3G Mobile Phones to look out for in India

3G is finally here after years of wait. As the competition rises up in the 3G space with the entry of private players in coming months, Indian consumers will be able to do so much more than just voice and text messaging.

The magic that 3G will add to your mobile communications will let you watch TV, play online games, download videos and listen to streaming music straight from your phone.

Apple iPhone 3GS



Apple recently brought its 3G capable iPhone 3GS to India. Measuring 115.5 x 62 x 12.3 mm, iPhone 3G S comes with 3.5-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixels.

The third-gen iPhone has a 3 megapixel camera with video capturing, auto-focus mechanism and editing capabilities. The model runs on iPhone 3.1 OS and is powered by ARM Cortex A8 processor.

As for memory, the iPhone comes in 16GB and 32GB memory options. The phone has 256MB RAM.

In India, Vodafone sells iPhone 3GS ranging from Rs 29,500 onwards. Airtel sells the 16GB version for Rs 35,500 and 32GB for Rs 41,500. The 8GB model is priced at Rs 29,500.

Nokia 6700 Slide


World's top cellphone giant added new 3G phone -- Nokia 6700 Slide -- to its India line-up. Nokia 6700 Slide comes with 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss optics autofocus camera with dual-LED flash.

The phone packs 60MB internal memory and can be expanded upto 16GB. Other features include FM radio and 2.5mm audio port.

The phone offers talktime of 4 hours in GSM mode and 3 hours in 3G mode.

Nokia 6700 Slide is priced at Rs 11,500.

Nokia E52



Another 3G entry from Nokia's camp is E52.

Sporting a 2.4-inch QVGA display, the phone has a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash. For navigation it offers built-in A-GPS and supports Nokia Maps.

The phone packs an internal memory of 60MB which can be expanded to 16GB.

Nokia E52 is priced around at Rs 12000.

BlackBerry Bold 9700



Research In Motion refreshed its Bold smartphone line-up with the launch of BlackBerry Bold 9700.

With a 2.44-inch TFT LCD display, the phone features a full-QWERTY keyboard touch with sculpted keys and chrome accents. Bold 9700 supports 3G HSDPA networks and is equipped with 624 MHz processor and 256 MB on-board Flash memory.

The phone has a built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, 2X digital zoom, flash and video recording. As for battery, the phone supports talktime of upto 6 hours and standby time of upto 21 days/504 hours.

Bold 9700 also supports BlackBerry App World which features a catalog of mobile applications.

The phone is available for Rs 31,990 (approx).

Samsung S5620 Monte


Samsung expanded its touchscreen phone line-up in India with the launch of 3G-ready S5620 Monte.

Featuring a 3-inch TFT touchscreen display, the phone comes equipped with Smart unlock, accelerometer sensor, 3.15 megapixel camera and geo-tagging.

Other features include smile detection capability, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, Google Maps, Stereo FM Radio and image editing applications.

The phone claims to offer 9 hours, 42 minutes of talk time. The phone's internal memory is 200MB which can be expanded using a microSD card.

Samsung S5620 is priced at Rs 8,850 approximately.

Samsung Star 3G

Another 3G phone from Samsung's stable is Star 3G.

Featuring a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display, the handset has a 3.2 megapixel camera with digital zoom and LED flash. The phone comes with 50MB memory capacity which can be expanded upto 8GB with micro SD card.

Other key features include Bluetooth, FM radio, USB 2.0 and music library. The phone's battery offers upto 8 hrs of talktime and standby time of upto 365 hrs.

The phone is priced at Rs 14,500.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz


Sony Ericsson recently bolstered its India line-up with the launch of 3G capable Vivaz in India.

Powered by Symbian S60v5 operating system, the handset has a 8 megapixel camera which offers HD (720p) video recording.

Featuring a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen display with 360 x 640 pixels resolution, key features include Bluetooth, 75MB internal memory, 16GB expandable memory, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and 3.5 mm audio jack.

The handset comes for Rs 25k.

LG GU285



Korean electronic giant LG has extended its mobile portfolio in the country with the addition of 3G capable LG GU285.

Sporting a 2.2-inch touchscreen screen, the phone packs two cameras - a 1.3 megapixel at the back and a VGA camera on the front side for video calling. The phone supports GPRS/EDGE and is 3G ready.

Other features include expandable memory upto 8GB, music playback, FM Radio and ‘Try & Games’ which offer games like Sudoku, and Ferrari GT.

LG GU285 is priced at Rs 6,000.

HTC HD Mini



HTC recently refreshed its touchscreen smartphone lineup in India with the launch of HD Mini.

Running on Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, HD Mini sports a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen HVGA display offering 320x480 pixel resolution.

Equipped with 600MHz processor, the phone comes with inbuilt capacity of 384MB that can be extended upto 32GB with microSD card.

HD Mini packs a 5 megapixels autofocus camera with a resolution of 2592x1944 pixels. Other key features include 3G support, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS chip along with HTC Footprints app and 3.5mm audio jack.

