Click@2010

This promises to be an exciting year as far as technology is concerned. A look at what you can expect
3G in India
As the world moves towards 4G, let us hope India finally resolves the battle for 3G spectrum. We are all hassled by speed issues on our mobile phones, with the only good option now being the Tata Photon+ and Reliance NetConnect which manage about 1 megabit in the metros. It is about time we too got high-speed Internet on phones which will enable us to pull attachments as well as use value-added services and essential business apps with location specific data applications. Though 3G is unlikely to penetrate many sections of the Indian market, let us hope we still get the option this year.

Number portability
Most of us are unhappy with our service providers and are waiting for the day number portability will allow us to move on to another company with better services. Number portability will not only give you the liberty of choosing the right plan, but even the service provider that you feel suits your requirements. The move could open a Pandora’s box of problems for service providers — they will have a tough time retaining customers. Expect a price and features war across companies.

Multi-core processors
Users have always been a bit apprehensive about the processing power of netbook — whether the Atom has the speed to handle your daily usage compared to a Core2Duo? However, this cannot be answered without a long technical discussion. For those of us who are looking at power higher than an Atom processor, the new multi-core processors like the Atom dual core from Intel are likely to change that forever. But will we be calling them netbooks anymore?

Chrome OS
Till recently, Linux, Mac OS X and Windows were the only options on which to run your PC. But that was till Google announced its Google Chrome OS. For some people Chrome will be the best available option, but with Jolicloud already available for download, a lot of companies will move to cloud services. On it, your PC will no longer crash, get attacked by a virus or need to be backed up. As you live your life online, both paid and free services will ensure that your computer is actually a computer, and not your master. Chrome will run on both X86 as well as ARM chips and Google is working with multiple manufacturers to bring a number of netbooks to the international markets next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. All web-based applications will automatically work and application developers can develop and write new applications using their favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

Boxee Hardware
The biggest news last month was the partnership between Boxee and D-link to manufacture Boxee hardware. This January, when the hardware becomes available, it is expected to change the way we look at television, enabling the idiot box to become an interactive social media platform. Though a lot of plug-in mediaplayers are available now, the simplistic interface of Boxee, with the integrated social media applications, will transform television into an interactive family entertainment centre.

Personal TV
REMEMBER the hugely popular Casio personal TVs that could catch Doordarshan signals. With newer technologies and full-fledged 3G on the anvil, personal TVs like FLO are sure to make it to the gadget wishlist, making sure your PMP now has live TV along with stored media feeds — so that you could watch what you want, where and when you want it.

Que e-reader
Sadly, the Nook and Kindle, which revolutionised the way we saw books, were designed for retail consumers. The needs of the business market to view presentations, graphics, Word documents and spreadsheets on a touch interface with e-ink capabilities were forgotten. On January 7, Plastic Logic will launch its Que ebook reader, the first for the business e-reader. With a 8.5x11” layout, 1/3” thickness and looks similar to an A4 sheet, the Que will have Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Plastic Logic has also tied up with Barnes and Nobles to have their library of free and paid books available on the Que, but you can always download and read your own documents.

Dual-screen laptops
Those of us who have learnt that multiple monitors mean higher productivity miss the advantage of having an additional monitor when working on laptops. But various vendors are expected to release laptops with dual screens this year, making more ‘real estate’ available for high-end professional designers, filmmakers, programmers and just about anyone who feels the second screen is a much needed accessory even on the move.

Fujitsu LifeBook UH 900
While Fujitsu have already unveiled their LifeBook U1010UMPC for a fat Rs 85,000, what remains to be seen is when the recently launched LifeBook UH 900 makes its presence felt here. Along with a super sleek design, the UH900 boasts of full-fledged Windows 7 capability, a multi-touch support and a host of eye-popping features. The unit weighs less than 500 g and features a 62 GB solid-state drive storage, a sunlight readable WXGA display, an Intel Atom Z530 processor, ThinkFree Mobile software for easy editing of slides and word documents.

Asus T91MT NetBook
From the guys who gave the world its first small PC comes the Eee PC T91MT, a netbook that features multi-touch gestures and a Windows 7 platform. While the netbook, thanks to its slate form, is a wonderfully easy to use e-book reader, in the normal version it will be handy enough to be used for everyday presentations. The 8.9-inch screen features a highly responsive handwriting recognition touch screen which will also support tap, drag, pinch and flick. The T91MT also has a solid 32 GB hard drive and is compatible with the 500 GB Asus Web Storage programme. The best part is the swivel screen that can accommodate multiple users at the same time and the bundle of touch sensitive software that can be used to the user's satisfaction.

