TW, Issue 46, Week 22, June

WEEK 22, MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2013

AN AL ROYA PRESENTATION

OMAN’S FAVOURITE MAGAZINE, NOW A TABLOID

TECH@DEEN ARMEDIA .COM

Apps of the week, Tech Selection, Tech Radar and more...

Be the Rebel

Canon EOS 700D A leap from the old

Warp speed

SSC Tuatara: Beyond your imagination

New frontiers

Sneak Preview

The breath taking Claret X-TREM-1

Xbox One creates ripples of anticipation

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Exhaust systems

Drop-in Supercharger Kits

Full Body Kits Cold Air Induction Rear Bed Covers Tuned headers We will import anything that you have ever wanted but were not able to find or had pay a fortune on shipping. Simply tell us what you are looking for, and we will obtain it for you. And it won’t cost you an arm or a leg

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Issue

46

Home Screen

Leak reports Produced by

We first learned Apple was going great lengths to give iOS 7 designer Jonathan Ive the time necessary to complete the overhaul of the operating system earlier this May. The new iOS 7 is still believed to be on track for a debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference in June and is expected to be used in the next iPhone later this year. With WWDC 2013 just a few weeks away, it appears iOS 7 has found its way out into the wild, as sources have given loads of details on the ‘flat’ redesign.

Deenar Press and Publishing LLC PO Box 139, PC 102, Al Qurm, Sultanate of Oman Tel: + 968 24696868, Fax: +968 24693569 E-mail: info@deenarmedia.com

Printed at Ruwi Modern Printers 2013 © All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers; while every care has been taken in the preparation of the magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible if factual errors in product and pricing occur. MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time. The publishers regret they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this issue. Please check any quoted hardware specifications and pricing with your supplier before purchase.

Long-time iPhone users may be in for a bit of a surprise, as the leak suggests iOS 7 will be a complete revamp and will replace the vibrant look and feel of the phone with a more minimalist, monochromatic approach. It is sleek and simple; everything starts with a new Lock screen, where a black screen with supposed improved gesture controls has replaced the glossy image and clock.

As an added bonus, new panoramic

wallpapers will be a part of the package and will show different parts of an image on new pages. Android users have been able to set such wallpapers for a long time, but this gives all those panorama photo takers on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 a place to display the widescreen memories they’ve captured.

Apps won’t only change in their outward appearance, as Ive has also spearheaded the revamp of the programs when opened as well. Inside, apps like Mail and Messages will feature more uniform looks, with each individual app getting its own signature colour highlights to emphasise the white background they will all reportedly share.

All of these major changes fall in line with rumours we’ve heard before, but we won’t have to wait any longer for WWDC 2013 to see just how Jonathan Ive has revitalised iOS for a new generation of iPhone users.

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4

NEWS WEEK 22, may 30 - JUNE 5, 2013

Yahoo offers Flickr revamp with 1TB of ‘free storage’ Yahoo has redesigned its Flickr photosharing service, offering users up to 1TB of storage without a fee. The revamp also allows users to host longer video clips and higher-resolution photos and a new app has been launched for Android devices. The news came hours after the company confirmed it was taking over blogging platform Tumblr.

Ex-Nokia team makes rival smartphone Jolla

“Marissa Mayer is trying to realign the business to focus on a core set of high-traffic properties,” said Chris Green, principal technology analyst at consultants Davies Murphy Group Europe. “The 1TB of ad-supported free storage is the big thing,” he said.

“It puts Flickr back on the agenda making it relevant to both hobbyist and professional photographers alike,

but it also reignites the whole storage capacity war that started with Gmail

and that we are now seeing with cloud file sharing services.”

MHD launches exclusive showroom Google+ photos get the Pinterest touch Facebook and Twitter continues to grab the lion’s share of social network users and media coverage but Google showed this week that it’s not giving up on Google+. The company’s social network received a major overhaul that plays up a multi-column layout, new photo-editing features and a larger role for Hangout video chats. Continuing its revamp of the Google+ social network that began in March, Google announced on Wednesday, May 15th the addition of 41 new features and a redesign of the service, which it claims has 190 million active users.

EA stops making games for Nintendo Wii U

Games giant EA has revealed that it currently has no games in development for Nintendo’s Wii U console. Despite being a launch partner for the gaming device, EA said it had no developers working on future titles. The news came as a blow to Nintendo on the day that it was due to unveil a fresh marketing strategy to boost interest in the Wii U. Nintendo’s financial results revealed that sales of the successor to the Wii had fallen short of expected targets.

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Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC’s Electrical and Electronics Division, a distributor of products covering electrical, entertainment electronics, weighing equipment, security and automation products, is eyeing a greater share in the market by going in for a major expansion of its retail outlets.

Mosque in Ruwi. The new showroom was inaugurated by Mr. Mohsin Haider Darwish, Chairman, MHD LLC on 13 May, 2013 in the presence of delegations from Pioneer, KDK, Onida, Godrej, Yale, CAME, Butterfly, FRESH, Binatone, Nikai and more.

