The way you buy a laptop is all wrong. Here is the right way...

When you need to buy a laptop, how do you select the right one? For most people, we believe, it starts with the processor. How many cores it has? Whether it is the Core i3 or Core i5? Then, people want to know what is the speed of the processor and how much RAM is installed in the laptop. Then comes the amount of internal storage (hard disk) available inside the laptop. Finally, it is down to the weight and looks.

If a consumer likes the processor, amount of RAM, available internal storage and finds looks of laptop appealing he buys it. Of course, if the price is right.

But this is a wrong way to buy a laptop.

Over the years, companies -- and their sales people -- have misled consumers a lot by talking about components like processor and RAM and asking them to buy laptops on the basis of whether it has a Core i3 or a Core i5. But it is time you stop listening to the sales people and get a bit more proactive in how you choose your laptops. We tell you what you need to look for in your next laptop.

What is not important

Processor: Unless you are looking for a specialised laptop like a gaming laptop or a machine on which you want to 3D modeling, processor is no longer all that important. In the last few years processors have become very powerful. Nowadays, most of the general-purpose programs like a web browser don't even use 20 per cent processing power of a lowly Core i3 processor. Machine like MacBook Air that are utterly butterly fast use just dual-core processor running at 1.4GHz. While buying a laptop, don't worry about processor. Yes, Core i7 is usually better than Core i5. And Core i5 is better than Core i3. But even if you are getting Core i3, it is more than enough for a general-purpose machine.

Amount of RAM: Nowadays, all laptops have 4GB RAM. And that is all you need. If you can get more, go for it. But don't buy a laptop just because it has 8GB RAM. There are more important things that you should factor in instead of going after RAM.

Graphics card: Are you going to play demanding games like Battlefield 3 on your laptop? No. Ok, then don't worry about graphics card. There was a time when integrated graphics chip used to be really weak. A graphics card made sense at that time. Nowadays, if you are looking for a laptop on which you can browse web and watch videos, don't worry about graphics card.

Screen size: Don't buy a laptop just because it has a large screen. A large screen with poor quality display or low resolution is going to affect your computing experience negatively. Instead, go for a better screen even if the size is small.

How fast it starts: Almost all new laptops start in less than 30 seconds. The worst ones will take around 30 seconds, the best ones (with SSD) will take around 15 seconds. But that is only when they are new. Gradually, they will start taking longer because as you install more and more programs, the start-up process begins to clog up. But that is not the point. The point is that often the difference between the best and worst laptops when it comes to the boot process is around 5 to 10 seconds. Is it this such a big deal that it should influence your buying decision? Laptop companies will say yes. We say no.

Ultra-fast DVD drive:  Laptop makers love to hype up DVD drives in their machines. They use phrases like "super multi double layer". The reality is that it doesn't mean much. Whether super or not, almost all DVD drives in laptops nowadays write and read stuff at similar speed. Despite the grand words that describe them, these drives are dirt cheap and probably come out of same factories in China irrespective of their brand name.

Security features: Don't bother about fingerprint scanners etc in your laptop. Once you have bought your machine, just put a decent password on it and your data is all safe. That is if you are a mainstream user. If you deal with the nuclear launch codes, then it doesn't apply to you. In this case, trust your IT guys to give you the right machine.

What is important

Quality of screen: What is the most important component in a laptop? If you say processor, you are wrong. The most important component in a laptop is its screen. Reason: Screen is something that is going to define your computing experience. It is your window into computers and the work they do. A bad screen means bad experience.

Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to find laptops with good screens. Blame laptop manufacturers for this. They often hype processors but ignore screens.

If you are spending a lot of money on your laptop -- something like above Rs 75,000 -- try to get a laptop that has IPS screen. Most laptops have TN panel screens. What is the difference? Here is an easy way to understand: Have you noticed that your photos look better on a Galaxy tablet or on iPhone compared to how they look on most laptops? That is because most tablets and phones use IPS screens.

If you are not spending this kind of money, at least pay attention to the screen. Visit a laptop show and check out the specific laptop model you have in mind. Carry a pen drive full of some colourful photos with you. Plug this into the laptop and see how the colours look. Do the colours in your photographs look faded or do they look vibrant? Vibrant colours are good. Also, tilt the screen, move the laptop, change the angle of your view, and see how fast colours fade or darken. If the colours don't change much, the laptop has a good screen.

Equally important is the brightness of the screen, particularly if you are going to use the laptop outdoors. Ideally, 60 per cent brightness level should make the laptop screen look good. If you have to bump up the brightness to 80 or 90 percent, the screen is not bright enough.

