TW, Issue 53, Week 29, July

WEEK 29, JULY 18 - 24, 2013

AN AL ROYA PRESENTATION

OMAN’S FAVOURITE MAGAZINE, NOW A TABLOID

TECH@DEEN ARMEDIA .COM

APPS, essential, Tech Selection, games and more...

forest sounds Preserve your planet with these funkies

Crono girl unleash your sporty side

premium style

Catwalk Slim

the Infinity Q50 sedan is Bold and youthful

Huawei P6: We review the slimmest and most elegant smartphone in the world

FRONT COVER 53.indd 1

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Issue

53

Home Sc reen

App’y birthday Produced by

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.

IFC AD + HOME SCREEN 53.indd 3

Five years ago today, the App Store opened with 500 apps for the iPhone.

Many devices and 50 billion downloads later, that number has swelled to more than 900,000. Besides creating the App Economy, Apple estimates that some 290,000 jobs have been created thanks to its creation, the online marketplace has redefined the creation and distribution of software.

“The anniversary of the App Store is a bigger deal than the anniversary of the iPhone,” independent analyst Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group told USA Today.” It changed so much.

The App Store’s fifth anniversary is like a Hobbit’s birthday party: everyone gets presents. Apple is giving away five games and five apps, including pricey cookbook app How to Cook Everything which usually sells for USD10.You can also grab photo editing app over and audio mixing app Traktor DJ.

Jobs envisioned that developers would write Web apps for the iPhone. The Los Angeles Times writes that Apple was more concerned about making the iPhone work and feared glitchy third-party apps. They relented after developers ignored them and started jailbreaking iPhones to install their own apps.

Apple embraced the idea of the App Store, but there are well-defined lines between its haves and have-nots. New research by mobile marketing service Adeven shows that more than two-thirds of the store’s 900,000 apps are rarely installed and ultimately abandoned.

7/14/13 11:27 AM

4

NEWS WEEK 29, july 18 - 24, 2013

Nokia 1020 features 41MP camera Nokia has unveiled a new handset with a 41-megapixel sensor which it claims can record “details never thought possible from a smartphone”. It says consumers will be able to zoom in and reframe their photos without worrying about the image quality suffering.

purchases. The results placed camera resolution 15th on a list of 23 features.

Audio quality for voice, battery life, device security and browsing came top of the poll.

Analysts who have tested the device said that it was “without doubt” the best smartphone camera on the market. But they added that was not a guarantee that it would be a bestseller.

Market research firm IDC recently carried out a survey of smartphone owners in 25 countries to identify what factors were most likely to drive future

“Most people just look at their photos on their smartphone or via a social network on a computer - and for this the other vendors already provide very good quality,” Francisco Jeronimo, a mobile phone analyst at the firm, told the BBC. The Lumia 1020 allows owners to adjust focus, shutter speed and white balance via a new user interface.

“It may be the best smartphone out there but I doubt it will be enough to convince many users to jump platform from Android or iOS which accounted for 92% of global shipments in the last quarter.”

Update on Dell bid

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is ready to raise the stakes in his bid to take control of computer maker Dell. Mr Icahn said he plans to improve his USD15.4bn offer for the company.

In May, Dell’s board recommended that shareholders should accept a USD24.4bn offer led by company founder Michael Dell. Mr Dell has pledged to shift the business away from PCs into mobile devices and business software.

Under his plan shareholders will be bought out and the company removed from the stock exchange. He argues that it will be easier to reinvigorate Dell without the pressure of shareholder scrutiny. But Mr Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management, who together own 12 percent of Dell, have been resisting that plan. They made an alternative offer that was rejected by Dell’s board in May. Mr Icahn said he was prepared to go to court to get a better price for his stake.

‘Ready to use’ Blackberry Blackberry is ready to provide the Indian authorities with a way to intercept consumers’ messages sent and received on its platform. The news was revealed by the Times of India, which published part of a leaked government document.

It said officials appeared to have dropped demands that the firm also made it possible to access business emails sent over Blackberry Enterprise Server.

In 2010 the country had threatened to impose a ban on Blackberry devices, saying its secret services needed to be able to access suspects’ messages in order to prevent terrorist attacks. Blackberry has always said it does not have a “master key” or “backdoor” that would make corporate information sent through its service accessible either to itself or law enforcers. The Times of India said the government now appeared to be “content” just being told which firms were using the Canadian company’s Enterprise services.

Apple app store is ‘full of zombies’ Apple’s App Store is populated by many “zombie” programs that get next-to-no downloads, new research suggests.

