Chip Oct11

OCTOBER 2011 Volume 8 Issue 11 Rs 150
10 11
Making it big: the story of flipkart.coM netbooks vs tablets: Which is best for you? streaM video to your android device
www.chip.in
idf 2011: a gliMpse into the future
select from over 100 best buys this festive season

Festive Buying Guide | 8 Android Phones & 7 Android Tablets
| Stream Video to your Smartphone

Fujifilm FinePix Hs20 eXR, motorola Xoom 3G,
Rs 150
Android Envy!
8 high-end phones that anyone would love to own 7 budget tablets to keep you entertained
Dell Vostro 3750, BlackBerry Torch 9810, Zotac Zbox Nano AD10 Plus, lenovo IdeaCentre A320, D-link Boxee Box, micromax X450 Van Gogh
EDITORIAL
The verge of change

ts time again to weigh in on some of the huge shifts our world is witnessing. Much to the dismay of pundits everywhere, the PC is not in fact dying. Its changing shape and perhaps declining in overall importance, but its far too early to write any obituaries. What is changing, though, is the way in which technology products are being imagined and produced. A huge amount of effort is currently being poured into creating devices that arent necessarily faster or flashier, but are instead less obtrusive and demanding. Every major CPU maker in the world is now talking about lower power consumption rather than higher raw performance, and this is a result of fundamental, far-reaching changes in the industry that we are only now beginning to understand.
Low-power (as opposed to low powered) CPUs will power new kinds of products that dont require huge batteries or noisy fans, run for days at a stretch, and fit into tiny devices that can comfortably be held in the hand. These computing devices might not look anything like todays PCs or behave like them, but well see the first applications of this kind of component design very soon, in laptops that are less than an inch thick, last all day on a single battery charge, and dont cost much more than a laptop costs today. Intel is pushing its definition of Ultrabooks, AMD is concentrating on graphics and battery life, and ARM has sprung up out of relative obscurity simply because it represents an alternative to todays computing paradigms that everyone wants to be a part of. Attention is also shifting to the human experience, the most visible evidence of which is the reimagined Windows 8 experience. It isnt just about adapting to touch; everything from the dreaded Blue Screen of Death to the ancient boot options screen has been rethought and simplified. For a company that has historically clung to every last shred of backwards compatibility at the cost of future cohesiveness, this is a massive shift in priorities and shows an incredible willingness to take risks. Techies are finally committing to the idea of designing for non-techies, and not just in the patronizing, disconnected sort of way that led to the creation of Microsoft Clippy. At the other extreme of the stack, user-facing applications are being rethought as well. Facbook and Google, two companies whose products users spend a lot of time interfacing with, are sparing no effort to ensure that people become more and more absorbed by them. Facebook wants to become the scrapbook of your entire life and the undercurrent to all your social interactions. Anywhere up to 500 million people now use the site on any given day, a staggering number by any accounts. Google wants to take care of every possible human need you might have. We have access to so much information about each other, and we still havent discovered all the ways in which its going to change us. The only thing that is absolutely certain now is that tech and technology products are becoming more and more entrenched in our lives. It isnt enough just to use more devices and more digital services; were going to have to change a lot of our ideas: privacy, security, individuality and expression, to name a few. The best part about the situation is that while people have been talking about "humanizing" computers for decades now, this is the first time the entire world seems to be on the same page. It won't be just a single device or a single service that's almost, but not quite, good enoughwhat's truly exciting is that the picture is coming into focus as a whole.
Jamshed Avari editor@chip.in
intelligent computing chip
10/2011
Contents
84 Cover story
OCTOBER 2011
The Best of the Best
NEWSWIRE
14 In the News... 18 The Buzz List
A look at what's making news in the world of technology.
tESt cENtER
32 Product Spotlight 34 Hardware Tested 54 Phone-tastic!
Is the Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR the superzoom to beat?
FEatuREd
80 Get Your Money's Worth this Festive Season
Some of the hottest products to look out for when you go gadget shopping this Diwali.
The people, products and innovations that have got the tech world talking.
The latest PC hardware, mobile phones, digital cameras and more, tested and rated.
100 The Death of the Netbook 102 Web Watch
24 SecurityByte 2011
Once the most exciting category in computing, netbooks have been out-glammed by tablets.
A look back at the events of India's largest information security conference.
We put eight high-end single and dual core CPU-powered Android smartphones to the test.
26 Online Success Mantra
The founders of Flipkart.com tell us what it takes to make it big in online retail in India.
60 Surprise Packages
We scour the Internet and bring you some interesting websites that you may want to visit.
We group test seven budget Android tablets starting at just Rs 6,000.
30 Computing Everywhere
Intel shows off its latest research and reveals some of its plans for the coming year.
66 Software Spotlight 68 Software Tested
A cloud-based security solution for small and medium-sized businesses.
Everything from recovery tools and system utilities to video and image editors.
brought to you by eBay on page 109
th Ask Shar e at column
Check ou
10/2011
Contents
OCTOBER 2011
32 TesT CenTer HARDWARE The latest hardware reviewed.
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120 Unwind GEARS oF WAR 3 Is the end to the finally suitably Epic?
66 TesT CenTer PANDA ClouD oFFICE PRoTECTIoN Cloud-based protection for SMBs.
hands on
105 Dr CHIP
Our in-house expert helps you out with your computing woes.
unwind
120 Gears of War 3
The genre-defining series goes out with a bang.
regulars
03 Editorial, 08 Colophon, 10 Letters, 14 In the News..., 18 The Buzz List, 20 New Products Launched, 82 PC Configs, 102 Web Watch, 105 Dr CHIP, 114 Tips & Tricks, 131 Market Watch, 143 Contests, 146 Personal Tech
110 Android-PC Video Streaming 112 Fix Damaged Headphones

Repair headphones damaged due to wire stretching or audio jack issues.
122 Deus Ex: Human Revolution 123 Resistance 3 125 Dead Island
Streaming media from your Android device to your PC and back is easier than you think.
Can Eidos do justice to this classic franchise?
It's time to end the Chimeran menace for good.
Left4Dead meets Dead Rising 2. In the tropics.
114 Tips N Tricks
Some useful tweaks and hidden application features you may not know about.
127 Driver: San Francisco 128 Bodycount
Ubsioft scripts Driver's surprise return to form.
Codies' new explosive, destructive FPS.
10/2011
COLOPHON
FouNder & edItor, Network18 Raghav Bahl presIdeNt & edItorIaL dIrector, tV18 Senthil Chengalvarayan MaNagINg edItor Hatim Kantawalla hatim.kantawalla@network18online.com deputY edItor Jamshed Avari jamshed.avari@chip.in deputY edItor - techNIcaL Anand Tuliani anand.tuliani@chip.in copY desk Sameer Desai assIstaNt head - test ceNter Francis DSa MuLtIMedIa coordINator Sachin Haldankar test ceNter coordINator Gautami Chalke seNIor Features wrIter Priyanka Tilve specIaL proJects wrIters Kamakshi Venugopal, Kushal Mamoowala seNIor art dIrector Nirmal Biswas assIstaNt art dIrector Jagdish Limbachiya seNIor desIgNer - chIp INsIder Hemali Limbachiya desIgNer Harshad Gujare ILLustrators Sachin Pandit, Chaitanya Surpur tech2.0 teaM Shayne Rana, Rossi Fernandes, Roydon Cerejo, Avinash Bali, Padmini Harchandrai, Aaron Almeida, Karan Shah, Anuradha Shetty, Rajesh Dsouza head - INterNet Tushar Burman chIeF photographer Mexy Xavier photographers Neha Mithbawkar, Joshua Navalkar IMage processINg Sanjay Shelar, Ravi Salian, Ravikumar Potdar
group ceo, Network18 Haresh Chawla group coo, Network18 B. Sai Kumar ceo - pubLIshINg, INFoMedIa18 Sandeep Khosla eVp - huMaN resources Sanjeev Kumar Singh
adVertIsINg saLes
seNIor VIce presIdeNt - saLes Siddhartha Chatterjee NatIoNaL saLes head Badri Narayan (badri.narayan@infomedia18.in) saLes support head Sagar Salunkhe (sagars@infomedia18.in) MuMbaI: Amit Dhotre (amit.dhotre@infomedia18.in) baNgaLore: Milan Abraham (milan.abraham@infomedia18.in) hYderabad: Rocky Joseph (rocky.joseph@infomedia18.in New deLhI: Vivek Ojha (vivek.ojha@infomedia18.in) cheNNaI: Madhivaanan (madhivaanan@infomedia18.in)
MarketINg
head - MarketINg Amit Seth seNIor MaNager - MarketINg Nikhil Sharma
NewsstaNd aNd subscrIptIoNs

head (copY saLes) Sunil Nair deputY geNeraL MaNager Manoj Palsay West: Mumbai: Soorendra Desai, Sanjay Bhujle, Yeshwant Gotpagar, Dinesh Devadiga; Pune: Sachin Kamble, Nitin Agre; Ahmedabad: Pranav Dave; Nagpur: Abhijeet Roy. North: Delhi: Ashish Chakravorty, Kamal Bisht, Sanjay Sharma, Kamakhya Pandey; Lucknow: Amit Singh. East: Kolkatta: Debraj Sur. South: Chennai: Kripanand S, Balaji G; Bangalore: Devaraju Gowda; Hyderabad: G.S. Mahesh, Ratnaprasad Choppara; Cochin: A.K.Shihabuddin.
corporate (subscrIptIoNs)
assIstaNt geNeraL MaNager Rajiv Mani assIstaNt geNeraL MaNager Sanjay Elisha seNIor MaNager (subscrIptIoNs) Sheetal Kotawdekar coordINators Sarita Quadros, Chaitali Parkar, Kamlesh Mathkar, Vaibhav Ghavale, Meena Katta LogIstIcs teaM Percy Palkhiwala, Anant Shirke
prINtINg
executIVe VIce presIdeNt Ananth R. Iyer assIstaNt geNeraL MaNager - ppc Shekhar Khot productIoN teaM Surekha Karmarkar, Dnyaneshwar Goythale, Vikas Bobhate
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cIrcuLatIoN serVIces: If Intelligent Computing CHIP is not available at your news stand, or for other news stand queries, write to manoj.palsay@infomedia18.in subscrIptIoN serVIces: For subscription queries, write to customercare@infomedia18.in or call +91 22 30034631-34 or toll free 1800 200 1021 perMIssIoNs: For permissions to copy or reuse material from Intelligent Computing CHIP, write to editor@chip.in
CHIP INTERNATIONAL: Editorial Consultant International - Thomas Pyczak, Poccistrabe 11, 80336 Munchen CHIP is also published in the following countries: China, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine Copyright 2004 INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP is an internationally protected trademark owned by CHIP Communications GmbH Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Infomedia18 Ltd., its publisher and/or editors. We at Infomedia18 do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Infomedia18 does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Infomedia18 Ltd. does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Infomedia18 Ltd. reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. Published by Lakshmi Narasimhan and printed by Mohan Gajria on behalf of Infomedia18 Ltd. Editor: Lakshmi Narasimhan Printed at Infomedia18 Ltd., Plot No. 3, Sector No. 7, Off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 706 & published at Infomedia18 Ltd., A Wing, Ruby House, J.K. Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai 28. For all international subscription enquiries, contact the Subscription Department, Intelligent Computing CHIP All editorial queries must be directed to the Editor, Intelligent Computing CHIP, Infomedia18 Ltd, Special Interest Publications Division, A Wing, Ruby House, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai 28 Tel: (91 22) 30034631-35; Fax: (91 22) 30034499, Email: editor@chip.in
Infomedia18 Ltd. is the publishing arm of Network18.
10/2011
letters
INBOX
Next month's Star Letter wins accessories set (worth Rs 5,000)
Hi CHIP,
star lett'seinr th w ner

This mon a cool gets set accessories
Piracy or not?
This is Priyanshu from Noida. I am not that hardcore a fan of this magazine, but yeah, I like reading it casually. In this month's edition of CHIP (September), your cover story was HACKINTOSH. First of all I was shocked to see the cover as in some of your old magazines I've read the question that a person asked you which was "Can we install Mac OS on a PC?" You replied "No, we cannot, as it is against their copyright", and after a year or so you have made it your cover story! What is this, a change of copyright? Another person asked you about playing PS2 games on a PC but you answered in the same way; it's illegal! Please guys, there are a large number of people that trust you. PriyAnshu Dear Priyanshu, Yes, we thought long and hard before going ahead with the Hackintosh story, and came to the conclusion that the specific usages and scenarios we described were not illegal. While piracy is of course illegal (and we strongly and consistently discourage it), the story was about installing and running OS X on a PCspecifically the new, digitally distributed OS X Lion with explicit instructions on how to buy a legal copy. We never once encouraged piracy of OS X, and in fact went as far as to outline Apples position on the matter, including the loss of access to all help and support from them. The Hackintosh process is entirely independent of how you obtain the software. The benefits and pitfalls were laid out quite plainly, and with a lot of care. Copyright, and specifically the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, have been used, abused and misunderstood innumerable times. The more applicable concept is that of fair use, which espouses the ideal that people should be able to use what they purchase without artificial restrictions. Yet the copyright bogey continues to be used by content publishers afraid of piracyand if they had their way,
Sachin Pandit
wed never be able to rip CDs, transcode movies, stream media digitally or even back up our purchases (and CHIP has certainly covered each of those topics before!). We fully support Apples right to prevent companies from profiting by selling PCs with OS X and misrepresenting them as Mac clones or other such names, but we cant imagine them ever barging into anyones home and forcing them to stop tinkering with their own computer. Moreover, we carried out the Hackintosh process ourselves just to illustrate who might really benefit from it, and we concluded that while there was a certain thrill in getting it to work, it really wouldnt be worth the bother to most people. We hope the article served to satisfy our readers curiosity and even discourage some of them from carrying out the process just to see if its possible. And if they enjoy OS X enough to want the full, flawless experience, the experiences we went through should be all that's needed to convince them to buy a Mac! Team CHIP
Selective Democracy
Hi CHIP,
exposure through the media and news channels. If the reader really thinks Facebook has become a nationwide platform, then why has Irom Sharmila not gotten justice yet? Just because the media and political parties haven't found any profit from her. I have done all I can do to support this iron lady, but we Indians need a huge media bell to be
rung near our ears. So if you really feel Indian then stand up and support the things that a common person is fighting for. Anonymous
contact info
I have been reading CHIP and have been a fan since 2009. I had read a letter with the title 'Facebook today' and I want to clearly say that Facebook is an addiction. People supported Anna Hazare because the media and other political parties supported him with finance and
Please send your letters to: editor@chip.in with "LETTERS" in the subject line
Rural Representation
Hi CHIP, I've been an CHIP reader and feel proud to show off among friends
10
10/2011
intelligent comPuting chiP
letters
sms us
Since we like knowing whats on your mind and what you think about our magazine, we bring you another way to get in touch. Do you have something to say about a test or review? Liked a feature story? Was the workshop useful? SMS us your feedback! For general comments, create the following message: ICCO <Your comments here> Example: ICCO The cover story was very useful To rate a story, product review, etc look out for the story tag at the base of each article and type: ICCO <Story tag> <Rating> Example: ICCO PWS 5 The Story tag is mentioned at the base of every story in the magazine and the Rating is on a scale of 1 to 5. Finally, send your messages to 51818. Cheers! Please keep comments to 160 characters per message! Include your email address to help us reply or check out the SMS Feedback thread at www.chip.in/forums
my tech knowledge derived from your magazine. One thing I love about your magazine is that you don't let competition bother you and do your best in bringing attention to free software. One thing that needs mention is your coverage of products designed for rural masses, specifically GRECO, which was a real eye opener as to what technology can offer at such a low price. Thanks to you guys I'm convinced that technology is meant to break barriers between the educated and uneducated. It's definitely going to help rural India to access technology since it is so affordable. Who knows, it might inspire someone to make similar products for the rural market. I thank CHIP for giving coverage time and again to innovators and for encouraging them. Kudos guys, for the commendable job you are doing! Syed AbbAS Dear Syed Thanks for your letter. It's always important to remember there are many facets to technology. While we'll always get excited about gadgets and games, innovations of all kinds are important to us. We're glad you appreciated the article and the inventors' efforts. Team CHIP
Rs 150 Hackintosh | 7 Lightweight Laptops & 14 iPod Speaker Docks | Use Your Old Laptop's Screen
SEPTEMBER 2011 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10 Rs 150
and tablets were the first thing to

Reviewed:
AMD Llano platform, HTC Flyer, Dell XCD35, Canon EOS 600D, LG Optimus Black P970, Samsung Galaxy Pro, Iomega Screenplay DX, XFX Radeon HD 6670, McAfee Family Protection
09 11
come to his mind. He had shortlisted the Creative Ziio and talked to local vendors, who told him that at bulk buying, it would cost him around Rs 15k. One day he mentioned this to me and I gave him your roundup of tablets. From the info provided there, he directly contacted the company and got the price down to at about Rs 12k in bulk! That saved him Rs 3,000 per piece, so you can imagine how happy he was, and he gifted me a shining piece for myself. Thanks to you guys, I am a proud owner of a Ziio! Keep up the good
www.chip.in
asy in 15 e ur PC on yo X Lion S Mac O Install

Living with the Lion
Your guide to switching from Windows to OS X.
steps
Lean and Mean

From Vaio to Macbook Pro, we test and compare 7 of the best slim, ultra-light laptops.
Play it Loud
Budget to premium and everything in between: 14 of the top iPod docks compared.
interchanged. Thirdly on page 136, the speed of processors is given in the column provided for memory, which is printed under the chipset heading. Many people including me depend on this section to decide what to buy when upgrading our PCs, so please provide the correct data and make sure that this type of error doesn't occur again. Apart from this, everything was mind blowing. I liked the article 'The Mac Hack' very much and am definitely going to try this. The article '7 Quick Solutions for Software Breakdowns' was also very informative. I hope you will take my words seriously. Thank you and keep it up. G PAridA Dear mr Parida, Thanks for pointing out the errors; it seems a few typos did creep in. You can be sure we're taking extra care that it is never repeated. Team CHIP
work. The people there think of me as a tech whiz, but we know the secret, it's subscribing to CHIP! Thanks a LOT again! SAmArth ShArmA
Overclocking Success
Dear CHIP, I'm sending this email to tell you that with the ideas and technology provided by your magazine, I am now able to overclock my laptop. My graphics card is an Nvidia Geforce GT 320M. I know it is a mediocre graphics processor, but with the help of Nvida System Monitor I was able to tweak it to 600 MHz with the memory clock at 948 MHz. I thought I might overheat my laptop but one of your articles last year helped me to overcome this problem, so all credit goes to your magazine. I am now able to play Crysis 2, NFS, GRID, COD 5 etc with a framerate above 60. diPAn tAlukdAr
An Eye for Details

Dear CHIP, I have been an avid reader of CHIP for the last two years. I noticed many errors in the September issue. In the Market Watch section on page 134, the prices and specifications of graphics cards are given. But in the Nvidia section the memory is not mentioned, though space for it is provided. Secondly on page 135 in the USB Flash Drive section, the columns for capacity and price are
Cost Benefits
Dear CHIP, Thank you a million times! I am more happy than I could have imagined mere days ago. The director of the institute I study in wanted to invest in mobile learning,
ClarifiCation
The app reviewed in last month's issue under the title 'Obopay' was in fact named UBI Money. Obopay is the technology platform provider, and has launched UBI Money and Yes Bank Money in association with Nokia, Union Bank of India and Yes Bank.
WRiTE TO US!
Readers' letters, feedback and suggestions: editor@chip.in (Subject: LETTERS) industry representatives: editor@chip.in Marketing and sponsorship enquiries: marketing@chip.in Dr CHiP: drchip@chip.in Tips and Tricks: tnt@chip.in
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10/2011
intelliGent comPutinG chiP
NEWS SNIPPETS
Newswire
DAnGer ForeCASt
Attackers have been using social communities for sending Trojans, which can deactivate antivirus protection software installed on users' computers.
IN THE NEWS...
COMPILED By JAMSHED AVARI
WEb
Facebook, Google+ race to outdo each other, create sites you don't ever want to leave
euroPe iS the SPAm KinG

Europe Asia North America South America Africa Oceania
33 32 20 12 2 1
hot on the heels of google+ opening its doors to the general public and making some of its core features more engaging, Facebook has unveiled an entirely new profile page design and tieups with content partners that mean you might never have to leave the site. google+ first announced a slew of updates, including the ability to broadcast a "hangout" session to a public audience which effectively lets anyone create a video streaming channel with zero effort. in addition to using hangouts from a mobile phone, users can also plug in third-party applications, for example broadcasting whiteboard scribbles or a document for live editing and review. google+ even finally gets a much-needed search tool, and the mobile app has been overhauled as well. combined with previous incremental changes, these make google+ far more engaging to users. Still, Facebook is doing everything to ensure that claims of its impending decline are exaggerated. the company responded with a surprise launch of its new news Feed, which highlights more important live events and relegates minor updates to a smaller ticker. the real surprise though was the grand reveal of its new profiles, long planned for the company's F8 developer conference. the new timeline now summarize a user's entire history of updates on a single page, allowing past content to be surfaced much more easily, like a scrapbook of his or her entire life. And Facebook apps can also do a whole lot more now, so you might wind up listening to all your music, watching all your videos and reading all your news through Spotify, hulu and Yahoo apps, never leaving Facebook in the process. users can also give apps feedback beyond the "like" buttoneach app can create actions using verbs of its choice, eg "Reading", or "Watching". the idea is to turn Facebook into a social layer on top of everything you do.
Every third advertising mail comes from Europe, closely followed by Asia. Africa and Oceania are at the bottom.
Source: Sophos
AttACKS ViA FACeBooK

60%
World Austria
40%
France Germany Italy Russia
20%
Switzerland Great Britain United States
0% Click on all links Click only on links from friends Do not click on any links in social networks
According to a study by GData, an alarming proportion of social network users click on Web links without knowing the sender or the link destination. Source: GData
GadGETs
Android tablets still not getting it right, sales decline

leading industry analyst firm gartner has revised its projections for the tablet market, predicting an increased market share for Apple due to the declining quality of Android-flavored competition. An estimated 47 million ipad units will ship this year, accounting for almost 75 percent of all tablet sales, as opposed to only 11 million Android tablets in total. Beyond that, Apple's marketshare is expected remain above 50 percent going forward till at least the year 2014, absorbing most of the gap left by a 28 percent reduction in the earlier forecast of Android sales. the reason, according to gartner, is primarily that Android devices just aren't as easy to use as the ipad is, but also that Apple's strategy of planning for the future and securing its components and manufacturing processes has helped it set some very aggressive price points.
FiGure oF the month

is the world's average Internet download speed. India's is 184 KB/s, while South Korea remains the fastest at 2,202.
Source: Pando networks
580 KB/s
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10/2011
SMS us! Story code: NSN to 51818
NEWS SNIPPETS
Newswire
Security
Security
Security
new security risks detected and patched
Social networking, malware Worm spreads toolkits are the biggest challenges through rDP
AVg has released the findings of a recent independent poll titled cybercrime Futures to better understand cybercrime patterns. the report sheds light on the more recent types of cybercrime, such as Vishing, SmiShing and pharming. Vishing is associated with Voice over internet protocol (Voip)-based techniques to phish financial data, while SmSiShing is the infecting of a smartphone or mobile device. pharming occurs when a hacker redirects a websites traffic to a bogus website. Speaking at the launch of the A new worm called monto has become the first to spread via a new method: Windows' built-in Remote Desktop protocol. infected machines start scanning local networks for available RDp connections, which are commonplace in many offices. After attempting to log on to remote systems with a small bank of common passwords, the worm gains access to the target machines' hard drives and copies itself there. infected machines are then at the attackers' disposal.
Adobe FlAsh PlAyer

Adobe has announced it is tracking a series of critical vulnerabilities including one that allows targeted cross-site attacks. Solution: A patch is scheduled to be released at the end of september. All users are advised to ensure their products are up to date.
2012 AVg security suite in prague, company ceo Yuval Ben-itzhak spoke about social networking becoming the prime target for most cybercrime attacks in the past year, and how malware toolkits have are now freely available. it isn't very difficult for even a rookie to create phishing sites, irrespective of whether he has any real programming skills. the collated research data has helped AVg add new features to its new security suite. Disclosure: Travel and expenses for the visit to AVG's 2012 worldwide launch event were provided by AVG.
Ms oFFice And shArePoint

Various vulnerabilities affect Microsoft's Office products and the Sharepoint collaboration tool. Effects include allowing remote code to be executed on a computer, and capturing of sensitive information Solution: Five patch releases cover a total of 15 issues, including these examples.
Security
Security
compromised certificate authority elaborate urL allows malware, scams to spread confuses victims
Diginotar, a dutch company in the business of certifying the security of websites, has filed for bankruptcy after being compromised so badly that criminals have been able to generate hundreds of fake certificates. the breach brings down the entire purpose of the SSl certificate system. even worse, the company knew about the breaches in its systems weeks before disclosing them to the public. At least two of the false certificates applied to *.google.com and *.microsoft. com, indicating a massively widespread breach that resulted in Web browsers trusting malicious uRls that used trusted names to misdirect users. All browsers and mail clients have since issued patches, revoking permission for any certificate signed by Diginotar, with the unfortunate collateral effect of invalidating all their genuine certificates as well. the incident underscores the need for users to keep their browsers constantly updated, but also brings to light several fundamental flaws in the SSl certification infrastructure that the Web relies on. F-Secure has detected phishing emails asking RBi users to register for a new "secure platform". A link masquerading as an attached pDF form leads to the bizarre uRl http://amen.fr.softms. com.netwayexchange.com. liberty-textiles.org.v2nmobile. com.manchesteraircooled. com.blackcountrymortgages. com.cardiorenew-europe.com. solhosts.com.giveupthecigs. com.extravite.com.taxrepay. co.uk which redirects confused users to the fake RBi site.
WordPress
A Trojan, identified as Troj/PHPShll-B, cleverly inserts itself into wp-config. php files on compromised servers. The Trojan seems to manifest itself only if visitors are using Internet Explorer. Solution: sophos warns that the hack is widespread, and administrators should audit their code vigorously. current security tools should be able to detect and fix the problem.
Android
Andr/Spitmo-A, based on the SpyEye Trojan toolkit, is spreading via users of infected PCs who visit banking websites. They are prompted to download an Android app to "authenticate" themselves. Solution: check your task manager for an unknown 32Kb app called "system". do not allow unknown apps to dial a phone number for activation.
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NEWS SNIPPETS
Mobile business Hardware
Newswire
New BBOS to run Anti-consumer Android apps? HP CEO ousted

Reports circulating online suggest that Rim's longdelayed oS overhaul for its BlackBerry smartphones will bring Android application support to the platform at launch time. the functionality was promised for Rim's QnX-based playBook tablet, although it has yet to materialize in usable form. even so, users won't simply be able to run any Android app of their choosing, it's primarily a way for developers to quickly port existing Android apps over to the BlackBerry App World marketplace, which is still struggling to attract native app developers. hp's board of directors has decided to get rid of its new ceo, leo Apotheker, during whose short tenure stock in the company has plummeted by 47 percent. Apotheker was most famous for designing the massive strategy shift that if implemented, would shave seen hp exit the consumer pc space altogether and become a software and services provider. the unpopular ceo, who was appointed only in november 2010, was also behind hp's decision to abandon work on its expensive palm acquisition and kill off all WeboS devices and development work. hp's board has had to ask the two previous ceos, mark hurd and carly Fiorina, to resign as well.
Nvidia's Kal-El SoC has a secret fifth core for low-power tasks
nvidia might have missed the target shipping date for its souped-up Kal el mobile cpu, but new technical documents have revealed a fascinating tidbit: the presence of a fifth low-powered "companion core" to handle basic-level tasks and allow the four main cores to be shut off completely when not required. the companion core would take over when the device is in standby or a user is doing nonintensive things like reading an ebook. For other tasks, either one, two, or four of the primary cores can be activated. Kal-el doesn't allow cores to run at independent speeds, however. the chip will detect workloads and power its cores up or down autonomously, without any special software tweaks needed to recognize or enable the companion core. the exact effect on battery life is still unknown.
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NEWSWIRE
BUZZ LIST
Software
BuSineSS
Windows 8 preview
And, just like that, Microsoft decided to offer a free, downloadable preview of Windows 8 to the general public. It's called a Developer Preview and is definitely not ready to be used as a primetime PC operating system, but it's designed to give us all a taste of what's to come, and at that, it succeeds. With the preview in users' hands, most of the information Microsoft publicizes over the next year will be easier to demonstrate and garner support for. Most interestingly, users can get a hands-on feel of the new Metro interface and see how it coexists with the oldstyle Desktop. By default, users are presented with a complement of touch-friendly apps, including a variety of games and common favorites such as a piano. Meanwhile, the Windows 8 team is blogging away, describing all kinds of innovations: quick startup, a graphical bootloader, and a touch-enabled recovery mode.
Netflix's PR disaster
Popular but struggling DVD rental service Netflix wanted to cut costs and give its online streaming service a push, so it raised prices of plain DVD rental plans by up to 60 percent. Customers who had been used to renting DVDs while streaming select content were furious. Now, after a nearly 50 percent decline in market value in just three months, Netflix has announced it will spin off its DVD rental service into a seperate company, called Quikster. While split pricing now makes sense, users will lose the ability to manage queues and choose the best delivery method for different movies and situations. Reviews and ratings will also not match between the two databases, and users will have to manage two separate accounts. Reactions have been less than complimentary. To add to the company's woes, they didn't secure their own name on Twitter before launch, leading to a comical series of tweets from the preexisting @Quikster account holder, who now wants a lot of money in exchange for the name.
media
Drama at Techcrunch
More drama unfolded at the popular Silicon
List
buzz
The simple lowdown on what everyone's talking about this month
GaminG
TGS disappoints
Tokyo Game Show 2011 was all about the handhelds. Sony finally announced a December 17 release date for the
Valley blog Techcrunch. One of the first media outlets to cover emerging media companies (before the term 'Web 2.0' was even popular), Techcrunch built up a formidable reputation and loyal reader base over the years, primarily due to founder Michael Arrington's brash writing style and unapologetically personal involvement with the companies and people he wrote about. When AOL bought the site and placed it under Arianna Huffington's control, many speculated about its editorial independence in the face of AOL's blatant pushes to maximize page views at the cost of quality. In the past month, a minor squabble about a new venture fund turned into a bloodbath, resulting in Arrington being fired, a number of his staff walking out, and a series of very public rants from nearly all parties involved. Arrington demanded he either have his way or buy Techcrunch back from AOL, but they fired him instead. The future of one of the most popular tech blogs is now in the air.
Playstation Vita in Japan, but a release date for the rest of the world remains elusive. Its almost certain that most of us will have to wait till 2012. Nintendo cant seem to catch a break with the 3DS. They announced a ghastly side attachment, which will add an extra analog stick to the device. The announcement was poorly received, and its the latest blow to the new handheld, which has failed to take off and was on the receiving end of an unprecedented price drop mere months after release. There werent any major game announcements, although the news of the PS3 and Vita remakes of Final Fantasy X was one of the high points. A major coup for Nintendo was the that Monster Hunter 4 will be coming to the 3DS. The series is wildly popular in Japan and is largely credited for keeping the PSP alive in the country. All in all, TGS 2011 was a tame affair, lacking the excitement and the surprises weve now come to expect from E3.
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NEW PRODUCTS LAUNCHED
NEWSWIRE
new proDucts launched

D-Link
workspace and mobility. the latitude Xt3 comes with a large, 13.3-inch auto-bright hD lcD display and anti-glare leD backlight. the intel core i5-2520m (2.5ghz, 3m cache) with turbo Boost technology with 2gB 1333mhz DDR3 SDRAm includes WimAX and mobile broadband. the latitude Xt3 offers expresscharge, 80% re-charge in an hour, the option of a 9-cell extended battery and slice option for all day power. the latitude Xt3 can be changed from laptop to tablet mode quickly and easily with a new bi-directional hinge.
Remote will control the devices you have today and tomorrow. it also features a color screen, rechargeable batteries and one-click control of your favorite activities.
Versatile Multimedia Box

D-link has introduced the revolutionary Boxee Box by D-link in india, which reinterprets what tV should be, as it provides an easy way to bring multimedia experiences onto the television. the Boxee Box delivers movies, tV shows, music, and photos from a users computer, home network, and the internet to their hDtV without the need of a pc. Additionally, Boxees core social features make it easy for friends to discover new content from each other through social networks like Facebook, twitter, and more. For entertainment lovers who have built their own collections of digital media, Boxee automatically identifies their content and downloads relevant cover art, synopses, reviews, subtitles, lyrics and more. this makes it simple and appealing to navigate a collection of favorite movies, tV shows, and playlists with a simple QWeRtY remote.
Price: Rs 7,595 Website: www.logitech.com
Asus
Audiophile Sound Device

Asus has launched its first hi-fi uSB digital-toanalog converter (DAc), the Xonar essence one. it is an industry-leading uSB DAc with the worlds first 8x symmetrical upsampling technology. the Xonar essence one upsamples 44.1/88.2/176.4khz input to 352.8khz and 48/96/192khz input to 384khz symmetrically (note: 44.1*8=352.8khz; 48*8=384khz). With a high 120dB SnR, the Xonar essence one provides audiophiles with clearer sounds, enabling minute details to be heard while significantly reducing noise levels. A dedicated power supply ensures that clean power is delivered so the sharpest sound is heard. the Xonar essence one features a fully swappable op-amp design, unprecedented for a high-end uSB DAc, that amplifies the analog signal and affects tonal characteristics of the overall sound image. the Xonar essence one allows the user to swap every op-amp, for a truly customizable sound.
Price: Rs 1,00,000 (starting) Website: www.dell.co.in
Logitech
Powerful Universal Remote

logitech has announced its harmony 700 Advanced universal Remote in india. equipped with advanced features like wireless RF technology, one-touch activity control, ergonomic design and rechargeable batteries, the logitech harmony remotes are designed to enhance the digital entertainment experience in the living room. A remote that simplifies control of complex home-entertainment systems is essential and convenient for consumers. logitech harmony remotes can be easily set up just connect it to your computer and youre guided through every step of configuring your remote. optimized to substitute 6 remotes and equipped with an impressive easy-to-read color screen display with favorite channel icons and quick navigation, logitech harmony 700 Advanced universal
Price: Rs 13,999 Website: www.dlink.co.in
DeLL
Flexible Business Laptop

Dell has expanded its latitude series with the latitude Xt3 laptop. get the flexibility of a tablet with the power of a laptop. Whether at your desk or on the move, the latitude Xt3 lets you work almost anywhere. latitude Xt3 offers an ideal balance between usable
Price: Rs 21,000 Website: www.asus.in
trAnscenD
High-speed card reader

transcend has introduced its new uSB 3.0 multi card reader, the RDF8. the new
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NEW PRODUCTS LAUNCHED

The products and services listed here have not been reviewed by IC-CHIP. These are not endorsements or recommendations. All prices, specifications and claims are as stated by the respective manufacturers and publicists.
NEWSWIRE
reader utilizes a SuperSpeed uSB 3.0 interface and supports the latest ultra high speed card formats, allowing avid photographers and video enthusiasts to effortlessly copy high-resolution uncompressed images or 1080p Full hD video files from their memory cards to their computers. thanks to the increased bandwidth of uSB 3.0, data can be carried to the computer as fast as the users memory card permits. When paired with an ultra high Speed (uhS-1) SD card, for example, files as large as one gigabyte can be transferred in less than twelve seconds. For extra peace of mind, the RDF8 comes with a free download of transcends RecoveRx software to effectively recover lost, deleted or damaged files from memory cards.
Fm radio. the full-function remote control included puts all controls at your fingertips. these speakers offer a rated output of 20W for the subwoofer and 12W for each of the satellite speakers, with a frequency response of 20hz-20Khz.
Price: Rs 1,650 Website: www.zebronics.net
wise easy parental controls ensuring children are protected from harmful internet content like pornography and violence. netgenie empowers home users to decide how much internet freedom they want to give to different users in their network across an entire range of devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, ipads etc. netgenie also allows schedulebased internet access over various website categories and applications for different users. netgenies security features like firewall, intrusion prevention System and in-built Anti-Virus offer strong internet security the moment the appliance is turned on. this saves users the hassle of configuring them each and every time for new devices.
silicon Power
Rugged USB 3.0 storage

Silicon power has announced its latest addition, marvel m01. customers can readily experience the Super-Speed uSB 3.0 transfer rate with this affordable option from Sp. the marvel m01 is designed with durable aluminum solid casing that protects it from scratches, giving it a constant brand new look. the strap hole turns the uSB drive into a charming accessory, keychain or necklace. m01 incorporates uSB 3.0 interface and is also compatible with uSB 2.0 and 1.1 interfaces. the icy blue color is suited to all settings and the built-in leD displays power and data transfer status. m01 comes in 8gB, 16gB or 32gB storage capacities, a lifetime warranty, as well as the Sp Widget application software, providing 7 major backup and security tools. A 60 day free trial of norton Antivirus 2011 is also provided.
Price: Rs 1,080 Website: in.transcend-info.com
Zebronics
Price: TBA Website: www.netgenie.net
Affordable Speaker Set
wiley
Database Management Book

this book provides an in-depth analysis of advanced database areas as well as the basics of database management systems. it explores different normalization techniques starting from the very basic first normal form and extends up to sixth normal form. the theme of this book is the potential of new advanced database systems. it combines advanced techniques with practical advice and many new ideas, methods, and examples for database management students, system specialists, and programmers.
Price: Rs 9392,199 Website: www.silicon-power.com

top notch infotronix has introduced its 2.1 ZeB-SW3200RucF multimedia speakers aimed at music lovers, movie fans and gaming enthusiasts. the reasonably priced speakers produce thundering sound packed in a compact chassis. the Zebronics 2.1 ZeB-SW3200RucF speaker is simple with elegant looks and is small enough to keep the satellites on the desk and the subwoofer below. it is provided with uSB 2.0 port and an SD card slot so that it can play your favorite music directly from these media. the 2.1 speakers also have built in cyberoam has brought out its netgenie home, a first-of-its-kind product that has been entirely developed in india. the netgenie Wireless router with family protection for homes will offer a singleclick solution for parents to implement age-
cyberoam
Integrated Family Router
Price: Rs 379 Website: www.wiley.com

jamshed.avari@chip.in
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SECURITYBYTE
NEWSWIRE
SecurityByte 2011
India's largest information security conference was held in Bengaluru from September 6-9 2011, and brought together some of the biggest names from the security industry from around the world. BY Priyanka Tilve
(Right to Left) nishchal Bhalla - Founder - SecurityByte; John Bumgerner - CTO - USCCU; edward Schwartz - vP and Divisional CiSO - rSa; Jay Bavisi - President & Co-Founder eC-Council; Hord Tipton - executive Director - (iSC)2; richard Marshal - Director Global Cyber Security - Department of Homeland Security; Sridhar Jayanti - CeO (india) - Mcafee; S Prabhu - iaaS - Principal account General karnataka (a&e); amit Sharma - Deputy Director - Office of the Secretary Defense (r&D); alok vijayant - Director - nTrO; ar vijaykumar - CiSO - Genpact; Shouvick Mukherjee - CeO - yahoo india; Wong leok yeow - evangelist - arcSight (an HP company)
he most prominent security experts from around the world descended upon Bengaluru
and Richard Marshall, director of global cyber security at the US department of homeland security, to name a few. The issues discussed and debated included malicious attacks by hackers, social networking security, application security strategies, effectiveness of Web application firewalls, implementing a joint computer emergency response
team, HTML5, botnets at application+ layer, and data protection. A unique part of the conference was the Capture the Flag competition, a hacking game that saw a great response. It was designed to help learn some of the hacking methods that are used and defenses that can be placed while developing environments.
last month for the second annual SecurityByte conference. Notable attendees included Dr Whitfield Diffie, VP for information security at ICANN and scientific advisor to Uniken, Edward Schwartz, VP and divisional CISO at RSA,
Nishchal Bhalla
Founder, SecurityByte The most important concern with respect to security in India is that companies and individuals alike are often not aware of an attacker on their system until some unknown activity occurs and someone dedicatedly reviews the systems. Many anti-virus systems these days attempt to look for such activity, but that is not the reason anti-virus programs are installed. The challenge in a corporate environment is not only external threat, but insider threat too. The second challenge is with mobile workforce. Lastly, it is interesting to see that most organizations around the world have very few awareness programs around what to do if an incident has occurred. It would be of great value if all people in an organization knew what to do and not do if they suspect that their system has been compromised. This, of course, adds to the cost for organizations, but also adds a level of security.
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Jagdish Limbachiya
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SECURITYBYTE
NEWSWIRE
Dr Whitfield Diffie addressing the delegates at the conference.
Participants at the Capture the Flag hacking competition.
Kanwal K Mookhey
(CISA, CISSP, CISM) PrInCIPAl ConSultAnt And founder, network IntellIgenCe The number one issue plaguing the industry is that of data theft, and this comes from both internal as well as external threat agents. Of course, the public picture that we all see is the external attacks carried out by the likes of Lulz-sec and Anonymous, but the larger volume of attacks and damages are being caused by insiders. For the CISO, it is a constant battle to implement the right mix of technology, policies and procedures to protect key assets, while at the same time trying to balance the intense business growth pressures. At SecurityByte, NII sponsored the Capture The Flag competition, which was a tough series of challenges designed to get the best hackers to test their skills and break their way through the creative use of tools and techniques. Overall, I think the key takeaway from the conference was that the security industry is truly buzzing in India today.
Vivek Ramachandran
founder, SeCurItytube.net The security industry and the hacker community in India are at a nascent stage, and we will require a lot of push to join the leagues of developed countries like the US and China. There is also a need for better coordination and support from online companies like Yahoo and Google to fight cybercrime committed using their platforms (sending terror emails, cyber bullying, etc.). Furthermore, hackers release attacks on products without informing the affected vendors. Instead, hackers need to practice responsible disclosure to ensure that vendors have a chance to patch vulnerabilities and protect their users. Having said that, I think the security industry, government agencies, researchers and ethical hackers need to work together to devise the next generation of security solutions to protect our countries digital borders. Currently, all of them work in their own silos with no coordination or exchange of ideas. This needs to change.
Kishor Sonawane
SeCurItyCoMPASS.CoM Clearly social networking / communications on internet with various mediums is one of the biggest threats in 2011 and is going to be more severe. Other threats are malwares targeting through web sites to mobile phones is probably the second biggest threat in addition to cloud security, data security. Based on the Symantec 2011 survey industrial espionage, hackers and targeted assaults are the most serious security threats for 2011. These are carried out using social networking sites, malwares and mobile phones. The primary focus of the conference was social networking. The key take away from the conference is mobile security, HTML5 security, Web 2.0 security. All these topics were not limited to the presentation, but actual hands on training given by the domain experts in the workshops.
Dipankar Roy
SenIor QA MAnAger, MCAfee The conference envisaged the need to control data loss and recommended the various technologies available today. It talked about the threats from within, lack of adequate policies or training programs, lack of understanding of data flow and the lack of a formal response to incidents. Data was then classified into three categories data at rest, data in use and data in motion. The conference also talked about how these categories are protected by Data Encryption, content-aware host DLP and network DLP technologies. It also highlighted the challenges faced by the industry and the need to invest in proactive rather than reactive ways to handle data loss. Encryption guru Dr Whitfield Diffie highlighted that we have started living in an environment that is increasingly controlled by technology. Thus, there is a strong need to understand security needs and possible threat areas. At the end, the panelists brought awareness about the increase in mobile security threats due to exponential increase in usage of smartphones.
priyanka.tilve@chip.in
10/2011
25
E-MagnatEs
NEWSWIRE
E-Magnates: Online Success Mantra

