newsgaze » Technology

Airtel, National Geographic Channel begin hunt for ‘Young Explorer’

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:56:08 +0000

National Geographic Channel, in association with Bharti Airtel, has begun the quest for India’s bright young talents with, ‘Airtel Nat Geo Young Explorer’. This is an initiative to identify India’s bright young talents, who have the curiosity and aptitude to explore the world around. The ‘Airtel Nat Geo Young Explorer’ is someone who is articulate, curious, smart and aware about the world; in short a complete all-rounder. It is an extensive activity initiated by Bharti Airtel and National Geographic Channel, spanning across Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, says Bharti Airtel.

The activity will cover 120 schools in total, across the 3 cities through on ground activation. In addition, there will also be online test available for students, which cannot be covered through on ground channel. The entire initiative is a combination of fun games, puzzles & an exciting yet brain tickling trail hunts, where the participants will need to clear various levels before they proceed forth. Information on the ‘Airtel Nat Geo Young Explorer’ is available on www.natgeotv.co.in/airtel

“Airtel Nat Geo Young Explorer is an initiative in association with Airtel to identify kids who will be the future visionaries of the country. The focus is to encourage more and more students to live curious and explore beyond their immediate World – its people, animals and places. Through this unique initiative, National Geographic Channel aims to stimulate and build better interactions with every child who participates,” said Keertan Adyanthaya, Managing Director, National Geographic Channel India & FOX international Channels.

“It is a privilege to join hands with National Geographic Channel in the quest for India’s young explorer. We believe this is a great platform that will identify, hone young talents by providing them the right exposure to real life situations and help prepare them for various challenges that life throws at them. The campaign to identify the young explorer is well crafted and designed keeping in mind all the necessary parameters that test the knowledge and aptitude of the participating kids. It will be a great learning experience for kids, as well as their schools” said K. Srinivas, President Telemedia Services, Bharti Airtel.

Airtel Nat Geo Young Explorer is primarily targeting approximately 60000 + children aged between 10-14 years. The winner will walk away with branded laptops and other goodies from Airtel and National Geographic Channel.

Fujifilm launches JV100, JV150 high-definition cameras

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:47:43 +0000

Now you can make your memories more beautiful and cherish unforgettable moments with the newly launched high-definition Fujifilm JV series digital cameras.

Photo: Fujifilm JV100 camera

Fujifilm India, the wholly owned subsidiary of Fujifilm Corporation, Japan launches the JV series cameras- JV100 and JV150 in the Indian market. The JV100 and JV150 come with 12 mega pixels and 14 mega pixels respectively with powerful Fujinon 3x optical zoom lenses. These cameras are equipped with the most advanced HD features and its range starts from Rs 7,799.

Fujinon Lens, the high precision optic lens from Fujifilm has received positive praises, used in various industries – satellite in outer space, TV/film, security and compact cameras.

Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, Managing Director, FUJIFILM India said, “High-definition JV series cameras are dedicated to photography enthusiasts. We hope that this series will prove to be really a boon for them and help them enjoy the beautiful moments forever. HD feature is our domain and with JV series we have tried to provide the top quality to our customers.”

The technology provides great 3x optical zoom. The JV series is equipped with maximum sensitivity of ISO3200; photos appear natural and more true to life even with limited available light. High sensitivity also stops the action of high-speed moving subjects and Digital Image Stabilizer reduces blurs caused from camera shake using high sensitivity and fast shutter speed. The JV series captures moments in motion with crisp and clear results these cameras generate great results.

According to Mr. A. Rajkumar, Country General Manager (DSC), FUJIFILM India, “The JV series will create a great fan following due to its amazing features and fine picture quality.

The JV series cameras are also quipped with the 6 scene SR AUTO (Scene Recognition Auto) and Face Detection, scenes and faces can be captured and optimized even more with the detection functions. The advanced Face Detection technology can simultaneously recognises up to 10 faces in a photo. Share your group portraits using the Zoom Up function in playbacks, checking each detected face. Each priceless expression can be cropped and saved in clear high resolution results.

Barking up the BlackBerry Tree

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:21:16 +0000

Prasanto K. Roy

You’re a Delhi-based wannabe terrorist needing to communicate with your handlers. What do you do?

Invisible-ink notes are passe, as are carrier pigeons. You will, of course, use electronic options.

