Review of Xiaomi MI3: A class act

Chinese have distinguished themselves in the field of technological advancements at a minimalistic cost. The much hyped Xiaomi has finally entered the huge Indian market & already started grabbing eyeballs. Xiaomi MI3 popularly known as giant killer boasts of a sleek build up & houses top notch specification. I would be lying if I didn't mention here that it has already set the alarm bell ringing for other leading smart phone manufacturers in India.

First look:

Apart from handset you get a USB cable, charger head, manual and pin to access SIM card tray much like an iPhone. Unfortunately there is no headset, but hang on it is loaded with features which will make up for the headset.  Rectangular in shape, the sleek gadget weighs 145 gm with a thickness of 8.1 mm. The body is forged out of aluminium magnesium alloy. A MI logo etched in silver color shows up at the top left corner.

All the navigating buttons on the screen lit up at once when accessed and remain invisible when backlight is not lit, when you hold it you feel a thin, light and stark black panel from front and dusky metallic rear panel comprising a phone which towers above its contemporaries in many vital aspects. Toggle buttons are located on the left edge, leaving right edge completely unscathed, 3.5 audio jack is located at the top left edge and vertically opposite we have a metal reinforced USB port accompanied by wide 120 laser cut grills made for sound outlet which makes it cut above the rest in design technology. Turn the phone and you will find a flat, and smooth rear panel with camera along with dual led flash located at the top left corner and further down a logo of mi affixed at the bottom centre. You can say that before you start accessing it, the phone sets up a nice prologue.

Blend of Technology:

Xiaomi has ensured that with the kind of specifications it has stuffed in MI3 no other brand even gets to stand in its vicinity. MIUI allows you to custom icons in the grids which are user specified and customised for apps or widgets. MIUI also includes an updater app, a torch, a file explorer, an NFC tag utility, Facebook, Kingsoft Office and the Flipkart app, as well as custom Gallery and Music apps. IPS screen technology boosts phone's response time, viewing angle dependence and color reproduction. Xiaomi has fused touch screen with backlit display to make images more clearer and sharper. 

Pressure sensitive screen enables you to access the screen even with wet fingers which comes handy when you are amidst household work and hands get soaked. The body has been   structured in 3 thermal graphite layers which makes it strong and reliable. It supports mini SIM card and it was tough to fathom that they are not launching it with microSD card slot and it comes with predefined 16 GB inbuilt memory, with only 13 GB for our use, the 64 GB variant hasn't been launched in India yet. A strong 3050 mAh battery runs the phone and claims to last for 9 hrs 44 min on video loop testing. It operates on yet wider frequency and has high broadband speed. 

Talking about camera, it is a 13MP dual LED flash camera capable to capture high resolution pictures quickly even in the worst of lighting conditions with ease. Viewing angle is 28 mm wide which gives wider view of the shot to be taken, apt for group photography with friends. F/2.2 aperture stuffs more light which makes snap brighter and cleaner. It's distinguished 5 piece lens technology includes infrared filters thus constituting for clearer and true to life colors photo which is much different from any phone of this range. It's UI is appealing and dial pad can be accessed from the locked screen which reveals the saved contact when a number is dialled, it even shows the full screen avatar when a person is called. In a first xiaomi has used Dirac tech in mi3 which optimises sound output according to the headset used. Xiaomi happens to be the first smartphone to  introduce SFX surround sound technology to make it a profound listening experience. MI3 also provides its own cloud which can be used to access files and data after creating unique ID.

Verdict:

This phone comes for 14k and honestly speaking has the assets that can make a phone priced 24k look meagre. Battery give high performance and camera clicks exceptional photos. Long hours of gaming and video watching are assets to this phone. MI3 is handsomely built, and smartly stuffed, it can let you play any given game so profoundly thanks to the 2 GB RAM and Qualcomm snapdragon processor, and when you hold it, it feels as if you don't own it, rather it owns you.

Watch MI3 video here

INTEGRATION OF MICROSOFT SHARE POINT WITH OUTLOOK

When it comes to enterprise services and quality product meant for professional and business use, Microsoft towers above its contemporaries even today. They have pioneered the successful functioning of tech platforms and tech solution to people across the globe. Be it the in-and-out of operating system, cloud services or relative software solution sought by MNCs, Microsoft has stood the test of time. They have set a benchmark and today competing them remains a distant dream for some top notch companies.

