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.
Playing With PhotosThe photo-editing app Snapspeed has long been a favourite on Apple’s iOS. Users coughed up $5 for the privilege of using its enhancing and basic editing features. It’s not like what Snapspeed does is very unique, now that there are many photo editors to choose from. But it does what it does well enough and was early to the game, which is one reason why so many are dependent on it and loyal. And then Google bought it and now it’s finally on Android. It’s free on both platforms (which is making the iOS quite mad, but such is life). The Android version is pretty much the same as the iOS one. It’s simple and fast, letting you adjust image attributes such as brightness, contrast, saturation and white balance. You can use tilt shift to put in some artistic blurring, enhance ambience or sharpen the picture including making spot adjustments. A useful thing for those who deal with RAW files from more advanced cameras is that these files are supported by Snapspeed. That capability is not easy to find on many photo editors that are on mobile devices. If you’re looking for effects and filters, this isn’t the app for you, but if you want to clean up your photos right from your phone or tab you could try out Snapspeed and see if you’re as happy with it as early users of the iPhone and iPad have been. Plus it’s free. Information Made DelightfulSpringpad, often thought to be a competitor to Evernote, is a truly enjoyable app to use — on your PC, Android phone (where it looks really pretty), Blackberry or iOS. Like Evernote, the concept of Notebooks is central, but the whole usage is lighter. Hardened Evernote users may find Springpad superfluous — or they may want to use it in addition to Evernote for a different set of things. It’s not as heavy duty as Evernote, and doesn’t have as many add-on features and sub-apps, but it’s a delight in itself. You start by creating your account — or log in using Twitter or Facebook — and you’re ready to start noting, linking, taking photos and sound files and making beautiful looking notebooks out of the lot. Springpad can be used as a quick way of getting together your to-do list, or to collect interesting or important information. Your notebooks, tagged and organised, can be shared publicly, with select people, or kept private. For example, I keep a World War II notebook in which every book, video or article I read is linked. All I have to do is search for it and the item will show up, along with cover photos. I also review the items I’ve collected, and then I share it with others interested in the same subject. You could also document a holiday in pictures and notes or collect material to do with your work. It’s just a more beautiful and a more motivating way of getting things together. And it’s free. (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-12-2012
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Take a big beautiful screen. Strap it on to a camera. Pile on a multi-storey zoom lens. And then cover the lot with a thick coating of Jelly Bean. What you get is Samsung’s GC100, a hybrid device with tonnes of smart features not seen before in a camera. All the smartness in the Galaxy Camera comes from the bold and innovative way Samsung has combined Android 4.1.1 and its own TouchWiz interface tricks with photography. For connectivity, there’s Wifi and Bluetooth and a 3G Sim slot. But no regular phone calls or SMS. You can use VOIP apps though. The exciting part of this camera is Android. First, it means immediate sharing. You can auto tag your friends and share on social networks and other devices. With the touchscreen and its virtual keyboard, you can write captions, a mail to go with an image, or even a blog post, right from the camera. Second, you get access to Google services and Android apps, the most relevant being photo effects apps. Third, you can do the usual connected things like email, watching video or playing a game. Finally, you can use the features that Samsung likes to put into its devices, such as voice command. While this may seem like a gimmick, see how much it helps when you need to hold the camera steady. The 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD screen is one of the largest in a compact camera – if not the biggest. It has a 306 pixel density and resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. But the Galaxy Camera is itself large. It won’t fit into anything but the baggiest pockets and even so you will feel its weight and bulk. But it’s well designed, with none of Samsung’s shiny plastic, but a textured and matt material that makes it easier to hold. The buttons are just a few and all settings are onscreen. There’s a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a tripod mount, HDMI port, USB port and the battery compartment. It is powered by a 1.4 Ghz quad core processor and 1GB of RAM. That’s a first for a camera. There’s just 8GB of internal memory, but you have cloud storage and a slot for a microSD card that can add 64 GB. With Jelly Bean on board, this gadget works fast. The battery is sadly underdone —a 1650 mAh — and it runs out in about four hours. BLAUPUNKT’S BT DRIVE FREE 211 The device can connect to two cellphones simultaneously; SONY XPERIA SL A superbly stylish mid-range Android phone(BW Pic by Ritesh Sharma) Samsung has used its own 16.3 megapixel CMOS sensor. The 21x optical zoom is remarkable for its very presence on a point-and-shoot. The ISO ranges from 100 to 3200 and max aperture is f/2.8. Video is full HD 1020p and includes a slow-motion mode (also found on the Galaxy Note II). Ultimately, buying the Galaxy Camera may not be one of the most rational decisions you’ve made. But it may well be fun. As happens with many gadgets, you just plain want it rather than need it.Heavy On StyleWhat a pretty looking phone! Sony has a beautiful aesthetic for its Xperia line and the SL comes in white, black, grey and pink versions. The clean-cut lines are satisfyingly neat. The length of this 4.3-inch phone is broken by the signature transparent strip, giving both the front and the back a stylish edge. The back is ever so gently curved and made of that matt plastic material that I’m beginning to think of as ‘classy plastic’. Sticking to minimalism, Sony has put in all the necessary buttons and slots and made them look good under little flaps. Unfortunately, the SL carries over some of the annoyances of the Xperia range, such as the three capacitive buttons at the bottom of the screen that you can barely tell are there as they don’t light up. The SL has an LCD 720 x 1280 pixel display with a high pixel density — 342 ppi. Text is sharp, colours nice, but