Finally, watch out for the resolution of the screen. Higher resolution screens make images and text look sharper. Ideally, go for a laptop that has 1080P aka FullHD or 1600 X 900 pixels resolution.

Keyboard and touchpad: Two very important parts in a laptop but often overlooked by consumers. Good laptops have typing keys that are firm, don't rattle and give a kind of clicky or pushy feedback when they are pressed. Also, the keyboard should not flex and the size of keys should be big enough to make typing comfortable. Ideally, type 100 to 200 words on a laptop that you want to buy to get a feel of the keyboard. Buy it only if the keys feel right to you.

Touchpad in a laptop has to be responsive. It should make the cursor on the screen move smoothly when you use it. It should feel smooth and responsive to your fingers. If you are spending lot of money on your laptop, go for a machine that has glass touchpad (hint: MacBooks have glass touchpad).

Good quality of keyboard and touchpad is often a sign of overall quality of the laptop. There is a chance that if a laptop has a good keyboard and smooth touchpad, it is likely to have good overall build quality.

Build quality: Don't go by looks. Pick up a laptop and see how it feels in hands. Is the plastic used in it good? Is it sturdy? Do the screen hinges feel durable? Does the screen flex (it shouldn't)? See the finishing of the laptop. The build quality of a laptop is very important because that will determine how long it is going to last.

Ideally, go for laptops that have bodies made of metal like aluminum or magnesium alloy. Carbon fibre bodies are also fine. But these are expensive. If you are looking for plastic body laptops, go for those that feel sturdy and have impeccable finishing.

Speakers: Before you a buy a laptop, go to a store with a pen drive full of your favourite songs. Play these songs on the machine you want to buy. If your laptop has a good set of speakers, it will help you enjoy the YouTube videos. Don't you want that?

Weight: This is particularly important if you want to carry around your laptop. Go for lighter laptops -- under 2kg -- if you are going to carry it around in your bag.

Battery life: Very important. Go for laptops that offer to claim better battery life. Unfortunately, except Apple no one really advertises true battery figures for their laptops. But still if someone claims to give 10 hours battery life in a laptop, it is likely that the machine will last for at least 7 hours, which is better than the laptops claiming to give 6 or 7 hours of battery life.

SSD or embedded flash storage: If you don't need tons of storage (hint: you don't if you are not going to store movies) go for laptops that have SSDs. A SSD really makes a difference to how well a laptop responds. A laptop with Core i3 processor and a SSD will feel faster compared to a laptop with Core i7 and a 1TB hard disk. If SSD-equipped laptop is out of question, go for a machine that has embedded flash storage (around 20GB or more). The embedded storage helps laptop feel faster. This type of laptop won't be as fast as one with SSD, but it will be quite close.

One last thing: When it comes to buying a laptop, don't go by the specification sheet that a salesman will give to you when you walk into a store. Go by what you see. The components like screen, keyboard, touchpad and the laptop body that you can see are more important. The internal hardware is more or less same in every laptop in a particular price bracket.

How to choose the best tablet for your child.

  

          Quite a few kids will find a tablet under the tree this holiday season, according to a recent PBS Kids study: It shows that 54 percent of parents plan to purchase or give a tech item to their children—and tablets top the list. They even beat out video-game consoles.  

So how do you choose? Here's what to look for.

Age.

While "grownup" tablets are fine for many older kids, and lots of them do come with parental controls and filters, there's a growing number of tablets made just for kids: Not only the LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra Learning Tablet and Vtech InnoTab 3S, which are more toylike and great for the younger set, but also full-blown Android tablets geared to children of various ages. Check the manufacturers' recommended age range, but also bear in mind your child's capabilities and preferences.

Price

Android kid tablets are often are less expensive than "grownup" tablets, are more rugged, and come with child-oriented content. But often, kid-tablet specs including processor speed, display quality, and screen responsiveness can lag behind those of regular tablets. So you'll want to make sure snagging a great kid-tablet bargain doesn't mean you're buying an inferior product that your child will hate. Consumer Reports tests kid tablets for these features and more; our report, "Today's kid tablets have grown up," provides more details.  

Parental controls

These include Web filters—some are predetermined by the tablet maker, and some let you choose the sites you wish to be available to your child. Other controls let parents block and monitor specific apps and websites. And some let you specify how much time a kid can spend playing on the tablet, or even what times of day they can play. KD Interactive (which makes the Kurio-brand tablets) even lets parents set up a "piggy bank" account for the kids in its app store so they can purchase new games and other content themselves. Also take into consideration that some parental controls are easier to set up and change than others. This is another feature we look at when testing kid tablets.

