THOSE LOOKING FOR SMARTPHONES that can hold two connections have had very few options to choose from.
This is what makes the Motorola Milestone XT800, the first dual SIM Android phone, so special. The phone lets you use a CDMA and GSM connection with dual standby mode. The package that comes with this double connectivity also makes the XT800 stand out from the crowd.
The XT800 has rounded off corners (unlike the sharpish edges of the original Milestone and the XT720) giving it an oval look. While it does have a metal band running around it, it is mainly built of plastic, although this does not detract from its looks. It fits easily into one's hands and at 137 grams, is relatively light for a device with such a large display. Speaking of the display, it is by far the most striking feature of the phone, with the same resolution and size seen on the original Milestone and the multimediaheavy XT720 — 3.7 inches and 854x480 pixels. There are three touch buttons beneath it, for menu, home and back, and in case you are looking for a search button, well, it is right on top of the device, next to the power/standby button —a case of curious positioning that takes some getting used to.
Specs wise, the XT800 does not do too badly either. There is a 5MP camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, the option to expand memory to up to 32GB (a 2GB card comes bundled with the handset), and usual connectivity options like Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth, as well as a suprise package—HDMI connectivity which lets you connect the phone to an HD display and watch video in 720p HD (the phone's camera, however, does not record HD video). The addition of an HDMI cable is a welcome bonus. And wrapped around this is Android, with its usual mailing, social networking, multi-tasking and Web browsing muscle, along with thousands of apps to try out. The XT800 is every inch a smartphone, and we had no complaints with it as a dual SIM phone either, be it in calling, texting or handling the Internet.
The dual SIM connectivity however takes a very heavy toll of the device's battery. Android phones as a rule require a recharge a day and the XT800 when running two SIMS, required two recharges, especially when one was keeping mails, widgets and social networks in push mode. At one stage, we were almost wishing that Motorola had bundled a spare battery or a portable charger rather than an HDMI cable with the device. While on the matter of wishes, while the phone worked smoothly most of the time, it would have been better if it ran on Android 2.2, rather than the ageing 2.1.
Top that off with a rather ordinary camera, and the Rs 31,999 price tag seems on the steep side. That said, it is by far the best dual SIM smartphone in the country at the moment. Lets hope that it inspires the competition!
FEATURES
3.7-inch, 480 x 854 pixel capacitive touchscreen 550Mhz processor, 512MB RAM, Android 2.1 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM, 137 grams PROs Large, responsive touchscreen, Dual SIM CONs Stiff price tag, weak battery, Android 2.1 Price in India : 31,999
Tech Queries
I want to buy a gaming console. Should I go for a Sony PlayStation 3 with the Move bundle, an Xbox 360 with the Kinect bundle or should I settle for a PSP or an iPod Touch?
First, you need to decide whether you want something portable or not. The iPod Touch offers the maximum portability followed by the Sony PSP. The PS3 and Xbox 360 are for home use only. Then, you need to understand that each system has its share of pros and cons, and each one suits different people. For example, many of the games on the iPod Touch are free and many excellent games cost only $0.99. Plus the latest iPod Touch has cameras and can double up as a music/video player and personal organiser as well. The PSP is preferable if you like actual buttons for playing games rather than a touchscreen. Kinect games on the Xbox 360 appeal more to a family, while the PS3 has a Blu-Ray player and Move offers more precise control over your actions, appealing to more serious gamers who want motion control.
I have a Sony PSP 3000 and want to see movies on it. I know that I have to convert videos first, so I tried to convert what I had to MP4 format but that didn't work. Maybe I didn't put them into the right folder?
Movies look great on the PSP when properly formatted to fit the screen. Simply download and use a free software called PSPvideo9 (www.pspvideo9.com) to convert the videos. It also takes care of transferring the videos to the appropriate folder on the Memory Stick if you connect the PSP to the PC.
New gadget in the market, prices and reviews
DELL LATITUDE 2120
Dell has launched the Latitude 2120; their first dual core Intel Atom-based netbook for the Indian market. Designed for emerging markets, the Latitude 2120 is available in black or blue, has a 10.1-inch display, rubberised outer casing and tamper-resistant keyboard. Users also have the option of configuring it with a multi-touch 1366 x 768 pixel screen instead of the regular 1024 x 600 pixel LCD. Prices start at 19,000 but can go up to 36,000 for machines configured with the Intel Atom N550 processor, Windows 7 Professional, 2GB RAM and 250GB HDD.
19,000 onwards
JVC GX-PX1
Still not an official announcement, but the JVC GX-PX1 looks like the most complete and extensive merger of a still camera and camcorder to date. Rather than just being a still camera that records video, or a camcorder that takes stills, this JVC actually looks like it merges two different devices. It has a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, 10x optical zoom, 32GB of internal memory and a 3-inch flip-out LCD. Most of the controls like mode adjustment, exposure, power button and all ports are located on the large lens barrel while the main camera body is ultra-slim. Not only can it shoot full HD 1080p video at 60 fps, but it can also take 5 Megapixel still images at 60 frames per second. No price or release date is available yet.
PACK FREE FOR iOS
Avoid confusion on trips with this app that helps you pack your bags. Pack Free displays the items you want to pack in each bag you carry. All you have to do is create a trip and start typing in what you need to pack. Apart from the packing list, the app also includes a to-do and notes section. It can also suggest how many units you need of a particular item based on the duration of your trip. A paid version of the app (simply called PackTM, available for $1.99) adds the ability to store multiple trips.
ZTYPE
Ztype is a quick, easy and addictive little online game which can help improve your typing skills. Just head to www.phoboslab.org/ztype and the small game loads instantly. It follows the style of a space shooter where you have to shoot down enemy spacecraft, except that the spacecrafts are words and your weapons are letters. To shoot down a word, you have to quickly type it out. Naturally, it starts off easy with a few short words, but as you move through the levels, the words increase in number, get longer and tougher to spell.
Dell has launched the Latitude 2120; their first dual core Intel Atom-based netbook for the Indian market. Designed for emerging markets, the Latitude 2120 is available in black or blue, has a 10.1-inch display, rubberised outer casing and tamper-resistant keyboard. Users also have the option of configuring it with a multi-touch 1366 x 768 pixel screen instead of the regular 1024 x 600 pixel LCD. Prices start at 19,000 but can go up to 36,000 for machines configured with the Intel Atom N550 processor, Windows 7 Professional, 2GB RAM and 250GB HDD.
19,000 onwards
JVC GX-PX1
Still not an official announcement, but the JVC GX-PX1 looks like the most complete and extensive merger of a still camera and camcorder to date. Rather than just being a still camera that records video, or a camcorder that takes stills, this JVC actually looks like it merges two different devices. It has a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, 10x optical zoom, 32GB of internal memory and a 3-inch flip-out LCD. Most of the controls like mode adjustment, exposure, power button and all ports are located on the large lens barrel while the main camera body is ultra-slim. Not only can it shoot full HD 1080p video at 60 fps, but it can also take 5 Megapixel still images at 60 frames per second. No price or release date is available yet.
PACK FREE FOR iOS
Avoid confusion on trips with this app that helps you pack your bags. Pack Free displays the items you want to pack in each bag you carry. All you have to do is create a trip and start typing in what you need to pack. Apart from the packing list, the app also includes a to-do and notes section. It can also suggest how many units you need of a particular item based on the duration of your trip. A paid version of the app (simply called PackTM, available for $1.99) adds the ability to store multiple trips.
