Exhibit Magazine Nov 2013 by exhibit

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Must-have GadGets 4K technoloGyWhere's it headed?

thetechy.com

Greatest tech MerGers of our tiMes all that you need to KnoW onhybrid cars

success story

android's

Vol.9.Issue.6.November.2013

MOBILE | AUTO | GADGETS | WATCHES & More...

The Lean Mean Dapper Machine

Randeep Hooda

REVIEWED: iBall andi Projector SMartPHone|PanaSonic P11|aSuS tranSforMer Book tX300 |Canon PIXMa PRIntER HoW to’s: control data usage on your android |Speed up ios 7 on an older device|increase the battery life of Wireless Mouse & more... I NOV 2013 I 1

COME AS A . P U T R A T S LEAVE AS

7 Tuesday, January nuary 10, 2014 through Friday, Ja ES2014 • CESweb.org • #C Las Vegas, Nevada

AN INDUSTRY TITAN.

s, markets Las Vegas. Here, brand in r the ga ure fut the s more who shape w. And in 2014, there’ Over four days, those more than a tradesho far s at’ wh u. in e yo is erg w nv missing no and economies co who matter. All that’s se tho th wi t ec nn co to opportunity than ever Sweb.org. CE at y da to r Registe

THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR INNOVATION

I NOV 2013 I 2

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

From The ediTor’s desk

What will the future of Creative copy look like in advertising,say 10 years from now?Picture this -download 9.0 of the Glass App, upgrade your shoulder app to 5.0 and win a 2 night stay in Pluto, or something like this- get the Amazing things keep happening in the world of technology, but at such a pace that it seems overWhile many us class are rejoicing the rains, it‘braincom is quite disheartening to know about the worst drought that latest to brain chip compatible withofall 7 typesinbrain ‘ [imaginary whelming merely keep it up! Thankfully, our smartphones havefrom enough features and apps builtcompany] and get free upthe believe country has ever experienced inguys Uttarakhand that swept the Holy Shrines of Badrinath, dates for 2 years. Don’t me, already the tech have taken over FMCG in advertising and youKedarnath can see and into them in order for us to help ourselves stay updated with what’s going around. left thousands dead. It has essentially put the entire state back by five years. QR codes and ‘download our APPS’ evolving as advertising slogans. Before I forget,did you guys download the app this, frommore Android Store? Check Even as I write news Play is flowing in from allout overwww.exhibitmag.com/download. the globe. Most notably the launch of the

No one can escape nature’s wrath, and it is at such times that I feel that the best technological developNew Nexus 7 running the latest updated Android OS - v4.3, which will still be called Jelly Bean (no ment would be when we can accurately predict what’s brewing in Mother Earth’s mind. It is only she who Key Coming Lime Pie, yet). might not be a whole lot of changes in this new upgraded OS, but Google backThere to the present and withoffestive spirit drawing ussense and with everyjust day proving to be a new has the weapons mass destruction in theon true of thealmost word! With a click, she can turn the is rolling outfor more upgrades and newerOctober productsturned than any other biga player around. Apple hasn’t source tech-related rumour, out to be rather action packed month. With so many exciting entire world topsy-turvy. Perhaps, this is one thing that even technology has no control over. My heart had new a major launchflowing since theiniPhone 5 last year and the iOS 7 and announced this year metdazzle with us before the year draws to gadgets usher the Diwali with abyearlier few left to goestoout to the families ofspends all those affected thismore catastrophe and makes me question – ‘Could we have more trolling around the internet than any of their previous releases. Yes the gossip monger keeps an end. averted this? Can we not have the best of technology and deploy resources to make the world ‘calamity the tech blogs busy with leaked iPhone 6, of 7, these Applequestions phablet etc., which surely be proof’?images Well, I of know some really do not havemust an answer. But I can hardly help asking amusing for Apple guys themselves. Maybe now Apple doesn’t feel threatened by all the updates Google’s partnershipthem. with Kitkat has certainly whetted the appetites of a slew of people who are simply running and products Google is pushing out, because they still have one of the highest brand loyalties in the rumour mills. takes In overdrive forfor thethat past weeks, they have possibly gone to incredible lengths to give the authe world - but it never a whole lot to few change. Theycats only need to in look atForeign the example Anyway, talking of leaked rains, it from is raining and dogs the Exchange The rupee has rained dience any bit of news that might’ve any source (whether credible not!) toMarket. really spike more interof Blackberry, Nokia & Motorola realize that. the 60 mark, which is sure to make all theor down to and has touched Smartphones and other high end

est. Till the time it ‘accidently’ leaked on the Play Store itself. That more or less killed all speculation and confirmed

gadgets all the more expensive. Since the pace of technological advancement is so fast that it makes any what the next Nexuschanges will be cheaper like. But, notinbefore allofthe hoopla, speculations andfor leaks that really created a prices. mighty There are some incredible taking place digital camera industry well.chance Hasselblad product within athe couple weeks, there is aas great gadgets to maintain their frenzy for one product. same likes of iPhones, flagship making compact cameras wasIt’s onethe news thatstory reallywith tookthe a lot of people by surprise, butdevices maybe from Nokia, HTC, Samsung it was just a one-off Better sensors and newer processors constantly being introduced and Sony too – thing. but naturally, with the release of the new Nexus, willmuch also be the release to of flow a new And well, taking rains ahead (again), it’sare pouring so that we decided in aAndroid Hot Bodversion. from Cosinto Let’s new-age digi-cams, areto making people completely forget good oldGadgets. film days. And you can go diving in a pool or get hope v4.4 will which just not be feel good will feature have some real meat in it as well. ta Rica shoot with usand for our on the Waterproof Now why not? It won’t be long before 4K takes over - and the image andsmartphones video qualityorwill surely getting be so on the wrong side of the water. drenched without worrying about your cameras life-like, that we’ll watch it not knowing whether it’s real or just something we’re watching on our And for the girls, we have too, our cover boy Aditya Roy these Kapur, days who’sare riding success his back-toIt is a time for great bonding and shopping for which gadgets thehigh firston choice of with a DAD, computing devices. back hits, Aashiqui 2 and Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwani. With his effortless andbut nonchalant demeanour, BROTHER, BOY FIREND, GIRL FRIEND or your friends’ wife. What more could be attitude apt, then, to list down some he surely captivated every girl present on the shoot. of the ‘must-have’ gadgets from this year that we think ought to be on everyone’s wish list. It’s a quick way That’s exactly why we’ll always need better and faster processing power in our computers and of looking somelooked of theatbest gadgets that are on offer in latest retail Haswell outlets processors right now as and with almost every category notebooks. Thus,atwe’ve best Ultrabooks running Intel’s Just likethe rains, everything else is flowing, too. Since nothing is constant and change is but obvious, it covered, you can simply take your pick now. well as taken a look at new-age standard Wi-Fi Cloudthe Computing features. We in and make some changes. makes‘ac’ sense even for the routers, top dogswith to smell staleness that is creeping call this issue – the Speed Apple issue, had and been in thehappy pageswith you the will look meetand fastest men, machines, cars experience of their iOS forand far too long, mostly because the Autooriginally enthusiasts werethe also ingadgets for abittreat, with F1 race held inWell,sensation guy who designed software of it,complimenting Scott the Forstall, was still in is charge. he is still as and the being same the tennis Sania influential was earlier, andmonth evenMirza. though he only had impressed Steve Jobs with initial launch of Not is Vettel she a tech freak , but gorgeous soul, keeping Delhiasathethe end of the and Sebastian proving that hea the has iPhone and itfurther Jobslegends wasn’t the kind of manSchumacher, whoeven likedafter to rest on laurels. So hein will be With her feet firmly grounded achieving so much life. what takes upgrades, to challenge like Michael by becoming happya to see Apple making the bold all decision to put him onCircuit the sidelines and Jonny taking more our regulars on Photography, Launches andIve plenty ofaamazing 4-times World Champion! Buddh International (BIC) was a great prominent role to get the iOS changes. reviews - this issue have youseen hooked tillThe the last page. Don’t host as always and the race was as thrilling aswill any we’ve thisright year. to watch and scan the QR code for the video reviews, to witadrenaline and sheer power forget of engines in those F1 cars is something to be Speaking of Jobs, the trailer on his movie also in out with Ashton inand the to lead. Should besexy interestness is Sania the making of Kutcher our cover oogle at the marvelled, something thatannouncements raises the standard of the entire Autothe Industry ing! There were some other great at WWDC trash-can shaped Mac Kristina Akheeva who istoo, ourincluding Tech Stunner of the month. year after Pro. Did you guysyear. like it? I’m not sure where Apple is going with that kind of design, but on paper it looks incredible! Controversies Samsung had a great in London, The action packed edition So, for till November hasapart, many more stories itevent the next time we meet - keep busy in and stay Techy! they unveiled someissue moreand exciting products. Best out too, till the next time, enjoy the where festivities, enjoy the keep of the lot was a pixel intense notebook, which will certainly dazzling. be the centre-piece of any workspace with a gorgeous display like that. I’m hoping more such launches and events keep rolling throughout the year. Even if they don’t, we will be here to bring you your quota of tech & gadget updates. So, till we meet again, stay wired! and stay hooked to thetechy.com

ciao

I NOV 2013 I 6

@somaniramesh

Ramesh Somani Chief Editor & Publisher

I NOV 2013 I 7

contents 4K Technology Evolves

Display technology has been as fascinating to watch as its been brilliant to gawk at. Now, with life-like images on 4K displays, we delve into the big question - where is it heading? Read on to find out.

The Success Called ANDROID

Google acquired Android with the sole intent to enter mobile phone territory and has since gone on to capture it with great intent. We've taken a look at the players and the products that have made it the powerhouse it is.

ANDROID’S SUCCESS STORY:

GOOGLE’S RISE IN THE SMARTPHONE MARKET>>>

Words By:Chaitanya Tapase

Andy Rubin is a brilliant man. He had this device called the Danger Hiptop (aka Sidekick) and little did he know how huge it was going to become. Now we are in the Spring of 2005. Rubin had decided to use Google as the default search engine on the Sidekick even though Google was still growing. Other companies like Lycos and even AOL were ahead of Google at this stage in the game. He gets a meeting with Larry Page who is a co-founder of Google. Rubin tells Page that there are 700 million cell phones sold each year compared to only 200 million PC’s. The gap is growing larger and larger each year. Rubin said phones are the way people want to connect to each other. Unfortunately, at this time in 2005, the mobile industry was in a dark place. Mobile phones were not open and inviting like the web. They were closed and discouraging to those creative minds that could actually make positive changes. Rubin uses this point to talk about his startup, Android and how it is going to change all of that. Android

would be a free, open source mobile platform that any coder could write for and any handset maker could install. Rubin would make his money by selling support for the system. Android would be a global open operating system that would change wireless forever.

Google Steps In This meeting was not set up to get money out of Google. He simply wanted Google to back him, in writing. If Rubin could get something from Google, he could get more funds. There would be a hint that Google might be interested in pursuing their own Google branded phone. Right then, Rubin pulled out a prototype. Page knew the numbers. Rubin spouting the decline on

PC sales was nothing new to him. The decline was rapid and he saw the change happening quickly. His problem was how he addressed it. The way the internet worked on cell phones in 2005 left a lot to be desired. Cell phones ran on different software, were on pay per byte plans and had limited memory. The only company from the PC side that seemed to have any success in the mobile business was Microsoft which is one of Google’s fiercest competitors. The Window’s Mobile platform only had around 10% of the market share, but it was growing at a rapid pace. Window’s Mobile was another way to continue Microsoft’s Windows dominance. They were not concerned with opening up the web to mobile users. Microsoft underestimated the

internet, and this is where Google surged ahead.

growth of the

So what did Larry Page think of Rubin’s pitch? Well, he was very interested but he did not want to give a supportive email or even place the Google logo on his phone. He wanted to buy Android! Rubin was in shock. He went there to gain support and ended up leaving with one of the biggest paydays in his life. The eventual purchase price was estimated to be around $50 million. After Google bought Android in July 2005, Silicon Valley was rocking with speculation about what the search giant was planning. Everyone knew Apple had a phone in the works and the assumption was

headquarters With the imminent release of another new version of Android, namely Kitkat, we thought it would be a great idea to look back at the success story of an OS that didn’t quite start off as well as everyone had hoped for.

I NOV 2013 I 8

Greatest Tech Collaborations

When Sony joined Ericsson to create a mobile powerhouse, they really took collaborations to newer heights. We've dug around and brought you some of the best collaborations in the tech world, for your infotainment.

25 MUST HAVE GADGETS

With the year about to end and some amazing products launched in the span of 2 months, here’s our list 25 of the best gadgets you ought to have

25 Must-Have Gadgets

With the festive season around the corner, we've searched high and low for the gadgets that can be labelled as 'must-haves' if you really enjoy using them (and have the pockets too).

I NOV 2013 I 8

nov 2013 64

'Up In The North' Photography

Heard of Auroral lights? If not, then this could be a geography lesson as much as a photography one. But the skill and set-up required to capture these amazing light shows can be applied elsewhere too.

Everything About Hybrid Cars

Not all that popular in India at this time, for whatever reason, the story of Hybrid Cars is rather old. With amusing tales and key players with the world over, raise your knowledge about an innovative technology that is also good for the environment!

102

Buying Guide for Home Theaters

Buying components and assembling a Home Theater has always been a challenge, but with so many choices and options it is becoming increasingly difficult, of late. This months buying guide lets you ease that burden considerably.

112 Tech Destination - Israel

There's a lot going on in Israel but there's no way that should stop you from visiting a rather beautiful country which is also our Tech Destination for this Month. Wanna know why we picked it? Turn over and find out.

Publisher & Chief Editor RAMESH SOMANI EDITORIAL Deputy Editor Chaitanya Tapase (editdesk@exhibit.co.in) Content Team Garvita Sharma (edit-team@exhibit.co.in) Karishma Mody (editorial@exhibit.co.in) Allwyn D’Souza (edit@exhibit.co.in) Contributing Editors Christophe Brisset,Ronnie Ganguly, Om Malik, Tom Clark,Shailja Gupta, Tushar Kanwar, Karoline Huber,Irfan Pathan,Dj NYK Consulting Editor N.K. Goyal (Govt. of India - Chairman, Emeritus TEMA)

ART & DESIGN Art Director Varsha Singh (graphic@exhibit.co.in) Graphic Designer Amruta Desai (design@exhibit.co.in) Compositor &Visual Editor Ashish Singh Heer (vfx@exhibit.co.in) Web Development Sujit Mourya (sujit@exhibit.co.in) Social Media Divya (sm@exhibit.co.in) Webmaster&SEO Roshan Survanae (webmaster@exhibit.co.in)

where tech meets

BUSINESS

ACCOUNTS & HR HR Manager Shraddha Purohit (hr@exhibit.co.in) Accounts Manager Abhijeet Sawant (finance@exhibit.co.in) Senior Accounts Exe Mithun Gupta

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The Gamechanging Khiladi! AKSHAY KUMAR

REVIEWED: HTC One Dual Sim|Blackberry Q5|Panasonic P51|Toshiba Laptop|LG optimus G-PRO

MOBILE | AUTO | GADGETS | WATCHES & More... Vol.8.Issue.2.July.2012

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HTC One X v/s samsung galaXy sIII The Battle Continues...

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Buy More Spend Less

HOW TO: Save iPhone Battery|USE OS 4.3 Restricted Profile|Doubly Secure Your Android Device|Multitask using YouTube’s updated App

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APPLE’S COMPUTING LINE UP GETS LIGHTER, THINNER & MORE POWERFUL... SHOCKED??? Apple's latest tech event proved to be another newsworthy affair, with the introduction of several new products as well as updates to its software suite for personal computers, tablets and smartphones.

Here's a recap of the five biggest announcements:

iPad Air

As expected, the new 9.7-inch iPad is thinner and lighter than earlier models, and comes in space grey and silver (what, no gold?). Although it doesn't boast the champagne hue of the iPhone 5s, it does sport the same A7 processing chip and M7 coprocessor. Also missing is the fingerprint sensor rumoured to be included with the new iPad. It starts at $499 for a 16GB, Wi-Fi only model. Interestingly, Apple is keeping the iPad 2 around, selling that for $399.

India Availability – No word yet.

iPad Mini with Retina display

Apple's smaller tablet gets a big screen boost with the addition of a Retina display. The 7.9-inch device features 2048 x 1536 resolution and the A7 chip, along with 10 hours of battery life. It starts at $399, with the original iPad Mini now available at $299.

India Availability – No word yet.

I NOV 2013 I 12

Mac Pro

Seeking out a traditional personal computer and got money to burn? Apple rolls out its Mac Pro starting at a whopping $2,999. For that price, consumers get an Intel Xenon 5 Quad-Core processor and 4K display support.

India Availability –Will be available from December starting at `2,99,900/-

New Mac Books.

The MacBook Pro gets an overhaul, with thinner, lighter models boasting the new Intel Haswell chips. Both the 13- and 15-inch models get a price cut, now available at $1,299 and $1,999 respectively.

India Availability –15-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.0 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz, 8GB of memory, 256GB of flash storage and Intel Iris Pro graphics starting at `1,49,900. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.9 GHz, 4GB of memory, 128GB of flash storage, and Intel Iris graphics starting at INR 99,900

Free Mavericks

The two big words Apple used with software were "free" and "today." The highlight is the latest version of the Mac operating system called OS X Mavericks is available today for free. Users must be running OS X 10.6.8 or later to snag the upgrade. Features include multiple display support, iBooks and Maps apps and upgraded notifications.

SPECS & FEATURES>> iPad Air

The newest full-size tablet is advertised as ‘thinner, lighter and more powerful than ever before.’ Weighing in at only 1 pound, the Air is 20% thinner than its predecessor. The latest chip from Apple, the A7, will power the iPad Air along with the M7 co-processor, designed with 64-bit architecture. Key Features •9.7 inch multi-touch retina display •MIMO technology features multiple antennae for faster wi-fi reception •10-hour battery life •5MP iSight camera, capable of 1080p video

iPad Mini with Retina Display Powered with the 64-bit A5 processor, the Mini is advertised to be 4 times faster than the original Mini and nearly 8 times faster when it comes to sheer graphics capability. It will be available in either silver and white or space grey and black. Key Features •7.9 inch display (1024x768 pixels, 163 ppi) •10-hour battery life •5MP iSight camera, capable of 1080p video

I NOV 2013 I 13

Recharge Night

@ Shockk Bandra

I NOV 2013 I 15 15 I EXHIBIT I AUGUST 2013

LAUNCHES OF AOC 23” Full HD 3D LED Razor TV This latest AOC product will bring the experience of enjoying 3D content to consumers. AOC 23” HD 3D LED TV comes with a direct 3D key on the remote to convert and watch 2D content with 3D effect so that one doesn’t have to purchase any additional hardware. The TV is equipped with Dream Surround Sound that creates a truly immersive surround sound experience with rich bass and clear dialog. With the Real Colour Engine technology that produces true and natural colour, the TV is also packed with latest Inputs like USB, HDMI & VGA port for easy connectivity. To enhance the visual experience, AOC 3D TV has full high definition contents with richer details and resolution (1920x1080).This amazing product is priced at INR 19,990

Sony Xperia C Xperia C is designed to bring Sony experiences to life through the combination of its high quality, qHD display, a powerful 1.2 GHz Quad-Core processor and a stunning 8 megapixel camera with Sony’s Exmor™ R sensor. It features an 8 megapixel camera with Sony’s Exmor R sensor and HDR for photos, a smart voice guide and “Beauty Mode”. To take a self-portrait with the main camera, users simply enable the smart voice guide and the phone will use voice commands to help frame the shot. Xperia C boasts Sony’s now familiar OmniBalance design, first introduced in flagship Xperia Z. The aesthetic language takes the form of a precision-crafted skeleton frame, and gives the phone a premium, symmetrical look with a curved back panel for ergonomic comfort.Xperia C is a dual-SIM smartphone – users are prompted for SIM selection before making a call or sending a message. It is now available for INR 21,490

The Cintiq Companion runs Windows 8 and full versions of creative software and offers everything a customer would expect from Wacom’s Cintiq products. The Cintiq Companion supports creative freedom by offering everything necessary for productive art and design work whether in the studio or on the go. Providing an all-purpose, mobile workstation, it is a fully-fledged Windows 8 tablet, powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core processor and Intel HD Graphics 4000 that pack a punch whether designing a character, or retouching a photo. For excellent creative results, Wacom offers two models. One with 8GB memory and 256GB SSD with Windows 8 and the other with 8GB memory, 512GB SSD with Windows 8 Pro.

TBA

I19,990/-

I21,490/I NOV 2013 I 16

Wacom Cintiq Companion

THE MONTH Dell Inspiron 7000 Series The Inspiron 7000 Series laptops provide powerful performance in thin, upscale designs. Featuring diamond-cut beveled edges, the 7000 Series’ aluminum design makes you look twice, and feels reassuringly strong. All Inspiron 7000 Series laptops come with a 10-finger, capacitive touch display with edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass NBT for durability. The Inspiron 14 and 15 can both be outfitted with optional Full HD, vibrant 300-nit touch displays featuring 97% more pixels than HD and 160-degree viewing angles, twice as much as regular HD. The Inspiron 7000 Series features backlit keyboards as standard to make it easy to use in eye straining dim light, and is maximized for efficiency with Intel 4th generation (Haswell) Core i5 and i7 options, as well as SSD options (Inspiron 15) to speed up boot times and application loading. Ideal for those who are constantly on-thego, with up to 8 hours and 52 minutes of battery life, the Inspiron 14 slips easily into a sleeve or bag with its ultra-thin 15.3mm (0.6”) design, which is 27% thinner than its predecessor, the Inspiron 14z. The Inspiron 15 is the perfect blend of portability and performance, measuring under an inch thin at 23mm (0.9”) with a large 15.6-inch screen and up to 6 hours, 17 minutes of battery life.

Nokia Lumia 1020

Sony DSC-QX100 and DSCQX10

Nokia established a new benchmark in smartphone imaging with the arrival of the Nokia Lumia 1020. Boasting a second generation 41 megapixel sensor and optical image stabilization (OIS), Nokia Lumia 1020 reinvents zoom, enabling people to discover more detail than their eyes can see. With Nokia’s innovative PureView technology, the device is able to produce some of the sharpest images delivered by any digital camera.This is possible due to leading hardware technology combined with a new application called Nokia Pro Camera, which makes it easy for anyone to take professional quality images. Either before a picture is taken or after it has been shot, the zoom capability enables people to shoot first and then zoom later to discover and rediscover stories that contain more detail than the eye can see. With a beautiful interface that visually demonstrates how settings will affect the final photo or video, Nokia Pro Camera simplifies features usually reserved for professional cameras and teaches people how to take better photos. The Nokia Lumia 1020 is also the most versatile digital camera available. Its unique dual capture feature simultaneously takes a high resolution 38 megapixel image for endless editing opportunities, and creates a 5 megapixel picture that is easy to share to social networks with Windows Phone 8.The Nokia Lumia 1020 is available in yellow, white and black at INR 49,990

Sony India announced the launch of Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 lensstyle cameras, which turn your smartphone into a power-packed specialist camera.Now you can shoot and share fabulous photos and HD video using your phone, with image quality and creative options to rival a premium standalone camera.The DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 attach in a moment with the supplied smartphone attachment that fits several popular smartphone models. Connection to your phone is made via Wi-Fi and the latest version of Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile application. Linkage is even simpler for NFC smartphone owners, with easy one-touch connection made without any complicated settings. Use your smartphone’s large, bright screen as a real-time viewfinder; fire the shutter, start/stop movie recordings, and adjust settings like shooting mode, zoom and Auto Focus area. Also use the phone’s screen to share the memories instantly via any of your usual phone apps. You don’t even need to have the phone and camera attached. Place Cyber-shot™ exactly where you want it, and fire the shutter direct from your mobile – it’s perfect for grabbing high-angle shots or self-portraits.Boasting a powerful 10x optical zoom range, it’s great for power-packed close-ups of people, funfilled events and distant landmarks that are just not possible without a dedicated zoom lens. Built-in Optical SteadyShot combats camera shake, keeping handheld pictures and videos steady and blur-free, even in low-light conditions.

DSC-QX100 `24,990 DSC-QX10 `12,990

I71,990/-

I49,990/-

I NOV 2013 I 17

TECH HUMOUR CERPT

Top

By Allwyn Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;souza

reasons computers must be male:

1.They have a lot of data but are still clueless. 2.A better model is always just around the corner. 3.They look nice and shiny until you bring them home. 4.It is always necessary to have a backup. 5.They'll do whatever you say if you push the right buttons. 6.The best part of having either one is the games you can play. 7.The lights are on but nobody's home. 8.Big power surges knock them out for the night. 9.Size does matter.

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reasons computers must be female: 1.Picky, picky, picky. 2.They hear what you say, but not what you mean. 3.Beauty is only shell deep. 4.When you ask what's wrong, they say "nothing". 5.Can produce incorrect results with alarming speed. 6.Always turning simple statements into big productions. 7.Smalltalk is important. 8.You do the same thing for years, and suddenly it's wrong. 9.They make you take the garbage out.

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On Roads T Nissan Terrano The Nissan is essentially the Renault Duster, which is the same platform used by the Logan. Moreover, the Duster and the Terrano have exactly the same underpinnings and drivetrain, but the Nissan does have a more aggressive face. It also looks better than the Renault, which Nissan believes is reason enough to charge a premium. The Terrano also carries forward ergonomic flaws from the Duster. The ORVM adjustment is still under the handbrake lever, the power window switches still look like a serious afterthought, and the door pockets on the front doors are still useless.

I9.60 12.46 lakhs

Skoda Octavia The Skoda Octavia is back in India in its third iteration. The D segment sedan holds a lot of promise with a complete overhaul to both the exteriors and interiors based on the Vision D concept. The new car from Czech carmaker has a seeming resemblance to the 2013 European Skoda Rapid, but is premium of the two and also a brand in itself. Skoda has moved towards softer lines and more rounded edges to give the new Octavia a classier, premium and more modern feel. It gets LED DRLs and front grille with vertical stats that make the front look aggressive. The all-new Octavia is also substantially longer and wider compared to the Laura, which also means that it has more cabin space for the passengers. The tailgate has the two diagonal lines that we first saw on the Rapid along with C-shaped tail lamps and reversing lamps and turn-blinkers in the middle.

I13.95 19.45 lakhs

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This Month... BMW 1 Series The BMW is a five seater, five door hatchback. From the front it sports all the signature BMW lines but still has the design of the old grille as the car has not been updated with the new grille design. There is a pronounced hump on the hood that seems to flow into the front windscreen and the A-pillars. While globally the 1 Series is offered in three and five door options, in India weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the latter. The India spec 1 Series is being offered with one petrol and one diesel engine. The former is a four cylinder turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that produces 138PS and 220Nm of torque while the diesel on the other hand is a 2.0-litre engine that produces 145PS and 320Nm of torque.Both engines have been mated to the ZF eight-speed gearbox that sends power to the rear wheels, giving the 1 Series a proper amount hot hatchback credibility. This is taken even further when we consider the fact that the car has a longitudinally mounted engine and perfect weight distribution. BMW is offering the 1 Series in four variants; 116i (petrol), 118d, 118d Sport Line and 118d Sport Plus.

I20.90 29.90 lakhs

Bentley Flying Spur Know all the features of Bentley Continental Flying Spur available in India, now that it is finally launched here. Take your time to analyze all the features available in the Bentley Continental Flying Spur such as comfort features, safety features, entertainment features, advanced technological features and many more. The detailed features of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur is available in the feature sheet. The Bentley Continental Flying Spur feature sheet is provided in a rather prescribed manner which helps to select your dream car. The feature sheet provide you the complete information on the technology used at the interior and exterior of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur. You might concerned about the safety features of the car, we give you a complete list of safety features of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Every car buyer search for great interior and ambiance, our Bentley Continental Flying Spur feature chart conveys all the information about the interior components and seating comfort such as power steering, automatic climate control, low fuel warning light, engine start and stop button, etc. We provide you all details on entertainment portion. Music freaks, take your time to judge Bentley Continental Flying Spur on the basis of entertainment features available.

I3,10,00,000

Prices-*Ex-showroom,New Delhi

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Top

3 Mean Machines KTM Duke 200

The KTM Duke 200 looks small but it is one of the meanest machines available. A 200 cc, liquid cooled engine, the bike weighs 136 kg. It is easily the best looking motorcycles. It has excellent build quality. It is strong and sturdy, making it a perfect ride for the tough Indian roads. Shifting the 6 gears up and down gives you a good feeling. This machine has a good set of disc brakes (front and rear) to slow you down. The KTM Duke 200 is available in two colours: Orange with Black and White with Black. The KTM Duke 200 is perfect to be your first fun bike.

Price: INR 1.5 L Mileage: Around 30 kmpl Engine performance: 199.5 cc, 25 HP and 19.2 Nm torque Top Speed: Over 135 kmph

Honda CBR 250R

This bike is as classy as it gets. When it comes to looks, it will be hard to not give this bike a second look. If you’re looking for top performance, the Honda CBR 250 won’t disappoint you. Mated with a powerful 249.6 c, CS250RE, Single Cylinder engine, this powerful machine from Honda generates a maximum power of 25 HP at 8500 rpm. The Honda CBR 250R also has a 6 speed gear transmission. The CBR 250R is available in two variants; Standard and ABS. The Honda CBR 250R performs better than the Duke 200. However, the price may be a stumbling block. Honda CBR 250R Price: INR 1.77 L Mileage: Around 25 kmpl Engine Performance: 249.6 cc, 26 HP and 22.9 Nm torque Top Speed: Over 140 kmph

Bajaj Pulsar 200NS

An upgraded version of the Pulsar 220F, the Pulsar 200NS uses a detuned version of the KTM Duke 200’s engine. The Bajaj Pulsar 200NS is fast, reliable, comfortable and most importantly, it does not gulp down as much fuel as the other two. The Pulsar 200NS has got the looks and the comfort level is top notch. It carries quite a few signature Pulsar styling elements. Plus, it has added a lot more. The front and rare disc brakes are made by Bybre and they do a good job in stopping your speed.The Bajaj Pulsar 200NS gives you a comfortable ride, making it perfect for packed city streets. Adding to the advantages are the cheaper price and better mileage. The Bajaj Pulsar 200NS is definitely money well spent Price: 85 K Mileage: Around 35 kmpl Engine Performance: 199.5cc, 23.52 PS power and 18.3 Nm torque Top Speed: Over 135 kmph

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sales@bigboytoyz.in

exotic platter

Pre-owned

www.bigboytoyz.in

AWESOME FOURSOME OF THE MONTH

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Marshall Stanmore Speaker

A classic Marshall cabinet houses a 5.25” woofer and two 0.75” tweeters. The Stanmore also supports input from Bluetooth, headphone, RCA connectors and optical audio as well. It even includes a coiled, double-sided headphone cable that looks just like a shrunken down version of what would traditionally hook into a guitar. To control the Stanmore, you have traditional Marshall Knobs. Using those controls, you can blast music with a frequency range of 45-22.000 HZ. The Marshall Stanmore Speaker is available in classic black as well as white. Perfect looks and perfect sound quality, Marshall Stanmore Speaker is a must-buy for all music lovers.

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX

Amazon has made an ultimate consumer tablet. It is slimmer and lighter than last year’s model. The 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX has a display with beyond 1080p resolution. The Fire HDX also has a faster processor with a new operating system and some cool new features. The home screen will also show recently used apps, songs, books and videos. There is also a new sidebar for quickly switching among running apps. The most exciting feature is ‘X-Ray for Music’ which shows synchronized lyrics to the song you are playing. It runs on Amazon operating system called Fire OS 3.0, though it has Android buried in the background. You definitely need to get your hands on this latest device from Amazon.

Cross Plane Gaming Controller Gamers Alert!! The Cross Plane can control games from a PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and Ouya over local Wi-Fi. It will soon add Xbox One and PS4 to that impressive list. The Cross Plane is a small TV with a controller bolted onto it that you can be used to play video games from any console on a “wireless video interface.”The controller has all the buttons, triggers and so on. Prototype versions of the device are capable of syncing with gaming hardware via Bluetooth from up to 20 feet away. Put simply, the Cross Plane is a supercharged version of the NVIDIA Shield.

Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600

The ScanSnap SV600 is an overhead contactless scanner. It scans and detect up to 10 items at once and makes scanning bound documents like books a lot easier. It even detects when you turn the page and resumes scanning automatically.The device digitises multiple documents or objects (Multi-Document Detection) in one scan. There is no need to arrange documents or objects on the mat. The scanner will automatically straighten and separate documents after capture.The ability to handle a wide variety of originals, intuitive operation and instant scanning are just a few of the features of the Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600. Its extensive software package is all about versatility and the scanner comes equipped with Adobe Acrobat, the CardMinder business card manager, and PFU‘s own Rack2-Filer Smart document manager.

Marshall Stanmore Speaker

Cross Plane Gaming Controller

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX

Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600

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6 Android Apps SMS Backup + If you have a phobia of losing your text messages, this app is perfect for you. For some, the humble SMS message is all but redundant, resigned to telling your beloved that you’re on the train, or a reminder to buy milk. For others, however, there are any number of SMS messages that contain vital information: a phone number, meeting place or confirmation of a booking. SMS Backup + automatically creates a backup of your SMS, MMS and call log entries using a separate label in Gmail/Google Calendar. It is also possible to restore SMS and call log entries back to the phone (MMS not supported yet). The app is simple enough, letting you define how regularly it backs-up and to restrict it to Wi-Fi only, but that’s about it. Aside from the scheduled back-ups you can push the buttons to back-up or restore whenever you like. SMS Backup+ isn’t the most exciting app in the world, but if you need to move your messages or keep a log of them, it certainly makes it easy.

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Line

Business Calendar

Line is one of the most used apps around the world, especially Southeast Asia. The app developers also announced that they have added 10 million Indian users. They are also preparing to kick off a TV ad campaign using Katrina Kaif in the country. In spite of being loaded with features, the user interface of the Line app is pretty neat. The homepage clearly indicates that Line is a social messaging app with sections like Friends, Timeline, Chats and More. Under “More”, one will find Settings, series of games (each game needs to be downloaded separately from the app store), Sticker shop and Line Camera (download separately). Icons for Line games and Line Camera are integrated within the app. Once you click on them, the app will reroute users to the app store to download them. The Line app is like a complete package for text messaging and making free calls. It is loaded with features and also adds a social angle with the Timeline option. The stickers are good to express yourself. Also, Line is a cross-platform app with support for almost all popular platforms such as Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry. It also has web applications for Windows PC and Mac.

Business Calendar is not the most advanced calendar on the Market, though it should be enough for almost everybody. Instead of having views for “week”, “4-day”, “month”, and so on, you start with a month view and can tap and drag on a certain set of days to shrink the view to those days. It’s really well done. Tapping on a specific day brings up a small popup of that day’s events, and you can swipe to an agenda view if you’d rather see your month that way. It has a list of calendars at the bottom from which you can show and hide different calendars, though it gets a bit unruly if you have a lot of calendars. You can also drag and drop events. Though, it does lack in some features like task list support, or integration with other apps like Google Maps, Business Calendar does the job really well.

you shouldn’t ignore Poweramp Poweramp is true to its name. It is easily one of the most powerful music apps for Android. Poweramp is available as a trial app by default from the Play store. Once installed, you’re presented with a clean and easy to use interface. The UI is extremely novice-friendly giving you oversized media controls for Play, fast forward, etc. with plenty of space for a big album art above it. Your music can be sorted according to the usual artist, album categories or you can choose folder view, which shows you all your music the way you have copied it on your phone. Tapping on this takes you to the playlist from where you can switch folders. The album art area also houses the shuffle and repeat toggle buttons along with a five star rating system. The placement and transparencies of all these extra options can be customised in the settings. Almost all the audio formats are supported. With the right pair of headphones, the audio quality is really good and beats any other player in the market.

