BREAKING FREE

The camera lets you select Wi-Fi from the control dial itself and there is no need to go to the menu for this. Users can upload photos and videos directly to social networking sites like Facebook, Picasa, YouTube and Photobucket as well as mail it. The network can also be exploited to connect the camera to your phone, using which you can even click phone remotely. The Wi-FI can also be harnessed to upload photos to a SkyDrive account or to back up your PC. You can type the login ID and password through the virtual keyboard using the control dial. It is not as tough considering you will have to do it only once.

CAMERA

The 14.2 megapixel WB150F has all features you would expect of a point-and-shoot. But it exceeds the brief as far its zoom capabilities are concerned. It has an 18x optical zoom, with the telescopic lens really stretching itself. Then the digital zoom takes it up to 90x, which despite the slight pixilation at the extreme end, is superb for any camera. So you can have a frame with a tree in a corner and another focusing on a leaf on the tree, all standing at the same point. We will have to thank the 4.0~72mm Schneider Kreuznach lens as well as the optical image stabilisation for the results. Like many new cameras that have HD video capabilities, this one too comes with a separate record button for video, though the trigger button too can initiate shooting.

FUNCTIONS

The Scene mode comes with many settings ideal for regular use. And for a change, the camera has real pictures for icons. In the Smart mode the camera decides which is the best setting for the shot and switches automatically. There is also the Magic mode where you can do predetermined things like split images, picture-in-picture as well as do some basic editing or add filters and frames. If auto is not your thing, there is also the A-S-M modes with Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and full Manual. In shutter priority we were stumped at the realisation that this camera had a 1/2000 maximum shutter speed, very unusual for automatic cameras. However, while a touch screen could have been handy, an HDMI port was sorely missed.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

The best buy at this price range with superb features and usability.

CARRYING FORWARD

The 125 HS is the latest offering in Canon’s popular Ixus range. We were not expecting anything new and there was nothing spectacular in the device. But that does not in any way suggest that the new Ixus 125 HS is not up to the mark.

In fact, the high standards already set by the Ixus has been maintained, with slight improvements like a 16.1-mega pixel CMOS sensor and a 5x optical zoom that can go up to 20x with digital. The best feature for us was the image stabilisation which really makes for a sharp image even at full zoom.

The low-light capabilities are not so impressive, but the addition of a handheld night scene option really made up for this. As anyone who has used a nightscene mode knows, the picture often have halos when shot without a tripod. But the new mode uses the image stabilisation to its best and reduces this distortion. There are plenty of other modes to play around with and the toy camera, poster and super vivid modes really caught our attention. The high-speed burst and super slow motion movie option can be very useful for capturing action scenes.

The 125 HS can shoot HD video too, but there is no separate movie mode button. You initiate video mode by pressing the record button. But like some of the other cameras out there now, you cannot click stills while shooting movies. One of the drawbacks of not having a movie mode is that you have to go to Program to select movie quality. But the results are quite good, especially in Full HD (1920x1080).

In our books the Ixus 125 HS is a tad overpriced at` 16,995, but at least it comes with a 4GB card and a pouch.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Good, handy option if you are looking for a mid level digital camera.

TYPE GREEN

Even those of us who talk about going green and saving the environment use gadgets that are not earth friendly. So, if you are ready for a green plunge, Logitech has the K750, a wireless solar keyboard.

The K750 comes with a Bluetooth dongle that plugs into a PC’s USB port. The sleek wireless keyboard has two solar panels on the top, just above the Function keys. The keyboard derives its energy from natural sunlight as well as artificial indoor light. An off/on slider has been added to store the charge within the keyboard.

There is a charging indicator with smileys to show the status of the charge. When used with the Solar App specially designed for the keyboard, it shows the lux level of the light source using which the keyboard is getting charged as well as the battery reserve status.

The K750 is a full keyboard, and typing on it is comfortable. Interestingly, the Function keys have shortcuts assigned to them. For instance, the F2 has a message icon that opens Outlook, while the F4 launches calculator, etc.

However, a Caps Lock indicator, common in even entry level keyboards now, is missing on the device.

NIDHI SINGAL

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Good looking, easy to use and environment friendly, but seriously overpriced.

