Nokia Lumia 620 officially launched in India at Rs.14,999

The brand new Nokia Lumia 620 has been officially launched in India and it hit the market at a competitive price of Rs14,999.

Launched in December 2012, it is the cheapest Windows 8 smartphone in the country.

At the price at which it is launched, this device is up against handsets like the HTC One V at Rs15000 and the Samsung Galaxy S Duo, with both handsets having similar specs.

The handset is available at any Nokia India Store. Available in colours ranging from white, black, cyan, green, magenta and yellow, the Nokia smartphone is delivered within 7 days of pre-order on the site. The Nokia India store also provides EMI facilities for the phone.

SPECIFICATIONS:
It sports a 3.8-inch TFT WVGA display (800X480) with ClearBlack technology, features a 5-megapixel rear autofocus shooter capable of 720p video recording and has a VGA front camera on-board as well.

The device is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 512MB RAM and has 8GB internal storage with microSD support upto 64GB.

Windows Phone users can also make use of the additional 7GB SkyDrive storage.

The smartphone boasts connectivity options like NFC, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. It comes with a 1,300mAh battery claiming up to 15 hours of talk time (2G) and many hours of music playback.

The Nokia Lumia 620 will feature a Live Tile interface for updates to the Start Screen, PeopleHub and a Me Tile along with other Windows Phone 8 functions.

The distinguishing feature however is Nokia's own set of Windows Phone apps including Nokia Music and Nokia City Lens, among others, which are not available on other Windows Phone devices.

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India makes an average of 13 requests per day to Google for personal web details

In signs of growing Internet snooping by the enforcement authorities, India made an average of 13 requests a day to Google for access to personal web details of web users during 2012.

In terms of the number of requests for web user details during 2012, India is next to only the US, which made 45 requests a day on an average -- the highest for any country.

The US made a total of 16,407 such requests to Google during 2012, followed by India's 4,750, France's 3,239, Germany's 3,083, UK's 2,883 and Brazil's 2,777 in top-five.

The number of requests from all these countries rose in 2012, while the worldwide total also rose by 20 per cent in 2012 to 42,327, as per Google's latest Transparency Report.

The number of such requests from India also rose by about 20 per cent in 2012 from 3,946 in the previous year.

On its part, the US-based global Internet giant Google provided part or full information to the enforcement agencies from India for about two-third of the total requests received by it during 2012. The compliance rate was much higher at 88 per cent for requests received from the US.

Google publishes data for requests about user details, as also for removal of content on its various platforms, including Search, Images and YouTube, on a six-month basis.

Google received 2,319 user data requests from India during the first half of 2012, while the numbers rose to 2,431 in the second half of the year. The number of user accounts associated with such requests rose from 3,467 in the first half to 4,106 in the last six months of 2012.

The company said it regularly receives requests from governments and courts around the world to hand over user data and the number of such requests have increased with growing usage of its services every year.

Regarding the requests for removal of content, Google said that such requests are also received regularly by it from government agencies and courts around the world.

"Governments ask companies to remove content for many different reasons. For example, some content removals are requested due to allegations of defamation, while others are due to allegations that the content violates local laws prohibiting hate speech or adult content," it said.

In respect of content removal requests from India, Google said: "In response to a court order, we removed 360 search results (during first half of 2012). The search results linked to 360 web pages that contained adult videos that allegedly violated an individual's personal privacy."

As per the latest available data, Google received requests from India for removal of 487 items through court orders during January-June 2012, while another 109 items were requested to be removed through police or executive orders.

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Karbonn Retina A27 with Android 4.1 available online for Rs. 9090

Karbonn has added yet another budget Android smartphone to its Duple series. Dubbed as the Karbonn Retina A27, the device is now available with online retailer Saholic for Rs. 9,090

The device comes with a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) IPS display running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It features an 8-megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera as well.

On the inside, the device is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor alongside 512MB RAM. It has 4GB of internal storage (2.79GB user accessible) with expansion support upto 32GB via microSD.

The Karbonn Retina A27 is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device with dual standby support and comes with an 1,800mAh battery. It supports an array of audio (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WAV, MIDI, AMR) and video (MP4, 3GP, AVI) formats. Image formats supported include JPEG, BMP, GIF and PNG.

