Saturday, June 22, 2013

Smart Watch that alerts you if you're too drunk to drive

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Engineers have developed a new watch, with a built-in breath analyser, that warns you when you're too drunk to drive.

The Kisai intoxicated's sensor is made from stainless steel and features an LCD display.

It reads the alcohol level in your breath and judges if you're too tipsy to climb behind the wheel. Users have to simply blow into the side of the watch after boozing and the screen turns red if they're over the limit.

"The display on the right of the screen shows 10 different levels of blood alcohol content. A green display showing 0.00 percent means you're sober. A yellow display showing between 0.41 and 0.60 percent means you're buzzing. A red display showing 0.61 percent or above means you're drunk," according to TokyoFlash, the Japanese makers of the watch. The snazzy-looking digital watch even features a sobriety game that lets you test your reaction time between drinks, The Sun reported. The gadget will cost 65 pounds. It uses a rechargeable battery which takes 3 hours to charge. Based on average use of the breathalyser, the battery should last for one month on one charge and has a lifetime of over 300 charges. As well as an integrated breathalyser, the watch has date, time and also an alarm mode.




Spice launches Coolpad MI 515 smartphone at Rs 9,900

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Mobile Internet Company Spice Group on Friday launched Spice Coolpad MI 515, priced at Rs 9,900.

Spice has tied up with Coolpad, a Chinese handset player, to launch MI 515, which is the first device in a new Spice Coolpad series.

The smartphone has a 1.2GHz quad core processor with Android Jelly Bean operating system. The 5-inch dual sim smartphone with qHD resolution and IPS display has a 5MP autofocus rear camera.

Packed with a 2000 mAh Li-ion polymer battery, the device has 4GB ROM and a 1GB RAM and external storage is expandable up to 32 GB through a microSD card. Spice Coolpad MI515 also comes with other features like Bluetooth 3.0, proximity sensor, 3G video calling among others.

The DTS-enabled smartphone have already been sold in excess of 1 million units globally, said the company.

Idea slashes 2G data tariff by 90 percent

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Idea Cellular, the third largest mobile operator in India, has revised data tariff in eight circles across the country.

Following in the footsteps of market leaders Vodafone and Airtel, the third largest mobile operator Idea Cellular, has also revised data tariff in eight circles across the country. Idea users can now access data for 2 paisa per 10 KB which the company claims is a 90 % reduction in thr existing tariff of 2 paisa per KB.

Idea's new data tariff will be applicable starting July 1st, 2013 and the offer will be valid for 90 days. Idea users in the eight circles of Tamil Nadu & Chennai, Karnataka, Kolkata, West Bengal, Assam, North East, Bihar and Orissa will benifit from the revised data tariff on both, prepaid and postpaid 2G plans.

"Idea has continously focused at growing data penetration in tier 2 & 3 markets. These 8 circles comprise of 1/3rd of the total mobile users in India, with a large number of users waiting to board the mobile broadband wagon. Availability of data at such affordable rates will usher in a new wave of mobile data growth in the country", said Ambrish Jain, deputy managing director, Idea Cellular. The revised tariff is applicable on pay-as-you-go basis for all users using 2G data.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Lamborghini Gallardo India Limited Edition launched at Rs. 3.06 crore

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Lamborghini's Indian celebration on the completion of 50 years in the automobile industry brings to our shore an "India Limited Edition" of the LP550-2 Gallardo, a first of its kind for India. This is part of the celebrations that Lamborghini are having across the globe this year for its birthday.

The India edition will be available in three colours pearl orange, pear white and pearl green. They will be further distinguished by the Indian tricolour racing stripe that runs down the centre of the car.

Pavan Shetty, Head of Operations, Lamborghini India said " The India edition car represents a powerful and sophisticated tribute from the house of the raging bull, symbolic of our common ethos in aspiring for perfection. This reiterates our commitment to India and enthusiasts of Lamborghini."

The tricolour treatment for the Indian edition also extends to the black interiors that are accented with orange white and green stitching on the seat, dash and door trims.

The driver's seat quarter glass also features an "India series speciale" plate. The car is based on the standard LP550-2 and power and torque figures are the same 550PS at 8000rpm and 540Nm of torque at 6000rpm. Only six will be on sale for an ex-Maharashtra price of Rs. 3.06 crore.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Renault launches diesel variant of Scala at 8.29 lakh

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Renault India on Wednesday introduced an entry level variant of its premium sedan 'Scala', priced at 8.29 lakh.

The new variant Scala RxE extends the Renault diesel portfolio and offers customers a competitive and well-packaged diesel option, Renault India said in a statement.

Scala has been available in six variants in diesel and petrol options. While the petrol variants are priced between 7.19 lakh and 9.99 lakh, the diesel variant come at a price range of 8.79 and 9.68 lakh.

