Rapoo H3080 Wireless Foldable headset – Review

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

A few weeks back Rapoo was kind enough to send me the H3080 (http://rapoo.com/showdetails.aspx?P_No=h3080) wireless headset for review. It has been a fun time reviewing the headset. Rapoo, a fairly unknown brand to me did actually manage to blow me away with the quality of both build as well as sound.

A little about Rapoo, right from their site (http://rapoo.com/aboutus.aspx)

Founded in 2002, RAPOO is dedicated to offering excellent, cutting-edge wireless peripheral products to users around the world. “Wireless Your Life” is the simple philosophy that RAPOO has always adhered to.
RAPOO has constantly paid close attention to the continuous changes in user demands and to providing corresponding solutions. The RAPOO range of wireless mice, wireless keyboards, wireless headsets and wireless speakers is tailored to meet the needs of PC users. Bluetooth headsets and Bluetooth keyboards for intelligent terminals, like mobile phones and tablet PCs, are further featured in RAPOO’s broad portfolio. Multimedia keyboards and Multi-Link (dandelion technology) product suites for the home theater round out the RAPOO range.
RAPOO possesses a top class R&D design team which has a deep understanding of the industrial aesthetic standards of today’s world and can accurately grasp the end-user experiences in the market. In the IF Design Awards 2012 and 2013, four products of the RAPOO Blade Series won awards, which further strengthened and honoured RAPOO’s relentless pursuit of offering the best user experience.
RAPOO was listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 002577) in China in April 2011. In order to provide more end-users around the world with excellent products and services, RAPOO launched its global market strategy in 2011 to enable global users to simultaneously share RAPOO’s technological achievements.
RAPOO’s mission is to “Wireless Your Life”, meaning that RAPOO is constantly striving to bring more and more people around the world unique wireless enjoyment and in doing so create a brand-new wireless lifestyle.

Now about the headset. The device functions on the 2.4 GHz WiFi Channel and employs COM- Ti membrane vibrating technology which delivers a clear and bright treble and a deep and mellow bass. The device comes in a foldable design with a neat pouch to store the headphones in. Package contents included a Pouch, the Headset and a WiFi device to pair the Headset and the Computer.

The device itself is available in two colours, black and white. I found no problems pairing the device with my Windows 8 PC and my Mac at home. After pairing, the device worked without a glitch in the said 10 m range. I have tried the device with multiple types of Music ranging from Indian Classical to Heavy Death Metal. The device performed perfectly fine each time delivering true to life sound. I also managed to try the device out with few games that I had on my PC as well as Skype. The sound that was transmitted was great as well. All in all, the device turns out to be a great package for some one who is looking for something that would meet not only needs of music and games but also as a perfect companion for making calls back home or to the girlfriend in the dark of the night! 😉

The only grouse that I had was that if the connecting WiFi piece (In the center of the image above) is lost, the device may be rendered useless. I am not really sure if the spare parts are available in India already. Alternately, it would have been great if the device could connect to the PC/Laptop with WiFi support directly by the means of a software installation. This would at least reduce the number of support calls to the company.

Press Release: Micro Focus Brings the Mainframe to iPads with Rumba+ Mobile

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

Now this is something close to my heart!

Micro Focus Brings the Mainframe to iPads with Rumba+ Mobile

Rumba+ Mobile improves end user efficiency and productivity with fast and simple access to mainframe based applications from iPad tablet devices

Bangalore, India, 23 October 2013: Micro Focus (LSE: MCRO.L), a leading provider of enterprise application modernization, testing and management solutions, today announced the availability of Rumba+ Mobile on iPad, the first terminal emulator and user interface (UI) modernization application for tablet devices. The new solution enables organizations to quickly modernize green-screen applications on mobile devices. The newly presented interfaces quickly improve the end user experience, boost productivity and bring a modern look and feel to legacy business applications, all without the need to change application code or use specialist development skills.

The Rumba+ Mobile terminal emulator offers a native iPad client application, taking full advantage of iOS functionalities. It turns green-screen applications into touch-screen apps, with integrated and customizable gestures capabilities or skins, in addition to the use of controls such multi green-screen tables, tabs, images calendars, drop down menus and much more.iPad gestures are also fully integrated and can be customized to interact with the host or to control the terminal emulation session.