As a first move, MHD LLC is proud to announce that the once familiar Pioneer showroom has moved to a much larger, brighter, custom-built and client-friendly outlet located behind the Sultan Qaboos

This Showroom will provide its clients with genuine high quality products and assist in the fight against the growing menace of imitation and low quality products.

iOS loses market share as Windows phone gains Apple’s iOS had a record volume of shipments in Q1, based on iPhones.

That, however, wasn’t enough to beat back the rising tide of Android devices coming from a wide variety of vendors.

The lack of any new iPhone news also didn’t help, so Apple actually lost market share, while Windows Phone surprised everyone by wresting third place away from BlackBerry.

Android continues to rule the global smartphone marketplace with the OS accounting for 75 percent of shipments worldwide in Q1, according to the latest

IDC report. Apple’s once-dominant iOS had only 17.3 percent of the market.

Windows Phone unexpectedly took third place from BlackBerry, which was relegated to fourth.

A company made up of former Nokia employees has shown off Jolla, a new smartphone with a custom operating system known as Sailfish. The software has been built from the remnants of MeeGo, a project abandoned by Nokia in 2011 in favour of adopting Windows Phone for its handsets.

The Jolla phone - pronounced Yol-la - is due to be released by the end of the year and will only be sold online. It will enter a market already heavily crowded with several operating systems. “For a couple of years we haven’t had anything really interesting in the mobile phone market,” said Antti Saarnio, chairman and co-founder of Jolla. “This creates opportunities for newcomers to come in. It’s different, but it’s purposefully different.”

US politicians quiz Google on Glass privacy

US politicians are seeking reassurances from Google that its smart spectacles will respect personal privacy. A letter has been sent to Google signed by eight members of a Congressional caucus seeking answers about Google Glass.

The letter poses eight questions for Google about the data the gadget will collect about users and non-users.

The group said it was ‘uncertain’ about the privacy protections Google plans to build in to the device.

Google Glass is proving a controversial technology because of its potential to gather images, video and other data about almost anything a user sees. Some have claimed that privacy will be ‘impossible’ if Google Glass and similar products become widely used.

5/26/13 3:36 PM

PHOTOGRAPHY

5

TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Rebel: Worthy Upgrade A new step-up DSLR from the 600D and while it’s aimed at beginners we wonder if it’s enough to tempt enthusiasts too

T

he new 18-megapixel Canon EOS 700D digital SLR is described as an entry-level product; indeed it sits as the flagship model in that self-prescribed section of Canon’s line up.

Headline features include a 18 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor, plus vari-angle touch screen LCD, Fl HD 1920x180-pixels video shooting, low-light sensitivity range extendable up to an almost shootin-the-dark ISO25600, creative digital filter effects. You’ll also get 5 frames per second continuous shooting for tracking moving subjects at up to 22 sequential JPEGs or six uncompressed.

The 700D manages to feel robust when held in the palm; even with kit lens attached it isn’t so much of a dead weight that you wouldn’t be able to hold it up high and angle the back screen to grab the winning shot. There’s a familiar 12-option shooting mode dial, which is ergonomically encircled by the equally chunky and obvious on/off switch.

The 3-inch LCD screen on the 700D is a real boon too. If you’re looking for your first digital SLR and are prepared to stump up what feels initially like a bit of a premium price, then the EOS 700D is a great choice that should see you through years of service.

Canon EOS 700D RO499

Dimensions: 133.1x99.8x78.8mm

Sensor Type: 22.3x14.9mm CMOS

Shutter Speed: 30-1/4000 sec

Weight: 580g

Battery supported: Li-ion LP-E8

Frame Rate: 60FPS

Type: SD, SDHC or SDXC (UHS-I) card

Maximum ISO: 25600

Movie Size: 1920x1080p

Megapixels: 18MP

LCD Monitor: 3-inch Touch Screen Viewfinder Type: Pentamirror Available at GENETCO, Al Araimi, 24561948

tech radar

Guaranteed to bowl and win you over

Cambridge Audio Minx Air 100 Whether your music lives on an iPhone, iPad, smartphone, tablet or computer, or you prefer to use Music Apps like Spotify or Napster, you can stream it all wirelessly and instantly to Minx Air 100. It is both an AirPlay speaker and Bluetooth speaker.

The compact, hide-away system produces a powerful, room-filling performance.

The key is its patented ‘BMR’ drivers – they guarantee a broader response, more widely-dispersed sound and greater clarity than traditional speakers.

Out now on cambridgeaudio.com

iPad 5 The upcoming iPad 5 is rumoured to be up to 33 percent lighter than the iPad 4.

Apple is achieving iPad 5’s target weight while keeping the same 2,048x1,536 Retina display by using a thinner 0.2mm piece of glass and one LED light bar for backlighting.

