India Story: Samsung Galaxy Note 3

So you think you can buy the Best of Samsung - Galaxy Note 3?? Think again... it doesn't come cheap. Launched in September 2013 for as high as INR 49,900/-, Samsung's new flagship device is up for some speculation in specs and availability. It is currently available online for about INR 44,900/- for the 1.9 GHz variant. Here are the issues:

Release: HyperX Team Up with Collector’s Edition Battlefield 4 Mouse Pads from QPAD

Mumbai, October 29, 2013 – HyperX®, the high performance line from Kingston® Technology, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced that it will team up with exclusive collector’s edition Battlefield 4 gaming mouse pads to show its support and dedication to eSports community. HyperX is working with QPAD®, an award-winning designer of headsets, keyboards, mice and mouse pads for gamers. The limited-edition mouse pad creates more value for gaming fans and will be available in selected regions in Asia Pacific, to coincide with the highly anticipated Battlefield 4 game launch.

Memory for your Digital Camera

A Memory Card does a lot more than just store photos. It can store fast and help process better.

A new camera has all the different kinds of memory cards you can buy. Memory cards don’t just vary in terms of the amount of data they can store. They all have different data transfer speeds. Faster Memory cards help the camera for better photography. 

It all depends on the kind of photography involved. For example, most of the action involved in "sequence photographs" require camera speeds close to three frames per second to capture all of the shots that go into creating the sequence. If you think about it, that’s a lot of pictures to transfer from the camera to the memory card within a fairly short period of time. In a situation like that, having a high speed memory card is very important.

Buying a Tablet? Get to know it First

Mainly Tablets offer productivity, entertainment, adaptability, a longer battery life along with a host of new features on the go and these USPs become the device’s prime growth drivers. Developers are also reacting on the feedback for this device and are building creative applications.

Tablet is an interesting concept and arguably the fastest growing device in terms of user engagement, in India and globally. However, there are a few things that users should consider while buying a tablet.

Why Apple launches iPhone 5s and 5C

Amidst all the rumors and whispers, Apple has launched two new flagship smartphones, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5C. Rumors about most of the specifications were bang on and the event literally had nothing new to showcase.

How was the event a let down:

• iPhone 5 will be obsolete and replaced by the 2 new phones - India just started buying iPhone 5. This is a FacePalm moment.
• iPhone 5s is for the niche market with a high grade aluminum body - Cheers. But at a high price.
• iPhone 5C with a plastic body is mostly for Asia-Pacific market - Which means China ONLY. In any case, the price still remains close to INR 45,000/-
• We knew what is coming in 5s and 5C and we are not impressed
• iPhone in vibrant colors - Sheer Stupidity. We liked it earlier for the professional-cum-elegant look.
• iPhone 5s - in Gold?? - Priceless...
• Nokia added to the fun and late event chaos with its tweets taunting Apple (read more below) 

Computing: A Memory Game

Today’s tech-age is fast enabling people to excel in both, professional as well as personal walks of life. Round the clock, people are surrounded by electronic computing devices like computers, mobile phones, and digital cameras that they literally interact with. To make utility possible and effective, personal computing devices and even an enterprise level architecture needs to safely store data. For this, people have options to use Pen drives, portable hard drives, memory cards, etc. whereas enterprises have servers to store and analyze big data. In this fast paced life, with exposure to multiple devices, consumers demand for more data storage on their PCs, Smartphones, Cameras, Tablets, etc. Storing gigabytes of movies, games, songs, audio recordings, photos, etc. for private consumption and storing draft presentations, spreadsheets, softwares, etc. for office use are not uncommon. Apart from just data storage, memory components boosts computer speeds, makes computing easier on-the-go, syncs devices, provides data security, etc.

5" Sony Xperia Z Smartphone- Review

The Sony Xperia Z smartphone gives you everything and protects every bit of it. Its relatively smooth and will let you play at work and work at play with its absolutely mind blowing experience. I just got my hands on this closed device and am not so sure what I think of it.

Before starting the review, I literally starred at the price tag for quite sometime. 40,000 RUPEES it says?? Really?? That is close to 13gms of Gold. This places the Xperia Z in the league of iPhone5, HTC OneX and probably the much awaited Samsung Note 3. Is this really worth? Lets take a look.

My Dream Road-Trip from Mumbai to Dubai

Wondering where to head this Winter?? I have just the perfect option for a Road Trip. DUBAI.

Never Heard off... and Totally Unique. You can be the First to tell a story worth every word.

A journey on road with about 5,500 kms stretching across SEVEN countries in a more than comfortable Mahindra XUV. The car is a monster when it comes to off road travelling. Big on wheels, big on mileage, classy solid looks, power packed features and so much more than you can know only when you are behind its steering wheel.

Check this map from Mumbai:

Image Courtesy: Vaibhav Kulkarni, Map: Google Maps

World's Thinnest Windows 8 Convertible now in India: ASUS

ASUS India has just recently launched the ASUS Transformer Book in India which is World's First Detachable notebook cum tablet. It has a tablet with 13.3 inch Full HD IPS multi touch display and 178-degree wide viewing angles. Once you dock it in its station, you have a fully functional 13.3 inch notebook.