ZTYPE
Ztype is a quick, easy and addictive little online game which can help improve your typing skills. Just head to www.phoboslab.org/ztype and the small game loads instantly. It follows the style of a space shooter where you have to shoot down enemy spacecraft, except that the spacecrafts are words and your weapons are letters. To shoot down a word, you have to quickly type it out. Naturally, it starts off easy with a few short words, but as you move through the levels, the words increase in number, get longer and tougher to spell.
Google's new Art Project
Whether art is an obsession or just a budding interest, Google's Art Project will entice you with easy access to the treasures of 17 amazing museums across the world
Google's Art Project is very much a work in progress, but it is already a mesmerising, world-expanding tool for selfeducation. You can spend hours exploring it, examining paintings from far off and close up, and poke around some of the world's great museums all on your computer.
On the virtual tour of the Uffizi in Florence, you can look at Botticelli's Birth of Venus almost inch by inch. It's nothing like standing before the real thing, but you can pore over the surface with an adjustable magnifying rectangle. This feels like an eerie approximation, at a clinical, digital remove, of the kind of intimacy usually granted only to the artist and his assistants, or conservators and preparators.
There are high-resolution images of more than 1,000 artworks in the Art Project (www.googleartproject.com) and virtual tours of several hundred galleries and other spaces inside the 17 participating institutions. In addition each museum has selected a single, usually canonical work—like Botticelli's Venus—for star treatment. These works have been painstakingly photographed for superhigh resolution.
The Museum of Modern Art selected Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and you can see not only the individual colors in each stroke, but also how much of the canvas he left bare. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's star painting is Bruegel's 'Harvesters' with its sloping slab of yellow wheat and peasants lunching in the foreground.
In the case of Van Gogh's famous 'Bedroom', the star painting chosen by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I was able to scrutinize the five framed artworks depicted on the chamber's walls: two portraits, one still life and two works, possibly on paper, that are so cursory they look like contemporary abstractions.
Google maintains that, beyond details you may not have noticed before, you can see things not normally visible to the human eye. The most unusual aspects of the experience are time, quiet and stasis: you can look from a seated position in the comfort of your own home or office cubicle, for as long as you want, without being jostled or blocked by other art lovers.
At the same time the chance to look closely at paintings, especially, as made things, really to study the way artists construct an image on a flat surface, is amazing, and great practice for looking at actual works.
Another innovation of the Art Project is Google's adaptation of its Street View program for indoor use. This makes it possible, for example, to navigate through several of the spacious salons at Versailles gazing at ceiling murals—thanks to the 360-degree navigation—or to get a sharper, more immediate sense than any guidebook can provide of the light, layout and ambience of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Keep in mind that usually only a few of the many, many works encountered on a virtual tour are available for high-res or super-high-res viewing. The Art Project has been hailed as a great leap forward in terms of the online art experience, which seems debatable, since most museums have spent at least the last decade—and quite a bit of money—developing Web access to works in their collections. On the site of the National Gallery, for example, you can examine the lush surface of Velázquez's 'Rokeby Venus' with a zoom similar to the Art Project's. Still, Google offers a distinct and extraordinary benefit in its United Nations-like gathering of different collections under one technological umbrella, enabling easy online travel among them.
When you view a work by one artist at one museum, clicking on the link 'More works by this artist' will produce a list of all the others in the Art Project system. But some fine-tuning is needed here. Sometimes the link is missing, and sometimes it links only to other works in that museum. Other tweaks to consider: including the dates of the works on all pull-down lists, and providing measurements in inches as well as centimeters.
Despite the roster of world-class museums, there are notable omissions: titans like the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Prado in Madrid and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, not to mention most major American museums, starting with the National Gallery in Washington. Without specifying who turned it down, Google says that many museums were approached, that 17 signed on, and that it hopes to add more as the project develops.
This implies an understandable wait-and-see attitude from many institutions, including some of the participants. The Museum of Modern Art, for example, has made only one large gallery available—the large room of French Post-Impressionist works that kicks off its permanent collection displays—along with 17 paintings that are all, again, examples of 19th-century Post-Impressionism. (Oh, and you can wander around the lobby.)
On first glance this seems both unmodern in focus and a tad miserly, given that several museums offer more than 100 works and at least 15 galleries. But the Museum of Modern Art is being pragmatic. According to Kim Mitchell, the museum's chief communications officer, the 17 paintings "are among the few in our collection that do not raise the copyright-related issues that affect so many works of modern and contemporary art." In other words, if and when the Art Project is a clear success, the Modern will decide if it wants to spend the time and money to secure permission for Picasso's "Demoiselles d'Avignon" and the like to appear on it.
This might also hold true for the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, which owns Picasso's "Guernica," but has so far limited its participation primarily to 13 paintings by the Cubist Juan Gris and 35 photographs from the Spanish Civil War.
In many ways this new Google venture is simply the latest phase of simulation that began with the invention of photography, which is when artworks first acquired second lives as images and in a sense, started going viral. Needless to say, Google's Art Project looks like a bandwagon everyone should jump on. It makes visual knowledge more accessible, which benefits us all.
Taking a walk through 17 world-famous museums is as simple as typing in a URL. At www.googleartproject.com,
Google has used a technology similar to Street View to allow you to ‘virtually’ visit these institutions. As a virtual visitor, you can walk the halls using on-screen arrows or quickly jump to a closer view of a particular artwork. Currently, a total of 385 gallery rooms and more than 1000 high resolution works by 486 different artists is available for viewing. Below: As demonstrated with Botticelli's Birth of Venus (displayed at the Uffizi in Florence), Google’s Art Project allows you to zoom in to less than a square inch of the artwork with certain selected pieces (using Google’s Gigapixel photo capturing technology) so that you can see every brush stroke, every speck of dust and every imperfection. This level of detail would normally only be available to the artist, his assistants, conservators or preparators.
Google's Art Project is very much a work in progress, but it is already a mesmerising, world-expanding tool for selfeducation. You can spend hours exploring it, examining paintings from far off and close up, and poke around some of the world's great museums all on your computer.
On the virtual tour of the Uffizi in Florence, you can look at Botticelli's Birth of Venus almost inch by inch. It's nothing like standing before the real thing, but you can pore over the surface with an adjustable magnifying rectangle. This feels like an eerie approximation, at a clinical, digital remove, of the kind of intimacy usually granted only to the artist and his assistants, or conservators and preparators.
There are high-resolution images of more than 1,000 artworks in the Art Project (www.googleartproject.com) and virtual tours of several hundred galleries and other spaces inside the 17 participating institutions. In addition each museum has selected a single, usually canonical work—like Botticelli's Venus—for star treatment. These works have been painstakingly photographed for superhigh resolution.
The Museum of Modern Art selected Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and you can see not only the individual colors in each stroke, but also how much of the canvas he left bare. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's star painting is Bruegel's 'Harvesters' with its sloping slab of yellow wheat and peasants lunching in the foreground.
In the case of Van Gogh's famous 'Bedroom', the star painting chosen by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I was able to scrutinize the five framed artworks depicted on the chamber's walls: two portraits, one still life and two works, possibly on paper, that are so cursory they look like contemporary abstractions.
Google maintains that, beyond details you may not have noticed before, you can see things not normally visible to the human eye. The most unusual aspects of the experience are time, quiet and stasis: you can look from a seated position in the comfort of your own home or office cubicle, for as long as you want, without being jostled or blocked by other art lovers.
At the same time the chance to look closely at paintings, especially, as made things, really to study the way artists construct an image on a flat surface, is amazing, and great practice for looking at actual works.
