First Impressions: Sony Xperia Tablet Z

In light of the Xperia Z smartphone, it was good to see that Sony has upped its game and I was quite eager to see just what the new tablet would offer. I managed to wrangle a few minutes with the device and here’s my initial take on the Xperia Tablet Z.

Adding another notch to the Xperia series, Sony announced the Tablet Z at a recent event. The tablet will make its way to the Indian shelves sometime around May. My expectation from the device, taking into account Sony’s past tablet offerings, was minimal. However, in light of the Xperia Z smartphone, it was good to see that Sony has upped its game and I was quite eager to see just what the new tablet would offer. I managed to wrangle a few minutes with the device and here’s my initial take on the Xperia Tablet Z.

Take a quick look at the Xpera Tablet Z on video -

Design

The Tablet Z comes off as a larger version of the BlackBerry PlayBook in many ways. The simple elegance of flat rectangular surfaces makes the device appear to be trendy and sophisticated, much like the PlayBook. The difference here is that the Tablet Z is so much thinner. In fact, at just 6.9 mm in depth, the Tablet Z is pretty much the slimmest device out there at the moment. Using what Sony calls an OmniBalance design, holding the device at the corner with just two fingers proved to be undaunting even with the weight of 495 g behind it, to say the least. As large and slim as the device may be, the fact that it is so well-balanced is a testament to Sony’s new design form.

Yes, it really is this thin!

The Tablet Z has a 10.1-inch LED backlit display sporting a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Using Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2 with the Reality Display technology, the viewing experience in all of the indoor lighting conditions was really good. Unfortunately, I was unable to check it outdoors. Colour reproduction and contrast was quite strong, making HD videos and hi-res images look vivid.

Like the Xperia Z smartphone, the Tablet Z too features well-concealed ports for the memory card, USB/MHL port, earphone socket and SIM card slot. They’re flushed into the design to give the tablet a seamless feel all around. This device also boasts of IP55 and IP57 grade protection from the elements like water (up to 1 metre for 30 minutes) and dust. And just like the phone, it’s protected by shatterproof glass and a polycarbonate rim all around it. The flaps are well-secured to envelop the various access ports and keep the environmental hazards at bay. The very distinctive Power/Sleep button is placed on one side and is the only actual protrusion on the otherwise flat surface of the device.

All in all, the Xperia Tablet Z is a rather impressive piece of hardware that looks and feels quite fresh in terms of design and handling.

16GB of on-board storage plus more via microSD cards up to 64GB

16GB of on-board storage plus more via microSD card support up to 64GB

Features

The specifications don’t quite differ from the Xperia Z smartphone. Sony has also incorporated the tablet with a 1.5GHz quad-core Krait (Snapdragon S4) processor from Qualcomm and 2GB of RAM to help ensure smooth functionality. The test devices on display performed adequately, but I’d still like to test it in our labs to see just how fluid the UI and overall working proves to be. The dedicated Adreno 320 GPU should help quite a bit when it comes to high-end mobile gaming. All of this will help run Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2, which will hopefully receive an upgrade by the time the tablet hits the Indian market. On-board storage of 16GB plus 64GB microSD card support is yet another specification that bears mention.

The new additions to Sony’s customised Android UI play well with the large display area and the graphics to support it. Like the new mobile devices, the focus of the Tablet Z is to be an entertainment module for most part. A Walkman music player is also there with all the trimmings including presets, 3D surround sound options and a graphic EQ setting to customise your audio. Sony’s Virtualphones Technology or VPT helps further customise the audio, and to expand that even further, Sony has thrown in its ClearAudio+ system along with a variety of other settings ranging from xLOUD, Clear Phase, Clear Bass, Dynamic Normalizer and more. There’s enough here to make absolutely sure you don’t miss a beat, a gun shot or a bone cracking in some fight scene. The set of four external speakers also make quite an impression.

Connect your DUALSHOCK 3 controller for enhanced gaming

The Tablet Z is also PlayStation certified and comes with an app to use with your DUALSHOCK 3 controller for the PS. With a separately sold adapter, you can hook the controller up to the tablet for gaming.

