Top 5 Best Portable Speakers

You’ve almost got everything ready for your pool party. Guests may start pouring in any second, but you along with your usually reliable electrician are still struggling to plug in speakers on the outside deck.

Between juggling wires and extension cords, heavy music systems are now considered an unnecessary headache. Nowadays, its all about the new-age range of portable speakers  - they’re practical, Bluetooth-enabled, and deliver excellent sound-quality. So, be it a terrace party, beach holiday or a barbecue; you can easily play your favorite playlist from your phone/MP3 with uncompromising sound. Say hello to a whole new world of portable speakers:

1. BOSE SOUND-LINK MINI

Price: INR  17,000 (approx)
Bose known for its unrivaled sound quality consistently manages to stay on top of every list. These speakers hold no exception to that rule. They weigh close to 700gm and hence are an extremely practical buy. Considering its size and sound, these speakers are the unworldly best in its category. A must have for music lovers who love to jet set. The price may lighten your wallet, but then again, its quality and durability will not let you complain.

2. JBL PULSE

Price: INR 12,000 (approx)
JBL Pulse stands out in the category of portable speakers for one single reason: its super fancy Light Show Impressions. The fascinating LED lights wrap the speakers neatly and respond to the beats of the music being played. This attention-grabbing detail somehow manages to avoid looking cheap and promises to liven up your party. Its battery backup is really good and it also comes with a portable charger. The speakers are relatively heavier than the bose, so you might think twice before taking it outside with you.

3. CREATIVE D-200

Price: INR 8000 (approx)
This one is the best option if you’re looking  to invest in a low-budget set. Like the rest, it is light and portable, but the Creative D-200 also has surprisingly very good sound quality.  That’s the upside, on the down low – the battery backup may not last for more than three hours. So, if you’re planning a camping trip, don’t bother being weighed down by these speakers.

4. SONY SRS-BT M8

Price: INR 5500 (approx)
Sony SRS-BT M8 comes with a handle on top, which makes it easy to carry around everywhere. Another feature Sony has included in these speakers is the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. For owners of NFC-enabled smartphones, it’ll help you avoid the hassle of connecting via Bluetooth. You simple need to tap your phone onto the NFC button located on the handle and you’ll be connected in the matter of seconds. The useful handbag shape and its relatively low price makes it a smart buy.

5. SKULLCANDY RINGER 2XL

Price: INR 1100 (approx)
The smallest and cheapest portable speaker available in market right now. Ringer is one of those products that looks good, but may not deliver the best quality. Considering its low price, buy them only for personal use – it’ll help you amplify music in your room. The sound quality is not up to the mark and its Bluetooth connection disconnects itself repeatedly.

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HTC One M8 vs the Galaxy S5 vs the Xperia Z2 vs iPhone 5s

With the HTC One M8 officially announced, the list of flagship devices for many companies is now complete. The HTC One M8 sees only a few changes vs the previous generation and a lot of difference between the two main competition for this year the Galaxy S5 and the Xperia Z2. 

The HTC One M8 misses out on few things that the company could have simply added. 4K video recording is one thing that HTC should not have left out on, the other being a fingerprint sensor. The HTC One Max had it and naturally the M8 should have had it as well.

The HTC One M8 also misses out on being a water resistant device like the Z2 and now the S5. check out the full breakup of differences below

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Sony steals the 2nd place spot from Apple in India

Sony India has overtaken Apple in their sales for smartphones in India becoming the second largest mobile phone shipper in 2014. This aggressive movement has been rewarded to Sony thanks to the company’s focus largely on the Rs 10,000-20,000 smartphone space, backed by Rs 300-crore marketing spend.

The number one spot was retained by Korean smartphone giant Samsung with 43% market value share. Sony took second place with 9.1% value share in the Indian smartphone market in the October-December quarter of 2013 against Apple’s 7% share.  

This decline in Apple’s sales has been thanks to the company’s decision to withdraw sales of their largest selling unit the iPhone 4, and hence the disappearance of Apple from the under Rs. 20,000 price bracket. Apple did relaunch the iPhone 4 specially for the Indian market but failed to gather any response from the market who were hoping for a cut on the price of the iPhone 4s.

