Samsung launches new range of printers, starting Rs. 6,000/-

Samsung has unveiled a new line-up of printer models targeting entry level single function, entry level multi-function and mid-range multi-function segments.

Entry level ML-2161/XIP laser printers

These printers cater to small and medium business enterprises. Priced at Rs. 5,999, it is compact in design and has Samsung's one-touch Print Screen button that allows users to print the content of their screen with just one click.

The printers are also equipped with Easy Eco Driver and Easy Print Manager. These offer cost-effective solutions to the user as they enable temporary edits without editing the original document. This helps to avoid printing unnecessary text or images, resulting in an efficient use of toner and paper.

The printers in this series also make use of an integrated single management program, which allows the user to monitor other Samsung printers on a single screen for maximum usability. With this feature, the device can be controlled remotely.

Entry level multi-function printer SCX-3401/XIP
This range of printers is powered by a 433 MHz core processor with up to 128 MB memory. The devices in this series can print up to 20 A4 pages per minute.

The printers, available for Rs. 8,999, can operate in Eco Mode via the One Touch Eco button which automatically helps save power, toner and paper consumption. These printers can also be remotely operated using the Multi-Device Monitoring solution.

Other features include Samsung's Easy Eco Driver solution for efficient use of toner and paper. Users can print up to 8 slides or pages on one single page, proving to be cost effective. Users can keep track of electricity usage, paper and toner consumption for the document to be printed with the Results Simulator, which also shows the expected results of reduced CO2 emission depending on the user's settings.

Mid -range multi-function printers SCX-4021/XIP SCX-4321NS
The SCX-4021MFP laser printer series have a printing speed of 24 pages per minute. The devices are 23% smaller than conventional 250-sheet A4 MFP laser printers.

The printers come with the Toner Save Mode allowing users to use less toner on each page extending the toner cartridge standard capacity of 3000 pages by up to 30%.

The operating panel in these printers is tilt enabled to suit a user's operating position standing or being seated. The printers come with the Easy Document Creator application which enables users to scan, compile and save documents in multiple formats. The documents can further be shared via social media such as Facebook.

This series is priced at Rs. 13,499.

Intex launches 7 inch i-Buddy tablet for Rs 6,490/- with free keyboard

Intex Technologies, one of the Indian mobile phone maker, has launched its first 7 inch Android tablet, called the Intex i-Buddy.

The i-Buddy has only 9mm thickness and comes with Android Ice-cream Sandwich 4.0 OS, 1 GHz processor and 512 MB DDR3 RAM. The tablet is priced at Rs 6,490, and comes with leather cover with attached keyboard.

The tablet comes with a 7 inch multi touch screen and support Adobe Flash 11.1. The tablet supports 32 GB external storage and 3G dongle via a USB port and a front facing camera for easy video chatting.

The tablet has a claimed battery life of just 3 hours which at least 1 hour less compared to what others claim in this category. The tablet is lightweight at 316 grams and is available champagne colour.

The tablet comes with 12 months warranty and is available from 15,000 dealers and 1000 distributors. It can also be bought from any of the 60 exclusive Intex retail stores, called Intex Squares.

This is the second tablet from Intex with the first tablet being the 8 inch Intex i-Tab launched in March this year.

Microsoft Launches New Surface Tablets With Windows 8

In a watershed moment for Microsoft, the company announced that it’s launching its own brand of tablets to go head to head with the Apple iPad and the myriad of Android tablets.

Unveiled at an event in Los Angeles hosted by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the new Windows 8-based Microsoft Surface tablets are designed for work and play and will come in two models: A Windows 8 RT version and a Windows 8 Pro model.

The consumer-focused Windows 8 RT Surface is the first PC with a VaporMg magnesium case and measures only 0.37 inch thick — just enough space to fit in a full-size USB 2.0 port. The tablet weighs 1.49 pounds and offers beveled edges for a more comfortable fit in the hand, as well as a built-in kick stand.

The Surface features a custom-designed 10.6-inch widescreen HD display with Gorilla Glass, but Microsoft did not mention its specific resolution today. In addition, the tablet comes with a magnetic cover made from “fine Northwest polar-tec” that incorporates a full multi-touch keyboard and trackpad. Microsoft said the keyboard is twice as efficient as typing on glass and only adds about 0.11 inch of additional thickness.

By comparison, the latest Wi-Fi-only iPad measures 0.37-inch thick and weighs 1.46 pounds.

The Windows 8 RT Surface tablet is equipped with Nvidia’s ARM-based chipset and comes preloaded with Office Home & Student 2013 RT. The tablet will be available in 32 gigabyte and 64GB models. Other features include dual multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) Wi-Fi antennas for the best Wi-Fi coverage of any tablet, a built-in camera, dual-array microphones and HDMI port.

