Author: Shivaank Rana

Apple Store Is Down Worldwide, New Products In Line?

The worldwide Apple store is down, and it has been down for the past 3 hours, giving rise to speculations that new/refreshed products will soon be announced.

Apple, from time to time, takes down its websites for maintenance and user interface upgrades so it could all just be a false alarm. However, if Apple were to announce a new device right now, it would most probably be a new line of Macbook Pros. Other than that, it could officially release the Mac Pro, the device they said would be announced later this year.

The new Mac Pro will be at least doubly powerful on every count than its predecessors. Its flash storage will be 10 times faster than any hard drive Apple has installed in its Mac Pros yet. The flash storage will offer 1.26 Gbps for reading and 1 Gpbs for writing. It will run on Intel Xeon chips, with up to 12-core configurations possible.

Among the changes to the casing, the new Mac Pro will be able to rotate using a handle on top. Motion sensors will detect when it is being rotated and the computer will light up the input panel for greater visibility.

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see whether it’s a false alarm.

July 12, 2013
Apple Investigating Illegally Mined Tin Claims

There are currently concerns over an illegal mining operation of tin in Indonesia, and Apple has updated its “Supplier Responsibility” page to note that it is investigating the issue along with the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC). Below is the new section from Apple’s page describing its action in Indonesia.

Bangka Island, Indonesia, is one of the world’s principal tin-producing regions. Recent concerns about the illegal mining of tin from this region prompted Apple to lead a fact-finding visit to learn more. Using the information we’ve gathered, Apple initiated an EICC working group focused on this issue, and we are helping to fund a new study on mining in the region so we can better understand the situation.

Among Apple’s suppliers, 249 use tin in the components they provide to the company, and 64 EICC-certified tin smelters have been identified. Apple is also tracking sourcing of tungsten, tantalum and gold.

In recent years, Apple has stepped up its examinations of suppliers, issuing yearly Supplier Responsibility Reports and in 2013 fired one of its Chinese suppliers for child labor violations.

Friends of the Earth has been calling for Apple to come clean on whether or not it uses tin from the Bangka area for a long time, amassing over 24,000 signatures on its campaign. The activists say that the tin has been “linked to the destruction of tropical forests, coral reefs and fishermen’s livelihoods.”

July 12, 2013
Nokia Lumia 920, 925 and 928 To Get Pro Camera Software

One of the big features in the Nokia Lumia 1020 is the Pro Camera software, which will offer users a lot more control over the imaging settings for the 41 megapixel smartphone. As it turns out, owners of three current Lumia devices will get the benefits of the Pro Camera features as well.

In a post on Nokia’s blog, the company confirms that it will add the Pro Camera features as a software update for the Lumia 920, 925 and 928 smartphones.

This app will be available for 1020 from its launch Lumia and will be coming to all PureView Lumia smartphones (Lumia 920, 925 and 928) but require the software update to Amber.

As WMPowerhouse reports, you can set everything to automatic or take control of settings such as ISO, Exposure Compensation, White Balance, Shutter Speed, and even manually focus the camera. Each setting is controlled by a series of easy-access, on-screen dials making it really convenient to adjust your camera’s settings.

One really cool feature coming to Pro Camera is the ability to preview how the setting changes will effect your photo. The live view will adjust accordingly as you fine tune your camera settings. It’s a feature many stand alone digital cameras have and will go a long way in helping everyone take better pictures.

The Pro Camera software will also have a tutorial built in to help users capture more professional looking images.

July 12, 2013
Leaked : First Image Of The Blackberry A10

Back in March Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry’s CEO, stated that “There’s one new product I’m really excited about, but I can’t really share it… It takes BlackBerry 10 to another level in terms of the user experience.” It’s rumoured that this new product will be their new BlackBerry 10 device called the Blackberry A10, currently given the codename of Aristo.

This new flagship smartphone is expected to launch sometime in November and the first image has leaked online. According to BGR, the A10 will sport a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, and a dual-core processor. As for the design, when compared the Z10, the corners seem to be more rounded at the top, but have a similar look at the base. While there’s no picture of the back, the report indicates that the device will be textured like the BlackBerry Q10. In addition, the Blackberry A10 is currently running BlackBerry 10.2.0.552.

These specs are completely different than what has been rumoured in previous leaks: 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display (1080×1920 resolution), 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 3000mAh battery, and 2GB RAM.

The back of the device is reported as featuring “something similar” to what is found on the current BlackBerry Q10 device, and overall it is more rounded in nature than the company’s other phones. Also leaked yesterday was the BlackBerry 9720, which is a reboot of the Q10 in the same way the Blackberry A10 is a reboot of the Z10 handset.

So for now we’ll have to wait and see what BlackBerry comes out with.

[Via]

July 12, 2013
Nokia Lumia 1020 Announced

Nokia, the company which applied for its first imaging patent in 1994, has today launched the most advanced camera phone in the market right now, the Nokia Lumia 1020.

Even though it was revealed in entirety a few hours ago, the launch finally makes it official.

