Sony unveils 6.4-inch phablet, updates smartwatch

NEW DELHI: Sony has taken the covers off its 6.4-inch phablet, named Xperia Z Ultra, as well as its third-generation smartwatch. The new phablet dwarfs the biggest phone in Samsung's portfolio and is the first device to pack Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chipset which theoretically has the fastest processor in the world.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet has a full HD display (1920x1080p resolution) with 344ppi pixel density. The quad-core CPU of the handset is clocked at 2.2GHz and is supported by 2GB RAM. This device has the same design language as Xperia Z smartphone and features on-screen keys as well as scratch-resistant and shatterproof glass. Justthe current flagship phone, Xperia Z Ultra is waterproof and dust resistant, even though it can withstand staying in the water for longer duration of time.

The phablet runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) with a customized UI to make better use of the extra screen size. Xperia Z Ultra packs 16GB internal storage and supports microSD card expansion up to 64GB. Connectivity suite of Sony's latest gadget consists of 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and microUSB 2.0.

On the back is an 8MP camera with LED flash, while a 2MP unit is placed in the front. This IP58 certified phone has a 3,000mAh battery and will be available in Q3 2013 in black, white and purple colours.

At 212gram, Xperia Z Ultra is one of the heftiest phablets in the market, but with thickness of just 6.5mm, it finds itself a spot among the slimmest handsets today. Apart multitouch, users can input data via stylus in this new phablet.

The second gadget unveiled by Sony is the refreshed version of its smartwatch, which now integrates NFC and boasts of the new Xperia design language. Powered by Android operating system, this device pairs with smartphones running on the same OS via Bluetooth. It will show dataSMSes, social networking updates, incoming emails, calendar entries and control the music player app in phones. This IP57 certified accessory is also resistant to water and dust and features a 1.6-inch display.

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BB unveils service to manage Android, iOS devices

TORONTO: BlackBerry on Tuesday launched a service allowing government agencies and corporate clients to secure and manage devices powered by Google's Android platform and Apple's iOS operating system. 

The long-anticipated offering, which BlackBerry had said would come out around mid-year, could help the company sell high-margin services to its large clients even if many, or all, of their workers are using smartphones made by its competitors. 

The new Secure Work Space feature will be managed through BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) 10, a new back-end system launched at the start of this year that allows BlackBerry's clients to control mobile devices on their internal networks. 

The company, a one-time pioneer in the smartphone arena, is now fighting to regain ground lost to Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy devices. To compete, it has rolled out a trio of devices powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system. 

It hopes to win back users with the Z10, Q10 and Q5 devices that were unveiled during the first half of this year. The first comprehensive look at the success of its turnaround plan will likely emerge when it reports quarterly results on Friday. 

At the same time, it has indicated a shift in emphasis smartphones to services. 

"With an integrated management console, our clients can now seeof the devices they have on their network, manage those devices and connect to them securely," David Smith, the head of enterprise mobile computing at BlackBerry, said in an interview. 

"We now also have a secure work space on Android and iOS that allows our clients to secure and manage the data on those devices as well." 

BlackBerry has installed some 18,000 BES 10 servers since the system was launched in January, up a little more than 12,000 servers one month ago, and more than 60 percent of US Fortune 500 companies are testing or using the system. 

The feature, when used to manage Android and iOS devices, will allow IT managers to fence off corporate email, calendars, contacts, tasks, memos, web browsing and document editing personal apps and content, which could be less secure.

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Samsung to start selling Galaxy Tab 3 on July 7

NEW YORK: Samsung is expanding its lineup of tablet computers and making them look moreits Galaxy smartphones, as it hopes to translate its success in phones to the tablet market,Apple is dominant.

Samsung Electronics, the second-largest maker of tablets after Apple, said it is putting three new tablets in the Galaxy Tab 3 series on sale in the US on July 7. The cheapest, a $199 device, will have a screen that measures 7 inches diagonally. An 8-inch model will go for $299 and a 10-inch one for $399.

