Google is warming up to India with more doodles

Google on Thursday marked the 135th birth anniversary of freedom fighter and poet Sarojini Naidu with a doodle. She was born in Hyderabad on February 13, 1879.

The doodle has a caricature of the Naidu in place of the second O and a pen for L.

Sarojini Naidu, one of the leading lights of India’s freedom movement, was also called the Nightingale of India.

Of late, the frequency of India specific doodles seems to be going up. The last one was to mark Republic day

Over the past decade, Google’s now-iconic doodle has become a cultural icon on its own, often an indicator of the global mood, at least the online kind. And that is something unprecedented for what is essentially just a corporate logo.

Strangely, the first doodle in 1998, was anything but an effort to make a cultural statement. The sticky figure drawing on the homepage then was just Google founders Larry and Sergey’s way of indicating that they would be attending the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. The next doodle appeared in 2000 to mark Bastille Day and since then there have been 700 doodles that have rustled the imagination of people around the world. Over the years, doodles have tried to be funny, imaginative and interactive, always drawing appreciation from netizens.

Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini

Among the Indian handset makers, Micromax is now a force to reckon with. Right from the entry level to the premium—the company has been churning out handsets for every segment at a breakneck speed. The company’s successful Canvas series— the mid-to-premium smartphone range, now has a new entrant—the Canvas Turbo Mini (A 200), which I took out for a spin.
Apart from its minimalist white packaging, the first thing that struck me was how light the phone felt in hand. I incidentally started looking for the battery, only to discover both that and the back cover are non-removable. The device looked extremely slim and Micromax has to be given credit for doing a good job with the design. Complementing the phone’s white and silver body, it has made the accessories in white. However, the metallic silver back, which, inspite of looking far better than the run-of-the-mill Android 5-inchers, was slippery to hold. Perhaps using a sturdy back cover would be prudent.
Younger sibling of the highly-praised Canvas Turbo, the Canvas Turbo Mini offers dual SIM capabilities—one normal and one micro SIM. I thought this feature was a useful one, which would save users from the trouble of getting one of their SIM cards cut. Calls went without a hitch and voice quality was good.
The Canvas Turbo Mini has a 4.7 inch, IPS HD screen with a resolution of 1280 by 720. The display was sharp, colours looked vivid and crisp, and viewing angles were pretty good. However, I felt full-HD was required here. The R15,000-smartphone market is cut-throat and competitors in this segment are offering full-HD options.
Running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, the phone does not offer a pure Android experience. The stock interface has been heavily customised, which did not work for me. The app icons and phone dialler had an iOS-like feel to it. Not sure if that was intentional.
A 1.3 GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM powers the phone. Multitasking between apps was fine and performance was snappy. A couple of windows on Chrome and a constant swapping between Subway Surfers, Temple Run 1 and 2 worked well, with a few lags here and there.

I was very pleased with the 8 MP primary camera. Pictures taken were quite good, even in low-lit conditions, thanks to the powerful flash. Even the 5-MP front camera, an exception in this range, performed above expectations. Picture effects like zero shutter delay, face detection, smile shot, self-timer and panorama should please the user.
Now for the major disappointments. The 1800mAH battery was a let-down, as this will not last a day for an average-to-high user. For a 5-inch HD phone, I felt Micromax should have given minimum 2000mAH battery, quite common at this price point. More disappointing was the 4-GB internal storage, out of which about 2.5 GB is free for the user. Competitors offer 8 GB,or even 16 GB internal storage at this price. I felt Micromax could have been more generous on these two areas.
A special word for the headphones included with the phone. They looked the same that comes with the low-priced phones and sound quality was below average. For a R15,000 phone, Micromax should have given better headphones.
Preloaded apps like BBM, Hike, Flashlight, Kingsoft Office, Opera Mini and Spuul were good add-ons. Although, why Facebook and Twitter was left out was a mystery. Some preloaded wallpapers were a delight.
In a nutshell, the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini is a very good-looking device with an excellent camera and a good processor, but lacks a punch in a few vital areas like internal storage and battery. If you can overlook those, this could be a good choice. If not, you do have better options at this price point.
Estimated street price: Rs 14,999

Gionee Pioneer P3 costs Rs 7,500

Gionee, a reputable brand in China, is making a big push in India with handsets across different price ranges. Its cheapest smartphone so far is the Pioneer P3, which has good hardware on paper. But does that translate into real-world performance?

Quick Tech Specs: 4.3-inch display (800×480 pixels, 217 ppi) | 1.3GHz Cortex A7 quad-core processor | 512MB RAM | 4GB storage + microSD slot (up to 32GB) | 5MP rear camera (720p HD video), VGA front camera | 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 | GPS with A-GPS | 1700mAh battery | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Design: It’s been some time since I have used an Android phone that’s so chunky and heavy, even at this price range. The Gionee Pioneer P3 wins no design points—there’s nothing new to see here. It’s a slab of plastic with a rubber-finish on the back, with a fatter width than most phones. But to make up for that, it is sturdy. I accidentally dropped the phone from a height of 5 feet to a marble tile and the P3 has a mere scratch on one of the sides—there’s no dent, let alone any cracking on the screen. Granted, the impact was on its back and not its front, but that’s still better than even some of the flagship handsets out there.

Screen: TheScreen can make or break the smartphone experience and this is the most disappointing factor of the P3. The viewing angles are extremely poor—tilt it even slightly in any direction and the colours or contrast will distort. On top of that, the colour temperature of the screen is among the worst I’ve seen. And like all phones at this price, it doesn’t have a scratch-resistant glass so a screen guard further distorts the viewing angles under direct sunlight. This screen will be a deal-breaker for most people.

