India Might Ban Chinese Mobile Phone Imports

Note: At this moment, there are conflicting reports regarding this "ban". We have tried contacting the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and are yet to receive a confirmatory statement from them. The initial report was based on the reports that we received from Pocket-Lint and Global Telecoms Business. We will update this page as soon as we get a confirmation regarding this.

India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a directive that calls for the banning of the import of mobile phones made by Chinese manufacturers. The move comes after the Indian Home Ministry expressed concerns regarding the proliferation of Chinese handsets in India. They were worried about the spyware and malware threat that these handsets posed. The ministry was also worried that these phones will offer intelligence agencies from China, access to telecom networks in India.
India has been facing "issues" with Chinese handsets for quite some time now. While it was the about all the unbranded, IMEI-less phones back in 2008-09, this time,  even reputed manufacturers are affected by the latest ban. If that wasn't all, the DoT has also asked Indian mobile operators to cancel orders from Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers. This has come at a time when Chinese made devices were becoming a rage in India. There are many Indian companies importing handsets from China and as of now, there is uncertainly if these handsets also come under the ban.
Interestingly, it will be manufacturers like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and the likes who would gain from this ban. However, these companies too have their manufacturing units in China. As of now, prima facie, it seems only Chinese companies will be affected by this blanket ban.

Get Discounts on Call Rates While on the Move

Uninor has introduced (PDF) what it calls, a new concept of "Dynamic Pricing" that allows users to take advantage of discounts on a call, allotted according to network traffic and the connected cellphone tower.
Uninor claims to be the first mobile operator to launch the concept in India. Discounts on a call can range from 5 percent to 60 percent by simply crossing a street. At 60 percent discount, you can call for as low as 20 paisa and never more than 50 paisa.
The service, branded as '24X7 Badalta Discount Plan (DP)', will offer customers changing discounts on their calls based on traffic on the network. The discounts will change with location and with time, with each cellphone tower broadcasting a different discount. At the same location, the discount will change on an hourly basis. Uninor says, this move will put customers in control of costs, - and with 24X7 changing discount rates, this could very well change the tariff structure in Indian telecom, the company adds.
Under the '24X7 Badalta Discount Plan (DP)', customers will be able to avail a discount on their calls that ranges from 5 percent to as much as 60 percent, depending on their location and time at which they call. This discount will be applicable on a standard base call rate of 50 paisa per minute for any local call, Uninor-to-Uninor or Uninor-to-any other operator. There is no activation charge for this service. However, the user needs to pay Rs. 48 as rental, which is valid for 3 months, Uninor said.
The service is being launched simultaneously in the three telecom circles of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The plan can be activated by a customer by simply walking up to the nearest a retail shop. The plan will be subsequently extended to other circles  as well.
The discount available at any given time will be visible at all times on the screens of handsets that display cell broadcast. The discount visible on the screen at the time a customer calls will be the applicable discount for the call. When the call ends, a flash will appear on the phone screen indicating the actual discounted cost of the call. As mentioned earlier, the dynamic discounts available at any given time will depend on network traffic and customers location at that time.
If you happen to be a Uninor subscriber in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, you might want to check this one out!

Nokia X2 Announced, Will Reach India First

Looks like Nokia has gone on a phone announcement spree of late. Just days after the N8 was officially unveiled, Nokia has revealed its latest addition to the X-Series range of handsets.
The X-Series which, until now, comprised of the X3, the China specific X5 and the high-end X6, received a new sibling in the form of the X2. The X2, as evident from the naming scheme, will be positioned below the X3 and is a mid-range handset.
Let's see what it has to offer you.
The X2 features a 2.2 inch QVGA display, dedicated music keys, dual speakers, Bluetooth 2.1, 3.5mm headset jack, FM radio, Nokia Messaging, Facebook integration and MicroSD card support. The phone, unlike other X-Series handsets, runs Nokia's proprietary S40 OS. On the imaging front, it has a very impressive 5 megapixel camera at the rear. This is a rather surprising because the X3, which is positioned above the X2, has a 3.2 megapixel camera.
The X2 is slated to be launched in June, first in India. The price is expected to hover at around the $112 (Rs. 5,000) mark. That seems to be a decent price for a handset of its caliber. Also, this might just be the cheapest 5 megapixel phone you could buy these days.
We leave you with a few images of the X2.

Vodafone Brings World's Cheapest Mobile to India (only 700/-)

It was on the eve of the Mobile World Congress 2010 that we first heard of Vodafone's plans to storm in to the ultra low-end mobile phones segment. Back then, they had showcased two handsets, the Vodafone 150 and the Vodafone 250 - both priced below the Rs. 1,000 mark.
Almost three months down the line, a recent The Times of India report states that Vodafone is on the verge of bringing the Vodafone 150 to India. It will retail at an ultra low-price of Rs. 700 - making it by far, the cheapest handset you can buy in India. This is an impressive feat considering there are already multitudes of low-cost phone manufacturers in the country and that a multinational has managed to outsmart them and launch a device that's cheaper than the cheapest low-end handset out there.

