Author: Bharat Nagpal

Audi’s Urban Vehicle Concept makes way to Frankfurt (PR)
After BMW showed of their concept cars, it is Audi’s time to take center stage with the Urban Vehicle concept. The car meant for the overly crowded urban driving pleasures, was spotted by Autoblog earlier this year. Both the BMW and Audi concept will be displayed at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt.

The Urban Concept is made out of a carbon fibre shell, with a pull back door only seen in Sci-Fi movies.

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The Audi urban concept – a completely new kind of concept car
- An innovative urban concept car with 1+1 seats
- Sleek cockpit made from CFRP, free-standing wheels with protective plates
- Elaborate suspension, compact electric drive system for sporty performance
Audi is once again opening up new horizons: the Audi urban concept is a 1+1-seat, ultra-light car for congested urban spaces. The technical study does not fit under any of the conventional categories – the Audi urban concept combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept.

The Audi urban concept is not based on any previous model – its development is solely oriented on the strict principles of lightweight construction, efficiency and reduction. The result is a concept car with no unnecessary weight, and one that concentrates on the pure essence of sporty motion.

The Audi urban concept has a sleek body. The wheels are free-standing, their surrounding protective plates feature blinking strips of LED lights. The highly concentrated look of the technical study, with its forward-urging lines, is dynamic and emotional – it lends Audi’s design language a completely new impetus.
On board there is room for two people, their position slightly staggered and at a sporty, low level. All controls and materials are subject to the dictates of ultra-lightweight construction in order to ensure they convey a completely unique, sensory allure. The driver can adjust the steering wheel and pedals to his own body measurements. Entry to the car is via the tailgate. The roof is designed to be maneuverable and slides to the rear to open.

The technology in the Audi urban concept reflects the full capabilities of the brand, especially when it comes to ultra-lightweight construction. The cockpit consists of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which integrates the undercarriage of both seats. The Audi urban concept rolls on wheels with a 21-inch diameter.

Two e-tron electric motors provide the propulsion – providing the ultra-light Audi urban concept with the ability to accelerate powerfully. A lithium-ion battery supplies the energy – ideal for extended city tours.

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August 12, 2011
iG Exclusive : BlackBerry Bold 9900 Touch goes on Sale in India, limited pre Launch Stock

Like we promised the new Blackberry Bold 9900 touch has gone on sale in India. The price is also the same as we promised INR 32,500. The device can be bought from select retailers.

If you happen to be in Delhi

You can get the device at 31,500/- Limited stock is available.

The launch of the Bold 9900 Touch is set for 18th August.

We we have an exclusive unboxing and hands on coming your way in a bit.

August 11, 2011
Vizio launches budget Android Tablet (PR)
Vizio on Monday announced that its budget/ affordable 8-inch tablet will be available worldwide through its retailers by the end of this month. The device runs on Gingerbread and will sell without contract for under US$ 300.

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VIZIO set out to build an innovative tablet that breaks new ground and addresses the gaps in current offerings in the market. The VIZIO Tablet offers a superior multimedia experience with its three speaker design, home theater integration with IR, and a perfect size for typing, eBooks, gaming and portability. These innovations and our ground breaking price push the category forward and deliver on our brand promise of Entertainment Freedom for All

-VIZIO CTO, Matt McRae
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VIZIO’s New 8″ Tablet Delivers Knock Out Video, Audio and App-Based Entertainment at Sub-$300 Price Point
- VIZIO Tablet to shake up the marketplace by offering intuitive tablet experience at a price point that extends availability to the masses
- Unique three-speaker design delivers stereo audio in both landscape and portrait modes
- Control Your Entire Home Theater with the VIZIO Tablet’s built-in universal remote control app
- Built-in 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth® capabilities offer optimum connectivity with multiple devices
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV company, announced today the new VIZIO 8? Tablet with WiFi is arriving at retailers nationwide. As part of VIZIO’s continued commitment to deliver great technology at a superior value, the sleek, feature-filled, Android-powered VIZIO Tablet is now available at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Costco, Amazon, and other VIZIO retailers at a breakthrough price of $299.

