UbiSlate 7C: Hands-on

DataWind, the makers of the Aakash tablet, has launched two new tablets – UbiSlate 7+ and UbiSlate 7C. The new DataWind tablets come with similar set of specifications, other than the display quality and internal storage. The Ubislate 7C, also touted as the commercial version of the Aakash II tablet, is priced at Rs. 3,999, while the UbiSlate 7+ comes for Rs. 2,999. We bring you a hands on with the new UbiSlate 7C. Read on.

The ultra low-cost UbiSlate 7C tablets are meant for students. DataWind says its new UbiSlate tablets will help bridge the digital divide in the country. The new UbiSlate 7C and UbiSlate+ tablets comes with a range of educational applications, including soft copies of C.B.S.E text books. DataWind has also partnered with several content providers for providing educational content on the device. The UbiSlate 7 also comes pre-loaded with Wikipedia app. 

For more Details visit: http://tech2.in.com/

Chrome OS gets Google Drive integration

It was only a matter of time before this move was made. Google has now started integrating the Google Drive service into their Chrome OS operating system. A post made on the Google Chrome Releases blog details the changes being made in the last update - version  20.0.1116.0. The update is available for Chromebooks and specifically these models - Acer AC700, Samsung Series 5 and Cr-48s. Google recently launched their Google Drive service, which allows users to store data online. We went hands on with the storage service, check it out here. The service has been rolling out in stages - free account users get 5GB of space while paid upgrades are available with capacities scaling right up to 16TB. The move means that Chrome OS users can simply start saving data onto the Google Drive.

Final release not too far away

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Movie technology we’d love to see for real

With so many sci-fi movies being announced, our thirst for technological progress will never be quenched. From the Batmans, to the Ironmans, to the G. I. Joes, the gadgets they have been using are simply mesmerizing. And this hasn’t just happened. Right since the time when Star Trek and Back to the Future were released, these movies presented an escape route from the real world to us dreamers. Here’s a light read on the movie technology we’d love to see commercialized in real life…

Nike MAG Back to the future shoes

The cult classic from the ‘80s had Marty McFly flaunt a whole new level of cool with his auto fit Nike MAG shoes. The movie was produced by the visionary Steven Spielberg and gave kids and adults alike a chance to dream and peek into the future. Here’s how the shoes worked. When you put your foot in them, the laces would automatically tighten and the shoes would basically fit around your foot. 

Self strappin' shoes!

Coming back to the present, if we could see something like that in our oh-so-busy lives, we’d definitely be the first ones to purchase the shoes. They could have an internal padding that could inflate if you have skinny feet, so that one size fits all. Wear them when it rains, wear them when it’s sunny, wear them in your bed; because if these shoes come true, we’ll all be living the good life again! 

Nike have already got a limited edition Back to the future shoes as part of their ‘It’s about time’ collection but hey, besides the cool lights we also want self lacing, self drying shoes that automatically strap onto our feet! Nothing more. Yes, it’s about time.

ALL OTHER TECHNOLOGY please visit: http://tech2.in.com/

BlackBerry Curve 9220

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The BlackBerry Curve 9220 arrived at Digit’s office about 10 days prior to its launch. As fate would have it, my ownBlackBerry Curve 9360 mysteriously died a day before the Curve 9220 arrived – stuff conspiracy theories are made of. What this means is that the 9220 has actually been my primary phone for the past 10 days, and thus it’s truly been tested in “real-world” usage scenarios. For those wondering what exactly my real world is like: it’s been rattled about in my car door holder, as I pretend I’m driving a moon buggy on our pot-hole-laden roads, had my cat knock it off a table (just because she could), got suntanned when it was forgotten on the car dashboard on a proper Mumbai summer afternoon, dropped when the stupid silicone cover got stuck in the pocket of my jeans... the works.

For further details visit: http://tech2.in.com/

Another leaked photo of the Galaxy S3 surfaces ahead of launch

Yesterday was the day tipsters had decided to reveal whatever they knew about the upcoming flagship handset from Samsung. First the device was spotted on Samsung Kies database which revealed the smartphone’s official name as the Galaxy S3 and a mini thumbnail image giving those interested a glimpse of what it would look like. A little later on, the device made its second appearance of the day when a sketch of the handset surfaced in what is believed to be the handset’s service manual. Along with the render of the device, there was also a list of specifications available for the world’s viewing pleasure which literally foretells everything that will be featured in the device. It seems the leaks had not stopped and mobile website,PhoneArena had received an image which their sources claim is the Galaxy S3.

Is this the real deal?