Running Windows Phone 8 ‘Amber’, there are a number of new software features that we’ll get to in a moment. First, the hardware: The Nokia Lumia 1020 has a 4.5-inch, 1280×768 pixel LCD display with PureMotion HD+ and Super Touch Sensitivity. It is powered by a 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (not expandable).

The star of the show is a 41MP BSI camera sensor with Xenon Flash, LED auto-assist flash, Carl Zeiss lens, f/2.2 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization At the front there is a 1.2MP front-facing camera and a 2000mAh battery inside the Nokia Lumia 1020.

The Nokia Liumia 1020 has dimensions that read 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 mm and it weighs 158 grams.

Of course, the main draw here is the massive 41MP camera on the back that manages to take ultra-sharp 5MP shots using a technique called oversampling — combining seven pixels into one super-accurate pixel — as well as relatively lossless digital zoom photos. According to Nokia’s CEO, Stephen Elop, these are “the most sensitive pixels in the industry.” Photos can also be captured at 34MP in wide-angle and 38MP in 4:3 aspect ratio.

Nokia has included six Zeiss lenses in wide-angle, which ensures maximum sharpness throughout the picture-taking process. There is a second-generation optical image stabilization system inside, based on ball bearings, to ensure excellent low-light stability.

There is a new camera app called Nokia Pro Camera, which allows users to change granular capture controls, including ISO, white balance, shutter speed and exposure. The viewfinder will show the final result of the image, and capture is instantaneous.

Pro Camera captures 1080p video, which takes advantage of the aforementioned optical image stabilization, and the phone boasts excellent audio capture along with the superlative photo and video experience.

Inside the box of the Nokia Lumia 1020 you will get the device itself, a Nokia Charging and Data Cable (CA-190CD), Nokia Wrist Strap Black, SIM Door Key. Accessories available for purchase include a camera grip and a wireless charging back panel.

The company also confirmed Path and Flipboard will be coming to Windows Phone, in addition to the previously-announced Hipstamatic app that will allow for Instagram sharing. Pricing and availability have not been announced yet.

[Via]

July 11, 2013
Nokia Lumia 1020 Complete Specs, Images And Screenshots Leaked Before Launch

Nokia would be better off cancelling their Nokia Lumia 1020 launch event and saving themselves some money, as the complete set of specifications of the device have been leaked online.

Like its predecessors, the Nokia Lumia 1020 will carry a 4.5-inch 1280 x 768p AMOLED 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 PureMotion HD+ touchscreen with ClearBlack, sunlight readability and super sensitive touch technologies. On the inside, a dual core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor will power it up and not the 800 chip as previously speculated.

Apart from these, the Nokia Lumia 1020 will be deployed with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 2000mAh battery. Coming to the main highlight, the device will employ a 41MP camera with OIS, a BSI sensor, 6 lens optics, 3x zoom, AF and 1080p recording at 30fps. There’s also a a 1.2MP HD front cam.

Also, in a series of photos obtained by The Verge, we now have a better look at the device when paired with its camera shell accessory, which you can see pictured at the top. The camera shell accessory is said to be a case of sorts for the back portion of the phone. When attached, it will not only provide the phone with additional battery life, but will make the lens on the back of the phone protrude less, while at the same time providing the phone with a bigger grip which we expect will be more comfortable to snap photos with compared to holding a thin phone.

Nokia is planning to give Nokia Lumia 1020 users the ability to fine-tune the controls of the 41-megapixel shooter through a new Pro Camera app that’ll include controls for things like white balance, ISO and shutter speed. Screenshots of the Pro Camera app, which includes the option to take two differently-sized photos at once, have been shared by @ViziLeaks and can be found below.

Someone working AT&T’s YouTube channel apparently couldn’t wait to share the news of the Lumia 1020, as the official ShareATT account has just posted a trio of brief promo videos highlighting the zoom, low-light and video performance of the device.

This is the Lumia handset Nokia has been wanting to build since day one. It’s the 808 in a classier chassis with better spec and a more robust OS. No doubt more details about the handset’s nuances will become clear at the New York launch event.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 event will start in approx. 2 hours.

[Via, Via]

July 11, 2013
Top 5 Alternatives To The Micromax Canvas 4

Micromax announced their latest flagship device this week, the Micromax Canvas 4. While they talked about how they received an enormous amount of pre-bookings, we can’t help but feel that most of the pre-bookers would’ve changed their minds after the launch itself.

The Micromax Canvas 4 only boasts of a camera update and a few software tricks over the previous flagship device, the Canvas A116 HD.

Below, we mention 5 devices (in no particular ranking) as alternatives to the Canvas 4, which cost about the same or less than the Micromax.

1. Micromax Canvas A116 HD

We’ll start with one from Micromax’s stable itself. The Canvas HD has the same 5-inch 720p display, the same quad-core MediaTek processor and Dual SIM capability. The only drawback? It has a 8MP rear camera as opposed to the Canvas 4’s 13, and a 2MP front as compared to the Canvas 4’s 5. And the Canvas HD is about Rs. 4500 cheaper than the Micromax Canvas 4.

So if you can live with the lower resolution camera, then you would be better off choosing the Canvas A116.

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2. Xolo Q1000

Xolo recently stepped up their device portfolio in India with multiple launches and aggressive marketing. One device that stood out was the Xolo Q1000.

