When you start to describe it, Diptic is only a bunch of photo frames. Many of them, admittedly, but just straight forward frames. There are varying layouts: four small frames and one big one; five frames of equal size, etc. You can get additional frames with a one-time in-app purchase.But like many extremely popular apps, Diptic has got some secret sauce. There are dozens of Diptic-like apps and some with flexible frames and patterns, but for the foreseeable future, you'll find people loving Diptic. It presents a choice of collage layouts. You choose and tap to select or take your photo. You can resize but not reshape the frames and you can customise their borders, even making them invisible. When your photos are in place, you can edit some parameters like brightness, contrast and tint. And in a matter of moments, you're ready to share, save or send.The final result is something satisfyingly neat and geometrical — just the kind of thing users like. It's not like you can't be creative with this app, though. The very way you position your images can make them a work of art. You can even smarten up images to put into your presentations. Smart, and yet effortless. Diptic is an iOS app for $0.99, the usual for many amazingly feature-rich apps. NOTESY IS A TEXT EDITOR FOR THE IPHONE BACKED BY THE POWER OF DROPBOX Drop It In The BoxNote-taking apps are a dime a dozen. There are so many that one goes through several purchases before settling on a favourite. If syncing notes is top of your priority list, Notesy may be a good one to consider. If you are a Dropbox user, that is. Notesy's USP is that it auto syncs with Dropbox, letting you put your notes in your chosen folder. You can also opt to see when your notes are synced, just to be sure. While most apps have a Dropbox send-to option, Notesy does an automatic job of it after you set it up.But Notesy offers a pleasant note-taking experience in itself as well. First, you can choose your paper style from among a collection featuring textures and colours. Then there is a selection of fonts and sizes. You also have word count information, an essential for every notepad.There seem to be a few unnecessary buttons here and there, but nothing that detracts seriously from usability in an uncluttered interface. Notesy is $1.99 for iOS and is an alternative to Simplenote.Mala Bhargava is a personal technology writer and media professionalContact her at mala at pobox dot com and (at)malabhargava on Twitter(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 25-06-2012)
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In what they consider to be "a seminal moment in Acer India's product line", the company formally showcased 30 distinctive models of notebooks within the Aspire range that are spread across the S, M, V3, V5 and E series. The overarching slim factor is what holds the Aspire family together. While the E series is meant for everyday computing (and is akin to netbooks and are useful tools in the field of education), the M series —e.g. the Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 — and the S series (Aspire, S3 and S5) have been categorised as ultrabooks, oriented towards high end consumers (corporate professionals, for instance). The Timeline Ultra M3 is the first 15 inch ultrabook to feature an optical drive for DVD and also includes a Dolby Home Theatre 4 along premium speakers.Windows 7 serves as the operating system of all 30 notebooks which are supported by NVIDIA GeForce GT 640m/630M graphics. The 13 inch Acer S5 is 15 mm thick (less than the new 15 inch MacBook Pro which stands at a height of over 17mm) and weighs 1.35 kg. The E1-571 is about 1 inch thick and weights 2.6 kg.The Aspire range of notebooks can resume from the deep sleep mode in 1.5 seconds and provide access to the internet in 2.5 seconds. The PowerSmart long life battery with 1000 charge cycles helps extend battery life by up to 3 times. In addition, Acer's Thermal Comfort technology prevents touchpads and keyboards from overheating through an air exhaust system engineered within the system. Moreover advanced image sensors have been installed to distinguish between a palm and finger touch to help users work on notebooks more efficiently. USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Acer's Thunderbolt technology ensure approximately 10 times (compared to USB 2.0) faster data transfer. In addition, the SignalUp wireless technology promises 6 times faster internet connectivity. On the resolution front, Cine Crystal display, and in particular, the Wide Colour Gamut guarantees 33 per cent great depth in colour and clarity. Ultrabooks were christened last year (at Computex 2011) and have since then caught the fancy of tech pundits and gadget gurus to such an extent that 2012 is optimistically, being called the ‘year of the ultrabook', going by global technological trends. Sandeep Aurora, director of marketing at Intel India and South Asia, believes that "the marriage of Intel's 22 nanometer tri-gate 3D transisitors (that drive Intel's 3rd generation core processor — Ivy