Assassin's Creed Rogue Review: A rehashed Black Flag still has its own charm

Ubisoft's golden child, the Assassin's Creed franchise has been around for quite a while now. It's a series that invariably manages to surprise the best of us with each title. Although, frankly speaking, it has also lost much of its charm post Brotherhood and Ezio Auditore still remains to be the most charming protagonist of the lot, there's always a certain amount of curiosity and positive buzz around every new Assassin's Creed game. The developers have been churning out a new title every year since the series' inception, but none of the games under the banner seem to be forced down your throats just for tradition's sake. Just to give you an example, we can't say the same about the Call of Duty games! 

Speaking of Assassin's Creed Rogue, it's no rocket science to conclude that the title is Ubisoft's one last attempt to squeeze out some extra cash from last-generation consoles while the whole world goes gaga over its next-gen exclusive Unity. However, as is customary, Rogue manages to pack in a few surprises of its own: the most important being, turning one of the biggest fantasies of long-term fans into reality by giving them a chance to see what the world looks like when the tables are turned. Rogue gives you a chance to play as a Knights Templar and go about hunting down Assassins, for "what an Assassin truly wants isn't freedom but order", so says the protagonist in the story.

Although the prospects of playing a Knights Templar sound ways tempting, be that as it may, Rogue is a farewell of sorts for the old-gen platform. Is it a worthy farewell though? We find out in our review. 

Story and plot

Assassin's Creed Rogue follows the story of Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin turned Templar who is out to seek vengeance from his own former mentor, and the entire Broherhood, for that matter.

Why, you ask? Well, without giving out many spoilers here, let's just say that our hero (some might call him an anti-hero though) seems totally out of place and an odd man out every time he goes out and finishes a job for the Brotherhood. Each time he kills an odd Templar, he is filled with grief and remorse which makes him question whether or not he is on the right side of the table and if he has the right to kill someone in cold blood. Of course, Shay is young and raging with hormones, but that really doesn't explain the motives behind why he starts giving his profession a second thought so early in his career! He is seen as this moody and spoiled brat of a character initially, who is always trying to pick up fights and reasons to hate/question his fellow mates and their deeds.

It simply takes a couple of Templar assassinations (of the already sick and dying lot) and a failed attempt to retrieve a Piece of Eden from Lisbon (the heist goes awry and the Assassin lot ends up wiping out the entire city) that Shay realizes his true calling in life.

Shay joins the ranks of Templar of the Colonial and pledges to stop the Assassins from getting their hands on another Piece of Eden at any cost.  

Sadly, character development goes for a toss amid all the fiasco as one event paces into another, with the main protagonist sifting through the story dogged by a not-so-convincing Irish accent. It's really hard to sympathise with Shay, particularly when more often than not he has no clue what he is doing with his life. As an Assassin turned Templar, he still feels guilty of killing his former men at arms, and we clearly have no picture of what is right and what is wrong throughout the story. But then again, both the sides have their share of shady moments, and the pace with which things are happening here, you won't have much time to sit back and brood over it.

Assassin's Creed Rogue is set in the mid-18th century (between 1752 and 1761) during the Seven Years' War and acts as a continuing link between Assassin's Creed 3 and Black Flag (and also forms the prologue to Unity).            

While the main story seems straight out of some Bollywood masala potpourri, the game's modern-day storyline is downright stupid (and that is has some of the most obnoxious characters to tag along is like adding salt to the wound). A virus has found its way through the Abstergo servers triggering a lock down, meaning you're stuck within the confines of the building and instead of hacking into computers; you're forced to repair them via mini-puzzle games.

With that said, the Abstergo Entertainment headquarters this time round prove to be a hidden Mecca of information spanning across the length and breadth of the Assassin's Creed universe. Datapads and notes scattered across the building give you deep insight into the universe and serve as a guiding light for those who, for some reason, have failed to understand the happenings in the AC universe. 

While this information details everything that is going on within Rogue itself, the fact that it touches the previous games as well (in the form of Assassin profiles and timelines) is a welcome move to helping understand this universe, which honestly speaking could be a huge one at that (if you've played them all, that is). Basically, if you've played Rogue, you won't need any additional tutorials to understand the AC universe. Ubisoft has managed to stack Abstergo with all the relevant information that one might need. Also, it has dropped in few Easter eggs here and there with references to other Ubisoft games as well, if you observe carefully.    