For those seeking more power, Microsoft will also release a Surface for Windows 8 Pro tablet.

The Pro tablet uses Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge Core i5 processors and according to Microsoft, can handle everything a desktop can do with USB 3.0 and USB Super Speed support. To cool the machine, the tablet uses something called “peripheral venting” to allow hot air to escape.

The Surface for Windows Pro 8 shares the same design principles as the RT Surface but is a bit thicker at 0.55 inches and weighs less than two pounds. It also has a 10.6-inch touchscreen but it supports pen input and digital ink, so you can use a stylus to mark up documents and jot down notes.

The Surface for Windows 8 Pro will be offered in 64GB and 128GB capacities, and a Surface Type cover with physical keys instead of a multitouch keyboard will also be available. The latter is also compatible with the Windows RT model.

Such details as battery life, memory and processor speed were not revealed at this time. Microsoft also did not announce pricing or availability but said that the Surface for Windows RT will be priced similar to ARM-based tablets and come out around the same time Windows 8 hits the market later this year.

The Windows 8 Pro Surface’s pricing will fall more in line with Ultrabooks and will launch three months after the Windows RT Surface. Both tablets will initially be sold through its retail and online stores.

Go Tech Launches 7" Android 4.0 Based Funtab 7.1 Fit Tablet For Rs 6000/-

Delhi-based Go Tech has brought out a health-oriented budget tablet that's also aimed at students, called the Funtab 7.1 Fit. Priced at Rs 6,000, the 7" device has a capacitive, five-point multi-touch screen with pixel dimensions of 800x480. The slate is powered by a 1 GHz CPU with 512 MB RAM and runs Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich) out of the box. The 7.1 Fit comes with 4 GB of internal memory that can be expanded to 32 GB via microSD. Other specs include the following:

• 0.3 mp front camera.
• Wi-Fi connectivity and 3G support via external dongle.
• USB 2.0 port with OTG support (connect external USB drives, keyboards, etc).
• 1080p video playback (30 Mbps stream limit) with HDMI-Out.
• 3600 mAh battery with a claimed 4 hours of video and 8 hours of music playback (through earphones).
• Multiple language support, handles MS Office file formats.
• Accelerometer, 3.5 mm audio jack.
• Video formats \ codecs supported: H.264, DivX, XviD, RM, RMVB, MKV, WMV, MOV, MP4, DAT (VCD), VOB (DVD), PMP, MPEG, FLV, ASF, TS, TP, 3GP.
• Audio formats supported: MP3, WMA, MP2, OGG, AAC, M4A, MA4, FLAC, APE, 3GP, WAV; Records audio in MP3 and WMA.

Microsoft Windows 8 coming on October 26

Microsoft announced that its next-generation operating system tailored for a world shifting from personal computers to smartphones and tablets will be available on October 26. 

Windows unit boss Steven Sinofsky revealed theWindows 8 debut date at a sales meeting, Microsoft communications manager Brandon LeBlanc said in a blog post yesterday. 

Windows 8 will be available in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide, according to LeBlanc. 

Microsoft has promised to make the new operating system available in August for computer, tablet or smartphone makers to build into hardware. It "is simply the biggest deal for this company in at least 17 years," Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer said last week, referring to the time since the launch of the game-changing Windows 95 operating system. 

"It's the glue; it's the foundation of everything Microsoft is built on." 

Microsoft reported that it has sold more than 630 million licenses of Windows 7, and that the software powers the majority of business desktop computers. 

Windows 7 went public in October 2009. The latest version of the operating system that is the norm for personal computers will also be used on many smartphones and tablet computers, including Microsoft's own Surface tablet to be launched this year. 

The Redmond, Washington-based firm has gone on record stating that Surface tablets would hit the market when the Windows 8 operating system became publicly available. Windows 8 allows users readily to store and share personal data among various devices under the "SkyDrive" cloud computing service. 

Rivals Apple and Google offer such services, which let people store digital data on servers in the Internet "cloud" and access files from devices of their choosing. 

The new Microsoft system will support a wider range of devices, including touch and stylus-based smartphones and tablet PCs as well as desktop and laptop machines. Versions of Windows 8 have been tailored for chips used to power various mobile devices. 

The software giant has been trying to expand its presence in the booming market for smartphones and tablets, which is currently dominated by Apple and Google.

XOLO X900, First Smartphone with Intel Inside Launches in India Market

 Intel Corporation and Lava International Ltd., one of India’s fastest-growing mobile handset companies, announced the general availability of the XOLO X900, the first smartphone with Intel inside. The device is already available to customers for purchase at a best-buy street price of approximately INR 22000.

