Xolo Win Q900S Windows Phone handset now available for Rs 9940 and lower

The Xolo Win Q900S which appeared via online retailers in India in July, is now available for Rs 9940 or less, depending on where you’re picking it up from. In the first quarter of the year, Microsoft had announced free Windows Phone licenses to Indian manufacturers in an attempt to flood the market with inexpensive devices worthy of resisting the Android onslaught.



We wouldn’t say the move has been a flyaway success, but somewhat cheap options running on Microsoft’s mobile OS are slowly but surely penetrating the smartphone market in the country. Apart from the Xolo Win Q900S, we’ve also seen the Micromax Canvas Win series hit India. Then there are also some budget Nokia Lumias for fans to choose from.

The Win Q900S looks like your regular Windows Phone handset and sports the familiar interface too. It gets its kicks from a quad core processor of Qualcomm origin and 1GB of RAM. There’s only 8GB of ROM, though hoarders can thankfully take the memory up by another 32GB owing to the microSD card slot inside this dual SIM Xolo smartphone.

Xolo Win Q900S main specifications:

- 1.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 200 chip
- 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage
- 32GB microSD card support
- Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 OS
- 4.7-inch 720p IPS screen w/ Dragontrail Glass
- 2MP webcam, 8MP main camera
- HSPA+ 42Mbps, dual SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- 1800mAh Li-polymer battery

In general, things are looking uncertain for the affordable mobile segment in India currently. Google is getting ready to charge into the scene with Android One devices, known players like Samsung are steadily losing their market share to homegrown OEMs and Mozilla’s Firefox OS just helped lower the price bar for smartphones to an incredibly low level considering the Rs 1999 Intex Cloud FX.

Meanwhile, Flipkart is selling the Xolo Win Q900S for Rs 9820 and Snapdeal has put it up for Rs 9940.

How to Upgrade the RAM (Memory) on a Laptop

Got a sluggish or aging laptop that could use a speed boost? One of the most cost-effective upgrades to make your computer run faster is to simply add more RAM. In about the time it takes to read this step-by-step tutorial, you can upgrade your computer’s memory and performance.

1. Find Out If Your Computer Needs More RAM

Low memory is often the cause of bottlenecks on a computer, and can lead to not just slow performance but also stability problems. If you’re a power user–multitasking across several intensive programs or keeping 30 or so browser tabs open at once–more memory will likely help your system run more smoothly.

You can check your laptop’s memory usage in Windows Task Manager: With your typical applications open, hit Win+S to search for “task manager” (in Windows 7, hit the Windows key and type “task manager” in the search field). Then, in Task Manager’s performance tab, see how much memory is being used out of the total available. You’ll also see how many physical memory slots are in use and, thus, how many are available for adding more memory.

You’ll get an even more detailed view by clicking on the “Open Resource Monitor” option at the bottom of the Task Manager window and navigating to the Memory tab. Note the screens will look slightly different under Windows 7 (shots below come from Windows 8.1).

 

Need more memory!

2. Find the Right Kind of Memory

Once you’ve decided to upgrade the RAM, the hardest part is finding the correct memory for your system. Memory supplier Crucial offers handy tools to help you select the right memory. You can download a system scanner and let it find the upgrades available or simply choose your system from the Crucial Advisor tool.

Depending on your system, Crucial’s Advisor tool might ask you for specifics you might not be sure about–for example, whether you have a dual core processor or a quad core one. You can find these details in Windows’ System Information window: Use Win+S to search for “msinfo32″ and look for the appropriate line (e.g., look at the processor line to see how many cores it has.)

Crucial’s tools will tell you how many memory banks (or slots) you have and the memory chips you can buy for your system. 

 

For better performance, memory should be added in pairs. If your laptop has two memory banks, for example, and one of them is taken up by a 4GB chip, get a matching 4GB chip for the other, empty slot.

3. Open the Panel to Locate Your Memory Banks

With your additional memory in hand, it’s time to upgrade your laptop memory, a pretty straightforward process.

