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Don’t talk to strangers...
R
emember when we were kids and our to college, it’s the group you hang out with that
parents warned us not to talk to stran- defines how cool you are. Later at work you jostle
gers? I wonder what parents tell their amongst your over-eager colleagues to find a niche
kids these days. It’s bad enough in the you can make a name for yourself in, and will do
crowded towns we’re living in, where sometimes anything to get promoted, or even noticed. The
even our neighbours are strangers, but if Earth bar can never be set too high.
wasn’t tough enough, we’re now dealing with At first, the net was a way to escape all that
everyday worries in the virtual one as well. and that’s what fuelled its initial surge. It was
I’m not trying to suggest that social media or anonymous, it was free of guilt, and you didn’t
technology in general is this big bad tool that’s really care about one another’s opinions. That
killing us all… that’s so last month... hasn’t changed of course, and if you want to, you
This month, after reading media hype about the can still choose to be anonymous online.
stuff people do online – tweeting through child- Do you?
birth, their own wedding ceremony, and various Hasn’t the whole web experience become just
other events in life that really should be private, another clone of your offline life? Sure the people
I can’t seem to fathom what drives people to do you meet are different, but the needs are the same.
such things. It’s not just twitter – on Facebook, You want to be popular, but so does everyone else;
Orkut, YouTube, any virtual public gathering, or you want to express yourself uninhibitedly, but “we seem to
anywhere there’s an audience, the court jesters fear that your boss or family might read what you interact with
show up screaming “Look at me now!”. But who said – it’s the same rat race all over again.
are these people we’re all trying to please? As CEO, MD and financer of brand You, you
strangers or
Honestly, we seem to interact with strangers or know that you’re nothing if Google doesn’t love acquaintances
acquaintances more often than “friends” on social you, or if people don’t follow/like/poke/message/ more often than
media platforms these days. But then that’s the friend/ you. “friends” on social
point, isn’t it? Unless it’s someone you’re wooing, So you tweet no matter what you’re doing, you Like
how boring is it to interact with the same people, everything and add everyone as a friend on Face-
media platforms
both offline and online? The devil is in the details book, and eventually… you’re stampeding through these days. But
though – I use the word “interact”, which so many life with the rest of the e-cattle. A few lucky ones then that’s the
of us just don’t do any more. It’s more about trying get their 15 seconds of fame, might even make some point, isn’t it?”
to define oneself in the eyes of strangers. It’s the money, and then are forgotten as everyone moves
school or college canteen all over again – we all on to the next net sensation. It gets harder each time Robert Sovereign-Smith
want to be popular, and will do anything to try though. No one wants to see a me-too, so you do Executive Editor
editor@thinkdigit.com
and gain that acceptance. something crazy and unique to be noticed.
Of course people will cry foul, and claim “Not Real life is hard enough to deal with, without get-
me.” Of course not you; you’re special – just like ting carried away in the virtual one. Use the net as a
the other 1 billion. tool, and it can help you succeed at work, college, or
Why not abandon your current avatar and start whatever you do. Start taking e-popularity too seri-
from scratch? Ask yourself if you’d continue to do ously, and you might end up hurting your chances
it if no one else ever read any of it or responded? of success. You don’t want to be the person who eve-
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m some ryone watches on YouTube, but only to make fun of…
prude who’s advocating an end to the net or Do you?
anything else that’s ludicrous. I’m just trying to
understand our psychology in the virtual world,
because understanding something is the key to
using it wisely and safely.
It is, after all, a very human need for us to try
and rise above the crowds and make a name for PS: Food for thought – Mark Zuckerberg is one of the
ourselves. It’s what’s drilled into us from the time most private people around, yet we flock to his site and
we’re able to comprehend our first words. We give up our own privacy to play the “I have more Face-
have to get better grades than the neighbour’s book friends than you” game...
kid, or behave like he or she does. When we go Also read this: http://bit.ly/c7GBNr
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 1
October 2010 • Volume 10 • Issue 10
to.ADveRtise pRoDucts.RevieweD
BAZAAR................ 64
VP, Sales & Marketing:
Naveen Chand Singh. Apacer AC203
Mobile:.+91-99717 94688 ASUS ENGTS450 TOP
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Executive Editor Robert Sovereign-Smith
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Head - Copy Desk Nash David GlacialTech Alaska
Writers Siddharth Parwatay, Kshitij Sobti, AD.inDeX
Godrej Eon Game LCD
Abhinav Lal
Brand.............................................................................. Page No HTC Desire
Trainee Sambhav Daffu
Contributing writers Anoop Verma, Hanu Intel...................................................................................................2 HTC Wildfire
Prateek, Jasnoor Gill, Madhusudan Mukherjee, Altec.Lansing................................................................................3 Intex Premiun N-322
Nishith Rastogi Iomega Skin drive
iBall.............................................................................................5,.79
IQ Pro 4GB
Test Centre FENDA..............................................................................................7 Kingston KHX2000C9AD3W1K2/4GX
Manager (Mumbai) Rossi Fernandes
Tikona................................................................................................9 Kodak Play Sport
Manager (Delhi) Michael Browne
Reviewers Nimish Sawant, Vinod Yalburgi Dell.................................................................................................. 13 Lenovo IdeaCentre B300
Trainees Monil Hariya, Rudresh Jariwala, MOL................................................................................................. 15 Lenovo IdeaPad Y560
Samyukta Bharadwaj, Vinay Kondalkar LG Cookie Zip
Co-ordinator Shweta Mali Maruti.............................................................................................19
Lian Li EX-30
Map.My.India............................................................................. 21
Design Logitech H530
Sr Creative Director Jayan Narayanan
D-Link.............................................................................................23 Logitech H555
Art Director Binesh Sreedharan Indian.Digital.Lifestyle.........................................................25 Micromax QUBE X550
Associate Art Director Anil VK Directi............................................................................................. 27 Micromax Gravity X600
Lead Designer Vijay Padaya
Bajaj.................................................................................................29 Micromax PIKE X510
Manager Design Chander Shekhar
Sr Visualisers PC Anoop, Santosh Kushwaha Moserbaer MBIK42FHD
.
ASUS.............................................................................. 31,.69,.73.
Sr Designers TR Prashanth, Anil T, NV Baiju MSI Big Bang Xpower
Sr Photographer Jiten Gandhi .
Zuska..............................................................................................35 MSI N450GTS Cyclone
Kingston........................................................................................39 Mundu Mundu IM OSE
Production and Logistics Apacer.................................................................................... 41,.81 Philips HTS5550
Sr GM - Operations Shivshankar Hiremath
Manager Operations Rakesh Upadhyay Gigabyte........................................................................................43 Philips SHQ3000
Asst Production Manager Vilas.Mhatre Philips SHQ4000
Top.Gun.........................................................................................45
Asst Mgr Vijay Menon Philips SQH1000
Mgmt Trainee Omkar Tarde LIC...................................................................................................47
Simmtronics SDC2711S
Executives.M P Singh, Mohd. Nadeem Ansari Abacus...........................................................................................49 Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket
MSI.................................................................................................. 51 Skullcandy Titan
Brand
Product Mgr Abhishek Poddar Corsair............................................................................................53 Smart SH-04
Mgr - Product Marketing Chandan Singh Strontium.....................................................................................61 Smart SH-11
Co-ordinator / Scheduling Kishan Singh Sony Ericsson Zylo
Dotway..........................................................................................63
Tech-Com 5700R
Circulation Sales Scrum.............................................................................................67 Tech-Com 5900R
National Co-ordinator Samir Mehta
Adata.............................................................................................. 71 Tech-Com 6100R
Regional Mgrs Jayanta Bhattacharyya,
Norbert Joseph .
Bitfang............................................................................. 106,.107 Texonic IRadioPOP Plus
Executive Vijay Mhatre Safenet....................................................................................... 123 Transcend JetFlash V90 Classic 16GB
Transcend Portable Hard Drive 500GB
Reader Services Asia.PowCom.......................................................................... 124
Verbatim Rapier V1
Lead Associate Sourabha Samsung.................................................. Inside.Front.Cover
Sr Executive Prerana Panchal Videocon D2H
Executives Poornima, Itishree, Pinky, Sudhir
I-Omega......................................................Inside.back.cover Zotac GeForce GTX 460 AMP!
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Contents
october 2010 volume 10 \ issue 10
quiCk
nAvigAtor
004 EntEr
inbox
buzz
010 mobile Watch
ConnECtions
Web Watch
016 CoVEr storY
World view - tech
from around the world
stop! before you shop
085 toolbox
tips and tricks
Q&A
100 Digital lifE
Drool maal
Are ebooks the future?
16
of reading
104 strEEt smart
Agent 001
Price Watch
Killer rigs
111 tECh@Work
82
careers in Flash
116 EsC
unwind
sKoAr!
community
bazaar mini
New section featuring the
Digit 101
latest products in the market!
trieD &
testeD 065
PhiliPs hts5550
Great sound, but no support
068
htc WilDFire
Android weds Sense,
069
Asus nx90
Massive in size, featuring two trackpads
for Blu-ray yet again and a shiny aluminium exterior
Digital life 102
Reading redefined
Are ebook readers here to transform
the way we read? We look at what the
future holds
Icon A5
3D mirror on the wall...
German TV maker Ad Notam’s 46-inch
mirror monitor converts 2D content into
Above & Below or side-by-side 3D format
Sleek Schulte
The EVOline Vertical speaker lookalike docking station
from Schulte Elektrotechnik features international
sockets and a movable design
Compute bling!
Computer Choppers now offer you the option of plating
your iPad with 24kt gold, studding it with diamonds
among many other precious stones and metals Drool maal
On the DVD
minDWarE PlaYWarE
A personal aircraft that runs on both auto and
aviation gas, does not require a professional Vusix iWear VR920
commercial pilot license, is capable of landing Don’t just stare at the screen
on both land and water, its consoles and meters be a part of it...and with the
are designed like any sports car interiors for iWearVR 920 that’s exactly
Videos kidszone
ease of use. What more can you ask for? Not a what you can do. This device
lot perhaps, since you’re only paying $139,000! is capable of showing 3D
Start saving... content on a 62-inch screen
at a perceived distance of
9 feet, and also supports
NVIDIA’s stereo drivers.
Just $400 too.
Top 10 Things You Must Have • Ebooks
Ryobi Tek4 4V 8 MP Digital Camera
Meet the big daddy of all durable and rugged cameras.
to Start a Business • Gaming
The Ryobi TEK4 has some cool features – steel lens
• Startups that Fail: Netek • Animations
protection that protects its 3x lens, even when it’s
extended, it’s dust- and water-proof, impact resistant,
and also sports a flash light
Roth MC4 that can light-up objects
The MC4 is a tube amp for Apple iPod / iPhone. up to 15 feet away. It shoots
You can pop in any other MP3 player apart
from the iPod as well. This dock produces pure
hi-fi tube sound, and can be connected to your
in 8 megapixel and comes
with a 1GB SD card. But the
coolest thing in the price, a • 10 Must Have For a Start-up
gaming
PC or laptop too. Its main USP is the vacuum mere $199.
tubes that amplify never-before-heard sounds,
giving you a new listening experience.
• Invest in Great People and
Hasselblad H3DII-50
An ideal camera for
Great Equipment Demos
professionals, the Hasselblad
houses a 50 megapixel CCD
sensor and is a multi-shot full
colour camera. It can capture
four shots in a row, records full
• Naming Your Company: Put • FPS Terminator Alpha
Cabestan’s Nostromo
Up a Sign
RGB values at each position
by moving the sensor one
pixel between shots. Go out
and start shooting with this
high-end camera for $52,128.
A look at this watch and you would probably think –
but how do I tell time? The catch is that the Cabestan’s
Nostromo doesn’t work and look like your normal
watch. A series of gears power up this watch and the
• Lost Horizon
• You need little capital • RUSE
current time is displayed in the top left corner. It’s made
of titanium with a coating of phosphorescence on top.
Yours for only $1,41,400!
100 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 101
100 software trailers
Drool maal By Demand • Blade Kitten
• Audacity 1.3 • Lylian
Drool over some of the coolest • NetMeter 1.1.4 • NBA Elite 11
gadgets and gizmos • Orb 2.0 • The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff
016 build your own internet Walkthroughs
supercomputer • Scrapboy 2
• TweetDeck 0.34
• Assassins Creed
• Brink
• WiPeer 0.72 • Dead Rising 2
094 DiY • SmVDC++ 1.05
• Dropbox 0.8
• Duke Nukem Forever
• Gears of War 3
build your own lAser surveillance system • Seesmic Desktop • Halo Reach
• Gladinet Cloud Desktop • Killzone 3
• IDrive Online Backup 3
• Yoono Desktop speedruns
• Halo 2
Work • The Terminator
•Desktop Secretary 2
• OpenOffice.org 3.3 Patches
• Floppy Office 4.0 • BioShock 2
085 104 • Powerpoint Backgrounds 1.0
• IBM Lotus Symphony 3
• Unreal Tournament
tips Agent 001 • Efficient Calendar Free mods
&tricks • Essential PIM • GTA Vice City
• Address Book Standard 2 • Half-Life 2
Agent 001 guides you
through Wi-Fi routers • RoboForm2Go 6 • Perfected Doom 3
gmail, Yahoo! inquisitor,
usbwebserver... • Open Contacts 6
• Mozilla Sunbird
WorK tools
sPeciAl,
DeveloPers
DvD corner
2 gb of ViDEos
070 073
lenovo iDeAPAD Y560 goDrej eon gAming tv
An affordable yet stylish laptop LCD TV with a dash of gaming
Buzz Windows Phone 7
Enter 06 News and happenings from around
the web
Microsoft is expected to launch its Windows Phone 7
on October 11, with phones shipping by October 21
September 2010
) I am Gopinath from Mettur in Tamil
Nadu. I was quite impressed by the
September issue of Digit and the amazing
articles in it. I have just started reading
Digit and would like to know how I can
purchase the back issues of Digit and
Fast Tracks. Please let me know. Thanks
in advance.
Gopinath Venkatarajulu
We are glad that you discovered Digit and
were impressed by it. If you want to pur-
chase the back issues of the magazine along
with the Fast Tracks you can log on to www.
thinkdigit.com/cart and select which issue
you want to buy and make a purchase.
Nash
) I am an avid reader of Digit. Your June
issue really was inspiring in the sense that tise as far as the tech world is concerned. Hope you will consider my request
you spread awareness about using renew- But from the past few issues I have been and do the needful.
able energy sources such as solar energy noticing many typing flaws which raise Upendra Wanmali
and wind energy. I read the article and the question of copy checking. In the
an advertisement in Digit and purchased September issue there is a serious flaw on As far as softwares like AutoCAD go,
three solar lanterns this month. They are page 40, third column, 4th para, which we can at best provide trial versions
working quite excellently. I am sure to says “”. on our DVD, as these are professional
save at least 20% of my electricity bill each This kind of error cannot be expected softwares. If you want to request any
month and recover the cost. In fact I urge from a reputed magazine like Digit. Even softwares for the DVD section you can
you to spread awareness amongst Digit in many places ‘r’ is replaced by the new drop in a mail to dvd@thinkdigit.com We
readers to use these solar lanterns this Rs. symbol. Please take care of such will try providing you with softwares that
Diwali instead of conventional ‘kandils’. errors in future. you request. It’s good to know that you
This will really help us in saving power Vikash Kandoi found the Fast Tracks to Maya, Facebook
and we all will help our planet go green. Apps etc useful and we hope you are
Thanks Digit. We apologise for the typo errors that trying to build your own apps by now.
Dr. Niranjan M Wagh you have pointed out. We will try our We will certainly consider your Fast
best to avoid such silly typos in our Track suggestion.
It’s encouraging to know that our magazine in the future. Thank you for Sambhav
articles on alternative sources of energy your continued patronage of Digit.
in Digit prodded you to buy a solar lantern. Nash ) I remember going to the stationary shop
Our main objective behind the green arti- and asking “bhaiya wo cd wali magzine aa
cles is to inform readers that going green ) I am a regular reader of Digit gayi kya...” that was Digit in its inception
will not just save cash but even the planet. magazine. I especially like all the days. I didn’t care what the name of the
We also have an active community of over various software, operating systems magazine was, but I surely knew how
5,000 members on Facebook to keep the and entertainment content bundled in it looked on outside. The CD usually
green movement going. You can join the the DVDs and the knowledge provided had a few flash games, freewares like
group at www.facebook.com/ithinkgreen in the Fast Track supplements. Being Winamp, Winzip, updates etc and small
and share your experience with the solar an engineering student, I feel the need stuff which would take hours to down-
lantern on the group. to acquaint myself with Autodesk and load on dial-up connections. ISDN was
Nimish Autocad for my college assignments. quite expensive. 9.9 Media acquired it
Hence I would like to request for a much later but they have kept the spirit
) I have been reading Digit since its Fast Track issue dedicated to the ‘Basics alive and Digit is now the most read
inception. As I stay in Nepal, I was never of AutoCAD’. I found the Fast Track to technology magazine in India. Mindware
able to subscribe to it but I love the Maya, Facebook Apps, Open Solaris etc and Playware grew from a single CD to
magazine and always trust your exper- very useful. 2 DVDs. Articles are catching up with
4 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Tata DoCoMo 1.5TB Portable Drive
Cellular mobile operator Tata DoCoMo has launched its first Seagate claims to have launched the world’s first portable
enter mobile phone, the co-branded One TouchNet from Alcatel 2.5-inch hard drive; price is stated to be $249.99
the most recent technological develop- Letter of the month
ments. Products comparisons help you
buy whats best for you than what’s ) I have been a regular reader of Digit green were very helpful. I force people
best for the shopkeepers. Every time since September 2006. I have never to replace incandescent bulbs by CFLs.
you turn to Q&A, Tips n Tricks there is missed a single issue since. I totally love I even made a local store owner under-
always something you don’t know. Digit the changes you have made in the maga- stand the benefits of using a CFL and
has been the best guide for every tech zine but there are a few suggestions that he replaced all the bulbs by CFLs the
enthusiast almost for a decade now and I’d like to make : next day. Thank you and keep the good
I hope it’ll always be so. Good luck. 1)What happened to the Crossword? work going.
Naman Bansal Please restart it. I don’t mind the exclu- Kislay Joshi
sion of a prize but please restart it.
It is all thanks to loyal readers like you, 2) An online archive of the articles in We really feel proud to have people like
that we are India’s No. 1 technology mag- the magazineswould be nice. We often you among our readers. You did the right
azine. We will continue to work harder need to refer to an article or tips and thing by switching from a pirated copy to
and give you the very best in the tech tricks, but just cannot find it quickly. a licensed one. What also impressed us
world, latest softwares and games on 3) An article on the different editions of was the fact that you convinced your local
our DVDs and best product reviews. And Windows 7 and their usability would store owner to switch from incandescent
thanks also for taking us down memory be welcome. For instance, why should bulbs to CFL lamps. The whole idea
lane. We feel immense joy in knowing that someone spend Rs. 12,000 for the ulti- behind our green initiatives is to make the
you have stayed with us this long. mate edition when he won’t be using the readers aware of ways in which you can
Rossi features? make a difference to society by adopting
4) A Fast Track on Overclocking would techniques which apart from saving your
) Digit has been one of the biggest be great. money also help you in making our planet
motivators in my career growth as I have 5) A lot of us use BitTorrent clients and a better place to live. We will continue to
learned a lot from it. But now it’s taking leave the computer running overnight, give you the best of content. As regards
part in all these marketing activities, pro- you could do an article on minimising the pointers you suggested, we will surely
moting anything and everything, seems power wastage in such situations. Is discuss them in our edit meets. We had
like the people at Digit have lost the there some way to turn off GPUs and done a DIY on Overclocking in the June
motive. India’s biggest technology maga- extra HDDs in such conditions? 2010 DIY Fast Track. You can refer to that
zine, kindly wake up. I understand that Lastly, I want to congratulate Team article, which will give you enough infor-
being a magazine, you have to be a part of Digit on its persistent efforts to fight mation on how to go about overclocking
such activities too, but as per my knowl- piracy and educate the masses. I person- and what all precautions you need to
edge, Digit used to give details of why to ally ditched the pirated XP I was using consider. Also, you can find the crossword
buy a product and why not. It was totally and bought an original Windows 7 home you requested in the World View section.
unbiased and was my ultimate guide to premium. Also , the articles on going Nimish
technology. Frankly speaking, it is losing
its credibility by promoting these kind
of courses, products through its posts in ously need to tie-up with other compa- They are succintly and lucidly written
Facebook. I hope you publishing ads in nies from time-to-time, and this is done and are largely jargon-free. The fact that
the magazine is good enough for Digit to to provide you, our readers, with much a technologically challenged person like
make its profits. more goodies than ever before. me could make sense of them is a huge
Ankit Srivastava As for the posts on Facebook, I didn’t testamament to the articles. I liked the
(via www.facebook.com/thinkdigit) quite understand that part. Are you new Bazaar design, but at the same time
talking about the occasional spammers I also missed the comparison tests.
First up: All tests, reviews, features that advertise themselves on this page? Keep up the good work.
and other content of Digit is completely Robert Aashray Hariharan
unbiased, and devoid of any advertiser
interference. We still give details of ) I am a long time reader, first time We try to write our articles in such a
which products are good, and which are letter writer. What I like most about way that anyone can read and benefit
bad, and these results are arrived at Digit magazine is the reader friendliness from them. Also now that you are a Digit
after rigorous testing. Come visit of the articles. I would initially buy it you shouldn’t call yourself technically
our Test Centre yourself, if you don’t only for the DVDs and not bother much challenged, right? We are glad you liked
believe me! with the articles. But upon reading them the new Bazaar format. We have incorpo-
If you’re referring to the Anniversary gradually, I realised that the articles rated a comparison test this time around.
special free gifts we gave out, we obvi- aren’t as jargon heavy as I presumed. Siddharth
2 million IE9 downloads Google white space
Microsoft recorded over 2 million downloads of the Google is currently testing broadband using white space spectrum
Buzz new Internet Explorer 9 Beta in Ohio, USA; white space are unused radio frequency ranges
HP incubating 'memristors' with Hynix
I
f you are familiar with any of the terms resistance, capacitance to be announced)
or inductance, you will know that there are three properties other than Hynix,
which an electric circuit is bound to have. In the late 1960s, a HP says they'll
prediction was made for yet another circuital property, then keep the intellec-
dubbed as Memristance. IEEE confirmed the property renaming tual property to
to memristance (and the circuital element showing this property themselves, and
is called memristor) in 1971. make it a licens-
Though it is not a grand revelation, the mem of the term mem- able standard to
ristor comes from memory. This property allows a circuit element to be used by other
memorise its state – even after it is switched off and then switched chip manufac-
back on. This made research labs try and work out the feasibility to turers.
use it as a memory solution. The good news is, of late – the fruit is We will have to see how interesting the race between flash
about to ripen. Scientists at HP Labs have confirmed the possibility and memristor memories gets, but in the race of S/DRAMs and
to make storage chips based on memristors for sometime now, and ReRAM, the legacy will fall flat without a doubt. As you already
now they have taken a real big step forward, collaborating with know, no matter how speedy it gets, once switched off, a DDR
Hynix to produce RAM for the new generation. module is as good as a breadboard. On the other hand, a ReRAM
Hynix is an old player in memory solutions, and HP found them module will be completely able to retain its state even after the
good to work with to take the technology further, and to show us PC is turned off. Hang on, is that supposed to mean we'll have
a glimpse of the new era. The new system memory solutions are faster boot-up? Yes, a lot faster – a restart will be much like
primarily dubbed as Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM). Windows Sleep Mode.
The possibilities of memristors are endless, as HP explains Let's see where HP-Hynix leads us; the future is promising
it. Even though they are open to work with other companies (yet enough to be brighter – but the question is, how much?
AMD showcases Bulldozer and Bobcat
A
MD sh owe d ture is that it will support a such a way that buffer entries
off its next-gen new sort of SMT (simultaneous don’t remain empty when
processor tech- multithreading) and not the there’s no second thread.
nology at the traditional CMP (chip multi- Not many definitive state-
Hot Chips 2010 conference processing). This will finally ments can be made about the
in Silicon Valley, detailing allow two or more threads to Bulldozer family of processors,
the evolved nature of its run on a single core, working but you can safely expect some
upcoming Bulldozer and simultaneously. rather fantastic floating-point
Bobcat lineup of chips. How this technology com- performance, especially if there’s
"The new cores, codenamed the first time since the original pares to Intel’s Hyper-threading sufficient memory bandwidth.
'Bulldozer' for high-perform- Opteron x86 and K7 processors. is not yet known, though it has Meanwhile, the Bobcat
ance PC and server markets, To highlight this new ground- been noted that with AMD’s lineup, while great for lap-
and 'Bobcat' for low-power up approach, Akrout went on to novel SMT approach, two tops and tablets, might just
notebook and small form- say: "x86 architecture lies at the threads will share a single front- be AMD’s best bet to take on
factor desktop markets, were very heart of computing and end, but, use separate integer ARM’s Eagle lineup in the
designed from the ground-up AMD has continuously evolved execution resources. high-density cloud server
to address specific require- and improved its core designs. According to Ars Technica’s market, the wave of the future.
ments and compute work- The Bulldozer and Bobcat cores Jon Stokes, for this type of SMT It really does seem as if
loads," said Chekib Akrout, a continue that evolutionary path to work, all shared code and AMD has all future bases
senior VP at AMD. and are designed to change data storage components of the covered, from desktop, server,
AMD has apparently taken the user's experience with the processor must be “either rep- and laptop to tablet markets,
its x86 processor technology resulting products." licated or partitioned”, giving especially if you include the
to the next level, radically One of the biggest features equal priority to each thread Fusion Accelerated Proces-
evolving its core designs from of the new Bulldozer architec- when sharing resources, in sion Unit (APU).
6 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Instant for Mobile HP’s dual destroyer
Google will be launching their Instant search HP has launched the PhotoSmart eStation E510 which has
Buzz feature for mobile phones by the end of this year a detachable 7-inch Android tablet as its display
Another Indian Wink e-reader
tablet; this time $50 lanched at `11,490
O B
ut to make tech- screen that’s built for stylus angalore-based
nology afford- action, perfect for the class- EC Media Interna-
able, India has got room. It apparently costs $50 tional announced
another low-cost to manufacture, and can also be the release of its
Android tablet up its sleeve, priced at the level with a min- e-reader tablet, a device
made by Allgo, who have been imum of 10,000 units ordered, we covered on Digit TV
showing off their technology which if you think about it, is (youtube.com/digit) a while
for a while. You can see the more resourcefully made than back. Starting at `11,490 for
platform for the new $50 pro- a $35 government-subsidized the Wi-Fi only device (Wink
totype, called the Stamp, in a one million units minimum XTS), the e-reader will get
video on thinkdigit.com. tablet – accordingly, expect a running start with more
The Allgo Stamp tablet the specs to be less impressive than 2,00,000 titles from
is supposedly full-featured than the amply-proportioned inked content deals with play at 800x600 resolution,
device, sporting a 7-inch dis- $35 tablet. At one million units publishing houses such as 400MHz ARM9 processor,
play with an 800x480 reso- ordered though, the Stamp can Harper Collins, Oxford Uni- 2 GB onboard memory
lution, and a resistive touch- cost as low as $40. versity Press, Penguin, Per- (expandable up to 16 GB),
manent Black, and Roli. WiFi, microSIM card slot,
ATI no more? The Wink 3G will cost
`14,990. The e-reader sup-
GPRS, 3.5mm audio jack, USB
2.0, audio/video playback
A
ports up to 15 modern Indian support, and a 10 hour bat-
MD is simpli- is, as AMD has certainly been languages, and has a 6-inch tery life (10,000 pages and
fying things and busy this past year, wresting 16-level grayscale e-ink dis- 10 hours music).
plans to retire the crown from NVIDIA, and,
ATI brand by
2011. It’s been four years since
also trying to simplify its brand
structure in the form of AMD Google TV to launch
globally in 2011
AMD bought ATI. While many Vision, which is a logo a PC
industry experts felt $5.4 bil- gets if the CPU and GPU are
G
lion was simply too much to manufactured by AMD. Vision,
invest in a graphics company Vision Premium, Vision Ulti- oogle’s CEO, its future televisions sporting
when with a similar amount of mate, and Vision Black are the Eric Schmidt, Google TV embedded in them,
money AMD could have built price progressions, from entry- announced the other TV manufacturers, such
its own, the popularity of the level to top-end. release date of as Samsung, are also looking to
ATI brand was perhaps the AMD says it has some solid Google TV at the IFA show in get their hands in the pie.
number one factor in favour market research to show why it Berlin. More than just internet So while Google and Apple
of an acquisition over internal has taken the decision to phase TV, it will apparently go live in have been going head to head
development. Things are dif- out the ATI brand by Q1 2011, the United States this October, for a while with Android
ferent now – ATI is at the top and retain only the Radeon/ and will be launched globally versus the iPhone, very soon,
of its game, it has even edged FirePro brands. early next year. their war will have some new
out NVIDIA as the Diverging from the Apple battle fronts, with TV versus
market leader in TV pricing scheme, Eric TV, and tablet versus tablet
discrete GPU ship- Schmidt also announced that (ChromeOS and Android). It’s
ments. Things will the service would be available also been reported on several
apparently change free of cost. Google TV would different occasions that Google
some more soon, as rely on shows produced by con- is mobilising forces against
AMD has revealed tent providers, and Google has Apple’s iTunes music platform
it will soon be no intention to “get into actual as well, with its own Google
doing away with content production”. music platform. However,
the ATI brand. While Sony has already Schmidt refused to comment/
Surprised? struck a partnership with confirm the official existence
Well, not everyone Google that will see many of of this front for the moment.
8 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Talk to charge
South Korean scientists are working on
Web Watch using sound waves to charge the battery
Connections 12 Your fix of the latest buzz from the
world of the web
of your phone,so next time you are running
low on juice, just talk to charge
Nokia’s first dual SIM phone again managed this juggling
act. In related news, Nokia has
arrives with latest X series entrant
released the Nokia X2 officially
in India, for `5,999. Representing
N
the low-end of the new Nokia X
okia has released its MP3 player, microSD so, that Nokia wishes Series, the entertainment phone
first dual SIM phone, expandability up to to call these emerging runs on the Nokia S40 operating
and is launching it 32GB, FM radio with markets “blossoming system. While it does not offer 3G
first into the Indian recording, 3.5-mm markets” instead. capabilities, the 2-2-inch screen
market. While Nokia introduced audio jack, Blue- Lloyd went on device is still quite feature-rich,
the Nokia C2-00 as well, the tooth, MMS and a to speak about how with dual speakers, stereo FM
Nokia C1-00 will hit the streets VGA camera. Most Nokia has a place radio with RDS, Bluetooth 2.1
first, and already has a price of notably, the phone in every price seg- with A2DP, USB-on-the-Go sup-
`1,999. While this is bit higher will also come with ment in India, and port, Nokia Messaging, native
than we expected earlier (`1,700), Nokia Ovi Life Tools. its massive pres- Facebook app and expandable
this low-priced dual SIM phone Present at the ence in the country microSD memory up to 16GB.
is definitely a milestone for the India-exclusive is unique, especially The X2’s 5MP camera is one
company. The Nokia C1-00 is a launch was Mary with its “hyper-local” of its strongest selling points
very basic Series 30 phone that Lloyd, Executive Vice approach to sales and and the phone’s battery life is
offers only voice and SMS capa- President of Nokia’s Nokia Care, as well as said to be very good as well,
bilities, along with FM radio, mobile phone divi- Nokia’s X2 dedicated research allowing for up to 27 hours of
and a flashlight. Some of the sion, who spoke at length and testing centres within music playback and 13.5 hours
phone’s unique features for its of the importance of India and the country. Her division concen- of talk time. Though it is slightly
price include a speaking alarm other emerging markets for trates on sub-$125 phones and more expensive than previously
clock in local Indian languages, Nokia and how they accounted at that segment, what becomes indicated and arrived later than
call tracker, and multiple phone for a significant percentage of more important than making the expected, we feel Nokia may just
books (one per SIM). the 360 million Nokia phones phone inexpensive is ensuring have a strong contender on its
The Nokia C2-00 however, sold in 2009. In fact, according that it contains the “relevant hands, offering many features
is a Series 40 dual SIM that to Lloyd, these markets have innovation” or relevant features at a decent price point and a very
attempts to cater to those who become such major players in for its demographic. She believes trendy form factor. Whether or
want a little more from their the global scene, that its hard to that with the Nokia C1-00 and not the lack of 3G and Wi-Fi will
phone, offering GPRS facilities, “ignore” them anymore, so much Nokia C2-00, they have once seal its fate remains to be seen.
Samsung launches two new Android
smartphones in India - Galaxy 3 and 5
S
amsung has launched The Galaxy 3 has a 3.2-inch tronics, commented on
two new Android screen, a 3.2MP camera with the launch of the two
2.1-based 3G-enabled geo-tagging and face/smile phones in India: “In
smartphones in India, detection, microSD expand- the open OS area, our
the Galaxy 3 (I5801) and Galaxy ability up to 32 GB, Wi-Fi 802.11 strategy is to offer con-
5 (I5503), priced at `12,300 and b/g/n, DNSe, Bluetooth v3.0 sumers with whatever
`10,200 respectively. with A2DP, GPS and A-GPS, they want. As a result
Out of the two, the Galaxy and loads more. we are offering mobiles
3 is the higher-end device, The Galaxy 5 has a 2.8-inch based on the Android, Samsung Galaxy 3 and 5
though both phones fea- screen, a 2 MP camera with Windows and our
ture Samsung’s TouchWIZ geo-tagging, microSD expand- own proprietary OS Bada in range of `10,200 – `31,500. By
3.0 UI, 3G connectivity, the ability up to 16GB, Wi-Fi 802.11 the Indian market. With the the end of 2010, we plan to a
Layar Reality Browser, Social b/g, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, launch of these two smart- have a portfolio of 8-9 smart-
Hub and Allshare social net- GPS and A-GPS, and more. phones, Samsung’s smart- phone models and expect to
working tools, as well as Ranjit Yadav, Director, phone portfolio now boasts of notch up a 20% market share
Swype text input. Mobile & IT, Samsung Elec- 4 feature-rich models at a price in the smartphone market.”
10 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Android’s wet pants Touch without touchscreen?
OEM’s using Android on their phones have been A British company has devised a way of letting
compared to boys who “pee in their pants” for phones without touchscreens respond to touch
warmth in winter by Nokia’s outgoing exec using sound waves Mobile watch
A look at the Toshiba
Folio 100 tablet -
running Android 2.2
on NVIDIA Tegra 2
T
oshiba recently showed cent web browsing, 10 per
off its Google Android cent video playback, 25 per cent
2.2 and NVIDIA Tegra standby)
2 based Folio 100 Weight: 760g
tablet at IFA. Though the device Size: 281 x 181 x 14mm
certainly seems well-specced (it Software: Opera Mobile,
ARM flexes its also supports Flash 10.1), some
of those who’ve had a hands-
Toshiba Media Player,
FBReader, Fring, Document to
muscle: quad-core
on with the device are not very Go and Evernote.
impressed with the build quality Another feature of the Folio
or the apparently drab UI cus- 100 tablet includes an instant-
2.5 GHz processor tomisation. Let us
hope that Toshiba
A
decides to do some-
RM is certainly eager for a piece of the pie, and thing about this
making some have been named as “lead licen- criticism before
major headlines. sees”. Thus, you can definitely they release the
Just as soon as expect a whole range of devices tablet in the last
Samsung announced its Orion featuring the Cortex A15 MPcore quarter of this
application processor based on to head your way and also power year in the initial
the Cortex A9 design, and Glo- many cloud-based services you launch markets of
balFoundries is open for 28nm will soon be taking for granted. Europe, Middle
orders, ARM has decided to If you are wondering about East, and Asia.
show off its latest processor the memory capacity and vir- Here’s a look at Folio features Android 2.2 and NVIDIA Tegra 2
design: the Cortex A15 MPcore. tualization capabilities of the the specifications
Though dual-core mobile processor and just how well it of the Toshiba Folio 100 tablet: on functionality. The tablet will
processors are definitely not a would fit in the high-density CPU: NVIDIA Tegra 2 also have access to Toshiba
thing of the past (hell, people are server rack environment, you Display: 10.1-inch capacitive Market Place, which features
still coming to terms with that will find the answer reveals multitouch display with 1,024 such platforms as Music Place,
much power under the hood), server applications were exactly x 600 pixels resolution and Radio Place, and App Place.
ARM has developed a processor what ARM was thinking about UI auto-rotate with acceler- This unfortunately means it will
that is certainly ahead of its time when designing the Cortex A15. ometer support. have no access to the Android
– a quad-core 2.5GHz mobile It is very evident when you see OS: Customized Android 2.2 Market, at least until Google
processor. Codenamed Eagle, the the processors have embedded Storage: 16 GB onboard with gives it, and the numerous other
ARM Cortex-A15 MPcore proc- hardware virtualization and sup- SD expandability (no word on Android tablets waiting in the
essors might one day make their port for nearly 1TB of memory. the limit yet) wings, this access. Toshiba’s
way into smartphones, but for The Eagle lineup of ARM Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 suggested retail price for the
now it will be best suited for net- processors will feature a whole +EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, non-3G version of the Folio 100
book/tablet applications, and as range of designs, from single- Mobile Broadband (for certain is £329, including VAT, which
designed, for high-density cloud core (with speeds up to 1.5GHz) models & countries), DLNA is £100 less than the 16GB Wi-
server racks. So while the proc- to quad-core (with speeds up compatible, 1 x miniHDMI, 1 x Fi-only iPad, and it might have
essor has already been snapped to 2.5GHz), and from 32nm to USB 2.0 (client and hub), SD/ really have a chance to give the
up by Texas Instruments, the 28nm. Expect the parts to be MMC Card Reader iPad a run for its money, espe-
wide-reaching hands of ST- mass-produced and shipped Camera: 1.3MP webcam cially if the Android Market is
Ericsson and Samsung are also only by 2013. Battery life: 7 hours (65 per added to the mix.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 11
Multiple sign-in for Gmail Filter spam
Google officially announced multiple sign-in feature for Gmail. Blogger gets a brand new comment system that lets
Connections You can now sign-in with up to three accounts simultaneously you filter spam with ease
Gmail’s VoIP and Priority Inbox
Priority Inbox tions, important unread email,
Ever faced this scenario? You starred email and everything
check your inbox, only to find else after that — these sections
dozens of unread emails. You can be customized. Just like
scan through them and decide Gmail’s spam system, this too
to archive them all rather than can be trained over time, by
read them. Unfortunately, in marking an email as less or
the process you archive a rather more important.
important email. This reminds us of Mozilla
Gmail’s new “Priority Messaging’s Raindrop project
Inbox” aims to tackle that which had a similar noble
— which can aggregate details video chatting and was recently
from multiple social networks released for Linux too, Google
to figure out which email is now also offers the ability to
more important to you. make calls to phone numbers
This feature will be rolled from the Gmail interface. Avail-
out over a week for both Gmail able only in the US for now, it
and Google Apps mail users, will work with your Google
so keep an eye out. You can try Voice number and you will be
“Priority Inbox” by visiting its able to not only make calls but
problem. Gmail will learn over goal. While Gmail will obvi- new home at Google. also receive any calls made to
time which emails you open, ously provide these features this number.
read and reply to and accord- in their web interface, Mozilla Gmail VoIP Google’s been testing the
ingly automatically sort your Messaging’s Raindrop is a mail Finally some good is coming of Google Voice service for a while
email to display relevant, client application — although Google’s acquisition of Gizmo5. now, which is a very handy fea-
important emails first. Email it runs its own server and has Though Gmail’s chat applica- ture and we cant wait for it to
is then put into different sec- to be accessed via a browser tion already supports voice and roll out here in India.
Geolocation comes Cisco’s “Skype”
to Facebook, finally call for VoIP
T
he web, especially the posts from users around you as a Less than a week after Google the VoIP services market and an
social web, is getting layer in its Google Maps. announced their new voice calling investment as large as $5 billion
increasingly interested Facebook’s take on geoloca- feature from Gmail, Skype, a com- is not out of reach for them by any
in your wherea- tion is called “Places”. You pany providing similar VoIP serv- means. In 2005, Cisco had spent
bouts. After “What are can use the feature with ices for years now, is in the head- $6.5 billion on cable set-top box
you doing?” it has the iPhone via the lines. Apparently maker Scientific
now come to “What Facebook iPhone app, Cisco Systems Atlanta.
are you doing, and or the http://touch. is showing an Whether
where are you facebook.com website interest in buying this rumoured
doing it?” if you have an HTML5 Skype. Skype purchase
Twitter added sup- and geolocation capable According to a popular weblog, is intended to expand Cisco’s
port for geolocation meta- phone and as we’ve come to Skype is hoping for a valuation of products and services to set it
data in its tweets quite a while expect, you need to be in the USA. about $5 billion with its IPO. It apart from other VoIP competi-
back, which would allow people Essentially, the feature allows means this is the minimum price tors, or to become a venture that
to see tweets from people in areas you to make a Facebook post that Cisco needs to offer to make will strengthen Cisco’s strategic
around them. Google’s Buzz also which can include your geoloca- the offer even seem attractive. value as an acquisition target itself,
supports metadata information in tion data and also allows tagging Cisco is already a big player in remains to be seen.
its messages, and can show Buzz of friends who are with you.
12 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Cloud OS Age of Empires for Windows
Jolicloud 1.0, a free HTML5-based web-centric Robot Entertainment announces Age of Empires
Connections Linux OS, releases to public MMO game for Windows
"Wave in a Box" at a
server near you
G
oogle Wave has been run it on their own server, and
sentenced to death have real-time communication.
and that must have Google Wave in a Box users
hurt Google, aban- will also be able to configure
doning a product which they their “boxes” to federate across
launched with so much pomp instances! So you could use your
and promise. So now Google Wave setup to communicate with
has taken a step which is sure to other Wave setups, just like email.
Apple releases
delight developers and ensure Enterprises could always
that Google Wave implement their own
lives on, even if it Wave servers based
iTunes 10 Ping! isn’t on Google’s own
servers. Dubbed as
on the open source
clients, servers and
A
‘Wave in a Box’, the protocols Google had
pple just launched around music will let people new venture will developed. Novell
iTunes 10 and follow artists and get updates expand on the existing 2,00,000 Pulse, for example is a Google
will offer its users as they post their opinions, pic- lines of open-source code from Wave-based solution. Despite
many new fea- tures and release music. iTunes the Wave project and it will let Google Wave’s closure, Novell
tures, including Apple TV 10 will also feature HDTV developers continue developing will continue developing Pulse
playback synchronization show rentals which form a it. Google will be opening up a as intended. Google will also pro-
(playback across iOS devices big part of the new Apple TV. significant portion of their pre- vide a means to import the cur-
using the cloud). The big- Rented television show epi- viously closed parts of Wave, rent Google Wave conversations
gest new feature in iTunes 10 sodes will be available up to 30 including a lot of the server and to the users own server, so they
would have to be Ping, a new days after purchase, and will client code that forms the front- will be able to find a new place for
social network. The new social expire 48 hours after you start end of the project. Those running the data once Google Wave shuts
networking service, oriented watching it. Wave in the Box will be able to down at the end of this year.
Mozilla furthers Open Web Gaming
A
new initiative by as it is standards compliant. can perhaps make best use of WebGL is another browser
Mozilla Labs has The new Canvas element can hardware acceleration. Mozilla standard technology which will
been unveiled be used for advanced applica- has started shipping Firefox revolutionize 3D content, such
which aims to tions from image editing and with hardware acceleration as games, on the web. With
make the web a better envi- video processing application turned on since Beta 5 of the WebGL browsers will be able to
ronment for gaming. Whether and even a full-fledged NES browser, and Internet Explorer render full-fledged interactive
it is by using Flash Player or emulator called JsNES which 9 has also showcased hardware 3D content in the browser as a
other plugins and add-ons in downloads NES roms and acceleration. If you’re having part of the web page itself. Since
the browser — as in the case of plays the game straight from doubts about how much this WebGL is based on OpenGL
Quake Live — gaming is some- the browser. can affect rendering perform- ES, which is used on mobile
thing that had until recently The future lies in hardware ance of a browser, consider this, devices, even portable devices
been out of the purview of web accelerated web browsers. Chrome which is the fastest can support the standard.
browsers, requiring additional Browsers in the time to come browser in terms of Javascript To kick off this venture they
assistance of in some form. will render content using performance, gains a score have announced the “Game On
Recent additions to web the graphics hardware of the which is in the mere 60s to 80s 2010 Competition“open to all
standards have made it quite system, meaning richer, faster, in IE9’s Psychedelic Browser developers. The future is bright
possible to have a platform smoother animated content on test, while both Firefox 4 and for browser-based gaming, and
agnostic game now, which will the web. This also translated IE9 have scores upwards it seems Mozilla has taken a
run on any platform as long favorably for games which of 1500! hold of its reins.
