Lava launches Xtron+ tablet at Rs 6,990

Lava today announced the launch of its E-Tab XTRON+ tablet which will be available on online shopping sits at a price of Rs 6,990.

The XTRON+ has the latest Android version (Jelly Bean) 4.2.2 and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual core processor.  It has 1 GB RAM and an internal memory of 8 GB, that is expandable up to 32 GB, an official release stated.

Lava E-Tab Xtron+ tablet

The tablet features both front and rear cameras, but they’re pretty basic (front 0.3 MP and Rear 2.0 MP).

The device has a micro-USB and HDMI port for connectivity and allows users to access the internet only through Wi-Fi.

The makers of the XTRON+ say it has a more powerful battery that allows it to function upto 5 hours on a full charge.

To sweeten the deal, Lava is also also providing tie-ups with online education portals like Edukart and Meritnation to allow students to access online courses at discounts.

Google announces HTC One Nexus with ‘pure Android’ for $599

Google is adding the recently released HTC One to its lineup of smartphones running on an unmodified version of its latest Android software.

An HTC One model relying on the same version of Android as Google’s Nexus brand will go on sale on June 26 for $599. That’s the same day Google will start selling a Samsung Galaxy 4S that runs on a pure version of Android for $649.

Most consumers have been paying about $200 for the HTC One and Galaxy 4S since their April release. Wireless carriers subsidise the smartphones in return for a two-year contract commitment.

The announcement was made by Android and Chrome head Sundar Pichai at AllThingsD’sD11 conference.

Google’s phone are unlocked and sales aren’t tied to any wireless carrier. The devices are aimed at people who don’t like the revisions that HTC and Samsung made to the Android.

HTC One, the Nexus version. Image from Google Plus account of Android.

Android’s Google Plus page had this update:

We’ve just announced another phenomenal new Android phone coming soon to Google Play — The HTC One with the Nexus user experience.

It’s SIM-unlocked and bootloader-unlocked, supports LTE (T-Mobile and AT&T) and comes with Beats Audio. Available June 26!  

Range Rover Evoque Review

Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight: the Range Rover Evoque isn’t your typical SUV. Fair enough, it’s powerful, bulky and, despite being the brand’s most fuel-efficient vehicle yet, guzzles more pints than a groom-to-be on his stag do. But it feels extremely light and emits less noise than its bulkier siblings.

Oddly, it's being billed as an economical and compact motor, which is silly because it's not as economical as, say, the  Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4, or as compact as the MINI Cooper Roadster, but does boast a luxury shell that's on par with the Audi S7 Sportback.

Designed to take on BMW’s X1 and Audi’s Q3, this top of the Range (see what we did there?) motor will be on sale in 160 countries – 40,000 orders have already been placed so far – and launched this year to rave reviews, but does it live up to the hype? We took it for a spin…

Sony MDR-XB910 review

Sony MDR-XB910 review

Love

• Exceptional bass
• Memory foam loveliness
• Pumping volume

Hate

• Unbalanced sound
• Plastic build
• Headband comfort

There's certainly no shortage of dance orientated headphones to choose from so the Sony XB910s have their work cut out against the likes of the Beats Executive, the AiAiAi Capital, Onkyo ES-HF300 and Urbanears Zinken, which all continue to impress. But with huge 50mm drivers and no-holds-barred design we think Sony might have a winning formula on its hands.

Sony MDR-XB910: Size and build

Not for shrinking violets, the XB910s are big, plastic and very, very shiny. Not being made of brushed aluminium they lack a little bit of premium feel, but they are nicely put together with a good combination of matt and polished surfaces and all the hinges make reassuring clunks and clicks.

At 305g they're not featherweight, but when you consider their bulk they don't feel cumbersome or unbalanced.

The flat tangle resistant cables (two supplied, one with universal in-line mic and pause button) lock securely in place which is just as well as Sony hasn't bothered to include a protective case. This seems a bit stingy at £200 a pair, but at least the headphones fold in half for easy storage.