Sachin Bansal CEO, flipkart.com
Sanjay Ramachandran
Given the low set-up costs, the Web is turning out to be the ideal launchpad for budding entrepreneurs, and the rising e-commerce trend in the country presents further opportunities.
By PRIYANKA TILVE
Binny Bansal COO, flipkart.com
f you need to buy vegetables, just go to freshndaily.com, farm2kitchen. com or mandionwheels.com. To book
Nurture the Idea

You may have a brilliant business idea; it could be anything from selling party supplies to selling motorbike parts. What you need to do is spend some time to study the market. See if there is demand. Would you buy the product that you are planning to sell online? If the answer is yes, then you can start with planning your business model. This includes what you plan to sell, at what cost, delivery time, what your USP will be, and most importantly, the logistics. Flipkart had humble beginnings with the two founders having quit their lucrative jobs to follow their dream. Sachin Bansal, CEO, Flipkart.com, says We started Flipkart in late 2007. India was already witnessing quite a bit of interest in e-commerce in the form of booking of online tickets, etc. While our initial plan was to create a comparison portal for various e-commerce sites, a study of the market revealed that there were not too many players in this space. This is when we decided to go with a site of our own. Books were an obvious entry choice as they cost considerably less when compared to electronic items. As a
result, it is easier for a first time customer to trust us with their money and make that initial purchase from an unknown site. What started as a two man team has today grown to 2,500 employees across the country.
movie tickets, go to bookmyshow.com or ticketplease.com. To buy gadgets, you can pick from a plethora of sites like letsbuy.com, flipkart.com, naaptol. com, homeshop18.com, or cafegadgets. com, just to name a few. When it comes to daily deals and coupon sites, then the list can go on and on, and the same goes for fashion and lifestyle products. But whats interesting is that these are not sites launched, developed or hosted by the brands themselves. These are sites conceived by people like you and me. The Web is evolving to become a robust marketplace. Retailing has now taken the route of e-tailing and has also facilitated the rise of many young entrepreneurs. We spoke with the guys at Flipkart.com, one of the most successful online ventures, to understand what it takes to successfully establish a brand online. Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal started Flipkart by selling books, and over the years, have added various other categories. The site currently sells 22,000 items worth Rs 1.5 crore per day.
One Step at a Time

There are many things you need to sort out before you can float your own website. First things first; if you are going to source products or services, then speak with the manufacturers or the service providers and get them on-board. This will also include negotiating for discounts and profit margins. For instance, if you plan to start a daily deal website for your city, then first negotiate with local restaurants, fast food centers, salons, etc. and finalize deals that are both attractive for the prospective customers and have something in there for the service providers as well. Once you have a substantial number of people on board, the next thing is to get the banking and online payment options in order. When you are selecting a payment mechanism, keep in mind that it has to be secure for the customers
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E-MagnatEs
who use it and also provide them with payment options. When you go about creating the website, keep it simple and easy to navigate, with all the finer points about the product or service, delivery days, return policy, etc. clearly spelt out to avoid misinterpretation or misuse. Once thats done, make use of social networking sites to spread the word and offer some early bird discounts to get the first few customers in. It may all sound simple, but one needs to have patience and faith. Bansal says, Since both of us have a background in computer engineering from IIT Delhi, we were able to handle the challenges related to technology ourselves. Greater challenges were posed by other aspects of the business. Initially, we were faced with numerous roadblocks. Setting up bank accounts, getting an online payment option, convincing publishers to share their inventory with us all of this was a challenge for an unknown company. It was difficult to generate supplier confidence in us and the inability to keep a large inventory was an issue. Tying up with logistics partners and ensuring timely delivery of our products was another challenge. There was a time when we would pick up, pack and deliver the products on our own. Initially, we did not have any marketing budget, but our focus on customer service won us a lot of goodwill and word-of-mouth marketing helped our business to grow rapidly. Remember, e-commerce relies heavily on trust. So you must ensure that the customer is happy with the service, product as well as the whole experience. No amount of advertising or promotion online can provide the same result as good word of mouth. If your customers are happy, then rest assured that they will not only come back, but will also recommend the site to their friends and family. Having said that, always bear in mind that despite your best intentions, things could go wrong. It may be no fault of yours, as there could be delay or damage in delivery, the product may be out of stock, or sold out. Be on top of things and communicate with the a new customer to buy your product is much tougher than getting an existing customer to repurchase. By putting the customer first and listening to what they have to say, companies can succeed in building a loyal customer base. To put things in perspective, Flipkart today is present across ten product categories like movies, music, games, mobiles and accessories, computers, gaming consoles, MP3 players, personal and healthcare products and home appliances, and are still growing. They have nearly 11.5 million book titles, making them possibly the largest online book retailer in India. They boast of a registered user base of 1 million customers, have sold over 2.5 million items, and currently sell 22,000 items a day, clocking daily sales worth Rs 1.5 crores. Speaking about the contribution of the online nature of the business towards Flipkarts success, Bansal points out many advantages. Choice plays a big role when it comes to shopping online and is one of the biggest drivers of e-commerce. Since online stores do not have a space constraint, they can make available a large variety of products that may not be available with even the biggest offline stores. For example, the books collection on Flipkart is to the tune of 11.5 million titles. In addition, the online business model, thanks to the low overheads and larger volumes, also means higher cost savings, which companies are able to pass on to customers in the form of discounts, thus making online stores an attractive destination. Last but not the least, convenience is also a factor customer by either offering alternatives or coupons that can be used later. There is nothing worse than a disgruntled customer. Be honest in your dealings and you will be suitably rewarded. that draws customers to e-commerce. Flipkart makes a variety of products easily available to customers, who may not have the time or opportunity to go shopping offline. Another trend commonly seen, especially when it comes to buying gadgets, is that people see and check the product at the showroom, but prefer to then buy it online. This is due to the discounts offered coupled with certain freebies. All in all, the online business model is a very attractive one for budding entrepreneurs. The low investment and overhead costs ensure that in case your business fails to take off, you will not suffer huge losses. So if you think you have a winning idea, take the plunge!
priyanka.tilve@chip.in
NEWSWIRE
Customer is the King

The aim of every business, at the end of the day, is to earn profit, but this cannot be at the cost of customer satisfaction. Bansal explains, We were confident of the space and the model we were operating in. We continued to focus on delivering a positive customer experience at all stages and this translated into strong word-of-mouth promotion for us. This is the base on which we have continued to build our operations. Flipkarts focus has always been on keeping all its customers satisfied by ensuring convenience and a hassle-free shopping experience at every customer engagement point, and we achieve this through taking complete ownership of the customer experience and offering services like cash on delivery, 30 day replacement offer and EMI options, which make it easier for consumers to trust us.
Measure of Success
Bansal is very modest when talking about the immense success of Flipkart and once again places importance on customer satisfaction. He says, The journey has been an extremely interesting and rewarding one for the entire Flipkart team. What started off as a modest venture has gone on to becoming one of Indias leading online shopping destinations in just under four years. Our suggestion for budding entrepreneurs will be to focus on keeping their customers happy. Getting
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NEWSWIRE
FEATURE
Computing Everywhere
Opening Keynote McAfee DeepSAFE
CEO Paul Otellini outlined a future in which we'll interact with hundreds of millions of embedded devices in our everyday lives. The experience will need to be engaging, consistent across devices, and secure by design.
DeepSAFE is the first fruit of Intel and McAfee's alliance. This demo showed a security mechanism at the graphics driver level, so even screen-grabbing spyware can't capture the contents of a secure frame on a banking website.
Detecting Storms
Radar Imaging
Disaster management was a big theme at Intel's PreIDF briefing and tech demo session. Earth Networks demonstrated how deadly storms can be detected more accurately using a massive network of lightning sensors.
That isn't a satellite image in the slide above, it's a 3D visualization generated using an aircraft-mounted radar. Using a number of proprietary filters and algorithms, moving objects can be tracked with astonishing accuracy.
Emergency Response
Fireball Sensors
Wi-Fi base stations like this can be deployed when natural disasters knock out all communications in an area. They can run off solar power and even cache important websites and information for retrieval on the ground.
Early responders in disaster situations need to know what they're up against. These fireproof spheres contain sensors that can detect conditions such as heat, radiation, toxicity and even the chemical composition of a fire.
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NEWSWIRE
FEATURE
Besides revealing its latest plans and visions for the future of computing, Intel had a variety of cool new products and inventions on show at the 2011 Developer Forum. By JAMSHED AVARI
Ultrabooks
Showing Off!
Intel's big bet for the next few years will be ultrabooksas thin as 18mm, and with all-day battery life. The company is investing $300m in ultrabooks alone.
Toshiba, Lenovo, Acer and Asus all had models on display. This one is a bit thicker than the rest, but it has a full complement of ports and sockets.
Remember that viral video of bouncing balls creating music? Intel recreated it using seven Atom CPUs and loads of sensors. Watch: go.chip.in/idfvid
Demos and Exhibits
The exciting Near-Threshold Voltage Processor consumes so little power that it can run off a tiny solar cell. This tech could become mainstream someday.
A reference design for Android running on Atom (Medfield) CPUs. Intel and Google will partner to bring Android to Atom phones and tablets in 2012.
Panel Self-Refresh tech will allow future LCDs to continue displaying a static image with no input signal, reducing the power needed to run a computer display.
Chromebooks powered by Atom CPUs are already becoming mainstream. These two models could undercut netbooks and give buyers another value option.
Thunderbolt is coming to PCs in 2012! On display were products including this neat breakout hub from Belkin, plus 2.5 and 3.5-inch external drives from Seagate.
One of the stars of the show, Razer's Blade made a brief appearance. Barely thicker than an ultrabook, the Blade's unique touchpad drew a lot of attention.
Disclosure: Travel and expenses for the visit to IDF 2011 were provided by Intel.
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PROduct SPOtLIGHt
XXXXX
Verdict
FujiFilm FinePix Hs20 exr

Verdict: A really good superzoom, but would be better if it had a lower price. For: 30x super zoom with IS works like a charm, 3-inch flip out screen, very sturdy. AgAinst: Uses AA batteries, focusing issues while video recording.
cameras may definitely not be a replacement for DSLRs, but can surely provide consumers with
DigitaL Camera
hose into wildlife photography or landscapes are spoilt for choice with the number of super zooms entering the market. These
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Laptop
handling. Located at the base of the fixed lens is a focal ring. The 3-inch flip out screen is located at the back and protrudes from the body a bit, adding to the bulky look of the HS20. Like the HS10, the various buttons are scattered all over the rear of the camera. This is not a bad design aspect as it makes it look more like a DSLR. Fujifilm has added two dials at the top of this camera. This design is something that is common to high end DSLRs, where there are multiple jog dials. The buttons located at the back controls, they are all spaced out well. An interesting yet uncommon feature of this camera is that it has a flash mount. The pop up flash is very sturdy and can be deployed by pressing a small button next to it. There is a sensor next to the electronic view finder (EVF) which helps in auto switching between the LCD and the EVF. The connectivity options found on this camera are mini HDMI, mini USB and an AV in. The flap that covers these connectors are made of plastic and have a sturdy build as well. The battery bay for the four AA batteries is located on the bottom of the HS20. A nice addition to this camera is the separate memory card slot that is located at the side. This slot is usually housed in the battery bay and makes it inconvenient if one runs out of storage space and wants to easily swap memory cards. The battery bay locks well, but the flap does feel a bit flimsy. The overall build of this camera is good and it looks as though it can withstand a few accidental knocks.
For: XXX AgAinst: XXXX Fujifilm launched the FinePix HS10, a superzoom
ample features for taking these sort of pictures. camera not too long back and it performed well.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The company has now launched the FinePix HS20 XXXXXX EXR, an updated version of the HS10, which comes XXXx megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, amongst others.
are rounded and though the rear is cluttered with with features such as a 30x optical zoom,-and 16 dushyant.khilnani@chip.in
design and Build Quality

The Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR looks a lot like the HS10. The design of the HS10 was received well and Fujifilm has stuck to it while manufacturing the HS20. Like the HS10, this camera too has the bridge camera design. It has a matte black finish and is made of plastic with rubber pads on the hand grip and a patch on the rear that assists in the handling of this large camera. The first thing that one notices
XXX XXX XXX
SpecificationS
Rs XXX
contact phone eMaiL
www.XXXX.XXXX
XXXXX: XXXXXX;
when they see this camera is the large lens that occupies the front. The lens too has a rubberized padding on the telephoto ring, which helps in the
RatinGS
BuiLd QuaLity eRGonoMicS featuReS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR Money
Features
Fujifilm has fit a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor on this FinePix HS20 EXR superzoom camera. They have
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TEST CENTER
hardware
stayed away from using higher megapixel sensors in the previous version of this camera - FinePix HS10. However, they have not held back any features with this model. With backside illuminated (BSI) technology, the sensor becomes more sensitive to light. The more sensitive it is, the less light is needed to get a properly exposed photo and the less noise is created. Being a superzoom camera, the main feature of this is the 30x optical zoom having an effective range of 24 - 720mm. The inbuilt image stabilizer helps in this process thus making it reduce the amount of blur noticeable. The FinePix HS20 has a 3-inch flipout display that is tiltable to an extent. It cannot be rotated or folded like some cameras seen in the market. A few higher end superzoom cameras feature this sort of screen and this type of display helps in capturing images in either high or low angles. The HS20 has a sensor, which detects when one is viewing through either the LCD or the EVF. This can be locked to either Laptop
Performance
At aperture set to widest, which is f/2.8, a lot of depth of field was noticed but the image was not as crisp. The flash of this camera can easily light up an area of 15 feet. In our controlled setting, during the flash test, the colours looked crisp when the flash was on and areas which could not be easily noticed were easily visible when the flash was fired. This camera has a 30x optical zoom with an in-built image stabilizer. During our zoom test, the image captured quite well at maximum zoom. However, there were some focusing issues noticed. The ISO sensitivity at 100
XXXXX
Verdict
XXXX
the LCD, EVF or auto switch between both. EVFs are a common feature found in many superzooms these days, with them previously being limited to DSLRs. The camera has a flash mount allowing one to attach an additional flash, apart from the very
is crisp and there was no noise noticed. All colors looked natural and, as expected, at such a low ISO in a controlled setting, images would be really good. At ISO 400, there was a fair amount of noise and there was a bit of discoloration as well, but images were still usable. ISO 800 is the highest usable sensitivity setting for this camera. From ISO 3200 onwards, there is a lot of image noise and this setting would be advisable to use only in low light conditions. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outdoor images captured well with this camera and there was minimal color fringing noticed. All colors appeared natural. Focusing was a bit of an issue here, and it took a bit of time to focus on the subject. Video recording wasnt great as there were weird artifacts appearing on the screen. There were slight focusing issues during video recording as well, especially when moving from a bright to a dark area. Fujifilm rates the battery of this camera at approximately 350 shots. However, we used a new set of batteries and it was exhausted barely within minutes of usage.
For: XXX capable in-built flash featured in the camera. AgAinst: XXXX simple and one can easily learn The interface is
how to operate the camera within minutes. An interesting part of this menu is that the scene can XXXXXX be viewed XXXx background and doesnt take up in the the entire screen. Another interesting feature is the - dushyant.khilnani@chip.in manual zoom ring and focus ring. Some superzooms with this design have dual zoom controls with the ability to zoom using the ring on the lens or a zoom trigger. This camera, unfortunately, is not one of them. Another noticeable absentee is a lithium ion battery. This camera uses 4 AA batteries to power it. A slightly annoying feature of the HS20 EXR is that when one needs to alter the various settings
SpecificationS
such as ISO, aperture, etc. the designated button has to be held down while the navigational pad is tapped to select it. The HS20 EXR has an internal storage capacity of 20 MB and cards such as SD, SDHC and SDXC are supported.
Rs 26,999
www.fujifilm.in
Dimensions (WxHxD): 131 x 91 x 126 mm; Weight: 730 g; Resolution: 16 MP; Focal length: 24720 mm (30x optical zoom); Aperture: F2.8F5.6; Shutter speed: 301/4000 sec; LCD: 3inch; Video recording: 1080p @30 fps; Batteries: 4x AA.
contact phone eMaiL
Verdict
At Rs 26,999, the Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR SpecificationS is a bit
Rs XXX steep for a camera with such attributes. While the

camera has done well during our zoom test, there are other options out there which sell for a lower
contact
www.XXXX.XXXX
XXXXX: XXXXXX;
XXX XXX XXX
Fujifilm India 0124-4325500 contact@fujifilmindia.com
price point and offer similar specifications, such as phone the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HS100V. This is eMaiL definitely not a bad camera and is better than the HS10, but RatinGS about spending a couple of thousands more, this featuReS could be a good option.
eRGonoMicS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG - Aaron Almeida vaLue foR Money
RatinGS
BuiLd QuaLity featuReS eRGonoMicS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR Money
the price is a bit high. However, if one has BuiLdqualms no QuaLity
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Sony CyberShot DSC-hX100V

while its Carl Zeiss lens occupies a lot of space, the overall design looks good. The 3-inch flip out screen at the back can be tilted so one can easily click images from either high or low angles. The buttons to the screens right include a four-way navigational pad for display, continuous shooting, timer and flash. A jog dial located on the top-right side of the camera at the back can be used for adjusting various settings like ISO sensitivity, aperture priority, etc. The sturdy pop up flash is housed directly above the lens. A unique feature of this camera is that it can be charged directly by plugging it to a power source. The overall build quality of the camera and its bays for the battery or HDMI and USB ports are good. The camera features a 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with Sonys Exmor R technology that allows users to capture images well in low-lit environments. The button on the jog dial aids in the fluency of changing settings. The color scheme
You simply need to press the record button to start shooting videos.
Digital Camera
For: Small and compact, 30x optical zoom with IS, flip-out screen. AgAinst: Over-vibrant display, expensive.
he Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V sports a bridge camera look, and sweep panorama and a GPS compass. The HX100V supports SD cards as well as Sonys own MS card. Overall, Sony has fitted the camera with some pretty interesting features. With the aperture set at its highest, i.e. at f/2.8, a fair amount of depth of field was noticed. This was not the same with aperture set at f/8. It is not recommended to use these higher sensitivities such as 3200 or 1600 unless shooting in a low light area. The camera has a 30x zoom and when used outdoors, the image appeared very crisp. The image stabilization capability of this camera is pretty impressive and there was no blur whatsoever. The camera records video at 1080p and the video playback rendered well. It is able to record sound in stereo which, is a recent trend appearing in cameras. The images that were shot indoors had minimum amount of grain and this was something that we really liked. Outdoor images shot really well too, and there was minimal color fringing. The camera automatically goes into macro mode when it is near a subject and when pictures were captured in this setting, a lot of detail as well as depth of field was noticed. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V with a price tage of Rs 21,000, is targeted at the prosumer camera audience, particularly those looking to travel. The performance of this camera is pretty good and those who like vibrant colours will surely enjoy using it. - Aaron Almeida
of the interface can be changed, allowing one to view the page in two other colors. The screen has an auto rotation function, which is a neat feature that is not seen in most cameras. The camera features a sensor, which detects whether the user is using the EVF or the LCD, and allows automatic switching between the two. Other features include full high-definition video recording in 1080p at 60 fps, 3D
SpeCifiCationS
Rs 22,900
www.sony.co.in
Weight: 577 g; Resolution: 16.2 MP; Focal length: 27810 mm; Optical zoom: 30x; Aperture: F2.8F5.6; LCD: 3inch; Shutter speed: 301/4000 sec; Video recording: 1080p.
ContaCt phone eMaiL
Sony India 1800-103-7799 sonyindia.care@ap.sony.com
ratinGS
buiLD QuaLity erGonoMiCS featureS perforManCe oVeraLL ratinG VaLue for Money
A superzoom with greAt performAnce, but At A high price.

Verdict
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hardware
BlackBerry Torch 9810

For: Well designed, fluid UI, solid build quality. AgAinst: Still a little bulky, battery life could have been better.
Smartphone
early a year after the original Torch arrived in the market, RIM has revealed the Torch 2 - or
and moves from task to task effortlessly and screen renders are instantaneous. Browsing especially gets a shot in the arm, and we think even the fastest Android phones may struggle to keep up. Media capabilities are still quite up there with the best, though the lack of 1080p video playback might be considered a drawback. It supports XviD and DivX codecs and plays most file formats except FLV and MKV. Music playback, thanks to the audio engines Audio Boost and EQ presets, worked as well as RIMs other offerings and the bundled handsfree proves well-matched to the output quality for calls and music. Although this device is equipped with a GPS module, youll still have to contend with BlackBerry Maps showing you in the middle of an empty screen for Indian residents. The other option is Google Maps or paying for third party software. The 5 megapixel auto focus camera (with LED flash) also remains unchanged. It features settings like image stabilization and geo tagging, face-detection, as well as continuous auto focus while recording video at 720p. Image quality is just as good as the 9800s. Seeing as smartphones, and especially BlackBerrys, are the type of handsets that one would tend to use on a frequent basis, the Torch 9810s battery proved to be average. Its expected that a device of this caliber would offer a little more than just keeping in tow with the rest. - Hatim Kantawalla
The Torch 9810 is equipped with a 5.0 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash.
9810. From a design and form-factor point of view, the 9810 is exactly like its predecessor and the build is just as solid. The slide out QWERTY keypad is just as smooth, but the keypad could have been slightly more spread out to optimize typing. The only thing that may give the phone away would be its new color scheme: shiny silver instead of the gunmetal grey finish. Its still just a little on the heavy side at 161g and the rubberized sides do allow you to get a good grip on it. As usual, the bundled handsfree and cables are as good as they come. The inclusion of a smart case would have been brilliant, or a memory card for that matter, but considering the internal storage has been beefed up to 8 GB, the latter point is quite moot. It was never too hard on the eyes and the new jazzed up color combo adds a bit of elegance to the overall appearance. The 3.2-inch screen gets a decent bump in resolution, and it now runs at 480 x 640 pixels. While the exteriors might be the same, there are a few very good changes on the inside, most important among them being the processor. With the inclusion of a 1.2GHz CPU, the 9810 can now play toe-to-toe with the fastest smartphones in the market. This change, along with OS 7.0, makes for a superb browsing and in-app experience. The phone responds
SpecificaTionS
Rs 29,990
in.blackberry.com
Dimensions (WxHxD): 61.9 x 111 x 14.5 mm; Weight: 161 g; Display: 3.2-in, 480x640 pixels; CPU: 1.2 GHz; RAM: 768 MB; Internal storage: 8 GB; Camera: 5 megapixels with autofocus and LED flash; Rated talk time: 6.5 hours.
conTacT phone eMail
a good piece of mobile hardware and quite worth the price.
Verdict
Research In Motion NA NA
raTinGS
Build QualiTy erGonoMicS feaTureS perforMance overall raTinG value for Money
10/2011
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hardware
Motorola XooM 3G
For: Good value, Honeycomb 3.1, dual core, HDMI, Good camera. AgAinst: Average battery life, no customization for Motorolas end, not very slim .
TableT
otorolas Xoom was the first commercially available tablet to rock Googles Honeycomb
of 720p video recording at 30 fps. The picture quality is strictly average for indoor shots while it fares slightly better outdoors. The dual-LED flash is powerful and easily illuminates the subject in a pitch dark room provided you maintain a distance of 5-6 feet. The captured image is clear, with good amount of detail. 720p video recording is smooth for most part, but while panning, slight jerks are present. Motorola didnt mention what capacity battery theyve used in the Xoom, only that it will deliver up to 10 hours of video playback. In our video drain test, the tablet managed 7 hours 15 mins, where as our loop tests lasted close to 10 hours. At a street price of roughly Rs 34,999, the Xooms only other competitor is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 750. Both are almost equally powerful and have similar feature sets, except for the fact that the Tab 750 has only 16 GB of internal memory as opposed to 32 GB on the Xoom. We cant say for certain which is better until weve tested the Tab 750. Motorola hasnt done any customizations of their own, so out of the box, the Xooms feature set is pretty limited until you install apps. This is where Samsungs TouchWiz UI may turn the tables in their favor. If its anything like their mobile version, then we can expect wider video and audio format support out of the box, DLNA, etc. - Roydon Cerejo
OS. The Xoom comes with Android 3.1, which is lot faster and smoother than the 3.0. An aluminium frame makes up most of the body which is smooth and does not attract finger prints. The 10.1-inch screen sports a 1280x800 pixel resolution and the Xoom is powered by Nvidias Tegra 2 CPU which runs at 1 GHz. The internal memory is 32 GB and is the same for both, the Wi-Fi and 3G models. The video player only supports MP4 and WMV file formats along with codecs like H.264 and H.263. 1080p videos play just fine provided they are in MP4 format. The music player is very basic too, with no equalizer presets or enhancement options. The supported file formats include MP3, WAV, WMA and AAC+. Sound quality is once again just average so if youre serious about music, look elsewhere. The 3G version supports quad-band GSM and HSDPA, HSUPA, dual-band Wi-Fi
An aluminium frame makes up most of the body, which is smooth and does not attract finger prints.
n and Bluetooth v2.1. The 3G SIM can only be used for data since the Xoom does not have any telephony functions. The default WebKit browser is good enough for casual surfing as it supports tabs, full Flash 10.1 support, etc. Also, once connected, the Xoom does not show up as a removable drive, but as a Media Device. The 5 megapixel auto-focus camera on the Motorola Xoom 3G is capable
SpecificationS
Rs 41,490
www.motorola.com
Dimensions (HxWxD): 249.1 x 167.8 x 12.9 mm; Weight: 730 g; Processor: Dual core 1 GHz; OS: Android 3.1; Display: 10.1 in, 1280 x 800; Camera: 5 megapixels;Internal storage: up to 32 GB; Connectivity: 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, USB, EDGE, GPS
contact phone eMail
Motorola India 0124-4988514 info.in@motorola.com
ratinGS
Build Quality erGonoMicS featureS perforMance overall ratinG value for Money
Currently, the Cheapest 3G tablet with 32 Gb storaGe in the market.

Verdict
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hardware
Dell Vostro 3750

For: Powerful specifications, aluminum chassis, USB 3.0, good design , good price AgAinst: Average battery life, annoying trackpad.
Laptop
body is built well and feels sturdy, but the lid has too much flex, which you can clearly see it contorting. For connectivity, we have a total of four USB ports which includes two USB 3.0 ports. We also have a DVD burner, HDMI and VGA port, card reader, Express card slot and microphone and headphone jack. Opening up the lid, we have a full sized chiclet keyboard that is spaced out very well. The keys offer a good feedback and are comfortable enough for long typing sessions. Security is handled by a finger print scanner. Along with the power button, there are three shortcut buttons for quick settings, Dell support centre and one that you can customize for opening any application you choose. Unlike the smaller sized Vostro notebooks, the battery is removable this time and you have a choice between a 6-cell and a 9-cell battery. The notebook is powered by Intels Core i7 2630QM, which runs at 2 GHz with the ability to Turbo up to 2.9 GHz. The processor is the same one used in the Asus G74SX, so it doesnt shy away
For connectivity, there are a total of four USB ports, which includes two USB 3.0 ports.
he 3750s design is very similar to the V130s, except that its not as slim or portable. The
medium to high settings. The Vostro 3750 makes a really good desktop replacement thanks to the very comfortable keyboard. The chiclet keys offer good feedback and are well spaced out so you dont accidently hit the wrong key by mistake. The same cannot be said about the trackpad. The Latitude was the only one so far that didnt give us such a major problem. The screens resolution is 1600x900, which is just about right for a 17-inch panel. The icons arent too big or small and you have plenty of real estate to play around with. The brightness level is quite adequate and the screen is viewable even with high levels of ambient light in the room. The notebook will easily do 1080p video and you can either use the onboard or the discrete graphics for rendering. We managed to get 1 hour of battery life with Battery Eater Pro. This is with a 6-cell battery pack and using the onboard GPU for running the program. For regular use with Power Saver mode, you should get about 2 - 2.5 hours of battery life. One would typically expect a 17-inch notebook with a high end CPU and GPU to cost a bomb, but oddly, thats not the case here. Youll be pleasantly surprised to know that the Vostro 3750, with all the bells and whistles, will cost you a reasonable Rs 63,275, which makes it cheaper than the Vostro V130. This is very good pricing on Dells part and makes the Vostro a good option for someone looking for a desktop replacement with good productivity and multimedia features. - Roydon Cerejo
from number crunching. To complement this, there is 6 GB of RAM, a 750 GB hard drive and Nvidias GT 525M GPU with Optimus technology. Other features include Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi n and Gigabit Ethernet. The Vostro 3750 also features Intel WiDi technology, which lets you clone your desktop onto a TV wirelessly. Youll be able to play most DX10 games at the native resolution with a mix of
specifications
Rs 63,275
www.dell.co.in
Dimensions (WxDxH): 418.4 x 286.7 x 34.8 mm; Weight: 3 kg; Processor: Intel Core i7-2630QM; Hard drive: 750 GB; Screen: 17.3 in, 1600 x 900; GPU: Nvidia Geforce GT 525M; RAM: 1 GB; Ports: HDMI, USB 2.0, 3.0, eSATA, Firewire; OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
contact phone eMail
Dell India 080-25068026 NA
ratinGs
BuilD Quality erGonoMics features perforMance oVerall ratinG Value for Money
A business notebook with A very strong gAming pedigree.

Verdict
38
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hardware
Canon IXUS 220 HS

For: 24 mm wide angle, easy to use, super slow motion video shooting. AgAinst: Full HD video recording at 24 fps.
Digital Camera
he IXUS 220 HS isnt very different from the IXUS 115 HS. Both the models have a 12.1 megapixel
The overall performance of the IXUS 220 HS is very good. We shot landscapes, people, still objects, close ups, videos and they all came out very nice. Outdoor performance in bright daylight with ISO set to 100 is good, but not outstanding. The reproduction of colors and details was good, but fringing was very apparent around objects against bright backgrounds such as the sky or viceversa. The overall contrast of the images was good, but if youre meticulous about good results, youll need to spruce up the contrast and details in an image editing program. Left untouched, the results produced are quite good for printing. Indoor images, both with and without flash came out nice. Some images were shot at ISO 1600 and with shutter speed as low as 1/20 sec. Surprisingly, the noise was well controlled and there was no blur thanks to image stabilization. The video recording quality is very good. Shooting in full HD seemed a bit difficult for the camera. There was quite a bit of stuttering in fast action scenes and while panning. However, 720p videos came out flawless, except for some fringing in highcontrast scenes. We liked the Canon IXUS 220 HS for its compact design, ease of use, interesting feature set and good performance, both indoors and outdoors. It offers a good bang for the buck, but we find the IXUS 115 HS better when it comes to value for money. - Anand Tuliani
sensor and feature similar designs. However, the IXUS 220 HS offers a better lens. Its much wider at 24 mm and the zoom extends to 5x. The controls lie next to the 2.7-inch LCD. Theres a switch that lets you instantly switch between the Auto mode and other modes. In Auto mode, the camera automatically recognizes the type of scene and adjusts the exposure parameters. The user can only set the timer, image size and quality. If you want to tinker with the exposure settings and get creative, switch away from the Auto mode. Besides the Program mode, Canon has provided a bunch of scene modes and effect filters such as Fish eye, Toy camera, Poster, Monochrome and Miniature that can make your photos stand out. The IXUS 220 HS can shoot 720p videos with great ease and optical zoom is functional while shooting. Full HD video recording is also possible, but at 24 fps. The list of shooting modes has a very cool feature called Super Slow Motion Movie. This mode shoots videos at very high speed for super slow motion playback fast paced action videos look
SpeCIfICatIonS
rs 10,995
great in slow motion. Video recording can be started by simply pressing the record button on top of the D-pad. The 5-way d-pad has shortcuts for Macro, EV, Flash and Display settings. Unfortunately selftimer is missing, which compels the user to select it from the Function menu.
www.canon.co.in
Dimensions (WxHxD): 92 x 56 x 20 mm; Weight: 140g; Resolution: 12.1 megapixels; Focal length: 24 -120 mm (5x optical zoom); Aperture: F2.7-F5.9; Shutter speed: 15-1/2000 sec; ISO: 100-3200; Screen: 2.7 in, 230k dots; Video recording: 1920x1080 @24 fps.
ContaCt pHone eMaIL
Canon India 0124-4160000 info@canon.co.in
RatInGS
BUILd QUaLIty eRGonoMICS featUReS peRfoRManCe oveRaLL RatInG vaLUe foR Money
An AffordAble cAmerA with greAt build quAlity And performAnce.

Verdict
40
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hardware
Brag Carnelian
For: Excellent cabinet, good configuration, well managed cables, liquid cooling. AgAinst: No dust filters for fans.
PC
rag PC is a brand by Prime ABGB (a popular PC hardware vendor in Mumbai) that specializes in
both CrossFireX and SLI. It also features an on-board Bluetooth adapter and has video outputs (HDMI, DVI and D-sub) on the rear. The motherboard lacks a Wi-Fi adapter but that has been taken care of by a 802.11 n card fitted into a PCI slot. The Asus ENGTX 560 Ti DirectCU II is a premium GTX 560 Ti graphics card featuring a dual-fan cooler with thick copper pipes for effective heat dissipation. The NZXT Phanom has the provision for ample number of fans for good air circulation. Theres a 200 mm blue LED fan fitted on the top, a 140 mm front intake fan and two 120 mm fans on the side panel. Regulators are present on top of the case. The I/O panel has two USB ports, an eSATA port and audio jacks. The overall performance of the Brag Carnelian is excellent. Despite plenty of fans, its extremely silent. The configuration scored 20,112 points in PCMark Vantage and 4035 points in 3DMark 11. The GTX 560 Ti is a great midrange graphics card with good power to run games comfortably at full HD without compromising on visual effects. At 1920x1080 Crysis Warhead ran at 39 fps in Enthusiast mode. With PhysX and AA enabled, Mafia II ran at 37 fps with effects set to high. Unigine Heaven benchmark logged 38 fps with normal tessellation. The Brag Carnelian is an excellent option if youre looking out for a custombuilt premium gaming PC. You can get in touch with Brag if you wish to customize the configuration. - Anand Tuliani
The interior of the PC is very neat because the cables are routed from behind the back plate.
workstations, gaming PCs and home theater PCs. Brag has chosen to use the blood red NZXT Phantom case so that it goes with the name of the PC which is a red gemstone. It sports a unique chiselled design and offers all sorts of provisions to house high-end gaming hardware, and we must say Brag has used them all very well. All the power cables from the Corsair HX650W power supply are routed from behind the back plate on which the motherboard is mounted. The hard drive bays are oriented sideways and have trays for easy installation of hard drives. The primary drive is a 64 GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD and the secondary drive is a 1 TB WD Caviar Green hard drive. So you have a speedy SSD for quick loading of applications and games and a high-capacity drive for storage. The Carnelian is powered by Intel Core i5-2500K CPU, 8 GB of G.Skill Ripjaws RAM and Asus GTX 560 Ti Direct CU II graphics card. These components are installed on the Asus P8Z68-V Pro motherboard. The quad-core Core i5-2500K features an unlocked BCLK multiplier, which makes overclocking a breeze. The Eco II liquid cooler by CoolIT Systems has been installed to take care of the extra heat dissipated by the CPU during overclocking. The coolers radiator, along with the fan, is fitted on the rear. The motherboard and graphics card chosen to build this PC are excellent choices. The Asus P8Z68-V Pro supports
SpeCifiCationS
Rs 83,000
www.bragpc.com
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K; Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-V Pro; RAM: 8 GB G.Skill Ripjaws; Hard disk: 64 GB SSD and 1 TB hard disk; Graphics card: Asus GTX 560 Ti; Optical drive: Blu-ray combo; Wi-Fi: 802.11 n; Power supply: Corsair HX650W.
ContaCt phone eMail
An excellent gAming Pc built with choicest comPonents.
Verdict
Prime Abgb 022-67402000 sales@primeabgb.com
ratingS
Build Quality featureS perforManCe overall rating value for Money
10/2011
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hardware
Zotac Zbox NaNo Plus aD10

Verdict: Perfect HTPC solution with superior connectivity and small size. For: Small in size, vast connectivity options, perfect for an HTPC, well priced. AgAinst: No preinstalled operating system.
PC
T
sPecificatioNs
he Zbox Nano Plus AD10s size is one of its most interesting features, with the length and
mini PC comes without an OS, one can hook an optical drive to it and install it. It does, however, come with drivers to configure the USB 3.0 and ports and GPU. The performance of this PC was tested by running synthetic benchmarks as well as real world tests. 3D Mark recorded a score of 678 points while PC Mark scored 2236 points. This PC was not designed to play games, and from the scores, you can tell. The average fps noted for Resident Evil 5 and Dirt 2 were 11.2 and 15.5 respectively. The Zotac AD10 is priced at Rs 17,999 and it makes a really good choice for an HTPC. - Aaron Almeida
breadth measuring just five inches. The top and bottom panel are black and a green LED ring lights up when it is on. Zotac has fitted a 2.5-inch 320 GB internal HDD along with a 2 GB RAM in this variant of the Nano Plus. Connections for this are in the form of HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 2.0 and 3.0, along with an Ethernet port and an eSATA port. This mini-PC is powered by an AMD E-350 1.6 GHz dual core processor, which features an AMD M1 chipset. The integrated GPU is an AMD Radeon HD 6310. Though this
Rs 17,999
www.zotac.com
CPU: AMD E-350, 1.6GHz; Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6310; RAM: 2 GB DDR3; Hard disk: 320 GB; Video outputs: DisplayPort, HDMI.
coNtact PhoNe eMail
Aditya Infotech 0120-4555666 sanyam_sethia@adityagroup.com
RatiNGs
builD Quality eRGoNoMics featuRes PeRfoRMaNce oveRall RatiNG value foR MoNey
TEST CENTER
hardware
Lenovo IdeaCentre a320

For: Looks good, great build quality, ergonomic and feature rich, good quality screen AgAinst: Keyboard and mouse is not very comfortable, a bit underpowered, slightly expensive, usage is limited due to slower components
Panel PC
he IdeaCentre A320 is a lot more ergonomic compared to Lenovos earlier models. The entire screen
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a wireless keyboard and mouse. Theres no discrete graphics card, which means you can forget about playing the latest games. The bundled mouse is comfortable, albeit a bit small, but its not very ergonomic. The keys on the keyboard are too soft and many times, the inputs werent registered. Windows runs smoothly on the configuration at hand and so do full HD movies. The glossy screen does attract reflections, but it makes the pictures and video a lot livelier. The built-in speakers come with SRS enhancement, which makes the sound louder, but not by much. You can watch cable TV through the provided port and Lenovo also bundles a remote, which works with Windows Media Center. The extra HDMI connector means you can easily connect a DVD player or a game console using the same display. The A320 is available at a street price of Rs 50,990, which offers better value than the B500 as its a bit cheaper and more feature-rich. However, its still a bit expensive since you get the mobile version of the Core i3 processor, which is a bit underpowered for a desktop. Also, the lack of a dedicated graphics card means you wont be able to do any serious gaming. Other areas of concern are the built-in speakers, which arent too loud and the keyboard is not a full-sized one. - Roydon Cerejo
is supported on a single hinge that can swivel and tilt, allowing you to adjust it to suit your sitting position. The screen is a 21.5-inch Full HD display with LED backlighting and the panel is protected by a glass that covers the bezel, giving it a seamless look. The quality of the panel is very good and due to the glossy effect, the colors appear rich and crisp. The bezel also houses a webcam and microphone. Below, there are three white LED status lights for the HDD activity, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. On the right, theres a bunch of touch sensitive menu buttons which is a first for an all-in-one. The sensitivity of the buttons could have been better though. The options include brightness, Novo Vision (viewing modes), mode switch, volume and OSD language. The rest of the components are tucked into the base of the desktop. All the ports
All the ports are lined up along the side and extend all the way to the back.
are lined up along the side and extend all the way to the back. Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jack, memory card reader, and HDMI-in and HDMI-out. The A320 is powered by Intels newest Core i3 2310M mobile chipset based on the Sandy Bridge architecture. Other components include 3 GB RAM, 750 GB hard drive, external DVD burner,
SpeCIfICatIonS
Rs 50,990
www.lenovo.com
Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M; RAM: 3GB DDR3; HDD: 750GB SATA; Windows: Windows 7 Home Premium; Display: 21.5 in; GPU: NA; Keyboard and mouse: Wireless; Wi-Fi: Yes; Bluetooth: Yes
ContaCt phone eMaIL
Lenovo India 1800-4252-666 pmatthan@lenovo.com
ratInGS
BuILd QuaLIty erGonoMICS featureS perforManCe overaLL ratInG vaLue for Money
StyliSh, but a bit expenSive and underpowered for a deSktop pc.

