Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 Review

The ThinkPad line of laptops from Lenovo has been setting the pace for rugged notebooks right since their inception, and recently, the company has widened the series into a number of sub categories with the T, Edge, X, SL, L, W notebooks and the X series tablets. The new Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 is more moderately priced than the other ones in the series. Let’s have a look to see if it’s worth your money.

Brilliant design

Design and Build Quality
The Edge E420 comes in an all-black casing with a silver rim along the sides of the 14-inch screen. The customary ThinkPad logo is etched diagonally on the lid. It has a matte design and hence doesn’t attract dust or fingerprints. The insides are completely black as well and the only hint of colour you’ll find on the notebook is the red trackpoint. The design is quite sophisticated, with a strikingly clean look.

On Video: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420

However, the build quality was definitely a notch lower than what we expected. The build of the screen is quite poor and a slight press from the outside will show you the fragility of the chassis. The area above the DVD writer isn’t reinforced too well either. The hinges are quite sturdy, though, and there’s absolutely no vibration or wobbling. Still, it feels like the Edge E420 live up to the high quality standards that ThinkPads have always set. 

Power off USB charging port on the right

Connectivity options include a VGA port, three USB ports, an eSATA cum USB port, an HDMI port and a headphone jack. There’s also the SD card reader, Express Card slot, Ethernet port and DVD writer. The USB port on the right supports charging of external peripherals even if the laptop is switched off. The notebook weighs 2 kg and it does feel quite light whilst carrying.

Keyboard has been modified

The spill-proof keyboard has been heavily modified and only the most essential keys have been included. The windows key to the right side of the space bar has been eliminated and is replaced with the print screen key. The function and control keys have been interchanged as well. The F1-F12 keys can be executed only whilst pressing the Fn key and more important keys like the volume, camera, microphone, play/pause, Wi-Fi, and brightness have replaced them by default. The keyboard is arranged in an extremely neat manner and it gets full marks for functionality.

The design is classic, but as far as build is concerned; the E420 doesn’t live up to the standards that the ThinkPad series has been setting for a long time.

The 14-incher E420

Features
The Edge E420 comes with Intel’s Core i3 processor, which runs at a clock speed of 2.10 GHz, and has 2 GB of RAM along with a 320 GB HDD. The graphics card is an integrated one - Intel’s HD Graphics 3000, which isn’t surprising as ThinkPads have been more performance-focussed than graphics-oriented.  

source:  http://tech2.in.com/reviews/notebooks/lenovo-thinkpad-edge-e420-review/253922

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Posted in Lenovo E420 Price , Lenovo E420 Price in India , Lenovo E420 Spec , Lenovo E420 Specifications , Lenovo Edge , Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 , Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 Review

Dell Streak 5 gets DISA certification

Many may have envied the Android-based, Nexus S, when it began its space shuttle journey in July and now there’s yet another feather in Android’s cap. Precisely, we are talking about the Dell Streak 5, which gets a nod from the U.S. defense military. The Android enabled Dell Streak 5 (out of commercial sale) has now earned the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) certification, revealed a post on the official Dell Community blog.

Gets military approval

This could possibly allow Dell Android devices to seamlessly find a place in military environments. Using the Android ecosystem, military members can command and control information from their desktops/PCs. On the other hand, it will enable military officials to reap benefits of a mobile and improved operating environment. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is also looking at augmenting the use of mobile devices for greater flexibility.

Dell teams up with Good Technologies to allow secure access to documents, emails and so on. The blog said, “Through the Dell Android platform and the mobile device management offered by Good Technologies’ Good for Government system, information can be passed and managed through Microsoft Exchange servers as well as network operations centers wirelessly.”

source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/general/dell-streak-5-gets-disa-certification/253932

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Posted in Dell Streak 5 , dell Streak 5 Review , dell Streak 5 Update , DISA , Military

Angry Birds hits the 500 mln download mark

Mobile gaming firm Rovio said on Wednesday its hit game Angry Birds had reached a record 500 million downloads in less than two years since its launch. "It's more than any game ever before," Rovio's marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka told a conference in Helsinki. Unlike most mobile-game crazes, Angry Birds -- in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal the birds' eggs -- has stayed at the top of the charts since it was launched for Apple's iPhone on Dec 11, 2009. Vesterbacka said the company's next aim was to reach one billion fans globally, on devices including mobile phones and computers.