Camera360 Ultimate

Sleep as Android

Camera 360 Ultimate is one of the most popular apps for Android and it isn’t hard to see why...This free app is a great choice for handling snapshots and other basic camera duties, but it also lets you apply and preview all kinds of cool effects before you save an image. You can download and apply Scenes to create your own photo postcards and displays. Camera360 also manages your image galleries, including batch processing. We tried the latest and greatest version of this Android freeware, Camera360 Ultimate. Among its many upgrades is the Camera360 Cloud, which stores your images online. You can access and share them from any browser, and if you lose your phone, your pictures will be safe. Camera360’s clean, logical layout is a definite improvement. Simple toolbars at the top and bottom of the screen give quick access to all the main controls. The top toolbar contains camera controls, while the bottom toolbar holds a clearly marked Camera button, Effects and Settings controls, and a small but useful preview pane. This and many other features make this a must-download app.

This app helps you sleep better. Sleep as Android is an accelerometer-based sleep cycle tracker app that includes a nice assortment of helpful sleep aids, including lullaby mode, sleep noise recording, lucid dreaming detection audio and a Captcha test to see if you are actually awake. Perhaps even more intriguing is that based on your sleep cycles, it knows just the right time to wake you up. This product promises to track your sleep at night and to choose the optimal, light sleeping time to wake you. Using it is comparable to waking without an alarm clock. Sleep aids like lullabies are also included. In fact, the feature set is almost more interesting than the conceivably dry sleep deficit and deep sleep tracking analytics, and the aids promise nights of fun. So, download Sleep as Android and enjoy the best time of your day.

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technology is a religion, then the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is like Mecca. Not open to the public, the CES has been surprising us since 1967. More than 20,000 products are shown at CES, meaning 10 products come out every minute, making it impossible for anyone to see or learn about everything cool that’s shown off.When it comes to CES, there is always speculation. Rumours, rumours and some more rumours. But yes, this is what we should see at CES 2014.

8K TVs

4K TVs have been launched recently and they haven’t hit the stores yet. However, don’t be surprised to see a LG, Samsung or Sony 8K TV at CES next year. CES has always been about showcasing cutting-edge technology and there are plenty of whispers that CES 2014 will be bigger than ever. So if you have a 4K TV in mind, hold on to that thought a little longer. You may just end up with an 8K TV. Internet TV service How about getting TV service, something you get from your cable operator. However, this will be delivered over the internet. Intel is close to launching its own TV service while Apple is close behind. If Apple does it, then it certainly won’t be at CES. It may just happen somewhere else with Apple looking to steal the limelight. Something that happened with the first iPhone.

7-inch phones

With phones growing big enough to cover your face while talking, a 7-inch phone looks like a real possibility. There are plenty of 7-inch ‘phablets’ in the market. But all the major players are looking to make inroads in this segment. While Samsung showcased bendable displays at CES 2013, maybe there is a phone with a bendable display waiting for us. A Chinese company called ZTE has confirmed that it will be announcing a 5-inch super high resolution Android phone at CES called the Grand S. It is also possible that Samsung S5 and Sony Z2 will make an appearance at CES 2014.

Bigger PCs, tablets and tabletop computers

Bigger is just getting better. If phones are expanding, why should tablets, PCs and tabletop computers be left behind? There are even hybrid versions available. Team Windows or Team Android? If that is confusing, then these hybrid variants have been like Jesus Christ’s second coming. It is highly possible that a screen of 30 inches or more will be showcased at CES 2014. If that happens, gaming will be taken to another level.

Cars

Self-driving cars!! All the big players like Toyota, Audi, and Mercedes are going that way. And then, there is Google. CES has always stunned everyone with gadgets and next year, a car might just be the biggest crowd-puller. There is much more to Vegas No matter why you end up in Vegas, you will never be disappointed. A desert metropolis built on gambling, vice and other forms of entertainment, offers so much more than CES 2014. And remember, what happens in Vegas, remains in Vegas. So, stay hung-over after New Year, book your tickets for CES 2014.

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SNAPLION TECH START UP OF THE MONTH Karishma Mody

hat makes your smartphone so addictive at times are the unbelievable apps it offers you. They may range from providing you with basic entertainment or knowledge or whatever the hell you want. It actually might amaze you with some of the apps that are made for the public. And luckily, there are always takers! This month, we have one such app, an app that will go to any extent to help you make a mobile app in the simplest way possible without a sweat. Finally without the knowledge of coding, we can figure out a way to have a perfect app for us - hassle free! Going by the name 'SnapLion', this app is almost like a 'do-it-yourself' online platform which helps to create sleek and interactive mobile apps, within a few hours, with absolutely no required coding skills! Phew!

This app developer has ventured into many industries like restaurants, spas, saloons, coffee shops, musicians, artists, designers, venues, event promoters, record labels, photographers, bars and almost any genre can be a part of this. Let's not forget it does come at price. Taking all the budget constraints into consideration, and developing and maintaining it of course, a fee of $35 has to be paid monthly which of course increases for larger chains and can go up to $1000 as well. If you think about it logically, it actually falls a lot cheaper than spending a ton of money to maintain and update the app. This app can be changed and modified according to your personal choice and can be made with 24 to 48 hours too.

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These apps can be easily made on the most commonly used platforms i.e.iOS and Android and will help them to engage with their target audience. At the end of the day, all the businesses need their products or services to be spread out as many people possible. These apps can also be integrated with your social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. It can even be synced with your iTunes. As consumers are downloading apps and using these, free to download apps, to engage with brands, make reservations, join the in-app, punch card based, loyalty program, view socially engaging menus with the ability to filter menu items based on tags and likes/comments by Facebook friends, order food in-app and have it delivered with one tap on the phone. SnapLion.com has very recently secured a fresh infusion of an undisclosed amount from an all-star syndicate of venture funds and angel investors to improve its already world-class mobile applications building platform and fuel its global expansion plans.

“This fresh round of investment will be used to improve our core platform. A part of the money will go towards fuelling our global expansion,” said Nikhil Sama, co-founder & CEO, SnapLion.

SnapLion’s clients include Buddha Bar in Delhi, High Spirits in Pune, Plush in Kolkata, OnToes in Mumbai as well as Grammy Award nominee Anoushka Shankar and renowned Indian violinist Dr L Subramaniam.

Talking about “The Man” The founder and MD of this Start up is Mr. Nikhil Sama. To tell you a little more about him,let’s begin withthe fact that he was the Director of Rocket Internet (early stage technology fund) where he incubated startups from the ground up - including hiring senior management, setting up operations that scale efficiently, and playing a co-founders role. He also reviewed new investment opportunities in the online consumer space. Rocket Internet’s portfolio in India included jabong.com, fabfurnish. com, printvenue.com, 21diamonds.in, officeyes.com, cuponation.com. Before moving to India in 2011, Nikhil was a Strategy consultant with Bain & Company, in Chicago. He has also worked under the brand Silicon Valley technology for six years. Talking academics, The founding stone of his education was laid in St. Columbus School. He holds a BE, EE degree from Delhi college of Engineering. He furthered his education at the University of Southern California with an MS, EE with concentration in Data Networking and holds an MBA degree in Organizational Behaviour, Finance & Entrepreneurship from The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. - Having a start up to help out other brands get their name more in the public eye is an unusual yet brilliant plan and I think Mr. Nikhil Sama absolutely nailed it. Kudos!

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This wonderful confusing soul –

ow the brand name we talk about is such an informative and ‘know it all’ that it isn’t possible that you ask her any question and the answer is unattainable. Well ladies and gentlemen, that is in fact GOOGLE! Starting as a search engine, Google has come a long way. Long way would be an understatement; it has conquered oceans and what not. It is definitely the fastest growing brand ever made possible.

What more? What next? The answer might surprise you… So it’s said, by the time we reach the year 2023 give or take 1 year, Google is planning to take a very different turn. It plans to focus on finding solutions to problems, like transportation and health care. Clearly quite different from the search engine image we have at the moment. The company which makes so much money that even they probably couldn’t keep a count of can actually afford to invest or rather throw money into some of the craziest plans. For example, Calico, its latest side project, which aims to eradicate disease and extend human life expectancy. Google, which has made the successful Google Maps and keeps rolling out updates almost every month, intends to do something even bigger now. They plan to develop the accurate, intelligent and detailed maps ever in human history. That’s a massive plan. Let’s not even get to their advertising strategies. It’s not like Google Maps is monetized at the moment. But here comes in their marketing strategy. What if one was to search for a location on the map to reach a place say for dinner maybe, the restaurant could pay a couple of dollars to Google just for searching for it on maps and thank Google to help them find it? Sounds crazy but I guess they can make money in any way possible even if it might seem crazy! Talking numbers, projected total U.S. mobile ad spending is expected to grow from $3.23 billion in 2012 to $16.79 billion in 2017. Local advertising — where Maps is going to grow even faster is expected to burst from $1.3 billion in 2013 to over $5.6 billion in 2017. Im sure Android by Google will take over as these guys cannot stop inventing and updating stuff all the time, day and night. Apple and Microsoft might survive till then too. Google's other initiative is going to be in energy. It uses colossal amounts of energy for its server farms. It's going to be walloped by rising energy costs, with the aim of making renewable energy cheaper than coal. These are barely a few points we can jot down. It is all so confusing what they actually want to do. Or maybe just do everything possible!

Value it. Google rules!

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An ocean of diamonds>>

ow about taking your wife on a trip to planet Saturn and planet Jupiter. Astrophysicists have calculated that the conditions on the two biggest planets of the solar system are enough to produce stable oceans made from diamond. They claim that powerful lightning storms in the planets’ atmospheres cause particles of carbon to form, which then drift down though the gas. As the carbon falls, it is crushed by the enormous pressures that exist on the two planets, causing them to form dense chunks of diamond. At even greater depths, the scientists say the diamond will eventually melt to form liquid diamond, which may then form a stable ocean layer. Scientists, previously thought that only Uranus and Neptune had conditions in their interiors that would allow the formation of diamonds at their cores. They used new data from experiments on how diamond changes state at extremely high pressures temperatures. They calculated the altitude on each planet at which diamond reaches its melting point. They say that while on Jupiter most of the diamond material will melt to form a liquid, on Saturn there may be chunks of diamond floating around.

by: allwyn d’souza

The Best

Planet without a sun>>

stronomers have found a planet, floating all alone without a sun to keep it warm. This planet PSO J318.5-22, is eighty light-years away from earth. It is also six times bigger than Jupiter. Such free-floaters have been reported before, but in the past, it hasn’t always been clear whether these were orphaned planets or failed stars. This time, the scientists say they’re sure it’s a planet. The heat signature of the world, known as PSO J318.5-22, was identified by the Pan-STARRS 1 wide-field survey telescope on Haleakala, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The light coming from the object is about 100 billion times fainter in optical wavelengths than the planet Venus. Most of its energy is emitted in infrared wavelengths.PSO J318.5-22 was discovered while the researchers was combing through data from Pan-STARRS 1 for readings from brown dwarfs. Brown dwarfs are typically faint and red, but Liu and his colleagues said PSO J318.5-22 stood out because it was redder than the reddest known brown dwarfs.

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Tweets can reveal your life history>>

esearchers have developed a new technique that studies your tweets to identify the most significant events you have experienced and assembles them into an accurate life history.The algorithm developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Cornell University in Ithaca can sort out news of important events from entirely trivial details from Twitter streams. Researchers Jiwei Li and Claire Cardie can use the algorithm to generate an accurate chronology of a person’s life-changing events, without knowing anything about them. Li and Cardie test their idea by mining the streams of 20 ordinary twitter users and 20 celebrities over a 21 month period from 2011 to 2013. They then asked the ordinary users to create their own life history by manually identifying their most important tweets, according to ‘MIT Technology Review’.For the celebrities, Li and Cardie used Wikipedia biographies and other sources of information to create ‘gold standard’ life histories manually. When they compared these gold standard life-histories against the ones generated by their algorithm, their method had accurately picked out many important life events that are also identified in the gold standards. However, the technique only works with users who tweet regularly and with enough followers to allow the algorithm to spot the unique pattern of responses that identifies important tweets.

Water Scarcity could affect more than 500 million people>>

oth freshwater availability for many millions of people and the stability of ecosystems such as the Siberian tundra or Indian grasslands are put at risk by climate change. Even if global warming is limited to two degrees above pre-industrial levels, 500 million people could be subject to increased water scarcity -- while this number would grow by a further 50 percent if greenhouse-gas emissions are not cut soon. At five degrees global warming almost all ice-free land might be affected by ecosystem change. "We managed to quantify a number of crucial impacts of climate change on the global land area," says Dieter Gerten, lead-author of one of the studies. Mean global warming of 2 degrees, the target set by the international community, is projected to expose an additional 8 percent of humankind to new or increased water scarcity. 3.5 degrees -- likely to occur if national emissions reductions remain at currently pledged levels -- would affect 11 percent of the world population. 5 degrees could raise this even further to 13 percent.

Exercise for good health and brain too>>

esearch has shown that exercise is good for the brain. Now investigators have identified a molecule called irisin that is produced in the brain during endurance exercise and has neuro-protective effects. Researchers were able to artificially increase the levels of irisin in the blood to activate genes involved in learning and memory.While it's known that exercise can boost cognitive function and lessen symptoms of neurological diseases like depression, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease, the mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. One important player is thought to be a growth factor named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). "Our results indicate that FNDC5/irisin has the ability control a very important neuroprotective pathway in the brain," says Dr. Spiegelman. The researcherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next plan to work on developing a stable form of the irisin protein that can be given to mice by injection and may augment the brain's natural anti-degeneration pathways.

Stories

Young Credit Card Users Are More Responsible Than Older Borrowers>>

f you think younger men spend irresponsibly, think again.A new study from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond shows young borrowers -- 18 to 25 years old -- are among the least likely credit card users to have a serious default on their cards. Not only that, they're also more likely to be good credit risks later in life.

"Young credit card users actually default less than middle-age borrowers," says Assistant Professor Andra Ghent of the W. P. Carey School of Business. "Also, those who choose to get credit cards early in life are more likely to learn from any minor defaults and move on, avoiding major credit card problems in the future. Plus, they're more likely to be able to get a mortgage and become a homeowner at a young age.""Letting students apply for credit cards may actually make sense," says Ghent. "These students are the people who want credit, need to build up a good credit history, and have a steeply sloped income profile. If they don't have a student loan, then a credit card may be the only way they can establish a decent credit history." So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry if your son/daughter wants to get a credit card at an early age. Chances are, they may become better spenders than you.

SCARY!! I NOV 2013 I 35

Words By :Karishma Mody

REASONS: GET THE SMARTWATCH NOW!

t is rightly said, ‘It’s never too late.’ Finally,we are set to arrive in the year 2014 and so did the phase for none other than, the Smartwatch. Now how smart would this Smartwatch be? Can they just add the word ‘smart’ and make any gadget seem like it is from 2050 or literally from the future?Clearly, everyone can’t help but remember how Dick Tracy and “Star Trek’s” Captain Kirk were able to place calls with their amazing wristwatches and we were all so fascinated! Well a few years down, and some tech giants are making their way through. The concept was out and so was the race to see who launches the smart watch first in the market first and succeeds.

We are almost at the end of year, and the brand that has kept their promise, and has sparkled in the market would definitely be the ‘SAMSUNG GALAXY GEAR SMARTWATCH’. #TheNextBigThing

Now the problem which most people might wonder is that at the end of the day, it is just a watch. Its purpose is to tell you the time and not act any cooler or smarter than it. We have our smartphones or tablets to do that. But let’s broaden our horizon over here for a bit, and give a chance to tell you that, “Hey, it’s actually kind of awesome”. There might just be a day where your Smartwatch would be all you need. But that’s a long way to go. Samsung really nailed it when they announced this addition to their list of umpteen products at Unpacked 2013 at Berlin. To give you a more gist of what this gadget is capable of and why you should actually go and purchase it now, well read on!

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1)To absolutely begin with, this Smartwatch has a 1.63inch screen, 11.1mm thickness and a width of 36.8mm. It weighs 73.8g. No, it really isn’t chunky. It has an aluminium face and a rubber wrist-strap which isn’t like really heavy or uncomfortable to wear. So you can roll out the fact that it might be discomforting.

2)Secondly, it’s not like it has one simple screen and a boring black strap. The Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch has different looks. You can take your pick fromclassic black, beige or grey and for probably the women, who love colour, there's orange, green and yellow (or Rose Gold as Samsung likes to call it). 3)This Smartwatch is splash proof as well. You could

conveniently take a shower with it and not have anything to worry about. At this point, it isn’t waterproof but giving Samsung the benefit of doubt, that feature will be added soon too.

4)At this point, the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch is only compatible with Samsung Smartphones, i.e. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 and very recently, even the Samsung Galaxy S4. Pairing it with your phones makes it much easier to use and turns out more productive.

5)Getting to the display, it has a Super AMOLED display at 320x320 screen-

resolution. A touch screen but obvious. Watching video clips is pleasant. You cannot complain;the display is quite decent. Don’t expect a full HD display for a while. Giving it time, they will reach that stature soon too!

6)You can also make and receive phone calls and capture photos and video with the Gear's 1.9-megapixel camera and actually works exactly as they have shown us. Taking pictures is super easy and convenient with this gadget and they automatically get transferred to your phone via the connected Bluetooth. 7)This Smartwatch also has a 4GB internal storage with 512MB RAM which makes this watch super quick to use and doesn’t hang or give trouble. You can save your mails and pictures and see it on the go, anytime! 8)Supporting a 315mAh battery, the battery life is fair. It lasts for around 1–2 days of course depending on how much you use it. Even after making calls or clicking pictures, it still survives and makes it through the day. 9)The apps on the Smartwatch include Smart Relay, S Voice, Auto Lock, Find My Device, Media Controller, Pedometer, Stopwatch and Timer.

\10)The fitness tracker is an important key feature of the Samsung Galaxy Gear. The integrated accelerometer and gyro-sensor turns the watch into your own pedometer.Communicating with the paired device and the integrated Samsung S Health app, the watch lets you track your daily step counts and set personal targets and conduct pre-set training sessions. In all, the reasons to get a Smartwatch may be endless, but Samsung has also started the race and by the looks of it, is winning at the moment. A watch that settles almost all your needs is everything you could even wish for.

Wonder what Apple and Sony had to say... I NOV 2013 I 37

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Double The Goodness: Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Double Zoom Kit offer on EOS 600D and EOS 1100D cameras gives a whopping savings on a combo kit by providing an extra lens as compared to a non combo kit. Expand Your Photography Experience Whenever you wish to purchase a camera and a corresponding lens, there are several factors that you must account for. Foremost being, what camera suits your needs the most and which lens will help you achieve the best results. Of course, getting a standard kit lens (usually an 18-55mm focal length one) helps you get started, but that will only let you do so much. If you wish to expand your reach to capture a subject from afar (especially in Wildlife, Sports and Landscape photography) then you will need to invest in lenses with a greater focal length. Buying more lenses is usually rather expensive, but with Canon offering an amazing deal on their EOS 600D and EOS 1100D cameras, there is reason to rejoice.

Meet The Cameras & The Lens>> The Canon EOS 600D is an 18 megapixel

DSLR camera. Powered by 14-bit DIGIC 4 image processor, the EOS 600D weighs 570gms and has dimension of 133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7 mm. A user can take pictures using the Optical Viewfinder or a 3-inch clear view TFT display screen. The LCD has a resolution of 1040K dot pixels and has dual anti-reflection and anti-smudge coating. The camera supports SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards. The rechargeable Li-ion battery LP-E8 available with the kit can shoot up to 440 pictures in one charge.

The Canon EOS 1100D is one of the finest economical DSLR cameras in the market today. This camera has a built-in 22.0 x 14.7 mm CMOS image sensor which captures bright and colourful images at 12.20 megapixels. The camera comes with DIGIC 4 image processor which also lets you record HD movies with 1280 x 720 resolution. The aesthetically designed EOS 1100D weighs 450 gms without any accessories and sports an outstanding finish. The cleverly placed control buttons are straightforward and intuitive to use.

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Equipped with Canon EF S 18 - 55 IS II Lens:

For a 35 mm equivalent focal length of 28 - 88 mm, this kit lens is compact, lightweight and still takes great images. With the added advantage of Image Stabilization (IS) you can get sharp images without any blur, even if conditions arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perfect for you to capture still images. This lens can be great for portrait, street and architectural photography.

Equipped with Canon EF S 55 - 250 mm IS II Lens:

With a 35mm equivalent of 88-400mm is a highly versatile telephoto lens that finds good use for wildlife and sports photography as well as for portraits and candid photography. The aperture for this lens ranges from f/4 to f/5.6. With a highly optimized Image Stabilizer in-built, you are ensured of sharp photos without any sort of blur associated with handshake, even at maximum zoom levels. This is also one of the lightest lenses with this focal range, making it ideal to carry around, even when you are travelling.

The Offer To Rejoice So, what is in it for you, the buyer? A whole lot of savings! You can save upto `12,995/- on purchase of Canon EOS 600D Double Zoom kit (EF-S 18-55mm IS II + EF-S 55-250mm IS II) or EOS 1100D Double Zoom Kit (EF-S 18-55mm IS II + EF-S 55-250mm IS II). If that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get you excited for the art of photography, nothing will.

Canon EOS 1100D

Canon EOS 600D

18MP APS-C CMOS sensor

12.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor

{Large sensor with relatively high pixel size gives stunning image quality.}

ISO Range: 100-6400 (Expandable upto 12800)

ISO Range: 100-6400

{Gives you complete liberty to create beautiful images even in low light conditions while avoiding blur.}

Scene Intelligent Auto mode A+

Scene Intelligent Auto mode

{Automatically analyze and adjust colour, brightness, contrast according to shooting conditions.}

Full HD Video Recording

HD Video Recording

{With its Full HD recording capabilities, coupled with an articulating LCD the EOS 600D is one of the most affordable tools for creating professional looking videos. The 1100D with its HD recording is more casual shooting.}

Inbuilt Creative Filter

{Allows use of multiple effects on photos such as fisheye, soft focus, Grainy B/W, miniature effect and toy camera effect.}

SOME OF THE COMMON BETS

DIGIC 4 Image Processor

{Gives high speed image processing with the ability to correct several distortions as well as remove noise.}

High Speed 9 point AF

{Allows quick focusing and tracking of moving subjects like children.}

Easy Feature Guide

{This feature simplifies settings with a visual explanation of the same.}

For more details visit www.canon.co.in or call toll free number 1800 180 336 Follow Canon (India) on

Register on www.canonedge.com to become a member of photo community and find information on various workshops & photo tours.

I NOV 2013 I 39

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One Stop Shop for Printing & Imaging Solutions - imageCLASS MF4750

Fast and solid’ will perfectly describe Canon’s imageCLASS MF4750. Mostly targeted towards to the professional audience, it would fit perfectly at your work place. The Multi-function printer sports a black smooth finish and looks exceptionally stylish. The Canon imageCLASS MF4750 is the ideal all in one printer and scanner. The imageCLASS MF4750 monochrome laser has a memory of 128MB. It has a large 5-line LCD display which shows more menu options at any time.Three task-dedicated Solution Keys on the imageCLASS MF4750 further simplify operations with minimal button-pushing for the most standard of tasks. You can connect it to your PC or Laptop and can directly print, scan and fax conveniently without much trouble. The quiet mode reduces the engine noise to a bare minimum. It prints up to 23 / 24ppm (copies per minute) and the warm up time is a mere 14 seconds from Power On. The print language is in UFR II LT and the features include Watermark, Page Composer and Tone Saver. In terms of copy, it can provide us with up to 99 copies and Up to 23 / 24ppm (copies per minute). Another feature includes a Memory Sort, 2 on 1, 4 on 1, ID Card Copy. The colour depth while scanning is a 24-bit and includes TWAIN with WIA (Scan Driver Compatibility). While faxing, its memory capacity is up to 256 pages and has a resolution up to 200 x 400dpi. It proves beneficial at work as it has a permanent fax memory back up. A few additional features include FAX Forwarding, Dual Access, Remote Reception, PC FAX (Transmission only), DRPD, ECM, Auto Redial, Fax Activity Reports, Fax Activity Result Reports, Fax Activity Management Reports.

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The imageCLASS MF4750’s connectivity features include a USB 2.0 HiSpeed and is compatible with Windows 8 (32/64-bit), Windows 7 (32/64bit), Windows Vista (32/64-bit), Windows XP (32/64-bit), Windows 2000, Mac OS X 10.4 - 10.8 & Linux. Software includes a Printer driver, Fax Driver, Scanner driver, MF Toolbox, Address BookTool, Presto! PageManager. The monthly Duty Cycle is up to 8,000 pages. It satisfies most of your needs and will not occupy a lot of space at your work station. The price you pay for it is decent and affordable. It is fast. Prints scans, and faxes it all from the PC. A standalone copier and fax. In all, you will not suffer any problems as it is definitely a high class product.

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Participate in the contest, answer simple questions and you win these exciting prizes PIXMA MG3570 (Shadow Black),PIXMA MG3570 (Radical Red),PIXMA MG3570 (Ivory White) 1. What is the printing technology used in PIXMA category of products. (a) Droplet Printing technology (b) Piezo Electric technology (c) Thermal Inkjet technology (d) Bubblejet technology 2. Which printing device comes with an Intelligent touch panel (a) MG 3570 (b) MG 4570 (c) MG 5570 (d) MG 7170 3. What all color options does MG7170 have pan India. (a) Black White Brown (b) Black White Red (c) Brown White Black (d) Brown Red Black 4. Which Online site is used to print paper arts and then copy and paste to assemble the same. (a) My Image Garden (b) Flicker Premium (c) Creative Park (d) All of the above 5. What does Chromalife 100+ stand for. (a) Approx. 300 years of album life (b) Approx. 30 years of Light Fastness (c) Approx. 20 years of Gas Fastness (d) All of the above

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I NOV 2013 I 41

4K TVs:

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Next Step? Words By-Chaitanya Tapase

I NOV 2013 I 42

f the many bigname television manufacturers from this year’s International CES are to be believed, the future of TV is nigh. From Sony to Samsung, Toshiba to LG, it seemed as if every company looking to dominate the home-theatre was focused on the next step from today’s 1080p HDTV standard.

Leading this charge were two relatively new types of televisions: Ultra HDTVs, also known as 4K TVs, and OLED TVs. Consumers are going to continue hearing plenty of hubbub about these two new standards going forward, so now seems like a good time to take a look at just what both of these things do, and whether or not they’ll be changing the face of the living room going forward. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.

What’s a 4K TV? The first thing to understand about 4K is that it’s a new resolution, not a new piece of technology. On a fundamental level, it isn’t all that different from the HDTVs many people have in their homes right now. Actually, while we’re here, let’s take a step back and clarify what “resolution” means first. Today’s HDTVs often have resolutions of 720p or 1080p, terms that are signifiers of how many pixels are contained on their respective screens. For example, a 1080p HDTV uses progressive scan — basically, tech that makes the image smoother — and most often displays 1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 pixels vertically to make up its high quality images. Thus, the resolution for that kind of TV is listed as 1920 x 1080. The second of those numbers, combined with the fact that it’s combined with progressive scan tech, gives way to the classification of 1080p. 4K TVs, meanwhile, take the amount of pixels on a standard 1080p HDTV display and double them both horizontally and vertically. That means they’ll usually have resolutions of 3840 x 2160, which equals

four times as many pixels than what’s on a 1080p display. The “4K” name comes from the fact that the horizontal pixels almost total four thousand. So, the typical 2 million pixels found on a 1080p set become 8 million on a 4K one. That’s a lot. So what does this mean for viewing? Well, the big thing with 4K is its sharpness. Seeing an image displayed in 8 million pixels brings an awe-inspiring level of detail to the display, allowing viewers to see things like individual strands of arm hair and eyelashes clearer than ever before. Think of it like the so-called “Retina displays” on many modern smartphones and laptops. The amount of pixels crammed into one space can literally be too much for the human eye to distinguish with the right setup, so images can appear as smooth as butter. Really high-definition butter. Westinghouse 110-Inch 4K TVIn fact, many moviegoers out there are already familiar with Ultra HD, even if they don’t realize it yet. Blockbuster films like The Amazing Spider-Man and District 9 were shot in 4K, while The Hobbit was even shot in 5K. They look wonderful. On big screens like those found in a theater, these higher resolutions can really shine, since all those pixels get to stretch their legs and fill up all that space.

Ultra Problems with Ultra HD But that’s just the thing: in order to truly take advantage of that army of pixels, viewers will need to have a cinema-esque screen big enough to house them all. That’s why the 4K TVs offered (and soon to be offered) from companies like Sony, LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Toshiba are all absolutely massive — ranging anywhere from 55 inches to a whopping 110 inches. To recap, a 55-inch TV is small when it comes to 4K sets. Many families may not have enough room to fit these big fellas, limiting their utility from the get go. The reason all of these 4K sets are so huge is because, well, they have to be. Otherwise, they risk being virtually useless. See, the effectiveness of a display’s resolution is dependent on a few things: the amount of pixels on the display, the size of the display, and the distance from which the viewer is sitting from the display. Basically, the farther someone

sits from the screen, and the smaller that screen is, then the less pixels (and therefore, the lower the resolution) are needed to produce a clear image to the human eye. As noted above, a 4K TV needs lots of display real estate to be fully utilized. On top of that, the viewer also needs to be sitting relatively close to the screen; think 6 feet or less. If the screen was any smaller than about 55 inches, and if the viewer was sitting on a couch more than 6 feet away from the screen, then there wouldn’t be much, if any, difference between a 4K TV and a 1080p HDTV, because the human eye can distinguish fewer and fewer individual pixels the farther it sits back from the screen, and the smaller that screen is. In other words, cramming 6 million extra pixels into a space that was only made to fit 2 million is redundant. So unless one plans on buying a big Ultra HDTV and sitting relatively close to it, the leap from 1080p HDTV to 4K Ultra HDTV isn’t always as significant as advertised. This is only compounded by the fact that many of the soon-to-be-offered 4K sets are more or less the same as the HDTV models on the market today. They’re primarily LCD panels, which means that all the problems consumers have with current LCD HDTVs (like limited viewing angles and contrast ratios) are going to remain on these next-gen sets. The upgrade here is with resolution alone, for better and for worse. Next, there’s the issue of native 4K content. In many ways, it’s the same “chicken and egg” scenario that helped murder 3D TV a few years back; content makers need to have a relatively sizable user base to provide 4K material, and that user base needs to have a relatively sizable amount of 4K material to buy 4K TVs in the first place. As it stands now, there is very little content produced in 4K resolution, so getting the “pure” 4K experience is an unfortunate rarity these days. And considering that a decent chunk of U.S. homeowners still don’t even own an HDTV, it may be a little bit before 4K content becomes a standard.

Manufacturers are doing their best to overcome this dilemma, however. Sony, for instance, is offering a 4K video distribution service with their Ultra HDTVs, while also promising to distribute 4K remastered Blu-ray discs going forward. And just about every 4K TV being advertised sports some sort of “HD upscaler,” which is said to take normal high-def content and boost its resolution to higher levels. This all sounds nice, but there still won’t be expansive amounts of 4K content to start, the cost of 4K Blu-ray players will almost assuredly be high, and the upscaled HD content still won’t reach 4K levels, making its difference from 1080p more negligible than it already can be. That’s not even to mention the possibility of a mainstream television channel broadcasting in native 4K, something that probably isn’t happening on a regular basis for years at least. Many have also brought up the idea of streaming 4K content to appropriate TVs over the internet, but the amount of storage space such streams will take up is going to be enormous. That’s either going to make users hit their bandwidth cap pretty quickly, or it’s just not going to stream well enough to get the full viewing experience. Again, 4K looks wonderful in the right situation; the problem is creating that “right situation” in the first place. But there’s still one big problem that’s going to keep 4K TVs out of the mainstream for the near future, and it’s an important one: price. Simply put, the Ultra HDTVs coming to market now are absurdly expensive. Like, existential crisis expensive. The “average” 84-inch 4K TV usually runs somewhere in the mid-$20,000 to low-$30,000 range, which is more than the cost of a new car for most people. Manufacturers are claiming that their smaller 4K TVs in the 50- to 70-inch range will be offered at more affordable prices, but expecting anything less than five figures is wishful thinking for now. Given all the potential pratfalls these Ultra HDTVs face, such a financial commitment just may not be worth it to those outside of the 1%.

I NOV 2013 I 43

4K Ultra High Definition TV Lineup>> sit closer to a 4K TV even if the screen is larger than your old TV. And that adds even more to the sense of immersion

Is there any 4K content?

Sony 4K Ultra High Defini tion TVs>> Sony has more 4K experience than any other TV maker, and their 55" and 65" 4K XBRs are the best TVs they've ever built. Sony's 4K expertise isn't limited to TVs – it extends from “lens to living room." They build professional 4K cameras and cinema projectors, and Sony Pictures has a bigger catalogue of 4K films than any other studio. This end-to-end approach helps ensure a truly theatre-like experience at home.

LG 4K Ultra High Definition TVs>> LG launched the world's first 4K Ultra HD TV at the end of 2012 – the astounding 84" 84LM9600. Now their first 2nd-generation 4K TVs are here – the gorgeous LA9700 series — with even better picture quality. In addition to 4K pixel power, these TVs use the company's most advanced backlight – the NANO Full LED full-array backlight with local dimming. Hundreds of blocks of LEDs are spread across the back of the panel, and can independently brighten and dim each segment of the screen. You'll see lifelike picture contrast with incredibly deep black levels and rich, natural colours, for a picture with pop and presence. I NOV 2013 I 44

Samsung 4K Ultra High Definition TVs>> Samsung's UNF9000 series TVs have the same flawless 8-million-pixel picture as other 4K TVs. What sets these two models apart is their versatility and future-readiness. This year Samsung introduced a clever way to keep their most advanced TVs on the cutting edge. It's called Smart Evolution and it lets you upgrade the TV's “brain" – its main processor, graphics processor, and memory – to support future formats and features as they become available. As new 4K standards emerge, this Smart Evolution design will allow you to easily upgrade the TV to keep up.

More pixels = more picture detail

Whether it's a TV, a tablet, or a smartphone, the more pixels a screen has, the more seamless and detailed the picture will look. The ideal is a screen where the "pixel structure" is invisible. You already find that on high-end tablets and phones like those with Apple's "Retina" display. The new 4K Ultra High Definition models take television a giant step in that direction — you have to stand right next to an Ultra HD TV to notice any pixels at all. Because the picture is so clear and sharp, you can

Because 4K TVs are still so new there’s almost no true 4K content available. The same thing happened with the introduction of DVD, HDTV, and Blu-ray – the hardware arrived first, followed by the content. Sony has recently launched a 4K media player that works with their TVs. It comes pre-loaded with ten 4K feature films, and can download more from a soon-to-launch online library of 4K films. Other TV makers are developing their own 4K media solutions. And Netflix® is working on an online streaming service for 4K content, so true 4K video is on the way.

How will my current video sources look on a 4K TV?

Better than you’ve ever seen them. All 4K TVs include built-in 4K upconversion, which means that the TV upconverts the video from your Blu-ray player, satellite or cable TV box, or game console, so all video sources should look better on a 4K screen. To see the added detail 4K is capable of will require larger screens and/or sitting closer to the screen than with 1080p TVs.

Why aren’t 4K TVs available in smaller screen sizes?

Most people find that 1080p resolution looks fine on screens 50” or less. From a typical viewing distance you won’t notice the screen’s grid of pixels – sometimes called the “pixel structure.” But 55” and larger screens benefit from a much higher pixel count, making the grid virtually invisible. Ultra HD not only offers a more detailed picture, but also allows you to sit closer to a screen and/ or view a larger screen while enjoying unprecedented clarity.

