Samsung launches Android 4.1 camera at Rs 29,900

 Samsung has launched its Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)-powered Galaxy Camera in India at Rs 29,900. The company has teamed up with Airtel to offer 1GB of free monthly data for two months, along with a extra battery that comes free with this 16MP camera.
The new Galaxy Camera has a 4.8-inch touchscreen and is compatible with all the apps available on Google Play marketplace. It is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB RAM and boasts of a 1,650mAh battery. The gadget supports sim-card for 3G connectivity and can also access the internet over Wi-Fi. 
Samsung Galaxy Camera has a BSI CMOS sensor and has digital and optical zoom of 21x each. The company has included features like optical image stabilisation and auto-focus (centre, multi and Face Detection) in this gadget. Some of the unique features of this camera are Instagram, Paper Artist, Dropbox, Photo Wizard, Video Editor, AllShare Play, S-Suggest and S-Voice.
The only other camera with Android in the market is Nikon S800c, which costs Rs 20,950 in the country, approximately Rs 9,000 less than Samsung's gadget. 
The South Korean manufacturer had begun taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Camera earlier this month at Rs 3,000, while the rest of the sum was to be paid within three days of its launch. The South Korean manufacturer is giving a 16GB microSD card for free with the device to those who pre-ordered the device on its website and pay the full amount within the next three days. The company is not offering Cash on Delivery option for the Galaxy Camera.
Samsung India will send emails to those who booked it in advance, notifying them of its availability. Those who do not make the full payment for the device within three days of its launch will not be entitled to the free 16GB microSD card. Also, the users who do not pay the full amount within 15 days of official launch will have to forfeit their Rs 3,000 pre-booking amount.


Tech specs:
Display: 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD touchscreen with 308 ppi pixel density;
Operating System: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean);
Sensor: 16.3MP (effective) 1/2.3" BSI CMOS;
Lens: F2.8, 23 mm, 21x super long zoom;
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200;
Processor: 1.4GHz quad-core processor;
Memory: 8GB on-board, microSDSC, microSDHC, microSDXC memory slots;
Capture modes: Macro, Rich Tone, Action Freeze, Waterfall Trace, Light Trace, Beautiful Sunset, Blue Sky, Natural Green, Silhouette, Vivid Fireworks;
Connectivity: WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi HT40, Bluetooth 4.0;
Battery: 1,650 mAh;
Misc: Share shot, Auto Cloud Back-up, Smart Content Manager, Photo Wizard, Movie Wizard, Voice Control, Slow Motion Video, S Planner, S Suggest

Aakash 2 Tablet Launched In India At Rs 1,130

India’s low cost tablet Aakash 2 was officially launched here on Sunday at a subsidised rate of Rs 1130 for Indian students.

The new and improved Aakash 2 tablet was unveiled by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Thousands of teachers are attending the event to virtually participate in the launch event through online video conferencing.

The new version ‘Aakash 2?, which will be made available to students of engineering colleges and universities to begin with, is now powered by a processor running at 1 GHz, has 512 MB RAM, a 7 inch capacitive touch screen and battery life of three hours on Wi-Fi.

The screen resolution is 800×480 pixels. The previous version of Aakash had a 7-inch resistive touch screen. Akash 2 runs Android 4.0 aka Ice-Cream Sandwich and has front facing VGA camera along with Wi-fi support. It has 4GB (internal) flash memory, which is expandable up to 32GB using a micro SD card.

The commercial version of the Aakash 2 unit is branded as UbiSlate 7Ci, and is available for purchase on DataWind’s website at Rs 3,500.

The tablet ‘Aakash’ was launched in October last year by the government to make available computing devices to students at subsidised rates. However, the project ran into controversy following IIT Rajasthan rejecting the devices manufactured by Datawind. Datawind had won the tender for making and supplying one lakh Aakash tablets for price of around $49 per unit.

For more details of the tablet, check out our post at - 
http://being-humanz.blogspot.in/2012/09/datawind-launches-4-new-tablets-on-ics.html

Nikon S800c - A camera with android OS?

It all began the day mobile companies thought it would be great to add a camera to phones. And now, Nikon seems to be fighting back with a camera that runs a smartphone operating system (OS).



The S800c looks like any point-and-shoot, but with enough metal in its fabrication to seem premium. But its true differentiator is that it runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Switch it on and you are prompted to connect to Wi-Fi with its built-in receiver and set up the device with a Google account. The camera latches on to wireless connections easily, and just like that, you're ready to go. Email, browsing, social networking work smoothly, and the Play Store lets you download Android apps onto its 1.7GB internal storage.

Games like Angry Birds and Subway Surfer pose no issues. And its larger-than-average 3.5-inch touchscreen responds promptly to taps and swipes. But try 3D games like Dead Trigger and the S800c protests by crashing the app, reminding you that it's still a digital camera.

So what about the camera? 