According to Gartner, Inc. in a recent report “2013 is the year many organizations woke up to the imperative to do something about mobile”^[1]. But according to Kevin Brearley, Director of Product Management at Micro Focus: “The need for mobile apps is challenging the agility of many critical legacy applications today. Traditional 3270 and 5250 or “green-screen” applications are a good example of this. They can be considered out-dated, difficult to learn and navigate for today’s modern user. This not only frustrates employees, but often affects a business’ customer service. In trying to bring these applications forward, organizations often rewrite the entire green screen application, or adopt a middleware solution that connects business logic on the mainframe to the user interface. It’s time consuming and costly and can have an unacceptable time to market.

“Our innovative Rumba+ Mobile solution enables businesses to extend existing application investments through the modernization of mainframe and iSeries green-screen applications. Adopting new trends and technologies allowing mobility like this can enhance a business’ agility and ultimately their competitive advantage. We are helping organizations to improve end user productivity, shorten business process learning cycles and cut through laborious data input/retrieval processes to respond faster to market dynamics. As a result, customers will realize the benefits of increased efficiency, whilst any investments and knowledge present in the existing mainframe applications will be preserved.”

Rumba+ is part of a family of enterprise application modernization technologies from Micro Focus, which help organizations transform the value of their core business systems. In addition to Rumba+ Mobile, companies can also take advantage of Rumba+ Web to enable remote access to centralized applications through web browsers, and Rumba+ Desktop for simple but efficient improvement to their traditional Windows client view of these legacy applications.

Rumba+ Mobile apps is now available in the iTunes store.

– Ends –

About Micro Focus

Micro Focus, a member of the FTSE 250, provides innovative software that allows companies to dramatically improve the business value of their enterprise applications. Micro Focus Enterprise Application Modernization, Testing and Management software enables customers’ business applications to respond rapidly to market changes and embrace modern architectures with reduced cost and risk. For additional information please visit www.microfocus.com

Lenovo debuts a range of multimedia gaming PCs

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

Lenovo, one of India’s leading PC players, today announced the launch of a new range of feature-rich gaming PCs, powered by Windows 8 and the Intel® Core™ i7 processor. This move signifies Lenovo’s entry into the high potential Gaming space that caters to the Next Gen PC user with products that offer robust performance.

The new range includes the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p which boosts multimedia gaming with stylish looks along with easy options to add more storage or graphics. Equipped with high-performance graphics and premium audio that makes it a true multimedia powerhouse, the Y510p is a perfect option for the serious gamers.

Also part of the new portfolio, the much-awaited, CES award winner, Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon 27 is the world’s first multi-user, multi-touch, multi-mode table PC with hundreds of pre-loaded games that can be played anywhere at home. This interpersonal device brings families together for a shared computing experience over the solitary computing nature of most other devices. Its USP includes a supersized screen, dynamic graphics and touch screen and it also doubles as a user’s high performance, all-in-one 27-inch desktop. Horizon brings a new perspective to computing – one that makes the experience shared, collaborative and personal.

Shailendra Katyal, Director- Consumer Business, Lenovo India said, “We are happy to enter the gaming sphere with a complete portfolio of gaming machines that cater to both individuals and families. Lenovo is fostering its growth in the PC+ era through these multi-media devices that will add a new dimension to our existing portfolio of Consumer products and redefine the concept of gaming in India.”

Lenovo IdeaPad Z510, a multi-media notebook with a good balance of features and performance is the third member of the gaming family. The laptop is equipped with a powerful processor, graphics performance along with an integrated DVD drive and superior audio quality.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p – Key features:

· Boosts a unique Ultrabay feature which enables instant swapping for dual capability and increase in storage space

· Runs on 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7- processor and operates on Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro

Enabled with speakers supporting Dolby Home Theatre designed by JBL for immersive sound
Integrated Dual graphics support; NVIDIA SLI – up to NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2GB dual graphics
Backlit Accutype keyboard with individual rounded keys, offering easy typing even in the dark

Price: Rs. 69,990/- (taxes included) – The product is also available on thedostore.com

Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon 27 – Key features:

· Winner of 14 + awards at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2013

· With integrated Aura interface activated, it enables two or more people to access content, videos, pictures and play games

· Comes with unique Table PC accessories such as Joystick, Striker and E-dice, in addition to preloaded games, wireless mouse and keyboard.

