Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tendulkar misses out
Melbourne: Sachin Tendulkar's latest setback within sight of his elusive 100th international century may have dismayed fans at the first Melbourne Test on Tuesday, but not his Indian team-mates.
Peter Siddle celebrates the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar in Melbourne.
Test cricket's greatest run-getter was bowled for 73 by paceman Peter Siddle with just three balls left on the second day of the opening Test against Australia. The wicket sent groans around the vast Melbourne Cricket Ground from the sizeable Indian contingent in the 53,000 crowd, denied the chance of seeing the "Little Master" reach the landmark on Wednesday.
India reached the close in a commanding position at 214 for three, trailing Australia's first innings 333 by 119 runs with Rahul Dravid, second only to Tendulkar for most Test runs, unbeaten on 68.
"It's going to eventually happen," team-mate Ravi Ashwin said after the day's play. "No point in bothering about it. We're very happy to be in the position we are presently. "Probably one wicket less would have been nice. He played very well but eventually he got a good ball."
Tendulkar, who has been on 99 Test and ODI centuries since scoring 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in March, looked in vintage touch before he lost his stumps in an inspired final over from Siddle.
India would have to rebuild before the second new ball, "stick our heads out and bat really well tomorrow", Ashwin said.
"We know how Rahul and Sachin could really stack it up. That didn't happen, hopefully someone else, we know (VVS) Laxman is there."
India, chasing their first-ever series win in Australia for 64 years, have the opportunity to press on for victory over the concluding three days of the opening Test.
"It's too far ahead to think about it, honestly," Ashwin said. "If sun beats down and wicket eases more and more, we need to bat as much possible and get as much as lead as possible.Read more...
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
‘Don 2’ Review
Remaking the Amitabh Bachchan classic ‘Don’ was a risk in itself. Not only because it is one of Bachchan's most iconic characters, but also because films like ‘Sholay’, ‘Don’, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Deewar’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikander’ [and many, many more] redefined the cinema of 1970s and 1980s. Farhan Akhtar accepted the challenge and attempted a successful remake of ‘Don’ with SRK.
Paanch saal baad, Farhan and his team of writers decide to carry the concept frontward with 'Don 2'. I genuinely feel that sequels shouldn't be attempted if you don't have an enthralling story to narrate. This time, Farhan chooses an entirely new concept, garnishes it with classic action, stunning visuals, giving it an international look and feel... the intention is to make the second part superior and enhanced than the first. Also, the fascination for thrillers such as 'M.I.', 'Bourne' and 'Bond' series is pretty evident.
While one was abundantly aware of what the first part had to offer [since it was a remake], one is completely oblivious about what the sequel has in store. And it is this facet of the film that kindles colossal interest. You cannot tell what Don's next move would be. As the reels unfold, you realize that he's cold blooded. You can't mess with him. He's dangerous to deal with. He has an agenda. Ditto for Roma [Priyanka Chopra], who shares a tumultuous relationship with Don. It's a cat and mouse chase
When viewed in isolation, 'Don 2' looks like the right package to woo the movie-going junta -- SRK in top form, a stylishly crafted story, pulsating and invigorating action and stunts. But it's not without its share of hiccups. In fact, the first hour and the post-interval portions of the film are akin to the two sides of the same coin. The first hour is bland, the second is energetic. The first hour is deficient in thrills; the second keeps you on the edge. The first hour disentangles at a languid pace, the second is feverish with several adrenaline rush moments.
'Don 2' begins in Thailand and moves to Malaysia. Don [SRK] surrenders himself to the cops [Om Puri, Priyanka Chopra] and is sent to a Malaysian prison. There, he meets his old foe Vardhan [Boman Irani]. Don hatches a conspiracy to escape with Vardhan and they succeed as well. They reach Zurich, then Berlin. The motive is to rob the currency plates. It's an unfeasible task, but Don takes the help of a hacker [Kunal Kapoor] to accomplish his plans.