Gameplay and graphics

Assassin's Creed Rogue essentially mixes the wilderness of Assassin's Creed 3 with the sea faring nature of Black Flag. As a player you get to explore three major areas -- the frozen North Atlantic, the Appalachian River Valley and New York. Basically, the one large map setting of Black Flag (of the Caribbean) has been broken down into three smaller map segments in its direct sequel.  

Let's just say that the land aspect of the game could be easily forgotten in case you're familiar with the franchise, offering nothing spectacularly to what we haven't already seen in Black Flag. There's a saying, why fix something that isn't broken for starters and Ubisoft has taken the saying very seriously, so it seems. Most of the locales seem to be recycled straight out of Black Flag, but the end result is like a half-cooked meal. Somewhere down the line you do end up saying, "Hey, this looks familiar". 

All in all, while Black Flag appeared to be polished enough, Rogue seems to end up being pitched like a brother from another mother (of course, both the games have been developed by different studios, but that's not what we mean).

Rogue does try to maintain its individual identity here and there: the iced Arctic caves and mountain-lined valleys, the raging blizzards do seem like a sight to behold. Sadly, these instances are far too low and too far spaced to actually enjoy in the longer run.
Of course, New York seems fancy enough with its wooden houses and all and did we mention Sleepy Hollow: yes, the fabled village on the east bank of the Hudson River ripe with pumpkins and fireworks. Now as glorious as these might look and feel, sadly there's not much solid happening here in terms of gameplay, save a few of the core story missions and some forgettable side quests. So, at the end of the day you don't get to actually explore them to your heart's content.       

Speaking of exploration, Shay is quite easy to handle on the PS3, but then this is not a new game right? Developers have been working on refining the player mechanics for quite a while now and apart from a few hiccups here and there, handling is as refined as we saw in Black Flag, if not better. However, that's not the point here. Developers at Ubisoft have been known to pack in something extra in subsequent iterations of the series; however, Rogue seems to be an exception. Shay has all his mechanics taken straight out of Edward Kenway's bag of tricks.

As far as Shay's arsenal is concerned, you now have an air rifle (for silent takedowns) and a grenade launcher (available only one per mission) at your disposal in addition to the usual stack.   

For a game that lives and breathes assassination, there are not too many assassinations in Rogue to brag about. However, life gets a whole lot tensed when you're up against the Assassins who unlike your past enemies are faster, smarter and cheekier. You must keep your eyes open at all times in anticipation of someone from the Brotherhood sneaking out on you from a bush or way up top. With that said, boss fights in Rogue are rather pale and disappointing, they are all so easy to kill that there's no fun to it at all.

Familiar faces return from past games and the game drops in a few historical characters that the series is known for; however, most of these characters (especially the new ones) are badly constructed and/or poorly voiced.

Also, achieving full synchronisation in missions is not mandatory anymore; therefore players can try out new ways to go about their business, which is good. However, players cannot access certain areas of the map unless they have completed a mission associated with the same.    

Seafaring missions return with a vengeance in Rogue. Although much of these are still greatly inspired from Black Flag, it is the ships and battles on the high seas that keep Rogue from sinking. 

Of course, the frozen North Atlantic is no match for the lush beaches and crystal clear waters of the Caribbean we saw in Black Flag. But sailing across the Atlantic is no less fun and is as engaging if not better. Unlike Kenway's Jackdaw, Shay's Morrigan is sleeker, meaning it can easily sail through inland America. Also, the Morrigan is battle-ready from the word go, meaning you're ready for battle upfront. You can, of course, upgrade your ship as the game progresses.

Sailing on the open sea amid sounds of shanties is thrilling and satisfying. Naval battles are tight and require a certain amount of planning to go about particularly when you have too many enemies surrounding you. The Morrigan gives you a little more arsenal for added combat via puckle guns and the ability to release oil slicks, which can then be ignited. Also, unlike Black Flag, enemies can now board your ship and underwater diving is strictly prohibited (for the obvious reasons).    

But then again, the number of these engaging naval battles is so low, that by the end of it all you're left asking for more. More often than not you won't fancy the need to upgrade your ship (apart from adding an icebreaker that quite frankly speaking is a must on the open sea). 

The core story lasts for 8-10 hours at the max. Therefore both land as well as naval missions seem shrunken and far less satisfactory than what we expected. Also, there's no multiplayer round the corner this time round. 

The side missions do extend the game time depending on how and what grabs your interest. These range from collecting items to upgrading buildings that the franchise is already known for. In addition, you can liberate gang bases, kill narwhals and infiltrate forts as well.   