So, what’s an OLED TV?

Unlike 4K, OLED is an entirely new screen display technology. It stands for “organic light emitting diode,” and can already be found on many modern smartphones, tablets, and other devices like the Motorola Droid RAZR, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Sony PlayStation Vita. They’ll often be termed as “AMOLED” or “Super AMOLED” displays, but those are usually just slight variations on the technology or marketing speak. Without getting too technical, the technology behind OLED TVs directly emits red, green, and blue (the three colours of pixels needed to put any image on a display, sometimes joined by a white light) light via an electrical charge. That “directly” qualifier is important; typical LCD displays make use of a backlight that goes through various layers of film and filters and such, but OLEDs need no backlight whatsoever. This is where the “organic” part of OLED comes from, since the light is created “naturally” by comparison. That lack of a backlight may not sound like a big deal, but it really makes all the difference when it comes to OLED TVs. In

fact, it’s the backbone of OLED’s key selling point: outstanding contrast ratio. This means that the colours found on an OLED display are simply superb, with blacks as dark as night, whites that are as blank as ever, and colours that burst together deeply. The organic lighting is the key. Normally, an LCD TV needs to block out its backlight in order to create black colouring on screen. But since OLEDs need no backlight, the polymers that make up the lights can simply shut off when and where blacks are needed. This means that OLED TVs effectively have an infinite contrast ratio, which hasn’t been seen on commercial TVs before. The backlight-free tech also allows for OLED TVs to be razor thin — LG’s upcoming OLED TV, for instance, is only 4mm front to back — and very light. An OLED display’s response rate is also significantly faster than today’s displays, meaning that there won’t be nearly as much blurring or stuttering when lots of action or fast-paced movement is occurring on screen at a given time. Likewise, viewing angles are similarly excellent, making good use of all that thin space. The OLED tech has proven to be malleable too, which has given way to the “curved OLED” displays seen from LG and Samsung at this past year’s CES. Whether or not those

kinds of sets are actually useful is anyone’s guess, but the added flexibility could help sometime down the road. Of course, this malleability also means that OLED doesn’t require a certain resolution standard to be used — it’ll look better on higher resolutions, yes, but it still works wonderfully on today’s 1080p displays as well.

Fear of the OLED Unknown

It’s not all eye-popping rapture with OLED, though. The biggest problem with the tech may be just how fresh it is. As noted above, OLED is a new technology, especially so with regard to televisions. It’s not like 4K, where the TVs themselves can more or less remain the same just with a sharper display pasted onto it, so TV makers are likely still working out how to optimize the OLED viewing experience. This is one of the reasons why just about every major TV manufacturer is pumping out Ultra HDTVs this year, but only a select handful are even revealing their OLED sets, let alone making them commercially available.

juice, which has caused many to worry about the possibility of screen burn-in, or when a display retains a certain image that has been on screen for an extended amount of time. While it is true that burn-in and discolouring can happen on any TV, it remains to be seen just how long mass produced OLED TVs will hold up by comparison. Again, it’s a relative unknown, although manufacturers are predictably touting their improvements in the field.

Future Scenario of UHD TV

The TV manufacturers expect UHD to bring an immense image quality experience to users on the large screen by facilitating closer viewing distances, in future. For now, this format is being developed for digital cinema applications and yet it requires further development to fit in broadcast production environment

There’s also the question of an OLED display’s longevity, which has historically seen organic materials die out faster than the tech in most other types of screens. All that colouring takes up some

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Ride for Safety-2013

(Helmet Awareness and Women Safety Rally) an Initiative by Wheelieboy Adventures (I) Ltd.

“Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul”- Anonymous. Mumbai will witness bikers from round of the corner of this busy town who will gather on Sunday, 1st Dec 2013 to cheer and support for the cause of “RIDE TO SAFETY”. This year we introduce Women Safety awareness to this biggest rally in Mumbai. We at RFS this year in 2013 will be promoting Helmet Awareness with Women Safety on Roads by the biggest rally which will do wonders in the Society. Eminent Celebrities and HNIs will hold hands with us and take a pledge to create the safety awareness for all the Women out there in our Beautiful city Mumbai and make this city a wonderful place to be and show to the world that women are not to be abused but to be standing and leading the societies.

Motorcycles irrespective of power and displacement will be a part of the ride and with some exotic machinery too, in the form of Harley Davidson, Suzuki Intruder, Honda VFR, Ducati Diavel, Kawasaki ZZR 1400, Busa, R1, CB1000 RR, Gixxer and from our Roaring bullets to Customized Choppers, Ninja 250’s, Honda 250’s , P220's, NS200. Vijay Jain, MD of the Wheelieboy Adventures who is an award winning biker and the brain child behind the Ride for Safety bike rally says,” Riding should be passion and must be done for you and not to show the world”. Rightly so youths these days tend to often forget the disciplines of being a good rider. The most important rule of riding is “wearing helmet” which is of utmost importance is often tend to be neglected. With changing times there should be change in the traffic and motor vehicle laws. License of the driver or rider should be immediately cancelled on being held for rash driving. “It is always a rider who is held responsible” agitates a young college student… Every sport and passion has its own charm and beauty; it is only when the beauty is misused is when one can see the disadvantage which is the other side of the coin. Such the passion of driving is mixed with drinking only leading to mishaps. Knowing to ride is not important but knowing the art of controlling your emotions, greed and speed while riding is what makes you a good biker adds Vijay Jain. He adds “Most of the times it is not the fault of the biker, there are pot holes and open man holes on the roads due to which accidents take place in the city. Even pedestrians are unaware of walking norms on the road which leads to accident and blame is always given to the driver.” “Every biker today should learn that with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. We are thankful to our partners, Exhibit (Tech Magazine Partner), Xbhp (Online and Automobile-Magazine partner), Fever 104 FM (Radio Partner), RTP Infotainment (Event Partner), Inox (Multiplex Partner), MISB (Educational Partner), D.A.D (Wrap Partner) who have extended their support to create the awareness amongst the mass.” I OCT 2013 I 46

I NOV 2013 I 47

Tech Collaborations What happens when two right hands come forward to shake hands? Well, they make the ‘right decisions’. We’re talking about Tech Collaborations that changed fortunes of both the company as well as the end consumer. Read on to know why and how it is important to employ your forces in the right direction.

Words By: Gravita Sharma

I NOV 2013 I 48

CEPTION

Collaboration Of Tech Giants orld’s largest software making Corporation, Microsoft and Finnish multinational communications and IT Corporation, Nokia’s collaboration is not very old. In February 2011, Nokia’s former CEO Stephen Elop unveiled the new strategic alliance with Microsoft by deciding to adopt Windows Phone as its Smartphone platform thereby replacing the Symbian and MeeGo Project.It is interesting to know that before Nokia, he worked with Microsoft as the head of the Business Division, responsible for Microsoft Office and Microsoft Dynamics line of products. With this, Nokia planned to spend less on research and development and more on the customization and enhancement of the software line for Windows Phone 7. Thus the two, giants in their own regards, came up with Windows Phone, standing high on hopes as a Competition to iOS and Android. With an aim to start up with something new rather than developing on something that was already running high, Elop used his prowess to combine both his present and ex, to the best. It was also assumed that being the No.1 selling Smartphone in its league, Windows will be a strong contender to iOS and Android. The collaboration thus saw an integration of both the services – Microsoft’s Bing, was the default search engine all across Nokia devices; there was an integration of Nokia and Bing Maps and Ovi Store with Windows Phone Store.

The Money Bits>>

This union also involved sharing marketing and ad revenue along with funds changing hands for royalties. Moving ahead with this, the first Window phones, the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 were announced in October 2011. Later, at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2012, Nokia announced the Lumia 900, the first Windows Phones to support LTE that was released on AT&T in April 2012. Lumia’s 610 was the first Nokia Windows Phone to run the Tango Variant (Windows Phone 7.5 refresh). Post the replacement of the Symbian system, its Smartphone sales figure fell dramatically by 20% and its share price fell about 14%. From the beginning of the year 2011 until 2013, it fell from its No.1 position to No. 10. As soon as the sales began falling, Apple overtook Nokia.

End Game>>

Simultaneously, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer’s plan to change the company’s image from a software provider and diversifying it into a devices and services company came by. The engagement that was going on for quite some time finally resulted in a marriage when Microsoft finally announced its acquisition of Nokia. With 82% of Nokia’s Smartphones using the Windows Phone platform, it was a reason good enough for them to collaborate.

The deal is expected to be completed by 2014.

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Japanese technology teemed with German brilliance and acumen…

his had to be good. When Sony, the Japanese mammoth in Electronics, Entertainment and Communication business teemed with Carl Zeiss, the German manufacturer of optical systems, it was a coming together of sorts. Carl Zeiss, which derives its name from its founder and initially helped in the development of modern production of lenses for microscopes, eventually manufactured high-quality lenses for cameras post their invention. In 1996, the two realized how beneficial it will be for both to join forces with their respective proficiencies coming into “picture”;Carl Zeiss’ high-quality optics and Sony’s electronic technology attracted high-end users in the digital imaging market. Way back then, Sony’s first camcorder with Carl Zeiss lens was launched in the market. From then on, the alliance has been expanded to compact digital cameras or camcorders to high end bridge cameras and interchangeable lenses for Sony Alpha digital SLR Camera system. Building up on the fact that a great camera needs lenses as great, Carl Zeiss created high quality lenses for digital SLT, DSLR and NEX Cameras. Both the companies follow a strict quality check and follows guidelines to deliver the best results.

Re-Click!>>

While it was their technical competence that brought them together in developing and commercializing new imaging devices, things were also going well for them. Thus, when they saw that things were going the way they wanted to, in 2009, the 13-year-old collaboration was extended for another five years.Sony’s excellence in electronics and sensor technology when combined with Carl Zeiss’ best optics for film and video cameras was like hitting the bull’s eye! Thus, the partnership allowed Sony to apply Zeiss branded lenses on an exclusive basis on selected digital cameras and camcorders. Within 13 years, over 100 million devices were sold. The perfect partnership,it has, for the last 17 years, created memories worth being termed as “Picture Perfect”!

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A Collaboration of Collaborations!

o you know where does Audi get its name from? Audi’s founder August Horch’s last name means listen, and when translated to Latin, it means Audi. The name stood true when Audi collaborated with the high-end Audio system manufacturer Bang&Olufsen for its flagship model, the A8 in the year 2005. A Danish company, B & O manufactures and designs audio products, TV Sets and Telephones and was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and SvendOlufsen. Besides partnering with Audi, it also supplies sound systems for higher end premium vehicles like Aston Martin DBS, Mercedes-Benz AMG Models and many of the BMW Series. The brand stands out due to its motorized tweeters that emerge from its dashboard when the sound system is turned on. It all dates back to 1989, when Audi A8’s forerunner V8 was launched with a premium sound-system for luxury class cars in collaboration with Bose. This was probably the first of its kind endeavor by a European car manufacturer.

This partnership has developed one of the most sophisticated car sound systems with its World Class Acoustic Lens and the unique ICEpowerTechnology. The two share a bond of sorts on technological innovations, pioneering and emotional design and this has led to the development of one of the most sophisticated car sound systems in the world.

The way ahead>>

At CES this year, B & O shook hands with Audi and Fraunhofer IIS to create a concept car where they announced that they are developing a 3D sound system in partnership with B & O and Fraunhofer IIS. It is focused more on the Car than its capabilities. This is believed to be the way ahead as the sound stage within the car is no longer limited to its cabin size and can be adjusted – from something very loud to something that sounds alright in a controlled environment – like a recording studio. According to this concept, there will be 23 active loudspeakers will be strategically placed throughout the car, thereby providing more than 1500 watts of amplification power.

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Driving in different terrains

his coalition dates back to 2005; just that it was commercially launched in India in July 2007. India’s leading Utility Vehicle Mahindra & Mahindra joining hands with France’s Renault S.A. to launch Logan, a mid-sized sedan produced jointly by Renault and its Romanian subsidiary Dacia. The partnership was a win-win for both the companies as well as the Indian customers. The Logan Joint venture with Mahindra made it an early mover in the Indian Sedan market and it became a rage with taxi fleets; that the car failed to take off due to its tax bracket being higher than its rivals is a different story altogether. Post the collaboration, its name was changed to Mahindra Verito. Logan, or the Verito was manufactured at Mahindra’s plant in Nashik and sold through more than 100 Mahindra dealers. When launched in July 2007, it couldn’t do pretty well and sold somewhere around 44,000 units. In the year 2009, it sold only 5532 units, which was one-fifth of what it had sold in 2007, there by suffering a loss worth Rs. 5 billion in 2009. Three years later, in 2010, Mahindra announced its decision of buying 49% of Renault’s share in the joint venture in order to restructure their plans. While this, it was decided that Renault would still provide support through license agreement and continue supplying the key components for M&M, including the engine and transmission and Mahindra’s network for sales and service operations of Renault branded vehicles was to help with more than 140 dealerships across 125 cities in India. The intention behind restructuring was to build positive customer equity. Obviously the end of the venture didn’t rule out Renault from the Indian market and we still see the beast rolling on the Indian roads. The two are in other collaborations, too – Renault with Ashok Leyland and Bajaj Auto while Mahindra had earlier sold out a joint venture with Ford Motor.

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The best call taken!

+ =

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emember the joyous ‘Tooo-doo-doo’ ad that compelled you to hum along, stayed with you and ended with a line that said ‘Why walk alone when you can dance together?’ It was this merry association between Tata, the reputed Indian multinational conglomerate that delves in different territories, and NTTDocomo, the Japanese telecom giant, that changed fortune of the Indian telecom sector. In a strategic endeavor in 2008, NTT Docomo bought 26% stake in Tata Teleservices for 2.7 billion USD and commercially launched in June 2009. Tata Teleservices has diversified and provides its GSM and CDMA services under the name of Virgin Mobiles, T24 besides TATA Docomo and Tata Indicom. Maintaining its legacy of serving people across all segments and diversifying its services, right from those in rural areas to offering services to youngsters, Tata Teleservices provides services targeted at different age groups. It has a distribution network across villages where people appointed by TTSL visit the villages on a bicycle or a two-wheeler on specific times on specific days of the week, sell recharge vouchers and servicing equipment. That is how it makes business and maintains its goodwill. Tata Docomo was also the first private sector telecom company to launch the 3G services in India in November 2010. But given its alliance with NTT Docomo, it was only too obvious since the first commercial launch of 3G was also by NTT Docomo in Japan in 1998 and was branded as FOMA – Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access – and was officially launched on 1st October, 2001. In the year 2011 Tata Docomo brought its brands CDMA, GSM, Walky, Photon, and Internet under the Tata Docomo name. Subscribers to these services were migrated to the Docomo brand. According to latest reports, it will soon also be launching a Wi-Fi dongle to cater to multiple-device using consumers, in direct competition to 3G technology. These will be called Wingles and will be launched this month (November). They also plan to level up their CDMA technology for these services. It also has a leader in dongle business with 40% market share. It recently also launched Tata Docomo Photon Max in Mumbai with a speed of 6.2 MBPS.

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+ Quite Sweet!

look at Google’s Android version 4.4 and your mouth will know exactly what it is. Yes, we’re talking about Google striking a licensing deal with Nestle to name its next version of Android KitKat after its famous chocolate coated wafer confectionery. After releasing the Android Cupcake in 2009, it has ever since developed its entire Android platform names based on ‘sweet themes’ in an alphabetical order. A cross-promotion of sorts, apparently, there were no monies involved in this one. Given that the previous versions of Android were generic names – Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Ice Cream Sandwich and so on – the uncanny collaboration between a tech and food company managed raising many eyebrows, more so because it was supposed to be named Key Lime Pie. But the plan was dropped when they realized that not many were familiar with what it actually tasted like. According to Google’s Director of Android Marketing Marc Vanlerberghe, KitKat has been the team’s favourite midnight munching snack and this was the best name they could come up with. The deal has in a way benefited both parties. While KitKat’s social presence and engagement with the audience is what Google wanted to build up on through creative branding campaigns and exposure in Supermarkets and convenience store, Google is a name people swear by when it comes to getting the ‘correct results’ (Of course you know what we mean, don’t you?). The Android Mascot with its middle body resembling the KitKat bar clicks and connects well. Nestle produced over 50 million Kit Kat bars with the Android Mascot on them to mark its release. These were then made available in 19 countries including Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Russia, Dubai, The UK, and the USA for a competition that will go on till mid-November. It takes consumers to the website android.com/kitkatand gives them an opportunity to win prizes including the Google Nexus 7 Tablets, and credits to spend in Google play besides a small number of Android robot-shaped KitKat bars to be offered as prizes. While the deal involves risks for sure, it is surely worth taking, for whatever it’s worth. Recently, the Nexus 5 released along with KitKat and currently lined up is the updating of LG Nexus 4, Nexus 7 – 2012 and Nexus 10; Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S might also be next.

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Nokia’s Big Day!! I

have to admit, Nokia is going out with a bang. While news of Nokia’s sale to Microsoft is still fresh in our memories, Nokia launched six new devices at Nokia World in Abu Dhabi on 22nd October.

Big Phone

The Nokia Lumia 1520, as rumoured comes with 6-inch full-HD (1080x1920) LCD display, the biggest seen on a Nokia phone yet and sports a 20-megapixel PureView camera accompanied by dual-LED flash. The Nokia Lumia 1520 will come at $749 (excluding taxes and subsidies), which roughly translates to Rs. 46,300, and will be rolled out later this year. The company announced that the Lumia 1520 will be first available in Hong Kong, Singapore, US and European markets in Q4 2013, and will be rolled out in other markets later this year. The newly launched Nokia Lumia 1520 also becomes the first Windows Phone to feature the new quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and also includes 2GB of RAM. It packs a 3400mAh battery, with built-in wireless charging functionality. The Lumia 1520 also features a front-facing 2-megapixel HD camera.

Bigger Tablet

Nokia also unveiled its first Windows RT tablet, the Lumia 2520. With a 10.1-inch 1080p HD display, it looks like a giant Lumia phone, and even comes in the same bright colors: red, white, cyan and black. Instead of Windows Phone, however, it runs Windows 8.1 RT, the latest update to Microsoft’s tablet and PC OS. Internally, it sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip and an 8000mAh battery.Unlike Microsoft’s new Surface 2, Nokia’s Lumia 2520 comes with 4G LTE support — a bonus for those who want to purchase data plans for using the slate outside of Wi-Fi range. And despite it being a tablet, Nokia has outfitted the 2520 with an above-average, 6.7-megapixel, rear-facing camera with Zeiss optics. The front-facing camera, which will likely get more use with video chatting, is a standard 2-megapixel wide-angle camera. As with other Windows RT devices, Nokia’s tablet gets the entire Microsoft

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Office RT suite with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and now Outlook. You also get some Nokia exclusives, like Nokia Music and the Nokia HERE maps. The company is also offering its own Nokia Power Keyboard, a wraparound cover that functions as a keyboard and trackpad, and will give the tablet five extra hours of battery life.

Reliable Asha’s

Nokia announced it was expanding its Asha range of devices with the Asha 500, Asha 502, and Asha 503. All three will be available in bright red, bright green, yellow, cyan, white, and black, shipping in Q4 2013. The Nokia Asha 500 features a 2.8-inch screen, 2MP camera, and comes in single SIM and Easy Swap Dual SIM variants. It will ship for $69 in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The Nokia Asha 502 features a 3-inch screen, a 5MP camera with LED flash, and Easy Swap Dual-SIM. It will ship for $89 in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. The Asha 503 features 3.5G connectivity, a 3-inch screen, 5MP camera with LED flash, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, and comes in single SIM and Easy Swap Dual SIM variants. It will ship for $99 in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The right apps

Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom revealed the app most Windows Phone users have been eagerly awaiting is finally coming. No date was given but we know it will arrive in the ‘coming weeks’. Nokia also listed these following new apps are still coming, in addition to Instagram and Vine which was known already: ESPN F1, EA SPORTS FIFA 14, My Talking Tom, Papyrus, Temple Run 2, Vyclone Pro, and Xbox Video. Nokia also rolled out three new apps for its Lumia devices: Nokia Storyteller, Nokia Video Director, and Nokia Beamer. All three feature integration with Nokia’s HERE Maps and let users “capture, share, and re-live memories like never before.”

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25 MUST HAVE GADGETS

With the year about to end and some amazing products launched in the span of 2 months, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our list 25 of the best gadgets you ought to have

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Google Glass

It may still be in the ‘explorer edition’ but this is one gadget that is way cooler than any we’ve seen in recent memory. It lets you wear it like a regular pair of glasses and recognizes your voice when you command to it by simply saying “Okay glass.” It can take pictures, record videos and even share them on your social networking sites, plus when you have it paired with your smartphone, you can also make calls. How cool is that?!

India Status: Not available directly, though some lucky souls have got some test editions and have already given their feedback to Google. It might be a while till we see Google actually releasing this here (it’s not even fully released in the US!), but you can rest assured it will be right on top of our want list for quite some time to come.

Sony QX100

It’s a camera, or a lens? Well, it’s hard to really classify this gadget as either one. Since the QX100 is based on the imaging components of the RX100 II, it features the same 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor, bright F1.8 optics, Carl Zeiss lens with 3.6x zoom and Sony's Bionz imaging engine. Unlike the RX100 II which can capture in RAW, the QX100 is only capable of taking pictures in JPEG.The QX100's battery is rated for around 200 images before needing a recharge. To pair the lens with your smartphone, all you need to do is connect it to the Wi-Fi Direct hotspot and load up the PlayMemories app. Android users can turn on NFC and tap the lens for quick pairing. Note that leaving your Wi-Fi connected to the lens will drain your smartphone battery.

India Status:The QX100 is available for an asking price of `24,990/- making it more expensive than most people will really care for.The smaller QX10 is available for a slightly lesser asking price of `12,990/-

Asus Taichi 31

The Taichi looks and feels exquisite is now home to a 13.3-inch full illuminated Asus logo that lights up mode. The notebook is quite slim, kg, the notebook feels very heavy a step further by giving a dual-disthe table from you. With a multitude the Asus Taichi 31.

and would easily be at home in a gallery of modern art. The lid HD touchscreen and a 5MP autofocus camera. There’s also an in notebook mode and a “Windows” logo that lights up in tablet measuring 1.7 cm at its thinnest point, but is quite heavy. At 1.5 when used as a tablet. The innovative design team at Asus took it play feature, for giving your presentations to people sitting across of connectivity features and excellent ergonomics, we really loved

India Status: The product was made available for `1,39,999/- making it a rather expensive ultrabook, only for the elite few.

HTC One

The most beautifully crafted Android smartphone till date had stolen our hearts right from the first day we held it. With its dual front speakers and a superb aluminium unibody design, this is one smartphone that will be the envy of all your social network. With a superb 4-ultrapixel camera, it lets you shoot some stunning images, even in low light. There’s ‘Boom Sound’ from Beats, as well as a stunning 441 ppi display which is simply stunning to look at. Running on state-of-the-art hardware, the HTC One is a device that cannot be ignored by any gadget-lover. What’s more it even has a dual-SIM variant plus a bigger – One Max, and a smaller – One Mini, variant as well.

India Status:The phone was released for `42,500/- but has since seen a price drop and can now be picked up for less than 40k.

Nokia Lumia 1020

With a stunning 41MP camera loaded on this smartphone, Nokia have another gem of a device. Already getting rave reviews everywhere, the device has finally made its way to our desi shores as well. We’ve not seen that kinda resolution even on DSLR cameras, forget smartphone cameras, which is what makes the achievement even more amazing. Yes, there is a bit of super-sampling magic going on in the background, but the images you can take with the Lumia 1020, will be spectacular. A must-have gadget for all you shutterbugs.

India Status: Has been launched and will be available across the country for a retail price of about `49,990/-

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LG G2

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LG made the Nexus device last year and also the Nexus 5 this year as well. The G2 is, however, the almost-Nexus product that now stands at the top of the LG smartphone lineup and has superb hardware with an oddly-placed power/lock key. Users have said they got used to it pretty fast and the really slim bezel and the sides of the display, really accentuate the overall looks of the G2. It has got everything going for it, with a great camera and updates from Android lined-up too. Why wouldn’t you wanna own this?

India Status: Has been launched and can be yours for as little as `41,500/- making it cheaper than all these high-end smartphones that cost 45K or more.

Harman Kardon CL Headphones

Smartphones can’t be the only devices we fell in love with this year, the with Harman Kardon CL headphones being right up there in our ‘like’ list. With an incredibly well-crafted body and sound that managed to impress even after long hours of use, the Classic (CL) design has worked really well and Harman Kardon have created a great piece of audio gear. The edges of the earpieces are outlined by grey matte steel, which comes together to form a connecting piece that inserts into the headset’s detachable steel frame. The interior of each earpiece has a black leather cushion with a screened window cut out in the centre for the CL’s 40mm drivers.

India Status:These beautilicous headphones can be yours for a price of about `9,000 – which isn’t all that much considering the performance it delivers in conjunction with the awesome build.

Bose SoundLink Mini

With a flat metal grille face and a solid aluminium shell, the SoundLink Mini evokes the image of a radio from the 1960s, yet sleeker and more updated for today. It measures just 2 by 7.1 by 2.3 inches (HWD), and its satisfyingly sturdy-feeling 680 gms heft and aluminium casing gives an impression of solidity.It might be lacking in the bass punch the SoundLink II and other larger, more expensive speakers offer, but for its size and price it offers great performance. The charging cradle is handy, if not quite as flexible as micro USB charging would have been. And while it lacks a speakerphone function, it offers some of the best all-around sound quality we’ve seen in its category, making it a must-have gadget for this year.

India Status: Has been launched and can be yours for all of `16,200/- only.

Nikon AW1

There have been quite a few waterproof cameras all have had one thing in common – compact AW1 from Nikon is the first interchangeable Impressed? You should be! The AW1 is essential1 J3. It is waterproof down to 15 meters (49 protected against cold as low as -10 degrees - equally ruggedized versions of the 11-27mm tics that already form part of the 1 System lineup. but it will not be water, shock or freezeproof with

around and we’ve covered some too, but they cameras without interchangeable lenses. The lens camera that also happens to be waterproof. ly, if not exactly, a ruggedized version of Nikon’s ft), shockproof from up to 2 meters (6.6 ft), and Celsius (14F). It is announced with two lenses (30-74mm equiv) and 10mm (27mm equiv) opThe AW1 is compatible with all 1 System lenses, a non-ruggedized lens on the front.

India Status:Internationally available for about $800, it is expected to reach India by the year-end of early next year.

Olympus OM-D E-M1

‘A mirrorless giant’ was what Olympus christened the OM-D E-M1 as. And the legendary OM series just got another camera that will possibly define it for the years to come, but in the digital age it might find it harder to find a bigger audience, even with all its impressive features and specs. From what we’ve heard and seen (at the launch event) already, we can make quite a few observations. The camera has a dust-proof, splash-proof design. Solid build quality. Excellent ergonomics. Best-in-class EVF. Wi-Fi. In-camera art filters and color control. Robust time lapse feature. Quick autofocus. 10.5fps burst shooting. In-camera image stabilization. Sharp, tilting touch screen.

India Status: By the time you will be reading this article, the OM-D E-M1 will be out in the market with an asking price of `1,05,000/-

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The trend-setting Galaxy Note series launched its 3rd baby earlier this month and has already made quite a few heads turn with what they’re offering. There’s no question that the Galaxy Note 3 is a powerful device. It’s the first smartphone to come with 3GB of RAM under the hood, and it also packs a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. The phone is noticeably snappy, and even though Samsung sadly felt the need to inflate the phone’s speed, rest assured that this mammoth phone will be able to handle anything you throw at it. With a stunning 5.7” full HD display and the exynos processor running 8 cores, there is no beastly smartphone more powerful than this, out there. India Status: Available and can be yours for around `49,900/-

Bower & Wilkins Z2

Bowers & Wilkins is one of those audio companies that is as talented at aesthetic styling as it is at sound engineering. And as far as audio-docks are concerned, there are none better than what B&W makes, with the Z2 leading the charge for the 2nd half of this year. At the asking price, the Z2 is still a bit of an investment for such a compact wireless speaker/dock, but we think it’s a worthwhile one. Though we wished for a bit more warmth and fullness in the Z2’s tone at times, it consistently displayed its prowess for brilliant clarity and immaculate detail throughout our listening sessions. This speaker’s elegant design, flawless wireless performance, and stellar upper register make it a serious contender in the mid to high-end wireless speaker market.

India Status:Unavailable, but can be imported from e-commerce websites at a premium price or exclusive showrooms which have B&W (and similar) products for around `30K (approx.)

Sony Xperia Z1

The current flagship from Sony had to be on our premium model too, with the Z1 currently being 5-inch machine, powered by what’s generally The headline feature is the 20.7 megapixel camera tests so far, we’ve been mighty impressed with the life remains a concern.

list, considering is water-proof, dust-proof and idiot-proof in many ways! It’s a sold direct from Sony for a whopping Rs. 45K, the price you pay for a metallic, agreed to be the fastest and most capable mobile processor available today. sensor, on paper a vast upgrade over the 13MP unit inside the older Z. In our image and video quality, plus with the TRILUMINOUS display, although battery

India Status:Out and launched for about `45k, the device can now be found at a street price of about `40k.

Razer Edge Pro Gaming Tablet

Razer is a well-known name in the gaming community, but Razer’s newest toy—the Razer Edge Pro gaming tablet—is way more than a mere plaything. It has been tweaked and polished over months and months of refinement with feedback from pro gamers and enthusiasts alike. Boasting a dual-core Intel Core i7-3517U Ivy Bridge processor with 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE graphics card with 2GB of dedicated memory, the result is a potent Windows laptop with more graphics and gaming chops than most laptops—and easily topping tablets like the Microsoft Surface Pro—and a playing experience that brings the game closer to you while letting you take the game wherever you want to go.

India Status:Largely unavailable but can be found at certain places for around `90K.

B&O BeoPlay H3 & H6 Earphones

Bang & Olufsen already offers headphones, and it has the B&O Play line to serve a mobile-oriented world. Wouldn’t it be nice if the two categories mixed? Now they do! The B&O Play H3 in-ears and H6 over-ears apply that Danish love of aluminum and leather to the kind of headphones you’d want to pack with your MP3 player or smartphone. The H3 carries 10.8mm drivers, a mini bass port and a 20Hz to 16kHz range in a unibody shape that should hold up to exercise; the slightly more stationary H6 over-ears sport 40mm drivers and a wider 20Hz to 22kHz range. Both have primarily iOS-oriented in-line mics and remotes, although the H6 alone has Monster-sourced daisy chaining support to share tunes with others.

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Sony RX 100 II

For its incredible low-light performance, there is no way we could’ve let the RX 100 II out of our must-have gadgets list. Even though the updated BSI sensor tends to over-expose images in brightly-lit conditions, it still manages to take great images with great colour accuracy and superb dynamic range. The video capture is also second to none for a compact camera, plus you can also let your smartphone be a viewfinder while the RX 100 II does all the shooting over Wi-Fi, with a simple-to-use app called PlayMemories Mobile.

India Status: Has been launched and can be yours for `42,990/-

MacBook Air 2013 edition

When a laptop can be pulled out of a regular envelope, on stage, by the legendary Steve Jobs himself – you know you’ve seen a remarkable product being unveiled. The MacBook Air retains the aura of the think ultrabook, at the same time adding more power and a great display to boot (So what if it’s still not in the ‘retina’ mode). It offers significant improvements in its solid state storage speed, graphical power, battery life and wireless capabilities, but the processor’s clock speeds actually take a backward step. But as we’ve seen, for most real-world applications, the MacBook Air matches or out-performs its predecessors.

India Status:Starting at `74,900/- the MacBook Air can be yours for the taking.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

Is it a camera, or a phone? Or is it a phone that looks like a camera? Well, it’s kinda hard to figure this puzzle, but there is no denying that the Galaxy S4 Zoom has features a camera that has 10x Optical Zoom and a 16-megapixel BSI sensor which is great for taking pictures in low light conditions. It also has optical image stabilisation for preventing blur caused by shaky hands.The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Exynos processor. It has 1.5GB RAM, and a Mali 400 chip for processing graphics.It’s clearly targeted at the shutterbugs, people who like taking pictures all the time and want their pictures to stand out above the rest and don’t mind the extra bulk that comes with the device.

India Status: Has been available in our desi markets for a while, for an asking price of `29,000/-

Logitech UE Boombox

With a sub-brand of Ultimate Ears, Logitech is audio products, the UE Boombox being one of device could deliver and can play music over a wired setup using an external 3.5mm cable. speaker houses a vertical row of buttons and poring over the manual: a large Bluetooth pairing mode, a simple power switch, a 3.5mm and a power port on the bottom to juice the

reaching out a wider audience with some great them. We really loved the stereo sound output this wireless Bluetooth connection or through a classic The left side of the 15.2-inch-long rectangular ports, logically laid out and easy to use without connect button at the top to put the speaker in auxiliary input port to connect external devices, 6-hour rechargeable battery.

India Status:The UE Boombox has been available for a while and the launch price of `21,995/- has seen a price drop recently.

BenQ W1500 Projector

Billed as ‘World’s first 5Ghz Wireless Full HD 1080P 3D Home Entertainment Projector with 2D to 3D conversion feature’ the W1500 is an impressive device, especially considering the amount of sharpness it can achieve in the smallest of places. As well as delivering excellent-quality 3D, this projector has an effective frame interpolation function, wireless HDMI support and offers a wider range of image sizes than the lower-cost model. However, there’s no real gain in picture quality compared with the W1070. Given that the W1500 is a fair bit pricier, we’d still recommend the W1070 if you’re looking for the best-value option.

India Status: The BenQ W1500 is available at a price (MRP) of `1,75,000 across India

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Apple iPod Retina Display

The iPod touch has always been a bit of a poor relation of the iPhone series. It was there for people who wanted iPhone goodies, but couldn’t afford the astronomical price of the phone. However, underdog or not, it revolutionised what people expect from a media player. The iPod touch 5th generation with Retina Display doesn’t radically change the status quo, but gives the player some of its own new design tweaks, without ruining what was so great about the device in the first place. The iPod touch 5th generation is that it now features an elongated widescreen display, just like the iPhone 5. It’s a little taller than the last generation at 123mm long, but with virtually the same width, it is one heck of an engineering marvel. India Status: The 5th gen iPod has been available for a while now and is currently available around the `20K mark.

Samsung Ultra HD S9 85

There hasn’t been a more stunning look display on a TV than this, and the 85” amazement that you get in the 4K resolution from Samsung is simply WOW. With a truly iconic design, the Samsung S9 Ultra HD TV has elevated the TV experience, making it as much about beautiful art as functionality. Featuring a minimal design that is utterly timeless, the Samsung S9’s stunning frame crafted from precious metals would not look out of place in an art gallery, a luxurious apartment or a grand lobby. The Smart TV functionalities include - Speak into the mic on the Smart Touch Remote to get TV recommendations. Use gestures to swipe and navigate within the 5 Smart Hub content panels.

India Status:Is available for an asking price of about `26.5 lacs. You jelly?

Asus Aio PC 1801

A computing tablet or a desktop with there’s one thing for sure – the AIO droid OS when it is in the tablet mode you can see your natively downloaded then you can possibly imagine for materials and design.

a pull-out huge-ass tablet. This gadget is kinda hard to describe as well, but (All-In-One) PC from Asus is one heck of an innovative gadget. It can run Anand can run Windows 8 when it’s in the regular desktop mode. What’s more – files from one OS to the other, which basically lets you do way cooler things now. All of this is running on top-notch hardware, built into fantastic quality of

India Status:Starting at `86999/- the AiO PC has been available for a while in the market.

