Category: Mobile

Categories
Android Mobile

Hands on review and Unboxing of Micromax Canvas 2

Android has paved the way for many companies to jump into the mobile and tablet manufacturing business. Among them few have carved a niche for themselves like Micromax. Recently Micromax has come up with many attractive phones and tablets.  But with introduction of Canvas series of phablet (Essentially Canvas can be termed as a combination of Phone and Tablet) it has ascended greater heights. Micromax Canvas 2 A110 also known as the Superfone is the cheapest Phablet currently available in the market with an impressive specs. I bought it couple of days ago and here is my hands on review of the same.

Unboxing

The Canvas 2 A110 package is very small and one will not believe that such a big phone is resting inside it. So it rightly said that “every beautiful gifts come in smaller packages”. As soon as you open the cover you will find the beautiful monster laying flat on it. You pull it out and hold it on your hand and you will have that macho feeling. The package also contains data cable cum power cord, power plug, the battery, 3.5mm earphone and instruction booklets. Here is the unboxing video:

Build and Design

When I saw A110 , just one word came out-wow!!. Initial look of the device is very impressive. It looks identical to Samsung Galaxy S III and size is almost the same as of Note II. The device is available in two colors, white and black. The build is much nicer and also heavier than the other micromax devices. The device features a 5 inch capacitive touch screen which gives a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. The screen guard that came on the device was of very inferior quality and came out once I put the phone in picket and took it out. I had to change it the next morning with a new screen guard. There are three touch sensitive hardware keys at the bottom of the screen and used for Option, Home & Back. on the right hand side power and lock button is present, the left hand side has the volume keys, the top side contains one microUSB port and 3.5 mm audio jack. On the back side a 8 MP camera, a dual LED flash and on the front side 0.3 MP front camera is placed . The rear of the Micromax Canvas 2 has a textured finish giving it a very good grip. Though the rear panel is plastic it has a premium feel.

Rating: 4.0/5

Multimedia

Multimedia features are not upto the mark. Because of the bigger screen size watching video in this device is a bliss but if you are looking for super sharp pictures you will be little disappointed. The built-in video player does not support all the formats, so you must download MX player to enjoy all video formats. FM radio is another facility which stands as an alternate style of multimedia. Sound has to be little good but nice. If you want a better multimedia experience, just replace the earphone that came bundled with it with a better one. However if you like reading novels and reports on your smartphone, you will in ,love with this device. As reading on this device is very smooth because of the large screen size and does not generate any stress even after reading continiously for 30-40 minutes.

Rating: 3.5/5

Camera

This comes with a 8MP primary camera with dual flash light. But low-light or night photography is a disappointment. The low light photos are of lower quality as compared to that on a 5MP camera with only single flash light. But outdoor photography is just superb. This also has a 0.3 MP front facing camera primarily used for video calling. Video Recording quality of the primary camera is also not upto the mark. Overall the camera is a little disappointment. Look at the bottom of the post for few shots taken at different lighting condition.

Rating: 3.0/5

Battery 

I loved the battery supplied with Micromax Canvas 2 A110. It has a lithiumm ion battery of 2000 mAh that provides longer uptime for the device. I  noticed that with maximum brightness of the screen, the battery was draining pretty fast. So if you reduce gthe brightness to atleast 50%, you can get a good battery life.

Rating: 4.0/5

Hardware and OS

Canvas 2 is powered by a 1GHz dual core processor and running on Ice Cream Sandwich 4.04. It is having 2 SIM slots which is an advantage, as there are only a few smartphone with dual SIM capability. It comes with 2GB ROM and 2GB built-in storage which is expandable upto 32GB via microSD. Micromax could have done a better justice to this device by putting 1GB RAM instead of  512MB. That would have found lot more takers for the phone. However the 512MB RAM seems to be quite good while operating this device and there is no lag in game play or while using lot of applications. While checking the available RAM I saw a very peculiar thing. In Google Nexus S with same 512MB RAM I got different result, the screen shot from both are attached. It clearly indicates that the available RAM to OS in Micromax Canvas 2 is more as compared to Nexus S.

Rating: 4.5/5

Connectivity

Micromax Canvas 2 A110 Superfone offers loads of data connectivity features including the bluetooth 3.0 facility that ensures that the user can transfer and receive data from other device. The USB 2.0 port helps the user to connect the device with their computers or laptops and charge the device through it or even exchange data with it via USB cable. GPS is working fast , where you can create Wi-Fi network by the device.

Rating: 4/5

Applications

Micromax Canvas 2 A110 Superfone comes with many preloaded apps like the Facebook and Twitter applications along with HookUp, M! Zone, M! Store & M! Buddy. M! Store is a content delivery platform like Google Play store. So apart from Play store you have another options to download apps. The user can also download more games and apps from the play store.

