Does Apple's all new iPad Pro really make any sense?

So to understand why the iPad Pro even exists, you need to know the history of tablet computing.

Examples of media consumption tablets: iPad Air 2 & Nexus 9 (image credits: pocketnow.com)

Let's take a look at the evolution of tablets after Apple reinvented the market with the first iPad. The iPad and it's Android based cousins were basically glorified mobile phones, right from their processors to operating systems. Their screen size is usually a little above or below 10" diagonally. Then came the mini tablets, to be as productive as a regular tablet with the ability to fit in a coat pocket, with screen sizes between 7" to 8" diagonally. 

The pre-iPad era tablets 

While these were the 2 types of the post iPad era tablets, Microsoft actually was in the tablet market years before the iPad with their desktop operating system, Windows. This meant that the user was able to use all his software to which he could use on his laptop or desktop on his tablet pc. But these tablets were big, clunky and not very portable. Thus they never turned many heads. Fast forward to the later half of 2012. 

Intel had made its Atom line of ULV processors powerful enough to run Windows and most of its basic apps & Microsoft was ready to launch Windows 8, the first version of Windows to be optimised for tablets as well as traditional laptops and desktops. This gave birth to a new breed of productivity focused tablets and the best example is Microsoft's own Surface Pro series. Meanwhile the iOS and Android based tablets began to be known as "media consumption tablets". These new "productivity" focused tablets (while not as easy to use as a tablet) were thin, light and very responsive. They featured internals which were seen on mainstream laptops (making them much more powerful than the media consumption tablets) and had screen size ranging from 10" to 13". While they didn't take the market by storm, they began eating into iPads market share. So after 3 years of ignoring the productivity tablet market, Apple finally decided to come in and they introduced the iPad pro.

But Apple's take on the productivity tablet is different. Instead of going the traditional way, Apple stuck to a the same Apple A series of CPUs found on preceding iPads and iPhones (though the iPad Pro packs an A9x which they claim is 80%-90% faster than laptops shipped) and features iOS 9, not OS X. The screen size has been bumped to 12.9" featuring about 5 million pixels. So what's the difference? Apple wants users to be able to use the iPad Pro as both a (humongous) media consumption tablet and a productivity tablet too (they sell a pressure sensitive stylus and a wireless keyboard case). They've also made iOS for iPad more capable of multitasking (with split screen and slide over) and they've thrown in 4GB of RAM (a first for an iOS device). Plus you have the advantage of not leaving Apple's ever growing iPad optimised high quality apps.

The Microsoft Surface Pro3 (credits: Microsoft)

But there's the million dollar question. Is the iPad Pro worth its starting price of $800 (that's excluding the $100 stylus & $170 keyboard case and only 32GB non expandable storage)? While Apple has indeed made an amazing iPad hardware and people who have invested in the Apple ecosystem of devices and apps should definitely consider buying it, I have a hard time recommending it to someone who wants real power. They can look at the Windows based offerings (like the Microsoft Surface Pro3) or they can just go for a traditional laptop.

Why Android M is what Android L shoud've been.

The first day of Google's annual developer conference brought to us many new things. But perhaps the most exciting of all was Android M. Android M is more of an incremental update rather than a complete overhaul (Like iOS 7 to iOS 8). Android M fixed many of Lollipop's most prominent shortcomings and has finally got some things right.

1. Native Fingerprint Reader Support

This one was long overdue. Not only because Apple has TouchID flawlessly integrated into the iPhone 5S and above and their 2014 iPad line-up, but because Android OEMS are now including fingerprint readers in their phones along with half-baked integration with the software. Also, Google's new Android Pay (the next generation Google Wallet) will support NFC payments authenticated by your fingerprint.

2. Application Permission

 Android has always been poor at managing app permissions. Ever tried installing an app (from the Play Store or sideloading it from an .APK file)? I'm sure you've seen the never ending list of app permissions. You click on agree because well, there's no other way to get the app if you don't want to grant it the permissions. Starting with Android M, in a very iOS like fashion, a pop up wil appear everytime an application wants to access an new serice (like location, microphone, camera, etc)

3. Web link to related application redirection

Ever got a link to a YouTube video and when you click on it, your Android device would take you first to Chrome, then show you if you want to open the video in the YouTube app. Starting with Android M, you will be taken to the app when you click on that app's weblink. 

4. Power management

Android is extremely powerful, no doubt about that. But with great power, comes poor battery life. This is a problem which has plagued every Android device since the HTC Dream! Sure, Android 5.0's Project Volta was there to improve battery life, but Android M takes it up a notch with new feature called 'Doze'. Using sensors inside the device to detect when it has been “set down” for a while, phones and tablets will be able to go into an ultra-low power mode. The device will still be able to provide alerts as they come in, but most of everything else will be “napping” – saving power in the process. When the engineers at Google put Android M on a Nexus 9 it was able to last twice as long in standby than an identically configured Nexus 9 running Lollipop.