Figures seen by the BBC from tracking service Adeven indicate over two-thirds of apps in the store are barely ever installed by consumers.

However Apple has said that 90 per cent of all apps in the marketplace, which is marking its five-year anniversary, are downloaded at least once a month.

Apple boss Tim Cook said the store had “fundamentally changed the world.”

Speaking to app developers at the firm’s recent developer’s conference, the chief executive said: “Customers love the buying experience and they love your incredible apps. And they have now downloaded 50 billion apps. That’s a lot of zeros and a truly staggering number.”

But according to Adeven the size of the US firm’s app store, which has about 900,000 products, has left many developers struggling to get noticed.

“579,001 apps out of a total of 888,856 apps in our database are zombies,” the analytics firm said. It defines zombies as apps that never appear in any of the thousands of charts published by Apple that are tracked on a daily basis. These cover different categories, price and other criteria for each country’s version of the store.

France ends three-day strike on Internet piracy France has halted an anti-piracy policy that threatened persistent offenders with Internet bans. A law passed by the previous government had let local courts suspend copyright infringers’ connectivity for up to a month if they were caught three times.The government added that it would now focus its efforts on sites that made money from offering illegally copied content rather than individual users.

A government-commissioned study last year recommended that Hadopi be scrapped altogether and its powers transferred to another regulator to help save costs.

Solar headphones concept seek funding A Glasgow designer has unveiled a prototype pair of headphones which he claims can harness solar power to keep mobile devices charged. Andrew Anderson launched the OnBeat headphones on crowdfunding site Kickstarter and hopes to have them on sale by early 2014. The headphone band is fitted with a flexible solar cell with a charge capacity of 0.55 watts.

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The energy generated is stored in two small lithium batteries.

Concealed within both earpads, the batteries charge the device they are plugged into as it is playing.

“We need to improve the headphones - people want to know about noise cancellation.” He admitted that his

father Frank had come up with the idea.

“It’s really simple - you would think it had already been done,” he said.

“You can buy solar chargers for phones but the thing is it’s like you’re carrying two phones around.” The idea of using renewable sources to charge devices is proving popular among developers.

7/13/13 12:56 PM

whatever you want We took everything you are looking for in a compact camera and added even more

The zoom is unbelievable

12.5x Super Wide Optical Zoom

RO39.900

HELLO SMART VR-360

NEWS + ad 53.indd 5

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6

watches WEEK 29, juLY 18 - 24, 2013

Affordable elegance Precision, robustness and classic chic in a sporty timepiece for women

Tissot PRC 200 Lady Chrono

T

he Tissot PRC 200 is a timeless classic watch. After the success of the Tissot PRS 200 sports line, Tissot decided to come up with a sports timepiece also water resistant to 200m but with a more classic look and feel – the PRC 200. Bearing, in addition, one of Tissot’s trademarks by constituting a luxurious timepiece at an affordable price, this piece turned out to be a great success. The whole collection is extremely popular.

Price: TBA • Swiss Made • Quartz movement • Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal • 316L solid stainless steel case with screw-down crown and case back

The PRC 200 offers time, chronograph with tachymeter, date, as well as its water resistance.

It stands out from the crowd, however, with its screwed down back and crown that demonstrates its sporty nature. Additionally, the reduced bezel means that the dial appears larger, offering clear reading of the time. This readability is highlighted by the use of SuperLumiNova in the tapered steel hands. A finely worked dial gives a touch of class to the piece with the many colourful leather strap options adding to its stylish elegance. The combination of its elements is what constitutes the key of its success.

• Water-resistant up to a pressure of 200m • 316L solid stainless steel bracelet with safety clasp and diver extension • Leather strap with butterfly clasp

HEADPHONES

Sounds of the rainforest Protect five square metres of a Costa Rican rainforest by buying these chic headphones

F

rom the too-cool-for-school Urbanears.com website to the modern chic, Apple-like product packaging, it’s clear the Re:Plattan are intended to be a whole lot flashier than your average headphones.

Styling It’s hard not to like the ultra clean design of Plattan. It’s as though Fatboy Slim designed a pair of compact headphones with a touch of minimalism. Just to reiterate, they’re available in 14 colours.

However, the Re:Plattan uses a lot extra, in the form of scrap parts from previous colour collections. The result is a patchwork pair of headphones that give creatures big and small extra room on this planet. By working together with Pax, every pair of headphones comes with the GPS coordinates of five square metres of rainforest in Costa Rica that is protected with your purchase.

