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.
There are few people who will adopt the Asus FonePad as their primary calling device; it’s just too big to hold up to one’s ear, not on the fringe like a phablet, which is big, but just about usable. Holding up a 7-inch device to the ear is going to look outlandish and while you may not be bothered by the looks people give you, it’s just not convenient, especially if you’re rushing about. You could even end up dropping it because the grip is nowhere close to what it would be for a phone. But to think of the calling facility as a bonus or use it as a second phone is much more understandable. The ideal combo would be if you have a small phone and the Asus FonePad. That way you will have the option of using the phone on the go and using the FonePad when you’re in one place, say, with the tablet resting and in speaker mode. Of course, that does mean two sim cards, but in India, we seem to be fond of them anyway. Asus can’t seem to get away from the Fonepad-Padfone naming pattern, and that’s what they decided to name their twin to the Google Nexus 7 tablet (also made by Asus). It’s a little heavier and has a different back panel plus a strip at the top that can be removed, with some considerable damage to your nails, to insert the sim card and SD card. You can’t get at the battery, but that’s the norm with tablets and you don’t need to as it lasts a good nine hours. If you use it occasionally, you can stretch it over a couple of days. The Intel processor it uses is supposed to be optimised for longer battery life and for Android. The FonePad is a perfectly workable tablet, but it’s getting tough to choose with so many of them being so very alike. In the cause of the FonePad, it has its own Google version to compete with. The Nexus 7 is available at the same price, Rs, 15,999, on the Google Play store, but the specs of the two are different. The Nexus uses a Tegra 3 processor, doesn’t have 3G at this price, and, of course, doesn’t have calling. The version of Android it uses is the very latest, which is the reason why people buy the Nexus in any case, while the FonePad’s is a notch behind with the update promised. A warning about what you may hear about the “pure Android” experience. While it’s well suited to tech-savvy youngsters who know how to customise it and even develop apps, the average user is likely to be much happier with a device on which the manufacturer has put in some features and apps already, making it easier to use. The FonePad has some very light touches from Asus because they have put in some useful apps such as a note taker and a translate feature, but is otherwise quite “pure” in its Androidness anyway. Instead you may consider whether it’s the FonePad you want or another 7-inch tablet, such as a low-cost one or one from Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 P3100 or successor or even the iPad Mini, which is a different experience from Android because of its universe of apps and, of course, its interface and system. The FonePad has a nice though not overly crisp screen and the colours look pleasing and vibrant. It performs well too but the benchmark tests put it somewhere close to the Galaxy SIII. The cameras, front and back, are low-end and meant to be functional rather than for photography. Check OutSony Xperia SPI’ve always loved the transparent lighting-up strip on some of the Sony Xperia phones, and on theSONY XPERIA SPRs 27,490Xperia SP, Sony’s recent mid-range smartphone, it is better than ever. It’s made up of three LEDs and sits at the extreme bottom of the phone, giving you a lot of information. You can set it to light up for your notifications including calls and SMSs. When your battery is low or charging, the colour of the light will tell you what’s going on. Moreover, the light glows to match the colour of the pictures you’re viewing. Music is fairly prominent on this phone, and there’s a full featured player with equalizer and booster and a speaker that’s loud without being in the least distorted. As with the Xperia Z, the build is solid and just the right weight. It’s got a curved matte finish plastic back which has a little flex right in the centre. It comes off easily to reveal the battery — which you can’t remove. It’s a 2370 mAh rating, and so enough for the phone. The “Stamina” mode, featured on the Xperia Z, is also present here and it works to prolong your battery by turning connectivity off when not in use. The Xperia SP doesn’t look or feel as big as it actually is and fits very comfortably in the hand. I’m just not an admirer of Sony’s phone screens and find the SP’s has the same properties I dislike — bad viewing angles, not enough contrast, not pleasing colours. If you’re a phone camera enthusiast, you may be disappointed with the camera on this phone. It’s not that it’s 8 megapixels — it’s that the quality of pictures is just average. At Rs27,490 the Sony Xperia SP is a bit overpriced and has a lot of competition, so be sure to check out price equivalents if you’re buying.mala(dot)bhargava(at)gmail(dot)com(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 29-07-2013)
