Author: The Metrognome

Categories
Tech

Review: Karbonn MachOne

Karbonn’s new under-8k price range phone is a satisfactory device but needs a few corrections in its battery and camera performance.
by Manik Kakra | @Manik_K on Twitter

Karbonn has been one of the Indian players to capture a considerable amount of phone sale share and keep its brand value intact over the last couple of years. One of the things working in its favour has been low-end smartphones. The MachOne Titanium is another such device from the company that caters to sub-8k price segment without having to sacrifice on the performance side, as per Karbonn. So is it worth spending Rs. 6,990 on this phone?

The looks. Karbonn’s MachOne Titanium (S310) follows a typical form factor that you expect to see from an Indian manufacturer. With its silver curved sides, thin plastic sheet used for rear and a front design that isn’t very unique, the design is just okay and not something that would wow you on the first look. You might even say they could have done better by not trying to imitate the iPhone 6 (check those speaker grills at the bottom), and I won’t disagree.

The front sports the 4.7-inch HD screen along with the 5 MP front-facing camera with the LED notification light tucked in, ear speaker grill, and sensors as well LED flash for the front camera. The screen is prone to smudges and dust, so do wipe it clear often. At the bottom of the screen are three touch buttons – Multi-app view, Home and Back – which lit up dully. The top houses the microUSB port as well as the 3.5mm headset jack; while the plasticy hard volume rocker and Power/Lock key (nearer the middle) are placed on the right side panel, leaving the left side panel plain.

The camera is on the top-left corner next to the LED flash, with the Karbonn logo, and a secluded secondary mic. You can open the rear cover using your finger nail through the slight opening on the left side, revealing the battery unit, two SIM slots and microSD card slot.

Display. The phone’s 4.7-inch (1280 x 720) display is the best thing about the device. It is not a bad screen at this price. You can watch HD videos, view images and read webpages well. There isn’t a wow factor to its colour production and sharpness, but there’s not much of a downside considering other panels in this price range.

Camera. The MachOne boasts an 8 MP (AF) camera. Here are a few sample images.

The camera takes decent photos in daylight but struggles in any mode that doesn’t have good light. Images usually look grainy and only once in a while did a photo appeared detailed and quite sharp. You might want to try the HDR mode more often. The app seems similar to the Google Camera app, but the camera is definitely not worth much more than shooting outside for casual shots.

Audio. The device has a decent in-ear output using the bundled headset, and the loudspeakers, though distorted at the maximum volume, is loud and usually clear for games and videos. Call quality is fine and network reception as well as WiFi network connections didn’t give any trouble.

Battery. Battery life of the phone (using one SIM card) was inconsistent. At times, with moderate usage, its 1,800 mAh battery unit lasted nearly a day, but at other times, with similar usage, it struggled to give over 18 hours. There were three minor firmware updates within a week I started using the phone and were aimed at better battery (besides a few other things), so Karbonn may well be aware of it. There’s a built-in Stamina mode, which you can select to switch on at 20% battery level to get a bit more phone uptime.

Software and performance. The device runs on Android 4.4.2 with very little added or changed from stock Android look and feel. Under the hood, there is a MediaTek 6582 SoC (1.3 GHz quad-core processor, Mali-400 GPU) coupled with 1 GB of RAM. The user gets about 5.5 GB of available storage space, which can be expanded. The general performance of the phone seemed satisfactory. Apps opened without any hiccups, scrolling through Settings, swiping though Home screen and going back and forth between apps was easy.

With a few days of usage, I wouldn’t call it to be a very snappy smartphone, but it did handle most tasks pretty well. You shouldn’t have much of a problem in playing HD videos or viewing and swiping through images. As for additions done by Karbonn, the screen supports double-tap to wake as well as double-tap on a Home screen to lock it, and this handy feature works well. Karbonn has also added a few gesture modes, by which you can unlock the screen by writing a letter in the screen to land straight into the app pre-set for that letter.