Urbanears Re:Plattan

Price: RO29 (+S&H) To order, email techtoys@deenarmedia.com

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Audio quality The Urbanears Re:Plattan headphones provide good, rich quality sound,

especially given the relatively small package and smallish price tag. The audio is said to be a touch bass-heavy, but some minor EQ finagling helps to remedy this.

Construction The padded headband is a shift from the typical, uncomfortably hard plastic bit that holds many cheaper headphone models together. Independently adjustable left/right ear cups that swivel horizontally and slide vertically help provide an excellent fit. It is also said that after extended wear, the Plattan begin to feel too tight. This is an effect of the headband pulling the two sides of the headphones in together too strongly.

Bottom line Along with a relatively small form factor, retro cool styling and a variety of nifty colour choices to ‘customise your listening experience’, we think the Re:Plattan headphones are a definite winner for travellers and hipsters.

7/13/13 12:57 PM

COVER STORY

7

TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Skinny is good If you want a ridiculously-slim phone to slide into your pocket and don’t mind its reasonable specs, this phone is for you

T

Huawei Ascend P6 • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G • Operating system: Google Android • Application store: Yes

he Ascend P6 is a superbly narrow 6.18mm frame and that makes it the thinnest phone on the market today.

Into that body, Huawei has packed a quad-core processor, a 720p display and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

With a 720p resolution display, 8-megapixel camera and mediocre performance from a quad-core chip, the P6 is much more akin to last year’s smart phones.

• Screen: 4.7-inch, 720p • Camera: 8MP • Size: 66x133x6.18mm • Weight: 120g

If specs are less important than an eye on design then the P6 has more to offer. At 6.18mm thick, it’s the skinniest phone on the market.

The metal design looks good too, as long as you can ignore the iPhone 4 styling and port placement.

If a super-skinny body is paramount, the P6 is a fair option to consider.

The Google Nexus 4, however, boasts similar specs and delivers a much more spritely performance.

Its stock Android software is much more user friendly too and you can pick it up for less money.

Aesthetics The edge of the phone is a strip of brushed aluminium and it has the same break with black lines the iPhone has. The front and back panels both protrude away from the metal edging. The front is an allglass, while the back is made from black brushed metal. Huawei may have spent a lot of time in research and design, but it’s main inspiration is undoubtedly the iPhone.

In fact, the bottom looks like a different phone altogether, it’s almost as though Huawei has glued two halves of different phones together. iPhone styling aside, the P6 is a great piece of kit, thanks to its supreme slimness. It measures a ridiculous 6.8mm thick, making it the thinnest phone you can currently wrap your hands around.

It looks almost like a 2D sliver of black when it’s sitting on your desk.

Hold it between your fingers and I expect that, like me, you’ll be quite taken aback by how ridiculously narrow it really is.

That slimness doesn’t seem to have come at the expense of structural rigidity either. The solid metal back and side bar help make it feel very stable. There’s no flex in the frame at all when you give it a bit of a bend.

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Interface

Storage

Performance

It’s also potentially more demanding on the processor.

Having one or two homescreens with a few choice apps and widgets is fine, but once you load up all nine screens with live widgets taking up background processes, you can expect the phone to feel a little more sluggish.

The P6 comes with 8GB of storage, of which a little over half is available for you to use.

That’s not a massive amount, so you’ll want to make use of the microSD card slot tucked into the side.

The P6 is packing a quadcore processor clocked at 1.5GHz. That’s slightly slower than the 1.9GHz brute of the Galaxy S4, but it’s not worlds apart, so I was hoping for a good performance. On my benchmark tests, the P6 gave varying results.

Display The P6 packs a 4.7-inch screen with a 720p resolution. That’s no match for the Full HD giants like the Sony Xperia Z, HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4, but it’s still a decent resolution that puts it more or less in line with phones like the Nexus 4.

Colours are rich and bold making YouTube clips look great. If you’re not keen on the colour balance, you’re able to change the screen temperature in the settings. I found the default setting to be the most accurate though.

Camera In the back of the slim body, the P6 packs in an 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash. The phone has the ability to capture strong colours, but suffers in dimly lit places.

Battery Huawei has squeezed a 2,000mAh battery into the P6, which isn’t at all bad, considering the ridiculously narrow body of the phone, although isn’t among the biggest I’ve seen in a phone.

Conclusion With its 720p screen, 8-megapixel camera and fairly unimpressive performance, the Ascend P6 isn’t going to excite those of you hankering after elite gadgets to fill your pockets. If design is more important than pure specs though, the P6’s ridiculously slim body will definitely appeal. The P6 hasn’t arrived in Oman, but we will keep you posted on its arrival.

