A Best Buy customer was pleasantly surprised after she opened a package from the store. The woman ordered one iPad from Best Buy but instead of getting one iPad tablet she got five of them. She wondered what to do and after a while she called the Best Buy hotline to report the mistake to the company.
A store rep from Best Buy’s 1-800 number acknowledged their mistake. Again, to the woman’s surprised she was told to keep the extra iPads.
[quote]”We, here at Best Buy, acknowledge that we obviously made a mistake, but in the spirit of the holidays, we encourage you to keep the additional iPads and give them to people in need – friends, family, a local school or charity,” Best Buy responded.[/quote]
Another customer reported a similar situation that happened to him. He ordered an iPad and received a package with five iPad tablets from Best Buy
[quote]”I called Best Buy’s 1-800 number and the rep told me there was nothing he could really do because the system only reported one as being sent to me,” the customer wrote to the Consumerist. “He told me I could try and drop them off at the Best Buy store, but I had reservations about how traceable this return would be.”[/quote]
That customer said he was keeping the iPads in his closet “until Best Buy comes knocking at my door or a reasonable amount of time goes by.”
Looks like Christmas came early for these customers. Next time I want to buy an iPad, I’ll keep Best Buy in mind!
Today Crytek released a trailer that serves as a preview of Crysis 3‘s graphics and the capabilities of their proprietary tech CryEngine 3. It’s pretty much porn for you video game artists out there.
The in-game footage is probably from a high-end PC. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Crysis 3 will be easy on the eyes, it seems unlikely they’d be capable of this level of quality. Look at it as a preview of next-gen consoles’ potential, I guess.
Tesselated vegetations, displacement mapping and real-time volumetric cloud shadows are among the features touted in the trailer. I understand about half of those words. The video seems to be targeted at fellow developers. Fortunately purty graphics are easy to decode even if the tech jargon isn’t.
Sony Mobile Communications today announced it has received four 2012 red dot awards in the Product Design category, as well as one honourable mention. The jury of international experts evaluated entries against key criteria including the degree of innovation, ergonomics, durability and ecological soundness. The awards presentation ceremony took place in Essen, Germany on July 2.
[quote]
“Design is at the heart of Sony Mobile’s product development philosophy and these awards are testament to the design quality of our Xperia smartphones and Smart Accessories, demonstrating our commitment to offering consumers a rich smartphone experience without sacrificing on functionality or design,” saidJeanna Kimbré, Director of Creative Product Design for Sony Mobile Communications.
[/quote]
Xperia active, Xperia ion, Smart Wireless Headset pro and SmartDock for Xperia ion received red dot awards in the Product Design category, while Xperia ray picked up an honourable mention
Chrome for iOS features tab-syncing and incognito mode.
Within days of it being announced for Apple’s iOS, Google Chrome rocketed to the top by becoming the no. 1 free app on the iTunes app store.
It’s getting decent reviews from users who so far have cumulatively ranked it at 4.5 stars, although the biggest complaint they seem to have is the browser is slow compared with Apple’s Safari which is due to the fact that Apple restricts the use of its Nitro JavaScript engine to Safari and other apps don’t have access to it.
We will be coming out with the Chrome’s review soon, stay tuned.
The phone features the same Kevlar coating as that of the Droid Razr
The Motorola Razr Maxx, which was showcased at CES Las Vegas in January, is all set to hit Indian stores starting 24th July. The device is up for pre-orders online from Infibeam at a price of Rs 31,999/-.
The Razr Maxx features a 4.3-inch Super Amoled advanced touchscreen display with qHD (960×540) pixel resolution. It promises an impressive battery backup, providing a standby time of about 380 hours and 20.5 hours of talk time, 7.5 hours of web browsing with around 14 hours of video playback on a single charge.
Powered by dual-core 1.2 GHz mobile processor, the phone packs 1GB RAM and 16GB ROM, has an 8 megapixel camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera. It comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich onboard and has an 8 megapixel rear camera, capable of recording at 1080p at 30 fps. Like the Droid Razr, it comes with a Kevlar coating which adds to the device’s durability.