Lock screen has also been revamped a bit. Apart from the usual camera and battery setting shortcuts, it shows you notifications on it – missed call, SMS, and if you swipe left on a notification icon, it gives you the option to call the contact directly. There are two themes available under Settings – Dark (default) and White. There are few more colour options available for Home screen options, but that option only gives you coloured icon backgrounds, which look quite ugly, so you wouldn’t want to change the default transparent style. Other than that, the overall look, customization options and features are a standard set associated with a low-end Android phone.

Notification centre and toggle buttons appear in one screen and you have to swipe left to access more toggle buttons from the swipe-down center. Dual SIM handling and data connectivity option are handy and most users shouldn’t find it difficult to switch between them. While it does have satisfactory performance for a budget device, it would be great if Karbonn could give the Android 5.0 update soon. Not only will it give it an edge among many other smartphones available out there, but also give a better impression that the company is actually serious about software upgrades.

To sum up, the Karbonn MachOne Titanium seems like a phone that does most things quite well – satisfactory performance, useful screen gestures, good screen, but lacks a bit on the camera and battery parts even at this range. All in all, the device seems like a worthy option in a segment that’s getting a lot of attention these days.

Categories
Do

Participate: The ‘Make it happen’ photo contest

The US Consulate, Mumbai, is observing Women’s History Month with an online photo contest for Indians, till March 15, 2015.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The International Women’s Day is coming up soon (on March 8), but for the US Consulate, Mumbai, the festivities have already begun. The US Consulate, Mumbai is celebrating Women’s History Month all through March with an online photo contest on the theme ‘Make It Happen.’

As per the contest rules, you have to send your photo taken in India, celebrating the roles and accomplishments of women on any one of the contact coordinates (listed at the bottom of this article),
The photo must be an original one, which shows how women can have a positive influence on their families, neighborhoods, communities, country, and the world. The shot must be an action one, celebrating women’s achievements and highlights the important role they play. Photos need to be the original work of the contestants, and to be shot in India within the past two years.

The contest is open to Indian nationals residing in the five states of the Consular district: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Once a photo is submitted, it is considered a final submission and may not be modified or edited, or replaced. Contestants may submit no more than five photos, and only one photo will be eligible for a prize. Look up www.facebook.com/mumbai.usconsulate/events for full contest rules and submission guidelines.

Send your entries email to MumbaiPublicAffairs@gmail.com or via Twitter to @USAndMumbai using the hashtag #MakeItHappenPics. The contest has already commenced and will close at 23:59 pm on March 15, 2015.

Categories
Enough said

The SAARC Writers Meet – a round-up

A meeting for writers from all the SAARC countries concluded recently in Agra, and had several prominent persons in attendance.
Humra Quraishiby Humra Quraishi

I have just returned from the SAARC Literature Festival held in Agra. It was a great getaway from Delhi’s frenetic pace, compounded by a harsh winter. I was glad to head to this meet of writers and poets and academics from our country and from the other SAARC countries – Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

We landed at Agra on Thursday evening and after the usual formalities – the inaugural and interactive sessions – the meet took off. For me, however, the interaction had started much earlier with the Afghan writers and poets who were my co-passengers on the plane heading towards Agra. I was pleasantly surprised to see at least six Afghan women in this group, with a couple of them speaking fluent English.

When we reached Agra, it was great to meet friends from all across the country and outside. One of the positives of such meets is that one can freely interact with people from other countries without a hint of tension and hectic schedules coming in the way. Many academics who we ordinarily see only on television were there in the flesh – Ashis Nandy, Rajmohan Gandhi, Alok Bhalla, Om Thanvi, Suneet Chopra. Though all of them spoke about issues concerning them at the moment, the most vocal was Om Thanvi, as also Ziya-us-Salam, academic and journalist and the senior deputy editor of The Hindu.