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Panasonic Shows Off 145-Inch, 8K Res. Plasma Display

This prototype will be used to promote the use of Super Hi-Vision which features a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 at a solid 60 FPS.

Over in Japan, Panasonic has teamed up with Japanese broadcaster NHK to produce a 145-inch, 8K resolution prototype plasma display. The super-sized TV is the world's first self-illuminating Super Hi-Vision TV, meaning it doesn't require a backlight to light up your entertainment. It also uses a new drive method that scans the pixels vertically to achieve a uniform picture quality, eliminating high-resolution flicker.

Currently there isn't any content on hand to take full advantage of the super-high resolution: Hollywood is still struggling to graduate from 1080p and 2K (2048 × 1080) resolutions to 4K (4096 × 2160). However NHK has reportedly been experimenting with an 8K image sensor which can natively output to the team's new prototype. The new drive method helps to keep the picture rock solid despite the TV's massive size.

NHK has reportedly been working on Super Hi-Vision (SHV) for a number of years. Both Panasonic and NHK developed the monster TV to promote the research and development of SHV, and plans to film the upcoming Olympics in this super hi-def mode to show just how uber sharp and immersive the experience can be. The duo plans to demo the new tech in Japan, the United States and the UK starting in May, showcasing images and videos shot with the NHK 120 FPS 8K sensor.

According to the specs, the prototype measures 145-inches, or 1.8m (L) x 3.2m (H). The actual resolution is 7,680 x 4,320 while the frame rate resides at a solid at 60 FPS. The pixel pitch is 0.417-mm horizontal, 0.417-mm vertical, the aspect ratio is 16:9 and the phosphor array is a RGB vertical stripe.

Panasonic stated on Friday that the new 145-inch Super Hi-Vision TV will make an appearance at the Institute of Technology from May 24 to May 27, and at the SID International Symposium international conference from June 3 to June 8. No other dates and locations were provided.

Micromax Funbook

The Rs. 10,000 price point has seen the rise of quite a few tablets in the past year from brands such as iBall, Mercury, Beetle, Viewsonic and Reliance to name a few. In trying to break the price barrier, some of these devices compromise on features such as build, battery life, camera and the power under the hood. Until now, these devices ran Android version 2.2 or 2.3.

In the past few weeks however, we have seen a change in this trend. The tablets are maintaining the Sub 10K price point but the biggest addition in terms of features is Google’s latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS. A lot of companies such as HCL, Zync, iberry, and nowMicromax, have brought ICS tablets to India.

Today we have amongst us the Micromax Funbook tablet running ICS. Will this tablet stand out of the budget tablet crowd?

Look and FeelOn first impressions, the device is quite very well built keeping in mind the price point. The device has a grey plastic back with a matte finish and the screen has a black glossy border making it a fingerprint and dust magnet.

The front of the device houses the 7-inch display that boasts of a resolution of 480x800. The front also has the 0.3MP camera and threephysical buttons – back, home and menu. Running ICS, the tablet doesn’t really need physical buttons as these functions can be accessed directly through the ICS UI. Their addition however is appreciated. There is no rear-facing camera on the device. In terms of connectivity, all the ports are at the bottom of the device (when held in portrait mode). It has a mini USB port, mini HDMI out, a headphones jack, microSD card slot and the DC in. On the right of the device, when held in portrait mode, is the power button along with the volume rocker.

The build of the device may not be the best when compared to the competition but it is impressive nonetheless. It is the slimmest budget ICS tablet in the market and boasts of a made in India tag.

Micromax Funbook Video Review Part I : Build Quality, Design and Interface
 

Features and PerformanceStraight out of the box, the device runs on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. Under the hood, the device is powered by a 1.22 GHz Cortex-A8 CPU and has 512MB RAM. The touch screen is capacitive in nature, eliminating the need of a stylus. The capacitive screen on this device isn’t as responsive as the competition but it gets the job done.

Playing Angry Birds Space and Pool Master Pro on the device was a fun experience. The touchscreen response was average, graphics were smooth and the audio was surprisingly good.

Browsing the web on the device was a mixed experience. The response of the keypad wasn’t the best, courtesy the average touchscreen but the web pages rendered well.

The Micromax Funbook claims 1080p video playback support and we were more than happy to put this claim to the test. We ran two 1080p trailers in .MP4 format on the device and they ran absolutely smoothly without any jitters. The display though crisp lacked brightness and was easily susceptible to glare.

The device also comes with a mini USB to full USB adaptor enabling the device to connect to a 3G dongle to connect to the Internet.