Sony Executives claim : 

While this loss of sales prompted Apple to relaunch iPhone 4 once again in India in January, sales have not picked up since it is not at all spending on marketing or offering any buyback offer and even the initial euphoria around iPhone 5S has sobered down,

Kenichiro Hibi, managing director at Sony India, said the company’s smartphone business has attained similar revenues as its flagship television business in the fiscal ended March 31. 

The smartphone business doubled in last one year which led to 20% growth in overall sales in 2013-14. We expect to grow at a similar pace this fiscal as well to touch Rs 12,000 crore sales

Kenichiro Hibi,

Managing Director at Sony India

While this may be considered a big loss for Apple, the company has seen decline of sale during the months that lead up to the launch of their next flagship.

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Sony Unveils Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras Alpha 7 and 7R

The much awaited cameras from Sony are now official, Sony’s new a7 and a7R digital cameras are full-frame interchangeable lens models.The company claims that these two cameras are the smallest full frame mirrorless cameras in the world and offer an unmatched combination of creativity, customizability and portability.

a7R Camera:

The camera has a 36.4 effective megapixel full frame sensor and no optical low pass filter, ensuring that the extraordinary resolving power is fully realized and resulting in an unprecedented level of detail and clarity in images. The camera features a new AF technology that delivers blazingly quick, accurate autofocus. Additionally, there are a total of three selectable sizes for the Flexible Spot AF frame, minimizing the risk of accidentally focusing on the wrong target.

a7 Camera:

The a7 camera features an advanced 24.3 effective megapixel full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor paired with the powerful new BIONZ X processor. This new camera has a Fast Hybrid AF system that combines phase- and contrast-detect AF methods to ensure speedy, accurate autofocus. It can also shoot at up to 5 fps continuously with non-stop AF tracking, allowing it to keep pace with fast- moving athletes, wildlife.

With these new a7 camera systems, Sony has completely redefined the look and feel of a professional-grade digital camera,” said Mike Kahn, director of the interchangeable lens camera business at Sony Electronics. “The a7 and a7R cameras are significantly smaller, lighter and more portable than any other full-frame interchange lens camera yet deliver image quality, power and performance that professionals and enthusiasts crave.”Both cameras feature full customization and control to meet the needs of the most demanding photographers. There are 9 different customizable buttons and 46 assignable functions that can be adjusted based on shooting preferences, including fully customizable front and back dials, a rear control wheel and an exposure compensation dial. Users can preview all changes to photographic settings in real-time on the high-contrast, 2.4 million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder or the high-resolution tiltable 3″ LCD screen.

The a7R model features a 36.4 megapixel 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor – the highest resolution sensor in the history of Sony’s ‘a’ line – with no optical low pass filter for added resolving power and increased image detail. The a7 model boasts a 24.3 effective megapixel 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor and a Hybrid AF system.

Both cameras are equipped with advanced imaging features including a new BIONZ X processor; fast AF capabilities; a clear, bright XGA OLED Tru-finder, full HD 60p video recording, Wi-Fi and NFC connection, dust-and moisture- resistance and more.

The company claims that clear Image Zoom has been enhanced for video recording as well, allowing for close-up shots without sacrificing the pixel count. Other pro-style movie features include an audio recording level control and display plus a “live” HDMI® output for passing through video to an external monitor or recording device.

The new cameras both have on-board Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities for instant image sharing and transfer to compatible smartphones and tablets. The a7R and a7 models can access Sony’s platform of PlayMemoriesTM Camera Apps, allowing users to add new effects, filters, utilities and more. This platform includes new ‘Multiple Exposure’ app, which automatically combines sequential exposures into one creative shot, and ‘Smart Remote Control’4, which allows for direct control of exposure and shutter speed from a connected smartphone and is particularly useful for self-portraits or group shots.

The Sony a7R and a7 full-frame interchangeable lens cameras will be available for purchase this December. The a7R camera will be offered as a body-only for about $2300. The Sony a7 compact system camera will be offered with a 28-70mm F3.5 – F5.6 full- frame lens (model SEL2870) for about $2000. It will also be offered as a body-only for about $1700.

