Tab Review: BlackBerry Playbook

http://www.themobileindian.com/reviews/195_Tab-Review:-BlackBerry-Playbook
Actually nobody would ever be able to make out what the Research In Motion guys had in their mind while they were naming their one and only tablet - PlayBook. The name sounds a little more appropriate for something like a PSP killer device or some gaming centric gadget. Probably, the name indicates that this device adds a dimension of fun, hence the play, while doing serious business as well.

Handset Review: Airtyme Flaunt

AirTyme, which is basically a mobile phone distributor, has come up with its own line of mobile phones for the Indian market, and one of them is Airtyme Flaunt. This device earlier known as Sharp PV 300 and was sold as T-Mobile (a mobile operator) Sidekick LX in USA in 2009.

The phone retains its quality of construction, which is better than any other mobile phone sold in India with a price tag below Rs 5,000. On top of that it is a 3G phone with a large screen and a Qwerty keyboard that is well designed and is easy to use.

However, the goodness of the phone ends there. Airtyme Flaunt has an operating system, Danger, which is dead and discontinued. In its hey days this operating system was one of the first to have its own app store, much before the Android came into picture and was backed by cloud service operated by Microsoft, which also bought Danger OS in 2008 and later closed it.

The Sidekick series with Danger OS was started in 2002 and ended with this phone in the year 2009. The support for this OS completely shut down in May 2011, leaving this phone too late in the Indian market as now it does not have any application support whatsoever.

So much so that even the Opera Mini browser that it comes with can't be upgraded. In its current form, it is a waste of money. Other than the good build quality and high speed 3G connectivity, only disappointments are awaiting the buyers of this phone.

App Review: Skyfire 4.0

Skyfire 4.0 browser is one of the native mobile browser alternatives available in the Android Market. Fortunately, the Skyfire 4.0 is available for free unlike its iOS counterpart. Skyfire 4.0 for Android 2.0 or higher devices brings following features to the screen - flash video, social sharing, built-in feed reader, user-agent switching, Facebook quick view and Twitter quick view.

Loading up the Skyfire for first time will take you through initial formalities to accept the terms and conditions along with lengthy explanation of features packed in. Pressing Next button three to four times is bit tedious so it would've been great if the developers would have placed the list of features more appropriately than in the first run.

Skyfire loads with a list of featured sites that include variety of popular websites from NYTimes to Yahoo. But this list of featured sites can't be edited and no new links can be added there.

By default, the Skyfire offers full screen browsing and lengthy articles will appear as if you will have to scroll endlessly. The bottom Menu bar dubbed as the "Skybar" has fourteen different items with each offering a distinct function. For instance, the Video button offers links to the videos related to the being watched in the web browser. Users can swipe from right to left on the Skybar to explore different menu items offered.

People who love browsing and sharing links with friends can immediately tap the Like button in the bottom-right corner. User will have to login to Facebook just once. Similarly the Facebook community comes to the aid when you tap the Popular button in the Skybar. For instance, if you are just done reading about the a recipe then tapping the Popular button will take you to most popular recipe website/page that has been recommended (Like-d) by the Facebook user community.

Game Review: Little G.One! Adventure

he movie Ra One, featuring Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, has been creating a lot of buzz. To cash in on the popularity, developers have now started developing games and related content for smartphones and other devices. One such game we got to lay our hands on is called as Little G.One! Adventure. Yes as the name sounds the game is a perfect replica of that. The game requires the players to play as G One - the main hero of the movie, who is in the quest to collect Blue Orbs and increase the score as much as possible.

The game play all in all is inspired by the movie and the character in the game, as similar to the movie character, gets thruster boots to fly in the sky while collecting the orbs. To make the game play a little difficult, there have been obstacles added in between the otherwise smooth game play in the form of grenades, missiles and a few others.

The main objective, as I mentioned earlier, is to collect blue power orbs which in turn help users to increase their score. And in order to do that the in game G One character flies on the thruster boots which also require power ups to keep flying. In between the game the developers have added a few unique power ups as well that include a rocket and a spring board as well which will help the character soar new heights in case the power in the boots run out.

Apple recalls iPod Nano for "health hazards"

Apple recalls older first gen iPod Nano due to overheating and possible threat to health due to faulty battery.

Apple is still worrying about the few people who still use the first gen iPod Nano. The company has issued a notice pointing out that the first generation iPod Nano devices, which were sold between September 2005 and December 2006, might pose a security risk for users.

Apple has pointed out that the battery of iPod Nano could overheat and explode, causing harm, but that this would happen in the rarest of cases. Since the devices are really old, Apple has decided to recall all the devices sold between September 2005 and December 2006."Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006. .This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages," said the company.

"Apple recommends that you stop using your iPod nano (1st gen) and follow the process noted below to order a replacement unit, free of charge."

However, Apple has noted that the battery issue does not affect any other iPod.

Apple has called the devices back and all the faulty devices will be replaced under this. So far there have been no reports have come in from users regarding this issue but Apple surely is in no mood to wait and watch then take action.