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These days my mind sometimes flits back to a time when we never heard of the term “multitasking”. You either did something or someone kicked you up a gum tree for wasting time, and that was that! Mind you, I’m not saying I miss those times. I love my gadgets and being connected to the Internet at all times. I feel endlessly empowered at the very thought of being able to do several things at once and mostly succeed. But every now and then there’s a downside. Only problem is, I’m forgetting what it is. I’ll let you know the moment it comes back to me… Meanwhile, let me illustrate. Just yesterday, I was about to look up something on the web while writing an article. I reached for my phone to search so as not to distance from the laptop and the task I was tackling. I decided to go mostly hands-free and give the personal voice assistant a reason to live. I yelled at it to wake up and it, or rather she, confirmed she was awake and asked how she could help me. “Turn on wifi,” I commanded. “Sorry, I don’t understand that,” she returns. Don’t understand that? What do you mean? “Switch on wifi,” I said, sternly, doing a good imitation of an American accent. I tried several repeats in different accents and no accents. Nope. “We are having problems communicating, Mala,” the twit tells me. What? She didn’t have a problem the last time I gave this command. Now I was officially distracted. I opened up the app, dived into the settings, looked at the command list and confirmed that I could indeed say turn/switch/toggle wifi. I tried a dozen times, but not once did she figure out that I wanted. In disgust I gave up and turned on wifi myself — which is just one touch, of course. But by then, I had absolutely no clue why I had turned the wifi on. It had been set to sleep to save battery for no other reason than that battery can be saved. I never did finish that article, by the way. Today’s age of fast-paced tech and the modern workplace encourage us to multitask and even use multiple devices. I had a boss who would invariably give me at least two projects that needed my complete undivided attention and to which I was supposed to give my 100 per cent. When I’d ask him how I was to get two 100 per cents and could he explain the math, he’d just look at me indignantly and say, “Just do it in parallel.” Well, I parted ways with my boss by going 180 degrees, but the multitasking followed me. I listen to a queued list of articles read aloud while having a bath, I watch TV while touch typing, I edit a photograph while talking on the phone, and so on. I’m sure I would second-screen while watching television if there were only something worthwhile to watch. Even if I take a few minutes to make a cup of tea, I take along a device to keep me busy maybe playing a podcast. I even tweet while rushing downstairs when there’s an earthquake. But when I began to feel the need to multitask while sleeping, I decided enough was enough and it was time to do something about it. One sensible measure is to create to-do lists and follow them faithfully. I do find though that I’m tending to make lists and sub-lists for everything and making less of an effort to remember things. Does that mean my memory will go right out of practice? There is indeed some research that says multitasking can hurt memory and make it difficult to do any of the separate tasks as well as they could be done. So do we avoid multitasking, or even technology altogether? Surely it would be better to find ways of balancing new and old skills instead. I did read somewhere that it’s unhappy people who multitask — to feel more adequate of course. But if I’m unhappy, I certainly don’t know it. I could swear I was mostly energised and upbeat, the last I looked. Maybe I needed to build in some do-nothing time or even go so far as to meditate. But the notifications and pings from my various devices didn’t quite cooperate. But wait... maybe there’s an app for that! Remind me to look. mala(at)pobox(dot)com Twitter: (at)malabhargava(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
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Trust Samsung to cover every size of tablet from here to eternity. Between the 5-inch phablets and the 10.1-inch tablet, they have it all, and you can pick whatever size suits you and stop complaining already. Of course, not every tablet has the S-Pen. That’s reserved for the Note series, of which this 8-inch tablet is one — known as the Galaxy Note 510, or 8.0 or GT-N5100, if you’re not confused enough. Some people think of the Note 510 as an enormous phone because it does have calling ability and has the familiar design of the Galaxy smartphones. But it’s quite clearly a tablet and one that could be a good option for those who want portability and a device that’s usable at work. Or it would have been had it not cost a whopping Rs 30,900. One can’t help but consider the iPad Mini, which starts at around Rs 21,000, the Nexus 7 which is around Rs 15,000 to 18,000, though availability is sporadic, and the Asus FonePad which is for Rs 15,999. There are also many low-cost 7-inch tablets to choose from. The price of the Note 510 may well go down in time though. If you’re considering other Android devices, look for storage equivalents and the presence of 3G. So what does the Note 510 have going for it? Rather a lot, actually. The S-Pen stylus works very smoothly and sensitively and because you can switch between typing and writing, you can use it in many situations, especially at work. People make much of the “pure” Android experience offered by the Nexus 7, but that’s something mostly the tech-inclined will be able to enjoy, not someone who can’t be bothered tweaking and customising and hunting for apps. That’s where the Note scores: it’s got everything ready to go and if you just want to get some work done and then read, browse and play around, this is a great device. Right from the start, the Note 510 leads you by the hand on setting up your device. Then, all you have to do is slide out the S-Pen and as the home screen zips to the note-taking app, you’re ready