SONY XPERIA ION - $666 (Rs.36000)

SONY XPERIA ION
[Image Source: www.sonymobile.com]

       At last Sony unveiled its new Xperia phone to compete with the rulers of today’s market HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3.But isn’t it too late? Both One X and S3 have proved that they are the best ones out there and Sony’s answer to them is the Xperia ion which runs on outdated android gingerbread version and having Snapdragon S3 dual core processor. Android lovers will not appreciate this and launching a dual core phone rather than a quad core phone does not seem good. But its processor is clocked at 1.5 GHz and has a 1 GB RAM. Xperia ion has no resemblance to its brothers Xperia P and U. The notification light bar in the base is missing in ion which is a shame. It has a display of 4.55” and has 4 capacitive buttons in the base. To protect the phone from scratches it has a metal coating which does a pretty good job. 1280 x 720 HD display is quite good and provides a decent visibility in sunlight. In the back there is a 12 MP camera with LED flash and 1.3 MP front camera is also present.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Android 2.3.7 gingerbread
*  1.5 GHz Snapdragon S3 dual core processor
*  1 GB RAM
*  4.55” display
*  1280 x 720 screen resolution
*  Memory: Internal 16 GB and can be expandable upto 32 GB
*  Camera: 12 MP rear with LED flash and 1.3 MP front
*  1900 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, micro USB, NFC, Bluetooth, GPS

       Sony Xperia Ion comes with PlayStation certification. It has a good build quality and premium looks but does not fit very well in our hand. It is heavier than its rivals weighing 139 grams. The pictures taken with its camera are quite good but not as good as One X’s camera. Ion also boasts of HD video recording but it does not come upto the expectation. There are also performance hiccups when opening some apps which is a shame to such a high end phone. With its 1900 mAh battery you can easily get through a day.

       Android 4.1 jellybean is on its way and yet Sony launched ion with outdated gingerbread and outdated processor. Android ics updates will be available soon but will any users be interested in this when compared to One X and Galaxy S3? They are surely one big leap ahead of this phone. And if you are going for very stylish look and good camera then you can consider Lumia 900. But if you are an android addict then it is not such a good idea to buy Xperia ion.

BenQ launches W7000 full HD 3D projector.

BenQ W7000, full-HD 3D projector.

    A new 3D projector has arrived in the projector segment from BenQ. The BenQ W7000 features a stereoscopic 3D. The projector can be used to display 3D movies from a Blue-ray DVD player or a PS3 can be connected to play 3D video games. BenQ W7000  is the first projector in the world to be certified by TUV Rheinland with full HD 3D Certification. Let us take a look at the features and specifications.

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
*  Resolution : 1080P (1920 x 1080)
*  Brightness capability : 2000 ANSI lumens
*  Contrast ratio : 50000:1   
*  Aspect ratio : 16:9
*  Image processing enhancements : Texas Instrument's DynamicBlack and Philip's VIDI lamp  
*  Frame interpolation is used to smooth motion in fast moving scenes   
*  Lens : Wide-range shift is used to reduce image distortion.   
*  Display capability : 2.35:1 wide screen.   
*  Video Compatibility : NTSC, PAL, SECAM, YPbPr
*  Weight : 6.7kg
*  Dimensions(W x H x D) : 428 x 317 x 145 mm
*  Full HD Optimized Optical System
*  ISFccc-certified by the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF)

        BenQ W7000 3D projector offer a good picture quality even in ambient room lighting . The wide-range shift feature in the lens reduces the image getting distorted when the projector is placed in off-centre. The projector can be connected to a gaming console or a Blue-ray player which supports 3D without any additional setup. The projector offers all the features of a normal projector besides the 3D support. The projector offers a professional quality when we watch 3D content. Price tag of this gadget in India is Rs.2,46,976.

ARCHOS 97 CARBON - $250 (Rs.13000)

       Archos has unveiled its new android tablet for its new ‘Element series’ named Archos 97 carbon. It comes with a 9.7” IPS display and is priced just above the 16 GB Nexus 7. This comes with android icecream sandwich rather than android 4.1 jellybean which its rival Nexus 7 is packed with. From the price it is clear that it is a budget tablet but yet it offers a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 and has an aluminium finish. It is packed with a 1 GHz single core processor and 1 GB RAM. The device also provides a full size USB port and mini HDMI out port. Archos 97 carbon also comes with full google certification. Archos has given a pretty good start with its new ‘Element series’.