There’s also tons of connectivity features infused into the Tablet Z. In the wireless segment, it’s got Wi-Fi with all the trimmings – Wi-Fi Direct, Hot Spot creation, DLNA, 3G support (for the version that supports it), NFC for use with a variety of accessories available (headphones speakers etc.), One Touch services with compatible devices and, of course, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP. Sony has also included an IR sensor and a Remote Control app that lets you use the tablet with a wide array of TVs etc., allowing you to use it as a universal remote. MHL is what you can use to hook the tablet up to your TV with microUSB. GPS with GLONASS support is also on-board.

8MP camera with plenty of goodies

An 8MP shooter is loaded up onto the rear of the device and is fitted with Sony’s Exmor R mobile sensor to help enhance low light images. The same sensor is also added to the front facing 2MP camera to make HD video chatting better too. The main camera also features Burst Mode amongst a plethora of other settings.

The Tablet Z is touted to have a 6000 mAh battery, which should be a serious powerhouse. With that kind of a power pack, it shouldn’t be too hard to get some heavy usage out of the device.

Here's a quick look at the Tablet Z:

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Large HD display built for comfy viewing

First impression in a nutshell

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z has a lot going for it with a superb design form that’s well-built and loaded to the hilt with features. With all of this, Sony better price the device competitively if it wants it to fare better than the last lot. From purely a first impression standpoint, the Xperia Tablet Z has quite a lot to entice most users. However, should it be priced around Rs 32,000-35,000, I believe Sony could just have a winner on its hands.

Stay tuned for the detailed review post the official launch scheduled for May. .

Top 5 running games for your smart devices

The latest craze in the mobile gaming arena is the ‘runner’ style of swipe/gyro action packed games. These games require quick reflexes and even

The latest craze in the mobile gaming arena is the "runner" style of action-packed games with swipe/gyro enabled controls. These games require quick reflexes and even a certain amount of finger dexterity and control, especially if you’re playing them on a tablet. The runner style is also quite addictive because of its simplicity in gameplay and intense level upgrades the further you get into the game. It can get quite vigorous when it gets into high gear and that’s what makes them even more entertaining.

Here’s our list of five of the best runners available for your smart device:

Temple Run Series

Temple Run 1 - Free - for Android and for iOS
Temple Run 2 - Free - For Android and for iOS

Temple Run Brave – Rs 53.44 for Android and for iOS ($0.99)

Temple Run OZ – Rs 53.18 Android and for iOS ($0.99)

The legacy of Temple Run

Temple Run has been a phenomenon for a long time and one could even say that this was the game that got things off to a "running" start for the genre. Following intrepid explorers and Disney characters, the idea of the game is simply to run, collect coins and power-ups and get as far as you can without nasty beasties catching up with you or you falling off a cliff, getting drowned in the swamp or running into trees and such. Each game brings a little more colour and excitement into the mix and there are always a few extra tasks to perform while running. With each new iteration, the layout gets more visually appealing and gameplay gets more challenging.

Agent Dash – Free - for Android and for iOS

Dash to your next assignment

Play the rather large spy whose mission is to save the Queen and the country. Run through the treacherous jungle collecting gems as you make the twists and turns and dodge obstacles in your path to reach the lair of the evil doers. Destroy each base and move on to the next objective. The gameplay is pretty much the same as Temple run but the animation is far less sophisticated, and that’s not a bad thing. For those cartoon lovers out there, Agent Dash and his crew along with the various environments will be sure to have you quite entertained for many hours – jumping, sliding and dodging through some treacherous landscapes to complete your capers.

Streaker Run – Free - for Android

In the buff and off the cuff

To satisfy your slightly perverted side, perhaps running around in your birthday suit away from your angry neighbour is just what you need. After doing the nasty with his wife, you’ve got to get away from her obviously furious husband by traipsing through the neighbourhood dodging deliver trucks, jumping fences and kids' toys in the way, and even slipping and sliding along roof tops all in the buff. It’s not easy, but that’s the price you pay for indiscretions. The layout and environment settings are colourful and again, very cartoon like; giving you the impression you’re participating in a live action cartoon strip. It’s quite a bit of fun, but let’s just say you ought to be over 21 to play this game.