Now, if you thought the low-price tag was a perfect excuse to leave out several "important" features, the Vodafone 150 MIGHT just surprise you. The phone offers expected voice and SMS services and packs in quite a few features you wouldn't expect in such a low-priced phone. The 150 supports mobile payment services, has a miniUSB connector, alarm clock, a torch, calculator a currency converter; 2 embedded games; and memory for up to100 entries in phonebook plus SMS storage. Not bad for a sub-1k phone! The battery is rated at 500mAh and offers standby time up to 400hrs and talk time up to 5hrs.
Vodafone had also, back in February, confirmed that it will maximize the availability of the handsets by providing an extensive logistics infrastructure across countries with sizeable and isolated rural populations. With this, Vodafone expects that the phone will reach 60 percent of the population in India. Marten Pieters, MD and CEO, Vodafone Essar, told The Times of India, "The average user in rural India does not spend as much as mobile consumers in Delhi or in Mumbai. Though the majority still make a revenue stream for mobile operators, the idea is to make mobile phones affordable and achievable for everyone."
The Rs. 700 Vodafone 150 will be sold across the country even though the rural areas will be the primary focus.

Nokia E5

Nokia E5

Lastly, we have the Nokia E5, which looks like a little cousin of the E63. The phone is a professional looking Symbian-based smartphone and follows the successful blueprint of devices such as the Nokia E72 and Nokia E63. The Nokia E5 combines high quality business features with all of the personal networking and entertainment capabilities that a busy professional expects from a smartphone. The phone features a 5 megapixel camera, comprehensive connectivity options and integrated GPS. Like the aforementioned devices, this one too supports full e-mail, instant messaging and social network access. The E5 also provides direct access to over 90 percent of the world's corporate email through Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler .The E5 is priced at Rs 10,634.

Nokia c6

Nokia C6

Next up, we have the C6, which happens to be a touchscreen device featuring a full QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the C3, the C6 happens to be a full fledged Symbian S60 based smartphone. It boasts of a large 3.2-inch touch screen display as well as a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Like the C3, this phone too displays social networking feeds right on the home screen. It also comes with a full suite of email and social networking capabilities. As for other features, the C6 boasts of a 5 megapixel camera complete with autofocus and flash. It also come preloaded with Ovi Maps and the Ovi Store applications. The C6 is priced at Rs 13,000 - which makes it the most expensive amongst the trio of handsets launched yesterday.

Nokia c3

Just a few weeks after the new low priced QWERTY keypad laden handsets were introduced by Nokia, the company has decided to launch them in India. All the three new phones, the C3, the C6 and the E5 have been launched in the country ahead of their international launches. All these phones target the low to mid-range segment where the maximum volume of sales happen these days. With a deluge of feature packed phones from "not-so-famous" manufacturers raking up huge sales in this segment, Nokia felt it couldn't delay the launch of these phones any longer.  The prices of the devices start from Rs. 5,300. This, however, is still way more expensive compared to devices from companies like Micromax and Intex who sell QWERTY keyboard laden devices for as little as Rs. 2,000. They even possess Dual SIM capabilities which these Nokia's lack.
However, what you do get with Nokia are the services that come bundled with the phone. All these new phones, for example, come preinstalled with Nokia's new free push email service, Nokia Messaging. Nokia Messaging if you're not aware, aggregates multiple email accounts through one client. It supports configuration of upto 10 email accounts on a single device.
Let's now take a look at the phones that have been launched.
Nokia C3

The Nokia C3 happens to hold the distinction of being the first QWERTY keypad laden S40 device. The C3 is the lowest priced amongst the handsets released yesterday and features an easy to use home screen from where users have direct access to social networks. People can view, comment, update their status and share pictures to their favourite social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. It boasts of a 2.4-inch screen and also supports Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat. The C3 comes with Wi-Fi as well! There is a basic 2 megapixel camera at the rear. The phone supports memory expansion and can take up to 8GB of memory using microSD cards. The C3 is priced at Rs. 5,317 (Euro 90).

Nokia N8 Oficially Announced

Nokia has finally accepted and acknowledged the existence of its next generation Symbian smartphone - the N8. The phone has had its specifications leaked just a day ago and it seems, Nokia has had enough. The company has announced the phone officially. The N8 has been in the news lately and it was just yesterday that the first reviews of the handset surfaced. Just a few hours later, a document detailing the phones spec sheet was revealed.

Now that the phone has been made official, let's see what it has in store for you the potential buyer. The N8 happens to be Nokia's first 12 megapixel camera phone - complete with Carl Zeiss optics, Xenon flash and a large sensor that, according to Nokia, rivals those found in compact digital cameras. The N8 is also the first Nokia device to support HD Video recording. The N8 also features a built-in video editing suite - the effectiveness of which we're unsure of. The phone supports Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and users can connect it to their home theatre system. Contrary to the expectation that it would come with 64GB of internal memory, it will ship with "just" 16GB of in-built storage space. With MicroSD slots, the memory is expandable up to 48GB.

