Category: Lifestyle

The Best 4 Websites to Showcase Your Creative Talent

If you are a serious artist, you may have a website for your artwork, but how much traffic are you really able to grab online? In my opinion, it is not a great option until to you are modern day Picasso. Furthermore, coding a website is tricky and time-consuming. You’d rather use those hours to concentrate on your work.

The best option is to sign up to one of these ready-made websites that provide you a platform to showcase your artwork. These websites charge you little or nothing and some of them even allow you to sell it to a global audience. Moreover, you get to interact with an enormous community of worldwide artists and get their feedback. Here is a list of our favorite four:

1. ISSUU

If you are into writing articles, this the best website you can go to. Issuu is the fastest growing digital publishing platform in the world. It is a community of millions of avid readers who use this website to read the free publications created by enthusiastic young writers from all over the globe. They cover a top of topics: fashion, lifestyle, art, sports and global affairs are just a few of them. You can publish anything that you want for free. The website also provides you with the option of a premium account where you can customize your magazine layout.

2. Touchtalent

Touchtalent is a community of art lovers, art buyers and artists. Touchtalent is the perfect if you are a painter or a poet. They provide you with an interactive interface and an option of creating a digital portfolio. You also can get connecting with art lovers and buyers to sell your artwork. It is heavily based on the social media, and you can share your artworks in different social networking websites very easily through Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc.You can also use their Go-pro option for $60 a year. It provides you extra perks like unlimited uploads and personal messaging.

3. deviantART

devianART is probably the most famous websites on this list. It is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. DeviantArt aims to provide a platform for any artist to exhibit and discuss pieces of work. The Works of artists are organized in a comprehensive category structure, including photography, digital art, traditional art, literature, etc. deviantART is totally free and enables you to build a strong fanbase. It also has a section called deviantART shop where you can sell your work.

4.Behance

Behance is a leading online platform to showcase and discover creative work. Introduced by Adobe in 2006 this website provides you with a platform to update your creative work in one place and broadcast it widely and efficiently. Through which companies explore the work and access talent on a global scale. Their Motto is: To empower the creative world to make ideas happen.

June 24, 2014
Nike Finally Makes Nike+ Fuelband App for Android

Nike has finally answered millions of Android owners demands by making the Nike+ Fuelband App now available on Android OS.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Stefan Olander- Nike” link=”http://nikeinc.com/news/nike-fuelband-app-for-android-now-available#/inline/30666″]

With 30 million users, NikeFuel is rapidly becoming the universal measure of activity. Now, with the launch of the Nike+ FuelBand App for Android we’re delighted to help even more athletes get better, This is another important step in the continued growth of our powerful ecosystem of digital products and services.

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Just like the iOS app, the Fuelband app on Android communicates with the fitness band via Bluetooth and syncs up your information. Any Android phone running Android 4.3 and UP and Bluetooth LE support can download and run this app, right now that list includes the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One, Nexus 5 and the Moto X.

So if you were waiting to get your hands on the fuel band and the Android device in your pocket was the only hurdle, you might want to get to it. Now should we wait for the Windows Phone variant?

The app will monitor the same activity, and users can sign in using their Nike accounts or Facebook Logins, once you have your Fuelband registered to your account all you need to do is log-in from the same account to get up and running. Some of the features highlighted by Nike:

NikeFuel Daily Goal – Create a goal, edit and view progress toward that goal.

Sessions – Track deliberate periods of movement, such as workouts and games, by starting and ending a Session on the Nike+ FuelBand SE. Review session data afterward for a focused analysis of movement. Users can calibrate and share sessions via Nikeplus.com.

Move Reminders and Win The Hour – Users can set up Move Reminders on their Nike+ FuelBand SE so they will remember to get moving for five minutes out of every hour. The Nike+ FuelBand App allows users to track their success with Win The Hour stats.

NikeFuel Leaderboards – Compare data with friends and the community by using Nike+ Friends and the NikeFuel community.

