Five of the best cell phones you can buy right now

Have you heard the Louis C.K. bit about people who hate their phones? The comedian can't believe people aren't simply amazed by everything their phone can do. They're so impatient. They want everything to happen immediately. Seconds feel like minutes. Minutes feel like days.

"Can you give it a second?" he asks.
"It's going to space. That's amazing! Can you just give it a second?"
Some people probably can. Some people don't need the newest and the fastest. For the rest of you, the folks who like — and, sometimes, need — the newest and the best, this list is for you.
We've compiled five of the best phones you can buy right now. It's impossible to say these are the best phones in the world. People are passionate about their phones and will argue the smallest detail to prove their choice is the best. But these are, to quote Mr. C.K., five of the most "amazing" phones you can buy right now.

Which tablet to buy

But this is the first holiday season in which the iPad faces competitors that have built up a solid footing in the market. Amazon and Google introduced tablets just in time for the shopping rush. As a result, many consumers and analysts say, the new market of keyboardless computers is quickly becoming as confusing as that of the old-school PC.
Holiday shoppers with a tablet computer on their gift list this year might be forgiven for feeling a little panicked.

Look at the tablets available online or at a consumer electronics store and it can be dizzying to choose from among the dozens of slim rectangles with touch screens — each with various sizes, features, prices and applications.

Tablets were supposed to be a simple alternative to the bloated personal computer market. And when “tablet” was synonymous with “iPad,” that was true.

“What’s different about this holiday season is that consumers have not just more choice, but really good choices,” said Sarah Rotman Epps, who studies consumer computing trends at Forrester. “There have been many iPad wannabes but no real quality alternatives, and now there are several.”

While choice is a good thing for consumers, she said, it also makes shopping “confusing and complicated.”

For the companies that make tablets, the choice means everything. The stakes are much higher than the sale of individual devices. Each company is trying to snag lifelong customers for their other products — like music, apps, e-books, movies, Web search or word-processing software.

Google Nexus 10 : Review

When I first turned on Google's new tablet computer, I immediately thought of it as a mere conduit to Google services.

Besides giving you quick access to Gmail and YouTube, the Nexus 10 steers you to digital movies, books and other content available for sale through Google's online Play store.

Because of that, I wasn't thinking of the Nexus 10 as an alternative to Apple's general-purposeiPad - even with a price tag that's $100 cheaper, starting at $399. It took more thought and time with the Nexus to change that perception. After all, apps available for Android smartphones work on the tablet as well.

Still, the Nexus really shines when it comes to media - especially content bought through Google.

Facebook launches ‘LinkedIn-type‘ app

 Facebook has launched a new application that connects candidates with job vacancies and recruiters on the world's largest social networking site.
The new service claims more than 1.7 million jobs from partners including Monster Worldwide and BranchOut, the company said on its website.
"Facebook is all about connecting people and we're thrilled to see developers leveraging our platform to connect job seekers and prospective employers," Marne Levine, Facebook's vice president for global public policy, said in a statement.
"By allowing job seekers to view and share job openings based on personalised criteria, like location and industry, the Social Jobs Application builds on our broader effort to help people use social media to find jobs in the US," Levine added.

Consumer Reports names top 10 electronics of 2012

The magazine that is synonymous with objectivity and excellence has put this year's electronic product offerings through their rigorous tests. Now, Consumer Reports has named its top 10 electronics products of 2012 based on performance and innovation.

The magazine tested more than 600 smart phones, tablets, TVs and more for its December Annual Electronics Issue. The issue features 30 pages of buying advice and ratings and reviews of more than 600 of the hottest electronics products including tablets, laptops, smart phones, e-book readers, printers, digital cameras and camcorders, headphones, Blu-ray players, and home-theater systems.
Some familiar names are on the top 10 list, including Nikon and Samsung. The lesser-known Sonos joins American tech company Vizio on the list as well.

