mobile and tv

Versace's  4.25 Lakh mobile phone makes India debut

New Delhi: As global luxury brands continue to rush to tap the Indian market, Italian fashion house Versace's high-end mobile phones today entered into the country with a price tag of up to 4.25 lakh. Versace's exclusive Indian franchisee, Delhi-based Blues Clothing Company (BCC), said the phones will be sold at eight points of sales in metros at 'Versace Boutique' and 'Versace Collection' stores. "We are very bullish about the new range of Versace mobile phones in India. There is a market for such premium products here," BCC Executive Director Abhay Gupta said. The company has launched two variants of 'Versace Unique' mobile phones in different colors priced at  3,95,000 and 4,25,000, he added. The device boasts of features such as 3G compatibility, ceramic frame with an 18K gold and a five megapixel camera among others. The Versace Unique, made by South Korean handset vendor LG, was announced officially earlier this year. BCC is exclusive franchisee for a host of other luxury brands, including Italy's leading names - Versace Collection, Corneliani, Cadini, VJC and Gianni Versace. India has been attracting lot of high-end luxury brands and products. Recently, Volkswagen Group company Bugatti Automobiles launched its 'Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport' sports car priced at  16 crore. Even Swiss watchmaker Audermars Piguet launched its new collection here with a single timepiece priced up to  2.1 crore. According to a recent CII-A.T Kearney report the luxury market in India is likely to touch $14.7 billion by 2015. http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Reports_of_Google_acquiring_Slide_emerge-nid-70410-cid--sid-.html

Sony launches world's first tilting TV

London: Electronics giant Sony has launched what is being billed as the world''s first television with a screen which can be tilted backwards, which the company says is optimum for comfortable viewing. Apparently, a slight backwards lean of six degrees is now the best position for a TV set as many of us mount modern flat-screens on furniture a foot or two above the ground. The new range can be slotted into the tilting position to achieve what its makers say is the optimum picture, as we slump down on our plush, comfortable sofas. It comes as design experts say we are increasingly choosing glossy, shiny TV screens which complement our homes' style even when they are switched off, reports the Daily Mail. The 'Monolithic' TV screens, priced at 1,300 pounds for a 40-inch screen, are available in state-of-the art 3D models, and can either be set up vertically or slotted to a six-degree backwards lean. "Most people don't put their televisions at waist height any more, they set them up a foot or two off the ground, said Tim Page, Sony Europe's senior manager of technology marketing. "With more minimalist, uncluttered styles for furniture, it suits the trend to place the television where it's in a less obtrusive position." Sony researchers say a six degree lean is the ideal angle. Any less doesn't make much of a discernible difference, and any more could lead to the screen reflecting ceiling lights.

