Tuesday 15 November 2011

Portronics Soundbox review

01:47 Abdul Waheed

Music is a great way to kill boredom while you’re on a long journey or sitting at home doing nothing. Some prefer listening to music while working or in the kitchen. The most convenient source for music listening is the cellphone. Nowadays, even the most basic models have multimedia functions such as FM radio, MP3 player and memory expansion via microSD card. But, you have to compromise on battery life and the quality of the speakers isn’t quite up to the mark. If you don’t mind carrying an extra device that irons out these issues, you might want to consider this portable music player by Portronics called Soundbox.

Features
This device is slightly larger than an average candybar phone, but twice as thick, which still makes it quite compact and portable. For its size, the feature set that it offers is quite impressive. It can play songs in MP3 and WMA audio formats directly from microSD memory card and USB flash drives.
Connectivity options
Connectivity options


The memory card slot and USB port are located at the bottom along with a mini USB port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The mini USB port serves only as power input for charging the li-ion battery via the PC’s USB port and not as mass storage interface which would have been useful for transferring songs to the memory card. The li-ion battery is Nokia BL-5C type which is easily available should it need to be replaced. The Soundbox uses two 35 mm neodymium drivers for playback.

Ergonomics and user interface
The Soundbox sports a 3 cm mono LCD display which is divided into two sections. The top portion with yellow backlight is a sort of a status bar which displays the equalizer mode, bit rate, current source and battery level. The lower portion with Blue backlight displays the artist and song title, playback time and visualization. The controls lie on top, which comprises of four buttons. The first two buttons are for previous and next track and when long-pressed they serve as volume control – you cannot fast forward and rewind songs. Next is the Menu buttons, which lists functions for the current mode. For example, repeat mode, EQ settings and lyrics for music playback and FM record and auto-scan for FM radio.
Easily accessable buttons
Easily accessible buttons


When long-pressed, the Menu button allows selecting from Soundbox’s main functions – Calendar, Music, FM radio and Settings. Menu navigation is easy but the UI is very sluggish requiring the user to be patient especially while navigating the songs when there are hundreds of files and folders.

Build quality
Portronics Soundbox is available in three colours – apart from the Stone Blue piece that we got our hands on, it’s available in Active Orange and Crystal Purple. The build quality is not exceptional, but quite good. The finish is nice and the shell is very sturdy. What we didn’t like is the glossy shell, which gets stained too easily.

Performance
The sound quality of the speakers outweighs all the drawbacks of this device. We underestimated the output of the two tiny neodymium drivers, but we were taken back when we started playing songs. The lows and mids are excellent, but the highs could be a lot better. The overall quality is very good and the sound doesn’t distort even at full volume.

Verdict
 A simple and neat design
A simple and neat design



For Rs.1,799 (MRP) the Portronics Soundbox is an excellent option as a portable music player. The sound quality is awesome and so is the list of things it can do. Apart from its niggles, it would have been nice if the Soundbox had the voice recorder function and came bundled with a good pair of earphones and at least a 2 GB memory card.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/pmps/portronics-soundbox-review/256022


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QNAP TS-459 Pro II Review

01:43 Abdul Waheed

Network access storages are ideal when high amounts of data need to be dumped on and retrieved from a server. Besides that, they do provide a range of back up and security options that might be essential for home and small business users. They’re also simpler and cheaper to run than large-sized servers. QNAP have launched their new TurboNAS TS-459 Pro II in the market and here’s what we think about it.

Design and Build Quality
The QNAP Pro II has a dual-tone finish of Black and Gray. It’s got a metallized Black and a plastic front that houses the display LCD and four lockable hard drive slots. The build looks pretty sturdy and it’s got a whole range of connectivity solutions in the relatively tiny rectangular box.

Small but powerful
Small, but powerful


Moving on to the software bit, the web interface occupies a big chunk of the usability of the NAS and it’s pretty well-built. The interface is neat and the home screen consists of sliding windows for  various options like administration, web file manager and server. The icons in the subsections are large and colourful and the interface is a big improvement from the really poor ones you generally see on routers and network devices. The design is intuitive and easy to understand, even for new comers.

Features 
Hardware and Software
The hardware running the QNAP TS-459 Pro II consists of an Intel Atom 1.8 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, which is expandable up to 3GB. As far as software is concerned, the NAS works on an embedded Linux operating system, so all the internal HDDs will be formatted with the EXT3, EXT4 format.

Setting it up
Setting up the device is fairly simple. Unlock the drive slot, check the alignment for connection, place the drive in the slot and lock it. It takes a little while (5 minutes) to boot up the first time and load its drivers following which it displays its IP address. Administrators need to log in and set up the device via the setup wizard, thereafter. It’s easy to create users, and user groups with a high level of customization for them. Quota settings are disabled by default and you’ll have to go to the Rights management section to enable them. Folder sharing over the network has three options - read, read/write and deny access, so the admin can select which data can be accessible to which user.

A host of connectivity options on the back
A host of connectivity options on the back


Connectivity
The NAS is pretty much loaded in terms of connectivity options. The front consists of a USB 3.0 slot and a power on button. The back houses quite a few connectivity options, including four USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, two eSATA ports, the Kensington lock and the VGA port. The cooling fan vent is housed at the back, as well.  Notification LEDs for LAN, USB, eSATA and Status are located right underneath the display. There are two buttons, Enter and Select to navigate through the onboard interface for the drive. The NAS has an option of adding a Wi-Fi module via the USB slot for wireless access. Disk management choices include RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10.

Network Services
Network Services


Network and Security
The QNAP TS-459 supports IPv4 and IPv6 networking with the Dual Gigabit NICs. Automatic DHCP client and network service discovery is allowed for UPnP (for PC) and Bonjour (for Mac). Wireless LAN is supported via USB.  Network file sharing supports CIFS, AFP, NFS, FTP and WebDAV protocols.

