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Tech

Flipkart launches its first tablet, Digiflip Pro XT712

The company launched its first tablet at Rs 9,999 in a ceremony last week. The device is already on sale.
by Manik Kakra | @Manik_K on Twitter

After several leaks and rumours, Flipkart last week officially launched its first tablet, made by one of the product manufacturers on their online portal, Digiflip, named Digiflip Pro XT712.

Digiflip Pro XT712 - BlackThe tablet boasts a 7-inch (1280×800) IPS display, and has on-screen navigation keys. Running on Android 4.2.2, with a couple of Flipkart apps pre-loaded, the company said it may upgrade the device (over-the-air) later this year, but there’s no confirmation on that.

Under the hood, there is a MediaTek 8582 chipset (1.3 GHz A7 quad-core processor) along with 1 GB of RAM. Loaded with 16 GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 32 GB via microSD card, the tablet packs a 3,000 mAh battery unit.

This 3G dual-SIM capable tablet has WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 4.0 under the connectivity options. On the back there is a 5 MP (AF) camera with an LED flash; while the front has got a 2 MP camera. The Digiflip Pro XT712 comes in black colour for now, while the white variant will be available in a while, and has been priced at Rs 9,999.

The tablet is already on sale, and is only available on Flipkart.

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Tech

BlackBerry launches Z3 in India at Rs 15,990

The largest and cheapest BlackBerry in the market launched yesterday amid much fanfare. We take a look at the specs.
by Manik Kakra | @Manik_K on Twitter

Sunil Lalvani, MD, BlackBerry India, Michael Adnani, VP-Retail & Head of...Yesterday, BlackBerry launched its new mid-range BB 10 device, Z3, in India. The phone boasts a 5-inch (540×960) screen, making it the largest and cheapest BB 10 device in the market.

Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon 400 chipset (1.2 GHz dual-core with Adreno 305 GPU), coupled with 1.5 GB of RAM. It packs in 2,500 mAh battery, and the company promises 15.5 hours of talktime on it. Further, the phone has 8 GB of on-board storage, which is expandable via microSD card.

Running on BB 10.2.1 OS, it introduces BlackBerry Maps especially for Indian users, with updated data points and destinations. On the back, there is a 5 MP camera; while the front carries a 1.1 MP camera. This is BlackBerry’s first phone to be manufactured by Foxconn after their recent agreement; the phone has a textured soft material on the back for better grip and does not compromise on the premium feel.

The phone can be pre-ordered on Flipkart or The Mobile Store, with both online portals giving buyers vouchers worth Rs 1,000. The device is available in black, and goes on sale starting July 2, 2014 across the country.

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Tech

Review: Sony Xperia Z2

We take a look at the design and performance of Sony’s newest phone, the Xperia Z2, and come away impressed.
by Manik Kakra | @Manik_K on Twitter

Sony has been one of the promising Android OEMs in the last two years or so. It has come out with phones like the Xperia Z and Z1, which have looked promising on paper during their launches, but have rather failed to achieve what they had promised or beat their competitors. Now, the company attempts to change that with a device to actually get the masses excited – providing a smooth and satisfying experience. So, let’s get started with our review of the Xperia Z2.

Hardware and design

Sony’s Xperia Z2 (D6502) follows a similar form factor like the Xperia Z1. With glass on back and front, it is hard to tell the two devices apart when placed next to each other. There is an aluminum band across the sides – flaps to cover the microUSB port and SIM slot on the left, a flap to cover the microSD card slot on the other side and a dedicated camera shutter key. The front, dominated by the 5.2-inch full HD panel, has the Sony logo at the top with stereo speakers on top and bottom of the screen, LED notification light placed inside the top speaker alongside several sensors.

On the back, you have the NFC logo under glass, Sony’s logo bang in the middle, and of course, the 20.7 MP camera on the top left with the LED flash beneath to it. Oh, and if you’re not impressed with those plastic flaps, the reason might make them worthwhile for you. The phone is IP58 certified, making it water-resistant and dust-proof, and those flaps, could be irritating to deal with in your daily usage, protect the ports and body from water. It is good to see companies move to more and more water-resistant phones, and which can be used without much worrying about the phone going kaput immediately after coming in contact with water.