Lava also announced its long-term partnership with Croma, a national chain of mega stores of consumer electronics and durables, for promotion and sale of the XOLO X900.

The partnership between Intel and Lava was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. The XOLO X900 is based on Intel’s smartphone reference design featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2460 with Intel® Hyper Threading Technology and supporting HSPA+ 3G connectivity.

The high-performance 1.6 GHz Atom™ processor with Hyper Threading Technology brings speed and multi-tasking performance to consumers’ fingertips. The leading-edge 400 MHz graphics clock and the full 1080p HD video encoding and playback make this phone a perfect entertainment device, providing users with an immersive gaming and video experience. It also features an 8-megapixel camera delivering advanced imaging capabilities including burst mode that allows 10 pictures to be captured in under a second.

The XOLO X900 is housed in a sleek design with a 4.03-inch high-resolution LCD touch screen for crisp text and vibrant images. At launch, the X900 will run on Android Gingerbread*, with a planned over-the -air software upgrade to Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich* platform shortly thereafter. Intel’s technology enables a high-performance user experience, all while maintaining great battery life – up to 5 hours of 3G browsing, 45 hours of audio and 8 hours of talk time¹.

“Through XOLO X900, we are happy to bring to the Indian market a device that addresses the needs of those for whom speed and performance matters. After our success in feature phones with over 10 million happy customers in under 3 years, XOLO will be a differentiated player in the fast-growing smartphone segment. The initial reviews of XOLO X900 have been very positive and independent benchmarks clearly point to the fact that when it comes to speed and performance, XOLO X900 is the gold standard,” said Vishal Sehgal, co-founder and director, Lava International.

“The first smartphone with Intel inside is now available to Indian consumers,” said Mike Bell, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile and Communications Group. “The boundaries of personal computing are expanding. As we enter the India market with our first smartphone from Lava, the device not only showcases the rich capabilities and user benefits of Intel computing, but also highlights the exciting possibilities of what’s still to come.”

Commenting on the long-term strategic partnership with Lava, Ajit Joshi, MD and CEO, Infiniti Retail Limited, said “We at Croma are extremely pleased to collaborate with Intel and Lava to get this exciting new product into the market. We always endeavor to get the latest and best products first to our consumers and this is a step in that direction. We are very optimistic about the prospects of this exciting new product.”

ASUS sets up its 4th Exclusive Store in UP

ASUS Technology, a leading international brand embodying the strength, mastering technological innovation and design perfection for the ultimate life-enhancing and computing experience is further escalating its presence in Uttar Pradesh with opening of its retail outlet in Bareilly. Akin to all the accessible outlets, this outlet will also feature the entire range of fully working Notebooks and Netbooks that have been launched in India till date. The retail outlet Digi Enterprise is located at D–28, Butler plaza, Bareilly.

 With sophisticated craftsmanship and technology, Asus has persistently strive to be the No. 1 in terms of quality, speed, service, innovation, and cost-efficiency and retains the purpose of making life better through innovation. The retail expansion approach has been extensively focused by the company in order to provide access to all the imminent and latest technology to the customers in the Indian market including various small cities and towns. The company already has set up stores in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Calicut, Goa, Thane, Raipur, Bhillai, Gurgaon, Durgapur, Kanpur, Cochin, Siliguri, Kolhapur, Noida, Pune, Amravati, Kottayam, Lucknow, Jaipur, Mysore and Guwahati earlier. With its retail expansion, ASUS is aspiring at providing the opportunity to the customers to have unswerving information on its superior technology and product range.

 “It has been our constant undertaking to deliver innovative products with excellent quality, reliability and performance to enhance the overall computing experience. Venturing in the educational hub of western Uttar Pradesh, we anticipate an instant constructive response by the masses and further spiraling of our base in order to proficiently serve our existing and prospective customers with best of offerings and unequaled assistance,” commented Mr. Unaez Quraishi – Sales & Distribution Director – System Business Group, Asus (India).

 The new outlet features the company’s entire range of Notebooks/Netbooks and intends to cease customer’s search for the best available option. The store will have the company's entire range of Entertainment, Classic, Versatile and Elite series Notebooks/Netbooks. End users can look forward to the latest Gaming notebook G74SX and experience the thrill of 3D vision. Product range also includes the Eee Pad Transformer, which is the best tablet choice for users looking for both media consumption and mobile productivity with an expandable keyboard docking station. The New U Series Bamboo Collection (a follow-up to the first Bamboo Series launched in 2008) blends the wonders of natural design with cutting edge notebook computing and stylish mobility.