Computer Active India - March 2014

5/27/2018 Computer Active India - March 2014

1/100

Hack Your

OwnPCDont be scared by the complexity of the Registryand Command Prompt. Our easy-to-follow tweaksshow you how to make Windows work better for you

How you can run XP FOREVER

APPLE IPAD MINI WITH

RETINA DISPLAY

MOTOROLA MOTO G

March 2014,

PLUS

The mini tablet now comes with pixels galore

If youre looking for a great budget Androidphone, buy this now

EXTRA

FEATURE

EXTRA

PAGES

MOREVA

FORMO

Download huge files faster


2/100


3/100

Brought to you in India by...

MEDIAMAN INFOTECH PVT. LTD.14 th floor , Goldfilled Tower B , Sion Bandra Link Road ,Sant Rohildas Marg, Sion , Mumbai 4

Tel.: +91-22-24061200 E-mail: [email protected]

website:www.mediaman.co.in Facebook:


4/100

Editor & Publisher

Amit Tewari

Senior Feature WriterKunal GangarContributors

Daniel Booth, Alian Lu, Sherwin Coetho,Temperton, Scott Colvey, Graham Brow

Creative Director & Head Production

Atul Bandekar

Designer

Prakash Gavnang

Image DeskDeepak Narkar, Ravi ParmarIllustratorsIan Jackson, Nick Palmer,Tom Steyer, Ajay ParadkarPhotography

Mahesh Reddy, Sharonjit Samrai

Asstt. Operations Manager CirculationSanjeev RoyAsstt. Circulation Manager

Kapil Kaushik, DelhiSubscription Supervisor - Print

Sachin KelkarTel: +91-22-43525220 Fax: +91-22-249Email: subscriptions@nextgenpublishinApple Newsstand & Magzter Queries:

[email protected] Subscriptions Queries:

http://in.zinio.com/help/index.jspFor Pocket Mags Queries:

[email protected]

DISCLAIMERReaders are reminded that the opinions eand the results published in connection w

reviews and/or laboratory test reports cacomputing systems and/or related items,confined to, and are representative of, onlgoods as supplied and should not be consrecommendation to purchase. Whilst eveprecaution is taken to ensure that reliabilitgood business practices prevail, the Publiscannot be held responsible for the overallactivities of any supplier referred to, or adwithin, this publication.

Printed by Amit Tewari Next Gen Publishin2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala MCompound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Mumbai 400013. Published by Amit Tewabehalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd FC Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills CompoSenapati Bapat Mar, Lower Parel (W), Mum400013. Printed at Kalajyothi Process Pvt1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20.Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, KamalaMills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg,Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013.

Next Gen Publishing Ltd.2nd Floor, C Wing , Trade World, Kamala MCompound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower PMumbai 400013Tel: +91-22-43525252 Fax: +91-22-2495Email: [email protected]

2013 Dennis Publishing Ltd.All rights reserved.Published with the permission of Dennis PLtd. Reproduction in any manner in any la

whole or in part without prior written permfrom Dennis Publishing Ltd & NGPL with rtheir respective content is prohibited.

Editor :Amit Tewari

Vol. 9 Issue 3

Visit our website: www.computeractive.in

Ahmedabad305, 3rd Floor, AEON Complex Near Angira Society, Vijay CrossRoads, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009Tel: + 91 79 26405061/2/3BengaluruUnit No. 509, 5th Floor B Wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road,Bangalore -560001, IndiaTel: +91 80 66110116/17 Fax: + 91 80 41472574ChennaiUnit No. 20, 3rd Floor, Modern Towers, No. 35/23 West Cott Road,Royapettah, Chennai 600014.Tel: + 91 44 39149889 Fax: + 91 44 39149892HyderabadRichard G.C., Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation)Mobile no. 09949217127

KolkataVidyasagar Gupta, Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation).Mobile no. 09804085683New Delhi26-B, Ground Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase-III,New Delhi - 110020.Tel: +91 11 4234 6600 / 6678 Fax: + 91 11 4234 6679Pune401B, Gandhi Empire, 2, Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road,Pune 411040. Tel: + 91 20 32930291 Fax: + 91 20 26830465Mumbai2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, SenapatiBapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013Tel: +91 22 43525252 Fax: +91 22 24955394

Editorial email addressesSorry, but we can only give technical help and consumer

advice through published replies in the magazine we cannot take

phone calls or answer letters personally.

For subscription enquiries, see the details above.

For editorial enquiries, please write at the email addresses given below.

Opinion, feedback and enquiries: [email protected]

Technical help: [email protected]

Branch offices

4 Computer activeMarch 2014

WelcomeFrom the Editor

In the increasingly

technological and complex

world, getting scared of

atttempting complicated

tasks is not an option. Tismonths cover story has easy

to follow tweaks, that take

the complexity out of the

Registry and command

prompt of your computer.

Other features detail apps

and games to keep your mind

agile, download huge files

faster and play all your music

anywhere you like.Do let us know what you

liked, or hated in this issue.

ill next month,

Happy reading.

Amit Tewari, [email protected]

p56

p44

p34 p32

p52


5/100


6/100

Hack Your

OwnPCDont be scared by the complexity of the Registryand Command Prompt. Our easy-to-follow tweaksshow you how to make Windows work better for you

In this issue

In every issue

4 Welcome

8 Letters

10 News

26 Protect Your Tech

29 Best Free Software

59 Whats All the FussAbout?

86 Problems Solved

92 Fast Fixes

93 Jargon Buster

94 The Final Straw

95 IMS QUIZ

44Hack Your Own PCDont be scared by thecomplexity of the Registry andCommand Prompt. Our easy-to-follow tweaks show you how tomake Windows work better for you

52How you can run XPFOREVERTwo months from now Microsoft will

withdraw all support for Windows XP.We explain how to keep XP runningsafely beyond that point

54Keep Your Mind ActiveFatigue and advancing yearstake their toll on our mental agility, butapps and games can help.

56Download huge les fasterIt can be a trial getting largefiles to download. we look at ways to

speed up the process

Keep YourMind Active p54

How youcan run XFOREVERp52


March 2014 IssuContents


7/100

30 Google Nexus 5

32 Motorola Moto G

34 Apple iPad Mini with

Retina Display

36 Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

37 iBall Andi Uddaan

Seagate Backup Plus (3TB)

38 RescueTime

39 Asus PB278Q

Nokia Lumia 1320

40Transcend JetFlash 380G (3

Galaxy Grand 2

41 Ashampoo Burning Studio 1

42 Livescribe 3

Google Nexus 5 p30

Apple iPad Mini p34

Motorola Moto G p32

Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom p36

Workshops

24 pages of brilliant workshops

61 Use a webcam with your Raspberry Pi

64 Create your own free online comics

67 Make Excel charts look more exciting

69 Keep emails private for free with Thunderbird

and Enigmail

72 Organise notes and webpages with Evernote

75 Get the most Firefox for Android

77 Read Kindle books on any device

79 Track fundraising progress with a free Excel templ

80 Readers Tips

81 Tablet & Phone Tips

83 Make Windows Better

84 Make Office Better

85 Defraggler

March 2014 Computer a

Content


8/100


LettersTell us whats on your

Email: ca@nextgenpublPost:Letters,CA, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, C Wing, Trad

Kamala Mills Compound, S. B. Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumba

We cannot offer technical assistance or reply personally to correspondence but all letters are read Letters and emails may be edited for publication on this page. Please mark your message not fo

if you would prefer it not t

Last months winner: Ramcharan T N

STAR LETTER

Theres no advantagein upgrading

I sympathise with Stuart Andrews tirade againsWindows 8 Tere is a fundamental problem

with Windows 8. Its a marketing one and its likely topersist. Microsoft has tried to emulate touchscreensmartphone and tablet operations on desktop PCs and ihasnt worked. Te market reaction speaks for itself. Tillusion is created that for

desktop PC users, such as myself,Windows 8 may confer someuseful advantage over itspredecessor and that it may bea good idea toupgrade. But itdoesnt offer anyuseful advantageand theres nopoint in upgrading.Windows 7 is wellsuited to desktopsand Windows 8 is aconfusing backward

step.Te 8.1 enhancement highlights the difficulty Microsofthaving in satisfying traditional expectations and those opeople who use touchscreens. In retrospect, Microsoftshould have developed two distinct product streams fordistinct markets.After reading all the reviews, and talking to people whoused Windows 8, Ill not be moving to it any time soon.support for Windows 7 should cease, then Ill move to Awhatever the cost. Nitish ch

Web shopping is closing local stores I read with interest the letter from the reader who wantsto return a digital camera to his local high-street shop

because he has found it cheaper online. Te store says they cantbecause he couldnt produce a receipt.I quite agree with Computeractives answer, and the shop is quiteright. I think I has been very cheeky asking the shop for a refundbecause he found the camera cheaper online. Tats tough hisproblem! He should have looked online in the first place! I haveno sympathy for him. Tis is the reason why local shops areclosing down.We no longer have a photography shop in our town. We boughtour first digital camera from a photography shop in our highstreet many years ago. We had problems with it and received anexcellent, first-class service. Te shop owner went over and

above the call of duty and got the problems sorted out for us.Some time after this, the shop owner told me that he was closingdown. People were going in to look at the equipment, leavingwithout buying, and going off to buy it over the internet.

