Hyundai i10 IRDE2 review - Welcoming our new Greyhound

I had plans to buy a hatchback car for my wife this year and she was willing to try her driving skills on Beat but somehow she was always hassled with front dashboard and A-Pillar visibility of this car, We started looking at cars that would suit her driving style and good for 70% city driving and 30% occasional highway trips.

Confused with lot of options available on hand, I had to be mindful of our budget by trying not to exceed it too much and also wanted minimal compromise on interior quality, running cost, fuel economy and resale value of the second car.

Options Shortlisted:
Honda Brio: My wife was keen to test drive Brio, however I was never a fan of Brio’s uninspiring dashboard, front bumper design and extra large visibility on the tailgate door, plus we did not to require additional petrol car powered by 1198cc engine for city driving so I kinda played a spoilsport in cancelling this option for her.

Hyundai EON: We contacted Sanjay Hyundai outlet at Kalyani Nagar for Hyundai EON and Grand i10 test drive, the temptation to go for the Grand i10 diesel version was impulsive, we thought of stretching our budget if needed however bucket seats and front dashboard visibility were an issue again for my wife so had to drop Grand i10 from our probable list. After test driving EON we were disappointed by feeling of low cabin height and cramped leg space with noticeable lag on second and first gear pick-up.

Maruti Celerio: We then started reading through Celerio reviews, and watching TD videos, as exciting the concept of semi automatic gear sounded at the announcement of the car it was dampened with overall styling (both interior and exterior) also looking at overall package offered with Vxi version in Semi Automatic category it did not feel like a VFM offering to us.

We were also skeptical about the semi-automatic gear performance as it was a new offering in the Indian automobile market and this second car would be used by both of us and my driving style in city would have not matched with Celerio, also this car proved to be a runaway hit for Maruti brining good enough waiting period on bookings which was another downer.

Surprisingly we had being overlooking i10 on our list and when all options dried out we decided to take it for a test drive and this time I contacted Kothari Hyundai, Kharadi outlet as our experience with Sanjay Hyundai was disappointing, their staff was just willing to sell a car as fast as possible coaxing us to hurry up on documentation by instigating fear of price rise just to close a deal before month end, not even willing to offer any freebies etc.

My wife took i10 test drive and she found it perfect for her, so finally our car hunt was over, We booked i10 Sportz version and I was impressed by the overall experience at Kothari Hyundai starting with documentation, working out finance arrangements, staff attitude and promptness in dealing with queries right up to Gudi Padwa which we choose as delivery date for our new car.

I did not want to press much on freebies so only opted for mats, mud flap and a reverse parking sensor with LED. We got 3M underbody coating done with paint protection package additionally and opted for extended warranty on the car.

I am writing this review at completion of 1700 kms drive, and car has undergone first free service at Kothari Hyundai Workshop in Kharadi.

Next Gen i10 is what Hyundai calls 2014 IRDE2 version goes to validate continuing popularity of i10 in keeping sales alive even after introduction of very successful Grand i10.

Interior
I liked the black and beige two tone interiors in i10 as it does not produce unnecessary glare on windshield while driving during day, A touch of chrome on door handles and ac vent adds to the premium appeal of i10 interiors.

Hyundai i10 feels less roomy than Chevrolet Beat both in the rear and front section however it has got apt leg and headroom for the driver though to provide a comfy ride. Front seats do not offer very good thigh support, If you push driver seat too behind for getting extra comfort for your legs, rear passenger may experience cramped leg space.

Rear seat can accommodate 3 regular size passengers, not sure if all of them would feel comfortable for long drives. It would be better for 4 passengers max.

OEM Music player: Hyundai i10 Sportz has a 2 Din music player with door fitted speakers; it was a pleasant surprise for an audiophile like me, as I liked audio quality of the music player as it packs just the right amount of bass and thump for your songs while maintaining tone clarity. Shuffling music while driving is little distracting so have to be cautious.

Performance: 4 Cylinder 1086cc IRDE2 engine feels refined and perfected for city driving, you do not feel rear body weight of i10 while driving at all which makes it easy to steer around in city traffic. Steering feedback feels little different at the center while driving at high speed. 

Tilt steering feature is useful and gear shift indication is another value add for new drivers, Rear windshield view is little wider as compared to Beat also A-Pillar is not obtrusive which offers good visibility around corners.

Gear shift: Gear shift is smooth to operate and EPS is very responsive than Chevy Beat

1st Gear: Responds well to pedal acceleration, does not feel sore on engine when you rev it or drive at slow speed.

2nd and 3rd Gear: I liked pick up on 2nd and 3rd gear in this car compared to Chevrolet Beat with no engine knocking at all even when car came almost to a standstill while driving beyond 2nd gear, which means less gear shifts during heavy traffic conditions.

4th and 5th Gear: i10 cruises well in city while driving on 4th and 5th gear; engine response is peppy and smooth. The moment speedometer crosses 80kmph mark and above 2000 rpm engine starts feeling little cranky, need to test it on highway to see how well it performs during high speed driving.

A/C: Pune’s simmering heat does take a toll on aircon, I found cooling inside cabin taking some extra time during afternoon when mercury touches extreme levels as compared Beat’s AC.

i10 scores well on braking, suspension and ground clearance. Only features I would miss in this car would be rear viper and spoiler and the option to get a Bluetooth enabled music system with steering controls.

Exterior styling does not change much in 2014 Hyundai i10, overall design still looks fresh.
 
Boot Space: 225ltr boot space is good enough for light luggage while on small trips and for regular shopping items while driving in city.

Fuel efficiency: Clocked average of 13.85 kmpl, 12.20 kmpl and 14.24 kmpl on 3 full tank refills, decent to start with. Mileage has improved after first free service, not sure how far car can run when the fuel refill LED starts blinking. 