The entry level Scala RxE will have features including driver' side airbag, anti-lock braking system and electronic brake, the company said.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Google tests balloons to beam internet from near internet

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Google is launching balloons into near space to provide internet access to buildings below on the ground.

About 30 of the super pressure balloons are being launched from New Zealand from where they will drift around the world on a controlled path.

Attached equipment will offer 3G like speeds to 50 testers in the country.

Access will be intermittent, but in time the firm hopes to build a big enough fleet to offer reliable links to people living in remote areas.

It says that balloons could one day be diverted to disaster hit areas to aid rescue efforts in situations where ground communication equipment has been damaged.

But one expert warns that trying to simultaneously navigate thousands of the high-altitude balloons around the globe's wind patterns will prove a difficult task to get right.


Friday, June 14, 2013

Piaggio launches Vespa VX scooter in India

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Piaggio, the Italian scooter manufacturer, has launched its new two-wheeler Vespa VX in Pune. A variant of the original Vespa, VX has got a lot of new features to boast off. Though the similarities lie around the 125cc, four stroke, three valve cylinder engine delivering 10.06 PS of power @7,500 rpm and 10.6 Nm of torque @ 6,000 rpm along with the automatic CVT transmission.

There's a 200mm front disc, a reworked instrumentation cluster and a more detailed and attractive grab rail. Coming in new color option shades - two metallic green and dual tone red and pink, the Piaggio Vespa VX has a monocoque chassis and linked suspension at front and single-sided suspension at rear. Sporting off the MRF Zapper tubeless tyres, option of a beige coloured seat and a new speedometer, VEspa VX is definitely going to grab the rider a lot of looks when riden.

The original Vespa was received very well by the Indian two-wheeler fans, but the company hasn't gone climbing up on the sales chart. And now, with the launch of this much powerful variant, the Vespa VX might just take a further plunge. This will be assured only if the need s of the budget-friendly young crowd are met by putting a lighter price tag on this scooter. But, we can say this without a doubt that the Vespa is a premium standard scooter and therefore the price of the original model was comparatively higher than the other scooters at the time it was launched. This was a major drawback for success of Vespa in India.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Honda Activa-i launched in India, priced at Rs. 44,200

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Honda launched yet another women-friendly scooter which is reasonably priced and with improved mileage. The new version of best selling Activa scooter is being touted as the cheapest in the 110cc segment and is likely to unleash a price-war among the two-wheeler manufacturers.

Apart from the pricing which is almost Rs. 5,000 less than the base Activa, what makes Honda Activa-i stand out in the crowd is its fuel economy which is claimed to be 60 kmpl. The weight of the two-wheeler is reasonably at 103 kg which has been achieved by its ergonomic body design.

With a torque figure of 8.74Nm @ 5,500 rpm, Activa-i uses air cooled, 109cc mill as in other Activa model and is capable of producing 8.15PS @ 7,500 rpm. Using Honda Eco Technology (HET) in its engine, it combines some of the best features of the earlier models like the Combi Brake System (CBS) which reduces brake distance by 24 percent as compared to conventional brakes.

Maintenance of battery is one of the most cumbersome exercises for scooter drivers, thanks to the concept of the maintenance free battery; it will not demand much of the attention. Likewise, its tubeless tyres and viscous air filters will make driving two-wheeler a pleasurable experience.


Monday, June 10, 2013

Lenovo to launch Rs. 5000 Android smartphone in India

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The Chinese teh major Lenovo is all set to launch Rs. 5000 Android smartphones in India as it plans to sell 1 milion handsets here in the local market.

Indian smartphone market is galloping at furious speed and it is needless to say that every smartphone manufacturing company worth its salt is betting big on the Indian smartphone market. The country has become essential  for many smartphone makers becaise of several reasons.

And the most important reason of them all is the fact that many developed countries handset market has become saturated and to continue their growth they need to look for elsewhere. And here India comes handy for all these companies.

Now the biggest PC and laptop manufacturer in the world, Lenovo is working hard to become an important player in India's smartphone market. The Chinese company has more than 14 percent smartphone market share in China and it has launched as many as six handsets in the Indian market in one go.


Friday, May 31, 2013

Windows 8.1 to bring back the 'start' button

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Microsoft is bringing back the Windows "start" button, offering a stripped-down version among a slew of improvements aimed at winning over tablet users and PC customers.

The world's largest software company is looking to re-enegize sales of its latest Window's version, which has ot made the splash with computer users it was looking for. Executives say the plan is now to update Windows periodically, rather than waiting three years or so between big releases.

Although MIcrosoft has sold more than 100 Million Windows 8 licenses since October, broadly in line with Windows 7 three years ago, the company must tacckle a dwindling PC user base and its inability to make a mark in the exploding tablet market.

Windows 8 was designed to be used both on touch-screen tablets and traditional PC's. But while touchscreen users tend to like the new "tile"-based interface, many nouse and keyboard users complained that the new design was confusing.