to go. The pen works with fabulous smoothness, just as it does on the Note 2, though it’s slightly differently sized. You can get office apps like Documents To Go and Kingsoft Office, even equip yourself with a portable keyboard, and you’re in business. To kick back and relax, read (the tablet has a dedicated Reader mode) or flip through Flipboard, play a game or two, etc. What the Note 510 does not have going for it is its build when compared to other tablets. Many of those may be plastic too, but the feeling of Samsung’s glossy material just doesn’t feel as premium as its price does. On the other hand, tablets like this one need to go into a case , especially if they are to be carried around in a handbag and also because the back is a bit slippery and safer off in a case. Another thing the Note 510 doesn’t have going for it is a stunning screen. While it’s pleasant enough and has great colours, viewing angles and contrasts, they should have notched it up a bit. Still, you only miss a better screen if you’re already used to one, and certainly not if this is your first large smart device. The cameras are average, as they tend to be on tablets of this category. No matter what resolution and density, there’s no doubt the screen works well and is sensitive and responsive. All the special Samsung features such as the Air View, the Multi screen, Smart Stay, etc. also work on the Note 510 and may even see an update in the future. It’s a handy and functional device with the 8-inch size giving the user enough screen real estate to work while remaining easy to hold and carry. Compared with the iPad Mini, you don’t get the amazing universe of quality apps that are on the App Store. But on the other hand, you do get Google’s increasingly compelling services and you have what is needed to supplement your work — which I suppose is one good reason why it’s called the Note in the first place. Micromax Canvas A115Rs 9,999How does one argue with a price of Rs 9,999 for a big solid Android smartphone. That too when it works just fine. It’s difficult, and Micromax knows it. They’re confidently expanding their Canvas line with variants, each of which specialises in something. In the case of the Canvas A115, it’s 3D. Who really wants 3D, is another matter. I would relegate 3D on phones to the realm of gimmickry: but there are bound to be gaming and movie enthusiasts who would consider 3D a major benefit. The A115 has a stereoscopic 480 x 800 display which does fine on colours and 5-point sensitivity but not so good on viewing angles and brightness. But it does allow you to see pictures, video, games and even 3D wallpapers in 3D. You can see added depth without having to use glasses. You can create 3D content but the camera is just an average 5MP primary and 0.3MP rear facing. The Canvas 3D doesn’t do so well on specs. It has a Microtek 1GHz dual core processor running on Android 4.1.2 with just about 512MB RAM and 4GB internal space, about 1GB of which is available. There’s a microSD slot and this is a dual-sim phone. It’s loud and clear and has pretty good sound. On benchmark tests, the Canvas 3D isn’t that impressive and is beaten hollow by its predecessor, the Canvas HD, so if you’re not a 3D fanatic, the HD is a better performer. It’s a bit heavier and bulkier than some of the others in the five-inch brigade. Forget about any sort of one-handed use unless you find some special keyboard apps for that. It looks a bit Samsung-like on the front and HTC-like on the back. The battery, which you can get at by removing the back panel, is a 2,000 mAh Li-Ion and it’s an average performer.mala(dot)bhargava(at)gmail(dot)com(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
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With impeccable timing, right on cue, my power went just as I set up some five devices to track Apple’s WWDC (Wordwide Developer’s Forum) event held in San Francisco. I couldn’t believe it. Or maybe I could. Something like that just has to happen in the peak of the Delhi summer, just when you really want to watch something instead of sleeping. Well, I resorted to the live blogs and promise not to make fun of them of live blogging live events again. In retrospect, I was glad I wasn’t watching the livestream, as I had promised not to do after the last event a year ago. I was keen on not getting caught up in the excitement of the moment, the inevitable applause for features we already have on other platforms, and the interminable stream of superlatives Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and others from Apple are fond of peppering the keynote with. Everything is the best they ever made – which it would be, after all – and everything is incredible and awesome and better than everyone else. I’d like to decide that for myself, frankly.The keynote, as I could see from some bits and pieces, was in typical Apple style. We are bombarded with statistics – most of them quite impressive. The personal styles of each the presenters was familiar and expected. And, I think, so was the content. Much of what was shown at the event took up where leaks and rumours left off. Apple did refresh its OS X, calling it Mavericks and tweaking it significantly without really overhauling anything. They gave the popular MacBook Airs quite a boost, most importantly adding the Intel Haswell processor to give these lightweight laptops all-day battery life. They also launched a new Mac Pro, something many were keen on.But perhaps most interesting of all were the changes to iOS, taking it to version 7, and giving it a totally new design. In fact, many elderly users will have to relearn their way