14 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Everything’s embedded 3D printers
Sci-tech 22 We’re surrounded by computers of all sorts in our busy lives. We
take a look at some computing marvels from everyday life 26 Explore the possibility of
three dimensional printing
Build your own
Supercomputer for 0
…with the hardware you already have
Rudresh Jariwala but if you’re in a college, or in a company Why?
rudresh.j@thinkdigit.com with relaxed IT rules, you can easily Why not? If the looks of awe you
A
touch Gigaflop territory; Teraflops if it’s will get from friends aren’t reason
supercomputer is something a corporate office, and you’d probably enough, consider these uses:
that is awe-inspiring; the be able to break world records if you
stuff of dreams. We all want happen to be network admin at Google 1.Render
to see one, and sit and work or Microsoft. The beauty of it all is that If you’re a 3ds Max junkie, a supercom-
on one. Why? What a silly question to ask we’ll show you how you can use idle PCs, puter would save you hours of boredom
a Digit reader. Now you could break into without changing any of the contents on as you wait for renders to complete.
some defence lab and try playing chess the hard drives, or “ruining” anyone’s You can use Autodesk Backburner in
against one – you’d lose the game and your work, or any such nonsense. All you Windows to speed up your rendering
right to live, but it might be worth it… you need is a CD-drive on the server PC and over a cluster of home PCs. Those of you
could also choose to save 10 years of your network cards that are capable of booting looking to do Maya rendering are also
salary to blow up on 3 minutes with a from LAN, which basically any current in luck, as there are render managers
supercomputer… or you could just whack generation LAN card / chip is capable of. available – http://bit.ly/dok3IZ. If you are
your friends over the head with this book, looking to do 3D content creation on
quieten them down and read this article. your cluster, you have the option of using
A short history lesson
If you really want a supercomputing Blender (http://www.blender.org) which
experience, all you need is a local area Seymour Cray led the way in the 1960’s and is a free and open source suite that is
network, as many PCs as you can get was at the forefront of design and develop- available for all major operating systems.
ment of supercomputers. We have come a
your hands on, and this issue of Digit (yes
long way since then, and supercomputers
the DVD too), and you’re on your way. today perform calculation intensive tasks 2.Donning a white hat
So how super a computer can you such as quantum physics, weather fore- Brute-force hacking of passwords usu-
throw together? If you’re doing this at casting, wind tunnel research, simulation ally involves a large amount of com-
of detonation of nuclear bombs and many
home, with say, two or three PCs, then more such compute intensive tasks. putational power, or years of regular
you can set up something pretty decent, PC time. Not for you, right? Software
16 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
World’s First
World View ENIAC was the world’s first supercomputer. It weighed in
33 Global content, presented to you
by Digit
at nearly 3 tons, used 19,000 vacuum tubes and took up a
whopping 15,000 square feet of floor space Feature
such as John the Ripper and Cisilia Light speed - World’s top 3 computer on the grid as the primary to
can be used to crack passwords much supercomputers prevent even tiny amounts of latency.
quicker than a single computer. Check Although it would be quite possible to
#3 IBM BladeCenter QS22/LS21
out http://bit.ly/b4zvfI for complete “Roadrunner”, country : USA build a cluster composed of both Linux
documentation on password security. Clocking in at 1.04 petaflops per second, and Windows PCs, for the purpose of this
this former world no.1 occupies a staggering article, we’ll be using a Linux distro called
6,000 sq. ft! When compared to the 100 sq.
3.Cure cancer ft. per capita space that the average Indian
PelicanHPC (High Performance Cluster).
You may want to consider joining the has, this monstrosity simulates the ageing The latest release of PelicanHPC is on the
Folding@home project which is a distrib- of nuclear materials to check the viability of Mindware DVD, along with a PDF docu-
uted computing project run by the good USA’s nuclear arsenal. ment that has loads of advanced infor-
folk at Stanford University and managed #2 Dawning TC3600 Blade “Nebulae”, mation – how to save your work, how to
by Professor Vijay Pande. Their aim is country : China create customised PelicanHPCs, etc.
to understand protein-folding, which is This 1.27 petaflops per second beast is
related to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, theoretically capable of running at almost 3 Getting started
petaflops per second, the fastest ever!
Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and many PelicanHPC is a Live CD image that
cancers. All you have to do is download #1 Cray XT5 “Jaguar”, country : USA allows you to get a cluster up and running
and install the software, and contribute As of May 2010, the Cray Jaguar is the in a matter of minutes. It allows you to do
fastest supercomputer in the world.
your computer resources. Go to http:// parallel computing using what’s known
Delivering a knock out punch to the IBM
folding.stanford.edu for more details. Roadrunner’s 18 month tyranny as world’s as a Message Passing Interface (MPI). It’s
no.1, this 1.75 petaflops per second this MPI that makes it possible to split
4.Little green men supercomputer boasts 2,24,000 cores which tasks up into smaller sub-tasks which are
would make it the equivalent of 56,000
If you believe that life exists out there, transmitted to and fro as “messages”. You
quad core PC’s!
you can help scan all the radio noise in can run Pelican on a single, multiple-core
space by dedicating computing power to machine, or just network as many PCs
finding broadcasts from other planets. standard Ethernet cables, and it’s obvious as you can together to make a cluster.
The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intel- that Gigabit networks are preferred. While it’s possible to boot the primary
ligence is what you can contribute to, However, if you think you can do system from a pen drive, we strongly
by visiting their SETI@home project anything on a cluster that you can on a recommend burning the ISO to a CD
at http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/. PC, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s and using that instead. Since it’s a Live
a software problem. Most software we CD, you don’t have to worry about
use these days are not even optimised formatting or rearranging your parti-
to run on multiple CPU core PCs,
let alone a cluster of multiple PCs.
We can hope that this will change
soon, what with everyone leaning
towards multi-core computing.
‘Digit’ised cluster : An example of cluster scalability.
Grease up those elbows
To boldly go where no man has gone before! Now it’s time to start building your tions, and when PelicanHPC is turned
cluster. A cluster can be architecture off, all the PCs go back to their original
5.Video transcoding independent as long as all the com- states. Of course you can also choose
Transcoding HD (Blu-ray) video takes puters on the cluster run the same to install PelicanHPC on the primary’s
up to seven times longer than SD video. SSI (Single System Image). So even if hard drive which would allow you to
With open source tools such as the you have PCs with different operating always continue where you left off from.
Media Encoding Cluster Project (http:// systems and hardware configurations, a
www.codegrid.de/trac), you can effec- cluster centric Linux distribution such Requirements
tively utilise your Windows or Linux as CHAOS, ROCKS or PelicanHPC Obviously, all PCs that are part of the
cluster to rip your favourite flicks. can be booted into memory of a server, cluster should be networked. Use a
and then all the others can do a LAN
General cluster? boot, using the SSI from the primary. India’s top number crunchers
A cluster is essentially a group of The primary is the one that splits up #3 IBM eServer BlueGene/L, location:
computers linked together and per- tasks into chunks and offsets it to the IISC, Bangalore
forming their duties as one powerful nodes to be computed, and then re- #2 PARAM cluster, location: C-DAC, Pune
(and power hungry) computer. The assembles it all and displays the results. #1 HP Cluster Platform 3000, location:
computers are usually linked using Thus, it’s best to use the most powerful Computational Research Laboratories, Pune.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 17
Home grown muscle
Your very own Sony supercomputer India’s first supercomputer was the
Scientists in the US have built a supercomputer using nothing PARAM 8000. PARAM stands for Parallel
more than the computing power of PS3 consoles! Check out Machine. The computer was developed by
Sci-tech http://www.ps3cluster.umassd.edu the government run C-DAC in 1991
Super-jargon busting Be-aware the “Beowulf” Example
“FLOPS” or Floating point Operations Per Open Source Cluster Application Resources For instance, if you were to create a
Second (fractional values in short) is the (OSCAR) is a Linux-based software installation cluster at home using one dual core
standard measure that’s used to gauge the for high-performance cluster computing. OSCAR AMD system running Windows 7 and
performance of supercomputers.Commonly allows users to install a Beowulf type high one single core Intel system running
used with SI prefixes such as tera- (1012) or performance computing cluster. Beowulf Clusters Ubuntu (yes it is possible since clusters
peta- (1015),teraflops and petaflops can be are scalable performance clusters based on com- are platform independant), theoreti-
used in shorthand as TFLOPS and PFLOPS modity hardware, on a private system network, cally, the total resource pool available
respectively. “Petascale” supercomputers with an open source software (Linux) infrastruc- to the computer will be 3 cores. But
can process one quadrillion (1015 or 1000 ture. The OSCAR project aims to support as many as explained, bottlenecks are caused
trillion) FLOPS. Exascale is computing different Linux distributions as possible. Supported due to varying factors such as limited
performance in the exaflops range.An exa- Linux distributions as mentioned on the OSCAR bandwidth over the LAN and varying
flop is one quintillion (1018) FLOPS, or one website are Debian, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Red Hat hardware (slower RAM, processors on
million teraflops! Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu (http://bit.ly/p4vur). other nodes etc.).
cross cable for two PCs that are con- sticking to “ram1”, so choose that.
nected directly, or regular patch cables On the next screen, you will probably
to hook them all up to a switch. The want to move the cursor over to “Yes”
Primary acts as a DHCP server, so and press enter unless you are running
you’re going to have to make sure that a customised version of PelicanHPC.
you don’t mess with any other DHCP Customised versions are relatively
servers running on the network (like easy to create, and you should read
at work, or in a college). For those who the PDF to learn how you can bundle
don’t know, a Dynamic Host Configura- all the packages you find necessary Change the password
tion Protocol server is one that gives
PCs on the network the IP configuration interface by typing “startx” or continue to
information such as their own IP, the use the console. The console is the default
subnet mask and gateway information. mode in PelicanHPC to avoid problems
You could either copy the ISO file with unusual graphics hardware.
off the Mindware DVD on your local If you boot into the Xfce graph-
machine and boot it up using virtu- ical interface, you will have to start
albox or burn the image onto a CD terminal and then proceed.
(like we did). The advantage is that Now, time to setup your cluster.
booting the live image will offer better Boot into ram1 to prevent any damage to In terminal type “pelican_setup”.
performance than a virtual machine. the OS on the primary PC When you arrive at the screen
where the instructions state “Time
into an image so that all packages to bring the compute nodes into the
are consistent across your cluster. cluster”, hit [Enter] on “Yes” and
Ok, almost done! Now change boot up the compute nodes making
the default password and enter your sure that the computers are connected
own password. Hit [Enter]. via ethernet cable(s) and that their
Now you are in the PelicanHPC ter- first boot device is set to Network.
minal. Enter your username as “user” (no Tip: For those of you having trouble
quotes) and then type the password you netbooting your old PC’s, check out http://
Select “Live” to boot the image into RAM entered. You are now logged in. You can www.rom-o-matic.net for help on how
now choose to enter the graphical user to get your netboot up and running.
Let’s begin The compute nodes will net-
When the PC boots up, press [Enter], boot and stop at prompt.
REMEMBER!
or whatever you’re asked to, in order to Now, keep hitting “No” till the
boot from the CD. Select “Live” when The administration of your cluster will complete count of the compute nodes is
PelicanHPC asks you for a boot method. require you to keep 2 commands in mind. available on the screen. Once all com-
They are “pelican_setup” for configuring the
You will eventually be greeted pute nodes are connected and accounted
frontend as a server (so that all other com-
by a screen that gives you the option pute nodes can LAN boot off the frontend) for, hit “Yes”. Your compute cluster is
of booting from your permanent and “pelican_restart_hpc” which is used to now successfully up and running!
storage. If you wish to do so, you’ll add/remove nodes from your cluster after Tip: When you are done
initial setup. These commands need to be
have to assign drives accordingly run in terminal.
with the compute nodes, hit
(sda1, sda3 etc.). For our article, we’re Alt+Ctrl+Del to restart your PC.
18 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Supercomputer drivers? Long road ahead Did you know?
A new supercomputer called NeuFlow is India owns a measly 1% in the A single modern desktop PC is
capable of driving a car efficiently through share of the world’s top 500 now more powerful than a ten
Sci-tech the use of a human based visual system supercomputers year old supercomputer
Does it work?!? all the compute nodes and hit “Yes”, just Food for thought
Now to test your cluster using some wait in terminal to get an overview of
Gaming on clusters though not possible right
regression calculations. Start terminal what speeds you are achieving and how now, is a very mouth watering prospect
and type in “octave” and press enter. much each compute node is contributing. wherein old PC’s with legacy onboard
Now type “kernel_example” and press Bear in mind that the speed shown graphics would theoretically be able to use
the graphics rendering from another system
enter (drumroll please) to see some here to you is not optimised for your
on the cluster. This would mean LAN parties
really cool econometrics curves gen- particular cluster since all the compute for everyone, provided some of the systems
erated by your cluster. You may also nodes (irrespective of the number of on the cluster have a powerful enough GPU.
want to try other examples such as cores you have) will only receive one MPI This would also mean that games need to be
designed to use what is known as MPI such
“pea_example”, “bfgsmin_example”, rank, hence limiting the work of each
that GPU resources can be offloaded and
compute node to one core. This can be shared with other systems in the cluster.
optimised to properly balance the load
of an application, but the optimisation is Hook, line and sinker!
left to the user. You can find help on the
When James Cameron was filming. The
PelicanHPC forum with regard to this if Titanic (remember Kate Winslet?), his
you are really serious about getting max- special effects crew could not afford a
imum compute power out of your cluster. supercomputer to do the rendering. Hence, a
massive cluster was setup and all the water
Problem with measuring cluster related critical rendering was performed
performances is that there is no general on that cluster because as the saying goes,
Hit “No” till all compute nodes are purpose tool available for testing all many hands make for light work.
accounted for. components. Currently, the LINPACK
“mle_example”, “gmm_ cation programming interface in their
example”, “mc_example1” software development process, cluster
and “mc_example2”. variants of our favourite software and
You also get a time games seem possible in the not so distant
taken to generate as one future. Look to cluster computing as
of the outputs in the Screen after completion of netboot
terminal. This can serve
as your first benchmark for how much tool is used for cluster benchmarking, but
faster your new cluster is performing. it does not measure all cluster features.
Head over to http://bit.ly/9QyPU6
How much faster is your new to get your fix of all the cluster bench-
Super rig? marks you need to know about.
Alright, so now you are the new cool kid
on the block with loads of super com- Three finger salute ksysguard monitoring cpu load on the
puting power at your disposal. But what Though clusters are not popular in the cluster
speeds are you really touching? Well, a home environment these days, the light at
simple way of knowing how much faster the end of the tunnel seems very bright. an opportunity to innovate and come
you are going will show up right in the With ongoing research on sharing GPU up with your own implementation of
terminal where you ran the pelican_setup load within the cluster and software load balancing over the network.
command. Once you are done connecting developers using the OpenMPI appli- With all the information required
freely available on the
internet (Open Source),
students can use this as
a research subject and
base their projects on
this new world of parallel
computing. Quoting the
father of our nation, “Be
the change you want to
see in the World” and look
to the horizon to make
the world of computing
4 computers on a cluster with the switch highlighted a faster, better place.
20 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
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Elephantitis
Penguin’s Market IBM’s ASCI white supercomputer weighs as much
Linux OS has close to 90% of the as 17 elephants and can do in one second what a
Sci-tech supercomputer market in its grip calculator would take 10 million years to do
Totally unaware of the
rapid development
around us, we don’t
realise the importance
of embedded systems
in our lives
Jasnoor Gill
readersletters@thinkdigit.com
W
hen was the last time we have indeed come a long way today. And this is the primary reason for their
you paid attention to the Technology has kept advancing, resulting pervasiveness.
electronics behind the in increasingly powerful processors, The second reason is our paucity
devices you interact with while becoming even smaller at the same of time. We want assistants, intelligent
and use every single day of your lives? Over time. Beginning with some very special- assistants. Our microwave oven should
the last few decades, embedded technology ised applications, embedded technology not overheat my food even if we’re not
has taken over our homes, being present today is prevalent in every field imagi- around. Our washing machine should
today in almost every aspect of our lives. nable. Today’s automobiles are one of the know how much detergent to use for
Most devices, from the humble electronic best examples of the advances made in our clothes, depending upon the type of
wristwatch to your car have one or even embedded technology. From the single clothes without us having to intervene.
more embedded microprocessors in them. microprocessor present in the ‘trip-com- This “intervention-less” behaviour cannot
These devices do all the work behind puter’ of the 1978 Cadillac Seville, we have be achieved without a microprocessor.
the scenes, silently and reliably. They come a long way to today’s high end Mer- The third and most potent reason
work so well, in fact, that we rarely stop to cedes S-class and BMW 7-series models, is connectivity. The “On Star” systems,
even think of the mini-computer running boasting around 100 microprocessors. installed in Ford vehicles in the US, can
inside the smallest and simplest (suppos- These control everything from the engine inform emergency services should the car
edly!) of devices. As a result, every house to the one present in each headlight! The meet with an accident. The BMW customer
has dozens of embedded devices and electronics and related wiring is in fact a service can unlock and start your 7-series
microprocessors running in the back- major part of the total cost of any car being remotely if an emergency occurs. Closer to
ground. For some, it may in fact even run manufactured today. home, you can tell your Airtel set-top box
into the hundreds. “How did we survive before the micro- to record your favourite program while
Starting from the first true micro- processors took control of almost every you are stuck in a meeting. So in effect, you
processor invented in the early 1970s, machine we operate?” The answer lies in not only pay for the device which you have
the demanding “we”. We want a car which bought, you also pay for the connectivity
Microprocessors – everywhere can do 0-100 kmph in 5 secs, yet it should and the associated ecosystem.
and in everything give an economy of 15 kmpl. We want a
Here is some equipment which functions
phone which should have push mail, yet
because of embedded technology:
l Multi-function electronic watches give 100 hours of talk time and give off
l computers/ATMs
All minimum radiation. Such feats cannot
l mobile phones, pagers and other be achieved by mere mechanical and
communication devices
electronic designs alone. The replacement
l Engine controllers, anti-lock brake (ABS)
systems in cars of a carburettor with direct fuel injection
l Home appliances like microwave ovens, would not have been possible without a
washing machines, televisions, air microprocessor, because a carburettor is
conditioners etc.
the best precision a mechanical design can
All
l aircraft systems
l Safety systems like fire alarms, sprinklers achieve. Embedded designs help overcome
such engineering and material limitations. Embedded systems and controllers
22 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
www.dlink.co.in
AFFORDABLE HIGH-SPEED CONNECTION
Is Wi-Fi safe? Did you know?
The WPA and WPA2 encryption has been broken by Modern day automobiles have more
Russians using a brute force attack coupled with massively computational power than there was
Sci-tech parallel computational power of NVIDIA’s GPUs on the Apollo 13 moonlander
What goes on in your reliability and functionality of life-critical
television set? systems. With the increasing usage of
At a lower level, every embedded device is embedded technology, we need these sys-
basically the same. It consists of: tems to be up and running, always.
l microprocessor which is designed for
A
An aircraft while landing cannot
low power consumption afford the infamous blue screen of death
Memory – meant for storing both the
l (BSOD) during touchdown. A pacemaker
original program (‘firmware’) and for planted inside a patient cannot afford to
processing of data
l reliable, real-time Operating System or
A hang. That is why the operating systems
‘firmware’ designed to give instant results which run inside these embedded devices
while running without any errors for years are not standard operating systems. They
at a time. are designed with special requirements
like no hang issues, to always respond Advances in fabrication mean that the chips
Perhaps the most significant use of within a time limit, and to have a very high only get smaller
the embedded microprocessor has been degree of reliability. The usual ones are
in making this world a safer place to live. QNX Neutrino (used in Cisco Equipment), this is only going to increase as we move
A plane armed with an anti-collision VxWorks (one of the oldest), Integrity to a more and more automated future.
device can warn the pilot if another plane (used in USAF F-22 Raptor fighter jets), With the rise of networking, the number
comes too close. A modern ICU monitors and its lighter version, the VelOSity. The of devices connected to the internet
all the vital signs of a patient and informs most common open-source RTOS avail- is increasing, so much so that this is
the medics should a parameter cross able is RTLinux. acknowledged as a factor in the coming
some dangerous threshold. The airbag exhaustion of IP addresses, and the
controller in a car is so finely tuned that Programming Embedded systems resulting move to IPv6 from the current
it can activate the safety bag before you More on vehicle ECU modifications: http://
l IPv4. The day is not far off when most of
hit the steering column. Most of the vital en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_control_ the internet will consist of such devices
unit#Programmable_ECUs
safety devices today contain some or the talking to each other or sending updates
http://www.eetimes.com/design/
l
other form of computing support, because embedded on their status.
by nature, a computer cannot commit Embedded Linux forum:
l What was once considered the domain
“human error”. http://www.ucdot.org/ of some crazy programmers a few years
http://www.embeddedarm.com/
l
The Spanair crash, which occurred ago is already here. You can, with some
on August 20th 2008 and cost 154 lives, effort, put the technology in place to
is one of the examples of what happens The most common hardware for control your home appliances and other
when safety systems go wrong. This crash embedded systems today are usually devices from a remote location. The
occurred because the pilots did not verify SOCs or System-On-Chip (example: smart home is not far away, when all such
flap positions, and ground system that was Nvidia Tegra). This is a special chip which operations will be performed automati-
supposed to verify this, was shut down contains everything a system needs, cally using sensors to detect events, and
due to a malware attack. including a CPU, memory, and other react accordingly.
Another example is that of Therac-25, required controllers (graphics, input Cyborgs, once considered the fantasy
a radiation therapy machine which gave output, etc). The most common CPU of science fiction writers, are now a
its patients severe burns and radiation used in such systems is either an ARM reality with humans increasingly being
poisoning. The reason was a software bug. or an MIPS based CPU. Intel has recently given artificial electronic implants to
This bug had been present in previous ver- released an Atom SoC as well. Unfortu- restore damaged body functions, from
sions of the machines as well, but was never nately, most of the embedded systems prosthetic implants to pacemakers, all
seen before due to mechanical locks. In the available today cannot be reprogrammed with the help of embedded technology.
Therac-25 design, these locks were removed, without specialized equipment. This is Embedded technology is definitely
but the software was not tested thoroughly. both good and bad. Good because we may here to stay in our lives for the long term,
These and many such instances depict inadvertently change a mission-critical but like most technologies, it is a double-
how we have started placing the most parameter. Bad because we won’t be able edged sword. While making life easier for
precious thing in the hands of machines, to customize our equipment. While some everyone involved and automating
human life. While casualties due to self- ECUs (Electronic Control Unit) used in multiple tasks, it is still up to the designers
aware systems like the Skynet may still be vehicles can be modified for aftermarket to ensure that all such designs perform as
in the future, a machine not following the modifications, the best way is usually to expected. A good embedded design is
proper safety standards has been around swap out the complete unit. always the one where the user does not
already. Hence the need for extensive Embedded devices already dwarf com- have to think about the complexities
safety norms like Do-178B, that ensure the puters many times over in numbers, and working behind the scenes.
24 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
3D fabricators Rapid prototyping
Public schools in the US, Japan and China have come HP, in collaboration with Stratasys are finally
together to launch the Fab@School Project to ensure that 3-D entered the Rapid Prototyping market with the
Sci-tech fabricators are available to children in their own classrooms Designjet 3D in April this year
wherein a nondescript block of material
(typically, of metal or wood) is taken
and the unnecessary parts removed
(subtracted) to attain the required form.
This is a really long process and could
take several days or months, depending
on the size of your prototype.
Rapid Prototyping, on the other hand,
works somewhat in the reverse manner
– an ‘additive’ process (but don’t take
the word ‘rapid’ too seriously). All RP
machines use the same working prin-
ciples: basically, the machine receives
parameters of the object from a computer
generated image and, splitting it into
layers, proceeds to create these layers
bottom first, adding one upon the other,
until the object is formed. Instead of
cutting, they heap. In short, it’s a five
stage process:
1. Make a virtual model using CAD
In the depth
software - anything from SolidWorks to
SketchUp would suffice.
2. Convert it into an STL format. Since
every CAD package uses different
of the matter....
algorithms, the STL (stereolithography)
file format has been accepted as the
standard for all 3D printers universally
to maintain consistency. Exporting
the design file to STL transforms the
Everything you wanted to know about 3D printers object’s image into a triangulated
but were too busy to ask network so that the flat surfaces are
represented in 3D. This conversion
entails the introduction of the Z-axis.
Madhusudan Mukerjee further use a conven- The greater the Z-value, the longer the
readersletters@thinkdigit.com ient cliché, when it production process. The same goes for
B
comes to 21st Century the number of surfaces – and curved
lame it on that German genius, technology, tomorrow surfaces mean a lot of triangles, and
Gutenberg. Around 1440, is today. thus, heavier files.
Johannes Gutenberg created 3. Use the proprietary software (usu-
the movable type machine RP Machines ally provided by the manufacturers
and changed the world, exploding into ‘Rapid Prototyping’ is This 1954 German of the ‘printer’) to slice the model up
a googol effect that Marshall McLuhan, an umbrella term that stamp shows into layers of minimal thickness. This
the popular media theorist, called the refers to a category Gutenberg at his allows you to control the build orienta-
printing press
‘Gutenberg Galaxy’. of technologies that tion keeping in mind the smallest
From the first press, printing tech- automatically build actual physical detail. The program may also be used
nology has gone through several changes, ‘prototypes’ – or models based on the to set up support structures during the
including the rotary press, the screen data provided by a CAD (Computer building process, allowing you to make
printer and the dot-matrix to culminate Aided Design) software. 3D printing partitions, nooks and crannies.
in today’s compact and efficient inkjet is one such technology. Engineers and 4. Construct the model using a chosen
and laser printers. But if you thought that designers have always needed prototypes material. Typically, the machines use
this was the end of the line it’s time for to check out whether their concepts are polymers (liquid or powdered), paper,
a serious rethink. Tomorrows printers viable in the real world or not. Most of or powdered metal. Almost any metal
don’t just print text and images. They give these technologies were ‘subtractive’ – (Cobalt Chromium, Stainless Steel, etc.)
you the real thing – the thing itself. To ‘Machining’, for example, is a technology would do. Photopolymers based on
26 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Ancient methods Movable type
Egyptians had developed a glass-casting method similar to Vitraglyphic thousands Bing Shen(China) is often credited for
of years ago in which finely crushed glass was mixed with a binding material such having invented the movable type printing
Sci-tech as gum arabic and water, deposited on a negative mould to form a coating technology much before Gutenberg
acrylics are more commonly used.
5. Clean up the final product and finish.
This may involve removal of support
structures, curing, sanding, blowing
or breaking away excess material or
painting the finished product.
The process is quicker, cheaper and
more precise than the earlier develop-
mental process. The similarity in process,
however, ends here. There are several What lies beneath
major variations that are in vogue (more
than six are easily available today), so styrene) kind or moulded polypro-
let’s take a good look at some of them and pylene – clear polymers that can
how they work. withstand very high temperatures. Sticky sinters
Charles Hull was the first to shake the Finally, the solid object is taken out
world awake to the idea of 3D printing of the tank, the extra polymer washed The powder that is in excess - or has
with his patented process of ‘Stere- off and the support portions broken off failed to sinter - functions as a support
olithography’ (Greek for ‘solid-stone- and put into an ultraviolet oven to be material during the process and can be
writing’) in 1986. The machine primarily completely cured. However, the size of the brushed or blown off later.
consists of an ultraviolet laser, a set of model you make must be restricted to the
mirrors (X/Y) and a platform immersed size of the tank and the build platform. Fused Deposition Modelling
in a vat full of liquid photopolymer – a To make very large objects, typically, the FDM was developed by S. Scott Crump,
fluid plastic. Once the machine gets going, object must be divided into parts which this technology came into the limelight
the ultraviolet laser (bouncing off the must be put together later. in the 1990s. The unique thing about this
mirrors) ‘draws’ on the polymer that is on technique is that the building material
the platform. The material, being sensi- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is actually a thin solid filament to begin
tive to light hardens into a flat rigid layer Sintering is, basically, the process of with. The solid material (usually ABS,
when exposed to the laser. This becomes heating a powdered material in a sin- polycarbonates, polyphenylsufones, or
the bottom of the prototype. The thick- tering furnace to a little below its melting waxes) is extruded from a spool to a mov-
ness of the layer is usually about 0.004 to point so that the constituents stick to able head that can be manipulated by ser-
0.006 of an inch but you could manipu- one another and an object forms. Carl vomotors (and this is probably the only
late this as per your requirements. The Deckard patented the Selective Laser thing about 3D printing that can justify
platform then descends into the tank and Sintering technology in 1989 based on
the polymer that spreads over it is then his master’s thesis at the University of
given the same treatment by the laser, Texas. Like SLA, SLS uses a laser beam
hardening the next cross section of – but instead of working to cure a liquid
the model. While there are plenty of polymer, it uses materials like nylon,
resins that could be used, they’re usu- metal (alloys), elastomer, thermoplastics
ally the ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene- (filled with either glass, aluminium or
polyamide) etc., in a powdered form.
The platform rests on a bin of the
powder. An extremely hot laser draws
the two-dimensional bitmap on the first
layer of the powder that’s on the build
platform. As the laser moves over the
powder, the particles fuse to form a solid Today’s FDS printers are aesthetically
layer. A roller moves over it to level it flat. designed
The platform is then lowered, the powder
deposited on the first layer and the the use of the word ‘print’ when we aren’t
process repeated to make a new layer on really printing anything at all). Another
top of the first. The technique has several secondary nozzle squeezes out a strand of
advantages when it comes to building material which could serve as a support
smaller models and companies like EOS structure for the model. The temperature
have exploited these to make dental of the platform is much lower than the
Charles Hull’s breakthrough invention implants like crowns and bridges. material’s melting point so it hardens on
28 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
DARPA HP’s history
3D printers are being used by Pentagon’s In 1939, Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett established
DARPA to create insect-like wings for very Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Packard’s garage with an
Feature small spy aircrafts – or ‘robot-insects’ initial capital investment of US$538
contact. Once the entire cross section of the manufacturer, a whole lot of powders fresh layer of plastic is glued to the mag-
the build platform is covered, it lowers to are available – starch based, ceramic, netic bed and a layer of glue spread over
allow the second layer to be formed in the thermoplastic or even wax. An ink-jet it. The build platform is usually con-
same fashion. At the end of the process, head deposits a binder onto the powder structed from paper and a double-sided
the support parts – which are usually to solidify the region of the layer as speci- foam tape but this varies from one printer
made of soluble materials – are dissolved fied by the CAD. This fuses the powder to the other.
in a chemical bath. together to create the bottom layer of Since the entire space is not required
the model. The platform is lowered and to create the prototype, the machine
the process repeated until the model is spreads anti-glue over the excess material
finished. Extra powder serves to support surrounding the object so that they can
the model and is blown or sucked off be removed later. Another layer of plastic
by vacuuming it. The excess powder is is rolled out onto the first one. The glue
pneumatically removed and recycled for binds them together. The excess material
use in the next project. Then commences is cut usually using a blade or a laser ( a
a process called ‘infiltration’. Any gaps in process called ‘cross-hatching’), as per the
the material are flaws and must be filled data of the design programme. The roller
up. The ZCorp machine, for example, presses the two layers together and the
treats the model with a secondary resin process repeats until the object is created.
RepRap’s FDM printers can be used to material – usually a binder or epoxy - that One of the most popular 3D printing
print themselves is sprinkled or brushed on the faces of machines is the FabLab project that pro-
the model. This seeps into the miniscule vides equipment and support to enable
Layer thickness is typically 0.005 to nooks and crannies, driving the air out students in universities to create proto-
0.013 of an inch and usually, the platform of them and sealing the model to give types from their designs. The size of the
size is limited to a 10x10” or a 14x16” size. it a stronger and improved finish as it build platform (or ‘bed-size’) is typically
The process allows for complex parts cures. Models can also be coloured, using limited to 160 x 200 mm so the models
to be made and is used by the famous technology similar to document printers must be divided into smaller parts for
RepRap project which specialises in by converting the PC’s RGB space to a greater efficiency.
making open-source 3D printers – ena-
bling each and every person to make the Fore-casting
printers themselves. What the Walkman While the technology is still in a nas-
did to the stereo music player, RepRap cent stage, estimates predict a market of
is quietly doing to the manufacturing hundreds of millions of dollars for 3D
industry. In fact, RepRap machines printers by the end of 2013. Rapid Pro-
(like RepRap's ‘Darwin’ and MakerBot’s totyping has quickly jumped ahead over
‘CupCake CNC’) are replicators – in the the last few years and several new buz-
sense that you can use them to make the zwords and exciting new applications are
machine parts of the printer itself and put ZCorporation’s 3D printers are priced at already making the news. Rapid tooling,
them together to make another one to sell less than 15,000 dollars for example, is a process that uses CAD
to your friends. While they don’t look all data to create tools using polymer-coated
that great (apparently, only a bare skeletal CMYK colour value. Unfortunately, the steel, plastic or a mixture of powdered
frame), it’s the ultimate in personalised STL format doesn’t support colour and metal to create tools. Sand-moulding
production and has found its way into a you’ll have to resort to others if you want
lot of homes and academic institutions all your model painted. Besides, only the
over the world. outer surfaces can be coloured as the
machines are still not that advanced.
3D printing
While all of the above could be classi- Laminated Object Manufac-
fied as 3D printers, the one that comes turing (LOM)
closest to our idea of ‘printing’ is the Helisys Inc. (now Cubic Technologies)
ink-jet technology, first created at MIT came up with – and patented - a tech-
and currently one of the most popular nique similar to lamination as another
commercial products in this category (eg. way of layering a model into shape. The
ZCorp, 3D Systems, Solidscape inc., etc.) . machine contains spools of paper or
Like the FDM system, a platform is set in plastic, laminated with heat-activated
a bin of powder material – depending on glue. The build process starts when a Laying it on thick
30 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
First ever More than ink
The 42-line Bible was the first book to be Printing technology has gone way beyond
printed by Guttenberg with his movable just inking text and images on flat sheets
Feature type printing of paper
is another off-shoot that can construct cells of any kind in a 3D shape. It uses two
large size models by sintering sand-like heads – one for the cells and the other to
materials into moulds. Of all the exciting set up support cells as a scaffold. The tech-
innovations in the field, the following need nology is likely to culminate in machines
special mention: that could allow surgeons to make human
body parts and organs whenever needed.
Cornucopia
If you’re really hungry and too tired to Glass printing
cook (or too broke to take-away) here, ‘Vitraglyphic’ is a technique that makes
finally, is ‘Cornucopia’ - a printer that Large scale printing with Dani’s D-Shape glass objects from fine glass powder using
prints food. Scientist of the Fluid Inter- CAD software and a 3D printer. The
faces Group Media Lab at MIT actually based binder to glue the sand into a hard, brain child of the Solheim Rapid Manu-
stores and refrigerates ingredients, mixes solid layer of stone, harder than even facturing Laboratory at the University
them and ‘prints’ the final product onto a concrete. This process then works from of Washington, the printer uses inkjet
serving tray. Though this is at the concept bottom up to create an entire structure. printing technology to spread drops
stage, it is an incredible innovation that’s The invention has been used to create
going to transform household spaces and a large, 9-cubic meter structure for a
roundabout in Pontedera, Italy.
Second skin
Scientists and researchers at Wake Forest
University in North Carolina have devel-
oped a bio-printer that that sprays skin
cells on the wounds of a burn victim. The
‘printer’ is mounted on a frame and set to
hover above the patient’s bed. It then uses
a laser to figure out the extend, width and
depth of the burn and sprays out a layer
of skin cells. This speeds up the recovery Figure it out
and helps the skin to grow back in about
Digital gastronomy three weeks. Successfully tested on mice, of glass powder and fuse them using a
it is an ideal alternative to other, more binder solution. Glass isn’t very good at
family interaction patterns once it does painful processes like skin grafting and absorbing water and so must be heated
hit the market. Amit Zoran and Marcel chemical-based medication for burns. past its fusion point. This is ideal for
Coelho’s machine’s algorithm works by architects, designers or artists who wish
first selecting the relevant canisters of Tissue culture to build scale prototypes in glass.
stored constituents on top of the machine, 3D bio-printers can print more than just
feeding them into a mixing chamber and skin. Invetech (Australia) and Organovo Figuring it all out
then extruding them in layers of pre-set (USA) have joined forces to construct It’s no pipe dream that 3D printers of
combinations. A touch-screen interface organs, arteries and almost any body various types are likely to hit the world
and internet connectivity augments the tissue by placing cells in a computer gen- markets at affordable rate really soon.
cooking process, and allows the user to erated pattern using laser-calibrated print Which one of us can resist the ability
keep track of the nutritive value and other heads. The printer lets scientists arrange to visualise an object and actually hold
such details of the recipe. Elementary, my it in our hands within a few hours of
dear Watson. the thought. It’s amazing that a simple
layering process could be developed to the
Builder’s lobby extent that everything from tools to build-
Enrico Dini – inventor and chairman of ings, sculptures to subcutaneous tissues
Monlite UK Ltd. Has created a massive could be ‘printed’ out by machines in our
3D printer that can make entire buildings own homes. Three-dimensional printers
out of sand – and we’re not talking about are a sign that the future is one of greater
beach castles here. ‘D-Shape’ is a printer personalisation, greater power and
that sprays a layer of sand (about 5 to 10 perhaps even, the end of oligopolies and
mm each) and, through hundreds of little an equitable distribution of knowledge,
nozzles underneath, uses a magnesium- Raise your glass to Vitraglyphic resources and capital.
32 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Our pick Of the best tech articles frOm arOund the glObe
(Must reads) (O’reillycorner) Extracting information
Mark Zuckerberg expose through Data SciEncE
close on the heels of the new
facebook movie about to hit
the theatres next month, new
Yorker profiled its founder
mark Zuckerberg. the profile
gives insight on the allegations
levelled against Zuckerberg and
the formation of facebook
http://nyr.kr/dAj6nM
There is a lot of data around us on the web. Extracting informa-
Digg or bury?
a new York times article
tion out of this infinite data, is what Data Science is all about.
discussing the rise and fall of Merging data visualization and art, you can come up with
social bookmarking site digg brilliant visuals which make sense of the data. Read more on
and what it needs to do to get
back in the game, which it is
the qualities required to be a Data Scientist...
http://oreil.ly/b5JSvD
slowly but surely loosing to
twitter and facebook.
http://nyti.ms/a2zauL
How to relax at work
honestly, no one needs to
teach us this skill. but if you’re
stressed out and your “stomach
metamorphoses from a digestive
organ into a pit of anxiety”, or
your “ears start jangling with Predict natural disasters with Building on top of Google Maps Network Neutrality for dummies
nerves”, here’s a hilarious piece sensors An interesting piece on the state of For all those who were confused with
A case for using environmental mapping APIs discussing the various the whole Net Neutrality debate, here
on relaxing at work. p.s. it’s a sensor networks, to predict climatic mashups that have been attempted is a complete article which explains
Wired wiki so anyone can edit it, conditions and prevent future natural with the Maps application. Features the concept of Network Neutrality.
making it all the more fun. disasters. examples of data layered on maps Down with draconian ISPs!
http://oreil.ly/9uRolE http://oreil.ly/cR6xbg http://bit.ly/9Qo7EQ
http://bit.ly/caKX9A
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 33
(worldview)
tHe blogger granny speeD test: pigeon v/s keyless keyboarDs google eMployees can
phyllis greene can hardly broaDbanD snapkeys believes that snoop on your eMails!
take care of herself but at a showdown between screens were not meant to if you’ve ever had this nagging
Shorts
the age of 90, she decided to the juxtaposed take inputs. so instead of doubt while using the service,
start a blog. she talks about modes of trying to port qwerty to the it’s not paranoia. a story on
her near addiction and how communication screen, they’ve come up with a the independent reports
technology has brought a highlighted the system that involves has four how a google engineer was
new dimension to her life. pathetically low invisible keys – two on each accessing several accounts
Worth a read to try and speeds of rural side of the device’s screen. including that of a 15 yr old
understand the elderly. broadband in the uk. Worth a look. boy. pervert!
http://bbc.in/ddebD8 http://bbc.in/9wcTXu http://bit.ly/dfahfk http://bit.ly/ca6g3p
sandy Bridge: Intel’s Next-Generation
Microarchitecture revealed by Matthew Murray
Copyright © 2010 ment strategy: the latest iteration of the sary, as Intel released the first consumer-
Ziff Davis Publishing Westmere-based, 32nm die-shrink of the oriented six-core processor earlier this year),
Holdings Inc.
Nehalem microarchitecture that Intel and use less power to do everything.
A
t this week’s Intel Developer Forum released at the beginning of the year. They Most users won’t notice these changes,
in San Francisco, Intel wasted no won’t fit the LGA1156 socket those chips use, but many of them are substantial ones that
time revealing the most anticipated however—they’ll need a new one, LGA1155, could be setting the ground for even more
technology of the three-day conference: its which will be released on motherboards exciting developments to come. Read on for
second-generation Core microarchitecture, using the new Series 6 chipset at the same our look at what’s going on in Sandy Bridge,
code-named Sandy Bridge. It’s due for both time Sandy Bridge CPUs are released. and what benefits it may hold for computer
desktop and laptop release at the first part of But beyond all that, Sandy Bridge is really users and builders starting in 2011.
next year, but has been generating buzz for about unity. Yes, it finally brings the memory
months as tantalizing little details have slowly controller, PCI Express (PCIe) controller, Front end features
leaked out. When it came to Sandy Bridge, and video functions within the processor Two of the major changes that Sandy Bridge
we wanted to know two things: What exactly die, which by itself is an enormous change introduces come right at the front end: a new
was it, and was it worth all the hype? The first that has major performance repercussions. decoded micro-operation (uop) cache and
question has been definitively answered—and But it also strikes up a much clearer parity revamped branch prediction.
we think we’ve got a good start on the second. with the modern computing world: finding
At its most basic, Sandy Bridge is the new ways, for example, to take advantage of Micro-operations and aVX
latest “tock” in Intel’s tick-tock develop- large numbers of processing cores (neces- Sandy Bridge now treats where you want to
store data and what data you want to store
as separate functions. (Intel began imple-
menting this idea in Nehalem.) When an
instruction is decoded, the uop cache checks
to see whether it’s already cached. If the
instruction is, the cache shuts down the
rest of the pipeline and the front end. If it’s
not, the instruction is cached; the cache can
store up to 1,500 instructions, and is direct-
mapped for easier access. If an instruction
hasn’t been used in a while, it’s discarded
once additional space is needed. Because the
uop cache has marginally higher and more
consistent bandwidth than the instruction
cache, this one-two punch has a significant
impact on both power and performance.
In addition, the use of a new physical
register file instead of a centralized retire-
34 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
(worldview)
poop power! anDroiD gaining grounD boeing follows virgin
matthew mazzotta is using dog poop according to comscore, android gained galactic into space
to power the lights in a massachusetts 5 per cent market share in the us for “please ensure your spine is in the
ShortS
city park. since dog owners anyway the period of april to July 2010, while all stiffened position and your fears of
have to pick up after their pets, all they other smartphone platforms declined. hurtling towards the stars are stowed for
have to do is dump it in the the digester even after the recent launch of iphone take-off. any passengers not planning
– an air-tight cylindrical container, 4 the iOs market share declined 1.3 per to visit the space station today should
where the dog faeces are broken down cent. Where have all the fanboys gone? disembark now.” full coverage -
by anaerobic bacteria, and then used to One crappy antenna and you desert your newZeland herald. still not affordable for
give back to the grid. favourite fruit? any of us though.
http://t.co/9fjkkSM http://usat.ly/cqdw89 http://bit.ly/cnSPec
ment register file reduces the need for large, “weak” confidence. Intel representatives
complex out-of-order execution hardware. say they discovered that most branches
The physical register stores operands, so predicted using that method, however,
that uops only carry the pointers to the were marked with “strong” confidence,
operands they need—a much lighter load. which diminished the accuracy of those
The savings here enable the use of Advanced predictions. With Sandy Bridge, Intel
Vector Extensions (AVX) instructions, which is moving to using one confidence bit
can use operands up to 256 bits in size and for multiple branches, thus increasing
borrow 128 bits of the now&ndash256- the potential accuracy of any given one.
bit integer SIMD path, enabling twice the Second, branch targets were also
floating point throughput. (A look at the specs changed, so that it’s no longer a “one
of the new physical register file is below.) size fits all” situation. Instead there is
Because this increase in floating point support for multiple target sizes so that
performance introduces new demands, the less space is wasted, the CPU can track
memory cluster has been changed as well. more targets, and prediction speed can
There are now two load/store ports, and Sandy increase.