viewing angles are not. There’s the usual Sony Timescape interface. This handset supports 10 finger gestures and is fast all through. Browsing the web and navigating the device are also quite fast. The SL is a bit of an upgrade to the Xperia S. It’s got a faster dual-core Snapdragon 1.7GHz processor, a better screen, and Android ICS. There’s 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage but no microSD slot. The sealed battery is of 1750 mAh and lasts you most of the day. The SL only accommodates a micro-Sim. The camera, an important part of the SL, is a 12 megapixel, with minimal settings. It takes nice pictures in daylight, does a surprisingly good job with macro, and has nice colours. In indoor conditions though, it’s particularly noisy. The SL costs around Rs 24,000. Go for the SL if you like its design and style and want a good mid-range Android phone. Speak FreeBlaupunkt’s BT Drive Free 211 is a hands-free device with a difference. Its smart Bluetooth headset works just like any other. But the difference shows up when you snap this headset into its dock — and the whole unit turns into a hands-free ‘speakerphone’. The docking base clips on to your car’s sun visor. The headset can be used separately for calls. With signal-processing technology for echo cancellation and noise suppression, the sound is clear indeed. The built-in battery in the docking base also makes this portable — you can carry it into a meeting room to use as a conference speakerphone. Its microphone is good, but in my tests, it wasn’t as clear as the mike on handsets. The device can connect to two cellphones simultaneously, and supports text-to-speech and voice recognition. For Rs 3,990, this is a useful device. There are other models, such as the 411 (Rs 2,790) and 112 (Rs 2,990), both ‘speakerphones’ without a headset. The top-end 311 (Rs 4,990) adds phonebook sync and a display to the headset-dock combo.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-12-2012)
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Too big” or “What is it?” is a refrain you will hear often from those who first see the Galaxy Note, now in its second avatar and tremendously improved in many ways. But just as many are instantly won over by the very form factor that surprises the others. There seems little doubt that the Note II will exceed the original in popularity. The ergonomics on the Note II have been rethought and we now have a larger device, but easier to hold. Users who want its functionality have to adjust to carrying this very handy tablet-phone. Calling on it looks awkward but the speaker, headphones and a Bluetooth device can come to the rescue of those who do a lot of calling. I’d urge potential buyers to weigh their phone usage and see if they are likely to use the Note’s smart features rather than merely making calls. This phone is mostly a larger version of the S3 and Samsung still sticks to its plastic back, but the device still manages to look rather good, specially in grey and if the professional looking flip top is used.LG OPTIMUS VU Squarish in shape, has a nice screen and a decent camera; LOGITECH ULTRATHIN A stylish iPad accessory that allows you to type anywhere you happen to beThat will be extra. All looks and dimensions are forgotten when the 5.5 inch HD Super Amoled 1,280x720 pixel screen comes on. It’s pleasing to the eye. The heart of this super gadget is the stylus or S Pen. On the Note II, it’s been improved to the point of butteriness and is impressive at handwriting recognition. The pen slides into a slot and is safe there, beeping to alert you if you walk off without it tucked in. The pen has many tricks up its sleeve such as giving you information, text and pictures when hovering.The second avatar of samsung’s note packs so many features that it is an easy winner in this space.Or taking screenshots and using gestures with the press of a subtle button. In considering this device, it’s really the stylus that matters and Samsung believes it’s the creative types that will enjoy it most. I however, cannot draw to save my life, but ended up buying the device because I found it fantastically handy to just reach out and quickly write notes and lists while at the same time enjoying the large expansive screen and its beautiful colours. The Note II is a full spec powerhouse with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage with a micro-SD card for expansion. It’s running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. An update to 4.2, which has recently been released, is awaited and should be interesting because it brings more features including a new keyboard with a swipe action that shows the word as you swipe. There’s a giant 3100 mAh battery which can last up to one and a half days. And it’s user replaceable. The camera is an 8 megapixel with lots of features and has 1080p HD video and playback. Samsung’s own TouchWhiz interface combines with Android Jelly Bean to give an exceptional amount of features. There’s the split screen mode with which you can share two apps on the screen. The Note II costs Rs 39,500, but is value for money for the features it offers. Rather unique ones, when it comes to it. It’s an innovative, productivity-oriented device for those who are happy with large screens. HTC ONE X+ The Android smartphone update retains the looks but gets more power; HTC 8X A fabulously designed slim entry into the next generation Windows 8; HTC DESIRE SV Everything that Indians love, including dual SIMVoulez Vous Vu?It’s interesting to think that LG is maker of both the much-talked about Google Nexus 4 giant phone and the thoroughly-odd Optimus Vu ‘phablet’. Not wanting to be left out of the phablet race, LG came up with a peculiar squarish device with a 5-inch screen. At dimensions of 139.6 x 90.4 x 8.5 mm, it’s difficult to hold unless you put it down flat on your palm and stand very still. It may look pretty enough on the table or on a dock, but to take this one up to your ear is stretching it. Talking of pictures, the Vu has a nice 1024x 720 pixel screen with natural colours and viewing angles, though you’ve to watch out for the auto brightness. It also has an 8 megapixel camera which takes clear pictures. It runs on a 1.5GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 1GB RAM and 32GB space and a microSD slot. There’s a 2,080 mAh battery that you cannot get at, but it doesn’t last over 8 hours. It’s still on Ice Cream Sandwich. Other than its shape, the Vu has a good build; neither too heavy nor too light. It has a textured back that will help it not to slip. But it has no slot for its biggish stylus (proudly called the Ruberdium for some reason) and this means anyone who uses it has to find