Bridge—technology) with Acer's Aspire ultrabooks will see new form factors emerge in the near future." Soon enough we shall witness a class of hybridised class of tablets and ultrabooks which will be based on the forthcoming Microsoft Windows 8 platform, Aurora reveals. In fact at Computex 2012 held in Taiwan, Acer showcased the Aspire S7: a Windows 8 enabled, touchscreen ultrabook. Even though most of the notebooks in the Aspire camp are powered by 2nd generation intel core processors, some of the ultrabooks in the S (S3 and S5)and V3 series are run by the 3rd generation core processor which enable up to 22 per cent better performance. Acer and Intel have been collaborating since 2009 to deliver netbooks, business notebooks, dual screen notebooks and new variants of ultrabooks (in future) Except the Ivy Bridgeproducts, all other notebooks have found their way to the shelves in India since they were launched in the last week of May.Tabs On GrowthEven as Acer's Iconia Tabs and tablets—A110, A210, W510, W5700 and A700—are being launched world over, S. Rajendran , chief marketing officer of Acer India is sceptical of their success in India as they aren't a mass market product and as the "7 inch space is too brutal". "There was a lot of hype around tablets (in India) but because of low IT penetration and buying behaviour played its role where only top institutions were interested and people looked at tablets only as a gaming/entertainment device. Apple is Apple so they're able to hold the market but there is very limited number of people who would buy a tablet," he says. Rajendran feels that Android platform's ability for conventional content creation is limited and the user interface is fragmented; also, the (paid) app ecosystem is not popular. "Akash further confused people because they couldn't figure out why a tablet was priced Rs 5000 and another Rs 20,000. Even Samsung hasn't been able to succeed with this format" he adds. However, the Windows 7 tablet, the W500 has found keen takers in India, SMBs and enterprises are buying it. Acer may be betting heavily on ultrabooks and the waterfall effect of thin and slim is, there is a substantial price to pay for them. Price rise is inevitable but if "we're able to spend time convincing customers the full benefit of having a computer." Bearing this in mind, Acer India, is investing time and money towards training employeers in the last customer touchpint, in the retail outlets, whom they call In store Promoters (ISPs). "We're upping the ante 3-4x times, going the extra mile to profile customers and align the sales pitch accordingly. From the point of view of robustness we're also providing online training/certification to these ISPs, understanding, Rajendran explains. The company is present across 90 Large Format Retail (LFR) stores, such as Tata Croma, Hypercity, Reliance stores. There are 90 Acer malls in India and 200 Acer point stores (multibrand stores that sell Acer products). Acer Gallery which is the company's outreach programme to target smaller towns and cities, has about 3000 stores. They intend to create 1000 more stores this year. LFR contribute to about 12-15 percent of the overall sales. Gallleries in pockets such as Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Lucknow and Kerala have started delivering 10-12 per cent (while others contribute to a meagre 2-3 per cent) while Acer IT speciality stores (malls and Acer points)contribute to majority of their sales. Acer India currently holds a market share of 14 per cent in the notebook segment (globally it is 12 percent) and intend to increase it to about 20 per cent in the next 2-3 years ( depending on industrial trends). "Some of the large verticals are also showing interest for adopting notebooks", says Rajendran. The Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT) and schools in Goa, where Acer has delivered about 13,000 notebooks, are such examples. State governments are increasingly interested in adopting notebooks for educational purposes and the E series could find its way across these verticals.Acer's production facility in Puducherry manufactures desktops and servers. Their manufacturing is spread over Philippines, Taiwan, and China. Ultrabooks are primarily produced in Taiwan and a 1,000 Aspire S3s are shipped to India every month. Acer India's turnover in FY2011-12 was Rs 3,000 crore and they expect to grow 16-20 per cent YoY. According to (technology research company)Gartner, Acer India is currently the Number 1 manufacturer of netbooks and Desktop PCs while it stands at number 4 among the overall PC vendors in India.(With inputs from Shokinder Goyla)