BRAINS FOR THE IDIOT BOX

If you are stuck with an old colour television which you do not want to get rid of, or just bought a flat screen TV which you later discovered was not that smart, the Western Digital TV Live might be the gadget for you. For us the best feature of this device was its compositecable which lets it connect to a pre-digital era television, the proverbial idiot box. But our attempts to make the old TV into a smart one just did not work, for the composite cable seemed as confused as the television.

However, when plugged into an LCD via the HDMI cable, the unit worked fine. It can play most file types—along with subtitles—from an external storage device or pen drive through the USB, but sadly has no storage of its own. The unit can also link to a Wi-Fi network to access the Net through on-board apps like Facebook and YouTube. You can also link it to the home network using Ethernet. The interface is easy to use and navigate, but for all typing you have just the remote, which is not QWERTY. However, there are long pauses when you are trying to do stuff with the unit and strangely, the files in the pen drive we used showed up only in the files section and not in photos, music or videos. There is also an RSS reader among the tabs, though we are not sure people will actually use it.

The WD Live TV is a good product, but maybe a year behind schedule.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Pricey and old fashioned.

SPEEDY MOUSE

The latest from Portronics is a wireless mouse named imooze. Priced at` 799, this mouse has been elegantly designed without using cheap plastic. The one we received looked nice in white and pink. There are black-blue and black-orange options too. There is also a slot for holding the USB receiver dongle. A slider at the bottom turns the mouse on/off.

The imooze is comfortable to use and comes with four DPI settings ranging from 500 to 1750 DPI, making it ideal for artists and gamers. To prevent battery wastage, the mouse goes into sleep mode when not in use for some time. It springs back to life at the first click.

FOR THE OTHER NETWORK

CDMA subscribers in India often don’t have the privilege of getting their teeth into the latest smartphones. When tablets came along, the situation wasn’t any different. More than 100 tablets were launched over the past couple of years, but none was meant for CDMA users. Now finally, the first tablet for a CDMA network has come via Reliance.

On paper, this seven-incher looks exactly like the Reliance Tab for GSM subscribers. But once you use it, the differences are apparent. The allblack CDMA Tab feels sturdy with a top panel dominated by the volume control and power key. The left panel has a proprietary charging jack along with a hot swappable SIM card slot. The bottom has a 3.5-mm jack and memory card slot. This tablet is meant to be used in the landscape mode(with touch controls including home, option and back on the right) as the physical controls can be easily operated. The automatic screen orientation works in portrait mode but then it isn’t as easy to use the tablet in this mode. We would have preferred a blend of the two as we enjoyed typing more in the portrait mode than landscape.

Running Android v2.3, the Tab comes loaded with Google services. While you can download applications from Google Play, there is also a Reliance Online store for the same. The overall performance was above average, but not wonderful. This tablet doesn’t boast the best specs sheet in the market, but then CDMA users don’t have any other option. However, the CDMA network was good and the tablet worked even in basements where most GSM networks fail to reach. Also, the sound output and video clarity were above average. The 4000 mAh battery lasted close to four-and-a-half hours while browsing the web. Watching movies and videos drained it much earlier.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Only option for CDMA customers.

DOER RATHER THAN LOOKER

There are many affordable tablets under` 15,000, but none with the latest version of Android OS. At least till now. The Zync 990 has taken care of this and claims to be India’s first Ice-Cream Sandwich tablet.

This seven-inch tablet has a capacitive touch display on a black plastic body that feels flimsy and heavy. Not much of a looker, its has regular designing with the top panel holding physical keys for power, menu and escape. All connectivity ports—USB, mini USB, HDMI port, 3.5-mm jack and memory card slot—are lined up on the right panel.

The user interface isn’t anything new. Unlike other tablets, the application launcher doesn’t set up many apps. Though basic apps like calendar, clock, gallery, camera and browser are included, it doesn’t have defaults for Gmail and Gtalk. We tried watching HD videos using the USB drive and found the sound and image quality good. But we missed the volume controls.

The overall performance of the Zync Z990 was much better than that of other affordable tablets, perhaps because it has a 1.2 GHz processor and 1GB RAM.The Zync 990 also has Wi-Fi and supports a 3G USB dongle(we did not test the latter though). With video playback and browsing, the battery lasted close to four hours.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Decent tablet, but Micromax Funbook is a better deal.