This problem is only applicable to a batch of iPod devices manufacturer and sold during a particular period. Owners need to go to Apple's site and check if your iPod Nano needs replacement, if it does then you need to fill out a claim form to confirm eligibility for replacement. Apple will replace the defective devices within six weeks from the date of submission and give users an additional 90 days of warranty after the devices are replaced.

Motorola formally announces Defy+ for India

Motorola has officially announced its new Defy+ MB526 smartphone for India for Rs 19,000.

"We designed Motorola Defy+ with all the smartphone features you need for a demanding lifestyle. With faster web-browsing, social networking tools and great entertainment capabilities, it puts friends and fun in easy reach," said Rajan Chawla, Motorola Mobility's country head - sales and operations for mobile devices business.

Deemed to be the true successor of the Motorola Defy, the new smartphone comes with a 1 Ghz processor that is fast enough to run the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update. Bearing 3.7 inch Corning Gorilla Glass display, the Defy+ also features a 5 megapixel camera for imaging.

The new Motorola Defy+ is almost the same handset as its predecessor — Defy, however the former comes with a speed bump and update Android version. Motorola has added a single core 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3620 processor in Defy+ MB526, which is faster than the 800 Mhz TI OMAP 3610 processor used in the Defy MB525 handset. This speed bump will certainly help the device run the operating system faster and comes with 2 GB on-board storage.

Like the Defy, the new smartphone features a 3.7 inch capacitive FWVGA display, which was made of Corning Gorilla Glass technology, supporting 854x480 pixel resolution. The scratch resistant glass certainly makes it an important contender in the mid range segment. Also the water resistant and dust resistant design provides a sense of security.

The handset features a 5 megapixel camera with Auto Focus and LED Flash. The Defy+ model certainly would have been a good upgrade if it carried a front facing camera but it follows the lead of Defy with none - hence, no video calls or chat over Defy+ handset.

By default, the Defy+ will come with Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread preloaded and bunch of other applications like the Zinio Magazine reader. It features Adobe Flash 10 enabled mobile web browser for faster web browsing. Packing a 1700mAh battery, the Defy+ offers 7.1 hours of talk time which is quite amazing for a mid-range Android device.

Lava brings touchscreen handset for Rs 5,999 By Anil Satapathy, The Mobile Indian, New Delhi, November 11, 2011 Category: Devices Sub Category: Mobile 1 Termed as a music phone, the new Lava M70 comes with 5 MP camera, a 3.2 inch full-touch screen, and has loads of other features.

Lava Mobiles has launched a new touchscreen phone with loads of feature for Rs 5,999. The new Lava M70 comes with a 3.2 resistive high brightness IPS touchscreen. While the operating system is Java based it comes with a 3D user interface.

M70 boasts a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash. It has 'Smile' and 'Blink' detection options also. So when you smile and the face is in the perfect location, the phone will take the photo automatically. The same goes for Blink detection. You can also record videos.

For the best music experience, Lava has fitted dual speakers with metallic diaphragm with M70 and the handset has also 16 music customizing options for best experience.

Besides, there is Gravity Sensor (G-Sensor), chat style messaging, preinstalled social networking (Facebook, Opera mini and ngpay), and instant messaging (Skype, Yahoo and MSN).

The privacy protection feature in M70 allows users to lock the phone book, call logs, messages. Users can also use the phone as a webcam and a modem.

The Indian Ocean: In need of a regional organisation to match its growing influence

The Indian Ocean is a region of growing strategic significance.

The nations of this region are home to 2.6 billion people, almost 40% of the world's population, accounting for 10% of global GDP -- and rising rapidly. Its sea lines of communication are among the world's most important -- 40% of global trade passes through the Indian Ocean, including 70% of the total traffic of petroleum products.

South Asia is witnessing extraordinary growth, led by the rising great power that is India. As energy security becomes a preoccupation for an ever increasing number of countries, the influence of Gulf States is growing. East Africa's economic significance is also expanding. And the nations of South East Asia, led by Indonesia, are on a strong growth path.

Australia understands all this implicitly. Our engagement with countries to our west is firmly on the upswing. We are as much an Indian Ocean nation as we are a Pacific Ocean nation. Australia has the largest maritime jurisdiction of any Indian Ocean country and the longest Indian Ocean coastline.

As a measure of the importance we attach to the vast and diverse region to our west, Australia recently convened the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth, our national gateway to the Indian Ocean, and to the opportunities -- and challenges -- that it contains.

Building on this, Australia is now determined to work with other Indian Ocean countries to harness a sense of community in this region by intensifying practical engagement aimed at enhancing our prosperity and security.

It is with this objective in mind that I am participating in the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association of Regional Countries (IOR-ARC) in Bengaluru on November 15.

IOR-ARC is the only Indian Ocean organisation meeting at ministerial level with membership ranging across the entire Indian Ocean region. It has a wide mandate to promote cooperation within this highly diverse region. And has the potential to make a difference.

Thus far, however, IOR-ARC has not lived up to this potential. Some critics argue that the countries around the Indian Ocean are too distant from each other, too diverse in their economic and social make-up and too disparate in their stages of economic development to work effectively together. I do not agree. I see no cause for resignation or defeatism -- quite the opposite.