Blackberry phone

Like email. Walk into a cybercafe, log into a Gmail or Yahoo account. Don’t use an account in your own name. And don’t send email. Simply read instructions left for you in an unsent mail, saved as a draft in your account. And then, to reply, just edit the unsent email, and save it back as a draft. If email isn’t traveling, it can’t be intercepted.

Or, like SMS. Get a prepaid SIM card with fake ID, use it for a month, then dump it. Or make good old phone calls using the SIM card, and dump it.

There are other options. And they have a common thread: anonymity. You do not use your own identity, and you use a mode that is virtually untraceable.

Which is why a terrorist’s choice is not to use a BlackBerry that is linked to his identity. Nor is a postpaid BlackBerry connection as disposable as a prepaid SIM card. Sure, you can get postpaid mobile connections too on fake IDs, but because there is billing involved, valid addresses are required.

That’s not the only reason the terrorist would be wary of using a BlackBerry. First, he’s not really sure how secure the mail is, once an agency is onto him. The mail is routed through servers in North America, and the US National Security Agency reportedly has the technology to crack encrypted mail in a few hours—with or without help from RIM.

More worrying for the terrorist, not all of the mail is encrypted. The headers, including the “to” and “from” email addresses, are plain text—else the Internet would not be able to accept the email for delivery.

And finally, the mail doesn’t stay encrypted all the way. When it gets delivered to an external email system such as Gmail or corporate mail, it gets decrypted—else the recipient wouldn’t be able to read it.

The exception is when you’re not using a Gmail or a company mail ID, but are sending pure BlackBerry mail. That’s not merely one sent between two RIM devices, but where both From and To are BlackBerry IDs. That’s rare, but here’s how it works.

Your RIM device would usually be associated with your official address, say ram.rao@maruti.com. But you’d also have a BlackBerry email address, like ramrao@airtel.blackberry.com, which you’d use to originate a BlackBerry-only mail. Even then, RIM would record who the mail was sent by, to, and when.

So there are records with BlackBerry email, and they’re like mobile-phone call records (which store who called whom, when, and for how long, for billing). RIM records who sent mail, when, and to whom. The content, however, is strongly encrypted.

But our terrorist isn’t using a BlackBerry. He’s using Gmail, and he’s not even sending the mail: he’s just using draft mode to read and reply. So our agencies don’t stand a chance of “intercepting” that mail. Even if they’re on to him, they don’t know what ID he’s using. And then they don’t have the Gmail login ID. If they get that, then getting Google or Yahoo to give them access will take months, with all the protocol, Interpol, and the rest….by which time that account would have been closed, and the deed done.

Which is why India is wasting its time chasing BlackBerry. It should first figure out what to do with the mailsystems terrorist do use, with foreign mailservers. Should it demand that all such servers be based in India? Google and Yahoo won’t agree. So that would cut us off from the best of Internet mail systems. In fact, why not go further down that path, like China…and cut off the Internet? Route everything through a tightly-controlled gateway and firewall, and ensure that all servers are within China. And jail or shoot all dissidents, for good measure.

There are bigger dangers down the road that Saudi Arabi and India are treading. One, government officials are major users of BlackBerry mail. Do they really want to push RIM into a corner where it starts offering decryption to any government which asks? What then stops it from offering to decrypt Indian emails for China or Pakistan, if enough pressure is brought to bear on it?

To no one’s surprise, countries most proficient at cracking down on dissents and censoring local media have been the most active in squeezing RIM. Like China, Saudi Arabia polices the internet, blocking access to sites with political and adult content.

India, unfortunately, seems to be trying to join this not-so-elite club.

The author is a chief editor of CyberMedia’s ICT group.

BlackBerry launches Torch 9800 smartphone

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:57:17 +0000

Research In Motion (RIM) introduced the new BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone on the AT&T network. The new handset is the world’s first smartphone to combine a BlackBerry keyboard with a full touch screen experience.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be available for $199.99 with 2-year service agreement on a qualifying rate plan and smartphone data plan required. New smartphone customers may choose from two AT&T monthly data plan options, $15 for 200 MB of wireless data or $25 for 2 GB. Enterprise and small business customers should contact their account representative for pricing details.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone will be available only for AT&T customers on August 12 in AT&T company owned retail stores and online at www.att.com/blackberrytorch, as well as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack stores.