Specification of Canvas 2

Canvas 2 as described above comes with an impressive specification.

OS: Android ICS 4.04
Chipset: MediaTek MT6577
CPU: Dual-core 1 GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX531
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity
SIM slot: Dual SIM slot
Camera: 8 MP Primary, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash
:0.3 MP secondary
Battery: Li-ion 2000mAh
Memory: 512MB RAM
2GB ROM
2GB built-in storage, exapndable upto 32GB
Display: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Resolution: 480 x 854 pixels

Final Verdict

Overall Rating: 4/5

This phone is available in India at an MRP of INR 10,299 (You might get better deal in some online stores too). So at the 10K range this phone is a real value for money. But if you will try to compare it with Galaxy SIII or Note II, yu will be disappointed.  In-fact both caters to the different segment of buyer and should not be compared. However if it is compared to any other smart phone at this price range, it will surely be a winner. Micromax A110 is fail to gain extra points. It has has a smaller screen with the latter featuring a 5.5 inch screen as compared to the former’s 5 inch. If you want a bigger screen phone or a phablet and you are on a tight budget just go for it and you will love every penny spent.

Gallery


Categories
Android Mobile

Review of Huawei Honor 2

In this never ending Smartphone market, Chinese phone maker Huawei has unveiled its high end Android handset, “Huawei Honor 2”. This smartphone is going to hit the retail stores pretty soon. Here, we will give you a brief-up of the features of this Chinese gizmo which is a low cost alternative to other expensive android phones. Pre-orders for this phone started off in China. Mobile Phone Prices vary usually from city to city within the country and this smart phone is available in all the metros across India.

Huawei Honor 2 Salient Features

> Huawei Honor 2 is a 4.5 inches phone with IPS-LCD capacitive multi-touch screen, with Touch-sensitive controls, along with the resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels (16M colours & pixel density of 326 ppi ).
> While talking about physical dimensions, this phone has 134mm of height with 67.5mm of width and barely 10.5 mm thick.
> Honor 2 weighs barely 145 gms, making it one of the lightest phone hybrids in the Android market.
> This smartphone is powered by company’s in-house K3V2 – 1.4 GHz quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM.
> Honor 2 boasts off 8 megapixel touch to focus (autofocus) rear side camera (with the resolution of 3264×2448 pixels), complemented by other features such as HD Video recording, audio/video playback, Geo-tagging and face detection.
> Those who are expecting, this smartphone to be installment with Android till date, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean OS), will be little
disappointed, as this device feature only the Android 4.0 i.e. Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System.

Huawei Honor 2 Technical Specifications

> Mobile Networks:2G and 3G
> Micro SIM Card: Yes
> Physical size details: 134mm(H) x 67.5mm(W) x 10.5mm(TH)
> Weight: 145 grams
> Screen: 4.5” IPS-LCD capacitive multi- touch screen, touch-sensitive controls
> Resolution: 720 x 1280 px (pixel density:326 ppi)
> Rear camera: 8 megapixels, touch-to-focus function (autofocus)
> Videography: HD video rec. with 1080p at 30 frames per second
> LED Flash, face detection. Also includes Geo-tagging and HDR.
> Front Camera: 1.3 megapixel
> Front Camera VideoGraphy: HD video rec. with 720p at 30 frames per second
> Processor: 1.4 GHz, (Quad-core)
> Chipset: Huawei K3V2
> RAM: 2GB
> Internal Memory: 8GB MicroSD Card (expandable upto 32 GB)
> Speed: 21 Mbps on HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps on HSUPA
> Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP
> Wi-Fi specific features: Wi-Fi hotspot
> Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack
> Mobile OS: Android version 4.0 [Ice Cream Sandwich]
> Mobile Internet: HTML5 mobile browser
> Voice quality: Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
> A/V: Supports all major audio/video formats
> Voice controls: Voice memo commands
> Battery: Li-Ion[2230 mAh], (Stand-by) Up to 541 hours, (Talk time) Up to 13 hours
> Radio/FM: Comes with stereo FM radio
> Navigation: GPS/A-GPS(supports GLONASS), Digital compass
> Sensors: Proximity, accelerometer, gyro sensors
> Colour option: Black, White
> Other features: Multi-touch input, SNS integration

Huawei Honor 2 Final Review

This smartphone has a sleek & smart design drenched in black color (also available in white). It has a rock-like screen bracketed in plastic made case. With its such extraordinary features at a low budget, it is a highly opinionated smartphone amongst the latest Android devices. General availability of Honor 2 is not yet announced, but China might start pre-order soon. The expected price is approximately 1888 Yuan or close to US$300. The expected price in India is approximately INR 17,000-20,000.

