Microsoft has just taken its Wraps off the next build of Windows, Microsoft Windows 8. Taking its inspiration hugely from the Windows Phone 7 Metro UI. Just like the Windows phone 7 Build this UI is also designed perfectly to work with touch-screens. Therefore you can bet on a large number of Windows 8 tablets to hit once the OS is fully released for consumption.
This next version of Windows will come with the new Internet Explorer 10 , as well as support for HTML5 and Java apps that will run better on tablet-sized devices. But, will also support all applications designed for Desktop use.
Korean manufacturer Omnio has come out with a few prototypes of its ‘WOW Keys’ USB keyboard last year and is all set to enter the keyboard industry with its finished product this year. Measuring 16 x 4.7 x 1 -inches and weighing 1.4 pounds, the full-size QWERTY keyboard is compatible with both windows and mac operating systems, permitting the docking of iPhones and iPods.
In addition to charging and syncing when connected to the keyboard, the handheld devices can be used for touchscreen control of the PC, including as a numberpad when loaded with a special app. Two-way functionality means that with the press of a button, ‘wow-keys’ can switch from ‘PC mode’, which uses the phone or iPod as touchscreen input to the PC, to ‘iPhone mode’ instead, which permits easy file transfer and utilizes the keyboard for text entry directly into the handheld device. In ‘iPhone mode’, twelve keyboard hotkeys provide shortcut functionality to the docked device, such as ‘search’, ‘home’, ‘play/pause’, and ‘display on/off’.
Spice has taken the Android Market yet again by launching the new Spice Mi270. The device is the first budget Dual-Sim Android Device to be made available from a recognized manufacturer.
Remember those iPhone styluses that came out a while back in Korea? No? We’re talking about the sausages (ingenious aren’t they?). Well we’ve seen some weird stuff in our time and this one is just another one on the list. Presenting the NOSE STYLUS!! The perfect accessory for the stylish techie who’s having a bath. Ever had your hands wet while having a bath and you wanted to send a text? Switch to the next track in your playlist? Answer a call? Needed another finger to play a game? Wanted to look like Pinocchio? Never fear… The nose stylus is here. Watch the video for more info.
Acer launched or should we say spoke about the new Iconia Smart in India. While the launch announcement was made the product is yet to start selling. It features
4.8 inch display with HXGA (1024×480) resolution
1GHz Snapdragon processor
8 GB Internal Memory
HDMI port
DLNA support
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS
Acer UI 4.2
3G Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
8 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
HD (720p) video recording
2 megapixel front-facing camera
3.5mm jack
Dolby Mobile sound enhancement
512 MB RAM
512 MB ROM
8 GB internal memory + microSD
32 GB expandable memory
Six-axis gyro sensor
MicroUSB 2.0
A-GPS
HDMI port
Up to 500 hours stand-by time
Up to 11 hours talk-time
1500 mAh battery
With no official price on this 4.8″ monster , It is speculated to be in the market range of 30K INR.
Well we are all for amazing devices and freaky gadgets, but the SmartBook is the monster that scared them all away. The future came and went and most people didn’t even know about it. Here we have a device that is a netbook, a tablet, a Mobile Internet Device, A PC Dual Screen, a VOIP phone, a bluetooth/wired keyboard and the kitchen sink. Always Innovating, the company that made this device, calls it the “Swiss Knife” of electronics.
Tablet
The tablet is a fully-functional standalone tablet. You dont need anything else to run it. It has an 8.9 inch capacative touchscreen with an integrated front-facing webcam.
VOIP Mobile Internt Device i.e. The Minibook
In the back of the tablet sits the Minibook. This device is basically a smartphone running Android 2.2 with a capacative touchscreen, front facing camera, wifi b/g/n, hdmi out, and a whole host of other features.
Smart Keyboard
The keyboard “dock” for the smartbook is a very smart design in itself. It has compartments to store a USB pen-drive and the Dual-Screen USB to HDMI adaptor. It can connect not only to the Smartbook but to any other computer via bluetooth or a USB cable.
Operating Systems
You read that correctly, its Operating Systems in plural. This device supports not 1, not 2, not 3 but a whopping 4 operating systems which are:
Ubuntu 10.10 (ARM)
AIOS – Always Innovating Operating System
Android (2.3)
Chromium OS
Price
The best part of this device is the price. In its complete everything and the kitchen sink configuration it costs an awe inspiring $549, which is cheaper than the iPad, the Motorola XOOM and the Samsung Galaxy TAB.