Bridge uses symmetric address ports so that Third is the increase in the use of his-
each port can service a load or store address, tory bits, so that branches that need to
resulting in double the load bandwidth. look at long patterns of instructions and
According to a presentation held Monday at those that need to only look at shorter
IDF, this is the Sandy Bridge change that most branches won’t be grouped together.
increased performance: It results in a total of
48 bytes per cycle internal memory bandwidth. One ring to unite them all
Zooming out, it’s much easier to see one
Branch prediction of Sandy Bridge’s biggest innovations: In Nehalem and Westmere, all cores
According to Intel, branch prediction is uniting almost all of the major subsystems had their own private path to the L3 cache.
one of the most effective ways to increase within the processor die itself. That’s where Sandy Bridge uses a ring-based intercon-
processor performance, which is one of you’ll find the memory controller, the PCIe nect, similar to the one used in Nehalem-
the reasons it’s tweaked with almost every controller, and the graphics controller EX and Westmere-EX, to link the cores,
new CPU release. Sandy Bridge introduces a (which also use 32nm transistors—but graphics, last level cache (see below), and
few changes that improve its accuracy even more on them later). Because everything is System Agent. It contains four rings: the
above the 5 percent usual increase. snuggled so closely together, the processor 32-byte data ring, the request ring, the
First, it offers more targets. In a standard needs a way to make sure everything gets acknowledge ring, and the snoop ring.
branch predictor, branches are marked as along, using the available resources without They’re all fully pipelined, so as the core
“taken” or “not taken” with either “strong” or utilizing too much power. count and cache size increase, so will the
bandwidth to the cache. (This means it can
Element Nehalem Sandy Bridge also scale to servers using large numbers
Load Buffers 48 64 of processors.) As it’s passing around the
Store Buffers 32 36 ring, data will always take the shortest
RS - Scheduler Entries 36 54 path to minimize latency. Distributed
PRF Integer N/A 160 arbitration and a sophisticated ring pro-
PRF float-point 160 144 tocol handle coherency, ordering, and core
interface issues.
ROB Entries 128 168
36 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
(worldview)
ipaD v2.0 coMing soon? HealtH packs now farMville: twisteD wireless cHarging now
going by orders and shipping a reality eDition a reality
schedules that taiwanese how often have we used health say hello to meet eater a plant a while ago we’d covered
component manufacturers are packs in games and cribbed on facebook that wireless power transmission in
receiving, there could soon be about how unrealistic they are. gets wattered its experimental stages – non
a new version of the segment not any more! fabrican an only when people practical things like charging
defining ipad in the offing. instant, sprayable, non-woven ‘like’ its page. mats and the like. fujitsu has
these ipads are likely to be fabric will be used in the future its first two incarnations died taken this to a whole new level
even thinner, with ultra-thin, to create instant, sprayable, from water overdoses. people where even city-wide wireless
glass-based touch panels bandages. come up with weirdest things! networks can be envisioned.
http://bit.ly/aP2C6v http://bit.ly/bhLOy4 http://bit.ly/9rgcZy http://bit.ly/c6W7Qx
Last level cache
The last level cache (LLC) is shared by the
GPU and a special video transcoding engine,
and has less latency than we saw in West-
mere. It also runs at the core clock speed,
which means it’s going to be a lot faster than
it’s been previously. (At least under most
circumstances. If the processor cores are
downclocked for whatever reason, the LLC
will be as well.)
Each core gets its own portion of the LLC The LLC is logically shared among cores,
(although each core is capable of addressing graphics, and media, with the graphics driver system agent
the entire cache as well), with each por- controlling which graphic streams are cached The System Agent (formerly known as the
tion having its own stop on the ring and a and are coherent. (There are mechanisms in uncore) offers a number of features and pro-
full cache pipeline. This is different from place to prevent thrashing between the core viding extensive power and thermal manage-
Westmere, in which one cache pipeline was and graphics, and multiple coherency domains ment for the PCIe and DDR controllers. The
shared by all the cores. According to Intel, for power optimization and anti-snooping pur- PCIe x16 lane may be split into two x8s, if
the multibanked LLC cache can deliver up to poses.) Because this reduces DRAM accesses, desired. There’s a redesigned dual-channel
384 Gbps on a four-core system or 192 Gbps this frees up DRAM bandwidth for the cores DDR3 memory controller. And the System
with two cores, with short access latency. and lets the DRAM utilize less power. Agent also contains a Power Control Unit
(PCU), a programmable uController that
handles all the power management and
reset functions within the chip. The System
Agent is fully integrated with the ring, and
helps provide the cores, video, and media
processing with higher bandwidth and lower
latency. It also handles IO-to-cache coher-
ency, and operates on a separate voltage and
frequency from the ring, cores, and display.
Improved integrated graphics
One of the Sandy Bridge changes that
received the most discussion at IDF was
its new graphics hardware. Intel says its
goal was to increase the performance of the
graphics while maintaining the same socket
power, and in order to make that happen the
company had to make a “radical departure”
from what it was doing before. One Intel
rep even said that the change in graphics
approach was responsible for the biggest
power savings in any part of Sandy Bridge.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 37
(worldview)
all pirates aboarD tHe ipaD! twitter is only for news anD
With the new Vlc player app now available content please...
for the ipad, you can play all your media kevin thau, Vp business and corporate
content on it. it can be anything from an aVi development for twitter has acknowledged
to an mkV file format, giving you the freedom that the micro blogging site should not be
to watch all your downloaded stuff, yes even considered as a social networking place.
the illegal ones. the ipad supported the rather its meant for breaking news and
tHe pain of watcHing non geeks Quicktime format (.mOV) till now, until the other useful content posted through tweets.
use a coMputer… Vlc app came into the picture rescuing all point taken, but then what about all the
a must see comic for any geek the .XVid and .dViX files. idiotic minute to minute nonsense?
http://bit.ly/9GzlBw http://bit.ly/byDxAh http://rww.to/bxx9bi
The majority of Intel’s changes come from tion of Intel HD Graphics—
the philosophy that anything that could be four to 20 times as much,
done as a more efficient fixed function would by Intel’s reckoning. Also,
be. So at every point in the 3D pipe where a whereas previous graphics
fixed function is assumed, there is an explicit architectures repartitioned
fixed function—this improves throughput the register file as needed to
per watt, reduces latency, reduces complexity make the most out of smaller
in the driver programming model, and “lets numbers of registers, Sandy
the shaders do shaders” (in Intel speak). Intel Bridge’s GPU has a fixed 120
says it has found the optimal balance of fixed registers per thread. Intel
function to compute within the GPU. estimates that with all of
Everything being on the same chip has these changes, each shader
made it possible to dynamically shift power unit will be able to deliver
around as it’s required—and that benefits the double the throughput of
graphics as well. (This helps deal with the those currently used.
problem of some programs swallowing up Driver overload has
CPU cycles, and others pegging the graphics.) been reduced as well. All
The GPU is constructed of the same orthogonal states, re-jit,
32nm process as the CPU cores themselves, and shader management
which gives it a performance boost right have been removed by the
away. It’s also got its own power and clock use of fixed functions. This
planes: It can be powered down or clocked all has the side benefit of
up independently of the GPU depending freeing up CPU load to
on the demands of the workload, and it redirect power to the
can Turbo Boost on its own as well. Per- graphics.
haps most importantly, the video has equal Two versions of Sandy
access to the LLC, and it’s all controlled by Bridge’s graphics will be
the video driver. (One Intel rep said that available when the hard-
putting the video system behind the LLC ware launches next year:
was the single biggest change in Sandy one with 12 EUs (for all lap-
Bridge.) This reduces the number of trips to tops and high-performance
the main system memory, which put greater desktops), and one with 6
demands on both power and performance. EUs (for lower-end models).
The programmable shader hardware Sandy Bridge graphics
(shaders, cores, and execution units) are will support OpenGL 3.1
composed of execution units (EUs). They and DirectX 10.1 – not DX11.
contain larger register files for increased
parallelism and efficient complex shader ISA (CISC) and higher throughput at same Future-focused media
execution, a second generation parallel clock rate. processing
branch for efficient parallelization in the The EUs also handle transcendental In separate recognition of how important
face of deeply nested conditionals, and math using hardware that’s been updated for media consumption has become, even to (or
new instructions to reach 1-to-1 with API improved performance over the last-genera- perhaps especially to) those in the mainstream
38 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
(worldview)
univiteD guests froM beHinD tHe scenes tHe nuMber gaMe explore tHe oceans witH
facebook of newsy.coM gamers around the world google eartH
putting doubts on a 2-part story behind the have spent 2,000 years playing google earth has come with its
ShortS
facebook’s privacy settings formation of newsy.com, a bungie’s latest installation new app for the latest iOs. built
once again is a birthday multi-source online video halo: reach. all this even with the apple retina display in
story of a 14 year old from news site that monitors, before bungie celebrates the mind, browsing google earth on
hertfordshire. she posted an analyzes and presents the one week anniversary of the the iphone 4 is pure joy. apart
invite, 21,000 said, “see you world’s news coverage. also launch of the game. Wish from surfing the planet’s terrain
there...” don’t check “anyone talks about newsy apps for people would spend that time now you can dive into the oceans,
can view” next time. mobile internet devices. trying to cure aids or cancer! and experience the marine life.
http://bbc.in/97yjEa http://rww.to/bpAn0m http://bit.ly/9PluiO http://bit.ly/96k5eT
market at whom Sandy Bridge is aimed, Intel you will lose all these added media capabili- but it also expands into directions we hadn’t
will be packing the processors with an array ties. In some ways, that makes sense—after previously considered. Intel’s techniques for
of new media capabilities implemented with all, you generally lose access to integrated dealing with the on-board graphics (particu-
what the company calls a more easily pro- graphics capabilities when you’re using a larly media processing) and the revamped
grammable and flexible architecture. video card. But if the card you choose doesn’t Turbo Boost strike us as particularly exciting
These include dedicated hardware offer comparable media-management capa- changes, and we can’t wait to see how—if?—
accelerators for tasks like high-quality bilities, you may want to seriously consider they pan out in the real world.
video scaling, denoise filtering, deinter- your own needs before you upgrade. We want to reserve most of our judgments
lacing, and film-mode detecting; the ability until Sandy Bridge is released, but we have
to hand more computes for processing turbo boost: boosted a few qualms. First, we find it a bit odd that
high-definition workloads; high-quality One of the smarter innovations of recent Intel the CPUs will support only DX10.1 graphics
enhancement techniques and filters for processors was Turbo Boost, which automati- and not DX11 out of the gate. Considering that
detail and adaptive contrast enhancement, cally increased the performance of certain DX11 will have been out for over a year when
and for total color control; native support of cores by turning off others that weren’t in use, Sandy Bridge is released, this seems like a
mainstream codecs like MPEG-2, VC1, and assuming the electrical and thermal head- significant oversight—and it’s one Intel can
AVC, and technologies like stereoscopic 3D room were available. There’s just one problem count on AMD hammering at every oppor-
Blu-ray; and parallel engines that deliver with this way of doing it: It assumes that the tunity, especially given that its own Fusion
high-throughput video rendering. CPU reaches its maximum TDP immediately APUs will be out around the same time.
The EUs (shader units) are being opti- once turbo is enabled, while in actuality the It’s also a little disappointing that, in order
mized for the types of media expected to drive CPU takes a little while to heat up. to take advantage of all of Sandy Bridge’s
the next generation, and Sandy Bridge devel- So in Sandy Bridge, the PCU turbos active enhancements, owners of computers with the
opers have worked to attain “parallel compute cores above the TDP for very short periods previous mainstream next-generation socket,
synergy” with the graphics processing hard- of time (up to about 25 seconds, according the LGA1156, will have to upgrade yet again, to
ware. This was done by more efficient media to Intel), stepping down gradually as the the LGA1155. So much of what Sandy Bridge
computation through low-power integer processor heats up until it finally reaches the brings to the table has the potential of really
operations, more efficient vector/matrix ISA, real TDP. Because the PCU also tracks the benefiting mainstream users—it’s too bad
and cooperation with the hardware accel- available thermal budget when the system owners of current (and, let’s face it, recently
erators. There’s also language support for is idling, it can spend it once CPU demand purchased or build systems) won’t just be able
explicit parallel programming. increases. (Like current Turbo Boosting, to pop in the new chips.
The result, says Intel, is that you can however, the PCU will not allow the chip to Of course, these could all be moot points
do all this faster while using lower power exceed any hard reliability limits.) if Sandy Bridge proves to be so spectacular as
(and thus saving battery life on a laptop—an to be worth the upgrade. And for that, again,
increasingly vital concern in a laptop-heavy Conclusion: a bridge to the we have to wait—as do enthusiasts, who won’t
computing world). Intel says processor future? be reaping the benefits of early adoption this
power is cut in half for HD video playback, It’s impossible to say right now whether time around. Intel is taking a lot of surprising
that most media applications consume about Sandy Bridge will live up to Intel’s extrava- chances, and making a lot of daring choices,
30 percent less power at full rate than if they gant claims for it—we still have a few months with Sandy Bridge, and seeing whether they
were using typical 3D, and that CPU-style left until it’s released, and a lot can happen pay off—and how they compare to AMD’s
power management achieves faster transi- in that time. own ideas about uniting formerly disparate
tion between power states But based on what we’ve seen and heard so technologies on the same processor die—is
There’s one potential down side to this: If far, we’re intrigued. It looks like Sandy Bridge already poised to be one of the most exciting
you add a discrete video card to computer, doesn’t just build on Nehalem’s innovations, tech events of early 2011.
40 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
(worldview)
(worldview)
In one of our aimless wan- (prOduCt LauNChes)
dering across the vast land-
scapes of cyber space Htc Desire Z nikon D7000 ipoD toucH
we came across
this nice picture
gallery. A 100
plus minimal-
istic movie
poster redesigns
were showcased.
Some of the most
famous movies
the htc desire Z now nikon d7000 is the new september 1 saw the
ever were revealed in sports an innovative upgrade to the d90 and launch of the new ipod
the most simple yet attractive pull-out keyboard beneath d5000 cameras. it features touch featuring a 5mp
manner. Most of the posters an impressive 3.7-inch a 16.2 mp cmOs sensor, camera capable of doing
are so innately clever you capacitive touchscreen, 1080p video recording, a new facetime over Wifi and
can’t help but smile. Make and that’s not all, it also eXpeed 2 image processing iphone4’s retina display.
features new additions to engine among other almost a smartphone
sure to check them out by
the sense ui. features. isn’t it?
pointing your browser to: http://bit.ly/aYik06 http://bit.ly/8YjQCj http://bit.ly/bKFW7P
http://bit.ly/bCrNrv
C r O S SWOr D Across
With our new 1 1. What is this?
A
2. dobe’s browser compatibility
World View
Do you section,
testing service
LIke
2
r
4. unning a computer component at a
higher clock rate
we’re trying
AbSoLute
timEpaSS
3 5. successor to Nehalem
to expose 4
A
7. n HTML5 element that
allows scriptable rendering
the wOrLd VIew you to more 8. India’s $35 tablet
seCtION? interna- 5 6 T
9. he once P2P music sharing
service that turned paid
tional stories
DoWN
and culture.
7
I
1. t’s a browser and a netbook os
Instead of just a 8
bearing the same name
3. Picture Element
list, we hand-pick the stories G
5. oogle Labs feature gives auto
we think you’d like. However, 9 suggestions as you type
G
6. oogle’s search service designed to
in order to ensure that we’re EclipseCrossword.com shave 2-5 seconds off your search
doing a good enough job,
we’d love to hear your feed-
back and comments. Top 3 Picks make sure your boss doesn’t catch you goofing off with
one of these playing on your pc screen
IF yOu LIke,
hate, skIp Or
aBsOLuteLy LOVe
thIs seCtION,
Let us kNOw. http://bit.ly/a0B5lX http://bit.ly/9gsCo6 http://bit.ly/9ayaJv
2 min 18 sec 2 min 0 sec 7 min 56 sec
Send in your feedback to Nokia introduces N8, also Yonder biology is turning DNA This android does more than
editor@thinkdigit.com has three new touchscreen into a works of art, along with just fighting crime. check out
phones c6, c7 and e7. a picture of your choice. his moves and be amazed.
42 Digit October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
42 Digit ||September 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
HD media players Go shopping!
Tried & tested 60 A look at the newest HD media players
available in the market 64 We’ve tested the latest products the
past month across several categories
Team Digit
feedback@thinkdigit.com
confounDeD This festive season, we’re going to help you spend
pHones your money wisely. Whether you’re buying a little cell
A
lthough India entered
the cell phone party
phone or a massive HDTV, be sure to spend wisely,
late, figures by the and arm yourself with the information on these pages.
Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India THe TecHnoloGy: 3G Operating systems
(TRAI) peg the number of mobile BSNL and MTNL have already started 3G The other technical aspect of cell
subscribers at a whopping 653.92 services whereas the other players have phones that has gained prominence in
million users (as of May 2010). given a January 2011 launch date. We recent months is the underlying oper-
Also, mobile devices sales in the wouldn’t suggest you wait for 3G services ating system. A couple of years ago,
country is expected to reach 138.6 million to roll out and then consider buying a very few people knew what operating
in 2010 which is an 18.5 per cent increase handset. Go ahead, buy a 3G enabled system their cell phone was running.
over 2009 sales, according to market phone. The services provided will Every third person was buying either
research firm Gartner. You can purchase have nothing to do with your handset. the Symbian-based Nokia phones or
a phone for as low as `2,000 to as high And may we add, according to Bharti other phones running a firmware.
as `40,000. Then, how do you go about Airtel CEO Sanjay Kapoor, 3G services Then there were the proprietary
making the right purchase decision? will not be cheap by any standards. OSes from iPhone and BlackBerry.
44 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Fujifilm FinePix X100
FujiFilm Finepix X100 to launch by March 2011 with an
approximate price of Rs. 48,000 ($1,000); the camera includes a
23mm f/2 fixed lens Cover feature
The mobile OS game changed forever towards the iPhones and Android based
with the launch of Google’s Android. phones. bada being relatively new, still
These days, mobile operating systems has a lot of catching up to do as far as
play an important role in mobile pur- number of applications go. With time
chasing decisions. Right now we the applications segment
have Android, iOS, Symbian, will just grow. With MeeGo
bada, WinMo and BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 OS
CCNA Rs. 5,000/-
with Windows Phone 7 and coming up, it will be party
CCNP Rs.30,000/-
MeeGo to arrive soon. So which time for app developers with CCSP Rs.30,000/-
is the best operating system? so many operating systems, for
There can’t be one answer to which apps can be written.
that question, as the user expe-
Congrats to our Latest CCIEs
rience with each OS is com- Android Mascot The hyPe: Dual SIM Mr. Jitendra Siyag CCIE Security # 27022
pletely different. According entry-level phones Mr. Mahesh A CCIE # 26985 (v4.0)
Mr. Mohammad Saud Reyaz CCIE # 26899 (v4.0)
to Gartner, as of August 2010, by the The entry level dual-SIM market in Mr. Suresh Kumar K. CCIE Security # 26621
Mr. Solomon S CCIE Security # 26508
numbers Symbian leads with a 41.2 per India is exploding at an unprecedented Mr. Ashis Kumar J CCIE Security # 26299
cent global market share, followed by rate. These phones come in a range of Mr. Louis Kalliath CCIE # 26271 (v4.0)
Mr. Akram El-Samiri CCIE # 26163 (v4.0)
Research In Motion’s 18.2 per cent with form factors and pretty much most Mr. Divin Mathew John CCIE # 25905 (v4.0)
Mr. Renash Chandran CCIE # 25904 (v4.0)
Android at third spot with a 17.2 per of the phones come with the same
cent share. In comparison, Apple iOS feature-set that high-end phones from
has a market share of 14.2 per cent. If big manufacturers usually ship with.
you compare these market shares with Quality, however, is questionable at
last year’s, a surprise winner emerges. times. If you’re looking for a phone that
Symbian market share has dropped by can play music, take OK pictures and
10 per cent, whereas Android’s share video and is priced at under `5,000, you
has increased by a whopping 15 per cent. may find these phones irresistible.
Android is the hot seller right now and it Companies such as Micromax,
makes sense to purchase a phone having Karbonn, Lava among others who
this OS. Frequent updates on the Android comprise the crème de la crème of the
OS may keep some users away from it, entry-level dual-SIM market have a
but anything above Android 1.6 is quite combined market share of 14 per cent
good. You have to be very sure which according to a Voice and Data survey.
version of Android your phone will But before hurrying up to book that
support, whether updating to the newest dual-SIM phone, sit back and ponder on
version is easy. bada is the new kid on these points : Am I really going to use two
the block from Samsung and is pres- separate numbers? What about the cost
ently available on the Samsung Wave. incurred on two separate phone plans?
Dual SIMs make sense for individuals
Applications who travel a lot. Say for instance, you
One of the main considerations while are working in Delhi, but your home-
opting for a smartphone based on its town is in Hyderabad. Also your work
OS, is the number of requires you to be in these
applications the OS cities for longer durations.
supports. Apple leads Then having a Delhi SIM
with its App Store and a Hyderabad SIM in one We have Graduated over 67 CCIEs.
having over 2,50,000 phone makes sense as you
apps followed by will be able to receive calls
Android’s marketplace from both regions and won’t
having over 2,00,000. have to carry two phones or
As compared to these keep switching SIMs. Also
two behemoths, other dual-SIM phones make sense
operating systems have for individuals who plan to
comparatively lesser have two separate numbers
apps, which is another for personal and office use.
factor pushing people Rise of Apps
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 45
Panasonic Lumix gh2
15.3MP Sigma SD1 Panasonic Lumix GH2 features 16 MP, LiveMOS
Sigma launches 15.3 MP CMOS sensor camera sensor, 3-inch LCD, 3D interchangeable lens and
Tried & tested which lacks video shooting capability also 1080p video recording
Touchscreen smartphone the processor Samsung Wave sports
Touchscreen phones are flooding the should have a minimum the Super AMOLED
cell phone market like never before. of 800MHz rating – 1 GHz screen
Thanks to the rise of smartphones, the is ideal. This also makes
importance of touchscreens has ampli- your handset future proof.
fied. Samsung Corby series broke the
glass ceiling of `10,000 with its afford- Display technologies
able touchscreen phones paving the Phone displays also add a dimension
way for more handset manufacturers to to the overall user experience. Off late,
come out with their version of affordable AMOLED and Super AMOLED displays provides
touchscreen phones. LG’s Cookie series seen in Samsung phones are the talk of push mail
also have a range of touchscreen options. the town. Samsung Wave sports a Super services for
However, do not confuse these phones AMOLED screen which really enhances BlackBerry me-toos.
with smartphones as they are not. These the quality of the display. Since AMOLED Opt for push mail only if you are
phones are feature-rich phones. It’s safe technology does not use backlighting, a professional and constantly need to
to say that you should opt for capacitive the blacks are jet black, thus giving more access your mail accounts. Not a fea-
touchscreens over resistive ones. Resis- vivid images and better contrast than ture for leisure use. BlackBerry is the
tive touch response will deteriorate over standard LCD technology. HTC which undisputed leader in this category,
time and reach a point where you will had the AMOLED screen in some of its but recent government rulings have
actually have to press the phone screen handsets (HTC Desire for instance) will got people thinking. We’re not wor-
hard to register a response. If the phone soon switch to Sony’s Super LCD (SLCD) ried though, because India is too big
requires the use of a stylus, we would display technology due to shortage of a market for BlackBerry to lose. Sure,
recommend that you avoid it altogether. AMOLED screens from Samsung (which you might lose out on some privacy,
HTC and Apple phones have is understandable considering Samsung but you will still enjoy all the features.
amazing touch response. It is high will give first priority to its handsets). Even after the matter is settled, you will
time Nokia also switched to this tech- Comparing these two technologies, it still have the same amount of privacy
nology as we really don’t know how it is not easy to pick a winner. AMOLED that you can expect from other services.
expects to compete on user experience has a headstart with many phones Nokia is also aggressively marketing
with resistive touch screen phones. using this technology available in India. its service as a mass-based option.
As of date, Nokia just has the X6 with SLCD is yet to make an entry here.
a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen. As of now, the phones sporting Wi-Fi: This is a desirable feature, but
A lot of the entry-level phones AMOLED and Super AMOLED there are some points to be noted. You’re
also come with touchscreens, but the technology are expensive. For sub- most likely only going to use this feature
experience leaves a lot to be desired. `15,000 phones you will still have at home, in office, or at the occasional
Those of you who are used to a to stick with LCD technology. The coffee shop or airport. It’s not like we have
QWERTY keypad, be careful before newer display technologies are an India-wide, or even city-wide network
opting for a touchscreen phone without ideal if you consume a lot of multi- that you can rely on. Unless absolutely
a keypad. Expect your typing speeds to media on your phone and want the essential to you, don’t pay extra for this
take a hit. Look for slide out keypads best visual experience possible. feature when choosing a phone.
instead. The Motorola Milestone is a good
phone in that respect, BuSTing MyThS A-GPS: Another desirable feature if you are
so is Sony Ericsson Marketers are known to use a lot of jargon going to use a lot of apps which need you to
Xperia X10 Mini Pro . to sell their products. So let us try to see just share your location or find your way. Make
how important some of these really are. sure your mobile provider supports this.
Processor
These days, you’ve Push mail: Using this feature allows Front-facing camera: This is a
started expecting the service provider to push emails completely useless feature if either you or
your phone to directly to you, without you having to the person you’re calling are not on a 3G
do things that poll the email provider each time to network that supports video calling. You
only your PC check if new mail has arrived. Currently, could use it to set your hair, but it’s not
used to. Thus the BlackBerry, Nokia Messaging Service something you should pay extra for.
importance of the and MobileMe for the iPhone are ways
processor perform-
perform in which you can avail this service. ebook readers: Only makes sense if
ance increases. Recently, a Bangalore-based firm came the screen is large – tablet sized almost.
For a high-end up with BlacMail, which basically Otherwise, it’s just another feature
46 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
JVC eX-S1 dock Leaf Aptus-ii 12
JVC launched its EX-S1 iDevice dock which The Leaf Aptus-II 12 priced at $31,387 clicks
is part of the Wood Cone lineup, it includes a 80 million pixels images; it also has a 3.5-inch
Tried & tested USB port and auxiliary inputs touchscreen and click photos as large as 480MB in size
that doesn’t really work too well, and is (`16,000) is a decent buy. at the Samsung Galaxy S.
more likely to drive you batty than be At the higher-end segment Although we’d all but
any fun. you have the HTC Desire, forgotten about Windows
Sony Ericsson Xperia Mobile phones, Windows
Social network integration: This is X10, Motorola Milestone Phone 7 OS has sparked
very popular now, and makes complete and Samsung Galaxy S. our interest again. With
sense if you have a mobile internet plan. Waiting a few months is features such as Xbox Live
For those of you who don’t use GPRS or not going to drastically allowing you to sync your
EDGE, completely pointless. affect the price points as Xbox 360 with the phone,
each handset manufac- there’s some promise there.
ReCoMMenDATionS turer has stripped down However, since the OS has
Entry-level, dual-SIM phones which are versions of phones (HTC only been seen on proto-
all the rage nowadays are meant for users Wildfire for HTC Desire types, we don’t recommend
looking at extremely budget friendly or Sony Ericsson Xperia that you hold your breath
phones with a decent feature set. Vide- X10 Mini Pro for Xperia or halt your buying for it.
ocon Qruz V1430, Intex IN 6633, g-Fone X10). But before buying the HTC Desire
565 (The Digit Best Buy winner) are some phones, check the Android
of the phones we would recommend. version. Most higher-end LASCiViouS
Rising above the entry-level market offerings should have Android 2.2 and a 1 LAP-MATeS
come the feature-rich phones meant GHz processor. Look for a higher internal
for budget buyers, which include the memory capacity, as some phones do not Get that mind out of the gutter, this is Digit.
range of teeny bopper phones such as allow storage of apps on the memory card. When we use lecherous language, we’re
the Samsung Corby Pro or LG Cookie BlackBerry phones are ideal for almost always talking about gadgets.
series phones. They are available under business use, but do not expect a wide This holiday season, thousands of you
`10,000 but they have resistive touch- variety of apps. For first time users the will set forth into the markets, drooling
screens which will deteriorate over time. BlackBerry 8520 is quite affordable at over laptops with a wad of cash (or plastic)
Operating system considerations make around `12,000. BlackBerry is the gold in your hands. The problem is, if there’s
sense in the case of smartphones as here standard as far as QWERTY keypads one category where you’re completely
apart from productivity the feature set is are concerned, so it is best to stick with spoilt for choice, it’s this one. There are
also of prime importance. But with sub- that. BlackBerry has acquired Cellmania so many brands and so many models
recently, so if you are a heavy applications to choose from that you’re bound to go
user and want to switch to BlackBerry, it crazy. We should know, we can barely
would make sense to wait a bit to see how keep up with testing one generation when
the new apps come along. Also, prices another is launched. Only cell phones
may come down by 10 per cent or so. are more confusing to buy, but since
Apple iPhone users or aspiring iPhone you’re spending considerably more on a
users are eagerly awaiting the launch notebook or netbook, making the right
of iPhone4 in India. Expect to shell choice becomes all the more critical here.
out in excess of `40,000 for it though.
There’s a lot of hype around iPhones, Note or net
but we expect Android phones to cut To start with, one of the most common
this down to size. Unless you absolutely questions readers ask us is “netbook
must have an iPhone4 at all costs, we’d or notebook?” It’s a very hard question
Samsung Corby Pro recommend that you take a good look to answer if we don’t know you. It all
`10,000 Android phones starting to flood
the market we would advise you to wait for
a couple of months. As of this date if you
want a good Android phone, you will have
to increase your budget to around `15,000
to `25,000. HTC has great offerings in the
form of Legend (`24,000), Hero (`21,000),
Wildfire (` 16,000). Samsung recently
came out with Galaxy 3 (around `12,000).
Also the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro
48 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
TerreStar genus Blue Mickey
TerreStar launches a $799 Windows Mobile based Blue Mickey is a condenser mic which is powered by
phone called Genus; the phone has GSM backed with AAA batteries which can charge cameras as well; it
Tried & tested satellite capability will hit the market next year at a price of $69
depends on your daily usage scenarios, either, keep your options open by looking high processing powers on your laptop,
and what it is you’re looking for. If a at the offerings of at least three brands but if you can’t get through a presenta-
smaller screen and keyboard don’t whose products you like and trust. tion or a long email without hooking
bother you, and if you’re looking for Also remember that certain PC and it up to the mains, what is the point?
longer battery life and more portability, notebook versions of CPUs have the same
a netbook should suffice. If you need a model numbers – with just an “M” or Ooh, shiny!
larger screen, and care more about PC some letter added somewhere to denote A lot of the laptops you’ll see in malls
performance than battery life, opt for a the notebook version, which actually have lovely shiny screens that can double
notebook. However, it’s also a question of consumes much less power, and performs as a mirror when they’re off, but unfortu-
budget more often than not, and some- much slower too. So watch out for that nately, sometimes they can do the same
times, all you can afford is a netbook! when looking up benchmarks online, and when they’re on as well. The advantage
Understanding the Atom CPU will always make like-to-like comparisons. of a glossy screen over a matte one is that
help you make the choice if budget is not As for GPUs, just re-read everything the glossy one, in the right conditions,
the major problem. The Atom may be above and mentally replace CPU with GPU. will offer a better contrast ratio. This is
capable of playing HD video (720p), but usually good for when you’re watching a
the screens on a netbook rarely support Out damned spot! video, but not when you try and do it in
the resolutions you want. So forget about The bane of our existence, batteries have brightly lit conditions. You’d be lucky to
all that and think simplicity. If all you do improved over the years, but barely see a thing if you’re outdoors under direct
is work on the occasional presentation enough to keep up with everything else. sunlight if you have a glossy screen.
or office document, and surf the net, you These are the proverbial spoil-sports, and What you need to do is decide based on
might not need anything more than a net- honestly, take it from us, if you’re plan- your own usage, and if it’s mainly indoors
book. Forget about gaming, forget about ning long trips away from plug-points, in dimly-lit conditions, choose a glossy
anything more than DVD-quality video, and need to compute, get yourself some screen, if it’s mainly outdoors in the day,
and forget about being able to use optical extra battery packs – netbooks, note- choose a matte-finished screen. Also,
media (DVDs/CDs). If you rarely use books, tablets, smart phones, whatever, remember to check the resolution of the
any of those anyway, get a netbook. For nothing is safe from the low battery screen – very often you might be asked to
everyone else, a notebook is the solution. monster when you’re travelling. How- pay more for a 13-inch screen that has the
ever, make sure to check rated battery same resolution as a 12-inch. It’s impor-
The TeCh: AMD, Core i, Core 2 times from reviews of the same model tant that you get the highest possible
– confused, aren’t you? before you buy. It’s always nice to boast of resolution for your desired screen-size.
When it comes to laptops, the most Think HD! Trust us, you won’t regret it.
hyped of all components are usually the SeRieS unLinkeD
CPU and the GPU – with good reason of RAM? HDD?
course, since these are the star per- Let’s say Digit sold laptops, and we had A lot of people ask us why their PCs
formers in every PC; portable or other- a dGt 1000 series notebook. Now although are running slowly despite having 4
wise. However, just because a laptop has a we may have three actual models under this GB of RAM. Well, honestly, your laptop
CPU brand you’ve seen advertisements of series – the dGt 1001, 1010 and 1100, we is only as fast as the slowest compo-
on TV doesn’t mean you’re getting a good might choose to follow in all other manu- nent. With a slow hard drive, there’s
deal. The smartest thing to do is to find facturer’s footsteps and sell them all as the only so much RAM can do to help
out which Core i, Core 2 or AMD CPU “dGt 1000” series. Of course we’d only ever speed things up. If you’re not really
the laptop you’re considering has. Never, advertise the features of the most powerful bothered about battery-life, choose a
and we repeat with emphasis, NEVER, go one – the dGt 1100 – and make sure all three 7200 rpm HDD, and at least 2 GB of
out and buy a laptop on your first outing. models look identical to the untrained eye. RAM for your configuration. SSDs
With so many model numbers and Now, if you were to mistake our lowest model are also recommended for those who
series from every manufacturer, it can (the dGt 1001) for the 1100, that’s hardly our don’t want loads of storage space. More
all be very confusing. Just a letter extra fault, is it? So what if you thought you were than 4 GB of RAM has rarely shown us
at the end of a model number, or a series getting a Blu-ray ROM drive and ended up any significant performance improve-
name being used instead of an actual with a DVD-writer? It’s not like we didn’t ments, so there’s no need to go there,
model number could see you end up write the specs in fine print, and we can hardly especially if you’re running a 32-bit OS!
with something you’re not happy with. be blamed for your poor eyesight and bad
Window shop, carry pen and paper, write decision-making! Keyboards and track-pads
down what you see, note exact model Although we were just having a bit of fun in the The most important and yet the most
numbers and do your research on the previous paragraph, you will not be if you cough over-looked parts of a laptop are the key-
model before you spend a single Rupee. up in excess of thirty thousand and end up with board and track-pad. Cramped keyboards
Don’t just look at models from one brand something other than what you paid for. or those who have decided to be innova-
50 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Mercedes-Benz go green
Samsung galaxy S Femme Mercedes-Benz launches 95 horsepower A-class
Samsung Galaxy S Femme is a variation of the Galaxy S electric car that has a top speed of 93 mph with
Tried & tested phone which is designed specifically for women its 70kW motor
fancy designs mean that more attention
was paid to the innards of the machine –
better hardware, or sturdier chassis, etc.
What’s in a name?
Just like we all want flashy racing cars,
and own designer wear, a lot of us want
our laptops to be fashion statements.
Named after big car makers, or designed
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Z460 is an affordable laptop by famous folk, there are laptop models
that exist purely for flaunt value. If you
tive, and put function keys where Ctrl have the money to spend on them, you
should be are a strict no-no. The thumb- can choose to show-off to your friends.
rule is to use the keypad on the demo However, if you’re taking an EMI-
Sony’s CW series are an affordable yet
piece for at least a few minutes, and do scheme, and buying one to increase stylish line of laptops
some regular tasks, and write out some- your productivity, don’t consider these
thing. If you struggle, then the keyboard designer brands. For the same price laptops we’ve used which had fingerprint
(and laptop model) is not for you. Some- you would be able to buy a much more readers suspiciously developed some
thing you should look out for is multi- powerful laptop that would keep you hardware problem just after warranty
touch track-pads. These are just great future-proofed for at least a year more. expired. It’s no big deal, but the track
to use once you get the hang of things, record of such things is barely passable.
and you will never be able to go back to Are we dead yet? These days, manufacturers are busy
regular track-pads later. If you like huge Some of the technologies people were upgrading their laptops. Intel’s Core 2
screen laptops, make sure you find one raving about just a couple of years ago processors are being phased out and
that has a number pad inbuilt into the are not really popular today. However, being replaced by Core i3 proces-
keyboard – you’ll be able to work much this will not stop manufacturers from sors. The base of the pyramid
faster with a dedicated number-pad. throwing them in to some of their models. has seen a lot of activity in
We’re talking about stuff like biometrics. the recent past. The Core
The hyPe Although a good concept, bad imple- i3 350M processor is
You’re going to be bombarded with mentation means that the webcam or a commonly used
advertisements, special offers and fingerprint reader doesn’t always work processor now.
more this Diwali, and it’s important to as advertised. We’ve bought a couple of For a really low
know what’s just hype, and what isn’t. such laptops ourselves, which is why we budget, it’s
speak from experience. Sometimes face- advisable to
The categories recognition doesn’t work after a haircut, go with an
When it comes to laptops, you’re often or if you haven’t shaved, and all six of the entry-level
told that some models are Ultra-compact,
or business series, gaming, etc. What
you need to remember is that, just like
SeRieS unLinkeD
desktops, you should always try to get the
most powerful hardware for your budget. The most important thing you should do, even before you choose a model, is to research the brands.
Buy based on usage, and not on looks Look for abundant service centres in your area and the type and duration of the warranty offered. For
alone, and you will always buy smart. If example, a model that carries two-year doorstep warranty is preferred to one that offers two-year
you don’t plan on computing on the move carry in warranty. You’d rather have someone come to your house to fix something rather than have
very often, buying an ultra-compact for to make time to go to the service centre. You should also find out how many service centres are in
a lot more money doesn’t make sense. your area, and try and do some online research to read about other people’s experiences with that
If you hardly game, and buy a gaming brand. Remember to keep the searches local, because although a brand might have great service in
laptop, that won’t make much sense Delhi or Mumbai, it may not in your city, just as a brand may have a terrible reputation in some other
either. The business series from most city, but can have a strong base in yours. Lastly, we recommend that ALL of you shell out a little
manufacturers are usually filled with more but purchase an extended warranty. At least 3 total years of warranty is what we recommend
security features, and are more sober- for laptops. Also remember to insist that the dealer fill out the warranty card with all of the required
looking than their lifestyle cousins. How- information, and keep these documents safely. As soon as you reach home after your purchase, go
ever, we’ve often found that the lower-end to the manufacturer’s web site and register yourself and your laptop. This will help you in case there
business series are decent buys, even if are any problems in the future.
you’re still a student, because the less
52 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
nokia n8
Nokia N8 is in popular demand; the phone has
been delayed for a couple of weeks to make
some final changes
Lenovo such as the IdeaPad Z460 or IdeaPad Z560. These af-
fordable laptops with their fairly sturdy frames and upgraded
processing power are good for most activities. It’s wrong to ex-
pect gaming class performance from them. Prices should be well
under the `35,000 mark. With laptops, it’s important to check
what kind of system configurations you’re being sold. Most
product models are available in different variants – the proces-
sor, graphics solution, memory and disk drive often change. If
you want something cheaper, the Acer Aspire 4736z might be
better suited. It’s priced at around `23,000.
To buy, or not to buy?
When you go higher up the price ladder, expect entry-level Core
i5 processors to show up in the specifications. The configura-
tions of the Acer Aspire 4820TG for example come with a Core
i5 450M processor, an AMD Mobility Radeon 5600 or 5700
GPU. The gaming performance from this kind of configura-
tion is good enough for some occasional gaming. Don’t expect
high-end games such as Crysis Warhead to run though. Similarly,
you also have the Dell Studio line of products to choose from.
The Dell Studio 14 and 15 lineups are a good place to build on.
Dell offers easy customisations, so you can soup up the stock
`45,000 model to the specs you’d like. A decent Core i7 configu-
ration with a 1920x1080 display can be achieved for `65,000.
Sony’s VAIO CS series are also a good range to consider if
you’re looking for something in the `37,000 range. They feature
somewhat older Intel Core 2 Duo 8500 processor, but with an
entry-level NVIDIA GeForce GT210. When we reviewed it, it
had a decent build quality and aesthetics.
If you want battery power, the ASUS EeePC 1215N is
surely an attractive contraption. Powered by a dual-core
Atom processor, and NVIDIA’s Ion graphics solution, it’s a
big step up on any of the other netbooks in the market. Price
for the ASUS EeePC 1215N will be as much as a cheap laptop,
but not as powerful.
highLy
DeSiReABLe TVS
The urge to go HD is unbearable. The thought has been on most
people’s minds, and every year, more and more Indians make
the transition from traditional CRT TV sets to LCD, Plasma, and
recently, LED LCD TVs. CRTs have been around in the Indian
living room for a very long time. We’ve already talked about
HDTVs in the past, about them being power efficient and better
than CRT TVs in almost every aspect.
We noticed that sales of these new technology displays
weren’t hampered by the recent recession either. In fact, statis-
tics show that prices of TVs went up by a bit for a while during
the period, without too much of a change in sales.
The TeCh: LED TVs (or LED-backlit TVs)
One of key terms used these days is LED TV. While the name
suggests that the display is powered by LEDs, it’s only a way
to illuminate the screen instead of displaying the image itself.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 53
Casio eX-Z2300
ubuntu Prototype Casio’s new Exilim EX-Z2300 camera comes with
Ubuntu Prototypes is a new feature which will have a 14.1 MP sensor, a 3-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom
Tried & tested face detection like on many Windows laptops and can also record 720p videos
The correct terminology should be
oPTiCAL LighT LCD/Plasma to 3D, and not stuck with
LED-backlit TVs, or LED LCD TVs.
eMiTTing DioDe TeCh a 3DTV that your friends make fun of.
True LED TVs are yet to arrive. What’s OLED is an upcoming technology and it’s
important to note is that these LED- impressive because you can now have a really The Hz wars
backlit TVs offer slightly better contrast thin display with excellent performance. You’ve probably also seen 120Hz and
ratios. It’s not an essential feature that Unfortunately, it’s still far from replacing LCDs. 200Hz refresh rate TVs being adver-
every TV ought to have. The other So if you’re waiting for the next big thing, it’s still tised. Apparently, these let you enjoy
benefit of LED TVs is that they can be going to take a couple of years before you can go smooth video playback. Different
slim. Buying a slim TV is great if you out and buy one for say, `50,000 or so. The only manufacturers use different terms for
have plans of wall mounting the TV. decent OLED demonstrations have come from this. Since the TV broadcasts and video
The only problem here is the price of LG and Sony in the last couple of months. LG’s content you will usually watch are 24fps
the product. Like with any new tech- prototype shown at IFA 2010 is expected to be or 30fps (60fps in rare cases), all this
nology, there is a premium you pay. around £6000 (approximately `430,000) Hz business is of little consequence.
Today, you can buy an LED-backlit There is re-sampling required in most
TV for 30 to 40 per cent more than a cases to play 24 and 30 fps video on
traditional LCD. You can buy a decent hyPe: 3DTVs a 120Hz and 200Hz TV. If anything,
40-inch LED-backlit TV for around 3D-anything is a catchphrase these days. you might actually notice ghosting and
`60,000. As time progresses, LED With the arrival of 3D movies in cinemas, other artifacts as all this sampling is
TVs are bound to get a little cheaper it’s only normal to expect 3D movies done by hardware and software. Actu-
like with any other technology. at home. Some brands have been seen ally, when we test TVs, these are some
For the moment though, most selling these TVs, but the fact remains of the features we choose to turn off.
of us do not absolutely need a thin that there are very few, or almost no 3D
display and there isn’t much of a movies in the market. In India, it’s far Visual enhancements
performance improvement over worse. Here, we’re still to see very afford- Many manufacturers boast of their image
the early line of LED TVs. able Blu-ray HD movies. 3D TVs might processors which are capable of making
be interesting for the future, but for now, picture crisper, and noise-free. Contrast
S-IPS panels and colour enhancements are common
S-IPS panels are considered to be the examples. What you should look for is a
best when it comes to colour rendition very natural image that hasn’t been tam-
and viewing angles. However, most pered with. Most TVs with these settings
popular brands use IPS or S-IPS panels. turned on make colours look gaudier
Some brands don’t advertise the IPS and the image quality harsh. Sharpening
panel bit enough, so only if you don’t is also only useful if you’re sitting the
see the term used, enquire about the required distance away from the TV, if
nature of the panel. You’re more likely you’re too close, this will make the edges
to find that it’s an IPS panel anyway. of objects look jagged. Again, we turn
And don’t think of it as a “standard” all such features off when testing, and
either! You should check image quality you should do the same when looking
regardless, because you get both at the TV on display in the showroom.
bad SIPS and good SPIS panels.
