Category: Brands and Companies

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The Asus Transformer Book V is a Laptop, Tablet and a Phone

New technology and innovations are flooding in everyday. With the ever growing laptop and smartphone market, companies are trying to woe buyer by introducing crazy ideas and innovation in their products. Asus Transformer Book V is an outcome of this rat-race. Asus announced that they are working on this new piece of hardware which can be used as a tablet, laptop and a phone.

The 3-in-1 device with dual operating system support means it offers five different modes. These include an Android smartphone, an Android tablet, a Windows tablet, a laptop running Android and a Windows 8.1 laptop.

A 12.5 inch laptop/ tablet screen run on Windows 8.1 is powered by Intel Broadwell Chip. The tablet can be used independently as an Android device, when combined with a keyboard dock it turns into an Android laptop and with a mere switch of a key it will turn into a powerful Windows laptop.

With a tap on the screen,the user can switch between Windows 8.1 tablet and an Android 4.4 Kitkat tablet, but only when the phone is docked. The tablet alone has built-in storage of up to 128GB. The un-docked phone of the Asus Transformer Book V runs Android 4.4 Kitkat, and Asus claims it is the world’s first 5in LTE smartphone powered by a quad-core Intel Atom processor. The phone is also powered by a impressive 2,500mAh battery that provides up to 10 hours of web browsing time.

Asus is known for its amalgamation of several form-factors in the same device. Earlier they have promoted this hybrid structure through their FonePad, PadFone and Transformer Book. We may not see this amazing hardware soon. Unless it is powered by an Intel Broadwell chip and launches at the same time as the processor, they it may hit the market this autumn. Asus did not give any pricing or availability details for the Transformer Book.

The company is attempting to create the perfect device for multi-taskers. The Transformer Book V is aimed to bring in greater flexibility for users so that they can easily switch between work and entertainment.

June 2, 2014
HP Brings the Droid on the New 14-inch Slatebook

HP is close to releasing a 14-inch Slatebook, which will run on the Android operating system(OS). An Android operating system sounds more functional than an internet only Chrome OS. This also begs the question why Google went with the chrome OS when they already had a winner in the Android.

This Slatebook will be on the shelves in the US markets on 20^thJuly. It is powered by a NVIDIA® Tegra® 4 mobile processor with quad-core CPU (1.8 Ghz) GPU to run high-end graphics and optimize performance. Also a powerful processor is needed for the Full HD 1080p touchscreen on the device.

The memory included is a 2GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM which is good enough for the Android Jellybean 4.3. Its a lighter OS in comparison to the other notebook operating systems. This will be a device for people who prefer functionality over performance. A touchscreen will also add to the convenience for such users. The stated 9 hours of battery life is great for multimedia enthusiasts.

This slatebooks dual color design(yellow and black) adds to its youthful appeal. The integrated Beats Audio™ – Quad speakers will be a treat for the multimedia lovers. HP could have added a swivel to the device so that it could be used as a tablet. This would have probably created a MOTO G like revolution laptop devices, but maybe they wanted to keep this one plain and simple.

The increased connectivity between the laptop and an android phone will certainly attract a lot of people towards this device. Android is the world’s most used OS and this might just be the big break that Google was looking for to enter the laptop OS market.

With its SuperSpeed USB 3.0, a USB 2.0 and an HDMI version 1.4b Jacks, the device will give a complete laptop experience with a portable OS. The device is priced at $399 on the website, but it is expected to sell at $429.

Looks like HP has found the droids it was looking for.

June 2, 2014
#LetsTalkShop with Arvind Vohra from Gionee

Gionee’s recent arrival into the mobile market has proved the theory that not all “Chinese Goods” are poorly made. A few recent handsets from the company have proved to be quite the segment leaders. The Gionee S5.5 being the slimmest phone in the world and the Gionee E7 with its impressive camera.

We got a chance to sit down with the Country Head of Gionee in India, Mr. Arvind Vohra , and discuss the company, its operations and its future in a market like India.

We started of by discussing why he chose Gionee as a brand and how important it was to him, the answer seemed quite obvious. He believed in the company and its operations and the fact that he knew the global president personally helped.