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First things first: Look at the flour bin. The Indian diet is carbohydrate-centric and most of us use a fair bit of wheat in our daily meals. Latest fads will have you eliminate wheat from your diet totally. Gluten-free diets are a big rage these days even with people without any gluten intolerance. But if you are a traditional roti-puri-bread eater, stick to your flour. But do junk the all-refined flour, the bane of our existence, maida. Use only whole wheat flour with bran added to it for added protein and fibre.Stock up on yoghurt: I swear by this miraculous superfood and that is saying something considering that I never did like it much. But yoghurt makes you healthy like nothing does. Make it fresh at home to keep your good digestive bacteria alive and kicking! Use it liberally in dips (throw out the creamy bottled ones that not only make you put on the pounds but also have high sodium levels), raitas and lassis.Substitute namkeens with almonds: Ditch the fried namkeens, snack on nuts instead between meals. Walnuts and almonds are a must in any kitchen. Have about 6-8 almonds a day to not only help reduce bad cholesterol (a study at Harvard's School of Public Health found that the nut could reduce the risk of a heart attack by 25 per cent if eaten at least twice a week) but also to lose weight.Green tea: We Indians kill our tea. Try refraining from the over-brewed, milky, sugary masala chai and cultivate a taste for green tea. A cup after a meal is a great digestive. It has enough antioxidants to keep you younger, happier, fitter.Beans: India has a wonderful tradition of lentils. But make sure you stock up on all those dried beans and legumes: rajma, chhole, chana, lobhiya et al. Beans are healthy foods high in fibre, and have nutrients like calcium, iron and folic acid. You could make a soup from them, or a salad, kebabs, hummus et al.Eggs: The yellow is high in cholesterol but two egg whites a day can take care of all your protein needs. Great as snacks too.Salt: Check how many milligrams of salt per serving the box of cereal or cookies have. Hidden salt in packaged items like sauces, cereal, breads and bagels is very harmful. Eliminate it.Honey: Try going with honey instead of refined sugar. Or keep grated jaggery handy to mix in homemade desserts.Tomatoes: Contain an antioxidant called lycopene, which help prevent certain cancers. Studies have shown that tomatoes can lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.Extra virgin olive oil and mustard oil: The benefits of EVOO in salads or lightly-cooked dishes like fish are well known but mustard oil, especially kachi ghani, or raw mustard oil, is equally beneficial. Plus it has a higher smoking point that makes it suitable to Indian cooking.Fruit over juice: In general, stock up on whole fruit instead of fruit juice because as any nutritionist will tell you, the pulp contains not just fibre but also important nutrients that get lost in juice form. Also, often, packaged juice has only a very small per cent of fruit juice — and a lot more of sugar or corn syrup. So if you have to have juice go for fresh juice, and if you do buy packaged juice, read the label carefully.Anoothi is a Delhi-based food critic and travel writerClick To View Running Partner: The Evolution Of The Running Shoe(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 04-06-2012)
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First there was power dressing, then power lunches and now, power yoga. Suddenly it's the new fitness buzzword and everyone from college students to housewives to corporate executives in metros is making a beeline for the nearest power yoga centre.I'm neither a power dresser nor do I believe in power lunches (preferring long-drawn-out lunches with friends), but seeing the frenzy around power yoga, I decided to give it a shot. And I died, almost. By the end of the first class, every part of my body ached. Muscles I didn't know existed groaned in protest at the slightest movement. Wasn't yoga supposed to be calming and relaxing? What happened to my favourite shavasana where I would invariably go off to sleep?If, like me, you think yoga is only meant to work on your breathing, and those convoluted poses where one stretches and twists the body into all sorts of shapes are only for yogis, then power yoga is not for you. But if you are willing to challenge your body, then 60-90 minute sessions of power yoga 2-3 times a week will help burn calories, increase stamina, improve circulation, increase the metabolism rate and lead to weight loss. And yes, as the body gets used to the exercise, it stops protesting and starts enjoying it (that's what those who have been doing it for a while say, I'm still to find out).So what exactly is power yoga and how does it differ from regular yoga? Power yoga, which was developed by two Americans — Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest — in the mid-1990s, is a derivative of Ashthanga Yoga that involves synchronising the breath with a series of postures, producing internal heat, detoxifying muscles and organs. POWER YOGA INCREASES LEAN MUSCLE MASS, DECREASES BODY FAT, ENHANCES STRENGTH AND TONES YOUR BODY. Power yoga, however, is mostly used to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style yoga where one moves from one asana to another in a sequence. It is a modified version of yoga, combining strength training, stretching and breathing. "It pushes the body into deeper poses and postures