Given that it has a 16MP sensor and 10x optical zoom, the camera's output is on par with similar shooters. Videos are shot in FullHD with stereo sound, colours look realistic, and pictures are satisfactorily sharp, though you would be kidding yourself if you expect snaps like those of similarly priced entry-level DSLRs and mirror-less cameras. And when compared with superzooms in this bracket, the photo output is almost identical, so the choice is between greater optical zoom and Android.

Still, you have to remind yourself that the S800c is not about the camera alone. It's a device that needs to be judged along with the apps that it lets you run. Indeed, with Android at the helm, it becomes easy for users to 'build' their own camera by choosing from a wide array of photo apps. With Instagram and Pixlr-o-matic on the shooter, we could click a photo, apply effects, and even upload it to the internet if there was a Wi-Fi connection at hand. And seriously, images after that kind of digital processing look fantastic despite the apps processing lower-res downscaled images.

Microsoft Testing A Surface Phone?

After the launch of the Surface tablet, Microsoft (MSFT) is reportedly is busy testing a smartphone with Asian suppliers, according to the Wall Street Journal.

However, it is not clear if the device will enter into mass production. The phone comes with a screen size between four and five inches, The Verge has reported.

Though previous reports suggested that Microsoft was mulling its own flagship Windows Phone, the device is unlikely to be unveiled before 2013.

The company is waiting to gauge the reception of its partners’ products — Nokia’s Lumia 820 and 920, HTC’s 8X and 8S, and Samsung’s ATIV S — before committing to bringing the phone to market. Unlike Android vendors, Microsoft keeps its phone hardware partners on a short leash, so few of the software elements can be changed. And even Nokia thinks it would be a good idea for Microsoft to release its own phone.

It’s possible that the company is waiting for sales numbers of its Surface tablet in order to see whether consumers are willing to buy into Microsoft as a device company.

Aakash tablet to be showcased at UN

India will showcase its low-cost Aakash tablet at the UN, highlighting the country's innovation involved in creating the "most competitively priced" tablet computer.



India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said a presentation on the tablet will be held on November 28 at the world body's headquarters here to which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be invited. 

Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Canada-based Datawind, which had won the Indian government's tender for making and supplying the tablets, will also be present on the occasion. 

Aakash has been "described as the most competitively priced tablet computer by an Indian-origin entrepreneur," Puri said at a news conference today to outline the Council's monthly agenda under India's presidency. 

He said while the tablet would be called "frugal innovation" in UN terminology, it is a "competitively priced innovation." 

Later talking to PTI, Puri said the Indian mission to the UN took the initiative to showcase the tablet at the world body and other UN member states as well as mediapersons will be invited to the event. 

Tuli would make a presentation to the UN audience on Aakash, which was launched in October last year by the Indian government to make available computing devices to students at subsidised rates. 

Microsoft offering Windows 8 for Rs 1,999

Offer a sophisticated operating system for the price of a pair of branded jeans. This seems to be Microsoft's strategy to cajole millions of users running pirated copies of its flagship Windows operating system (OS) to turn a leaf and become legitimate, paying customers.

The Redmond, Washington-based software giant is offering a deep discount on Windows 8 for a few months, selling a copy priced at Rs 11,999 for Rs 1,999. From a computer that runs Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 - pirated or otherwise - users can download a licensed copy of Windows 8 Pro, the version with all the bells and whistles, for an 83% discount. No questions asked.

The offer is valid till January 31, 2013. An upgrade DVD costs Rs 3,499 and if you bought a Windows 7 computer after June 2012, an upgrade is yours for Rs 699.

Microsoft is silent on whether this is a security loophole or a deliberate strategy. Company officials declined comment. Raju PP, editor of tech blog Techpp.com, who installed Windows 8 on a non-activated Windows 7 installation by paying Rs 1,999, said: "I have strong reasons to believe that this was a deliberate move to push up initial sales. Microsoft is big and wise enough to do a basic check for legitimacy of Windows 7 installation. They could have done a background check of the installation or could have asked for the Windows 7 licence key. But they didn't".

For years, the hordes of users who used pirated copies of the flagship Windows OS represented a tricky knot for software giant Microsoft. They were potentially robbing the company of billions of dollars in revenue. And yet, cracking down would have made them turn to free, open-source platforms.

iPhone 5 will say 'namaste India' tomorrow

Apple's partners in India have confirmed that the iPhone 5 will be reaching the subcontintent's shores tomorrow, November 2nd. We'll likely hear an announcement from Apple shortly, possibly mentioning other countries to which the handset is also headed. Lack of compatible LTE networks notwithstanding, the starting prices for an upgrade will be 45,500 rupees ($850) for the 16GB variant, moving on to 52,500 rupees ($980) for 32GB, and 59,500 rupees ($1,110) for the 64GB model -- enough to buy a brand new 150cc motorbike in Mumbai.