SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE 29
GETTING TO KNOW THE PRO A MOUNTAIN LION EXPERIENCE WITH THE MAC Pg24
WONDER
WOMEN HD OPTIMISIM
THIS ISN’T JUST A MAN’S WORLD
Pg18
LG’S 4K HD REVIEWED Pg38
METTLE
TEST THE GERMANS PLAYED, REST DIDN’T SHOW UP
Pg32
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What women want
ISSUE 29
SEPTEMBER 2012
Editor-in-chief
Hatim al Taie Managing Director
Abdullah al Taie General Manager
Rathish Ramachandran
For years science and technology has always been perceived to be a man’s domain. Right from his youth a boy is wired to absorb a detailed technological view of the world. He is expected to understand the industry and encouraged to have an opinion of his own. Women, on the contrary are considered to be good at inter-personal relationships and social behaviours, and are not expected to know much about technical matters. On a daily basis men engage in detailed discussions with each other about the advancement of technology, its workings and must-have gadgets. Though a man might explain a technological aspect to a woman, they do not necessarily discuss it with them. That being said, surveys have shown that women use technology a whole 17 per cent more than men do. And that is not including the ‘blog-talk-text-tweet-ing’ bit of technology.
Asst. General Manager
Terry Mathukutty
However, a quick scan of almost any IT department in any company shows that women who embrace technology as a lifelong career remain a rare breed. Those who do, given the opportunity, rise above the rest and excel beyond expectations. Though the industry is very male oriented and intuitive to men, women do need to learn more about technology and gain more confidence to take up challenges and get their hands on to the very essence of what technology is all about. Once perceptions of the society are changed the consequences will be new kinds of technology, fresh minds and endless possibilities. Women, in the end can have what they want.
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SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE 29
18 SPECIAL FEATURE A look at the most influential women in technology
22 PROFILE Thorsten Heins CEO of Research In Motion
24 COMPUTING Apple brings on the new MacBook Pro with stunning Retina Display
28 AUDIO ZONE Grande Utopia EM blends lucid sound and luxurious design
32 COVER STORY The Germans battle it out in a display of metal, power and drive
30 VIDEO ZONE The UHDTV redefines television-watching experience as we know it
Blackberry, android and iPhone apps for food connoisseurs
48 TECH ART
Add rainy effects to your pictures with our tutorial
52 MOVIE ZONE The Expendables 2 – Your favourite action veterans are back with twice the action and a vengeance
45 TIME ZONE Breitling pays homage to the six decade old Navitimer
News 12
Next issue PICTURE PERFECT We help you choose a camera that best suits your need
NouvoTech 16 Quiz 55 Tech Favourites 56 Tech Directory 63
REGULARS
Features
46 APPS
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
If you have any queries, mail us on tech@deenarmedia.com, and we will try to answer them in our next issue
Dear editor, I am a new blogger can you suggest some tools that will make my blog more visible? Haseena Dear Haseena, As easy as it is to build a blog, having a successful blog with good traffic is hard to achieve. There is a technique to increase a blog’s traffic. It is important that you write to an audience that is likely to share your blog. A remarkable collection of facts that break a stereotype, beautiful pictures and videos can do you a great deal. You can write guest post for blogs that are related to your subject of interest. Leaving behind quality comments on other blogs will help too. Inviting bloggers in your industry to write guest posts for your blog can increase the visibility of your blog. You can extensively use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to share new posts and connect with other bloggers. Last but not the least, a crisp and clutter-free blog always attracts bloggers as it is easy on the eyes. Always remember, less is more. -Ed
Hi Tech, What is it that I need to know about OLED? Cheryl Hi Cheryl, OLED basically stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. ‘Organic’ refers to the carbon film that sits between two conductors. For cinema buffs and gamer, this is a huge deal. It has high responsiveness as compared to LED and LCD panels. OLED also has a lot more detail and there is absolutely no blurring. A lot of new electronics like digital cameras and TVs are coming out with these screens towards the end of 2012. -Ed
Dear TECH team, I really enjoyed the July’s cover story ‘Guitar Magic’. It would be amazing if you featured some more electronic musical instruments. Regards, Ryan Dear Ryan, We are glad that you had a good read. In this issue of TECH, we have covered electric drums for music enthusiasts like you. Keep reading our upcoming issues for more. -Ed Dear TECH team, These days, social networking sites are filled with ‘hashtags’. Can you explain what they are and how they help? Firdaus Dear Firdaus, The symbol # is known as a hashtag. It is used to highlight keywords in twitter posts, allowing them to be seen more easily in posts. When you click on hashtagged words, all tweets related to it appear. These keywords often become popular topics of discussion. -Ed Dear TECH, I like reading your magazine but I haven’t subscribed to it. Could you tell me how I can get my own copies? Rohan Dear Rohan, The only way to get your monthly dose of TECH is by subscribing to it. It is simple; all you have to do is complete the subscription form in the magazine and drop it by our office with a fee of RO2. You can also deposit the fee to our bank account and email or fax us a copy of the deposit slip and subscription form. -Ed
10 / TECH
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NEWS
GUESS WHO’S BACK
President of Alfardan Motors, Omar Alfardan joins His Excellency Eng. Ali bin Masoud bin Ali al Sunaidy, the Omani Minister of Commerce and Industry at the ribbon cutting ceremony Without much of a wait, we finally have the Italian marque back in Oman. Alfardan Motors, the official importer of Maserati automobiles, opened its new Muscat showroom on 5 September 2012. The opening was celebrated with the honoured presence of His Excellency Eng. Ali bin Masoud bin Ali al Sunaidy, the Omani Minister of Commerce and Industry, who joined the President of Alfardan Motors, Omar Alfardan, for the ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening.
Maserati. We see Oman as a promising market and we are pleased to extend our operations with Maserati here. We feel confident to deliver on our promise to provide the highest levels of customer care to Maserati owners and enthusiasts, as well as provide the latest models which customers can order to the most exclusive specifications.” Speaking on behalf of Maserati, Cini commented, “We are pleased to have a partner like Alfardan Motors, we are
confident that [they] will provide Maserati owners and enthusiasts alike with the true Maserati Experience. My confidence is based on the relationship that already exists between Maserati and Alfardan Automotive Group in Qatar, which encompasses more than 15 years of fruitful co-operation and partnership, with a long history of success and achievement. We are certain that this quality will be delivered in Oman and the same success will be demonstrated by Alfardan Motors.”
The evening was attended by officials and management representatives from the newlyassigned importer of Maserati in Oman, headed by Alfardan and Mohamed Kandeel, general manager of Alfardan Motors, and Umberto Cini, regional managing director of Maserati Middle East and India. Alfardan Motors is a subsidiary of the Alfardan Automotive Group, renowned for its leadership within the luxury automobile sector. Based on the success it has enjoyed in its domestic market of Qatar, Alfardan Automotive Group has been awarded the status of official importer of Maserati to the Omani market. With a new showroom and after sales facility located in Al Azaibah in the Al Ghubra district of Muscat – opposite the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in a strategic and easily accessed location – the facility offers approximately 800 square metres on two floors. At the showroom launch, Alfardan said, “We are proud of our long relationship with
12 / TECH
Mohamed Kandeel, GM, Alfardan Motors
BRANDED LOYALTY
Nawras recently won the Best Loyalty Programme Award for Nawras Elite at the CMO Asia Awards for Excellence in Branding and Marketing 2012. Judged by an independent panel of experts, Nawras Elite was recognised for its unmatched value for money proposition giving all Nawras customers the opportunity to enjoy unprecedented rewards and excellent savings with an easy to use programme.The same event also honoured multinational giants including Google, Microsoft and Procter & Gamble.
Anticipating Note II At the IFA Samsung started out by announcing the Galaxy Note II. The newest Android device has a large 5.5-inch, 1,280x720, 16:9 screen. It more or less falls into the footsteps of its predecessor. A year on since the last Note was released; the Note II it has a much more powerful SoC and a new quad-core 1.GHz Exynos chipset which makes it even faster than the Galaxy SIII. The Note also has Android Jelly Bean OS. In Oman, it is due to be out at the end of September. We are sure all Samsung fans are looking forward to the release.
Canon gets recognised Four of Canon’s products have been recognised at the EISA Awards held at the end of August. Highlighting market-leading quality of the brand’s photo and video products from input through to output, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR was awarded European Advanced SLR Camera 2012-2013 while the PowerShot G1 X has been named European Compact Camera 2012-2013. The LEGRIA HF M52 camcorder won European Camcorder 2012-2013, and the PIXMA PRO-1 was awarded the European Photo Printer 2012-2013.
Sweet space Astronomers from Copenhagen University in Denmark have made a pretty sweet discovery this week. They have found glycoaldehyde, the most basic of sugars, floating near a star that sits 400 light years away from the Earth. While the sugar they found is not anything you would want to put in your dishes, the implication of this discovery lies in the fact that the substance is a key part of creating ribonucleic acid (RNA), an essential building block of life. Though these sugar molecules have previously been detected in interstellar space, this is the first time they have been spotted so close to a sun-like star. It’s unclear as to how glycoaldehyde is produced in space. However, observations suggest it forms on ice-covered dust grains in the dense, cold parts of interstellar molecular clouds.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 13
NEWS
Xperia’s best HD experience yet
Samsung announces Galaxy camera
Sony has revealed its new Xperia T at the IFA in Berlin. The much awaited phone, packs a 1,280x720 resolution on a 4.55-inch screen. Currently running on Ice Cream Sandwich, it will soon be upgraded to jelly bean after its launch. With a feature called Sleep to Snap, Xperia features a 13MP fast capture camera that takes you from a blank screen to shoot mode in an instance! The T, also known as the TX in select markets should be launching soon in the global markets. The new Xperia flagship will be available in black, silver, white and pink as well. The price for now is still unknown.
Samsung announced the Galaxy Camera at the IFA conference in Berlin. The Androidpowered camera has Wi-Fi, 3G (or 4G) connectivity and a quad-core processor. It has a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor with 21x zoom. When you flip this bad boy over, you won’t see the little two inch LCD, instead, you’ll see the familiar Android home screen, on a 4.8-inch 720p LCD display. Powered by the Jelly Bean OS, the camera is more like an iTouch but with a focus on images rather than music. With the success of Instagram and the growing enthusiasm towards photography we wouldn’t be surprised if this camera sells like hot cakes.
Apple VS Google
It’s the end of an era, as the iPhone maker is positioning itself to abandon all of Google’s products. The latest gossip of this bad romance is that Apple will ultimately be scrapping Google search. Back in 2007 when iPhone was first launched, the device relied on three Google components; the Google Maps, Youtube and the Google Search. Earlier this June, Apple replaced Google Maps with its own 3D Maps that gives you turn-by-turn spoken directions, interactive 3D views and a stunning Flyover feature. In August came the announcement that Apple will drop the Google-owned YouTube app on its next generation iPhone. It is unclear whether the company will replace the search engine on the new iPhone that is
14 / TECH
anticipated for mid-September. However, there’s no doubt Apple will remove the Google search feature eventually. While Google may lose profits if Apple removes its search engine from Apple’s products, they could also stand to benefit. The change would make consumers use the Google direct feature, allowing Google to keep 100 per cent of the profit. Instead of replacing Google search with either Bing or Yahoo, it is highly likely that Apple would get an app-centric search for its users. However, all these are just speculations. As of now, all we know is that the five year long marriage between Google and Apple is finally come to a bitter end. Apple wants Google out if its life.