some way of carrying it without losing it. Price: Rs 34,500. Type Absolutely AnywhereThis iPad accessory was quite a sensation when it launched in the US a few months ago. It’s designed to match the way the iPad looks, continuing the feel of the back with its own cover. When it’s closed, the iPad and cover look like a small notebook or Ultrabook, and weigh almost as much as well. One obvious problem is that the back of the iPad is not protected and can pick up scratches over time. If you use a separate skin, you lose the look and add a bit of weight. That said, many users have still liked the Logitech Ultrathin. When you open it and put the iPad into typing position, you immediately see why. The iPad sits ever so firmly in place and at a wonderful angle. The cover is ‘smart’ in that it switches the iPad off when closed. But unlike Apple’s flexi Smart Case it doesn’t clamp on hard to the iPad’s magnets. It is also not for someone who uses the iPad for a lot of reading. But investing in a case besides the Ultrathin, priced at Rs 6,599, will push up the cost quite a bit. Designed For Windows 8Tech reviewers who got their hands on the HTC 8X ahead of the global launch have been admiring the way it has been crafted. The back of this handset is some sort of softened polycarbonate rubbery material that’s great to touch. But more than that, the fact that it wraps itself into the sides of the handset to meet the Gorilla glass on the front makes the 4.3-inch phone nice to hold. The volume control, camera button and micro SIM slot are on the right, and the headphone slot and the power button on the top. But here’s my main crib with this beautiful phone: the buttons, especially the power button, are so subtle that you have to keep feeling along the edge for them. That said, it’s still a great phone. It’s running a dual core Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and 16 GB storage — no micro-SD slot. More storage would have been nice, but users will be encouraged to use Windows SkyDrive to store their stuff. The 8X feels fast. I never found any lag no matter how much I played around with the tiles and swiped around. It has a 1500 mAh battery that wasn’t exceptional. The 8-megapixel primary camera is good. These days everyone’s keeping low-light situations in mind, so this camera has an f/2.0 aperture. There’s no burst mode. The front camera, also with an f/2.0 aperture, is nice because of its wide-angle view. The Super LCD-2 screen is something HTC is particularly proud of. It’s 1280x720 with a pixel density of 340 ppi. There’s extra boost sound with Beats Audio. The rest of this phone is all about Windows 8. If you’ve used a Windows 7 phone, it will look instantly familiar and as you start exploring it, you’ll find the additions. For instance, you can set up sharing with friends or family in different Rooms, sync content with your Windows PC using SkyDrive and there’s a new Kid’s Corner, a closed-off area for kids. The bigger changes are under the hood, in fact to the core of the OS, which make it work with other devices, most importantly your computer. With Windows 8 on the phone, Microsoft is working towards an ecosystem it hopes will be compelling. If you want to switch to Windows 8, the HTC 8X is a great choice at Rs 35,023, though it will compete with Nokia’s Lumia 920, Samsung’s Ativ and HTC’s own 8S. Htc just unleashed a slew of phones: the 8x and 8s with windows 8, the desire sv and one x+ on android One For IndiaContinuing on what seems to be a launching spree, HTC has one specially for India. For one, it’s supposed to be an Indian colour, Radical Yellow, sort of orange-yellow, warm and friendly like a fried egg. I do hope this colour ends up being widely available, because the only other colour is black. HTC’s made for India phone, the Desire SV, has something Indians love — a dual SIM capability. The dual GSM micro SIMs fit under the back panel. The inside of the phone is neat and well-engineered, unlike many handsets that look great on the outside and hide a holy mess on the inside. It’s reassuring to see the changeable battery and a micro SD slot, and to feel the solidity of the device, overall. The Desire SV is a 4.3-inch phone and has a nice LCD2 screen working at 480x800 resolution with a density of 217 ppi, according to GSM Arena. It runs on a dual core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 768MB of RAM and has 4GB of internal memory. Seems too little for a phone that Indians will fill with music and video, as one would expect. The phone is on Android ICS, upgradeable to Jelly Bean. The camera is an 8 MP with f/2.2 aperture and an LED flash. It’s fast and outdoor pictures are fine. Amazingly, there’s no front facer and hence, no video chatting or self shots. It’s priced at Rs 22,590. Now In Plus SizeWhen the HTC One came out into the world earlier this year, everyone loved it. It was big, looked classy, had a lovely screen, an excellent camera, and rode into town on a quad core processor, becoming a serious challenger to the Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 4S. HTC figured it wouldn’t let go of a good thing and decided to give the One X+ some more power. Wisely, it decided not to tamper with its looks. It has the same design, unibody build and the textured matt finish back in egg-shell white and in black. Contrasting with that is the jet black of the large 4.7 inch 1,280x720 pixel Super LCD2 screen. But now there’s a more powerful processor to run it: 1.7GHz quad core Tegra 3. The One X+ has a whole lot of storage space — 64GB of it. HTC says this phone is 27 per cent faster than its predecessor and has 37 per cent more life due to its 2100 mAh battery. The One X+ is on Jelly Bean, which in itself speeds things up and adds features to the device, including Google Now. At Rs 40,190, the One X+ is rather + on price. Watch out for a reduction sometime.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 10-12-2012)
