Tech Predictions Of 2014 - Guest Post By Sanjay Deshmukh, Citrix

The following is a guest post by Sanjay Deshmukh, Area Vice President, India subcontinent, Citrix.

Our workplace is going through a rapid transformation led by change in the way we work. Today "work" is no more a place we go to. It's what we do when ever and where ever business needs to be done. Given the impact of globalisation and also focus on customer majority of workforce prefers a flexible working environment which is not restricted within office premises and devices, and the tech savvy millennial generation is actively driving the evolution of IT consumerization at workplaces in India. In addition, widespread smartphone penetration in India coupled with strong convergence between mobile and internet, provides enterprises a convenient medium for improving access to technology and mobility solutions to their customers, employees and contractors. As a result, mobility has become one of the key drivers for business transformation and growth and a topmost priority on the boardroom agenda. As we progress into the future, there will be a need to redefine the purview of mobility from being restricted to devices and the security to a more overarching vision of enabling employees to work from anywhere and thus mobilizing all the aspects of business viz Data, enterprise and native applications, Collaboration and Support which are required to fulfil this vision’ In this context of the new found imperatives of Indian organisations we anticipate the following top technology trends in 2014.

ViewSonic Launches VP2772 Adobe Color QHD 27" Professional Display

While most companies focus on consumer-centric monitors, they also cater to the niche professional segment sometimes. ViewSonic, the company famously known long for its PC monitors, has launched the VP2772 Adobe Color QHD monitor with a 27" IPS screen promising excellent viewing angles and great colours. Meant to be used in photography, graphic design, media creation, publishing, and other colour-critical applications, this monitor features a 10-bit panel capable of displaying 1.07 billion colours. It boasts of being able to display 99% of the wider Adobe RGB colour space, thanks also to its advanced 12-bit colour engine and 14-bit LUT that processes up to 68.7 billion colours, thus being capable or rendering accurate colours. The SuperClear IPS panel with 2560x1440 pixel dimensions (Quad HD) is calibrated with a Delta E≤3 value.

Amar Chitra Katha App Launched For Microsoft Windows 8 Devices At Comic Con India

If you say that you didn't grow up reading Tinkle and other Amar Chitra Katha comics, you're probably lying. Now the same comics are available on your Windows 8 devices, thanks to the launch of ACK Comics app from the publishers of Amar Chitra Katha. The launch happened aptly at the Comic Con India convention being held at Goregaon, Mumbai. The event started with a small interactive skit where actors dressed as characters from ACK comics (Akbar, Birbal, Rani Lakshmibai, Kalidasa, and Chanakya) interacted with the audience to draw the conclusion that the audience does not recognise them anymore. They then discuss the matter and arrive at a solution that an app would be the best way to reintroduce them to people.

BenQ Launches Two Flicker-Free Monitors With MHL Connectivity, Starting At Rs 18,000

BenQ has added to its portfolio of flicker-free monitor with two new models in the EW40 series. The EW2440L and the EW2740L come with 24" and 27" Full HD VA panels featuring LED backlighting. It claims to be able to show true 8-bit images for better colour shades as against the 6-bit done by run-of-the-mill panels. They claim to provide wide viewing angles of up to 178 degrees in any direction. The monitors sport thin bezels that result in a better visual appeal.

MobiKwik Celebrates 1 Million Android App Downloads By Giving Away 1 Million Rupees

MobiKwik, the service that lets you pay almost any utility bill or recharge mobile phones and DTH services, has crossed 1 million downloads of its Android app within a year of its launch. The service, which is also available via a web browser, SMS, and phone, is quite popular in the form of apps for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices. In order to celebrate this milestone achievement, the company is rewarding its users by giving away 10% cash back for transactions carried out via its Android app. It has actually allocated 1 million rupees for this purpose to ensure that the cash back really happens as intended. Users can avail this offer by using the promo code MILLIONCLUB. The last date of this offer is 31st December, 2013.

Lenovo Launches ThinkPad S1 Yoga And Three Haswell-Powered Ultrabooks

Lenovo has launched the ThinkPad S1 Yoga convertible Ultrabook along with a new range of ThinkPad Ultrabooks powered by Intel's fourth generation Haswell CPUs in India. The other three Ultrabooks are named ThinkPad T440, ThinkPad T440s, and ThinkPad X240s, which are all primarily for the enterprise segment. The new range claims to have better performance, reliability, durability, and battery backup.

Sharp Unleashes The World's Largest "3D Internet LED TV" For Rs 20,00,000

Sharp has launched the LC-90LE740X, which is the largest 3D LED TV in the world with 4-colour Quattron Technology. In case you are wondering, what about the Samsung UN110S9 TV with a 110" screen that was launched at CES this year; that is a 4K TV, while the one from Sharp is Full HD, which is a quarter of the number of pixels as on a 4K TV. As mentioned, the Sharp TV supports active shutter 3D at 120 Hz, making it compatible with every 3D Blu-ray player, 3D game console, and NVIDIA 3D Vision products. Of course, the 1920x1080 pixel dimensions are somewhat of a let-down at such a large screen size as the pixels would be large enough to be readily visible, unless you view it from quite afar. With an aluminium frame, this TV is a real looker that should dominate any room.

BlackBerry Offers Q10 QWERTY Smartphone At Rs 38,990 For A Limited Period

Even as the world has moved to full touchscreen phones, BlackBerry still continues to sell smartphones with QWERTY keyboards. BlackBerry loyalists will certify that the famed keyboard made by the Canadian company is incomparable to a touchscreen with its ergonomics and ease of use, and I must agree that it is really true. The company's top-of-the-line Q10 handset sports such a keyboard and runs the latest BB10 OS. BlackBerry is currently offering the Q10 at a limited period offer price of Rs 38,990. This offer will last till India's upcoming Republic Day, 26th January, 2014.

Amazon India Slashes Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Prices By Rs 4000

Amazon India has announced a cut in the pricing of its flagship eBook reader - Kindle Fire HD 8.9". The 16 GB version now costs Rs 18,000 as against the earlier 22,000, while the 32 GB variant is available for Rs 22,000 down from the earlier Rs 26,000. At the new price-point, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" will become a really attractive option for consumers because of its superior capabilities as an Android tablet, in addition to being a formidable eBook reader.