With 'Don 2', Farhan Akhtar reasserts himself as one of Hindi cinema's stylish storytellers. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that 'Don 2' redefines slick in Bollywood. But the film could've done with a tighter script. Besides, the writing is urban-centric and those with an appetite for international thrillers may take to the film instantly, especially the twists and turns in the second hour. Again, the conclusion to the story could've been simplified for the average viewer to decipher. Yet, all said and done, 'Don 2' mirrors the changing trends in Hindi cinema. Those with the conventional attitude or tilting towards the conservative form of cinema may find it difficult to absorb.
'Don' is also acknowledged for its vibrant and eminent dialogue. One can conjure up the lines from the original Bachchan starrer and in 'Don 2'; the lines are in sync with the various guises and situations of the Don. The dialogues are masterly and the flamboyance with which SRK delivers the lines is what makes it exceptional. The lines are cooler, hip, zany, witty and at the same time, easy on the lips. They're sure to become the new catchphrases in times to come, like the one you recall even today: 'Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, na-mumkin hain'.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the trusted and prominent names in Excel's movies, dishearten this time around. In fact, the music is the sole sore point of the film. Sure, it has vigour and spice, but the wow factor is amiss. The film deserved a much, much superior score to match up to the standards set by Farhan Akhtar. Jason West's cinematography is dazzling. Filmed in Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia and Thailand, the film is visually enchanting. The action and stunts are spectacular.
'Don 2' marks SRK's return to anti-hero roles after enacting such roles with flourish so early in his career. Recall 'Baazigar', 'Darr' and 'Anjaam'. He plays a wicked, debonair anti-hero in 'Don 2'. The character he portrays is iniquitous and sinful, but attractive at the same time and SRK lives it up with gusto.
Besides, SRK has also experimented with varied looks in the film, from a debonair looking guy to a person with unkempt hair and stubble. Without doubt, 'Don 2' is SRK's best action movie to date.
Priyanka revisits her character of Roma in the film. Not only is the character more evolved, even her performance is of a high order. In fact, she enacts the role of an angry, tough lady who means business with a vengeance. Lara Dutta looks glamorous and alluring, but her character lacks meat.
Kunal Kapoor is decent, though he doesn't really get the scenes to prove his credentials. An actor of Om Puri's Calibre is wasted this time. Boman Irani lends the right texture to his character. He excels yet again. Nawab Shah should hit big league with this film. He plays one of the baddies with conviction.
Alyy Khan is natural, enacting his part with ease. Sahil Shroff has screen presence and stands out in a brief role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo.
On the whole, DON 2 rides on star power and brand value. The tremendous hype, star power and the lucrative period [Christmas and New Year celebrations] will make its investors reap a harvest.
Read more...
First statue of Steve Jobs unveiled
A larger-than-life bronze statue of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was unveiled in a Budapest science park Wednesday, two months after his death.
A Hungarian software company unveiled what it said was the world's first bronze statue of Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs, calling him one of the greatest personalities of the modern age.
Jobs died on October 5 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.
The bronze work by sculptor Erno Toth stands in the Budapest campus of architectural software maker Graphisoft.
"He was one of the greatest (personalities) in our era, that's what we wanted to express with this sculpture here," Graphisoft Chairman Gabor Bojar told.
Bojar said Jobs gave cash and computers to Graphisoft, helping it to become a global leader in architecture software from humble roots as a tiny firm in the 1980s in then-communist Hungary.
Steve Jobs represented a technological revolution which can be compared only to the discovery of writing, Bojar said.
"We have felt his spirit every day and now it is embodied," he said. "We hope that we can deserve with our entrepreneurial culture in Hungary what this sculpture expresses as a message."
An assistant of Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth moves his latest work, a bronze statue of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
The head of a new bronze statue of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs awaits the finishing touches in Budapest.
Read more...
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Mahek Chahal to return on Bigg Boss
This season's Bigg Boss has seen many twists and turns and as we get close to Christmas, one last bomb is yet to explode. Mahek Chahal, whose eviction received a lot of mixed reactions, has been approached to re-enter the house again as a wild card contestant
But Mahek will have to compete with Shonali and Laxmi to win this chance to re-enter the show. The person who receives the maximum votes by the audience will enter the house
When contacted, Mahek confirmed the news, “I have been out for more than a week and in this time all that I have done is viewed the episodes of the 10 weeks that I was in the house. I was quite shocked at most of the footage that I saw and I now know the realities of so many people who are still in the house.”