Multiple profiles.
If you plan to let a few kids share the tablet, look for one that lets you create a profile for each child. That way, parents can assure an age-appropriate experience for everyone. On some tablets, parents can monitor each individual child's progress as they use educational apps.

Content.
Although all the kid tablets include games, e-books, art-studio apps, and more, the amount and quality of this content can vary. Some tablets seem to include a bonanza of popular games, but many may be trial versions that you'd have to pay for to keep. And some tablets are much more focused on education and creativity than others. So do your homework and see exactly what comes preloaded with a tablet before you make a decision.

Size.

Will you be using the tablet on the go, or mostly at home? How big are the hands that will be using the tablet? And will a couple of kids want to play or watch videos together? All those considerations come into play when you're deciding. Kid-tablet sizes range just as much as those of "grownup" tablets: from a phone-like 4 inches up to 10 inches.

Battery life.

If you're planning to take the tablet on trips, make sure it'll last long enough to keep your child occupied. In our most recent tests, we found that kid-tablet battery life ranged from 4.4 to 7.7 hours. Most kid tablets are now rechargeable, so if you are traveling, don't forget to pack the charging cable.

Why Android smartphones consume more data ?

  

                         Android smartphones are kind of like Hummers. Reminiscent of the oversize, gas-guzzling SUV's, Androids have the biggest screens and tend to use much more data than other types of smartphones, including iPhones. And that higher data usage could rack up heftier phone bills.

So why does Android use more data? The reasons are multifold. The most obvious is that Android phones tend to have the largest screens, so they download bigger files and video with more pixels, says Chetan Sharma , a telecom analyst.

Another factor is that Android is less efficient at managing apps than Apple's iOS. For instance, multiple Android apps may be running in the background with things like location data being collected, he said.

Also, Android users typically don't upgrade their operating systems as frequently as iOS users, so their smartphones may not receive fixes improving data management, he said.

Jan Dawson, an independent telecom analyst who previously worked for Ovum, noted that the data traffic numbers may also reflect the profiles of the people who choose Android versus those who choose iPhones. People with larger Android phones are more likely to skip buying a tablet, whereas iPhone owners may be buying iPads and consuming a lot of content there.

Meet Edison: A computer that is smaller than an SD card

              

  

LAS VEGAS: How small a computer can get ? 

If you ask Intel it is already as small as a SD card! Intel has unveiled Edison, a computer housed in an "SD card form factor".

The device uses Quark microprocessor technology that was showed by Intel a few months ago. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that the "computer" is meant to be used in wearable smart devices like a health tracker or in everyday products like coffee mugs that has to be connected to the internet.

Edison has built-in wireless capabilities and support for multiple operating systems. "It is a full system. It's a full Pentium-class PC in the form factor of an SD card," said Krzanich. Edison will be available in the middle of 2014.

"Wearables are not everywhere today because they aren't yet solving real problems and they aren't yet integrated with our lifestyles," said Krzanich. "We're focused on addressing this engineering innovation challenge. Our goal is, if something computes and connects, it does it best with Intel inside."

In his keynote address at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Krzanich showed an example of Edison can be used. He said that it can be attached to the clothes of a baby. This will allow parents to monitor the baby even if they are not in the same room. For example, if the coffee mug used by parents also has Edison and can connect to the internet, it can talk to the device attached to the baby's clothes and tell parents whenever the baby is getting uncomfortable.

Edison is Intel's attempt to not repeat the mistake it made in the smartphone market. With smartphones and tablets, Intel failed to see the trend and did not address the market properly until 2012. Now when the companies are expected to push smartglasses and smartwatches, Intel intends to not repeat the mistake it made earlier.

"Most of my career a computer has been something you hold in your hand [...] or sits on your desk... That idea is about to be transformed," said Krzanich.

One of Intel's most serious competitors, Qualcomm announced a smartwatch - Toq -- a few months earlier. On Monday, Intel too joined the bandwagon by showing the prototype of the smartwatch it is developing. The company also said that it was developing smart earbuds - called Jarvis -- with biometric and fitness capabilities. The earbuds will read a message to the user or track his physical movement.

In addition to developing reference devices for wearable technology, Intel will offer a number of accessible, low-cost entry platforms. These are allegedly aimed at helping lower entry barriers for individuals and small companies to create innovative Internet-connected wearables or other small form factor devices.

At his keynote, Krzanich also said that Intel, along with its hardware partners, will launch tablets that dual-boot Windows and Android.

The company will make McAfee security app for mobiles and tablets available for free this year. "As corporate bring-your-own-device programs have grown in popularity, many firms have prohibited Android-based devices that weren't compatible with their companies' security requirements. Intel this year will offer Intel device protection technology, which will help Intel-based Android mobile devices meet most security standards for use at home and work," the company said in a press note.

