Subscribe to web2feel.com
Subscribe to web2feel.com

ITS MY OWN LIFE

Samsung Galaxy S II will come out early on 27 April

Posted by Abhishek Thursday, 21 April 2011 0 comments


KOREAN ELECTRONICS GIANT Samsung's Galaxy S II dual core smartphone will arrive four days early on 27 April at Phones4U.
The INQUIRER reported earlier this month that Samsung had set the release date for 1 May, which was much later that the 31 March date that Play.com initially had for the handset. But the Phones4U website now states a delivery date of 27 April.
Phones4U is offering the phone on Orange for free on a £35 a month contract. However T-Mobile still has Samsung's Gingerbread smartphone down on its coming soon page for June.
Play.com still has its SIM free price of £499 with a date of 29 April, earlier than we last reported, which was 6 May. Clove.co.uk price and availability remain unchanged at £528 on 1 May.
The Galaxy S II is the successor to the popular Galaxy S smartphone, which is currently experiencing issues with its update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Though it has a 1GHz dual core processor, we could see Samsung bring out a smartphone with double that processor speed by the end of the year.
We had a quick play with the Galaxy S II smartphone at the Gadget Show Live earlier this month, so take a look at our hands-on review of the handset


Full Story

Samsung Galaxy S II will come out early on 27 April

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


KOREAN ELECTRONICS GIANT Samsung's Galaxy S II dual core smartphone will arrive four days early on 27 April at Phones4U.
The INQUIRER reported earlier this month that Samsung had set the release date for 1 May, which was much later that the 31 March date that Play.com initially had for the handset. But the Phones4U website now states a delivery date of 27 April.
Phones4U is offering the phone on Orange for free on a £35 a month contract. However T-Mobile still has Samsung's Gingerbread smartphone down on its coming soon page for June.
Play.com still has its SIM free price of £499 with a date of 29 April, earlier than we last reported, which was 6 May. Clove.co.uk price and availability remain unchanged at £528 on 1 May.
The Galaxy S II is the successor to the popular Galaxy S smartphone, which is currently experiencing issues with its update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Though it has a 1GHz dual core processor, we could see Samsung bring out a smartphone with double that processor speed by the end of the year.
We had a quick play with the Galaxy S II smartphone at the Gadget Show Live earlier this month, so take a look at our hands-on review of the handset


Full Story

India Plans Its First Commercial Semiconductor Fabs

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


The Indian government has established a committee to identify technology and potential investors that could set up India's first two commercial semiconductor wafer fabs, the country's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology said.
The committee, which is to submit its report by July 31, will also recommend the nature and size of government support to the fabs, which could range from equity participation to grants and subsidies in physical or financial terms, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The ministry put the rough cost of the two fabs at US$5 billion.
An investment of that level should be enough to pick up two second-hand fabs, said Poornima Shenoy, president of India Semiconductor Association (ISA), a trade body.
India does not currently have a commercial fab and that's been a bottleneck for the country's electronics industry. The defense and space ministries run small fabs which mainly meet the requirements of government agencies.
It is good that the government has decided to take chip manufacturing seriously, Shenoy said.
An earlier government committee recommended, among other things, that the country set up semiconductor wafer fabs, and also give preference in government procurement to locally manufactured electronic products.
The domestic market does not require high-end, state-of-the-art fabrication capacity, said Rajiv Jain, associate director for government affairs at ISA. Most of the current demand for semiconductors in India can be met from a fab that processes 200 mm (millimeter) to 300 mm wafers, Jain added.
India has emerged as a key chip design location for a number of multinational companies including Intel and Texas Instruments.