Mahek added, “I very seriously want to enter the house and teach them a lesson for back-stabbing especially since I considered them to be my friends. Moreover I want to settle scores with Sky and make sure the audience knows about the plotting that Pooja Bedi and Sky have done against me to get me out of the house.”
Mahek also pointed out, “Each week I fought for my position and I was falsely implicated of being close to Mr Khan just because I have done two films with him and merely knowing him was my crime. Also I have got so much support from people outside that I want the world to know that it was my fans (who call themselves Mahekians) and not a pull that was saving me.”
Since Shonali and Laxmi have not really added any spice to the show, we hope that Mahek does come back on the show as the fireworks that would follow would surely be really worth watching
Read more...
Monday, December 19, 2011
Shahrukh is bobbleheaded!
After immortalising himself in the miniature toy form of superhero G.One, Shahrukh Khan will now be seen in a bobbleheaded avatar inspired from his character in Don 2
As Shahrukh Khan’s all set to display some kick-ass gun totting action on screen with Don 2, you can bring home his head bobbling toy avatar! Yes, this is the first time that India will see official licensed bobble headed memorabilia attached to a film. Just a few months ago SRK was busy selling his blue-eyed superhero G.One’s toy avatars and yet again he’s banking on a similar strategy to promote Don 2. Well, we wonder if merchandise has really helped promote a Bollywood film? Hrithik Roshan was one of the first stars to come out with the toy form of his superhero in India, in the form of Krrish. And the film’s popularity amongst kids did help sell the toy. Guess B-town toys can never really compete with Hollywood superheroes like Batman and Spiderman? Anyway, there’s enough hype around the Don sequel and we don’t really know if the bobblehead is going to make a big difference. But SRK can sell anything, can’t he? So we wouldn’t be surprised if he actually finds takers for this. And we think SRK looks quite cute and funny in this avatar. What do you think?
Read more...
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
World's cheapest tablet goes on sale
Students' version of Aakash will be available for Rs 2,500 and will be delivered in seven days. The commercial version, UbiSlate 7 is priced at Rs 2,999. The payment mode for both the tablets is cash on delivery.
The commercial version of Aakash tablet will be powered by Android 2.3 and will have a resistive touchscreen, Cortex A8-700 MHz processor and graphics accelerator HD video processor, 256 MB of RAM and 2 GB of internal memory.
Other specifications are a one standard USB port, 3.5 mm audio jack, a 7 inch display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, resistive touchscreen, GPRS and WiFi support.
"The improved version of Aakash tablet will be available in retail outlets by January end," a spokesperson of DataWind told The Mobile Indian.
The tablet was to be made available in retail stores by the end of November. "The delay in the availability of the tablet has been due to upgradation in the tablet and some unforeseen delay in manufacturing," the spokesperson said.
To book and prebook student and commercial versions respectively of Aakash tablet, users have to visit DataWind's website and fill up the required form. In case of booking they will get a booking ID and a message which will state, "You will shortly receive an email confirmation from our support team with further details."
In case of pre booking users will get a confirmation message which will state, "The commercial version of the Akash UbiSlate 7 would be launched in early weeks of December. After the commercial launch we would get in touch with you to deliver your device as soon possible."
As a matter of fact, the confirmation message a reader will see is factually incorrect as The mobile Indian had reported earlier the Aakash tablet will be available only by January end.
Datawind has however not cleared how it is going to establish the identity of students who will book the cheapest version of Aakash tablet. When The Mobile Indian contacted spokesperson of Datwind he said, "Anyone can book the student version of Aakash tablet."
This defeats the purpose of providing students an affordable tablet as now anyone can place an order to get the tablet. Interestingly, now it has been revealed that the government has procured only 10,000 Aakash tablets for distribution in schools and colleges of the initial 1 lakh proposed.
It looks like the company was in a hurry to start the online booking process and has not done not proper homework before staring it.
Read more...
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Legendary actor Dev Anand passes away
London, 4 Dec: Dev Anand, the 'Evergreen Romantic Superstar' of Indian cinema, has passed away in London on Saturday night following cardiac arrest. He was 88.
