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The best messaging clients for your smartphone

Love to text people and want to go beyond SMS and WhatsApp? Check out four other cool client messaging options.
by Manik Kakra

With smartphones in our hands or pockets more often than not, it is the best device to stay connected with your near and dear ones. Until recently, SMS was a big part of most people’s phone usage, when messaging apps for user-to-user phone chat started taking their place. Here are the best clients you can install on your smartphone today:

WhatsApp: You saw it coming, right? With the biggest userbase among any such apps, WhatsApp is what most users have installed, and is their go-to app for texting. Active development team, and cross-platform availability, this one is surely among the keepers.

ViberViber: Available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Symbian, this one, along with WhatsApp, enjoys first-to-arrive benefit among these apps. Following the same rule of setting a user’s number as his/her ID, it isn’t much of a hassle to set it up. Users can also call each other through it, though the developers really need to improve the call quality.

LINE: LINE is one of the recent entrants in this list, but is surely here to stay. With over five million users registered in India in about three weeks’ time of its Indian launch, this one could well be your next favourite messaging client. Good call quality, emojis, emoticons, and some really nice stickers, plus a clean and responsive UI are the best things about it. It’s available for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, S40, Windows and Mac OS X.

Tango: You might not have heard its name, but this app got the Best Communication Awards this year. Its call quality – whether voice or video – is impressive, and with the usual text, picture and video-sharing features available, you should try this app once.

Fring: Old, but still relevant. With Fringe, you can not only group chat, but can also conference call with four persons. Great, right? Whether fringlandline (fixed) or mobile phone, you can make free call, mostly.

Apart from these, there are a number of other clients. While iOS has its own native iMessage (along with FaceTime), BlackBerry users have got their beloved BBM, which is soon going to be launched for iOS and Android; Android might get its own client later this year. Other apps worth checking once include Facebook Messenger (with its new Chatheads), SnapChat, which is focused more on image sharing. Nimbuzz, and WeChat.

(Pictures courtesy www.windowsphone.com, play.google.com, beyondthedefaults.com)

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Seven apps for women’s safety

In today’s times, women need some handy help – and it can come via their smartphones, through seven wonderful apps.
by Manik Kakra

Most women must carry a smartphone or tablet with them wherever and whenever they travel. As crimes against women increase all over the country, it is up to women to provide the first ring of security to themselves. Usually, the phone they carry can help establish contact to get immediate aid.

But how can you make sure the device is actually ‘smart’ and useful to you in many more ways than just the conventional ones? Having smart apps is an answer. Let’s take a look at some handy apps and services aimed at women’s safety.

Damini appDamini: Launched after the horrifying Delhi rape case in December 2012, this app allows you to send your location data and video as soon as the person starts the app. You can form a group from your contacts list to whom this app sends data whenever required.

FightBack: Available for almost all smartphone platforms, this app not only uses your phone’s GPS, SMS, and Maps, but also your Facebook account in order to alert your near and dear ones in an emergency.

Cab4me: This is a very useful app even for your day-to-day use. Its database allows you to quickly search through taxi stands near your location and you can book a cab right on it. In case of any emergency, you can quickly glance through your self-made favourite list, so that you can book a cab or inquire about services without wasting too much time looking for a cab on a deserted road. It’s available for Android and iOS.

SafeBridge (also available on Google Play): In case your phone doesn’t have any way to access the Internet at the time, this service has got your covered. It uses safebridge appyour phone’s SMS to send your location quickly to somebody pre-selected from your contact list.

iFollow: This is another smart app. In case you’re running out of time to make a call or do little else, all you have to do is shake your phone thrice and this app will get started. Next, it will make a call to a contact, and further an SMS, if the call doesn’t get answered.

Scream Alarm: As the name suggests, a loud voice comes from your phone as soon as your press the scream button in the app. That’s about it, however.

YWCA-Safety-Alert-Apps-3YWCA Safety Alert: This app not only can make a loud scream from your phone, but can also send your location data as well as email the selected contacts, when you simply shake your phone or tap its alert button.

Apart from these, there are a few apps which send your location data to a particular contact stored on your device, such as SafeTrac and inE.

(Pictures courtesy yourstory.in, play.google.com, itunes.apple.com, techtips9.com)

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The best tablets to buy

Looking to buy a tablet, but confused about specs and prices? We’ve got a handy list to get you sorted.
by Manik Kakra

In the last four years, tablets have taken consumer technology by storm. Be it Apple’s dominant iPad, or Android’s vast options, the gizmo is surely been talked about, and its effect is visible. Be it slow PC sale or the smartphone’s shift to larger screens, tablets are here to stay. Here are some of the best tablets to choose from:

Apple iPad 4, Rs 31,000 to Rs 51,000: No surprise here, right? Apple’s iPad 4 is arguably the best tablet available out there. It has got the looks, a beautiful 9.7-inch retina screen, and hardware inside to make performance and gaming smooth on it. Plus, there are tons of quality iOS apps to install. The iPad 4, available in black and white colour options, comes in WiFi and WiFi + 3G variants with three storage options. It starts from Rs 31,000 and goes up to Rs 51,000 for WiFi + 3G 64 GB variant.