Activity and Session History – Analyze past activity data to see progress and patterns.

NikeFuel Daily Goal Recognition – When a goal is achieved, an onscreen celebration will appear.

Automatic Syncing – Bluetooth LE seamlessly syncs Nike+ FuelBand data to a compatible Android handset.

Profile and Settings – View and edit Nike+ account information and Nike+ FuelBand SE device settings on the app.

June 18, 2014
AirDog and HEXO+ : These Flying Puppies Follow you Everywhere

Go-Pro’s and Drone technology has made it super easy for regular or professional adventure sports enthusiasts to film incredible footage. Now two campaigns on Kickstarter are seeking pledges towards making a Personal Autonomous Drone. These Drones are programmed to track the subject continually without any pilot directing it. It can take the Go-Pro experience to a whole new level.

AirDog:

In the first glance, it would just appear like a plastic kids toy. But once you power it on, you will have a kickass drone which will follow you while you do some badass stunts. The device is portable and sturdy. The makers claim that the AirDog can face any challenge, like pelting rain, freezing temps, massive waves. Basically, it’s unstoppable.

The Craft is controlled by the AIRLEASH (aptly named) which is a wrist worn controller which tells the AIRDOG where the person it is filming is. All the user needs to adjust their altitude and distance preferences and press “Take off,” they are good to go. The drone performs in-flight calculations to correct its flying pattern, and points the camera at the user wearing AirLeash. The AirLeash is waterproof so you can easily take it into a wave.

AirDog uses a Physical tracker and smartphone to exactly map the subject

It gives a lot smoother aerial shots than a remote operated drone. It uses a Go-Pro camera on 2-axis Gyro stabilized gimbal so you can be rest assured of the footage quality. When not using it like a drone, fold it up, and you have a Steadicam.

If you are a control freak and don’t prefer a fully automatic, there is also an optional manual remote control. You can also use a combination of Auto and Manual modes to get that perfect shot. The drone uses GPS signals to map out its environment thereby preventing itself from running into trees and other obstacles.

The bundled in smartphone app provides professional adjustments to the flight path of the Drone. The app can be used from the iPhone as well as an Android phone. With it, you can control the distance, height, and angle.

You don’t even need to worry about running out of battery mid shoot and falling off grid into unreachable spots. The craft finds its way back to the takeoff spot and lands there. The landing is completely automatic.

Specs of the AirDog:
•    Durable and weather resistant construction
•    10-20 minutes flight time depending on flight speed
•    Interchangeable 14.8 V, 4000mAh, LiPo batteries
•    Wind resistance up to 28 knots (14 m/s)
•    Top speed, 40 mph (software limited)
•    AirLeash range up to 1000 feet (300m)
•    Operational ceiling, 3000 meters above sea level
•    Weight 3.08 lbs (1.4 kg). 3.96 lbs (1.8 kg) with battery

AirDog is attracting a lot of attention on Kickstarter, as in the morning the project had 15 backers but by the time of posting it had reached 166. It also reached halfway to its target of USD $ 200,000/- standing at $120,000 with 39 more days to go.

HEXO+:

The Hexo+ looks more like a full-fledged professional camera drone with 6 propellers. It is controlled using a smartphone app. Unlike the AirDog there is no wearable tracker (AirLeash), which might be the biggest issue with it.

Hexo uses the app to find subject

It is faster that the AirDog as its top speed is at 70 Kilometers per hour for the duration of 15 minutes. HEXO+ could therefore be beneficial for high speed sports enthusiast like Skiers, mountain bikers, snowboarders and motocross athletes.

This project has also received massive support as it stood at above a whooping $300,000 of its pledging goal of $50,000 with 29 more days to go. One of the reasons for this surge is that they have promised to deliver live video feedback if they crossed $250,000.