The PS3 version of Rogue looks alright as far as graphics are concerned. The graphics are at par to what we usually associate with last-gen consoles. However, as mentioned earlier, some of the characters are badly constructed with unpleasantly odd voicing.  

Should you buy it?

While some might call it a glorified DLC of Black Flag (quite rightfully so), others might refer to it as an extended teaser trailer for Unity (spoiler alert). Still others might call it a handy tutorial of sorts to understanding the AC universe. Whatever you might call it; it's certain that Rogue cannot be ignored. 

Long-term fans of the series would play it for the obvious reasons: a nearly engaging story and the ever-familiar naval combat (that still holds promise). Of course, it still is a half-baked attempt of a title, but you can't ignore the fact that it's very thick with information filling in many of the gaps between Assassin's Creed 3 and Black Flag, and quite unabashedly at that. Yes, a rehashed Black Flag has its own charm. 

Game reviewed on Sony PlayStation 3

Available on

PS4/Xbox One: Not available

PC: Rs. 1,799 (Out now)

PS3/ Xbox 360: Rs. 2,999 (Out now)

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/assassins-creed-rogue-review-a-rehashed-black-flag-still-has-its-own-charm/1/404779.html

5 best camera phones you can buy.

There is a saying that the best camera is the one that you have on you. You may have a top-end DSLR camera at your home but it is of no use if you are not carrying it. The moments will be missed. This makes smartphones as cameras such an appealing prospect. A smartphone is always with us and if it can actually click good photos, it will be a camera that you will be using all the time.

But not all smartphones are equal when it comes to camera performance. Some are better than others. If you are someone who likes to snap pictures using the phone, here are the five devices that we suggest. In their class, these are the smartphones with the best camera.

Under Rs.10,000

The Xiaomi Redmi 1s is the first phone that springs to mind when we talk about good sub-Rs.10,000 camera phones. In fact, it is a device that punches above -- or rather much above -- its weight when it comes to camera performance.

It has an 8-megapixel camera that takes fantastic photos in daylight. In low light, it clicks images that are usable and not a mishmash of grainy noise. Xiaomi has added a very usable HDR mode which helps take better photos in low-light. The camera interface is also pretty straight forward.  In fact, we feel that the phone's camera performance eclipses a few phones that cost above Rs.20,000.  In the sub-Rs10,000 market, no phone comes even close to the camera performance of the RedMi 1S.

Under Rs.20,000

The Asus ZenFone 5 has the best camera if one is looking for a phone for less thanRs.20,000. Again, we don't have a camera which has a crazy 13-megapixel resolution, but rather a plain-Jane 8-megapixel shooter.

It has a f/2.0 aperture, which is quite wide for a phone of its class and with some magic trickery of Intel's ISP, the phone is capable of taking some stunning shots. In particular, the low-light performance and performance for macro shots is fantastic.

Under Rs.30,000

For less than Rs.30,000, you can actually have the best smartphone camera in terms of image quality. Yes, we are talking about the Microsoft Lumia 1020.

Its 41-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilisation and a 6-element lens system reigns supreme in terms of image quality. Nokia's PureView technology comes into play, which uses the 41-megapixel sensor to produce noise-free 5-megapixel images using a technique called oversampling. If you want to shoot at 41-megapixels then you get the option to zoom into images (digitally) with little loss in image quality. The phone also is able to support RAW files, which is a rarity in a smartphone. Yes, there are phones that cost more than what Lumia 1020 costs, but when it comes to camera quality you don't have to spend more because it is the best.

Around Rs.40,000

What if you don't want Lumia 1020? What if you want a smartphone that doesn't run Windows Phone operating system? If you have a budget of around Rs.40,000, we will suggest the Apple iPhone 5S.

We know it is one year old. And we know it lacks fancy features like "Exmor-R" image sensor or "Ultrapixel" technology. But features don't matter. What matters is reliable and solid performance and that is exactly what the camera in the iPhone 5S provides. The phone has a 8-megapixel image sensor and a lens with F/2.4 aperture. But despite seemingly modest-hardware, it clicks beautiful photos. More importantly, the camera software in the iPhone 5S makes it a joy to use. The shutter lag -- duration between shots -- is almost non existing, which means you won't miss clickable moments. The HDR mode is well implemented and useful. The overall performance is reliable, irrespective of shooting conditions. The iPhone 5S is also helped by the way core software in the phone processes images. Noise is kept low and white balance is usually spot on. Overall, this one is a solid choice for anyone looking to get a smartphone that has excellent camera.

