There was once a gadget. Now it is not a gadget anymore. It is an extension of our hands. It never goes to sleep. It doesn’t need love. It doesn’t even reciprocate our love. It never makes any demands. All it needs is a little power that it discreetly slurps without disturbing us. When we are sleeping, when we are eating, when we are running, when we are travelling, when we are playing, it never leaves our hands. It makes sure that we are never bored. That we are always informed. That we are always connected. That we are always ready. On cold London nights, when we walk back home, it sings to us. On hot Indian afternoons, it finds us a drinking hole. On quiet evenings, it reads to us. When we are lost, it shows us the way. When we are in a new city, it shows us the places to avoid. It makes us fat. It makes us fit. Sometimes it loses us. Sometime it finds us. When it falls, our hearts break. Every scratch on it’s shiny face is like a scratch on our souls. It brings us together. It leads to divorces. For me it can be a phone. For you a laptop. For the girl on a Tokyo train, it can be the plastic hand with which she is eating a potato chip. For the one-year-old, it is a toy. For the teenager, a medium to send a text message. For the middle-aged man, his livelihood. For the old woman, a life-saving alarm. Until the next year brings the next model, it is our best friend, our life-partner, our friend, philosopher and guide.
Phones
In the history of mankind, there has never been more personal a gadget than the mobile phone. Nothing else stays so close to our bodies. Nothing else lets us do so many things which would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. Nothing else which requires so little maintenance. Nothing else which defines us as a person. Nothing else which assures us of safety. A mobile phone is a king’s sword in the middle ages, a cowboy’s gun in the Wild West. Some such new mobiles and their accessories, with a vintage landline thrown in for good measure...
Samsung Galaxy S3
Rs 38,000 flipkart.com
Thankfully, the King of Android Galaxy S2 is not like Queen Elizabeth II. It already has a successor called, what else, Galaxy S3. With a stated philosophy that it is, “Inspired by nature, designed for humans”, the S3 is not a design classic like it’s predecessor. Still, it is a treat for the eyes with it’s 4.8” HD Super AMOLED screen and the super-slim body. Available in Marble White and Pebble Blue, the S3 obviously ships with Android 4.0, has some unique features like Smart Stay, which turns off the screen when you are not looking at it, and S-voice that Samsung hopes will compete with Apple’s Siri.
Nokia 808 PureView
Expected Rs 29,500 Nokia store
Nokia 808 PureView looks like any other run-of-the-mill Nokia. Which is to say it looks a like one made in a Siberian labour camp, had the Soviet Union survived. But 808 is anything but run-of-the-mill. It’s the grand-daddy of camera phones. That’s because, the rather large camera aperture you see on the back, houses... hold your breath... a 41 megapixel camera. Yes, a 41 MP camera with Nokia’s proprietary PureView Pro imaging technology, topped up with a Carl Zeiss lens, which means you can take photos in different aspect ratios like a professional. Available in Red, White and Black.
HTC One X
Rs 36,099 flipkart.com
If the Taiwanese brand HTC had any sense at all, they would have realised long ago that outward looks are more important than the internals. Just like Justin Bieber. They seem to have woken up now with One X. It runs on Android 4.0, with modified HTC Sense overlay. The 4.7” Super LCD 2 touchscreen is helped by a 1.5 GHz Quadcore processor. Inclusion of Beats audio makes it a great music player. While it is also available in black, the white version is a stunner.
iPING Putter App Cradle for iPhone 4S , approx. Rs 1,600 apple.com
Now that you’ve joined a golf course, you can start showing off. Except, you’re putting like a cricketer. No worries. Attach iPING Putter app cradle to your club shaft, download the app and start putting. After every session, it gives immediate results of your Putting Handicap (PHcp) so you can get more consistency in your strokes and improve your game.