According to the Guinness Book of world records the best ending ever to be written into a video game, exists in Call of Duty Black Ops. The popular first-person shooter was released last year and went on to become one of the best-selling video game of all time. The title did not come easy to the game, as over 13,519 gamers polled for the game.
Following close were Halo: Reach, the 13-year old The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time , God of War and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (in that order ) to complete the list of the top 5 games with the best endings.
The Top 50 Video Game Endings (Guinness) 50. Resident Evil 4 49. Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic 48. Ratchet & Clank: a Crack in Time 47. Crysis 2 46. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 45. Call of Duty: World at War 44. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II 43. Half-Life 2: Episode Two 42. Super Metroid 41. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 40. New Super Mario Bros. Wii 39. inFamous 38. Fallout 3 37. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 36. Gears of War 2 35. Bioshock 34. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty 33. Sonic Adventures 2 32. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 31. Kingdom Hearts II 30. Mass Effect 29. Super Mario Galaxy 28. Sonic the Hedgehog 27. Metal Gear Solid 26. Assassin’s Creed II 25. Assassin’s Creed 24. Shadow of the Colossus 23. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 22. Kingdom Hearts 21. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 20. Super Mario Galaxy 2 19. Mass Effect 2 18. Grand Theft Auto IV 17. Portal 2 16. Assassins Creed: Brotherhood 15. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 14. Halo: Combat Evolved 13. Halo 3 12. Pokemon Black and White 11. Super Mario Bros 10. Heavy Rain 9. Final Fantasy VII 8. Metal Gear Solid 4 7. Portal 6. Red Dead Redemption 5. God of War 4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2. Halo: Reach 1. Call of Duty: Black Ops
Tis’ still the season to be jolly and our next guide covers all sorts of phones we recommend under Ra. 10,000 check it out.
Android Phones
Samsung Galaxy Y (Rs. 7150/-) Android 2.3, a cheap price, 3 inch capacitive touch, 835 Mhz processor, a good 2MP camera and decent performance. We recommend it.
Alternatives
LG Optimus Net (Rs. 9999)
Dell XCD 35 (Rs. 8599)
Micromax Andro A70 (Rs. 7500)
Android Qwerty
Not a lot of options in this category
LG Optimus Pro C666 (Rs 9599) Android 2.3, 800MHz processor, full QWERTY, 2.8 inch touchscreen, that the best you can get in this price. The only other option is the Motorola Fire, which we don’t recommend.
Blackberry
There are not many blackberry devices that can fit in this price bracket but you can get lucky.
Blackberry Curve 8520 (Rs. 9800) The blackberry messenger, push mail, and enterprise ready support, along with upgradability to BB OS5. not much you can ask for in the 10,000 price bracket. The device is a favorite with Blackberry addicted college going ladies, as says Deviana, So if you have a girlfriend a good holiday gift would be a pink/purple version of this.
Its not always fun and frolic, but if you are really lucky you can snag a brand new Blackberry 9000 (original bold) for about Rs. 9500 if someone still has stock.
Nokia / Symbian
Symbian is almost dead, but its popularity in India is nowhere near extinction. People still love Nokia phones, simply because they can’t seem to grow out of it to try something else. Nokia phones are built to last, and have a friendly and easy to remember OS. Although not our top recommendation, if you must buy a Nokia and your budget is 10k then here are our recommendations.
Nokia C5-03 (Rs. 9750) : Features include 3G connectivity, 3.2 inch resistive touchscreen, 5 MP Camera and LED flash, VGA video, Nokia apps world, Facebook and Twitter.
Nokia E5 (Rs. 9730) : Symbian v9.3 OS, 2.36-inch Display, QWERTY keypad, push mail, ARM 11 600 MHz processor, 5 megapixel camera with LED Flash and VGA video.
Tis’ the season to be jolly and make others jolly. With that thought in mind we bring to you the iGyaan Holiday gifting guide of 2011. This edition will include gadgets and gift items that stay within and around the Rs 10,000 price bracket. So lets begin.
Since its iGyaan.in and we love Smartphones, lets begin with them
Smartphone
Till about two years ago fitting the word smartphone in this category was practically impossible. But today we have several options and only one should shine as a recommendation for the guide.