SOFT TOUCH

If you like Jagjit Singh and ghazals, the Sennheiser HD 449 is just the headphone for you. But if you are the sort who prefers Van Halen and heavy metal, you better look somewhere else.

The HD 449 is all about being personal with your music. Don’t be deceived by the size of the earcups and all the chrome on it, this is all about soul and clarity not about bass and spunk. In other words, if you like your music loud, the HD 449 is sure to disappoint you. But there are those who might think this is the biggest plus point of this headphone, the fact that is focuses more on clarity and acoustics. We tried it on a BlackBerry phone, iPod, iPad and even the regular PC. The sound was best via the desktop, especially when we played 320kbps files. In the other devices, we were left wondering if there was some way to get more volume out of the headphone.

The ear cups are very comfortable and have enough flexibility to fit most ear types. While they are good enough to keep out most external sounds, after 15 minutes or so you start wishing for a pair of small fans inside to keep your ear from frying. Like in the old days, the headphone comes with a 6.3mm gold adaptor plug for the 3.5mm jack in case you want to plug it into a large home theatre or music system.

—NANDAGOPAL RAJAN

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Clear sound, but a bit too soft.

HOME PANORAMA

It is very easy to be intimidated by a 65-inch television. And if that is an LED with 3D, then you have pretty much had it. So, Sony’s new HX925 LED TV is as intimidating as they come.

While this is the largest TV in the Bravia range, you cannot help but wonder at the fact that it is also among the slimmest televisions you will ever see, certainly in this size. The next point of amazement has to be the picture quality. We were somehow expecting to see a bit of pixellation at this screen size. But everything on the screen was crystal clear, thanks to the X-Reality Pro Engine and Intelligent Peak LED Technology deployed on this giant of a screen. The sound leaps out at you, though at lower volumes you feel that the audio sort of lags behind the picture, at least on the intimidation quotient. The interface is very easy to navigate, especially since there are dedicated keys on the remote for many functions.

The 3D TV capabilities are also good, though you will have to put the ubiquitous goggle to see anything clearly. While 3D reproduction with 3D content is as good as it gets on TVs, this unit can also upscale regular content with the extra dimension but with limited results. We actually tried it with a YouTube video and the result was more like 2.5D, if you get the drift. As you would have realised, this is also a fully Internet-enabled television. Which means you can connect it to a Wi-Fi network or plug in a LAN cable to take it online and play content from the Web. For instance, there is a Sony Entertainment Network app which lets you access featured content from Sony through channels, many of which have a local flavour. You can also access videos from YouTube, though you will need a fast connection to get over the buffering. Plug in the camera that comes in the box and you are also good for Skype calls.

However, the remote could be a slight impediment for going online as you have to use it to operate an online keypad to select alphabets and type addresses. Since the TV is not compatible with wireless keyboards, your only option on this front is to use a compatible app on an Android phone.

But then all these are small glitches in your quest to bring home big screen entertainment. The only real stumbling point is the price—as big as the screen itself.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Don’t look any further if you like big and don’t mind the price.—NANDAGOPAL RAJAN

GOOD AT JOB

Life can be tough for low-budget printers. Usually scoffed at by profesisonal users, they will make their way to homes and small offices only if they are good at work. Canon claims its Pixma E500 weds quality to affordability. So we put it through its paces.

The E500 is compact and the neat semi-glossy finish in the shades of blue and black makes it look good. Installing the software adds a row of keys to the right panel of the display, which includes icons such as notices, auto scan, layout print, photo print and show the main screen.

This easy-to-use printer can be used to churn out monochrome and coloured prints using four different settings. While the best prints can be obtained at the high setting, we noticed there isn’t much of a difference in the monochrome print on the standard setting.

The fast setting is really quick at printing documents, but the pages look a little washed out both in colour and black and white, so perhaps it is ideal for rough work. Using the standard mode, we managed to get three coloured pages per minute and five on the fast mode. Similarly, the E500 managed to print eight monochrome pages per minute at standard setting.

The E500 is good at printing and also manages to scan documents quickly, a simple operation that requires you to press the ‘Scan’ key on the printer display.

As an all-in-one, it can also photocopy documents. It took us around 30 seconds to get a copy of a single page.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

Look no further. Overall a good printer for a home or small office setup.