Ouya Gaming Console

An Android based gaming console built by enthusiasts for the gamers? It sounded too good to be true, but it did fall short of the high expectations people had from it. The Ouya is attractive and demure, tiny and unassuming next to your typical console. Its HDMI connection makes setup simple and means it outputs at 1080p. That means it could provide worthwhile streaming video.Also, since you can add external storage via USB, you only need to be somewhat tech savvy to root it and install vanilla Android. Someone with the right set of hobbies could have a few fun weekends tinkering with the Ouya.

India Status:Largely unavailable, but can be ordered from international e-commerce websites if you are willing to bear the high shipping charges.

Sony Shake 6D

Not sure what Sony were thinking here, but the Shake 6D is nothing like you’d expect your own Home-Theatre based Audio System to be. It comes with 2400W (SBR 2000W) and 35cm woofer unit producing high sound pressure and heavy bass sound. It has more than20 LED effects on the speaker & the main unit providing a boost to any party. The wireless music playback via Bluetooth and one-touch listening via NFC is some of the key highlights of the product. The rather futuristic looks and bright colours help enhance the look of this product and give it a touch of finesse too.

India Status: Recently launched and can be had for a mere `59,900/-

Auroral Photography: Capture the Northern Lights

Words By-Chaitanya Tapase

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It’s never a bad time to turn to photography full-time, but if you’ve ever needed inspiration then the Aurora lighting of the north is a great place to start! Agreed, you will need an exorbitant budget to even get to the right place before you actually start shooting anything, but this article is aimed to help you at any place which has a spectacular display in the heavens above. Don’t know what Aurora lighting is? Here’s a quick explanation, plus what we mean by Auroral Photography:•The activity of our sun (the cause of aurorae here on Earth) ebbs and flows in eleven year cycles. The peak of the current solar cycle - an apex of auroral activity - will occur around 2013. •Revolutionary improvements in imaging technology have been made since the last solar cycle. We have progressed from film to an age of digital image sensors which offer far greater sensitivity and resolution, along with real time feedback and less noise. •Our ability to predict the timing and intensity of aurorae has been enhanced considerably with the launch of the Solar &Heliospheric Observatory, the product of a collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA.

1 Know Your Subject>>

Let’s begin by getting to know the aurora. According to my friend, astrophysicist Dr. Henry Throop, the aurora was thought at one time to be caused by ices suspended high above the Earth’s coldest, darkest regions. We now know that the aurora is actually an electrical phenomenon, caused by interactions between the solar wind and the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The sun emits massless photons that we see as light, but also emits out a real, physical, tangible wind of particles which moves at several hundred kilometres per second. When this wind reaches the Earth, it begins a process that ends by exciting gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere, eventually leading to the emission of light. And just as a true neon light only comes in one colour (red), the colours of the aurora are limited too: green and red caused by oxygen, with the fainter blue and purple caused by nitrogen. Unlike the wispy shapes of the aurora, its colours are narrow and precise. Just like stars, the aurora is present during the day and the night, though during the day it is overwhelmed by the brightness of the sky. As the sun sets, it starts to become visible, being brightest near midnight when the orientation of the Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind cause it to be strongest. The aurora is seen mostly in a ring centred roughly around the poles, where the solar wind is focused most intensely by the Earth’s magnetic field. If the Earth had no magnetic field, we’d still have an aurora, but it would be weaker and more flat across the sky: a dull glow seen in every direction. A planet like Jupiter with a stronger magnetic field has a comparably more intense aurora, while Mercury - having neither an atmosphere nor magnetic field - has no aurora at all.

2 Timing Is Everything>>

Now that you know what you’re chasing, when should you expect to actually see your quarry? Sadly there is no easy answer to that question. Here are some notes to consider, as you prepare for the hunt: •Aurorae are caused by Earth-directed coronal mass ejections. Those ejections often come from solar flares associated with sunspots, or originate from coronal holes on the sun. The sun rotates around into an Earth-facing position roughly every 27 days, meaning that at least on a short term basis there is an element of a 27 day cycle to geo-effective emissions. •There is an annual cycle that results in disproportionately high numbers of aurorae in the weeks on either side of the spring and fall equinoxes. •There is an 11-year solar cycle (the ‘Schwabe cycle’) during which the activity of the sun rises and falls. The number of sunspots tends to track this cycle, resulting in prevalent aurorae around the peak of this cycle. Oddly enough, though, coronal holes are most common about three years after the sunspot maximum, resulting in large numbers of aurorae also appearing about three years after the peak of the Schwabe cycle. •There are also much longer solar cycles stacked on top of these shorter ones, including cycles with periods of 22 years (the ‘Hale cycle’), 87 years (the ‘Gleissberg cycle’), 210 years (the ‘Suess cycle’) and 2,300 years (the ‘Hallstatt cycle’). Most of us won’t be around for more than a few of these, though, so there is little sense letting them drive our planning. •The weather on Earth is another important factor. If the sky is cloudy, it doesn’t matter what’s going on above the cloud layer - you won’t see it. In much of the arctic, the skies tend to be clearer in late winter and early spring than in fall.

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•Ambient light is another critical issue. In the high arctic, excessive sunlight will overwhelm any aurorae during summer and the surrounding months. The moon is another source of ambient light that must be considered. A partial moon may helpfully illuminate the surrounding countryside, avoiding the “silhouette” effect common in aurora photographs. I usually prefer about a quarter to a half of a moon when I’m including landscape in a photograph and want it to be illuminated. Anything approaching a full moon, however, can make it quite difficult even to see, much less photograph, ordinary aurorae.

3Location, Loca-

tion, Location>>

Photographers in search of exceptional aurora imagery will generally need to travel a significant distance. This is because aurorae form in oval rings that, roughly speaking, circle the magnetic North Pole (the 'aurora borealis') and magnetic South Pole (the 'aurora australis'). When observed from far away, these rings will appear as a faint glow on the horizon. When viewed from the Arctic or Antarctic, however, even an ordinary aurora will often appear directly overhead. Overhead aurorae tend to be more photogenic, clearer and brighter because of reduced atmospheric interference, and will more effectively illuminate the foreground. Auroral displays over snow, for instance, will generally cause the snow to take on the coloration of the aurora. In comparison, when an aurora is low on the horizon, the foreground will often appear as a less-interesting silhouette.

4Gear Up For Battle>>

When photographers are asked how they managed to achieve a certain result, they will usually point to their own artistic proficiency, not the capability of their tools. 'It’s the photographer, not the camera,' is

the common refrain. There are, of course, elements of artistry in aurora photography as well. However, the importance of good quality equipment cannot be overstated. Aurora photography does not require the most expensive kit available; it requires gear that can capture broad views, in low light, in cold weather. You will need: •A camera body that excels with clean high-ISO operation. There are a number of new bodies in recent years that meet these criteria well, and which have enabled revolutionary advances in the field of aurora photography. Weather-sealing is a definite plus, although not a necessity. •A wide, fast lens. On a full frame camera, a focal length of 24mm or less is desirable – but the wider, the better, in my experience. Ideally the lens will be able to shoot sharp pictures with minimal vignetting at a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or less, as you’ll want to keep your exposures short. All else being equal, your exposure will be inversely proportional to the square of your aperture, meaning that a lens at f/2.8 will need four times as long to capture an image as at f/1.4. Currently, my favourite lens for this purpose is Nikon’s AF-S Nikkor 1424mm f/2.8G ED. •A sturdy tripod, and a remote shutter release (or, at a pinch, your camera's self-timer function). Don’t bother leaving home without them. They’re essential for aurora photography. A robust ball-head is also extremely useful.

5Warm Up To The Chill>>

Aurorae just don’t seem to enjoy the warmth of the tropics or the glow of the midnight sun during summer. You’ll need to play on their home turf, during the dark months. That means planning to spend hours on end, standing around outside at night, quite possibly in extreme cold, and probably a long way from home. Clothing: be sure you’re dressed

for the occasion. This is not a party you’ll want to attend in a mini-skirt. For winter aurora photography it’s best to be settled on a down-filled mountaineering suit (the Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero), winter boots rated to -40 degrees F (the Sorel Caribou Reserve), multiple pairs of long thermal underwear (Under Armour ColdGear Base 3.0, both top and bottom), and a windproof cap. For the hands, you’ll want gloves thick enough to keep you warm, but thin enough to allow you to operate your camera. Personally I prefer to forgo gloves and keep my hands in warm pockets between shots. Most of the time it works fine. If you’re averse to occasional frostbite, try a different approach. Batteries: The temperatures of the far north take an enormous toll on battery life. My camera batteries last around 1,500 actuations in normal conditions, but in the arctic winter have become exhausted after as few as 25 frames. The conventional cold weather advice is to keep your battery warm by storing it in a jacket pocket while not in use, but that is not an adequate solution under extreme arctic conditions. I recommend bringing multiple batteries and a charger, and rotating the batteries through the charging station when they’re not in use. If your aurora photography will take you far from the nearest well-stocked camera store, consider also bringing backups for any other 'mission critical' elements of your system. Tripods: Carbon fibre tripods are just wonderful. They’re light, and in cold weather can be carried without chilling your hands as much as metal would. In frigid temperatures, however, both the carbon fibre legs and the adhesive used to connect then to your tripod base can become brittle. Exerting substantial pressure on your tripod, particularly when its legs are buried in deep snow, can easily result in the amputation of a leg. If you’d prefer not to find yourself hundreds of miles from civilization, with only a 'dipod' for support, be particularly

cautious when planting your gear in deep snow. Cameras and lenses: As noted above, weather-sealing is preferable. In part, this is to help prevent condensation from forming inside your equipment, when you move from an exceptionally cold environment (e.g., shooting outside) to a much warmer space (e.g., into a heated car). Particularly for nonweather-sealed equipment, including most medium format cameras and lenses, it is essential that the cold-to-warm transition be made gradually. It only takes one misstep to generate trip-ending amounts of condensation inside your lenses or sensor. To help slow the transition, transferyour equipment to a camera bag that has also been outside, and only after sealing the bag should you move the bag and its contents into a warmer space. The camera should then be allowed to heat up, slowly and safely, within the bag. For even better protection, consider placing your equipment in an airtight enclosure, such as a Ziploc bag, during the thawing process.

Safety gear:

If you’re headed to the far north during winter you should, of course, also read up on how to travel safely in cold, icy climates. When travelling in northern Alaska between November and March, I’ll usually bring extra fuel, chemical additives to prevent the fuel from freezing, an oversupply of food (including food that will be palatable when frozen), a cold weather sleeping bag (rated to -25 degrees F), jumper cables and a tow rope with which a vehicle could be rescued after sliding off of an icy road.

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TECH STARTUPS OF THE YEAR

Words By:Karishma Mody

mody

You can easily say, that every young mind wishes they can earn quickly and in the easiest way possible. And of course, there are tons of people who try their luck too! But then again, we have those selected few who have their ideas which just click and they leave no stone accomplishing their Wordsunturned By:Karishmain Mody dreams. These startups will prove our point at how the great young minds changed the perception of, "Nothing Is Impossible"

Imprint Energy>>

s every device in the world is being literally cut down to size or rather being compressed down to fit perfectly in our palms, the smart-thinkers have now come up with a comparatively smaller and tinier energy source – the battery life. California based Imprint Energy says it has the perfect solution that may emerge very soon taking over where all gadgets will be waiting to get these batteries fixed in them. The main brain for this technology is its “Zinc Poly” rechargeable batteries which are ultra-thin, flexible and is almost a dream come true for designers who can now design their products and not worry about going according to plan because of the bulky battery coming in the way. What makes these batteries, a class apart from the usual, is the fact that these batteries are made of non-volatile, low cost and highly abundant materials, making them green which in fact, is good for both - the earth and as beneficial for gadget makers as well. Bendable batteries can change the way our gadgets could be made. Our mobile accessories or wireless devices, basically, any electronic device could be completely transformed into something we can barely even imagine! The Zinc Poly electrochemistry system removes longstanding limitations on the recharge ability of zinc-based batteries and offers significant volumetric energy density, form factor, safety, cost, and processing advantages versus other rechargeable battery chemistries. Getting to know where it all started Imprint Energy was co-founded by Brooks Kincaid and Dr. Christine Ho when they were graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley. Kincaid was pursuing his MBA at the Haas School of Business and Dr. Ho was pursuing her Ph.D. in the Materials Science and Engineering department. These two met at Haas' Cleantech to Market school program, which offered them an opportunity to develop a commercialization strategy for Dr. Ho's electrochemistry invention - the Zinc Poly battery system. After winning several business plan competitions, Kincaid and Dr. Ho incorporated the company in 2010 and successfully raised seed capital from Dow Chemical's venture group. Shortly afterwards, Imprint Energy’s original strategic advisor, Dr. Devin MacKenzie, formerly of Add-Vision, Inc., joined the company full-time as CEO to help Kincaid and Dr. Ho navigate the university to market scale-up process and build a product and technology plan. Today, Imprint Energy has been able to grow to a full working staff of 8 employees and it continues to grow stronger. Imprint Energy has made several notable advancements in the field of printed batteries. The most notable is the development of a low cost, fully printable, solid-state rechargeable battery. This technology will only keep getting bigger and better as everyone would love the concept of bendable technology and already as we speak, many smartphone makers like Samsung and LG are working on flexible display smartphones and this is only made possible as the internal components make it work! Let’s give it a few more years and we will only thank the creators for this technology!

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Displair>>

isualization completely takes a new turn when we talk about this technology. It leaves us speechless! When the world today is moving on to 3D TVs’ and 4K television sets; Displair, a Russian company has showed us a slightly different manner to use technology to project images into the thin air, and use gestures to actually move them. Company’s CEO and inventor of Displair himself Mr. Maxim Kamanin is the crazy mind behind this invention and to think about it, he made it when he was just in college. To give you more details so you can visualize this treat – a stream of cold dry fog is emitted from a device which looks more like a printer. The images are then projected on this fog and the infrared camera detects your hand gestures which includes your fingers and palms as well. This has brought us to an all new ‘Display Air Screen Technology.’

How you see it:

This air display creates an image from the device which is almost translucent and not like the typical fashion, this one floats in air. For real! The basis of image is thin cold stable air flow with tiny particles of water protected from the wind. The water particles are very small and due to their strong surface stress, they stay stable even after clash with physical objects and don’t even leave wet traces. Displair uses an equivalent of 3D multi-touch to establish a new level of user interaction, now in absolute free space! It’s almost like using your fingers to zoom in and out and create new stuff just by the movement of your fingers. The way the product is actually made, is with environment friendly materials and your skin is in moistured air and it even benefits your skin without harming it. That is in fact the most important point to remember. Definitely this isn’t going to be an easy technology to create in bulk in such an early stage and not to forget, this device might be priced between $4000 and $30,000. Then again, this kind of technology isn’t easily going to be available elsewhere. Playing with air isn’t something what would first come to your mind, But for obvious reasons! But this crazy funky technology actually proves that nothing is unattainable. A brilliant start up by the young and one which change the way visualize everything!

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BUTTERCOIN>>

uttercoin! No, stop thinking what you are. This isn’t the “illegal” bitcoins we are talking about here. This is something so much more legal. Buttercoin is basically, a currency for the internet. ‘Digital Money’ would be a simpler way to put it. Technically, Buttercoin is an open source, high-volume trading engine used to arrange trades in an order book. It is a free white-label bitcoin exchange. Founded my Cedric Dahl and Bennett Hoffman earlier this year, is the first company Centralway Ventures is investing in. The company is building a white-labeled federation of bitcoin exchanges around the world. Not only this but, companies like Google Ventures, Y Combinator, Initialized Capital, Floodgate and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian have also made investments and Buttercoins has raised almost $1M. This might be the quickest start up to raise so much and at such speed!

Buttercoin has found a way to transfer money at no cost to itself, and only charges a small fee to competitors when customers convert money into or out of bitcoin. By drastically reducing the fees people pay to send money home or transfer it around the world, turns out, Buttercoin proves beneficial to many.

Virtual currency can really be the next big thing to hit the market. Trading can become an easy and convenient deal in our economy. It’s being said that Google has invested in this start up as they are themselves planning something big in the multi virtual currency. The entire team behind Buttercoin is brilliant to begin with. The concept and the way they are working towards it is commendable. But making this technology available across continents might be tricky. Not all countries will accept it as it may go against a few rules and regulations. To be available worldwide might take a while. To gain trust in a startup is not easy too. This is one of those risky yet, brilliant if it targets the right audience and gets it right too!

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ANDROID’S SUCCESS STORY:

GOOGLE’S RISE IN THE SMARTPHONE MARKET>>>

Words By:Chaitanya Tapase

With the imminent release of another new version of Android, namely Kitkat, we thought it would be a great idea to look back at the success story of an OS that didn’t quite start off as well as everyone had hoped for.

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THE STORY BEHIND THE MAN- ANDY RUBIN The history of Android is a great story that every Android user and fan should know. It all starts with a guy named Andy Rubin. The ironic thing about Andy is that he actually got his start as an engineer for Apple! After Apple, he worked for a company called General Magic where he worked on Magic Cap which is an operating system and interface for hand held devices. When Magic Cap failed to take off, Andy and several others formed Artemis Research. Artemis Research is responsible for WebTV and was eventually acquired by Microsoft. After several years, the group moved on and formed Danger, Inc. The most notable thing that came from Danger was the T-Mobile Sidekick. This is where the story gets interesting. Andy Rubin is a brilliant man. He had this device called the Danger Hiptop (aka Sidekick) and little did he know how huge it was going to become. Now we are in the Spring of 2005. Rubin had decided to use Google as the default search engine on the Sidekick even though Google was still growing. Other companies like Lycos and even AOL were ahead of Google at this stage in the game. He gets a meeting with Larry Page who is a co-founder of Google. Rubin tells Page that there are 700 million cell phones sold each year compared to only 200 million PC’s. The gap is growing larger and larger each year. Rubin said phones are the way people want to connect to each other. Unfortunately, at this time in 2005, the mobile industry was in a dark place. Mobile phones were not open and inviting like the web. They were closed and discouraging to those creative minds that could actually make positive changes. Rubin uses this point to talk about his startup, Android and how it is going to change all of that. Android

growth of the internet, and this is where Google surged ahead. So what did Larry Page think of Rubin’s pitch? Well, he was very interested but he did not want to give a supportive email or even place the Google logo on his phone. He wanted to buy Android! Rubin was in shock. He went there to gain support and ended up leaving with one of the biggest paydays in his life. The eventual purchase price was estimated to be around $50 million. After Google bought Android in July 2005, Silicon Valley was rocking with speculation about what the search giant was planning. Everyone knew Apple had a phone in the works and the assumption was

headquarters

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that Google must be developing one too. Rubin and his cofounders, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White, weren’t talking. When Apple unveiled the iPhone that summer, everyone just knew a gphone was going to be announced any day.

Google’s Android Nothing came for a couple of months. Finally, in November, Google had a press release. No, there was no gphone announcement. The announcement was that thirty four companies were joining forces with Google to create an open source platform based on Linux software. Companies like Texas Instruments, Intel, T-Mobile, and Sprint Nextel were part of a group dubbed The Open Handset Alliance. Competitors let out a deep breath and thought, seriously? This is how they are going after the wireless market? The reponses from CEO’s showed

their lack of understanding of what Rubin was attempting to do. “Their efforts are just some words on paper,” were the comments from Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, at a conference in Japan. “Another Linux platform,” shrugged the CEO of Symbian, one of the dominant smartphone operating systems outside the US. Google wasn’t done there. A week after the press release, Google announced the Developers Challenge. A free Android software developers it was placed on Google’s site and a challenge was placed for someone to create the best applications for the new system. The best one would receive $10 million! This

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was not limited to certain people, anyone was eligible to take a shot. People were starting to see Rubin’s grand vision. Finally a rival to the iPhone could be realized. Yes it was different, but that is just what was needed. Google was not out for hardware. They never intended on coming out with a gphone. They wanted hundreds of gphones!

comb, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Android 2.2 Froyo, Android 2.0 Eclair, Android 1.6 Donut, Android 1.5 Cupcake & Android 1.0. So all these Android Version History already defines the Success History of Google’s Android OS which makes it popular amongst several Smartphone and Tablet device users worldwide.

HTC, Motorola and LG all announced plans to market new Android phones in a variety of shapes and sizes as well as different software options. That was the beauty of Android; it was a fully customizable system. Any application could be removed and another could be added. Google was not concerned with the apps themselves as long as Android was underneath it. The Christmas of 2007 was proof that Google was onto something. That Christmas, people unwrapped their iPhones from under the tree, clicked on their Safari browser and

APPS DROVE IN

went right to Google. In that 24 hours the iPhone drove more traffic to Google than any other mobile device. If Apple could bring that much business to Google then surely Google could do much better for itself. Google’s Android mobile operating system is the fastest growing Mobile OS today and many well-known and big Mobile Manufacturing/ Maker companies like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony, Sony Ericsson, LG etc. are making their Smartphones and Tablets with the integration of Android OS Versions which includes Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 3.0 Honey-

Let’s get back to the Developers Challenge. Keep in mind that Google had intentions of allowing anything to be installed and run on its platform. No questions Let’s get back to the Developers Challenge. Keep in mind that Google had intentions of allowing anything to be installed and run on its platform. No questions asked. The deadline for the first challenge was April 14. Google had received nearly 1,800 submissions! These apps came from large corporations

to single persons and they came from all over the world. As a matter of fact, only a third of the entries came from the U.S. Google got exactly what they were looking for. A multitude of apps using location awareness and social networking. Let’s look at some of these apps. One developer came up with Jamdroid. Jamdroid is an application that you turn on in your car and feed real time traffic data to a server. That info is compiled and then beamed to other Jamdroid users. LifeAware is another neat app. It tracks friends or family by plotting them on a map and alerting the user when the other person leaves a pre-defined area. E-ventr is another software that combines with

Google Maps to organize a party. BreadCrumbz is a program that lets you share photo-enhanced walking or driving routes with anyone in the world. Out of the 50 finalists, the top 10 earned $275,000 and the next 10 earned $100,000!

FINALLY, IT ARRIVED In October of 2008, the first Android smartphone hit the market. The T-Mobile HTC G1. It took mobile phones to a new level. Six months after the phone launched, T-Mobile sold its 1 millionth G1. In its early days, Android was certainly no match for iPhone. The OS felt buggy and rather slow at times, with constant complains about the way the system froze a la Microsoft’s Windows. There were options to customize a few things here and there (like ringtone, for example) which Apple never gave its users, but things weren’t looking so good. It gained mixed reviews upon its release, and most critics agreed that the design of the device was the biggest flaw. However, the processing power of the Android operating system was well received, which was the first indicator this would be a viable competitor. Similarly, in the tablet market, Android worked with companies like Blackberry, who released the Blackberry Playbook in 2011, to capitalize on the success of the iPad. However, those turned out to be unsuccessful as well. The first mainstream tablet made for Android was the Nexus 7, developed by Google and Asus, and has been lauded for its powerful hardware and seamless operating system. A lot, of course, has changed since then. Google kept introducing several major improvements on their OS, and the management team really hit the sweet spot with the Jelly Bean (v4.1) upgrade – especially with ‘Project Butter’ ensuring that transition effects were smooth and the overall experience of using any Android phone was slick and breezy. This upgrade not only meant more positive reviews for the Android OS, but also meant more smartphone makers were bundling and selling ‘stock Android’ experience, rather than even trying to add their own skin. Of course, the biggies like Samsung and HTC had a whole line of their own products to support with their own software, but other medium to smaller players jumped in big. And the sales of Android devices went high. Really high. Through the roof kinda high.

AGAINST COMPETITORS>> HOW MANY ‘DROIDS ARE OUT THERE? Imagine, if you will, that every man, woman, and child in Europe owned an Android device. That still wouldn’t account for every device that’s been made, sold, and activated, according to the latest blog post from Google CEO Larry Page. In the same message that revealed Andy Rubin would be leaving his position as the head of Android development, Page mentioned almost in passing that Android had surpassed 750 million activated devices, including smartphones, tablets, and various other gadgets. For a quick reminder of Android’s continued rapid pace, we direct your attention to Eric Schmidt’s update in September of last year, when he said that 480 million devices had been activated. Keep in mind that Google’s measurements for “activated” were given as the number of devices that have been registered for use with a mobile carrier, use Google services, and have not been activated before. That being said, the number of actual Android devices that have been sold and used is probably higher, since plenty of Android devices (notably those in China, hardware from OEMs like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and non-phone gadgets like the OUYA) don’t use Google’s services or the Google Play Store. Tugging in the opposite direction is the fact that plenty of those activated devices are now out of service; with nearly five years of backlog, there are more than a few phones and tablets gathering dust in landfills or desk drawers. But any way you slice it, there’s a hell of a lot of Android hardware out there, and it’s growing more quickly than anyone might have guessed way back in 2008. Here’s to the little green robot that could.

evolution

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Angry T Birds venturing into a school?

he title confuses you as much as the first time we heard the news too! But yes, this is in fact, true! Finnish mobile gaming and entertainment company Rovio Entertainment has decided that they are going start imparting knowledge and are finding suitable partners in India to tie up with and start their own Angry Birds School. This would be one of the most brilliant ideas these game makers could have thought of! The concept of entering into the educational front is kickass! Henri Holm, Rovio Entertainment’s Senior Vice President (Asia) mentioned about this venture, “Angry Birds Playground is Finnish education packaged into a fun way of learning. The first product will be for pre-school, children aged five and six.” He also added that, there’s a great demand in Indian market for fun and creative learning, so they know they’ve an audience who would want to connect with this brand. It’s not like as it is a Finnish brand, it is going to concentrate on a Finnish national curriculum. We came across a blog post on the Rovio website in which Sanna Lukander, VP Learning and Book Publishing at Rovio, mentioned that the concept has been scientifically studied and proven in cooperation with the University of Helsinki's Cicero Learning Network. The idea is to actually inspire children in different life skill areas such as language, math and interaction, music, arts and crafts, and both physical and social education. It is being said that Rovio has partnerships for the same in China and the first of these playgrounds is expected to come up in Shanghai. They have entered into a preliminary agreement with local firm 123 Education Development Ltd. called Angry Birds Playground Club where the children will have access to Angry Birds learning materials such as activity books, toys, physical games, mobile math and an interactive whiteboard. Pretty neat! The senior VP also added that, “We are open to discussing the business model with the potential partner but we want to partner players who are innovative and want to build an experience that can be enjoyed by everyone.” As and when these schools would open up in the country, they will definitely create a huge buzz and parents would want to rush their children to the school. Having an international approach to their education would give a very polished outlook for their future. It would be pretty cool to play their game in their own Angry Birds School as well. Ha-ha! Angry Birds is no longer ‘just a game’. It has become a brand name in itself. Starting a school wouldn’t be their first venture. The next game from the franchise, Angry Birds Go, is scheduled to be available for downloads on December 11. This is again going to be an addiction as soon as it’s available. The company is also looking at ways to engage with Bollywood and also somehow be a part of Cricket. Sometime soon there might even be a movie on it. It might just be the world’s fastest growing franchise.

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Asus Transformer Pad Page No. 81

Nokia Lumia 625 Page No.82

iBall Andi Projector Page No. 78

Ferrari Earphones Gionee Elife E6 Panasonic P1 Canon Pixma Xperia Z1 LG G2

Also Available @ .com

I NOV 2013 I 77 77 I EXHIBIT I SEPTEMBER 2013

PROJECT YOUR WAY THROUGH EVERYTHING

IBALL ANDI 4A PROJECTOR R18,999/Reviewed By: Karishma Mody

Specifications

•35 lumens projector with VGA projection up to 10 feet •4 inches WVGA display •1.2 GHz dual core processor •512MB RAM •Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) •8MP camera with LED flash, VGA front camera •1500mAh battery •Dual SIM Dual Standby (GSM + GSM)

Verdict

The highlight about the phone is definitely its 35 lumen projector which separates this from the crowd as there is currently no other smartphone offering this feature. Apart from this characteristic, the smartphone is quite ordinary with simple basic features for which the price is exorbitant. It is definitely a savior for the people who do presentations on the go or for even those who enjoy trying out something new. There isn’t anything so flattering about this phone that will make consumers want it!

First Impressions

At first sight, it looks pretty simple and decent. But very soon you realize that, it is incredibly bulky! The Amdi 4a phone feels extra smooth in your hand and the display seems just fine. The most important and prominent feature of this smartphone is definitely the Projector. To adjust the focus, you will sport a small adjustor towards on the left side of the phone. It also has a small speaker on the back right at the bottom and the volume keys with the port jack follow on the right side of the phone.

Review

iBall might not be the first choice to your mind while purchasing a smartphone but the company has come a long way to at least, try to gain the consumers attention. The iBall Andi 4A Projector, to begin with, has a 4-inch IPS WVGA display with a 480x800 pixels resolution. The display was reasonable. Not too

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good, not too bad. The smartphone supports a 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor and runs on a 512MB RAM. The phone comes with Android v4.1 pre-installed. The camera attached is an 8MP Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash and also a VGA front-facing camera. Coming to the main attraction of the phone, it has a built in 35 Lumens Projector which has a resolution of approximately 480X640 pixels. The projection can go upto 8-10 feet and is surprisingly quite clear. You can adjust the focus too as there is an adjustor attached on the left and it is surprisingly easy to use. iBall has added a 4th soft key which when left pressed for 3-4 seconds, activates the projector. Same way applies to turn it off as well. Though a small glitch regarding this was it would consume a lot of battery. The display is pretty clean and the images come off as a bit soft, but with good enough contrast

ratios. It comes with a small silver tripod stand which makes viewing videos very easy. At the same time it is light and not very bulky. The smartphone has a 1500 mAh battery which we feel is a let down. Most of the battery is consumed while we use the projector. But apart from that, it gives us an approximate 12 – 14 hours of backup on a full charge. It has a 4GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. Not to forget, this one sports a Dual Sim. In others features, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS and 3G are included.

Not Quite Out Of The Stadium

The Gionee ELIFE E6 R22,999/-

Reviewed By: Chaitanya Tapase

Specifications

5” IPS Full HD Display 1.5GHz quad-core processor Android OS v4.2.1 (Jelly Bean) PowerVR Series5XT | 2GB RAM 13MP rear cam with LED flash, 1080p video 5MP front cam, 1080p video 32GB internal memory, no microSD card slot

Camera

Verdict

The 13MP camera has a Sony Exmor R sensor with a 2nd gen BSI sensor and 5 element lens. There is Electronic Image Stabilization, which kinda helps, but overall the image quality in low light is perhaps not the best. In natural bright lighting, plus mixed indoor lighting, the camera does really well though- plus the macro images it manages are perhaps the best in competition. 1080p video is certainly the best in this price range.

With plenty of players like Micromax, Karbonn and iBall already in the mid-to-low range smartphone market, the Elife E6 tries to offer a refreshingly new and interesting product. Lack of a bigger number of service centres is still a hindrance, though they have good quality products that usually won’t disappoint. But if it’s new and different that you want, with an emphasis on build quality, then the E6 is a good choice for you. Things could’ve been better with a more optimized OS, but it is not a bad product at all with all the heavy dosage of specs at a fair asking price.

First Impressions

Being a new-comer in an already crowded market isn’t easy, but Gionee have created a good impression so far, with budget-friendly smartphones with rather decent specs and quality too. The ELIFE E6 was launched at a rather interesting event held in Delhi, where a panel discussion on perception about Chinese Smartphones was tabled, among other things. At first, the ELIFE E6 reminded me of the iPhone, with the unibody design and especially the speaker grill – but this is an Android device, albeit a very heavily customised one at that.

Review

Leaving the awry viewing angles issue aside, I The amazingly light-weight body is what gets you first, then the wonderfully crafted unibody design. It is something to marvel about, especially considering the price point. In the box,

you also get earphones and charger with the micro SIM removal pin/tool, but you also get a matching coloured case which doubles up as a stand along with a plastic back stand, which can be quite handy while watching videos. Gionee finally got a much nicer button layout for the E6, with the power/lock key at the top left and volume rocker on the right side panel. It houses a 5” full HD IPS display, which has excellent colour contrast and viewing angles, plus very good levels of blacks too. Once unlocked, you realize how deeply the Chinese smartphone maker has customised the Android experience on this product, with the Amigo Interface looking like a derivative of the MUIU ROM, which lets users to install everything on the homescreen itself. Yes, there is no app drawer whatsoever, but you can certainly use a launcher if you want that kind of an interface. Talking about Amigo, though,

creating folders turned out the hardest part to accomplish. I clearly couldn’t get some icons to jump-in with each other to create a folder on their own and long-pressing on the homescreen gives you no options whatsoever. There are plenty of other customizations too, but most noteworthy is the gesture based customization which we’ve seen in the high-end Samsung smartphones, among others. The swipe to receive/reject calls and placing the phone to your ear when a contacts message is open to dial directly, are useful. Others like tracking the movement of your eyes to pause/ start videos are still a gimmick, I feel. Gaming, multi-tasking and overall use feels a bit jittery at times, which is quite disappointing considering the amazing specs of this device. The quad-core processor and 2GB RAM should’ve been able to handle things better, even though it has a Mediatek chipset. Battery life, on the other hand is rather good – with the phone managing a good showing of around 7-8 hours with continuous data usage and moderate screen on-time.

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Definite Improvement Panasonic P11 R16,490/Reviewed By: Allwyn D’souza

Specifications

.5-inch HD IPS display .1.2GHzQuad Core Processor .Android 4.1 Jelly Bean .8MP camera with Auto Focus .2MP front camera .1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal storage .2000 mAh battery

Verdict

Though the P11 is cheaper than the P51, the performance is better. Panasonic has definitely improved in a short span of time. However, if Panasonic wants to topple brands like MicroMax and Karbonn, it needs to work harder. Overall, the P11 does a good job. Priced at `16,490, the P11 offers good value for money.

First Impressions

When I reviewed the P51 (Panasonic’s first smart-phone for Indian market), we were really disappointed. Now, Panasonic is trying to gain a foothold in the smartphone market and they have got some fierce competition. With the P11, it is evident that Panasonic has learnt their lessons quickly. From the moment you switch the phone on, the improvement is clearly evident. P11 is one of the three smartphones that Panasonic launched recently and it is the most expensive of the lot.

Review

The Panasonic P11 has a good body even though it is plastic. The power key is placed on the right of the phone with the volume rocker on the left. On the top of the phone, you will notice the 3.5 mm earphone jack and a USB slot. The placement of the keys is good. You can easily push any of the keys while holding

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the phone in one hand. You need a put a little effort to remove the back panel. The back panel also houses an 8MP camera with an LED flash. At the bottom of the back panel, the speaker sits perfectly. Below the panel, you will find a Dual-SIM slot and a microSD slot. The Panasonic P11 comes with a 5-inch HD IPS display. The 5-inch display has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The display is bright but fades away under sunlight. When you are browsing the internet, your eyes don’t get stressed out by reading text. When you hit the menu key, the app drawer comes up with a jerk. That is something we witnessed in the P51 as well. It feels like your phone is running slow. That clearly isn’t the case as the P11 is powered by a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The phone also has 1GB RAM and 4GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 32GB. Most of the apps run smoothly plus heavy games like Dead Trigger

worked without any hiccups. The Panasonic P11 has an 8MP camera. We were surprised by the performance of the camera. The camera performs well even outdoors. So the images taken from the P11 are good enough to earn likes on Facebook and Instagram. So if you buy the P11, its camera won’t disappoint you. The phone runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the interface is good. The 2000 mAh battery is good enough to keep the P11 away from the charger for 8-9 hours with heavy usage.

Doubles up as a Tablet

ASUS Transformer Book TX300 You mostly don’t hear people grumble about an ASUS product. They are usually always the prettiest ones shining out. But is this gadget a letdown, or has just set the bar even higher for this brand?