Samsung Galaxy Y
Price Rs. 7150/-
The only real smartphone for the price that features specs that would fit in the budget and leave a few Gandhis to spend about on your favorite christmas dinner. This phone features a powerful processor and Android Gingerbread, Its our Recommendation for the best phone under 10,000 Rs.
Personal Media Player
iPod Touch 8GB
8GB : Rs. 10500/-
A lot of media players come close but non so close, if you manage you can grab one for lower than 10000, the best touchscreen experience you can find at 10,000/- along with endless apps from the Apple App Store. Support for Nike +, bluetooth, FaceTime, iMessage, Safari web browser, email, Maps and a whole lot of music in the 8GB capacity. The fact that it bundles as a best gaming device eating into the personal gaming console market for years, makes it an even better device.
Alternative iPod Nano
8GB : Rs.6500/-
16GB: Rs.7500/-
If you can’t go over 10K, the best mp3 player is possibly the iPod Nano, maybe not the best to watch movies on, because you can’t. But you do get an enormously large capacity mp3 player, with a multitouch screen, audiobooks, podcasts, photos, FM radio, Fitness Walk + Run support built in, Nike+ support built in.
Digital Camera
Canon Ixus 130
Rs. 9650/-
Not a lot of pixels, 14.7 to be precise, 17.8mm stainless steel body finished in a choice of silver, black, orange or pink, a 4x optical zoom and a 28mm wide-angle lens is what make the our choice. The camera has HD video recording and SD HC capable memory slots, backed by Canon’s great support and exceptional mechanics in camera technology.
Personal Gaming
PSP 3004
Rs. 7000/-
Apart from the fact that the iPod Touch makes an excellent gaming device, adds a camera and a music player, a dedicated gaming console is a must if you are a hardcore on the go gamer. It allows multiplayer over WiFi and acts as a second remote to your PS3, it allows video out, and music storage. Music , movies, videos, games and everything in Rs. 7000 . Its our recommendation for the best gaming device under 10k, if you don’t want an iPod Touch.
Headphones
Soul by Ludacris Sl99
Rs. 6500/-
If you can find them at that price you are lucky, they retail for about 100 US $ but are very expensive in India. The earphones are the best you can get for the price and the feature an online remote that is compatible with iPhones, iPads and iPods. The remote also somewhat works with some android devices. the earphones have the best in class bass and tangle free flat cables. The build quality is superb and they look, feel and sound premium for a price that is usually considered average for good earphones. Don’t think two ways, these sound better than beats by Dre by a mile.
One of the most beautiful Android devices in the market yet, The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc proves that not all Android Devices need to be dull and boring. The Arc is a show stopper, and it certainly impressed us on another level.
Let start with the usual line up.
BUILD QUALITY and HARDWARE
The Xperia Arc has a deceiving structure, the device looks like a plastic toy initially, but is extremely well built and once you hold the device in your hand you will never make the same mistake again. It has a great design which tapers out in the center and broadens out to the side.
Contrary to what most critics are saying the device is extremely comfortable to hold in the hand and fits comfortably when gripping the device during those in game driving scenes.
The Xperia Arc also packs a brilliant bit of hardware in terms of specs. Check them out :
Specifications of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Frequency
Quad band
Phone Style
Touchscreen
OS
Android 2.3
Thickness
8.7mm
Length
125mm
Width
63mm
Weight
117g
Built-in Memory
512MB
Additional Memory
MicroSD up to 32GB
High-speed Data
HSDPA
Connectivity
GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Screen Size
4.2-inch, 480×854 pixels
Secondary Screen Size
N/A
Screen Colours
16 million colours
Camera
Yes
Camera Resolution
8-megapixel
Flash
Yes
Ringtones
Yes
Music Player
Yes
Music Formats
MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV
Radio
Yes
Speaker
Yes
Internet
Yes
Browser
WAP
Games
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm MSM8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
Battery
1500mAh
Price :Rs. 27,500
CAMERA and MULTIMEDIA
The camera on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has an 8 MegaPixel Sony Exmor-R Sensor. It is just something you will love to – well, LOVE. The camera is absolutely brilliant, and comes close to a perfect replacement for a day use digital camera. The camera is extremely sensitive to light and will pick up the slightest detail in the image. The device also has 720p recording capability which when combined with onboard image stabilization methods provides a decent set of tools for video capture.