Verdict
44
10/2011
TEST CENTER
hardware
d-Link Boxee Box

Verdict: Good app support, but a bit expensive for a media player. For: Easy to use UI, compact design, 1080p decoding, good app support. AgAinst: Expensive, no in-built storage, many streaming services are not available in India.
Media PlayeR
SpecificationS
he Boxee Box is essentially a media player just like the WD TV Live Hub. Connectivity includes
The Boxee Box is quite speedy since the interface isnt very graphical. Its main USP is the streaming video services from various sources around the Web. Besides streaming, you can also connect your hard drive or SD card and use it as a HD media player. It supports 1080p video in most major formats. It really shines in the software department, which is rivalled only by XBMC. But at Rs 13,999, it feels expensive. For a good experience, youll need a speedy Internet connection for streaming videos. A very good alternative to this would be the WD TV Live Hub, which retails for around Rs 10,000. - Roydon Cerejo
two USB 2.0 ports with NTFS support, a LAN jack, HDMI, Optical audio-out and stereo-out. Wi-Fi n comes built-in by default. The remote has standard navigation buttons on one side and a QWERTY keypad on the other. The navigation buttons have a good response and so does the keypad. The Boxee Box is powered by an Intel Atom CE4110 SOC processor. The apps available cover popular categories such as YouTube, TuneIn Radio, Vimeo, etc. The menu is divided into TV Shows, Apps, Movies and Local, making it easy to navigate.
Rs 13,999
www.dlink.co.in
Dimensions (WxHxD): 4.5 x 4.5 x 4.6 in; Video formats: Flash 10.1, H.264 (MKV, MOV), VC-1, WMV, MPEG-4, AVI, Xvid, Divx, VOB; Audio formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, AAC, DTS, Dolby Digital, Ogg; Image formats: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG; Connectivity: HDMI, Composite, S/PDIF, USB 2.0, eSATA, Wi-Fi n
contact phone eMaiL
D-Link 022-29215700 divya.shetty@dlink.co.in
RatinGS
MicRoMax x450 van GoGh

Verdict: The X450 works out to be quite a value for money handset with an innovative USP. For: Well designed handset, ergonomic Bluetooth handsfree kit built in, good audio quality, great battery life. AgAinst: Average photo quality, no email support.
Phone
he X450 aka Van Gogh comes bundled with a Bluetooth headset as its USP. It is a well designed
music quality is better than average, with playback for low res videos and a built in FM radio also thrown in. The bundled Bluetooth headset is comfortable to wear, but the lack of a era-clip could hamper prolonged use. The X450 supports GPRS and WAP with Bluetooth (A2DP) and USB 2.0. eBuddy is thrown in for chatting and Opera Mini can be used as an alternative to the native browser. The 2 megapixel fixed focus camera delivers average image quality at best. The Van Gogh manages to provide excellent battery life, which is a major factor to take into account. - Shayne Rana
handset with a rear panel that can be swapped. The lack of a micro SD hot swap slot is a bit of a disappointment. The 2.4-inch display is clear even in bright outdoor conditions. The Bluetooth headset has a built-in cradle at the rear of the handset and in no way hinders usage. It features a pretty standard Java OS that manages to function quite smoothly except when it came to refreshing the media sections. It handles dual SIM (GSM + GSM) functions quite seamlessly. The
SpecificationS
Rs 3,499
www.micromaxinfo.com
Dimensions (WxHxD): 52x116.7x20.3 mm; Weight: 110 g; Display: 2.4-in, 320x240 pixel; Camera: 2 megapixels; Other features: dual-SIM, FM radio, Bluetooth headset; Rated talk time: 4 hours.
contact phone eMaiL
Micromax Informatics 1860-500-8266 info@micromaxinfo.com
RatinGS
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10/2011
TEST CENTER
hardware
hiS Radeon hd 6670

Verdict: An entry-level gaming card that can also be used in HTPCs. For: Detachable fan grille, silent, low power consumption. AgAinst: Dual-slot design, average quality of fan and grille.
GRAphicS cARd
hile being perfectly suited for home theatre PCs, the Radeon HD 6670 also addresses the
with translucent blue blades is housed in a plastic grille that clamps onto the heatsink. Its a good design because the fan can be easily detached to clean the hinksink. But you have to be careful while detaching the grille because the build quality is quite average. The card features DVI, DisplayPort and HDMI outputs and the power is drawn via the PCIE slot. The card logged 1647 points in 3DMark 11. It is just about able to run games at 1920x1080 with minimal settings. Just Cause 2 and Mafia II ran at 38 fps and Crysis Warhead ran at 44 fps in Performance mode. The HIS HD 6670 is a worthy consideration only if you need it for casual gaming and media processing. - Anand Tuliani
entry-level segment of discrete graphics cards for casual gaming and video acceleration and transcoding.The HD 6670 is available in both DDR3 and GDDR5 variants. This card by HIS has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory that runs at 1000 MHz and connects to the GPU via a 128-bit memory bus. The GPU has 480 stream processors and runs at reference speed, which is 800 MHz. We have seen a few HD 6670 graphics cards with single-slot designs, but this one uses a dual-slot cooler. The heat sink used in this card is slightly larger and the fan mounted on top adds to the height. The 70 mm fan
SpecificationS
Rs 5,500
www.tirupati.net
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6670; Memory: 1024 MB GDDR5; Memory bus width: 128-bit; Speed: (Core | Memory): 800 MHz | 1000 MHz; Stream processors: 480; Video outputs: Dual-link DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort.
contact phone eMaiL
Tirupati Enterprises 9339207519 mail@tirupati.net
RatinGS
featuReS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR Money
SynoLoGy diSkStation dS411j

Verdict: A solid NAS device for SoHo users looking for a good storage solution. For: Stylish design, sturdy build, great features for SoHo and home user. AgAinst: Expensive, few software packages.
NAS
T
SpecificationS
he DiskStation DS411j is a NAS device geared towards home and small office users. Although
browser-based firmware and software. User and user groups can be created, and quotas and permissions can be set. Windows file sharing and FTP access are also present. For home users, support for iTunes and DLNA should make media streaming easy. For SoHo users, theres support for backups across a number of devices and network drives. Home users will find plenty of P2P services. At a street price of Rs 25,000 (MRP Rs 34,000), the DS411j isnt cheap, but it is the ideal solution for those looking for performance and data storage. - Rossi Fernandes
somewhat bulky, it has a solid, attractive metal design. Installation of drives is simple and the two 80mm fans at the rear offer sufficient cooling. It has space for four 3.5-inch drives. There are also two USB 2.0 ports at the back for additional storage drives. The DS411j supports a wide range of RAID configurations, so you can setup all the drives for performance or for reliability. The DS411j is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and 128 MB of DDR2 RAM. Most the features lie in the
Rs 34,000
www.ebm.in
Dimensions (WxHxD): 184 x 168 x 230 mm; Weight: 2.23 kg; Hard drive slots: 4; USB 2.0 ports: 2; Ethernet: 1x Gigabit.
contact phone eMaiL
Esdee Business Machine 022-25667070 info@ebm.in
RatinGS
BuiLd QuaLity featuReS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR Money
48
10/2011
TEST CENTER
hardware
USb FlaSH Drive
external Storage
Webcam
DiSney USb FLaSh Drive

Verdict: A good gift option for children. For: Good read speed, sturdy rubber body. AgAinst: Slightly bulky. SpecificationS
Seagate FreeagentgoFLex DeSk

Verdict: Massive storage space and good performance for a good price. For: Plenty of storage space, fast, good design and build. AgAinst: None. SpecificationS
Logitech hD Webcam c525

Verdict: Great high resolution webcam at a very affordable price. For: Excellent quality, entertaining effects in add-on software. AgAinst: Framing on slow machines. SpecificationS
Rs 750 (4 GB), Rs 1,250 (8 GB)

www.accessinfoworld.com
Rs 12,000
www.seagate.com
Rs 2,995
www.logitech.com
Capacity: 4 GB, 8 GB; Interface: USB 2.0.

contact phone eMaiL
Access 022-23840789 accessinfoworld@vsnl.com
Dimensions (WxHxD): 124 x 158 x 44 mm; Weight: 1.08 kg; Capacity: 3 TB; Interface: USB 2.0 (upgradeable to USB 3.0).
contact phone eMaiL
RatinGS
Seagate India 011-26414468 Sales@fortune-it.com
Dimensions (WxHxD): 68 x 29 x 40 mm; Resolution: HD 720p, 8 MP; Interface: USB 2.0; Microphone: Yes; OS: Windows XP/ Vista/7
contact phone eMaiL
RatinGS
Logitech India 9717597424 srinivas_kumar@logitech.com
RatinGS
featuReS eRGonoMicS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR Money
isney has launched a range of licensed USB flash drives. The
pen drives come in different shapes and capacities feature various Disney characters. We received three products for testing; Mickey Mouse 4 GB and 8 GB drives and one Spiderman 4 GB drive. The drives are embedded in a rubber body so they are scratch proof and damage resistant. The body itself is thick and could make the drives hard to use with another pen drive in an adjacent port. The 4 GB drive shows a usable capacity of 3.65 GB. It gives a write speed of up to 4.4 MB/s and an impressive read speed of up to 21 MB/s, so the drives are best suited for accessing files rather than transferring data. At Rs 750 for 4 GB, and 8 GB priced at Rs 1,250, they are a little expensive. - Kushal Mamoowala
he FreeAgent GoFlex Desk comes with 3 TB of storage and is
upgradeable to USB 3.0. It has a usable space of 2.72 TB and has a spindle speed speed of 7200 rpm. The front consists of status LEDs while the back consists of the power supply slot and micro USB connectivity. Seagate has bundled some security and backup software with the drive. We put the drive through a few synthetic and real world tests. CrystalDiskMark scores gave a random 4K read speed of 0.573. Sequential write speed was 28.64 MB/s. The scores are pretty decent for a 3 TB drive. Users wanting to buy this drive should use it as a desk-based external drive with partial portability. Overall, wed love to see a price drop for the 3 TB drive - who wouldnt - but the drive is definitely a good buy. - Karan Shah
he C525 features 720p video recording and 8 megapixel image
capturing. The webcam build is quite compact with a double jointed stand that can be used to attach the webcam to a monitor, laptop or desk and folds over itself to protect the lens when unused. The body has a swivel joint to the base so you can turn it from left to right while recording. The video quality is excellent at 720p on a new machine but starts framing on slower machines. The C525 also captures hi-res images at 8 megapixels with autofocus and light adjustment. The bundled webcam software includes Logitech Vid HD and one-click sharing to social networks. The only drawback is that the webcam is not compatible with Mac OS and is quite expensive. - Kushal Mamoowala
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10/2011
TEST CENTER
hardware
Wi-Fi aDaPter
aMD CPU Cooler
PC Case
edimAx eW-7811un
Verdict: A great compact Wi-Fi adapter to upgrade your old computer to the wireless n standard. For: Extremely small and unobtrusive, works on all popular OSes. AgAinst: Wireless antenna is not strong enough. SpecificationS
GlAciAltech iGloo A360

Verdict: The Igloo A360 is a great CPU cooling solution available at a lower price. For: Good build quality, better air flow. AgAinst: None. SpecificationS
Antec one hundred

Verdict: A good quality budget gaming case with a simple and elegant look, but sadly, it lacks those fancy lights. For: Good price, cable routing, plenty of air vents. AgAinst: Expansion slot blocking plates not provided. SpecificationS
Rs 1,710
www.edimax.com
Rs 599
www.glacialtech.com
Rs 3,300
www.antec.com
Interface: USB 2.0, USB 1.0; Standard: 802.11b/g/n; Data Rate: up to 150 Mbps; Security: WEP 64/128 bit, WPA, WPA2, IEEE 802.1x; OS compatibility: Windows XP/Vista/7, Mac OS, Linux
contact phone eMaiL
Dimensions (WxHxD): 84.5 x 52.3 x 84.5 mm; Weight: 270 g; CPU compatibility: AMD FM1, AM2, AM2+, AM3.
contact phone eMaiL
Edimax Technologies 1800-209-3880 support_india@edimax.com.tw
ACRO Engineering 9810026658 himanshu@amigointernational.biz
Dimensions (WxHxD): 19.7 x 48 x 47 cm; Weight: 6.9 Kg; Drive bays: 6 x 3.5-inch, 3 x 5.25-inch, 1 x 2.5-inch; Cooling fans: 1 x 140 mm (Top), 1 x 120 mm (Rear).
contact phone eMaiL
RatinGS
Antec 9449001683 indiainfo@antec.com
RatinGS
RatinGS
BuiLd QuaLity featuReS oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR Money
he EW-7811Un nano USB adapter promises a data rate of up to
150 Mbps and also features wireless security support as well as a Green Power Saving function. The adapter is extremely compact and portable. It supports the latest networking standard, so you can use it to upgrade your old computers connectivity. You can even use it to turn your computer into an access point to connect more devices. The Green Power Saving function regulates the power transmitted to the adapter and also has an auto-idle state. The only drawback with the EW-7811Un is its compact size, which makes the antenna weak, making it good for usage only if youre quite close to your access point. The USB adapter is compatible with all popular operating systems. - Kushal Mamoowala
f you have an AMD-based processor and the stock cooling fan doesnt
seem efficient enough for your daily computing work, then youre in need of some reinforcements. GlacialTech Inc is a well known manufacturer of cooling solutions and the Igloo A360 is a low-cost cooler, but yet performs quite effectively. It is designed for AMD processors with AM2, AM2+, AM3 and the latest FM1 (Llano platform) sockets. The cooler is a tad taller and broader with a larger surface area for maximum heat dissipation. It also has a larger fan of a high fin density which provides greater air flow for more efficient cooling. The Igloo A360 is made completely from aluminum while the Igloo A360CU is available with a copper base to enable more efficient cooling. - Francis Dsa
ntec, one of the largest manufacturers of high quality
gaming PC cases has just released the One Hundred, which is definitely not going to rip a hole through your wallet. It sports a jet black shell with a powder-finished body, which looks pretty decent. It has enough room to accommodate up to three optical drives, six 3.5-inch hard drives and one 2.5-inch hard drive (bottommounted bay). The top of the case also features an inland plastic tray for placing portable storage drives or pen drives or simply other smaller stuff. The top also features the power button, LEDs for HDD and power, four USB ports and front-audio connectors, all placed at a 45-degree angle for easy access when placed either under the desk or on the desktop. - Francis Dsa
10/2011
51
TEST CENTER
hardware
Mobile Phone
Power SuPPly unit
uPS
XAGe Mt 711
Verdict: A phone with a few unique features, but fails in comparison to other phones in the same price range. For: Great build quality, clear and loud speaker. AgAinst: Heavy, resistive touch-screen, poor camera SpecificationS
Antec VP450P
Verdict: A solid product made for entry-level PCs that should be able to take the load of reasonably high-end hardware. For: Solid build quality, plenty of connectors, large fan. AgAinst: A tiny bit expensive, average cable quality. SpecificationS
Odyssey neO 700 RB

Verdict: A very basic and low cost emergency power backup solution. For: Straight-forward installation and use. AgAinst: Just five minute backup, no fuse or reset button.
SpecificationS
Rs 2,899
www.xagemobile.com
Rs 3,500
www.antec.com
Rs 2,899
www.compuageindia.com
Dimensions (WxHxD): 59 x 13 x 110 mm; Weight: 131 g; Display: 3.2-inch TFT LCD screen; Camera: 3.2 Megapixel; Storage: upto 16GB Micro SD; Connectivity: Bluetooth, mini USB, GPRS, EDGE; Functions: FM Radio, MP3 player, Analog TV, Video playback.
contact phone eMaiL
Power output: 450W; Fan size: 120mm; Dimensions: 86x150x 140 mm ; Weight: 1.5 kg; Connectors: SATA (4), Molex (4), Floppy (1), PCI-E (1), 20+4 pin
contact phone eMaiL
Dimensions (WxHxD): 101 x 143 x 301 mm; Power rating: 600 VA; Battery type: 12 V SMF.
contact phone eMaiL
XAGE Communication 011-49755555 naresh@xagemobile.com
Antec India 9449001683 indiainfo@antec.com
Compuage Infocom ltd 1800-209-8980 info@compuageindia.com
RatinGS
RatinGS
RatinGS
he XAGE MT 711 has a decent build quality, with a sturdy plastic
body and a big 3.2-inch TFT LCD touch-screen that is quite bright and clear. Unfortunately, the screen is a resistive touchscreen that is laborious and difficult in comparison to capacitive touchscreens. The MTK OS seems to be an amalgam of Android and iOS and is quite smooth. Hardware-wise, the speakers are loud and crisp, but other hardware is below par. The 3.2 megapixel camera is average but the flash light is dull and low light shots are pixellated. The headset is of poor quality and there is no 3G or Wi-Fi support. Added features include FM Radio, Aanlog TV and a 3D engine, but all in all, the MT 711 falls short of the mark. - Kushal Mamoowala
he Antec VP450P is a non-modular design power supply and comes
built with a single six-pin connector, four SATA power connectors, four Molex connectors and a floppy disk connector. Theres a 120mm fan being used on the power supply, thats protected by a large grill. The quality of the metal used is of good quality. The primary 24-pin power cable has sheathed cables and it isnt too flexible. The rest of the cables arent sheathed so dont feel like theyre of very good quality. Some cables are bundled in just a couple of places, which leaves a lot of cabling lying in the open. We ran the VP450P without any stability issues. The fan was silent, with no vibrations and voltage fluctuations were minimal. - Rossi Fernandes
ower backup solutions are available from various manufacturers and
Odyssey is one of them in the market of UPS manufacturers. The Neo 700 RB is a Line Interactive UPS with a power rating of 600 VA. The UPS has a pretty well-built body with a black, matte-finished surface. It is built using a 12 Volt 7.5 Ah SMF battery. The product features just a power switch and three LED indicators while the rear has only three 5A power sockets, with no reset button or fuse. We tested the UPS using 220 Watts of load. Sadly, the PC ran for a maximum of five minutes including the one minute reserve before going dead. To sum up, the Neo 700 RB is only good for an emergency power backup solution; just enough to save important data. - Francis Dsa
52
10/2011
smartphone Comparison
TEST CENTER
Phone-tastic!
By Shayne Rana, anand Tuliani and FRanciS d'Sa
We tested some of the mightiest Android phones in the market. HD video shooting and playback, gaming, number crunching and more; do everything with style.
he pace of mobile communication technology has reached fever pitch, especially in terms of power and specifications. Sophistication in this technology
phone. Whats under the hood has to be taken very seriously, and also the way the hardware and software co-exist and function as a unit. The age of speedy mobile phone processors in the 1 GHz and dual core varieties is here and theres no where to go but up. With dual core processing speeds now available on the mobile platform, the phone has now further etched its way up the tech ladder and planted itself firmly as a primary tool for communication. Devices have become faster and HD content that was once restricted to just PCs with enough power has found its way onto this small screen. The new age mobile processor is capable of handling all kinds of computing functionality you can throw at it even if it does take a toll on the battery.
has also taken precedence with regards to design and form as well as interface. In the mobile race, not only does the technology need to supersede that of yesteryear, but it has to do so with enough of a lead to keep the competition at bay. Although the competition is heating up, users are still struggling to keep up and make a sensible and calculated choice. Making this choice can sometimes be overwhelming. Thats where we come in. With specifications that can be almost identical sometimes, save for a few minor differences here and there, its not as simple as selecting the best looking
54
10/2011
Sachin Pandit
Neha Mithbawkar
SMS us! Story code: TTC to 51818
TEST CENTER
TEST PROCESS
We tested each of the smartphones using several parameters. Let's have a look at these parameters in detail.
Features: We began noting down

important details of each phone, which included OS versions, dimensions, weight, display type and size, processor specs, memory and storage capacity, battery ratings, talk and standby time, networking, data interface, and more. We also took note of the bundled accessories. A few more features were also noted, which can be seen in the tables ahead.
Build quality: In this section, we

noted important characteristics such as the quality of the shell, the battery compartment, spacing, overall quality and tactility of the keys, location of the interface ports and presence of port flaps.
Ergonomics: Here we looked at the

ease of use of the device. For this we Features such as HDMI support for connection with HDTVs or DLNA support that offers wireless streaming to PCs and supported tech are ones that could make or break a sale for some. Cameras with full HD video recording capabilities are fast becoming common place in the mobile phone. Even form factors are getting more cutting-edge with devices like the Samsung Galaxy S II that are super slim and light weight, making the mobile phone more portable than ever before. High resolution displays like the iPhone 4s Retina Display further enhance interactivity, with sharper imagery and deeper color renditions. The smartphone has evolved into a personal media device with plenty of storage to keep most happy. In this comparison, we've pitted the big guns against each other in what we can only call a battle royale of mobile tech. Weve put these devices through a series of tests to determine just which ones are worthy of your consideration. Weve taken into account overall functionality, features and even looks to bring you the best in the single and dual core segment of Android smartphones. Take a look. noted the key placements, presence and location of the search, camera and volume keys, etc.
Performance: The performance

of the phone matters most. Here, we benchmarked each phone using applications such as An3DBench, An3DBenchXL, AnTutu System Review and Quadrant Professional. The camera is also important, hence we performed a real-world test by shooting indoors and outdoors. Sound quality of the built-in speakers was analyzed by playing a few audio tracks. Performance and clarity of the display screen was also judged by viewing a few pictures and videos. Finally, we put together the scores of the features, ergonomics and performance to help us arrive at the Best Performance winner.
Warranty: For each phone, we noted

the number of years of warranty offered by the manufacturer.
Value for Money Index: This index is

arrived at by clubbing the overall scores of the features, performance, build quality, ergonomics and warranty against
Phones that featured hot-swap slots for memory cards scored higher than others. The above image is an example of two smartphones with single and dual LED flashes.
the price it is retailed at.
10/2011
55
SmartPHonE ComParISon
TEST CENTER
The slimmesT and mosT feaTure-rich handseT in iTs class.

SpEcificationS
Verdict
Sony EricSSon XpEria arc

GHz Scorpion processor with the Adreno 205 GPU for accelerating games and video playback. The LED backlit display sports a 480 x 854 pixel resolution thats high enough to make colours seriously stand out. It doesnt have a hot swap slot for the microSD which could be an issue for some, however 320 MB of internal storage is available for apps. Sony Ericsson has included the TimeScape UI option and widget for simultaneously updating both your Twitter and FB accounts. TimeScape also allows you to view all your messages, peoples updates on FB/Twitter and new calls/messages from this one vertical scrolling interface. The native audio player with its few EQ presets managed to dish out audio quite well. Tones, although slightly jarring
he Xperia Arc is certainly a large handset but still quite comfortable to hold and lightweight. It runs a 1
on full volume, were still decently well balanced. The Arc doesnt support DivX or XviD video codecs out of the box. So youll have to download and use a third party media player from the Android Market. The Arc is well equipped for connectivity from 3G, standard EDGE/ GPRS, Wi-Fi with DLNA compatibility and tethering to creating a 3G Wi-Fi hotspot. The 8 megapixel camera is ccompanied by an LED flash thats quite handy in low lit areas. However, the quality of images shot was quite average especially in low light. The Arcs 1500 mAh battery serves it well. It lasts for a little over two days with moderate usage. For its price, it should have offered more features such as a dual-core CPU, larger screen and more storage space. For: Smooth user interface, good audio quality. AgAinst: No DivX and MKV support.
Rs 28,830
Dimensions (WxHxD): 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm ; Weight: 117 g; CPU:1 GHz; Built-in storage: 320 MB; Display: 4.2-in S-LCD, 480x854; Camera: 8 MP.
contact phonE EMaiL
Sony Ericsson India 0124-4625055 palash.ranjan@sonyericsson.com
ratinGS
BUiLD QUaLity fEatUrES ErGonoMicS pErforMancE ovEraLL ratinG vaLUE for MonEy
56
10/2011
Neha Mithbawkar
SmArtPHoNE ComPArISoN
TEST CENTER
LG Optimus 2x
yet slick design form is quite a contrast to the sophisticated hardware it is loaded up with. Packed with 8 GB of storage and a 4-inch IPS LCD display panel, LG tried to make sure that you were well equipped. It also features HDMI out and DLNA support for media streaming. Needless to say, LG has managed a pretty decent looking handset with a powerful engine. An LG customized user interface is laid on top of the otherwise basic stock Android UI. LG has included quite a few gesture based controls, like tapping the sides to switch tracks or images. For your media enjoyment, youve got DivX and XviD codec support, with full HD playback support. Dolby Mobile audio enhancement and SRS Virtual Surround sound are also part of the package. The 8 megapixel camera can capture video in 1080p resolution @ 30fps. Like the S II, it is provisioned with plenty of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, 3G and DLNA. A few extras like F-Secure to monitor mobile threats, a memo pad that allows you to add images to notes, Polaris Office that can access Box.net to open and view documents in Word, Excel or other extensions are also preloaded out of the box. Apps like a calendar that syncs with Google, an alarm clock etc. are also present Verdict : For all that the 2X offers,its real value for money. For: IPS display, 8 GB built-in storage, very good value for money. AGAiNSt: A tad heavy.
samsunG GaLaxy s ii
The large Gorilla Glass display manages to keep smudges away and makes viewing comfortable. Samsungs new TouchWiz UI 4.0 is no Sense UI but offers some handy features with plenty of gesture support thrown in. The music player features an 8-band EQ, along with bass enhancement and 5.1 channel surround sound option. It supports all video formats at full HD and playback is seamless. The Galaxy S II is a fully loaded for connectivity, packing in 3G (HSDPA up to 21 Mbps), EDGE, Bluetooth 3.0, USB-on-the-go, Wi-Fi with tethering and spot creation, DLNA and HDMI. The 8 megapixel auto/touch focus camera with an LED flash is capable of recording videos in 1080p @ 30fps. It offers quite a wide range of very digicamlike features, including scene modes, geotagging, face/smile and blink detection, white balance, panorama, etc. The 1650 mAh battery works out just fine, managing to offer a quite a reasonable amount of battery life. The task manager and devices pre-loaded Power Saving mode does help optimize the battery life too. The Galaxy S II performs seamlessly and is priced reasonably. With its super thin design and large display, it stand outs and makes a statement. Verdict: The smartphone that would make the iPhone sweat. For: excellent, displaym good user interface, speedy response. AGAiNSt: None.
he LG Optimus 2X was the first to make the cut and it even set a Guinness World Record for being the worlds first dual core mobile handset. The handsets simplistic
he Galaxy S II has been one of those handsets that the mobile community has been craving for. Its the thinnest Android mobile phone and quite light as well.
specificatiOns
specificatiOns
Rs 27,000
Dimensions (WxHxD): 123.9 x 63.2 x 10.9 mm; Weight: 139 g; CPU: Dual-core 1 GHz; Built-in storage: 8 GB; Display: 4-in IPS LCD, 480x800; Camera: 8 MP.
cOntact phOne emaiL
Rs 33,990
Dimensions (WxHxD): 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm; Weight: 116 g; CPU: Dual-core 1.2 GHz; Built-in storage: 16 GB; Display: 4.3-in Super AMOLED Plus, 480x800; Camera: 8 MP.
cOntact phOne emaiL
LG Electronics 0124-2560900 pooja.prabhakar@lge.com
Samsung India 0124-4881234 N.A.
RatinGs
BuiLD QuaLity featuRes eRGOnOmics peRfORmance OveRaLL RatinG vaLue fOR mOney
RatinGs
BuiLD QuaLity featuRes eRGOnOmics peRfORmance OveRaLL RatinG vaLue fOR mOney
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TEST CENTER
personal take
SpecScan
CATEGORY Brand model Contact Phone E-mail Price* ovEraLL Features (30%) Build quality (10%) Ergonomics (10%) Performance (45%) Warranty (5%) overall (out of 100) value For money FEaTurES dimensions | Weight operating system version Processor memory: RAM | Internal storage memory: Bundled | Hot swap display characteristics Camera | Flash video resolution | Frame rate Fm radio | Hdmi Port Battery | Standby time | Talk time aestheric appeal (out of 5) BuiLd QuaLiTy Quality: Shell | Buttons Sturdiness of back panel resistant to scratches | Port flaps ErGonomiCS Buttons: Size (out of 5) | Type Physical buttons: Camera | Search PErFormanCE Quality: Audio | Video | Photos (out of 5) Camera imaging: Indoor | Outdoor (out of 5) Synthetic tests an3dBench (overall) an3dBench XL (overall) anTutu System review (overall) memory CPu: Integer | Float Graphics: 2D | 3D Sd card: Write | Read Quadrant CPu | memory | i/o Graphics: 2D | 3D WarranTy Warranty period
Francis D'sa francis.dsa@chip.in When considering a smartphone, I would advise opting for the fastest one of the lot obviously I am speaking about Samsung's Galaxy S2. The reason I state this is because it has a dual-core processor with a good GPU, a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display and the largest built-in storage, you are assured of optimum performance for all presently available applications. Additionally, it will be future-proof too. The Samsung Galaxy S2 might seem a bit expensive, but when you compared the features and performance of the S2 with any other smartphone, you shall find yourself paying just around Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 more than even any of the singlecore processor based ones. With a large Super AMOLED Plus display panel, huge onboard storage, dual-core processor power, and HDMI and USB OTG features, The Galaxy S2 definitely is a steal for the price it demands.
DuAl CORE LG optimus 3d LG Electronics 0124-2560900 pooja.prabhakar@lge.com Rs. 36,990

76 100 82 86 100
0 50 100
LG optimus 2x LG Electronics 0124-2560900 pooja.prabhakar@lge.com Rs. 27,000

77 88 82 87 100
0 50 100
SamSunG Galaxy S ii Samsung India 0124-4881234 NA Rs. 32,890

86 79 68 84 100
0 50 100
85
84
83
128.8 x 68 x 11.9 mm | 168 g Android v2.2 Dual core 1 GHz, PowerVR SGX540 GPU 512 MB | 8 GB None | 4 4.3-inch 3D LCD 480 x 800 5 MP | Single LED 1080p | 30 fps 4|4 1500 mAh |7 h, 30 m | 1 h 4 5|5 5 4|4 5 | Touch 6|4 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 4.5 | 4 7507 36706 4963 705 1123 | 1050 387 | 1211 9 MB/s | 10.2 MB/s 6689 | 2714 | 2872 309 | 1233 1 Year
123.9 x 63.2 x 10.9 mm | 139 g Android v2.3 Dual core 1 GHz, Nvidia ULP GeForce GPU 512 MB | 8GB None | 4 4-inch IPS LCD 480 x 800, Gorilla Glass 8 MP | Single LED 1080p | 24 fps 4|4 1500 mAh | 6 h, 40 m | 7 h, 50 m 3.5 4|4 4 4|4 5 | Touch 6|4 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 4|4 10329 31260 5022 622 1100 | 989 516 | 1246 5.4 MB/s | 12 MB/s 6407 | 2648 | 2490 305 | 1190 1 Year
125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm | 116 g Android v2.3 Dual core 1.2 GHz, Mali 400 MP GPU 1 MB | 16 GB 8 GB | 6 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus 480 x 800, Gorilla Glass 8 MP | Single LED 1080p | 30 fps 4 | Via Dongle 1650 mAh | 11 h, 50 m | 6 h, 25 m 5 4.5 | 4.5 4.5 4|6 5 | Physical and Touch 6|6 4|5|5 4 | 2.5 7752 28024 4421 921 1415 | 1257 149 | 249 10 MB/s | 34.8 MB/s 8678 | 3757 | 4149 906 | 1230 1 Year
shayne rana shayne@tech2.com Its been an exciting year for the mobile phone; not that each year isnt exciting as it is. This year though, I think expectations, to quite an extent, were quite closely met from the manufacturers. With the coming of handsets like the Galaxy S II and Optimus 3D, with their dual core processors et al, the industry standard has risen to new heights. Of course, its only going to get better, what with the likes of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S revealing a 1.4 GHz processor and due to make it out by years end. The choices are vast and the technology is abundant, so its naturally getting harder for us to make choices about the kind of phone we want. The Android OS, as versatile as it may be, might face some very interesting challenges when iOS 5 hits the streets. Itll be quite interesting to see just how the operating systems make out at the end of this year.
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
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TEST CENTER
HTC Sensation Brightpoint India 011-66567000 htc-sales@brightpoint.com Rs. 33,990

84 77 60 74 100
0 50 100
SinGlE CORE Sony EriCSSon Xperia arc Sony Ericsson India 0124-4625055 palash.ranjan@sonyericsson.com Rs. 28,830
77 80 86 60 100
0 50 100
HTC incredible S Brightpoint India 011-66567000 htc-sales@brightpoint.com Rs. 31,490

72 83 82 59 100
0 50 100
Sony EriCSSon Xperia Play Sony Ericsson India 0124-4625055 palash.ranjan@sonyericsson.com Rs. 32,305
65 56 70 68 100
0 50 100
HTC desire S Brightpoint India 011-66567000 htc-sales@brightpoint.com Rs. 27,990

67 85 74 58 100
0 50 100
77
72
70
68
67
126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm | 148 g Android v2.3 Dual core 1.2 GHz, Adreno 220 GPU 768 MB | 1 GB 8 GB | 4 4.3-inch S-LCD 540 x 960 8 MP | Dual LED 1080p | 30 fps 4|6 1520 mAh | 5 h, 50 m | 6 h, 20 m 4.5 4|4 5 4|6 4 | Touch 6|6 3 | 3.5 | 4 3 | 4.5 7064 31172 4390 655 1222 | 646 292 | 1202 4.5 MB/s | 7.3 MB/s 5409 | 2429 | 2512 269 | 818 1 Year
125 x 63 x 8.7 mm | 117 g Android v2.3 1 GHz, Adreno 200 GPU 512 MB | 320 MB 8 GB | 6 4.2-inch S-LCD 480 x 854, Scratch Resistant 8 MP | Single LED 720p | 30 fps 4|4 1500 mAh | 7 h, 10 m | 7 h 5 4.5 | 5 4.5 4|6 5 | Physical 4|6 4.5 | 3 | 3 3.5 | 3 6996 28190 1969 344 639 | 276 145 | 222 4.7 MB/s | 8.1 MB/s 4998 | 1521 | 705 246 | 605 1 Year
120 x 64 x 11.7 mm | 135.5 g Android v2.3 1 GHz, Adreno 205 GPU 768 MB | 1 GB None | 4 4-inch S-LCD 480 x 800, Gorilla Glass 8 MP | Dual LED 720p | 30 fps 4|6 1450 mAh | 4 h, 50 m | 9 h, 40 m 4 5|4 5 4|6 5 | Touch 6|4 3.5 | 4 | 4 2.5 | 4 6130 26282 1874 306 661 | 280 142 | 197 5.4 MB/s | 9.9 MB/s 3460 | 1077 | 2184 292 | 558 1 Year
119 x 62 x 16 mm | 175 g Android v2.3 1 GHz, Adreno 205 GPU 512 MB | 400 MB 8 GB | 4 4-inch S-LCD 480 x 854 5 MP | Single LED 800 x 480 | 30 fps 6|6 1500 mAh | 7 h, 5 m | 8 h, 25 m 4.5 4.5 | 4.5 5 6|6 3.5 | Physical 6|4 4 | 2.5 | 2.5 3.5 | 3.5 6915 30588 2015 347 652 | 283 147 | 222 6.7 MB/s | 8.2 MB/s 6592 | 3823 | 4509 871 | 1159 1 Year
115 x 59.8 x 11.6 mm | 130 g Android v2.3 1 GHz, Adreno 205 GPU 768 MB | 1 GB None | 4 3.7-inch S-LCD 480 x 800, Gorilla Glass 5 MP | Single LED 720p | 30 fps 4|6 1450 mAh | 7 h, 10 m | 9 h, 50 m 4 5|5 5 4|6 4 | Touch 6|4 3 | 4 | 3.5 3|4 6284 25163 1855 310 663 | 280 145 | 200 6.1 MB/s | 9.1 MB/s 3451 | 1070 | 2569 287 | 681 1 Year
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TABLETS CompAriSon
TEST CENTER
Surprise Packages
Dont underestimate affordable Android tablets. Theyre powerful and offer excellent bang for the buck. Here are seven models starting at as little as Rs 6,000.
By AnAnd TuliAni and FrAncis d'sA
ablets are clearly the most popular convergence device at the moment. It all started with the Apple iPad, followed by the Samsung Galaxy
And now, were beginning to see models by Indian brands such as iBall and Beetel, and even service providers such as Reliance along with 3G plans. These tablets cost Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000 and run Android 2.3. Note that cheaper hardware doesnt mean a compromise in performance. You get a good 7-inch display, 1 GHz processor and memory expansion. Some tablets even offer a few gigabytes of storage space, USB host function and Ethernet connectivity. Its important to get a tablet with good build quality and ergonomics along with a host of features. This comparison of budget tablets will give you a good market insight and help you make the right decision.
Neha Mithbawkar
Tab. Models from Acer, BlackBerry, HTC and others soon followed, eager to cash on the hottest new trend. Tablets are popular because of the multitude of instant functions they offer. With just one device, you have 24x7 Internet, email, phone and messaging, media playback, e-book reader, and games; not to mention the additional functions one can add via downloadable apps. The tablet scenario currently looks like what the netbook boom looked like a few years ago. Premium tablets cost anywhere between Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
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Sachin Pandit
SMS us! Story code: TTC to 51818
TABLETS CompAriSon
TEST CENTER
TEST PROCESS
In this compatison. we tested each of the tablets based on parameters given below to gauge the winners in the performance and value for money segments. Here's how we tested each tablet: also took note of the types and sizes of the buttons, evaluated the overall handling comfort and finally the location of the camera and the headphone jack. This sections points also greatly affect the performance scores of each tablet and hence the points of the ergonomics are clubbed along with the performance to arrive at the best performer.
Features: We noted down

vital details of each gadget which are as follows. The version of the installed Android OS, dimensions and weight, display types mainly capacitive or resistive, and size were noted. The processors specifications, internal storage capacity and RAM were also noted. Connectivity options such as USB host, USB OTG, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities were also logged. We also looked for other features such as camera, speakers, built-in sensors, battery ratings, and networking options. A few more features that were also logged and can be seen in the comparison tables.
Performance: Lastly, it is
the performance of a tablet which actually matters the most. Here, we benchmarked each tablet using a set of benchmarking applications, which included An3DBench, An3DBenchXL, AnTutu System Review and Quadrant Professional. Sound quality of the speakers, performance and clarity of the display screen, and the smoothness of the GUI were also noted. Since a resistive touchscreen with a stylus makes for sluggish ergonomics and also directly affects the productivity, scores were accordingly docked for these tablets.
Build quality: The

overall build of a device designed for regular use and high portability should definitely be rugged. In this section, we noted important characteristics such as the quality of the shell, battery compartment, tactility and spacing of keys, port flaps and a few more. Scratch resistance of the surfaces as well as the aesthetic appeal were also given points.
Warranty: A device
designed for everyday use should definitely carry a robust warranty from its manufacturer. The warranty period of each tablet was therefore noted.
Value for Money Index:

This index is arrived at by clubbing the overall scores of the tablet against the price it is retailed at. The final outcome tells us if the product is actually worth its price tag when compared with its competitors in the same category.
Ergonomics: As Android
tablets have a touch screen as the main input to the user interface, the ergonomics of the device completely relied on the touchscreen type. Here, we noted if the screen
While some tablets display unique features such as HDMI, OTS and USB host ports, others lack even the basic USB port for data management.
is capacitive or resistive. We
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TABLETS COMPARISOn
TEST CENTER
An AffordAble tAblet with An excellent feAture set And good ergonomics.