Arvind claims that service is a key ingredient to providing a hardware, and as a manufacturer if he doesn’t have the right parts then the whole process is flawed.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Arvind Vohra”]

As a Manufacturer, if i don’t have spare parts, then there is something very wrong.

[/quote]

Operating in a market like India has become much more easier than before, and most of the challenges are overcome by doing everything in the manner its supposed to be done. As far as comparing India with any other market , he feels since he hasn’t worked anywhere else therefore he does not have a benchmark.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Arvind Vohra”]

There are no problems in operating in India, things have become much easier. You can register a company in three weeks, and as long as you do everything right you will be in a good place.

[/quote]

He is very keen on “exploiting OTA” updates and claims that most devices will get the OTA update for KitKat in the coming weeks. Which is avery big thing for the market he is operating in. The Elife series phones will be always be OTA supported as long as the hardware allows.

The next lineup of devices will include LTE phones, as Arvind feels that the country is ready to exploit the resource, and if Gionee can provide hardware then they will.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Arvind Vohra”]

We like to exploit the OTA updates, and almost all our devices launched recently will get the OTA KitKat Update. Going forward all our devices will launch with LTE, especially since China is transitioning we feel India will soon be ready.

[/quote]

Arvind sees no point of a tablet and fails to understand why people use them, the day he finds the real use of tablets he will start making them.

Watch the full video below and stay tuned for our next #LetsTalkShop

June 2, 2014
LG L70 Review : Can it beat the Moto G?

Even though the Android 4.4 Kitkat was released in September last year and praised unanimously, companies have been rather slow in incorporating the advanced OS on their phones. There is an even bigger shortage in the budget phones category, where the 4.2.X Jellybean still rules the game. Moto G created a revolution by bringing a feature packed device into the budget market, giving its competition a run for their money.

LG L70 is LG’s answer to the one of a kind Moto G. The phone is in the same price bracket as the Moto G, but the specs create all the difference between these two machines. So we put the L70 to test to see how it fares against the high standards set by Moto G.

Design and Display

The overall design is fairly generic and seems like this aspect of the phone wasn’t given too much importance. The perforated back panel is extremely slippery and it is advisable to get a protective case.

To open the back panel one needs to press down on the micro USB slot. It has a two layered SIM card slots, which are fairly easy to insert the cards in, but a tad bit hard to pull out. The phone adds an addition to the usual fare of three capacitive buttons in the form of a dedicated SIM swapping button. It can easily cause a bit of confusion initially but you can get used to it.

The display is a 4.5 inch, 480X800 pixel screen with a 207ppi density. It is a Corning Gorilla glass 2 screen with 5 point multi-touch. The screen is a downer in comparison to stunning 720p screen of the Moto G.

Hardware

The phone comes with a Qualcomm MSM8210 Snapdragon 200 chipset and a Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 CPU. The internal memory is 4GB which is expandable to 32GB. The CPU tends to get over burdened by large apps.

Operating System

The device comes with LG’s customized version Kitkat 4.4 right out of the box. It is of course one of the Android OS. The browser on the device was fairly laggy and didn’t give a good browsing experience. In the drop down menu, LG has added an option called Qslide which gives access to all the necessary utilities from the menu itself. Though it lets you customize the apps through Qslide, but you can’t add your own apps onto the menu.

According to LG, the Knock code is the USP of the device which is basically one of the hundreds of unlock gimmicks being employed by several companies to differentiate themselves in the market. LG has also added some bloatwares which slow the handset down. The dialer of the phone needs to be commended for the most realistic design. For people who enjoy and miss the feel of pressing physical buttons, this is the closest it comes to that experience.

The Quick Memo option is kind of like the S-note on Samsung devices, but for a fraction of the price it gives good handwriting recognition even when written with the finger. Also, fairly simple to get used to.

Camera

The camera on the L70 is a 5 megapixel autofocus with LED flash. The main camera is capable of good color reproduction, in daylight as well as indoor light. The flash is capable of maintaining details even at close quarters, so it would be great for some Saturday night party shot.

For a selfie obsessed person, the front VGA cameras would be a bit of a disappointment, but it is still better than other budget phones. The L70 has 9 focus points and gives a good autofocus results. Although, the moving subjects tend to get blurry.