Asus AiGuru SV1T
Skype has given us a lot of liberty, the liberating ability to conference with family and friends across the globe. The Skype phone enables us to run the application anywhere in a Wi-Fi zone. But using Skype on iPod, iPhone or Skype phone means you can talk on it like on a regular phone. The Asus AiGuru SV1T available which is expected to hit Indian shores this month will enable video calls to any Skype-enabled PC or phone. Soon, at the touch of a button, you could have a virtual dinner with your family, wherever they are.

--
The above article appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday, Jan 03, 2010. It was co-authored with Rohan Swamy and Shawan Sen

Nivio Companion - Review

Nivio Companion
Finally something that can be put to use anywhere you need a spare PC, without the price of licences for software and the effort to guard against viruses and crashes

Computing by default is not known to be stress free. What gets blamed as a Microsoft Windows problem, is ac­tually a problem of badly tuned hardware, and useless downloads and malware instal­lations from the Internet. Malware increases hardware failure, and in extreme cases your computer may stop working completely. Nivio has finally launching the Companion PC that could do away with many of these problems. The Nivio Companion is actu­ally a dumb box, it has no hard disk, no major processing power and not much RAM. Everything you need is stored on the Internet. This can work because we spend most of our computer time online anyway, whether it is using a browser, chat messenger, office applications or email. And the Internet today is always on. So, you can ac­cess your data, just like on a regular PC, using the Nivio Companion.

Since the desktop is online, you pay a monthly rental of Rs 249 plus your broadband charges. Nivio currently gives you 10 GB of online disk space, and you will need to rent out applications (example: MS Office will cost you an additional Rs 149 a month), that you want to use. You only pay for the application you use. And in the process get rid of piracy guilt. It con­sumes only 5 watts of energy; additional en­ergy of about 60 watts goes into feeding your LCD monitor (your PC eats 200 watts just for the CPU). The other advantage is, since you don’t need to install every application that is there (and there is a centrally installed antivi­rus), chances of your computer getting infect­ed are nearly zero. And, because all your files would be stored in a centrally managed data­base, you don’t need to keep a backup either. The Companion can also be purchased along with a 15 inch LCD monitor for a combo price of Rs 7,999. To run it, you require a minimum of 256 kbps broadband, but 512 kbps will be preferred. Finally, here’s something that can be put to use anywhere you need­ed a spare PC but were too scared: of the price to be paid for licences of the software and the effort to protect it against viruses and crashes. No wonder the Nivio won the Technology Pioneer Award at the Global Economic Forum in Davos this year.

More Details: http://bit.ly/open-nivio

--
The above review appeared in the Open Magazine, Issue Dated 31 July 2009

Double effect - Review Micromax Gravity GC700

Double effect

Except for a couple of models from Samsung and others, there are not many dual-SIM phones that can take both CDMA and GSM SIM cards. With the manufacturers staying away from the concept, some Chinese companies had made this sector their own last year. That was till a company called Micromax changed everything with its model called Gravity.

When I got my hands on the Micromax GC700 Gravity, I was surprised by its good build quality and game console-like feel. The Gravity is a nicely crafted phone and it is obvious that a lot of thought has gone into making it look expensive. The Gravity looks and feels a lot like a portable gaming device with its 4-way controllers, power buttons, speaker/microphone all on both sides, till you realise that the C and G in the centre of these 4-way D Pads actually stand for CDMA and GSM.

Since the phone has a Gravity sensor (motion sensor), you can use CDMA by holding the set in such a manner that the C becomes the microphone and G speaker. Turn it 180 degrees, with G as your microphone and C the speaker, and the phone starts to work on GSM Mode. The screen, which shows you the network you are on, has quick graphics and switches pretty fast. If you don’t want to keep flipping your phone, you can just click on either C or G on the screen while dialling to choose the network.

Similarly, every time a call comes in the phone shows the incoming network. Another brilliant feature is the C or G labels on SMSes to show which network it was received on.

The interface features slide-to-unlock, a feature becoming common with Chinese phones these days. The dialler looks much like the iPhone, and the keys become end and start key as you want them. You also have the option of using the soft keys on the screen.

