Huawei Ideos X5 Pro Review

Around the middle of last year, Huawei had introduced the Ideos Pro smartphone. A neat looking phone with a set of decent features but a tad high on price. The company recently introduced the successor to the device in the form of the Ideos X5 Pro. The company has now added a few enhancements and the device has been re-launched at a slightly lower price. However, in the last six to eight months, a lot has been happening on the Android front, and manufacturers have been putting their best foot forward crafting devices in this price bracket. To know if the smartphone can stand strong with the current competition, read on.

Lenovo laptops models

Lenovo laptops models are famous all over the world. Many customers admit that Lenovo laptops are considered to be the most quality and powerful laptops in comparison with other laptops. Relying on the latest Lenovo laptop reviews read by me, the Lenovo company was founded in China in 1984. The founder of this one of the most famous company is Liu Chuanzhi. The company is considered to be the largest Personal Computers (PC) producer.

The word "Lenovo" was formed from the "Le" (from the word Legend) and "novo" (it is not difficult to guess "new"). The Pentium-based Conet PC was presented in 1990s. The most interesting feature is that this model of a laptop was produced together with a modem and access to internet.

In December 2004 Lenovo made an announcement that they were intending to acquire the PC division of IBM. The major aim of Lenovo company was to win the largest part of Western markets and become the largest PC producer. Lenovo is considered to be the third largest producer of computers. After Lenovo got the computer division of IBM it became one of the largest acquisitions in the history of China. Lenovo is the owner of the ThinkPand brand. Lenovo laptop models are very popular among many customers. Lenovo laptops prices are very affordable and attract many customers.

Our wishlist for the next WP7 handset

Windows Phone 7 has been a fresh change from the millions of rows and columns of icons we have seen in smartphones in the recent past. Although the operating system is super fast and effective, it does lack in a few areas, when compared to Android and iOS. Here’s what we would love to see in the next Windows Phone 7 handset. 

Guest Mode

Everybody has personal stuff on their phone. From stored passwords, to ‘logged-in’ social networks, to credit card details, to personal images and documents. There’s a constant fear of spilling out ‘classified information’ when somebody wants to view your new smartphone. What do you do then? Enter guest mode.

Panasonic KX-MB1520 Review

If your printing needs are documents with black text and greyscale images, then a mono laser printer would be more suitable than a colour inkjet printer because of its advantages. Laser printers print crisper text and deliver better print economy, than an average inkjet printer.

Mono laser printers and multi-function devices (MFD) have become affordable over the years. The average price of a mono laser printer is around Rs.5,000 and a multi-function device costs around Rs.9,000. They cost twice as much as their inkjet counterparts, but that’s justified considering the print quality, economy and printing speeds they offer. Also, laser printers aren’t as bulky as they used to be. With improved designs, they are now almost as compact as inkjet printers. One such device is the Panasonic KX-MB1520, which incorporates a scanner and Fax. It belongs to the KX-MB1500 series of MFDs, which has three variants. The KX-MB1500 doesn’t feature fax and the KX-MB1530 offers an automatic document feeder (ADF) for the scanner for unattended paper feeding, be it for scanning, copying or fax.

Features

With an integrated flatbed scanner, the KX-MB1520 doubles as a photocopier. The most striking feature of this printer is its design. Its footprint is almost the same as an inkjet printer thanks to the paper tray that resides within the printer, as opposed to protruding out like in many other models. Also, despite an integrated scanner, the height isn’t too much. This allows this printer to easily fit into tight spaces. According to Panasonic, the new compact design is 40 percent smaller than their conventional model.

Panasonic VIERA TH-P50ST30D Review

The year 2011 witnessed a range of televisions that could be touted as the best in its category. When it came to LED LCD televisions, it was undoubtedly the Sony Bravia KDL-55HX925 and as far as plasma panels were concerned, Panasonic was the brand to beat with their TH-P65VT30D. Panasonic has been at the forefront when it comes to televisions with plasma panels and the brand is pushing this technology to the extremes by manufacturing the world’s largest 3D plasma panel measuring 152-inches.

