Author
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
The Xperia Z5, makes an appearance in the newest Bond movie. It’s the same Sony formula but now with a 23MP camera
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These apps make life easier for startups by helping them design content, account for expenditure and manage tasks
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If you thought your emotions were your business alone, forget it. Computers, wearables, phones and even your connected home will soon know exactly how you feel
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Far from giving up on Google+, Google is going to give it a big makeover. Google has always been a struggling social network. That is, if it’s a social network in the usual sense of the word, in the first place.
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The photo sharing network, most popular among millennials with 400 million users, is making a bid for brands in India
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If anyone can outsmart the terrorists at their use of technology it’s hackers, and who better than Anonymous, the cyber-activists
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There is also the advantage of being able to buy a book anywhere anytime within moments – just a click, actually
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Whether you’re a Samsung fan or an Apple fan or neither, it’s difficult to deny the beauty of the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. Samsung’s brand new 5.7-inch smartphone is outright dazzling, especially if you see the Platinum Gold or Silver Titanium colour variants. Globally, it was launched with the Galaxy Note 5 and in India soon after. Samsung’s Best DesignIt’s interesting that Samsung has gone from a design that everyone decried as being eminently cheesy and plasticky to something that looks akin to jewelery. The S6 Edge Plus looks much like the 5.1-inch S6 Edge, but somehow, perhaps because there’s just more of it to see, it looks more spectacular. Vulnerable To DropsThe S6 Edge Plus is all glass and gloss, skirted by metal and glass on both front and back. No one will fail to notice this piece of gadgetry when you hold it, and it will be a crying shame to have to put it into a case of some kind. Perhaps one could keep it encased on regular days and pull it out in all its glory on a special occasion. But I’d say one has to be careful at all times because the device feels as slippery as an eel in one’s hand. The beautiful edges – or Edges – that flow over the sides adds to this slipperiness. I haven’t dared try a drop-test of any kind, but an online publication that puts out content on Apple, did do multiple drop tests with the iPhone 6 Plus and the S6 Edge Plus. The tester dropped the devices from waist, head and 10-foot height, and continued until both devices were in trouble, but the S6 Edge Plus fared impressively compared with the Apple device that shattered on first drop By the end of the tests, the screen of the S6 Edge Plus was actually still working, though the back and front glass pieces were both shattered. Another person however, dropped the S6 Plus Edge by accident and found that though nothing broke, it stopped working. I suppose it’s difficult to say sure, but the S6 Edge Plus looks and feels very vulnerable and anyone who decides to own it should be a person who’s ultra careful. Knocking the lovely-looking edges surely won’t be something one wants to risk as replacing a broken screen will be both expensive and a frustrating experience. Another thing one has to be careful about is the camera jutting out on the back. One reviewer did manage to crack her lens although the camera still worked ok for the most part, apart from distortions in some conditions. Front And BackYou can’t get at the battery on the S6 Edge Plus because the device is a single or unibody piece The SIM tray is on the top. On the right edge you have a very well made power button and the volume button is on the left edge. On the bottom you have a speaker and the 3.5mm jack for the earphones. On the front, the S6 Edge Plus is as attractive as on the back. The top and bottom bezels are the same as the back of the phone and in the middle is the quad-HD screen tapering on both sides. The edge on the right (or left if you like) has the night clock or glows with beautiful colours that you can set to your key contacts. The Home button, also metallic looking, acts as the fingerprint sensor – and does a wonderful job of it – and when pressed twice springs up the camera at high speed. Work At The SmudgesOne problem with all that glass though is that you’ll leave a few fingerprint smudges every time you touch the device and will end up spending a lot of time wiping them off and making the smartphone you spent so much money on shine again. Who Is The S6 Edge Plus For?The kind of user who opts for this phone will certainly be someone to whom the looks of a device are important. Also important to this person will be the need for a large phone, because the smaller S6 Edge is also, after all, available. This phone must belong to someone who wants to do a lot with the smartphone, not just hold it and look pretty. He or she should also be fond of great phone photography, which this device excels at. And finally, it must be someone willing to pay Rs 57,900. More on the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus in the near future.
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The next time you check into a hotel, you could be going places. Well, that is if you’re lucky enough to be at the New York Marriot Marquis or the London Marriot at Park Lane. If you do happen at these two properties in the next two weeks, you could request some VRoom Service --- not a vacuum cleaner or car rental, but a dash of Virtual Reality for when you’re bored. Mala BhargavaIt seems a bit odd that you’d go to another country, check into a hotel, and proceed to experience virtual reality when you can as well get real reality, but let’s remember that not everyone wants to just watch television or listen to music when getting back to their hotels after a day out. Not the millenials, anyway, and that’s who the hotel industry is going to have to please. Marriot has decided to take the lead with an experiment in giving its guests something different by way of in-room entertainment. They can order VRoom Service, upon which a little attaché case with instructions on the inner side of the lid and the VR equipment arrives. The headset is Samsung Gear headset – and indeed the experiment is in partnership with Samsung Electronics, US. Guests can keep the headset for 24 hours. When the guest is all outfitted with the VR gear, he or she can try out VR Postcards, travel experiences in which a user can get immersed in stories from real travelers. At the moment, the content is limited to just three of these postcards, taking the guest to China, the Andes Mountains and an ice cream shop in Ruanda. But if it turns out to be a hit, this can be developed as an interesting experience in hotel rooms. Mark Zuckerberg had his eye on similar experiences when he bought Oculus Rift, the VR company, and often talks of one day being able to share full-fledged experiences via virtual reality, the way one shares posts and photos and videos today. While VR in a hotel room may or may not work, there’s no doubt that the hotel guest of tomorrow is going to need different experiences than are available today and of course, they’re going to be heavily powered by technology.
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Bluetooth earphones are not as common as one would expect them to be, somehow. I paid a hefty Rs 5,000 or so for a pair from Sony recently, not entirely satisfied with their sound but nevertheless compelled to pick them up because of the specific need to workout to music without disturbing anyone else. A new entrant to India, Brainwavz Audio, has just debuted with an in-ear Bluetooth pair of earphones for use with mobile phones and I decided to check it out. The Blu-100, as it’s called, is a lightweight set of little cans that go into your ear, connected by one wire between them, plus an inline controller for pairing, volumne and taking calls. You can even reject calls or dial the last number using that controller. And voice-dial. As usual, you can also skip songs as well. The earphones have to be charged first and here’s where the micro-USB slot has been hidden cleverly a the tiny space on removing a little flap on one of the earphones. You wouldn’t think it would fit in there, but it does. The flap hangs by a thread though and in time, there’s little doubt it’s going to fall right off. The BLU-100 phones are comfortable enough, though a bit big for my ears. There are extra soft rubber caps given along with the pair. You also get a tiny stiff red case to carry them in – along with the micro-USB cable. The Blu-100 is marketed as being “stylish” but I’m afraid there’s nothing stylish about two black blobs connected with a black wire. It’s just a plain-Jane pair, though there’s nothing wrong with that. Bluetooth 4.0 pairing was very quick and painless on these earphones. But I found the sound very wanting. There’s no bass to speak of and just a sort of hissy intimacy to the sound which made music sound like it was an intense whisper. It’s just short of tinny. While I wouldn’t use the Blu-100 for my listening pleasure, it’s still usable for calls without much discomfort, though with nothing particular to recommend it. The Blu-100 costs Rs 3,399.
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