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Decoded: Top 5 Cloud Storage Services

Juggling between smartphones, desktops, laptops and tablets makes it increasingly hard to keep track of all our files. For example, as easy it is to snap a picture, the harder its become to keep tabs of the every-growing bulk of images. We tend to keep scattered folders for our pictures on various storage devices and laptops. Cloud storage rescues us from these restraints, ensuring that the files we need are available where and when we want them. Clearly, it should now be a fundamental part of our modern, mobile lives.

The ultimate advantage? You never have depend on your gadgets or fear losing any important data. We review the best cloud storage services and see what each of them have to offer:

Dropbox

Dropbox is the only online storage solutions to offer clients for Linux and Blackberry, along with the usual Windows, Mac OS X, Android and iOS standards – even though an official Windows Phone app still remains indefinable. This goes a long way to ensuring that your data can be with you, no matter what kind of technology you want to use. The basic free account provides a with a somewhat small – in contrast to competitor services – 2GB of storage. For documents, this amount works, however if you want to store any kind of media – photos, music, or video – it will fade away very fast. You have an option of investing and upgrading to the 100GB plan. Dropbox also offers 500MB of additional free storage for each friend you get to sign up to the service – with a limit of 16GB.

Overall it is an excellent cross-platform service, a benchmark which is hard to compete. It may lack several services which others provide, but its user-friendly interface and multi-technology compatibility makes it one of the most popular choices.

Google Drive

Google drive is a heart of various services Google currently offers. It offers 15 GB of free space on signup or when you link it with your old Google account. Drive works in the same fashion as most cloud storage solutions, with a local folder on your PC linked to a replica for cloud version. The interface across the apps is smart and simple to navigate, with a basic file tree showing where your data is kept. You can choose specific files to be available offline on the mobile versions, and these can be edited – if they were created in Google Docs – then synced when you return online.

Google Drive is the most munificent of all the services in this category. If you live in the Google universe then it actually is an brilliant storage option, predominantly if you use Google Docs a lot.

Streem

Our Favourite find! The lesser known Streem is a cloud-based hard drive that offers unlimited storage space for your files. All files are securely stored in the cloud and streamed to you on-demand, saving you terabytes of space on your devices. Unlike other cloud storage services, you are not require to store your files on your hard drive and sync them to the cloud. All your files are securely stored on the servers and streamed to you on-demand.

The edge about this storage service is that they give you free unlimited storage and that you don’t have to keep a copy on all of your computers in order to access them. As long as you have an internet connection, you’re set.

Box

Sometimes mistaken for the similarly named Dropbox, Box is the eldest of it’s competitors, having launched in 2005. It’s major focus is cloud computing for business side of the market and has impressive enterprise reputation.

Box still offers solid personal storage options, however, with a generous 10GB of space for any new account. However Box limits the file size to 250MB, which is a major drawback. This is noticeably lower than the 10GB limits of both Google Drive and Dropbox, with OneDrive’s 2GB limit still plenty for most people. Of course 250MB is more than sufficient for most documents and spreadsheets, but if large media files – especially videos – are part of your plan then this could be a problem.

OneDrive

Much of the functionality of OneDrive (previously SkyDrive) is equivalent to Dropbox, with its apps available to Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and of course, Windows Phone users. Microsoft to attract more users launched as offer whereby users gain 500MB of storage for every friend that signs up to an account through them.There’s also an added 3GB offered if you link OneDrive to your mobile phone’s camera roll, enabling it to routinely back up your photos online.

The OneDrive interface is similar to Windows 8’s Modern UI design. You have a choice between the boxy style or a more traditional file tree. Folders and files can be created on the web, including Office and OneNote formats thanks to tight Office Online integration. They’ve also added a social element to the web version – a range of popular messaging services are accessible to be connected to your OneDrive account.

April 30, 2014
7 Simple Tips To Keep Your Gadgets New

Our gadgets are now a necessary part of our everyday life. We honestly believe they deserve their own section on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We do want to get the most out of them, but often they give us serious heart aches by dying out too soon. There are certain precautions you can take to ensure they manage to surpass their average life of 12-18 months.

Use these tips to service your gadgets routinely:

1. Cleaning:

Like everything else, your gadgets also require regular clean ups. For touchscreens ideally use a microfiber cloth, the same one used for sunglasses, or you can substitute it with a soft cotton cloth. It is extremely important to avoid over rubbing. Make it a point and regularly clean your gadget to avoid the build up of grime.

2. Battery Management:

This is one important area of focus as its the life of our gadgets. The batteries have faced the brunt of high performance machines which are released one after the other. Turn off the services you don’t need – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cellular data and high screen brightness are the major juice drainers. You can use a few credible battery apps as well. They help to increase efficiency and enhance the battery backup by automatically closing unwanted applications.

3.Upgrades:

Upgrades are cheaper and more efficient than investing in whole new equipment. Scan through the available ones available from time to time, to figure out the best add-ons and upgrades to keep your system efficient. Powerbanks are also a good idea if you don’t find time to regularly charge your phone.

4. Buy Genuine:

Whichever accessory you wish to add to your device, it’s important to make sure that it is compatible as well as genuine. Fake accessories have the potential to cause harm to your expensive gadgets. There is also an added value of warranties/replaceability when you’re buying original products.

5. Maintaining the OS:

The operating system is the essence of every device, it is the basis of our interaction with the device. There are several diagnostics and maintenance tools available on the OS which should be used regularly. Unwanted clutter, such as multiple copies of the same file and unnecessary softwares, slows down the system. Take out time every few weeeks to clean up the mess.

6. Protectors:

With the increased delicateness of our gadgets, added protection is necessary. Starting with the stage, a.k.a the screen, where it all happens – a protector is required. Invest in high quality anti-glare and anti-scratch protectors, they are worth the extra cost. Also a body guard or a protective case which can protect the gadget from dust as well as impact is always advisable.