Windows 8 Xbox games revealed
Microsoft has revealed a list of 40 games that will be available for Windows 8 from the last week of October. These include Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja, Dragon’s Lair and Minesweeper. While all games will have achievements, some will support multiplayer, friend connections and Xbox leader boards. The idea is that you can play the same game across both, a Windows 8 PC and an Xbox platform. In addition to the 40 games, Microsoft is also adding the Xbox SmartGlass app in the months to come. The SmartGlass will let you control video games and other features that support information related to current game maps and statistics. Now we will have to wait and see what Sony comes up with.
TECH
The weather forecast in the tech world sees a heavy shower of smartphones in the next couple of months. While the iPhone 5 is all set to rule the roost this September, we take a look at phones that are getting ready for battle Razr HD
Motorola will be announcing two Android based smartphones in September, the much awaited Motorola Razr HD and a new Droid M smartphone. While the Motorola Razd HD is expected to house a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM 8960 processor, the Droid M will have similar Razr styling and could fall under a relatively affordable price range. Hopefully equipped with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean UI, these phones are expected to be available by October in several countries.
Moto goes frameless Rumours of a frameless handset by Motorola have taken the tech world by storm. Described as being a ‘full-screen’ phone, it will feature little or no frame at all. If the word from the gossip mills are true, a frameless design could provide quite a boost for Motorola, and bring fresh novelty in an extremely competitive space, especially with the iPhone 5 lurking around the corner.
Nokia Lumia 920 Nokia and Microsoft are planning to launch a new range of Nokia Lumias this October that run on the Windows 8 OS. Judging from the leaked images of the Lumia 920 Pureview on Twitter, the handset might come with a 4.5-inch screen as well. There are rumours that the PureView might be included in the Lumia 920, this might make the wait worthwhile.
LG’s Optimus G
Looks like Motorola’s got to buckle up. LG Electronics claims to be the world’s first to carry the next-generation Snapdragon S4 processor by Qualcomm. Unveiling its flagship smartphone called the Optimus G in late August, the company said that the new wireless gadget will come with a 4.7-inch True High Definition IPS Plus display and a 1.5GHz quad-core processor.
Samsung AVIS S
Huawei Ascend G600
Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Samsung’s ATIV S is the first smartphone powered by Windows Phone 8 to be announced officially. The 8.7mm thick smartphone is equipped with a huge 4.8inch HD Super AMOLED display, an eight megapixel camera, 1GB RAM, a 16GB or 32GB in-built memory and a microSD slot for more storage. The Windows 8 release in October will surely put a number of devices to the test.
In a bid to become the next-best-thing in the mobile arena, Huawei recently announced a plethora of new devices that will be available in the market this October. The G600 is a 4.5-inch handset having a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, 4GB in-built storage, a screen resolution of 960x540 and Huawei’s very own Emotion UI. Operating on Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich OS, the G600 will be up for grabs in undisclosed ‘select markets’ only. Let’s hope we are at least near one of them.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 15
NOUVOTECH
simply Unique
See the endless possibilities of technology in the simplicity of these gadgets
Stylish storage The ADATA DashDriver is the best looking hard drive we have come across in quite a while. The HV610 USB 3.0 External Hard Drive features a body that comes in a couple of attractive monochrome patterns with interlocking shiny and matte puzzle piece lines. A cool ice-blue cover holds the USB cable when not in use, giving the HDD a practical as well as a stylish front. Retailed at USD80 (RO30) and USD100 (RO38) for the 500GB and 1TB versions, these DashDrives play nicely with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface sporting a relatively higher data transfer speed than that of USB 2.0.
Gadget grip The Flygrip is a highly recommended accessory for all butter fingers out there. If you are prone to dropping your device, this little clip can be your ‘device-saver’. Simply affix the little hinge onto the back of your phone and get one hand free to multitask. Ergonomically designed to fit snugly around your fingers, an easy, spring loaded top gives you a comfortable grip over your phone and provides a full range of motion for your thumb to navigate the entire display. The inventor of this accessory claims that the gadget can assist you to “read emails while holding your briefcase, jog on treadmill while reading the news and eat a sandwich while tweeting about eating.” Looks like something we would certainly like to try.
Scrubbable QWERTY It’s about time this klutz-prone gadget came out. In an answer to clumsy coffee drinkers and crumbly snack lovers, Logitech has come out with a sleek new washable keyboard to get rid of all that finger grime. Priced at USD40 (RO15), the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 is durable enough to be hand washed time and again, and can even be submerged up to 30cm of water. There are convenient drainage holes located at the back of the keyboard for easy drying, while key characters are laser printed and UV coated in order to make sure they remain crystal clear after numerous washes. This is one dirty QWERTY that doesn’t mind a good scrubbing.
16 / TECH
Get cuffed
Lamp-astic!
Let some of your geeky self shine with the new iCufflinks fit for a gentleman. Made out of machined aluminium, these cufflinks are stuffed with a tiny circuit board, an LED and a battery that lasts 72 hours. Once powered, these little buttons start pulsating to a certain pattern that can be reprogrammed to be anything you want. Using Morse code SOS signal patterns, these cufflinks priced at USD128 (RO49) might just be your tool to escape from boring dinner parties.
Imagine your LED lighting fixtures turning into 10Gbps wireless modems. According to its inventor Harald Haas, Li-Fi offers a bundle of niche applications that regular Wi-Fi just doesn’t measure up to. Since visible light has 10,000 times as broad a spectrum as the radio frequencies used by Wi-Fi, it allows for a larger bandwidth. By the flickering of LED light bulbs, a binary code is created. The more LEDs in your lamp, the more data it can process.
Robotic Mower Honda’s newest bots are out to make our lawns much neater and us a lot lazier. The Miimo 300 and Miimo 500 take monotonous lawn mowing to an all-new level of comfort. Launched for the European market, this robotic lawn mower operates within a boundary wire placed around the yard to be mowed. It is capable of uniformly cutting between 2-3mm of the grass throughout the week. The vacuum cleaner-like mechanism of the bot sucks the grass towards the blades giving your lawn a neat military cut. Don’t worry about your little bot straying too far, this responsible little child returns back to its charging station when it’s low on battery power.
Smashed Silence Mute anyone who annoys you on TV with a smash. The Smash Mute is a gigantic muting red button that is built to be abused when those annoying commercials play on TV. True, there is a quaint little mute button on your remote but there’s nothing like a satisfying smash of your fist to silence the telly. Though it might seem slightly ridiculous, there lies a beauty in its simple design. Simply configure this little gadget to understand the muting signal of your TV set and let the muting begin.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 17
The power of
pink
Here’re a few of the top names in the world of technology who have one thing common It isn’t every day that you see female entrepreneurs making the headlines with their notable achievements. So it certainly attracts attention when women working in the information industry get leadership positions and break the general notion of women not being equal to men. Here are the women who have successfully broken these stereotypes and are now big names in Silicon Valley.
Yahoo’s saviour: Marissa Mayer
Marissa Mayer began her IT career with Google in 1999 as the twentieth employee and was also their first female engineer. She worked with Google for 13 years and during that time she served as an engineer, designer, product manager and executive. In her most recent years with Google, Mayer was vice president of local, maps and location services and prior to that she held the position of vice president of search products and user experience. She was appointed president and CEO of Yahoo on 16 July 2012 and is also currently a member of its board of directors.
Achievements and special honours Member of the board of directors of Cooper– Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Walmart.
18 / TECH
Named in Fortune magazine’s annual list of ‘America’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Ranked 50, 44, 42 and 38, respectively, she was the youngest woman ever listed.
Named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the year 2009.
We feel that given her past with Google, Mayer’s appointment as CEO is allegedly being seen as a frantic attempt by Yahoo to pull up their socks and get back in the race between the internet portals. However, her accomplishments not only justify Yahoo’s decision but they also point towards her ability to help Yahoo transcend this race.
Making HP matter: Meg Whitman Meg Whitman kick-started her professional life as an executive with The Walt Disney Company where she served as vice president of strategic planning in 1980s. She worked as an executive for DreamWorks, Procter & Gamble and Hasbro through the 1990s. Her career saw its peak while she was serving as president and chief executive officer for eBay from 1998 to 2008. During this period she directed expansion from 30 employees and USD 4mn in annual revenue to more than 15,000 employees and USD 8bn in annual revenue. She joined Hewlett-Packard’s board of directors in January 2011 and was announced CEO on 22 September 2011.
Achievements and special honours Served as a member of the board of directors of the eBay Foundation, Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks SKG, until early 2009.
Was appointed a parttime special adviser at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in 2011.
Member of the boards of Zipcar and Teach For America.
We feel one of the biggest challenges faced by Whitman as CEO was to retain and recommit the firm to the PC business that her predecessor was planning to discard. Needless to say, her sound judgment has lived up to HP’s tagline, ‘Make it Matter’.
Xerox’s loyal highness: Ursula Burns Ursula Burns’ history with Xerox goes back to 1980 when she first worked there as a summer intern. She officially joined Xerox in 1981 after completing her master’s degree and took up various roles in product development and planning for the remainder of the decade. Her career took a surprising turn when Wayland Hicks, a senior executive then, offered Burns a job as his executive assistant. She was apprehensive about accepting the offer, fearing it would be a deadend gig for her career but accepted it anyway. She quickly rose in the Xerox hierarchy and in June 1991 became executive assistant to the
then chairman and chief executive Paul Allaire. Finally, in 1999, she was promoted to vice president for global manufacturing and by 2000 she became senior vice president. On 1 August 2009, she succeeded Anne Mulcahy as CEO, with whom her partnership has been described as the kind “that can only emerge from a trial by fire.” We feel there are no two opinions about Burns’ allegiance towards Xerox considering she has seen the company grow significantly; what’s even more imperative is the fact that she has overseen this growth.
Achievements and special honours First African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company.
First woman to succeed another woman (Anne Mulcahy) as head of the Fortune 500 company.
Rated as the 14th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 19
Idle to Intel Diane Bryant admits to being a ‘prissy girl growing up’ and never intended on going to college. In fact she was clueless about what she wanted to do in junior college. Today, Diane is Intel’s vice president and general manager of the datacenter and Connected Systems Group.
Fostering Facebook: Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg started work in 1995 with McKinsey & Company after graduating from Harvard Business School. In 1996 she joined as chief of staff to the former United States secretary of the treasury, Larry Summers, under Bill Clinton’s presidency. She helped lead the treasury’s work on forgiving debt in the developing world during the Asian financial crisis. In 2001, she joined Google Inc. as vice president of Global Online and was in charge of online sales of Google’s advertising & publishing products and sales operations of Google’s consumer products and Google Book Search. Sandberg was announced as the chief operating officer of Facebook in March 2008 and has been working there ever since. In 2012, she was also nominated to Facebook’s board of directors by the existing board members making her the 8th member and the first woman to serve the board. We feel Sandberg has clearly earned her position during her time with Facebook by making it a profitable venture. She has been taking care of the social network’s business operations, which include sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy and communications. Under her supervision, Facebook has grown to be worth billions and that is just more than sufficient proof of her contribution as COO.
Achievements and special honours Ranked one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune Magazine since 2008. She was the youngest woman on the list in 2007. Ranked 34, 22 and 16 in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Was ranked 19 and 21 respectively on 50 ‘Women to Watch’ by The Wall Street Journal in 2007 and 2008 and was ranked 5 on ‘the world’s 100 most powerful women’ by Forbes in 2011.
Was named one of the 25 Most Influential People on the Web by The Business Week and in was also named in Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Was ranked third in the evangelists category of Newsweek and The Daily Beast’s first Digital Power Index, a list of the 100 most significant people in the digital world that year in 2012.
