Celluon Magic Cube - Evolution for Keyboards

Celluon Magic Cube–Tap on Table and Get a Keyboard

                       
Celluon Magic Cube is a laser projection keyboard device. It also works as a virtual multi-touch mouse. It is one of the most revolutionary products packed in a small device. The device projects a full-size keyboard on any flat or opaque surface. The magic cube requires very less space to operate. The device can be used for tablets, smartphones, laptops and desktops. It is compatible with the latest mobile devices like iPad, iPhone and many other products that support Bluetooth. 

It is small and ultra-portable. Equipped with a long-lasting lithium battery, the magic cube can run for hours without any hindrance. The device also has a standby, power on and off mode. It is easy to turn the device on or off by just tapping on the projected surface.

A user needs some initial practice to type on this keyboard as it works on infra-red projection and not with physical keys. Initially, one can learn by using only one or two fingers and then move on to the next step of using both the hands on the keyboard surface to type. The typing is accompanied by a keystroke sound. It also works as a virtual mouse which can be operated by the tip of the finger. It is compatible with Apple iOS 4 or greater, Apple Mac OS X or above, Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, Microsoft Windows Phone 7 and Google Android.
 

The magic cube is an accurate, full-size laser projection keyboard and it is light in weight and portable. This device will be available at Reliance Digital stores.

Article penned by experts at Reliance Digital

Memories that create stories

We all love to relive and cherish favorite moments from the past, memories also have emotions attached to it which go on to create some unforgettable stories to share for the rest of our lives, I stumbled upon an interesting website last weekend which aims to become a platform for sharing such memories and that too of our Indian subcontinent.

I find this as a really interesting initiative which helps in sharing some less known facts of our own past probably lying unnoticed in some dusty photo album, memoirs of our parents, grandparents etc. In this age of digital overdose finding handwritten letters feels so great, we have grown up reading biopics and references to famous leaders and personalities in our history however individual stories and experiences across culture, religion, caste creed etc. have the power to transport us back in time.

Check this website Indian Memory Project and also a video presentation from their YouTube channel which would surely strike an emotional chord, just in case you have some interesting stuff to share from your Family Archive, photos, letters (Pre 1991 period) you can share your submission on this site to be reviewed and published.

Apple MacBook Air review

When Apple comes out with a new product, customers worldwide expect any one of these three qualities: cutting-edge industrial design, new technology or new standard.  In current times when the world is hogging to “cloud-centric” technology, MacBook Air is a combination of all these three perks.  It is a revised version of the pioneer MacBook Air notebook- the world’s thinnest laptop.  

Designed with famous uni-body engineering technique, this 11.6 inch MacBook Air is the smallest laptop made by Apple.  There are two versions available of this recently launched device, 11.6-inch and 13-inch. The specifications, design and dimension remain the same for both Airs.  The device is light in weight, sturdy and easily portable. The screen can be lifted easily with a finger. 

Fixed with black keys in an aluminum case, MacBook Air does not have a keyboard which is back-lit. As a cost-cutting measure, Apple would have not included back-lit keyboard in the device. A back-lit keyboard usually makes low-light computing easy. The track pad of the laptop works smoothly and inclusion of buttons on it is done in a smart way. The user should not worry about the similar looking Power button, because the device switches to sleep mode rather quickly. 

Many changes have been made in the past to increase the screen quality of Apple laptops, this display screen in MacBook Air is really good as it offers great horizontal viewing angles and average vertical angles.  

 

It has 1366 X 768 pixels of resolution in 11.6 inch screen and 1440 X 900 pixels in 13-inch model. The display of the colors on the screen is averagely glossy. One noticeable thing in this laptop is the absence of glass cover on the screen. Though it is meant to do away with extra weight, the edge-to-edge black bordered display is replaced with an aluminum strip. The sound from the speakers is clear, crisp and commendable while comparing it with the laptop size. It would produce enhanced results when combined with external speakers or a pair of headphones. 

Dealing with connectivity, the users will strongly feel the dearth of USB 3.0 and Ethernet ports. It is fully equipped with 802.11a /b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. There is a SDSX card reader in the bigger version, but the smaller version doesn’t hold any card reader slot.  Much to the disappointment of its users, this current Air version uses Core 2Duo chip which runs at 1.4GHz.  

Overall,  MacBook Air is small, sleek , light and stylish.  This device has the best-in-class trackpad and a full-sized keyboard. However, absence of Ethernet, USB 3.0, card slot and no backlit keyboard are some points to be taken into consideration before making the purchase decision. 

The review is written by experts at Reliance Digital.

