Zenith Computers offers Laptops for Rs 14,999

Zenith Computers has announced the release of a laptop for as low as Rs 14, 999. This is the first time that a hardware manufacturer has been able to break the psychological barrier of Rs 20,000 with a Windows based Laptop.

Thus far the cheapest Laptop in this category was the Asus Eee PC that was being sold for Rs 18,000. But the Asus laptop was linux based. Industry experts believe that the price reduction has been possible as the company expects to drive up the volume of sales substantially. The company expects to sell laptops worth 8 million this year and hopes to drive the sales to a figure of 18.3 millions next year. The company is also releasing a desktop for Rs 11,999.

Microsoft is also a partner in the initiative. They have scaled down the Windows XP to run it on low cost laptops. Ravi Venkatesan, chairman, Microsoft India said “Under the Microsoft Unlimited Potential initiative, our effort is to bring sustained social and economic opportunity to people who currently don’t enjoy the benefits of technology. Our aim is to propel a wider acceptance for IT amongst the masses by extending an opportunity to learn, connect, create, and succeed by combining advanced technologies and relevant partnerships.”

Internet PC to cost Rs 5000

There is good news for those who want to use computer only for checking emails or such low end tasks. Internet PC will soon be a reality for such low-end tasks and will come at much lower costs without including high-profile advanced features of PC world.

Intel has recently announced launching of a new processor namely “Atom” in their just now concluded Intel Channel Conference (ICC). Atom is being designed by Intel, keeping in view of manufacturing only email enabled high power Internet PC. According to Intel, Atom is likely to be available in the market before end of September 2008. ICC is a platform for Intel to share it’s business findings and future business plans with it’s channel partners, which is presently figuring around 2000 in India. It is held twice a year across different centers in the country.

Once Atom is unveiled, making low-end Internet PC will no more take much time. Atom will take least power to operate and these will be highly efficient to look after email requirements. Owing to the low-power requirement and limited functionality, costs of the PC’s developed using Atom will be much lower, said one analyst. The chip will also find applications in mobile Internet devices, making mobile Internet more powerful and efficient. The new innovative technology of Intel will lead the way for making more powerful low-power processors in near future, market observers feel.

Indian Institute of Science have been working on a low cost computing device. After the participation of Intel in the connected Indian movement, internet access through broadband seems affordable for a common man.

The Minister of Communications and IT, Mr A Raja has announced that the low cost computing device will be based on Intel’s Atom and will be priced at about Rs. 5000.

Microsoft threatens Google ad model

Software giant Microsoft has unveiled its Internet Explorer 8 browser equipped with a privacy feature that could threaten the advertising model of web search rivals such as Google.

The new browser has a new feature called “InPrivate”. Using this feature of the browser, users can access websites in private, hiding their personal details from search engines that use the information to target advertising at individuals.

The feature, called InPrivate, has been dubbed in some blog postings as "porn mode", because it also hides the browsing history from other people using the same computer.

Google has faced an outcry over the amount of information it collects from users of its services. David Mitchell, an information technology analyst at Ovum, said: "If the hype around privacy gains more credibility, more people will hit the private button. There is a potential threat here to click-through advertising."

IE8 will be available for public download as a "beta" version, but Microsoft would not commit to a date for the software to be bundled into the Windows operating system.

Several features in IE8 are reminiscent of Firefox, the open source rival browser , including the use of customised and site-specific searches in a feature called Visual Search. However, Microsoft has denied it had copied features from rivals.

According to Net Applications, a web consultancy and applications provider, Microsoft’s worldwide share of browser usage is 73 per cent with Firefox on 19 per cent.

HTC to launch S740 in September

HTC is all set to launch a smartphone named S740 in the European market. It’s a candybar phone with Quad-band GSM and 900/2100 MHz WCDMA/HSDPA network. The sleek phone features a 3.2 megapixel camera for photos and it runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard edition. The design of the phone is hugely influenced by the HTC Touch Diamond.