Top Things To Consider Before Buying A New Phone.(फोन खरीदो- तो ये देखकर)

                     आप में से बहुत से लोगों ने ये सोच रखा होगा कि नये साल में नया मोबाइल फोन खरीदेंगे, लेकिन अब तक आपको ये भी समझ में आ गया होगा कि आजकल नया फोन खरीदना भी कोई आसान काम नहीं है. खास तौर पर, अगर आप 'स्मार्टफोन' खरीदने की सोच रहे हैं तो सही फोन चुनना भी एक चुनौती है. हर बजट में अब इतने ऑप्शन मौजूद हैं कि तय करना मुश्किल है क्या खरीदा जाए.
एंड्रायड फोन की आजकल सबसे ज्यादा धूम है, लेकिन शोरूम में जाकर देखें तो सारे फोन लगभग एक जैसे दिखते हैं. सबके फीचर्स भी एक से हैं और हर कंपनी अपने फोन को सबसे अच्छा बताती है. ऐसे में, आप पूरी तरह प्रचार में किए जा रहे दावों और सेल्समैन की सलाह के भरोसे विश्वास कर लेते हैं. फोन खरीदते हैं और बाद में दोस्त का फोन देखकर पछताते हैं कि काश मैंने भी यही खरीदा होता. तो आज हम आपकी इस मुश्किल को कुछ आसान बनाते हैं. नया स्मार्टफोन खरीदने के इन नुस्खों पर अमल करेंगे तो बाद में पछताना नहीं पड़ेगा.
सबसे पहला सवाल ये आता है कि ब्लैकबेरी खरीदें, आईफोन खरीदें, नोकिया लुमिया या फिर एंड्रायड फोन. सबकी अपनी खूबियां और कमियां हैं जिस पर फिर कभी विस्तार से बात करेंगे. फिलहाल ये नुस्ख़े, खासतौर पर एंड्रायड फोन के लिए  हैं, जो आजकल सबसे ज्यादा लोकप्रिय हैं. लगभग सभी एंड्रायड फोन टच-स्क्रीन वाले ही होते हैं.

अपनी जरूरत और बजट तय करें.
Advertisement  की चमक दमक के झांसे में न आकर, अपनी जरूरत और बजट का ख्याल रखें. दुनिया में 'सबसे अच्छा फोन' जैसी कोई चीज है ही नहीं! आज जो 'सबसे हाई टेक' मॉडल है, सालभर में वही पुराना और 'आउटडेटेट' होकर आधे दाम में मिलेगा. इसलिए उन फीचर्स के लिए कभी अपना बजट ने बिगड़ने दें जिनका इस्तेमाल आप नहीं करेंगे. अगर आपको इंटरनेट का इस्तेमाल नहीं करना है तो स्मार्टफोन के बजाए बेसिक फोन खरीदने की सोचें. पैसे भी बचेंगे, काम भी बेहतर होगा और बैटरी भी खूब चलेगी. अगर आपको मोबाइल से फोटो लेकर बड़े-बड़े प्रिंट नहीं निकालने हैं तो मेगापिक्सल के पीछे दीवाने मत हों. अगर आपको फोन पर ज्यादा लिखना होता है, तो टच स्क्रीन फोन खरीदने से पहले हाथ आज़माकर जरूर देख लें. टच-स्क्रीन पर लिखना कई लोगों को की-बोर्ड वाले फोन की तुलना में मुश्किल लगता है. सही फोन चुनने के लिए सबसे पहले ये तय कर लें कि आपका बजट कितना है. सही तुलना तभी हो सकती है जब मुकाबला एक जैसे कीमत वाले फोन्स  के बीच कराया जाए.

साइज- बड़ा है तो बेहतर है.
फोन कितना बड़ा हो इस बारे में सबकी पसंद अलग-अलग होती है, लेकिन आजकल बड़े फोन का चलन है. कंपनियों के बीच बड़ी स्क्रीन वाले फोन पेश करने की ऐसी होड़ मची हुई है कि फोन, फैबलेट और टैबलेट का फर्क ही मिट गया है. आमतौर पर 4.7 इंच से बड़े स्क्रीन वाले फोन्स को 'बड़ा फोन या फ़ैबलेट' मानते हैं. 4 इंच से 4.7 इंच के स्क्रीन वाले फोन को मीडियम साइज का, और 4 इंच से कम साइज को 'छोटे फोन' की श्रेणी में रखा जाता है.
टच-स्क्रीन फोन में, स्क्रीन पर ही आपको लिखना है और वहीं देखना है. इसलिए बहुत छोटा साइज ठीक नहीं रहता. इसके अलावा, बड़ी स्क्रीन पर पढ़ना, टाइप करना, फोटो या वीडियो देखना आसान होगा. लेकिन फोन इतना भी बड़ा नहीं होना चाहिए, जिसे संभालने में मुश्किल हो, या एक हाथ से पकड़ने में दिक्कत हो. '5 इंच के आसपास' की स्क्रीन साइज हर हिसाब से बेहतर होती है.