Sudeep Bahua

Transferring books meant jumpingthrough hoops

When e-readers first came out, I wasnt sure that I woulduse one often enough to make it worthwhile buying one.

It wasnt until earlier this year that I decided it actually wassomething that would let me rekindle my love of reading,especially as I have mobility problems which make leaving the

house awkward, and the prohibitive postage cost on books mademe lose my love of the written word. Earlier in the year I saw anice wee Sony PRS-300 (www.snipca.com/10077) which wasjust ideal. However, as it had no backlight, my hubby keptmoaning when he was trying to sleep, and I was reading with thelight on.When I saw a Nook GlowLight (www.snipca.com/10079)I decided this was the answer. What I didnt appreciate was thehoops I would have to jump through to transfer my ebooks fromthe Sony PRS-300 to the Nook. When I buy a printed book froma shop, Im not asked where Im going to be reading it so I can besold the correct version for the intended reading location. Once aphysical book has been bought I can do more or less whatI want to with it, except lend it for profit. As an ebook costs

almost the same cover price as its printed edition, to say I waspure miffed is more than a slight understatement.I ended up trawling through many websites and watching a hostof Youube lessons to find out what to do, and how to do it Adobe Digital Editions (www.snipca.com/10080) came outtops for me. In the end transferring my ebooks was a fairlystraightforward procedure, but as I am only just computerliterate I think a young child, or an elderly person, may findthe whole caboodle too much hassle.

Ajay R Kumar


9/100


10/100

News Round up of the top stories of the mo


LG Launches Worlds First Curved, Flexible Smartphone in India

Establishing a new milestone in theevolution of smartphones, LGElectronics has launched its flagshipcurved smartphone LG G Flex in India.LG G Flex, the latest device in LGspremium G Series, is the firstsmartphone that is designed to fit thepalm of the hand and follow the contourof the face. It incorporates proprietaryinnovations from other LG companies inthe form of never-seen-before displayand battery, and also boasts of a newUser Experience (UX) that takesadvantage of its curved form factor.

The vertically curved design of the LGGFLEX, in landscape mode, offers a trueimmersive cinematic viewing pleasure.It bestows the most comfortable viewingangle for watching videos or playinggames. After analyzing the findings ofexhaustive studies, LG designed the GFlex to curve from top to bottom, whichfacilitates a comfortable grip, bettercomfort and excellent call & soundvolume quality. The vertical curvecreates an environment where users can

easily be immersed when viewingvideos or playing games in landscapemode.

The vertically curved design of the LGG Flex reduces the distance betweenones mouth to the microphone whenthe device is held against the ear, astraditional telephone handsets used to.The LG G Flex employs a curvature arcthat is optimized for the average face, todeliver improved voice and soundquality. The curved form increases thesound level by 3dB compared to typicalflat smartphones. The curved design also

offers a more reassuring grip and fitsmore comfortably in ones back pocket.

LG G Flex also features the Rear Keythat was first introduced in the LG G2.Devoid of any buttons on the sides, thereis less chance of accidentally poweringoff the phone and the convenience ofusing ones index finger to adjust thevolume when talking over the phone.The Rear Key gives intuitive userexperience where users can operate thepower button and volume rocker using

their index finger, without the neeactually see them while holding thdevice in one hand.The LG G Flex will be available in starting February 2014 and is priceMRPRs. 69,999/-

Bill Gates steps up to new role as

Technology Advisor; John

Thompson assumes role as Chairman

of Board of Directors.

Microsoft Corp has announced thatits Board of Directors has appointedSatya Nadella as Chief ExecutiveOfficer and member of the Board ofDirectors effective immediately.Nadella previously held the positionof Executive Vice President ofMicrosofts Cloud and Enterprise

group.Since joining the company in 1992,Nadella has spearheaded majorstrategy and technical shifts acrossthe companys portfolio of productsand services, most notably thecompanys move to the cloud and thedevelopment of one of the largest

cloud infrastructures in the wosupporting Bing, Xbox, Office aother services. During his tenuoverseeing Microsofts Server aTools Business, the divisionoutperformed the market and tshare from competitors.Microsoft also announced that Gates, previously Chairman of tBoard of Directors, will assumerole on the Board as Founder anTechnology Advisor, and will de

more time to the company,supporting Nadella in shapingtechnology and product directiJohn Thompson, lead independdirector for the Board of Directwill assume the role of Chairmthe Board of Directors and remindependent director on the Bo

Microsoft Board names Satya Nadella as CEO


11/100


Facebook has announced that it hasreached a definitive agreement toacquire WhatsApp, a rapidly growingcross-platform mobile messagingcompany, for a total of approximately$16 billion, including $4 billion in cashand approximately $12 billion worthof Facebook shares.The agreement also provides for anadditional $3 billion in restricted stockunits to be granted to WhatsApps

founders and employees that will vover four years subsequent to closiThe acquisition supports FacebookWhatsApps shared mission to brinmore connectivity and utility to thworld by delivering core internetservices efficiently and affordably.The combination will help acceleragrowth and user engagement acrosboth companies.

Lenovo and Google have entered into adefinitive agreement under whichLenovo plans to acquire the MotorolaMobility smartphone business. With astrong PC business and a fast-growingsmartphone business, this agreementwill significantly strengthen Lenovosposition in the smartphone market. In

addition, Lenovo will gain a strongmarket presence in North America andLatin America, as well as a foothold inWestern Europe, to complement itsstrong, fast-growing smartphonebusiness in emerging markets aroundthe world.

The purchase price is approximatelyUS$2.91 billion (subject to certainadjustments), including US$1.41 billionpaid at close, comprised of US$660million in cash and US$750 million inLenovo ordinary shares (subject to ashare cap/floor). The remaining US$1.5

billion will be paid in the form of a

three-year promissory note.Lenovo, which in 2005 acquired IB

PC business and its legendary PC brwill now acquire world-renownedMotorola Mobility, including theMOTOROLA brand and MotorolaMobilitys portfolio of innovativesmartphones like the Moto X and M

and the DROID Ultra series. In addto current products, Lenovo will takownership of the future MotorolaMobility product roadmap.

Google will maintain ownership ovast majority of the Motorola Mobilipatent portfolio, including current papplications and invention disclosurAs part of its ongoing relationship wGoogle, Lenovo will receive a licensthis rich portfolio of patents and othintellectual property. AdditionallyLenovo will receive over 2,000 patenassets, as well as the Motorola Mobi

brand and trademark portfolio.

Lenovo to Acquire Motorola Mobility from Google

Facebook to Acquire WhatsApp


12/100

News


Te much-awaited Lenovo Vibe Z thelatest addition to the premium Lenovo Vibeseries of smartphones, is an idealcombination of striking looks, exquisitedesign, captivating performance andcutting-edge technology to help you to Domore in lesser time. Equipped withhigh-speed LE (4G) connectivity,astoundingly fast processor, advancedcameras and brilliant 5.5 20/20 visiondisplay, Vibe Z is just the right choice forpeople, who want the best of everything; be

it work or play. Vibe Zs super-sleek,ultra-light form factor is certainly ahead-turner.

With a thickness of 7.9 mm and weighingjust 147 grams, Vibe Z is ultra-light for a 5.5inch display smartphone and certainly hasthe looks-to- die-for coupled with advancedfeatures. Promising supreme-efficiency,Vibe Z packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 800quad-core processor that helps you run allyour apps and multi-task at a flashing-

speed of 2.2 GHz.Vibe Z comes packed with advanced

optics; sports a 13 MP rear camera with BSIsensor and dual LED flash. Lenovo has fittedthe Vibe Z camera with a large f/1.8 aperturelens. With the largest aperture lens availableon a smartphone, the Vibe Z promises anenhanced exposure to low light for betterimagery when the conditions are notoptimal. It also sports a 5MP front camerawith 84 degree wide viewing angle allowingyou to capture all your memories in

supreme clarity and vivid colours you willcherish forever.o handle all these functions and to

ensure that you easily get by your day, theVibe Z is powered by an integrated 3000mAh battery. Te smartphone also sportsUSB OG that enables you to access datafrom pen drive while on the go or evencharge other smartphones. Tisexceptionally thin, blazing-fast devicecomplete with gesture controls, photo

enhancement software, premiumtechnologies and in-demand innovatfeatures is sure to steal the limelight ipremium smartphone category.

Te Vibe Z smartphone is priced at35,999 for the Indian market and wilavailable across the country through Exclusive Stores (LES), LFRs, leadingmulti-brand outlets and thedostore.cfrom February this year.