SpecificationS
Verdict
iBall Slide i7011

are manufactured by Chinese OEMs, its a nice initiative to come out with models for those who cannot afford premium tablets. The iBall Slide i7011 is a 7-inch Android tablet that offers incredible value for money thanks to its feature set. It uses a 1 GHz ARM v7 CPU and comes loaded with Android 2.3. Apart from standard features such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and memory expansion via a microSD card, the rest of the features completely justify the price of this tablet. A glance at the right side where the various ports and microSD slot are housed will surprise you. There are two USB ports (OTG and Host), a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a Mini HDMI port. These features are rare to come across even in high-end tablets. The Slide supports 3G, but via a dongle, which hooks up to the USB OTG port.
ts great to see Indian brands offering super-affordable tablets. Although most of these devices
The round button with the letter i at the center is the home button and the Menu and Back buttons are located along the side at the top-right. One might easily mistake them for volume up/down buttons. To adjust the volume, you have to tap on the icons in the status bar, which is very annoying, especially when you want to adjust the volume while playing games or watching movies. The UI is very fluid and the 1 GHz CPU does help in app loading and quick response while using apps. The only major drawback of the iBall Slide is its poor viewing angle. In landscape orientation, the viewing is affected with even the slightest vertical tilt. However, these flaws can be overlooked considering the awesome value for money that it offers. For: 8 GB built-in storage, powerful processor, good audio quality, USB host function. AGAINST: Viewing angle issues, no physical volume control.
Rs 13,995
Dimensions (WxHxD): 20.7 x 13.3 x 1.3 cm; Weight: 415 g; OS: Android v2.3; Processor: ARM v7, 1GHz; RAM: 512 MB; Storage: 8 GB; Display: 800 x 480, 7-inch capacitive; Others: USB host, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
contact phone eMaiL
Best IT World 1800 300 42255 sales@iball.co.in
RatinGS
BUiLD QUaLitY featUReS eRGonoMicS peRfoRMance oveRaLL RatinG vaLUe foR MoneY
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Neha Mithbawkar
TABLETS COMPARiSOn
TEST CENTER
Wespro pC TableT 786 If budget Is your

Verdict
processor clocked at 850 MHz along with 256 MB of RAM and 2 GB of internal storage. The display is a 7-inch resistive touchscreen sporting a resolution of 800x480. Other features include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a VGA camera. The tablet also sports the unique functionality of wired networking and USB host by plugging in the bundled dongle. Using the internet via the Ethernet port makes it easier if you do not own a wireless router. Additionally, the two USB host dongles are great for easily transferring, storing or accessing large files from a pen drive. Though the Wespro 786 has a good feature-set and an awesome price, the product does have quite a few downsides. The touchscreen being resistive makes the user interface very sluggish. There is no USB port to allow you access to the tablet using a PC, hence no rooting and tweaking
t first glance, the Wespro 786 tablet will definitely impress you. It features a VIA WM8650
are possible, which means using apps which need Root privileges are impossible to use. Also, the app market featured here is not the standard Google Android Market app. It is a thirdparty market app, which is pre-installed by the manufacturer and allows you to browse the market with limited versions and choices of apps that are only compatible with the tablet. The overall build quality is also below average and the performance scores were almost unacceptable. Judging the overall features, build, ergonomics and performance, this tablet is only recommended for those who want a super-cheap tablet and wouldnt mind the issues that come along with it. The lowest price of this tablet is the only reason it managed to bag the Best Value award. For: Cheapest tablet available, Ethernet and USB host functions. AGAINST: Sluggish UI, resistive touchscreen, below average build quality.
maIn constraInt, the Wespro 786 Is the tablet for you.

speCifiCaTions
Rs 5,999
Dimensions (WxHxD): 20.6 x 11.7 x 1.7 cm; Weight: 390 g; OS: Android v2.2; Processor: VIA WM8650 850 MHz; RAM: 256 MB; Storage: 2 GB; Display: 800 x 480, 7-inch resistive; Others: USB x 2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet.
ConTaCT phone eMail
Wespro Digital Pvt Ltd 022-32916036 sales@wesprodigital.com
raTinGs
bUilD QUaliTY feaTUres erGonoMiCs perforManCe overall raTinG valUe for MoneY
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TABLETS CompAriSon
TEST CENTER
personal take
SpecScan
Brand Model Contact phone e-mail price* Overall Features (30%) Build quality (10%) ergonomics (10%) performance (45%) Warranty (5%) Overall (OUt OF 100%) value For Money FeatUres dimensions | Weight Operating system version CpU Memory: RAM | Internal | Bundled display Connectivity options UsB ports | speakers | Camera HdMi sensors: Proximity | Light Battery rating package contents: Sleeve | charger | USB host aestheric appeal (Out of 5) BUild QUality (OUt OF 5) Quality: Shell | Buttons resistant to scratches | port flaps erGOnOMiCs (OUt OF 5) Button size | Button type | Handling grip or comfort location: Camera | Headphone jack perFOrManCe (OUt OF 5) Overall GUi smoothness Quality: Audio | Video | Photos touchscreen sensitivity synthetic tests an3dBench (Overall) an3dBench Xl (Overall) antutu system Benchmark: Overall Memory CpU: Integer | Float Graphics: 2D | 3D sd card: Write | Read Quadrant: Overall CpU | Memory | i/O Graphics: 2D | 3D Warranty Warranty period
** out of 5
ANAND TULIANI anand.tuliani@chip.in Capacitive touchscreen and a well-designed user interface go a long way in enhancing the user experience. So I prefer staying away from tablets with resistive touchscreens. There are only three tablets in the roundup that feature capacitive touchscreens, out of which the iBall Slide is the one that offers the best feature set. It has its share of quirks, such as viewing angle issues and lack of physical volume control, but they can be overlooked considering the advantages it offers. Although models by Wespro feature resistive touchscreens and are a bit sluggish, they are great for those who want a super-affordable tablet. 2 GB of built-in storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, stereo speakers, Ethernet port and USB host function for Rs5,999 is a very sweet deal. However, I suggest spending a few thousand Rupees extra and settling for something better such as the Reliance 3G Tab unless youre really on a shoestring budget.
iBall slide i7011 Best IT World 1800 300 42255 sales@iball.co.in Rs. 13,995
83 47 73 91 100
0 50 100
Olive Olivepad v-t100 Olive Telecommunication 0124-4648000 ravi.p@olive.net Rs. 16,000

68 66 84 64 100
0 50 100
82.85
69.20
19.6 x 12.4 x 1.4 cm | 406 g Android v2.3 ARM V7, 1 GHz 512 MB | 8 GB | None 7-inch, Capacitive, 800x480 Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-fi 2 | Mono | 2 MP 4 6|6 4400 mAh 4|4|4 4 3|3 6|6 4 | Touch and Phyical | 5 Front | Side 4.5 5 | 5 | 4.5 4.5 6814 26275 2096 363 630 | 148 142 | 44 41 MB/s | 133 MB/s 1902 4647 | 1751 | 2168 322 | 622 1 year
11 x 17.94 x 1.15 cm | 375 g Android v2.2 ARM 11, 600 MHz 512 MB | 512 MB | 16 GB 7-inch, Capacitive, 800x400 Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-fi 0 | Stereo | 3 MP 6 6|4 3240 mAh 6|4|6 4 3.5 | 3.5 6|4 4.5 | Touch | 4.5 rear | Bottom 4.5 2.5 | 4 | 4 5 5458 7920 995 98 207 | 132 193 | 113 4.2 MB/s | 7.5 MB/s 421 641 | 817 | 373 107 | 165 1 year
FrANcIs D'sA francis.dsa@chip.in If I were to choose an Android tablet on a budget, I would definitely opt for the iBall Slide, simply because it's feature-rich and performs well. Priced at just Rs 14,000, the Slide features a 1 GHz ARM V7 processor with 8 GB of storage. It also offers a great display panel along with HDMI, USB host and USB OTG options which makes it an ideal Internet browsing and multimedia device. The UI is pretty smooth and the battery life is decent. What disappointed me most, but can be ignored to an extent, was the viewing angle, which changes colors while holding it in landscape position. For those on a tight budget, the Beetel Magiq, priced at Rs 10,000, is another alternative, but the weight and the sluggish UI thanks to the resistive touch screen will put you off altogether.
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
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Neha Mithbawkar
Beetel Magiq Beetel Teletech 0124-4823500 customer.care@beetel.in Rs. 9,999

60 84 69 68 100
0 50 100
Creative ZiiO 7 Creative Technology 9223101322 vinayendra.singh@compuageindia.com Rs. 17,999

58 85 79 65 100
0 50 100
relianCe 3G tab Reliance Communications 1800 100 3333 3gtab.rcom@relianceada.com Rs. 12,999
66 55 74 63 100
0 50 100
WesprO pC tablet 886 Wespro Digital Pvt Ltd 022-32916036 sales@wesprodigital.com Rs. 6,999
47 50 67 34 100
0 50 100
WesprO pC tablet 786 Wespro Digital Pvt Ltd 022-32916036 sales@wesprodigital.com Rs. 5,999
46 48 69 33 100
0 50 100
68.90
68.05
66.05
46.10
45.35
21 x 10.7 x 1.6 cm | 500 g Android v2.2 ARM V7, 1 GHz 512 MB | 8 GB | None 7-inch, Resistive, 480x800 Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-fi 0 | Stereo | 2 MP 6 6|6 2200 mAh 6|4|6 4 5 | 4.5 4|6 4 | Physical | 4 Front and rear | Top 3 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 3 5145 15153 1885 276 628 | 268 188 | 153 7.2 MB/s | 9 MB/s 846 1986 | 820 | 735 292 | 395 1 year
20.7 x 13.3 x 1.3 cm | 415 g Android v2.2 ZiiLABS ZMS-08 HD, 750 MHz 408 MB | 8 GB | None 7-inch, Resistive, 480x800 Bluetooth, Wi-fi 0 | Stereo | VGA 6 6|4 2000 mAh 4|4|6 4.5 5|5 4|6 4 | touch | 4 front | top 3.5 4.5 | 4 | 4 3.5 5276 NA 1561 268 466 | 110 206 | 218 8.3 MB/s | 18.1 MB/s 2127 3853 | 1911 | 4098 227 | 545 1 year
19.2 x 11 x 1.26 cm | 389 g Android v2.3 ARM V6, 800 MHz 512 MB | None | 4 GB 7-inch, Capavitive, 800x480 Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-fi 0 | Stereo | 2 MP 6 4|4 3400 mAh 6|4|6 3 4|4 6|6 4.5 | Touch | 4.5 Front and rear | Side 4 4|4|4 4 5156 11816 1005 136 267 | 21 156 | 126 6.4 MB/s | 7 MB/s 1129 3692 | 859 | 467 114 | 511 1 year
20.6 x 15.8 x 1.1 cm | 500 g Android v2.2 VIA WM8650, 800 MHz 256 MB | 2 GB | None 8-inch, Resistive, 800x480 Bluetooth, Wi-fi 2 | Stereo | VGA 6 6|6 2000 mAh 6|4|4 3.5 3.5 | 3 6|6 3.5 | Touch and Physical | 4 front | Bottom 3 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 2.5 1174 1267 469 69 188 | 14 78 | 20 3.1 MB/s | 5.9 MB/s NA NA | NA | NA NA | NA 1 year
20.6 x 11.7 x 1.7 cm | 390 g Android v2.2 VIA WM8650, 800 MHz 256 MB | 2 GB | None 7-inch, Resistive, 800x480 Bluetooth, Wi-fi 2 | Stereo | VGA 6 6|6 1700 mAh 6|4|4 2.5 3.5 | 2.5 6|6 3.5 | Touch and Physical | 4.5 front | Bottom 2.5 2 | 3.5 | 2.5 2.5 1319 1213 603 83 221 | 16 82 | 23 4.3 MB/s | 8.5 MB/s NA NA | NA | NA NA | NA 1 year
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65
TEST CENTER
TESTED
software spotlight
Panda Cloud offiCe ProteCtion

Verdict: An excellent solution for SMBs with low budgets. For: Cost effective, easy to use, remote management, versatile. AgAinst: Needs uninterrupted connectivity.
security solution tailored for small and medium size businesses. The benefits it offers to both IT administrators and end users are immense. It cuts down cost to a large extent and facilitates endpoint management. Also, being an online service, it can be managed from anywhere using the Web-based interface.
AnTiviruS
nlike standalone antiviruses and Internet security suites, Panda Cloud Office Protection is a cloud-based
on the speed of the Internet connection. After installation, an icon appears in the system tray and the PCs on which the protection is installed get listed in the Computers tab of PCOPs Web interface. From this point on, the protection on the PCs can be remotely managed and the users can use the antivirus on their PCs. The Installation and Settings tab allows organizing the PCs into groups. This helps to apply different security profiles to different sets of PCs. The profile editor helps creating scan schedules in which the scan type, date, time, file types, action to be taken,etc can be specified. The type of malicious software to be detected by the program can also be specified. The heuristic scan feature analyzes programs to detect potential malware. As for the firewall, the admin can choose to apply Pandas default rules or the admin can create a customized set of rules. Here, various programs that transmit or receive data on the network can be blocked or authorized. Intrusion such as IDS attacks and worms can also be monitored and blocked. Once everything is configured, all thats required is monitoring
How it works
The IT admin has to first login to the administration console. Note that the number of licenses purchased is linked to the organizations PCOP account. The antivirus can be deployed on the endpoints using the installation program that has to be run manually on individual PCs. Alternatively, admins may use the PCOP distribution tool which can be used for centralized installation on PCs connected to the network. The size of the software (Panda Endpoint Protection) is about 210 MB, so installation time will vary depending
The admin can specify the scanning parameters in the advanced scan settings in the Web interface.
Reports give a clear idea about the status of the antivirus on users' PCs and the number of detections at a glance.
66
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SMS us! Story code: TSM to 51818
ON dvd
OCTOBER 2011
red Hot aPPLicationS
QuarkXPress 9.0.0.0 Nero Kwik Media 10.6.12300
Specific port numbers, type of protocols and other parameters can be blocked or allowed on individual PCs.
Microsoft Office 2010 14.0.6023.1000 Service Pack 1
fULL SoftWare
Ashampoo virus Quickscan 1.0.0 Ashampoo clipFinder HD 2.21 Ashampoo Burning Studio 6.80 Ashampoo Magical Optimizer 1.22 Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 2.11 Ashampoo FireWall 1.20
and more...
the endpoints. Reports can be generated for various groups in which the admin can choose the timeframe. The detailed report displays stats in pie charts for parameters such as protection status and detections. The functions enabled at the users end depend on the parameters set by the admin. For example, the user may not have access to firewall settings. However, the users can perform scans on files, folders, drive partitions and external devices.
fULL GameS
LINUX TOOLS
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games - City of the Daleks The Rise Of Atlantis Rolling Spells Murder in New York Fishdom African Farm and more...
Performance
Panda Endpoint Protection that runs on the endpoints is extremely resource friendly. The memory footprint is less than 2 MB in idle mode and 6 MB while scanning. It took 39 minutes to scan the 20 GB system partition (19 GB used). These figures were logged on an entry-level desktop PC powered by Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 CPU and 2 GB of RAM. The OS used was Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit. Products by Panda Security have achieved very good results in the latest detection tests by AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.org laboratories. Panda Internet Security 2012 was one of the top products with respect to protection and usability.
Game demoS
D2X-XL 1.15.253 ATI Radeon Linux Display Drivers 11.8 SoundKonverter 1.1.0 RC1 MediaInfo 0.7.48 Group-Office 3.7.27 GNU Wget 1.13.1 TCPDF PHP5 5.9.112 Xorg server 1.10.4 and more...
Pirates of Black Cove Zombie Driver Aztaka 1.51 Neighbours from Hell 2: On Vacation 1.01 Story Of Arado 1.0 and more...
tooLS
The Cleaner 2012 8.1.0.1095 Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2011 8.0.0.655 ClamWin Free Antivirus 0.97.2 Avast! Free Antivirus 6.0.1203 AVG Free Edition 10.0 Build 1392a3812 AntiVir Personal 10.0.0.652 IObit Malware Fighter 1.11 Advanced SystemCare 4.1.0.235 Element Anti-Virus 2011 5.1.3.1307 (SP3) and more...
MULTIMEDIA
SySTEM
Game add onS
Combat Mission: Shock Force v1.32 Patch Tibia v9.10 Client Odium Gorky 17 Mod ArmA 2 Patch Beta 83363 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Patch 1.35 and more...
FL Studio 10.0.2 XWebDesignor 1.6.4 r1 MakeMe3D 1.2.11.404 Virtual DJ Home Free Edition 7.0.5 b370 Ez Video Studio 1.0.0.6 Wave Editor 3.2.0.6 MP3 Quality Modifier 2.04 YamiPod 1.8 Final Sothink Logo Maker Easy Watermark Studio Lite 3.1 Moo0 AudioEffecter 1.22 Caesium 1.3.1 and more...
Game traiLerS
INTERNET
Verdict
The biggest benefit offered by PCOP is its low cost and ease of use. The organization need not setup an infrastructure for endpoint protection. Its entirely hosted on the cloud. However, cloudbased services have their drawbacks. The quality of protection depends on uninterrupted Internet connectivity. Should anything go wrong, it could spell trouble. For SMBs that dont have resources and a high budget to implement a security solution, Panda Cloud Office Computing is a viable option. - Anand Tuliani
SpecificatiONS
Rs 550 per PC
www.pandacop.com
SyStem RequiRemeNtS
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7; RAM: 512 MB; Drive space: 130 MB; Others: Internet connectivity.
cONtact CyberStar India Pvt Ltd pHONe emaiL
Spider-Man: Edge of Time ComicCon 2011 Batman: Arkham City - ComicCon 2011 Penguin Batman: Arkham City - Mr. Freeze WildStar Guild Wars 2 - GamesCom 2011 Jade Dynasty: Path of Glory - Update FIFA Street - First Look Sizzle inFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood Borderlands 2 - Teaser Need for Speed: The Run Run For The Hills Gameplay Ridge Racer Unbounded GC 2011 Create of Destroy RAGE Uprising and more...
Craving Explorer 1.1.0 Fasterfox 3.9.5 Google+ Manager 0.0b3 Goolge+ 1.0 Willing Webcam Lite 5.3 HiDownload Platinum 7.993 SiteMap 1.9 Build 9417 YouTube Video Grabber 1.8 Tv Wave 037and more...
Adobe Reader X 10.1.0 System Cleaner 5 eXPert PDF Reader 4.0.290 Process Explorer 15.02 Easy Time Control Free 5.5.139 Windows Se7en File Replacer 1.5.4 Registry Life 1.31 TweakNow PowerPack 2011 3.3.2 Taskbar Color Effects 1.0 Sumatra PDF 1.8.4376 Pre-Release Portable FreeFileSync 3.20 Registry Winner WhatInStartup 1.33 Capturix ScanShare PilotEdit Lite 4.7.0 and more...
MUST HAvES
MOBILE
080-41266808 saurabh.gupta@cyberstarindia.com
LinUx
NokiaFREE Unlock Codes Calculator 3.00 iPhone Contacts Transfer Universal Simlock Remover 1.09 Nimbuzz (Android) 2.0.8 Facebook for Java 2.3.1 FBReader (Android) 1.1.10 MOZAT (Java) 6.0.5 and more...
AMD Catalyst Drivers 11.8 XP/Vista NVIDIA Forceware 280.26 WHQL XP/Vista DirectX 9.0c (Jun 10) Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0.25 (32-bit) .NET Framework Version 4.0 Realtek High Definition Audio 2.64 XP/Vista Silverlight 4.0.60310 and more...
ADOBE PLAyERS
RatiNGS
featuReS peRfORmaNce eaSe Of uSe OveRaLL RatiNG vaLue fOR mONey
LINUX DISTRIBUTION
Parted Magic 6.6 Macpup 525 Puppy Linux "Wary" 5.1.3 Android-x86 1.6-r2 and more...
SEcURITy
Flash Player 10.3.183.5 (IE & Non-IE) Adobe Air 2.7.1.19610 and more...
TrustPort Internet Security 2012 12.0.0.4798 Kaspersky Anti-Virus 12.0.0.374 RemoveIT Pro 4 SE 8.15.2011
e-bookS
cHIP ARcHIvES
MAY 11 to JULY 11
TEST CENTER
TESTED
A light And efficient Antivirus thAt optimizes threAt detection.
Verdict
KaspersKy antivirus 2012

Apart from the local antivirus, you can also set up the Web antivirus that scans websites and scripts running on your PC.
Antivirus
For: Easy to install, good interface, light on the system. AgAinst: None.
aspersky Antivirus 2012 has just hit the market and it seems to be quite effective in picking up threats.
and it also gives you the provision of a gaming profile for an uninterrupted gaming experience. The antivirus not only scans for malicious files and Web links, but also offers protection to your files, emails and IM data. You can run the proactive defense and the system watcher tools to keep a check on the threats that can harm your system, even if they are not registered in your virus database. If you are not sure about how to handle threats, you can turn on the self defense module. The only downside to the software is that if you are using it on a notebook or a laptop, the scheduled scan feature is disabled when the device is powered on battery. But you can change this setting manually from the advanced settings panel of the main window. Overall, the application seems to work well in the background and doesnt disrupt multi-tasking when working with heavy applications on your PC. -Kamakshi Venugopal
If you have any conflicting antivirus applications running on your machine, the software automatically deactivates them before installing. The software promises several features like enhanced real-time protection against viruses and spyware, better website and email scans, better digital identity and vulnerability scan protection than the prior versions. The antivirus also offers a set of basic PC tune up tools that that monitor your network ports, offer privacy cleaners and give you a repairs and restore feature using a rescue disc. The software also provides for a virtual keyboard that you can use as a defense mechanism against keyloggers while entering passwords. Your original keyboard will still be functional when you are using the virtual one. The software doesnt clog up your system
specifications
Rs 599
www.kaspersky.co.in
system requirements
OS: Windows XP SP2 or higher; Processor: 800 MHz or higher, RAM: 512 MB of or higher; Disk space: 480 MB or higher, Microsoft Windows Installer 2.0
contact pHone emaiL Kaspersky Lab
040-40339680 india.info@kaspersky-asia.com
ratinGs
features performance ease of use overaLL ratinG vaLue for money
68
10/2011
TEST CENTER
TESTED
A reAlly wellthought out photo processing tool for semiprofessionAls.
Verdict
CyberLink Photo DireCtor 2011

Using numerous parameters, the photo as well as the masked ranges can be adjusted and retouched.
Photo Editing
For: Good set of functions and presets, easy-to-use interface. AgAinst: Limited options for slideshows.
ith PhotoDirector 2011, CyberLink advances to photo management and processing
Using parameters, the complete image and masked ranges can be adjusted, retouched and improved. A batch mode offers options to make changes by clicking on several photos at once. Advanced users can save their manual settings to use them as a macro in the future. The best way to be able to assess the effects of different functions on a photo is to place a virtual copy of it. These copies require space on the hard disk only if exported. Using the Adjustment process, you can access all the changes that are made and can get back to any processing time period. Under the Slide show menu, photos can be exported as an automatic image gallery. A slide show can be displayed as H.264, MP4 or WMV formats and can also be uploaded on YouTube immediately. Moreover, individual photos can be exported in the library as a file or stored on Flickr or Facebook. - feedback@chip.in
from the video area they are good at. This software is a convincing debut in which they were inspired by Adobes Photoshop Lightroom. The main menu consists of three points which mark the working steps during photo management. Under Library, photos can be imported and organized or tagged in projects, collections and albums. Moreover, an access to the metadata of a photo is available here. During import, PhotoDirector supports many RAW formats with focus on the camera of the two market leaders, Canon and Nikon. Using the filter and search function, you can quickly find the desired images. Smart albums helps sort the images automatically as per the individual criteria, for example date or file name. Photos can be properly tuned and processed in the Adjustments section.
SPeCifiCationS
$99.95 (approx Rs 4,700)

www.cyberlink.com
SyStem requirementS
OS: Windows XP SP3 or higher; CPU: Pentium D 3 GHz equivalent or higher; RAM: 2 GB or higher; Disk space: 1 GB or higher.
ContaCt Phone emaiL CyberLink Corp
NA NA
ratinGS
featureS PerformanCe eaSe of uSe overaLL ratinG vaLue for money
70
10/2011
TEST CENTER
TESTED
comodo diSk encRyption
encrypTion UTiliTy
I
SpecificationS
Verdict: A handy utility to safeguard your critical data. For: Easy to use, very effective. AgAinst: Cannot encrypt USB flash drives.
f you have sensitive data on your PC or an external storage device, its recommended you encrypt the the type of authentication password, USB stick or both. The password has to be at least four characters in length and in the case of USB stick the software creates a key on the flash drive, which has to be kept plugged in during authentication. After selecting the hash and encryption algorithms, it takes a few seconds to encrypt the drive. The encrypted drive or partition can be accessed only if the correct password is provided during system boot up. Even deleting or formatting the partition from Disk Management utility in Windows is not allowed. If you use this software, make sure you don't forget your password. - Anand Tuliani
storage device to protect it. Comodo Disk Encryption is a freeware data encryption utility that can encrypt entire partitions or external storage devices, making them accessible only if the user provides the correct key. When you start the program, the drive partitions on your PC and the connected hard drives are visible. However, USB flash drives are not supported; we connected one to our test PC and it didnt show up in the list. To encrypt a partition, you have to rightclick on it and select 'encrypt' from the context menu. Next, you have to select
Freeware
disk-encryption.comodo.com
SyStem RequiRementS
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7; RAM: 128 MB; Drive space: 12 MB.

contact phone emaiL Comodo Security Solutions, Inc. NA sales@comodo.com
RatinGS
featuReS eaSe of uSe peRfoRmance oveRaLL RatinG
4media video conveRteR uLtimate

Verdict: A user-friendly transcoder that converts between all popular video formats. For: Easy to use, Nvidia and AMD GPU acceleration, bitrate calculator, batch transcoding. AgAinst: Lacks profiles for many popular devices.
Video Transcoder
Media Video Converter Ultimate is a powerful transcoder that will appeal to both beginners and
the supported video format and specify the screen resolution. Those who have an exact idea about the supported video format can delve deeper into the Profile settings and configure audio and video codec parameters. The software also offers the option to crop videos, and add watermarks and effects. Hardware acceleration for both Nvidia and AMD GPUs is supported, which greatly reduces time taken for transcoding. Overall, the 4Media Video Converter Ultimate is excellent, but considering good freeware transcoding apps such as MediaCoder and SUPER exist, its expensive. - Anand Tuliani
advanced users with its intuitive user interface. The Getting Started guide appears at startup, which mentions a three-step process Choose a profile, Add Files and Start Converting. The profile has to be chosen from a drop down list, which lists PMPs, phones and Web video formats. However, the the list of Android phones looks outdated; profiles for the Samsung Galaxy S II, HTC Desire S and others are missing. The same goes for the Tablets category. When it comes to unlisted devices, the user has to select
SpecificationS
$59.99 (approx Rs 2,700)

www.mp4converter.net
SyStem RequiRementS
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7; RAM: 512 MB; Drive space: 100 MB.
contact phone emaiL 4Media Software Studio NA sales@mp4converter.net
RatinGS
featuReS eaSe of uSe peRfoRmance oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR money
72
10/2011
TEST CENTER
TESTED
pc inSpectoR fiLe RecoveRy
File RecoveRy
P
SpecificationS
Verdict: A great freeware to recover lost data, worth a try. For: Ease of use, files supported and recovery options. AgAinst: Its a great program, but the interface could have been a little better.
C Inspector File Recovery is a freeware data recovery tool for which you will need administrator navigation tree. The program displays the files with the original time and date stamp, which makes it easier for you to identify your files. It displays the date and time stamp even when a header entry is no longer available. Once you have identified the file you wish to recover, select it and click on 'save'. When saving the file, select noFAT if data has been deleted or the drive has been quickformatted. Then click on 'Ok' to save the file in a desired location. Similarly, you can find lost data or a lost drive. Version 4 of the PC Inspector File Recovery even supports the saving of recovered files on network drives. - Priyanka Tilve
rights. The program finds partitions automatically, even if the boot sector has been erased or damaged. However, it wont be able to recover data if it has been overwritten. Start the program and then select the appropriate option. For instance, if you wish to recover deleted file, select the appropriate option, and the program will scan your drives. Now select a logical drive to recover data or alternatively find logical drives on an existing physical/logical one. Then select one to see a preview and double click it to see the contents in an Explorer-style
Freeware
www.pcinspector.de
SyStem RequiRementS
OS: Win95 / Win98 / WinME / WinNT / Win2K / WinXP; Disk Space: 6.7 MB
contact phone emaiL NA +49 (0)6331 268 000 support@convar.com
RatinGS
GLaRy utiLitieS
Verdict: A great lightweight PC optimization tool with a simple interface. For: Simple interface, one-click system scanning and optimization. AgAinst: Compatible only with Internet Explorer.
SyStem tuning
lary Utilities is a very popular software suite for system cleanup and tuning, with features
junk files and dead shortcuts. The software suite is very light on the system and has a simple, easy-to-use interface. It also features a browser cache cleanup utility, which deletes temporary files and clears the cache, but it is only compatible with Internet Explorer, so if you use another browser like Firefox or Chrome, it is ineffective. Another drawback is that the free version keeps prompting you to buy the full version, which can be quite annoying. There is currently no support for Mac OS. There is also a Pro version of the software with a 30-day trial period, which offers other features like splitting large files, data encryption, and user privacy. - Kushal Mamoowala
such as registry cleaning, adware and spyware detection, antivirus software and even cache cleaning. It also has RAM optimization and a process manager to kill unwanted background processes and improve your CPU performance. The software is quite efficient at cleaning up your startup processes, detecting unused icons on your Start menu and desktop, killing unnecessary background processes and performing memory optimization. The best feature, however, is the oneclick system scanning and optimization, which analyzes and cleans up the entire operating system for malicious software,
SpecificationS
Freeware
disk-encryption.comodo.com
SyStem RequiRementS
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7; Drive Space: 9 MB.

contact phone emaiL Glarysoft Ltd. NA sales@comodo.com
RatinGS
74
10/2011
TEST CENTER
TESTED
Data Sync
network utility
Photo rePair utility
Portable FreeFileSync 3.20

Verdict: Portable and easy to use, its a highly efficient program for data sync. For: Good synchronization options, file size support and portability. AgAinst: None. SpecificationS
MylanViewer
Verdict: A very powerful network utility for IT and network infrastructure administrators. For: Scanning of open shares, reveal hidden shares, control remote system. AgAinst: None. SpecificationS
Stellar Phoenix JPeG rePair

Verdict: A very handy image repairing utility for professional photographers. For: Easy to use, quick repairing. AgAinst: Only supports JPG files. SpecificationS
Freeware
freefilesync.sourceforge.net/index.php
SyStem RequiRementS
$30 (approx Rs 1,400)

www.mylanviewer.com
SyStem RequiRementS
$39 (approx Rs 1,850)

www.stellarinfo.com
SyStem RequiRementS
OS: Windows 2K / XP / Vista / 7 Disk Space: 9 MB

contact pHone emaiL NA
OS: Windows XP or higher; Disk space: 10 MB.

contact pHone emaiL S.K. Software
OS: Windows XP or higher; Disk space: 10 MB.

contact pHone emaiL Stellar Data Recovery
NA zhnmju123@gmx.de
NA support@mylanviewer.com
1800-102-3232 pr@stellarinfo.com
RatinGS
featuReS peRfoRmance eaSe of uSe oveRaLL RatinG
RatinGS
featuReS peRfoRmance eaSe of uSe oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR money
RatinGS
featuReS peRfoRmance eaSe of uSe oveRaLL RatinG vaLue foR money
f you take regular backups of your files, then Portable FreeFile Sync
is a handy program for you. Simply drag and drop the folders you want to compare or synchronize, and start the process. If you choose to compare, then it will simply show you the differences between the two folders. You can compare the files by size, date or file content. The automatic synchronization option will identify and propagate changes on both sides using a database. It will also automatically delete conflicts. If you choose mirror, then it will mirror backup the folder on the left side and modify the folder on the right. If you choose to update, then it will simply copy new or updated files to the right. You can also select 'custom' to configure your own synchronization rules and save the same. It supports filters and file sizes greater than 4 GB. - Priyanka Tilve
yLanViewer is a very powerful network utility and a must-have
for IT administrators. The utility is a NetBIOS, IP scanner, WHOIS and Traceroute tool and is beneficial for network and IT infrastructure for helping in designing and managing the existing office network. A single click on the scan button can reveal all the computers connected on the local network. It reveals IP addresses, MAC addresses, host names, ping status, workgroup names, up time, shared resources, logged users and a lot more of this important information. MyLanViewer is also a very useful tool for searching files and folders located on shared drives on the local network. The utility is so powerful that it can also reveal hidden shares (shared drives and folders hidden using the $ sign) that are not visible when you browse through the local network. Francis Dsa
hotos can get corrupted for many reasons, for example, insufficient
space on the memory card while shooting the last image, faulty memory card, virus infections on the PC, bad MBR or MBT of the HDD or memory card, bad sectors or when transferring images. Corrupted images give out errors and are almost useless, making it a huge loss to the photographer. Stellar Phoenix comes to the rescue again with JPEG Repair. This utility can help rescue corrupted images within minutes. It looks for corrupt header information or markers that go bad and then calculates values based on those present in the file to recreate the complete image. The utility also features extraction and repair of the thumbnails of the selected image files. Presently, the utility can only handle JPEG and JPG files. A demo is available for trial purposes. Francis Dsa
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10/2011
TEST CENTER
TESTED
reMote access
TeamViewer
Free
iPhone, iPod, iPad; iOS 3.0
Overall rating
world, using a 3G or Wi-Fi connection. Youll need the server app installed on your target computer, from where you can choose access and control permissions. The TeamViewer app can be used to take control of a server, or just to watch whats being demonstrated on screen. In practical use, its quite difficult to get anything done on the tiny iPhone screen, but the iPad experience is quite alright. Moreover, youll need fast Internet connections both for your phone and for the server PC. TeamViewer is free for personal use, but you're asked to pay if you're using it for commercial purposes. - Jamshed Avari
MultiMedia
Anyplayer
$0.99
iPhone, iPod; iOS 4.0
Overall rating
Many office workers know the TeamViewer service, which has been around for a while. Now, new client apps for iPhone and iPad allow users to monitor their PCs or Macs from anywhere in the
Anyplayer claims to support playback of all types of audio and video files, not just the ones iTunes approves of. Similar apps exist, but Anyplayer is cheaper than most and doesn't display ads. You can copy files via Wi-Fi through a Web browser, or drag and drop from within iTunes. The interface is a bit confusing and there's no way to discover what each button does except by tapping it. The playback screen is a bit cramped, with lots of buttons for barely useful things like changing the aspect ratio and color temperature. Anyplayer can also handle Web streams and lets you mix up music that's in your iTunes database and files stored within the app itself. Most formats play well, but older devices will have trouble decoding heavy video files, so you might be better off converting them anyway. - Jamshed Avari
Note taker
it instead of the default Voice Memos app, you'll be able to save longer and higher quality notes. Each time you record anything and stop, the app will prompt you to share the clip or add to it even further. You can name tapes, and sharing them to Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter or Tumbler will post an image of an old-fashioned cassette tape along with your note. You can use this functionality to quickly send recorded messages to specific people, or just post recordings of speeches, notes, or reminders to your audience, along with a title and text caption. The social sharing dimension is what makes this app unique and interesting. You can even quickly email Tapes to yourself or a contact. TinyVox Pro looks great and could be a lot of fun to use. - Jamshed Avari
GaMe
are spent in basic tutorial levels, during which time you'll find out that it isn't so easy to control your weapons towers. Subsequent pauses in the war that let you repair damage and outfit new weapons seem quite arbitrary, and break the otherwise snappy pacing. Like many other games, this one would be better enjoyed on a larger screen. Still, Zen Wars is quite entertaining and there are quite a few game modes to try for variety. - Jamshed Avari
TinyVox Pro
$1.99
Overall rating
Zen Wars
$1.99
Overall rating
TinyVox is a neat-looking note taking tool as well as a social networking add-on. If you use
Zen Wars has almost everything going for ita good idea, neat visuals, great humor, and even a fairly rich soundtrack. It's only the actual gameplay that's a bit lacking. You play an apprentice in the army who suddenly finds himself in charge of a huge battle, since all his superiors are off relaxing at a spa. An evil villain declares "All your base are belong to us!" (seriously), and that's where the battles begin. The first few minutes
10/2011
77
TEST CENTER
TESTED
Game
PhotoGraPhy
RacingMoto
Freeware
Android
Overall rating
Fast Burst Camera

Freeware
Android
Overall rating
second or multiple shots by just holding the shoot button. The app is ideal for shooting sports events, pets, parties, or similar occasions. You can simply keep shooting and later delete the ones you dont want after reviewing them. Using this app, one can also take pictures and create animated GIFs. The free version is limited, while the full version supports flash, focus and zoom levels. Due to high speed, images are restricted to low resolutions. - Francis Dsa
Youre a manic biker with a mean-looking chopper in this incredibly fast paced game. Its not a racing game as the name suggests, but youve to cut through the highway traffic avoiding vehicles that come in your way. You have to touch the screen for a speed boost and tilt the device to steer to left or right. Initially, the game seems like a piece of cake but as the pace picks up, it becomes very challenging. Apart from the bike you start with, there are two other bikes that can be unlocked. The game looks great, with various scenes (desert, city, bridge, sea and forest) and the gameplay is extremely smooth. However, you need a high-end handset with a large screen or a tablet to enjoy the game to the fullest. The game is a great passtime and has great replay value. - Anand Tuliani
Even though your mobile camera is a high-end one, clicking photos really fast is limited to the cameras functions and you can at most click photos every 10 seconds. When you are at a party or simply have a special moment that needs multiple pictures taken every second, only a professional camera would come in handy. But the with the Fast Burst Camera app, you can do this with ease. The app is capable of taking 5 10 photos per
File manaGer
PhotoGraPhy
ES File Explorer
Freeware
Android
Overall rating
Time-Lapse
Freeware
Android
Overall rating
ES File Explorer is an extremely versatile file management utility with a raft of functions. It displays the files and folders on the SD card along with a toolbar on top which has buttons for switching between phone and SD card, multi-select, search, parent folder, task manager and view. Keeping the selected items long-pressed displays the operations menu which allows you to perform functions such as cut, copy, delete and rename. You can also compress files using four compression levels and encrypt data as well. The Search function is not as simple as one would expect. You can specify the path, file type, size and date to refine search. The most striking feature is its ability to access shared data on LAN, FTP and Dropbox. Overall, its a great, easy to use file manager. - Anand Tuliani
If you like creating artistic time-lapse videos, here's just the right tool for you. The Time-Lapse app is a simple application which enables your Android phone camera to take pictures every X seconds and store them in video format ready to be shared or uploaded directly on YouTube. The app has features such as capturing frames between 1 second to 60 minutes, and a video playback rate of 1 to 30 fps. Simply set the app to shoot during intervals, place the camera still at the scene and it will continuously keep clicking until stopped. The camera automatically focuses before clicking every image. The free version does not feature resolutions higher than 176 x 144 dpi, but the paid version can be set to tap the phones maximum resolution. Time-lapse videos can be reviewed from the app itself and renamed, uploaded or deleted. - Francis Dsa
78
10/2011
TEST CENTER
PC CONFIGS
fujifilm finepix HS20 eXR Rs 26,999

www.fujifilm.in
verdict This one comes closest to a DSLR

with its design, manual zoom and RAW support. love Solid build quality, manual zoom, lots of external controls, RAW support. hate Should have used Li-ion battery instead of four AA batteries.
SpeCifiCationS
Weight: 730 g; Resolution: 16 MP; Focal length: 24-720 mm; Optical zoom: 30x; Aperture: F2.8-F5.6; Shutter speed: 301/4000 sec; LCD: 3-in, 460K dots; Video: 1080p @30 fps.
ANAND's PICKs
Super Zoom Digital CameraS