Performance: The quad-core processor on the Pioneer P3 sets it apart from most of the smartphones in this budget, as it handles most games well. It struggles with high-end titles like FIFA 14 and Asphalt 8, but it’s not unplayable—and at this price, that’s good enough. To its credit, multi-tasking on the P3 is much smoother than other phones with 512MB RAM and even some with 1GB RAM.

Memory: With just 4GB of built-in memory, you are going to run out of space quickly. Android now requires you to install apps on the internal memory first and with Gionee’s custom UI already taking up disk space (along with the inability to uninstall certain apps), 4GB is stifling. Then again, you don’t get anything better in this price range.

Connectivity: There’s nothing great and nothing bad about the network quality or Wi-Fi range of the Pioneer P3. You won’t be disappointed.

Software: Gionee’s custom UI is too childish for my taste. For some reason, all the icons are wrapped in squares of rounded corners and any new app you install gets a bubble around it of the same shape. Android’s default interface is far more pleasing, so I don’t see why Gionee would want to push this on its customers, especially since it takes up some of the already limited memory.

Camera: The camera on the Pioneer P3 is the best I’ve seen in this range, including the Nokia Lumias. Don’t judge the photos by what you see immediately—the phone’s faulty screen doesn’t do them justice. But if you load them up on your PC and compare them with photos taken by other phones in this range, then the P3 is the clear winner. Shots have more detail, better colour reproduction and are marginally better in low light. That said, low light photography is still not good enough to replace your point-and-shoot camera.

Battery: On a single charge, the Gionee Pioneer P3 will go on for about 12 hours of average usage. You will need to charge this phone twice a day on average—once before leaving for work and once after—but it should get you through the work day without needing to be plugged in.

Special Mention: I wanted to make a note of the phone’s video recording ability separately from the camera. Yes, the camera is better than others, but it’s the video recording that really stood out for me. Budget phones usually struggle with two aspects of video: audio capture and light flares. The P3′s sensor is able to compensate for bright light, and its ability to capture the intended audio without too much ambient noise is just what you need.

Verdict: The only person I’d advise to buy the Gionee Pioneer P3 is the budget buyer who cares about only the camera and is willing to live with all other compromises. Otherwise, the phone asks for too many sacrifices, even for the Rs 7,500 price tag. The screen, especially, is the big letdown and you will find yourself frustrated with it as you use it.

20 per cent Indians said they were victims of online phishing attacks Microsoft say

In support of  Safer internet day (SID) on February 11, Microsoft has released the results of the third annual Microsoft Computing Safer Index(MCSI) that reveals impact of poor online safety behaviour. Microsoft is asking consumers to visit the new, interactive website to “Do 1 Thing” today and make it part of their daily digital routine because education and guidance about how to avoid online risks remain key.

According to the MCSI survey, the annual worldwide impact of phishing and various forms of identity theft could be as high as USD $5 billion, with the cost of repairing damage to peoples’ online reputation higher yet at nearly USD $6 billion, or an estimated average of USD $632 per loss.
Of the more than 10,000 consumers surveyed globally:
* 20 per cent Indians said they were victims of online phishing attacks
* 12 per cent Indians said they suffered identity theft at an average cost of Rs 7,500
* Of the seven behavioural steps to secure oneself online, Indian respondents adopted an average three steps, and deployed an average of 3.2 technical tools out of a total of 12 available tools
Globally, only 34 percent said they limit what strangers see on social networks and the amount of personal information online, while 38 percent said they adjust their social network privacy settings. And, only 35 percent use a PIN (personal identification number) or password to lock their mobile device. The new site allows Internet users around the world to share how they plan to avoid online risks, learn what other people are doing to help protect themselves, and receive instant tips to enhance their digital lifestyle.
“The Internet touches our lives every day, whether we are communicating with loved ones, for work, shopping, and paying bills,” said Prakash Kumar, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India Pvt. Ltd.
“But, how cautious are we about monitoring our online presence, and taking note of our own vulnerabilities? There are many things you can do to stay safer online. What is needed is to do just one thing, and we can all be much safer, together,” Kumar said. “Go to our website to share your one thing. Tell the world that you’re committed to helping keep the Internet safer and more secure. And once you do, you’ll be part of that positive change.”
Internet users can make more informed decisions and help better protect their online activity , which provides a range of hints, tips and guidance including the following:
* Help guard your devices and online accounts. Use a unique four-digit PIN for mobile devices and strong passwords for online accounts.
* Perform sensitive transactions over secured networks. This includes paying bills, banking or shopping. Don’t share personal account information over “borrowed” or public Wi-Fi connections.
* Take charge of your online reputation. Discover what information about you is on the Internet, periodically re-evaluate it, and remove unwanted
or inaccurate content to cultivate an accurate, positive reputation.
* Help protect your social circles. Use privacy settings to manage the information you share and with whom you share it. Be selective about what you post and accepting friends.

Gionee Pioneer P3 gets most things right

On a computer, your input is through a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad. The output is on the screen. Things change on a smartphone, where both input and output is on the same screen.

Your TV stays on one wall, motionless, while you move around. Viewing angles become important. With your smartphone, you stay in one place but the hand moves—as you try and read that article on the crowded local commute, as you try to keep an eye on the road while walking and texting, or as you try and get a shot by holding your camera away from your body at a weird angle.

You are never going to accidentally drop your TV and have its screen shatter. You aren’t going to throw your laptop with the screen open in a bag full of sharp objects. But smartphones are small enough to slip out of your hand, and get put into a pocket unprotected from other elements like your keys.