Unlike the last Symbian based flagship, the N97, the N8 runs the latest version of the Symbian OS - Symbian ^3. While they share quite a few visual cues, S60 Version5 and Symbian^3 are two different operating systems. Symbian^3 supports multitouch (although as of now we're unsure if it has been used effectively on the N8), flick scrolling and pinch-zoom. The Nokia N8 also offers multiple, personalizable homescreens which can be loaded with apps and widgets. The new 2D and 3D graphics architecture in the platform takes full advantage of the Nokia N8's hardware acceleration to deliver a faster and more responsive user interface. Symbian^3 also raises the bar in performance by delivering greater memory management allowing more applications to run in parallel for a faster multi-tasking experience. It remains to be seen how much of an actual enhancement does Symbian^3 bring to the end user experience.

The N8 is fully social networking ready. Users can update their status, share location and photos, and view live feeds from Facebook and Twitter in a single app directly on the home screen. Calendar events from social networks can also be transferred to the device calendar.
The phone has a 3.5-inch capacitive screen with a 360x640 resolution. While the resolution might not be very high compared to Android based devices, the AMOLED display will make it look quite impressive. The device in its prototype avatar had a non standard sized HDMI port, we seriously hope this has been rectified in the final version. Even with all these features, the phone manges to stay quite slim at just 12.9 mm thin!
The N8 will be available in select markets during the third quarter of 2010. It is estimated to be priced at around the EUR 370 (Rs. 22,000) mark. This is the price minus taxes or subsidies. Also, it would be outright foolish to expect this phone to be priced below the 25k mark in India - so don't get your hopes too high.

INQ Chat 3G

The INQ brand, which has been brought to India  by Aircel, currently sells two of their devices - the INQ 3G and the INQ Mini 3G - here in India. We got our hands on the former and put it through its paces to give you this review. The INQ 3G has a full QWERTY keypad and true to its name, 3G connectivity. It also integrates all the prominent social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter and Orkut through built-in applications. It also features an interesting UI design that goes well with the overall product. But is that good enough for it to compete against established rivals from major brands like Nokia and BlackBerry? We'll find out soon.

Bundle

• INQ Chat 3G
• Battery
• Charger 
• Headset 
• USB Data Cable 
• User Guide

Hardware

For the untrained eye, the INQ 3G would just be another BlackBerry phone. RIM pioneered the QWERTY keypad on a candybar form factor through its BlackBerry range of handsets and other manufacturers were quick to pick it up for their own handsets (Read: Nokia E-Series phones). But the form factor is possibly the only thing that's common as the INQ 3G features plenty of design details that would differentiate it from any BlackBerry handset out there.

For starters it has a much more youthful design, which shows through the use of bright colors, unlike the BlackBerry handsets that has a stricter color palette consisting mostly of various shades of black. Bright red adorns the circular D-pad on the front and some of the keys. The rear cover comes in a variety of colors and our review sample came with an outrageous bright shade of bubblegum pink that made our eyes water every time we looked at it.
The keypad on the phone is one of its highlights. It features large, chunky buttons around the D-pad, which itself is pretty large. Each button has a pronounced curve to it and has a delicious click. The D-pad is also fabulously comfortable to use, thanks to the wide circular rim that cradles the massive centre select button with the 'Q' symbol on it.

The QWERTY keys were almost as easy to use despite their smaller size. It features two SHIFT keys on the bottom edges and a fairly large SPACE key in the middle. There is also a convenient '.com' function on one key, which can be accessed by pressing one of the SHIFT keys. Period gets its own dedicated key but every other symbol, including the much used Comma, requires you to press SHIFT to access them.
Overall the keypad is pretty amazing but my only grouse with it was the incredibly dim backlight that was only visible when you were in complete darkness.

Above the keypad is the display with the earpiece for calls. The INQ 3G does not have a camera on the front for video calls.

Around the edges the phone features a chrome garnish to add further visual pizzazz to the design. On the left side is the miniUSB port, which has been carelessly left open, and a slim volume control button. On the right is the camera shutter button, which unfortunately, despite the presence of autofocus, does not let you focus first and then shoot, but instead prefers to do it automatically. Surprisingly there is no 3.5mm headphone jack and the audio is routed through the miniUSB port, along with everything else.