Apple’s iOS7 reveal – was it really “iConic”?

 

Apple revealed a refreshed version of iOS 7 at the WWDC 2013 event on 10th June, enough to get social media channels buzzing again with views and opinions. Catching up to Android and also drawing inspiration from other mobile OS'es is clearly evident from this reveal and the new skin looks dressed up more like a bubble gum color scheme, this is what you can come up with Jonathan Ive? Head to mycolorscreen and you would see how creative people can get on Android. Apple’s iOS eco system does not offer even a fraction of such flexibility to fiddle with.

 

(Know more about how you can customize your Android phone here)

 

Taking a jab at Android’s fragmentation is becoming outdated debate, Android is available across multiple vendors on different handset models which have variety in phone specifications that allow Android’s penetration at so many price points.

 

You cannot run Windows 7 or Windows 8 smoothly on a Celeron processor today, there are so many customers across globe who still want to stick to Windows XP even after MS decided to phase out all support for this OS, what matters is even with that outdated OS the power of computing reaches out to so many people and same goes for Android, Would Apple allow a company like Micromax to port iOS on its low cost tablet and share profit’s with them? Answer is a clear NO. It is beyond logic to expect Jelly Bean to run on all Android handsets or tablets.

 

Apple sells just one iPhone which is always priced as a luxury product when a new one comes out, they found strong consumer base in US and European market and have being more or less happy with that maintaining their walled garden of iOS all this while.

 

Only recently Apple has started marketing iPhone strongly in India in partnership with local vendors, launching EMI schemes that have worked for this Cupertino giant, when it comes to product innovation Apple has got some breathing space to take a lead on Android as Samsung has stuck to just one design and look across its entire recent Galaxy series launch recently and there was no new Nexus device announced at Google I/O 2103 event.

 

While iOS 7 reveal was in progress, one could make out that next iPhone could very well come close to a 5 inch screen size and get little wider as well, which would prove to be a positive move, rumors are also floating about Apple launching a low cost iPhone which is very unlikely.

 

Anyways check JB OS7 skin made by a user – Shmogt, he has come up with a set of files which allow you to make your Android phone resemble iOS 7 (requires additional app downloads from Google Play to enable the entire look and feel), I have used theme pack files made available by this user and managed to get the iOS7 look on my Galaxy S4 (video clip below)

 

On a lighter note, here's a meme on what could have happened after the iOS 7 reveal

Man of Steel Movie Review

I have continued my weekend movie marathon outing from March this year leading up to Man of Steel today, Bryan Singer's Superman Returns garnered mixed reviews post release, which prompted Warner Brother's studious to go in for a re-boot again.

I felt this attempt to revive Superman's story from it's origin by Zack Snyder does not do justice to Superman franchise overall, problem with re-boot stories is that as audience we expect something better from the previous versions; while one can have trouble accepting a director's vision for that centrifugal character in the movie.

Christopher Nolan's association with this movie as producer should have being reversed, Zack Snyder should have pumped in money limiting himself to making slick trailer which he is actually good at and Nolan should have being allowed to get behind camera. 

Henry Cavill is an apt choice to don Superman's cape and casting of other actors is all fine, however like Batman Begins took long enough to set the tone for Batman's character to emerge out of dark shadows, similarly Man of Steel's plot takes its own sweet time to bring our superhero out of his anonymous abyss and when the action begins it goes non-stop without taking a pause which took me back to Bryan Singer's version of Superman returns which had moments in storyline which were balanced to action extravaganza.

Man of Steel storyline moves little like "Lost" TV series narrative style where you get pulled back into past life of Clark Kent growing up battling his unique gift he feels it makes him a freak and the odd man out explaining why he choose to remain elusive from the world all this while, when he finally comes out as the Superman in front of humanity offering himself to save earth from General Zod, it is all fireworks from here.

Though all the mayhem and explosions, environmental damage caused by alien ships etc. look very realistic this CGI overload dilutes story further and you start getting a feeling of watching a Mortal Kombat fight waiting for KO moment to close in. During some sequences you feel Superman zooming to rescue like a dog intercepting a Frisbee throw grabbing it out of nowhere, awww so cute. Well it's not because he looked more like another DC Comics character Flash in these frames.

It is not a bad movie overall to watch it once;but it fails to spark the excitement Iron Man 3 left behind this summer and Zack Snyder should return to sepia tinted canvas of his action movies, like Sanjay Leela Bhansali keeps his world in movies painted all in blue.