Camera

The phone boasts a 20.7 MP (EXMOR RS) sensor, the same we saw on the Xperia Z1. Most images seem to have rich colours and are detailed, and it’s clear Sony has done some work on the software side. Most of the times, the results are sharp, and even when used under low-light conditions, images turn out to be quite satisfying. While the superior mode tends to over-sharpen pictures many a times, the manual mode is suggested to be used more often than other modes.

Sony has also added 4k video options, and you can also shoot 720p  videos at 20 FPS. The camera key works in the double-click mechanism, make a small click to focus and then click full on to capture a photo it can open camera directly whether the screen is locked or unlocked. To sum up the camera performance, you could say it’s the best part about this device. Not only does it deliver on your expectations but more often than not, its camera UI is a breeze to  flow through and get used to.

Sound 

Moving on to the sound quality, the Xperia Z2 carries stereo speakers on the front, a trend started by the HTC One. The speakers are actually quite clear and decent, but no match if you’re expecting them to perform as well as the original HTC One. More so, the bundled headphones, if I remember correctly, are no match in quality to what you get with the Xperia Z1, which are a much better pair of earphones. As you would expect from Sony, there are a lot of options – ClearAudio, Sound Enahncer, Dynamic normaliser – to choose from in order to make sound as per your need and the type you prefer for a movie or track, and they do come in handy at times.

Call quality

The phone doesn’t disappoint with respect to voice and network reception, whether making or receiving calls, and holds well in large public areas as far as network reception is IMAG0044concerned.

Battery

The phone packs in a 3,200 mAh battery unit, which lasted for almost a day with the STAMINA mode on in our case. What this mode does is, it makes apps clear from the memory and allows very little data in background, giving you extra juice. Switching it off gave about 19 hours of battery life. Sony has also added Low Power mode that switches the phone to, as the name suggests, a very low battery-eating mode and allows to get a lot more of standby time.

Software and performance

The Xperia Z2 runs on Android 4.4.2 with Sony’s own Xperia UI on top. The phone has Qualcomm’s Snapdraon 801 SoC (2.3 GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 330 GPU), along with 3 GB of RAM.

As far as the smartphone’s performance is concerned, I didn’t have any real issues. The phone does most tasks just as well as you would like and doesn’t drop frames or stutter, as we had seen some of Sony’s previous generation phones. The on-screen keys – Back, Home, and Multi-app view – take about half an inch’s space. The Xperia UI hasn’t much evolved from what we saw on the Xperia Z1. It is still fits in very deep in the OS. So much so that you now get “What’s New” when swiping up from one of the on-screen keys, giving you options to open Google Now or What’s New.

Apart from a few useless additions like Sony Select and Game Store, you get several useful services like Privilege Movies, Sony Jive, Xperia Lounge, etc. apart from a bundle of premium services a user gets with the device. If you’ve used the Xperia Z1, you will realise the software on the Xperia Z2 is hardly different. One major improvement, though, is the keyboard, which is much improved and even supports ‘swipe to type’ now. Sony’s skin is not very heavy and does provide with nifty little options beyond stock Android. I don’t really mind the extra ‘skin’ as long as the performance and design aren’t cut short.

There are plenty of personalisation options, including Xperia themes from the Play Store, some of which are very nice and seem to be made for the Xperia Z2 from the ground up. The connectivity options work okay, and if you’ve one, you can use the device with your DUALSHOCK Wireless controller, and of course, mirror your phone’s content on another supported device. Sony has also added ‘double tap to wake’ to unlock your screen, which works well most of the time, but the same can’t be done on any Home screen in order to lock the screen.

Our verdict

All in all, Sony has produced its best Android smartphone with Xperia Z2. We have been seeing phones from the company that seem promising, but this one is surely the device that performs and performs well in pretty much all areas. You get a good full HD screen, a very good camera with a lot of useful editing options and shooting modes, decent design and build quality, average audio quality, and a water-resistant and dust proof device. Buyers also get a SmartBand, which I  haven’t used so far, plus a few premium services to make the package more attractive. The Xperia Z2 is definitely a phone you should try if you’re in the market for a high-end smartphone.

