LG G Pro Lite review

LG seems to be targeting the price-conscious Indian market with a vengeance. The South Korean handset maker has been aggressive lately in terms of releasing smartphones across various price segments, something Samsung has been doing for years. Hot on the heels of the power-packed LG G2 comes the relatively low-powered, but also more pocket-friendly, LG G Pro Lite. The 5.5-inch phablet is a variant of the Optimus G Pro launched earlier this year. The G Pro Lite is an affordable Android device when compared to a flagship, targeted at those who want to experience the best in terms of design, software and hardware without spending a bomb. Will G Pro Lite be able to revive the mid-range segment which is already losing steam? That still remains to be seen.

Design/ Build

When a phone is released in the market and tagged as being the sequel/ successor or a variant of an earlier device, it is fair chance that it will bear more than just a passing resemblance to its predecessor. This is the case with the new LG G Pro Lite which is a spitting image of its predecessor the Optimus G Pro, except that the former does not come with a physical button on the front panel. The G Pro Lite phablet has a lot of design similarities with its predecessor. The G Pro Lite is made of plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap and actually feels really well built.

The LG Optimus G Pro features a physical button for home on the front panel accompanied by back and menu buttons, while the G Pro Lite comes with four touch keys for back, home, settings and a dedicated hot key for SIM switch. The front of the LG G Pro Lite, made of glass, is mainly dominated by its 5.5-inch qHD display. The bezel on the sides of the screen is narrow, though when noticed closely is surrounded by a small black border.

The 1.3-megapixel front facing camera and the sensor array sit above the display along with an earpiece grill. There is also LG branding on the front panel, between the display and earpiece grill.

The power button on the G Pro Lite is located on the right panel of the phone, while a customisable 'QuickButton' and the volume control buttons are placed on the left panel.

We were disappointed to see the power button of the LG G Pro Lite placed a bit upwards on the right panel, we wish it could have been placed a little lower as that would make hitting it a bit easier. Next we ended up pressing the QuickButton shortcut instead of the volume rocker buttons often, again because of awkward placement of the buttons. For a smartphone this big, we hope that the volume rocker button could have been placed a little higher.

The 3.5mm audio jack, Infrared Blaster and an additional microphone sits at the top panel of the G Pro Lite and there is a stylus port at the top right corner of the phablet.

The Micro-USB port and the microphone are located at the bottom accompanied by dual speakers; something that we could say is an addition to the G Pro Lite, when compared to its predecessor.

An aluminium frame runs through the phone separating the back and front panels and we must confess that it does give the G Pro Lite a premium look. The frame is visible as a thin line at the left and right sides, but widens at the top and bottom.

Much like the Optimus G Pro, the LG G Pro Lite comes with removable back panel. The rear panel is made of plastic and can be removed through a small gap at the right side of the phablet. The back has a glossy finish and is prone to smudges. Being a plastic back, the phone does seem slippery when used for long durations and also doesn't provide a good grip.

There is an 8-megapixel camera accompanied by an LED flash at the back. Notably, the camera lens is surrounded by a raised, circular in shape enclosure which is very much visible. LG branding is also present at the back of the G Pro Lite, in the middle.

The LG G Pro Lite as anyone would expect is not very easy to use with one hand, unless you have big palms. However, we would say it's not impossible to hold G Pro Lite one-handed, but stretching the thumb all the way across the display feels uneasy at best, and for many users - it could even a deal breaker. Also due to the sheer size the LG G Pro Lite barely fits into pockets and usually was visible out of our pocket.

Display

The LG G Pro Lite comes with a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 540x960 pixels and the pixel density stands at mediocre 200ppi. LG has given a miss to Corning's Gorilla Glass 2 that resists scratches, which is expected since it's a mid-range phone. The company has thankfully not compromised on the display size but has dropped the resolution of the G Pro Lite considerably, when compared to the Optimus G Pro which features a full-HD (1080x1920) display. In terms of performance, the G Pro Lite's 5.5-inch display is a bit mixed bag - on one hand, it has vibrant colours and respectable contrast. On the other hand, it has pretty low-resolution 540x960 pixels, which is evident when watching a video or even browsing through images on the Web. The resolution and pixel density of the LG G Pro Lite is far lower than some of its competitors in the price segment like the Micromax Canvas Turbo which boasts a full-HD display and Karbonn's Titanium X again with full-HD display.

The display produced bright whites and vibrant colours; however the G Pro Lite's IPS display does not produce deep blacks, when compared to an AMOLED display.

While the LG G Pro Lite renders images and text sharply, we observed that it appears to be slightly washed out due to the low resolution of the screen. The viewing angles on the smartphone are not that great and when you tilt the G Pro Lite, one can notice colours losing their saturation.