MS Share Point being one big component of Office 365 and a thing of great utility has helped people save and share vital data and information on cloud. While MS Outlook enables us to get desktop view of our document and emails, SharePoint‘s connectivity with it makes for a potent combination to access any given, file data and other important relevant stuffs at our fingertip.

To talk about the integration of MS SharePoint with outlook, it provides us several advantages, some of them are:

• Drag and drop email and attachments to SharePoint proves to be a thing of utility for business professionals who practice frequent email conversations. It further auto loads the related attributes like date, time, recepient and subject of matter from Outlook mailing system.
• It can be called a smart technology which checks for duplicate email and recognizes them, thus making it easy to sort particular emails from useful source.
• Saving a sent attachment on Outlook was never this easier, now SharePoint has the assets to share relatively needed documents by saving them and keeping it in close circle.
• The feature of smart filling of emails yet saves the precious time dealing and conversing with important client who come at the top of priority list. Thus making our life at office marginally easier. We can always remember the data which will be auto filled when you need them next time.
• Easy sharing of library lists not only leverages our priority to share data among our professional circle rather we can control them completely through SharePoint integration.
• SharePoint integration helps us keep a tab on engagements and schedule, and the auto sync option never lets us miss any of the prior engagements from our  calendar list. Not only professional, SharePoint integration can turn vital in composing and sharing library stuffs across our very private connection, and lets us access it though cloud anytime we want.
• Even attachments can be replaced with links to uploaded items in SharePoint files and documentation. And makes it one click access to its vast information placed on internet.

Overall this SharePoint integration with outlook has become a source of luxury for online businesspersons. Kudos to Microsoft for leveraging its user with this stand out functionality.

Nokia XL Review : Cheap but certainly not the best

After the overwhelming acceptance of Lumia phones in Indian market, Nokia has come up with its low budget yet stylish model in Nokia XL, also seen as a capable successor to the Nokia X series. It is power packed with some mouthwatering features and beautiful design at an affordable price. This budget phone from Nokia is powered by android Jelly Bean technology which has been merged and modified with Nokia's own Software platform X v1.0.1.

First Impression

When unboxed its sharp and cutting edge is the first thing that grabbed my attention, its massive 5 inch display with 480*800 pixel with IPS WVGA screen presents for a decent spectacle. The phone comes in 6 vibrant colors which you can chose according to your taste, however I loved the plain white shade which gives a glint of soberness along with class. Nokia XL has been designed tough with non-metallic fiber like material which is neither too heavy nor too lightweight and gives a good feel when held firmly. Nokia XL dug deep once you peel of its casing thus revealing its battery, dedicated SIM card and micro SD card slot which can be extended up to 32 GB along with the 4 GB internal space. It comes in single as well as dual SIM variant.

Hardware and Software:

Its home screen appearance is more like Windows powered Lumia, and the tile look makes for a catchy User Interface. Google’s OS powers it's 1 GHz dual core processor and 750 MB RAM made my gaming experience quite satisfactory when I started with engrossing games like Subway Surfer and online 8 ball pool by Mini Clip though it lacked on heavily built games like FIFA and ASPHALT which require high RAM specification, nevertheless it has too much for an entry segment phone. 

Video Chatting and live streaming turns out to be its one of the valuable assets, thanks to its elongated 5’’ screen and 2 MP front camera. It's 5 MP rear camera takes high resolution pictures of 2592*1944 pixels and further provides 4X zoom to provide better imaging experience. Screen looks little bleak when compared with Corning gorilla glass tech technology but then it is tough built. Introduction of thread system in the text messaging makes for a distinguished feature in phones of same category. Nokia has stuffed a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8225 processor in it and the powerful 2000 mAh Li-ion battery lasts for close to 13 hours when used on 3G. Another noticeable aspect is its comparative light weight (190 gm).Nokia XL has been launched into the Indian market to target the budget phone segment where the likes of Motorola, Samsung, HTC, and Xiaomi have already stuffed vast Indian market with their budget phones.

