| Science & Technology |
Beasts from the Lair
By Shabbir Akhtar
2012-03-26
The month of October has been sad and gloomy with the death of a visionary, entrepreneur, innovator, technologist and marketer -- Steve Jobs. Yet, it is a month that every technologist would love to relive. Three beasts have come out of their lairs and now look upon the world, as everyone stands awestruck -- iPhone 4S, Droid RAZR and Galaxy Nexus.
There were many situations during the month which portrayed a completely different picture than the one that we are seeing now. Two such notable situations are the announcement of the iPhone 4S instead of the iPhone 5 and Google-Samsung calling off their “UNPACKED” event, out of respect for Steve Jobs. But, in the end all went well as Apple showed what the iPhone 4S is ‘Siri’-ously capable of, Samsung announced the Galaxy Nexus running on the much-anticipated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and finally, Motorola revived the RAZR brand with Droid RAZR which combines the power of the Droid with the iconic slimness of the RAZR.
iPhone 4S
Although, it was very disappointing initially, that Apple did not announced the iPhone 5, the new device does pack in features that’s worth an upgrade. And, it’s not just me who is saying this. Apple sent out a press release that pre-orders for the new device topped 1 million in 24 hours, which broke the previous single-day record of 600,000 for the iPhone 4. So, what gives iPhone 4S the edge over it’s predecessor, though the two devices look exactly alike? Firstly, the iPhone 4S allows you to have your own personal assistant -- Siri. Want to find nearby restaurants, know the traffic conditions, get directions to destinations, dictate notes which get transcribed, check for conflicting meetings in the calender? Siri would allow you to do them all, along with reading you text messages, helping you look up the weather, telling you the time around the world, setting your alarm clock and scores of other needs; all you got to do is ask. Next up is the camera that comes with an 8-megapixel sensor and can capture video at 1080p HD. The camera of the iPhone has always got terrific reviews but, the camera of the iPhone 4S sets a new benchmark with the most advanced optics of any phone. The new generation iPhone runs on the all new iOS 5 and is powered by Apple’s custom 800MHz dual-core A5 chip, making it faster and more powerful than its predecessors. Finally, the phone has been launched as a global device which will work on the network of any service provider, which would allow a speedy launch in India, a growing market for such devices.
Droid RAZR
Motorola had released a teaser video, prior to the announcement of the device, highlighting its core features -- faster, thinner, smarter, and stronger. The device is indeed what Motorola proclaims it to be. What makes the new 4G-LTE enabled Droid faster is its 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB RAM. The Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread OS it runs on (with an update of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich coming in early 2012) makes it smarter along with the apps that are provided by Motorola -- Quickoffice for documents, Motocast for streaming or downloading media from the PC to the phone, a Smart Actions app that automates tasks and optimizes battery efficiency, and the Webtop application that turns the phone into a portable PC by docking it into a Lapdock 100 or HD Station. Motorola is well known for the cutting-edge visuals that it brings to its devices and the 7.1mm thin RAZR is no different. But, just because it’s thin doesn’t make it fragile. The flagship device from Motorola has been made with KEVLAR fiber for strength, Corning Gorilla Glass for scratch resistance and features a stainless steel core. It doesn’t end there; the Droid RAZR also features a 4.3-inch hyper-vibrant Super AMOLED display which has the capability of dishing out images and videos in HD resolution and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology, for crisp and clear videos -- providing the perfect device to capture and view memories.
Galaxy Nexus
The Android fan boys can continue partying -- Google has finally launched the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. And, this announcement comes with the launch of the Galaxy Nexus, the next generation of the flagship Nexus series from Google in partnership with Samsung. The Nexus Prime, as it is also called, is bigger, faster and more powerful than its predecessor. The device features a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED 720p display and is the largest on any phone. The next generation Nexus doesn't only run on the next generation Android that makes it faster, but is also powered by a dual core 1.2Ghz processor and is 4G-LTE enabled, making the phone much smoother. Though the phone has a 5-megapixel camera, it has zero shutter lag and takes low-light photos, stitches together images into seamless panorama and captures 1080p, time-lapsed video. What differentiates the new Galaxy from its predecessors is the OS which now allows you to operate your phone with gestures. The core Android apps have been overhauled, not just giving them a facelift but also with the addition of new features. As promised, the phone provides a “pure Google” experience and has Gmail, Google calendar and Google+ integrated into the OS. The Contacts app has now been replaced by the People app and changes contact cards to show much more information at a glance. Finally, it’s your face that will unlock the phone, as facial recognition has replaced the traditional pass code.
So, which specs are better? It’s difficult to say without actually using all the devices. All of them bring to the table, features that are hard to ignore. If the Galaxy Prime has the biggest display at 4.65-inch, the iPhone 4S has Siri which gives you a personal assistant and the Droid RAZR provides a visual pleasure with its 7.1mm thickness and Kevlar-protected body. All these devices will take some time to reach India so, its time you start deciding what will be your next power device.
Until then: Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
Website of the month: Pinterest.com
Do you like collecting photographs but have been missing the fun as world goes digital? Then Pinterest is what you have been looking for -- a digital pinboard for things you love collecting. To put it in different words, it is a bookmarking site that allows you to save images from any website. Using the site is very simple. You can create any list you want and then start filling them by collecting images from around the web. Pinterest allows you to follow other users and their lists and also provides options to ‘repin’, ‘like’ and ‘comment’ on other users’ images. The website is currently under beta and you need to “request an invite” to be able to use it.