However, the 2.8” screen does not really look that big when it comes to typing out messages. It also does not work in landscape mode, making typing on the screen a bit of a hassle.

I loved the speakers and the quality of the speaker phone, which I thought had a very natural tone. Though I will not recommend it to music aficionados, the ringtones sound nice, and the speakers are good enough for listening to a song once in a while.

However, I did not like the touchscreen which wasn’t a joy to use without the bundled stylus. I also hate it when you have to remove the back cover every time you want to take out or put in a memory card. Plus, the Rs 12,999 price tag seems very high, as even Samsung is selling in the same range.

--
The above article / review was printed in the Indian Express, on Sunday 12th July 2009.

HTC MAGIC - First Android Phone Finally Available in India Next Week

The Wait finally seems to be over, with a Press Release, Airtel is Bringing the First Android Phone in India.

The HTC Magic, also known as the T-Mobile myTouch will be available across Stores in India, in the first week of July.

Though HTC has signed up with Airtel to launch the Handset, it should soon be available across every network.

I am expecting a Test Unit from Rediffusion DYR, their PR Agency in India, and will run a full review on it, so look out for it.


Just a Brief Look at the features

3G / 3.2" HVGA screen / 3.2 mega pixels Camera / Airtel customers get free 100 mb data download per month / Rs. 29,990 for the Handset

G

Don’t burn your fingers - Review LG Arena KM 900

I love LG as a company, but have never had the opportunity to use an LG phone. So when I got a mail from their PR team to evaluate the new LG Arena KM 900, I jumped at the opportunity.

To start with, the Arena is good to look at, has a nice attractive finish, and is a bit smaller than the iPhone, but at 3” it is still big enough for most tasks. The accelerometer lets you play some motion games, but with LG using it on a proprietary engine, I don’t think a lot of games may be available — so don’t buy it as a game phone.

The Scube interface is wonderful and racy. However, the most annoying feature is getting to type on the keypad. Like other new generation phones, it does simultaneous directory look-ups for any number that you enter, but the way it interacts to the touch needs to be worked on. Sending an SMS or using the phone keypad to make a call can be a pain as the keypad is not very effective—LG needs to make it larger. Some features like the speaker phone menu and hold call are nice, but the call history/SMS history option will put off most serious users.

LG, however, scores with its music player and speakers, especially with the smooth movement between tracks and cover flow-like presentation. The Dolby certification and noise reduction are great add-ons. Thankfully, it uses a 3.5mm headphone jack like the iPhone.

The 5mp camera has a good macro mode, but the colours aren’t that good, and at times the camera is just too slow. The phone supposedly has an Assisted GPS and Geotagging features that allow users to tag photos according to their location, thus making them easier to manage. However, this feature did not work for me.

The phone has an in-built memory of 8GB plus the option to add a mini SD Card. Sadly, the phone still uses a proprietary cable for data transfer and charging.

The Arena undoubtedly has the best touchscreen after iPhone, with a zoom in and out that actually works. However, this option is limited to pictures and not useful for browsing or texting, making the phone primitive.

The phone supports email from any POP/IMAP provider as well as MS Exchange, but does not work over a wireless link rendering the phone almost useless in a Wi-Fi zone. Moreover, the email options are anything but user friendly and I had a tough time removing my account configured on the phone.

Go for the Arena if you want a phone which is a looker and not a great call/SMS machine. But remember the touchscreen market is slowly getting crowded and more players expected to come in the near future with better products. At Rs 24,990, buy this if you want a touch-phone which is not the iPhone.

Some Pictures Taken with the Phone





For More Information click arena.lgmobile.com

--
The Above article / review appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday 31 May 2009.

The Best Position - Review Logitech Laptop Accessories

As more people shift over to affordable notebooks, there has been a rise in problems posed by bad ergonomics. To save yourself from laptop-related health problems, doctors recommend you use your laptop sitting on a table, or at least make sure your posture is straight. Ironic, but some think the lap is the last place to place your laptop, as the heat generated may cause some health hazards. So it makes sense to sit as ergonomically as possible, or buy notebook accessories, like the first two, to ensure a better posture.

NOTEBOOK RISER N110

This is ideal to put your laptop in the best position at home or office. The Logitech stand offers multiple angles and has a rubber soled swivel base that keeps the riser in position. It also has two flaps that hold your laptop—and, trust me, it works. Priced at Rs 1,595, the N110 comes with a three-year replacement warranty. The plastic quality is brilliant, but it comes only in white and could easily get dirty.