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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

RO268

RO110

RO200

RO200

RO280

2

N

Blackberry Q10

Huawei Honor 2

Nokia Lumia 920

Sony Xperia ZL

Samsung Galaxy S4

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

Android V4.0 OS, Quad Core 1.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage up to 32BG, 3G, WiFi, 8MP camera, GPS

MS Windows 8 OS, Dual Core 1.5GHz Krait, 8MP camera, Dual LED flash, 32GB storage, 3G, WiFi, A-GPS, NFC

Android V4.2.2 OS, 1.3GHz Quad core, 512MB RAM, 13MP camera, 16GB storage up to 64GB, 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

RO210 RO285

RO200

RO315

Surface – Microsoft Windows

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

10.6-inch screen, MS Windows 8 OS, Quad Core 1.3GHz, Intel Core i5, 2GB RAM, 32GB HDD, NvidiaTegra 3, WiFi, Bluetooth, 8MP camera

8-inch 1280x800 screen, Android 4.1.2 OS, Samsung Exynos 4 Quad Core 1.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 5MP camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G, A-GPS

Asus PadFone 2 4.7-inch 1280x800 screen, 1.5Ghz Quad core, 32GB Storage, Bluetooth, 13MP camera

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7-inch 1280x800 screen, Android 4.0 OS, 1.2GHz Dual Core, 16GB storage, WiFi, Dual Speaker Dolby, HD camera

iPad Mini 4G 16GB 16GB, 7.9-inch LED-backlit, multi-touch with IPS technology, 1,024x768p, Dual-core A5, Bluetooth, built-in 16.3-watthour rechargeable lithiumpolymer battery

Computers

RO600 Sony SVJ20215CAB 20-inch, Windows 8, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Intel Core i53317 1.7GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.60 GHz, 500GB HDD, 4GB RAM, Shared graphics, WiFi

N

RO935

Apple Macbook Pro ME664 13.4-inch Retina display LED backlit, 2.4GHz Dual Core Intel i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, Intel HD graphics 4000, OS X, 720p FaceTime HD camera

RO500

RO580

Samsung XE700T1A

HP Spectre 13 2110

11.6-inch LED HD, Windows 7 HP, Intel CORE i5, shared graphics, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth

13.3-inch LED HD, Windows 8 Pro, Intel Core i7-3317u 2.4GHz, 6144MB DDR3SDRAM, 128GB Hard disk, webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth

50

RO260

Acer Aspire V3 571G 5324G 15.6-inch HD LED screen, Windows 7, Intel Core i5-3210M 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, Nvidia GeForce GT 640M Graphics

Compact cameras

N

RO130

RO280

Sony WX300 (N)

Canon G15

18.2MP, 20x optical zoom, 3-inch LCD, 1080p Full HD movie, 10FPS, WiFi, Exmor R CMOS sensor

12.1MP, 5x Optical zoom, 3-inch LCD screen, Full HD movie, RAW format option

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RO170 Samsung Galaxy camera GC100 16MP, 21x optical zoom, 4.8-inch LCD touch screen, Full HD movie, Android, WiFi

N

RO150

RO60

Casio ZR700 (N)

Olympus VR 350

16.1MP, 18x optical zoom, 3-inch screen, Full HD movie, 25-mm wide angle-lens, High speed AF, CMOS sensor

16MP, 10x Optical Zoom, 3-inch LCD, Full HD movie, magic filter

7/13/13 12:58 PM

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 July 10, 2013.

Updated

N New

Pro cameras

RO822

N

RO330

RO400

RO640

RO300

Canon 7D

Sony Alpha 58

Samsung NX20

Nikon D7100

Sony A 37

18MP, 8FPS, APS-C CMOS sensor, 3-inch LCD screen, Full HD movie, 19-point AF system, Eye-level Pentaprism viewfinder, 63-zone SPC TTL metering exposure, 30 seconds to 1/8000 shutter speed, 18-135mm lens

20.1MP, 5FPS, 2.7-inch LCD screen, 1080/30p MP4 video, up to 16000 ISO, Translucent Mirror Technology, Lock-on AF, SVGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF, 1.44-milliondot OLED electronic viewfinder, 18-55mm lens + telephoto lens

20MP, 8FPS, WiFi, 3-inch LCD screen. Full HD movie, 1855mm lens, Micro Four-Thirds/ Mirrorless, SD, SDHC, SDXC, 614,000 dots resolution

