Game review: Infinity Blade

By: Aseem Gaurav, April 17, 2011 (New Delhi)

Infinity Blade is one of the most coveted and coolest games you can have on your iPad (or iPad 2). Developed by Epic Games, makers of the best-selling games like Unreal and Gears of War, the best part about this game is its jaw-dropping graphics. Infinity Blade is a 3D action Role-Player Game, where you take the role of an armour-clad warrior, entering a big fortress to avenge the execution of your father at the hands of a powerful warrior monarch. 

At each level, you have to enter into combat against numerous giant monsters, ranging from nimble assassins to hulking metal golems, and slay them to make your way into the Big Dad's castle for a one-on-one showdown. To reach ahead, you have to kill those monsters, and on course collect treasures and spend it on your armour and weapons upgrade. These monsters enemies attack wildly, and when wounded, often become enraged. You can defend their attacks through block, but it weakens your shield to eventual breaking point and then you have to adopt a different defensive strategy.

Most of the gameplay is occupied by these battles, combining defence and attack. Its different sections are powerful enough to settle you down into the game’s rhythm. Enemy hit chains must be broken by shield blocking, dodging, or parrying using touch-screen motions that are intuitive and simple. Press your thumb at the bottom right of the screen and you will dodge right and press the bottom left and you’ll dodge left. To block you can press the shield icon in the center to block. For attacking you have to swipe your finger across the screen. Parrying is a difficult move to execute, but parrying attack chains daze your enemy, giving you a larger window to attack. 

The game is quite appealing from the strategy point of view as during the gameplay, you have to be responsive and intelligent to ‘break’ the enemy’s attack. The game requires you to think most of the time, and to coordinate and time your attacks. For beginners, developing tactical skills may prove to be difficult but as you play the game extensively you’ll see improvement in every single level. During the course, you may also witness magic and special attacks. By tapping the icon, you can initiate special attacks, but these magic attacks must be “cast” by gesturing a particular symbol with your finger. The battles are challenging and exciting and are fast paced enough to make your pulse racing. 

Overall, it is simple and enthralling game that can keep you glued for hours. To reach to the final Big Boss you can expect up to two hours (or less) but slaying him would require some more time. The game involves a compelling story with marvelous graphics, exciting combat and a well-developed character progression.

Game: Infinity Blade

Genre: Brawler

Developer: Chair Entertainment, Epic Games

Publisher: Epic Games

Platform: iOS

Available from: iTunes

Infinity Blade retails for £3.49

Now, rent an iPad during your vacation to Madrid, Spain

By: Aseem Gaurav, April 5, 2011 (New Delhi)

If you are going to Madrid, Spain for a holiday or some business meeting then there is an option for you to rent an iPad for the duration of your vacation. A fantastic idea isn’t it!

Madrid based firm known as Pad in the City will rent you a 3G iPad for €39 ($55) per day, with unlimited data and a bunch of handy travel apps preinstalled.

How it works: Before travelling to the country all you have to do is reserve the iPad. So when you arrive at your hotel, apartment, airport, a courier will hand-deliver the iPad to you. On showing your ID, €500 deposit will be blocked on your credit car and the tablet will be handed over to you. At the time you leave the country, he’ll come back and collect the iPad and un-block the security deposit.

An iPad comes in extremely handy in times of visiting other countries because it helps you get all relevant information at your fingertips through Internet and do not let you get bored during your stay. There are so many apps (Like offline maps, subscriptions to the WSJ, weather, games, the Lonely Planet Guide to Madrid, car rental apps, a metro map) to choose from.

Well, we hope the idea soon gets publicity and is made available in other countries too.

iPad vs. Laptop: Which one is better?

By: Aseem Gaurav, April 2, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple’s iPad is a technological marvel that is extremely popular among the youth for the sheer advantages it provides over the laptop. A recent survey found that one out of five Americans teenage or older want an iPad. No wonder then Apple Inc is selling three million iPads a month. But then there’s a debate about which device is better - an iPad or a laptop?

The iPad is a super gadget, combining an e-reader, gaming device, digital photo frame and iPod, into one single device. It's great for e-mail and Web browsing and it can do all the You Tube and Facebook stuff just as readily as a laptop computer. The iPad is light and thin and has a long battery life. The device could potentially find significant adoption in many different segments, but it is unlikely to eat into the sales of traditional PCs and laptops. For example you can’t plug a scanner or backup hard drive into it.