“We were the first to launch the BlackBerry solution in 1999 and have a rich history of innovation and collaboration with Research In Motion,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “The two companies that brought the first BlackBerry smartphones to market have teamed up again with the new BlackBerry Torch, creating a true generational shift in hardware and operating system for this enormously popular service.”

“This is one of the most significant launches in RIM’s history and we are proud to introduce the new BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 together with AT&T,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-ceo, Research In Motion.

BlackBerry 6 features a redesigned interface that seamlessly works with the touch screen and trackpad, includes expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and provides integrated access to the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and various instant messaging applications available on the BlackBerry Torch smartphone. Its enhanced multimedia experience rivals the best in the industry and includes a dedicated
YouTube app and Podcasts app.

BlackBerry 6 also integrates a new and rich WebKit-based browser on BlackBerry Torch that renders HTML web pages (as well as HTML email) quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. It features tabs for accessing multiple sites simultaneously, pinch to zoom for easy navigation and an auto-wrap text zoom feature that can intelligently wrap text in a column while maintaining the placement of a page’s key elements (simply double-tap on the BlackBerry Torch).

BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone

BlackBerry Torch 9800 Smartphone Features

Elegant styling, measuring approx. 4.4″ (5.8″ open) x 2.4″ x .57″ and weighing 5.68 ounces
3.2″ 360×480 capacitive touch screen display
35 key full QWERTY backlit slide-out keyboard, designed to feel optimally balanced when opened for typing
Optical trackpad that makes navigation fast and smooth
Powerful 624 Mhz processor with 512 MB Flash memory
4 GB built-in memory storage plus a microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB cards; a 4 GB card is included giving users 8 GB of storage out-of-the-box
5 MP camera with flash, continuous auto focus, image stabilisation, scene modes, geo-tagging and zoom, as well as video recording at up to 640×480 resolution
Built-in GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging
Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n); qualifying smartphone customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional cost
3.5mm stereo headset jack
Premium phone features, including voice activated dialing, speakerphone and Bluetooth (2.1) with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including systems that support the Bluetooth Message Access Profile standard) and other Bluetooth accessories
New BlackBerry Desktop Software 6 with integrated media sync for easily syncing music, photos and videos. It also includes Wi-Fi Music Sync, a unique feature that allows users to view their entire iTunes or Windows Media Player music libraries from their BlackBerry smartphone.
Tri-band HSDPA (3G) and quad-band EDGE support for the option of voice service in more than 220 countries, data service in more than 195 countries and 3G connectivity in more than 125 countries, including Japan and South Korea
Removable, rechargeable 1300 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.8 hours of talk time on 3G networks or 30 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback

Apple updates iMac line with Intel processors, graphics

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:03:23 +0000

Photo: Apple new iMacs and Magic Trackpad

Apple updated its all-in-one ‘iMac’ line, widely praised as the world’s best desktop computers, with the latest Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors and powerful new graphics. Starting at Rs 74,900 (Inc VAT), the new iMac line is the fastest ever with dual-core processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz, quad-core speeds up to 2.93 GHz and discrete graphics including the powerful ATI Radeon HD 5750, stated a release.

The new ‘Magic Trackpad’, with a smooth glass and aluminum design, gives iMac users the same intuitive Multi-Touch gestures that Mac notebook customers have come to love and is available separately for Rs 3,070 (Inc VAT).

“We took the world’s best all-in-one and made it even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide product marketing. “With the latest processors, high-performance graphics and signature aluminum and glass design, customers are going to love the latest iMac.”

Dual-core Intel Core i3 and Core i5, and quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors set a new benchmark for iMac performance. The processors feature an integrated memory controller to access the system memory directly, allowing the new iMac to take full advantage of its faster 1333 MHz memory. New discrete ATI Radeon HD processors deliver incredibly smooth, crisp graphics for the most demanding 3D games, creative software and technical applications. iMac displays feature IPS technology to deliver a brilliant image across a wide 178 degree viewing angle. The SD card slot on the iMac now supports the SDXC format to handle the latest high-capacity storage cards. Customers of the 27-inch iMac have the option to order a 256GB solid state drive (SSD) as a primary or secondary drive.

The iMac SSD supports up to 215 MB/s data transfer rates for faster startup and application launch times.