The phone offers upto 7.25 hours of talktime, upto 12 hours of music playback and upto 8 hours of video play back.

The phone is priced at Rs 23,490.

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Alternatives for Those People Who Hates Apple Gadgets

I love them, you love them - most of us love them; I'm talking of electronic devices from Apple Inc. But they're not perfect - every product out there has a flaw or two, which makes us wonder if we can find an alternative. Also, there are some dedicated Apple haters in this world, who simply refuse to accept whatever Apple tries to sell. For such people, we give you our laundry list of alternatives for the most popular product segments in Apple's camp.
1)    iMac - Lenovo Ideacenter A600

The iMac has truly been a pioneer in the All-in-one PC segment.  But is there a Windows-based PC equivalent that is as innovative? We think the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 can be a decent replacement. It's not too far behind in terms of power when compared to the iMac. It's also got a 21.5-inch full HD screen. The best accessory that comes with this PC is its multi-function remote. It acts as a media center remote, an air mouse (which lets you control the pointer by simply pointing and tilting the remote -- no surface required) and a VOIP phone. You also get a wireless keyboard with a built-in touchpad at the side, which is great to entirely control the A600 from a couch. An ATI Radeon 4650 GPU will ensure that games run at a fair pace. It sells for roughly Rs. 58,000. 

2)    Macbook - Dell Studio XPS 13

The new Macbook has most of the features the Macbook Pro now, and has become quite a value for money option. But white's not your favorite color, eh? More than just the color, the Dell Studio XPS 13 gives you even more VFM. It's got a slightly faster processor, double the amount of RAM and more hard drive space. It has a similar grade NVIDIA GPU as the Macbook's GeForce 9400. It also comes with a backlit keyboard, like the Macbook Pro. No Mac till date comes with an HDMI port though. The XPS has one, so you can hook it up to your LCD TV. There's also an Expresscard slot, should you find its use.

3)    Mac Mini - Dell Zino HD

The Mac Mini was a cute little Macintosh; the cheapest Mac one could buy. While Apple has added more muscle to its internals over the years, there are still a few things amiss. Like the fact that it could possibly never be a good HTPC (Home Theater PC). Enter the Dell Zino HD. Apart from totally ripping off the Mini's square design; Dell did manage to bring in a couple of unique selling points to this PC. First, it's available in a lot more color options with some really radical top covers. You can configure it with an AMD Athlon dual-core processor that's not as fast as the Core 2 Duo on the Mac mini.
But when paired with an entry-level ATI Radeon graphics chip, it's decently powerful to do tasks like HD playback. In every other aspect though, you can tune the Dell Zino HD with double the specs of the Mac Mini. But now for the most effective feature - a Blu-ray reader drive can be swapped in place of a regular DVD drive. And, with that HDMI port at the back, you've got yourself a perfect little HTPC. Even if you top the configuration on Dell's site, it'll cost you as much as the higher-end version of the Mac Mini. If that wasn't enough, you also get an 18.5-inch LCD monitor with the Zino. 

4)    iPhone 3GS - Google Nexus One

There's been a big debate over which one is the best since the Nexus One was released. Ok, let's sort it out once and for all. We think Apple still has the best operating UI and app store ecosystem till date, but the rest of the phone makers have started putting better features into the mix. The Nexus One has a slightly larger, higher-res AMOLED display. It runs Google Android's latest version on a fast processor and has a 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash.
The interface is pretty easy to use in its own respect. Its app store still isn't as populated but it will get better once Android picks up steam (which we're sure it will). Click here to read the entire review of the Nexus One and then be the judge.

5)    iPod Touch - iAudio Cowon S9

The iPod Touch has become more or less a cheaper substitute for people who want to experience the awesome interface of the iPhone, but can't afford one. True, it's more than just a media player - the plethora of applications and internet browsing capabilities are unmatched by any other competitor. But for people looking for an audio-video playback solution should definitely check out the Cowon S9. It offers a gorgeous OLED display, has long battery life and trumps the iPod Touch with its Bluetooth stereo audio capabilities. There's a voice recorder and FM radio too.

The Cowon S9 is a true PMP by the definition. It supports a variety of video formats like XVID and WMV, which will save you the hassle of converting your videos before transferring onto the player. Audio quality is at par with iAudio's high standards.  The initial User Interface had its share of problems, but it's reported that the newer firmware versions have ironed out the bugs. 

6)    iPod Shuffle - Samsung Pebble/Sony Walkman NWZ-B143F/Samsung YP-U5

Apple had a clever marketing strategy when they started selling the iPod Shuffle. "Be surprised by your music" was the slogan that Apple came up with to cover the player's lack of a screen. The newer version looks cute, but irritatingly has no controls on the body; rather they're placed on the earphone wire. So, you can't possibly use it with any other pair of earphones, let alone connect it to a set of speakers.