500 million downloads and counting

The gaming company is expanding the brand across traditional merchandising, to items such as toys and baby products, and is taking the birds to the big screen with film studios. Earlier this year, Rovio raised $42 million from venture capital firms in an investment co-led by Accel Partners, which previously backed Facebook and Baidu, and Skype founder Niklas Zennstroem's venture capital firm Atomico Ventures. Rovio was founded in 2003 after three students including Niklas Hed -- CEO Mikael Hed's cousin and now Rovio's COO -- won a game-development competition sponsored by Nokia Oyj and Hewlett-Packard CO. It changed its name from Relude in 2005.

source: http://tech2.in.com/news/apps/angry-birds-hits-the-500-mln-download-mark/254082

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Posted in Android Apps , Angry Birds , Angry Birds 500 Million Downloads , Angry Birds Franchise , Angry Birds Seasons , Apps , iOS Apps , Mobile Games , Rovio , Rovio Mobile

Apple acknowledges iOS 5 iPhone battery issues, fix coming soonsource:

Many iPhone users have been facing battery issues and have been resorting to forums complaining about the same once they have upgraded to iOS 5. It was believed that this issue was faced only by users who had the iPhone 4S, but it seems this problem is spread across all iPhones running the latest software upgrade. According to a report by AllThingsD, Apple has issued a statement regarding the same.

Battery fix on the way

In the statement to the website, an Apple spokesman has said, “A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices. We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks.” Apple did not state anything else beyond when the fix would be out, but the Cupertino company has done one better and has already released an updated software to developers. This update comes in the form of a beta version of iOS 5.0.1. A report by MacRumours confirms that apart from fixing the bugs that affect the battery performance of the iPhone, there are other improvements as well.

The site notes that multitasking gestures have been added for the original iPad, bugs have been resolved with Documents in the Cloud, improved voice recognition for users in Australia that use dictation and lastly security improvements. The update seeded for developers also fixes the issue with the passcode vulnerability that was faced on an iPad 2 regarding the Smart Cover, a report by 9to5Mac notes.

Apple has addressed these issues rather quickly and now we have to just hope that the update comes out soon. Let us know in the comments below if you have been facing issues with the battery life of your iPhone and what measures you have taken to make it last till the next charging cycle

source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/apple-acknowledges-ios-5-iphone-battery-issues-fix-coming-soon/254172

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Posted in iOS 5.0.1 , iOS 5.0.1 battery fix , iOS 5.0.1 beta , iOS 5.0.1 iPhone 4S , iOS 5.0.1 update , iPhone 4s Battery Comparison , iPhone 4s Battery Life , iPhone 4s Battery Life Compared

Opera Mini 6.5 and Mobile 11.5 launched

The next major release of the Opera browser for mobile devices is out. The Opera Mini 6.5 and Opera Mobile 11.5 browser were released to the public, yesterday. The browser was launched for the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian and Symbian S60 devices. The new browser allows users to keep track of the data consumption and expenses. Opera claims that the new browser will allow users to save up to 90 percent of their data charges. The feature is accessible from under the Help menu, where users can see their temporary data usage and the overall data usage.

More data saving

The interface also allows for easy adding of favorite sites to your bookmarks and Speed Dial list. The key difference between the browsers is that the Turbo compression is always turned on in the Opera Mini browser and users have the option to turn it off in Opera Mobile. The browsers are free for download at http://m.opera.com. In the case of iOS and Android devices, you can find the apps in their respective app market sections.


source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/apps/opera-mini-65-and-mobile-115-launched/254182

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Posted in Opera Mini , Opera Mini 6.5 Browser Free download , Opera Mini 6.5 Free download , Opera Mini 6.5 Mobile , Opera Mini 6.5 Mobile Phones , Opera Mini 6.5 Software , Opera Mini 6.5 Version

Yahoo! unveils tablet apps to get back in the game

Yahoo! which was once a prime company for web users, has been criticized for failing to move away from the computer to the mobile phones and tablets that users are now engaging with. According to Reuters, the web company has released a slew of tablet apps to get back into the game. The company is aiming at attracting third-party publishers and advertisers. The apps unveiled include Livestand which is a multimedia newstand for tablets, which was first revealed at a Yahoo! event in February. According to ZDNet, it accumulates content from various publishers including Yahoo! itself and presents the content in a magazine like format. It is a direct competitor of FlipBoard for the iPad and includes titles like ABC News, Forbes, Bike and more.

Yahoo!'s Livestand app on a tablet

In addition, Yahoo! also released a weather app for Android devices, Yahoo! Weather. The app includes pictures that the web service sources from its picture sharing app, Flickr. The pictures are intended to be a visual for weather conditions in the area searched for, including time of day. So for instance, if you're searching for Mumbai weather at 8 pm, a shot of the lit up Queen's Necklace at night might appear in the background. The app will be available in 35 languages in 63 countries.