7. Banana:

Yes, a Banana. We were equally vary of the fact that a fruit might be useful. Just to be cautious, we checked out a few tutorials before trying it out ourselves. If you want your device squeaky clean, all you need to do is spread a layer of Banana on the surface. Keep caution about any openings: concentrate only on the screen. Use the banana peel to wipe the surface after a while. Follow it up with glass cleaning liquid on a cotton cloth.

April 29, 2014
Top 5 Best Portable Speakers

Towels? Check. Food? Check. Alcohol? Check.

You’ve almost got everything ready for your pool party. Guests may start pouring in any second, but you along with your usually reliable electrician are still struggling to plug in speakers on the outside deck.

Between juggling wires and extension cords, heavy music systems are now considered an unnecessary headache. Nowadays, its all about the new-age range of portable speakers – they’re practical, Bluetooth-enabled, and deliver excellent sound-quality. So, be it a terrace party, beach holiday or a barbecue; you can easily play your favorite playlist from your phone/MP3 with uncompromising sound. Say hello to a whole new world of portable speakers:

1. Bose Sound-link Mini

Price: INR 17,000 (approx)
Bose known for its unrivaled sound quality consistently manages to stay on top of every list. These speakers hold no exception to that rule. They weigh close to 700gm and hence are an extremely practical buy. Considering its size and sound, these speakers are the unworldly best in its category. A must have for music lovers who love to jet set. The price may lighten your wallet, but then again, its quality and durability will not let you complain.

2. JBL Pulse

Price: INR 12,000 (approx)
JBL Pulse stands out in the category of portable speakers for one single reason: its super fancy Light Show Impressions. The fascinating LED lights wrap the speakers neatly and respond to the beats of the music being played. This attention-grabbing detail somehow manages to avoid looking cheap and promises to liven up your party. Its battery backup is really good and it also comes with a portable charger. The speakers are relatively heavier than the bose, so you might think twice before taking it outside with you.

3. Creative D-200

Price: INR 8000 (approx)
This one is the best option if you’re looking to invest in a low-budget set. Like the rest, it is light and portable, but the Creative D-200 also has surprisingly very good sound quality. That’s the upside, on the down low – the battery backup may not last for more than three hours. So, if you’re planning a camping trip, don’t bother being weighed down by these speakers.

4. Sony SRS-BT M8

Price: INR 5500 (approx)
Sony SRS-BT M8 comes with a handle on top, which makes it easy to carry around everywhere. Another feature Sony has included in these speakers is the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. For owners of NFC-enabled smartphones, it’ll help you avoid the hassle of connecting via Bluetooth. You simple need to tap your phone onto the NFC button located on the handle and you’ll be connected in the matter of seconds. The useful handbag shape and its relatively low price makes it a smart buy.

5. Skullcandy Ringer 2XL

Price: INR 1100 (approx)
The smallest and cheapest portable speaker available in market right now. Ringer is one of those products that looks good, but may not deliver the best quality. Considering its low price, buy them only for personal use – it’ll help you amplify music in your room. The sound quality is not up to the mark and its Bluetooth connection disconnects itself repeatedly.

April 29, 2014
Top 5 Music Apps to Tune Your Mood

Music is undoubtedly one of the most important functions of our mobile phones now. The phones have definitely gotten better for the task with the countless number of specialized apps in the market. Though Soundcloud, Beatport, Last.fm have been giving a staple supply of fresh and innovative music, many more cutting edge apps have cropped up to give music lovers a wider range of music.

Today we’ve compiled a list of 5 must have apps for music lovers who take pride in exploring new genres.

1. Stereodose

This is one heck of a app, where you just have to select the kind of stimulant and mood you prefer and Voila, you get a never ending playlist to keep you hooked. Though it started with this simplistic premise, it has now evolved into a full blown playlist creation app where users don’t have to just listen to the random tracks but create their own playlist and share with fellow “dosers”. It is one of the best tools for finding some fresh artists and tracks.

2. Moodagent

The Big daddy of Mood Music Apps. It is perfect for Hindi music lovers who cannot find a Hindi streaming service. This app syncs the available music on your device and creates the playlist according to the mood you create using its interactive bars. There are five bars for Sensual, Tender, Happy, Angry and Tempo. These bars can be used individually or in relation with each other. My only disappointment with the app was that even after fully raising the bar on Happy, it never played Pharell’s Happy.

3. Moodstream

A tiny service from getty images where they give controls to create a feel, it then pulls up images and videos from the getty songs to create the mood you seek. This has got manual controls to set the transition effects, amount of vocals in the songs you desire to hear, image duration and various mood sliders. If you don’t want to go through all that trouble you can simply use the easy preset wheel

4. Stereomood

Stereomood has a refreshing approach to music making. All the user needs to do is select from over a 100 playlist options, updated daily. Some of the tags are: Melancholy, Optimistic, Bohemian, Untroubled and of course, Space trip. I personally preferred the Work tag as it just made the work day fun. The user interface is really interactive and engaging, however there were a few times the app crashed. A minor glitch in an otherwise great app. Overall it has some great tracks and great ways to find them.

5.TuneIn Radio

This is one of the most trusted internet radio for me. Not only does it help you listen to possibly every single radiocast from music, sports, news, talk, comedy and much more, it also has the biggest library of music genres to listen to. Even the most niche genres have dedicated statios on the service. Find a station which specializes in your genre and you will have an all-night stream. You don’t have to be an enthusiast, you will find something that meets your taste even if you are an average listener just looking for some tunes. At TuneIn, theres a tune for everybody.

April 28, 2014
10 Best Celebrity Instagrams of the Week

This week our news feed was crowded by updates about the IIFA Awards, IPL and inked fingers. Here’s our round up from some of our favourite celebrity Instagrams:

1. Sonankshi Sinha enjoys the lavish life en route to Tampa Bay, Florida for the IIFA awards.

2. Talk about star power. Anil Kapoor and Kevin Spacey mingling at the IIFA awards.

3. Since Kareena Kapoor hasn’t given in to Instagram yet, we follow her stylist Tanya Ghavri to keep tabs on the stunning star.