Windows 8.1 previously known by the code name "Blue", will be available for free to all Windows 8 users some time later this year. Microsoft will make a test version available at its annual dveloper conference on June 26.

Windows 8.1 also includes a vastly improved "Search" function, which allows a user to search for documents, apps, or items on the internet from a single search bar, like a souped-up version of Apple's spotlight feature.

Google doodle celebrates 161st birth anniversary Julius Richard Petri

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Today Google via their home page doodle celebrates the birth of Julius Richard Petri who invented the petri dish. Julius Richard Petri was born on May 31, 1852 and died on December 20,1921.

Petri studied medicine at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Academy for Military Physians in Berlin. He then went on to work at the Imperial Health Office with Robert Koch who is considered the father of modern bacteriology.

Google's doodle features six petri dishes which when one clicks on the play button are swabbed by a hand. Images of the bacteria grow and spread in the dishes. These bacteria go on to form the alphabets that spell Google.

It is interestin to note that Petri was not the first to use agar, a substance made from algae to grow bacteria but he invented the standard dish in which it was done.

The Petri dish helps scientists and researchers to better identify bacteria and diseases they caused. Petri dishes later moved from the laboratory to the classrooms where they are used by every student of biology for various experiments.

Sony launches waterproof tablet for Rs. 46,990

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Sony on Wednesday launched Xperia Tablet Z with a price of Rs. 46,990. Though the price is rather steep, the company believes that the tablet's slim and waterproof design will it compete with other Android tablets and Apple's iPad.

Xperia Tablet uses a Qualcomm quad-core processor running at 1.5 GHz. It has 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory (extra 16 GB microSD card will be bundled with the device) and a 10-inch screen with Full HD resolution. The Tablet is powered by Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Sony is saying that the tablet will be updated to Android 4.2 soon. The device has a 6,000 mAh battery.

Just like the Xperia Z smartphone, Sony's new tablet is water-resistant and dustproof. It packs in an 8 MP primary camera and a 2.2 MP front camera. Another unique feature of the tablet is IR sensor, which would allow users to control their television with it. Incidentally, Samsung Galaxy S 4 and HTC One that were recently launched in India also have this feature.

Despite its large screen, the tablet weights just 495 grams. It is 6.9 m thick.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Hindustan Motors to launch BS-IV diesel Ambassador in India soon

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India's oldest passenger car, the legendary Ambassador is all set to be launched with BS-IV diesel-powered engine in a few week and will be sold with a new name. Company officials recently invited taxi association officials from around Kolkata to drive the new Ambassador at Hindustan Motor's Uttarpara plant.

HM dealers as also taxi drivers had a feel of the vehicle on HM's purpose-built track. An official from the taxi association was quoted as saying that "the new vehicle offers higher power and torque, better vehicle control with power steering, improved gradient negotiating capacity, better cooling and overall better driveability with no compromise on fuel consumption."

So far, HM had been selling the BS-III diesel and BS-IV petrol variants in tier-II cities, with sales in tier-I cities banned for the BS-3 variants, which severely crippled HM's diesel car sales. Now with the advent of the BS-IV diesel Ambassador, HM will be able to start sales in 17 major Indian cities.

It is expected that the BS-IV variant of the diesel Ambassador will be more powerful and torquier than the BS-III variant. Improved fuel economy will also be on the cards. However, it remains to be seen if HM will be offering any interior changes or will stick to its bare basic cabin formula. The new BS-IV variant will bring along with it minor changes to the looks of the car.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Turn your laptop into touchscreen device

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Portronics Handmate Windows 8 Pen is one of those nifty little devices that seem too good to be true when you first read about them. It promises to turn any Windows 8 laptop into a touchscreen device, letting you experience the joys of owning one of those 'hybrid devices' at fraction of cost.

Setting up the Handmate Windows 8 Pen is simple - just connect it to anu available USB port on your Windows 8 laptop and fix the receiving unit on one of the edges of the screen, about half way from the top. Go to the Control Panel to calibrate the screen and a barely a minute later, you are good to go.

The Handmate Windows 8 Pen comes bundled with spare stylus and batteries that power the stylus. Portronics claims 500 hours of battery life given working/standby ratio of 1:9. The sensors on the Handmate Windows 8 Pen use a combination of infrared and ultrasound technologies and work on screens sized 16-inches and below, which means it is good to use with laptops and even desktop monitors of that sizes. A newer generation product that will work with screen sizes of upto 25-inches is expected soon.

All in all, Handmate Windows 8 Pen offers a decent options for those looking to add a dash to touch to their Windows 8 experience. At, Rs. 4,999  it's a not so expensive option to see if touch fits in your workflow before you take the plunge and buy an expensive native touchscreen device.