My expectations washed away with Man of Steel as I came out of Inox which also partly spoiled this movie outing experience, last row seats are not comfortable and screen looked too small for this 3D movie, ambience around the screen was more distracting, if you are not a Superman fan avoid seeking some thrill tomorrow in case rains blew away today's champion trophy match excitement between India and Pakistan. Superman may have to take flight again some time in coming years as Man of Steel movie ended failing to prove it's mettle thankfully without a hint of sequel in pipeline.

Connect with Technology - XpressWay

Reliance Retail to Come Up with Digital Express Stores across Mumbai

Reliance Digital, the consumer durables arm of Reliance Retail has come up with customized solutions of technology. Reliance Retail has focused on concept stores to cater to the various needs of Indian consumers. Carrying forward this vision, Reliance Digital is launching customized stores under the brand Reliance Digital Express in Mumbai. These stores will be operational in Bhandup, Bandra and Prabhadevi areas from 18^th May 2013.Reliance Digital Express stores would offer consumers a different experience on latest technological devices used in everyday life. 

The idea behind Digital Express was to create awareness about the latest technological advancements taking place across the world today and bringing them together under one roof. At these stores,  you can get various home security systems, all kinds of information about how to use the latest electronic and wireless devices , viz. how to use video calling from your latest gadget, how to stream movies directly from the cloud or how to use high tech camera enabled intercoms. The well-trained team at Digital Express stores will help to solve any queries and also guide you through choosing the best-fit option available that suits your needs.

Reliance Digital Xpress outlets will have latest gadgets including smartphones, ultra books, HD speakers, music players, smart TVs and many more such gadgets which symbolize a better lifestyle. As a part of its launch program, there are many exciting offers on products where you can get discounts, freebies and gift vouchers on any of its stores for the first three days.  

The stores are designed considering the intrinsic requirements of gadget freaks. As for example, it lends a corner to experience each gadget individually in its own environment.  It will create a superior shopping experience for its customers. Branded as the world’s coolest technology store, these series of stores will open new arenas of using customized technology equipment’s. Reliance Digital Express is an addition in the kitty of Reliance Retail, the retail arm of Reliance Industries Limited. Reliance Retail is the largest retail chain in India and is set to expand even further in the upcoming years.  

Technology is getting exciting in recent times, evolving at a rapid pace which requires you to get comfortable with these changes to make your life less complicated, so hop on to the Reliance Digital Xpress and experience Technology much easier than before.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Bugs

Galaxy S4 has rushed through "shipped" figures reaching 6 million in 15 days, and early adopters have started reporting bugs like overheating cases, battery drain and most common one is the camera bug that freezes the phone and causing phone to reboot.

If you can manage to use Better Battery Stats app to understand what are the processes/wakelocks causing actual battery drain on your S4, it is a good app to use, else if you prefer simple data on battery draining apps try Wakelock Detector

Excessive over heating needs attention and fixed on time with replacement if required, do not play around till your phone gets damaged.

Coming down to Camera Bug, try this option on your S4 going into Settings - More - Developer Options (Enable this section clicking on it 7 times) - Scroll down to Apps section - Limit background processes - Select "at most 4 processes"

Screenshots below

This is a kind of temporary solution that worked for me worth trying until Samsung comes up with a proper fix in any next firmware update.

BTW, Google announced availability of Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock android going on sale in US in June'13, really doubtful if Samsung would allow Google to put this handset on sale in India else it would be a great alternative to get rid of Touchwiz bloatware which has eaten up a lot of internal storage memory.

 

***Jun'13 Update:JDQ39.I9500XXUBMEA Firmware***

 

After upgrading my S4 with the above mentioned Jelly Bean 4.2.2 Firmware version, my phone has crashed twice. Once when I switched it off on low battery and powered it again for charging it frooze on boot animation screen and I had to perform a hard reset, 2nd time it happened due to a flash light app that got stuck and after rebooting same issue.

 

One thing to note is that this firmware version does not increase the internal storage size from 8.83 GB to beyond 9 GB, it only updates internal available memory to 8.90 GB. Camera bug issue seems to be fixed now and OS seems more responsive and fluid.

 

I noticed good standby battery back up with regular use on my phone though after the firmware upgrade, screen below.

 

 

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review





I enjoyed using Galaxy Note for the past 1 year and when Jelly Bean was finally made available, I still thought it would last through the final OS upgrade release - Jelly Bean 4.2.2 as announced by Samsung.

Jelly Bean upgrade caused performance issues on my Galaxy Note straining phone processor and RAM post which I uninstalled lot of apps which were not used often and re-formatted phone to factory preset once, this did not help much and I noticed battery draining slightly faster in spite of keeping features like smart stay off.