4. We can always depend on Khloe Kardashian for weekly inspiration.

5.Sonakshi Sinha spent the day with her entourage at Disney World, Florida.

6. But first, let me take a selfie. Virat Kohli sends positive vibes to his 10 million fans.

7. Sorry, she’s not sorry. Mindy Kaling uses her t-shirt to make a statement.

8. Well, atleast someone is excited about the IPL. The elusive Ranbir Kapoor shares a rare picture.

9. We loved the social media trend of sharing freshly inked fingers. Sonam Kapoor does her bit.

10. Justin Bieber being deported from USA was clearly just a rumour. He enjoys a rare sunny day in NYC.

April 28, 2014
Top 5 Tech This Week

Every week the Technology world shows us the reason why we love tech so much. In this ever changing tech world , its almost impossible to stay on top of things. However here is the tech thats worth notice this week.

1. Lytro Illum

When Lytro first introduced their light field camera, it looked and worked like a toy.This time around the company has taken a more serious approach to design and optics, also adding better materials and larger sensors. New software and a new way to click pictures lets users think of Lytro Illum as a more usable camera. Or so the company claims anyway. The Illum is currently on Pre-Order for US $ 1599.

2. The HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 has been launched in India, at a price of Rs. 49,900, an impressive price for an impressive handset. The Qualcom Snapdragon 801 powered HTC One M8is not only snappy on the inside its beautiful on the outside. The HTC One M8 brings Lytro’s tech seen in the camera above into a more usable day to day scenario. The HTC One M8 has a dual camera setup that lets users refocus images, after the fact. Read our review here.

3. The GL 63 AMG

As far as vehicles go the new GL 63 AMG takes the centre stage. Announced to be made available in India for a whopping Rs. 1.66 Crore as the starting price, the new GL 63 5.5-litre V8 BITURBO engine, which develops a peak output of 410 kW along with a torque of 760 Nm. Pure Power Anyone?

4. The LG Curved TV 55EA9800

Its a massive 55 inch TV with an OLED display that is not only curved but also bendable. Costs are upwards of 6 Lakh, but for those looking to set a trend this might just fit in beautifully in your manor. The 1920 x 1080p display is Fully 3D compliant and comes with a Motion eye camera, an Air Mouse capable Remote and 4 3D Glasses. Check out our hands on Unboxing here.

5. Budget : Micromax Canvas Doodle 3

The last spot in this series is taken by Micromax’s new budget entrant. A dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) “phablet” (for lack of a better call sign), the Canvas Doodle 3 is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT6572) processor alongside 512MB of RAM. Runs on Android 4.2 and features a 5 Mp + VGA camera setup. What makes it really exciting is the 6 inch 480×854 pixel display and a price tag of Rs. 8200.

April 23, 2014

LG Curved OLED TV 55EA9800 Unboxed!

LG’s new Curved OLED TV 55EA9800 is the world’s first curved TV, but it does not just stop there, it also is very flexible and durable. The design of the TV is out of the future, it is very slim, the profile is just exquisite and the curve may as well accentuate the actual viewing experience, but only if you sit dead centre.

Check out the Video above and the detailed specifications below.

LG 55EA9800 Specifications

Display

Screen Size(Inches)	55
Type of Television	OLED

Picture Features

Resolution(Pixels)	1920 x1080
3D Support	Yes
2D-to-3D Converter	Yes
Picture Processor	Triple XD Engine
Number of Selectable Picture Modes	7 Modes (Vivid,Standard,Eco, Cinema,Game, isf Expert1,isf Expert2)

Audio Features

Selectable Sound Modes	6 Modes (Standard, Music, Cinema, Sport, Game, User setting)

Smart TV Features

Facebook	Yes
Twitter	Yes
Web Browser	Yes

Connectivity

HDMI Input	Yes
USB Port	Yes
Composite Input	Yes
Component Input	Yes
Digital Audio Out (Optical/Coaxial)	1 (Optical)
Wifi	Yes
DLNA Support	Yes

Dimensions

Dimensions (W x D x H)(mm)	1227 x 192 x 798.5 mm
Approximate Net Weight(Kgs)	17.2

More Features

Other Features	Smart Energy Saving – Motion Eco Sensor – External Device App Download – Scheduled Recording – External HDD Recording Support – Network File Browser – Media Link – Voice Recognition – 3D Picture Mode – 3D Sound Zooming – Smart Sound Mode – DTS Decoder – Contrast Optimizer – Dynamic Color Enhancer

After Sales Service

Warranty Period	1 Year

April 23, 2014

Top 5 Apps To Help De-Clutter Your Digital Life

We have so much to thank Smartphones for! They help us keep tabs on our friends, emails, daily events and pictures. If we ever have a random doubt, thanks to 3G, an answer is ready within seconds. Since now we can look up anything, anywhere and at anytime – it has led to the death of debates.

As much as it has made our lives simpler, too many hours are wasted on it as well. At iGyaan, with the million things we do daily, staying on top of the online world is a skill we’ve perfected over time. The aim is to spend the least amount of time scouring through junk and get straight to what’s important. Here are our picks of the top apps which will make you the most digitally organized person around:

Social Media Mania

1. Pixable

After being on Facebook for years, it’s easy to accumulate friends who now hold no significance in your life. You couldn’t care less about who, when and why, the girl you met at a conference in 2008 is getting married to today. Even though unimportant newsfeed annoys us daily, deleting these “friends” is not an option. Here is where Pixable steps in. The app gathers all the pictures shared by your friends, and customizes it to show you only the profiles you choose. It compiles your Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feed, and organizes into sections according to relevance personalized by you. Some of the useful sections include – Top Photos of the Day, New Profile Pics, and Most Recent Photos.