Swiss Voice Vintage 20 Corded
Landline phone, Rs 1,899 flipkart.com
In this day and age, when landline phones are becoming obsolete, you need a reason to own one. This Swiss vintage phone is that reason. True to it’s name, it’s corded, with a numerical keypad. But it has other features that set it apart from a true vintage. Like the adjustable ringer volume, or the last number redial. You can even choose to dial in tone- or pulse-mode, which means you can have your cake and eat it too, feeling like a Maharaja or a clerk in a government office, depending on how you look at it.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S
Rs 24,999 flipkart.com
Sony is famous for some things. I don’t mean losing your data. They are famous for great music players,
great cameras, best portable gaming consoles, and lovely displays. Put all of them together in a great looking package and you have Xperia Arc S. The first thing you’ll notice apart from the easy-to-hold curved body, is the stunning 4.2” retina display that makes use of Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine. Combined with a good user interface called Timescape UI, the phone is a charm to use. Add the promised Ice Cream Sandwich update and the five available colours to the mix, and you have a great phone.
Tablets/E-readers
Two years ago, when Steve Jobs dramatically dropped a tablet between a phone and a computer, people scoffed. They said it is an oversized phone. Now everyone and his dog is trying to make a tablet computer. That is because a tablet computer puts the ‘personal’ in the personal computer. Browse on it, play games on it, watch movies or play music on it. Nothing is more in-your-face and more intuitive. Same goes with e-readers which connect you to your book without anything in between. Certainly not paper. Some of the best tablets, an e-reader and their accessories...
New iPad
From Rs 30,500 cromaretail.com
In a recent survey for Mother’s Day, 91 per cent of US mothers said they prefer a new iPad over flowers. I’d think that is a no brainer, asking people if they want a $1-flower or a $500-gadget. But people seem to think it is the greatness of the iPad. The third generation iPad has a retina display, which means a naked eye won’t be able to discern individual pixels. Add the new A5X chip to the mix, and you have a superfast, slick tablet that is thin as a blade. There is no better way to read your morning paper than this glowing iPad. Oh, also to play Angry Birds and a thousand other things.
ASUS Transformer Prime
From `36,500, with optional dock `13,360 junglee.com
Only a five-year-old would name a tablet Transformer Prime. But then again, sometimes, five-year-olds teach grown ups a thing or two. This almost-good Android 3.2 tablet which can be upgraded to Android 4.0, has many good qualities. Like the 10.1” screen, the ultraslim and light design with the aluminum back, the NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quadcore processor, etc. But what makes it more attractive is the optional docking station, which gives you a full QWERTY keyboard while giving you an additional six hours of battery life, transforming the tablet to a laptop.
Kindle
From Rs 5,453
junglee.com
In an age of information overload, Kindle is a breath of fresh air that comes out of a room freshener. It does not throw information at you. It does not demand you to check your mail, or to update your status. It does one thing. And does it well by getting out of the way in connecting you to your book. With the e-ink screen that doesn’t strain the eye, the light weight, a capacity to carry upwards of three thousand books in the back of your pocket, combined with easy bookmarking and note-syncing, the Kindle is hands-down, the best e-reader.
Sony Tablet S
Rs 22,990 flipkart.com
With Tablet S, Sony didn’t make an iPad killer. It didn’t even make the best Android tab. But what it did is, it showed it has guts. And that there’s no need to slavishly copy iPad. A standout among other tablets that all look like slabs, Tablet S looks like a folded magazine, which makes it easy to hold and type, and makes reading a pleasure. With a dose of Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s a treat for Sony lovers.
Wacom Bamboo Create Graphics tablet
From Rs 5,500 wacom.com
This is not a tablet in the truest sense. At its simplest, this is just a pad with a pen that lets you draw and write. But it is a tablet because it connects to either a PC or a Mac, to digitise whatever you have sketched. With the 13.8” wide area for pouring your creative juices into, this tablet is also useful for taking notes, correcting PDF documents, etc. As a bonus, you get full versions of Adobe Photoshop Express, Corel Painter, and Sketchbook Express for free. And if you are like me, you can even learn how to draw using the ‘How to’ lessons.
Samsung Galaxy Tablet Capacitative Stylus
Approx. Rs 1,100 amazon.com
Samsung makes everything from phones to battle tanks. But would it make a mere pen? While with Samsung you never know; and this is not just a pen. It’s a smart stylus that you can use, not only with its own Android tablets, but also with iPads and other devices with a touchscreen. The stylus shows the love Samsung has put into it’s design. It is easy to hold with the right weight and size, has a spring-loaded clip which can be used on your tablet’s case, and does not leave any ‘finger-printish’ marks on the touchscreen.
