Tech Weekly March 27 - April 2, 2013

WEEK 13, MAR 27 - APR 2, 2013 AN AL ROYA PRESENTATION

37

Issue

OMAN’S FAVOURITE MAGAZINE, NOW A TABLOID

TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Pocket friendly Phablet Asus FonePad

Luxurious

experiment

Google Pixel Chromebook’s display charms tech geeks worldwide

Unmatched action GoPro Hero3 Black Edition

Posh Hatchback Volvo V40

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into this?

For all your parts needs email us at quadratec@deenarmedia.com

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

We don’t know why, but everyone here is under the impression that Oman has no press freedom. While we are still in one of lowest of the three categories of ‘Freedom of Press’, i.e. ‘Not Free’, this isn’t entirely true. There are three main rules of Oman press restriction: Nothing ill shall be written about His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, nothing ill shall be written about his Royal Decree or his method of governance, and no single man shall be singled out in a public forum. Other than this, everything else is, or should be, based on the essence of journalism: The obligation to truth, discipline of verification, dedication to impartiality and above all, independence from influence.

We practice self-censorship to achieve a symbiotic relationship with the market.

However, it is important not to confuse the privilege as a right. It definitely isn’t law anywhere.

This week we look at the Asus FonePad as an affordable phablet that has both, great design and functionality.

Our photography section features a new edition to the GoPro family of action cameras for sports and adventure enthusiasts, and we examine the predicament of Bluray with the release of the first ever, ultra HD 4k player. Our cover-worthy story is about the Google Pixel Chromebook with a whopping 2560x1700 resolution, that even gives the Macbook Pro with Retina Display a complex. TECH recommends products that not only entertain, but also makes your life a lot easier. We go to the roots of the Google Glass project and examine the pros and cons of the future of wearable technology. Our TECH radar spots gadgets we can’t wait to see at our local retail outlets and finally, we suggest you a website that got the whole TECH team hooked on.

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4

NEWS WEEK 13, MARCH 27 - april 2, 2013

iPhone 5S may not be exciting enough DigiTimes suggested the next iPhone won’t break any new ground in features or design. Much like the iPhone 4S evolved from the iPhone 4, the new handset will reportedly have a more powerful processor and better digital camera. The publication also predicted the new iPhone, dubbed the 5S, will launch in the third quarter. Apple raised the curtain on the iPhone 5 last September, so a third quarter release for the 5S seems plausible.

Apple will surely unveil a new iPhone this year. It will likely be a minor upgrade to the iPhone 5 with a few enhancements such as a higher-end processor and a higher-megapixel camera (at least 12-megapixels). Other recent reports say the iPhone 5S may come equipped with a fingerprint sensor. It seems there might even be a cheaper plastic-bodied model specifically for certain countries.

iPhone 5

iPhone 5S

Resolution

1,136 x 640px

1,704 x 960px

PPI

326

465

Screen Size

4.0”

4.2”

Dimensions

4.87” x 2.31” x 0.30”

4.87” x 2.31” x 0.30”

Pentium turns 20 This day, that age Intel launched their infamous Pentium processor 20 years ago today with the release of the Pentium 60 CPU. That chip utilised Intel’s 5-volt Socket 4, built on an 800-nanometer process and carried 3.1mn transistors. Shockingly poor when you compare to today’s third generation Ivy Bridge processors.

The Pentium I was barely faster than the 486DX chips they replaced. It wasn’t until the Pentium 3 came along that Intel started to find traction with the platform, outpacing

competing chips from AMD and Cyrix with ease. Meanwhile, the Pentium 4, however, was regarded as a step back. The architecture was designed to run at very high clock speeds, but at the expense of real-world performance. These chips also ran extremely hot, meaning they required a large heatsink and noisy cooling fan to keep under control. The misstep ultimately allowed AMD to take the performance crown with their highly successful Athlon line for several years. Intel eventually found their way again with the Core architecture

Angry Birds: Star Wars coming soon

LG joins the smart watch

that debuted near the end of 2007.

This platform was based on the same P6 architecture used in the first Pentium Pro back in 1995. The rest is pretty much history as Intel has had tremendous success with more recent platforms like Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge. With Haswell in sight and AMD hardly visible in the rear-view mirror, Intel appears set to carry on without much major competition for the foreseeable future.

According to Korea Times, citing a source familiar with the matter, LG is building both a smart watch and a product similar to Google Glass. “The company has spared no efforts to invest in products that it believes are must-haves to stay ahead technology wise in the market, whatever the situation may be,” the source said. Of course, details about the devices are lacking, which means we now have not one but four “upcoming” smart watches, and absolutely nothing is known about any of them.

It’s possible these companies consider the smart watch the next big thing. Remember some of these companies, namely LG, have built a phone-watch hybrid before.

However, we’re more inclined to believe that nowadays, no major consumer electronics manufacturer wants to be left behind on a new product category, even while we’re still deep in rumour territory.

POLL Which mobile company do you like the most?