24.1MP, 6FPS, 23.5mmx15.6mm CMOS sensor, 3.2-inch LCD screen, Full HD movie, 51 auto AF-S/AF-C selection, ISO 100-6400, Eye-level Pentaprism viewfinder, 1/8000 to 30 seconds shutter speed, 18-105mm lens

16MP, 7FPS, 3-inch LCD screen, CMOS Sensor, ISO100-16000 equivalent, All Sony DSLR lenses and A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta, Charge protection coating, Exmor CMOS Sensor

Televisions

RO300 LG 42LM6200 42-inch LED 3D, 2MP Full HD, 4HDMI PC in/AV in, 2 USB port, DIVX HD, 400Hz True Motion, Intelligent sensor, Energy Saving, 2D to 3D converter

RO220 Samsung UA40EH5000 40-inch LED 3D, 1920x1080 Resolution, 2MP Full HD, 2 HDMI, 100Hz clear motion rate, USB Ports

RO855 Sony KDL55W804 55-inch Dynamic Smart LED 3DTV, 2MP Full HD, 400 Hz motion plow, WiFi, 3 USB port movie ply, NFC share 4 HDMI, PC Input, 2D-3D converter

RO500 Sanyo LCE 55R68HD3D 50-inch LED 3D TV, 2MP, full HD, USB movie playback, 3 HDMI, 100HZ Motion rate

RO950 Samsung UA46ES8000 46-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

audio systems

RO211

RO211

RO75

RO280

RO64

Denon AVR 1713

Sony BDV E690

Philips HTS 3551

Bose Sound D10

Yamaha NS B500

5.1 Channel AV receiver, 120 watts (per channel), Internet radio, wireless streaming, 6 HDMI, USB

3D Blu-ray, 5.1 channel home theatre, DVD, CD, MP3, DIVX playback, 1000watts RMS, USB port play

Blu-ray home theatre, DVD, VCD, MP3. CD-R, DIVX playback, surround sound, 300watts RMS, HDMI input, USB port

Compact sound dock for iPod and iPhone with Bluetooth option

2 way acoustic suspension speaker, Max input 120W

Accessories

RO28 N

RO66

Lexmark S605 Wireless Printer 4.3-inch LCD, Multifunctional, Printing and copying through WiFi network, Automatic twosided printing, Customisable widgets, Includes autoduplexer

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N

RO16

Nintendo Wii Zapper Gun shell peripheral for the Wii remote, Shoots bull’s eyes in target shooting mode, Can look and aim in all directions in defender mode, Aims anywhere in ranger mode

RO83 Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio For iPad 2, iPad (3rd and 4th generation), Dye-sensitized solar cells, Bluetooth 3.0, Key Travel: 1.5 mm, 428x17.8x253 mm, 460 grams

RO191 Beats Portable

Sennheiser HD 65 TV

iPod dock, portable, wireless, 2 channels, 20 watts RMS per channel

3.5 / 6.3 mm straight, 25 - 20000 hz frequency response, (spl) 112 db sound pressure level, supraaural, 0.8m + 5.2m cable length, transducer principle dynamic, closed

7/13/13 12:58 PM

ESSENTIAL

10

WEEK 29, july 18 - 24, 2013

Entertainment dose We give you your weekly share of music, releases and TV shows

MUSIC

Britney for Smurfs 2

television Genre: Crime, drama

Dexter: Season eight

Rating: subject, it needs to be said that Jennifer Carpenter has some amazing and intense moments. Dexter’s been a thrilling ride and one of the more compelling dramas on television in the last decade. It lost some steam in its later seasons, but we think it brought some of that back with Season 7, and Season 8 stands the chance of living up to the standard set by the series when it was in its prime. Between Dexter and Deb as both of them are forced to look themselves in the mirror and try to come to grips with what they see.

T

he start of each new season of Showtime’s serial-killer drama, Dexter, has often been a reset from whatever intense and explosive murder and mayhem ensued at the end of the previous season.

But Season 7 jumped that trend. With the sixth season leaving us hanging as Deb’s mind processed the sight of her brother standing over the stillwarm body of a man he just killed, the seventh season really had no choice but to follow up on what ensued in the moments that followed that amazing cliffhanger. With a flashback that caught us up and brought us into the stage of Dexter and his sister Deb’s relationship that had her trying to understand the extent of his true nature and getting acquainted with his dark passenger while also getting her hands bloody in the process.

Deb’s bloody hands bring us to the start of Season 8, with the first few

episodes focusing on the aftermath of what Deb did at the end of Season 7. Faced with the choice of letting her brother get caught or protecting him by killing Maria LaGuerta, Deb chose the darker path, not only making the choice to become a murderer, but killing a cop in the process. The Deb from a few seasons ago wouldn’t know herself if she was standing right there in that storage locker.

