Thursday, May 22, 2014

Working Aircel 3G VPN Trick(Posted Openly) : May-June, 2014


Hey friends, Whats up…
Aircel 3G VPN Trick - May-June 2014

Welcome 2 D World of possibillities wid Aircel….

Today you’r gonna have a 3G VPN Trick for PC(NMD VPN) nd Android(OpenVPN) … Configuring VPN is as easy as drinking Water ^_^ .
And this is a 3G trick working till Wikipedia is free on aircel.
And also we are gonna describe you how to confingure VPN configs.. So if Wikipedia is free on aircel forever then you all can also use Free 3G forever…(First Time ever on NET)

Friday, May 16, 2014

The Micromax Canvas 2 Landed smartly


Looking for a budget Colourful Android phone? Micromax Canvas 2 Colours is Here




Launching colorful iterations of smartphones are the next it thing for the handset manufactures. So it comes as a little surprise that Micromax has now started to offer its Canvas 2 in various colors options. In fact, they have gone ahead and even named this smartphone as Micromax Canvas 2 Colours.

Though the Micromax Canvas 2 Colours has not been launched officially but the smartphone is already available on online shopping sites such as Snapdeal.com and ebay.in for about Rs 9,964.

Coming over to the specifications of the Micromax Canvas 2 Colours, it sports a 5-inch 720p HD display. The smartphone runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor along with 1GB of RAM. There is a 4GB of internal storage available on this smartphone, which can be expanded further with a microSD card.

The Micromax Canvas 2 Colours also packs an 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera. It is a dual-SIM smartphone that comes with a 2000 mAh battery.

Micromax will be giving the Red and Blue back cover panels of this smartphone for free with the Dark Grey variant while the users opting for White Canvas 2 will get Yellow and Green back cover.

Nokia XL Goes On Sale In India


Nokia XL Goes On Sale In India for 11,489


Nokia XL, which was showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2014, is now available in India for Rs. 11,489. The smartphone is the part of the Nokia X series and has a 5-inch (800 x 480 pixels) display, which is the largest screen display for this family of phones.

It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor along with 768MB of RAM. It has 4GB of Internal storage, which can be expanded via microSD card. It runs on Nokia X software platform based on AOSP Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). To download apps, there is a Nokia Store that comes preloaded.


For cameras, there is a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It has dual SIM support and 3G connectivity. It has a 2,000mAh battery. Just like the Nokia X, this smartphone too comes with a range of colors such as Black, White, Cyan, Orange, Yellow, and Green.