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Sony Officially Launches Xperia C in India at a Price of 21490 INR

Sony has launched its latest phablet, the Xperia C with Dual SIM, in the Indian market at a price of Rs. 21,490. The device was listed at some online retailers for Rs. 20,490 earlier this month. 

The Xperia C features a 5 inch qHD display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, the device is packed with a 1 GB of RAM and a 4 GB of internal storage which is expandable to 32 GB. The new Sony Xperia C is powered by a 1.2 Ghz quad-core processor and a MediaTek MTK6589 chipset. The Xperia C is equipped with a 8 MP rear camera with Exmor R sensor. The camera has features like face detection and Sweep Panorama, and is capable of shooting videos in full-HD. The secondry camera however,  is a VGA camera. The device runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is a dual-SIM smartphone (GSM+GSM) with dual standby.

The device is packed with a 2330 mAh battery, while the company has informed that the Xperia C comes with accidental damage cover for 6 months from the date of purchase. Further, Sony has tied-up with Airtel to offer 1 GB free data access, for the first two months following the purchase of the smartphone.
Xperia C is now officially available in the market with colors option of White, Black and Purple.

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Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 Camera Launches With 24-200mm f/2.8 Lens

Sony on Tuesday announced a few big new cameras and a handful of e-mount lenses. 

Among the more wallet-friendly territory is the RX10, a slick new camera that comes equipped with a 1.0-type, 20.2 effective megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 24-200mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T zoom lens, and a BIONZ X processing engine along with an advanced AT system. The sensor is actually the same Sony used in the RX100 II, though the camera overall is much different from that pro-sumer point-and-shoot.

“The innovative new RX10 high-zoom camera is a natural extension to our popular RX family of products, carrying on its legacy of balancing compact size and high- performance imaging in the ultimate package,” said Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot camera business at Sony Electronics. “It’s an unparalleled all-around performer that will leave enthusiasts, hobbyists and even professionals reaching for their DSLRs less and less.”

The RX10 also has a viewfinder onboard, lock-on AF system, the ability to shoot at 10 fps, and bright 3.0-type White Magic LCD. Other features include Full HD video shooting, flexible controls and settings for DSLR-like flexibility, and six customizable buttons.

Watch the video below to see the new Sony RX10 in action.

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DualShock 4 Controller Is Windows Compatible, Will Provide Basic Functionality

PC gamers will be able to use the DualShock 4 controller for Windows-based games. The revelation comes courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida via Twitter.

When the original poster followed up by asking whether the compatibility would be built in by default, Yoshida responded: “For basic functions, yes.”

It’s presently unknown whether the gamepad will be recognized specifically as a DualShock 4 or will feature XInput API, which allows third party devices to register as Xbox 360 controllers. When pressed for clarity, Yoshida said to wait for until after the console’s November launch for a field report on the matter. 

Love the Xbox 360 gamepad or hate it, it works wonderfully with compatible PC games — simply plug in and play. Being able to use the DualShock 4 with the PC will certainly have its advantages depending on the type of game you are playing. 

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Sony HMZ-T3W Wearable Display Now Available For Pre-Order, Priced At $1,000

Sony Electronics today introduced its next generation Personal 3D Viewer, the HMZ-T3W is a wearable high definition visual display featuring twin OLED screens.

The device is available for pre-order in the U.S. for $999.99, the Sony HMZ-T3W will allow the consumers to enjoy the display with wireless freedom. This wireless version on Sony’s website can stream content up to 7 meters away from the source, the device also plugs into smartphones and tablets via MHL or micro-HDMI.

The company says the 7.1 channel virtual sound adds an extra dimension of realism to movies and games on the HMZ-T3W. The consumers will have an option of using the supplied/stock 16 mm driver in-ear phones or pair the HMZ-T3W with their own favorite headphones. Sony claims, whichever option chosen, the Virtual Surround Technology creates an 360 degree soundstage with dialogue, music and effects.

The units will start shipping next month, no information of price and availability for the Indian market is available yet. 

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Sony Launches Shake 6D For Home Audio, Priced At 59990 INR

Sony India adds Shake 6D to its collection of home audio systems. The Shake 6D offers wireless music playback, a 2400W (SBR 2000W) and 35 cm woofer unit.