New device can detect Cancer, HIV or any disease in 10 minutes: UK Scientist

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A UK scientist claims to have developed a cheap, hand-held device that detects almost any disease such as TB, Malaria, HIV infection or Cancer in just 10 minutes.

The Q-POC machine, costing 500 pounds, can micro-analyse tumours and the genetic signatures of the disease before advising on the best type of drugs to use.

Using his garage in Uckfield, East Sussex, as a makeshift laboratory, 37-year-old Jonathan O'Halloran hit on the ground-breaking idea of releasing DNA within a barely visible sample and making multiple copies to allow an accurate diagnosis, whether cancer mutations exist and which oncology drug will work best.

The device is undergoing rigorous clinical trials and be used across the National Health Service(NHS) as early as next year, the 'Daily Express' reported.

The first prototypes are in advanced trials and experts say they have the potential to to prolong the lives of newly-diagnosed cancer sufferers and saves the life of millions with infectious diseases.

"we are using the device to extract, amplify and analyse DNA from tumors or other samples to make sure the patients gets a personalised service as soon as possible," said O'Halloran. 

Ford EcoSport to be launched on June 11

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This is a great news for Ford enthusiasts. Ford EcoSport is all set to be launched in the Indian market on June 11 in 3 engine options.

Ford EcoSport is now set to be launched in the country within the next two weeks. The MUV is set to take on the leading and well-entrenched market players and will their life miserable at the top. The launch of the Ford EcoSport is set for June 11 and given its great features and good pricing technique that has always been a plus point for the company.

There crossover has got great response in the country and there is huge enthusiasm among the car enthusiasts who are going wild with excitement.

This is going to come in engine variants including 1.5-litre diesel, 1.5-litre petrol and 1-litre EcoBoost petrol. The top level will come with 6-speed automatic option. But that also means that it will be substantially pricier than the other two versions.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

New International roaming plan for Vodafone customers

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Cellular operator giant Vodafone has introduced a new international roaming plan for its customers. The plan is valid for Indian customers who are visiting countries like UK, USA, UAE, Singapore and Thailand.

This pack offers 90% discount on data and 64% on local and international outgoing calls. This is yet another customer-friendly pack from Vodafone to make international roaming hassle free and affordable for customers travelling overseas.

The international roaming pack is available for a rental of Rs. 2,499 and comes with a validity of 30 days. These benefits are offered across 45 countries in partnership with select network operator in each country. Usage on any other international operator's network in these countries will be charged at standard international roaming charges.

This new pack is in addition to the INR 1,499 pack launched last year that offered 60% discount on international roaming on voice, data and SMS in a single pack. The pack was appreciated and accepted immensely by customers as it met their requirements of a hassle-free roaming experience.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Aircel offers free Nimbuzz plan for Jammu and Kashmir prepaid users

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Even as Facebook partnered with the local telecom operators Airtel and Reliance Communications to promote Facebook Messenger, rival free instant messaging firm Nimbuzz has tied up with Aircel to launch special Nimbuzz plans.

To begin with, Aircel users in Jammu and Kashmir are offered free Nimbuzz messaging (up to 40MB of data ) for a period of 30 days. To use this service a user has to download the Nimbuzz app from a URL sent by Aircel. The offer is only available for Aircel prepaid users.

"Jammu and Kashmir is highly regulated market, where SMS services are unavailable; so our focus is on data. In the last 15 days, after the launch of Nimbuzz, data usage from our users in J&K went up by 25%." He said over 5,000 users have downloaded Nimbuzz in just 15 days, says Sandeep Talwar, Aircel's operator head for J&K.

Speaking on the partnership with Aircel, CEO of Nimbuzz Vikas Saxena says: "We are thankful to Aircel for making an effort towards taking mobile communication to masses with its newly launched Airtel-Nimbuzz data plan. We look forward to their continued support and we are confident that such initiatives will boost internet penetration in the country and bring an aggressive revenue stream for the mobile operators".

Mahindra XUV500 launched in Nepal at 33 lakh rupees

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The official distributor of Mahindra products in Nepal, Agni Incorporated, has introduced the Mahindra XUV500, and celebrated the memorable occasion by inaugurating a new dealer showroom and workshop.

Mahindra launched the XUV500 in South Africa the day following its local launch in late 2011. Soon after the price announcement for the Indian market, Mahindra officials said overseas markets were being eyed starting with the neighbouring countries. However the excess demand for the vehicle in the domestic market left Mahindra with no choice but to put off export plans.

For the Nepali market, the XUV500 W6 2WD, W8 2WD and W8 AWD  trim levels. The distributors believe that the XUV500 will create a new category in the premium SUV segment.