Full Story

India Plans Its First Commercial Semiconductor Fabs

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


The Indian government has established a committee to identify technology and potential investors that could set up India's first two commercial semiconductor wafer fabs, the country's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology said.
The committee, which is to submit its report by July 31, will also recommend the nature and size of government support to the fabs, which could range from equity participation to grants and subsidies in physical or financial terms, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The ministry put the rough cost of the two fabs at US$5 billion.
An investment of that level should be enough to pick up two second-hand fabs, said Poornima Shenoy, president of India Semiconductor Association (ISA), a trade body.
India does not currently have a commercial fab and that's been a bottleneck for the country's electronics industry. The defense and space ministries run small fabs which mainly meet the requirements of government agencies.
It is good that the government has decided to take chip manufacturing seriously, Shenoy said.
An earlier government committee recommended, among other things, that the country set up semiconductor wafer fabs, and also give preference in government procurement to locally manufactured electronic products.
The domestic market does not require high-end, state-of-the-art fabrication capacity, said Rajiv Jain, associate director for government affairs at ISA. Most of the current demand for semiconductors in India can be met from a fab that processes 200 mm (millimeter) to 300 mm wafers, Jain added.
India has emerged as a key chip design location for a number of multinational companies including Intel and Texas Instruments.

Full Story

HONDA CBR250R REVIEWED!

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments

1. I don’t need to tell you guys this, but it looks like a mini-VFR. And it’s no bad thing at all. Out on the road, the CBR250R’s looks get more positive reactions than the VFR1200, to be honest!

2. Fat Continental ‘Go’ tyres offer superb looks and grip. The front is a 110/70, while the 140/70, both running on 17-inch wheels.


3. Liquid-cooled four-valve 249.6cc motor develops 25 bhp@8500 rpm and 2.33 kgm@7000 rpm. This gives you enough poke for our road conditions, though a few more horses would’ve made this 167 kg motorcycle seem even lighter.
4. While an indicated 140 kph is achieved effortlessly, the CBR250R still has another gear to spare at this point. However, the CBR’s long-legged character means that acceleration is more satisfying than shattering. Expect around a 9-second run to 100 kph when we ge
t the testing fig

5. Throttle response is excellent. The fuel injections system displays no tendency to jerk or baulk at any speed.
6. However, you do need to work the gearbox in city conditions because of the tall overall gearing. Makes for an effortless long-distance bike, though.


7. Returns close to 45 kpl on the highway being ridden under 100 kph. The cherry on the icing, I say!
8. The 296 mm front disc (and the 220 mm rear, if you need it) works brilliantly with the Combined Anti-lock Braking System, whether you’re on smooth roads or rough. I found it almost impossible to lock up either wheel, except on one occasion in a really bumpy corner that I overcooked. Even then, it recovered before the front could wash out. Superb stuff.


ures ourselves.



9. Substantial cycle parts, a strong motor and a stylish appearance make this an extremely appealing motorcycle for India. The clincher? Read ‘10’.
10. Rs 1.51 lakh for the standard model and Rs 1.77 lakh for the C-ABS version make this Honda fantastic value for money and seals the deal. What are you waiting for? Go ride one and see if this Honda is for you! 

Full Story

HONDA CBR250R REVIEWED!

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments

1. I don’t need to tell you guys this, but it looks like a mini-VFR. And it’s no bad thing at all. Out on the road, the CBR250R’s looks get more positive reactions than the VFR1200, to be honest!

2. Fat Continental ‘Go’ tyres offer superb looks and grip. The front is a 110/70, while the 140/70, both running on 17-inch wheels.


3. Liquid-cooled four-valve 249.6cc motor develops 25 bhp@8500 rpm and 2.33 kgm@7000 rpm. This gives you enough poke for our road conditions, though a few more horses would’ve made this 167 kg motorcycle seem even lighter.
4. While an indicated 140 kph is achieved effortlessly, the CBR250R still has another gear to spare at this point. However, the CBR’s long-legged character means that acceleration is more satisfying than shattering. Expect around a 9-second run to 100 kph when we ge
t the testing fig

5. Throttle response is excellent. The fuel injections system displays no tendency to jerk or baulk at any speed.
6. However, you do need to work the gearbox in city conditions because of the tall overall gearing. Makes for an effortless long-distance bike, though.