Verdict:

So far so good this smartphone from Nokia makes for an ideal package housing variety of specifications and gorgeous looks. It comes handy for those parents who press on low budget phones whereas it can woo a retro teenager crazy for stylish looks, better gaming feature and music, with enough facility to multitask. The power packed features, powerful battery, and easy accessibility makes it a frontrunner in its price category. I would say its camera can be an ideal replacement for the boring digital camera pouch, lest you are an SLR freak. Nokia XL promises to be in the big books sooner. If you are looking for a smartphone in 9k range with bigger display, reliable chipset and assets of an ideal smartphone, well this may be the will gadget you are looking for.

Watch Nokia XL official review here

REVIEW OF ASUS ZENFONE 5

It is raining smartphones in the Indian market and true to my presumption, the enormous market size and lower middle-class people's obsession for sophisticated smartphones have dragged foreign investors like Motorola, Samsung, and HTC to try their luck here, the latest entrant in the list being Taiwanese giant ASUS. It has certainly created a stir with its triple explosion in the form of Zenfone 4, 5 & 6. With Motorola already having tasted its share of success, it's time people savored the flavor of these high-end budget phones. Zenfone 6 being a phablet belongs to a different family as it sports a wider 6 Inch screen, but here I am going to talk about Zenphone 5 in this review.

The phone has everything in it sought by a smartphone consumed user and it won't burn a hole in your pocket either as it is priced below 10k. The only competition Zenfone 5 faces now is from Chinese iPhone killer (yeah but only a bit by looks) Xiaomi MI3, which has run riots with its unprecedented sale through the South Asian e-commerce giant Flipkart. But this phone from ASUS has its own edge over MI3, yeah you got it right here, it is dirt cheap.

OUTLOOK AND APPEARANCE:

If one goes by it's looks, it is damn sleek and so smooth that your gaze will glide past it in a moment. The slight contour of its back acts as an adhesive to the palm and makes for a firm grip of the phone. Oh yes! Guys out there with smaller hands better get a feel of it before placing an order online, as it is huge and won't make you Comfortable until held with both hands. It's 10.3 mm thickness isn't bad either. The 5 color variants available in India are Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red, Sky Blue, and Solar Yellow. A 2 MP front camera and sensors stand tall above its 5 Inch IPS HD screen. You are certainly going to love its metallic look side buttons that control it's sound shortcut keys and unlock/ lock system.

FEATURE AND SPECIFICATIONS:

Well the phone is embodied with exceptional specifications which are usually found in a phone of 20k category, Zenfone 5 features a 5-inch IPS HD (720x1280-pixel) screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection which makes it tough and robust, screen’s 294 PPI density accords it with superior clarity but certainly doesn’t withstand the 329 PPI as far as Moto G is concerned. If you take a sneak peek at its inner specs it has 2 GB RAM support, houses 8/16 GB internal storage which can be furthered up to 64 GB with microSD card, and the device is powered by dual-core 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor with what Intel calls Hyper-Threading technology, which allows each core to execute two instructions at a time and is remarkable accomplishment in itself. It supports dual SIM (micro sim), the 2110 mAh battery supplies it with more than enough power surge which towers over other phones of this range. It has 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture lens, LED flash and a 2-megapixel front camera and all those latest photo shooting modes which are an asset to those  buyers who have the camera in mind when they go out buying a smartphone. And that is not all, the makers have stuffed gadget with pixel master technology which combines software, hardware, and optical design to deliver best results. Well the back panel is replaceable but the battery can’t be detached, two SIM card slot shows up the moment you pull the back panel off and to top it all the flashing Intel logo at the bottom of the back panel makes the beholder aware about the guardians of chipset designing technology.

 VERDICT:

This gadget has everything that an entry level buyer would ever ask for lest we all know that scope for betterment is endless and so are our fantasies. But this phone is power packed and gives its colleagues a run for their money who are placed in the same price bracket. Clarity of screen part is little bleak when compared to Motorola's flagship phone Moto G. It's camera's placement at the back makes it a little vulnerable as far as the lens is concerned that too because of the repeated drubbing it has to suffer when kept face upfront on a hard surface. The high reflectivity of its screen may prompt you to switch to a better brightness level when you step into the sunlight which is indeed a hustle for the users. 