Last year the brand introduced 3D plasma panels that were rather slim, thereby taking away the notion that plasma televisions are only those fat HDTVs that consume a lot of electricity. Building up on their range of slim 3D plasma televisions, the brand has introduced the TH-P50ST30, a 50-inch full HD television that boasts of features such as 2D to 3D conversion, smart TV capabilities and a range of other features. Read on to know if this 50-inch HDTV from Panasonic is worth your money or not.

Design and Build Quality
Panasonic did really well with the design of the TH-P65VT30D as it featured a single sheet design and in the process there was no physical bezel to speak of. This design had made it classy and extravagant. However, with the TH-P50ST30D, the brand has used a bezel once more making it look a bit dated in comparison to the other higher end televisions which they manufacture. Though, this model features a bezel that is slightly on the thicker side, it does ooze style and will definitely compliment a person’s home. The bezel for the television measures at a quarter less than two inches making it quite slim too. The bottom of the bezel is a tad bit larger but an interesting design implementation done here is that it does not feature any controls except for the power button. Brands tend to add a lot of controls here which sometimes tend to take away the look of the TV. Overall the bezel is really sturdy and it did not feel cheap at all.

Panasonic has instead added these controls at the side on the back and they include options to control settings like brightness, contrast, colour, volume, etc. all by merely tapping on the function option. Apart from this, there is an up and down arrow button that is meant for adjusting these settings along with buttons for switching between TV and AV modes. The location of these controls are good as one can easily adjust the settings while viewing it on the television itself. There are a slew of connectivity options at the back of the TV. Like most flat panel televisions available in the market, these I/O ports are located towards the side at the back for easy connectivity. As far as connectivity options are concerned, there are three USB ports, four HDMI ports, two composite video ports, one component video port, a mini D-Sub PC input, LAN port, an analogue audio connector, an optical output and a headphone jack. These options are more than sufficient and can easily be used to be paired up with an AV receiver, a gaming console and a range of other devices. All these connectivity options are either down facing or side facing, with a majority of them being the former. The panel at the back is made of metal which gives it a sturdy look and feel. Cooling of the television is taken care of by four fans which are placed on the upper portion of the back panel. The television does not get too hot even after using it for a considerable amount of time.

The stand that is featured with the TV allows one to swivel the television to an extent. This can come in handy while adding inputs at the back. The base is sturdy and there was no wobble observed at all. The remote that comes bundled with the TV feels cheap in comparison to the rest of the television as it feels rather plasticy. The layout of the buttons are good though and one can easily get accustomed to it within a matter of minutes.

Buying guide to mirrorless compact cameras

A couple of years a ago, when the first mirrorless compact camera was launched, many believed that it would not make a significant impact in the market as many people would find it difficult to move away from conventional digital single lens reflex cameras, owing to their quality. An understatement, the concept, initially did not take off as expected. However, last year in 2011, a significant amount of cameras flooded the market and many consumers adopted this concept of cameras and purchased them, as opposed to buying traditional DSLR cameras or high-end point and shoot cameras that are the mainstay in the market and sell more in comparison.

Why choose a Mirrorless compact camera

While purchasing an interchangeable lens camera, one should know what the advantages of this breed of cameras are. The basic thing to understand while considering an Interchangeable lens camera is that one would want a camera that is pocketable, while still retaining features that are not found on standard compact digicams, such as manual controls, high quality images and being user-friendly.

Here is a look at some of the key advantages of Interchangeable lens cameras:

The size of the camera

This is one of the biggest determining factors, which one would have to bear in mind, while going to the market for a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. These cameras are a lot similar in size to compact point and shoot cameras and can easily fit in one’s pocket. However, if paired with a lens, this feat will not be possible; unless of course it is a pancake lens, which flushes against the body without much protrusion. The weight is another big deciding factor and these cameras are only slightly heavier than compact cameras. They can be toted around easily and shooting with one hand is possible. Some of these cameras feature the retro styling as well, which can appeal to a potential buyer as it is pleasing to look at as well.