Sony’s NX900 LED-backlit TVs support 3D WhAT’S FoR SALe?
Media playback content playback Everyone complains about how we have
Most TVs these days have an inbuilt so little choice and how they’d like to get
media player. You can connect a portable we’d like to see more HD content to begin what was available in the US. So what can
hard drive or flash drive, and play your with. Brands are also working frantically you really buy in
favorite movies and music directly from on developing 3DTVs that
the TV. In almost all cases, however, the will not require you
hardware on the TV isn’t designed to play to use those stupid
high-definition content, so you’re left with glasses. Unless
a player that only plays limited formats you have money
and resolutions. The performance in the to burn, three or
menus is also usually slow and painful. four years hence,
Eventually, you’re going to want to buy you want to be
an HTPC or a media player, so don’t able to upgrade
give this feature too much importance. from a regular
54 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
new Phenoms
fuRo Bipedal robot AMD launched several processors
fuRo’s latest robotic bipedal robot weighs 230kg, including a high-end 6-core Phenom
and can lift 100kgs of load II X6 1075T Cover feature
India? The fact remains that almost all to spend a little more and purchase a
of the popular brands have setup shop TV that can handle 1080i/p resolutions.
here. All the popular LCD and Plasma Last year, around this time, 32-inch TV
TVs are still available here. LED TVs were priced at a minimum of around
have only recently entered the market. If `32,000. This included TVs from brands
you have the money, today, you can buy such as Philips, Hitachi and Panasonic.
anything from a 26-inch LCD TV priced Full HD (1080p) sets on the other hand
at as little as `25,000 to something priced were still close to `40,000. Brands such
at around `20,00,000 if you’re looking as Sony were still priced higher. Their
for absolute performance and style. 768p TVs were close to `38,000 and the
We’ve seen through popular searches full HD 32-inch TVs around `42,000. LG 47LG50HR - the 47-inch giant
and questions over the years, that most Today, 768p TVs are available for
people look for 32-inch TVs. A lot of around `23,000 – that’s close to a 40 32-inch LED-backlit TVs start at around
people are used to 21-inch CRT TVs, so per cent drop! Similarly, 32-inch 1080p `40,000. The slimmer TVs can go up to
an upgrade to a 32-inch LCD TV seems TVs too have dropped drastically. The `60,000 even for 32-inch TVs. Malls are
like light years ahead, and they’re right. additional benefit is the festival season not the cheapest places to buy LCD TVs,
What about the popularity of the dif- which means you will see good discounts from what we’ve discovered. Look for
ferent technologies of TVs? LCD TVs have or freebies being given away with them. other retail showrooms and shops which
been the most popular of all the terms used sell TVs and other home appliances. You
on Google. LED TVs have only recently 42-inch TVs can actually get TVs for up to 10 to 15 per
picked up and are as popular as Plasma TVs. 42-inch TV prices too have plummeted cent cheaper there.
Many more people are looking for 32-inch but not as much as the 32-inchers. Prices If you’re looking for a good 32-inch TV,
TVs over 42-inch and 26-inch TVs. Clearly, start from around `40,000, and have then you should spend time investigating
budget is a concern. The only confusing bit dropped by around 15 to 20 per cent. Sony’s KLV-32NX500 priced at `42,500.
about 32-inch LCD TVs is the two options Prices might drop even further during It was one of the best performers in our
available. A few years ago, the only option Diwali. If they do touch the `35,000 last LCD TV test. Prices have dropped
was to go for a 768p (1366x768) 32-inch TV , mark this Diwali, grab the opportunity. a lot since then, and it makes even more
while 42-inch TVs had full HD resolutions Features such as 200Hz refresh rate sense to buy it now.
(1920x1080). Recently however, full 1080p might not be available, but then again, LG’s Jazz (42LG80FR) is a slightly
resolution has arrived on the smaller 32-inch as we’ve said before, they don’t really older model but apart from good colour
format. 1080p is more popular than ever matter that much to most people. reproduction and fancy design, you also
before now. Market prices of these 32-inch get a pair of excellent sliding speakers.
full HD TVs start from around `27,000. To Buy, oR noT To Buy? If you’re thinking of something larger –
The market is bubbling with activity. something in the 47-inch category, the
What are people looking for? Almost every popular manufacturer such LG 47LG50HR should grab your atten-
Having bought and used CRT TVs for as LG, Samsung and Sony are going ga-ga tion. The price for this model is around
real long periods of time, most of them over LED TVs. Market prices of most `48,000 in the market.
have got the money’s worth. CRT TVs
have run for close to 10 years or more
in some cases without any problem.
CAMeRA
They were also a lot cheaper than ConFuSion
LCD TVs. CRT TVs are still available Panasonic DMC – TZ10 or Sony DSC
but for a fraction of price of popular – TX5? Canon 550D or Nikon D3000?
LCD and Plasma TVs. Spending DSLR or Prosumer? 10 MP or 15 MP?
power has improved dramatically and 3X optical zoom or 12 X optical zoom?
people are fine with spending more Touchscreen or buttons? These are just
and settling for a cheap LCD TV. The some of the questions you might come
largest number of buyers seems to be across when looking at cameras.
in the sub-`30,000 range with either
a 26-inch or 32-inch TV in mind. Be Sure
Digital cameras are divided into three
CATegoRieS: 32-inch TVs main segments, the point and shoot;
If you’re buying a 32-inch TV, you will ultrazooms and DSLRs. But nowa-
be spending at least `23,000 on it. days, with ultrazooms also coming in a
That’s a lot of money, and it makes sense Samsung’s brand new Series 9000 LED TV compact form factor, the lines between
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 55
napster reborn
Popular music downloading service Napster SATA 6 SSD
launches app for Apple iPhone, iPad and PhotoFast to launch 470MB/s SATA 6.0
Tried & tested iPod Touch SSD drive in October
traditional compact cameras is blurring. way, and are more
DSLRs, which were considered the do- of a gimmick.
main of professionals, a few years back, Like touch-
are now also targeting first time users screens, geo-
with entry level offerings. tagging is another
To cut a long story short, you have to feature that found
be very sure of why you want the cam- its way from cell
era. If you are just buying a camera for phones into cam-
casual use, then the hassle free point eras. Although
and shoots are enough. For the more many high-end cam- The Micro Four Thirds sensor based Olympus PEN E-P1
adventurous types, who are willing to eras had this func-
play around with the settings and want to tionality some years back, you can find which allows wireless image transfer, but
shoot outdoors, or those who aim to buy it in quite a few compact cameras today. it is expensive.
DSLR in the future, but want to acquaint If you travel a lot, this is a good feature to Olympus and Panasonic came out
themselves with the basics first, the ultra- have, `15,000 to `20,000 is the ideal price with the micro four thirds image sensor
zooms are the answer. point for ultrazooms with geo tagging. which allows you have a more compact
DSLR cameras are ideal for people Although this is not exactly a new DSLR. The micro four third image sensor
who will invest a lot of time in photog- trend as such, but we are seeing new reduces the space between the lens mount
raphy. Higher-end DSLRs are meant for card formats like SDXC, Eye Fi cards and the sensor alongwith doing away
professionals, and are priced accordingly. flooding the market. So when you buy a with the mirror box which reflects light to
Only buy them if you know what you’re camera be doubly sure of what memory the viewfinder. The result is a much com-
doing, and will use all the features. format it supports. Ideally we would not pact DSLR with interchangable lenses.
recommend cameras that only support The lens diameter opening is reduced
The TeChnoLogy proprietary formats (read Sony’s memory somewhat but you can use normal lenses
Touchscreens are seen on many com- stick). It is best to stick to standard SD with the help of an adapter.
pact cameras recently and the trend is and SDHC cards and buy a camera which Many cameras are slowly but surely
definitely on the rise if the interest level on is compatible with future SDXC card for- adopting this technology. It is aimed at
Google is any indication to go by. But hav- mats. For DSLRs the standard is the CF photographers who want the quality of
ing tested many touchscreen cameras, we card, but a lot of higher-end DSLRs also a DSLR but in a compact form factor. We
feel that actual button feedback is better support CF and SD cards. Eye-Fi cards have used such cameras in out compari-
– touchscreens do not really help in any- have a Wi-Fi adapter inbuilt, son tests, and they were good in certain
BRAnD BuSTing
The eternal war of Canon vs. Nikon continues as always, but a Google across the entry level and prosumer category. Other brands like
Insight for search threw up some interesting results. To be fair to all Olympus and Fujifilm had a very low interest level so we did not
cameras, we just put in a term with include them in the top 5.
the brand name like Canon, Nikon, In the compact camera
Sony, Samsung and Panasonic. market, Sony leads with a 45
As can be seen in the graphs, the per cent share whereas Canon
interest around Canon and Sony has a 20% share whereas in the
in India was very comparable in DSLR segment Canon is the
2008 and 2009, but in 2010, Nikon leader with a 55 per cent share
is catching up thanks to its range followed by Nikon which covers
of entry-level cameras, a segment around 40 per cent. Having
which was dominated by Canon mentioned the leaders, it is also
and Sony all these years. In com- important to know that other
parison to these three behemoths, manufacturers like Samsung,
Samsung and Panasonic attract Panasonic etc are also ramping
lesser search terms. But one look up their camera production and
at the growth relative to industry marketing in India. According
throws up Samsung as the winner to industry figures, camera unit
with its curiosity level rising way sales is expected to touch 1.8
Graphs comparing the popularity and growth of
above the others thanks to the million pieces by year end.
camera companies
aggressive shipment of cameras
56 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
More Core Sony PSP2
AMD claims their server customers prefer Game developers have got their hands on
Tried & tested processors with more cores in them the new PSP2
aspects. But it cannot compare with a Otherwise using traditional methods lenses, flash guns and other accesso-
standard DSLR camera. Also the variety like saving the images on the system ries. So be doubly sure before buying a
of lens available for the micro four thirds then uploading manually suffice. Price DSLR about all these external factors.
is limited as of this day. Price-wise they points to look at should be `15,000.
are more expensive than entry-level A lot of manufacturers are coming out Latest or Slightly older?
DSLRs. The main advantage they have with cameras with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Also while purchasing a DSLR, it is all
is compact size and a major disappoint- capability. These cameras not only allow right to opt for models that are a genera-
ment is the you to transfer images tion older, as long as you get after-sales
absence of a view to your system over service. Unless newer models have
finder. Lets face a Wi-Fi connection, some drastic changes in the features,
it, it is unusual but also allow you to you can save money by buying an older
to look through a upload images directly camera that offers you 90 per cent of
screen and adjust to Flickr, Facebook and the features, and often comparable
the lens. videos to YouTube. performance at a bigger drop in price.
Should you This is the way For instance, it makes sense to buy
buy this now? If to go. But again we a Canon 550D over its predecessor
you want a com- would advise you the Canon EOS40D, since the 550D
pact DSLR and 3D Cameras like FujiFilm Finepix Real 3D to wait and let more has significantly improved the image
are not going to W1 should be avoided as of now players come out with sensor, added HD recording, higher ISO
use many lenses these type of cam- range, higher exposure ratings, etc.
in the near future then yes, go for it. If eras. However, expect to pay more as In the ultrazooms, however, the
you already have a standard DSLR with a this is currently a premium feature. newer models are priced substan-
range of lenses, then unless you are look- Fujifilm had come out with a 3D tially higher than older models,
ing at a compact form factor, avoid it. camera called the FinePix Real 3-D W1, but the additions are minimal.
Only Olympus (three) and Panasonic that shoots 3D images and videos. We
(five) have camera models in this segment. think it’s too early to invest in a 3D digital
camera, as the 3D eco system (displays
The hyPe especially) are hard to come by. Nikon
Social network tagging is a new feature Coolpix S1100pj is a compact camera
which allows user to tag photos and with a mini projector inbuilt. These
videos and upload to sites like Facebook niche features are welcome innovations,
or YouTube, such that while transfer- but we would advise waiting for at least
ring images to the system, the tagged a year before buying anything like this.
images and videos will be optimised to Two reasons: let more manufacturers Sony DSC TX-1 for Entry level compact
be uploaded to the sites. The software start adding these, to see if it’s a viable
bundled along with the camera will trend, and secondly, prices will fall. ReCoMMenDATionS
automatically ask if you want to upload We will only be recommending cam-
the photos and videos. This definitely DSLR and Lens eras that we’ve tested previously, so
saves a lot of time, but it makes sense to Buying a DSLR requires some homework although not comprehensive of the
spend additional bucks on this feature on your end. Apart from the present cost market reality, we prefer to be sure
only if you are a heavy user of these sites. of purchasing a DSLR body with the when talking about cameras.
standard lens, you will also have to ask Entry level point and shoot: Sam-
yourself if you are willing to invest in sung ST550, Sony DSC TX1.
lenses in the near future. Camera lenses Ultrazooms : Panasonic DMC-TZ10,
are expensive, so if you plan on doing Canon IXUS 130IS, Nikon P100,
wildlife or sports photography, then you Micro Four Thirds : Samsung
will not only have to buy a DSLR body, NX11 and Olympus PEN E-P1
but also invest substantial amount of Entry level DSLRs : Canon
money in a compat- 550D and Nikon D3000
ible lens. Buying a High-end DSLRS : Canon 7D and
DSLR is not just a Nikon D300S, Nikon D90
one-time purchase. Ultra High-end DSLR : Nikon D3s
You are also buying
into a whole eco To read on PMPs and Home Entertain-
system of compatible ment systems go to Thinkdigit.com
58 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
P
ulse2010, this year’s annual robotics. This workshop shed light on
tech-fest of D. J. Sanghvi the crafting of bots like Strider and Bris-
College of Engineering, was tlebot at level one and Frogbot at level
a brilliant amalgamation of two. This seminar was informative and
technology and fun, which enthralled focused on unique creative ability of the
everyone who was a part of it. This participants to bring bots, that resem-
year’s Pulse, as promised, put stu- bled insects, to life.
dents of diverse engineering branches Accelerometer, based on the con-
under the common flag of participation cept of motion sensing, represented
and showcased a whole new arena of techboom. In this event, one had to
technological genius. Pulse2010, like navigate a robot just by standing on a
its previous versions, endeavoured for wooden plank kept on a tyre, leaning in
the appreciation and assimilation of the intended direction to clear a maze as
science through the ages, thereby per- quickly as possible. It involved sensors
fectly blending technology and enter- in the tyre which were programmed to
tainment in a wholesome package of a direct the robot along the maze. Laser
euphoric tech-fest. CS, which had the feel of a real war
This year’s theme captured the arena had taken cues from the popular
essence of evolution of science from the FPS, CounterStrike. Participants were
glorious past to the imminent future in given programmed laser guns, which
three eloquent words -‘Genesis, Revo- had features like life counters, reloading
lution and Techboom!’ The theme por- ammunition and provision for headshots.
trayed the journey of pure sciences The game promised an action packed, 3
culminating into present day cutting on 3 battle and took the virtual version
edge technology. In a world that has out in the real world. And the best part?
experienced a fairytale transformation; It was lit up with UV lights!
the role of technology in altering human This time the robotic tracks were
lives has been substantial. This was based on unique themes and displayed
aptly represented by the Mega Events the creative genius of the students. The
of Pulse 2010. Texas Countdown incorporated the look
Pulse2010 kick-started with a state of the Wild West replete with cowboy
level technical paper presentation hats and guns. PacMan was a UV lights
which saw participation from the state’s illuminated maze that reminded the
elite minds. Genesis was manifested through T.P.P. in a way that it participants of the popular vintage PC game. Myst-o-Maze was
provided a platform for ingenious ideas conceived by the students a dimly illuminated maze where the robot had to be controlled
based on weeks of intensive research. The event received a whop- by viewing the maze through a cam. 5 mazes 5 secrets was a
ping 150+ abstracts from all over the state out of which 57 were multi maze track in which four mazes, based on life aspects, were
selected and 50% of the selected entries were outhouse. Among encrypted into a fifth one. For instance, the love track had two
the few winning entries were Zigbee, Audio Frequency track circuit, robots designed to be controlled by a single remote. F1 Singapore,
Visual Cortex Implant and Image Processing Authentication using another major attraction, for all those racing fans out there, exactly
Digital Water. resembled the Marina Bay F1 circuit in Singapore. Only lit by LEDs,
Next in line was TechExpo, a remarkable exhibition of projects it had two high powered RC cars racing down the entire circuit.
made by the students all over Mumbai. The projects exhibited were A tech fest is incomplete without RoboWars and this year they
based on creativity, rational thinking and a perseverance to become had their own desi version aptly named RoboAkhada. It was a
an instrument of change. This signified Revolution as some of the head on battle between two bots in a closed arena, supervised by
entries we received were one of their kinds. For instance, enhanced a controller robot, Pahalwan, built by the students themselves.
ATM security, HandSpeaks(wireless glove controlling wheelchair Pahalwan had an 1800 rpm blade which pounded the participating
and home appliances), clap based home automation and wireless robots entering its territory. In the finale, the arena was blacked
power transmission. out, save for the lights of a motorcycle.
Apart from the regular workshops for wired and wireless To conclude, this tech fest brought to light new innovations in
robots; the college also held a workshop for Insectobotics, which the field of technical knowledge and set a new benchmark in the
was an ideal step for those who were uninitiated in the field of history of tech festivals of the college. π
Radeon 6700? Google Video Chat
Chinese site claims to have leaked details Google tweaks its video chat to provide
Tried & tested about AMD’s upcoming graphics card improved image quality
Reinforcements
have arrived… A look at the advancements
in HD media players in the
last few months
By Team Digit been added or have become the The chassis is well built. A Youtube are some of the other
feedback@thinkdigit.com norm for these players. We’ve metal front panel instead of the features available. Streaming
W
tested some of these new players plastic one would have made it performance is good with both
atching over the last couple of months. look even more attractive. There wired and wireless connec-
movies is a We tested them to see if there is a USB port and an eSATA port tions. Video quality is good, and
great pass- were any new features and in line with the status LEDs at the we experienced absolutely no
time activity, performance benefits that are front. The rear end of the product lag while trying playback of all
but broadcasted television worth your money. Here’s what has an additional USB 2.0 port to formats. Format support is still
does not interest the audience as we thought. connect external drives and one excellent when compared to most
much, especially with the choice to connect the player to a PC. The of the other players.
of channels. Many people prefer Xtreamer Pro player has HDMI, and Composite Costing `13,500 for just the
watching movies over TV shows The Xtreamer was one of our but no Component. For ideal res- player and an additional `1,000
on their large LCD and Plasma favorite HD players in the last olutions, you absolutely need a for the USB Wi-Fi adapter, it’s
TVs. Blu-ray content looks like test. When you go looking for display supporting HDMI. definitely much more expensive
the only way out. the Xtreamer Pro on the web, Bootup time is somewhat than the older Xtreamer player.
This is where HD media you find a fancy web site that long at 19 seconds. The interface At `8,990, the older Xtreamer
players come in. They’re afford- resembles a game. It looks has changed a little bit. product gives you most
able media playback devices like they’re pushing the new The use of background of the feature.
which can playback high-defi- product even more. wallpapers is new, but
nition movies from a connected The new player is somewhat not something everyone oCToBER 2010
storage drive smoothly. HTPCs taller and wider than the older will like. Content is
and Blu-ray players are either Xtreamer. The old one could sorted well. Navigating
expensive or just plain compli- only accommodate a 2.5-inch the menus is a breeze. The use
cated to set up, so a lot of people internal hard drive, which then of space on the remote is good.
probably don’t bother with one. seemed like a neat feature. This One of the features is the
We tested HD media players new one can hold two 3.5-inch NAS mode which allows other
in May this year, and there were drives easily. This makes the devices on the network to
some clear winners. Since then, product slightly bulkier than access drives connected to the
there have been many new most of the media players in player. Live internet streaming,
contenders. New features have the market today. RSS feeds support, Picasa and Xtreamer Pro
60 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
IE9 Beta launched
IE 9 Beta launched with a fresh look and
improved usability and security features HD Media Players
Buffalo LT V-1005000
Buffalo LT V-100 work connectivity and storage
Buffalo is a brand that’s digging options. It comes in an all black
deeper into storage and net- body and has a nice brush metal
working devices. The LT-V100 finish. The front panel is made
is their latest product. It is a com- of plastic with a USB port posi-
pact looking, jet black HD player tioned in the bottom left hand
with a smooth upper surface. corner. There is a string of LED
The build quality of the indicators as well. The body is
product is not impressive. The somewhat bulkier to accommo-
body made of cheap plastic. The date either a 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch
remote control bundled with SATA hard drives.
the player is dull colored, flimsy VideoMate 950 comes with
and unimpressive. a range of connectivity options
There are two USB 2.0 ports like an HDMI port, a compo-
and a HDMI connection on the nent, composite audio and
back panel. We wish they had video ports, two USB ports, a
provided us with an HDMI mini USB port and a LAN port
cable though. The nice part is, for network connectivity. The
the remote control, works from player can be opened up to to
any angle. It has a LAN port attach the HDD within. The
for home network connection. interiors are pretty compact in
However, it does not feature the sense - there is no noticeable
Wi-Fi. The user interface is user gap once you plug in the drive in
friendly, but it does not segre- the chassis. Provisions are made
gate according to their format. for a 2.5 inch drive - there are
The noise reduction feature some clips provided to hold it
is not very effective in reducing in place.
the amount of noise in the image The GUI is one of the most
rendered on screen. An impor- impressive user interfaces we
tant thing to note is the ability have seen among all the media
to play almost the file formats players tested up until now. The
including MP4, MPG, RMVB, main home screen shows three
MOV, MKV, AVI, but it fails options like File Copy - which
to play FLV. When connected allows you to copy files among
to the network, playback lags your network, HDD and USB
and files take time to open. File drive; Browser - which segre-
transferring is quite slow. gates the various input media
At 12,000, it is highly over- like HDD, USB, Network etc and
priced for its build quality and finally Settings which allows
features. You are better off you to tweak the audio, video,
putting in an additional Rs. network settings.
1,500 and getting the Xtreamer It takes 11 seconds to startup,
Pro with media streaming and but movie loading time is a
other outstanding features. quick 4 seconds. Navigating
through the menus is quite intu- Strontium Technology India Pvt. Ltd
Compro VideoMate itive. It does not segregate media 805,Madhuban Building building no-55
Nehru Place New Delhi-110019
950 though. The bundled in remote Phone No-+91 11 40568675
sales enquiry-indiasales@strontium.biz
The Compro VideoMate 950 is a is decent but the navigation pad technical support-techsupport@strontium.biz
Service locations: http://www.strontium.biz/company/Smartlink.htm
full HD media player with net- in the centre requires a hard
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 61
HP Arcsight
Hewlett-Packard to buy ArcSight, a security solutions
Tried & tested company for $1.5 billion
oCToBER 2010
Brand Amkette ASUS ASUS Buffalo Compro Iomega Seagate WD WD
Model Flash TV O!Play Air O!Play HDP-R1 Link Theatre Videomate ScreenPlay FreeAgent TV TV Live
HDP-R3 LT -V100 NMC950 Director Theater+
Price (`) `2,995 `10,000 `9,000 `12,000 `7,000 `12,000 `9,500 `6,500 `8,500
Overall (On 100) 27.23 60.00 57.16 53.47 64.41 69.97 67.86 49.43 62.01
Features (On 50) 7.15 24.40 22.40 21.25 31.15 36.50 32.50 15.90 28.05
Performance (On 50) 20.08 35.60 34.76 32.22 33.26 33.47 35.36 33.53 33.96
Features
Max resolution sup- 1080p (upscaled) 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p
ported
Ports (USB / eSATA) 1/0 2/1 2/1 2/0 2/0 3/0 2/0 2/0 2/0
Network support (Wired/ N/N Y/Y Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N N/N Y/N
Wireless)
Video (MKV / FLV / Real N/N/Y/N/Y Y/Y/Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y/Y/Y Y/Y/N/Y/Y Y/ Y / Y / Y / Y Y/Y/Y/ Y/Y/Y/Y/Y Y/N/N/Y/Y Y/Y/N/Y/Y
video / MOV / MP4) Y/Y
Audio (FLAC, WMA / N/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/N Y/Y/N Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y
AAC)
Web content support
Youtube / Google Videos N/N N/N N/N N/N N/N Y/N Y/N N/N Y/N
Flickr / Picasaweb N/N N/N N/N N/N N/N Y/N Y/Y N/N Y/N
RSS feeds / Weather / N/N/N N/N/N N/N/N N/N/N N/N/N Y/Y/N Y/Y/Y N/N/N N/N/N
News
Connectivity
Windows shares / FTP N/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N
Remote web access N N N N Y N N N N
Bittorrent / NAS N/N N/N N/N N/N Y/Y Y/Y N/Y N/N N/Y
HDMI / Component / N/Y/Y Y/N/Y Y/N/Y Y/N/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/N/Y Y/Y/Y
Composite
Performance (Out of 10)
Startup time (sec) 6.5 8.1 9.6 10 11.62 114 9.03 5.12 7.09
AVI (480p) (Perform- 8 8 8 6.5 6 8 8 8 8
ance)
AVI (480p) (Quality) 6 7 7 6.5 6.5 7 7 6 6
MKV (720p) (Perform- NA 8 8 5.5 7.5 8 8 8 8
ance)
MKV (720p) (Quality) NA 7 7 6 7.5 7 7 6.5 6.5
MKV (1080p) (Perform- NA 8 8 5.5 7 7 7.5 7 8
ance)
MKV (1080p) (Quality) NA 7.5 7 5.5 7.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
Build and Aesthetics 6.5 6.5 6.5 5.5 5 6 6.5 6.5 6
press since the entire control We would definitely recom- Component and composite videos pretty well but loading
is made of poor quality plastic. mend this player. video ports are on the side images takes very long.
The location of the Return key whereas the USB and HDMI This player is ideal if you
is also unconventional. Zebronics ZEB- port are on the rear side. The have a huge collection of
This player is quite versatile MP1000HDMI main menu comprises of options standard Xvid and DivX AVI
in the sense that it plays anything Zebronics is somewhat of a like photos, videos, music and files. The player does not sup-
you throw at it. It played 720p local brand in comparison to all settings. User interface is quite port many formats such as
and 1080p videos brilliantly. the other big names or popular intuitive and straight forward. MKV and WMV. However, it is
DVD quality videos appeared devices on the internet. Their Media is not segregated one of the cheapest players at
stretched on the big screen, but player comes in a compact form according to its type and you have just Rs. 2,600, but the lack of
setting the TV system to 480p factor with black plastic body. The to go to individual folders, which video format support makes it
gave a good output. But then, this buttons on the front panel are of makes it a pain to use. It takes 10 hard to recommend.
player is meant for HD videos. poor quality. seconds to start up, while movie
Connecting to the network does loading took a mere 6 seconds. Is there a new winner?
not take much time, but you will It can play DVD quality movies Yes, there is. We liked the
need an external computer for flawlessly. We encountered prob- Xtreamer the last time we
activating the BitTorrent client lems while paying back 720p tested HD Media players. This
in the player. videos. As it does not support time around, the Xtreamer
At a price point of `9,000 we all the video formats, you will Pro beats the last winner – the
feel it’s a tad over priced, but it have to convert non compatible Iomega Screenplay Director.
is completely worth the cost. Compro VideoMate 950 files beforehand. It plays RMVB It’s much better built, and the
62 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
HD Media Players
oCToBER 2010
WD Xtreamer Xtreamer Zebronics
TV market. Some of
TV Mini Xtreamer Xtreamer ZEB –
Pro MP1000HDMI the features although
`4,500 `8,990 `14,500 `2,600 considered forbidden
(WiFi) (WiFi)
(when you consider
31.08 69.13 79.35 27.75
10.15 33.15 41.30 9.00
the legality issue) are
20.93 35.98 38.05 18.75 making their way to
players. We’re talking
1080p (up- 1080p 1080p 720p about the Bittorrent fea-
scaled)
1/0 2/0 2/1 1/1
ture. It’s there to make
N/N Y/Y Y/N N/N downloading of media
simpler and remove the
Y/N/Y/ Y/Y/Y/ Y / Y /Y / N/N/Y/Y/Y
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
need of having a PC or
Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y N/Y/N a download box to do
it for you. The ability
to stream media from
N/N Y/N Y/N N/N
N/N N/N N/Y N/N
sites on the internet is a
N/N/N Y/N/N Y/Y/Y N/N/N nice feature to have. One
of the things we noticed
on the Xtreamer Pro site
N/N Y/N Y/N N/N
was that Youtube func-
N Y Y N
N/N N/Y Y/Y N/N tionality was going to
be dropped sometime
N/Y/Y Y/N/Y Y / N /Y N/Y/Y
in the future. Google
plans to launch Google
7.8 50.5 19 10 TV really soon, maybe
8 8 6.5 6.5 it’s got something to do
4 7.5 6 6.5
with that.
NA 8 6.5 NA While HD transmis-
sions have been started
NA 7.5 6.5 NA
by popular DTH pro-
NA 8 6 NA
viders, the content avail-
NA 8 6 NA able is still at a bare min-
6.5 6.5 6 5.5 imal. Till the time you
get at least 10-15 chan-
ability to connect two internal nels across all genres, users will
drives totaling up to 4 TB is a have to depend on locally available
nice feature to have. The product digital content. Being able to play
becomes much more than just any movie from your collection
a media player, and for a little without having to change discs is
more than the Iomega player, it a very convenient to have.
makes good sense. If you’re just There are still some features
looking a player that can play HD we’d like to see. For example, get-
videos from a drive connected, ting e-mail alerts and updates
then look no further than the first on your Twitter and Facebook
WD TV. It’s priced at Rs. 6,500 accounts would be nice. Audio
(MRP), and it plays all of the com- and video conferencing could
monly used formats. It also gets be another great possibility.
our Best Buy award. If you can Now that internet connectivity
spend a little more, then the first is getting more popular, manu-
Xtreamer model is the one you facturers ought to plug in a fully-
should spend your money on. functional browser as well. All
We’ve seen all kinds of these things are bound to happen
players over the last year, and sometime or the other. It’s defi-
it looks like manufacturers are nitely not the last we’ve seen of
watching the growth of the HD the HD players.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 63
Finally ‘surface’-ing First person shooter
Microsoft’s gigantic coffee table sized touchscreen The Looxcie is a wearable video camera that can
computer aka “Surface” is set to transition into our upload the last 30 seconds of your life directly to
Bazaar living rooms three years from now Youtube at the push of a button
NVIDIA GeForce GTS450
Forcing their way into the crowded space
N
VIDIA’s GeForce All the cards ran cool in all As a gaming card, all of these
GTS450 fits into the tests. On idle, the ASUS cards are capable of providing
the lower mid- and MSI card dropped to under very playable frame rates at
range bracket. 40°C whereas under maximum resolutions up to 1920 x 1200.
There have been some drastic load, they stayed under 50°C It’s only when you run games
changes in the ingredients of in a moderately air-condi- such as Crysis Warhead that
the recipe – a big drop to 192 tioned room. The MSI was the you notice the performance
MSI NGTS450 Cyclone CUDA cores as compared to coolest at just 46°C under load dropping well under the 30 fps
the 336 of the GTX460 GPU, which was very impressive for mark, even with the resolution
but a somewhat faster core. graphics cards. set at 1280 x 1024. You’ll defi-
The cards come with 1 GB of Just the overclocked GPUs nitely have to reduce quality set-
GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit aren’t enough to make up tings drastically to get playable
memory interface. for the drop in CUDA cores. frame rates in Crysis Warhead.
Each one of the three cards We noticed a drop of some If you are looking for a cheap
came factory overclocked with 15 to 20 per cent in frame gaming card in the range of
custom coolers. rates in games such as Crysis `8,000 to `9,000, this should
The Galaxy GTS450 GC ver- Warhead. The fastest of the be the card to go for. The cards
Galaxy GTS450 GC version sion came with a removable fan overclocked cards was the are priced and perform like the
design which makes cleaning ASUS ENGTS450 Top. The AMD Radeon 5750 cards. The
the card simpler. The same MSI NGTS450 Cyclone was Galaxy GTS450 GC version
design can be found on some of just a couple of frames per maybe the cheapest but the
the other Galaxy cards. The MSI second slower than the ASUS frame rates in the demanding
N450GTS Cyclone card came ENGTS450 in almost all of games is marginally lower. If
with a fancier heatsink design the benchmarks. you want every bit of perform-
but with nothing covering most The ASUS is the most ance, and don’t mind spending
of the card. Even the ASUS card expensive at `9,500, the MSI that little more, then the ASUS
had a similar design but with a card `8,900 and the Galaxy ENGTS450 TOP is undoubt-
ASUS ENGTS450 Top hood covering the heatsink. card at `8,500. edly the one for you.
Scores and contact details
Brand ASUS Galaxy MSI
Model ENGTS450 Top GTS450 GC version NGTS450 Cyclone
Price `9,500 `8,500 / `7,500 (MOP) Rs. 8,900
Benchmarks
3DMark Vantage (GPU) 9944 8940 9335
Crysis Warhead (1680 x 1050) 22 19 20
Company Of Heroes: ToV (1680 x 1050) 77.4 73.33 78.3
STALKER Clear Sky (Day, 1680 x 1050) 28.9 25.9 26.8
Ratings
Features 7.5 7.5 7.5
Performance 7.5 7 7
Build Quality 7.5 7 7
Value for Money 7 7.5 7.5
Overall 7.5 7.5 7.5
Contact
Company ASUS India Technology and Gadgets MSI India
Phone +91-22-6766 8800 +91-22-2382 3331 +91-11-4175 8808
E-mail reachus@asus.com mumbai@technologyandgadgets.com sanyam@msi-in.com
Web site www.asus.in www.galaxytech.com http://in.msi.com
64 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Market for MeeGo?
Intel and Nokia’s latest linux project, MeeGo will run on Samsung Galaxy Tab
the upcoming WeTab tablet. The WeTab will also have Samsung has announced the availability of their
access to the Android Market for apps 7-inch tablet in time for this year’s holiday season Bazaar
MSI Big Bang XPower
Power unlimited
Specifications
M
SI’s new Big Bang It doesn’t have Socket: LGA 1366
XPower shares its integrated audio Chipset: Intel X58 chipset
name with the Big controllers. How- 6 x PCIex16 slots
Bang Fusion P55 ever, there is a Automatic Overclocking
board. This one however is an Quantum Wave
Intel X58 chipset based moth- Audio Card pro- Contact
erboard designed for extreme vided for sound. MSI India
gamers which is clear when There are a set Phone: +91-11-4175 8808
you see the six PCIe x16 slots. It of voltage check- E-mail: sanyam@msi-in.com
is possible to have CrossFire and point for voltage Web site: www.in.msi.com
SLI multi GPU support at the measurement. Price: `18,500
same time. The most
6.5
The build is sturdy and the stunning feature
layout is impressive. There is ample of this motherboard is that it of 9139 which is pretty decent.
10
space to fit large coolers like the Cor- has an OC Genie button which The XPower is a versatile board,
sair A50. Instead of having clips on overclocks the system without however it’s price makes it only Features ...........................7.5
both the sides, the DIMM slots here booting into the BIOS. feasible for high-end gamers or Performance....................7.0
have them only on the outer side, Performance wise, 3D mark overclockers who want to setup Build ...................................6.5
for easy removal of RAM without gave a CPU score of 48,705 and SLI and CrossFire setups for their Value for money............5.5
having to remove the graphic card. PC mark gave an overall score gaming systems.
Specifications
Frequency Response : 20Hz
to 20kHz; Total output
Philips HTS 5550
power : 1200W; four satellite Great sound but supports limited file formats
T
speakers; Satellite speaker
impedance : 4 Ohm; Com- he first sight of
pression formats : DivX Philips Home The-
Ultra, MPEG1, MPEG2, atre HTS 5550 will
WMV, avi, MPEG4, XviD; keep your atten-
tion arrested for quite a while.
Contact Unboxing took more than three
Philips Electronics India people to segregate the satellite
Ltd speakers and the towers. The
Phone: 1800 102 2929 glossy black colour combina-
E-mail: customercare.india@ tion is followed throughout. The
philips.com player occupies a considerable
Web site: www.india.philips. footprint and has a glossy front
com panel surrounded by a metal Dolby Digital and 5-channel video formats. User interface
Price: `26,990 body. There are a few touch sen- stereo mode sounded wonderful could have certainly been
sitive controls on the sawed off while watching movies and it spruced up.
7.5 top edge. was very responsive to the low At `26,990 we felt that it is
10 The 3D angled speakers are
aesthetically pleasing. The angled
frequencies. The night mode
dynamically controls sound suit-
pricey for a DVD and full HD
home theatre system. Experience
Features ...........................7.0 drivers deliver sound not only able for watching movies at night. is wonderful no doubt, but when
Performance ..................7.5 towards the front but also to the You can also sync your audio with buying at that price you should
Build Quality...................8.0 sides, creating a wider sweet spot video in case they are not in sync rather invest in a home theatre
Value for money............7.0 so you can enjoy more immersive by adding or subtracting a delay. that supports Blu ray format. like
and cinematic surround sound. HTS 5550 supports limited the Philips HTS3560.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 65
The planets have aligned Calling all gamers
Acer and Ferrari have partnered to release the Microsoft’s latest installment in their Halo series,
Acer Liquid E Ferrari special edition phone in India. “Halo:Reach” raked in a staggering $200M within 24
Tried &tested Price? `29,999 hours of its worldwide release
ASUS Sabertooth X58
Power and strength
T
he first thing that the memory is Specifications
comes to your mind easy. The PCI slots Socket: LGA 1366, Chipset:
when you hear Sab- are well spaced but Intel X58 Express, RAM: 6 x
ertooth is the movie it would be diffi- DIMM slots (max 24 Gb), 2
Ice Age. Similar to the character cult to set up SLI x PCIe x16 slots, 1 x PCIe x16
in the movie the ASUS Saber- or CrossFire with (at x4 mode), 2 x PCIe x1, 1 x
tooth X58 is sturdy and full of big cards. PCI. 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x SATA 3.0
raw power. Cinebench
The ASUS Sabertooth is gives a score of Contact
based on Intel X58 chipset and 15,545 with mul- Vinay Shetty
supports LGA1366 Intel Core i7 tiple CPU and Phone: +91-22-6766 8800
processors. The ceramic coated Crysis runs at 95 E-mail: reachus@asus.com
heat sinks and all solid state fps at a resolution Web site: www.asus.in
capacitors give it a sturdy look. of 1024x768 using frame rate of 104 fps. The scores Price: `13,450.
ASUS claims the onboard com- the CPU benchmark. So in terms indicate a 10 – 15 per cent rise in
ponents are military grade. of performance, it is similar to performance without changing
The layout is pretty spaced Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R. too many settings 7.5
out. The area around the proc- We effortlessly overclocked Priced at `13,450 the 10
essor is covered with heat sinks, our Core i7 965 3.2 GHz to run board is for those who spend
but we could easily mount a at 3.77 GHz and the board was `70,000 – `80,000 on their
Features ...........................7.5
Performance ......................8
huge cooler on the processor. very stable. With the overclocked system or are looking to buy
Build Quality...................7.5
The memory slots are spaced out setup, Cinebench gave a score of a performance gaming rig in Value for Money ............7.5
evenly and installing or removing 17,693 and Crysis gave an average a similar price range.
Specifications
Socket : LGA 1156, Chipset:
Intel P55 Express
Support for Dual
ECS P55H-AK
Gigabit LAN A class apart!
B
Support for USB 3.0
and eSATA 6.0 ased on the Intel P55 There are dedi-
3 x PCIe x16, 2 x Express chipset, ECS cated buttons for
PCIe x1, 1 x PCI P55H-AK, the new power and reset.
Black series mother- There is also a dedi-
Contact board, supports unlocked Intel cated button for
Rashi Peripheral Core i7 and Core i5 processors clearing the CMOS as
Phone: +91-22-4047 0811 which lets you overclock the well which saves us
Email: response@ CPU. Though the layout is good, the need to open up a score of 14,211 for the multi-
rptechindia.com the board tends to flex in parts. the cabinet and use a jumper player CPU. Real life tests were
Web site: www.rpt- The PCI slots are well spaced for doing so. There is an extra almost same as GA-X58-UD3R,
echindia.com except for the first PCIe x1 slot heat sink for PLX PEX 8608 Video encoding took about
Price: `18,000 which is placed just below one PCIe Gen 2 switch which offers 33.02 seconds and the sequen-
7.0 of the CPU heat sinks which PCI express switching capa- tial and random file transfers
10 might block insertion of graphic
cards into that slot. The region
bility which enables high speed
networking along with mini-
took about 181.81 and 191.22
seconds respectively.
Performance ..................7.5 around the CPU is covered with mizing bandwidth wastage. Overall, at `18,000, it is a
Build Quality...................7.0 three heat sinks. We managed We used Intel Core i7 870 wee bit overpriced but its over-
Value for money............6.0 to fit the Corsair A50, but with while running the benchmarks. clocking abilities and feature
Overall ..............................7.0 some difficulty as the heat sinks 3D mark gave an overall score rich property makes it perfect
are elevated. of 25,935 while Cinebench gave for home users.
66 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Viewsonic’s dual boot Nikon D7000
Viewsonic has launched an NVIDIA Tegra 2 based tablet that Camera giant Nikon debuted its 16.2MP D7000 D-SLR
runs both Windows 7 and Android which can record 1080p video Bazaar
Videocon D2h Service
Slight improvement over cable
V
ideocon D2h is
the latest entrant Specifications
in the satellite tel- Picture capability: MPEG 4
evision market. DVBS 2, Dimensions: 262 x
We got a basic set top box from 200 x 51 mm, Weight: 1.2 kg
Videocon. The build quality of
the box is not very good. The Contact
quality of plastic used for Videocon DTH
remote is also poor. Overall, the Phone: +91-90765 98116
quality is average.The menu is E-mail: V.Shyamal@d2h.com
feature rich and the interface is Web site: videocond2h.com
also good. There is a noticable Price: Set top box `1,390
lag while scrolling through `300 Installation Charges
the channels. There are active
services like Active Darshan, The picture is not sharp and There are three free Hindi movie
Active Games, Active Puzzles. looks pixelated when used with channels which keep playing the
There are tickers for various large screen. Obviously this is an same movie for the entire week.
6.0
categories of news. Features entry level product with a com- There is movie on demand but
10
like program reminder and posite output so can’t be used at the offerings aren’t impressive.
parental lock work well. higher resolutions. Though it is economical at Features ...........................6.5
Performance ..................5.5
The set top box uses MPEG The package bouquets are `1,390, we would recommend
Build Quality...................5.0
4 DVBS 2 compression. The very economical. The list of opting for other services or till sat-
Value for money .............6.0
picture quality is not very good. channels is also pretty good. ellite services improve in India.
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Wide angle shooting Symbian^3 x 3
Canon has unveiled the SX30 IS camera The mobile phone giant has announced three new
which features the world’s first wide angle smartphones, the E7, C6-01 and C7 which will be in
Tried &tested 35x zoom lens the market by year’s end
HTC Wildfire
Android weds Sense, yet again
H
TC Wildfire can the Wildfire’s display of the darker colours Specifications
be thought of as looks pretty pixellated blend, while shades of CPU: 528 MHz Qualcomm
HTC Desire’s little and there is a marked grey are missed – not MSM 7225; Display: 3.2-
brother. Anyone loss of fine detail in exactly for the portable inches, 240 x 320 pixels, 16
who has seen the HTC Desire will the text, menus and videophile would be a million colours; Camera:
immediately recognise brushed this is also visible in gross understatement. 5-megapixel; Battery: 1300
metal trim around the extended the home screens. The Call clarity is good per mAh; Weight: 118 grams
glass section of the display. At on-screen QWERTY se, with a few reserva-
the bottom, the trim takes on a keypad is pretty good tions. We didn’t have Contact
curved look. The feel of Wildfire is despite its rather basic any serious issues in Bright Point India
pretty good, though it isn’t exactly look. In portrait mode any of the zones, and Phone: +91-99108 21100
compact and will feel most at things look cramped, even in zone three, dis- E - m a i l : n i t i n .p a n d i t a @
home in larger hands. Despite the but thanks to good tortion was minimum, brightpoint.com
seemingly unnecessary bulk, it screen sensitivity typos were with some continuous noise and Web site: www.htc.com/in
doesn’t make an unseemly bulge a rarity. The capacitive touch- an occasional loss of coherence Price: `16,590
in ones pocket. screen as with all HTC phones but no dropped calls.
The 3.2-inch Wildfire runs was quite fluid. Priced at `16,590 (MRP), the
on Android 2.1 and has a 5 MP Audio quality via earphones is Wildfire isn’t cheap, but it’s good
7.0
camera. The display resolution good – good clarity, nice bass and value – Android, good touch-
10
is extremely poor – at 240 x 320 pretty good volume levels. Video screen with decent hardware Features ...........................7.5
pixels – an archaic resolution playback is snappy, although and good performance. If the lack Performance ......................7
that, (as far as we know), only the display would benefit with lustre display resolution and con- Build Quality ...................7.5
Nokia persists with. With a pixel a higher resolution and a better trast aren’t deterrents for you, the Value for money ............7.0
density of 125 pixels per inch, contrast ratio. Basically, some Wildfire will satisfy.