while focusing on breathing. It helps the body multitask by connecting breathing with body movements," says Mumbai-based yoga expert Payal Gidwani, who has trained several celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherji.It also incorporates traditional elements of yoga, such as holding of a pose to improve flexibility. However, this too is done to challenge your body more. And so, instead of the typical 5 breaths, you are required to hold a pose for longer — sometimes as long as two minutes. "In power yoga typically, postures are held for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes," says Mohan Kumar, a yoga expert and founder of the Holistic Healthcare Foundation.Since there is no fixed sequence, each instructor choreographs it differently and one power yoga class can vary widely from the other. A usual routine begins with sun salutations or the surya namaskar, which involves a series of 12 poses done in combination with breathing. "In yoga, be it any kind, it is essential to do the asanas while being connected to the breath. Inhaling and exhaling correctly while maintaining the pose is important," says Seema Sondhi, who runs a yoga studio in New Delhi.In power yoga, the movements flow into one another and are done without pausing. "We push the students to do 10-15 per cent more than their capacity. If the first day you hold a pose for 5 breaths, the next day we make you hold it for a little while longer and so on," says Kumar.Before I decided to take the plunge, I observed fellow students. Their movements appeared smooth, effortless and graceful, lulling me into a false sense of bravado. It's only when I did a series of sun salutations that I realised it is a strenuous exercise regime that required me to stretch every limb even as I concentrated on my breathing. While there is no fixed sequence, generally a power yoga class is divided into four sub-sections. First is the cardio-oriented practice that involves around 12-15 asanas such as the halasana (the plough pose) and the paschimottanasana (seated forward bend). Then there is the holding variation where 5-10 asanas such as janushirasana (head to knee pose) and ardha chandrasana (half moon pose) are held for some time to increase flexibility. The third phase involves 5-7 asanas that relax, calm and cool your body, and finally there is breathing and meditation. "The aim is to focus on different parts of the body," says Kumar. And while power yoga is for everyone, experts recommend consulting a doctor in case of ailments or a weak back or knees.Power yoga increases lean muscle mass, decreases body fat, and tones your body. It also helps maintain good body posture, and enhances strength, stamina and flexibility by improving joint movements and increasing muscle strength. And the best part, even as you undertake the sweat-producing, muscle-building workout, you improve your focus and concentration and let go of mental stress and anxiety, improving both physical and mental strength simultaneously. It's because of this that Gidwani considers power yoga to be one of the best workouts for those looking to lose weight.So, will I go for my next class? Absolutely. After all, what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 04-06-2012)
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With the launch of BackBeat GO, the smallest and lightest (13g) wireless Bluetooth, Plantronics has added yet another innovative creation to its list of audio communication devices. Launched in US in April and available in Indian market, BackBeat GO helps users especially music lovers, mobile gamers, and podcast and video fans enjoy great sound in a small wireless package with a standby time up to 10 hours. The device is designed for smartphones, tablets and MP3 players and includes rich stereo sound, noise reduction technology for improved call clarity and inline controls that allow the user to take calls, skip tracks, and adjust volume for up to 4.5 hours.With an extraordinary range of connectivity that ranges up to 10 m (32 feet), the device has an inbuilt amplified solution that takes care of the sound output. The headset battery meter automatically shows on the screen of iPhone/iPad and Android devices. It is available now for Rs 4,990 with 1-year limited warranty at all leading retail outlets. "The launch of Backbeat Go is an extension to the audio solutions that add comfort, safety and convenience to the lives of our users. Our company designs and manufactures the devices simultaneously, which differentiates us from other brands of same nature." says Bobby Joseph, Country Director, Plantronics India.Plantronics, that is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, is one of the leading company of audio communications for businesses and consumers who have pioneered new trends in audio technology with unified communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, for 50 years that allow people to simply communicate. Besides India, Plantronics have their offices in 20 other countries, including China, England, Mexico and the Netherlands.