Full manual control
Many consumers opt for DSLR cameras because of the range of settings on these cameras. Compact cameras allow users to adjust very few settings, while leaving out other, much needed manual controls, such as the ability to tweak aperture priority, shutter priority and the full manual mode. Interchangeable lens cameras, therefore would be an ideal option, as they give users the ability to adjust various settings easily for the ideal shot. This genre of cameras can truly be termed as the bridge between compact point and shoot cameras and DSLR cameras.

The ability to change lenses

Consumers buying a compact camera have to settle with the fixed lens that comes with it therefore leaving users limited to what is part of the body. With mirrorless cameras, the body is a lot smaller than DSLR cameras, hence the lenses are also a lot smaller in comparison. As mentioned earlier, size is a big deciding factor that one has to bear in mind while opting for a mirrorless compact camera and hence manufacturers launch lenses that are a lot smaller as well. To make these cameras pocketable, brands have launched lenses known as pancake lenses. These are fixed focal length lenses that are not obtrusive and fall almost flat against the body of the camera. Apart from these, the normal and wide-angle lens are also not that big. However, a telephoto lens may be on the larger side. With the ability to change lenses, one can get the maximum out of a camera and brands tend to bundle up more than one lens along with the body of the camera.

Ease of use

Mirrorless cameras have been designed as a go between a point and shoot camera and a DSLR. These cameras, by no means have been crafted to work as replacements for either of those cameras, but rather have a niche of their own. These cameras are also designed for those looking to step up from a standard compact camera. Hence, there's ease of use, here that is similar to standard compact cameras, but with all the neat abilities to tweak settings.

Ability to view images instantly

Cameras with Interchangeable lenses have been manufactured with the ability to provide information, like autofocus and preview on the display what is going to be shot by using the imaging sensor. This makes it a lot similar to compact cameras. Many mirrorless cameras come without a viewfinder, giving one the option to preview the content to be shot, on the display itself.

Toshiba Portege Z830 Ultrabook Review

Ultrabooks are a fun little accessory if you’re rich and have money to throw around. In fact they are more than just something you flaunt around, but sadly, not everyone can afford it right now as they still have a long way to go before they can reach the masses. In the meantime, every notebook manufacturer worth their salt have released their own version of it. So far, we’ve seen some from the likes of Lenovo, Asus and Dell and although they were all good in their own right, they all had some feature or the other that was missing which prevented them from being the complete package. Toshiba on the other hand is here to show them how it’s done. Apart from being one of the world’s lightest Ultrabooks, this model also packs in every connectivity option one would typically find in a notebook, sans the optical drive. Could this be the ultimate Ultrabook we’ve been waiting for? Let’s find out. 
Design and Build 

The Portege Z830 is nothing short of amazing that’s noticeable as soon you lift it up. It’s incredibly light weight and definitely one of the lightest Ultrabooks we’ve encountered. Besides that, it’s incredibly slim as well when you consider it has all the typical ports one would expect from a notebook. Toshiba is using a magnesium alloy for the chassis which is why it weighs just 1.12kg. While the main body is sturdy, the screen does exhibit some flex but since it’s not plastic, we don’t think you should worry too much about it since even applying pressure from the back of the lid causes no visual distortion to the pixels on the screen. The lid flips back to about 160 degrees thereby giving you ample room to adjust the angle no matter what your seating position

Philips HTS5131/94 Review

It is a well established fact now that soundbars have become a worthy option as a solution for a home theatre system. Virtually every brand in the market have released their iteration of one. However, traditional soundbars basically come with a subwoofer and nothing else. This is where their main competition, 5.1 channel home theatre systems have an advantage over them as the latter comes with a dedicated music and video player, as opposed to simply speakers. On the other hand, the average cost of soundbars is around the Rs.30,000 mark, which gives a consumer a choice of choosing a 5.1 channel home theatre system, instead, as they too cost approximately the same. Philips have changed the game with the HTS5131/94 soundbar, to quite an extent by adding a Blu-ray player integrated in it. Read on to know if this can pose as a worthy challenger to the surround sound experience of a traditional 5.1 channel home theatre system.