Another innovation of the Art Project is Google's adaptation of its Street View program for indoor use. This makes it possible, for example, to navigate through several of the spacious salons at Versailles gazing at ceiling murals—thanks to the 360-degree navigation—or to get a sharper, more immediate sense than any guidebook can provide of the light, layout and ambience of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Keep in mind that usually only a few of the many, many works encountered on a virtual tour are available for high-res or super-high-res viewing. The Art Project has been hailed as a great leap forward in terms of the online art experience, which seems debatable, since most museums have spent at least the last decade—and quite a bit of money—developing Web access to works in their collections. On the site of the National Gallery, for example, you can examine the lush surface of Velázquez's 'Rokeby Venus' with a zoom similar to the Art Project's. Still, Google offers a distinct and extraordinary benefit in its United Nations-like gathering of different collections under one technological umbrella, enabling easy online travel among them.
When you view a work by one artist at one museum, clicking on the link 'More works by this artist' will produce a list of all the others in the Art Project system. But some fine-tuning is needed here. Sometimes the link is missing, and sometimes it links only to other works in that museum. Other tweaks to consider: including the dates of the works on all pull-down lists, and providing measurements in inches as well as centimeters.
Despite the roster of world-class museums, there are notable omissions: titans like the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Prado in Madrid and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, not to mention most major American museums, starting with the National Gallery in Washington. Without specifying who turned it down, Google says that many museums were approached, that 17 signed on, and that it hopes to add more as the project develops.
This implies an understandable wait-and-see attitude from many institutions, including some of the participants. The Museum of Modern Art, for example, has made only one large gallery available—the large room of French Post-Impressionist works that kicks off its permanent collection displays—along with 17 paintings that are all, again, examples of 19th-century Post-Impressionism. (Oh, and you can wander around the lobby.)
On first glance this seems both unmodern in focus and a tad miserly, given that several museums offer more than 100 works and at least 15 galleries. But the Museum of Modern Art is being pragmatic. According to Kim Mitchell, the museum's chief communications officer, the 17 paintings "are among the few in our collection that do not raise the copyright-related issues that affect so many works of modern and contemporary art." In other words, if and when the Art Project is a clear success, the Modern will decide if it wants to spend the time and money to secure permission for Picasso's "Demoiselles d'Avignon" and the like to appear on it.
This might also hold true for the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, which owns Picasso's "Guernica," but has so far limited its participation primarily to 13 paintings by the Cubist Juan Gris and 35 photographs from the Spanish Civil War.
In many ways this new Google venture is simply the latest phase of simulation that began with the invention of photography, which is when artworks first acquired second lives as images and in a sense, started going viral. Needless to say, Google's Art Project looks like a bandwagon everyone should jump on. It makes visual knowledge more accessible, which benefits us all.
Taking a walk through 17 world-famous museums is as simple as typing in a URL. At www.googleartproject.com,
Google has used a technology similar to Street View to allow you to ‘virtually’ visit these institutions. As a virtual visitor, you can walk the halls using on-screen arrows or quickly jump to a closer view of a particular artwork. Currently, a total of 385 gallery rooms and more than 1000 high resolution works by 486 different artists is available for viewing. Below: As demonstrated with Botticelli's Birth of Venus (displayed at the Uffizi in Florence), Google’s Art Project allows you to zoom in to less than a square inch of the artwork with certain selected pieces (using Google’s Gigapixel photo capturing technology) so that you can see every brush stroke, every speck of dust and every imperfection. This level of detail would normally only be available to the artist, his assistants, conservators or preparators.
LG’s 3D Brigade
Betting heavily on handheld 3D-capable products, LG showcased the Optimus Pad tablet and the Optimus 3D smartphone at MWC. Both of them have dual cameras for 3D video creation while the Optimus 3D even has a glasses-free 3D display. The 3D effect on the phone can be turned on or off and the handset has to be held at a particular angle for it to work, but it’s a world’s first nonetheless. The Optimus Pad has a 8.9-inch 1280 x 720 pixel display, choosing to take the middle path between the 7-inch and 10-inch crowd. At this size, the Pad can still be held with one hand, but offers a larger screen than the regular 7-inch tablets. Hardware includes a 1Ghz dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, enabling 1080p video recording and playback. Like the other new tablets, it has the tablet-specific Android 3.0. The Optimus 3D phone has a 4.3-inch display, dual 5MP cameras and a 1500mAh battery, but the party trick is the ability to record 3D video and playback directly on a 3D-capable TV set using HDMI.
Tech queries
I recently bought aSeagate Goflex portable 500gb hard disk and had a few queries.
1) I heard that if the portable disk falls from a safe height, it will still work. Is this true? If yes, then what is the safe height? 2) When I first connected the drive to my pc there some files already on it. What will happen if I do a full format of the portable disk? Will the drive work even without these files? What are they? 3) The box says that the drive can be upgraded to USB 3,0. How can this be done? Do I need to buy anything extra? 4) I also have a large external 1TB hard disk from Seagate. Do the above questions apply to this too?
1) Hard drives have moving parts and are therefore subject to failure (especially over time). While in use, the hard drive should not be moved, much less dropped. The chances of failure are much higher when the drive is dropped while in usage. There is no such thing as a safe height. If your drive is going to be handled roughly, its best to get a rugged casing (Hitachi, Transcend and A-Data make rugged casings).
2) The files present on the drive when you get it are usually some programs (some for backup of documents, hard drive diagnostics, user manuals etc.). If you don't want to keep these on the hard drive, you can just copy them to your computers hard drive. But it's best to keep a backup of these files and programs in case you need them later.
3) Seagate GoFlex drives are indeed upgradeable. If you look at the drive closely, you'll see that the cable (with an included mini dock) is detachable. A USB 2.0 cable is supplied, but you can just purchase the USB 3.0 upgrade kit to upgrade the drive. The kit costs 6,000 and includes a USB 3.0 cable for the hard drive and an express card to USB 3.0 adapter. Most laptops today have an express card slot, so with this adapter, you can instantly add a USB 3.0 port.
4) Seagate 1TB drive - if it is part of the GoFlex series then it is upgradeable.
How often should I run a complete virus scan of my PC?
First, make sure that your anti-virus software is getting properly updated. Complete scans should be done regularly, and usually about once in 2 to 3 weeks is fine. You should do more frequent scans if you regularly connect unknown USB flash drives and hard drives to copy data. You can also choose to scan specific folders .
Tech queries
I recently bought aSeagate Goflex portable 500gb hard disk and had a few queries.
1) I heard that if the portable disk falls from a safe height, it will still work. Is this true? If yes, then what is the safe height? 2) When I first connected the drive to my pc there some files already on it. What will happen if I do a full format of the portable disk? Will the drive work even without these files? What are they? 3) The box says that the drive can be upgraded to USB 3,0. How can this be done? Do I need to buy anything extra? 4) I also have a large external 1TB hard disk from Seagate. Do the above questions apply to this too?
1) Hard drives have moving parts and are therefore subject to failure (especially over time). While in use, the hard drive should not be moved, much less dropped. The chances of failure are much higher when the drive is dropped while in usage. There is no such thing as a safe height. If your drive is going to be handled roughly, its best to get a rugged casing (Hitachi, Transcend and A-Data make rugged casings).
2) The files present on the drive when you get it are usually some programs (some for backup of documents, hard drive diagnostics, user manuals etc.). If you don't want to keep these on the hard drive, you can just copy them to your computers hard drive. But it's best to keep a backup of these files and programs in case you need them later.
