Category: Lookit!

Categories
Tech

What’s happening at IFA?

The ongoing Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin trade fair has seen a lot of launches. Here’s a lowdown on all that mattered.
by Manik Kakra

The ongoing IFA trade fair, which is being held from September 6 to 11 this year at Berlin, has revealed a few good things. Here’s presenting a few:

SAMSUNG   

Note 3Note 3: We already knew Samsung’s new Note (see pic on left) is going to be unveiled at IFA, and so it was. Running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the Note 3 features a 5.7-inch SAMOLED full HD screen, but its size is almost same to the Note II (5.5-inch screen) thanks to that slim bezel. This Samsung device is powered by 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset (having Adreno 330 GPU) or Samsung’s own 1.9 GHz Exynos octa-core chipset –depending on your market – along with, not 2 GB, but 3 GB of RAM. That’s beefy, right?

On the back, there is a 13 MP camera with dual LED flash, capable of recording full HD videos (60 FPS), while the front boasts a 2 MP camera. Other features include WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, and microUSB 3.0, yes, it has 3.0, not 2.0. The phone comes in 32 GB and 64 GB storage options (expandable via microSD), and 3,200 mAh battery. The phone is expected to be launched in a number of markets, including India, within the next two months.

Galaxy Gear smartwatch: Wearable tech is suddenly becoming mainstream news. We have seen quite a few smartwatches (Sony Smartwatch and Pebble) and leaks from various companies. Samsung, too, has come up with one (see pic on right). The Galaxy gear smartwatch is a watch that can wirelessly connect with your tablet or smartphone to give you instant information. This watch Galaxy Gear smartwatchfeatures a 1.63-inch SAMOLED screen, and can be paired with Samsung’s Note 3, Note II, SIII and S4. It gives you notifications right on your palm, so you don’t have to whip out your phone every time. Other functionalities could be detailed once the product is on sale and gets some apps as well.

Note 10.1  2014 Edition: This was probably the least exciting launch from Samsung. The tablet looks a lot like the previous 10.1 tablet, and there isn’t too much to talk about Android on tablets right now. It is powered by the same 1.9 GHz Exynos SoC with 3 GB of RAM. The screen is SAMOLED with a resolution of 2560×1600. Coming in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB variants, this tablet features an 8 MP rear camera, and 2 MP front-facing camera.

SONY

Xperia Z1: This was yet another smartphone, information about which leaked before the event, and was eagerly awaited by many. The Sony Xperia Z1 runs on Android 4.2, and is powered by the last Snapdragon 800 quad-core chipset, along with 2 GB of RAM. This water-resistant and dust-proof smartphone features a 5-inch full HD TFT screen, and a 207 MP camera (Exmor RS), which is really the USP of this device. It would be interesting to see how it performs as compared to other flagship smartphones from this year.

QX100 and QX10: These are two detachable lenses that can be attached with your iPhone and Android phone. While the QX100 has a 1-inch 20.2 MP Exmor RS sensor, the QX10 has got .2-inch 18.2 MP. Both have Bluetooth and NF connectivity options. Sony has also released their Sdk for better support and uses. We have seen a few such attempts, but not much from a phone company. Would you like a separate lens to get much more out of your smartphone, for those crisp images?

4_SmartWatch_2_Xperia_Z_1Smartwatch 2: Sony’s original Smartwatch didn’t get too many good reviews, but the Smartwatch 2 might just change that. With a 1.6-inch LCD, fully water-proof, the company promises 3 to 4 days of battery life. Connectivity-wise, there is Bluetooth, NFC, and microUSB.

Lenovo Vibe X: This phone sports a 5-inch HD screen, and with its polycarbonate material looks quite different from what we have seen from the Chinese giant so far. Powered by MediaTek’s quad-core chipset and 2 GB of RAM, this Lenovo phone runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. We are still not sure if this phone would make it to other markets.

Toshiba Encore 8.1 Tablet: In a bid to compete against the iPad mini, Toshiba is launching its new Windows 8.1 tablet – Encore. Featuring an 8-inch (1200 x 800) screen, the tablet has got the usual Windows 8 plus new functionalities. Under the hood, there is Intel’s new Bay Trail Atom chip, this tablet does seem competitive as we have not seen many Windows tablets in this form factor.

What are your thoughts so far on what’s being unveiled at IFA? Is it a hit or miss? Anything more you were expecting? Tell us in the comments section below.

(Featured image courtesy Reuters)

Categories
Event

Bakin’ Huddle at Gorenje Studio

Foody Breaks’ baking class at Gorenje Studio combined a lot of fun with loads of learning, under chef Kunal Arolkar.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Bakin' Huddle1We were proud to partner Foody Breaks for ‘Bakin’ Huddle’, a baking class for Mumbaikars, on August 31 at Gorenje Studio, Lower Parel. The event was a lot of fun, with 11 Mumbaikars from different walks of life turning up to learn how to  put together five kinds of desserts, under the teaching of chef Kunal Arolkar.

