Best Android phones to get this spring

LG Optimus G Pro

Nexus 4

Sony Xperia Z

Samsung Galaxy S4

HTC ONE

Spring is in full bloom and as everything starts to get green and cheerful, you may look at your old phone and think it’s about time to bring change into your life. Luckily, this is one of the best times to get a new device.

Some of the biggest phone manufacturer have just released their brand new 2013 flagship devices, and it just so happens that all of them run on Android. Apple’s iPhone traditionally gets a refresh much later in the year, and the same goes for Windows Phone.

And while previously picking between say iOS or Android was a choice between style and geekery, Google’s ecosystem has evolved so much in the past 12 months that it’s perfectly safe to say that you can get gorgeous devices on it.

We have listed our top five picks for new devices that are already available or coming in just a couple of days. Take a look at them, and let us know - which one would you get?

1. HTC One
HTC wanted a comeback and it brought its best with the HTC One. It is a brilliant device in virtually every aspect. Coming with a beautiful aluminum body that fits almost organically in the hand, it has a great and vivid, extremely sharp 4.7-inch screen. The stereo front speaker bring a small revolution in smartphone sound that you’ll appreciate instantly when you hear it. Performance is flawless on the new Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip.

2. Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung didn't exactly catch us by surprise with the Galaxy S4. However, it's the flawless implementation of all the features that makes the Galaxy S4 the superb smartphone that it is. Design-wise, the latest Samsung flagship is nothing special. It looks OK and is comfortable to hold. We're more than happy to see that Samsung has managed to make the smartphone even smaller than the GS III, which is a remarkable achievement, considering the bigger screen.

3. LG Optimus G Pro
The LG Optimus G Pro is a brilliantly timed device. Coming nearly half a year after the Note II, it manages to take advantage and stuff in an extremely crisp 1080p 5.5-inch screen that is very vivid and impressive. The G Pro is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy the big screens it would offer a flawless performance and a great camera. Phablet lovers, this should be your choice this spring.

4. Nexus 4
The Nexus 4 might have launched a few months ago but it only recently started shipping in volume on the Google Play store. Most importantly, though, it has remained extremely competitive in price. Its a compact and practical decision. It has a 4.7-inch 720p screen and realistically looking it is almost impossible to justify a 1080p display on a phone, so that’s definitely not a flaw. What’s more the Nexus 4 is the first to get the latest Android updates, and the most affordable of all devices in this list.

5. Sony Xperia Z
The Sony Xperia Z was the first 2013 flagship. It was the first of many more with a 5-inch 1080p display, but while we were disappointed with the quality of that screen, the device had one more ace up its sleeve - it was water and dust resistant. With the thought of summer, beaches and swimming, and the possibility to take the Xperia Z with you wherever you go (you can also shoot videos and images underwater), we are very tempted to get it. The handset also has a decent 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera that performs well in low light.

source:phonearena.com,17 april 2013

When is a big screen TOO big? Samsung unveils the aptly named Mega-phone with 6.3inch screen

It is the biggest smartphone on sale, with a giant 6.3inch screen.Samsung's new Mega Galaxy handset look more like a tablet than a phone - and has already been slammed as 'just too big'.

Samsung hopes the big design will appeal to commuters and others who regularly watch films on their gadgets.

'The newest addition to the Galaxy family balances an optimal viewing experience on a 6.3-inch HD screen, yet is ultra-thin and portable enough to put into a pocket or hold in one hand,' the firm said.

'The GALAXY Mega offers a mix of popular smartphone and tablet features such as an effortless user experience, a split screen, multitasking between video and other apps and more.'

It claims video and web browsing will be the main uses for the Mega.'We are aware of a great potential in the bigger screen for extensive viewing multimedia, web browsing, and more,' said JK Shin of Samsung.'We are excited to provide another choice to meet our consumers’ varying lifestyles, all while maintaining the high-quality features of the award-winning GALAXY series.'

However, experts are less impressed.Rik Henderson of Pocket Lint said 'The screen size of the Galaxy Note works as you take notes - but the Mega is just a massive phone, it's just too big.

'However, I think we'll see an arms race to get to that size, there's a real blurring of the lines between phones and tablets now.

'But for consumers, I think its a fad - it's just too big.'Samsung helped popularise the so-called 'phablet' category - in which phones approach tablet dimensions - with its original 5.3in Galaxy Note, which was released in 2011.

Analysts have deemed a 'phablet' is a mobile gadget with a screen more than 5inches diagonally.

The word comes from blending phone and tablet.Samsung's Galaxy Note was the first popular 'phablet', but others are expected to follow this year.Experts have predicted that 2013 could be the year of the 'phablet'.

Analysts claim the emergence of so-called 'giant mobile' which blend tablets and mobile phones, will lead to a whole new category of gadgets.

The upshot is a market for phablets that will quadruple in value to $135 billion in three years, according to analysts at Barclays.