7. Returns close to 45 kpl on the highway being ridden under 100 kph. The cherry on the icing, I say!
8. The 296 mm front disc (and the 220 mm rear, if you need it) works brilliantly with the Combined Anti-lock Braking System, whether you’re on smooth roads or rough. I found it almost impossible to lock up either wheel, except on one occasion in a really bumpy corner that I overcooked. Even then, it recovered before the front could wash out. Superb stuff.


ures ourselves.



9. Substantial cycle parts, a strong motor and a stylish appearance make this an extremely appealing motorcycle for India. The clincher? Read ‘10’.
10. Rs 1.51 lakh for the standard model and Rs 1.77 lakh for the C-ABS version make this Honda fantastic value for money and seals the deal. What are you waiting for? Go ride one and see if this Honda is for you! 

Full Story

RIM PlayBook All Hat And No Cowboy

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments

BYTE Wireless Radio and teamBYTE dig into the good, bad, and the ugly of RIM's new tablet.

By Gina Smith InformationWeek
April 21, 2011 19:01 PM
We dedicated this week's BYTE Wireless Radio show to one topic: RIM's PlayBook tablet.
Fritz Nelson again joined hosts Craig Johnston and me on our regular 15-minute podcast, where we conducted a fierce post launch analysis of the product

Is this another example of what we at BYTE Wireless Radio call the Apple Tizzy Effect?Reviews of this product have been harsh, including Fritz' own assessment. The consensus is that RIM's tablet isn't ready for the enterprise--or much else.

2010 Threats: Why they happened and the tools available to thwart them.
Take a quick look back to prepare for future threats.
The PlayBook doesn't include native email or calendaring, the bridge software for it is slow and difficult to find through official channels. These are among the many flaws we discussed on the show--too numerous to mention here. It's not as if RIM didn't have time to get this right.
It's even more disappointing when you consider that RIM's BlackBerry phones are the gold standard in the enterprise. Craig, my co-host, a BYTE contributor, and IT veteran pointed out that the only hope for RIM is that IT will mandate the PlayBook for BlackBerry users because of intercompatibility, but even that seems unlikely.
Is there anything good about the RIM Tablet? Fritz pointed out that the PlayBook does have some outstanding features and on the show we delved into the things that RIM did right. The nice interface is one thing--it's gorgeous, actually. Yes, it's a rip-off of HP's WebOS, but that's a good thing; it means no more awkward BlackBerry-ish folder junk. Plus, it supports Flash and its performance is great. According to Fritz, web browsing, in particular, is outstanding.
But where are the apps? Fritz and Craig pronounced what's available for the PlayBook as largely junk, and that's putting it politely. Listen in to what they actually said. Shockingly, even the RIM trademark app in enterprise, its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), is missing.
Is there any hope for this pretty but befuddled late comer? I put that question to my seasoned team of BYTE editors and columnists, teamBYTE, which will be providing views and insights when BYTE launches in July.
"The hardware is wonderful, but the software appears rushed. Aside from the unique ability to connect to a BlackBerry over Bluetooth, it is missing many essential applications," said BYTE senior editor Seth Heringer, based in Pasadena, CA. "Does it currently compete with the iPad? No. Will it? Maybe. The tablet wars are just beginning."
Shawn Ingram, BYTE's senior editor based in New York, said he's torn: "I love the design of the OS, partially because it borrows so heavily from WebOS. But I've had the browser crash many times. I think if RIM can squash the bugs in what's it's calling a beta of the OS, it could do well.
"The device itself is really nice," Ingram added. "But I wouldn't consider buying one until there is a way to check email without using the browser. I'll probably just go back to my iPad 1."
Todd Ogasawara, BYTE's senior columnist for mobile and a government IT consultant in Honolulu, said the PlayBook "reminds me of the Palm Foleo. I tend to agree it will appeal to current BlackBerry phone users, but everyone else will buy an iPad or, maybe, an Android tablet. If (Barnes & Noble's) Nook Color becomes a full Android tablet out of the box with no rooting, it will be a serious player at the low-end," he said. There's gadget lust in those words.
Chris Spera, leader of the BYTE tips section and an IT consultant in Chicago, smacked it down. "Who are they kidding? Heck, even the native BlackBerry apps aren't finished yet," he said. "RIM is struggling to find a place in a mature market--and its initial offering is unfinished hardware, unfinished developer tools, and unfinished or missing PIM apps."
Eric Finkenbiner, senior BYTE commentator and a business analyst at JP Morgan Chase in Columbus, OH, said, "My users are going to ask for an iPad over this device." The restrictions are limiting, he added, noting that RIM is going to have to make some bold fixes or fall hard in the enterprise. "I'm seeing more and more people that I support looking for ways to get rid of their BlackBerry (devices) and instead use Android/iOS either via a company owned phone or a personal device."
I agree with Eric that users in the end are going to revolt and bring in what they want, and IT needs to deal with that. You are either on the horse, or the cowboy's taking off without you.
In all, teamBYTE was a lot tougher on the PlayBook than some readers have been. As a group, teamBYTE exhibited total vitriol at what they viewed as rushed work and poor value in the long-awaited Playbook.
By the end of this episode of BYTE Wireless Radio, Fritz, Craig and I had reached a verdict about whether you should buy this version of the PlayBook for you or your users. The answer was painfully clear. Sorry, RIM.