स्क्रीन रिसोल्यूशन - HD का है जमाना.
स्क्रीन की क्वालिटी परखने के लिए तीन चीजों पर गौर करें. रिसोल्यूशन पीपीआई ( PPI -Pixels per Inch) और स्क्रीन LCD है या AMOLED. इनका मतलब क्या है इस बात पर ज्यादा माथापच्ची किये बगैर आप सीधे ये समझ सकते हैं कि रिसोल्यूशन और पीपीआई (PPI) दोनों जितना ज्यादा हो उतना बेहतर है. ये दोनों चीज जिस फोन में जितनी ज्यादा होगी, उसकी स्क्रीन उतनी साफ, चमकदार, सुंदर और गहरे रंगों वाली दिखेगी. स्क्रीन का रिसोल्यूशन ही तय करता है कि वो HD है या नहीं. इसी तरह अगर LCD और AMOLED स्क्रीन के बीच चुनना हो तो आंख मूंद कर AMOLED ही चुनें.

गुरिल्ला ग्लास है या नहीं .
स्क्रीन के बारे में एक और बेहद जरूरी गौर करने की चीज है गुरिल्ला ग्लास (Gorilla Glass).  दरअसल, ये एक खास तरह का ग्लास है जो स्क्रीन के ऊपर लगाया जाता है. दुनिया भर में, Corning नाम की कंपनी के बनाए इस शीशे का लोहा माना जाता है. गुरिल्ला ग्लास (Gorilla Glass) अगर आपके फोन में लगा है तो इसका मतलब है कि आपको स्क्रीन पर खरोंच लगने, आसानी से टूट जाने की चिंता नहीं करनी होगी. Gorilla Glass 3 इसका सबसे लेटेस्ट Version है. गुलिल्ला ग्लास (Gorilla Glass) के लिए अगर कुछ रूपए ज्यादा भी खर्च करना पड़े तो कर दें.

एंड्रायड किट कैट है सबसे मीठा ..
एंड्रायड फोन में ये बात काफी अहम है कि उसमें एंड्रायड सॉफ्टवेयर का कौन सा  Version चल रहा है. नए Version में कई ऐसी खूबियां होती हैं जिसके लिए पुराने Version के साथ फंसे लोग तरसते रहते हैं. सबसे लेटेस्ट Version का नाम है किटकैट जिसे (4.2.2) भी कहते हैं. कोशिश करें कि फोन वो खरीदें, जिसमें कम से कम 4.0 या उससे उपर का Version हो. अगर Android Version 2.3.6 से नीचे का हो तो उसे किसी भी हालत में नहीं खरीदें. इस मामले में सेल्समैन की बातों में कतई न आएं. वो हमेशा आपको यही बताएगा कि इस फोन में भी एंड्रायड अपडेट हो सकता है. लेकिन कई बार आपके फोन में नया अपडेट कभी नहीं होता और कई बार इसके लिए महीनों का इंतजार करना होता है. सेल्समैन अगर किसी फोन में सॉफ्टवेयर अपडेट होने का दावा करे तो उसे पूछें कि क्या वो अभी इसे अपडेट करके दिखा सकता है?

Processor है फोन की जान.
Processor फोन के लिए वही है जो गाड़ी के लिए इंजन. इसी से तय होता है कि फोन मक्खन की तरह तेज़ और स्मूथ चलेगा या फिर धीरे धीरे झटका लेकर. Processor के स्पीड का पता लगाने के लिए देखें की वो कितने गीगाहर्टज का है . जैसे 2.3 GHz का Processor 2.2 GHz से बेहतर हुआ. यानि जितने ज्यादा Gigahertz का Processor होगा वो उतना तेज होगा. लेकिन आजकल Processor की ताकत का अंदाजा लगाने का एक और बेहतर तरीका आ गया है, जिसे कहते हैं कि प्रोसेसर कितने कोर (Core) का है. यहां भी फार्मूला वही है - जितना ज्यादा उतना एडवांस. यानि Octa core Processor ( आठ Core वाला) सबसे अच्छा हुआ, Quad Core ( चार Core वाला) उससे नीचे और Dual Core और Single Core सबसे नीचे. एक नजर इस बात पर भी डालें कि फोन में किस कंपनी का Processor लगा हुआ है.
ज्यातातर एंड्रायड फोन में आपको Mediatek, Snapdragon, Qualcomm और ARM Cortex  जैसी कंपनियों  के Processor दिखेंगे. इनमें Snapdragon और Qualcomm कंपनी के  Processor अच्छे माने जाते हैं. ARM Cortex और Mediatek उसके नीचे हैं.  Snapdragon 800  को फिलहाल सबसे शानदार Processor माना जाता है. बढ़िया और तेज प्रोसेसर न सिर्फ फोन को तेज चलाते हैं बल्कि फोन की बैटरी पर भी कम बोझ  डालते हैं.