ARCHOS 97 CARBON
[Image Source : www.archos.com]

SPECIFICATIONS:
*Android 4.0 icecream sandwich OS
*1 GHz single core processor
*1 GB RAM
*9.7” IPS display
*1024 x 768 screen resolution
*Memory: 16 GB internal and expandable upto 32 GB
*Camera: 2 MP rear and 0.3 MP front
*Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, micro USB, mini HDMI, GPS

PROS:
*Good processing speed and RAM
*Low price
*9.7” screen
*USB and HDMI out present
*Good build quality with aluminium finish

CONS:
*Pixel density of screen is low
*Single core processor
*Low resolution camera
*Could have been come with jellybean OS

        For a tablet in this price range Archos has really done a good job with 97 Carbon. It gives us all the features and also has a bigger screen and a good aluminum finish rather than plastic finish in other low budget tablets. But the single core processor is a bit disappointing. Its main rival is clearly Nexus 7 which packs a quad core 1.3 GHz processor and comes with android 4.1 jellybean. With all these features can Archos 97 carbon outshine Google’s Nexus 7? Let’s wait and see..

ASUS TRANSFORMER PAD INFINITY TF700 - $500 (Rs.28000)

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity
[Image source : www.asus.com] 

       Asus had added yet another member to their Transformer series of tablets. Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 looks very similar to its predecessor Transformer Prime with only small changes. Thickness has increased very slightly and there is also a small change in the back cover. But is there any need for Transformer Prime users to upgrade? Well let’s see about that, TF700 has a sharper screen resolution than the Prime, that is, 1920 x 1200 to be exact and processing speed has now become 1.6 GHz from the existing 1.3 GHz of Prime. TF700 has the same 8 MP camera as that of the Prime with a LED flash. Signal reception problem in Prime is also not present in the case of TF300. RAM is still 1 GB but now it is DDR3. Overall when you consider TF300 it is one of the best 10” android tablets in the market today.

SPECIFICATIONS:

*  Android 4.0.3 icecream sandwich OS

*  1.6 GHz Tegra 3 quad core processor

*  1 GB DDR3 RAM

*  10.1” S-IPS, LED backlit display

*  1920 x 1200 screen resolution

*  Memory: 32 or 64 GB and can be expanded using micro SD

*  Camera: 8 MP rear with LED flash and 2 MP front

*  25 Wh battery and 19.5 Wh battery in keyboard dock (should be bought extra)

*  Wi-Fi, GPS, micro HDMI, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0

*  Sensors: Gravity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Gyro sensor, Digital compass

PROS:

*  High resolution display

*  Good camera

*  Good quad core performance

*  Smooth gaming

*  Long battery life

CONS:

*  Distorted display when touch pressure is increased

*  Less apps for this greater resolution

*  Some performance problems

       Even if TF700 is a quad core tablet there is some performance issues, but it does not happen too often. However we do not want any lag for a 500$ tablet. So is an upgrade from Transformer Prime to TF700 necessary? If you want a sharper and crisp display and a greater processor speed then you can go for TF700. But if you are after display then don’t forget the ipad with retina display. You can also consider Acer iconia A700 which is 50$ less than TF300 and almost has the same hardware under the hood. In summary, if you are after a 10” android tablet with good performance and gaming then keep this tablet in your mind.

Internet Gains Trillions of Addresses

IPv6 Logo released by the Internet Society. 
[ Image courtesy : www.worldipv6launch.org ]

       A new Internet standard giving the global network more room to grow came into effect on June 6,2012. The switch occured at 0001 GMT when Internet opetrators switched to a new standard called IPv6 that allows for trillions of IP addresses, up from the current 4.3 billion. IPv6 is developed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IEFT). More countries came forward for the deployment of IPv6 after the World IPv6 Launch on June 6,2012. The Internet runs today on the IPv4 protocol predominantly. The IPv4 protocol uses a 32bit addressing scheme, and thus insufficient for today booming Internet world. In this internet age, where every electronic device is IP enabled, we have already ran out of IPv4 address resources. The solution to this problem is to move on to the next level of addressing scheme of the Internet Protocol, called the IPv6. IPv6 uses a 128bit addressing scheme, thus enabling it to address the Internet for decades to come. IPv6 uses eight groups of four digit hexadecimal numbers for addressing. For example

1201:4ab0:58b3:100b:6a2e:0000:0710:3347.                                             

       IPv6 is adapt with the new requirements of the internet world, and makes it easier for address assignments to smart devices of the future. With IPv6 the long anticipated problem of IPv4 running out of addresses is solved.