The next full-sized iPad will also reflect its smaller and lighter iPad mini counterpart by narrowing its bezel around the display. The new tablet’s touch panel may change up the formula a bit with GF2 bonding that has one layer of glass and two layers of ITO film, instead of iPad 4’s G/G bonding.

Releasing later this year

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PaperTab The papertab tablet looks and feels just like a sheet of paper.

However, it is fully interactive with a flexible, high-resolution 10.7-inch plastic display developed by plastic logic, a flexible touchscreen and powered by the second generation Intel Core tm-i5 processor. Instead of using several apps or windows on a single display, users have ten or more interactive displays or ‘papertabs’, one per app in use.

Release date TBA

Leap Motion The Leap Motion controller plugs into almost any new laptop and allows you to manipulate the screen via a series of hand and finger movements in the air. It’s like having a touchscreen computer but without actually touching the screen. Leap Motion works with your existing operating system (Windows 7 or 8, or OS X 10.7 and 10.8), via zoom, scroll and zoom functions baked into the hardware, which you plug into your USB port.

Releasing this month on leapmotion.com

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6

NUOVOTECH WEEK 22, may 30 - JUNE 5, 2013

Tech Toy s Inflatable iMusic Chair

For those who like their technology to be fun and entertaining

The iMusic Inflatable Chair is the perfect addition to your dorm, bedroom or media room. Once it’s inflated, connect your iPod, iPhone or other portable music-playing device to the 3.5mm headphone cable. Stash your device in the side pocket and then enjoy your tunes. There’s a nice little divot for your posterior, a headrest that flanks your head with surround sound speakers and it comes with a pump for inflating it.

Price: USD40 (RO15.5) Available on amazon.com

Mini Batman Bat-Signal The Mini Batman Bat-Signal is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a tiny version of the one Commissioner Gordon uses to summon the Dark Knight. It’s got an on/off switch (for when you don’t need to summon anyone) and arrives in a fun little gift box.

There’s also a tiny book inside giving you a smattering of info on Batman, his tech, his enemies, etc.

Price: USD10 (RO4) Available on amazon.com

Light-Up LED Iron Man Shirt

The Iron Man Arc Reactor Shirt has three components: the t-shirt, a light panel with a long cable and a battery box. When fresh batteries are in the battery box and the unit is switched on, the Arc Reactor shines brightly. So this particular arc reactor isn’t going to keep shrapnel from working its way into your heart or power your repulsor beams, but it is a shirt that glows!

Price: USD30 (RO11.5) Available on amazon.com

HD Video Camera Spy Pen

This Spycam is the classic pen camera, just like the ones used in secret agent movies, except it’s been updated for the modern age with full video capabilities.

It’s simple to operate with a built-in USB connector. The internal 4GB of storage capacity are capable of capturing hours of quality video in AVI format. This pen camera can also take regular still photos or record audio evidence.

Price: USD40 (RO15.5) Available on amazon.com

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cover story

7

TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Supercharged One Everything you need to know about the voice-controlled entertainment beast of the year

Microsoft has crafted the Xbox One in order to achieve dominion over your living room. The chunky new console will bring a host of jazzy new hardware features, as well as new services and a bunch of exciting games.

Even better news is that in several minutes, you’ll know everything you need to know about Microsoft’s follow-up to the Xbox 360, and will be well-equipped to impress your mates with your gaming know-how.

Read on for all the facts.

What does it look like?

Is the controller any different?

What about the new Kinect?

Is it just all about television?

The Xbox One will squat under your television like a big, glossy squid, with its chunky casing likely to require a bit of shelf reorganisation if you want it to fit alongside your other consoles and set-top boxes. It has a slot on the front where you can stick in Blu-ray discs, while along the back there’s an array of ports, including three USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI socket for hooking the console up to your TV.

Although not by much, all the tweaks to this palm-occupying peripheral are under the bonnet, but will hopefully make for an incrementally better gaming experience. The battery is now integrated, so you’ll need to recharge the controller’s batteries rather than simply popping in two more AAs. The D-Pad has been adjusted and buttons should respond just a tiny bit faster, while the overall shape has been altered in a bid to fit inside gamers’ hands a little more comfortably.

Microsoft has also given its motion-sensor control bar a lick of paint. Gone is the adorable, Wall-E-esque aesthetic, ditched in favour of a squarish, glossy block with a grille along the top. It might not look as charming, but the new bar, Microsoft insists, is crammed with new tech. It has a 1080p camera and a wider field of view than the original, which will hopefully make playing in smaller rooms a possibility.

Microsoft’s presentation showed a strong focus on using the Xbox One for TV viewing, and the hardware backs up that talk, with the new console also functioning as a DVR, Like the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One will use Internet magic to upload game clips online, so you can share particularly excellent moments of gaming brilliance with your pals. The Xbox One is built on a Windows kernel, though the finished product likely won’t look anything like the Windows we’re used to seeing on PCs. It will however deliver Skype video calls, and a new feature called ‘Snap’ that puts two apps on screen at once, in split-screen view.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has improved the Xbox One’s insides, with an 8-core AMD processor and 8GB of RAM. That certainly sounds powerful and will help game developers craft more graphically intense titles for the new system, though it’ll be interesting to see whether that tech still feels as cuttingedge in a few years’ time.