RAM  - जितना ज्यादा उतना अच्छा.
आप मान सकते हैं कि RAM काम करने की वो टेबल है जहां पर रखकर आपका फोन हर काम को निपटाता है.  काम करने के लिए जितनी खुली जगह होगी, फोन का Processor उतनी आसानी से और जल्दी हर काम को कर सकता है.  RAM जितना ज्यादा हो उतना अच्छा. नहीं तो फोन पुराना होने के बाद आप आए दिन Low Memory का मैसेज देखकर सिर पीटेंगे. 3 GB तक के  RAM वाले फोन तो बाज़ार में आ चुके हैं और 4 GB की तैयारी चल रही है. लेकिन, कम से कम RAM, 1 GB तो होना ही चाहिए. 512 MB से कम RAM वाला फोन तो कोई मुफ्त में भी दे तो नहीं लें.

बैटरी जितनी दमदार - फोन उतना शानदार .
स्मार्टफोन खरीदने के बाद सबसे ज्यादा रोना लोग बैटरी को लेकर ही रोते हैं. सीधी सी बात है, फोन से आप जो भी काम लेते हैं, सबके लिए बैटरी खर्च होती है . इसलिए बैटरी की पावर को लेकर समझौता हरगिज़ न करें. ध्यान से देखें कि बैट्री कितने mAh की है. जितना ज्यादा उतना अच्छा. याद रखें, फोन की स्क्रीन जितनी बड़ी होगी, उसका रिसोल्यूशन जितना ज्यादा होगा उसको उतनी बैट्री की जरूरत होगी. आजकल कुछ कंपनियां 4000 mAh तक की बैट्री वाला फोन बना रहीं है जो वाकई शानदार है. लेकिन जिस फोन की बैट्री 1500 mAh से कम हो, उससे दूर ही रहें तो अच्छा है.

कैमरा - मेगापिक्सल ही नहीं है सबकुछ.
कंपनियां खरीदारों की नब्ज़ पहचानती हैं इसलिए सबसे ज्यादा ज़ोर मेगापिक्सल पर देती हैं . लेकिन सच्चाई ये है कि आपका फोन कितनी अच्छी फोटो लेगा इसमें मेगापिक्सल के अलावा तमाम ऐसी चीजों का रोल होता है जिसके बारे में ज्यादातर कंपनियां कुछ बताती ही नहीं. जैसे लेंस और सेंसर की क्वालिटी. इसलिए दुकान में ही फोटो खींचकर देंखें. खास तौर पर कम लाइट में कैमरा कैसी फोटो ले पाता है. देखें की कैमरे में ऑटोफोकस है या नहीं. शटर लैग चेक करें. यानि क्लिक करने के बाद कैमरा फोटो को लेने में, और उसके सेव करने में कितना समय लगाता है. शटरलैग सस्ते डिजिटल कैमरों की ऐसी लाइलाज बीमारी है जो फोटो खींचने  का मज़ा किरकिरा कर देती है. इस बात पर गौर करें कि कैमरे के साथ फ्लैश के लिए LED लाइट है या नहीं और अगर है तो उससे कितनी लाइट निकल रही है.

Bloatware- मान न मान, मैं तेरा मेहमान.
ब्लोटवेयर उन फालतू  के apps को कहते हैं जो आपके किसी काम के नहीं हैं लेकिन फोन में पहले से मौजूद रहते हैं. आप न तो इनको फोन से Uninstall करके हटा सकते हैं न ही इनको हमेशा के लिए बंद कर सकते हैं. मुसीबत ये है कि आपके किसी काम के नहीं होने के बावजूद इनमें से कई बैकग्रांउड में चुपचाप चलते रहते हैं. इससे आपका फोन धीमा होता है और बैट्री खर्च होती रहती है.
Google Play Store में हजारों बेहतरीन App मु्फ्त में, या फिर बहुत मामूली कीमत में मौजूद हैं जिन्हें आप पल भर में डाउनलोड कर सकते हैं. लेकिन फोन कंपनी ने  अगर किसी app को सॉफ्टवेयर के साथ जो़ड़कर फोन में डाल दिया है तो इससे छुटकारा पाना मुश्किल होता है. इसलिए फोन के Menu में जाकर देखें, अगर आपको बहुत से ऐसे फालतू  App नज़र आते हैं जिनकी आपको जरूरत नहीं है तो फिर उस फोन से ही छुटकारा पाएं.