Seen by

13,456 people

as of 12pm, March 23 685 voters

Friendi

2.3% 49.6%

Nawras Omantel Renna

< 1%

Samatel

< 1%

Others The Star Wars spinoff of Angry Birds just keeps getting better for all bird fans.

With the Hoth expansion being a big hit, Cloud City surely should be too.

Any Star Wars fan would notice that Rovio is following right along with Star Wars collectibles with these releases and updates. The update will have Carbon frozen birds too. Yes, you heard that

right. Rovio is pulling out all the stops as usual and is looking to bring out another jam-packed update out for all bird lovers. We checked out a quick 16-second teaser trailer releases last week. They didn’t give us much but it looks like we should be keeping a close look, as Rovio will soon release the official game trailer.

36.9%

Next Week’s Question

10.5%

Which of the car dealers is your favourite?

Poll closes every Saturday 12pm of the previous week.

To participate log on to facebook.com/techoman

MOBILEZONE TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

5

Affordable Phablet Meet FonePad, a 7-inch Android tablet that can make calls

A

FonePad can outpace it. Graphics meanwhile come courtesy of a PowerVR GX540 GPU.

sus isn’t the first company that comes to your mind when you think of tablets.

But after constructing Google’s brilliant Nexus 7 device, it is proved that they can crank out pretty awesome slates. The FonePad has a 7-inch display, which packs in 1,280x800 pixels, making the same size and resolution as the Nexus 7.

It comes complete with all the necessary hardware to make phone calls, provided you don’t mind holding a 7-inch tablet up to your face and attracting baffled looks from people passing by. It’s equipped with a noisecancelling microphone, as well. The FonePad runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which isn’t quite the latest version, but still gets you all the key features of Android like access to the Google Play store and several home screens to pack full of widgets and apps. The FonePad is likely to reach Asia-Pacific for USD249 (RO96) between April and June.

The FonePad is made from metal, but isn’t too heavy at 340g. It’s slim too and measures 10.4mm on its shallowest side. Although we think that this phablet is bulky, Asus is confident you’ll be able to grip this tablet comfortably with one hand. The FonePad’s metal construction does feel classy, our impression is that the build-quality seems high. Apart from the metal casing, once you get your hands on this tablet there’s very little to distinguish it from the Googlebranded Nexus 7. They both are similar in size and design.

Asus FonePad USD249 (RO96)

S P P A

Weight: 340g Operating system: Android 4.1

Memory: 1GB

Display: 7-inch LED backlight WXGA, 1280x800 screen

Storage: 8GB to 16GB Camera: 1.2MP front camera, 3MP rear camera

CPU: Intel Atom Z2420, 1.2GHz

Arcade and Action

Pandas vs Ninjas (Free)

Get lost in the world of fun and addictive arcade games Temple Run: Oz

Revenge of the Pigs

Play as Oz and outrun the shrieking flying baboons as you turn, jump and slide your way across the land. Begin your exhilarating adventure and see how far you can run

Pigs are angry as big bad wolves chased little piglets from their houses. The tiny piglets didn’t have a choice but to find angry pig warriors to get their homes and lands back

(Free)

(USD0.99)

Modern Combat Zero Hour 4 (USD0.99)

G o o g l e P l ay

Plants vs Zombies (USD3.36)

Get ready to soil your plants in the hit PopCap strategy game Plants vs.

Zombies. A mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home and your only defence is an arsenal of 49 zombie-zapping plants

In the wake of nuclear warfare, the only chance to avoid global devastation is in the hands of the few elite soldiers who must rescue the world’s leaders from a familiar terrorist group

Mini Golf MatchUp Wreck-it Ralph (USD0.99)

Hit the arcade and gamehop between 3 Challenging arcade games based on the movie. Also compete against your friends and the world for high scores in each game

(Free)

Pairing delightfully rendered and polished gameplay with competitive, headto-head challenges; Mini Golf MatchUp lets players challenge their friends on fivehole courses

LodeRunner: The Legend (Free)

Lode Runner: the Legend is the revival of the well-known, old school game. This time the famous runner is going underground in search of treasure of the ancient civilization

Candy Crush Saga

Defend Pandas’ homeland by fighting Ninja invaders and destroying their camps.

Enjoy highly addictive gameplay and realistic simulation

Avalancha (Free)

In Avalancha the goal is to control the snowball as long as you can. You start the game when the ball is small but as you continue the ball starts to grow

(Free)

Switch and match your way through more than 100 levels in this delicious and addictive puzzle adventure. It is one of the sweetest games ever

Minecraft – Pocket Edition (USD4.89)

Pac Man Lite (Free)

Relive this classic with PAC-MAN Lite, a FREE version of PAC-MAN’s first stage. Spend countless hours and quarters avoiding pesky ghosts while chomping on dots and gobbling up the fruit for bonus points

Minecraft is about placing blocks to build things and going on adventures. It includes randomly generated worlds, multiplayer over a local Wi-Fi network and Survival and Creative modes

App Store

Blackberry World

Dimensions 186.4x120.1x10.4mm

Inside, the FonePad has one of Intel’s Atom Z2420 processors, clocked at 1.2GHz and backed up by 1GB of RAM. The Nexus 7 offers excellent performance using Nvidia’s quad-core Tegra 3 chip, so it’ll be interesting to see whether the

6

photography WEEK 13, MARCH 27 - april 2, 2013

Catch the action This new addition to the GoPro family has taken action camera quality to the next level

G

oPro’s lineup of mountanywhere cameras have been dazzling extreme sports enthusiasts for years. The original HD Hero first delivered stills and wideangle HD video in 2009. Those capabilities improved with a higher-resolution sensor, faster burst mode and a wider field of view in the Hero2. Now, GoPro has rolled out the Hero3, which packs up to 4K video in a cube that’s almost a full centimetres thinner than its predecessors.