FEEL THE POWER VIBE

Statement about ownership and other particulars about Computer active, as required to be published in the first issue of everyyear after the last day of February. Form IV (See rule 8) (Press and Reg. Of Books Act, 1867)

Place of Publication : rade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013Periodicity of Publication : MonthlyPrinters Name : Mr. Amit ewari, Nationality : Indian, and printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20Publishers Name : Mr. Amit ewari, Nationality: Indian,Address: Next Gen Publishing Limited, rade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound,Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013Editors Name : Mr. Amit ewari, Nationality: Indian, Address: Next Gen Publishing Limited, rade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala MillsCompound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than 1% of the total paid up equitycapital: Next Gen Publishing Limited, rade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W),Mumbai 400013

Details of shareholders of Next Gen Publishing Limited who are holding more than 1% paidup equity capital of the company as on January 31, 2014.i. Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Limited, 70, Nagindas Master Road, Fort, Mumbai 400023ii. HDFC Limited, 5th Floor, Ramon House, H. . Parekh Marg, Backbay Reclamation, Mumbai 400 020iii. Rajpal Singh Sethi, Green Gate, 693, Flat 702, Perry Cross Road, Bandra, Mumbai 400 050iv. Zubin N. Kamdin (Executor of Estate of late Sam Nariman Polishwala), 29/A, Naoroji Seth Street, Takurdwar, Mumbai 400 002v. Aditya Chitale-(Executor of Estate of late C.N.Mistry), F-19,0-1, Bridge View C.H.S.Ltd., Sector-10, Airoli, Navi Mumbai 400 708

vi. Hoshang Billimoria, B-221, Grand Paradi,572, Dadyseth Hill, August Kranti Marg, Mumbai 400 036

I, Amit Tewari hereby declare that all particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Sd/

Amit Tewari

Date: January 31, 2014 Signature of the Publisher

DECLARATION


13/100


14/100

News


Te companys 5th generation Galaxy Sredefines how technology innovationenhances our lives

Samsung Electronics has announced thefifth generation of the Galaxy S series, theGalaxy S5, designed for what matters mostto consumers. Te new Galaxy S5 offersconsumers a refined experience withinnovation of essential features for

day-to-day use.Te Galaxy S5 combines an advancedcamera, the fast network connectivity,dedicated fitness tools and enhanced deviceprotection features as consumers stay fit andconnected in style.

Te Galaxy S5 offers the worlds fastestautofocus speed up to 0.3 seconds and theadvanced High Dynamic Range (HDR),reproduce natural light and color withstriking intensity at any circumstances. Alsonew Selective Focus feature allows users tofocus on a specific area of an object whilesimultaneously blurring out the

background. With this capability, consumersno longer need a special lens kit to create ashallow depth of field (DOF) effect.

Te Galaxy S5 offers the most advancedLE experience and Wi-Fi performance

available today,ensuring blazing fast

data speeds for unrivalledmedia consumption and productivity. Withthe enhanced S Health 3.0, the new GalaxyS5 offers more tools to help people stay fit

and well. It provides a comprehensivepersonal fitness tracker to help usersmonitor and manage their behavior, alongwith additional tools including a pedometer,diet and exercise records, and a new,

built-in heart rate monitor. Galaxy S5can further customize their experiencan enriched third party app ecosystemthe ability to pair with next generatioproducts for real-time fitness coachin

Te Galaxy S5 blends iconic Samsudesign with modern trends to appealrange of consumer tastes and interestTe Galaxy S5 features a perforated pa

on the back cover creating a modern look. Its new sleek, contoured shape cin an array of vivid colors, includingcharcoal Black, shimmery White, elecBlue and copper Gold, to complemenstyle of the individual consumer.

Te Galaxy S5 is IP67 dust and wateresistant. It also offers a Finger Scannproviding a secure, biometric screen feature and a seamless and safe mobipayment experience to consumers.Te Ultra Power Saving Mode turns thdisplay to black and white, and shutsall unnecessary features to minimize

battery consumption.Te device will be available globallythrough Samsungs retail channels,e-commerce and carriers in April.

Samsung unveils Galaxy S5 to focus on

what matters most to consumers

LaCie has announced Fuel: a go-anywherewireless hard drive for iPad, iPhone andMac. Without requiring Internet access, the

LaCie Fuel adds 1B of external storagecapacity to compatible mobile devices. Userscan store up to 500 movies, 160,000 songsor 190,000 photos, and share them with upto five devices at a time. Whats more,AirPlay compatibility means users can easilystream movies onto the big screen via AppleV or music to compatible speakers.Te LaCie Fuel lets users access enormousmedia libraries right from their iPad. With1B of storage at their fingertips, they dontneed to pick and choose what they load

onto their mobile device. Not only does theLaCie Fuel let them access all their mediafiles while theyre on the go, it also has

plenty of extra space to accommodate futureneeds.LaCie Fuel marks the first productcollaboration between Seagate and LaCie.Te wireless hard drive features streamlinedfile access, thanks to the free Seagate Mediaapp available for iOS, Android, andAmazon Kindle. It automatically organizesfiles by type, making them easy to browse.Users can stream videos or music, openoffice documents, and enjoy full-screennavigation. Te app makes browsing a

media library a visual experience witsupport for photo and video thumbnplus cover art for music. Te Lacie fuavailable at a MRP of Rs. 25000.

LaCie Fuel Expands iPad Capacity to 1TB


15/100


16/100

News


SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in

flash storage solutions, has announced the

new 128GB2 SanDisk Ultra microSDXC

UHS-I memory card, the worlds largestcapacity microSD card. Smaller than the size

of a fingernail, the new SanDisk Ultra

microSDXC card enables consumers to use

their phones and tablets as if storage

limitations were never a concern, allowing

users to capture thousands of songs and

photos, and hours of video on a single,

removable card.

Designed for Android smartphones and

tablets, the new SanDisk Ultra microSDXC

card provides consumers the highest storage

capacity available in a removable form factor.

Ideal for shooting Full HD video and

high-quality pictures, the 128GB SanDis

microSDXC card delivers twice the spee

ordinary microSD memory cards and off

highest video recording performance avCompared to when the microSD card

was first launched in 2004 with 128MB o

capacity, SanDisk has increased storage

capacity of microSD cards 1,000 times o

less than a decade with the 128GB SanD

Ultra microSDXC card. To enable 128GB

storage on a removable microSD card, S

developed an innovative proprietary tec

that allows for 16 memory die to be vert

stacked, each shaved to be thinner than

strand of hair.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd,showcased a range of category-definingproducts in Vs, home appliances,printing and mobile devices at its

Southwest Asia Forum .Trough its broad product range,Samsung demonstrated how it is bringingconsumers seamless navigation, intuitivecontrol and smart solutions into the homeand workplace. Samsungs key productsshown at its Southwest Asia Foruminclude: Te 78-inch U9000 SamsungCurved UHD V is the most curved V inthe world with 4,200 radii for the perfectviewing experience. Te UD590 isSamsungs 2014 Ultra High Definition(UHD) monitor that delivers detailed,high-pixel imaging and stunningly

realistic colors. Te UD590 deliversunrivaled detail color quality as it iscapable of displaying one billion colors,

which is 64 times more colors than thestandard monitor. It also includes UHDup-scaling technology that converts lowresolution content to UHD-level picture

quality and creates sharper images.For easy, on-the-go printing thatcombines NFC and Wi-Fi Directtechnologies, Samsung unveiled acomplete range of new mono laserprinters and multi-function printers: theXpress M2885 Series, as well as its seriesof color laser printers and multi-functionprinters, the Xpress C1860 Series.

Samsungs 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePROpresents mobile users with an industry-leading WQ-XGA display, offering crystalclear resolution with more than 4 millionpixels, for a best-in-class tablet

experience for both content consumptionand powerful productivity. GalaxyNotePRO tablet is running the most

recent version of Android 4.4.Te NX30 interchangeable-lens c

has an advanced 20.3 MP APS-C CMSensor, iltable Electronic Viewfind

(EVF) and exceptionally fast 1/8000Shutter Speed and 9 FPS continuoushooting capability, to create high qimages with faster than ever perforTe NX30 features NFC and Wi-Ficapabilitiesincluding the ag & Gfunctionthat lets users tap to sharmemories instantly and easily whenpaired with NFC enabled mobile deFurthermore, the Galaxy Camera 2captures images quickly and beautiwith revolutionary technology for isharing capabilities, thanks to its 16effective megapixel BSI CMOS senso

optical zoom lens, 1.6GHz Quad Coprocessor and the Android platform

SANDISK INTRODUCES WORLDS HIGHEST CAPACITY microSDX

MEMORY CARD AT 128GB

At the Samsung Southwest Asia Forum 2014,

Samsung Puts the Curve into UHD, Customizatiointo Your Kitchen and the Best Viewing andProductivity into Your Tablets


17/100


18/100

News


Introduces full portfolioincluding Nokia X, Nokia X+ andNokia XL smartphones to bringInternet and cloud services tonext billion

At Mobile World Congress,Nokia underscored itscommitment to connecting thenext billion to the Internet by

releasing five new affordablehandsets, including Nokia X, afamily of smartphones that runAndroid(TM) apps, Microsoftservices and signature Nokiaexperiences.

The Nokia X family featuresNokias renowned handset qualityand design, with a fresh,tile-based user interface inspiredby our Lumia family. All devicescome with Fastlane, a screenwhich lets people switch betweentheir favorite apps more smoothly.