The point of all this, of course, is to illustrate how crucial the screen is to a smartphone. And yet, all too often, companies skimp on that one element.

Take, for instance, the Gionee Pioneer P3. It gets most things right in the performance department, even throwing in a quad-core processor. The camera surpasses most others in that price range. But the screen, oh that crucial screen, is a nightmare. Bad viewing angles and poor display quality mean that even as a Rs 7,500 budget phone, it’s difficult to recommend it.

At a slightly higher price, the Lenovo P780 offers the best battery life we have seen in a smartphone. And the rest of the performance is decent too. But the lack of a scratch-resistant glass for a phone that costs upwards of Rs 15,000 is unforgivable. At that price, you shouldn’t be putting a screen guard and marring the experience.

Even at the top end, Sony is guilty of asking people to pay Rs 40,000 for its Xperia Z1 and throwing in a screen that distorts colours when you look at it from an angle. It’s got all the protection in the world, including waterproofing, and the best hardware money can buy. But what’s the point of running Asphalt 8 smoothly if your car’s and track’s colours change when you move frantically to steer?

Performance matters a lot in a phone, as does the battery life. Music is important for a few, while some people are all about the camera. Budget phones always force you to make some sacrifices, but if you have to, then don’t compromise on the screen. It’s what’s going to ensure how much you use your handset in the long run; it’s what dictates how rough or delicate you will be with the

phone; it’s what decides whether you enjoy that technological marvel in your pocket.

Kindle Paperwhite 3G is now available for Rs 13,999

The journey begins

I am in the taxi en route to the airport. So I decide to take the Paperwhite out and download some stuff to read during the flight. This version has 3G, so I am not tethered to a Wi-Fi network for updates. I decide to first sync a few books that are already there in my Kindle account, either partially read or unread — I do use the Kindle app on my iPad to read books once in a while. I then buy Ramachandra Guha’s India After Gandhi, a book I have been dying to read. I also find the cover of theColumbia Journalism  interesting and decide to subscribe to the magazine. It helps that the first month is free, after which I can take a call on whether I want to continue with the subscription. The entire process has taken me under five minutes, the 3G is quite fast on this one.

At the airport, I try and log in to the free Wi-Fi to see how the experience is. But I could experience a faster download, most probably because the airport Wi-Fi was being used by hundreds of passengers. It is not much of a difference in speeds and I am not really spending money as the 3G does not entail usage cost. Interestingly, the device automatically switches off the 3G when it is latched on to a wireless network.

As I try to log in to Goodreads, it is time to board the flight. The Kindle Paperwhite — like its earlier version — is not much larger than a thin paperback and can easily go inside my coat pocket. I wish I could do that with my second generation iPad.

In the flight, I cozy up with the CJR cover story on Evgeny Morozov. I have used or reviewed almost all Kindle devices so far, but this one undoubtedly has one of the fastest page flips. But this also means that if your thumb inadvertently touches the bottom right corner, you are in the next page. I have always found it a slightly awkward experience reading periodicals on Kindles. One articles flows into another and often you mistake this for a new chapter when it turns out to be a complexly new piece. But this also means

you can finish a magazine from cover to cover without being bothered about anything else, just the kind of experience bookworms would love.

India After Gandhi starts with a rather long prologue peppered with footnotes. Clicking any superscript number on the text opens the footnote pop-up in a jiffy. It is as convenient, and much faster than clicking a link on a website.

The one day that I spend in Chennai does not afford me much time to read anything long. But I do use the device to check The Indian Expressstories once in a while, after all this is Chennai where you cannot get a copy of the paper.

On my way back, on a very turbulent evening flight, I actually read much more than I have in ages. In two hours I am four chapters into Guha’s latest. Having seen the actual size of the book, I am pretty certain that this is the better way to read any book that is more than 300 pages long.

Back in Delhi, I select a line from the book and tweet it. I am actually on the way back home and on 3G. Yes, this is a good added feature, but maybe this is not the device for multiple tweets per book. You can easily manage a tweet per book. Plus, there is the fact that the tweet makes sense only for people on the Amazon ecosystem for the link that goes with it is one for the publication on Amazon.

At home, I use the Goodreads feature to log in to Facebook a create a shelf of the books I have read on Kindle. It also shows other people on my list who are using this service. Surprisingly, there were quite a few of them and with books that I would like to read, when I get the time. This seems like a better feature than the actual share option.

So, what did I think?

Overall, the Kindle Paperwhite has now become a device for the share-it-now generation. It is still the closest digital experience to the actual book and is at times a better experience, especially when you are on the move. A must-have for people who like to read wherever they are.

Price: Rs 13,999 (The version without 3G is Rs 3,000 less)

Dell Venue 8 is priced at 17,499

Quick Tech Specs: 8-inch IPS Display with HD (WXGA 1280 x 800 pixels) | 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 processor  | 2GB RAM | 32GB storage + microSD slot (up to 128GB) | 5MP rear camera + 2MP front camera | 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0 + GPS | 4100mAh battery | Android 4.2.2

Design: If you remember the Dell Streak, then it won’t take you long to realise where this design story is coming from. In fact, the Dell Venue has the same look and feel as the Streak, which was the precursor of the phablet segment that is all the rage at the moment. The back panel feels solid in a carbon finish with a chrome Dell logo. But the tablet is also quite thin at 9.5mm and weighs just 350 grams. So you can use it comfortably and carry it where you go. The way the volume and power buttons are crafted shows the difference in build quality when compared to some of the cheap tablets available in the market.

