iPhone 6 : A Worthy Exclusion

In the midst of the hyper creating pathogens, where simple facts seem to fade out and where the remainder brains shout for help, its best to highlight some key pointers that you might want to know. 

P.S.: If you have tonnes of disposable cash and you don't care, now's the time to skip this post.

New Auto Fares :: Mumbaiites Need To Know

Yes! The Auto fares have been hiked and this change has been approved by the Bombay High Court (source: DNA). The change is already in effect from August 20, 2014 and the autos have 45 days to make the legitimate changes to their meter.

Be Cautious

• The new total should not be too big. The new rates will should give you a change of only about Rs. 5-10. If you see more, there is a chance you are being taken for a toss.
• Not all autos have changed the meters yet and might still demand a charge as per the new card rate (around 10% more). SIMPLY SAY NO! As per the law you will pay only what the meter says.

Hold Security's Sales Stunt with Russian Gangsters?

Cyber Crime @Large

Are you safe? Probably! But is your data safe? Probably not! Hold Security has discovered 500 Million unique usernames and passwords which were stolen by a Russian gang and are probably being misused right now. According to the official statement, the details were extracted from the websites using a network of compromised computers known as a botnet.

Your bank account details, Passwords, social security details, PAN details... might not be safe! 

So I ask again... ARE YOU SAFE?

This can very well be a sales stunt by Hold Security, specially after the company has been courteous enough to let people know if they have been victims of this scheme - at a nominal charge of $120. Going by this, Graham Cluley has done some further digging and found that this news was perfectly timed with the security conferences going on in Las Vegas.

Zindagi #JodeyDilonKo Moments with IndiBlogger

Imran Abbas

We have seen four new General Entertainment Channels (GECs) launched in 2008 : Colors, 9X, Imagine and Real. Except Colors, the others have perished due to lack of original or even gripping content. Amidst the fragmented viewership and the need for differentiated contest, six years later, Zee has introduced a rather new proposition with its channel "Zindagi". This new channel will initially start with Pakistani content with the help of Hum TV which will highlight how our neighbours are indeed not so different. If you ask me, this will cater to a totally untapped viewership.

So, going with the hype around the new channel 'Zindagi - Jodey Dilon Ko' and the curiosity to understand the reason for such a platform, I had to attend this meet organized by IndiBlogger. The organizers believe "Entertainment is seamless as it cuts across boundaries and across all strata of society" and this was a good way to portray this belief. The Leela, Mumbai hosted the main event that also let us interact with the scriptwriters, actors and directors from Pakistan. My First #JodeyDilonKo Moment

Kingston DataTraveler microDuo: Sharing Made Easier

Long weekends are a perfect opportunity to take time off work and spend it with family and friends. For many of those who return from the weekend with a smartphone or a tablet filled with great pictures and videos, it can be difficult to transfer those pictures over to the computer. Imagine having to transfer the same files to another computer, another tablet or a friend’s smartphone!! One may have Cloud access where the files are automatically uploaded but that would take a lot of time and could cost for data. Kingston’s DataTraveler microDuo USB drive can pitch in and make lives easier. Kingston, a well-known manufacturer of storage devices, has designed a clever device that lets the user transfer files from an Android device to the computer or other Android devices, with ease.

Airtel launches 4G data services in Chandigarh

Finding a business opportunity in the explosion of data sharing, Bharti Airtel, along with Apple, has rolled out 4G data services on mobiles in the cities of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula under the Punjab circle. Just for reference, Bangalore already has this high speed data connectivity running already. 

Internet has become a necessity for business efficiency, communication, mobility and to simply keep up with the pace of life. Faster internet on the move through phones is perhaps the key demand that most home and office users express nowadays when questioned on the topic.

HTC One M8 will Kill the S5 & 5S

HTC has got its paws on the face of two of the "supposedly" best smartphone makers. Amidst the madness which Samsung and Apple had created with the price for Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S respectively, HTC is surely going to turn a lot of heads. This much awaited gadget is now launched in India for Rs. 49,990 and will be available in the market from May 07, 2014.

My personal salute to HTC just for breaching the price barrier. This is what a flagship gadget should be like - High on Camera, High on Processor, High on Power and high on Performance. What's more - IT HAS RADIO. 

Asia Saving the Global Server Market : Gartner

Last week, Gartner published its report on Server markets. The Global spendings have evidently dipped in 2013. In simple terms, OEMs have collectively shipped more servers but at a lesser price. Even that has not affected the global market which is still almost flat. They either have to tap the cheaper growing markets or look at consolidating their resources on a whole. It is now a saturated market and this report does suggest that Brands have made their offerings cheaper.