The backside has just the camera lens at the top and the loudspeaker beside it. The camera is a 3.2 megapixel shooter with autofocus but there is no flash and no lens cover either. On removing the back cover, which comes off easily by just sliding it upwards and turning it around, you'll notice that INQ has put a little puzzle for you to solve there. Once you figure that out (or not) you'll see the large 1500 mAh Li-Polymer battery and the SIM card slot beside it. On top is the microSD card slot, which is hot swappable.
There is no denying the fact that the INQ 3G is definitely an attractive looking handset. The curvy front side with chunky buttons and little chrome detailing between them, the shiny chrome sides and the large colorful back panel with some more silvery chrome sprinkled around the camera lens makes the phone stand out from the usual crowd of QWERTY phones. It's also very solidly build, without any creak or groan from the body during the testing process. The way the battery cover snaps into place and the way all the buttons move and work all inspires confidence into the handset's build quality. It's also pretty slim and light, making it easy to slide into your pocket.

Software

INQ has made a pretty good looking interface for the Chat 3G. On the home screen you can see a row of widgets for various applications. You can add and remove them from the settings menu as you please. The main menu is not a grid of icons as you normally see but has tiles instead. Each tile has a cartoon strip-like animated look to it and turns to greyscale when you highlight it. The sub menus don't share the same interesting design creativity an are simple lists that remind me of the ones in BlackBerry phones, except here they are in black instead of blue.
You can navigate the menu using the awesome D-Pad and the two softkeys. If you need to access additional functions than what are visible on the screen just press the menu button, just like you would on a BlackBerry phone. The interface design is pretty simple and easy to use and thankfully not sluggish, as is often the case on budget handsets. You can install Java applications on the phone but there is no multi-tasking available.
One good thing about the phone is the solid integration with social networking websites. The phones comes with Facebook, Twitter as well as Orkut applications built-in, three services which are very popular in India. The apps are a bit basic but nevertheless are useful. Also, the integration extends to other functions of the phone. For example when you go to the messages menu, along with SMS, MMS and email, you also get the option of creating a new tweet or direct message or Facebook status message. In photos application you can upload images directly to Facebook or Twitter services. This is something that is bound to be a hit with the social networking crazy young population of the country. 

 

Connectivity
The INQ Chat 3G is a tri band GSM handset. It supports 3G and HSDPA, along with GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth and even GPS connectivity. Sadly there is no WI-Fi to complete this list, otherwise the phone would have got almost top marks in this department. The call quality and network reception on this phone is pretty decent. Unfortunately, the loudspeaker is pretty weak and barely audible.
The phone is sold in India through Aircel. However, as we observed the INQ Chat 3G could be used with any network as it wasn't network locked to Aircel.
One of the cooler features of the Chat 3G is the push mail support. So now you can just configure your GMail account on to your phone and automatically receive free push mails onto your phone for free.
The web browser on the phone is pretty decent and websites look rather well on it. Page loading speed was also pretty decent, although we wished the phone had Wi-Fi connectivity for even faster browsing. You can use a 3G SIM card with the phone if you want a faster browsing experience as Aircel doesn't support 3G as yet.
The INQ Chat 3G comes with Google Maps pre-installed. You can use it with the built-in GPS to navigate around and see where you are located on the map. You don't get features like turn by turn voice navigation though. 
Multimedia

The phone comes with a 3 megapixel autofocus camera. Unfortunately, there is no flash for the camera. The camera has a shutter button on the side for taking pictures. However, it is not a two step button as you would expect on a phone with an autofocus camera. In fact there is no control over the focusing. You just press the center button or the shutter button and the camera would automatically focus and take a picture. Images taken in daylight were of decent quality but those taken in low light weren't impressive at all.
The INQ Chat 3G has a pretty decent music player. Unfortunately, the phone does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack and the provided headset has average audio quality. The loudspeaker is pathetic and you can barely hear it playing.

 

Battery Life
The INQ Chat 3G comes with a massive 1500 mAh battery. Even if you use all the social networking services and make calls and send messages, the phone still lasts for two full days on a single charge.
Verdict
The INQ Chat 3G is priced at Rs. 7,990 athough you can buy it for around Rs. 7,300. At that price the phone offers some really good features that are worth sitting up and taking notice of. You get a full QWERTY keypad, good design and solid build quality, the interface is well designed and easy to use and the social network applications that are built-in are really handy.

On top of that the phone offers features like 3G and GPS, which are not common in this price range, not to mention push mail service. Most of all the phone exudes a sense of being well-made with some good creativity and attention to detail.
It does have a few shortcomings though, such as, no FM radio, no 3.5mm headphone jack and a pretty weak loudspeaker. The camera quality too is average and we found the keypad brightness a little hard to see in the dark. But despite that the phone still represents good value and we would definitely recommend it those who don't want to spend a lot of money on something like a BlackBerry but want something similar.