PICTURE PERFECT

Digital cameras have not only replaced film cameras but have also killed the photo print market. Earlier we were forced to visit a photo studio for the prints but with digital cameras we simply transfer them to the PC. Those who still wish to take out photo prints can always procure a mini photo printer—like the PictureMate 245 from Epson.

It is a compact printer and comes with a handle to carry it around. Capable of printing photos up to 4x6 inches, the printer produces bright, real colours. There are loads of connectivity options too. The front is dominated by the card slots while a USB port has been placed at the back for plugging in a camera directly. The display on the front allows direct, hassle-free printing from the two. The printer can also be connected to the PC for taking prints. The average print- ing time of a 4x6 inch photo sheet was close to 35 seconds. The company claims these prints can last up to 200 years. Easy to operate, the actual printing cost per photo is close to `8.

The PictureMate 245 is aimed at offering a hassle-free photo prining experience using which one can do innovative things. For instance, taking prints of the memorable moments of a gettogether and handing over the prints even as your loved ones leave. A special gesture that they will love.

SOUNDS RIGHT

At first sight we thought that it was the Bose Cinemate SR1. But the Intex logo is too glaring to miss. Yes, this is the Sound Bar Marvel 250.

Thankfully, the Marvel 250 is easy to plug in and there is nothing here to confuse the user. Plug in the audio output from your TV or DVD player directly into the sleek Soundbar and you are ready to go. This ease of use is because the system is equipped with instant Low Power Radio(LPR) based wireless interface at 2.4GHz to link the largish sub woofer with the channel bar. The sound is crystal clear and you can use the remote to really pump up the bass or tune the treble. There are four control buttons on the top of the bar, while the remote has three sound modes – normal, music and movie. So, we had no complaints at all with the sound.

However, the ease of use means your connectivity options are limited. No, you can’t plug in USB or even your iPod or other sources, which thought was a big killjoy. Intex could have at least added Bluetooth connectivity. At a time when you have media on multiple devices, this kind of interoperability has to be a necessity not a luxury.

Still, the Sound Bar Marvel 250 is a reasonably priced option to augment the audio for your large-screen TV, especially if you don’t have the money or space for a fullblown home theatre system.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

High on sound quality, low on options.

MOVEABLE FEAST

Ease is something that comes free with a car that has automatic transmission. Your left foot on the ghost clutch, your right on the brake/-accelerator and you are set for the drive. After Ford launched its Fiesta global car, it was a matter of time before it came up with the automatic variant. The Fiesta Powershift AT does not disappoint.

Plush interiors and a ride quality that you can forever look forward to—that is what the Fiesta provides. The suspension is so good that it takes in the rough of offroading in its stride with as much equanimity as it does the macadamed smoothness of the highway (this also implies it has high clearance). The acceleration is beautiful, from the stop-still at the P gear position to full power. Its steering wheel seemed docilely, if super efficiently, responsive to our needs. And thanks to the Electronic Stability Programme, even at high speeds, this Ford is very stable. It doesn’t wobble any while crashing past the cat’s eyes on the roads. Even on uneven stretches, the steering does not go all over the place.

The ease of use of this car is not limited to its being an automatic. In fact, it will take you a few hours to understand what everything in the control panel of the Titanium variant does. Our favourite was the Bluetooth which has been integrated with the onboard entertainment sys- tem. It is easier to set up Bluetooth on this car than some of the others which sport the capability and once you are paired you can actually dial a number using the cars full dialpad alongside the music system. We couldn’t play music from our phone through the system, but then you have USB line-in, a CD slot and radio with screen display to take care of that.

The striking feature of this car has to be its fuel efficiency, which Ford claims is best in class at 16.97 kmpl. We could not put that to an actual fuel run test, but during our rather long drive we could see the fuel gauge needle remaining comfortingly steady. We were not terribly impressed by the rear view mirror, which somehow could not show us much during reversing. Maybe this is why Ford added a rear parking sensors to the car. Or perhaps since cars in this segment anyway come with parking sensors, the company did not pay much attention to reversing using human visual capabilities.

Overall, the Fiest PowerShift is a great option if you want an automatic sedan. And Ford has been soft with the price.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT?

A comfortable ride guaranteed. Plus the joys of the latest auto technologies.