Dev Anand, who had come to London for medical check up, was not keeping well for the last few days, family sources said. His son Sunil was with him when he breathed last.
Dev Anand made his debut as an actor in 1946 in Hum Ek Hain. By the time his Ziddi was released in 1947 he was a superstar and has never looked back.
Versatile Dev Anand has given countless hits like Paying Guest, Baazi, Jewel Thief, CID, Johny Mera Naam, Amir Garib, Warrant, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Des Pardes.
For his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, Dev Anand was honoured with the prestigious the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2002.
He established his film production company Navketan International Films in 1949 and has produced more than 35 movies.
Dev Anand has won two Filmfare Awards - India's equivalent of the Oscars - in 1958 for his performance in the film Kala Paani (Black Water) and in 1966 for his performance in Guide.
Guide went on to win Filmfare Awards in five other categories including Best Film and Best Director and was sent as India's entry for the Oscars in the foreign film category that year.
He co-produced the English Version of "Guide" with the Nobel Laureate Pearl S Buck (The Good Earth).
In 1993, he received a Filmfare "Lifetime Achievement Award" and in 1996 he received a Screen Videocon Lifetime Achievement Award.
Of late he was involved in the direction of a new all American film Project Song Of Life - a musical love story which was to be shot in the United States.
He was to play the central character in the film which was to have a predominantly American star cast.
Dev Anand is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned film director Shekhar Kapur.
Read more...
Navy Day Celebrations Set to Begin
Vizag: The Navy Day celebrations would be
held by Eastern Naval Command on 4
December in Visakhapatnam. It was on this
day in 1971 that the Missile Boats of the
Indian Navy carried out a deadly attack on
Karachi Harbour during the Indo-Pak War.
Three functions are scheduled on Sunday, 04
Dec 11, to commemorate the Event. The first
activity is the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the
War Memorial on the RK Beach by Vice
Admiral Anil Chopra, Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval
Command.
This will be followed by an Operational
Display that showcases the capability and
versatility of Naval ships, submarines, Aircraft
and the Special Forces, to be held in the
evening. His Excellency Shri Murali
Chandrakant Bhandare, Honourable Governor
of Odisha will be the Chief Guest on the
Occasion.
The Vizagites can view from RK beach, the manoeuvres by Destroyers, Corvettes, Fast attack craft and Landing Ships,
Beach assault by Marine Commandos, Sky Diving, Close Range Ant-aircraft Firing, Band performance, Formation
Anchoring and a host of other exercises. A total of 20 Ships, six types of Aircraft and a Submarine are scheduled to
take part in this years Demonstration. The Op-Demo would be followed by an At Home Function, being held for
invitees at the Navy House, the residence of Vice Admiral Anil Chopra.
Read more...
Friday, December 2, 2011
December 3 -World Disabled Day
World Disabled Day is observed every year on 3 December. Also known as “International Day of Persons with Disabilities”, the day aims to promote an awareness of disability issues and the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities. It is important to integrate disabled persons in the main stream of society. Disabled persons are often discriminated against and that is never an ideal condition. Society must take adequate steps to involve persons with disabilities in the main stream of each aspect of the social, political, economic and cultural status of their communities.
Several activities are conducted on World Disabled Day. Campaigns by human rights agencies and voluntary organizations are organized to raise awareness on the theme of right to act. Rallies are conducted to demand the right to select helps on their own free will for the disabled persons. The day seeks measures to assist physically handicapped persons in their own decision making. The year 1981 was proclaimed as “International Year of Disabled Persons”. Several plans were launched with a mission of providing similar opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities. These campaigns were launched at national, international and regional levels
Several activities are conducted on World Disabled Day. Campaigns by human rights agencies and voluntary organizations are organized to raise awareness on the theme of right to act. Rallies are conducted to demand the right to select helps on their own free will for the disabled persons. The day seeks measures to assist physically handicapped persons in their own decision making. The year 1981 was proclaimed as “International Year of Disabled Persons”. Several plans were launched with a mission of providing similar opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities. These campaigns were launched at national, international and regional levels
Read more...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Top 5 mobile phones under Rs 10,000
This edition of our 'Top five mobile phones under Rs 10,000' has two smartphones that were earlier priced around Rs 15,000.
Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 @ Rs 7,000
It maintained its numero uno status in our last list of 'Best smartphones under Rs 10,000' purely on the basis of its specifications and price.
Currently priced at Rs 7,000, the Samsung Galaxy Y has impressive specifications like Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with 830 MHz ARMv6 processor, 290 MB RAM and a 2 megapixel camera. In fact, it is one of the few smartphones under Rs 10,000 to feature Android 2.3, and that too with a powerful processor.
Galaxy Y comes with a 3 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, Samsung's TouchWiz user interface and multi touch function. It has 180 MB internal memory which can be expanded by up to 32 GB. Other features include WiFi b/g/n with hotspot, Bluetooth v3.0 A2DP, a 1200 mAh battery, 3G and A-GPS, making it an ideal choice if you're on a budget.
LG Optimus Net P690 @ Rs 9,999
Not long ago this handset was priced around Rs 15,000 in India. However, several online retailers are selling this LG Optimus NET P690 for as low as Rs 9,999 now. This reduction is one of the prime factors for us to include this handset in this list.
That does not mean Optimus Net disappoints as far as specifications or performance is concerned. The Optimus Net comes with a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen with accelerometer and proximity sensor for better gaming. It has an Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system powered by an 800 MHz Qualcomm processor. This is only the second handset to feature Android 2.3 with above 800 MHz processor.
Its other features include a 3.15 megapixel camera, 32 GB expandable memory, WiFi b/g/n, WiFi Hotspot, DLNA capability, Li-ion 1500 mAh battery, A-GPS support etc.
Nokia E5 @ Rs 9,000
Nokia has close to 60 per cent market share in India and has a product in almost every category — be it the best feature phones or top of the line handsets. Though there are many more Nokia handsets within the Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000 price bracket, such as the Nokia C series X series phones, we zeroed in on the E5 for its specifications.
Available for around Rs 9,000, Nokia E5 runs Symbian S 60 operating system on an ARM 11 600 MHz processor. Though Nokia has shifted focus to Windows Phone, it has promised to support Symbian for a couple of years to come. Besides, there are thousands of users in India who use Symbian devices and Nokia isn't likely to leave them in the lurch.
Nokia E5 has the best in the industry 5 megapixel camera with flash, 32 GB expandable memory slot, 2.36 inch display, 1200 mAh battery, A-GPS, Nokia Maps, Bluetooth, WiFi b/g etc.
Micromax A70 @ Rs 7,600
Notwithstanding its very reasonable price of Rs 7,600, Micromax A70 3G comes with Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and a 600 MHz ARMv6 Qualcomm processor. Its 3.2 touchscreen is a capacitive one that supports multi touch input.
A70 is the only handset in this list to feature dual cameras — a 5 megapixel camera at the back and a front facing VGA one. Other noted features of Micromax A70 include a 1450 mAh battery, 32 GB expandable memory option, WiFi b/g with hotspot feature and Bluetooth.
Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman @ Rs 6,250
Mix Walkman qualifies for this list for its uniqueness and overall specs.
As the name signifies, its key feature is its Walkman. Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman comes with a Zappin key to search music. When pressed, the Zappin key opens a preview of the next track and lets you decide whether it is a favourite you want to listen to or not. A Karaoke function also enables the vocal track from any song to be lowered instantly so you can sing along.
Though it's the only phone in this list to run on a Java operating system, it has a decent specification list with 3 inch scratch resistance display, 256 MB internal memory expandable memory up to 32 GB, WiFi, Bluetooth, 1000 mAh battery and 3.15 megapixel back camera.
It is priced at Rs 6,250, and is the cheapest phone in the list.
Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 @ Rs 7,000
It maintained its numero uno status in our last list of 'Best smartphones under Rs 10,000' purely on the basis of its specifications and price.
Currently priced at Rs 7,000, the Samsung Galaxy Y has impressive specifications like Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with 830 MHz ARMv6 processor, 290 MB RAM and a 2 megapixel camera. In fact, it is one of the few smartphones under Rs 10,000 to feature Android 2.3, and that too with a powerful processor.