Games/Toys
Except for the guy who lives on Rs 30 a day,
everyone else seem to live for three things.
Entertainment, entertainment and entertainment. It is possible to get a little of that without getting all dirty in the playground. In a world of children and grown-up kids, toys are the greatest gadgets. Some games and toys that provide wholesome,
non-masala entertainment for the whole family:
Nintendo Wii Mario Kart
Rs 15,800 flipkart.com
Admittedly, Wii is not for hardcore gamers like XBox or PS are. But its good at wholesome family entertainment with it’s live action gameplay. In the Mario Kart bundle, you get an additional Wii wheel, a Wii Remote Plus and a nunchuk controller, and a wide selection of family games. Using in-built WiFi, you can download games, and enjoy multi-player games on the Net.
iCADE-iPad Arcade Cabinet,
approx. Rs 5,300 thinkgeek.com
If you’re half the geek I’m, you’d love arcade games. In an age of iPads and PS, you needn’t miss Battlezone and other arcade games. When you insert an
iPad in the iCADE, it links via Bluetooth and you can play your favourites. To complete the deja vu, classic gamesmaker Atari made 100 of its classics for the iPad, which can be downloaded from App store, and works on all three generations of iPads.
PlayStation Vita , Rs 24,990 Sony Centre
With smartphones and tablets eating its lunch, Sony had to up the game. It did just that with the PlayStation Vita. Available in both WiFi and 3G models, the most interesting feature of Vita is its rear touchpad which complements the dual analog sticks to enhance gameplay. The 5” OLED multi-touch screen combined with the front- and rear-facing cameras that let you play augmented reality games and access the Sony Entertainment Network, means that the Vita is a complete entertainment device that also happens to play great games.
TANKBOT Desk Pets , Rs 2,200 mydeskpets.com
Tankbots bring out the seven-year-old in me. These space age tanks come in blue, green, grey and orange, and can be controlled using any iOS/Android device. They have light-up eyes and sounds to attract the young. With three exciting modes and in-built infrared obstacle detection, they’re unlimited fun. There’s an integrated USB flip-out-connector for charging. You can get 15 minutes of play from 40 minutes of charging.
Weird And Wonderful
Who are we to decide what’s weird and what’s not. One man’s weird gadget is another man’s wonder-device. Like a plastic, finger-shaped nose-pick, that lets do your thing without using fingers or moving your hand a lot. I’d say that’s wonderful.
Powerbag
From Rs 7,300
mypowerbag.com
The inside of my man bag looks like Gandalf’s beard, with charging cables runn-
ing through. Fortunately,
some clever chap has designed the Powerbag. It not only carries all your electronic equipment, but also charges four gadgets. Pockets are padded; the design ensures you need not take stuff out at the airport.
Coffee Joulies
Approx. Rs 2,600
joulies.com
With the Joulies—bean-shaped steel shells that you drop in your cup — your coffee will never be too hot/cold. They have a phase change material which melts at 140ºF. When the brew is too hot, they reduce its heat, but as it gets
cold releases it to keep your java perfectly drinkable.
Zomm
Rs 3,000 zomm.com
With Zomm, you’ll never lose your Bluetooth-enabled phone. Once paired, it’ll emit a screech once you and your device get too far apart. When you have your phone but lose the Zomm, which have the house keys attached, you can use an app on your Android phone to track it, and do a lot more.
Spy Cam Shirt
Approx. Rs 2,600 ebay.com
If you ever feel like catching your local MP eating a taxpayer-funded ice-cream, you need to mount a sting. What better way to do that, than wear a T-shirt with James Bond on it?
Cube 3D printer
Approx. Rs 69,000
cubify.com
Any discussion of wonderful gadgets is not complete without a 3D printer. The Cube is the most customer-friendly yet, because of its large printing space, easy to load cartridge and software to design and print objects.
Magic Wand Remote
Rs 3,900 reevoo.com
This is a magic wand that works! The remote looks like ones in Harry Potter.
But when you teach it commands and gestures, it starts controlling your TV or infrared device, vibrate to let you know it’s following a command, or when running out of batteries.
Karotz Smart Rabbit
Approx. Rs 6,900 karotz.com
Karotz is the world’s first personalised, intelligent, electronic pet. It speaks, watches, listens and obeys you. Best part is, it connects to the Internet to give you all the information you want, from weather to news.
