Microsoft HoloLens [year]

Microsoft HoloLens 2026

April 22, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Microsoft didn't use skydivers or stunt cyclists to introduce what it hopes will be the next big leap in computing technology. Instead, with its new HoloLens headset, the company is offering real-world examples to show how you might use three-dimensional digital images – or holograms – in daily life.
And that might be what it takes to get people to buy a computer they wear on their face.
I got a brief peek at what wearing the HoloLens could be like in different scenarios: performing a simple home repair, pretending to be a scientist studying the surface of Mars and exploring a colorful, animated game that added new dimensions to an unremarkable room.
Microsoft unveiled HoloLens at its headquarters this week, on the same day the company touted its upcoming Windows 10 software release. What I saw of the device seems unfinished, but it shows potential.
A crowded field
Some of the world's biggest tech companies are working on wearable devices that aim to create realistic, three-d..

Review: Motorola Xooms in with Honeycomb

Review: Motorola Xooms in with Honeycomb

March 5, 2016 Richard Gomez 1

Introduction
Launched at the Consumer Electronics Show 2011, in Las Vegas, the Motorola Xoom wowed the world with its slick new operating system 'Google Honeycomb' and its class leading specifications. Besides being the flagship Honeycomb tablet, it was the first one to feature dual cameras and a dual-core processor, even before the iPad 2 was launched.
Hardware and Styling
On the face of it, you are welcomed by the large 10.1-inch display, which has a resolution of 1280×800, making it compatible with high definition content at 720p. The device has no buttons on the front of the device. The only thing other than the screen is a 2-megapixel front facing camera for video chats. There are no hardware Android buttons as the Honeycomb OS houses these inside the operating system user interface.
At 12.9 mm and 730 grams, it will not give the iPad 2 any jitters when it comes down to sheer volume, but the Xoom does pack a few punches of its own. For starters, the bottom end of the dev..

Review: HTC Flyer tablet mates with slippery pen

Review: HTC Flyer tablet mates with slippery pen

March 4, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Is it better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all? That's the question posed by a new tablet computer that takes aim at one of the deficiencies of the iPad: that it's difficult to write on it with a stylus or pen.
The HTC Flyer is a $500 tablet with a 7-inch screen. At a glance, it's not much different from the other tablets that are scrambling to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPad.
The iPad and all its copycats are designed to sense the touch of a finger. The screen layer that does this looks for big, blunt, electrically conductive objects such as fingers. It doesn't sense small, sharp ones like pens.
That's why third-party styluses for the iPad are blunt rubbery sticks. They're essentially imitation fingers. They're not very good for drawing, but some people find them better than nothing.
The Flyer has the same finger-sensing screen layer. But it backs this up with a second one, which looks for the movement of a specially designe..

Review: Acer ICONIA A500: The Honeycomb Debutant

Review: Acer ICONIA A500: The Honeycomb Debutant

March 3, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Introduction
Until the arrival of Honeycomb, most tablets were playing catch-up with Apple's all conquering iPad and it's smartphone OSs. Now, in its second generation, the iPad 2 is likely to face some serious competition from the likes of Motorola, Acer, Samsung, HTC, Dell and other manufacturers who are embracing Google's tablet specific Honeycomb OS.
One such might be the Acer ICONIA A500, the first Honeycomb tablet to hit India. Can it take a bite out of the big Apple?
Hardware
The 10-inch A500 seems extremely thick at 13.3 mm versus the sub-10mm frame of the iPad 2. It is interesting to note that the original iPad was 13.4 mm thick. So the competition is still trying to emulate the original iPad even the next version has set new benchmarks for sheer form factor.
Quite naturally, when compared to the iPad 2, the device is bulky and feels heavy. It is quite a challenge to use while reading books. You will also find yourself setting the device down very often, because..