Security options are pretty much covered with IP filtering, encrypted access for HTTPS, FTP and Remote Replication, so your data won’t be compromised. There’s AES 256-bit Volume-based encryption, so all the content on your hard drive sits pretty safe.

 source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/nas/qnap-ts459-pro-ii-review/256662


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MSI GE620 gaming notebook Review

01:40 Abdul Waheed

What constitutes a gaming notebook? High-end specifications and some fancy lighting? Well, at least that’s the general route companies take when designing one. But if you strip away the neon lights and aggressive styling, you’ll notice that many multimedia notebooks also make for good, if not great, gaming notebooks. MSI’s GE620 is one such example. Although it’s from their gaming series of notebooks, it lacks the extra ‘bling’ if you will, which is also why it’s quite a bit cheaper.


 
On Video: MSI GE620


Design and Build
Looking at it, there’s no way of telling if this is a gaming notebook as it looks really plain and ordinary. In fact, it looks similar to some of their budget series notebooks and in a way, even feels like one. The only thing that gives it away is the handful of stickers you’ll find on the palm rest. The plastics used don’t really scream quality and the lid, while sturdy, does suffer from flex issues. The rest of the chassis as well is mostly made up of plastic so don’t be fooled by the brushed metal look of the notebook. Overall, the design is pretty straight forward and simple but we wish the build quality and choice of plastics would have been better.
Plain and ordinary looks
Plain and ordinary looks


The exhaust vents are placed on the left along with the charging point, HDMI, USB 3.0 (x2) and the microphone and headphone jacks. The third USB 2.0 port is placed on the right along with the VGA port and LAN jack. MSI throws in a DVD burner as well although a Blu-ray combo drive is an option. There are plenty of vents underneath GE620 for ventilation. You can pop open the bottom panel to access the RAM and hard drive. The keyboard is chiclet styled and you even get a Numpad.
Full-sized keyboard
Full-sized keyboard


The keys themselves have a extra soft feel which some may not find too comfortable when typing. Also, MSI doesn’t seem to have addressed the issue of the keyboard panel itself and just like their earlier models, it feels a bit flimsy. The trackpad is nice and wide but the ribbed design hinders smooth movement.

Features
The GE620 comes with a 15.6-inch LED backlit screen and sports a resolution of 1366x768 so it’s not as sharp as a Full HD screen but at least it’s easy on the GPU for gaming. The notebook is powered by a Core i5-2410M Intel CPU that runs at a stock speed of 2.3GHz and Turbos up to 2.9GHz. Along with this, we have 4GB of RAM, 640GB hard drive and Nvidia’s GT 540M GPU with Optimus technology. MSI ships the notebook with Windows 7 Home Premium as well.
A good desktop replacement option
A good desktop replacement option


The notebook also features some of their own software like i-Charger which delivers more power to the USB port allowing you to charge the iPad as well. The ‘S-Bar’ application gives you quick access to certain programs like Windows Media Player, etc. but more importantly, it let’s you operate the row of shortcut buttons above the keyboard. Here’s where we ran into a small problem. The DVD drive can only be opened via the eject button on the notebook, which will only work if the software’s installed. In terms of software customizations, MSI’s approach isn’t as polished or refined as we’ve seen in other notebooks from Asus, Dell, Sony, etc.

Next, let’s see how the notebook performs in our benchmarks

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/notebooks/msi-ge620-gaming-notebook-review/256612


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Brag M’Joy Review

01:36 Abdul Waheed

Brag has come up with several high-end gaming PCs and home theater PCs in the past. Their latest M’joy is a home theater PC for those who are on a shoe string budget. Keeping this in mind, the PC is configured using entry-level components, but with attention paid to performance.

Features
The M’Joy is powered by the AMD Athlon II X4 645 processor, which has a good deal of power to handle media playback, as well as basic everyday applications such as office suite and web browsing. The memory module used is a single 4GB stick of G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1600. It provides headroom for overclocking, but bear in mind that the motherboard and CPU aren’t too overclocking friendly, because they are entry-level components. Also the CPU cooler uses the stock cooler that comes bundled with the processor.
The cables are neatly routed and there’s plenty of room for air circulation.
The cables are neatly routed and there’s plenty of room for air circulation.


To keep the price low, Brag has opted to use the Radeon HD 4250 integrated graphics, which is a part of the AMD 880G chipset. However, with the Gigabyte 880GM-USB 3 motherboard, you have two USB 3.0 ports on the rear and a PCIE x16 expansion slot. You can upgrade to discrete graphics, but you’ll need a low-profile graphics card such as the Radeon HD 6450 or 6570. The motherboard has one PCIE x1 and two PCI slots. A 300 Mb/s Wi-Fi adapter is fitted into one of the PCI slots.

Apart from the low profile cards, the rest of the components are of standard form factor thanks to the Silverstone Milo ML03 PC case. Low-profile slots are provided to keep the form factor slim. The storage comprises of OCZ Vertex 2, 60GB SSD for system drive and Seagate Barracuda Green, 2TB for secondary storage. So, you get quick response time and plenty of storage space at the same time. Being an entry-level PC, you get a standard tray-loading DVD-writer. M’Joy’s configuration is very power-friendly and hence doesn’t require a high-end power supply unit. The one installed is the FSP Saga II 400W.
The rear panel includes USB 3.0, FireWire, eSATA and HDMI ports
The rear panel includes USB 3.0, FireWire, eSATA and HDMI ports


One of the aspects that we liked about all the PCs by Brag, so far, is cable routing. It’s more challenging in a compact HTPC such as this one due to the lack of space in the case. The power and SATA cables are neatly tied up and routed along the sides of the case to conceal the clutter and facilitate air circulation. The case has provision for adding fans for enhancing air circulation within, but not a single fan is added which is a minor flaw. The cooling is entirely taken care of by the CPU cooler and an intake fan housed in the power supply.