Google Makes Maps Search Smarter, Adds Store View

Google has updated Google Maps service enabling users to search nearby locations easily. This means if you are searching for a particular location then Google Maps will give more relevant search suggestions in a drop-down box. Apart from that, Google has also made Google Store View official and thus wants you to be able to check stores right from your computer browser.
Google Maps is now powered with more accurate and relevant results throwing Suggest feature for getting most useful suggestions based on the location you're viewing. Google had already spiced up its Search interface and it now identifies user location for offering more relevant search results. This feature was previously under limited testing in China, Germany and cities like Hong Kong.
Along with that, Google has also introduced new Google Store View and is offering big businesses in U.S., Japan and Australia to get the interiors of their store clicked by professional photographers. Google will send its photographers to business owners for arranging the time for a photo shoot of stores. Everything would be clicked by Google's photographers at no cost. Thus, business owners get better prospects to show what they are offering to their potential customers. Currently, this trial is being run in 30 cities across U.S., Australia and Japan. However, we're sure that security concerns would be taken care of. See more on this here.

Real I-phone 4G pics

Since last two summers, we've been constantly spotting grainy images of the next iPhone model of corresponding year and we did spot a few pictures of the iPhone 4G as well. Engadget has now posted what it calls "the real iPhone 4G photos". Though many pointed out that even these were fake, prolific blogger and tech pundit John Gruber did some research and concluded that this bunch of iPhone 4G photos is real.

Back in late January, Engadget had leaked images of Apple iPad prototype from Weiphone.com, a mysterious Chinese forum. That photo was rumored to be taken in Apple's Test Labs and had a glimpse of iPhone 4G prototype. Engadget has managed to grab clearer photos of purported iPhone 4G through Twitpics, an image uploading service for Twitter. Engadget said an unnamed 'source' confirmed the authenticity of these images.
So what can we conclude from these "real" images? They show that the iPhone 4G model has different build than the existing iPhone models. The iPhone 4G prototype model carries aluminium-like rims, glass screen with a front camera and iPhone 3G-like back panel. The back panel also carries an FCC number starting with BCGA and an IC number from 579C. These numbers also exist in iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Apparently, Apple hasn't used the aluminum enclosure just like the one used in MacBook Pros. More internal shots of iPhone 4G were available from theWeiphone forum.
John Gruber pointed out that back in 2006, Apple registered a patent for using ceramic enclosures and according to him, aluminum enclosures don't get strong radio signals. Several sources told Gruber that the back enclosure is high-durability fancy glass. This new glass-like enclosure would be stronger to survive falls, scratch resistant and also radio waves friendly.
So far, we're contented with what Gruber points at and are totally geared up to see the new iPhone 4G officially. We should not forget that iPhone's yearly product life cycle suggests that iPhone's refresh is due this year as well in June as Phil Schiller senior vice president of marketing, told David Pogue, a technology columnist with The New York Times.

A Closer Look at iPhone OS 4.0

Break out those trumpets and let’s hear that drum roll people, Apple’s OS 4.0 is here, well not exactly here, here, but it’s been officially announced, no scratch that... it’s been  previewed. They’ve also released a beta version of the software to iPhone Developer Program members. It includes an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,500 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and over 100 new features that will be available to iPhone and iPod Touch users this summer. Here’s some more information on what’s on the OS 4.0 menu:
Multitasking –
It’s going to be grand as users will be able to have apps running even when the handset is in Sleep Mode. They even spoke about multitasking with third party apps while managing to preserve battery life and still allowing the foreground app to perform at its peak. Intriguing no! The UI looks really simple and why shouldn’t it be right? All you have to do is double tap the home button and Presto, the apps running in the back ground will be displayed at the bottom. Just click on the one you wish to use.

Here’s the catch though, OS 4.0 delivers a total of just seven new multitasking services that include:

• Background audio - Allows your app to play audio continuously. So customers can listen to your app while they surf the web, play games, and more.
• Voice over IP - Users can receive VoIP calls and have conversations while using another app and even receive calls when their phones are in asleep.
• Background location - Navigation apps can now continue to guide users who are listening to their iPods, or using other apps.
• Push notifications - Receive alerts from your remote servers even when your app isn't running.
• Local notifications - Your app can now alert users of scheduled events and alarms in the background, no servers required.
• Task finishing - If your app is in mid-task and you nee to do something else, the app can now remain running to finish the task. Great for uploading and downloading data and getting other stuff done simultaneously.  
• Fast app switching - Will allow users to leave your app and come right back to where you were when you left - no more reloading.

Folder creation –
You know how pages and pages of apps can be quite a pain and you’ll have to keep scrolling through all of them just to find the one you need? Well third party apps form the Jailbroken sector, allowing for the creation of folders so you could easily categorize your stuff. Now Apple’s got its Folder option so you can have much neater page views and possibly, instead of multiple pages, you’ll have just one, with a bunch of folders.

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It’s pretty simple to create folders, simply drag one app icon onto another, and a new folder is automatically created. The folder is automatically given a name based on the App Store category of that app, such as “Games”. These can be renamed if required. Users can also create and manage iPhone folders on their Mac or PC using iTunes 9.2. This has been a long time coming.
Access to iBooks –
For iPhone users jealous of the iPad’s new iBook book store and corresponding eBook reader, let go of your green feelings as OS 4.0 brings the iBook store to your hand held mobile device now. You can access and download your favorite titles right on the device. Of course, reading won’t be as convenient as on the iPad’s much larger screen, but I’m sure we’ll get by.