Categories
Apple Gadgets Tablet PC

How to setup your new iPad mini

The new iPad Mini from Apple, awaited for several months has been launched; and is one of the most sought after tablets, considering the craze associated to any other Apple devices.  Pitted against the smaller-sized tablets from Samsung and HTC; iPad Mini, fast followed the revolutionary new iPad  and has breakthrough features like Siri, Notification Center, iMessage  and iCloud to name a few. Know everything about setting up and securing your new iPad and iPad Mini here.

Apple Inc. no wonder has the Midas touch to create or transform everything into innovations that change the way technology is perceived. From the early Mac to the revolutionary iPhone and then the iPad to the competitively rejuvenated iPad Mini, Apple has always managed to retain its ‘Think Different’ motto.

At a time when Apple managed to break-free of it number module following iPad 2 with the ‘new’ iPad, it was evident that Apple already had larger plans up its sleeves and that has recently been given shape with iPad Mini. While, perhaps for the first time with the launch of iPad Mini, Apple seems to have tried to keep pace with its competitors in creating a smaller tab (in the likes of contemporaries like Samsung, HTC, etc.).

So, if you have got yourself a new iPad Mini, you must be wondering as to how to set it up and get started. Well, although there are many similarities to the early versions of the iPad, the introduction of the iCloud is a major transformation and can well be called a game-changer of sorts.

Setting up iCloud

iCloud in real terms has made access to iDevices seamless. As, with this new technology, you are no longer required to plug your iPhone, iPad or iPad Mini into iTunes/ Mac/or Windows PC for the initial Set up, to upgrade or for Backup. Thanks to iCloud, you can now do all these easily and much faster on your local Wi-Fi network or over-the-air; and most importantly without worrying about forgetting them – as all the routine processes happen automatically.

Setting up Siri

Siri, the Nuance-technology enabled virtual assistant from Apple has craved its place as the most loved and trusted aide that not only listens to whatever you ask you to do; in fact it is a great way to stay in touch, on schedule, and informed.
Siri, which was introduced with the iPhone 4S, has now been integrated to offer its services to the new iPad and iPad Mini, courtesy iOS 6. Siri which was originally offered only in a few chosen languages is now available in more languages, locations, and features.
It is quite easy to setup, configure, secure, and start using Siri instantly; however, there may be a few instances which will require you to enable it. Just as, there may be a few settings that may require configuration so as to make Siri more secure like – in case you choose to bypass your PIN lock and access your contacts and other data, make sure to check out all your options and choose the most suitable and eclectic blend of feasibility and security.

Setting Up Notification Center

Notification Center unquestionably is the lifeline and the most dynamic feature of Apple devices including the iPad and iPad Mini. It is rightly said that setting up Notification Center is integral to functioning of your iDevice since it serves to be the most viable medium to streamline related functions like reminders, alerts, calls, messages, announcements, etc. that inundate your iPad or iPad Mini.
The best thing about Notification Center is that you can badge your icons. This will not only help you know about your pending items; all the more you can have the list of everything right on your Lock screen. So, you can be well-informed and aware of any notifications immediately.

Setting up iMessages

iMessage is one of Apple’s most in-demand proprietary services that works on any device running iOS 5 or higher, and any Mac running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or higher and so also in the new iPad and iPad Mini. iMessage allows you to receive free, SMS and MMS-like messages on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac from any other iMessage user. You can not only send text, photo, and video messages regularly, but contacts, voice memos, and locations as well.

You can set up iMessage by just start using it right away. However, you will require some amount of configuration in a few steps to be done depending upon the device you are using.

Get introduced to your new iPad Mini and feel empowered with the ‘power of small’, since all great things are said to come in small packages.

Categories
Apple Mobile

10 most popular games for your iOS device

An iOS device without games is like a computer without software. With release of iPod touch the demand for music has been suppressed by the demand for Games. Thanks to high quality 3D games in App Store.  There are scores of new games being launched everyday with some big brands battling on the app store. If you consider yourself an avid gamer and you are lucky to posses an iDevice, you can’t ignore the following games from App Store. Get ready to experience the iOS gaming pleasure.

Epic Astro Story

App Store user rating: 4.5
Developer: Kairosoft

The Epic Astro Story is a simulation game from the Japanese mobile games publisher Kairosoft. The game is set in space and the idea is to construct a flourishing colony in an untamed planet by building houses and roads while sending members of the team away to conquer new planets. The battle with cosmic creatures heats up the challenge. A sure buy for the strategy fans!