Conclusion

The phone is a not at all a competitive effort on the part of LG against the rule of Moto G. The design of the device is dated and doesn’t inspire you to flaunt the device. The UI is capable of great things, but the hardware seems to be a roadblock. Maybe LG will get back on the design board and give the customers a more comprehensive device without the flaws of the present device.

So to answer the question, Moto G is still the king of Rs10,000 to 15,000 price band.

May 31, 2014
Airtel Hits Jalandhar with 4G

People living in Jalandhar can now enjoy high definition video streaming with zero buffering, download 10 movies in less than 30 minutes, uploading a full holiday worth of albums in less than 5 minutes by uploading 2 high quality photos per second and also connect multiple devices without any experience constraint.

After launching in Chandigarh and Ludhiana successfully, now Airtel is launching its 4G services in Jalandhar. iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c owners can start their mobile 4G experience right away by upgrading to a 4G SIM.

It is not only easy, but also affordable! While the USIM will come free with the purchase of dongle or CPE(Customer-premises equipment). Otherwise it will come for Rs 49 for mobile users, with the dongles priced at Rs. 1500, and the CPE is priced at Rs 2500.

A special pack of Rs. 999/- (for postpaid – mobiles, dongles and CPEs) and Rs. 995/- (for prepaid- mobiles only) have also been introduced for heavy data users which will offer 10 GB of 4G data. For postpaid mobile customers, the plans will start as low as Rs. 100/-.

You can also enjoy the Airtel 4G’s unbeatable speed on the Airtel 4G dongle, Wi-Fi CPE and 4G compatible handsets including Xolo LT 900 and LG G2 (model D802T) apart from the iPhone 5S (models A1530& A1518) and 5C (models A1529 & A1516).

Special demo zones and kiosks have been installed at the Airtel Office at 342, New Jawahar Nagar, Jalandhar for customers to experience LIVE demos and get started on 4G. Airtel is planning to launch this service in Delhi in July while Bangluru, Kolakata, Pune and Mohali already have this service.

So if you were wondering about buying an LTE capable phone, then this should tilt the scales towards a positive.

May 30, 2014
Samsung’s Tough Boy, Galaxy S5 Active Officially Launched

Two weeks back we were introduced to Galaxy S5 Active, through a leaked video by TK TechNews. And now Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Active is available today on AT&T. Unlike it’s other counterparts, it is rugged and tough.

The Galaxy S5 Active has the same full-HD AMOLED 5.1-inch screen. Its 16-megapixel camera and fingerprint sensor are also lodged into the rugged smartphone. That said, water-resistance is now part of the original Galaxy S5’s bag of tricks. There’s also the shock-resistant, dust-proof shell and a burlier look. Even if it’s a dreamy rendered view we’re seeing here, the metallic details and finish could well win over Galaxy fans that aren’t pro-plastic.

There’s an extra “convenience key” on the side of the phone that gives you easy access to all the phone’s apps that are related to outdoor activity.

Although the casing looks hardier than that of the Galaxy S5, it’s reasonably slim — a far cry from the bulky “rugged” phones of yesteryears that often looked closer to military hardware than something you’d carry in your pocket. It’ll be offered in “camo green,” “titanium grey,” and “ruby red” colorways.

The critics though are questioning the need for this phone as its predecessor, the Galaxy S4 Active, since the regular Galaxy S5 already offers more protection against the elements than most other devices on the market. Without a whole lot of extra functionality to define it against the water-loving Galaxy S5, the S5 Active’s main appeal could well end up boiling down to its tough-guy exterior.

The phone currently is only available in the USA. you can buy the S5 Active for $200 with a new, two year contract, for $27.50 per month with AT&T Next 18, for $35.75 per month with AT&T Next 12.

AT&T is also knocking $50 off the price of the Samsung Gear Fit if you buy it alongside the Galaxy S 5 Active.

May 30, 2014
Unboxed : The Lava Iris X1

The Moto E revolution is evident in the market and looks like its going to be the standard from here on. Like an asteroid it came and devastated the previous generation standard spec sheets of the lower-end smartphone market. Clearly, a new era of the lower-end smartphone evolution has begun and Lava just layed its claim to the throne with the Lava iris X1.