Review: Urbanears Plattan - Embodies Scandinavian Minimalism, Tremendous On Performance

Urbanears Plattan
MRP: Rs 5750 (Available for Rs 5306 (Rediff Shopping), Rs 4756 (bitFang.com), Rs 5750 (Flipkart.com))

I occasionally receive headphones that appear to be different from the crowd in some ways. This time, I have received the Urbanear Plattan, which is one such model with looks that mix casual simplicity with style. It is available in several colours, with most colours named after fruits and vegetables. I had never tried this Stockholm-based Swedish brand until now and was a bit sceptical about its ability to perform. However, I was pleasantly surprised at what I discovered. Read on.

The Future Is Here With Wireless AC - Guest Post By Atul Jain, TRENDnet

The following is a guest post by Atul Jain, Country Manager, TRENDnet.


Wireless AC, the latest technology innovation, is currently displacing Wireless N. Consumer adoption is ramping up on all continents and significant business adoption is expected in 2014. As with the launch of previous new wireless technologies, end users have questions when it comes to performance, compatibility, and efficiency.

The biggest advantage of Wireless AC is the incredible speeds it offers. The highest performing routers on the market today offer wireless speeds as high as an astounding 1,300 megabits per second (Mbps). Keep in mind the full Wireless AC specification can accommodate speeds as high as 6.9 Gigabits per second (Gbps), so even faster routers will launch to market down the road.

Mercury 3G Mifi Router Brings Real Portability To A Hotspot

Kobian has launched the Mercury 3G Mifi Router, which comes with inbuilt battery backup. The router has a SIM card slot that can accept a 3G card and easily start sharing internet by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot that can support up to 10 simultaneous users. It also supports 3G dongles, thanks to a USB port, and can share internet from a local network that it can receive via an Ethernet port. With a white plastic casing and blue indicator LEDs, it even looks good.

Kingston Launches SSDNow UV100 For High Performance At A "Reasonable" Price

SSD's or Solid State Drives are hard drives based on semiconductor memory, which means that they have no moving parts and therefore rugged, are very fast, and consume low power, thus generating less heat. Of course, this has been coming at a very high premium until now. Kingston has launched its SSDNow UV100 in its attempt to bring high performance SSD storage at a reasonable price.

The SSDNow UV100 comes in 60 GB and 120 GB capacity variants and has the 2.5" form factor, making it ideal to use even in laptops. It sports SATA 3.0 (6 GB/s) interface with backward compatibility with SATA 2.0 (3 GB/s). True to SSD standards, it boasts of read and write speeds of up to a blistering 425 MB/s. The idle power consumption stays down at 0.08 W, while it averages at just 0.108 W, which means your laptop battery will last a lot longer.

Nokia Refocus: An Innovation That Will Be Imitated

Nokia, one of the oldest surviving players in the mobile phone space, has in recent years changed its tune, and wisely so, by focusing on the mobile software part as much as the hardware. The 808 PureView marked the company's giant leap as far as the camera department was concerned with PureView Technology backed by a never-before-heard-in-a-mobile-phone 41 megapixel image sensor. Taking note of the fact that the weaker Symbian platform held it back, it was only a matter of time before the Finnish manufacturer brought out Windows Phone devices equipped with PureView tech cameras and the latest among them being the Lumia 1020 with a similar 41 megapixel image sensor.

Talking of camera software, there is a plethora of software that Nokia brought to the Lumia series to get the most out of their cameras. The latest one to arrive is Nokia Refocus, which works on the Lumia 920, 925, 928, and 1020 (and also the upcoming Lumia 1520 phablet), all as long as they are running the Amber software update.

EvernoteLife: An Event To Remember

Evernote had a bloggers' meet at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Bandra, Mumbai, where Troy Malone, MD, APAC of Evernote interacted with everyone. The premise of this event was to showcase the Evernote product and talk about new things that the company is into, in addition to the software itself.

The event venue

Cookie Mania And Private Browsing - Guest Post By Govind Rammurthy, eScan

The following is a guest post by Mr. Govind Rammurthy, MD & CEO, eScan.


Do you know that your online activity is being tracked by the websites that you visit? All links you visit, the forms you submit, the credentials that you fill are not a secret always. The sites that you visit maintain a record of what you did last time on their site for months and years to come.

It is all done smartly through cookies. As per Wikipedia, cookies are reliable mechanism for websites to remember information (such as items in a shopping cart) or to record the user’s browsing activity like the buttons clicked, logging in, or the pages visited by the user months or even years ago. Cookies can also store confidential information such as Username and password, credit card number or an address.

Review: Silicon Power Armor A30 1 TB - SuperSpeed USB 3.0 And High Capacity Put To Good Use

I have been reviewing portable hard drives since long and have seen them evolve. They used to be plain boring before; then they became trendy and fashionable. The one which I have for review today is a military grade rugged drive that should be a perfect companion for the road warrior, and yet it looks very elegant. I am talking about the Silicon Power Armor A30 with a huge 1 TB capacity and the super-fast USB 3.0 interface. Silicon Power has been around for quite some time now in the field of storage and I have previously tested USB Flash drives manufactured by them. I therefore have high hopes from this drive and this review will try to find out whether or not those hopes are fulfilled.

Olympus Aims To Bring Professional Image Quality In A Compact Body With The STYLUS 1 For Rs 44,990

Olympus has launched its flagship compact camera - STYLUS 1 today. The company is touting this to be a gamechanger that will bring professional image quality in a compact body. This camera also marks the company's entry into the premium imaging category in India. The camera sports a f2.8 constant aperture 28-300 mm i.Zuiko digital lens with 10.7x optical zoom. A high-res Electronic Viewfinder is present along with built-in Wi-Fi and OM-D style shooting but in an ultra-slim body.