5. USB-C support

Android M bring support for the USB-C port and the USB 3.1 standard. Never again will you have to see which side is up because the connector is reversible. But the USB-C connector is also bidirectional. That means you can make your device a host without clunky USB-OTG adaptors.

6. Now on Tap

Google Now has always been one of Android's best features since it featured in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in 2012. But in 2015, Google Now will get another boost of contextual awareness. Google Now will now be contextually aware. On stage demos included it being used in the Gmail app and I guess Spotify? :P Now on Tap is something im looking forward to using once my phone is updated to Android M.

Honourable mentions:

1. Simplified volume controls

2. New clipboard engine

3. Smart sharing 

4. Improved support for low end hardware

5. Vertically scrolling alphabetical and searchable application drawer 

The Mirosoft Edge is finally here & it's finally a Microsoft-made web browser you should be excited about.

Microsoft has just announced at their Build 2015 developer conference that Microsoft Edge is their new web browser for Windows 10, which went under by its code name "Project Spartan" during development. 

Microsoft Edge will have features such as built in note taking, making annotations and it will also feature Microsoft's digital assistant, Cortana.


Developers will be able to take their Chrome extensions and Firefox add-ons with just a few changes, bring them to Microsoft Edge. Joe Belfiore showed on demo a Reddit chrome extension, running on Microsoft Edge. Also, web extensions made via HTML and Javascript will also be supported in Microsoft Edge.

In the aesthetics department, Microsoft Edge will have a new tab page, which will be located in the address bar in the middle of the page. It will also include top sites, including if there is an app, and user information. It looks very clean (unlike Internet Explorer)

Windows 10 testers have been able to play with Microsoft Edge's unstable version, Project Spartan for a few weeks now as a part of the newer Microsoft Windows 10 Technical Preview builds.

What are Yu?

Yu has been in the limelight lately. But what is it exactly? Here's Yu's backstory.

It’s rare to find top of the line components in budget mobile devices. Xiaomi, the 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer showed the world that a high end superphone need not cost as much as if it were able to empty out your pockets. OnePlus showed the world the same thing, but also took customization to another level which was unprecedented from a smartphone manufacturer in the past, with the inclusion of CyanogenOS (which is essentially a 3rd party modification on top of Android). The likes of Xiaomi, OnePlus (amongst others) entered the Indian budget smartphone maket with extremely competitive offerings because of the specifications they offered  at unmatched prices. 

Indian companies like Micromax, Lava, Spice and more lost the edge they had because their offerings in the higher low end to the lower midrange segment was not really that competitive. The Indian companies slowly began to lose brand value. Their names now became synonymous with low quality hardware with outdated software. 

In the quest to not only make a comeback but also to standout from the competition, Lava made a bold move. They established ‘Xolo’, a brand of Lava which sold the first Intel Atom powered smartphone. Micromax continued selling their ‘Canvas’ family of smartphones with MediaTek processors and other low quality components. Years past & Micromax started loosing market share. 

To make a comeback Micromax partnered Cyanogen Inc and launched Yu Televentures. 

Yu aimed to do what Xiaomi & OnePlus did in the footsteps of Lava (Xolo). Too much to understand? Simply put, Yu aims at the price to performance proposition that Xiaomi gives, the customization that OnePlus gives with the inclusion of CyanogenOS & Yu (Micromax) aims at doing it in the same way Lava did by establishing a new brand, Xolo.

So there comes the Yureka. Actually the Yureka is a rebranded Coolpad F2 4G with CyanogenOS and a sub Rs.10000 price tag.

Why Augmented Reality excites me more than Virtual Reality does..

Despite being so similar, Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality are two completely different concepts. Before I jump into the article, let me tell you more about it.

 Let’s get started with the easier one of the two, that’s Virtual Reality. The word ‘Virtual’ means almost or nearly as   described, but not completely or according to strict definition. So then, what is Virtual Reality? Well, in simple words, ‘the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.’ Let me explain this with the help of a Virtual Reality headset, the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift looks like this. Once you wear it, it takes you to a completely new, computer generated ‘Virtual’ world.

Here's a user wearing the Microsoft HoloLens.
This is how his existing reality is augmented by the AR headset.

On the other hand we have Augmented Reality. On its own, the word ‘Augment’ means to make (something) greater by adding to it. So, Augmented Reality is basically a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. In simpler words, Augmented Reality enhances what the user is already seeing.  Take the Microsoft HoloLens, an augmented reality glasses. The HoloLens displays information on top of everything that the user is currently seeing.

So what’s the difference? Well, Virtual Reality completely replaces your entire reality with a new computer-generated world. Augmented reality adds computer generated images & information to the existing reality in the form of an overlay of some sort.