After Sales Service Experience:
Service appointment booking process was easy and I liked upkeep of customer lounge area at their service center, it is a busy place during weekends so better to give car for servicing on weekdays, gives you enough time to explain anything specific you have to highlight to the attendant as he goes around taking notes.

Service attendant also explained what work would be carried out during first free service; allowed enough  time to inspect car post servicing was completed. We were also in for a surprise winning a silver coin in some promotional offer running when we brought the car.

Overall Impression:
Pros:
Easy to drive in city, smooth gear shift.
Good ground clearance and suspension feels improved.
Excellent OEM music player and speakers.
High quality plastic material used for interior finishing.
Easy ingress, egress and offers comfortable posture for driving.

Cons:
Placement of A/C vent on main dashboard awkward for driver, chills directly on fingers while driving.
Limited leg room for rear passengers can result in uncomfortable long drive for 3.
Missing option for rear wiper and Bluetooth enabled music system.

More updates on mileage and A.S.S experience to come ahead.




 

HTC’s New Flagship – A Preview of the new M8

With Samsung launching the S5, the mobile market in India got a new superstar to look up to. Not be left far behind, HTC has come out with a new handset called the ‘M8.’ The new phone from HTC looks really good on paper and we look forward to the launch of yet another awesome mobile.

General Features:
HTC was one of the earliest manufacturers to put out Android phones on a large scale. Looking at the arsenal this phone comes equipped with, it’s no surprise that this is one of the most anticipated handsets in recent times. HTC might have slipped off the radar for most people with Samsung and Apple continuously in the news, but make no mistake about the M8, this phone is a top of the line device.

The phone’s exterior is made of molded metal and it’s quite stunning to look at. With dimensions of 146.36 x 70.60 x 9.35mm, we feel this phone’s size is quite optimum and we’re glad HTC hasn’t succumbed to making phones bigger thereby becoming less comfortable to use.

With a 2.5 GHZ Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, this phone looks like no slouch and with Android 4.2.2 and HTC’s Skin Sense 6.0, you won’t be surprised to find out that tech geeks all over are going gaga over this device.

The rear camera on this phone is an interesting one. HTC says it’s a 4-ultrapixel camera. Dodgy nomenclature aside, we’re really looking forward to trying it out in the real world and see how it performs. No surprises with the front camera though, with a 5MP lens and HTC’s track record in this domain; we expect selfies and video calling to be nothing short of spectacular.




What We Expect:
The phone is going to be launched in India any day now. This phone promises to be something special. To a great extent, it might represent HTC’s resurgence in the Indian market. The features and the composition of the handset indicate that a lot of thought has gone into the making of this phone. We think things in paper look good at the very least and we’re eager to try out the new 4 ultrapixel camera.

Verdict:
The HTC M8 looks like a solid device and HTC seems to have gotten it right this time around. We’ll be reviewing the phone when we get our hands on it. But from what we’ve seen, we like it.

Summary:
It might surprise some to find out that at one point of time, HTC was the brand selling the most Android phones in the world. How things have changed! However, with the new M8 which has a bold new design and some really stellar features, things could be looking up for the Asian manufacturer.  

Nikon D3300 DSLR Review

For many years now, the interest that people have shown towards photography has been growing. As a result, the majority of photography enthusiasts want a DSLR! With professional level DSLR’s being expensive; many companies now offer entry level cameras that incorporate elements of professional cameras at a fraction of the costs. One such camera is the Nikon D3300.

Design:
The chunky feel of a pro level camera is evident in the D3300’s design. It feels really robust and good to hold. First off, the model comes in two colours – black and red. The model ships with new Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II kit lens. It uses a retractable lens barrel design, making the overall package about 30 per cent smaller and 25 per cent lighter than its predecessor. With the lens on, it weighs only 650g.

Technical Features:
We were really impressed with the 24.2 MP lens. It has 11autofocusing (AF) points, 3-inch fixed LCD screen and 420-pixel RGB sensor metering system. What this means is that there is no dearth of in-built horsepower to tackle challenging lighting conditions in order to take pictures. New for this model is the Expeed 4 image processor, higher ISO setting of 25,600 (from ISO 12,800 previously) and a faster shooting speed of five frames per second (from 4 fps in the D3200).

The mode dial, command dial and rear four-way directional pad are all within easy reach of my right thumb. In front, to the left of the lens mount, a customizable Function button can be used to access ISO settings or white balance. The retractable barrel of the lens may save space but you do need to unlock it before powering up. This is done by pressing a button on the barrel and rotating it to the focal length of 18mm. If not, even when the camera is switched on, you cannot take any pictures.

Performance:
Let’s talk about the quality of the pictures first off. They’re good; Period. Don’t be fooled by the entry-level tag of the camera, this is a seriously efficient and powerful model that wouldn’t disappoint you. Image quality is really good and we were really impressed with the clarity and depth of images.

Colours have a magical feel that has become Nikon’s hallmark over the years and the best part is that even if you’re not satisfied with this (We can’t think of any reason to be) you can always swap the lens! Also, you will notice few noise artefacts until ISO 1,600. Pictures are still usable even at ISO 6,400, when detail loss and colour desaturation are more evident. But higher settings are not recommended.

The D3300 manages about 700 frames on a full charge, which is above average for DSLRs and certainly a big improvement over its predecessor's 540-frame battery life.

Powering up and shutting down takes only 0.4sec, which is normal for entry-level DSLRs. Shutter lag is also about 0.4sec. Using an SD card with a writing speed rated at 45MB per second, the D3300 can take eight RAW images in 1.6sec before the buffer runs out. AF performance is mixed. Almost instantaneous in bright light, it may take more than 2sec to lock on to a focus in dim lighting, even with the aid of AF-assist light.