Willing to spend more...

If money is no criteria, then we suggest the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. As we said earlier, in terms of pure image quality, the Lumia 1020 reigns supreme. But the iPhone 6 Plus is the best combination in terms of usability, core software, smartphone functionality and camera prowess. With a price of Rs.62,500 it is a pricey preposition though. But it is worth it if you want absolutely top notch images coming out of your smartphone camera.

In many cases the iPhone 6 Plus is as good as the Lumia 1020 in terms of image quality. But even beyond the image quality, the user experience is great. It is simple to use and now that Apple has added exposure controls in iOS 8, power users can tweak the exposure for even better images.

Apple has added a phase detection autofocus system in the iPhone 6, which makes it a hyper fast shooter. The presence of the optical stabilisation results in crisp, noise-free images even in dimly-lit scenes. The performance is equally good when it comes to shooting videos. Don't believe us? Hey, even the folks at DxOMark have rated the iPhone 6 Plus as the best camera phones in the world, and these guys really push the camera hardware to its limits.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/5-best-camera-phones-you-can-buy/1/399356.html

First impressions: PadFone Mini is phone that turns into tablet

Earlier in the week, Asus launched its PadFone Mini. It is a device with multi form factor. Actually, it is a phone, which can be plugged inside a big screen to create a tablet. When in a tablet form factor, it has a 7-inch screen. When it is like normal phone, it has a screen size of 4.3 inches.

Essentially, the PadFone Mini is a hybrid of a 7-inch tablet screen which is called a PadFone Station and a 4.3-inch phone. The PadFone Station has a 7-inch 800x480 pixels screen, which is not the sharpest or the brightest in town. The 4.3-inch screen on the phone has a sharper qHD resolution but that too appears washed-out.

It has a quad-core Qualcomm processor clocked at 1.4GHz, which works in tandem with 1GB of RAM and 16 GB of memory. The memory can be expanded via a microSD card slot. The device supports dual-SIM feature.

During the time we spend with the device, we found the user interface on the phone to be smooth. But we did not stress test it.

The device has a 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 2-megapixel camera for selfies. We did not test the cameras. This is something we will test in the review.

Unfortunately, the phone runs on a rather ancient version of Android -- 4.3 Jelly Bean, to be precise -- that is pretty unacceptable.

As for the ergonomic and build quality, we felt the product is built well but at 8.7mm, the phone is definitely not the slimmest around. The Pad Station, meanwhile, feels massive with a thickness of 17.7mm.

Overall, The PadFone Mini seems to be targeted at people who want the best of both worlds in one  package -- a big screen and a small screen but in single device. We are not sure that there will be many takers for the product, but at Rs.15,999 it is certainly an unique offering. We will have more to say about it in our review.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/first-impressions-padfone-mini-is-phone-that-turns-into-tablet/1/404234.html

Microsoft Lumia 830 review: End of anera

The emotional connect we Indians have for the Nokia brand is immense. It is not an exaggeration that Nokia was probably the first mobile experience for most Indians. But Nokia, as we know it, is over. At least, for a few years. Now that Microsoft has acquired the Finnish company's phone division, it has started phasing out the Nokia name from Lumia smartphones. 

In fact, the Lumia 830 and the Lumia 730 are the last two smartphones that will bear the name Nokia. Afterwards, it's all going to be Microsoft Mobile. 

The Lumia 830 packs everything recent Nokia phones have been known for - a PureView camera, a colourful chassis and even Windows Phone. Being the last Nokia smartphone for the time being, one expects reliable, unique and fun experience from it. Is Lumia 830 a phone that does the iconic Nokia name proud? Let's find out. 

Design

The design on the Lumia 830 feels like an evolution of the design language Nokia started with the Lumia 925. It certainly has the same industrial design feel. At the same time, it also feels like a thinner version of the Lumia 930, which many have deemed to be too thick. In fact, by Microsoft's own admission it is the thinnest Lumia in the market at 8.5mm, but that is not much of feat. In an age where phones have started crossing the 5mm barrier, 8.5mm just feels thick, especially for a phone that costs more than Rs.25,000.

Undoubtedly, it looks quite pretty especially when combined with colourful polycarbonate back and the 2D curved glass. However, its ergonomics like most of the newer Lumia phones, are somewhat flawed. The metallic frame, while adding rigidity, also makes it blocky, which converts to a poor in-hand feel. 