Says Kunal, “We carried out a brief introduction of Gorenje India and Foody Breaks and I spoke of why I prefer Saturdays as the most preferred day to conduct such classes since you can use the following Sunday to practise what you learn, almost immediately. About 11 Mumbaikars turned up for the class, apart from two bloggers.”

Four products were taught over five recipes, as a few products had sub-recipes in them. “There was a highly interactive session with anBakin' Huddle2 effective Q&A, as there were quite a few questions from the participants. Plus there was a good coffee and product tasting round as well, to ensure everyone had sufficient energy to sit through the four-hour session,” Kunal says.

Kunal is happy to host more such classes. If you want to be part of the next class, check out our Contests and Promotions page for details.

(Pictures courtesy Kunal Arolkar)

Categories
Do

Hula hoop, we say!

This cost-effective and fun way to exercise comes to the city through a one-hour workshop taking place at Bandra tomorrow. Go for it!
by Medha Kulkarni

Do these sound familiar?

“I will go for a jog every day.”
“ I will do yoga on my own at home.”
“I will YouTube fitness videos and follow them at home.”

Urban India is quite firmly caught in the throes of the fitness mantra and that’s a positive sign. However,the nature of our lifestyles and work leaves us with very little to really do anything about it. There’s a percentage of people who regularly attend the gym or various other fitness classes, but this percentage is still a minority. The rest of us try to eat as healthy as possible and frequently decide to do some form of fitness activity. But let’s be honest – most of our plans never come to anything.

hula hoop workshopThe main reason for this is lack of motivation.While we are very keen on being fit, it’s very difficult to really follow a fitness routine on your own at home. Maybe this is why hula hooping is fast gaining popularity. If you want to get into shape via a fun exercise activity, go for Leona Rodrigues’s hula hooping workshop at Bandra today.

What is hula hooping?
A hula hoop is a hollow hoop, which comes in various diameters. It has till recently been relegated as a toy and indeed, children have great fun hula hooping. However, the health benefits of hula hooping have quickly catapulted it to the top of fitness routines.

Hula hooping has a variety of health benefits. It’s an excellent workout for your abs and waist, it makes your spine supple and flexible, and burns calories effectively. Just 30 minutes of regular hula hooping every day can produce striking results in barely six weeks. The best part? It’s an inexpensive way of exercise – buying a hoop is one-time investment and it’s a lot of fun.

Once you master the basic technique, you can hula hoop away excess fat in any part of the body!

The workshop

If you are interested in learning to hula hoop, make your way to Bandra tomorrow, where Leona will conduct a one hour session at St. Joseph’s Convent High School Hall, Hill Road. Leona will not only teach you how to hula hoop, but will also answer all your hoop-related doubts. The best part about this workshop? At Rs 500, it will cost less than a movie out.

Hoops will be provided at the workshop and if you’re so inclined, you can even buy one from Leona to practice at home. Leona has been hula hooping for years and has conducted several workshops till date.For more information and registration, call 9867322077.

(Pictures courtesy natalieplaton.com and Hoopgaga )

Categories
Tech

Two spanking new Windows phones

Nokia launched two new WP smartphones in the Indian market yesterday; both will have to compete with low-budget Android phones.
by Manik Kakra

Nokia launched two new Windows smartphones in the Indian market yesterday. The Lumia 625 and 925 are the new additions to its WP lineup.

Let’s first talk about the Lumia 625 (in featured image above). This 3G phone has been priced at Rs 19,999. It features a 4.7-inch (480×800) LCD, a 5 MP rear camera, and a VGA front-facing camera. This mid-range WP handset is powered by the 1 GHz S4 processor, along with 512 MB of RAM. The Lumia 625 packs 2,000 mAh battery and 8 GB of on-board storage (expandable via microSD card).

Probably the best thing about this smartphone is Your Movies. It’s an app that gives you service for free downloading and streaming movies (high quality and standard quality options) for the first three months of buying a Lumia 625. Very nice move by Nokia, right? This phone comes in yellow, orange, green, black and white colours.

Lumia 925On the other hand, the Lumia 925 is Nokia’s new high-end smartphone in the Indian market. It sports a 4.5-inch (1280×768) screen, and is powered by the 1.2 GHz S4 processor, along 1 GB of RAM. On the back, there is an 8.7 MP camera; while the front has got a 1.2 MP (wide angle) camera. It packs 2,000 mAh battery and 16 GB of internal storage (not expandable). The Lumia 925, priced at Rs. 33,490, comes in grey, white, and black colours.