HTC One Mini 2 Leaked



As if you were ever in any doubt of its existence, HTC's officially lifted the covers off the HTC One Mini 2, its leading pint-sized phone for 2014. But, as its name suggests, it's not quite as feature-rich as this year's One M8 flagship, with the company instead presenting it as a direct successor to last year's One Mini.
Though the HTC One Mini 2 looks like a shrunken-down version of this year's One M8, a phone that wowed us back in March, it's missing a number of of the M8's headline features. Gone is the dual-lens rear Duo Camera, the Motion Launch gestures are missing too and you won't be able to get the attractive Dot View case for it either, due to its reliance on the aforementioned Motion Launch features. Its core specs, while notably improved from last year's One Mini, aren't as impressive as those of the M8. Its design language has evolved to keep pace with this year's device, but compromises have been made to fit into this smaller frame. While it's less exciting than a fully miniaturised One M8, at least HTC is being honest by aligning the handset's naming with last year's spin off.
That's not to say what's present here isn't worthy, particularly if oversized phones like the 5-inch M8 don't float your boat, and especially if the industrial design of the M8 has piqued your interest. It may not have a full aluminium unibody (there's a notable plastic edging to the device, especially around the top edge where the M8's IR blaster is no-longer present), but the tidy, comfortable curve of the M8's casing does remain. Measuring 4.5-inches in size (up from the One Mini's 4.3-inches but down from the M8's 5-inches), there's a nicely-sized 720p screen present, comfortable to use in one hand if not as sharp as its full-fat inspiration. Just like with the M8, grey, silver and gold colour options will be available. Note too that the silver volume rocker seen in my images will be replaced by a grey shade the same as the rest of the phone when the devices eventually hit stores.
HTC's Sense 6 reskinning of Android 4.4.2 carries over to the One Mini 2 and, aside from omissions relating to the Duo Camera, Motion Launch and TV-controlling features, all other software features from the M8 are present. You've got the Blinkfeed social and news aggregator as one of your homescreens for instance, as well as the optional Kid-friendly mode and Zoe moving image picture gallery. Powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor backed by 1GB of RAM, the handset smoothly glided through applications during my brief time with it. It's not the powerhouse that the M8's Snapdragon 801 processor is, but I believe few but the keenest tech-heads would notice outside of a side-by-side face-off. It also felt noticeably snappier than the One Mini's 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400.
HTC One Mini 2: Like a Small M8, but Not a Small M8
The differences in the cameras between the One Mini 2 and the One M8 however will be more keenly felt. The One Mini 2 makes use of a standard 13MP rear camera (with a 5MP one up front) rather than the One M8's unique Ultrapixel Duo Camera. Whether you buy into the "ultrapixel" benefits or not, and even if you don't care about the Duo Camera's depth-tweaking features, the One Mini 2's camera upon first impressions didn't seem as capable of capturing fine details and rich colours as the HTC One M8's system could.
HTC One Mini 2: Like a Small M8, but Not a Small M8
The impressive BoomSound speakers also return for the One Mini 2, and they're using an updated amp to bring their output more in line with this year's M8. Despite the smaller frame, they're still incredibly loud, offering clear and reasonably-bassy stereo sound when the handset is held in landscape view.
HTC One Mini 2: Like a Small M8, but Not a Small M8
NFC is onboard, with the HTC One Mini 2 offering up 16GB of storage space, expandable by microSD cards. And though its 2,100mAh battery seems slight, HTC promises it'll deliver comparable usage lengths as found in the One M8, which I've found to be very impressive, regularly stretching into a second day's worth of juice.
Not the phone then perhaps that many had hoped for given how impressive the HTC One M8 is, but a solid enough handset that looks set to land at a notably cheaper price point. We're still waiting on confirmed pricing and stockist details (HTC says to expect similar support as the original HTC One Mini received), but expect to see it in stores by June. We'll also have a full review following shortly, so head back here soon for that too.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Inside the Boeing Capsule That May Someday Take You to Space

If you're looking to one day spend your summers aboard the scenic International Space Station, your travel options are steadily growing. Now, Boeing has unveiled new interior shots of its next-gen commercial spacecraft, the CST-100.



And though one of its main competitors, SpaceX, may have the benefit of having been in the space game for longer, Boeing's got a significant edge when it comes to knowing what passengers want in luxurious interior design. It's been doing it forever, after all.
Inside the Boeing Capsule That May Someday Take You to Space
Inside the Boeing Capsule That May Someday Take You to Space
Boeing recruited Bigelow Aerospace to help out with the capsule's exterior, which totals just under 15 feet. And squeezed into that little space is room for up to seven total passengers (or a mix of passengers and cargo).
Inside the Boeing Capsule That May Someday Take You to Space
With a non-pro crew comes a spacecraft that is significantly less complicated to navigate-at least as far as space vehicles go. As Chris Ferguson, director of Boeing's Crew and Mission Operations and a former astronaut told NASA:
What you're not going to find is 1,100 or 1,600 switches. When these guys go up in this, they're primary mission is not to fly this spacecraft, they're primary mission is to go to the space station for six months. So we don't want to burden them with an inordinate amount of training to fly this vehicle. We want it to be intuitive.
Inside the Boeing Capsule That May Someday Take You to Space
You still have a bit to wait. Boeing's first CST-100 flight isn't set to take off until 2017. And it's going to be one hell of a classy ride.

Samsung's new UHD Curved Tv

If you are fan of curved Ultra High Definition, then today is a good day for you. Samsung has launched curved UHD (Ultra High Definition) or 4K televisions in the Indian market. This range of television start from Rs 3,29,900.



In its curved series, Samsung is offering 55 and 65 inch models, which carry a price tag of Rs 3,29,900 and Rs 4,49,900, respectively. The company also mentioned its plans to launch a 105-inch curved UHD TV in the later half of the year but did not give any indications on what could be the price of that TV.

Apart from this, Samsung at today's event also launched HU8500 flat UHD TV in 55-inch and 65-inch models that will be available for Rs 2,93,900 and Rs 4,09,900, respectively. Lastly, Samsung has launched a 40-inch UHD TV, HU7000, which is available for Rs 1,04,900.