ALTO CORDLESS

This stand is a mixture of both matt and reflective textures, but in black. It comes bundled with a wireless keyboard and has a transmitter built into its base. Though you will need to connect your laptop to the base using a USB cable, there is an advantage: the built-in USB 2.0 hub with three additional ports. However, since the base needs a power adapter, the keyboard will not work during a power-cut. Moreover, Logitech could have integrated a touchpad inside the keyboard since there is no provision for a mouse. The Alto is priced at Rs 6,995. But, I don’t think you should pay so much for just an additional keyboard. I also found the angle a bit awkward. The stand, unlike N110, has just one angle and is a bit bulky. My unit even developed scratches within a week.

AUDIO HUB

I know all of us hate laptop speakers. But additional speakers mean a mess of cables. Logitech has tried to find a solution that can fit behind your laptop and be plugged in through the USB port. The speakers and the subwoofer on the hub give good sound quality, but since it uses a USB, it can be connected only to a Windows laptop. The hub also comes with a flimsy stand for mounting your webcam— though I am not sure any other webcam will mount on it. At a price of Rs 7,495, I think this one is also not worth a buy.

QUICK CAM PRO

Logitech still makes the best webcams. Its latest notebook camera features a Carl Zeiss Lens, a USB Interface, can take still pictures up to 8 megapixels, and shoot video at 2 megapixels. But there are two other brilliant things about this camera: it has a clip for your laptop screen and a stand, though a bit flimsy, for mounting. I could not get this to work with my Mac, but got brilliant results on Windows. At Rs 6,695 this is a great buy if you are into video conferencing. Alternatively, for this price, you can buy a good digital camera and hook it up using a table USB cable for use as a video cam.

--
The above article appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday 24th May 2009

Microsoft Launches: Exchange 2010 (Beta)

Unbelieveable, I am more of a Linux + Mac User, and I have done 2 Postings related to MS launches in one day.. Anyway going forward, just in time when we all managed to setup Exchange 2007, and get our teams ready to support it, Microsoft just announced the launch of MS Exchange 2010. Though still in Beta, this will be available by the year end.

Is Exchange 2010, all Fluff and UI. I think Fluff and UI is productive, and makes end user productive, it actually is a good thing - Rajesh Jha

Following is the Video Interview of Rajesh Jha, Corporate Vice President Exchange and Office Live.



Leaving other things to Trial, what I like about Exchange 2010, is the inbuilt archiving capability, a very important step. Though Microsoft Live has been selling Antispam + Archiving for Exchange users, but that meant that your mail was being routed through Microsoft Data Centers, which could only archive your incoming mail and not outgoing. This is a Big Thumbs Up. There are other features, that allow you to manage Inbox Overload, Reduce IT Costs etc.

Links:
Microsoft Press Release
Microsoft Exchange Home Page
Download Page for MS Exchange 2010 Beta

Microsoft Launches: Windows Server 2008 Foundation

Recently I had a chance to install Microsoft Small Business Server Enterprise for a Customer. This comprises of a 4 Server Installation (Microsoft Management Server + Active Directory, ISA Server Called Security Server, Data Base Server and Exchange Server called EBS Messaging). Though designed towards Small business's, there are a very few small business's that will put up 4 Servers, and spend that kind of money to implement the solution in India. With a high rate of piracy everywhere, and Microsoft and other Software makers coming out with versions, that are lighter in their features, at a cheaper cost, to fight piracy, Microsoft on Friday announced the Availability of it's Windows Server 2008 Foundation Edition.

Commenting on the launch, Bob Muglia (President, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft Worldwide) said, “Microsoft's goal is to provide a Windows Server-based solution for every customer need, size and budget. We are proud to announce the India launch of Windows Server 2008 Foundation, our new low-cost server platform. This platform will empower small businesses with access to the power of server based business software at an affordable price – in the all familiar Windows environment. As businesses grow, customers can upgrade to other members of the Windows Server family - which provide additional functionality such as integrated e-mail, simplified management, virtualization and other advanced features”.

Microsoft has tied up with HP and Dell to provide servers preloaded with MS Windows Server 2008 Foundation Edition, and soon OEM Edition of the software will also be availble for you to buy with your new servers.