People can access curated,quality-tested apps from NokiaStore, more than a dozen third-party app stores and bysideloading. Out of the box, theycan enjoy signature Nokiaexperiences including free HEREMaps, with true offline maps andintegrated turn-by-turnnavigation, and Nokia MixRadiofor free music streaming anddownloadable playlists. Alldevices are also pre-loaded with avariety of third-party apps and games.

The Nokia X family is also an

affordable introduction to popular

Microsoft services, including free cloud

storage using OneDrive. With purchase of any Nokia X familsmartphone in select markets,people will get one month of SUnlimited World Subscriptionlimited time, ideal to makeinternational calls to landlinesmore than 60 countries and tomobile phones in 8 countries.

The first device, the Nokia Xcomes with a 4 IPS capacitivedisplay and 3MP camera. The NX+ is optimised for multimedienthusiasts, who can enjoy evemore games, music, photos anvideo thanks to more memorystorage. Both the Nokia X and X+ will be available in bright gbright red, cyan, yellow, blackwhite. The third family membNokia XL, boasts a 5 display w2MP front-facing camera - ideSkype video calls - and a 5MP

rear-facing, autofocus camera flash. The Nokia XL will be avain bright green, orange, cyan, yblack and white. The entire Nofamily is powered by theQualcomm Snapdragon(TM)core processor and supports DSIM, letting people switch SIMto get better tariffs.

The Nokia X will go on saleimmediately, in Asia-Pacific, EIndia, Latin America, the Middand Africa. The Nokia X+ and N

XL are expected to roll out in thes

markets starting early second qua

Nokia connects the next billion with

affordable smartphones


19/100


20/100

News


Kingston, the independentworld leader in memoryproducts, today announced itsfastest addition to the SecureDigital product line. Te newSDHC/SDXC UHS-I Speed Class3 (U3) card allows professionalsand consumers to capture 4Kand other Ultra-HD video

resolutions. Te new card isavailable in 16GB, 32GB, and64GB capacities. Te SDAssociations latestspecification, UHS-I U3 (UltraHigh-Speed Bus, Speed Class 3),guarantees performance of atleast 30MB/s read and write,enough bandwidth to recordand playback 4K video without

interruption. Kingstons SDHC/SDXC UHS-I Speed Class 3 cardprovides speeds of 90MB/s readand 80MB/s write, which is upto 9x faster (read) and up to 8x

faster (write) than standardClass 10 SD cards. Te fasterspeeds ensure the best videoand photo integrity by reducingstutter as well as faster PC

upload time especially whenusing USB 3.0 card readers.

Te SDHC/SDXC UHS-I SpeedClass 3 is compatible with allSDHC and SDXC host devices. It

allows users to capture cinemaquality Full HD (1080p), UltraHD (2160p), 3D, and 4K2Kvideos on high-performancecameras such as Digital Single

Lens Reflex (D-SLR), DigSingle Lens Mirrorless (DSLM), camcorders and vicameras. In addition to 4video capture, it can alsoused for high-densityphotograph capture in bucontinuous capture modtelevision recording, and

broadcasts. Users can caup to 60 minutes of 4K Hvideo or shoot high-densimage files in RAW or JPEto 8,000 24MP images) o64GB card.

Te SDHC/SDXC UHS-Class 3 is backed by a lifewarranty and free technisupport.

Kingston Introduces Fastest UHS-I Speed Class

3 (U3) Flash Card in India for 4K and Ultra-HDVideo Capture

For 60 years, the iF productdesign award has been aninternationally recognizedlabel for award-winningdesign and the iF brand has

become a symbol for

outstanding achievements indesign. ASRock M8 wasentered in the computercategory then won an iFproduct design award 2014

and will be recognized with

the renowned iF label!ASRocks M8 features analuminum exterior, whilehidden magnets hold thewhole case together. On thefront, theres a control knoband monitor hybrid called

A-Command for users to setuptheir unique gaming rig.Inside the box lies a Z87mini-IX motherboard foradvanced portability and

space efficiency.

Te functionality of thisgaming PC lives up to itawesome appearance tocase may contain any stmini-IX for future upgand M8 is sold as a baresystem so that gamers hthe freedom of choosingown components, such swappable DDR3 DIMMstandard PCIe x16 graphcard, and also has 6 SA

ports lined up for storag

ASRock M8 has Won an iF Product Design Award 2014


21/100


22/100

News


ZOTAC International, a global

innovator and manufacturer of

graphics cards, mainboards and

mini-PCs, has combined the power of

3rd Generation Intel Core i3

processing with

NVIDIA GeForce GT

640 graphics to

create the ultimate

4K ready HTPC. The

new ZBOX ID45 series

delivers the perfectsynergy of energy-

efficiency and

high-quality video

processing in a

compact form factor.

The NVIDIA GeForce

GT 640 graphics

enhances the video

playback capabilities

of the ZOTAC ZBOX

ID45 series with

high-quality HD

processing and 4K

video decodecapabilities for a superior

HTPC experience. An Intel Core i3

3227U processor delivers outstanding

CPU performance with dual

processor cores and Intel

HyperThreading technology for

unmatched multitasking

responsiveness and quick video

transcoding capabilities.

Dual Gigabit Ethernet enables

excellent wired networking

capabilities for redundant

connectivity or to transform the

ZBOX ID45 series into a

high-performance network router.

Wireless

802.11ac networking

technology delivers a wireless

experience thats comparable to

wired Ethernet on the ZOTAC

ZBOX ID45 series.

The ZOTAC ZBOX ID45 series

ships as a barebones and as a PLUS

version with 4GB DDR3 and 500GB

hard drive preinstalled. Users can

install a variety of operating systems

on the ZOTAC ZBOX ID45 series

including Windows 7, 8 and

OpenELEC.

ZOTAC Combines 3rd Generation Intel Core i3

with NVIDIA GeForce GT 640


23/100


24/100


25/100


26/100


Protect Your TechScams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools

Bitdefenders Safepay is abrowser with adifference. UnlikeInternet Explorer,Chrome and Firefox itoperates from yourDesktop and doesntinteract with any other

software and add-ons. Asyou browse, it checkswebpages for malwareand phishing attacks,and stops websitestracking what you doonline. Teres also avirtual keyboard (seeimage) that preventskeylogging, making it

ultra-safe for shoppingand banking onlinewhen you need to typepersonal details such ascredit-card numbers. Itdoes all this for free, buttheres a paid-for versionthat adds protection for

Wi-Fi hotspots and costs3.25, 9.95 and 23.95for a one-week,one-month and one-yearpass respectively. Safepayis still in beta, so readthe testers guide first ifyoure not sure ofanything: www.snipca.com/10118.

New tools

What happened?Microsoft warned that hackers

successfully exploited a previouslyunseen flaw that could affect allsupported versions of Internet Explorer.Although it said there had only been alimited number of attacks targetedat Internet Explorer 8 and InternetExplorer 9, the company rushed to issue

a fix, saying the hole could hit IE 6 to 10.

Te flaw allows remote code executionif a user visits a malicious site from avulnerable browser. Tis would typicallyoccur when an attacker compromises thesecurity of trusted websites regularlyfrequented, or convinces someone toclick on a link in an email or instantmessage, said Microsoft.

Microsoft didnt reveal how many

attacks had been reported and said it wasstill monitoring the problem.

What should I do?Install the CVE-2013-3893 MSHML

Shim Workaround (www.snipca.com/10119), which Microsoft issued as atemporary fix. Its important you do thisyourself because Microsoft wont do itautomatically. Te company is workingon a full security update.

Microsoft also said you should set your

internet and localsecurity zonesettings to high. Dothis by clicking thetop-right cog in IE, Internet options,then the Security tab. Move the slider High.

Te company admits this may affecusability, so you should add sites you

trust, and visit often, to the IE trustedsites zone. Do this by visiting a site youtrust, then clicking the top-right cog iIE, Internet options, then the Securittab. Next, click the green rusted sitesarrow, then the Sites button and clickAdd in the box that appears (see screegrab left). Youll need to make sure theURL suffix is https://

You can, of course, use Chrome, Fireor Opera until Microsoft releases apermanent security fix.

Internet Explorer aws

WATCH OUT FOR

Bitdefender Safepay www.snipca.com/10115


27/100

TAICHI

Ultrabook with dual scree

ASUSTek Computer Inc.

iPin Laser Presente

Mobile accessory

CONARY ENTERPRISE CO

OAXIS LOOP

Android TV box

OAXIS Holdings Pte. Ltd.

The NEW HTC ONE

Smartphone

HTC

Air Penetrator AP123Computer fan

SilverStone Technology C

1

2

3

4

5

The COMPUTEX d&i awards present...

award winners

going around the world!The winning products for

COMPUTEX TAIPEI design &

innovation awards are going on a

global tour by visiting every major

ICT show, including IFA (Berlin),

GITEX (Dubai), CES (Las Vegas),Mobile World Congress (Barcelona)

and CeBIT (Hannover).

COMPUTEX TAIPEI, the years most

important ICT event, was held from

June 4thto 8th in 2013. Thats where

the ICT world met and mingled as

1,724 top exhibitors used 5,042

booths to attract 131,300 ICT

professionals, including 38,300

international visitors (6% increase

on last year) from 173 countries.