2. Socialgiri

It could be to stay in tune with the entertainment industry or the need to know which teenager James Franco tried to pick up lately on Instagram. We all have specific celebrities we like to keep track of (read: stalk) via social media. There are times when we’ve considered getting rid of the constant updates, but we secretly love being a part of the drama in their lives. This app helps you create a separate timeline solely dedicated to your chosen celebrities, consequently tidying up your Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Socialgiri users can choose from over 500 social media celebrities from Bollywood, Hollywood, music, sports, fashion and politics. So, in a single flow you’ll see Critiano Ronaldo’s tweet about where he’s eating lunch, which would be followed by a perfectly Instagrammed picture of his dish. It also gives you an option to be able to like or comment through any of your three accounts. Available on Android and iOS, it recently launched its iPad Version.

Daily Reading

3. Flipboard

We can’t speak about aggregating feeds without mentioning Flipboard. It is the one-stop destination to stay in clue about what’s happening in the world. You can combine your favourite media portals and search for any news you might be interested in. Its clean interface reminiscent of a print magazine makes this our favourite way to browse through everyday stories. The action of flipping through news pieces, attempts to recreate the experience of physically using a print publication. You can also add your personal networks such as Facebook, Twitter and share stories directly through the app.

4.Pulse

Another one similar to Flipboard is Pulse. Like its competitor it collects and organizes news to suit your needs. Created by Stanford graduates Ankit Gupta and Akshay Kothari, the app got rave reviews for its slick interface. The display is more image-based, making it faster to get through articles. The key feature which gives it an edge above Flipboard is that it can load previously read stories even when you’re stuck without internet.

How To Never Miss An Email

5. Mailbox

This handy app promises to make your inbox light, fast and mobile-friendly. It helps you combine your Gmail, Google Apps and iCloud accounts into one single app. Some of its significant functions which should be utilized: You can snooze emails and get back to them later, mute conversations which aren’t important and it also automates your common actions. The mailbox swiftly recognizes what’s important and what’s not.

April 22, 2014
Moto X Review : The X to Rule Them All
Motorola has finally made its way back into the Indian market and boy has it arrived. After the superbly successful launch of the Moto G in the Indian Market, the company has made available the new Moto X. Does the Moto X have the capability of surviving the Indian market, a market so powerfully taken over by brands in the lower tier and predominantly by companies like Samsung and now Sony. Lets find out!

Overview

The Moto X is the best return a company like Motorola can make. With an massive evolution on design strategies and understanding the importance of a form factor, Motorola showed that they are ready to give the people what they need. The Moto X is built on a Google experience, a pure Android Experience, almost Nexus like, but better. The custom addition and hands free operations only add to the usage capabilities and experience, and while this may be one of the best handsets in the market, has it come at the right time in India, is what one must really ask.

Build, Design and Hardware

Motorola is known for their build quality, with their US specific DROID line up or even with their Moto Defy series of phones, the company has made a mark for their robust hardware. The Moto X is no less, the handset is well built with a great mix of good material and protective design. The bezel raises slightly above the glass on the front to give the front glass protection from direct scratching.

The Moto X is another one of those phones, that even though available in India, does not give us the custom experience it offers users in markets like the US. No you cannot choose between wood finishes and color options, and no you cannot sign your signature and give it a name. The motomaker tool is only for the US and its a pity that the experience could not be brought to India. The Moto X available in 6 color options along with a wood option but no customization.

Hardware wise the Moto X is held up with a Qualcomm MSM8960Pro Snapdragon chipset with a dual core 1.7 GHz CPU, you will also get an Adreno 320 GPU. On the inside is 16 GB storage with a higher price 32 Gb variant and 2GB of RAM as standard. The battery is a 2200 mAh unit and the cameras are 10 MP rear and 2 MP front, both with 1080p video capture.

The front has a 4.7 inch 1280 x 720p AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass, the handset will only accept a single sim card and does not have a removable back panel or micro SD expandability.

Display, Multimedia and Performance

The Moto X is laden with a 4.7 inch AMOLED display, it has great outdoor visibility and good levels of brightness. The display can proudly boast excellent viewing angles and contrast output. The display however does have the blueish tint that we have seen in the past on AMOLED displays.

The X can handle all forms of media, taking into consideration a lower end of the specs spectrum. This will playback full 1080p videos without lag or stutter. The speakerphone is not the best but its pretty loud, and in most cases you will not need additional speakers. The audio output from the 3.5 mm jack is also refined and loud.

The Moto X is designed to run Android, and you will get a device that does exactly that. Even though hardware wise the Moto X is limited to a dual core processor, an average user will not feel the grunt of this. However if you are looking for a peak performer the Moto X will not be the handset you may be looking for.

Most games will work out of the box and almost all will run lag free, over a period of time if you have a lot of applications running you will see a slow down in performance while gaming, and the only way to fix this is to reboot.

Thanks to Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the Moto X has a much lighter version of the Android OS, one that is not very resource hungry, therefore ensuring good stability and smooth usability of the handset.

Camera

The fact that the Moto X has a better than average camera is well known, but its also one of the most accurate to capture color and exposure value. The camera is very snappy, and comes with very little shutter lag. The 10 MP camera will live up to its name in most situations and deliver promising results. The LED flash is not very loud and does not disrupt the color of the image, and may only help in low light conditions and not complete utter darkness.

Video is shot in Full HD at 30fps with stereo sound and HDR capabilities. Video capture is impressive with stable lag free video along with precise color monitoring and audio capture.

HandsFree Operation

In India, the training phrase is “Ok Google Now” and it allows you to do almost all imaginable things that a phone should do, from executing searches to calling people and answering phones. Its a feature that allows you to wake up the phone without needing to press any button or physically touch the handset. See our Review video for a full demo.

Essentially its a version of Google Now that’s listening for you to say “Okay Google Now!” so that you can avoid tapping the mic icon.

It also is not the perfect companion, for e.g. you can’t ask for navigations to “a concert” but only to specific addresses. Although the feature can come in handy, we have found many keep it off, purely to save battery and accidental phone calls.

Phone and Battery

Phone networks are stable, and like most phones in this price range the Moto X lacks LTE, not that we need it yet. Audio quality in phone calls is impressive too with crisp sound coming in and going out, with little or no network loss while in conversation.