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Windows and me go back a long way. We’ve been friends, enemies, and everything in between as we’ve navigated along the journey of the growth of technology together. We’ve worked hard, goofed around when the boss wasn’t looking, and we’ve torn our hair in frustration with each other — though that was mostly me, as I recall. As this ubiquitous operating system went from version to version, bringing new features and capabilities, it essentially remained the same at heart, sticking to its philosophy and its guns. And then one day, it became unrecognisable. Gone was the old familiar look and we moved from an age of banging on the Enter key and double-clicking a tortured mouse to butter-smooth swipes, taps, flicks and flips. What the guys at Microsoft love to call “fast and fluid” any time they get a chance. But today, an even bigger change is in the philosophy of Windows, which has gone from being an OS to a people-centric ecosystem. It has to if it wants to take a sizeable bite out of the mobile market. Earlier, you, the user, had to adjust to Windows, with all its complexities, blue screens of death, clashes and crashes, and clunkiness. Looking back, dealing with all this was also a great way to learn about technology at a time when it was just beginning to be part of our everyday lives. With Windows 8, it’s the operating system that’s trying to adjust to you. It’s not there yet, but this is only the first iteration of a new generation of Windows. So much of this change in orientation is evident in the catchy ads created by some genius of an agency for various countries. These speak the language of foot-tapping music and are filled with energy, vibrancy, youth and wholesome outdoor fun, no matter what you happen to be doing. A number of subliminal messages targets your emotions, aspirations and sensibilities. In these ads, life with Windows 8 is one big party-and sometimes you work. But that’s fun too. Hence the message: “I wanna be everything at once”, which applies to the user wanting the maximum out of life and Windows wanting to be part of it all. There are many questions on the several confusing aspects of the Windows 8 family. Why are there two variants of Windows, with one of them being scaled down, for example? Microsoft’s Surface tablet runs this more “limited” version or Windows RT. Laptops will run the regular Windows 8 and Pro. Users are quite likely to wonder what they will get with each variant and what will they miss out. Another common question is whether Windows 8 needs special devices to run. Actually it runs on older devices as well, but it’s on a touch device that it comes into its own. Questions don’t end there. Some apps work on the full Windows 8 and not on RT — this too isn’t particularly clear to potential users. From what devices are they buyable and do they need to be purchased separately for different devices? And why are there two apparent layers to the OS, the desktop mode and the modern and touch-friendly tile mode once known as Metro? There even seem to be two versions of Internet Explorer. Microsoft is really trying not to alienate users who are completely accustomed to doing things in a certain way, but it also should do all it can to dispel confusion and keep up the momentum of the interest it has generated in Windows 8. All the older, more familiar parts of Windows are still there, including the command prompt, but the touch friendly interface is what sits on top and needs a little exploring and familiarisation. There are videos to help but, of course, users need to take the trouble to see them. Right after it finished with the main Windows launch, Microsoft went on to launch the Windows Phone 8 system. Those who have been using the Lumia phones will find greater personalisation with enhancements to the new Windows for phones. The lock screen, for example, can turn into a picture frame showing Facebook photos and statuses. Or the user can use information from other apps to come up on the screen. A user can also create “Rooms”, which are designated shareable contextual collections of things. The interface is also more customisable and should become more interesting as third party apps increase. Skype is integrated through the whole system and is always on without taking up resources. The Windows Phone 8 system is, of course, meant to integrate seamlessly with whatever laptop, hybrid or tablet you use, but how well and how easily this happens will only be known when users begin to take it up and get right into the system. Typically, it will happen more readily when users get new devices. mala(at)pobox.com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 12-11-2012)
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Many photo effect apps will let you place text on a picture. But none will do it as beautifully as TypeDrawing. In fact, you can make a whole work of art of text on an image. This $1.99 app for iOS is wonderful, not just for what it does, but how it does it: every setting and feature you’re likely to need has been put in, including the ability to save high resolution images of up to 5MB or even more. TypeDrawing gives you either a blank page (which you can set a background colour to) or lets you import a photo from your camera roll. Once you’ve got it placed on the page or have fitted it to the whole page, it’s time to get to the enjoyable part — the text. A whole set of tools is at your disposal. You type in the text in a dialog box and fix your settings, of which there are an unbelievable number — without making the app in the least complex. To get the text on the page, all you do is swipe your finger on the page where you want it. You can set font, size, direction, free flowing text, colours, rotation, outlines, shadows, and opacity. This app can do much more. Here are some of the more unusual things this app can do:Take text in any direction or curve including backwards, in which case it turns upside downCreate text with random size letters and coloursTake a setting that lets you increase or decrease size depending on speed of finger-slideUse an eye-dropper to set text colour to match the colours of your image.These aren’t capabilities you’d easily find in a little app and that too with the final result being printable. If you’re good at creating backgrounds in other apps, you can really create beautiful text art. The images save in a gallery and you can duplicate them, clear the photo and bring in another without disturbing the text, or just clear and start all over again. A Feast Of Five LayersAs the name doesn’t, in fact, suggest, Layover is an app that lets you play with image layers. It isn’t meant for pros at designing, who will have other high-end tools at their disposal and will be handling full-size files, but for casual photo effect enthusiasts. Worth $0.99 on the App Store, Layover is one of many apps that blend and superimpose photographs — it’s just that each has a slightly different way of going about it. Layover is not exactly intuitive and may need a little exploring before one figures out what to do. And then, creativity must take over because this isn’t an app that does stuff for you. You have five possible images or layers to play with. Get them from the camera roll on your iPad or iPhone or shoot them on the spot. You can choose to work with fewer layers, of course — even a single layer with an adjustable colour background. You can also choose to resize and focus on parts of an image. Once you select an image, a row of blend possibilities will come up at the bottom of the screen and you must use the slider to see the effect of each on your layer mix. To blend the images better, you can use the masking tool to erase and paint in between layers. The only other tool you have aside from the blend and mask features is a crop tool. It takes an eye for design and imagery to get results out of this app, but if you have that, the look can be stunningly artistic. Almost anything can be made to look infinitely more interesting.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 12-11-2012)