The back of the phone borrows elements from the legendary Lumia 1020 as it flaunts a camera disk, but thankfully this time it is without the bulge. All these elements combine to form a highly recognisable Lumia phone, which in typical Nokia fashion is well build, however it fails to impress in terms of ergonomics. 

Display

The Lumia 830 has a 5-inch 720P LCD display, which results in a pixel density just shy of the retina moniker Apple has popularised. the lack of 'retina' level sharpness, may not be a big deal as the Windows Phone UI largely helps offset the problems of the lack of sharpness thanks to blocky and large interface elements. That said, if you care about pixel-perfect screen, you will notice the lack of sharpness while reading text on a web page on the Lumia 830.
 
The bigger issue is that the colours themselves are not natural enough and nor do they pop like on an AMOLED screen. There's an odd yellow tinge to the screen. While the phone offers colour calibration options, the effect is quite minimal. The viewing angles of the screen are decent and for watching video too the screen is adequate. Under direct sunlight the legibility of the screen is serviceable.

But that's the thing. Serviceable does not cut it when Android smartphone vendors are shipping 'beautiful' 1080P screens on phones that cost a good deal less. One can easily make do with the resolution, but the fact that the screen is overall not as brilliant as other phones is very disappointing.

Camera

The highlight of the Lumia 830 is its 10-megapixel PureView camera which packs in optical image stabilisation. In fact, it is the cheapest Lumia phone with the PureView branding and Microsoft claims it can eclipse the iPhone 5S and the Samsung Galaxy S5 in terms of imaging. This claim is a little far-fetched in our opinion. 

While the camera seems slightly better than the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S5, it is certainly not as reliable as the iPhone 5S.

The Lumia 830 can shoot great photos in low light and normal lighting alike, but its biggest shortcoming is speed. It is slow, very slow, which means a lot of missed shots, or a lot of blurred photos if the subject has moved even slightly.  

Microsoft promised to address this issue with the new Lumia Camera app, but at the time of writing the review the phone is yet to receive the new app.

If you can ignore speed, the Lumia 830 offers a solid camera which takes detailed photos with low noise levels. The low-light performance is particularly good. The colours on the Lumia 830 camera are also better than the Samsung Galaxy S5, but not as good as the iPhone 5S.

The camera also allows for ample granular control thanks to the radial interface for every manual camera setting. There are options for exposure, shutter speed, ISO and white balance. The phone even has a tutorial for new users.

The quality of footage captured with the Lumia 830 is also very good. By default the phone shoots at 1080P as well as supports Dolby Surround Sound. It can filter out higher frequencies like engine sounds automatically.  

The front facing camera is also quite good on the Lumia 830. It is a 0.9-megapixel camera which works via a separate Lumia camera app. It takes decent selfies which can be compared to the iPhone 5S.

Software

The Lumia 830 runs on Windows Phone 8.1 with the Lumia Denim update. This is perhaps the biggest weakness of the phone. Windows Phone 8.1 adds a notification panel, a new assistant called Cortana (Which is not yet available in India) and swipe typing using the "wordflow keyboard". But constant irritants like the poor support for Google apps remain. Also, the quality of apps in general is not as good as what is available on Android and iOS.

Overall, the operating system remains the biggest stumbling block for the Lumia 830. That said, if you are looking for a simple user interface and don't mind using Microsoft's apps like Outlook.com instead of Gmail or use One Drive instead of Dropbox or Google Drive then the situation is not that bad. 

One of the biggest USPs of the OS does not apply anymore as Office apps are now free on iOS and Android. In fact, if anything those apps are better on iOS and Android. 

Performance

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 1GB of RAM, the Lumia 830 doesn't claim to be the fastest phone around. But like any other Windows Phones device, it delivers solid performance. It rarely lags or stutters. The phone has 16GB of internal memory with support for an up to 128GB microSD card.

That said, the phone is slow in switching apps, and also in opening them. It also starts to slow down a bit if multiple tabs are open in the web browser. This would not be an issue on a phone selling for less than Rs.20,000, but the fact that Lumia 830 costs more than Rs.25,000 makes all this disappointing. 

The phone has the Adreno 305 GPU which means that it can handle basic games like Angry Birds without trouble. But the GPU is obviously not in the same class as something like Adreno 330, found in many Android phones in the same price bracket.

Battery life and call quality

The Lumia 830, despite its slightly chunky size, has a battery capacity of just 2,200mAh battery. While this number is low, the phone manages to last around 18-20 hours on single charge. Our usage included two email accounts, two social networks, 2 hours of calling, 15-20 pictures, a bit of YouTube streaming via a third party app, 15-20 mins of web browsing and a bit of music streaming. 