Performance
For an entry-level configuration, the performance of the Brag M’Joy is very good. It scored 10145 points in PCMark Vantage and 3.46 points in CineBench R 11.5. These scores indicate that this PC is far more powerful than a similar rig powered by a Core i3 Sandy Bridge processor. It goes without saying that processors by AMD are great value for money in the entry-level segment.
A cost-effective solution for those on a low budget
A cost-effective solution for those on a low budget


Further, it took 55 seconds to compress 100 MB of multiple files into 7.zip format using ‘Ultra’ profile and 51 seconds to transcode a 1 minute MPEG video to H.264 format. The OCZ Vertex 2 SSD is a great performer – HD Tune Pro reported average read speed of 136 MB/s, whereas the Seagate Barracuda Green reported 111 MB/s, which is good for a regular desktop hard drive. The PC comes sans any discrete graphics, hence it isn’t suited for gaming. But you can expect decent frame rates at low settings with a Radeon HD 6570.

Verdict
The M’Joy is a good attempt by Brag and we appreciate the fact that it has carved out something for the budget-conscious audience. If you want an entry-level home theater PC that doesn’t compromise on performance and the quality of components used, this will keep you satisfied.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/htpcs/brag-mjoy-review/256892


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Creative WP-350 Review

01:33 Abdul Waheed

Although the previous model i.e. the WP-300 proved to be top notch in the quality department, the rather “heavy” price tag and lack of some relevant features were an issue. The WP-350 is the slightly higher end model launched by Creative and is designed to try and fill in the blanks, so to speak. Of course quality is the key factor and for those who appreciate good quality tech, even price takes a back seat. Keeping that in mind, here’s a closer at Creative’s WP-350 A2DP enabled Bluetooth headset.

Form Factor
In terms of design the WP-350 is the 300’s twin. That pretty much translates to – it’s extremely comfortable to wear even for long periods of time. The WP-350 weighs in at just 108gms, which also makes it light weight. Leatherette cushioning over the earpieces make it comfortable to wear but using them while working out might not be a good idea. Once the earpieces get a little wet they tend to become a little slippery. The earpieces fold inward making the headset slightly flatter and a bit more convenient for portability. It would have been a whole lot better if they could have folded some more so it would be just a little more compact. Nevertheless it’s still not an issue most users will raise so much as an eyebrow over. It supports A2DP and AVRCP as well.

Comfortable form
Comfortable form


The buttons are placed very neatly on the earpieces with the main controls located on the Right side. The Call take/End (single button) key also serves as the power button and what you’d use to pair up the headset with compatible devices. Volume buttons are placed on the underside of the right speaker casing so you can easily increase or decrease the volume with you thumb by holding the earpiece. A micro USB charging port is placed on the under side of the left earpiece. Unlike the WP-300 though, this model is equipped with a microphone for taking calls.

Features
Pairing is a simple process as there are no passwords or keys to enter into your device. Simply search for the device and click connect and you’re good to go. Once you’re “switched-on” you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the overall experience. Loaded up with features like aptX technology from Creative you’re quite assured of smooth streaming without delay or lag of any kind. Creative has also thrown in a set of Neodymium drivers that are designed to enhance audio quality to quite an extent and also assist audio performance for calls. Creative also employs their ClearSpeech technology to help make voice calls better.
"Invisible" Mic


Performance
When it comes to audio performance in the music department, the WP-350 is top notch. Bass comes in loud and clear and still manages to keep the “thump” from creating any sort of distortion when the volume is peaked. The higher frequencies are very well balanced providing a neat jar-free audio experience devoid of sharp or shrill tones. On the whole when listening to music or watching videos the audio quality is superb.

The issue that needs to be addressed is the actual quality of voice while on calls. What we noticed on calls is that the audio, in some cases was quite muffled. Although what the person is saying is quite legible, there’s just a bit of an issue when it comes too overall clarity. Sure there are plenty of enhancements provided, as mentioned, but that merely makes the point of better quality being provided all the more relevant. When asked if our voice was clear to the person on the other end, seven of out 10 users said that they were able to hear us quite clearly even if we were in a closed room or out in the open. That’s not a bad average.
Easy to manage set up and remote control system
Easy to manage set up and remote control system


The range of the WP-350 headset is easily usable even if your device is a little outside of 28 meters away. Of course it’s not that great going through walls.

Battery Life
Creative speaks of the WP-350 offering a 9 hour battery life. In real time and with our audio testing, the device managed to come quite close, clocking in at 8 hours and about 35 minutes on a full charge. It’ll take you a little over an hour to charge fully but you’ll be good for a day with that, provided you’re not wearing the headset for 24 hours of course.
Neatly folds for portability
Neatly folds for portability


Bottom Line
With a price tag of Rs. 5,999 (MOP), the WP-350 proves to be a slightly better option than its predecessor. For the mobile phone users this product will help enhance your audio experience while offering you wireless freedom. It offers excellent audio quality with decent quality on calls on the whole. It might seem a little bit on the steep side but with a premium quality look and feel with the kind of quality and comfort the device offers, it’s quite worth it.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/accessories/creative-wp350-review/256952


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LG Optimus Net Review

01:25 Abdul Waheed

LG were one of the first companies to get into the low-budget Android phones segment with their Optimus One, which made quite a mark in the Android world. Now, the company has announced the successor to its Optimus One, the new LG Optimus Net. The P690 places itself as a budget Android phone as well, but is it worth a purchase? Let’s find out.
The top consists of the tiny power button and 3.5 mm jack
The top consists of the tiny power button and 3.5 mm jack


Design and Build Quality
The Optimus Net looks very much like the original Optimus P500 phone. It’s got a 320x480, 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, so the display size hasn’t changed from its predecessor. The back and the sides are quite glossy, so fingerprints will be a problem, which you’ll have to get used to. The phone does feel quite light at 122 grams, but at the same time, it looks and feels quite plasticy, which is a disappointment. The volume rocker buttons are located on the left, while the microUSB slot is housed underneath a protective flap on the right of the phone. The top consists of the tiny power button and the 3.5mm headphone jack. The rear flap is easy to remove and only the SIM card is placed under the battery, so the memory card is hot swappable.
The build feels quite flimsy and cheap
The build feels quite flimsy and cheap


The physical button layout at the bottom has the options key on the left, followed by the home, return key and search buttons. There are two separate panels with the home and back button in one block, and the other two in the exterior block.  The center block buttons feel just fine, but the menu button feels lighter, hollower, and doesn’t have a very consistent feel to it. This complaint extends to the side volume buttons as well. LG could have done a lot better with the build quality of the Net.