Sony MDR-XB910: Comfort

With big squishy memory foam ear pads the XB910s feel great. The large surface area seals in the sound and does a surprisingly good job of reducing ambient noise without feeling like your head's in a vice.

We only wish the headband came with a whole lot more padding as the cream leather effect feels like a token gesture - especially after half an hour of listening.

Sony MDR-XB910: Sound quality

Anyone looking for a grown-up audiophile-approved sound should look elsewhere because these are big boomin' bass bins. The large 50mm neodymium driver works perfectly with loud thumping dance, bruising hip-hop, D&B and mass-produced pop. 

Play anything gentle, acoustic or generally mid-frequency and prepare to be disappointed, but turn them up and enjoy. Be like Dizzee Rascal and stick to 'Big dirty, dirty stinking bass' and you won't go wrong. We're not over egging the bass pudding here, but the XB910 are BOOMING and balance, detail and mid-range suffer slightly as a result.

Sony MDR-XB910: Verdict

At £199 the Sony MDR-XB910 is a premium product with both barrels aimed squarely at Beats by Dr Dre. With its superior 50mm driver, excellent noise isolating ear pads and look-at-me silver styling if you want a thumping nightclub inside your head you'll not be disappointed, but don't expect anything in the way of sonic subtlety.

Sony MDR-XB910 release date: Out now    

Sony MDR-XB910 price: £199

iWatch Apple Maps Concept Video

If you’ve wondered how the iWatch and Apple Maps could connect to help you get around, a new iWatch concept offers a glimpse at how the most important information from the iPhone could end up on your wrist.

The iWatch is an Apple watch that is rumored as in testing and in the works at Apple with one source claiming Apple has over 100 people working on a smartwatch. The rumored iWatch would connect to the iPhone to allow access to important information like notifications, control of music and access to maps.

Tim Cook stated that he finds wearables “incredibly interesting during an interview earlier this week, calling them a “profound” opportunity. While Cook did not mention the iWatch or go into details, one of the reasons we think he is so interested in this is because of opportunities to bring information to your wrist when you need it. That’s what this iWatch and Apple Maps concept does.

iWatch Concept Maps Video

A new iWatch concept from Martin Hajek takes his classic looking iWatch concept a step further showing off how Apple Maps and an Apple smartwatch could connect.

Razer Blade Gaming Laptop is Thinner Than The MacBook Air

Razer, the PC gaming accessory maker turned PC manufacturer, announced its new Razer Blade laptop, a 14-inch gaming laptop that’s thinner than the MacBook Air.

While previous larger versions of Razer‘s laptops (now replaced by the Razer Pro) featured the unique Switchblade LCD trackpad and customizable buttons, the new Razer Blade looks more like a traditional laptop with a standard trackpad. The gaming laptop looks incredibly similar to the MacBook Pro, even down to the product page and announcement video.

The design isn’t nearly as important as what’s inside the 0.66-inch thick laptop, however. The Razer Blade uses the latest Intel Core i7 CPU (formerly known as Haswell) and the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M GPU. The result is a laptop that can play that latest PC games such as Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite and Metro: Last Light.

Inside the Razer Blade also has 8GB of RAM and can come with 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage.

Android 4.3 Update Rumored for Early July

The long rumored, and recently teased, Android 4.3 update release could take place in July according to a well placed tipster.

Android 4.3 is the next most likely version of Android, a minor upgrade to Jelly Bean that appears to bring a few new Android 4.3 features like a new camera app and will bring support for Bluetooth Smart, which will make more Android devices compatible with devices like the Fitibit Flex and other Bluetooth accessories.

Earlier this week Google announced the HTC One Nexus edition will join the Samsung Galaxy S4 Nexus edition on the Google Play Store on June 26th, bringing the Nexus experience to two of the Best Android smartphones and joining the Nexus 4.

