Samsung's Galaxy Nexus with Google's Android 4.0

Google has revealed the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the latest "Google phone" that serves as the trend-setter for Android devices. The Galaxy Nexus was unveiled at an event in Hong Kong, after being delayed, reportedly as a tribute to the late Steve Jobs.

The high-end model has been priced, with one UK retailer claiming the smartphone will cost £429 or $680 before taxes for the 16GB model.

According to Clove Technologies, the first stock of the new Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone is expected in the UK in early November; yet, the company also says that the 32GB version of the handset currently isn’t scheduled to go on sale in the country.

In the US, the Galaxy Nexus is expected to launch – complete with 4G LTE – on Verizon, though the carrier is yet to confirm a release date or a price. Although, it's expected to be in the range of $199.99 to $299.99 with a new, two-year agreement, given price and positioning of other LTE devices on the carrier.

The Galaxy Nexus features a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, super AMOLED HD 4.65-inch display, face recognition to unlock its screen, the ability to share content by tapping another phones equipped with a Near Field Communication chip, a camera boasting no shutter lag and even a barometer. The global launch for this kicks off in November.

FEATURES :-

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
	Announced	2010, December
	Status	Available. Released 2010, December

SIZE	Dimensions	123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm
	Weight	129 g

DISPLAY	Type	Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches (~233 ppi pixel density)
		- Oleophobic surface - Contour Display with curved glass screen - Multi-touch input method - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Touch-sensitive controls - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Three-axis gyro sensor

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Phonebook	Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
	Call records	Practically unlimited
	Internal	16GB storage, 512 MB RAM
	Card slot	No

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	3G	HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0 microUSB

CAMERA	Primary	5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, LED flash,
	Features	Geo-tagging, touch focus
	Video	Yes, WVGA@30fps
	Secondary	Yes, VGA

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
	CPU	1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, Hummingbird chipset
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS
	Browser	HTML
	Radio	No
	Games	Yes
	Colors	Black, White
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support, barometer sensor
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
		- Digital compass - MP4/H.264/H.263 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3 player - Organizer - Image/video editor - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration - Flash Player v10.1 - Voice memo/dial/commands - Predictive text input - Near Field Communications

BATTERY		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 713 h (2G) / Up to 428 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 6 h 40 min (3G)

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Royal Enfield launches - CLASSIC CHROME and DESERT STROME

Royal Enfield, a unit of Eicher Motors Ltd, on Thursday announced the launch of two leisure bikes. The bikes, Classic Chrome and Desert Storm, being limited edition products, would be available at select brand stores and dealerships across the country. The Classic Chrome, priced at Rs 1.68 lakh, is equipped with a 500cc twin-spark engine, with 27.2 bhp power output. The Desert Storm, too, boasts of a 500cc twin-spark engine and is priced at Rs 1.58 lakh.

 On the face of it, the Royal Enfield Classic Chrome and Desert Storm are just cosmetic variants based on the Classic 500, a motorcycle that in 350cc and 500cc guise, is currently sold out. But outside of the Machismo-esque chrome on the Classic Chrome and the lovely, off-road plus sand plus military colour of the Desert Storm, there are a few changes under the skin. On the engine side there are a few tweaks to the fuel injection system though the power and torque figures remain the same at 27.1PS and 41.3Nm.

 But for the first time, Royal Enfield has made changes to the chassis, taking off the fork offset and mounting the front forks directly to the front axle. These changes effectively reduce the rake and trail of the motorcycle which should make the steering feel sharper and quicker in response. At the back, the swing arm is a bit longer which is usually said to improve traction and feel for the rider. In fact, the move to the 18-inch wheel and the round profile rear tyre for the Classic in itself was considered a major change of stance. These changes do reflect a change of heart at Royal Enfield.

 

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Mahindra XUV500 driven @ INR13 lakh

After many months of anticipation Mahindra has finally taken the wraps off their latest creation, the quirkily named XUV500 (read five double oh). It’s a rather handsome vehicle while a once over of the specification sheet shows that it’s stuffed to the gills with kit. These are our impressions after our first drive of the ‘five double oh’.

Design:-

When viewed in her entirety the XUV cuts a handsome picture. It’s an eye-catching, attractive design with the projector headlamps and aggressive grille being the design highlights up front. The entire front three quarters with the muscular wheel arches looks primed for action, much like the cheetah Mahindra’s designers have based the car on. The rear gets large vertical tail lights with tribal motifs on the plastic. The large but fake air intakes under the headlamps and the numerous slashes, curves and bulges all over the vehicle. The bulging haunches over the rear wheel will also divide opinion. However they certainly add character to the rear three quarters.

Interiors:-

The smart centre console is highlighted by a six-inch touch screen infotainment display, the leather seats are comfortable and hold their occupants snugly. The funky twin pod instrument console is an interesting feature. There’s a cooled compartment under the central arm rest, a nifty conversation mirror just above the rear view mirror and subtle red ambient lighting that Mahindra calls lounge lighting.

Power supply:-

Power comes from the 2.2-litre mHawk that propels the Scorpio except that it’s been juiced up to produce 140PS from the Scorpio’s 122PS. Torque rises to 330Nm as well and this is down to Mahindra’s fifth generation variable geometry turbo. The mHawk pulls cleanly from 1000rpm and picks up speed nicely from barely 1300rpm. We even managed to take u-turns in second gear with not a single complaint from the engine. The 6-speed gearbox however could do with some improvements in shift quality. The long throw is customary for an SUV but the gears seem reluctant to slot without a good shove at times. Also the handbrake needs some muscle to disengage.