The Black Edition Hero3 is GoPro’s top-of-the-line camera packing an f/2.8 wide-angle lens in front of a 12-megapixel sensor and built-in WiFi. This lens and sensor combination lets you shoot in 4K at 12 fps, 2.7K at 30 fps, 1440p at 48 fps, 1080p at 60 fps, 960p at 100 fps, 720p at 120 fps and WVGA resolution at an incredible 240fps.

GoPro hasn’t changed the look

of its cameras much since the introduction of the original HD Hero. Prior Heroes are silver boxes with fisheye lenses jutting out next to a 2-centimetre LCD display on the front.

Besides being thinner than its predecessors, the Hero3 is no longer clad in silver but is coated with a smooth soft-touch black plastic. This has not only made the camera easier to hold, but it also provides a nice visual contrast.

To put it simply, GoPro’s Hero3 Black Edition is the most capable action camera on the market today. It delivers unparalleled resolution from a camera of its size and does so without sacrificing frame rate or field of view. Despite its meagre battery life and less-than-functional shape, the Hero3 provides imaging performance superior to all of its competitors at a price that any adventurer and go-getter can afford.

Dimensions: 58x40x21mm

Optics: Ultra sharp F/2.8 6-element aspherical glass lens, ultra wide angle/ reduced distortion, 2x lowlight performance Video format: H.264 codec, mp4 file format

GoPro Hero3 Black Edition

Storage: MicroSD, up to 64GB capacity

USD200 (RO77)

Photo mode: 12, 7, 5MP resolutions, 30 photos per second, 3/5/10pps, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 second time-lapse intervals

videozone

Goodbye Bluray The first ultra high definition player is out and it threatens the existence of Bluray

T

he company that has been behind movies like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Spider-Man and House of Cards has launched the world’s first Ultra HD capable machine for the home, and surprisingly, it does not have a disk drive. The Redray 4k Cinema Player promises a BBC iPlayer-oniPad style download service and is going on sale in the USA for USD1226 (RO472). It is the first commercially available Ultra HD source. It could effectively see the end of both Blu-ray and even the idea of the shiny disc itself.

The Redray can also read Ultra HD files in the MP4 format, from both USB drives and SD cards. It can also upscale from SD and HD to Ultra HD. Red’s download service is due to start this month with Odemax as the only confirmed content provider, though Ted Schilowitz, ‘leader of the rebellion’ at Red Digital Cinema and evangelist for all things 4k has confirmed that Red is in talks with the ‘usual suspects’ to offer Ultra HD versions of major studio releases alongside independent films and the remasters of classics.

Schilowitz was unable to confirm which companies Red is talking to, but the current suppliers of movie download such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple could be involved. Netflix boasted 4K streaming on Samsung’s stand at CES 2013, though it was using HEVC format. The new HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) codec, which could launch in commercial products in 2013, is supposedly twice as efficient as current highquality MPEG standards. That means it will have the ability to use half of the Internet bandwidth to download the file, while

maintaining the same quality.

The result would be much, much faster download speeds from portals like iTunes.

Redray has built-in 1TB storage and therefore can hold around 100 hours of Ultra HD content.

It can also be expanded upon.

Although Red could easily supply larger, less compressed files, Schilowitz thinks that the current size is its key feature.

cover story TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

7

Chrome alert Size and build

Subtly marked with the Chrome logo, the entire laptop is aluminium-clad while the connectivity ports on either side include two USB ports, a headphone jack, SD card reader and believe us when we say it, an Apple Mini Display Port.

The first home-grown product that runs on the Chrome operating system

G

oogle can produce all the hardware and software because they can. But they haven’t been as successful with hardware when compared with Microsoft. However, the Google Chromebook Pixel is one of the best looking laptops we’ve ever seen and

it runs on the very simple web-based Chrome operating system. Products like the Acer C7 and the Samsung Series 3 have been fairly impressive chromebooks, but haven’t really made their mark yet. We see if the Pixel is all set to represent chromebooks.

Weighing 1.52 kg, the Pixel is heavier than its slender design makes it look. It has slim-line dimensions of 297.7x224.6x16.2mm. When you open the lid, it has a utilitarian approach. The Pixel holds a black matte track pad along with a light-sensing backlit keyboard. This is all that can be found with a bar of web-focused shortcut buttons located at the top. A piano hinge allows the Pixel to be opened with one finger and it’s amazing that the speakers are hidden under the keyboard.