The device has around 20 LED effects on the speaker, and the device also features wireless music playback via Bluetooth and one-touch listening via NFC.

The key features of Sony Shake 6D include:

• 35cm Subwoofer, 20cm Woofer, 2.5cm Tweeter

• MRC (Mica Reinforced Cellular) woofer cone

• BASS BAZUCA/DJ EFFECT/Karaoke Mode/Child Lock

• Bluetooth, 2USB, 1DVD, FM/AM, 1 Composite video output, 2 Audio inputs (RCA), 2 Mic input

 

The newly launched Shake 6D will be available across all Sony Center and major electronic stores across India from 20th September and the device is priced at 59990 INR.

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Sony Z1 F Launched With 4.3 Inch HD display

Japanese carrier NTT Docomo has announced the Sony Z1F, It has a 4.3 inch(720p) Triluminos Display with X-Reality engine and a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, the device is powered by 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The Sony Z1 F has the same 20.7 MP rear camera along with Sony’s G lens and a 27 mm wide angle f/2.0 aperture custom 1/2.3 Sony Exmor RS image sensor, BIONZ image processing engine. The device does full HD recording at 1080p and has a 2 MP front camera. 

The Z1 F can be considered as the mini version of the Sony’s flagship Z1, but if you consider other same smartphones like the HTC One mini and the Samsung galaxy S4 mini, all these phones have been compromised when it comes to hardware. But, in this case this device has the same of the features that his brig brother introduced to the market, like the phone itself being waterproof, same camera, same processor and alot more. The device weighs 140 grams.  

Sony Xperia Z1 f  specifications:

• 4.3 inch TRILUMINOS HD (720×1280) display 
• 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800
• 2 GB of RAM
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 20.7 MP Exmor RS sensor with BIONZ image processor engine 
• 2 MP megapixel front facing camera
• 16 GB inbuilt storage
• 2300 mAh battery

The Sony Xperia Z1 is available in Lime, Black, White and Pink. colors. It would be available from NTT Docomo from late December 2013. No word on pricing and availability in India yet.

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Aigyaan Gift Guide Guide : Headphones and Earphones

The festival season is just around the corner and you want to spend some money on your loved ones. Here we bring you the recommended list of Headphones and Earphones that you can gift to your near and dear ones.

1- Sennheiser MX 170

• In-the-ear Headphones
• Ear Bud Design
• 22 Hz – 20000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• 32 ohm Headphone Impedance
• 109 dB/mW Headphone Sensitivity at 1 kHz
• 3.5 mm Headphones Jack
• 1.2 m Symmetric Cable

2- Skullcandy S2DUDZ-003:

• 3.5 mm Jack
• Stereo Sound and Enhanced Bass
• 1.3 m Cord Length
• Neodymium Magnet

3- JBL Tempo:

• In-the-ear Headphones
• In-ear-canalphone
• 20 Hz – 20000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• Gold Plated Connector

4- Sony MDR-XB30EX Extra-Bass

• In-ear-canalphone Design
• 100 mW of Max Power Input
• Neodymium Magnet
• 4 Hz – 24000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• 16 ohm Headphone Impedance

5-Sennheiser CX 180 

• In-ear-canalphone Design
• 20 Hz – 20000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• 16 ohm Headphone Impedance
• 110 dB/mW Headphone Sensitivity at 1 kHz
• 1.2 m Symmetric Cable

6- JBL Tempo J04W :

• Over-the-ear Headphone
• Over-the-head Design
• 32 ohm Headphone Impedance
• Closed Headphones
• 40 mm Headphone Driver Units
• 20 Hz – 20000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• Circumaural
• 30 mW of Max Power Input

7-Skullcandy S6HSDZ-072 Hesh 2.0 

• Over-the-ear Headphone
• Circumaural
• Closed Headphone
• Over-the-head Design
• 35 ohm Headphone Impedance
• 105 dB/mW Headphone Sensitivity at 1 kHz

8- Sennheiser CX 680 Sports

• In-the-ear Headphone
• In-ear-canalphone Design
• 18 Hz – 20000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• 16 ohm Headphone Impedance
• 120 dB/mW Headphone Sensitivity at 1 kHz
• 3.5 mm Headphones Jack
• In-cord Volume

