ZUNE HD :  Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPod touch

Microsoft is all set to make its presence felt in the portable digital media player market with the launch of its touch screen mp3 player named Zune HD on 15^th September 2009.

credit: cnet.com

This sleek and stylish gadget is loaded with some serious high end features like:

• HD radio in this device is considered as the biggest breakthrough in portable media players with
• The OLED  3.3– inch glass touch screen, 16:9 display(480X272 pixel resolution) that it possesses, promises you an unparalleled entertainment experience using less power
• For people who enjoy big screen viewing, it is possible to connect Zune HD to a HD TV in 720 p through a HDMI A/V docking station(Separately available).
• First time in the Zune series of mp3 players, there is a web browser, Internet Explorer Mobile 6, packed with tap-to-zoom technology, Qwerty Keyboard and a built in accelerometer, which enables you to have a perfect full screen browsing experience
• It is powered by a Nvidia Tegra processor and supported by Windows CE operating system.
• Zune HD is wifi enabled supporting instant streaming from enormous tracks on zune music store
• It takes 3 hrs to charge when done through PC and 2 hrs when done through AC adapters.
• The 16GB model will be black in colour and 32-GB in platinum for pre-orders and later many more colours are expected to join the league.

Let’s see how and why it might prove as a tough competition for Apple’s iPod, the unquestioned leader:

For the gadget freaks who are getting impatient to have hands-on the device, they can go ahead and do so in a Best Buy store on August 22^nd and August 23^rd and pay $25 for a pre-order. Also it is open for pre-orders since August 13, 2009 in Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and Microsoft.

Check out the cool one … wait for few days !

Apple Tablet – Though its a new concpt and most of the features are still under veil but few features, it is anticipated to possess are:

•  It is expected to have a 10-inch touch screen display.
•  The OS will be somewhat similar to the one used in iPhone but will support larger screen resolution and higher version of iPhone applications.
•  Speculations say that this device might be free from a physical keyboard.
•  It will have a built in 3GS wireless access.
•  One interesting fight is the chip on which this device is based upon. Is it the Intel’s Atom chips or the customized chip made by PA Semi (A company that was taken over by Apple last year)

One million dollar question that revolves around this device is its price. Speculations say that it will be somewhere near $800. This project, being keenly monitored by Steve jobs himself is expected to go live in market in first quarter of 2010. But there are rumours which say Apple Tablets might hit the market as early as September 09.

The Tablet PC makes up 2% of the portable PC market.  If Apple were able to enter the market and match that 2%, given the amount of notebooks that they currently sell, they’d sell under 27,000 tablet PC’s per year.

As we slowly see the facts about the device uncover, we will keep you posted with the latest add-ons to it.

Update: On Jan 27th, 2010 finally Steve Jobs luanched the Tablet with the name ‘iPad’…. read more on this.

Credit: aboutcellulars.com

The two classic phones from Nokia India are out in the market and its branding is being done by none other than the Bollywood diva and the youth icon Priyanka Chopra. Not only that there is a contest too with the launch. So, read on to know more.

First, let me provide a synopsis on the tech spec of these two mobile phones -Nokia Classic 6700 and Nokia Classic 6300.

Nokia Classic 6700 is equipped with 5 megapixel camera with 2.2 inch display screen with picture resolution of 320×240 pixels. Weighing 113gm, this 6700 phone measures 109.8 x 45 x 11.2 mm in size and has in-built GPS. With micro SD-card, Nokia Classic 6700 can have 8GB memory. You can simply owe this handset at just Rs 14,000.

On the other hand at only Rs. 8000, you can grab the Nokia Classic 6300 with a little compromise on picture quality. Yes, Nokia Classic 6300 is available with 3.2 MP cameras and weighs just 96gm. It’s slim and sleek with stainless steel body and 2.2 inch display screen. For the purpose of navigation and GPS, it supports external GPS.

Credit: ubergizmo.com

Both, Nokia Classic 6700 and Nokia Classic 6300 are equipped with 3.5mm stereo jack, Micro-USB connector and supports Nokia maps.