First, turn off your laptop and unplug the power adapter. Then open the panel on the bottom of your laptop covering the memory banks. (Depending on your system, you might have to unscrew the whole back of the laptop to access the memory and other components.)

 

3. Ground Yourself to Avoid Electrostatic Discharge

Before you touch any component in your PC, though, touch any metal surface inside the computer (e.g., the back of the hard drive or a metal connector for another component). This will discharge any potentially damaging static electricity from your body.

MORE: How to Disable Automatic Restart in Windows 8.1, Windows 8 or Windows 7

4. Remove Any Memory in the Upper Slot

Chances are any installed memory will be taking the upper slot, so you’ll need to remove it and put it in the other bank so you have space for your added memory. 

To remove the memory module, push apart the clips holding it in place. The memory module should pop up at an angle. 

Then, holding the memory module by its edges–without touching the gold connectors at the bottom, lift the module out.

5. Install the Old Memory Module in the Lower Slot

Next, insert the module into the bottom slot at a 45-degree angle, with the gold edge facing down (the same way it was installed in the upper slot). Use even pressure with your fingers at the top of the module to push it into place. When you hear a click and feel the memory module snap into place, firmly push the module back until it is installed flat and level, with the clips holding it securely.

 

 5. Repeat the Installation with the New Memory Module in the Upper Slot

Take the new memory module, with the gold edge facing down, and repeat the process in the top slot: Insert the module at an angle, and push down and back until it clicks into place.

 

That’s it! Power up your laptop and head back to the System Information window or Task Manager to verify your new memory has been added. Enjoy your upgraded memory!

Lenovo A536 Android KitKat smartphone released in India for Rs 8999

A 5-inch Lenovo A536 has hit the Indian market for a price of Rs 8999 which puts it in direct competition with a few other phones we were introduced to not very long ago. Just take the Lava Iris X5 and Karbonn Titanium S19 for starters, as well as the Xolo Q600s, Micromax Unite 2 or Intex Aqua i5 Mini in case you don’t mind a smaller form factor at a lower cost.

The Lava handset has flash units for both its 5MP and 8MP cameras, making it ideal for taking selfies. The Karbonn device has a 13MP main snapper and 5MP webcam. Both smartphones also feature 720p HD resolution touchscreens against the 854 x 480p display on the Lenovo A536.

And it’s not like the A536 looks exceptional enough to warrant its unexciting specifications at the said cost. It’s plain and generic in appearance as far as mid-range phones go and comes in color options of black and white. This Lenovo device works on Android KitKat and kicks in dual SIM slots.

A MediaTek processor keeps the A536 on its feet along with 1GB of RAM. It is powered by a Li-polymer battery which will let users squeeze about 12 hours of talk time out of it. There’s 8GB of internal space and a microSD card slot for adding up to 32GB of extra memory for hoarding stuff.

Lenovo A536 key specs list at a go:

- Android v4.4 KitKat OS
- 5-inch 854 x 480 resolution screen
- 1.3GHz quad core MT6582M processor
- 5MP rear camera, 2MP front lens
- 1GB of RAM, 8GB internal memory
- Storage expandable up to 32GB
- Dual SIM card slots
- 2000mAh Li-polymer battery
- Almost 12 hours 3G talk time
- 139.6 x 72 x 9.9 millimeters
- 149 grams

The Lenovo A536 is up for pre-order at a discounted price of Rs 8499 through the company’s TheDoStore in black and white. It will start shipping out to customers beginning from September 6.

A pointless rip-off of a pointless app: Meet Yup, India’s version of Yo!

We’ve already discussed before how pointless the Yo app was and even though the app has seen some new features like the ability to send links, start Hashtags and follow third-party services, the idea of just ‘Yoing’ people borders on lame.

Of course, when there’s an idea that creating some serious buzz in America, an Indian rip-off is never far behind. So now Gurgaon-based Nucleus Research has launched its own version of the Yo app and called it Yup! Yup that’s right, they didn’t even choose a name which started with a letter other than Y.