R91,999/-

Reviewed By: Karishma Mody

Specifications

Transformer Book TX300 Windows 8 13.3” Full HD IPS Touch Panel Intel 3rdGen i5-3337U 4GB RAM 500GB 5400rpm + 128GB SSD

Verdict

On a final note, the Asus Transformer Book TX300 is definitely a beauty. Has a strong battery life and has a great look and brilliant performance. The keyboard can be your favorite feature. The only part that is depressing is that the 13 inch tablet is way too heavy. It heats up soon too and the fear that the tablet might get detached is scary. But its feature of turning into a tablet anytime you want from a laptop is great. The problem might be that the price you pay for this product, might be a bit too much. But if you are getting laptop and a tablet both, it is definitely worth the investment.

First Impressions

It is without a doubt, a gorgeous laptop which on the outside came with a dark grayish super smooth finish. Spotted with a 13 inch display, they had very stylishly placed their logo in the center and had thin speakers on both the sides. At the top center, it had a camera for easy clicking. On opening the flap you will find the smooth black keys which has a sparkling white light emitting from below which absolutely adds charm to the display. The keys are light and make typing quite fun. The keys are placed on a very smooth silver metallic surface and the track pad blends in perfectly with the color scheme. The most apparent feature is that the screen can be detached and can be used as a standalone tablet. The screen itself has the physical power switch, the volume buttons and even the audio jack port.

Review

To begin with, the features that are embedded in this laptop are quite high. It has an i7 core processor, a 13 inch full HD Display and runs

smoothly on Windows 8. It might seem a little heavy at 1.9 kg. The tablet alone is almost 1.1 kg which is unnecessary quite heavy. The detachable tablet has a 10 finger touch capacity. When transformed into a tablet, it makes watching movies and playing games completely easy. We will have to mention that this is the best feature of the Asus Transformer Book. A tablet built in a laptop works out just fine. It has 128GB SSD storage (for tablet mode) and 500GB hard disk (for ultra book mode) and comes with 4GB RAM which makes this product work as smooth as you can imagine. Apart from the HD front camera, it sports a 5MP unit on the back. Ha. Almost like a smart phone. You cannot help but feel the similarity with the MacBook Air. It shares the same look and a similar keypad. The keypad is extremely flat and smooth. Soft keys as well. Moving to the dock, there might be a small glitch here. While detaching and attaching it back, you will have to be a little careful as the possibility of it slipping out might haunt

you. The screen when attached felt a little wobbly. Moving on, the track pad felt as light as air. The sensitivity was just apt and you’d never want to go to using a mouse ever again. The battery is actually, good! It gives you an approximate 8 hour run time. The tablet alone will give you 5 hours of run time as it has a 5000mAh battery life. The speakers were pretty sharp. But nothing really to boost about. The audio is powered by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower. The touchscreen feature also adds the extra benefit to it. It works while the tablet is attached to the dock too. In others, it supports Wi-fi, Bluetooth and the ports included are Ethernet; Headphone/Mic; micro HDMI; Mini Display Port; Proprietary and USB 3.0.

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Bigger isn’t better Nokia Lumia 625 R19,999 /Reviewed By: Allwyn D’souza

Verdict

Nokia Lumia 625 is a solid performer. However, the ‘wow’ factor is missing. Nokia is going out with a bang with the Lumia 1020 and possibly a few other phones lined up. Nokia fans can hope that Microsoft brings back the glory days.

Specifications

•4.7” IPS LCD display •5MP camera with LED flash •1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor •512 MB RAM •Windows 8 OS •2000 mAh battery

First Impressions

Colourful. That is my first impression of the Nokia Lumia 625. I’m talking about the back panel here. The device comes with a 4.7-inch screen which is quite good. This is one of the last smartphones by the Finnish makers. What happens to the Lumia series under Microsoft remains to be seen.The main feature of the Lumia 625 is the screen size and it is disappointing. The Lumia 625 is currently the largest Lumia yet, beating Lumia 920 and 925, which have 4.5-inch displays

Review

The Lumia 625 looks similar to the Lumia 620, however, it is sleeker. It is available in Black, White, Yellow, Green and Orange variants. Nokia has used translucent polycarbonate material, which somewhat glows in sunlight.The back panel has a matte finish that helps you grip the phone better. When you remove the back panel, the microSD and SIM card slots sit underneath. The volume rocker, the lock key and camera key are well placed on the right. The 3.5mm headphone slot stands alone on

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top. The design of the Lumia 625 is good and inspite of the screen size, it is perfect for one hand use. This Lumia sports a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display. The screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2. The screen is brighter than other Lumia phones. The resolution of 480 × 800 pixel displays rich and vibrant colours. However, the low resolution makes text and images appear pixelated. Nokia could have used a big screen in a better way. Visibility under the sun is decent and viewing angles are decent too. Clearly with Nokia, bigger isn’t better. The Lumia 625 runs on Windows 8.0, however, the Amber 8.1 update has been rolled out. The interface remains the same. The dynamic live tiles push the important notifications right on the homepage. Windows, Android or iOS. In the end, it all comes down to your personal choice. Though I have to admit, Windows platform is more stable than Android. But the app market is the game changer. Android being an open platform will always offer more apps. The Lumia 625 has a 5MP camera with LED flash. You can tinker with various settings

including selecting scenes, camera effects, ISO, white balance, saturation and flash, among others. The camera did a decent job. Pictures taken both indoors and outdoors were good. However, if you look closely, picture detailing was missing. Colours werereproduced with a satisfactory outcome. The front-facing camera worked well for Skype calls. The phone is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 512 MB of RAM. The 8GB of in-built storage is enough for apps while the option of 64GB expandable memory also can be used. All the games and apps worked without any lag. Also, full HD videos and other formats are supported on this device. The phone comes with a 2000 mAh non-removable battery and it lasted for more than 12 hours. I used Whatsapp, called and texted, browsed internet and watched videos too. Have to mention, the screen brightness was reduced.

The Trek Mountain Bike Contest

The Trek 3500 can be your weekend trail bike, your workday commuter, or both. Answer these simple questions and the world's best-selling mountain bike can be yours. What is the frame of the Trek 3500 built with? a)Alpha Silver Aluminium b)Alpha Copper Aluminium c)Alpha Brass Aluminium What is the wheel size of Trek 3500 a)26’’ b)27.5’’ c)29’’ Where is the Head quarters of Trek bikes situated a)China b)USA c)Europe What category does Trek 3500 come in a)Road b)Hybrid c)Mountain What is URL of Trek Bikes website? a)www.trekbikes.com b)www.trekbikes.in c)www.trekbikes.co.in

Kindly mail us your answers on contest@exhibit.co.in Winners would be notified by E-mail /exhibitmag

/exhibitmagazine

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PERFECTION REDESIGNED THE LG G2 16GB - R 41,500/32GB – `43,500/-

Reviewed By: Karishma Mody

After the successful partnership which LG made with Google presenting us with the Google Nexus 4, LG is all set with their own flagship smartphone – The LG G2.

Specifications 5.2-inch True HD-IPS LCD Display 2.26 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) 13 MP camera with LED flash, 1080p video 2.1 front facing camera, 1080p video Internal Storage – 16/32 GB |2GB RAM Adreno 330 GPU 3,000mAh battery

First Impressions

The first thing you notice is that the display runs till the sides of the screen. This makes the screen look large and perfectly clean. It has no physical keys or soft keys and has no buttons again on the sides of the phone either. Unlike typical smartphones; LG has placed the power and volume keys on the back cover of the phone right below the camera. The phone build is plastic and has a glossy design to it. It isn’t too heavy and fits perfectly in your palms. The G2 is thin if you compare it to other smartphones. It has an HD Display and the screen is too crisp and sharp. The audio jack and USB slot are conveniently placed below. The signature LG logo follows at the bottom of the screen.

Review Concentrating on the look first, the LG G2 doesn’t disappoint us. It has a 5.2 inch full HD display with the reduced bezel. This plus point maximizes the on screen look providing us with maximum screen size and yet, keeping into the account, the overall size of the phone. The G2’s display comes with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 protection making it resistant to scratches.Going to the back panel, the LG G2 has its volume and power keys situated on the back side of the phone. This is something very unusual but it actually makes more sense as it becomes very easy to use it with one hand. LG sweetly calls them, the Rear key. You might mind your hand automatically sliding around the edges searching for the lock key or even the volume key but after using for barely 30 minutes, you wouldn’t even realize anything different. The plastic look keeps the phone easy and light. Even after using it for long hours, the phone did not completely heat up. That was a good change. It has a 1920x1080 displaywhich gives us a 424 PPI density. It has a 2.26GHz quad-core Krait 400 so of course, it is

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quite brilliant with its performance. The internal storage space comes in two variants’ - 16GB and 32GB. It comes with a 2GB RAM which is quite apt and appropriate. The battery life is something which we should definitely give some importance. It has a 3,000mAh battery which lasted a good deal. We watched many videos and had the music player on for 2-3 hours and the battery was yet pretty neat and didn’t give us a hard time. LG has put in a lot as far as we talk about the camera. The LG G2 sports a 13 megapixel rear camera along with a 2.1 megapixel front facing camera. The coolest feature would be the built in camera app

Verdict

The phone works super fast, has the neatest display you will come across and has a battery life which is most importantly, unbeatable than the rest. The camera features are preposterous! Getting used to the power and volume keys at the back might take a while to get use as it is a fairly new change. Sometimes, the phone does get smudged with finger prints but that should barely be a matter of concern. The LG G2 is mark of perfection.

which allows you to take pictures with voice commands by probably just saying, “Cheese”. The scene mode provides us with Normal, HDR, Burst shot, Panorama, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night and others. The image quality is quite magnificent. Putting the LG G2 camera to test, the images taken indoors in poor lighting still came clean and polished. Hardly and vignetting and no aliasing was noticed. When taken outdoors, the photos in the daylight came quite well. The detailing and color was satisfying. The Time catch mode on the LG G2’s camera app starts capturing shots even before you hit the shutter and offers the five best ones you can choose from. Another addition is the ‘Virtual Reality’ Panorama lets you create a 3D view of your surroundings by getting together different photos.The camera also features an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), which helps take better shots during low-light situations. It also offers an 8X Zoom as well. The dual camera option, like in Samsung Galaxy S4, is pretty cool too. It uses the front and back camera to capture images. Speaking about the video quality, it is compar-

atively better than others in competition. The color and contrasts look great. If you ought to compare it with the Samsung Galaxy S4 or even the HTC One, it certainly givesthem a tough competition. What amazes us is that, a smart phone camera could be so good. A great job with the Camera overall. Going to the UI, The LG G2 runs on 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It would have actually been better with the 4.3 update but nonetheless. The screen really looks bright while just using the phone. It is equipped with the smart screen feature which detects the user’s eye staring at the screen. The basic theme looks sharp but it had an option to switch to a theme called “marshmallow’ which completely transformed the screen to a baby pink screen with a cute set of icons making it very adorable. Kind of a chic display! You can switch from 7 screens; change the font size as per your requirement and with the help of the KnockON, you only need to tap the screen twice to unlock and even lock the phone.The animation to slide and unlock the phone is the best part. It shows the unlocked screen bit by bit till it is completely unlocked. Another new software feature that the LG G2

offers is Slide Aside, a way to multitask by moving between three apps at once via a three-finger swipe gesture.LG G2 provides you with a Guest Mode too. It is an interesting feature to have. This feature allows you to create a guest mode with pre-selected apps for times when your friends or family want to use your phone, but you don’t want to expose personal data and apps.It could also be beneficial to segregate your personal and professional data too. Another cool feature is Answer Me, which makes it easier to answer calls by simply putting the phone to your face.The LG G2 includes additional apps for Backup, File Manager, File sharing, a Dictionary, a Memo app, a Notebook app, Polaris Office Viewer 5, a Quick Translator app, LG’s service related apps, LG’s own app store (SmartWorld), a Task Manager, and apps for video editing. It also offers Life Square an app that collects your social media posts, call logs, messages, photos and videos. The notification panel is similar like in all Android devices. Almost all the connectivity features you need are settled here. The phone is super fast. The 2GB RAM does its job brilliantly. It even barely takes seconds to boot the phone. Talking sound, while making calls, we had no trouble. Voice clarity was clean and loud. The speakers worked well too. We tried on some dub-step music to see how the clarity would be, and again, we weren’t disappointed. The bass was good too. Honestly, did not expect that. Was glad to see that the LG G2 had Radio too as this feature was skipped in the LG Optimus G Pro. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, Infrared port and 4G LTE. Safe to say, the LG G2 has got it right. Almost everything right! I NOV 2013 I 85

Easy & Convenient Printing

With Canon’s Pixma MG7170 R20,495/R19,495/-

(Red & Brown) (Black)

Reviewed By: Chaitanya Tapase

Specifications

466x369x148mm (approx.) dimensions 9600x2400 dpi of print resolution 21 sec (borderless 4x6”) photo print speed 10.0 ipm (colour) / 15.0 ipm (B&W) print speed 3.5” colour TFT viewer with Intelligent Touch System LCD

First Impressions

While running a Home Office or just trying to get most things in an actual office can be a real frustrating experience at times, there are some brands that have tried to ease this out by offering some really good solutions. Case in point here is the new Pixma MG 7170 printer from Canon, which also lets you scan and print any document, image or presentation – wirelessly!

Review

Setting up the Pixma MG 7170 wasn’t a hard experience at all, the easy-to-understand quick start guide helps you understand the components and the diagrams are large and simple enough for anyone to comprehend. There really wasn’t much to it, once the main printer itself was set in its position. The only real work was to set-up the ink jets that would need the protective seal to be removed and clamped securely to begin the printing tasks. The initial 6 minutes to boot might seem a bit long, but it’s nothing more than compared to the competition. Moreover, the ease of

setting up itself deserves brownie points, plus the added functionality that comes with it. To print wirelessly, even from a smartphone, all you need is the PIXMA Printing Solutions app on your Android/iOS device. Pairing and sending the print directly to the printer from our smart device was really easy with minimal issues. Even from a browser, we were able to print various things without glitches, though we wished there were more controls on the actual app to control the area that needs to be printed and perhaps throw in some customizing options too. We also had great success by printing images right from cloud services too, which is a great bonus. The ChromaLife 100+ technology from Canon really shines through when minutely checking the print quality, with excellent amount of details reproduced in print with great colour contrast levels. The print speed is fairly fast, plus there are options to use 2-sided print as well, to save on paper used (esp good for documents). Another feature that we loved was the Auto Power ON, which woke up the printer from sleep when it detected the print command from

a remote device (i.e. our smartphone) and started printing right away. The entire set-up for remote devices is fairly easy too, but on a smaller 3.5” display it does become a tad hard to work your way around. On the extras front, there is a My Image Garden software bundled with the package that lets you do a lot of fun things with the images – like creating collages, adding text etc.

Verdict

The overall package that you get with the Pixma MG7170 printers is great, the end product from each print we took was reproduced in great detail. Compatibility with XL ink cartridges is an added bonus, so are the software and services that come with it. This helps in reducing the overall cost of running the product and makes the MG7170 a great deal for the money paid.

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Class Act

Ferrari Cavallino T150 Earphones R12,935/-

Reviewed By: Allwyn D’souza

Specifications

TFAT Driver Technology 1 Button Mic Remote Driver Size: 10mm Speaker Impedance: 16 Ohms Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz Speaker Sensitivity: 97dB ± 3dB at 1 KHz 1mW Cables: 3.5mm Stereo Plug Cable Material: Woven Fabric Carry Case

Verdict

Priced at INR 12,935, some may think it’s too expensive. However, once you spend big on the Ferrari Cavallino T150 Earphones, it will be worth the money. When it comes to performance, you will be left with a good feeling.

First Impressions

While I dream of owning a Red Ferrari, I got my hands on the T-150 earphones from Logic3. Classy! That was my first impression. But with any earphones, looks don’t matter, if the sound quality is not up to the mark. After shuffling through 1231 tracks on my phone, I was sad when I had to part with the review unit. Usually, that does not happen. I had a pleasant time with the Ferrari T150s.

Review

As I mentioned earlier, in terms of design, the Ferrari T-150 earphones look classy. The T150s offer an aesthetically pleasing finish with a soft leather outer wrapped around a brushed metal and glossed plastic shell.They are available in black or tan leather options. The review unit given to me was tan leather. I have also seen the black unit. Choosing between the two isn’t the easiest decision. The cable of the T150

earphones is made of a woven fabric, which is much better than rubber. The only drawback in the overall design was the in-line mic and volume controls, which is made of plastic. These earphones will find a lot of buyers because of the Ferrari branding. However, that isn’t the only positive. The performance is top notch. The Logic3 Ferrari Cavallino T150s play host to a 10mm TFAT driver, with the Thin Film Acoustic Technology dynamic-balancing system helping to generate deeper bass levels over rival headphones within a wider frequency range. This frequency response range covers from 20-20,000Hz. I used them with a Sony Xperia, Apple iPhone, Nokia Lumia and Samsung S3. No performances issues with any of those smartphones. Hands free calling, in-line mic and volume controller worked well. Ensuring maximum comfort when plugging your ears with relatively intrusive ear buds,

Logic3 and Ferrari have paired the Cavallino T150s with five sets of varyingly sized silicone tips. You also get a compact, fabric covered, hard-backed carry case. It is really handy to ensure your earphones aren’t damaged. With a suitably soft interior and a mesh pocket for the additional tips, this sturdy storage option offers ample protection against all manner of knocks and bumps leaving you at ease. So, dump that case deep in your bag without any worries.

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The Waterproof Smartphone – Part Deux

The Sony Xperia Z1 R44,990/-

Reviewed By: Chaitanya Tapase

Specifications

5” Full HD TFT Triluminous display 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor Android OS v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Adreno 330 GPU | 2GB RAM 20.7MP cam with LED flash, 1080p video Shatter proof and scratch-resistant glass

Camera

The 20.7MP camera is the real star of the Z1, taking some amazing images in almost every light condition with a great amount of detail. Although some low light images could’ve been better, there is no denying the Z1 is more than a capable smartphone camera. Strangely, for every mode (like HDR etc) you need to change the resolution to 8MP- in the 20MP res you can take images with minimal manual controls. Video quality is perhaps the best in smartphones in the same price range and that’s saying a lot.

Verdict

There is no doubt, the Z1 can stand its own against the biggies like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and even the LG G2. Heating issues exist in all these phones to some extent, but the battery life is the most dismal in the Z1, no doubt. Even though the camera is quite fantastic, the Lumia’s will have something to say in that department – making the Z1 a good competitor in a great line-up of some stunning smartphones by all the major brands in the market.

First Impressions

For our crazy monsoon and generally dusty weather, a waterproof and weather-sealed smartphone makes sense. The much-hyped Z1 from Sony felt premium in my hand the first time I held it, with its shatter-proof glass and weather sealing. Once you power it on and start using it for a while, you can tell the 5” full HD display is bright, colours stand out well and contrast ratios are really good. Tilt it slightly and they begin to fade, which reminds me of the same old tale with the Xperia Z earlier this year. So, is the Z1 gonna redeem the Xperia brand?

Review

Leaving the awry viewing angles issue aside, I was rather surprised at how heavy the phone felt in the hand. Coming in at 170g, it is 40g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S4, which might not sound like much but feels substan-

tial. The premium quality of metal and glass does make it a stand-out, though the finger prints it takes on really undercuts the overall ‘premium feel’ that Sony strives to achieve with their flagships. The ‘sealed-up’ treatment given to the Z1 does ensure that the occasional splash of water and dust doesn’t damage the internals, but also tends to affect the speaker output. Giving the benchmarks a complete skip (most brands cheat off of them, anyway) it is easy to realise this smartphone is one of the best performing smartphones in the market right now, with an incredible Snapdragon 800 chipset powering the beast, supported with 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU. Multimedia experience is great, especially with Sony’s own touches of BRAVIA engine and ClearAudio enhancements, the same we had seen on the Xperia Z. Unfortunately, if you turn off these enhancements

completely – it feels a rather average phone. Turn all of them up, consume media – the battery doesn’t even last more than 6 hours! Gaming and running a multitude of apps is a pleasant and smooth experience, especially considering all of this is not running on stock Android – but Sony’s own skinned version of it. The changes they have added here are the ‘floating apps’ which you can access when you tap the multi-window icon and a handy side bar which can be accessed from the app drawer by swiping to the right from the left edge, which has some nice handy options. Customizations from Sony also continue in the keyboard, with a differently styled layout – which I quite liked and wished I could it use it on other Android phones. Surprisingly, using native apps like camera heated the phone up quicker than some high-end games, but make no mistake – it does up heat up quite a bit and times like those There are several in-built apps and services that you get with the Z1, unfortunately not all of them are available in India.

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One Stop Charging Solutions The Reliable Power Banks ....howzzat

s your gadgets keep getting advanced as each day passes by, their capacity to hold these new features sometimes detoriates. Now of course you cannot keep carrying your mobile phone charger with you everywhere and searching for a plug in. Introducing the best thing that ever happened to save the smartphone – POWER BANK Power Bank is basically your saviour when your battery runs down to 5% and you are about to receive that important phone call. Maybe not work, but if you’re out at a party and want to click over 50 pictures and damn, battery down to 10% again.

These sweet chargers help you charge your gadget ANYWHERE! It’s almost like a wireless portable charger that fits in while you travel. Power Banks come in a variety too. There are too many brands to choose from, too many designs, too many shapes and colours and exactly the way you want it according to your convenient. This gadget is much more flexible too compared to the travel charger as it does not need any power source. You can charge this gadget at home when at leisure and just keep it in your bag and use it as and when it’s required. The best part about this is; that we all realize the importance of this gadget. We all will have to agree that we are so dependent on our smart phones that we cannot keep it out of sight for even a second and have to fidget with it all the time for either work or entertainment. At such desperate times, Power Bank does save the day!

In very simple words, Power Bank replaces your everyday mobile charger into a small, sleek and stylish portable charger which can be used while you’re on the move. If you think about it, back in the day, ‘charging on the go’ meant plugging in your charger with the help of the electricity from your car and charging your mobile phone. Well, things have pretty much changed since then.

CONS PROS

•You can choose a higher mAh power bank than you’re smart phone which will in fact help charge your phone at a faster rate. You do need it to charge quickly as you require it the most when outdoors. •The looks are awesome! So many designs and colours and not to forget, convenient to carry and so compact that it can fit in anywhere. •Even though it is a fair new concept in the market, it yet comes at an affordable price. •Power bank chargers are universal, by using a micro USB or mini USB port for charging. •It is available for your smartphones as well as tablets. Android based as well as iOS compatible.

The only one point which you definitely need to remember while power bank shopping is purchase a branded one. There are many fake ones in market and they might just spoil your battery life and deteriorate it even more instead of saving it.

On that note, Power Bank helps save our gadget’s battery and keeps them active almost 24 hours a day. Just what we want! Just what we need!

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HYBRID CARS: EVERYTHING YOU OUGHT TO KNOW! Why do we need them? Resources on our planet are finite, with some of them being rather harmful to our planet’s existence. The more ‘fossil fuel’ we burn every day, the more poisonous gases we will release in the environment, which keeps depleting our Ozone layer (You know the layer that keeps us safe from Sun’s harmful UV rays & such). Thus, a lot of smart people came up with the idea of creating cars that didn’t need to burn these fossil fuels as their only source of power to run. It’s not only helping our environment, but also means it is ultimately cheaper to use such cars on a daily basis. With rising cost of fuel, most people would jump at the opportunity of owning something that doesn’t run on such an expensive commodity. Many consumers relish the thrill of driving right by the gas station. Who can blame them, as it might be the greatest luxury of them all. While enhanced fuel economy has come to vehicles in every market segment these days, hybrids and EVs still have strong appeal to some consumers. Hybrids represent an entry-level solution that minimizes the impact of their conventional gasoline engine on mpg in city driving. Plug-in hybrids offer extended electric range before the conventional gasoline engine comes to life. And the electric vehicle takes gasoline out of the equation altogether. The smart shopper does the purchase calculus based on affordability and practical range as well as pure fuel-efficiency. All this high-end technology in a single machine does mean that the overall cost of the machine does go up considerably. But, there are some manufacturers that are defying the conventional pricing range and offering not just affordable cars, but cars that can nearly match gasoline powered cars in terms of performance. Now, that’s something that really ought to be music to all you speed junkies!

Hybrid Vehicle historical timeline Steam Power

The first steam-powered motor car or rather motor carriage was made by Nicholas Cugnot in 1769. The Gurney steam car, built by Sir Goldsworthy Gurney in 1825 completed an 85 mile round-trip journey in ten hours’ time.

Electric Power and early Electric Car

In or about the year 1839, Moritz von Jacobi sailed an electric boat on the Neva, with the help of an electromagnetic engine of one horse- power, fed by the current from a battery of Grove cells, and in 1882 a screw launch, carrying several passengers, and propelled by an electric motor of three horse-power, worked by forty-five accumulators, was tried on the Thames. Rodert Anderson built the first crude electric carriage in 1839. In 1870 David Salomon developed a electric car with a light electric motor. The batteries are at this time heavy so performance was poor.

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The first electric "railway" was built by Dr. Werner von Siemens in 1879. The wheels of the car were driven by an electric motor drawing its electricity from the rails which where insulated from ground and connected to a generator.

(Henry Ford) gradually killed off the Hybrid “Cars”. A notable exceptions is the1921 Owen Magnetic Model 60 Touring which uses a gasoline engine to run a generator that supplies electric power to motors mounted in each of the rear wheels.

In 1889 Magnus Volk made several electric carriages, one for the Sultan of Turkey. It was propelled by a one- horse-power Immisch electric motor and thirty "EPS" accumulators to give a speed of 16 kms an hour. Between 1885-1889 M. Goubet constructed submarines, propelled by a screw and an electric motor fed by accumulators, for discharging torpedoes and exploring the sea.

Hybrid cars did not appear again until the in 1960’s and 1970’s, when cars like the 1965 GM512 and especially the 1973 VW Taxi Hybrid Vehicle which was produced in the wake of the Arab Oil embargo.

The London Electric Cab Company began regular service in 1897 using cars designed by Walter Bersey. The Bersey Cab, used a 40-cell battery and 3 horsepower electric motor and had a usable range of 80 kms.

THE CURRENT LOT

The first Hybrid Vehicle’s The Lohner-Porsche

In 1899 Dr Ferdinand Porsche, then a young engineer at Jacob Lohner& Co, built the first Hybrid Vehicle or more specifically the first Hybrid Car. The Lohner-Porsche petrol-electric ‘Mixte’ used a petrol engine rotating at a constant speed to drive a dynamo, which charged a bank of accumulators. These, in turn, fed current to electric motors contained within the hubs of the front wheels.Therefore there was no need of drive shafts, transmission, gears, straps, chains,or clutch. Due to its extreme simplicity the transmission operated, therefore, without losses produced by mechanical friction with an incredible yield of 83%. When it first appeared in the World Exhibition of Paris, in April 14th, 1900, the Lohner-Porsche with electrical motors astonished the automobile world and was an authentic novelty for the automobile fans of that time. The innovating success of this design catapulted Dr. Ferdinand Porsche to the fame as engineer. 300 Lohner Porsches where produced. The patent was later sold to Emil Jellinek. The Krieger Hybrid made in 1903, used a gasoline engine to supplement a battery pack. As you can see it is nearly identical to the 1903 LohnerPorsche. Up to the 1920’s several manufacturer made Hybrid “Cars” over a similar mold. Hybrid Cars like the Belgian Auto-Mixte added to the technology.The Auto-mixte, produced in Liege Belgium in 1906/7 used an interesting technology called the Henri-Pieper system. The 24hp engine drove via a magnetic disc clutch a motor dynamo that was connected to a transmission that was without a gearbox, and then to the rear wheels by chain final drive. Normally the engine alone could be used to propel the car. When the load was light or braking required the dynamo driven by the engine or the final drive (Regenerative braking,) could be used to charge a bank of 28 Tudor batteries in series. When the load was heavy the battery could be used to drive the dynamo as a motor to assist the engine, or the electric motor could be used to drive the car on its own. This was achieved using a hand operated controller to select the required configuration electrically. The clutch disc was also utilized as part of a magnetic brake. In 1905 H. Piper filed a patent for a petrol-electric hybrid vehicle. His idea was to use an electric motor to assist an internal-combustion engine, mainly to augment the ICE to let the vehicle accelerate to 40 kilometers per hour in 10 seconds, instead of the usual 30. By the time the patent was issued, three and a half years later, engines had become powerful enough to achieve this kind of performance on their own. Cheap petrol and advances in ICE and automobile production in general

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But Hybrid Vehicle technology did not disappear its development continued in another arena.

The Not-So-Expensive Bunch.

While the selection of hybrid powertrains grows each year, we’ve been consistent in picking the Toyota Prius as our top choice in the under $40,000 category. But now we’re breaking that pattern and going with the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The redesigned Fusion Hybrid is slightly larger, sportier and more upscale-looking. It has a well-furnished cabin and loads of hightech features. Most important, it boasts a new engine, and while smaller than last year’s, it combines with Ford’s smooth electric-drive system to deliver more power and much-improved fuel economy of 20 kmpl city and highway, an impressive 20 percent better than the 2012 version. There’s still a Prius among our picks for 2013, but instead of the standard model we went for the smaller and less-expensive Toyota Prius C as our second choice. The subcompact C is slightly sportier-looking than its big brother, and it’s downsize propulsion system makes for sluggish acceleration. But the C delivers an EPA-rated 21kmpl combined fuel economy. While the ride can be a bit harsh and the interior has an overabundance of hard plastics, the fuel economy combines with budget-friendly pricing and a plethora of safety equipment to make this member of the Prius family a winner. Another Ford rounds out our top hybrid picks for under $40K. The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid is a well-built, fun-to-drive alternative to the small SUV. It offers plenty of passenger space but is short of the competition on cargo space, and it has that finicky MyFord Touch infotainment system. But these shortcomings are erased by pluses that start with a refined gas-electric drive system that’s not only the most powerful in its class but also delivers 20 kmpl fuel economy, both city and highway. The base SE model is loaded with standard features and has plenty of options as well.

Electric Vehicles Under $40,000

Our top pick in the under-$40,000 EV category is the Chevrolet Volt, which is a great way to wean yourself off gasoline and reduce your carbon footprint. It offers an all-electric range of 64 kms and then fires up its four-cylinder gas engine. In all-electric mode the Volt quietly provides great torque off the line. Within the cabin, the gauge cluster and video screen offer attractive high-tech graphics. The drawbacks include a high price tag (though both Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf buyers are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit), small trunk and seating for only four. However, the Volt is an impressive return to GM’s commitment to electric cars. The Nissan Leaf proves to be a highly refined and affordable all-electric car. Nissan promises a range of 170kms city/148kms highway, but EPA tests put the real-world range at 117 kms, depending on conditions and driving style. The five-passenger hatchback is fun to drive, eerily quiet, ultra-responsive and also delivers surprisingly good handling. Public charging stations are appearing slowly, so home charging is still mandatory, preferably at the faster rate of 240 volts. Lease payments for the Leaf are reasonable and the cost of electricity versus gas will definitely win you over. The Ford C-Max Energi is another outstanding gas sipper to consider. This plug-in electric hybrid wagon, the first from Ford, delivers an impressive 20 kmpl while providing an amazing 800 kms of driving range between fill-ups, plus lively handling. The lithium-ion battery pack recharges from a standard 120-volt electric outlet. Priced at $32,950, the roomy C-Max features a high roof design, seats five passengers and has 1,229 litres of cargo space.

SPECIAL MENTION FOR THE TESLA S

2013 Tesla Model S What’s New for 2013

After selling out of last year’s limited-edition Signature line-up, the 2013 Tesla Model S returns with base and Performance trims only. The car is pretty much unchanged, though heated seats are now available with both cloth and leather upholstery. Later in the model year, Tesla discontinued the base 40kWh battery pack; customers who ordered that version received a detuned version of the available 60kWh battery pack.

What’s it about

Sleek, seductive, luxurious, powerful and inspiring are all words that you’d expect to hear about the latest European luxury sedan. But in this case, we’re talking about one of America’s latest home-grown electric vehicles, the 2013 Tesla Model S. The Model S is a huge departure from the typical electric car, with its luxury sedan accommodations and pulse-quickening performance. Thanks to a thoroughly modern interpretation of interior design and a host of advanced technological features, the Model S also serves as a new benchmark for all vehicles, electric or otherwise.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2013 Tesla Model S is classified as a large sedan and is available in two trim levels: base and Performance. Standard features for the base Model S include 19-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, full power accessories, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 17-inch touchscreen, cloth/premium vinyl upholstery, heated 12-way power front seats with memory functions, 60/40-split-folding rear seats, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a rear-view camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a seven-speaker sound system with dual USB ports and HD radio. Besides an increase in power output, the Performance models add the ability to use twin chargers, an active air suspension and leather upholstery. Since the Model S features mobile Internet connectivity, access to Webbased navigation and maps is possible, but turn-by-turn guidance is only available as part of the optional Tech package. Other Tech package

features include xenon headlights, LED foglights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, a power rear hatch, full keyless ignition/entry and a high-definition rear-view camera. The Sound Studio package includes a 12-speaker surround-sound audio system. Stand-alone options include 21-inch wheels with performance tires, a panoramic sunroof, rear-facing third-row seats, a cargo cover and the twin on-board chargers.

Interior Design and Special Features

The 2013 Tesla Model S features a cabin that is as modern and classy as you’ll find in any segment. Almost all knobs and buttons are absent, replaced by a sleek 17-inch vertical touchscreen that controls almost all on-board systems. It is essentially a big and beautiful iPad. Besides looking good, the system actually functions well, too. Users can configure the placement of audio, navigation and climate controls to their liking on the screen and we experienced few, if any, flaws. For the directionally challenged, however, we would recommend springing for the expensive Tech package that includes a turn-by-turn navigation system that is more like the units found in conventional cars. The standard system can access online maps for viewing, but that’s about the extent of its function. In terms of comfort, both front and rear seats offer ample legroom for adults, though taller rear-seat passengers may run out of headroom. The optional rear-facing jump seats, on the other hand, are almost comically small. Only small children are able to sit back there, though they are multipoint child seats, so no added safety seat is needed. These third-row seats fold flat into the foot well, allowing for a capacious 26.3 cubic feet of cargo space, which is significantly more than other large luxury sedans. Folding the middle row flat expands that space to 58.1 cubes. There’s also a secondary trunk under the hood that offers 5.3 cubic feet of storage. Materials throughout the cabin are high-quality enough to be comparable to the typical luxury sedan, but those who purchase the range-topping models might expect more than the Model S delivers. The leather upholstery is by no means a disappointment; it’s just not up to premium luxury standards. Elsewhere, the typical window switches and driver controls have been sourced from Mercedes-Benz, making them hard to fault by any measure.

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Don't just ride it, handle it with precision. The X-Caliber 7 with G2 Geometry, featuring a custom-offset fork and advanced frame geometry for precise handling at low speed without compromising highspeed stability. The X-Caliber 7 is the lightest, fastest and smartest 29" hardtail.

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A Theatre Just For You Quintessential

Home Theatre Buying Guide Words By-Chaitanya Tapase

It’s been almost a decade since we’ve had consumer tech brands spoil us with choices for TV’s, speakers, amplifiers, various type of players and what not! Thus, we’ve perhaps felt less of a need to actually visit crowded theatres and instead opt to build one in the comfort of our own homes. What’s more, with the way technology has been growing, most of these components perform brilliantly without taking up too much space in your living room. So, whether you plan to spend only `5,000 or `5 lacs, it’s imperative to familiarize yourself with the terminology and the technology involved.

So, without further ado, let’s get kicking!

Types>>

A typical 5.1-channel home-theater package includes a receiver that can decode multichannel digital-audio soundtracks and five compact speakers--two front, one center channel, and two surround speakers for the rear, plus a subwoofer for deeper bass sounds. A 6.1-channel system adds one more rear speaker, and a 7.1 system adds two more rear speakers. A 2.1-channel system has only the two front speakers and a subwoofer, but it might use special processing to simulate multi-channel sound. These prepackaged home-theater systems usually come with all the cables and wiring you need to connect the speakers, typically color-coded or labeled for easy setup. Some systems include a disc player, either a Blu-ray or DVD player, but others have no player. Some home-theater-in-a-box systems use wireless amplifiers for the surround speakers.