Pre-installed apps on the smartphone include Flipboard, News and weather apps, Facebook and twitter. Connectivity wise, the device boasts Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G, Bluetooth with A2DP, Micro-USB, GPRS and EDGE.

Other offerings from Karbonn in the Duple series include Karbonn A9+ and A21 priced at Rs. 9,990 and Rs. 11,990 respectively. The devices were launched in November last year.

The company recently launched the Karbonn S1 Titanium featuring a 4.5-inch qHD (960×540) multi-touch capacitive touch display, Android 4.1and a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU for Rs. 10,990.

Karbonn Retina A27 specifications

4.3-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) IPS display

1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor

512MB RAM

4GB of internal storage (2.79 GB user memory) expandable up to 32GB with microSD

8-megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash

2-megapixel front-facing camera

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps), Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS

Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) with dual Standby

1,800 mAh battery

Android 4.1

9.1 mm

126.5 grams

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Sony Xperia Z : Review

Sony Xperia Z has a beautiful screen that supports full HD resolution, but it lacks the contrast that adds life to images and videos. Viewing angles and sunlight legibility (even with the brightness cranked to the max) of the screen are also below par. However, the pixel density of 441ppi ensures there is no pixilation and content appears crisp and vivid.

Camera and multimedia:

A 13MP primary camera is strapped on the back of Xperia Z and comes with two modes - standard and superior. You get to click 13MP photos with the former, while latter restricts the image size to 12MP. However, the advantage of superior mode is that optimises various parameters in accordance to the scene you are capturing in order to get the best possible result. The photos clicked with this mode are much better than that in standard mode.

< p> However, the image quality in both modes is far from what we expected from such a powerful camera. The images suffer from slight noise under lowlight conditions and colours are not true. But the contrast level and white balance of the pictures are good. If you want to click photos for Facebook and Instagram, this camera will do well, but do not expect it to replace your point and shoot camera despite the 13MP sensor rating.

The 2.2MP front facing camera does its job well during video calls.

Coming to video playback, Xperia Z benefits from its full HD-capable screen that handles high resolution videos at high bitrates with ease. Sony Mobile Bravia Engine 2 makes video viewing a thoroughly enjoyable affair by making images clearer, sharper and more natural.

The audio output also pleased us with xLoud mode turned on. The video player pulls details of movies you have added to your library from the internet, just like Infinity feature of the music player does for lyrics.

Rivals:

Well, Sony's biggest rival in India right now is HTC Butterfly, which also has a full HD screen and an equally powerful processor. Other rivals include Nokia Lumia 920, BlackBerry Z10, while it will also have to contend against Samsung Galaxy S IV and LG Optimus G Pro when they hit India.

Nokia Lumia 920 and BlackBerry Z10 boast of a different user experience as compared to Android smartphones. Nokia's flagship boasts of an amazing camera and WP8 OS, which offers a refreshing change from Android and iOS interface.

On the other hand, BB10-powered Z10 has unmatched security features and software optimisations that will please corporate buyers. But both of them lose out to Xperia Z due to its more powerful processor, better display and durability.

Now let's talk of a more evenly matched opponent - HTC Butterfly. During our review, we found it had an equally potent chipset and gorgeous screen, among other features. Sony gains an edge over Butterfly due to its sturdier build quality and relatively higher water and dust resistance. Butterfly looks more elegant than Xperia Z, though opinions were divided within our team. However, the rather noticeable price difference of Rs 6,500 puts the odds in the favour of Sony's new flagship model.

As Samsung Galaxy S IV and LG Optimus G Pro are yet to arrive in our hands, we reserve our judgement in this matter.

Our take:

Those who believed in Sony's capabilities will be graciously rewarded with a thoroughly enjoyable time with Xperia Z. It is a very capable smartphone that offers a fluid user experience and top notch computing power and a beautiful screen. It gains a considerable edge over rivals due to its relatively lower price tag despite similar features and will provide all that you need from a top-end smartphone. It is a very good phone when you consider the features it offers for Rs 38,990, whereas rivals cost Rs 45,000-plus.

p> We feel that if you are in the market for a full HD smartphone with enough number of apps without crossing the Rs 40,000 price barrier, then Xperia Z is the phone for you.