Here is the detail of the contest that is also named same as the tagline-Pictures get us talking. The main motive of the new campaign is to have a new visionary appeal so that users get to know the elements of mobile imaging as they walk through into the world of mobile communication. The consumer contest provides with the opportunity to upload interesting picture on the Nokia website: www.nokia.co.in.  Next is to find out which picture has started maximum conversation threads or in simple words the most talked about picture on the web will be the winner.

Nokia launches the 8 MP camera phone N86 in India today. Check out the details of this phone in the link below

http://www.sadhanbiswas.com/myblog/gadgetzone/nokia-n86/

Samsung’s S9110-Wristwatch styled touchscreen phone to be launched this month.

credit: engadget

Under its S-series Samsung is adding some cool gadgets. This Korean company has recently launched for its country SCH-W760, the latest mobile that would allow video conferencing in total darkness with sharp 3 mega pixel night vision camera.

But it’s the S9110 touchscreen mobile that would definitely be the showstopper in this S series from Samsung. It will be the thinnest mobile styled as a wristwatch. This is expected to be a high-end one. It is fashioned with stainless steel body with scratch-resistant touchscreen. However, it is loaded with host of features, the details of which is yet to be released. But little sneak peek tells us this S9110 will support Bluetooth 2.1, sync with Outlook email and will be equipped with MP3 player, voice recognition system and a speaker phone.

Another on the anvil is the SCH-i920. Keep waiting as we will keep it posted as details are out.

Android, a product of Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a complete package of software for mobile devices. It is comprised of an operating system, middleware and mobile applications. The android operating system runs on open Linux kernel. It contains a set of APIs (Application Programming Interface) and libraries that gives users enormous facility to innovate new applications, for example: a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual’s mobile phone — such as the user’s contacts, calendar, or geographic location. A developer can build an application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect.

Android provides a software development kit (SDK) which is constituted of debugger, libraries, a handset emulator (based on QEMU), documentation, sample code, and tutorials.

Key features of an Android operating system:

• Handset Layout>: The platform is adaptable to VGA, 2D graphics library, 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 1.0 specifications, and traditional Smartphone layouts.
• Storage: The Database Software SQLite is used for data storage purposes
• Connectivity: Android supports connectivity technologies including GSM/EDGE, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. 
• Messaging: SMS and MMS are available forms of messaging including threaded text messaging.
• Web browser: The web browser available in Android is based on the open-source WebKit application framework.
• Media support: Android supports the following audio/video/still media formats: MPEG-4, H.264, MP3, AAC, MIDI, OGG, AMR, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
• Additional hardware support: Android can utilize video/still cameras, touch screens, GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers, accelerated 2D (with hardware orientation, scaling, and pixel format conversion) and accelerated 3D graphics.
• Development environment: Includes a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, a plug-in for the Eclipse IDE.
• Market: The Android Market is a store house of applications that can be downloaded and installed .Originally only freeware applications were supported. Paid-for applications have been available on the Android Market in the United States since 19 February 2009.
• Multi-touch: Android has native support for multi-touch but the feature is disabled at the kernel level. An unofficial mod has been developed that enables multi-touch, but requires superuser access to the device to flash an unsigned kernel.

Evolution of Android:

Way back, on November 5, 2007 a consortium of companies(whose count is 47 now) comprising of  Broadcom Corporation, Google, HTC, Intel, LG, Marvell Technology Group, Motorola, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Texas Instruments came into existence, coinciding with the release of their first product ‘Android’ with ARM Holdings Plc, Atheros Communications, Asustek Computer Inc, Garmin Ltd, Softbank, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba Corp, and Vodafone Group joining later. The latest entry in OHA is Acer.

Android is available as an entirely open source since October 21, 2008. Despite of the fact that it is an open source product, there are few developments happening in the product in a private development branch named ‘Cupcake’ (Its a read-only mirror branch for public view). This development activity will result in changes in download manager, the framework, Bluetooth, the system software, radio and telephony, developer tools, the build system and several applications, as well as a number of bug fixes.

On 30th April, 2009 another milestone was achieved with the release of 1.5 update for Android which led to following enhancements:

•  Ability to record and watch videos with the camcorder mode

•  Uploading videos to YouTube and pictures to Picasa directly from the phone

•  A new soft keyboard with an “Autocomplete” feature

•  Ability to automatically connect to a Bluetooth headset within a certain distance

•  New widgets and folders that can populate the desktop

•  Animations between screens

•  Expanded ability of Copy and paste to include web pages. 