The app which is currently available on Android, is going to be available on Apple and Windows Phone 8 soon. Interestingly when you head to the developers’ site, it takes to you to a bunch of terms and service which point out that any copyright violation will be dealt with in a court of law. The irony is hard to miss.

According to a press release, the company has also roped in singer Yo Yo Honey Singh as their brand ambassador. Take that Yo, Yup! has the singer whose name might have really been useful for your brand.

Also if you download the app, he will be your first (and possibly only) friend on the app. Honey Singh had this to say at the launch of the app, “I am excited to become a part of YUP!team as this gives me an opportunity to engage with my fans in a unique way. My fans can now interact with me and share their feedback by just Yupping me anytime, anywhere. Join Yup! to become a Yup Star.” Put away that bottle of vodka and we suggest your start Yupping to Honey Singh on your mobile.

So what does the app do? Well you can send a Yup! to your friends once you download the app and convince other friends to do the same. According to the company, here are some scenarios in which you can send or say Yup:

1) Yup! to say Good morning – receive Yup when your coffee is ready.
2) Yup! when you reach home, work or getting late at night.
3) Yup! when work is done – bank, office task or you finish a meeting.
4) Yup! if you making a plan.

And of course who can forget the most useful one “Yup! to interact with Yo Yo Honey Singh.” The app allows also you to send more than a Yup, but you’ll have to add contacts and can’t do the same with just the two default contacts (Honey Singh and the Yup team.)

The things you can send to your contact other than Yup are “Miss Me?, Love Me?, All Ok? Coffee? Let’s Go? Reached? Can Talk? Party?” So each of the messages you send via Yup! will have a crazy question mark at the end and we can’t help but wonder why. Somebody should point out that Miss me and Love me with a question mark at the end sound just so damn needy or creepy depending on who sends it.

Since Yup! has so many uses, we came up with two other scenarios in which you can rely on the app.

When the girlfriend/boyfriend is harassing you on WhatsApp or Hike with questions like “Are you leaving me? Are you cheating on me?” Just reply with a Yup! It will definitely revolutionise break-ups. When your boss asks if you’re quitting, just send a Yup. If like you feel Yup doesn’t have enough swag, we suggest you use Yo.

So what does the app look? Exactly like Yo. Yup, true story. The UI is like Yo, down to the colourful blocks for the various buttons.  Even the purple and green colours are taken down from Yo and so is the font.

So how is it like to use the app? Well after sending a ‘Yup’ to Honey Singh, we waited a while for a reaction or some kind of a response, but got nothing. Maybe we should have sent him a Yo. Even a bot saying ‘Yup’ back in place of Honey Singh would have been nice but sadly it was not to be.

Given that the app is a total rip-off of the Yo app, (which itself has limited uses) it’s a little surprising that the company expects to have 50 million users by the end of 2015. Whether or not Yo will try to have the app removed from the Play Store remains to be seen. But we won’t be surprised if it’s booted out before it hits the ambitious goal of 50 million users.

Old wine in new bottle: Samsung Galaxy S Duos 3 hits India for Rs 8,150

Samsung has finally revealed the Galaxy S Duos 3, which has been in news for couple of days. The device has been listed on Samsung India's website for Rs 8,150 and is available in grey and white colours.

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 3 comes with a 4 inch touchscreen with 800x480 pixels resolution. It measures 121.4 X 62.9 X 10.8 mm and weighs 124 grams. The Galaxy S Duos 3 has a 1 GHz dual core processor, which is supported by 512 MB RAM. Thankfully, it runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 aka KitKat operating system.

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 3 has a 5 megapixel rear camera and a VGA front camera. It has 4 GB of internal storage and, though it has not been mentioned in the product page, it should have a micro SD card slot for 64 GB card (or atleast 32 GB). This dual SIM smartphone comes with WiFi, micro USB 2.0 port, and an LED flash in the rear.

Needless to say, the phone does not look impressive on paper considering devices like Motorola Moto E, Asus Zenfone 4, and the recent blockbuster – the Redmi 1S.

