One of the oft-cited drawbacks of the Barnes and Noble Nook has been its closed ecosystem. Both the Nook HD and the Nook HD+ are attractively priced competent Android tablets. Yet, their sales have been so underwhelming that at one point B&N was reportedly considering quitting the hardware business. The Nook’s biggest weakness is its poor app catalogue. Nook runs a heavily customized version of Android that only allowed users to access its own app catalogue, which housed just a few thousand apps (a good chunk of which are paid). By comparison, the Google Play Store has nearly a million apps in its catalogue. Amazon also takes a similar approach with its Kindle tablets. However, thanks to heavy promotion and great deals, the Amazon App Store has has managed to cross the 75,000 mark.

All this is changing now. Barnes and Noble is pushing out an update to its Nook HD users, which will bring down the wall and provide access to the Google Play Store. Since, Google’s Android app offering is a “take it all or leave it” proposition, Nook is now sporting Google’s full suite of apps including Gmail, Chrome, Maps, and YouTube. As of now, the update is restricted to the Nook HD and Nook HD+, with no mention of Nook Tablet and Color owners.

Obviously, the new open stance from B&N means that you get access to your full catalogue of Android apps that you might have purchased on some other device. Apps installed via the B&N app store are now watermarked with an ‘n’ on the icon to indicate its source. The update also makes it possible to install Amazon Kindle on your Nook, and enjoy content you might have purchased from Barnes and Noble’s biggest competitor.

Both Nook HD and Nook HD+ are good pieces of hardware that were being held back by the software. The latest update liberates the tablets from the Barnes and Noble’s walled garden, and users will finally be able to realize the full potential of the devices they paid for.

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Sony recently announced the new Cyber-shot HX50V camera in the US. It features an impressive 30x optical zoom range and advanced 20.4 megapixel Exmor R CMOS image sensor. This device allows you to capture more than 400 photos on a single charge, thanks to the powerful X-type lithium ion battery. The Sony Cyber-shot HX50V is touted to be the world’s smallest and lightest camera with 30x optical zoom capability.

Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot digital camera at Sony Electronics, said,
“Despite the emergence of smart phone cameras in today’s market, the HX50V model gives photographers plenty of reason to invest in a dedicated pocket camera. Its wide-ranging 30x optical zoom gives users more freedom to pick their shooting subject and position, and its extensive, advanced imaging capabilities give shooters the peace of mind that image quality will never be compromised.”

The Sony Cyber-shot HX50V offers enhanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilization which reduces camera shake and blur at all ranges. It packs a powerful BIONZ processor which allows the camera to produce high-resolution as well as high-quality images in all types of lighting conditions. This camera is also compatible with TRILUMINOUS Color technology, which is currently available on Sony’s Bravia TVs.

Apart from that, the Cyber-shot HX50V camera features built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, which allows you to wirelessly transfer photos and videos to your smartphones or tablets using the Sony’s Play Memories mobile application. Currently, this app is available for devices running on the Android and iOS platforms. The Sony Cyber-shot HX50V compact digital camera will go on sale from next month for $450.

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Last week, Fujifilm launched SL1000 in India. Targeted at prosumers looking to upgrade from their basic point-and-shoot cameras but wary of using and maintaining DSLRs and the hassle of lenses, this is a fine camera at the price-point.

With a 50x zoom lens, it offers a stunning shooting range of 1cm super macro to a huge 1200mm extreme telephoto. Additionally, with Intelligent Digital Zoom, the focal length is effectively doubled to 2400mm or an incredible 100x with decent results. The camera also features powerful Optical Image Stabilization that minimizes the effect of blurring at longer zoom lengths.

“We are extremely proud to bring the best of the long zoom camera segment- SL1000 which is enriched with versatile functionalities and will be desired by those photographers who do not want the lens-changing capability of a DSLR, but are still keen on having total control over their images. It’s powerful zooming capacity is certain to attract people with an eye for detail.”

- Rohit Pandit, EVP – Sales & Marketing, FUJIFILM India

The camera allows shooting a movie in full HD, with 60p/fps and stereo sound and also boasts of 3D shooting features. SL1000 is a 16 million pixels 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor which makes it able to cope shooting at sensitivities as high as ISO 12800, and ensures high quality images even in low light conditions. The advance filter function enables to choose up to 8 artistic effects such as Pop color, Toy Camera, Miniature 5, Partial Color, High Key, Cross screen, Soft focus, raw shooting mode and motion panorama mode.

Specifications:

• 50x optical FUJINON zoom lens (24mm-1200mm)
• Record 1080i Full HD movie 60fps with stereo sound
• 3.0 inch tilting LCD
• Sensitivity ISO 12800
• f/2.9 – f/6.5 Aperture
• 16.2 Megapixels

At an MRP of INR 29,999, Fujifilm SL1000 is a great camera for prosumers. However, with the prices of entry-level DSLRs falling to around INR 30K, serious photography enthusiasts might want to look at the latter for that extra bit.