Features
Interface
The Optimus Net runs on an 800MHz processor with an Adreno 200 GPU and on first impression the phone runs pretty quick. The P690 has a fluid interface and navigation through the home screen and the various menus is fast and lag-free. But the one problem the interface has, like the other LG phones, is that it’s not polished. Take for example the drop down notification bar. The icons have a very sharp and contrasting feel to them and it looks like several separate sections have been stitched together into one menu. The interface doesn’t look as appealing as the HTC Explorer we reviewed earlier.
Homescreen interface
Homescreen interface


The Optimus Net has a similar UI to the Optimus 3D.  Long pressing on the home screen brings up a pop up window to load widgets and shortcuts. Music playback can be controlled without unlocking the screen. There’s a new Social+ integration widget that gives you the latest news feeds from your social networking accounts. We’re not big fans of the Excuse Msg feature present on the phone, which automatically sends messages to your contacts, in case you don’t pick up their call. It’s not customizable to include only local calls and in our case, the phone sent a couple of international messages on its own accord. A 3.2-inch screen more often than not makes typing a nightmare, especially in the portrait mode, but the keyboard is spaced pretty well and is easy to use. In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the Optimus Net falls shorter of the Explorer in the AnTuTu application. The Net got a score of 1445, as opposed to the 2099 that the Explorer received, so that’s definitely not a good score for a phone with a better processor.
The benchmark scores
The benchmark scores


Media
The P690 provides a pretty basic media experience. There are no equalizers or sound enhancements. In fact, the only options available in the music player are Shuffle, Repeat and Party Shuffle. Video and audio format support is pretty standard and you’ll have to download a third party app, if you want to get more out of your phone.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/smartphones/lg-optimus-net-review/257342


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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Same sh*t different day

01:22 Abdul Waheed

It feels kind of redundant to review a game like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 no matter how big this franchise has become. Except for maybe a couple of tweaks, this is essentially the same Call of Duty you played last year, the year before that and so on. The adrenaline pumping single player is polished, exciting and short but you already knew that. The multiplayer is fast paced, deep and addictive. Guess what, you knew that too. So should you buy this game? Yes, if you’re a fan who will never get tired of Activision’s successful formula. On the other hand, if you never liked this series to begin with, Modern Warfare 3 definitely won’t change your mind.
Who doesn't like set pieces?
Who doesn't like set pieces?


The single player kicks off right after the events of Modern Warfare 2. Players join Soap McTavish, Captain Price and a bunch of new recruits as they race around the clock to stop the evil Makarov who’s hell bent on starting World War III. Players who’ve stuck with this series since Modern Warfare will get some sort of closure as the story comes full circle with a satisfying ending. There are also quite a few nods to previous games that were appreciated.


 
On Video: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3


As far as gameplay goes, you know the drill all too well. In every level you’ll encounter waves of respawning enemies till you trigger an invisible event marker or complete your objective. You’ll constantly be assaulted by set-pieces some of which even after three games (three Modern Warfare games i.e.) are downright impressive. Modern Warfare 3 is a painfully short game but there’s rarely a dull moment. I’ll give them that. Sure you’ll have a few minutes of boring shoot outs where you simply duck in one place and shoot the brain dead enemies baying for your blood but for most of the time, the game moves at an enjoyable pace. You’ll experience a slight respite from all the relentless shooting with a few stealth segments but before you start feeling like Sam Fisher, the poop hits the fan and its guns blazing till the end of the level.
Through the fire and the flames
Through the fire and the flames


After the five hour single player campaign (you expected more?) you can head online for some co-op via the game’s Spec Ops mode introduced in Modern Warfare 2, tackle the all new Survival mode or get lost into the game’s biggest draw, its competitive side. Versus play works like older games where you level up, unlock cooler weapons, customize them, choose your perks, killstreaks and go to town on your enemies. Unfortunately most of the maps present in this game are really small making your lifespan very short. After coming out from a game like Battlefield 3 where team work is essential to success, Modern Warfare 3’s lone wolf attitude felt a bit off. Plus the game’s become too fast paced for its own good with encounters ending in the blink of an eye. And since maps are so small, spawn points are haywire and once enemies start stacking their killstreaks against your team, prepare to die a lot. Still if you’re a fan of the game’s uber fast paced combat, you’ll enjoy what MW3 throws at you.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/gaming/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-same-sht-different-day/257372


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Any.do app Review

01:11 Abdul Waheed

There are plenty of To-do list apps available for the iPhone and Android and there are a ton of sites giving advice to people how to use them. While To-do list apps help keep track of the things you need to, they’re all extensive and the task of adding things to do is often time-consuming. Any.do hopes to be an Android app with a difference.

User interface design
The user interface and the way the app functions is what makes it stand out in a crowd hundreds of other personal information manager and to-do list apps. Unlike most other Android apps, Any.do comes with a fresh new user interface. When you first run the app, there’s a walkthrough that explains some of the features of the app.
Very easy-to-understand tutorial
Very easy-to-understand tutorial


All of the screens slide from side to side, something that Windows Phone7 apps do.  There isn’t much you can customize with Any.do, except for the basic colour schemes. Any.do comes in a black and white colour scheme. The aim it appears, is to keep the app as simple as possible, while providing features without scattering them over the interface leaving the user confused. All the buttons and menus are tastefully designed, so they look fresh and different from the default Android elements that you’re used to seeing.