Xolo Q1000 is powered by a 1.2GHz quad core processor. It features a 5-inch IPS display that has a resolution of 720×1280 pixels with a pixel density of 295ppi. The screen is made of scratch resistant Dragon Trail glass. The dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) phone runs on the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

It has 1GB of RAM and PowerVR SGX544 graphics processor. The phone sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and BSI sensor and a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera.

The Xolo Q1000 offers 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The phone features 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity options. It has a 2,100mAh battery.

Price – Rs. 14990

You can watch our review below :

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3. Lava Iris 504Q

The Lava Iris 504Q has a 5 inch 1280 x 720p screen, 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 (same as that on the Canvas 4) processor, a mix of 8 MP and 2 MP cameras, 1 Gig of RAM and a 4 GB storage. Lava has added various software tweaks to appeal to the market like gestures for the image gallery and clicking pictures. It is essentially a Dual-SIM GSM + CDMA smartphone.

You also get a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G, and 2000 mAh battery.

We were really impressed by this device in our review and feel that it is a really capable alternative to the Canvas 4.

Price : Rs. 13,499

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4. Sony Xperia L

One from the big brand now. The Xperia L is undoubtedly better than the rest as far as the software aspect is concerned. On the specs front the Sony Xperia L sports a 4.3-inch display with 480×854 pixel resolution and is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 dual-core processor. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system and packs 1GB RAM along with 8GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.

Cost : Rs. 16,399

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5. iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1

We left the best one for last.

The Auxus Nuclea N1 will have a Full HD 1080p 1920 x 1080 resolution One-Glass Solution display with Active Matrix technology. It will come equipped with a MediaTek MT6589T Quad core Turbo 1.5GHz processor and a PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU clocked at 357MHz for the graphics. The Auxus Nuclea N1 will also come with other features such as Gesture control, Voice Unlock, Magnetic sensors etc. It is a dual Sim phone 3G +2G smartphone.

The Auxus Nuclea N1 will come with a 13MP rear facing camera with a BSI sensor and AutoFocus,along with an impressive 8MP front facing camera and will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. A Li-ion battery measuring 2800mAh will be used in this smartphone.

The internal memory and RAM have not been specified yet. The Auxus Nuclea N1 will go on a 10-day-pre-booking starting from 13 Jul 2013 at a price of Rs.15990 while the regular order price is set at Rs.18000 (same as the Micromax Canvas 4).

Micromax Canvas 4

Related Products

Were you happy with the specifications of the Canvas 4? Have we missed out on any good alternatives? Let us know below!

July 11, 2013
Gionee Elife E6 Announced With 5″ 1080p Display, Quad-Core Processor

Gionee today announced the flagship Smartphone of its ELIFE series, the Gionee ELIFE E6.

Gionee Elife E6 is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 CPU and a PowerVR SGX544MP GPU. It has a 5.0-inch AMOLED display with full HD screen resolution. The screen has a 441 ppi and employs OGS technology.

The Gionee Elife E6 will come with a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Its 5MP front-facing camera comes with 12 levels of auto beauty effects, object tracing focus, instant facial beauty support and more.

“With its intuitive and user interface, we have developed the ELIFE E6 with the customers’ interest at heart. Supplying what is truly important to them in terms of quality, performance and affordability – all in a stylish and sophisticated design.” said William Lu, Vice President of Gionee Communication.

The Gionee Elife E6 is powered by a non-removable (as it has a unibody construction device) 2020 mAH battery. It has 32 GB internal memory along with 2 GB of RAM. It sports a really slim profile with dimensions of 144 x 69 x7.7mm. It runs on Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.

The Gionee Elife E6 also comes with a bunch of gesture support features, the details of which can be found in the press release below.

The Gionee Elife E6 would be available in India, Nigeria, and Vietnam after August 2013, but pricing has not been announced yet.
[toggle title=”Press Release”]Gionee Launch ELIFE E6 smartphone – Simply Smart For all, the world’s first White OGS phone
Let users enjoy easy life to the fullest by providing a rich experience without the fear of complicated technology.

Beijing, China – July 10, 2013: GIONEE, a global leader in mobile manufacturing and design, today announced the flagship Smartphone of its ELIFE series, the ELIFE E6. Following in the footsteps of the ELIFE series models, ELIFE E6 is designed specifically to bring stronger performances and increased user friendliness to exceed the needs of its users across the globe.

As the world’s first White OGS phone, its 2.54mm narrow edge and 6.18mm thin miniature size allows it to slide comfortably into your pockets. Powered with a 1.5GHz quad-core processor combined with a 5.0” FULL HD 1080P Retina Display, ELIFE E6 is designed to enhance the life styles of mobile phone users across the world, regardless of whether you are a multitasking working class or graphic-intense gamer. Containing a Memory of 31 GB + 2GB, a non-removable 2020mAh Battery and weighing only 128g, it is the balance of performance and convenience.

ELIFE E6 boasts an industry-leading 13MP rear-end camera, 5MP front-facing camera, and modified Android ROM software, allowing users to quickly and easily capture high quality images and videos.