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Matching any food with wine is a tough job, particularly these days when there are so many bouquets, styles and, of course, vintages contending for attention from all parts of the globe. But when it comes to matching Indian food with wine, it becomes a potential minefield. If wine is a complex issue, best judged by your own palate than by a set of snobby rules, Indian cuisine is even more complex. Indeed, in a country the size of a continent and with hardly any codified recipes for any dish, there is no one Indian cuisine at all. What we eat in our homes may bear loose allegiance to a region or tradition, but it comprises several different cuisines that can hardly have any simple set of thumb rules to get by when it comes to matching these with wines. Part of the problem that arises when pairing Indian cuisine(s) with wine, of course, is that as a people, we have never had a ritual of drinking alcohol with food as is customary in Europe, for instance. Hardier alcohol such as "Scotch" has been and continues to be drunk pre-dinner. Pairing the likes of rogan josh or vindaloo or any of those loosely-labelled, restaurantised curries with wine really started in London with the advent of the curry restaurants. "Because they were the more conventional wines available and popular, it became commonplace to accept pairings of Shiraz or Barolo or Chablis with different curries," says Samrath Banerjee, general manager of Indian Accent, New Delhi. (Click here for a enlarged view) The most common old-style guideline everyone — from catering college graduates to new wine converts — believe in is the "red meat with red wine and white meat with white wine" rule. But in terms of Indian cuisine, where the gravy or the sauce determines the flavour of the dish, not the underlying meat (or vegetable), it's a rule you can't always live by. Having said this, there are still some basic combinations that you can try. The German Rieslings are a safe bet always with Indian food. Restaurateurs and managers like Pravesh from Shiro, who experiment a lot with wine, recommend that you try lamb cooked in a creamy or chilli sauce with a heavy-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, fried fish with a drier chardonnay, fish in a tomatoey sauce with perhaps a Spanish red, a heavy-bodied Pinot Noir with rogan josh, but a sparkling wine with butter chicken!Obviously, the food and wine should complement rather than kill off one another. So try to match a spicy dish with a spicy wine. But you have to take care not to destroy a perfectly fine high-quality red with overwhelming spice/chilli in the food. In the meanwhile, try out these combinations: Lamb with the Shiraz or Argentinan Malbec. This would include the likes of galauti kebabs since the Malbec has a spicy nosel Heavy (but not chilli) cuisine like Kashmiri with a Napa Valley white With more sophisticated cuisines like Avadhi where the spice combinations are more complex, try a chardonnay aged 3-4 years; zinfandel (but not white) with a fragrant biryani Cabernet Sauvignon with Kerala non-vegetarian or an Australian Shiraz with Chettinad The German Rieslings are a good bet for almost any Indian dish. Anoothi is a Delhi-based food critic and travel writer(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 18-06-2012)
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Quick, what's common to Inspector Alan Banks, Captain Haddock, John Rain and Inspector Dalziel? Apart from being much-loved fictional characters fighting crime (blistering barnacles and all), it's their love for single malts. So while Captain Haddock is often seen nursing a glass (or rather a bottle) of Loch Lomond, even as he accompanies Tintin on his varied adventures, Peter Robinson's lovable Inspector Alan Banks and Barry Eisler's assassin John Rain often like to retire with a glass of Laphroaig. On the other hand, in the sublime ‘Dalziel & Pasco' series by Reginald Hill, Highland Park is Inspector Dalziel's tipple of choice.The love for single malts is not restricted only to famous characters in books; television serials and movies too show protagonists as well as villains enjoying a glass of the golden liquid. While Donald