TRENDnet Launches TN-200 NAS Media Server For Rs 8990

TRENDnet has launched the TN-200 NAS Media Server that can support 2 hard drives with a total of up to 8 TB storage. Of course, the hard drives need to be bought separately. It features two 3.5" bays to accommodate two SATA I/II hard drives in RAID 0, RAID 2, or JBOD configuration. It supports USB share functionality with its USB port so that any USB storage device can be connected to it and its content be shared with everyone on the network. A Gigabit Ethernet port is present for connectivity.

VU Shows Off World's First Customisable Luxury TVs In India

VU held India's first Television Trunk Show in Mumbai today to show off the world's first customisable luxury televisions. The event was held at the Four Season's hotels at Worli and I was invited. The company showcased its 50", 55", 65", and 84" LED-backlit LCD TVs, of which the 84" is the recently launched 3D model sporting Ultra HD or 4K panel with 3840x2160 pixels. Of course, there were also smaller screen models with touch screen just to take a look. The purpose of the event was to allow consumers and reviewers to not only get up, close, and personal with the various VU TV models, but also avail the one-day-only discounted price offers such as a 50" LED TV free on purchase of the 84" model.

Nokia Announces First Windows RT 8.1 Tablet Lumia 2520 With 10.1" Screen

Well, it is confirmed that the rumours are actually true. Hours before Apple's scheduled announcement of the new iPad, Nokia has announced its first Windows RT 8.1 tablet named as the Lumia 2520. The Finnish company whose mobile manufacturing assets are in the process of acquisition by Microsoft, showed off the tablet that comes in multiple colours of Red, Cyan, Black, and White, at the Nokia World 2013 event being held at Abu Dhabi. The polycarbonate body sports the signature looks of the Lumia series and looks refreshingly better than the regular boring tablets from other manufacturers that are usually limited to white or shades of grey.

Acer Launches C720 Chromebook In India For Rs 23,000

After quite a bit of deliberations, the Chromebook finally make an appearance in India as Acer has launched the C720 today. The laptop running Google’s cloud-based OS claims to be lightweight, with very fast performance, and boots in less than 7 seconds. Its 11.6” screen has a matte anti-glare finish, thus making it easier to view even outdoors. The Intel Haswell-powered Chromebook with 2 GB of RAM and a 16 GB SSD, claims to have a long battery backup of 8.5 hours even with a mere 3-cell battery.

How To Get Early GDR3 Update For Your Windows Phone

As you already know, Microsoft has announced the rollout of GDR3 update with enhanced features for Windows Phone 8 devices. That being said, it will actually take up to a few months for most of us to get the update on our handsets because the rollout is done in a phased manner. However, there is still a way to download the GDR3 update to your WP handset, or at least the preview, as long as you have developer credentials.

Microsoft Announces Windows Phone GDR3 Update With Lots Of Enhancements

Microsoft has announced the availability of the GDR3 update for all Windows Phone 8 handsets. As you may already know, the GDR3 or General Distribution Release 3, (also known unofficially as Lumia bittersweet shimmer for Nokia Lumia smartphones), is an update for WP8 that is analogous to a Service Pack for the desktop Windows OS. GDR2 has brought in several nifty updates. As you may be aware, GDR2 brought in a few new features including major improvements to the camera app and enabling of the dormant FM Radio in supporting handsets. GDR3 update brings in a few more sought-after improvements that were missed in GDR2 including support for more tiles on WP handsets with larger 1080p displays. There will be custom ringtones, better storage management, app switcher, better Bluetooth, and phone setup for Wi-Fi.

Apple iPhone 5S Gets BSOD, But There Is A Quick Fix

It looks like the Apple iPhone 5S has, possibly in the first time in history, copied something from Microsoft’s Windows operating system. We’re talking about the dreaded blue screen of death or BSOD that has been passed down through the generations of Windows and lives on to periodically haunt desktop users. However, the BSOD that the iPhone 5S suffers from is similar to a Windows’ BSOD only for the colour blue. Check out the video below to see the BSOD in action on the iPhone 5S, or rather putting the iPhone 5S out of action:

Gravity: Scientific Hits And Misses

Gravity - the new sci-fi space disaster/survival thriller by Alfonso Cuaron, featuring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney is arguably one of the best movies this year. Without going too much into details and spoilers (although there may be some unavoidable spoilers: you have been warned), the premise of the movie is about things going wrong on a routine space mission and the quest for survival in the seemingly hopeless void of space. Sandra Bullock plays bio-medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone, who is on her maiden space shuttle mission as a Mission Specialist, while George Clooney plays veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski, in final mission of his career. While everything seems to be going just fine during an EVA (extra vehicular activity), space debris from a Russian missile strike aimed to destroy its defunct satellite, results in a chain reaction that destroys the space shuttle with several other astronauts, leaving our two protagonist astronauts stranded in space, only tethered to each other, being only be able to communicate with each other as the contact with Mission Control is lost.

Dell Kicks Off Festival Season With Two Offers

Dell India has two special offers for this festival season with its "Celebrate Dell Se" campaign, which started from 7th October and will go on till 5th November. Customers will receive something extra with every Dell Inspiron, XPS, or Alienware purchase worth Rs 35,000 and above via a variety of gift vouchers. Existing customers can avail special discounts on extended warranty on their Dell laptops.

Apple Could Go “Bigger” Screen With iPhone 6 In 2014

We keep on criticizing Samsung for leading the charge in the mobile phone industry as it keeps on blowing up screen sizes that may one day match TVs. It is not really a wonder that many a manufacturers are following suit simply because there really is a demand for large screen phones in India. However, it may come to you as a shocker that as rumour has it, the next iPhone may come with a much larger screen.

Micromax Teases New Canvas Turbo A250 Flagship Handset

Micromax seems to be preparing to launch a new flagship smartphone - Canvas Turbo A250. According to a tweet by its deemed official insider MMXNewxcaster, the A250 will be the company's first smartphone with a Full HD screen. It is also mentioned that this will feature a quad-core CPU, which is obvious by its flagship status. The tweet doesn't even show any photo of the phone itself, but rather just the stylised name itself.

align="center" Micromax Canvas Turbo A250 to be the First Full HD (1080p) phone from Micromax. To sport Quad Core processor. #News pic.twitter.com/eNrcKmNJtG
— @MMXNewscaster (@MMXNewscaster) October 6, 2013

Guide: How To Backup And Restore A Windows Phone 8 Handset

Windows Phone 8 is still the newest kid on the block as far as mobile OSes are concerned. There are some things that many users who have taken the leap of faith to this new platform, do not know about this OS. One such feature is the ability to backup and restore the phone settings. In this guide, we will take a look at just how this can be done.