Every iMac comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse and customers can also order the new Magic Trackpad as an option. The Magic Trackpad brings the intuitive Multi-Touch gestures of Mac notebook trackpads to the desktop. With its glass surface, the wireless Magic Trackpad enables users to scroll smoothly up and down a page with inertial scrolling, pinch to zoom in and out, rotate an image with their fingertips and swipe three fingers to flip through a collection of web pages or photos. The Magic Trackpad can be configured to support single button or two button commands and supports tap-to-click as well as a physical click.

The Apple battery charger is available for Rs 1,140 (Inc VAT) and comes with six long shelf life rechargeable batteries. Every Mac also comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music.

The new iMac line is shipping now and available through Apple authorized resellers. The retail price of new 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac is Rs 74,900 (Inc VAT). It has features including 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB shared L3 cache, 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB, ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM, 500GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm, slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW), Mini DisplayPort for audio and video output (adapters sold separately), AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and iSight video camera.

Accordingly, the new 21.5-inch 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac’s suggested retail price is Rs 92,900 (Inc VAT). It includes 3.20 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB shared L3 cache, 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB, ATI Radeon HD 5670 discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3, 1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm, slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW), Mini DisplayPort for audio and video output (adapters sold separately) and wireless Apple keyboard and magic mouse.

The new 27-inch 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac is available at a retail price of Rs 1,05,900 (Inc VAT). It is equipped with 27-inch 2560 x 1440 LED-backlit display, 3.20 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB shared L3 cache, 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB, ATI Radeon HD 5670 discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3, 1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm, slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW), Mini DisplayPort for audio and video input and output (adapters sold separately), AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and wireless Apple keyboard and magic mouse.

The new 27-inch 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 iMac is available for a suggested retail price of Rs 1,23,900 (Inc VAT).

Vodafone launches VF 247 solar powered phone in India

Editorial Team — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:38:23 +0000

Vodafone Essar launches its latest generation eco-friendly solar charging handset in India to better serve the nation’s energy-starved rural masses.

Vodafone VF 247 solar powered phone

The new handset uses a solar powered solution to benefit users in areas with adequate sunlight. UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon George Osborne MP and Marten Pieters, MD and CEO, Vodafone Essar Ltd., launched the VF 247 Solar Powered phone at the Vodafone store in Fort, Mumbai.

The launch of VF 247 solar powered phone is in keeping with Vodafone’s aim to increase mobile technology accessibility for millions in India. With an extended solar powered battery, the solar powered phone addresses the problem of unstable electricity supply in many rural areas. VF 247 solar powered phone charges by itself, by exposure to ambient light. Sun Boost, the special inbuilt hardware and software ensures that the phone charges also in a room, under normal daylight.

Speaking on the launch, UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon George Osborne MP said, “I’m very pleased to help launch Vodafone’s new solar powered handset. It’s the new UK-India economic partnership in action. The handset will get more people connected, paying less and doing their bit for the environment.”

“Reflecting a strong commitment to the Indian market, Vodafone continues to launch affordable products and services to cater to the differentiated needs of consumers.” said Marten Pieters, MD and CEO, Vodafone Essar Ltd. “Vodafone’s solar powered phone is launched for people residing in areas where electric supply is unstable, so that consumers can rely on solar charging to remain connected. This launch is likely to enable more people in rural India to go mobile and thus increase penetration from the current 20%. We will continue to invest to uplift the quality of telecom services and products in India.”

Vodafone’s rural network coverage of 65% is the second highest in India. It also has the second largest rural subscriber base in the country. The VF 247 solar powered phone comes with essential mobile phone features such as FM radio, color screen and a powerful torch light and will be commercially available shortly. The VF 247 Solar Powered phone, priced at Rs 1,500 ($32), would be available in stores next month.

Altec Lansing launches latest Octane 7 speakers, priced Rs 3990

Editorial Team — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:45:11 +0000

Altec Lansing VS4621

Altec Lansing has introduced the latest member of its speaker line for computers – the Octane 7 (VS4621) 2.1 speaker system in India for a price of Rs 3990. The Octane 7 is well suited for computer and laptop sound in addition to being able to connect to CD, DVD, iPod and MP3 players. The new system is tuned for music, movies and gaming sound with a powerful subwoofer, down-firing 3” mid-range and dual 1” micro-drivers.