COMPUTEX d&i awards represent

the core of COMPUTEX TAIPEI.

Since 2008, these awards have won

industry acclaim for ushering in a

new wave of design concepts. The

last event welcomed 254 product

entries from 101 manufacturers, an

increase of 24% and 16%respectively from the previous year.

The winners, the crme de la crme

of ICT, were selected upon such

criteria as design quality, degree of

innovation, utility, functionality,

safety, environmental friendliness

and workmanship, and judged by an

independent jury organized by the

Hannover-based iF International

Forum Design.

And the winners are...

For COMPUTEX d&i awards 2013, the jury

selected 90 d&i award winners which

included five Gold awards.

The Golds went to...

Included among the 90 d&i winning products

were the wireless hard disc drive by ASUS; a

mobile scanner by Avision; and Pebble, theSmart Watch by Foxlink. The winning list also

had several outstanding POS terminals &

systems and accessories.

TAICHI

iPin laser presenter

The NEW HTC ONE

OAXIS LOOP

Air Penetrator AP123

1

2

3

4

5

See the global greats unfold with a glow for innovation, quality &

design...

COMPUTEX d&i awardsWORLD TOURS:

Mobile World Congress Feb. 24thto 27th, 2014 Hall 7 / Booth 7n67CeBIT March 10th to 14th, 2014 Hall 17 / Stand H04IFA Sept. 5th to 10th , 2014GITEX October 12thto 16th, 2014 Hall 8 / Booth E8-20

CES January 7thto 10th, 2015 ,South Hall 1 / Booth 21642, LVCC

Registration open till 31thMarch, 2014

The Future ICT Begins with Your Leading Innovation Today

For more info on COMPUTEX d&i awards: www.ComputexTaipei.com.tw


28/100

ASHAMPOO UNINSTALLER 5

Ashampoo UnInstaller 5 comes with additionalcleaning tools toremove redundant registryentries and clean your drives.

OS Supported : Windows XP/Vista/7/8.

Full Software

Boost your creativity:

Internet Mates:

Power Editor:

Smart Managers:

CD Contents


March 20

From the Editor

Dear Readers,

Tis months CD contains a wide mix of software

and utilities for everyday use. We hope you will find

these useful. Do let us know your views on the

selection.

EDIOR

PS:-Please reach us on [email protected]

with your suggestions. Some of the software

provided on this disc requires a product key from

the publisher.


29/100

Best Free Software


Our pick of the most interesting websites, articles andvideos from around the world

Freemake Music Box 1.0www.snipca.com/10004

Ghostery monitors what online

trackers are up to and blocks

their attempts to track your

web movements. Rather than

blocking all cookies and trackers,

Ghostery encourages you to

find out more about the tracking

organisations. New to version

5.0 are options to allow website

comment feeds on a site-by-site

basis, so, for example, you can

have Disqus active only on your

favourite blog. Ghostery has not

yet launched a version for IE11.

Music Manager

Freemake Music Box is a music manager that

combines a Spotify-style music-streaming

service with your own music collection,

including your iTunes library. The desktop

player will even play audio tracks from

YouTube (previous glitches with this feature

have now been fixed). Not only is the program

free, but you dont need to register or log in,

and there are no annoying embedded adverts.

But make sure you decline the extra software

when you install it.

Type songs, artists or musical genres into

Music Boxs search field and it will try to find

them online. Music Box then shows you a

selection of tracks and albums (it only finds

legal music). Click the play icon to listen to a

song online or press + to add

it to your Music Box library.

You cant download or buy

songs through Music Box, but

it will save songs so you can

stream and play tracks online.

To play music stored on your

PC, click Add files then the

tracks you want to add to

your library. You can create

playlists, and import and

combine playlists youve

made in Winamp and VLC

Player. Freemakes range of

supported music formats (Ogg, Flac, AIFF,

WAV, MP3 and MP4, WMA and M4A) is more

limited than VLCs, but the programs m

streamed music and tracks saved on yo

works well. An Android app is in the pipe

Online Privacy

Ghostery 5.0

Program uninstallerIObit Uninstaller 3.0 beta 1www.snipca.com/10013

What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8

(you may need to run as an administrator to get IObit to work)

Security

AVG AntiVirus Free 2014

AVG AntiVirus Free 2014 is a brilliant

free antivirus program.

Its new File Shredder completely

deletes any malware it finds, while

the new PrivacyFix tool warns you if

our acebook page or Google settings

are leaving you exposed. As part of its browser protection, AVG pr

a malicious-link checker and blocks any spyware that attempts to

on your computer. When you restart your PC, a pop-up message t

you how much faster your PC starts up now AVG is installed.

Uninstaller 3.0 obliterates software

that the Windows Uninstall Programs

tool cant shift and deletes leftover

files. A particularly useful addition to

version 3.0 also deletes unwanted

browser add-ons from Internet

Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Op

Start IObit, click the add-on you w

to uninstall then click Remove. N

click Powerful Scan to remove an

leftover files. and click Next. IObi

automatically quit once its finish

www.ghostery.com

What you need: Internet Explorer 10, Firefox, Chrome, Opera or Safari

What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8

www.avg.comWindows XP, Vista, 7 or 8


30/100


GoogleNexus 5

SMARTPHONE

Googles affordable 4G phone with the latest version of Android

Reviews

New Android smartphones with the latest

features usually cost Rs.40, 000 or even

more, but that isnt the case with the new

Google Nexus 5. While this latest model

isnt quite as cheap as the previous

Nexus 4, which cost just about Rs.20,000

when it was released last year, it is still

affordable. It costs Rs.20,000 for the16GB version or Rs.33,000 for the 32GB

version.

Hardware

Surprisingly few corners have been cut

to keep the price low. Theres no SD card

slot and the phone is made out of black or

white plastic, instead of metal like the

similarly priced HTC One Mini, but this

phone feels robust and not at all cheap.

The rear has a soft rubbery touch to it

which makes it feel like a Nexus 7 ta blet,

although the Nexus 5 isnt as curvy with a

boxier shape than its tablet counterpart.The Nexus 4 was a 3G-only phone, but

the Nexus 5 also works on 4G. We used

the phone for making calls, browsing the

web, navigating the streets using Google

Maps and taking photos. On Vodafones 3G

network in central Mumbai the battery

lasted just over 21 hours.

This is in line with other 3G phones,

although the admittedly much heavier and

larger Nokia Lumia 625 managed 21 hours.

Although better, other phones can last

WHEN WILL I GET ANDROID 4.4 KITKAT?

It can take a long time for Android

phones to get updated to the latest version

of the operating system, so you may have

to be patient. Some phones will never be

upgraded to 4.4 KitKat.

One notable example is the Samsung

Galaxy Nexus, which wont receive any

more Android updates, leaving it stuck

on 4.3 Jelly Bean. Heres a list of phones

publicly confirmed by their manufacturers

to get KitKat. If your phone isnt listed, it

doesnt necessarily mean it wont get

KitKat just that the manufacturer has

yet to confirm it.

NOW Google Nexus 4.

JANUARY 2014 Motorola Moto G,

HTC One (2013), HTC One Mini and

HTC One Max.

SPRING 2014 LG G2. Sony Xperia Z, ZL,

Z Ultra and Z1.

even longer on 3G.

Battery life when

playing videos

continuously was

particularly

disappointing at

just under eight

hours.The Nexus 5 is the

first Nexus phone

tohave a 5in

screen, but this

means the phone is

too wide to hold

and use

comfortably if you

have small hands.

The screen does at

least look good

its dazzlingly bright

with vivid colours,

while text lookssharp thanks to the

high 1080p

resolution.

One of the biggest

flaws with the

Nexus 4 was its mediocre camera.

The Nexus 5 has a much better eight-

megapixel camera colours are fairly

accurate, details are reasonably sharp and

low-light photos are respectable thanks to

the optical stabilisation.

Its not as good as the cameras foun

the iPhone 5s or the HTC One Mini, w

produced sharper, more detailed ph

and have quicker focus, especially in

light. The camera app was slow to o

and surprisingly sluggish when tryin

quickly take action shots one after th

other. A lot of older Android smartph

suffer from poor responsiveness, wthe touchscreen cant quite keep up

finger movements, which we find ve

annoying. That isnt a problem with t

Nexus 5, though. Apart from a handf

occasions, it was just as responsive

iPhone 5s and the best Windows Ph

handsets.This is thanks, in part, to th

2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core

processor which sped through our

demanding 3D graphics and webpag

loading benchmark tests.


31/100

New Products tested by our expe

March 2014 Computer aMarch 2014 Computer a

HOW WE TESTComputeractives reviewers follow

strict guidelines to ensure the

opinions expressed in themagazine are fair, accurate and

independent. Every product or

service we review is thoroughly

examined and tested by experts.

The manufacturer has no

involvement in our tests and is

never told the result of a review

prior to publication. Please note

that our reviews grade products,

not customer service. We welcom

feedback on our reviews

send us an email to

[email protected]

OUR STAR RATINGS

We provide a clear verdict for everproduct we review. Each verdict is

accompanied by a star rating.