The call quality was impeccable and the phone always maintained good signal strength and we only faced a single dropped call in two weeks using the phone.

Should you buy it?

At Rs.28,799, the Lumia 830 is overpriced by any metric. It may be the last Nokia-branded Windows Phone device, but its design is starting to feel dated and its internal hardware inhibits its performance. This is true especially when it is compared to similarly-priced Android phones. 

The only bright spot is its camera, but that too is not as good as many cameras on Android phones, costing the same or little more. The LG G2 is a great example as its imaging prowess and performance is superlative, while the Lumia 830 is riddled with compromises, the biggest being Windows Phone itself. 

We recommend Lumia 830 only to Nokia faithful who likes Windows Phone. Windows Phone is undoubtedly a pretty and simple OS, but its integration with Google apps is disastrous (for no fault of Microsoft's) and the quality of apps itself is not as good as on Android and iOS.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/microsoft-lumia-830-review-end-of-an-era/1/403923.html

First impressions: With affordable Lumia 535 Microsoft takes on Android

From now onwards, the Lumia brand will not be associated with Nokia, but Microsoft. The first in the line of Microsoft-branded phones is the Lumia 535, which the company launched in Delhi for Rs.9,199. On paper it is a rather affable effort boasting decent specs and some Microsoft differentiators. We played with the phone at the launch event. Read on for our first impressions.

The Lumia 535 appears like an extension of the old Lumia 820, only it is lighter and has a bigger screen. It has a glossy polycarbonate finish, which looks a bit tacky and frail like some of the older Samsung phones. That said, the phone feels comfortable to hold in the hand. However single handed usage will be difficult.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad core processor with 1GB of RAM. In the short time we spent with the phone, performance was smooth just like it is on most Windows Phones. That said, 1GB RAM should help in better long term performance and apps that need a minimum of 1GB of RAM should work fine.

There's 8GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot supporting up to 128GB of storage. That said, we found there was less than 4GB of storage, which is not very optimum for users. This is due to a number of apps Microsoft has preloaded on the

There's a 5-megapixel camera on both the front and back. We did not test the cameras on the phone, but Microsoft demoed that the front camera could take wide-angle selfies. The rear camera supports autofocus, but the resolution of videos is limited to only 480P.

The 5-inch screen was a little washed out and was not particularly bright. Its qHD resolution was fine, but when we took the phone outside, its brightness was definitely lesser than what competition offers.

The phone along with the rest of the Lumia portfolio now offers discounted rates for OneDrive for business and Office 365, which Microsoft claimed was a result of full integration it brought to the table.

It also has a 1,905mAh battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-SIM capabilities, which gives the device a wealth of functionality. The phone runs Windows phone 8.1 with the Lumia Denim update, which also adds a number of custom Lumia specific apps.

Overall, we feel, still Microsoft could have been a little more aggressive with the pricing considering Android phones from Motorola and Xiaomi still offer much more in terms of hardware and have an inherent software superiority on the basis of what is offered on the Google Play store.

Still, for Rs.9,199 the Lumia 535 represents Microsoft's most aggressive push in the low end of the market. Now all that remains is a full review of the phone, which we will post soon.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/first-impressions-with-affordable-lumia-535-microsoft-takes-on-android/1/403860.html

Viber announces public chats, HD voice calls and free messaging

Viber, the popular voice over internet protocol (VOIP) has announced a major update to its app, which now offers free messaging and HD quality calls. In addition, the company announced a new feature called Public Chats, a new feature which according to the company will allow users to discover, share and interact with conversations, communities and content on mobile devices. In India, initially the app will be launching in beta.

"In India we are launching with 56 chat partners. We want to ensure every Indian who comes here experiences the chat platform," said Anubhav Nayyar, Country Head for India. 

Viber calls the public chats feature live discussions between celebrities and personalities that its users can follow. The company touts it as a new type of social experience as anyone can follow anyone and conversations will include a combination of text, audio, video, stickers, and web linkstands. Public chats include celebrities like Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh,Arjun Kapoor, Sonu Nigam, Virat Kohli, Sachi Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal and many more.

The most popular chats will be featured on the home screen of the public chats section of Viber, claims the company.