Vector – Free - for Android and for iOS

Oppa Parkour style

A truly inspired game set in the future with a very George Orwell 1984 style combined with a Mirrors Edge sort of feel. With Parkour-styled running, this side scroller running game is quite addictive. You are an escapee form a mind-controlled game where you’ve decided that being a drone is not for you. Hot on your tail are armed guards chasing across city skylines with some sort of stun guns. Depending on the processing power (and you won’t need much) of your devices, the motions can be extremely fluid and although just silhouetted in nature, the animation is quite superb. It’s fast-paced and easy to play.

Team Awesome – Free - for Android and for iOS

Android Paid – Rs 56.66

Just be awesome!

Team Awesome is an "awesome" 3D game for hand-held devices. It incorporates both sides scrolling action with 3D graphics to give you a well laid out environment and exciting gameplay. With jet pack propulsion, you can collect floating coins, power-ups and crystals while stopping bank robbers, putting out fires and engaging in hardcore boss fights. You can even help commuters catch buses or help little old ladies get back home. It’s all in a day's work if you are that awesome! Gameplay is quite simple and easy to manage. The cartoon style animations also make the game that much more interesting to play.

All of these games are easily accessible from the Google Play store app on your Android device or the Apple App Store option from your Apple device. Most of these games are available for both smartphone and tablet devices.

If you have more options that you think are worth noting, please feel free to list them via our comments section.

New Nexus 10 commercial shows off what Jelly Bean can do

Have you seen the newest Google commercial? Titled "New Baby", the ad shows off the 10-inch Nexus tablet. The commercial features a couple who're expecting a baby, and Google has picked this premise to show off the features on the Jelly Bean-running tablet. In the 60 second commercial, Google has shown off popular Jelly Bean features like multiple user accounts – the couple is shown logging into their separate accounts and when their baby is finally born, he gets an account too. The to-be parents use the tablet to keep their friends and family informed about the development, look for a suitable name and make necessary Google searches to pick the best one. Other features like Google Calendar, video chats, Google Hangouts and ability to download books make an appearance. In essence, the ad aims to capture the shareability factor of the Nexus 10 tablet.

If you haven’t watched it already, you can below:

The Nexus 10, which has been co-manufactured with Samsung, has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels with a density of 300 ppi. Google states that the battery life of the tablet stands at 500 hours of standby time and nine hours of video playback. The inclusion of Android v4.2 allows you to add multiple users, making it the first Android tablet that is truly shareable.

Google announced the Nexus 10 tablet alongside its Nexus 4 smartphone, the Nexus 7 tablet and the newest flavour Android v4.2 Jelly Bean in October last year. Android v4.2 brings great goodies such as Gesture Typing, which lets you glide your finger over the letters you want to type on the keyboard — thus adding the functionality of the Swype keyboard into the stock Android keyboard. Android v4.2 also adds support for wireless display so you can wirelessly watch movies, YouTube videos and play games right on a Miracast-compatible HDTV.

Another major feature of the latest version of Android is the update to Google Now, a service that Google had introduced with the Jelly Bean version of the Android operating system. Google has added more features to Google Now. The service can now alert you of flight and hotel recommendations as well as about nearby attractions, photo spots, and movie and concert timings.

At the time, Google had also announced the expansion of its Google Play service, bringing more content to more countries. The company partnered with Twentieth Century Fox, Time, People, InStyle and others to bring more TV shows, movies and magazines to the service. Along with this, Google has partnered with Warner Music Group to add its complete music catalogue with new songs being added every day.

Karbonn launches Titanium S5 for Rs 11,990

Indian handset maker Karbonn Mobiles has launched a new budget smartphone, the Titanium S5. The flagship handset is priced at Rs 11,990 and is currently available exclusively from SnapDeal.com.

Karbonn Titanium S5 sports a 5-inch IPS qHD display and a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor that lets the user navigate across applications, browse the Internet and do more at great speeds. Multi-tasking has also been made easy thanks to the combination of a 1GB RAM and a 4GB ROM. The phone comes laden with four independent chip units to perform different tasks together, making multi-tasking a breeze.