Vivo Xplay 5 to Launch March 1 With 6GB RAM, Snapdragon 820

Vivo Xplay 5 to Launch March 1 With 6GB RAM, Snapdragon 820

February 23, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Vivo, the Chinese tech company better known for its slimvsmartphone – the Vivo Max, has uvconfirmed it will include massive 6GB LPDDR4 RAM in its upcoming smartphone – the Xplay 5.
The confirmation comes from Vivo's Weibo account post made on Monday (via Phonearena). The post features a teaser image mentioning 6GB LPDDR4 RAM and Snapdragon 820 processor for the Vivo Xplay 5. The smartphone will be launched on March 1 this year. Some of the previous teasers have indicated the handset to sport a QHD (1440×2560 pixels) resolution display.
The inclusion of 6GB RAM should not come as a surprise to as Samsung in September last year already started producing 6GB LPDDR4 RAM for smartphones and tablets. Until now, the most we have seen in a smartphone or a phablet is 4GB RAM. Asus was the first in line to pack 4GB RAM in its Zenfone 2 handset, which was followed by Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Egde+.
We are yet to see how Vivo plans to make complete use of the 6GB RAM inside ..

5G Network Pickup Could Begin as Early as 2017, Says Nokia CEO

5G Network Pickup Could Begin as Early as 2017, Says Nokia CEO

March 2, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Mobile equipment maker Nokia sees the shift to the next generation of 5G wireless networks kicking off well ahead of 2020, the year when many in the industry consider mass-market upgrades will begin, its chief executive said on Sunday.
Chief Executive Rajeev Suri said the company plans to pick up investment in 5G technology in 2016 and that sales of 5G-ready equipment capable of future upgrades could begin as early as 2017.
“5G will happen faster than expected. This may surprise some of you,” Suri declared to an audience including investors ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.
Suri said that in contrast to past “big bang” rollouts of older mobile equipment cycles, 5G will require plenty of equipment upgrades to occur before some of the key 5G standards are expected to be formalised in 2018 and 2019.
“2020 is probably where we see global volume deployments,” Suri said, but added: “We will start to see a lot of action ahead of 2020 – in 2017, 2018, 2019.”
Demand for..

Grain Audio OEHP.01 Review [year]

Grain Audio OEHP.01 Review 2026

March 2, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Based in small-town Pennsylvania, USA, Grain Audio is a personal audio manufacturer that makes liberal use of wood in its products. The company has just four offerings listed on its site, and ships directly to buyers. Of the two pairs of headphones listed, the OEHP.01 is the larger, over-the-ear model. Featuring solid wood casings, the OEHP.01 is our review product of the day. We go into the details in our review.
Design, specifications and comfort
The Grain Audio OEHP.01 headphones feature a unique design, with the entire driver casing made out of grain-matched solid walnut wood. This keeps the headset fairly light at just 220g, and gives it a beautifully natural look. The padding on the ear cups and headband is soft and comfortable as well. The headband is made of plastic, and unfortunately doesn't go too well with the wooden casings. The OEHP.01 uses 40mm dynamic drivers, and comes in a rather large box that includes a carry pouch and a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter.
The two ear cups..

Altec Lansing LifeJacket 2 Review [year]

Altec Lansing LifeJacket 2 Review 2026

March 2, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

The Altec Lansing LifeJacket 2 released in India last week, as part of a slate of Bluetooth speakers ranging from Rs. 3,600, to Rs. 18,000. Since the launch, we've been using the LifeJacket 2, to try and figure out if it's worth the Rs. 14,000 price tag.
Before talking about the speaker's performance though, it's important to discuss the “everything proof” tag that the company has applied to it. The LifeJacket 2 is rated at IP67 protection, which means it is protected from dust, and capable of withstanding water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter, for 30 minutes. It's also mountable – there's a small mount included in the box, which allows you to fit the speaker onto your bike and take your music anywhere with you. The speaker is covered in a thick layer of rubber, and further encased in a second rubber slip cover that can't be removed.
The result is a tough (if heavy) speaker – it weighs 907g, which is a fair bit of weight to keep in your pack – b..