The Octane 7 features unique down-firing mid-range drivers which blast the sound waves down onto a hard surface, where they are reflected and evenly distributed throughout the room for well balanced sound.

Rohit Agarwal, business manager, Altec Lansing –SAARC & Mauritius, said, “The name – Octane 7 comes from its design which has 7 drivers in all and this powerful speaker fits in the budget of customer looking for high output, good looks and affordability, it is an all in one solution.”

Octane 7 wears a sharp and compact design. Its subwoofer pushing serious bass and the midrange drivers flood the room with warm sound.

The Octane 7’s powerful thunderous bass is provided by its 6 1/2 “Altec Lansing custom designed subwoofer. Octane 7 comes with built-in controls for volume, bass and treble.

The Octane 7 is available through all Rashi Peripherals branches all across the country at an MRP Rs 3990 with a 1-year warranty.

FinePix S2500HD digital cameras launched in India

Editorial Team — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:26:44 +0000

Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD

Fujifilm has launched the new FinePix S2500HD, a compact and lightweight 12 mega pixel digital camera with powerful Fujinon long-zoom lens. FinePix S2500HD is priced at Rs 16,999 for the Indian market, stated a company release.

The new Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD comes with a combination of mechanically stabilized CCD sensor and high ISO sensitivity (ISO 6400) for anti-blur protection technologies which reduces blurring effect of both hand-shake and subject movement to provide sharp, clean and clear results even at the longest zoom settings or in the most challenging of lighting conditions. Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD enables framing shots using the high quality electronic viewfinder or the large, bright 3.0-inch LCD screen.

FinePix S2500HD is able to capture HD videos and HD stills enabling and the videos can be played back on any HD ready television for the ultimate viewing experience. Additionally, the FinePix S2500HD features an HDMI mini port which can be connected to an HD ready TV direct via a HDMI cable.

According to Kenichi Tanaka, Managing Director, Fujifilm India, “Built around 18x Fujinon lens and Fujifilm’s proprietary image processing, the new FinePix S2500HD delivers remarkably high quality results all the way from wide angle through to telephoto. With unique easy-grip styling, and its small, lightweight design, this model is sturdy enough and can be easily carried around.”

FinePix S2500HD now features Tracking Auto Focus. This useful function allows to track moving subjects by half-pressing the shutter button and the object can be captured in the centre of the frame and in perfect focus. To further enhance the existing face detection system, Fujifilm has added two fun and valuable features: Smile & Shoot Mode can recognize the precise moment a subject smiles and releases the shutter only when this happens.

Panorama mode enables to take a series of pictures and then stitch them together to create an impressive continuous shot of a landscape or a group of friends. This new model features pre-programmed scene modes that offer a one-touch setting for almost any situation, including: Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Party, Flower, and Text. The new S2500HD quickly shoots two images in rapid succession – one with the flash and one without – and saves both.

Apple launches iPhone 4 thinnest smartphone in the world

Editorial Team — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 02:40:26 +0000

iPhone 4 comes with FaceTime Video Calling, Retina Display, 5 Megapixel Camera & HD Video Recording

Photo: Apple iPhone 4

Apple Inc launches new iPhone 4 thinnest smartphone in the world, featuring FaceTime Video Calling, highest resolution Retina Display ever built into a phone, 5 Megapixel Camera & HD Video Recording. iPhone 4 comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail and online stores.

In addition, iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 processor, a 3-axis gyro and up to 40 percent longer talk time. iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 100 new features and 1500 new APIs for developers. iOS 4 features Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform. iPhone 4 will be available in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan on June 24, starting in the US at just $199 for qualified buyers with a two year contract.

“iPhone 4 is the biggest leap since the original iPhone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “FaceTime video calling sets a new standard for mobile communication, and our new Retina display is the highest resolution display ever in a phone, with text looking like it does on a fine printed page. We have been dreaming about both of these breakthroughs for decades.”

FaceTime is as mobile as your phone, so you can see your loved ones and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Using FaceTime is as easy as making a regular voice call, with no set-up required, and you can instantly switch to the rear camera to show others what you are seeing with just a tap.

