Google Nexus 7 : TecHnOLogy GaDgeTs - Review

7" Portable Google Tablet with NVIDIA Quad-core CPU and Jellybean OS

 

Stunning 7” display 

With a stunning 7-inch display, all day battery life, even more storage, and mobile data to keep you connected, Nexus 7 is the perfect travel or commute companion.

Speed and performance

Nexus 7 is built by ASUS and comes with a NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor so everything is faster – pages load quickly, gameplay is smooth and responsive, and running multiple apps is a breeze. Patented 4-PLUS-1™ design gives you processing power when you need it, and battery saving efficiency when you don’t.

Designed with gaming in mind

Nexus 7 was designed with gaming in mind. With heart pounding quad-core performance, a vibrant 1280-by-800 high-resolution display, and sensors like a gyroscope and accelerometer – do a barrel roll, then tilt, touch and tap your way to the top of the leaderboards while exploring over 700,000 apps and games available on Google Play. 




Less charging, more doing

With over 9 hours of HD video playback, 10 hours of web browsing or e-reading, and up to 300 hours of standby time, Nexus 7 can go the distance. Whether you measure battery life in chapters read, levels completed, movies watched or minutes of backseat silence, you can spend less time charging and more time doing. 


More powerful and portable than ever.

Buy Nexus 7 with mobile data and 32GB of storage and keep even more of your favorite stuff close at hand – even when you’re not close to WiFi.

More powerful and portable than ever.

Buy Nexus 7 with mobile data and 32GB of storage and keep even more of your favorite stuff close at hand – even when you’re not close to WiFi.

Introducing Nexus 7 with mobile data.

Nexus 7 is designed to go wherever you go – and now with up to 32GB of storage and the option to connect to mobile data networks – Nexus 7 can take you even further.

Nexus 7 is designed to go wherever you go – and now with up to 32GB of storage and the option to connect to mobile data networks – Nexus 7 can take you even further.

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WhatsApp now boasts over 400 million active monthly users

WhatsApp is one of the fastest growing messaging services on the market and their latest user count backs up that claim. The company announced the addition of 100 million active monthly users in the past four months alone, bringing the total user base to 400 million.

In a blog post on the matter, co-founder Jan Koum highlighted the fact they surpassed the 400 million milestone without spending a single dollar on targeted ads or big marketing campaigns. Instead, they arrived at this point because of the people that have shared their WhatsApp stories with co-workers, friends and loved ones.

The 400 million active users are responsible for 16 billion inbound messages, 32 billion received messages and 500 million photos sent daily. As such, WhatsApp is now the largest cross-platform social media messaging service in the world as it boasts 150 million more monthly users than Twitter.
WhatsApp and similar services like iMessage, Kik, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger are finding success as mobile phone users continue to shy away from expensive carrier-based text messaging plans. Texting plans weren’t always so expensive but in recent years, wireless providers have modified rate plans to leech more money from data and text messaging services to reflect the changing industry landscape.

WhatsApp is currently available for most popular platforms including Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Nokia and Windows Phone. The app is free to download and try for the first year

Lenovo Yoga 11S Ultrabook : Review

The Lenovo Yoga 11S is described on the company’s website as a groundbreaking multimedia mini ultrabook, measuring just 11.6-inches, the convertible is a bit lighter than the Yoga 13 (although not by much) at 3.08 pounds. What it lacks in size compared to the larger Yoga 13, however, is reflected in the price tag as it starts at just $749.99 – a full $150 cheaper than the starting price of the larger system when we reviewed it.

Specification

•     11.6-inch IPS multitouch display (1366×768)
•     3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3339Y CPU (1.5GHz - 2GHz)
•     Intel HD Graphics 4000
•     8GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz
•     Windows 8 64-bit
•     256GB Samsung SSD
•     802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
•     Integrated 720p HD Camera
•     HDMI out, 1 x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD/MMC card reader
•     3.5mm Audio In / Mic Jack combo
•     4 Cell Lithium-Ion battery (~6 hrs)
•     11.73" x 8.03" x 0.67"
•     3.08 lbs

Aesthetically, the Yoga 11S is virtually identical to its bigger brother which isn’t a bad thing. The outside of the lid feels like a semi-soft plastic and is silver with the Lenovo name engraved in the corner that still looks very clean and modern.

Across the front edge of the system is a backlit power button, battery indicator and a small recessed button that’s used to launch OneKey Recovery – a software suite that allows you to back up your system or recover it from a previous state. On the right side of the Yoga 11S is a screen orientation lock button, right side speaker, a single UBS 2.0 port and an SD/MMC card reader.