After Galaxy S4 was announced in March’13, what got me interested in this phone was the arrival of New Exynos 5 processor on-board with octa core processing capability and obviously added perk of getting next version of Android OS Key Lime Pie upgrade when it happens in future.

Just the right time to upgrade on to Galaxy S4 with fresh hardware and some new OS features packed into this offering from Samsung; however I was also looking at Note II as an option since it is equally good on hardware specs and with a 3,100mAh Li-ion battery as it still stands as a great upgrade for original Galaxy Note consumers.

Personally I feel a 5-inch screen best suits my preference for a smart phone, and going beyond this screen size is good enough to get a tablet with calling facility rather than changing mobile phones blurring the line between a “Phablet” and Tablet these days.

I ordered Frost White S4 on the day Galaxy S4 was released in India via Samsung’s E-Store, received phone over the weekend with promotional accessory content (Regular Flip Cover and S-View Flip Cover) eligible for first 400 online orders, here’s my take on this phone to check if it really qualifies as a strong contender among top Smartphone’s of 2013.

(Please note: My review has reference to difference in overall hardware and android experience from original Note, I have not used or tested iPhone 5 / HTC One to draw any comparisons here in terms of performance)

Design and Form Factor: Being a little thinner than Galaxy Note, Galaxy S4 has got elegant looks with modern design. Metal band that wraps around the phone body adds a touch of premium finish to the otherwise plastic body criticized a lot on Samsung flagship phones.
Presence of this plastic cover does hurt some customers for a phone on which you are spending good amount of money; if you wish to replace OEM cover there are some good aluminium metal based S4 cases available on Global EBay website to shop for. Going by some rumours Samsung has already started taking this feedback around plastic body into consideration for next Galaxy Note 3 launch planned later this year.

Many reviewers felt Samsung should have not stuck so close to S3 design which is true as even in India among the Galaxy phone range like Galaxy Grand, Galaxy Win and Galaxy S Duos look very similar in design. S4 is not a head turner in any aspect.

Galaxy S4 comfortably fits into trouser pockets even with 5-inch screen size, this is with the S-View flip cover, however it feels little tacky while using with single hand around the edges due to the extra screen space created by minimizing bezel area, so handle with care. You can extend your thumb across screen diagonally during regular usage slightly better as compared to Galaxy Note.

Screen:  Full Super HD AMOLED display (1920 x 1080 pixel) does leave a good impression on your visual senses, S4 has clarity of 441 pixels per inch, much ahead of iPhone 5 (326 ppi) and the Galaxy S3 (306 ppi), however I could related to similar slick display on my Galaxy Note screen earlier after it received Jelly Bean OS update, eventually it falls short to qualify as a game changing feature.

Watching a 1080p HD video locally stored on the phone or streaming is where you would notice difference in clarity and crisp output, in terms of colour reproduction darker shades come out little over saturated. Under the display option in settings menu you can find Adapt Display feature which automatically adjusts the colours and saturation of the display based on what you’re doing on the phone to give you the best display settings based on your task.

Auto Brightness feature is easy on eyes on S4 while operating at night in a darker ambience around though the smart screen feature does not work in such condition, I could not get such brightness adjustment options on Galaxy Note earlier without using an Android app called Lux Auto Brightness.

Phone and Software features: Samsung S3 and Galaxy Note II users would not notice a big shift in the overall feel and look of Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS, however accessing it on S4 is much smoother and lag free. Installing apps over Wi-Fi and 3G from Google Play Store is fast and improved in comparison to my experience from Galaxy Note.

Air Gestures and Smart Scroll aim to bring a touch free interaction for consumers, tried smart scroll on default android browser which was able to track my head movements, still this kind of technology would take time to perfect as it struggles to track subtle movements.

Air view feature feels little odd to use sans the S Pen, text magnifying air gesture did not seem to work on the stock browser, Air gesture feature for accepting and rejecting calls worked well. There is an option on the phone under help section to explore all these new features on Galaxy S4 which you can try.

Another addition to the feature list is the option to include widgets on your lock screen which also come in handy to offer you quick access to frequently used apps. There’s a unified messaging hub also available, this is a feature I feel should have being made available on the home screen rather than just the lock screen.

Watch ON app allows you to operate your TV and DTH device from your phone and download program listings, It worked on my Phillips TV, yet to try on Tata Sky DTH as it requires mapping by set top box manufacturer name, I was also able to transfer S Memo data from my Galaxy Note back up to S4 seamlessly.

S Health is a fitness companion app to watch out for as Samsung has additional accessories lined up to launch which would sync data to your phone via this app; it allows you to track your walking steps and other exercise activities along with recording your daily calorie intake.