All major companies including Samsung have stated that they are going to bring in a competition for the Moto E. We feel it’s about time we should start a MOTO watch section to see how close the other folks are coming to touch the towering ceiling set by the Motorola.

The easy slide out box is pretty standard for a Lava device. The box contains the standard sets of inhabitants. A good sized micro USB wall charger, flat cable earphones, a round cable micro USB to USB cable. The back cover looks extremely flimsy but the branding on the back is pretty classy. It is an effort to hold it up, though the lack of a rubberized back panel makes it slippery.

Where the X1 wins over the Moto E is the free flip cover provided in the box. The flip cover is functional as the screen locks when it’s closed. Another cool aspect of the cover is that the volume rocker positions are marked on the cover itself so you can access them easily while on move. The only issue though, the white cover can get dirty, very easily.

The phone comes with the Android 4.4.2 right out of the box. It is powered by a removable 1800 mAh battery, which is slightly smaller than the non-removable 1980 mAh in the Moto E. The processor on the X1 is a Quad core 1.2 Ghz Broadcom chipset. It holds 1 GB of RAM and has an expandable memory upto 32 GB.

Coming to the handset, at the top it looks blatantly iPhone-ish minus the physical button. The screen is a 4.5 inch IPS display with a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels. The Moto G’s Corning Gorilla glass 3 is more pixel dense but the X1 isn’t that far behind, it has some good color reproduction capabilities.

Overall, it looks like a decent effort on the part of Lava, the most it could do at the moment in the face of stiff competition. Apart from the Moto E, Lava will also cross swords with Micromax which recently released its Unite 2. The phone has outperformed some of the major flagships in benchmark tests.

For the moment the phone is exclusively sold on Amazon at a price of Rs 7999. This is an audacious step, considering Lava is no Moto to have the luxury of exclusive marketing tie-ups. The X1’s closest competition, the Unite 2 costs Rs 6999 on flipkart.

For now, like Lava and others, we’ll wait and see how the market responds to this new era of intelligent evolution in the basic smartphones business.

May 30, 2014
Skype’s Incredible New App Translates in Real-time

Skype clearly understanding the need of the hour has created an app which might be easiest way to stay in touch with your friends around the globe. With this app, Skype stays true to its motto and hopes to make its international connections easier. The new feature automatically translates conversations in real time. Before the end of 2014, Microsoft plans to release a beta Skype app that will enable real-time translation of people verbally speaking in different languages.

Skype Translator, as Microsoft is calling it, appears to be an extension of the real-time translation Microsoft has been developing for over ten years. The company had previously shown the technology in action, with the real-time translation of speech delivered by Microsoft’s Rick Rashid in China. Even more recently, Microsoft released Bing Translator, which performs the same function as Skype Translator, just on Windows 8.

The feature, dubbed Skype Translator, was demonstrated on Tuesday by Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella during an onstage interview at the Recode Code Conference in Palos Verdes, Calif. During the demonstration, Nadella conducted a conversation with Skype chief Gurdeep Singh Pall, who was speaking German, while Skype provided real-time translation of the German into English and vice versa.

On the Microsoft Research site, the company said it’s been working on machine translation for more than a decade, and that earlier translating voice over Skype was “considered a nearly impossible task.” However, four years ago the program got a jumpstart with a project that was able to translate phone calls in real-time. Meanwhile, a separate project improved speech recognition accuracy, Microsoft said. That eventually bolstered other services that listen to human voices, like Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant for Windows Phone.

Microsoft had bought Skype in May 2011 for $8.5bn (£5.2bn) – making it the firm’s biggest acquisition at the time. However, it has been facing increasing competition from a multitude of rivals, including Google Hangouts, Apple’s Facetime, Blackberry’s BBM, Tango and Viber.

Manoj Menon, managing director at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan said that once launched, the new feature could have wide ranging applications in sectors such as education and tourism. He added that the translation feature may also help Microsoft to integrate Skype with its office social network site Yammer. Microsoft also bought Yammer – which operates like Facebook for communication within companies – for $1.2bn in 2012.