“With its intuitive and user interface, we have developed the ELIFE E6 with the customers’ interest at heart. Supplying what is truly important to them in terms of quality, performance and affordability – all in a stylish and sophisticated design.” said William Lu, Vice President of Gionee Communication.

A slim phone with a mass array of features and functions, Gionee’s ELIFE E6 has increased the standards of smart phones for the middle class at a highly competitive price range.

Unibody Design
ELIFE E6’s innovative design features an unibody exterior in Pearl White and Stunning Black. Its sleek and clean surface brings out the elegance behind its revolutionary design concept. Manufactured by a combination of Computerized Numerical Control Technology and Hand-polished craftsmen, ELIFE E6 brings you the precision of a machine and the delicacy of Hand Craftsmanship.

The Best Display Technology across the Globe
Powered with a full HD Reality Display Resolution?441PPI high pixel density and super bright AMOLED, ELIFE E6 automatically reduces 80% of sunlight reflection and increases the brightness of images by 20%, bringing you crispier and clearer razor sharp images. Full Lamination Technology allows 20% reduction in overall thickness and Light Transmittance increased by 10%

Capturing Pictures Have Never Been Easier
ELIFE E6’s innovative camera technology redefines how photos are meant to be captured. Forget about dragging a camera around for high quality photos and videos. With the goal to make life better through technology, ELIFE E6’s camera sports the second generation of Backside Illumination Technology, antireflection coatings, anti-fingerprint film and finishes off with 5 layers of blue glasses, giving it its powerful 13MP rear-end camera for ease of picture taking and 1080P full HD video recording. Its 5MP front-facing camera comes with 12 levels of auto beauty effects, object tracing focus, instant facial beauty support and more; providing its user with Photoshop-polished photos with just a smile.

Making Your Life Easier
Realizing the frustration that comes with capturing the moments in life, ELIFE E6 features numerous options to make the photographer’s life easier.
l Hands Free

It’s perfectly hand-polished sides enable ELIFE E6 to stand up by itself to take group shots. Never again will someone be left out of group shot or risk a stranger running off with your photo.

l Smile & V Gesture

Enabling the camera to automatically snap a picture when it senses a smile or a v-gesture, liberating the user’s hands

l Picture Clear

Enabling the user to eliminate any passing motion objects for a full shot at the scenery

l Best Shot

Enabling the camera to take multiple shots at once and allowing the user to pick the best faces and combine them into one picture.
l HDR Shooting

Allowing the user to view details of every picture even in the darkest conditions

l Micro Shooting

Micro shooting brings the user closer to the details of everyday life

l Panorama Mode Shooting

180 degrees

l Night Mode Shooting

Capture the beauty of night lights and the excitement of night life

Angelic Audio Enjoyment
ELIFE E6’s DTS 3D stereo surround sound provides users with movie theater quality music, allowing users to listen to the music as it should sound from the artists’ point of view.
l Integrated Sound Camber Box

l Sound From The Sides

l Dual Mic Noise-cancelling Technology

l Stereo Recording

THE POWER – Heartbeat Synchronizing Technology
The Most Intelligent Power Control System = Heartbeat Synchronizing Technology

ELIFE E6’s HST enables the system to synchronously wake up applications every ten minutes, thus reducing the number of applications wake ups and drastically increases power consumption. In addition, the system automatically sets a white list ensuring essential applications to be waken up at any time.

User-friendly Interaction
Stay goodbye to touch screens. Welcome to the world of Motion Sensing Technology in the palm of your own hands.
l Motion Sensing

– Enabling users to answer phones by directly raising it up to their ears

– Enabling users to answer calls by sweeping a hand over the screen

– Enabling users to call by simply raising the phone to the ear via a text message

– Alarm Clock will automatically enter snooze mode once the phone is flipped over

l Gesture Control

– Enabling users to flip between pictures by a sweeping motion

– Video automatically play/pause when movement of the head is detected

– Adjusting volume control through upward/downward sweeping motion

The GIONEE ELIFE E6 is available in black, white with matching color cases. ELIFE E6 will be available in China from Mid July 2013 with suggested retail price at CNY2699 and will be available in India, Nigeria, and Vietnam after August 2013.
–

ELIFE E6 full Specifications

5.0” FHD
Quad- core 1.5GHz CPU
Cortex-A7 Main CPU
Single SIM
13.0MP AF+5.0MP FHD
Android 4.2
Memory: 32GB+2GB
Ultra slim 144 x 69 x7.7mm
G-850/900/1800/1900MHZ ;( WCDMA900/2100MHz)
3.5mmearphone jack
WIFI/GPS/BT4.0/FM/G-sensor
Non-removable 2020mAh Battery

About Gionee
Established in 2002, Gionee Communication Equipment Co. Ltd is a hi-tech company engaging in mobile device designing, R&D, manufacturing, sales in international markets, and mobile internet application services. Today, Gionee sells over 23 million handsets per year in China mainland alone. With innovation at the core of its R&D, in November 2011, Gionee ranked in as the No.3 brand in the 2G market and in August 2012, Gionee ranked in as the No. 2 in the GSM market. Gionee adheres to the motto “integrity, teamwork, innovation”.[/toggle]

July 11, 2013
Panasonic Launches Three New Mirrorless Cameras

Panasonic recently added three new cameras to its Mirrorless series- the GX1, G5 and GH3. The price range of the cameras ranges from Rs. 22,000 to Rs. 99,990 (body only).

