Category: Technology

  • Penta T-Pad WS802c Hands on Review – Video

    For those who have been keeping up with the news must be aware of Noida based Pantel Technologies which sells co-branded BSNL Tablets. Recently they launched a new higher end model called Penta T-Pad WS802C. I had a chance to try it and been using it for more than a week. So this was actually my second tablet after the ipad. One thing I could notice is that tablets are drastically changing the way we consume the content. Also we have vast array of choices for buying a tablet, which varies on aspects like features, hardware and cost. In India, cost is a potential factor for every product and that’s where T-pad WS802c impressed me.

    Overview:
    T-Pad WS802C is a budget tablet which comes around 14700 INR. With my hands-on experience, I am writing a personal review on it. To make things more clear and concise, I am going to split into topics. Ok here we go 🙂 You can also checkout the video above to feel the looks.

    Specifications:
    Powered by Cortex A8 1GHz, 512mb DDR2 Ram, 4GB internal memory and runs on Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It has dual camera (2mp rear + 0.3 front), GPS, 3G Sim Slot and other default stuffs. More detailed specs here.

    Tablet Body:
    Comes in white colour with 8” display, which is bigger than other budget variant. The back panel is a patterned white design with protective lamination that prevents scratches and gives good resistance. The Touch screen is very responsive like Samsung tab and Blackberry playbook. Overall body is made up of hard plastic and perfectly strong for a tablet.

    Performance and Usage:
    I performed several benchmark tests and certainly the tablet is up to the level on budget category. Boot speed is pretty quick but certainly at some point multi-tasking lags a little especially when 7+ applications are open same time. Sometimes it crashes and reboots completely. Tried playing couple of high end games and it is seamlessly fast but the negative factor is that it heats up very quickly. The Temperature is too high at some point where you cannot even hold it in your hand. Comparing other tablets in this segment this one emits more temperature. Seriously they need to consider redesigning their heat exhaust or sink.

    Battery:
    The total standby time is more than 6 hours but the battery drains very quickly within 4 hours on performing normal tasks. We also have to remember the fact that you can actually make calls; receive text messages in this tablet with a 2g/3g sim card. So turning of cellular network can increase your battery life.

    Support:
    The first question that sparks anyone when buying a brand which is unknown is the support and warranty. Unlike any Chinese products or Unfamiliar New Indian Brands, Pantel Technologies can be added to exception list because they have service centres all over India.

    Comparison:
    Here is my comparison with tablets in the same budget range.

    Features T-Pad WS802C Huawei MediaPad HCL ME Tablet AM7-A1
    Operating System 4.0.3 Ice Cream 3.2 Honey Comb 2.2 Froyo
    CPU Cortex A8  1GHz Dual-core 1.2Ghz Qualcomm Cortex A8, 800MHz
    Screen Size 8 Inches 7 Inches 7 Inches
    Memory 4GB Internal + Ext 1GB Internal + Ext 8 GB + Ext
    Camera 2 mp + 0.3 mp 5 MP + 1.3 MP 1.3 MP
    Standby Time 6 hours 6 Hours
    Cost 14699 INR 19990 INR 18000 INR

     

    Pros:

    1. 15,000 INR is a good price for this configuration
    2. Performance and Speed
    3. Touch sensitive is quite good
    4. Hard and Strong Tablet shell
    5. Warranty and Support Center all over India

    Cons:

    1. Over Heating
    2. Battery Charging Time
    3. Uncomfortable menu buttons

    You can know more about the tablet in their official product page.

  • Prebook your Ubislate 7+ tablet for 2999 rupees now

    Prebook your Ubislate 7+ tablet for 2999 rupees now

    A tablet with cortex A8 , 3200 mAh battery powered by Android 2.3 with GSM and Wifi connectivity and i am giving you it for a damn price of Rs.2999 INR. Why would i buy it ? Sorry was that a question ? Nope i mean where can i get it ? Who can give you a damn cheap tablet with all these features ? The Aakash tablet project powered Ubislate 7+ is upgraded version of ubislate7 tablet and it rocks more than the previous one. You can actually make and receive calls with it !

    Features of Ubislate 7 Plus:

    • Android 2.3
    • Cortex A8, 700 Mhz Process with HD Video Co Processor
    • 256 MB RAM
    • Storage: (Internal) 2GB Flash / (External) 2GB to 32GB Supported
    • Peripherals: 2 Standard USB Ports (Ver. 2.0)
    • Audio Out: 3.5mm jack
    • Display and Resolution: 7″ Display with 800×480 pixels
    • Supported Document Formats: All Version Office Document formats and many more
    • High Quality Video Streaming & HD Quality Video Playback
    • Input Devices: Resistive Touch Screen
    • Connectivity with GPRS & WiFi IEEE 802.11 a/b/g
    • Battery: Upto 180 minutes of battery, AC adaptor 200.240 volts

    Don’t even think about the quality just go and order it. All the slots closed for January and February but again the pre-booking has been opened for the month of March. Your wait is worth it and you can book it right away here at their official website. http://www.ubislate.com/prebook.html . i don’t know how long the pre-booking lasts !