The touch sensitivity of the LG G Pro Lite is impressive and we did not encounter any issues while using the phablet. Sunlight legibility on the LG G Pro Lite was good when we used the phone with brightness set to the highest level, though the screen is reflective to some extent.

Camera

The LG G Pro Lite sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with BSI (back-side illuminated) sensor and also houses a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

The G Pro Lite's camera app borrows a lot of features from its elder sibling, the Optimus G Pro. The camera app on the phablet includes a customisable quick menu on one of the sides, which includes controls for switching between the front and rear cameras, turning on the Intelligent Auto (flash) mode, switching between normal, panorama, continuous shot, beauty shot, sports and night modes and for accessing the camera settings.

Notably, the LG G Pro Lite offers the same settings for voice-activated shutter which is found on the Optimus G Pro, which pictures with voice commands like 'cheese', 'kimchi', 'LG', 'Smile' and 'Whisky'. The camera app on G Pro Lite also offers options like focus, zoom, brightness, image size, scene modes, ISO, white balance, colour effects, timer, geo-tagging, shutter sound and image storage.

The Continuous shot mode takes up to 20 images in one go, when pressed the click on-screen button/ volume rocker button. The LG G Pro Lite's volume buttons also double up as shutter keys when you're in the app, although there is an on-screen shutter button as well. The camera app also offers a shortcut to the gallery and also offers 4x zoom, which can be controlled by pinching in and out.

In our testing of the G Pro Lite's rear camera in outdoor, dim and indoor conditions, we found that images taken outdoors during daylight came out well, except that colours were a little over-saturated, and at times noticed noise at edges; you can also see missing details if you zoomed in a clicked image. 

Other than that, we found the quality of the images clicked by the LG G Pro Lite taken in sufficient light to be satisfactory. However, the same could not be said for indoor and dim light shots, the quality did drop and looked soft and not as crisp as those clicked in well-lit situations. While there was some noise and loss of detail in low-light shots, we would say the performance was quite decent at the price.

The LG G Pro Lite also features a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera that can be used for selfies and for video chats. Although, we found videos and images captured indoors or even outdoors through this camera were a bit grainy.

Software

At a time when the world is waiting for Android KitKat to arrive on its handsets, LG has used Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the G Pro Lite, which is extremely disappointing, to say the least.

We were hoping the G Pro Lite to run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean at least, considering that the LG G2 smartphone which was announced in August and natively ran Android 4.2.2 out-of-the-box.

Performance/ Battery Life

The LG G Pro Lite is powered by a 1GHz dual-core MediaTek 6577 processor along with 1GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of inbuilt storage, out of which only 4.8GB is user-accessible, though it supports expandable storage up to 32GB via microSD card.   Yes, it comes with 50GB of Box app (cloud) space free for limited period; however, we assume that cloud storage is not always handy.   Without any doubts, the G Pro Lite's specifications sound quite acceptable on paper. We found the phablet to be slightly laggy in launching some apps like Temple Run 2 and Instagram, however, running the apps was fine. Admittedly, the lag is not that consistent but considering that a dual-core processor backs the device.  In day-to-day activities the phablet feels smooth enough and you are not really left wanting for more power until you are stuck with a heavy graphics game, which run with lag, but remain relatively playable.   On the sound front, the LG G Pro Lite impressed us much like the Optimus G Pro. The device features dual speakers at the bottom panel which are quiet loud, though it is not comparable to HTC's BoomSound which is backed by an amplifier.

The 5.5-inch qHD display is good for viewing movies and videos. The G Pro Lite was able to play full-HD videos and supported popular video formats like .AVI, .MOV, and .MP4. 

 The G Pro Lite also managed to play the .MKV video but couldn't play the audio, a format that has not been fully supportive on other Android smartphones as well. Using a third-party player solved the problem.

Call quality on the G Pro Lite was impressive and we did not encounter any problems with the call clarity and voice through the earpiece grill. We can safely say that users can talk for long hours on the G Pro Lite, without any issues. However, the device's size could be a concern, when talking for longer periods.

The LG G Pro Lite ships with a 3140mAh battery that is rated to deliver up to 845 hours of standby and up to 14 hours of talktime. However, based on our testing, the G Pro Lite is an average performer when it comes to battery performance.

We were able to get about 10-12 hours with normal usage on the G Pro Lite that included Wi-Fi switched on for all time; Web browsing for more than an hour; a few calls lasting for about two hours; display set on auto-brightness and with the usual notifications for messages, emails, Facebook, hike and WhatsApp.

