Sony Xperia E1 review: An affordable phone that offers serious performance for its class

Music lovers on a budget can totally rejoice with the Sony Xperia E1 Dual Sim. With a dedicated Walkman button and cool music app, you can be assured of a rich musical experience. It is also a very compact and lightweight phone given its plastic outer shell. Obviously, at Rs 10,490 this phone doesn’t look and feel upmarket. Besides, the phone carries only a 3MP camera without flash and no front camera. Might be a deal-breaker, but before you decide, here’s the inside scoop on this smartphone.

DESIGN

The Phone looks and feels plastic, therefore it weighs just 120 grams. You might also say it’s a fairly chubby phone from the side measuring at 12mm. That’s not great news for the manufacturer because nowadays even affordable phones such as the MOTO G sport a sleeker look and come with wide colour options. However, barring the looks it’s a well put together phone and given its modest dimensions (2.46 inch wide), it’s perfect for single-handed use.

You also have a Walkman key on top of the phone. The button is meant to control the music and integrates with the Sony’s music app. Press it long enough and it kick-starts the Walkman app, while double pressing it skips to the next song. Quite a neat feature for music aficionados.

DISPLAY

The E1 has got a biggish 4-inch display with 800 x 480 pixels. The display isn’t great and lacks colour depth. In fact, if you tilt the phone you will notice a poor contrast and loss of colours. But given the price, you’ll feel it’s not all that bad.

This phone, however, has an automatic brightness adjustment feature that adjusts according to outdoors visibility....

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From financialexpress News

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo review: A potential runaway hit if Samsung irons out software kinks

Samsung in their neverending quest for world domination believes in overwhelming their audience and spoiling them for choice. There’s complete chaos in Samsung’s smartphone line-up as new models are added to fill every conceivable price bracket and phones launched a few months back are seeing price drops and overlap the new launches. A couple of months back, Samsung added yet another arsenal of products out of which, we felt the Galaxy Note 3 Neo was the most interesting of the lot. We brought you our first-hand look at the new addition to the Note family and felt it had great potential to succeed if priced right.

Well, a month or so later and Samsung has officially dropped the price down to Rs 34,670. This means you can find it online for as low as Rs 32,000. The Neo is a stripped down version of the Galaxy Note 3 but the crucial bits like the S Pen and large battery have been left relatively untouched. Finally, we have a worthy replacement for the Galaxy Note 2. So is this the real deal? Can it actually deliver Note 3-like performance for a lot lesser? Let’s find out.

Design and Build

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo looks almost identical to the Note 3. In fact, it’s not uncommon to mistake it for the Note 3. It’s a bit lighter than its big brother but not as slim. The extra heft is noticeable if you’ve used a Note 3. The one thing we really love is that Samsung has gotten rid of the hideous ribbed design on the sides. Instead, we get a more pleasing matt chrome finish which is the lesser of the two evils...

Source: Technology News 2014

From firstpost News

LG G Flex review: There is more to this phone than the curve

I have always felt that Android phones have had a problem finding differentiators. That is why many of them came packed with features, mostly software, that are at the best gimmicks. But it is hard to sell a phone on a gimmick, however good the gimmick might be. That is why of late some manufacturers have been looking at design to be the big differentiator. The most different phone as far as design goes has to be the LG G Flex, with its curved screen that can flex itself if needed.

Design

Yes, with a curved screen you have a design that is bound to make some heads turn. But this is not just a gimmick of a design and seems very practical. The shape seems more conducive to making calls as it corresponds the shape of the face. But you tend to poke your ear with the top of the phone. The curve is also a bit awkward when you are carrying the phone in your shirt or jeans pocket. And, no it does not fit better in your back pocket. But the form factor is really innovative. In fact, the phone can take a bit of pressure and straighten up. This could be helpful if you accidentally end up sitting on the phone. Now you know why it is called Flex.

Another unique feature in this phone is the placement of the power and volume buttons. They on the rear panel, bang under the camera. This seems a more natural place for these buttons at it is here that your finger rests while making a call. However, you have to fight years of muscle memory to get your brain to start using these buttons as default.