As the car is imported from India, there's no difference to the specifications. It is powered by a 2.2 litre mHawk Diesel engine which makes 140bhp of peak power and 330Nm of peak torque, paired to a 6-speed manual transmission. The ARAI fuel economy rating is 15.1 kpl.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

British teen sells mobile news app to Yahoo for GBP 18 million

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A 17-year-old London school boy has made big news, after he sold his news app company to Yahoo, for an estimated 18 million. Nick D'Aloisio hails from Wimbledon in South London, had created the app called Summly - which provides crisp summaries of news content from various sites. The total transaction value is understood to be 18 million pounds, assumed to be 90 percent in cash and 10 percent in shares at Yahoo. However, some reports suggested that the total could go up to as much as 40 million pounds.

D'Aloisio, who learnt how to write code for apps when he was 12 years old, developed the app at the age of 15. The app was made for the iPhone, and till the time it was pulled from the Apple app store after the announcement of the Yahoo deal, has cloaked 1 million downloads. The application had content deals with 250 news sources globally, including the Rupert Murdoch owned News Corp.  and was managed by a team of 10 employees based in London. Over a period of time, D'Aloisio got monetary backing from Horizons Ventures, the venture capital arm of Hongkong billionaire Li Ka-Shing as well as Zynga Inc.'s Mark Pincus and actor Ashton Kutcher.

"We will be removing Summly from the App Store today but expect our summarisation technology will soon return to multiple Yahoo products - see this as a 'power nap' so to speak". Nick says in a post on his website.

This could be a big acquisition for Yahoo, as it aims to refresh and rebuild its offerings, after having lost relevance significantly, at least in the smartphone ecosystem.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Maruti sells over one lakh Altos 800s in less than five months

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Maruti Suzuki has managed to sell over one lakh units of the Alto 800 in less than five months. The A-segment car was launched as a successor to the base model Alto on October 16, 2012 and since then has been selling in great numbers.

The Alto 800 will be sold in many smaller markets like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Algeria where the demand for small inexpensive cars is quite high.The Alto 800 competes with the Tata Nano and Hyundai Eon which is priced slightly higher but is sold with a few more features and a more modern design.

If the Maruti 800 and the regular Alto's sales are anything to go by, then we know that the Alto 800 will breach the two lakh mark by the time it has been on sale for a year.

Royal Enfield to launch 250 cc motorbike to take on Bajaj and Honda

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Royal Enfield, maker of the iconic Bullet Motorcycle, is learned to be contemplating a 250-cc motorbike for the Indian market.

The bike, which sources say is  in the early stages of development, may go on sale some time next year.

This would be a step-down of sorts for the Eicher Motors group company, whose products Bullet, Classic and Thunderbird are all in the 350-cc plus displacement range. The new bike would compete against Bajaj Auto's Pulsar 220cc and Honda's CBR 250R.

The company refused the confirm the development. "Royal Enfield is a dominant player in the premium 350 cc and above motorcycle segment in India and will continue with its focus on this segment. Currently, Royal Enfield is not planning any motorcycle below 350cc. In the second half of 2013, Royal Enfield will be launching the much awaited Cafe RAcer that will also be in the premium category," a spokesperson said.

Sources said Royal Enfield has secured a patent for twin spark engines between the 250 cc and 1,250 cc engine capacities, which would indicate that the company has significant long term plans for new products.

Micromax Canvas A116 HD price increased to Rs. 14,900

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Micromax Canvas 2 A110 took the world by storm due to its chunk of its hardware and an impressive price tag. The company behind the widely popular handset recently unveiled the successor to the Canvas 2 - the A116 Canvas HD smartphone.

The Canvas HD was unveiled with much fanfare in February and was expected to be available in the market soon. But before it could hit the shelves it went out of stock.

According to sources, the smartphone has been delayed due certain procedural issues.

To add insult to injury, the price of the upcoming phone has been increased from Rs. 13,999 to Rs. 14,999. Retail partner Snapdeal.com has stated in its statement that the increase in cost is the result of the changes in custom duty.

The company, however, indicated that before the end of March 2013 customers who have pre-booked the handset will get it for the original price which was Rs. 13,999.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Sony unveils Xperia SP, L smartphones

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Sony today unveiled its two new smartphones running on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system. Both the smartphones are from Xperia platform - Xperia SP and Xperia L.

These phones are available in Red, White and Black colors and will hit the retail market by the second quarter of this year.

The all new Xperia SP has a 4.6-inch TFT screen with Bravia Engine 2 Technology and supports 7.2p videos. This smartphone packs a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor and has 8GB internal storage with microSD card support up to 32GB. This smartphone has an 8 megapixel camera and LED flash on the back with a VGA snapper in the front. Connectivity features of this smartphone include 2G, 3G, 4G, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and micro USB. This device has a 2,370 mAh battery and has a casing made of plastic and co-moulded aluminium.