With heavy usage of the G Pro Lite, that included - full screen brightness level, calls lasting for about an hour, 3G turned on all time, clicking casual shots with some tweaking via phablet's default camera app, watching videos for around two hours through YouTube and also on the device, two to three hours of gaming that, and with usual notifications for messages, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Google Hangouts and WhatsApp - the device lasted for only about 7-8 hours which cannot be said to be impressive, considering the G Pro Lite is a dual-core phablet with 3140mAh battery and it does not feature a HD display. However, altering these settings can help in increasing the durability of the phone for longer period.

2-in-1 laptop-tablet hybrids to start below Rs. 30,000 in 2014: Intel

2-in-1, or laptop-tablet hybrid devices, which work as both a PC and tablet, are expected to find more consumer preference in 2014 as prices fall and more people opt for them, according to Intel.

"In 2013, we saw a lot of OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) coming out with 2-in-1 devices, which could be used both as a PC and tablet. They called it swivel, hybrids and some other names too," Sandeep Aurora, Director, Marketing and Market Development, Intel South Asia, told PTI.

People chose these devices as it was easy to carry and yet allowed people to continue working, just like they would work on their desktops, on the go, he added.

"This year, we expect prices to come down a little, which would drive the adoption further," Aurora said.

He added the prices could come down to less than Rs. 30,000, as more OEMs launch their products.

Currently, 2-in-1 devices start at roughly Rs. 34,000.

Talking about the roadmap for 2014, Aurora said the focus for the company is clearly on tablets.

"We will have processors for both tabs and smartphones but the focus is more towards tablets and 2-in-1s. Also, going forward all our OEM partners will be manufacturing devices based on Bay Trail (Intel's new architecture)," he said.

Lenovo S650, Lenovo S930 mid-range dual-SIM Android smartphones launched

Lenovo has expanded its S range with the introduction of new mid-range smartphones, the Lenovo S650 and Lenovo S930. The Chinese manufacturer announced the new S series smartphones in Russia, and also revealed the prices for the new phones, although it has not detailed the global availability of the Lenovo S650 and Lenovo S930 smartphones.

The Lenovo S650 will be available at 11,990 Russian rubles (Rs. 22,600 approximately), while the Lenovo S930 will be available at 13990 Russian rubles (Rs. 26,500 approximately).

The Lenovo S650 runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. It comes with a 4.7-inch qHD (540x960) display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with 1GB of RAM. There is 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded via microSD, though there is no word on the maximum storage supported. There is 2000mAh battery onboard, and the phone measures 138x69.8x8.7mm, while weighing 126 grams. Unfortunately, there is no word on the main camera and front camera.

The Lenovo S930 on the other hand is an Android 4.2 Jelly Bean dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) phablet and features a 6-inch HD (720x1280) display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with Mali-400 MP and 1GB of RAM. The Lenovo S930 sports an 8-megapixel rear camera and also includes a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera. The phablet includes 8GB of inbuilt storage, and support expandable storage (unspecified maximum storage). It packs a 3000mAh battery and weighs 170 grams. It comes with dimensions 170x86x8.65mm.

In November, Lenovo expanded its Vibe smartphone line-up and announced the Vibe Z in China.

The Lenovo Vibe Z is powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the same processor found on flagship devices such as Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z1. The Vibe Z comes with 2GB of RAM, Adreno 330 GPU and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It features a 5.5-inch full-HD display and is a dual-SIM device. The phablet sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and dual-LED flash. It also includes a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

Moto G review

You're not getting the best or the latest technology with Motorola's $179 Moto G smartphone. What you do get is a great price for something close.

Motorola bills the Moto G as the phone for the rest of us - the ones who can't afford $500 to $700 for a high-end smartphone. That's a big deal overseas, where carriers don't subsidize phones with two-year service contracts the way they do in the United States. But even in the U.S., more people are moving to contract-free plans and ones that offer frequent upgrades, meaning the full retail price is what's going to matter.

(Also see: Moto G budget smartphone goes official at $179, coming to India in January)

The Moto G started shipping in the U.S. this week, initially for the GSM networks used by AT&T and T-Mobile. I spent the past week testing the Moto G, comparing the phone primarily with its more expensive cousin, Motorola's $500 Moto X. I also put it up against another lower-cost phone, Google's $349 Nexus 5, as well as the premium, $649 iPhone 5s from Apple.

Where the Moto G fell short was in its camera, battery life and inability to access faster, 4G LTE cellular networks. For everything else I tested, the Moto G stood up well.

Motorola, which is owned by Google Inc., doesn't skimp in equipping the Moto G with a speedy processor. Apps launch almost as quickly as they do on the phone's pricier rivals. The Moto G runs a fairly recent version of Google's Android system, with a promised upgrade to the latest, Kit Kat, early next year.