Apple iPad Mini, Rs 21,800 to Rs 41,000: Ever since Apple released the mini version of its tablet, consumers have shown how much they want this form factor. Having all the IOS apps made for tablets, the form factor and convenience make this tablet a hot seller. Sporting a 7.9-inch (1024 x 768) screen, this tablet, too, comes in 3G and WiFi-only variants.

asus-nexus-7ASUS Nexus 7, Rs 14,000 to Rs 21,000: If you want an Android tablet right now, this is the one to get. Having stock Android and the tablet, which made Android’s apps story serious on the tablet side, it comes with a 7-inch (1280 x 800) screen. This is a feature-packed tablet without too much fuss. Starting from Rs 14,000 for WiFi-only 8 GB variant, and going up to Rs 21,000, the Nexus 7 is surely a value-for-money tablet.

Sony Xperia Z Tablet, Rs 44,000 (approx): Sony’s tablet is the one you should consider if you are looking for good looks as well as a big screen. This tablet boasts a quad-core processor and a great 10.1-inch (1920 x 1024) screen, and it runs on Android 4.1. In fact, it is also water resistant and dust proof, so you don’t have to worry too much about its handling.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (P3110), Rs 9,300: If you are going to buy your first tablet and don’t want to spend too much, this samsung-galaxy-tab-2could be a good option for you. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 runs on Android 4.1, has a 3 Mp rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, and it features a 7-inch (1026 x 600) screen. It has WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity. This is the cheapest tablet on our list.

(Pictures courtesy gadgets.ndtv.com, www.engadget.com, mobiles.pricedekho.com)

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All you need to know about Apple’s WWDC 2013

Three major developments in the recently concluded Apple WWDC at San Francisco will change the way we use our iDevices.
by Manik Kakra

Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) is a well-known developer conference, especially in the mobile space. Every year, Apple invites (a limited number, paid) developers to attend the event live in their building and get to meet the new Mac OS X and iOS versions, along with new hardware and other announcements, at times.

The first day of this year’s WWDC, which is always the most exciting one where they announce all the major bullet points, saw Apple showcasing some major additions and changes to its operating systems. Here are the biggest news stories that came out:

iOS-7-on-iPhone-4S-WWDC-2013The new iOS iteration – iOS7: As soon as Jony Ive was given the chief role of iOS, it was rumoured that the next version of iOS is going to be very different and the biggest change to come to the iOS. Indeed, it is. The new iOS is refreshingly different, and looks almost nothing like iOS6. Apple has gone away with a lot of traditional iOS palettes here. Apple has taken a lot of ‘inspiration’ from other OSes here.

First, there’s better multitasking where the OS itself identifies which are the apps that the users uses the most and which require to be available instantly from the multitasking view. Interestingly, the multitasking view (app switching page) looks a lot like WP’s, which was taken from webOS.

Secondly, iOS also has Control Center for all your device controls (like WiFi switch, brightness, and more), has now got translucency overlaying (what’s underneath it) for better context. You can swipe up from the bottom of your phone’s screen to bring up Control Center. Swipe down from the top of the screen to bring up Notification Center, which is also available from the lock screen, shows more details now, with its three tabs – Today, All and Missed.

iOS 7 also brings AirDrop to iPhone. With Airdrop, users can share files with other iOS users over WiFi network or Bluetooth. One critical feature added with iOS 7 is the Activation lock. Any time, if you lose your iDevice, you can remotely wipe off your data completely from the phone, using your Apple ID. Besides the icons with a new UI, this update brings several improvements like iTunes Radio (which works like Spotify and Pandora), new Weather app, flash light, Newsstand (can be added into a folder), new Safari browser, and more.

The iOS 7 Beta build is already seeding out to developers. Users with an iPhone 4 and higher, iPad 2 and higher, iPod Touch 5G and iPad Mini will get this upgrade, but those who don’t have the latest generation devices will only get some of the new features along with the new UI.

New OS X – Mavericks: The Mac OS X version names will now be city-based, and this starts with Mavericks, which is a California-based term. The new operating systems brings a lot OS X Mavericksof change – tabs have been introduced, through which you can tab multiple Finder Tabs for less clutter on your desktop. Mavericks also adds iBooks to OS X, as well as Tags, which are aimed for better organising of your files on PC as well as cloud. Apart from big bug fixes and performance improvements, the new OS also has iCloud keychain for password management, credit card information, etc.; new Calendar app; and interactive Notifications.

Developers are already getting Developer Preview of the new OS, and users will get this uprade coming fall.

macbook-air-11-inch-002New Mac Pro and MacBook Air: The only major hardware news to come out was of the new Mac Pro and MacBook Air. The new Mac Pro comes with the brand new Haswell ULT chip, and boasts a stylish, cylindrical chassis. It is smaller than the previous Mac Pro, and will start shipping later this year. It comes with dual GPUs, new thunderbolt ports, can handle three desktop monitors, and is capable of playing two 4K videos at once. The new MacBook Air, Apple claims, gives a 12-hour battery life without any performance hiccups. While not many Apple users have them, Apple also introduced AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule with 802.11ac support.