Lets have some insight on devices already running on Android and those which would be running on it soon. HTC dream, HTC Magic, Chinese company QIGI I6, Geeks phone ONE (first Spanish android phone) are the ones which are already using android. The mobiles which are coming soon with android are Samsung I7500, HTC Hero, HKC Imobile. Acer is expected to release Android for the Acer One netbook in Q3 2009. Chinese ODM Yuhua’s first Android phone, the dual-SIM DSTL1 will be released in June.

Latest Buzz in the territory of android based device is the announcement of Android Native development kit version 1.0 which allows software or applications to run natively on the Linux layer below and the possibility of fennec (Firefox’s mobile version) to be a part of Android mobile OS.

With Android around we can customize our phones to our interests and has the capacity to incorporate almost all the technologies coming in future.

Already Report says Google Android to grow 900% in 2009. Keep watching … 

Project NATAL : Redefining the gaming experience with Xbox 360!

Microsoft brings to light the much rumoured hands-free and motion-sensing gaming and entertainment. This is a project (code-named Natal) that is still within Microsoft laboratory walls and has a long way to go to come to market.  This small black device, an add on to the Xbox 360 gives a full on real life gaming experience of what is happening in the screen without any controllers and wires attached.  It has the capability of playing with multiple users during a single session.

It has a surprisingly sensitive video camera which can capture and track where your body is and what you are doing. It automatically recognizes if you are a man or a woman. It has a monochrome camera (works with infrared) that reads the depth in our movements like how far away our body is. It also exhibits a super sensitive and multi-array microphone that can not only pick up voice commands but also tells when you are talking, when your friends are talking and when somebody in the game is talking. It is powered with a software that tells Xbox how to find our body’s various joints.(It tracks 48 of them). Isn’t it ultimate?

The project is headed by Don Mattrick, the head of Microsoft’s interactive and entertainment division and the former head of Electronics Art. Any guesses on why is the project named Natal?? Lets see.. This is because Microsoft tends to name its internal projects after cities; Natal is a city in Brazil, where Alex Kipman, one of the key engineers on project Natal comes from.

The other players in market in this field are Nintendo Wii, Sony EyeToy but they come with some kind of swing and swivel device and with not so good movement capture and are in no way close to Project Natal.

However, some say it would be weird to dodge a ball when you actually don’t hold it and it is not meant for hardcore gamers and games like star wars etc.         

Microsoft has denied disclosing the date when Project Natal is going to take its first independent step outside the laboratory. People are eagerly waiting for the day when they can actually see this in market and have the ultimate fun.

Let’s wait and watch how it turns out!! 

iPhone 3GS is here- Check out on its improvements!

 With Apple’s CEO Steve jobs recuperating and is about to resume work there is no dearth of ideas and innovation to get launched and connected with people. After the initial success and buzz of Apple’s iPhone, the company has thought to launch an upgraded version with higher network speed, more memory storage capacity and definitely extended battery life and a mirror image of Apple iPhone 3G. It is iPhone 3G S that is now storming in news and views. Again, the launch of iPhone 3GS definitely coincides with the release of iPhone OS 3.0.

 But one must know that iPhone 3G S is indistinguishable from iPhone 3G if you keep both the handsets next to one another with face up. However, it is the phone internals that have undergone changes. Remember that the S in iPhone 3G S stands for Speed.

 iPhone 3G S is redesigned with additional features with gaming capabilities scoring really high. One can now enjoy the cell phone features now in iPhone 3GS such as the voice dialing, video recording and multimedia messaging. From 2 megapixels, the iPhone 3G S is equipped with 3 megapixel camera and definitely improved imaging experience. RAM is doubled from 128MB to almost 256MB.  

The phone is available in the market with two memory capacities, 16GB and 32GB. However some of the flip sides to this smartphone is the call quality that is still uneven as 3G reception remains bumpy. USB transfer or storage device is still a far cry. No multitasking, no flash, no java in Apple iPhone 3GS. 

The bottomline therefore is should you buy this smartphone? also when there are other options like Nokia N97 

Need to read on more to take a well informed decision.