Google Prepares Update To Android Wear With Bluetooth, GPS, And Custom Watchface Support

Ahead of the Berlin IFA show this week and a number of Android Wear device announcements, Google is preparing an update to their wearable OS (writes Richard Nieva on CNet). Three major additions are coming, including support for direct BlueTooth connections from the wearable to external devices such as headphones, the addition of code to support GPS hardware, and a common API allowing custom watch faces to be designed and made available through the Google Play store.



These updates should all be available by the end of the year. There will be an update to Android Wear just before IFA, and this should tweak ‘the navigation experience’ (presumably improved turn by turn directions relayed to the Android Wear device while walking) and improvements to the voice recognition software.

LG and Samsung both have Android devices currently on sale, and announced their second devices last week (the LG G Watch R and the Samsung Gear S). Motorola’s Moto 360 featuring the circular UI should get a commercial release date announced by the end of the week, and there is an expectation that September will see Android Wear devices announced by Acer, Asus, HTC, and Sony.

It’s unlikely that smartwatches are going to be an instant money spinner for any manufacturer. I don’t think that’s the goal in these early moments of the smartwatch ecosystem. Having proved their worth to the geekerati, it’s time to work on a vision that consumers can buy into. By providing a common platform Google is hoping to pull the same trick with on the wrist as they did with the mobile phone, and become the common operating system choice across a wide range of devices.

Manufacturers can pass over much of the heavy development work to Google, and in exchange get to experiment in the smartwatch space without their R&D teams reinventing the OS wheel, safe in the knowledge that their watch will be compatible over the Android smartphone platform. Yes, it hands a lot of indirect control to Google, but attempting to go it alone with a smartwatch involves a much larger investment in areas such as software development, certification, and developer outreach programs.

That might be fine for the tech-community focused Pebble team, but it’s perversely out the reach of many mainstream manufacturer’s smartwatch department.

And there is the elephant in the room of Apple’s iWatch. Android Wear provides some safety in numbers against the expected hardware from Cupertino.

Nevertheless, smartwatches are a new category that is still waiting for a major player to come up and establish a vision that consumers can buy into. Google has set out their thoughts, and we’re about to see what the manufacturers can add.

Sony Xperia E3 Budget Smartphone With Android 4.4 KitKat Launched at IFA

Sony, at its pre-IFA 2014 event in Berlin, has finally introduced the successor of its Xperia E1, the Xperia E3, along with its dual-SIM variant, the Xperia E3 Dual. While the company has not provided pricing details, it says the smartphone will launch globally in Autumn 2014.

The Sony Xperia E3 and Xperia E3 Dual feature identical specifications, except that the latter sports dual-SIM card slots. The smartphone bears a 4.5-inch IPS display with a 480x854 pixel resolution. The Android 4.4 KitKat-based handset also houses a 5-megapixel rear camera along with a bunch of Sony's own photo and video editing apps, including features like HDR and Timeshift burst. It also has a front-facing VGA camera.

A quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz powers the handset, coupled with 1GB of RAM and Adreno 305 GPU. It comes with 4GB of built-in storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB). 

One of the new features introduced in the Xperia E3 is the 'shake to start' app that lets users customise shortcuts to access the preferred apps by holding the handset and flicking the wrist.

Connectivity options on the Xperia E3 include 4G LTE (in some markets), 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi, A-GPS with Glonass, USB 2.0, FM radio with RDS, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 3.5mm jack. 

The smartphone weighs 143.8 grams, and measures 137.1x69.4x8.5mm. The Xperia E3's 2330mAh battery is rated to deliver up to 12 hours 20 minutes of talk time, and up to 706 hours of standby time.

Sony Xperia E3

• KEY SPECS
• 
  

Display

4.50-inch

Processor

1.2GHz

Front Camera

 0.3-megapixel

Resolution

 480x854 pixels

RAM

 1GB

OS

 Android 4.4

Storage

4GB

Rear Camera

5-megapixel

Battery capacity

2330mAh

Samsung launches Android-powered printers, with a 10.1″ screen that connects you directly to the Web

Android has long transcended its smartphone roots, but Samsung is now taking the Google-led operating system to the printing realm, with what it’s calling the world’s first Android-powered printer.