Sutherland was shown nursing a Cragganmore 12 in A Time To Kill, the Trinity Killer in Dexter seems to fancy Glenfiddich for a toast.So what is it that attracts them and millions of others (real people) to single malt? Purists will tell you it's the drink to beat all drinks. The earliest known Gaelic (the old language spoken in Scotland and Ireland) records refer to malt whisky as ‘Uisgebaugh'. This evolved over time to ‘Uisge Beatha', related to the Latin phrase ‘Aqua Vitae' which translates as ‘The Water of Life'. With a name like that, its credentials have been in place for centuries."It is in the end an acquired taste like different coffees and teas; if you are a connoisseur then you can tell the difference between the taste of a blend and a single malt," says Jimmy Kuruvilla, F&B manager at the Leela Palace Kempinski in Bangalore.What makes the single malt special is the amount of care that is taken in producing each cask. Malt whisky is produced from 100 per cent malted barley which is fermented with yeast and distilled batch by batch in huge, copper pot stills. Unlike blended or grain whisky, except for water, no other grain or fermentable material is permitted. The single malt whisky, which is the product of one single distillery, not blended with those of other distilleries, is considered superior by connoisseurs and purists to its cousin — the vatted malt whisky where different malt whiskies from more than one distillery are blended together. UNIQUENESS OF SCOTTISH SINGLE MALTSSPEYSIDE: Is the north-east region, known for its sweet and light whiskies (Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Aberlour, Glenrothes, Macallan and Deveronall aged 10-40 years)HIGHLANDS: Northern region, known for rounded,dry flavours with some peatiness (Oban, Glenmorangie, Loch Lomondaged 10-40 years)LOWLANDS: Southern region,known for its less peaty and maltier flavour (Ailsa Bay, Auchentoshan and Rose bank 10-30 years)CAMPBLETOWN: South eastern region, known for whiskies with a hint of briny flavour (Glengyle, GlenScotia aged 10-25 years)ISLAY: South-eastern island, known for smoky and peaty whiskies (Laphroaig and Bowmore aged 10-30 years) And even among the single malts, the holy grail is the ‘single single' or the single cask single malt. While it's otherwise the same as a normal single malt, what makes it special is that all the bottles are taken from a single cask. Now that's truly a limited edition, considering a cask usually comprises only 300 bottles of whisky. Drinking it is not only a special experience, it can be a potent brew as the alcohol percentage could be well over 60 per cent compared to normal single malts with 40-43 per cent.While it was the Scots and the Irish who traditionally produced all whisky, including single malts, love for the golden liquid has seen the mushrooming of distilleries across the world in the US, Canada, South Africa, Japan and even India. The Indian single malt whisky called Amrut Peated and Fusion Single Malt, made by Amrut Distilleries, is fruitier and peat flavoured.The Japanese, known to sip sweet rice wine Sake, have managed to create a name for themselves in the industry. "It is the whole process of whisky making that is a great science, the malting, mashing, fermentation and the distilling process is unique to many distilleries," says Hiroshi Miyamoto, master distiller and general manager at Suntory Liquors. Suntory's single malts such as the Yamazaki and Hakushu are full bodied malts with leafy and citrusy aromas.The amazing complexity and variation that can be found in single malts is caused by the large number of variables that play a role in their production and maturity. Apart from ‘geography' or ‘terroir', other significant variables are the quality of barley sourced, the shape and utilisation of the stills and the quality of casks used for aging (See ‘Barrels For Aging Single Malts'). Like with all superior drinks, there's a certain etiquette involved with drinking single malts. While common perception is to have whisky on the rocks, purists actually frown upon adding ice to single malt as it not only ruins the structure of the malt on the palate, it also dilutes three-fourths of the fragrances. Ideally, single malts should be had neat. But if you have to dilute it, do it with water, just a wee bit. Soda is a strict no-no. And if you were to mix it with cola or any other sweet drink, you can be assured that the Scots will deem it a cardinal offence. The Scots actually have a proverb which goes: "There are two things a Highlander likes naked, and one of them is malt whisky!" That said, the idea is to enjoy and savour your single malt, so have your poison the way you like it. (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 18-06-2012)