The company thinks that public chats will be a big deal as it is different from other social networks like Twitter and Facebook, where celebrities go through a lot of trolling. Viber will offer full control over trolling and offer a human side of the celebrities claims the company. "This is not about hosting and sending commercial messages. It is about natural conversations," said Mark Hardy Chief Marketing Officer of Viber.

"We are all about free calls and free messages, and now we are much more. Public Chats is Viber's interpretation of a new social media platform," claimed Hardy.  

Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have a group which already has more than 5,000 followers.

There is a search button which helps users find their favorite personalities.

Viber has 460 million unique users as of 24th November across platforms including iOS, Android and Desktop. It grew to 460 million users from 375 million users in June 2014 in just 5 month.  "India is our no.1 market at 33 million users followed by America and Russia," claimed Hardy."Viber is a truly global platform with 29.9 per cent users in Asia Pacific," he added.

Hardy did not beat around the bush and admitted to WhatsApps dominance. "We all know WhatsApp is a big competitor."

Minus China Viber is used by 12 per cent of the users of the world and is number two after WhatsApp. China of course is dominated by We Chat so that number is bound to change if China is added. Viber ranks number 1 in terms of grossing revenue in 34 countries.

Viber reiterates that it is not getting into advertising like other social networks like Facebook. "We are never going to get into advertising. But public chats will help community managers to interact with their audience," claimed Hardy.

Viber is available across a multitude of platforms including iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry 10, Windows, Mac, Windows 8, Linux, Symbian, Nokia S40, Bada, BlackBerry 7 and is used in over 193 countries.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/viber-announces-public-chats-hd-voice-calls-and-free-messaging/1/403637.html

Scan and Print photos straight from your smartphone screen with SnapJet

The SnapJet is a scanner and printer not much bigger than a smartphone that scans images directly from your smartphone screen and prints them out on Polaroid 300 or Fujifilm Instax paper.

"Smartphone displays like iPhone's retina display have achieved amazing resolutions and they are all carefully color corrected. The light emitted from them could produce a beautiful print on instant film - if only there was a way to focus that light," writes the SnapJet team on its website.

"SnapJet combines vintage analog instant film and cutting-edge fibre optic technology to do just that. It is a modern reinvention of a beautiful, artistic and expressive medium," they added.

The makers claim a resolution of 1200 dots per inch (dpi) for the scanner.

The sleek machine uses optical fibres instead of a lens to scan photos and is compatible with all phone sizes.

Just place your phone face down on the SnapJet and it will finish the work.

The developers hope to make their next printer seven-mm thick and see to it that it does not require a charger.

It is available for $129 (Rs. 7,960) and shipping to India is only $18 (Rs. 1,110).

The makers hope to deliver it by December 2015 so it will take at least a year to get your hands on the product.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/scan-and-print-photos-straight-from-your-smartphone-screen-with-snapjet/1/403493.html

First impressions: Redmi Note is big, fast and heavy

Big and bulky -- these are the words that come to mind when one picks up the Xiaomi Redmi Note.On Monday, the Chinese phone company launched its phablet in India at an attractive starting price of Rs.8,999. We played with the device for a while. Read on for our first impressions. 

The RedMi Note is a blocky chunk of plastic, albeit sturdy plastic, measuring 9.5mm in thickness and 199 grams in weight. This means it is quite the gargantuan beast. That said, it has tapered sides, which help it fit in hands. Its back is made of glossy plastic, which reminds us of Samsung phones but then again at Rs.8,999, one can't complain. The build quality is actually quite good for the price. 

The RedMi Note comes in two versions. The 3G model is powered by octa-core Mediatek chip clocked at 1.7GHz while the 4G model uses quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip clocked at 1.6GHz. Both models have 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory. On both models, microSD cards are supported but on the MediaTek version the limit for the card is 32GB while the Qualcomm can use up to 64GB cards.

We tried both models. While we did not stress test the devices or ran any benchmarks on them -- that will have to wait until we review the RedMi Note properly -- we found the performance satisfactory. The user interface was smooth and we did not find any noticeable lag. 

On the back, the phone has a 13-megapixel Samsung-made sensor and the front it has a 5-megapixel sensor. 

The 5.5-inch 720P screen shows great colors that look natural. It has good viewing angles. 

Perhaps the biggest deal about the phone is its 3,100mAh battery which is user removable. Xiaomi claims the battery will last for long time. This is something we will test in the review. 

The MediaTek model offers dual-SIM capabilities and works with both WCDMA and GSM networks. The Qualcomm model is 4G ready but only supports single SIM. That's something the user will need to consider before making the purchase. 

