pages. You can even add arrows, notes and sketches on top of a PDF file, which is pretty cool for those who love to add their pennyworth (be it in terms of editing and opinion) and let's face it, is so much easier to do on a large display than on the relatively cramped space of a phone screen. A pity it is available only on the iPad.
Available for: iPad (App Store)
Price: $ 2.99
Pulse
Again, a classic case of an innovative application that seemed too small for even the largest smartphone screens, but is perfectly at home on larger tablet displays. Pulse's strength is the format in which it presents the news, with each source being given a row and the news from each appearing in columns in front of it
Available for: iPad (App Store) and Android tablets (Android Market). Price: Free.
A TABLET FULL OF NEWS
A number of news publications and websites have released versions of their sites and/or apps that are easier to browse on a tablet's larger screen. News freaks could try searching the tablet versions of these worthies: (all of them are supported are on the iPad, but only some work on Android, although others are expected to join soon)
New York Times
Wall Street Journal
Barrons
Time
Financial Times
The Sunday Times
WIRED magazine
MANY ARE CONSIDERING 2010 AS THE YEAR IN which the tablet came out of the cold, thanks in no small measure to yet another device from a fruity-sounding company in Cupertino. However, as in all things computing, a tablet is only as good as the software that runs on it. And while there is no shortage of applications that can run on tablets, not all of them are actually designed to run on them — many are, in fact, applications meant for smaller phone screens that do not perform as well on the larger displays seen on tablets. In fact, while most iPhone and Android applications can work on iPads and Android tablets, respectively, not all of them work perfectly, simply because many are not designed for them. So, a Facebook application or an office suite might end up looking stretched or pixilated on a larger display or in some cases, might even occupy only a portion of the screen, leaving the rest blank, defeating the very purpose of using a tablet!
Of course, the iPad does have a section of the App Store with applications optimised for it (a similar one is expected in the Android Market in the coming days), but trawling through it does require a lot of patience. To save you the trouble, here are 10 apps that will not just work perfectly on your tablet, but will also deliver a decent dollop in terms of utility:
Keynote
Apple has ported its iWork suite of apps to the iPad (not the iPhone and iPod touch, though) and while most of the apps in it pack quite a punch, none of them is as remotely impressive as Keynote, the presentation tool. One of the biggest shortcomings in mobile forms of presentation tools has been the relative absence of special effects and the option to add videos. Keynote scores in both these departments, letting you create full-fledged presentations, almost as you would on a computer, throwing in images, charts, pictures and a whole bevy of effects . It supports PowerPoint, lets you save presentations in PDF format, and enables printing using AirPrint over a wireless network. You can even connect your iPad to a projector (you would need a special adaptor, though) to make the presentation or make it on the iPad's terrific 9.7-inch display itself. Well worth the $9.99 price tag.
Available for: iPad (App Store)
Price: $ 9.99
QuickOffice
If you think that investing almost $30 on the three different components of iWork is spending just a tad too much, or you just do not have an iPad, we would advise picking up a copy of the QuickOffice office suite. It is available for both iPad and Android and has a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation combo, with full support for MS Office. Although not really in the class of the iWork suite for the iPad, QuickOffice is a brisk operator and perfect for those who are not looking for anything too snazzy in terms of interface and performance. Most basic editing options are available, and the word processor especially packs a decent punch. A very good option for those on a tight budget and wanting basic MS Office functionality on their tablets.
Available for: iPad (App Store) and
Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: $14.99 (iPad), $19.99 (Android)
Fuze Meeting
One of the best online conferencing and Web meeting services has now come to tablets. Using the Fuze Meeting app, users can actually log onto Web conferences, participate in discussions using IM or voice, view audio and video, and access data that is being shared from a computer on their tablets. In some cases, they can even share contents on their tablet with other participants. Yes, it can work on phones too, but we are honestly not too enamoured of squinting at the screen to see presentations or shared documents. And quite amazingly, Fuze Meeting is free as well. A must-download for all those with tablets and a Web conference to attend.
Available for: iPad (App Store),
Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: Free
Kindle
Amazon's Kindle e-book reader has been facing a lot of competition from tablets, and ironically some of this is because of its own excellent Kindle app that works on both the iPad and Android tablets. It not only gives you access to books you have purchased from the Kindle store, but also lets Android tablet users browse through the magazines and newspapers they have subscribed to and even subscribe to new ones. The interface is simple and the books and magazines adhere to the largely text-rich format seen on the Kindle, attempting to deliver a paper-like look. Excellent for book lovers and in many ways a more intuitive reading experience, as you have to hit no buttons to turn the page as you have to on the Kindle. It's being free is a bonus, of course.