Beat Sneak Bandit

App Store user rating: 4.5
Develop: Simogo

Coming from the magic hat that has already created two of the most uniquely warm and compelling iOS games, Beat Sneak Bandit is a rhythm-action stealth puzzler. Your goal is to stealthily enter the mansion of Duke Clockface, the wicked clock thief, and give back the world all the timepieces he has stolen. On your way, you must dodge enemy guards and objects. Planning, working out puzzles, and predicting hazards will help you win the game. The smart design and Looney tune visuals are a definite plus.

Beat Hazard Ultra

App Store user rating: 5
Developer: Cold Beam Games

Beat Hazard Ultra is a fast arcade-style, music generated shooter game. The intense visuals and beat detection in the game are outstanding. The soundtrack in the game is based on the user’s iTunes playlist. Each track represents one stage and the arrangement of enemies depends on the song. As the intensity of the music goes up, the foes get faster and furious. If you are aching to get your hands on a pair of virtual sticks and let the bullets fly, Beat hazard Ultra is the game for you.

Pizza vs. Skeletons

App Store user rating: 4.5

Developer: Riverman Media

What can a custom-made giant pizza do? A lot of things, as you will in find out in Pizza vs. Skeletons. The three common elements for making a pizza – rolling, jumping, and pounding the ground are done by tilting your device, tapping the screen and hitting the deck by tapping again. These are also the moves that crush the skeletons and dodge their spears. The game includes a mighty 100 levels. A weird yet ridiculously entertaining game!

Spin Up

App Store user rating: 4.5
Developer: Nenad Katic

Spin Up is creative high score game that brims with brilliant graphics, plot, and music. The game is based on a clever gameplay mechanic where the user has to spin the outside rings of a rapidly deteriorating space elevator to guide their astronaut avatar climb out to safety. Adding to the fluidity and challenge, the elevator is filled with vicious, man-eating office supplies, broken ladders, and hostile machines. Spin Up joins the line of endlessly addictive games.

Bee Leader

App Store user rating: 4.5
Developer: Fightless Limited


Bee Leader is a relatively peaceful game that is simplistic and highly polished. In this game, you take up the role of an over-sized bee responsible for collecting nectar and honey for the hive. You navigate through a circular landscape and search flowers, honey pots, and even honey barrels. Filling the hive with honey will earn you points and move you up to the next level. It is humor combined with simple facts that makes the game interesting and different.

The King of Fighters – i 2012

App Store user rating: 5
Developer: SNK Playmore

The King of Fighters – i 2012, yet another fighting game on the app store, comes with some interesting enhancements over its previous version. The content-rich single player mode offers hours of never-ending gaming experience. New characters join the 2012 team and your player ranking changes depending on the number of victories and losses. With 32 playable characters, gamers can battle against the strongest players across the Wi-Fi network.

Swordigo

App Store user rating: 5
Developer: Touch Foo

Swordigo is an appealing side-scrolling action-RPG that includes iCloud support as a novel feature. Recalling the basic elements of established console games, Swordigo is set around genuine yet familiar characters and conventions across challenging forest, cave, and dungeon environments. Bad creatures return to cause havoc. The player takes up the sword and sets on a journey to recover powerful weapons to defeat the creatures while slashing eerie bats, crawling spiders, horned monsters, and dangerous forces on the way.

Chaos Rings II

App Store user rating: 5
Developer: Square Enix

Chaos Rings II can easily be called one of the best JRPGs available on iOS. An apocalyptic force that is threatening the world into doom pushes Darwin into the role of a nominator. Darwin’s job is to complete the Rite of Resealing task to seal away the destroyer and save the world. With an expanded battle system and amazing environment, the game is robust enough to justify its slightly high price tag.

Kitten Sanctuary

App Store user rating: 5
Developer: Clockwork Pixels

With Kitten Sanctuary, Clockwork Pixels seem to have taken a slightly new route differing from the conventional bare bone approach that most iOS puzzlers are based on. The plot of the game revolves around rescuing 50 kittens kidnapped by aliens. Progressing through a series of levels, you must play the match three game to accomplish the rescue task. The items that you will match are resources that you will collect. The well-crafted layout and attention to detail makes Kitten Sanctuary an interesting play.

Sindhuja Sandeep is a blogger who writes on mobile phone, computers and other technical stuff. Also she is keen in updating about latest technology. At present she blogs for convergence catalyst, a Telecom consulting firm offering Indian telecom market forecast & operational strategies across entire Telecom value chain

Categories
Apple Mobile

Why You Should Not Buy the iPhone 5

The release of iPhone 5 has got a mixed review from industry stalwarts and gizmo geeks. If you think it is time to pick up the new phone to replace your old iPhone 4S, which is not really old by any means. I mean, you just got your phone 6 months ago, but when Apple said they will be unveiling a new model, you are about ready to trade in your current one.
The question, though, is “why?” Is the iPhone 5 actually so much better than the 4S that it is worth changing after just a few months? Why don’t you wait it out and see if you really need to make a change? Maybe keeping your current one will not be a terrible choice.
In fact, here are the top reasons why you should not buy an iPhone 5, or at least not yet.