The garage that made Google In September 1998, the same month that Google was formed, its founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin set up office in Susan Wojcicki’s garage in Menlo Park. Wojcicki is the current senior vice president of advertising, Google.
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IBM’s first lady: Ginni Rometty Virgina Rometty’s association with IBM dates back to 1981 when she first joined them in their Detroit office. She single-handedly acquired a deal with the big business consulting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopes Consulting, for USD 3.5bn in 2002. She also introduced cloud based computing and analytics business and devised IBM’s growth strategy. Rometty was made senior vice president and group executive for sales, marketing and strategy in 2009. On 25 October 2011, IBM announced Rometty as the company’s president and CEO, making her the first female CEO of IBM. We agree with former CEO and current chairman, Sam Palmisano when he commented on IBM’s decision of promoting Rometty saying, “Ginni got it because she deserved it… It’s got [nothing] to do with progressive social policies.”
Achievements and special honours Named in Fortune magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for seven consecutive years ranking seventh in 2011.
Named in the Times 100 in 2012.
Intel Insider: Renee James Renee J. James joined Intel in 1987 as the product manager. From 1992 to 1995, she was accountable for Intel’s product marketing of software programs. She was director of Intel Online Solutions from 1992 to 2008 and also served as the company’s chief operating officer for the internet application hosting business from 1998 to 2000. She became vice president of the sales and marketing group and general manager of Microsoft Program Office at Intel Corporation on 18 December 2003 and served at that position through 2005. From 1 December 2005 to January 2010, she held the position of vice president at Intel Corporation and general manager of software and solutions group while
simultaneously being appointed the director of VMware Inc. on 24 September 2007, a position she holds to date. During this time, she was in charge of all facets of the relationship between Intel and Microsoft. She has also been a director at Vodafone Group Plc since 1 January 2011. We feel that James has nurtured Intel like her own child and has metamorphosed the face of Intel as we knew it. She is the best that there can be.
Achievements and special honours Was the keynote speaker at Intel Developer Forum, San Francisco, 2010
Serving as an independent director on the VMware Inc. board of directors and is a member of its audit committee.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 21
COMPUTING
JAW DROPPING
DISPLAY
Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina display reinvents its high-end notebook range
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any companies have made billions by establishing a new product category, but not many have created an impact big enough to make a difference between two products that are closely aligned. Place the Apple’s new Pro in line with the other MacBook Pro range and you will discover how they have produced something highspec so neatly. They are among the best in the thin-and-light laptop market like the MacBook Air. Apple’s new addition is repeated called ‘the best Mac ever’. Does it live up to its name? Let’s find out.
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Screen A 15.4-inch backlit LED screen, provides you with pin sharp high resolution. It has a wider viewing angle and has less reflection. Packed in with over five million pixels, it’s like they have specifically kept professional graphic designers, photographers and film makers in mind. You can run full 1080p videos the colour and contrast is excellent, everything you see is vibrant and detailed. The two applications to take full advantage of with such great clarity are Adobe Photoshop and Aperture. The only thing that Apple cannot
do much about is that all apps and services aren’t adjusted to their new technology. We wonder how Apple’s competitors are going to match up to such a vivid display.
Performance The MacBook Pro can handle almost any task you throw at it. It has a 2.7GHz quad core Intel Core i7 processor that is extremely fast, the programs load up in milliseconds and its fan is quiet as a mouse. It also has a turbo boost speed of up to 3.7GHz, great for running professional applications like Final Cut Pro. The
Resolution: 2880x1800 pixels
Screen Size: 33.3cm and 38.1cm
Processor Speed: 2.6GHz quad core Intel Core i7
Connectivity Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, Two Thunderbolt ports
Storage: Configurable to 768GB flash storage
RAM: 8GB 1600MHz memory Operating System: OS X Mountain Lion
foundation for this Pro is Flash. Since it is built around an all-Flash architecture, it gives you four times the performance compared to traditional hard drive. It is more durable, reliable and battery efficient, moreover, it is fast, very fast. Everything is fluid and responsive. With up to 768GB of flash storage, you can keep your important files, videos and photo libraries. iCloud lets you store all your content and access music, photos, movies, documents, calendar and contacts from which ever device you are on. You have the ability to make changes on all your devices and still see it on your Mac. The MacBook Pro has battery power of seven hours (wireless web). It is remarkable that a high performance notebook with ultra-high-resolution and state-of-the-art graphics has a built-in 95-watt-hour battery. It gives you up to 1,000 full charge cycles and up to 30 days on instant-on standby. You can put the Pro on standby and it will come back on instantly even after a week or a month. From a gaming point of view, the Pro has Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Nvidia GeForce GT 650M setup which is 60 per cent faster than the previous generation. The Thunderbolt technology provides you with both DisplayPort and PCI Express. It had two 10 Gbps data channels that allows you transfer data 12 times faster. The MacBook comes with the preinstalled Mountain Lion OS X operating system that
Camera 720p Face Time HD camera
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Battery Type: 95 Whr (Watt hours)
has added new features like iMessage which will widen iChat’s reach. If you have found it hard to multi-task, you are most likely to be blown away.
Design Starting with the obvious, the MacBook Pro looks just like the previous, right from the glowing logo, too its lightweight body. The dimensions and the weight are the same as well, but it is comparatively heavier than the other 13-inch laptops in the market, like the Toshiba Portege R835-P88. Although, the weight difference can be easily accounted for as Toshiba uses plastic in their construction and Apply specifically uses aluminium.
Verdict We love the Retina Display screen; it is brilliance that meets refined design. It is almost as thin as the MacBook Air, therefore it has great portability. The Pro’s other selling point is its battery life, at the moment, it has no contender. The downside however, is that the MacBook Pro is the least upgradable computer. The memory is soldered on and its battery too is glued in, making it less compatible with third party upgrades for storage. Starting at RO1,100 , it is a little heavy on the pocket for its performance level. There also are increased costs on repair and battery replacement. Finally, not all applications are suitable for such high resolution.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 23
KING OF THE MAC JUNGLE
The much awaited Mountain Lion joins the Mac family
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he new operating system by Macintosh, Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, has been in the wild for over a month now. At large, it has taken the users by surprise. However, it hasn’t quite lived up to their expectations. The 10.8 version of the Mountain Lion has posed problems to battery life, safari and mail clients. Nevertheless, these problems were addressed to a certain extent with the first beta build of OS X 10.8.1 update which substantially improved battery life. Apple is yet to release the first major maintenance update for Mountain Lion to rectify the mail and browser related problems. 24 / TECH
There are however, certain features that make the Mountain Lion an extraordinary computing experience. The operating system entails over 200 new and revised features that give it an edge over other Mac operating systems. The new messages app, iMessage enables you to send text, photos, videos, contacts, web links and documents to any other Mac or iOS user. The new share button makes sharing files, web pages, photos, and videos as well as tweeting much easier. The Reminders app helps you create to-do lists and alerts that appear in the new Notification Center and with Notes you can write down all your ideas and even
speak your words with voice dictation. You can also play head to head games on your Mac device with friends thanks to Game Center. With the iCloud and Mac App store built in, it’s simple to organize everything on your Mac device and you can install desired apps just with a click. The Mountain lion can be purchased by downloading directly from Mac App store for USD20 but make sure you have Lion or the latest version of Snow Leopard before installing the upgrade.
AUDIOZONE
LUCID SOUND An epitome of luxury audio systems, the Grande Utopia EM pulsates extravagance
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here isn’t anything money can’t buy. Focal has designed high-end speakers that produce precise sound. The speakers have a cone shaped design that ensures the best sound wave possible. With movement, it is possible that the cone can deform, therefore the cone is made as rigid as possible. With rigidity there is weight, that in turn takes more power to start and stop movement. The Focal Grande Utopia EM is a culmination of the French manufacturer’s effort to overcome this challenge. Focal has developed the driver around an electromagnet rather than a permanent magnet to main maximum efficiency at the lowest frequencies. The structure is strikingly different from Focal’s previous model and it has ostentatious aesthetics. We love how its pale grey finish and well-rounded form makes a statement in a contemporary living room.
r rs in each towe 16-inch drive cy en qu fre w boasting a lo point of 14Hz Four-way, floorstanding base reflect loudspeaker
1.83m tall, 260kg tower Recomm
ended a mp pow er: 50-150 0W
Although they aren’t what focal primarily has to offer, they are cramped up with great technology. They stand two metres high and have a stunning design. We like how the curve of the tower can be adjusted to achieve perfect alignment and focus the sound from all the drivers onto a single listening position. The price of a pair will set you back a good USD200,000 (RO77,000), if you have the means, we’re certain you wouldn’t want to compromise.
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VIDEOZONE
REDEFINING
HIGH DEFINITION Progress in television explodes as the 4K and 8K UHDTV’s makes a grand entry
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t’s been a while since television makers have been trying to convince us that 3D TVs are the future. Now, they are finally ready to move on to UHDTV. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has agreed that the new standard for high-definition transmissions will be called UHDTV, or Ultra High Definition Television. This new TV is yet another stepping stone in the run to achieve a futuristic world. The ultra-high definition TVs will have 16 times the resolution of anything we currently have in high definition. The projected images will be crammed with 32 million pixels, compared to the current HD experience that displays about two million pixels. This makes the image resolution exceptionally rich and the screen, much
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larger. There are presently two kinds of systems; the 4K (4096x2160) which equates to an eight megapixel image resolution and the 8K (8192x4320) which is equivalent to 32 megapixels. Presently the so-called HD is just equal to two megapixel image resolution. Despite the differences in resolution and frame rate, the current plan is to retain HDTV’s aspect ratio of 16:9. This will help keep the new equipment compatible with HDTV broadcasts. At the IFA, held in Berlin between the 31 August 2012 and 5 September 2012, Sony, Toshiba and LG showcased their 84-inch 4K TVs. Even though LG debuted its 4K TV back at CES in January, it was back at conference with a launch date set for September and a price fixed at USD22,000
(RO8,470). Sony made an impression with its 84-inch 4K UHDTV that came with a built-in 10-speaker 50W sound system, builtin Wi-Fi, and Sony’s very own Entertainment Network, which provides access to Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Skype, and other web services. Weighing in at 80kgs it is expected to be priced at USD25,000 (RO9,625) and might launch “some time this year”. Toshiba did not divulge details about its 84-inch 4K display due in 2013. Hopefully the 84-inch model will accept 4K over HDMI, like the Sony and LG UHDTVs unlike its 55-inch 4K display launched earlier. The 84-inch model doesn’t seem to be as svelte as LG’s; however, we hope to know more about this version soon.
DASHBOARD
THE CHOSEN FEW
The Premium E-Segment is frankly the best class of cars to buy into. We tested the ones made quickly available to us and put them through our subjective radar. And the winner is...
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f you are among the lucky ones to afford these vehicles, you needn’t exactly yearn for a higher goal. The models and price range is so vast that you could start as low RO18,000 and go all the way to a whopping RO60,000 without ever increasing the wheelbase. Before you wonder why we haven’t included the others in this test, you
should know we tried. Those models that were actually worth featuring we have given as a footnote.
through overall ownership experience, subjective preference and of course dealer interaction.