The Funbook has a 2800mAh battery, which is a low capacity when compared to the competition. With average use, the device lasted us under a day. You can expect 3 to 5 hours of life at a stretch depending on your usage.

Apart from access to the Google Play Store, the device also comes preloaded with some Micromax apps. These apps offer a variety of content ranging from Educational, Games, Movies, Apps, Entertainment, and Live TV. Majority of these apps are free but the live TV is a paid app and users will need to pay a subscription fee. The channels on the live TV range from Movies, news and entertainment. There are 50+ channels to choose from in the live TV app.

VerdictThe Micromax Funbook is the cheapest ICS budget tablet to hit the streets at Rs. 6,499. Its biggest compromise when compared to the competition is the build and the battery. The screen too is a bit disappointing. Having said that, this is the slimmest budget ICS tablet available today. The 1080p MP4 playback was smooth and games like Angry Birds Space and Pool Master ran well. If you are in the market to pick up a budget tablet and are on a really tight budget, you can consider the Micromaxfunbook.If you are confused as to which is the right budget ICS tablet for you, here’s a quick comparison between all the budget ICS tablets available in India.

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Apple's new iPad officially launches in India, prices start at Rs. 30,500

If you’ve been diligently waiting for the new iPad to arrive in India, then your wait has finally ended. Today, Apple launches their third generation iPad or simply, new iPad in India and it will be available across the country in all Apple authorized outlets. The new iPad brings with it a host of new features like the Retina Display, a much better camera and faster quad-core graphics. The pricing hasn’t changed since the last time we reported it and here it is once more, in case you missed it the first time. The brand has also dropped the prices of the iPad 2 in India with the 16GB Wi-Fi version available for  24,500 and  32,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.  

iPad Wi-Fi only

• 16GB –  30,500
• 32GB –  36,500
• 64GB -   42,500

iPad Wi-Fi + 4G

• 16GB –  38,900
• 32GB –  44,900
• 64GB –  50,900

Have you grabbed one yet?

The Retina display on the new iPad features a 2048x1536 resolution, 44 per cent greater colour saturation and about 3.1 million pixels, in the same 9.7-inch space. That’s four times the number of pixels in iPad 2. Those pixels are so close together; your eyes can’t discern individual ones at a normal viewing distance. This makes the picture appear a lot more natural and it’s also a lot easier on the eyes. The Retina display on the new iPad wouldn’t be possible without the new and powerful A5X chip. Its quad-core graphics processing makes everything you do on the iPad feel incredibly responsive. From the little things like swiping, scrolling and pinching to the big things like editing photos in the new iPhoto, applying titles and transitions in iMovie and, of course, playing games. Finally we come to the camera – a 5MP iSight shooter that features a backside illumination sensor. This gives it the ability to capture great-looking pictures whether by sunlight or candlelight. Autofocus, tap to focus and tap to set exposure functions are present and there’s built-in face detection that automatically balances focus and exposure across up to 10 faces. 

We’ve had a crack at the new iPad and compared it to the iPad 2. It may not be a huge upgrade if you already have an iPad 2 but if you’re looking to invest in a tablet, then the new iPad is definitely one of the best in the market. 

Sony Xperia S Review

It is quite rare to find a phone that is almost perfect. We were honoured to meet a second such device in quick succession. Close on the heels of the HTC One X came the Sony Xperia S. And both the phones, though they are in different smartphone categories, do most things right - the perfect translation of potential into performance.

Look & Feel
The Sony Xperia S has a very premium build quality. It feels worth the price, and no point of time does it look less expensive than what it really is. To start off, the transparent strip running below the display only breaks the darkness of the piano black glass. Labeled on this transparent strip are the three icons - return, home and options. However, the actual keys are the touch sensitive ones just above the strip, indicated by three tiny dots. The video-calling camera sits on the right top corner above the screen. Compare on either side of this glass, and it is like the city of Liverpool divided by the Mersey River - completely different from the other. While it is the darkly shiny bit around the display, the rubberized finish below it adds a contrasting dimension. Also, this rubberized finish flows all the way around to the back also.

Speaking of which, this finish of the rear panel is helpful when gripping the phone and typing with the same hand - the Xperia S doesn’t slip around as some phones do. Towards the top is the 12MP camera, which we feel is a little too far that way. We shall get to that point later. Sony haven’t given the Xperia S the unibody design goodness, which means the rear panel can be opened to access the micro SIM slot. However, the battery is locked away from user access. We would have loved to see this phone with the unibody build, and the micro SIM slot could have been implemented on a spine. There are covers for the HDMI port as well as the micro USB port. While the covers themselves are quite solid, the hinge holding them is surprisingly flimsy plastic. We would be very careful every time we plug in the phone for charging, fearing even the slightest rough use will break it.