The smartphone also features Assisted Global Positioning System, and several email alternatives including Post Office Protocol, Internet Message Access Protocol or IMAP and Exchange push email, a radio and built-in support for Google Maps.

Dr. Florian Seiche, Vice President of HTC Europe, stated, “Demand for high-performance, smart, mobile devices continues to see strong growth globally and HTC is well positioned to meet the varying needs of our diverse customer base.” Reportedly, the users can access the Internet via a Wi-Fi connection. The phone sports a normal keypad on the top which slides out to reveal a full scale QWERTY keypad.

The retail price of the handset is estimated to be $550 without carrier subsidy.

R300 Radio from Sony Ericsson hits the Indian market

Sony Ericsson R300 Radio mobile phone got launched in India. R300 is designed to deliver a credible radio-listening experience to a global audience, and ideally suited to emerging markets such as India. The new phone supports AM/FM frequency channels aiming to target the entry level buyers as its potential customer. The phone is designed to make live entertainment shows on FM channels as well as live cricket commentary on AM channels accessible to its users.

Preset buttons on the front of R300 let you switch easily between your favourite stations. It takes just one click to boost the volume when you want to share music on the radio or the live action from the sports ground.

The phone features a voice recording as well as radio recording function along with volume boosters for clarity of sound. The other features that the phone boasts of include an integrated camera, loud speaker, alarm clock with radio, MP3 ringtones, bluetooth experience, and predictive text input.

The R300 Radio is available in two colours: Antique Copper and Steel Black. It is a GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets from Q2 2008. The R300a Radio is a GSM/GPRS 850/1800/1900 phone, available in the same timeframe.

The device is priced approximately Rs. 4,395.

Spice launches S 820 in the music phone series

Spice Mobile has launched the S 820 music phone to target music lovers in India. Its USP being music and most of the features are incorporated to enhance multimedia experience.

The device is a slim handset with a Yamaha Amplifier that delivers rich 3 D sound. It has a memory of 1 GB. The phone comes with a Bluetooth stereo headset that provides you wireless environment.

S 820 sports a 1.3megapixel camera and supports WAP and GPRS. It has a capability to protect your personal SMS and other data to ensure your privacy. This could well become an important feature for those who desire to keep their data confidential. A blacklist feature also enables blocking of unwanted calls.

The phone has been priced at Rs 6,599.

Nokia Tube- just another competitor for iPhone

The recent launch of Apple iPhone has just compelled the market players in mobile industry to go for a different strategy. Nokia is all set to take on competition. It had released a touch screen phone in 2003 but it was discontinued later. Now Nokia is all set to launch a touch screen hand set by the end of the year.

There is also a stiff competition between the operating system of Apple, the OS X, and Symbian for the top spot. Mr Devinder Kishore, Nokia India’s marketing director, says, “We have been working on the Series 60 platform for touch screen user interface and a mobile device is expected to be launched by the year-end. With the acquisition of Symbian, we will be able to offer our customers more innovative products and the latest technology.”

The touch screen handset nicknamed Tube and may make its appearance by the end of this year. Such a device has been used in the latest version of Batman movie “The Dark Knight”.

LG launches CDMA LG 10000 with Reliance India Mobile to take on iPhone

The competition for the Apple iPhone seems to be going hotter and hotter day by day. After a few releases by GSM band competitors now LG Electronics has announced the launch of LG 10000 CDMA mobile phone in association with Reliance India Mobile. The handset has a stylish finish, and offers a customised bend of multimedia and business applications.

The phone has been in the US markets for some time now and is being sold as Voyager. It has been one of the main competitors to iPhone. The war for market share has shifted to India with this launch. LG 10000 is targetted exclusively at the premium segment CDMA users.

LG 10000 has a full touch screen as well as a QWERTY keypad, dual applications which is the first of its kind, in its segment of phones, including the iPhone. Office mail for corporate mail access, HTML enabled browser and high speed internet connectivity- these are other features of the handset.

The phone also has a 2.0 mega pixel camera with video recorder. With a latest full touch screen, the CDMA handset can play MPEG 4 videos and has dual stereo speakers. The phone also features an external memory card of 1GB, which can be extended up to 8 GB.