Heres what those stars mean:

An excellent purchase

A good purchase

OK by us

Below average quality

Very poor quality

OUR STAMP OF APPROVAL

BUYIT!

Our Buy It! stamp of

approval is a sign tha

a product has

exceeded our highexpectations in both

quality and value. If you see the

Buy It! logo you know we were

impressed with the product and w

think you will be too. The Try It!

Stamp is our equivalent award for

software and services that are free

of charge.

PRICESThe prices we print are the

suggested retail prices set by the

manufacturer. Products can often

be found much cheaper on the

internet or in shops.

TECHNICAL TERMSAND JARGONWhile we try to keep our reviews

free from technical language or

jargon, i t is sometimes unavoidabl

See the Jargon Buster column for

concise explanations of highlighte

words.

VERDICT: A good Android phone at a great

price, but let down by a couple of flaws

INFO: www.google.co.in

Android 4.4 has a new brighter look withmore transparent graphics

Android KitKat

The slick responsiveness of the Nexus 5 is

also due to numerous under-the-bonnet

improvements in the new version of

Android, 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 5 is the

first and, currently, the only Android phone

to come with KitKat pre-installed.

Although most of the improvements in

KitKat, named after the chocolate bar, are

very technical ones aimed at developers,

there are more visual changes too.

Google has largely replaced the black and

blue theme used by Android since 3.0

Honeycomb with a brighter look that uses

transparent graphics, such as the status bar

and the button bar at the top and bottom of

the home screen respectively.

One of our favourite features is Google

Now, which tries to make your life easierusing the phones sensors, online data and

information youve shared with Google

through its services and apps although it

works best with fast internet connections.

If you have an appointment in your Google

Calendar, Now will remind you about it and

show you directions for getting there.

Google Now also recognises your speech,

so you can tell it to call people, set

reminders, transcribe what you say and

more. Although its much faster than Siri

(iOS)at recognising what you say, you have

to phrase your requests more carefully. For

example, saying Show me my calendarworks, but asking Do I have any meetings

today? doesnt. These are quirks in Nows

design, which will be ironed out over time.

Disappointingly, the ability to trigger Google

Now simply by saying OK Google when at

the home screen is currently limited to

people in the US, but its still much easier to

get to th e main Google Now interface than

in older Android versions. Simply swipe left

from the first home screen.

The phone app tries to integrate Googles

web search in two ways. You can do a

Google search for phone numbers within

the phone app, although its not that clever- searching for curry lists nearby

electronics stores rather than Indian

restaurants. The phone app also attempts

to match unknown incoming phone

numbers with business names by

automatically searching the web when you

get a call, but in our tests the accuracy of

these results wasnt great.

Typing on the onscreen keyboard is now

more convenient thanks to improved

spelling corrections. Simply tapping a word

brings up a bar just above the keyboard

with spelling suggestions. This is much

less fiddly to tap than the small bubbles

that pop up above words in iOS.

The old text-messaging app has been

replaced by the new Hangouts app which

can also send messages for free throughGoogle+. The interface is cluttered and

confusing, though. For example, the app

lists Google+ and text messages from the

same person separately rather than

collected together.

It can, however, be replaced with another

texting app from the Google Play store,

such as 8sms (www.snipca.com/10758).

Conclusion

The Nexus 5 is a great phone.

It has the fastest performance and

responsiveness of any Android phone

weve seen, a good quality screen andsome useful software features.

Its let down by its disappointing battery

life and average camera, though, so it just

misses out on a Buy It! award.


32/100

only ring if someone urgently needed t

touch.

Finally, Moto Care is a brilliant app fil

tutorials on how to use your phone.

It can suggest beneficial changes to

settings and even make those changes

you. For example, it told us we could inbattery life by setting the screen bright

automatic and having it enter standby a

seconds rather than two minutes. Ter

a free text-chat service where you can

help from a friendly Motorola technical

support advisor.

Call and photo qualityCall quality on the Moto G is impressiv

We could clearly hear the person we w

speaking to, and received no complaint


Reviews

MotorolaMoto G

SMARTPHONE

If youre looking for a great budget Android phone, buy this now

Te Moto G changes everything. Until now

most sub Rs.14,000 Android phones have

been complete rubbish, with slow

processors, meagre amounts of memory,

terrible screens and poor battery life.

Te Moto G bucks this trend entirely, giving a

lie to the platitude you get what you pay for.

HardwareFor a phone that costs just Rs. 12,500 the

Moto G makes surprisingly few

compromises. Te only things youll give up

are 4G, an SD card slot and the amount of

built-in storage. Te 8GB of storage wont be

enough for some, but the 50GB of Google

Drive cloud-storage space (included free for

two years) helps make up for this. If you need

more on-board storage the 16GB Moto G

costs Rs. 14,000.

Unlike more expensive phones crafted

from glass and metal, the Moto G is madefrom colourful plastic, which is cheerful

without feeling or looking cheap.

A selection of multi-coloured

interchangeable covers (called shells see

lemon shell, right) are sold separately for

which means you can liven up the phone

with a splash of white, yellow, purple,

red or blue.

Te 4.5in screen is very

bright, and while its 720p

resolution isnt as high as the

1080p screens on more

expensive phones, text is still

crisp, while photos and videosare sharp and vivid.

A common complaint aimed at

cheap Android phones is the

delay between tapping the

screen and anything

happening.

Tis isnt the case with the

Moto G, which is very

responsive. Its also fast, racing

along in our 3D graphics and

webpage- loading benchmark

tests thanks to its quad-core

processor and 1GB of memory.

Android Jelly BeanTe responsiveness of the Moto

G is helped along by a lack of

superfluous apps and add-ons.While other manufacturers

slow their devices down with

pointless customisations you

cant remove, Motorola has

made very few changes to

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on the

Moto G. An update to Android

4.4 KitKat the latest version

has been promised for early

2014.

Te few tweaks Motorola

has made to Android are for the

better. When you turn on the

Moto G for the first time, aservice called Motorola Migrate

offers to wirelessly transfer all

your texts, call records, photos

and settings from your old

phone. Tis only works if your

old phone runs Android and

both phones are connected to

the same Wi-Fi network. Tanks to Migrate

we were up and running much more

quickly than expected.

Te Motorola Assist app works

with your calendar app,

automatically silencing your phone

when youre busy in a meeting, forexample so youre not disturbed.

You can also set Assist to

automatically text any callers to let

them know that you cant answer

the phone at that moment. It can

also silence the phone when youre

sleeping unless its a call from

contacts you specify, such as your

kids or elderly relatives.

Te idea is that you can sleep safe in

the knowledge that your phone will

BUYIT!


33/100


New Products tested by our exp

of poor call quality from family and friends

when chatting. Battery life was an exemplary

41 hours when making calls, taking photos,

browsing the web and using GPS. When

playing videos continuously, it lasted nine

hours 15

minutes,

which is

what wed

expect.

Te Moto

Gs biggest

flaw is

its five-

megapixel

camera. Te

photos we

took often

looked too

dark with

inaccurate

colours and

fuzzy details.

Low-lit photos were especially bad and more

or less unusable. Using the flash didnt help asit made photos too harsh and bright. Tis is a

shame, because the camera app works well.

Teres no camera button, so you have to tap

the screen to take pictures. Holding down on

the screen takes a burst of photos, which is

handy if youre trying to get the perfect action

shot or capture people smiling naturally rather

than grinning awkwardly. If you want more

control over focus and exposure you can drag

a small green target icon around the scre

Tese settings are then adjusted depend

the icons position. Tis works especially

for macro shots and scenes with a signifi

contrast between dark and light. Te cam

app also features an easy-to-use panora

mode for taking photos of epic scenery.

Conclusion

At Rs. 14,000 the Moto G is excellent va

It looks great, works brilliantly and has

specifications comparable to smartphon

costing twice as much. In short, the Moto

an absolute steal. If your budget wont st

to the even better HC One Mini or Nexu

respectively, then this is without a

doubt the Android phone to get.

VERDICT: Better than many phones t

cost twice as much, the Moto G is the

best budget Android phone available

INFO: www.snipca.com/10815The Motorola Migrate app wirelessly transferseverything from your old phone

The Assist app checks yourcalendar and silences your

phone so youre not disturbed


34/100

34 Computer activeFebruary 2014

Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display

TABLET

The mini tablet now comes with pixels galore

Our biggest criticism of the original

Apple iPad Mini was that its 8in screen,

with its low 1024x768- pixel resolution,

wasnt as sharp as rival mini tablets.

Thats no longer a problem with this

latest model, which now has a

whopping resolution of 2048x1536

pixels.The new display makes this new

iPad Mini much easier on the eyes.

Text is now very sharp, where it was

blurry on the original, while photos

and high-definition video are vibrant

and detailed. Colour accuracy is

slightly off compared to the Amazon

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and the Asus

Nexus 7 In particular, blue skies in

landscape photos look a little

washed out, but this is barely

noticeable, so its still a great tablet

screen.

The other big new feature is theA7 1.3GHz dual-core processor.