3) Seagate GoFlex drives are indeed upgradeable. If you look at the drive closely, you'll see that the cable (with an included mini dock) is detachable. A USB 2.0 cable is supplied, but you can just purchase the USB 3.0 upgrade kit to upgrade the drive. The kit costs 6,000 and includes a USB 3.0 cable for the hard drive and an express card to USB 3.0 adapter. Most laptops today have an express card slot, so with this adapter, you can instantly add a USB 3.0 port.
4) Seagate 1TB drive - if it is part of the GoFlex series then it is upgradeable.
How often should I run a complete virus scan of my PC?
First, make sure that your anti-virus software is getting properly updated. Complete scans should be done regularly, and usually about once in 2 to 3 weeks is fine. You should do more frequent scans if you regularly connect unknown USB flash drives and hard drives to copy data. You can also choose to scan specific folders .
New gadgets and the prices in India
Casio GenNext Keyboards
Casio India has launched a new series of GenNext keyboards that promise affordability and professional-level features. The models introduced include the CTK 6000, CTK 7000, WK 7500 and WK 6500 (pictured here: WK 7500, priced at 24,995). Prices start at 16,995 and go up to 33,995. They all feature realistic tones and rich sound, reproduced thanks to the 2-way bass reflex 4-speaker system. They also offer features like pitch bending, piano-style keys with touch response, vibrato effects and a variety of input and output terminals.
PRICE: 16,995 - 33,995
ViewSonic VA 1938w LED monitor
Inspan Infotech has launched the Viewsonic VA 1938w LED monitor. Priced quite affordably at 7,900, this 18.5-inch monitor has a native 1366 x 768 pixel panel resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 250 cd/m² brightness and support for 16.7 million colours. Connectivity is via a DVI port, but you can also connect an HDMI source with the help of a simple DVI to HDMI adapter. The monitor also has a special eco mode that reduces brightness & cuts power usage by 70%. PRICE: 7,900
Smycalendar for iPad review
Free for a limited time only, Smycalendar is an iPad-specific calendar, reminder and scheduling app. You start by putting in your date of birth and it reminds you of the number of days you’ve lived. Then, you can add anniversaries, holiday lists, schedules, appointments and get reminded of them with push notifications. It works in both landscape and portrait modes, while you have the option to switch between month, year or detail views. It also includes a 'D' day countdown; set the date for something you are looking forward to and it will count the days down. Backgrounds for the calendar can also be customized; choose between the various built in colours & photographs or simply select your own from saved photos on the iPad.
The HDD Sounds of Failure
Hard disk drives don't last indefinitely, and you've probably heard horror stories of how huge amounts of data was lost when a drive crashed. To prevent this, multiple backups of essential data are a must of course. But data recovery specialists Datacent have put up a very handy list of warning sounds that you can listen for, depending on the make and model of hard drive that you use. All popular brands including Western Digital, Seagate, Maxtor, Hitachi, Samsung, Toshiba and Fujitsu are covered. These sounds usually signal impending failure, so if something sounds familiar, you have enough time to back up all your data. To hear all the sounds, head to http://datacent.com and click on ‘sounds’.
Casio India has launched a new series of GenNext keyboards that promise affordability and professional-level features. The models introduced include the CTK 6000, CTK 7000, WK 7500 and WK 6500 (pictured here: WK 7500, priced at 24,995). Prices start at 16,995 and go up to 33,995. They all feature realistic tones and rich sound, reproduced thanks to the 2-way bass reflex 4-speaker system. They also offer features like pitch bending, piano-style keys with touch response, vibrato effects and a variety of input and output terminals.
PRICE: 16,995 - 33,995
ViewSonic VA 1938w LED monitor
Inspan Infotech has launched the Viewsonic VA 1938w LED monitor. Priced quite affordably at 7,900, this 18.5-inch monitor has a native 1366 x 768 pixel panel resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 250 cd/m² brightness and support for 16.7 million colours. Connectivity is via a DVI port, but you can also connect an HDMI source with the help of a simple DVI to HDMI adapter. The monitor also has a special eco mode that reduces brightness & cuts power usage by 70%. PRICE: 7,900
Smycalendar for iPad review
Free for a limited time only, Smycalendar is an iPad-specific calendar, reminder and scheduling app. You start by putting in your date of birth and it reminds you of the number of days you’ve lived. Then, you can add anniversaries, holiday lists, schedules, appointments and get reminded of them with push notifications. It works in both landscape and portrait modes, while you have the option to switch between month, year or detail views. It also includes a 'D' day countdown; set the date for something you are looking forward to and it will count the days down. Backgrounds for the calendar can also be customized; choose between the various built in colours & photographs or simply select your own from saved photos on the iPad.
The HDD Sounds of Failure
Hard disk drives don't last indefinitely, and you've probably heard horror stories of how huge amounts of data was lost when a drive crashed. To prevent this, multiple backups of essential data are a must of course. But data recovery specialists Datacent have put up a very handy list of warning sounds that you can listen for, depending on the make and model of hard drive that you use. All popular brands including Western Digital, Seagate, Maxtor, Hitachi, Samsung, Toshiba and Fujitsu are covered. These sounds usually signal impending failure, so if something sounds familiar, you have enough time to back up all your data. To hear all the sounds, head to http://datacent.com and click on ‘sounds’.
MWC’s Bounty of Gadgets
With the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011 drawing to a close, geeks everywhere are rubbing their hands in anticipation of the hot new hardware. Hitesh Raj Bhagat rounds up some of the more exciting launches
1 Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 2 Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo 3 Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro 4 Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Army
First up is the Xperia Play – an Android phone with PSP-style gamepad buttons. It’s the world’s first phone with a Playstationcertified controller built in. It runs Android 2.3, has a 4-inch 854 x 480 pixel capacitive screen, 5MP camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and all high-end smartphone features. Hardware is a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor with embedded Adreno GPU for 3D graphics. It weights 175 grams; only slightly more than the average smartphone.
Next, we have the Xperia Neo which has a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen with Sony’s Bravia display engine, 1Ghz processor and 8MP camera.
The Xperia Pro is a touchscreen Android phone with side slider QWERTY keypad. Like the Xperia Neo, it has a 3.7-inch touchscreen capacitive display (which uses Sony’s Bravia display technology), 1 Ghz Qualcomm processor, Android 2.3, 2MP front and 8MP rear camera. Both the Pro and the Neo have HDMI output and Sony’s Exmor R (for mobile) image sensor, borrowing technology from Sony’s CyberShot range of cameras.
Finally, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, also seen doing the rounds at CES earlier this year. The striking curved design, powerful hardware (1Ghz Snapdragon cpu + Adreno graphics engine) and large 4.2-inch 480 x 854 pixel capacitive touchscreen set it apart from the rest. It’s also unbelievably thin at just 8.7mm.
1 Samsung Galaxy S II 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Samsung’s Powerful Sequels
After several teaser videos and leaks, the next version of the Galaxy Tab was unveiled at MWC. Contrary to rumors, it's not called the Galaxy Tab 2 but the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (referring to the 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 screen). It has the powerful 1Ghz dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, Android 3.0 (Honeycomb; designed specifically for tablets), 16 or 32GB internal memory, 2MP front and 8MP rear camera, 1080p video recording and playback and Wi-Fi N — all encased in a 599 gram shell (just a shade under the iPad's 680 grams). Meanwhile, the Galaxy S II is the flagship smartphone and lays claim to the title of world’s thinnest smartphone at just 8.5mm. It may be thin, but it still has a 1Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM and 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixel Super AMOLED Plus display. Samsung also showcased the Wi-Fi 4.0 and 5.0; 4 & 5-inch
Android media players with built in Wi-Fi.