The phone is also supposed to have a self-healing back cover. But the review unit I got already had a couple of scratches and I did not want to hurt it further. Obviously, it is not healing all that fast. ..

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From financialexpress News

Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM tablet launched for Rs 12999: What to expect

Asus, on Tuesday, has launched Fonepad 7 Dual SIM voice-calling tablet in India for Rs 12999. It was initially announced at MWC in Barcelona this year, alongside an LTE variant. The device supports dual-SIM functionality and voice-calling and supports Micro-SIM cards. It comes with 7 inch LED IPS display with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution.

The new Asus Fonepad 7 runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS. It is powered by 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel 'Clover Trail+' Atom Z2520 processor with 1GB RAM. It comes with 8 GB of inbuilt storage, while Asus is also offering 16 GB on Asus Webstorage cloud space for one-year...

Source: Technology News

From telecomtiger News

End of Windows XP: Who all are at risk

Microsoft will end support for the persistently popular Windows XP on Tuesday, and the move could put everything from the operations of heavy industry to the identities of everyday people in danger.

An estimated 30% of computers being used by businesses and consumers around the world are still running the 12-year-old operating system.

"What once was considered low-hanging fruit by hackers now has a big neon bull's eye on it," says Patrick Thomas, a security consultant at the San Jose, California-based firm Neohapsis.

Microsoft has released a handful of Windows operating systems since 2001, but XP's popularity and the durability of the computers it was installed on kept it around longer than expected. Analysts say that if a PC is more than five years old, chances are it's running XP.

While users can still run XP after Tuesday, Microsoft says it will no longer provide security updates, issue fixes to non-security related problems or offer online technical content updates. The company is discontinuing XP to focus on maintaining its newer operating systems, the core programs that run personal computers.

The Redmond, Washington-based company says it will provide anti-malware-related updates through July 14, 2015, but warns that the tweaks could be of limited help on an outdated operating system.

Most industry experts say they recognize that the time for Microsoft to end support for such a dated system has come, but the move poses both security and operational risks for the remaining users. In addition to home computers, XP is used to run everything from water treatment facilities and power plants to small businesses like doctor's offices.

Thomas says XP appealed to a wide variety of people and businesses that saw it as a reliable workhorse and many chose to stick with it instead of upgrading to Windows Vista, Windows 7 or 8...

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From TOI News

Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo with 4.8-inch HD display launched at Rs. 26,200

Samsung has quietly launched the Galaxy S3 Neo smartphone in India. The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo is now listed at Rs. 26,200 on company's online store. However, there is no word on the availability of the device, with the page providing a 'Notify Me' option for consumers.

The smartphone was listed on Samsung's India e-store without pricing earlier in April. Notably, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo appears to be an India variant of the Galaxy S III Neo+ that was launched for the Chinese market in January.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo is a 'lite' variant of the company's 2012 flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. It's worth pointing out that the design of the Galaxy S3 Neo is identical to the Galaxy S III; however, the specifications of the former are much more basic than 2012's flagship.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. The Galaxy S3 Neo is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. It features a 4.8-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) Super AMOLED display. The Galaxy S3 Neo is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, with no word on the chipset. Notably, the Galaxy S III Neo+ variant packs a 1.4GHz processor. The Galaxy S3 Neo comes with 1.5GB of RAM and supports expandable storage up to 64GB, while there is no mention of the amount of inbuilt storage.

It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and features CMOS sensor, while there is a 1.9-megapixel front-camera. Connectivity options on the Galaxy S3 Neo include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB and 3G. The smartphone measures 136.6x70.7x8.6mm and weighs about 132 grams.

The Galaxy S3 Neo packs a 2100mAh battery, and will be available in seven colour options - Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Maroon, Pink and White...

Source: Tech News in Hindi

From ndtv News

Twitter Acquires Android Lockscreen App 'Cover'

The creators of the popular Cover lock screen app for Android have announced that as of April 7, they are now employed by Twitter. Unlike the regular lock screen that displays a limited amount of information (weather, time, etc), Cover provides quick access to actual applications in an intelligent way. Much like other Android apps that affect the Android home screen, Cover collects information regarding which apps you access at what time and then places them on the lock screen.