Galaxy Y comes with a 3 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, Samsung's TouchWiz user interface and multi touch function. It has 180 MB internal memory which can be expanded by up to 32 GB. Other features include WiFi b/g/n with hotspot, Bluetooth v3.0 A2DP, a 1200 mAh battery, 3G and A-GPS, making it an ideal choice if you're on a budget.
LG Optimus Net P690 @ Rs 9,999
Not long ago this handset was priced around Rs 15,000 in India. However, several online retailers are selling this LG Optimus NET P690 for as low as Rs 9,999 now. This reduction is one of the prime factors for us to include this handset in this list.
That does not mean Optimus Net disappoints as far as specifications or performance is concerned. The Optimus Net comes with a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen with accelerometer and proximity sensor for better gaming. It has an Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system powered by an 800 MHz Qualcomm processor. This is only the second handset to feature Android 2.3 with above 800 MHz processor.
Its other features include a 3.15 megapixel camera, 32 GB expandable memory, WiFi b/g/n, WiFi Hotspot, DLNA capability, Li-ion 1500 mAh battery, A-GPS support etc.
Nokia E5 @ Rs 9,000
Nokia has close to 60 per cent market share in India and has a product in almost every category — be it the best feature phones or top of the line handsets. Though there are many more Nokia handsets within the Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000 price bracket, such as the Nokia C series X series phones, we zeroed in on the E5 for its specifications.
Available for around Rs 9,000, Nokia E5 runs Symbian S 60 operating system on an ARM 11 600 MHz processor. Though Nokia has shifted focus to Windows Phone, it has promised to support Symbian for a couple of years to come. Besides, there are thousands of users in India who use Symbian devices and Nokia isn't likely to leave them in the lurch.
Nokia E5 has the best in the industry 5 megapixel camera with flash, 32 GB expandable memory slot, 2.36 inch display, 1200 mAh battery, A-GPS, Nokia Maps, Bluetooth, WiFi b/g etc.
Micromax A70 @ Rs 7,600
Notwithstanding its very reasonable price of Rs 7,600, Micromax A70 3G comes with Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and a 600 MHz ARMv6 Qualcomm processor. Its 3.2 touchscreen is a capacitive one that supports multi touch input.
A70 is the only handset in this list to feature dual cameras — a 5 megapixel camera at the back and a front facing VGA one. Other noted features of Micromax A70 include a 1450 mAh battery, 32 GB expandable memory option, WiFi b/g with hotspot feature and Bluetooth.
Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman @ Rs 6,250
Mix Walkman qualifies for this list for its uniqueness and overall specs.
As the name signifies, its key feature is its Walkman. Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman comes with a Zappin key to search music. When pressed, the Zappin key opens a preview of the next track and lets you decide whether it is a favourite you want to listen to or not. A Karaoke function also enables the vocal track from any song to be lowered instantly so you can sing along.
Though it's the only phone in this list to run on a Java operating system, it has a decent specification list with 3 inch scratch resistance display, 256 MB internal memory expandable memory up to 32 GB, WiFi, Bluetooth, 1000 mAh battery and 3.15 megapixel back camera.
It is priced at Rs 6,250, and is the cheapest phone in the list.
Read more...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Why Bollywood loves 'Kolaveri di'
Kolaveri
Superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law and National Award winner actor, Dhanush's song 'Why this Kolaveri Di' from the upcoming Tamil movie 3 has taken the internet by storm. Though the song is in 'Tanglish' (Tamil and English), it has captured the pulse of everyone.
After creating hysteria amongst the netizens with its peppy music and catchy lyrics, 'Kolaveri di' sung and penned by Tamil star Dhanush, is now getting popular amongst Bollywood actors too. And the latest to be smitten by the song is the Shahenshah of Bollywood: Amitabh Bachchan.
Bachchan recently heard the song and was much impressed by the foot-tapping number. Senior Bachchan sang paeans about the song on the micro-blogging site Twitter, writing, "Just heard #Kolaveri after much talk on it ... its so original and catchy ..congrats Dhanush and Aishwarya(Rajni's daughter) .. love"
Neha Dhupia tweets, "Have shown tremendous restraint by not listening to #Kolaveri even once all morning. ..."