Panasonic GH3

The camera offers smooth high-definition progressive scanning, a host of recording formats, and a heat-dispersing design for extended shooting.

At the heart of the DMC-GH3 lies a re-engineered 16.05-megapixel Live MOS Sensor. To maximize the resolution of the newly developed Live MOS Sensor, the image sensing block is designed as an integrated unit. The new filter optimizes the conventionally conflicting effects of increasing resolution while suppressing moire. The camera also features the new Venus Engine which has an unprecedented ability to process both still and video signals with razor-sharp clarity.

A rugged magnesium alloy body with a splash proof, dustproof design makes the DMC-GH3 tough enough for active outdoor use. . In the DMC-GH3’s Contrast AF system, the image sensor doubles as the AF sensor to resist any mechanical margin of error.

The DMC-GH3 uses a variety of advanced recording media, including the SDXC, SDHC, and SD Memory Cards. It lets you transfer your valuable shooting data at lightning fast speeds. The camera also has a built-in Wi-Fi® (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) function. By installing LUMIX LINK 2.1 or newer, a dedicated application compatible with iOS and Android for smartphones and tablets, you can enjoy a new shooting style using Wi-Fi.

Price: Rs. 99,990 Body, Rs 154990 with 14140 lens.

Panasonic GX1

The Panasonic GX1 comes equipped with a 16.0-megapixel Live MOS Sensor. With the dedicated circuit, which reads out signals with minimum noise, the level of noise is significantly suppressed by more than 66%.

The DMC-GX1 features approx. 0.09 second of ultra-high speed Light Speed AF which is achieved by reducing the detection time for focusing by the synchronization of the lens and the sensor at 120 fps.

An electric zoom lever on the left side of the lens barrel makes it smoother to zoom when concentrating on the shutter operation with the right hand.

Price: Rs.34,990 with 1442 mm lens.

Panasonic G5

Panasonic has formally unveiled the LUMIX DMC-G5, a mid-level mirrorless interchangable lens camera. The G5 is built around a 16MP LiveMOS sensor that the company implies hasn’t been used in a G-series camera before. This, combined with the company’s latest ‘Venus Engine’ allows the capture of 1080p video at 60 frames per second. It also gains an additional control lever, higher-resolution 920,000 dot rear LCD and regains the eye-sensor to automatically switch between LCD and electronic viewfinder.

The Panasonic DMC-G5 features two types of noise reduction: Multiprocess Noise Reduction, which optimizes the noise reduction in the bright parts of the image for both single* and burst shooting, and 3D Noise Reduction, which applies optimal noise reduction by differentiating the edges and the smooth parts of the image in single shots.

It features the world’s fastest level of auto focusing, called Light Speed AF, which is achieved by reducing the detection time for focusing by doubling the drive speed from 60 to 120 frames per second.* The DMC-G5’s high-speed, high-precision AF functions operate even while shooting videos. The DMC-G5 records high-resolution Full-HD 1,920 x 1,080 60p (NTSC)/50p (PAL) videos with 28 Mbps videos in AVCHD Progressive (MPEG-4/H.264) format.

Price: Rs. 37,990 with 1442 mm, Rs. 43,990 with 1442 and 45150 mm lens.

July 11, 2013
Grand Theft Auto V : Everything You Need To Know
Grand Theft Auto fans breathed a collective sigh of relief when Rockstar Games finally unveiled the release date for 2013’s most anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto V. And even though we have to wait until September 17th to get our hands on a copy, the fact that Rockstar is giving themselves so much time to work on the title should make us all a little more giddy.

So here we present to you everything you need to know about Grand Theft Auto V.

Characters

In a bold departure for the series, GTA V will split its narrative evenly between three very different protagonists.
- Micheal : Rockstar is looking to retired former criminal Michael, Grand Theft Auto V’s lead protagonist, to explore the narrative of a man at his breaking point with everything and nothing to lose. In his early forties, he’s older than your average GTA star, and better off too, living in luxury with his family in well-to-do Rockford Hills, Los Santos’ equivalent to Beverly Hills.
- Trevor : Whereas Michael is established and living the high life Trevor is stuck in a trailer park. He’s unhinged and untrusting. Trevor has a more reckless and impulsive personality than that of Michael’s, and this we’ve already seen that his headstrong ways are the source of much conflict between the main characters.
- Franklin : Franklin lives in South Los Santos and is the most traditional protagonist of Grand Theft Auto V’s trio, ex-street gangster who’s always looking for new opportunities. Rockstar’s Dan Houser describes him as a “gang-banger in the post gang-banging world”. Aware that he’s on a fast-track to nowhere, Franklin associates himself with Michael and Trevor in the hope that they can teach him about the world of ‘real’ crime.
Map / Landscape

It will be split into two major areas – Los Santos (the city) and Blaine County (the countryside). None of the world will be sealed off at the start of the game. You can explore it all straight away.