But still most of you would opt for an iPad than a laptop, if you mostly use a laptop for three functions -- e-mail, social networking (through Facebook, for example) and Web browsing. Let’s take a look at the some of the pros and cons of iPad over laptop.

An extensive library of apps

To make iPad fun to use, there are lots and lots of applications which makes it quite amusing and entertaining. There are amazing apps in almost every category: games, lifestyle, social networking, and education, for starters. Many apps are even free. But on the other hand traditional software for laptop computers has been fairly expensive and consume a hefty amount of system resources, and can be somewhat of a pain to install. Moreover, if you already have apps for your iPhone or iPod touch, just sync them to iPad from your Mac or PC. They run in their original size or you can expand them to fill the iPad screen. And if you’re a Netflix member, then the iPad app lets you watch as many movies as you want streaming to the device giving you access to some 20,000+ movies and television shows.

The Size

The major advantage with an iPad is that it is lighter, thinner, and portable. Those who travel a lot will be all praise for the tablet as it is much easier to carry as compared to a laptop and you get through security checks on an airport a lot faster. The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and the average laptop weighs around 6 to 8 pounds. An iPad can quickly boot and load and there is no need to unpack and repack a bag which you otherwise do while using a laptop.

The Battery Life

It is one such area where iPad comes extremely handy. A laptop consumes more power and can easily run out of power supply if used extensively for some time. While on the other hand iPad can easily go for up to 10 hours on a single charge. What’s more, an iPad can deliver this efficiency with a charger that can easily fit in a purse or pocket.

The Touch Screen

I must say using a touch screen is lot much easier than using a mouse. Moreover, the highly responsive screen of the slate is a great experience no matter how many times you use it. In an iPad, changing the size or orientation of an image is much simpler as just the swipe of fingers allows you to make proper adjustment. Another time-saving advantage is that you never have to wait for your tablet to boot up.

iPad™ vs Laptop
Item	iPad	Laptop
Consumption	low	medium
Content Creation / Productivity	low	high
Location Based Services	non existent	by design
USB Ports	non existent	by design
Journalist Oriented Device	low	high
Information Consumption User	high	medium
Inputing Data Performance	low	high
Price	high	low
Suitable As Professional Plataform	low	high
Suitable For Taking Notes	high	low
Suitable For Diagraming	high	low
Suitable For Mind Mapping	high	low
Portability	high	medium
Data Backing Up Speed	very low	fast
Easy To Share Presentations	low	high
Multi Task Operation	non existent	by design
Full Emailing Features	low	high
Adobe Flash Featured	non existent	high
WebCam	non existent	by design
Standard Office Applications	non existent	by design
Hardware Connectivity	restricted	broad
RAM Memory Capacity Limit	65 GB	2,000 GB
Software Application Capacity	Apple Only	Unlimited
Weight	1.6 lbs	> 3 lbs
Eight	0.5 inches	> 0.5 inches
Battery’s Hours Operation	10 hours	< 8 hour

SmithBucklin to incentivize employees by giving Apple iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 31, 2011 (New Delhi)

SmithBucklin, the world’s largest association management and professional services company, is giving its employees an Apple iPad 2 as a way to reward excellent staff performance, improve productivity and enhance the company’s social media capabilities.

SmithBucklin employees will receive a 32GB Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi. For a nominal fee, they can upgrade to a 64GB version or one that offers Wi-Fi and 3G service through Verizon or AT&T.

“Many associations were impacted by the recession and that certainly affected our company. Now that our company is entering a new growth phase, we wanted to do something special for our employees to thank them for staying the course as well as help them continue to embrace social networking. The iPad 2 will make it even easier for our employees to access social media channels and new media. SmithBucklin already is a technology-savvy company and we are confident the iPad 2 will improve the ability of our employees to help client organizations engage current constituencies and attract new ones,” said SmithBucklin President and CEO Henry S. Givray.

Barack Obama proudly admits of owning an iPad

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 30, 2011 (New Delhi)

The gadget loving US president, Barack Obama, has joined the legion of iPad users. Well, he hasn't thrown away his BlackBerry aside for Apple products.

