Sunday, March 30, 2008
Army of Two
A year and a half ago, while EA was busy promoting Army of Two, Alain Tascan, General Manager for EA Montreal, had said that he wasn’t too impressed with Gears of War since it wasn’t innovative enough, nor did it bring anything new to the table. Now when you make such a powerful statement you better make sure your game delivers or you’re going to end up looking extremely foolish.
Looking back at that news article I can’t help but feel bad in a way for Alain (who I’m sure is hiding under a rock right now) since Army of Two is nowhere as awesome as Gears of War; in fact it’s as generic as it gets. To make matters worse, it’s shipped with virtually half the features that were announced during earlier previews. Enter one mediocre shooter.
Besides the whole co-op element, the only other "trick" this game has going for itself is the concept of AGGRO. For the uninitiated, AGGRO basically boils down to either you or your teammate firing at the enemy to draw their attention so that the other person can flank them and kill them. Now this works well while playing with a human partner but things can get pretty disastrous in the single player campaign. It’s not that controlling your partner is an elaborate process or anything; in fact, guiding him around the place is a very simple process; you can order him to follow you (passively or aggressively) or stay put to cover you (once again passively or aggressively) while you flank the enemy.
The reason this simple process becomes such a chore is because the game’s PAI (Partner Artificial Intelligence) suffers from extreme mental retardation. As and when you do require him to draw AGGRO, he finds it funny to just sit there and stare at the wall while mocking you with dialogues like "I got your back soldier"… when he clearly doesn’t. As expected you end up drawing all the AGGRO and he just sits put not even bothering to flank them. And then there are times when your partner will actually expose himself and attract thousands of bullets… even after you’ve ordered him to stay put. Hurray for stupidity!
As and when your partner starts taking a whole lot of damage he’ll get pretty vocal about the whole deal and if you still ignore his pleas he’ll go down like a sack of potatoes. Now it’s up to you drag him to safety and revive him by keeping the A button pressed for a couple of seconds (its Game Over if he dies). When it’s your time to get revived he manages to get the job done but there were times when he actually dragged me from cover into the line of fire only to get us both killed in a matter of seconds.
Once you get past the toolish AI, the game can actually get a bit enjoyable in bits and pieces since it does have the makings of a solid shooter. As in most action games today, it also boasts of a cover system that may not be as awesome as the one from Gears or Vegas but it’s a whole lot better than the one from Kane and Lynch (that one still gives me nightmares). Run up to a solid surface and you can manually stick behind it after which you can either pop out to shoot people or blind-fire as in the above mentioned titles. Running from cover to cover has also been simplified using a sliding mechanic, (just like in GRAW) and it works well. The same button designated for sliding also helps your character roll and climb over obstacles but for some reason there’s no sprinting in this game.
Besides all the running you’ll also indulge in a whole lot of gunning and in Army of Two you have a wide arsenal of weapons that allows you to do just that. Initially you’ll only have access to stock weapons, but the more money you make, the better you can customize them – by increasing the size of the barrel/cartridge, attaching silencers, grenade launchers, shotguns and shields, or just pimping them out with severe amounts of bling; it’s all possible in this game. As and when you do get bored of your weapon you can exchange it with your partner, but for some absurd reason you cannot pick up the weapons dead foes leave behind... WTF?
Once you’re done playing the single player campaign by yourself, you can head over to Xbox Live to play that very same campaign with a friend (although I seriously suggest you do so in the first place). Props to EA for making the co-op component absolutely lag-free even while playing with people from different countries (and I mean PAL countries only, since this game’s MP is region-locked). Besides co-op you have a bunch of mediocre PvP (player vs player) modes like Versus, Warzone, Extraction and Bounties that are nothing to shout about and you’ll find yourself heading back to CoD 4/TF2 ASAP.
Visually the game’s not bad-looking – but it’s nothing to drool over either. Certain levels (e.g. Miami) look pretty awesome while others like Somalia and Afghanistan are as generic as they come. One thing I do appreciate is the fact that frame rates are rock solid throughout the game, and both the lead characters (Rios and Salem) are extremely well-detailed.
As far as voice acting goes you have two "frat bros" constantly dropping the F bomb every few minutes while indulging in tons of juvenile jokes. While some of their banter was a bit funny, some was just plain annoying and seemed solely geared towards pleasing testosterone-charged fifteen-year-olds. But then again, this game is supposed to be a brainless shooter so it's no use expecting BioShock-esque writing in the first place, eh?