(Also see: Moto G dual-SIM smartphone to land in India with Android 4.4 KitKat: Report)

The Moto G also has a decent screen. It's about as sharp as the Moto X's and the iPhone's, enough for 720p video, though the Nexus and various Samsung phones do better by offering full, 1080p high definition. The Moto G's screen measures 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) diagonally, which is larger than the iPhone's but small for Android. Colors aren't as rich as on the Moto X's display, but if I want a superb visual experience, I'd turn to a tablet, a TV or even a movie theater. For a phone, the Moto G's screen delivers video quite well.

The Moto G doesn't win points on size and weight. Although the screen is smaller than the Moto X's 4.7-inch (11.9-centimeter) display, the phone overall is a tad bulkier and 10 percent heavier. The Moto G has a larger frame surrounding the screen - something phone makers have been trying to shrink.

As for the other shortcomings
Cellular access
The Moto G delivers 3G performance at best. Many parts of the world are moving to 4G, but Motorola points out that many of its target markets are still upgrading to 3G. Even in the U.S., many regions lack 4G. If I'm doing a lot of things requiring top-notch speeds, I'm better off finding a Wi-Fi network anyway.

Battery life
The Moto G has 6 percent less battery capacity than the Moto X. I got about up to eight hours of streaming video on Hulu with the Moto G, compared with nine to 10 hours on the Moto X. Although the Moto G has a removable plastic back, the battery can't be exchanged with a spare. That said, eight hours for streaming video is a lot, and you can stretch it to a full day with more moderate use.

Camera
The main camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, less than the 8 megapixels on the iPhone and the Nexus and the 10 megapixels on the Moto X. There's more to a good camera than the pixel count, but the pictures I took with the Moto G weren't particularly good, especially in low light. They are passable for selfies and Facebook posts, but you'll want a better camera for keepsakes. Perhaps the money you save on the phone can go to a point-and-shoot camera that takes better pictures.

The Moto G is also short on frills. Part of that stems from Motorola's philosophy not to tinker with the Android operating system too much. Many rival phone makers do just that and wind up creating more chaos and confusion.

Instead, Motorola tries to limit what it adds. In the case of the Moto X, you can twist the phone to automatically launch the camera. You can initiate voice commands by saying, "OK, Google Now." The Moto X also offers unprecedented customization when you order; you can choose everything from the color of the power button to a personalized message on the back cover.

The Moto G has none of that. The frills are limited to an FM radio tuner, something rare in smartphones. Just plug in a pair of headphones, which serves as the antenna. You can swap the back with a new plastic cover, but the phone isn't assembled at the factory to your specifications.

Be aware that the $179 price gets you 8 gigabytes of storage, half of what most phones offer. Given all the room your photos and video will need, pay the extra $20 for a 16 gigabyte model. Unfortunately, there's no slot for memory cards, as some Android phones offer.

Motorola sells the phone unlocked, meaning you can switch carriers as long as they use GSM. Verizon and Sprint are among the few carriers in the world using a different technology, CDMA. A Verizon version is coming early next year, while Sprint won't say whether it will have one.

Phone makers have been trying to set themselves apart by loading phones with more and more features, only some of which are useful. Motorola doesn't try to do that with the Moto G, apart from including an FM tuner. Instead, it's distinguishing itself through price. No one can question whether that's useful.

Samsung Galaxy S5 to come with 2K display

A GFX Bench listing spotted by GSMArena has revealed a device codenamed Samsung SM-G900S sporting a screen resolution of 1440x2560 pixels (2K). The report notes that this device could be the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is expected to come with a 5.0- or 5.2-inch display, making the pixel density an incredible 560ppi at the said resolution. The listing also reveals that the device runs Snapdragon 800 chipset clocked at 2.4GHz alongside the Adreno 330 GPU, which may come as a disappointment to those hoping to see the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, or indeed a 64-bit version of Samsung's own Exynos chip, make an appearance.

The listing is silent on other specifications, though the Samsung Galaxy S4 successor is expected to ship with a 16-megapixel rear camera, a 4000mAh battery, 3GB RAM and run Android 4.4 KitKat.

Earlier, a report suggested the South Korean manufacturer plans to release two versions of the Galaxy S5. As per the report, there would be two variants of the Galaxy S5: a premium variant sporting a metal chassis and a flexible OLED, and a variant which would come with the usual plastic body, as found on other Galaxy smartphones.

Recently, a purported image of the Galaxy S5 with metal chassis was spotted online. A metal chassis would be new ground for Samsung, a company that has always used plastic as the dominant material in its Galaxy range of smartphones.