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A 'rocking' start set the agenda on innovation and ‘out of the box' experience on Thursday as Dell extended its Inspiron laptop line-up with the Inspiron R and Inspiron R Special Edition series for GenY consumers. It also showcased the Inspiron Z series for young professionals which will be launched soon.The Inspiron R Special edition series is meant for families and students and offers enhanced multimedia and audio stands. The Inspiron range also offers a premium 24/7 phone support for consumers."With the launch of the 3rd Generation Intel ®Core™ processors, Intel has ushered in a new era in computing. The new chips also offer increased media and graphics performance, long battery life and more choice in stylish designs across form factors" says Sandeep Aurora, Director of Marketing, Intel South Asia.All the laptops will offer either as standard or an option, Intel's new 3rd Generation Core i processors (Ivy Bridge), Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, and will be eligible for the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade program.Inspiron 14R and 15RThe Inspiron 14R and 15R laptops cater to the daily computing needs of users featuring HD display, enhanced audio quality, an array of multimedia and connectivity options. The Inspiron 14R/15R comes for Rs 39,990+ taxes along with an Intel 3rd-generation processor with Ivy Bridge configurations, Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology and up to 1TB of storage. The $600 Inspiron 17R offers the same CPU options, plus a gigantic 17.3-inch display with a 1600 x 900 resolution.Inspiron R Special Edition LaptopsThe Inspiron 14R Special Edition is priced at Rs 51,146 + taxes, 15R Special Edition at Rs 49,990 + taxes and 17R Special Edition at Rs 63682 + taxes. This one comes with advanced audio and graphics for multimedia entertainment including Waves MaxxAudio 4 technology and Skullcandy Speakers and discrete graphics options from AMD (Inspiron 14R Special Edition) and NVidia (Inspiron 15R & 17R Special Edition). The Inspiron 15R and 17R Special Edition is also available with a super bright 200 nit display. With backlit keyboards, USB 3.0 and with Intel Rapid Start and Smart Response technology for fast boot and sleep resume times, the Inspiron R Special Edition laptops are packed with technology and features to make multimedia a real pleasure. Inspiron 14R Special Edition is priced at Rs 51,146 + taxes.Inspiron 14z: Thin & Light styleDell's first Inspiron Ultrabook, is specially designed for young professionals or students with its ultraportable design, great performance and fast response time. Dell's second Ultrabook offering, joining the successful XPS 13, blends Ultrabook technology such as Intel Rapid Start Technology for fast boot and resume and up to seven hours of battery life, with the new Inspiron design language, providing a well-built, well-specified Ultrabook with Skullcandy Speakers at an accessible price point. Starting at 1.87kg, and 21mm at its thickest point, it's light and easy to carry this laptop around in a backpack or tote.Mahesh Bhalla, Director & General Manager, Consumer of Dell India explained that the expanded Inspiron line-up is geared towards encouraging youth to adopt technology, utilize its potential and do more in their lives. "Where single device operation (smartphone) fails to go viral amongst customers, our product serves them with best features. The technology spectrum is evolving, So we emphasize completely on customer needs rather than the market needs" says Bhalla.Dell Inc. is an IT solutions company that focus on end-to-end offerings.
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