Though on Microsoft's website the pricing is still not available, but keeping in mind that the MS Windows 2008 Standard Edition ships for 999US$, this should be much cheaper. For Pricing, look at microsoft.com - windows server pricing

What is missing in the MS Win Server 2008 Foundation Edition is the Hyper-V (The Free Microsoft Virtualisation Platform) and the Server Core. The Following Feature Comparision will explain more for those looking at evaluating this server edition.



In the Next few days, If I can get time, I will setup a Lab and try out the installation, and the features and comment on it.


For More Details, visit microsoft.com

Netmagic Launches Cloud Computing

It is difficult when you have to write about a competitor, but then, hey the world needs information. Netmagic, one of the Leading Data Center Players (well actually currently the largest in India) announced the availability of their Cloud computing product line yesterday. This makes them the first to bring it to market, while we small players play with the technology and shape it, up, the product is out. For more details, check out the Netmagic Press Release by clicking here

Crash of the Internet - Airtel Announces 16 mbps Broadband Avaialability in NCR

Airtel, yes the same airtel, that can't get their phones, or IVR or customer service right, finally announced (I must share the voice recording of their IVR with you here, I have called, emailed, complained to them over a 1000 times, and no, they just won't listen, after all aren't the guys at the call centres the biggest tech experts you know)..

Anyway time to stop bashing. Airtel announced the Avaialbility of 16 mbps Broadband on Sunday. They are the leaders in the Broadband business, and I must say their Broadband performs the best, this is what brings me to the reason, I said, crash of the Internet.

Current Pricing in India for Leased Circuits is prohibitive, an E1 (2 MBPs) Line costs roughly about Rs. 6 Lacs (a 1000 USD Per Month) Per Annum, and the retail broadband has been announced at Rs. 4999 (for 50 GB Download Inclusive) or a Rs. 2999 (for a 20 GB Download Inclusive)

Announcing the launch of the service, K Srinivas, Joint President, Telemedia Services, Bharti Airtel said, Airtel has constantly strived to innovate and deliver high quality products to its broadband customers. We are the leading private broadband service provider in the country and pioneered 8 Mbps broadband. It gives us great pleasure now to be able to introduce the fastest, wired broadband service on DSL. We will be able to offer 16 Mbps broadband to 70% of the households in the 3 cities of Delhi NCR, Chennai and Bangalore.

Airtel has also setup a New Website, called ImpaitientOnes.Com, and the Product Details Website

Photos - Sony Walkman Phone W705 # 2

The top has a Camera for Video Calls, a white dot, don't know what that is for right now, but the walkman logo looks attractive from here.
close up of the Controls, end / call, next track / previous track, play pause and 2 function keys. The round dial (next track / last track) can be used as a short cut during the phone and is 4 direction.
The phone with it's slider open.

Walkman shortcut button on top of the phone

Lock for Battery cover at the bottom of the phone. The Battery cover does not open till you slide this grey lock to unlock position.
Speakers of the Walkman, wonder what made them put this at the back of the phone.
Camera on the Walkman phone. 3.2 Megapixels, pretty Bad. You can also see the microphone for pickup of voice in a Video. you can also see the flash (and yes, me thumb)

Photos - Sony Walkman Phone W705

I got the soon to be released Sony Walkman W705 Phone from Sony the other day to test it out. After living with it for 2 Weeks, I have the review ready that will be printed in the Indian Express on the Coming Sunday. Till then some pictures of Unboxing the Product and Also Pictures Taken with the Camera

The Box it ships in, the box is very attractive and the shiny Pink color just pulls you near it.


Open the Box and you see the phone in front in a tray. The Motif Design with the blobbed white dots looks very attractive.

The sad thing Sony calls a Headphone. This is a really bad quality Headphone. Though it comes with in-ear rubbers, but the sound quality was pretty bad, the cable length too short as it is designed to be used in addition to the Proprietary port to 3.5 mm converter


Properitory connector to 3.5 mm Earphone Jack Converter, why can't they just give the 3.5 mm jack on the phone ? The microphone and the Call end button is on the converter only.

Image of the USB Cable. On one end is the Sony Proprietary Connector, on one end the USB Port to connect to your PC

Sony's Proprietary Connector for Charging, Headphone, USB Cable Interface

The Phone from the Front, very attractive.