Screen: The HD screen is good, though we felt that it reflects the background in certain angles. But it is bright enough to work well outdoors too. The HD screen is really complemented by the amazing audio quality, which is among the best we have found in any tablet. So this makes the Venue 8 a good device to watch movies and videos as well as play games with.

Performance: The tablet performs reasonably well and there would be nothing to complain about. But having used some high-specced devices like the Xolo Tegra Play Note in the recent weeks the Venue feels like a horse that has been fettered. But that is only when you try and push the device to its limits, something most of us seldom do. The benchmark scores are good and places this tablet in the upper middle class of Android devices. Multi-tasking is smooth and so is gaming. We also did not experience any heating up even while playing games for long durations.

Memory: No issues on this front, as the 32GB of built-in memory and rare 128GB support in the microSD slot are among the best you can get.

Connectivity: Dell will soon start selling a version of the Dell Venue 8 with 3G and we suggest that could be a better option for those who need to use this one on the move. For others, this connectivity options in the present version are good enough for regular use.

Software: The Android is as plain vanilla as it can be and we love that. There is just one additional software and that is the Pocket Cloud, which is a good value add.

Camera: The 5MP camera is very deceptive. That is because the image showing on the screen when you are composing a shot does not appear very promising. But the final results are better. This could be an issue if you are using a camera-oriented app like a virtual scanner. I wouldn’t buy this device for its camera. The front camera is good enough for you to

make good Skype calls.

Battery: The Dell Venue 8 can give six hours of solid works and about five hours of video playback at full volume. That is decent.

Verdict: Buy the Dell Venue 8 if you are looking for a durable Android tablet that will come with the kind of support you can expect while buying a PC. The Venue 8 is reasonably priced at 17,499 and is definitely a good buy at that price. We would , however, wait a month or so for the 3G version of the tablet to hit the market.

Karbonn Titanium X

Karbonn Titanium X
Despite its very plasticky rear panel, the Titanium X has a decent built quality. A metallic body would have gone better with the overall image and name of the phone. At 143 grams, the device does not feel heavy though it looks a bit bloated. The volume rocker is on the left and the power buttons on the right and this takes some time to get used to. The micro-SIM slot is on top under a flimsy flap and being a unibody design there is no SD card slot.

The best thing about this phone is undoubtedly its full HD screen. This is among the cheapest phones that comes with one. The one glass technology adds to the value of this screen and prevents it from accumulating fingerprints. If you are planning to use this for watching movies, the speaker might be a bit of a problem.

With 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, the phone can easily multi-task and be sprightly when you are using it for gaming. The device came up with decent benchmark results that put in somewhere between the Google Nexus 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S3. The Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system is what you would expect it to be.

While most so called top-end phones come with just 4 GB of inbuilt memory, half of which is taken by the OS and app, the Titanium X gives about 10 GB of free space. Though the company claims 16 GB internal memory, we could find only about 14 GB on the device of which about 10 GB is free. With no slots for a micro-SD card this might leave a lot of users frustrated. But the camera is the worst part of this phone. The 13 MP camera is anything but good and even the dual flash fails to redeem it in anyway. The 2300mAh battery is decent and can last you a day if you don’t use the 1080p screen for games or movies.

At a street price of Rs 16,500, this a decent Android phone with the sort of specs that you can flaunt. The screen is definitely what you are paying the money for.

* Display: 5-inch full HD IPS display
* Processor: 1.5 GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 processor
* Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
* Storage: 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage
* Camera: 13 MP (rear); 5 MP (front)
* Estimated street price: Rs 16,500

Intex Aqua Octa

Intex Aqua Octa
The Intex Aqua Octa is a large phone that reminds one of the Samsung Galaxy Mega. It is just 7 mm thick, but the flip cover that comes in the box is tacky and just makes this device look bulky. This dual-SIM phone has not been built for those who want to keep swapping SIM cards as it is not all that easy to open the panel. The 720p screen is good, but not great. I will definitely prefer a full HD panel in this size.
When you buy a phone that sells itself, thanks to its superior processor, in this case an Octa core processor, you will always be trying to push it to the limits. And that is one front of which this phone will never disappoint you. For instance, a simple Quadrant benchmark test is completed in a faction of the time that it would take on any other phone. The benchmark scores put this near the Samsung Galaxy S4 and very much in the top draw of Android performers. There is no doubt that this device will give you a better gaming experience than its peers. However, there are very few, or hardly any, games that have been written for the Octa core processor. So the best experience is still some time away.
If there is something in the phone that is irritating, then it is the software tweaks. It is full of bloatware and apps that you might not need. The basic interface has also been tweaked and even app icons look different.
The 13 MP camera is decent, in good light. It is not that effective in low light. Plus, we felt that the auto-focus was a bit sluggish and had to be prodded to lock on to a subject. The phone comes with 16-GB internal storage out of which you have around 12 GB free.
At Rs 19,999, this is a good buy for those who want to use the phone for its top-end performance and to exploit the large screen for gaming.

* Display: 6-inch Capacitive Touch OGS HD Display
* Processor: 1.7 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6592 processor
* Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
* Storage: 16 GB storage + microSD slot, 2GB RAM
* Camera: 13 MP (rear); 5 MP (front)
* Estimated street price: Rs 19,999

Lava Iris Pro 30

Lava Iris Pro 30
The Iris Pro 30 does not look like anything you have paid for. In fact, it is a stunner with one of the thinnest bodies in any smartphone, let alonea medium range one. It is slim at just 7.5 mm thickness and feels light at just 114 grams. Adding to this lightweight feel is the matte finish soft plastic back that gives it a superior feel.