9- Sennheiser HD 280 PRO Over-the-ear 

• Side coiled cable
• Collapsible rotating ear-pieces

10- Sony MDR-XB900/C E:

• 50 mm Headphone Driver Units
• Neodymium Magnet
• On-the-ear Headphone
• 3000 mW of Max Power Input
• Supra-aural Closed Headphone
• 3 Hz – 28000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• Over-the-head Design

11- Sony MDR-XB920 

 

 12- Sennheiser PXC 310:

 

• Over-the-ear Headphone
• Circumaural
• Closed Headphone
• Over-the-head Design
• Neodymium Magnet
• 15 Hz – 22000 Hz Headphone Frequency Response
• 590 ohm Headphone Impedance
• 107 dB/mW Headphone Sensitivity at 1 kHz

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Hi-Tech Gift Guide Guide : Smart Phones

The festival season is just around the corner and you want to spend some money on your loved ones. Here we bring you the recommended list of Smartphones that you can gift to your near and dear ones. 

1- Samsung Galaxy Star:

This is a basic phone from samsung which powered by a 1200 mAh battery and runs on a 1 GHz A5 chipset, along with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. The galaxy Star also has a 2 MP camera at the back and a 3 inch capacitive touchsrceen in the front along with Bluetooth 4.0. This budget device is available for about 4875 INR. You can check out the full specs .

2-Sony Xperia E:

The sony made Xperia E smartphone has a 3.5 inch screen and is powered by a 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, the phone also has a 3.2 MP camera and comes loaded with android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The device is priced at 7799 INR.

3- Nokia Lumia 520:

This is a budget Windows phone available at a price of around 8650 INR, the device comes up with 4 inch screen size along with a 5 MP camera. The device also comes up with 7 GB of skydrive storage and runs in Windows phone 8 OS.

4- Micromax Canvas 2:

This device is one of the best sellers from micromax, it comes up with a 4.9 inch display along with a 8 MP rear and VGA front facing cameras. The canvas 2 runs on android 4.0 is powered by a 1 Ghz dual-core processor.

5- Samsung Galaxy Core:

This device has a 4.3 inch display and works on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, galaxy core is powered by 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor and features a 5 MP main and VGA secondary Camera, the device is available for 13240 INR.

6- HTC One V

The HTC One V has a 3.7 inch screen and is powered by a 1 Ghz processor, the device has a 5 MP primary camera and is capable of doing HD videos. It is priced at 13990 INR.

 7- XOLO Play:

Xolo play is high on specification if compared to the same priced phones, as this phone comes with 4.7 inch HD screen, and is powered by 1.5 GHz NVIDIA Tegra Quad-Core along with a 12-core NVIDIA GeForce GPU. The Xolo Play also has an 8 MP Primary and 2 MP secondary Camera, the device runs on Android 4.1

8- Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro:

This Dual SIM device from samsung has a 1.2 GHz Cortex-A5, Quad Core processor, the device has a 5 MP primary and VGA Secondary camera. Grand Quattro is priced at 15499 INR.

 9- Nokia Lumia 720:

This Windows phone from Nokia has a 4.29 inch screen and is powered by a 1 GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Processor. Lumia 720 has a 6.7 MP primary and 1.3 MP secondary camera. 

10- Sony Xperia SP:

The Xperia SP runs on Android 4.1 and comes with a 4.6 inch HD display. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor and has a 8 MP primary and VGA secondary Camera. Xperia SP is priced at 22490 INR.

11- Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8:

This device comes with a mega display of 5.8 inches and is powered by 1.4 GHz Dual Core Processor. The Mega 5.8 has a 8 MP primary and 2 MP secondary camera, the device runs on Android 4.2.2. 

12- BlackBerry Q5:

This Blackberry phone runs on BlackBerry OS 10.1 and has a 3.1 inch touch scren along with QWERTY keypad. Q5 has a 5 MP primary and 2 MP secondary Camera, the camera does full HD recording.

13- Samsung Galaxy Note 2:

This device is powered by 1.6 GHz Quad Core Cortex-A9 Processor, Note 2 has built in stylus support- S-pen. The device has a 8 MP primary and 2 MP secondary camera, the device is priced at 30,000 INR. 