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Last week, Google officially started selling the Nexus 7 tablet in India. However, the 32 GB Wi-Fi variant as well as the 3G variant of this tablet were missing from the Play Store. Within a week, Asus went ahead and launched these variants in India. Nexus 7 will be shipped with the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) Operating System. Nexus 7 32GB Wi-Fi and 3G will not be available via Play Store. These devices will be sold through Asus retail partners.

Mr. Peter Chang, Country Manager, System Business Group, Asus India, said,
“We are elated to announce the most awaited Asus Nexus 7 to the Indian consumers. We have received an assenting reception for this tablet from the users globally and we are happy to cater to the growing demand in India by making it easily available in the country. We believe that Asus Nexus 7 will bring us further closer to the persistent perfection that we set to achieve and offer to our consumers.”

Nexus 7 features a 7 inch HD display, sporting a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS, NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 12-core GPU, 1.2 megapixel camera for video calls, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Accelerometer, GPS, 1GB RAM and much more.

It also comes with a 3.5 mm headset jack, 32 GB internal memory, Bluetooth, MicroUSB, NFC (Near Field Connectivity), 3G Connectivity and a 4325 mAh battery, which offers up to 300 hours of stand-by time and allows you to watch videos for up to 9 hours. This device measures 198.5 mm x 120 mm x 10.45 mm and weighs just 340g.

Nexus 7 32GB Wi-Fi comes with a price tag of just Rs.18,999 (approx. $350), while Nexus 7 32GB 3G will be available for Rs.21,999 (approx. $400).

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Google Nexus 7 needs no introduction! It is Google’s first tablet device which was unveiled last year at the company’s I/O event in San Francisco. Nexus 7 is manufactured by Asus and it is officially sold by Google via Play Store in 9 countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom and United States.

Google Nexus 7 retails for just $199 in the US, however Croma is already selling this device in India for Rs.19,999 (approx.$370). Today, Google went ahead and officially launched the Nexus 7 in India via Play Store. It is the first device to be sold on the Indian Play Store.

Nexus 7 features a 7 inch HD display, sporting a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS, NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 12-core GPU, 1.2 megapixel camera for video calls, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, MicroUSB, NFC (Near Field Connectivity), Accelerometer, GPS, 1GB RAM and much more.

It also comes with a 4325 mAh battery, which offers up to 300 hours of stand-by time and allows you to watch videos for up to 9 hours. Google is currently selling the 16 GB variant of Nexus 7 in India. This device measures 198.5 mm x 120 mm x 10.45 mm and weighs just 340g.

Google Nexus 7 comes with a price tag of Rs.15,999 (approx. $295) in India. This device will be shipped from April 5, 2013. We hope that Google will also bring the much-awaited Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 in India. To get this device, head over to Play Store India.

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Palm’s webOS has made another return from the graveyard. After being left at the mercy of the community for over a year by Hewlett-Packard, which had acquired Palm in 2010 for $1.2 billion, webOS has found a new home. LG has acquired webOS from HP for an undisclosed sum.

The Korean electronics giant isn’t planning on using the mobile OS in smartphones. Instead, it will be adapting it for use in its popular smart TV range. LG was reported to be eyeing webOS for quite a while, after deciding against using Google TV over fears of Google imposed restrictions on the design and interface. LG’s purchase also includes all patents and employees of the webOS Global Business Unit.

Skott Ahn, president and chief technology officer of LG Electronics Inc, remarked, “It creates a new path for LG to offer an intuitive user experience and Internet services across a range of consumer electronics devices”. It will be interesting to see how LG goes about porting an operating system designed for touch to the remote control operated big screen.

LG might not be the first name that pops into anyone’s mind when talking about smartphones, but they have a strong presence in the television market. While purchasing webOS outright is surprising, it’s not surprising that LG is looking to replace NetCast, its current smart TV platform. NetCast has served LG well, but it is showing signs of age, and with big names like Google and Apple preparing to double down on the smart TV market, LG needs to up its game. HP will also be happy to be able to get something in exchange of webOS. Palm’s webOS was once heralded as the brightest competitor to the iPhone’s operating system, but corporate inefficiency and idiocy never allowed it to realize its full potential. Even surviving as a smart TV platform is a sad fate for a genuinely innovative and intuitive operating system, but in LG’s hands, webOS will probably reach millions of more households than it ever did under its previous two owners.

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Last night at MWC, HP announced its first Android tablet – the Slate 7. However, the 10.7mm thick Slate 7 fails to impress in every way. The 7inch tablet sports mediocre specs – a dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A9 processor, 1024*600 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1, shooters in the front (VGA) and back (3.1MP) and Wi-Fi b/g/n.