The sleek Titanium S5 is priced at Rs 11,990

The Titanium S5 runs Android version 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The phone is a dual-SIM one, as is the norm with most budget Android handset these days. The company says that SIM1 in Titanium S5 supports 3G and SIM2 supports 2G network. The phone’s memory can be expanded up to 32GB via a micro-SD card.

Karbonn Titanium S5 comes with an 8MP auto focus camera with flash and a 2MP front facing camera for video calls using third-party apps like Skype.

Karbonn Titanium S5 comes with a proximity sensor so you can make calls without worrying about the screen acting up, an acceleration sensor that essentially rotates your screen gauging the angle at which it is held and a light sensor that automatically changes the screen’s brightness according to the place you are in. The phone comes with a 2000 mAh battery.

Only yesterday, Karbonn’s A6 had been spotted online for Rs 5,390 on SnapDeal.com. The entry-level Android has a 4-inch screen and runs Android version 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Karbonn A6 is a dual-SIM phone and the 4-inch screen sports a 800 x 480 pixel IPS display. The phone is powered by a 1GHz processor with 512MB of RAM in tow. Being a budget phone, it has a very small on-board storage of 104MB. However, it can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.

It has a 5MP rear camera and a VGA front facing one for video calling, making it a good deal for an entry-level Android handset. The A6 offers GPRS/EDGE while sadly skips 3G capabilities, so all your Skype callings will need to be done on Wi-Fi. The phone has Bluetooth capabilities, FM Radio to make travelling easy and a 3.5 mm jack that will support nearly all earphones. The phone comes with a 1450 mAh battery that ensures a talktime of 3.5 hours or a standby time of around 250 hours.

Technoluverz Now Uploads Android Games And Files for Your Smartphones.Visit the Games Section To Download The Files

Angry Birds Space Premium v1.5.0 APK

The #1 mobile game of all time blasts off into space !

After a giant claw kidnaps their eggs, the Angry Birds chase it into a wormhole and find themselves floating in a strange new galaxy – surrounded by space pigs! Luckily the Angry Birds have super powers of their own...

Angry Birds Space features 60 interstellar levels on planets and in zero gravity, resulting in spectacular gameplay ranging from slow-motion puzzles to lightspeed destruction. With regular free updates, brand new birds, brand new superpowers, and a whole galaxy to explore, the sky is no longer the limit!

Features:

60 interstellar levels!
Regular free updates!
Brand new birds!
Brand new superpowers!
Zero-gravity space adventures!
Trick shots using planets’ gravity!
Hidden bonus levels!
Beautifully detailed backgrounds!

Join the global phenomenon as it goes galactic!

What's in this version : (Updated : Mar 7, 2013)

Rock icon Slash has created an incredible ALL NEW VERSION of the Angry Birds Space theme song! Get the update to hear this exclusive new tune and check out how Slash looks as an honorary Angry Bird!

+++
Requires Android: 1.6 and up

View at: Google Play

BlackBerry Z10 review

BlackBerry Z10 is the first phone based on the brand new BlackBerry 10 platform Review. The phone comes with an all-touch experience, instead of a QWERTY keyboard usually associated with BlackBerrys. So do the new hardware and software combine to deliver a stellar smartphone experience? Let's find out.

Build/ Design
BlackBerry Z10 is unlikely to invoke any strong reactions at first glance. The phone bears a pretty straightforward rectangular with curved-corners design that you'll neither hate nor find yourself falling head over heels for. Considering BlackBerry 10 represents a huge software makeover, one might've expected some bold (pun intended) moves in the design department as well, but BlackBerry seems to have decided to go with a design that is unlikely to alienate anyone.
That's not to say the phone looks boring or feels cheap. The build quality is good and we especially loved the back of Z10, which feels good to hold and provides excellent grip. The back is otherwise bare apart from a big BlackBerry logo right in the centre and the camera lens and flash in the top-left corner. The bottom of the phone features just a slit to remove the back cover, which brings the removable battery, microSD and Micro-SIM slots into view.
The front is of course dominated by the 4.2-inch display with BlackBerry branding at the bottom alongside the mic, instead of buttons (you won't find any). Just above the display lie the earpiece, the front camera and the status LED. The top side houses the power button and the 3.5mm audio jack alongside the noise-cancelling microphone. The left edge has the Micro-USD and microHDMI ports and the right side has the volume rocker with the mute button nestled in between.
Display
BlackBerry Z10 comes with a 4.2-inch 1280x768 display (355 ppi) that grows on you as you use the phone. The display isn't the brightest we've used, but the colour reproduction and viewing angles are excellent. Under sun-visibility is good, and reflectivity wasn't a problem.