Apple’s stunning 3.5 inch Retina display has 960 x 640 pixels—four times as many pixels as the iPhone 3GS and 78 percent of the pixels on an iPad. The resulting 326 pixels per inch is so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when the phone is held at a normal distance, making text, images and video look sharper, smoother and more realistic than ever before on an electronic display.

iPhone 4 is the thinnest smartphone ever—9.3 millimeters—with an all-new design and build quality like no other mobile device. The front and back are made of aluminosilcate glass, chemically strengthened to be 30 times harder than plastic, more scratch resistant and more durable than ever. The front and back glass have an oil-resistant coating that helps keep it clean, and encircling iPhone 4 is a highly finished stainless steel band made of a custom alloy that is forged to be five times stronger than standard steel.

iPhone 4 features a new 5 megapixel autofocus camera with a 5x digital zoom, a backside illuminated sensor and built-in LED flash that allows you to take amazing pictures even in low light and dark environments. iPhone 4 lets you record and edit incredible HD video and the popular tap to focus feature now works while recording video. You can use the iPhone 4‘s LED flash for both still photography and video recording. The new iMovie® app for iPhone lets you combine movie clips, add dynamic transitions and themes and include photos and music, and users can buy it for just $4.99 through the App Store right on their phone.

iPhone 4 is the best mobile device ever for games and entertainment, with access to tens of thousands of games and entertainment apps on the revolutionary App Store. Every iPhone 4 has a built-in 3-axis gyro that when combined with the accelerometer provides 6-axis motion sensing such as up and down, side to side, forward and backward and pitch and roll, making it perfect for gaming. Developers can access the gyro using the new CoreMotion API to make games and other apps that go well beyond what other mobile devices offer.

iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. With over 100 new features, it includes Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform. With Multitasking, users can now instantly switch between any of their apps while preserving battery life. With Folders, users can easily organize their apps into collections by simply dragging one app on top of another. A folder is automatically created and named based on the category of apps selected. Users can change the name of any folder at any time. In addition, users can now customize their lock and home screens with an array of supplied wallpapers or with any of the photos on their phone.

The new iBooks® app will be available for iPhone 4 as a free download from the App Store and includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBooks app will sync your current place in a book, along with any bookmarks, highlights and notes you have created, between copies of the same book on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch®. iBooks users can also now read and store PDFs right in iBooks. There are now over 60,000 books available in the iBookstore, and users have downloaded over five million books in the first two months.

More than five billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 225,000 apps are available to consumers in 90 countries. Almost 100 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Vodafone Essar plan to launch iPhone 4 in India in the coming months, the company said in a release.

Fujifilm launches 30x optical zoom camera in Indian market

Editorial Team — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:48:58 +0000

Photo: Fujifilm FinePix HS10 30x optical zoom camera

Serious photographers wanting the versatility and performance of an SLR system without the bulk or expense can now go in for the all new Fujifilm FinePix HS10. It has a powerful class-leading 24-720mm (30x) zoom lens that covers a uniquely versatile 24-720mm (equivalent on a 35mm camera) range from true wide-angle to ultra telephoto. From sweeping landscapes, interiors and large group shots to distant sports or wildlife action, the FinePix HS10 is ready for every photographic challenge thrown at it. What’s more, sophisticated photographic controls, advanced functionality and SLR-like handling in a single compact, affordable unit make FinePix HS10 an excellent buy.

According to Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, Managing Director, FUJIFILM India, “With a range that would require at least two bulky ‘super zoom’ lenses on an SLR, the FinePix HS10’s built-in 30x wide tele-zoom lens is its crowning glory. Fujinon lenses are acclaimed world over not just by photographers but by television broadcasters and industrial users as well. Not to forget their use in orbital satellite for capturing high resolution photos of the moon surface! As the lens and body on the FinePix HS10 are built as a closed unit, it eliminates the possibility of dust on the lens and Sensor – a serious problem when removing lenses on a digital SLR. The twist-barrel manual zoom control enables the photographer to make precision adjustments, and zooming is faster and more accurate than with the powered zooms traditionally used in this class of camera.”