Backing Up Your Windows Phone
In case you are wondering, there is no special software that will really let you back up your Windows Phone 8 data to your computer unlike Zune could for Windows Phone 7.x devices. Everything happens in the cloud, which may not be to everyone's taste. However, something is better than nothing, and we really hope that Microsoft will allow for a way to back up your phone data to your hard drive in the near future. Until then, we will have to go in the following way.

Backup is an automatic feature on a Windows Phone handset. To enable backup, you must go to Settings > backup. Here you will get to see that you can back up your apps list and settings, text messages, and even your photos and videos. The latter can upload to the cloud in the best quality only over Wi-Fi, although it is possible to upload photos in "Good" quality over mobile internet. It is best to disable backup of photos and videos and simply copy them to your hard drive as this will save a lot of your time while restoring. Once done, your phone gets backed up periodically whenever a data connection is available.

Restoring Your Windows Phone

You may opt to restore your Windows Phone in two scenarios:

1) if you have factory reset your phone for some reason,

2) if you have bought a new Windows Phone. In either case, the procedure is the same.

When you start up a new or reset Windows Phone, you will be presented with a screen asking you to sign into a Microsoft account, create a new one, or sign in later. In order to restore your backup, you are required to sign into the Microsoft account associated with your previous backup at this point. It is also necessary that you must have some sort of a mobile data plan as Wi-Fi cannot be used at this point.

Clicking on next after entering your credentials will take you to the next screen where you will be presented with the available sets of backups that can be used to restore the Windows Phone handset. You can choose one and click Next. The backup data starts downloading. This can take a long time depending on the amount of data being restored.

Image Credit: Nokia Conversations

You can now enter your credentials for various accounts from the original Windows Phone handset such as Hotmail, Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, etc and click Next. Your apps will start downloading once the phone reaches the Start screen. At this point, it is wiser to quickly connect to Wi-Fi and then switch off mobile data to save data charges.

Is This Really A "Backup"?

While some of the data does get backed up, this is not really a total backup of the phone data. This is more so with third party apps as only the unique number associated with these apps is stored online and passed on to the handset. Also, any additional settings associated with such apps such as the progress of a game are lost.

Another major problem is that the restore functionality totally depends on the mobile data connection, so you need to have a SIM card inserted into the phone during this process and the SIM must have a data connection (preferably 3G). If you miss this step and go to the Start screen, then the only way to restore the data is by resetting the phone and doing the procedure all over again.

If you thought you could manipulate the backup from the cloud in some way, you are gravely mistaken. The data that is present in the cloud is not available to the user and there is a total lack of transparency not only about what exactly is being sent up and when, but also about the visibility of the content to the authorised user. Thus, if you want to take a look at a particular SMS sent on a particular day, you will not be able to view that because such a facility simply doesn't exist.

Contacts are not backed up in Windows Phone 8 as they are simply stored on the users Gmail or Hotmail accounts present in the phone. So your contacts become available once you log into those accounts in the restored handset.

It is also strange that simple settings such as the placement of Live Tiles, ringtone, theme, etc are not backed up to restore. You are therefore better off taking screenshots beforehand to save the trouble.

This issue can be easily resolved via a software approach like Zune does for Windows Phone 7.x devices. While it is no secret that Windows Phone 8 is a remarkably different and fresh mobile operating system with oodles of capabilities as compared to other veteran mobile OSes, there are a few simple things that need to be addressed to allow it to stake a claim as a stronger third alternative.

In Conversation With Mrunmaiy Abroal Of Opera Software

Opera has recently introduced a new browser - Coast, which is currently exclusively available for the iPad. The Norwegian company known for its synonymous browser had started off with desktop browsers, going on to make the famed Opera Mini browser that actually made feature phones smarter, and now is foraying into the TV segment. I recently had an opportunity to have a tête-à-tête with Mrunmaiy Abroal, Communications Manager - India for Opera Software. Read on for the interaction as we find out the big plans of this company.

Q. What was the need to make Coast? Was Opera Mobile not good enough for tablets?

People have been accessing the web from their computers since 1990. But with the evolution of devices and web technology, we wanted to bring about an evolution in the browser as well. Today’s websites and apps invite you to interact in new ways, but browsers have been stuck in a keyboard-and-mouse world. The web experience on tablets has been limited to browsers that are either scaled-up versions of mobile browsers or scaled-down desktop browsers.

At Opera, we are passionate about making the internet better. These outdated browsers bothered us. So we made Coast from the scratch and specifically designed for iPad. It has a minimalist and uncluttered user interface with a full canvas, large icons and attractive animations. It’s comfortable to use, looks great and is based on intuitive swipe gestures.

Q. What was the reason to make Coast only for the iPad?
When we started the Coast project iPad was the most popular tablet and Android had not yet made a big splash in the market. So it made sense to start with iPad.

Q. Will Coast also make an appearance on other platforms such as Android and Windows Phone?

As a rule, we don't comment on future road-maps. If we happen to do it, we'll let you know.

Q. Under the bonnet, does Coast use the same technologies as Opera Mini for iOS devices?
Coast is a native browser based on Web Kit.

Whereas Opera Mini uses Opera’s advanced compression technology to render webpages and reduces the amount of data downloaded on your device to a little as 10% of its original size.

Q. Tell me a bit more about Opera's foray into the TV segment.

At Opera our aim to build a seamless browsing experience for all types of connected devices.

Opera´s TV solutions allow TV OEMs to provide a superior, connected and interactive TV experience to their customers, combining full internet browsing with a cloud-based TV app store full of exciting web apps optimized for TV. For users, their TV viewing experience becomes more entertaining and connected.