While the A5 chip in the original

iPad Mini was no slouch, the A7 is

even faster and blitzed through

our webpage-loading and 3D

graphics benchmark tests,

making this Mini the fastest

tablet under 10 inches weve

seen.

The super-high resolution screen and

fast processor require a bigger battery

than that found in the original Mini, so this

new model is slightly thicker and heavier

to accommodate that. The Wi-Fi-onlymodel weighs 331g, which is 30g more

than its predecessor, but its still light for a

mini tablet. The battery lasted just under

10- and-a-half hours when playing video

continuously, which is in line with Apples

claims. Although thats two hours less

than the original Mini, its still good.

While the metal design feels rigid and

looks classy, the thin border on the left-

and right-hand edges of the screen (when

held vertically) makes it somewhat tricky

to hold. Although Apple maintains that the

screen can intelligently detect when your

thumb is resting on the screens edge

rather than actively swiping or tapping it

was a little unpredictable

and in our tests correctly ignored our

thumb presses only 75 per cent of the

time. A slightly thicker border would bemore effective and make life easier.

Like all iPads, the Mini has access to

Apples App Store which is full of quality

apps designed for its high-resolution

screen. This along with its long battery

life, blistering performance and sturdy

build quality gives it an edge over the

Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9.

However, all this comes at a price the

cheapest Wi-Fi-only Mini is Rs. 28,900

more expensive than the equivalent

Reviews

VERDICT: An excellent mini tablet, b

great design and wide selection of a

come at a high price

INFO: www.snipca.com/11264

BUYIT!

Nexus 7. Add 3G to the mix, and the

Rs. 37,900 more expensive than th

equivalent Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire H

If youre likely to make heavy use o

then this premium is worth paying,but if you only want a tablet for wa

video and reading then the Nexus 7

one to get.


35/100

Subscron thesms SUBto 56161

Subscribe on [email protected]

Subscribe onlinehttp://www.nextgenpublishing.in/subs

SUBSCRIBE

NOW& AVAIL SPECIALDISCOUNTS

CALL+91 22 4352 5252Monday - Friday, 9.00 am to 5.30 pm

[email protected]

Powered by

Also available on

Subscribe usingCredit Card

over the phone

New

YOUR DETAILS(ALL DETAILS IN CAPITAL LETTERS)

Name: Mr/Ms

Occupation

Date of birth

Address

City State

Pincode Email

Phone (Off) Phone (Res)

Mobile No.

Please send me latest updates on Special Offers and Events of Smart Photography

Kindly draw the cheque/DD/PO in favor of NEXT GEN PUBLISHING LTD. (P

Rs. 20/- extra for outstation cheque)Please Find enclosed

Cheque/DD no. Dated

Bank

Branch

Or please charge my credit card Visa MasterCard

Card No.

Card expiry date

Name (as appea

Date Signature

TO GIFT A SUBSCRIPTION (ALL DETAILS IN CAPITAL LETTERS)Please fill out both the recipients details, below, and your details above. To

than one subscription, please provide address details on a separate sheet

Name: Mr/Ms

Occupation

Date of birth

Address

City State

Pincode Email

Phone (Off) Phone (Res)

Please complete the order form and mail it to us at Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,

2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, S.B.Marg, Lower Parel (W). Mumbai 400013

You can also fax the order for credit card purchases to +91 22 2495 5394

For clarications, email: [email protected] or call +91 22 4352 5252

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:Please allow 4-5 weeks for processing of your subscription. Copies will be sent by

ordinary post only. Next Gen Publishing will not be responsible for postal delay, transit loses or mutilation of cop-

ies. No cancellation of subscriptions will be entertained after commencement of subscription. Please mention

your name and address on the reverse of your DD/Cheque. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction

of courts in Mumbai only.

Cash Discount Offer

Pay `2880 for 3 Years subscription and save Rs.1620 on the cover price

Pay `1100 for 1 Year subscription and save Rs.400 on the cover price

Offer with subscription gift

Pay `1500 for 1 Year subscription and get a Charger & Batteries worth Rs.1800 free

International rate - 1 Year INR Rs. 7500 or USD 125 for by air mail post

FRGI

Special Subscription OffINDIASNUMBER1IMAGINGMAGAZINE!

ISSUE 6

VOLUME 09

SEPTEMBER2013

SUBSCRIBERS COPY

RS.125

SOFTWARE PREVIEW: PHOTOSHOP CREATIVE CLOUD PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE: SHOOTING ALBUM COVERS

INTERVIEWSURAJ DAS

LEARNING:STAR TRAIL PHOTOGRAPHY

TUTORIAL:EXPOSURE EXPOSED

REVIEWEDPENTAX K30

180ISSUEPAGE

SUBSCRIBERS COPY

E: SHOOTTINGALBUM

COVERS

NTERVIESUR

AJ

DA

S

E EXPOSED

EVIEWEDT

X K30

INDIASNUMBER1IMAGINGMAGAZINE!

SUBSCRIBERS COPY

REVIEWS:CANON EOS 70DSAMSUNG GALAXY S4 ZOOMPENTAX K-50

WEDDING SPECIAL

VINAYAKDASANDSNIGDHASHEEL

NIKLESHMALKANI

ANANDRATHIANDABHINAVSAH

INTERVIEWKIRANPOONACHA

LEGAL MATTERS

SENIORADVOCATE

ADHIKSHIRODKARSPEAKS

TUTORIAL

HIGHLIGHTWARNINGANDHISTOGRAM

ALSO REVIEWED

OLYMPUS 45MM F/1.8 MSCSIGMA 18-35MM F/1.8 DC HSM

CanonEOS70D

PentaxK-50

16pageSONYsupplementFreewithNovember2013issue.

INDIA

SNUMBER1 IMAGINGMAGAZINE!

ISSUE 8

VOLUME 09

NOVEMBER2013

RS.125

SOFTWARE PREVIEW: PHOTOSHO

P CREATTIV

LEARNING:ST

PHOT

INDIASNUMBER1IMAGINGMAGAZINE!

ISSUE 7

VOLUME 09

OCTOBER2013SUBSCRIBERS COPY

RS.125

THE BIG FIGHT:NORMALLENSESPREMIUM COMPACTSTOUGH CAMERAS

BASICTIPS FORWONDERFUL

MACROS

ALLABOUTMIRRORLESS

CAMERAS

TRAVELFEATURE

VARANASI

EXPERT TECHNIQUESPHOTOGRAPHINGPETS

HOWTO PHOTOGRAPHBABIES

INTERVIEWSKAUSHIK BHATIA

VINCENT VERSACE

wo`1


36/100

Reviews


Many people take more photos with

their smartphone than with a dedicated

camera. Not because its better quality

(most unlikely), but because its the

camera they carry with them wherever

they go. This usually means foregoing

an optical zoom, but not if you have a

Galaxy S4 Zoom the new Android

smartphone witha 10x zoom lens.

Its phone specifications are almost

identical to those of the Samsung

Galaxy S4 Mini It has the same 4.3in

screen with 960x540- pixel resolution.

While this is small compared to other

Android phones, its larger and more

detailed than the screens youll find on

most compact cameras.

The dual-core processor runs at 1.5GHz

instead of 1.7GHz, but theres little

difference in performance the Android

4.2 interface and most apps ran smoothly

in our test. However, unlike the Mini, itonly supports 3G rather than 4G.

The biggest difference between the

Mini and the Zoom is the latters camera,

which has specifications similar to

dedicated compact cameras. The 10x

zoom lens has optical stabilisation to

counteract hand shake and the

16-megapixel sensor is larger than most

smartphones sensors, which should have

boosted image quality, particularly in low

light. Sadly, however, image quali ty falls

short compared to dedicated cameras

with 10x zooms. Photos we took in bright

daylight looked fine at first glance, butclose scrutiny revealed a lack of detail and

a slight graininess. This noise became

more prominent when shooting in low

light, putting image quality on a par with

other similarly priced smartphones.

However, the 10x zoom makes it easier to

frame subjects more creatively and

capture distant subjects without the

compromise to image quality that comes

with a digital zoom.

The Zooms camera controls work

SMARTPHONE

An Android phone that tries to be a proper camera

VERDICT: An average alternative to a

separate camera and phone


Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

elegantly. The ring

surrounding the

lens controls zooming, plus there are

well-organised touchscreen menus for

all the functions wed expect to find

on a dedicated compact camera. Oddly

though, you have to unlock the phone

before you can use the camera, whichmakes it harder to capture fleeting and

spontaneous moments. Performance isnt

bad, capturing a photo every 1.6 seconds.

The inevitable downside is that the

zoom makes it roughly twice as heavy and

three times as chunky as a conventional

smartphone, and we got a few strange

looks in public when holding what

appeared to be a camera to our ears. But

we didnt find it excessively cumbersome

to use as a phone, even if the lens makes

it relatively uncomfortable to hold when

reading and watching videos.