Features
While the interface is minimalistic, there are a bunch of features that Any.do has to offer. Voice input, for example is present in the task entry textbox, like with many other Android-based apps. It’s the way one adds tasks to their list that makes it unique. Instead of manually entering the task and setting the reminder time or deadline for it, you simply drag it into a section for 'task to be done today, tomorrow, this week or later'.
Sorting of tasks, and auto-backing up of the task list
Sorting of tasks, and auto-backing up of the task list


Even the entry that you make is auto-predicted. So, for example, if you need to call someone tomorrow, it picks up entries from your phonebook as you type. You can add tasks to folders and also notes as you would on any other To-do list app. The fact that it supports Google Tasks makes entry even simpler. Assuming that you’re using Gmail at work, you also have a Tasks widget, which you can use to make entries. Those entries automatically end up on Any.do. All you need to do is slide them into one of those deadline periods.

Marking tasks as completed is also as intuitive as the other tasks. You simply slide an item to the right to mark them as done. To re-add a task slide it to the left.  To clear all completed tasks, simply shake the phone. You have the option to disable the feature, if you don’t want to lose your completed tasks list.
The alternative white theme
The alternative white theme


Clicking on a task brings up a range of options. For example, a task can be marked as high priority by clicking on the priority button. There are no multiple degrees of priority, though. The reminder and deadline setting window also looks very neat with its bright colours. Entering dates and time is fun and quick.

The app sets back-ups automatically as you use it. There are no options to set the refresh rate for syncing with Google Tasks, so if you’re adding tasks all the time, you might find some delay between the item being added to your device. Accessibility of the app on the phone is improved by the widget. Unlike other to-do apps, this one has a larger widget that lets you mark tasks as completed. The smaller of the two available widgets doesn't.

Performance
At 3.4MB in size, the installer on the Android Market weighs quite a bit for a To-do app. You’d expect an app that has these many features and a interface that looks this pretty to overburden your phone. Surprisingly enough, it’s light and easy to run, even on an outdated Motorola Milestone. It does not affect the performance of the rest of your phone.


Verdict
Any.do is available for Android, as of now, but iOS and a web app version are going to be out soon as well. It’s free to use, makes adding tasks simpler than it is with the other To-do lists. It’s free, so it’s definitely worth a shot. If you’re someone who doesn’t micro-manage tasks to a minute level, you’ll find that you’ll be using this app for a long time.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/reviews/android/anydo-app-review/257612


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Siri hacked to work on any device

01:08 Abdul Waheed

Though Apple does not plan to bring iPhone 4S’ most celebrated Siri personal voice assistant feature to other iOS devices, Applidium has managed to get it to work on any device. Since the launch of the newest iPhone, Siri has become the most talked about attribute for reasons, both good and bad.
Siri may be coming to older iOS devices as well
Siri to work on any device


The app maker has now managed to crack open Siri and use its recognition engine on any device. So, now Siri won’t just work on iPads and iPhones, but also on Android devices and laptops. The guys at Applidium managed to talk to Siri without the 4S in picture. However, Siri’s backend requires a valid iPhone 4S unique identification string. Now, spoofing a string from the real 4S cannot be noticed by Apple, according to reports.

Applidium has described the process and also shared some tools to develop apps using this voice-enabled feature. These tools are in languages like Ruby, C and Objective-C. Though not completely perfect, they are beneficial enough to develop Siri-based apps. It even further encourages its tech readers to build an app using these tools.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/siri-hacked-to-work-on-any-device/257542


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Corsair announces world's first quad channel 32GB RAM kit

01:05 Abdul Waheed

Corsair, better known for their high-performance components in the PC hardware market, announced the world's first high-performance quad channel Dominator 32GB DDR3 memory kit, today. The Dominator 32GB Quad Channel kit (CMT32GX3M4X1866C9) consists of four rigorously-screened 8GB DDR3 DRAM modules with Corsair's patented DHX+ heatsinks. It operates at 1.5V and is designed to run at 1866MHz, with 9-10-9-27 C9 timing. Corsair has compatibility tested the new 32GB Quad Channel kit with upcoming quad channel platforms, as well as current dual channel platforms.
For the enthusiast at heart
For the enthusiast at heart


The new memory kits have yet to go on sale so we don’t have any official pricing of it, yet. Here’s what Thi La, Vice President or Memory Products at Corsair had to say, "The new Dominator 32GB Quad Channel memory kit is designed for high-performance PC enthusiasts using the latest motherboards, whether they're overclockers, gamers, or simply want a large amount of state-of-the-art memory."  The new memory kit is designed to work with Intel’s upcoming Sandy Bridge-E CPUs, which will use the new LGA2011 socket.

source:    
http://tech2.in.com/news/pc-memory/corsair-announces-worlds-first-quad-channel-32gb-ram-kit/257532


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Google+ a highlight in YouTube's redesigned interface

01:02 Abdul Waheed

Google's at it, yet again! This time the search giant is reportedly mixing and matching looks to give the users of its popular online video viewing destination, YouTube, a makeover! And, if a report in the tech blog, The Next Web is to be believed then on its list of 'must-haves', Google has put Google+ integration right at the top. While still insignificant in numbers, the new look has managed to go public for some, and Google plans to make a uniform roll-out, soon. With Google+ being deeply integrated with YouTube, users will be able to view the content from YouTube, which their contacts have shared on Circles in Google+. Also, users will be able to browse through videos that have been recommended to them by their contacts. YouTube's colour scheme too will get some minor touch-ups. Reportedly, the new YouTube will have a gray background, instead of the existing white.
The new look of YouTube
The new look of YouTube


Also coming in is a video dashboard on the left, which contains Featured Videos, a category for recommended videos. This section will also contain sorted video subscriptions. Additionally, all homepage content will be moved to a single column to add more focus and visibility to the videos preview section. The 'full screen' option during videos, too, seems to have gotten an update. Users will now also have an option to shrink and expand the video, according to their preferences. Clicking on the YouTube logo in the redesigned site will take the users to http://www.youtube.com/guide. 

A click on the YouTube logo will take you here..
A click on the YouTube logo will take you here..


While this seems to be the list so far, we're sure to have more updates as we get closer to the uniform roll-out, which hopefully should happen soon, too. What is your take on this?

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/web-services/google-a-highlight-in-youtubes-redesigned-interface/257582


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3G roaming services to halt soon?