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Event

Attend: Thumris with Dhanashree Pandit Rai

The Hindustani classical vocalist will render raga Malhar, which is said to invoke the rains, this evening at the NCPA.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The advent of the rains is richly celebrated in Hindustani classical music with the grand Malhar raga that is said to have the power to invoke the rains. What is often ignored is the semi-classical counterpart of our music, thumri, which romances the rains with several folk varieties such as kajri, sawan, jhoola and hindola that express the pain of separation and the joy of union with the beloved in the months of sawan.

Classical vocalist Dhanashree Pandit Rai will perform ‘Chha Rahi Kali Ghata: Thumris of the Rain’ this evening at the NCPA, in keeping with the advent of the monsoon in the city. She has trained in khayal under Firoz Dastur, the stalwart of the Kirana gharana, and further specialised in thumri under the guidance of Shobha Gurtu. Besides several thumri albums to her credit, Pandit Rai teaches Indian vocal techniques to jazz musicians and has recorded fusion albums with many of them.

Accompanying Dhanashree during the performance will be Kalinath Mishra on the tabla, Niranjan Lele on the harmonium and Sangeet Mishra on the sarangi.

The recital starts at 6.30 pm at NCPA, Mumbai. Look up ncpamumbai.com for details and booking.

(Picture courtesy dhanashreepandit.com, Mumbai)

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Tech

Review: Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung is going great guns in the phone market. We review what their new flagship phone, Galaxy S5, is about.
by Manik Kakra | @Manik_K on Twitter

Looking at the phones people are using, I am quite sure a lot of phones would be made by one phone giant – Samsung. Samsung’s success, especially with the Android platform in place, has only matured over the last two years or so. Millions of Galaxy units have already been sold out, and the series continues to reach newer heights for the Korean giant.

So, Samsung’s Galaxy S5 comes at an interesting time. Many other manufacturers, just like previous years, have released their flagship device, but this time, it seems, Samsung may require more steam to reach new consumers than it has ever in these last two to three years. Without further ado, let’s check what really this new Samsung water-resistant, dust-resistant flagship is about.

Hardware and performance

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 (SM-G900H) packs pretty much the latest when it comes to its internals. As far as design and materials are concerned, it doesn’t inspire this time.

The first time you hold it, you realise the dotted, textured back is better for grip than the S4’s hyper-glossy rear. The front, dominated by the 5-inch full HD screen, with a slightly new button layout below it – Multi-app view, Home (which also equips the fingerprint scanner), and Back button – doesn’t appear very different from the S4’s.

On the screen’s top, you get the usual LED light, Samsung logo in the middle, front camera on its other side and several sensors hidden. The rear, boasting a 16 MP camera with the heart rate monitor (and the LED flash) right below it, also has the loudspeakers, which actually make the whole bottom half of the phone vibrate when playing some music or game at high volumes.

The top has the 3.5mm headset jack; microUS3.0 port (supports 2.0, too) sits at the bottom under a plastic flap; and volume rockers and Power/ Lock button on left and right side panels, respectively. If you try them a few times, you’ll soon notice the clickety sound these physical buttons – volume and Home – produce. Some people may not like this, especially the Home button, given how frequently you’re going to use it.

Coming to the phone’s 5.1-inch full HD S AMOLED screen, it is, as expected from Samsung, a fantastic panel. The AMOLED technology is now mature enough to stand with LCDs when it comes to rich colours that are not black or white. Black levels are just as good as we have been seeing on AMOLED panels, and viewing angles are not bad, either. Full HD videos look really nice on the phone’s bright screen, and this is definitely one of the best things about this Galaxy device. You’re not going to be let down by it. Oh, and if you want, you can choose from different screen modes, whichever colour gamut you prefer on the phone.

Camera

Moving to the 16 MP (fast AF) f/2.2 rear camera, Samsung seems to have put in a lot of effort to improve its camera app and also give better images from the S4, which was already a good camera phone. There are some pretty neat tricks in the camera app. Apart from the usual HDR and Burst mode shots, you can choose to switch on Selective Focus (HTC calls its own trick as UFocus) in the camera app, which allows you to change the focus subject in your image later. It defocuses according to your need, and that’s why mostly works in good lighting conditions.

Under low light, it may not capture or the option to start Selective Focus might not even show up because of low light. As far as image result goes, this is great performer. You can view a few sample images here.