SONY XPERIA GO - $350 (Rs.18000)

SONY XPERIA GO [Image source: www.sonymobile.com]

        Sony has added one more member to the Xperia series with the introduction of Xperia Go. It is a compact and neatly designed handset which you can easily carry in your pocket. It is made to resist dust and it is also water proof. Xperia Go is IP67 certified meaning it is completely dust proof and can be submerged upto 1m fresh water for 30 minutes without any problem. If you are one of those persons having butter fingers you can definitely rely on Xperia Go. It is designed for rough use so that scratches will not appear easily. It has an average display of 3.5”, but its resolution (320 x 480) will disappoint you. Xperia Go runs on 1 GHz dual core processor and has a RAM of 512 MB. With this hardware you will get an average performance, but don’t expect super fast and powerful performance. Android 4.0 ics is the popular OS lately but still this phone comes with the old android 2.3 Gingerbread. Anyway Xperia Go is surely a real competitor in the rugged phone category which is now ruled by Motorola Defy+ and Defy Mini.

SPECIFICATIONS:

*  Android 2.3 Gingerbread

*  1 GHz dual core processor

*  512 MB RAM

*  3.5” LCD display

*  320 x 480 screen resolution

*  Memory: 8 GB internal and expandable upto 32 GB

*  Camera: 5 MP rear with LED flash and no front camera

*  1305 mAh battery

*  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, GPS

       Sony Xperia Go feels very comfortable in our hands and has nice look too. It also has a great power under the hood, but yet sometimes it shows lags which will irritate you. Apart from this speaker placement is not at all good. You should also be warned about the speaker volume because speaking in the phone in outdoors will not be a good experience for you. However if you are after a phone which can be used roughly without having any fear of damaging it, then Xperia Go is the best option.

HP ENVY 4-1025TX Sleekbook - $940 (Rs.52990)

HP ENVY 4-1025TX Sleekbook [Image Source : www.hp.com]

      The HP Envy 4-1025TX Sleekbook is a newcomer in the Envy series which is useful for both professionals and home users. It arrives with a 3rd Generation Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.7 Ghz. The Ultrabook is pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Basic operating system. The 1.75Kg gadget is highly reliable and is good in multitasking. The 8 hours backup allows you to spend more hours without access to a power source. The dedicated graphic memory and graphic processor is very useful while you are playing games,watching movies etc.The switchable graphics helps you configure graphics to each and individual applications running.The ultrabook features a 14" LED Widescreen. The smooth and glossy exteriors gives it a professional look.

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

*  Intel Core i5 Processor (3rd Generation)

*  Processor clocked at 1.7 Ghz 

*  System memory is 4 GB DDR3 (expandable upto 16 GB)

*  500 GB HDD

*  Weighs 1.75 Kg

*  14" LED Backlit Widescreen

*  Screen resolution is 1366 x 768 Pixel

*  2 Gb DDR3 dedicated Graphics Memory

*  ATI Radeon 7670M Graphic Processor

*  1.3 Mp HP TrueVision Low Light HD Webcam

*  TouchPad with Multitouch Gesture Support

*  Beats Audio High Definition Dual Speakers with Internal Sub-woofer

*  Upto 8 hours battery backup

*  Communication - Ethernet (Integrated 10/100/10000, Wireless LAN, Bluetooth v4.0

*  Ports - 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI , VGA Port, Mic In, RJ45 LAN, Multi Card Slot.

       The audio features in the Envy 4-1025TX also scores high. The dual speakers and internal sub-woofers gives clear audio output without any disturbance. It supports high speed data transfer through two USB 3.0 ports and Bluetooth v4.0. The storage options are appreciable as it provides a 4 Gb system memory and a 500 Gb HDD. But an SSD (Solid State Drive) should have been integrated instead of HDD. The Envy 4-1025 can be slimmer and lighter. But when you see the price tag you don't feel it as a disadvantage. Windows 7 Home basic edition is not best suited for this ultrabook.The battery will drain faster if you Graphic card in high performance mode. There is no backlit keyboard, which Hp should have been included in this 54k ultrabook. Considering the price tag and configuration the Hp Envy 4-1025TX is one of the best in this range. If you are looking for an ultrabook with long battery life, moderately fast processor, moderate graphics and good multimedia capabilities the Hp Envy 4-1025TX will not disappoint you.