The VIZIO Tablet features VIZIO Internet Apps® Plus which combines the latest technologies with a unified, easy-to-use and fun user interface across select future VIZIO HDTV’s, Blu-ray® players and other devices — further differentiating the sleek VIZIO Tablet. In addition, the new Tablet is able to control nearly every element of a user’s home theater with a universal remote app and includes a built-in HDMI port with HDCP support for content protected HD playback on the big screen.

“We are excited that VIZIO is listening, once again, to what the marketplace is asking for with a high performance sub $300 Tablet,” said Tim Farmer, Costco. ”VIZIO’s reputation is built on affordable technology and entertainment and this product is expected to generate a strong consumer response.”

By offering cutting edge technology and exceptional features at a competitive category price, the VIZIO Tablet is ideal for a wide range of users. With support for Adobe® Flash®, casual gamers, movie, TV and music enthusiasts are able to enjoy rich content and applications on the go. It also comes equipped with a unique three-speaker configuration, strategically placed for stereo sound in landscape or portrait mode.

Additionally, parents looking to entertain their children on-the-go can quickly access the Android Market™ which gives access to hundreds of thousands of apps, including educational programs, games and eBooks.**

With back-to-school season in full swing, students will also find the sleek VIZIO Tablet an ideal and fun compliment to a busy year as it makes checking email, news and social networks as simple as ever. Multiple storage options make saving assignments and downloading music a breeze with a MicroSD™ slot that allows consumers the freedom to expand memory up to 32GB for optimal organization and entertainment.

“VIZIO set out to build an innovative tablet that breaks new ground and addresses the gaps in current offerings in the market,” said Matt McRae, Chief Technology Officer, VIZIO. “The VIZIO Tablet offers a superior multimedia experience with its three speaker design, home theater integration with IR, and a perfect size for typing, eBooks, gaming and portability. These innovations and our ground breaking price push the category forward and deliver on our brand promise of Entertainment Freedom for All.”

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August 11, 2011
Reliance Launches the Reliance Tab, becomes the First Indian 3G Provider with a Tablet

Reliance Communications has introduced a tablet and bundled it with attractive monthly plans. Available across all Reliance World and Reliance Mobile showrooms in India the Tablet features a very low price of INR 12,999/-.

The 3G and WiFi-enabled Android tablet that works on RCom’s IP-based 3G network across 333 towns including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The tablet is manufactured by China based ZTE and has 512 MB RAM along with AGps, a 7 inch Screen and Android 2.3.

Reliance Communications has always been a pioneer in taking bold steps to innovate and re-invent the telecom ecosystem in the country. The launch of Reliance 3G Tab is in line with this principle,”

-Mahesh Prasad, president, Reliance Communications

The device will support Android features like push mail and will include office softwares like Docs-to-Go etc. Reliance will also give a 4GB card in the Bundle and the device can read put 32GB.

We are trying to get a hands on with the tablet for your pleasure.

August 11, 2011
Edit: Its time to Tabulate with the Galaxy Tab 750

Its one of those things that takes time to reach its prime potential. Tablets were introduced in 2010 and primarily a couple of brands ruled the market. With the iPad eating the largest slice of the market share, Android tablets started to pour in by the second half of 2010.

The Original 7 inch Galaxy tab was the first true Android tablet to be launched in India. While it filled a major void that was left in the market due to the unavailability of the iPad, people were not quite ready for a switch to tablets and the tablets weren’t quite ready for human consumption.

2011 marked the era of the Tablets, with advancements in technology that allowed for powerful devices to be manufactured at prices well within the buying power of the consumer, Tablets have taken the market by storm, bent it, made space and created a new segment of electronic goods.