Obama detailed that fact during a town hall meeting in Washington with Spanish-language network Univision.

During an interview with Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, he was asked: “Do you have an iPad?”

“I do have an iPad,” Obama replied, joking later about also having his own computer.

“I took my BlackBerry off for this show, because I didn’t want it going off, and that would be really embarrassing,” Obama said.

Surprisingly the US president is not alone in owning an Apple iPad. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and several Japanese ministers were also seen using the Apple’s highly popular gadget device.

Apple founder Steve Jobs says the company has sold more than 15 million of the devices. Apple’s second-generation iPad 2 starts at $499. But the president didn’t mention which version he owns — or what he uses it for.

Nokia files second patent violation complaint against Apple

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 29, 2011 (New Delhi)

The world's leading mobile phone maker Nokia has filed another complaint in the US alleging that Apple infringes Nokia patents in "virtually all" of Apple's devices.

The finnish mobilemaker said the new complaint relate to its "pioneering innovations" that Apple is using "to create key features in its products, including in multitasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality and the use of Bluetooth accessories."

Earlier during the month a US judge with the ITC had rejected Nokia's claim that Apple had violated patents in its mobile phone, portable music players and computers. He denied Nokia's claim that Apple had violated five patents held by Nokia.

Both Nokia and Apple have been embroiled in litigation since October 2009 when the former filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of infringing 10 patents and demanding royalties on the millions of iPhones sold since the device’s introduction in 2007.

iPad 2 goes out of stock in London

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 27, 2011 (New Delhi)

The Apple iPad 2 was launched in London last week on March 25, 2011 and just within two days it is reportedly completely sold out across London. The waiting time for online orders has already gone up from the initial estimate of between two and three weeks to as much as four weeks.

Immense craze was seen among tablet addicts as hundreds lined up in bright sunshine outside Apple's London flagship store on Regent's Street. Those at the extreme front had been waiting for more than 33 hours by the time they got their hands on the device. Few spent the night in sleeping bags on the street. Among the throng, the mood was generally festive.

But as it was expected, stock of the iPad 2 at launch was limited. Prominent retailers in London were quite unsure about when they would next get stock in.

The second generation of the iPad is lighter and thinner than the original, with two cameras and a faster processor. It went on sale on Friday in 21 European countries plus Australia, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand.

Bill Nguyen launches 'Color', a new cellphone-based social network

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 26, 2011 (New Delhi)

There is a new buzz in the tech blogsphere and it is called "Color" which is a new cellphone-based social network. The app is brainchild of a well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur Bill Nguyen.

Color mobile app enables mobile users to “to capture photos, videos and conversations into a group album." This innovative app allows users to share photos with other users (single or multiple) within close vicinity (around 150 feet). The mobile app has already got its share of popularity in the quake-hit Japan where people are using the app to share photos of the devastated areas with rescue workers.

The app is available for both iPhones and Androirds.

Color, a free service which doesn’t involve the usage of any user names or passwords, is extremely useful especially if you’re attending some sporting event, some marriage function or any such event that involves a large gathering of people.

Mobile consumers can use this app to create a big catalog of photos as a number of people would be involved in taking photos, making videos and sending text messages. Moreover, two different and unknown users in a restaurant/bar can start sharing photos with each other; an idea that could spark a friendship with one commenting on or liking the other’s photo.

According to Color founder Bill Nguyen, the app is not just about photo sharing but it is a new way to create spontaneous social networks. He says the potential in such an application is immense as it allows user to share their activities, without gathering any personal information such as name, password and address.

“The simple idea behind it to let people to know other people around them,” he says.

Bill Nguyen is a well known entrepreneur who sold streaming music firm Lala to Apple in 2009 for cool $80 million.

Nguyen is looking at creating a Post-PC experience like never before. Given that widely popular social networks like Facebook are letting most of the people hooked to the PC and spending great amount of time, it will be interesting to see how the popularity of Color rises with time.

iPad 2: Top 5 problems that users are facing

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 25, 2011 (New Delhi)

The iPad 2 has an incremental upgrade over its extremely popular predecessor. It's a little thinner, a little lighter, has got powerful processor along with two cameras. These are all notable improvements, but if you haven’t still bought an iPad and want to look at all aspects of the Apple’s latest computer tablet before making a purchase decision, then read on!