Full specifications
ARM Texas Instruments cortex-A8 with video and 3D acceleration
Numonyx 512MB RAM + 256 MB NAND
8GB microSD card
1024×600 8.9″ capacitive touchscreen
Extractable Mini Book
Detachable Bluetooth / USB keyboard
Stored-in 2GB USB keychain
Stored-in Dual Screen
Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth class 2.1
Video output HDMI 720p
4 available USB 2.0 (2 internal, 2 external)
3-dimensional accelerometer
Speakers, micro and headphone I/O
Headset included
3 batteries:
12000mAh in the Keyboard
6000mAh in the Tablet
1500mAh in the Mini Book
outstanding battery life
FCC, CE, UL-certified, 5V, 3.5A power adapter
Bi-color silver/black case
Dark-red transparent back cover
Secured attachment system of tablet into keyboard
9.7″ x 7″ x 1.3″ for 3 lbs
Also coming from the company are a Pico Projector and a Pocket TV. Watch more in the Video.
Images of what appears to be the unannounced Nokia C2-06 have been leaked by Hackintosh India. Looking at the images and the information provided the device has the following:
Spice has launched a new Android Smartphone, the MI-310 running Android 2.2 Froyo to compete in the mid-range mobile market. Read the review for more details.
BUILD QUALITY AND HARDWARE
The MI-310 has a stylish aluminium body which gives easy access to the battery and internally fitted Micro SD card. The Power/Unlock button on the top of the phone is flush with the bezel which may cause some difficulty while unlocking the device. It has a 320×480 pixel, 3.15 inch capacitive touch screen display which displays vivid images and videos and there are no complaints there. The phone also comes with a stand-alone camera shutter button, volume buttons and a small touch-sensitive trackpad for easier scrolling.
The overall construction of the phone feels quite sturdy and its quite comfortable to hold and use. It has an inbuilt memory of 85 mb with a Micro SD slot expandable to 16Gb, built in GPS with AGPS support, 3G compliance with HSDPA access (7.2 mbps), bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g, a 2.0 MP camera with digital zoom and video recording and an internal FM radio. As far as sensors go the phone has a built in proximity sensor and accelerometer. While in a call, the proximity sensor sometimes fails and causes your cheeks to start pushing buttons on-screen, which can get quite frustrating. (A factory reset of the device however fixed this problem for us)
MULTIMEDIA AND CAMERA
The 320x480px screen is quite vivid and does a great job of displaying videos (even in HQ) and photographs. The audio output of the loudspeaker is pretty loud,and is sufficient while on the move. The in-ear headphones that come with the phone are quite comfortable and the sound quality is clear and crisp. The high notes are quite sharp and the bass is quite deep. The phone doesn’t come with any games, but there’s LOTS of games that can be downloaded from the Android store. The inbuilt Android Music and Video player support many formats and are quite user friendly. The phone also comes with an in-built FM radio which can scan and store pre-set channels and favourites.
The 2.0 MP camera leave a little to be desired but is quite easy to use with the stand-alone camera shutter button. Video recording is a breeze. The two things that would make the experience better are better focusing and the addition of a camera flash. The phone comes with all the standard camera effects for video recording and image capture. We did notice that Video capability on this camera was much better than still images.
PHONE, MESSAGING and BATTERY
The Spice MI-310 is a very easy to use phone. It has a very large phonebook, and the ability to sync your contacts with Gmail, FaceBook etc. The biggest issue we faced with this handset was the microphone. At some point during the review the diaphragm of the mic got stuck and we got REALLY BAD voice quality. Now we dont know if this was a problem with the design of the phone or just this particular piece but this is something to be wary of a little air dusting and light whack to the microphone fixed the problem. There were no signal issues for voice calls but we faced repeated issues with the HSDPA network. Eventually the phone refused to connect to 3G and remained in EDGE mode or WiFi (when we were in range). Switching the mode to WCDMA only via an app from the Android MarketPlace fixed this issue.
When it comes to typing on the on-screen keyboard, its a bit of a hassle in portrait mode (we have big fingers), but works brilliantly in landscape mode. The best thing about messaging is the speech to text function. The bottom strip of menu buttons (standard on most android phones) are a bit too sensitive and may cause unwated tension while typing. The phone has decent battery life, lasting for approximately 3-4 hours talk-time and around 48 – 60 hours standby depending on usage.
CONCLUSION
The Spice MI-310 is good to look at, lightweight and is feature packed for its price. The display is quite vivid and getting a capacitive touch screen for this price is amazing. The fact that this is an android phone opens up many avenues for customisation through the Google Marketplace. However, there were slight problems that we faced with the microphone, the proximity sensor and the 3G which after resolution can make this device the only one in this price bracket with the brilliant spec list.