Some reports have indicated that Samsung may announce the Galaxy S5 as early as January, in a bid to overcome 'disappointing' Galaxy S4 sales.

Apple testing 12.9-inch iPads, may launch a 4K display model next year

In a follow-up to previous rumours, a new report claims that Apple is testing different prototypes of 12.9-inch iPad models, made for the company by its Chinese assembler partner Foxconn.

According to a report by Chinese publication PadNews (via Apple Insider), Apple is currently testing five different 12.9-inch iPad prototypes made by Foxconn. The report also mentions that Apple could launch a new iPad that features a 2K resolution screen, in the first half of 2014, and a 4K resolution screen, a few months after that.  


The report cites sources as saying that Apple could launch the first model of the larger iPad in April and the 4K ultra-HD variant as part of the regular iPad launch in October 2014.

The report did not specify the resolution of the purported larger iPad models. 

It's not the first time that rumours related to large screen iPads have surfaced. 

Previously, the Wall Street Journal had reported that Apple was testing a new tablet measuring slightly less than 13-inches diagonally, citing officials at Apple's suppliers. Another report by Digitimes also hinted at Apple and Samsung working on devices with 12-inch or larger displays for their respective tablets.

Korean website ETNews.com had also reported that Apple was working on a new larger iPad with a 12.9-inch diagonal screen which would be called iPad Maxi. It had said that this iPad variant would launch in the first half of 2014 and would take on Ultrabooks. It would also target the educational market with digital textbooks. The website cited industry sources to report that Apple was in talks with display and component manufacturers in Korea for supplies for this tablet.  

Karbonn Titanium X with 5-inch full-HD display launched

The Karbonn Titanium X runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. Notably, the smartphone is a single SIM device with support for a micro-SIM.

The Titanium X features a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) IPS display, and is powered by a quad-core 1.5GHz processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. The smartphone sports a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, and also houses a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It includes 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.

On the connectivity front, the smartphone includes NFC support, which will make the Titanium X the first 'affordable' smartphone from an Indian brand to sport this feature. The smartphone is backed by a 2300mAh battery, which is rated to deliver up to 6 hours of talktime, and up to 240 hours of standby time. The Karbonn Titanium X includes a host of sensors that include proximity sensor, G sensor, magnetic sensor, gyro sensor, and light sensor.

Commenting on the launch, Shashin Devsare, Executive Director, Karbonn Mobiles said "With the Karbonn Titanium X we are taking the Indian smartphone market to a different level altogether - the level X. Our endeavour is to set a benchmark in the Indian smartphone market, and establish Karbonn Titanium X at the pinnacle of research innovation. Unlike any other smartphone in the market, the Karbonn Titanium X enables the Generation X to live life in the fast lane and discover more into their social interactions."

HP eyes Black Android tablet

Intel has got the scoop on some tablet deals for Black Friday, including an Android tablet that's very light on the wallet.

That 7-inch HP tablet, branded the Mesquite, packs an Intel processor and will sell for $89 at Walmart. Don't expect any barn-burning specs, though. You'll likely get what you pay for.

And Intel has the skinny on a few more deals too.

For instance, if you buy a PC at Costco for $600 or more, you can get a $180 (regular price)Dell Venue 8 tablet (also Android) for $99.

Google Glass developers (We're still flying half-blind)

Ever since developers got their hands on Google Glass earlier this year, software coders have clamored for greater access to the programming internals of the controversial headset. Google accommodated them this week -- albeit to the sound of muted applause.

To be sure, Google's Glass Development Kit (GDK) does fill in a key puzzle piece that had been missing from Google Glass. Yet many developers are worried. They say that in the absence of more leadership or more access from Google, they're being asked to figure out the final picture on their own -- knowing that it might change by the time Glass gets mass produced.

The Glass Development Kit preview released by Google opens up many of the options that had been absent from the developer's toolbox. Previously, developers had only been able to code for Glass' limited Mirror API.

Google has relied on third-party developers who own the $1,500 headsets to further app development, while internal development at the company has focused on making sure that the new software platform functions properly. When Google first announced Glass, the hope was that a vibrant development community would emerge and create the kinds of consumer applications which would extend Google Glass' appeal beyond the technophile crowd and into the mainstream.

Given that Glass represents a major shift in wearable computing from the nerdy realm of adventurous hackers to the common consumer marketplace, Google has been cautious about giving developers too much access to the hardware too soon.

Many but not all doors open for Glass developers
The Mirror API access was a compromise that encouraged developers to build for Glass when it arrived on their doorsteps last spring, but without giving them too much power. The GDK, which Google is quick to caution is a "preview" and not the full GDK that eventually will be distributed, gives developers access to many Glass features that had been walled off -- but not all of them.