Straight out of left-field, this news falls hot on the heels of the Korean technology giant launching its first tablet for enterprises earlier today, and a virtual reality headset yesterday, so it’s been a busy and diverse week for the company.

The internet on your printer

The new multi-function printer (MFP) models were introduced at IFA in Berlin, and are aimed squarely at the business fraternity. As you can see from this close-up of the printer’s control panel, it very much has the familiar Android look and feel, though with options specific to printing – including ‘Scan & Send’ and ‘Job Status’.

Curiously, the Samsung Smart MultiXpress series feature a 10.1-inch full touchscreen panel that lets you connect directly to the Web, meaning you can access maps, emails, and pretty much any online content without the need for a PC.

There are ten new MFP models, across four separate categories. These are:

• X4300 series of A3 Color MFPs: The X4300 series of A3 color MFPs consist of X4300LX, X4250LX, and X4220RX models with an output speed of 30, 25, and 22 pages per minutes (ppm) respectively. X4300 series are equipped with Dual-Scan ADF technology, enabling them to scan up to 100 double-sided images per minute (ipm) for color and up to 120 double-sided ipm for mono. All models are equipped with Samsung’s Rendering Engine for Clean Page (ReCP) technology and Polymerized Toner, proving sharp, vivid, glossy professional color quality. The X4300LX model MFPs have a print capacity of up to 85,000 pages per month, with 23,000 pages for black and white toner and 100,000 pages for drum.

• K4350 series of A3 Monochrome MFPs: The K4350 series of A3 Monochrome MFPs consist of K4350LX, K4300LX, and K4250RX models with an output speed of 35, 30, and 25 ppm respectively. The K4350 series MFPs are equipped with Dual-Scan ADF technology, enabling them to scan up to 100 double-sided ipm for color and up to 120 double-sided ipm for mono. The K4350LX model MFP has a print capacity of up to 85,000 pages per month with 35,000 pages for toner. Drum has an output of 200,000 pages.

• M5370 series of A4 Monochrome MFPs: The M5370 series of A4 Monochrome MFPs consist of M5370LX and M4370LX models with an output speed of 53 and 43 ppm respectively. The M5370 series MFPs are equipped with Dual-Scan ADF technology, enabling them to scan up to 80 double-sided ipm. The M5370 series MFPs can print up to 300,000 pages per month with 30,000 pages for toner. Drum has an output of 100,000 pages.

• M4580 series of A4 Monochrome MFPs: The M4580 series of A4 Monochrome MFPs consist of M4580FX and M4583FX models with an output speed of 45 ppm. M4580FX is sold through the OA channel and M4583FX is sold with the IT channel. The M4580 series MFPs are equipped with Dual-Scan ADF technology, enabling them to scan up to 60 double-sided ipm. The M4580 series MFP can print up to 200,000 pages per month and 40,000 pages for toner. Drum has an output of 100,000 pages.

So…what do these badboys look like? Have a gander for yourself.

Toshiba's new $119 Windows 8.1 tablet could be a problem for Android

The Encore Mini – which Microsoft had initially called the Encore 7 back at Computex earlier this year – is about as basic a Windows 8.1 machine as you are likely to see. Built around a no-frills 7-inch 1024 x 600, the Encore Mini contains a 1.83GHz Intel Atom Z3735G processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.

According to Toshiba's specs, the tablet features a micro-USB 2.0 port, a 0.3MP front-facing camera, a 2.0MP rear-facing camera, a microSD card slot, and a battery capable of powering it for 7.3 hours.

It's not going to win any medals for speed, but as a platform to run apps on, consume content, and access web-based services such as Facebook and Twitter, it's enough.