Game Center –
This is Apple’s new social gaming network that will soon be available for iPhone and iPod touch. It’s not fully ready just yet so you’ll have to be a little patient. If you’re an Apple iPhone user, that’ll come naturally now. At the event though, Apple did have a developer preview of Game Center, which contains a set of APIs that allows developers to create apps with the ability to invite friends to play a game, start a multiplayer game through matchmaking and even track achievements and compare high scores on a leader board. It’s an interesting concept and I’m quite looking forward to its official launch. That should make the iPhone’s gaming capabilities even more endearing.

Unified inbox for email –
I’m not entirely sure having all messages from all my email accounts displayed together in a single inbox is such a good idea, but I’m sure there are quite a few who would think otherwise. However Apple has thought of that apparently and their solution is that you’ll be able to quickly switch between inboxes to see messages from any single account with just a few taps. This I’ve got to see.

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Another mail enhancement is that you can now thread messages by conversation, making it easier to stay on top of email discussions, as well as open email attachments with compatible apps from the App Store.
Enhanced Enterprise support –
That was all fun and games but now getting down to ‘Business’, the new enterprise features in iPhone OS 4 include improvements in security, scalability and compatibility. It’s a got a new Mobile Device Management service that users can have integrated with third party servers to wirelessly configure, query and even wipe or lock iPhones. Sounds real good so far. Seems like Apple has taken a notion from some of the budget Java mobiles in terms of security by including a password protection for mail messages and attachments stored on the iPhone. Other than that iPhone OS 4 also allows IT managers to set up multiple Exchange ActiveSync accounts, compatible with Exchange Server 2010 and it also includes support for forthcoming SSL VPN applications from Juniper Networks and Cisco. My data feels safer already.
iAd mobile advertising platform –
Apple’s new mobile advertising platform, combines the emotion of TV ads with the interactivity of web ads. iAd is capable of displaying full-screen video and interactive ad content without ever leaving the app, and letting users return to their app anytime they choose. This negates the pain of clicking on something that looks interesting, leaving the app to go to the web-browser to view the advertisers' web page and returning to the app again. iPhone OS 4 lets developers easily embed iAd opportunities within their apps, and the ads are wirelessly delivered to the device. Apple will sell and serve the ads, and developers will receive an industry-standard 60 percent of iAd revenue. Not bad.
Some of the smaller but notable updates include -
Improved Spotlight Search – The latest in Apple’s very handy Spotlight search is the addition of a direct Web or Wikipedia search option. It’s taken Apple quite a while to include this functionality since Android has toted this option for some time now. But better late then never I guess.

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Spell Check – This will make typing a little faster than it already was and your information more accurate. I know my editor will just love this.
Bluetooth keyboard support – This feature is already supported on the iPad, but you’ll now be able to use it with your handset as well.
User Defined Backgrounds - Now you'll be able have a background for all your screens and not just your lock screen. Imagine, something so simple that jailbroken apps like Winetrboard were able to create took Apple this long.
Tap to focus for video and 5x Digital Zoom for Camera – For 3G users enjoying the video recording capabilities of the new handset, OS 4.0 adds a ‘Tap to Focus’ feature. Apple has even gone and added 5x of digital zoom for the still camera.

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Playlist creation and nested playlist – For the iPod lovers you’ll now be able to create a custom playlist on your device itself without having to hook it up to iTunes.
An iPad version of OS 4.0 isn’t available just yet, not that it matters to us seeing as we haven’t got the device itself. However an update will be out for the ‘Oversized iPod Touch’ by this Fall which could be either September or October.
The iPhone OS 4 beta software and SDK are available immediately for the iPhone Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iPhone OS 4 will be available as a software update to iPhone and iPod touch users this summer.
If you’re satisfied with all of the new updates, good, we all know there’s plenty more that should have been included but Apple likes to take the whole ‘baby steps’ bit very very literally. But here’s some bad news, iPhone 3G users, which is presumably what most of the users in this country are right now, will be able to update their handsets soon, but multi tasking is not supported. Ain’t that a ‘Bi**h! It’s only supported on the 3GS or third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB).