The Iris Pro 30 has a 720p HD screen from Sharp. But it feels better than some of the other phones with the same resolution thanks to the One Glass Solution that negates any gap between the touch panel and screen. The benchmark ratings put this device between the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Google Nexus 4, which is quite good considering the price point. Multi-tasking is easy, but then you would expect that with a quad core phone. We did not notice any heating up even while playing games. The phone really shone when I played some HD videos from YouTube even as I had the Robocop game paused in the background.

On the flip side, the phone has just 1.5 GB of internal storage free. With so many high-end specifications, the company could have been a bit more liberal with the space on offer and not let the user buy all the space he needed. Thankfully, the are not many tweaks to the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and that is good. The 8 MP camera on the phone is much better than what you would find in other devices of this price range. The content adaptive backlight control helps the phone reduce power consumption on the screen by 30% and the 2000 mAh battery easily lasts a full working day.
At Rs15,999, this is a good looking phone that promises decent all round performance. There are no serious sore points with the phone, so if it fits your budget go ahead and buy this.

* Display: 4.7-inch IPS display
* Processor: 1.2 GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 processor
* Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
* Storage: 4GB storage + microSD slot, 1 GB RAM
* Camera: 8 MP (rear); 3 MP (front)
*Estimated street price: Rs 15,999

Xpad Turbo is all about the budget Simmtronics

The Simmtronics Xpad Turbo is a budget dual-SIM tablet with voice calling aimed

Quick Tech Specs: 7-inch capacitive multi-touch display (1024 x 600 pixels)  |1.2 GHz dual-core processor with Mali-400MP GPU | Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS | Dual SIM (2G + 3G) with dual standby | 8.5mm thick and weighs 273 grams | 2MP rear camera and front digital camera | 512MB DDR3 RAM, 4 GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD |3G (via SIM card slot,) WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP, aGPS | 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, Built-in Speaker | 2800 mAh battery with 140 hours standby.

Design: The Simmtronics Xpad Turbo looks exactly like its predecessor. The charging port, micro SD slot and the earphone jack are located on the top, while the volume and power keys find place at the top right of the tab. SIM card slots are on the either side of the tablet. There is no safety cover for any of the slots.

Screen: The 7-inch screen is good enough for you to play games, enjoy videos and photos clicked with this phone. The touch is good but volume keys and auto screen sensor can sometimes leave you frustrated.

Performance: Simmtronics Xpad Turbo is a budget tablet and hence should not be compared with the Apples or Samsungs. The Xpad Turbo might look like the Micromax Funbook, but is superior in performance. It is a good device for browsing, playing games and videos and we also liked the Skype experience. However, the volume and the power key are so closely together that you often end up switching off the tablet. Then, for a device that should be selling itself on its voice calling capabilities, this Xpad has very poor audio quality. I often had to switch to the speaker mode always to make hear anything.

Memory:  The 512MB DDR3 RAM might seems a bit outdated now and there is no point selling a tablet these days with just 4 GB of internal memory, even with an expandable memory slot.

Camera: The rear camera here is just 2MP and has issues with zoom, so the camera is not one of its strong points.

Battery: At 2800 mAh the battery gave us over 24 hours of usage. It however takes four hours to charge up.

Verdict: At Rs 8,999, the Xpad is for those who don’t want to spend much. It won’t take you long to realize which are the areas where corners have been cut to achieve this price point. But for those looking for a first tablet and can’t afford another smart device, this seems like a decent buy.

The six-pack punch Nokia Lumia 1520

In line with the rest of the smartphone industry, Nokia has finally brought a huge phablet to the Indian market. Nokia Lumia 1520 is a six-inch phone that takes the baton from the 1020, which has a 41-MP camera. The company already has quite a few big phones in its stable, but the 1520 is the biggest of the lot. This is Nokia’s most powerful phone, and the Rs 46,999 price tag reflects that. For that price, a person is spoilt for choice, with several excellent phones available in the market. Lumia 1520 is the only Windows Phone in that band. Let’s find out if it is worth buying.

Build & Design: The 1520 is a big phone. The black variant comes with a matte finish that is good to hold. The phone doesn’t slip off the palm easily, which is crucial considering how big it is. The size makes it nearly impossible to use with one hand, so does its weight (209 g). It fit in the front pocket of only one of the five trousers I wore while reviewing the device, and even then, taking the phone out to take calls was tedious. This is the first Lumia phone to require a nano-SIM card, also found on iPhone 5 and 5S. The nano-SIM is smaller than micro-SIM cards and most telecom operators let users swap SIM cards for a nominal fee.

Like most Lumia phones, the design of the 1520 is immaculate and the touchscreen is very responsive. Buttons for volume, power and camera are on the right hand side of the device. There is no marking to indicate which button does what, so you will have to figure that out initially. This phone supports expandable memory via microSD cards in case you want more storage.

The display on this phone is excellent. Whether you are reading outdoors or in a dark room, it will not disappoint. Blacks are prominent and colours are vivid on the screen. This is a great phone for watching films.

Software & Performance: In our review of Windows Phone 8 last year, we had said that it is a refreshing take on a smartphone OS. It has several good features but is lacking in some basic areas. While testing the Lumia 1520, we noticed a few major shortcomings in the software. The first is the lack of a good notification centre. In Android and iOS, you can check your messages, email and other updates by swiping down from the top of the screen. In Windows Phone, these notifications disappear after a couple of seconds. If you miss a notification, there is no way to find it. In this operating system, notifications appear on the apps arrayed on the home screen — referred to as live tiles. Not all apps support live tiles, which underlines the need for a notification centre. Let’s hope it comes to the platform soon.