Apps Unfortunately, the moment you lose connectivity to the Internet all your operations freeze. While Google offers a fair range of apps that can function offline, they’re sparse and ultimately do nothing to make you feel like you can take it anywhere, therefore all of this posturing becomes pointless.

Screen

While this is all very nice and stunning, for over USD1,300 (RO500) we wish it had a lot more going for it. The Pixel comes in the form of a 12.85-inch 2560x1700 touchscreen display. To put that into perspective it’s higher-than-retina and it’s on a machine that is smaller than the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The clarity and contrast are flawless and you will be confused trying to choose a wallpaper for this beauty.

Performance The Pixel is a beast with a 1.8GHz Dual-Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of SSD storage; you also get a HD webcam for video calls. Google for a fact realises that you will need a helping hand to move over to web-based computing so you get 1TB of online storage free for two years.

The screen has then been layered with a sheet of Gorilla Glass that reportedly adds both strength and helps keep the image clearer than a normal display. Google didn’t just stop at making it just an impeccable screen; it has made it a full-fledged touchscreen and while it won’t be the experience you’ll find on Windows 8, the makers have included some custom gestures to help you browse the web without ever needing to touch the keyboard.

Verdict Google Chromebook Pixel

USD1,300 (RO500)

Dimensions 11.7x8.8x0.6mm

Processor Intel Ivy Brigde Core i5, 1.8GHz

Weight 3.35oz

Memory 4GB, 32GB base drive capacity

Operating system Chrome OS

Ports 2 USB, 1 Mini display port and 3.5mm mic/ headphone combo

Screen 12.8-inch, 2560x1700p resolution, multi touch display

When we think of this product, we envision tech geeks and the restless; it is specifically built for a time where free and super-fast Internet is available absolutely everywhere and that isn’t the case yet. This product is beautiful and desirable with stunning design and premium hardware but we aren’t sure about its practicality.

SELECTION

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

Smartphones RO270

RO250

Blackberry Z10

Samsung Note II

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

Android OS v4.1, Quad Core 1.6GHz, 16GB storage, up-to 32GB, 3G, WiFi, A-GPS, 2MP camera

RO231

RO210

RO156

U

N

N

Nokia Lumia 920

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

Samsung S III

Android OS v4.0.4, Quad Core 1.4GHz, 8MP camera, 16GB storage, 3G, WiFi

Samsung Galaxy GRAND Android OS v4.1, Dual Core 1GHz, Dual SIM, 8MP camera, 8GB storage up-to 32GB, 1GB RAM, 3G, WiFi, A-GPS

Tablets RO220 RO285

RO250

Microsoft Windows Surface

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8000)

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

10.1-inch 1280x800 screen.

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

N

RO270

RO140 N

Apple iPad Mini 7.9-inch 1024x768 screen, iOS 6, 1GHz Dual-Core processor, 16GB, WiFi, Bluetooth, HD camera, 4G, 3G

Apple iPad 4th Generation 9.7-inch, Retina display, LEDbacklit, multi-touch display.

2048x1536 screen, iOS 6, 1.6GHz Dual Core processor, 16GB, WiFi, Bluetooth, HD camera, 4G, 3G

Toshiba Excite AT200 7.6-inch screen, Android, 1G (LPDDR2), 1066MHz, Nvidia Tegra T305L, WiFi, Bluetooth, 32GB. 2MP front and 5MP back camera

Computers

N

RO1,150

RO470

N

RO300

RO375

Apple Macbook Pro MD-976

HP Spectre XT 13 2100

Samsung XE500T1C-A01

Dell Inspiron 5520 0378

15.4-inch Retina Display, Intel Core i7-Prom, 2.6GHz, 8GB RAM. 512GB, 1.3MP webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, DVD drive, 1GB graphics, Mac OS

13.2-inch display, Intel Core i53317U 1.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 128GB HDD, WiFi, Windows 8

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

15.6-inch HD WLED, Intel Core i73612qm 3.1GHz, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB HDD, 1GB VRAM, webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 8

N

RO349

Toshiba LX 830-B132 23-inch HD LED screen, Intel Core i3-3110M, 2.4GHz, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB HDD, 1GB VRAM, 1.3MP webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 7 Home Basic

Compact cameras

RO70

RO230

Casio JE 10

Sony Alpha NEX-F3

16.1MP, 5x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, HD movie, Make-up mode

16.1MP, 5.5FPS, 18-55mm lens, 3-inch LCD touch screen. Full HD movie

RO200

RO120

Samsung Galaxy camera GC100

Canon PowerShot SX240

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

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

U

RO169

Sony TX200 18.2MP, 5x digital zoom, 3.3-inch LCD screen, full HD movie, CMOS sensor

N New

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

Price courtesy Emax, as on March 21, 2012 except where mentioned

U Updated

Pro cameras

RO822

N

RO530*

N

RO500

RO400

RO260

Canon 7D

Fujifilm XE-1

Canon 650D

Panasonic Lumix G5

Nikon D3200

18.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors.