The month of October has been sad and gloomy with the death of a visionary, entrepreneur, innovator, technologist and marketer -- Steve Jobs. Yet, it is a month that every technologist would love to relive. Three beasts have come out of their lairs and now look upon the world, as everyone stands awestruck -- iPhone 4S, Droid RAZR and Galaxy Nexus.
There were many situations during the month which portrayed a completely different picture than the one that we are seeing now. Two such notable situations are the announcement of the iPhone 4S instead of the iPhone 5 and Google-Samsung calling off their “UNPACKED” event, out of respect for Steve Jobs. But, in the end all went well as Apple showed what the iPhone 4S is ‘Siri’-ously capable of, Samsung announced the Galaxy Nexus running on the much-anticipated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and finally, Motorola revived the RAZR brand with Droid RAZR which combines the power of the Droid with the iconic slimness of the RAZR.
iPhone 4S
Although, it was very disappointing initially, that Apple did not announced the iPhone 5, the new device does pack in features that’s worth an upgrade. And, it’s not just me who is saying this. Apple sent out a press release that pre-orders for the new device topped 1 million in 24 hours, which broke the previous single-day record of 600,000 for the iPhone 4. So, what gives iPhone 4S the edge over it’s predecessor, though the two devices look exactly alike? Firstly, the iPhone 4S allows you to have your own personal assistant -- Siri. Want to find nearby restaurants, know the traffic conditions, get directions to destinations, dictate notes which get transcribed, check for conflicting meetings in the calender? Siri would allow you to do them all, along with reading you text messages, helping you look up the weather, telling you the time around the world, setting your alarm clock and scores of other needs; all you got to do is ask. Next up is the camera that comes with an 8-megapixel sensor and can capture video at 1080p HD. The camera of the iPhone has always got terrific reviews but, the camera of the iPhone 4S sets a new benchmark with the most advanced optics of any phone. The new generation iPhone runs on the all new iOS 5 and is powered by Apple’s custom 800MHz dual-core A5 chip, making it faster and more powerful than its predecessors. Finally, the phone has been launched as a global device which will work on the network of any service provider, which would allow a speedy launch in India, a growing market for such devices.
Droid RAZR
Motorola had released a teaser video, prior to the announcement of the device, highlighting its core features -- faster, thinner, smarter, and stronger. The device is indeed what Motorola proclaims it to be. What makes the new 4G-LTE enabled Droid faster is its 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB RAM. The Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread OS it runs on (with an update of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich coming in early 2012) makes it smarter along with the apps that are provided by Motorola -- Quickoffice for documents, Motocast for streaming or downloading media from the PC to the phone, a Smart Actions app that automates tasks and optimizes battery efficiency, and the Webtop application that turns the phone into a portable PC by docking it into a Lapdock 100 or HD Station. Motorola is well known for the cutting-edge visuals that it brings to its devices and the 7.1mm thin RAZR is no different. But, just because it’s thin doesn’t make it fragile. The flagship device from Motorola has been made with KEVLAR fiber for strength, Corning Gorilla Glass for scratch resistance and features a stainless steel core. It doesn’t end there; the Droid RAZR also features a 4.3-inch hyper-vibrant Super AMOLED display which has the capability of dishing out images and videos in HD resolution and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology, for crisp and clear videos -- providing the perfect device to capture and view memories.
Galaxy Nexus
The Android fan boys can continue partying -- Google has finally launched the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. And, this announcement comes with the launch of the Galaxy Nexus, the next generation of the flagship Nexus series from Google in partnership with Samsung. The Nexus Prime, as it is also called, is bigger, faster and more powerful than its predecessor. The device features a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED 720p display and is the largest on any phone. The next generation Nexus doesn't only run on the next generation Android that makes it faster, but is also powered by a dual core 1.2Ghz processor and is 4G-LTE enabled, making the phone much smoother. Though the phone has a 5-megapixel camera, it has zero shutter lag and takes low-light photos, stitches together images into seamless panorama and captures 1080p, time-lapsed video. What differentiates the new Galaxy from its predecessors is the OS which now allows you to operate your phone with gestures. The core Android apps have been overhauled, not just giving them a facelift but also with the addition of new features. As promised, the phone provides a “pure Google” experience and has Gmail, Google calendar and Google+ integrated into the OS. The Contacts app has now been replaced by the People app and changes contact cards to show much more information at a glance. Finally, it’s your face that will unlock the phone, as facial recognition has replaced the traditional pass code.
So, which specs are better? It’s difficult to say without actually using all the devices. All of them bring to the table, features that are hard to ignore. If the Galaxy Prime has the biggest display at 4.65-inch, the iPhone 4S has Siri which gives you a personal assistant and the Droid RAZR provides a visual pleasure with its 7.1mm thickness and Kevlar-protected body. All these devices will take some time to reach India so, its time you start deciding what will be your next power device.
Until then: Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
Website of the month: Pinterest.com
Do you like collecting photographs but have been missing the fun as world goes digital? Then Pinterest is what you have been looking for -- a digital pinboard for things you love collecting. To put it in different words, it is a bookmarking site that allows you to save images from any website. Using the site is very simple. You can create any list you want and then start filling them by collecting images from around the web. Pinterest allows you to follow other users and their lists and also provides options to ‘repin’, ‘like’ and ‘comment’ on other users’ images. The website is currently under beta and you need to “request an invite” to be able to use it.