“Microsoft has acquired some great assets such as Yammer and Skype over the past few years,” Mr Menon said. “The ability to integrate these together will help unlock their value and the translate feature is a wonderful step in that direction.” Skype has also been taking other steps to try and attract more users. Last year, it confirmed that it had developed technology for 3D video calls. But it has said it could be many years before the technology is launched.

While it’s unclear how the beta app of Skype Translator will relate to Skype itself (will the two remain separate apps?), it’s certainly clear that Microsoft is moving ahead fast in terms of real-time translation.

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May 29, 2014
LG G3: Beginning of the 2K Run?

The Flagships are engaged in some real battles now. LG G3 dropped in and made it a lot more interesting. Packed in with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.46 GHz, expandable memory upto 128 GB and a laser focus support for the camera, the phone sure has some unique features to look forward to.

The G3 brings the First 2K Display

The phone’s display is its champion. The G3 has a best in class 5.5 inch Quad HD display with 538 pixel density that gives a resolution of 2560 x 1440 px(2K). With this release LG brought in the first 2K phone in the market.

Quad HD displays have been promised to the market by several manufacturers. Oppo’s Find 7 and Lenovo’s Vibe Z2 are some of the example. But why haven’t the rest of the manufacturers jumped on board with a 2K display market, we try to see the issues with running a Quad HD screen.

The screen on the LG G3 is substantially better than most of the screens this article is being read on. It is been said that the human eye cannot distinguish pixel density after 300ppi which Apple terms as its Retina display at 326 ppi in the iPhone 5S. But the images are just so mesmerizing on a Quad HD screen that you loose the reasons for the debate in the first place.

One of the major reasons why manufacturers are not encouraged to adopt a Quad HD display is because of the massive power required to run the display. It especially puts a heavy strain on the processor. But on a processor like the one G3 has, this might not be a major issue. A massive battery like the 3000 MaH on the G3 will take care of the excessive resource drain.

There isn’t enough content for the 2K and 4K displays.

There also aren’t a lot of apps that are ready for the 2K display. There is a serious shortage of content at the moment, as it is resource intensive to create the content in the first place. As the technology is still young, the content producers will wait for a while before investing in a heavy process like creating videos or games for such screens. They will wait for the device market to get populated with more products with such high definition displays.

Since HD is now the norm across many platforms, it is rather easy to create content for it. To create HD content you just need a computer system with decent specifications. The investment for making an HD content is comparatively lower than that for 2K or 4K productions.

So the question we really need to ask is that, are Quad HD phones worth buying at the moment or maybe we should just shut up, wait for the content to show up and enjoy the insane crispness of a handheld 2K screen.

May 28, 2014
LG G3 Goes Official 2K Display and Quick Laser Focus
LG today officially announced the new LG G3 with most of the specs that have leaked all over the internet in the past. The new phone however, has a few tricks up its sleeve.

The G3 has been a design revision on the G2 with subtle changes, including a new metal-esque design (completely plastic though) and newer improved rear buttons and capabilities. The design curves out like the HTC One M8, being 2.75mm at the edges, 8.9mm at the thickest point. On the Hardware front there don’t seem to be many surprises either, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset the Quad Cores are clocked at 2.5GHz, with two variants the 2GB RAM/16GB Storage and the 3GB RAM/32GB Storage variant. Other features include a removable 3000 mAh battery and support for micro SD cards (we read upto 2 TB).

LG has continued with the reduced bezel design and the large 5.5 inch phone does not feel that big thanks to the shape. As for the front the LG G3 does actually feature the Quad HD display with 538ppi i.e. 2560 x 1440 px.

The phone is equipped with wireless charging capabilities, and docks will be available separately. The optics are the key points of conversation with the handset sporting a 13 MP camera with OIS and a Laser (infrared based) focus system, which claims to be razor sharp and extremely fast.

The Paint finish is also self healing like the G Flex but its not as good and the “metallic skin” on the phone will be available in five colors as of now, metallic black, silk white, shine gold, moon violet and burgundy red.

LG has made significant improvements to the interface and the access of tasks has become much smoother. LG claims this phone is a simper handset where the time from making the decision to executing the task has been decreased. The interface has been cleaned out and there is a minimal approach everywhere including using features like the new camera.

LG is expected to launch the new G3 in India in the coming month and we will get you more insights into that soon.