"Our goal is to attract Galaxy smartphone users, and to make it the ultimate smartphone accessory," said Shoneel Kolhatkar, director of product planning at Samsung Mobile.

The "Tab" line is Samsung's value brand, undercutting the price of similar Apple models. Samsung's premium tablets are in the "Note" line, which include styluses. The 7-inch and 10-inch tablets had "Tab 2" equivalents, but the 8-inch model is new, and coincides closely in size with Apple's iPad Mini, which came out late last year.

The new tablets have the same three buttons on the front as the Galaxy smartphones. Last year's Tab 2 had no physical buttons on the front, as encouraged by Google, which supplies the Android software.

The 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 has 8 gigabytes of storage memory, while the larger models have 16 gigabytes.of them have card slots for memory expansion.

Samsung and Apple are in a heated tussle when it comes to smartphones and tablets. Each company wouldto dominate both markets. Samsung had 18 per cent of the global tablet market in the first quarter this year, according to research firm IDC. Apple had 40 per cent. In smartphones, the figures are reversed, with Samsung dominating, largely because of its Galaxy line. Apple came in second with a 17 per cent market share for the iPhone. In the US, however, Samsung is outsold by Amazon.com, with its Kindles.

Forrester Research analyst JP Gownder said a hit smartphone traditionally hasn't led buyers to get a tablet the same manufacturer. He believes Samsung will get a bigger boost its new mini-stores inside US Best Buy locations. Having a retail environment it can control bridges some of the gap with Apple, which has its own stores.

"Whether you buy it online or in person, people want to touch and feel these products," Gownder said.

Samsung has declined to challenge the iPad on screen resolution. The new tablets have the same resolution as older models, leaving them well behind the iPad and even Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone. The 10-inch tablet has a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, compared with 1920 by 1080 for the phone. The smartphone packs in three times more detail in a square inch than the tablet does. (The 8-inch Tab 3 does, however, have a slightly higher screen resolution than the iPad Mini, the closest Apple equivalent.)

Analyst Jeff Orr at ABI Research said that the new Samsung tablets aren't "groundbreaking in any particular direction," it shows the South Korean company is honing a strategy that's been successful in smartphones: producing a wide variety of devices for different customer segments.

"Samsung has certainly shown how that can be accomplished with handsets, and I see more of that occurring now with the Galaxy Tab 3 announcement," Orr said.

With the new models, Samsung will have five tablets on sale in the US, compared to two at Apple. In addition, Samsung sells the Galaxy Note II, a phone-tablet crossover device.

The 10-inch model is the first Android-powered Samsung tablet to use an Intel processor. That's a significant win for the Santa Clara, California, chipmaker, which has been trying to break into the market for cellphone and tablet chips now that PC sales are slumping. Other smartphones and tablets run chips made by a variety of companies,based on designs ARM Holdings PLC, a British company.

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Zen Ultrafone 701HD review: Best value for money

NEW DELHI: Zen Mobiles is not a well-known phone brand. It is a local phone maker, justMicromax and Spice though not as popular, and mostly deals in low-cost feature phones. But justother local phone makers, Zen too sees a window of opportunity in the Android and the smartphone boom that the OS has sparked. 

Ultrafone 701HD is an attempt by Zen Mobile to cash in on the demand for affordable smartphones in the country. On paper, Ultrafone 701HD is similar to some of the other smartphones sold by the local OEMs. Quad-core processor? Check. Android? Check. An HD screen? Check. And an 8MP camera? Yes, the device has that. 

So why should you pick (or not pick) it over the devices sold by the likes of Micromax, Karbonn and Spice, which seems to have better brand recognition? Read on to know... 

