Microsoft has responded to reports that owners of its new Xbox One console are experiencing problems with the disc drive by offering a free download.Some users have said the drive makes very loud noises when they try to insert a disc and in some cases is not reading discs at all.Microsoft said only a very small number of users are affected.The Xbox One was launched on Friday and sold more than one million units in the first 24 hours.In a statement Microsoft said that those customers who had reported problems and were waiting for a replacement console would be provided "with a free digital download of one of the launch titles published by Microsoft studios."More than 150 people contacted Kotaku, a gaming news website, claiming their new consoles were faulty. Other users uploaded videos apparently showing the problem to the gaming forum NeoGAF.The Xbox One is the first new console from Microsoft in eight years and it broke all previous Xbox first-day sales records when it went on sale in the UK and 12 other countries last week.The company said it had now sold out at most retailers and it was working to replenish stock as fast as possible.
Sunday 1 December 2013
APPLE Ipad AIR REVIEW
Apple unveiled its much anticipated next generation of the 10" ipad tablet .
We expected it to be called the ipad 5th generation but apple surprised us with "Ipad air" but after knowing more about the tablet the name actually makes sense as the tablet is amazingly thin at just 7.5 mm & veery light at 1.03 lb. The side bezels have also been reduced & all the internals are placed in the chassis which totally resembles the last years Ipad mini .
The Ipad air is a very huge upgrade over the last generation Ipad . Here is the specifications of the device :-
9.7 inch 1536 x 2048 retina display with ~264 ppi LED backlit IPS LCD display.
Apple A7 chip , dual core 1.3 Ghz ARM v8 based chip ,64 bit architecture, Power VR G6430 Quad core graphics .
1 GB DDR3 RAM .
16/32/64/128 GB storage capacities .
3G , LTE support ( Wi-Fi + cellular model only).
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n dual band , Wi-Fi hotspot.
Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP , EDR.
USB v2.0
5mp primary camera with autofocus , 1.2mp secondary camera for Facetime / video conferencing .
Apple Ios 7.
colors - Space grey, silver.
non removable 32.4Wh (8820 mah) battery.
BUILD & DESIGN
The Ipad is exceptionally well built like its predecessor & sports the chassis & design of its younger brother the Ipad mini . The Ipad air is one of the thinnest full size tablets available in the market . Its thin body & the weight is just around 1 pounds & so we can also say that its way more lighter to its competitors .
The low bezels also allow the tablet to be much more thinner & also decreases the width of the tablet , so overall the Ipad air is exceptionally well built & is light to carry around .
UI & PERFORMANCE
The Ipad Air runs the all new Ios 7 which is a major refresh to Ios & lets say it runs as its meant to be , The Ios 7 doesn't anyhow slow down the Ipad air as it also houses the same 64 bit Apple A7 chip found on the Iphone 5s . The processor runs every task without a glitch & what more can we expect from a high end tablet . Multitasking is a breeze on the Ipad air & Apple also included the IWork application present in their Pc's for free & it runs fluidly thanks to the A7 chip.
DISPLAY & MULTIMEDIA
The Ipad air sports the same retina display from its previous gen Ipad which is one of the best & color accurate panels on the market , we find it perfect for reading books & watching video's .
overall the multimedia consumption on the Ipad Air is top class & the speakers also provide good quality sound even at higher volume levels .
CAMERA
I know I know , you would say i am a crazy person to take pics with a tablet That too a 10 inch one OMG..!!! , but we know some of you use it to take pics with a tablet so here is the story on the Ipad Air's camera .
The Ipad air packs a decent 5mp camera (On a Tablet at least ) which compared to other tablets in Good & also offers some what 'OK' low light photo's (if compared to Lumia 920/newer PHONES) but in tablet category it offers a very good quality photo's with good contrast & colors .
GAMING
Ok here it is The previous Gen Ipad was one of the best Gaming tablets & this new Ipad air even beats that with a newer SOC & better GPU , in plain & simple text it can literally handle any game you can throw at it .
We tested it with the latest games & they ram perfectly smooth without any issues , so over all ...... its perfect for Gaming.
BATTERY
With all the upgraded power ,thinner design of the Ipad AIR you might think you might get a lower battery life BUT think again !!! Apple Ipad amazingly offers the same battery life of 10 hour's of multimedia & stuff
, I mean 10 hours thats more than any android tablet could offer & we tried to kill the battery within a day but unfortunately we were not able to do that .
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS & RATING
The Ipad Air is a great bit of hardware that you will not be disappointed , From regular productivity stuff to high end gaming it gives you everything you want in a much thinner & lighter package .The pricing is also among the high end Android tablets in the market but The Ipad is a better tablet compared to many other tablets from its looks to performance to amazing battery life we can say its the best tablet in the market.
And judging from all those data we think it truly deserves a 9.5/10. Here is the new refreshed pricing including the Ipad air & Ipad mini with retina display :- (from left to right)
Ipad AIR
Ipad 2
Ipad mini with retina display
ipad mini
GOOGLE NEXUS 5 REVIEW
Google finally launched its flagship next generation NEXUS phone last month & we took out time for this complete review on the NEXUS 5 to ensure the best possible understanding of the device . although Google couldn't keep the cover on NEXUS 5 , many of us were able to guess what the device was going to be like & what would power the device under the hood .