This move obviously suggests that Twitter is at least contemplating how it can integrate into Android devices in a more pronounced way. Cover’s developers, Gordon Luk, Todd Jackson, and Edward Ho, are only handing over Cover and its development team. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see what Twitter does with the acquisition.

   So what does this mean for the Cover app? For now, Cover will remain available in the Play Store while we focus our attention on our work at Twitter. If that changes down the road, we’ll provide another update here. - Cover

Based upon the information that was provided in the announcement, the possibility for Cover to be changed or removed from the Google Play store is present. However, for the time being, people will still be able to download the application...

Source: Technology News 2014

From tapscape News

Researchers develop new optical device, could help build faster computers

Washington: Here comes an optical device that may lead to new and more powerful computers that run faster and cooler. Researchers at Washington University in St Louis have developed an essential component of new computers that would run on light.

“We believe that our discovery would benefit many other fields involving electronics, acoustics, plasmonics and meta-materials,” said Lan Yang, an associate professor of electrical and systems engineering at Washington University.

The team created an optical diode by coupling tiny doughnut-shaped optical resonators – one with gain and the other with loss – on a silicon chip.

This diode is capable of completely eliminating light transmission in one direction and greatly enhancing light transmission in the other nonreciprocal light transmission, explained lead author Bo Peng from Yang’s team.

“Coupling of so-called loss and gain devices using PT (parity-time)-symmetry could enable such advances as cloaking devices, stronger lasers that need less input power, and perhaps detectors that could ‘see’ a single atom,” Yang added.

To make the optical diode, the researchers used two micro-resonators positioned so that light can flow from one to the other.  One device is the “lossy” silica resonator. The other incorporates the chemical element erbium into the silica structure for gain.

When the rate of gain in one resonator exactly equals that of loss in the other, the “phase transition” occurs at a critical coupling distance between the resonators...

Source: Latest Technology News

From firstpost News

Is Android good enough to be a laptop OS?

With Windows 8, Microsoft wants one operating system that works well both on both desktop PCs and tablets. Google, meanwhile, has chosen Android as its tablet and smartphone interface while developing Chrome OS for laptops. So what happens when you put Android on a laptop with a touchscreen, like with the Lenovo Ideapad A10?

Not Quite Android

Many smartphone makers choose to put custom UI skins on Android. Usually, I’m not a fan of that. But on laptops, it’s a necessity. Android isn’t made for laptops, so to make it usable with this form factor, things need to change. Which is why Lenovo has introduced things like a custom dock which mimics the Windows Launch Superbar.

Android also needs a keyboard which steps away from the traditional Windows and Linux keyboards, with special buttons for common Android features like apps drawer, multi-tasking, etc.

But the downside of all this is that these are, in the end, cosmetic changes—the limit of what a company can do without moving beyond the core challenges Android faces as a laptop OS.

Apps, Apps, Apps

The big problem for Android is that its apps are not made for use in a laptop or desktop setting, they are made with the intent of being touched. While some of them translate decently to a keyboard+mouse interface, they still don’t match up to what you would get on Windows. And this is especially found wanting in the quality of the programs.

No office suite, for example, matches up to what you get in Microsoft Office on Windows or Mac. Kingsoft Office and others are decent, but the mobile versions are not as robust as desktop alternatives. Try working with tables in the word processor or try a spreadsheet file with macros and the limitations of mobile office suites come to the fore.

Then there’s the complete lack of support for professional applications. Adobe Photoshop Touch or any other image-editing app on Android doesn’t hold a candle to their desktop counterparts.

But perhaps the most damaging thing for Android is that its mobile browsers aren’t as good as Chrome or Firefox on desktop. By default, these mobile browsers are set to load pages in mobile mode. With a few small hacks, you can set it so that the browser always fetches the desktop version of any website, but what makes Chrome and Firefox so great on desktop are the many extensions and plug-ins that make them a flawless.