· Supported by NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 620M 1GB/2GB graphics with DirectX® 11

· Operates on 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7- processor for smooth multi-tasking

· Features stereo speakers with Dolby® Home Theatre® V4

Price: Rs.1, 36,500 /- (taxes included)

Lenovo IdeaPad Z510 – Key features:

· The 15.6” laptop runs on 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7- processor

· Up to 16GB DDR3L memory

· Enables users to stream the content wirelessly to a big screen with Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) Technology

· OneKey® Recovery makes data backup and recovery simple

· Offers stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater certification for immersive sound

Price: Rs. 50, 990/- (taxes included)

Honda Amaze–An Amazing Drive

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

I have been fairly busy off late which has led to a lot of back log in terms of blogs pending work. Honda Amaze was one such. However, this is one such experience that I would not have forgotten about even if I had chosen to write about it a few months down the line. It was a drive that not only left me exhilarated but overly amazed as well! Truly a drive to Amaze!

The experience started from the Taj Vivanta, ITPL and extended until Narsapura and back. 7 cars and several drivers, AKA us. All in a team each and all with a mission! A mission to enjoy the drive.

Now a quick review about the car:

First Impressions

The first impressions that the car would leave you with is probably that of a very sedate car. One that you would use with your family alone and probably not pump down the gas too much. The looks are fairly timid and leave you wondering if the car can really Amaze you. Of course, once you see its tail, all such thoughts are swept aside. The car has a definite Honda look to it that it manages to carry off with elan!

Build Quality

While the body is very solidly built and inspires confidence once inside the cocoon like interior shell, the car that we had did not have it’s panel gaps upto the mark. There were several instances when I felt that probably if I used a finger nail a little too much, the part would separate and fall off into my hands. Same way, a little towards the A pillar, the plastics on the dashboard started vibrating violently on certain RPMs. I was told that may be this was an issue with just the car that I had. None of the other teams experienced or reported about it though. May be it really was my car!

The Music System on board had a definite premium feel to it and did not at one moment cause unwanted vibrations in the speakers. This definitely is a plus to me since I am a music junkie and carry my music where ever I go.

Ride Quality

Now this is where Honda’s engineering steps in. With their Earth IVTEC technology, Honda has not only managed to make the engine more Environment friendly but also driver friendly. The engine in n way disappoints you. The Petrol Engine is supposed to return a mileage of 18.8 KMPL whilst the Diesel is supposed to deliver 25.8 KMPL. We were in the Diesel version of the Amaze.

While this is definitely not the first time I have driven a Diesel powered car, this was may be the first time that the car felt ever so sporty. The front Bucket seats had lumbar support and were height adjustable. Frankly, I have never found Lumbar support to be too much of a use to me. I generally prefer to cushion my back with a small cushion.

The Back seats were also largely comfortable enough providing not only enough Thigh Support but also ample leg room with the driver seat completely pushed back. It is also large enough to comfortably seat 3 full sized tall adults and a kid or two on the lap!

Performance

The Honda’s Diesel Engine is a complete power horse and definitely makes for a fun drive be it in the city or the highway.

In the city, the short gear throw ensures that you don’t end up changing the gears too often leading to a more relaxed and comfortable drive in all kinds of traffic conditions. The traffic induced fatigue is also largely reduced. Now this was one reason why I said that the lumbar support was not really needed. Because I never felt fatigued either in my legs or my back.

On the highway, it’s my way or the highway feel! The short gear stick and short gear throws coupled with short gear ratios results in a very sporty feel! I felt no where lacking while overtaking or while wanting that need for extra rush. Each time I stepped on the gas, the car responded instantly and provided ample feedback! There were several instances where I overtook other teams and they were left stunned and me grinning for the instant performance rush that it gave.

Ratings

First Impressions: 7.5/10

Build Quality: 6/10

Ride Quality: 8/10

Performance: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

Some Pictures from the drive!

Nokia Asha 501–First Impressions

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

We were privy to the Nokia Asha 501 Launch at Bangalore on the 29th of June, 2013 where the handset was displayed to us and also given to us to try. Available in a range of colors, the phone which along with an attractive pricing comes in attractive packaging boasts of a multitude of features and innovations!

The phone comes with an astounding 40+ days of standby on a single SIM and 26 days on Dual SIM and supports 3G. The phone UI looks like it has been done ground up from the scratch and borrows heavily from the interactions that were a part of the erstwhile Nokia’s N9.