Tactile Touch Displays May Be Coming to the Next iPhone

Rumors of flexible displays coming out from LG and Samsung are beginning to shape what may be the future of mobile, and Apple is hoping to also capitalize on flexible display technology on its iPhone product in the future. A recently uncovered patent filing shows that Apple is considering the use of flexible displays, at least from a technology and patent perspective. However, unlike LG, which is considering flexible displays for unbreakable phones, or Samsung, which may be using flexible displays for bendable phones that take up less space when not in use, Apple is using flexible display to add another dimension to touch, making touchscreens more tactile so you can push into the screen.

A Touchy-Feely iOS

Apple is considering adding another Z dimension to its displays so that the screen can move inwards according to the patent application discovered byApple Insider. This allows users to have a tactile response when they’re typing with the on-screen keyboard, in one application.

In another situation, a tactile touchscreen display also allows users to have more control of the screen depending on how much force they press. Slightly pressing in on the display may yield one action while pushing down hard into the display could have a stronger effect or even a different effect depending on the app.

Essentially, this would turn your screen into an onscreen button where you can push into the display with varying levels of force.

From LCD to OLED 

With flexible displays, Apple would be switching its IPS LCD screens on the current iPhone to the use of OLED screens. OLED screens are more suitable for flexible display applications as they’re thinner than LCD or LED panels, and the switch may have positive and negative consequences for Apple.

Tesla Motors Announces Country-wide Free Supercharger Network

Tesla Motors announced today a dramatic increase in the number of available Superchargers for drivers of the Tesla Model S and future vehicles.

According to Musk, “You will be able to drive all the way from Los Angeles to New York using the Supercharger network.” The company will be increasing the number of metro areas covered by the network, and also increasing the density.

Tesla also announced faster charging from the Supercharger station. With the new charging stations, a Tesla will be able to be 2/3 recharged in a 20 minute time period. Along with the Los Angeles to New York journey, the Supercharger network will allow for trips from virtually every big metro area in the United States or Canada to any other major metro area. This vast expansion of charging should reduce the “range anxiety” sometimes felt by electric vehicle owners, and with a much faster charge time the breaks are similar “to that taken on a normal road trip,” according to Musk.

During Musk’s conference call, he also indicated that Detroit and most of the state of Michigan will be covered by the Supercharger network by the end of the year. That would definitely be symbolic in taking the electric vehicle fight straight to the hometown of the petrol-powered vehicles.

How To Create A Powerful Vision For Your Success

Envision something you have always wanted to do. Go on, take your time. Let yourself go. Is it Snowboarding in the Swiss Alps? Finishing your education? Making a million dollars? Starting your own business? Whatever it is, you can accomplish it, and this can be achieved by firstenvisioning your dream to be real.

By creating a vision, you can reach far beyond your material existence, get out of your comfort zone, and imaginatively extend yourself beyond what previously seemed impossible. By going deeper, and understanding yourself better, you create a better balance. The heart and soul are enhanced and you then become more focused on the positive. Most people are focused on what they believe they “can’t” do, and not on what they “can” do. Fear is the paralysis and usually the culprit, and creating a vision can help you overcome this.

Great visionaries like Walt Disney emphasized “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Goethe stated, “whatever you are able to do or dream you can initiate it. Boldness has magic, genius, and strength. Start now!” Michelangelo said, “The biggest threat for many of us is not that our goals are too high and we might miss them, but they are too low and we may reach them.” The list of words of wisdom can go on infinitely. There has been great minds throughout the centuries that have learned the secret of seeing the invisible and creating a vision. In fact, it would be impossible for them to achieve their dreams without envisioning them first.

What is a vision for success?

- A vision is something like a mirage in the mind. A state you want manifested into your outer world.

- The idea becomes a conviction after your “will” joins in to support the idea.

- Fine tuning and expounding the concept with the will and intentions to achieve the perceived idea are what creates the vision.

The vision is the expression of a much wished for future, that is better than what exists now or of what is projected to subsist in the future.