Sony MDR-ZX110 Review [year]

Sony MDR-ZX110 Review 2026

March 3, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

When it comes to name recognition and market reach, few audio manufacturers can match the Sony's capabilities. Using a brand name that has been carefully built up over the decades, Sony is one of a handful of companies in India that can sell headphones by the thousand. This is thanks to a huge portfolio spanning various price ranges, from as little as Rs. 590, going up to Rs. 41,990.
One of Sony's most popular on-ear models is also one of its cheapest: the Rs. 990 MDR-ZX110. Boasting Sony's iconic design, the ZX110 is a budget champion and one of the best selling personal audio products in India. Can Sony deliver at such a low budget? We find out in our review.
Design, specifications and comfort
The Sony MDR-ZX110 looks fancy and expensive from a distance, with a combination of matte and gloss finishes on the body that comes across as more premium than anything else we've seen at this price. However, up close it feels strictly budget. The plastic is flimsy and bendy..

HP, a Silicon Valley Icon, Is Ready for Its Break-Up

HP, a Silicon Valley Icon, Is Ready for Its Break-Up

March 2, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

One of the nation's most storied tech companies will split in two this weekend, another casualty of seismic shifts in the way people use technology – and big-company sluggishness in responding.
Hewlett-Packard was an early pioneer of what became the model for Silicon Valley startups: Founded in 1939 by two Stanford graduates in a Palo Alto, California, garage, HP was long celebrated for its engineering know-how and laid-back corporate culture. It made hefty profits as it grew into a multinational giant that sold a wide range of computer gear and commercial tech services.
But after struggling to keep pace with recent trends like the rise of smartphones and cloud computing. HP's board decided last year to create two smaller companies, each with a narrower focus.
HP Inc. will sell personal computers and printers; Hewlett Packard Enterprise will sell commercial computer systems, software and tech services. Starting Monday, each will trade separately on the New York Stock Exchange..

Apple's Growth Machine Is Finally Starting to Sputter

Apple’s Growth Machine Is Finally Starting to Sputter

March 1, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Apple has been corporate America's most ridiculously unbelievable growth story. And now it's over. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Get used to it.
Yes, the Apple we have come to know was a gravity-defying growth machine. Apple is the most valuable company in the world, yet it increased its revenue in the last 12 months by more than last year's sales at Coca-Cola. Apple rang up enough operating cash in the last year to buy 625,000 Tesla Model X cars – nearly one for each person in San Francisco. (I'll take blue with tan leather interior, please.) The company has given us so many eye-popping numbers that any feat short of Tim Cook colonizing Mars is underwhelming.
With the setup of high expectations, the most crucial numbers are now more low-Earth orbit than deep space. Unit sales of the iPhone for the three months ended Sept. 26 climbed 22 percent from those in the period a year earlier. Just a few months ago, Apple sold 60 percent more iPhones than it did a year before…

Amazon Diwali Sale: iPhone 6s, MacBook Pro, and Other Offers

Amazon Diwali Sale: iPhone 6s, MacBook Pro, and Other Offers

March 1, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

In case you missed the earlier online festive season sales, the Amazon Great Indian Diwali Sale is back. You'll find offers across all categories on Amazon from 26th to 28th October. We've got the best deals in technology from the first day of the Amazon Diwali sale right here.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of the Amazon Great Indian Diwali Sale:
1) Almost all decent deals would be a part of Lightning Deals. This means a limited set of products will be available at a special price and you'll have just 15 minutes to checkout.
2) In case you miss a Lightning Deal, it's always wise to join the waitlist.
3) Most Lightning Deals are renewed once they end, so make sure you don't give up easily.
4) Use a Citibank card to make a payment to get an additional cashback of 10% on the items available during Amazon Great Indian Diwali Sale (maximum cashback of Rs. 1750).
1. Apple iPhone 6S
Apple's iPhone 6S may have been the most expensive iPho..