Specifications
Sony Ericsson Zylo
Display: 2.6-inches, Slick Walkman For a detailed review, check
out http://bit.ly/boQmjd
T
2,56,000 colours, 240 x
320 pixels; Camera: 3.15 he Zylo is a sim- vision and settings, no expo-
MP; Battery: 930 mAh plistic, yet slick exude good, firm sure compensation
looking handset. feedback. or autofocus.
Contact The front is domi- The Zylo is a very In zone one, we
Sony Ericsson nated by a 2.6-inch display, and satisfactory music had no issues with
Phone:1800 111 800 the large, attention drawing player. The loud- dropped calls and
Web site: www.sonyericsson. chrome ring that serves as a speaker, owing to voice clarity was
com joypad. The middle button the slightly curved good. In zone three,
Price: `9,000 doubles as the play/pause key rear works fine even we had a problem
within while in walkman mode. if the phone is laid on with static on the line,
7.5 The call buttons are well placed, a table. Audio quality when the number of
10 and sufficiently delineated. The
slider mechanism is a strong
is pretty good, and the volume is
quite loud. Plug in the supplied
available antennas fluctuated
between one and zero. There was
Features ...........................6.5 plus. The number keypad looks earphones, and prepare to be a marked loss of clarity.
Performance ..................7.5 pretty normal though its usability impressed further. Music flows The MRP is `9,000, but we’ve
Build Quality.......................8 quotient is actually excellent. The pretty effortlessly, with good spotted the Zylo selling at around
Value for money............7.0 keys have sufficient bevelling to clarity and volume levels. `7,800 on the street. A fair price
be used without visual super- The camera offers very basic for what you get.
68 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Octacore mobile CPU Windows Phone 7
ARM has announced Cortex A15 for mobile devices. It features Microsoft’s much awaited smartphone OS,
8 cores and achieves speeds of up to 2.5 GHz Windows Phone 7 is set to launch in October Bazaar
ASUS NX90Jq
The Goliath yells, “Lend me your ears!”
it a mirror like appearance and ASUS could have easily incor-
is very aesthetically pleasing porated a numberpad which is
but it’s a fingerprint magnet missing thanks to the extra
and 15 mins of handling the trackpad. The keyboard itself is
laptop is all it took to tarnish its not very nice to use and lacks a
pristine exterior. tactile feel, though the open space
It’s vibrant 18.4-inch screen under the keyboard serves as a
with a 16:9 aspect ratio is a Full good palm rest while typing.
HD (1920x1080) LED backlit Since the laptop has been built
display. The audio solution for home entertainment and not
selected features speakers by for office use, the graphics solu-
Bang & Olufsen ICEpower. Two tion, NVIDIA GeForce GT335M
uniquely positioned speakers (1 GB DDR3) leaves something to
on either side of the screen have be desired if you plan on playing
been placed as far apart as pos- the latest games.
sible to help improve resonance When looking around the
and sound quality. The speakers laptop at the available ports,
W
sounded exceptionally breath- the standard set of interfaces
Specifications hen we first taking when compared to any were seen along with some new
Intel Core i7 720QM, Win- laid eyes on the other laptop. This is by far one of improvements such as 2 USB 3.0
dows 7 Ultimate, 4 GB DDR3 ASUS NX90, the best performing audio solu- ports and 1 e-SATA combo port.
RAM, 18.4-inch display, we were taken tions we have come across on any As expected, the NX90 fared
Nvidia GeForce GT335M aback by the sheer size of the laptop. The vertical towers project very well on all the benchmarks
laptop that lay in front of us. The the audio at ear level. such as PCMark Vantage, SiSoft
Contact mirror finish, reflective enough Yet another first, this laptop Sandra and Maxxon CineBench.
Alex Huang to stop anyone in their tracks features two trackpads. Placed Doom 3 showed a frame rate of
Phone: + 91-22–6766 8800 and make them look is a one of a on either side of the keyboard 187.6 fps. Battery life clocked in at
E-mail: media_india@asus.com kind concept seen in any laptop instead of the usual up front and almost 3 hours and it lasted 2 hrs
Web site: www.asus.in these days. Then again, pretty centre arrangement, the track- in our multimedia tests.
Price: `1,30,999 much every design aspect of this pads initially took a lot of getting It will set you back by `1,30,999
laptop sets it apart from what the used to and were annoyingly which suggests that it is a product
7.0 lay man’s definition of a laptop inconvenient at first. Each indi- meant for the niche market and
10 would be. vidual trackpad features multi not for someone looking for a
One of two laptops in the touch support (pinch to zoom), common multimedia laptop. It
Features ...........................7.5
NX90 series, the ASUS NX90Jq along with ASUS’s nifty two is a solid performer with its minor
Performance ..................7.5
Build Quality.......................8 has dimensions that pretty much finger scrolling capability but shortcomings but could be your
Value for money............5.5 nullify its portability. The pol- the trackpad usage was not as pride and joy should you have
ished aluminum exterior gives smooth as we hoped. some money lying around.
Google Instant Happy Birthday Chrome
Google’s new instant search service will save you 2-5 Google’s Chrome browser celebrated its second birthday
seconds per search. Go to www.google.com (not “.co.in”) on September 3rd with the release of v6.0 which now
Tried &tested and you will be served! syncs extensions among many other things
Asus U43JC Bamboo Specifications
Intel Core i7 processor
620M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Is wood good? For a detailed review, check (1066 MHz); NVIDIA
out http://bit.ly/980VrG
T
GeForce 310M; Intel GMA
he Asus U43JC poses distortion at volumes higher HD integrated graphics;
a stylish and elegant than 70 per cent and also very Windows 7 Ultimate
design with a pre- ordinary sound clarity. How- 64-bit; Weight: 2.4Kg
dominant bamboo ever, the high definition video
finish on the outer surface of the playback delivered crisp col- Contact
screen cover-lid. The bamboo ours and high image clarity ASUS Technology Pvt. Ltd.
finish extends to the palmrest and with consistent frame rates. Phone: +91-22-6766 8800
touchpad surface adding a hint Asus U43JC delivered E-mail: media_india@asus.
of charm to the attractive keypad average frame com
layout. A thin steel lining deco- rate of just Web site: www.asus.in
rates the delicate body contours of 23.67 fps, Price: `61,999
the laptop, while the steel coated running
power button and power mode Far Cry 2 in medium reveals to
modifier, add beauty to the fine detail and the resolution set to a be a good mid-
human body curve design at the modest 1024x768. We were a bit range multimedia laptop with
top of the keypad. The highlight disappointed with the gaming the potential to play graphics
7.0
of the product is the impressive performance of the laptop, and intensive games at low detail or
10
battery life, extending about 4 would have appreciated a decent a non-resource hungry 3D game Features ...........................7.0
and half hours. It also had a good frame rate of around 30fps in in medium detail. It is priced at Performance ..................7.5
outing in the Wi-Fi test with satis- medium detail with AA and AF `61,999 and we feel it offers good Build Quality...................7.0
factory results. In the speaker test, turned off. value for money considering it is Value for money ............7.0
we noticed considerable sound Overall, the ASUS U43JC a Core-i7 based laptop.
Lenovo Ideapad Y560
Cannot be ignored
L
Specifications enovo has come up graphics and ATI Radeon
Processor: Intel Core i7, RAM: with a small upgrade HD5730 1 GB dedicated
4 GB DDR3, HDD: 640 GB. to Ideapad Y550 graphics. It has only 3 USB ports.
series laptops with It comes with a DVD RW. It also
Contact the Ideapad Y560. The stylish has an eSATA port.
Lenovo India looking Ideapad sports a classy Its 3D Mark Score was
Phone: 1800 425 2666 look with designer front cover. 7824 and Doom 3 runs
Email: pmatthan@lenovo. The full black colour with an at 139.8 fps.
com orange border looks good. During
Website: www.lenovo.com Weighing 2.7 kg it is a bit on file
Price: `51,127 the heavier side. transfer we
The Lenovo Ideapad comes got 39.34 MBps for
with a Core i5 processor and sequential and 32.48 MBps trackpad is
4 GB DDR3 RAM. The Y560 for assorted file. Wi-fi perform- decent but the
6.5 does not get very hot. The 15.6 ance test revealed speed of 38.16 click buttons are really
10 inch HD capable screen is good
and bright. Also provided are
MBps. Battery life test revealed
a battery life of 100 minutes.
disappointing.
Priced at `51,127, Y560 is
Features ...........................7.0 two JBL speakers whose sound The Y560 is not compact but a good performer but has a
Performance ..................7.0 quality is top notch. The web- the keyboard is very cramped. few small glitches. If you are
Build Quality ...................6.5 camera is also pretty decent. A lot of space is wasted around looking for a stylish laptop
Value for money ............6.0 The Ideapad Y560 has the sides which could have that performs well you can
switchable graphics: integrated been utilized for keyboard. The check it out.
70 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Sony’s triad
Sony has dished out three new touch screen Biofuel powered navy
eBook readers, the PRS-350, RS-650 and the The US navy buys 200,000 gallons of algae
PRS-950 biofuel from a company called Solazyme Bazaar
Cooler Master 690 II Specifications
Mid-tower chassis, 4 x
Advanced 5.25-inch drive bays, 6
x 3.5-inch drive bays
Dimension(WxHxD):
Has advanced quite a bit 214.5 x 511.8 x 528.8
T
mm, Weight: 9.56 kg,
he Cooler Master 690 and sliding trays for installation.
II Advanced is a mid The top drive bay has provision Contact
tower chassis which for 2.5-inch and 1.8-inch drives. Acro Engineering Company
comes in two variants- The maximum length allowed Phone: +91-98919 92406
one with and one without the for graphic card is 11.96-inch, so E-mail: marcom_in@
transparent side window. The a 12.2-inch Radeon HD is going coolermaster.com
CM 690 II Advanced like the old to be too long to fit. Website: www.cool-
690 is stylish and has retained its SATA drives can be connected For a detailed review, check ermaster.co.in
tough look. externally using the dock. The out http://bit.ly/boZxP2 Price: `5,833
The front face is made of steel
and is easily detachable for
VGA holder arm helps in pro-
viding support if you set up mul- overall build quality is good.
7.5
plugging in DVD drives. The tiple graphic cards in a Cross- At a market price of around
10
top panel contains two USB 2.0 Fire or SLI setup. The chassis is `5,833, it’s a good option for
Features ...........................7.5
ports, the eSATA and audio con- well ventilated with a net which those looking for a base to build Performance ..................7.5
nects jacks along with the power helps keep away dust. Rear their new system, and a great Build Quality...................7.5
and reset button. The interiors holes for water cooling outlet option for those investing at least Value for money............7.0
are clean and spacious. The make it ideal for those going in `50,000 on a decent mid-range
drive bays have simple locks for water cooling solutions. The gaming system.
3D on PS3 3.0 finally!
PS3 update 3.5 to add 3D Blu-ray movie Kingston has finally launched Data Traveler
Tried &tested capability Ultimate its first USB 3.0 compatible device
Godrej Eon Game LCD TV
Motion gaming inside a TV
L
CD TVs are dime a options on the side. Placement Specifications
dozen in the market, of connectors is facing down- Screen size : 32 inch; Resolu-
but Godrej has come wards, so it is some task con- tion : 1368 x 768; 25 in-built
out with an added necting the ports. motion sensing games;
incentive to the humble category Spyder 3 Elite gave a con- Connectors : 2 x HDMI; 2
with motion sensing gaming trast ratio of 355.67 : 1 which is x USB; 2 x Component
a la Nintendo Wii. The 32-inch quite decent. Displaymate tests
Eon Game LCD TV comes with revealed backlight bleeding Contact
25 in-built games which can be but the 256 intensity colour Godrej Appliances
played using the wireless joystick and BW ramps did not throw Phone: 1800 209 5511
which comes bundled too. Some any unwanted colour tinges. Web site: www.godrej.com
of the games that impressed us Movie viewing experience Price: `40,000
were Dart, Bowling, Table Tennis was good in terms of video
among others. Response of the quality, but sound leaves a lot
wireless joystick was good in to be desired. It scales down
6.5
most games, but do not expect HD quality videos conviniently.
10
impressive graphics. Playing off the USB was easy as This innovative LCD TV is
Build quality is quite impres- well and one interesting aspect is priced at `40,000. Although
Features ...........................7.0
Performance ..................6.5
sive. It has a piano black glossy that it can read text files. Viewing for a 32-inch the price is a bit on
Build Quality...................7.0
bezel, with a somewhat thicker photographs off the USB was also the higher side, but not much for Value for money............6.0
rear side. There are no connection quite quick. casual gamers.
Croma CREL 3127
Average performance at an economical price
C
Specifications REL 3127 is a 42
Screen size : 42-inch LCD; inch LCD TV from
Resolution : 1920x1080; the electronics retail
Response time : 5 ms; Viewing chain Croma, which
angle : 178 degrees (H and V) is a part of their ‘Handpicked
by Croma’ series. The LCD TV
Contact comes with a glossy black bezel
Infiniti Retail Ltd. and a pre-attached TV stand,
Phone: +91-22-6761 3600 which eases the TV setup. The
E-mail: service@ build quality of the TV is quite
cromaretail.com sturdy with a strong plastic rear.
Web site: www.cro- The connectors on the CREL
maretail.com 3127 are not overwhelming like
Price: `49,990 we see on most LCD TVs. It has
two SCART connectors which
5.5 are rarely used in India. It has has 12 sources to choose from. viewing experience was decent,
10 three HDMI ports and a VGA
port alongwith a component port.
CREL 3127 gave a contrast
ratio of 312.11 : 1 (at 50 per cent
although darker scenes did show
a lot of graining. Gaming was a
Features ...........................5.0 User interface is ugly. There brightness / contrast levels) in joy on this monitor, with excellent
Performance ..................6.5 aren’t many options to play the Spyder 3 Elite tests which is rendering of images and there
Build Quality...................6.5 around with for the discerning quite decent. Prominent screen was no lag in the mouse response.
Value for money............5.0 viewer. The bundled in remote burning at higher brightness This LCD TV comes at an eco-
control has stiff buttons. The TV and contrast levels is bad. Movie nomical price point of `49,990.
72 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Classy entertainment
Greensound recently launched stunning VLC for iPad
looking glass speakers VLC app for iPad approved by Apple Bazaar
HTC Desire
Highly Desirable
A
lthough the Desire The Desire features HTC Call clarity is good. But the
doesn’t share the Sense. Although Android has a antenna is not. In zone three,
metal construction fairly good menu system, and the we faced disconnected calls on
of the HTC Nexus Sense UI is not as omnipresent more than one occasion, accom-
One, it’s a beautiful looking device as it was on the HTC Touch panied by a loss in vocal clarity.
– slim and sleek. The keys have a HD2, it’s still welcome, if not In zone two there were sporadic
matte chrome finish that oozes totally necessary. The icons, the periods of silence, but this wasn’t
suave sex appeal. The earpiece interface itself and the beautiful happening with any regularity,
consists of twin slits with a display add to a highly usable that made us suspect a service
chrome trim, and this is, perhaps, experience that is gimmicky yet provider issue. The loudspeaker
the sexiest part of the phone. practical and satisfying. is loud on-call, but a maximum
Incidentally, the microSD card The browser is lightning fast, volume there is jarring and the
isn’t hot swappable. The power supports pinch zooming which voice distorts. The earpiece is also
and screen lock button is on the is quite useful. pretty loud, but doesn’t distort.
top and is designed to merge with With the Froyo update, the When using the loudspeaker, the Specifications
the body. The 3.5mm handsfree camera records videos up to a battery cover vibrates. OS: Android 2.1; Display: size:
jack also sits on the top. On the resolution of 720p. The videos are As desirable as the, err… 3.7-inch; resolution: 480x800
bottom, a slight protrusion marks clear, although there is blur when Desire is, it’s not without the pixels; CPU: Qualcomm
the micro USB port for data and moving due to the lack of a proper odd annoying hiccup. There’s QSD8250 (1 GHz); RAM: 576
charging. Even the rocker-type image stabilisation system. Col- the mediocre battery and MB; ROM: 512 MB; expan-
volume key on the left side fits ours are rich, and in bright light, antenna performance . sion: microSD; Camera:
nearly flush but is very usable. you won’t complain. Indoors the The price we got for the Desire 5-megapixel; battery: 1400
The Desire’s display lives up quality drops considerably. was an MOP of `28,900. This is mAh; weight: 135 grams
to the hype. It’s huge – 3.7-inches, The five-megapixel clicker the price being offered by Tata
though not as large as the 4.3- provides decent clarity for a cell- Docomo, who is bundling the Contact
inch display on the Touch HD2. phone camera, but it’s not the best device with a data plan that Bright Point India
Even better, the Indian market around. The flash unit is very offers 500 MB of free data Phone: +91-99108 21100
gets a super LCD in lieu of the intense, and illuminates a dark usage every month for the first E m a i l : n i t i n .p a n d i t a @
AMOLED that the Desire was room, up to a distance of eight feet six months. If only the handful brightpoint.com
supposed to ship with. Colours pretty well. of quirks were ironed out we’d be Web site: www.htc.com/in
are crisp without being over HTC endowed the Desire with pleased to live with it. HTC has Price: `28,900
saturated and the display has a loud, but tiny loudspeaker. just announced the Desire HD
a great contrast and blackness While at maximum volume it’s and the Desire Z, though, and 7.5
level. Equally wonderful is the pretty loud, it distorts a bit. The these might be worth looking 10
sensitivity of the display – the earphones sound a lot better. at. We recommend waiting and
capacitive technology used is Although the bass is lacking watching, unless you have to
Features ...........................8.0
Performance ..................8.0
of the highest quality – swipes, and the treble is rolled off, this buy a high-end handset now – in
Build Quality...................7.0
gestures, the on-screen keypad – is pretty much on par with the which case the Desire, will make, Value for money............7.0
everything works very well. headsets of most handsets. (most of), yours come true.
Olympus E-5
Bulldozer coming Olympus launches its latest E-5 DSLR
AMD to review first samples of the upcoming Bulldozer camera model which features a 12.3MP
Tried &tested process which is slated to launch in early 2011 LiveMOS sensor
Moserbaer MBIK42FHD
Low price, poor performance HD TV
T
he Moserbaer gave a very high
MBIK42FHD is a white luminance
42-inch full HD LCD at 370.8 cd/m^2
TV coming in an all- and poor blacks. Specifications
black glossy body supported HD movie Panel : TFT LCD; Screen
on an oval black glossy stand. viewing really size : 42-inch; Resolution :
Looks wise there is nothing brings out the 1920x1080p; 2 HDMI ports; 1
striking about the TV as it has poor blacks in the USB port; Weight : 19 kg
a very standard design with TV. We noticed
glossy bevel running around a high amount
the edges and the speaker sec- of backlight Contact
tion spread out on the lower bleeding in com- Moserbaer India Ltd.
side. It has a range of connec- pletely darkness. Phone : +91-11-459 4500
tivity options like two HDMI Low light scenes E-mail : shilpi.kapoor@
ports, two S-video ports, one which is annoying. Remote tended to be very moserbaer.in
USB port, one VGA port etc. control is of very poor quality, grainy. There is prominent Website : www.moserbaer.in
Also the USB port can only infact it has two extra but- banding in dark scenes. Text Price: `49,990
play images and music off a tons which serve no purpose. readability was quite poor.
pen drive, no video. The DisplayMate tests gave The panel also tends to heat
User interface of the TV poor results. 256-bit black to up within 20-30 mins of TV 5.5
is really bad with very lim- white ramp showed a definite viewing, which is not desirable. 10
ited functionalities. USB greenish and yellowish tinge It is available at an economical
mode does not segregate the towards the black end. Reverse price point of `49,990. Ideally Features ...............................5
Performance ......................5
images and music, and you text test was poor. Only the 256- we would not recommend
Build Quality...................... 6
have to use the remote to go bit colour ramp was somewhat this TV as its output is not up
Value for money............... 6
individually to the folder, better to look at. Spyder3Elite to the mark.
Specifications
Kodak PlaySport Jx3
Resolution: 5 MP, Sensor Playfully sporty
T
type: CMOS, Sensor size: For a detailed review, check
1/2.5, Movie formats: he Kodak PlaySport buttons are hard but of good out http://bit.ly/9pMBGg
H.264 (MOV), ACC LC Jx3 is a compact quality. A lot of space
camcorder capable is wasted around button
Contact of recording HD area which could have sensitive and of good
Kodak India Pvt. Ltd. videos at 1080p. The stylish been used for a larger quality. The PlaySport
Phone: 1800 22 4949 looking PlaySport comes with a screen. can take still photos but
E-mail: in-feedback@kodak.com 5 megapixel CMOS sensor for The video clarify the quality is average.
Web site: www.kodakindia.com video quality. under brigt conditions The compression
Price: `8,999 The PlaySport looks sturdy is good. In a well lit on it is not very good
and seems it can take shocks room the video quality and to be able to record
7.0
due to accidental falls. It’s also is decent but with 1080p videos for three
waterproof up to three meters dim lights, the video hours you will need a
10 under water. There is a menu for becomes grainy. The 16 GB card which is not
Features ...............................7 settings but is not well defined. PlaySport performs well included in the package.
Performance ..................7.5 The PlaySport has a 2-inch under water. At `7,999 it is a good
Build Quality...................7.5 screen. There are buttons on The PlaySport has a 4x buy but to be able to use it you
Value for Money ............6.5 front panel for recording, menu, digital zoom which is better will have to spend `2,500 on a
delete and a navigation key. The avoided. The microphone is SD card.
74 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Next Big Thing in TV
With.a.3mm.thin.panel.and.a.contrast.ratio.
of.1,000,000:1.Sony’s.oLeD.TV,.the.XeL.is.
undoubtedly.the.next.big.thing.in.television.
Graphics cards
Palit Sonic GeForce Zotac GeForce GTX460
GTX460 AMP edition
Price: `16,700 Price: `15,999
SPeCIFCATIonS
Bazaar
GPU Core Clock ...................... 700 Mhz GPU Core Clock .......................810 Mhz
No. of cores ...................................... 336 No. of cores ....................................... 336
Memory Size ...........................2048 MB Memory Size ............................1024 MB
Memory Type..............................GDDR5 Memory Type..............................GDDR5
mini
Quick TeST.CenTre.rATInGS.(All.Scores.out.of.10)
inSiGhTS Features.............................. 6.0 Features...............................6.5
FroM indePTh Overclocked by 25 MHz, DirectX Overclocked, DirectX 11
TeSTS 11 compatible, NVIDIA 3D Vision compatible, NVIDIA 3D Vision
ready ready, Zotac firestorm to
overclock GPU, 2-way SLI
Performance......................6.5 Performance......................7.5
Crysis Warhead: 28 fps Crysis Warhead: 30 fps
Stalker Clear Skies: 30.5 fps Stalker Clear Skies: 35 fps
Far Cry 2: 75 fps Far Cry 2: 88.84 fps
Build.quality.......................5.0 Build.quality.......................6.0
Average quality, fan looks cheap, Plastic body not of good quality,
power cables of poor quality fan looks cheap
Value.for.money...............4.0
. Value.for.money............... 5.5
.
Performance does not justify Priced in the range of GTX 465
pricing. cards - somewhat expensive
We.SAy
The Digit Test Centre receives and tests
5.5 6.5
enough products on a monthly basis The.Palit.Sonic.card.doesn’t.run. The.Zotac.GeForce.GTX.460.
to fill hundreds of pages with reviews. as.fast.as.the.Zotac.GeForce. outperforms.GTX.465.in.two.
Each and every one of the products GTX460..The.Zotac.GeForce. benchmarks.out.of.four,.so.it.
GTX460.Amp!.is.the.clear.winner. makes.sense.to.go.for.it.rather.
reviewed in Digit is tested thoroughly,
among.the.two..2.GB.memory. than.the.GTX.465.series.if.you.
and put through the same rigour as doesn’t.help.in.performance.. are.not.into.overclocking..If.you.
you’re used to seeing in our comparison Price.asked.for.the.card.is.too. are.the.kind.who.knows.how.
tests. Bazaar mini is our way of ensuring high. to.overclock.GPU.and.has.tried.
that you get the results of our extensive it.before.than.go.for.GTX.465.
testing in a more timely manner, and in a which.can.be.overclocked.
compact and easy-to-read format. Send
feedback and suggestions on this new
section to testcenter@thinkdigit.com. AlSo See:
1) Zotac GeForce GTX465
AlSo See:
1) Zotac GeForce GTX465
Digit Sept 2010 Digit Sept 2010
2) Sparkle GeForce GTX465 2) Sparkle GeForce GTX465
Digit Sept 2010 Digit Sept 2010
3) Asus GeForce GTX465 3) Asus GeForce GTX465
Digit Sept 2010 Digit Sept 2010
Seesmic Desktop 2
Tablet Printer Seesmic has released an update which has
HP Photosmart eStation printer has a immediate support for Twitter, Facebook,
dock to print directly off a tablet LinkedIn, Google Buzz, Foursquare, and Ping.fm bazaar mini
mobileS
Micromax X510 (PIKE) lG Cookie Zip (lG510) Micromax Gravity X600 Micromax X550 (QUBE)
Price: `5,499 Price: `8,399 Price: `5,999 Price: `5,999
SPECIFICATIOnS
Dual-SIM (GSM); 2.8-inch TFT resistive CDMA EVDO Rev 1; 3-inch display, SIM card................Dual SIM SIM card....................................Dual-SIM
touchscreen (240x400); microSD up to 240x400 pixels, 262K colours; 70 MB Display.....................3.2-inches resistive Display..............3.2-inch TFT resistive
16GB; 2MP (1600x1200); Battery: 8 hrs inbuilt, microSD expandable; Camera: touchscreen (240 x 320) touchscreen (240x400)
talk, 384 hrs standby; 2 MP; weight: 90 grams Camera................................................2MP Memory.........expandable up to 16GB
TEST CEnTrE rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ............................. 6.0 Features ............................. 6.0 Features ..............................7.0 Features ..............................6.5
Micromax X510 (PIKE) has similar LG510 has a poor touch Motion sensor based dual-SIM The Micromax X550 (QUBE) is a
features to the X550 (QUBE). Dual interface. Ability to drag widgets phone. Dual microphones and feature-rich social-networking,
SIM touchscreen phone. on to your main screen is nice. speakerphones add the extra touchscreen phone, with a 3D
zing. Cube UI.
Performance .....................5.5 Performance ................... 5.5 Performance .....................6.5 Performance .....................7.0
Modest performance across all In zone three we had issues with An average performance overall. It performed decently across all
the tests. Poor captured video clarity and at times there was Bluetooth transfer rate was the tests with an average score
quality. Device loudspeaker static on the line. In zone one and ordinary at a paltry 111 KB/s. in the loudspeaker audio and
clarity also bad. zone two we had no issues. photo colour tests.
Build quality ....................6.5 Build quality .....................7.0 Build quality ......................7.5 Build quality ......................7.0
Built with an all - plastic body Build quality is decent, but for Sleek, stylish, made of plastic with It is built tough and looks quite
and is slightly bulkier than X550. the price, we expected more. brushed aluminium finish. attractive.
Value for money .............6.0 Value for money............... 5.5 Value for money............... 8.0 Value for money............... 7.0
Expensive when compared to MRP of `8,399 seems excessive It is a feature-rich handset and A bit expensive but great
others in its category. for this device. offers good value for money. features for the price.
WE SAy
6.0 6.0 7.0 7.0
The Micromax X510 (PIKE) lost At that price, you get a decent At `5,999, the X600 is a feature The Micromax X550 (QUBE)
out both in terms of performance set of features, but nothing that rich handset that offers a lot truly holds an edge in its price
and ergonomics in comparison to is not spectacular value for of functionality at a good price. category, with the innovative 3D
the X550 (QUBE). Lack of a hard- money. In fact, the major selling The dual GSM SIM support is a Cube UI and a rich assortment
ware keypad, does not help its point of this phone isn’t its fea- nice plus and the gravity sensor of features. It is priced a bit high
cause with unfriendly and ageing ture set but its touch interface. based SIM swapping is the real but the pricing does complete
touch-screen interface. Hence, And in our opinion, its interface icing on the cake. It gives a hefty justice for whats on offer.
we would not recommend it for is the major deterrent – it’s not bang for buck at `5,999.
a best buy or value for money intuitive and fluid and using this Also sEE
option. phone is at times a frustrating 1) g-Fone 345
Digit April ’10
experience. So zip it – this is one 2) Fly E106
cookie you can skip. Digit April ’10
Also sEE: Also sEE 3)Intex IN 4410
1) Fly B430 1) g-Fone 345 Digit April ’10
Digit April ’10 Digit April ’10 4) lG GW 620
2) Intex IN 2020E 2) Fly E106 Digit May ’10
Digit April ’10 Also sEE: Digit April ’10 5) lG GM 200
3) Wyncomm Y50 1) lG Cookie Fresh 3)Intex IN 4410 Digit May ’10
Digit September ’10 Digit September ’10 Digit April ’10 6) lG GC900 Viewty smart
2) lG Cookie Plus Digit June ’10
Digit September ’10
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 77
SDXC card readers microtek’s mobile dreams
XElecom have come out with Mr-A005 and Microtek, a producer of energy saving
bazaar mini Mr-A006 memory card readers which can read equipment has decided to manufacture mobile
Quick insights from indepth tests SDXC cards handsets later this year
PorTable harD DriveS memory
PrinTerS
Iomega skin Hard Drive Transcend storeJet 25D2-W Apacer AC203 500GB Kingston HyperX H2o
Price: `5,900 Price: `6,300 Price: `4,250 Price: `6,550
SPECIFICATIOnS
Capacity.............................................500 GB Capacity.........................................500 GB Capacity..........................................500GB Memory capacity........................2 x 2 GB
Interface...........................................USB 2.0 Interface ......................................USB 2.0 Interface.......................................USB 2.0 Memory Type...................................DDR3
Dimensions...................124 x 84 x 18 mm Dimensions...............129.9 x 82 x 17.3mm Dimensions...............124 x 80 x 14mm Frequency..................................2000MHz
TEST CEnTrE rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ..............................6.5 Features ..............................5.5 Features ..............................7.5 Features ..............................7.0
Impressive skin design, backup Bundled backup software helps Rubberized strip on the body Cool and good looking metal
software can be downloaded in backing up and synchronizing adds nice grip and appeal. body. Metal tube for water to
from web site. data easily. pass through.
Performance .....................6.5 Performance .....................6.5 Performance .....................6.5 Performance .....................6.5
Speeds are pretty decent, Real world tests single 4GB file: Real world tests: 23.57MBps Good for overclocking. Setting
sequential read speed is 32.01 28 MBps write and 30 MBps read write and 30.14 read speeds. up liquid cooling is easy. Low
MBps , sequential write speed is speed. Performance comparable Photoshop CS2: 39 operating temperatures even
27.61 MBps. with other drives. seconds. Average performer. without liquid cooling.
Build quality ......................6.0 Build quality ......................7.0 Build quality ......................7.0 Build quality .................... 6.5
Build quality is good. Decent The drive comes in an all-white Sturdy, sleek and stylish build, Light weight but sturdy. Good
grade plastic used for panels glossy finish with rubber feet. weighing just 143grams. finish with rounded edges.
Value for money...............5.0 Value for money...............6.0 Value for money............... 7.5 Value for money...............3.0
For this price, one can buy a Quite economical for the price At `4,250, it’s pretty cheap and A bit on the higher side as far as
larger capacity drive. point of `6,300. affordable. Recommended pricing goes.
WE SAy
6.0 6.0 7.0 7.0
If looks and style matter to you, If you’re a Mac enthusiast and The Apacer AC203 external hard The Kingston HyperX H2O makes
certainly this is a product for looking for a good peforming drive is reasonably sleek and sense for high-end gaming en-
you. The performance is good portable drive this one is for stylish. The 500 GB capacity thusiasts. It is a lot cheaper than
and design is small and sturdy. you. Transcend bundles a travel is sufficient, and provides good Corsair Dominator GT DDr3 kit
A USB 3.0 interface would have pouch which is well design to fit value for money. At `4,250, it and gives an overclocking option.
been nice to see in this produce. in pockets enables user for easy makes a decent buy. Kingston on its website does not
Pricing does not seem fair but carry option. It is an average recommend overclocking but
the stylish looks make it one of a performer with good looks com- with liquid cooling it should do
kind product. pared to other in makets. Also sEE:
just fine.
1) WD My Passport studio 640
Also sEE: GB
Also sEE:
1) WD My Passport studio 640 Digit June ’10
1) Iomega Prestige lPHD-UP Also sEE:
GB 2) Hitachi simple Tough 500 GB
Digit February ’10 1) Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2
Digit June ’10 Digit July ’10
2) Buffalo Mini station HD Digit September ’10
2) Hitachi simple Tough 500 GB 3) WD My Book 3.0(march)
PX320 2) Corsair Dominator GT DDR3
Digit July ’10 Digit March ’10
Digit February ’10 6GB
3) WD My Book 3.0(march) 4) Iomega Prestige lPHD-UP
3) A-Data Nobility NH-92 Digit September ’10
Digit March ’10 Digit February ’10
Digit February ’10 3) Zion 4GB DDR3(april)
4) Iomega Prestige lPHD-UP 5) Buffalo Mini station HD
4) Iomega eGo RPHD - TG Digit April ’10
Digit February ’10 PX320
Digit February ’10
Digit February ’10
78 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Privacy charter from Google
German government has asked Google and its competitors in
online map services to come up with their own guidelines on
data protection by December bazaar mini
Power SuPPlieS miCe
PrinTerS
Cooler Master silent
Corsair AX1200 PRo Gold Verbatim Rapier V1
Price: `18,000 Price: `5,400
Price: `14,000
SPECIFICATIOnS
Type....Intel Form Factor ATX 12V Type....Intel Form Factor ATX 12V Frame Rate..................................7800fps
V2.31, SSI Form Factor EPS 12V V2.92 V2.3 SSI Form Factor EPS 12V V2.92 Modes.......Standard and Gaming mode
Dimension....................150 x 86 x 200 mm Dimension...............150 X 160 X 86 mm Weight.................................................162 g
Output Power......................................1200W Output Power...................................800W
TEST CEnTrE rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ..................................7 Features ..................................7 Features ..............................7.0
Top of the line product - voltage Similar to AX1200 but the 24-pin The mouse has 9 buttons out of
and short circuit protection and connectors are not detachable which 7 are programmable. Hot-
modular design. like on the AX1200. key performs triple-click action.
Performance .........................8 Performance .....................7.5 Performance .....................5.5
Low operating temperature, Operating temperature are very Gaming performance is good,
Fan does not make much low, Even on faster rotation, fan there is no lag. However, the side
noise. Twelve cables should be makes no noise buttons are tough to use and the
enough. click wheel is a little loose.
Build quality ......................... 8 Build quality ......................... 8 Build quality ..................... 6.0
Solid metal body, cable quality Black metal body is very strong, Not very impressive. Sides have
also very good. Cables are of good quality. a sticky rubbery texture.
Value for money ............... 7 Value for money............... 7.5 Value for money...............4.0
Quality comes at a price and so This is a product which justifies Overpriced. You get better ones
does Corsair AX1200 the pricing. with more features, for cheaper.
WE SAy
7.5 7.5 6.0
An 80plus Gold 1200W power For those who want to stick to Verbatim rapier V1 is used for
supply is only for those who want 2-way SLI/CrossFire, the Cooler playing games and normal us-
to setup a 3 way SLI or Cross- Master Silent PrO Gold is a age. In standard mode the side
fire. The AX1200 comes bundled good option. With the 80plus buttons can be used for web
with 16 SATA cables, 6 PCIe Gold rating it is a stable power navigation. In gaming mode, it
cables, 12 peripheral cables supply. It comes bundled with can emulate the entire keyboard.
which is more than sufficient. For 9 SATA cables, 4 PCIe cables, It is perfect for playing first
the price AX1200 is a good stable 4 peripheral cables which might person shooting games. It is
power supply. For those who just be enough. If you dont plan highly overpriced considering the
constantly upgrade graphics it is to upgrade your to 3 way SLI build quality and discomfort to
a good investment. this is the product for you. the user. There are cheaper mice
with more functionalities.
Also sEE:
Also sEE:
1) Cooler Master silent Pro Also sEE:
1) Corsair HX 850W
1000M 1) logitech G5
Digit January ’10
Digit September ’10 Digit July ’10
2) Cooler Master GX550
2) Corsair HX 850W 2) Razer Deathadder
Digit March’10
Digit January ’10 Digit July ’10
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 79
mobile internet traffic GPS on exilim
According to Zokem, a Finnish mobile analytics Casio’s Exilim is GPS enabled
bazaar mini company, native apps drive 50% of all mobile megazoom that can record location
Quick insights from indepth tests data volume data even when the camera is off
moTherboarD SofTware
PrinTerS DvD Player meDia STreamer
Gigabyte G41m-Combo Emsisoft Anti-malware 5.0 Intex Premium N-322 iRadioPoP Plus
Price: `2,900 Price: `560 Price: `2,629 Price: `1,500
SPECIFICATIOnS
Socket.................................................LGA775 OS supported.....Windows XP / Vista, 7 5.1 channel, Dolby Digital Decoder, USB 2.0 Plug & Play.
North Bridge.................Intel G41 Chipset System requirement................100 MB USB Port, Formats supported : DVD,
South Bridge..............................Intel ICH7 disk space, 512 MB memory, 1 GB ACD, VCD2.0, CD-R, CD-RW, USB,
Slots............................1 x PCI Express slot recommended MP3, MP4, JPEG, DivX
TEST CEnTrE rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ............................. 6.0 Features ..................................7 Features ..............................5.5 Features ..............................6.5
Has support for both DDR3 and Complete scanning features Range of connectivity options Access to counless internet
DDR2 memory in dual channel like scheduled scan, browser User interface is not impressive. radio and TV stations. Features
configuration. integration, etc. Recording supported.
Performance .................... 6.0 Performance .....................6.5 Performance .....................4.5 Performance .....................5.0
3Dmark06 CPU score: 4094 Does not affect startup time, Performance is poor.Video Offers good quality and the clear
Doom 3 FPS(800 x 600):31.4 runs parallel to other antivirus. quality isn’t upto the mark sound with proper streaming for
Overall performance is okay but CPU usage 1 per cent on startup Output on large screen shows lot radio station, but noise obvious in
the gaming performance is poor. and 85 per cent during scans. of noise. full screen.
Build quality ..................... 6.0 Build quality ..........................7 Build quality ......................5.5 Build quality .................... 6.0
Crowded layout on a compact - Clean interface with a separate Buttons on remote are of poor Design and build quality is
not very impressive. menu for advanced controls. quality similar to flash drives
Value for money...............7.0 Value for money...................7 Value for money............... 6.0 Value for money............... 7.0
The G41m is priced very Anti-malware cum Anti-virus for Economically priced but not up At `1,500, it’s pretty inexpensive.
economically at `2,900. one price is a good buy. to the mark on quality bandwidth to play with.
WE SAy
6.0 7.0 5.5 6.0
Installation of hardware com- Considering the cost ($12 or rs Go for this DVD player only if you It’s a small USB device helps
ponents is time consuming. The 560 approx) and the features are short on cash and want a no you in streaming TV/ radio
chipset gets heated up while run- (realtime protection, pretty frills basic DVD player that can station over internet at free
ning benchmarks on integrated large database, scanning and also play MP3 songs and read off of cost. not great if you’re
graphics. It is economically cleaning your computer of a USB drive. It takes a lot of time expecting high quality and
priced but performance is me- malware, scheduled scans and to load. The quality of video is not performance on low bandwidth
diocre. Moreover, there is hardly updates, etc.) the Anti-Malware upto the mark. There are a lot of connections. require 2Mbps
any price difference in DDr3 and is definitely worth a try. you can grains visible when video played for good video streaming.
DDr2 rAM. Gop for the board download a 30-day trial version on large screen. Some stations work in the
if you have purchased a really from its website and after using default player while some use
expensive rAM or processor and it decide for yourself. a browser. If you are a person
want an economical board. Also sEE: who travels a lot and want
Also sEE: 1)soyer 338MC portable TV/radio with you, the
1) McAfee Total Protection 2010 Digit July’10
2) Philips DVP 3588 iradioPOP Plus can prove to
Also sEE: Digit July ’10
2) AVG Internet security 9.0 Digit July’10 be handy.
1) Gigabyte GA P55A UD7 3) onida DFX 5979
Digit June ’10 Digit February ’10
3) K7 Total security 10 Digit July’10
2) Gigabyte GA 510 UD 4) Moserbaer MBI K666AMU
Digit May ’10 Digit February ’10
Digit July’10
80 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
apple’s acquisition
Apple has acquired Polar rose, a Swedish company ibm acquires analytics firm
specialising in face recognition technology and IBM has announced its plans to acquire the analytics
software company netezza for around $1.7 billion in cash bazaar mini
DeSkToP PCS PrinTerS heaDSeTS
lenovo Ideacentre B300 simmtronics sDC2711s logitech UsB Headset H530 logitech laptop H555
Price: `38,200 Price: ` 13,490 Price: `3,245 Price: `3,295
SPECIFICATIOnS
Processor..........................Intel Core 2 Duo Processor.........................Intel Pentium USB Connection, Frequency USB Connection, Driver 31mm
RAM...............................................4 GB DDR2 Dual-Core E5400 processor response: Headset: 20 Hz-20,000 Hz, diameter, Frequency response:
HDD.......................................................640 GB RAM.......................................................4GB Microphone: 100Hz – 10,000 Hz Headset: 20 Hz-20,000 Hz,
HDD........................................500GB SATA Microphone:100Hz –10,000 Hz,
TEST CEnTrE rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ................................. 6 Features ..............................5.5 Features ..............................7.0 Features ..............................7.0
Not very feature rich, Comes It comes with the basic Enables noise cancellation and USB connection, microphone
with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, configuration with compact full stereo sound. Equalizer supports noise cancellation.
bundled software for camera. design. switch for changing music style.
Performance .....................6.5 Performance .....................4.5 Performance .................... 6.0 Performance .................... 6.0
PC Mark score: 5,196 , Cinebench PC Mark Vantage score of 4023, The sound quality is decent. Test tracks gave satisfactory
gave a score of 6101 using multi- 3D Mark 06 gives overall 266 The headset performs well with performance. Microphone mute
CPU configuration. Doom ran at points while 4 GB assorted file internet calls but not so great switch doesn’t work well while
a decent 89.7 fps. take 133 seconds. with music. using it on voice call.
Build quality ......................5.5 Build quality ......................... 5 Build quality ....................,,7.0 Build quality ..................... 6.0
Cheap plastic body and keyboard Glossy finish, compact design Over the head design, cable is Neck strap design and adjustable
but not the best built chassis. thick and sturdy. ear pieces are quite clumsy.
Value for money ...............4 Value for money...................6 Value for money...............6.0 Value for money...............6.0
Performance does not justify the Well priced but could be priced At `3,245, it’s somewhat While it has a decent feature set,
pricing. much economically. expensive. it could have been cheaper.
WE SAy
5.5 5.0 6.5 6.0
The Lenovo Ideacentre looks The PC is sufficient for desktop The build quality for the head- not well isolated so those around
good on desk. It is a somewhat applications, but not for gaming. phones is good. It is an average you can easily hear your music.
expensive product. It does not The pricing of `13,490 is not performer. Great for internet Ideal for chatting on Skype. We
make sense to buy for a product justified without an LCD. It’s a calls but not so much for music. would not recommend these for
just for the looks when it is expen- good buy for people who do not It’s not a portable headset. Suit- heavy music listeners.
sive and does not perform well. want to assemble their PC. able for home or office use.