2011 to be year of the tablet

Acer unveils dual screen laptop Acer has launched the Iconia, a laptop-cum-tablet computer with two touch screens. The new dual-screen laptop has two 14 inch displays, including one in place of a traditional keyboard.The Iconia, which was unveiled at a press conference in New York, features two touch-screens protected by ultra-tough Gorilla Glass.The device can be used like a traditional laptop, with the second screen doubling up as a virtual keyboard, or can serve as a tablet-style computer, reports the Telegraph.A tablet computer is a portable computer equipped with a touchscreen as a primary input device.Users can spread the desktop across both screens, or use one to watch a video or surf the web, and the other to write an email or edit photos.The device features palm sensors to detect the position of the user’s hands, and automatically launch the virtual keyboard when needed. Acer said the Iconia, which runs Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, would introduce “a brand new tablet experience”. “This level of commitment to touch technology is something no other PC vendor can compete with,” said Jim Wong, president of Acer. The Iconia, which goes on sale in Britain Jan 8, will cost 1,499 pounds. The device uses Intel Core i5 processors, and a minimum of 4GB memory and up to 750GB hard drive.The success of Apple’s iPad has prompted scores of consumer electronics manufacturers to launch their own rival devices.Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, which runs Google’s Android operating system, is considered one of the closest competitors to the iPad.                   Acer unveils dual screen laptop Acer has launched the Iconia, a laptop-cum-tablet computer with two touch screens. The new dual-screen laptop has two 14 inch displays, including one in place of a traditional keyboard.The Iconia, which was unveiled at a press conference in New York, features two touch-screens protected by ultra-tough Gorilla Glass.The device can be used like a traditional laptop, with the second screen doubling up as a virtual keyboard, or can serve as a tablet-style computer, reports the Telegraph.A tablet computer is a portable computer equipped with a touchscreen as a primary input device.Users can spread the desktop across both screens, or use one to watch a video or surf the web, and the other to write an email or edit photos.The device features palm sensors to detect the position of the user’s hands, and automatically launch the virtual keyboard when needed. Acer said the Iconia, which runs Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, would introduce “a brand new tablet experience”. “This level of commitment to touch technology is something no other PC vendor can compete with,” said Jim Wong, president of Acer. The Iconia, which goes on sale in Britain Jan 8, will cost 1,499 pounds. The device uses Intel Core i5 processors, and a minimum of 4GB memory and up to 750GB hard drive.The success of Apple’s iPad has prompted scores of consumer electronics manufacturers to launch their own rival devices.Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, which runs Google’s Android operating system, is considered one of the closest competitors to the iPad.                   With the BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) launching the PlayBook early next year, the tablet is set to become the next big device in the new year.With the roaring success of Apple’s iPad which has sold in millions since its launch in April, RIM has joined major players in the electronics industry to rush into the market with their versions of the tablet.In 2011, consumers will have multiple choices — from Apple’s iPad, to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Dell’s Streak, Hewlett Packard’s Slate 500, Toshiba’s Folio 100 to Android tablets.Apart from RIM, laptop maker Acer, PC maker Asus and Toshiba and cell phone makers Nokia and LG too are set to enter the tablet market.Because of their easy portability, the tablet market is set to shoot over 19.5 million units this year itself and cross 54 million next year and 208 million in 2014, according to Forbes. “Tablets fill the void between smart phones and laptops,” Forbes quotes Jason Oxman of the Consumer Electronics Association as saying. “This could easily be called the year of the tablet. Apple kicked off the craze in January when it unveiled its iPad. By the time the iPad went on sale in April, the device had racked up so much buzz (and pre-sales) it was clear Apple had produced another hit. “The electronics industry took notice. With the holidays approaching, everyone from PC makers to cellphone manufacturers, monitor suppliers and booksellers is racing to release some version of a portable, touch-screen computer,” Forbes says.The tablets vary in their prices, weight, size and operating systems. At the lower end, France’s Archos tablets will cost from $100 to $300, while HP’s Slate 500 is priced at $799 as it is aimed at business people.Pocket-sized Archos tablets are also the smallest in size, varying from 2.8 inches to 5 inches. In comparison, Toshiba’s Folio 100 will almost be a giant with its display size of 10.1 inches and weight of more than 1.5 pounds. Apple’s iPad is 9.7 inches in size and weighs 1.5 pounds.BlackBerry’s PlayBook is 7 inches in size and weigh much less than the iPad. To distinguish the PlayBook from other tablets, the BlackBerry maker has developed a new operating system for it. Most of the other tablets will run the Android operating system.     http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Faster_cancer_prognosis_courtesy_IISc_and_Apple-nid-70421-cid--sid-.html Tata Docomo launches 3G services in Maharashtra  Mumbai: The Tata Docomo, the GSM arm of Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra), today formally launched its 3G services. "It will equip customers with dual advantage and trusted service from the well known house of Tatas," Tata Teleservices President Pankaj Sethi told reporters here. The 3G network, set up with assistance of NTT Docomo, supports high speed internet access with speed up to 21.1 mbps and also supports High-Definition voice (HD voice) for a superior voice experience on calls, Sethi said."While 3G is next generation of mobility with its better voice clarity, fewer call drops and high speed internet, the impact is likely to have on consumers lives is much greater," Chief Operating Officer of the company, Anupam Verma said. The company also announced attractive and innovative plans like small screen plan and large screen plan, for consumer to upgrade to 3G life. The plan option are ranging from Rs 750 to Rs 200 offering 750 to 5,000 free call minutes, they said.Noted Film Producer,Director Mahesh Manjrekar and upcoming Marathi actor Amruta Khanvilkar were guests at the launch.   http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Teen_creates_free_Internet_application_for_iPhone_-nid-70045-cid--sid-.html