At the end of the day Army of Two is a game with tons of wasted potential. What irritates me further is that even though EA delayed this title significantly, it’s shipped with tons of problems, broken AI, and only half of the stuff we were promised initially, as a result of which it dives head-first into mediocrity. It could have rewritten the whole co-op tactical shooter genre as we know it but EA decided to rush out a dumbed-down shooter that’s painful to play alone thanks to stupid AI. Play it with a friend offline or online and you’ll enjoy the single player campaign to an extent. But after that’s over, there’s absolutely no reason to revisit the game!
LG Reveals KF300 Slim Fashion Phone
Fashion phones seem to be the in thing these days. 'If it ain't flashy it's trashy' – seems to be the sort of thing making waves in the mobile phone circuit these days. With Samsung's G600 Belle that recently debuted, LG has one to show off as well, their new KF300.
The KF300, to be brutally honest, while it looks slim and sleek does give off a bit of a girls-only type vibe. And that’s not a bad thing ladies. It’s a flip phone with a 2.2-inch QVGA display on the inside and a 1.3-inch TFT screen on the outside. The external screen has a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels and the inside has a 240 x 320 pixel resolution with 256K colors. It’s quite the feature rich phone with a 2 megapixel camera with auto-focus to boot, Bluetooth, microSD card support, an FM radio as well as a media player. The KF300 will also support EDGE / GPRS. From the images you’ll also see that there are also a few shortcut keys located right under the screen. It also has a five way nav-pad and rather large keys which is surely a good thing.
The LG KF300 will be available in black and pink. Unfortunately there seems to be no price tag associated with the handset yet. Stay Tuned.
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand Announced
Remember 50 Cent: Bulletproof? Remember how much that game sucked? Yeah well apparently it sold really well so Vivendi Universal are back with a sequel called 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.
By Blood on the Sand they don’t mean the sand of a beach resort cos that would be way too mellow for Fiddy and his band of badass thugs AKA Gggggg G unit. This time around these player haters actually find themselves stuck in a war torn unnamed Middle Eastern country after one of their concerts gets fudged. As expected tons of F Bombs, rapping, bling and terrorist killing ensue.
The game is being developed by Swordfish Studios (Cold Winter) using the Unreal 3 engine and will include a bullet time mechanic called Gangster Fire that as the name suggests will allow Fiddy to blast fools in glorious slow motion. Also expect a cover system a la Gears of War and context sensitive games a la God of War. More details to be revealed soon.
AMD Ships Tri-Core Processors
AMD has announced the availability of its triple-core processors, a first for the PC market. The company also updated the quad-core Phenom lineup by resolving the famous "errata bug" that plagued it earlier this year and has confirmed that the quad-core Opteron chips for servers will be available later in the second quarter.
The AMD Phenom X3 processors delivers significant enhancements in gaming and high-definition experiences for mainstream PC customers. It provides a full HD experience with support for the latest and most demanding formats, including VC-1, MPEG-2 and H.264 on a mainstream PC. With the AMD Unified Video Decoder (UVD), the solution can process HD playback on the better-suited GPU rather than the CPU so consumers may enjoy a smooth HD viewing experience - less lag, stalling and dropped scenes - in the latest Blu-ray titles.
"In 2007, AMD committed to delivering AMD Phenom triple-core processors in Q1 2008 and today the company makes good on that promise," said Bob Brewer, corporate vice president, strategic marketing, AMD. "AMD understands that today's PC applications are best accelerated with a range of multi-core products from quad- to triple- to dual-core processors, and that’s why we now deliver the broadest multi-core desktop lineup in the industry."
Dell Unveils Sub-$1000 Blu-ray Laptop
Dell is offering a Blu-ray laptop, the Inspiron 1525, for under $1000.
Available from today on dell.com, movie buffs can pick up the laptop with optional Blu-ray disc playback starting at $879.
The Inspiron 1525 laptop features a 15.4-inch high definition wide aspect display with 720p resolution. It also includes an HDMI port for easy connectivity to high resolution displays and HDTVs.
The Blu-ray player disc drive is fully backwards compatible, and will play as well as burn traditional DVDs and CDs. Consumers can also choose a Blu-ray burner drive for backing up and storing important files like digital photos, videos, financial records, etc. A Blu-ray disc can hold up to 50 GB of data, vs. 8.5 GB available on the typical DVD disc.