Our product lineup for the TV segment is as follows:
- Opera Devices SDK, an extensible TV platform for developing connected, interactive TV solutions. We have more than 50 customers for the Opera Devices SDK, ranging from TV OEMs, middleware providers, silicon vendors and operators. Some of our major customers are Sony, Toshiba, Philips, Vestel, TCL, Loewe, Technisat, Hisense, Sharp, Panasonic and Pioneer.

- Opera TV Store, Opera's HTML 5 app platform for Smart TV devices
. It has already been shipped with Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray Disc players and later in 2013 will see the Opera TV Store in TVs by TCL, Humax and MediaTek.

- Opera TV Snap, a next-generation TV app technology with the ability to transform online video into apps for connected TV
. Since the launch of Opera TV Snap in July, over 100 content providers from Dailymotion, the world´s second-largest video site, have created and submitted Smart TV apps for the *Opera TV Store using the Opera TV Snap tool and their own video content. Among the brands to jump on board and bring their online video to the TV screen quickly, easily and at no extra cost is The North Face®.

- Opera TV Emulator, a solution which allows web developers to test HTML5 and CE-HTML content for TVs and other appliances running the Opera Devices SDK


- Opera TV browser, the full web-browsing experience for connected TVs

Q. Like Firefox, does Opera plan to introduce a mobile OS in the near future?

As a rule, we don't comment on future road-maps. If we happen to do it, we'll let you know.

Q. What is Opera's game plan to catch up with competing desktop browsers?

The increased competition in the browser market is positive for the consumers, as the browser makers are now fighting to provide the best and most innovative products.

Along those lines, Opera keeps reinventing itself and chose to adopt the WebKit engine, as well as Chromium, to focus on developing the new features and user-friendly solutions that are expected from a company that invented so many of the features used today by the browser industry at large.

Opera stays true to its goal of providing browsers that operate across devices, platforms and operating systems, while delivering a faster, more stable and flexible Internet experience than its competitors.

Q. When will Opera bring its popular mobile browser to the Windows Phone platform?

As a rule, we don't comment on future road-maps. If we happen to do it, we'll let you know.

Now Buy The BlackBerry Z10 For Just Rs 29,990

BlackBerry has announced a major price drop for its flagship Z10 model. The highly anticipated handset that was being touted to be able to save the company was launched at a rather steep Rs 42,000 earlier this year. However, now it is being offered for Rs 29,990. You will have to hurry though, because this is a limited period offer valid for this festive season. When contacted BlackBerry about the exact duration of this offer, I was told that it will last for the festive season including Diwali. While it is still not clear till when this offer will last, one thing is for sure that the offer is already underway.

Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director India for BlackBerry said,

"We continue to leverage festive season with relevant product and services promotions. BlackBerry 10 platform offers a new and unique mobile communication experience and at Rs.29990/- the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is uniquely positioned to change the way in which our customers view mobile technology".

This is a major opportunity for anyone who would want to lay their hands on the smartphone from the brand most trusted by the enterprise segment. If you ask me, the handset running the latest BlackBerry 10 OS is pretty good and is backed by powerful hardware. The Z10 comes with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU with 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot supporting up to 32 GB. The 4.2" touchscreen is pretty responsive as well. With pixel dimensions of 1280x768 at 356 ppi, the images appear crisp. The 8 MP rear camera supports 1080p Full HD video recording. What's more, it is neither too heavy, nor too large, and has got a decent talk time of up to 11 hours on paper at least. NFC is also supported for quick and convenient mobile payments where supported.

Buy Apple iPhone 5S And 5C In India Exclusively On eBay.in

While you may have to wait for Apple to officially launch the new iPhone models in India, eBay.in has already listed the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S for immediate sale. Of course, it must be noted that these handsets are imported and factory unlocked as claimed by the sellers so that they can work on any GSM mobile network in India. Available from two different sellers, these handsets are brand new sealed packs and run the latest iOS 7. For those of you who can't hold on till the official launch happens here, read ahead.

The white iPhone 5C is available for Rs 47,500 in 16 GB and the seller claims it to be factory unlocked. It comes with 6-month seller warranty. Although the seller has not explicitly specified a Return Policy as per eBay rules, its replacement and refund are covered through eBay.in Guarantee so that should put your doubts to rest. The shipping will be done within 5 - 6 business days after receiving the payment to anywhere in India so it means that the seller actually has the handsets ready to dispatch. Shipping is free to anywhere in India and payment can be made using PaisaPay. Additionally, you can opt for 3 or 6 months EMI if that suits your budget.

The 16 GB iPhone 5S in SpaceGray colour is available for an understandably whopping Rs 69,990. Unlike the iPhone 5C, the iPhone 5S will not come with any warranty so you must decide hard whether you would want to put so much of your hard-earned cash into this purchase. Naturally, a Refund Policy is not specified either. However, the replacement and refund is still covered through eBay.in Guarantee, about which you can read over here. Shipping of this item is free all over India and the seller mentions that he/she will start shipping from 1st of October, 2013. In case you still want to take a leap of faith, you can pay through PaisaPay and opt for 3 or 6 months EMI to make that hole in your pocket seem less unpleasant.

9 Million iPhones Sold In 3 Days, Says Apple

Apple has claimed that it has sold over 9 million iPhones over the first weekend since the launch. This is a lot higher than the 5 million units sold by the iPhone 5 during the same period last year and the 4 million for the iPhone 4S a year before that. The Cupertino-based company had launched a comparatively cheaper iPhone 5C along with the flagship iPhone 5S last week. However, it has declined to confirm individual numbers for these two models. Nevertheless, sources have stated that the iPhone 5C has not been well-received, so it is safe to assume that the bulk of this number belongs to the iPhone 5S.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said,

"The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5s, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly".

Both the devices run the new iOS7. The iPhone 5S 16 GB is priced at $199 (approx Rs 12,800), while the 32 GB variant costs $299 (approx Rs 19,200). The 64 GB version will set you back by $399 (Rs 25,500). The iPhone 5C, on the other hand is available for $99 (approx Rs 6400) for the 16 GB and $199 (approx Rs 12,800) for the 32 GB. Of course, these prices are for the US market with 2-year contracts, so retail prices will be much higher. The iPhone 5C, which has been touted to be for the mid-range, will therefore end up in the high-end price bracket with a retail price of $549 (approx Rs 36,500) and $649 (approx Rs 43,000), thus shattering the dreams of cheap iPhone aspirants.

