7 smart TVs for the perfect entertainment experience

Gone are the days when your television set was referred to as the idiot box. We are in the era of Smart TVs. Though in India this trend is still at a nascent stage, the market is evolving at a rapid pace.

Little wonder that most consumer electronics brands are now offering a range of Smart TV in various sizes and price points to meet the needs of the consumers. Consumers too are acknowledging the changing trend and are increasingly looking at television sets that are connected to the Internet and offer nifty apps that keep them entertained. We have complied a list of some of the best smart TVs (in no particular order) that are available in the market to help you choose the best fit for your living room.

1) Samsung Series 8 SMART 3D Full HD LED TV ES8000

The Samsung ES8000 packs in features such as voice control, motion control and face recognition. The television also comes in with an attractive design and weighs 12 kgs (without the stand). The bezel of this smart TV is just 17mm thick.

One can watch full-HD (1920X1080 pixels) content via this television and it supports 960Hz Clear Motion Rate. Samsung has pre-loaded many apps such as Samsung App, Skype, Smart Hub, Social TV, AllShare Play, Camera App etc. for users to make most of this television. For connectivity, the Smart TV comes with 3 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports, 1 headphone jack and built-in Wi-Fi.

Price: Rs. 1,51,000 for 46-inch model; Rs. 2,68,000 for 55-inch model.

2) Sony BRAVIA 3D Full HD LED KDL-46HX850 TV  

The Sony Bravia KDL-46HX850 TV comes with monolithic design, like other television of the HX series. The television comes with Sony's X-Reality picture engine, which as per company's claims helps in giving clearer picture. This is also a full-HD television and comes with built-in Wi-Fi.

This television comes with OptiContrast and Corning's Gorilla Glass Panel. Apps such as YouTube, Skype, Star Player, Facebook, and Twitter come pre-installed on this Sony Bravia Television.

Price: Rs. 1,23,900 for 46-inch model; Rs. 209,900 for 55-inch model

3) LG 3D Full HD LED TV 47LW6500  

Another interesting option to look at it is the LG 3D Full HD LED TV 47LW6500. This is also a 3D television that can display content in full-HD. This television set deploys Triple XD Engine, which as per LG gives crisper picture quality. This television from the stable of LG comes with 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and supports Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity.

Price: Rs. 1,14,999 for 47-inches

4) Panasonic SMART VIERA 3D Full HD LED TV TH L47ET50D  

Panasonic SMART VIERA 3D Full HD LED TV TH L47ET50D is made of crystal frame. It comes with IPS LED LCD Panel and comes with what Panasonic dubs as the active shutter progressive 3D.

Just like the other television under the Panasonic's SMART VIERA range, this television set too comes with Viera Connect, through which users can access popular apps.

Price: Rs. 1,16,900 for 46-inches

5) Toshiba 46VL20 LED Full HD 3D Television

This television from Toshiba, offers dynamic ratio of 100000:1. The television comes with 4 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports. Toshiba 46VL20 has an interesting design that consists of a narrow silver coloured bezel. This is a competitively priced LED 3D TV; however Toshiba does not have a very strong brand value in India.

Price: Rs. 72,499 (46-inches)

6) Philips 46PFL8577 LED Full HD 3D DDB Television  

Philips was once amongst the leading players in home entertainment arena, but not any longer. However, the company is trying to gain back market share. This company too is offering an interesting smart TV in the Indian market in the form of Philips 46PFL8577 LED 3D DDB television. This television set comes with 8000000:1 Dynamic Ratio. It also comes with 480Hz Perfect Motion Rate (PMR) that as per the company helps in delivering motion sharpness. The TV comes with 2 HDMI ports and 1 USB port and at 27.5 kg (sans the stand) this is one of the bulkiest options in the category.

Price: Rs. 1,06,000 for 46-inches

7) LG 55LM6200 LED Full HD 3D Television  

Another option that one can look from the stable of Korean television maker is the LG 55LM6200 LED Full HD 3D TV. This set has a striking design and a narrow black bezel. It comes with IPS Advanced LCD Panel and has a dynamic contrast ratio of 6000000:1. However, unlike the LG LM6700 series television, this series does not come with edge-lit LED backlight equipped with local dimming.

Price: Rs. 1,21,999 for 55-inch; Rs.2,94,999 for 65-inch

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Send SMS to charge your cellphone battery!!