around their iDevices.See: iOS 7 Presentation Video From WWDCiOS7 was understandably the most anticipated segment of the keybote, seeing as how it’s the mobile space of smartphones and tablets that’s growing the fastest. As predicted, iOS7 does indeed seem to have a flatter look, shunning a bit of the textured 3D and moving towards the style seen on Windows 8 – though it’s a different look. There was a surprising amount of barbs against Apple’s own previous design and the much talked of ‘skeuomorphism’ or tendency to look like real old world objects such as a leather diary, for example. I found that more than a little strange, considering that too was Apple’s own decision and design. And it worked, at least until recently. More importantly, every native app has been redesigned. It isn’t just the overall look, with new icons and a control center, but also inside the major apps such as Safari. Here are some of the major changes:Overall look is flatter and more colorful, with changed iconsNative apps have a new cleaner and softer look. Use of translucency is rampant, making things look rather pretty.A new Control Center appears when you swipe up from the bottom, letting you access settings.Multitasking, much needed, finally comes to iOS through swiping gestures and letting you take up where you left off rather than getting in and out of apps completely.Siri has new voices and can finally control settings. Incidentally, Android can do that via additional appsAutomatic updates for apps, with priority given to most frequently used apps.Photos receive attention, of course, with the camera getting an Instagram-ready square shooting frame and photos auto organizing into groupsiOS for the car is here with iPhone control built in so you can control our deviceAs expected, Apple launched a music streaming service which will work from within the Music app, letting you search for more music based on what you like and of course buying whatever you decide to keep. It remains to be seen whether the radio feature will come to India straight away or not as there are often music licensing issues to deal with.While these features are great additions for an iDevice user, there are no dramatic changes to have come out of the WWDC event announcements. For anyone wondering whether this will be a turnaround for Apple, bringing it back to its former position of a few months ago, I think it’s a wait for the next iPhone and iPad to be launched, perhaps in September or October of this year. Craig Federighi, Apple Senior Vice President, Software Engineering, introduces OS X Mavericks operating system (Pictures Courtesy Reuters)mala(at)pobox(dot)com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter
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Apple fans can hardly wait for tomorrow, the day the Worldwide Developer Conference 2013 kicks off in San Francisco. Most of all, everyone wants to be surprised by something – anything. Rumours and leaks from Apple-friendly media have led expectations to center around updates to the operating systems for both Macs and iOS devices. A music-streaming is anticipated – though it may only work in the US and related countries because of music licensing issues. It’s also thought there could be redesigned or refreshed MacBooks and an iPad 5. Then there’s the much talked of iWatch. But no one can say for sure.Of all of the products that may feature at WWDC, none needs greater attention than iOS, due to move to version 7 and aging even as we speak. Way ahead of its time when it first appeared in 2007, iOS was designed to be easy for computing novices to use. The term easy enough for grandma has been associated with it so often and basic use is indeed well proven to be easy enough. Even chimps have been able to use the iPad, for heaven’s sake. But as users mature in their ability to use the iDevices and as competition from Android spirals, iOS badly needs an overhaul. The tech media in the US harps on about how it needs to get rid of “skeuomorphism’ or the tendency to use real life objects, some of them conventional, as icons for applications. An old clock for the alarm, for example. They believe the user interface needs to be more ‘flat’ and modern. But that, to my mind, is hardly the main issue plaguing iOS6 and previous versions though it needs to be revitalised with a fresh look. My own wishlist for iOS7 reads something like this:Easier InputSorely needed is some way, other than speech recognition, of entering text on to the iPhone or iPad. While users in the US may not feel this need as much, those in other countries do. Android has a number of downloadable keyboards that use gestures and predictive text to make input fast and relatively error-free. No equivalents seem to exist for iOS and even when they are, there’s no way to make them the default method of input. The app, Fleksy, for example, is a most unusual solution initially meant for the visually challenged and it is amazingly tolerant of typing errors so that you can key in something just approximately and it turns out correct. But, it isn’t full featured and it only works separately, on its own. It would be great to have some new way of typing on glass so that you can just flip the device to landscape and get to work when you’re done browsing and relaxing.Multitasking For RealTo use a combination of apps on an iOS device, you need to exit one app and get into another. At the most, you can swipe with four fingers to move across one application to another. But this swipe is an awkward and laborious gesture that’s not natural at all. Multiple windows, such as on the PC or on some Android devices, just