logitech wirless keyboard k 400 review

We’ve all seen a bunch of wireless keyboards and mice, but if you’re someone who uses an HTPC in their living room, then you’ll know that you need a special kind of keyboard for it. HTPC owners need something to use with their HTPC, that’s kept several feet away, next to their large television. Unfortunately, compact, lightweight and well performing keyboards and mice are hard to come by. Having to use two separate devices is also difficult, considering that a dedicated mouse requires a hard surface to place it on. Handheld remotes don’t offer a keyboard, so typing and doing actual work is also difficult. Logitech’s new K400 keyboard hopes to be just that special kind of keyboard. 

 

N 900

Introduction

It's crystal clear by now that the Nokia N900 has almost nothing to do with the traditional Nseries values. The full QWERTY side-slider may look similar to its double-digit mates but the Maemo experience is completely different. However, the N900 is not there for the mere sake of difference - a tablet and a phone, it tries to get the best of both worlds. These are worlds though where Nokia feels at home.

The internet tablet genes are strong in the Nokia N900 so connectivity and web-browsing are its greatest virtues. The large high-res display and great typing skills are the right kind of backup but we've seen plenty of similar packages already. We told you though - the N900 is different. It's a Maemo-powered phone with Mozilla browsing and all-you-can-eat connectivity. Call it good news, call it a good start or just call it good. Let's see if it calls back.

lumia 610

Nokia Lumia 610 Review

Nokia mobiles have never disappointed its consumers and offered them with huge variety of handsets, be it the very affordable Nokia 1100 or the high-class smartphones Nokia Lumia range. The Nokia Lumia range of mobiles is certainly impressive devices released by Nokia and one of the most competitive and affordable handset in this range is Nokia Lumia 610. This smartphone is certainly a ‘smart’ phone, which impresses one from its features and its stunning looks. Starting with some major highlights, Nokia Lumia 610 comes with 3.7 inches of TFT capacitive touch-screen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and with a facility of multi-touch. The screen has been made from Corning Gorilla Glass, which thereby makes it scratch resistant. Playing games of this touch-screen is certainly fabulous and viewing images and video on this device is a delight for all the users. From the touch-screen display, let’s talk about its processor. The smartphone sports an 800 MHz of powerful processor that has been powered by Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system. Installing Lumia 610 with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango software is certainly a bold move by Nokia as the global mobile market is being solely dominated by Android OS.

The camera of Nokia Lumia 610 is also impressive. The smartphone features a remarkable 5 megapixels of rear camera with facilities like LED flash, autofocus, face detection and geo-tagging that helps in enhancing the images and video quality to large extent. However, the device lacks the secondary camera, which would have facilitated the users during making a video call. Next on the list is its internal memory storage. The device comes with 8 GB of in built memory space but if you wish to expand this memory further then it would be disappointed. The device doesn’t come with a micro-SD card slot, therefore expansion of internal memory space is not possible. But the phone does come with 256 MB of RAM that support the OS to run swiftly and without any trouble. The internet browsing on Nokia Lumia 610 is also simple and elegant. The users can connect to internet via Wi-Fi and GPRS/EDGE connectivity and the HTML 5 browser further enhances the entire web browsing experience on the device. Furthermore, the users can transfer data to other devices through Bluetooth and micro-USB port. The price of the device has been kept competitive to survive in the thriving mobile market of the world.

Apple iPad 3 review: Hotter than ever

So, the iPad is dead, long live the iPad. That's also part of the deal. The retirement of the first-generation of the Apple tablet is nothing out of the ordinary. There used to be the iPad and the iPad 2. Now, we have the iPad and the iPad 2 is the backup, the second choice.

The new iPad. Here's one for you. You're Apple and you're about to launch your latest product. You want to dispel even the remotest suspicion of recycling old stuff. You want the slightest hint smothered of sequels and their questionable worth. What do you do?

  
Apple iPad 3rd gen official pictures