Verdict:
Great features, easy to use and a variety of settings make this a great first DSLR. If you’re just getting into photography, this is our pick.

Summary:
With so many cameras in the market right now, it’s difficult to settle on one. As far as entry level devices go, the Nikon D3300 is a great camera offering superb image quality and is easy to use. We really liked it and recommend it to DLSR rookie.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Preview

Introduction:
The consumer electronics market is moving ahead at breakneck speed. In this, the mobile phone industry seems to be the one churning out new devices literary by the day. In the mobile industry, two manufacturers stand out as the bastions of power – Samsung and Apple. With the latest iPhone garnering some praise and offering something new to the consumers, it was only a matter of time before Samsung came out with its flagship device. Enter the Galaxy S5.

Technical Stuff:
With regards to the specifications, the Galaxy S5 has pretty much everything you’d ever want or need in a mobile phone. The display is Full HD and the dimensions are just about the perfect size for a mobile - 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm. We expect the phone to sit well in the average person’s palm.

Combining an Adreno 330 GPU with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor (The Indian market is expected to see the S5 sport a Exynos processor) and a Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 CPU, the phone sits at the apex of the smartphone market. We expect this to ensure glitch-free performance and make multi-tasking a breeze.

What’s New?
With every new Galaxy model, especially the high-end ones, we mobile geeks are curious to see if there are any new, interesting features. Well, Samsung hasn’t disappointed. Based on what we know of the phone, it has some really cool new features. It’s got a fingerprint sensor that you can not only unlock your phone with, but also make online payments as its PayPal certified. What good would a brand new phone be if it couldn’t survive the elements, right? Well, this bad boy is IP67 certified which means dust and water can’t harm the phone. And you can even take it swimming – it’s water resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
 
We’re also curious to try the 16MP camera. It’s got many new features like 1/2.6'' sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization and HDR.


What We Expect:
Let’s get one thing straight – Samsung has set some insanely high standards. Every year, with the release of a new flagship galaxy model, the Korean manufacturer takes things up a notch. With the S5, that’s exactly what they’ve done. The S4 was a brilliant device; the S5 its evolution. There isn’t a sea change or something drastically different, that we expect, it’s just that Samsung has moved with the times and made a phone that perfectly captures the Korean Phone Maker’s position in the market.

Verdict:
We can’t wait for this phone – simple as that. It’s got so many awesome features that we can’t wait to try it out. This is going to a big hit and we’ll have a full review soon. Watch this space.

Summary:
The S5 is the latest flagship model and it’s an eagerly awaited one. The S5 is the latest addition to the Galaxy stable and of course it has some great technical features. We like what we’ve seen so far and will be back with a full detailed review when we have our hands on the phone.

Are you awake or still dreaming?

 

Am I awake,yes; Am I dreaming, yeah still dreaming and captivated by one of the best action film, written and directed by The Wachowski brothers, Matrix turned 15 this year on 31st March.

Well known for it's VFX brilliance and a strong sci-fi plot which ushered a new pop culture all together, there's lot to the world of Neo and Trinity, I still relish watching this trilogy like any other fan, here are some interesting posts to relive the Matrix experience all over again.

15 Years Later The Matrix Still Has Us (IGN.com) 

Tech Legacy of Matrix (Techdigest.tv)

NASA helps develop Matrix-like robot that slips in through your belly button (Independent.co.uk)

15 things you never knew about The Matrix (news.co.au)

15 Years After 'The Matrix,' Neo Is Still The Best Hero Ever (huffingtonpost.com)

7 Pre-Bullet Time VFX Effects That Blew Our Minds (indiwire.com blog)

Physics and Philosophy

My name has prominent reference to physics as a stream of science in general which is based purely on facts, “Bhautik” also signifies everything we see, smell and feel, it is known as one of the names for lord Shiva and above all it signifies materialism and I associate this aspect of my name strongly with my personality.

A major part of my childhood I was called by my pet name which my grandparents gave me, which is equally close to my heart, Luckily I never got joked about my name in school or anywhere else which is not the case with some peculiar Indian names.

When I relate my taste for sci-fi movie genre to my name, I get interested in every story and concept that defies general laws of physics, this madness started with matrix and then the fantasy world of nerd philosophy and prophecies which intrigued me is filled with ideas, concepts which seem impossible right now however they have started looking like a possible future to me.

A part of me yearns to enjoy many materialistic pleasures  which motivates me to excel and strive hard most of the times, however there is a part of my personality which is like a mirror reflection to my name that involves drifting away from reality and traversing my thoughts on everything abstract, mysterious and unknown about this universe.

It feels like a gift to have a consumerist outlook without any guilt, be selfish when you need to be without worrying about the wrong and right and also be thankful for what we have, contribute your bit to help anyone in need as far as possible, stand strong for people who care for you, people who trust you to deliver and make an effort to know unsaid expectations of your loved ones and meet them as far as you can.

Life brings you challenges that are not painted in any color, we have a choice to paint them black or white based on moral codes we learn and adjust to which do not necessarily follow a set guideline always, confusion paints these challenges grey.

Following the very basic concept of Physics, when you try finding answers to questions in your life by observing your own behavior in different situations and experimenting with workarounds, lessons learnt etc. We eventually learn to stop painting our challenges in grey.

I don’t know if my name falls under the old school library of traditional names now, however I do like it because it was my mother who decided to keep this name for me, the one whom I never saw or even have a faint image of her in my memory as she passed away due to jaundice illness when I was 6 months old.

It is said that Physics and Philosophy don’t mix well, but they can co-exist in perfect harmony and my name feels like just the right ticket to travel between both worlds.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Review

 
Cameras are one of the most widely used consumer gadgets in the world today. With the advent of technology, cameras have consistently come to be sold within a lower price-point. One such camera is the Nikon Coolpix S2700.