Armed with GPS sensors and command module in the smart phone, the drone is capable of constant, totally autonomous following of its subject. A smartphone dependency of the Hexo+ to communicate might cause it some issues. They use the MAVLINK protocol which helps to smoothen the communication between the phone, the drone and the camera gimbal.

The Drone constantly tracks subject using GPS, Sensors and mobile App

Specs of the HEXO+:
General
• Dimensions: 62 x 52 x 12 cm
•Total weight: 980 g – 2.2 lbs Drone
•Hexacopter design with 30° tilt propellers
• Speed range: up to 70 kmh – 45mph
•Flight time: 15 min with 3S battery, gimbal and GoPro attached
Flight controller
• Filming distance range: up to 50 meters
•Auto take-off and auto landing
• Trajectory anticipation
•Video target locking*
•GPS + onboard sensor position tracking
•Processor with MAVLINK protocol
Gimbal
• High performance 2D brushless gimbal
• Easy attach/detach from drone body for transportation
• GoPro mount

Both these products look promising and will probably start a whole new revolution in action sport shooting like the Go-Pro did. It is also great for athletes who want to observe and review their performance. With the serious interest shown by Kickstarter backers for both these projects, it’s evident that pretty soon we can see them flying all over the place.

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June 17, 2014
Barclays Introduces Wearable Credit Cards

The horror of losing our credit card haunts us every day. If you are anything like me, you surely have lost your credit cards number of times. The aftermath is even terrible with tedious process of form-filling and standing in long lines to apply for a new one. Well, Barclays, the London-based multinational banking and financial services company, found a solution for that. A wireless wearable device that can act as your virtual wallet and give cashless transactions a boost.

Called the bPay band, it is a part of a revolution where wearable technology will allow consumers to pay for a variety of services, such as coffee, travel and even gym memberships, with the single swipe of an arm.

Barclays’ bands are efficiently laden with money by users from their bank accounts, which can then be used for little purchases up to a single transaction value of £20 by swiping them over a pay point. The new bands are rubberized, waterproof and enclose a computer chip and micro-aerial to correspond with transaction terminals. Wearable 24 hours a day, bPay bands operate faster than usual plastic cards as they don’t require a four-digit pin.

The bPay bands have been already used at public events such as London Pride, where they were used to get entry and buy food and drink. The company is planing to bring the bands to the mainstream so that they can be used at 300,000 terminals and incoffee shops and newsagents , that already work with contactless debit cards.

The company is still working with various retailers, merchants and consumers for the greater acceptance of the technology. Company website mentioned that, it will be possible to pay for journeys on all buses, tubes and trains inside London by swiping bPay bands across terminals from later this year.

June 11, 2014
Top Tech-Toys For a Perfect Father’s Day Gift
Father’s Day is only a couple of days away, so this should act as the perfect reminder. If you aren’t already, then you really should be thinking about what to gift your father this year. If your dad is as tech-savvy as mine, you have come to the right place. Gifting your dad a gadget is a great idea especially when he loves his tech-toys more than anything. So,we have come up with a list of gadgets that cover all budgets and which make for excellent gifts for your dad this Father’s day.

Smartphones

Smartphones are an essentials these day, be it a house wife or student or your dad, everyone depends on their smartphones. Gifting one is a great idea but which one? If you’re willing to empty your pockets, then there is a range of Smartphones. Click on the links and read our full reviews.
- HTC Desire 816: The HTC Desire 816 is a good mix of looks, brain and brawn. It’s powerful processor and beautiful screen will make it your dad’s best gadget. Price- INR 25,000 (approx)
- Gionee Elife S5.5: If your dad goed for looks than performance, then the Slimmest Phone in the world will be a perfect gift for your father. It is a decent phone with exceptionally good look. Price- INR 20,000 (approx)
- HTC One M8: It’s metal and splash proof body is perfect if your dad is little clumsy and seems to destroy every piece of hardware he owns. Price- INR 46,000 (approx)
- Galaxy S5: It has water and dust resistant body and rocking two Quad Core processors, making it one of the best buys. Price- INR 38,000 (approx)
And if your budget doesn’t allow you to spend a lot, you can also gift him smartphones which fall under under Rs15,000
- Moto E It is the one of the best budget phone available in market. It comes with a wide range of colored back panels options. At the price, it is so awesome that you can always have this one as a backup phone. But it is one of the fastest selling phone in India, so hurry up! Price- 7,000 (approx)
- Moto G Another Motorola budget phone with best features in it’s segment. The phone have everything for a professional dad. In fact it is the most bang for buck phone out there. Price- INR 12,500 (approx)
Cameras