Shipments of gadgets that are 5 inches or bigger in screen size will surge by nearly nine-fold to 228 million during the same period, though estimates vary because no one can agree on where smartphones stop and phablets start.

But that's the point, some say.'I think phone size was a preconceived notion based on voice usage,' said John Berns, a Singapore-based executive who works in the information technology industry.

source: Dailymail.co.uk

Bisket Jatra/Sindoor Jatra

photo courtesy: the kathmandu post/republica/kantipur

Fully loaded SUV for the price of a sedan

Looking for an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) at an affordable price? If yes, waiting for two more months might be a wise decision for you as Go Automobiles, the sole authorised distributor of American auto-major Ford is gearing up to introduce Ford Ecosport, one of the popular models, by the first week of June. According to the company, the vehicle will be available in both petrol as well as diesel option.
“We are eager to introduce the Ecosport in domestic market. As this SUV is likely to be priced very reasonably, it will have a huge advantage over competitors,” said Deepesh Shakya, sales manager at Go Automobiles, adding that the vehicle will be positioned in such a way that it can take on both SUVs and sedan cars.

The entry of Ecosport is expected to further tighten the domestic SUV market, with the vehicle likely to take on models like Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mahindra XUV 500, Chevrolet Captiva and Volkswagen Tiguan, among others. And Go Automobiles is pinning hopes on the vehicle to become number one SUV seller in the domestic market. “Not only SUVs but we will also be aiming at people wanting to upgrade from sedan cars to SUVs,” Shakya added.

Ecosport is equipped with a 1.0ltr three-cylinder Ecoboost engine that derives a maximum power output of 118 bhp and 170 nm at 1,500 rpm.Similarly, the diesel variant comes with a four-cylinder 1.5ltr, 8V SOHC engine which churns out maximum power output of 90 bhp at 3,750 rpm and 204 nm at 2,000 rpm. The vehicles come with five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission system. There are high chances that the SUV might be launched in Nepal in both manual and automatic transmission systems.

Despite being an SUV, the Ecosport has an advantage in terms of fuel efficiency. According to Ford India, the vehicle’s 1.0ltr petrol engine is 20 percent more efficient than a 1.6ltr petrol engine even though it produces a similar amount of power. As per ARAI certification, the petrol variant gives a mileage of 16 km per litre in city conditions and 20km per litre on the highway. The diesel variant too is efficient in comparison to other vehicles in this category, with a mileage of around 15km per litre in the city and 17-18 km per litre on the highway.

The powerful Ford engine gives the petrol variant of Ecosport to go from 0 to 100 kmph in less than 10 seconds with a top speed of around 170 kmph. The diesel variant which has a top speed of 160 kmph takes less than 12 seconds to go from 0 to 100 kmph.

Adding to the comfort quotient of Ecosport are power windows, air conditioning, central locking system, remote boot and fuel filler system, rear wiper, rear defogger, rear armrest with cup holder and both side electric door mirror.

Equally impressive are its safety features. The SUV is armed with burglar alarm, front and side curtain airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control and Hill Launch Assist (HLA) system.However, the most intriguing factor about Ecosport is its price. According to Shakya, the entry-level Ecosport variant is likely to cost around Rs 4 million. The company has stated that the new vehicle is likely to cater to the demand of mid-level bankers, travel agency operators and businessmen, among others.

source: the kathmandu post,16 april 2013

Nepal-made smartphones hit market

Motif Engineering has become the first domestic company to assemble smartphones in Nepal. It currently designs mobile phones, assembles them and develops applications in the country.

It has so far designed and assembled four different models of mobile phones, including Motif Ultimate, Motif Eyon, Motif Ultimate Plus and Motif Hero, which have already been introduced in the domestic market.

According to the company, Ultimate, Eyon and Ultimate Plus are smartphones, while Hero is a feature phone.

"We decided to design and assemble mobile phones in Nepal to provide quality products at affordable prices to Nepalis and reduce the country´s dependence on low-quality Chinese phones," said Surendra Manadhar, managing director of Motif Engineering.

Manandhar further said he has hired a group of engineers and application developers to design and assemble mobile phones in the country.

Motif Ultimate and Ultimate Plus are dual SIM smartphones (WCDMA+GSM) with WVGA TFT LCD screen. Manandhar said both the phones come with MTK6577 Dual Core 1.2 GHz Cortex A9 processor, Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean operating system, WiFi and WiFi Access Point (AP).

The phones have 4GB ROM and 512 MB RAM expandable to up to 32 GB through micro SD card. The phones support 3G, EDGE and GPRS. The phones have a 5-mega pixel primary camera with LED flash, while the secondary camera is of 0.3 mega pixel.

The difference between Ultimate and Ultimate Plus is that Ultimate boasts a 5.2-inch screen with resolution of 480x800 pixels, while Ultimate Plus comes with a 5.5-inch screen with resolution of 480x854 pixels.