Makers from ASUS has stuffed an additional gloves mode which is a candy point for e-book readers, as readers can certainly touch and get a response from the screen while wearing a glove. Zenfone 5 has been provided with the separate buttons for back, home and recent which scores over Moto G which fashions virtual keys. ZenUI enables you to customize the UI according to your taste and further enhance the viewing experience which happens to be one exceptional technological advancement you got to watch out. Now as far as the appeal of UI is concerned it certainly lacks the teeth when seen abreast with Moto G.

Plus we have all the account, music and photo sync system which can certainly concord a supporting hand in safeguarding our vital data. When tested it gave a seamless performance while running heavy games like Asphalt 8, an NFS. Well, continuous and rigorous use can heat up any given device and the same goes with Zenfone 5 too but as far as running multiple apps. and another multi-tasking is concerned it certainly is a standout achiever, thanks to the hyper threading technology by Intel. 

Overall I see a potent competitor in Zenfone 5 to dethrone Moto G. So if I had 10k bucks in my wallet and had to buy a smartphone I would certainly put my money on this masterpiece from ASUS.

Watch the video of ASUS Zenfone 5 here.

REVIEW OF SAMSUNG GALAXY ALPHA

To stay abreast with the developments of today’s cut throat market, the smart phone giant Samsung unveiled its latest flagship model Galaxy Alpha. The smartphone is expected to be an answer to a much awaited iPhone 6 which is likely to be released next month and if one goes by the looks, the phone resembles an iPhone by its appearance.

In a desperate move to stay upright in the global market this handset has been carved out marginally different from its high profile predecessors in Galaxy S series phones(Galaxy S5), though it retains most of the sophisticated features like ultra power saving mode, S Health, finger print scanner and private mode present in Samsung Galaxy S5. 

Galaxy Alpha is bestowed with amazing look and sleek appearance by the virtue of its metallic frames built with sophisticated and compact construction techniques, yes it is less than 7 mm thick and weighs 115 gms. Galaxy Alpha is powered by octa core chipset, runs on latest android 4.4.4 kit kat operating system, and houses all the latest specs. like 4.7 inch super HD amoled screen(720*1280 pixels), 2 GB RAM, 32 GB non-expandable memory, a 12 MP front and 1.2 MP rear camera to click lively images and ultra-fast 2.5 Ghz processor, the 1860 mAh battery intends to accord it with a better battery life. With all the latest screen and network technology stuffed in it, it certainly makes for one formidable handset in the market. For enhanced connectivity it has LTE connection with modified Cat-6 depicting LTE-A speed which can clock to a whooping 300 mbps. 

Though, hardcore tech followers have already started taking a hit its 720 pixel display and yet belittled battery (at least 2100 mAh battery was expected), the thing in reckoning remains how it fares with people across the globe, given that Apple has a reputation of coming out with design and features out of the world thus delivering a power packed punch at its rivals. Meanwhile talking about the shades, at launch Galaxy Alpha will be available in Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, Frosted Gold, Sleek Silver and Scuba Blue color variant.

Touted to be released worldwide next month, Galaxy Alpha can be seen in 2-3 variants as far as its processor and specs. are concerned and certainly its fan would seek all those pity problems like ill functioning and poor efficiency to be sorted out if it has to stay in the fray. For now we can wait and watch.
Watch exclusive video on Galaxy Alpha here Galaxy Alpha