Charging connector already connected to the Phone. You can see that there is a connector on the backside of the charger connector also, helps you connect your at the same time.

3.5 mm jack converter riding on the charger converter. One of the neatest ideas I have seen, charge your phone while listening to music.

Beetel Launches DB7401 - Desktop Phone with Temperature Measurement

Beetel, pne of India’s leading telephone brands, announced the launch of the DB 7401 desktop phone, with a unique in-built temperature measurement and record feature. This innovative feature records the temperature and displays it right on the phone providing an opportunity to get room temperature details on the phone itself. The large 16 Digit LCD display also features an Analog Clock with five different alarm sets and a calculator, besides displaying details like Incoming Numbers, Missed Calls, Total Calls, Repeat Calls, etc. The Beetel DB 4701 is priced at an attractive price point of Rs. 1095/- only

DB 7401 includes a unique Talking Caller Line Identification (CLI) facility, which announces the number from which a call originates every time a call is received on the phone. The phone is also equipped with a Talking Outgoing Message (OGM) facility and safety features like rejection of calls from 5 numbers, anti line tapping and software controlled outgoing lock. The DB 7401 also features an inbuilt phone book that stores up to 100 phone numbers and a 100 numbers incoming calls and 50 numbers outgoing calls memory. The phone can be operated in multiple languages and offers 10 Melody and 8 Normal ring tones in addition to the Music on Hold function.

Warranty 1 Year, Available in a Store near You.

iPhone 3G Finally Here / STEEP Price

Vodafone beat Airtel to send it's first round of announcements, the iPhone3G is finally here, and will be available from Vodafone as promised on the 22nd August. So what does it cost

Rs. 31,000 for the 8GB Version
Rs. 36,100 for the 16 GB Version
No Contracts
Advance Payment Rs. 10,000 to confirm Booking

Below is the Mail from Sanjay Sawhney, AVP - customer service, Vodafone for confirm of launch

--


Hello Gagandeep,

Thank you for registering for your Apple iPhone 3GTM with us.

We are delighted to announce that the iPhone 3G will be available in India from August 22, 2008
It will be available in 8GB & 16GB models, priced at Rs 31,000 and Rs 36,100 respectively.

Be the first to get the iPhone

We have received a large number of registrations. As there are limited stocks, make sure that you get yours first, by paying an advance of Rs 10,000 to confirm your booking.

Where can you make this advance payment?

The iPhone 3G will be available at select Vodafone Stores. All you need to do is drop in at any select Vodafone Store between August 20 and 21 and make the advance payment by cash or credit card. Don´t forget to show the iPhone booking SMS, which you would have received from us, when you visit the Vodafone Store to pay the advance. To find a Vodafone Store near you, click here

Get an appointment now. No queues for you.

Once you pay the advance, we will immediately give you an appointment date and time, starting
August 22 when you can come and experience a full demonstration and collect your iPhone, all ready to use with your contacts and settings, by paying the balance amount.

Hurry! Limited stocks.

Remember, the sooner you confirm your booking, the earlier you´ll get your iPhone. We have limited stocks and it will be on first come, first serve basis.

Buy a Vodafone connection now!

As you are not a Vodafone customer, you will need a Vodafone connection for your iPhone 3G.
We recommend that when you come to confirm your booking, please do get yourself a Vodafone connection too. Remember to carry a passport sized picture, photo ID proof and address proof as these are required for activating your Vodafone SIM card.

Happy to help

If you have any queries, log on to www.vodafone.in/iphone or call us on 9811098110 and we´ll be happy to help.

Hurry and be one of the first to make the iPhone 3G your own.

Regards

Sanjay Sawhney
AVP - Customer Service
--

Do I want one ? YES
Will I take it ? NO
Why ? Have you seen the Cost, 3G not here, no contract, long term support available


So, Do you want one ? Yes
Will you Take it ?

G

Desktop Video Conference a Reality in India

Video conference has been a thing of the future, the thing, that science fiction books spoke of ever since we were kids. Desktop Video conference has been happening for sometime, and you could always fire up your desktop, with a web cam, and do a video conference, but the Digital Divide, of people who did not know the PC, or how it operated, was a big issue. Dlink, one of the pioneer Networking companies in India, announced the availability of the GVC 3000 in India, made in India.

