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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And she’s so soft-spoken,” is how a voice described Shikha Sharma, managing director and CEO of Axis Bank. In October this year, Axis Bank staffers rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they came to know the bank was introducing a termination policy.
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Facebook integration, an updated phone, camera, browser and mail experience, and the all-new Apple 3D Maps to boot — who wouldn't want to update their iOS device to the latest iOS6 version? However, the euphoria of a new iOS update soon turned into frustration as users in India discovered the new Maps app is nothing like the imagery you see above, and a definite step down from the older Google-powered Maps app. Instead, the app is rife with incorrect data, missing roads, misplaced rivers, even an intricate network of roads spread across a river! Now, the official Google Maps is months away (if not longer)! Facing certain mapocalypse, what's an iOS user to do if (s)he still wants to get from Point A to Point B? Do you have to suffer the same fate as the poor Aussie drivers who got lost out in the vast Outback courtesy Apple Maps? Not as long as you have these alternatives! OpenMaps: While Google map data is among the richest I've seen, a solid alternative is an independent mapping technology called OpenStreetMaps. It's not quite as comprehensive as Google maps, but it's still leagues ahead of the Apple solution. There are quite a few OSM-based apps, many of which are paid, but the free OpenMaps app is worth a dekho. Sygic/MapmyIndia: If you're looking for a pro-quality navigation solution, the folks at MapmyIndia have made your choice easier by slashing the price of their excellent navigation app from $49.99 to $29.99. Granted, it's not free, but you get 3D maps, voice navigation, free city guides and up-to-date maps that work without the need of an Internet connection. The level of detail is by far the best I've seen on a "Made for India" mapping app - you even get house numbers for major cities! Highly recommended. Waze: While it started off as a social mapping app meant to share traffic updates between users, Waze has evolved to become a very capable navigation app as well, one that provides voice navigation and alternate routes to your destination. And with the crowdsourced traffic data, you can figure out just how bad your commute is going to be! Pretty awesome for a free app! Plus when you're waiting in the traffic jam, you can play around with the customisation options and report things you see on the road, such as traffic jams, petrol prices, sales in a mall and more! The app supports Foursquare check ins as well. Nokia Here Maps: The most recent of the lot, Nokia's rebranded mapping application works on both iPhone and iPad and packs in a number of features that would be rather familiar to Nokia Maps users, such as nearby points of interest discovery, transit directions etc. What's particularly interesting is a collections feature - cloud-based storage of your favorite locations that's available across devices, and the ability to download offline maps for target areas of the user's choosing for use at a later time. Navfree GPS: Powered by OpenStreetMap data, Navfree is my pick for a free navigation app, at least if you're living in a big city — the community curated map data has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year. Certain touches — a pedestrian mode or the ability to play music from within the app, (which fades in and out when the voice directions are playing) — make you wonder why there isn't a paid version that you can pick up just to reward the software developer for his/her excellent app. Oh, and did I mention one more benefit? Navfree can work offline - via just a one-time download of map data. MotionX GPS ($0.99): While the maps in this app leave a lot to be desired, there are a lot of nifty GPS features such as speed calculation, compass, jogging trail mapping and more. Worth a dekho. Google/Nokia Web Apps: If you still only want the Google Maps/navigation experience, point your browser to maps.google.com in Safari, and then use the "Add to Home Screen" option to pin the web app to your home screen. Yes, it's really just a webpage in Safari, which makes it slow, but it is Google Maps, including all the business, places and transport links you were used to. Or use Nokia maps (maps.nokia.com), which add in offline maps and voice prompts. Medieval Battleground Heard of Sir Lancelot, haven't you? He of the Round Table of Aurthurian legend. In Wild Blood, Gameloft rewrites a bit of history pitting you, Sir Lancelot, against a crazed King Arthur who has, in a fit of rage, opened up the gates of Hell to wreak