"Now all that's remaining is for Google to build an actual app store, and for developers to build better apps" with the GDK, said Jonathan Gottfried, a developer evangelist at Twilio and developer who built early Twitter apps for Glass.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they went with the Google Play Store," he said.

Brandyn White, a 27-year-old Glass developer and self-described lifelong computer hacker who founded a consulting company that specializes in how computers interpret the world through camera lenses called Dapper Vision, has been working with Google and on his own to build the kind of better apps that Gottfried described.

"As the device gets more personal, it's less about killer apps, and more about the personally awesome app."
--Brandyn White, Google Glass developer

White has focused his attention on how Glass can be used to help the visually impaired.

"For me, the most important thing is context. Take a grocery list," said White, who's also earning his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Maryland. "Glass should recognize things at the supermarket," telling you when it sees something on your list without having to actually show the list to you.

"You want it to be a non-annoying friend; you want it to add value," he said. Glass needs more of those kind of apps, he said.

White cited apps like the translation app Word Lens pictured above, which are essentially interface-free interactions filtered from the real world through Glass to the person wearing it. Like its Android and iOS siblings, Word Lens on Glass replaces large font words on signs with words in your language. But it can't translate smaller print, even though its smartphone siblings can, because the Google Glass camera doesn't zoom in enough.

It's likely that current Google Glass hardware is more of a prototype than what consumers will get sometime in 2014, when Google has said Glass will be available to purchase. Think of it as the original Chromebook prototype, or the Nexus line of Android devices: It's a hardware guideline for the final product.

Nevertheless, White said that the hardware is perfectly usable in its current state. "The hardware team has everything figured out," he said. "The software is so much harder. [The Glass software team] has to think long-term, and legacy with Android."

White said that "80 percent" of Glass code is taken straight from Android.

Glass developers left to fend for themselves
He added that the GDK is not inadequate for developers, but that it could offer so much more. That, White said, is where Glass developers are taking the lead over Google's own team.

Samsung launches Galaxy SIII Swarovski crystal edition

The revamped handset, currently exclusive to Germany, is decorated with over 100 crystals and is aimed at fashion-conscious German women.

An interesting way of rejuvenating a handset that's already a year old, and which has already been superseded by the Galaxy SIV Mini, Samsung has teamed up with Swarovski to breathe new life and elegance into its SIII Mini handset.

In all, the smartphone features 166 crystals in a curving wave pattern across the back panel. Other than that, the phone remains untouched, no crystals replacing the homekey or running along the display's sides. And behind the back panel it's the same story. The phone still has the same processor, RAM, screen size, cameras, resolution and operating system as the stock version.

The Galaxy SIII Crystal Edition is on sale now for €299 and for the moment at least is exclusive to German consumers.

Apple preparing 65-inch TV for release in 2014

 Apple Inc. will probably start selling ultra-high definition televisions with 65- and 55-inch screens during the fourth quarter of next year, according to a Tokyo-based analyst at Advanced Research Japan Co.

The Cupertino, California-based company is deciding on specifications, and the models likely will have a frameless design, Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Advanced Research, said in an interview on 18 October. Ishino declined to identify the people who gave him the information.

Takashi Takebayashi, a Tokyo-based spokesman for Apple, didn’t immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, before he died in 2011, told his biographer he had finally cracked how to build a TV with a simple user interface that would wirelessly synchronize content with Apple’s other devices. Chief executive officer Tim Cook said on 29 May that TV is an area of intense focus for Apple as it seeks to add products that can build on the success of Macs, iPhones and iPads.

LG Display Co., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Corning Inc. may be among the suppliers for Apple’s TVs, which may be priced at about $1,500 to $2,500, Ishino said. LG Display may supply more than 70% of the liquid-crystal displays, Samsung may make graphic processing units and Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 may be used as the cover, he said.

Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group probably will be hired to assemble the devices, according to Ishino.

Apple is upgrading top-selling products ahead of the holiday shopping season. The company introduced the iPhone 5s and 5c last month, selling more than 9 million devices in the opening weekend. Cook will debut a high-definition iPad mini and a thinner iPad at a San Francisco event on Tuesday, people with knowledge of the plans have said.

Samsung and LG Electronics Inc. released 65- and 55-inch ultra-high definition TVs earlier this year to spark demand for sets and to combat competition from China and Japan. Ultra-high definition sets use conventional LCDs that offer resolution rivaling that of more expensive organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screens.

Samsung smartwatch

Making a strong bid to further strengthen its position in the handheld devices market globally, Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled three new devices — the Galaxy Note 3; a smartwatch called Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition tablet ahead of the IFA consumer electronics fair here.