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One can’t help wonder why companies compromise on one thing to give you another. Logitech’s Solar Keyboard Folio for the iPad gives you a better typing experience than its cousin, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. But it doesn’t look as good — and it doesn’t seem tough enough to last long. The Solar Folio, which pairs automatically with the iPad, uses sunlight to charge. But you don’t have to hang it out with the clothes. Charge it for six hours using daylight every four to six months and it’s good to go. How we wish other gadgets did something similar. However, I couldn’t test that as it has nothing to show how much it’s charged. For some reason, the solar panels are placed at the bottom of the case; it would have been better if they were exposed, as this would allow it to charge when you type in a well-lit place. But oh well. The Solar Folio is made of a soft, plastic-rubber kind of material, perfect for travelling. The keys are well spaced for a smaller-than-normal keyboard which is something very rare. You have a choice of two angles on this keyboard: a regular typing one, and when the top slips across the keyboard but settles in just before the first row of keys. This isn’t an all-situations keyboard. You might have to buy another case for using the iPad to read, draw, play games and take pictures or if you use it heavily for typing. That’s quite a problem as the Solar Folio costs a staggering Rs 8,990. You could buy a whole low-cost tablet for that amount. Smooth-Backed BeautyLet’s talk design. Because that may be the best thing about the Sony Xperia Ion. You’ll first notice this handset’s back — gorgeous, much like some smooth-skinned model wearing a practically backless dress. It’s curved and silky to the touch and rounds nicely at the edges. Not the model, the phone. The back is a brushed aluminum satin red. A subtle, soft rubber section opens to let in the micro Sim and memory card. On the curved edges of the phone are the finessed buttons — including a camera-dedicated button and a pull-out flap that takes the cables. Now flip over the phone and you see a contrasting front — all clean-cut sharp lines and glossy glass (and yes, that part loves fingerprints) in an interesting mix. It is a good looking, slim phone with just the right amount of heaviness. I found the 4.55-inch screen display too white and the colours not vivid enough. Text is clear, but not as pleasing as it is on, say, the HTC One X or S. Resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels and it has got Sony’s Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, which is what is supposed to enhance the display. The Ion was shipped with Android 2.3 when it was launched but now has 4.0.4. The camera is a 12MP one with LED flash, 16x digital zoom and autofocus but no stabilisation. The camera does 1080p HD video recording. The face-facing one is 1.3MP. The soft keys for navigation are annoying; they are awkwardly placed, don’t light up helpfully and are on top where you’d think to press. The Ion runs on a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Dual Core processor with 1GB RAM, and 16GB of onboard storage. Running some tests on it, I found it doesn’t perform badly, but not that brilliantly too for Rs 36,999; at that price you can get get a Galaxy S3 or HTC One X. The Ion, however, isn’t in the same league, with less powerful specs all around. A Sleek SpectreAh, the glint of metal. It can win me over any time just as much as delicate floaty lace can. When you take the HP Envy SpectreXT out of its packaging, you can’t help stopping for a moment to admire its looks. It’s all brushed and textured metal with rounded corners and skirting that sparkle just enough to tantalise. Unlike the first HP Spectre, which was all gloss and glass, this 13.5-inch Ultrabook is metal with a sensuality. It has one of the best keyboards I’ve used recently. It is backlit. The touchpad, which you can turn off, is good and depresses with a good click, leaving you in no doubt that you pressed it, unlike others on some laptops where there isn’t enough feedback. There are HDMI, Ethernet, and USB ports in the usual places. What doesn’t feel so good is the framing around the 13.3-inch screen. It feels plasticky and ill-fitted. The screen is bright, and has good colours. The SpectreXT boasts of Beats audio and the sound is loud though a little treble-ish. It runs on a dual-core 1.7GHz Core i5-3317U processor, with 4GB of memory, 128GB of storage and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. Battery life is about seven hours. For Rs 64,990 and so premium a look and nothing particularly wrong with it, it’s good value for money.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 12-11-2012)
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I don’t think I’ve seen quite so many super-gadgets launched in so short a span. It’s been quite a festival of smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks and in-betweens. There was the Note II, not so long ago, a whole set of smartphones from HTC including a signature Windows Phone 8 handset and the ramped up One X+ Android phone. Nokia’s Lumia 920 and 820 are on the coming-any-moment list and Google launched more Nexus devices, including the big Nexus 4 made by LG. Then there was the iPad Mini, which hasn’t arrived here yet, and of course the iPhone 5 which arrived and went out of stock instantly. And some powers that be decided India must do something hi-tech, so they launched the Aakash 2 — again. I hope we hear about it next only once it’s done changing the lives of millions of Indian students. In two and a half months, if luck is on RIM’s side, BlackBerry 10 will launch, bringing another re-imagined OS, apps and new smartphones. What a surfeit of choice. If only the heating competition would cool the prices down… With this spate of new top-of-the-line gadgets coming in when shopping is on our minds, it’s only natural for consumers to look for the ‘best’ among smartphones and tablets. But