Get the look and feel of a DSLR camera and a big lens without emptying your wallet.
Canon powerShot SX30iS Rs 24,995
www.canon.co.in
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V Rs 22,990

www.sony.co.in
verdict A good camera but slightly

expensive for the lack of certain important features. love Very good zoom ratio, 24 mm wide angle lens. hate No ful HD video capturing, low resolution LCD, no RAW support, expensive.
verdict Sony's top-end digital camera with

a DSLR-like design and complete manual controls. love High resolution tilt display, very good build quality, 60 fps video recording. hate No manual zoom, no RAW support. Weight: 577 g; Resolution: 16.2 MP; Focal length: 27-810 mm; Optical zoom: 30x; Aperture: F2.8-F5.6; Shutter speed: 301/4000 sec; LCD: 3.0-in, 921K dots; Video: 1080p @60 fps.
SpeCifiCationS
SpeCifiCationS
Weight: 301 g; Resolution: 14.1 MP; Focal length: 24-840 mm; Optical zoom: 35x; Aperture: F2.7-F5.8; Shutter speed: 15-1/3200 sec; LCD: 2.7-in, 230K dots; Video: 720p @30 fps.
nikon Coolpix p500 Rs 20,950

www.nikon.co.in
panasonic Lumix DMC-fZ100 Rs 23,500

www.panasonic.co.in
verdict The most affordable option with

the highest zoom ratio, ultra-wide angle lens and full HD video recording. love Highest zoom in its class, high resolution display, 23 mm wide angle lens. hate No RAW support.
verdict A very good camera with lots of

useful features, good ergonomics and nice build. love Flip out LCD display, 11 fps burst mode, hot shoe for external flash, RAW support. hate Average RAW results, slightly expensive. Weight: 540 g; Resolution: 14.1 MP; Focal length: 25-600 mm; Optical zoom: 24x; Aperture: F2.8-F5.2; Shutter speed: 601/2000 sec; LCD: 3-in, 460K dots; Video: 1080p @60 fps.
SpeCifiCationS
Weight: 494 g; Resolution: 12 MP; Focal length: 23-810 mm; Optical zoom: 36x; Aperture: F3.5-F5.7; Shutter speed: 8-1/1500 sec; LCD: 3.0-in, 921K dots; Video: 1080p @30 fps.
SpeCifiCationS
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ANANd'S COLUMN PC CONFIGS
TEST CENTER
Are high-end Android phones reAlly worth it?
Hands-on witH tHe Best

M
y journey with Android phones started with the Samsung Galaxy 3, which Ive been tinkering with for a long, long time. Initially, it took a little time getting used to the touchscreen, especially while composing emails and messages. But after a few weeks of extensive use I was very happy with certain features, such as out-of-the-box support for DivX and MKV files and good speaker quality. At the same time, I wasnt too happy with small things that impacted productivity. Firstly, the screen was too narrow to type on the virtual QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode, and also the built-in dictionary of the stock Samsung keyboard wasnt too intelligent to autocorrect mistyped words. The gaming performance also wasnt too great. With even a bit of eye candy or 3D graphics appearing in games, frame rates used to go for a toss. I tried multiple ROMs and overclocking the phone's CPU from 667 MHz to a crazy 1200 MHz! It did help to quite an extent, but the battery life took a nosedive. Im now considering investing in a high-end handset to satiate my needs for comfort and eye candy. This months comparison of high-end Android phones was a nice chance for me to get a hands-on experience with some of the best phones on the market. I started off with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, which I was very scared to use because it felt too feeble. The display also didnt have Gorilla Glass for protection against scratches. However, the user interface was good and gaming on it was fun. The screen was also wide enough for typing messages in portrait mode without any strain. The big thing that turned me off was its 8 megapixel camera, which I expected to be excellent. The images came out quite grainy and some highcontrast night shots that I took were quite disastrous. I used it for almost a week, until I found it drab after getting the Samsung Galaxy SII in hand. You have to check out the quality of its Super AMOLED Plus display to believe how gorgeous it looks. Its overly vibrant, but videos, games and photos look awesome. Paying Rs 4,000 over and above the price of the Xperia Arc is completely justified for a dual-core processor, 16 GB of built-in storage, sexy display and the sleek form. However, the camera performance isnt quite up to the mark. The third and the last phone I used for quite a while was the HTC Incredible S. Hats off to HTC for the excellent Sense UI theyve designed. It looks great, its extremely fluid, and the provision of quick access to the important functions has been paid a good deal of attention, which makes the phone a breeze to use. Overall, the phone is excellent, but its quite expensive. The sheer power and design of these high-end phones takes the user experience to a completely different level, but they come in at a hefty premium. Be careful and make wise decisions you may get something much better by spending a few thousand Rupees more, and you wont regret.
AnAnd tuliAni, deputy editor - technicAl
these Phones tAKe the user exPerienCe to A whole new level!
anand.tuliani@chip.in
10/2011
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TEST CENTER
PC CONFIGS
PC Configs
GaminG - entry-level
Processor Motherboard RAM Hard disk Graphics card Optical drive Monitor Keyboard Mouse Speakers Sound card PC Case Power supply unit Operating system AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Ed, 3.3 GHz Asus M4A88T-M, AMD 880G 2 GB Zion DDR3-1333 MHz Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 - 1 TB Sapphire Radeon HD 6770 Vapor-X - 1 GB LG GH22 SATA 22x DVD-writer BenQ G2220HD, 21.5-inch Logitech G1 Gaming Desktop Included in combo F&D FD600 Onboard high-definition audio Cooler Master Elite 310 Coolermaster GX 450W Windows 7 Home Basic
rs 44,510
5,900 5,200 1,200 3,000 7,700 950 6,300 1,670 2,990 1,800 3,500 4,300 44,510
GaminG - hiGh - end

Processor Motherboard RAM Hard disk Graphics card Optical drive Monitor Keyboard Mouse Speakers Sound card PC Case Power supply unit Operating system Intel Core i7-2600, 3.4 GHz Asus P8Z68-V, Intel Z68
rs 1,34,050
15,500 12,400 4,200 9,000 28,750 950 16,700 3,800 3,150 15,000 5,000 5,500 7,800 6,300 1,34,050
Corsair XMS3 TW3X4G1333C9DHX (4 GB kit) 2x Western Digital Caviar Black - 1 TB (RAID 0) Zotac GeForce GTX 580 - 1536 MB DDR5 LG GH22 SATA 22x DVD-writer Benq V2400 Eco - 22-inch LED Razer Lycosa Razer Imperator Creative Gigaworks T3 Asus Xonar DX 7.1-channel Cooler Master CM690 II Advanced Cooler Master Silent Pro M700 Windows 7 Home Premium
ToTal
ToTal
hOme
Processor Motherboard RAM Hard disk Graphics card Optical drive Monitor Keyboard and mouse combo Speakers Sound card PC Case Power supply unit Operating system AMD Athlon X2 260, 3.20 GHz Gigabyte 880GM-USB, AMD 880G 2 GB Zion DDR3-1333 MHz Western Digital Caviar Green - 1TB Onboard graphics LG GH22 SATA 22x DVD-writer Dell IN2020M - 20-inch LED Logitech Deluxe 250 Desktop USB Altec Lansing VS2621 Onboard high-definition audio iBall Pride Included with the PC Case - 250 Watts Windows 7 Home Basic
rs 28,975 htPC
3,500 5,100 1,200 2,900 950 6,700 680 1,895 1,750 4,300 28,975 Processor Motherboard RAM Hard disk Graphics card Optical drive Monitor Keyboard and mouse combo Speakers Sound card PC Case Power supply unit TV tuner card Operating system AMD Phenom II X2 560, 3.30 GHz Asus M4A88TD-M EVO/USB3 2x 2 GB Kingston DDR3-1333 MHz Seagate Barracuda Green - 2 TB XFX Radeon HD 6570, 1 GB Sony BD-5300S, 12x Blu-ray Writer BenQ V2400 Eco, 24-inch TFT (LED) Logitech Wireless Combo MK320 Creative Gigaworks T3 Asus Xonar DX 7.1-channel Silver Stone LC16B MR220 Corsair CMPSU-430CX - 430 Watts Avermedia AverTV Speedy PCIE Windows 7 Home Premium
rs 95,150
4,800 6,400 2,400 4,000 4,700 11,000 16,700 1,650 15,000 5,000 11,800 2,200 3,300 6,200 95,150
ToTal
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LAPTOP CONFIGS
TEST CENTER
laptop configs
BudGet
Processor Intel Pentium P6200, Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5 MeMory 1 GB or 2 GB Hard drive 320 GB or higher disPlay 14.1-in or 15.6-in GraPHics On-board WeiGHt 2.3 Kg to 2.7 Kg otHer Bluetooth, DVD-writer, Wi-Fi b/g, Webcam Price ranGe Up to Rs 35,000
MainstreaM
Processor Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5 MeMory 2 GB or 3 GB Hard drive 320 GB or higher disPlay 14.1-in or 15.6-in GraPHics On-board or Discrete WeiGHt 2.3 Kg to 3 Kg otHer Bluetooth, DVD-writer, Wi-Fi b/g or n, Webcam Price ranGe Rs 35,000 To Rs 45,000
desktoP rePlaceMent
Processor Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7 MeMory 3 GB or more Hard drive 500 GB or more disPlay 15.4-in to 17-in GraPHics GeForce GT 500 series Radeon HD 6000 series WeiGHt 2.5 Kg to 5 Kg otHer Bluetooth, DVD-writer or Blu-ray, Wi-Fi n, Webcam, TV Tuner Price ranGe Rs 45,000 to Rs 1,50,000
eMacHines eMe732Z rs 17,499

CPU Intel Pentium P6200, 2.13 GHz; memory 1 GB; HArD DISK 320 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS On-board; weIgHt 2.4 Kg; oS Linux; otHer Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI, Card reader
lenovo ideaPad Z570 59-069600 rs 38,990

CPU Intel Core i3-2310M, 2.1 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 640 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS Nvidia GeForce GT 520M, 1 GB; weIgHt 2.6 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Basic; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
HP Pavilion dv6-6121tX rs 54,250

CPU Intel Core i7-2630M, 2.0 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 640GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6770M, 2 GB; weIgHt 2.63 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Premium; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
acer asPire 5755 rs 27,912

CPU Intel Core i3-2310M, 2.1 GHz; memory 2 GB; HArD DISK 500 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS On-board; weIgHt 2.6 Kg; oS Linux; otHer Bluetooth, Webcam, HDMI, Card reader
dell insPiron 15r rs 39,330

CPU Intel Core i5-2430M, 2.4 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 500 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS On-board; weIgHt 2.37 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Basic; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
lenovo ideaPad y560 59-305641 rs 57,690

CPU Intel Core i7-2630QM, 2.0 GHz; memory 6 GB; HArD DISK 750 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS N12P-GT1, 2 GB; weIgHt 2.6 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Premium; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
Lenovo G470 59-067062 rs 27,990

CPU Intel Core i3-2310M, 2.1 GHz; memory 2 GB; HArD DISK 640 GB; DISPlAy 14-in; grAPHICS On-board; weIgHt 2.2Kg; oS Free-DOS; otHer Bluetooth, HDMI, Card reader
sony vaio vPceG18FG rs 42,990

CPU Intel Core i5-2410M, 2.3 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 500 GB; DISPlAy 14-in; grAPHICS Nvidia GeForce 410, 512 MB; weIgHt 2.3 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Basic; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
sony vaio vPccB17FG/B rs 69,990

CPU Intel Core i7-2620M, 2.7 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 640 GB; DISPlAy 15.5-in, Full HD; grAPHICS AMD Radeon HD 6630, 1 GB; weIgHt 2.85 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Premium; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
HP PaviLion G6-1117tx rs 33,324

CPU Intel Core i3-2310M, 2.1 GHz; memory 3 GB; HArD DISK 500 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS AMD Radeon HD 6470M, 1 GB; weIgHt 2.3 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Basic; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
acer asPire 5755G rs 44,289

CPU Intel Core i5-2410M, 2.3 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 750 GB; DISPlAy 15.6-in; grAPHICS Nvidia GeForce GT 540M, 2 GB; weIgHt 2.5 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Premium; otHer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam, HDMI
dell XPs 17 (3d) rs 85,800

CPU Intel Core i7-2670QM, 2.2 GHz; memory 4 GB; HArD DISK 500 GB; DISPlAy 17.3-in, Full HD; grAPHICS Nvidia GeForce GT 555M; weIgHt 3.43 Kg; oS Windows 7 Home Premium; otHer BD-ROM, HDMI, Bluetooth
10/2011
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COVER STORY
FEATURED
MOBILE PHONES
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laptops
cameras & camcoredrs
external storage
Chaitanya Surpur
COVER STORY
FEATURED
desktops
BY team chIp
televisions
Get Your Moneys Worth this Festive Season

With the festive season just around the corner, its time to splurge and indulge yourself or your family. If you are going gadget shopping, then featured here are some of the hottest products you simply cant ignore!
iwali and shopping go hand-in-hand, and keeping this in mind, even manufacturers come up with special offers and discounts to lure customers around the festive season. If you havent made up your mind about what you want to buy, then all the offers and discounts will leave you feeling overwhelmed. You may end up buying a gadget simply because it was on discount, only to find that it doesnt perform to your expectations. It always helps to have a clear idea of what you want to buy rather than resorting to impulse purchases, which you may end up regretting. To help you choose better, we bring to you the hottest gadgets in stores this festive season. From high-end gadgets to budget offerings and everything in between, featured here some handpicked products that will give you your moneys worth. And once you have made up your mind on what to buy, before heading out to the showroom, dont forget to check online; you may just land yourself a great deal. Happy shopping!
tablets gaming consoles pmps, DOCK's speaKers

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lG opTimuS 3D p920
Price: Rs 36,999 LG brings 3D technology to Android smartphones with the Optimus 3D. With its large, 3D LCD display and dual cameras, the Optimus 3D is capable of recording videos, capturing photos and viewing 3D movies on-the-go. specs - Os: Android v2.2; Display: 4.3-inch LCD; cpU: 1 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 8 GB internal; camera: 5 MP.
nokia X7-00
Price: Rs 20,754 The X7 is another one of Nokias highend, big screen smartphones with the latest Symbian Anna operating system. With a fairly decent price tag, the X7 is worth a buy if you want a phone with a good camera and touchscreen display. specs - Os: Symbian v3.0; Display: 4-inch AMOLED; cpU: 680 MHz; stOrage: 350 MB internal; camera: 8 MP.
HTC inCreDible S
Price: Rs 23,600 The Incredible S is a high performance, feature packed, high-end smartphone with a 1 GHz processor. With a stunning camera and a crisp display, it is a great option for a high performance Android phone with a reasonable pricetag. specs - Os: Android v2.2; Display: 4-inch SLCD; cpU: 1 GHz; stOrage: 1 GB internal; camera: 8 MP.
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HTC SenSaTion
Price: Rs 29,600 HTC is represented by the Sensation in the market of dual-core smartphones. With a large, crisp display, full-HD recording and the latest Android OS, the Sensation is the biggest competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S II and the iPhone 4. specs - Os: Android v2.3; Display: 4.3-inch SLCD, cpU: 1.2 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 1 GB internal; camera: 8 MP.
blaCkberry bolD 9900

Price: 32,290 The Bold series is BlackBerrys flagship smartphone series and the new Bold adds touchscreen features to the highly successful Bold 9780. It is armed with a large touchscreen display, QWERTY keypad, the latest BlackBerry OS and a faster processor. specs - Os: BlackBerry v7; Display: 2.8-inch TFT; cpU: 1.2 GHz; stOrage: 8 GB internal; camera: 5 MP.
HTC HD7
Price: Rs 17,599 The HD7 is a Windows based smartphone with an impressive display, high quality camera and ample storage. It is one of the cheapest highend smartphones and is a great option for users looking for a reasonably priced touchscreen phone. specs - Os: Windows Phone 7; Display: 4.3-inch LCD; cpU: 1 GHz; stOrage: 16 GB internal; camera: 5 MP.
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FEATURED
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SamSung galaxy S II
Price: Rs 29,999 The S II is one of the best high-end smartphones in the market today. Its performance, high quality display, 8 megapixel camera, large inbuilt storage and fluid UI make it a must have for cellphone enthusiasts. specs - Os: Android v2.3; Display: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED; cpU: 1.2 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 16 GB; camera: 8 MP.
BlackBErry Torch 9810

Price: Rs 29,990 The Torch 9810 is an upgraded version of the Torch 9800. With the latest BlackBerry OS, a faster processor and a better camera, the Torch is perfect for BlackBerry loyalists looking to get a large touchscreen phone. specs - Os: BlackBerry v7; Display: 3.2-inch TFT; cpU: 1.2 GHz; stOrage: 8 GB internal; camera: 5 MP
applE iphonE 4
Price: Rs 34,500 The iPhone 4 is arguably the best smartphone money can buy. While it is the most expensive smartphone in the market, it is yet another one of Apples products that promises and delivers on both performance and style. specs - Os: iOS 4; Display: 3.5-inch TFT; cpU: 1 GHz; stOrage: 16 GB; camera: 5 MP.
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Sony ErIcSSon xpErIa arc

Price: Rs 26,650 Sony Ericsson revolutionized the high-end smartphone segment with this uniquely designed phone. It sports a large display, an 8 megapixel camera, Sony's Mobile Bravia engine and it caters to those who want a mix of good looks and performance. specs - Os: Android v2.3; Display: 4.2-inch TFT; cpU: 1GHz; stOrage: 320 MB internal; camera: 8 MP.
lg opTImuS 2x p990
Price: Rs 25,449 The LG Optimus 2X was the first dual-core Android phone to appear on shelves. With a slick IPS LCD display, Nvidia Tegra chipset, 8 GB of inbuilt storage and an 8 megapixel camera, this phone is currently offers a great bang for the buck. specs - Os: Android v2.2; Display: 4-inch LCD; cpU: 1 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 8 GB internal; camera: 8 MP.
nokIa n8
Price: Rs 21,697 The Nokia N8 has made a few ripples in the smartphone market. Armed with an impressive display, the best camera in the business and Symbians latest operating system, the N8 is a great phone at an affordable price for mobile photography enthusiasts. specs - Os: Symbian v3.0; Display: 3.5-inch AMOLED; cpU: 680 MHz; stOrage: 16 GB internal; camera: 12 MP.
Other OptiOns
1. Samsung Galaxy Pro price: rs 9 ,000 2. HTC Desire S price: rs 21,799 3. Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini price: rs 15,399
07 08 09 11
4. Sony Ericsson W8 price: rs 9,750 5. HTC Wildfire S price: rs 13,199 6. LG Optimus One price: rs 10,300
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HP PavIlIon dv6-6121tx
Price: Rs 54,250 The HP Pavilion dv6 has enough power to replace your desktop PC. This laptop with a quad-core CPU and dedicated HD 6770M graphics is suited for demanding applications, gaming and entertainment. It's an awesome bang for the buck!
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specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i7-2630QM; RaM: 4 GB; GRaphics: AMD Radeon HD 6770M; hDD: 640 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
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aCeR aSPIRe 5830tg

Price: Rs 42,229 The Aspire 5830TG belongs to Acer's latest TimeLineX series. It's slim, not too heavy, and the configuration is ideal for gaming and entertainment. We particularly like the sound quality and ergonomics of this model. specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5-2410M; RaM: 3 GB; GRaphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 540M; hDD: 640 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
SamSung RC520-S08In
Price: Rs 41,100 Samsung has a good number of laptops priced very competitively. Here you get a Core i5 CPU, 6 GB of RAM, dedicated graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium license for a little over Rs 40,000 which is a sweet deal. specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5-2410M; RaM: 6 GB; GRaphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 520M; hDD: 750 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
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Sony vaIo eg SeRIeS

Price: Rs 29,990 onwards The Sony Vaio EG series offers entrylevel and mid-range models that aren't too expensive. It's priced similar to models with similar configurations by other brands, plus you get Sony's sleek design and color options. This one's good for students and home use. specs - Display: 14-inch; cpU: Intel Core i3-2310M; RaM: 2 GB; hDD: 320 GB; Os: Win 7 HB
aCeR aSPIRe 5755g

Price: Rs 44,804 Buy this laptop if you want good processing power and gaming capabilities without spending too much. This is the best configuration in the series with GeForce GT 540M graphics and a large keyboard with separate numeric pad. specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5-2430M; RaM: 4 GB; GRaphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 540M; hDD: 750 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
HP PavIlIon g4-1010tu
Price: Rs 35,229 This model is one of the most affordable options featuring the latest Core i5 processor. You get a 14-inch display with the standard 1366x768 resolution and healthy amount of RAM and storage space. The inclusion of Windows 7 licence is a bonus. specs - Display: 14-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5-2410M; RaM: 4 GB; hDD: 500 GB; Os: Win 7 HB
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Lenovo THinkPad X1
Price: Rs 85,000 onwards The 13.3-inch ThinkPad X1 is an elegant-looking laptop meant for serious business users. It weighs under 2 kilos and features top notch build quality, Gorilla Glass display and a spill-proof keyboard. You can also opt for better CPU and SSD. specs - Display: 13.3-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5-2420M; RaM: 4 GB; HDD: 320 GB; Os: Win 7 Pro
deLL XPS 15
Price: Rs 64,800 Dell XPS laptops can easily put entrylevel desktop PCs to shame with their sheer power. The XPS 15 range starts from Rs 51,800 and you can customize the configuration on the online store to match your needs and budget. specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i7-2670QM; RaM: 4 GB; GRapHics: Nvidia GeForce GT GT 540M; HDD: 500 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
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HP ComPaq Cq42-451TU
Price: Rs 21,860 The CQ42-541TU is perfect for those who need an entry-level model for running basic applications and media playback. You get a decent screen size and a dual-core CPU with the minimum amount of RAM to run Windows 7 smoothly. specs - Display: 14-inch; cpU: Intel Pentium P6200; RaM: 2 GB; HDD: 320 GB; Os: Free DOS
Lenovo G570 59-068336

Price: Rs 29,290 The G570 belongs to Lenovo's Essential series. This configuration is perfect for students and home and office users. This 15.6-in model looks nice and offers chiclet keyboard and a separate numeric pad for comfortable typing. For under Rs 30,000 this one's a steal. specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i3-2310M; RaM: 4 GB; HDD: 640 GB; Os: Free DOS
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aPPLe maCBook Pro

Price: Rs 69,900 onwards The Apple MacBook Pro combines design, style and performance. The latest 13-inch MacBook Pro uses Intel's second generation Core i5 processor and comes loaded with Mac OS X Lion. This configuration is the lowest spec you can buy. specs - Display: 13-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5, 2.3 GHz; RaM: 4 GB; HDD: 320 GB; Os: Mac OS X Lion
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ToSHiBa P750-X5310
Price: Rs 48,900 Pick this model only if you don't need dedicated graphics. For under Rs 50,000 you get a quad-core Core i7 CPU, 4 GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium license. That's a lot of power under the hood for a great price! specs - Display: 15.6-inch; cpU: Intel Core i7-2630QM; RaM: 4 GB; HDD: 500 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
aPPLe maCBook air

Price: Rs 56,900 onwards The MacBook Air is for those who want a sleek ultra-compact that packs good power. The latest models are available in 11-inch and 13-inch screen sizes with different SSD sizes and amounts of RAM. Choose the one that suits your budget. specs - Display : 11-inch; cpU: Intel Core i5, 1.6 GHz; RaM: 2 GB; ssD: 64 GB; Os: Mac OS X Lion
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Sony vaio SB SerieS

Price: Rs 47,990 onwards The Sony Vaio VPC-SA and SB series have ultra-portable models featuring powerful CPUs, SSDs and discrete graphics. Whether you need something affordable or incredibly powerful, you can choose. The Vaio SA and SB laptops are available in attractive colors. specs - Display: 13.3-inch; cpU: Intel Core i3-2310M; RaM: 4 GB; GRapHics: AMD Radeon HD 5470; HDD: 500 GB; Os: Win 7 HP
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Canon EoS 1100D Kit

Price: Rs 38,990 The EOS 1100D is the successor to the 1000D with an upgraded feature set and body color options. This kit includes a 3x zoom lens with IS. Live View eliminates the need to use the viewfinder and video recording is supported at 720p. specs - Resolution: 12 MP; optical zoom: 3x; Wide angle: 18 mm; apeRtuRe: F3.5-F5.6; lcd size: 2.7-inch; Video: 720p.
Sony HanDyCam HDr-CX110E/B

Price: Rs 21,990 This Full HD camcorder won't burn a hole in your wallet. It's extremely small and light because it doesn't have a built-in hard drive. Captured photos and videos are stored on the memory card. The HDR-CX110E/B is great value considering its features. specs - Built-in memoRy: None; memoRy expansion: Memory Stick / SD card; optical zoom: 25x; lcd: 2.7-inch; Video: 1080p
Canon PowErSHot SX230 HS

Price: Rs 17,495 The PowerShot SX230 HS is a compact megazoom sporting a slick form factor and an excellent feature set. It offers complete manual control over exposure and is capable of capturing high speed videos for super slow motion playback. specs - Resolution: 12.1 MP; optical zoom: 14x; Wide angle: 28 mm; apeRtuRe: F3.1-F5.9; lcd size: 3-inch; Video: 1080p
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niKon D5100 Kit

Price: Rs 39,950 The Nikon D5100 is built like a battle tank. It features a 16.2 megapixel sensor, plenty of shooting modes and Full HD video recording capability. It's flip-out display allows shooting from odd angles and the overall ergonomics is excellent. specs - Resolution: 16.2 MP; optical zoom: 3x; Wide angle: 18 mm; apeRtuRe: F3.5-F5.6; lcd size: 3-inch; Video: 1080p
PanaSoniC LumiX DmC-Zr3

Price: Rs 14,500 The Lumix DMC-ZR series is renowned for packing an excellent feature set in a compact shell and delivering great results as well. The ZR3 is a compact megazoom featuring a 25 mm wide angle lens with 8x zoom and 720p video recording. specs - Resolution: 14.1 MP; optical zoom: 8x; Wide angle: 25 mm; apeRtuRe: F3.3-F5.9; lcd size: 2.7-inch; Video: 720p
Canon LEgria HF m41

Price: Rs 56,995 This models is a notch higher than the Legria HF R28. Although the optical zoom offered is only 10x, the quality of video capturing is excellent and you get dual SD card slots should you run out of memory while recording. specs - Built-in memoRy: 32 GB Flash; memoRy expansion: Dual SD card; optical zoom: 10x; lcd: 3-inch; Video: 1080p
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Canon LEgria HF r205

Price: Rs 22,995 Full HD camcorders with built-in hard drives are expensive. Like the Sony HDR-CX110E/B, this one is also small and light and records videos onto the memory card. However, the optical zoom is slightly less at 18x and the screen is slightly larger. specs - Built-in memoRy: None; memoRy expansion: SD card; optical zoom: 18x; lcd: 3-inch; Video: 1080p
Sony aLPHa nEX-3K Kit

Price: Rs 22,990 The NEX-3 offers the performance of a DSLR camera without you having to carry the bulk due to it's mirrorless design. This 14.2 megapixel shooter takes great images and can record videos at 720p. The kit comes with an 18-55 mm lens. specs - Resolution: 14.2 MP; optical zoom: 3x; Wide angle: 18 mm; apeRtuRe: F3.5-F5.6; lcd size: 3-inch; Video: 720p
Canon LEgria HF r28

Price: Rs 38,995 32 GB of built-in flash memory makes this model light and compact unlike models with built-in hard drives. Its size is flattering for anyone to belive it can record videos at Full HD. The 3-inch touchscreen LCD is comfortably large. specs - Built-in memoRy: 32 GB Flash; memoRy expansion: SD card; optical zoom: 20x; lcd: 3-inch; Video: 1080p
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Sony HanDyCam DCr-Sr88E

Price: Rs 23,990 Don't have the budget for a Full HD camcorder? Go in for a standard definition one. This model records videos at 720x480 (480p) and offers 120 GB of storage space, 60x optical zoom and memory expansion at a very reasonable price. specs - Built-in memoRy: 120 GB HDD; memoRy expansion:Memory Stick / SD card; optical zoom: 60x; lcd: 2.7-inch; Video: 720x480
FujiFiLm FinEPiX HS20 EXr

Price: Rs 26,999 The HS20 EXR is a 16 megapixel prosumer digital camera that offers the feel and comfort of a DSLR camera. It sports a massive 30x zoom lens that starts from 24 mm. Like a DSLR it offers complete manual control. specs - Resolution: 16 MP; optical zoom: 30x; Wide angle: 24 mm; apeRtuRe: F2.8-F5.6; lcd size: 3-inch; Video: 1080p
oLymPuS tougH-6020
Price: Rs 14,500 Olympus' Tough series needs no introduction. These rugged digital cameras are immune to accidental drops, subzero temperatures and drowning in water. The Tough-6020 is great for shooting in extreme conditions and delivers great results. specs - Resolution: 14 MP; Optical zoom: 5x; Wide angle: 28 mm; apeRtuRe: F3.9-F5.9; lcd size: 27-inch; Video: 720p
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Other OptiOns
Canon IXUS 220 HS: Rs 10,995 Canon PowerShot SX30 IS: Rs 24,995 Canon PowerShot S95: Rs 21,995 Canon PowerShot SX150 IS: Rs 13,995 Canon IXUS 115 HS: Rs 9,495 Canon PowerShot A3300 IS: Rs 8,995 FujiFilm FinePix F500EXR: Rs 18,999 FujiFilm FinePix Z900EXR: Rs 15,200 Nikon Coolpix P7000: Rs 19,950 Nikon D3100 Kit: Rs 29,950 Nikon Coolpix S9100: Rs 15,950 Nikon Coolpix S1100pj: Rs 12,950 Olympus SP800-UZ: Rs 18,999 Olympus SP-600uz: Rs 10,999 Olympus u-9010: Rs 9,999 Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ18: Rs 18,500 Panasonic DMC-LX5: Rs 29,990 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V/B: Rs 16,990 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T99: Rs 9,990 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570: Rs 9,990 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V: Rs 22,990
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Sony Handycam HdR-PJ50E

Price: Rs 59,990 The HDR-PJ50E is Sony's latest model which is the first to feature a built-in projector for beaming your captured videos straight off the device. It can capture videos at Full HD and you get 220 GB of storage space to store your videos. specs - Built-in memory: 220 GB HDD; memory expansion: Memory Stick / SD card; optical zoom: 12x; lcD: 3-inch; ViDeo: 1080p; others: Built-in projector
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Lenovo IdeaCentre a300

Price: Rs 54,490 Claiming to be the world's thinnest all-in-one desktop PC, the IdeaCenter A300 from Lenovo is an option for an elegant living room or office. Featuring a built-in TV and a good enough storage space complimented by a large enough 21-inch full-HD LED display panel, the A300 can double as an HTPC at home or office. specs - Display: 21-inch LED; cpU: Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2 GHz; RaM: 4 GB; HDD: 500 GB; Os: Windows 7.
ZotaC ZBoXad03Br-PLUS-e
Price: Rs 29,299 Anyone who takes a quick glance at this PC would think its a DVD player. The AMD E-350 APU is ideal for high definition media playback. With a Blu-ray drive and a Wi-Fi adapter this one will be a nice addition to your home theater setup. specs - cpU: AMD E-350; RaM: 2 GB; HaRD Disk: 250 GB; OtHeRs: USB 3.0 and Wi-Fi.
tranSCend StoreJet 25d3 500 GB

Price: Rs 3,800 The StoreJet 25D3 is big on storage space and fast with data transfer. The USB 3.0 compatible drive will give you lightning speeds and it is perfect for transferring data like movies, music and other files with friends, fast and easy. specs - DiMensiOns: 82 x 130 x 17 mm; FORM FactOR: 2.5-inch; capacity: 500 GB; inteRFace: USB 3.0, USB 2.0
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Lenovo IdeaCentre B500

Price: Rs 32,990 Built as a powerful workstation and gaming PC, the IdeaCenter B series are an ideal investment for work and home use. The PC also has a built- in TV tuner and a DVD writer to offer HTPC features on it's large 23-inch display panel. The sound qualiy is also good with speakers built by JBL. specs -Display: 23-inch LCD; cpU: Intel Core 2 Quad E5800 2.8 GHz; RaM: 2 GB; HDD: 640 GB; GpU: Nvidia GeForce GT240M 1 GB; OtHeRs: TV Tuner; OS: Windows 7.
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LaCie Rugged HaRd Hisk 500 gB

Price: Rs 10,000 The LaCie Rugged is, as its name suggests, a hard drive made for tough conditions. Shock-proof up to 2.2 m and spill-proof, the portable drive offers multiple connectivity interfaces and can transfer data at a maximum of 100 MB/s via FireWire 800. specs - Dimensions: 91 x 144 x 25 mm; Form Factor: 2.5-inch; capacity: 500 GB; interFace: USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800
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deLL studio xps 7100

Price: Rs 66,498 The Dell Studio XPS 7100 is built for gamers and power users. With AMDs six-core processor, 6 GB of RAM, discrete graphics and two hard drives striped in RAID 0, you can rest assured demanding applications and games will run without any hiccups. specs - cpU: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T; ram: 6 GB; HarD Disk: 2x1 TB in RAID 0; GrapHics carD: Radeon HD 6670; monitor: 22-inch Full HD LED
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seagate FReeagent goFLex 1 tB

Price: Rs 5,675 Seagates FreeAgent GoFlex drive series is unique in that there is no specific built-in interface. The portable drive comes with an interchangeable cable that offers different interfaces so that you can use a FireWire or a USB port depending on your options. specs - Dimensions: 90 x 120 x 23 mm; Form Factor: 2.5-inch; capacity: 1 TB; interFace: USB 3.0, USB 2.0, FireWire
appLe iMaC
Price: Rs 91,900 The meanest and the awesome looking desktop (panel) PC of all, the iMac stands out as the best choice to gift youself this season. Watch movies, play games or simply get professional work done, the iMac supports them all. Options for a 21-inch model is also available if your budget is fairly lower. specs - Display: 27-inch LED; cpU: Intel Core i5 2.7 GHz; ram: 4 GB; GpU: AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512 GB; HDD: 1 TB; os: OSX Lion.
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appLe MaC Mini

Price: Rs 33,900 Dont underestimate the power of this tiny computer. Powered by a Core i5 CPU, its as powerful as a desktop PC. The higher-end variants feature discrete graphics and more RAM. The Mac Mini is the cheapest Mac computer you can buy. specs - cpU: Intel Core i5, 2.3 GHz; ram: 2 GB; HDD: 500 GB; ViDeo oUtpUts: Thunderbolt and HDMI; UsB ports: 4; FireWire 800 ports: 1
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Wd My Book essentiaL 3 tB
Price: Rs 8,934 The My Book Essential is the latest in ultimate storage drives. With a giant capacity of 3 TB the external drive is perfect for taking backups using the USB 3.0 interface that delivers read and write speeds up to 124 MB/s and 75 MB/s respectively. specs - Dimensions: 48 x 165 x 135 mm; Form Factor: 3.5-inch; capacity: 3 TB; interFace: USB 3.0, USB 2.0
ZotaC ZBox-id31dVd-e
Price: Rs 17,299 Zotacs ZBOX series has ample number of PCs and barebones to choose from. This model featuring a dual-core Atom CPU is built on Nvidias ION platform. With HDMI output and a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, this can be an HTPC, but without an optical drive. specs - cpU: Intel Atom D525; cHipset: Nvidia ION; ram: 2 GB; HarD Disk: 250 GB; otHers: USB 3.0 and Wi-Fi
Hp touCHsMaRt 300
Price: Rs 57,240 Ideal for basic usage such as internet browsing, video chat or social networking, the all-in-one TouchSmart is a good investment as a second PC for any home. Great for use as a kitchen PC, social networking and chatting hub or light entertainment, the HP TouchSmart series is a great option. specs - Display: 20-inch LCD; cpU: AMD Athlon II X2 235e 2.7 GHz; ram: 4 GB; HDD: 500 GB; GpU: Nvidia GeForce G210.
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D-Link Boxee Box

Price: Rs 13,999 Boxee is actually a cross-platform freeware HTPC software with social networking features designed for a living roo TV. These fearures are integrated in the Boxee Box hardware from D-Link. Stream videos to your TV and simply control them from your iPhone or Android as a remote. Login to your online account and search for your favorite TV shows or check out what your friends are watching. specs - Resolution: Full HD 1080p; outputs: HDMI, Composite, Optical Audio; i/o: Ethernet, USB, Wireless
SAmSUng LA46D550k1r
Price: Rs 73,900 This one features a Hyper Real Engine along with SRS Theatre sound for a Full HD media experience. The 46-inch TV can seamlessly and wirelessly stream content from all your DLNA based media devices with great ease. It also features Anynet+ which supports devices with HDMICEC-compatible media playback by using a single remote control specs - Display: 46-inch LCD; Resolution: Full HD 1080p; otheRs: HyperReal Engine, DLNA, USB.
SeAgATe FreeAgenT goFLex Tv HD

Price: Rs 7,700 Enjoy full HD content from the internet or from your GoFlex ultra-portable hard drives with this simple, yet full HD media player. The Seagate GoFlex TV HD features rich Dolby Digital and DTS audio output for a home theatre experience ion your living room. Price:d at a mere Rs 7,700, this HD media player is a good investment. specs - Resloution: Full HD 1080p; outputs: HDMI, Component, Composite; i/o: Ethernet, USB, Internet.
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Sony BrAviA kLv-40nx520

Price: Rs 58,900 Running a Bravia Engine for a crisp and smooth video clarity, the Sony 40-inch full HD LCD TV is wirth a buy. It features a built-in FM radio, Dolby Digital audio, USB ports for movie playback, PIP and Parental Control. specs - Display: 40-inch LCD; Resolution: Full HD 1080p; otheRs: Bravia Engine, USB.
WDTv Live HUB

Price: Rs 11,990 The WD Live Hub is an awesome investment for your living room. Enjoy full high-definition movies as well as the internet on your TV using a single hub. Stream music or movies or simply play them via the 1 TB storage. specs - Resolution: Full HD 1080p; stoRage: 1 TB storage; outputs: HDMI, Component; i/o: USB, Ethernet.
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ASUS o!PLAy HDP2

Price: Rs 8,000 The Asus O!Play HDP2 has a provision for an internal hard drive to store all your favorite songs and movies. Connect a USB mouse and keyboard and surf the internet or stream full HD movies from YouTube directly to your TV with one single gadget. Optionally use it as a NAS for centrallized data location on your home network. specs - Resolution: Full HD 1080p; outputs: HDMI, Component, Composite, Optical audio; i/o: USB 3.0, eSATA, Ethernet.
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Sony BrAviA kDL-46nx720

Price: Rs 1,23,900 Producing crisper blacks than any other EDGE LED based TV, the KDL-46NX720 is a excellent 3D TV. Streaming media via Ethernet and built-in Wi-fi is perfect for a media center in your living room. specs - Display: 49-inch EDGE LED; Resolution: Full HD 1080p; otheRs: X-Reality Engine, 3D, DLNA, USB.
PAnASonic vierA TH-P42S10D

Price: Rs 49,900 Panasonic Viera TH-P42S10D makes use of a G12 Progressive Full-HD plasma panel for an awesome cinema experience. Fast moving scenes are extremely fluidideal for movies and sports. specs - Display: 42-inch Plasma; Resolution: Full HD 1080p, 3D; auDio: 200 W PMPO.
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Lg 47LW6500 LeD LCD tV

Price: Rs 1,39,990 Meant for a complete cinema experience, this 47-inch TV is 3D ready with features of a smart TV. It also includes four sets of psasive 3D glasses for family viewing. Get access limitless content, thousands of movies, customizable apps, videos and the best of the web all organized in simple and easy to use interface. specs - Display: 47-inch EDGE LED IPS LCD; Resolution: Full HD 1080p; otheRs: Cinema 3D, Smart TV, DLNA, DivX HD thru USB.
iomega SCReenPLay DX
Price: Rs 10,999 With up to 2 terabytes of internal storage, the ScreenPlay DX from Iomega is simply a must have add-on to any living room. Watching full HD content from the network or the internet is a cakewalk for the DX. The QWERTY keyboard fully functional remote control makes using the internet even simpler on the TV. specs - Resolution: Full HD 1080p; outputs: HDMI, Composite, Component; i/o: Ethernet, USB .
Lg 47LV5500 LeD LCD tV