The touch screen response is excellent, and aren't we glad. With no physical buttons, one relies on touch gestures for everything (see Software/ UI section below) and the Z10 hardly missed a step during our time spent with the unit.
Camera
BlackBerry Z10 comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera capable of recording full-HD video. The overall image quality is pretty decent though not that'll have the likes of iPhone 5 and Lumia 920 looking over their shoulder. In fact, the Z10 camera is a shade behind previous generation Android flagships, the Galaxy S III and the HTC One X.
Images taken outdoors in daylight seem good enough, but on closer inspection you can't help but notice a bit of noise. The problem gets worse in low-light conditions, though the flash does help to some extent.
Let's talk about the camera UI. There's no click button on the screen and clicking anywhere except the menu elements will trigger the camera. This can be a bit unsettling especially if you're used to 'touch-to-focus', until you figure out you can hold and drag the rectangular focus point around. The burst mode clicks pictures as long as you keep the finger on the trigger. You can also click pictures by pressing either volume button.
In addition to the still and video capture modes, the camera offers a Time Shift mode that lets you click a series of pictures and then detects faces in these photos, letting you mix and match to come up with the perfect pic. The app lacks a Panorama option that iOS and Android now offer.
As mentioned earlier, the rear camera is capable of capturing full-HD video, and again, the output is pretty good without being the best around. You can record either 720p or 1080p video, though you can't click a picture while shooting a video.
The 2-megapixel front camera also offers 720p video capture that comes in pretty hand with video over BBM.
Software/ UI
BlackBerry Z10 of course ships with the new BlackBerry 10 OS. Overall, the OS offers a compelling upgrade for existing BlackBerry users, and a decent enough alternative for typical smartphone users.
We don't expect power users addicted to the finesse of iOS and virtually infinite apps available on the platform, or the flexibility of Android to be tempted one bit by BlackBerry 10. However, for anyone else looking for a smartphone that lets them browse the Internet, use emails, Facebook and Twitter, click the occasional picture, as well as do a bit of casual gaming, BlackBerry 10 is definitely worth a second look.

Yes, there are a few bugs that crop up once in a while, but nothing that'll have you tearing your hair out in frustration. Given this is the first release of a brand new operating system, we expect to see them ironed out soon.
For an in-depth look at BlackBerry 10 software/ UI features, see our BlackBerry 10 OS review.
Performance/ Battery life
The BlackBerry Z10 is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor alongside 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. You can see that BlackBerry has spent plenty of time and effort optimising the software to the underlying hardware, as we did not experience any lags during our time spent with the device.
The phone handled everything we threw at it with ease, including playing full-HD videos. Skipping forward and backwards within the videos was a breeze. The in-built speakers were loud enough while playing music/ video but, strangely, seemed inadequate when we put calls on speakerphone. Call quality, however, was pretty good.
BlackBerry Z10 comes with a 1,800mAh battery that should last a day with moderate to heavy usage. We configured our Z10 with multiple email accounts, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn with notifications enabled (default settings), and with moderate usage on 3G and Wi-Fi throughout the day, we got through a full work day comfortably.
Verdict
The BlackBerry Z10 has been priced at Rs. 43,490 which puts the price in the iPhone 5 and HTC Butterfly category. At this price point, it makes it very difficult to recommend the smartphone to anyone except die-hard BlackBerry users. For everyone else, our advice would be to wait until cheaper BlackBerry 10 smartphones hit the market.