Yahoo! also released a newer version of IntoNow, which is a social media application that deals with television on tablets. The app is almost like a Shazam for tablets where it discovers what television program you are watching based on closed captioning and subtitles and will pull up recent and relevant stories about the television show.

source: http://tech2.in.com/news/apps/yahoo-unveils-tablet-apps-to-get-back-in-the-game/254252

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Posted in Apps , IntoNow , Livestand , yahoo , Yahoo Apps , Yahoo Tablet , Yahoo Tablet Apps , Yahoo Weather

Recent study shows Android phone repair cost telcos billions

Fitting older versions of Google's Inc popular Android software to cheaper cellphones could send the repair costs of global telecoms operators up as much as $2 billion, a study by wireless services firm WDS showed. Costly hardware failures are more common on Android devices than on Apple Inc iPhones and Research In Motion Inc BlackBerry phones, which have strict control over the components used in their devices, WDS data showed.

Cheaper Android models, costing as little as $100 to make, have helped Android emerge as the dominant platform in smartphones, attracting dozens of manufacturers ranging from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to no-brand Asian vendors. "While this price point sounds very attractive, when you look at a total cost of ownership its a different story," said Tim Deluca-Smith, Vice President of Marketing at WDS, which offers device management and call centre services to operators.

Proving to be a bit expensive for the telcos

Android's share of the global smartphone market rose to 57 percent in the third quarter from 25 percent a year earlier and just 3 percent two years earlier, boosted by the success of models from Samsung, HTC Corp and Sony Ericsson, according to research firm Canalys. Deluca-Smith said that, while Android has helped take smartphones to masses of people, it has come at a cost, especially when telecommunications operators roll out cheaper devices from less-known brands. "At the moment, Android is a bit of the Wild West," he said. He said returning a device costs an operator on average 80 British pounds in service costs, transport fees or in the costs of replacing of the device. The study covered 600,000 technical support calls taken by WDS across Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia.

source:    http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/recent-study-shows-android-phone-repair-cost-telcos-billions/254152

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Posted in Android Devices , Android hardware , Android OS , Android Platform , Android Repair , Android Smartphones , Google Android , Google Inc

Battlefield 3 Multiplayer tips for beginners

Kick some serious butt on the battlefield with these basic yet highly effective tips.

Battlefield 3 has arrived in all its destructive glory and if this is your first Battlefield game, things can get a bit daunting. Don’t worry though; we got your back with this basic guide we’ve devised to help you on the Battlefield. Time to get your game face on soldier. Hooah! Get Vocal Make sure you have one So let’s rid of the obvious yet basic stuff first which surprisingly a lot of people seem to overlook – Voice communication. In Battlefield 3, voice communication between a squad is instrumental. You use voice communication for everything, be it spotting enemies, requesting health, ammo or a revival. It’s a team game and if you can’t communicate, you’re more of a liability than an asset. You get cheap mics all over the city so you have absolutely no excuse not to own one. Squad Up Squad = Mobile spawn points Now that you’re all set to enter the Battlefield, it’s time you found a nice squad since a squad that plays and communicates well with each other can kick serious butt. Plus, squads act as mobile spawn points for dead players so you can spawn in the middle of the action rather than trekking it all the way from base. However, I suggest you don’t blindly spawn on a team mate, especially if he’s about to die because in all probability you will die as well. Understand the game Choose wisely You’ve probably seen the Caspian Border trailer a million times by now and can’t wait to jump into a 64 man server but if you haven’t played a Battlefield game before, you will die – a lot. To avoid getting frustrated, I suggest picking up some of the smaller modes first, like Team or Squad Deathmatch where you can grasp the game’s mechanics and dabble around with your class as well. Support your team Sharing is caring Battlefield 3 is a game that rewards players for playing as a team even if they can’t shoot to save their lives. If you just can’t seem to catch a break, don’t get disheartened as every class in the game doubles with some sort of a support tactic. Playing as the Assault class? Keep dropping health packs or revive people with your defib. Support class your thing? Suppress enemy targets and lay down ammo for the rest of your team. Even a class like Recon that’s largely relegated to sniper weapons can help out by deploying mobile beacons to spawn on or motion sensors that allow players to pick up enemy movements on their radar. Just make sure you don’t end up being one of those selfish douche bags who’ll be camping in the dirt, going prone 24/7 with hopes of raking up a huge killstreak. Use destruction to your advantage Who needs doors in Battlefield 3 Granted the destruction in this game has been toned down a bit as compared to Bad Company 2 but even so, a rocket to the wall will create a nice door for you ASAP. Similarly, abuse a structure with enough explosives and it will crash down on its unfortunate inhabitants. Just make sure none of your teammates are in there as well. source:  http://tech2.in.com/features/gaming/battlefield-3-multiplayer-tips-for-beginners/253602