Battery life is impressive with one day’s use easily available to the owner. Talk time can be rated around 6 hours thanks to the lower end chipset and relatively low power consuming dual core setup.

Conclusion

The Moto X is a beautiful product, delivering an Android experience the way it was designed to be delivered. However, with a recent launch in India, the Moto X is slightly underpowered, over priced and lacks customization, so its really not the same experience as it is for a US Moto X owner.

The phone is however a stable handset and would work as a wonderful gift, to a person who is not a very high end user of a smartphone, or as a first phone to those looking for a “perfect Android experience.” The minute you try and exploit the Moto X for extreme use, you will start to see its incompetencies. It will handle almost anything and everything you can throw at it as long as it does not include the kitchen sink.

[tw-column width=”one-half”]

GOOD THINGS
- Built well
- Good updates
- Super fast and responsive
- Hands free works well
- Great multimedia and camera
- Long lasting battery
[/tw-column]

[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS
- Slightly pricey
- Low on the spec sheet
- Restricted availability
- No customization
[/tw-column]
April 19, 2014
Top 4 Places To Buy T-Shirts Online

The end of every winter always makes us wonder where our summer wardrobe disappeared. Once the jackets and sweaters have been stored away, the empty closet space seems to require replenishment. But let’s face it, when it comes to picking out sartorial choices, life is hard. Depending on the occasion and after combing through our closets that one tough decision needs to be made Every. Single. Day. – what variation of t-shirt and blue jeans should you wear today?

After slogging all week at work, the last thing you want to do is waste your precious weekend braving through overcrowded markets. Luckily a large part of the internet is now a digital mall. Not only is online shopping convenient, but the stores we found sell t-shirts with original designs at amazing prices. We can’t be the only ones sick of mass-produced brands with replicated styles and overused logos. Here’s a list of stores where you can buy cool t-shirts online:

Redwolf
(Price Range: Rs 449 – Rs999)

We’d pick Redwolf as our favorite find. It is an indie clothing brand which we’d solely recommend for its vast collection of expressive t-shirts. Each design is original and the printed quotes are clever. Many of which have popular culture references from Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Big Bang Theory. The t-shirts are 100% cotton fabric; perfect for the sultry season. Follow their Facebook page for discounts and coupons.

Bhane
(Price Range: Rs430- 2900)

The highlight of the Bhane shopping experience is the website itself. The images showcasing the clothes have used Indian faces and real people posing street style-esque, wearing original designs. With a easy and clean layout, their website is a refreshing change from the rest. Bhane promises clothes made with all-natural materials, classic cuts and low prices. One minor setback: when we visited the site, they had only six options to offer for men. We wish their collection wasn’t so limited, but on the other hand, less choices means quicker decisions.

Captain KYSO
(Price Range: Rs 449 – Rs999)

All their designs are “crowd sourced”, which only means that t-shirts on sale have original and exclusive designs licensed from artists and designers all over the world. The idea is to offer buyers t-shirts which reflect a variety of ideas, thoughts, cultures and styles. Each t-shirt description includes information about the artist, including links to their work. If you’re wondering about its strange name – the acronym K.Y.S.O stands for ‘Keep Your Shirt On’. The only complaint we have is that their website layout is messy. Disorganized clothes simply thrown on racks puts off even the biggest shopaholic; the same theory applies for online shoppers.

Koovs
(Price Range: Rs 1100 – 5099)

This online retail store has the largest collection of clothes for men in India. They are a collective store of various brands as well as their in-house Koovs label. Koovs is bang on trend and frequently updates its collections. Like any typical high street label, their stuff is young, hip and cheap. This is the store to visit if you dress to stand out. Koovs also gives you full thirty days to think over your purchase and an option to pay cash on delivery.

April 19, 2014
Gionee Elife S5.5 Review : Slim Awesomesauce

Gionee announced the ELife S5.5 at MWC 2014 and launched it in India early April. For a price of Rs. 22900/- the handset also takes on the moniker of the “Slimmest Phone in the World”. But, does this handset compromise on performance and capability because its slim? Lets find out in our Review !

Overview

The Gionee ELife S5.5 comes only a year after the company started operations in India. With claims to become Top 5 vendor in less than 5 years the company seems to be headed in the right direction. The few handsets in the past have shown us that the company not only focuses on bringing handsets into the market but also ensures that the user experience is good. With previous handsets like the E6 and E7 winning us over the S5.5 shows a great mix of design and performance at a good price.

Build, Design and Hardware

The build quality on the new Elife S5.5 is superb, a perfect mix of Gorilla Glass laden exteriors mixed with a structure based on a hardened aluminum alloy. The buttons are also made from metal, and have a premium and tactile feel. At first it seems that the bezel is flush with the glass but is actually slightly, almost not noticeably, raised, giving the S5.5’s glass design some protection from flat drops.

The frame itself has been designed to release shock and therefore drops should not easily shatter the glass. The phone can take quite some damage and almost show no signs of wear and tear, the frame is metal so expect it to scratch easy.

Design wise the S5.5 is very very good looking, especially in the Gold and White variant. The company has ensured that everyone gets a version they like and the colors should help in that. The phone has a very premium design and the finish on the handset is very rich.

Hardware wise the Gionee Elife S5.5 somehow seems to find a good balance. A Mediatek 6592 chipset with 8 cores clocked at 1.7 GHz a Mali450 MP4 variant GPU, 2 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB storage capacities. The main camera sensor is 13 MP and the front camera sensor is 5 MP both with 1080p capture. Battery is on the low side with just 2300 mAh under the hood, however with the slimness of this device in consideration, its a pretty high value.

UI, Performance and Gaming

The Elife S5.5 comes with Android 4.2.2 out the box with no official word on updates to Android 4.4 aka KitKat. However the highlight of this is the new Amigo 2.0 UI which has been put right on top of Android. Now, unlike skins, it is a rebuild of Android, similar to the likes of Cyanogen and MIUI. The newer Amigo is much faster and more responsive than previous builds. The improvement also translates into installed applications, which include “power booster and performance booster” the two of the most significantly useful preloaded apps till date. The performance booster allows you to ban apps that forcefully startup on powering the handset, therefore considerably improving the free ram and performance of the phone.