there really is no best. I’ve seen technology divide users as if it were a religion, with iPhone users treating their favourite device like a ‘godphone’ and evangelising it to anyone considering buying a smartphone. I’ve also seen the Android camp unleash its most vitriolic sarcasm at the ‘fanbois’. Windows diehards are also becoming active and pretty soon we may have ‘BlackBerry people’ with a thing or two to say. Much the same is happening with form factors. But, stop to consider how boring a world we would have if there were but one option — which would soon wither from lack of challenge. We need variety and choice, and thankfully, we’re getting them. I’ve said this before though, and now one can explore the idea with more examples, but in looking at the newest, fastest gadget with the most powerful specs, don’t forget to explore the potential experience — in relation to you and your own way of using devices. It sounds obvious but all too often I get asked whether one should buy a phone because it’s “supposed to be the best”. Recently, for instance, someone asked me to pit the iPhone5 against the Galaxy Note II. As soon as the discussion began it quickly moved away from which had a faster processor and more RAM. After all, the devices couldn’t be more different from one another as far as the experience goes. The iPhone5, with its clean cut design and a look that spells perfection even before you touch it, is fantastic for those who instantly love the way it looks, especially for those who are already Apple fans. It’s all about an ecosystem that is in many ways ahead of everyone else, no matter what the activity. The apps in the App Store, which some believe will reach a figure of one million before the year ends, ensure that there’s a lot to choose from for different types of users. The Note II, which may not look as satisfyingly designed and doesn’t have that many apps to draw from on the Google Play Store, has a different advantage. It’s all about the stylus meeting that 5.5 inch screen, which it does with silky smoothness and high speed. The Note II is productivity-oriented; more of a lean-forward phone-tablet than say an iPad or Mini and less personal than the iPhone. The size of the Note, which I often see listed as a drawback in reviews, is precisely what its users want: some extra real estate without going into the 7+ inch territory. So the two devices suit different types of people. As for the iPhone5 vs Android phones, the ecosystem evolving from Google offers a different sort of experience. Google puts to use what it knows about users — and it knows a lot because it’s got your search habits, your location, your Gmail and more. Travelling with a device that has Google Now (on the Jelly Bean version of Android) is an interesting way to experience this information push. The Play Store may not have as many apps as Apple’s and of the same quality, but the direction it takes in knowing what you want is going to be valuable to some. Windows Phone 8 enters this landscape with a refreshingly different approach. It’s still evolving and doesn’t have anywhere near the number of apps that established ecosystems do but if it gives users specific applications that really fit into their lives (such as the Kid’s Corner that so many appreciate already), it will also appeal to a certain kind of user. The hardware, no matter how attractive, has to fit into the ecosystem of applications and a form factor to match and then be able to deliver a compelling experience. That will make it the ‘best’ for someone. mala(at)pobox(dot)com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 26-11-2012)
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Microsoft launched its full and final version of Windows 8, the operating system (OS) it has been working on for the past year. At an event held at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi, Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman Microsoft Corporation India, formally introduced the new OS to the media. Also gathered were other top executives from Microsoft India, several hardware partners, developers, and some customers. “With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft is unveiling a re-imagined Windows to the world,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, speaking at the event. “Whether you want a tablet or a PC, whether you want to consume or create, whether you want to work or play – Windows 8 delivers a personalised experience that fits your unique style and needs.” Windows 8 is a completely overhauled or “re-imagined” product, critical to Microsoft because it will be present on computers, tablets and smartphones, allowing the software giant to make a much delayed play for a portion of the mobile market, while trying to retain its long-held dominance on desktops. The OS has been designed to be a comprehensive environment. Letting users move from one device to another seamlessly without losing their data, the applications they work on, or the experience. Windows 8 and apps on the new Windows Store will be available to users in India starting 26 October on Windows certified PCs and tablets. Windows 8 based phones will be launched later this week. Showcased at the launch event were a large number of laptops, ultrabooks, hybrids and tablets from 14 OEM Microsoft partners – Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HCL, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, RP Infosystems, Sai Info System, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Wipro and Zenith Computers. This included both touch and non-touch devices as Windows 8 can work on traditional PCs that meet a minimum set of hardware specs even though the OS is “touch first” or primed to work with touch devices. Windows 8 has been available in a consumer preview form for the past few months. Distinctive to the OS is its Start Screen which replaces the well-worn Start Menu. The Start Screen is made up of colourful tiles, each of which can be tapped to ead to apps. The tiles, depending on the app, show live information such as weather updates, e-mail or messages from contacts. The Taskbar and other navigational features now are in the form of panels that slide out when the user swipes at various points on the screen. Windows 8 now works with apps, or smaller pieces of software that can be downloaded at low cost from the online store, as well as larger applications that users all over the world are accustomed to, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In India, a range of free and paid apps can be downloaded including Bharat Matrimony, BigFlix, BookMyShow, Bookyourtable, Burrp, Dhingana, Fastrack Tees, Flyte MP3, Gaana, Goibibo, ICICI Bank