There’s a 500GB hard drive on board, which should be enough space for plenty of games, you’ll need to install games directly to the machine before playing them.

The ‘start’ and ‘back’ buttons on the front of the controller have been replaced with new keys, which look like they’ll handle app switching or trigger extra options.

The revamped bar should have a better grasp of where your body is in 3D space, and will recognise the Xbox One controller as well as your hands. Voice controls have been updated too, and now work faster, Microsoft says.

The large size means it might be tricky to squeeze under or over your TV, but a spot of good news is that new sensor bar will come bundled with every Xbox One.

And the games?

The question is will it be compatible with Xbox 360 games? Unfortunately the Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible, which means your current stack of Xbox 360 titles will not play nice with the new system. That’s down to the console’s new system architecture apparently.

Wrap up There’s no word on when exactly the Xbox One will go on sale, though Microsoft has said it will be out this year. UK retailer Zavvi has pegged the new console with a 30 November release date and a pre-order price of £400, though that high cost could very well come down in the run-up to the console’s release.

Does the Xbox One excite you, or were you hoping for something slightly different?

Let us know your thoughts on facebook.com/TECHOMAN

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SELECTION

This section showcases our selection of electronics in the market today. Let us know if you have any favourites on tech@deenarmedia.com

Smartphones RO248

RO80

RO180

RO72

N

31

N

RO272

Blackberry Z10

LG L5 E612

Nokia Lumia 920

Intex Aqua

Samsung Galaxy S4

Blackberry 10 OS, Dual Core 1.5GHz, 2G/3G/4G, 8MP primary and 2MP secondary camera, 16GB storage, available in black and white

Android V4.0.3 OS, 800MHz Processor, Display 320x480p, 4GB storage, 3G, WiFi, 5MP camera, GPS

Microsoft OS Windows 8, Dualcore 1.5 GHz Krait, 8MP, dual LED flash, 32GB storage, 3G, WiFi, A-GPS, NFC

Android V4.1.1 OS, Quad Core 1GHz, 5MP camera and 1.3MP secondary camera, 4GB storage, 3G, WiFi

Android V4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS, Quad Core 1.6GHz Cortex-A15 & Quad Core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, 13MP camera, 16GB storage up to 64GB, 2GB RAM, 3G, WiFi, A-GPS

Tablets RO100 RO285

RO250

Microsoft Windows Surface

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8000)

10.6-inch screen, Quad Core, 1.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 32GB HDD, Nvidia Tegra 3, WiFi, Bluetooth, 8MP camera

10.1-inch 1280x800 screen.

Android 4.0.4, Samsung Exynos 4 Quad Core 1.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 5MP camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G, A-GPS

RO200 Asus TF-101 10.1-inches 1280x800, Android honeycomb OS, Nvidia Tegra 2, Dual Core, 1GB RAM, 16GB Storage, Bluetooth, 5MP camera

N

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7-inch display1280x800, 16GB built in memory, Wifi, Dual Speaker Dolby, 1.2Ghz Dual Core processor, HD camera

RO90

HCL G1 9.7-inch screen, Android 4.0.4 Cortex A9 OS, 1.2GHz Dual Core, 1GB RAM, 3G, Bluetooth, 16GB storage, 2MP camera

Computers

N

RO560

Sony Vaio SVD11215CAB (N) 11.6-inch, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Intel Core i5-3317U Processor 1.70 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.60 GHz, Windows 8, 128GB Storage, 4GB RAM

RO330 HP 11-g0003 11.6-inch display, 1.8 GHz Intel Atom Z2760, 2GB SDRAM, 64GB SSD Hard drive, WiFi, 8MP Camera, 1080p HD Webcam, Windows 8

RO300

RO315

RO210

Samsung XE500T1C-A01

Dell Inspiron 5523 0395

Acer Aspire V3 571G 5324G

11.6-inch LED HD, Intel Atom Z2760, shared graphics, 2GB RAM, 64GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 8

15.6-inch TN LED glossy, Intel Core i5-3317u 1.8GHz, 6144MB DDR3SDRAM, 128GB Hard disk, 1.3MP webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 8 Pro

15.6-inch HD LED screen, Intel Core i5-3210M, 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 7, Nvidia GeForce GT 640M Graphics

Compact cameras

RO80

RO290

Sony WX80

Sony RX-100

16.2MP, 8x optical zoom, 34272mm lens, 2.7-inch LCD, HD movie, CMOS Sensor, Wifi

20.9MP, 10FPS, 29-105mm, 3-inch ‘White Magic’ LCD touch screen, 1080 60p video, 3.6x Optical zoom

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30

RO170

RO120

Samsung Galaxy camera GC100

Canon PowerShot SX240

16MP, 21x optical zoom, 4.8-inch LCD touch screen. Full HD movie, Android, WiFi

12.1MP, 20x optical zoom, 3-inch HD movie, Full HD movie, image stabilizer

30

RO180

Olympus TG 810 14MP, 5x Optical Zoom, 5-25mm lens, 3-inch LCD touch screen, Full HD movie, GPS, 10m Water Proof

5/26/13 3:36 PM

N New

Disclaimer: Prices quoted in this tabloid may be subject to change. Please check with your local dealer for the current costs. Lists are not in any particular order.