Full Story

RIM PlayBook All Hat And No Cowboy

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments

BYTE Wireless Radio and teamBYTE dig into the good, bad, and the ugly of RIM's new tablet.

By Gina Smith InformationWeek
April 21, 2011 19:01 PM
We dedicated this week's BYTE Wireless Radio show to one topic: RIM's PlayBook tablet.
Fritz Nelson again joined hosts Craig Johnston and me on our regular 15-minute podcast, where we conducted a fierce post launch analysis of the product

Is this another example of what we at BYTE Wireless Radio call the Apple Tizzy Effect?Reviews of this product have been harsh, including Fritz' own assessment. The consensus is that RIM's tablet isn't ready for the enterprise--or much else.

2010 Threats: Why they happened and the tools available to thwart them.
Take a quick look back to prepare for future threats.
The PlayBook doesn't include native email or calendaring, the bridge software for it is slow and difficult to find through official channels. These are among the many flaws we discussed on the show--too numerous to mention here. It's not as if RIM didn't have time to get this right.
It's even more disappointing when you consider that RIM's BlackBerry phones are the gold standard in the enterprise. Craig, my co-host, a BYTE contributor, and IT veteran pointed out that the only hope for RIM is that IT will mandate the PlayBook for BlackBerry users because of intercompatibility, but even that seems unlikely.
Is there anything good about the RIM Tablet? Fritz pointed out that the PlayBook does have some outstanding features and on the show we delved into the things that RIM did right. The nice interface is one thing--it's gorgeous, actually. Yes, it's a rip-off of HP's WebOS, but that's a good thing; it means no more awkward BlackBerry-ish folder junk. Plus, it supports Flash and its performance is great. According to Fritz, web browsing, in particular, is outstanding.
But where are the apps? Fritz and Craig pronounced what's available for the PlayBook as largely junk, and that's putting it politely. Listen in to what they actually said. Shockingly, even the RIM trademark app in enterprise, its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), is missing.
Is there any hope for this pretty but befuddled late comer? I put that question to my seasoned team of BYTE editors and columnists, teamBYTE, which will be providing views and insights when BYTE launches in July.
"The hardware is wonderful, but the software appears rushed. Aside from the unique ability to connect to a BlackBerry over Bluetooth, it is missing many essential applications," said BYTE senior editor Seth Heringer, based in Pasadena, CA. "Does it currently compete with the iPad? No. Will it? Maybe. The tablet wars are just beginning."
Shawn Ingram, BYTE's senior editor based in New York, said he's torn: "I love the design of the OS, partially because it borrows so heavily from WebOS. But I've had the browser crash many times. I think if RIM can squash the bugs in what's it's calling a beta of the OS, it could do well.
"The device itself is really nice," Ingram added. "But I wouldn't consider buying one until there is a way to check email without using the browser. I'll probably just go back to my iPad 1."
Todd Ogasawara, BYTE's senior columnist for mobile and a government IT consultant in Honolulu, said the PlayBook "reminds me of the Palm Foleo. I tend to agree it will appeal to current BlackBerry phone users, but everyone else will buy an iPad or, maybe, an Android tablet. If (Barnes & Noble's) Nook Color becomes a full Android tablet out of the box with no rooting, it will be a serious player at the low-end," he said. There's gadget lust in those words.