1 HP TouchPad 2 HP Pre3
HP Bets Big on WebOS
Even since HP’s acquisition of Palm in 2010, speculation was rife that HP would use the WebOS operating system in upcoming devices. The HP TouchPad has a very similar size to the iPad (with the same 9.7-inch screen size) and is the first tablet to be powered by WebOS. It has a 1.2Ghz dual core Qualcomm processor, 16 or 32Gb internal memory, GPS and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. Next up is the Pre3, successor to the Palm Pre, with suitably bumped up hardware. WebOS’ primary mainstay is the excellent multi-tasking, which shows all running applications as ‘cards’ which you can flip through.
1 Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 2 Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo 3 Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro 4 Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Army
First up is the Xperia Play – an Android phone with PSP-style gamepad buttons. It’s the world’s first phone with a Playstationcertified controller built in. It runs Android 2.3, has a 4-inch 854 x 480 pixel capacitive screen, 5MP camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and all high-end smartphone features. Hardware is a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor with embedded Adreno GPU for 3D graphics. It weights 175 grams; only slightly more than the average smartphone.
Next, we have the Xperia Neo which has a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen with Sony’s Bravia display engine, 1Ghz processor and 8MP camera.
The Xperia Pro is a touchscreen Android phone with side slider QWERTY keypad. Like the Xperia Neo, it has a 3.7-inch touchscreen capacitive display (which uses Sony’s Bravia display technology), 1 Ghz Qualcomm processor, Android 2.3, 2MP front and 8MP rear camera. Both the Pro and the Neo have HDMI output and Sony’s Exmor R (for mobile) image sensor, borrowing technology from Sony’s CyberShot range of cameras.
Finally, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, also seen doing the rounds at CES earlier this year. The striking curved design, powerful hardware (1Ghz Snapdragon cpu + Adreno graphics engine) and large 4.2-inch 480 x 854 pixel capacitive touchscreen set it apart from the rest. It’s also unbelievably thin at just 8.7mm.
1 Samsung Galaxy S II 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Samsung’s Powerful Sequels
After several teaser videos and leaks, the next version of the Galaxy Tab was unveiled at MWC. Contrary to rumors, it's not called the Galaxy Tab 2 but the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (referring to the 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 screen). It has the powerful 1Ghz dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, Android 3.0 (Honeycomb; designed specifically for tablets), 16 or 32GB internal memory, 2MP front and 8MP rear camera, 1080p video recording and playback and Wi-Fi N — all encased in a 599 gram shell (just a shade under the iPad's 680 grams). Meanwhile, the Galaxy S II is the flagship smartphone and lays claim to the title of world’s thinnest smartphone at just 8.5mm. It may be thin, but it still has a 1Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM and 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixel Super AMOLED Plus display. Samsung also showcased the Wi-Fi 4.0 and 5.0; 4 & 5-inch
Android media players with built in Wi-Fi.
1 HP TouchPad 2 HP Pre3
HP Bets Big on WebOS
Even since HP’s acquisition of Palm in 2010, speculation was rife that HP would use the WebOS operating system in upcoming devices. The HP TouchPad has a very similar size to the iPad (with the same 9.7-inch screen size) and is the first tablet to be powered by WebOS. It has a 1.2Ghz dual core Qualcomm processor, 16 or 32Gb internal memory, GPS and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. Next up is the Pre3, successor to the Palm Pre, with suitably bumped up hardware. WebOS’ primary mainstay is the excellent multi-tasking, which shows all running applications as ‘cards’ which you can flip through.
MOTOROLA DEFY - FEATURES
Android 2.1, 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen 5MP camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, FM 800Mhz processor, 512MB RAM, 118 grams PROs Rugged yet beautiful, fast operation CONs Runs Android 2.1, average camera quality,Price:18,990
MENTION THE WORD ’RUGGED’ AND the first thing that comes to most people's minds is something that is incredibly tough but not very pretty. So when we heard of the Motorola Defy, a ‘durable Android phone’, we expected to see something that matched Arnold Schwarzenegger in strength, bulk and appearance.
To say that we were surprised is an understatement. The Motorola Defy looks more than presentable. At 13.4 mm, it is not pencil thin, but neither is it bulky — in fact, it is less wide and shorter than the iPhone 3GS and the HTC Mozart, even though it packs in a 3.7-inch display. The front has a Gorilla Glass scratch-proof screen and four soft touch keys (menu, home, back, search) below it. It is only when you turn the device over and inspect its sides that the ‘tough’ element comes to the fore with the tightly covered mini-USB port, the metallic screws that hold the two sides of the phone together as well as the airtight backcover lock. All in all, it is very comfortable to hold and at around 117 grams, not too heavy either.
It packs in some very good specs too. At 800 MHz, it has the fastest processor on a Motorola phone in India, and its display has the same resolution as the famous Milestone — 480 x 854. It has 512 MB RAM, a 5.0-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash and comes with a 2GB memory card. The one sour note is that in spite of these impressive innards, it runs Android 2.1 rather than 2.2. Motorola has attempted to redeem things to an extent by providing a software to create a 3G hotspot. However, those accustomed to Android 2.2's zippy interface and the option to save applications to expansion cards will be disappointed.
That apart, there is little to fault in the Defy. It works very briskly and features Android's typical icon and widget driven interface with excellent web browsing and social networking connectivity, with Motorola adding some resizable widgets for calendars, contacts and messaging for good measure. The battery was a pleasant surprise, lasting comfortably for a day, even with push mail and Facebook updates turned on. We were not too impressed with the camera which threw up relatively dull images, but the presence of Kodak Perfect Touch allowed us to improve pictures with just a touch. And of course, there is the famous toughness — our favourite trick over the past few days has been to walk over to a friend, and casually drop the Defy into their glass of water with an ‘oops!’, wait for them to stop shrieking, fish it out and start using it calmly.
Beauty, brains, brawn — this is one phone that has it all. And at Rs 18,990 we think it is a terrific deal not just for those who are not known to be gentle with their devices, but for anyone looking for a smartphone with very good build quality.
Q1>I have Sony DSC-H10 digital camera. It does not zoom while recording a video. What is the solution? Can I buy an additional zoom lens?
Unfortunately, certain digital cameras do not offer optical zoom while shooting video. This is intentionally done, because of several reasons:
1 - The microphone in the camera may be very close to the lens.
2 - The zoom motor in the lens may be very loud (and therefore, highly audible).
3 - Sound created by the zoom motor while recording will most likely overpower the ambient sound or your subjects voice in a video. There are some teleconverter lenses that can attach to the front of the camera — and these will change the overall focal length — but you still cannot zoom while recording a video.
Q2>I would like to print 20 or 25 photographs on a single sheet using a standard printer. In Windows 7, there is an option to print multiple photographs — but it only has options for 4, 9 or 35 photographs on a page. They all have to be the same size too. How can I get the freedom to arrange and resize photographs while printing?