01:00 Abdul Waheed

Telecom ministry had put forth a note criticizing the illegal 3G sharing that could lead to security threats. With support from TRAI on the same, the note was further sent to the Union Law secretary for further advice. The news has it that the DoT will ask phone companies to abolish 3G roaming agreements, reports Times of India. So, a customer cannot use 3G services in a state, wherein its operator does not have permits.
Illegal 3G sharing
3G roaming to stop soon?


3G customers of Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone and Aircel are permitted to use one another’s airwaves. So, a Bharti Airtel user can access 3G services even in Kolkata, irrespective of Airtel not having any license for its 3G service in West Bengal. Reportedly, this is different with 2G roaming, but violates 3G roaming license rules. These agreements will be terminated as soon as the Law ministry gives its clearance. Network providers like Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications will not be affected by the decision as they haven’t signed such agreements.

The chief executives of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices and Idea Cellular sent a joint letter to the Communications Minister, Kapil Sibal stating that 3G roaming isn’t illegal and prior to the 3G auctions, there was a clear understanding on such deals. "Any determination now that this might not be the case would fundamentally alter the legal and economic basis on which the business case of 3G bids was evaluated, inevitably leading to a requirement to either refund the bidders or rerun the auction," the heads of the four mobile companies collectively stated.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/mobile-services/3g-roaming-services-to-halt-soon/257622


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Huawei announces the Honor, possible launch date revealed?

00:58 Abdul Waheed

Huawei have announced their new dual-core Android smartphone, the Honor, via their official Facebook page. The dual-core, Gingerbread 2.3.5 running smartphone hasn’t got an official launch date yet, but we’re wondering if the video below has leaked out some exclusive information. The phone runs on a 1.4GHz processor and has a 1900 mAh battery powering it. It’s 10.9 mm thin and weighs 140g. Also part of the features is a ‘Deal MIC’, which we are assuming are the dual microphones for noise cancellation, along with a compass and a gyroscope. There’s a G-sensor, proximity sensor and light sensor, as well.
Possible launch date?
Possible launch date?


Here are the specifications of the Huawei Honor:

  • 4.0-inch FWVGA Capacitive Touchscreen with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution
  • 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA
  • GPS with A-GPS support and Google Maps
  • Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, EDR, microUSB v2.0
  • 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, 720p video recording
  • 2 megapixel front camera
  • Stereo FM radio with RDS
  • Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
  • 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Here's a video of the Honor:

 

Throughout the video the date that is set on the device shows 11/21/2011. That’s 21st November. Does that indicate a possible launch date for the Honor? For right now, it’s just speculation and we’ll have to wait and watch over the next week. Pricing and availability for India hasn't been disclosed yet, so stay tuned to this space for more information.
source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/huawei-announces-the-honor-possible-launch-date-revealed/257562


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Australian episode of Samsung-Apple hearing to be held in March 2012

00:55 Abdul Waheed

A Reuters report confirms the decision by an Australian court to hear Samsung's plea against Apple in March 2012. This news comes as an update to the ongoing feud between Samsung and Apple over alleged patent infringements. Here's a quick recap leading to the present day. Both Apple and Samsung, who're big players in the mobile devices arena have been relentlessly alleging that the other has violated on patents owned by them. In several countries worldwide, both Apple and Samsung have been suing and counter-suing one another to the effect that Samsung's ambitious tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 currently stands temporarily banned in Australia following a court hearing, a final one for which is scheduled for the 25th of this month.
March will decide its fate!
March will decide its fate!


Now, in what follows s Samsung's next move, the March 2012 court hearing regarding the fate of the sales of the iPhone 4S will be a game changer. Interestingly though, at least till March, Apple is free to sell as many units of the iPhone 4S it wants in Australia and the court hearing will decide its course, only later. Although, a definite date for the hearing for March hasn't been set, it has been confirmed that the duration of the hearing will be 3 days. Apple, reportedly was hoping that the Australian court would pick August 2012 as the hearing date, but Justice Annabelle Bennett refused on the grounds that August was too far away and a delayed date would create problems for Samsung, since it was looking at expanding the Android market.

Additionally, a report in Bloomberg confirms that along with iPhone 4S, Samsung has managed to get an early trial in March 2012 for the iPad 2, which it alleges violates its patent about 3G wireless transmissions.

To get a complete picture of the Apple - Samsung lawsuit,

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/australian-episode-of-samsungapple-hearing-to-be-held-in-march-2012/257632


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Monday 14 November 2011

How To: Easily relocate your applications

23:51 Abdul Waheed


How To: Easily relocate your applications

14 Nov, 2011, 10:15 am IST | Francis D'sa
Learn how you can safely relocate your installed programs from drive C to drive D or E without worrying about uninstalling and reinstalling.
How To: Easily relocate your applications
Well you partitioned your hard drive initially and loaded the operating system and now realize that your C drive is running low on space while your D drive is a huge empty playground? You are now left with two options—first one is uninstalling huge and space-hogging applications and reinstalling them on the other drive and the second one is to resize your existing partitions using a partition management utility. The latter option is better in a way as you can allocate the space permanently to drive C, but the threat of losing all your data in one go is high in case you accidentally reset your PC or witness a power failure.

The first option is a faster one and would only affect the particular program it moves in case of any errors. No doubt, reinstalling the software on another location is the best option, but it is painstakingly slow, and what if you don’t find your installation disk? We shall show you a simple utility which can relocate the programs from one drive to another in a few minutes in three steps. Download the utility ‘Application mover’ from ‘http://www.funduc.com/app_mover.htm’ and install it. Run the program after installing.