And that’s exactly the reason Augmented Reality excites me more than Virtual Reality does. Augmented Reality enhances the world I am in, hence helping me.  Augmented Reality can make everything ‘smarter’. 

But that’s not to say that Virtual Reality is bad. Virtual reality can be enjoyed while gaming (which is VR’s main targeted audience).  Virtual Reality can also help in giving a very aggressive cinematic experience to movies.

So what do you guys think? Be sure to let me in the comments below.

Here are the current AR & VR products (most of them in development)

VIRTUAL Reality

HTC RE VIVE

Image credits: Techradar

SONY PROJECT MORPHEUS 

Image credits: Sony

SAMSUNG GEAR VR

Image credits: thenextweb.com

OCULUS RIFT

Image credits: independent.co.uk

AUGMENTED Reality

MICROSOFT HOLOLENS 

Image credits: wearableworldnews.com

MICROSOFT CITY LENS

Image credits: Microsoft (Nokia)

GOOGLE GLASS

Image credits: Wikimedia

EYETAP

Image credits: Wikimedia

Here's why Apple MacBook is completely irrelevant to me.

The Apple MacBook is Apple's 3rd addition into their notebook portfolio. It is positioned as their premium ultra-portable offering besides the cheaper MacBook Air and the powerful MacBook Pro. In another article, I told you the differences between the MacBook and the MacBook Air. But after doing an adequate amount of research on the new MacBook, I realised one thing. Even though the MacBook is an amazing laptop, it is something that I'd simply stay away from. 

Firstly, the MacBook is too underpowered for my tastes. I use a laptop as a desktop substitute, not as a tablet with a keyboard. I game, edit videos and do much more on my laptop besides surfing the web, listening to music and watching videos. So that's reason 1.

Next, for what it's offering, the MacBook doesn't justify its high price. In a hypothetical world where tablets didn't exist, the MacBook would make perfect sense for medium sized screen media consumption with stellar battery endurance. But sadly, Apple themselves revolutionised the tablet realm in 2010 with the iPad which would 5 years later make the MacBook completely irrelevant (atleast in my eyes).


Thirdly, is the absence of convertibility. In my mind this is one aspect Apple forgot which can make the MacBook a failure. In a world where Intel Atom & Intel Core M powered Windows tablets dock into a first party dock which includes a keyboard and trackpad, the MacBook makes a complete fool out of itself. If Apple implemented Force Touch on the screen of the MacBook which had the same keyboard and trackpad, detachable this time, I would exchange my iPad for it, considering the iPad is basically a glorified iPod touch.

That's what I am into - Apple!

Lastly, the absence of expandability. In short, the Macbook fails when we talk about expandability. What were you thinking Sir Jonathan Paul Ive while designing the MacBook? Just one port? One single USB-C port? No Magsafe 2 port to go along with it? Don't try to cover it up by telling us that the future is wireless. We still have A LOT of wired stuff. If you could atleast drop another USB-C port, that would be amazing. 

So to round it all up. Dear Apple, while designing the 2nd generation of this product, please put atleast an Intel Core i3 and a little fan. If possible, try to squeeze 2 more USB-C ports. Consider the possibility of making it a convertible. And lastly, considering this is more expensive when compared to Apple's more powerful and comparatively slim MacBook Air, please make the MacBook cheaper.   

But it's not like the MacBook was designed with nobody in mind. If all you do is check your emails, surf the internet, write a few articles for your blog and work on office suite apps, the Macbook is a perfect fit for you, giving you an amazingly thin laptop but you get just one USB port (Type-C, so it’s not backwards compatible without a clunky adaptor by Apple).  Also, the new Macbook is fanless, so don’t push that poor little Core M CPU to its limit

The all new Apple MacBook? or the Apple MacBook Air? Which one is for you?

For the past few years, Apple had a very straight-forward laptop portfolio that consisted of the Macbook Air, their mainstream ultra-thin laptop and the Macbook Pro, which as the name suggests, is the ‘pro’ version with the higher-end bells and whistles. But in March, Apple announced (actually reintroduced) the Macbook brand. But instead of positioning it as the mainstream laptop, Apple is using the Macbook moniker for an all new super-thin ultra portable laptop. It is so thin, Apple could only manage to put one port in it, USB-C, no less.

But wait, if we go back to the 2008 Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs introduced the Macbook Air with a similar positioning. So if you’re in the market now for a thin and light Macbook, you are stuck between the Macbook & the Macbook Air. We’re here to help you out.

Let’s start with the already existing Macbook Air.

Source: anandtech.com

It has a 11” or 13” HD display (not a Retina or IPS display) and it’s powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 mobile cpu, coupled with the integrated graphics. That ULV CPU is paired with either 4GB/8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. For ports, you get 2 USB 3.0, Magsafe 2 for charging and a SDXC card slot.