The handset is stable and powerful enough to handle daily tasks and also the extremities you might want to expose it to. Heat management is also much more controlled than the competition, possibly because of the lack of a turbo variant of the MT6592 chipset.

Gaming is impressive and lag free in most cases, most games are compatible out of the box and run smooth. Audio could have been louder and we have expressed this in the past. The screen is beautiful and the dimples on top and bottom somehow not only make it look good but also provide adequate grip for holding the device in landscape.

Dimple for grip?

Camera

The big disappointment is that there is no 4k video capture, especially when most companies are moving forward with the same trend. The chipset is very capable, the module of the camera is very capable, the hardware is very capable, the only problem seems to be extra large video files, and the lack of SD card slot may be the biggest reason to blame for the lack of 4K capture.

For the camera, the colors and saturation is near perfect, with no problems with exposure or white balance. Images are crisp and autofocus works really well, even up close. Video is also good with no lag in video capture, it is also worth stressing that the onboard microphone for video is exceptionally good.

The front camera is equally good with 5 MP on the badge, pictures are clear and it works well in low light conditions. If you are a selfie fiend, then this might just be right up your alley.

Phone and Battery

The Gionee Elife S5.5 comes with a globally unlocked 3G capability, so this single sim device will come in handy for the global traveller. However the lack of 4G is really worth a notice, especially considering we are not far away from launch of said services in India (Or so we are made to believe).

The networks are solid and the phone holds its connections mostly throughout the range of the conversation. The inbuilt noise cancellation is good but not comparable to the likes of flagships from Apple and Samsung. Audio coming in and going out is crisp, loud and clear and honestly we really have nothing to complain about in the phone department and thats saying a lot.

Battery life is the most we could expect from this handset, and honestly with the kind of hardware inside, and the lack of a bigger battery we were expecting much less. You will still get a days use of the phone even if you talk upto 5 hours on this and then use it some.

Conclusion

The Gionee Elife S5.5 shows that new players can have great phones, where many Indian counterparts have let us down. Gionee tries to deliver a complete package, a custom UI, a great built device, a good set of hardware along with impressive performance and battery life. All this at a fairly low price when compared to the market value of flagships. However it does let us imagine why things like a microSD card slot are left out, features like 4K video capture and 4G networks are ignored for markets like India. Even if as a higher price option, consumers deserve an option to choose a handset which is more capable. And what about those KitKat updates?, why can we not simply get a handset that runs Android 4.4. out of the box.

The Elife S5.5 impressed us, now if the company can roll out a KitKat update consider us sold. The color options, the impressive build quality, and great hardware are just the beginning, the UI is good and so is the overall experience. There are other options in the market, the Moto X delivers faster updates handsets from Samsung and Sony also now belong in this category. Honestly the Elife S5.5 deserves a chance because it sort of sits above the rest, sort of!

April 18, 2014
Top 4 Apps To Download This IPL Season

The Pepsi IPL 2014 flagged off in Abu Dhabi with a grand ceremony. It had everything worthy of a typical flashy IPL event – beautiful fireworks, Sunil Gavaskar delivering a passionate speech against corruption in cricket (ahem ahem), and of course, performances by Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone providing some Bollywood masala. Since most of the matches are being played abroad, this season the level of excitement in India has been comparatively low. But as the tournament progresses, slowly and steadily everyone is bound to catch a slight IPL fever.

There is no dearth of cricket applications online, infact the myriad of choices available are overwhelming. However, upon closer inspection we found most were copies of each other. Hence we decided to scour through the options and list out a few you must download:

Divided By Teams, United By Cricinfo

For every fan of the sport, the first one to download is The ESPNCricinfo Cricket App. This useful application gives you all the information you need to stay on top of the game. Some of the useful tabs include match schedules, results, points, latest news, graphs, player profiles, videos, team member descriptions and general team information. It’s a one-stop app for all sorts of cricket requirements. The most handy feature would be the option of live game coverage with ball by ball commentary. Its glossary section gives in-depth description about each of the players, which includes the matches they’ve won in the past, and their personal score of number of runs and wickets. If you want to keep up with the happenings of the IPL, this app is the simplest way to go to.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

From day one, IPL has been more about the drama and excitement than about enjoying a true game of cricket. So it isn’t surprising that every season we feel the keen pain of being deprived of the thrill of some harmless betting. Maybe it’s a fruitless attempt to keep the IPL clean, but recently there has been a surge in the number of legal betting websites and apps. They use points or virtual money to attract gamblers. The Big Toss: Cricket app is the one we’d place our bet on. Upon registering, you are awarded 1000 karma points, and a further 100 for every team you select as a favourite. What we liked best about it was that you can “virtually” bet on anything – from who the winner might be or the expected number of runs taken in the first over. You’re then on your own to maintain your karma points. Also, go ahead and have a look at the forum created for news. The Big Toss links you to articles written all over the world. Cricinfo, Pakistan Observer, Deccan Herald and many more are listed under the same forum.

East or West, IPL is the Best?

And the award for the strangest IPL app goes to ‘The Loudest Cheer’. Blogmint launched this app in an attempt to make the Indian audience feel closer to those matches taking place in foreign countries. Its basic function is to help the audience cheer every time their favourite team scores. Audio cheers are available under the following categories – Ace Catch, Great Shot, Great Run, Ace 4, Ultra 6 and Big Wicket. The app also allows users to create their audio or video cheer that will be showcased on digital channels such as YouTube. By numbering up on cheers, participants can win prizes.

Let’s Make it Official

Anticipating interest this season, most of the teams have launched their official apps just in time. If you’re an avid fan of a specific team or player then these apps are made for you. Using the Kolkatta Knight Riders one as an example: you can use it to set up alerts solely for KKR matches and track their team activity. Furthermore, you can even customize it to follow one single (knight) player. The feature we’d vouch for, is the tab that integrates their different social media feeds, combing twitter and facebook updates and bringing them to one single portal.