This festive season you might also want to pamper yourself with a smartphone, gift yourself with these latest premium phones:

14- Samsung Galaxy S4:

The S4 is the latest edition in the Galaxy S series after the S3, the device is lighter and thinner than the predecessor. The Galaxy S4 comes with a 13 MP main camera, and has a Full HD screen, Dual video recording along with Hand gestures support. The device is priced at 39000 INR.

15- LG G2:

LG G2 is the latest flagship from the company, the device features a new layout of buttons at the back, which make it unique in terms of appearance. The device has a 5.2 inch screen and runs on Android 4.2.2. The G2 has a 13 MP primary camera along with 2.1 MP secondary camera.

16- Sony Xperia Z1:

Xperia Z1 is the latest flagship from sony, the device has an amazing 20.7 MP primary and 2 MP cameras. The 5 inched device is powered by 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad Core Processor. This is also completely Water resistant and dust proof, the only phone in the category with these features

17- Samsung Galaxy Note 3:

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Note 3 features a 5.7 inch full HD Super AMOLED screen. The device has a 13 MP primary camera and does full HD recording, Note 3 is powered by Octa Core Processor by Samsung(1.9 GHz Quad + 1.3 GHz Quad) and 3 GB RAM.

Stay tuned for more guides: Happy Gifting!

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Dual Sim Sony Xperia C to hit India Next Week

SPECIFICATIONS

Company/Brand            Sony

Type                              Dual Sim Smartphone

OS                                 Android 4.2.2

Price                              TBA : Rs. 15000 expected

Chipset                          Mediatek 6589T

Processor                      1.2 Ghz Quadcore

GPU                              SGX544

RAM                             1 GB

Battery                          2330 mAh

Primary Camera            8 MP Exmor R

Secondary Camera       0.3 MP

Video Capabilities         1080 p capture

Weight                           153 grams

Dimensions                   141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88 mm

Main Display                  5 inches TFT 960 x 540 px

In-Built Storage              4 GB / 32 GB Expandable vis MicroSD

sony is working on a new Xperia device for emerging markets called the Xperia C. The device has a decent set of specs including Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) a 1.2 GHz MTK6589 Quad Core Processor. The Xperia C will feature 

android v4.2 (Jelly Bean) out the box with a 

0.3 MP Secondary Camera, an 

8 MP Primary Camera

The Xperia C also has a 5-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen with a resolution of 960 x 540 Pixels and Mobile Bravia engine . The Xperia C weighs only 153 g and will come with a 2330 mAh battery. The device will come with 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage with a microSD expandability upto 32 GB.

Stay tuned for more details on the Xperia C.

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Sony Launches Ultra-Portable and Power Packed GTK-N1BT

Sony has launched the multi-functional 1BOX audio, the GTK-N1BT, company’s new portable speaker in India for a price of 16990 INR. The device has 100W output with NFC and Bluetooth connectivity options for smart devices to stream music without cables.

You can connect a USB stick to the USB port to stream the music in, the device also has FM Radio, Audio In and has Multi-colour LED patterns.

The key features of Sony GTK-N1BT include:

• USB (Play & iPhone/iPod over USB)/FM/Audio IN(stereo mini)/Bluetooth/NFC

• Smartphone charging via USB (It may not charge depending on the device.)

• Multi-Color LED Speaker

• Transportable with Handle

• 16cm subwoofer x1 and 6.5cm full range unit x2

• Control with Android smartphone by SONY original “App Remote” application

• Music EQ(R AND B/ROCK/POP/HIP HOP/FLAT)

• Child lock/Apt-X/AAC(BT & USB)

The Sony GTK-N1BT is now available throughout India.

 

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Sony Released New Walkman Devices With Android 4.1

Sony has today unveiled a new range of Sony Walkman devices. It has launched these in the form of the new Sony Walkman ZX1, F Series, S Series and E Series.

The NW-ZX1 is a premium Android MP3 player while the NW-F880 comes in three colours. Both devices run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, sport 4-inch 480 x 854 Triluminous screens and feature Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.

The NW-F880 continues Sony’s F series and offers 24 bit/192 kHz lossless audio for FLAC or WAV files. It also has sports hardware buttons for easy access to playback controls. There will be three models: the 16GB NW-F885, 32GB NW-F886 and the 64GB NW-F887.