Prices as of May 23, 2013.

Updated

Pro cameras

RO822

RO560

N

RO500

N

RO640

RO550

Canon 7D

Fujifilm X-E1

Canon 650D

Nikon D7100

Sony Alpha NEX7

18.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors.

19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6 and AF area selection modes

16.3MP, 6FPS, 2.8-inch LCD screen, full HD movie, 1920 x 1080p, 18-55mm lens

18MP APS-C ‘Hybrid CMOS’ sensor, Phase detection AF, continuous autofocus, 14-bit DIGIC 5 processor, ISO 100-12800 standard, 25600 expanded, 5 fps continuous shooting, 9 point AF system, 1080p30 video

24.1MP, 6FPS/51 AF point, 3.2inch LCD screen, full HD movie, 18-105mm lens

24.3MP, 10FPS, WiFi, 3-inch LCD screen, Full HD movie, 18-55mm Lens, electronic first-curtain shutter

Televisions

RO400

RO370

RO300

RO600

RO1,400

LG 47LM5800

Samsung UA40F6400

Sony KDL40EX650

Sharp LC-60LE630

Samsung UA55ES8000

47-inch LED 3D, 2MP Full HD, 3HDMI PC in/AV in, USB port, DIVX HD, 200Hz True Motion, Intelligent sensor, Energy Saving

40-inch LED 3D, 1920 x 1080 Resolution, 2MP Full HD, 4 HDMI, 400Hz clear motion rate, 3 USB Ports, Voice Controle, 3D Sound Dolby Digital sound

40-inch Edge LED TV, Motion Flow XR 100, X-reality Picture Engine, Wifi, Dolby Digital Plus, 3D combo filter

60-inch LED TV, 2MP, full HD, USB movie playback, 3 HDMI, XGEN Pannel with UC2A Technology, Low power consumption

55-inch 3D LED Smart TV, 2MP, Full HD, Smart interaction (face, voice, motion), Smart evolution and content, micro dimming ultimate, built-in camera, 800Hz, Dual Core processor

apple

Courtesy: Gadgets, Muscat Grand Mall

RO128

RO259

RO119

RO65

RO499 iPad Mini WiFi

iPhone 5

iMac MD093

iPod Touch

iPod Nano

32GB, 7.9-inch LED-backlit, multi-touch with IPS technology, 1,024x768p, Dual-core A5, Bluetooth, built-in 16.3-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

16GB, 4-inch, 1,136x640p, Retina display, 8MP iSight, 1.2MP Facetime, Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, Bluetooth, WiFi

21.5-inch screen, Intel Core i5 2.7GHz Quad Core, 8GB DDR3 RAM. 1TB HDD 7200RPM, GeForce GT 640M 512MB GDDR5 Graphics, one Thunderbolt, one Fire wire 800 port, SDXC Card Slot, OS X Lion

4-inch widescreen Retina display, Multi touch IPS, 32GB, 5MP iSight camera, LED flash, HD video recording (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio, with Apple EarPods

2.5-inch display, 16GB, VoiceOver gesture-based screen reader, accelerometer, Nike+ support, Bluetooth 4.0

TECH RECOMMENDS Remington MB32OC Beard Trimmer LG BP125 Blu-ray and DVD Player Bring the magic of movies into your home with this LG BP125 Blu-ray and DVD player. You can watch your favourite movies and box sets in glorious picture and sound quality and immerse yourself into the action. It gives one-touch access to your images, music and videos stored on external hard drives and external HDD Playback offers you an easy way to get your content onto your LG device with the minimum of fuss.

The Remington MB320C Barba Beard Trimmer delivers a quality grooming experience. It features Advanced Ceramic-coated blades with nine pre-set lengths so you can achieve the look you want. This coating is infused with Silica, a natural material known for its hardness and resilience. The Silica makes the blades stronger and more long-lasting compared to Remington standard steel blades delivering a professional cutting experience. Barba is also fitted with Remington’s Lube for Life which ensures that the blades will never need oiling throughout the lifetime of the trimmer.

RO20

RO19 Seen at Emax, Muscat City Centre

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10

mobilezone WEEK 22, may 30 - JUNE 5, 2013

Show stopper L

enovo has launched the Lenovo K900, a new 5.5-inch Android handset packed with premium specs that could be a potential rival for top models like the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z.