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were released in US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and UK, but there is still no official word about India availability. However, insider sources have stated that the launch could happen in the first week of November although it is not clear if the company would bring one or both the models simultaneously. I'll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Guide: How To Apply For Passport Online

A passport is an important document without which, you cannot travel outside the country. It is also important because it is accepted as a valid address and photo id proof almost everywhere. Getting a passport has usually been a hassle and people preferred to pay off middlemen to save the trouble. However, obtaining a new passport or renewing one is now really a child's play because the entire procedure happens online and is easier than you may assume. In this article, I will guide you through the steps involved.


1. The first step in this process involves visiting the Passport Seva website and registering your name. The registration is free and only requires your minimal personal details.

2. Next, download the e-Form from here passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/Resources/PassportApplicationForm_Main_English_V1.0.zip. Extract the contents of the ZIP file—a PDF file—to your desktop. This is the offline form that you are supposed to fill.

3. Open the PDF document. Choose "Fresh Passport" from the dropdown list in front of "Applying for". Select the type of application as Normal. In case you are wondering, you can also apply for Tatkaal if you need the passport urgently, by paying an additional amount over the normal application fee.

4. Select the radio button in front of "36 Pages" (or "60 Pages" if you are going to be a frequent traveller). Assuming that you are aged 18 years and above, select "Not Applicable" for "Validity Required".

5. Enter your name, middle name, and surname in the appropriate dialogue boxes. You needn't worry about capitalisation as the form automatically takes care of it. Fill in the rest of the details as appropriate by referring to the screenshot.

6. You must also fill in Family Details about at least one of the following: father, mother, or legal guardian. The rest of the details can be filled by referring to the screenshot.

7. In the Emergency Contact Details section, provide the contact details of the person who could be contacted in case of any problem. This can be a family member, relative, friend, or colleague.

8. There is also a References section in which you must furnish contact details of two people who reside near your residential address.

9. In case this application is for renewal of passport, you can fill in the required details about the previous passport under the Previous Passport/ Application Details

10. In most cases, you can safely mark No in all the answers to the queries under Other Details.

11. Check the checkbox near Agree, fill in the place of submission, the date, and click Validate & Save button. An XML file will now be created, which you must save to your computer.

12. You can now log into your account and upload this file to finish the application process.

13. Now that you are done with submitting the application, you are required to get an appointment to physically visit your Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). You can locate your PSK by visiting this hyperlink http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/locatePSK/locatePFCInp.

14. Before you get an appointment, you are required to pay the application fee. You can use internet banking, credit, or debit card. The fees can be calculated by clicking on this hyperlink http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/fee/feeInput.

15. Once the payment is made, select a convenient time slot from the ones provided on the screen to visit the PSK. You will receive a PDF file of the receipt, which you must print to take along to the PSK. Finish off the application process.

16. You are required to carry a photocopy set of documents along with the originals when you visit the PSK. The list of documents required when you visit can be checked at this hyperlink http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/docAdvisor/attachmentAdvFresh in case of a fresh application. The best address proof is a 1-year bank statement, which you can easily get from your bank. Other address proofs will require supporting documents. You will also need a documentary proof of your date of birth. This can be your birth certificate or any certificate such as SSC, HSC, or school leaving certificate from a recognised educational institution. For those who do not have any of these date of birth proofs and have not studied beyond 5th class, a sworn affidavit before a notary stating the date and place of birth as per Annexure A will be required.

17. The status of your application goes live just a couple of days after the application is submitted and you can track it from within your account.

18. Police verification of your physical address takes place after a few days. You may receive a phone call from your local police station to the number you had provided in the application and you must visit it along with the same set of documents as during the PSK visit. In case it takes too long to receive such a call, you can visit the local police station to enquire about whether the application has been forwarded over there from the PSK.

19. Once the police verification of your physical address is done, the application is sent back to the PSK, which sends it to the district police headquarters for final verification, and then it finally goes back to the PSK. After this stage, the passport is printed and couriered to the applicant.

20. The applicant will receive an SMS notification about the passport being sent to the residential address. It is advisable for the applicant to be physically present to receive the passport by providing any valid id proof to the courier. However, if this is not possible, the passport can be received by a blood relative after furnishing his/her id proof to the courier. If there is nobody to receive the passport at the said address, the passport is returned to the PSK and the applicant will have to collect it from there.

Featured Download: Coast by Opera

Platform: iOS 6.0 and above (iPad only)
Price: Free
Size: 14.8 MB
Publisher: Opera Software ASA
Download from here

If you thought that Opera Mini was great for the iPad, you should try Coast from the same Norwegian company. Coast by Opera is essentially a web browser tailor-made for the iPad. The Opera team claims to have built it from scratch, disowning over 20 years of experience with desktop browsers and building Coast from scratch from a tablet point of view.

Coast's UI doesn't look anything like the usual internet browser. It adopts the same minimalistic design approach as the iPad, with a single button that takes you to the home screen and other recently visited websites. The web page occupies almost the entire screen area of the iPad and Coast even does away with the address bar. It mainly relies on gestures to achieve the usual browser commands such as forward and back with left and right swipe. Opera even goes so far as to say that this browser should have come with the iPad. This refreshingly unique and free browser from is definitely worth a try.

Samsung Continues Its Large Screen March With The GALAXY Note 3

While the sane techies may criticise Samsung for its increasing screen sizes in mobile devices, the Korean manufacturer prefers to listen to the majority who want such screens and continues its march by launching the GALAXY Note 3. The new smartphone boasts of a 5.7" Full HD Super AMOLED multi-touch display that should be a treat to view due to its high pixel density of 388 ppi. Despite its large screen size, the device is just 8.3 mm in thickness and weighs 168 grams, which is just about the same as most smartphones today. It is powered by an 8-core Exynos 5 Octa chip (1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 and 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 CPU with ARM Mali T628MP6 GPU) with 3 GB RAM that should provide enough firepower for the most demanding tasks today.