Bazaar mini
Steam drivers Cuil.com falls
Steam introduces feature which allows updating Cuil, the search engine started by ex-
Quick insights from indepth tests of graphics card drivers Google employees recently shut down
earPhoneS
Philips SHQ 1000 Philips SHQ 3000 Philips SHQ 4000 Skullcandy Titan
Price: `645 Price: `1,999 Price: `2,499 Price: `2,099
SPeCIFICATIOnS
Sensitivity: 110dB; Impedance: 16 Sensitivity: 102dB; Impedance: 16 Sensitivity: 102dB; Impedance: 16 Impedance: 16 ohms; In-ear;
ohms; Cable length : 1.2m; Sweat ohms; Cable length: 1.2m; Sweat ohms; Cable length: 1.2m; Sweat Cable length: 1.3m; Frequency
proof proof proof Response: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
TeST CenTre rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ................................ 6.5 Features ................................... 6 Features ................................... 6 Features ................................... 6
Performance ............................ 6 Performance ............................ 6 Performance ............................ 7 Performance ......................... 7.5
Build Quality ............................ 7 Build Quality ............................ 7 Build Quality ............................ 6 Build Quality ......................... 6.5
Value for money ................... 7.5 Value for money ...................4.5 Value for money ................... 6.5 Value for money ................... 5.5
We SAy
The sound output is Sound quality is good. Build quality of the Beautifully designed.
quite good, but not an
7.0 Mids are crisp but bass 6.0 headphones is strong
6.0 Wire starts from 6.5
audiophile grade good. is mild. Sound separa- as far as the in-ears driver section without
Mids were very crisp and tion isn’t great at high are concerned, but the sheathing - can cause
there is no distortion on medium volume. We did not experience flexible neckband is not as strong loosening. Sound signature was
volumes. Sound separation does any distortion. At a price point of as we would have liked. Sound quite good, mids were vivid. Most
get affected at higher volumes. `1,999, we felt that SHQ 3000 is signature is decent. Good at music genres sound good on
Bass is mild and not very boomy. a bit overpriced. mids, but bass is subdued. A bit these. The price of `2,099 is ideal
At `645, this is a decent buy. expensive at `2,499. for this set of earphones.
earPhoneS FlaSh drive CPU Cooler
Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket Transcend JetFlash V90 Classic IQ Pro 4GB GlacialTech Alaska
Price: `3,559 Price: `3,000 Price: `625 Price: `2,333
SPeCIFICATIOnS
Impedance : 16 ohms; In-ear; Capacity: 16 GB Capacity: 4 GB, USB 2.0 CPU sockets: Intel LGA775/
Cable length : 1.3m; Frequency Dimensions: 13.1 x 33.8 x 4.8mm compatible 1156/ 1366, AMD AM2/AMD AM3
Response : 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz Weight: 7g Fan Speed: 700 – 1600 RPM
TeST CenTre rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ................................ 6.5 Features ................................ 7.0 Features ................................... 5 Features ................................6.0
Performance ......................... 6.5 Performance .........................6.0 Performance .........................6.0 Performance .........................8.0
Build Quality ............................ 7 Build ...................................... 7.0 Build Quality ......................... 5.5 Build Quality .........................6.0
Value for Money.................... 5.5 Value for money ...................5.0 Value for money ...................4.0 Value for money ...................8.0
We SAy
The performance is good Comes with a fold-up Looks are simple and the Installation is a little
and build is sturdy. At 6.5 design that keeps the 6.0 build quality is average. 5.0 troublesome. Involves 7.0
the price, Skullcandy drive safe within the In synthetic tests, it the overhead of tighten-
Full Metal Jacket is definitely not metal body. Can be used as a gives an average read speed of ing of screws at the base within
a steal, but if you are a Skullcan- keychain. Bundled software ena- 13.2 MBps. Although at par with a very limited area. However, you
dy fan or the kind of person who bles features such as PC locking the Trascend JetFlash V90 Clas- can have it installed and running
likes stylish products you should and data backup. Average per- sic, it’s not as sturdy. At the price in about 25 to 30 minutes. Highly
definitely check it out. former. Price is more than other `625, it’s somewhat high for its recommended - performance
16 GB flash drives products. features. delivered is pretty amazing.
82 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Canon eoS60d 22nm soon
Canon’s new eOS 60D DSLr expected to start Intel has disclosed plans of moving to 22 nm fabrication
selling soon process for upcoming Atom processors Bazaar mini
headSetS SoFtware SPeakerS
Smart SH11 Smartinfocomm SH-04 Mundu IM for iPhone F&D A111
Price: `915 Price: `895 Price: Free Price: `1,990
SPeCIFICATIOnS
Operation Distance: 30 m; Impedance: 32 Ohms; Supports open source protocols Power output 18W RMS output,
Frequency Response: 30 - 20,000 Sensitivity: 108dB; Cable length: like Facebook, Gtalk and XMPP. USB/SD cards,frequency:
Hz, Modulation : FM/Mono 2.5 m 65Hz~20KHz
TeST CenTre rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ................................ 7.0 Features ................................ 6.5 Features ................................ 6.5 Features ................................ 5.5
Performance .........................5.0 Performance ......................... 6.5 Performance .........................8.0 Performance ......................... 5.5
Build Quality .........................5.0 Build Quality .........................6.0 Build Quality ......................... 7.0 Build Quality .........................6.0
Value for money ...................5.0 Value for money ................... 7.0 Value for money .................. N.A Value for money ................... 5.5
We SAy
Overall build quality is not the cheapest pair It is a handy IM app Audio quality is decent –
poor. Sound quality is
5.5 of headphone in the 6.5 to have but it does not
6.5 some distortion at high 5.5
okay but needs adjust- market but is among the support proprietary pro- volumes. not having dis-
ing using the scan and best in the price band. tocols like yahoo, MSn, play makes navigation
reset buttons on one of the ear If you are looking for a pair of ICQ and AOL. Better alterna- problematic while playing with
pads. FM sound quality is good. headphones and are on a tight tives such as nimbuzz (free) are USB. Poor low frequency repro-
Cheaper alternatives are avail- budget you should definitely available. duction. Built quality is good. For
able and for a little more, there check them out. the price, one would expect more
are better quality products. powerful speakers.
SPeakerS
F&D F700U Tech-Com SSD 5700R Tech-Com SSD 5900R Tech-Com SSD 6100R
Price: `3,990 Price: `4,100 Price: `3,889 Price: `4,900
SPeCIFICATIOnS
Power output: 80W ouput, FM Power output: 8W x 5 + 25W Power output: 8W x 5 + 25W Power Audio: 8W x 5 + 25W (RMS)
Radio, frequency: 28 Hz - 20KHz (RMS) (RMS)
TeST CenTre rATInGS (All Scores out of 10)
Features ................................6.0 Features ................................ 5.5 Features ................................ 5.5 Features ................................ 5.5
Performance .........................6.0 Performance ......................... 5.5 Performance ......................... 3.5 Performance .........................4.5
Build Quality ......................... 5.5 Build Quality .........................5.0 Build Quality .........................4.5 Build Quality ......................... 5.5
Value for money ...................6.0 Value for money ...................4.5 Value for money ...................4.0 Value for money ...................4.0
We SAy
Sound quality is good Very similar to the Build quality is not very These 5.1 speakers
with clear bass. Has 6.0 Tech-Com SSD 6100r. 5.0 good. At low volumes, 4.0 might appeal to some 5.0
external storage options Performance wise, it’s average at best. At with its cool dial on the
such as USB/ SD memory cards. sound quality is better than the higher volumes however, it it front. However, the dial is made
Good buy for its performance SSD 6100r and SSD 5900r. loses all detail and it get some- of poor quality without markings
but we wish the price was lower. Compared to the F&D’s F900U, what irritating. These have better on it. Clarity is good, unless bass
At `3990, it’s a decent buy with these lag far behind. It is a wee bass than the other SSD 6100r is switched on. Bass distorts. At
a good feature set, build quality bit overpriced, nonetheless, you model. you really want to think this price, we suggest keeping
and performance. can put this on your list. before getting one of these. this off your shopping list.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 83
Tips & Tricks
Gmail Search queries
Eversince Google began its Say, you have postponed
Gmail service, it has trans- reading a lot of mail and have
formed the way we have inter- read a few in between and left
acted. Within a span of two many unread. Gmail only has
years, Google has enhanced 100 conversations per page but
its customer base to over 170 your unread items are scat-
million users. Its user inter- tered in subsequent pages. To
face is mostly self-descriptive be able to view all your unread
and you’ll find yourself at ease mail at once, use the search
with most functions, but there query label:unread in the
are several other features that search box on top of the Gmail
improve functionality to a very page. Similarly, appending
large extent. queries such as is:starred,
is:unread, is:read and
Priority Inbox is:chat can be used within
The latest feature Gmail has .
Gmail.....................................................................................................................73 Gmail to sort through starred,
introduced is the new Priority Yahoo.Inquisitor................................................................................................75 unread, read and chat message
Inbox. It targeted and incorpo- Orb.........................................................................................................................75 respectively. For example a
rated multiple features from search query like in:trash
Soundbooth........................................................................................................76
Google Labs into the primary is:unread searches for all
Gmail UI. We recommend .
USB.WebServer.................................................................................................78 unread mail presently in the
this new feature, especially if trash folder.
you receive large volume of You can also search mes-
incoming mail. sections under Priority Inbox. mails, consistent mail content sages with tags like from,
Priority Inbox promises Google employees report that and predefined filters to, subject and folder. Use
to segregate your email into such an interface saved about The Priority Inbox has a of operators such as OR is
important and not so impor- 13 per cent of their time. certain degree of flexibility. also allowed. For example
tant, so that you don’t have to For Priority Inbox to func- After a user chooses to enable from:digit OR to:digit
waste unnecessary time. tion efficiently it has to learn the Priority Inbox, an addi- after:2010/04/02 searches
The Priority Inbox works your preferences initially tional tab appears in the for all mail sent to, and
off algorithms that keep track where you have to mark your Google settings panel. The received from digit after April
of user choices and deciphers mail either as important or user is given the option to: 2, 2010. The | character can
a relevant pattern in terms of not important. This is carried also be used in place of OR.
importance in all incoming out by the two buttons that get The search term followed by
email. Based on this data and added to the Gmail tool panel in:foldername will search
existing trends, it fixes priority after enabling Priority Inbox. for your search term only
for each incoming email. The The yellow button with a ‘+’ within the folder specified.
Mark your email as Important Default folders include Inbox,
by clicking on the + sign Trash, Spam, and Sent Folder.
One of Gmail’s most efficient functions is its search select Priority Mailbox as the Security options
default mailbox, disable pri- Gmail always keeps a log of
important mails are tagged sign marks a mail as impor- ority inbox completely, over- your activity. So if you are sus-
and occupy the uppermost tant. The white button with a ride filters, or include all mails pecting somebody of hacking
segment of your mailbox. Mail ‘-‘ sign deselects an important under a single label. into or logging into your
gets segregated into Important mail. The algorithm’s efficiency
and unread, Starred and Eve- is dependent on the usage of
rything else. Apart from these this feature. The degree of rele-
three default sections, you also vance shall get better only with
have the ability to customise a larger number of incoming
Priority Inbox saves you a lot of valuable time Make alterations to your Priority Inbox from the Settings page
| www.thinkdigit.com | vol 10: 73 Digit | October 2010
Tips & Tricks
account without your knowl- the group name in the To field
edge, you can keep track of while composing a new mail,
this through the ‘Last Account the auto-complete feature of
Activity’ feature. You will find gmail will pick it up and give
this feature at the bottom of the group name under the sug-
the Gmail page, in the footer gested list of names. You can
region. By clicking on details select the group from the list If you’re low on disk space, add some space from Google
option present at the end of and the mail will be sent to all
the ‘Last Account Activity’ contacts added to the group. Google Labs Wrong Bob
line you can check the exact Gmail has managed to give If you accidentally sent a mail
date, time, IP and type of Hard disk full? a cushion couch feel to its to Tara instead of Taran, ena-
access (browser, mobile, Gmail changed the game for users with many Google labs bling this Labs feature auto-
POP3) etc. used to log in into free email services by intro- features that save time and matically could save you from
your account ducing high storage inboxes. increase functionality. They near disaster. It verifies similar
While you are accessing Now Gmail gives its users enhance interactivity and names in your sent lists. If
your Gmail account if it is more than 7GB of storage. handiness and are always a there are several people with
simultaneously being accessed Most of the users never avail
from another location, the Last most of this space though.
Account Activity will show You can use up any vegetating
its details on the ‘Concur- space in your Gmail account
rent Session Information’ list. with the Gmail Drive shell
From here you can choose to extension. Download this app An often ignored feature is web clips
respite from the conventional similar names in the list, it
ways of mailbox management. gives a prompt before sending
All the Labs features can be out your email allowing the
enabled or disabled from the user to verify, and if required
‘Settings’ menu under the change the sender address.
‘Labs’ tab. Following is a list
of a few important Lab features Mouse gestures
worth mentioning. Mouse Gestures is a time
saving and efficient feature
Canned responses added into Gmail. To go to
Gmail multiple login information
If you are used to typing sim- the next mail after reading
terminate the other sessions at http://www.softpedia.com/ ilar replies to certain incoming a mail, a user has to navi-
by selecting the option ‘Sign get/Internet/E-mail/Mail-Util- mails, this added feature to gate to the “Older” tab at
out of all other sessions’. ities/GMail-Drive-shell-exten- the Compose page enables a the corner of the page, or go
sion.shtml. It is a Shell Name- person to reuse a previously back to Inbox and select the
Send an email to a space extension that creates a saved response. Just create a particular mail. This feature
Group in one shot virtual filesystem using your response, save it, and use it as enables you to do the same by
There might be instances where Gmail inbox, letting you use and when required. just the combination of clicks
you keep mailing to a common your Gmail account as a local and gestures. First right-click
list of people. It is a tedious job storage medium. The free Undo send your mouse, and with the key
to remember each and every space available on your Gmail Very often we end up with a pressed, drag it towards the
name and keep adding them account appears as a drive in big ‘oops’ moment right after left. Similarly, if you hover to
every time you write a new My Computer of your system. hitting that send button. If the right, you go to the next
mail. Gmail allows you to Any file copied into this drive you accidentally sent a mes- mail. If you hover to the left,
group a list of email addresses is sent as a mail attachment to sage you that you didn’t mean you go to the previous mail.
into a single group. the mailbox. to, Google Labs provides you If you hover upwards, you go
Click on “Contacts” on the with an Undo feature with to the inbox.
left of your Gmail inbox, and Irritated by ads? the option to retrieve your
then click on New group to If you get annoyed by ads mail and cancel sending for Inserting images
create your new group. You appearing at the top above the tool about 30 seconds after you Normally with Gmail you
can add new contacts into this panel of your Gmail account, they have sent your email. A few can only attach images if
group or just include existing can be turned off by disabling the seconds after the appearance you format it as an HTML
contacts in this group. When “Web Clips” option from Set- of the “Your message has been email. Google Labs lets you
you want to send a mail to the tings > Web Clips. These sent” line, the retrieval of the activate another feature to
particular group, start typing ads are Google sponsored links. message is possible. incorporate graphics in the
Digit | October 2010 | vol 10: 74 | www.thinkdigit.com
Tips & Tricks
main body itself. After ena- your search suggestions get. in less than four seconds after
bling this feature all you have Favicons and two lines of con- launching the app on your
to do is just drag the picture tent are also presented along iPhone making it faster than
from a folder and drop it in with the search results to give starting a cold search on the
the body of the mail while it’s you more details regarding the native Safari browser. You can
being composed. page. Abbreviated news results view the presented results in
from two different sources also an integrated Webkit browser
Yahoo! Inquisitor appear at the very top, as and
The Yahoo! Inquisitor is a free when applicable. Apart from
search plugin now available for showing you the results while
three major internet browsers keeping track of your history,
Internet Explorer, Firefox and you can use it to find previ-
Safari. It is also available as a Auto suggest at its best ously visited websites. It shows
free search app for the iPhone the link to previously visited
platform. Originally a search learning and modifying your websites, the number of times
technology for the Safari results as you search. you have visited it and the time
browser before being acquired Inquisitor by default uses when you did it.
by Yahoo!, it now has two addi- Yahoo search for acquiring its
tional beta versions of search results, but you can change Configuring
plugins for both IE and Firefox. your default search engine or Inquisitor Settings
Yahoo! Inquisitor lets you use a different search engine To configure the setting for
simply type your query into entirely. You can also assign Inquisitor, in Safari go to Pref-
the search box. Apart from customised keyboard shortcuts erences and click the Inquisitor
assisting you with the regular for each of them. The latest ver- logo on the right. In Firefox, Inquisitor is lightning fast on
auto complete feature and sug- sion of Inquisitor also points to select Add-ons from the tools the iPhone
gestions, its search technology alternative relevant links from menu and locate Inquisitor
uses a system of just in-time Amazon and Flickr based on on the list. Click on Options to without having to switch back
searching to show probable the user preferences. change its settings. In Internet to Safari.
results for your query, related Explorer after starting a search After going through the
websites as well as sugges- UI design using the plugin, an option for results if you choose to go
tions for refining your search The most appealing part of “Search Options…” will appear through to a particular web-
while you are typing in your the inquisitor plugin is its at the bottom of the drop down page or article by clicking on
search term. It personalises the user interface design. The UI list containing the results. Click it, it will then be framed by the
results based on your search presents results in large easy on it to access the settings. Using app. A toolbar is present at the
behaviour and keeps track of to read grey boxes directly in the settings you can change the top of the app which allows
your search history and book- your browser below the search number of results displayed you to go back to your search
marks to display results from field where you type in your and the default search engine. results making the process
your browsing history as well. query rather than opening a of navigation very fluid.
Inquisitor try’s to understand new web page. The more let- The Inquisitor You can always go out of the
your usage and preferences, ters you type the more refined iPhone App app into the iPhone’s regular
Inquisitor also comes in the Safari browser to view the
form of an iPhone App. The page. You can also choose to
App more or less works email yourself or anyone else
like the browser plugin the links for later viewing on
while the search results your computer.
come streaming in without
being heavy on the iPhone Orb
processor, or slowing Orb is a freeware (though not
down your key strokes. It open source) utility which
is worth mentioning that empowers users to stream
the application is actually their media to any Internet
ridiculously fast and effi- connected device, be it a mobile
cient. You can see results phone, a laptop or gaming con-
in the drop down being soles like Xbox 360 or Nintendo
refined as you are typing Wii. For the purpose of dem-
in your search term. More onstration we shall be using
importantly it’s so fast that a laptop as the media server
Search suggestions popout inside your browser you can type in your query and a Symbian 60v5 mobile
| www.thinkdigit.com | vol 10: 75 Digit | October 2010
Tips & Tricks
to find the option for is very intuitive. Whenever list. In this tips and tricks sec-
registering online. you will first try to stream it tion we’ll look at some of the
The next step during will do a self speed test, and basics and touch upon some
installation will be to the results will be displayed of the new features; such as
select directories you to you in Kilobits per second version control through Snap-
want Orb to index on the bottom right. Just below shots, multi-track mixing,
in order to stream that in the bottom center, there extract audio feature and a
your media. You can is streaming quality selection whole lot more.
add multiple paths bar, just click on any speed For the purpose of this tuto-
and it automatically under or nearest to your net- rial we played around with a
searches for all kinds work speeds, 80 might be a few stock sounds downloaded
Search suggestions popout on iPhone of media it supports, good compromise. The top from www.freesound.org – a
recursively within navigation bar lets you select great resource for getting your
phone as the remote internet the directories. between Photographs, Audio, hands on different sound sam-
connected device. Once it has finished Video, TV (Only if you have a ples such as loops, bass lines,
Orb has a Windows/Mac indexing Orb will minimize to TV tuner card, else you would synths and riffs.
only client on the server side an icon in your notification tray, have to skip this option during
but on the remote device side from where the Orb Control installation) and File Browser Customising
any device with a Web Browser Panel can always be invoked to mode, under each of them there Workspace
and a streaming media player change indexed media settings is a similar interface with smart Soundbooth’s default work-
will do. Hopefully Orb will and other modifications. It is selections like most played and space is full of panels and each
come up with a Linux Client recommended to have a decent recently added. panel has several tabs such as
soon (your mileage with WINE processor and ample RAM for One neat use we found of Effects, Markers, History, Prop-
may vary) and then it can smooth on the fly encoding. Orb was its ability to access erties etc. To the uninitiated it
proudly call itself completely the integrated web cam of your can all be a bit overwhelming.
platform independent. On your mobile laptop if it has one, this can very Thankfully Soundbooth allows
For the handset, we used a easily be used as basic surveil- you to customise and save your
On your laptop Nokia 5800 (running Symbian lance system. On a closing note Workspace. There are three
As enunciated above, the S60v5) as our remote device we would like to point out that main panels on the screen apart
laptop in this case will act over an EDGE connection for Orb enables the file browser from the main Editor window
like the streaming server via accessing the media. Point your function by default, so you are that shows your timelines. You
Orb. Orb can stream almost web browser to http://mycast. effectively streaming all your can simply drag any of the
all kind of media including orb.com/ and authenticate your- files (not just in the indexed tabs in the right panels into
photographs, audio and video. self with the login credentials. directories) over the internet, whichever section you desire.
It is assumed that the laptop It is important to note, that you so tread carefully. On dragging a tab you get a 3d
has access to all the media you should try and use the default box like indicator of where the
want to stream. The laptop is web browser of your device and Soundbooth CS4 tab will be placed. Dropping
connected to a broadband not a third-party application Adobe Soundbooth has always the tab when the central section
Internet connection, prefer- such as Opera Mini or Opera been the tool of choice for both of the box is highlighted will
ably a proxy less line. Mobile, the reason behind this amateur and semi-profes- add it as a new tab in the same
Your first step would be to is that Opera won’t be able to sional sound editing enthusi- panel. Many of the tabs such as
obtain the Orb Client suitable launch your device’s media asts and now in its CS4 edition Properties, Video, Scores are
for your system, you can get it player and instead will give Soundbooth has added a whole not really required for quick
either from http://www.orb.com/ you a ‘sdp’ link to download. lot more of functionality to an access and you can simply close
en/download_orb or if you are on Past this point, the interface already impressive features them by clicking on the X in the
Windows then you can find a
copy of the latest setup (2.50+)
on the Mindware DVD.
Installation has two major
steps, the first being regis-
tering for your Orb account,
if you already have one switch
to the ‘Login’ tab at the prompt
for registration and enter your
‘Login Name’ and ‘Password’.
If you don’t have an account, You can change your
it is important to register at streaming settings from the
this point as it will be difficult Control Panel Orb’s Interface on your remote device
Digit | October 2010 | vol 10: 76 | www.thinkdigit.com
Tips & Tricks
tab name. Once you’ve cus- more tracks from the same The in and out points basi-
tomised the Workspace, click dropdown by clicking Add cally crop the clip. If you hover
on Window > Workspace > Audio track. your mouse at the edges of the
New Workspace to save your clip, the points will appear
workspace. If you want to go On screen options automatically. You simple
back to the default workspace, If you select a particular sound drag left or right to crop. The
select Default from the drop- clip on the timeline you will edit button will open the clip
down menu at the top-right of notice controls that allow you in zoomed view. This allows
the screen. to add fades, adjust volume, you to finely change certain ele-
adjust panning, and edit in/ ments of the waveform. Once
Mixing multi-track On-Clip option to edit, change
files volume and panning
Now this is one of the most
long-awaited features in if you were to save the project.
Soundbooth. This feature Which is why the new Snap-
shot feature comes in handy. To
save a particular state that your
work is in, click the Snapshot
button in the History panel. To
Creating a multitrack file
restore a Snapshot, click on the
button and click the name of the
Snapshot. This feature is very
useful to get back to different
states and try out different
approaches to the processing
that you’re doing.
Adding Effects
To add particular effects to a
clip all you need to do is select
the clip, and go into the edit
function. Here you will find the
effects panel consisting of the
Mixing multiple tracks effects rack on the right hand
side. You can click on Stereo
you’re done with the edits you Rack Preset to get a full list
Dragging the effects tab to the can return to the main window of effects presets that you can
middle panel by clicking on back. apply. Once you’ve selected a
preset, say a special effect called
allows you to layer one track Versioning and Ethereal, the various sound
over another to create multi- history processes component acting
instrument compositions. You There are two ways to con- upon the effect will be shown
can either play around with trol versioning and history in in the rack. You can click the
loops of different instruments Soundbooth. The appli-
such as drums, bass and guitar cation will keep a track
riffs or work on a simpler of each and every step
project such as adding a back- Adding fade you take while you’re
ground score to a voiceover. working on your project.
The process is pretty simple. out points. To add fades simply The steps are displayed
When you first drag a file into drag the boxes at the top right in the history panel at
your editing workspace, you or left hand corners of the the bottom left corner
will instantly see its waveform sound clip. A yellow line will of the screen. You can
for the different channels. To appear that reduces the volume click on any of the steps
insert multiple tracks click on of the clip along its slope. You to go back to that pre-
the Tracks dropdown in the will also notice buttons to vious state. But the his-
editor and click Insert Wave- adjust volume and panning i.e. tory has a limitation – it
form into new Multitrack file. spreading the sound signal into will not be saved if you
After that you can add many the left or right channel. quit Soundbooth, even Adding effects
| www.thinkdigit.com | vol 10: 77 Digit | October 2010
Tips & Tricks
green power button to acti- variations are common. To
vate or deactivate a particular match volume levels of two or
component. You can even cus- more separate clips you need
tomise the effect by clicking on to go to the Tasks tab in the left
the settings button for each of panel and click on Volume Cor-
the effects components. Once rection. Now drag and drop the
you’re done with it, simply click files that you wish to process,
into the given space. To
get stats on the files such The Autoheal feature in Soundbooth at work
as Volume, Perceived
Volume and Peak click way in Soundbooth you will as possible by hitting [Z] and
on the little magnifying feel the need for more short- selecting the bit that you want
glass button right next to cuts. For a complete list of to get rid of. Then hit the Auto
the Match Volume button. shortcuts, go to Edit > Key- Heal button. What this will do
Now, you can match the board Shortcuts. is edit the pop or noise to blend
volume to a specified in with the surrounding audio.
RMS value such as say Extract Audio
-10 dB or match it to the Sound booth allows you to Normalising audio
average volume of one extract the audio from a video file Normalisation takes the
particular file. Tick the and then work on it with the full highest peak points of the
relevant option and hit range of editing options; not just waveform and accordingly
the Match Volume button. volume etc. This is one of the new raises the entire wave form pro-
You will see a summary of features introduced in CS4. To do portionately. This doesn’t nec-
the changes in dB levels this first import the video file into essarily make the clip louder
that were made to the Soundbooth but in a multitrack but more uniform sounding. To
various files. file [Ctrl]+Shift+[N]. In the normalise a clip go into the edit
Editor panel, click Extract Audio view for that clip, hit Process
Recording voice in the upper right of the video > Normalize. Alternatively
Adjust and match your file’s volume Once you launch Sound- clip. Soundbooth will create an you can use the shortcut
booth you will see an audio clip on a new track. [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [N].
on Apply to File or Apply to empty editing area. To start
Selection, whichever might be recording a voice clip simply Using Auto Heal USBWebserver
the case. Some of the effects are click on the red button at the The Auto Heal function allows If you’re managing multiple
actually post production pre- bottom of this empty editing you to get rid of unwanted dis- domains using Drupal with
sets to fix audio such as Remove area. Alternatively you can turbances that occur in your USBWebserver and WinSCP,
Hiss. To find some of the most also go to File > Record or clips such as a loud noise or imagine a scenario where you
standard effects, head to the hit [Ctrl] + [R]. This will
Effects menu on the top menu launch the recording dialog.
of the application. Here you just specify the
source ie. Microphone device
Matching Volume and click record. Once done
Very often we need to work name the file and click save.
with files or clips that vary
greatly in loudness. The varia- Important shortcuts
tion can be within the clip itself Since Soundbooth is an editing
or when compared to another application it is of course more
clip. To be able to mix such files, mouse friendly. Still, there
we have to make them sound are a few keyboard shortcuts
the same volume level. There that can help you get by in the
are two quick ways of doing interface very quickly. The first USBWebserver enables you to have all your site’s files on your
this - Volume Equalisation and one every editing enthusiast pen drive
Volume Matching. To equalise should know is - [Space] for
volume within a clip select the start and stop playing clip. a pop. To use this function go wouldn’t need to have your
Clip. Go to the edit view and Switching quickly between into the Remove a Sound option web server in one static loca-
click on Processes>Equalize the Time Selection tool [T], the under the Tasks tab in the left tion or computer. What if you
Volume Levels. This is espe- Move tool [M], the Hand tool panel. For removing a short are a web developer on the fly
cially useful when working [H], and the Zoom tool [Z] is burst type noise from your who works across multiple
with voice recordings where important. As you make your waveform zoom in as much computers which are either
Digit | October 2010 | vol 10: 78 | www.thinkdigit.com
Tips & Tricks
not connected to each other, or should unpack into a drupal-
not on a web server connected x.x folder. You might have to
to the internet. What if you are change the permissions for
a developer who is testing out this particular site so that the
various versions of his site and installation file will automati-
just needs to present his plat- cally create a new configura-
form or web site to a client or tion file for drupal. Make sure
a friend and show how the site that writing is allowed onto
would look before it actually this directory by the web
goes live? It is all possible to server. The easiest way to set
do this by having a web server permissions to make it wri-
and the site installed on a USB table is by chmod o+w sites/
Drive and if you have the ability Install the latest version of Drupal default on the web server.
to launch a web server on any Next up is creating a data-
computer. All this can be done you can take your work any- PHP My Admin and MySQL base specifically for Drupal.
without having to install any where you go and not have services. So basically all you Create a new database through
software onto that computer or to install any software on the have to do is copy this folder MySQLadmin by using the fol-
host your web site online. computer you are presenting onto a USB device like a pen lowing command
or temporarily working drive or an external hard disk mysqladmin –u db_user
on. But it is important to and run USBWebserver. –p create drupaldb
keep in mind that while
a USB stick increases Installing
portability and con- Drupal
venience but is not the Now let us look at
fastest way to run a web installing Drupal
server. onto this port-
able web server.
Web Server on Drupal is one of
USB the leading open
USBWebserver is source content
a bundle of major management
web software like systems prima-
Setting up USB webserver Apache, MySQL, rily based to run
and PHP with addi- on an Apache
Traditionally to be able tional features to help you server running
to launch a dynamic web site run them from a USB device PHP. Download
you would have to install a or simply a CD if necessary. the most recent
web server bundle onto a com- Since it supports PHP, you non development Setting up site preferences
puter on which you would be can install popular software version of Drupal
working on. For this work- platforms like WordPress and from www.drupal.org. Drupal Now login to MySQL and
shop we shall be considering Drupal onto it. We will be using comes with a net web inter- set all permissions to allow the
the popular Apache, MySQL, Drupal later on in this work- face for easy quick installation drupal installation to make the
PHP bundle. The bundle lets shop to illustrate the manage- of the package. Just unpack the necessary changes to complete
you host your pages and data- ment of multiple domains. You contents of the downloaded file its installation
bases required by your web can install the latest version and place the contents of the Mysql –u db_user –p
site on a local server. Similarly, of USBWebserver from www. file into the root directory of GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES
while deploying your site on usbwebserver.net. your USB web server. The file ON drupaldb.* TO nobody@
the internet you would need Once you have downloaded localhost IDENTIFIED
to lease or setup your own the file, all you need to do is BY ‘password’;
physical web server and the site unzip the file to extract the flush privileges;
would be accessible through a folder with the necessary files. Note that here the
unique domain. Note that there is no actual drupaldb is the database
To make any changes to installation required. To run Drupal will be using to store
the site you would need to use the server it’s as simple as its tables and ‘nobody@local-
an FTP client like File Zilla or executing the usbwebserver. host’ will be your database
WinSCP. With the convenience exe file present in this folder. account and the password
of being able to setup a web Executing the file will launch Follow the on screen instructions for for this database user will
server on a USB stick though, the Apache server along with installing Drupal be ‘password’. Make use of
| www.thinkdigit.com | vol 10: 79 Digit | October 2010
Tips & Tricks
your own username password uses the SSH protocol for secu-
as required. rity and the FTP protocol same
Now you are all set to run the as FileZilla. WinSCP is also avail-
Drupal installation program by able as a portable stand-alone
running your web server and executable removing the neces-
accessing the localhost. Open sity for installing it on a machine.
the Drupal installation from Edit directories to make correct database information WinSCP acts as a remote
the root of your web server editor where a user just has to
and the installation will run php file from the default sites second domain to follow the click on a file on the web server
automatically through your folder in the Drupal directory instructions to install your new and it is transferred to their local
web browser. You just have into each of these individual domain. Multiple domains are integrated text editor where he
to follow the instructions on domain directories you will be also possible. can make the necessary changes.
screen to complete the installa- administering using Drupal. Whenever the document is saved,
tion. When asked to setup your You have to edit each of these Secure transfer the changes are committed to the
database connection, use the directories so that they have the WinSCP which stands for Win- remote server automatically.
same settings you used above. correct database information dows Secure Copy is a free open
Since we are planning to use in them. In most cases you just source SFTP client which can Connecting to
similar databases for other have to make a unique prefix be used on Windows for secure remote server
future Drupal installations, be for each of the databases linked transfer of files using the SSH WinSCP can be downloaded
sure to change the prefix in the to each domain to make main- protocol. Using WinSCP you can for free from www.winscp.net.
“Advanced” options. Make sure tenance easier. If not already securely transfer files between While installing WinSCP the
you choose the “multi-domain” done just point your second your local and any remote com- installer gives you an option
option during the Drupal between a Norton Commander
installation process. like interface and a Windows
After you have completed Explorer like interface. The
the process of installation and Norton Commander like inter-
setup your administrative face has two panels one with the
details go to the root folder local computer directory and the
again and login to configure other with the remote computer
your settings. There are five directory while the explorer like
sections you should be going interface shows only the remote
through and setting up. These directory information. Once you
include content management, are done with the installation
user management, reports, site you need to set up a secure con-
building and site configuration. nection with the remote server.
Open the WinSCP client and
Using Drupal to navigate through the menu to
manage multiple Secure login for file transfer expand the sessions tab. Enter
Domains the ost name, port number,
To setup Drupal to manage domain to the Drupal direc- puter. WinSCP also has file user name and password of the
multiple domains proceed to tory on your server and go to managing and automated file remote server, generally an IP of
the root directory of the web the install.php page on your synchronisation capabilities. It the computer the web server is
server and in the Drupal direc- running on if you are connected
tory under the sites folder make through your local LAN. Finally
a new folder and rename it to pick your preferred protocol.
match the second domain you While you establish your con-
are going to manage using nection you will be prompted for
Drupal apart from your pri- a pass phrase which is created
mary domain. You can follow during the ssh key pair gen-
structures like sites/site.com, eration. Once you have made a
sites/site.com.folder1, or sites/ connection and have a running
sumdomain.site.com. session you can perform all the
Here site.com is the new basic standard FTP actions. The
domain Drupal will be man- only difference is that this would
aging and site.com/folder1 and be a highly secure connection.
subdomain.site.com also are You can keep your connection
part of this domain. Next you details saved in the Stored Ses-
will have to copy the settings. Select the interface that best suits your style of work sions subsection.
Digit | October 2010 | vol 10: 80 | www.thinkdigit.com
Blackberry ban delayed Google Wave
Blackberry ban delayed by 60 days after Google Wave is said to completely disappear in 2011; in
Toolbox RIM proposes a plan the meantime, an export feature is expected
Networking queries, software problems
and the same old virus or two...
Just another day for Digit QnA…..
Will Mac OS X run fine on sure that the disk is properly inserted or Internet Explorer. Try another browser
my PC? that you are connected to the Internet or to see if it works. Also, update Internet
I wanted to know whether my system is your network, and then try again. If it still Explorer to the latest version.
compatible with Mac OS X Leopard. cannot be located the information might
I’ve attached a log report generated by have been moved to a different location." Monitor trouble
HWiNFO32 for my system. Please check There were also no icons on my desktop I have an LG LCD 17-inch monitor
and tell me about the compatibility. with the exception of the recycle bin. It (L177WSB). I think it’s over a couple of
Abhishek happens within 5 or 10 days, but not daily. years old. Several horizontal lines and some
My K7 Total Security Antivirus is up to black spots have started appearing on the
It's hard to say whether your system date. The Sony Service Centre says it’s a screen. The monitor is under its warranty
is compatible with Mac OS X. Mac OS virus problem. period, but the problem is I have lost my
X officially doesn’t support components Ranjeet Kumar warranty card and purchasing receipt,
most PCs are built on. Also, those who please suggest how I can replace or repair
run Mac OS X use hacked and modded The problem could be due to a worm, my monitor. I’m from Guwahati, is there
copies that have to use custom drivers virus or even corrupted hard drive. Use any servicing center in Guwahati?
to work. the SFC or SCANNOW command in the Tallo Kano
command prompt to fix the problem.
Windows 7 theme You can also try restoring the Windows It's definitely a problem with your
won’t go installation to a previous time using display. You can try contacting LG's Cus-
I recently loaded a new Windows 7 theme. System Restore. The Repair mode in the tomer Care at 1860 180 9999. Also, we
It showed up during startup, but I deleted Windows installation will also work. suggest you retain your bill of purchase,
it because I didn’t like it. However, I still Sony might have provided a recovery in the future so that you can present a
see it. What should I do? The configura- system which can be used to restore the copy of it when required. In case you
tion of my Dell PC is as follows: drive to its initial state. Just remember don’t have a bill, we recommend you get
1. Intel Core2duo E7500(2.93 GHz) that you might lose data while doing so. a duplicate copy from the seller. If none
2. 3 GB RAM of these help, please go through our
3. 320 GB hard disk space Error while browsing monthly Consumer Protection section
Kushal Maheswari the web that talks on the steps you need to take to
Recently when browsing the web page safeguard your interests as a consumer.
The theme may not have been unin- Hummaa.com, I started getting an error
stalled properly. Deleting the theme may message "stack overflow at line No:1". Will two operating
not fix it. Try reinstalling it, and then My PC is an Intel Core 2 Quad with systems slow down my PC?
remove the theme through the software. Windows 7 Home Premium. I have a 320 I want to install Windows 7 Ultimate and
Finally, uninstall the software. kbps MTNL connection. Please help me Windows XP Service Pack 3.
what I can do to stop this error message I have the following configuration:
Windows problems on my Krishnakumar Panicker AMD Athlon II X4 630
Sony VAIO laptop The error could be due to a bug in ASUS M4A785D-M PRO
I have a Vaio VPCEB16FG LAPTOP. your browser. I'm assuming you’re using 4GB DDR2 RAM
When I boot my laptop, 500GB Seagate Barracuda
a “location not available 72000.12
C:Windowssystem32 Windows 7 Home Basic
configsystemprofiledesktop” Will installing it slow down
message appears. It could my computer? Will there be
be on a hard drive on this any other problem, or can I
computer or on a network. It proceed?
further says “Check to make Missing location errors maybe caused by a worm or virus Rahul Roy
94 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Fujitsu Lifebook AH530
Cisco Skype Fujitsu launches the Lifebook AH530 with
There are rumours that Cisco an onboard Radeon HD550 graphics solution
might be looking to buy Skype and an optional Blu-ray drive Q&A
Installing two or more operating Can you please guide me through the that don't have the option to export to any
systems will not slow down the system process of setting up a switch? other format.
at all. If you own a copy of Windows 7 I have never handled a switch before,
Ultimate and Windows XP, by all means, and dont know if it is plug and play or Driver installation failure
install them. needs to configured. And also provide I am using a Samsung GT s3310. I want
alternate options if possible. to access the internet on my Dell PC via
Faster performance with Kaushik my Phone. So I installed the PC Studio.
flash memory? After sometime it asked "Want to install
Is there any way I could use a pen drive Firstly, I'm not sure what the terms drivers?" When I select Yes, it automati-
as system memory? I had read an article and conditions of the connection are. You cally shows "Failed to install drivers”. My
online, but forgot about it. can't split up the connection at the cable PC configuration is: RAM 4 GB, Windows 7,
Jastinit end. The easiest way is to use a router. Core i3, 320 GB hard disc, 512 MB graphics
A switch will only let you setup connec- card. Is my PC faulty or does the problem
What you saw might have been tions between multiple PCs, but may not lie with the software? Can you provide the
the ReadyBoost feature on Windows 7 let you share the internet connection. software with your October issue?
which uses a performance flash drive to You'll need to set up one of your PCs as Aritra Chatterjee
improve performance. From what we've a gateway, and have the other connect to
seen though, there isn't a distinguishable it through a switch. This main PC must The error you are facing might be
boost in performance. If you use Win- always be on if you want internet access because of the OS. If your PC runs 64-bit
dows 7, you can try it out for yourself. on the other PC. Windows has an inbuilt Windows, you might face problems with
internet sharing feature that can be used drivers. Visit Samsung's site and check
Splitting connection to achieve what you're trying to do. if there are any versions available for
into two 64-bit Windows 7. Also, check for any
I have a YouTelecom 512 Mbps broadband Opening Ubuntu updates for 32-bit Windows 7 if your
(Password & Login Required) connection. documents on Windows laptop uses it.
It uses a cable modem. I want to split the I recently bought a Dell Laptop of follow-
connection into two - one for my desktop ing configuration: Multiple queries
and the other for my friend's laptop. A P8700 2.57 GHz Core 2 Duo Intel I have an Acer Aspire 5738 laptop with
router is not an option, since we are really Processor 4GB DDR3 RAM with 320GB hard disk
tight on budget. 4 GB DDR2 RAM and Intel Core2duo processor. I access
Both PCs may be used at the same 500 GB hard drive the internet using my Samsung mobile
time, or individually also. I’m consider- Windows 7 operating system. using Samsung PC suite. I use Windows 7
ing buying a cheap 5 port switch that I Along with Windows 7, I recently Ultimate edition 32 bit. Whenever I remove
saw online. However, the You Telecom installed Ubuntu on my laptop as I need it the mobile cable from my laptop without
guys says that a switch won’t work and in college. disconnecting the internet connection,
that I need to opt for a Proxy or Router. Is there any software that can convert Windows 7 hangs and doesn’t shut down.
Is this true? documents created in Ubuntu into the This problem does not occur if I use XP on
format that can be accessed in Windows the same system. Why does this happen,
or vice-versa? and how do I avoid this?
Upendra Also, Mozilla Firefox usually hangs
OpenOffice gives the user the option while surfing the net. I even repaired
to export to other formats and reinstalled it but in vain. Please give
Windows NTFS partitions should be me a solution.
accessible from Ubuntu. Saving files on When I use Norton Ghost Backup,
the Windows partition will allow you to it restarts my sytem in DOS mode and
open them once you boot into Windows. starts backing up. But during backup, the
Being able to read those files depends on bar doesn’t move beyond 0 per cent. Even
the format and software being used. when I leave it for hours. Why?
If you are using Openoffice on Ubuntu (iv) I have 4 GB of RAM. So should i use
to create documents, you can use 64 bit? What is he difference between 32
OpenOffice for Windows to open those bit and 64 bit?
files as well. Sarvesh Srivastava
The only files that won't be readable
Missing location errors maybe caused by a would be the ones created by software The lockups might be because of a
worm or virus not available on Windows or the ones bug or compatibility issue between the
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 95
Goodbye ATI Nokia’s new phone
AMD bids farewell to the ATI brand, graphics card Nokia India has launched the X2, its latest music
Toolbox will be rebranded as AMD Radeon and AMD FireGL phone in the Indian market for approximately `6,500
that we can share files Airtel broadband connection and network
without using pen drives. ports are:
But now our cable is not One Airtel Wi-Fi modem Binatone and
working. I want to know one dt845w with four wired ports. Two
how can we check whether desktop PCs with wired connection. Three
the cross cable is fine laptop with wireless connection.
or not? 100 feet apart my office, the network
Also, I have an MTNL without internet connection contains.
broadband internet connec- 1 BSNL ZTE ZXDSLl 531b Wi-Fi modem
tion with 200 MB download with 4 wired port: 1 no.
free. I want to know if there 2 Desktop PC wired connection: 2 no.
is any command or method 3 Laptop with wireless connection: 2 nos.
by which I can come to know I want to share internet access and files
how much I have down- between my home and office without wires
loaded so that I do not exeed and if possible without any new networking
Missing location errors maybe caused by a worm or virus my limit. hardware. Wi-Fi shouldn't loose wireless
Rakesh Kumar connectivity to office laptops.
Sushil Sen
PC and the phone. Update to the latest There's only one way to find out of the
version of the software. cable is fine or not - connect to any other What you need is a wireless access
The Firefox problem might be a bug PCs. Worst case, even if the cable is dam- point that connects to your home router.
with the current version. Try deleting aged, it's not very expensive to replace. There should be no walls or obstruc-
the Firefox application data folder - C:\ We’re not aware of a command but you tions between the two wireless devices
Users\Username\AppData\Roaming can use a small software called Netmeter for it to be within range. If that works,
and C:\Users\Username\AppData\ (http://www.metal-machine.de/read- you should be able to connect to the
Local. Then, try reinstalling Firefox. error/). It shows the current upload and Wi-Fi router in your office. If the router
Norton Ghost’s backup time maybe download speeds as well as logs amount isn't in range, you will have to setup a
due to the size of the partitions being of data transferred. Wi-Fi repeater or amplifier in between.
backed up. If you've set the compression Then, connect to this new access point
level as high, it takes much longer. Using Monitor controls from your home and you should be able
64-bit Windows will allow you to use the gone haywire to access the internet.
entire 4 GB of memory. 32-bit operating I am facing some problem with my moni-
systems allow a little more than 3 GB tor. My PC configuration is dual core Starting out
of memory. 2.8 GHz, 160 GB hard disk and all other I am regular subscriber of Digit. I am
components from HCL company. I bought going to start a cyber cafe. I can install
Networking problems my PC in 2007, and my problem is my PC LAN using a switch for 5 computers.