Nikon is a celebrated camera maker and it’s no surprise to see the company come out with some very interesting devices. We’ll be reviewing the Coolpix S2700, a value for money camera that punches well above its weight.

Design:

With the Coolpix series, Nikon focused on ensuring that the camera would appeal to a wide range of audiences. As a result, its usability is top notch. Also, it’s great that the camera is available in a wide variety of colours such as red, black, silver, pink, etc.

Features:

The camera is equipped with a 16MP lens. This comes with a 6X optical zoom and a wide-angle 26mm to a 156mm telephoto coverage area. The Nikkor lens used on the device is an industry standard and its great to see this on a camera at this price-point. That, along with the EXPEED C2 image-processing engine is what’s responsible for those awesome shots. Other notable features include Smart portrait system and Subject tracking, Eye-Fi card support and crucially, Motion blur reduction. The camera records 720p HD videos.

Performance:

When we tested the camera, we were blown away by the quality of images and videos, and the sheer features on offer in the device. For budding photographers, one of the best features is the Scene Auto Selector, which automatically chooses the ideal photo setting for you. What this means is that you take some really great photos irrespective of the kind of surroundings and lighting conditions you’re in. Other modes include scene selector which selects the most suitable of six scene modes viz., Portrait, Night portrait, Landscape, Night landscape, Backlighting or Close-up.

The 16MP lens is powered by a CCD image sensor and this yields high-resolution images that reproduce even fine details. Your pictures are rendered quickly and faithfully, while all onboard systems run with optimum speed and efficiency, courtesy of Nikon’s EXPEED C2 image-processing engine. After that, you can apply the on-board filters and effects such as Soft, High key, Low key, Nostalgic sepia, Selective colour and High-contrast monochrome when shooting pictures or movies.

The camera records 720p HD videos. This makes it an ideal choice to record weddings and other celebratory events.

Verdict:

The camera is a fantastic device for the price and scores high on value for money, quality of photos and images, and usability.

 

Summary:

The Nikon Coolpix S2700 may not look like much, but it’s a fun-filled device packed with some really great features. The camera offers a terrific bang-for buck.  

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Review

Introduction:
Samsung has released quite a few models that are derived from the top of the line device at that moment in time. With the launch of the company’s flagship phone in the S4, the S4 mini, we find out is a worthy sibling capable of much more than what meets the eye.

Features:
What make the device great are its impressive set of features, especially considering the class the phone is in. It has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display qHD (960 x 540) resolution, 8MP camera with a 2MP front facing one and a dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with 1.5GB of RAM.

One advantage for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is that the camera has a full suite of adjustable settings, such as white balance, ISO, exposure, HDR and a large number of filter and modes. Overall, The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has the look and feel of an S4, except with a smaller size.

Usage – Camera:
One of the most important features on mobile phones these days is the kind of camera they possess. The 8MP main camera is a delight to use. We found images to be very clear, sharp and vivid. There was none of the colour loss or bluish tinge that mobile cameras normally have. Also, the Full HD 1080p video recording is stunning! We were pleased to see that the phone captures sound in a fantastic manner.

The front camera is 2MP and it’s great for selfies and more importantly video calls. It serves its purpose as a much-needed accessory in today’s market.

Performance:
When we review a mobile phone, we rigorously test how well the phone performs in real-world conditions. That means testing games, work related applications, camera features, battery life, phone endurance and the ability to multitask. The hardware is a big reason why we could get so much out of this phone. 

We ran various benchmarking tools and the inference was simple – this phone packs a lot of punch. With regards to the connectivity, it has all the latest Wi-Fi support as well as 4G/LTE support. The battery life isn’t the longest of all phones out there, but it’s more than just acceptable – we got a day’s usage from this phone. Also, the phone’s light weight means that we didn’t really notice a big phone hanging in our trousers.

Verdict:
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is a really great phone. It packs the best features of its older sibling in a compact package. We feel this is a great device and if you don’t feel like getting the S4, this is the next best thing you can get.

Summary:
Samsung’s S4 is its flagship model. The company has launched the S4 Mini which incorporates the best features from the S4 in a convenient package that’s sure to appeal to a host of consumers.

Asus Transformer T100 review

PC industry and Windows OS are partners bracing storm of Android gadgets and Apple devices which have flooded mobile/computing market. Just read a news update today on weak Windows 8 licence sales, It validates problems in store for Microsoft which do not seem to go away very soon.

I have used iPad 2 before and currently using Nexus 7 for quiet some time now, when it comes to tablets I always felt these offerings are perfectly portable and best suitable for entertainment & function well as consumption devices overall.

When it comes to offering actual productivity option, they fail on most fronts even with a big library of apps, so when I thought of buying a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, I had to resist the temptation of excellent stylus support on a big screen and wanted to prevent myself turning into a complete Android fanboy.

Windows netbooks had caught my attention when they were launched, Intel Atom processors back then were not equipped to be zippy and fast, there was always an element of compromise associated with them. Recent launches of Windows 8 hybrid tablet/laptop devices from various manufacturers brought my interest back to Windows OS again.

Asus Transformer Book T100 is one hybrid Windows 8 offering that gives you perfect bang for your buck. Starting with the overall build of the tablet, it feels sturdy and premium even with the plastic material used and rubberized base of the detachable keyboard gives you good grip to carry it around. Using T100 as a standalone tablet feels heavy on hand after holding it for a while. Tablet fits in with detachable keyboard perfectly holding it firm and on the left hand side of the tablet you get a volume rocker which feels slightly tacky to operate and there is a button below it to enable Windows 8 metro mode.