The device has a battery life of up to 240 minutes talk time and up to 480 hours stand-by time, the handset also has a call memory of up to 270 calls and phonebook memory of up to 1000 entries with 4 phone numbers, fax number, 2 email ids, picture id and also a ringer id.

LG 10000 is cheaper than iPhone. It is likely to be priced between Rs 22,000 and Rs 25,000. The handset is being launched across India and will be available in all reliance exclusive and retail outlets.

Nokia to release N96 to compete with iPhone

Nokia has announced the release of N96, its latest convergence device to take on the iPhone. N96 is designed to be the ultimate convergence device and has been optimized to provide seamless internet access.

The device has a memory of 24GB that permits storage of 18000 songs and almost 20000 images and video content equivalent to 20 movies. A security application called Wave permits the tracking of the phone if it is lost and all the data is backed up on the internet.

Sporting a 5 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens that captures DVD quality video, the device is equipped with Nokia Maps and GPS navigation. It is powered by a 264 MHz processor and has 128 MB RAM. Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity options are also available.

It is noteworthy that the International launch of N96 is being done in India. N96 will be priced at around Rs 36,000.

Axis Bank will help you to get Apple 3G iPhone

…and finally Apple 3G iPhone hit the Indian market on Thursday.The third generation Apple iPhone was introduced in India by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone.

Reportedly, Vodafone was selling its phones at 11 stores across Delhi initially, while Bharti was selling it only at the Shahara Mall. But, the phone will be available shortly through 250 Vodafone stores in 50 cities across India and Bharti Airtel will ensure the availability of the iPhone in more than 65 cities. Moreover, the Apple stores will also carry the product.

The 8 GB iPhone is priced at Rs 31,000 and the 16 GB iPhone costs Rs 36,100. It appears rather expensive when compared to the US price. In the US, it costs around $199 which amounts roughly to Rs 8400. In an attempt to defend their price, Sanjay Kapoor, president of mobile services Bharti Airtel, stated that the US price is subsidised as it comes with a two-year airtime contract. Hence, it is not fair to compare these rates.

Vodafone, however has tied up with Axis Bank and Barclays to offer the phone on 6 or 12 equated monthly installments (EMIs) with a lower interest rate in order to make the product affordable for the customers. However, the customers are obligated to buy the iPhone on the credit cards of one of these banks. Bharti Airtel has not come up with any plans for an EMI scheme as yet.

The multipurpose iPhone gadget combines the extra feature of an in-built GPS system, an iPod and a web browser.

TV on your MTNL mobile

MTNL, the major government service provider in Delhi, is making efforts to introduce Mobile TV. It is also slashing broadband rates.

MTNL has introduced the Mobile TV service in the NCR region. Users will have to pay Rs 99 per month. Dolphin and Trump users can access the service.

For the broadband users MTNL has many schemes to suit the requirements of subscribers. MTNL has gone in for an across the board slashing of rates to popularize its broadband services. For Rs 99 a 2 MBPS connection with a 150 MB free download can be obtained. With the Rs 149 package the free downloads can be increased to 400 MB.

Nikon launches Coolpix P6000 with inbuilt GPS system

Nikon has launched its new high-performance compact camera COOLPIX P6000 that can be operated on the auto as well as manual modes providing flexibility to the professional photographer.

Essential features of the Coolpix P6000 include a 13.5 megapixel resolution with an in built GPS system. It has a 2.7inch LCD with a high-resolution screen. The camera has 4x zoom, NIKKOR-angle lens with two ED glass elements and image processing system EXPEED.

It can be effectively used to compose photographs even in low light conditions. The GPS places geo tags along with the images. Thus you can browse photographs location wise.

A D-SLR dial can be used to adjust the camera for different light conditions. The camera weighs 240g and has an internal memory of 48 MB. The Lithium-ion battery is capable of delivering 260 shots after charging.

The pricing of the camera is likely to be above Rs. 20,000. It is expected to be available from September onwards.