We were however, disappointed with the lack of quality and depth in the video captured by the Arc. while it looks absolutely stunning on the Device , video playback on a big screen looks washed out to say the least.
The Arc also provided the best movie/video experience we have had with an Android Device. The Display simply cannot be praised enough, the colors are deep and the resolution combined with the all new Bravia Engine for Mobile phones makes the video quality just Superb. We have not seen better quality on a Phone display period.
Sound quality, video playback and Audio/Video streaming work flawlessly and deliver a promising multimedia experience. The placement of the onboard loudspeaker is at an akward position and when you are holding the device in landscape, you will find yourself covering he speaker with your finger. The results of which can be devastating for the volume levels.
Check out the Video Capture Sample
PHONE and MESSAGING
The device is exceptionally good at doing what its meant to , the voice clarity is -bang on- at both ends, and network performance is sustained. The device is really good and pocket-able and simple to use, the phone dialer is fast and has large keys, the contacts and messaging screens are easy to navigate and simple to use.
The keyboard on the device is also, possibly the best stock keyboard we have used, clean large-square button layout increases the accuracy of your typing capabilities many-a-fold. The keyboard is quick as is the touchscreen responsive, creating one of the best touch input interfaces. You will actually enjoy typing on this keyboard, so text away!
BATTERY
Usage life on the Xperia Arc was erratic. Sometimes lasting a full day without a recharge, and sometimes asking for juice every 5-6 hours. The battery life tests revealed a lot more info :-
2G Talk Time : 4.5-6 Hours
3G Talk Time : 3.5 Hours
3G Browsing : 4 Hours
Wifi Browsing : 5-6 Hours
Video Playback : BE : 4.5 Hours / Without BE : 6 Hours
Audio Playback : Screen Off : 14 Hours (approx)
USER INTERFACE
The device runs Android 2.3 with a custom time-scape UI on top. The UI is simply beautiful and is like a melodious song that has no ending. The UI is the most innovative form of developer work seen on a stock device since the HTC Sense. The use of new widgets with the clean interface and the customizable App Drawer/ Full Menu make the device User Experience a wonderful one.
CONCLUSION
The device is good to look at and comes with Android 2.3 from the get go. The camera is good at taking pictures but, just average at video quality. The build is solid and the display like we said earlier has no parallel comparison. The device attempts at fulfilling the purpose of the average user and taking to task the pro user. We found no reason to root the device as we were happy with both performance as well as the UI (our major reasons for rooting). Although a new tool for the boot-loader unlock is now available and the full root for the device will come out sooner than we expected.
The device comes with a free leather cover and a free screen protector, which are excellent freebies.
There were a few negative aspects to the device and we will list them for easy access
The device gets overheated with prolonged use, does not affect usage but gets too hot to hold against the face.
The device also has unsteady HSDPA connection which breaks quite frequently
The battery is erratic and drains faster when the device is hot (see first)
[xrr rating=3.25/5 label=”WE RATE THE ARC” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]
Check out the remaining pictures below while you wait for the Full Video Review to go up.
The Xperia Arc has a deceiving structure, the device looks like a plastic toy initially, but is extremely well built and once you hold the device in your hand you will never make the same mistake again. It has a great design which tapers out in the center and broadens out to the side.
The camera on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has an 8 MegaPixel Sony Exmor-R Sensor. It is just something you will love to – well, LOVE. The camera is absolutely brilliant, and comes close to a perfect replacement for a day use digital camera. The camera is extremely sensitive to light and will pick up the slightest detail in the image. The device also has 720p recording capability which when combined with onboard image stabilization methods provides a decent set of tools for video capture.
The device is exceptionally good at doing what its meant to , the voice clarity is -bang on- at both ends, and network performance is sustained. The device is really good and pocket-able and simple to use, the phone dialer is fast and has large keys, the contacts and messaging screens are easy to navigate and simple to use.