3G- है कि नहीं जी .
स्मार्टफोन की जान है इंटरनेट और इंटरनेट अगर घिसट-घिसटकर चले तो क्या फायदा! देखें की किस फोन में आपके बजट के भीतर 3G मिल रहा है. अगर फोन में HSPA+ भी हो तो और भी अच्छा. ये 3G  से भी कुछ तेज चलता है. इसी तरह, ज्यादातर फोन में ब्लूटूथ तो होता ही है. लेकिन आपको पता होना चाहिए की सबसे लेटेस्ट है- ब्लूटूथ 4 जिससे डाटा तेजी से ट्रांसफर होता है और बैट्री भी कम खर्च होती है.

स्पीकर साफ और तेज आवाज .
फोन कोई भी हो, उसका सबसे ज्यादा इस्तेमाल बात करने के लिए ही होता है. साफ आवाज के बारे में पढकर पता करना मुश्किल है. इसलिए फोन खरीदने से पहले किसी से बात करके देखें कि आपको और दूसरी तरफ सुनने वाले को आपकी आवाज बिना शोरगुल के साफ सुनाई दे रही है या नहीं. हो सके तो स्पीकर तेज आवाज पर बजाकर देखें. कहीं ऐसा तो नहीं कि वीडियो देखते हुए भी कान फोन से ही लगाए रहना पड़े.
इसी तरह, फोन की मजबूती, उसकी बनावट का बहुत कुछ अंदाजा आपको फोन को हाथ में लेकर देखने से ही हो जाएगा.  अगर कोई फोन हाथ में पकड़ने से ही कमज़ोर और सस्ता दिखता है तो इसका मतलब है वो कमज़ोर ही होगा.

अंत में सबसे काम की बात - After Sales Service.

नये में तो हर फोन मज़ेदार लगाता है. असली परख तो तब होती है जब फोन खराब होता है और आपको Service Center के चक्कर लगाने होतें हैं. अच्छे ब्रांड और सस्ते में सबकुछ देने वाले गुमनाम कंपनियों का फर्क तभी पता चलता है. सिर्फ ब्रांड के नाम पर किसी फोन के लिए अनाप शनाप कीमत देना तो ठीक नहीं, लेकिन ये जरूर देख लें कि जो फोन आप खरीद रहे हैं उसका Service Center आपके घर या दफ्तर से कितनी दूर है. अगर आप छोटे शहर में रहते हैं तो जाने माने ब्रांड पर ही जाएं क्योंकि छोटी कंपनियों का सेंटर वहां होगा नहीं और दूसरे शहर जाकर फोन ठीक कराना लगभग असंभव है.

और भी... http://aajtak.intoday.in/story/top-things-to-consider-before-buying-a-new-phone-1-751340.html

India's first navigation satellite PSLV-XL

The 44-metre-tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL (PSLV-XL) weighing 320 tonnes at lift-off is a four-stage rocket alternatively powered by solid and liquid propellants.

The Indian rocket that at midnight will deliver the country's first navigation satellite is being readied for its mission with its second stage getting fuelled at Sriharikota, a senior official at Indian space agency said.
"The countdown is progressing well and the filling of the liquid fuel in the second stage is going on fine. The weather is good and we do not see any hitch in the mission," the official at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said on Monday.
The 64.5 hour countdown began at 7.11 am on Saturday.
The 44-metre-tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL (PSLV-XL) weighing 320 tonnes at lift-off is a four-stage rocket alternatively powered by solid and liquid propellants.
The solid fuel hydroxide-terminated-poly-butadiene comes readily cast while the liquid fuel - unsymmetrical dim-ethyl-hydrazine-hydrate and 25 percent of nitrogen tetroxide for second stage and mono-methyl-hydrazine and mixed oxide nitrogen for fourth stage — are filled during the countdown.
Around 20 minutes into the launch, the PSLV-XL will eject the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1A (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1A) at an altitude of 501 km.
The satellite is intended to provide terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation services and help in disaster management. The system is similar to the global satellite positioning (GPS) of the US and other countries.
The satellite, with a lifespan of around 10 years, is one of the seven constituting the IRNSS system developed by India and designed to provide accurate position information service to users within the country and up to 1,500 km from the nation's boundary, ISRO said.
The entire IRNSS system is expected to be in place by 2015 and the project is expected to cost around Rs.1,420 crore.
The service area can be expanded by adding more satellites, ISRO officials said.
The IRNSS will provide two types of services — standard positioning service and restricted service. The former is provided to all users and the later is an encrypted service for authorized users.