Price: Rs 80,999 The best time to invest in a high-end television is a Smart TV. The LG 47LV5500 is a 47-inch capable of delivering Full HD 1080p using an EDGE LED LCD panel. It also features media streaming via Ethernet as well as USB ports. The Magic Motion remote control adds a unique feature with motion gestures. specs - Display: 47-inch, EDGE LED, IPS LCD; Resolution: Full HD 1080p; otheRs: Smart TV, DLNA, DivX HD thru USB.
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SamSung ua46D5500RR
Price: Rs 93,900 The 46-inch Full HD LED TV from Samsung is a TV integrated with a Smart Hub for a complete TV, Media, Theatre and Internet experience on a single display unit. Install and use apps such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and a few more and be connected to friends and family from your living room. specs - Display: 46-inch LED; Resolution: Full HD 1080p; otheRs: Smart HUB, DLNA, USB.
XtReameR PRoDigy 3D HD
Price: Rs 12,000 Flaunt your Xtreamer Prodigy with full HD 3D playback on your 3D TV to your friends and neighbors. The Prodigy has room for an internal 3.5-inch hard drive and also features 512 MB of RAM for seamless playback of 3D content. It also features built-in Wi-fi for wireless networking to avoid the jumble of wires. specs - Resolution: Full HD 1080p, 3D; outputs: HDMI, Coposite, Component; i/o: USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet.
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SamSung bD-C6900
Price: Rs 30,000 BD C6900 is one of the best blu-ray players in the market. Its packed with features like HDMI 1.4.DLNA compliance, 7.1 analogue outputs, 3D, etc. Other features include 1 GB Media Storage, Ultra Fast Play, AllShare for easy sync, Screen Fit, and so on. specs - meDia: 3D Blu-ray Disc; resOlUtiON: 1080p (Up-scaling); cONNectiVity: Wi-Fi, USB.
ninTenDo Wii
Price: Rs 15,990 The pioneer of motion-controlled gaming, the Wii doesnt boast HD graphics or robust online multi-player, but it has an enviable line-up of games, both for hardcore gamers and for casual, multiplayer fun with the entire family. specs - ViDeO OUt: Composite, component, S-video; stOrage: 512 MB; cONNectiVity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth.
PlaySTaTion 3
Price: Rs 16,990 God of War 3, Uncharted 3, Killzone 3 youll find these only on the PS3. This tech powerhouse boasts 7.1 surround sound, 1080p visuals, stereoscopic 3D and motion controls via Playstation Move. With a Blu-ray drive and media streaming features, its also a stellar media device. specs - ViDeO OUt: HDMI, Composite, component; stOrage: 160 GB; cONNectiVity: Wi-FI, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth.
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SamSung galaxy Tab 10.1

Price: Rs 34,000 The new Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Samsung takes tablet computing to the next level. With Androids latest, tablet specific operating system, the Galaxy Tab is the only Android based tablet that gives the iPad 2 stiff competition. specs - Os: Android v3.1; Display: 10.1-inch TFT; cpU: 1 GHz Dual Core ; stOrage: 16 GB; camera: 3 MP; cONNectiVity: Wi-Fi, 3G
Sony bDP-S470
Price: Rs 19,900 This stylish and sleek looking player from Sony packs quite a punch with its Full HD 3D capabilities. Its Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD codecs reproduces unparalleled high definition sound. Coupled with BRAVIA 3D Full HD LCD TV you can enjoy a true 3D viewing experience at home. specs - meDia: 3D Blu-ray Disc; resOlUtiON: 1080p (Up-scaling); cONNectiVity: Wi-Fi, USB.
xbox 360
Price: Rs 21,990 The first of the HD consoles to hit the market, the Xbox 360 started out as a hardcore gamers machine, but the introduction of Kinect has made it ideal for all. The Xbox is home to popular franchises like Halo and Gears of War. specs - ViDeO OUt: HDMI, Composite, component; stOrage: 250 GB, expansion via flash drive; cONNectiVity: Wi-FI, Ethernet, USB.
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HTC Flyer
Price: Rs 36,149 HTC entered the tablet PC market with the Flyer. The Android based tablet offers Wifi and 3G connectivity in its comparatively more compact 7-inch body, letting you carry your world around you with ease and compute on the go. specs - Os: Android v2.3; Display: 7-inch TFT; cpU: 1.5 GHz; stOrage: 32 GB; camera: 5 MP; cOnnectivity: Wi-fi, 3G.
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aPPle iPaD 2
Price: Rs 34,500 Apples iPad 2 makes mobile computing a breeze. The 10-inch tablet running on Apples own operating system gives you the ability to complete work or just keep yourself busy while on the go. There are also 16 GB and 64 GB versions to choose. specs - Os: iOS 4; Display: 9.7-inch LED; cpU: 1 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 32 GB; camera: 0.7 MP; cOnnectivity: Wi-fi, Bluetooth.
lG BD670
Price: Rs18,000 Recently launched the LG BD670 is a player packed with superb features and is modestly priced, which makes it a total value for money. You can enjoy true 3D content as well as you have the option to upscale standard DVDs to 1080p. specs - meDia: 3D Blu-ray Disc; resOlUtiOn: 1080p (Up-scaling); cOnnectivity: Wi-Fi, USB.
BlaCkBerry PlayBook
Price: Rs 27,990 The Playbook marks BlackBerrys entry in to the tablet world. Running on BlackBerrys Tablet OS, the Playbook doesnt offer the coveted BlackBerry messenger service but it is still a handy tool for travel computing. The tablet is available in 3 capacity variants. specs - Os: BlackBerry Tablet; Display: 7-inch TFT; cpU: 1 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 16 GB; camera: 5 MP; cOnnectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
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aCer iConia TaB a500

Price: Rs 26,915 Acer is the first international brand to introduce a tablet featuring Android 3.0. The Iconia A500, running on Googles tablet specific Android OS, packs a whole lot of features for a very competitive price and is also available as the W500 running on Windows. specs - Os: Android v3.0; Display: 10.1-inch TFT; cpU: 1 GHz Dual Core; stOrage: 16 GB; camera: 5 MP; cOnnectivity: Wi-Fi.
eC MeDia Wink
Price: Rs 7,999 Wink launched by EC Media supports 15 major languages and comes with a 2 GB of in-built memory. The Wink store has over 5 lakh e-book titles to choose from and they have support of leading publishers like Penguin, Roli, Oxford University, Harper Collins etc. specs - Display: 6-inch; Weight: 260 g; stOrage: 2 GB; cOnnectivity: Wi-Fi, USB.
aMazon kinDle
Price: Rs 11,850 Amazons Kindle popularized the trend of e-book readers. Its E Ink Pearl technology that results in better contrast makes reading a pleasure. It can store up to 3,500 books, which can be downloaded or transferred via USB. It also includes features like dictionary look-up, highlight and notes. specs - Display: 6-inch; Weight: 247 g; cOnnectivity: USB, Wi-fi, 3G.
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Altec lAnsing expressionist UltrA Mx6021

Price: Rs 11,500 The Altec Lansing Expressionist Ultra offers a decent combination of good performance and stylish design. The speakers have an excellent reproduction of bass and treble. The speakers pump put a total power of 200 W enough to rock your living room. specs - channel: 2.1-channel; power: 200 Watt PMPO
JBl hArMAn KArdon go+plAy Micro

Price: Rs 12,490 The Go+Play Micro from JBL is a stylish, portable iPod dock. The dock provides strong audio performance and offers full navigation of the docked iPod from the remote controller. The relatively large Harman Kardon Go+Play is a great buy for a dock that you will not be carrying around a lot. specs - weight: 3.90 kg; power: 60 watts; others: Remote control.
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Apple ipod toUch 8 gB

Price: Rs 15,400 The iPod touch with its high resolution Retina display is a clear winner. Its super fine pixels guarantee strikingly crisp images and text. Apart from media playback, its additional features include HD video recording and editing, FaceTime video calling, web browsing, apps, games, and much more. specs - audio formats: AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, WAV; display: 3.5-inch, 960 x 640 pixels.
JBl spyro
Price: Rs 7,215 The JBL Spyro is a uniquely designed speaker, that represent flowers, will impress the females. The build quality is awesone and so is the audio. Great for use as desktop speakers or plujgging in your iPod, the JBL Spyro is a great choice for an add-on audio equipment to your desktop. specs - channel: 2.1-channel; power: 30 Watt RMS
creAtive gigAWorKs t3
Price: Rs 20,400 The Creative Gigaworks T3 is a good looking 2.1-channel speaker set with a powerful three-driver sub-woofer to give you those thumps and thuds while watching a action movie or playing an FPS game. The T3 pumps audio at a total of 80 W RMS and is worthy of its price. specs - channel: 2.1-channel; power: 80 Watt RMS
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sony nWZ-A845 16 gB
Price: Rs 9,990 This is one of Sonys slimmest PMPs and contains many audio customizing features like a 5 band equalizer, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, Noise Cancellation ambience settings etc. specs - audio format: MP3, WMA, AAC-LC, Linear-PCM; display: 2.8-inch, 400 x 240 pixels
coWon J3 8 gB
Price: Rs 10,900 Equipped with an AMOLED display, the Cowon J3 is a great device for viewing photos and video playback. It also features Bluetooth A2DP for wireless listening and memory expansion. specs - audio format: MP3/2/1, WMA, FLAC, OGG, WAV, APE; display: 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 pixels.
logic3 JiveBox
Price: Rs 8,999 Shaped like a perfect cube, the relatively small dock gives high quality sound and bass even at high volumes. It lacks portability and extra features but it is great value for money. specs - weight: 2.48 kg; power: 90 watts RMS; other: Remote control
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Cowon D3 32 GB
Price: Rs 18,980 The Cowon D3 is packed with features that make it stand out from the rest. It runs the Android OS and offers the option to download additional apps and games. Videos look great on the large capacitive touchscreen and the audio quality is pristine. specs - Audio form At: MP3/2/1, WMA, OGG, WAV, ASF, FLAC, APE, M4A; displAy: 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 pixels.
AlteC lAnsinG MoonDAnCe Glow

Price: Rs 5,490 The Moondance Glow packs some novel features like a customizable display and alarms, mood lighting and a RF snooze remote. The dock itself is portable and stylish and gives great audio performance. specs - Weight: 1.13 kg; poWer: 2.2 watts RMS; other: FM Radio, Remote control
JBl on tiMe MiCro

Price: Rs 9,990 The On Time Micro from JBL packs a whole lot of features in a really compact form factor. The iPod dock with a stylish design features AM/FM radio, plenty of alarm options as well as Line IN/AUX in for connecting other music players. specs - Weight: 0.81 kg; poWer: 12 watts RMS; other: FM Radio, Remote control
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Apple ipoD ClAssiC 160 GB

Price: Rs 15,200
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As the name suggests iPod Classic is a classic music and video player. With 160 GB of memory it can hold your entire media collection and more. It features a sleek and all-metal enclosure, which gives it a trendy look. specs - Audio formAt: AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, WAV; displAy: 2.5-inch, 320 x 240 pixels.
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CreAtive Zen X-Fi 2 16 GB

Price: Rs 9,559 The Zen X-Fi features a touch screen and supports multiple audio format that including FLAC. Its X-Fi Crystalizer restores details lost during file compression that guarantees high quality output. Its other features include FM Radio, alarm clock, calendar, expandable memory etc. specs - Audio formAt: MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC4, FLAC4; displAy: 3-inch, 400 x 240 pixels.
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rAZer MAko
Price: Rs 21,999 Certified by THX, the Mako has a ClassHD digital amp to provide rich quality audio. Whether watching a movie, listinening to music or gaming, Mako will definitely be worth every penny you spend. specs - chAnnel: 2.1-channel; poWer: 300 Watt RMS.
All prices are indicative and subject to local taxes.
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featured
The Death of the Netbook
Once the most exciting category of tech products, netbooks have been out-glammed by tablets and outclassed by cheap portable laptops. We take a firsthand look at the state of the mobile computing world.
By JAMSHED AVARI
s there still space in the world for netbooks? Four years ago, the entire world fell in love with the idea of
In fact, netbooks never did take off in way they were intended to. For all the reasons above, they never gained much foothold as entry-level PCs for low-income buyers. Its only because they caught the public fancy as inexpensive secondary gadgets that they ever sold in large quantities. The iPad and its various competitors, however, are much more suitable as portable entertainment gadgets, so even that appeal is lost. Today, it all boils down to what you want to use your tablet or netbook for.
Netbooks are cheaper than tablets, and are often more versatile, although many people get quickly accustomed to the ways in which tablets are limited and therefore dont mind this so much. Theres no sense in comparing the two types of devices spec-for-spec, since theyre designed to be used in vastly different ways. For all the convenience of iOS or Android, a tablet cannot provide the kind of experience that a Windows or Linux based netbook can. I decided to spend equal amounts of time with an
cheap, lightweight computers that could do almost anything. Netbooks shot to the top of the popularity charts so fast that every single PC maker jumped aboard and a whole new device category was born. Today, though, there might not be much reason for that category to exist anymore. Netbooks are good at being cheap, portable, and simple to use, but they arent good at satisfying the needs of users as they grow beyond basic tasks. They might be convenient, but its hard justifying the cost today when a much more capable laptop can be had for just a few thousand rupees more. The hardware is underpowered, the preloaded Windows Starter Edition just looks anemic, and no single model has yet managed to work a comfortable keyboard and trackpad into package only large enough for a 10-inch screen.
42% 23%
Notebooks Tablets Desktops Netbooks
17%
18%
By 2015, the US PC market will break down as such (based on percentage of units sold in 2015):
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Sources: Resolve Market Research (June 2011); Gartner (April 2011); Forrester Research (June 2011)
featured
A 10-inch tablet is the size most preferred with
choosing 10-inch as the size small enough to fit in my purse or briefcase.
57% 80% 63%

of business users say their tablet has fully or partially replaced their laptop for work-related activities
and putting together articles, I found myself stashing the iPad back in my bag and heading for the public terminals provided for the press. The netbook also came in handy when checking out press materials handed out on pen drives, and in several situations, the only available Internet access was via cellphone tetheringI would have had to go hunting for a microSIM for the iPad and spend extra money on it, but could simply hook up the netbook via a USB cable. Lesson learnt: when travelling for work, you cant beat the versatility of a full computer, even if its a small, weak one. If youre used to the way things are done on a desktop or laptop computer, youll find that multitasking, mouse-andkeyboard input, and even the variety of software available will influence your decision. Theres no substitute for having a real filesystem, being able to organize things across drives, connect to networks and projectors, back up digital photos and videos, and of course multitask with the flick of a wrist. Of course these things are PC-specific, not netbook-specific. The tablet loses out on flexibility, but a laptop is still better than a netbook in every work-related situation. Back at home, I found the netbook in a month than I had all of last year. With a home media server and Wi-Fi browsers and chat windows running,
of owners say having consistent apps across devices is their most important need
iPad 2 and an Asus Seashell, giving them equal opportunities, and seeing which turned out to be more suitable in each situation.
pretty much never came out of its bag. For every possible use situation, the iPad proved more comfortable and fun. There are tons of brilliant free ebooks available online, and I found myself reading more
The experiences
The first situation in which I had to choose a netbook or tablet was while traveling. If I had to choose only one device to put into my backpack, it would have to be a tablet. The netbook weighs 1.25 kg, while the iPad 2 weighs half as much, at 600 grams. The difference is noticeable, but if youre willing to put up with a netbook, also keep in mind that todays ultraportable laptops start at around 1.4 kgs. I took both for a spin during Computex
in Taipei earlier this year. Unsurprisingly, the iPad proved to be an excellent choice for entertainment and web surfing, but in situations where I needed to dash to a computer, it was frustratingly limited. The iPad was undoubtedly easier and more handy to use while waiting in airport lounges and sitting in cramped economy class seats. I watched videos, read ebooks, and twiddled around on the web whenever Wi-Fi was available. However when it came to things like previewing and uploading photos, replying to email
everywhere, there is literally an app for everything. There were of course times when I needed to multitask more, with but in those situations I always walked over to my PC rather than taking out the netbook. There was no advantage left for the netbookthe tiny screen and keyboard make it worthwhile only when a desktop or laptop isnt available. If I ever have to choose only one cheap device at home, it would have to be a netbook, but if I wanted a secondary gadget for my own entertainment, I know now that the iPad wins hands down. Which brings us to the budget question. If you already have a PC or laptop and are looking for a companion device or gadget, a tablet will give you more choice and flexibility. If youre buying a netbook or tablet because its the only thing you can afford, youd be better served by the netbook, but you should still seriously consider saving some more and buying a cheap laptop. So tablets are great if you can afford an indulgent lifestyle, but netbooks still have a place in the world. Laptops far outclass netbooks in terms of power, and tablets trump them when it comes to weight. The purpose of the exercise was to figure out whether netbooks still have a place in the world, and with this kind of competition on both sides, its clear that they now appeal to only a narrow section of the buying public. The only advantage they have left is their low cost. That might be enough reason for some, but its a shrinking target group.
jamshed.avari@chip.in
Android is forecast to increase its worldwide share of the media tablet market from
20% 39%
in 2011 to in 2015
of media tablet OSs in 2011, and represent
of the media tablet market in 2015
69% 47%
iOS will account for
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Web Watch
Here are some interesting websites you might want to visit.

compiled by Priyanka Tilve
MyGuestHouse.net
HaMaraGuru.coM
talkMiner.coM
ith the festive season coming up, many of you must be planning your vacations. Even if you plan
to go in December, its prudent to make your bookings as early as possible to guarantee you better prices. While there are many sites that allow you to book your tickets, when it comes to hotels, guesthouses, serviced apartments etc. is quite a rarity. MyGuestHouse. net is a step towards changing that. It is an online portal for quality budget accommodations like guesthouses, B&Bs, inns, motels and serviced apartments. With a strong network of over 4,000 budget hotels in over 115 cities nationwide, MyGuestHouse presents its customers with the power of choice and ensures they always have options. On the site, you can plan your stay by selecting the city you want to visit, and the check-in/check-out date. It will then display the hotels and guesthouses available that suit your requirement. But what sets it apart from other sites is the fact that you can even specify the locality within the city that you plan to visit. If you are going on a business trip or to attend a convention, this will help you select a hotel close to the venue. Another feature of the site that sets it apart is the live inventory system of the site, which ensures that you do not face booking rejections or face availability problems. Once you select the hotel of your choice, you will find all the relevant information, like meals included, facilities offered, restaurants etc. as well as pictures. The site also has Google Maps integration to enhance travel planning.
hether you are a fresher or someone with job hunting experience, there are always some
apprehensions when taking up a new job. If you happen to know someone who works there, you can get a fair idea of what to expect, both in terms of remuneration and work environment. HamaraGuru.com is a site where you can find information about companies, which includes reviews of the company in general as well as the salary according to the job profile. In order to access the site, you will have to register. Once registered, you can browse through the reviews uploaded and also contribute with a review of the company you work with. It goes without saying that these reviews are uploaded anonymously. As of now, the majority of the companies on the site are from the field of IT and includes companies like TCS, Microsoft, Infosys, IBM, Accenture, Google, Oracle, Hewlett Packard, etc. If you are already an employee of any of these companies, you can check the salaries uploaded by your peers to keep a track and know how you are placed in comparison. Another feature of the site is the option of referring jobs. Those registered on the site can post job openings in their company, whereby those interested can apply for the same. You will find conflicting reviews on the site for the same company, as most of these reviews are written by individuals and are based on his or her experiences. Nevertheless, reading through all the reviews should give you a decent heads-up.
he Internet is a rich information resource, and students will vouch for the fact that it has made life easier
for them. Looking for information for writing papers, reports etc. is possible in a jiffy as they can refer to works published by authors across the globe. While its easy to gain access to word documents, the same cannot be said about videos. Since videos are proving to be a popular medium of instruction in leading institutions, there are many educational videos on the Internet, but finding them is a challenge. Searching for videos on the popular sharing sites will throw up results based on the title, which can be a bit superficial. One site that will help you with access to educational videos is TalkMiner.com. It is an online video lecture search tool, which analyzes the video lectures by automatically transcribing words used in the lectures visual aids. It basically uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to detect words form the slides. This means that even if your search word was not mentioned in the title of the video, TalkMiner will be able to find that for you. TalkMiner looks beyond just the title and instead searches within the video for your search words. Created by researchers at Fuji Xerox Palo Alto Laboratory (FXPAL) in California, TalkMiner currently indexes over 15,000 videos. Searching for videos is fairly easy; just key in the search word and the relevant videos will be listed. You can further narrow down this list by publication date, channel, duration, year etc.
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Avoid lAst minute shopping At crowded mAlls. shop online for some greAt deAls.
digitalphotographyschool.com
picture is worth a thousand words, goes the old adage, and it couldnt be more true. But you dont need
an expensive camera to click moving pictures. All you need is passion, a keen eye, and perseverance to keep learning. There are many online resources from where you can pick up photography tips, and one such site is Digital-PhotographySchool.com. From how to click great animal shots, to how to capture lightning, to good food shots, you will find tips for them in the sites Photography Tips & Tutorials. This is further divided into tips for beginners, composition tips, most popular, and how to photograph. How to photograph gives you tips on how to get a perfect shot of seemingly difficult scenes like fireworks, direct sunlight, rainbows, silhouettes, pets, etc. The composing tips section will equip you with the essentials of basic photography like choosing the perfect angle, filling the frame, focal points, framing the shots, getting the background right, etc. Once you have learnt to click those great shots, you can then move to the equally important post production of images. Under the post production tab, you will find tips on how to use the various tools to your advantage. Apart from this, the site will also provide reviews of the latest cameras and equipment in the market. On the site, you can also share your pictures, write details about the shot, and even have it critiqued.
Online ShOpping
days, during festive times, some of them promise express delivery within seven days. This ensures that you get your order delivered well in time for festival. When it comes to buying gadgets, you will be surprised with the kind of discounts you will find online. There are many sites jostling for attention in this space, including Flipkart.com, Naaptol. com, Letsbuy.com, Timtara.com, and Gadgetsguru.in. Here, you will find on sale almost all the latest gadgets, including smartphones, TVs, laptops, cameras, home appliances, etc. on offer at discounted rates. The prices on the gadgets vary on all these sites and so do the offers. So before buying, check out the offers on all sites and opt for the one that has the most attractive deal. Apart from the discount, the freebies range from SD cards, laptop bags, PMPs, etc. Not to be left behind, even the daily deal sites have on offer deals keeping in mind the festive season. These range from spa packages to travel discounts. If you wish to send sweets to your loved ones staying abroad, try MithaiMate. com. They promise to deliver authentic Indian sweets in Canada, the US and the UK. Another site you can look at is FNP.com. They deliver fresh flowers as well as sweets to around 150 countries around the world. Looking to buy jewelry? Add a little sparkle to your life with Caratlane.com. Here you will get the best deals on genuine diamonds.
- priyanka.tilve@chip.in
PRIYANKA TILVE, senior feAtures writer
ith the festive season just around the corner, its time to shop! Shopping during festivals is huge, whether for oneself, family or friends. For one, its considered an auspicious time to buy things, and secondly, its also the time when brands come up with attractive offers and discounts to lure customers. Typically, a few days before the festivities begin you will find a mad rush at malls and showrooms. You can easily avoid all this and benefit from some great discounts thanks to e-commerce. Over the last year, the number of online shopping sites has multiplied manifold. Everything you need to buy, you can find online, right from electronics to sweets and even vegetables. Since there are many sites, there is also stiff competition amongst them, which not only ensures better services, but better deals for their customers. Lets take a look at some sites from where you can stock up this Diwali. First up is Ebay. One of the oldest and the most popular e-commerce sites, it is one of the best places to buy gadgets, electronics, and much more. If you wish to buy branded clothes and other lifestyle products, then sign-up with 99labels. com, FashionandYou.com, TrendStreet. in, CbaZaar.in etc. To cash in on the festive season, many of these sites come-up with attractive sales, discounts and other offers. While the usual shipping time for these sites is around 20
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Dr CHIP
SenD your querieS to: drchip@chip.in
Sachin Pandit
[Q] Hello Dr CHIP, I recently bought

and 1 TB hard drive from Hitachi and made a primary partition of 50 GB for Windows and a 200 GB partition for music and the rest for dumping my other data. My problem is that earlier I had installed Windows on a 29 GB partition on my Seagate 250 GB hard disk, but now when I installed windows 7 again on it, The operating system is taking up to 28 GB of space in the 50 GB partition whereas earlier it restricted itself to around 15 GB on the 29 GB partition. Can I please get an explanation for this difference? My PC configuration is as follows: Gigabyte G41M-S2P motherboard, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, Hitachi 1 TB hard drive and another WD 500 GB hard drive (green series), Zotac GTS 450 graphics card, running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit version operating system and Kaspersky Pure Total Security as the antivirus. Thanks in advance. Bibhuranjan
[A] Hello Bibhuranjan. Windows Vista

and Windows 7 require more than 15 GB of disk space initially when installing. This space will gradually increase in time and you shall find your primary hard drive simply bloating with files that you never copied or stored. This is a regular issue and should not be of concern because Windows keeps bloating its folders for its own purposes. The reasons are many and one of it is the installation of additional programs. Other reasons are temporary files, cached internet files, files and folders stored on the desktop, emails and documents of users, hibernation files, system recovery files and much more. In order to contain these files and try limiting them to occupy space on your primary partition, I would suggest you tweak your Windows in certain ways. Firstly, use a junk file cleaner such as Ccleaner. This utility will (safely) search and delete all unwanted junk, temporary and cache files on your system. Secondly, if you dont use the Windows Hibernation mode, you can disable hibernation which takes up almost 1 GB to 1.5 GB of space. You can also delete the system recovery files from time to time (around once a week) using the CLEANMGR command. Lastly, I would highly recommend you install third party applications on a separate folder on another partition other than the C drive. to do this, when you are installing a software, while the setup wizard is running, you can point the setup utility to store/copy the required files in
space on your C drive, make sure you dont store large files on your desktop. The desktop folder is located on your C drive and will fill it up faster than you realize it. The same is the case with the My Documents folder. I have a similar issue, but not that I run out of space, but I keep formatting my machine in shorter durations for obvious reasons. To help me save on time and efforts, o have mapped my My Documents folder and emails to the D drive and save all my desktop files and folders on the D drive. To access these files, I have a shortcut placed on the desktop. This way, I can format my C drive without having to worry about backups too. Hence in your case, 28 GB of space occupied by Windows is quite normal.
[Q] Hi Dr CHIP, whenever I start my

PC, an error stating svchost.exe problem occurs. I try to delete it, but I somehow just cant. Please give me a solution as soon as possible. Shahrukh Rahman
[A] Hello Shahrukh. There are a few

reasons for your system popping up the error of SVCHOST.EXE. Your system could be infected by a virus or there could be a few DLL files that are not functioning or corrupted on your system. Scan your PC with a good updated antivirus and clean out any viruses and malware that could be residing on your PC. Finally, start the command prompt and run the command SFC /Scannow and follow the instructions on screen. Make sure you
You can delete system recovery files around once a week using the CLEANMGR command.
another location other than the default Program Files. In order to also free up
SMS us! Story code: HDC to 51818
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battery cell of motherboard. Nothing worked. Please help, what to do? Akshay Raut
[A} Hello Akshay. The reason for your

PC restarting can be due to several reasons. The guys you contact for help are also partially right in what they have said. It can be a virus and also be an overheating issue. Since you have ruled out the possibility of a virus, you should try tackling the second possibilityheat.
Keep the Windows installation disc handy as SFC will replace corrupted/missing files.
Clean the hardware components of your system, i. e., the motherboard, processor, RAM and cooling fans. If you have a graphics card, you should clean it too. Finally check all cables and connectors for any loose connections. Make sure your processor is not overheating. Check the CPU cooling fans for any dust and slow spinning blades. If needed, apply a layer of fresh coolant paste between the fan and the processor or change the fan itself. If your PC is still restarting, it could also be due to the hardware drivers. Make sure all the drivers are updates and also update the operating system with the latest service pack. The PC can also restart if the power supply is weak or under-powering the system hardware. Try replacing the power supply unit with a higher rated one. If you dont have another power supply unit for testing, you can also try disconnecting unwanted hardware such as additional hard drives, graphics card, PCI cards and USB devices and then try it out. Finally if you are still not able to solve the problem, you should contact a computer service engineer for help.
Search for Suggest Names while Completing TO, CC and BSS fields option and uncheck the box.
have your Windows installation CD/DVD handy as it will replace the corrupted and missing system files from the original installation files. Also scan and clean your registry using a registry cleaner such as Ccleaner. Finally, run the utility HijackThis.exe to get rid of any registry hijacks that can cause these errors.
this feature in a few simple steps. XX Start Outlook. XX Click on Tools and then on Options. XX Next click on Email Options and a new window will pop up. XX Here click on the button Advanced Email Option and another window will popup with the Advanced Options. XX this window, search for the option In Suggest Names while Completing TO, CC and BSS fields and uncheck the box. XX Save all settings and close the dialog boxes. You should now be able to get rid of the automatic completion of email addresses. You can always revert the settings when you need it back again.
[Q] Respected Dr CHIP, I am facing

a problem of my PC restarting automatically. It has been happening for a week now. I had called two PC experts and all said that it is because of a virus. But I dont believe them. I dont think it is because of a virus. I was using AVG 8 Free edition at that time. The second expert suggested me to buy the antivirus software from their store. I bought Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 from a different store, and installed and scanned whole PC, but there wasnt anything found. I saved a copy of some of my important data on two of my 4 GB pen drives and formatted whole PC completely. But it is still having the same problem. I cleaned the RAM sticks and HDD connectors because a friend suggested that the PC may be restarting because of a heating issue. I also changed the
[Q] Hi Dr CHIP, I have been reading

your magazine for past 3 months and I must say it is really good. Whenever I try to connect any device to my front USB port. There is a message Device not recognized coming up. I have tried everything possible, but it just doesnt seem to get better. Please help me with this problem because I have to connect a pen drive and a few other devices on a daily basis. Thanks. Ankita Sharma
[Q] Dear Dr CHIP, In Microsoft

Outlook, is it possible to remove the name list or the e-mail IDs that pop up immediately (another user/friend has sent the mail to those e-mail IDs previously) whenever I start typing any e-mail ID starting with any alphabet? Request you to please answer to my query as soon as possible. Many thanks for your support in advance. P V Deshpande
[A] Hello Pravin. Having the auto

complete feature in an email client is a very option, but can prove dangerous at times because you can land up sending
A lower PSU could lead to insufficient power supply to the needy components.
emails accidentally to a wrong person and get into trouble too. You can disable
Use a USB extension cable from the rear USB ports to the front to make up for for a dead front port.
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[A] Hello Ankita. There could be two

possibilities here for the problem you are facing. One could be a faulty USB port itself and the other could be the front USB port hub of the motherboard. In either case, there is nothing much you can do. Check if the pen drive works on the rear USB ports. If it does, then I would advise using a USB extension cable and continue using the PC as repairing / replacing the motherboard would cost you.
You will not be able to update any patches and service packs if the operating system is pirated.
WinSetupFromUSB. A detailed workshop on how to install Windows XP from a USB pen drive using Komku is available on http://www.chip.in/article/InstallWindows-from-a-USB-drive.html. The error of invalid Boot.ini file is due to a corrupted or deleted boot.ini file which is usually found in the root directory of C drive. You will need to copy the boot.ini file from another PC running Windows XP on to your PC and check if it helps.
[A] Hello Libin. Since you have a new

notebook, you should have got the product with a pre-installed genuine operating system, unless the product did not include an operating system with it. If you have got the product installed with Windows from a regular dealer, he might have installed it with a pirated Windows operating system which is wrong and illegal on his part. You should always use a legal operating system and software on a PC or laptop. Since the operating system is a pirated one, the laptop has synchronized with the online Microsoft servers and detected that it is a pirated copy and notifying you that it is not a genuine operating system. You will not be able to update any patches and service packs if the operating system is pirated. You should remove the operating system and reinstall a legal copy of Windows on your PC in order to avail updates and support from Microsoft. Check with your computer hardware dealer for your own copy of Genuine Windows operating system.
[Q] Respected Sir, I used to have a

dual booting Windows 7 with Ubuntu PC. I had installed both the operating systems on the same drive (C drive). But now I formatted the C drive and installed Windows XP on it. But now I am not able to get the option during booting to run the Ubuntu Linux operating system. Please help me with the following queries: XX How can I recover the space that I allotted to Ubuntu from C? XX How can I recover the Boot Menu in order to run Ubuntu again? Waiting for your earliest reply. Thanks. Sarvesh Shrivastava
[Q] Hi, Dr CHIP, I am using a Nokia

2700 Classic mobile phone and I want to use my mobile as a webcam. What is the software that I need to download for this to work? I have also downloaded the software prescribed earlier in CHIP magazine Mobiola but it didnt work in my phone because my phone is not a Symbian phone. Please reply back to me on my email-id. Thank you. Deepak Singh
[Q] Dear Sir, how do I create a

bootable USB pen drive for installing Windows XP? And what does the error Invalid boot.ini file mean? How to get
Mobiola works only on Blackberry, iPhone, Windows based or Symbian based mobile phones.
rid of it? Thanks in advance. Sarath Kumar
[A] Hello Deepak. There is no other

option or application unless your phone supports the feature. You will need another phone to have a webcam feature. Not all phones can work as webcams. Why not buy a webcam instead, it would be cheaper than a mobile phone and would work better too.
[A] Hello Sarath. In order to make a

Windows XP bootable and installable USB pen drive, you can use the utilities such as WinToFlash, Komku or
Linux installs the GRUB bootloader which helps choose between OSs at the initial booting stage.
[A] Hello Sarvesh. When you installed

Ubuntu over Windows, the Linux operating system installed a bootloader called GRUB which helps choosing between the operating systems at the initial booting stage. Since you have reinstalled Windows again, the (Windows) operating system has erased/deleted this bootloader and you can no longer have the option of booting into Ubuntu. In order to get back to the normal procedure where you can choose between Windows and Ubuntu, you will have to restore the bootloader
[Q] Dear Dr CHIP, I am regular reader

of CHIP magazine. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate on my new Samsung notebook. The problem is that when I am updating Windows, somehow it is shown that my operating system is not a genuine one. Kindly help me here. Thank you. Libin
Win2Flash is a great tool for creating Windows installable bootable USB pen drives.
(GRUB) and this can be done using the Ubuntu DVD. Boot from the Ubuntu
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DVD into the live option and run the Boot-Repair option. Then apply the First Repair option. Once done, reboot the PC without the DVD and your boot options will be visible again allowing you to boot into Ubuntu. For more information and options, logon to the website help.ubuntu.com/community/ recoveringUbuntuAfterInstalling Windows. As far as your second query goes, you seem that you want to remove Ubuntu and recover the space allotted to Linux into Windows. For this, in Windows, right-click on My Computer (you must log in as an Administrator to get permissions to do this) and click Manage. Then browse down to Disk Management and on the right side you will notice the different partitions allocated to Windows and Linux. Delete the ones that are not related to your Windows drive and extend the Windows partition to use up the remaining space. You can also use a third party free tool called MiniTool Partition Wizard to do the same. Note: you have to be very careful while doing this as you can accidentally delete/destruct your C drive and lose all data. Please take all data backups before attempting these procedures.
An example of a motherboard featuring an onboard IGP as well as a PCIe x16 slot. Laptop batteries are made up of 6 9 Li-Ion, Ni-Cd or Ni-MH cells wired internally.
card on a motherboard which has an integrated provided it has a PCIe slot. Check the motherboards user manual to confirm this or open the PC cabinet and locate the PCIe slot. Alternatively, you can look up the motherboard manufacturers website using the motherboards model number for more information. XX The memory speed and capacity of the system RAM has no connection with the video RAM. XX update the BIOS firmware of the To motherboard, you need to download the latest BIOS file and the updating utility from the motherboard manufacturers website and follow the procedures given with it. Updating the BIOS firmware of a motherboard is risky and should not be attempted unless you know how to do it. Any mistake of error while doing so can render your motherboard dead. XX You can change the PSU bundled with your cabinet with another one without any issues. The change would only be necessary if the PSU is faulty, is of a lower quality, has insufficient power cables or has a lower power rating to support your hardware. XX Whether you opt for a single 2 GB RAM stick or two 1 GB RAM sticks, it really makes no difference in the speed and performance of your PC. You will only have one less slot for installing more RAM if you opt for 2 x 1 GB RAM sticks.
Vishwatej
[A] Hello Vishwatej. Since your battery

is full, you can continue to use the power adapter, but it is not actually recommended because it can affect the overall performance of the battery life in the longer run. When a battery of any device, be it a laptop, mobile phone or an MP3 player, is fully charged, it is recommended that you disconnect it and use the device on battery mode till the device prompts to connect the charger/ adapter again. Usually, all gadgets prompt for a charger connection when the battery reaches a critical stage of around 5 percent remaining charge. A usual practice of charging the battery to 100 percent and then draining it completely ensures that the battery is completely and properly used keeping the battery at top performance and decreasing the possibility of a battery failure. Older gadgets used batteries such as Ni-Cd which had a problem called Memory Effect caused when the battery is not fully drained before recharging. For example, when a battery is used only 50 percent and then recharged again, the battery records a full capacity at 100 percent and drained at 50 percent, reducing the battery capacity to half. So when the battery is actually having 50 percent charge, your device will show that the battery is completely drained. You will need to replace the battery with a new one finally. Newer devices now use the Li-Ion and Li-Polymer type batteries which do not suffer these issues. But it is still advisable that you drain the battery completely and recharge till complete unless you need to move outdoors urgently and have to recharge again. Send your queries to Francis DSa at drchip@chip.in
[Q] Dear Dr CHIP, I am a reader of CHIP

magazine but am not a regular reader. I read it once in two or three months due to its high price. Well, this is my third letter to you. This time I have some questions. They are as follows: XX I bought an IGP motherboard, can If I install a separate graphics card on it? XX the memory support of a If motherboard is DDR2 1066 MHz (Maximum 8 GB), will it support a DDR5 graphics card? XX How do I update the BIOS? My current BIOS Award Software, Inc. XX I have a power supply unit If bundled with my cabinet, can I opt and install a separate PSU? XX There are two RAM stick configurationsone with a single 2 GB capacity and the other with 2 x 1 GB sticks, what is the difference between the two? Which one is better? Please reply to my queries. Sandeep
[Q] Hi Dr CHIP, I have a DELL Inspiron

laptop. Can I use the laptop on an AC power supply continuously even though the battery is fully charged? Is there any problem caused to battery life or it will it work normally? Please suggest and thank you for your answer.
[A] Hello Sandeep. Let me answer your

queries as per your order of questions. XX Yes, you can install a discrete graphics
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How to: Video streaming between PC and Android

Streaming media from your Android device to your PC and back is easier than you think. In this workshop, well show you how.
By FRANCIS D'SA
odays smartphones, particularly those based on the Android platform, are media powerhouses,
how you can stream video, photos or music from your mobile phone directly on to a desktop PC or laptop. All you need is a simple free Android app called VLC Direct, a media playback application called VLC Media Player on your PC, and the two connected to the same network. Download VLC Direct for free from the Android Market. Download and install VLC on your PC from www.videolan.org. Connect the PC and the Android phone to a wireless router and you are ready to stream. STep 1: Start VLC Direct on your Android handheld. A small wizard will guide you through the process of configuring the video streaming necessities. Be careful because if you accidentally quit the application or press the back button on your phone,
VLC Direct will exit and not show you the wizard again. In this case, you can press the Menu button, go to Settings, and select the Automatic Connection Wizard to re-initiate the wizard. STep 2: Start your PC, connect it to a large screen LCD TV if you want to enjoy videos on a big screen. Start VLC Media Player on your PC. Click on View | Add Interface | Web interface and leave VLC Media player as it is. STep 3: On the mobile phone screen, select the Start button and the VLC Direct app will start scanning for the machine with VLC Media Player on your local network. Once that is done, you will receive a toast message stating that it has found the player and the configurations have been set. You are now ready to stream your
so its very likely that you have tons of photos and video clips youd like to share with friends and family. But it can get pretty painful showing them off on your handsets tiny screen. Wouldnt it be nice if you could watch it on your laptop, desktop monitor or your large screen TV without having to transfer the files onto your PC? Getting a USB cable and hooking up your phone to your PC is tedious and time consuming. And what if you happen to be at a friends place and dont have your USB cable with you? Moreover, you wouldnt want to transfer your personal media onto someone elses PC. In this workshop, we will show you
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media files onto your PC instantly. Using the Android handset, you can sit back and scroll through your list of videos, photos, or music files and watch play them back on the big screen. You can control the playback (stop, play, pause, forward or rewind) and volume controls too. Whats more, you can also pull up the list of media files stored on the PC (running the VLC Media Player) and play those. The VLC Direct interface includes playback control buttons, icons for videos and music on your phone, a monitor icon for listing files available on the remote PC and a VLC icon for a playlist. Towards the top-left of the screen, you will find an Android logo icon (target), which is a toggle button that can be used to direct the video stream to your PC from your handheld or from the PC to the handheld. The screenshots
here will explain these buttons in detail. Streaming media from the PC to the Android phone is pretty simple using the target button. Using this mode is beneficial as you dont need to transcode or convert your videos into a compatible format for your Android device. You can also save on storage space on your phone by treating the PC as a media server. Streaming from your PC to the Android device can also be convenient when someone else is using the laptop and youd like to access media content on it. Note: In order to stream media files from a PC to your Android phone, you will need to purchase the VLC Direct Pro version, which is available on the Android Market for Rs 164. The Free version can stream seamlessly to a PC without any limit, but streaming from a PC to your phone is only allowed for a few minutes.
francis.dsa@chip.in
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HeadpHones RepaIR
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Fix Damaged Headphones