This new handset with premium specifications has the potential to challenge HTC, Samsung and Sony

The Lenovo K900 is the first smartphone to use Intel’s new Atom Z2580 chip, a dual-core processer clocked at 2.0GHz. The K900 also features a Full HD 1080p Gorilla Glass display and a 13MP rearfacing camera.

Lenovo K900 Screen: 5.5-inch, Gorilla Glass display

Originally revealed back at CES, the chassis is crafted from a stainless steel alloy and polycarbonate blend measuring only 6.9mm thin. It’ll run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and, if successful, will make a strong case for Intel’s mobile ambitions.

Camera: 13MP, Full HD 1080p video Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor: Intel’s Atom Z2580 chip, dual-core, 2.0GHz

Although the K900 has been launched in China, there’s no official date for a release here in Europe.

Lenovo has said it is looking at international markets for a latter summer release, so chances are we could see it around July or August.

Prices are estimated at roughly USD534(RO205) which would give it a competitive advantage over the more expensive handsets from HTC, Samsung and Apple.

Apps this week 1

We feature this weeks must-have apps for your smartphone

2

3

Worms 2010

Music Ringtone

D-Desk

Send your worm platoons into battle with wacky weapons you’ll recognise from the old games as well as new implements designed for the updated game

Find freely available songs that you can use as ringtones and even assign to individual contacts

D-Desk combines a calculator, doodle pad and a web browser all in one handy desk-like environment and is best used with a stylus

USD4

FREE

Platforms: Windows Phone, Blackberry

4

Dark Nebula: Episode 2

Platforms: iOS, Android

5

Awareness

Platforms: iOS, Android

6

USD7

USD2

Platforms: iOS, Android

EyeTV by Elgato USD5

With your headphones in, you become oblivious to what’s going on around you.

This app aims to solve this by using your inwire mic to listen out for ambient noise

A disc-like vehicle decides to infiltrate partially derelict and rather hostile enemy fortifications

7

FREE

Stream TV over the internet to your Apple device and watch it live, with the app picking up the programme names from the EPG data and play, pause and rewind it

Platforms: iOS, Android

8

Platforms: iOS, Android

9

Glympse

Mouse Trap

Art Rage

Share your location without letting the whole world know where you are

Guide the mouse to the exit of its hole, switching around blocks in the process, so that there is a clear line for the mouse to reach the exit

Huge fun for amateur daubers and a highly credible app for trad-media artists, too

FREE

Platforms: Android

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USD1

Platforms: iOS, Android

USD5

Platforms: iOS

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dashboard TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Speed Demon T

he SSC Tuatara is a monster of a Sports Car manufactured by SSC or Shelby Super Cars in a bid to claim the title of manufacturing the ‘World’s fastest production car’. The SSC Tuatara holds a massive engine in its belly. With a capacity to displace 6.8 liters, the twin-turbo V8 engine has been developed in-house. The colossal 1350hp thrust that the engine provides makes the supercar a rocket on wheels. Each cylinder in the engine has four valves in the overhead cam setup. The car is able to rip the 100kmph

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Shelby Super Cars have built a Veyron-skinner. The 1,350hp spaceship will set records beyond people’s imagination barrier within 2.3 seconds The top speed that it boasts of is really mind blowing 450kmph.

Complementing the exterior aerospace design is a highly functional and futuristic interior. The interior looks like the cockpit in a space shuttle and it has been optimized to enhance the look.

Adorning the left and right of the driver are HUDs that are joined by the main gauge-cluster area.

The exterior of this Super Sports car has been designed entirely based on the aerodynamic and slipstream requirements. The bodywork has overcome the technical challenges that

the forces of nature pose at a speed above 350kmph. The shape is flat and classical.

Standing barely a meter tall, the car features a black teardrop-shaped canopy or roof, which sits on a dazzling off-white body. Two wings, or dihedral stabilizers as they are officially called, grace the sides of the body after the idea was borrowed from the aviation industry.

These wings support the superstructure of this supercar. A look at the front reveals a low nose with carbon-fiber headlights. The car has no door handles or projections of any kind. There is nothing like a hood or boot in this car which has been designed purely for super-high speeds.

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wish list WEEK 22, may 30 - JUNE 5, 2013

What Money can buy For those who love gadgets as much as we do, we’ve compiled this collection of the must-have gadgets of the week Adobe Mighty Project The Mighty is a pressure sensitive digital drawing tool that uses Bluetooth LE to stay connected to your devices and features a button that can bring up on-screen menus for selecting different tools and colours. It’s joined by Napoleon, a digital ruler that can create a digitally projected edge used to draw shapes and lines. The plan is to use Adobe’s cloud to share drawings and assets between devices, although it is in experimantal stage.

Price: TBA, Adobe

Sony DEV-50V DVR Binoculars

Harry Winston Opus XIII Watch

If you’re in a situation where you need to use binoculars, you might as well give yourself the option of taking some pictures or video while you’re at it. These Sony DEV-50V DVR Binoculars can do so with ease.