FASHION TIPS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THIS MONSOON

I DREAMT OF A WORLD DEVOID OF RELIGION

Yesterday, I had a dream. A dream that's tough to relate & far from reality. Something that doesn't cost anything and voices a cause. Moreover, they say dreams lead to reality.
In my case, I envisioned the world away of religion, mankind free of malice & a place bereft of deities. Today, one can affirm that humanity stands on the cusp of crucifixion. And I wouldn’t seek apology if by I sounded profane.
Millions of caste, sect and religion that has chopped our beautiful world into fragments, stand testimony to my accusation. Game of blood bath between the followers of Hindu- Muslim, Shia- Sunni, Muslim- Jew, Christian- Jew occur on daily basis. Then there are other ferocious participants living in the remote areas of Africa where kids use AK-47 & rocket launchers as their pillows. Certainly they enjoy playing high voltage match of this ilk & have smeared the face of the globe with blood & intend to continue it in the longer run. It is the same blood which we claim to be a cohesive agent that binds us together to one bond called brotherhood. 
These pseudo proclamations immediately fade away into the oblivion when we hear of all the bloodshed taking place in the middle-east. Its intensity does vary but at the end of the day, terror thrives in these places. Some of the prominent centers of action are Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, a few African countries. Whereas Israel & Palestine are the most dedicated of the lot where it seems people will relax only after they completely demolish their neighbour.
I tell you, ever since I gained my senses, I have been hearing this Israel-Gaza brawl through AIR News and TV. I recall those days when I wouldn’t understand a single thing when Papa used to affix our grand old Phillips radio on his cushion, glued to his ear soon as the clock indicated 8:15 pm. It was time for the BBC news from London to start. Back then all I could make out was that, there is a strip called Gaza where the two Muslim & Jew countries named Palestine & Israel are breathing down one other’s neck just to annihilate each other.
It has been 18 long years since then & today things have changed but the driving force behind their never ending scuffle remains constant, and that being profuse hatred. Gradually things of global significance have pulled my attention and today it is not only a matter of land dispute, rather it is a communal duel between Muslim-Jew. Well as their cleric and holy book says these religions do have ample of ideological differences and I won’t touch that withering nerve to differentiate between just and unjust but given the kind of dubious situation they find themselves in, it is really sad to see that no one is safer in the premises of these countries anymore. People are driven by a maniac called anger.
Yesterday I found an appalling picture of an infant's body smeared with blood in my feed which was shared by some sympathizing soul, the kid was hunted down by a stray drone and it really hit me hard. If that was anything less, then the ongoing conflict between Iraqi administration and ISIS militants who want the Sunni regime to take over the reign of Iraq and have apparently crossed the farthest limit of inhumanity, posted the clips and footages of their brutal live execution. The nature of these acts varied from the throats being slit opened with a dagger to the skull being rip opened by an AK-47 bullet. And in the process completing one of the most dreadful execution anyone would ever think of. 
These acts hold testimony to the fact that humanity has been pushed to the deepest of trenches. Hundreds of Nigerian girls who have been abducted by a group of  Bokoharam militants have been subjected to forceful conversion into Islam and those who objected has been brought down ruthlessly. On the other side, there is rebel group of Ukraine who have waged their inhuman protest against the monopolistic approach of Russia. 
Few weeks ago a Malaysian plane carrying 100s of people from all over the world was crossing the disputed airspace over Ukraine and quite shockingly it was brought down to ashes by a missile fired by these miscreants. Even worse there were many unclaimed corpses lying in the disputed area and were left to decompose. The incidence of such ilk will be the last thing a person travelling by aeroplane would expect. As these series of continuous onslaught which costs numerous of human lives in bargain goes on, social media and TV reporters on the contrary are busy quenching their thirst for TRPs and publicity. They have the luxury of publicizing the images of those mutilated body of demised kids and make special stories out of them for their prime time. 
Anything from morphed videos to snaps, we are so engrossed in gaining publicity with our posts and in the process forget basic values. There is a serious need to stop this mayhem by hook or crook, as these nerve jolting images can leave anyone in tears and abolish the doctrines of ethics and humanity. But, in the end, all we care about is TRPs, likes and comments. What a poor breed have we become?
UN and other big daddies have done their part by proclaiming their seniority and threatening to apply sanctions on Israel. But do we see a cease-fire in the near future? I guess not, the reason being their political gains and personal motives behind that.
We have become smart enough to alter the writs and commands of holy books and have kept rational ideologies at bay. Tell me why would Bible, Gita, or Koran preach slaughter and violence, but since we have trained our mind to give way to such ugly thoughts and keep ourselves on toes to pounce on some Muslim or Jew standing next to us just to show our muscle, I seriously denounce these acts of indecency and lastly this whole concept of religionism.
Despite acknowledging the fact that religion has a pivotal role to play in our today’s existence I strongly despise this concept just because there has been ample of bloodshed around because of it. Stop this and find more than half of the problems being addressed. Let all these dogmas and conviction be abolished so that an Allah, a Jesus or a Ram wouldn’t wince in pain when he sees his most sophisticated creation muddling his name.