You don’t need the iPhone 5 to get the iOS6

What made you excited about the new iPhone are the new OS improvements. There are the new Maps that provide great 3D renders, the improved Siri, and the Passbook ticket and gift card system. Newsflash, though: you can get those improvements (not all, of course) with an OS upgrade that will be available come September 19. So try out the iOS 6 on your iPhone 4S first before leaping for the iPhone 5 just for a new OS.

You might want to check if there are glitches that you have to worry about

Remember when you had the iPhone 4 and you lose signal whenever you hold the phone a certain way? Yeah, that was a big deal back then and even resulted in a class action lawsuit. It ended with the issuance of the bumper case to solve the problem. Not saying that the iPhone 5 will have the same issues, but won’t it be more convenient to find these things out before your purchase. So wait it out and see if there will be reports of glitches that can be deal breakers.

You don’t really want to be stuck in another 2-year contract

According to CNET, the iPhone 5 will not be exclusive to Verizon, AT&T and Sprint and there will be a prepaid version available via Cricket by September 28.  It probably won’t be long until it is also available through Virgin Mobile. It might cost you more for the phone but at least you are not tied down by a cumbersome contract.

The bigger screen can be trouble for some apps

For the first time, the screen of the iPhone will be bigger at 4 inches. But there is a reason why Apple was apprehensive in using bigger screens in the first place. Some apps were designed for the 3.5-inch screen specifically. So make sure that your important apps like Box, RingCentral, Evernote, or even your favorite games are functioning properly on the iPhone 5

You would need new accessories

With the changes in its dock connector, you would also need to upgrade your other external accessories. Apple is likely to release new adapter that will connect the old and new connector but that will still cost money. Not to mention that the new phone size will mean your old cases will not fit as well.

There are other choices out there

Frankly, a lot of what the iPhone 5 is bragging about already exists with other brands’ flagship phones. Bigger screen? The S3 and the One X has bigger. Fast wireless?  Dual Band wireless is actually pretty average nowadays. Great Camera? The One X can make an argument that it is better. Point is, the iPhone 5 may be slightly better than the 4S but it is not necessarily better than other brands like, say, Samsung S3 and HTC OneX.

The image below will give you a detailed spec wise comparison of iPhone 5 with 3 of the most up-to-date smart phones viz Samsung Galaxy S3, Droid Razr HD and Nokia Lumia 920.

As you have ample of choice with you with better features and capability, now it’s upto you to decide what you would wish to buy.

Categories
Android Gadgets Tablet PC

Unboxing and Review of BSNL T-Pad IS703C Tablet

It seems the Tablet market in India is growing pretty rapidly and this growth is being supplemented by introduction of low cost tablets with open Source Android as the platform of choice. HCL, Micromax and Pantel technologies are leading the bandwagon to release the quite affordable low cost tablets in India. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has collaborated with Pantel technologies to release affordable tablet by the brand name T-Pad. Recently we got an opportunity to try our hands on BSNL T-Pad IS703C tablet and we got a mixed review of the tablet for our readers.

T-Pad IS703C was launched on 29-05-2012. With a price tag of INR 6999, we cannot say T-Pad IS703C as a low cost tablet when there are tablets available for INR 3000. But it will come in the mid or lower midrange tablet category. To offer users a low cost gadgets, company has definitely compromised in few features such as display, battery life, camera, body etc.

Body

At the very first look, it grabs an ascent look but when we look at the rear the blacky shiny plastic body may disappoint few users as the material used for the body is below standard. The form factor is also not quite impressive as compared to other high end tablets like Galaxy Tab or iPad. When I hold the T-Pad for 15-20 minutes, I started feeling pain in my hand. So this might play hindrance to be used for a longer period.

Buttons and Ports

The T-Pad IS703C does not have a physical button on the body, so everything needs to be controlled by touchscreen. As I have been a long time Google Nexus owner, I am pretty used to the physical button, so I found it little awkward at the beginning to work with this tablet.

This has got a lot of physical ports like card reader, HDMI for high definition video output, 3.5mm audio jack, DC adaptor port, USB port to connect a 3G USB dongle or a USB storage device. These ports ar all placed comfortable on one side of the tablet.

It has great support for USB thumb drives and it detected our 4GB Transcend pen drive in no time. We could read and write data to our pen drive without any issue.