isn’t possible. Multitasking is quite strong on BlackBerry as well, where you can keep say, a video running, while you swipe into your BlackBerry Hub to glance or reply to a message and then go right back to your video. This sort of capability isn’t present on iOS and would be quite fitting without compromising Apple’s basic principles of design and ease of use. Some new and easy gestures would be nice too.Getting Along With OthersApple’s way of ensuring a clean, smooth and beautiful experience has been to wall its products off from others. But it’s practically difficult to have an Apple-only universe, with so many new gadgets born every day. Not being able to communicate with any of these via USB or Bluetooth has been a major frustration. Why can’t my iPad just print something on my Canon printer, for example. Why won’t it play music through a Bluetooth speaker that isn’t meant solely for Apple? Some amount of opening up, though most unlikely, would be most welcome on iOS7.Easier App StoreApple’s universe of apps is perhaps its biggest strength. Not only are they incredibly innovate, but they’re a joy to use, in so many cases. When you compare with apps on other ecosystems, including Android, it’s easy to see the difference in the experience and reliability. But the App Store doesn’t behave as well as its apps do. Slow and sluggish and difficult to navigate, it badly needs a shot of smoothness and ease and better discovery and search. Look through any purchased but parked apps that you may have, for example. It is almost impossible to find a specific app again unless you remember the name. That’s ok for those who have a handful of apps, but not so if you have a growing list and often park them on the App Store to save space.A Spot Of CustomisationWhile Apple’s iOS is not Android, even Apple fans would probably not object to some control over how the lockscreen, the ico placement and wallpapers etc look. On the other hand, many who aren’t really ‘geeks’ couldn’t care less and would probably balk at too many changes to the overall look of the interface. Customisation is something the tech savvy really enjoy – which is why they go to the extent of jailbreaking their Apple devices, in some cases – but it would also make iOS a totally different beast. Still, a controlled amount of customization might not be a bad idea. It would also be nice to set default apps, such as something other than Safari, as your browser, but that’s probably hoping for too much.As Apple’s genius designer Jony Ives works on the iOS interface and gives it a refresh or new look, I think it’s equally important to improve usability in the areas where it’s lagged behind – despite being pioneering and near-magical.mala(at)pobox(dot)com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter
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Just Block ThemAre you plagued by hour-upon-the-hour SMSs from those property people? Lately, they seem to have gone so active you can fully expect to have every task to be interrupted at least once by an SMS offering you your dream home. It’s enough to drive anyone to distraction. On Android, download smsBlocker by Optinno Mobitech. You’ll get instant relief. smsBlocker has a regular and premium version and you can first get the regular one to see how it works. There’s a known list of stuff it blocks to begin with, so out go all the property messages. But beyond that you can add words to filter out messages such as loan, for example. You can also set the app to exclude messages from your service providers, banks, and other important stuff. You can also opt to get a notification of the number of SMSs blocked during the day and click to look and reverse the block if you find something you wanted after all. Record It SmartlyRecording apps are a dime a dozen and yet one never knows which one really does a good job. One that is both simple and yet gives you just the control you need is Smart Voice Recorder for Android. There’s a big red button, you press it, and you’re on. But there are some nice features.First, you see a red dot in the notification bar so you can tell it’s recording — just in case you forget or get calls in the middle and lose track. The app also lets you opt to ignore gaps in speaking so you end up with a smoother recording if there’s any stopping and starting in the conversation. You can pause and resume, a feature that is sorely needed in a recording app. Another great feature is that you can set the quality and therefore the size of the file. You can spot the difference between different bit rates immediately. You can save the files to your microSD card. To remove ads, pay Rs 50. Don't Be CluelessEvery Android user will have heard about how unsafe apps can be and how they compromise your privacy. You have to give them information if you want them to fit into your life. But it’s very important to be aware of how much access an app has to your information and then decide if the trade-off is okay with you. Get a clue. In fact, get Clueful, a free app from security firm Bitdefender. This assesses your privacy risk for each app and gives you a privacy score. That doesn’t mean you throw the apps out, but instead, choose the ones you share your info with. To get advanced security, upgrade for free and get more information such as which apps are viruses, if any. I was happy to see I had no high-risk apps on my phone but not so happy to note that an app I’ve come to rely on leaks my device ID. I now have the option of getting rid of it, or asking the developers to explain what the risk happens to be.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 01-07-2013)