On the right hand side of the tablet you have micro SD card slot, USB charging slot, a micro HDMI port. speakers are well placed on the rear end of the tablet, surprisingly loud and clear, however they can be obstructed by your palm while you are holding tablet in landscape mode. Using this tablet in portrait mode feels odd to start with on Windows 8 metro interface, do not even think of using it on regular desktop mode as they screen layout gets badly skewed.

Keyboard keys are aptly spaced and I am composing this article from the detachable keyboard with no hassles or mistyping issues. Intel Atom Z3740 Bay Trail processor is snappy and handles regular browsing, document editing and other desktop tasks with ease, processor did not show any signs of lag while using multiple apps in multi-window mode. Have not yet tested processor limit with any graphic intensive game or any software/app using high memory. 

1366 x 768 pixel display is okay to work with and I would not delve into the ppi comparison here with other tablets because as an alternative to my HP G62 laptop I don't have any complaints. Tracking pad on detachable keyboard is not so useful and it is better to use a wireless mouse. T100 has only a single USB port for attaching any external USB device so you may have to invest into a USB hub and I have got 32GB onboard memory version of Asus T100 and going to upgrade additional storage by 64GB micro SD card.

My browsing experience on this tablet was beyond expectation and nothing like I have seen in any other tablet used until now, very fast and watching YouTube videos in full HD mode felt more vivid and smooth. Windows store still feels like a lonely place even with some notable apps from iOS and Android ecosystem making an appearance, Microsoft would have to get serious about the app ecosystem if they want to give Windows OS a possible last chance to put up a decent competition to other operating systems.

To sum it up Asus Transformer Book T100 is a priced well at Rs 32,000 and getting a home and student edition of MS Office 2013 with Windows 8.1 makes it more attractive. The biggest advantage using this hybrid device is it's battery life and currently I have clocked 8-10 hours of battery back up on two charge cycles which is what I desire from a portable gadget.

I strongly recommend this tablet if you need a mix of entertainment and productivity along with good battery back up.

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2

Dual-SIM phones have been extremely popular in India. At the same time, the smartphone revolution has resulted in most people owning one. The only people missing out were the dual-SIM crowd. Samsung has released some models that aim to correct that, but they’re reserved the best for now. We finally got our hands on the Galaxy Grand 2 – the latest offering that caters to two SIM cards from Samsung and boy, we’re pleased with what we’ve seen. 

Design:

The phone’s dimensions are 146.8 mm x 75.3 mm x 8.9 mm. The screen is 5.2 inches and the bezels around it are quite slim. What this translates to is a phone that’s comfortable to hold in the hand. The faux leather covering adds a touch of class not seen in a phone in this segment.

 Display:

The first thing to notice about the display is that it’s great in every way. The 5.2 inch screen offers great clarity and viewing angles. The resolution of 1280 x 720 pixel means that Samsung has taken care to ensure that the display is compromised in no way. The colours are vivid and the images sharp. 

Camera:

The 8MP camera takes high resolution photos and videos at 720p. We found the camera to be superb for a mid-range device and the responsiveness and focus of the lens to be nothing short of stunning. It does a great job of capturing the colours and lighting. Also, the noise levels were low and distortion was the least of the phones we’ve found in phones in this range.

The front camera is 1.9MP and does an effective job in fulfilling its functions as a front facing camera. It takes decent photos and shoots some good quality video.

The Technical Stuff:

The device has 1.5GB of RAM running the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system straight out of the box, and this version of the smartphone offers dual SIM support. There is 8GB of onboard storage that is expandable up to 64GB via microSD card. Connectivity comes in the form of Wi-Fi, GPS/A-GPS, 3G, micro USB, and Bluetooth. 

Performance:

Like all Samsung devices these days, the phone seems to have everything well in place. The architecture of the interface and the usability of the phone is nothing to complain about. For people who’d use two SIM cards, Samsung has made sure that you can receive data on both simultaneously. The ease of use is great and we found no problem multitasking and running all of our favorite apps. 

Can Micrsosft save PC industry in 2014

2014 is witnessing a slow but significant change in Microsoft’s policy to gain ground in phone and tablet market after PC industry has witnessed a year of dismal growth in 2013.

Nokia Lumia phones are steadily gaining acceptance amongst consumers as a strong alternative to iOS and Android ecosystem, but when it comes to saving their PC market bastion it is going to be a convoluted affair for Microsoft. CES 2014 saw a slew of portable computing devices announced which included some portable hybrid computing gadgets based on Windows platform.

PC manufacturers tired stabilizing dropping demand since past 4-5 years with netbook and ultrabook variants however they still continued to be dependent on two major players of computing industry, Microsoft for Software and Intel for chipset. Google’s continued effort on Chromebook has also started showing results as it gained 10% market share last year in computer market.

Microsoft failed to realize that manufacturers like Samsung, LG and HTC who adopted Android and Apple with iOS had already started eating into their market by chopping off PC demand in mobile and tablet segment, while the Redmond Goliath was still dreaming to make big bucks continuing to sell Windows OS and MS Suite. Intel was smart to realize their huge potential of carrying its streak of innovation within mobile and tablet segment.

In the meanwhile Manufacturers like Dell, HP and Lenovo also realized the importance of building a safety net in moving away from long surviving but dangerous business model of just focusing on PC and Laptop production if they had to keep the business going, and eventually Microsoft also got on to the tablet bandwagon announcing Surface.

Microsoft took time in gaining initial traction within the tablet segment due to confusion around positioning of Windows RT and the full fledged Windows OS, personally to me a Windows RT tablet with best of specs would not be a value proposition product, given its limitation to run legacy Windows programs. 

What we are now seeing is that Microsoft has started allowing OEM partners to come up with cost effective hybrid computing products having excellent battery backup that run on full Windows 8.1 OS, some of them coming with free preloaded MS-Office home and student suite, something I could not imagine even 3 years ago, even Nokia 2520 tablet has generated good amount of interest amongst consumers.