Nokia Announces Three New Handsets

Nokia has announced three new handsets - the Nokia C3, Nokia C6 and Nokia E5 - designed to put better messaging and social networking tools in the hands of more people around the world, at affordable prices. These new handsets feature full QWERTY keyboards, and enable access to a range of different email accounts, IM communities and social networks.
"Our messaging device range is very successful," said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Head of Markets. "Services that provide easy access to the world's consumer and corporate email and instant messaging are really popular on our QWERTY smartphones such as the Nokia E71 and Nokia E63. People want the best messaging and social networking experience on an affordable device, whether it's sending a simple text or instant message, an email, or a direct message from their Twitter account. The Nokia C3, Nokia C6 and Nokia E5 are made for just that."
The Nokia C3 has a full QWERTY keyboard - the first for a Series 40 phone - and is the first in the range to enable access to social networks directly on the homescreen. People can view, comment, update their status and share pictures to their favorite social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
At an estimated price of EUR 90, before taxes and subsidies, the Nokia C3 also comes with Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat, meaning first time users can set up email and chat accounts straight from the device, without the need for a PC. Other notable features are the Wi-Fi connectivity, a two megapixel camera, rich color 2.4 inch screen and support for up to an 8GB memory card. The Nokia C3 is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2010 in a variety of colors, including golden white, slate grey and hot pink.
The Nokia C6 is a Symbian-based smartphone combining a 3.2 inch touch screen with a full slide out keyboard. The phone offers access to Facebook feeds directly on the homescreen and features a full suite of email and social networking capabilities.

Expected to be available in the second quarter of 2010 at an estimated price of EUR 220, before taxes and subsidies, the Nokia C6 also features a five megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, and Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation. In addition apps from games and videos to news aggregators and web services are available in the Ovi Store.
Rounding off the trio is the latest addition to the Nokia Eseries range, the Nokia E5. The Symbian-based Nokia E5 follows the blueprint of devices such as the Nokia E72 and Nokia E63. The Nokia E5 combines business features with personal networking and entertainment capabilities.With direct access to over 90 percent of the world's corporate email through Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler, it's easy to keep in contact from anywhere with the Nokia E5.

Estimated price of the Nokia E5 is EUR 180, before taxes and subsidies, with expected availability in the third quarter of 2010.

Olive Announces Triple SIM QWERTY Phone

The Olive brand is now famous in the country for one device they launched last month. Remember the Olive FrvrOn handset? Probably the only phone in the world to come in dual power options. The phone, apart from having a normal Li-Ion battery, also packed in a slot for an AA battery that can be used to power the phone for a few minutes in an emergency.
The same company has now announced the launch of the Wiz VGC800, a new triple SIM QWERTY mobile for the Indian market. Olive claims it is the first triple SIM phone to arrive in a QWERTY keypad form factor. The VGC800 supports two GSM SIM cards and a CDMA connection.
The phone is social networking ready and comes with Facebook Twitter, MSN and Yahoo clients. It also comes preloaded with Opera Mini for browsing needs. Thanks to the QWERTY keypad and a decent e-mail client, it can double up as a capable e-mail device as well.
Other features include a basic 2.0 megapixel camera. The screen is a not so large 2.2-inch one capable of displaying 262K colors. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and USB. It has a built in FM radio, stereo headset and speaker phone.
The Olive Wiz VGC800 is priced at Rs. 6,000.

Digital Camcorder Buying Guide

If a digital camera is your best bet for capturing stills, a camcorder is ideal in capturing video. The falling prices of camcorders have brought it within the reach of many consumers who'd love to preserve their precious moments forever.
However, when you go to the market to buy a camcorder, you suddenly find yourself confused by the extraordinary choice of models that are available. And with each model advertising something more than its competitor, the buying decision only becomes more difficult. This is where we come in. In this article we have listed ten things that you need to look for before buying a camcorder. We are sure that after reading this, you will surely be in a position to make an informed buying decision. Please note that we are only considering digital camcorders and not DV or DVD camcorders.
1. Image stabilization

Image stabilization is a feature in most camcorders today. What it does is, it reduces the effects of shaky hands while shooting a video, thus producing a comparatively stable result. Image stabilization comes in two flavors: optical and electronic. While electronic image stabilization attempts to compensate for shaky camera by using electronic algorithms in conjunction with the CMOS sensor, optical image stabilization does it by actually slightly shifting the position of the lens elements. Naturally, optical image stabilization achieves a much more effective result than its electronic counterpart. The gist of this story is to look for optical image stabilization (rather than electronic stabilization) because it helps a lot in making a watchable video, especially when using zoom.

2. Ease of use and comfort factor

Ease of use and comfort factor must be taken into account as it does make a very big difference if you are shooting for long durations. The camera controls should preferably be placed well within the reach of the fingers and thumb of the hand that holds it (usually the right hand). Certain cameras have touchscreen only controls and not everyone will find it easy to use them. The grip of the camera and the strap that harnesses your hand to it should be comfortable and adjustable. The camera should not be too heavy, as it becomes difficult to shoot with a heavy camera for long hours. It should not be too light either, as that takes away some of the stability that weight can give it. Check out different review websites for information regarding this before buying.
3. Storage capacity
Expandability of storage should be possible. This is a non-issue these days because most camcorders have memory card slots and there usually exists no size limit. But be sure to check the specifications of the camera to find out if it supports large capacity memory cards.