The year started with many tablets, The iPad 2 being the most impressive and the most dominating, followed by low numbers of the Motorola Xoom, RIM Playbook and others. Samsung had announced plans of launching the 10 inch tablet before the announcement of the iPad 2, but later changes in design and specs caused a major delay in the actual release date of the device.

Most are calling this tablet a true iPad 2 rival, a market favorite of sorts. So, in a market like India where people are finally making space in their life for tablets, where does the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the Indian Galaxy 750 fit in?

Here is our EDIT on why the Galaxy 750 is special for us and the Indian Market.

Galaxy 750

We already handled the earlier Tab ( thicker version), but for reasons unknown the device was never released and its a good thing. The new Galaxy 750 is just 8.6mm, it is 0.2mm thinner than the iPad 2. and weighing only 565g it’s also 36g lighter than the Cupertino tablet. The device is brilliantly built from from to back and is easily held in one hand. The shape and the design of the Tablet along with a good mix of materials make it feel like a luxury.

The Galaxy 750 runs Android Honeycomb 3.1, which is the latest version of Android meant for Tablets. This brings about much more usability to the device including resizable widgets and a better application management system as shown by us in out preview of Honeycomb.

The newer Galaxy 750 also drops the 8mp rear camera for a 3mp one, which doesn’t bother us and is still far superior than the iPad 2’s unknown less than 1Mp camera.

TouchWiz

The Galaxy 750 also adds the newer version of TouchWiz on what is usually a boring interface. TouchWiz not only makes the user interface on the device more attractive to look at, but also adds a whole host of features. The inbuilt task manager, ram management, Voice functions and several multimedia enhancements make the experience a lot better.

No Chains

One of the biggest deciding factors for the device has to be the fact that, people want to use a Tablet as a replacement for a laptop or a netbook. The iPad does not fulfill that gap because of the closed structure of iOS. While ruling the mobile structure , iOS does not quite answer to the day to day requirements for a tablet user.

Basic file sharing is disabled in iOS, where as Android allows all sorts of file sharing. The device also has the ability to read from USB host devices, but itself lacks a usb port. The Galaxy 750 will require a proprietary cable and will be able to read content from USB hard drives or flash sticks. Making it a far better laptop/netbook replacement than any other Tablet in the market.

The fact that the Galaxy 750 runs Android, also means that its an easily customizable device, if you don’t like the theme or layout, you can change it. Widgets make it easy to stay up to date on all sorts of information, from stocks to weather, from social networking to emails, new releases and quick actions. The widget- laden interface is a lot of fun to interact with and is also one of the primary reasons we like Android.

Companion

The Galaxy 750 can also be the perfect travel companion, not only for business, but also for fun. Download the Kindle App or read a book from the Samsung bookshelf, watch movies on the stunning 1280x800px display which is exceptionally bright. The Galaxy 750 also has a 4 way motion sensor, a Gyroscope, which would make the gaming experience better than any other tablet in the market, including the iPad 2. Samsung also uses this technology for panoramas in the camera and for navigating through the UI like in the case of the Galaxy S2.

If you didn’t consider buying a tablet prior to this, the time is now. Samsung have brought Tablets, especially Android Tablets, to a place where no one has been able achieve before. A portable media centre which begs attention, a device powerful enough to replace a netbook or even a laptop. Enterprise emails and Office Apps are already on the device along with a 16GB storage (expandable). The device also features a dual core 1 GHZ NVidia Tegra 2 processor with 1 GB of Ram dedicated to the Tablet.

The Future of tablets is here and its Time to Tabulate with the Galaxy 750.

Until something better shows up anyway!

We can’t express how excited we are to unbox and review this device for you guys! If you have some special requests please leave them in the comments below.

[polldaddy poll=5388771]

Full Specs for the Galaxy 750

Image Gallery

August 11, 2011
Toyota Launches the new Innova Crysta in India : 13 Lac Ex showroom

Toyota Kirloskar Motors India hasannounced the introduction of the all new Innova Crysta (Limited Edition). With a basic list of feature upgrades before the expected total facelift next year.