Handling:-

The XUV 500 is Mahindra’s best effort at handling by quite a bit. It’s a significant improvement over the company’s earlier products, Scorpio included. The low centre of gravity ensures the car doesn’t have a top-heavy feel. There is roll and quite a bit of pitch under hard braking but the car feels stable and confident around corners. The steering doesn’t have much feedback but it isn’t dead either. The brakes feel spongy though and require a bit of muscle to slow the car down. Overall, it’s a good mix between a traditional SUV and a car.

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Galaxy Tab bike by SamSung

Special edition Galaxy Tab bike is the most ridiculous accessory Samsung ever  has crafted. It is the biggest, weirdest tablet accessory ever made.Here's no shortage of zany accessories out there for mobile gadgets, but this one's got to be the largest and weirdest yet.

To promote its 10" Android tablet, Samsung has partnered with manufacturer 14 bike co.  to create a bike built specifically with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in mind. Why they didn't opt to promote one of the two smaller versions of the Galaxy Tab (the considerably smaller 8.9 or 7.0 Plus) is beyond us.

The bike, crafted from super lightweight carbon fiber, has an odd custom paint job with "sleek black paint on one side and cool white paint on the opposite" and a detachable holder custom built for the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The rather absurd-looking tablet mount positions your Galaxy Tab to hang on your bike's frame, between the seat and the handlebars. While it's clearly a promotional stunt, Samsung does suggest that the mount could be handy for route planning apps, quick access to bike repair info, and on-the-go GPS tracking. 

         As ridiculous and impractical as it may be, the Samsung Galaxy bike will actually go on sale through 14 Bike Co, though there's no word on pricing yet. But if you can afford to expose your tablet to the elements by mounting it in an ever-so-vulnerable position on your bike to begin with, the price probably won't phase you.

 

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INDIA LAUNCHES WORLD'S CHEAPEST TABLET PC @ 35$

Nearly two years after it announced its intention to launch a low-cost computing device, the Indian government  demoed Aakash , now the world’s lowest priced computing/internet device at $50 (Rs 2500). The commercial version of the tablet will be retailed under the brand name UbiSlate 7. Aakash will be sold to students at the subsidised price of $35(Rs1750) to expand digital access in connectivity. The tablet is expected to be sold for $60 for retail consumers. The maker of the device is DataWind, based in Britain. DataWind is a developer of wireless web access products and services.

The AAKASH is a seven-inch Android 2.2 touch screen tablet that has an HD video co-processor for a multimedia experience and core graphics accelerator for faster application support, as also DataWind’s UbiSurfer browser. The device includes Wi-Fi connectivity and support for optional 3G modems. Two full-sized USB ports are integrated into the unit allowing pen-drives, external keyboards, webcams, dongles and other inexpensive peripherals to be attached. DataWind is also offering a leather keyboard case with the package.

 

PROTOTYPE: 

• Manufacturer: DataWind, UK
• Type: Tablet 
• Release date: October 5, 2011
• ·         Introductory price Rs 1,750 (35$) per unit cost to government ;retail price = Rs2,999 (50$)
• Operating system: Android 2.2 
• Power: 2–3 hours. Internal rechargeable non-removable lithium-polymer battery 
• CPU: 366 MHz processor ;on chip Graphics accelerator and HD Video processor
• Storage capacity: 2GB (Internal)Flash memory, expandable upto 32 GB microSD

• Memory 256 MB LP-DDR2/DDR2
• Display 7-inch ; 800x480 resolution
• Input: Multi-touch resistive touchscreen display, headset controls
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi connectivity ,GPRS
• Online services: 1 year warranty 
• Weight: 350 gm
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  HARDWARE:

• 7-inch 800x480 resistive touch screen
• Rugged casing with a rubberized feel
• GPRS and Wi-Fi enabled (802.11 a/b/g WiFi)
• Mini and full USB 2.0 ports
• miniSD card slot
• Subscriber Identity Module (SIM card) slot
• Video out
• Headphone jack
• 256MB of RAM
• 2 GB of storage memory. 32 GB Expandable microSD memory card
• Up to 180 minutes on battery, AC adapter 200-240 volt range
• 2 Watts of power consumption with solar charging option
• 366 MHz + HD video co-processor
• Audio out: 3.5mm jack / Audio in: 3.5mm jack
• Display and Resolution: 7” display with 800x480 pixel resolution

 

SOFTWARE:

• Android 2.2 operating system
• Document Rendering
• Supported Document formats: DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP
• Educational software developed at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
• Web browsing, video conferencing and word processing software
• PDF viewer, Text editor
• Multimedia and Image Display
• Image viewer supported formats: PNG, JPG, BMP and GIF
• Supported audio formats: MP3, AAC, AC3, WAV, WMA
• Supported video formats: MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV
• Communication and Internet
• Web browser – Standards Compliance: xHTML 1.1 compliant, JavaScript 1.8 compliant
• Separate application for online YouTube video
• UbiSurfer-Browser with compression/acceleration and IE8 rendering
• Safety and other standards compliance
• CE certification / RoHS certification
• 150000+ applications

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