With Windows 7 — you are restricted to those 4, 9 or 35 pre-set options. The best way to print multiple photos on a single A4 page would be to use an image editing program (or page layout software) like Adobe Photoshop, Pagemaker, InDesign or Quark Express — then you can set the number of images, resize them all individually and then print. If you want a free program that can handle the same, you can get the Pos Multiple Image Printing Wizard from www.photopos.com. This will get the job done faster, but it does not give complete freedom with layout. Even the reverse is possible; you can print a large poster by splitting up a photograph into various smaller parts, each of which can be printed on a single A4 sheet. This can be done with the help of a free software called Posteriza (www.posteriza.com). The program can automatically split up an image into a size of your choosing. Then you just print and assemble the various sheets to get your poster.
MENTION THE WORD ’RUGGED’ AND the first thing that comes to most people's minds is something that is incredibly tough but not very pretty. So when we heard of the Motorola Defy, a ‘durable Android phone’, we expected to see something that matched Arnold Schwarzenegger in strength, bulk and appearance.
To say that we were surprised is an understatement. The Motorola Defy looks more than presentable. At 13.4 mm, it is not pencil thin, but neither is it bulky — in fact, it is less wide and shorter than the iPhone 3GS and the HTC Mozart, even though it packs in a 3.7-inch display. The front has a Gorilla Glass scratch-proof screen and four soft touch keys (menu, home, back, search) below it. It is only when you turn the device over and inspect its sides that the ‘tough’ element comes to the fore with the tightly covered mini-USB port, the metallic screws that hold the two sides of the phone together as well as the airtight backcover lock. All in all, it is very comfortable to hold and at around 117 grams, not too heavy either.
It packs in some very good specs too. At 800 MHz, it has the fastest processor on a Motorola phone in India, and its display has the same resolution as the famous Milestone — 480 x 854. It has 512 MB RAM, a 5.0-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash and comes with a 2GB memory card. The one sour note is that in spite of these impressive innards, it runs Android 2.1 rather than 2.2. Motorola has attempted to redeem things to an extent by providing a software to create a 3G hotspot. However, those accustomed to Android 2.2's zippy interface and the option to save applications to expansion cards will be disappointed.
That apart, there is little to fault in the Defy. It works very briskly and features Android's typical icon and widget driven interface with excellent web browsing and social networking connectivity, with Motorola adding some resizable widgets for calendars, contacts and messaging for good measure. The battery was a pleasant surprise, lasting comfortably for a day, even with push mail and Facebook updates turned on. We were not too impressed with the camera which threw up relatively dull images, but the presence of Kodak Perfect Touch allowed us to improve pictures with just a touch. And of course, there is the famous toughness — our favourite trick over the past few days has been to walk over to a friend, and casually drop the Defy into their glass of water with an ‘oops!’, wait for them to stop shrieking, fish it out and start using it calmly.
Beauty, brains, brawn — this is one phone that has it all. And at Rs 18,990 we think it is a terrific deal not just for those who are not known to be gentle with their devices, but for anyone looking for a smartphone with very good build quality.
Q1>I have Sony DSC-H10 digital camera. It does not zoom while recording a video. What is the solution? Can I buy an additional zoom lens?
Unfortunately, certain digital cameras do not offer optical zoom while shooting video. This is intentionally done, because of several reasons:
1 - The microphone in the camera may be very close to the lens.
2 - The zoom motor in the lens may be very loud (and therefore, highly audible).
3 - Sound created by the zoom motor while recording will most likely overpower the ambient sound or your subjects voice in a video. There are some teleconverter lenses that can attach to the front of the camera — and these will change the overall focal length — but you still cannot zoom while recording a video.
Q2>I would like to print 20 or 25 photographs on a single sheet using a standard printer. In Windows 7, there is an option to print multiple photographs — but it only has options for 4, 9 or 35 photographs on a page. They all have to be the same size too. How can I get the freedom to arrange and resize photographs while printing?
With Windows 7 — you are restricted to those 4, 9 or 35 pre-set options. The best way to print multiple photos on a single A4 page would be to use an image editing program (or page layout software) like Adobe Photoshop, Pagemaker, InDesign or Quark Express — then you can set the number of images, resize them all individually and then print. If you want a free program that can handle the same, you can get the Pos Multiple Image Printing Wizard from www.photopos.com. This will get the job done faster, but it does not give complete freedom with layout. Even the reverse is possible; you can print a large poster by splitting up a photograph into various smaller parts, each of which can be printed on a single A4 sheet. This can be done with the help of a free software called Posteriza (www.posteriza.com). The program can automatically split up an image into a size of your choosing. Then you just print and assemble the various sheets to get your poster.
New gadgets price, review and tips
IOMEGA SUPERHERO
Iomega’s SuperHero is an iPhone dock with a built in backup function. This is for people who never sync their device with iTunes, but only charge it from a wall plug. The dock works with a free app that you download from the app store and a 4GB SD card in the package. It charges and automatically backs up contacts and photos. The card is upgradeable if you need more capacity. In case your phone is lost or stolen, you can dock a new phone in and restore contacts and photos from it. The only downside is that it does not backup music, videos or calendar entries. However, it works with the iPhone 4, 3G, 3GS, and the latest iPod Touch as well (4th Gen). Price:4,499
OLYMPUS XZ-1
It looks suspiciously like any other point-and-shoot camera, but closer inspection will reveal a host of high-end features in the Olympus XZ-1. It has many features that appeal to even professional photographers; a fast lens from the acclaimed manufacturer Zuiko with a wide maximum aperture of 1.8, a much larger sensor than a regular compact camera, a fast image processor that helps with noise reduction, a 3-inch OLED LCD for framing and the ability to add any flash unit via a hot shoe.It also includes RAW shooting, a lens control dial with manual exposure control and 720p HD movie recording with HDMI output. It is priced at US$499.
REVIEW
SPLICE FOR iOS
Unlike Apple’s own iMovie which costs $4.99, Splice is a free (ad-supported) video editor app. If you like, you can purchase the ad-free version for $2. Like iMovie, it has an easy-to-use and intuitive interface to quickly edit and put together videos that you shoot on the device itself. But it also offers some features that iMovie does not, such as the ability to add audio and video effects (apart from the ones included, you can add more effects using an in-app purchase). Another advantage is that iMovie only works on newer devices (iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th Gen) while Splice works on older devices like the iPhone 3GS.
TIP
HOW TO THWART INTERNET BLOCKS
In case of an Egypt-style, nation-wide internet block, there is still something you can do to get online — good ‘ol dial up internet.The internet gets blocked because the internet service providers have been given an order by the govt. to stop services, but phones normally still stay in operation. Right now, French ISP FDN is currently offering free dial-up internet for users in Egypt.All they have to do is use a dialup modem and dial the number +33172890150 (username and password are both ‘toto’). Sure, you still have to pay international call rates, but it’ll work.
Iomega’s SuperHero is an iPhone dock with a built in backup function. This is for people who never sync their device with iTunes, but only charge it from a wall plug. The dock works with a free app that you download from the app store and a 4GB SD card in the package. It charges and automatically backs up contacts and photos. The card is upgradeable if you need more capacity. In case your phone is lost or stolen, you can dock a new phone in and restore contacts and photos from it. The only downside is that it does not backup music, videos or calendar entries. However, it works with the iPhone 4, 3G, 3GS, and the latest iPod Touch as well (4th Gen). Price:4,499
OLYMPUS XZ-1
It looks suspiciously like any other point-and-shoot camera, but closer inspection will reveal a host of high-end features in the Olympus XZ-1. It has many features that appeal to even professional photographers; a fast lens from the acclaimed manufacturer Zuiko with a wide maximum aperture of 1.8, a much larger sensor than a regular compact camera, a fast image processor that helps with noise reduction, a 3-inch OLED LCD for framing and the ability to add any flash unit via a hot shoe.It also includes RAW shooting, a lens control dial with manual exposure control and 720p HD movie recording with HDMI output. It is priced at US$499.