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

16MP X-Trans CMOS sensor, ISO 200-6400, 2.36M dot OLED electronic viewfinder, new kit zoom: 18-55mm F2.8-4R, 2.8inch 460k-dot LCD, Built-in popup flash, full HD movie recording

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

16MP, 6FPS, 3-inch LCD touch screen, 14-42 + 45-150mm lens; 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD Video Recording; ISO 160-12800; Shutter: 1/16000; Burst: SH : 20.0 frames/sec, H: 6.0 frames/ sec(with AFS)

24.2MP, 4FPS/11 AF point, 3-inch LCD screen, full HD movie, 18-33mm lens; ISO 100 to 6400; Shutter: 1/4000 to 30s; TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor; Hi-Speed USB

* Courtesy: Photocentre

Televisions

RO400

RO300

RO400

RO800

RO1,400

LG 42LM6690

Samsung UA40ES5600

Sony KDL 40HX750

Sony KLV 60EX640

Samsung UA55ES8000

42-inch LED Plus, Smart Energy Saving Plus, built-in WiFi, USB port movie playback (DIVX HD)

40-inch full HD Smart TV, smart contain, full web browser, 3xHDMI, 2xUSB video and movie playback, 1000Hz motion flow

40-inch 3D dynamic Edge LED TV, 2MP, full HD, 400Hz, built-in WiFi, full web browser, 2xUSB movie playback, 4xHDMI, X Reality with Blu-ray 3D player

60-inch dynamic LED TV, 2MP, full HD, 200Hz, WiFi ready, 2xUSB movie playback, 4xHDMI, X reality

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

TECH RECOMMENDS Beats Solo HD

WD My Book 3TB With sleek design and massive capacity, it is a great way to store and protect all the chapters of your digital life. It has a feature called automatic backup that works quietly in the background to help you protect your data using minimal PC resources. You can also use WD Security to set password protection and hardware encryption and protect your files from unauthorized use or access. At RO75, the My Book, 3TB is a reasonable bargain.

RO75

Sony PSP Street

RO50

We must say that the PSP Street is much better than the original. Although it wont replace a dedicated AV device or desktop, it is good for multimedia needs and gaming on-the-go. With a RO50 price tag, it comes with two game CDs. It delivers better colour vibrancy and is less prone to glare. The PSP street won’t replace your beloved iPhone that is filled to the brim with music and other multimedia, but if you’re looking to travel with a few hours of music and TV shows, it is a perfect diversion from a game. This also eliminates the need to carry along another device.

Braun Satin Hair 5 If you are tired of your boring straight hair, the style and restyle Braun Satin 5 is for you. Be it waves, curls, flicks or just volume, you can change your look everyday with a range of attachments it comes with. There is no need for you to wash you hair every time you want a new look, as it comes with a steam function that shoots powerful jet moisture. After you have styled you hair, you can fit it in place with the cold shot option. It comes with three attachments, a big round brush for large curls, a small for tight curls and a unique voluminiser that dries out your hair evenly. At RO14, this 1000W airstyler is a steal.

RO14

Seen at Emax, Muscat City Centre

RO86

The Beats Solo by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster offers a stylish, compact and durable design for on-the-go use. Its cable features an integrated mic, iPod controls and volume.

It is very travel friendly and its vibrant colours are sure to turn heads. Even though the Beats HD are the low-end headphones, they produce decent sound quality and live up to its RO86 price tag. They have a couple of additional features like ControlTalk that is useful while using a cell phone. It also doubles as playback control for the iPhone or iPod. The headphones fold into a compact form and come in a neat case.

in-depth

10

WEEK 13, MARCH 27 - april 2, 2013

Project Glass FAQ We go to the depth of Project Glass movement to see if it changes the way we look at our world

I

n September, when Google Glass was unveiled, the tech world couldn’t stop talking about it and fell into two main camps; One, who thought that we were stepping into a sci-fi world and two, the ones that weren’t as excited and thought that is was one of Google’s gimmicks. This week, we answer all your Google Glass-related questions.

What does the Glass do?

What is Google’s Project Glass all about?

Project glass is Google’s attempt to make wearable technology conventional. This smart pair of glasses has an integrated headsup display and a battery hidden inside the frame. Although wearable computing isn’t a new movement, Google has an enormous bank account and their spirited, can-do attitude suggests that Project Glass will be the first product to make a momentous impact.

At the core of Google Glass is its tiny prism display that sits a little above your eye line. By just glancing up, you can see what is on the display. The glasses also possess an embedded camera, microphone, GPS and reportedly use bone induction to emit sound. Voice control is used to control the device; using a simple command like ‘OK glass’ you can take pictures, send messages, shoot videos and so on.

‘Hang out’ is Google’s video conferencing technology and allows you to talk to people over web cam and stream what you are seeing and the directions use Google Maps and the inbuilt GPS to help you find your way around. All your results are displayed on the prism and looks incredibly handy. The development of cool apps for Google Glass have started for example, an app that helps you identify a friend a crowd or another that allows you to dictate emails.