If your dad is a photography enthusiast then what is a better gift than a camera. If not then you can encourage him to take up photography by gifting him one, it will be a hobby which will relieve him from his daily stress. Check out our of list best pocket camera that are worth gifting you dad on Father’s day. We’ve picked the best onen available in the market these days. Some of them maybe be a little pricey but the quality is incomparable.

Tablet

Add tablet to your dad’s gadget collection, your dad would love you for it. Gift him the best tablet available in market and that, without any doubt, is Apple’s iPad. Apple provides you with various variants of iPad like Retina display, iPad Air and iPad mini.
June 11, 2014
Google Plans to Cover Earth in an Internet Blanket

Google is planning to launch 180 small satellites which will provide access to the two thirds of human population which still doesn’t have access to the internet.

The project will be organized in collaboration with Dutch satellite start-up O3b Networks Ltd. Its founder Greg Wyler is at the helm of this project. The project cost is being estimated to be around a billion dollars.

O3b has already launched satellite orbiters, 4 satellites in 2013 and they’re going to launch 4 more this year. The intention is to bring High Speed Broadband connectivity to rural areas. It plans to create a constellation of satellites with Google’s assistance.

Google will make a constellation of satellites for affordable internet for all

These orbiters will be much more efficient as they orbit the planet at a lower altitude in comparison to the conventional satellite. Geostationary communications satellites fly at 36000kms from the surface whereas O3b satellites will fly at about 9000kms. As they have a low altitude, the data delay from one round-trip between the station and the satellite will also be decreases from an average of 638 milliseconds to less than 150 milliseconds.

This will be an extension of Google’s ambitious Project Loon. The ingenious project has Solar powered ballons flying at the height of about 20 kms from the surface. They use stratospheric winds for navigation for both sides of the equator. Check out this video to see how it’s done:

Apart from this, there are high hopes from Google’s acquisition of Titan Aerospace. The company is the inventor of the Solora 50, a solar powered drone which can be used for bettering telecom services around the world. The drone is massive; it has a wingspan of 50 meters and is 15 meters in length and can cruise at speeds of 104 kilometers an hour.

Google Acquired Titan Aerospace for the Drone technology

It is not just Google that is investing heavily in the broadband access business. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with his internet.org initiative wants to achieve something similar. According to him, the internet is a basic human right and we couldn’t agree more.

But the intentions of these major corporations are seen by some as self-serving philanthropy. After all Google and Facebook’s entire business is based on how many people are connected to the internet. There are still 4 billion people who don’t access the internet. Think about the vast amounts of profits to be made.

Even if they are self-interested ventures, these companies will be doing a lot of good for the people around the world. They internet has become an inseperable utility of our present culture. By connecting more people to this massive network would lead to more dialogue between the people of the world which will lead to better understanding.

June 7, 2014
Gotta Keep Innovating! We Love How Coke Thinks

You may not know this, but Coca-Cola is damn serious about recycling more packaging than they use.

The ‘2nd lives’ campaign with tag line, “What if empty Coke bottles were never thrown away?”, shows that instead of getting rid of plastic bottles, we can use them in different fun ways. The video was a refreshing change to see them make an effort to encourage upcycling plastic in Vietnam. They’ve developed interesting cap attachments that convert discarded bottles into bubble-makers, soap dispensers, paint brushes, water guns, pencil sharpeners, etc.