There’s not much to see on the reverse save for a row of ventilation slots between the screen’s two hinges. Moving to the left we find a combination headphone / microphone jack, a single USB 3.0 port and an HDMI-out port.

On the bottom of the Yoga 11S are four anti-skid pads and 11 small six-sided screws that would need to be removed with a non-standard screwdriver to gain access to the internals. This would make the task of adding or replacing system memory a bit more time-consuming but it does appear to be possible.

The screen on this hybrid doesn’t have a gaudy plastic bezel as there’s a single piece of glass that covers the IPS panel but there is a sizable bezel that frames the actual screen. Normally I wouldn’t approve of this but since this system doubles as a tablet, it’s acceptable as it gives you ample room to actually hold the device without inadvertently making contact with the touchscreen.

Lenovo has included a 720p webcam that’s centered just above the screen with what appears to be an ambient light sensor beside it and another on the far right edge. At the very bottom of the screen is the Windows 8 Start button that quickly allows you to switch from Windows UI to the traditional desktop and vice versa.

The keyboard on the Yoga 11S features island style keys which is becoming commonplace on notebooks today. The board is a little more compact compared to the Yoga 13 but even still, I didn’t run into any real problems using it. My only complaint here is that the keys (especially near the center of the board) feel very mushy. The entire middle area of the keyboard sinks in noticeably when pressed. It’s certainly not a deal breaker but I did expect a little more firmness given the Ultrabook branding.

Key layout is acceptable aside from a few keys like Backspace and Tab being shorter than usual. It’s also worth noting that the Page Up / Home and Page Down / End keys aren’t in their traditional space. Instead, you will find them at the bottom right flanking the Arrow keys.

The touchpad on the Yoga 11S is very similar to what I found on the Yoga 13 which is a good thing. I still prefer Lenovo’s older style with dedicated physical buttons for the left and right mouse click but I could certainly warm up to what they have done with this integrated touchpad. The size and positioning of the pad was spot-on and I had virtually no trouble with it during use. The area around the pad and the keyboard was very comfortable and offered just the right amount of movement without my wrists feeling like they were slipping away.

TOP 5 Best Smartphones Launched in 2013 (Apple iPhone 5S, LG Google Nexus 5, Nokia Lumia 1020, HTC One, Apple iPhone 5C)

Smartphones which are the most sought gadgets in today's world.

Here is our list of best smartphones launched in 2013.

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Apple iPhone 5S

It may not be the best phone for watching HD movies, but it is twice as powerful as almost all phones in the market today. The revolutionary fingerprint scanner and great app ecosystem make it our top pick for this year.

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LG Google Nexus 5

If you want a fast, bloat-free Android smartphone, get the Nexus 5. It ships with the latest Android OS (4.4 KitKat) and outperforms many costlier smartphones.

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Nokia Lumia 1020

The mythical PureView Lumia phone became a reality in 2013. Lumia 1020's 41-MP camera can capture stunning, DSLR-grade pictures and videos. The Windows Phone app ecosystem has improved quite a bit too.

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HTC One

It has been around 10 months since the HTC One's launch but it still remains one of the best smartphones around. Its build quality is right up there with iPhone 5S. It has a great display and speakers for video addicts.

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Apple iPhone 5C

It's the iPhone 5 in a colourful plastic body and it still makes for a great purchase. The reasons: a great operating system (iOS 7), lag-free user experience and a great app ecosystem.

After iPhone 5s, 5c and iPad Air, Apple Inc has 'big plans' for 2014, : Timothy D. Cook

Apple Inc enthusiasts across the globe are in for a treat as the iconic creator of iPhone (latest in market being the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c) smartphone and iPad tablet has "big plans" lined up for the next year.

"We have a lot to look forward to in 2014, including some big plans that we think customers are going to love," Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook said in a letter to its employees.

Extending greetings for the Christmas and the New Year, Cook said, "This holiday season, tens of millions of people around the world, from all walks of life, are experiencing Apple products for the first time." 

He expressed "pride" on the stellar performance by the California-headquartered firm in 2013.

"We introduced industry-leading products in each of our major categories in 2013, showing the breadth and depth of innovation at Apple," he said.

During the year, the company extended its leadership in the smartphone market with the launch of iPhone 5s and 5c, besides, unveiling the latest version of its operating system, iOS 7.