Available for: iPad (App Store), Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: Free
Zinio
For magazine-loving tablet wielders, there is simply no better application, albeit it is available only on the iPad as of now. You can use the app to browse magazines on your iPad in all their glory (no watered down text versions here) with full colour images and sometimes even video and audio clips thrown in. You can view some content for free and can even subscribe (at very reasonable rates) to magazines or just buy a single issue if you so wish — most leading publications are available here. You won't feel like looking at a paper magazine again. What else can we say? Android tablet users need not despair — Zinio is coming soon to the Android Market as well.
Available for: iPad (App Store)
Price: Free
Skyfire
It might not have made many waves on smartphones, but Skyfire has come to the fore as one of the best browsers to use on a tablet because of its ability to render most websites exactly as they would on a PC — yes, it even handles Flash, and even on the iPad, for good measure. The menus that seemed to clutter the screen of a phone are much easier to navigate on a larger tablet screen and yes, there is a special version for the iPad while the Android version works just fine on phones as well as tablets. It has terrific integration with Facebook and Twitter, including a very handy Fireplace feature that lets you see the links that your friends are sharing, and of course, has the usual Web browser features like tabbed browsing, sharing links, bookmarks, Web search and so on. It might seem a bit slow at times, but if you are one who browses the Web a lot on your tablet (and you should), then this is one browser you need to install.
Available for: iPad (App Store), Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: $4.99 (iPad), Free (Android)
TouchDown
Considered by many (us included) as THE app to have for those using Android tablets in corporate offices, TouchDown keeps the user up to speed with their corporate mails, calendar, contacts and tasks. And in best tablet tradition, it does so by splitting the screen into two parts wherever convenient — so for instance, you could see a list of mails on one part of the screen, and the details of the highlighted mail on the other. It is not as sleek as the mail on the iPad, but much better than the default Android client, with features like remote wipe and data encryption thrown in for good measure. It is not cheap at almost 900, but we think it is decent value for money, especially if you want secure corporate mail on your tablet (the RIM PlayBook has not yet been released, after all!).
Available for: Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: 893.55
PhotoShop Express
Phone versions of PhotoShop Express, the watered down, but still extremely handy version of Adobe's image-tweaking software has been available for a while now, but it is on the tablet that the real power of the suite comes out. You can make more minute changes, get a better idea of what your tweaks are doing. The editing options are pretty much the same as on the phones (crop, edit, rotate, mess with borders and effects, tweak saturation and exposure, et al), but on the tablet, it is a whole lot easier simply because you are literally working on a bigger (digital) canvas.
Available for: iPad (App Store), Android tablets (Android Market)
Price: Free
GoodReader
If you use your tablet for reading a lot of text, then this is the app to have. As its name indicates, GoodReader is basically an app designed to let one read documents, although it is not an e-book reader on the Kindle model. Nay, GoodReader's forte lies in its ability to handle PDF, Doc, Excel , and other formats, including Web pages. You can even add arrows, notes and sketches on top of a PDF file, which is pretty cool for those who love to add their pennyworth (be it in terms of editing and opinion) and let's face it, is so much easier to do on a large display than on the relatively cramped space of a phone screen. A pity it is available only on the iPad.
Available for: iPad (App Store)
Price: $ 2.99
Pulse
Again, a classic case of an innovative application that seemed too small for even the largest smartphone screens, but is perfectly at home on larger tablet displays. Pulse's strength is the format in which it presents the news, with each source being given a row and the news from each appearing in columns in front of it
Available for: iPad (App Store) and Android tablets (Android Market). Price: Free.
A TABLET FULL OF NEWS
A number of news publications and websites have released versions of their sites and/or apps that are easier to browse on a tablet's larger screen. News freaks could try searching the tablet versions of these worthies: (all of them are supported are on the iPad, but only some work on Android, although others are expected to join soon)
New York Times
Wall Street Journal
Barrons
Time
Financial Times
The Sunday Times
WIRED magazine
Graphics ability is the new goal for chipmakers
IN THE good old days, it was all about speed. Computer chipmakers like Intel and Advanced Micro Devices tried to outdo each other by putting out faster chips, and then by improving battery life and making smaller, cheaper laptops. These days, though, it’s all about graphics and how well computers can process and display photos, videos and other types of media. And the competition is putting marketing departments to the test.