    Optional accessory “keyboard case” can turn this tablet into a laptop which is yet to hit the stores.

     

  • Jailbreaking your iphone, ipad and ipod touch. Is it safe to do ?

    Jailbreaking your iphone, ipad and ipod touch. Is it safe to do ?

    There is a misconception going  about jailbreaking the latest iOS 5 devices. People say it will void your warranty and should do it only after the warranty period. Recently Apple is insisting application developers to create apps which detect modified handsets. Some apps keep popping up saying ” Jailbreak detected. App cannot run on this device.” . Jail breaking is legal but it does not cover the warranty and will void your warranty ! So should you jailbreak ? When you ask this question yourself, you need to understand what jailbreaking is and the necessity why you want to jailbreak ?

    Jailbreaking is just a process of removing the restrictions posed on a device.  Just consider entering a country without a visa. Each and every app developed for ios device should go for a process of approval by Apple before they are listed in itunes. So inorder to enable more functionality and to install custom applications, we involve in the process of jailbreaking our devices. Usually a custom community Cydia is available for ios which acts as a platform for apps market for jailbreak devices. I came across some of the custom apps and have to adhere their functions and how useful they are.  My favourite one was the bluetooth dialup  network for ipod touch which enables me to use my ipod touch with 3g facility by bridging it with my blackberry.

    The misconception with the users is that the current iOS 5 upgrade sends a signal to Apple saying that your iphone was jailbreaked and should ban this user from any support or warranty. This does not work that way, if you ask me i would tell it was just a rumor ! Atleast not now ! I have to agree that apple is trying to strengthen its device with a lot of security fixes. Jailbreak can be possible because of the security exploits and holes in the current software version but for every update Apple is trying to fix it up, we end up with a good jailbreaking tool 🙂

    So my advice is if you really want to use some extra apps and try more out of your device, jailbreak your device but don’t forget to take a backup before you do it. But don’t forget just in case if you want to send your device for a warranty you need to restore it with the original firmware !

  • Buy and Sell in Internet with Sahipasand

    sahipasand

    It was yesterday that when i was looking for people selling second hand Enfield bikes i came across this simple and clean site called Sahipasand . At first i had no intent to browse through it as i thought it was just another random site with bot generated listing. But i tried my luck and found some reliable listing especially in my place Pondicherry.

    To my surprise i can find more than 250 products alone in my city (Pondicherry) in different categories. This added to my interests and i began to explore some of the listings as well as features of the site.I thought it is a good idea to share a site like this to my readers. Sahipasand (right choice in Hindi) is a free classified site, where you can buy and sell anything for free. Yes you are right i could say its indian version of Craigslist !

    One of the reasons why this site stands unique is that it has no ads; they don’t charge you for anything.  You dont have to pay for listing your ad or for contacting a seller. It’s completely free and you don’t even need to register. The site acts as a middleman to connect you to the seller/buyer free or charge 🙂

    SahiPasand.com is owned by SCM Ventures which is under Schibsted ASA and its subsidiary Schibsted Classified Media (SCM).  SCM is currently the biggest online classified advertising company in Europe. The site looks elegant and simple so does the usability. With Sahipasand you can sell almost anything because they provide a wide range of categories to choose from like in ebay. They also have separate sections for selling cars, real estate and posting jobs . From the start the major thing i am obsessed about this site is its ease of use. You can simply narrow down your search and find what you are looking for!

    Every listing is thoroughly checked and verified by the team and then it’s approved for listing. For example check this product listing where i ended up searching Enfield in Pondicherry. I can directly contact the buyer without any brokerage charges. Currently there are 45252 ads online which is good for a startup site.

    Just browse through the site to experience yourself.

  • Free October Calendar Wallpaper Gandhi Jayanthi Special

    Happy Gandhi Jayanthi to all of you. This is a particular day to remember one great man who stood as a father of our nation. Remembering Gandhi is not just about having him  in your currencies but in your desktop too :). It is my great pleasure to post October Calendar Wallpaper which is designed by my colleague Rafi. He is a Web, Graphics and Motion designer and have more than 8+ years of experience in this field.

    You can check  his portfolios in his site Rafimmedia.com. He has designed a Gandhi Jayanthi Featured Theme Calendar Wallpaper for this month which is available in many resolutions to fit your desktop including the iphone. Thanks to Rafimmedia. Feedback about the design is appreciated and would encourage Rafi to design more wallpapers.

    Download Gandhi Jayanthi Wallpaper With Calendar

    1024 x 768
    1280×800
    1280×1024
    1440×900
    1680×1050
    1920×1200

    Download Gandhi Jayanthi Wallpaper Without Calendar

    320×480 Iphone
    1024×768
    1280×800
    1280×1024
    1440×900
    1680×1050
    1920×1200

    Hope you like this beautiful wallpaper. Please do share it.

