Tech buzz: 9 gadgets worth drooling over

A sneak peek at nine gadgets launched recently in India: Their features, price, specs and more.

Sony DCR SX40

This is a new kid from Sony and it packs in a lot of features which defy its compact frame. Weighing just about 400 gms with sleek dimensions of 2 x 4.5 x 3.5 inches (W x D x H).

The recording format is Mini DV and recording system is based on NTSC and comes with a memory resolution of 1 mega pixel with 10x optical zoom. This handycam has a 2.7" LCD panel with a colour viewfinder and a digital zoom of 120x.

An image stabiliser, night-shot with night-shot audio and digital still shot mode with still shot capability is also included in this. 12/16 Bit PCM digital stereo audio, memory card type memory stick duo, MPEG movie mode interfaces, i.LINK DV Interface (FireWire), USB and Lithium battery are all packed into this Handycam.

The battery life is about 1.58 hrs and the gadget comes with a one-year warranty. It also comes with various accessories including, USB Cable, Video Cable, 8 MB Memory Card, Driver, Lithium Battery, Battery Charger, AC Power Adapter, Remote Control and Software and carries a price tag of Rs 44,990.

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Nokia E5 has already hit Indian stores since July 30 and will be the Finnish phone giant's newest business oriented E-Series device.

The Symbian-powered Nokia E5 features a 2.4-inch touchscreen and a full Qwerty keypad, making it ideal for business and professional users -- and also touchscreen-a-phoebes as well.

Processor wise, the Nokia E5 is powered by a 600MHz processor, which should make short work of applications
and enable multitasking to be undertaken with relative ease.

Other notable specs are very impressive as well: 5-megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone socket, microSD support up to 32GB, FM radio and built-in GPS with Ovi Maps. Priced around the Rs 12,500.

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Reliance and Samsung Mobile has announced the launch of India's first Android powered CDMA handset Samsung Galaxy i899. Combing a unique blend of performance and elegance, Samsung Galaxy i899 will offer an enhanced experience of seamless Speed Data on the Move offering speeds upto 3.1 Mbps to Reliance Mobile customers.

The futuristic touchscreen CDMA smartphone would also enable high-speed access to popular social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, MySpace, YouTube as well as Gmail, GTalk and Google Maps.

Featuring a 3.2" AMOLED touch-screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, a media player and expandable memory upto 32GB, Samsung Galaxy i899 comes with popular Smartphone features including support for phone, e-mail, text messaging, Wi-Fi, HTML web browser and more.

Attractively priced at Rs 19,900, Reliance Mobile customers upgrading to Samsung Galaxy i899 will also get Free Data Usage on Reliance Netconnect Broadband+ -- 10GB for one month for prepaid customers and 15 GB per month for 2 months for post paid subscribers.

Finally something for aspiring CDMA users to cheer about!

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Logitech has just introduced Logitech Speaker Lap desk N700 -- the company's first all-in-one laptop accessory with integrated stereo speakers, a built-in fan and a wide padded base.

It offers two built-in high-definition speakers with 2-inch highperformance neodymium drivers with a single USB cable. A quiet, efficient fan circulates air under the notebook, and the heat-shielding design helps keep laptop heat off the legs and lap.

This surely was a product many of us had been waiting while working on our beds or sofas. The two built-in high-definition speakers with two-inch high-performance neodymium drivers with a precise positioning on either side of the laptop gives decent sound and a powerful bass. Another good part is that a grill protects the fan from dust and damage if your children just decides to play with it.

You can get this piece for around Rs 4400 -- after all comfort has a price too.

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This 22-incher is possibly the first to sport a full HD resolution at this price point.

Furthermore, it's also packed with features like two HDMI ports, USB 2.0 port along with other ports you'd expect from a TV. This would make an ideal second TV for the bedroom, or for those staying in rented apartments, it can serve as your monitor as well as TV.

You can also hook up your consoles to it. The TV consumes a max of 39W, which is not bad, considering this is a TV and has speakers.

The Moser Baer K22FHD costs just Rs 14,200.

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The launch of LG 510 'Cookie Zip' has redefined the brand's technology leadership, especially with the EVDO feature giving ultimate downloading speed and Live TV for superior TV experience.

Key features of the LG Cookie Zip are highlighted below:

Experience lighting fast download with EVDO (Evolution Data Optimised), gives services like faster networking, video messaging, video streaming and many more enabling the handset with Ultra high speed data communications.

7.6 CM WVGA full touch screen and intuitive flash UI, with 2 MP camera, connectivity on Bluetooth 2.1, extensive memory of 72 MB (internal) and upto 4 GB expandable, eases personal information management through calendar, To do, Secret Memo and Date Finder.

The LG 510, Cookie Zip will be available at an MRP of Rs 8,299 take Rs 300-400 off from here to arrive at a decent street price.

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Intex has released one of its new dual SIM QUERTY phone IN 6633 in Indian market. The phone is already an attraction due to its dual SIM. The IN 6633 consists of features such as TFT display and FM radio with antenna.

It has an audio player as well. The phone comes with internal memory of 78 MB that the customer can expand to 8 GB with the help of micro SD cards. The phone for Indian users comes loaded with many other notable features like web camera, support for Java, Bluetooth with A2DP, monitor sensor, answering machine and auto call record.

According to the reports, the phone has been priced at Rs 4,500 which seems to be a good price for a phone with Wi-Fi.

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Lava Mobile B2 and B5 phones with Alpha keypads. Looks like the ubiquitous QWERTY keypad mobiles are going to get a break from their look-alike feature-rich Alpha keypad versions. Lava Mobiles -- an Indian mobile phone manufacturer has launched two new mobiles called the 'Lava B5' and the 'Lava B2' which are available in both QWERTY and Alpha keypad avatars.

This sounds as a welcome relief for the non-computer savvy consumers, who are not accustomed to QWERTY style
of keypads. Both are very smartly Priced: B5 at Rs 4,399 and B2 at Rs 3,999.

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Epson officially unveiled the EB-450wi Ultra Short Throw Interactive projector in India with an aim to capture the untapped market mainly towards schools, colleges, universities and even techy offices.

This projector is capable of displaying a 97" screen from a distance of just 0.766m. Based on 3LCD technology, it has a native resolution of 1280x800 (WXGA), 2,500 lumens brightness and a lamp life of 2,500 hours.

No but this is not what raises our eyebrow. Its ability to interact with the projector screen with the help of a special pen surely does. After installing the software on your laptop it takes about 30 sec to calibrate the screen. Than the magic begins and your projected screen transforms into a touch screen.

It also include a LAN jack for network monitoring and control, multiple connectivity options and an integrated 10W speaker.

The Only sad part though is it comes at a Price Tag of Rs 1,86,000 which we think is 30 to 35 per cent costlier than it should have been.

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