The company has priced Ultimate at Rs 20,000 while Ultimate Plus is available for Rs 22,000. Only operating systems on these phones come with one-year warranty.

Eyon, on the other hand, is an entry level dual SIM (GSM+GSM) smartphone which comes with a 3.5-inch HVGA TFT LCD screen with resolution of 320x480 pixels. The phone runs on Android 2.3.6 Ginger Bread which can be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich on demand and has 1 Ghz processor.

The phone has 256 MB ROM and 512 MB RAM expandable to up to 32 GB through micro SD card.

The phone supports WiFi, EDGE and GPRS. The phone is equipped with a primary 2-mega pixel camera with LED flash and the secondary camera of 0.3 mega pixel.

Eyon is available for Rs 8,000 Hero, meanwhile, is a dual SIM (GSM+GSM) feature phone assembled by the company. The phone has 64 MB ROM and 128 MB RAM expandable to up to 8 GB through micro SD card.

The phone is equipped with a primary 0.3-mega pixel camera with LED flash. Hero supports Java script and EDGE. The company is selling the phone at Rs 2,800.

"We have currently produced 500 units of these phones and are planning to increase production as per the demand in the market," said Manandhar, adding that the company has capacity of manufacturing 1,000 units of phones a month.

The company is providing 15 percent discount on all models of Motif phones at the ongoing ICT Electronics Branding Expo 2013 which will last till Saturday.

source: republica,11 april 2013

Int'l Musikfilm Festival celebrating legendary musicians

Bringing film and music together and celebrating the great musicians, International Musikfilm Festival is scheduled to begin today in Kathmandu. The five day festival is being organized by Tuborg Stage and will be held at various music outlets in the capital ending on April 14.

The festival starts with the screening of Pink Floyd at Pompei today at Moksh, Jhamsikhel. It will screen rare films at different venues till April 14. After every screening, a live band will play selected songs of the legendary bands featured in the film, states the press release.

The press release further states that it has an exciting array of films for audiences. People can watch films about celebrated musicians like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain during the festival. Uprising: Hip Hop & LA Riots, a film about the genre’s introduction to the mainstream, will also be screened during the festival.

The festival will be screening Jimi Hendrix at Purple Haze, Thamel; Ornette Coleman at Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, Jhamsikhel; Ice-T, Rodney King a.o. hip hop legends at House of Music , Thamel; Brian Jonestown´s Massacre at Tings Tea Lounge, Lazimpat; Janis Joplin at Backyard Food & Joint, Jhamsikhel; Kurt Cobain at Reggae Pub, Thamel; Charlie ´Bird´ Parker at White Horse, Baluwatar; Jim Morrison & The Doors at Fluid Bar, Thamel; and Baile Funk with Mr Catra at Sattya, Jawlakhel.

source: republica,9 april 2013

ICT Info-Trade Fair kicks off in Capital

ICT Info-Trade Fair 2013, one of the prominent IT fairs in the country, opened at Exhibition Hall, Bhrikuti Mandap on Tuesday. The five-day fair was inaugurated by cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi. The Information Communication and Technology Association of Nepal (ICT) is the organiser of the event.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, president of the ICT Association Sishir Upadhyay said that it was necessary to develop the ICT sector in order to develop the country. He also urged the government to increase its focus on the sector and get serious on making the country prosperous through the medium of IT.

“There is a need to trim the digital divide between people. We aim to increase the access of the general people to the ICT sector through events like this,” Upadhyay said.

The annual ICT fair has been initiated with the aim of making people aware about the availability of the latest IT products and showcasing world class technology to the people. There are 87 stalls from 70 companies at the expo. Unlike other general expos, the ICT Expo has very well managed with decorated stalls adding to the overall ambience.

Global and local brands are offering a wide range of products like laptop computers, desktop computers, servers, touch pads, sound systems, networking systems, security equipment, printers, home appliances, smartphones and projectors, among various others. In addition, there are various IT accessories and power products available.

Addressing the ceremony, director general of the Department of IT Kapil Dev Shrestha thanked the organizers for their initiative to develop Nepal’s ICT sector and their efforts to enhance the reach of rural people in the ICT sector and develop Nepal as an outsourcing hub.

Meanwhile, the association felicitated senior media personality Hari Sharan Shrestha, senior engineer Bijay Krishna Shrestha and former managing director of Nepal Telecom Sugat Ratna Kansakar for their contribution to the development of the country’s ICT sector. The ICT Association also donated computers to Navadurga Secondary School, Achham, Thati Lower Secondary School, Achham, Pashupati Higher Secondary School, Bajura and Badhyammadhu Higher Secondary School, Achham.

The expo is expected to draw 250,000 to 275,000 visitors during the five days it will last. Tickets for the event have been priced at Rs 50 for the general public and Rs 25 for students producing identity cards. SLC-appeared students with admission cards will be admitted free of cost.

source: the kathmandu post,10 april 2013