Arriving in June

With fifty-nine pivoting minute hands, eleven rotating triangles to mark the hours, and a sliding trap door, the Harry Winston Opus XIII Watch isn’t the craziest watch we’ve seen, but it’s close. Developed in collaboration Ludovic Ballouard, it also features a 44.25 mm case in 18K white gold, a sapphirecrystal display back, a 35-hour power reserve and has water resistance down to 30 metres

Price: USD2,000 (RO1,031+S&H), Sony

Price: TBA, Harry Winston

Earl Backcountry Survival Tablet iPads and the like can be incredibly handy, when you’re around things like WiFi, cellular towers and electricity. For those times when you’re not, there’s the Earl Backcountry Survival Tablet. Designed specifically for use in the wilderness. Combined with the robust GPS hardware, Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.1, it’s a uniquely qualified piece of kit that could quickly become indispensable on your next outdoor adventure.

Airocide

The SanDisk Cruzer Orbit, an intelligent drive, sports a circular design that makes it a snap to attach to key rings, lanyards and binders, and doubles as a protective mechanism for the USB connector. Available in 8, 16 and 32 GB capacities.

It’s got a deadly sounding name and for airborne nastiness, it’s certainly lethal.

Airocide uses NASA-developed photocatalytic process to destroy Volatile Organic Compounds, harmful gasses emitted by products like paint, cleaning supplies and even dry-cleaned clothing that other cleaners miss. It’s also FDA approved, and gets rid of all mold, fungi, viruses, and bacteria that enters its cleaning chamber.

Price: USD50(RO26+S&H), SanDisk

Price: USD800(RO412+S&H), Airocide

SanDisk Cruzer Orbit

Price: USD250 (RO129+S&H), Sqigle, Inc.

To order, email techtoys@deenarmedia.com

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wearable tech TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Fitness flex

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Less is more and Fitbit is out with one of the most minimalistic fitness bands available in the tech world Flex tracker Large & small wristbands Wireless sync dongle Charging cable Access to free mobile apps for iPhone and Android

T

he design of the Fitbit Flex is the very definition of simplicity.

And we don’t mean that in a bad way. Some might say it’s bland, but we like to think of it as tasteful and understated. There’s a bit of retrofuturism to the aesthetics. The entire band is made of matte plastic, in this case a gray-blue the company calls ‘Slate.’ The only interruptions along the sleek and simple body is the brushedmetal buckle you press to close it around your wrist and the thin, dark plastic window that exposes the lights on the tracker piece. It’s quite a bit bulkier than the Up and there’s a slight taper to the body, with it getting a bit thicker where the window is. But, the more watch-like design actually makes it more comfortable to wear than the

Up, which constantly gets caught on things and scrapes against your laptop.

If the Flex didn’t need to be charged every few days, you could almost forget you were wearing it.

The tracker is actually a removable piece that slips inside the rubber strap. It’s small, black and completely inconspicuous. One side has a sharp slope and a lightly etched Fitbit logo and the opposite end has three metal contacts used with the charging dongle. The only other external features are the five white lights along one edge, which shine through the window on top of the band. Unless you want to constantly have the app fired up, these will be your primary way of interacting with the Flex.

The accelerometer inside doesn’t just count your steps or measure how restless your sleep was; it also provides a way of controlling the device. Tap the module twice and the lights will tell you how close you are to your step goal; tap it five times to tell it when you’re putting your head down to catch some shut-eye and five times again when it’s time to start your day.

Fitbit bills it as water-resistant, not waterproof, so we wouldn’t suggest you take it for a long dip in the ocean.

That said, it has survived plenty of showers and dishwashing sessions.

While the tracker is rated to survive up to seven days of such abuse, doesn’t survive that long.

Moviezone

Epic 3D

M

ary Katherine(M.K), after a long span of time, visits her father Professor Bomba who lives in an old house near a forest with his dog, Ozzie. Professor Bomba, has long studied a group of tiny warriors who live in the forest and protect it as guardians of good. He often goes into the forest to look for them and has cameras everywhere, in hope to find them.

A battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and evil He is so involved with his work that he neglects M.K resulting in her leaving and pasting a goodbye note to one of his monitors. As she is leaving, Ozzie knocks past her and runs into the woods. Mary Katherine sets out to look for him. Hours later, she comes upon a group of glowing, falling leaves.

Catching one of them, she is suddenly shrunken down. In her minuscule state, she discovers the group of warriors Prof.

Bomba has studied, who are known as the Leafmen. Soon she is forced to assist them in a war against forces of evil known as the Boggans and their villainous leader Mandrake,

while trying to find out how to return home.

EPIC is a 3D CG adventure comedy that reveals a fantastical world unlike any other. From the creators of ICE AGE and RIO, EPIC tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures, to save their world and ours.