Whereas Sony Xperia L features 4.3-inch TFT display with a scratch resistant cover and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor. This device also comes with 8GB onboard and 32GB via microSD. On the back is an 8MP camera with flash, along with a front facing VGA shooter that can be used for video calls. This phone's connectivity suite consists of 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 2.0.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Cheaper iPhone 5 coming soon

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A plastic iPhone that would cost roughly half the price of the standard Apple smartphone will be launched soon to target young, middle class consumers in countries like China and India.

According to Japanese website, Macotakara, the budget version of Apple's latest iPhone will cost roughly $330.

In January it was reported that the planned new phone will resemble the iPhone 5 from the front, but Apple will replace that handset's aluminium body with a cheaper plastic casing, the Telegraph reports.

Jeremy Horwitz, of iLounge, claimed that "reliable sources" told him the new device will have a "retina" display and feature Apple's new lighting connector for charging and syncing.

Horwitz wrote that according to a source, Apple's iPhone remain too high for most mainland Chinese customers, the iPhone 5 hardware alone starts at $849 there, versus the iPhone 4 at $500, in a country where the average annual salary is around $3,000 per person.

ZTE unveils Grand Memo Phablet

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The Phablet seems to be getting hotter. ZTE's latest launch Grand Memo seems fit for the category with its 5.7-inch size. The Phablet category blurs the line between smartphone and tablet and places Grand Memo in competition with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy Grand, LG Optimus Pro, Micromax Canvas HD etc.

ZTE Memo features a 5.7-inch high definition, 720 x 1280 display and packs a Qualcomm 800 processor with Quad-Core Krait CPUs and 2GB of RAM. It comes with a 13 MP rear-facing camera, 1 MP front facing camera and 1080 HD video playback. This device also boosts a 3,200 mAh battery.

The Grand Memo features voice-response technology which allows users to answer calls while driving, and a GPS and car mode navigation system for mapping and directions. It comes with a HD version of ZTE's Z cloud service for the security and access anywhere.

Asus launches MeMo Pad ME 172V in India, priced at Rs. 9999

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Earlier this week Asus officially launched its new MeMo Pad ME 172V in the Indian market and this is an affordable Android based tablet now available in the market.

Priced at Rs. 9,999 the MeMO Pad Me172V is an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean based tablet which has quite a few similar design features to that of the Google Nexus 7 however with slightly downsized hardware.

It sports a 7-inch display which has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, a 1GHz single core processor, 1GB of RAM, 1 MP front facing camera, 8GB of built-in storage capacity and 4,325 mAh battery.. It also includes expandable storage as Asus has provided an microSD card slot on the device.

The company also bundles 5GB of cloud storage space and it is available in three different colors - Pink, White and Grey.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Victory motorcycles coming to India by the end of 2013

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India's burgeoning motorcycle market has in recent times attracted some of the most well-known names in the business, be it Ducati, BMW Motorrad, Aprilla or even all-American muscle cruiser brand Harley-Davidson.

Second to none other than the aforementioned, Victory motorcycles is also now targeting Indian shores and having already unveiled its stylish range of luxury cruiser motorcycles in the last year, the Polaris owned motorcycle manufacturer will make its official entry at the end of 2013.

Powered by trademark large American Vee Twin Engines, these motorcycles will initially be directly imported as CBUs from USA. For starters the company plans to launch the Victory Vision and the Victory cross country tour in India, which are priced in the range of Rs. 11.40 lakh and Rs. 12.21 lakh in overseas markets. But high import tariffs could very well result in the prices being doubled once launched in India.



Sony Xperia Z coming to India on March 6

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The Sony Xperia Z will be arriving in India on March 6. After what seemed like eternity, the company has put up a cover picture on its Facebook page citing that 'Everything is about to change.' It sure is vague in this matter, though a glimpse of the smartphone in the background is enough evidence for us to infer that the handset is question is indeed the upcoming device.

Well this isn't the whole story, seeing as the company did render a link to a microsite dominated by a countdown to the date mentioned above, along with what appears to be a picture of the Xperia Z. What caught our attention is that the shadowy figure of the smartphone on the cover picture very vaguely shows off  a lens, however, the one slapped on the countdown site does not.

This sure confirms that the handset will be not entering our realm alone; instead, it will be accompanied by the ZL. On the other hand, it is still unclear if they both will be crossing the threshold together or whether the Japanese conglomerate has readied different set of launch dates for each.

Google launches e-Book service for Android users in India

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Users using Android devices like an Android mobile phone, tablet can now access books from Google Play store from anywhere. The Google Play store now has books for users in India.

With this it has challenged the popular Amazon Kindle devices, which offers e-books to its users via Amazon Kindle devices. Google India posted the message on its blog page saying "today we are adding books to Google Play for Indian users. Books on Google Play now offers thousand of Indian titles, from new releases to classics."

The store has a list of free and paid books which you can directly access via your Android device easily. All you need to do is to log on to the Google Play account and freely download or buy your favorite book.