Samsung Apps and Samsung Hub have undergone a complete UI overhaul, I liked the overall design and layout of these apps however they also hog a good amount of phone memory while bringing in this rich UI experience and the way Samsung Hub has being categorized into Videos, Books, Games and Learning, Samsung is making a futile attempt in trying to compete with heavy weights like Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store with limited content and lot of duplicate apps which are already available on Google Play Store.

I also doubt if I would ever be able to use group play app the way it is being advertised, other additions like Optical reader (Augmented reader), S-Voice, Story Album and S Translator complete the Samsung app suite on this phone.

Battery: Removable 2600mAh battery on S4 takes roughly 3 hours to full charge. I have being able to squeeze an entire day with my usage pattern similar to what I had on Galaxy note. I am happy with the battery performance as it is giving me better back up than my earlier phone, yet to subject this phone to continuous usage for identifying heavy usage results.

Test 1 Result
22 Hours 40 Minutes with:
1) 3-4 hours of WiFi + 3G Usage on phone and tethering 3G connection with laptop.
2) 40 – 50 minutes of Google Navigation usage with both GPS and 3G on
3) Regular voice calling usage, auto brightness on
4) No Gaming at all

Test 2 Result

23 Hours and 30 minutes
1) Watching video clips on phone, YouTube videos – 2 hours
2) Downloaded Iron Man 3 game (above 700 MB from play store on Wi-Fi)
3) Playing games for 1 hour
4) Regular voice usage, auto brightness on
5) No 3G or tethering.

Camera and Video: Galaxy 4 also brings in a fresh look to the Camera UI making it easier to cycle through 12 preset picture modes on screen rather than hunting for them inside camera menu while taking a picture. S4 camera allows maximum picture resolution of up to 13 Megapixels (4128 x 3096). Anti shake option is available for both video and picture modes.

Clarity of videos shot at 1080p is very good, however videos get little grainy in low light conditions. Switching to video mode from picture directly commences recording with a momentary pause, you can try using a mix of slow and fast shooting modes while compiling a video montage.

Photosphere feature available on stock Jelly Bean may not make an appearance on Samsung phones; rather a similar S Orb option is touted to be available first on Galaxy Note 3 later this year, some other notable camera features listed below

• Dual Camera feature works both with pictures and while shooting video.
• Sound shot allows you to record audio for up to 9 seconds after you click a picture
• Drama Shot captures a time lapse image stitched together binding a series of motion shots
• Animated Photo creates a gif image which can be customized with option to choose animation direction on the image.
• Eraser Mode allows you to remove unwanted subjects from your photos which requires you to keep your camera preset on this mode while camera is in use, this is not a post processing feature so if you want to erase anything from your photos already clicked, try an app by the name Touch Retouch.

Storage: I wanted to highlight Galaxy S4 storage specially due to limited space that would be available to customers right out of the box, even before you get started with your app and game downloads on the phone memory, on a 16GB phone you would be getting only 8.82GB of free space, the rest is being used up by stock apps that come preloaded on the phone and some for system based files as communicated by Samsung, adding misery to this issue is Jelly Bean OS restriction on moving apps or game to SD card.

So even getting a high memory capacity micro SD card is not going to help much if you download a lot of games and apps on your phone, which is not the case with HTC one at least, though it comes without expandable memory slot it still leaves around 25GB free space on a 32GB Phone.

Concluding Observation: Galaxy S4 definitely scores high on the hardware specs with as the benchmark scores from this phone are way ahead of iPhone 5, S3 and Galaxy Note 2 numbers by a big margin, combine this with Full HD display with addition of nifty software features. Where it disappoints is on overall design and phone memory issue.

If you are using Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note or any other Android smart phone with a plan to upgrade; S4 is worth your money, Please do check HTC One as well because it is an impressive offering from HTC from what I have being reading and hearing about this phone, for now these two Android phones are the best to choose from. Sony Xperia Z also managed to generate some initial buzz however it is struggling to keep up with the sales post release.

Samsung would have to innovative on design with the next Galaxy flagship phone as they have themselves overcrowded the entire galaxy series with plethora of phone models which all look identical reducing the overall uniqueness of any new offering in this series.

Do you think Galaxy S4 would be able to maintain a lead by the end of this year in the smart phone race, or HTC one would prove to be a formidable competition this time around, leave your comments.

Benchmark Pics below:

For more pics visit here (video review in progress)

DPreview.com has conducted a super shootout camera comparison between Samsung Galaxy S4 vs HTC One vs Apple iPhone 5 vs Nokia Lumia 920, link here