Also present were two of our well-known poetesses, Ambala-based Paul Kaur and the New Delhi-based Tarannum Riyaz. I was also glad to meet Bangladeshi writer Selina Hossain (I had met her almost eight years ago at another SAARC writers meet), who has not changed at all. There is something serene and modest about Selina – the 67-year-old writer has authored 36 novels, 13 anthologies of short stories, 27 children’s books, 10 anthologies of essays and heads several organisations. While we were chatting, we were joined by Nepal Bhupen Vyakul, and the topic drifted to the extent of freedom a writer could indulge in. She was rather categorical in stating that “there is nothing called ‘absolute freedom’ for a writer or for any creative head, and words should not hurt or become the cause of disaster.”

The group from Pakistan stood out, especially with their ‘malangs’, the whirling darveshs from Lahore. I was thrilled with poet Nasir Ali Syed, and as I heard his verse, it became increasingly clear why his writing is so popular in Pakistan. He has a definite way with words and his verse leaves a mark?

Categories
Learn

Attend: Fashion Dialogues with Sonali Dalwani

Learn all there is to learn about accessories and their place in fashion from renowned accessories designer Sonali Dalwani, tomorrow.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Students of fashion in Mumbai, pay attention.

Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion is hosting its 2nd edition of ‘Fashion Dialogues Series’ with Sonali Dalwani, the owner of Crimzon Accessories, tomorrow at Film City. The ‘Fashion Dialogues Series’ is a platform for those who are looking to get their creative ideas into action. Accessories play an important part in completing the look of an outfit and through this workshop, Sonali will give tips to budding designers on how to make attractive accessories.

Sonali curates the customary Indian craftsmanship market at Crimzon Accessories. Her collected works include bags, belts and shoes designed from excellent silks, faux leather and with natural fibers. She works with worldwide trademarks and design accommodations of USA and Europe, like Ponz, Quintana, Valentino, Channel, Charles Jordan, Karl Lagerfeld, Mary McFadden, and Ungaro.

This session of ‘Fashion Dialogues’ will be an interactive session where Sonali will share her views and give tips to the fashion aspirants on accessory designing as a career. “An accessory could be anything to everything that people wear in addition to the garment. The focus of the masterclass will be on talk points like how to start your own accessory brand, importance of styling and accessorising and understanding the expressive power of accessorising,” says Sonali, adding that she would also focus on different materials of bags, shoes and belts, which add a different dimension to one’s look.

Whether you’re a fashion design student or a fashion enthusiast, this will be the perfect opportunity for you to develop your skills.

Head to Whistling Woods International, Film City Complex, Goregaon (E), February 21, 2015 from 11 am to 2 pm, Entry is open to all.

Categories
Watch

Watch: ‘Begin Again’

The 2013 film features Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in leading roles; music and song writing form the film’s backdrop.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

PVR and NCPA are launching their ‘Director’s Rare’ programme from today, a new monthly series of films picked by PVR.

The 2013 film Begin Again, an American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by John Carney and starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, will play tonight at the NCPA’s Little Theatre. In the film, Knightley plays a singer-songwriter who is discovered by a struggling record label executive (Ruffalo) and collaborates with him to produce an album recorded in public locations all over New York City. Gretta’s world takes a turn for the better when Dan, a disgraced record label executive, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is captivated by her raw talent.

After the success of his 2007 musical film Once, Carney wrote the script for Begin Again in 2010 and employed Gregg Alexander to compose most of the film’s music. With an US$8 million budget, production began in July 2012 with filming taking place in various locations around New York City. The film premiered in September 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically on June 27, 2014, in conjunction with the release of the film’s soundtrack. It has grossed over $63 million worldwide and received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

The screening is free and open to all on a first come first seated basis. The film begins at 6.30 pm.

(Picture courtesy tribecafilm.com)

Categories
Autism

What is the true meaning of acceptance?

The key for parents dealing with autistic children is to focus on the positives to bring out their innate abilities.
Kamini Lakhaniby Kamini Lakhani | saiconnections01@gmail.com

Part 7 of the Autism Diaries – The only way we can save ourselves and those we love from being hurt.

Wednesday mornings are the best mornings of the week for me – because it is time for our weekly group class! We have a group of eight to nine mothers attending each week. I learn so much from this weekly interaction. I’m honoured to moderate this class and be a guide to all these wonderful people.