The camera is capable of capturing good detailed shots, and is decent under low light conditions. You can even shoot 4K videos or HD videos at 120 FPS.

Sound

Talking about the phone’s sound quality, due to the thin rear cover, whenever you play something on higher volumes, it sort of vibrates the lower half of the phone’s body. Other than that, the phone is quite loud, clear, and in-ear box headphones are a decent pair. Call quality on the phone is top notch, and there was no issue regarding network reception during the usage period.

The S5 is IP67 certified, meaning it is dust resistant, and it can hold well when put into water up to a metre for about half an hour. Every time you switch on the phone, you are prompted to check if the back cover has been put on properly, and similarly, after you remove the charger, the phone notifies to check if there flap has been properly put or not. Just be a bit careful with that flap, it seems very delicate and might just come of the body after a few weeks.

Software and performance

The Samsung Galaxy S5 runs on Android 4.4.2 out of the box, along with Samsung’s own TouchWiz Nature UX 3.0 on top. Credit to Samsung for not shipping the phone with a previous Android OS version and providing KitKat from the start.

Samsung was quite vocal during its Galaxy S5 has got a much better, tweaked version of TouchWiz, and it shows that the whole software has gone a few changes as soon as you start using the smartphone. While the basic Home screen setup remains same, there are now a lot of new and improved looking icons. Even under Settings, Gallery, etc., there are a few minor changes and those are welcome.

However, the more you use it, you will see there hasn’t been much done for making the whole experience smoother or less confusing. More on this in a bit. The leftward-most screen gives you a personalised magazine where you can add you news, content as per your liking. For App launcher, again, it appears a little changed and for better. You now have to drag an app icon upwards and then to your desired Home screen, in order to make a shortcut. Folders, with your desired name and colour, can be made in the app launcher as well as Home screens. As for S features are concerned, there are loads of them, just like the S4.

The battery backup of the device was about 20 hours on an average. Samsung has added Ultra Power saving mode, which basically makes your smartphone a dumb-phone as you can only make and receive calls and text messages or set an alarm. It could be quite handy in times of emergency, giving a seriously long time of battery juice.

Moving to the S5’s much-talked about fingerprint scanner, it can be used to unlock the device. You have swipe your finger or thumb over it, or you could also opt to use an alternative password in case it the screen needs to be unlocked. When I tried to use the fingerprint scanner with my finger, it was a hit and miss case; worked about half of the times, but when I used my thumb, it worked, liked, 8 out of 10 times. The thing is, it probably doesn’t recognize various angles.

All in all, Samsung has done a good job with the Galaxy S5. If you’re looking for a new smartphone at the high-end range, this is good time to be in the market. If you’ve used a Samsung flagship in the last two years, you know the good and bad, but coming from another manufacturer, the transition might not be that smooth. The S5’s price hasn’t held too well in the market so far, and this might well be a reason to check it when doing your phone search.

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Event

Seniors march for elder abuse awareness

As reports of abuse against elders in India surface, a walkathon organised in Borivali helps spread awareness about the issue.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

A recent report by HelpAge India painted an extremely grim picture of the state of senior citizens in the country – at an age when they should be enjoying their autumn years, as many as 50 per cent seniors (of those surveyed) complained of abuse from their families. A surprising finding was that apart from daughters-in-law and sons being perpetrators of abuse, even daughters were found to inflict mental and physical abuse on the elderly.

Elder abuse day walkathonThe report was released to coincide with the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which is observed on June 15 every year. To mark the occasion in their own small way, Silver Innings Foundation organised a walkathon comprising both seniors and youth at Borivali. The walkathon was flagged off from Dada Dadi Park in Veer Savarkar Udyan, near St Anne’s School.

“On the eve of the 9th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2014 , Silver Innings  Helpline, a project of Silver Innings, in association with INPEA and Pushpa Maa Foundation, organised  a walkathon observing Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 14,” said Sailesh Mishra, founder President of Silver Innings. “Around 230 senior citizens and 30 youngsters participated for the 20-minute walkathon with banners and placards,” he added. The programme also included the singing of inspirational songs and the tying of purple bands among the youth and seniors.
(Pictures courtesy Sailesh Mishra)
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