LONDON: Out of battery? Just send a text! People living off-grid can now power their phones simply by sending a text message.

A London-based company Buffalo Grid has introduced a solar-powered cellphone charging station that is activated by text message.

A patchy or absent power grid poses a conundrum of problems for rural areas in the developing world, particularly in Africa and Asia, where the use of cellphones is rapidly rising.

The company's basic technology, which was recently trialled in Uganda, should help tackle this issue, 'NewScientist' reported.

The battery extracts power from the solar panel using a technique called maximum power point tracking (MPPT). A 60-watt solar panel charges a battery.

A solar panel's power output is dictated by environmental conditions, such as temperature and the amount of sunlight, as well as the resistance of the circuits connected to it.

MPPT monitors the conditions and changes the resistance to ensure the maximum possible power output at any given time.

The innovation lies in how the stored power is released to charge a phone. A customer sends a text message, which in Uganda costs 110 shillings, to the device. Once it receives the message, an LED above a socket on the battery lights up, indicating that it is ready to charge a phone.

At the Konokoyi coffee cooperative in Uganda, each text message allows a phone to be charged for 1.5 hours. A fully charged Buffalo Grid unit can last for three days, has up to 10 charging points and charges 30 to 50 phones a day.

To bring the cost down further, Buffalo Grid hopes to co-opt the cellphone network operators into subsidising power for charging the phones, or even making it free.

"When you bring power to phones that don't have any, people will use them more," said Buffalo Grid's Daniel Becerra.

"Instead of paying for the charge, people will spend more on airtime," Becerra said.

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Bangalore, first Indian city to get free Wi-Fi hotspots

Free wireless internet services are expected to commence in the commercial heart of India's technology capital starting next month. Mahatma Gandhi Road and Brigade Road, two of the best-known shopping destinations, will have free Wi-Fi access as part of a plan to make Bangalore the first city to have such a service available at public spots.

The idea is the brainchild of a government-appointed panel headed by Mohandas Pai, a former director at Infosys. The pilot service will be available for at least six months, after which the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) panel will evaluate the network and announce possible expansion plans.

"A smartphone revolution is happening in India, but connectivity is still an issue here. We wanted to provide seamless internet access to people," said Pai, who is also the chairman of the Manipal Global Education.

The decision to offer free wireless broadband access was taken last year and the recommendations of the ICT group were sent to Karnataka's chief minister in January. Bangalore-based internet service provider D-VoiS has been assigned to implement the pilot free of charge. "Once the pilot finishes, we will talk to other private ISPs and figure out a revenue-sharing model," Pai said.

Access to broadband internet free of charge at public spots will benefit hundreds of thousands of people who browse the web through mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The Internet and Mobile Association of India expects the country to have about 165 million mobile internet users by 2015.
Source -TOI

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15 apps to cut your phone bill !!

Go through these apps, most of which are available for free and let you make calls, send messages or share photos/videos over Wi-Fi or a data connection.

 

Skype  : Click here to download application.

Available for multiple mobile and desktop operating systems, Skype offers free voice and video calling. It works across platforms and allows Skype users to add their friends/family to their accounts and make free calls. Additionally, it allows you to conduct IM chats and share photos with your connections.    

Nimbuzz : Click here to download application.

Nimbuzz started out as an IM integrator, but has grown into a full-fledged multi-platform app available for PC, smartphone and feature phones. You can make free Nimbuzz-to-Nimbuzz voice calls (PC, Android, iOS and Symbian only), video calls (iOS and PC only) and text chat with friends.

Oovoo : Click here to download application.

Oovoo is mainly for people who like to conduct group video chats. It lets you chat with up to 12 people simultaneously for free (though you can view only four people at a time). Available for smartphones and PC, it even lets you connect with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers for video and voice calls.

WeChat : Click here to download application.

It also lets you voice chat (not call) by sending recorded voice messages. Other features include group text chats, multimedia sharing and chat through browser. The 'Look Around' feature lets you search for nearby WeChat users and add them for chatting.

Fring : Click here to download application. 

Fring is similar to Skype in terms of functionality, but is only available for iOS, Android and Symbian devices. You can make free voice and video calls to other Fring users, chat with them, as well as share multimedia content. 

It also offers free 4-way group video chats across mobile platforms.

Viber : Click here to download application.