A minor problem was the inability to sync the Google calender and contacts. A Nokia spokesperson told us that this is a known issue with the operating system, so perhaps a fix is on the way. In the meantime, Nokia ships the phone with an excellent app called Transfer My Data, which uses Bluetooth to copy contacts from another phone. It worked perfectly with an iPhone.

Having said that, it is imperative to highlight how much the app store has evolved in the past year. Many of the better apps from Android and iOS are available on Windows Phone now, including Instagram, Vine, Path, Temple Run, Kindle and more.

There are unofficial apps for some services such as Google Hangouts and Dropbox, so you won’t miss much, should you buy this phone. A large number of apps look much better on smaller Lumia phones, but that may be a simple case of developers not optimising apps for six-inch devices. WhatsApp users will be disappointed with the Windows Phone version as messages often reach late and the app often fails to notify about incoming messages.

Nokia must be praised for equipping yet another phone with a great camera. The 1520’s 20.7-MP camera performs well in most conditions. It did not perform well during thick fog at night, unlike the 1020 which is still far better than any camera Nokia has made.

This phone performed very well when handling heavy tasks such as gaming and watching films simultaneously. The battery takes a long time to charge, but lasts over a day on heavy use.

Should You Buy It? If you are comfortable with the size and don’t overly-depend on Google services, the Lumia 1520 is a recommended purchase. Good apps, a great camera and exceptional battery life make it worth buying.

Nokia Asha 502 makes the smart feature phone smarter

The Nokia Asha series pioneered what I like to call the smart feature phone segment, where the devices are sort of smarter and better than feature phones, but not as spec heavy as smartphones. The Nokia Asha 501 took the concept to a new level as it ushered in a unique platform for these devices. The Asha 502 is a natural progression, in keeping with the ever-increasing requirements of the segments this phone is meant for.

Quick Tech Specs: 3-inch TFT touch display (240 x 320p) | Nokia Asha software platform 1.1 | 64MB RAM | microSD slot | 5MP rear camera | 1010mAh battery

Design: The Asha 502 looks exactly like its predecessor. The compact soap bar design and size continues, though the 502 seems to have laminated looks thanks to a transparent layer of plastic. Below the display is just the back key and on the sides are the volume  and power keys. It is a bit difficult to open the rear panel and it would have been a great idea to keep the second SIM hot-swappable without having to pry open the rear panel. And, yes, the bright colour schemes continue in line with Nokia’s new design philosophy.

Screen: The screen is good enough for you play games, do basic browsing and enjoy the photos clicked with this phone. But this is not for those people who are used to HD screens. This is a functional touch screen and that is all it is meant to be.

Performance: The Asha 502 is meant to be a phone for the masses and hence should not be compared with smartphones. If you look at this as an option for people who are graduating from a feature phone, then the Asha 502 is a rock star. It lets you connect to the net, surf the web without incurring huge data costs, check mail, engage in IM chats and use Facebook and Twitter effectively. It does not lag at any point of time as the OS has been custom built for device with these specs. The experience is smooth and stable, but not enough to suffice those who have been exposed to high-end devices.

Memory: It won’t take you long to exhaust the 64MB internal memory, so be prudent while you download apps. But a 4GB SD card should be able to take care of all other storage needs.

Software: The Asha platform does not seem to have changed since the Asha 501 was launched last year. There are quite a few pre-loaded apps and a games which have been optimised for this device. The store gives you more options for apps which are custom built for the platform. In comparison to Android, these apps are light weight and don’t drain the phone’s resources.

Camera: The camera is 5MP, but fixed focus. So you will need to move back and forth to get the right focus, or move your subject around. The results are pretty good, considering where it is coming from. The flash is of big help in low light. The camera is great for moms to snap pictures of their grandchildren, but is it good enough for college students? That is a million dollar question.

Battery: Don’t frown at the 1010 mAh battery. It will last longer, much longer, than any smartphone will. We got up to three days on a full charge and with moderate use.

Special Mention: The Xpress browser is a boon for the entry level user as it cuts your data usage by up to 90

per cent. This is nothing new, but among the few implementations at a mass level.

Verdict: At Rs 6,145, this phone will appeal to those who are looking for their first touch screen and first connected device. However, it will be hard to keep some of these buyers for dishing out a few more bucks to get hold of a Android device. The one thing in Asha 502’s favour is the fact that it offers a better long term proposition compared to a low-end Android phone. But this is an window that is slowly, but surely, shutting.

NASA rover finds Mars had life-friendly fresh water

Fresh water suitable for life flowed on the surface of the Red Planet four billion years ago, according to new evidence found by NASA’s Mars Rover Opportunity.

The findings from rock samples collected and examined by Opportunity have confirmed an ancient wet environment that was milder and older than the acidic and oxidising conditions revealed by rocks the rover examined previously, NASA said.

“While Mars is too cold now to have the liquid water needed for life, we’ve had evidence for past water activity on the planet from satellite images of valleys and analysis of rocks by the Rovers,” Dr Paulo de Souza, who is on the science team led by Cornell University’s Professor Steven Squyres, said.

“But the water that once shaped those landscapes and minerals was as acidic as vinegar,” de Souza from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) said in a statement.

“Our latest research has found not only the earliest episode of water activity documented yet by the Opportunity Rover, but that the geochemistry of the 4 billion year old rocks indicates extensive deposits of past water that’s among the freshest, most life-sustaining found so far anywhere on Mars,” said de Souza.

“If there was ever life on Mars, then this would have been the mud for it to live in,” he said.