Step 1
On the main screen, you need to specify the two paths to the programs which need to be moved. Choose the current and new path accordingly. Leave all other check boxes untouched. Click ‘OK’.
Setp 1
Setp 1


Step 2
The next screen will confirm the files that will be moved. Confirm with ‘OK’ and the file operations will begin.
Step 2
Step 2


Step 3
A new window will open and you will be asked to finally confirm the replacement of the program locations. Confirm with the ‘Replace’ button for every file or simply check the ‘Do not ask me again’ box.
Step 3
Step 3


Application Mover moves all files from the old path (and any subdirectories under that path) to the new path. The program then uses these strings to make changes to the Windows registry, Windows shortcuts, .ini and Install.log files in the program path. The application performs its operations in the following order: - Files are copied to the new path>Registry Changes are made>Shortcuts are changed>Files are deleted from the old path>.ini and Install.log files are changed. The utility is a shareware and can be purchased for around Rs. 750. Another alternative utility is 'Steammover', but the cons are—it runs under Windows Vista and 7 only, works on NTFS and not fat32, leaves shortcuts on C drive and if deleted then the relocated program won’t work.
Just sit back and let it all happen
Just sit back and let it all happen


Do’s and Don’tsDo not move main important directories (For e.g. C:Program Files to D:Program Files). The utility must be run with Administrator privileges. Do not move ‘My Documents’. Do not move ‘C:Program FilesCommon Files’. Programs must be shut down before moving. Backup must be done to avoid mishaps. Moving MS office is unsafe—Do it at your own risk. Do not move antivirus applications. Do not move programs from one PC to another. Do not move programs over the network unless the shared drives are mapped to the PC. Do not install a new hard drive or USB drive which tends to replace the drive letter of the drive where the applications are relocated.

source:      http://tech2.in.com/how-to/software/how-to-easily-relocate-your-applications/257212


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Top 5 gaming notebooks

23:45 Abdul Waheed

While a good gaming rig will always trump the highest-end gaming notebook, there are many who would still prefer the latter simply because it’s easier to
Top 5 gaming notebooks
While a good gaming rig will always trump the highest-end gaming notebook, there are many who would still prefer the latter, simply because it’s easier to setup and you can carry it around. If you’re someone who hates dealing with messy cabling or simply don’t have that kind of space in your house, then a notebook is your only real choice. You have to remember one thing though, you won’t be able to max out every single game on a notebook, no matter how powerful it maybe. So long as you’re willing to live with those compromises carry on reading.

We understand not everyone has a pile of money lying around so we’ve thrown in a mix of both mainstream multimedia notebooks that can handle their fair share of games as well as has high-end notebooks engineered for gaming. 

HP DV6-6165TX - Rs.59,000
If there’s one thing you can be assured with HP’s DV lineup is their build quality. The DV6 may be marketed as a multimedia notebook, but the specifications say otherwise. A Core i7 and an AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory should easily tame even the most demanding games.
Good specs for the price
Good specs for the price


Sound is taken care of by Beats audio and the cooling is handled by HP’s CoolSense technology that adjusts the cooling based on the activity being performed. Overall, a good package for the price.

Dell Alienware M14x - Rs.82,900 (View Stores)
Alienware has been synonymous with gaming from its inception and Dell’s new M14x finds a sweet spot between raw performance and portability. Aside from the good gaming performance and fancy, customizable lighting, the one thing that has made these notebooks stand out are their keyboards.
Customizations galore
Customizations galore


The keys have a very nice feedback which make them extremely comfortable to type on. Also, the higher resolution 14-inch screen makes images and video pop. The notebook does demands a slight premium but in return you get huge bragging rights.

Acer Aspire TimeLineX 5830TG - Rs.41,000 (View Stores)
Who said you can’t enjoy gaming on a budget? Acer’s TimeLineX 5830TG packs in a decent powerhouse in a really slim form factor and at a killer price. Other than the build quality, which takes a bit of a backseat, it makes a tidy little gaming machine for those on the move.
Slim yet powerful
Slim yet powerful


Armed with an Nvidia GT 540M, you should be able to play older games like Dirt 2 and FarCry 2 on reasonably high settings. Overall, the 5830TG offers really good value for money in terms of features and performance. 

source:     http://tech2.in.com/features/notebooks/top-5-gaming-notebooks/257292


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Salman Rushdie booted off Facebook because of name

23:42 Abdul Waheed


Salman Rushdie, the award winning author of Midnight's Children, has had a bit of a social networking issue. Facebook had deleted his account this past weekend and in response, he sent the social network a copy of his passport to prove he was who he was. He got the boot again from Facebook saying that he could not use his name 'Salman' (his full legal name is Ahmed Salman Rushdie). Even though Rushdie kept requesting Facebook to reinstate his account, the social network did not comply with the author. So then he pitted one social network against another.
That which we call a rose by any other name...
That which we call a rose by any other name...



Rushdie posted on his Twitter account, "Amazing. 2 days ago FB deactivated my page saying they didn't believe I was me. I had to send a photo of my passport page... Then they said yes I was me, but insisted I use the name Ahmed which I have never used. NOW they have ractivated my page as "Ahmed Rushdie", in spite of the world knowing me as Salman". He said all of this over the course of three tweets of course. Gaining support from Twitter ensured that Facebook would finally behave itself. He tweeted that Facebook finally complied and added that an identity crisis at his age is no fun. He mentioned other famous people that use their middle names as their given names like Paul McCartney and Brad Pitt. Facebook later even apologized to Rushdie to which he responded saying, "All is sweetness and light."


source:      http://tech2.in.com/news/social-networking/salman-rushdie-booted-off-facebook-because-of-name/257592


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Thursday 10 November 2011

Game of Thrones RPG coming 2012

07:52 Abdul Waheed

r a 2012 release.
They should have made an RPG to begin with
They should have made an RPG to begin with


The RPG will be based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, the first book of which is the Game of Thrones and will allow players to explore the Kingdom of Westeros where they’ll be able to affect the politics that shape the realm. According to Gameinformer, combat in this game features something called the "active slowdown tactical combat engine," that slows down combat so players can make quick, tactical decisions.