My friend and I live on different floors monitor continuously showing contrast But I do not know how to share single
in same society. We have connected information on screen. It automatically internet connection among 5 PCs.Will I
our computers using a cross cable so increases contrast and also disturbes me be able to use internet connection on all
while working. It continuously shows PCs if I connect DSL cable (Cable inter-
me contrast information on screen. net) to the switch.
Laxmikanth Joshi Rajesh Kumar
The problem might be with A switch will not be able to dis-
the buttons on the display. There's tribute internet connections to your
pretty much no other reason you five PCs. With a switch, you’ll need to
might be facing that problem. Try setup a primary server that receives the
pressing on all the buttons one after internet connection and then distrib-
another in case they're jammed utes it other PCs through the switch
in. The only solution is to take it to using Internet sharing. You will need
HCL's service centre for repair. two LAN cards on the primary server
for this kind of setup. A easier solution
Wi-Fi problem would to purchase an ADSL router that
Netmeter keeps track of the amount of data I want to connect my office and has multiple wired ports to connect to
downloaded and upload on a connection home wirelessly. My home has an the different PCs directly.
96 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Norton reports High-Def Hacked
A study conducted by Norton reports that nearly two-thirds of internet users HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)
globally and almost three-quarters in the U.S. have fallen victim to cybercrime, keeps devices such as Blu-ray players and HD set-
Toolbox with even worse numbers in China, where 83 per cent have been hacked top boxes protected, has been hacked
while growing up. You use one
of the laser pointers and direct
its beam at the laser receiver
we’re building.
The basic component that
detects the laser is a simple
light dependent resistor (LDR).
We discussed about electronic
components in this month’s
webinar on our website at www.
thinkdigit.com/webinars.php.
If you read through our pres-
entation, you’ll get a better
understanding of what a light
dependent resistor is.
The laser beam should be
incident on the LDR during
normal operation of the circuit.
In the event of an intrusion, the
laser network that you’ll create
using tiny mirrors is obstructed.
The LDR detects this obstruc-
tion and in conjunction with
the transistor interprets it as a
Secure your
change in state. The resultant
change in electrical signals trig-
gers the buzzer to alert anyone
around you of the ongoing theft
belongings,
attempt. Vigilant neighbours
and friends are all you need to
foil the intrusion attempt.
Identifying your
components
the smarter way The picture alongside gives
you a glimpse of the compo-
nents you are going to use for
With every instance of shopping sprees indulge in, there is a this DIY. The buzzer has two
higher possibility of theft that haunts us. We show you how wires – one red and the other
you could safeguard your possesions in just `100! blue. Connect the red wire to
the positive terminal, and the
Nash David technology that goes along month is really simple. What is
nash.david@thinkdigit.com with it. We’re talking about critical is the set up. Although What you will need:
Transistor 2N3904 – 1 no.
I
you being able to safeguard you’ll find several versions and Capacitor: 1000uF – 1 no.
f you’ve seen the 1999 your valuables, so that you alternatives available to achieve Laser pointer
Hollywood movie Entrap- can enjoy a good night’s sleep. the same ulterior motive, we’re LDR
Resistor: 10K
ment starring Catherine If someone wants to steal from presenting you this circuit Breadboard
Zeta-Jones, you’ll know you, they should at least have purely for its simplicity and Piezo buzzer (3 – 12 V)
exactly what we’re talking a tough time getting past your efficiency. It’s so simple you can 9V battery – 1 no.
Battery snap
about here. No we’re not inter- security shield. build it even if you don’t know A pack of tiny mirrors, commonly
ested in the attractive female anything about electronics. To available with tailoring shops
secret agents steering through This is how it works take you through its working, specialising in embroidery work.
Fevikwik for fixing your
laser controlled security sys- The working principle of the we use one of those laser key mirror pieces
tems! We’re excited about the circuit we’re building this chains that we’re used to seeing
98 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Google Apps doubly secure Phishing galore
Google Apps is launching two-factor verification, allowing A Spanish security firm called PandaLabs estimates 57,000 sites
the capability to verify a person’s identity with a code designed to look like other popular sites go up on the web each week.
sent to the user’s mobile device These phishers try to trick users into handing over personal details DIY
Breadboard
LASER
keychain
Buzzer
Emitter
Collector
Base
Resistor
Transistor
LDR
Components for your new security system The 10 kilo ohm resistor is connected to the base of the transistor
other wire to the negative ter-
+9V
minal. The transistor is an NPN
transistor and has three termi-
nals known as collector, base 10k
and emitter. You can identify
the terminals from the photo or LDR
you can also refer to a datasheet.
If you place the circular side of
the case to the left (resembling a 2N3904
LDR
C), with the flat side to the right
and the terminal facing down,
then the terminal towards you
is the emitter. The terminal in 0V
the middle is the base and the Create a mesh around your belongings using LASER and mirrors Just four components as you can see
terminal on top is the collector. in the circuit diagram
ie. The terminal on top of your try and recollect now, the ter- the transistor (base ans
C is the collector, the middle is minals from left to right are emitter). Connect the buzzer job. Now, you are left with
the base and the terminal on the emitter, base and collector. between the third terminal of craft work literally. Strategi-
base of your C is the emitter. The Connect the LDR between the transistor (collector) and a cally place the mirrors such
LDR or light dependent resistor the two terminals to the left of new point X on the board. To that they are not easily visible
has two terminals with a this point, connect one ter- and create a amesh of LASER
wavy line on it. minal of the resistor (10K). around your valuables. We
The other terminal of the prefer mirrors because other
Connecting the resistor connects to the col- reflective materials tend to
components lector of the transistor. dissipate or distort the beams,
together To the common point thereby causing problems
You can start with a bread- between the resistor and the with the sensitivity of the
board to test this project so red wire of the buzzer, con- circuit. There’s no limit to the
that you don’t get frustrated nect the red wire (positive) of network you could form by the
if it doesn’t work. As you can the battery. Similarly, connect mirrors. All you need to do is
see, the circuit is very small the black wire (negative) of ensure that the beam finally
and simple. With just three the battery to the emitter of falls on the LDR in normal
components in it, you should the transistor. circumstances. This way your
be able to get it without any buzzer will be off in normal
prior knowledge of elec- You’re done...really! state. If you want a more per-
tronics. To start, place the Believe it or not, half your manent solution, solder the
transistor on the breadboard, work is done. Although, by components together and keep
as shown in the photo – the way of constructing the cir- the LDR concealed so that the
flat side facing you. If you’d You can now relax cuit you’ve completed your LASER beam is not seen.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 99
Reading redefined 3D mirror on the wall...
Are ebook readers here to transform German TV maker Ad Notam’s 46-inch
Digital life 102 the way we read? We look at what the
future holds
mirror monitor converts 2D content into
Above & Below or side-by-side 3D format
Icon A5
A personal aircraft that runs on both auto and
aviation gas, does not require a professional
commercial pilot license, is capable of landing
on both land and water, its consoles and meters
are designed like any sports car interiors for
ease of use. What more can you ask for? Not a
lot perhaps, since you’re only paying $139,000!
Start saving...
Roth MC4
The MC4 is a tube amp for Apple iPod / iPhone.
You can pop in any other MP3 player apart
from the iPod as well. This dock produces pure
hi-fi tube sound, and can be connected to your
PC or laptop too. Its main USP is the vacuum
tubes that amplify never-before-heard sounds,
giving you a new listening experience.
Hasselblad H3DII-50
An ideal camera for
professionals, the Hasselblad
houses a 50 megapixel CCD
sensor and is a multi-shot full
colour camera. It can capture
four shots in a row, records full
RGB values at each position
by moving the sensor one
pixel between shots. Go out
and start shooting with this
high-end camera for $52,128.
100 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Sleek Schulte Compute bling!
The EVOline Vertical speaker lookalike docking station Computer Choppers now offer you the option of plating
from Schulte Elektrotechnik features international your iPad with 24kt gold, studding it with diamonds
sockets and a movable design among many other precious stones and metals Drool maal
Vusix iWear VR920
Don’t just stare at the screen
be a part of it...and with the
iWearVR 920 that’s exactly
what you can do. This device
is capable of showing 3D
content on a 62-inch screen
at a perceived distance of
9 feet, and also supports
NVIDIA’s stereo drivers.
Just $400 too.
Ryobi Tek4 4V 8 MP Digital Camera
Meet the big daddy of all durable and rugged cameras.
The Ryobi TEK4 has some cool features – steel lens
protection that protects its 3x lens, even when it’s
extended, it’s dust- and water-proof, impact resistant,
and also sports a flash light
that can light-up objects
up to 15 feet away. It shoots
in 8 megapixel and comes
with a 1GB SD card. But the
coolest thing in the price, a
mere $199.
Cabestan’s Nostromo
A look at this watch and you would probably think –
but how do I tell time? The catch is that the Cabestan’s
Nostromo doesn’t work and look like your normal
watch. A series of gears power up this watch and the
current time is displayed in the top left corner. It’s made
of titanium with a coating of phosphorescence on top.
Yours for only $1,41,400!
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 101
India at work Wink
India’s answer to Amazon, Infibeam also has a EC Media, another Indian company has also
range of ebooks and an ebook reader the Pi that launched the Wink reader that supports
Digital life displays several Indian languages English, Hindi, Malayalam and Marathi
novel or book using dedicated hardware.
read ng
This concept was popularised by Amazon
with its classic Kindle Reader in 2007.
In the three years of its business in this
product category, Amazon has revamped
the Kindle through 3 generations. The
redef ned
current one being Kindle 3 announced
in July this year. It’s slimmer, faster
and cheaper than the earlier models.
Consumer leanings
E-ink is indeed pleasant to read. Digit
community member Sanket Naik
K
believes in urban India, space and
Nash David nowledge has been regarded storage of a book collection is a major
nash.david@thinkdigit.com as the epitome of power, for concern. Due to space constraints, he
as long as we can remember. prefers eBook readers to print. Also,
In fact, most modern day he finds it uncomfortable to read
“The man who thinkers advocate technology for the very more than 20 pages at one stretch on
does not read sake of advancement, with the genesis
of the idea lying in better knowledge.
a laptop or LCD display. That’s one of
the highlights and advantage of e-ink.
good books has no Ever since Gutenberg printed the Bible
on his press in 1439, generations have
Another Digit reader, Milind Shah
prefers software and apps for mobile
advantage over been transformed. The most significant and smartphone platforms (BlackBerry,
the man who can’t one being the abolishment of slavery in
the United States owing to the advo-
Android, iPhone), iPad and PC, rather
than buying an eBook reader. According
read them.” cacy of freedom, liberty and equality.
Since the days of Gutenberg and his
to Shah, “with these apps, you no longer
need an ebook reader. This does away
- Mark Twain revolutionary press, the printing and with the need for paper”. Effectively, is
publishing industry has witnessed a the transition from paper to eBooks really
phenomenal growth, spiralling over worth it? One major concern is the effect
centuries. Flipping through the ages of paper production on the environment.
(and pages) and stepping into our era, Another Digit reader says she doesn’t
the internet has enfolded the busi- need another gadget to spoil her eyes and
ness of knowledge with its vast web. rather prefers good old books with paper.
In our age, information has been
available through waves, wires and of Market research findings
course, the all inclusive web. It’s hard to Echoing the growing concern to the
think of a life void of these three. The love print and publishing industry is For-
of reading while tanning has sustained a rester Research with its report that
thriving industry now witnessing down- recommends “strategists planning the
ward spirals in its DNA. If the w3 we next wave of ebook readers diversify the
spoke of wasn’t enough, there’s eBooks. portfolio of eReading devices to secure
We all know what happened to the their ownership of the reading experi-
paging industry not too long ago. A ence, offering devices that range from
text-only means of communication stripped-down $49 pocket readers to
could never sustain itself with a much full-color touch readers that erase the
better conglomerate of voice, data, text gap between today's ebook readers and
and video at lower costs. With books, tablet PCs.” Clearly, the single largest
we’re witnessing a similar scenario. threat to eBook Readers appears to be in
To satiate your thirst for knowledge, the form of tablet PCs, at least for now.
and especially reading, the latest offering But, a `1,500 ebook reader – really?
is that of eBook readers. The idea is to be Eventually, there’s one question that
able to read a digital copy (PDF, TXT or still dodges us. Why use eBook readers
the rather secure ePub) of your favourite – for convenience, cost or charm? In the
102 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
What about 35? Kindle’s selling
India’s cheap $35 tablet could be a nice deal as a Amazon’s latest Kindle model, the Kindle 3 has proved
reader, but at the cost of readability and comfort to be the most successful ebook reader till date Geek life
present market scenario, eBooks come at advertising rose by a compound annual
a price. In emerging economies such as growth rate (CAGR) of 4 per cent,
India, even `6,000 for an ebook reader is circulation went up by just 1.9 per cent
still on the high considering the fact that between 2003 and 2007. This does
technological penetration and consump- speak of alternative sources for content
tion is limited to the lofty. The USP of most for the consumer. Does it mean online
ebook readers is either its display (often content, piracy, or ebook readers?
promoted as glare free or e-ink), or the We know for sure ebook readers are
number of formats it supports. In stark not responsible for the slow growth in
contrast, according to figures gathered these figures. The industry picked up
by an authoritative body on the print and only post 2007 with the launch of the
publishing industry PIRA, “Amazon has Amazon Kindle. What is universally
been growing its digital book range since agreed by all analysts globally is that
the launch of the Kindle in 2007 and advertising will increase significantly
in August 2009 added 13,713 titles. In (by double digit figures in the online
July 2009, Barnes and Noble in the US and digital space in BRIC countries
was offering 7,00,000 titles. Putting such as Brazil, China and India.
this growth in perspective, according From a more practical stand-
to the Association of American point, PlasticLogic’s ProReader
Publishers, between 2002 and 2008, (announced at CES 2010, but later
e-book sales grew at a compound annual per cent. Clearly this trend will impact scrapped) held great potential. It’s no
rate of 58 per cent, compared to 1.6 per paper demand. For paper producers in coincidence these kneejerk moves are a
cent for the overall book industry. Adding North America and Europe, the situation result of 3 million iPads selling in just
to the woes of paper producers, Amazon is exacerbated by the continued growth 3 months of its launch. If you’re still
announced at the start of October 2009 of books imported from the Far East. For wondering what the future could be,
that for all books it sells in both print and example, Asia exported almost $1.5 billion the October 2008 issue of Esquire, a
e-book versions, Kindle versions now worth of books into the US during 2007.” men’s magazine could hold the key. This
account for 48 per cent of unit sales. Six Definitely, eBook readers do pose a issue has the world’s first e-ink cover.
months earlier the figure was around 12 threat to the paper and print industry. Watch a video on http://is.gd/eRoLZ. With
However, more of this the iPad changing the market scenario,
seems to affect the several eBook readers are looking at
saturated and sapped a reduced demand for reader-only
American market. All devices. For the ultimate experience,
the eBook reader activity companies would have to offer the feel
seems to be happening of “touch” to their ebook readers. Flex-
in the world’s largest ible displays as promoted by Plastic-
market. The Asian print Logic did promise this. Nevertheless,
and publishing industry pricing is another critical factor.
seems to be growing. A What would hold true till the end
trend seconded in a report is substance. As billionaire investor
on the Media and Enter- Warren Buffet puts it, “Price is what you
tainment industry by pay. Value is what you get.” As far as the
global auditing firm Ernst future of eBook readers is concerned,
& Young forecasting the there is growing opinion among a vast
industry trend till 2014. section of analysts and market researchers
According to the that the growth for eBook readers can
media and entertainment only be sustained till 2015. According
industry assessment by to Informa Telecoms & Media, ebook
PricewaterhouseCoopers, reader sales are expected to peak at 14
the global consumer million units in 2013, before falling by
magazine market is worth 7 per cent in 2014. Perhaps the smell of
$80 billion, compared paper would be the deciding factor, or a
to $71 billion five years perfect synergy between paper and print
ago. However, a closer like the Esquire cover! Write in to us and
look shows that while let us know your take on this matter.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 103
Price watch Know your rights
Street smart 112 The latest prices of all your computing accessories
and peripherals, so you can plan your purchase better 114 All your concerns as a
consumer addressed here
Look ma no
your budget you get better range and
faster speeds. The other N-supported
routers that was easily available over-
wires! the-counter was the Belkin N150 for Rs
1850 – a decent performer in our recent
Wi-Fi test. When it came to routers
Agent 001 goes hunting for the best with a USB port that facilitate sharing
Wi-Fi routers in town content from a portable drive, the market
seems to have only one option over-
Agent 001 I’ve been getting the-counter, the Belkin N+ for `4550.
agent001@thinkdigit.com so many mails If you have a higher budget, you
can look at the higher-end routers in
A
regarding Wi-Fi
trend I’ve been observing routers. So I decided the July issue. These are feature rich in
for sometime now is home to take a little trip terms of the interface, design and other
users increasingly going down to the local factors. But since they’re not easily
in for Wi-Fi routers. This electronics market available your best bet is to look for them
rise can be attributed to a couple of use to check out what was available and in online shops or have them specifi-
case scenarios. People now have mul- give you a bit of gyan on choosing the cally ordered though your local store.
tiple browsing devices at home – most right Wi-Fi router for your needs. One such router is the Asus RT-N16,
commonly laptops, while some even At the first shop that I went to, I put which is a robust performer and has
connect via mobile phones and high end on my poker face and did what most features like torrent downloading, FTP
PMPs such as the iPod Touch. Obviously, consumers do, “Ek Wi-Fi router dena”. and P2P all for `6,600. The Linksys
connecting to the internet from any part The shopkeeper plonked the Belkin G WRT610N, priced around `9,400 is
of your home, say from the comfort of Wireless Router and nonchalantly stated a dual-band router, which means that
your couch or the picturesque beauty of the price, Rs 1350. On getting a similar it supports the lesser used 5Ghz fre-
your balcony, is a tempting proposition. response at most places I went to, with quency range. It also has options to set
Another factor for increase in the offtake shop guys either pushing either the traffic priority to certain applications for
of this product category is that high-end aforementioned Belkin or the Netgear better performance – good for gamers.
users have started to set up purpose G54 (`1550), I could easily deduce that For those looking for ADSL routers,
specific rigs such as download or media they’re trying to get rid of the outdated the Linksys
center rigs at home and don’t want the their stock of routers based on the older WAG160N for
cable clutter that comes and inferior 802.11g standard. `6,500 is a good
along with it. Besides, the The g routers are cheap yes, option. It comes
price drop and implementa- but offer a maximum speed of with an ADSL
tion of the 802.11n make this 54Mbps. This is fine if you’re
perhaps the perfect time to sole purpose is browsing and
go in for a Wi-Fi router. the area that you require to
That being said the world be covered is relatively small,
of Wi-Fi routers is a little say a maximum of two small
complex, simply because rooms, seperated by a thin Asus RT N16
of the various types of wall. The moment you enter
routers available; each with into the territory of media component built into it, so you can get
a specific purpose, perform- Belkin N150 streaming or if your home is a rid of the ADSL modem that your ISP
ance level and price range. duplex with rooms not adja- provides (and probably charges you
For instance, there are routers that come cent but one above the other, you need rent for), plus reduce the device clutter.
with a USB port – to share flash drives, to go for an N router. These routers It also has an option to use one of the
Dual Band, and even torrent downloading offer a wider range and the N standard other LAN ports as a WAN connection
features. Buying a Wi-Fi router hence supports speeds of upto 600Mbps. if you choose to move to an ISP that uses
can be as simple as going over to the They don’t cost a whole lot more either, Ethernet to distribute connections.
nearest electronics/hardware shop and the cheapest N router I found was the My little trip down to Lamington Road
announcing to the shopkeeper “Give me Digisol DG-BR4000N for `1650 and it has proved useful and will definitely help
one Wi-Fi router”, or it can be a nerve came with a warranty. Since the brand out those of you who have been writing
wracking process filled with choices and is an offshoot of D-Link, service and to me with your Wi-Fi woes. Remember
options. No self-respecting Digit reader is quality should not be a problem. This you have many options, simply assess
going to go for the first option. No wonder mean that for just a `300 increase in your need and choose the right product.
104 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Killer rigs Whitespace Wi-Fi
116 Build the system to suit your needs.
Choose from 4 configurations
The US FCC is on the verge of allowing the use of the unused spectrum or
whitespace caused in the broadcast of TV Channels for Wi-Fi improvement Agent 001
Graphics card around PC or graphics card up- Further, I want to buy a graphics
`8,000 grade? card. My budget is `5,000. However, the
Please recommend a suitable graphics I need your help in selecting a graphics monitor should have an HDMI port. I am
card in the range of 8000 on the following card for my PC. Also suggest some game not too much into gaming, but I need it
configuration: Pentium Dual Core, 2 GB titles that we could play. Please do not for movie viewing and normal stuff.
RAM and with a mainboard Acer G31T-M5 suggest gory titles. I am a doctor and my My PC configuration is Intel Dual
Debadyuti Bhattacharya son is 11 years old. core processor on original Intel 945 GNT
My budget is between `4,000. I can Motherboard with 2 GB RAM.
A graphics card in that price range stretch it to a maximum of `6,500. I read Anupam Parekh
will be overkill for your configuration. about the Graphics cards in the July issue
It is recommended that you upgrade of Digit. The two displays are almost identical
your system if you’re looking for a My PC is a low cost Zotac 610i value to each other. The Dell ST2220 looks like
graphics card such as the GeForce Motherboard, with a 400W power a newer model with the same specifica-
GTS250 or Radeon 5750. The processor supply. It has one PCIe x16 slot, Pentium- tions. For accurate prices, you should
will be somewhat of a bottleneck and D 2 GHz, 3 GB DDR2 533 RAM, 80 GB, contact Dell from their web site or their
you won’t find frame rates going up IDE HDD, onboard NVIDIA Geforce customer care numbers. For under Rs.
beyond a certain point. If you have no 7050 running Windows 7 Professional. 5,000, you can find a GeForce GT240
plans of upgrading, purchase a some- I need to know whether my PC suit- graphics card.
what cheaper GeForce GTS240 for the able for a graphics card upgrade?
time being. We prefer games of the milder kind. Laptop for around `25,000
For example, Heart of Darkness, Road Rash, I admire your magazine and have never
Sound card for new speakers NFS, and Trine to name a few. been let down by the Digit team. The
I recently purchased a Philips 5.1 sur- However, the games we have been thing is, I want to buy a laptop that I
round speaker (Model no - MMS 5130). It playing have been restricted due to hard- would be using for general operations
has three pin to plug into the processor. ware limitations in our PC. such as surfing the net, writing docu-
But My sound card is 2.1 channel. So We really loved Trine. It’s the latest ments, watching movies and listening
please suggest me a sound card which game we liked, but cannot play it beyond to music. My budget is around `25,000.
has three point which I can plug in the 640x480 resolution, and so we cannot I am totally against using Compaq and
speakers pins. All are 3.5 mm jack. My truly enjoy the game. HCL laptops. Please exclude them.
budget is within `2,000 - 3,000. We look forward to your suggestions. This is urgent and it would be very
Subham Gartia Dr. Vijay & Jacob kind of you if you can reply via mail.
Pratik
Most sound cards on motherboards Considering your requirements, we
over the years have come with 5.1 audio would suggest going in for a GeForce Look for the Acer Aspire 4736Z
outputs. Ensure that your card isn’t GT240 graphics card for the gaming if model. It should fall in the price range.
one of them. Some speakers use RCA you aren’t planning to upgrade anytime
connectors to input audio to the soon. It won’t improve performance by Best tablet for media?
amplifier/woofer. If that’s the case, you a whole lot because of the older I want to buy an Android based tablet.
can simply purchase these 3.5 mm - processor. An entire system overhaul It should have Wi-Fi connectivity, 720p
RCA converters and use seems overdue. If that’s the plan, a video playback (if 1080p is available then
graphics card in the price range of I would prefer that), full Flash support,
`6,000 - `8,000 would be the way to go. large screen at least 7-inch (10.1-inch is
Some games with little or no gore recommended). The tablet should have
that you must try FIFA 2010, Pro Evolu- the latest version of Android.
tion Soccer 2009/2010, Braid, World of Goo, Basically, I just want to watch high
Sins of a Solar Empire, Spore and Overlord. definition movies and have a rich web
AudigyValue experience. I am not limited by budget.
Need to purchase a Please suggest accordingly.
those speakers. Few or almost no new monitor Abhishek Kumar
sound cards come with RCA connec- I am planning to buy a new Full HD
tors. If you’re looking for a 5.1 sound monitor. I have selected two Dell moni- The OlivePad VT100 is the only one
capable sound card, look at the tors. These are as the Dell ST2210 and the available in India. It’s not particularly
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Value Dell ST2220L. great. If budget is no issue, the iPad is
7.1 card. It should be priced around Of these two, which one is better? your best option. You’ll have to get it
` 1,800. Also, tell me the price of these monitors. shipped from the US.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 105
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'The Social network', a movie on social networking sites,
Street smart is about to be released on October 01, 2010
Spend Smart
The latest peripheral prices updated every month. Go ahead, plan your configuration today
PC Cabinets
Brand Model Market Price (`) Type 5.25-inch bays 3.5-inch bays Number of
fans
Antec Skeleton 10920 ATX 2 2/0 5
Antec Three Hundred 4000 ATX 3 1 5
Cooler Master Elite 360 2160 ATX 2 2 1
Cooler Master Gladiator RC-600-KKN1-GP 4000 ATX 5 1 5
Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX 9800 Full ATX 6 5/1 4
Cooler Master RC-310-RKN1-GP 1800 ATX 4 2 2
Cooler Master RC-690-KWN1-GP 4930 ATX 5 6 7
Gigabyte GZ-AX1CBS-SNB 3610 ATX 4 6/1 2
Gigabyte GZ-X4BPD-500 2270 ATX 4 3/1 1
Gigabyte Poseidon 310 GZ-AA3CB 8040 Micro ATX 5 3/2 2
LanCool PC-K60W 5980 ATX / Micro-ATX 5 4 4
LanCool PC-K62 6700 ATX / Micro-ATX 5 4 4
Lian Li PC-7FN 7940 ATX / Micro-ATX 5 4 2
Lian Li Q07B 4120 Mini ITX 1 1 1
Thermaltake M9 VI1000BWS 4610 ATX 6 3/1 2
Thermaltake VI90001W2Z 11590 Micro ATX 7 6/1 5
Thermaltake VJ400G1N2Z 5980 ATX 4 5/2 3
Thermaltake Vl60001N2Z 3250 ATX 4 4/1 1
Zebronics INVADER 8240 ATX 5 5 3
Motherboards - AMD
Brand Model Market Price (`) Socket/Interface Chipset PCI/SATA/USB
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO 6,650 AM3 AMD 785G + AMD SB710 3/5/6
Asus M4A78T-E 7,730 AM3 AMD 790GX + SB750 2/2/5
Asus M4A79 Deluxe 12,550 AM3 AMD 790FX + SB750 2/5/12
Biostar TA785G3 4,200 AM3 AMD 785G + SB710 1/2/4
Biostar TA785GE 3,740 AM2+ AMD 785G + AMD SB710 2/6/7
Biostar TA890GXE 7,650 AM3 AMD 890GX + AMD SB850 2/5/6
Gigabyte 880GM-UD2H 5,970 AM3 AMD 880G + AMD SB710 2/6/6
Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5 12,670 AM3 AMD 890FX + AMD SB850 1/6/14
Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-US2H 5,570 AM3 AMD 785G + AMD SB710 2/5/6
Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-DS2H 5,050 AM2+ AMD 780G + SB700 1/2/5
MSI 785G-E53 5,260 AM3 AMD 785G + AMD SB710 2/5/6
MSI 785GM-E51 4,100 AM3 AMD 785G + SB710 1/2/5
MSI 890FXA-GD70 10,150 AM3 AMD RD890 + AMD SB850 1/6/6
MSI 890GXM-G65 7,340 AM3 AMD 890GX + AMD SB850 1/5/4
Motherboards - Intel
Brand Model Market Price (`) Socket/Interface Chipset PCI/SATA/USB
Asus Rampage II GENE 15,200 LGA 1366 Intel X58 + Intel ICH10R 1/7/6
Biostar TPOWER i55 11,900 LGA 1156 Intel P55 2/6/8
Biostar TPOWER X58A 12,480 LGA 1366 Intel X58 + Intel ICH10R 2/6/10
Gigabyte GA-EP43T-UD3L 5,700 LGA 775 Intel P43 Express + Intel ICH10 2/6/12
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3L 7,110 LGA 775 Intel P45 + Intel ICH10 2/6/12
Intel X58 Express + Intel
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R 18,030 LGA 1366 ICH10R 2/6/12
Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P 14,420 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Express 2/6/12
Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 6,290 LGA 1156 Intel P55 2/7/10
Gigabyte GA-P55-USB3 9,270 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Express 3/6/14
Intel X58 Express + Intel
Gigabyte X58-AUD3R 14,450 LGA 1366 ICH10R 1/2/10
Intel BOXDP45SG 7,010 LGA 775 Intel P45 Express 3/6/12
MSI MSI X58 PRO-E 10,920 LGA 1366 Intel X58 + Intel ICH10R 2/2/6
MSI P55-CD53 6,080 LGA 1156 Intel P55 3/8/10
MSI P55-GD65 8,400 LGA 1156 Intel P55 2/7/8
MSI P55M-GD45 5,640 LGA 1156 Intel P55 1/6/10
106 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
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A malware named 'Spy rootkit' is suspected to infect most
of the critical infrastructure systems in India and Iran Price watch
Processors
Brand Model Market Price (`) Socket/Interface Number of cores Clock speed
AMD Sempron 140 2,140 AM3 1 2.70 GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 240 3,283 AM3 2 2.80 GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 245 3,310 AM3 2 2.90 GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 250 3,500 AM3 2 3.00 GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 255 3,860 AM3 2 3.10 GHz
AMD Athlon II X3 440 4,500 AM3 3 3.00 GHz
AMD Phenom II X2 550 4,940 AM3 2 3.10 GHz
AMD Phenom II X2 545 4,957 AM3 2 3.00 GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 620 5,626 AM3 4 2.60 GHz
AMD Athlon II X4 635 5,670 AM3 4 2.90 GHz
AMD Athlon II X4 630 5,842 AM3 4 2.80 GHz
AMD Phenom II X4 925 7,110 AM3 4 2.80 GHz
AMD Phenom II X4 945 7,500 AM3 4 3.00 GHz
AMD Phenom II X4 955 8,530 AM3 4 3.20 GHz
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 11,150 AM3 6 2.80 GHz
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 16,030 AM3 6 3.20 GHz
Intel Core E5300 3,080 LGA 775 2 2.60 GHz
Intel Core E5400 3,330 LGA 775 2 2.70 GHz
Intel Core i3 530 5,880 LGA 1156 2 2.93 GHz
Intel Core i3 540 6,290 LGA 1156 2 3.06 GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 6,610 LGA 775 2 2.93 GHz
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 7,880 LGA 775 4 2.66 GHz
Intel Core i5-650 9,270 LGA 1156 2 3.20 GHz
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 10,000 LGA 775 4 2.66 GHz
Intel Core i5-661 10,170 LGA 1156 2 3.33 GHz
Intel Xeon E5405 11,690 LGA 771 4 2.00 GHz
Intel Xeon E5410 14,610 LGA 771 4 2.33 GHz
Intel Core i7-860 15,250 LGA 1156 4 2.80 GHz
Intel Core i7-870 15,660 LGA 1156 4 2.93 GHz
Intel Xeon E5420 18,570 LGA 771 4 2.50 GHz
Intel Core i7-980X 55,620 LGA 1366 6 3.33 GHz
Point and shoot cameras
Brand Model Market Price (`) Optical Zoom Aperture
Canon 120IS 11,540 4x f/2.8-8.0
Canon A1100 IS 8,550 4x f/2.7-5.6
Canon PowerShot A495 6,030 4x f/2.8-5.6
Canon PowerShot S90 22,970 3.8x f/2.0-4.9
Casio EX-Z35 7,940 4x f/3.2-5.9
Casio Z280 9,380 4x f/2.8-7.8
Casio Z90 8,450 3x f/3.1-5.6
Kodak M530 6,080 3x f/2.8-5.6
Kodak M575 9,849 5x f/2.8-5.6
Nikon L22 6,240 3.6x f/3.1-5.5
Nikon S220 7,210 3x f/3.1-5.9
Nikon S570 9,070 5x f/2.7-6.6
Nikon S640 14,420 5x f/2.7-6.6
Olympus FE-5030 9,790 5x f/2.8-6.5
Olympus MJU-7030 11,700 7x f/3.0-5.9
Panasonic DMC-FS4 5,350 4x f/2.8-5.9
Panasonic DMC-FS42 6,700 4x f/2.8-5.9
Panasonic DMC-TZ6 15,450 12x f/3.3-5.9
Samsung EC-PL80 9,070 5x f/3.4-5.9
Samsung EC-ST70 10,180 5x f/3.5-5.9
Samsung EC-WB650 15,270 15x f/3.2-5.8
Sony DSC H55 14,360 10x f/3.5-5.5
Sony DSC T90 11,490 4x f/3.5-10
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 107
Nokia’s budget offering N8 coming soon
Nokia Launches First Dual SIM Phone The C1: Symbian 3 Powered Power House, Nokia N8 To
Street smart http://bit.ly/csJzXq Hit Stores Soon: http://bit.ly/9Dz8uw
expecting the benefit of such condition.
Another term you need to be aware of
photos.com
is that of express and implied guaran-
tees. An express guarantee which is a
clear import of the product purchased.
A television is a good example. The
picture and sound of television has to
be good, which is an express implica-
tion or warranty. However, if consumer
needs to have television for his restau-
UndErsTanding rant requiring a minimum continuous
Warranty
functioning of 13 to 14 hours a day, then
it is the duty of the seller to provide
accurate information regarding the
consumer’s warranty rights. Another
for yoUr PEaCE of Mind example is if someone buys sports shoes,
there is an implied warranty that it will
go good for rough terrain and tough use.
Unless the shopkeeper gives you
A
fter receiving his pay Although similar, in commercial something in writing, do not assume
hike, Balvinder, a High parlance and legal practice, especially you have any warranty or guarantee.
Court employee felt it was in the consumer law arena these are Make sure you have in your possession
prudent to fulfil his wife’s two different concepts with a slight documents such as bill and warranty
long standing desire for a front loading difference. While guarantee refers to cards. For the sake of convenience, make
washing machine. He was quite meticu- the post sale stand of a seller or service it a habit to write the important dates
lous in finding the best deal possible. provider in the capacity of a guarantor. when the warranty or guarantee of your
Eventually, the shop owner persuaded In the event of any fault or malfunction product is to going to end. The best way
the couple to buy a lesser known brand with the product or service, the onus is to call the company people to check
with a five-year guarantee that cov- will be on the company to sort matters all the things a month before when it
ered fault and damage of all sorts. A out. Consumers can seek a replace- actually ends. If a particular problem
year, the product started giving way. ment of the product or service. Gener- recurs, then keep the details of the
That began the game of passing the ally, it is believed that one can get hold complaint. One can a make a good case
buck. The seller would say it’s of the getting the things repaired it
the company’s responsibility to the problem was the recurring and
offer guarantee and their only inherent in the product even after
job was to sell the product. The If you’re facing a problem with the warranty or guarantee expires.
only help rendered by the seller
your purchase, write to us at Another trait which has been
help@consumermate.com
in this matter was providing commonly found in Indian cus-
the service centre’s helpline tomers is that once they’ve got a
number. To add to their woes, the couple of their money back simply because good deal, they don’t think about the
realised their warranty was over as it they have a guarantee. Warranty, on other aspects. They generally do not get
was only for one year! The only option the other hand, implies the provision the warranty document stamped and
left was to approach the consumer court of getting the article repaired when signed which is very common require-
for action against the company and the the product is defective. However, the ment for most products. So the next time
seller. This is not an isolated case. recent commercial trend is the use of you purchase anything, grill them rather
In recent times, guarantees and the word limited warranty that puts than merely concentrating on price.
warranties have emerged as a safe- conditions on the specifics of a product,
guard to consumer rights. By means the nature of damage incurred and
of a guarantee or warranty, the seller the time period of the validity of the
Expert buying advice
or service provider is liable to replace document. Consequently, the pros- Visit Consumermate.com
or repair the product or service pro- pect in a warranty is abridged by the for expert buying advice and
vided, if it is below the expectation expression “limited”. Therefore there comprehensive information on
of the benchmark. Normally, this is a is a distinction in the real meaning and Laptops, Mobiles, TVs, Cameras
promise made by the manufacturer to strength of guarantee and warranty and Camcorders
the customer for a fixed time frame. which consumer must appreciate before
108 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Touch or keypad? Godrej TVs
Best Touch Screen Phones With a Full QWERTY Godrej launches Game LCD TV:
Keypad: http://bit.ly/cvq0uI http://bit.ly/bSVTwn Consumer protection
ComplainTs ReCeiVed
Mobile Phones and email has yielded no results. They As long as the product is under warranty/
Case File #855 say it’s my fault for having viewed the guarantee, you have a legitimate right
1.Subject: My Boss Mobile phone is international site and not the Indian site, to get it repaired. The company cannot
not working and want me to sort out the problem wash off its hand from its liability when
I purchased a Boss mobile phone recently with the retailer. The discussions with the complaint or any problematic issue is
from Naaptol.com. My mobile phone has the retailer while buying the handset raised during the guarantee period.
not been switching on for the past couple was only oral, hence there is no proof for
of weeks. I have tried getting it checked what they told me about the features. Case File #969
at most shops, but none of them were of Once, the company told me they are Subject: Service center of HTC is not
any help. In lieu of no company service coordinating with the retailer to sort providing customer satisfaction
centre, I’m in a fix and feel completely out the issue and even had asked me I have an HTC T3320 Touch 2. My
cheated and dissatisfied. I have even to forward a scanned copy of purchase complaint number is 19419. I have
asked all my near and dear ones never to proof, which I did. Is there any remedy been to the service centre twice. First
trust any such web sites or their products. for me? the customer service advisor informed
Megha Aggarwal Sudhakar Sundersingh me to upgrade the handset as it was
getting switch off. After 2-3 days I
Answer by Consumermate: Answer by Consumermate: was facing the same problem. Then
Thanks for sharing your views. Do not Dear Customer, I visited the service centre again on
feel cheated as you can always take legal Yours is a typical case of a big company August 24th. They asked me to submit
recourse against the company. At this backing out once the product is sold. the cellphone and advice to call
stage, you can write a registered letter Any company that sells a product is duty after 24 hours. When I contacted the
to the company about your problems bound to provide all essential features service centre, they asked me to wait
in shape of a legal demand notice. You in a product that they have sold for a for a week. I spoke to the manager
can call upon them to rectify all your consideration. For now, you can write a who told me to call after 24 hours.
problems with in 15 days failing which legal demand notice to them for selling When I contacted them, they said
you can file consumer complaint with the a different and unwanted product. It is that the phone is defective, and that
consumer court. I hope some sense a case of gross misrepresentation and they’re investigating the matter and
will prevail over them and they will sort negligence on part of the retailer. They would inform that they will contact
the things. just cannot fool you by representing in 48 hours. What kind of customer
anything just to sell the product. In your satisfaction is this? We either want our
Case File #872 notice, you can ask for the damages for money or a replacement. Kindly reply.
HTC Tatoo mobile is provided with 2G the loss of work incurred due to non Bhupat Singh
feature instead of 3G function of the mobile. I hope things will
I bought an HTC Tatoo mobile in be sorted out. Answer by Consumermate:
November 2009. When I visited the HTC Dear Customer,
site, it described it as a 3G-enabled phone. Miscellanous We appreciate your stand, and even more
Also when I purchased the mobile from Case File #963 the fact that you’re aware of your rights
their authorised dealer M/s Ascentel from Nokia care is not repairing the phone as a consumer, and have made it clear
Commercial Street branch, Bangalore, under warranty to the phone company that you will be
I was told it was a 3G mobile. Later I have a Reliance CDMA Nokia handset. taking action in case they don’t listen
when BSNL introduced 3G services in It had a problem that it used to display to you. The gravest mistake commited
Bangalore, I was surprised to note that it CONTACT SERVICE and neither can I by most consumers is of not pursuing
was only a 2G mobile. When, I contacted make nor receive any calls. But instead of matters related to rights. The only
HTC, I was told that it was a 2G mobile repairing the mobile, they told me to take thing that we suggest is that you write a
marketed in India, and 3G in other parts the handset in same condition because letter and send it to them via registered
of the world. Initially, the HTC site went they were not able to repair the mobile post, containing all the details of your
into the world page and now the company in guarantee or warranty period. What complaint. In case they don’t come up
has changed and it directs you to the should I do? with a solution, then you may go ahead
India site of the company. The retailer Vijay Kumar Bagaria with your complaint in the district forum.
also says he was unaware of the features I hope some sense will prevail over
of the handset sold in India. Repeated Answer by Consumermate: them at this stage itself, and that they
complaints with the company over phone Dear Customer, sort out things.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 109
Basic rig = `21,400
Multimedia cum gaming rig = `31,600
killer rigs
everything you will ever need to build your own PC. whatever your budget.
High-end multimedia / Gaming rig = `49,500
High-end gaming PC = `62,350
Ultra high-end PC / Gaming rig = `1,70,110
Primary seCondary ComPonents
ComPonents
Cabinet Power suPPly mouse
ProCessor
n AMD Athlon II X2 245 / `2,950
n AMD Athlon II X4 635 / `5,050
n Phenom X4 945 / `6,950 n VIP 350 Watts / `850 n Logitech 3 button scroll / `300
n Intel Core i5 750 / `10,100 n VIP 400W Gold / `850 n Logitech 3 button scroll / `300
n Intel Core i7 960 / `31,100 n Corsair VX450 / `3,700 n Logitech MX518 / `1,300
n Corsair VX450 / `3,700 n Logitech MX518 / `1,300
n Corsair HX850W / `10,000 n Logitech G500 / `3,700
n NZXT Gamma Classic / `2,150
n NZXT Gamma Classic / `2,150
n Cooler Master 690 / `4,200
n Cooler Master 690 / `4,200
n Cooler Master HAF 922 / `6,600
sound Card
motHerboard n None
n ASUS NVIDIA 7025 M2N68-AM / n None
`2,275 n None oPtiCal drive
n Gigabyte MA78GM-US2H / n None n LG H55N / `1,100
`4,200 n ASUS Xonar DX / `4,300 sPeaker n LG H55N / `1,100
n ASUS M4A78-PRO / `5,850 n None n LG H55N / `1,100
n Biostar Tpower P55 / `6,700 n None n LG H55N / `1,100
n ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 / `19,300 n Altec Lansing VS2421 / `2,200 n LG WH10LS30 / `11,010
n Altec Lansing VS2421 / `2,200
n Altec Lansing MX 5021 / `6,500
keyboard
n Logitech Multimedia / `400
ram n Logitech Multimedia / `400
n 2 x 1 GB DDR2 800 MHz (Kingston) / `2,500 n Logitech Multimedia / `500
n 2 x 1 GB DDR2 800 MHz (Kingston) / `2,500 n Logitech Multimedia / `500
n 2 x 2 GB DDR2 800 MHz (Corsair) / `4,600 n Logitech G15 / `4,400
n 2 x 2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz (Kingston) / `4,800
n 3 x 2 GB Kingston HyperX T1 2,000 MHz /
`10,800
Miscellaneous
GraPHiCs Card
n None
n Galaxy GeForce GT240 tablet
/ `4,750
n Powercolor Radeon HD
5750 / `7,550
n XFX Radeon HD 5850 / `16,200
n ASUS GeForce GTX 470 x 2 (SLI) / `41,400
n None HeadPHones
n iBall Design Tablet PF1209 / `8,900 n None
n Wacom Intuos4 Medium (PTK-640) `21,280 n Sennheiser HD 201 / `1,500 PrintinG solutions
Hard drive n Sennheiser HD 280 Pro / `5,500 n Canon PIXMA iP1980 / `2,695
n Seagate 500 GB 7200.11 / `1,900 n Canon iP3680 / `5,595
n Seagate 500 GB 7200.11 / `1,900 n Epson B-500DN / `22,999
n Seagate 1 TB 7200.12 / `3,150
n Seagate 1 TB 7200.12 / `3,150
n WD Black Edition 1 TB x2 / `9,000
monitor
n Dell S2009W / `6,975
n AOC 2236Vw / `8,400
n AOC 2236Vw / `8,400
n AOC 2236Vw / `8,400 mousePad
n BenQ G2420HD / `12,000 n None
n Razer Goliathus Speed (Oversized) / GaminG Controllers Power ProteCtion
`1,400 n MS Xbox 360 Controller / `1,350 n None
n Everglide Titan / `1,650 n Logitech Momo / `5,500 n APC 550W / `2,400
n Steel Series QCK Heavy / `2,000 n Logitech G27 / `15,520 n Numeric 1 KVA / `4,200
110 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Additional Skills
Did you know Understanding of browsers, C++, CSS, XML,
Flex applications can be written using Adobe Flash Builder JavaScript, various APIs will help you excel
or by using the freely available Flex compiler from Adobe in Flash development Work@tech
Careers in Flash
film, television, or even advertising who use
Flash for storyboarding and advertising
companies that use it for creating rich
media interactive banners. In the current
The demand for good Flash developers is going scenario the digital content designer is in
sky high, while the scarcity is driving up salaries the next stage of evolution. Such designers
considerably. There couldn’t be a better time to will eventually have capabilities to create
content in Print, Web and Mobile as well.
look at it as a viable career option “In the future I don’t see companies hiring
print, web and mobile designers separately,”
said Himanshu. “These next generation
designers will be able to service any of these
segments”.