The Note 3 looks better than its predecessor with a faux metallic bezel and a plastic leather rear cover with faux stitching. It has a 13 MP rear camera capable of recording 1080p@60fps and even 4K@30fps. With 32 GB of internal storage, there is a microSD slot to add up to an additional 64 GB. It supports USB OTG with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard, thus becoming the first smartphone to support this interface for faster data transfers with compatible devices. A 3200 mAh battery is present for power backup. Here are the specifications:

• Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean), Google Play
• 2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), Micro-SIM 
• 5.7" Super AMOLED capacitive multi-touch screen with pixel dimensions of 1080x1920 (386 ppi) 
• Exynos 5 Octa chip (quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 and quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 CPU with ARM Mali T628MP6 GPU) 
• 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage, Up to 64 GB via microSDXC 
• 13 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p@30fps and 2160p@30fps 
• 2 megapixel front camera with 1080p@30fps 
• Wi-Fi with hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Infrared, micro-USB 3.0 with OTG 
• 3.5 mm audio jack, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS 
• Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Temperature, Humidity, Gesture 
• 3200 mAh Li-Ion battery

On the software front, the smartphone comes with Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) cloaked by Samsung's TouchWiz UI. Being a Note class of device, it comes with a stylus that automatically launches the Air Command menu once it is removed from its compartment. There are pen-oriented features such as Action Memos (something similar to sticky notes, but using handwriting recognition), Pen Window, Screen Write annotation tool, S Finder, and Scrapbook. It retains the multi-window functionality that has been enhanced to support more apps. Additionally, it can run multiple instances of a single app (thus you can log into multiple instances of an IM client using different IDs from the same device simultaneously) and you can drag and drop content between apps A My Magazine news aggregator app comes preinstalled to keep you updated with the latest happenings around. It also comes with a 1-year subscription for Evernote Premium.

Samsung provides security to the phone with its KNOX application that allows users to store security-sensitive apps and data inside a secure "container". There is also a Find My Mobile feature that allows users to disable the device if it is stolen or lost. This prevents even factory reset of such a disabled device, while the user can still remotely track or erase the data if necessary. With the Indian market in mind, the smartphone comes with support for 11 regional languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya and Assamese. The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 comes for a whopping Rs 49,900. Probably as a consolation, Samsung bundles freebies worth Rs 15,000 with the smartphone, which include preloaded apps and a wide range of services that can be accessed through a special zone called Content Gifts. Also, Note 3 customers on Vodafone network will be able to avail 2 GB of 2G internet per month for two months. The smartphone will be available from 25 September 2013 and can be pre-booked on the Samsung mobile e-Store right away.

Is It Time For Wearable Android Devices? Samsung Thinks So With Its GALAXY Gear Smartwatch

It wasn't just the GALAXY Note 3 that was announced by Samsung; the company also launched its much awaited GALAXY Gear smartwatch in India as a companion accessory. This new concept device is wearable like a watch and normally displays time and weather info, but is actually a gadget that will pair with an Android device to notify the user about incoming texts, emails, and calls with quick previews. Samsung is advertising it to be able to extend the GALAXY Note 3 experience, but it should technically work with any other Android device, at least from Samsung, just as well. Here are the specifications:

• Android
• 1.63" Super AMOLED screen with pixel dimensions of 320x320
• 800 MHz Exynos CPU, ARM Mali-400 MP4 GPU (210 MHz/500 MHz)
• 512 MB RAM, 4 GB internal storage
• 1.9 megapixel camera on wrist band
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• 3-axis accelerometer, Gyroscope
• 315 mAh battery with up to 25 hours backup

The gizmo looks somewhat larger than a regular wristwatch with its 1.63" Super AMOLED screen. It is powered by an 800 MHz Exynos CPU with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. There is even a 1.9 mp camera along with Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Wi-Fi, an accelerometer and gyroscope. The 315 mAh battery is advertised to be able to provide up to 25 hours of backup. The Samsung GALAXY Gear is priced at Rs 22,900, which puts it beyond reach for most aspirants. While I am still a long way from being ready to wear such a large and expensive watch, for those of you who still want to give it a shot, the smartwatch will be available in India from 25 September 2013.

Panasonic Launches HC-MDH2 And HC-MDH2M Wedding Cameras For Rs 79,990 And Rs 84,990

Panasonic has launched two new movie cameras in its Wedding Camera line-up in India well in advance of the wedding season. The models HC-MDH2 and HC-MDH2M unveiled today differ in only the storage aspect with the former having two SDXC card slots, thus at least theoretically supporting up to 2 TB in each slot, while the maximum capacity of such a card available today is 256 GB. The latter sports an internal storage of 32 GB and an SDXC card slot for expandability. In my opinion, it does make better sense to have internal storage as well as external storage when it comes to Full HD recording that these cameras support. Other than the storage factor, the cameras are virtually identical.

Manish Sharma, MD, Panasonic India said during the event,

"With technology constantly changing it allows our brand to push boundaries and create new and exciting products that are customised according to the needs and requirements of the Indian market. With the newly launched wedding camcorder in our AVC cam range, we plan to take customer experiences to the next level making it special by providing them with a rich photographic experience".

The new cameras feature powerful 21x optical zoom and 50x Intelligent Zoom, along with advanced shooting performance for photos as well as movies in Full HD (1080 pixels height). The 5-Axis Hybrid O.I.S. + (optical image stabilisation) and Level Shot Function make sure that you don't have to worry about blurry images due to shaky hands. Additionally, it supports simultaneous recording in the dual memory devices so that videos and images are always backed up. Low light performance has been improved, thanks to the new high-sensitivity sensor that is 1.3 times as sensitive as sensors used in conventional models.