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Ok, glass” is what a big chunk of humankind could be saying over and over again all through the day when Google’s project Google Glass goes commercial one day. That time isn’t anytime soon; certainly not for over a year. And when it does go into the wild, Google Glass may not reach India in a hurry, so don’t hold your breath. Not only does Google have to tread carefully as this new wearable piece of hi-tech is developed and tested, I’m guessing it will have to surmount a host of inevitable regulatory problems before every country is comfortable with its use. The light, connected spectacles, once thought to be no fashion statement, are already beginning to look cool and there are few who aren’t curious to try it out for themselves and see first-hand what it is that’s making those who do have it go wow, awesome, and generally marvel at their own experience with the gadget. The thousand or so Glass wearers are busy posting pictures and videos shot from Glass to share the feeling but one can only really see a wearer-point-of-view image or video and while that’s interesting, it isn’t all Glass can do. One developer, Dan McLoughlin, managed to hook up his Glass to his Android phone and used a screencasting app to show what it looks like on the inside. Above the right eye, you get to see a lot of things that you do on your smartphone today — search results, text messages, Google Now information. You talk to it using voice commands and by touching relevant parts of the side frame. The famous tech guru Robert Scobble is so buoyed up by the experience he claims he will never be without one again and has gone so far as to put up a picture of himself (not a full photo, fortunately) of him having a bath with his Glass on. All of this goes to fuel anticipation for this device, which rather prematurely has been forecast by market information company IHS to be set to ship 10 million by 2016. Google Glass is really just a start, but already others have announced related devices that share similar capabilities, or will do so when they’re fully ready. If anyone can succeed at this sort of technology, it’s probably Google, but it’s clear that an era of wearable technology is creeping up on us. I say creeping because it’s more than a little frightening when you think that everyone could be going around wearing their smartphones in their eyes complete with camera and video. Our privacy is barely surviving social networks and before we’ve even begun to understand the implications, we will have a new can of worms to deal with. When you can take picture with a blink, broadcast it with a word, and capture an event just as it happens, it’s a new reality to which we have to adjust. Small cameras are already around, of course, but the very fact that they will be almost an appendage of ourselves is daunting. Some places in the US have started by prematurely banning Google Glass — without even seeing how it works. The distraction, privacy violations, and potential misuse has them worried already. At the same time, wearable tech like Google Glass will be infinitely interesting and transformatively helpful in many fields such as healthcare, education, work in remote areas, travel and well, just about everything we do. The scary part is just that — the potential to change everything. The presence of the Internet in every aspect of daily life and at all times is said to be rewiring our brains. Can you but wonder what wearable tech will do? Going about the physical world with a second reality in front of you is bound to change us in ways we can’t even imagine. Will we ever seem really there to other people or will it seem like they always have a certain little part of our attention? Will we really be a bunch of constant multitaskers? Apps are being developed to further the capabilities and applications of Google Glass. A Twitter app is said to be already in existence. Imagine the eyewitness tweets and images that could be coming up. As it gets curiouser and curiouser, I know I certainly would say OK to Glass. mala(at)pobox(dot)comTwitter: (at)malabhargava(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 03-06-2013)
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Customise ItIf you are getting frustrated waiting for the 4.2 update to Jelly Bean on your Android phone, take heart from the various apps that simulate some of the features from it. One of them is AntTek Quick Settings which gives you an additional pull-down to the right of your regular notifications panel. This is entirely customisable. You can choose to fill the whole thing with the shortcuts, settings, contacts and apps of your choosing for quick access. Although Samsung’s phones already have a taskbar like feature, I added this for good measure. The best part is being able to put your contacts. You could even fill the whole screen with them. You could just as well place them on a home screen, but this way it leaves your home screen free for other stuff while at the same time giving you one-swipe access to the contacts. What's It Like?An app for forecasting weather? Well, that's one way to go. Yahoo is getting app savvy and you can see that straight off if you download Yahoo Weather on your iPhone. Now, the weather in some parts of India doesn’t change that much from day to day. It’s hot hot hot and then it rains rains rains. But in some cities, you never can tell, and that’s where weather apps may be more interesting. This app draws upon Flickr photos (which also belongs to Yahoo) for beauty. Against the background of a beautiful picture, you can see weather information