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Systems with a player>>

Many home-theater systems include a progressive-scan DVD player or a Blu-ray player, and some newer models include a 3D-capable Blu-ray player. The player might either be built into the receiver or be a separate unit. Systems that integrate the disc player and the receiver in one box tend to offer a bit less functionality and fewer connections than those that have two a separate receiver and disc player. Integrated units are somewhat simpler to set up, but they might not allow you to connect video devices other than a TV to the receiver.

Systems without a player>>

You can also buy a home-theater system that doesn’t have a disc player. This gives you the option of using a player you already own, or simply buying one of your choice. You’ll have to make another connection or two, but you might have more flexibility in setting up the system. Although an integrated device that uses a single remote control may be a bit simpler to use, a system that has separate remotes for the receiver and player may provide more comprehensive control over each device’s operations and features.

Sound bars>>

If you have a small space or want a simple way to enhance your TV’s sound without going to the trouble of assembling a full surround-sound system, you might be interested in sound bars. These are thin bars, sometimes about 40 inches long, that are hung on the wall or placed on a shelf above or below the TV. Most bars house

two to five speakers (some might have more) in a single enclosure, and some come with a separate subwoofer (often a wireless model). A few also have rear surround speakers. Some models now include a Blu-ray or DVD player built into the system. The advantage is that you can connect a sound bar directly to your TV, without using a receiver, and you’ll have few wires to deal with. (And you’ll have no wires running across the room with two-channel soundbars or models that use wireless amplifiers for the subwoofer and rear surround speakers.) Speaker arrangement or electronic techniques are used to simulate surround sound.

Features>>

Bundled all-in-one HTIB systems might not have as many features as standalone components, so make sure that any system you’re considering has all the features you want. Virtually all have enough speakers for at least a 5.1-channel surround setup and such basics as FM tuners and Dolby Digital and DTS surround-sound support. Other increasingly popular features are an integrated Sirius XM satellite-radio tuner, or a USB port or iPhone/iPad/iPod dock for connecting an iPod or other Apple device. There is usually an auxiliary output for connecting other brands of portable music players so you can listen to your digital music through the sound system. Some models now include wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth or NFC (Near Field

Communication), for pairing with smart phones and tablets.

Speakers>>

HTIB surround-sound systems come with five to seven speakers and a subwoofer. All have been matched for sound, eliminating the need for you to do that. Some systems use small satellite speakers for the front and rear, though others might have floor-standing models for the front. A number of systems have surround speakers powered by wireless amplifiers that eliminate the need to run cables from the receiver to the rear of the room; these generally communicate with the receiver by radio frequency. You will have to plug the wireless amplifier into a wall outlet and connect it to the rear speakers, though, so they’re not completely cordless. Some subwoofers can also connect wirelessly, further reducing cable runs. The speakers included may use proprietary connections, so you can’t add more speakers or use these speakers with other receivers. A subwoofer might be powered or not powered; powered models must be plugged into an electrical outlet. A powered subwoofer often provides more control over bass.

Receiver>>

The receivers in HTIB systems tend to be more basic than standalone models. They usually include Dolby Digital and DTS decoders for handling surround-sound tracks when playing a DVD or Blu-ray disc. A few models offer newer Dolby and DTS surround formats that process 6.1 or 7.1 channels, which support an additional one or two rear-surround speakers, respectively. Some may support

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Continuous Shooting and Autofocus Speed

have another bigor advantage point-and-shoots—speed. The time the latest audioD-SLRs formats, Dolby a Blu-ray over player, send digital that it takes between hitting the shutter button and the camera capturing a TrueHD and DTD-HD Master audio signals over the HDMI picture, referred Audio, which are used on most to as shutter cable.lag, and the wait time between taking photos—recycle of time—are Blu-ray discs. Many the neweroften concerns with compact cameras. D-SLRs generally focus very and deliver shutter is nearly immeasurable. HTIB systems are 3Dquickly enabled Switchedlag ACthat outlets let you plug Continuous shooting is measured in frames per second. and can send signals from a 3D in other components and turn on At minimum, you should that can shoot frames second, although sports Blu-ray player to a 3D look TV. for a camerathe whole system3with one per button. and nature shooters will want to look for a camera that can shoot faster than 5 These are less common with frames per second. Of course, the autofocus has to be able to keep up HTIB systems than onsystem component with the frame rate. receivers. Many HTIB systems that incorpoChoose Camera That Feels Right rate a Blu-ray player alsoaoffer In themovies end, this boilsfor down to. It's very important to choose a camera access to streaming or is what it Look a front panel with that feels comfortable in your hands. While most D-SLRs are similar in size and TV shows from services such as displays and controls grouped the styling of controls, Amazon.com, build, CinemaNow, Hulu.of the handgrip, by functionposition and labeled clearly. and other ergonomic feadiffer drastically. The camera youfor choose should be one that you are com, Netflix ortures Vudu;can Internet Check the display readabilmostascomfortable If aSome D-SLRmodels is too let bigyou or set small radio stations such Napster/ using. ity. up for you to hold comfortably, or if the controls are not laid out in a way that makes sense to you, chances Rhapsody, Pandora or Slacker; and adjust functions using the are you sites won't enjoy shooting as much asthan you the should. and social networking such TV screen rather small as Facebook, Twitter, and Youdisplay on the console. You’re Expert Tube. Some allow you toSpeak make more likely to find this on models Wewhen spoke to some besthave photographers India to find out what they Skype video calls used with of thethat a DVD or Blu-ray in player think about buying DSLR’s, among with other Naturally, they all remember an optional webcam. integrated thethings. receiver. the very first camera theyRemote ever owned. controls are most useful when they have clear labels and Atul Kasbekar fondlydifferent-shaped, remembered hiscolor-coded Agfa Isoly Click 3, whereas Subi Samuel stated it was a basic Cosina withbya function. normal tele These are critical, because buttons grouped A zoom which cost him `5,000 back then. the receiver in a home-theater backlit remote will be easier to system is often the hub of your use in a dark room. A universal Sandisk Extreme Akash Das &ofKaustav Saikia also home-entertainment setup. You Team photographers remote can control a number remembered with different Akash using the Yashika 635, Twin lens 120 might want to route video as their first cameras, devices from brands. mm film camera and Kaustav using his mom’s Agfa Click III, when he was only well as audio signals through the years old. receiver so you10 can easily switch among sources such as a DVD Moving of technology in cameras, all of them acknowlSome models with integrated or Blu-ray player, video over gameto actual evolution edged how digital has made things easier, with Atul putting it best when he Blu-ray players may include console, cable or satellite box, said which “they are becoming built-in more and more idiot proof.” Wi-Fi, or the ability to and DVR.Consider devices add it via an optional adapter. you’ll want to channel through Ram and statedthe “Firstly the transition from This elaborate will make connecting the home-theater unitBherwani and which was more film to digital is the most prominent change. Besides, system to your home network orthe usability and things you will hook up directly to the you can do can with the cameras available theseeasier days ifisaunbelievable. I have a Sony Internet connection TV. Analogue connections RX100 that I use for my ad campaigns and it is fantastic! wired Ethernet jack isn’t nearby. Though for newcombe used with standard-definition ers, I’d suggest startconnectivity from the scratch. of them don’t know the throughMost a dock TVs, standard DVD players, or that they iPod basics of photography and think that just because they or a cable allows you to attach have a DSLR, they are VCRs. HDMI or component-video your iPod, iPad or iPhone, and connections onphotographers.” the receiver let often control its functions with the you feed high-definition signals also explained what should buddingAn photographer look for while remotea control. MP3 from a cable orHe satellite box or a this onsystem’s buying a camera “Most importantly, you should know what type of photography mini-jack lets you plug a portable Blu-ray player through the receivyou want tocan get into. If you want to be a sports photographer, you need the music player into the system. er to your TV. HDMI inputs camera. If you want to get into or Architecture Photography, you A USB port letsProduct you connect a also be used tofastest connect standard need onemodels with a great resolution. should around with a lot of cameras, player or One a flash drive play to hear DVD players, especially use the ones their have or and figure outphotos. which one are they most comfortview digital that can upconvert standard DVD friendsmusic able using. You should beAnable handle the camerawithout looking at it… you SD to card slot allows you to to quasi-HD resolutions. should be that proficient.insert An expensive camera doesn’t mean it’s a good one.” photos or video for viewing Akash wasinclude more pragmatic when he stated, “Always try to make a picture and Some newer HTIB systems never try to(HDMI take a picture. That means, depict your personal point of view while the latest version of HDMI capturing a subject 1.4), which provides support for either by composition or by light and shade or by selection of yoursubject 3D video signals to be sent to itself. This is the most important thing in creative photography.” Whereas Kaustav opined, “Follow your heart, and the road will become easy a 3D TV, plus an audio return Robert Redford, channel that lets a TV send audio Bridges of Madison County - he was a photographer in that movie.without Additionally, ensure that you do not compromise on the equipment. A back to the receiver high-performance high-capacity imaging card can enhance in-camera perseparate audio cables. formance. Read and write speed can be greatly accelerated with a high-speed A digital-audiomemory input cancard. routeI use SanDisk 128 GB Extreme Pro card as it offers up to 45 megabyteaudio per second undecoded digital from read and write speeds for faster shot-to-shot performance and and would recommend all budding photographers to invest in a trusted your disc player, digital-cable box, or satelliteimaging receiver.card.” Make

Online access>>

Controls>>

A/V connections>>

Other connections>>

sure the input on the home-theAtul the Kasbekar ater system matches output rounded things off with a short and sweet answer, simply saying “Keep on the other device. Some ofshooting lots and lots of pictures. And for God’s sake never, “Say Cheese” to your subject. You will always sound ridiculous.” these units have an optical digital-audio output, while others advice that most budding photographers should surely take to heart. have a coaxialAn digital-audio output. But increasingly, newer equipment, such as cable boxes I NOV 2013 I 104

directly on your TV. Bluetooth capability allows audio to be sent wirelessly to a home theater system from a Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone or portable media player, or from the system to Bluetooth-enabled speakers or headphones. Some newer models may include Bluetooth or NFC for pairing with smart phones and tablets.

Radio capabilities>>

Most receivers have about 20 or more presets that you can use for AM and FM stations. Satellite-ready models have a satellite-radio tuner, but require a subscription and an optional special antenna. Some receivers might also have an HD radio tuner, so you can receive that free over-the-air service.

Audio and other features>>

Many systems have preset or custom equalizers (EQ) and/ or bass/treble adjustments. DSP (for digital-signal processor) modes use digital circuitry to duplicate the sound quality of, say, a concert hall. Each mode represents a different listening environment. A bass-boost switch amplifies the deepest sounds. Most receivers also have a sleep timer, which turns them off at a preset time.

Shopping tips>>

With sound quality, your opinion is the one that matters most. Even speakers we judge to have similar sound quality will probably sound different because of the way they handle various frequencies and how they interact with the acoustics in your room. Audition systems in the store and ask about a return or exchange if the one you buy doesn’t suit you.

Think about the kind of sound you want>>

If you want true surround sound, buy a system with a full complement of speakers for multichannel sound. Keep in mind that most rear speakers require you to run wires from the receiver to the back of the room. Only models with surround speakers powered by wireless amplifiers don’t. If you simply want to enhance your TV sound, a system with two front speakers and a subwoofer, or even a sound bar, might give you the improvement you’re seeking.

Decide whether you want a built-in disc player>>

If you already have a Blu-ray or DVD player, you can save money by buying a home-theater system without one. If you want a bundled disc player, we recommend a system with a Blu-ray player, which can play both high-def and standard discs and CDs, unless you have a standard-definition TV and no plans to buy an HDTV. If you think you might buy a 3D TV anytime soon, consider a system with a 3D-capable Blu-ray player, as prices have fallen significantly. Built-in Wi-Fi, or the ability to add it via an optional adapter, is convenient if a wired Ethernet jack isn’t nearby.

Consider the connections>>

Determine how much equipment you want to route through the receiver and be sure that it has enough of the appropriate inputs and outputs. If you want to make occasional connections--perhaps for a camcorder or an MP3 player--look for a receiver with front-panel inputs, especially if your TV doesn’t have any. If you want to play content stored on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, consider a model with Bluetooth or NFC wireless technology.

Compare warranties>>

Some manufacturers provide 12 months of coverage, while others offer 24. It’s best to compare and choose the best.

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How to:

control data usage on Android

onstant notifications from Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites can be more stressful than you think. Add to it, the over-load on your data plan and battery. However, with your Android smartphone, you have plenty of data-restricting settings. We take a look at how to use them:

Configure in-app data settings

For your convenience, many apps ping servers in the background to keep their content updated. Sounds great, however, they suck the juice out of your data plan and battery. So disable the data-sucking options under app settings. Restrict background data In Ice Cream Sandwich and later versions of Android allow you to restrict background data. Even apps that don't allow you to fine-tune data settings could still be loading background data. Go to Settings > Data Usage, and scroll down to see the list of apps which consume data. Then, tap an app to view its usage data, and take a look at the two numbers next to the pie chart. "Foreground" refers to the data used when you're actively using the app, while "Background" reflects the data used when the app is running in the background. If you notice an app is using too much background data, scroll down to the bottom and check "Restrict background data." Fine-tune sync settings During the initial phone configuration, you probably opted into account syncing. By default, everything is set to sync, including things like photos, the Play Store, and other Google apps. You don't necessarily need all these items syncing -- especially data-heavy ones like photos. To adjust sync options, head to Settings > Accounts > Google, and select an account. Here, uncheck the boxes next to the items that don't absolutely need to be synced. Repeat the same process for other accounts. After that, you can manually sync accounts by visiting their respective apps. Update apps on Wi-Fi only Go to Google Play store and tap Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps. Make sure that ‘Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only’ is selected. You also have the option to choose "Do not auto-update apps," but it's less preferable, since you'll have to remember to update apps manually. Download files using Wi-Fi only Unless you absolutely have to, refrain from downloading songs, movies, or large files while using a cellular data connection. If you have access to a Wi-Fi network, latch onto that network and download. If you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network, then scan for Wi-Fi networks. If you are lucky, you may find an unlocked Wi-Fi connection (yes, some people still keep Wi-Fi networks unlocked) Minimize browser data usage Not all websites are optimized for mobile. Hence, some websites with all their heavy advertisements can eat into your data plan. Some browsers have the option to reduce data usage. You also get the option to select ‘desktop site’ or ‘mobile site’. Opera Mini is a great browser to use. It offers compression. Just head to the Settings menu to enable it. After some use, Opera will tell you just how much data you saved.

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How to:

speed up iOS 7 on an older device

ith all the recent hype about iOS 7, have you jumped on the bandwagon and downloaded iOS 7 on your old Apple device. iOS 7 works great on an iPhone 5 but what about iPhone 4 or 4S. Users have reported that iOS 7 has made their older Apple device sluggish. If buying a new Apple device isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affordable, here are some tips to improve the performance of your old Apple device. Clear some space Here is the common way to speed up any device. Delete any unwanted or unused apps. If the storage space on your phone is almost full, reducing the amount of data stored on it could result in a speed boost. Check how much free space you have. Go to Settings >General >Usage. You can see how much space is available and how much is in use. You can also see a list of apps and the amount of space each occupies. To delete an app, find it, tap and hold until it starts wiggling, and tap the X in the upper-left corner. Kill background processes

iOS 7 allows apps to automatically update themselves in the background. While that reduces the number of badge alerts on your App Store icon, it slows down your device. Also add to it, the amount of battery it consumes.

You can turn off this feature and update your apps via the App Store as before. To do so, go to Settings > App Store and scroll down to the Automatic Downloads section and flip the toggle switch to off for Apps and Updates. And if you want to cut out all background processes, turn off automatic downloads for Music and Books, which means you'll need to sync purchases across devices manually. Some apps like Facebook and Twitter will automatically refresh their content in the background. While that helps you connect to your social media world, it also occupies CPU cycles. To turn it off, go to Settings >General > Background App Refresh and flip the toggle switch off. Cut down on fancy animations iOS 7 offers you fancy animations. All looks good, but what good is it, if it slows your phone down. This feature is only available on some Apple devices like iPad 2. Go to Settings >General > Accessibility and tap on Reduce Motion. On the next screen, flip the slider to on, which will "reduce the motion of the user interface, including the parallax effect of icons and alerts.Before you leave the Accessibility area of settings, there is one other setting to investigate. Just above Reduce Motion is an item called Increase Contrast. Tap on it and then turn its toggle switch on to "improve contrast on some background to increase legibility." Hope this helps improve the performance of your Apple device.

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How to:

Increase the Battery Life of your Wireless Mouse

he obvious way known to save your wireless accessories is by turning them off after use but, what if there’s a tiny chance that you forgot! A few simple steps mentioned below which you should keep in mind whilst trying to save the battery for your wireless mouse.

1)Easiest and simplest way is to of course replace both the batteries at the same time. You shouldn’t really mix the brands as this may cause damage to your gadget.

2)This might come as a surprise but, choosing a light coloured mouse pad

does help. It will work smoothly on your glass or granite table but the tracking sensor in the mouse will use more power and hence should be avoided.

3)Turning off the mouse manually when you are travelling is very important. When your device is on standby mode (not being used), sometimes it move around inside your bag and this consumes battery power. It is a point to be taken under consideration as saving battery for your wireless devices is of great importance.

4)The other simple options would be to change the default “System Shut-

down” and “System Logoff” sounds to a voice message that reminds you to turn off the mouse before you are leave the computer.

5)The last one would be that you use the built-in Windows Task Scheduler or the Group Policy Editor to display a reminder message on the screen every time you log off or shut down the computer.

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How to:

Shrink the Galaxy Note 3’s Display Into Tiny Window

e may live in a world of 6.3 to 6.4-inch smartphones, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 3's 5.7-incher is still pretty big. And getting around it using only your thumb can be a challenge. Samsung has always offered "one-handed mode" software tricks on the Note series — for example, letting you shrink and rearrange the keyboard, dialler, and other areas for easier thumbing. On the Galaxy Note 3, though, it's taken this to an all-new level. The new "Use for all screens" option, found under "Settings > Controls > One-handed operation," lets you shrink the entire display in to a moveable, resizable window a fraction of the screen's true size. Crazy!

Once enabled, you can activate this "windowed" mode by swiping in an arrow shape from the edge of the screen. Most apps work just fine in this shrunken-down view, though some, including the camera, bump you back to fullscreen mode. The window snaps in whichever side you perform the gesture, and you can move it around and resize if you want. All this is done seamlessly without any stutter or lag, plus when you re-size and move the window around it works just you’d expect it to. While it sounds ridiculous, there's an insane logic to Samsung's approach here. The gesture is easy to perform, letting you snap in and out of this shrunken view pretty quickly. Plus, all those of you who might have small hands will surely appreciate having the option to shrink down the size of the Note 3’s display to a more manageable one.

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How to:

Install Windows 8 on your Mac

Never really thought this would be possible would it?

veryone who uses a MacBook can honestly vouch for the fact that sooner or later you get bored with the same layout and the same old design. This is a chance where you can download the entire Windows OS on your MacBook and have a totally different user experience. 1) The first step would be to create a Windows 8 DVD using the ISO images of Windows 8.The next step would be launching the Boot Camp Assistant available under the Applications > Utilities folder of your MacBook. 2) After this, you would have to go to Tasks >Install Windows 8 and Continue. After this point, you will have an option to create a new partition for your Windows 8. Drag the slider to allocate anywhere between 20 GB – 30 GB space to this new partition. 3) The next step is to insert the Windows 8 DVD into your Mac and hit the Install button available inside the Boot Camp Assistant wizard. 4) Doing this will initiate the regular Windows 8 installation routine on your Mac and the Windows installer will require you to pick an available partition where installation should be performed. Later, select, “BOOTCAMP”. 5) While the Boot Camp partition is selected, choose advanced Drive options and hit the F key to format that partition. It might seem a little complicated but it really is not. Follow the mentioned steps and you will have a brand new Windows OS downloaded in 30 minutes maximum.

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Tech Destination

Words By-Garvita Sharma

Israel! I NOV 2013 I 112

he serene Israel with the Dead Sea, scores of pilgrim spots and holy shrines has apleasantly surprising contrast to it – its technological advancement. While the country’s tranquility, courtesy, its natural locales is what keeps the calmness alive, it has become popular for its very many start-ups,no wonders that a technologically powerful nation like U.S. has been trying to tap in on this bit.

Authors Dan Senor and Saul Singer, in their 2009 bestselling book ‘Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle’ have noted that the nation has the highest number of startups per capita, which is more than any other nation in the world. Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO and largest shareholder WarrenBuffetthas aptly called Israel as ‘the leading, largest and most promising hub outside the US’. Many nations want to lure Israeli startups to their states; it already has close to 200 startups that are estimated to be located in New York City. Israel is third next to The US of A and Canada with 65 companies listed on NASDAQ. It received grants to fund joint projects between Massachusetts companies and Israeli firms, all part of a partnership formed in 2011 to support innovation involving water technology, life sciences and clean energy. Many Israeli companies and Universities now have an invitation from New York’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany as a part of a $300 million deal with Israeli government. The country also has an amazing partnership with New Mexico and, given that they both have desert climates, the two trade in Water Technology and there is tremendous scopefor New Mexico’s defense related technologies to succeed here.

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What to see? Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Base

What’s Up Observatory

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What’s Up Observatory

10 year old, this one is in Eilat and the Arava and is inspired by John Brown’s sidewalk in New Orleans. Essentially a portable Astronomical Observatory, it conducts programs in the desert and on the promenade. The main purpose of the program is to learn about the dark night sky through stargazing for groups of all sizes and ages. Giving the audience a unique astronomical experience, they also have a special astronomic video camera for special deep sky viewing experience. The tourists search the skies for constellations in order to analyze special stars, double stars, clusters, colorful stars, planets, moon and the nebulae. Depending upon the time and season, you may also explore other galaxies. For those of you who always rummage for an answer to ‘What’s Up’, this observatory is the most apt reply. During summers, you see streaks of clouds – the Milky Way. With each program being an hour and a half long, it introduces you to the sky and studies about stars, their ages and development, spot galaxies and study other planets, too.There are programs for work groups and families, too.

Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Base

– If you’re patriotic and swell up at the mere thought of looking at planes that have been used in the past, this one’s for you. An airbase of the Israeli Air Force in the Negev Desert, this base was constructed in 1960s and declared operational in October, 1966. The Israeli Air Force Museum that opened in 1977 had a public access since June 1991. The place houses the IAF Flight Academy since 1966 and the IAF Aerobatic Team, too, is located here. There are a few permanent exhibitions, which track the story of the IAF, the weapons and planes, crew survival equipment and the role of the Israel Air Force. With countless planes on display in row upon row, there are some legendary exhibits that were a part of some famous air force operations and some captured enemy aircraft. Pilotless aircrafts, anti-aircraft equipment, missiles are other exhibits.

Israel Railway Museum

Owned by the Israel Railways, this museum is located at Haifa East Railway Station and features Israel Railways’ history and the development of the country from the first line that was laid between Jaffa and Jerusalem,its former states and neighboring countries back to 1892 under Turkish rule to the two World Wars and the renewed Israel Railways of the 21st Century. Amongst many notable exhibits is the Hedjaz Railway tank locomotive 0-6-0T No.10, which is the only steam locomotive left in the country. It’s a 1050, shunter, built in 1902 by Krauss in Germany. A special one is a British made saloon coach that traveled in the north and has been visited by revered people like Sir Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Queen of Belgium amongst others. The splendid views of the station, the city, Mount Carmel are other attractions around the museum. Established in 1983, it is best enjoyed with train rides on Israel Railways and the Carmelit – Israel’s sole underground funicular railway. But then, wasn’t it obvious, already?

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TECH STUNNER TECH STUNNER

Weizmann Institute of Science

A leading multidisciplinary public research Institutions in Rehovot, many Scientists, Lab technicians, and research students work here in order to come up with something fascinating each time. Founded in 1934 by Chaim Weizmann, it was named Daniel Seiff Research University and renamed only in the year 1949. It has been rated as the best place in the world to work in academia among non-US Institutions by The Scientist Magazine. Not limiting its reach to mere academic programs, the place also inspires youngsters by running programs for them, including Science Clubs, Camps and Competitions. This certainly is a great place for anyone who wishes to invent something new or more feasibly, get to know something awe-inspiring. It has an interactive outdoor Science museum called The Clore Garden of Science that opened in 1999. Expansive, it has close to 80 hands-on exhibits, both large and small, which show the laws of physics, solar energy, and water power amongst other natural phenomenon. There is a solar furnace that instantly sets wood on fire, water sprinklers that surround one with a full-circle rainbow, and an exhibit which simulates walking on the moon. Sunlight, wind and water play an important role in many of the Garden’s displays and come to life after visitors toy around with them by twisting, pushing or piecing them. There is also an EcoSphere that helps the visitors explore environmental phenomena and the relationship within the ecosystem.

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Design Museum Holon

Design Museum Holon Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space

Established in 1984, this museum is housed in the old Technion Building in the city of Haifa. Also known as Madatech, it has close to 400 exhibits, including a mirror room, dark room, Aviation Room and so on. The exhibits show the main scientific principles and technological achievements in Israel. Before relocating, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – had its campus here. The building, a majestic structure, was constructed by Alexander Baerwald, a German Jewish immigrant who started work on the structure in 1912. If you happen to visit the place, be sure to spot a Palm Tree in the courtyard, which was planted by Albert Einstein in the year 1923 when he visited Technion. The museum has many hands-on activities that will entice both, kids and adults equally. There is a Natural Science Room with over 100 stuffed animals and birds all found in the Haifa area. The Green Energy exhibition is one where kids can learn about combustion, solar and light power with many displays featuring little lights that illuminate with power generated at the display. Leonardo Da Vinci’s various inventions and aeronautics, models of civil and mechanical engineering and physics are also here. Then there is a Magical Science Exhibition Room that explains classic magic tricks with the help of elementary Science. In the courtyard, there is the Noble Energy Science Park with scientific games and models, like Da Vinci’s original helicopter sketch where kids can step in the helicopter and fly with manual power by pedaling. Parallel to the main exhibition building is the Sports Science Exhibition where one can try their hands on various sports like rowing, karate, basketball amongst others. By paying some extra amount, one can experience Madatech’s Cinematrix, a SMART Theatre catering to all of the human senses simultaneously. There are inbuilt ticklers, smart seats, multi-channel sound system accompanied with scents, air flows and water effects.

For those who are intrigued by design and contemporary culture, this place is a treat. Opened in March 2010, it is a leading museum housed in an iconic building built by the internationally acclaimed architect Ron Arad. Temple for people from the creative industry and students of designing. The Museum has exciting and varied exhibitions and events, each dedicated to help visitors understand design well and the way it affects our lives and transformed Holon as an epicenter of culture and education. Hereby, it joins the league of the Holon Institute of Technology, Mediatheque and the National Israeli Cartoon Museum, all of which is in Holon.

EinGedi Eco Center

EinGedi Eco Center was originally a zoo for the kids of EinGedi Kibbutz (Kibbutz stands for a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture). Currently, a promoter of environmental education and sustainable technologies, there are traditional means for everyday tasks and thus, creative mud structures, solar cookers, composters and compost toilets are seen at regular intervals. One needs to schedule a visit in advance in order to learn more about the place. There are two spring-fed rivers that streams for the entire year – the David Stream and the Arugot Stream besides the Shulamit and the EinGedi springs.

The National Maritime Museum

Dedicated to the Maritime times of the Mediterranean basin, the Red Sea and the Nile, the museum has a collection of 5,000 years of Maritime history. The first director of the museum, Late Aryeh Ben-Eli had some private collections which he put to display in 1953; those were also the first collections to be on display. Also an archaeological museum, it moved to its current premises near the northern beachhead of Mount Carmel between Stella Maris and Bat Galim neighborhoods. The archaeological finds on its permanent display include the Athlit Ram, a bronze ram of 2nd Century BC Warship. The Marine workshop of the Leon Recananti Institute for Maritime Studies that is affiliated with the University of Haifa is located at the museum. The workshop provides professional diving and field surveying services for all the field research that takes place at the institute. Israel is also home to many technological Colleges and Universities like the Technion College and Holon Institute of Technology both of which focus on imparting Technological knowledge and both allow for public research.

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Lifestyle OF THE Crystalline Dark Blue by Swarovski

Victorinox multipurpose Swiss Army Knives

Swarovski presents the perfect Diwali gift with its India inspired Collection. Elegant, fashionable and feminine, this one’s a beaut! The Crystalline Dark Blue being a real eye-catcher has 800 clear crystals, dark blue sunray pattern dial, dark blue calf skin leather and a stainless steel case. Swiss Quartz Movement, this is a bling yet not over-thetop, thanks to its minimal design and look. With this on, it’s alright to miss that oversized cocktail ring.

Victorinox has come up with a new collection of trendy and vibrant Swiss Army knives with modern designs, colored and assorted cross and shields, a patent symbol of the brand. Launched in three different varieties – Classic, Spartan and the Swisscard, this collection is called the “VX Colors”. These knives come with a blade, nail-filer, scissors, screwdriver, tweezers, toothpick, key ring, corkscrew, can opener, cap lifter, punch, reamer, ballpoint pen, ruler depending on the type you choose. Made up of first class stainless steel, “GO COLOR!” with this one!

Montblanc’s Leonardo Limited Edition Writing Instrument The Limited Edition Writing Instrument by Montblanc pays homage to the great Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci. Given that he also pioneered the study of flying besides being an artist, there is a 750 gold nib engraved with a bat that was used by him to study the flying machine. Inspired by the flight studies and inventions of Leonardo, its forepart shows the wing he sketched for a flying device. The hidden mirror on the cap top reflect Montblanc’s emblem, while the red gold plated clip with a gear refers to the many wheels Leonardo used in his sketches and the cone refers to the transmission double movement. Limited edition, it has close to 3000 pieces available worldwide and the collection is available as a Fountain Pen and Roller ball.

LAUNCHES MONTH Versace Bright Crystal Absolu Perfume A new addition to Versace’s Crystal Fragrance collection Bright Crystal Absolu was launched this in Italy. An impressive edition of Bright Crystal by perfumer Alberto Morillas, it has a magnificent floral fruity juice that opens with sparkling yuzu, crisp pomegranate and juicy raspberry chilled with an icy accord. Stored in the iconic shaped bottle of the Crystal collection with its multifaceted transparent stopper shaped in the form of a crystal, the face for the campaign is South African model Candice Swanepoel. The perfume will be launched in 50 ml and 90 ml version and while currently available only in Italy, the rest of the world will be able to walk with its fragrance by 2014.

Foamlite by Samsonite Ushering in the new era of stylish travelling for the young travelers, Samsonite presents its ultra-chic luggage piece collection – Foamlite. Combining the luxury of design and introducing itself in styles of Spinner Luggage and Shoulder bags, it focuses on its lightness and functionality. Available in striking bold colors – funky orange and fresh turquoise – it is durable and extremely lightweight. Its silent wheels with comfortable top and wheel handle provide for an easy maneuverability and easier gliding.

Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited Edition Available in titanium, ceramic and rubber, the Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited Edition comes in 18 karat rose gold and brings together different time zones, thereby bringing different worlds closer. Paired with extra-hard high-tech ceramic, it sets the highest standards in the time-consuming process of forming the bezel. The movement and the case have been integrated for the first time. The case contains part of the time-zone selection mechanism, which is controlled in two directions by means of a single push-piece. Apt for frequent fliers and globe-trotters, one can select the direction of travel (East/West) on the multifunctional push-piece at 10’o clock and each push causes a jump to the next time zone. Available in a limited edition of 125, the founding year of the founder’s first watchmaking business is engraved on its caseback.

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Over-the-top priced watches!

f Ferrari drives you crazy with its design and price, these watches are sure to drive you crazier with both their design and price. Complicated yet cool, these are watches so expensive, you might want to purchase them on EMIs or start a business instead.

Here are some of the most expensive watches our time has seen!

The Patek Philippe Calibre 89>>

To be one of the most luxurious brands comes with its own share of responsibilities and Patek Philippe has done justice to its name. To commemorate the completion of the company’s 150th anniversary, Patek Philippe came up with thisopen-faced astronomical pocket watch in 1989. The most complicated watch in the world, it has 2 dials, 1728 parts, 332 screws, 68 springs, 24 hands, 184 wheels, 33 complications in five categories, namely, timekeeping, calendar, chronograph, basic operational functions and chime, and is made from 18 carat gold. Phew! And you thought women were the most complicated lot! It took close to five years of R&D and four years for manufacturing four of these watches available in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum. Sold at an auction for Price-$ 5,120,000 (`315,100,160), its weight is 1.1 kg.

Bulgari Gerald Genta Magsonic>>

The watch, earlier known as Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic Sonnerie Watch, is yet another exemplary piece by Bulgari. Associating the watch with Charles Gerald Genta, the legendary Swiss Watch Designer who had a company by the same name, Magsonic is a new alloy that Gerald created for optimal sound passage. Magsonic is the black, sandwiched part between the bezel and caseback. With a tourbillon that is visible from the dial, two power reserve indicators – one for time and the other for chiming, the watch’s built is another beauty altogether. While most of its case is actually titanium, it is also offered in 18k Rose Gold.The titanium is better in case you want the sound better, as titanium absorbs sound better. The complex buttons all around the case with the wild-looking crown, a fourway rocker switch and switches that flip around, it is micro engineering at its best! Bulgari also created an iPhone app for the watch to replicate Magsonic’s Grande Sonnerie accurately. Its high resolution 3D model allowed interaction with the watch functions, too, in order to know better the watch’s minutest details. The sonnerie watch chimes at certain regular intervals and repeats it using a code of chimes by several gongs and hammers, making it one of the most complex sonnerietimepieces ever! Price-$950,000 (`5,85,29,500). But then we did warn you!

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Louis Moinet Meteoris Watch>>

This one’s a little different. It’s a series of four tourbillon watches, each made of other worldly materials – Mars, Moon, an Asteroid and an ancient meteorite called Rosetta Stone. The materials have been obtained from meteorite hunter Luc Labenne and worked in coordination with universities around the world in order to authenticate them. Once you’re a proud owner of the set, there comes a complimentary planetarium that shows the way the solar system is. At a price of $4,599,487 (`283,374,394), the pricing is only too fair, given that it is a set of 4 (+1).