April 17, 2014

The HTC One M8 Review

HTC’s latest One the M8 has caused a stir and then some in the smartphone market, but does it really have what it needs to make the cut for a flagship smartphone. Lets find out in our review!

Overview

HTC has done some great things with a revision of their flagship phone, the original one, which was also voted and won “the phone of the year” award many a times last year and at MWC 2014 this year. Holding up to that mark may have been difficult but it looks like HTC might have a real winner here.

Build Quality

Three words ; 90 percent metal, thats all it takes to describe the new HTC One M8. Versus the outgoing One, which had 70% metal and then some polycarbonate. The One M8 has a 90 percent metal single shell thats not only strong, but uses the most extreme machining processes to make it curve to front of the handset in the most beautiful manner. The build is much more solid than the previous version and actually holds up pretty well against drops.

The HTC One M8 is also splash proof, why no one talks about it is because they don’t want you splashing water on your phone. If you do accidentally spill coffee or milk (if thats your thing) the phone should survive. The front has a Gorilla Glass 3, which means that it has better visibility, strength and scratch resistance than the M7, which held up pretty well in all of the three aspects.

Hardware

HTC has stuffed in the best of the hardware into the new HTC One M8 barring a few things, including a larger mega pixel camera and 4 k capture.

OS	Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Display	5.0 inch Super LCD3
Resolution	1920 x 1080px (441 ppi)
Height Width Thickness	146.4 mm 70.6 mm 9.4 mm
Weight	160 grams
Processor	Snapdragon 801 chipset Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400
GPU	Adreno 330
RAM	2GB
Storage	16GB/32GB
microSD card slot	Yes, up to 128GB
Primary camera	Dual 4 MP, 2688×1520 pixels
Front camera	5 MP 1080p@30fps
Battery	Li-Po 2600 mAh
Battery life	Standby: 496 hours 3G talk:20 hours
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0 LE with A2DP
Network	Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad-band UMTS/HSPA LTE support, LTE-Advanced
NFC	Yes
Speakers	Stereo
Distinctive features	• Dual UltraPixel cameras • Aluminum body design • Front-facing BoomSound

Display and Multimedia

Are you ready for BoomSound? This phone is loud, louder than you can expect, much more than you can imagine those tiny speakers to be. Seldom would you ask for additional speakers if you alone use this phone. The sound quality is crisp and not tinny at all, mids are clearly balanced and highs are placed well, larger sound cavities (25% larger) ensure better bass.

The display is impressive too, most would ask for a 2k or a 4k display in a 2014 flagship, but honestly one can’t complain. The HTC One M8 has a gorgeous 5 inch 1920 x 1080p LCD 3 (441ppi = 100 more than the eye can see) display with excellent brightness, accurate and vivid color and impeccable viewing angles. The display is great indoors and out with a extra sensitive touch which will work through most gloves (even though HTC doesn’t say it will).

If you plan to watch movies on this device, you will thoroughly enjoy that activity. the perfect mix of great viewing angles and excellent sound make the HTC One M8 a brilliant consumption device.

Software and UI

The HTC One comes with Sense 6.0 and Android 4.4.2 out of the box. The new version of Sense is a highly refined version of Sense 5.0, the interface is clean and more minimal. The icons are free looking and more defined and modern, while the Blinkfeed UI is bolder and more aligned with the vertical flow.

The new Blinkfeed is highly customizable, with the ability to select your own feeds and inputs the new feed allows you to sort and stream from sources and topics of interest. The fact that you can search for “cat whiskers” and add it as a feed so that whenever anyone in the world talks about them you will see an update in your feed.

It is one of the most mature UI updates we have seen in a while.

HTC has mostly kept it simple with the software customizations to ensure the smoothness of the operational usage. It is one of the most mature UI updates we have seen in a while. Not that it is completely stripped, you still get a customizable notification panel, HTC keyboard, themes and color options and a whole flurry of wallpapers and sounds. You can still change the grid size of the app drawer and sort it as per your own needs. You also get features like the car mode, and this brilliant ultra power saving mode that will run the device for up to another 20 hours on very low battery power.

Camera

What HTC has here is possibly the future of smartphone camera technology. While smartphones are getting compacter and thinner by the day the need of a high end camera in a phone is going up. With almost everyone using their smartphones as their primary camera manufacturers are struggling to find the right balance.

The camera on the HTC One M8 could be an answer to a more deeper problem in the industry. The combination of the two sensors, a primary 4 “Ultrapixel” sensor and a secondary 4 “ultrapixel” depth sensor work together to make you believe that the image you clicked is actually higher end than it is.

Hokum, thats what it is!

Hokum, thats what it is! But at that very level of picture taking capability, it gives users that extra oomph in the image before they basically crush it and post it on Instagram. Yes it works and it looks decently good.

HTC has however gone one step further and made the API of the camera available to debs who might be able to give you applications that HTC could not, what the capability lacks is truly good software to work with the hardware to enable great pictures, maybe even oversampling to get larger images ? who knows?

Phone and Battery

We would like to assume that HTC will stick to their word and launch a 4G/LTE enabled handsets in India. This would make this the first flagship to feature LTE connectivity, also almost all bands will be unlocked making this a world LTE phone, a boon for travelers. HTC will also launch a dual sim version, in fact the company designed the phone to be a dual sim phone, as it clearly shows in the sim tray.

Phone call quality is very impressive, especially considering its a 90% metal phone. Audio is crisp and clear with no problems even when there is a tower switch : Impressive!

Battery life is exceptional, and HTC has managed to ensure that the phone does not dissipate heat, in fact in weeks of usage we have not noticed the device get hot at all.

Talk Time 3G : 5 Hours
Talk Time 2G : 5.5 hours
Standby : 2 days
Recharge Required : Once daily
Ultra Power Saving Mode : adds 20 hours to 20 % battery life

Accessories

A worth mention here is the new DOT case, which shows how involved HTC has become in developing good accessories for their handsets. The HTC One has a simple flip case, which matured into a battery flip for the HTC One Max, and now this beautiful Dot Case, that is not only meant for design , but is actually very functional.