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Posted in Battlefield 3 , Battlefield 3 beta release date , Battlefield 3 India , Battlefield 3 release date , Battlefield 3 trailer , BF3 , BF3 beta , BF3 beta release date , BF3 India , DICE , EA

We finally come to the bottom of the list, the sub-10K mobile phones. While these aren’t really power houses, they are feature packed enough to get the

We finally come to the bottom of the list, the sub-10K mobile phones. While these aren’t really power houses, they are feature-packed enough to get the job done. We’ve split this list into two segments - top phones under Rs. 5,000 and top three in the 5K to 10K range. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer. iBall Aasaan – Rs.3,100 (View Stores) Not everyone needs a flashy, pimped out phone with more features than you’ll ever use. Many just want basic telephony, which is where the iBall Aasaan fits the bill perfectly. Ok, so it’s not going to fly well with today’s urban youth, but then it’s not really targeted at them. It’s designed mostly for senior citizens or anyone having difficulty seeing the numbers on small keys. Extremely simple This GSM phone sports extra large keys and the straightforward menu system lends it a very small learning curve, so it’s easy to operate even for a novice. It does have some basic apps like a Calculator, Stopwatch, Reminder and FM Radio with an internal antenna, so you don’t need the headset for it to work. The following are some of the specs of the phone: 1.6-inch TFT monochrome display with a 128 x 64 pixel resolution    FM Radio with internal antenna 3.5mm earphone socket Nokia X2-01 – Rs.3,300 (View stores) This is one of Nokia’s more popular budget handsets. For this price, you get a robust and very functional QWERTY feature phone. The screen is decently large and is easy to read under most lighting conditions. The budget QWERTY handset Coming from their ‘X’ series range, we get a dedicated music key, as well as good audio quality. The built-in player offers EQ presets along with enhancements like Stereo Widening. The comfortable keypad is great for all you text addicts. Here are some of the highlights of the phone: 2.4-inch TFT with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution EDGE/GPRS GPS with A-GPS support Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0 VGA camera, video capture up to QVGA resolution 3.5mm earphone socket Expandable memory up to 16GB Micromax X450 Van Gogh - Rs.3,500 (View Stores) It’s hard to get more value for your money than what Micromax offers with the X450. Called the Van Gogh, the phone comes bundled with a Bluetooth handsfree headset, which snugly clips on to the back of the phone when not needed. How cool is that? Great value for money That’s really smart thinking from Micromax, as there’s no excuse for misplacing your headset now. Apart from this, it also has a good battery life, decent audio quality, a great design and the ability to expand its use through Java apps. Here are some of the highlights of the phone: 2.4-inch TFT with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution EDGE/GPRS Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0 2 megapixel camera, video capture supported 3.5mm earphone socket Expandable memory up to 16GB source:      http://tech2.in.com/features/mobile-phones/top-mobile-phones-under-rs10000/253312

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Posted in Best Phones Under , top 10 Mobile Phones Under 10000 , top 5 Mobile Phones Under 10000 , top Phones In India Under 10000 , Top Phones Under 10000 , top Ten Android Phones Under 10000

Gmail app for iOS here, with bugs

Google has finally released a native iOS app for Gmail. According to the official Gmail blog, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users will now be able to check their Gmail accounts with features like push notifications and sound alerts, search function, autocompletion of email addresses of Gmail contacts, single click picture upload, split view on the iPad for navigating your inbox, as well as reading mail simultaneously and Priority Inbox. Taking advantage of the touch features of the devices, you can pull your inbox down to refresh, swipe left or right to view labels and swiftly scroll through emails by sliding your finger.

Put out and taken away

The Gmail app was available in the iOS App Store however, was taken down because it had a bug that broke down notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app. They're trying to fix the problem and the app should be available again soon.

The app has been released, despite the not-so-friendly relationship between Google and Apple. Currently, iOS users have to use Apple Mail or mobile Gmail to access their Google email accounts. Including a native Gmail app will of course provide Apple's own mail app with some competition. However, for those people who have multiple email accounts and not all of them Gmail-based, going with Apple's native client will still win.

source: http://tech2.in.com/news/ios/gmail-app-for-ios-here-with-bugs/254192

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Posted in Apple , Apple Mail , Gmail iOS , Gmail iOS App , Gmail iPhone App , Gmail iPod Touch App , Gmail. Google , Google email , iOS Apps