Moving on to the actual review process, we started out with no favorites in our minds. The cars featured are definitive in state-of-the-art vehicle technology and not necessarily better (or worse) than the other. Having said that, the only way one is more ‘preferred’ than the other is
Our aim was to test sub-models with 3.0-litre engines, however we had to settle for the BMW 5-Series with a 2.0-litre engine as we couldn’t get hold of the 3.0-litre.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 31
DEFINING DYNAMICS
BMW 520i
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MW are approaching the whole concept of ‘condensed’ engines head-on. Unlike in Europe we will find it more difficult to accept that today, performance has less to do with engine displacement and more to do with the technology behind it. The 520’s little 2.0-litre pumps out an acceptable 184hp, but lashes out a diesel-level torque of 270Nm at a shocking 1,250rpm – more than the 3.0-litre at the same revs.
The F10 will surely make a man proud – although you do see women drive BMWs
DESIGN The current F10 model has a look thats like a fresher version of the older E29 (1995-2003) model. It is almost as if the model (E60) in between these two, was from another era. Inside, you’ll find comfortable front seats and a thoughtfully-designed dashboard with standard wood trim. Quality of
course is top notch and anyone who complains of BMW’s build quality is not to be trusted. However, a comfortably seated front passenger will leave little back seat legroom. Meanwhile, trunk space and interior storage are concerned moderate.
RD Place
TECHNOLOGY BMW swore by in-line 6-cylinder engines; they were the high point of Bimmers. Sadly that seems to be coming to an end. BMW is now focused on the 4-cylinder units that can contribute a higher output with BMW’s TwinPower turbo technology. In fact, BMW have plans on superefficient and powerful,
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PERFORMANCe three-cylinder motors on their mind. The car we tested came with an 8-speed automatic transmission that shifted with absolute smoothness. The interior and exterior mirrors that come with an anti-dazzle function are a denotation of the kind of safety features that are available in this car.
The 520i is peppy but nowhere close the acceleration of the E300 and nowhere near the A6. Turbo or not, there is only so much 184 horses can accelerate a car. Always considered as the ‘Ultimate driving machine’, BMW leaves no disappointment to the ‘would be’ person who would rather drive himself than be driven. The 5-Series is like a hyper-pup ever so ready to respond to the master’s commands unlike the Mercedes E-Class that seems to always second guess your input. If you love driving, albeit not an expert, the BMW showroom should be your first visit.
COMPREHENDING COMFORT
Mercedes E300
The W212 has matured well; perhaps like its owners. Then again maturity drives a bargain to youth
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he star has always had a place on the roads. For some unknown reason both Mercedes and BMW deny the other’s existence writing it off as ‘noncompetition’. But that’s just an open-secret – they indeed compete like Apple and Samsung, while Audi sit on the sidelines going about its business. However, they are truly different brands where close competition only occurs at higher-spec sport levels. Here, Merc remains the limousine of the wealthy. Comfort triumphs performance – although it’s a small margin in their books.
DESIGN When you look at the last W211 model and compare to the current shape, there is a clear evolution in the design. Unlike the BMW, the E-Class has always been consistent and protective of their design language. They take things slow, look at their past and evolve the shape fluidly over
the decades. That maybe important Mercedes customers, or perhaps they are tuned to that trend. The W212 is gorgeous and aggressive at the same time. Benz has moulded the sharp features and flowing surfaces beautifully together.
nD P l a c e
TECHNOLOGY Once upon a time Volvo was the torch-bearer of safety. They placed a truck on top of their sedan and asked if another car could do the same. Today, we have realised that trucks on sunroofs don’t happen as often. Merc decides they want the torch and invents Pre-Safe. So when you sit in the E300, the seat belts tighten and remove any slack. It is a nice feeling to have mothers buckle their children and this felt no different. But drivers
PERFORMANCe believe themselves to be infallible are more dangerous that trucks, so we have eight airbags and many wheel-control systems such as ABS and BAS in the car. The Avantgarde comes equipped with an ‘infotainment’ system which provides you with guided navigation and entertainment features such as an integrated six-CD changer, an auxiliary input and a 5.8-inch colour display.
A car cannot be all of it at the same time, certainly not perfect in each of the aspects. This E300 cannot come close to the BMW leave alone the Audi in terms of handling. For every action you perform its almost as if asking if the driver is sure of his decision. Whether you downshift or slam the pedal, it takes a second – or seems like it – to respond. Body roll of course comes with softer ride, so if smoothness is what you want the E300 is your choice.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 33
ADRENALIN CHARGED
AUDI A6
Its inaccurate to place the C7 between the E-Class or the 5-Series – except when on the podium
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oys will be boys, mothers always say, much to the woe of the men of the household. For many reasons Audi made a stand decades ago that all four wheels of a car should be used for driving – unlike BMW who used to say that the front are for steering only. Mercedes preferred to watch these two fight it out. Sure enough Quattro became a word that the latter two added to their research papers.
st
Place
DESIGN We think Audi may have focussed so much on the performance or even the competition that they missed the mark on design. While the outgoing C6 had broad shoulders and tight rump, the C7 seems to have quit gym. Indeed the A6 is fresh in its appearance, but that’s not enough. The rear of the new car slopes backwards, and suddenly tips upwards towards the end, like the ducktail Mustangs of the late 60s. Bell-bottoms aren’t here yet.
However, Audi’s brand image is powerful enough for customers to overlook it. Still, the interiors steal the show for they are not just beautifully crafted but also involve futuristic technology that points the man-machine interface in the right direction. The simplicity, in the exteriors, has been compensated with the complexity and accuracy of the interiors.
PERFORMANCe With 300hp, six-cylinders and four-wheel-drive, no one can complain or even compare. This A6 is the offspring of a veteran bloodline of championship Quattros. The Fountain of Youth maybe a tale, but A6 can make you feel truly young – and even an expert driver.
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TECHNOLOGY Audi were the first to jump onto aluminium space-frame technology. They resisted complaints from insurance companies and road-side mechanics (of course through customers and re-sale value) and strode ahead. Now we have a pioneer of sorts, providing rigid yet ultra light bodies that can handle almost anything thrown at it. The rest of the technology is as advanced as the other two in this review both in terms of comfort and safety.
And the winner is Testing such excellent cars always leaves a doubt in the judges or even their judgement. So it is imperative that, after you read this review, you go to each dealer and ask for a test-drive. Perhaps they have changed their offers or brought in a slightly different spec. And of course there is the direct feel too. We drove all three cars through the new road to Amerat, off the Muscat Expressway. It’s a good section with twists and turns including the climbs to judge the motors’ torque and vehicles’ handling. One sedan that really stood out was the Audi, which moved like a spider over cobwebs. The E300 disliked the fact that we drove over smooth roads and waited till we roughed it out to make the rest of the cars feel like a tow-boat stuck in the
SPECIFICATIONS
wake of a cruise-ship. The BMW however, was like a boy opening his new toy; ever so eager to obey a gear-shift command from the master’s fingertip, or wind the wheels up at the tap of his foot.
measurement criteria, digital testing and even brownie points were thrown aside. Instead, we went with a simple fact of gut experience: Which car brought upon the largest smile.
We had a chance to experience, in fact enjoy, both the Audi and the Mercedes till the next day. Driving at night was more pleasurable in the E300 than the A6 – probably because of the higher ‘cruisability’ – while visibility seemed better in the A6. Although we weren’t allowed to keep the 520i overnight, we reckon passengers would enjoy the evening as much as the other two Germans.
The BMW 520i at RO19,000 is a good bargain as an entry-level premier. And though it tried hard to keep the award, the E300 costing RO25,500 came with an equally premier recognition but felt well-worth the RO6,500 (34 per cent) increase. Although the Audi did not have the best features or safety, it left both these behind purely by having a little of everything including power, drive and presence. For just two percent more than the E300, and a considerable 37 per cent more than 520i, the Audi A6 is the car we would pick.
We pondered over the verdict for a while, and that’s all we required to establish an order on the podium. Arguments of
AUDI A6
MERCEDES E300
BMW520i
Engine
3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine
3.0-litre V6 naturally aspirated
2.0-litre I4 turbocharged engine
Power
300hp@6,000rpm
231hp@6,000rpm
184hp@5,000rpm
Torque
440Nm@2,900-4,500rpm
300Nm@2,500-5,000rpm
270Nm@1,250-4,500rpm
Dimensions (LXWXH)
4,920x1,870x1,460mm
1,866x1,854x1,465mm
4,899x1,860x1,464mm
Machine
1,835kgs
1,735kgs
1,730kgs
Dealer
Wattayah Motors, 24573752
Zawawi Trading, 24659200
Al Jenaibi Automobiles, 24567108
Price as tested
RO26,000
RO25,500
RO19,000
Also consider
The longer leap : Jaguar XF
GRUNGE ROCK : Lexus GS350
Perhaps the most beautiful car of the lot, the face-lifted Jaguar XF has true road-presence and can give a real run for your money. Jaguar focussed on getting rid of the old grand-dad image and today seem to have created a totally different impression for itself. In fact, the only car we think more beautiful than the XF is the XJ.
Ah, the newest kid on the block. Born just 23 years ago, Lexus benefitted from the wisdom and money of Toyota to go up against the far senior Goliaths featured here. While the earlier S190 model oozed sensuality, the new L10 is completely opposite with a strong masculine personality – it isn’t beautiful, but is surely handsome.
Although we weren’t able to receive this vehicle for a review, we think it has potential given that the XF is loaded with the latest technology too. ‘Judging a book by its cover’ needn’t apply here. However, where it would place in the above review we can only guess.
We really wanted to feature this car, but try as we might, the dealer wouldn’t hand it to us. Egos aside, the GS350 fills a void in terms of looks and nameplate value. However, we can make a more accurate guess on its possible position: May not be first, but definitely far from last.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 35
MOBILEZONE
LG GETS
‘OPTIMUS-TIC’
Watch out Androids – there’s competition for the quad-core crown
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ith the Optimus 4X HD, LG has made a fashionably late entrance into the quad-core arena dominated by HTC’s One X and Samsung’s Galaxy SIII. Desperate for a reboot in the smartphone market, the Korean phone maker has apparently recruited its ‘best engineers’ to work on the handset. However, the question remains whether the sequel to the dual-core Optimus 2X is LG’s much needed step-up the android ladder.
A 4.7-inch True-HD IPS LCD panel at 1,280x720 resolution forms the display of the 4X. This is quite a considerable upgrade from the previous version. The IPS display makes viewing good at all angles. The display is sharp, detailed and vibrant. Though the phone offers plenty of brightness, display seems to be a little grubby in low light.
Design
Hardware
Weighing in at 141g, the 4X is quite light and easy to carry. Minor things such as the lack of notification LED and use of a power button on the top could have been better. Nevertheless, the Optimus 4X HD is one of LG’s best efforts yet. When it comes to cameras the 4X is equipped with an eight megapixel auto focus camera and a 1.2-MP front-facing camera having features that are typically expected in a smartphone camera.
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DISPLAY
Driving the Optimus 4X HD is the quadcore Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset clocked at 1.5GHz and 1GB of RAM. This puts the phone at par with its rivals in terms of core hardware specifications. There is 16GB of internal memory as well as a microSD card slot, under the back cover, for memory expansion. The phone also has a removable 2150mAh battery which sadly doesn’t seem to last very long.
Software LG has rolled the LG Optimus 4X HD out with Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Working along the lines of being unobtrusive and simple, the interface on the 4X leaps and bounds ahead of any other LG in terms performance making the phone feel snappy and useful. On the whole, the Optimus 4X HD appears ready to play in the big leagues with other smartphones.