Blancpain Tourbillon Diamants>>

Blancpain, a subsidiary of Swatch Group, might just blind you with the beauty this watch comes with. With 480 diamonds on its dial,bezel, case middle, lugs and bracelet adding up to 58 carats studded, it has 239 parts with a seven day power reserve. Its white gold case is water resistant up to 100 meters. With the BlancpainCalibre 25A movement, a mechanical self-winding movement the dial has diamonds vertically and horizontally arranged. Price: $1,812,7000(`111,680,447)

Hublot Million Dollar Black Caviar Bang>>

This offering by Hublot comes from the Big Bang Line and has encrusted531 black diamonds on the case, crown dial and clasp, making a total of 34.5 carats. With an adjustable leather strap, it won the Grand Prix de Genève Jewellery Watch Prize in 2009. The watch has a special Hub Solo T Tourbillon movement that symbolizes the fusion between watch making and jewelry. This one just has ‘A’ piece! A million dollar it costs (`61,610,000)

Jacob & Co. Crystal Tourbillon>>

18k white gold case and bezel of this one is covered in 17.48 carats of baguette diamonds and has a transparent skeleton tourbillon dial. Skeletal dial with silver tone hands, Jacob & Co. 7 Caliber movement, scratch resistant sapphire crystal it has an alligator brown leather bracelet, sapphire exhibition case back and a 2.22 carat baguette diamond buckle. They manufactured close to 18 pieces of this one! Price: $ 900000 (`55,449,000)

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Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Turbillon>>

When it comes from UlysseNardin, you can be rest assured that you can’t settle for less when it comes to price. Literally. Limited edition watch produced only in 30 pieces, the Royal Blue Tourbillon has a platinum case and bracelet with close to 568 baguette-cut Top Wesselton diamonds and 234 baguette-cut royal blue sapphires. Water resistant up to 30 meters, it also has some pieces with a leather strap and platinum buckle. Price: $1,000,000 (`61,405,000)

Richard Mille RM 56 Felipe Massa Sapphire Watch>>

With a manual-wind tourbillon movement this watch’s case is completely covered in sapphire. Limited to 5 pieces in the world, this transparent wristwatch by Richard Mille is limited to five pieces in the world. As Richard Mille himself said that it takes 1000 hours to machine the case, 430 hours to grind and another 350 hours to finish… Whoa! That’s a whole lotta time for checking out the same! Expressive and scratch resistant, it is water resistant to a depth of 30 meters. Price: $1.7 million (`104,422,500)

Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4>>

With too many elements in and on its dial, this one by Franck Muller is touted to be the world’s most complicated watch piece.36 complications, 1483 components, 99 jewels, sonnerie chiming functions, multiple timezones and a 1000 year calendar… and it just doesn’t stop there. The 4th in the list of the most awaited Franck Muller Aeternitas watch series, this is a limited edition and took five full years to be designed. With an alligator strap, it’s not too flashy and certainly means business. Price: $2.7 million (`165,847,500)

Vacheron Tour de l’Ile>>

Being one of the oldest watch manufacturers, VacheronConstantin’s Tour de l’Ile has a tourbillion, two faces, more complications and parts thereby making it quite a complicated serial wrist watch. Without any kind of manual winding, this watch can go on for 10,000 hours and has two faces – front and back – both of which show time. The watch has astronomical indications composing a list of 16 different points including minute repeater, perpetual calendar, second time zone and so on. Only seven pieces of this 834-part-comprising gold plated watch are made every year. Price: $ 1.5 million (`9.2crores, roughly)

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Mr. Gordon Wu Regional Head of South Asia, Transcend Information Inc. You have been with Transcend since 2006. How has the experience been?

Oh! So you have read my profile. The experience has been great I would say. I have been working with Transcend for more than 7 years now and I have been handling India for 6 years now. So the overall experience has been great.

Could you give us a hint on what the next big thing from Transcend could be?

Also, pen drives generate a lot of revenue. Since, we offer multiple products, we do not have one product that generates more revenue than others. But yes, MicroSD cards are very important to us right now.

What are you doing different from your competitors?

We try and focus on our service and products rather than focusing on our competitors. That will help us improve.

How does the marketing strategy for 2014 look like?

I cannot say it is a big thing but I can give a fair idea of what we are going to do. This year is Transcend’s 25th anniversary. We have been in business since 1988. Transcend is a big brand here in India and we consider India as an important market too. So we are trying to enhance our relationship with our customers. We are going to take suggestions back to Taiwan and use that for overall improvement of our products. We will also focus on growing bigger as a company.

We are focusing on a lot of local dealers. Most of our products are sold at places like Lamington Road. We are also looking at popular events like IPL. That will help us grow. Plus, we also look to advertise with magazines.

What has been the highlight of your career?

I like island destinations. So I love Hawaii.

Handling Indian market has been the best phase of my career. The culture here is so different than ours. The competition is also fierce here. I have always said that, if you conquer Indian market, you can conquer any market. People here are more demanding.

Which product generates the most revenue for Transcend?

Which phone do you use?

I’m using an iPhone. I use an Acer laptop. I drive a Mitsubishi car

What would be favourite holiday destination? Which is the most used app on your phone? I use Line more than other apps

Are you active on social networking websites? Yes, I am. I use Facebook but I don’t use Twitter

MicroSD cards are important as a lot of people are using mobile phones.

TOP 5 REASONS FAVOURING CLOUD STORAGE It’s all about storing your data safely. The problem today is that whether we store it on our laptops, desktops, hard-drive, pen-drives; something will always go wrong. It will either crash or will get a virus and ruin all your data. It is an assurance that sooner or later, it does gets corrupt and leave us shattered. So luckily, there is a simple solution which absolutely makes life so easy. Two words – Cloud Storage.

Here is a list of the 5 reasons why cloud storage makes more sense than local storage: 1)Unlimited Storage - There is almost no end to the data you can save up here. Whatever it is, however big it is, it is easily saved on cloud storage with ease.

2)Protective Data –Your data will always be protected no matter what. Cloud storage will never leave you and you can be rest assured it will not be hacked. 3)Easy transfer – The issue of sending huge files has always been a

problem because of your mailbox restriction. Cloud Storage helps you transfer files with ease and you don’t need to even bother about the size of your file.

4)No physical storage – Unlike your portable devices, this does not take up any space. It has no physical presence nor does it require any energy for power or for cooling. 5)Cost effective – Most of them are actually free of cost. A few others

might come at a minimum price but it is very affordable for the services they provide.

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How does technology help you in your daily life and your profession?

Technology has helped made life easier over a period of years, especially when it comes to accessing emails… It makes work a lot easier. I also use an app for fitness, which is good for the profession I am in.

A gadget you’d like to invent for convenience or luxury is…

of the month

Mia Uyeda

Something that helps you get sleep as and when you want! (Laughs)

Apps that you use the most

I use my phone to access my email besides other apps like Whatsapp and some other apps related to Fitness.

Any gadget that you bought and regretted?

Nothing specific, but there was this one time when I got a music gadget and it fell only to break in a couple of days. I lamented and wondered as to why I got something that I hardly used!

Car that you drive…

Since I like SUVs, I drive a Scorpio.

What is the biggest Fashion faux pas according to you? Well most of the time people wear something that they can’t carry and you can make that out. That’s not cool at all.

Most stunning personality you’ve ever come across is…

Rihanna. She knows how to make fashion follow her.

Ticket to space or roam all around the world? To space… It’s a lifetime experience.

Your must-have gadgets? My Iphone… for sure

A gadget you wish to invent is…

Something that helps people follow fashion.

A gadget you’d like to gift your man is…

Ideally, he should be the one gifting me the gadget. But anyway, since you ask, I must mention that I already gifted him an iPad. Since he travels a lot, it comes very handy.

Future projects

I just finished shooting for ‘Tere Bin Laden 3’ opposite Sikander Kher and have done two international commercial campaigns.

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Karoline Huber

Brand Director of IWC Middle East & India Is it right to say that every country has a “watch trend” or fancy towards a particular kind of watch? If yes, what is unique to the Middle East and Indian Markets? I think the segment for high-end mechanical watches is hardly influenced by trends, regardless of the country. The main reason is that both mechanical functionality as much as a particular design are timeless and were handed over from generation to generation since 100 years and more. All our customers around the world have a very refined taste and the only “trends” we see are in the choice of materials, driven by local culture or religious believes: where a distinguished gentleman from Saudi Arabia would prefer a platinum case, an Indian connoisseur may choose the golden version. What are the strengths and weaknesses of both these markets? Any particular difficulty that you see? From my perspective the strength of the region is the biggest challenge of the region: as a matter of fact we tend to speak of “the Middle East and India” where we should actually be speaking of “sixteen different markets”. Every country here is different, has its very own particular culture, follows its own very particular rules. This fact implies a difference in approach and that is obviously challenging if you are aiming to drive growth in all markets at the same time. What’s lined up for release in the months to come? For IWC we have just launched a few stunning new references at the Watches & Wonders in Hong Kong: a Portofino Big Date in white and rosegold and a Special Edition “Petit Prince” which is dedicated to the famous novel and its 70th anniversary. For Baume et Mercier we have launched a Special Edition “Day and Night”, a beautiful ladies product in stainless steel which is part of the successful Linea Family. The next big launch wave is due in January and a variety of timepieces will be presented to public during the SIHH. Is handling both, IWC and Baume and Mercier, easy or tough? Do the strategies match or there is a clear-cut distinction between the two? Of course it is tough – as much as it is pure joy: The two brands do have entirely different characters, with an entirely different product offering, speaking to entirely different customers. Hence we need to develop entirely different strategies and action plans to grow both of them across the region and learn something new every day. Having worked for close to six years with the brand, what do you think sets apart IWC from its competitors? In essence I think it is two things: the diversity of its product portfolio and the way we market brand and product. Afterall, all the brands in our

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segment have heritage, all the brands have a complicated product offering, but only very few offer very elegant as much as sporty timepieces, offer automatic watches at a price point around 4.000 USD (Portofino Automatic) up to highly complicated timepieces which retail at 750.000 USD (Portuguese Siderale Scafusia). Next to this diverse product offer, IWC offers a whole universe of authentic stories: There is our partnership with the Charles Darwin Foundation which represents our Aquatimers universe, or the partnership with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team, which marks the Ingenieurs environment or the partnership with the US Navy which provides us with authentic content around our Top Gun Pilots watches – and this is naming only a few. So bottom line, we are not only “one watchmakers”, we are also aspirational storytellers. And it is this combination that sets us apart. What has been the highlight of your career? I must admit that there is not this “one highlight”: I was given a large array of opportunities. I am incredibly grateful for all of them. Is there any plan to introduce Smartwatches? I do not think that any brand can allow itself to abandon any new technology or trend or development. At the same though one needs to evaluate carefully the trade off between “following a trend” and “protecting its DNA”. At this point Smartwatches and highly complicated mechanical timepieces do not have a lot in common. They are not part of our history – and I do not think that they will be part of our future either. A watch that you personally wear is… My favourite day-to-day pieces are the Portofino Automatic in stainless steel with Milanese bracelet, the Ingenieur Automatic in stainless steel, the Portuguese Chronograph in stainless steel and from Baume et Mercier the Linea duotone. My favourite pieces for the evenings are either the Portofino Handwound Eight Days in rosegold or the Portuguese Perpetual Calendar in whitegold by IWC. In addition I own a Baume et Mercier Day and Night in dark blue with a small moonphase at twelve oclock which I love wearing just as much. What’s your personal take on today’s world of gadgets? Do you thing they will replace traditional watches in the future? Lets just say that most mechanical watchbrands have a long heritage and have been “en vogue” for almost 200 years. I think it is safe to say that “the trend” which replaces them has yet to be invented – and for me personally that will not ever be the case.

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‘India’s very own superstars were my earlier influences DJ NYK

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DJ Nikhil Sahni, better known as DJ NYK who has been elected as the Best Bollywood DJ by VH1 and has scored many Bollywood remixes in a tête-à-tête with Exhibit Magazine.

How did you get into DJ-ing? Who were your earlier influences? I was always into Music since childhood. I started producing my own music and remix much before I got into DJing. At the school level, I tried to make remixes which fortunately resulted in great liking by my classmates and my teachers. People would dance at the remixes I produced, so I needed a medium where I could share my productions more effectively and that medium was through DJing… its very essence is to share music with people. That is how I got into this profession. Some of my earlier influences were India’s very own superstars – DJ Aqeel , Suketu , Akbar Sami, Nasha, Whosan, Amyth to name a few . I’ve grown up listening to their mixes and idolizing them.

Which headphones and mixer do you use? I have a dozen of headphones ranging from brands like Pioneer, Sony, Sennheiser , Dr. Dre Beats, Technics, Ultrasone to name a few . At my shows, I prefer playing on Pioneer DJM-800 mixer.

Is there any person from the Industry who you admire just because he/she is very tech savvy? I think Mr. A. R. Rehman changed the game by introducing cutting edge technology in making music. I really admire him for that.name and logo on it.

Are there any Music apps that you use? I am not using any Music Apps for my Live Performances as of now. But I’m quite impressed with an app developed by Serato which I will soon be using for my Live shows. It’s called “Serato Remote.”

What’s up on work front as of now?

I played my first professional gig in 2004 in New Delhi.

I am currently working on my Original EDM compositions. An EP with 2 new singles which will release later this year on the International record labels I have signed. For one of the tracks I’ve collaborated with singer “Thomas Sardorf “one half of the duo Bombay Rockers from Denmark. Also I just released the 8th Edition of my popular podcast “Electronyk Podcast”. Besides that, I am working on my new live act which I would be introducing in a couple of months. It’s going to change the nightlife experience for the Music lovers in India. It would be an arena style show with synchronized visuals, lighting, giant LED Walls, Pyro techniques. It will be basically an audio-visual spectacle. Musically speaking, it’ll be a sweet spot where Bollywood Music meets EDM (Electronic Dance Music).

What is your favorite kind of music?

Any quick tip to budding DJs?

Where did you get your name NYK from? My Guru DJ San who taught me the art of DJ-ing gave me this name. Having a name that stands out always helps. NYK is pronounced as ‘Nik’ which is the short form of my real name Nikhil. There are dime a dozen DJ Nik’s around the world, so to distinguish my name from the others the ‘I’ was replaced with a ‘Y’. That’s how I got my name NYK.

When was the first time you played?

I am open to all sounds but more inclined to Progressive House / Trance & Ambient Chillout Music.

If not music, then what career would you take up? I‘ve got a thing about Cinema. So if not music, then I would have taken up Filmmaking; it’s something I still want to pursue at a later stage in my life.

Remember the 2 Ps – Patience and Perseverance!

What do you think of the scene of DJing in India? The DJing scene in India has developed over the years and is pretty vibrant at the moment. Slowly, the styles in clubs and people’s selection of DJs are diversifying and it´s not all about Bollywood Music anymore. People are opening up to new kind of music.

Which changing trend in the world of music has caught your attention the most? Which has been the best event you’ve played at? The concept of Music Festivals where DJs in particular are highlighting the main stages! Also, the meteoric rise of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) over the years has held my fascination.

Keeping in mind your profession, how helpful is technology and how does it blend into the picture? Both DJing and Music Production side of my profession has greatly been benefited from the ever changing technology. As a DJ, I don’t have to carry my bulky CD folders on my tours anymore. All I need now is a pen drive or a laptop. When I started out in the Music Production 13 years ago, things were difficult to figure out and resources were limited in the studio. But with the advent of technology, things have become so much faster and easier. The virtual instruments & plug-ins have made things so smooth for a music producer these days. It saves a lot of time and the creative possibilities are endless.

The concert I played at Dubai World Trade Center for 10,000 people.

Your favorite song of all time is… Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia

Given that you’re a DJ, life’s a party all the time. But, how do you unwind? Given my crazy schedule as a touring DJ and a Music Producer, very rarely do I find time to unwind. But whenever I do get some time off, I try to spend it with my family or going out for a movie with close friends or play golf on Nintendo Wii with my dad. It’s fun! I am a photography enthusiast too, and take a lot of pictures on my tours with my DSLR. So sorting out my clicks is also what I do sometimes to unwind.

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Irfan PathanLife, Lifestyle & Gadgets! M

aking a debut in the Indian Cricket team at the age of 19, Irfan Pathan began his career as a left-arm fast-medium swing bowler and gradually went on to become an ace batsman, too. Getting an admission in Baroda’s Under-16 team just when he was 13 was how he started his career. A hot favorite amidst Cricket lovers not just for his game but also for his charming looks, here’s Irfan Pathan speaking on Cricket, Technology and Lifestyle…

It’s great when your hobby becomes your profession, so imagine how wonderful it feels to live your dream… There is nothing more rewarding than it! I’ve been playing Cricket since the age of 10 and it was my dream to play Cricket for the Indian team. 12th December 2003 is when my life changed for the better. This was my debut in the Test Series. My hard work and determination paid off and I took the first step towards my career. After that cricket has taken my life on a different journey and life looks good! Dreams do come true. Mine did.

When it comes to technology, I’m quite tech savvy and have both, an iPhone as well as a Blackberry, use a MacBook, an iPad and a DSLR Camera. Technology today has changed the game the way it has changed the world – earlier, we would listen to announcements on radio, now you get every minute update on your smartphone. It has changed the way people stay updated on Cricket. If I were to ever invent a gadget for convenience or luxury, it would be manufacturing more cars that run not on any fuel but on electricity or batteries. There will be less pollution and lesser worries for increase in fuel prices. Quickies:

He drives Mercedes

He wears

I’m a watch lover and if ever someone were to gift me something over and over again I’d only be too happy to be gifted watches. Currently, I wear a Raymond Weil.

Apps that you use the most

I love listening to music to refresh my mind and thus iTunes is my most favourite app.

Your fashion statement is…

Casual Jeans and T-shirts, the most comfortable attire for any day!

I connect with my fans through…

Facebook and Twitter. That’s the quickest way to get in touch with them as everyone who loves me and my game follows me on my fan page.

Brands that you swear by

True Religion, LV, Chanel and Apple.

A must-have in your wardrobe is

White Shirts. They never go out of fashion.

“

Wasim Akram and VVS Laxman are two people who I really look up to as they are very focused on their game. Their presence of mind when on the field, their stance and skillset just inspire me to push my limits. Thus, taking inspiration from them, I make sure to be extremely careful in that sense and prepare for my activities a day before to ensure nothing goes wrong.

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The Lean-Mean-Dapper Machine -

Randeep Hooda

like “I don’t blowing

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my own trumpet

“

he conversations you have with him will be long. Not because he speaks a lot, but because he thinks a lot. So he takes those meditative pauses between the conversations and surprises you with his unpredictable peals of laughter. Probably, he’s giving some time to the ladies to recover while they swoon over his deep voice and dauntless attitude. He measures his words and speaks with honesty. And well, corrects your pronunciation. It is his very brutal honesty which makes him say, ‘I don’t like blowing my own trumpet’ when you ask him about him being actively involved in Social Activities. But it is this ‘keeping under the wraps’ attitude of his which makes others blow his trumpet all the more. Once you start speaking to him, you wouldn’t like to get done anytime soon, anyway.

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“

There’s a girl from the Middle East who sent me two albums full of my paintings. But I discourage these kind of things because it is obsessive and it is an image they are chasing, not me.

Drop-dead handsome and raw, that is Randeep Hooda for you! You’ve never seen the Jat do over-the-top roles and probably you never might. Ask him about it and he says, “I wouldn’t like to call the kind of roles I’ve done as underplayed or subdued. I call them realistic; these roles show my approach to Cinema. Having said that, there is no role I would say a No to.” Starting his career from Mira Nair’s ‘Monsoon Wedding’ in 2001, he was involved in Theater and Sports from a very young age. Coming from a family where no one was, in anyway, related to movies, Randeep found a true calling in Acting. “For me it’s not about money. I was actively involved in Sports and Drama in school and college and that’s exactly what I did with my life.” Randeep’s love for horses is immeasurable; something he was drawn towards while he was in his eighth grade. Thus his liking for sports like Polo and Show Jumping is only too obvious. “I love sports”, he says, “and I think life becomes a bit more vibrant and full with it. I feel like I’ve met my deeper part when I’m involved in sports. Life spent playing sports is a life well spent. These are things I absolutely love doing!”

“

I wouldn’t like to call the kind of roles I’ve done as underplayed or subdued. I call them realistic; these roles show my approach to Cinema. Having said that, there is no role I would say a No to.

“

So is there a wish list when it comes to Actresses? “Not really. I work with Directors not with Actors.” That’s quite a heartbreaking statement for many, considering how famous he is with the opposite sex! Certain that there has to be something crazy someone has done for him, we ask him what is it. “There’s a girl from the Middle East who sent me two albums full of my paintings. But I discourage these kind of things because it is obsessive and it is an image they are chasing, not me.” Lined up with a wide array of releases, Randeep is on an exciting phase in his career. He elaborates the same. “I have Highway coming up where I star opposite Alia Bhatt, directed by Imtiaz Ali and Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala releasing in February. Then there is a Karan Johar movie called Ungli Directed by Rensil D’Silva, then there’s Bad which is about an accused’s escape from Tihar Jail in which Charles Sobhraj was also involved and there’s Kick which is again by Sajid Nadiadwala.”

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Tech Talk & Toppings: Apps that you use the most are…

Whatsapp and Twitter are two apps that I use the most. I don’t know whether Twitter is for connecting with fans or not, but it’s good to get a detailed feedback and shows that everybody has an opinion. But then again, I feel that not everybody has the expertise and the responsibility to comment on anything and everything and not everybody’s opinion is worth. But that it has given a voice to everybody is a good thing in its own way.

If you were to invent an app for convenience or luxury, which one would that be?

I would like to invent one app for all the devices… something similar to GPS devices, except that no one can find me with the help of this! (Smirks) Besides this, I would want to invent a Waterproof TV.

How has technology affected your profession?

As I said earlier, it has gives you a certain feedback but along with it, it has also given the ability to have an opinion. But not necessarily does it mean that what people say there is what they really really feel. It is both beneficial and detrimental to my profession, but another thing is that technology is taking over cinema. People are experiencing cinema lesser in theaters and more online. Even piracy has gone up. Many people use technology to serve wrong means. Take an example of followers on Twitters, which has given people, with a lot of money, the ability to manipulate the entire perception and that is surely not a very good thing. So there are a lot of people who have close to million followers and then they flop I don’t know what it is! There’s no yardstick of talent. On Facebook, I’d read this cartoon. It was a picture of a funeral where there are barely 4-5 people and one of the characters tells the other one, “I thought there’d be more people since he had many friends on Facebook.” (Breaks into a laugh!)

A gadget you’d like to be gifted over and over again is

Nothing specific as such. I have my iPhone 5 with the stupid iOS 7 and I wouldn’t like anybody to gift me that and I generally Gift Android Phones .

How often do you use a Printer and for what all purposes? What features do you look for in a Printer?

I use it for official purposes like printing some documents, my contracts, or some personal pictures. A Printer should print high definition pictures for my personal and for my official usage.

It’s stylish, nice and compact and it has a lot of advanced features. The smaller the things get, the better it is!

What is your take on ‘Tech and Lifestyle’?

Technology certainly makes life easier and everything becomes more accessible.

Something you said in the past that doesn’t mean anything today?

Well, I must have said that ‘something’ in a state of inebriation. I don’t remember it anyway…

What did you do with your first salary?

I don’t exactly remember, but I’m sure I must have bought some beer bottles and got sloshed.

Must have in a metrosexual man is…

I don’t go by the concept of a metrosexual man. I mean what is it? You don’t want to apply your sister’s moisturizer, do you?

What’s your catchphrase?

“

Passionate, hardworking, mercurial, very curious, and someone with a bad memory. And not to forget, (he adds as a contradiction to the previous adjective), very childlike!

“

What do you think of the Cover gadget, the Canon Laser Printer you just shot with?

‘Andhe ke haath bater lagna’ (Meaning, an undeserving person getting something that he’s not worth). (That’s quite some modesty, we must say!)

Something we don’t know about you is…

People know what they can know about me, but what they don’t know is what they are not supposed to know (Laughs). On a serious note, people should know that I’m very childlike.

You have 5 adjectives to describe yourself. Let’s start…

Passionate, hardworking, mercurial, very curious, and someone with a bad memory. And not to forget, (he adds as a contradiction to the previous adjective), very child like!

(Purple)-SS Homme (Denim Look)-Zara (Checkered jacket with the model): Jacket-SS Homme Trouser -SS Homme Shirt-Zara Shoes -Zara

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11 1 22 2 33 3 44 4 55 5 66 6 77 7 88 8 9 9 9 10 10 10

HTC OneHTC One

40,600/40,600/By far, the most Bybeautiful far, the most looking beautiful 1080plooking display 1080p and exquisitely display and designed exquisitely body.designed The One,body. fromThe HTC,One, from HTC, is still ruling the is still roost ruling amongst the roost Android amongst smartphones. Android smartphones. And why should And it not, why it’s should just amazing it not, it’sinjust every amazing way, isn’t in every it? way, isn’t it? `1,10,000 4.7" Super LCD4.7" 3 full Super HD screen, LCD 3 full 1.7HD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon quad-core 600, Snapdragon Android OS 600, v4.1.2 Android Jelly OS Bean v4.1.2 Jelly Bean Lightest, slimmest, well-built with blazing fast SSD andcam a gorgeous matte Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB 320 RAM, GPU4 |MP 2ultrabook GB rear RAM, cam4with MP LED rear flash, cam with 2.1 MP LED front flash, 2.1 MP front cam

Samsung Series 9 NP-900X3C

screen. Also has an excellent battery life, and a bright matte 1,600x900-pixel screen. Has micro-HDMI, VGA as well as stereo speakers to boot, though may not have highSamsung Samsung Galaxy S4 Galaxy 34,000/S4 34,000/est specs for an ultrabook in its range. Is pricey.

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Asus Taichi 31-DH71

The Asus Taichi does well on both the build quality as well as the performance front. Dual-screen might not be terribly useful, but hey, it’s imaginative! It has pen or multi-touch input on the outer screen, LG Optimus LG Optimus G Pro speakers, G38,990/Pro 38,990/excellent viewing angles and andLG a has range of configurations based on either a Core oryou i7 with The power-house The performer power-house from performer LG has a from great body to a great boast body alongtowith boast great along specs. with It great will letspecs. you push It willi5 itlet to its push it to its SSD storage. absolute limitswithout absolutebreaking limitswithout into abreaking sweat. Itinto might a sweat. not beIt as might beautifully not be crafted, as beautifully but it’scrafted, not toobut shabby it’s not at too all. shabby at all. 5.5” Full HD IPS 5.5” Plus Full LCD HDscreen, IPS Plus 1.7LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon quad-core600 Snapdragon Processor 600 Processor Android OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean), v4.1.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM GPU 13MP | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Sony Vaio Pro 13 `74,990 The Sony Vaio Pro 13 which sports an Intel Core i5-4200U processor. This Ultrabook is sleek, looks great LG houses Nexus LG44th Nexus 24,800/4 Intel 24,800/and the generation processor. It comes at a decent price point considering what is on offer: fast performance, great life, light responsive keyboard and The first Nexus The device first made Nexus by device LGbattery was made a crowd by LG pleaser, was weight, a crowd mostlypleaser, because mostly of the because excellentof pricing thetouchscreen. excellent on a smartphone pricing on aofsmartphone of-

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HP Spectre XT `82,500/Good looking ultrabook with slim design and excellent battery life. Lacks higher resolution screen.PowSamsung Samsung Galaxy Galaxy IIpaired Note 37,500/37,500/ered by a 1.7GHz Intel Core Note i5-3317U with II 4GB of RAM and running Windows from a 128GB SSD,

OneSpectre of the best One smartphones of theequipped best of smartphones lastfor yeara is still of last ruling yearthe is still minds ruling andthe hearts minds of buyers and hearts evenoftoday. buyers With even antoday. excellent With an excellent the XT is well mid-range Ultrabook.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The X1 Carbon brings with it the reliability, performance and build quality of the ThinkPad line-up.Built from a combination of soft-touch plastic and tough-yet-lightweight carbon fibre, the X1 Carbon weighs Sony Xperia SonyZXperia 32,899Z /32,899/a miniscule 1.3kg and is ideal for frequent travellers that like to stay light when on the move. Only The first smartphone The firstfrom smartphone Sony to be from touted Sonyasto‘waterproof’ be touted asand ‘waterproof’ ‘dust-proof’ and and ‘dust-proof’ a whole lotta andother a whole kinds lotta of other proof.kinds of proof. 18mm at its thickest point, it’s the perfect size for slipping in and out of a laptop bag.

It’s beautifully It’s crafted beautifully and benchmarks crafted andwell benchmarks too,but doesn’t well too,but have the doesn’t best viewing have theangles best viewing on thatangles display.onStill that a good display. buy, Still a good buy, for its multimedia for its experience multimedia experience 5.5” HD Super 5.5” AMOLED HD Super screen, AMOLED 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Processor, Exynos Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) `63,300/Mali-400MP GPU Mali-400MP | 2 GB RAM, GPU8MP | 2 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.9MP front cam

Samsung Series 5 Touch

The excellent Samsung Series 5 has only become better with the addition of touch. As an Ultrabook, it’s thin and light. The 13.3-inch screen is multi-touch, so you can browse Windows 8 and play touch games HTC One HTC X+hard One 29,400/X+ 29,400/with it. The 500GB drive offers plenty of storage space, while the 24GB SSD enables it to boot With specs that With can specs still match that can up to still the match best up in the to the business, best inthe theOne business, X+ was thethe One much X+ was needed the much improved needed version improved of version of quickly.

the One X, with the the One beautiful X, withcraftsmanship the beautiful craftsmanship still retained.It still hasretained.It all the right has bells all the andright whistles bellsthat andyou’d whistles want that on you’d your want on your fingertips every fingertips hour of every day. hour of every day. 4.7” HD Super 4.7” LCD2 HD screen, Super1.7 LCD2 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.7`95,000/GHz Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3Nvidia Processor Tegra 3 Processor Android OS v4.1.2 Android (Jelly OS Bean) v4.1.2 ULIP (Jelly GeForce Bean) 2ULIP GPU GeForce | while 1 GB RAM, 2performance-wise, GPU8MP | 1 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with rear flash, cam with with 1.6MP LED front flash, cam 1.6MP front cam Z930 is the lightest ultrabook money can buy, it’sLED at par competition. The

Toshiba Portege Z930

new Z930 is Toshiba’s successor, and at a mere 1.09kg and still packs goodies like generous connectivity; a backlit keyboard; up to a Core i7, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD; optional 3G; fingerprint scanner; and Sony Xperia SonyZXperia Ultra Z 46,990/Ultra 46,990/Windows 7 Professional – making it one of the most powerful, versatile Ultrabooks on the market.

Hate it or loveHate it, there’s it or love no denying it, there’s that nothe denying Xperiathat Z Ultra, the Xperia with itsZ ultra-large-sized Ultra, with its ultra-large-sized 6.4” display cannot 6.4” display be side-line cannot be side-line It’s the first device It’s the to be firstshipped device to with bethe shipped fabledwith Snapdragon the fabled800 Snapdragon processor 800 and processor even though andonly evensome though initial only rviews some initial rviews of the device have of the been device out,have theybeen haveout, all been they synonymous have all beenwith synonymous the sheerwith processing the sheer power processing of the device.The power of the only device.The only `80,999/gripe? Can yougripe? really Can call it you a phone?! really call it a phone?! The Yoga 13 has a rather enthralling design,enabling various usage scenarios otherwise unimagined.Its 6.4” Full HD Triluminos 6.4” Full HD display, Triluminos 2.2 GHz display, quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon quad-core800 Snapdragon Processor,800 Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), Adreno graphics are provided by its CPU’s built-in Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset, which are decent, but not really 330 GPU | 2 GB330 RAM GPU 8MP | 2 rear GB RAM cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

great for gaming purposes. Has an excellent battery life, though.

Lenovo Lenovo K900 25,500/K900 25,500/Asus Vivo Book S550 `57,699/With a dramatic With price a dramatic slash, the price K900slash, fromthe Lenovo K900has from certainly Lenovocaught has certainly our attention caught and our there attention is noand denying there that is noitdenying that it

Performance is atbeen par with the ENVY 4, and it’s built very well, withisakinda dedicated adding value.Three has been beautifully has designed beautifully andHP designed feels premium and feels in your premium hand.The in your Intel hand.The factor Intel factor grey even isGPU kinda now, grey but even the phone now, but the phone USB (1xdoes USBperform 3.0,and 2x flawlessly USBrun 2.0), an Ethernet (LAN) port, a headphone/microphone jack, a card reader, doesports perform flawlessly can any and number can runofany apps number fluidly. of apps fluidly. HDMI and for multi-monitor use 2and the compulsory Kensington lock alongside an appreciated, yet SGX544 GPU 5.5” Full HDVGA IPS 5.5” LCD Full screen, HD IPS 2 GHz LCD screen, dual-core GHz Intel dual-core Atom Processor, Intel Atom Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 PowerVR (Jelly Bean), SGX544 PowerVR GPU rare inRAM ultrabooks, DVD drive form thewith connectivity options | 2 GB 13MP | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam 2MP LED front flash, cam2MP front for camVivoBook.

LG Optimus LG Optimus G 35,500/G 35,500/Dell 12 `1,14,000/LG had XPS alreadyLG caught had already our eye caught with the oursuperb eye with Optimus the superb 4X HD, Optimus but with 4Xthe HD,Optimus but withG,the theOptimus KoreansG,had theaKoreans worthy had a worthy

Great and performance is fairly acceptable, the cherry onthe thePro cake is the battery life.The XPSrather quickly, devicebuild, to compete device with to compete the best smartphones with the best out smartphones there.but Well, out almost. there. Even Well, almost. version Even the came Pro out version rather came quickly, out 12 comes in a variety of different specifications, starting with an Intel Core i5-3317U-equipped model, the original G the isn’toriginal that shabby G isn’t either. that shabby either. but of the lot is IPS the more expensive Core i7-3517U version with 256GB SSD and 8GB 4.7”the Truebest HD IPS 4.7” LCD True screen, HD 1.5LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm quad-core Processor, Qualcomm Android Processor, OSav4.1.2 Android (Jelly OS Bean) v4.1.2 (JellyRAM. Bean) The processor is rated to run at 1.9GHz, but can reach up to 3GHz using Turbo Boost when there’s Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU13MP | 2 GB rear RAM, cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.3MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.3MP front cam enough thermal headroom.