HAL Light Combat Helicopter for Indian Army.

The HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is a multirole combat helicopter being developed in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for use by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army.

 

The failure of the Russian built Mi-35 to perform satisfactorily in the high altitude battle zones of Kargil highlighted the requirement of an attack helicopter specially made for such operations.In 2006, HAL announced its plans to indigenously design and build the LCH; funds for designing and developing the LCH to meet the requirements of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force were sanctioned in October 2006. The helicopter has a maximum weight of 5.5 tonnes, and has a service ceiling of 6,500 meters.
The LCH is a derivative of the HAL Dhruv, which was inducted into the Indian armed forces. Basing on an existing helicopter is expected to greatly reduce LCH project costs, which is pegged at 3.76 billion.
The Indian Air Force is to acquire 65 LCHs and Indian Army is to acquire 114 LCHs^.
The LCH was expected to be ready for the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) by December 2010 with the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) in 2011. However, the revised timeframes for LCH should be ready for induction into IAF by 2012-2013.

The first prototype of LCH completed its first ground run on 4 February 2010.
HAL has a firm order to deliver 65 LCH to the IAF and 114 to the Army. HAL has performed the maiden flight of its LCH on 29 March 2010.
The first LCH Technology Demonstrator (TD-1) flew a 20 minute flight from HAL's Helicopter Complex, Bangalore. It carried out low speed, low altitude checks on the systems on board. The crew reported that the performance of the helicopter and systems were satisfactory.
The third test flight of the LCH was successfully made on 23 May 2010; it fulfilled the desired parameters and allowed for further armed tests to proceed. The second prototype, which has been weaponized, was unveiled at Aero India 2011 in February 2011.
The second LCH prototype (TD-2) featured substantial weight reductions over the earlier TD-1.
Ashok Nayak, chairman of HAL, stated that the project has exceeded human and payload requirements mandated by IAF for the development.Light Combat Helicopter TD-2 achieved its first flight on 28 June 2011.Two more prototypes are under construction to speed up its induction into the Indian Air Force in 2012.
On 1 July 2012, the LCH begin a series of trials near Chennai; amongst other elements, the LCH's air speed measurement system will be trialled and various component stresses gauged measured. The third prototype of the LCH is about to be delivered and is expected to be different from the LCH-1 and LCH-2.
The third prototype is said to be significantly lighter than its predecessors.^.
The LCH second prototype, TD-2 completed sea level trials conducted in late June to early July 2012. The trials covered helicopter performance, loads measurement, and handling qualities.

LCH is intended for use in air defense against slow moving aerial targets (e.g. aircraft and UAVs), Counter Surface Force Operation (CSFO),destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heliborne operations (SHBO),
Counter-insurgency operations (COIN), offensive Employment in Urban Warfare, support of combat search and rescue operations (SAR) operations, anti-tank role and scout duties.
It will also be capable of high-altitude warfare (HAW) since its operational ceiling will be 6,000–6,500 metres (20,000–21,300 ft).

General characteristics:
* Crew: 2
* Length: 15.8 m (51ft 8in)
* Rotor diameter: 13.3 m (43 ft 6 in)
* Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 4 in)
* Disc area: 138.9 m² (1472 ft²)
* Empty weight: 2550 kg (5621 lb)
* Loaded weight: 4000 kg (8818 lb)
* Useful load: 2950 kg (6503 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 5,500 kg (12125 lb)
* Powerplant: 2× HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turboshaft, 900 kW (1200 hp) each

Performance:
* Never exceed speed: 330 km/h (178 knots, 207 mph)
* Maximum speed: 275 km/h (148 knots, 171 mph)
* Cruise speed: 260 km/h (140 knots, 161 mph)
* Range: 550km (297 nm, 342 mi)
* Service ceiling: 6500 m (21,325 ft)
* Rate of climb: 12 m/s (2362 ft/min)
* Disc loading: 39.59 kg/m² (8.23 lb/ft²)
* Power/mass: 327 W/kg (0.198 hp/lb)

Armament:
* Guns: 1× 20 mmM621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret 
* Rockets: 60/80 mm caliber rockets
* Missiles: air-to-surface, MBDA air-to-air, anti-radiation, and Helina anti-tank missiles 
* Bombs: Gravity bombs, cluster bombs, grenade launchers

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