The saving grace in the downturn... Asia and Japan markets which recorded growth of 16.3% and 7.5% respectively. All regions declined in vendor revenue except Asia/Pacific, which grew by 0.6 percent year over year

IBM, which is selling its x86 server unit to Lenovo, has seen large declines in both server revenue and shipments, the analyst firm says. This has been one of the reasons for the company to get rid of this line of business.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Seems Promising for India

We Indians need value and value I see in the Samsung Galaxy S5. After weeks of anticipation, the smartphone giant uncovered its latest device at the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. This gadget has a dotted plastic back cover and seems to be packed with features (hopefully with less bloat-ware). Samsung didn't reveal the price but the Korean manufacturer would be announcing it in 150 countries, starting from April 11, 2014. Here's what's to look for in this model.

#MyTake: Google Nexus 5

Announced in mid-October, the LG Google Nexus 5 is a piece of art. If you liked the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, you will love this flagship gadget. It's the best value-for-money smartphone out there right now. The 16GB & 32GB variants are trending on Indian e-tail stores for many weeks now. Many still want to buy this and are waiting for Mobile World Congress which usually brings a price drop.

Here, Features talk for them self. Wireless Charging, NFC, a clean and pure Android 4.4 KitKat 'out of the box', a 4.95" full HD IPS screen covered in Gorilla Glass 3, a 1,920 x 1,080 (445 PPI) resolution, 2.23GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM & GPS. Connectivity includes micro-USB, 3G, 4G LTE, NFC. This also supports OTG drives, which allow you to connect the regular USB drives directly to your phone.

Looks good doesn't it? Even I thought the same, until I used it for a week. Here's my experience snapshot of the factors that really matter...

CES 2014: DDR4 is Here

The new DDR4 memory has been under development for more than five years and is expected to bring higher performance and a reduction in power consumption. It also means that the end of DDR3 can be seen on internal roadmaps as it will slowly be phased out like DDR2 and DDR1 memory kits were as new DDR4 platforms come out across the PC spectrum.

PC hardware companies are coming up BIG in this space. Intel, Kingston, ADATA and a few others even showcased the new technology with prototypes, at the CES 2014 event in Las Vegas. 

Gift Kingston's new “Flying Horse Limited Edition” USB Drive

The Gifting season is on and nothing can be better than giving Kingston's 16GB limited edition drive with your personalized images, videos, presentations and much more. 

"Flying Horse" limited edition 16GB USB drive is the new entrant from Kingston Technology. The company launched this just yesterday to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year, also known as the Year of the Horse in 2014. It is also the latest addition to Kingston DataTraveler Chinese Zodiac USB drive lineup. As a symbol of vitality, the horse represents strength and beauty. This limited edition USB drive is designed to show these traits and will be a special New Year’s gift to welcome the year of 2014.

Samsung, Apple are Top Consumers of Semiconductor Market 2013

According to Gartner's latest global research report, Samsung and Apple, together have Consumed 17% of Total Semiconductor Demand in 2013. This makes them the highest consumer in the calendar year 2013.

Samsung Electronics and Apple together consumed $53.7 billion of semiconductors in 2013, an increase of $7.7 billion from 2012

Unboxing & Review: Ambrane 4000maH P401 Power Bank

Over the last 2 years, our gadgets are becoming smaller and smaller so that people can easily carry them in their pockets. Carrying extra power on the go is "In" now. 

Whether you like it or not, Android and Apple are the worst on battery consumption. The best phones have weaker battery and the low end phones do not sport excitement. Phones, tablets, digital cameras are all the same, running a Li-Ion battery. Well, not to worry. Pay up some more and get a good deal online for a power bank. These handy devices provide on-the-go charging capability to extend the life of devices well beyond the initial charge.

One such device is the Ambrane P401 Power Bank that hosts a massive 4000maH capacity. You can get this for around Rs.800/-, if you buy online.

Features in Brief:

• It is a lightweight and a compact power charger
• Best for anything that can charge via USB
• Has a small LED torch light for emergency
• Package Includes 3 connectors - Good for travel
• 4000mAh capability, powerful with long operation time

Here's the Unboxing and Review:

Reports: LG Optimus G Pro 2 launch at MWC 2014

With Android 4.4.1 KitKat, the rumored handset could feature a 6-inch HD display and 3GB RAM. Apple 5S did not get too great a response for its Finger print reader. So it is dicey whether LG would follow the lead.

LG is expected to introduce the next generation of its Optimus G Pro smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2014, according to Korea's ETNews.

Gartner: PC Shipments Declined 6.9 Percent in Fourth Quarter of 2013

Gartner has analyzed the global market for PCs.Following are the pointers reported:

• In 2013, Global PC Shipments Suffered the Worst Decline in PC Market History
• Worldwide PC shipments totalled 82.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, a 6.9 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2012
• This is the seventh consecutive quarter of shipment decline
• Strong growth in tablets continued to negatively impact PC growth in emerging markets
• HP & Lenovo have been close competitors in 2013 for PC shipments, followed by Lenovo
• Comparatively, ASUS has been losing market share the most

Following table compares Quarter-on-Quarter PC shipments globally-

For more details on the report and specific global markets, please check the below link: 

http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2647517 

@vaimasters