Specifications Dimensions 132 x 68 x 8.9mm Weight 141g Internal storage 16GB (12GB available) External storage MicroSD, none included Rear camera 8MP, AF, LED flash Front-facing cam 1.2MP
HOMEZONE
GOING CLEAN
Experience the next level of cleanliness with Philip’s new vacuum cleaners Philips MiniVac Handheld vacuum cleaner – Eco 10.8 V
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he Philips MiniVac 10.8V is an energy proficient vacuum cleaner that comes with a lightweight and powerful, long-lasting lithium-ion battery technology. It has an effective charging system that stops using power when the battery is charged completely which prevents the energy from being wasted. The aerodynamic design in the nozzle helps in thorough dust cleaning. The charging stand of the MiniVac also holds a brush tool and a crevice tool. While the brush tool ensures that you don’t damage delicate surfaces, the crevice tool gives you easy access to nooks and corners. The bagless cyclonic airflow keeps
the dirt inside rotating to ensure optimal, high suction power and lasting cleaning performance. Its two stage filtration system ensures that, once inside, the dirt cannot escape. The first filter blocks most of the dirt, while the second filter traps the finer dust particles. This innovative vacuum cleaner has a nozzle that easily clicks off in just one step to allow you to empty the cleaner without touching the dirt. The Philips MiniVac has a looped handle that ensures optimum grip. You can grab the MiniVac in any way you like. The soft rubber coating feels gentle and gives the vacuum cleaner the firm grip you need.
Save up to 70 per cent energy Optimal filtration with two stage bagless cyclonic airflow Handheld and easy to manage
RO30
2,000 W motor guarantees high cleaning power Long reach with 10m cord for convenient cleaning
Philips EasyLife vacuum cleaner with bag
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he Philips EasyLife provides you excellent cleaning results with its extraordinary cleaning 2,000W motor which generates maximum 400W suction power. It comes with a ten metre long cord which gives you a longer reach so that you clean without having to stop repeatedly in every room. It’s High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters catches respiratory allergy causing vermin. It comes with a three litre dust bag capacity which means you have to change your dust bag less frequently. Its parquet nozzle feature with soft brush hair ensures there is no risk of scratches and is especially designed to carefully clean your hard floor.
Available at Mustafa Sultan Electronics, 24636015
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HEPA filters provide excellent filtration
RO44
BREATHE PURE Samsung’s breakthrough S-Plasma ion technology and full HD filter is the best way to beat the heat
RO170 1.5-ton UTR Plus for quick cooling
Samsung AS18UU
Silver coated filter & evaporator Slim Solution Smart Saver Full HD filter Also available: 2-ton AS24UU MPI - Innovative Air Purifying Technology with Micro Plasma Ion Comfort Care - Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect
1.5-ton S-Plasma ion Good Sleep Mode UTR Plus for quick cooling Silver coated filter & evaporator Full HD filter
Samsung AS24ESA Also available: 2 Ton AS24ESA S-Inverter Virus Doctor System Blue LED Lamp
RO220
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he health and well-being of your family is your biggest priority. Samsung air conditioners exclusively feature a filter and evaporator coated in silver. The precious metal coated filter eradicates microscopic dust particles, unpleasant odours and fungi. Take a breath of fresh air with Samsung’s Virus Doctor System that dramatically enhances air quality, ensuring that you breathe in pure air. It eliminates allergy and sickness causing contaminants, protecting you from disease and everyday illnesses. A comfortable sleep is important and the two air conditioners have a Good Sleep feature that creates an ideal climate in your bedroom. With precise
control over temperature and automatic moisture adjustments, it makes sure you wake up fresh for a new day. Samsung’s S-inverter helps you reach the temperature you desire quickly. With this technology, you do not have to shut the power to conserve energy and ensures that your bills are low. The Comfort Care technology effectively measures the humidity and the temperature of the room and in-turn automatically adjusts itself until comfort is reached. The Smart Saver technology on the other hand, saves up to 31 per cent electricity, keeping your bills low. Every 500 hours, Samsung’s Filter Clean Indicator
shines a blue light to indicate that your filter needs to be cleaned. This range also has a feature that automatically runs the fan after it is switched off. Samsung’s new range of air conditioners are 12 per cent smaller and 20 per cent lighter but are still as powerful as their larger counterparts. They save space and are easy to install giving an aesthetically appealing feel to your room. Design your home on the basis of smart technology that improves your quality of life.
Available at SARCO, 24593025
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 39
TIMELINE
As technology progresses into the unknown we take a walk that is certainly worth remembering TELEVISION
Old
New
The most popular black-and-white television was the Admiral Model 9A111. It had a seven inch screen and it was enclosed in a metal casing. At that time, the Admiral cost almost USD22,645 (RO8,702) in today’s money.
Today, televisions come in full highdefinition with vivid colours and crisp displays and are available in over 300 brands.
Storage
Old
New
IBM’s RAMAC 350 was the world’s first Random Access Magnetic Disk Drive, the ancestor of the hard drive in your computer - with 5 million characters. It weighed over a ton and stored 5MB worth of data.
Hard disks these days such as Western Digital’s MyPassport have a storage capacity of 2TB, which is a whopping 2,096,000MB, and weighs less than 150g.
40 / TECH
Computer
Old
One of the earliest computers was ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer). Introduced in 1946, it was a massive 30-ton machine with 6,000 switches and occupied an entire room.
New
Computers these days are replaced with laptops, ultra-books and tablets. In fact Apple’s iPad3 has a quad-core graphics processor, a five megapixel camera, HD video recording, voice dictation, Retina Display and is operated by touch.
Vacuum cleaner
Old In 1907 The ‘Baby Daisy’ Vacuum Cleaner, Model No. 2 was a manual suction cleaner that required two people to operate. One pumped or pedaled the bellows and the other held the suction nozzle.
New Dyson DC23 TurbineHead Canister Vacuum is simply amazing. Delivering 220 airwatts of suction power, this canister vacuum cleaner traps and kills bacteria, mold and allergens on contact, and prevents them from reentering the air.
Gaming consoles
Old Founded in 1972, Nolan Bushnell’s Atari didn’t become big until 1975 — when Atari started selling home versions of Pong, a 2D simulated a game of table tennis.
New
Gaming consoles such as the Xbox now includes unified online gaming service, multimedia capabilities, connectivity with other devices and uses a Blu-ray Disc as its primary storage medium. SEPTEMBER 2012 / 41
MUSICZONE
ENERGISED
DRUMMING
Yamaha’s DTX400 series is a drummer’s dream Basic Remote Hi-Hat Controller
Drum trigger module with 169 high-quality sounds
KU100 Silent Kick Unit 7.5-inch drum pads
10-inch cymbals and hi-hat cymbal
42 / TECH
Y
amaha breaks grounds yet again and is out with a brand new drumming experience. A pioneer of versatility, Yamaha’s expertise in drum and technology shines through with the all new DTX400 series. The series comprise of three new models-DTX400K, DTX430K and DTX450K.This marks a new territory for the company by featuring a dynamic acoustic drum and percussion sounds, plus modern rock drums and electronic tones. The three models are built keeping beginners in mind to help them experience the clarity of studio recording drums. Nevertheless, these electronic drums are equipped with a full size kit and steel rack system that will be enjoyed by drummers of all levels. The size of the kit and inclusion of a three zone snare pad provide a comfortable drumming experience. A new KU100 kick unit offers silent operation for the bass drum. The hi-hat coupled with large 10-inch cymbals gives great sound that doesn’t reverberate while playing. The 7.5-inch drum pads designed for greater playability and durability also adorn this kit. The drums use the new DTX400 drum module which includes 169 sounds that have the highest quality sound in its class, interactive training functions and built-in practice songs. You can customise the kits to match your style and add new songs to your kit to help you develop your skills. With more than 45 years of experience in the drum business, Yamaha knows just how important playability can be. The design concept was to create an electronic drum system that retained Yamaha’s DTX power, durability and capability at its heart whilst ensuring ease of operation, setup and fun for a whole new generation of aspiring players. These drums are priced at USD500 (RO192) for the DTX400K and USD700 (RO270) for the DTX450K and will become a favourite among recording studios, beginners, drum tutors, schools and aspiring bands.
TIMEZONE
HONOURING NAVITIMER
Decades of technology crafted together in an aurora blue chronometer
C
F E AT U R E S
ommemorating sixty years since the launch of the very first Navitimer, the Blue Sky timepiece is a true collectible. One of the brand’s most exclusive models, it is made with Breitling’s B01 automatic movement. The first of its kind was presented in 1952 or so representatives of the Swiss brand claim.
double anti-glare treatment. The choices of attachments include a dark blue crocodile leather strap and two types of stainless steel wristlets. For those who have a more traditional taste, there is a seven-link Navitimer bracelet. The ones who have unusual and original style can go for the Air Racer bracelet with circular perforations.
In-house Breitling B01 calibre
The Blue Sky is made with a steel case and replicates the traits of Navitimer 01. The anniversary sports addition piece has a blue dial and leather strap. It is fitted into a round case, with a 43mm width. It has a basic water resistance of 30m. The face of the watch is guarded with a cambered sapphire crystal with
There isn’t a better brand ambassador for Blue Sky than actor and professional aviator, John Travolta. With just 500 specimens of this handsome watch in the world, this rare deep blue timepiece costs USD10,000 (RO3,845) a relatively small amount given its history.
45 jewels
Self-winding mechanical movement Customisable index regulator system Auto-centering reset hammers
Frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour Power reserve of 70 hours Bi-directional rotating bezel with slide-rule
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 43
APPS
APPETISERS FOR YOUR PHONE Apps that will surely trigger your appetite and keep you craving
Apps for iPhone
Apps for Android
Apps for BlackBerry
The Betty Crocker Cookbook FREE
Meal plans- Food on the table FREE
Cooklet FREE
Learn to cook, the Betty Crocker way with this cookbook now on your iPhone
Save money on purchase of groceries and plan your favourite meals with this incredible app
Dinner Spinner FREE Search from among many recipes, by keyword from a large database
Cooking Time $1.99
Includes a recipe database, ability to build a grocery list, has five timers, and will tell you how long your entire meal will take to cook
CookWell $1.99
An interactive experience, complete with nutritious recipe ideas, exclusive cooking videos, moneysaving tips and offers, and much, much more
Food Reporter FREE
Social network for food lovers, allows users to share food photos with a community of foodies
Recipe Search FREE Designed for beginner cooks and includes seven modules to help you get started in the kitchen
44 / TECH
Giant Food Healthy ideas FREE
Quick and easy way to find recipes with ingredients that you have or may want
A platform for food lovers from around the world to exchange their cooking experiences and share recipes
Halal Food Guide FREE Your food guide to foods that qualify as Haram and those that are Halal
Kids Meal Deals free Provides instant access to thousands of restaurants offering kids’ meal deals and kids’-eat-free promotions
Cooking Techniques by free
Learn how to apply the right cooking techniques and prepare delicious meals with this app
TUTORIAL
APPLY YOURSELF Create your own smartphone app for free
T
hanks to the advent of technology, there are applications and web developers out there who offer simple solutions to produce apps with no need for any coding skills. The Infinite Monkeys is one such webpage that lets you publish your own customised app. Here are three easy steps that will help you create your own app for you iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android or Windows phone.
1. Gather your content You may want to go for a little trip around the internet and compile all the information you’ll want to include in your app. It is a good idea to start with assets you already have in your photo gallery, blogs and social feeds. After this you can create some shareable assets like a Google calendar with all the upcoming events or a YouTube channel with all your favourite videos.