iMobile, ICICIDirect, JustEat, MakeMyTrip Explore, MapmyIndia, my airtel, NDTV Play, PVR Cinemas, Tarla Dalal, Yahoo Cricket, and Zovi, among many others. The paucity of apps, compared with Apple’s 700,000, has been a concern when it comes to Windows 8 and its still growing ecosystem. Microsoft urgently needs to regain ground lost to the iPad and other tablets spilling into the market. Windows 8 will be available in two versions at retail, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. And for thebusiness customers who have signed up for software assurance, Windows 8 Enterprise there are features like Windows To Go, DirectAccess, and BranchCache, as well as enhanced end-to-end security with features including BitLocker and AppLocker. Launching at the same time is a new member of the Windows family designed for ARM-based tablets, Windows RT, which will be available pre-installed on new devices such as Microsoft’s Surface tablet. In addition to the range of new devices available, consumers can also upgrade their existing PCs. From 2 June 2012 until 31 January 2013, consumers currently running PCs with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, are qualified to download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of Rs 1,999. And Windows 7 PCs purchased between 2 June 2012, and 31 January 2013 can download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of Rs 699 with the Windows upgrade offer currently on. While launch events took place all around the world, the main event, led by Steve Balmer, was in New York’s Times Square where Microsoft’s Surface tablet was also debuted. Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft's Windows unit and the driving force behind Windows 8, opened the launch event in New York in front about 1,000 media and PC industry partners. He showed off Windows 8's new look, but stressed that the system was built upon the base of Windows 7, Microsoft's best-selling software that recently passed 670 million license sales. The new design of Windows, which dispenses with the Start button and features square tiles for apps, may surprise some users. Initial demand appeared solid, but customers were wary. Early reviews of the Surface tablet were mixed, with praise for its slick hardware, but concerns about battery life and limited software and applications available. "We have seen steady pre-order sales on Windows 8 devices from early adopters," said Merle McIntosh, senior vice president of product management at online electronics retailer Newegg. "However, we expect that most average consumers are waiting until after launch to make a purchase decision." Investors were uncertain about the prospects for success of Windows 8, but many feel a solid launch could help Microsoft's stock, which has languished between $20 and $30 for much of the last decade. Apple's shares have significantly outperformed Microsoft's over the past 10 years, and its market value is now more than double Microsoft's. Microsoft was little changed at $27.87; Apple fell 0.7 per cent at $612.73. "This really is about debunking the notion that Microsoft is a dinosaur and they are relevant in a new climate of tablets and mobile," said Todd Lowenstein, portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management, which holds Microsoft shares. "Extreme pessimism and almost utter failure is priced into the shares, so any kind of positive delivery on units, customer perception, would be really beneficial to the stock." (With inputs from Reuters)
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I see from my Twitter brand page that Big Boss is a trending topic for me. Not being something I would ever be interested in, I was surprised; until I remembered how I was outraged — when at a movie theatre — there was an announcement that Big Boss would like the audience to stand up for the National Anthem. Almost like sponsoring the National Anthem, really. So while I wouldn’t want to be known for an interest in Big Boss, enough tweets were exchanged over the issue to make the topic prominent on my page.Notice that I say page, not my regular Twitter stream, seen on Twitter.com or via any of the hundreds of Twitter clients that we use. This page comes from Twylah.com, a fascinating and immediately useful web application or service usable by individuals or businesses. Twylah is a startup co-founded by serial entrepreneur Eric Kim and his wife Kelly Kim in San Francisco. A bolt-out-of-the-blue idea triggered off the Twylah web service based on the fact that once you’ve done tweeting, your tweets just get buried in the stream. Apart from the few words that make up your profile and your immediately visible tweets, no one really knows what you stand for, sometimes not even you. Although Twylah is still in beta, has a lot going for it – and its users.Here’s what Twylah does: When you sign up and are accepted and sign in, a neat and beautifully laid out web page is created for you, dynamically. What this page shows is your profile from Twitter, right on top. Under that, is a row of topics, just as you’d see in the tabs of a website. These topics come from what you tweet most about and those of your tweets that are “trending” I your own network. On the page itself, you see the topics showcased with your tweets. Images and videos are picked up from your tweets to create a magazine style layout, making everything more attractive and engaging. You also have a choice of layouts to play with. The result may remind you of paper.li, but there’s a big difference. There, the focus is on the content. Here, the focus is on you, the creator, curator or influencer.Manage Your Topics For BrandingThe first and most amazing thing that Twylah does for you is to give you the big picture of what you’re talking about on Twitter. Now, I love taking photographs but I’m no professional and certainly don’t deserve quite much attention for the photos I share. Yet, this topic is prominent for me. Twylah lets you front three topics, so I pushed photography down, letting tech topics come to the top. But this change only reflects on the Twylah page. To actually change things, I would need to increase my tweets about those other topics. This feedback is the first step towards better crafting your Twitter activity. Incidentally, you can also remove tweets from Twylah to clean up your page. So if you don’t want a rant about the government and its inefficiencies to be part of your branding statement, a tweet on the subject can be hidden. To get it out of Twitter, you would have to delete it, of course.Showcasing YouWhen anyone visits your Twylah page, they see instantly what you’re about, what you stand for, and the message is powerful, specially because