Google Glass’s Impending Specifications Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi Sound: Bone induction (vibrations to the skull to communicate the sound into your inner ear) Operating System: Modified Android Other features: Decent resolution camera with good-quality lens, GPS chip Colours: Charcoal (black), Tangerine (orange), Shale (grey), Cotton (white), Sky (blue) Estimated price: USD1,500 (RO578)

Will the Google Glass work for those already wearing glasses?

Google has been experimenting with various designs to cater to persons with powered glasses. There will be no need for you to wear two glasses.

According to Google, they should be available before the end of 2013.

When will it be released?

Originally, Project Glass was to go public in 2014 at the earliest.

But the latest news suggests that it might reach the market by the end of this year. The Explorer units are becoming a common site around San Francisco and it is said that Google is allowing ‘winners’ to pay USD1,500 to get early offerings.

What is the Project Glass price?

According to several Google employees who are familiar with the project, the glasses are expected to cost around USD1,500. Traditionally, the developer versions are more expensive than the final consumer units and hints suggest that the prices will be made attractive for tech fanatics. The Google Glass will most definitely be available online and debut on the Google store but we aren’t sure about shops selling them as of now.

The other side of the Glass There are speculations as to whether the Google Glass has an unscrupulous side. Or if it’s Google’s gimmick to monetise your eyeballs by bombarding ads and other promotional stuff. It can be an inconvenience as they pop up in front of your face.

Will this product impede social interactions and what about its safety issues? We obviously don’t want to be distracted while driving a car, unless of course Google starts shipping a self-driving car. With regard to privacy and security, Google might record everything you see and do. Although it has a red recording light, the technology raises key debates that will only be relevant once this product is out in the market for consumers. We wonder about the repercussions of having everything taped and turned into something searchable.

All inventions have a flipside and raise a potential for evil, but it’s vital to weigh their implications against the capacity for good. That includes giving the pre-order customers constant updates. Many people who have had the privilege of pre-ordering the products get regular notifications through Google +, but that obviously comes at a price; they have paid Google USD1,500 to receive these ‘private updates.’

TIMEZONE TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Versatile approach

T

he new calendar watch Quantième Complet from Montblanc’s lineup of luxury timepieces does a good balancing act while displaying the date, day of the week, month and moon-phase, in addition to the current time. The calendar does not come across as a cumbersome display; on the contrary, it looks neat. The name is descriptive of the function of the watch. According to Francophone watchmakers, ‘quantième’ describes the calendar function and ‘complet’ mean ‘complete.’

This latest model in the Montblanc Star Collection is more versatile than a basic one that displays only the date. It displays a full-fledged perpetual calendar.

A center-mounted hand with a little red crescent indicates the date and goes round a wreath of 31 digits encircling the dial’s periphery. Just below the 12 o’clock position, the day of the week and the month

appear in two little windows placed side by side. Just above the 6 o’clock position, the lower half of the dial carries the moonphase display that shows the changing phases of the moon during the day. The dial has a sophisticated look, enhanced by a guilloché motif engraved right in the center. While hours are indicated by black Roman numerals, a Montblanc logo is inscribed in black on a pictogram below 12 o’clock. Slender, leafshaped hands in blue steel indicate the hours. The extreme periphery hosts the date-ring, which is calibrated from 1 to 31. The Star Quantième Complet, which will be on sale starting in August, will also be available in a stainless steel case. Prices are yet to be determined.

11

This timepiece displays a full-fledged perpetual calendar and blends aesthetics with function Montblanc Star Quantième Complet Type of movement: Mechanical movement with automatic winding mechanism Jewels: 25 Power reserve: approx. 42 hours Frequency: 28,800bph (4Hz) Case: 18K red gold Glass: Domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating Case back: 18K red gold case back with sapphire crystal fixed by 6 screws Crown: 18 K red gold with mother-ofpearl Montblanc emblem Dimensions: 42x12.17mm Water resistant: Up to 30m Price: TBA

12

nuovotech WEEK 13, MARCH 27 - april 2, 2013

Wish list Alert

Whether you are a fitness freak or an absent minded professor, we have a gadget for you

The Movie Buff The Music Lover

Customizable Jambox Speaker

This Bluetooth-savvy, palm-sized device, which can stream audio straight from anyone’s smartphone, has just got cooler thanks to the fact that you can now personalise the speaker with nine cap colours and 13 grill hues and that makes more than 100 combinations. Plus, if you’re ready to shell out an additional USD100, the larger Big Jambox delivers twice the sound.

USD199 (RO77), available on jawbone.com

USD300 (RO116), available on 3m.com

Fitbit Wireless Activity Tracker

USD60 (RO23), available on fitbit.com

You can now have a mini-movie party pretty much everywhere you go. The 3M Streaming Projector

by Roku fits in the palm of your hand and is great for movie lovers. Once you connect the streaming stick you have access to Netflix or Hulu.

With its built-in speakers and rechargeable batteries, it really makes seeing flicks on the fly possible. All you need is a strong WiFi signal and a place to project your favourite shows.

The Fitness Junkie Ideally, to maintain your health, you are supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day. But how can you keep track of that? With Fitbit, you can track your progress quite easily. Just snap the wireless device on to your clothes and it’ll keep a tab on your steps, distance travelled and calories burned.