(Pictures courtesy www.onlinegadgetstore.com, www.foxnews.com, www.technobuffalo.com, www.technobuffalo.com)

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The best phones under Rs 30,000

A follow-up on our ‘Under Rs 15,000’ story lists the best smartphones available for a little bit of extra cash.
by Manik Kakra

If you look around the gadget world these days, you’ll see that a lot of smartphones are being launched left, right and centre, with hefty price tags attached. Sure, these are the most current launches, but phones which have been launched last year surely provide value for money if they are running on the latest OS with sufficiently good hardware. So, here’s a list of smartphones to get for a good on-the-go experience.

Nokia Lumia 720Nokia Lumia 720; available for around Rs. 18,000
If you are looking for your first Windows Phone device without spending a lot, this is the device you should be eyeing (in pic on left). With its solid build quality, an impressive 6.7 MP rear camera, and a decent 4.3-inch screen, this phone packs just what you need from a Nokia WP under Rs. 20,000.

LG Nexus 4; available for around Rs. 25,900
This Nexus phone was launched just a while back in India, and is definitely a good phone for those looking for a plain Android experience – with no bells and whistles on top. The device is suitable for those who want latest Android updates, and are not ready to compromise on build, quality and looks.

Samsung Galaxy SIII; available for around Rs. 26,000
This smartphone has been one of the best-selling smartphones ever. Not a surprise, considering that the phone packs in so much, and has got a lot going for it under Rs. 27,000. It has a great 8 MP camera, a bright 4.8-inch 720p screen, and is soon going to get updated to Android 4.2.

HTC One X; available for around Rs. 30,000 HTC One X
This is one of the underrated phones from last year (in pic on right). It has got the best screen from any phone that came out last year, and that is saying a lot. With its top-notch build quality, decent camera, and good looks, this one surely deserves to be in your list while choosing an Android phone.

Apple iPhone 4S (16 GB); available for around Rs. 33,000 (an exception here)
Yes, I know this phone goes above our Rs. 30,000 mark, but it has been included for a few imperative reasons. First, the phone runs one the latest iOS versions. Secondly, its camera can still give the latest smartphones a tough run. And, if you don’t know already, its crystal clear screen and design will surely get heads turning; so many users won’t mind stretching their budget a little to get this Apple device in their pocket.

Also read: The best phones under Rs 15,000

 

Have you recently purchased any of the above smartphones? Write to Manik in the comments section below and tell him about your experience with the new phone.

(Pictures courtesy www.nokia.com, blog.laptopmag.com, www.droid-life.com)

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The best phones under Rs 15,000

Want a new phone on a budget? Here’s a list of phones that fulfill all needs without pinching your pocket.
by Manik Kakra

Phones have become one of those integral gizmos of our daily life. We need them when we are alone, when at work, when partying – just about everywhere, at all times. We all want a good phone that can fulfill our needs, and here are out top picks of phones that don’t worry your wallet but give you the bang for the bucks.

Nokia Asha 501; to go on sale next month, expected price Rs. 6,300 

This S40 phone is a very smart feature phone. It is made for people who don’t want full functionality of smartphones, but who still want to stay connected. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp (coming soon), or just to make or receive calls, this phone has got all bases coveed. What’s more, MTNL and Airtel users get free access to Facebook from their phone, thanks to Nokia’s partnership with Facebook.

Nokia Lumia 520, approx Rs. 9,500
This phone is the cheapest Windows Phone 8 device available in the market. It is a great-looking device that comes with a decent 4-inch screen, 5 Mp camera, 512 MB RAM, and WP8 OS that works just fine on it. People looking for their first smartphone without spending a lot should definitely consider this Nokia offering.

Sony Xperia E (approx Rs 9,900)
The Xperia E boasts a 3.5-inch screen, and comes with Android 4.1. It is a very nice-looking phone which comes with a 3.2 MP camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, DLNA, and microUSB. It comes in a number of colour options, too – pink, blue, and black.

Micromax Canvas HD, approx Rs. 14,500
Micromax has been getting a lot of attention in the phone industry, of late. The company has been busy launching one Android phone after another. The Canvas HD (in pic on left) seems to be the best out of their lot. This phone sports a 5-inch HD screen, an 8 MP rear camera, and the phone runs on Android 4.1.2. This phone seems like a value for money option, and has got received very well in the market so far.

LG Optimus L5 II, approx Rs. 10,000
The Optimus L5II is an Android 4.1 phone that sports a 4-inch screen, and features a 5 MP camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and microUSB. It is a good option for people looking for an Android device that doesn’t feel too old for its Android version and is within their not-so-high budget at the same time.

Did Manik miss out any smart, budget phones in this piece? Write to him in the comments section below.

(Pictures courtesy chatinbook.info, www.fonearena.com)

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