Australia wants to work with other members to make a difference in IOR-ARC. We think we can best do that by suggesting practical, specific ways in which members can work more closely together. We want to build and nurture the habit of joint work in the service of common purpose.

The challenge for us in Bengaluru will be to identify concrete steps towards more effective practical cooperation in areas such as: sustainable fisheries management; science cooperation on climate change, food security and ocean science; disaster management; maritime safety and security; trade facilitation; and resources and energy security. We will also need to be alert to challenges that pose risks for our economic development -- most pressingly, piracy.

We are not seeking a big bang in Bangalore, but we do need to commit to revitalise IOR-ARC, to give it a fresh sense of purpose. Over the next two years, Australia will serve as Vice Chair, supporting the leadership of India as Chair. In the two years after that, we will be in the Chair, and will ourselves be relying on Indian advice and guidance through the IOR-ARC troika of immediately past, present and future chairs.

The Indian Ocean is a region where much of the economic and strategic dynamics of the twenty-first century will be played out. To keep the region peaceful and to make it more prosperous, we need an organisation that is focused, practical and alive to the possibilities of our diverse region.

We need IOR-ARC to step up to this challenge. Australia is ready to help it do this, and we will be looking for partners from every corner of this region to meet this challenge.

The writer is Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs

Italy's Monti starts work to form new government

Former European Commissioner Mario Monti began preparations yesterday to form a new technocrat government to restore market confidence in Italy's battered public finances after accepting a mandate to succeed Silvio Berlusconi.

In a frenetic weekend of political activity, Italy's parliament approved a package of economic reforms agreed with European leaders, Berlusconi resigned and President Giorgio Napolitano appointed Monti, a respected international figure as head of a new government.

Monti is due to hold talks with the main political parties on yesterday as he looks to appoint what is expected to be a relatively small cabinet made up of specialists from outside parliament.

After a tumultuous week, when Italy's borrowing costs rose to the kind of levels that saw Ireland and Greece forced to seek an international bailout, reaction on yesterday was positive with stocks rising and the yield on 10 year bonds well under the 7 percent danger line at 6.4 percent.

A further test will come later when the Treasury offers up to 3 billion euros worth of 5-year bonds in an auction that will show how far fragile confidence in Italy's battered public finances has been restored.

Because the euro zone cannot afford the much bigger bailout that would be needed to save its third largest economy, the crisis threatened a European financial meltdown.

Napolitano said after nominating Monti that there must be an extraordinary effort to address the crisis and Italy could not wait for elections to solve political paralysis. He said Italy must recover the trust of investors and European institutions.

"I intend to fulfill this task with a great sense of responsibility in the service of our country," Monti said after receiving the nomination.

"In a moment of particular difficulty for Italy, in a turbulent situation for Europe and the world, the country needs to meet the challenge," Monti said after his nomination.

Italy's borrowing costs soared to way above a "red line" of 7 percent last week but markets calmed once it became clear that Berlusconi would go and Monti take his place.

Berlusconi went on television on Sunday and said he had resigned out of a sense of responsibility and to protect Italy from speculators. He expressed sadness that thousands of protesters yelling insults including "clown" had jeered him when he went to Napolitano's palace to hand in his resignation.

Monti's government will try to push through reforms agreed by Berlusconi with euro zone leaders to cut Italy's massive debt and revive a chronically stagnant economy. But he could face opposition from right and left to some of the more unpopular measures on pensions and the labour market.

There are clear signs that he will face problems, with Angelino Alfano, secretary of Berlusconi's PDL party, saying there was "huge opposition" among its members despite promising its support to the new prime minister.

The devolutionist Northern League, Berlusconi's partner in the centre-right coalition, also said Monti would face an uphill battle in getting parliamentary support for the reforms from a disparate group of parties supporting the technocratic government.

Manmohan to welcome Rahul's new role

In the midst of media reports about a move to make Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the working president of India's ruling Congress party, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said if he was given any other responsibility, he will welcome it.

Replying to questions about the reports that Gandhi's responsibilities in the party might be enhanced and that he could be designated its working President, Singh told journalists accompanying him from Maldives that “this is a party matter…but if Rahul Gandhi is given any new responsibility, I will certainly welcome it”.

Singh had in the past invited Rahul to join his cabinet but the heir-apparent in Congress has so far been reluctant.

The Indian media has been abuzz in the last few days with reports that 41-year-old Rahul, seen by many as the future Prime Minister of India, is in line for getting a much bigger role in Congress than his present assignment of looking after just frontal organizations.

In recent months, Rahul has been drawn more into party affairs. He was made a member of the Congress “core committee” in August when his mother and party President Sonia Gandhi had gone abroad for a surgery for an unspecified ailment and he is taking the lead role in the party's charge to get back to power to India's largest state Uttar Pradesh where fresh assembly polls are due early next year.

Uttar Pradesh assembly election is being seen by political analysts as a test case for Rahul's leadership of Congress.