Sony Tablet Z works under water but cant make calls. Still Good?

Sony on Monday announced worldwide availability of its Xperia Tablet Z Android tablet. The device, announced earlier this year, represents Sony's attempt to lay claim to the premium Android tablet market: it is thin, light, and big on features. 

Though you can take this tablet under water for about 30 minutes, you cannot make calls from anywhere which I think is a major drawback. You dont have to pick the tablet to speak on call, but a network connection surely adds to the mobility that tablets are praised for.

The Tablet Z is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, with each core clocked at 1.5 GHz. This is paired with 2 GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU for added horsepower. The Tablet Z features Sony's Stamina Mode, which can be used for power management. It includes 16 GB of on-board storage and supports microSD cards up to 64 GB for additional storage. The Tablet Z runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro launched in India for Rs. 17,290

Aimed at maintaining its leadership position in the smartphone segment in the country, Samsung has announced the launch of its Galaxy Grand Quattro, priced at Rs.17,290 in India. However, if you visit Samsung's website, the price is Rs. 16,900.

With a 4.7-inch display, the dual-SIM handset is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core processor, has Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system and a 5 megapixel camera. It comes with an internal memory of 8GB.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 17,290 (MRP). Samsung is offering Digital Wallet of Rs. 3000 with 90 days validity to download games, as a special introductory offer.

Release: ASUS & Intel Launch Fonepad in India

New Delhi, 24 April, 2013: ASUS India, a leader in the new digital era, together with Intel India, today announced the availability of the ASUS Fonepad™ in India. The Fonepad is a competitively priced Phablet with 3G connectivity & calling features of a smartphone, with the versatility of a 7-inch tablet. Powered by the latest Intel® Atom™ processor Z2420 with Android 4.1, ASUS Fonepad™ features a vibrant HD display with IPS technology for wide viewing angles and outstanding clarity.

“Users now want a better screen with entertainment, social media and other online activities and this is playing an increasingly important part in our mobile lifestyles,” said Mr. Peter Chang, Regional Director – South Asia & Country Manager, System Business Group, ASUS India. “By incorporating 3G mobile data connectivity with full telephony support, we have made the ASUS Fonepad™ the perfect combination of a tablet and phone in one single device at an affordable price” 

“Innovation is key to success in the mobility segment and that’s our biggest strength. The ASUS Fonepad is a great example of bringing to the market what consumers want; an innovative product that addresses the emerging market, with a large screen size in a mobile device that runs fast with responsive applications,” said Debjani Ghosh, Managing Director- Sales and Marketing Group, Intel South Asia. “This is just the beginning. We will significantly increase the urgency to introduce a range of innovative and differentiated offerings that will shape the future of this segment.” 

ASUS blurs the phone-tablet line by launching Fonepad in India

Can’t decide if you want to spend your money on a phone or a tablet? The ASUS Fonepad makes the point moot, because it’s both. 

The company has launched the 7 -inch Android tablet in India today and the Fonepad can also make phone calls over a cellular network. ASUS unveiled the Fonepad internationally at MWC 2013 in February and has now announced the availability in India for Rs. 15,999. 

The tablet features a 7 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel IPS display, a 1.2 GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor, 1GB of RAM, and up to 16GB of storage. It has a 1.2MP front-facing camera and a 3MP rear camera, built-in GPS and Glonass support, and up to 10 hours of battery life. The Fonepad supports WiFi and HSPA+.

Apparently, this isn’t the only category-blurring device Asus has. The company’s Padfone, the Transformer convertibles and the Taichi 31 takes a different approach toward the same segment, the ‘HYBRIDs’. These let you dock, un-dock, convert a smartphone into a tablet, a tablet into a phone, smart to use, a larger screen and to get a much longer and unrivaled battery life.

Follow me at @vaimasters

Is Fonepad on the cards??

If you are wondering when you might be able to get your hands on a 7-inch Phoneblet or if you call it a FAB-let, there is Good news — ASUS India may get you interested with its Fonepad. The price tag should please those who are looking for a tablet but not looking to spend much as it cost £179.99 (about $275) in the international market. For that, you get to use Intel’s first processor for Tablets, the 1.2GHz Atom Z2420 chipset.

The tablet features a 7-inch, 1280×800 display, a 4,270 mAh battery, 16GB of internal storage, a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (could be upgradeable to Android 4.2 over time).

This is an oversized phone with an underpriced tag. Decide whether you want to view this as an oversized phone or a tablet with phone capabilities.

Credits: ASUS Blog

 

@vaimasters

Could Asus Fonepad be coming to India next month?? : Facebook

Just today, the ASUS India Facebook page was updated with a rather unusual photo of their device which looks like a large Smartphone or a Phablet. So I did some background check on the designs from the company’s global website. It seems to be the ASUS Fonepad which is based on Intel's Z2420 chipset, which also happens to be Intel’s first venture into the tablet segment.

If this is on the company’s mind, the 7-inch Tab-Phone is likely to bring some new competition for the Indian tablet market. There couldn’t be a better timing for this as Samsung, Apple, Blackberry along with Micromax, Acer, etc. are already inching and hinting towards the affordable segments.