Chris Spera, leader of the BYTE tips section and an IT consultant in Chicago, smacked it down. "Who are they kidding? Heck, even the native BlackBerry apps aren't finished yet," he said. "RIM is struggling to find a place in a mature market--and its initial offering is unfinished hardware, unfinished developer tools, and unfinished or missing PIM apps."
Eric Finkenbiner, senior BYTE commentator and a business analyst at JP Morgan Chase in Columbus, OH, said, "My users are going to ask for an iPad over this device." The restrictions are limiting, he added, noting that RIM is going to have to make some bold fixes or fall hard in the enterprise. "I'm seeing more and more people that I support looking for ways to get rid of their BlackBerry (devices) and instead use Android/iOS either via a company owned phone or a personal device."
I agree with Eric that users in the end are going to revolt and bring in what they want, and IT needs to deal with that. You are either on the horse, or the cowboy's taking off without you.
In all, teamBYTE was a lot tougher on the PlayBook than some readers have been. As a group, teamBYTE exhibited total vitriol at what they viewed as rushed work and poor value in the long-awaited Playbook.
By the end of this episode of BYTE Wireless Radio, Fritz, Craig and I had reached a verdict about whether you should buy this version of the PlayBook for you or your users. The answer was painfully clear. Sorry, RIM.

Full Story

Sony Ericsson announces W8 Walkman phone

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


Using just a post on its Web site, Sony Ericsson unceremoniously unveiled its next Android-powered phone today, the W8 Walkman. Looking nearly identical to last summer's Xperia X8, the smartphone features a 3-inch touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a 600MHz processor.
The W8 Walkman runs Android 2.1 with Sony Ericsson's custom Timescape UI so it should be able to run most games and applications. Virtually indistinguishable from the Xperia X8, both offer Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth support as well. I might expect apps centered around music and media playback, but the Sony Ericsson blog mentions new or exciting.
Initially, the W8 Walkman phone will be offered in Asia-Pacific markets in three color options: Azure Blue, Metallic Red, and Iconic Orange. As of this time there are no indications that we'll see this phone at a U.S. carrier.


Full Story

Sony Ericsson announces W8 Walkman phone

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


Using just a post on its Web site, Sony Ericsson unceremoniously unveiled its next Android-powered phone today, the W8 Walkman. Looking nearly identical to last summer's Xperia X8, the smartphone features a 3-inch touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a 600MHz processor.
The W8 Walkman runs Android 2.1 with Sony Ericsson's custom Timescape UI so it should be able to run most games and applications. Virtually indistinguishable from the Xperia X8, both offer Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth support as well. I might expect apps centered around music and media playback, but the Sony Ericsson blog mentions new or exciting.
Initially, the W8 Walkman phone will be offered in Asia-Pacific markets in three color options: Azure Blue, Metallic Red, and Iconic Orange. As of this time there are no indications that we'll see this phone at a U.S. carrier.