Touch Screen/Camera/Speaker/Display

T-Pad IS703C comes with 2 point capacitive multitouch. The sensitivity of the touch screen is not so good when we look at the response time. There seems to be little lag when you touch and when the device senses it and specific command is performed. This might be issue with touch screen or may be due to processing.

It has got only a 0.3 Mega Pixel front facing camera to facilitate video chat.

The built-in speaker provides quite loud sound but the sound quality is not clear when it is output through the speaker. Where in the sound is quite good when heard through a good ear/head phone. We listened the same MP3 song through built-in speaker and ear phone and the difference was clearly noticeable.

Internet Connectivity

This tablet offers Internet connectivity through wi-fi and 3G. But as it does not have a SIM card slot, only 3G USB dongles can be used for 3G Internet access. But wait..it supports only a few 3G dongles. So if you are thinking that you can use any 3G USB dongles then you may be disappointed as we did when we tried to use our Micromax MMX352G. So Micromax 3G dongles are not supported. Below are a list of supported 3G dongles for T-Pad:

Huawei E171

Huawei E173

Huawei E169G

Idea GSM HUAWEI E1732

AIRTEL HUAWEI E1731 (E173Bu-1)

Reliance GSM ZTE MF190

TATA Photon+ EC156

Connectivity through Wi-Fi is pretty good and we could watch youtube videos without buffering at a very nominal Internet speed via wi-fi.

Accessories

T-pad IS703C comes with a wall charger, an earphone and a data cable with micro USB at one end and normal USB at the other end.

Specification of T-Pad IS703C

Processor: Cortex A8 1 GHz

Memory(RAM): 1GB DDR3

Internal Storage: 8GB

External Storage(Memory Card): T-Flash upto 32 GB

Camera: 0.3 Mega Pixel VGA

Operating System:  Android 4.03 ICS

Display: 7” Capacitive Multi touch with 800X480 pixel

HDMI: Supported with video output upto 1080P

G-sensor: G-sensor 3 planes

Conclusion

Some good things about T-Pad 703C are, it supports flash. Internet surfing is a good experience in this device and the speed is quite impressive. It has a good battery backup but takes a little time to charge fully (approx  4hrs). Let us tell about few negative things about this device, first of all absense of sim slot is a disadvantage as user will need to buy a supported dongle.It lacks presence of. It does not support have a GPS or AGPS chip so location will be a spoiler.

Though T-Pad 703C has got some impressive specifications like a 1GHz processor and 1GB RAM, it does not seem to work so fast. This can be a good buy for entry level users and students but for veterans this will be a disappointment. This being a BSNL co-branded tablet should come with some free goodies from BSNL like a supported 3G dongle. As Micromax dongles are advertised as BSNL device and that dongle not being supported in T-Pad will make people confused and disappoint. This device can be a good competitor to Akash as well as Micromax Fun book.

Categories
Apple Mobile

Expected Specs for the iPhone 5

Fans of Apple and technology enthusiasts alike are waiting with bated breath to see what the new iPhone 5 may have in store. There is much debate as to what the specs on the new iPhone will be, with some rumours seeming more plausible than others, but more and more it seems like the new iPhone is the popular showcase for all of the latest consumer technologies.

Release date for the new iPhone 5 is hotly debated with many believing it would have been June 2012. With this date having been and gone we may be left until October (the other popular theory) before we see the new version.

In all likelihood, the phone will have a quad core ‘A6’ processor, but as for all other rumours such as 4G capabilities and the like, we can only speculate. Despite this it’s in the rumours where people’s imaginations start running wild and the inevitable ‘new product’ publicity machine goes into overdrive. The anticipation feeds the advertising campaigns, and many technology devotees are whipped into a near frenzy by the potential on offer from one of the best new mobile phones to be.

This fever isn’t unwarranted, as we’ve seen Apple’s capabilities to deliver intuitive technologies time and time again. A glimpse of the new iPhone is a genuine glimpse into the future, and the technology being bandied about for the new iPhone seems to take on a more organic quality; with a possible feature being a tactile touchscreen. To make a touchscreen have definite and added responsiveness will be a leap for all technology; literally adding another dimension to the digital world.

Liquid metal glass and electronic payment possibilities all serve to add to the clamour for the phone to be released. The Samsung Galaxy S3 went some way to matching iPhone’s lofty standards so at this moment we just have to believe the rumors being surfaced and  we’ll have to wait and see how the Apple responds.

Categories
Apple Mobile

Use your iPhone to get car insurance

How do you usually buy car insurance? On the phone? On car insurance comparison sites like Moneysupermarket?

Well, now the UK’s leading price comparison site has made it even easier to get cheap cover, especially if you own an iPhone.

The Moneysupermarket car insurance app is the first car insurance comparison app to be launched in the UK. Although it has initially been released for iPhone users only, it’s expected to be made available for Android phones over the next few months.