Two issues with the design elements though. First, the touch sensitive keys below the display aren’t easy to get used to immediately. The finger will always assume the transparent strip is the actual key, whereas it isn't! Secondly, the camera could have been placed a bit better. Currently, it is too close to the top edge, and in most scenarios of holding the phone in landscape mode to click a picture, you will have to be extra careful of not blocking it.

The build quality is brilliant overall, with a definite premium feel to it. Fits well in the hand, despite multiple curves and flat areas converging on one front. The transparent strip may be perceived as a gimmick, but it silently brings in a bit of illumination to an otherwise dark “yet another phone” design. And that accentuates the other likeable things with the design as well. While the Xperia S doesn’t stand out in a crowd of smartphones by some shouty design elements, this one definitely does it smartly.

Visit next page to read Sony Xperia S' features and performance, Our Take

Platform: Android 2.3; Processor: Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon 1.5GHz dual core, 1GB RAM; Display: 4.3-inch LED, 1280 x 720 pixels; Storage: 32GB on board; Camera: 12MP with 1080p videos; Battery: 1750mAh

Android 4.0 ICS-based 'Attitude Daksha' tablet launched at Rs. 5,399

Even as we continue to wait for the Indian government's ultra low-cost Aakash tablet, a slew of budget tablets from other manufacturers have arrived in the Indian market. The latest entrant in the budget tablet race is Attitude Daksha from Telmoco Development Labs Pvt. Priced at Rs. 5.399, the Attitude Daksha runs on the latest Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Attitude Daksha tablet has a seven-inch capacitive five-point touchscreen, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and 512 MB DDR3 RAM. The device supports an HDMI port, microSD slot, 3.5 mm audio out, micro USB port and an OTG connector for 3G USB dongle. It also supports 1080p full HD video streaming and has dedicated 400 MHz GPU. It comes with a standard 0.3MP front facing camera and an optional 2MP camera. Daksha is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver a back up of over six-hours with Wi-Fi on. Check out the detailed specifications of the new Daksha tablet in the image below.

The Attitude Daksha, meant for students and educational purposes, is likely to hit the shelves from May 15. Telmoco Development Labs is also planning to bid for the Aakash-2, the upgraded version of the original Aakash tablet. “With government subsidy and mass production, Attitude Daksha could compete with Aakash -2,” said Technopark-Technology Business Incubation Centre secretary and registrar K.C.Chandrasekharan Nair, after launching the product.

Of late we've seen a number of ICS-based budget tablets for the Indian market. Last day, we'd reported Karbonn Mobiles is also going to launch its Android 4.0.3 ICS-based tablet, SmartTab 1. Recently, budget tablets such as the Micromax Funbook, Zync Z990 and HCL ME U1Tab were launched with the latest ICS operating system.

Attitude Daksha's full specifications 

click to enlarge

New rumours indicate that the next iPhone could be just 7.90mm thin

Areport had surfaced a few days ago stating that Apple would put in-cell touch panels on their upcoming iPhone. This speculation has been backed further by a report from Apple Insider where they state that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also put his thoughts forward regarding the in-cell touch panel and he believes that Apple may indeed use this new technology for the displays of their next iPhone. The report states that the present iPhone is 9.3mm thick and by embedding this technology in the display, the upcoming iPhone could be slimmer by 0.44mm. He explained that this can be achieved by removing the separate touch sensor layer and one layer of adhesive and by adding this new display design which features the touch sensor in the TFT LCD.

Could be considerably thinner

The report goes on to state that in order to keep up with the thin smartphone designs from rival manufacturers, Apple could launch their the sixth generation iPhone with a metal back thus reducing the thickness further by 0.96mm to give it a depth of 7.90mm. The report goes on to state, “The analyst also cited "more efficient supply chain management" and improved production yield as reasons that Apple would adopt the in-cell technology. With the current glass-on-glass design, bonding occurs at a late stage in the production process, thereby resulting in "significant losses" if the bonding fails. Kuo believes in-cell production is quicker and more efficient because bonding comes earlier in the process. The new process would require an estimated three semi-finished items at bonding, compared to the six required to produce the iPhone 4S. Additionally, production procedures could be cut from eight to five. The analyst also suggested that the number of production days required could drop from 12 to 16 to three to five.”