The campaign created with the help of Ogilvy & Mather China, promised that Coke will give away 40,000 of these modified caps, which come in 16 different varieties, in Vietnam. The last line hinting that they’d start rolling them out in the rest of Asia as well.

The only question we have is, “when are they going to start giving these away in India?”

June 6, 2014
Future Meets Reality? A Day Made Of Glass

First seen in 2011, this five-minute video shows a day-in-the-life of a family in the future to exhibit how a speciality glass may deliver astonishing benefits to daily products. From organizing your to-do list with a few touches on the bathroom mirror to altering the look of a car dashboard with a quick flick of your finger, or reading a classic novel on a thin piece of flexible glass – the video depicts a world of mobile communication and connection.

For more than 160 years, Corning has applied its skill in glass science to help enable the breakthroughs that have revolutionized our modern world, such as, Thomas Edison’s light bulb, glass windows for all U.S.-manned space flights, and the world’s first low-loss optical fiber for telecommunications networks. This track record for modernization continues today through Corning’s stanch pledge to research, a passion for glass, and their vision for the future.

The “A Day Made of Glass” video captured the imagination of millions on YouTube and was expanded in 2012 with Corning’s release of “A Day Made of Glass 2.” Set on the same day, this video takes a new journey with the same family, while extending the possibilities of glass into the hospital, classroom, and home of the future.

Today, the “A Day Made of Glass” series continues to grow, including new videos, an educational program, and a recently launched microsite. Visit the new microsite that features all of Corning’s “A Day Made of Glass” videos and content related to the company’s vision, including learning tools, feature stories, and FAQs on the video series.

It would be a stretch to label everything in these videos as digital signage, but the technologies they represent are so obviously cross-applicable that we might as well start getting ready for a world where digital signage isn’t just digital out-of-home, but digital in-home as well.

May 30, 2014
5 Apps You Should Hit to Get Fit

Your health is in your hands. Seriously, it’s right there—or it can be, in the form of flashy petite apps downloaded to your smartphone. But with so many options to select from, it can be hard to know which apps really facilitate desirable results. At a time when storage space is dear and your vigor even more so, we’ve hand-selected fitness apps and games intended to help you facilitate a healthier you. Here is to using our phones to get fit!

Fitness Point Pro: Is a simple app, made for gym rats who are dedicated to follow a fitness regime. A paid app, this would a super cheap replacement of your trainer. By downloading the app, you get access to a database full of exercises as well as a detailed description of each exercise with animation. The animations being the main selling point.They ensure you follow exercises correctly, steering clear of injuries. This app also encourages you to create new workouts, as well as suggests combinations. And you receive a calendar view of each and every log, not to mention both day and month views for training and exercises.

Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout App: This app is one of most user-friendly app you would ever use – it has 36 exercises, 13 pre-designed workouts, and a custom workout feature to help you design your own 7-minute workout. You can choose the length of rest intervals, the number of times you want to run through a particular circuit, and tunes from your personal music library to further personalize your session. And with audio and visual instruction, you’re sure to get in a good workout anywhere there’s a floor, wall, and a chair.

Zombies, Run! 5K Trainer: This app is one of my favorite app in this list, nothing related to it’s name. Okay, we’re lying. The app works exactly the way it reads. Can you think of any better way to train for that 5K than to flee from hordes of zombies? Part interactive horror flick, part personal trainer, this app guides you through interval training while involving you in an apocalyptic story through which you’re meant to save humanity over the course of eight weeks. It’s a great way to keep yourself motivated, while having a little flesh-eating fun on your way to a win.

Cody: This one uses a strong social element to motivate its users to stay fit. Why do get fit alone when you can get fit with friends? Cody offers users inside connections to a fitness community where they can share and discover workouts (complete with video, photo, and text instructions) by following new and old friends. Users get their own cheering section! Friends can like and comment on each other’s workout activity. Cody also allows users to track their progress via a timeline packed with stats and highlights.