The free app could help cash-strapped motorists make average car insurance savings of £375 and is remarkably easy to use. Insert all your relevant details and then trawl through the vast array of quotes generated in just a few seconds. Make use of the ‘click to call’ function if you want to talk to a particular insurer and do it over for the phone. Alternatively, though, complete the transaction there and then without needing to go through all the hassle of having to talk to anybody.

Julie Fisher, from Moneysupermarket, commented: “The cost of running a car has been increasing markedly over the last few years, with petrol prices on the up and car insurance a yearly necessity for all drivers.

“People are naturally keen to take action, and shop around to switch to the best possible car insurance deal.

“The launch of the Moneysupermarket car insurance app has made it even easier for people to find the right car cover for the best possible price – allowing people to compare a huge range of quotes quickly and easily – anytime, anywhere. It’s another example of how Moneysupermarket is helping people to make the most of their money.”

Categories
Android Mobile

Hands on review of Google Nexus S

Whole of last week I was in a dilemma to choose the best Android phone for me. I zeroed in on HTC Desire S, Samsung Galaxy S and Google (Samsung) Nexus S. These 3 phones were short-listed as they were perfectly fitting in my budget and had all the features I wanted. So the final visit to my regular shop in MG Road, Bangalore let me go for Google Nexus S. And today I am quite happy about making the best choice to own the Nexus S phone. When I paid the money (that’s when I actually owned the phone 🙂 ) and got my hands first time on Google Nexus S, the experience was amazing. I am constantly glued to it after that and have examined it quite closely. I came across very good results offered by Nexus S. Here are some of the features of this incredible Smartphone.

Google Nexus S

Design

When I first unpacked Nexus S, first I noted its similitude with that of Galaxy S. However, little detailed look introduced me with the slightest curve that Smartphone features, which is believed to be optimized for better grip. Though device is as light as 4.5 ounce, I felt it solid and comfortable to handle but my fingers left their marks on back.

Google-Nexus-S-Side-View

Scrutinizing it introduced me with power button on right side and volume controller on left side. It doesn’t feature camera launch key. Headphone jack and microUSB are present at the bottom, which I believe is a work of design creativity.

Google-Nexus-S-Display

4” Super AMOLED display has 4 touch buttons located at the bottom viz back, menu, search and home when looked from left to right. Display offers quite brilliant experience that hardly let users go for those keys and same happened with me! Device is loaded with two cameras- 5 megapixels with LED flash located at the back and VGA camera right beside ear piece for video calling.

Features Offered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Being a pure Google phone, Nexus S is the first device to introduce Android 2.3 Gingerbread. And it has the purest form of Gingerbread if you ever wish to experience it.  Others like HTC and Samsung use modified ROMs with their own interface. I was totally excited to check out features offered by this new OS and believe me; it was not at all disappointing. Gingerbread has some tiny features that are quite interesting. For example, it suggests end of list in particular menu by glowing orange colored bar. Also, connectivity indicator turned green only when I synchronized my Google Account with it.

I don’t have enough words to describe incredible interface of Android 2.3. Black notification bars consume less power and also provide regal look to gadget. I just had to keep menu key pressed to check out which applications were still running and eating valuable battery life. For sake of some detailed knowledge, I used battery tool to find out which apps are eating up more energy and turned them off!

Android_2.3

Customizable home screens, and that too 5 of them, is what fascinated me most. All 5 home screens can be familiarized with numerous widgets as per your taste. One of them on mine features many exciting games from Android Market.

Most attractive update of Android Gingerbread is sophisticated keyboard. Wider space and multi touch approach helped me type faster than that of other high-end Smartphones in market. I hardly turned device in landscape mode; so you can understand how spacious it was! Typing special characters and numbers is not at all cumbersome as tasks can be easily done by pressing respective key a little longer.

gingerbread-keyboard

Web Browsing, Hot Spot and Apps

Being fond of sports, first I opened ESPN official website to check out updates and it took around 9 seconds for site to load fully, which is same as that of many Android devices in market. Though device can be used as Wi-Fi hot spot, I didn’t find any dedicated app for it. Sadly, I had to go into wireless settings each time I tried to use it Wi-Fi hot spot.

When it comes to apps, device is undoubtedly the king. I was delighted to see Google Apps, which includes Maps, Google Earth and much more, were preloaded in the gadget. Nexus S also automatically install apps that you download.