What we like:

Compact size
Display performance during video playback
Powerful processor
Water and dust resistant
Scratch resistant and shatter proof glass
Audio output

What we don't like:

Camera quality below expectations
Sunlight legibility and contrast of display
Build quality

Price: Rs 38,990

Key specs:

Display: 5-inch TFT touchscreen with 1920x1080p resolution and 441ppi pixel density;
Operating system: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), planned Android 4.2 upgrade;
Processor & RAM: 1.5GHz quad-core processor, coupled with 2GB RAM;
Storage: 16GB internal memory with microSD support up to 32GB;
Connectivity: 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0;
Camera: 13MP rear camera with LED flash and 2.2MP front snapper; and
Battery: 2,320mAh

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Apple's loss becomes Google's gain

NEW YORK: Google has retaken the role of superstar of the tech sector with a stunning stock rally as rival Apple flounders.
Google has hit fresh all-time highs in recent weeks, and closed Friday at $831.52, capping a nearly tenfold rise from its public offering price in 2004 of $85. The stock is up about 17 percent so far in 2013.

Part of the explanation comes from the rise of its Android mobile operating system, at the expense of Apple. Android is free but gives Google the opportunity to deliver more services and ads to users.

"The negativity that is surrounding Apple at the moment is giving positivity to Google," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.

Apple, which traded as high as $700 last year, has slumped more than 35 percent and ended Friday at $431.67.

For Google, "there's a lot going forward at the moment," Milanesi told AFP, noting that the company is successfully "getting consumers into their ecosystem."

Google now appears poised to beat Apple to the symbolic level of a $1,000 share price, say some analysts.

Analysts at Jefferies said Google set a price target for Google at $1,000, saying it has been benefiting from a wide range of services beyond its traditional web search ads, including shopping and mobile ads.

"Google looks well positioned for growth with the number one market share in large, rapidly growing markets," said Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, who noted that Google remains the top internet search engine and leading advertising platform.

Android now has a 70 percent share of the smartphone market, which "ensures that Google retains a large share of the mobile search market," said the research firm Trefis.

"Another reason that investors are excited about Google's stock is the fact that more than 50 percent of its revenues are generated from markets outside the United States," Trefis said in a note.

"This means that Google's revenues have ample exposure to Asia, Africa and Latin America, all of which are expected to grow at an accelerated pace over the next few years."

Analysts say a shift to the mobile internet is positive for Google, which is also producing its own hardware, including smartphones and tablets.

"We are more constructive (less fearful) on Google's ability to maintain strong growth during the mobile usage shift, and we see opportunity for revenue acceleration," said Bank of America's Justin Post.

Google has been able to tweak its AdWords software, which delivers commercial messages based on a user's profile, to squeeze more revenues from mobile than it has until now, analysts say.

Google is also starting to see potential for YouTube, the video sharing service that has produced little revenue until now.

The Mountain View, California company has been working on other projects, including its own high-end Chromebook Pixel laptop computer and Google Glass, the wearable device expected later this year.

Milanesi said that Google will not try to replicate Apple by getting a lot of revenue from hardware.

"Hardware is serving their services," she said.

One sore spot for Google is its Motorola Mobility unit, the mobile phone maker acquired for $12.5 billion. Some 1,200 jobs are being cut at the division after 4,000 last year.

"Google needs to figure out what to do with Motorola," said Trip Chowdhry at Global Equities Research, claiming that Motorola "hasn't had a single hit" in recent years.

"Within six months, Google needs to take a hard look at Motorola. If they can't deliver, the whole Motorola should be closed and shut forever."

Chowdhry noted that Google could see its momentum slowed by regulatory problems, even though it avoided antitrust action in the United States.

Google is under scrutiny on privacy and monopoly grounds in Europe, and China is also concerned about Android's dominance.

"When you grow so big, you get in the eyes of all regulators and antitrust authorities," the analyst said.

"So far Google has been very smart, quite good at dealing with them," Chowdhry added, noting however that this was "an ongoing concern."