Lets take a closer look at the specifications of the device :-
4.95" inch 1080p True HD IPS+ display (~445 ppi).
Corning gorilla glass 3 protection on the front to prevent scratches on the screen.
Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) clocked at 2.3 GHZ krait 400 Soc.
2 GB RAM , Adreno 330 GPU (Quad core).
8mp primary camera with autofocus , Optical image stabilization , with LED flash & a secondary 1.3mp camera .
16GB , 32GB storage options , no micro SD card slot though .
wi-fi a/b/g/n/ac dual band , wi-fi hotspot , Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, NFC ,GPS with A-GPS & GLONASS support .
Android 4.4 (kitkat).
3G & LTE support.
Non removable Li-Po 2300mah battery , wireless charging.
price : 28,999 INR (16GB) , 32,999 INR (32GB).
Although the specifications is not of much importance to the average consumer except for geeks like us , lets take a closer look at how the nexus 5 holds up against its rivals in day to day tasks .
BUILD & DESIGN
The Nexus 5 is what we call one of the perfectly built phones , the in-hand feel at 8.6mm thin is superb & perfect to use in one hand as there is almost very barely found bezels in the sides & the lack of hardware buttons down also contributes for a better grip in landscape view .
The back is very similar to that of the Nexus 7 (2013) & is also probably made of the same materials which make it very comfortable to hold & also makes it sturdy for rough users .
The button placements are similar to many Android phones & the buttons provide good tactile feedback. the speaker placement is at the bottom & provides adequate sound with decent quality.
The Nexus 5 is a good upgrade from the Nexus 4 as it supports 4G LTE & a higher resolution screen. call quality was up to the mark & data speeds were decent & comparable to the high end flagships like the Iphone & GS4 .
UI & PERFORMANCE
The Nexus 5 runs the latest & greatest Android 4.4(KIT-KAT) from GOOGLE the way they intended the os to be . As a nexus device it lives up to the mark with high end specifications with a very low price tag wiping out its competition , so lets get back to the UI & performance of the device .
Nexus 5 powered by the snapdragon 800 paired with 2GB ram is a beast of a combination & it delivers on that point , The nexus 5 is fast in every thing from UI responsiveness to heavy multitasking . its even faster than the flagship android phones as it also runs the latest android OS & mainly without any bloatware .
It blazes through day to day tasks without a glitch & overall performance was the fastest ever on any android smartphone .
DISPLAY & MULTIMEDIA
The Nexus 5 packs a ~5" 1080p TRUE HD IPS+ panel which delivers true to life images with a bit on the cooler side , the IPS panel is soothing to the eyes & also offers very good viewing angles .
When it comes to multimedia content , the combination the snapdragon 800 with the 1080p IPS panel truly delivers the multimedia content in a beautiful way . Images & videos look sharp & true to life on the display & when it comes to Gaming the Adreno 330 quad core GPU truly delivers high frame rates without any lag even on very high demanding gaming like Asphalt 8 , Nova 3 etc .
Totally the multimedia consumption on the Nexus 5 was pleasing to us without any stuttering .
CAMERA
The Nexus 5 sports an 8mp primary features which boasts of OIS which is a big advantage & class leading ,
it also has a 1.3mp front facing camera for video calls.
The 8mp camera on the back is not extraordinary neither bad , its GOOD in delivering images with less noise thanks to OIS & the low light shots were also decent compared to the flagships. On the other hand the video capturing was very amazing as it was one of the best videos shot on a smartphone again thanks to OIS.
BATTERY LIFE
Although the Nexus 5 only packed a decent 2300mah non removable battery , The device managed the battery efficiently thanks to the snapdragon 800 which consumes less power & also the overall build of Android also played its part in managing the battery & helping us a whole day of charge on normal to heavy usage .
PRICING
Google partnered with LG to make the Nexus 5 & LG truly delivered the expectations in delivering a top of the line hardware at a mid range price . Google truly got the Nexus 5 pricing right & also is launching it in various new emerging markets . In INDIA the Nexus 5 is up for 29000 (16GB) & 33000 (32GB) & is rumored to be launched on NOVEMBER 20th on the Google play store.
OVERALL RATING & IMPRESSION
The Nexus 5 is worth every penny , it has a class leading hardware under the hood , a good camera , a good quality crisp display & it has outclassed many device in many heavy tasks we can throw at it . it is as far the most fluid android experience on a device till date .
So judging by all the above categories the Google Nexus 5 gets 9/10 .