Both these phones pack usual smartphones features, too, like Bluetooth, WiFi, microUSB 2.0, and A-GPS. Apart from these, these Lumia phones also come with pre-loaded Nokia apps and services like Nokia Music, Camera360, HERE Maps, and also give users 7 GB of free storage space on SkyDrive.

After the Lumia 520, 620, 720,820 and 920, these two phones are its latest Windows Phone 8 handsets, which aim at different price-point audiences, while not trying to compromise much on the experience. It will be interesting to see, especially after seeing that budget Android phones have improved over the last one year or so, what consumers choose from here, and whether Windows Phone OS attracts them or not.

Do you won a Windows Phone device? Or do you prefer Android over WP? Do let us know your opinions on this.

(Pictures courtesy Nokia India)

Categories
Tech

The best apps for your WP smartphone

Have a Windows phone but not the apps to go with it? Check out our app list to get started.
by Manik Kakra

Announced more than two years ago, the Windows phone has been a refreshing new OS in the smartphone world. The OS is on the third place, and though it still needs lots of apps, services, and improvements, there’s no doubt that Microsoft has got a lot of great applications for users.

This is a list of apps you should definitely try on your shiny new WP handset.

rap dialerRap Dialer: WP has got some decent native apps, but its dialer seems a bit uncooked. Rap Dialer (in pic on left) is what you should try if you feel the same about the stock dialer. Rap Dialer has got a few interesting gestures, and has got features you need from your phone’s dialpad, right there.

The alternative? People Search

Twabbit: If you’ve been using a smartphone for some time, chances are you would be quite active on Twitter. I never really liked the official Twitter app for WP, and I would recommend Twabbit. This app has got a great features list, from streaming, push notifications, image preview, custom theme, to mute filters. This feature-packed app is surely worth an active Twitter user’s bucks.

The alternative? Mehdoh

WhatsApp: I wouldn’t have mentioned it here had the developers not brought about the major update this app required. With the last few updates, this chat client has become much more reliable, and has got much better reviews from what users had to say about it earlier.

The alternative? LINE

UC Browser: In order to get a better Web browsing experience than what the IE10 Mobile offers with its less-than-required number of features, download the UC Browser (see pic on right). This UC browserbrowser has been on the scene since Symbian days, and has got a lot of features in its WP avatar. From offline mode, to custom font and speed dial, this free browser is a worthy addition to your WP tiles.

The alternative? Surfcube

Baconit: Want to check Reddit on the go? Well, Baconit is probably the best Reddit client on WP. It’s fast, well-designed, and has all the features you might need.

The alternative? Baconography

Besides these apps, you should also check out apps like MapmyIndia, MetroTube, 6stagram (coming soon), Wikipedia, Avirall, Camera360, Zomato, Nextgen Reader, 4th & Mayor and games like Gravity Guy, 4 Pics 1 Word, and N.O.V.A. 3. 

Do let us know if we’ve missed out on any of your favourite WP apps, and if any other apps require a mention here.

(Pictures courtesy www.thelostogle.com, www.windowsphone.com, www.funkygadgets9.com)

Categories
Event

‘Kaka’ immortalised in brass, statue at Bandra Bandstand soon

Rajesh Khanna statue unveiled over the weekend; will soon be installed at Bandra Bandstand with those of other film legends.
by Salil Jayakar

Regarded by his fans as Bollywood’s first superstar with several back-to-back silver jubilee hits to his name, legendary actor Rajesh Khanna died in July last year. But his memory will live on…

UTU Stars ‘Walk of the Stars’ is installing his statue at Bandra’s Bandstand promenade. Khanna’s brass statue – in which he is seen holding balloons in his right hand – shows him in one of this iconic poses from the 1971 hit Anand. The statue was unveiled by his wife Dimple Kapadia, daughter Twinkle Khanna and son-in-law Akshay Kumar over the weekend, on August 10, a little over a month after the actor’s first death anniversary.

rajesh khanna statuePresent at the unveiling were some of Khanna’s leading ladies from the 70s – Asha Parekh, Zeenat Aman and Hema Malini – and colleagues and friends including Sanjay Khan, Shammiji, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor, Anju Mahendru, Jackie Shroff, Rakesh Roshan, Jeetendra, Honey Irani, Poonam Sinha, Mithun Chakraborty and Jeetendra. While Bollywood’s younger generation was notably absent, Farhan and Adhuna Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar were present.

Estranged wife Dimple seemed visibly emotional at the unveiling and said, “He left us, and Indian cinema, with many wonderful memories and an unmatched legacy. The quintessential Hindi film hero with a magnetic personality, he won the love and adoration of millions in India and overseas. This statue by UTV Stars will continue his charismatic connect with his fans.”

The statue will be installed at a later date at the Bandra Bandstand promenade along with those of Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor and Yash Chopra.

(Pictures courtesy UTV Stars)

Exit mobile version