There are two very intriguing new relationships involving one or more of those characters. Changing the

eBOOKS

DVD RELEASES

Dynasty Warriors 8

Best Kept Secret

Erased

PS£, Xbox360, PC

Book Three of the Clifton Chronicles Jeffrey Archer USD16

Thriller

Hack and slash, action

Serious Sam Collection

First person shooter

Shin Megami Tensei IV Nintendo 3DS

Role-playing

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5 Shells Fantasy, drama

Today Everything Changes

Quick Read Andy McNab USD1

Night Visions is the debut studio album by American rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012 through Interscope Records. The extended track was released on February 12, 2013, adding three more songs. Recorded between 2010 and 2012, the album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as English hip-hop producer Alex Da Kid and Brandon Darner from the American indie rock group The Envy Corps.

According to frontman Dan Reynolds, the album took three years to finish.

The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling more than 83,000 copies within its first week.The band is currently performing a headlining tour in support of the album.

The Visitor (Jack Reacher 4) Lee Child USD10

Microsoft Windows, Linux, Palm OS, Xbox

Ooh La La, which was produced by Dr. Luke, Ammo and Cirkut, was released last month as the lead single from The Smurfs 2 soundtrack, due out July 23. The song has peaked at No. 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and rises from number 25 to 23 on the week’s Pop Songs tally.

Imagine Visions

Dexter, meanwhile, is moving through life and work as usual, spending time with Harrison, his son, who is growing fast. While he’s concerned about what his sister has gotten up to, he’s downplaying her absence at work. But things take some interesting turns when he tries to reconnect with Deb, who wants nothing to do with him.

GAME RELEASES

Britney Spears’ Ooh La La single, which leads the forthcoming soundtrack to The Smurfs 2, has received a colourful, kid-friendly music video and by kid-friendly, we mean that Spears’ two sons, Preston and Jayden, make gleeful appearances alongside their mom in the clip.

Favourite single: Radioactive Evil Dead Horror

Get the album Imagine Dragons by Night Visions USD15 (RO6) on iTunes.com

7/13/13 12:59 PM

dashboard TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

11

Infiniti and beyond As if to challenge everyone that Infiniti’s design is still exciting, they bring out yet another wind-etched sedan. We look at the slightly interesting Q50

W

hile Infiniti sports sedans have always been noted for their outstanding proportions and presence, the new Infiniti Q50 adds a new dimension of premium style.

The front end is decidedly aggressive, with a sport front fascia offered on the Q50 sport models. The new grille’s three dimensional, textural quality is provided by elaborate detailing of the waved mesh pattern surface and chrome surround, while the distinctive LED headlights and marker lights’ sharp lines suggest an almost human look. The new body design also offers enhanced airflow over both the upper and lower body portions.

At launch two advanced powertrains

will be available, followed by additional engine options in other global markets later in the year. The Q50’s refined 3.7-liter aluminum-alloy DOHC 24-valve V6 is rated at 328 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. Both Q50 powertrains are matched with an advanced 7-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with manual shift mode and available steering column-mounted magnesium paddle shifters.

Precise handling is provided by the 4-wheel independent multi-link suspension. The front is a single pivot double-wishbone design, while the revised rear design utilizes a multi-link design with coil springs and Dual Flow Path shock absorbers, with increased

camber stiffness and improved ride comfort. The suspension features

extensive use of lightweight aluminum components, along with front and rear stabilizer bars. A sport-tuned suspension is available with Sport models. Also supporting the enhanced handling is an improvement in front body stiffness (versus the previous generation).

The Q50’s instrument panel honors Infiniti’s “double wave” design tradition, while updated with a new asymmetrical flow from the top of the center cluster to the wide center console.

The front and rear seats are a new ergonomic design, developed to help distribute body pressure across a wider range of the upper seating surface.

When sitting, the pressure load on the backbone is about 1.4 times greater than while standing.

The bending moments that become a factor of load are reduced by the new seat design, with the additional support for the pelvis and the selfweight of the chest.

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7/13/13 12:59 PM

12

wishlist WEEK 29, juLY 18 - 24, 2013

Top gadgets

Quicksilver Molokai Tide watch

Interesting gadgets and accessories that can prove quite helpful

RO79 (+S&H)

The Molokai Tide watch by Quiksilver features a reinforced faceted mineral crystal with antireflective coating, solid marine grade stainless steel case with turning bezel and a stainless steel screw-down case back. It has 15 years of pre programed tide data for 200 spots around the world, dual time, dual alarm and countdown timer. The electro-luminescent night dial and polyurethane strap complete the package. Its depth is tested to 100m.