Then there’s the programming-heavy
development side of Flash that entails eve-
rything from RIAs (Rich Internet Applica-
tions) and Web Development to Gaming, to
eLearing and Enterprise Level applications.
Gaming companies leverage it for casual as
source: flash platform summit
well as high end MMORPGs games, while
at the enterprise level there are consulting
companies such as Accenture and Deloitte
besides system integration companies
such as Wipro and Infosys that use Flex to
build solutions for their customers. These
streams are not mutually exclusive. There
are a lot of overlaps and that’s where things
Siddharth Parwatay developer workforce in India at 1.7 million start to get interesting.
siddharth.parwatay@thinkdigit.com developers and projected a growth of 25 per When it was just Flash, good interactive
W
cent by 2010. Though impressive by itself, programmers or developers stayed a little
hen someone talks the actual figures may have gone way above shy off it, because the environment was
about Flash what is the the now dated projections. not supportive of the best programming
first thing that comes to practices that were available in some of the
your mind? Our guess Lay of the land other tools like Java. With the inclusion of
would be “moving images, animation, and At the very broad level we can classify Adobe Flex and other tools it transformed
Flashy Stuff”. If your thoughts hover in two distinct streams that Flash allows into a true platform for creating some
that area, you’re not wrong but you’re not you to pursue in terms of a career. There’s of the most robust apps complete with
completely right either. In reality, Flash has the creative side involving design, that’s interactivity, business logic, server side
now grown from a mere animation tool that now increasingly being termed as Digital communication, data linkages et al. The
it was, into a platform. The word platform Content Creation. “For a designer it’s always best of the programmers got attracted to
is being thrown about loosely these days, so Photoshop first. Then we take our design, Flash and because everyone wanted to
we’ll come to that in a bit and explain what import it in Flash and bring it to life. Flash have rich, good looking interfaces for their
makes Flash a platform. But first, let’s take gives you the ability to bring motion into applications the natural progression was
a step back and understand how Flash has still images and that’s what attracted me. to go with Adobe Flash. The programming
evolved. “Initially when Flash started off as It gives your website/animation/movie a side evolved with time to an object oriented
an animation tool, people looked at it simply sleekness. That’s how I started out”, says approach, starting with Actionscript 1.0 to
as something that can help creating anima- Abhilash Krishnan, Creative Director, UFO now Actionscript 3.0. A lot of flexibility was
tions for the web – things like banners and Digital. You have story telling mediums like added for development of widgets as well.
ads. But there’s a huge interactive angle to
it that made the adoption of Flash so ram- “Though industry requires professionals
pant,” says Himanshu Mody, CEO Tekno with certifications it also gives importance to
Point Multimedia, one of the leading Flash individuals with strong portfolios. So it would
Training institutes in the country. Speaking be good for budding enthusiasts to work on
of adoption, a 2008 survey by Research creating their portfolios while studying Flash”
& Markets, Ireland pegged the software Abhilash Krishnan, Creative Director, UFO Digital
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 111
Open Screen Project
There’s more to Flash A project that aims to provide a consistent runtime
With Android supporting Flash 10.1 content, you will soon see environment for open web browsing and standalone
Work@tech set-top boxes and maybe even Google TV running Flash content applications built on Flash Platform on various devices
“The recent development of Papervision 3D from the development standpoint would Certification Help
(incorporates 3D into Flash) and the ability most certainly be interested in game devel- • Find a training partner at http://
to simulate augmented reality in Flash gives opment. Most of the Flash developers in partners.adobe.com/public/
it a lot of scope for both experience based India are into e-learning – which is a more partnerfinder/tp/show_find.do
(Look for Product for eg “Adobe
advertising, gaming and online availability,” simplistic from a development standpoint. Flex” and country as “India”)
says Abhilash. Their coding logic is very linear. In gaming • Find info on training and
you have to use physics and more complex certification at - http://www.adobe.
Certifications and training algorithms to make a fun game. com/training/ and http://www.adobe.
com/support/certification/
Both career oriented and tool specific There’s a lot of opportunity across • To look at the various steps
courses are available from various training the gaming industry for qualified Flash involved in ACE Certifications go
institutes such as NIIT, Arena, Tekno Point developers, supported by an acute shortage to http://www.adobe.com/support/
certification/ace_certify.html
Multimedia, Animaster (Bangalore), etc. resulting in a lot of competition to get the
• To locate a testing center near
Training institutes offer both design as well best people. “The opportunities for game you head over to http://www.
as development/programming tailored development are not just casual gaming pearsonvue.com/Adobe/locate/
courses. The Career courses are usually the which are PC based or browser / download-
best choice and are structured towards an able games, there are larger scale games As a game developer you would gener-
objective. For instance the two new courses such as virtual worlds and massively ally start as a junior developer and then
at Tekno Point offer training in two streams multiplayer online games also being done progress to developer, then senior devel-
– either to help you become a Digital in Flash. The backends often end up being oper, next comes project lead and then a
Content Designer or RIA Developer. So PHP with the programming done in Java. tech lead. A junior developer with say a year
these kind of courses are not tool specific i.e. But the entire front end is handled in Flash.” and a half of experience on Flash can get
learning either Flash or Flex or Illustrator. says Robin Alter, CTO and Founder, Kreeda anywhere from `3.5 to 4.5 lakhs per annum.
Instead they will help you get familiar with Games India Pvt. Ltd. It goes up considerably after each level. “I’ve
whatever tools you need to learn to achieve Flash and Flex make it easy to make interviewed people that are in the 20 lakhs
your desired skill be it Acrobat, Action- games and applications but at the interna- range. People with around ten years of expe-
Script or Flex. There are also short courses
for working professionals that last no more “I suggest building a two player game on any
than 10 days. These short courses help you of the multiplayer engines that exist, to see
transition from other programming back- how messages, and interactivity are done
grounds to Flex. between two cross clients, how media can be
As for certification, there are two main dynamically served into a flash file to create
accreditations offered by Adobe in this an ever changing virtual world. Learning these
field. Adobe Certified Associate is an entry kinds of things is where everyone is going”
level qualification. It’s for people who use Robin Alter, CTO and Founder, Kreeda Games India Pvt. Ltd.
Adobe products, usually as students as
part of a college curriculum, and want an tional level, companies such as Kreeda look rience are in the 30 lakhs range. These high
official certification to qualify their abili- at the quality of code, the re-usability of the pay scales are for tech leads doing multiple
ties. Adobe Certified Expert is for working code, and whether a person optimises the projects and doing very complex stuff like
professionals who are into Adobe products game. Emphasis is laid on the efficiency of large scale social games” says Robin.
already and want to enhance their career. the code as well as the performance. Can- One would think game designing
While ACA is general, ACE on the other didates are given simple tasks to ascertain would require a high degree of creativity.
hand is specific to a particular tool from whether they think in an object oriented “You know what, I don’t stress so much
Adobe. You can become an ACE Master in manner and see if “their code is elegant.” on creativity from a game development
Flash, Photoshop and Illustrator. “It gives People who have come from Java into Flash or programming standpoint because a
you a distinct identity if you’ve cleared often come with a good set of skills. The game developer is not required to be a
these certifications. There are several Adobe syntax is similar and the migration is easier. game designer. They’re separate roles. But
training partners such as Tekno Point that People with good Flash programming creativity does help”. To be a good game
offer training for these exams, while to actu- skills can pick up Flex more easily than vice developer in Flash also requires you to do
ally take the exams you have to go to any of versa.“Apart from having a good academic R&D. The gaming environment is ever
the testing centers in India,” adds Mody. record a person needs to have a good eye changing – there’s always new technology,
for details and logical reasoning. This helps there are always new challenges therefore
Let the games begin in working on the game concept and to you need to be constantly interacting with
Game development in Flash is one of the visualize the game before getting down to the international community, constantly
most exciting and high paying verticals in actual development”, says Deepak Abbot, finding out how to do new things. Gaming is
this sector. Anyone who has learnt Flash VP-Product, Zapak Digital Entertainment. about new innovations.
112 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Best of the web
If you want to check out some of the best Digit webinars
websites built on today’s cutting edge Go to www.thinkdigit.com/webinars for a
technologies head over to www.thefwa.com video of a previous webinar on IT security Work@tech
Enterprise level Freshers can expect anywhere between does so much better.” Sandeep adds.
At the enterprise level Flash and Flex are three to five lakhs per annum. At the Himanshu (Tekho Point) seconds this
being used to create engaging client-server Architect or Technology Lead level it’s sentiment. “The kind of enterprise level
applications, web applications, CRM even more difficult to find the right people, apps (with security) and rapid development
applications and financial services applica- so the premium goes as high as 50 to 100 using Adobe tools is something unique to
tions that help businesses bring a new percent over a similar Java person. These Flash. In the long term HTML5 and Flash
level of interactivity for their customers. are technologies that are at the most three will be complementary. There will be some
“Almost everyone is talking about creating to five years old. So when you’re asking for places where it would be beneficial to use
compelling user experiences. Companies an Architect with 10 plus years of experi- Flash and at others HTML5. As a designer
themselves are investing a lot in generating ence, you’re assuming that at least five or developer you have a freedom of choice.
this kind of a user experience for their cus- would be spent on Flash or Flex. Not many You keep in mind your client’s objectives
tomers – take for instance Harley Davidson companies or individuals made the switch and choose the technology accordingly. I
or Allen Solly – they’ve made their web in the early days. Architects oversee design, won’t be surprised if from a tool perspec-
experience fully in line with their brand and program architecture, ensure code quality tive, a Flash developer makes something
what it stands for. Flash is indeed letting is good, and mentor programmers. The take in Flash and in future they’re allowed to
them engage better with their customers.” away at this level ranges from `14 lacs pa all simply export it in HTML5, so that they
says Prabhjeet Singh, Country Marketing the way upto `30 lacs p.a. can skip the learning curve completely” he
Head, Adobe Systems India. goes on to add. What
Adobe Flash is the front end for these “The premise that HTML5 will about the gaming
applications while you have a lot of applica- eventually replace Flash to me industry? Robin
tion logic code sitting behind the animation is a myth. We’re comparing Alter CTO Kreeda,
or motion you see on your screen. Flex takes what Flash already did some says, “Nurturing the
care of this server side communication and time back to what HTML5 developer commu-
loading data from databases etc. Designing is only promising to do.” nity is important and
at the enterprise level happens at three Himanshu Mody CEO Tekno Point Multimedia so is nurturing the
levels. First is the usability and interface publisher. Publishers
design side, which requires a person with The HTML5 debate generally support one technology for their
knowledge of data architecture on the web, Reams have been written about this subject games. HTML5 and Flash may actually be
someone who can create a good menu and everyone is waiting with bated breath pretty complimentary so you may be able to
layout and pageflow etc. The second part is to see the outcome. If indeed HTML5 will use both” As for the question of being able
designing the prototypes which requires let you do many of the things Flash can, it’s to transition the answer is pretty simple. Yes
Photoshop and Flash based animation not a stretch of imagination to think of the transitioning, if at all needed, is not that dif-
designers who create movable designs. eventual questions – Will Flash be phased ficult. Both technologies are based on sim-
The third is writing of the business code, out? Will Flash developers be left redun- ilar programming principles. For all these
connecting it to the server side, working dant? If so, can they transition to the new languages have the same object oriented
with the database logic etc which is done by standard? – The industry opinion seems to programming elements. If you’re coding in
the Flex developers. Different organisations be unanimously similar. “It is a step in the Flash you write in ActionScript and do the
use different sets of people or they use one right direction. HTML 4 didn’t support a lot styling in CSS. If on Flex you’ll use MXML.
person for all three. Companies, usually of functions, you had a lot of add on com- Similar kind of concept exists on HTML5.
outsourcing units, who are into building ponents being done like XML, XHTML, Your code might contain JavaScript, and
these kinds of applications require people XForms etc. So HTML5 is a right step it’ll definitely contain CSS style sheet. You’ll
with an Engineering or MCA type of back- towards taking everything back into the still be using the same technologies in a dif-
ground with good programming ability. standard hyper text model. Having said that ferent way, so its not really a transition. You
“For Flex candidates, we have a written test it is still evolving,” said Sandeep. It is still an just need to make yourself aware of newer
for assessing knowledge and programming evolving technology standard. Besides, each concepts like HGML where you can do 3D
ability, and we also look at previous work, of these tools are meant for different things. images, and you should be set.
if they have any. Then technical interviews So in the future you’ll see a proper position So to conclude, since so many industry
follow where problems on Business Logic for each of these. It’s more likely to work in experts we spoke to believe in a coexistence
are asked and candidates have to come up conjunction. “Take for instance YouTube perhaps it would be beneficial to dabble in
with the thought process for a solution. Sim- - They’re thinking of HTML5, but they both technologies. Diversification after all
ilarly we test creativity for Flash candidates believe it’ll be five years till they completely can only add value. Who knows, maybe in
by giving them a particular component move to it. The kind of control you get over five years you might be one of those rare
and ask them how they could make it look video with flash – the way they’ve built and sought after Flash + HTML5 profes-
better,” said Sandeep Dasgupta, Director- it – be it full screen, scrolling, encapsulated sionals who can slice through code with a
Engineering, Tavant Technologies. embedding etc – is something that Flash double edged sword.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 113
Flex 4.5 code named “Hero” Adobe previewing Melrose SDK
It includes a few more Spark components, and will This can be used for developing for-pay application using Adobe AIR
eventually support building mobile applications for sale in the Adobe marketplace and Intel’s AppUp Store
CORNER
Extending our AIR Feed Reader
application with Flash Builder 4
P
button labelled, “Add Feed”. Our previous
reviously we created an RSS code was simply a horizontal group
Feed reading application in with a text input for the URL and a load
Adobe AIR using Flash Builder button. Right after this we will now add
4. Our previous application had the following:
a simple UI which allowed us to enter a
URL for the feed, and has two panes one
We assume you have completed the The interface is rather clean
previous part in this series (refer to page
104 of the September 2010 issue). Alter- A close button This is another horizontal group with
natively, you can check out the article at We should have some way to remove the two components. The first is a ButtonBar
http://www.thinkdigit.com/d/fb4_tut1_4. currently active tab if we want. This could which will display our tabs and let us
Our previous application could only be a simple button labelled “X” or if you switch between them. We have set its
handle a single feed at a time, which is a wish to make it look better you can create width to 100% so it takes us as much space
rather huge limitation for a feed reading an icon for it. That’s about it; this will as is available and pushes the close button
application. In this article we will develop cover our needs from this application. to the edge. The second is the button to
our application further by adding sup- Now about the changes inside the close the currently active tab, labelled
port for reading multiple feeds. We will application. Since we are now going to simply “X”. The requireSelection=“true”
make a Feed browser of sorts which will handle multiple feeds at the same time, bit in the code is to ensure that at least one
display a “tab bar” for switching between we will need to have an array holding tab is selected at any given time (if there
active feeds. Each “tab” will display its data for all the feeds, so it is ready when is at least one tab of course). This is all
own list of feed items, and we will be able we click on it. we need to add, however the old “Load”
to select any item read the summary. To wire everything so that it works, button may be renamed to “Add Feed” or
with minimal coding we will bind the simply “+” if required.
Understanding the changes array of feeds to the ButtonBar. This will
to our application automatically ensure that the feeds and The code
So how do we go about this exactly? Let tabs are in sync. We will also bind the First of all we will define a new data type
us first take into account the visual addi- feed data for active tab to the list showing for the data associated with out feeds.
tions, in the form on controls / compo- the data items. This way the data will For each feed tab, we will need to store a
nents. We will need: automatically change as we change the title and the feed data at least. Since this
current tab. is a simple example, we will not manage
A tab bar The HTML component is already refreshing the feeds every few minutes,
We will simply use a button bar for this. bound to this list, so that bit will work as otherwise it would have been wise to
A ButtonBar component makes it easy to always. What we need to do is to write store the feed URL as well.
add multiple buttons in a row. Each but- the code that will add tabs to this array For this we will define a new Action-
ton will have a label corresponding to the of tabs and load the corresponding data. Script 3 class. This is simple to do with
title of the feed. We also need code for closing a tab and Flash Builder 4; simply right-click on
removing that feed from the array. The your project, and under the “New” menu
A button to add a new feed rest will work by itself! select ActionScript Class. This will
Since we have to handle multiple feeds pop up a new dialog box wherein you can
now, we need to have a button for adding The UI enter details of your new class. Here is a
a new feed. We will re-purpose the “Load” Our UI is not changing drastically. Our little about some of the relevant param-
button of our previous application for this. load button will now transform to a eters in the dialog:
114 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Native installers PixelBender
Adobe Air 2.0 can be used to create native You can develop custom custom filters for Adobe Flash
installers for multiple operating systems that can be used to process image and other kinds of data Developer corner
The first option is labelled “Package”. public var title:String var
When you create a new libraries of public var feedData:XMLListCollection
code, it is a good idea to organise them data:XMLListCollection; = new
so that they can be reused later on public function XMLListCollection(rssFeed.
without problems. If you are creating FeedTab(title:String, channel.item);
a new Class for retrieving stocks data:XMLListCollection){ var feedTab:FeedTab
information from Yahoo! called this.title = title; = new
“YahooStocks” for a project called “Stock this.data = data; FeedTab(rssFeed.channel.titles,
Manager”, you might want to have a } feedData);
package such as com.stockmanager. } feeds.addItem(feedTab);
Although it is recommended that you } feedTabs.selectedItem =
always place your classes inside a All it is doing is storing the data feed;
package, we will do without one here needed by our tab, which is: a title for }
since it is a simple example. the feed, and the feed data itself. The The first line remains unchanged, and
The second option is for a name for feed data itself contains a title, however in the second line we are temporarily
your class. We are giving our class a name this makes things a little bit simpler. The storing the XMLListCollection made up of
of “FeedTab”. The convention is to have a FeedTab function which serves as a con- all the items in the RSS feed, in a variable
class name where each word begins with structor for this Class takes two the two called feedData. Then we go on to create a
a capital such as MultiTouchManager or pieces of data this class needs and stores new FeedTab item (which is the class we
ArrayCollection. them in the public variables which make just created), by giving it the title of the
Superclass is used if you are extending up this class. feed (which can be found under channel.
an already existing class. Those familiar Finally we will modify our main code. item of the RSS feed), and the feedData.
with object-oriented programming will First of all remove the variable feedData, We then push this FeedTab item into our
understand what this means. Those we will no longer need it as we handle list of feeds, and finally make the newly
unfamiliar, should look up inheritance in multiple feeds. Secondly, we will add a added FeedTab the new selected tab.
object-oriented programming. You could new variable, and array to store all our We should now go ahead and add
use this feature for example to create feeds’ data. “feeds” as the dataProvider for the
your custom version of the “Video” class [Bindable] ButtonBar, and set the ButtonBar’s
called “SubtitledVideo” to provide sup- private var labelField attribute to “title” since
port for subtitles. feeds:ArrayCollection = new that is the name of the field where we are
Interfaces are a way of making ArrayCollection(); storing the title of the feed that is to be
different classes compatible with Now in our onFeedLoaded function, used as a label for the button.
each other. For example, while we will need to add this feed to our list of Finally, we need to handle removing
the ArrayCollection, and feeds instead. tabs. This is easily done by adding a click
XMLListCollection classes are private function handler for the close button with the fol-
very different — one stores data as an onFeedLoaded(event:Event):void { lowing simple line of code:
unstructured array, and the other as var rssFeed:XML = feeds.removeItemAt(feedTabs.
structured XML — both can be used as XML((event.target as URLLoader). selectedIndex);
a source for the list. This is because both data); Here feedTabs is the id of the But-
implement the IList interface. For tonBar that lists the feed items. We
them to be part of a list they both are removing the item at the selec-
need to provide a few features, such tedIndex of the ButtonBar based
as moving forward and backward in tab bar, from the feeds array. This
a list and getting the length of the is only working as expected as the
list. If you create your own custom order of items in the feeds array and
class which implements IList, it too the tab bar is the same.
will be usable. Believe it or not, at this point
This is the entirety of our we have a functional multi-tab
“FeedTab” class: feed browser! Go ahead and test
package your code.
{ For an expanded version of this
import mx.collections. tutorial and the full code of this
XMLListCollection; application you can check out this
public class FeedTab article online at http://www.thinkdigit.
{ You now have an RSS browser of your own com/d/fb4_tut1_5.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 115
Playstation Move
Halo Reach
118 120
We take a first look at Sony Playstation Our take on Bungie’s latest installment
Esc Move with engaging graphics
Minting millions, the crazy way
There are hoards of people out there who have crazy business ideas, some of them work while the others just fail. People make
a fortune by hosting pointless services on the web that no one ever thought of. Obviously because they are dumb in a way, yet
they are laughing their way to the bank.
Makes us wonder 'Gosh why didn't we think of that'?
Million dollar homepage Doggles Laser Monks
If pixels are up for sale for a dollar Well this one would just make you go... Hallelujah! We've seen the light! We
each, and someone thinks it’s a good Whattt??? This team is dedicated to mean the printed page. Monks at the
idea for advertising on a pixel of make your dog look cool in the sum- Cistercian Abbey would refill your printer
space, then we get the million dollar mers. That's what 'Doggles' do – make cartridge for free. Okay not for free, it’s a
homepage. Over a million small busi- goggles for your dog. They should be full for-profit business with sales soaring
nesses and brands advertise on a single awarded the best dumb business idea of above $2.5 million annually.
homepage making it worth a million. the year, which makes loads of moolah.
Picky Domains Mail from North Pole Buy my stupid ebook
You've put in long hours and made your If all your business ideas have failed, Please guys, just go and buy this chap's
cool web site, but that does not guar- shift to the North Pole, pretend you’re stupid ebook and you would be earning
antee decent amount of traffic for it. Santa and send postcards to little in millions too. This is no joke. Look
Guys at picky domains could choose children telling them to behave and for affiliate programs and google ads
the best names for your site. Saleable? be good kids. Santamail.org does this on the site, and you’ll know its making
It’s making a six a figure sum annually. and makes crazy millions each year. money.
Antenna Balls Fit Deck Designer Diaper Bags
Think you can make money by We all have reminiscences of playing If your business has 120 chains across the
selling car antennas online? Touted WWE trump cards in our childhood. globe, then no doubt you are a business
to be the largest online car antenna A gentleman has taken this simple czar selling diaper bags! Rewind that a little
service, this million-dollar business idea and sells trump cards online that bit. You read it right the first time. It’s not
is on a roll with just a simple, effec- showcase different exercise routines. going to change. Diapees and Wipees is a
tive idea. Go to antennaballs.com to Wonder how to use them? We’re won- global business conglomerate doing swift
find out more. dering as well! business online and through its stores.
116 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
HP sues ex-CEO
Mafia II HP has filed a lawsuit against its ex-CEO Mark Hurd who was part of a very public
121 Explore Empire Bay during the World
War 2 era
sex scandal. The suit aims to prevent him from joining Oracle and leaking HP’s trade
secrets Unwind
Weirdest video game titles
How some game designers just run out of new ideas to base their video games on, and instead
design some really stupid plot lines and titles.
Super Columbine massacre Hong Kong 97 Communist mutants from space
Based on an unfortunate school shootout Following in the Communist mutants from the planet Rooskee
incident, Super Columbine Massacre was league of poor are searching for
released game titles peaceful democratic
on the sixth and plot is planets like ours to
anniversary Hong Kong 97. destroy. The title and
of the tragic Set in the year plot would surely
event. Why 1997, when the make you wonder
would anyone UK officially what a waste of time?
develop a handed over Made by a US com-
game with the city of Hong Kong back to the Chinese. pany called Starpath
such a sensitive topic? A lot of criticism and The game’s plot revolves around killing Chi- during the Cold War,
objections made the game so popular it has nese who’ve moved to the city, and increasing the game was avail-
been downloaded 4,00, 000 times. the crime rate ten fold. able on the Atari 2600.
How we unwind
Kickass Lullabies to Paralyze Mafia 2
This superhero movie We delved into some Critics have been calling
ain’t about saving the alternative rock this it a GTA rip off but we
damsel in distress time. As the title sug- enjoyed our time playing
and thrashing up gests the tunes don’t this classic mob, gangster
the bad guys. Here paralyze you but they rip off. Check it out for its
the main dude gets sure have a numbing detailed narrative drama
hell of a beating but effect on your brain and some 50’s style car
doesn’t give up being for a while, the album is by Queens of the and gun handling.
a superhero stone Age.
Do more with Google
Apart from being your every day search engine Google offers much more. Here’s a look at some other cool features of Google
Google Fast Flip Google Goggles
(http://bit.ly/MUE2X) (http://bit.ly/3plHXw) (http://bit.ly/dgDrww)
Can’t figure out whether Fast flip aggregates news and An app for smart phones, Google
your text is Japanese or presents them in a pictorial format. goggles searches for content based
Korean use the Google Trending topics are segregated under on pictures. Users can simply click
language detector. tags such as popular, recent, etc. a picture and get to know about it.
diary
The office has been buzzing with Samyukta’s speaker test noises that very well went above acceptable decibel levels
leaving Robert in a sound frenzy. Our team has been growing by leaps and bounds for the past three months. Rudresh
has joined us from Bangalore, he’ll be reviewing stuff for the Test centre. Speaking of Bangalore, Nash went there to
attend FIRA (annual Robot World Cup) and came back with some awesome footage of mini mechas running around
with the ball. Rossi has been donning an almost monk like hair style (he should seriously try changing that) for quite
a while now. Kareena now climbs the parapet and has a tough time getting down, she says meow to all.
digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 117
$1 billion decline YouTube live
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t seem to be carried away by wealth. Video hosting web site YouTube is testing the
Esc He recently turned down a $1-billion offer for his social networking business possibility of live video streaming as a service
S
ony Computer Entertainment (SCE)
and Microsoft have big releases this
winter with the launch of motion-con-
trol peripherals for their respective consoles.
It looks like SCE will be first among the two
to launch its motion controller in the Indian
market, with is expected to be already on sale
by the time you are reading this. Microsoft’s
Kinect is expected to follow shortly as the
official word is that they are committed to a
launch before the year ends. In this issue, we
will look at PlayStation Move, its technology
and our hands-on impressions of the system.
In the next issue we hope you bring you a
more detailed review of PlayStation Move
and impressions on Microsoft’s Kinect.
Eye on the Orb
The basic setup required to add motion
sensing capabilities to PlayStation 3 includes
a PlayStation Eye camera and a PlayStation PlayStation Move:
First Impression
Move motion controller. PlayStation Eye is
a camera that can capture images at frame
rate of 60 hertz at 640×480 pixel resolu-
tion, and 120 hertz at 320×240 pixels. The
camera has been around in the market for a
few years now, but it seemingly has not caught
on among PlayStation 3 users. Reasons for The gyroscope and accelerometer combine to (circle, triangle, square and X) and the new
this could be the device’s dismal perform- form the controller’s inertial sensors that can ‘Move’ button in front. The Start and Select
ance under certain lighting conditions, the not only track movement in all three-axis but button are on the sides and the back of the con-
constant need for calibration and its rudimen- also detect subtle movements like twisting of troller has a single trigger button with better
tary capturing capabilities, which made for the wrist. The magnetic field sensor (magne- tactile feel than the standard controllers. The
less than inspiring applications. The camera’s tometer) tracks the controller’s orientation in four game buttons are a little too small and are
performance in detecting motion has been relation to Earth’s magnetic field. This third hard to press. Thankfully, all the game demos
infinitely improved with the introduction of sensor compensates for drift and allows the we tried barely make use of these buttons and
PlayStation Move controller. The camera is system to keep track of the controller even this practice is likely to continue.
better at tracking the movements because the when it is hidden from the camera, with
controller has its own light source in the form the help of dead reckoning algorithms. The Navigation controller
of a glowing orb on the top. The LEDs inside information from these sensors is sent to the The Move navigation controller is meant for
the orb is capable of dynamically changing console using Bluetooth. games that require a combination of gamepad
color depending on rooms lighting condi- controls and gestures. This is technically an
tions. The orb’s dynamic lighting ability also Move Controller optional add-on since the system allows the
allows the camera to distinguish between dif- It is relieving to see that Sony has already use of Dual Shock 3 or Six Axis controller
ferent controllers when there is more than included vibration feedback support from the instead of the navigation controller. How-
one in use. This has also reduced processing start, unlike what they did with the Six Axis ever, as you can imagine, using the game-
latency since the camera only needs to track controller. On the outside, the controller has pad with one hand is easier said than done.
the orb as opposed to the need to track entire smaller version of all the four game buttons This one-handed navigation controller has
scene, before Move was introduced.
Sensors
The camera and the glowing orb are not the
only things that are part of Move’s motion
sensing technology. The Move controller has
a three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerom-
eter and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor.
118 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Craiglist cleanup Samsung Galaxy tab
After being accused of promoting trafficking, Craighlist reportedly Samsung claims its Galaxy tab is better than the iPad. It supports
has decided to pull the plugs on its adult services section Flash, will run Froyo and will be upgradeable to Gingerbread Feature
a single analog stick, a D-pad,
two trigger buttons, two game
SKOAR! calibration process which
requires the user to point
we have seen with Nintendo Wii. As it stands,
the only advantage Sony has over Nintendo
buttons (X and circle) and the Expo 2010 the controller towards is that PlayStation 3 console is capable of HD
PS button. This controller will the camera and press a graphics, as opposed to SD graphics on Wii.
become quite absolutely cru- button. A more complex
22nd to 24th October,
cial while playing first person
2010, at NSIC Exhibition
calibration process used Games on the move
shooter games, with the naviga- by some games requires The PlayStation Move will launch alongside
Center, Okhla, New Delhi.
tion controller in the left hand the user to stand in front of four games that are specifically designed for
mimicking the function of a Play games the camera, such that his the technology. Some games will be exclu-
keyboard and the motion con- or hers captured image sively available through PSN, whereas there
troller in the other hand doing
Compete fits into a white box on the are a few games already in the market that can
the work of a mouse.
with other screen. Then you need to work with Move controller after downloading
fragmasters press a button on the con- a patch. Here is a quick word about the games
Add-ons for an add-on Experience the troller once while holding that were part for the PlayStation Move demo.
Sony is releasing PlayStation
latest gaming it over the head and then
Move along with two acces- again while holding it The Shoot
sories for the controllers. A
gadgets & to the side. This way the This is an on-the-rail shooter where the
charging station which can gear... camera records how high player is part of various movie shoots. The
charge two Move controllers (or Email and wide the user’s body core game-play is pretty straightforward
one pair of Move and Naviga- editor@thinkdigit.com profile is. about shooting the bad guys and not hitting
for free passes
tion controller) will be available One game in particular, civilians. This game had the best visuals of
in India for Rs. 1,999. In lieu of Eye Pet Move Edition, had the lot and was the easiest to kill time with.
the charging stations, the controllers can a peculiar calibration process in which the
be charged by connecting them to PlaySta- user needs to sit on the floor and hold the con- Sports Champion
tion 3’s USB ports. However, this limits the troller in a position outlined on the screen. Sports Champion can best be described as
number of controllers that can be simultane- It was hard to figure out what exactly the Sony’s version of Wii Sports. The disc con-
ously charged to just two. system wanted us to do and neither we nor tains games like Table Tennis, Beach Vol-
The other accessory that Sony is releasing the Sony reps were able to get it to work. This leyball, Archery, Gladiator Duels, Bocce and
is the “Shooting Attachment” for the Play- was a worrisome sign which reminded us Disc Golf. Out of this lot, Table Tennis and
Station Move controller. The controller fits of the frustration with getting the Eye Toy Disc Golf were on demo and Table Tennis in
snugly into the attachment which appears or the PlayStation Eye camera to cooperate particular was impressive in terms of control.
to be the size of a hand-gun making it easy during calibration process. We faced similar The system was able to capture subtle move-
to operate with one hand. This attachment issue with another game called Beat Sketcher ment like twisting of the arm which lets the
will be available at launch for Rupees 999. which actually had a very simple, point and player add spin to the strokes. The game also
push calibration process. In this case, the tracks player’s position and accordingly the
Hands-on system failed to respond to button presses character on the screen switches between
We got our hands on the PlayStation Move on the controller, even after several attempts. forehand and backhand. On the flipside,
Starter Pack for about two hours. This pack Apart from these couple of setbacks, the this game may require a pretty wide room
contains includes Move motion controller, two hours we spent was generally a pleasant to play—with minimum chances of col-
PlayStation Eye camera and a demo disc. experience. The technology and its applica- lision— particularly when there are two
The disc contains a video tutorial for setting tions did not overwhelm us; however, at the people playing simultaneously.
up the system, firmware update and nine very least it reassured us. We were quite
game demos. The demo system was already relieved to know that Sony has finally nailed Echocrome ii [PSN Only]
updated and setup for us, so we really cannot motion-sensing technology with PlayStation The developers of Japan Studio have done
comment on the process. We were told that Move, after its less than successful attempts in it again with another brilliant game design
the game demos on the disc need to be the past. The underlying technology may be which uses light and shadows for some
installed on the console’s hard drive. The more advanced than what Wii uses. However, mind-bending puzzles. A solid structure
PlayStation Eye camera was placed under the for all practical purposes, the overall experi- is placed against a white background and
television and it was switched to wide-angle ence with PlayStation Move was like Wii in the a flashlight in front of the structure casts
mode. The motion controller can be used early days all over again. The applications of shadow on the background. Player controls
to navigate through the XMB by moving it the technology that we saw at the demo were the position of the flashlight to change the
around while holding down the trigger. pretty straightforward and mostly predictable. shape of the shadow and solve the puzzle.
The motion controller needs to be cali- We may have to wait a while longer till the Of all the games we tried at the demo, this
brated each time you start the game. Games developers get the hang of the technology and one was by far the most interesting applica-
that can be played sitting down have a simple start applying it in innovative ways, just like tion of the motion controller.
Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com 119
Game review
Genre: First person shooter
Studio: Bungie
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
*Platforms: Xbox 360
H
alo Reach takes the player to the
birthplace of Spartan program
and one of humanities most pop-
ulous and prosperous space colo-
nies. The story explores the last few days
of Planet Reach’s defense against the full
force of the mighty Covenant war-machine.
It follows the exploits of a team of Spar-
tans soldiers called Noble Team, and the enemy AI is quite efficient at flanking and
player takes on the role of Noble Six. cornering. This mixes well with the game’s
level design which has a fair bit of variety.
This is how we do it Between the arsenal of human and Cove- unique, at least among console games.
Halo Reach’s goodness is not just in its nant weapons, vehicles, mounted weapons We played Halo Reach on Xbox Live
emotive storytelling, but the action is just and Armor Abilities, there is a good deal of using the free two-day Gold Access card
as engaging. If you liked the game-play combinations and strategies to experiment that comes with the game, on a 1 mbps
changes made with Halo 3 over its pred- with. This keeps things fresh and chal- connection. The experience was without
ecessors, then chances are good that you lenging right till you fire your last bullet. glitches and completely lag-free. One
will enjoy Reach all the more. A significant exception to an otherwise solid system is a
and interesting addition in Halo Reach is Reach online standalone program called Halo Waypoint.
Armor Abilities. Extending over the concept The Halo series owes much of its fame This is meant to serve as a hub for all
of equipment which was introduced in Halo to the series’ multiplayer component Xbox 360 releases of Halo games. This
3, Armor Abilities are reusable pick-ups and Reach has been built well around program consolidated Service Records
with a cool-down timer. There are a total that tradition. Bungie has extended the and Achievements from Halo Wars, Halo
of seven such abilities in the game, but Service Record and armor customiza- 3, Halo ODST and Halo Reach into one
the player can equip only one at any time. tion options, along with commendation, epic career record. Unfortunately, the
Effective use of these abilities becomes in a new credits-based content unlocking system appears to be broken or reeling
crucial during certain set-pieces in the system. The sheer number of multi- under a lot of traffic, as we experienced
Campaign mode on higher difficulties. player game types and game customiza- constant disconnects with the server
On ‘Heroic’ difficulty level — which hap- tion options available in Halo Reach is after every minute or so. There may be
pens to be the recommended level — the very impressive and could very well be more to Halo Waypoint, but it’s hard to
tell when the system is not playing nice.
Halo Reach has earned its reputation as
the killer-app for the Xbox 360 with its
immersive single-player campaign,
coupled with wide variety of multiplayer
options. If you have ever loved a shooter,
this game deserves your attention even if
you not particularly a fan of the series.
Halo 3 boasts of emotive storytelling You’ll find the enemy’s AI quite challenging
120 SKOAR! | October 2010 | www.skoar.com
XX Xxx Xxxxxxxxx XX Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx XX Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx Section opener name
2K
Czech has returned back to
the world of organized crime
after a hiatus of nearly eight
years. Mafia II is set during the WWII Vito embroiled with crime
era in a fictional city called Empire Bay,
which draws its inspiration from multiple scraps again. As a player, you are constantly
American cities. The game’s protagonist, on the run from the law and from other
Vito Scaletta, is from a poor family of Sicilian members of the crime world. The game’s Drive through the streets of Empire Bay
immigrants and a decorated WWII veteran. storyline creates an uneasy air of paranoia,
Genre: Action adventure, Shooter
Vito, along with his sister and widow mother, where you expect betrayal at every turn.
Studio: 2K Czech
stays in an unsavory part of the city and
Publisher: 2K Games
he quickly finds himself on the wrong side This is not GTA *Platforms: PC (Windows),
of the law while in pursuit of good times. Mafia and GTA games may have a lot
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
in common, but they differ in some very
*Reviewed on PC
An unfortunate tale fundamental ways. While recent releases
Mafia II stands out from all other gangland of GTA are sandbox games, Mafia II simply minor car customization options and also
games in its more realistic and authentic uses an open-world system to create a character customization by way of classy
approach to designing the game world and more convincing world. There is no place in suits and trousers. There is very little else to
scripting the storyline. Even though Vito this game for a mad rampage across town do in Mafia II besides completing the main
eventually fulfills his ambition, the journey to with cars, tanks and choppers on your tail. story. You can stickup stores or sell stolen
the top is wrought with betrayal, bloodshed Mafia is about organized crime, so the law cars in the scrap yard to earn some cash,
and even a few years in the slammer. The is broken only when there is money to be but the reward does not match the effort.
game takes off the sheen of glamour that is made and not just because you feel like it. Mafia II is highly recommended for
generally associated with gangsters in pop- Mafia II has a very robust cover those that do not always look for instant
ular media and offers a hard look at life in the system which works better than in most and constant gratification from their games.
underworld. The effect this has on the game other games. There is also a fair bit of It is one of the more polished and con-
is two folds—on one hand this makes for a close quarter combat in the game, which vincing tribute to the era and the affairs of
very convincing and immersive world, but at uses a fluid and responsive system of the underworld by a game; making it fit
the same there are no long lasting rewards. blows, blocks and counter attacks. for the fans of that period. Wish the game
Each time you think you can just kickback and There is a handsome variety of cars and had more to do after completing the Story
count your fortunes; something really drastic weapons in the game; however, they are Mode; however, it is not such a bad deal
happens and you find yourself working for all specific to the era. The game also has at a price-tag of Rupees 499 on PC.
SKOAR! | October 2010 | www.skoar.com 121
Tatkal tickets on mobile WebOS community
The atom mobile payment service In an email to the Palm Developer
recently announced Tatkal train Community, HP said webOS will be used on
Community reservations booking for mobile “tablet-style devices similar to the iPad”
SKOAr! The Open Source Challenge
DO iS
m
n S!
expo 2010
’T
Calling all developers out there! It’s time for you to don your thinking
caps and start cracking. Digit brings you a chance to prove your expertise
22nd to 24th October,
in Open Source Development. Take the Open Source Challenge by Collector’s
2010, at NSIC Exhibition
Center, Okhla, New Delhi.
completing three steps and win exciting prizes such as Canon cameras,
Sheaffer pens, 8GB iPod Nanos, bags, and more. Edition
Play games
Compete Step 1: Head over to http://devworks.thinkdigit.com/tosc
with other Step 2: Answer 10 simple questions.
fragmasters Step 3: Fill in your personal details.
Experience the Here’s a teaser question:
The popular GPL license was created by:
latest gaming The Open Source Licensing committee
Read the e-book
on Open Source
gadgets & Geppetto Public Licencing Development found
on the same link
Book the Collector’s Edition in
gear... Germal Public Library
advance and get November issue
The Free Software Foundation
Email for just `50. Find the subscription
editor@thinkdigit.com form attached on page 84.
for free passes
Digit Facebook Pages Survey for Developers
Digit has launched a new initiative called devworks
Join the group that suits your http://www.facebook.com/IThinkGreen some time back. With this initiative, we bring you
need! Each one of us can make a difference to content that can enhance your programming skills.
http://www.facebook.com/thinkdigit the environment around us and benefit We would like to understand from you areas that most
Your favourite magazine on your ourselves by adopting green tools, interest you. This would help us deliver content that is
favourite social network. Interact with technology & practices. most relevant to
thousands of Digit readers and have http://www.facebook.com/techkranti you.
some geeky fun! Let’s wake ourselves up and gather the Every par-
http://www.facebook.com/consumermate tools of tech to change the future of our ticipant gets
Expert buying advice and some great nation. Join The Revolution! an assured gift
awesome offers http://www.facebook.com/gladtobeaprogrammer voucher from Digit worth Rs.50. The voucher can be
http://www.facebook.com/IThinkGadgets Community of software programmers used to buy any of the current or past issues of Digit
Community of People who love mobiles, who enjoy writing code and want to grow from Digit Store or can be used to book in advance the
laptops, cameras & other gadgets their career in software development future issues of Digit.
Visit www.devworks.thinkdigit.com/survey for details
October 2010 Digit is taking interactivity to a new level, and will be organising events every month. You get
to meet and interact with people that you wouldn’t in the normal course of your life — industry
experts, Team Digit, and other readers with similar interests. Stay updated and stay ahead of
the curve by looking for this page in every month’s magazine.
Webinar Choose your PC components
Want to build a new PC? Cant decide whether to go in for a Core i5 or Core 2 Duo? How good are the
new NVIDIA Fermi 400 series cards in comparison to the ATI 5xxx series? Attended this sequel to our
previous webinar and have all your doubts cleared. Due to the overwhelming response for our previous
webinar, here we’ll feature besides customised configs to suit your every need, an even longer question
OCTOber 30 answer session. Your definitive guide to getting advice on what configuration suits your needs best.
Time: 1700 HrS
For details on upcoming webinars and to view past webinars, visit thinkdigit.com/webinars
122 Digit | October 2010 | www.thinkdigit.com
Digit 101
Mobile touch screens
Navigating your phone through keys is slowly going the dodo way. Touchscreen mobiles are flooding the market at an alarming rate. Here’s
a brief reference guide on the two most widely used types of touchscreens and how they work.
Resistive: Cheaper option in the touchscreen category.
Touch response lags a little bit, generally used with a stylus. New age chat lingo
How it works: Air gap or microdots separate two
Just when you thought you had got a hang of chat-lingo, these
resistive touch screens. Upon contact these two darn teenagers go and change it all over again. Here’s a quick
sheets are pressed together registering the touch, the guide to some new-age lingo, so that you’re not left scratching
corresponding menu or function is then opened. that bald head of yours.
Life Span: About 35 million clicks, or about
four thumb-replacement surgeries • AAK- Alive And Kicking In (when you intrude a
Examples: Samsung Corby series, Nokia 5800 • AAR - At Any Rate conversation)
• BWL - Bursting with Laughter • PMP - No, not portable media
Capacitive: Resistant to dust and shock, a capacitive touch • CRS - Can’t Remember Sh** player, this means Peed My
screen is capable of multi-touch. Its highly touch sensitive and • GFN - Gone for Now Pants
reacts with just a flick. • GMTA - Great Minds Think • *poof*- (when someone leaves
How it works: Mixed signal integrated circuits are Alike a chat room)
placed on the alternative sides of the phone which are • IRL- In Real Life • SETE - Smiling Ear to Ear
connected with two highly sensitive electrodes. Touching • JMO - Just My Opinion • TNT -‘Til Next Time
the screen results in distortion of electrostatic field, the • LMAO Laughing My #$$ Off • WTGP?- Want To Go Private?
touched location is then processed to deliver outcome. • LHM - Lord Help Me (move to a private chat window
Life Span: About 225 million clicks, or simply • OTW - On The Way with that septuagenarian
get a robot to operate it for you • PMJI Pardon Me for Jumping who’s pretending to be a teen)
Examples: Motorola Milestone, Samsung Galaxy and Wave