Wi-Fi issues

Some users have complained about the iPad 2's Wi-Fi radio. Just like the original iPad, the newer version seems to have trouble staying connected on wireless networks. Some users claim that they have to stand close to a router to obtain a signal.

Backlight 'bleeding'

Some early iPad 2 customers have noticed that the blacklight "bleeds" from behind the LCD panel. The problem has been reported by some users who say while viewing dark images, the light leaks alongside the edges of the screen.

Yellow tint on screen

Some users have voiced their concerns over a yellow tint on the iPad 2's display. Experts say the yellow discoloration on the screen is likely temporary and is expected to disappear after some days of usage, as was evident in the case of iPhone 4 when it was first released.

Microphone distortion (with 3G models)

It appears to be that a WiFi-only unit recorded better-quality sound than a unit with WiFi and 3G. Further the GSM 3G model's audio to be slightly preferable to that of the CDMA model.

FaceTime freezing

As iPadfanzz reported in its earlier posts, users sometime face FaceTime video chat freeze problem. Users wrote that FaceTime sometime show a frozen image from a previous video chat session – even after restarting the app. According to them the problem rectifies itself when switching the device off and then back on.

Apple wins American Brand Excellence award

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 26, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple Inc. was named winner of the eighth annual American Brand Excellence Awards which recognize brands that best meet the needs of small- to mid-sized businesses.

Over 2,000 small to mid-sized business owners rated more than 250 brands. The criteria for selection included “forward thinking,” “behaves ethically,” and “has a good price for what you get.”

Every year the awards are presented by The Business Journals, a division of Wichita Business Journal parent company American City Business Journals.

"Apple has become the premier business brand, and as the leader of the tablet category with the iPad, Apple is redefining how we work," said Godfrey Phillips, VP of Research for The Business Journals. "Our study found that nine percent of business owners currently use an iPad for business."

iPad 2 Gold History Edition now available for $8 million

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

If you have $8 million and want to spend on one of the most expensive and exclusive gadgets in the world, then iPad 2 Gold History Edition is just for you.

Designer Stuart Hughes has come out with a special edition iPad 2 model made from gold, diamonds, dinosaur bone and pieces of Ammolite, costing a whooping £5 million (or $8 million).

The iPad 2 Gold History Edition comes with 53 individual 12.5 carat diamonds formed in an Apple logo which are encrusted in a 24 carat gold rear. Stuart Hughes used 2 kilograms of 24 carat gold to build iPad 2.

Another very interesting feature that has gone into the making of this device is that the designer has used 750 grams of Ammolite stone sourced from Canada. The rock was used to form the front of the iPAd. The rare rock has been mixed with 57 grams of shaved 65 million year old T-REX Dinosaur thigh bone.

The home button of the ultra-luxurious iPad 2 has been fashioned out of a single cut 8.5ct flawless diamond which is surrounded by 12 outer flawless diamonds. Luxury goods fanatics will be saddened to hear that only two models of the device are available.

Apple iPad 2 users facing FaceTime video chat freeze problem

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

There are some reports on technology sites which suggest that FaceTime video feature on Apple’s iPad 2 may not be working as expected. The issue is more prevalant while using the front facing camera.

The users experience this problem when they make video calls using Apple’s FaceTime, which some say could be a bug in the iOS 4.3 that's not limited to just iPad 2 owners. A lot of iPad 2 users are experiencing this problem are taking to Apple’s support forums to voice their concerns. According to them the problem rectifies itself when switching the device off and then back on.

“I had this problem on my iPad 2 as well. I restored the iPad and it was fixed, but during a FaceTime call I switched to the back camera and it froze the video on both ends of the call (but NOT the local video / video of me on my end and video of them on their end),” wrote ASD forum user chucknelson.

FaceTime is not a new concept for Apple enthusiasts as it has been included on the iPhone 4 for some time. The features enables users to interact with others through video conferencing, and with the front and rear cameras on the iPad 2 you can see who’s in front and behind the device.