it’s visual. You can highlight your page (or site, really) by embedding it on your own site, or by linking to it. But the other more interesting way to send users to the site is via Power Tweets, a recent addition to the service. To Power Tweet, add the bookmarklet to your browser. This can also be done on the iPad, which is good since so much content consumption is done on the tablet. When your browser is at a page you want to share (your own or other content) just click the bookmarklet to share to your Twitter followers – and you can add other services such as Facebook as well. When your followers click on your shared link, they will be led to your Twylah page from where they can further go to the content you shared. Power Tweets increase the engagement from your followers who come to your page and see more of your content. But don’t overuse the feature and end up annoying your followers. The ideal time to Power Tweet would be when you’ve been focusing strongly on some topic and want peope to see more of what you had to share, not just a single article.A big list of media types is supported by Power Tweet including content you share from YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and Flickr.Up The EngagementBecause of the arrangement of tweets by topic, your tweets are not lost and forgotten. On Twitter, they have a life of a few hours at the most. When a follower goes to your Twylah page, he or she can choose to explore ever deeper into tweets relating to a topic of choice. One can reply and retweet while viewing the tweet from the Twylah page as well. For people who are intimidated by the chaos of the Twitterverse, Twylah is a great way to make sense of content rather than scanning tweet after tweet in a stream without context.While Google and Twitter no longer play nice with each other, your Twylah page gives you another place from which to be searched and found. And anyone who deliberately looks for you by name, plus trending tweets or tweets related to a topic, will be led to your Twylah page within the first few search results.The next thing the Twylah team is working on is analytics. These are not available at all right now but showing them to Robert Scobble, Eric Kim demonstrated how a whole lot of interesting data can be pulled out, such as what topics get you the most tweets. Retweets are analysed separately. It’s not clear when this set of tools will be open to users and whether they will be part of a premium service or free. Twylah, like any service, needs a business model and as the application opens up to users, this will be what the team will explore. They already have several ideas including ads and even a revenue sharing format with users.Head to twylah.com and request an invite. I’ve been an early user and have now decided to be an active one. Looking at all that Twylah offers I was impressed afresh and felt rather lucky that I’d signed up soon after it went beta.
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Apple has been known for keeping its upcoming cult products under wraps right until the announcements are well underway. No one could even be sure what product they would launch. Not this time. Either Apple is losing its grip on secrecy or people have just got better at ferreting out the truth from somewhere. Practically every bit of the iPhone 5 had been “leaked” in pictures, speculation, rumours and articles, right down to connectors, ear-phones, and dimensions. The “And one more thing…” Steve Jobs used to play on in his presentations, never came to pass, not even by another name. Everything was in the regular Apple format, except there were no surprises. Twitter didn’t catch fire. The tech media didn’t salivate. And some people just went to sleep. Except, of course, the fanboys, who will never know Apple-induced disappointment no matter what. It would be fair to stop and reflect over whether it’s fair to expect a fresh miracle every time Apple holds an event. This time, the pressure on Apple was so much that the top execs were reported as looking tense and nervous before the show in Yerba Buena Center for Arts, San Francisco, started. In what has been dubbed “false economics” JP Morgan analyst Michael Feroli claimed the new iPhone could “potentially add” upto 0.50 percentage points to fourth-quarter GDP growth in the US. Just to connect the words iPhone and GDP could be hair raising enough. So right on cue, the iPhone 5 was unveiled by Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing chief. It turns out to be a finessing or an iteration of the iPhone we know (and in India, can barely afford). It’s taller and houses five rows of icons, but not broader so that your hand still curls around it, lighter, all aluminum and glass, has a 4-inch retina display, supports LTE, is said to have better battery life, and has numerous interesting sounding improvements to its 8-megapixel camera. Where’s the wow factor that Apple practically invented? In fact, because the world already knows what the operating system, iOS 6 (to be released 19 September for Apple’s mobile devices) is all about, the “200 new features” are no surprise either. If only Apple had been able to work with a schedule that kept the software a state secret, there may have been more excitement to the iPhone 5 launch, although even there, each individual feature (notifications, Facebook integration) was being presented as if it were life-changing. For us in India, although the iPhone 4s has been a coveted device, there are a tonne of capabilities that are all but irrelevant. LTE, for instance. Maps and directions, information in Siri’s fingertips, her ability to understand what we say, Passbook and its support by vendors, are unknown quantities. We’ll have to see it when we see it. India will probably have to wait until December for the arrival of the iPhone 5 in any case. There were refreshes to Apple’s iPod Touch and Nano music players that should give the line of products a new lease of life. The Nano looks like a little iPhone. And the iPod Touch is sleeker. Even iTunes is refreshed and is due get complicated with a bit of Facebook integration. If this show breaks the cycle of pre-launch hype, it wouldn’t be a bad thing, but perhaps that’s too much to hope. One can hardly blame them. But as a journalist friend reminded me, Apple is no ordinarycompany, and that’s both because of the company and its fans. Expectations can’t be throttled. Mine however, lie writhing on the floor at the moment. Apple’s own tagline sums up the event quite well: “The Biggest Thing to Happen to iPhone Since iPhone”. The problem is people expected the biggest innovationsince the iPhone.
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