Fitocracy Macros: It’s way more than just a regular calorie-counting app. Fitocracy Macros tracks the calories you take in from macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs). This macro-centered strategy is supposed to help prevent the low energy, hunger, and crankiness that other diets cause. Plug in your stats, body type, fit goal, and you’re set! The only downside is that you’ll have to research how many calories are actually in the macros you munch on, but that aside, it’s a simple and easy app that helps you reach your dieting goals.

May 26, 2014
New Milestone Unlocked: Creating Matter from Light

Physicists at Imperial College London have created a new milestone for Human civilization. They have just proved that light can be molded into matter, something nobody before now thought was possible to recreate in the laboratory. Physicists have for long wondered about the possibilities of creating matter from light and this development brings us a lot closer.

The experiment is yet to be done, but it has passed peer review as practical and the inventors are in discussions with experimentalists about the equipment to carry it out. These are exciting times because it has been accepted for 80 years that two photons of light could theoretically create matter, but there has never been demonstrable evidence yet.

In 1934 Gregory Breit and John Wheeler proposed that, under the right circumstances, two photons of light would convert into an electron and the positron(the antimatter equivalent).

Even if this theory was universally accepted by physicists to be true, when Breit and Wheeler first proposed it, they said that they never expected it to be shown in the laboratory. The scientific evolution of today makes it easier to prove the theory now.

The proposal is fairly simple in scientific terms. Professor Steve Rose and his Phd student Oliver Pike have designed the model on which the tests can be done. Their paper in Nature Photonics proposes a two-step process. High intensity lasers would be used to push electrons until they are traveling close to the speed of light, directing them towards a slab of gold. The scientists then would fire a high-energy laser at the inner surface of this gold can called hohlraum, to create a thermal radiation field, generating light similar to the light emitted by stars.

They would then direct the photon beam from the first stage of the experiment through the centre of the can, causing the photons from the two sources to collide and form electrons and positrons. It would then be possible to detect the formation of the electrons and positrons when they exited the can.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-05-scientists-year-quest.html#jCp

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-05-scientists-year-quest.html#jCp

For this, they would require a “Photon-photon collider”. This collider would convert light directly into matter using technology that is already available. Like the Large Hadron Collider, this will be a whole new type of high-energy physics experiment.

The Seven proposed models of photon collision, all others have got Nobel prizes

This experiment would also recreate a process that was important in the first 100 seconds of the universe and this is also seen in gamma ray bursts, which are the biggest explosions in the universe but one of physics’ greatest unsolved mysteries.

Lead researcher Oliver Pike said that although the theory is conceptually simple, it will be very difficult to verify experimentally. But what is good is that the experimental design they propose can be carried out with relative ease and with existing technology.

Experiments like this bring us closer to understanding our own universe. They allow us to break the secrets of nature and stare in the face of the creation. Also, knowledge of Physics has an added bonus of making The Big Bang Theory episodes more enjoyable.

May 21, 2014
Top 3 Mind-Blowing Superhero Gadgets for the Real World

People have a lot of differences, but one thing everybody can agrees on is that Superheroes are freaking awesome. Of course you have the odd Aquaman who nobody cares about, but overall everybody has fantasized about having superhuman abilities.

Unfortunately, the laws of nature don’t allow us to possess those abilities. There are gadgets invented by crazy fans that come close to creating real life imitations from the virtual world.

We look at some of these kickass superhero gadgets that can even make a septuagenarian jump like a seven year old kid.

1) Colin Furze’s Airpowered Wolverine Claws: Now here is a badass invention. Stainless steel blades activated by a back mounted pressure cylinder. He has also posted the DIY tutorial on youtube, which is dangerous, and quite frankyly would be a stupid move to try and imitate. People might actually get hurt. If you do decide to build one for yourself keep it away from kids UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

2) Yves Rossi’s JetPack: This years best movie without a doubt is Captain America : The Winter Soldier. It turned the Captain from an idealistic dud into an idealistic badass. The biggest revelation of the movie though was Falcon. The insane flight movements definitely deserve the status of “Legen- wait for it -dary”!.
There is infact a real life Jetman by the name Yves Rossi. Check out the video below to see him in action.