Singer Shreya Ghoshal tweeted, "Finally heard! Aiyyo! I lou! Hittu!! Soopera! "@aneeshb: This Kolaveri Di is super nice. 8shakes head n sings along*"
And Big B is not the only Bachchan raving about the song. Abhishek Bachchan too took to Twitter to praise the song. "how cool is Kolaveri di!!! slamming it LOUD! well done Dhanush and Aishwarya. big up guys!" He added later, "If you like Kolaveri di you guys must check out manmatha rasa. One of Dhanush's early songs. MINDBLOWING!! how does he move like that?"
Karan Johar tweeted, "Kolaveri di...definitely the sleeper song blockbuster of the year!!! Rock on dhanush!!!"
'Kolaveri di' is from the Dhanush and Shruti Haasan starrer '3' slated to release in 2012.
Read more...
Friday, November 25, 2011
Let's Pay Tribute to Mumbai 26/11 Martyrs
Let us pay tribute to those who gave their lives to save ours. Let us salute those who made their own lives, a trifle, to make sure that we lived ours.
Salute the men who fight our battles for us !
They have lost their precious life to save us, so why can’t we just say hat’s off to them? Come on show the spirit of what we Indians are and let’s stand brave against the terrorism.
Salute the men who fight our battles for us !
They have lost their precious life to save us, so why can’t we just say hat’s off to them? Come on show the spirit of what we Indians are and let’s stand brave against the terrorism.
Read more...
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Handset Review: Nokia 701
Nokia gave a pompous debut to the first trio of Symbian Belle software update loaded smartphones — Nokia 701, Nokia 700 and Nokia 600. Out of these three, we got lucky to receive the best of the three — Nokia 701. Loaded with the neat looking Symbian Belle operating system, the Nokia 701 comes with fancy set of features, functions and interesting bunch of pre-loaded applications.
Nokia has stepped in with couple of first with Nokia 701 — it's the first Symbian Belle device, first to have a 1 GHz processor among Nokia handsets and first with a 'functional' Near Field Communication chip. Most important is its 1000 nits brightness spreading display which measures 3.5-inch. Amongst the three Symbian Belle handsets, the Nokia 701 remains to be the high end.
Journey of Nokia Symbian Belle devices started off with a hiccup when Nokia 600 got cancelled even before it arrived. However, Nokia immediately has replaced it with 603 model.
The closest competitor of the Nokia 701 handset in terms or form-factor, feature set and pricing is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray. However, the focus is on the Symbian Belle laden Nokia 701.
Design and Displaying
In terms of physical appearance, the Nokia 701 comes in a metallic shell body and the curved as well as angular edges reminding of the Symbian Anna icons. Despite of the metallic body, the phone weighs 131 grams sans the SIM card and is actually feels almost like the metallic body bearing Nokia E75. At the first look, Nokia 701 does look similar to the Nokia C7 smartphone but the obvious differentiator lies in the home/menu button design.
Nokia 701 comes with a super-bright 3.5 inch ClearBlack display with the IPS panel LCD with Corning Gorilla Glass technology. That means it offers good viewing angles and also scratch resistant strong glass. The display is a 24-bit colour depth supporting IPS panel which offers 640x360 pixels native resolution. That promises you three things — crisper text, vibrant colours and high brightness. The screen indeed made the images and the text legible under the direct sunlight but bit of contrast settings would have been welcome there.
At the left are well laid volume buttons with Voice Command activator button in the center. There's a dedicated camera button on the left side of the bezel in the bottom and just above it is the spring lock button. It is high time Nokia should drop this spring lock button and integrated the sleep/wake function into the power button, just like several other smartphones mostly — Android and Apple iOS based devices.
The Audio port (3.5mm) rests between the power button and microUSB slot. Just to note over here that the Nokia 701 does support the USB-on-the-Go function which will let the users connect the compatible set of USB peripherals with the smartphone. The metallic back panel cover protects the 1300mAh battery. The speaker mesh is visible from the button that pops open the back-panel cover to expose battery and SIM card slot.