Other details are scarce but we expect more to emerge as the game nears its 2012 release date.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/gaming/game-of-thrones-rpg-coming-2012/256592


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Mass Effect 3 multiplayer information emerges

07:50 Abdul Waheed

Everyone’s been curious to see how multiplayer would play out in the Mass Effect universe and now thanks to a rather informative interview posted on BioWare’s official blog, a fresh batch of information gets delivered straight to your doorstep. According to the game’s producer, Jesse Houston, multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 will work in tandem with your single player progress affecting how Shepard’s story plays out. The actions you take in MP will mould the way the game universe reacts to players so don’t get too excited on being an ass. That being said, it’s not compulsory to play through multiplayer to enjoy the single player campaign.
Army of Two
Army of Two


The interview’s rather lengthy and Houston touches upon a bunch of elements like levelling up, partying up, the leaderboard system and more. We definitely recommend it to anyone who’s interested in this series.

Mass Effect 3 will release for the Xbox360, PS3 and PC by the 9th of March 2012.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/gaming/mass-effect-3-multiplayer-information-emerges/256602


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Google pulls Gmail app off BlackBerry smartphones

07:48 Abdul Waheed

In a move, which will strengthen its rivalry with the manufacturers of popular BlackBerry smartphones (Research in Motion), Google has decided to discontinue offering Gmail app support on BlackBerry, Times of India reports. Beginning from the 22nd of November, 2011, BlackBerry users will not be able to access the Gmail app. The report, however, also confirms that while users will not be able to download the app after the above mentioned date, those already having the app will be able to use it just like they always did. Alternatively, by using their smartphone's web browser,  or syncing their Google account with the BlackBerry service, users will be able to access Gmail.
Safe, but for how long?
App no more for BlackBerry 


In response, the article quotes Google as saying that they wish to concentrate on the mobile browser experience, and hence decided to stall the development of the app for BlackBerry. RIM also stated that the BlackBerry smartphones allow users to sync their mail accounts to their BlackBerry smartphones, hence a dedicated app is not a neccessity.

Either ways, this spells trouble for the future of BlackBerry smartphones, who we learn are going through a rough patch, as reportedly they're witnessing their users shifting their loyalties to a fast-growing Android or the iPhone.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/blackberry/google-pulls-gmail-app-off-blackberry-smartphones/256542


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Mobile search to contribute 22 percent of total online search advertising in 2012?

07:43 Abdul Waheed

Over the years, analysts have been predicting the future of mobile search advertisements. A new data from Efficient Frontier and a stock analyst Ben Schachter states that compared to last year, search advertising dollars have increased by 2.7 times, further expected to grow between 16 percent and 22 percent of the total advertising spending by the end of next year.
mobile search adv spending
Mobile search adv spending (Image Credit: Efficient Frontier data, Macquarie)


The new report (based on Efficient Frontier’s clients) highlights that search advertising dollars contributed by mobile search accounts to 6.5 percent, which increased 2.7 times compared to last year. The increasing number of tablets adds to mobile search and accounts to half of the click share on mobile devices. Return of Investment (ROI) for mobile device has increased this year. However, the figure is still less than half of the good ol' desktop search. 

"After years of false predictions, it looks like 2012 really will be the year of mobile," said David Karnstedt, CEO of Efficient Frontier. "We are seeing incredible demand from our client base for mobile search advertising and today's report demonstrates the strides mobile has made led in part by incredible rates in tablet adoption."

The study also puts forth consumer usage patterns for desktop, mobile phones and tablets. All three devices show increased usage in the morning by 8 a.m. However, in the evening, mobile phone usage peaks at 7 p.m. followed by desktop at 8 p.m. and finally tablets at 10 p.m. Obviously, it is due to the work pattern that majority of users follow.

source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/mobile-phones/mobile-search-to-contribute-22-percent-of-total-online-search-advertising-in-2012/256632


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LG launches world’s first ‘Drag and Share’ mouse scanner

07:39 Abdul Waheed

LG Electronics has announced the launch of the LSM-100 mouse, which comes with a built-in scanner. The concept seems pretty nice, but how do you operate it? Well, LG’s given a brief operating manual and from the looks of it, it appears quite convenient. While holding the Smart Scan button on the left side of the mouse, the user swipes the mouse over the material to be scanned. The scanned image can then be saved in a variety of file types – PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PDF, XLS and DOC – or can be dragged and dropped into the desired application. Users can also perform OCR (optical character recognition) editing of scanned files, as well as send them as e-mails.
Scanning on the go
Scanning on the go


The LSM-100 is equipped with LG's Optical Character Recognition technology, which converts scanned text into a Microsoft Word document that can then be edited and manipulated as the user sees fit. Other features include better resolution, lighting, scanning size, text recognition and conversion, better text read and conversion rate and free size scan uninfluenced by lighting. Free size scanning, though, has a limitation, and documents only up to A3 sizes can be scanned.
World's first Mouse cum Scanner
Add caption
World's first Mouse cum Scanner


According to LG, The LSM-100 mouse scanner is the world’s first mouse with an embedded scanner function and it’s available at all leading stores in the Indian market at a price of Rs. 3,500.

source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/mice/lg-launches-worlds-first-drag-and-share-mouse-scanner/256642


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Blind with Camera: A Change of Perspective

07:36 Abdul Waheed



source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/software/download-opera-1160-beta-now/256672

After the early Firefox 8 arrival a couple of days back, Opera rushed to announce the latest build of Opera 11.60 Beta that is now ready for download. New features in the browser include an all new mail design, faster browsing with reduced memory usage, new browser engine with HTML5 parser, revamped address bar and the ability to quickly save your favourite pages with a single click.
Go get it now
Go get it now


The introduction of Ragnarök, their implementation of the new HTML5 parsing algorithm, incorporates HTML5’s rule on how to handle errors in web pages. This allows developers to spend their time developing the site, rather than dealing with compatibility issues with different browsers. The new build also adds CSS3 radial gradients giving front-end designers more flexibility. It also supports ECMAScript 5.1, which is the newest version of JavaScript standard. Opera 11.60 will also be the first browser to support HTML5 microdata, which is the basis for markup patterns that popular search engines use to get a better result.

You can download the latest version of the browser, here. Remember, that this will overwrite any current installation of Opera you may have. Let us know what your thoughts are on this and how is it better (or worse) compared to Firefox 8.


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