Samsung sure has managed to dazzle the market with the latest in the technology but we feel that these devices for now will only appeal to the early adopter and the prices would have to come down to more affordable level for the mass adoption of UHD Televsions.

Adobe Voice: A Free iPad App For Pitching Brilliant


Everyone with a cool new idea or vision wants a concise and beautiful video to illustrate their story and broadcast it to the world. But oh, right-you suck at all things visual and just learned how to make something move in After Effects. Adobe's new iPad app, Voice, is there to hold your hand in the making of presentation videos.
The story you tell with Voice, available for free in the App Store, will consist of a narrated explanation of whatever it is you are presenting, coupled with appropriate artwork, your own photography, and text-all swirled together with seamless animations and set to music.
Adobe Voice: A Free iPad App For Pitching Brilliant Ideas to the World
To get started with Adobe Voice, you will need a free Creative Cloud account, but not a paid subscription. Launch the app, choose a type of presentation, and Voice guides you through a clear-cut process of telling a story in the easiest way possible, telling you what to say according to preformed structures. It then gussies things up by letting you choose content from a giant sea of content accessed from the Cloud. The app is more than just a library of illustrations, music, and motion graphics. It actively assists you when you don't know exactly what you want to say or how you want to say it.
The demo that Adobe gave us really did seem rather idiot-proof, but left us wondering if it was homogenizing things a bit too much. How many people will have to use Voice before the internet is swamped with monotonous pitch videos all bearing the Adobe Voice "look?" There's a reason that people like to avoid using templates in content creation programs-they all end up looking too slick and pre-made. It's possible for a tool like this to be TOO simple, robbing your creation of any kind of uniqueness.
Adobe's safeguard against the app devolving into repetition is the Creative Cloud, where all the content libraries are stored, ready to be continually updated with new materials for its users. They also could open up more customization and options in future versions of Voice. Let's hope so-because as it stands there are some glaring omissions, like the ability to import your own video clips.
Providing access to good design for people without technical skills is a growing trend, with services like Squarespace all looking to save the internet from becoming a pit of aesthetic despair, as it did in the era of MySpace and Geocities. Voice is certainly targeted at a more niche audience, appealing mostly to people launching a small business, raising money for a cause, or marketing a new product. But for some, it looks to be a nifty way to get an idea across with the minimum amount of know-how.

It's really easy to print Money with Inkjet

If you're running an international counterfeiting ring, then yes, you're gonna need some expensive equipment. But for the small-time counterfeiter about town, it's all too easy. Just grab your everyday inkjet printer.


As Bloomberg News reports, 34-yer-old hairstylist and janitor Tarshema Brice faked up to $20,000 in counterfeit bills.
First, the 34-year-old hairstylist and janitor took $5 bills with a specific watermark and soaked them with "Purple Power" degreaser. Next, she scrubbed off the ink with a toothbrush. After drying the now-blank notes with a hair dryer, she fed them through a Hewlett-Packard Co. 3-in-1 inkjet printer that emblazoned them with scanned images of $50 or $100 bills.
The phony bills can pass the pen test, which reacts with starch in paper, butobviously can't stand much further scrutiny. (Hundred dollar bills are also printed with a 3D security ribbon and an ink that changes color in the light.) Brice is hardly the first to use degreaser and an inkjet printer to make fake money. A crime ring in Florida was busted just last year for doing the same.
Low-tech counterfeiting clearly won't get you far, but desktop printing technology has certainly made the crime within the reach of small-time counterfeiters. The U.S. Treasury, of course, is just as willing to fight back with technology. Laser printers print a unique, identifying pattern of yellow dots. And Photoshop won't let you edit images of money.
That leaves you with dinky little inkjet printers. Your bills won't look that great. You're never going to get rich on it. And hey, in case you forgot, you're still breaking the law.

Moto E on the go




Moto E is the most talked about Motorola device at the moment. It is said to be a rugged priced-for-all smartphone. Motorola has already sent out invites for a May 13 event and it is being speculated that this smartphone will see the light of the day at this event.