2. Drag and drop Log onto http://www.monk.ee/ and sign in using your preferred social network. Work
your way through the machine step by step filling in all the details required for each part of your app and drag in the various function you want included in your menu. Suppose, you’re a musician you’ll want to include some of your music track with links for your fans to buy them from iTunes or Amazon. There are provisions to include all such options which would complement your app.
3. Publish it
make your app more discoverable and pick where you want it distributed. The last option is about the ads, which are free if you’re posting the promotion of infinite monkeys’ webpage. Or else, for just a small fee you can make your app an ad-free version. There is even an option to get your own ad if you’re hoping to earn an income from your app. Finally, just track it on the conformation page and your app is ready to be published.
The last step is to enter the details for actually publishing your app out to the external app market places. You can upload a custom icon, set some content tags to
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 45
TECHART
TOUCH OF RAIN Adding dew drops and rain to your photos makes all the difference
Select an image that you feel is appropriate to add rain. We have selected this image to add the effect.
Add a Black layer on top of it and change the blend mode to “Screen”, as shown above.
Select the black layer, and go to Filter > Noise > Add noise. You will get white grains as you see in the image. The size of the grain can vary, it determines the intensity of rain you want to show
Once you are satisfied with ‘Add `Noise’. Go to Filter > Blur > Motion blur.
Keep an angle of 70 degrees, to achieve the right angle of raindrops.
46 / TECH
Now, when you are almost done. You can always add some drama by putting some raindrops. Resize the drops as required. We have selected an image of black and white drops. Make it the topmost layer and change the layer mode to ‘Screen’.
This is what the final image looks like after the hard work you put into making it. We have increased the contrast of the main image too. You can try this exercise with as many images as you like.
Final Image
PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS Hide other layers
Hold down Opt + click on the visibility icon will hide all other layers.
Collapse or expand all layer groups
You can collapse or expand all root-level layer groups by holding down Cmd + click on the triangle icon. Hold down Cmd + Opt + click on the triangle icon will collapse or expand all level layer groups
Show/hide in a row
If you need to show/hide more than one layers, instead of clicking one by one, you can click on the visibility icon and drag in a row.
Opacity
You can set the layer opacity by pressing the number keys (ie. 1 = 10%, 2 = 20%...). When you select the brush tool the number keys will adjust the brush opacity.
Navigate the tool list
You can navigate through the tool list by pressing Shift + tool shorcut. For example, B = Brush tool, if you press Shift + B again, you will switch to Pencil tool.
Navigate layer blending mode Opt + Shift + “-” or “+” key allows you to navigate through the blending mode dropdown.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 47
SPACETECH
MARTIAN HUNTER NASA’s latest venture on to the red planet investigates the Martian climate
N
ASA scientists have been understandably quite proud of performing the most accurate landing of an unmanned robotic spacecraft yet. Curiosity, the robotic rover, became an overnight sensation when it successfully landed on Mars in early August. Launched from Cape Canaveral on 26 November 2011, the car-sized explorer landed just less than 2.4km from the rover’s touchdown target after a 563,000,000km long journey. This is quite an amazing feat when you consider the sheer complexity of the
48 / TECH
mechanics and external factors involved in its descent. However, the USD2.5 bn craft doesn’t plan to search for life on Mars or any evidence of it but instead spend the next two years investigating the Martian climate to see if Mars ever maintained habitable conditions to support life.
and is facing the crater wall in a distance which is roughly 5km in height. Named the Bradbury Landing site after the famous sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury, scientists believe this 155km wide depression could have retained liquid water that may have supported life on ancient Mars.
Having said that, Team Curiosity admits that the rover is unlikely to ever leave the area immediately surrounding its landing site. NASA scientists believe the one-ton rover landed in the 3.5 billion-year-old Gale Crater
Unlike its predecessors, the Mars Curiosity Rover doesn’t have an on-board microphone as the previous expeditions to Mars revealed no sound patterns that need to be experimented with. The rover also lacks
lights as it utilizes the night time to recharge the batteries to drive and explore during the day thereby taking advantage of the day time. Since the temperatures at the landing site can vary from +30°C to −127°C the rover uses special fluid pumped through 60m of tubing to keep sensitive components at optimal temperatures. Two identical self-monitoring on-board rover computers, contain radiation hardened memory to tolerate the extreme radiation from space and safeguard the rover against power-off cycles. It has a total of 17 cameras and is equipped with significant telecommunication redundancy by several means. Curiosity communicates with Earth
directly at speeds up to 32 kbit per sec, but the bulk of the data transfer is relayed through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Odyssey Orbiter. The rover is equipped with six 50cm diameter wheels in a rocker-bogie suspension system that also served as landing gear for the vehicle. Each wheel has cleats and is independently actuated and geared allowing the rover to roll over obstacles of about 65cm in height. Though it can travel up to 90m per hour its average speed is about 30m per hour. Curiosity is expected to traverse a minimum of 19km during its entire stay on Mars.
Part of the deck of NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars, taken from one of the rover’s Navigation cameras looking toward the back left of the rover
This image shows the Curiosity rover landing and destinations scientists want to investigate.
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 49
MOVIEZONE
Director: Simon West Genre: Action, Adventure Screenplay: Richard Wenk, Sylvester Stallone Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, JeanClaude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger
I
t is pay-back time for The Expendables. With its newest members Billy the kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan), they are reunited when Mr.Church (Bruce Willis) sends the Expendables to complete a simple assignment. To Barney (Sylvester Stallone) and his team of old school mercenaries, the task looks easy, but soon they find their plans going haywire. The team is forced to seek revenge when one of their own is brutally murdered by the rival mercenary, Jean Vilian (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Just
when the chances of the team emerging successful in hostile territory seem slim, hell-bent on payback, they go on a rampage and destroy everything in their path. They also manage to shut down an unexpected threat in time. Fuelled by testosterone, this sequel has twice the muscles, guns, tanks, explosions and violence. However, the film seems to be selling itself wholly on the reputation of its cast.
DVD Releases 11 September
11 September
18 September
25 September
What to expect when you are expecting
Snow White and the huntsman
The best exotic
The tall man
marigold hotel
Suspense, thriller
Romance, drama, comedy 50 / TECH
Drama, adventure, fairytale
Drama, adaptation
GAMEZONE
Fable: The Journey Xbox360
Its Death’s day out, as he combats different forces to prove his brother’s innocence
D september 04
Borderlands 2 Xbox360, PS3, PC
september 18
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria PC
eath, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, is on a mission to clear his brother War’s name of a crime that he did not commit. Death sets out to accomplish this deed by visiting other worlds, talking with mystical beings and killing other creatures of fantasy as he carries out their endless quest. While it does take some time to get used to playing with Death compared to playing with War from the first edition of Darksiders, Death offers a wide variety of weapons, skills and the addition of a skill tree to create him with the powers you want. What keeps you on your toes throughout the game is the fact that there is so much to do and has vast lands to explore while your strolling. Darksiders II improves upon its predecessor in almost every way. The combat is deep and satisfying; the exploration and loot elements are incredibly addictive. The dungeons provide a near perfect amount of challenge and consistency to keep you playing to the end. If you’re looking for an expansive adventure with an interesting story, massive world and robust combat, Death is what you’re looking for.
Publisher: THQ Developer: Vigil Games Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC Genre: Action-adventure ESRB Rating: Mature
SCORE Gameplay Graphics Sound Story Re-playability OVERALL
9 9 8.5 8 9 8.5
september 25
FIFA 13 PC
september 27
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 51
WEARABLETECH
GOOGLE EYE Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
G
oogle’s project glasses have made everyone talking about the glimpse of the future with augmented reality in our everyday lives. Imagine replacing your smartphone with a pair of glasses and controlling them with your voice and head movements. This means you can bid goodbye to concentrating on your handset as you do your chores.
the right eye, wireless radios, memory and a camera with a touchpad and a control button. The front camera lets you to share your vision just the way you see it without compromising on the time and the picture perfect moments that you cherish. Sleek and compatible these Glasses are not only a look into the virtual world but a style statement on its own.
The Project Glass is part of the Google X Lab, the company that has been working on other futuristic technologies. The Project Glass features include time, weather, phone calls, messages, music, GPS, camera, calendar and more just like any other smartphone. Apart from that, the glasses include a screen above
Rumoured to be released by end of 2012, the futuristic Glasses would be slightly heavy on the pocket. They are also working on a design to incorporate these glasses for those who own normal power spectacles.
google’s top secret Google X lab, sometimes known as Google X, is a secret facility run by Google. The lab is said to be working on a list of 100 projects relating to future technologies such as space elevator, self-driving car and other innovative and wild ideas. The lab is maintained in such secrecy that even most Google employees are not even aware that it exists. The whereabouts of the lab is still a mystery though it is thought to be located somewhere in the Bay Area of Northern California.
52 / TECH
While the possibilities are incredibly exciting, the finance involved are very small by comparison to the investments that they make in the core businesses. Google X lab dreams up the future with some out-of-the-box-ideas. The secret lab is the place where your dinner plate could post to a social network while you’re eating or that could perhaps take you to outer space on an elevator.
FAX TO 24693569 Choose the correct answer and send in your entries for a chance to win 1 Which software is a modified version of Windows Media Player? (a) Zune (c) Prune
(b) Tune (d) Kune
3 What is a mickey in computer lingo? (a) A pointer mouse (b) The unit of mouse movement (c) A wireless mouse (d) The unit of mouse sensitivity
Please send us your entries by September 25 for a chance to win a Panasonic DVD player Previous quiz answers: 1 – (a) 2 – (b) 3 – (b) 4 – (b)
Last month’s winner:
Bilgi Harish
Step into our world
2 In what year was the first recorded use of the term spyware? (a) 1993 (c) 1991
(b) 1997 (d) 1995
4 What was the first commercially-available digital camera? (a) 1990 Dycam Model 1 (b) Logitech Fotoman (c) Fuji DS-1P (d) Kodak DCS-100
Name ______________________________________ Age ______ Mobile ___________________________ Email _______________________________________ Occupation __________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Employees and family members of Deenar Press and Publishing cannot participate in the quiz. Judge’s decision is final. Please email the answers to tech@deenarmedia.com or fax this page to 24693569 by the deadline. Correspondence after the deadline will not be entertained. PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY. Incomplete or illegible entries will be disqualified. Winner must provide valid ID to claim the prize. Allow up to two weeks to process.
Welcome to our ‘TECH Favourites’ section. With these lists we aim to keep you updated with our favourite products in a concise format. Please give us your feedback on the basis of which we can further improve it.
FAVOURITES
N New
Flat-Panel Displays LG 60PA6500 This is a 60-inch,2Megapixels,full HD,USB port movie play(DIVX HD),600Hz subfield,razor frame,3 HDMI AND PC input PenTouch Plasma HD Ready TV with 600Hz Tru Motion flow.
RO600
U Updated
3d TVs
Philips 52PFL5605H This is a 2MP, full-HD 52-inch TV with three HDMI inputs, USB port and PIP. It features Pixel Plus HD and HD natural motion.
LG 47W4500 3D LED 47-inch Smart TV, full HD, three HDMI/PC input, energy saving mode, micro pixel control, 2D to 3D converter N
RO478
RO699
Sony KDL55HX855
Sharp LC32M400M
55-inch 3D dynamic LED tv,2megapixels,full HD,2 USB port,2D-3D Converter,4HDMI
RO1,500 Sony KDL65HX920 65-inch full LED 3D TV,2 megapixel,full HD,800HZ motion flow,2 USB port,4HDMI
RO2,500
This is a 1MP, HD Ready, 32-inch LCD TV with three HDMI/PC inputs. It features Surround Sound and an OPC sensor. It sports a USB port.