The introduction of Galaxy Gear is significant as Samsung has created a new category with this wrist watch device that seamlessly connects with Galaxy Note 3, making communication a far superior experience.

Galaxy Gear is priced at $299, and has been designed and developed by Samsung’s U.S.-based think-tank team led by Pranav Mistry. According to trade analysts, Galaxy Gear is likely to make a strong impact in the market before others catch up.

It will be available with the Note 3 in 149 countries starting from September 25. It will be launched in the U.S. and Japan markets in October. Samsung has not announced the country-specific prices for any of these devices.

“Samsung Galaxy Gear bridges the gap between the mobile device and fashion worlds to create truly wearable technology,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics.

“It notifies users of incoming messages, such as calls, texts, e-mails and alerts, delivers a preview of those messages and creates the opportunity for users to accept or discreetly ignore those messages,” Mr. Pranav Mistry said at the launch.

Hands-free calls

The built-in speaker in the Gear allows users to conduct hands-free calls directly, maintaining connections to their mobile communications without disrupting their daily routines. Users can also draft messages, create new calendar entries, set alarms, and check the weather on the Gear with S Voice. One can also take pictures with the Gear.

Enhanced viewing

Galaxy Note 3 delivers a larger and better screen for enhanced viewing experience. It has more powerful multi-tasking capabilities. Samsung has introduced an improved S Pen that aims at making everyday life easier and faster.

The Note 3 comes with a wider 5.7-inch full HD super display, yet slimmer (8.3 mm) and lighter (168 g) hardware design, and more powerful and longer lasting (3,200mAh) battery. It is equipped with a 13 megapixel rear camera.

Microsoft to win EU okay for $7.3 billion Nokia deal

Microsoft is set to secure unconditional EU regulatory approval for its proposed 5.4-billion-euro takeover of Nokia's mobile phone business, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The deal, announced in September and which includes a 10-year licensing agreement of Nokia's patent portfolio, underscores Microsoft's push into the competitive consumer devices market.

It faces fierce competition from market leader Samsung Electronics and Apple.

"The (European) Commission is expected to clear the deal without conditions," one of the people said.

The EU competition watchdog has set a December 4 deadline for its decision. Commission spokesman for competition policy, Antoine Colombani, declined to comment. Microsoft also declined to comment. Nokia did not immediately reply to an email for comments.

Regulators in Russia, India, Turkey and Israel have already given the green light to the deal. Nokia shareholders earlier this week also gave a thumbs-up to the sale of what was once Finland's biggest brand and worth 4 per cent of the national GDP.

Nikon D5300 DSLR camera with Wi-Fi and GPS launched at Rs. 54,450

Nikon India has launched the Nikon D5300 DSLR camera, a compact, entry-level model, which is also Nikon's first digital SLR camera to offer built-in wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) connectivity and GPS functions. The Nikon D5300 will be available November-mid onwards across India in Black, Red and Grey colour variants at an MRP of Rs. 54,450 for the body only, Rs. 59,950 with 18-55mm VR lens, and Rs. 75,950 with 18-140mm VR lens.
 
Nikon claims that the D5300 offers significantly enhanced optical technologies, including an optimised EXPEED 4 image-processing engine with no optical low-pass filter. It says the absence of a low-pass filter maximises the resolution of the high pixel count and rendering capabilities of NIKKOR lenses.
 
As per Nikon, the D5300 sports a monocoque structure made of a new material for a smaller and lighter body that makes it strong and durable. The D5300 features a 3.2-inch, 1037k-dot vari-angle LCD monitor with wide viewing angle to allow shooting from any angle.
 
The Nikon D5300 features an effective pixel count of 24.2-megapixels and a Nikon DX-format CMOS sensor.
 
The D5300's built-in Wi-Fi connectivity feature can be used for transmitting images to a smart device for sharing as well as for remote shooting. The built-in GPS function records location data and tracks movement.
 
It also offers a D-Movie function for recording full-HD 1920 × 1080 pixels, 60p movies and toy camera effect and HDR Painting special effects modes (total of 9 effects).
 
Speaking on the announcement, Hiroshi Takashina, Managing Director, Nikon India said, "Today's announcement strengthens Nikon's leadership in the D-SLR category. The D5300 features Nikon's latest innovative technologies, allowing users to instantly shoot, store and share images. The new entrant is specifically designed to give an edge to the users to unleash their creativity, and truly test the boundaries of a photographer's imagination"
 
Sajjan Kumar, Vice President-Imaging, Nikon India, elaborated: "The D5300 is a unique and compact D-SLR with features such as Wi-Fi and GPS function that allow users to look back on routes taken on vacation or with outdoor activities. The new entrant boasts an EXPEED 4 image-processing engine and a smaller and lighter body which is easy to carry & durable as well."
 