Here is a small guide to help you fix your favorite headphones, which might have been damaged due to wire stretching or audio jack issues.
By Francis Dsa and Karan sHaH
hether youre an audiophile or somebody who listens to music on-the-go, your
Fault Identification
Identify the area of the fault. If theres a break in the wire, its best to replace the whole wire from your headphones with a new one or taken from another pair. In case there are problems at the connector end, the solution is to cut the wire, buy another connector (most electronic shops sell it for less than ten rupees) and solder the wires to the new connector. Thirdly, in most cases, sound is audible over only one side of the headphones as the soldering wears off with time or the wires have given way. Due to this, the functionality of the headphones is drastically reduced, but with a few simple methods mentioned below, youll get the sound back from both channels in no time. For our workshop, we took our faulty Koss Porta Pro headphones and upon diagnosis, realized that the fault lay at the point where the cable met the headphone driver. But heres the important bit of information you need to keep in mind - you need to identify the smartest possible way of prying your headphones open. In most cases, the drivers are concealed in a frame, which is either glued together, fused as one piece, have clamps or simply screwed together. Therefore, we would suggest that you carefully examine the headphones and the wiring before attempting to open them. In case you find the drivers are fused inside a case, you might need to cut open the frame. If needed, get some help from someone who knows a bit of electronics. On our Koss headphones, we found that it had a small plastic cap covering the audio drivers connectors that needed to be flipped apart with a screwdriver. A few have the second channel routed through the head band and hence, there will be a bit more
headphones may stop working or work only partially over prolonged use. Weve put together a simple guide on how to get those headphones up and running once again. Firstly, youll require a soldering
iron, some solder wire and another pair headphones which you don't intend to use. The reason we would require another pair of headphones or earphones is to make use of the wires and the connector in case your expensive headphones have a bad wire or connector, thus needing replacement. Needless to say, other tools like screwdrivers, wire strippers and a sharp blade or knife will definitely come in handy. So once youve collected the materials required, get your favorite pair of headphones ready and start with finding the cause of the faulty connection.
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HeadpHones RepaIR
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of opening up required to get to the soldering bit. For others, there are separate wires entering both the drivers on either side and the task will be a little easier. Some in-ear headphones do have a strong adhesive hold and trying to take them apart might just break the internals or the case itself. Hence, its better to be careful while handling such headphones.
polarity as a compulsory connection and hence you can safely connect any polarity to any end of the headphones. Now take the wires from the other headphone. Using a wire stripper, cutter or a plain knife, strip the wire sleeve by around half an inch to reveal the two internal wires. Here is the part you need to be very careful about: headphones use a very delicate pair of wire cores. While some have a mesh of 10 to 20 strands for each wire, others might have a single strand only.
you are not confident with soldering process, we would advise taking help from someone who knows this job. It would be safer than realizing later that you destroyed your expensive headphones.
Process Reversal
Now that you have soldered the wires to the drivers, it is time to check if the musics back on before re-assembling the headphones. If it works, you can now reverse the opening technique you used on the headphones to put them back into their original state. If you cannot hear any audio from the speakers even though you have done proper soldering, it is time for fault finding. If you know how to use a multi-meter, it is time to bring it in use here. Check the connectivity between the main audio jack and the drivers terminals to check if the wire and the soldering is a perfect joint. You might have to check the drivers too. If the driver itself is faulty, you might just need to discard the headphones completely as repairing a driver is next to impossible, unless an expert looks into the matter.
francis.dsa@chip.in karan@tech2.com
Disassembling the Headphones

Once youve gotten into the inside of the headphones, check if the existing wire has come loose. If it has, a simple soldering might just do the trick. In our case, it seemed like the wire had worn out over time, so we decided to change the wire completely. Here is where we needed the other pair of unused headphones for transplanting its wires to the Koss set. Cut out the older worn out wires and discard them. Do note the polarities of the wires before cutting them as you might need to restore it later using the new wires. Headphone manufacturers sometimes make a marking on the terminals with either + or - signs, or simply mark them with two colors. Usually, headphones dont need wiring
Soldering the Wires

These strands of wires are always coated with a layer of lacquer to prevent a short circuit. This lacquer needs to be scraped off before soldering it to the terminal. To do this, use a very sharp blade or knife and very carefully and delicately scrape off the lacquer from the wire strands. If you apply too much pressure, the wire will break and you will end up with a shorter wire. Once that is done, coat the scraped ends with solder. This process is called tinning of copper. Once you're done, it is time to solder the wires to the terminals, but do this carefully as the last thing you want is your plastic casing to melt away. If
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HANDS ON
Tips & Tricks

OCTOBER 2011
Share your tipS. Write to: tnt@chip.in
Sachin Pandit
WINDOWS
context command Screen resolution. In the Orientation combination field, select Portrait. Confirm with Accept and Save changes. The desktop tilts to one side. You can now rotate the monitor by 90 degrees.
the Value to 4 and confirm with OK. The default value 0 shows the drive letter after the name and 2 does not show it at all. Now close the registry and restart Explorer.
Windows 7
Turn the screen contents upright for more effective working
Note: If your monitor can rotate only to

one side and the screen becomes upside down, use the Portrait (flipped) option instead. Otherwise rotate the screen by 270 degrees if the mechanism allows this.
At times, the default landscape format of the screen is very impractical. Thats when you wish you could turn the screen and thus the picture by 90 to have a full page of text visible.
Windows Vista, 7
Block a user account after multiple incorrect logins
You share your computer with other members of your family, each of whom has a user account. You want to prevent others from cracking your password with repeated attempts.
Windows XP, Vista, 7

Display drive letters before the names in Explorer
Explorer displays the names of drives first followed by the alphabets assigned to them in brackets. Since you identify drive letters better, you want to place them before the names. Just like the previous versions,
Turn your display output to match the physical orientation of your monitor.
even Windows 7 does not provide any direct option for the display of the drive letters. You thus need to do this via the registry. For this, start regedit via the search field of the Start menu. Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\Currentversion\Explorer key and create a new entry ShowDriveLettersFirst there via Edit | New | DWORD Value. Now open this entry for editing by double clicking it, set To be able to edit the account blocking policies, click Start, and type Local as the search term. Windows shows the search results directly in the start menu. Double click Local security policies under Programs.
Set the thesholds for each password security option.
If your monitor has a rotatable stand and if your graphics card supports it, you can easily work in a vertical view. If you tilt the screen, your desktop obviously looks lopsided and mouse control becomes a complicated test of patience and skill. So you will first have to configure the desktop by right clicking a free area and then executing the
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If you work with a user without administrator rights, right click Local security policies and select the context command Run as administrator. You will then have to authorize the command by selecting an Admin account and entering the password. In the Local security policies dialog, click the small triangle to the left near Account policies to open the structure below the entry. Then select Account lockout policies. On the right side of the tool, you will now find three points with which you can define the blocking of an account in case of repeated incorrect password entry attempts. First double click Account lockout threshold. Here, define the number of permissible invalid login attempts. For instance, enter a 5 in the input field of the following dialog if Windows should block the account after 5 invalid login attempts. This prevents accidental lockouts when you mistype the password yourself. If you enter a 0, Windows will never block the account. As soon as you enter a value under Account lockout threshold, Windows fills the remaining values with recommended default values that you can change. The operating system understands the Account lockout duration as the time period during which Windows blocks an account. At the end of this period, the operating system removes the block. If you enter 0 in the Account blocking period, a computer administrator will have to explicitly remove the block. Lastly, you can also enter the Reset account lockout after. Here, you can define how many minutes must pass in all before Windows resets the counter for unsuccessful login attempts after an invalid login attempt. This value must be smaller than or equal to the account blocking time. If you still do not define an Account blocking period and leave the task of releasing a blocked account to the administrator, it can be done in Computer Management. For that, log in to an admin account. Then click Start and enter the search term Computer Management under Programs/Files. Start the application by double clicking the entry under Programs. Now open Computer Management | System | Local User and Groups under Computer Management in the tree structure on the left. Then double click the entry of the blocked user in the right During defragmentation, a security program might also be active, for instance a virus scanner. Both processes hinder each other as the security program detects every change made in a file because of the defragmentation and then reanalyzes it. Normally, this is a good precaution, but it costs a lot of computing power and you can be reasonably sure no malware is at work. To ensure a safe work environment, first disconnect the PC from its network and Internet connections. For that, you can use the Wi-Fi switch on a laptop or unplug the network cable. You can also deactivate the relevant connection for the time being. As the next step, end the security monitoring by right clicking the applicable programs icon in the taskbar and select the its stop/pause command. Specify the desired time period, then complete the defragmentation without interruption. You can continue to work in the mean time with Office programs
Right-click the security program's icon and make it temporarily stop scanning for system changes. Figure out which programs are causing files to become undeletable.
HANDS ON
hand pane. In the next dialog, remove the tick mark against Account is blocked and confirm your action with OK. The user can now log in to the system again.
or play local media files. Finally, do not forget to reactivate the security program or to restart the computer.
Caution: For private computer systems,

an Account lockout period other than zero is recommended. If you exceed the number of invalid login attempts for all accounts including the admin accounts and lock yourself out completely, you have no way of accessing your computer again. At least one admin account should thus remain accessible at all times.

Ascertain the cause of nondeletable files and remove them
When cleaning the hard disk, you bump into files and folders that cannot be deleted. You want to know what is blocking access so you can release the files for deletion.

Accelerate the system during the defragmentation process
As soon as a defragmentation starts, your system becomes very slow and hardly becomes available for normal use. You want to work faster again.
Mostly, access by another program is the cause for causing a file to become non-deletable. Windows unfortunately does not provide any information about it. The limit is when you get the message The file is being used by another person or program. Thats as useless as the message Close all programs that are using this file, and repeat the process. The free tool UnlockIT (emcosoftware. com/unlock-it) determines the corresponding program and enables deleting the specific file. After the quick installation, start the tool. Click the selection arrow under the Browse icon and decide whether you want to look into a File or a Folder. Then navigate to the desired entry and confirm the selection with Open or OK. The tool will now show you whether a block exists, and lists the programs that cause it. Check the details so that you do not delete important files. For instance, an open Office document causes even the relevant folder to be blocked. If you want to remove a block, right click the program in the list and try to remove the existing blocks via Close Handles. This is safe to a large extent as no processes are ended. Only when this doesnt work should you end the application, which
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you can do via the Kill Processes command in the next step. The element can then be deleted.
HANDS ON
QUICK TIPS
CLEARING THE DESKTOP
With the key [F5] pressed, fade out all desktop icons temporarily to get a free view of your installed gadgets (Windows sidebar).

Upgrade Media Player with useful additional functions
USING ACCENTS
To enter French letters with accents, first type the character, directly followed by the letter that should contain the accent.
You use Media Player 11 to play your music files, but you still miss some functions, like the option to edit tags of the individual files comfortably.
ACTIVATING PROGRAMS
Make these preview windows pop up faster to reduce your waiting time.
Fast and direct: The key combination [Win]+[Alt]+[number] immediately opens the jump list of the nth program from the taskbar (n=number).
To modify it, enter regedit in the search field from the Start menu and press [Enter]. Confirm the question of user account permsiions with Yes. Then navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_ USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. With Edit | New | DWORD-value, now create the new entry ExtendedUIHoverTime and open it for editing by double clicking. As Basis, select the Decimal option. Then enter the desired Value in milliseconds. 100 milliseconds are sufficient on a fast computer. At the same time, you should increase the value to at least 1000 on a slow laptop or netbook. The default 400 milliseconds set by the system are only an arbitrary basic setting. Confirm the new specifications with OK and close the registry. The change will take effect after restarting the computer.
OPTIMIZING BOOT ENVIRONMENT

For that, start a command prompt as Administrator in Win 7 and schedule a defragmentation during the next booting process with defrag c: -b.
ANALYZING WORKING MEMORY

Add more options to Windows Media Player, and overcome several annoyances.
To get information about the RAM quickly, simply start a command prompt as Administrator and type mem.
Despite its varied menus and functions, Windows Media Player does lack some useful features. These can be obtained with the free Media Player Plus plug-in. It is available for free download from www.softonic.com. To install it, close the Media Player and then start the program file WMPPlus2.1.exe by double clicking its entry in Explorer. Follow the instructions of the setup wizard and then start Windows Media Player. You will immediately reach the settings of the new plug-in, some of which are already activated by default. In the Library category, you will find the activated option Enable find as you type, with which you can directly type a search query like modern browsers. Besides, activate Disable group headers in the Library Pane to view a continuous ungrouped list as in Media Player 10. In the User Interface category, the display of the current title is already activated in the title bar, and can be individually configured here via variables. In the Context menus field, all elements should be activated. With that, you will have access to an extensive Tag Editor Plus in the Media Library in the future via a context menu. Furthermore, you can activate the Restore last active playlist option in the Restore Media at Startup category. The window preview in the taskbar normally appears with a delay of 0.4 seconds so that it does not open with every inadvertent movement of the mouse, though this makes the system feel slow. At least on a fast computer, you can reduce the waiting time without problems. An additional Registry value makes it possible. The program properties can then be controlled more precisely with the other activated options. With that, the Media Player continues playing the files at exactly that location or a few seconds before the last ending point, when you start it next. This is mainly useful in case of videos and films, but can somewhat delay the start time. Party Shuffle finally delivers a party mode with selectable random playing of files. Confirm the configuration with Apply and OK.
Windows Vista, 7
Use a desktop keyboard in case of emergency or for security purposes
Windows 7
Reduce the waiting time of taskbar preview considerably
Your wireless keyboard is not working as the batteries are unexpectedly empty. Still, its urgent: you quickly need a different method to enter text to finish an important document. While shutting down the computer is easiest with a mouse, it becomes considerably slower when entering text using a mouse. For emergency cases, Windows offers a seldom-used aid to carry out all processes using the mouse: the desktop keyboard. To activate it, you will have to activate the tablet PC input field. For that, right click a free area of the taskbar and select the command Toolbar | Tablet PC input
When the mouse pointer hovers over an icon in the taskbar for some time, Win7 shows a preview of the relevant window(s) in Aero style, to simplify correct selection.
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and then Windows Update. Follow the link View update history. In the Status column, check which updates have Failed and then check whether the relevant update with the same name (KN number) has been reported further up in the list as Successful. If an update has failed several times and if it is also the latest entry, there is clearly a problem, and you can block this update.
of Outlook.gadget via Windows-Miniapplications. Now start Outlook. The gadget should display the information shortly. To adjust its settings, hover the mouse pointer over it and click the superimposed setting icon. Even the number of displayed items for every field can be changed there. Besides, you can adjust the structure and the Outlook folders used. As the gadget requires a working copy of Outlook, you can let it start automatically via the option Outlook startup using the Start Outlook program option. For flawless operation, Outlook from version 2007 onwards is required. Version 2003 functions with a few restrictions. Clicking the icons to the right will take you directly to the relevant field in Outlook.
The little-used handwriting panel is actually surprisingly good at recognizing mouse strokes.
For that, again switch to the Windows Update page. Click the links optional updates are available and then important updates are available. In the lists displayed there, search for the entry of the problematic update. As soon as you find it, right click it and select the context command Deactivate update. In future, Windows will not try to install this update automatically.
panel. You will first see the additional writing pad symbol to the right in the taskbar, which superimposes the window for entering text or desktop keyboard after a click on it. Both modes can be switched over using the icons to the left in the title bar of this window. The input aid remains in the foreground and enables cursive writing using the mouse. The clicks are directly implemented as keystrokes in other open windows and applications. By closing the window, you can only minimize it wherein it is shifted to the left margin of the screen where you can always access it easily. Moreover, you will have to Display extended keyboard via Tools to get access to the scrolling control elements. You can close the tool completely only via the Tools | End entry.
APPLICATIONs
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Firefox, Thunderbird
Copy and paste links and addresses with several lines
You sometimes get long links via email that are mutilated due to the line breaks. You always need to put them together and want to know how this
Check out the history of updates to see if any of them have been causing problems.
can be done faster and better hereafter.
Note: The desktop keyboard is also

useful for safe entry of passwords and the rejection of monitoring by keylogging tools, since no keyboard entries pass through a hardware interface.
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If you however want to access it later, click the link Show deactivated updates. Then activate the desired entries clicking the link on the relevant checkbox followed by a click on the Restore button. You will then have to confirm the User Account prompts.
Windows Vista, 7
Block unmanageable Windows updates temporarily
It sometimes so happens that an update is not installed properly, which delays the system startup. This problem often occurs at the time of a restart. You want to work faster again. Totally deactivating automatic updates is the wrong method, since you will then be taking unnecessary security risks. Instead, you can find out in the settings for updates as to which individual element causes problems and leads to delays when you try to install something. This update can then be blocked specifically. For that, click in the Control Panel on System and security, on Security
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Windows Vista, 7
Superimpose Outlook data directly on the desktop
You can change the setting to open URLs with several lines.
You use Windows desktop gadgets to always have important information like time or climate in view. Now, you also want to view the latest information from your Outlook mailbox. The free gadget Outlook Info gives you the most important information from Outlook in a very compact manner directly on your desktop. You thus stay informed without having to switch to the program; the installation file is available from gallery.live.com. Open the file by double clicking it. Confirm the opening
Contrary to what some people believe, the browser in the address bar accepts a URL with several lines with line breaks as an entry without any problem. Ditto for a few other browsers. The only difference lies in making entries in text fields such as in Google Mail. In case of fields with several lines like in the field for message texts, the copied texts are always entered with the contained line breaks. In text fields with a single line such as the subject, the behavior depends on a hidden setting. In order to adjust this setting, enter
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Tips & Tricks

about:config in the address line and press Enter. Confirm the warning by clicking I will be careful. In the Filter field, enter editor.singleLine. pasteNewlines. For further editing, double click the entry in the list. The value 0 adopts everything without any changes whereas the value 1 accepts the content only up to the end of the first line. This was the same in Firefox 2 and is also applicable for Internet Explorer. From Firefox 3, the value is set to "2" by default and it leads to line breaks being replaced with blanks. It is also more practical to remove the line breaks completely or to replace them with command, which you can do with values 3 or 4. Then confirm the change with OK and restart the browser. Thunderbird also has this configuration. It is effective for instance when you copy an address in the To field when composing a new message. In order to ensure that the addresses are correctly used, they must be separated using a comma. The value 4 is thus most practical for the configuration setting. term using Enter in order to carry out a complete text search in all accounts. If you do not find a suitable search term, use a part of the mail address followed by an asterisk as a placeholder. The search result is in a new tab. There, you can activate the filter to the left and view messages with Attachments. You can also select a specific contact from the displayed list of frequent contacts and limit the search to one inbox folder or one email account. A recent development is the convenient time-related search limitation. For this, click the diagram icon above the search term. A gradient time bar shows the frequency of the relevant emails according to time by means of bars. By clicking the individual gray bar sections, you can refine the month and the year. Then click a blue diagram bar in order to see all the relevant messages from this time period. You can thus for instance quicklyfind a file attachment that you
The flexible and easy search function finds messages even if it knows nothing about them.
HANDS ON
QUICK TIPS
ALWAYS DISPLAY BCC
In order to permanently activate BCC in Outlook, click on the arrow next to Options and select BCC.
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UNDERLINE IN COLOR
If you wish to change the color of underline, right-click on the underlined text, select Font and here change the color of underline.
INSERT UNFORMATTED
Press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+V to paste text without formatting in Google Chrome.
set an expiry date for your emails in Outlook, which will also be displayed to the recipient.
that the deadline has been overshot if he reads the email late. You can assign a validity date to your emails in Outlook. However this works only if the recipient is also using Outlook. For instance, this setting would be of no use if the recipient is using Thunderbird. In order to send emails with a validity date, compose a new message in Outlook. Then go to the "Options tab. In the taskbar in the Advanced Options field, click the small arrow icon to open the Properties tab. Here activate the Message valid up to or the Expires After option under Delivery Options. You can set thedate and the time in the adjacent combination fields. Then Close the dialog box. You can now send the email as usual.
INCLUDE TIME AND DATE IN EXCEL

In Excel, write the current date in the active row via [Ctrl]+[;] and the current time via [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;].
SWITCH BETWEEN WORD DOCS

Use [Ctrl]+[F6] to switch between multiple Word documents.
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Thunderbird
Use the easy and practical message search
You often search for a message of which you remember just half the details. But you know that this message has a file attachment, or was sent in a specific period.
Note: The expiry date is valid in the

overview of the sent items as well. Contrary to popular belief, the content and the access to the content remain valid even after the expiry date. Only the email is shown in gray and is struck out in Outlook. You can thus see at a glance that it is no longer valid.
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Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010

Use the correct reply format in emails
When replying to received emails, your signature is sometimes added in an incorrect manner. You want to know why this happens and how you can resolve this problem. Even if you have set HTML format as the default format in the options, it is not always used. This is because when replying to and forwarding mails, Outlook by default uses the format of the received email. In case of a Plain Text
received on your birthday, even if you no longer know who sent the email, which account it was received in and also in which folder was stored.
In Version 3.1 and higher, Thunderbird has an easy search field above in the program window. Enter a search term there. From the third alphabet onwards, Thunderbird shows the relevant email addresses. You can thus add an address with just a click. Else, you can end the entering of the search
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Outlook 2007, 2010

Send mails with an expiry date
You send emails with a deadline such as invitations, etc. In such cases, you want the recipient to immediately see
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This unregisters your device from the iAd platform so the ads you see after that are no longer as personalized. If you have multiple iOS devices, you will need to perform the described process for each one individually. Re-registration is also possible using the same method. There are also tools which can read and show you your phone's stored geolocation data. You will be surprised
Mails get forwarded in HTML format even after you have changed the format manually.
HANDS ON
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to know how comprehensively and accurately your iPhone logs movement. iPhone Tracker for Mac OS has been around for a while now. You can download it from petewarden.github. com/iPhoneTracker/#1. A Windows version is available at huseyint.com/ iPhoneTrackerWin. Both tracker tools are very easy to install and operate. Of course, an iPhone is a basic pre-requisite for using these programs.
You have to individually activate a lot of additional functions in Google Maps before you can use them.
email format, only text is reformatted along with your signature. When replying to a Plain Text email, retain the same format since the recipient might not be able to read HTML messages. You can, however, format it as HTML when forwarding. You always need to adapt the setting in such a case. For this, go to the dialog box for composing an email and then in the Format Text tab or the Options tab in Outlook 2007 and change the setting in Format to HTML.
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iTunes
Speed up the program-start of music and video players
iTunes-start is slow if you have a large media library. You would like to know about options for tuning and efficiency. The bigger the music data bank,
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Google Maps, Internet

Enable additional functions
the slower the iTunes. This becomes especially apparent on the older computers or with slow hard disks. Although a practical function, the intelligent playlists add to the delay, as iTunes updates all lists during every access. Therefore consider which of the lists are really useful and required.
You want to use Google Maps as an
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iPhone
Reduce personalization of ads
atlas, but to make it more convenient, you want some additional functions. Google constantly develops new features for its online atlas as well. As long as the new features are in the test phase they are not usually available by default although they have been selected and enabled. In addition to a distance measuring device, the various improved zooming options are interesting. Go to Google maps. Click the Options icon to the upper right and then select "Maps Labs". In the following dialog box, select the required feature, click the Activate" option, and Save Changes. The Distance measuring device can be enabled or disabled only via an icon in the lower left of the path scale. You can define the start and end points of the path measurement by clicking on the marker. The path is retained even in case of other actions till you reset it using the Reset button to the left. Since it functions in all measures, you can also plan and measure cycle tours, city tours etc. in addition to travel plans. Another practical addition is the Drag and Zoom function. It displays a new symbol under the usual zoom bar. After you click it just draw a rectangle around
Your phone saves data about its geographical location, and you want to prevent this data being misused. At its default setting, every iPhone records location data which is then sent to Apple's servers for various purposes. As per information provided by Apple, this data is used for the intelligent iAd advertising platform amongst other things. You can however disable the collection of such data as well as the advertisements. Since the update to iOS 4.3.3, location data is no longer saved if geolocation is deactivated. In order to disable the advertisements, go to oo.apple.com from the phone's browser.
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The constant automatic updating of playlist hampers the efficiency of iTunes players.
In case of other lists, you can right click the desired entries and delete them by means of the context command bar. If you wish to retain the list, it is logical to configure its settings. Use the context command bar Edit Playlist or simply right click on the Playlist. Here, deactivate the option Update automatically. If a list is constantly used, you can limit its size for improving performance during automatic update. For this, activate the option maximum and set the limit to say 25 objects or 100 MB next to it. Confirm your settings with OK.
Compiled by Team CHIP send your tips to tnt@chip.in
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At least advertisements which use your geolocation data can be disabled on the iPhone.
the area you wish to zoom and it will zoom out in the desired field.
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GAME REVIEW
unwind
A violent, bloody and unapologetic end to one of the Xbox 360s most beloved franchises.
By AvinAsh BAli
ack in the day, I would say Gears of War 3 was the game that warrants the purchase of an Xbox 360. After seeing how Microsoft has been doling out nothing much besides casual stuff of late, I can happily say it is now
the game that has managed to redeem the Xbox 360. It is a violent, bloody and unapologetic conclusion to one of the Xbox 360s most beloved first-party titles. If you own an Xbox 360, theres no two ways about it; you have to buy it! The game puts players into the war-hardened boots of Marcus Fenix once again as he strives to end the Locust menace plaguing his planet since Emergence Day. Unfortunately, this time round, he has a new menace to deal with in the form of the Lambent. Now these guys are bad news. They dont really care about who they infect and kill, going after both the human as well as the Locust race. And the whole concept of the enemy of my enemy is a friend doesnt really work here, so youll pretty much kill everything that isnt human.
RATING 4.5/5
RATINGS
Third-person shooTer
Gears of War 3
Price Publisher DeveloPer Distributor Platform
Rs 2,499 Microsoft Epic Games Redington Xbox 360
For
Top notch production values, intense and violent gameplay, tons of content.
AGAinsT
Clunky storytelling, stilted interrogations.
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GAME REVIEW
chose to enter the game as one of many classes, so you can opt for being a grub soldier or become a devious little tick who can take down multiple enemies by blowing itself up. Team co-ordination is once again crucial to survive. At the time of writing this review, I couldnt find a single versus server that had humans in it since the game had not released, but the game now ships with bots, which means you can practise your skills and learn the maps before you head online. Its hard to judge without playing with human opponents, but from what I hear, Gears 3s multiplayer is largely the same as its predecessors. No
Gears of War 3 takes the series' signature brutal executions to a whole new level.
unwind
surprises there. Gears of War 3 has to be the best looking game on the Xbox 360 right now. Even though the Unreal engine is nearly five years old, Epic have squeezed every last drop from it to create a devastated but utterly gorgeous game world. Yes, like most Unreal 3 engine games, this one sports excessive shades of brown, but Epic really kick off the diversity with some very colourful levels and bleak levels. Theyve also gone all out as far as set pieces are concerned, giving the Uncharted series a run for its money. And thats really saying something. Thanks to the chunky nature of your enemies, killing them is a highly satisfying experience, be it with the pop of their skull after a well placed shot from your sniper, or the sound of flesh exploding when your shotgun meets their face. Chainsawing someone in two while the screen shakes violently and his blood explodes all over your screen never gets old and the new executions are just plain nasty in a very awesome way. The cover system also remains unchanged, but Gears of War always had a very fluid and practical cover system, so changing it would have been stupid. As much as I loved Gears of War 3, I need to point out once again that this is essentially the same game youve played before with newer weapons, enemies, more explosive action and a coat of paint. If you werent a fan of the Gears of War franchise to begin with, this one will not change your mind. However, if you enjoy this series for its frat-boy mentality, highly polished visceral action, and near perfect production values, Gears of War 3 will not disappoint.
avinash@tech2.com
Epic are fierce believers of the if it isnt broken, dont fix it philosophy, so if youve played either of the previous games, youll know exactly what to expect here. Youll play as one of four burly macho dudes, spend a lot of time taking cover, chainsaw enemies in half, blurt a ton of cocky one-liners, and grin from ear to ear at the over-the-top violence. While I have no problem with this formula, I do wish Epic had switched things up a notch because after three games, doing the exact same things, albeit in different environments, can feel a bit stale. Yes, there are new enemies, weapons and enough set-pieces to give Naughty Dog a run for their money, but at the end of the day, Gears of War 3 is a giant laundry list of clichs. Throughout the games eight-odd hours, youll go through the whole gamut of conventional video game missions, like flipping switches, surviving ambushes, watching people sacrifice their lives for the greater good, and so on. Thankfully, theyre hidden by the games near perfect pacing and its relentless action. Towards the end of the campaign, however, I felt a bit of boredom setting in. It was like Epic had run out of steam and were just forcibly increasing the game's length. You can run through the entire campaign by yourself or team up with up to three of your friends over Xbox Live to tackle it co-operatively. While playing solo, friendly AI does a fairly decent job of backing you up. They do stupidly charge into a horde of enemies at times, but for most of the game, they can
hold their ground in battle just fine. The campaigns just the tip of the iceberg in Gears of War 3 and you can continue the co-operative experience by engaging in some Horde or Beast mode. Horde mode returns from Gears of War 2, with some tower defence-like features. For those who havent played it at all, its very simple. You need to survive 50 waves of enemies, each of which is progressively tougher. After every round, youll have a few seconds to regroup and purchase supplies like ammunition and explosives. This time round, money earned from killing the enemy can be used to further boost your defences, like setting up fences, turrets, decoys, and lots more. After every round, you can either fix your damaged defences or upgrade them to become tougher. If a turret or fence is destroyed during a particular wave, you will not be able to repair it until that wave is over. Team co-ordination is essential because if a team mate dies, he has to wait out the entire wave (unless he has enough money to buy his way back), making it that much tougher for the remaining survivors. Beast mode is kind of like Horde mode, only now, the tables have turned, so instead of humans, you play as the Locust or the Lambent. Your goal is to kill every human before the timer runs out. This ends up getting pretty intense because once the humans start setting up defences, it becomes a real bitch to kill them in time. Unlike the Horde mode, where you have to wait out an entire wave, here, you can continuously respawn for a nominal fee. You can
10/2011
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game review
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A worthy successor to a beloved classic.

By MurAli VenukuMAr
ts the year 2027, and over 20 years before the events of the first Deus Ex game. Mega corporations have
the engines limitations into the art design. There are also substantial loading times that quickly become tiresome, especially as most missions require you to hoof it between locations. What saves the game from being a visual letdown, however, is the superlative art direction. Using an unconventional mix of cyberpunk and European Renaissance era design, combined with warm color tones, the visual appeal of the game outweighs its technical blemishes. Environments are impressively detailed and filled with elements such as e-books, emails and other paraphernalia that add detail and literary depth to the universe. The characters may come with uneven voice acting, but that certainly doesnt apply to Michael McCanns score. The perfect blend of vocals, strings and electronica, this is a soundtrack youll want to own. There are limited sets of augments to purchase using the praxis points you earn or purchase, but you never feel like youre carving out a unique character of your own like in the first game. A large part of this disconnect is felt during the hugely disappointing boss battles. Theres just one way to beat them; a huge let down considering how much the game champions choice. The game still involves first person exploration and combat, and the traversal of hub worlds filled with story quests as well as healthy number of side quests. While these hub worlds are sizable, their number may leave something to be desired. This is still a lengthy game by modern standards, but it would have been best to include two more hubs to minimize backtracking. You can choose your approach to the situations you encounter, either stealthing through them or going in guns blazing. Theres a neat cover system in effect, with the camera pulling out to third-person when you snap to an object. Guns feel meaty and the game rations out ammo just right. The grid based inventory management is a wonderful little timesink, and theres a neat little pop-up quick-menu to access your weapons and consumables. There are NPCs to talk to within the hubs, and even though some of their voice acting can be grating, youll still click on each one of them because the story and dialogue are that good. Some of these conversations feel like mini boss battles, and will net you rewards and make your progress through a level much easier. Combine this with great writing and a fleshed out world, and every conversation becomes an insight wrapped in a revelation. There will be times when youll find Human Revolutions reliance on old school mechanics frustrating, but rising above that frustration is a mature story, impeccable production values and solid gameplay, all wrapped in a lengthy campaign. This is a world youll find yourself investing in despite its flaws. Finish it, and you cant help but wish its digital inhabitants the best, because their world so closely mirrors your own.
feedback@chip.in
grown in power and technological advancements are outpacing mankinds ability to comprehend their consequences. Theres a strong whiff of anarchy in the air; a perfect time as any to make acquaintances with Human Revolutions protagonist - Adam Jensen. Now Adam has a tortured past, and pretty soon into the game, is fated with a tortured future thanks to a series of ill-fated events at Sarif Industries, his employer, who happens to be one of the many players in the science of human augmentation. This sets him on a path of discovering the perpetrators behind the attack and uncovering a conspiracy much deeper than anyone imagined. The story is one of Human Revolutions highlights. The tale it spins is
RATING 4.5/5
always believable and never degenerates into caricatures, clichs or predictability. Not only does it handle a weighty subject with the right nuance and gravitas, but it also has one of the best endings of the year. You dont often see video games flirt with just the right amount of ambiguity, but Human Revolution does itself proud. That the game was in production for a prolonged period of time shows in its visuals. Everything looks angular, low res and dated, although the game does try to spin it into a positive by weaving
RATINGS
Action-Adventure
Deus Ex: Human Revolution

PRICE PlatfoRm DEvEloPER DIstRIbutoR PHonE E-maIl
Rs 2,499 (Xbox 360, PS3), Rs 999 (PC) Square-Enix Eidos Montreal E-Xpress Interactive 022 29661017 info@expressgames.in
For
Excellent visual design, stunning score, evocative story and writing.
AGAinSt
Could use an extra hub or two, awful boss fights.
Jagdish Limbachiya
SMS us! Story code: UDE to 51818
game review
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RATING 4/5
It does a lot of things right, but loses the plot somewhere down the road.
By AvInAsh BAlI
invaded world, others feel the game lacks a certain distinguishing spark. I tend to agree with the latter, and if you take a seat, Ill tell you why. Resistance 3 (R3) takes place a few years after the events of the second game. You play as Joseph Capelli. When the worlds being overrun by bloodthirsty aliens, duty calls, and Joseph must travel to New York City to end the Chimerian menace once and for all. The plot is populated with clichd twists youll probably see coming a mile away. At times, R3 finds the sweet spot between difficulty, intensity and satisfaction, while at times, it oscillates between the boredom of killing waves of enemies and frustration of constant ambushes. Making matters worse is the navigation system. For the longest time, your objective marker just won't pop up on screen, leaving you running around a level in circles. Youll spend a surprisingly large portion of the game in the dark, as the game tries dabbling in survival horror territory with some interesting results. Here, the navigation issue goes from minor annoyance to full-fledged irritation. Unlike most action games, R3 does not feature a regenerating health system, which means you have to hunt around
he Resistance series has always divided the crowd. While one part loves the war-torn, Chimera-
for health packs across the battlefield. This isn't a deal breaker, but it's a mechanic that may not gel with players who're used to healing themselves. One aspect everyone will love though is R3s responsive control scheme. The game boasts of some of the tightest controls I've experienced in a PS3 shooter. The tight controls are complemented by a large arsenal of diverse weapons that include conventional stuff like carbines and shotguns, but also some exotic weaponry that let you freeze and explode enemies or see and fire through walls. All weapons have an alternate fire and they automatically upgrade as you use them. Youll never have a shortage of weapons or ammunition, but the game offers a significant challenge. It pummels you with intense set-pieces, and at these times, its essential to choose the right tool for the job. There arent a ton of boss fights, but the ones present are daunting to look at, some towering hundreds of feet over Capelli. Bringing them down is your standard shoot at the glowing parts routine, but they dont feel cheap. R3 is a decent looking game, except its a bit too brown. The game world is well designed, reflecting the chaos and despair brought on by an alien invasion. Besides some gigantic boss fights, it also assaults your senses with scripted events.
Resistance 3 offers the chance to play the entire game in online co-op. Competitive multiplayer is pretty meaty, offering a multitude of modes, from the standard deathmatch to more teamoriented ones. The matchmaking felt imbalanced, with high ranking players in one team, while noobs ran around clueless. The multiplayer is fun, but its not something Ill be playing for too long. Resistance 3 left me with mixed feelings. It does a lot right, but somewhere down the road, it kind of loses the plot. It also has a strong been there, done that vibe, and the only thing that stands out is its arsenal of weapons.
avinash@tech2.com
Jagdish Limbachiya
First-person shooter
RATINGS
Sony
SMS us! Story code: UR3 to 51818
Resistance 3
PRICE PlatfoRm DEvEloPER DIstRIbutoR E-maIl
Rs 2,499 (PS3) Insomniac Games Milestone Interactive sales@milestoneinteractive.com
For
Great control scheme, diverse arsenal, entertaining set pieces.
AGAinst
Gameplay gets repetitive, uneven pacing, annoying navigation system, no co-op matchmaking.
game review
unwind
un, sand, beautiful women, late night parties and tons of alcohol are some of the things youd
associate with an awesome holiday. Now imagine zombies crashed in on that party, uninvited, eating pretty much everyone around you, beautiful girls included. Would you get mad and start smashing their skulls in or would you stay locked in your room crying like a little girl? Dead Island is all about option A after the undead bust up your holiday at a swanky resort on the fictional island of Banoi. It may play out from a first-person perspective, but it isnt like the Left4Dead series. In fact, the only thing it shares with L4D is its cannon fodder. Dead Island is more reminiscent of Borderlands in its open world approach to gameplay, where you could find out what caused the zombie outbreak through the plot or roam around exploring the resort, undertaking side quests, looting and upgrading your skills. As you level up, the world levels up with you, so you can't be at level 10 and fight level 1 zombies. Unlike most games, which hand you a pistol or shotgun at the outset, Dead Island encourages you to get up close and personal with the undead by restricting you to melee objects throughout the first act. While smashing someones skull in with a bat sounds terribly satisfying, every weapon degrades over a period of time. Thankfully, there are workstations, where you can repair or upgrade these weapons. Like Dead Rising 2, the game even allows you to forge your own weapons, if you possess its blueprint (earned as rewards). You will eventually get your grubby paws on some serious firepower, but dont expect boxes of ammunition lying around. The lack of ammo and focus on melee combat adds a level of intensity
Worst vacation ever!