Good build quality

As we noted earlier, there is nothing special in Ultrafone 701HD on paper compared to other similar phones available in the market. But then it is not required. Most of the Android phones sold by local OEMs in Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 price bracket have decent hardware. The real question is how these devices have been put together and if the hardware has been used to its full potential? 

For Ultrafone 701HD, the answer to this question is a yes. The body of the phone is built matte plastic that doesn't feel cheap. The back cover has a soft rubber-like coating that is impervious to finger prints and feels better than the glossy plastic many budget phones use. The screen of the phone is encased in a thin metal strip with chrome polish. Ultrafone 701HD is a big phone with its screen measuring 5-inch diagonally. Under the screen, there are three standard buttons - home, back and menu. 

Overall, build quality of Ultrafone 701HD is very good. Even the power and volume buttons, which are often neglected on budget phones, are clicky and feel nice to touch. The device feels good in hand though it is not as slim or light - the 701HD weighs little over 160 grams - as premium Android phones. 

Almost stock Android

Unlike some other phone manufacturers that believe in tweaking user interface, Zen has decided to put an almost stock version of Android 4.2 into its phone. We believe this is a good decision for two reasons. One, if a user is familiar with Android, he or she will feel right at home with Ultrafone701HD. And two, the device has none of the lag that most of the Android phones with customized user interfaces show. 

In fact, given its price we are pleasantly surprised by the performance of the device. It is very snappy and there is no noticeable lag while you navigate on the phone, open apps or browse web. The device handles most of the common tasks you will likely do on a phone with ease. Pinch-to-zoom while browsing works without any lag. Fast-paced gamesRayman Jungle Run and Temple Run can be played without any performance issues. Even FullHD videos can be played with ease through third-party appsMX Player. 

Call quality and GPS connectivity, which takes minutes before finding the precise location of the uses, is average. And so is the screen visibility under sunlight. But these flaws are common to almostaffordable Android phones and are not specific to Ultrafone 701HD. 

The two areasUltrafone 701HD shines are screen and camera. Both are above average in their class. Screen, which has a 720p resolution, is sharp and vivid. It shows nice saturated colours and has good viewing angles. Even the touch response is good. Camera, though similar to other phones in its class, offers slightly better performance. It can take sharp and detailed pictures in good light which are good enough to be used on social networking sites. 

Unfortunately, the good showing is limited to still images. The quality of videos shot with Ultrafone 701HD is poor and unless you are shooting in well-lit conditions, you will not get usable videos. 

The battery life is above average and the phone lasts around 13 to 14 hours when used with a 3G connection. Effectively, this means the full-day usage. 

Before you buy it

Given that Ultrafone701HD has an MRP of Rs 11,999, we find the phone to be a very good deal. However, before you buy it we do have a word of caution. The Facebook page of Zen Mobile is full of comments people who reportedly found glitch in the phone's screen after using it for just a few weeks. This is likely to be an issue with specific units but it also looksthat Zen is having some quality control problems. 

Of course, this shouldn't deter you picking Ultrafone 701HD if you require a smartphone with a price of around Rs 12,000. Overall, this is definitively a better handset compared to Micromax Canvas HD or Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro, which is rather too big and heavy. If you buy it, make sure to check the unit thoroughly and ask Zen to replace it if you find any issues. 

Key specs: 

Display: 5-inch capacitive touchscreen (1280 x720p resolution);

Operating system: Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean);

Chipset: 1.2GHz MediaTek 6589 quad-core processor, PowerVRSGX 544 graphics chip; RAM: 1GB;

Storage: 4GB internal storage with support for up to 32GBmicroSD card;

Camera: 8MP camera, 720p video recording, 3.2MP front-facing camera;

Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, dual SIM support; and

Battery: 2,000mAh

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Hands on: Acer Iconia W3 tablet

NEW DELHI: Acer Iconia W3 holds the distinction of being the world's smallest Windows 8-powered tablet. It is the first true rival of the popular Apple iPad mini and the plethora of Android tabletsGoogle Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Note 510. At the launch event, we played a bit with the device for a hands-on review.