User Interface
The feature set that arrive with Symbian Belle have been covered number of times earlier. Major ones include the new notification drawer that also brings toggle switches for mobile data, WiFi, Bluetooth, and turning the phone to silent mode. The multi-tasking feature offering task manager remains the same and is visible when the Menu key is pressed and held for couple of seconds. Apart from more home screens, free-form widgets and improved navigation, the native browser offers better scrolling but the number of tabs is still limited to six.
The touchscreen is quite responsive and responds well while working with the apps or while gaming. Major highlight of the Symbian Belle update is the new Notification tray system that offers combined list of notifications related to the respective apps. This tray is accessible by pull down gesture and resembles so much like the Notification tray in an Android handset. While the four Toggles Switches stand out, it would be great if those switches could be interchangeable or replaced with any other toggle function.
The ARM11 architecture based 1 GHz processor with 512 MB RAM does make lot of a difference in the user interface to make it appear slick and fluid between transitions.
However, one of the pitfalls of this interface would be lack of icon differentiations because many icons come with similar/same color. But you can group the icons together and form a folder with them. The keyboard appears pretty cramped up in the portrait mode and support for SWYPE would be heavily applauded.
Imaging and Multimedia
Nokia has added an 8 megapixel camera with a fixed focus which is capable enough to record 720p HD video at 30fps. The camera does lure to click amazing images with dual LED flash. However, the actually image quality does appear bit washed in case of too much brightness or sunlight. The lack of auto-focus even during video shooting mode is kind of a downer over here. But if you are more of a casual shutterbug, then you might just be happy with the image quality provided the settings are being used properly. However, Nokia has tried to compensate for that with a still image editor. There's also a front facing VGA camera that is usable for video calling.
The Nokia 701 has a Broadcom GPU chip with 128 MB RAM dedicated to it so forget playing the HD quality videos on it. Along with the regular set of video and audio file format supports, the 701 comes with FM Radio and FM transmitter. The sensitive mic located just between the aluminum bezel and the Menu key offers active noise cancellation feature. During voice calls, the voice was clear and quite audible to the other end. No network issues were visible during the usage.
NFC fun
Just for record, we thank Nokia for sending a C7 unit to test out the NFC Tippit app that comes preloaded in the Nokia 701 handset. Exchange of business card and other information by merely tapping the phones back to back was quite a smooth process.
Also the Nokia 701 was also used to get the exclusive content from the movie specific posters placed at the Nokia Priority Partners. Must say, that the NFC interface has been coded nicely to share and accept the data from equally supporting devices.
Power Management
Nokia had packed 1300 mAh battery with the 701 and given the high luminance display coupled with 3G Network support, we doubted the phone would last even 18 hours. Surprisingly, the phone lasted just a bit more than a day with brightness limit hit, email accounts set, social features active, music listening of an hour or two, number of phone calls and bit of texting. Nokia indeed has done a commendable job with power management with the Symbian Belle by using it with the low-power consuming ARM11 architecture based processor.
The handset also offers power saving mode that automatically configures the necessary settings to save battery juice for longer run time. Keeping the technical terms aside, the Nokia 701 is capable of offering you longer talk time on 2G networks but it drops drastically when it comes to 3G networks which eat up more battery. Considering the form factor, 1300mAh was the perfect size for this handset and Nokia certainly proves the 701 is one of its best high-end handset with good battery life and power management features.
Conclusion
Nokia 701 smartphone is meant for the multimedia frenzy folks who wish to make the best of their handset without having to wrap their heads around operating system or hackery. This smartphone is meant for serious travelers who wish for a mobile with promising battery life and compelling features. Packed with metallic finish, by looks the Nokia 701 does look chic and premium.
Typing on landscape mode is quite comfortable due to the rounded corners that provide a good grip and also it is much easy to use the virtual keyboard in that mode. The Automatic screen rotation is still not smooth as compared to the competing operating system.
As an overall package, Nokia 701 indeed is an amazing package with fresh looking Symbian Belle and long lasting battery support. Available in India at a price of Rs. 18,990 in retail stores, you can also buy the same handset for less online.
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)