It is important to drive mass adoption of a refreshed category of Windows devices if Microsoft has to survive the current bloodbath, subsidizing OS and productive suite app like MS-Office would in turn increase potential for expanding Windows App platform and the ground work for this available now courtesy of Nokia Lumia series.

I have been reading a lot of stuff post CES 2014 on how Microsoft kept away from such key event and it was heading towards an impending doom which cannot be reversed.
I tend to disagree with such views because Microsoft as a brand has continued to maintain a strong presence amongst consumers and if they play their cards right, path to revival would get much easier and year 2014 could mark a paradigm change for computing industry. 

Plobal: Map Your Agenda With Plobal

Location. Location. Location.
It's not just a real estate mantra anymore, especially when the biggest question on everyone's mind is 'Where?' - Where to party, where to hang, where to grab some food, where to listen to live music, where to avail exciting offers...and the list goes on.

The answer lies in Maps.

Plobal.com brings you this detailed, yet intriguing bird's eye view of the most happening events and places, all charted out neatly on the map of your city. And contrary to popular belief about maps, these aforementioned Maps are downright easy to read, and what's more, they're surprisingly enjoyable to look through. 

Sign in or sign up with Plobal.com to find out, go places, or simply look around at what the city holds for you. Also, +1 for the sheer convenience of simply zeroing-in on a preferred location on the map, rather than scrolling down the page, the traditional way - although that is also an option for those who choose it. You can also 'Favourite' the brands and places you like to stay on top of their offers, events or news.

Plobal provides filters to hasten your search and focus your attention to Food, Nightlife or Recreation. The most helpful feature however, remains the real-time updates that the Maps provide, keeping you in sync with the pulse of the city at all times. Plobal has seamlessly integrated its services, such that it helps you not just to pick a place or event, but takes you places, showing you what next.

So go on, see (http://bit.ly/PlobalMaps) for yourself! Or better yet, head right to Plobal.com and let Plobal take you places! 

Nokia Lumia 1520 Review

Forget the processor, memory and other technical things that brands have been fighting over on whose superior over the past few years. These days, it’s phone size. Phones have been consistently getting bigger and it’s no surprise to see some truly big phones launched. One phone among these new smartphones with a huge screen is the New Nokia Lumia 1520. The first big handset launched in India after the Microsoft buyout, the phone has garnered a lot of interest from both, the tech community and the average person on the street. We got out hands on one of these models; let’s see if it’s worth the hype.

Design:
Like we mentioned, the phone is quite big. It’s not as if we have trouble holding it, it’s just a big phone. The construction feels really solid and the bevels around the huge 6 inch screen are quite slim; more on the screen later. The polycarbonate un

ibody construction has become something of the norm for the Lumia series and we’ve been quite pleased with it since its inception. The only thing we didn’t really like was the location of the camera – its susceptible to smudges because out fingers always landed on top of the lens.

Display:
The display on the phone is a 6 inch Full HD one and its does look stunning. It’s one of the best we’ve seen on smartphones and everything, to the tiniest of details is scarily clear. The response time of the screen to touch was brilliant and we’re convinced that this is the screen to beat for any future handset out there.

Technical Details:
The phone is powered by a quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and comes with 2GB RAM. It also has 16GB internal storage which is expandable up to 64GB by using a micro SD card. The connectivity options are excellent with HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps UL, 150 Mbps DL, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot and it’s one of the few devices to be 4G enabled. The battery in the device is a 3,400mAH and it lasted an entire day for us with heavy use. 

Camera:
The cameras on the Lumia series of phones have garnered a lot of attention. The Lumia 1520 comes with a 20 MP camera on the back. For every photo a user takes, it captures it in two resolutions – a 5 MP one and a 16 MP one. Image quality is course excellent. However, we’ve observed that if you do know a bit about photography and can assign parameters accordingly, you can take even better photos than what you would in auto-focus mode. The video recording is nothing short of stellar. Videos are captured in Full HD and are crystal clear in every aspect. 

Performance:
When we used the device, we’ve found it to be nothing short of spectacular. The phone runs on the latest version of Windows 8. The fast processor and 2GB RAM aid in making multi-tasking a breeze. The camera is also superb and would easily stand up to other phones in its class. The battery life too is fantastic and lasts a long time – good news for power users. Overall, we were impressed with the phone and the OS. Windows has come a long way in the mobile space and it’s refreshing to see it to make an entrance with a bang.

Verdict:
The Nokia Lumia 1520 is an absolute beast of a phone. It combines states of the art hardware with some intelligent design features, least of which is the 6 inch Full HD display. It is quite possibly the best Windows Phone on the market and we had a ball using it.

Summary:  
Nokia has launched an ambitious device in India. The Lumia 1520 features top-notch hardware and is a top of the line handset that is sure to grab a lot o attention in the Indian market. 

Micromax Canvas Blaze Review

Micromax has become one of the most well-known brands in India. The company has introduced new handsets on a regular basis and the Canvas Blaze is the latest model to be released. Building upon the trending Canvas platform, this device is primarily targeted at the youth segment. The Canvas series of phones are phablets, that is, they combine some features of a tablet and a phone into one; the most prominent one being a big display.

Display:
The screen on the device is a 5 inch touchscreen with hardened glass. It has a resolution of 480 X 854 pixels; the screen clarity is quite good considering the segment the phone falls into. The colours appear quite vivid and image sharpness is also quite acceptable.

Technical Specifications:

The phone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor clocked at 1GHz and also features 768mb of RAM.  The phone runs stock on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean; we expect Micromax to roll out an upgrade to Android 4.3 soon after the launch though. Like almost all Android devices, the storage can be expanded using a memory card and the phone offers a host of connectivity options including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE and 3G.