Camera and Multimedia

What made me feel depressing is that 5 megapixels camera of Nexus S couldn’t record 720p videos. It can be considered as severe drawback of the device. While taking still pictures, camera worked really well both outdoor and indoor but when I used flash, it took considerable time to process image and save it on memory. Front facing VGA camera is meant for services like Skype or Google Talk but it lacks clarity.

samsung-nexus-s-camera

Music experience offered by Nexus S was quite brilliant. Though there is no software like iTunes in case of Android, listening to the songs from Amazon or Pandora was quite delighting experience. Super AMOLED display did its task while playing videos where colors looked more vivid.

Technical Specifications of Google Nexus S

  • Processor: 1 GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Processor
  • Operating System: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
  • Internal Memory: 16 GB
  • Camera: Primary 5 megapixels with LED flash, secondary VGA front facing camera
  • Display: 4” Super AMOLED display (480 x 800)
  • Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
  • Ports: 3.5 mm Audio jack and microUSB
  • Dimensions: 2.4 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
  • Weight: 4.5 Ounce

Google-Nexus-S_final

Verdict

If you are going to buy gadget that looks trendy, user friendly interface, long battery life and experience the power of Android Gingerbread in it’s truest form, go for Google Nexus S. You will always praise yourself for making a wise decision.

Categories
Android Mobile

Top 10 most popular and useful Android Applications

Today Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in market. According to the survey, over 50% Smartphones in market feature Android as their operating system. Thousands of developers across the globe have been fascinated by this Linux Kernel-based mobile OS, which has ultimately resulted into richness of Android Application Market. Let us take a look at 10 of the most popular and useful Android applications.

1.  Layar

Imagine a situation where you are roaming in completely unknown city but curious to know about inch about the city. Layar is best application for you in such conditions. This application provides 3D view of the surrounding through your phone while providing vital information like Wikipedia information or tweets related certain things and much more. With increasing power of processors and camera, the application is set to hit the summit of popularity in near future.

layar for android

2. Google Maps

Human beings love to travel and Google has decided to help you in situations where you crave for tourist guides. With android version of Google Maps installed one can easily track down route to destination. This app supports voice recognition GPS that makes things even easier. It also tells latitudes and locations of your friends eliminating fear of losing them while exploring dense forests.

Google Maps

3. SwiftKey

Everyone is not comfortable with typing on touchscreen Smartphones. But no more, thanks to SwiftKey. A revolutionary version of Android on-screen keyboard; SwiftKey adds smartness to your device. This app is loaded with loads of features that also include text prediction facility. It not only predicts current word one is typing but also guesses next one. Scrutinizing your writing style, app predicts words more accurately as time passes.

Swiftkey

4. Smart Battery Monitor

Though Android comes with in-built battery indicator, the facility fails to show in-detail report of battery life. Smart Battery Monitor is very important application for such scenario. The app shows details like Battery level, its status, battery type and technology and most importantly battery temperature. All the data is represented in percentage format.

Smart Battery Monitor

5.     K-9 Mail

If you find Android Email client boring, as most of do, you might want to check out this fully customizable app; k-9 mail. This app provides you all the functionality as that is provided by Android email client. In addition, it allows full customization including changes in appearance of the browser. One can also change gesture and view options as per own taste.

K9-mail

6. SlideScreen

One uses Smartphone more for checking out emails, status updates, tweets and likes rather than editing files. SlideScreen is an application that creates several rows on your home screen, which provide you with recent updates on the websites you choose. Scrolling up and down through stack of rows reveals more updates and sliding particular message row to right marks that update “as read” preventing it from appearing again on your screen.

SlideScreen

7. Yoo Ninja Plus

Yoo Ninja Plus is one of the best time-killers available in Android Market. You have to perform very simple task of taking player to the next level dodging darts and jumping over the holes.    This gravity based game comes with a story mode making things more interesting and fun!

Yoo Ninja Plus

8. Nimbuzz

This all-in-one chat client was expected to make to the list of top 10 android applications. Considered as only cross platform chat client loaded with enormous features is must have app for chat loving Android users. Nimbuzz supports services like GTalk, Facebook, Skype and much more.

nimbuzz

9. Evernote

Evernote application is useful for all the students using Android. This app works excellent as reminder tool allowing you to store images, recorded voices and notes. One can apply different sorting criteria like date to arrange notes accordingly. Sharing feature makes this application even more useful as one can share his/her important notes with fellow classmates. Users are provided with storage of 500 MB and that’s too ads free!

evernote

10. Hi-Q MP3 Recorder

Hi-Q MP3 Recorder has turned out to be very useful for teachers. It allows user to record audio for ten minutes. Quality of recorded version is much better than default recorder offered by Android. Gain settings allow user to change intensity of the sound while recording.

Hi-Q MP3 Recorder

It ends us with the list of Top 10 Android applications. Apart from these 10, there are many other applications in Android market that one can find useful and possessing similarity to his/her taste. So what is your list of Top 10?