The UI works entirely on swipe and boasts of a new feature called Fast Lane. What this basically does is to log 50 of your past, present and future activities that seamlessly allow multi tasking. Since the OS is Nokia’s Series 40 at the back, it has not been optimized for multi window based multi tasking yet the Fast Lane manages to pull it off effortlessly. The UI has also been optimized for maximum screen real estate usage

The phone comes preloaded with a host of 45 apps and games which Nokia believes would more than suffice any person who would want to start using the phone out of the box.

Nokia has successfully implemented several nifty features which goes on to say how much of thought process must have gone in behind developing the phone. We were told that the average user spends 30 percent of his battery time in looking at the time and checking for notifications. Nokia capitalized on this by providing a lock screen screensaver that works at minimal power yet shows a clock and all your notification without as much as moving a finger. Of course, if you do want to make use of the phone, a double tap at the screen brings it to life and displays the notifications in detail. Making use of the Swipe UI, a simple Swipe would take you to the app and display the contents of the notification.

The phone being for the youth features a interchangeable back panel which should be available off the counter from day one.

However, with so many loaded features, there is one trade mark feature that Nokia has managed not to let go, viz. the sturdiness feature. The phone was physically abused right in front of our eyes by dropping it, banging it and throwing it. The phone was working perfectly fine despite all this! Oh so typical Nokia!

The highpoint of the demonstration was a Gesture Based Music Player which was wonderful! It allows you to be a Mozart in the true sense! A simple wave and the music plays the way you want it to! Truly innovative!

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Privy League–Special Cards for Special People

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

Kotak Mahindra Bank launched the Privy League of Credit Cards at the Hard Rock Café last week on Thursday, the 27th of June, 2013. The card has been issued only to a select few High Networth Individuals who were selected using certain undisclosed criterion. The main features of the card lie in not the look but the facilities that the bank has managed to secure for its card holders.

A few of the card features have been listed below:

The bank allows the customers to choose their own reward programs ranging from memberships at most elite clubs to movie tickets. Gone are the days of reward points, it’s time now for instant gratifications!
The card comes with a wallet assist program which promises to replace the card in case of loss immediately no matter where you are located. This is also accompanied by the Loss Protection which covers any transactions that are made after you report the loss of the card.
The card also provides you a Demat facility with preferential brokerage rates, after market trading orders, expert analysis and research accompanied with a dedicated relationship manager who would be your window to one call trade.
On the basis of the relationship value, the bank allows you not only an unsecured overdraft limit but also preapproved loans at a competitive rate of interest and minimal documentation.
In case of the card being linked to Current Accounts, the bank offers a two way sweep facility, preferential booking of Forex Rates online for Transactions, Customized Trade Solutions and Management of Payments and Receivables.

Qualcomm Smartphone and Tablet Giveaway

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

Qualcomm is providing mobile developers with access to our latest Mobile Development Platform (MDP) technology by giving awaythree Snapdragon 800 MDP tablets and three Snapdragon 800 MDP smartphones, designed to provide application developers and device manufacturers with access to the high-performance Android 4.2 platform for developing, testing, optimizing and showcasing applications and games.

Developers can enter by following @Qualcomm Dev on Twitter and sending a tweet using the #QualcommDevs hashtag, or they can“Like” the Qualcomm Developer Network on Facebook and submit an entry through the QDevNet Sweepstakes tab. One entry per person can be submitted each week up until July 14.

The latest MDP is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor, featuring asynchronous quad-core Krait 400 CPUs, an Adreno 330 GPU, and advanced multimedia technology including UltraHD/4K video support. The MDPs also feature integrated hardware and software and are an essential tool for developers as they create the next generation of apps, simplifying development and reducing the time to market.

California Pizza Kitchen’s Mexifornia Food Festival

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

We were privy to California Pizza Kitchen’s Mexican Food festival, aptly named Mexifornia! Now, being a complete foodie, it had been long since I actually tasted Mexican food other than what was already available at the Taco Bells chain. I had long been looking for something interesting. That’s when this invite came in.

Let me set the context first. I have never tasted food at CPK. This was my first time there and I am attempting to be as unbiased as I can. All that I made out of the name was that it was a place that served pizzas. That’s all! We were a group of 6 bloggers who had been invited to taste and provide feedback on the menu that was supposed to be released for the general public. Here’s a quick look at what was in store.