The one interesting thing to note on this device is that it’s one of the few, if not the only device to support 3G-EVDO networks. That is because it’s a dual-SIM phone with one slot for MTS’ CDMA network.

Camera:
The main camera is an 8MP one while the 0.3 MP camera on the front completes the set. The main camera shoots great pictures with sharp outlines and vivid colours. The balance of these images is quite good and overall, we liked the quality of photos. Videos are recorded in 720p HD and look acceptable. There is the distortion that you’d expect from  a camera in this range, but it’s nothing that we’d complain about.

Battery:
The 1850 mAh battery provides enough juice to last a long time. The battery lasted an entire day and some more when we used the phone for watching videos, listening to music and surfing the net. Also, we noticed that the phone does charge quite quickly and this is something we really liked considering the target audience of the device.

Performance:
At the core level, the phone is directed towards the youth. From that perspective, the phone functions as you’d expect it to. A huge emphasis is given to the media (images, camera, videos, music, etc.) side of things. The battery life is quite impressive and the core design of the phone reaches out to the target segment, Micromax has joined hands with telecom major MTS for the launch of this brand new device. 

The Micromax Canvas Blaze comes with bundled offers from MTS which include 2GB of free data, 1000 free minutes for MTS to MTS local calling, and 120 free minutes for other local and STD calls, all of which are applicable per month for six months.

Verdict:
The college-going crowd will love this phone. The primary audience of the phone has been kept in mind while designing all the aspects as we believe the phone is bound to be a big hit in that segment.

Summary:
Micromax has achieved a phenomenal amount of success in a relatively short span of time. The Canvas Blaze is another offering in the Canvas line of phones from the Indian mobile manufacturer. The phone is catered towards the youth and has an impressive set of features that would entice the target audience.

Alternate Link Building Avenues – A Panacea To The Current Chaos

Keeping pace with the recent Google updates, the most important challenge that lies ahead of all we digital marketers lies in finding continuously authoritative link building avenues. These avenues don't only need to be viable as a long term opportunity for building links but also very authoritative from the Search Engine perspective. Below are the few methods which can be used for building relevant links in the current scenario-

Flippa Auctions
Flippa is a marketplace where the domains are being auctioned and purchased 24*7. When one has a site which deals in cloud computing, the job is simple. All one has got to do is go to flippa and search for cloud computing. We get an extensive list of all the top ranking domains for sale. Eg: We searched for the keyword 'cloud computing' & these are few of the 87 results that flippa threw back –

 Based on the USPs of each of the domains (the USPs are provided), we can pick up the one which comes closest to our domain. For eg : - For a domain related to cloud computing, we can pick up something like cloud computing point. We analyze the backlinks to this domain using open site explorer. And with that, we have got our hands on to an extremely rich avenue of links which can definitely help a site.

Also we have scope to analyze the most Active Listings, New Listings, Just Sold Listings, Ending Soon Listings, Top Ranking websites & much more. Given below is a screenshot of the active listings which again provides us with a couple of potential domains.








  
Moodle CMS
Moodle is a software package for producing Internet-based courses and web sites. It is a global development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education.

Moodle is provided freely as Open Source software. Basically this means Moodle is copyrighted, but you have additional freedom. You are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not modify or remove the original license and copyrights, and apply this same license to any derivative work
We can use the same moodle for getting a backlink from .edu sites for domains.

Moodle is used by a variety of institutions and individuals including:

• Universities
• High schools
• Primary schools
• Government departments
• Healthcare organizations
• Military organizations
• Airlines
• Oil companies
• Homeschoolers
• Independent educators
• Special educators

In terms of community discussions, there is a lot going on Moodle. There are Forums, Events, Registered Sites & Connected Sites. The CMS gives a sureshot avenue of link using Registered Sites & Connected Sites option. However it also gives a chance to get backlink from .edu sites using Forums as most of the people active on these forums are from different international universities.

If there is a particular service which a site offers in a particular geographic region, we can get in touch with the university representative and have a backlink from a particular .edu site. For eg: If we have a domain which is an internet service provider in Canada, we can get in touch with a Canadian University representative and offer Internet Service for the university students. Such people always prefer discounts for the students since they are managing studies with work. That again is something which can be used to build on for a good pitch.

Surveys
Another potential avenue for linking building is survey. There's generally a two-step process to attracting links with surveys.

The first step is asking people to participate. If it's on a particularly interesting topic, we will reach out to bloggers, experts, and industry news sites to ask to spread the word both on their blog and on social media sites which will be a great way to attract the first wave of links. One can use a site like Monkey Survey to create the survey.

The second step is releasing the results.  These results can be released on the sites like  Survey Savvy

These are just a few techniques which can be used in the current mayhem that Google updates have been playing upon digital marketers. However our quest just cannot end here as Google always has & will focus on providing the best search to its users. Quality Link Finding & Link Building is an ongoing process which needs to be filtered from time to time keeping abreast with Google updates & changes in algorithms.

Author bio:
Aaditya Shah works as a Search Marketing professional at SMG Convonix. He loves every aspect of digital marketing especially content outreach & link building. Closely follows Google updates & algorithm changes & loves to continuously experiment with SEO to decode the mystery around web search. A complete foodie!! -his hobbies include playing Cricket & watching movies.  

Reel Rewind 2013

First movie I watched in 2013 would be G I Joe Retaliation; it was not exactly a worthy successor to the first version even if it was slightly high on the action quotient. I felt the storyline succumbed to usual save the world plot before the villain hits the red button, something similar to the ending of Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.

Iron Man 3 was the perfect summer blockbuster that brought out character of Tony Stark we all wanted to see, Shane Black did not just bring in the regular heroics coated with CGI awesomeness of the man in Iron Suit but the movie packed enough soul to become highest grosser for 2013.