The robot vacuum cleaner effectively picks up dirt, debris, pet hair and dust from carpets, wooden floors, marble floors and nylon flooring
The powerful vacuum sucks all that nasty accumulated dirt into the bin leaving your floors and carpets extra clean
Multi-mode cleaning ways, has automatic identification of dust on the ground, take a different cleaning line, improve cleaning efficiency
With remote controller, easy operation, can not affected by blockage
Simulation of wall, it can stop you from cleaning the space you don't wanrt to clean
The cleaner can automatically find the charger and charging the power
Ultrathin product, can clean the bottom of sofa, bed and other small corner
Activated carbon net for filtering, purified air
With side brushes for completely cleaning
Perfect for someone who does't like to sweep the house
Specifications:
Voltage: 14.4 V
Power: 23 W
Noise: 70 dB
Battery capacity: 1500 mA
Battery lifetime: 800 times
Operating time: 60 min
Controlled range: 4 m
First time charging : 8 hours
Product size (L x W x H): 34 x 34 x 9.5 cm
Package weight: 3 kg
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
The new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is the more ruggedized , more durable version of it's cousin , Galaxy S4.
This phone is supposed to be waterproof and dust resistant. It has an IP67 rating.
Here , 'IP' is "Ingress Protection"
Let us see what the numbers 6 and 7 mean.
First number 0 – No protection (Sometimes X) 1 – Protected against solid objects up to 50mm³ 2 – Protected against solid objects up to 12mm³ 3 – Protected against solid objects up to 2.5mm³ 4 – Protected against solid objects up to 1mm³ 5 – Protected against dust, limited ingress (no harmful deposit) 6 – Totally protected against dust
Second number 0 – No protection (Sometimes X) 1 – Protection against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation) 2 – Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical 3 – Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical 4 – Protection against water sprayed from all directions – limited ingress permitted 5 – Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions – limited ingress permitted 6 – Protected against low pressure jets of water, limited ingress permitted (e.g. ship deck) 7 – Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m 8 – Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure
Hence we see that the mobile is totally protected against dust and is protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm - 1m.
This mobile has almost the same specifications of Galaxy S4 with a few "downgrades" and other things. Let us look at these changes
Design changes
The Active version of this mobile is more ruggedized.
It has physical buttons instead of capacitive buttons on Galaxy S4.
The 3.5 mm jack and the USB slot are covered to stop water from going into the mobile.
The Active is slightly thicker and heaver than Galaxy S4.
Feature changes
The Active has a TFT LCD screen instead of the super AMOLED screen in Galaxy S4. The colours are overly vibrant in the Galaxy S4 and are more real in the Active version. My opinion is that the TFT LCD screen is more readable in outdoor conditions and has better viewing angles.
This mobile's camera has been downgraded from 13 MP to 8 MP and it has a shooting mode called aqua mode which allows one to take photos in water.
Verdict
Priced at 40,000 , the Active is a good phone for people who use their mobile outdoors , or go swimming often .
Samsung Ativ Tab 3
The new Samsung Ativ Tab 3 was showcased in London and here is it's review.
The product specifications -
Screen - 10.1 inch
Resolution - 1366 x 768
Processor - Intel Atom
Storage - 64GB
RAM - 2GB
Thickness - 8.2mm
Weight - 550g
Operating system - Windows 8 (full and not RT)
Design
On taking a first look at this tab , you would find out that it looks like all other Samsung gadgets , especially Galaxy Tab.
The casing is plastic and feels cheap , but it's not too bad. This tab also comes with a "stylus" that makes the tab all the more usable.
This tablet comes with a keyboard cover and a modifiable magnetic case.
It's also extremely thin, 8.2mm, which is also thinner than Apple Ipad. It's weight is extremely good and is therefore very usable.
The Ativ Tab 3 has speaker grills on the left and the right side. On the left side, 3.5 mmm headphone jack is present, and on the right, a mircoUSB slot and a HDMI slot are present.
A sim slot is also present on this tab which will allow 4g/3g use.
Features
Ativ tab 3 comes with Atom processor and 2 gigs of rams which is not much, but it is enough for normal use. The apps run smooth enough. It obviously wont be as fast as Nexus, S4 etc.
The screen resolution is pretty less and appears grainy. The viewing angles are good though . The tab has a front and a rear camera with HD recording facility.
The operating system is windows 8 which comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office. Importantly, its not the RT version of windows , but the full version of it.
Verdict
The samsung Ativ Tab 3 is a really cool gadget that is portable and also comes with a keyboard and a magnetic case.
[IMG]
But the screen resolution is nothing special, and the processor isn't really fast and it's certainly not meant for hardcore gadget fans but for general use.
The price is not confirmed , but maybe priced at $699 (~Rs 40,000)
which would surely come down in the coming months.
Sony updates the Xperia Z to Android 4.2.2 with an OTA update
Being hardly a coincidence, minutes before its Sony Xperia ZU launch event, Sony launched Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean over-the-air update for the Xperia Z.
The update is now available for the LTE version of the Xperia Z (C6603) in Spain and Ukraine. Carriers in Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands have also approved the Android 4.2.2 update for the smartphone and are now seeding it complete with their own customizations.
The new 10.3.A.0423 firmware comes bundled with a new kernel version 3.4.0 and both bring the usual set of minor bug fixes and performance optimizations as well as a bunch of new features. The update was expected to hit sooner rather than later, since Sony made Android 4.2.2 available for Xperia Zl last week.
Follow the second source link below (labeled "download") to manually download the latest firmware and kernel files in case the update isn't yet available for your region. Make sure to read the instructions carefully before proceeding.