The Inspiron 1525 offers designs like Chill, Blossom and Commotion, in colors like Sunshine Yellow, Midnight Blue and Ruby Red.
Dell Inspiron 1525 laptops with Blu-ray disc drives incorporate Broadcom Media PC technology that allows PCs with integrated graphics to play high definition video. The high-definition video playback is enabled through a built-in dedicated accelerator located in a mini-card slot.
The Inspiron 1525 features Dell MediaDirect technology, which provides one button instant access to media files, even if the system is powered off or in hibernation mode. Optional accessories include a slim travel power adapter ($80), Dell travel remote control that slips into the ExpressCard slot ($22), and Creative noise-isolation earphones ($25).
As of now the Inspiron 1525 laptop with Blu-ray is in the U.S., Canada and Europe, but let's hope with the tie-up with Croma we get to see this laptop here pretty soon.
Mobile Voip on Nokia Wi-fi Mobiles LaunchedMobile Voip on Nokia Wi-fi Mobiles Launched
Tpad has announced the availability of a free SMS text service that will automatically setup a WiFi enabled mass-market mobile phone that will bring free or ultra low cost mobile VoIP calls to millions.
The SMS text service is currently configured for Nokia's latest E and N series phones and will be updated when mobile phone producers such as Samsung and Motorola release their brand new WiFi phones later this year.
Mobile calls between Tpad users are free worldwide if the calls are routed over their WiFi Connection. All other PSTN calls from the user's WiFi mobile to any other landline or mobile in the world will be charged at the usual low Tpad VoIP rates.
This SMS text service has been designed to remove the need for complicated set up procedures. Customers need to create a mobile account that is free of cost and they will then automatically receive a free SMS text that will configure their phone's SIP settings with Tpad.
Tpad integrates seamlessly with the phone using the existing address book, so there's no need to retype your contacts. Once set up to use a WiFi hotspot, the mobile connects automatically next time the phone is in range.
No special software is needed, as it uses the inbuilt software that Nokia already has pre-installed. This ensures that there will be full compatibility with trouble free usage.
Chris Morris, Tpad's General Manager, said, "Tpad is at the forefront of the natural evolution of VoIP. First people began talking via a PC and headset, then they were tied to a fixed line IP device and now the next exciting step is Tpad mobile VoIP. Free calling has finally arrived on mass market mobiles. We are giving all new users who sign up for a free Tpad mobile account a free test call to the value of $0.50 for a limited period. This will give users the chance to experience the call quality of next generation mobile VoIP."
"For example, with this free credit you can make a 10 minute call to any mobile in Pakistan using our ultra low VoIP call rates. Of course calls between Tpad users are 100% free all the time.
If you combine this with our policy of no connection fees and per second billing we are at the forefront of the new wave of mobile VoIP companies".
Macbook Air Hacked in Under 2 Minutes
One of the things that Apple has always prided itself over and promoted in no uncertain terms, has been the so-called 'robust security' offered by its OSX operating system. However this supposition of Apple's took a huge beating on Thursday when a team of researchers from Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) managed to hack a MacBook Air in just two minutes using a previously unknown security vulnerability in Apple’s own safari browser.
The people who did the 'hack' were ISE security researchers - Charlie Miller, Jake Honoroff, and Mark Daniel – who were participating in the "PWN to OWN" competition at the CanSecWest security conference, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In this competition there were 3 laptops, with different OS’s offered for being hacked into. These included an Apple Macbook Air running OS X 10.5.2, a Sony Vaio VGN-TZ37CN running Ubuntu 7.10 and a Fujitsu U810 running Vista Ultimate SP1. Anyone who could successfully hack or exploit these machines would win a $10,000 price from famous security company Tipping Point.
The first to go was of course the Macbook, followed by Windows Vista. Ubuntu stood strong despite repeated attempts.
For further details on this hack, check out this post here on Tipping Point.
Nvidia Responsible for 29% of Vista Crashes
In a recent revelation that should come to no surprise to anyone, Microsoft has released documents that show drivers for Nvidia PC graphics cards were the cause of roughly 29% of logged crashes in Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system.
This story which was reported by Ars Technica, goes on to say that Nvidia drivers caused 479,000 crashes out of a total of 1,663,748 logged by Microsoft in 2007. This was closely followed by Microsoft's own drivers followed at 18% while ATI clocked in at fourth with 9.3%, and Intel was at fifth with 8.8%.