However, this is not the first time that users are reporting these freezing problems, recently the new MacBook Pro 15 and 17-inch models were suffering from overheating and freezing problems due to multiple programmes being run at the same time.

The solution to this problem is same just like other iOS devices. As an initial step try resetting your iPad 2. Hold the top Sleep/Wake button and the Home button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. If the problem still recurs then restore from your iPad's backup. But if both these steps don’t work then try restoring to the factory settings.

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Battery maintenance tips for iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 23, 2011 (New Delhi)

First, congratulations on being the proud owner of iPad 2. Now that you have an iPad 2, so you may be wondering how you can best utilize the battery life of your latest gizmo, for which you have become the envy of your friends and neighbours. I give you few tips over how to maximize the batter life of iPad 2.

Apple’s iPad 2 has a built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, with up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Its battery can last up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network as well.

Well, the battery life of iPad 2 depends actually on the way you use it. Like if you play videos most of the time then it will go off quickly. But rather than using heavy stuff if you use it only for ebooks then probably you’ll have more life.

The recharging method means a lot. Use the USB cable adapter that can be plugged in electric outlets. Also make sure that you use a high power USB outlet that lets you charge your iPad. Furthermore, once your iPad gets fully charged through the PC or through the adapter; do not leave it on charge, as it is a negative your battery.

Five things you won’t get in the new iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 5, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple Inc has not disappointed with the launch of its next generation iPad. The verdict by the army of bloggers and technology addicts is out and the iPad 2, which was unveiled by Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs, has managed to draw enough admiration that is sure to keep it ahead of its competitors. I must mention here that the iPad 2 is evolutionary, not as revolutionary as the first iPad. The cosmetic makeover done by the company to its best selling computer tablet is a next step forward as it tries to catch up with what other competitors have been already offering for some time now.

With much better hardware yet keeping the same prices as the last generation iPad, I think Apple should continue to dominate the tablet space.

iPad 2 is thinner, lighter, faster and incorporates a lot of new features. In terms of looks, the iPad 2 is almost similar to its predecessor, with a few important tweaks, like front- and rear-facing cameras. It measures 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.34 inches in dimension and weighs 1.33-1.35 pounds and runs with the new A5 processor, powered by Qualcomm dual-mode GSM/CDMA chip. It is armed with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, equipped with Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, 3-axis gyro Sensors with a battery life of Up to 10 hours.

Despite all such additions, I think Apple could have gone a little step further and should have added, features meant to improve the user experience. Here is a list of five such important features that are missing in the Apple iPad2.

Retina Display:

Apple’s “Retina Display” technology first appeared on the iPhone 4 and later made it into the latest version of the iPod Touch. But that’s missing in the new iPad2. Retina Display is essentially a high-end screen with four times as many pixels in the same screen real estate. Earlier it was rumoured that the Apple was planning to add a Retina Display to the tablet, but the company has later said that Apple was saving it for the third generation of the device.

No USB port, No SD card slot:

This was one such upgrade that everyone was looking forward to which was rumoured earlier also. The reason behind this is Apple’s former resistance to anything that could enable the transfer of non-Apple content.

Thunderbolt connectivity:

Thunderbolt is Intel’s super fast port and so far, it’s only available on Apple’s MacBook Pro line. Thunderbolt supports high-resolution displays and high-speed data transfer in an all-in one port. Its use promises to bring speeds in excess of USB 3.0, meaning the iPad sync go faster when plugging in the device to a computer. Thunderbolt would have been a welcome addition to the iPad 2, as would a USB port for connecting external storage.

Near Field Communications technology:

Predictably, there were plenty of consumer comments on the iPad 2 having Near Field Communications technology. So far, Google is the only player with a NFC-enabled device with its Android 2.3-powered Nexus S. NFC refers to a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology. It is used in payment systems such as London Transport’s Oyster card.

NFC (Near Field Communications) is completely absent from the iPad Version 2.0.

4G:

Last but not the least, the one of the major things that could have made it to the iPad 2 is the 4g technology, the latest version of the 3G. The device not supporting 4G network speeds has drawn criticism from everyone as Motorola’s Zoom tablet will soon have their Xoom tablet fully equipped with 4G LTE support.

Apple sold over 15 million iPads in 9 months in 2010 and claims 2011 is “clearly the year of iPad 2.″