Gone are the crisp pitches about faster, thinner and longer-lasting products, which allowed consumers who wanted the latest and greatest computer to look for simple metrics like more gigahertz, more hours of battery life or lighter weight. Instead, now there is baffling talk about things that improve visual performance like breathtaking tessellation, zippy transcoding speeds and DirectX 11 support — all of which will be highlighted by the chip makers at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, opening in Las Vegas on Thursday.
“It is certainly a challenge,” conceded Deborah S Conrad, the chief marketing officer at Intel. “When we talk about graphics, we see people scrunch up their noses. It is just not language people outside of our industry use.”
The focus on graphics and the visual skills of computers reflects a pair of trends taking place in the computing market.
For one, the chips in the computers to be displayed at the electronics show, and which will soon hit retail shelves, have more graphics oomph. They represent the first wave of mainstream chips that combine top-of-the-line computation and graphics functions on the same piece of silicon. The result is that even low-cost laptops will have visual performance on par with some of yesteryear’s costliest, most powerful computers equipped with specialised graphics cards aimed at video gamers.
Second, consumers have driven an explosion in high-definition Web video and digital photo sharing. By some forecasts, video will account for about 90% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2013. Facebook says that people upload more than 100 million photos a day to its site alone.
And so, the chip makers are scrambling to meet consumers’ needs and do away with the hiccups people sometimes see when watching a video stream or the long wait to shift a home video from a camera or phone onto their PC.
“We think the new norm is this constant visual experience,” Conrad said. “You are not waiting for things to happen and getting that pinwheel on a Mac or hourglass on the PC”.
Intel, for example, is using this week’s electronics show as a platform to talk about its latest generation of chips, which include features like “Quick Think Video.” That’s the humanised name for a new transcoding engine, which is something that alters the size or makeup of a file.
In this particular case, Intel brags that its new engine can take a five-minute video from a phone and, in 18 seconds, turn it into something a computer can use. By another measure, the new Intel chips can rework an hour-long home video in about four minutes.
Other features in the new Intel chips are aimed at helping movie studios deliver high-definition versions of their films and to move video streams between computers and TV screens. Advanced Micro Devices, meanwhile, makes some of the fastest stand-alone graphics products in the industry and has included much of that technology in its latest batch of laptop chips.
Gone are the crisp pitches about faster, thinner and longer-lasting products, which allowed consumers who wanted the latest and greatest computer to look for simple metrics like more gigahertz, more hours of battery life or lighter weight. Instead, now there is baffling talk about things that improve visual performance like breathtaking tessellation, zippy transcoding speeds and DirectX 11 support — all of which will be highlighted by the chip makers at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, opening in Las Vegas on Thursday.
“It is certainly a challenge,” conceded Deborah S Conrad, the chief marketing officer at Intel. “When we talk about graphics, we see people scrunch up their noses. It is just not language people outside of our industry use.”
The focus on graphics and the visual skills of computers reflects a pair of trends taking place in the computing market.
For one, the chips in the computers to be displayed at the electronics show, and which will soon hit retail shelves, have more graphics oomph. They represent the first wave of mainstream chips that combine top-of-the-line computation and graphics functions on the same piece of silicon. The result is that even low-cost laptops will have visual performance on par with some of yesteryear’s costliest, most powerful computers equipped with specialised graphics cards aimed at video gamers.
Second, consumers have driven an explosion in high-definition Web video and digital photo sharing. By some forecasts, video will account for about 90% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2013. Facebook says that people upload more than 100 million photos a day to its site alone.
And so, the chip makers are scrambling to meet consumers’ needs and do away with the hiccups people sometimes see when watching a video stream or the long wait to shift a home video from a camera or phone onto their PC.
“We think the new norm is this constant visual experience,” Conrad said. “You are not waiting for things to happen and getting that pinwheel on a Mac or hourglass on the PC”.
Intel, for example, is using this week’s electronics show as a platform to talk about its latest generation of chips, which include features like “Quick Think Video.” That’s the humanised name for a new transcoding engine, which is something that alters the size or makeup of a file.
In this particular case, Intel brags that its new engine can take a five-minute video from a phone and, in 18 seconds, turn it into something a computer can use. By another measure, the new Intel chips can rework an hour-long home video in about four minutes.
Other features in the new Intel chips are aimed at helping movie studios deliver high-definition versions of their films and to move video streams between computers and TV screens. Advanced Micro Devices, meanwhile, makes some of the fastest stand-alone graphics products in the industry and has included much of that technology in its latest batch of laptop chips.
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