for cities of your choice. Swipe left to change cities, swipe down to get more info. You have hourly breakdown, sun and moon time, pressure, wind, etc. Now, all we need is more Flickr photos for Indian cities to avoid duplicates. Screen My CallsGive truecaller a try on your smartphone. It’s available for every platform so you should find it easily enough. Truecaller works with an ever-growing database of phone numbers and names across the world. If you’re a user and you get a first time call from someone and save the number to your contact list or even blacklist, the number joins the Truecaller database. So yes, the app gets your phone list, but it’s so useful that users are fine with the privacy angle. When you get a call, Truecaller pops up the name and from where they’re calling. It lets you search for a name or address anywhere in the world, but this is a hit-and-miss until the database grows and refines. It also has call blocking and blacklisting including the option to pre-block calls and SMS from known spammers. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 03-06-2013)
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Being top-dog is not easy. The more you succeed, the more is expected of you. As Samsung got ready to roll out its fourth gen smartphone in the bestselling Galaxy S series, the tech savvy wanted the game changer they’ve come to expect every time. Well, a revolution the S4 is not. But it’s done two things with the S4: improved it hugely over its predecessor, and set some new directions in software. What Samsung has not done is to change the design and plastic and so, the S4 arrives with the same look (somewhat nuanced) that one is getting tired of now. The plastic panel is glossier, picking up prints in seconds, and also making the phone rather slippery. This can be easily remedied with a case or replaced back panel, but ever since other manufacturers showed that plastic can look premium, tolerance for Samsung’s take on the material has gone down. But let the plastic protest not blind anyone to the fact that the S4, now packing more in a body barely 0.2 inches more than the S3, is a powerful piece of kit. Beautiful screens or great functionality make me forget about the outsides of a phone and as I turn on the S4’s screen, there’s no doubt that I’m looking at a superb phone. The screen, which takes up more space on the device because of narrowed side bezels, shows crisp text and clear images at great viewing angles and with vibrant colours. There are many settings you can try out to adjust the display to your liking, including its touch sensitivity. Navigating across the phone is feather light and super smooth, as can only be expected from a device that has an Octa-core processor, a powerful graphics chip and enough RAM to power it all. The S4 shoots through benchmarks, so there’s little point dwelling on its specs. The phone does need all the power it can get because what Samsung has planned for it is a comprehensive fit into its user’s life, making it the one device to depend on for practically everything. Their marketing positions it as your life partner, which I suppose phones are getting to be these days. The S4 works with the newest version of Android Jelly Bean — that’s 4.2.2 — and Samsung’s user interface, TouchWiz is refreshed and sitting solidly on top of the operating system. People either like or hate TouchWiz, incidentally. I tend to make my peace with it because I’m a bit of a feature creature. The number of features — countless — on the S4 is another source of annoyance for many reviewers. I have mixed feelings about that because they’re not in the way.HIGHLIGHTS 5''1080x1920 441 dpi Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 3 Refreshed Touch-Wiz UI with gesture and motion features on Android 4.2.2 1.6Ghz Octa-core processor with 2GB RAM 16GB storage and microSD slot 13MP primary camera, 2MP front facing cameraExplore, use, keep it if you like or turn it off if you don’t. But how can features ever be too many? They may not work well, or work for you, and that can be a problem but since they’re easily switched off, I don’t feel there’s cause for complaint. The features centre a lot on gestures and use the phone's sensors (it has two more than other phones). Take Smart Pause for instance. Watch a video and look away — the video will pause. I found this worked one way with me and didn’t resume the video when I looked back. I also found it annoying as I don’t really want it to pause even if I look to the side for half a second. On the other hand, the Air View feature amuses me as I quite like pointing a finger say, at an album, and taking a peek at what’s inside without touching the device. Or flipping through pictures with a gentle wave of the fingers. It feels luxurious. As long as you’re not intimidated by the mere presence of features, try them out at leisure and enjoy the discovery. The S4 retails for Rs 41,500.Galaxy S4 Vs HTC OneThese days no one mentions the Galaxy S4 without mentioning the HTC One. The primary reasonfor this is that the One is the absolute antithesis of the S4’s design. It has the straighter lines people seem to like. Rather in the style of the iPhone 5 and the BlackBerry Z10. More than that, it’s the build and material — all glass and metal — that is greatly admired. HTC has practically crafted the One, detailing the design with each curve and button so that it feels fantastic to look at and hold. That’s what the S4 is missing. Samsung’s TouchWiz is as heavy on the OS as the HTC One’s Sense 5 UI is light. That’s one reason tech-savvy people like — they feel closer to the stock Android experience