As per Zauba (a website that displays information on goods imported in India) 1,300 units of Motorola Moto E 'XT1022' have already been imported in India.
Interestingly, the site also claims a unit price of Rs 6,330. This makes TOI Tech to bet that the Moto E will be priced under Rs 10,000 in India. According to Android OS.in, the price of the smartphone will be somewhere between Rs 7,999 to 8,499 ($130-140 approx).
On the other hand, fonereana via @LeaksterInc, (a new leakster on Twitter) is posting that the Moto E will be priced at Rs 8,999 and would exclusively be available through Flipkart, similar to Moto G and Moto X.
Lead Photo: Moto GAccording to earlier leaks, Moto E is likely to come with a 4.3-inch display. It is said to be powered by 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. It is expected to have 4GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot. For camera, there will be a 5MP rear snapper. The smartphone will pack in 1,900mAh battery.
The Moto E is expected to offer Android 4.4 (KitKat) out of box. It is expected that the Moto E will come with single- as well dual-SIM variants. However, in India, we think Motorola will launch just the dual-sim variants, as it did in case of Moto G.

Sony Xperia Z2 finally launching

Sony is all set to launch its latest flagship smartphone today in New Delhi. The smartphone is dubbed Sony Xperia Z2 and was earlier showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014.

Sony Xperia Z2 is a dust-proof and water-proof smartphone, just like the Sony Xperia Z1. It is 8.2mm thick with a 5.2-inch full HD screen, it retains the two-tone black with aluminum trim design of its predecessor.

Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.3GHz quad-core processor, backed by 3GB of RAM. It's with the camera, however, where the Z2 gets really interesting. It's equipped with a 20.7MP still camera on the rear, capable of shooting 4K video. It's using a 1/2.3-type Exmor RS CMOS image sensor and G Lens, with Sony's BIONZ image processing engine doing the grunt work.

You too can watch the event live as it happens along with us. Happy Watching! And do let us know what you think about the event and the phone in the comments below.
Go to this link:   http://5.153.30.196/sony/webcast/080514/flash1high.htm

Friday, May 2, 2014

Sony Xperia M2 review

Sony is focusing on consolidating its mid-range line-up with the launch of the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia M2 Dual. While the former targets consumers who prefer big-screen displays, the Xperia M2 sports a more standard smartphone form factor and embodies the same premium design seen in Sony's high-end smartphones. But is Xperia M2 one of the best mid-range phones? We find out in our review.

Build & Design
Sony Xperia M2 features the same understated OmniBalance design that we've seen in Sony's other Xperia phones, including the Z, Z1, Z1 Compact and Z Ultra. To be honest, we're a bit tired of seeing the same design. Having said that, there's no doubt that the Xperia M2 exudes a premium feel and looks better than most phones in the same price segment. But this phone is not water and dust resistant unlike Sony's premium devices.

Also, unlike Sony's high-end phones that sport an aluminium frame, Xperia M2 features a light-weight plastic frame (to cut costs) and has a glass panel at its back. It looks very similar to Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact. The phone weighs 148gram and has a thickness of 8.6mm.

The front of the phone features a 4.8-inch display, with the front camera lens, sensors and notification LED placed above it along with the Sony branding. There's a thin LED strip below the display that lights up in select situations.


The right edge features a round aluminium power/screen-lock button towards the middle, along with the volume rocker and camera keys, both made of plastic. The location of the power/screen lock key makes it convenient to lock and unlock the phone but the other keys are too thin and flimsy for our liking. These keys offer just average tactile feedback. Above the power button, there's a plastic flap that hides the two micro-sim card slots.

Thankfully, the slots don't feature the flimsy sim-card trays we've seen in a number of Xperia phones, and instead feature a push mechanism.

The left edge features the micro-USB port and a flap that covers the microSD card slot. The phone's speaker grill is located at the bottom edge, while the 3.5mm headset jack sits at the top.

The back sports a shiny glass panel which is susceptible to smudges and scratches. You can perhaps install a scratch guard even at the back if you want to avoid scratches. The back features an 8MP camera lens along with an LED flash, and some minimalist Sony branding.

Overall, the Xperia M2 offers the classy, understated look seen in Sony's high-end phones, in a comparatively compact and light-weight form factor.

Display
Sony Xperia M2 features a 4.8-inch TFT display (540x960p, 229ppi pixel density). We wish Sony would have included a 720p display but the optimum brightness levels and vivid colours offset the poor display resolution to some extent.

The display offers good viewing angles and decent sunlight legibility. Text and graphics look nice, but not as sharp and crisp as they do on 720p displays. The display is also prone to smudges and gets soiled easily.