Apart from the revamped versions of the Blackberry curve for 2011 the Apollo(GSM) and Sedona (CDMA) the company is said to be working on a full touchscreen Curve, appropriately dubbed the Curve Touch. The device pictured above is said to be the Orlando , which looks like the Sedona/Apollo but has a touchscreen, instead of an regular lcd display.
Looks like the folks over at BGR have been busy this week. In the early parts of the week they got some hands on with the Blackberry Touch/Monaco, This time they have managed to get their hands on the new and upcoming Blackberry Torch 2. The device is slated for a June release in the United States and you can expect it to hit India soon after.
The device is physically identical to the the Original torch, with major changes under the boot.
A tweet by Samsung Mobiles India account confirms earlier rumors of the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 launch in India. These devices were announced at the WWDC and CTIA and even wear the title tag of the slimmest tablets in the world. We are trying to get some pricing info on these devices
The HTC Incredible S is HTC’s latest and greatest, But, does it really fit that mark? Lets find out.
HARDWARE AND BUILD QUALITY
The device features one of the most robust constructions yet, a rubberized body , is not only rugged but also the new in-thing. The device is great to hold in the hand and feels really good thanks again to the rubber grip backing. It also sheds some of the added weight that the Desire HD has. No squeaks or rattling from the device. Better buttons in comparison to the Desire HD and a nicer looking display with rotating menu buttons. The build quality is surprisingly good and we were happy with it.
Tech Specs
Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1GHZ
768 MB RAM
Android 2.2
8 megapixel camera with Autofocus, Dual LED Flash and 720p video recording
1.3 megapixel front facing camera
1450 mAh Battery
480 x 800 pixels Capacitive multitouch SLCD display 4.0 Inch
The display on the Incredible S is simply stunning, the comparatively high resolution along with the SLCD screen just do wonders for the device. The colors are deep and the text crisp. The Processor may also play a role in the responsiveness of the device, but the basic functionality of the display and touchscreen is simply great.
The speaker on the device is slightly louder than its cousins ( the Desire HD/Mozart etc). But still not up to the mark from a device in this range. The video playback is smooth with zero lag and the fact that almost all formats can be played or play on the device thanks to Android is an added bonus.
The camera is no-where near where we want it to be, the images were bad, and we fail to see what dumping megapixels in a camera would do if the sensor is basically a dud. The camera is a big disappointment, although in crisp clear daylight , you may even get impressive shots, indoor and low light images are just very very poor. HTC should work on the Hardware instead of cramming specs in their devices. The 5MP backlit sensor on my personal iPhone 4 is far superior than this 8MP one from HTC.
PERFORMANCE, PHONE and MESSAGING
The device is a performer when comparing it to earlier versions of HTC devices and even some competition from Samsung. We ran Quadrant and Neocore on the device and we were quite pleased with what we saw. The scores ranged from
Quadrant : 1550-1600 (Highest Rank in the Stats)
Neocore : 56.5-57.0 FPS
The phone call capability of this device sets it apart, we cant stress enough on the crispness of the earpiece or the sensitivity of the microphone, the call quality was just brilliant. We did several hours of testing on the device and we got (get this) NO DROPPED CALLS in areas where we usually get several call drops within a couple of hours.
The messaging is similar to HTC Desire HD with the sense keyboard, the keyboard has navigation keys at the bottom which make it a lot more easy to navigate while in a text compose screen. The typing experience is much better on the Incredible S simply because of the improved responsiveness of the display and the processing capabilities of the device.
CONCLUSION
The Incredible S is a abandoned phone, it comes at a time where devices of its kind are becoming obsolete. The SE Xperia Arc, Nexus S and OPTIMUS 2x are already here and in the market. So a single core processor based device at this price point seems worthless to us. The Incredible S is truly incredible in performance and its built it also has a good set of specs, But its a little too late for the party. The camera is a disappointment, and the price point of 27-28000 makes us reject the device and look at dual core alternatives.
Spice was one of the first Indian companies to launch an Android OS based handset in the Indian Market, The Spice Mi 300. Now the successor of the very popular Mi 300 – the new Mi 310 is here it promises a lot more functionality at a lower price and a better build.
We will be reviewing this device in-depth and giving you a full run down soon.
Right now, we go hands on with the device, so check out the full specifications along with Hands on Pictures. The unboxing video will be up shortly.