Apps
In the beginning, God created phones, tabs and PCs.
Then He said, “Let there be apps.” And there were apps. When He saw how good they are, He separated
and called them — what else, Browser and Apps.
Alfred
OSX App store (free)
One of the most prod-uctive apps on Mac, it saves time by launching apps with shortcuts, which it remembers and launches quicker the next time, lets you search your computer better than Spotlight, and access online maps, Amazon, eBay, and Wikipedia.
Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe
$6.99 iOS App Store
“Mind-boggling”, “Astonishing”, “Astounding” are some adjectives that this app can be described as. It provides a 3D tour of the universe with Prof. Brian Cox, a particle physicist from the University of Manchester as your guide, in various forms.
PNR Status and Train Info
Android-Google Play (free)
It’s easier to plan a trip to Mars than make one on Indian Railways. To make it easier, use this Android app, which does what it says on the tin — checks your PNR status.
Wearable Tech
Now that we have a phone that talks back and shows attitude to us, it won’t be long before we get that phone injected into our heads as a chip. The first step towards merging biology and electronics is wearable technology. Till those Google glasses come out, we should be content with smart watches and fitness bands. The cruelty of life...
Pebble Smartwatch
From Rs 6,000 getpebble.com
The smart gadget generating the most buzz is Pebble e-paper. A highly customi-sable watch, it connects to your smartph-one, has loads of apps—to fetch phone notifications, see incoming calls, be used as a pedometer, a remote—or a hundred other things. Or use it as a simple watch.
Vuzix AV310 Widescreen Eyewear
Rs 8,900 vuzix.com
Vuzix’s eyewear is like wearing an IMAX screen. OK, not quite IMAX. It’s like staring at a 52” screen from 9 feet away. The lightweight glasses, worn like regular ones, accept composite video. So if you connect it to the display, you’ll be looking at a virtual 52” screen.
Jawbone’s UP approx Rs 5,500 jawbone.com/up
Health and fitness devices don’t get better than this. The UP, which connects to iPhone wirelessly, uses motion sensors, and special algorithms to map your sleep patterns, and decides when to wake you up depending on your natural sleep cycle. Using the phone it keeps track of all your meals to keep a journal of your intake. It lets you share your movement statistics on social sites, and vibrates to alert you to get up and move after you have sat for a while.
Television
Billions of essays have been written by Indian school kids on why TV is the ‘idiot box’. Except it’s not that idiotic anymore. Today’s TV is smart. Not just in name, but in deed. It connects to the Internet, runs apps and games. Today’s TV is not a TV in a traditional sense. It’s a wide screen that entertains you, showing broadcasts being one part of that entertainment. Two of the best TVs in India at the moment:
Samsung Smart TV Series 8
Rs 2,49,990 samsung.com/in
The Series 8 55” LED Smart TV is the
most anorexic TV that brings together Internet, vibrant colours, sharpness of HD pictures and 3D to your living room. With the Samsung Smart HUB, it brings all your movies, games and apps to life using the 3D HyperReal Engine. Add the massive screen to great audio capacities like Dolby Digital Plus and SRS TheatreSound, and you’ll have an IMAX experience on your couch.
LG FULL HD Smart LED
Rs 3,99,990 lg.com/in
LG, the consumer electronics leader from Korea, calls this the next-gen 3D TV. That’s because unlike conventional 3D TVs, you needn’t find 3D content for your TV, as it converts everyday 2D content into 3D effectively. And unlike competitors, it gets rid of bulky 3D glasses that need to be charged, and uses lightweight comfortable glasses. It’s HD 65” screen display is twice brighter than conventional TVs, and allows for wide viewing angles.
Laptops/Ultrabooks
If tablets are as good, is the PC dead? No. At least, not yet. It has a new avatar, the Ultrabook. With a sexy, slim body that’ll make anorexic models jealous, processing power that’ll put Hulk to shame, the PC is out but not before a fight. While it lasts, enjoy these new gems, with a bit of fresh air for good measure. And don’t forget the accessories!