The ASUS Fonepad tablet was unveiled during the Mobile world Congress in Feb 2013 and was launched in the International market in the same month. If we convert the international price, the Indian variant should be priced at approximately Rs 20,000. Although the price is much more than what was being expected earlier but considering Asus's expertise in making such products, the price tag is also justified.

Check the company’s Facebook update and comment if you agree: https://www.facebook.com/AsusIndia 

If you want them to get back to you, register on http://asusindia.co.in/InsearchOfIncredible 

Follow me @vaimasters

Is it India VS China? Really?

2012 - The year of the tablets. Fine. But we need to move past it towards innovating more. For the general, what is in the market is acceptable and satisfying. But the real potential is still in the labs and would be out anytime. But as of now, with the success of Micromax Canvas HD, its new 3D variant, Karbonn's sundry phablets and mobiles, Huawei, etc. have made it more of a India versus China battle, with the Korean and Taiwanese giants hovering over them.

Since the start of the year, the Indian market has seen a slew of big-screen handset releases from both domestic and international companies. And surprisingly, the country's smartphone business is pre-dominantly ruled by local manufacturers thanks to the affordability of the devices. Now, Chinese smartphone makers known for their cheap feature-phones have joined the race to get a formidable market share in the lucrative low-cost phablet segment.

Gartner Says Worldwide PC, Tablet and Mobile Phone Combined Shipments to Reach 2.4 Billion Units in 2013

Driven by strong uptake of smartphones and tablet PCs, Gartner forecasts the global sales to grow 9% to total 2.4 billion units in 2013 from 2012. The proliferation of lower-priced tablets and their growing capability is accelerating the shift from PCs to tablets.

On the contrary, the traditional PC market of notebooks and desk-based units is expected to decline 7.6 % in 2013. According to Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner, "There will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device." 

ASUS announces the Nexus 7 tablet in India

ASUS India, last week, has announced the much awaited and unrivaled ASUS Nexus 7 tablet, which sports stellar specifications and a portable design. Powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, and Jellybean OS, this stunning 7-inch tablet enjoys an all-day battery life and more storage. Moreover, there is mobile data for an uninterrupted connection, making the tablet the perfect outdoor companion. 

ASUS Nexus 7 comes with a textured tactile design for enhanced comfort measuring just 10.45mm thin and 340g light and featuring Android 4.2, which is the latest version of the world's most popular mobile platform. Its 7” display delivers an advanced multimedia experience. It also features the ASUS TruVivid technology with Corning® Fit Glass for improved color clarity, scratch resistance and a 178° wide-viewing angle IPS display ensures unrivaled visual acuity. 

ASUS unveils VivoBook S550CM Ultrabook in India

I have just recently got an update from ASUS India mentioning that they have launched their metal-styled touch VivoBook S550CM Ultrabook in India. This metal styled Ultrabook comes with an Optical Drive. It packs touch, discrete performance, SSD speed and hard drive storage capacity in a sleek design.

The ASUS VivoBook S550CM comes with glass panel touchscreen and optimized software. With its Ultrabook form-factor, the notebook packs exciting features in a slender build, matching the dynamic nature of the new, high-portable and intuitive computing.

Knowing your Smartphone Sensors

Hi Everyone. The gadgets are zooming past with classic features and paving way to their extinct. Just some time back, we were getting used to the word "Smartphone" and "Tablet" and now we don't seem to be getting over them. Lenovo, HP, Apple, Samsung and now even Google are pouncing in this industry to get more. Millions have it, Millions are waiting for it and Billions more are saving for it... So has the industry come to.

Keeping that aside, do we really understand the gadgets that we are so proud of buying?

Sensors are now not a luxury that they were sometime back. Gadgets literally are smart because of these sensors. You may soon find even a barometer, thermometer, and hygrometer (to measure humidity). The tremendous growth of sensor technology in Smartphone increases day by day and will experience fabulously over the next few years.

LG announced its Optimus G Pro with full HD display

The super smartphone has been launched in the Korean company's hometown just a week after the specs were leaked online.

Is Apple Growing Old Already?

Ever since the demise of the famous Apple chief, Apple has been flouting his made rules. He said No to a smaller size and they launched the iPad mini, he said No to unnecessary user problems and they introduced the Apple maps. Moreover there was hardly any difference with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 and the price difference being a shoot.

Apple seems to have lost their focus which seems to have shifted from innovation to jibberish crap. This same company once gave crap to criticism not because they were too proud but because they were right. Now even fans have been on their hooves and more eager than ever to see a newer version as Apple had crushed their expectations with the iPhone 5 which only gave a larger screen with a much higher price and with a all-together new range of connectors and docks.

The company is now down to protect its market share and aren't thinking of the users at large. Even though their softwares and applications and hardware are spectacular, they need to understand their growth prospects better. Lets take a closer look at the iPhone and iPad series in the current markets.

Project Butter - Android

Not many know this little thing but Google had taken a step back while making its Jelly Beans OS. After duly considering the major complaints and "Suggestions" of the end users and developers, they have come up with a fantastic solution called "Project Butter".