If you are looking for more battery life and a smaller screen then the Sony S Series might be for you offering 32GB of storage, 77 hours of music playback and a 320 × 240 LCD display.

Sony says the NW-ZX1 Walkman will be launched in Japan starting December. The company didn’t mention if it intends to commercialize its new devices in other markets.

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Sony SLT A77

At first when you pick up the A77, the immediate reaction is, that this is a big and heavy camera. The body of the camera itself is about 700gms add the 15-105mm lens and you get a 1.4 KG shooter. The camera is solid and weather sealed, thanks to the robust Magnesium alloy body. The ergonomics are brilliant and we preferred carrying the camera without a strap since the front grip of the body is nice and rubberized making for brilliant handheld use.

On the inside is where it all happens, instead of a traditional flapping mirror, Sony has instead used a translucent mirror. The fixed mirror sits in front of the 24.2 MP Exmor APS CMOS sensor and allows only 2/3 of the light on the sensor. The rest is bounced off to a 2.1 Million dot OLED viewfinder.  The top of the camera has a monochrome LCD, along with controls for ISO, white balance, exposure, and a viewfinder / LCD toggle.There are scroll wheels at the front and rear for your right index finger and thumb, and a very convenient power switch ring on the shutter button.

Controls are aplenty for those who like setups, a button for AE lock, display options. The left of the camera has microphone input, Mini USB and Mini HDMI ports, a PC Sync socket for connecting external lights, a remote control port, and an AC adapter jack.The camera also accepts SD/SDXC or Sony’s MemoryStick duo cards, rather than the usual CF.

Features and Controls

If you are looking for filters on a camera then, you probably need to look in the lower region of the price bracket, a pro shooter like the A77 usually does not carry those. But there is this camera that does HDR, Toy Camera and Miniature, plus a few filters like Vivid and Monochrome. Apart from the multiple face detect, it also has Smile-Shutter and a sweep panorama. You also have selectable 19 AF points and full manual focus guide. The camera body also has an orientation sensor that ensures that the camera is flat with the ground and performs like a bubble meter. We would have rather had a gyro/accelerometer that would have told us that our camera is straight even when looking up or down away from the flat surface.

A full bevy of manual controls along with selectable/dedicated buttons makes the use of the camera simple yet professional. The easy to navigate menu and the robust mode dial are simple enough for a novice user, and advanced enough for the pro-user.

The inbuilt GPS chip, which lets you geotag your photos and then plot them on a map using iPhoto, Picasa, etc is also wonderful, it does drain an awful lot of battery though. The GPS was also about 50-100m off the exact target. But works none the less

Lenses, Viewfinder and Display

The lens we got with the camera was a 15-105mm lens, but there are over 90 lenses available for Sony’s alpha mount and several adapters to allow mounting of Canon and Nikon lenses (Sans Autofocus) and more third party lenses from Sigma, Tamaron and the likes. The lenses are heavy duty and built to last, they do have excellent glass allowing for, dare i say, “crispy” images and wonderful low light performance. The lenses are also relatively cheaper than the lenses of say – Canon or Nikon, because Sony lenses don’t have Image stabilisation. That feature is inbuilt into the camera and works wonderfully well, not only allowing for great handheld video but also, impressive low light performance

The electronic viewfinder is the point of controversy, where some debate that nothing can be better that a optical viewfinder, I personally prefer the OLED viewfinder. My reason is simple, due to the display-esque nature of the viewfinder, a lot more information is available to the user. The ability to preview the image in the viewfinder is even better, so now without pulling out of the camera looking at the LCD and then taking another picture, one can click a picture, preview it within the viewfinder and move on.

But here lies another issue, if you are in single frame shot mode, then each click will show a preview before you click another, hence delaying the ability to click photographs in a scenario where you know your shots are good. You can press the button halfway through the preview, but its still not as fast as it would be on an optical finder. So, consider yourself pre-warned.