4. Inbuilt memory or external?
Many camcorders come with internal memory, but some may not come with any memory at all. It is always the case that the ones with internal memory are a lot more expensive than those without. The point here is that if the camcorder does not come with any internal memory, there is nothing to be alarmed. It can be easily seen that if you simply buy a memory card in a camcorder without any memory, it is found to be a lot less expensive than the one with the same amount of internal memory.

Class 4 SD HC memory card

The only thing to keep in mind here is to make sure you buy a high speed memory card such as the SD HC Class 4 and above. The class rating of an SD card indicates the speed at which data can be dumped onto it. So, a Class 4 card supports 4 MB per second, which is sufficient for most purposes.
5. LCD display and viewfinder

After proper adjustment of white balance, the image colors on the LCD screen should appear to be the same as that of the subject being shot. The LCD should be bright enough to be viewable in broad daylight and if that is not the case, or in any case, it is always better to have an optical viewfinder as well. An optical viewfinder is also beneficial as it helps save battery power, especially when you are going on a trek where you cannot hope to recharge the batteries.
6. Zoom: Optical or Digital?

Pay attention only to optical zoom; digital zoom can be safely ignored, so we won't mention it any further. Do not be awed by high optical zooms as zoom levels above 10x are generally useful only when the camcorder is mounted on a tripod. And in case you still want optical zoom and are going to use a tripod, it is useful to have optical image stabilization as well.

7. Audio capture quality
Audio capture quality is something people usually do not take into account when it comes to a camcorder, but it is a very important parameter. This is something you may not be able to find out instantly at the shop, but you must research about it by reading different reviews online before deciding. You can instantly find out the audio capture quality though, if the camcorder supports headphones.

8. Still photography
Although the primary function of a digital camcorder is to shoot videos, an increasing number of camcorders support still photography at resolutions rivaling those of digital cameras. While the still image quality has improved a lot, it is still not quite as good as you would get from a digital camera dedicated to still photography. This is due to the absence of the complete set of functions for still photography and also due to the awkward holding angle of a camcorder, which is not suitable for digital photography (a tripod may eliminate this problem). Thus, if you want to make use of the digital camcorder for casual still photography, you can certainly go for it, but for serious still photography, it is better to stick to the digital camera.
9. Add-ons

Some camcorders come with an option to attach accessories such as a boom microphone, additional flash, or even to attach a DVD/Blu-ray burner to directly burn the captured content to the media. Look for these factors while choosing a camcorder from a future-proof point of view.
10. Battery options

While the camcorder you buy will come with only a single battery, it may support a higher capacity battery as well. This information is usually mentioned on the accessories page of the camcorder model on the manufacturer's website. A higher capacity battery will give you a longer battery backup.

HP slate price

Just when the Apple iPad is buzzing all over the web, an internal document with specifications of HP's upcoming tablet dubbed Slate was acquired by Engadget. The HP Slate will have an 8.9-inch display and will come equipped with Intel Atom CPU and support 1080p graphics. At the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in January, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had announced the HP Slate running Windows 7.
HP's internal document compared Slate's specifications with those of the Apple iPad. The specs comparison marks Slate's strong points in green color and threats from iPad in red color. HP Slate will have an 8.9-inch with capacitive multi-touch panel supporting 1024x600 pixel resolution. This display will also have light sensor, accelerometer and digital pen support. We don't know what HP was thinking but the Slate tablet will come with two year old Intel Atom Menlow platform chipset. This Menlow platform known as Centrino Atom will have single core 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor with 512kb L2 Cache and 533MHz front side bus speed.

Slate will come with 1GB DDR2 memory that won't be upgradable and internal storage options of 32GB/64GB would be offered. SD card reader port allows adding up to 128GB storage to this Slate tablet. The most interesting part about the Slate is the Windows 7 Home Premium with HP Touch-optimized User interface on it. Wow! So that would be a full blown Microsoft operating system. Intel UMA carrying PowerVR SGX 535 graphics chip promises to offer 1080p HD resolution graphics support and on top of that, this tablet also has HDMI out.
Unlike iPad, the Slate will have a 3 megapixel camera on its back panel and a VGA web cam on the front panel. Using the front camera you can video chat with your contacts using services like Skype.
For audio out, the Slate offers 3.5mm audio out port and so you will be able to hook any headphone of your choice. Other features include Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) and conventional SIM card tray. However, the battery life of HP Slate can be a bit of an issue. Unlike the iPad which promises up to 10 hours of battery life, the Slate offers just five hours of it.
Finally, in terms of pricing, HP will price the Slate for $549 (Rs. 26,400 approx.) which is as much as a netbook. Apple iPad (starting at $500) is already available now in U.S. and would soon be available to rest of the world. As of now, there's no official word about HP Slate's arrival date. However, this document leak pretty much indicates that the Slate's release is just around the corner.
Image courtesy: Engadget