This information came to light, when 158 pages of internal emails was made public as part of a lawsuit that is currently under-way against Microsoft. The suit contends that Microsoft was partially responsible for the rise of prices of computer hardware during the important Christmas/New year buying season of 2006.
Given the fact that Nvidia is today’s easily the world’s largest manufacturer of discrete external graphical display solutions, their figure of 29 percent should come as no surprise. I personally was a victim of this as an Nvidia user.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
3 Great Laptops Under Rs 40,000
Laptops today are universally becoming the first choice for anyone looking to upgrade. Rapidly falling prices, increased performance levels, and almost complete packages of multimedia and smooth multitasking are some of the reasons for this. Keeping these factors in mind, we decided to look around and shortlist three models that we think represent great VFM within the very price-sensitive market segment of under Rs 40,000. Here are our choices.
Compaq Presario C740TU
HP has to be commended for maintaining a clear differentiation in its product range. While the HP brand of laptops caters to the value and performance markets, the Compaq brand has been used to address the needs of the budget and ultra-value markets.
The Compaq Presario C740TU that we have chosen is currently one of the best VFM models available. It offers an Intel C2D T5450 processor which is clocked at 1.67 GHz, 512 MB RAM (upgradeable to 1 GB for an additional cost of Rs 1,450), a 15.4 inch LCD panel, 160 GB of HDD space and 3 USB slots. Its current street price is around Rs 34,000.
Though most users will today balk at the sparse amount of RAM being offered, please note that the laptop can be easily upgraded, inexpensively. The OS offered is Windows Visa Basic. A 1-year warranty is offered through Compaq's service centers.
Watch out for a review of this laptop, which will come up pretty soon. In the meantime you can check out a detailed specification list here.
Acer Aspire 2920N
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Acer has appeared on this lineup. Acer's last few releases have been driving this segment very hard, with products like its 4520 model, which did exceedingly well and was well appreciated.
This time around too the company had some of the best options available in this price bracket. One of these models is the Acer 2920N. It is perhaps one of the cheapest 12.1 inch laptops available now. It offers an Intel C2D T5450 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB storage and 3 USB slots. These are healthy specifications, and a price tag of just Rs 37,000 makes it a great portable choice for anyone who is looking for crunching power and portability .
Acer Aspire 5920N
It's Acer once again, this time with the 5920N. This is a 15.4-inch job with features similar to the 2920. It has the same specifications (Intel C2D T5450 processor, and 160GB of storage) but improves on the 2920 by offering 4 USB slots, a 4-in-1 Dolby Digital capable surround system, a DVD-RW writer, Firewire, and Bluetooth support.
Sanyo Xacti CG65
Holding a Sanyo Xacti CG65 is a pleasant experience that comes from a pistol-grip form factor; unique but functional. When everything is shrinking in size, Sanyo has made it a point to make the Xacti series a no-bull business, getting rid of hard drives or miniDVs to store information. And if you thought the trade-off meant reduction in quality, think again. But let me show you!
The digicam is light and compact enough to be easily shoved in your pocket with only a small bulge. The screen swivels and can be drawn out at various angles to keep you from straining your hands unnecessarily. It’s a 2.5-inch LCD display with 110,000 pixels. All the important buttons are placed within easy reach of your thumb.
The on/off button is hidden underneath the screen when shut, while the battery compartment at the bottom houses the memory card as well. That’s pretty much all that went into designing this baby, so let’s now look at its features.
Features
Offering a 6MP image sensor with 5x optical zoom, the CG65 features the all new high-precision large-scale integration engine III. All this is fine, but what you should know is that the digicam uses SD or SHDC cards to store information, allowing it to shed some weight. It uses the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format to save videos, while the sound is compressed in 16-bit AAC format.
Obviously, you can also shoot still images. It has a 6MP CCD (1/2.5-inch) sensor. However, the camera uses a pixel-interpolation filter to convert images from 6MP to a recorded equivalent of 10MP. Yet, saturation in pictures weren’t that evident. Of course, you would pick this one up for video recording, so it hardly matters.
Video recording is fun, especially because of its form factor. This makes it very easy to carry around; I had it in my pocket at all times. You may also find comfort in the fact that shooting with the CG65 means less strain on your wrist.
The quality of the video is decent; not extraordinary, but not bad at all. The videos I shot had a lot of mosaic compression, but the colors were good (mind you, I didn’t say vibrant). The camera can shoot at a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels. The lens takes some time to focus; only a fraction of a second, but it's noticeable.