I have requested Yogesh Sharma, their Branch head in Delhi, for some review units, and should soon do a review, if I get the units. Though the details of the GVC 3000 are as follows:

* SIP Standards compliant, Interoperable with the SIP servers’ world wide
* Multi Codec Support H.264, H.263, H.263+ and MPEG-4
* Video Telephony at a bandwidth as low as 128kbps
* Excellent Audio and Video Lip Synchronization
* Tiltable LCD and Camera
* Excellent Video and Voice Quality on TV for group participants
* E.164 Dialing
* Audio and Video Privacy Options

Waiting for the review units.

GS

MTNL Makes Public Announcement of TV on Phone

Though this service has been available for quite some time, but today was the first public announcement of TV on Mobile Phones. This is the first service provider to launch Live Television (Actually about 4 to 5 minutes delayed, as we are still on GPRS and not 3G) on your Mobile Phone. Powered by Apalya, a service provider based out of Hyderabad, this has put MTNL on a lead advantage with other major cell phone providers.

The service is right now available on Nokia and Sony Ericsson Handsets, details atMTNL compatible Handsets, but the price announcement is very interesting, at Rs. 99 per month for a Set of 15 channels (Aaj Tak, BBC World, Bindaas, Cartoon Network, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC TV18, CNN IBN, CNN Mobile, IBN7, INDIA TV, NDTV 24x7, NDTV India, NDTV Profit, Times Now & Zoom). Channels Such as Fashion TV, and some Spritiual Channels (Iskcon Temple, Haji-Ali Dargh, Mumbai, Siddhi Vinayaka Darshan, Shiridi Sai Baba Darshan) are also available, but no details about Tariff of these is available.

From the looks of it, even the Babu's at MTNL don't like Doordarshan, I thought that needs to be compulsarily built into any kind of Cable / CAS / TV / IPTV / DTH Etc etc..

G

Acer Aspire One / Finally Here in India

Last Week, in My Indian Express, My Editor cut out the name of Acer Aspire one, but well, it's finally here. Just got the Press Release, and should soon get my hands dirty with one. The Market is hotting up and we should see a pretty big price war soon.

Acer Aspire One is available in 4 cool colours, Seashell White, Sapphire Blue, Coral Pink, and Golden Brown. Keeping Acer's past in mind, I am sure, they will launch all 4 colors at the same time (remember Asus EeePC was avilable only in White or Black, and MSI did not launch Pink in India).

W S Mukund, Managing Director, Acer India said, “In phase 1, the netbook is available through Croma and 250 odd retail stores across India. These retail stores include Acer malls and franchisee stores by partners.”Acer feels the initial push of Aspire One needs to be through the retail channels as it is basically a touch and feel product for people. By next month, we will decide about pitching the product across our traditional channels of distributors and resellers, Mukund said. The Aspire one (with 3 batteries), launched in five colors, is priced at approximately Rs 20,000 plus taxes for Linpus Linux Lite and Rs 22,000 plus taxes for Windows XP Home.
The Aspire One is available through Acer’s five distributors including Ingram Micro, Redington, Salora and Esys.

More Details coming up soon.

G

The HP Smart Touch is Launched in India

It's Finally Here, the HP SMART TOUCH
Our Fingers are the best pointing devices in the world, the most sensitive to feeling, and a wonderful tool to work with, HP has taken the iPod Touch, and the iMAC, and blown it up to build the HP Smart Touch. After exactly 2 months of it's first launch in Berlin, the Smart Touch was launched with fanfare at a press event last night (12th August 2008), at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.
"We will have this in stores in the next 2 weeks, though primarily starting with the Class A cities in India, down the road we would have it available in all our 200 odd HP World stores across India. The price point is expected to be Sub 90K", commented Rajiev Grover, Director Consumer Products - PSG for HP. He also mentioned "I will send you some papers on how we have made sure that the screen is actually screen resistant". Mr. Walker from HP, said that this is the first time a touch screen this size has been launched, doing a touch screen on a small screen is easy, but this big (20") is a little difficult.

Though on my trials, the PC hanged twice, but hey, it's Windows Vista, Rajiev also commented that they have tested it out and have ironed out all the bugs. I should get the test unit in a day or so from Burson Marsteller the PR Agency for HP, and should run a review, both here and in the Indian Express, so look out.

HP Smart Touch Ad:


HP Smart Touch Experience:

G
PS: the best part of the release last night, was the Laser Show, with a Dancer, amazing stuff.