REVIEW
SPLICE FOR iOS
Unlike Apple’s own iMovie which costs $4.99, Splice is a free (ad-supported) video editor app. If you like, you can purchase the ad-free version for $2. Like iMovie, it has an easy-to-use and intuitive interface to quickly edit and put together videos that you shoot on the device itself. But it also offers some features that iMovie does not, such as the ability to add audio and video effects (apart from the ones included, you can add more effects using an in-app purchase). Another advantage is that iMovie only works on newer devices (iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th Gen) while Splice works on older devices like the iPhone 3GS.
TIP
HOW TO THWART INTERNET BLOCKS
In case of an Egypt-style, nation-wide internet block, there is still something you can do to get online — good ‘ol dial up internet.The internet gets blocked because the internet service providers have been given an order by the govt. to stop services, but phones normally still stay in operation. Right now, French ISP FDN is currently offering free dial-up internet for users in Egypt.All they have to do is use a dialup modem and dial the number +33172890150 (username and password are both ‘toto’). Sure, you still have to pay international call rates, but it’ll work.
iPad comparision
To iPad or not to iPad
The iPad is finally here, but is it still worth investing in? We explores some of the forthcoming competition for the iPad and whether they are worth waiting for.
NINE MONTHS is a long time in technology. So when the Apple iPad finally made its official appearance in the Indian market, there were, apart from the usual squeals of delight from Apple fans, a few frowns in the tech community about whether the tablet had in fact taken too long to come to India. For, in the period since its launch (US availability started April 2010), a number of manufacturers have announced products that seem just as promising, if not more, than Apple's über tablet, which some claim is showing signs of growing long in the tooth. So, given all the goodies that could be coming your way later this year, does it still make sense to go for the iPad? Here’s our look at the competition and how it stacks up against Apple’s tablet.
THE iPAD ADVANTAGE
Hundreds & thousands of apps that work perfectly and add tons of functionality to the device Staggering battery life in excess of ten hours on Wi-Fi Excellent browser and e-book reading software A price point that is in netbook territory Ability to pair with a Bluetooth keyboard with minimum fuss A higher resolution display than most of the major tablets available in the Indian market Incredibly smooth and intuitive interface
CURRENT COMPETITION
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB
A price cut might have finally brought it below the 30,000 level, but many consider it as too little too late. The Tab remains a great option for those who love Android and need a tablet that can double up as a phone and a camera, but those looking for a pure tablet experience will go for the iPad.
OLIVEPAD
The Galaxy Tab's price cut and the low entry price of the iPad would have come as a blow to this sturdy rather than spectacular tablet whose biggest strength was its value for money proposition. As nearly 23,000 now it is too close to the price points of both the lower-end iPads and the Galaxy Tab to be considered a serious challenger. Barring a price cut, its day might have passed.
DELL STREAK
The tablet that seemed more of a smartphone finds itself in the unenviable position of being the most expensive tablet in the country. Yes it does have some very good specs to back up that price, but we cannot see people lining up for it, now that both the Galaxy Tab and the entry level editions of the iPad cost lesser than it does.
MOTOROLA XOOM
It came, it saw and it conquered all at CES 2011. Boasting a powerful dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, dual cameras, a magnificent 10 inch display and most importantly, the first version of Android (3.0) that has been designed for tablets rather than smartphones, the Xoom is being seen by many as major competitor to the iPad. Its biggest strength, however, is also its biggest challenge — Android 3.0 is by no means a finished product, so one does not really know how well it will perform. There is also the question of how many apps it will come with, as indications are that the apps in the existing Android Market will not work perfectly with it. Vs the iPad: Well, it is on paper one of the iPad's most formidable challengers and has Motorola's great design on its side. The only place where it could lag behind are the OS and the apps.
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 2
Its first edition has been widely acknowledged by many to be the best tablet in the market this side of the iPad. And the second edition of Samsung's Galaxy Tab is likely to be even more muscular in the specs department. According to sources, it will pack in a dual core NVIDIA Tegra processor and even though its screen is expected to remain at its current seven inch size, its resolution could be almost doubled to 2048 x 1200 with a Super AMOLED display to boot. Round that off with an 8.0-megapixel shooter on the rear and this could be a multimedia behemoth that fits into your coat pocket. And yes, it should be running Android 3.0 as well. Vs the iPad: If it does live up to its rumoured specs, this could be one of the most powerful tablets in the world, and one of the most portable too. The challenge is likely to be in the pricing, and of course, the fact that it is, as of now, still unconfirmed.
BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK
It might have been a while since it was announced, but the BlackBerry PlayBook remains for many corporate warriors the tablet worth waiting for. On paper, it packs a formidable punch with a powerful dual core processor,
a seven inch display, dual cameras, support for Flash and HTML browsing, phenomenal multi-tasking ability, and of course, complete compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the ability to pair easily with BlackBerry handsets. A whole new interface based on the QNX OS should make it fun to use as well. Vs the iPad:We cannot see it winning in the apps department, honestly, but enterprise users might like its compact form and the good old RIM security factor. And if it can run Android apps too (as is being rumoured), even the apps might not be that much of an issue. The price tag however, is expected to be stiff.
MOTOROLA ATRIX
We can hear the howls of protest go up, saying the Atrix is not a tablet but actually a smartphone. Fair point, but we think it does enough to be considered a threat to the iPad, not just because of its extremely powerful specs which include a four inch touchscreen and a dual core processor, but also because of the fact that it can actually be connected to a notebook-like dock, letting you work on a larger screen with a full keyboard and a proper Firefox browser to boot. So one actually ends up getting the best of all worlds - phone, notebook and touchscreen. The fact that it runs Android 2.2 is a bit of a downer, but an upgrade is expected. Vs the iPad: No, it is not a tablet, but is perfect for the productivity types, although it does involve carrying the notebook dock along for best results. Just how many apps will run on the notebook dock is going to be interesting.
SAMSUNG SLIDING PC 7
Carrying the Windows standard in this slew of gadgets is the Samsung Sliding PC 7. It might not be grabbing as much attention as the Galaxy Tab, but there can be no doubting its potential for those who want to stay in the familiar Windows environment. Powered by the Intel Atom Z760 chip, it features a 10 inch touchscreen, dual cameras, the ability to support USB devices and solid state storage. But the party trick is the full keyboard which slides out and transforms it from a tablet into a netbook. It is not the lightest device around being just more than a kilogram, but netbook lovers longing for a touch experience will adore it. Vs the iPad: The perfect device if you want to have a tablet without giving up your notebook. The keyboard helps. Forget about a different experience from your routine Windows, though.
RAZER SWITCHBLADE
Once again, not really a tablet, but the Switchblade wowed enough people at CES 2011 to make it a device worthy of being compared with any portable gadget. It features a 7 inch touchscreen and a keyboard whose keys change according to the function for which it is being used. It runs an Intel Atom processor, and is is being seen mainly as a gaming device. But it could well have uses as it runs Windows 7 and therefore should be capable of handling routine computing tasks (web browsing, document editing, presentations). It is still in the prototype state, but could turn out to be one of the gadgets of the year, if released. Vs the iPad: The Switchblade is the only device in this list that can go toe to toe and outslug the iPad in gaming. However, details remain sketchy on other fronts and it is unlikely to match the iPad when it comes to apps.