President launches low cost Aakash-2 tablet at Rs 1.13k

 

The advanced version of low cost tablet Aakash was launched here today by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Coming at a price tag of Rs 1,130 for students, the new version 'Aakash 2', which will be made available to students of engineering colleges and universities to begin with, is now powered by a processor running at 1 GHz, has a 512 MB, a 7 inch capacitative touch screen and a battery working for three hours of normal operations.

It has been developed under the aegis of IIT Bombay with the active support of C-DAC. Datawind is rolling out the device.

HTC, Apple reach global settlement

Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC said Sunday it has reached a global settlement with technology giant Apple, bringing an end to all  outstanding litigation between the two companies.
The deal includes a 10-year licensing agreement over patents, HTC said in a statement, without providing further details.
"HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation," HTC CEO Peter Chou said in the statement.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC."
"We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation."
HTC and Apple were locked in more than 20 cases in the world including some pending the ruling of the International Trade Commission of the United States, according to an HTC official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Review: Sony Xperia ion

Recently, Sony launched its new flagship phone in India, the Xperia ion at Rs 36,999. Though a good handset by all means, it was behind the times even at the time of its launch - both in India, as well as globally. Sony Xperia ion competes with the likes of AppleiPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X. Check out how it performs as a flagship smartphone in an increasingly competitive market.

Look and feelSony Xperia ion is a decent looking phone that is easy to hold and seems sturdy enough to survive a fall without much damage. The Japanese manufacturer has used a combination of plastic and red ( YES!) metal back cover to construct the body of the new phone. Notably, it has done away with the silly fluorescent coloured stripe to mark the three buttons that it used in earlier devices like Xperia S.

Latest Mobile Phones in India above Rs. 15K

Have a look at the latest Indian launches of high-end smart phones from the leading mobile brands. Price range above Rs. 15,000.

The price and features mentioned here are indicative only. These have been sourced from various online dealers and manufacturers as a support to our reader community. Take your own responsibility to make informed decisions with extra research before making any buying decisions.

Latest Mobile Phones in India between Rs.5K to 15K

Have a look at the latest Indian launches from the leading mobile brands. Here are the Android and Symbian models priced between Rs. 5000 and Rs. 15,000.

The price and features mentioned here are indicative only. These have been sourced from various online dealers and manufacturers as a support to our reader community. Take your own responsibility to make informed decisions with extra research before making any buying decisions.

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8 unusual gadget gifts for Diwali

As the festival of Diwali is around the corner, many of us are likely to go on a shopping spree to give the perfect gift to our near and dear ones. When it comes to gadgets as gifts, most of us tend to look towards tablets, smartphones and laptops. Well, that's cliched. This festive season why not go for something different and offbeat that does not burn a hole in your pocket and pleases your loved ones. Here is our pick of 8 offbeat gadget gifts for this Diwali.

 
USB paper shredderThe USB Paper Shredder and Letter Opener combo is simple plug-and-play device compatible with all operating systems. Not only is it perfect for use when plugged into a computer, but can be operated by AA batteries as well, making it suitable for emergencies. Available in the market for Rs 995, it has a 1.6L plastic container to collect all shredded paper, along with a forward/reverse button.

Latest Mobile Phones in India, below INR 5k

Have a look at the latest Indian launches from the leading mobile brands. Here are the basic models priced below Rs. 5000: some basic Android models included.

The price and features mentioned here are indicative only. These have been sourced from various online dealers and manufacturers as a support to our reader community. Take your own responsibility to make informed decisions with extra research before making any buying decisions.

Google‘s Siri Rival Now Available for iOS

Google has made good on its promise of improved voice search on Apple’s iOS operating system. On Tuesday, the company released a new Google Search app that brings natural language voice search to the iPhone and iPad. 

A rival to Apple’s own Siri intelligent agent, Google’s app provides contextual answers to voice queries, along with pertinent Web search results. Those answers aren’t manually curated; they’re simply the Internet’s best guess. But thanks to Google’s Knowledge Graph — a sort of storehouse of semantic-search information — they seem to be generally pretty accurate. During a Monday demo, Google product manager Hugo Barr showed the Android version of voice search correctly and quickly providing information about local movie times and answering questions like, “What is a baby kangaroo called?”