According to Toyota, the new added luxury features in the limited editions are smoked alloy wheels, body graphics, dual tone leather seat cover, rear roof spoiler, dark wood panel, muffler cutter and floor Mats .

The Innova has been our flagship brand in India and has been a market leader since launch. We launched the Innova in 2005, a vehicle way ahead of its time in the Indian Auto Industry. An MUV that came in with a sedan like feel, the Innova redefined the segment by attracting customers from the MUV segment and also the passenger car segment. The Innova has set new benchmarks in terms of space, packaging, engine and highway driving. Since then the Innova sales haven’t slowed down and the Innova continues to be a favourite – family car of choice – in its segment. The new limited edition Innova Crysta is aimed at offering exclusive ownership experience by offering enhanced luxury features. 1000 exclusive units of the new limited edition Innova Crysta will be on sale till Oct 2011. We look forward to bringing a limited edition of the widely appreciated Innova to our customers, which will offer exclusive ownership experience. The new Innova Crysta will be attractively priced at Rs 13,12,570 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and will be available at all Toyota dealerships from today.”

-Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), TKM

August 10, 2011
Samsung Launches the Galaxy 750 / 730 in India ( Tab 10.1 / 8.9 )

Samsung has today launched the new Galaxy Tabs for the Indian Market. The Galaxy 750 and 730 are renamed Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Tab 8.9 . Indians can get the Tab 730 at INR 33,990 and Galaxy Tab 750 at INR 36,200 for 16GB 3G+WiFi version.

Samsung has also tied up with Vodafone to offer 3G data.

2GB/month for six months at Rs 3,000 for GALAXY Tab 750/730 owners.

The company also said that the Tablets will be available at the end of the Month, But we already Know that the Tablets are coming August 18th.

August 10, 2011
Apple blocks sale of the Galaxy Tab in EU : Case in Germany

Apple has won a preliminary injunction to stop the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the whole of the European Union except for the Netherlands. A new ruling by a regional court in Dusseldorf, Germany has granted Cupertino a preliminary injunction, blocking the sale and advertising of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple has a similar ongoing lawsuit in the Netherlands. Should Samsung continue to sell the tablet, the company could face fines of up to $350,000 for each violation. Apple also won the injection in Australia blocking the sale of the said tablet.

Samsung plans to appeal the injunctions, but the likely appeal will take about a month to be heard by the judge who granted the injunction.

August 10, 2011

AMD Launches Radeon-branded RAM for Gamers delight

AMD has revealed plans of selling Radeon branded Ram, aimed at the gaming community. The Ram will be available in three types, the entry-level “Entertainment” sticks (clocked at 1333MHz), followed by speedier “Ultra Pro Gaming” (1600MHz) and an “Enterprise” RAM of an unknown speed.

AMD claims that the DDR3 module is tested to the highest industry standards. The price of a 2GB stick is about US$ 20 or INR 850/-.

Although there is no news of India sales.

Segments	Entertainment	ULTRAPRO Gaming	Enterprise
Density	2GB
Organization	256M words x 64 bits, 1 rank
Package	240-pin socket type dual in line memory module (DIMM)
PCB height:	30.0mm
Lead-free	(RoHS compliant) and Halogen-free
Power supply:	VDD = 1.5V ± 0.075V
Data rate MT/s	1333Mbps	1600Mbps	TBD
Timing (CL-tRCD-tRP)	9-9-9	11-11-11	TBD

[AMD]

August 10, 2011

Amazon buys out Kindle related domains, Kindle Air coming?

Amazon has bought several domains related to the Kindle, including KindleAir.com, Kindlesocialnetwork.com and Kindlesocianetworking.com. The Kindle Air could be the next version of the Amazon kindle, possibly the one with a color E-ink display.

The name is pretty evident of the fact that the company is going the Apple way, and may announce a Thinner and Lighter Kindle possibly unibody construction.