The underwater areas look dense and busy. The ocean bed is littered with downed chunks of ships and liners, plus other divers exploring the wreckage. And yes, there are sharks swimming about.

Rockstar has promised that the world in GTA V is bigger than GTA IV, San Andreas, and Red Dead Redemption combined. The game will obviously be the largest open world game that Rockstar has ever created. Each and every building now has an explorable interior.

It’s a setting that provides plenty of scope for variety. The environments span the gauntlet from tacky commercial beachfronts to locked-down military bases; from desert lowlands to a fully scaleable Mount Chillad.

Mount Chillad is the stand-out landmark in Blaine County and the towering mountain is apparently the highest point in the game, taller than any of the skyscrapers in downtown Los Santos. Again, Rockstar has only teased fleeting glimpses of Mount Chiliad but one thing’s for certain: walking to the top — or even mountain biking, which is definitely in the game — will take a very long time.

Storyline

Rockstar hasn’t been very forthcoming about the actual storyline, but we do have a few key pieces of information. First—and this is one of the most unique features of GTA V—some of the storylines will require players to switch between the three main protagonists in order to accomplish the mission.

This means that players will need to keep track of each of their character’s roles throughout the mission and juggle the timing accordingly. Hopefully, this doesn’t mean that we’ll be screwing around with any uncharacteristic puzzle-based storylines.

It uses a Google Street View-style system. The map zooms out in stages, crosses across the map to the character you want to play as, then zooms back in with a slight pause when arriving at the new character. It takes a few seconds to switch between characters out in the open world.

The three main characters will have different special abilities. Michael has a bullet-time variant, Trevor can do double damage (and also has a unique melee attack) while Franklin can steer around corners in slow-mo.

Side Missions / Sports / Activities

There are plenty of distractions to take part in. Side missions include hijacking security vans and picking up hitchhikers. Sports events include yoga, golf, tennis, triathlons and bike races. Challenges include stunt jumps and flying challenges. You can also acquire property – player housing returns and you can also buy garages, marinas and businesses.

Mechanics And Vehicles

According to Rockstar, the combat and driving mechanics have been rebuilt from the ground up. The reason for this is unclear, but it probably has to do with the new vehicle types being added. So far, the developer has confirmed that players will be able to take control of bikes, ATVs, jet skis, planes, helicopters, and cars.

Planes will come with parachutes, helicopters will return. Car customisation includes paintjobs, wheels, window tints, grills, spoilers. You can also play with the way vehicles handle and feel, changing the suspension, engine and brakes. GTA 5 will have the largest selection of vehicles seen in a GTA game.

Some of the marine vehicles will come complete with diving equipment, to support excursions into the deep. The ocean will not have any form of signposting, so prepare to be fully immersed (literally) in exploration.

The dating and relationship mechanics have been removed from GTA V. Now I don’t have to answer my friends’ phone call while the army is shooting at me. That’ll be nice.

Weapons

The stars system for police returns. We haven’t seen what the different ratings do but we can say that at four stars, police snipers are called in. Auto-aim isn’t as rigid as GTA IV but like Max Payne 3, there will be variable targeting options, including free aim, soft lock and hard lock.

Weapons wheel selection from Red Dead Redemption is used here. This will have the largest selection of weapons from any GTA game. Weapons we’ve seen – sniper rifles, machine guns and sticky bombs. Weapon customisation includes silencers, scopes, extended mags and laser sights.

Multiplayer

This side of the game is still shrouded in mystery as Rockstar are saving concrete details on GTA V’s competitive multiplayer mode for a later date. Dan Houser sounds pretty upbeat about what his multiplayer team are building however, commenting: “We’re very pleased with the direction it’s heading. We’re ever closer to nailing the fun and excitement of open-world multiplayer”.

As Official PlayStation Magazine reports, the only solid thing we do know is that Max Payne 3’s Crew infrastructure will carry over to GTA V’s multiplayer, via Rockstar’s Social Club. Multiplayer sessions will support up to 32 players simultaneously.

Trailer

[youtube id=”jCw5gASu2CI” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

We can’t wait for the game to come out! What about you? Did you like what you saw in the trailer? Let us know in the comments section below!
July 11, 2013
Edit : Can Motorola Make A Comeback?

In the 2004-2007 period, if you would’ve asked any teenage boy/girl about that one phone they wished they had, the answer would’ve been simple – the Motorola MotoRazr.

Right from its sleek, futuristic design to that V3i advertisement where a guy dressed like 007 (but travelling in the “metro”), uses his blade (read : MotoRazr) to cut through a woman’s dress and then fight her when she retaliates, everything about Motorola spelled success.

It was a period where when you looked anywhere, you would see someone on a Motorola RAZR. The company sold over 120 million units of that phone, making it the second most popular phone in 2005 and then along came the iPhone. Motorola who?

Last year, the company shut down operations in India altogether, after being bought by Google. So we ask ourselves, can we see Motorola charming us with its devices once more?

How It All Began

Motorola is an American company with many “firsts” in the field of science and technology. It started in Chicago in 1928. Company founders Paul V. Galvin and Joseph Galvin created the brand name Motorola for the car radio – linking “motor” (for motorcar) with “ola” (which implied sound)

Founders Paul V. Galvin and Joseph Galvin.