On the software front, the Encore Mini runs the lower-cost "Windows 8.1 with Bing" operating system (lower cost because Microsoft it hoping to make a return from people using its services), and comes with a year's subscription to Office 365 personal. It also comes loaded with third-party apps such as Amazon Kindle and Netflix.

The price tag on all this is a low $119. The estimated ship date is September 17.

While on first blush it might seem like cheap tablets represent a threat to more expensive Windows tablets, the real threat is to the flood of low-cost Android tablets entering into the market. The Encore Mini with it's Atom processor and 1GB of RAM doesn't have the grunt to run heavyweight applications, but it does have more than enough power to make people think twice about buying a cheap Android device, especially if they come from a Windows background.

Giving OEMs access to cheaper versions of Windows could be a game-changer as it allows Microsoft to compete on a more level playing field against Android, and gives OEMs a way to bring Windows to market on cheaper devices.

HTC's Desire 820 is a mid-range flagship phone with 64-bit support

When it's not producing flagship phones like the One (M8) or the Butterfly 2, HTC is flooding the rest of the market with several Desire models. These devices vary anywhere from mid-range (like the Desire 816, released in February) to low-end (the Desire 210), and everywhere in between. This week, the company is launching another model, called the Desire 820, which is geared toward the former group -- in fact, HTC says this is meant to replace the six-month-old 816. But with a few better specs and an octa-core chipset with 64-bit compatibility, it's hard to blame Peter Chou and his army of design-oriented individuals for coming out with another one so soon.

The 820 is supposed to hit markets worldwide near the end of September, though the price will likely vary by region. (I'm guessing it will be similar to the 816, which is currently selling in the neighborhood of $350 in the US.) As it's replacing the aforementioned phone, the 820 comes with a few key performance improvements.

First, it gets a boost from a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 to an octa-core Snapdragon 615 with 64-bit support and big.LITTLE architecture. In English, 64-bit support should be helpful when you're playing games or using processor-heavy apps because it can perform better and won't drain the battery as fast; regular apps should see a small improvement in executing operations as well. Of course, these improvements will be virtually nonexistent until Google officially releases its next version of Android, which will come with OS support for 64-bit, and developers push ahead with apps that are optimized for the extra bits. (HTC confirmed that the 820 is going to updated to Android L at some point.) As for big.LITTLE? This means that the 820 comes with a set of four 1.5GHz cores for more intense tasks, as well as a set of four 1GHz cores for the everyday stuff that doesn't require a lot of processing power; this is done to improve battery efficiency.

The 820 retains the look of the previous Desire flagship, complete with BoomSound and the same solid polycarbonate shell. Unfortunately, it appears that the 820 comes with the same frustrating 13MP rear-facing camera, which our Richard Lai wasn't pleased with in his review. We hope HTC is using a different module or tweaked software that offers better performance. That said, the front-facing camera has stepped up to a not-shabby-at-all 8MP sensor -- yes, selfie cameras are all the rage these days -- and at least you'll get twice the storage capacity (16GB instead of 8GB) and an extra half-gig of RAM (2GB over 1.5). The battery hasn't changed at 2,600mAh and you'll have the same 5.5-inch 720p display.

HTC is also boasting that the device comes in a slimmer profile (at 7.74mm) and what HTC is calling "double-shot," which is a multi-tone unibody design technique that the company claims brings improved build quality and tolerances to daily stress.

I wasn't too surprised to discover that the 820's in-hand experience is incredibly similar to the 816 that came before it. The 5.5-inch frame isn't going to be a comfortable fit for everyone, but if you're used to palming large-screened smartphones, you'll likely find it tolerable to hold the 820. All but one of the colors offered are glossy -- tuxedo gray is the only matte option -- so the polycarbonate build is very smooth; however, this makes it more of a target for unsightly fingerprints. The SIM cards and microSD slot are tucked away under a plastic tab on the left side, while the power button and volume rocker are on the right. While the Desire features a lovely design, the camera unfortunately interrupts things a bit; it stands slightly above the rest of the back and is so close to the top of the device that, when looking at the sides, it's painfully prominent.