IPAD 2
Apple has not confirmed its existence and we do not even know for sure whether it will be called the iPad 2, but for many people, the expected successor of the iPad is the best reason not to invest in the current one. Details of it are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks, with speculation rife about a retina display, dual cameras (for Apple's Face Time video calling) and a much faster processor. The biggest problem is that absolutely none of this has been confirmed. What one can be reasonably sure of is the fact that Apple's successor to the iPad is unlikely to change too much from the current one, as that would mean alienating almost 15 million users. Vs the iPad:The cameras and faster processor might be worth waiting for, but most of the thousands of apps will work just as well on the current one.
The iPad is finally here, but is it still worth investing in? We explores some of the forthcoming competition for the iPad and whether they are worth waiting for.
NINE MONTHS is a long time in technology. So when the Apple iPad finally made its official appearance in the Indian market, there were, apart from the usual squeals of delight from Apple fans, a few frowns in the tech community about whether the tablet had in fact taken too long to come to India. For, in the period since its launch (US availability started April 2010), a number of manufacturers have announced products that seem just as promising, if not more, than Apple's über tablet, which some claim is showing signs of growing long in the tooth. So, given all the goodies that could be coming your way later this year, does it still make sense to go for the iPad? Here’s our look at the competition and how it stacks up against Apple’s tablet.
THE iPAD ADVANTAGE
Hundreds & thousands of apps that work perfectly and add tons of functionality to the device Staggering battery life in excess of ten hours on Wi-Fi Excellent browser and e-book reading software A price point that is in netbook territory Ability to pair with a Bluetooth keyboard with minimum fuss A higher resolution display than most of the major tablets available in the Indian market Incredibly smooth and intuitive interface
CURRENT COMPETITION
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB
A price cut might have finally brought it below the 30,000 level, but many consider it as too little too late. The Tab remains a great option for those who love Android and need a tablet that can double up as a phone and a camera, but those looking for a pure tablet experience will go for the iPad.
OLIVEPAD
The Galaxy Tab's price cut and the low entry price of the iPad would have come as a blow to this sturdy rather than spectacular tablet whose biggest strength was its value for money proposition. As nearly 23,000 now it is too close to the price points of both the lower-end iPads and the Galaxy Tab to be considered a serious challenger. Barring a price cut, its day might have passed.
DELL STREAK
The tablet that seemed more of a smartphone finds itself in the unenviable position of being the most expensive tablet in the country. Yes it does have some very good specs to back up that price, but we cannot see people lining up for it, now that both the Galaxy Tab and the entry level editions of the iPad cost lesser than it does.
MOTOROLA XOOM
It came, it saw and it conquered all at CES 2011. Boasting a powerful dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, dual cameras, a magnificent 10 inch display and most importantly, the first version of Android (3.0) that has been designed for tablets rather than smartphones, the Xoom is being seen by many as major competitor to the iPad. Its biggest strength, however, is also its biggest challenge — Android 3.0 is by no means a finished product, so one does not really know how well it will perform. There is also the question of how many apps it will come with, as indications are that the apps in the existing Android Market will not work perfectly with it. Vs the iPad: Well, it is on paper one of the iPad's most formidable challengers and has Motorola's great design on its side. The only place where it could lag behind are the OS and the apps.
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 2
Its first edition has been widely acknowledged by many to be the best tablet in the market this side of the iPad. And the second edition of Samsung's Galaxy Tab is likely to be even more muscular in the specs department. According to sources, it will pack in a dual core NVIDIA Tegra processor and even though its screen is expected to remain at its current seven inch size, its resolution could be almost doubled to 2048 x 1200 with a Super AMOLED display to boot. Round that off with an 8.0-megapixel shooter on the rear and this could be a multimedia behemoth that fits into your coat pocket. And yes, it should be running Android 3.0 as well. Vs the iPad: If it does live up to its rumoured specs, this could be one of the most powerful tablets in the world, and one of the most portable too. The challenge is likely to be in the pricing, and of course, the fact that it is, as of now, still unconfirmed.
BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK
It might have been a while since it was announced, but the BlackBerry PlayBook remains for many corporate warriors the tablet worth waiting for. On paper, it packs a formidable punch with a powerful dual core processor,
a seven inch display, dual cameras, support for Flash and HTML browsing, phenomenal multi-tasking ability, and of course, complete compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the ability to pair easily with BlackBerry handsets. A whole new interface based on the QNX OS should make it fun to use as well. Vs the iPad:We cannot see it winning in the apps department, honestly, but enterprise users might like its compact form and the good old RIM security factor. And if it can run Android apps too (as is being rumoured), even the apps might not be that much of an issue. The price tag however, is expected to be stiff.
MOTOROLA ATRIX
We can hear the howls of protest go up, saying the Atrix is not a tablet but actually a smartphone. Fair point, but we think it does enough to be considered a threat to the iPad, not just because of its extremely powerful specs which include a four inch touchscreen and a dual core processor, but also because of the fact that it can actually be connected to a notebook-like dock, letting you work on a larger screen with a full keyboard and a proper Firefox browser to boot. So one actually ends up getting the best of all worlds - phone, notebook and touchscreen. The fact that it runs Android 2.2 is a bit of a downer, but an upgrade is expected. Vs the iPad: No, it is not a tablet, but is perfect for the productivity types, although it does involve carrying the notebook dock along for best results. Just how many apps will run on the notebook dock is going to be interesting.
SAMSUNG SLIDING PC 7
Carrying the Windows standard in this slew of gadgets is the Samsung Sliding PC 7. It might not be grabbing as much attention as the Galaxy Tab, but there can be no doubting its potential for those who want to stay in the familiar Windows environment. Powered by the Intel Atom Z760 chip, it features a 10 inch touchscreen, dual cameras, the ability to support USB devices and solid state storage. But the party trick is the full keyboard which slides out and transforms it from a tablet into a netbook. It is not the lightest device around being just more than a kilogram, but netbook lovers longing for a touch experience will adore it. Vs the iPad: The perfect device if you want to have a tablet without giving up your notebook. The keyboard helps. Forget about a different experience from your routine Windows, though.
RAZER SWITCHBLADE
Once again, not really a tablet, but the Switchblade wowed enough people at CES 2011 to make it a device worthy of being compared with any portable gadget. It features a 7 inch touchscreen and a keyboard whose keys change according to the function for which it is being used. It runs an Intel Atom processor, and is is being seen mainly as a gaming device. But it could well have uses as it runs Windows 7 and therefore should be capable of handling routine computing tasks (web browsing, document editing, presentations). It is still in the prototype state, but could turn out to be one of the gadgets of the year, if released. Vs the iPad: The Switchblade is the only device in this list that can go toe to toe and outslug the iPad in gaming. However, details remain sketchy on other fronts and it is unlikely to match the iPad when it comes to apps.
IPAD 2
Apple has not confirmed its existence and we do not even know for sure whether it will be called the iPad 2, but for many people, the expected successor of the iPad is the best reason not to invest in the current one. Details of it are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks, with speculation rife about a retina display, dual cameras (for Apple's Face Time video calling) and a much faster processor. The biggest problem is that absolutely none of this has been confirmed. What one can be reasonably sure of is the fact that Apple's successor to the iPad is unlikely to change too much from the current one, as that would mean alienating almost 15 million users. Vs the iPad:The cameras and faster processor might be worth waiting for, but most of the thousands of apps will work just as well on the current one.
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