3D Plasma 46-inch screen, full HD, two megapixels, 800Hz sub-field motion, 3 USB port, Internet TV, smart interaction N
Sharp LC-46LE830M
55-inch 3D LED TV, 2MP full HD 3D,USB port movie play(DIVX HD), 800Hz MCI, four HDMI/PC input, dual play, Built-in Wifi
3D Plasma 50-inch screen, 600Hz sub-field motion drive, 1MP, HD Ready, 2D to 3D converter, USB port, PIP system
RO1,400
RO390
This is a 40-inch LED, full HD TV. Two HDMI inputs, Eco mode,200Hz,USB port play movie.
RO300 Panasonic TH-P42UT30 This is a 42-inch 3D Plasma, full HD,2 megapixel,SD card slot,3 HDMI INPUT, and 600Hz sub-field drive,pc input.
RO649 Samsung PS50D490
Samsung UA40EH6000
RO950
3D LED 46-inch screen, full HD, 2MP, 2D to 3D Converter, Wi-Fi, four HDMI/PC inputs, three USB ports
LG 55LM8600
RO100
Samsung UA46ES8000
Samsung UA55ES 8000 55-inch 3D SMART TV,2 megapixels, full HD,2D-3D converter, smart hub, web browser, usb, hdd port N
RO160 Samsung PS51E450A1R This is a 51-inch, 1megapixel, HD ready, It sports two HDMI/PC input, and USB port,clear image panel,real black,600Hz motion.
RO800
RO280 Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order
Players Sony STR-KM3
LG DM-5620
Samsung HT-E5550K
1200 WATTS RMS,USB play,FM RADIO,HDMI input,DOLBY DIGITAL.
4200W PMPO/DVD,CD,MP3 PLAYBACK,usb play playback,cassete play back, FM radio.
3D Blu-ray home theatre system,5.1 channel,2D-3D CONVERTER, 1,000W RMS, All share play, built-in wireless, Blu-ray, DVD, VCD, CD, MP3 andCD-R, USB port play movie
RO232
54 / TECH
RO90
RO230
Panasonic SCHX50GSK 5.1 channel home theatre system, HDMI upscaling, DVD, CD MP3, Dolby Digital
N
RO59
Netbooks, Portables
laptops Dell M14-ALNW-0251
Amazon Fire
Intel Core i7 2,670M processor, 2.2GHz CPU speed, 8GBDDR3 RAM, 750GB HDD, 14.1-inch HD WLED screen
Seven-inch multi-touch display with In-Plane Switching (IPS); 8GB internal memory; free cloud storage; Wi-Fi; 7.5 hours of battery life
RO695
N
Acer Aspire S5 Intel Core i5-3317U,4GB DDR3,128 GB SSD,Intel HD Graphics4000,wireless bluetooth
RO525
U
RO100
Toshiba Portégé Z830-A167
Samsung Galaxy GT-P7500
Intel ULV Core i5 2467M processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 13.3-inch HD screen, 1.3MP web camera
Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, Google Android 3.1, 16GB memory, 1GHz processor with 3G, 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi
RO230
RO459
HP ENVY 14-3000
Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G
Intel Core i5-2557M,1.7GHz CPU speed,4GB DDR3 RAM,256GB SSD,13.3-inch HD
32GB, 9.7-inch LED backlit screen, 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor, Wi-Fi and 3G, two cameras
RO600 Asus UX31E Intel Core i5 ,630QM processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 640GB HDD, 2GB DDR3 SDRAM, 15.6-inch LED HD screen
RO600
RO290
Samsung 550P5CS02
Apple iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G
Intel Core i7-3610QM, 2.3GHz CPU speed, 8GB RAM,1TB HDD, 2GB NVIDIA GT650M VRAM
32GB, 9.7-inch LED backlit multi-touch display with IPS technology, dual-core Apple A5X processor, Wi-Fi and 4G, fivemegapixel iSight camera
RO310
RO470
Lenovo Z570 Intel Core i7 2,630M processor, 6GB DDR3 RAM, 750GB HDD, 1GB VRAM, 15.6-inch LED HD screen N
RO340
HP Pavilion DV66C40
Sony SEV15115B
Intel Core i5 2450M processor, 2.5GHz, 6GB RAM, 1GB VRAM, 750GB HDD, 15.6-inch HD LED
Intel core 13-23750M, 2.40GHz CPU speed,4GB DDR3 RAM,500 GB HDD,INTEL HD Graphics 3000(1GB), 3 in 1 card reader
RO300
BlackBerry PlayBook 64GB, 1GHz dual-core processor, seveninch LCD screen, 1GB RAM, dual cameras – 5MP rear and 3MP front
RO100
Samsung XE700T1A
Asus Transformer TF101G
Intel Core i5 2467M processor, 1.6GHz CPU speed, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, Intel HD graphics
RO280
Android, 1GHz processor, 1GB LPDDR2 RAM, 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 16GB internal memory, 10.1-inch LCD screen
RO300
RO525
Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.
computer accessories HP TopShot
Linksys X2000
Philips SHM1900
Laser Jet printer, Print, scan and copy features, resolution of 2,400, 17ppm (pages per minute) black, 4ppm colour, air print, Wireless network
Directly connects to the Internet, provides wireless coverage without the need for a separate DSL modem
Stereo PC headset with in-line volume control, adjustable microphone, lightweight, great acoustics
RO165
RO37
RO9
WD My Book Essential 1TB, USB 3.0 and 2.0 compatible interface, WD SmartWare visual backup software, automatic, continuous backup
RO48
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 55
camcorders
digital still cameras Panasonic DMC-TZ30
Sony HDR-CX760E
35mm ultra wide-angle 20x optical zoom ,LEICA DC lens,full HD movie,3D, three-inch LCD,stabilizer
RO174 Sony TX200V
8.9MP CMOS sensor, 30x optical zoom, three-inch wide touchscreen, built-in GPS, optical graphic stabilisation
Samsung WB850F 16.2MP; 21x optical zoom;23mm wide angle, three-inch LCD screen;GPS
18.2MP; 10x optical zoom camera; 2.7-inch LCD; HD video recording; CMOS sensor, Optical SteadyShot N
N
Sony HDR-XR260 8.9MP, Pixel Super Resolution technology, three-inch Clear Photo LCD, BIONZ processor, Optical SteadyShot stabilisation
RO160
RO215
RO265
Olympus SP-810 Three-inch LCD screen; 14MP; 36x optical zoom; HD movie; 24mm wide-angle; 3D photo mode
RO170
RO530
JVC Camera GZ-EX255 SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Slot/Built-in Memory 16GB/1920 x 1080/50P Output/ Wi-Fi Wireless Functions Built-in LED
Fujifilm HS25 16MP, 30x optical zoom, three-inch LCD, CMOS sensor, panoramic view
RO170
RO200
Canon IXUS 500 10.1MP CMOS and DIGIC 5, 12x optical zoom, three-inch LCD, Intelligent IS, High-speed shooting
Samsung HMX-Q20 20x optical zoom, 5.3Megapixel, 3-inch LCD screen, HD movie,2hours 30minutes Battery ,smart auto
RO140
RO100
Canon SX 260
Samsung WB150F
12 Megapixels,20x optical zoom, three-inch LCD, smart auto,full HD movies, 25mm wide angle
Panasonic SDR-HC-V10
24mm ultra-wide lens; 18x optical zoom; 14.2MP; 720p HD video; three-inch LCD
70x enhanced optical zoom, , 2.7-inch LCD screen, Hdmovie,31.6mm wide lens,smart auto
N
RO150
RO100
U
RO127
Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.
dsLRs Canon EOS-600D
Olympus E-PM1
18-megapixel sensor, 3.7fps shooting, three-inch LCD, nine Auto-Focus points, full HD movie, Live View feature
12-megapixel sensor, 5fps, 35-point autofocus, three-inch LCD screen, Full HD movie, 3D mode
RO475
56 / TECH
U
RO370
Sony Mirrorless cam NEX-7 24.3-megapixel/FPS,3-inch lcd screen,steady shoot,full HD movie,exmor sensor,18-55 lens.
RO550
Nikon D3200 24.2 megapixels,4fps,3-inch LCD screen,11 AF point ,Full HD Movie,Live View,18-55mm Lens.
U
RO380
ipod docks
PHONES BlackBerry Curve 9360
Samsung Galaxy Note
2.44-inch TFT screen, 5MP camera with LED flash, BlackBerry OS v7.0
5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display; 1.4GHz dual-core processor
Philips Android Version Bluetooth, FM radio, AUX in, 20w RMS
N U
RO107
RO220
Logitech Mini Boombox Handy speakerphone with built-in mic; backlit, touch panel controls; specially designed acoustic chamber
Samsung Galaxy SIII
Nokia N9
4.3-inch super AMOLED Plus display; Android 2.3 (Gingerbread); 8MP camera with LED flash
AMOLED capacitive touchscreen; 8MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics; 64GB storage
RO250
RO223
Apple iPhone 4S
Motorola RAZR XT910
3.5-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen; internal memory of 32GB
4.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen; 8MP camera; Android OS (Gingerbread)
RO325
RO200
LG Optimus L7 P705
Sony Ericsson Xperia S
4.3-inch LCD touchscreen, 5 MP camera, 4GB Storage upto 32GB, 1GHz processor
Android Gingerbread smartphone; 12MP camera; 4.3-inch HD screen; 32GB memory
U
N
RO135
U
8GB, dual camera, video, photo view, MP3 music, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, clock, calendar, YouTube, newsstand, mail
RO93
RO35 Bose Sound Dock-10 iPod and iPhone dock, recharge and play, remote control, audio input
RO279 Bose SoundLink Works wirelessly with iPhone, Android, Blackberry, tablet or laptop, 30-foot wireless range
RO155 Panasonic SC HC35 iPod/ iPhone dock station, USB, AUX in
RO230
N
RO50
Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.
mp3 players Apple iPod Touch 5G
RO50
Sony NWZ-W262
Philips SA3VBE08K
Samsung YP-U6A
2GB, 8 hours of battery life, water resistant, 3 minutes charge for 60 minutes playback, light weight and comfortable
8GB MP4 player, supports MP3, WAV, and WMA playback, FM radio and FM recording, 1.8inch screen, five hours battery support
4GB memory, Voice recording, MP3 and WMA playback, FM radio
RO37
RO30
RO24
GETS YOU A SPOT HERE SEPTEMBER 2012 / 57
REFRIGERATORS
air conditioners & air purifiers Panasonic CSK-18NKF
LG T186RC
Toshiba GRKE-69
Two-tonne unit; incorporates ECONAVI technology; Advance+ e-ion monitors changes in the degree of air cleanliness; features AUTOCOMFORT
1.5-tonne split air-conditioner with virus and allergy-safe filter; four-way swing and jet cool feature; employs multistage tropical compressor
690L capacity, double-door refrigerator, frost-free, insulated wire shelves, platinum deodoriser U
RO205
LG RB7122YVS
RO225
N
Sharp FU-P60S
RO289
RO309
Samsung AS18ES
Air purifier; washable HEPA filter; activated carbon filter; Plasmacluster technology that creates environment very close to that found in nature
RO90
Window AC 1.5 Ton capacity, slim design, powerful output
Air purifier that works within 20sqm; sports a modern, elegant design; comes with washable carbon filter; easy filterchange system; touch control panel
RO220
Hitachi RAS-18CPX Sharp SJ-GC48V
492L capacity, frost-free, double-door refrigerator, adjustable wired shelves, Plasmacluster Ion
RO193
RO290
Toshiba RAS-18
Whirlpool WTM620S
1.5-tonne split-type wall-mounted air conditioner,Self cleaning function,automatic 3mins safety control
620L capacity, frost-free, multi air flow, tempered glass shelves
RO245
RO222
Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.
