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.

LG OPTIMUS 4X HD - $700 (Rs.34000)

LG Optimus 4X

      LG is finally back in the smartphone market with its Optimus 4X to compete for the quad core crown which now rests with Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X. Optimus 4X is a huge phone having a square shape and has a 4.7” HD screen. Build quality is very good but definitely it is not a competitor to the HTC One X which has a stunning polycarbonate body. It has a 1.5 GHz Tegra 3 quad core processor and 1 GB RAM under the hood. The back portion of Optimus 4X is textured and thus easy to grip in our hands. There is 8 MP camera with a single LED flash and 1.2 MP front camera. LG has done a good work with its True IPS HD display but not good enough to compete with HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3. With the great hardware specs there is no lag or other problems thanks to the Tegra 3 chip. It has a 2150 mAh battery but the battery life was not so good. Another problem is with the speaker which has a very low sound output. It means that you can listen to the phone speakers only in quiet places. But considering other facts LG Optimus 4X is a cool smartphone a great hardware and awesome performance.

SPECIFICATIONS:

*   Android 4.0.3 icecream sandwich OS

*   1.5 GHz quad core Tegra 3 processor

*   1 GB RAM

*   4.7” True IPS HD display

*   1280 x 720 screen resolution

*   Memory: 16 GB internal and expandable upto 32 GB

*   Camera: 8 MP rear with single LED flash and 1.2 MP front

*   2150 mAh battery

*   Sensors: Ambient light, proximity, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope

*   Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0

      LG has really made a great leap by introducing Optimus 4X. But if this phone was introduced a few months ago this would have been a huge success in the market. We have already seen HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3 which are the winners in the quad core phones. Optimus 4X is priced slightly below them but the screen is not good as the other two and speakers are also not loud enough. Heavy users would also want to carry the charger with them always but for average users it will last for one day. In summary, LG has at last got everything right with this cracking handset. This may not be the best in the market but it will surely find a spot near top android phones.

BLACKBERRY CURVE 9380 - $250 (Rs.15000)

Blackberry Curve 9380

         Blackberry 9380 is the first phone in the Curve Series which has a touch screen. It looks similar to the Blackberry Torch but is a lot sleeker; it fits comfortably into one's palms. Curve 9380 has a processing speed of 806 MHz and has 512 MB RAM which is enough for multitasking. It has a 3.2” screen and resolution is just 360 x 480 pixels. But it has good viewing angles. The buttons are flat surface keys (not capacitive) and are hard to press sometimes. Volume rocker keys and camera keys are a little hard to press. Anyway the track pad of RIM is best as always. It has a 5 MP camera with LED flash but front camera is absent. It runs on Blackberry OS 7 and there was no considerable lag or any other problems. Audio experience in Curve 9380 is of top quality and it also played 720p videos with very small lag. With 1230 mAh battery you will be able to get through a day but it could have been better. All the cool and attractive Blackberry services are present as always. If you are looking for a ‘mini’ Torch 9680 then this is definitely your buy.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Blackberry OS 7
*  806 MHz processor
*  512 MB RAM
*  3.2” display
*  360 x 480 screen resolution
*  Memory: 512 MB internal, expandable upto 32 GB
*  Camera: 5 MP rear with LED flash and no front camera
*  1230 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, 3G, NFC, USB, GPS

           Curve 9380 is really a good option for those who like its high end brother Torch 9680 and with lower budget. But if you are planning to do a lot of typing on the device then putting a bit extra and buying Torch 9680 will be good. If you are considering android too then there are some more options you can consider which provide a good experience and hardware for this price tag. If you are a Blackberry fan then it is a good budget phone and else you have a lot of alternatives.

Banking on Facebook.

       

ICICI bank's  "Your Bank Account" app for Facebook 

      Most of new generation banks now have a Facebook page to interact with their customers. The banks mainly uses the page to provide updates of the bank and financial markets to its customers. But ICICI bank decided to use Facebook to allow its customers to access their bank account through the social networking site. ICICI bank developed "Your Bank Account" app for Facebook where the customers can access their bank accounts directly. The app allows the customers to check balances, request for cheque book, upgrade their debit cards etc. The app is hosted by ICICI bank servers. Their is no question of the security features as the communications happen through secure SSL channels. 

      With the introduction of one-of-its kind app ICICI bank has provided its customers with a new banking experience. ICICI expects to attract the new generation would-be customers who frequently visit the social networks like Facebook. More than 4,50,000 customers have already registered with this application. More banks are also expected to follow ICICI bank as social networks are gaining their popularity day by day.

Click Here to access the app.

US Comes With World's Fastest Supercomputer.

IBM's Sequoia [ Image Courtesy : IBM ]

          US has regained the top spot for world's fastest supercomputer. The fastest supercomputer named Sequoia, is an IBM BlueGene/Q System installed at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It has been developed for a range of complex functions, such as N-simulations and the study and reliability of US nuclear weapons. It is also used for research in astronomy.

         The BlueGene/Q Sequoia has the capacity to deliver 16.32 petaflops per second (a petaflop is equal to a thousand trillion operations). The newly crowned supercomputer pipped Fujitsu's "K Computer" installed at RIKEN Advanced Institute for computational Science in Kobe, Japan. The K Computer is currently at the number two position in the world with capacity of 10.51 petaflops per second. A new Mira supercomputer which is also part of the IBM BlueGene/Q series and is installed at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois (USA), is presently the third fastest in the world.

SONY TABLET S - $400 (Rs.22000)

SONY TABLET S [Image Source : www.sony.co.in]

        Sony entered the tablet field very recently and to catch everyone’s attention all their tablets are uniquely designed. Sony tablet S looks like an open magazine. Due to this unique design this tablet is comfortable to hold and dimpled textured surface makes it easy to grip also. So in the case of comfortably holding a tablet with one hand doing all the works there is no competition to this one. But due to this reason thickness has also increased. Its specifications are similar to its rivals and will not disappoint you. This is the first tablet to get PlayStation certificate and there are many apps designed by Sony also.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Android 3.2 honeycomb OS
*  1 GHz Tegra 2 dual core processor
*  1 GB RAM
*  9.4” display
*  1280 x 800 screen resolution
*  16 and 32 GB variants (expandable memory)
*  Camera: 5 MP back and 0.3 MP front
*  5000 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, micro USB, Bluetooth, GPS

PROS:
*  Nice design
*  Very easy to hold and has a good grip
*  PlayStation certificate, Universal remote
*  Good display

CONS:
*  No HDMI
*  Apps are less
*  Charging adaptor is proprietary
*  Does not have 3G

             When we compare Sony tablet S with its rivals it has its own unique features. It has got a good design but does not look so thin. It’s pretty good on the hardware side and performance is good too. But android honeycomb is not at all user friendly as before. Anyway if you are an android fan you will not be disappointed with Sony tablet S. But on the other side if you are considering ipad 2 also then it’s a better option than this.

A Computer that can be Carried in a Memory Stick

         A group of scientists have come up with a new software that helps one carry his/her personal computer in a memory stick. The full Operating System (like Windows) can be stored inside the USB stick. When auser plugs the stick in a computer, that computer will restart into his/her personal set-up. Once the user has finished using it, no one will ever know of it. One just has to shut down the computer,put the USB stick back in the pocket, and the PC will never know it has been used.
       The personal set-up is named Tails. As everything the user does is contained within the Tails, the software on a stick , not a single trace is left on the original PC. That means no chance of cookies of websites browsed remaining in the PC, and no documents being left in the recycle bin.