Key Specifications*:
- – Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
- – Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
- – Memory: 16/32GB eMMC ROM, 2/3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB max)
- – Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus / Front 2.1MP
- – Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
- – Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- – Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
- – Weight: 149g
- – Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
- – Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC,
SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
- – Color: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
- – Other: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM, Guest Mode, etc
May 28, 2014
LG G3 Completely Leaked : QuadHD Display and Wireless Charging

Over the past weeks we have seen LG’s latest marvel, get leaked front, side and centre. This time around the Korean manufacturers latest flagship the LG G3’s press images have leaked along with the full list of specifications.

The new marvel will feature a 5.5 inch QuadHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440px. The first flagship to have such a resolute, the new G3 will also feature wireless charging for its 3000 mAh battery and a Snapdragon 801 chipset with 2.46 GHz on the clock. Just like last years G2, the LG G3 will also feature Optical image stabilization.

The images of the LG G3 show that the company will launch the phone in 3 colors, White, Grey and a new Copper Gold to match up to the other manufacturers. Interesting elements include the fact that the handset will support upto 2TB microSD cards. Another good news for prospective buyers is the fact that the phone will feature Globally unlocked LTE at launch even in India.

Yesterday a couple of videos teased the LG G3:

With the event scheduled for tomorrow, it seems that LG may not have any surprises left to share. Unless they pull “an Apple” on stage and use the words “One More Thing”. Either way, an anxious lot of people wait for the final launch.

May 27, 2014
New Micromax Unite 2 Wants to Trouble The Moto E

Micromax’s new Unite 2 is priced to excite the buyers of the Moto E, however it wasn’t how the company planned it. The Unite 2 was supposed to be priced for a higher price, and since the launch of the Moto E, many companies seem to have revised their pricing schemes and Micromax seems to be one of them.

The Unite 2 does some of the magic of the Motorola Moto E, as Micromax claims that the handset will stay updated with FOTA “Free Over the Air” updates. But Micromax is using a new approach to the handset as it will be one of a few handsets that support Indian Languages. The Micromax Unite 2 will support 21 Indian languages and will come with Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat out of the box.

Micromax Unite also beats the Moto E on paper, as the new Unite 2 also has a 1.2 Quad Core processor, a 4.7 inch display with 800 x 480px resolution, 2000 mAh battery and a 5 MP main camera.

Design wise the Unite 2 is also taking its cues from the Moto E by offering replaceable back panels. and a similar design but build quality details are vary and we couldn’t get confirmation on the use of reinforced plastics or gorilla glass.

The idea is really novel, however will it give people the kind of assurance they have gotten in the past with Motorola and their Moto G and X. Micromax is trying to bring the better specs and pricing to the market with this handset, they have also made it more localized by adding multi language support, but it really comes down to experience. If Micromax can deliver a good package, they might be able to save their most important price market which is currently been highjacked by one of the oldest manufacturers of cellphones.

May 24, 2014
One Step Ahead: 3D Imaging on New Google Tablet

“What if you could walk into a store and see exactly where that thing you need to buy is, or play hide-and-seek in your home with that character from your favorite game, or help the visually-impaired navigate that place they have never been able to to go on their own? We believe the possibilities are vast.” That’s been Google’s Project Tango‘s vision. And now, Google is reportedly working on a tablet version of this initiative, that incorporates multiple advanced imaging sensors into a portable device for real time 3D imaging and mapping.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Internet search giant is further exploring into computer vision technology with a 7-inch tablet which has two rear-facing cameras, infrared depth sensors and highly customized software. The small-format slate seems to be an oversized version of the existing prototype Project Tango smartphone released in February by Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects division.

Google’s Project Tango webpage notes the sensor suite “allows the phone to make over a quarter million 3D measurements every second. Updating its position and orientation in real-time, and then further combining that data into a single 3D model of the space around you.”

In February, Google had released a prototype smartphone out of that group, which also boasts sensors that could come up with a 3D map of your surroundings. The tablet appears to have the same or similar imaging hardware as the smartphone version, which features a regular camera mounted near the top of the handset, a motion-sensing camera placed opposite and incorporated depth sensors mounted between the two. It is unknown what type of CPU will power the tablet, but the phone boasts two “computer vision” processors and assorted positioning sensors for calculating movement in three-dimensions.