User Interface
Sony Xperia M2 ships with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, an old version of the operating system. It's not known if the phone will get updated to Android 4.4 KitKat in the near future. Sony has skinned the operating system with its own Xperia UI. The UI skin, which we've seen on other Xperia phones, including Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact, is not heavy and doesn't hog on system resources.

The UI elements, including the notifications tray, app launcher and settings menu have been skinned and look good. The transition effects visible during launching and minimising apps are also pleasant to look at. Xperia M2 features Sony's Xperia keyboard which offers a fast typing experience and even offers a Swype-like mode for entering words by sliding fingers across keys.

Sony has also added its own apps for music, videos and gallery which it calls Walkman, Movies and Album. The Indian edition of the phone also comes with additional content stores, Sony Music and Sony Liv, for downloading music and streaming TV shows.

Sony also includes several other pre-loaded apps including BIGFlix (Indian movie streaming service), Box (cloud storage), File Commander (file manager), McAfee Security, Pixlr Express (a photo editing app), Sketch (sketching app), Wisepilot (navigation app) and X4 Video Player (to play four videos simultaneously). We didn't find all the apps useful and feel Sony should reduce the number of pre-loaded apps.



The app switcher button also gives access to small apps, which can float on top of other running apps. The phone ships with some small apps,including a browser, notes app, timer, calculator and voice recorder. One can download additional small apps from the Play Store, or even turn a widget into a small app. While small apps are useful on large screens, they make the screen look crowded on smaller phones. It's good that Sony still offers an option to users.

We've found Sony's UI skin less intrusive and well-balanced. It's among our favourite Android skins.

Camera
Unlike high-end Xperia phones that feature large sensors, Sony Xperia M2 comes with a modest 8MP rear camera which has an 'Exmor RS for mobile' image sensor and a VGA front-facing camera.

The Camera app
The Camera app offers a plethora of settings in addition to Sony's Superior Auto mode that chooses the best settings as per the ambient light and takes photos in 5MP. We recommend the Superior auto mode for taking pictures unless you want to control granular settings. In that case, you can use the Manual mode.

You also get different scene options and the ability to switch the resolution of the pictures. Scene modes also include night mode, anti-motion blur, high sensitivity and backlight correction HDR, among others.

The other modes that the app offers include Timeshift burst, Sweep Panorama, AR Effect, Portrait retouch, Social Live and Picture Effect.

The quality of pictures taken outdoors in adequate light was good with accurate colour reproduction and decent contrast. However, pictures shot indoor in artificial light were grainy and lacked detail. Pictures captured in low-light conditions looked good thanks to the processing that removes noise (along with details).



As with Sony's other phones, we noticed that sometimes the images looked over-processed.

We also noticed that the camera takes a lot of time to process images in the Superior auto mode while capturing images in low light conditions and if you're not patient, you'll get blurred images.

The camera is capable of recording 1080p videos and does a decent job in good ambient light conditions.

The phone's front camera disappoints. In the selfie age, Xperia M2 offers a VGA sensor that takes average quality images.

Overall, the phone's camera is not as good as Sony's other Xperia phones but is better than some of the other phones in the segment.

Performance
Sony Xperia M2 is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226) quad core processor with Adreno 305 graphics processor and 1GB RAM. It's essentially the same hardware that powers Motorola's Moto G.

The phone comes with 8GB internal storage out of which 5GB is available to the user. Storing multimedia content is not an issue since the phone supports microSD cards.

We did not notice any lag whatsoever while navigating through the phone's menu, launching apps and switching between them.

In synthetic benchmarks, the phone lags behind the Moto G by a small margin and the Xolo Q1100 by a considerable one. The phone scored 17,250 in Antutu, 8122 in Quadrant and 59.9 in Nenamark 2 benchmark tests. But we'd not recommend a phone based solely on benchmarks as real world performance is different at times.

In terms of multimedia, the phone comes with FM radio, but doesn't offer recording capability. The phone's built-in speaker offers decent sound output and it offers Clear Phase and xLoud settings for enhanced sound quality and loudness.

The default video player supports a large number of multimedia file formats and full-HD videos.

We did not encounter problems while making calls and any other issues while using two sim cards. We were satisfied with the phone's network reception. Voice clarity and loudness levels were also up to the mark. The phone comes with GPS for navigation and maps and was easily able to lock a signal.

Xperia M2 also comes with NFC connectivity to initiate file transfers to other NFC-enabled phones and receive data from NFC tags. It works as promised.