Source: Technology News 2014 

From financialexpress News

Moto X review: Puts the smarts in the smartphone

Motorola is a bit late to the smartphone party in India but it seems to be enjoying the most, what with Moto G turning out to be a big hit in the country. Moto G offered what consumers really wanted — good build, quality display, fast processor and a price tag that doesn't break the bank — from a well known brand.

But while the low-cost offering was lapped up by buyers because it provided the best bang for their buck, Moto X is a different story altogether. The phone costs Rs 23,999 for the plastic variants and Rs 25,999 for the wood-panelled models.

It does not have cutting-edge hardware, only a 10 MP camera when most big league phones have a minimum 13 MP, and no big battery or premium-looking metallic body. But it comes with a unique always-on touchless control system and the latest version of Android OS.

Moto X leaves a lot of boxes unchecked, but still carries a medium range price tag of Rs 23,999. Is it worth the money? Is it a better option than Moto G at its price? Is Moto X's user experience better than that of an iPhone? We answer these questions and more in this review of Moto X...

Looks
Moto X is a pretty compact phone despite the 4.7-inch screen. According to Motorola, the display takes up 70% of the space on the front panel of Moto X. In fact, this phone is only slightly bigger than iPhone 5S (whose screen size is only 4-inch) and is actually smaller than Moto G. The back has a slight curve, which makes Moto X feel more natural when held in the palm.

Unlike the premium iPhone 5S and 5 as well as HTC One, Moto X's body is made of polycarbonate plastic. However, the plastic is of high quality and makes the device feel solid in the hand...

Source: Technology News in Hindi

From TOI News

Top paid app on Google Play Store uncovered as fake

Android has developed a bit of a reputation for malware, so it's not too surprising that people want to protect their smartphones. Unfortunately, no one was watching the watchers, and the number one paid app on the Play Store was nothing but fake anti-virus software.

This highlights one of the big problems with mobile app stores, and while it's more obvious on Android, iOS isn't exempt from the criticism - in March the team behind the official Tor Browser said that a fake Tor Browser filled with adware and spyware was available on the iTunes App Store for several months before being finally removed.

Virus Shield, which is no longer available on the Play Store, launched about one week ago, for $3.99 (approximately Rs. 240) and was the top paid app. In the description, the app claimed to be preventing harmful apps from being installed; scanning apps, settings, files and media, and protecting your personal information. Add to that no advertisements, no permissions, and low impact on battery life, and you have thousands of users paying and downloading Virus Shield.

Except... the app didn't do anything at all. Most experts say that anti-virus software does nothing but provide the illusion of safety, and the Virus Shield developers clearly took that to heart - users who analysed the source code of the app learned that all it did was change an icon to tell you that your phone was insecure, but is now protected! The details are available on GitHub.

In a Google+ post, Chris DiBona, Director of Open Source at Google had in 2011 written about his scepticism of anti-virus software...

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From ndtv News

Samsung Galaxy S5 adds two new anti-theft features: What you need to know

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 smartphone will launch in India on 11 April. The price for the device is not yet out and according to Samsung it is likely to be between Rs 51,000 to 53,000.

The S5 has hit the headlines once again thanks to two new anti-theft features that have been announced by the company. The two features are called “Find My Mobile” and “Reactivation Lock”.

According to Samsung, they will come pre-installed on Galaxy S5 versions which are sold in US by Verizon and US Cellular.  As  far as the features themselves are concerned, Find My Mobile and Reactivation Lock, they will be available to download as well.

Find My Mobile works on the same principle as Apple’s Find My iPhone. It is an online service that will track and lock a stolen phone, wipe it clean, and alert users if someone tries to insert a different SIM card.

Reactivation Lock is a feature that detects any ‘abnormal’ attempt to reset a device to factory settings. It will prompt users to login even after a successful reset, which should ensure that if someone does steal your phone, they at least won’t be able to log back in.

Users should note that both features need to be activated on the smartphones, so as to keep the device safe.

Source: Technology News

From firstpost News