We say leave the Shuffle aside. There are many better players out there in this segment. If you insist on a screen-less player, we'd rather ask you to check out the Samsung YP-S2 (a.k.a the Pebble). It looks equally cool and has wear-around-the-neck style earphones. It belts out decent audio quality too.

trust us when we say that screen-less MP3 players do tend to get on your nerves after the initial amazement period is over. It hurts when you can't just skip to your favorite tune when you want to, without jumping through the entire playlist. We'd rather reckon you go for a Samsung YP-U5 or a Sony Walkman NWZ-B143F. Both are pen drive shaped players with a screen. Both offer good sound quality and come with extra features like FM radio or a voice recorder. 

7)    iPod Nano - Sony Walkman NWZ-E440

The iPod Nano has become a favored choice of anybody who didn't want to chug around an MP3 player in the shape of a thin brick (we're talking about the iPod Classic). It's gotten better every year, with the recent version bearing much demanded features like FM radio. They even managed to shove in a camera in there!

But an audiophile won't really find true bliss in it. If you have your eyebrows raised, we ask you to look at the Sony Walkman NWZ-E440. Although it doesn't have a cool name like the 'Nano', this Walkman is fairly small and lightweight, has excellent audio quality and good battery life. There's no iPod click-wheel, but large buttons and a simple interface ensure ease of use. It's priced competitively too, which is surprising for a Sony product. 

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Evolution of Company Logos - Now and Then

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

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Apple Launches The IPAD

Safari
The large Multi-Touch screen on iPad lets you see web pages as they were meant to be seen — one page at a time. With vibrant color and sharp text. So whether you’re looking at a page in portrait or landscape, you can see everything at a size that’s actually readable. And with iPad, navigating the web has never been easier or more intuitive. Because you use the most natural pointing device there is: your finger. Scroll through a page just by flicking your finger up or down on the screen. Or pinch to zoom in or out on a photo. There’s also a thumbnail view that shows all your open pages in a grid, to let you quickly move from one page to the next.

Mail See and touch your email in ways you never could before. In landscape, you get a split-screen view showing both an opened email and the messages in your inbox. To see the opened email by itself, turn iPad to portrait, and the email automatically rotates and fills the screen. No matter which orientation you use, you can scroll through your mail, compose a new email using the large, onscreen keyboard, or delete messages with nothing more than a tap and a flick. And iPad works with all the most popular email providers, including MobileMe, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL.

Photos With its crisp, vibrant display and unique software features, iPad is an extraordinary way to enjoy and share your photos. For example, the Photos app displays the photos in an album as though they were in a stack. Just tap the stack, and the whole album opens up. From there, you can flip through your pictures, zoom in or out, or watch a slideshow.You can even use your iPad as a beautiful digital photo frame while it’s docked or charging.

Video The large, high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching any kind of video: from HD movies and TV shows to podcasts and music videos. Switch between widescreen and full screen with a double-tap. Because iPad is essentially one big screen, with no distracting keypad or buttons, you feel completely immersed in whatever you’re watching.

YouTube The YouTube app organizes videos so they’re easy to see and navigate. To watch one, just tap it. When you’re watching in landscape, the video automatically plays in full screen. And with its high-resolution display, iPad makes the latest HD YouTube videos look positively amazing.

iPod With the iPod app, all your music is literally at your fingertips. Browse by album, song, artist, or genre with a simple flick. To play a song, just tap it. iPad even displays album art at full size. Listen to your music with the powerful built-in speaker or with wired or Bluetooth wireless headphones.

iTunes A tap of the iTunes icon lets you browse and buy music, TV shows, and podcasts — or buy and rent movies — wirelessly, right from your iPad. Choose from thousands of movies and TV shows (in both standard and high definition), along with thousands of podcasts and millions of songs. Preview songs before you buy them. Or just sync iPad with the content you already have in your iTunes library on your Mac or PC.

App Store iPad runs almost 140,000 apps from the App Store. Everything from games to business apps and more. And new apps designed specifically for iPad are highlighted, so you can easily find the ones that take full advantage of its features. Just tap the App Store icon on the screen to browse, buy, and download apps wirelessly, right to the iPad.

iBooks The iBooks app is a great new way to read and buy books.¹Download the free app from the App Store and buy everything from classics to best sellers from the built-in iBookstore. Once you’ve bought a book, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. Just tap it to start reading. The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays everything in sharp, rich color, so it’s easy to read, even in low light.

Maps Finding your way is a completely new experience on iPad. Tap to view maps from above with high-resolution satellite imagery, up close with street view, or with topography in a new terrain view — all using Google Services. Search for a nearby restaurant or landmark, then get directions from your current location.

Spotlight Search Spotlight Search allows you to search across iPad and all of its built-in apps, including Mail, Contacts, Calendar, iPod, and Notes. It even searches apps you’ve downloaded from the App Store. So no matter what you’re looking for, it’s never more than a few taps away.

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