August 10, 2011
Bluelounge MiniDock for iOS Devices sits up on the Charging Adapter (PR)

Now here is an innovation that speaks volumes. The BlueLounge MiniDock makes use of your existing Apple USB power adapter for a cordless, charging and display dock. the company calls it a dock for the “customers who are passionate about their iPhones”. Either way the simplistic design makes us want to own it. Unfortunately its only available in the US, UK and EU, the good news is that its only US $ 20.

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Bluelounge Launches MiniDock Home and Travel iPhone/iPod Wall Charger and Display-Docking Station

Cord-free and compact, MiniDock simplifies travel and household charging needs.

Pasadena, CA (PRWEB) August 08, 2011

Bluelounge, the award-winning international design studio known for sleek, functional, design-forward cable management and home/office organization products, today announced the market-wide availability of MiniDock, a cord-free wall charger and display-docking station made for Apple iPhone and iPod devices that uses the existing Apple USB Power Adapter. MiniDock represents the latest in a series of sleek, innovative cord management products from Bluelounge, all designed specifically for Apple iPhones and essential for travel and household charging needs.

MiniDock allows consumers to charge and display their iPhone in an upright position in any electrical outlet without disorganized cords. Intended for use with existing Apple USB Power Adapter, iPhone or iPod can now plug directly into an electrical outlet. Ideal while traveling or in any home or office environment, MiniDock is lightweight, cord-free, and allows users to simplify and de-clutter the charging areas normally occupied with the unsightly and wayward cords. Users no longer need to deal with untidy cords while packing or when charging their device. With MiniDock, the user can charge their Apple devices upright, directly into their Apple USB Power Adapter, conveniently and seamlessly anywhere where an electric outlet is available.

“Our customers are passionate about their iPhones and their accessories,” said Dominic Symons, Bluelounge Principal and Creative Director. “People are proud of their devices so they treat them with care and worry about their phones getting damaged when in use or while traveling. MiniDock meets the public’s desire perfectly, with a sleek and innovative charging station that doubles as a display stand, so proud iPhone owners can use their hardware efficiently while they charge it. Our unique design keeps their phones safe, off the floor and out of harm’s way-all at the same time.”[/toggle]

August 10, 2011
Nokia will stop selling Symbian devices in North America!

Chris Weber, President of Nokia’s US operations has wait that Nokia will cease Symbian products post the launch of Windows Phone devices in the North American operations.

When we launch Windows Phones we will essentially be out of the Symbian business, the S40 business, etc.”

-Chris Weber, President of Nokia US

This may also be due to huge losses by Nokia with their previous handsets in the market. The overall share of Nokia devices is at a all time low, especially in the smart phone segment. This also means that Symbian devices may go obsolete in the Near future in India as well.

[All Things D]

August 10, 2011

Huawei Ideos X5 Unboxing and Review

The Huawei Ideos X5 turned out to be a shocker, with the surprisingly bright and vivid display the device is a good option in the price range, lets see why.

Build Quality

The X5 has a brilliant shape, almost a square chunk rounded on the top and on the bottom. the device has excellent rubberized plastics throughout the back and the side making it extremely robust and comfortable to hold in the hand.

Specifications

Availability	Announced on	December 2010
	Release date	April 2011
Battery	Capacity	1500 mAh
	Standby Time	300 hours
	Talk Time	6 hours
	Type	Lithium Polymer
CPU	Speed	800MHz
	Type	Qualcomm MSM 7230
Camera	Main	5mp (2592×1944)
	Video	720p
Casing	Colors	Black
	Colors	White
Connectivity & Data	Bluetooth	v2.1 A2DP
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
	GPS
	HSCSD	HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
	USB	microUSB v2.0
	Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Display	Colors	16.8 million
	Resolution	480×800 pixels
	Size	3.8 inches
	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen
General	2G Network	GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900, 2100
	Alias	U8800
	Form Factor	Slate
	Price Range
Memory	Call record	Unlimited
	Card Slot	microSD, up to 32GB
	Internal	2 OR 4 GB
	Phonebook	Unlimited entries
Operating System	Type	Android
	Version	2.2
Other Features	Misc Features	Accelerometer, Compass
	Web Browser	HTML
Size and Weight	Width	62.0 mm (2.42 inches)
	Height	120.0 mm (4.68 inches)
	Depth	11.6 mm (0.45 inches)
	Weight	130 grams (4.6 ounces)