Its easy to take photos with the zoom,thanks to the handgrip, something most

phones lack. But its not as comfortable to

use as a camera because theres not

much at the back to hold onto beca

screen virtually fills the entire backTheres just 5.3GB of available stor

but a micro SD slot lets you add mo

Battery life was a little below ave

lasting 17-and-a-half hours when ta

photos, browsing the web, making c

and navigating with GPS, but the ba

easily replaceable so you can take a

along with you. Call quality on O2 in

central London was poor voices o

sounded harsh and distorted, espec

high volumes, and the phone didnt

do a very good job of blocking out

background noise.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is neither thsmartphone nor the best camera. In

you could spend the same amount

Motorola Moto G and a better quali

camera such as the Fujifilm XF1 If yo

want the convenience of one device

carry and charge, as well as seamle

sharing of photos online, the Nokia

1020 is a better choice. It has gener

better image quality, especially in lo

light, and isnt as chunky.


37/100


March 2014 Comput

SMARTPHONE

HARDWARE

iBallAndi Uddaan

SeagateBackup Plus (3TB)

A budget phone with safety features

An external hard drive with a social media twist!

Unfortunately, womens safety has become

a serious issue in our country with harrowing

incidents on the rise over the past few months.

Tere are a few companies that are trying to

contribute towards curbing this menace and

one of them is iBall, who recently launched a

device dedicated to this cause. Dubbed Andi

Uddaan, the phone integrates an SOS button,

tracking, geo-fencing and ICE (In case of

Emergency) functionality aiding in the task ofkeeping women safe.

Te device comes in white, but is clearly

targeted at the female crowd. Te home button

is adorned with a Swarovski Zirconia Crystal

while the SOS button at the back is heart-

shaped. If these design cues werent enough to

announce its target market boldly, iBall even

bundles a back cover, flip cover and a small

purse, all in pink. Te default theme on the

phone is also in pink and shiny to match the

physical look.

Te phone features a respectable 5-inch IPS

display and supports qHD resolution

(960x540), which is decent for a phone at thisprice point. It is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core

Mediaek processor and has 512MB RAM,

given the limited resources,

the phone performs well

barring occasional lag and

slow performance.

Te phone has an 8MP

camera at the back with dual

LED flash and BSI sensor,

this improves pictures taken

in low light, claims iBall.

However, we found theimage quality to be average

in low light situations, with a

visible amount of noise. Te

front facing camera is a 5MP

one and also faces the same

issue in low light. On the video front, the main

camera is capable of recording at 720p while

the front camera records at VGA resolution.

Moving onto Andi Uddaans USP security

features. First is the Emergency Help app that

allows users to input all the vital details like

blood group, medical history, details of persons

to be contacted in emergency and so on. Next

up is the SOS app that activates when the SOSbutton at the back is pushed or the app is

activated on screen. Te app switches on a

loud siren to alert the peop

nearby and sends messag

calls to the five pre-define

contacts. It can also post a

update on Facebook. Te

Locate app enables trackin

the user by up to 10 peopl

supports geo-fencing, if th

user goes ot of a predefin

area, an email or SMS cansent to pre defined contac

o sum up, we feel And

Uddaan is a good effort w

tracking, SOS, emergency

and the feminine design, b

comes up short on performance and feat

If tracking and checking the whereabouts

your loved one is all it matters, Andi Udda

wont disappoint you. Price: Rs. 8,999

VERDICT: Handy safety features with

mediocre smartphone performance

INFO: www.iball.co.in

VERDICT: Wont disappoint if backing u

social media content is a priority

INFO: www.seagate.com/in/en/

How do you differentiate your product fromthe clutter when theres a wide choice for

consumers to choose from? Some companies

rely on the aesthetics, while others like

Seagate rely on the software and the

hardware combo.

Te Backup Plus range from Seagate allows

users to store their data on its capacious hard

drive while its software works to automatically

backup data from social media networks. Tis

month, we take a look at Seagates Desktop

edition of Backup Plus.

On the face of it, Backup Plus looks like arun-of-the-mill desktop hard drive but there is

a surprise at the bottom end. Te bottom of

the hard drive is detachable, it allows the user

to use an interface of his choice. For instance,

the default interface supported by the drive is

USB 3.0 but you can swap it with a FireWire

800 or a Tunderbolt adapter, that are sold

separately. Speaking of USB 3.0, in our tests

the Backup Plus averaged around 115MB/s

and 110MB/s read/write speeds respectively.

Moving onto the software, Seagate bundles

the Seagate Dashboard software with thBackup Plus.

Te software is easy to configure and

supports automatic backup of content fr

Facebook, Flickr and Youube social netw

It even allows direct sharing directly from

external or the users internal drive.

o sum up, Backup Plus from Seagate

another external hard drive but its the

software that makes it different. if you w

store and safeguard your online data loc

seamlessly, Backup Plus is the way to go


38/100

Reviews


if youre using multiple P

you can edit Rescueime

later to rectify this.

Although we like Rescthe interface could be refi

further. Wed prefer all

time-related settings to b

one screen, for example,

than spread out across d

screens.

Even so, Rescueime is o

the best time-managem

tools weve used to incre

personal productivity and

analyse working patterns

highlight where improvem

can be made. People wh

from home and freelanceparticular, would benefit

Rescueime, which is ea

worth its modest price.

RescueTime

If both your work and

personal life revolve around

computers, its easy to let the

lines between the two get

blurred. Online shopping and

social-media activity can eat

into your working hours, which

can leave you working late andwondering where the day went.

If you often find yourself falling

behind schedule, you need

Rescueime software that can

help you optimise every hour of

the day.

Rescueime uses a Desktop

program to track exactly what

youre doing with your time. It

lets you set goals and then

classify tasks based on how

productive they were. If, for

example, you find that replying

to emails or attending certainmeetings take up more time

than they should, then you can

mark those tasks as

unproductive.

When you first sign up to

Rescueime, a getting started

guide introduces you to the

main dashboard and prompts

you to set goals. Here, you can

block distracting websites,

access a full record of your

productivity over time and log

any time spent away from your

computer.o test Rescueime, we set

some basic goals: to spend less

than two and a half hours being

unproductive between 6am and

8pm; and more than two and a

half hours hours being

productive in both the morning

and afternoon, including our

lunch break.

Over the course of a day,

Rescueime monitors your

IMEMANAGEMEN SOFWARE

activity and

calculates what it

calls your

productivity pulse,

which displays how

efficient youre

being in a handy

at-a-glancepercentage score.

Carrying out

activities youve

classified as

productive will raise

the productivity

pulse, while

spending time on

wasteful activities

lowers it.

Over the first few

days, youll probably need to

refine your initial settings and

goals. Based on our definition ofwhat constituted productive

time, we almost never met our

morning goal, but exceeded our

afternoon goal. We used this

data to gauge how realistic our

goals were and in which periods

of the day we were most

efficient. We found that Friday

afternoons were our least

efficient period when working in

the office, but our most

productive t ime when working

from home.

Tose who tend to overwork whether at home or in the

office can take advantage of

the feature that lets you

configure alerts notifying you

via email or a pop-up message

that youve hit a certain goal for

the day. You can also use the

alert system to give you a

nudge if it looks like youre

falling behind. Moreover,

Rescueimes Advanced Filters

A program that stops you wasting time and helps you be more productive

settings let you monitor

different periods for different

days, handy if you work

different hours at the weekend,for example. A free Android app

lets you log and track activities

when youre away from your PC

(www.snipca.com/11207).

If, like us, you work on

multiple computers in different

locations over

the course of a day, you can

install Rescueime on each of

your PCs. Following five

minutes of inactivity, the

software starts wondering what

youve been up to and asks via

a dialogue box to explain yourabsence. Teres a risk of

accidentally logging activities

for the same time period twice

VERDIC: Te best method weve found to show how

were wasting time


BU


39/100



Weve reviewed quite a few Asus monitors in

the past but the one were reviewing today,

takes the cake. Its the PB278Q were taking a

look at and it sits in the top tier of the range

offered by Asus.

As per Asus the PB278Q is ergonomically

designed, enabling users to tilt (up to 20

degrees), swivel, pivot (up to 90 degrees) and

even adjust the height for a better viewing

experience. We found all these claims to be true.Te monitor is also equipped with a streamlined

cabling system that takes away the normal

cable clutter.

On the I/O side, the PB278Q supports HDMI

1.4, D-Sub, Display Port, Dual-Link DVI-D, a

3.5mm headphone jack and an audio in port

along with two 3W stereo speakers. Te

onscreen display (OSD) menu buttons are

placed on the bottom of the monitor with the

text painted on the front side. Te PB278Q

features a 27-inch PLS (Plane-to-Line

Switching) display panel and though theres a

good amount of debate if an IPS panel is better

or a PLS one, we would say this PLS-equipped

monitor from Asus is at par. Te monitor offers a

178 viewing angle along with a fast refresh rate

of 5ms for smooth visuals. Te monitors selling

point is the huge display size complemented

with the high resolution. Te PB278Q supportsWQHD resolution (2560x1440 pixels), which is

about 109 pixels per inch (PPI) or about four

times the resolution of a 720p display!

In short, working on this monitor is a treat. Te

colour accuracy and image accuracy is very

good since it supports 100% sRGB and results in

a crisper text and sharper images, th

Documents

Computer Active India - March 2014