Corsair Vengeance K70 Mechanical Gaming keyboard RO64 (+S&H)

The K70 does everything a keyboard usually does; typing, built-in music playback controls and it even has a customisable LED lighting behind its keys. But this is no mere keyboard. Cherry MX mechanical key switches ensure there’s no key ghosting, WASD keys are textured for easy location in the heat of battle, and there’s even a USB pass-through to attach a mouse or headset.

Perfect for dedicated PC gamers.

be.ez LE Reporter RO29 (+S&H)

Hippih Hipkey RO44 (+S&H)

Alerts you should you leave your vital tech behind in a bar after supping just a few ales. Should come in useful on Friday night, oh and probably Saturday too. The distance-triggered alarm goes off if your keys and phone are separated farther than 50 metres.

Logitech Fabricskin keyboard RO91 (+S&H)

Three-month battery a near-miraculous, magnetic iPad retention and waterproof keys for adding to those vital spread sheets and documents when you’re on the beach. Logitech hasn’t changed the layout of its keyboard much from the original Keyboard Folio. Rounded island keys means there is adequate spacing to avoid typos and there’s enough room for folks with bigger hands.

This reporter style bag from quirky label be.ez seems to have the unique ability of the TARDIS when it comes to fitting in useful pockets. There are zipped pockets on the front, a dedicated elasticised compartment for your 15-inch MacBook, plus many more slip pockets and even a zipped pouch on the back for documents you need to keep close at hand. It’ll also stand a torrential downpour thanks to a PVC coating.

To order these products, email techtoys@deenarmedia.com

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tech radar TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Trail blaze

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Suitable shoes for trekking on your favourite trails in Oman

Puma Faas 300 TR Price: RO25 (+S&H) Specially designed with inherent stability for the toughest terrains, the Faas sports an 8mm heel-to-toe drop that encourages a mid-foot strike. It’s fitted with WebCage technology to keep your feet locked in place is perfect if you’re heading onto tough tracks and uneven ground. Its closed mesh upper also provides support whilst still maintaining effective breathability so you can cover longer distances without losing comfort.

Nike ZOOM Terra Wildhorse Price: RO54 (+S&H) This latest shoe from Nike is designed to fit like a track spike, yet hold all the features of a top-class trail shoe. Perfect for tough runs, the Wildhorse has angled lugs below the toe that have been specifically designed for efficiency on steep hills. A Nike Zoom unit in the heel adds responsive cushioning, flex grooves improve flexibility and the ultra-lightweight, single-layer mesh material aids in ventilation to avoid your feet from overheating.

To order, email techtoys@deenarmedia.com MovieS

Stuck in love A successful writer tries to reconnect with his two children following his divorce

S

tuck in Love is a 2012, American independent comedy-drama (dramedy) film, directed and written

by Josh Boone. This film stars Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins and Logan Lerman.

It focuses on the complicated relationships between a successful novelist, played by Kinnear, his exwife (Connelly) and their collegiate daughter and teenage son. The film began a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 5, 2013 and releases at City Cinema, Muscat on July 18.

The dramedy interweaves the stories of various family members

over the course of a year. Greg Kinnear plays a famous novelist obsessed with his ex-wife, while Lily Collins co-stars as their collegiate daughter Samantha who is pursued by fellow writing student (Logan Lerman). Nat Wolff will play her teenage brother, who is experiencing first love with Liana Liberato’s character. Kristen Bell has been cast as a friend of the novelist who is trying to help him get over his ex-wife.

Director and writer: Josh Boone Genre: Romance, comedy, drama Stars: Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Kristen Bell

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GAMING WEEK 29, july 18 - 24, 2013

Deus Ex has invented a new genre: Science fiction stealth and shooting, riven with terrorism, and controlled by conspiracies

N

ow its darkness threatens iPhone 4S, iPad 3 and above in Deus Ex: The Fall. The thinking man’s first-person shooter, the original Deus Ex was way ahead of its time when it dropped in 2000, skilfully blending the RPG and FPS genres. It gave a choice of routes to success, letting you employ your own personal blend of running around shooting people and stealthily creeping about, with a side order of computer hacking and text- and conversationbased info gathering.

Publisher: Square Enix Genre: Action roleplaying, first person shooter, stealth Developer: Eidos Montreal, N-Fusion Platforms: Android, iOS

It built atmosphere superbly through clearly Blade Runner-influenced art direction, glacially slow pacing and a twisting plot that was impressively dark without being dreary – lighter moments were regularly provided through excellently voice-acted conversations with a colourful cast of strung-out and deeply sinister characters. It was a classic, in short.