havoc across the lands. Once you look past this silly storyline, the game's biggest feature is that this is Gameloft's first game featuring the famed Unreal game engine, and while I've been impressed with Gameloft graphics in previous games, this one is a huge leap forward visually. Now, as detailed and layered as the levels get, gameplay is pretty linear, taking you from place to place, hacking and slashing your way through enemies that get thrown at you, without really allowing you to explore the levels. Also, camera issues come up, and I often found myself on the losing side of an enemy attack that came in from off-screen while I frantically tried to swing the camera around to see who or what it was! These quibbles notwithstanding, the game itself is fierce and a lot of fun, yet a tad formulaic. Gameloft gets to look and feel spot on, and if you haven't played a lot of hack-and-slash titles previously, you will certainly enjoy this. Rating: 7/10Price: $6.99URL: http://bit.ly/UGzyKE technocool at kanwar dot nettwitter@2shar
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The Belkin AC1200 is the next generation router that features 802.11ac technology for speeds up to three times faster than existing 802.11n technology. As the first to market with routers that support the new 802.11ac networking standard, Belkin's AC1200 DB Wi-Fi Dual-Band AC+ Gigabit Routers provide enhanced reliability, greater speeds, and enhanced streaming capabilities. Mohit Anand, MD, Belkin India Sub-continent, said, “The Belkin AC 1200 is an important addition to our artillery of existing routers. It gives internet users across the country an opportunity to witness internet speeds like never before. Belkin products are designed keeping in mind the changing needs of the users and the Belkin AC 1200 is a great example of how the brand has taken faster, smarter and safer browsing a notch higher.” Feature Belkin AC1200 DB provides gigabit speeds wirelessly to extend network range and provide more reliable coverage at greater distances. A centerpiece to any advanced home technology ecosystem, Belkin's AC router makes it possible to stream more content to multiple devices virtually anywhere in the home and ideal for smartphones and tablets. The router works well with Wi-Fi ‘N’ and ‘G’ devices taking network integration to the next level.
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Amid controversy over parts of the Aakash tablet being made in China, CEO of its manufacturing firm said he is "proud" that certain components of the low-cost tablet were sourced from Beijing as he dismissed the controversy over the issue as "sensationalism". The Aakash 2 tablet, hailed as an example of Indian innovation, was unveiled at the UN headquarters by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 28 November' 2012 on the occasion of India's Presidency of the Security Council. The USD 40 tablet ran into controversy after reports surfaced that parts of the device, like the motherboard, were manufactured in China and only the final assembly and programming was done in India. The made-in-China controversy caught up with Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli as he presented the tablet to the UN chief and spoke in detail about the potential of Aakash to significantly alter the Indian education landscape. "Over the last 72 hours I have dealt with this controversy that the Aakash tablet is not 100 per cent made in India. Why is that a controversy," Tuli said in response to questions about certain components of the tablet sourced globally. He said certain parts of the Aakash 2 tablet were secured globally, including the touchscreen which was manufactured in Canada, motherboards and kitting from China and the final assembly and programming in India. "Parts of the tablet are made in different parts of the world. I am proud that the motherboard and kitting is done in China. I am proud that we are setting up six manufacturing facilities in India with six different partners," Tuli said. The India-born chief of Datawind said the controversy exists because he was the only proponent who had proposed that the tablet be made locally. "Because I have been a big proponent of local manufacturing, that is why this controversy exists. China and India are neighbours. China is part of the global community. In my mind there is no controversy, all that there is is sensationalism," Tuli said. Tuli termed the Aakash tablet as a story not just of Indian innovation, but "a story of global innovation led by India, an idea that the Indian government decided to aggressively implement. Datawind had said that for the first 10,000 units for IIT, and for the sake of "expediency", the motherboards and kits were manufactured in its Chinese subcontractor's facilities. The units were 'kitted' in China at