WASHING MACHINES
9kg capacity, 1,400rpm, air bubble wash, child lock, delay start, direct drive motor
350L capacity, LCD touchscreen, bottommounted freezer, blue LED display, silver plus anti-bacterial coating
RO220
RO179
Daewoo DWC - 141KC
Samsung RL-52VEBTB
Split air-conditioner with Green Fin condenser; durable thanks to green rustresistant coating; employs Nano Titanium technology in its stainless steel filters
LG PS- N55 OWPS
N
U
710L capacity, frost-free, double-door refrigerator, tempered glass shelves, digital display, deodoriser, water dispenser
Hoover DYN10144DP
LG WD1443KDS
Samsung WF0804
10kg capacity, 1,400rpm, ten wash programmes, child lock, super-silent, direct drive motor, energy savings, wash time control
11kg capacity, 15 wash programmes, 1,400rpm, steam wash, quick wash, language selection, six motion washer, allergy care
8kg capacity, 1,400rpm, 14 wash programmes, delay end, Eco Bubble wash function, quick wash, child lock, diamond drum, time delay, durable ceramic heater
RO210
RO320
RO400
RO215
MASTERPIECE
GREAT PRICE
MAX ELECTRONICS LLC - OMAN SEEB - MUSCAT CITY CENTRE (LEVEL 1) TEL: +968 24558062 FAX: +968 24558063 EMAIL: memcs@cplmg.com SOHAR - CENTREPOINT MALL TEL: +968 97666631 FAX: +968 26844610 SALALAH - CENTREPOINT MALL TEL: +968 94122251, FAX: +968 23289261 BAHRAIN OMAN SAUDI ARABIA QATAR UAE
58 / TECH
VACUUM CLEANERS
microwaves & ovens
Philips FC-8146
Daewoo KOC-9N8T
Samsung CE-107V 28L multi-function microwave oven with interiors finished with Ceramic Inside coating; easy to clean; Triple Distribution System heats food deeply and equally
RO65
29L microwave oven with stainless-steel housing; 900W output power; convection/grill function; delivers 850W grill power; ten power levels; five auto cook menus
RO63
1,800W vacuum cleaner, bagless, HEPA washable filter, 300W suction power, dust container-full indicator
RO49
Panasonic NN-C784MF
Panasonic MC-CG713
28L oven capacity; microwave with oven and grill; feather touch control; auto defrosts by weight; recipe store
2,000W standard vacuum cleaner, 6L dust bag capacity, HEPA and anti-bacteria filter, metal wand, slide power control, 5m cable
RO46
Midea EM820LMP 20L capacity; 800W microwave oven with 11 power levels; child safety lock; with defrost settings; six auto menus; sports a fashionable design
Samsung SC56B0
RO105
2,000W vacuum cleaner, 3.5L dust capacity, Foam pre-motor filter, micro exhaust filter, silver nano system, power slider on handle
RO23
RO24 LG MC8088FRR 30L convection microwave oven; features over 100 Auto Cook menus; sports a motorised rotisserie; comes with Steam Clean and Defrost functions
RO90
Karcher VC 5200 Dry vacuum cleaner, 3.3L dust bag capacity, 1,800W input power, indicator for full bag, HEPA 12 filter
Sharp AX1100SLM
Sharp R200 22L microwave oven with 800W microwave power; five one-touch instant action menus; three easy defrost menus; four-digit LCD; five power levels
27L microwave oven with stainless-steel housing; 900W output power; steam oven with microwave and grill; 26 automatic programmes; LCD display
RO29
RO77 LG VCA241HT 1,400W bagless vacuum cleaner, 0.8L dust capacity, washable HEPA filter, innovative Cyclone System technology
RO160
RO33 Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.
DOMESTIC APPLIANCES Krups EA8255K1
Philips HD9220
Kenwood KM400
Tefal TFAH9000
Espresso, Cappuccino and Coffee maker, compact Thermoblock system, metal drip tray, steam function, automatic cleaning
2.2L capacity, oil-free frying using Rapid Air technology, food separators, integrated timer, 1,425W power
750W power kitchen machine, 4.6L bowl capacity, three coated bowl tools – a beater, whisk and dough hook, six speeds
1,400W power, ceramic coating, digital display, one spoon of oil for 1kg of crispy chips
RO285
RO100
RO171
RO105
Think CAMERAS Think EMAX MAX ELECTRONICS LLC - OMAN SEEB - MUSCAT CITY CENTRE (LEVEL 1) TEL: +968 24558062 FAX: +968 24558063 EMAIL: memcs@cplmg.com SOHAR - CENTREPOINT MALL TEL: +968 97666631 FAX: +968 26844610 SALALAH - CENTREPOINT MALL TEL: +968 94122251, FAX: +968 23289261 BAHRAIN OMAN SAUDI ARABIA QATAR UAE
SEPTEMBER 2012 / 59
top 5 games
gaming consoles & accessories
FIFA Street
PS VITA Has front and rear camera; cross control play; motion sensor
PUBLISHER: ELECTRONIC ARTS DEVELOPER: EA CANADA PLATFORM(S): XBOX, PS3 GENRE: SPORTS ESRB RATING: EVERYONE
RO67 Nintendo 3DS Built-in 3D Depth Slider to adjust intensity of 3D; built-in motion and gyro sensor
RO94
Logitech Z506 Delivers 500W of pure power to recreate perfect theatre-quality audio experience
RO38
Logitech G13 GamePanel LCD keeps you informed of game stats; programmable G-keys
Racing wheels and flight controllers simulate realism; Force feedback feature
RO140
Turtle Beach Gaming headset, Inline amplifier, separate connecter for mic and pc lines
RO54
Xbox 360 Kinect 250GB Integrated internal memory of 250GB; built-in WiFi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n); 5.1 channel surround sound
Call of Duty: MW3 PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION DEVELOPER: SLEDGEHAMMER GAMES PLATFORM(S): Wii, PS3, XBOX 360, PC, DS GENRE: ACTION ESRB RATING: MATURE
Nintendo Wii Sports Pack
Broken into three parts: the ‘Motion Controller’, the ‘Navigation Controller’ and the ‘PlayStation Eye Camera’
Fun activities with more than 18 sports to try, ranging from water sports like canoeing to ball games like basketball
RO160
RO85
RO29
PUBLISHER: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPER: POLYPHONY DIGITAL PLATFORM(S): PS3 GENRE: RACING ESRB RATING: EVERYONE
RO14
Gears of War 3 PUBLISHER: MICROSOFT DEVELOPER: EPIC GAMES PLATFORM(S): XBOX 360 GENRE: ACTION ESRB RATING: MATURE
RO27
RO190 PS3 320GB + Move Bundle
RO29
Gran Turismo 5
RO37 Logitech G27
N
Resistance TRILOGY Logitech Steering Wheel Playstation 3 and PC compatibility
PUBLISHER: SONY DEVELOPER: INSOMNIAC GAMES PLATFORM(S): PS3 GENRE: ACTION ESRB RATING: MATURE
N N
RO70
RO27
Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the magazine maybe subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.
TECH DIRECTORY Company
BRANDS
Showroom
Service Dept.
Bahwan Electronics
Asset, Carrier, Ignis, Napro, Toshiba, Seiko, Casio, Titan, Sony Ericsson, Tempstar, Cooline, Corning, Print electronics, Dolphin, Benq, Ausonia, Daewoo, VIP, Dometic, Corby
Ruwi 24796629
Emax
Multibrand
MCC 24558062
Genetco
Sanyo, Videocon, Fujitsu, Thomson, York, Yamaha, Canon, HAAS, AEG, Sure, Caravell, Gulf Star, Safari, Admiral, Francia, Mitsubishi, Marc Climatic, Vortice, Guntner, Zanussi , Ziegra Imesa, Bitzer, Manitowoc, Bremer, DitoElectrolux, Metro, Taylor, Costan
Qurum 24568806, Muttrah 24713138, Ruwi 24830919, Seeb 24422797, Shatti al Qurum 24693292
24503653
Al Gurg Home Appliances - Better Life
Terim, Fisher & Paykel, SMEG, Vestfrost, Wolf Power, Grundig
24811608
24810404
HiTec Centre
Boston Acoustics, Denon, Leica, Polk Audio
Azaiba 24497384
24497384
Jumbo Electronics
Sony, VAIO, Sony Professional Products, Blackberry, Supra, Midea Air-conditioners, Casio, Brother Sewing Machines, Acer, HP, Dyson, Gorenje
MBD 24818358, Al Araimi 24565845, QCC 24470529, Salalah 23291984
24814815
Al Khalili Technology
Fujitsu, Siemen, Coral Telecom, Honeywell, Epson, Camtron, Pyronix, SD3, Tripp-lite, Cummins, Schneider Electric, Sanyo, Sakar, Sterline, Sonicwall
24616900
24816303
Moayyed Integrated Enterprises
Daewoo Electronics
24488795
24488795
Muscat Electronics
Daikin, Wansa, Ricoh, Chigo, Media, G-Hanz, Sony Professional Products
Ruwi 24702985, Sohar 26845647, Salalah 23291617
24813408
Mustafa Sultan Electronics (MSE)
Haier, Philips, Nevica, Whirlpool, Haas, Universal, Westpoint, Urania, ROYXON
Al Khuwair 24636015
24818018
Oman International Electronics & Trading
Bose, NEC, JVC, Nakamichi, SONOS
Qurum 24565490 Connexions 24558529
24830606
Oman Modern Electronics
Sharp, OMEC
HO 24706004, Ruwi 24832891, Sohar 26840763, Sur 25544613, Salalah 23291405
24704494
OMASCO
Panasonic, Yamaha, Stanley, Black and Decker, GE, Aftron, Xper, Raymond Weil, Kolber, Westend, Westar, Alba, Maxima, HMT
Qurum 24564310, Ruwi 24833630
24560232
OMASCO - System Solutions
Panasonic
24565696
24565696
Oman Trading Establishment
LG, Bosch, White Westinghouse
Wadi Kabir 24811572, Al Khuwair 24479448, Ruwi 24831544, Ruwi MBC 24834162, Al Araimi 24561480, Seeb 24420570, Nizwa 25412216, Sur 25545107, Bani Bu Ali 25553387, Salalah 23295237, Sohar 26842397
24810522 / 24810156, 80075545
Photocentre
Fujifilm, Olympus, Hasselblad, Sigma, Manfrotto, Qurum 24565305, Al Lowepro, EPSON, Mitsubishi Electric, STEINER, Khuwair 24479296 Broncolor, Hama, Amano
24571708
SARCO
Samsung, Technoflame
Ruwi 24593025
24593025
Shah Nagardas Manji
Kodak, Yashica, Cokin, Case Logic, Lexar, Noritsu, Durst, Bushnell, Eiki, Iriver, Steiner, Tasco, White Westinghouse, Igloo, Venus, Russel Hobbs, Addis, Noritake, Ocean, Wenger
Ruwi 24562656, Lulu Bausher 24593806, Nizwa 25410184
Technical Trading
Westinghouse
Ruwi 24703515, Fax 24700010
If you would like to be listed, email: tech@deenarmedia.com
24501965