Viber syncs with your phone's contact book and shows the people already using the app. 

This makes it easy to find users for free voice calls. Available for all smartphone OS, Viber claims to provide HD sound quality, which is much better than that provided by your cellular operator.

Talkatone : Click here to download application.

Currently available only for Android and iOS devices, Talkatone offers high quality audio with voice compression to minimise your cellular data costs. 

You can make free voice calls and send messages to any of your friends on Facebook or Google Chat. One issue with the app is that it is supported by ads.

FaceTime : Click here to download application

Though FaceTime is limited only to devices in the Apple ecosystem, it is one of the easiest apps for video calls. You simply need to have the Apple ID or phone number of the other users in your contact list and you can make a one-touch video call. Calls can be made between iOS devices and iMac/Macbook.

  GupShup : Click here to download application.

GupShup also lets you send SMSes for free. To enable you to keep           sending free messages, your friend needs to reply to your message the first time. You can also conduct group chats and join various communities to get regular updates from other group members. You will need to register before you can start using the app.

Pinch : Click here to download application.

It's available as an app for both smartphones and feature phones, but can also be used with any mobile phone browser. You can also send free SMSes to non-Pinch users. It shows when your friends are typing a reply (individual/ group chats) and shows messages delivered and read receipts.

WhatsApp : Click here to download application.

WhatsApp is the most popular chat app that works across platforms. You can share multimedia content with friends and group chat with up to 30 people simultaneously. The service is free for the first year, after which you have to pay Rs 55 a year (iPhone users need to purchase the app for Rs 55 from the app store).

ChatON: Click here to download application

It is available not only for smartphones, but also Samsung feature phones. You can sync ChatON with up to five devices and even access your chats through a browser. Other than normal text chat, you can share multimedia and document files, as well as create and send animated messages.

Kik Messenger : Click here to download application.

What makes Kik Messenger special is that unlike other apps it doesn't need your phone number. Instead, you create a user name and your friends add you by using it. This is similar to the way IM chat clients work. 

You can share videos/pictures with friends or create a sketch using the in-built tool and share it.

Hike : Click here to download application.

Other than letting you chat with other Hike users for free, this app also lets you send free SMSes to non-Hike users. You can even group chat with both Hike/non-Hike friends and share photos or videos with them. However, the non-Hike users will be charged when they reply to a Hike chat via an SMS.

Rocketalk : Click here to download application.

Rocketalk works differently from other apps. Instead of focusing on chat, it lets you create a personal social network of friends. You could also join various topic-based communities based on your interests. 

You can share pictures, videos and voice messages with your friends or with a social community.

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Why Visual Effects Are So Important !!!

Here’s how some famous movies would have looked like without special effects. It’s kinda ironic that most of the times the director, the writer and the cast get all the credits, but no one talks about the brilliant people that work so hard to provide these beautiful images.

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Trending Technology : 3D Printing

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes.

3D printing is considered distinct from traditional machining techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods such as cutting or drilling (subtractive processes).

A materials printer usually performs 3D printing processes using digital technology. Since the start of the twenty-first century there has been a large growth in the sales of these machines, and their price has dropped substantially.

The technology is used in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, and many other fields.

How does 3D printing work?

3D Printing or Modeling takes digital input from three-dimensional data and creates solid, three-dimensional parts through an additive, layer-by-layer process. Easy to use, affordably priced and compact for the office, 3D Printing or Modeling is used extensively by designers, engineers and hobbyists for concept development and product design to accelerate the design process and reduce the time to market. Using the same process our customers are also creating actual end-use parts and objects such as fittings, crafts, jewelry and many others.

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iPhone 5S, 6 to launch in August'13

 The next generation Apple iPhone is likely to be launched in August or September 2013, an analyst has predicted.                                             

According to This Week In Apple Rumors, Barclays analyst Kirk Yang predicted that the next iPhone would land in August or September, along with a cheaper iPhone aimed at emerging markets.

That August/September prognostication puts him in line with a growing squad of Apple-watchers calling for a July/August/September release, including Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster and Peter Misek of Jeffries, the Huff Post reports.

Kuo and Horwitz are the two prognosticators-to-watch as they've proven to be accurate in the past, the report said. According to the report, if the rumour turns out to be true, then the new iPhone would be launched about a year after the introduction of the iPhone 5, on September 12.

[Source: Techgig]

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