various manufacturers while the final assembly and programming happened in India. Tuli said "too much is being made" about the sourcing of parts from China. "If the customer does not have any objection to it, why should anybody else have any objection to it. We are the ones who have been pushing everybody to make more of the tablet in India. People who doubt that this can be done in India should not have an inferiority complex," Tuli said. "We need to focus on the opportunity that exists. Just because some components were made in China to get started should not cause anybody any great concern," Tuli told PTI. He added that it may not be possible to manufacture the entire tablet solely in India as certain components need to be procured from different parts of the world. "Greater effort needs to be made for local manufacturing," he said. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri, who organised the launch of the tablet at the world body, said when the Indian government had floated the global tender for the tablet, there was not any stipulation that it had to be made entirely in India. "No where does it say this is an Aakash 2 tablet made in India exclusively or even partially. It is a very poor attempt at orchestrating a controversy when you realise that the Aakash 2 was going to be showcased in New York," Puri said. China's Ambassador to the UN Li Baodong also attended the event with Puri saying his Chinese counterpart came for the launch of the tablet "to show his solidarity." Puri said he decided to utilise India's presidency to showcase the tablet only after getting confirmation that President Pranab Mukherjee would be unveiling the tablet in India on November 11. Tuli said the product is being made at a price that no one had thought would be possible and as time goes by, "we will manufacture more in India." "I wish those people who are unhappy with it can show me the 100 per cent Indian-made products they use," he said, adding that the computers on which reports of parts of Aakash being sourced from China were being written also have been made in China. Tuli said India's first touchscreen panel plant is being set up in Amritsar and it is expected to be fully functional within the next 30 days with an initial capacity of three million units. Once the plant becomes operational, touchscreens which are currently manufactured in Canada would be made in India. "We are big believers in local manufacturing and in vertical integration of manufacturing. We believe that over time, within the next year as the touchscreen manufacturing happens in India, the motherboards will also be made in India. China and other countries around the world will play a role in providing components and other value adds to the product. "This is a global story," he said. Tuli said he is targeting to bring down the price of the tablet from 40 dollars to 25 dollars in the next 18 months. "Nobody thought it was possible to build a tablet PC in this price range. This requires a form of frugal innovation that is unique to India and developing countries. Frugal innovation does not mean creating an iPad killer. It is about creating an iPad for the 'rickshaw-wala' and for the mass of the market," Tuli added.(PTI)
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The noted painter Paresh Maity was honoured with the Dayawati Modi Award for Art, Culture and Education, 2012 on 27 November in New Delhi, marking the 97th birth anniversary of Late Dayawati Modi. The award comprised a silver shield, scroll of honour and a cash prize of Rs 2.51 lakh. The award was presented by Karan Singh, member of Parliament & president, Indian Council of Cultural Relations on behalf of the Dayawati Modi Foundation. “This recognition will motivate me to experiment further with colours and canvas” says Paresh Maity, honoured painter. With over 60 solo shows in different parts of the globe and India, Maity is known for his bold signature strokes often marked with a strong colour and unusual cropping. His works range from landscapes to representations of the human form. Earlier he has been felicitated by various national and international institutions, including the Royal Watercolour Society, London in 2002, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society and British Council among others. Paresh Maity joins the list of previous awardees, that includes Dalai Lama, Amitabh Bachchan, late Mother Teresa, late Jagjit Singh, Pandit Jasraj, Asha Bhonsle, Pandit Ravi Shankar, late Tyeb Mehta, Dr. Abdul Waheed Khan, Prof Lokesh Chandra and Dr. Karan Singh himself. The award has been instituted by the Dayawati Modi Foundation for Art, Culture and Education of the Modi group in the memory of Late Smt. Dayawati Modi, wife of Late Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi, founder of the Modi Group.