Kumar added, "The camera is equipped with some new features likes HDR Painting added to Special Effects mode with a total of 9 effects for more creative expression with still images and movies. This camera will definitely bring out the inner creativity of photographers during the festivities around." 

HP Chromebook 11 review

Hewlett-Packard's new Chromebook 11 is a laptop at heart, but it's light and portable enough to work well in places where you'd normally prefer a tablet.

I'm thinking cramped buses and airplanes, the waiting area of a doctor's office or even the cushiony couch in your living room. The Chromebook is small enough to rest comfortably on your lap and easy to carry when you need to pick up and go.

The drawback is it relies heavily on the Internet to run various services, so you'll need to plan ahead if you're looking to write that great masterpiece without access to Wi-Fi. That's because the Chromebook doesn't run Windows or Mac OS, like the majority of laptops. Rather, it uses Google's Chrome OS system, which needs a steady Internet connection.

Although it's possible to use apps while offline, Chromebooks are really designed for online use. Many apps don't work fully - or at all - without the Internet connection, or they need to be configured while you still have the connection to work offline. It's not as simple as installing a program and expecting it to work wherever you are. In addition, Chromebooks have little storage on the devices; Google steers you toward its online storage service, Drive, for your documents, photos, music and movies.

Chromebooks aren't meant for graphic designers who use sophisticated software, such as Adobe's Photoshop, or business executives who rely on Microsoft's PowerPoint slides. These notebooks are for people who primarily use Google's online services, including search, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps and Google's players for music and video. That includes schoolchildren who need a computer for homework and merchants who want something small next to a cash register.

As Google reasons, if you're already using many of its services, why not use a device optimized for it? These devices can be fast because they get their sophistication from powerful servers located elsewhere. The Chromebook 11 takes just a few seconds to power up, as Chrome OS doesn't have a lot to load on the device itself.

Chrome OS notebooks are also really cheap: The Chromebook 11 costs just $279.

That price is in line with most other Chromebooks, including a $249 model from Samsung and a $199 model from Acer. But the new Chromebook has many high-end features inspired by a much pricier model, the $1,299 Chromebook Pixel designed and made by Google through contract factories in Asia.

The new Chromebook's speakers are underneath the keyboard, so sound projects out at you. Its outer shell is sleek and smooth. It doesn't have the Pixel's metal exterior, but there's magnesium underneath the plastic to keep the laptop sturdy. The Chromebook 11 has no sharp edges or corners - or even screw holes. There's no fan either, which keeps the device quiet and light - at just 2.3 pounds (1 kilogram).

In fact, the Chromebook 11 isn't much heavier than Microsoft's upcoming Surface Pro 2 tablet, which weighs 2 pounds (0.91 kilograms). The Chromebook's 11.6-inch (29.46-centimeter) screen, measured diagonally, isn't much larger than the screen of the typical full-size tablet. The new Chromebook even uses the same Micro-USB charger that non-Apple tablets and smartphones use. No longer do you have to keep track of which charger goes with which device or pack an extra charger for a vacation.

The Chromebook 11 could pass for a tablet if it weren't for the fact that it unfolds to reveal a physical keyboard. It also lacks a touch screen. You move the cursor on the screen the traditional way, using the laptop's touchpad.

The new Chromebook has a low-resolution camera for videoconferencing, and it promises battery life of up to six hours. There are some perks, too: 100 gigabytes of storage through Google Drive for two years, rather than the standard 15 gigabytes, and 12 free sessions of Wi-Fi access on airplanes through Gogo.

There's a lot to like with the Chromebook 11.

But just like tablets, Chromebooks aren't ready to replace traditional Windows and Mac computers. Even if most of your life is online, there'll be the occasional program that will run only on a Windows or Mac machine. Photo editing is one task that comes to mind. Internet-based editing tools on the Chromebook and elsewhere aren't as sophisticated as stand-alone programs such as Photoshop, Google's Picasa and Apple's iPhoto.

And while the Chromebook has apps for word processing and spreadsheets, there's no replacement for Microsoft's Office package. I don't like the fact that Google's Docs package isn't configured automatically to work offline. And even after I configured it manually, the switch between online and offline use isn't very smooth and often requires refreshing the page.

That's not an issue if you're online most of the time. The days of one device per person, let alone per household, have long passed in much of the U.S. I can see the Chromebook 11 being a great secondary computer for many people, especially for those with ready access to Wi-Fi.