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Fighter Aircraft with deadly 'laser weaponry' coming to reality

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The US Military technology developer, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is working on two new plans to make laser weaponry a reality, a report said.

DARPA's answer to increasingly sophisticated surface-to-air threats is the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), the liquid cooled lasers that would be mounted on turrets on combat airplanes to shoot down incoming rockets or missiles.

According to CBS News, DARPA'S description of HELLADS also mentioned "additional capability for offensive missions as well, adding precise targeting with low probability of collateral damage."

DARPA said HELLADS would be ten times smaller and lighter than current lasers of similar power.

According to the report, the second project DARPA is working on is Aero-Adaptive/Aero Optic Beam Control (ABC), the lasers that are designed to shoot backwards, the direction that most oncoming missiles come from.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Micromax launches A54 smarty: Priced online at Rs. 5, 999

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Micromax has announced the launch of another Android-based smartphone, the Micromax A54 Smarty  3.5. Although the smartphone maker has not yet revealed anything about the pricing. But the smartphone is available online for a price of Rs. 5,999.


Online retailer Infibeam.com has priced the device at Rs. 5,999. The smartphone will be made available on major online stores across all major cities. The A54 Smarty is loded with dual-SIM capabilities.

Ranked 12th in the world for manufacturing mobile phones, Micromax has also announced that it will release as many as 30 new devices in the year 2013.

Micromax A54 Smarty 3.5 Specs:

Processor: 1Ghz single core Qualcomm

OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Display: 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touch screen

Camera: 3 MP

Battery: 1,300 mAh, 170 hours on standby and 4 hours talk time

Storage: 130 MB internal memory, expandable upto 32 GB

Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, micro USB v2.0

Monday, January 7, 2013

Mahindra named next generation Reva e2o

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Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Pvt Ltd on Monday named its next generation, future ready, electric car as the Mahindra e2o.

The e2o is the first step in the creation of the entire electric vehicle value chain by Mahindra Group. It is the group's vision of the 'future of mobility', which was revealed earlier this year by Group Chairman Anand Mahindra. It involves the creation of future ready vehicles that meet the 5 C's framework of - clean, convenient, connected, clever and cost effective.

The e2o, which has undergone extensive testing, validation and has been certified as road worthy in India, is slated to be launched soon and will be produced at Mahindra Reva's recently inaugurated plant in Bangalore.

Commenting on the Mahindra e2o, Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said "We are on the threshold of ushering in a new paradigm across the automotive value chain, by bringing in products and mobility solutions which will bear testimony to our commitment to create a cleaner environment on planet Earth."

India to launch Mars Mission this year

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After its successful unmanned Chandrayaan mission to the Moon in 2008, which brought back the first ever clinching evidence of the presence of water there, India is now eyeing the Mars.

The Indian Space Research Organisation is planning to launch a space mission to the Red Planet later this year. The unmanned satellite, Mangalyaan, will study the thin Martian atmosphere and will take take 8 months to reach the distant planet.

The first model of the Mangalyaan was unveiled at the Indian Science Congress in Kolkata on Sunday. The Rs. 450-crore mission will be launched from Sriharikota using the workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

The government says the satellite which will be placed in an orbit around Mars wilolbe able to carry nearly 25 kg of scientific payload on board. According to ISRO, the tentative objects of the mission will be to focus on remotely accessing life, climate, geology, origin and evolution and sustainability of life on the planet. "This is technology demonstration project, a mission that will announce to the world India has capability to reach as far away as Mars," an ISRO official said. 

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Internet pumps out 830 million tonnes of CO2 in the environment annually: Report

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Internet, video and other cloud services, which comprise information communications and technology (ICT) industry, spews out more than 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, researchers found.

Carbon dioxide is also the main greenhouse gas and the emissions from the information and communications industry alone accounts for about two percent of global CO2 emissions, the same proportion as the emissions from the aviation industry.

Researchers note that controlling those emissions requires more accurate but still feasible models, which take into account the data traffic, energy use and CO2 production in networks and other elements of the ICT industry, the Journal Science and Technology reveals.

The researchers suggest, based on their models, that more efficient power usage of facilities, more efficient use of energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy sources are three keys to reducing ICT emissions of CO2.

World's largest solar telescope to set up in Ladakh

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India is expected to start building the world's largest solar telescope on the icy heights of Ladakh to study the sun's atmosphere and understand the formation of sun-spots and their decay process.

The Rs. 300 crore project is expected to come up at either Hanle or Merak, which is very near to the Ladakh's Pangong Lake along the line of actual control with China.

Currently. the world's largest solar telescope is the McMath-Pierce Solar telescope with an aperture size of 1.6 metres in Kitt Peak National Observatory at Arizona in the US.

"Fabrication of the National Large Solar Telescope is expected to begin in late 2013," Siraj Hassan, Principal Investigator for the project, told reporters on the sidelines of the 100th Indian Science Congress here.