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Pictures don’t do the HTC 8X justice. If you were just to see a photo of this smartphone — which is something of an ambassador for Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 OS, you would see four vibrant colour options, but you wouldn’t be able to caress this device — and believe me when you actually hold this phone, your fingers automatically itch to feel its seamless form. HTC has been varying the design of its handsets, but with the 8X, they have obviously put in a huge effort to go all the way to being a signature product. Tech reviewers who got their hands on the phone ahead of the launch all over the world have been admiring the way the 8X has been crafted. It’s nice to see, in fact, that for a change it isn’t just Apple being worshipped for being the one company that knows something about design. But back to what the 8X feels like. 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 curves and wraps itself into the sides of the handset to meet the Gorilla Glass on the front makes the 4.3-inch phone very nice to hold. And it doesn’t feel like the kind of device that will easily slip out of your hand — though I didn’t try to make it slip. The curve of the back is very gradual and this somehow makes it look thinner than it actually is at 10.1mm. It has a very different feel from the iPhone and those clean lines and it also feels different from the Samsung build. One warning though: If your hands are more than usually oily and sweaty, I can’t answer for what the back will be like with everyday use. On the left side of the handset, there are no buttons — it’s a straight, slim edge. On the right you have the volume control, dedicated camera button and micro sim slot. On top is the headphone slot, and the power button. And here comes my main crib with this beautiful phone. The buttons, but specially the power button, are so recessed and subtle that you have to keep feeling along the edge for them and I for one can’t tell if I pressed them or not. Now, with a few days of use I did start to get used to the placement, but I still think ease of use has been sacrificed here in the interest of design and minimalism. The other thing with this phone is the colours it’s been designed in, red, black, blue and lime yellow. Matching the Windows theme with the colour of the phone could be fun for those who enjoy colours. Except that we are not getting them. At least not immediately. As customers, make sure you demand them though and perhaps HTC will do something about this. The black and the blue versions will be available in India, but as for the rest — you can admire them in ads. Considering personalisation is being pushed so much and colour is supposed to be a part of that, it’s not quite fair that the options should be designed but promptly made unavailable. 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 on a flagship phone, 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 which wasn’t exceptional. The 8 megapixel primary camera is as good as the HTC One X’s, These days everyone’s keeping low light situations in mind, so this camera has an f/2.0 aperture and the pictures are more light filled. There’s no burst mode. The camera was set to a default 2 second timer. The front facing camera, also with an f/2.0 aperture is nicer than usual because it features a wide-angle view, fitting lots more into the picture. This is great for those who video chat from nice looking places or chat with someone as a group. 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 boosted sound with Beats Audio, always an important part of HTC phones and with which it co-brands. The rest of this phone is all about Windows 8. If you have used a Windows 7 phone, it will look instantly familiar and as you start exploring it, you’ll find the additions that come with the new version of the OS. For instance, you can resize your tiles and even customise the top screen which can be live with content from Facebook, your photos, or other apps. You can set up sharing with friends, family or co-workers in different 'Rooms', sync content with your Windows PC using SkyDrive storage and there’s a brand new 'Kid’s Corner', which is a closed off area on the phone with apps specific to young kids and they can use those while the phone otherwise locks up. The bigger changes are really under the hood, in fact, to the very core of the operating system, 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. What is needed now is high quality applications to cover all the things that users have shown they enjoy and rely on. But if you are already thinking of switching 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 differently designed 8S. mala(at)pobox(dot)com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter
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When the HTC One came out into the world earlier this year, everyone loved it. It was a departure from other Android slabs that looked so much the same, and it was beautifully designed, with full attention to detail. It was big, looked classy, had a lovely screen, an excellent camera, and rode into town on a quad core processor. It became a serious contender to the Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 4s. So, HTC figured it wouldn’t let go of a good thing and decided to give the One X+ some more power. Wisely, they decided not to tamper with its looks. It has the same design, unibody build and more memorably, 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 1,280-by-720 pixel Super LCD 2 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 battery life with its 2100 mAh battery. The One X+ is on Jelly Bean, which in itself speeds things up and adds features to the device, including of course Google Now. HTCs own interface software is in its version 4+ (that’s a lot of +’s) and brings features like enhancements to the camera and a tap to pair feature to connect to Beats speakers. At Rs 40,190, the One X+ is rather + on the price. Watch for a reduction sometime. mala(at)pobox(dot)com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter
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