The LCD is filled by 921,600 dots, and has the wonderful TruBlack technology, so black infact that it mingles with the accuracy of photos adding contrast on the LCD. It’s viewable in sunlight, but still a little off. The LCD also attracts a lot if dust and grime, fingerprints and face oils so a wonderful screen protector will do wonders. if you cant find one you can always cut a Mobile phone screen protector and make your own DIY project. Although a 3 inch size should be easy to find.

The LCD is flippilty and Floppity! Okay, it has a 3 hinge mechanism (happy?)  and allows viewabilty for the camera with any possible angle, even forward. One issue arises here aswell, since the screen can face forward either from below or above the camera, in a situation where one has say a Microphone on top and and the A77 is placed on a tripod, it is practically impossible to view the LCD. In this situation a Canon Style flip-out to the side LCD wins by leaps and bounds.

Interface

The Simple interface is easy to go through, the best part is that its a single menu system that you navigate with the joystick. In Manual and Semi-Manual modes the Fn button allows for customizations of settings such as ISO levels, Shutter Speed and Aperture Size.

The menu is very easy to understand and customise, but is a little slow, the whole camera interface suffers from old man syndrome. Turn on the camera and the monochromatic LCD takes about 3 seconds, click the menu button and there is a simple pause for about a second or two. 

We also definitely agree with the proximity sensor issue, that we also highlighted in the video. Though the ability to shift to a full time Viewfinder display is there, its not the best solution. Shifting from the LCD to the Viewfinder, a simple proximity sensor turns off the LCD and turns on the Viewfinder, the lag is sometimes so much, that those precious seconds can make or break your shot.

Performance and Image Quality

Step aside people the A77 has arrived! Remove any and all doubts about the translucent mirror and the 1/3 light loss. The camera uses the same 24.3-megapixel APS-C seen in NEX cameras and possibly Nikon cameras aswell. Colors are accurate and clear, and images are sharp and clean. 

White balance problems occur indoors where everything seems a little warmer on the camera, but is easily fixed by selecting indoor on WB settings. The camera is stunningly sharp thanks to the impressive in-body IS that allows for images to be crisp even with shaky hands, even at night.

Low light performance, as mentioned many times, is impeccable. The camera shoots at ISO 24600 with boost, but we don’t recommend that. Images are Noise free till about ISO 800 and then you start to see grain in the images. 1600-3200 is still usable, but beyond that will bring you to the stone ages. By default the A77 will only go up to ISO 1600 in Auto mode, but you can set it to go as high as ISO 12,800 through the menu.

Although there is no real need for a 24.3 MP sensor, the large image size, and the crisp images allow for a 100% crop without any loss of detail. Images when shooting in RAW+ JPEG will take up almost 40-60 MB of space an will slow you down if you don’t have a high capacity and high speed card.

The A77 can shoot 12 full-resolution frames per second, and captures about 20 frames in two seconds before slowing down to allow a Class 10 standard card to buffer, get a faster card and possibly have limitless shooting. The best feature of the camera is now demonstrated, even at high fps, image sharpness and focus is in place. Out of the many continous images you will capture, rarely you will find flaws with it. Making it a semi-studio owners pride and joy.

Video Features.

SLR video is a big thing nowadays and Sony didn’t want to be left out, since video is their thing. Sony not only added Video but did something to set a benchmark for other companies. The SLT a77 focuses so brilliantly in Video mode that it almost performs as good as a professional broadcast camera with auto focus. The ability to capture 1080p video at 60p makes for fun video and playback at high speed or double the frame rate. Other formats include 1440 x 1080 @ 30fps, 640 x 424 @ 30fps, and 1080p @ 24fps. 

The ability to add an external microphone and a headphone out for monitoring make for a wonderful excuse to buy this camera, which offers exceptional – shallow depth of field – video.

Conclusion

The A77 is the only camera, that  not only lives up to expectations, but out performs them. Roughly a lac (about $2000) for the bundle sets it at a semi pro price point, but as a 1 Lac rupee camera it does a lot more.  Brilliant photography is just one element. Video features that wow, fast autofocus, weather sealed body and brilliant in-body image stabilisation just to name a few other. The camera does come with its own set of defects, including the laggy interface and the controversial viewfinder. What adds to the pie is the slow LCD to Viewfinder switch time and honestly the lack of a touchscreen (call me simple, but  a touchscreen would have improved video performance ten folds).

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