<div>Judging by all the launches, it's the season for smartphones, but the BlackBerry Z10 isn't just another new smartphone. It symbolises the Canadian major's big push to salvage one of the most famous brands in mobile history, and the Z10 is the flagship on which rests the fate of the company. The question is - does the Z10 deliver or gets crushed under the burden of expectations? Will it work for the faithful who've clutched their 'berries, held them close through these trying times and avoided the obvious lure of iOS/Android? Read on to find out!<br /> <br />From its revised physical design to its built-from-scratch BB10 platform, there's very little of the old BlackBerry in the Z10. Lines are clean and design is industrial, albeit a little iPhone5-esque, and the form factor is well suited for single-handed use. Build quality is good, and the phone feels durable enough to take everyday knocks and drops. The front is dominated by the 4.2-inch 1280x768 display, and there's a lack of any buttons whatsoever - not surprising given how touch-gesture oriented the BlackBerry 10 platform is. Touch screen responsiveness is very smooth, and text and images on the screen are sharp and rendered beautifully, although I wish the display were a tad brighter.<br /> <br />Using the new BlackBerry 10 platform on the Z10 is a mixed bag. Getting started with the gestures isn't nearly as intuitive as it should be for first time users, especially for folks hunting for that home or back button to get their bearings around the device. That said, once you figure out your way around the device, where everything is and how it works, you can move from app to app or from one activity to another with the kind of efficiency that is rare to see on the leading platforms. Oh, and the touchscreen keyboard is in a class of its own, it's that good. Can't say I'm quite as sold about the suggested text options - they seem like a neat trick for showing off the device, but at least for me, swiping up for a certain word ended up being more a distraction.<br /> <br />Performance wise, apps load fast and multitasking between open apps is fluid, which shows that when companies optimise their software to their hardware, the experience is so worth it. Battery life is acceptable by smartphone standards. The trouble is that the apps situation is leagues behind the market leaders, and while some big name apps are coming in the near future, it's going to be a while till you find all your favourite apps on this platform, if at all they come. The BB10 platform has its fair share of rough edges as well, which is okay given that this is a v1 product.<br /> <br />At its price, you can buy a flagship iOS/Android device - sadly, BlackBerry has priced the Z10 too high to be a worthwhile alternative. For current Blackberry users, the package is a huge step up, but the world has evolved to a point where what's right for an average BlackBerry user is no longer what's right for everyone else in the world.<br /> <br /><strong>Rating:</strong> 7/10<br /><strong>Price:</strong> Rs 43,490<br /><strong>URL: </strong>http://bit.ly/YDeiV4<br /><br /><strong>Also Read</strong>: <a href="http://www.businessworld.in/en/storypage/-/bw/blackberry%E2%80%99s-comeback/812376.0/page/0"><strong>Mala Bhargava's review of Blackberry Z10</strong></a><br /> </div><table width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><strong>Turning Touch Friendly</strong></td></tr><tr><td><img width="250" vspace="7" hspace="7" height="191" align="left" src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=0bba3c5f-1e04-4865-859a-ff12cfd1fe85&groupId=222852&t=1363804196769" alt="" />Windows 8 works like a charm on the new touchscreen laptops, but what if you're stuck with an older non-touch-enabled laptop and in no mood to spend more money on a new laptop? The Portronics Handmate could be the answer for you - the device attaches to the side of your laptop screen and converts your existing laptop screen into a touch-friendly display. It's worth noting that this approach doesn't allow for touchscreen use with your fingers; instead you have to use the included pen to interact with the screen.<br /> <br />Installation is pretty easy, and once you get past the calibration, the device works like a charm. I installed this on my ageing laptop which had gotten a new lease of life with a fresh Window 8 install, and soon enough, I was swiping my way across the screen, making handwritten annotations on documents and using Windows 8 gestures. Impressive stuff this, and well priced too. Just bear in mind the Handmate works with screen sizes up to 17 inches, which makes it ideal for laptops but rules out many larger desktop displays.<br /><strong> <br />Rating: </strong>8/10<br /><strong>Price:</strong> Rs 4,999<br /><strong>URL:</strong> http://bit.ly/YCgjOX</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br />technocool at kanwar dot net<br />twitter@2shar<br /> </div>