It also released the latest version of operating system for its PCs and servers (OS X Mavericks) free to its customers, while introducing the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display.

Last week, Apple began shipping the latest version of its laptop, Mac Pro, from a manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas (the US).

In 2013, Apple App Store marked its 50 billionth download, Cook added.

"Together we've shown the world that innovation at Apple goes beyond our products to the way we do business... I consider myself the luckiest person in the world for the opportunity to work at this amazing company with all of you," he said.

In a conference call with investors following the firm's fourth quarter earnings, Cook said consumers would "see exciting new products from us.

Google Nexus 10 2 Release Right After New Year’s Eve...

Google Nexus 10 2 release date that the much awaited tablet will be available right after the New Year's Eve and right before the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014.

Previous rumors claimed that Google Nexus 10 2 will be introduced at CES in January 2014. However, it seemed that Google may hold a separate launching event for its 10-inch tablet ahead of the tech event.

CES is an annual international consumer electronics and technology trade show. According to its official Web site, it is the "global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace."

However, Google Nexus 10 2 was missing in action. Now reports said the Google Nexus 10 2 launch is moved early next year.

Google is probably aware of the demand on its full-fledged tablet after it unveiled superb devices paired with affordable price. However, the tech giant has not revealed any hint on its plan on Nexus 10 2. Some consumers have lost their confidence with Google whether the company will release the tablet or not.

Specification:

10-inch screen display with 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution.

Tegra 4 chip processor or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset.

Adreno 330 GPU.

2 GB of RAM.

8 MP rear camera.

Android 4.4 Kitkat OS. 

Available in 16 GB and 32 GB.

Galaxy Note 3 vs. iPhone 5S: 4 Reasons to Buy the Samsung Phablet

Samsung has positioned the Galaxy S4 as its 2013 hero phone and true enough the Android-based handset galloped its way to millions of users around the world and edged out the iPhone 5 from Apple.

The tech giant, however, unleashed the iPhone 5S September this year and by October it became the King of Smartphones, underscoring the faltering GS4 performance. But with the Note 3, already in circulation for more than two months, Samsung could rekindle consumers' attraction to the Galaxy upscale line of mobile phones. And below are the compelling reasons why the supersized smartphone from South Korean could easily upstage its hugely popular iOS nemesis and snatch back for Samsung the smartphone throne by the end of the year.

Bigger display and higher resolution

At 4-inch, the iPhone 5S renders images and clips in Retina resolution, which inarguably is one the biggest selling points for the handset. And having Retina display panel means clear and crisp phone viewer for the 5S in whatever lighting condition.

Samsung deftly offset this advantage by packing a 5.9-inch screen with the Note 3, immediately dwarfing the 5S screen that dates back to the iPhone 5. While the size, no doubt, makes no difference in normal smartphone use such as calls and messaging, the extra screen real estate offers better premium in web browsing and watching clips.

For most users, the need to move around with a tablet and phone in tow has been eliminated, thanks to the hybrid functions and features that the Note 3 has delivered. More thanks to its stretched and high-resolution display that punctuates its advantages over the smaller 5S.

Multitasking

For the average users, multitasking can be negligible. But for business users, which are main target of smartphone makers, the ability to perform and accomplish two tasks at the same time in a powerful device is a must.

The Note 3 offers a combination of specially designed software and hardware - Multi-View and S-Pen - that allows users to work and enjoy while on the go. The unique S-Pen stylus automatically ignites Air Command that offers slew of menu tasks users to choose from. Multi-View, on the other hand, displays two app windows at the same time, which partially mirrors a function that is normally found on PCs.

Both features are absent in the iPhone 5S.

Camera

Experts have been impressed with the way Apple is packaging the iPhone camera features, which were sustained with the iPhone 5S. The 5S shooter is nothing short of incredible but when compared to the Note 3, reviewers are in agreement that the Samsung cam in the phablet is more well-rounded - able to do and offering more than what users can get from the 5S.

More useful options

All iOS devices are known for the tight integration of the software and hardware that come out of the box. That is unmatched as far as the iPhone 5S is concerned. But integration the Apple way also meant of a tightly-guarded system.

This is reflected in the solid-build of the 5S that discourages users from prying in. In the Note 3, the back cover is removable, which enables owners to swap the already massive battery inside as needed for extended operating hours.

Also, a microSD card slot is also provided, giving users the ability to expand the Note 3's built-in storage capacity. In contrast, iPhone 5S users are stuck with the device's stock offerings.