Performance
Shooting in the night translates into grainy videos, especially in night mode. But then the camera has a lamp mode. In this mode, I think the camera drops the frame rate to get long exposure, making everything around you more exposed. Yet I wouldn’t recommend night shooting unless you have adequate lighting.
The camera won't disappoint you in ample light. So if you are going to shoot birthday parties and suchlike, then you will love the sharpness – but only in good lighting conditions. What I don’t like is that where there details it can’t capture, the camera will end up smoothening it.
The camera is fast – startup takes about a second, and shooting starts instantly. The camera uses one rechargeable Lithium battery that for some reason isn’t power hungry. I shot comfortably for more than two hours, and the battery still didn't die on me. About 3 minutes of video will consume roughly about 71MB, so with a 2GB card you should be able to get about 43 minutes.
The device costs Rs 23,990, which I think is the right price considering the form factor and its features. You could consider this, now that you know what it can do – and if fits the bill.
Shure SE210 In-ear phones
The last time we reviewed a Shure was in our in-ear showdown, where it scored high. This time we have for review a higher-end model from the SE series itself, the SE210. It's marketed as 'noise isolation' and not noise cancellation, which is astute from a marketing angle. It comes with a hefty price tag, so let's put it under a thorough scan...
Design
We received a white model; I believe black is available too. The box pack contains the earphones, a flattish oval shaped zipper carry case, with a black matte exterior. This case has a small pouch containing numerous extra sleeves (7 pairs) of a couple of different sizes, made of rubber and foam.
One white sleeve caught my eye; something that was absent in previously reviewed lower end stuff. It was a triple-flanged sleeve; simply put, it had three concentric ‘mushroom heads’ rather than one. It can go pretty deep into the ears. A thin black cleaning device is also included, which is useful for power users.
The SE210 in-ear phones are just what you’d expect from a pro audio company, at least in terms of design and aesthetics. Simplicity and effectiveness are the hallmarks. One point to note is that the earphone tends to slip off if you put it straight on from the front. Putting it over the ear pinna creates a firmer grip. Though some amount of adjusting allow them to stay firm from the front also.
The nozzle and enclosure are white, with a grey body feeding out to similar colored grey wires. These terminate in an EP (3.5mm) jack all too soon, though a modular extension is provided. Factory fitted, the piece comes with foam sleeves, which I personally don’t like. I prefer the rubber, though this is a truly subjective point as the material of the sleeves doesn’t really create audible differences. Note the use of the word 'audible'.
Technically Speaking
Like most modern canal phones, these come with a balance armature micro-speaker, with a thin protruding tube over which you attach the sleeves. The sensitivity is 114 dB SPL/1 mW, while the impedance is 26 ohm. The 26 ohm rating is lower than 32 ohm rating seen in most models, so we can expect a little ‘loudness’ due to efficiency. The frequency range is 25 Hz – 18.5 KHz, which is sufficient.
Performance
We first ran the piece through a some software tests, consisting of audio tones and sweeps, to check the caliber of sound produced. I generally don’t do this for consumer level in-ear phones, but these are from Shure, and they deserve a respectable run through.
The bass response below 30 Hz rolls off very sharply, while at around 2-4 KHz I had to reduce the volume somewhat to bring back comfortable listening levels, hinting at a bump around that area. That's it though, we’ll keep it to the subjective tests – it's the quality of sound that matters in the end.
So we moved on to music, consisting of some .flacs and CDs first, then we tried some MP3s at 128 kbps upwards. The sound was definitely loud, and also had a well-segregated dynamic range, which exposed subtler nuances that are easily discernible in uncompressed music. The body of the sound was thick and whole; this coupled with brilliant noise isolation results in a very intimate and clear response.
As for criticism (that’s what we’re paid for!) I didn't find the bass all that spectacular, considering the price. The mids were a tad forward for my taste, though not harsh at all, just a wee bit up. Highs were clear and airy, and the overall response might appeal to many listeners. The sound is much better than in some cheaper pieces, with more depth and decent punch, but again, that ‘thumping’ tightness is not there.
Conclusion
The Rs 7500 price tag is not overly high, but I must say I'm a little disappointed. For this price I'd expect more. The clarity on the high frequency side is good, and I’m sure stuff like this doesn’t get 'spoiled', so it’s a one time investment – provided you don’t chew the wires. The previous Shure SE110 we reviewed was way better. For this one, if possible, I'd recommend an audition before purchase.