The phone comes with a 2300mAh battery with a claimed standby time of up to 597 hours and talk time of up to 14 hours and 36 minutes on 3G. With moderate to high usage, including about one to two hours of making calls, playing games, clicking some pictures, listening to music and browsing the web, the Xperia M2 will easily last you a full working day, even if you put the screen brightness at the highest level and keep 3G turned on.

You can boost the battery backup by using Sony's Stamina mode that shuts down battery-draining apps and data transfer when the screen is turned off and starts them again when it is turned on.

Gaming
We were able to play games like Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfers without any hiccups. Even while playing graphics-intensive games like Riptide GP2 and Asphalt 8 (with Visual Quality set to high and Engine at 100%), we did not encounter any stutter or frame drops. The hone does get heated up a little during extended gaming sessions.

Verdict
At a price of Rs 21,990, Sony Xperia M2 may be a good option if you're primarily hunting for a phone that looks premium and comes from a well-recognized, global brand. However, if looks are not that important, we'd suggest going for Motorola's Moto G or Xolo's Q1100. Both the phones offer better displays and almost the same (or even slightly better) performance.

If you can spend a little more, do take a look at the Moto X. For users who prefer an even larger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 can be another option.

But in itself, and for the Sony loyalists, Xperia M2 is a fairly dependable option.

Benq's HD Gaming Monitor

Visual effects and graphics are such an integral part of PC gaming that you need quality hardware to do justice to today's games. While many may argue that you need deep pockets to afford this sort of gaming experience, planning smartly and keeping an eye out for good deals can get you the ideal PC gaming experience without breaking the bank.

Here are some of the better monitors currently in the market, divided into four price segments to help you find the ideal monitor to suit your needs and budget.

Low End: 



BenQ RL2240H - Rs 9,500

This 21.5" full HD monitor is part of BenQ's professional gaming monitor line. With HDMI, DVI and VGA ports and a 3.5mm jack for sound, it covers all the popular connectivity standards. The white glossy bezel might not be to everyone's liking though. Some of the 'gaming features' advertised by BenQ include Black eQualizer, Display Mode, Smart Scaling and RTS Mode. Without a VESA mount option and having a relatively small screen size, this is a pretty basic 21.5" monitor, which will give you a reasonable full HD gaming experience at a great price.

BenQ GL2450HM - Rs 12,000

While not specifically advertised as a gaming monitor, the GL2450HM will give you a good gaming experience. This is a 24" full HD 16:9 monitor, with HDMI, DVI and VGA for connectivity and inbuilt 2x2W speakers. With a 2-millisecond response time and LED backlighting, this monitor will be great for playing games as well as for watching videos.

Middle End:



BenQ RL2455HM - Rs 14,000

This is the big brother to the RL2240H mentioned above - a 24" panel with LED backlighting. Most of its features are similar to those found in the 2240H, but this one has a VESA mount option, and a quicker 1-milisecond response time. For connectivity, it has VGA, DVI-Dual Link and two HDMI ports, a 3.5mm jack, and a line-in for the built-in speaker. With a black and red colour scheme and a matte bezel, this one looks pretty sharp.

Asus VK248H - Rs 17,000

The Acer VK248H monitor is a good all-rounder performer. It sports a 24" full HD display, a 2-millisecond response time, and an LED backlit panel with good colour reproduction and viewing angles. It has HDMI, VGA and DVI-Dual Link ports for connectivity, with a 3.5mm jack for headphones, and an input jack for the inbuilt 2x2W stereo speakers. The VK248H also comes with an HD webcam built into the monitor.

High End:



AOC i2769VM - Rs 21,000

If you want to expand your experience beyond 24 inches without spending too much, the i2769VM from AOC could be a good option. It is a 27" full HD monitor and sports an IPS LED panel, which makes the colour accuracy and the viewing angles exceptionally good. There are two HDMI ports; one supports MHL, which lets you connect your phone/portable device for full HD video and sound with charging provided by the monitor. You'll also find DisplayPort and VGA for connectivity. The monitor also has a headphone out and line-in for the inbuilt speakers. Though it lacks some features, it's hard to find a good 27" IPS panel with a 5-millisecond response time at this price.