The Motorola car radio was released by the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1930, two years after the company’s founding in Chicago, kicking things off with a battery eliminator, aimed at letting battery-powered home radios run off of household electricity. In 1947, the company dropped its name for simply Motorola.

[pullquote_left] Motorola provided the radio technology for APOLLO 11’s moon landing. [/pullquote_left]

In 1973, Motorola took some major steps toward the technology that would define it in the decades to come, showing off the DynaTAC and demonstrating the phenomenon of cellular telephones to the world. It wasn’t until 1984 that the brick-sized phone would actually start making its way into the hands of consumers.

The Motorola DynaTAC Photo: Dan Forbes

Fast forward to 2004, the MotorRazr became the best selling clamshell ever made.

The Fall

Post 2007, after a certain turtleneck sweater aficionado introduced the iPhone to the world, everyone forgot about their love for Motorola and turned their attention towards Apple.

Steve Jobs unveiling the iPhone in 2007.

And could you blame them?

According to the NPD Group, which released the sales numbers, four of the five best-selling handsets at that time were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features. The only one that wasn’t? The Razr.

At the high end of the market, Motorola’s designs didn’t keep up with consumer expectations, and the game-changing iPhone set back the company further. Motorola also got squeezed out by competitors at the lower end, where the cell-phone business had the most potential for growth globally.

Motorola failed to use its huge advantage in the early days of higher end handsets to become one of the leaders in the emerging smartphone business, which is now dominated by Apple and Samsung.

Motorola failed to make an impact in the tablet market with the Motorola XOOM.

After a stint with Android, including it’s XOOM tablet, Motorola gave up altogether and closed down operations in India last year.

The result? In August of last year, Google announced that it would be acquiring Mobility for around $12.5 billion, a deal that would close nearly nine months after it was first made public.

Who’s To Blame?

What Motorola failed to realize was that the cellphone market changed their buying decisions from “hardware”, to a “software decision”. People wanted to run real, native, apps on their phones.

In 2009, Motorola joint-CEO Greg Brown blamed Motorola’s own decisions for the company’s decline. While Brown did make the obligatory hat-tip at the economy – for exacerbating the situation – the executive mainly criticized Motorola’s planning, products and blindness to the changing needs of consumers.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Brown highlighted the absence of a RAZR replacement as a key failure for Motorola. That, together with a misplaced focus on the developing market and over-investment in budget handsets, meant Motorola missed the growing messaging trend.

[pullquote_right] Warren Buffet once said that when a manager with a great turnaround reputation encounters a company with a reputation for dysfunction, it is the company that will keep its reputation. [/pullquote_right]

Warren Buffet once said that when a manager with a great turnaround reputation encounters a company with a reputation for dysfunction, it is the company that will keep its reputation. And that’s how it panned out. Post Geoffrey Frost’s death in November 2005 after putting Motorola on the road to success, Garriques tried to build the next hit with the system.

Then after being unable to conjure up the same magic, Garriques left for Dell and the Motorola machine ran back to the security blanket of processes. Constant “safe pairs of hands” were used to replace him. Casey Keller was brought from Nabisco to do a job and failed too. The succession of replacements for Garriques just made things worse.

What Now?

Everyone loves a good comeback, whether it’s Manchester United stealing a win in the final minute of the Champions Trophy in 1999 or Mickey Rourke snagging an Oscar nomination for The Wrestler.

In Google, Motorola have their own version of Sir Alex Ferguson to take it back to the top.

In Google, Motorola have their own version of Sir Alex Ferguson, the recently-retired Manchester United manager who broke the “Old Firm’s” dominance in Scotland with Aberdeen, and Liverpool’s dominance in England. Google has the expertise and means to take Motorola back to the top.

The rumoured comeback phone, called the Moto X, will be built at a 500,000 square-feet facility in Texas that will employ 2,000 people by August.

Though Motorola boasts of a long, impressive history of mobile innovation, the present CEO, Dennis Woodside, acknowledges how challenging it is for the company to reach the same state of glory it enjoyed some time back. The company aims at hiring a large number of employees to manufacture a new generation of mobile phones.

“We like to be the challenger. So we’re filling the company with people who want to transform the company into a winner,” said Woodside.

There’s still a lot of life left in Motorola, which, bruises and all, remains one of the grand names in world technology.

“Motorola is still a huge business and an iconic company,” Brown says.

If things go according to plan — and Brown says he’s confident they will — the Motorola mobile business could again find itself on the leading edge of wireless, setting the pace of global innovation for the next century and beyond.

The company recently unveiled their new logo, with a clear emphasis on it now being a Google enterprise, and I personally think that the road to its comeback will be long and hard, but Motorola will reach its former glory in the coming years.

What do you think? Will Motorola be able to charm consumers again? Let us know in the comments section below!

July 10, 2013
Rumour : Amazon To Launch 3 New Kindles, Including A 8.9″ 2560×1600 Display Variant

According to BGR, Amazon will launch three new models this year, two 7-inch tablets and an 8.9-inch model.