LG Officially Launches the KF510 Globally
We said it would be out in March and here it is, LG’s KF510 has been launched globally today, but don’t expect it on shelves so soon. With it’s dazzling color gradations of Stardust Dark Gray and Sunset Red on the full metal exterior, smooth slider and of course gleaming LED lights of the navigation touchpad.
This slim slider is just 10.9mm thin. It has a 2.2 inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 256k colors. Its other features include a 3 megapixel autofocus camera with a flash and image stabilizer technology, Bluetooth with an A2DP profile, a media player for audio and video and an FM radio. It also supports external memory via microSD cards and supports EDGE and GPRS.
What makes this phone really stand out are the LED lights on the touch sensitive navigation pad. The KF510 uses a new ‘Interactive Touch Lighting’ system that is animated in sequence to the features being used on the phone. The handset also has an Auto Luminance Control (ALC), which self-adjusts to the brightness of the LED screen.
"With its sleek aesthetic and superior technology, it will appeal to many discerning consumers that value both style and substance." said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.
LG-KF510 will be available at most major mobile retailers in regions including Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, from April. Sadly no price tag seems to have been disclosed yet.
Samsung's G600 is Now a Ladies Phone
It seems like there are more and more mobiles being designed for the not-so-weaker sex. And why not? I ask you. After all, without being sexist, I think that’s why the telephone was invented, for people who love to talk. Samsung's G600 with its 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with image stabilizer technology and other multimedia capabilities has now been slightly modified to suit the fairer sex. Then again, I presumed that mobile phones were unisex as it is.
he new G600 Belle will be out in Burgundy and get this – the packaging will include three bottles of nail polish by nail inc. Of course the regular features remain unchanged. They include Bluetooth with A2DP, a video and audio player, stereo FM radio, microSD memory card support and of course it still has it’s 2.2 inch, 240 x 360 pixel resolution, 16 million color TFT display. Let’s not forget, the G600 also has a TV out feature, supports and EDGE and Bluetooth printing.
The Samsung G600 will be available through phones4u.co.uk starting on April 1 and hopefully it’ll also be out here, so ladies hold on to your... well whatever it is you hold on to.
This new product also includes support for Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), which allow users to automatically configure EPP-enabled motherboards with aggressive memory settings for better memory and system performance, especially when using dual video cards.Sunday, March 23, 2008
ComicRack
Downloads : 280
Requirements : Windows NT/2k/XP
License : Freeware
File size : 2.2MB
DOWNLOAD
ComicRack is an all in one solution to read your eComics and also manage your library. You can think of it as a kind of ITunes for eComics with lots of the same functionality. As a reader it supports all the state of the art features you can expect: different display modes, full screen, information overlays, magnifier, color adjustments, automatic backcolor matching and a multi tab interface to quickly switch between eComics. As a manager you can browse and search your eComics in the library, create folders and lists to organize them. You can customize the lists to show just the information you need and use advanced tools to tag and edit the information for your eComics. Or create Smart lists to display dynamic lists based on eComic info (never read, author, series etc.)
Free CD to MP3 Converter
Downloads : 292
Requirements : Windows 9x/Me, Windows NT/2k/XP
License : Freeware
File size : 1.5MB
DOWNLOAD
Free CD to MP3 Converter is an easy to use CD ripper that allows you to extract audio files from a CD and convert them to MP3, Wav or Ogg format. It can automatically retrieve title information from the CDDB database or rename the CD tracks title and remember them, normalize the output files and supports additional LAME options. You can also use the software to record to MP3 with your microphone, or to convert WAV files to MP3 or Ogg format.Easy to use interface that allows you to rip tracks of your Audio CD just by several clicks.
Rename Master
Downloads : 137
Requirements : Windows 9x/Me, Windows NT/2k/XP
License : Freeware
File size : 0.7MB
DOWNLOAD
Rename Master is a free utility for renaming large groups of files with a few clicks. Anyone that has worked with websites, file archives, or collections of music, videos, or pictures has probably spent way too much time renaming hundreds of files. This utility will add, remove, or replace parts of the filename with ease and also supports renaming via file properties, MP3 tags, JPEG JFIF and EXIF tags.