As soon as we picked up Acer IconiaW3, we felt it was heavier than rivalsiPad mini and Nexus 7. However, this doesn't mean it is not easy to carry around, but somehow we just didn't expect the plastic-bodied slate to be on the heavier side.

As we saw the display, we could see the benefit that Acer was trying to impress upon us - it brings the desktop into your palm. It is obviously meant for a certain audience that desires the full functionality of the desktop in a portable form factor. Of course, you can enjoy music, videos and internet connectivity on the go with this tablet too.

The 1.8GHz dual-core Intel CloverTrail processor and 2GB RAM seems sufficient for most Windows 8 tasks and even during the hands-on, we did not encounter any lag. Acer has placed 2MP cameras on the front as well as back, but due to the very poor lighting conditions in the launch area, we were unable to evaluate them properly.

Using the Windows 8 tablet with just one hand was a new experience and something we did not find to be too disconcerting. In fact, those who have used Windows 8 laptops will find the transition to be natural, even if they have used the famously user-friendly Apple devices previously.

While Acer IconiaW3 has its merits, it has its demerits too. The tablet is targeted atbuyers, but focuses on those who not only consume content, but create it too. It hasthe features for content creation, but forgets that the modern user does much more than just video playback and internet browsing. The wide number of utility and fun apps that make Android and Apple tablets so popular are not as widely available in Windows 8 platform. It is a well known fact and our harping about it won't change anything, but the point remains that this is the chief thorn in this Acer tablet's path.

Another issue is the lack of mobile data connectivity, which is something you would not expect in a tablet priced at Rs 28,000. Windows 8 platform offers mobile data support, so we are left wondering why Acer chose to leave it out. Of course, those who are ready to sacrifice a few (may be even many) apps and mobile data for full desktop functionality will find Acer IconiaW3 to be more than a capable device.

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How to fix iPad Home button

If the Home button is acting up, you should first determine if it's a software or hardware issue. Apple's online support guides for the iPad include a five-step plan which may help clear up any software glitches. Some have claimed that "recalibrating" the button helped with their slow-responding hardware. 

To try this, open one of the iPad's own appsNotes, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button at the top of the tablet until the "Slide to power off" screen appears and then hold down the Home button for several seconds until the app on the screen closes. 

Apple has two workarounds in the iOS software that may help in a pinch with an unreliable Home button. The iPad's software (iOS 5 and later) includes a "multitasking gestures" setting that lets you use your fingers on the screen instead of pressing the Home button for certain tasks; instructions for using the gestures are available online. 

You can also put a virtual Home button and other controls right on the iPad screen by tapping the Settings icon; tapping General, then Accessibility; and turning on the AssistiveTouch function.

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How to build your own PC for Rs 26,000

I want to assemble a gaming PC for around Rs 26,000. I already have a FullHD monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. Please suggest other components. 

—Divyanshu , Samit Singh 

Considering you want a gaming rig, we suggest you build your computer around a graphic card. And given your budget, the AMD HD 7770 1GB (Rs 9,000 approx) is a good option. It can handle most games at FullHD - and even the graphic-intensive Battlefield 3 runs smoothly, albeit at reduced settings. 

For your processor you can choose the entry-level Intel Pentium G2020 processor (Rs 3,800 approx), or if you want more horsepower, Intel's Core i3 3220 (Rs 7,000). 

Pick up an ASUS P8B75-M LX motherboard (Rs 4,200); a 500GB hard disk Seagate or Western Digital (Rs 3,200); and 4GB DDR3 RAM Transcend or Kingston (Rs 1,800). 

For your chassis and power supply unit, we recommend the Cooler Master Elite 344 (Rs 1,900) and the Corsair VS350 (Rs 2,200), respectively. And you can buy an LG or Samsung internal DVD drive (Rs 1,000).

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