Full Story

Android Handsets Specification Comparison

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


The Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 price range has suddenly become very exciting because of all the new Android phones that are pouring in thick and fast. For a prospective buyer, this is both good news as well as bad news. Good news because he now has a choice; bad news because there are too many options to choose from.

Each of these phones differs from one another by one or two features. It becomes difficult to keep track of these things and even if you use a compare engine the task becomes tedious because of the sheer number. So we decided to club all of these high-end smartphones into a table and list out all the important specifications, so that it is easy to compare. Some of these handsets are currently on sale in India, whereas others are yet to launch but worth keeping an eye out for.

Since these are just the specifications, we would advise not to make your buying decision solely based on them, but also have a hands-on with the phone or read/watch online reviews before committing to any of them.
This table is only for high-end phones but we may even come up with a similar one for mid-range and low-end Android phones too. Do let us know what you think about this chart, if it requires any additions or if you spot any errors.




Click on the image to view it in full size. If you are unable to view the image above, click here.

Please note that we are constantly updating the image above to correct any errors or add extra parameters as we come across them. Hence, we would advise not to save the image on your computer.

Full Story

Android Handsets Specification Comparison

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


The Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 price range has suddenly become very exciting because of all the new Android phones that are pouring in thick and fast. For a prospective buyer, this is both good news as well as bad news. Good news because he now has a choice; bad news because there are too many options to choose from.

Each of these phones differs from one another by one or two features. It becomes difficult to keep track of these things and even if you use a compare engine the task becomes tedious because of the sheer number. So we decided to club all of these high-end smartphones into a table and list out all the important specifications, so that it is easy to compare. Some of these handsets are currently on sale in India, whereas others are yet to launch but worth keeping an eye out for.

Since these are just the specifications, we would advise not to make your buying decision solely based on them, but also have a hands-on with the phone or read/watch online reviews before committing to any of them.
This table is only for high-end phones but we may even come up with a similar one for mid-range and low-end Android phones too. Do let us know what you think about this chart, if it requires any additions or if you spot any errors.




Click on the image to view it in full size. If you are unable to view the image above, click here.

Please note that we are constantly updating the image above to correct any errors or add extra parameters as we come across them. Hence, we would advise not to save the image on your computer.

Full Story

Nikon launches D5100 in India

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments

Nikon has launched the D5100 DSLR in India. It is priced at Rs. 39,950 with the AF-S 18-55mm VR kit lens and Rs. 34,450 without the lens.

 



The new D5100 has a 16.2 megapixel sensor, same as the one on the D7000 and up from the 12 megapixel sensor on the D5000. The new camera can also record videos at 1080p resolution at 30, 25 and 24FPS. There is no 60FPS option for any resolution, unlike the Canon EOS 550D.

The D5100 has a side mounted 3-inch, 921,000 dots articulated display, unlike the bottom mounted display on the D5000. The D5100 also offers multiple effects that can be applied to images and videos before shooting, a first for a Nikon DSLR.

 



The Nikon D5100 is sold with a DSLR bag and a 4GB card as part of the standard equipment. 

Full Story

Nikon launches D5100 in India

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments

Nikon has launched the D5100 DSLR in India. It is priced at Rs. 39,950 with the AF-S 18-55mm VR kit lens and Rs. 34,450 without the lens.

 



The new D5100 has a 16.2 megapixel sensor, same as the one on the D7000 and up from the 12 megapixel sensor on the D5000. The new camera can also record videos at 1080p resolution at 30, 25 and 24FPS. There is no 60FPS option for any resolution, unlike the Canon EOS 550D.

The D5100 has a side mounted 3-inch, 921,000 dots articulated display, unlike the bottom mounted display on the D5000. The D5100 also offers multiple effects that can be applied to images and videos before shooting, a first for a Nikon DSLR.

 



The Nikon D5100 is sold with a DSLR bag and a 4GB card as part of the standard equipment. 

Full Story