The cameras come with an easy-to-view large 3.0" LCD screen with intuitive touchscreen interface. The recording can be backed to an external hard drive without the need of a computer. With Eye-Fi compatibility, these can also connect to Wi-Fi devices to save files recorded on the card to a PC or upload them to social networks. They are designed with ergonomics and hours of sustained usage in mind with the acclaimed "Ergonomic Stable 4-point Support Design", which are essential attributes while capturing lengthy special occasions such as weddings. Here are some of the salient features of the two cameras:

• 1/2.33-type (17.52M) S-FSI sensor
• 5-Axis Hybrid O.I.S. + Level Shot Function 
• F1.8-F3.5 
• 3.0" LCD (460K) 
• Manual ring (Focus, Zoom, Iris, White Balance, Shutter Speed) 
• 28 mm wide-angle lens for covering a larger shooting area in indoor shooting 
• 21x optical zoom for capturing close-up images of subjects that you cannot get close to and 50x iZoom (1400 mm) 
• Large lens and lens-emphasized design 
• Light weight for easy handling & easy to use LCD layout

The Panasonic HC-MDH2 and HC-MDH2M are available at Rs 79,990 and Rs 84,990 respectively. You can get to have a closer look at the HC-MDH2 before buying if you happen to visit the Gujarat Photo Fair being held from the 20th to 22nd of September 2013, in Ahmedabad.

In case you wish to purchase one of the above cameras, or any Panasonic camera, you can find out the contact nearest to you from the below contact list:

Nokia Lumia Amber GDR2 Update "extras+info"

Nokia has already started rolling out the Amber or GDR2 update for its Lumia handsets running Windows Phone 8 and there is a good possibility that most of you might have already received it and running it. However, there is a likelihood that you may still not be able to access a few of the upgraded settings and may not see the words "Lumia Amber" anywhere as you would expect.

Well, fret no more, because help is at hand. In case you have upgraded your Lumia to the latest update, chances are that it is indeed the Amber update. To be able to access all the new settings, you can simply grab the latest version of the "extras+info" from here. A small 13 MB update will be installed that will instantly reveal the hitherto hidden settings such as glance, storage check, and Call+SMS filter. You will also be able to confirm that you are indeed running the Amber update by looking into extras+info, where it will display "Lumia Amber" under Software release.

Logitech Mashup: A Great Weekend Treat For Tech Bloggers

Logitech held its Media Mashup event on Saturday, 14th September 2013, inviting technology bloggers, reviewers, and gamers for a weekend treat. Logitech was courteous enough to invite me to the event held at The Taj Lands End hotel Bandra located on the Arabian Sea shore where the land of Bandra literally ends and meets the sea. From the start, I was made aware that this is not really going to be a serious tech event, but rather a lively entertainment gala of sorts where everyone can just enjoy the time and interact with each other.

Since I reached a few minutes early, I got a chance to get myself snapped against the Logitech Mashup hoarding. I was told that I will be presented with a framed photo print of the same to take home.

Before the event got underway, I had enough time to take a look at the various music and gaming products recently launched by the company that were on display to get sampled.

The first product that I got my hands on was the Logitech Ultimate Ears (UE) 5 Pro and UE 4 Pro, which is a custom-made in-ear headphone that is not available in India. Where it is available, the company takes an impression of the ear canal of the prospective customer and prepares the silicone rubber buds accordingly to ensure a perfect fit and maximum audio isolation. The Logitech rep said that there are currently no plans to make it available in India. It does sound great and it is a shame that it may not retail here.

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 5 Pro 

There were a few more of the Ultimate Ears (UE) wired and Bluetooth headphones on display including the UE 4500 (Rs 7995), UE 3600 (Rs 3495), and the premium UE 6000 (Rs 17,995) with on-board amp, active noise cancelling, classy neoprene travel case, and with a folding design featuring removable cable.

Logitech UE 4500 and UE 3600

Logitech UE 6000 

The translucent blue UE 900 IEM was the most expensive of the lot costing a whopping Rs 34,995, which is quite a bit when Logitech is still not calling it audiophile grade. It comes with tangle-free braided cables, which can be detached to attach another cable with an inline remote control that works with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Also, it comes with quad armature design and patented Dual-Bore technology that is said to deliver great audio. Eight ear bud sizes are available to ensure maximum comfort.

Logitech UE 900

Logitech also showed off two portable speakers - the smaller and more portable UE Mobile Boombox (Rs 8995) available in multiple colours, and the larger and more powerful UE Boombox (Rs 21,995). Both the devices can work on Bluetooth as well as via 3.5 mm aux connection. While the former can connect to 2 devices at a time and has up to 10 hours of battery backup, the latter can pair with 8 devices, work with 3 simultaneously to work even as a speakerphone, and can continue to play for up to 6 hours on a full charge. The UE Boombox sports a rugged build with the upper half made of aluminium including a strong handle, while the bottom half is polymer with a rubberised finish to prevent it from moving around on the surface on which it is placed, as it plays music. With 8 drivers present behind the aluminium grill, this one really delivers loud booming sound.

Logitech UE Mobile Boombox

Logitech UE Boombox 

Additionally, there were a few gaming (G Series) keyboards and mice to be seen. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to know them enough because the show got underway.

Subrotah Biswas, Director, India & South-West Asia, Logitech, introduced the event to get things started. He talked about engineering and brilliance, and how explained the "When Science Wins Gamers Win" slogan of the event.

Subrotah Biswas explains the technology

Entertainment was next, as magician (or rather mentalist) Karan Singh, appeared on stage and displayed some card magic. As the show progressed, he called up volunteers from amongst the attendees and freaked them out by reading their minds - cool entertainment!

Magician Karan Singh performs

Next up was stand-up comedian Rohan Joshi who lightened up the mood even more with his impromptu hilarious performance. While there was some political satire, it was overall clean adulterated entertainment that shouldn't offend anyone.

After two hours of interactive amusement, it was my turn to take to the stage (of course, with no live audience), as I talked about the Logitech UE Boombox - the product that impressed me the most. A video was shot, which I will share as soon as I get my hands on it. Before I left the event, Logitech reps handed me the aforementioned framed photo of yours truly - a nice memento of the event.

The Logitech Mashup was a nice way to get to know not just the company's products, but also to interact with others, and to get a nice weekend dose of entertainment that should keep me going for the upcoming week.