Additionally, the 3G only model is stuck on Android 4.2.2 Jelly bean, while the 4G model is on Android 4.4 KitKat. 

The 4G model will be available in the second half of December for Rs.9,999, while the 3G model will be available on December 2. Xiaomi expects to offer around 50,000 units in the initial flash sale. 

On the basis of hardware, the Redmi Note looks like a compelling option for someone who wants a decent phone with big screen for less than Rs.10,000. Nevertheless, we will have more to say about it in our review.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/xiaomis-redmi-note-is-big-fast-and-heavy/1/403517.html

If you use a Micromax or Lava phone, don't wait for Android Lollipop update

Android Lollipop is Google's latest and greatest Android. It is a huge change in terms of interface and design compared to the Android KitKat. It has a lot of unique features and lots of new functionality built right inside it.

But when can you, as an Android user, get the Lollipop update for your phone?

A while ago we listed the devices that will definitely get the Android Lollipop . Most of these are either from Google's Nexus line or belong to Motorola's Moto range. High-end devices from big phone companies will also get the Android Lollipop update, though there is not much clarity about when.

The question is what about the Android Lollipop update when it comes to phones sold by so many other companies in India. We asked phone companies when their existing consumers can get Android Lollipop update and for which devices. Here is the response we got from them:

Samsung: The Korean company -- which is also the biggest phone company in India -- officially refused to say when its customers here can get Android Lollipop update. But sources hinted that the Lollipop update would be available to the Galaxy S5, the Galaxy S4, recently launched Galaxy Note 4 and the last year's Galaxy S3 in the coming months. The updates are likely to be rolled out between December this year and January next year.

For other Samsung phones like the Galaxy Grand 2, the company hasn't said anything.  

Micromax:  The second largest smartphone brand in India doesn't seem excited with the latest OS from Android. The company did not respond to our queries asking it when Micromax users can get the Android Lollipop.

Lenovo: Lenovo officially confirmed that in India users of Vibe Z2 Pro and Vibe X2 -- both devices were launched recently -- will get the Android Lollipop update. But there is no definite date for the update. It is supposed to be some day in coming months. What about other Lenovo phones? well, the company refused to comment on Lollipop update for its other phones.

Spice: This homegrown brand confirmed that the Lollipop update would be available for its Dream Uno users in India. This update will be rolled out in January. Incidentally, the Dream Uno is part of Google's Android One range of phones. Hence, it is guaranteed to get updates for at least 18 month.

For non-Android One phones, Spice did not provide any information about Android Lollipop update.

Sony: Sony has already revealed its Android Lollipop update plans and it confirmed the same to us. The Japanese company plans to roll out the Lollipop update early next year starting with their models Xperia Z3 and Xperia z3 compact, followed by Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 tablet, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 compact,  Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra.

For other Sony phones selling in Indian market, the company has no information to share.   

HTC: Globally, HTC has talked about rolling out Lollipop update to it HTC M8 phone in 90 days. But looks like the word is yet to reach the company's India office. When we asked about Android Lollipop for HTC's Indian users, we were told that at the moment company has nothing to share.

Huawei: The Chinese company is aggressively marketing its phones in India. However, when asked about the Android Lollipop update for its consumers here, it did not respond.

Lava and Xolo: Basically, both Lava and Xolo are same companies. And as far as we know both has no plans for Android Lollipop update for their existing consumers. Lava officials did not respond to our queries.

Gionee: This is another Chinese company, marketing itself aggressively in India. It too did not respond to our queries regarding Lollipop update for its existing phones.

Karbonn: The company remained tight-lipped about their Android Lollipop to any of its existing phones.

LG: LG G3 users can breathe a sigh of relief as the company plans to churn the first wave of Android Lollipop on this smartphone by early December. The company, however, did not throw any light about the roll out plans for other phones in its portfolio.

Asus: Asus has confirmed they will roll out Android Lollipop for their Zenfone series along with Padfone S and Padfone Infinity (second gen). The company is still mulling over the dates for rolling out updates, confirming that it will happen next year.

Motorola: When asked about Android Lollipop update for Moto phones sold in India, Motorola directed us to their website that has list of device scheduled to get the update. We are happy to report that all Moto phones sold in India in the last one and half years will get the Android Lollipop update.

Oppo: Did not respond.

Xiaomi: Did not respond.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/if-you-use-a-micromax-or-lava-phone-dont-wait-for-android-lollipop-update/1/402820.html