So on a recent Wednesday I threw open the discussion with one of my favourite quotes, “And that’s the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.” (Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner).

Every participant had their own opinion. Most of us identified with the quote. At the same time, we’ve all found our way around this. We understand another’s perspective and over a period of time, have learned not to take this too seriously, or to let it affect us badly.

Blessed to deal with autism spectrum children

We share our genetic pool with our children. Due to a lack of neural connectivity and the brain being wired differently, do our kids who are on the Autism Spectrum experience extreme literal thinking? Since they experience difficulty with simultaneous processing and have problems with perspective taking, is this problem amplified for them? It is certainly a possibility! 

Among these youngsters, there are no pretenses. You get what you see. You get unconditional love – a rare commodity these days. I feel privileged to catch glimpses of greatness on a day-to-day basis. In all the years that I have worked with them, I have felt protected and taken care of. If I am worried about something, one of the little ones will, of their own accord, come sit on my lap. Or one of the ‘big guys’ will walk into my office and put out a hand of blessing on my head!

Something happened just yesterday. I was feeling overwhelmed by a situation that engulfed me. This boy greeted me at the door, took me by the hand and walked around with me – as if to say, Autism spectrum“You’re not alone, I’m with you.” What else can one need in life?

I feel that it’s my life’s mission to create a safety net for all these wonderful people who have impacted my life in such a big way! How do I do this? I don’t have the abilities that they do, but I’m privileged to be able to understand them, to see the brilliant light in them.

The discussion moved to each mother talking about her child’s strengths. Surprise of surprises! Most of us felt that though we are aware of their strengths, we tend to focus on their weaknesses.

Focus on the strengths

For instance, one mother was constantly focussing on her son’s hyperactivity, rather than being appreciative of his love for life and curiosity that he so clearly displays. Another mom discovered that though her son was hugely skilled, she focussed on his ‘aggressive behaviours’. Yet somebody else was focused on her son’s problems related to visual perceptual skills rather than his ability to share his emotions so clearly. I am personally guilty of being over focussed on my son’s health issues rather than his tremendous artistic talent and ability!

There is a difference between being aware of what is lacking and focussing almost obsessively on it. I’m certainly not telling any parent to put on blinkers and stop looking at the deficits. What I am saying is this: Be aware of your child’s strengths, understand how your child learns. Focus on this, build the positives and support your child to overcome the deficits. But support your child by being respectful. Do not break the child’s spirit.

Here’s what one of my veteran moms, Sudha Ranganathan, has to say about this: “Acceptance is recognising their strengths and limitations and still expecting and supporting them to do better.”

Let me explain by using an example. Shraddha is a wonderful young girl, always smiling and happy, a willing learner and totally well versed and comfortable with kitchen skills. She has deficits with visual perceptual skills. Her mother feels that if Shraddha gets better with this, we could work on her reading and writing, and thereby give her an effective way to communicate.

She has a valid point. But if we focus on just getting Shraddha to read and write the conventional way, we will in all probability, fail. Instead, if we focus on the positives – her good nature, her willingness to participate, enhanced gross and fine motor skills – we can make a positive difference to this lovely girl’s life. Plus, if we keep in mind the delayed processing that Shraddha displays and learn to guide her appropriately with this, could we not come up with a superior, customised plan to teach her to read and write?

Isn’t this what respect is about? Work with their strengths. Use these to support them to overcome weaknesses.

For if you try to force a square peg into a round hole- you may end up damaging the peg! If you want to improve lives of families with children on the spectrum, or if you have any queries about autism and other learning conditions, feel free to email me at saiconnections01@gmail.com. I will be glad to help.

Kamini Lakhani is the founder of SAI Connections. She is a Behaviour Analyst, an RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) Consultant, Supervisor and Trainer responsible for RDI professional training in India and the Middle East. She is the mother of an adult on the Autism Spectrum. She is also a member of Forum for Autism.

Next: How motivation and resilience are connected to each other.

(Pictures courtesy www.jhsph.edu, www.matthewreardon.org)

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