Director: Chris Wedge Genre: Adventure-Comedy Animation Cast: Amanda Seyfried Josh Hutcherson Beyoncé Knowles Colin Farrell

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GAMING

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WEEK 22, may 30 - JUNE 5, 2013

The second instalment in the Dead Island franchise where the undead nightmare starts, leaving hope drowning in rising tides Riptide is the latest entry in Deep Silver’s Zombie slaughter fest but it’s not exactly a sequel, it’s more of a companion piece, a spin off so to speak. Although the game takes place in the same universe and even continues the narrative directly after the predecessor, it stands on its own as an independent title. Nearly all fan feedback has been addressed to make Riptide the ultimate Dead Island experience and we’re happy to report that the result is spectacular.

Publisher: Deep Silver Genre: Action Developer: Techland Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC ESRB Rating: Mature

Riptide takes place a week after the survivors of the original Dead Island escaped the fictional tourist resort Banoi. After being captured on a military vessel for their immunity to the virus, the crew finds itself back with the infested after a massive shipwreck. Despite the trite story,

you find yourself immediately immersed as soon as you awaken on the breathtaking beach of the Banoi archipelago.

Once you get past the horrendous cut-scenes, you’re treated to one of the most exotic sandbox playgrounds. Although the bloom effect is still there but it’s used sparingly only to accentuate the atmosphere as everything looks crisper and more vivid. The vegetation is dense and the level design has a greater emphasis on verticality, making exploration more exciting and mysterious.

If you already completed the original Dead Island, Riptide allows you to import your stats so you don’t have to level up all over again.

The unique melee combat of the

original remains largely the same but it’s been polished for greater accuracy. Chaining combos feels more responsive and the addition of special moves keeps the fighting diverse between the characters.

The three skill trees return and new abilities have been added to provide more customizability for your playing style. Your experience points accumulate faster now, speeding up the sense of progression and the addition of new weapon mods means more experimentation.

The visuals are superb, the gameplay is an absolute blast and it can take 100+ hours to complete if you take on every single side mission. If you’re looking for a Borderlands-style experience but with zombies and tropical vistas, Riptide is a no brainer.

Score: Plot........................... 9/10 Gameplay ..........8/10 Visuals................... 9/10 Overall............................ 9

WEBZONE www.iwastesomuchtime.com

Addictive happenings

I

Waste So Much Time is a collection of funny or interesting junk that the creators find online throughout their work day. They created I Waste So Much Time as a way to share what they like, with the world.

From hilarious pictures and videos about random things like facebook pranks, Darth Vader reading Harry Potter, depressingly comedic comic strips, touching images about animals and children, funny anecdotes and quotes out of tv

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When wasting time is more fun than not wasting it

shows to just about any random thing you can imagine. There is no method to its madness.

Submissions to I Waste So Much Time are moderated by the creators. If your submissions aren’t being approved, it’s because they’ve seen it a million times before, it’s already on the site or they hated it. The site was built by, hand coded line by line, pixel by pixel by two friends. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t see it, Jared built it, if you can see it, Hans built it.

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TIMEZONE TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

15

T

hink of the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Bugattis of the watch industry.

Like high-performance supercars, they’re mostly handmade, highly technical, innovative and push the frontier of what’s possible. The Christophe Claret’s new X-TREM-1, a breathtaking example of highperformance watchmaking.

Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 USD3,21,300 (RO1,23,700)

It is a small mechanical wonder. In order to function properly, its tiny parts work together within the tiniest tolerances. While normal watches have an hour and minute hand to indicate the time, the Christophe Claret has no hands at all. Time is indicated by two small hollow metal balls that move up and down in sapphire crystal tubes. Inside the watch are two magnets, moving up and down to make sure the metal balls move inside these sapphire crystal tubes. Yes, magnets in a mechanical movement, the one thing that every watchmaker thought was impossible has been realised by Christophe Claret.

Taken as a whole, this watch does what a watch should do: It indicates the time. The engine that makes timetelling happen is so far from any runof-the-mill mechanical movement that it has been made in extreme limited numbers and mainly by hand. Like a Ferrari or a Bugatti, it takes a lot of time to build one by handand only a few of them are being made.

Mechanical realm The Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 is an example of a true high-performance watch

Enter to win two Panasonic portable chargers.

Please send in your entries by June 3

TW46

Fax: 24693569 / Email: quiz@deenarmedia.com

1 CDs, DVDs and Blue-ray discs are all types of...

‘Cancel’ and ‘OK’ is called a...

A

Magnetic Media

A

Choice Window

B

Optical Media

B

Selection Screen

C

Hard Disks

C

Dialog Box

3 How much data can a CD hold?

TW44 Winners:

2 A pop-up window that includes options like

4 What does minimising a window do?

1. Diana Dumasia

A

700MB

A

Hides the window without closing it

2. Shridhar G Kalage

B

64MB

B

Reduces the window size

Last week’s quiz answers: 1 – A, 2 – B, 3 – C, 4 – B

C

1024MB

C

Displays only the window title bar

NOTE: 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.

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Full Name _________________________________________ Age ______ Mobile __________________ Email ______________________________________Occupation _________________________________ Company ______________________________________________________________________________

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