BenQ XL2420T - Rs 25,000

Like the RL series monitors mentioned above, the XL series monitors are also from BenQ's professional gaming line. This is a 24", 120Hz 3D-ready monitor supporting Nvidia's Light Boost Technology. With its black and red stand, it offers height adjust, tilt, pivot (landscape and portrait), and swivel. With two HDMI ports, as well as DisplayPort 1.2, DVI-Dual Link, VGA, headphone jack, and a USB hub, this monitor has all bases covered. With all the gaming features mentioned above in the RL2240H, plus some extras, this is a great monitor for enjoying fast-paced games, thanks to its 1-millisecond response time and 120Hz refresh rate.

A bigger variant to this monitor (27") is also available - BenQ XL2720T for about Rs 33,000. The only difference between them is the screen size.

Enthusiast:



Samsung U28D590D - Rs 48,275 + shipping and import duties (approx. from Amazon.com)

The Samsung U28D590D is referred to as the "affordable 4K monitor", and with good reason. At this price, you won't find a lot of good 4K monitors. This 28-incher is capable of running at 60Hz and has a 1-millisecond response time, unlike other 'value' 4K monitors. With only two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort, connectivity options are fairly limited. If you have the graphics horsepower to drive it and a wallet to back up your purchase, you could be looking at one of the only 4K monitors suitable for gaming.

Note: Even though the monitor itself costs Rs 48,278 on Amazon.com, the shipping and handling plus the import fee deposit makes the total Rs 70,258.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Google Play Store has a Porn too



It’s not new, it’s not unique, and it’s certainly not going anywhere. Google’s application store for its Android operating system, the Play Store, has a serious porn problem. Fire the Play Store up on your device, go through apps and books recommendations, and I bet you’ll find some explicit content.
App recommendation on Play Store
Here’s how apps and books, or just any other recommendation system works: much like personalized ads, which are targeted at one’s personal taste – the things you buy online, the things you seem to be interested in, Google logs relevant content. Or it will also show you what your friends (or people you’ve in your Google+ circle are recommending). I, for one, am not really a fan of erotic content, heck, even if I was, I won’t use my work email ID to access such things. But apparently, Google doesn’t really care about what you’re surfing, as it assumes that you would want to access such content, nonetheless.
It’s not like Google isn’t doing anything about it. It maintains a strong stance against erotic content, or so it says. Last month, Google started cleaning out this mess… yet again, but as it seems either roll out is too darn slow, or it has missed a few things.
An interesting observation, which could be the reason why Google hesitates to get such filthy content out of its system, is the popularity. These apps are tremendously popular, just see the number of downloads. And so, as awesome as Google is, at the end of the day, it always comes down to the money. 
Play Store pornography 1
The trouble with having porn content on the Play Store, besides kids might get access to them, is your security. Back in 2012, Symantec, a security firm, found three porn apps were downloaded between 500,000 and 1.5 million times. Over the past few months, we’ve encountered several such apps that have been found of leaking users’ email address, GPS, IMEI number and your other information to presumably vicious minds.
The other problem is consumer demand. For many people, Google’s move to shower erotic content on you isn’t really a bad thing. many people don’t see being offered such suggestions as a problem in the first place.
Apple too had a porn problem. But it was quick enough to fix it, at least after being criticized for a while. But Google is yet to do something concrete about it.
Google Porn Problem techpp
As far as the terms and conditions go, Google is against any sexually explicit material. Under the content policy of its Google Play Developer program, the Mountain View tech giant states,
Sexually Explicit Material: Apps that contain or promote pornography are prohibited; this includes sexually explicit or erotic content, icons, titles, or descriptions. Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child sexual abuse imagery. If we become aware of content with child sexual abuse imagery, we will report it to the appropriate authorities and delete the Google Accounts of those involved with the distribution.
Yet, it’s slowly, if at all, taking any action against it. Even if Google decides to remove all such apps, the problem is that many apps are disguised behind perfectly normal app description and icons. It is when you download it and start using that you realize what’s going on.
Remember when Blackberry Messenger arrived on Android? Okay, remember the dozens of fake ones that arrived hours before the official one was published on the store? Yeah, Play Store hosts several hundreds of such fake apps. From Fake apps to porn content to how easy it is to sideload a pirated app, Google Play has got a lot of things to worry about. If it really wants to compete with Apple’s App Store, not only does it need apps, but control over those apps as well. Even specific keyword search on iOS’s App Store and even Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store don’t bring out half as polluted content as Google would suggest on a normal sunny day.