3) Cyberdyne Inc’s HAL 5: Terminator fans must be squirming right now, but this stuff deserves a mention. HAL 5 is an exoskeleton which catches weak signals from your skin to let you take control of the suit. HAL 5 (Hybrid Assistive Limb) is claimed to augment body movement and increase user strength by up to ten times. Add some flight capabilities, some serious firepower and JARVIS and you got your own Iron Man Suit.
The best part? It is being used for human welfare purposes, subsequently taking the edge off the negative connotations of its name.

May 16, 2014
The Gold Galaxy S5 Launched : Return of the Gold Rush?

It seems as if Apple just started a whole new revolution in consumer electronics. After the release of the Gold variant of the iPhone 5S, it seems like every major company is experimenting with adding some glitter to their gizmos.

On Monday Samsung announced the release of the Galaxy S5 with a Copper-Gold(officially listed as “Golden”) back panel in India. Priced at 51,500, the flagship Gold Galaxy S5 also features the latest Android 4.4 Kitkat. It also features a fingerprint scanner on the home button, a heart rate sensor placed near the 16-megapixel camera, and the IP67 certification that makes it dust and water-resistant. We have already reviewed the white Galaxy S5 here.

On the other hand Samsung introduced the gold clasp in the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2, giving it an opulent branded watch feel accompanied with the leather strap. The Gear 2 is a considerable enhancement on its predecessor, which looked like an overpriced toy watch.

Gold has captured the human imagination ever since its discovery. The obsession is evident in the fact that most our global economy is backed by gold. Gold in itself is a useless element, its rarity is its alibi for its exorbitant price. But its glitter is just too enticing for us to ever get over it.

It’s not just the two mobile giants who are incorporating the golden hue in their design elements. Even HTC released the gold version of the M8 which is readily available in various markets. Seems like HTC has some serious gold fever, as they also launched a 24k limited edition HTC One M8.

The Rose Gold Nike+ FuelBand SE is a great example of this. The gold in this limited edition band also fueled the gadget’s luxurious appeal.

It seems now that a lot more companies will introduce gold in their design elements to quench the hunger for the golden glitz.

May 8, 2014
Back With a Vengence: Sony Unveils 185 TB Cassette Tapes

CD’s and iPods made you stuff your old Michael Jackson, Enigma and Celine Dion cassettes in your attic. But remember a time when the cassette tapes dominated the sales market? In 1990 alone, a overwhelming 442 million tapes were sold. However, with the rise of the CD, the birth of the MP3, and the ultimate restoration of vinyl, sales of cassettes dwindled. By 2007 only a mere 274,000 individual cassettes were sold.

Now, though, Sony has brought the cassette back from the dead by unveiling a tape that can hold a massive 148 gigabytes per square inch. If you can’t do the math, that’s 185 terabytes of total data. Well I guess, we will soon be tossing our iPods into the trashcans.

185 Tb actually is huge data size; if calculated the super tape can hold 3,700 Blue-ray’s or a total of 64,750,000 average 3 min. songs

The tapes were unveiled in International magnetic conference. These Sony cassettes can hold data 74 times more than the standard cassettes. According to Gizmodo:

[quote text_size=”medium”]

“The tape uses a vacuum-forming technique called sputter deposition to create a layer of magnetic crystals by shooting argon ions at a polymer film substrate. The crystals, measuring just 7.7 nanometers on average, pack together more densely than any other previous method.”

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The tape will be accessible for commercial sale, but no word yet on a release date. However, as Gizmodo points out, the super tape was formerly developed for “long-term, industrial-sized data backup” and not essentially for music, game, and video storage and playback.

May 7, 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