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

This iPad update - Deus Ex The Fall is rather less so, but it still has its moments.

Having been betrayed by the leader of your elite Special Forces unit, you are on the run. In the short term, you need to find medication to prevent your body rejecting its many ‘nanoaugmentations’.

Luckily, conspiracy is not so omnipotent that it can spot your totally unmistakeable, unbelievably easy-torecognise character running around Panama City. He shoots anyone he fancies, steals credits and interacts with literally every single person in said city. You’re encouraged to play Deus Ex stealthily but it seems pointless when you can shoot a guard right in front of a

pack of their colleagues, hide for about a minute.

Deus Ex: The Fall isn’t a bad game, however, in terms of plot and action, what seemed fresh in 2000 with the original, and got a decent revamp in 2011 with Human Revolution seems generic and old-fashioned here.

That said, Deus Ex die-hards will find much to cherish in the familiar settings, the endless sub-quests and the way the action simmers then periodically flares into life.

WEBsite www.businessoffashion.com

Fashion alert Don’t be mistaken; this website isn’t just for fashionistas. If you love economics, this might prove quite interesting The Business of Fashion has gained a global following as an essential daily resource for fashion creatives, executives and entrepreneurs in over 200 countries. It is frequently described as indispensable, required reading and an addiction.

Founded in 2007 by Imran Amed, a fashion business advisor, writer and digital entrepreneur, The Business of Fashion began as a project of passion, aiming to fill the void for an informed,

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analytical and opinionated point of view on the fashion business.

Today, the website has grown to leverage a network of savvy writers and fashion insiders in style capitals around the world, delivering fashion business intelligence on emerging designers, disruptive technologies and global brands that are making their mark on the industry at a time of unprecedented change.

7/13/13 1:03 PM

APPS TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Apps this week Non Flying Soldiers

Top five apps Yearly

Yearly is a handy birthday and anniversary reminder tool that is better than the native iOS app

(Free) iPad

(USD1)

This isn’t a chicken run! The visuals may be animated Aardman-style, but these critters aren’t even smart enough to not walk into a pit of spikes, let alone get themselves airborne. Good thing you’re on hand to help.

Tom and Jerry (Free)

At the start of each level, you’re tasked with a convoy of feathered fools to guide to safety and you have a selection of tools at your disposal with which to do so and include barriers, springboards and the like.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

As you progress, you get more items and bird types to play with and that means the difficulty ratchets up a to domino-effect cascade of precise timing and exact angles. It takes patience and a bit of trial and error – but if you’ve got a perfectionist streak, you’ll relish this.

UNO

(USD3)

NextGen Reader (USD2)

(USD2)

U

several different multiplayer modes although we have to say we’re not huge fans of passing the phone around to play games like this. You can also customise the game rules and discover new ways to play like ‘UNO 7-0’, ‘UNO Challenge’, ‘Jump In’ and others.

There’s also Tournament Mode where you can progress through increasingly difficult challenges to collect prizes and unlock colourful themes too.

no is, of course, the classic game. New players will find things extremely easy to pick up in this version, while you simply drag and drop cards using your finger on the screen as you compete to be the first to get rid of all your cards.

You can play the game on your own, but you’ll surely prefer to play with others and you can play with a group of up to four in

15

Flashlight-X (Free)

This is one of our favourite apps for one amazing reason: you can watch all the old Tom and Jerry cartoons for free

A lovingly created homage to Charles Schultz’s iconic characters that makes a wonderfully charming app for kids of all ages

Next Gen Reader is an app that it ties itself firmly in as a ‘Google Reader’ but also allows you to view Twitter, Facebook and other social feeds

This useful app functions as a flashlight as its name suggests, a compass and has an SOS function just in case you are lost in the wilderness

Enter to win two Panasonic portable chargers.

Please send in your entries by July 29

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Fax: 24693569 / Email: quiz@deenarmedia.com

1 What verb describes inserting data from the clipboard?

A

Add

A

Reformat

B

Cut

B

Refresh

C

Paste

C

Retry

3 What year was Windows XP released?

TW51 Winners:

2 Reload is a synonym for what command?

4 What is the generic name for a Web-based email interface?

1. Sabah Hassan

A

2001

A

Netmail

2. Syed Mohsin Ali

B

2003

B

Webmail

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

C

2005

C

Mail Browser

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.

Gaming + Apps_Quiz 53.indd 15

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

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