Featured Article Torch

Soon email will follow the fate of postal letters

Bangalore: Mark Zuckerberg, founder of social networking giant Facebook said that soon Email will follow the fate of postal letters, which paved the way for e-mails. If you look at the current scenario the e-mail usage has already declined and the modern world is out of e-mails. About Facebook's new online messaging he said, "It is not email. It handles email along with all the different ways you want to communicate."Zuckerberg said 500 million people using Facebook would have access to a Facebook.com email address and even hundred years back will be saved into the user's mailbox. The new e-mail system from Facebook is based on instant messaging as well as online chat. Texting, e-mailing and instant messaging will be included as a part of Facebook 'feed'. It can also filter spam. Texts, email or instant messages will all come into one 'feed'. Whereas computer security firm Sophos said that Facebook's new online messaging service makes users of the social networking site more vulnerable to identity theft by cybercriminals and this brings a question: Will there be a secure mode of communication in future?

technology never dies

featured technology talk

Open your eyes to Wink




With Wink, the ‘desi' version of the e-reader now easily available, book reading will not be the same again.

E-era is upon us. We talk, sorry, chat, buy things, see photos, share feelings, get cheated, work, read, listen to music, see movies, play games and learn online.

Our online lives are so much longer than our offline experiences, our outdoor lives have shrunk. Now, the trip to the bookstore or the library may also be deleted from our agenda of the day.

Store books

For here comes the e-reader, which has been around in the last decade, but not so accessible to us folks in this part of the globe. The size of a single page, the pages of the novel you want to read will keep appearing on the e-reader and if you are too busy to read, a voice, male or female, will even read it for you, while you finish the chores.The e-reader lets users store many books and read them on its screen. Well, the reading experience is similar to reading from paper, unlike the computer. There is no glare. Depending on storage capacity an e-reader typically stores 1,000 to 10,000 average sized books. Cost? Anywhere between Rs.7,000 and 15,000. And e-books cost 60-70 per cent of a paperback edition for new books and 20 to 30 per cent for old books.You can download them from, yes, e-stores. You will be spoilt for choice, as there are lots and lots of books and all in one store! Now this info is for good humoured e-dummies.

Close on the heels of Amazon's Kindle that warmed the palms of the more e-conscious amongst us comes Wink, closer home. Brought out by EC Media International (pvt) Ltd, (based in Bangalore), it is truly ‘desi' in that with Wink, you can read not only English books, but Indian language ones too, according to Pradeep Palazhi, its Malayali COO, who is a name to reckon with in the software scene inside and outside the country.

Malayalam books

There are 1,000 Malayalam titles available with Wink already, says Palazhi. The other Kerala connection is that it is promoted by Ravi DeeCee, chief executive of the DC Group.

Pi was the first e-reader in India, but it did not quite take off ‘as it is not part of an integrated ecosystem', says Palazhi. Wink was launched three months ago and it is available in Kerala. It's not only books that this e-reader has.Wink gives you a free tablet newspaper called WinkWire. It is the first of its kind in the world, according to its COO. Wink also doubles up as a music player, while you read. You can load your own music, MP3 or WAV formats into the reader. Coming up is an e-music store, www.thewinkstore.com from where you can buy music.

What is the life of an e-reader like?

“I would say a good three to four years. It is always good to upgrade. However, since the storage capabilities are good I don't see any reason to upgrade for at least two years,” remarks Palazhi.

And what does Wink stand for?

“WIN with K-nowledge or W-ithout INK,” Palazhi says. Wink is available in select DC Books stores and in Reliance TimeOut at Oberon mall. If you order online at www.thewinkstore.com it will be shipped to you.

Wink costs under Rs.12,000. Two new models of Wink is being launched in December, Wink XLite and Wink X3G. Xlite is a cheaper version selling at Rs.7,990 with a pre-booking offer of Rs. 6,999, according to Palazhi.

New age

Ogling at colourful children's books, feeling the pages, touching glossies, knowing full well that you may not be able to afford those coffee table books may soon become a thing of the past.

The joy that ‘Black Beauty' and Brer Rabbit brought or the out-of-the-world experience that Goldilocks or King Arthur and Friar Tuck presented on paper may not be there for posterity. However hard you press ‘Ctrl Z', the clock won't turn back. E-everything is here for good.