The project’s recommended applications range from the ordinary, such as capturing the dimensions of a home before furniture shopping simply by waving the phone around a room, to the helpful, such as aiding the visually impaired inside unfamiliar buildings, to the playful, such as turning a foyer into a virtual-reality game space.

Facebook is also exploring advanced computer vision technology with its planned $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR, the maker of virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. The headset was originally intended for use with gaming devices, but Facebook has said it plans to extend its virtual reality capabilities beyond gaming into areas such as communications, media, entertainment, and education.

Developers already have their hands on the phone and WSJ reports the company plans to release the tablet to select testers prior to Google I/O, which begins on June 25.

May 23, 2014
Moto 360 Watch Rumors Fly : What To Expect

Samsung has been ruling a still infant, smartwatch market with half-a-million Samsung Galaxy Gears dispatched this year. These have been hogging around 70 percent of the fast-growing market for smart timepieces. Motorola has since stepped in the game and has unveild its Moto 360(don’t mix it up with a popular games console). It is the least smartwatch-like smartwatch we have seen for a long time. It looks quite like a regular watch, which Motorola insists it isn’t in the least.

The Moto 360 will use Sapphire glass in order to keep scratches at bay and generally protect it against knocks and scrapes. With Gorilla Glass being designed for much larger pieces of glass, it’s unsurprising to see Motorola opting for a different material here.

Motorola has plans to release the Moto 360 in July with a $350 price tag, according to Journal du Geek, a French website. The company has also hinted that the Moto 360 would launch this summer. It did not however, mention whether it would come first to the U.S with a later release for Europe and the rest of the world. Motorola has released images of the Moto 360 with both leather and steel bands, and accidentally leaked leather color options went online earlier this year.

The Moto 360 will not feature ports for USB charging or any other wired connector, which means the purple plastic plate behind its face will allow it to utilize induction charging, a method of wireless charging that requires a powered mat or some other specialized charger. Induction charging does not currently transmit through metallic materials, which is probably why Motorola selected plastic.

The Moto 360 might be induction charged

Motorola could also use solar or self-winding chargers to supplement wireless charging in the Moto 360. This will help to increase the battery life of the watch before you finally have to set it down to charge. Of course, this is an unconfirmed leak and we are definitely hoping for a considerably lower price when the Moto 360 comes out stateside.

We hope Motorola can bring Smart and Sexy together in their endevour in Smartwatches, as they have done in the smartphone market with the Moto X, G and the baby E.

May 22, 2014
SingStar : Now Use Your Phone as a Karaoke Mic

Music games are great for parties with close friends who won’t judge you when you totally tear down that one riff in David Bowies’ Let’s Dance. But they do have one weak spot: you can’t play them without all the plastic instrument accessories, making impulsive sessions at a friend’s place somewhat of a chore. The creators of Sony’s SingStar series have found a solution for that.

To celebrate it’s 10th anniversary, the SingStar franchise is launching a new app that enables you to turn your phone into a microphone. SingStar Director Chris Bruce wrote on the playstation blog, “We’re really pleased to announce that SingStar will be coming to PS4 later this year. Not only that but we will also be launching a free SingStar app that will transform your smartphone into a microphone. That’s right, no more mics required!”

The app works with both PS3 and PS4 versions and is also compatible with most iOS and Android smartphones and devices. The app also lets you create your own personal playlists.

The karaoke party game series previously required players to use USB microphones to sing along and compete against friends. Later this year they have promised SingStar: Ultimate Party on PS3 and PS4, which will host a collection of 30 tracks, which represents great value for anyone new to SingStar. Players will be able to select playlists directly from their phones as well.

With its improved scoring system, you can also build up your XP and get rewarded for game activity, or challenge your friends online and entertain them with renditions of your favorite songs,

SCE London Studio is working to expand SingStar’s social features by making it easier to share the best bits of your night on Twitter and Facebook straight from the game. They have also promised to continue adding new tracks to the SingStore. Though the release date for its forthcoming upgrade has not been announced.

Check out the new trailer featuring Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe.

May 22, 2014