  • Using Underground Data Center to Store your Data.

    Using Underground Data Center to Store your Data.

    Backup is a mandatory option for an individual as well as businesses. We have our own critical and confidential data that requires backup stored in some place is important. I usually use external hard disk to store my data like client docs, projects, resources, backup image and software applications. We also store them in DVD Disks which lasts long only upto 5 years. Hard disks too have their own read and write cycles which works upto an approximate lifespan but what if there arise a situtations like drive being stolen or damaged. You are out of choice and then only end up storing your data in the cloud.

    There is a major concern over storing our valuable data in cloud when compared to storing it in our disks. Yes, its the privacy and security issue. When it comes to critical data like bank details, confidential documents, personal images, proofs.. we need a place where data can be secure, private as well as invulnerable to any means of risks and vandalism. My quest for a service online which overcomes my concern landed me in a different discussion. I seeked my cousin’s advice who is a product manager at Trend Micro. He told me about this trend called Underground Data centers. Its like Old wartime bunkers, caves, mountains turned down into a secure place for establishing Data centers.

    When i was exploring about companies that have underground datacenters i came forward with this service called Mount10 (former name Swiss fort Knox) which stores all your date inside the Swiss Alps Mountain. Yeah i am not kidding..!! Mount 10 consists of two independent underground data centers inside the Swiss Alps which are being operated for storing, archiving and securing physical as well as electronic assets. The facilities are equipped with the latest technologies, physically separated by 10km and connected internally as well as with the Internet by a high performance network.

    Why we should you go for Underground Data Centers ?

    These type of Underground Datacenters are resistant against any known civil, terroristic and military threat including electro magnetic pulse and also offers protection against environmental disasters such as earth quakes, floods, landslides and large-scale fires. They are usually addressed as Zero Risk Infrastructure.

    Click the image for full preview

    Mount10,  an automated Backup Service (Underground Datacenter ):

    The folks at Mount10 had given me a 4GB Free Account for Lifetime Period for testing their servers. With the help of Mount10 Client i can automatically backup and sync in realtime. Mount10 allows you to select an account name, with password and encryption key. This encryption key is the most important part, without which u cannot access your account and it is highly impossible to recover the key. Also you dont have to worry about your confidential and critical data being stored at their servers and being intercepted by someone since Mount10 uses 448-bit encryption technology the highest internet banking standards.

    Some highlighted features of Mount10 Includes

    • Underground “zero-risk” infrastructure and protection against nuclear, biological or chemical attacks including Full EMP (electro magnetic pulse) protection.
    • 24h surveillance, ensured by a civil and military concept
    • 448-bit encryption for storage
    • Fully automatic backup via the Internet
    • Data history with search functionality
    • Dual Internet Providers
    • Independent supervision
    • Nominal Rates for Storage
    • Data vaulting to SWISS FORT KNOX
    • Manageable Client for All versions of Operating Systems

    To know more about their features and service plans, i recommend visiting their site here.

  • Add filters to your Digital images with a click

    You don’t really have to be a professional photographer to bring that effect into your images because the folks at Rollip.com have developed a new site that gives any digital photo a new look and feel by offering filters ranging from 70’s vintage to more modern ones.

    They offer 40 various filters as far now and will be adding more filters in the future.. Rollip.com is free for smaller images but they do offer additional high-quality processing which some photographers can use for their professional work.

    I’ve tried a couple of filters and really satisfied with the output results. Just check my image below where i opted for a movie effect and how the orginal image transformed into a frame from a movie.

    And the Good news is Rollip.com offering 15 pro accounts to readers of this blog on a first come first serve basis. This pro account contains 30 credits which you can use for processing high quality images of yours. If you are interested to try Rollip then
    signup using the link below.
    Signup | Rollip.com

  • How the future robots will help you drive safely

    aida

    A  project known as AIDA (Affective, Intelligent Driving Agent), a collaborative initiative between MIT and AUDI is a personal driving assistant and an intelligent navigation system.   AIDA is not a traditional navigation system that just predicts the best route between two points, its an intelligent system which sets goals for the driver and helps to achieve it.

    I would appreciate if you could watch the above video for understanding the system clearly. An another innovation in Technology…

    AIDA_Sensors21

    AIDA_Sensors11

    AIDA_Dash1

    The best part of AIDA is the personalization which includes analyzing driver behavior, frequently used routes, predicting real time events in the city that would interfere the route, collecting city traffic data as well has maps with incorporated information like business area, shopping area, workplace, night club etc.

  • The Evolution of Google explained in a Video

    In 1995 two Mathematicians Larry and Sergey met at Stanford, who shared their fascination and have created a small search engine called Backrub renamed Google later. This video is actually a timeline of How the Search Engine Giant Google has evolved to a 21$ Billion company with 20,000 Employees. Google has made impact in several areas like Desktop products, Mobile and Web. Have a look at the Video. Wow..! The growth is Unlimited !