Sony Vaio T13
Price TBA, Sony Centre
This aluminum and magnesium beauty with 13” screen is the first Ultrabook from Sony. At 12”, its thin as a blade and brings the goodness of Vaio to Ultrabooks. Unlike most that use SSDs (solid state drives) to sacrifice storage space, this is a hybrid of a 320 GB hard disk and a 32 GB SSD, which means it has superfast wake-up times and starts up in seconds, using the Rapid Wake+ Eco technology. The SSD-only version boasts of a battery life of nine hours on a single charge.
HP Envy 14 Spectre
approx. Rs 99,000 hp.com
The Envy 14 Spectre is the Ferrari of Ultrabooks. It’s not as thin and slick as the rest, but its body, with Gorilla Glass on the lid and palmrests, makes it the first scratch-resistant glass laptop. It’s not all beauty though. It has an NFC chip in the palmrest, a high resolution 14” display, Beats audio, and a battery that lasts up to 9.5 hours on a single charge. The i5/i7 processors and SSD storage ensures superfast operation.
MacBook Air
From Rs 56,900 istoreindia.com
Add the world’s most advanced OS to the world’s fastest and slimmest notebooks, and you have the 11” MacBook Air, running OSX Lion. With the soon-to-be-released Mountain Lion update and iCloud integration with iOS devices, it’s not just a notebook, but part of an ecosystem that makes life easier. With the aluminum unibody, i5/i7 processors, Thunderbolt I/O port, long-lasting battery, a gorgeous display and Apple’s customer support, there’s no better laptop in the market.
Penclic Mouse
Approx. Rs 3,500 amazon.com
It’s surprising that in this age of advanced technologies, we are still using pretty much the same mouse invented in the ’60s. A Swedish company set out to change that. But to do so, the instrument they chose was a pen. The Penclic mouse is designed to utilise and benefit from the superior navigation that we have in our fingers. The ergonomical design provides precise pointing and comfort to the hand. It has five buttons and a scroll wheel, connects either through a cord or wirelessly, works with all OS, and doesn’t need any drivers to be installed.
Music
Mankind’s first musical gadget was made by Mr CaveM, a paltry 40,000 years ago from a bear’s thighbone. Since then, our music and music players got a little sophisticated. Some new players, with accessories, to make you happy you don’t live in a cave:
Sony Walkman Z
Rs 13,806 sony.com
The iPod came, and Sony’s big W was left with crumbs. But Sony has been improving its devices, which now come as Walkman Z in an Android avatar. It excels at the one thing it is meant to — play music. The Tegra 2 processor ensures snappy performance. This does everything a phone does, except make calls.
Cowon Plenue Z2
From Rs 20,500
cowonindia.com
The Korean brand’s newest player is on Android 2.3. It’s well-designed. With a good capacitative 3.7” touchscreen. It has room for a microSD card to increase capacity.
Zyon Wooden Retro Turntable
Rs 7,700
amazon.com
For those who want the goodness of vinyl while feeling smug, the
Zyon turntable is per-fect fit. Apart from 3 speeds, this beauty has AM/FM radio, CD and tape player to keep everyone happy. Two 5W (rms) speakers deliver stunning audio.
ION All Star Guitar
Approx. Rs 8,400
ionaudio.com
This guitar controller for iPad beats real guitars, riff for riff. A secure compartment with dock connector holds the iPad. With the free guitar app and LED-lighted neck, you can jam like a pro.
Cameras
We love cameras. Go to The Louvre, look for the Mona Lisa-smile, and if you do, you’ll catch it from a mile away what with the mob around it. Go nearer and you’ll see not one of them are looking at the painting, busy as they are with their cameras. It’s no more about enjoying the moment, but about preserving it to show-off to others.
ContourROAM camera
From Rs 8,500 contour.com
This is for the adrenaline-junkie. Easy to use, tough, waterproof camera with aluminum body, it can handle serious abuse and comes with a rotating surface mount you can attach to your helmet. And it comes with a waterproof case.
FujiFilm X100
Rs 74,899 naaptol.com
The good people at FujiFilm went back to the ’60s in a time machine, came back with this camera, and sprinkled a little digital sauce on it. The X100 looks classic but is a modern digital camera. This 12.3 mp camera has a hybrid viewfinder to toggle between optical and electronic modes, and a 2.8-inch rear LCD.