Mr. A. Rajkumar, Country General Manager, “Triple Image Stabilization combines a mechanically stabilized CMOS sensor with high ISO sensitivities and advanced digital stabilization for total anti-blur protection. Together these technologies reduce the blurring effect of both handshake and subject movement to provide sharp, clean and clear results even at the longest zoom settings or in the most challenging lighting conditions.”
Whether you’re shooting stills or movie clips, the FinePix HS10’s cutting-edge sensor and processing technologies open up a range of high speed capture modes and unique shooting possibilities. When you’re shooting sports action or wildlife – or simply trying to keep up with fast-moving children – the 10 frames-per-second high speed with mechanical shutter continuous shooting*1 and new tracking auto focus feature will ensure you never miss that vital moment. And since the FinePix HS10 can perform its remarkable feat of shooting 10 fps even at the maximum 10 mega pixel setting, when you do get the perfect shot you don’t need to worry about having enough resolution for even a large-sized print. The FinePix HS10’s unique Best Frame Capture Mode means you don’t need the reactions of a pro sports photographer to get professional results either; in this mode the camera continuously records images from the moment you focus, then saves up to 7 shots before or after you press the shutter release.

The FinePix HS10 also features a full HD movie mode (1080p/30fps) with stereo sound, and the camera’s mini HDMI output allows you to easily display ultra clear high definition photographs and movies on high definition televisions. A new Super High Speed Movie function allows you to freeze action and capture breathtaking movies at up to 1000 frames per second for amazing slow-motion movies that reveal the hidden world of events that normally occur in the blink of an eye.

The Motion Remover Mode removes moving subjects from your shots. This mode captures 5 images of a scene in quick succession; the five images are then analyzed and combined in-camera to produce a single image*2 where anything moving in the scene has magically disappeared. The Multi-Motion Capture Mode, previously possible with highly specialized equipment only (and more than a dash of time, skill and luck), captures up to 5 images of a moving subject in rapid succession and combines them into a single composite image*2 containing multiple sharply-captured views of the subject motion. The ‘Pro Low Light’ mode combines high and low ISO exposures of the scene being photographed to reduce blur caused by camera shake without significantly increasing image noise. ‘Pro Low Light’ mode combines several exposures into a single image for ultra-low noise output in low light. The Motion Panorama Mode captures an ultra-wide panoramic view in a single sweeping shot. As you swing the camera (left/right or up/down) the FinePix HS10 captures a series of shots in rapid succession. The shots are then stitched in-camera to produce a seamless panorama.

The FinePix HS10’s back side illumination CMOS sensor continues this ‘low-light, low-noise’ tradition with an innovative new design that significantly increases the light gathering ability of every pixel, resulting in a 200% increase in sensitivity over a conventional CMOS sensor. Combined with Fujifilm’s image processing expertise the new sensor produces stunning richly detailed low noise images, even when shooting in very low light. The improved sensitivity isn’t just for taking noise-free photographs at night: it also allows the use of high shutter speeds in daylight required when shooting at telephoto end of the FinePix HS10’s 30x zoom, or when attempting to capture fast-moving subjects. Photographers no longer need to worry about blurred pictures with such a long telephoto as they can rely on the FinePix HS10 to produce clear, sharp output even at higher ISO settings.

As well as a range of advanced automatic functions – including Fujifilm’s acclaimed SR Auto mode – and scene modes designed to produce perfect ‘point and shoot’ results, the FinePix HS10 sports a full complement of sophisticated of manual and semi-automatic shooting modes and photographic controls. The extensive external controls give the more advanced photographer direct access to virtually every control they will need for uninterrupted shooting, and the body includes dedicated buttons for key functions such as ISO, white balance, focus and metering.

The large command dial, manual focus ring, twist and zoom lens barrel, bright, clear electronic viewfinder, high quality tilting LCD screen and deep hand grip ensure the FinePix HS10 handles at least as well as a digital SLR, despite its compact dimensions. AA batteries provide excellent performance up to 700 shots per charge when using NiMh cells combined with the convenience of a universally available format when shooting for extended periods away from mains power. In common with all enthusiast-level FinePix models the FinePix HS10 features a range of advanced Fujifilm technologies for picture-perfect results, including ultra-fast Face Detection, Intelligent Flash, automatic red-eye removal and up to 400% expanded dynamic range.

Last but not least, the HS10 sports, for the first time, a clever sensor to the side of the EVF (Electronic Viewfinder). When the user approaches the EVF, the sensor switches the picture to the EVF, and when the eye is withdrawn, the image is automatically switched to the LCD. This novel feature makes the photographer’s life so much easier and increases the speed at which instant shots can be taken.