On other super hero movies watched this year, Superman’s reboot may have done well commercially however there was something lacking in the story and too much CGI destruction used to portray raw and brute power Superman possesses which dampened all the excitement generated during the first half of the movie, Wolverine’s return to silver screen was much better than the Origins movie and I liked Ross Emry’s cinematography and pacing of story in James Mangold’s direction.
Thor 2 was a kind of passable flick for me, some type of filler for Marvel towards the year end.

Tom Hiddleston is great at playing Loki’s character, I felt that the director missed on concealing Loki’s return twist towards the end, as it was very much evident that he does not die in the fight with Malekith on Svartalfheim.

Next disappointment came in Star Trek: Into Darkness, in spite of J.J Abrams sticking to all lens flare tricks and camera angles throughout the movie, this one fizzled out all the hype and buzz created by introduction of character Khan in Benedict Cumberbatch Chris Pine playing Captain Kirk continued to be portrayed as a brash and impulsive character deciding to sacrifice himself for the crew towards the end, enough to evoke some strong emotion of grief from Spock.

This series needs a new director seriously if Paramount Pictures decide to take audience for another ride to places in galaxy never traveled before.

Fast and Furious series lives up every time to basic expectation you have from a high octane flick like this, we keep seeing something new and different in terms of action, stunts and Paul Walker would surely be missed in upcoming sequels. He became a strong central character in this series next to Vin Diesel, only problem was with the movie ending was the airport runway fight scene which seemed like an endless stretch of land mass on which a plane just does not take off.

Vin Diesel played to his strength as an actor again in Riddick movie, carrying entire story on his performance it was an enjoyable movie sci-fi movie overall, watched with no expectations and was not disappointed.

Elysium, Oblivion and World War Z were my best sci-fi movie picks for 2013, all these movies were strong on story and screenplay, Marc Forster created a realistic zombie pandemic, though all infected population was quiet swift in attacking people around and not just walking around slow and lazy to be shot in the head. I could strongly relate to characters portrayed by Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in all of these 3 movies. At times A-List actors tend to become a casting mistake in sci-fi movies which was not the case here.

Elysium and Oblivion portrayed a near perfect abode floating close to earth, like an object of desire and the only solution to end misery of human population on a degraded and barren earth, such concepts draw you deep into thinking how badly are we ignoring the upkeep of our own planet hoping to shift somewhere else some day, but what if such place never existed or could never be built.

One romance movie that moved me a lot this year was The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrman created a masterpiece out of this adaptation, first the soundtrack got me hooked and then I like the way Leonardo Di Caprio tries to woo his leading lady back in his life, with a hope that she would return to her true love on her own will even though he had all the money and luxury in this world to get her back, creating a period drama on a backdrop of a love story is really commendable.

One movie I would surely regret missing out on this year would be undoubtedly Gravity, I hope Pune get's an IMAX screen very soon.
 
Here’s a list of some Hindi movies also which I liked this year, as it has being a great year in terms of box office collections for two main blockbuster movies Krrish 3 and Chennai Express, with Dhoom 3 yet to work its magic on big screens.

Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Kai Po Che, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Chennai Express, Krrish 3, Ram Leela, Aashiqui 2, D-Day, Special 26, Go Goa Gone, Aurangzeb, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns, Ek Thi Daayan, Race 2, Fukrey, Mickey Virus, Raanjhanaa, Shuddh Desi Romance, Grand Masti.

Nokia Lumia 525 Preview

Let’s face it, not everyone has tons of money to spend on a top of the line mobile phone. A lot of really high-end phones have been launched recently, but is the majority of the public really consider buying them? This is where value for money phones comes into the picture. They do contain most of the key features and possesses enough girth and muscle to get things done. They do leave out a few things but then again with the target price-point, they’re giving you bang for every buck. In the same segment, comes a new phone courtesy Nokia. The Nokia Lumia 525 is one such phone. With anticipation building before its launch, we preview the latest device from Nokia.

The Lumia Series:
The Lumia series came about as a result of Nokia and Microsoft’s partnerships. The phones run on Microsoft’s Windows Operating System and have been well-received by the marketplace. The first phone came out in 2011 and since then Nokia has come out some really great phones. Now that Microsoft has bought out Nokia, expect to see a more integrated Windows environment in Nokia phones. 

What’s new?
The Lumia 525 release market gives an indication about the kind of phone it’s going to be.

The phone will be launched in India, parts of South-East Asia and Africa. The phone will also feature a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1GHz processor; a first for a device in this price range. Also, the phone features Windows 8. The screen is a 4 inch WVGA screen with Nokia’s Super Sensitive Touch technology. Also, the RAM sees a bump up to 1GB – great for faster speeds. The phone is also expected to feature tons of Nokia’s apps – Maps, Photo editing and from a more visual perspective, the phone is also going to be sold in different colours. According to Nokia, the phone will be sold in three colours - dazzling orange, radiant yellow and luminous white.

What we expect:
The device will be launched in India very soon. While it will be launched in Singapore first, we expect the device to garner a lot of interest in India. Given that it does have some good features in addition to a proven operating system like Windows 8, the allure of two technology behemoths Nokia and Microsoft is sure to attract a host of people. A huge selling point for the phone is built-in Microsoft essentials like Office and Outlook – great for people who like to work when on the move.
 
Verdict:
Honestly, while Nokia has released some devices in the ‘value for money’ category, we feel this is the pick of the bunch. They’ve clearly learned from their mistakes of the past and have resorted to create a better handset for the markets in which the phone’s launch is going to take place. We’ll be eagerly waiting to see how well the phone performs in the Indian market, but as of now, we think the phone’s is a good place and won’t do too badly.