We were told that the Food Festival was strictly non alcoholic and hence only non alcoholic drinks would be served. We gave a few of the drinks a quick run. The ones I tried were Summer Splash, Orange Party, Cranberry Punch and Cucumber Cooler. I liked the Summer Splash really well. It was a mix of Orange and Pineapple. The flavor was so intense that it left a lingering wish to have more and more of it.

Being Vegetarians has both its own advantages and disadvantages. But here, all that I could see was advantages! The starter, Paneer Enchilada, that was served was nothing less than a blast of calories! Filled to the hilt with Paneer, the starter set the mood going great about what next could be expected.

This was followed by a pizza, aptly named Baja Pizza. It was a thin crust pizza with a topping of onions, roasted corn, thinly sliced mushroom, black beans and mozzarella cheese. This had been garnished with hand torn cilantro and crème fraiche. I must say. I just fell in love with the flavor. It was perfectly made and was light on the mouth as well. There were no such ingredients in this that would dull the others’ flavor! Each and every flavor stood on its own. Crunchy and crispy, this was definitely a delight to devour!

The main course was ended with a serving of Tacos and Mexican rice. Frankly speaking, I thought this was the weakest link. Neither did I enjoy the rice which I found to have too much of lemon nor did I find the tacos worthy because the flavor of cabbage killed every other flavor.

The finale, the best that had been saved for the last was the Dessert! I must say, it was a sin worthy of being committed again and again and again! I just fell in love with the Chocolate Mole Mousse! It was delightfully creamy, chocolaty and melted in the mouth! It left a wonderful after flavor! We loved it so much that we actually had two helpings of it! The Churros that were served with it, a one of a kind soft stick seemed to encompass the flavors of not only sugar and cinnamon but also coconut to a good extent. Together, the two were a riot!

I am leaving you with a few pictures to take a look at! In case you happened to try out the Mexican food at the food festival, do leave me a comment about what you liked and what you did not!

Nokia Lumia 520–A Phone for the Masses

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

Nokia has been striving hard to get their Lumia series bang on target but somehow seemed to fail until now. The newly launched Lumia 520 hopes to set right the wrong that Nokia was said to have done to its loyal customers. Nokia that was known for its Series 60/Symbian series was cursed and abused for jumping the bandwagon and joining hands with Microsoft for the software. It had been termed as the Dell of the mobile industry. In fact, rumours were rife that Nokia may be bought over by Microsoft as an investment opportunity.
We were privy to the launch of the Nokia’s Lumia 520 in Bangalore a few days back and had an opportunity to touch and feel the device. Available in flashy colours that are no less than a rainbow themselves, the handset is aimed at the masses or to be precise, College crowd. People who have a limited budget available to themselves yet want the best. Priced at a range of Rs. 10,000/- to 10,499/- the phone is now available for sale at all leading outlets both online as well as offline.
The phone made entirely of plastic, though may appear cheap at the first look makes up for the impression when taken in hand. A texture of velvety finish makes the phone a pleasure to hold. This velvety feel also ensures the phone is anti slip when in grip. The raised plastic buttons allow for easy access as well as give an assuring feeling when being touched and depressed. I am slightly from the old school of thought where buttons attract me. Specifically when there is a button for the camera. I prefer the half press for focus and full press to click. Also I love it when depressing the camera key allows me to bring up the camera app.
With a specification having a Dual Core Snapdragon S4 CPU clocked at 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM and an Adreno 302 GPU, the Windows Phone 8 OS complements the hardware well. The phone feels snappy to use and also offers a wide array of customisation options. I particularly liked the red colour on the handset and a matching red theme for the tiles. Available from Nokia as a standard accessory, Nokia Drive and Multiple lenses in the Camera App are sure to be picked up as a favourite among the crowds.
The phone offers Nokia music subscription with 80 Lakh DRM free songs available for download. In addition also available is Nokia’s primary offering of 150 Ad free streaming music channels. Nokia has also partnered with BigFlix to offer 3 months of subscription consisting of unlimited movie streaming.
The phone is available in five eye catching colours – Yellow, Red, Cyan, Black and White.

The entire list of specifications can be found here.

Contemplating another series.

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Nirav Thakker

It’s been a while since I gave the thought of the series a serious look. I have still neither finalised nor decided on the story line. The inspiration is lying some place waiting for me to pluck it! I am letting it take it’s own time. However, I am also sceptical about it. I have received no feedback for the earlier series. Either it was really that bad or may be no one read it really. This has put me off guard. I know it was my first series but then… I hope you understand.