and are happy to customise the rest to suit themselves. The trade off is that you don’t get the Samsung-style new features. What HTC One has is the BlinkFeed, which is a home screen scroll of your news and social feeds, making the phone both look good and be useful at keeping boredom away. Both phones are fast and high-end performers and the processors should not be a reason to choose one over the other. The screens of the two devices are both fantastic, but different. The HTC One’s screen has more realistic colours and a high pixel density while the Galaxy S4’s has vibrance, rich colour and contrasts. The S4 has a 13MP camera with several camera tricks such as being able to shoot a picture with your own photo inserted using the 2MP front camera. The HT One has a unique 4MP camera which may sound starting but isn’t when you realise the pixels are bigger, letting in more light for low light photos. It also has a nice feature to set photos to a tiny video — with music, which sounds rather nice on the HTC One.mala(dot)bhargava(at)gmail(dot)com(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 03-06-2013)
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There was a time when we used to hang on to our phones for a good four to five years, letting go only when the device was finally falling apart. What is one to do, though, when every few months, a brand new super phone comes along, touting new features or something you apparently can’t do without?One sits down and considers – to upgrade or not to upgrade?The S3 Is Hardly ObsoleteThe Galaxy S3 may be 2012’s flagship but it’s still a perfectly powerful superphone. Unless you’ve damaged your device and generally mistreated it, it should be looking much as it did and not very different from the S4, which hasn’t come with major changes to its design. The S4 has a new polycarbonate back, but it’s just as glossy and the overall look is also the same.While the S4 comes with more powerful processing hardware, it’s not a must if you’re not pushing the limits on your device with gaming. If you refresh your S3 with a clean-up of extra files and unused apps and also a removal of apps that are buggy and misbehave, you still have a a great quad-core phone, one that was fairly ahead of its time.The S4 has a 13 megapixel camera and it takes nice daylight shots, and also has a few tricks such as adding sound to pictures. But the difference between this and the S3’s 8 megapixel isn’t dramatic, so don’t base your decision on that alone.The S4 has a number of new features and some of those may come to the S3 in time. A few,, such as Air Gestures though will not because the S4 has additional sensors. However, the new features aren’t yet a strong reason to upgrade – more nice as a fresh buy. The S4 has Jelly Bean 4.2.2 while the S3 is still at 4.1.2, but again, you won’t be missing anything you can’t do without. The difference in batteries is also small and both will take you through the day. If you’ve been noticing a decline in your S3’s battery, consider replacing the battery rather than the whole phone. Another tip is to pick a few beautiful cases and give your phone a new look – that always feels good.If You’re A Note 2 User…The only reason you’d want to switch from a Note 2 to a Galaxy S3 is if you’ve discovered that you thoroughly dislike the size of the Note. On paper it’s just 5.5 inches vs 5 but in reality they really are strikingly different sizes. The S4 is much more easy to hold, light, and even use with one hand. The screen on the S4 is also far nicer than the Note’s. But the Note series has the advantage of being able to work with the stylus and actually already has some of the Air View variety of features except that you use the S-Pen instead of your finger. If you’re used to the Note’s roomy screen and do a lot with it, the S4 will seem small.If You Have The Money…The S4 is not a must-have over the S3 or Note 2, but if you promised yourself a new phone and have money to spare, why not upgrade, as long as you’re accustomed to the Samsung TouchWiz interface and the way it kits out its devices with software. The first thing you’ll find is that the S4 has a light frame but packs a lot more, both in terms of processing power (Octa-core processor, 2 GB RAM) and a somewhat improved battery of 2600 mAh. The internal storage is still the same on both devices. The moment you switch on the S4, you will notice the difference because of the beautiful new screen. Colours and contrasts were always strong on Samsung devices, but on the S4 there’s also clarity and crispness. The camera is more enjoyable to use because of the screen and as mentioned earlier, has a few tricks up its sleeve. The front camera is a 2 megapixel and also takes 1080p video, so that’s a marked improvement. You also get enough features and settings to explore for months to come. You’ll find the refreshed TouchWiz a bit different but can customize things to suit yourself specially with Android’s Jelly Bean 4.2.2 update which has its own interesting features. Not killer features, but interesting nonetheless. The S4 has additional sensors and is supposed to work with upcoming apps and accessories to create health and fitness applications and trackers.Of course, you have the option of switching from the Galaxy S series altogether and considering something different, specially the HTC One with its beautiful design, or the ever popular iPhone. But for those considering an upgrade, you’re good as you are with the S3, unless you happen to have money to spare and are super comfortable with the Samsung user environment.
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