Plus, all that information automatically syncs to your online profile and the Fitbit app, so you can constantly check your progress.

3M Streaming Projector

By Roku

The bicycle explorer

Photojojo Bikepod

Do you like the idea of riding around Muttrah Corniche on a bicycle? Whilst cycling around, you are bound to catch some blink-and-you’llmiss-it scenes. But, luckily, there is a gadget to capture everything. Strap this little tripod gizmo to your handlebars and you will never miss a camera-worthy moment again. It is durable and will protect your iPhone just in case you lose your balance.

USD45 (RO17), available on photojojo.com

Moviezone

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Along with fighting the mortal enemy Cobra, the team is forced to resist threats from within the government A sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the upcoming 2013 American science fiction action film G.I. Joe: Retaliation was originally set to release in August 2012, but was deferred to a later date (March 28 2013) as Paramount Studios wanted to convert the film to 3D for its release. Based on Hasbro’s line of action figures, G.I. Joe, as toy, comic and media franchises, the storyline for the film is penned by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

Cobra Commander, impersonating the President of the United States, is essentially the top leader of the terrorist organization Cobra. He now brings all world leaders under Cobra’s sway, with avant garde warheads targeted at harmless people across the globe. He is the main adversary and arch enemy of the Joes. In the film, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their arch enemy Cobra. They are also pushed to resist threats from within the government that

endanger their very existence. Framed as traitors by Zartan, a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander, the outnumbered Joes devise a plan with G.I. Joe General Joseph Colton (played by action star Bruce Willis) to overthrow the Cobra Commander and his allies Zartan, Storm Shadow and Firefly.

Director Jon M. Chu Genre Science fiction action film Cast Channing Tatum Dwayne Johnson Arnold Vosloo Ray Park

DASHBOARD TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

Family Rocket

E

xciting, nimble and absolutely impressive. That in short explains what the V40 is. Even its designer Chris Benjamin, when he penned it on paper (while Ford owned Volvo), may not have expected the Volvo would be this good in motion.

Unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the five-door hatchback replaces S40 and the V50 station wagon. You may remember the quite recent C30 that set Volvo’s hot-hatch benchmark. Well, they took those underpinnings, modified it and made it better. Now Ford’s C1 platform got fitted with modified electric power steering, and revised spring and damper settings.

The engine is not entirely new to

the industry, but it makes a debut in Volvo’s lineup. The V40 comes with a tiny 1.6-litre, four-cylinder but with the arrogance of a 2.0-litre.

It pumps out a whopping 180hp and 270N.m of torque. With the turbocharging and direct fuel injection, the motor reduces CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, while providing low engine-weight for crisp handling on winding roads.

The T4 is available with a six-speed manual gearbox or a dual-clutch six-speed Powershift automatic with sport mode.

The interior rivals BMW and Mercedes, with fit and finish you can never expect from the common man’s car like Toyota and Hyundai.

It gets a plush, simple interior meant to embody Scandinavian

13

Volvo is probably the most changed of any of the manufacturers out there. But the new V40 is anything but ordinary

values. Yes you do pay for it, and at RO11,700 and change the Volvo is the stratosphere of hatchback pricing. It has tiny details that would actually make you smile such as mood lighting and even a gently illuminated gear lever knob. The digital dash is interactive, with steering controls for the A2DP Bluetooth-equipped audio player.

The drive is probably the single biggest selling point of this car. It begs BMW to check its slogan of being the ultimate driving machine.

Any driver would mistake the engine-gearbox combination for a six-cylinder, but of course you couldn’t blame his ignorance. The Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) system in the Volvo V40 includes several sophisticated features including Advanced Stability Control that uses a roll angle sensor that makes it possible to identify any skidding tendency at a very early stage. This means that the stability control system can step in earlier and with greater precision.

Advanced Stability Control is a great asset in dynamic driving involving considerable lateral forces, improving handling and rapid avoidance manoeuvres.

Yes, we all who couldn’t afford this car would wish it was priced lower – much lower, but it seems to us that Volvo didn’t want to make a car that people could afford – they wanted to make a car worth paying for. See for yourself what the V40 is like.

volvo v40 Engine: 1.6, 4-cylinder, direct injection, turbo Power: 180hp@5,700rpm Torque: 177lbs-ft@1,6005,000rpm Features: DSTC, A2DP Bluetooth , Adult Euro-NCAP: 98%, Child 75% Price as tested: RO11,700 Highs: Best driving hatch by a large margin Lows: Expensive; DRLs cannot be switched off Verdict: Perfect allrounder for those not driven by savings

14

TECH RADAR WEEK 13, MARCH 27 - april 2, 2013

Anticipated technology HTC One The HTC One is a beautiful piece if hardware; it is one of the bestdesigned smartphones we have seen. Although HTC has made goodlooking devices before, they have always had problematic software. Yes, we know that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is expected soon and may take the markets by a storm, but hardware-wise, the HTC One wins, hands down. It also has the specs to match and HTC suggests it has a camera that rethinks the way you take pictures and software that customises your home screen to the next level. This phone is already out worldover but the Oman release date isn’t confirmed yet.