Now let’s move the spotlight over to the all new Macbook. 

Source: techcrunch.com

The new Macbook has a 12” IPS Retina display, which is driven by an Intel Core M CPU and again, integrated graphics. You also get 8GB of RAM which is coupled with 256GB/512GB of flash storage. And we come to ports, now this is where the Macbook gets interesting. In order to achieve its razor thin body, Apple had to make sacrifices and the most prominent one is the ports. The ports on this new laptop are just limited to one USB type-C port. Just one port for typing and connecting peripherals!


So which one’s for you? 

Well, to kick things off, these two laptops, even though they’re so similar, their target customer is extremely different. The Macbook Air aims to be a slim laptop which offers expandability and the power to edit photos and even some videos with stellar battery life while costing lesser than the Macbook. So if you value battery life and performance along with thinness and looks along with amazing battery life, go for the Macbook Air. And did I mention that it costs less too, just starting at $899.

But then who is the Macbook aimed at? The answer is simple. If all you do is check your emails, surf the internet, write a few articles for your blog and work on office suite apps, the Macbook is a perfect fit for you, giving you an amazingly thin laptop but you get just one USB port (Type-C, so it’s not backwards compatible without a clunky adaptor by Apple).  Also, the new Macbook is fanless, so don’t push that poor little Core M CPU to its limits.

  

TFH PC-X1+

With Intel's latest & greatest 8 core processor, Nvidia's most advance graphic card, DDR4 RAM and more, the TFH PC-X1+ is built to make every gamer's dream come true, gaming in 4K resolution. So let's check all that's inside this bad boy!

Intel Core i7 5960X

Nvidia GeForce Titan X

Asus x99 Deluxe Motherboard

32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4

4TB Western Digital Black hard disk

1TB Samsung 850 Pro SSD

1000W Corsair HX1000i

NZXT H440 Razer Edition

Corsair H100i

Since this is the the world of gadgets, prices keep fluctuating all the time. Please contact stores in real time to be updated with the prices.

Is it worth spending more than $350 on a smartphone?

Shopping for a smartphone can be extremely tough. Usually, cheap smartphones lack quality and quality smartphones are enough to make you bankrupt! But what if I told you that this is a thing of the past?? Here’s a little ‘did-you-know?’ for you. Xiaomi (a Chinese company you may have heard of) is the fastest growing smartphone manufacturer. 

So why do people gravitate towards these new smartphone manufacturers? The only answer is a very a competitive price tag. This gives the top tier manufacturers a run for their money. Take the OnePlus One as an example. If you look at the specifications of the phone, you will classify it as a higher end phone. But then look at the price. It costs merely $299! Even though it has the same (or better) hardware when compared to devices like Samsung Galaxy S5 or an HTC One (M8). 

 

Here’s the reason there is such a big price difference between phones like HTC One series, Samsung’s Galaxy S & Note series and devices like the Xiaomi Mi Note, OnePlus One, etc. The answer in one word is ‘margins’. If you see, the Samsung Galaxy S5 costs only $256 to build in parts. But the that’s just the hardware. Samsung also makes its own software layer, etc so the people behind that have to be paid. & lastly, there’s marketing. Have you seen a Samsung phone commercial on television or on Youtube? I’m sure you have. But if I ask you the same question again but replace the word Samsung with OnePlus, the answer’s surely going to be a no. So when you buy a phone from a top tier manufacturer, you’re not only paying the parts, but you pay for extras like marketing, RnD, higher profit margins, retail charges & more. Most of this is absent in the case of a company like OnePlus. OnePlus uses an online retail strategy, hence eliminating retail charges. OnePlus also depends on their customer so popularize the company instead of using mainstream advertisement methods. All of this causes a Samsung and a OnePlus smartphone with similar specifications to be priced very differently. 

Now that we know why some smartphones are way cheaper when compared to similarly spec-ed smartphones, let’s answer the question, is it still worth buying those $700 phones, or is a $350 phone good enough. In simple words, the answer depends on the way you use your phone. Software from companies like OnePlus’s Oxygen OS / Cyanogen OS and Xiaomi’s MIUI isn’t as polished like HTC’s Sense or Samsung’s TouchWiz. The guarantee and reparability proposition is a strong one for the top tier smartphones. Just picture yourself in this situation. With a lot of difficulty and after many months of waiting, you receive your OnePlus One. But when you open the box, it turns out that the phone broke in shipping! With OnePlus barely able to meet fresh purchases, it is next to impossible for them to hook you up with a replacement device.  

So there you have it. It is clear that the value per dollar proposition is a strong one for companies like OnePlus, Xiaomi & Asus. But, it also includes a little risk factor.  

So what do you think? Are you going to spend more than $350 on your next smartphone? Let me know in the comments below.