Conclusion

HTC has done what nobody expected, while everyone was hoping for a major change in handset design , HTC has improved on their last years winning design. They have also managed to not only make the phone better but also resolve the supply issues they faced with the original One. The first phone in a long time to be launched and made available at the same time is also the phone which has impressed out from out of the box to the usage place.

In the time we have used it, we honestly have nothing to complain about, except possibly the lack of a better simple camera. The dual focus mode is a lot of fun and easy to use, it becomes a daily driver. A better quality camera would have made this experience better and we might see it in the M9 ( not to be confused with a Leica M9, even though that has a marvelous picture taking capability).

HTC has made a mature decision, and made a phone that not only handles everything you throw at it, it looks good doing it. The phone balances perfectly in form, design and performance and will satiate almost every who buys this. HTC has already pushed the handset out with 4.4.2 and promises almost instant UI updates. The new Blinkfeed interface is a great improvement and the overall handset seems very well refined.

NOTE : The HTC One has been launched in India for Rs. 49,900 and will be a available for purchase 8th May. This review was revised to reflect the new price.

[product id=”83010″ sku=””]

[tw-column width=”one-half”]

GOOD THINGS

Excellent build
90% metal
Camera has potential
Great UI
Fast and responsive
Good battery

[/tw-column]

[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS

U-focus not refined
No 4k video capture
Same resolution display

[/tw-column]

April 16, 2014

5 Things you should know about the HTC One M8

HTC’s recently launched the new One aka M8, which could possibly be the sole reason that the company struck a profit this quarter. Despite its instant availability and fanfare around the launch, here are a few things that you really must know about the HTC One M8. (Especially if you didn’t already know them)

1. Build Quality :

Carving a phone structure out of a single block of metal is now really old news, and especially after Apple’s iPhone 4 and iPad, this process was repeated time and again. The HTC One M8 takes the candy bar form factor to the next level. The M8 has been punched out of a single sheet of metal alloy, that not only covers the back of the phone, but also curves around to the front. Anyone who has worked with metal would know what a difficult process this is, even with todays available technology.

2. Hardware

Last year, when HTC launched the HTC One, they decided to stick it with an underpowered chipset, the Snapdragon 600, even though a better and more powerful snapdragon 800 was available. This time around however, HTC has thrown in the best of the lot, the Snapdragon 801 which puts it right up there with the competition.

3. Camera

Even though it feels under-rated the M8 has possibly the most advanced camera on a Smartphone today. Sure you have the Lumia 1020 and the Xperia Z series phones with their high MP camera shots. The HTC One M8 takes the focus selection to another level al together. It’s excellent in low light and even though their software is relatively amateur the use of the hardware in the future may do wonders. The fact that the company has opened the dual camera API to developers means that the hardware may be put to excellent use in third party apps.

4. New Sense

Although Sense 6.0 looks like a minor change on Sense 5.0 its a whole new world in there, the UI functionality has been improved, nifty shortcuts and good looking icons make a world of a difference. Quick launches from the lock screen make it really usable and exciting. Overall HTC has managed to give an exciting new look to something which used looked really bland to us, make it fast, responsive and more functional.

5. Awesome First Party Accessories

HTC did it with the HTC One Max when they launched the extended battery case, they basically proved to us that they can make excellent accessories for their own devices. They have done it again with the HTC One M8 and the Dot View case. This case itself deserves an award for how simple and noble the idea behind it is. it gives protection and functionality to the phone. thanks to the touch sensitive design it gives you the ability to use the phone with the cover still on. Simply Genius!

One Max Battery Case

Unboxing and Hands On

April 9, 2014
Hands On: Gionee ELife S5.5 Slimmest phone in the World

The Slimmest Phone in the world moniker goes to the Gionee E Life S5.5, but it does impress us in other domains as well.

Gionee held a mega event in India and launched the slimmest phone in the world. The company launched a smartphone that is only 5.5 mm thick or should we say 5.5 mm thin. The Gionee Elife S 5.5 was globally launched at MWC 2014 where the company showed off a pre build version of the device. The final version meant for India will be available for purchase starting April 27th for a price of Rs 22900 .

First Impressions

The Elife S 5.5 does not only seem to aim to be the slimmest phone by any means necessary, it actually impresses in many other domains. The handset is superbly well built with a great mix of metal and glass, with the later taking care of the front and back of the handset.

[quote text_size=”small”]5.5 mm is about as slim as we can take[/quote]

Honestly 5.5 mm is about as slim as we can take, any slimmer and a smartphone will become uncomfortable. The ELife S 5.5 despite its metal and glass appearance manages to not be very sharp at the edges. The S 5.5 has rounded off edges at the back to give it a more tapered design making it more easily handle able and pocketable.

Hardware on the Elife S5.5 is on the up side as well, with a true octacore Mediatek chipset clocked sat 1.7 GHz, no its not the turbo version seen on the Micromax Canvas Knight, but it is the same chipset sans turbo of course. You also get 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB Storage, with a 13.0MP AF +5.0MP camera combination both with wide angle lenses and 1080 p video capture.

Gionee has come leaps and bounds in terms of the user interface, the new Amigo 2.0 is not only faster and more responsive it also looks a lot better and has interesting elements which were earlier missing from the UI. The new themes and colors option along with smoother transitions and good looking animations make the S 5.5 slim smartphone look and behave the part of being a smooth operator (pun intended)

The battery life also seems to have come really far on the new S 5.5 with the handset doing much more with less drainage. One thing the unit lacks is LTE capability, however our country mostly lacks that too so can’t really complain.

The handset turns out to be a beautiful mix of design, looks and capability for an impressive price, however only extended testing will reveal the true outcome.

[quote text_size=”small”]Beautiful mix of design, looks and capability for an impressive price[/quote]

Stay tuned for our hands on video.

April 5, 2014