Sony Ericsson W910i
The recently concluded World Mobile Congress elected it as the Mobile of the Year. Tech2.0 previewed a prototype late last year and it did fairly well. So does the W910i deserve all the hype? We got to review it properly this time, so perhaps we can shed some light...
Form Factor
The W910 is one of the sleekest sliders I’ve reviewed till date. The slider is really smooth. The 2.4 inch display is large enough to watch a video without straining your eyes. It seems the W910 and the N81 have a something in common: they both have buttons above the display that can be used for gaming. The dedicated camera key is definitely a boon to have (as with most phones that do).
What's decidedly annoying is Sony’s insistence on its proprietary plugs for charging, USB connectivity and headphones!
I'd mentioned earlier that the keypad is a bit quirky. They keys are flat and could easily have been spaced out better or made a bit larger. But you can get by. I’ve always liked Sony’s shortcut key and, together with the nav-pad, it’s easy to maneuver through the menus.
There’s a 2 megapixel camera (sadly no flash) located at the back and a secondary VGA camera in the front. The Walkman ‘Shake It’ key is located on the top. On the whole the design is neat.
Features and Performance
Connectivity-wise, the W910i is a well-equipped 3G-enabled handset, so it also has high-speed net support in the form of HSDPA. Since 3G in this country still seems to be a topic discussed in whispers, the W910 is thankfully equipped to handle GPRS/EDGE.
Of course, there's also USB and Bluetooth with A2DP. Opera Mini is preinstalled (not that its own browser is not adequate) along with Google Maps. The New Plus application (similar to Nokia catalogs) provides content for your device.
From the media perspective the W910 is more than just decent. Its large 2.4 inch display is perfect for viewing images and videos. For some odd reason, Sony’s bundled software would allow me to install the media manager application only if I downgraded my QuickTime player! Like the K850i, the W910 has an auto-rotate feature for the gallery. Pity it doesn’t work with other sections.
The FM radio with RDS had decent reception while commuting, so that’s definitely a plus point. It’s also very quick while searching for channels. The auto scanning and saving feature take nothing more than a couple of seconds to save the presets.
The W910 is loaded with fun features like 3D games and applications such as VideoDJ for editing videos and PhotoDj for images. There’s also the MusicDJ application that comes with most SE handsets. A MusicMate application allows you to make music using the phone's inbuilt motion sensor. Simply hold down the Walkman key on the top and shake the phone in the direction you want the music to change.
The music player is loud and clear, and with EQ presets and manual options it’s really good. It has options for creating Playlists, viewing album art or visualizations, and best of all it has a converter for 3.5mm earphones. I found the bundled in-ear earphones a bit uncomfortable. Sony’s TrackID feature is also available in the phone, as well as the 'Play Now' application (which isn’t active yet).
The W910i is equipped with a 2 megapixel camera that has limited features. White Balance can be adjusted and other options include Burst Mode, color options, night mode, and some funny frames that are hopefully good for a few laughs.
The camera is just adequate. On close inspection pictures may appear a bit smudgy, but they’re quite decent otherwise. Colors appear a bit saturated, but not too bad on the whole.
My main gripe is with the battery. According to the specs sheet, the phone is supposed to give at least 9 hours of talktime. Ha – some hope! The maximum I was able to get was not more than 4.5 hours. On a real-time basis, I got a day and half, with a little music, camera, video, calls and messages.
The Bottomline
So did the W910i deserve this year’s GSMA award of Best Mobile of the Year? In my opinion – no. It’s an adequate mobile, with decent enough features. It looks good, has a smooth slider, an okay camera, and a passable music player. The battery, as I observed, is disappointing. But why does it sport such a high price tag? I have no idea.
The red handset costs Rs 15,500 and the gray/black version costs Rs 16,400. There are other handsets with similar features (or more) that cost a lot less. To sum up, while this phone did have potential, I feel it didn’t live up to expectations.
SpecsSony Ericsson W910i
Network GSM 850/900/1800/1900, EDGE, HSDPA
Physical 99 x 50 x 12.5 mm, 86g
Display 240 x 320, 256k colors, TFT, 2.4 inch
Memory 40MB internal, M2 for external
Media MP3, AAC, Stereo FM with RDS, 3GP, Voice Recording
Camera 2 megapixels, secondary video call camera
Connectivity USB v2.0, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
Battery 400 hrs standby, 4.5 hrs talktime
Street Price Rs 15,500 (red); Rs 16,400 (gray/black)
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