On the day of its 10th anniversary on the Red Planet, Opportunity is examining the rim of the Endeavour Crater. It has driven 38.7 kilometres from where it landed on January 24, 2004.  The site is about halfway around the planet from NASA’s latest Mars rover, Curiosity.

To find rocks for examination, the rover team steered Opportunity in a loop, scanning the ground for promising rocks in an area of Endeavour’s rim called Matijevic Hill.

The mineral-mapping instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) detected evidence on Matijevic Hill of a clay mineral known as iron-rich smectite.

“These rocks are older than any we examined earlier in the mission, and they reveal more favourable conditions for microbial life than any evidence previously examined by investigations with Opportunity,” said Opportunity Deputy Principal Investigator Ray Arvidson.

The Opportunity team set a goal to examine this mineral in its natural context – where it is found, how it is situated with respect to other minerals and the area’s geological layers – a valuable method for gathering more information about this ancient environment.

Researchers believe the wet conditions that produced the iron-rich smectite preceded the formation of the Endeavor Crater about 4 billion years ago.

The findings appear in the journal Science.

Your Wish is My App contest is back, and this time it is global by Nokia’s

When Nokia launched the ‘Your Wish is My App’ contest last year, the idea was to engage with Nokia Lumia users and understand the kind of apps they would want to use. But the response to the event was much beyond what the Finnish phonemaker had bargained for. While they were expecting a maximum of 5,000 entries, by the end of the contest they had to employ Ernst Young to audit the 38,000 ideas. A year down the line, 1,200 of these ideas have become apps, while 300 more are in the pipeline.

Now, the company is once again partnering with NDTV for a second season of what could arguably be the only reality show on apps. This time the company will take in entries from all over the world and fly in the shortlisted contestants to India. While the person suggesting the best idea will be awarded Rs 10 lakh, two runners up each will get Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh each.

Nokia India MD P Balaji said apps are literally governing our lives, especially in a country like India where the access to the Internet is primarily from the phone. “Our youth are very aspirational and seeking to consume, converse and create,” he added, underlining the main reason for the growing popularity of the apps. “Now, about 1.6 billion apps are downloaded a year and that number is expected to grow up to 9 billion in 2016 and it is changing our behaviours.” The company expects to rake in over 50,000 idea this time.

“When training new kids in the kitchen, I ensure they are not made slaves of rules. So when I got an opportunity in the show I had to do it,” explained New York-based chef Vikas Khanna. He says it is also necessary for someone who is not associated with technology to be part of such a show. The other judges are actor Kalki Koechlin, tech entrepreneurs Vishal Gondal and Sanjeev Bickchandani as well as NDTV’s Rajiv Makhni.

The contest is now open and entries can be submitted on the Nokia’s Twitter handle or FB page as well as in an SMS to 55555.

Tata Photon Max WiFi is a cheap, portable and stable internet connection

Do you panic when your internet connection drops? When the deadline looms, I do. Many of us rely on the Internet to earn a living so whether it is power cuts, poor network coverage or unscheduled downtime, the cost of such outages is huge.

During one such deadline-hour power cut, I realised that my phone had run out of charge. I had to borrow a neighbour’s phone and use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot to send my story. To put it mildly, the editor was not happy.

When I first used Tata Photon Max Wi-Fi last week, a USB dongle that lets you access the internet on up to five devices, I wished I’d had it a year ago. The amount of hardware and software configuration needed for a broadband connection make it unviable for many. If you had a USB stick that you could use to quickly connect five devices to the internet, things would be a lot more convenient than a broadband connection. That is just what the Photon Max Wi-Fi offers.

SETTING IT UP

The review unit we got was pre-configured, so all I had to do was connect it to a power socket and the device started working in half a minute. I couldn’t find the installation manual on the Tata Photon website, so I have uploaded it here: http://is.gd/mg1pr4. Going by those instructions, it looks like the installation process and changing Wi-Fi passwords is going to be difficult for most people. However, it’s a one-time hassle.

COVERAGE

As mentioned above, the device works as advertised after you configure it. It is almost identical to the Photon Max, whose coverage I’ve found to be very reliable in most big cities. The Photon Max Wi-Fi has a blue and a green light. A stable blue light means that the device has connected to the Internet, while a stable green light means that your gadgets are connected to Photon Max Wi-Fi. In over a week of testing, I faced no downtime.

SPEED

Tata promises up to 6.2 Mbps speed on the Photon Max. The speed we got ranged between 1.4 Mbps and 2.6 Mbps, when tested on speedtest.net. By no means should this be considered slow. Three to four people had connected phones and tablets to the Wi-Fi network and were constantly browsing, chatting and updating apps. The connection did not slow down much during that test.

RANGE

The most surprising aspect that emerged during testing was the range of the device. The Tata website says the range is up to 100 metres. In our tests, we got a range of up to 20-30 metres in The Indian Express’ office. As is common, the signal went weak when there were thick walls between the Photon Max Wi-Fi and my phone. This means that the device may not be best for homes with more than two rooms. But most offices don’t have those walls, so the range should be much better there.

ONE MORE THING… It has been quite some time since we last came across a device that is so obviously useful, but as reviewers, our job is to find the catch. While using the Photon Max Wi-Fi, I wished that the device had a battery or that Tata had offered a battery pack as a bundle offer of some sort. While you’re travelling, sometimes you may not find a power socket or working USB port. For those cases, we recommend purchasing a portable battery pack – one that lets you plug in USB devices.

Should you buy it?