An earlier report indicated that Sharp and Toshiba Mobile Display (TMD) will manufacture these in-cell touch panels for Apple. Other rumours regarding the upcoming Apple iPhone include a liquidmetal back panel, LTE support, NFC capabilities and a smaller dock.

Let us know your thoughts on the possibility of Apple launching a slimmer handset in the comments section below.

Huawei Honor

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REVIEW:

Quite frankly, we weren’t very excited about reviewing what we expected would be another plasticky smartphone from Huawei, that was halfway where it was actually supposed to be.

However, we would be the first to admit that perceptions were turned on the head by the Honor.

Look & FeelLying on the desk, it looks like a typical mid-range Android smartphone. For example, you can have this and the LG Optimus Black (read our review) sitting next to each other, bit you won’t realize which is which unless looked at closely. The 4.0-inch display on the Huawei Honor has a thin bezel around it. Below the display are four touch sensitive keys - options, home, return and search. The left spine has the volume rocker, while the opposite spine is completely clean. Top is where you find the power key and the 3.5mm jack.

Flip the phone over and you see completely different scenery here. The battery cover has a matte finish with a textured finish. Opening this still requires precision with the nails, which does make it feel cheap.

Overall, the phone feels its price - plastic body with a decent enough build quality. Nothing more and nothing less.

Click to enlarge

Features & PerformancePowering the Honor is the 1.54GHz single core processor, with 512MB of RAM. The performance is adequate, and there will be no stutter or hiccups as you go along. While we cant expect a single-core processor to offer performance equal to more expensive phone, we were surprised at some of the results. Here is a table of how the Honor stacked up against some popular smartphones as far as the benchmark scores are concerned.

The fact that it stands up to the likes of the Xperia S and the Sensation with impressive benchmark scores just proves how adequate and stable this power package is, in a phone that is considerably less expensive than the ones we compared it with.

Phone	HTC Sensation	Sony Xperia Arc S	Huawei Honour
Quadrant	2148	2027	2037
Antutu	5021	3578	3826
LinPack (Single thread)	45.66	44.71	54.9
LinPack (Multi thread)	70.16	42.03	48.1
GL Benchmark	2446	2690	2616

The 4-inch display has a basic resolution of 480x854 pixels, and that clearly shows when you use it over time. The colour vividness is definitely lacking, and could have done with a bit more depth as far as black levels are concerned. However, the text on the display is very crisp, which helps with reading. This display isn't meant for multimedia consumption other than the once in a while kind, but even HD videos played back very well - no stutters even when skipping along the playing time.

The launcher on the Huawei phone does have a unique taste to it. Particularly visible on the lock screen where you have four shortcuts, and either you unlock the phone, or head straight to calls, messages or camera. You cant add your own apps to this, something we expect could come with a future version. Nothing really stands out in this package - standard widgets, colourful backgrounds and multiple screens to spread them across.

When we had checked out the Cloud Drive in an earlier phone, it was still in the Beta version. Now it is out of that stage. Offers 16GB online storage space, post a one-time registration process. The phone has a microSD slot, and the additional cloud storage should be an incremental boost to whatever storage you have on the phone. But will surely not be a decision swing factor.

With an 8MP clicker doing 720p videos, the Honor’s impressive run on the spec sheet continues! However, this one will do decently well if the ambient lighting is good. There is a lot of shutter lag when taking shots in low light or at night. However, the images either have considerable smearing probably due to the processing that is adamant on reducing edge noise, or have a generous amount of motion blur in low lighting. Videos are okay for viewing on the phone, but there aren’t many settings that you can tweak. All in all, a basic smartphone camera that should ideally be used every once in a while, only when really needed.

Decent battery life from this device, with about a day and a half of backup time under normal usage conditions, usually medium-heavy usage with calls, IM, YouTube and a bit of web browsing. The generous 1930mAh battery does help quite a bit in keeping this phone alive.

Our TakeWhat the Huawei competes against are a bunch of very competent smartphones - HTC One V, Samsung Galaxy S Plus in the same price bracket, and the Nexus S if you are willing to spend a bit more. Essentially, we believe that the Honour is an indicator of what Huawei is planning for this year. We are impressed, but expect a bit more quality and up-market feel in the overall package. And yes, the latest Android version out of the box!

SPECIFICATIONS:

Platform: Android 2.3; Processor: 1.4GHz Scorpion, single core, 512MB RAM; Display: 4-inches, 480 x 854 pixels; Storage: 1GB on board, microSD slot and 16GB cloud; Camera: 8MP with 720p videos; Battery: 1930mAh