The telescope with an aperture size of 2 meters is planned to be completed by 2017 and will be the largest such facility in the world at least till 2020 when US is expected to commission its four meter telescope at Hawaii.

The main objective of the facility would be to study the formation and decay of sun spots, their subsurface structure and why do they have a penumbra and hoe is it formed, Hasan said.

Tablet computer sales to double in India by 2013: Report

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Sales of tablet computers in India are expected to at least double this year to 6 million, the market's third year of growth, as new devices attract business users and low cost tablets grow consumers, research firm CyberMedia forecast.

Sales are likely to have reached 3 million in 2012, up from about 0.5 million in 2011, the firm estimated on Friday, citing data for the quarter to end-September, when companies led by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd sold 1.1 million tablets.

With the launch of low cost tablets running on Google Inc's Android platform by local firms, sales of tablets and smartphones have grown rapidly in the last two years. The slew of global makers of tablets have also entered the market.

India is the world's second biggest telecommunications market with about 900 million mobile phone accounts. But computer penetration is low, and only about a tenth of its 1.2 billion people have access to internet.

The average sales value of tablets during the quarter was about 13,200 rupees ($240), while 63.5 percent of the sales were below 10,000 rupees, CyberMedia Research said.

Samsung to launch Galaxy S IV in May 2013

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Samsung is again readying a big launch for the month of May. The company which unveiled its flagship smartphone Galaxy S III in May last year, is reportedly launching its successor Galaxy S IV in May 2013.

The speculations have been fueled by a post from Samsung Lebanon on Facebook saying that the upcoming Galaxy S IV will not launch before May 2013. Facebook user Anthony Ghattas posted a question on Samsung Lebanon's page on the social networking website, asking, "Hey is there any news for the Samsung Galaxy S IV release?" The reply he received from the company was "The Galaxy S IV won't be released before May 2013."

The current flagship model Galaxy S III, was launched in May 2012, giving the device a full year before it is replaced as the top-of-the-line smartphone in the company's portfolio. Before that Galaxy S and Galaxy S II were rolled out in June 2010 and April 2011, respectively.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

India under the grip of cyber attack: Report

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India is under the grip of cyber attacks and there is an obvious peak in the growth of malware and their modifications on mobile devices, especially on the Android platform, according to a report.

Though, PC is still the prevalent target for malware authors, there is an obvious peak in the growth of malware and their modifications on mobile devices, especially on the Android platform, The Quick Heal Annual Windows and Mobile Malware report 2012 released by Quick Heal Technologies, a leading player in India's anti-virus segment said.

As per the findings, there has been a persistent increase in the number of malware attacks on the Google Android platform and mobile applications have become the easiest way to compromise devices, the report said.

According to the report, social engineering still remains one of the most coveted ways of spreading malware. Cyber criminals continue to use it as a convenient way of exploiting human behaviour and platform vulnerabilities.

The report reveals that India is under the grip of cyber attacks with increase of almost 90 percent in Windows malware and a mind-boggling increase of 170-percent in its modifications and the bad guys are also winning the war in the mobile platform.

Tata Nano Facebook fans crosses 3 million mark

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Tata Nano, the diminutive and cheapest car in the world was officially launched by Tata Motors in March 2009. Since than it has taken no time to becoming one of the most loved vehicles and its fans on Facebook are testimony to this  fact. Tata Nano has become India's first auto brand to possess a fan following on Facebook way above the 3 million mark.

It has taken Tata Nano just 1 year to achieve this status drawing the attention of fun loving youth with fun Facebook apps such as Nano Expert Quiz, Drive with MTV and Nano Student of the Year. Tata Nano has also visited colleges in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore with activities such as the Malhar Annual Fest at St, Xavier's College, Mumbai and the NH7 weekender at Pune and Bangalore.

Besides being declared as the most responsive brand in India to have their own online merchandise store on eBay.in from where fans can purchase their favorite Nano memorabilia.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Samsung unveils full-HD touch-screen monitor optimized for Windows 8

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Samsung has unveiled the series 7 SC770  Touch Monitor optimized for Windows 8.

The 24-inch series 7 SC770 Touch Monitor is Samsung's first multi-touch display optimized for Windows 8. It supports upto 10 points of simultaneous multi-touch, letting users drag, rotate or select objects on the monitor using their fingers.

The full-HD monitor provides a contrast ratio of 5000:1 and viewing angles of 178 degrees/178 degrees . It also comes with a USB host and in-built speakers.

"We are committed to serving an expanding market of aspiring young professionals with the professional grade monitors that match their needs," said Junghhwan Kim, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "As the industry leader for seven consecutive years. Samsung is exploring new technology that provides discerning users with affordable, cutting-edge monitors that deliver a differentiated user experience."