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TOP 10 ANDROID SMARTPHONES SMARTPHONES SMARTPHONES TOP 10 TOPANDROID 10 ANDROID

1 11 2 22 3 33 4 44 5 55 6 66 7 77 8 88 9 99 10 10 10

HTC One `40,600/OneHTC 40,600/One 40,600/ByHTC far, the most beautiful looking 1080p display and exquisitely designed body. The One, from HTC, is still ruling the

By far, the most Bybeautiful far, the most looking beautiful 1080p display 1080p and exquisitely designed exquisitely body. The One, from HTC,One, from HTC, roost amongst Android smartphones. Andlooking why should it display not, it’s and just amazing in designed every way,body. isn’t The it? is still ruling still roost ruling amongst the 1.7 roost Android amongst smartphones. Android smartphones. And why600, should And it not, why it’s should just amazing itJelly not,Bean it’sinjust every amazing way, isn’t in every it? way, isn’t it? 4.7" Super LCDthe 3isfull HD screen, GHz quad-core Snapdragon Android OS v4.1.2 4.7" Super LCD4.7" Super HD screen, LCD full 1.7 HD GHz screen, quad-core GHz Snapdragon quad-core Snapdragon Android 600, v4.1.2 Android Jelly OS Bean v4.1.2 Jelly Bean Adreno 320 GPU |32full GB RAM, 43 MP rear cam with1.7 LED flash, 2.1 MP600, front cam OS Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU4 |MP 2 GB rear RAM, cam4with MP LED rear flash, cam with 2.1 MP LEDfront flash,cam 2.1 MP front cam

LG G2 `41,500/Samsung Galaxy S4 Galaxy 34,000/S4takes 34,000/Even though theSamsung weirdly placed lock/power button a while getting used to, the G2’s overall design and build quality

You canstunning. never You discount can brilliant never the Korean discount phone-makers thebuilt Korean phone-makers from the top 2,from this chipset, the yeartop they 2, will this they to settle will behind have to HTC, settleitbehind seems. HTC, it seems. is simply With hardware on the Snapdragon 800 this is have ayear brilliant piece of gadgetry. Their Their current certainly flagship out-powers theout-powers HTC One, but the800, the HTCbuild One,quality butOS the and build display quality isn’t and asdisplay awesome. isn’t as awesome. 5.2” Truecurrent HD IPSflagship LCD screen, 2.26 GHz certainly quad-core Snapdragon Android v4.2.2 5” full330 HD |Super 5” RAM AMOLED full HD Super display, AMOLED Octawith Core display, (1.6flash, Octa GHz Core Quad(1.6 +front 1.2 GHz GHz Quad Quad), + 1.2 Android GHz Quad), OS v4.2.2 Android Jelly OS Bean, v4.2.2 Jelly Bean, Adreno 2 GB | 13MP rear cam LED 2.1MP cam PowerVR SGX PowerVR 544MP3 GPU SGX |544MP3 2GB RAM13MP GPU | 2GB rearRAM13MP cam with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam `34,000/You can never discount the Korean phone-makers from the top 2, this year they will have to settle behind HTC, it seems. 38,990/38,990/Their current flagship certainly out-powers the HTC One, but the build quality and display isn’t as awesome. The power-house The performer power-house from performer LG has a from greatLG body hasto a great boast body alongtowith boast great along specs. withIt great will letspecs. you push It willitlet to you its push it to its 5” full HD Super AMOLED display, Octa Core (1.6 GHz Quad + 1.2 GHz Quad), Android OS v4.2.2 Jelly Bean, absolute limitswithout absolutebreaking limitswithout into abreaking sweat. Itinto might a sweat. not beIt as might beautifully not be crafted, as beautifully but it’scrafted, not toobut shabby it’s not at too all. shabby at all. PowerVR GPU |IPS 2GBPlus RAM13MP rear1.7 cam with LED flash, 2MP front cam 5.5” FullSGX HD 544MP3 IPS 5.5” Plus Full LCD HDscreen, 1.7LCD GHzscreen, quad-core GHz Snapdragon quad-core 600 Snapdragon Processor 600 Processor

Samsung Galaxy S4 LG Optimus LG Optimus G Pro G Pro

Android OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean), v4.1.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM GPU 13MP | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

LG Optimus G Pro

`38,990/The power-house performer from LG has a great body to boast along with great specs. It will let you push it to its LG Nexus LG4 Nexus 24,800/4 a sweat. 24,800/absolute limitswithout breaking into It might not be as beautifully crafted, but it’s not too shabby at all. The first The device first Nexus by device LGGHz was made a crowd by LGpleaser, was a crowd mostlypleaser, because mostly of thebecause excellentofpricing the excellent on a smartphone pricing on aofsmartphone of5.5” Full HDNexus IPS Plus LCDmade screen, 1.7 quad-core Snapdragon 600 Processor fering you a stock fering Android you a stock experience. Android It GPU gets experience. updates Itfrom gets Google updates from fastest, Google andthe doesn’t fastest, cost and a doesn’t bomb cost aSweet! bomb either. Sweet! Android OS v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), Adreno 320 | 2 GB RAM 13MP rearthe cam with LED flash, 2MP front cam either. 4.7” True HD IPS 4.7” Plus True LCD HDscreen, IPS Plus 1.5LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon quad-coreProcessor, Snapdragon Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean) OS v4.2 (Jelly Bean) Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU8MP | 2 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.3MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.3MP front cam `44,990/A stellar 20MP camera is the highlight of the Z1, which is also based on the Snapdragon 800 chipset that really lets 37,500/37,500/it do any number of tasks with ease. The great additions from Sony like the Bravia engine are the cherry on the cake, One of the best One smartphones of the best of smartphones last year is still of last ruling yearthe is still minds ruling andthe hearts minds of buyers and hearts evenoftoday. buyers With even antoday. excellent With an excellent which also includes waterproof and dustproof features. batterylife thatbatterylife can last well thatover canalast daywell on over a single a day charge,and on a single multi-tasking charge,and options multi-tasking like none options other– likethe none Note other– II is still thean Note II is still an 5” full HD TFT screen, 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, Android OS v4.2 (Jelly Bean) excellent device excellent to use on device a daily to use basis. on a daily basis. Adreno 330 | 2GB RAM, 20MP rear cam with LED flash, 2MP front cam 5.5” HD Super 5.5” AMOLED HD Super screen, AMOLED 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Processor, Exynos Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean), v4.1.2 Mali-400MP (Jelly Bean),GPU Mali-400MP |2 GPU | 2 rearRAM cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.9MP front cam GB RAM 8MP GB

Sony Xperia Z1 Samsung Samsung Galaxy Note Galaxy II Note II

LG Nexus 4 Sony Xperia SonyZXperia Z

`24,800/The first Nexus device made by LG32,899 was a/crowd 32,899 pleaser,/-mostly because of the excellent pricing on a smartphone ofThe you first asmartphone firstfrom smartphone Sony to be from Sony asto‘waterproof’ be from touted asand ‘waterproof’ ‘dust-proof’ and ‘dust-proof’ a wholecost lotta and a whole kinds lotta ofSweet! other proof.kinds of proof. fering stockThe Android experience. It touted gets updates Google the fastest,and and doesn’t a other bomb either. It’s beautifully It’s crafted beautifully and benchmarks crafted and well benchmarks too,but doesn’t well too,but have the doesn’t best viewing have the angles best viewing on that angles display. on Still that a good display. buy, Still a good buy, 4.7” True HD IPS Plus LCD screen, 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon Processor, Android OS v4.2 (Jelly Bean) for its320 multimedia experience multimedia experience Adreno GPU for | 2 its GB RAM, 8MP rear cam with LED flash, 1.3MP front cam 5.5” HD Super 5.5” AMOLED HD Super screen, AMOLED 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Processor, Exynos Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) Mali-400MP GPU Mali-400MP | 2 GB RAM, GPU8MP | 2 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.9MP front cam

Samsung Galaxy Note II HTC OneHTC X+ One X+

`37,500/One of the best smartphones of last year is still ruling the minds and hearts of buyers even today. With an excellent 29,400/29,400/batterylife that can last well over a day on a single charge,and multi-tasking options like none other– the Note II is still an With specs that With canspecs still match that can up to stillthe match best up in the to the business, best inthe theOne business, X+ was thethe One much X+ was needed the much improved needed version improved of version of excellent device to use on a daily basis. the One X, with the the One beautiful X, withcraftsmanship the beautiful craftsmanship still retained.It still hasretained.It all the right has bells all the andright whistles bellsthat andyou’d whistles want that on you’d your want on your 5.5” HD Super AMOLED screen, 1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos Processor, Android OS v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), Mali-400MP GPU | 2 fingertips every fingertips hour of every day. hour of every day. GB RAM 8MP rear cam with LED flash, 1.9MP front cam 4.7” HD Super 4.7” LCD2 HD screen, Super1.7 LCD2 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3Nvidia Processor Tegra 3 Processor Android OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 ULIP (Jelly GeForce Bean) 2ULIP GPUGeForce | 1 GB RAM, 2 GPU8MP | 1 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.6MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.6MP front cam

Sony Xperia Z Ultra Sony Xperia SonyZXperia Ultra Z Ultra

`46,990/46,990/46,990/Hate it or love it, there’s no denying that the Xperia Z Ultra, with its ultra-large-sized 6.4” display cannot be side-line it or device loveHate it, to there’s it orshipped love no denying it, with there’s that no the denying Xperia that Z Ultra, the Xperia with itsZ ultra-large-sized Ultra, with ultra-large-sized 6.4” display 6.4” initial display be side-line cannot be side-line It’sHate the first be the fabled Snapdragon 800 processor and its even though only cannot some rviews first have device It’sbeen the to be first shipped device to with beall the shipped fabled with Snapdragon the fabled 800 Snapdragon processor 800 and processor evenpower though and evendevice.The some though initial only rviews some initial rviews ofIt’s thethe device out, they have been synonymous with the sheer processing ofonly the only of theCan device of the been device have theybeen haveout, all been they synonymous have all beenwith synonymous the sheerwith processing the sheer power processing of the device.The power of the only device.The only gripe? you have really call itout, a phone?! gripe? CanTriluminos yougripe? really Can call it you a phone?! really call it a phone?! 6.4” Full HD display, 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 Processor, Android OS v4.2 (Jelly Bean), Adreno 6.4” Full| HD 6.4” Full HD display, Triluminos 2.2with GHz display, quad-core 2.2 2MP GHz Snapdragon quad-core Snapdragon Processor,800 Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), Adreno 330 GPU 2 GBTriluminos RAM 8MP rear cam LED flash, front cam800 330 GPU | 2 GB330 RAM GPU 8MP | 2 rear GB RAM cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

HTC One X+ Lenovo Lenovo K900 K900

`29,400/With specs that can still match25,500/up to the best25,500/in the business, the One X+ was the much needed improved version of dramatic With price a dramatic slash,craftsmanship theprice K900slash, fromstill the Lenovo K900has from certainly hasright certainly our attention caught and our there attention noand denying there isyour noitdenying that it theWith OneaX, with the beautiful retained. It Lenovo has all caught the bells and whistles thatisyou’d want onthat has beenevery beautifully has been beautifully and designed feels premium and feels in your premium hand.The in your Intelhand.The factor is kinda Intel factor grey even is kinda now,grey but even the phone now, but the phone fingertips hour ofdesigned every day. does does flawlessly perform and can any and number canNvidiaTegra runofany apps number fluidly. of apps,Android fluidly. OS v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), ULIP GeForce 2 4.7” HDperform Super LCD2 screen, 1.7flawlessly GHzrun quad-core 3 Processor 5.5”| 8MP Full HD 5.5” LCD Full screen, HD 2 GHz LCD1.6MP screen, dual-core 2 GHz Intel Atom Processor, Intel Atom Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 PowerVR (Jelly Bean), SGX544 PowerVR GPU SGX544 GPU GPU rearIPS cam with LEDIPS flash, front camdual-core | 2 GB RAM 13MP | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Lenovo K900 LG Optimus LG Optimus G G

`25,500/With a dramatic price slash, the K900 from Lenovo has certainly caught our attention and there is no denying that it 35,500/35,500/has designed and feels premium in the yoursuperb hand.The Intel factor kinda grey even now, G, but the phone had a worthy LGbeen had beautifully alreadyLG caught had already our eye caught with the our superb eye with Optimus 4X HD, Optimus but with 4Xthe HD,is Optimus but with G,the the Optimus Koreans had the aKoreans worthy does perform flawlessly and run any the number of apps device to compete device with to compete thecan best smartphones with best out smartphones there.fluidly. Well,out almost. there.Even Well,the almost. Pro version Even the came Pro out version rather came quickly, out rather quickly, 5.5” HD IPS screen, 2G GHz dual-core Intel Atom Processor, Android OS v4.2 (Jelly Bean), PowerVR SGX544 GPU theFull original G LCD the isn’toriginal that shabby isn’t either. that shabby either. | 24.7” GB RAM 13MP rear cam with LED flash, 2MP cam True HD IPS 4.7” LCD True screen, HD IPS 1.5 LCD GHz screen, quad-core 1.5front GHz Qualcomm quad-core Processor, Qualcomm Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU13MP | 2 GB rear RAM, cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.3MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.3MP front cam

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TABLETS TOP ANDROID SMARTPHONES SMARTPHONES TOP10 10 TOPANDROID 10 ANDROID

11 1 22 2 33 3 44 4 55 5 66 6 77 7 88 8 9 9 9 10 10 10

HTC OneHTC One

40,600/40,600/By far, the most Bybeautiful far, the most looking beautiful 1080plooking display 1080p and exquisitely display and designed exquisitely body.designed The One,body. fromThe HTC,One, from HTC, is still ruling the is still roost ruling amongst the roost Android amongst smartphones. Android smartphones. And why should And it not, why it’s should just amazing it not, it’sinjust every amazing way, isn’t in every it? way, isn’t it? `46,990/4.7" Super LCD4.7" 3 full Super HD screen, LCD 3 full 1.7HD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon quad-core600, Snapdragon Android OS 600, v4.1.2 Android Jelly OS Bean v4.1.2 Jelly Bean Weatherproof, gorgeous, powerful and some India apps this thefront idealcam premiAdreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU 4 |MP 2 GB rear RAM, cam4with MP LED rear flash, camspecific with 2.1 MP LEDfront flash,cam 2.1 MP

Sony Xperia Tablet Z

um Android tablet. It has some neat tricks up its sleeve, like the IP55/57 certification and the IR blaster, but the comparatively low onboard storage, mediocre camera and Samsung Samsung Galaxy S4 Galaxy 34,000/S4 34,000/battery life and the intermittent lag in the UI takes away from an otherwise pleasant You can never You discount can never the Korean discount phone-makers the Korean phone-makers from the top 2,from this the yeartop they 2, will this have year they to settle will behind have to HTC, settleitbehind seems. HTC, it seems. experience Their current flagship Their current certainly flagship out-powers certainly theout-powers HTC One, but the the HTCbuild One,quality but theand build display quality isn’t and asdisplay awesome. isn’t as awesome. 5” full HD Super 5” AMOLED full HD Super display, AMOLED Octa Core display, (1.6Octa GHz Core Quad(1.6 + 1.2 GHz GHz Quad Quad), + 1.2 Android GHz Quad), OS v4.2.2 Android Jelly OS Bean, v4.2.2 Jelly Bean, PowerVR SGX PowerVR 544MP3 GPU SGX |544MP3 2GB RAM13MP GPU | 2GB rearRAM13MP cam with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Samsung Galaxy Note 510

`30,900/Compact size, along with S Pen and multi-window capabilities make it the ideal multitasking tablet. At 338 g, the Note the same ballpark the iPad mini; Samsung claims users won’t feel the strain LG Optimus LG510 Optimus Gis inPro G38,990/Pro as38,990/The power-house Theeven performer power-house performer LG ithas a from greatLG body hasto a great boast body alongtowith boast great along specs. withIt great will letspecs. you push It willitlet to you its push it to its on their wrists whenfrom using one-handed. absolute limitswithout absolutebreaking limitswithout into abreaking sweat. Itinto might a sweat. not beIt as might beautifully not be crafted, as beautifully but it’scrafted, not toobut shabby it’s not at too all. shabby at all. 5.5” Full HD IPS 5.5” Plus Full LCD HDscreen, IPS Plus 1.7LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon quad-core600 Snapdragon Processor 600 Processor Android OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean), v4.1.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM GPU 13MP | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Google Nexus 7 (2013) `31,999/- (32GB variant) The Google Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet in India for pure Android experience. Whenever Google LG out Nexus LG4 Nexus 24,800/rolls an update to24,800/their 4 Android OS, Nexus devices are the first ones to get it. With a lovable form-factor, battery life superb UI experience – there is little that goes The first Nexusgood The device first made Nexusby device LGand was made a crowd by LG pleaser, was a crowd mostlypleaser, because mostly of thebecause excellent ofpricing thewrong excellent on ahere. smartphone pricing on aofsmartphone of-

Asus Fone Pad `16,500/A well-built 7-inch Android tablet running on Intel Atom Z2420 chipset with the ability to make calls. Samsung Samsung Galaxy Note Galaxy II Note II is an37,500/Naturally you’d look a bit silly while doing it, 37,500/but that added advantage to a tablet loaded with

One of the of the best of smartphones last year is still of last ruling yearthe is still minds ruling andthe hearts minds of buyers and hearts evenoftoday. buyers With even antoday. excellent With an excellent features asbest it One is.smartphones

batterylife thatbatterylife can last well thatover canalast daywell on over a single a day charge,and on a single multi-tasking charge,and options multi-tasking like none options other– likethe none Note other– II is still thean Note II is still an excellent device excellent to use on device a daily to use basis. on a daily basis. 5.5” HD Super 5.5” AMOLED HD Super screen, AMOLED 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Processor, Exynos Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean), v4.1.2 Mali-400MP (Jelly Bean),GPU Mali-400MP |2 GPU | 2 `19,999/rearRAM cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.9MP front cam GB RAM 8MP GB

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

The tablet might seem a bit high-priced for some, as you can definitely geta similar-sized budget Android tablet with a better performance (with a quad-core processor)for almost Rs 8,000 cheaper. But Sony Xperia SonyZXperia 32,899Z /32,899/what defends the Kindle is the build quality,the easy and swift user interface, above average perforThe first smartphone The firstfrom smartphone Sony to be from touted Sonyasto‘waterproof’ be touted asand ‘waterproof’ ‘dust-proof’ and and ‘dust-proof’ a whole lotta andother a whole kinds lotta of other proof.kinds of proof. mance, full HIPS display and good battery life.

It’s beautifully It’s crafted beautifully and benchmarks crafted andwell benchmarks too,but doesn’t well too,but have the doesn’t best viewing have theangles best viewing on thatangles display.onStill that a good display. buy, Still a good buy, for its multimedia for its experience multimedia experience 5.5” HD Super 5.5” AMOLED HD Super screen, AMOLED 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Processor, Exynos Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) Mali-400MP GPU Mali-400MP | 2 GB RAM, GPU8MP | 2 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.9MP front cam `35,400/-

Samsung Galaxy Note

It brings you the capabilities of the S-Pen on a 10-inch display, and can also make calls.There’s good attention to detail,excellent multimedia capabilities, 3G calling, memory expansion and very good battery HTC One HTC X+ One 29,400/X+ 29,400/life. But the average camera performance and high pricethemight be athe deterrent for the many. With specs that With canspecs still match that can up to stillthe match best up in the to the business, best inthe One business, X+ was the One much X+ was needed much improved needed version improved of version of

the One X, with the the One beautiful X, withcraftsmanship the beautiful craftsmanship still retained.It still hasretained.It all the right has bells all the andright whistles bellsthat andyou’d whistles want that on you’d your want on your fingertips every fingertips hour of every day. hour of every day. 4.7” HD Super 4.7” LCD2 HD screen, Super1.7 LCD2 GHz screen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3Nvidia Processor Tegra 3 Processor `41,999/Android OS v4.1.2 Android (Jelly OS Bean) v4.1.2 ULIP (Jelly GeForce Bean) GPUGeForce | 1 GBmost RAM, 2 GPU 8MP | 1 GB rear cam with rear flash, cam with 1.6MP LEDfront flash, 1.6MP front cam It’s the only tablet we’ve come across so2ULIP far—and likely theRAM, only8MP oneLED that exists—with a cam remov-

Dell Latitude 10

able battery. It uses an Atom CPU and doesn’t bother much with multimedia bells and whistles. It’s built for business,although it isn’t clear how many of its target users would willingly trade their laptops in for Sony Xperia SonyZXperia Ultra Z 46,990/Ultra 46,990/tablets.

Hate it or loveHate it, there’s it or love no denying it, there’s that nothe denying Xperiathat Z Ultra, the Xperia with itsZ ultra-large-sized Ultra, with its ultra-large-sized 6.4” display cannot 6.4” display be side-line cannot be side-line It’s the first device It’s the to be firstshipped device to with bethe shipped fabledwith Snapdragon the fabled800 Snapdragon processor 800 and processor even though andonly evensome though initial only rviews some initial rviews of the device have of the been device out,have theybeen haveout, all been they synonymous have all beenwith synonymous the sheerwith processing the sheer power processing of the device.The power of the only device.The only `16,299/gripe? Can yougripe? really Can call it you a phone?! really call it a phone?! This compact 7-inch tablet packs a dual-core processor, runs on Android ICS and offers 3G support. 6.4” Full HD Triluminos 6.4” Full HD display, Triluminos 2.2 GHz display, quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon quad-core800 Snapdragon Processor,800 Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), Adreno It comes with a 4,000mAh battery with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and an upgrade to 4.2 Jelly Bean is in the 330 GPU | 2 GB330 RAM GPU 8MP | 2 rear GB RAM cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 P3100 works.

Lenovo Lenovo K900 25,500/K900 25,500/Asus Transformer Pad TF300TG `39,290/With a dramatic With price a dramatic slash, theprice K900 slash, from the Lenovo K900has from certainly Lenovo caught has certainly our attention caught and our there attention is noand denying there that is noitdenying that it

Ahas powerful 10-inch premium Android tablet with the ability to double as afactor netbook. The TF300TG is but the phone been beautifully has been designed beautifully and designed feels premium and feels in your premium hand.The in your Intel hand.The factor isup kinda Intel grey even is kinda now, grey but even the phone now, adoes tad perform heavier does and perform thicker theany Prime On the other hand, the variant of the Prime TF201 being flawlessly and than flawlessly can run and number canTF201. runofany apps number fluidly. of apps fluidly. sold in India is 64GB, Wi-Fi only.screen, The Pad TF300TG has half the amount of on-board storage and offers 3GSGX544 GPU 5.5” Full HD IPS 5.5” LCD Full screen, HD IPS 2 GHz LCD dual-core 2 GHz Intel dual-core Atom Processor, Intel Atom Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 PowerVR (Jelly Bean), SGX544 PowerVR GPU support via13MP SIM card. | 2 GB RAM | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

LG Optimus LG Optimus G 35,500/G 35,500/HP ElitePad (32GB) LG had alreadyLG caught had 900 already our eyecaught with`49,600/the oursuperb eye with Optimus the superb 4X HD, Optimus but with 4Xthe HD,Optimus but withG,the theOptimus KoreansG,had theaKoreans worthy had a worthy

The HPtoElitePad 900 available in the twobest variants—32GB storage withthe Windows and 64GB storage with device compete device with toiscompete the best smartphones with out smartphones there. Well,out almost. there.Even Well, almost. Pro version Even8 the came Pro out version rather came quickly, out rather quickly, Windows 8 Pro. At launch, these were priced at an MRP of Rs 43,500 and Rs 49,200 respectively, which the original G the isn’toriginal that shabby G isn’t either. that shabby either. is4.7” notTrue quitbad for anscreen, Atom-powered Windows 8 tabletProcessor, with 3GAndroid SIM support. If the had built-in HD IPS 4.7” LCD True HD IPS 1.5LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm quad-core Qualcomm Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (Jellydevice OS Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) USB 2.0 and HDMI ports along with a full HD display, it would have been good bang for the buck. Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU13MP | 2 GB rear RAM, cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.3MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.3MP front cam

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CAMERAS TOP SMARTPHONES SMARTPHONES TOP10 10 TOPANDROID 10 ANDROID

111 222 333 444 555 666 777 888 9 99 10 10 10

HTC One HTC DSC-RX100 One Sony II

40,600/40,600/`42,990/By far, the most Bybeautiful far, the most looking beautiful 1080plooking display and exquisitely display designed exquisitely body. designed The from The HTC,One, from HTC, Dethroning its predecessor and1080p making it alland the way to the top,One, is body. the updated is still ruling RX the is 100 still roost ruling amongst roost Android smartphones. Android smartphones. And why of should And it not, why should just amazing amazing it not, it’sinjust every amazing way, isn’t in every it? way, isn’t it? with athe new BSIamongst sensor that is capable taking theit’s most low-light 4.7" Super LCD 4.7" 3 full Super HD screen, LCDWith 3 full 1.7 HD GHz screen, quad-core 1.7ofGHz Snapdragon quad-corehot-shoe 600, Snapdragon Android 600, v4.1.2 Android OS Bean v4.1.2 photographs. the addition a standard as OS well, thisJelly is the fu- Jelly Bean Adreno 320 ture-ready GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU4 |MP 2of GB rear RAM, cam MP LED rear cam with 2.1and MP LEDNFC front flash,capabilities, cam 2.1 MP front though cam version the RX4with 100 withflash, Wi-Fi it is on the

pricier end of things.

Samsung Samsung Galaxy S4 Galaxy 34,000/S4 34,000/Sony `32,995/You can never You discount can DSC-RX100 never the Korean discount phone-makers the Korean phone-makers from the top 2,from this the yeartop they 2, will this have year they to settle will behind have to HTC, settleitbehind seems. HTC, it seems. Their currentProfessional flagship Their current certainly flagship out-powers certainly theout-powers HTC One, but the the HTC build One,quality but theand build display quality isn’t and asdisplay awesome. isn’t as awesome. looking shots from a compact camera. Low-light shooting.Impressive pop5” full HD Super AMOLED full HD Super display, Core display, (1.6 GHz Core Quad(1.6 + 1.2 GHz GHz Quad Quad), +customizable 1.2 Android GHz Quad), OS v4.2.2 Android Jelly OS Bean, v4.2.2 Jelly Bean, up5”flash that canAMOLED beOcta adjusted forOcta wonderful effects and menu. Premium quality build, optics – but metallic makes itflash, slippery hold. PowerVR SGX PowerVR 544MP3 GPU SGXexcellent |544MP3 2GB RAM13MP GPU | 2GB rear RAM13MP cam with LED rearbody flash, cam with 2MPLED front cam2MP to front camThe sequel

is just out and so far we’re quite impressed with that too.

LG Optimus LG Optimus G Pro Fujifilm X100GSPro

38,990/38,990/`74,000/The power-house The performer power-house from performer LG has a from greatLG body hasto a great boast body alongtowith boast great along specs. withIt great will letspecs. you push It willitlet to you its push it to its With a 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS II Sensor and Processor II crafted, this retro style camabsolute limitswithout absolute breaking limitswithout into abreaking sweat. Itinto might a sweat. not beIt as might beautifully notEXR be crafted, as beautifully but it’s not too but shabby it’s not at too all. shabby at all. era is Full proper cool. The ‘S’ addition over the great X100 just600 makes this more awesome. 5.5” Full HD IPS 5.5” Plus LCD HDscreen, IPS Plus 1.7 LCD GHz screen, quad-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon quad-core 600 Snapdragon Processor Processor Even though an Adreno optical viewfinder would’ve preferred, the flash, digital viewfinder is not Android OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean), v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB 320 RAM GPU 13MP | been 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear cam with 2MP LED front flash, cam2MP front cam

bad at all. Excellent image capture throughout the ISO range, though video capture is not its strength.

LG NexusLG4 Nexus 24,800/4 24,800/The first NexusThe device first made Nexusby device LG was made a crowd by LGpleaser, was a crowd mostlypleaser, because mostly of thebecause excellentofpricing the excellent on a smartphone pricing on aofsmartphone of`46,555/fering you a stock fering Android you a stock experience. Android It gets experience. updates Itfrom gets14.3 Google updates the from fastest, Google andthe doesn’t fastest, cost anda doesn’t bomb cost aSweet! bomb either. Sweet! D-SLR quality images, manual controls,a megapixel18.7x14mm sensor that’s either. mar4.7” True HDginally IPS 4.7” Plus True LCD HDscreen, IPS Plus 1.5 LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon quad-core Processor, Snapdragon Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly OS v4.2 (Jelly Bean) bigger than Micro Four Thirds cameras and full manual controls with Bean) shooting Adreno 320 mode GPU Adreno | 2and GB320 RAM, GPU8MP | 2 GB rear RAM, cam 8MP with LED reardials.It flash, cam with 1.3MP LED front flash, cam 1.3MP front camLCD screen, which is exposure compensation also features a vari-angle

Canon PowerShot G1X

useful for capturing images at various angles. There is a built-in 3-stop ND filter for tricky

lighting situationsNote Samsung Samsung Galaxy Galaxy II Note 37,500/II

37,500/One of the best One smartphones of the best of smartphones last year is still of last ruling yearthe is still minds ruling andthe hearts minds of buyers and hearts evenoftoday. buyers With even antoday. excellent With an excellent batterylife thatbatterylife can last well thatover canalast daywell on over a single a day charge,and on a single multi-tasking charge,and options multi-tasking like none options other– likethe none Note other– II is still thean Note II is still an `49,990/excellent device excellent to use on device a daily to use basis. on a daily basis. The successor to the GF5, this camera has a wider body for better grip and better overall 5.5” HD Super 5.5” AMOLED HD Super screen, 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Processor, Exynos Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (Jelly OS Bean), v4.1.2 Mali-400MP (Jelly Bean),GPU Mali-400MP |2 GPU | 2 performance inAMOLED varying light conditions. The cam isAndroid equipped with a 16MP LiveMOS rear cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LED front flash, cam 1.9MP front cam GB RAM 8MP GB RAM sensor and features like creative filters, various SCN modes and Wi-Fi and NFC as well

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6

for those who wish to transfer images instantly.

Sony Xperia SonyZXperia 32,899Z /32,899/The first smartphone The firstfrom smartphone Sony to be from touted Sony asto‘waterproof’ be touted as and ‘waterproof’ ‘dust-proof’ and and ‘dust-proof’ a whole lotta andother a whole kinds lotta of other proof.kinds of proof. Olympus OM-D E-M5 `62,995/-

It’s beautifully It’s crafted beautifully andOM benchmarks crafted benchmarks too,butavatar doesn’t well too,but the doesn’t best viewing have theangles best onpricey. thatangles display. onStill that a good display. buy, Still a good buy, The classic seriesand in well its digital ishave quite good, although a viewing bit Blessed for its multimedia for its multimedia with aexperience 16.1MP Liveexperience MOS Sensor and TruePic VI Image Processor, it delivers the goods 5.5” HD Super AMOLED Super screen, AMOLED 1.6 GHzscreen, quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos quad-core Exynos Android Processor, v4.1.2 Android Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly in5.5” anyHD lighting condition you can think of.Processor, The AF system isOSfast and(Jelly theOS camera is Bean) Mali-400MPalso GPU Mali-400MP | 2 GB RAM, GPU 8MP | 2 GB rearRAM, cam Splash-Proof 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.9MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.9MP front cam features Dustproof and Construction.

HTC One HTC X+ One 29,400/X+ Fujifilm X-M1

29,400/`42,999/- (body only) With specs that With can specs still match that can up CMOS to stillthe match best up in the tomakes the business, best the theOne business, was thethe One much X+of was needed the much improved needed version improved of version of The APS-C X-Trans sensor itsinway to aX+ smaller body the X-M1, which the One X, with the the One beautiful X, with craftsmanship the beautiful craftsmanship still retained.It still has retained.It all the right has bells all the and right whistles bells that and you’d whistles want that on you’d your want on your essentially has all the goodness of optics that the bigger X-cameras from Fuji have. fingertips every fingertips hour of every day. hour ofto every day. But, no EVF is a factor keep in mind, which is taken care of slightly with the presence 4.7” HD Super LCD2 HD screen, Super LCD2 GHzscreen, quad-core GHz Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3Nvidia Processor Tegra 3 Processor of4.7” a tilting LCD1.7 screen plus1.7 Wi-Fi capabilities. Android OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 ULIP (Jelly GeForce Bean) 2ULIP GPUGeForce | 1 GB RAM, 2 GPU8MP | 1 GB rearRAM, cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.6MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.6MP front cam

Nikon Sony Xperia SonyZCoolpix Xperia Ultra ZP7700 Ultra

`24,000/-

46,990/46,990/Rugged use, manual mode shooting, image quality and well-priced. With a 7.1x Hate it or loveHate it, there’s it or love no denying it, there’s that nothe denying Xperiathat Z Ultra, the Xperia with itsZ ultra-large-sized Ultra, with its ultra-large-sized 6.4” display cannot 6.4” display be side-line cannot be side-line 28-200mm Zoom Lens (35mm Equiv.) it has a decent range on focal length and takes It’s the first device It’s the to be first shipped device to with be the shipped fabled with Snapdragon the fabled 800 Snapdragon processor 800 and processor even though and only even some though initial only some initial rviews great images with minimal distortion even at the widest aperture value of f2.8. High- rviews of the deviceSpeed have of the been device out,have they haveto out, all8been they synonymous have all beenwith synonymous the sheerwith processing the sheer power processing of the device.The power of the only device.The only Shooting atbeen Up FPS theoretically possible. gripe? Can yougripe? really Can call it you a phone?! really call it a phone?! 6.4” Full HD Triluminos 6.4” Full HD display, Triluminos 2.2 GHz display, quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon quad-core800 Snapdragon Processor,800 Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 Adreno (Jelly Bean), Adreno 330 GPU | 2 GB330 RAM GPU 8MP | 2 rear GB RAM cam 8MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam 2MP front cam `14,990/-

Canon Powershot 260 HS

Compact camera with 20x optical zoom. Excellent image quality for a travel-zoom key features 25,500/of the Canon SX260 include built-in GPS, a 3 inch LCD Lenovocamera.Other Lenovo K900 25,500/K900 screen, full 1080p HD movies with stereo sound, 10.3fps drive mode and adenying With a dramatic With price a dramatic slash, theprice K900slash, fromthe Lenovo K900has from certainly Lenovo caught hasfast certainly our attention caught and our there attention is noand there that is noitdenying that it range ofdesigned Creative Filters and and a 240fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode. has been beautifully has been beautifully and designed feels premium feels in your premium hand.The in your Intelhand.The factor is kinda Intel factor grey even is kinda now,grey but even the phone now, but the phone

does perform does flawlessly perform and flawlessly can run any and number can runofany apps number fluidly.of apps fluidly. 5.5” Full HD IPS 5.5” LCD Full screen, HD IPS 2 GHz LCD screen, dual-core 2 GHz Inteldual-core Atom Processor, Intel Atom Android Processor, OS v4.2 Android (Jelly Bean), OS v4.2 PowerVR (Jelly Bean), SGX544 PowerVR GPU SGX544 GPU `20,990/| 2 GB RAM 13MP | 2 GB rear RAM cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 2MPLED front flash, cam2MP front cam

Samsung Galaxy Camera (EK-GC100)

Always connected camera. Runs on Android OS, excellent social media and apps integration. Has a BSI CMOS sensor though it doesn’t take the sharpest images in LG Optimus LG Optimus G 35,500/35,500/low-light conditions, itGstill good enough for the asking price. Corning Gorilla Glass LG had already LG caught hadthe already our eyecaught with the oursuperb eyeslowness with Optimus the superb HD, Optimus but with 4Xthe HD,Optimus but withG,in the the Optimus Koreans G,had theaKoreans worthy had a worthy add to build quality, but of4XTouchWiz UI sets it back the software department. device to compete device with to compete the best smartphones with the best out smartphones there. Well,out almost. there.Even Well,the almost. Pro version Even the came Pro out version rather came quickly, out rather quickly, the original G the isn’toriginal that shabby G isn’t either. that shabby either. 4.7” True HD IPS 4.7” LCD True screen, HD IPS 1.5LCD GHzscreen, quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm quad-core Processor, Qualcomm Android Processor, OS v4.1.2 Android (JellyOS Bean) v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) Adreno 320 GPU Adreno | 2 GB320 RAM, GPU13MP | 2 GB rear RAM, cam13MP with LED rear flash, cam with 1.3MP LEDfront flash, cam 1.3MP front cam

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THE MONTH THAT WAS – BUZZED! The Phone That Refused To Launch – Nexus 5>>

The entire month of October was buzzing with imminent launch of the next Nexus – with the first video that showed Kitkat being the next name for Android, to the several leaks that followed. Eventually Google themselves made a (deliberate?) boo-boo by putting up the image with specs on their Play Store, but it was taken down within a few minutes. Needless to say, the news had spread like wildfire anyway and even though the phone never launched this month, it certainly became the most talked about, most speculated and (naturally) the most anticipated device for the month. Let’s just hope it lives up to these great expectations that have been built up!

Motorola Ara Unveiled At The Same Time As Phone blocks Thundercla>>

Seen the YouTube video on Phonebloks? We had covered an article on it too last month, so we’re sure you guys must be quite aware of the concept of a ‘modular smartphone’ design which was put forth by an individual. At that time the creator had conceptualized a ‘Thunderclap’ event (that sends out FB messages and tweets from people’s ids who had supported the movement from his website) to ensure the message reaches as many people as possible. Surprisingly (?) that’s the same time that Motorola announced their Project Ara, which worked on the SAME concept! As it turned out, the creator of phonebloks is now working closely with Motorola. FTW!

New iPad Mini Reportedly In Short Supply>>

The iPad event was a great success and we’re sure you must’ve enjoyed the article earlier in the mag. But as soon as the world was wowed with the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display, there was despair in the news that followed. Almost like last year’s issue of ‘not enough iPad Minis’ this year also there might be a ‘tight supply’ of iPad Mini’s with retina displays. What’s going on Apple, why you not make enough of these?!

Twitter Contests Galore>>

Of course, Social Media sites were at the forefront for carrying and spreading various news throughout the month. Unsurprisingly, though, even Indian audiences were being swayed by various tech brands with various contests. Up for grabs were – smartphones, tablets, laptops, cameras, music systems – and even TV’s! Almost all major brands and up-and-coming ones too, joined in. Did you win any contests yourselves? You can share your experiences on our Twitter page!

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