The year 2013 seems to be a good one for innovative gadgets.

We list out four products that must hit retailers this year

Razer Edge This year there seemed to be an exception at CES; gaming normally takes a back seat, but this year, it wasn’t the case. We have already taken a look at Nvidia’s blockbuster Project Shield handheld Android and PC game streaming device. Razer has announced the Edge PC gaming tablet. Razer teased the tablet at last year’s CES under the code name ‘Project Fiona.’ The company then conducted a crowd-sourcing campaign in which gamers provided Razer with feedback about the specs they would like to see in a mobile PC gaming device. Gamers in Oman would be delighted to purchase this device.

Rumoured iWatch The image we have here is a ‘what if’ composite. It is what looks like an iPod Nano with a wristband accessory. In the tech world, rumours are to be believed and it is said that may have a number of people working on the iWatch. The question however is if it has the interface of an iPhone or is a standalone gadget by itself. We don’t have a clue if Apple intends on releasing it or is even announcing its new venture, but we think with will be a whole new dimension to wearable technology. We certainly hope this rumoured product sees the light of day.

Wiki Pad Just over four months later, the company is once again preparing to release the Wikipad. Since it’s announcement, the tablet has undergone a fairly major design tweak and gone from a 10-inch screen to a 7-inch version. You can expect to see the Wikipad hit retailers this year says the company, which means it will come to market at roughly the same time as two other new Android gaming devices, the USD99, Ouya console and the semi-portable Gamestick device. The Wikipad is the only one of these devices with its own display, although all will rely on content from Android’s Google Play store, as well as partnerships with various game publishers and streaming services.

GAMING TECH@DEENARMEDIA.COM

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This game has added multiplayer to its series to freshen up a violent thrilling journey through ancient Greece

G

od of war has been very popular on Sony consoles since the PS2, which adds up to nine years of Kratos venting his anger at the Gods slashing his way through hordes of mythical beasts and bosses the size of skyscrapers and it is only fair to say that a God of War game will be primed for the Sony PS4 when it officially lands in stores later this year. In recent months hack and slash fans have been spoilt with DmC Devil May Cry and Metal Gear Revengeance.

Therefore, God of War Ascension has a lot more to do than simply live up to its stunning predecessor.

A prequel to the original God of War: Chains of Olympus, the Kratos is not the ruthless killing machine raging against the entire world and the Gods that inhabit it, but a Spartan general who accidentally murdered his wife and children after swearing an oath with Ares. Three sisters, who don’t intend on making his escape easy, have now imprisoned him. The game only gathers momentum in the second half. Once you begin wielding those

‘Blades of Chaos’ the storyline quickly feels quite secondary to the action.

The pace of the game drops briefly in between areas to make room for solving some taxing puzzles, climbing from walls in Nathan Drake style and giving you the opportunity to load up on life, which is strategically placed to keep fully stocked up before being thrown into battle again. Santa Monica Studios has wandered down a path that it seems is customary for every game that is released these days.

Accompanying the single campaign for the very first time, multiplayer brings a refreshingly different approach to online team action.

The God of War world still looks spectacular and the bosses huge if not relatively easy to defeat until much later in the game. Fans will be happy with what Ascension serves up on the whole, but if it steps out on the next generation Sony console it might need something more than multiplayer to re-invigorate a series that has already been exhausted over seven games.

Score Plot....................................7/10 Gameplay .................. 8/10 Visuals........................... 8/10 Overall.................................... 7

WEBZONE

Visual treat This could be one of your favourite photo blogs that cater to your varied interests

I

f you want to kill time, go to wherecoolthingshappen. com. It is really cool. This photo blog, updated periodically, is dedicated to fascinating news in art and architecture, travel, lifestyle, gadgetry, and almost anything in life that is out of the ordinary and awe-inspiring.

The photographs here cover the

entire range of human feats of bravery and skills. When they say unforgettable roads, like Trollstigen in Norway or Tianmen Mountain Road in China, they mean that they are as beautiful as dangerous, meandering through exquisite locales. No less gorgeous is the Mongolian Desert Lotus Hotel or the park that turns

into a lake in summer in Austria.

Nature is captured in the most unusual way, one of the weirdest being the Baobab tree in Zambia or the camouflaged animals in forests. You will enjoy but feel challenged by the optical illusion photographs. From bizarre places to interesting rock culture, you can explore more.

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Genre: Hack and slash, action-adventure Developer: SCE Santa Monica Studio Platforms: PlayStation 3 ESRB Rating: Mature

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1 The aspect ratio of the HDTV standard is

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2 ‘Storage capacity’ is synonymous with

A

3:2

B

12:5

A

Memory

B

Disk Space

C

4:3

D

16:9

C

RAM

D

Bandwidth

4 The Internet was created in the year

3 We coined the term ‘graymail’ A

Google

B

Apple

A

1944

B

1980

C

Yahoo!

D

Microsoft

C

1969

D

1989

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