If you need a stable, portable Wi-Fi connection at home or office,then the Tata Photon Max Wi-Fi will be an excellent purchase. The price is reasonable – Rs 1,999. Plans range from Rs 650 per month (up to 3 GB) to Rs 1,500 per month (up to 15 GB) excluding taxes. However, if you use more than 15 GB data per month, then it would be better to get a broadband connection as Tata curtails speed to 153.8 kbps once you hit the limit.

Zook ZM-SP3200 speakers musics matter

 Zoook, says the company literature, was born in France, conceptualised and created by technology freaks who were artistic and creative. Recently, they launched their range of decorative products in the market and the Zoook 2.1 channel speaker ZM-SP3200, priced at R2,990, was sent for a review. Let us find out how it performs.

Digital music and smart devices have changed the way people experience music. Out of the box, the French company’s ZM-SP3200 speaker system has a classic elegant design with two satellites and a 4-inch magnetically shielded bass unit for powerful bass output, all housed in a wooden enclosure. It can be easily connected by stereo jack to any audio device—MP3 player, mobile phone, laptop or a tablet.

The SP3200 also has USB and SD/MMC ports, located on the sub-woofer to directly music from an MP3 loaded flash USB. Volume control and track selection buttons are located on sub-woofer for users to control their music and create the sound experience they desire. Equaliser functions give you output just to suit your musical mood.

In my testing, I connected the speaker to a laptop, mobile phone, iPod and a tablet. It is powerful and reproduces full, natural sound whether you are inches from the system or way across the room. It can practically transform your computer into an entertainment system or any aux-device into a sound monster.

For the size it has, audio quality is a lot better than what one would expect. The looks are definitely to die for and will make you look very stylish. Being compact and light in weight, the speaker looks neat on any background and for the ergonomics, look and feel, it gets a good nine out of ten.

A perfect replacement for large speakers—this is how I would describe ZM-SP3200.

Sony Vaio lanch Flip’s display bends backwards, costs Rs 94,900

Windows 8 was launched, laptop makers have tried scores of different designs to optimise the design of hybrid machines. Last year, Sony brought the Vaio Duo 11 and the Vaio Pro 13 to India. While the Duo 11 had a folding display with a cramped keyboard, the Pro 13 was a slim ultrabook with a touchscreen. This year, Sony has launched a new take on the 2-in-one laptop – the Vaio Flip, whose display flips 180 degrees.

Usually the main worry with flip mechanisms is reliability. Sony said it has manually flipped the screen over a million times during quality checks. The company also said the screen is scratch-proof and will not crack easily under pressure.

The laptop is quite portable at 1.31 kg (13-inch model with 128 GB SSD). If you want more storage space, you lost out on the portability. The weight of the 14-inch variant with 1 TB storage is 1.96 kg. These laptops ship with Intel’s fourth generation Core i5 and i7 processors and Intel HD 4400 graphics.

You can use the laptop in three different modes. The first one is like a conventional laptop. You can flip the screen 180 degrees if you want the keyboard out of the way. To do this, you will have to move a sliding key to release the lock. The screen snaps on to the stand when you flip it. But don’t forget to lock it when using it in laptop mode as the screen tends to move when lifting the lid. The third mode is like a tablet. The screen can be placed parallel to the keyboard.

The Vaio Flip is available in four variants priced between Rs 94,990 and Rs 1,19,990. To lure buyers, Sony has some interesting offers available. A person who buys the Vaio Flip gets a free Sony MDR-XB910A, which is a pair of headphones worth Rs 12,990. This is a limited time offer (till stocks last). Apart from that, Sony offers three months of unlimited music download for free using the Jive app and one year of accidental damage warranty. You can also buy two years of extended warranty with the laptop for Rs 999. This costs Rs 2,499, but with the Vaio Flip warranty is discounted.

Bose SoundTouch Portable Playing Internet radio has never been this easy

Bose SoundTouch Portable

Design: The SoundTouch Portable, in fact the entire series, looks a lot like the SoundDock devices from Bose. The Portable is obviously the smallest of the series and weighs under 1.5 kg, making it very easy to move around the house. The Bose build quality is obvious everywhere. But I did not really like the Formica-like finish in some places. There is a small OLED panel in the front that shows basic notificiations. On top are six channel buttons flanked by power, aux, and volume buttons. The same buttons are recreated on a very basic remote. It is as simple and functional as any design can be.

Setup: This is a crucial part of the device. So if you are not one of those who have a wireless set up at home, this isn’t meant for you. To set up the device you need to first connect this to a PC and configure it to your Wi-Fi network. There is nothing to be worried of here as the app will handhold you through the entire process. All you need to know is your network password. The SoundTouch app will also install on your desktop in the process. You can use this app to control the player as well as add channels from what seems like a curated list to the station slots. It also connects to the iTunes or Windows Media Player where you have catalogued your music. So one of the stations can be your own playlist. This might sound complicated, but trust me it is quite easy. Plus, you have the option of adding the same app on your Android or iOS devices to keep changing channels without having to switch on the PC every time.

Performance: Being a self confessed Bose fan I have always maintained that it is almost silly to write that the sound quality is good when testing a unit from this company. However, there will have to a disclaimer this time as the audio quality here will depend on the Internet radio station you are playing too. I say this because the experience while playing my playlist from the laptop and while using the SoundTouch was what I have come to expect from Bose. But I cannot say the same with all the stations that I played. I often felt that the device was too good for some of the stations. So I suggest you be choosy while picking stations as presets. Once the device has been set up, it is as easy as clicking any preset buttons to play the stations of your choice. However, this will depend on your Wi-Fi network and Internet connectivity also. I felt frustrated a couple of times when the device failed to play only to realise that my service provider had ditched me at the moment I was ready for some quality music. The other small issue I had was the fact that