Multimedia & Camera

The display on the device is simply stunning, a 3.8 inch screen with a good 480x800px display makes it a very vibrant and eye catching device. Videos play beautifully on the device and almost all types of formats are supported by the device. Audio is loud and clear from the earpiece and speaker phone with deep bass and subtle highs. The phone covers all grounds when it comes to multimedia.

The Camera on the device is a beautiful 5mp camera which does HD video at 720p. The video fared great in comparison with other devices. The pictures from the device are crisp and clear, the camera focuses quick and get get good exposure shots , when ample lighting is available. You simply cannot ask for a better functioning camera from the device. However, we did notice that 3rd party apps improved camera output.

Root and Custom Rom

The easiest device to root, the Ideos X5 was easily rooted and upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread using Cyanogen Mod 7. The device becomes snappier and much more appealing to the user. Heck you can even get the old CRT TV turn off animation when you lock the device. The benchmark scores improve by about 300 points and the overall stability of the device increases.

Phone, Messaging and Battery

The device features a brilliant antenna, we got good network strength even in places where there is usually low network, we faced no dropped calls and overall performance of the device is great. The screen is also great for messaging and features SWYPE keyboard as a standard, therefore making it an excellent keyboard.

The battery life of the device was also more than expected. The device gave us 5-6 hours of talk time on 2g and about 48 hours of standby. 3-4 hours of talk time on 3G networks.

Conclusion

There are not many devices that require such short reviews to become recommended devices, Ideos X5 is one of them. We highly recommend this device, sheer good quality materials and excellent specs, brilliant screen, the ability of root, and Cyanogen mod 7, what else could one want?. This device is sheer brilliance , but it just comes down to the poor service and support for Huawei in India. Making this device a highly questionable one for those looking for long term investments.

Price :INR 12,500/- ( USD 300)

[xrr rating=4.25/5 label=”We Rate it: ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]

Unboxing and Review Video

Video Sample

August 10, 2011

Samsung Galaxy Tab Launching Tomorrow 10 Aug – Live Webcast

Samsung is launching the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 Tomorrow in India , shimpents will Start arriving 18th August. The date as reported Earlier by iGyaan was 25 Aug, but looks like the company is in a hurry to push the Tablet out to the consumers.

LIVE WEBCAST

We also had a chance to get our hands on with the earlier 10.1 inch model (thick), check out the video below.

Full Spec Sheet

[Samsung Facebook]

August 9, 2011
Apple Faces Patent Infringement, For LG owned Fast Boot up process

A company called Operating Systems Solutions (OSS) is suing Apple for OS X’s fast booting operation.Apple’s function, seen the the Macbook Air launched this year, violates at least one protected claim, which details a four-step method for speedy booting, and involves files like config.sys and autoexec.bat.

The patent was originally granted to LG Electronics, back in 2002, but is now currently owned by Operating Systems Solutions (OSS).

[Patently Apple]

August 9, 2011

Author: Bharat Nagpal

Here is our EDIT on why the Galaxy 750 is special for us and the Indian Market.

Galaxy 750

TouchWiz

No Chains

Companion

Image Gallery

Segments

Entertainment

ULTRAPRO Gaming

Enterprise

Density

Organization

Package

PCB height:

Lead-free

Power supply:

Data rate MT/s

Timing (CL-tRCD-tRP)

Build Quality

Specifications

Multimedia & Camera

Root and Custom Rom

Phone, Messaging and Battery

Conclusion

Unboxing and Review Video

Video Sample

LIVE WEBCAST

Full Spec Sheet