The Slate 7 also packs in a couple of front-facing stereo speakers with Beats audio branding and is capable of providing up to five hours of video playback. The suggested retail price of the Slate 7 is around $169, and will be running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Compared to the Nexus 7, the Slate 7 may be slightly cheaper and sport a microSD card slot, but is inferior in every other way. Plus, the Nexus 7 successor is just around the corner, which makes the Slate 7 a not so tempting deal. If anything, HP’s Slate 7 is going to meet the same fate as all other recent offerings from HP in the mobile market.

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Lenovo today kicked off the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona by unveiling a trio of low-end Android tablets. The S6000 is the highlight of the three with Lenovo touting it as a “Home Entertainment” center.The tablet has a sleek design with a disappointing 10.1-inch screen with 1280*800 resolution screen.

Internally, the S6000 packs in a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek SoC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro HDMI port and optional HSPA+ connectivity. The press release states that the tablet is capable of providing more than 8 hours of battery life. Lenovo was pretty vague in its press release and at the moment, this is all we know about the S6000.

Next in line is the A3000, which sports a 7-inch 1024*600 IPS screen, a 1.2GHz MediaTek quad-core processor, and is “only” 11mm thin. Apart from optional HSPA+ connectivity, there is also a microSD card slot and the usual bunch of sensors and connectivity options. Lenovo states that the A3000 has been optimized for web browsing, gaming and video playback.

Last but not the least is the A1000. The tablet sports the same screen as on the A3000 (7-inch 1024*600 IPS), and comes with large speakers surrounding it in the front. The device is also certified as Dolby Digital Plus thus being “perfect for music lovers and those seeking a pocket studio”. The tablet will also come with 16GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot that will be expandable up to 32GB. Out of the box, the A1000 will be running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

All the three tablets from Lenovo are expected to be available sometime in Q2 of this year. The company did not mention anything about the prices of these tablets, but expect them to be cheap.

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It was already rumored that, Samsung might announce an 8 inch tablet to compete with the Apple’s iPad Mini. The rumors turned out to be true. Samsung has finally unveiled the much-awaited Galaxy Note 8.0 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 in Barcelona. This device runs on the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) Operating System. It also comes with the S-Pen, which was previously bundled with Galaxy Note 10.1. Removing S-Pen from the device will automatically launch innovative features such as Pen Detection that will suggest adapted menus.

JK Shin, President of the Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, said,
“Back in 2010 the launch of the first Samsung Galaxy Tab with 7 inch screen opened a new chapter in the mobile industry. Now almost three years later, Samsung continues to evolve the sector that meets the demands of modern life. The Galaxy Note 8.0 breaths fresh life into the category as it delivers the perfect fusion of portability and everyday productivity – the result is a pioneering, pocket-sized solution that enhances and enriches our everyday lives, whether at work or play.”

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 features a 7 inch WXGA display, sporting a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) Operating System, Samsung TouchWiz UI, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video calls, Wi-Fi 801.11 a/b/g/n, 3G Connectivity and much more.

Other features include a 3.5 mm headset jack, Music player with SoundAlive, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi Direct, Samsung Apps, Games Hub, Readers Hub, Samsung Kies, Samsung ChatON, Google Play Store, A-GPS + GLONASS, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB/ 32 GB internal memory, MicroSD card slot, 64 GB expandable memory and a 4600 mAh battery.

This device measures 210.8 mm x 135.9 mm and weighs 338 grams. The Galaxy Note 8.0 comes with S Note templates and S Planner app which helps you to manage everyday tasks, including meeting notes, to-do lists and even personal diary entries. It also comes pre-loaded with content and apps, including the upgraded ChatOn, which provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in multiple formats — images, video and voice. The Galaxy Note 8.0 will go on sale from Q2 of 2013. The price of this tablet will be announced soon.

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After releasing quite a few budget oriented Chromebook from Acer, HP and Dell, Google has unveiled a higher-end variant of the Chromebook, the Pixel. The Chromebook Pixel sports a 12.9-inches screen with a whopping 2560*1700 resolution and an aspect ratio of 3:2. The Pixel is also the first Chromebook that comes with a touch screen.

Other specs of the Pixel include a 32/64GB SSD, free 1TB of cloud storage space on Google Drive, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a miniDisplay port, a SD card reader, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 4GB of RAM, a 1.8GHz Core i5 processor, a multi-touch glass trackpad and an front facing HD camera.

Optionally, the Chromebook Pixel comes with LTE connectivity and free 100MB of Verizon LTE connectivity for 2 years. Google states that the Pixel has a 5-hour battery life.

The only downside to the Chromebook Pixel is its $1299 price-tag and an $1499 price-tag for the LTE variant. The Pixel will be up for sale in the Play Store with the LTE variant landing in the U.S sometime in April.

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