not found in most first-person titles. Roaming around Banoi alone, even in broad daylight, can be pretty terrifying as you could get rushed by a horde in the blink of an eye. The hordes come in different shapes and sizes. While most of your time will be spent slaughtering run-of-the-mill grunts, youll come across special infected from time to time. You have the bile-spewing fat dudes, tanks that can withstand a ton of damage, and suicidal zombies that explode upon contact. Sound familiar? Taking
By AvinAsh BAli
clicks, rather than a simple drag and drop. Also, why is there no hotbar that lets me switch weapons on-the-fly? Dead Island is not a very good looking game either. It's not ugly, but given its gorgeous tropical setting, we expect better after being spoilt by the likes of Crysis and Just Cause 2. Zombie models aren't as detailed as those in Left4Dead, but the dismemberment is just as satisfying. Smacking their skulls in with a lead pipe or lopping their parts off with a sword is very rewarding, both visually
RATING 4/5
and aurally.
them down, however, isnt much of an issue thanks to the large arsenal at your disposal. If you want, you can simply sneak by a group of zombies or try and outrun them. I like the fact that the game doesnt shove combat down your throat. Playing in co-op takes away a lot of the tense atmosphere, but it also ramps up the fun tenfold. Dead Island can be played co-operatively by up to four players, and it is the best way to play it. Players can choose characters that not only reflect their play style, but who are also complimentary to the team. So if I choose someone thats proficient in blunt melee weapons, my partner can choose someone whos good at firearms. Unfortunately, the game doesnt sport drop-in, drop-out co-op, so if a mate of mine needs help on a particular quest, I cant just hop in, help him out, and leave. While the game sounds real nice so far, it is not without its problems. Firstly, controlling my character never felt fluid and responsive. It was clunky, and for some reason, my strafing speed was severely nerfed. The next problem was with the games inventory, which basically screamed shoddy console port. Equipping weapons is a long and unnecessary process, requiring multiple
Dead Island is suffers from a ton of glitches and takes some time to grow on you, but once it does, you wont want to leave Banoi till you figure out the cause of the outbreak. It is an all-out blast, fusing zombies, first-person action and role-playing elements effortlessly into one entertaining package.
avinash@tech2.com
First-person action
RATINGS
$49.99 via Steam (approx Rs 2,400) PC, Xbox 360, PS3 Deep Silver Techland
Dead Island
PRICE PlatfoRm PublIshER DEvEloPER
For
Slaughtering zombies is satisfying, integrates RPG elements into the game very well, co-op is a ton of fun
aGainst
Buggy, shoddy inventory system, awkward controls
SMS us! Story code: UDI to 51818
Jagdish Limbachiya
game review
unwind
The Driver series comes back from the dead.
By Murali VenukuMar
RATING 4.5/5
adoration and contentment from both driving game aficionados as well as fans of seminal car chase cinema. And then Driver 2 happened, followed by Driv3r. More than the introduction of on-foot gameplay, the later games lost sight of what attracted fans to the original game: the cars, and the back-end kicking, tyre-smoking shenanigans you could get up to with them. This is where Driver: San Francisco makes amends. No more Godawful out-of-the-car sections. Its all about you, your car and the objective. Just like the old days! Except it isnt. The team at Ubisoft Reflections has introduced a unique gameplay hook that changes the way you look at their game. Called shift, this new ability lets you instantly hop out of and into any car in the city. Its quite neat how you can instantly pull out of any car mid-drive and zoom all the way out to see the massive city below you. You can upgrade the zoom as you earn willpower points. Theres no lag when youre shifting and the game runs at 60 fps to boot. Willpower can be earned by driving recklessly, completing missions and generally making a nuisance of yourself
here once was a time when the mere mention of the first Driver game would elicit sighs of
in the name of the law. These points can also be used to upgrade your boost and ram abilities and also to buy cars in garages around the city. While there isnt much use to buying vehicles when you can jump in and out of any car you please, there are certain side missions that start you off with your last garage purchase. The map is littered with icons and things to do. Progressing the story also requires that you complete a number of city missions first, but the gameplay is so much fun that you look forward to these diversions rather than feeling like theyve been forced on you. Theres also a quality and wit to the writing you wouldnt expect from a driving game. The city itself, aside from being massive, is filled with licensed cars and trucks, and cops itching for action. The vehicles are all modeled beautifully, take moderate levels of visual damage and handle differently. While the handling isnt as tight as you may remember, its meaty enough to provide enough seat-ofyour-pants chase footage for the games video editing suite. Shifting between vehicles eventually turns into a bit of a puzzle game. You hop out of a vehicle and try to hop into cross traffic and t-bone opponents. Especially satisfying is stopping races or pursuits by obliterating
RATINGS
Driving/Action
Driver: San Francisco

PRICE PublIShER DEvEloPER DIStRIbutoR PhonE E-MaIl
Rs 2,499 (Xbox 360, PS3), Rs 699 (PC) Ubisoft Ubisoft Reflections E-Xpress Interactive 022 29661017 info@expressgames.in
For
Shifting is fun, great driving model, lots of missions.
AgAinSt
Needed a tad more variety in missions.
Jagdish Limbachiya
the opposition using NPC vehicles. An extensive set of multiplayer modes add to the games replay value. Game modes such as Tag and Trailblazer show just how well the shift feature works. Driver: San Francisco came as a surprise. No one expected the series to claw itself back from the brink with a semi-playable game, let alone one of this quality. It comes highly recommended to driving nuts looking for something different, yet has plenty of pedigree left over from the first game. Welcome back, Reflections. Youve been missed.
feedback@chip.in
SMS us! Story code: UDS to 51818
GAME REVIEW
unwind
RATING 3/5
An mindless, yet entertaining shooter marred by an overall lack of polish. By AvinAsh BAli
odycount is a very simple game. It hands you guns, a virtually unlimited supply of ammunition
youll move from A to B, then back to A again, get sent to C, come back to A, visit B again, and then if youre lucky, end the level. This makes an otherwise entertaining romp a complete pain in the backside. For a game thats all about blowing stuff up, I found it ironic that Bodycount doesnt allow you to swap weapons on the fly. This means youll be stuck with whatever weapon you choose at the start of the level till you end it. Granted ammunition is plenty, but this is still a very restrictive gameplay design that forces players to stick to just two weapons. As you progress through chapters, youll unlock newer and more powerful weapons that can neither be upgraded nor customized. At the end of random chapters, youll also be bestowed with new abilities that allow you to call in airstrikes, deploy explosive ammo, move faster, or emit a sonic radar that messes with your enemies heads. I got through the game using just explosive ammo since the AI is in this game is just so damn dense. Most of the time, enemies just blindly charge at you, begging you to end their dumb existence. Towards the end of the game, youll probably die a lot, not because enemies miraculously grow a brain, but because the game just cheaply spawns them behind you, ambushing you to mask this glaring flaw.
First-person shooter
RATINGS
Bodycount
PRICE PuBlIshER DEvEloPER DIstRIButoR
coupled with enough explosive power to level an entire country, and encourages you to go shoot people in the face. In doing so, it even throws a ton of environmental destruction your way so you can physically feel the repercussions of your actions. While this formula sounds golden on paper, Bodycounts execution suffers a great deal thanks to repetitive level design, dumb AI and overall lack of polish. In Bodycount, you play as a member of a group called The Network. All you need to know is that youre one of the good guys, who get sent around the world to foil the nefarious plans of a group called The Target, and by around the world, I mean shuttling from a fictional war-torn African city to a rain-soaked Asian one since this games not too huge on diversity. From time to time, youll suddenly find yourself in the futuristic underground bunkers of The Target HQ that, for some reason, feels heavily inspired by the world of Tron. Like I mentioned in my introduction, Bodycount is a very straightforward shooter. You move from point A to B, shoot anything that moves and make your way to the extraction point. Unfortunately, the game is plagued by an insane amount of backtracking, so instead of just moving from A to B,
Rs 2,499 (Xbox 360, PS3) Codemasters Codemasters Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd.
For
Simple and satisfying gunplay, entertaining in a mindless way.
AGAinst
Stupid AI, forces you to backtrack constantly, looks ugly.
Visually, the game looks like an upgraded PS2 game. Its blurry, washed out visuals stand out like a sore thumb in todays day and age, where gamers are spoilt by the likes of Uncharted 3, God of War III and the Crysis series. Sure, Bodycount wont win any awards in the visual department, but youll forget about the horrendous visuals as your machine gun starts shredding doors, blowing chunks off walls and plugging all sorts of holes through the bad guys. Bodycount could have been a great game. In fact, it could have been this generations Black if only Codemasters applied a bit of spit and polish to the game. In a month crowded with some AAA games, its tough to recommend a shooter like Bodycount, but if youre in the mood for some mindless, explosive action, Bodycount could be the cure for that itch.
- avinash@tech2.com
128
10/2011
Jagdish Limbachiya
SMS us! Story code: UBC to 51818
COLUMN
unwind
new Call of duty, unCharted, elder sCrolls and assassin's Creed - all in the spaCe of 15 days!
it's Peak season!

ts that time of the year again! The next two months are jam packed with the biggest game releases of the year. Its a great time to be a gamer; a not so great time for a gamers bank balance. October has already kicked off on a high with the release of FIFA 12. October 7 will see the long awaited release of id Softwares new title - Rage. Unfortunately, the PC version wont be making it here, but all launch day copies on Xbox 360 and PS3 will be of the games Anarchy Edition, which includes a cloth map as well as bonus DLC. October 7 will also see the release of two not-so-high profile games NBA 2K11 and Dark Souls (follow-up to the hard-as-nails Demons Souls). Three games are set for release on October 14 Forza Motorsport 4, the latest installment of the Xbox 360s seminal simulation racing series; Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, Namcos extremely promising arcade flight combat title (try the demo, you wont be disappointed); and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, a re-release with a new/old protagonist and smoother gameplay. Late October is when things start to get really busy. October 21 will witness the release of Batman: Arkham City, although the PC version has sadly been pushed back to November. Co-op enabled PS3-exclusive Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, and Ubisofts take on The Adventures of Tintin are also set for release on the same day. October 25 is the day when the world will know if EA can back up all its trash talk with a solid release when Battlefield 3 aims to topple Call of Duty from the #1 FPS spot. If the all those great October releases have your palms sweating with
sameer desai
anticipation, November gets even better (or in the case of your wallet, worse). It all starts on November 2 with PS3exclusive Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, the hotly anticipated follow-up 2009s unanimous game of the year. The entire gaming industry will come to a standstill on November 8 for the release of what is undoubtedly the biggest game of the year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. We hear that this time around, the PC version will be releasing in India as well, but dont expect it to come cheap. October 11 will witness the return of the Elder Scrolls franchise, with Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If youve watched the trailers, theres no way you cant be excited for this one. The Assassins Creed series returns in November as well, as Ubisoft wraps up Ezios story arc in Assassins Creed: Revelations. Scheduled for release on November 15, Revelations also features an appearance from Altair, and PS3 buyers will get the first Assassins Creed game as a free bonus on the game disc. Also on November 15, is Saints Row: The Third, which is shaping up to be one the biggest surprise hits of the year, with its crazy over-the-top open world action. November 18 will see the NFSseries return to the story-driven formula as you outrun the cops across the US in Need for Speed: The Run, and the month is capped off by WWE 12, a series that is always popular in India. Now, if youll excuse me, I have a bank to rob.
on october 25, battlefield 3 will aim to toPPle call of duty for the #1 fPs sPot.
- sameer.desai@chip.in
129
Market Watch
Processors: Intel
NAMe Intel Pentium E5700 Intel Pentium E5800 Intel Core i3-540 Intel Core i3-2100 (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 Intel Core i5-2310 (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i5-2300 (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i5-2400 (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i5-760 Intel Core i5-2500 (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i5-2500K (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i7-2600 (Sandy Bridge) PrIce (rs) 3,700 4,000 5,850 6,100 6,250 10,125 10,300 11,100 11,500 11,600 12,600 16,500 cPU socKeT LGA 775 LGA 775 LGA 1156 LGA 1155 LGA 775 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1156 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 NUMBer oF cores 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 cLocK sPeeD 3.00 GHz 3.20 GHz 3.06 GHz 3.10 GHz 2.93 GHz 2.90 GHz 2.80 GHz 3.10 Ghz 2.80 GHz 3.30 GHz 3.30 GHz 3.40 GHz MFG Process 45 nm 45 nm 32 nm 32 nm 45 nm 32 nm 32 nm 32 nm 45 nm 32 nm 32 nm 32 nm TDP 65 W 65 W 73 W 65 W 65 W 95 W 95 W 95 W 95 W 95 W 95 W 95 W
Processors: AMD
NAMe AMD Sempron 145 AMD Athlon II X2 250 AMD Athlon II X2 255 AMD Athlon II X2 260 AMD Phenom II X2 555 BE AMD PHENOM II X4 840 AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE AMD Phenom II X4 970 BE AMD Phenom II X6 1055T AMD Phenom II X6 1075T AMD Phenom II X6 1100T PrIce (rs) 1,925 3,050 3,400 3,500 4,625 5,225 5,950 6,775 7,775 8,650 9,300 10,500 cPU socKeT AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 NUMBer oF cores 1 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 cLocK sPeeD 2.80 GHz 3.00 GHz 3.10 GHz 3.20 GHz 3.20 GHz 3.20 GHz 3.20 GHz 3.40 GHz 3.60 GHz 2.80 GHz 3.00 GHz 3.30 GHz MFG Process 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm 45 nm TDP 45 W 65 W 65 W 65 W 80 W 95 W 125 W 125 W 125 W 125 W 125 W 125 W
MoTherBoArDs: AMD - IGP

NAMe Asus M4A78LT-M LE Biostar TA880GB+ ECS A885GM-A2 Gigabyte 880GM-USB3L Asus M4A88T-M LE Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 Asus M4A88T-M MSI 880GMA-E45 Asus F1A75-M LE Asus M4A88TD-M EVO/USB3 Biostar TA890GXE ECS A890GXM-A Asus F1A75-V PRO PrIce (rs) 2,725 3,950 4,275 4,625 4,700 5,025 5,200 5,700 5,967 6,475 6,650 7,425 8,343 cPU socKeT AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3+ AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 FM1 AM3 AM3 AM3 FM1 chIPseT AMD 760G + SB710 AMD 880G + SB710 AMD 880G + SB850 AMD 880G + SB710 AMD 880G + SB710 AMD 880G + SB710 AMD 880G + SB710 AMD 880G + SB850 AMD A75 AMD 880G + SB850 AMD 890GX + SB850 AMD 890GX + SB850 AMD A75 MeMorY sUPPorT DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DVI | hDMI 4|6 4|4 4|6 4|4 4|4 4|4 4|4 4|4 4|6 4|4 4|4 4|4 4|4 PcI X16 | PcI | sATA | UsB 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 1 | 2 | 6 | 10 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 1 | 1 | 6 | 12 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 1 | 1 | 6 | 12 1 | 1 | 6 | 14 2 | 1 | 6 | 14 1 | 1 | 5 | 14 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 3 | 1 | 5 | 14 2 | 1 | 6 | 16
Note: Street prices (incl. VAT) as on 10 September 2011.
10/2011
131
market watch
Market Watch
Motherboards: aMd - Non-IGP
NaMe Asus M4A87TD Asus M4A87TD EVO Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5 Asus Sabertooth 990FX Asus Crosshair V Formula PrIce (rs) 5,575 6,675 10,250 13,600 15,050 cPU socket AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3+ AM3+ chIPset AMD 870 + SB850 AMD 870 + SB850 AMD 890FX + SB850 AMD 990FX + SB950 AMD 990FX + SB950 MeMory sUPPort DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 PcIe x16 slots 1 2 4 4 4 PcI | sata | Usb 3 | 6 | 14 3 | 6 | 14 1 | 8 | 14 1 | 8 | 18 1 | 7 | 12
Motherboards: Intel - IGP

6aMe ECS G41T-M5 ECS H55H-CM Asus P7H55-M Intel BOXDH55TC Intel BOXDH67BL Asus P8H67-M Asus P8H67-M EVO Gigabyte H67MA-UD2H ASUS P8Z68-V ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Asus P5G41C-M LX PrIce (rs) 2,025 4,125 4,650 5,400 5,700 7,000 8,700 8,790 12,375 13,650 25,650 cPU socket LGA 775 LGA 1156 LGA 1156 LGA 1156 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 775 chIPset Intel G41 + ICH7 Intel H55 Intel H55 Intel H55 Intel H67 Intel H67 Intel H67 Intel H67 Intel Z68 + No Intel Z68 + No Intel G41 + ICH7 MeMory sUPPort DDR2 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 d-sUb | dVI | hdMI 6|6|6 4|4|4 4|6|4 4|4|4 6|4|4 4|4|6 4|4|4 4|4|4 6|4|4 6|4|4 6|6|6 PcIe x16 | PcI | sata | Usb 1|1|2|4 1|1|6|6 1|1|6|6 1|1|6|6 1|1|3|6 2|1|4|6 2|1|4|4 1|0|3|4 2|2|4|6 2|2|4|6 1|2|4|8
Motherboards: Intel - Non-IGP

NaMe ECS P55H-A Asus P8P67 Asus P6X58D-E MSI P67A-GD55 MSI X58 Pro-E Asus Sabertooth X58 Gigabyte GA-X58-USB3 Gigabyte P67A-UD4-B3 ASUS Sabertooth P67 MSI Big Bang X-Power Gigabyte G1.Guerrilla Asus Rampage III Extreme Gigabyte G1.Sniper Gigabyte G1.Assassin Asus Rampage III Black Edition PrIce (rs) 6,475 10,675 10,775 10,875 11,100 11,425 11,900 13,125 14,250 20,800 22,000 22,300 25,200 28,000 32,750 cPU socket LGA 1156 LGA 1155 LGA 1366 LGA 1155 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 LGA 1155 LGA 1155 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 LGA 1366 chIPset Intel P55 Intel P67 + No Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel P67 + No Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel P67 Intel P67 + No Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R Intel X58 + ICH10R MeMory sUPPort DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 PcIe x16 slots 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 6 3 4 3 4 4 PcI | sata | Usb 2 | 6 | 14 3 | 8 | 16 2 | 8 | 10 2 | 6 | 14 2 | 7 | 13 1 | 8 | 14 1 | 6 | 14 2 | 6 | 18 1 | 4 | 18 0 | 8 | 12 1 | 8 | 16 1 | 9 | 11 1 | 8 | 16 1 | 8 | 16 0 | 8 | 15
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CHIP brings you a roundup of all the latest and greatest products on the market.
Graphics cards: aTi

Name Asus EAH5450 SILENT|DI|1GD3 Asus EAH5670|DI|1GD3 Sapphire HD 5670 XFX Radeon HD 6670 Powercolor AX5750 1GBD5-H Powercolor AX5770 1GBD5-H XFX Radeon HD 6770 Powercolor AX6850 1GBD5-DH Asus EAH6850 DC|2DIS|1GD5 MSI R6850-PM2D1GD5 Powercolor AX6870 1GBD5-2DH XFX HD-687A-ZNFC MSI R6950-2PM2D2GD5 Sapphire HD 6950 Sapphire HD 6970 MSI R6970-2PM2D2GD5 price radeoN GpU (rs) 1,650 4,325 5,075 5,925 6,250 7,325 7,850 10,250 10,575 10,725 13,650 14,100 16,125 17,925 21,150 21,275 HD 5450 HD 5670 HD 5670 HD 6670 HD 5750 HD 5770 HD 6770 HD 6850 HD 6850 HD 6850 HD 6870 HD 6870 HD 6950 HD 6950 HD 6970 HD 6970 direcT X 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 memorY memorY | BUs TYpe WidTh DDR3 GDDR3 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 1 GB | 64-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 256-bit 1 GB | 256-bit 1 GB | 256-bit 1 GB | 128-bit 1 GB | 256-bit 2 GB | 256-bit 2 GB | 256-bit 2 GB | 256-bit 2 GB | 256-bit sTream processors 80 400 400 480 720 800 800 960 960 960 1120 1120 1408 1408 1536 1536 core | memorY speed (mhz) 650 MHz | 800 MHz 775 MHz | 800 MHz 775 MHz | 1000 MHz 800 MHz | 1000 MHz 700 MHz | 1150 MHz 850 MHz | 1200 MHz 850 MHz | 1200 MHz 775 MHz | 1000 MHz 790 MHz | 1000 MHz 775 MHz | 1000 MHz 900 MHz | 1050 MHz 900 MHz | 1050 MHz 800 MHz | 1250 MHz 800 MHz | 1250 MHz 880 MHz | 1375 MHz 880 MHz | 1375 MHz
Graphics cards: Nvidia

Name Sparkle GT 520 Sparkle GeForce GT 220 POV GeForce GT 220 Zotac GeForce GT 240 ASUS GeForce GTX 550 Zotac GeForce GTX 550 Ti Palit GeForce GTX 460 Palit GeForce GTX560 OC EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Zotac Geforce GTX 560 Zotac Geforce GTX 560 Ti Amp Sparkle GeForce GTX 560 Ti MSI Twin Frozr II GeForce GTX 560 Ti Zotac GeForce GTX 570 GF110 EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD MSI GeForce GTX 570 GF110 Sparkle GTX 570 MSI Twin Frozr II GeForce GTX 580 Zotac GeForce GTX 580 Palit GeForce GTX 580 Zotac Geforce GTX 590 price (rs) 2,950 3,450 3,550 3,975 8,375 8,800 10,025 11,850 12,175 13,600 14,400 14,575 15,600 20,100 20,800 22,000 22,000 27,600 29,525 32,000 41,375 GeForce GpU direcT X GeForce GT 520 GeForce GT 220 GeForce GT 220 GeForce GT 240 GeForce GTX 550 GeForce GTX 550 Ti GeForce GTX 460 GeForce GTX 560 GeForce GTX 560 GeForce GTX 560 GeForce GTX 560 Ti GeForce GTX 560 Ti GeForce GTX 560 Ti GeForce GTX 570 GeForce GTX 570 GeForce GTX 570 GeForce GTX 570 GeForce GTX 580 GeForce GTX 580 GeForce GTX 580 Geforce GTX 590 11.0 10.1 10.1 10.1 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 memorY TYpe DDR3 DDR3 DDR2 DDR3 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 DDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 DDR5 DDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 GDDR5 memorY | BUs sTream WidTh processors 1 GB | 64-bit 96 1 GB | 128-bit 48 1 GB | 128-bit 48 1 GB | 128-bit 96 1 GB | 192-bit 192 1 GB | 192-bit 192 1 GB | 256-bit 336 1 GB | 256-bit 336 1 GB | 256-bit 336 2 GB | 256-bit 336 1 GB | 256-bit 384 1 GB | 256-bit 384 1 GB | 256-bit 384 1280 MB | 320-bit 480 1280 MB | 320-bit 480 1280 MB | 320-bit 480 1280 MB | 320-bit 480 1536 MB | 256-bit 512 1536 MB | 384-bit 512 3 GB | 384-bit 512 3 GB | 768-bit 1024 core | memorY speed (mhz) 810 MHz | 450 MHz 625 MHz | 700 MHz 625 MHz | 400 MHz 550 MHz | 400 MHz 910 MHz | 1025 MHz 900 MHz | 1025 MHz 650 MHz | 850 MHz 810 MHz | 1005 MHz 810 MHz | 1002 MHz 820 MHz | 4008 MHz 950 MHz | 1100 MHz 822 MHz | 1000 MHz 822 MHz | 1000 MHz 732 MHz | 950 MHz 732 MHz | 950 MHz 732 MHz | 950 MHz 752 MHz | 950 MHz 800 MHz | 1024 MHz 772 MHz | 1002 MHz 772 MHz | 1002 MHz 607 MHz | 853 MHz
10/2011
133
market watch
Market Watch
EXtERNAL DRIVE
NAME Hitachi X Mobile Series HDD-X320 Buffalo HD-PVU2 Series HD-PV500U2/BK Western Digital My Passport Essential Hitachi X Mobile Series HDD-X500 iOmega Red Hot Skin Series 35108 Western Digital Elements Series Buffalo HD-PCTU3 Series HD-PCT500U3 Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Western Digital My Book Essential Series Transcend StoreJet TS640GSJ25D3 Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Buffalo HD-PXTU2 Series HD-PXT1TU2/B Verbatim 47514 Western Digital My Book Studio II Series pRICE(Rs) 2,525 3,000 3,000 3,150 3,450 3,750 3,950 3,950 4,225 4,450 5,450 5,850 6,000 21,425 CApACIty 320 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 1 TB 500 GB 1 TB 1 TB 640 GB 2 TB 1 TB 2 TB 4 TB INtERFACE USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 3.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 3.0 USB 2.0 USB 3.0 USB 3.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 / FW 400 FORM FACtOR 3.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch
USB FLASH DRIVE

NAME iball Ultra Strong Transcend JetFlash V70 Corsair Flash Voyager iball Ultra Strong Transcend JetFlash 300 Corsair Flash Voyager Transcend JetFlash 300 Transcend JetFlash 500 Corsair Flash Survivor GT2 Sandisk Ultra Backup CApACIty 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 32 GB 64 GB pRICE (Rs) 400 525 600 650 650 950 1,125 2,400 4,775 5,875
CAMCORDERS
NAME Samsung K44 Sony Handycam DCR-SX63E Sony Handycam DCR-SR68E Sony Handycam DCR-SR88E Canon Legria HF R17 Canon Legria HF R18 Canon Legria HF M300 Sony Handycam XR 550 Canon Legria HF M31 Canon Legria HF S200 pRICE (Rs) 15,532 17,408 17,750 22,050 25,000 39,900 41,800 46,550 50,700 58,000 RESOLUtION OptICAL ZOOM 720 x 480 52x 720 x 480 60x 720 x 480 60x 720 x 480 60x 1920 x 1080 20x 1920 x 1080 20x 1920 x 1080 15x 1920 x 1080 10x 1920 x 1080 15x 1920 x 1080 10x
pROJECtORS
NAME Viewsonic PJD5152 LG BS275 Mitsubishi EX200U Sony VPL-EX100 Projector LG HS201 G Viewsonic PJD5352 Sony VPL-EX120 Projector Viewsonic PJD6531W Mitsubishi HC4000 Mitsubishi XD600U
pRICE (Rs) 31,325 31,600 35,475 35,600 41,900 44,550 47,900 52,275 82,975 85,225
typE DLP DLP DLP LCD DLP DLP LCD DLP DLP DLP
BRIgHtNESS 2600 Lumens 2700 Lumens 2300 Lumens 2300 Lumens 2000 Lumens 2600 Lumens 2600 Lumens 3300 Lumens 1300 Lumens 4500 Lumens
NAtIVE RESOLUtION 800 x 600 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1024 x 768 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1024 x 768 1280 x 800 1920 x 1080 1024 x 768
CONtRASt RAtIO 3000:1 2200:1 1250:1 2200:1 2000:1 2600:1 2500:1 2800:1 3600:1 2000:1
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Laptops
Name Toshiba Netbook NB250-A1110 Lenovo S10-3C 59-051325 HP Mini 110-3606TU Asus X42F-VX204D HP Mini 110-3610TU Toshiba NB520 NB520-A1114 Asus X53U-SX013D Lenovo S10-3s 59-044172 Toshiba Satellite C660-P5012 Acer Aspire AS 5742z Samsung NP-RV509-A07IN Samsung NP-RV409I Toshiba Satellite Pro C650-D5010A Asus X52F-EX1258D Acer Aspire AS 5742 Asus A43E-VX087D Asus A53E-SX181D Samsung RV-Series NP-RV411-A01IN Toshiba Satellite C660-I5013 Acer Aspire AS5755 MSI Classic CR620 Lenovo G470 59-066925 MSI FR600 Sony Vaio E Series VPCEG15EN Sony Vaio E Series VPCEH15EN Sony Vaio Y Series VPCYA15FG/B Dell Vostro 3400 Lenovo G570 59-068336 Samsung NP-R439-DA08IN Asus A43SJ-VX138R Sony Vaio Y Series VPCYA17GG/B Lenovo Z570 59-067790 Acer Aspire AS 5742 Sony Vaio E Series VPCEA43EG HP G42-478TX price Weight (rs) 15,300 1.18 Kg 16,350 1.50 Kg 17,500 1.40 Kg 19,500 2.44 Kg 19,700 1.40 Kg 20,000 1.32 Kg 20,950 2.60 Kg 21,000 1.50 Kg 21,000 2.40 Kg 21,150 2.60 Kg 22,400 2.40 Kg 22,600 2.20 Kg 24,000 2.60 Kg 25,000 2.44 Kg 25,450 2.60 Kg 26,000 2.44 Kg 26,000 2.60 Kg 26,000 2.20 Kg 26,700 2.40 Kg 27,250 2.60 Kg 28,375 2.48 Kg 28,850 2.60 Kg 29,950 2.30 Kg 29,991 2.30 Kg 29,991 2.70 Kg processor Intel Atom N455 Intel Atom N455 Intel Atom N570 Intel Pentium P6200 Intel Atom N570 Intel Atom N550 AMD Brazos C50 Intel Atom N475 Intel Pentium P6200 Intel Pentium P6100 Intel Pentium P6200 Intel Pentium P6100 Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Pentium P6200 Intel Core i3-380M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-380UM Intel Core i3-350M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-380UM Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i5-480M Intel Core i3-380M Intel Core i3-370M speed 1.66 GHz 1.66 GHz 1.66 GHz 2.13 GHz 1.66 GHz 1.50 GHz 1.00 GHz 1.83 GHz 2.13 GHz 2.00 GHz 2.13 GHz 2.00 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.13 GHz 2.53 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.10 GHz 1.33 GHz 2.26 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.10 GHz 1.33 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.53 GHz 2.53 GHz 2.40 GHz ram 1 GB 1 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 3 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 3 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 3 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 3 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 3 GB 3 GB 4 GB 3 GB dispLay 10.1-in 10.1-in 10.1-in 14.0-in 10.1-in 10.1-in 15.6-in 10.1-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.5-in 11.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 14.0-in 11.6-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 14.0-in hdd 250 GB 250 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 250 GB 320 GB 500 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 320 GB 500 GB 320 GB 500 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 320 GB 250 GB 640 GB 320 GB 500 GB 320 GB 640 GB 500 GB 320 GB 500 GB opticaL drive
6 6 6 DVD-RW 6 6 DVD-RW 6 DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW 6 DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW 6 DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW
os Win 7 Starter Win 7 Starter DOS DOS Win 7 Starter Win 7 Starter DOS Win 7 Starter DOS Win 7 HB DOS DOS DOS DOS Linux DOS DOS Win 7 HB DOS Linux Win 7 HB DOS Win 7 HB Win 7 HB Win 7 HB Win 7 HP DOS DOS DOS Win 7 HB Win 7 Pro DOS Win 7 HB Win 7 HB Win 7 HB
30,000 1.46 Kg 30,500 2.10 Kg
31,600 2.60 Kg 31,800 2.20 Kg 31,850 2.44 Kg 32,850 1.46 Kg 33,200 2.60 Kg 33,750 2.60 Kg 33,800 2.35 Kg 34,050 2.20 Kg
10/2011
135
market watch
Market Watch
Laptops
Name Samsung NP-RV509-A06IN Lenovo G570 59-066616 Toshiba Satellite L640-X4310 Lenovo Z570 59-069599 HP Pavilion G4-1009TU HP Pavilion G6-1017TU HP Pavilion DV4-3015TX Lenovo Z570 59-067847 HP Pavilion G6-1004TX Sony Vaio E Series VPCEG18FG Acer Aspire AS 4820TG Sony Vaio E Series VPCEH18FG Sony Vaio VPCEA3BGN HP Pavilion DV4-3016TX Asus X42JR-LF001V Sony Vaio S Series VPCSB25FG Samsung NP-SF511-S03IN Lenovo Y560 59-051026 Samsung NP-SF411-S01IN Toshiba Satellite L650-X5310 Asus B43F-VO023V Sony Vaio S Series VPCSB16FG/B Dell XPS 15 Sony Vaio C Series VPCCA15FG Asus U45JC-WX016X Sony Vaio S Series VPCSB18GG/B Sony Vaio VPCCB17FG/B Sony Vaio F Series VPCF136FG/BI Dell Alienware M11X Asus N53JQ-SZ103V Toshiba R Series R700-X3430 Toshiba Satellite A660-X5310 Sony VPCSA25GG/BI Dell Alienware M15X Sony Vaio F Series VPCF217HG/BI price Weight (rs) 34,050 34,350 37,300 37,400 38,100 38,300 39,550 39,650 40,300 42,641 42,650 43,591 44,550 45,050 45,200 47,391 49,100 49,850 50,000 50,150 51,475 54,450 54,800 55,400 59,850 68,700 68,700 68,700 69,200 69,850 70,150 72,450 79,000 97,006 151,590 2.40 Kg 2.50 Kg 2.26 Kg 2.50 Kg 2.10 Kg 2.50 Kg 2.22 Kg 2.60 Kg 2.50 Kg 2.30 Kg 2.11 Kg 2.70 Kg 2.40 Kg 2.22 Kg 2.25 Kg 1.72 Kg 2.40 Kg 2.90 Kg 2.19 Kg 2.60 Kg 2.48 Kg 1.72 Kg 2.44 Kg 2.45 Kg 2.14 Kg 1.72 Kg 2.85 Kg 3.20 Kg 2.99 Kg 2.90 Kg 1.39 Kg 2.62 Kg 1.68 Kg 5.30 Kg 3.20 Kg processor Intel Core i5-2310M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i5-450M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i5-460M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i5-460M Intel Core i3-2310M Intel Core i5-520M Intel Core i5-460M Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i5-2630QM Intel Core i5-2410M Intel Core i3-370M Intel Core i7-2620M Intel Core i7-2620M Intel Core i7-740QM Intel Core i3-330UM Intel Core i7-740QM Intel Core i5-460M Intel Core i5-560M Intel Core i7-2620M Intel Core i7-740QM Intel Core i7-2820QM speed 2.10 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.60 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.60 GHz 2.10 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.60 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.00 GHz 2.30 GHz 2.40 GHz 2.70 GHz 2.70 GHz 1.73 GHz 1.20 GHz 1.73 GHz 2.60 GHz 2.66 GHz 2.70 GHz 1.73 GHz 2.30 GHz ram 3 GB 3 GB 3 GB 3 GB 4 GB 4 GB 3 GB 3 GB 4 GB 4 GB 3 GB 4 GB 2 GB 4 GB 4 GB 2 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 3 GB 4 GB 6 GB 4 GB 8 GB dispLay 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 14.0-in 15.5-in 14.0-in 14.0-in 14.0-in 13.3-in 15.6-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 15.6-in 14.0-in. 13.3-in 15.6-in 14.0-in 14.0-in 13.3-in 15.5-in 16.4-in 11.6-in 15.6-in 13.3-in 15.6-in 13.3-in 15.6-in 16.0-in hdd 500 GB 640 GB 320 GB 640 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 640 GB 640 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 320 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 500 GB 640 GB 500 GB 500 GB 320 GB 750 GB 500 GB 320 GB 500 GB 640 GB 500 GB 500 GB 640 GB 500 GB 500 GB 640 GB 500 GB 640 GB opticaL drive
DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVDRW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW BD-ROM DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW BD-ROM
os DOS Win 7 HB Win 7 HP DOS Win 7 HB Win 7 HB Win 7 HB Win 7 HP Win 7 HB Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 Pro Win 7 HB Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 Pro Win 7 Pro Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 HP Win 7 Pro Win 7 HP Win 7 Pro Win 7 HP Win 7 Ultimate
136
10/2011
Digital Cameras
Name Canon PowerShot A800 Sony Cybershot DSC S3000 Nikon Coolpix L23 Fujifilm FinePix AV200 Kodak Easyshare M532 Olympus FE-4020 Canon Digital IXUS 105 IS Canon Powershot A3200 IS Nikon Coolpix S3100 Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Casio Exilim EX-Z90 Fujifilm FinePix JZ300 Sony Cybershot DSC-W570 Kodak EasyShare M590 Olympus SP-600 UZ Casio Exilim EX-Z550 Sony Cybershot DSC-H70 Sony Cybershot DSC-T99 Sony Cybershot DSC-WX1 Nikon Coolpix S8000 Sony Cybershot DSC-TX9 Nikon Coolpix S1100pj Canon Powershot SX230 HS Samsung EC-ST5500 Samsung EC-WB650 Fujifilm FinePix S4000 Casio Exilim EX-H10 Olympus MJU-Tough 8010 Olympus SP-800 UZ Canon IXUS 310 HS Canon Powershot SX30 IS Canon Powershot S95 Canon Powershot G12 PriCe (rs) 4,256 4,500 4,750 4,800 5,550 5,700 6,506 7,386 8,075 8,266 8,800 9,500 10,025 10,350 10,450 10,550 12,975 12,975 12,975 14,475 14,765 16,375 16,396 16,551 16,652 16,950 17,300 17,825 17,925 19,476 22,996 24,756 29,656 resolutioN oPtiCal Zoom 10 MP 10.1 MP 10 MP 14 MP 14 MP 14 MP 12 MP 14.1 MP 14 MP 16 MP 12.1 MP 12 MP 16.2 MP 14 MP 12 MP 14.1 MP 16.2 MP 14.1 MP 10 MP 14.2 MP 12.2 MP 14.1 MP 12.1 MP 14 MP 12 MP 14 MP 12.1 MP 14 MP 14 MP 12.1 MP 14 MP 10 MP 10 MP 3.3x 4x 5x 3x 4x 4x 4x 5x 5x 5x 3x 10x 5x 5x 15x 4x 10x 4x 5x 10x 4x 5x 14x 7x 15x 30x 10x 5x 30x 4.4x 35x 3.8x 5x WiDe aNgle 37 mm 28 mm 28 mm 32 mm 28 mm 26 mm 28 mm 28 mm 26 mm 28 mm 35 mm 28 mm 28 mm 35 mm 28 mm 26 mm 25 mm 25 mm 24 mm 35 mm 25 mm 28 mm 28 mm 31 mm 24 mm 24 mm 24 mm 28 mm 28 mm 24 mm 24 mm 28 mm 28 mm aPerture F3 - F5.8 F3.0 - F5.7 F2.7 - F6.8 F2.9 - F5.2 NA F2.6 - F5.9 F2.8 - F5.9 F2.8 - F5.9 F3.2 - F6.5 F2.8 - F5.9 F3.1 - F5.9 F3.3 - F5.6 F2.6 - F6.3 NA F3.5 - F5.4 F2.6 - F5.9 F3.5 - F5.5 F3.5 - F4.6 F2.4 - F5.9 F3.5 - F7 F3.5 - F4.6 F3.9 - F5.8 F3.1 - F5.9 F3.3 - F5.5 F3.2 - F5.8 F3.1 - F5.9 F3.2 - F5.7 F3.9 - F5.9 F2.8 - F5.6 F2.0 - F5.8 F2.7 - F5.8 F2.0 - F4.9 F2.8 - F4.5 lCD siZe 2.5-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 3.0-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 2.7-inch 3.0-inch 3.0-inch 2.7-inch 3.0-inch 3.5-inch 3.0-inch 3.0-inch 3.7-inch 3.0-inch 3.0-inch 3.0-inch 2.7-inch 3.0-inch 3.2-inch 2.7-inch 3.0-inch 2.8-inch shutter sPeeD 15 - 1/2000 sec 2 - 1/2000 sec NA 8 - 1/1400 sec 8 - 1/1600 sec 1/2-1/2000 sec 1 - 1/1500 sec 15 - 1/1600 sec 4 - 1/2000 sec 15 - 1/1600 sec 1/4 - 1/2000 sec 8 - 1/2000 sec 2 - 1/1600 sec 1/2 - 1/1200 sec 1/2 - 1/2000 sec 4 - 1/2000 sec 30 - 1/1600 sec 2 - 1/1250 sec 2 - 1/6000 sec 4 - 1/1000 sec 2 - 1/1600 sec NA 15 - 1/3200 sec 1/8 - 1/2000 sec 1-1/2000 sec 8 - 1/2000 sec 4 - 1/2000 sec 1/4 - 1/2000 sec 1/4 - 1/2000 sec 15 - 1/1600 sec 15 - 1/3200 sec 15 - 1/1600 sec 15 - 1/4000 sec
10/2011
137
Personal Tech
It takes a lot of guts to change somethIng as fundamental as wIndows. But wIth everythIng BecomIng sImplIfIed and touch-frIendly, wIll serIous power users Be left out In the cold?
WindoWs Pains
ust a few months ago, the curtains were lifted on Windows 8. Now, a working preview edition is already out for public consumption. Make no mistake; this is going to be one very carefully stage-managed launch. There are over a billion Windows users around the world, a significant proportion of whom might not even be very comfortable with computers in the first place. With pretty much every idea of what it means to use a PC set to change, theres clearly a lot at stake. Windows 8 basically pulls the carpet out from under everyoneend users and software developers alike. This is the most dramatic and wide-ranging makeover weve ever seen in such a core computing product. Whether or not its necessary at this point is arguableclearly, we still have far too many habits and preconceptions left over from the 80s, and there are things we could all be doing betterbut we dont seem to have much of a choice at this point. Ive spent a week or so playing with the developer preview, but I dont think a formal review is appropriate at this point since we know we shouldnt be basing any judgments on what is essentially a rough draft. What I will say, though, is that I sincerely hope that the final product will be a hell of a lot more polished than this. As it stands, the Windows experience is awkwardly split between the old and the new. Settings and options are limited, and poorly arranged. Touch is clearly the primary usage model, but keyboard/ mouse flexibility is far too limited. Shortcuts and common tasks dont always behave the way youd expect them to, and multitasking between Metro-style apps is a nightmare. At this point, I cannot believe that this will be my primary PC usage model within a year. On the other hand, Im happy to see that the
JAMSHED AVARI, deputy edItor
Metro UI isnt just another app, in the way that Media Center has been so far. In the same way, the classic desktop isnt just an app running within Metro or a compatibility layer thats called up on demand. Im reasonably sure that Windows 8 will allow programs, especially professional tools, to run via the classic desktop for years to come. Itll be business as usual for the millions who would otherwise need to be retrained from the ground up. With the developer preview in public hands, Microsoft will at least have the chance to gather real-world opinions. The Windows team is also actively blogging (thousand-word long posts every few days) and soliciting feedback, a bit of which seems to have already made an impact. These steps arent just because the company has discovered the joys of public engagement; its a huge effort to stave off any more Vista-esque debacles. Even if the final product doesnt find favor with reviewers and influencers, the average user will at least have some idea of what to expect. More people might be willing to give the new Windows a better chance if the inevitable complaints of the change-averse majority are spaced out, feature by feature, over the next year or so. I understand a lot of the thought process behind the new Windows, and Im glad that Microsoft is willing to take such a huge gamble. I also admire them for making Metro the core experience, and not creating yet another layer bolted on top of all the other layers weve accumulated over the years. But at this point in time, what I feel more than anything is trepidation. If the changes are too drastic to stomach, I might have to brush up on my Linux skills.
- jamshed.avari@chip.in - twitter.com/ja140
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