Amazon will be upgrading the displays on the Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HD 8.9?. With this latest rumored upgrade, Amazon will finally have HD displays in all of its Kindle Fire models. The lowest-end version, which currently has a 1024×600 display, will be bumped to 1280×800.

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 will break the Retina barrier and go well past it with a rumoured 2560×1600 resolution display. The 9.7-inch Retina iPad, by comparison, has a 2048×1536 pixel resolution.

As for general design, the rumors state that the new Kindle Fires will feature a more “chiseled” design with sharp, instead of round, corners. The power and volume buttons have also been moved from the side to the top sloping back to avoid accidental button presses.

The report didn’t offer any details on the types of displays. Resolution is just one aspect of a display’s quality. While upping the pixel density will improve Amazon’s tablet line, it would be a mistake to assume that this alone will make its displays offer the same quality experience as Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s high end tablets, or even Google’s Nexus tablets.

Amazon will likely also launch a new version of its forked Android software, bringing up the base version to Android 4.2.

[Via]

July 10, 2013
LG Optimus G2 Video Appears Online, Shots Confirm Rear Volume Buttons

It’s just under a month until LG unveils what will almost certainly be the sequel to its Optimus G, but this year’s version appears more than twice as ambitious.

The LG Optimus G2 — it is rumoured though that the company is expected to drop the “Optimus” moniker from its future versions — looks to come with a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display, a 2.3Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, a 13MP camera, 32GB internal storage, and a glossy plastic build material that may we hope does not resemble the Galaxy S4.

One of the main design decisions that may come back to bite the company is placing the volume rocker on the LG Optimus G2’s rear, right underneath the camera sensor. Whether this will end up causing a camera lens smudging epidemic remains to be seen, but we can’t see it being comfortable reaching for the controls on a regular basis.

A video of the LG Optimus G2 has also surfaced online. Looks authentic and reveals the back volume buttons.

[youtube id=”xRtCJmcw-6A” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

Of the Android UI we can see very little. LG will announce the LG Optimus G2 at an event in New York on August 7th and we’ll provide you with all the information you will need.

[Via]

July 10, 2013
HTC Butterfly Now Receiving Android 4.2.2 And Sense 5.0

After rolling out the Android 4.2.2 update for HTC One last week, the company is giving the same treatment to its older cousin HTC Butterfly.

The update will install the Android 4.2.2 operating system, the HTC Sense 5.0 user interface, the BlinkFeed live-streaming home screen and the Video Highlights slide show function for the camera, the company said in an e-mailed statement.

“We are grateful for the support of Taiwanese consumers, and Taiwan is the world’s leading market to receive the new Sense 5.0 software update for the HTC Butterfly,” Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said in the statement.

Known as the world’s first smartphone with a 5-inch full-HD display, the HTC Butterfly sports a quad-core processor from Qualcomm Inc. and an 8-megapixel camera. It is called the Droid DNA in the United States and the HTC J Butterfly in Japan.

To build on the success of the large-screen phone, HTC released on a refreshed model on June 28 called the Butterfly S, which comes with the same 5-inch 1080p display, a faster 1.9GHz quad-core processor and a larger battery capacity of 3,200 mAh.

The update will bring to the phone the Quick Settings feature, a customizable lock screen (that’s limited to widgets), battery percentage in the status bar and the Jelly Bean Daydreams feature. BlinkFeed has also been improved, it will now also pull feeds from Instagram.

July 9, 2013
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Hands-On

Samsung today launched the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom today in India at a price of around Rs. 34,500.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom offers a blend of smartphone and camera, and is targeted at the many people who now use their phones as their main camera too.

Before you view our hands-on video you may want a quick recap of the key specs and features. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with resolution of 960 x 540, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal memory that’s expandable via microSD.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom also has a 2130 mAh battery, and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean skinned with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. The camera set-up includes a 16-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), optical 10x Zoom, Xenon flash, HDR, panorama, and 24mm wide-angle lens. It offers full HD video capture, and there’s also a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Zoom’s big USP is its ability to take detailed shots of objects that are rather far away. Not only is the Zoom a first in terms of design, but it’s also one of the first smartphones to feature an optical zoom, as well as a digital zoom and optical image stabilisation with a 24mm lens.

It also has a myriad of shoot modes: 25 to be exact, which are as follows:

Smart mode suggest, Beauty face, Best photo, Continuous shot, Best face, Kids shot, Landscape, Dawn, Snow, Macro, Food, Party/Indoor, Action freeze, Rich tone (HDR), Panorama, Waterfall, Animated photo, Drama, Eraser, Sound & Shot, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks, and Light trace.

The Samsung galaxy S4 Zoom has a similar shape as that of its predecessor with a bump along the right side for your hand to grip, but the device is considerably slimmer. The whole thing is also made of glossy white plastic rather than the textured rubbery material on the side of the Galaxy Camera. At 208 gms, it’s one of the heaviest smartphones around. It has a plastic ring around the camera lens to access camera options and settings.

Expect a full review of the device pretty soon. Meanwhile, you can watch our hands-on video below :

[youtube id=”51q-oEYyu4s” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

Buy it Now

July 9, 2013