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Top 10 features in Microsoft Office 2013

Microsoft Corp. unveiled the customer preview of the new Microsoft Office that features an intuitive design that works with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across new Windows devices, including tablets. "We are taking bold steps at Microsoft," Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft said at the press conference in San Francisco. "The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8." Here's our list of top 10 features that the new Office has to offer. 1) Touch everywhere - The new Office responds to touch as naturally as it does to keyboard and mouse. One can swipe their finger across the screen or pinch and zoom to read documents and presentations. 2) Inking - Use a stylus to create content, take notes and access features. Handwrite email responses and convert them automatically to text. Stylus can also be used as a laser pointer when presenting. One can also add colour to their content and erase mistakes with ease. 3) Apps - OneNote and Lync represent the first new Windows 8 style applications for Office. These applications are designed to deliver touch-first experiences on a tablet. A new radial menu in OneNote makes it easy to access features with finger. 4) SkyDrive - Office saves documents to SkyDrive by default, which means content is always available across all devices tablet, PC and phone. Documents are also available offline and sync on reconnecting. 5) New subscription services - The new Office is available as a cloud-based subscription service, which means consumers will automatically get future upgrades in addition to exciting cloud services including Skype world minutes and extra SkyDrive storage. Subscribers receive multiple installs for everyone in the family and across their devices. 6) Stay connected - Follow people, teams, documents and sites in SharePoint. View and embed pictures, videos and Office content in activity feeds to stay current and updated. 7) Skype - The new Office comes with Skype, which gives 60 minutes of Skype world minutes every month. Integrate Skype contacts into Lync and call or instant message anyone on Skype. 8) Reading, markup - The Read Mode in Word provides a modern and easy-to-navigate reading experience that automatically adjusts for large and small screens. Zoom in and out of content, stream videos within documents, view revision marks and use touch to turn pages. 9) Digital note-taking - Digital note taking helps keep notes handy in the cloud and across multiple devices with OneNote. One can take notes with touch, pen or keyboard, or use them together and switch easily back and forth. 10) Meetings - PowerPoint features a new Presenter View that privately shows your current and upcoming slides, presentation time, and speaker notes in a single glance. While presenting, one can zoom, mark up and navigate slides with touch and stylus. Lync includes multiparty HD video with presentations, shared OneNote notebooks and a virtual whiteboard for collaborative brainstorming.

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HP launches ElitePad 900 business tablet with Windows 8 for Rs. 43,500

Technology company Hewlett Packard (HP) Thursday entered the tablet market in India, launching HP ElitePad, designed for businesses and governments.
"The tablet replaces primary computing devices and provides an eco-system which addresses the requirements of the enterprise," Sunish Raghavan, head, commercial PC category, printing and personal systems group, HP India, told reporters here.
The ultra thin, lightweight tablet with Windows 8 also comes with the optional smart jackets, which add connectivity options and an additional battery for longer runtime.
The price of the tablet starts at Rs.43,500. Raghavan said the tablet with enterprise-grade features fulfilled the needs of mobility and productivity while ensuring security. It offered a solution to the problems faced by enterprises with their employees carrying multiple devices, compromising data security. It encompassed all features of a notebook and if the device is lost, one can remotely trace it and erase the data. The battery supports the tablet for eight hours but with expanded battery it can be used for 19 hours. The other features of the 0.63 kg and 9.2 mm thin tablet include 10.1 inch diagonal display and e-printing.

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Google’s Play Books store now available for Indian users

For e-book lovers in India, the options are growing. After Amazon’s Kindle eBook store was made available to Indian users last year, Google’s Play Books Store is now also available in India. You can download the Play Book app from the Google Play Store by The app lets users buy and read e-books on their smart devices and computers.

Google India wrote on its blog page,

Today we’re adding books to Google Play for people in India. Books on Google Play now offers thousands of Indian titles, from new releases to classics. It’s easy to find great Indian authors such as Amish Tripathi, Devdutt Pattanaik and APJ Abdul Kalam, plus international bestsellers from the world’s largest ebookstore. 

Screengrab of Google Play Books.

The app is also available on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch. You can download the iOS version of the app here.

With Google Books, the books will be stored in the cloud and users can also read them on their web browser. Like in iBooks,  the Google Play Books store does come with its fair share of its free classics such as Great Expectations, Alice in Wonderland etc. 

Some of the titles that we’ve spotted are Fifty Shades of Grey, The Oath of the Vayuputras by Amish Tripathi, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Dan Brown books. The Hobbit and LOTR are also available.

Google recently updated the Play Books app and fixed over 90 bugs with the app. These were issues related to the app crashing, User Interface improvements, the additions of a drop-down menu in the library to allow filtering books by type, and identifying place names on the current page when the reading controls are showing.

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