Tag Heuer reveals luxury €2800 Racer phone

If you've always maintained that an unparalleled torsion and strength to weight ratio is a high priority in your smartphone then Tag Heuer's Racer will be right up your street.

Featuring a shockproof rubber chassis strengthened by titanium and carbon fibre bridges, the Tag Heuer Racer also packs in a 'high speed processor' and the latest Android software (presumably Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich).

The rest of the spec sheet appears to be missing for the time being, and although the promise of a customisable 3D interface may be enough to entice some gadgeteers, it's pretty safe to say that the Racer firmly places form over function.

If your diamond-encrusted Vertu is looking a bit long in the tooth then you'll be pleased to hear that you can pick up your very own Tag Heuer Racer for a mere €2800 from luxury boutiques and selected watch and jewellery retailers, from July.

In the meantime, feel free to watch the shiny teaser video below. Did we mention that it's shiny?

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Sony reveals Alpha a57 DSLR camera

The time has come for Sony's Alpha a55 to step aside and make way for its successor – the Alpha a57. Sony pulled back the covers on its latest Alpha cam – and like its predecessor, the Alpha a57 boasts Sony's translucent mirror tech, enabling it to shoot at pro-level speeds, upping the continuous shooting rate from 10 frames per second to 12.

The Alpha a57's pro-level performance doesn't end there. ISO has been upped to 16,000, it sports a high-res Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder – which Sony claims can rival quality optical finders – and full HD (60fps) video capture. Full HD video can also be captured at a high 50p (progressive) frame rate – something which no other brand currently offers.

The Alpha a57 comes packing a tag-team operation of a 16.1MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and the latest generation BIONZ engine on the market – the same processor found in Sony's flagship Alpha a77 andhigh-end Alpha a65. That's what allows its ISO sensitivity range to soar so high.

Improvements to its 15-point autofocus system sees enhanced object tracking for ensuring objects and faces stay in sharp focus and quick AF in full HD movie mode to make sure moving objects remain in focus. Sony also claims that the a57 is the first camera to offer auto portrait framing, which picks out the subject's position and trims the scene accordingly.

The camera also sports 2x Clear Image Zoom for a bit of digital zoom action, which works with Sony's "By Pixel Super Resolution Technology" to retain full pixel resolution even after images are cropped and zoomed.

Images can be viewed back on its rear-adjustable 3in Xtra Fine LCD screen and a range of 11 in-camera effects and 15 variations, which can be added to images once they've been snapped, are also on hand for photographic assistance.

Coming complete with an 18-55mm kit zoom lens, the Sony Alpha a57 is due to take on the DSLR using masses come April, priced at US$800. If it's just the body you're after, it'll come with a price tag of around US$700. UK is pricing is yet to be announced.

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Reliance CDMA Tab - India's first CDMA tablet at Rs. 12,999

Reliance communications (RCom) has launched a CDMA tablet, called Reliance CDMA Tab, in India. The new Reliance tablet runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. This feels a little old and we wish the tablet were running Google’s latest OS, Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Reliance CDMA tab has a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, a 2MP rear camera and no front facing camera, 800MHz CPU, 512 MB RAM and expandable storage up to 32GB via MicroSD card. The device comes bundled with a 4GB memory card. The device also sports a 4,000 mAh lithium ion battery. The Reliance CDMA tab is priced at Rs. 12,999.

The tablet is expected to launch with 15 entertainment apps and users will have access to many more via the Google Play store. Some of the preloaded apps include – YouTube, Google Maps, R World Online, Facebook and Gmail.

The Reliance CDMA Tab is the company’s second entry into the tablet market. It launched the Reliance 3G tab last year. You can check out our review of the Reliance 3G Tab here.

The Reliance CDMA Tab is going to be pitted against other budget tablets such as Beetel Magiq, iBall Slide and Reliance's own 3G Tab.

Reliance has also shared the mo

Postpaid : Super Value Combo Offer (Annual)
Data usage / Month	1GB	2GB	5GB
Reliance CDMA Tab Price (in)	12,999	12,999	12,999
Advance Rental for 12 months : current (in)	6,201	7,401	11,589
Discounted Advance Rental for 12 months (in)	4,500	5,500	7,000
Combo Price for a year (in)	17,499	18,499	19,999
Savings (%)	27%	26%	40%
Postpaid : Super Value Offer (Monthly)
Data usage / Month	2GB	5GB	10GB	15GB
Monthly Rental : current (in)	750	1,099	1,250	1,750
Discounted monthly rental (in)	598	750	950	1,200
You Save ()	152	349	300	550
You Save (%)	20%	32%	24%	31%
My Best Plan
Data usage / Month	You Pay (in )
Upto 500 MB	350
Between 500 MB & 1GB	350 + 60p/MB for usage above 500 MB
Above 1GB	650 +6p/MB for usage above 1000 MB

nthly and annual postpaid data plans of the tablet. 

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New Apple TV launches with 1080p video and new UI

Apple TV has, as predicted, just received an update alongside the new iPad. It looks the same as the original, packed into a palm-sized black box of beauty, but its insides are far more fascinating.

A new user interface serves up third party apps like YouTube, Flickr and Vimeo – easily accessed from big, pretty tiles. It even lets you use Netflix if you’re not a fan of iTunes movies – and it now has a Genius button to help you pick your flick.

Photo Stream is now available on your Apple TV and syncs live from the ether, all displayed in glorious HD. Judging from the “Computers” icon in the menu you should be able to access your home network’s content very easily – probably still only MP4 films though. But it will come with AirPlay mirroring if you want to run a film on your MacBook and watch it live on your TV.

And the best part, it'll all come for a meagre £99. Plus owners of the old Apple TV will be able to download the new UI.

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nights coming to PS Vita

In all the fuss and kerfuffle about Apple's new iPad, there's a rather exciting bit of PlayStation Vita news you might've missed – Grand Theft Auto is coming to the portable PlayStation.

A source tipped off Eurogamer that online retailer Play.com had inadvertently leaked four big PS Vita titles – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nights, Monster Hunter Portable 3, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and Tales of Innocence R. The latter three titles have all been released in Japan on one or other Sony platforms – but GTA: Vice City Nights is all new.

It's unclear at this point whether GTA: Vice City Nights will use the map (and graphical stylings) of PS2 title GTA: Vice City, or whether it'll be overhauled to match the HD graphics of the GTA IV generation of titles. Hopefully we'll find out when Sony officially announces the next round of PS Vita titles at PlayStation Vita Game Heaven on March 9th.

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Next-gen Xbox 720 to do away with optical drive

According to video game magazine, MCV, Microsoft’s next version of the Xbox console will not feature an optical disc drive. Instead, the magazine claims the next-generation Xbox will rely solely on downloads, and inbuilt-solid state memory.

The MCV report also indicates that the Xbox 720console will be launched next year, as expected by industry pundits. Microsoft has officially denied most such rumours, and stays tight-lipped about a tentative launch.

Instead, the Redmond giant speaks of the many ways the company has prolonged the lifespan of the console, introducing natural user interfaces like voice recognition and the Kinect motion sensor, as well as adding a content platform for users.

Of course, relying on digital downloads as the sole medium is inherently risky – not all target markets have access to a developed internet infrastructure – perhaps, two versions, including one with an optical drive, will be released for relevant markets.

We should know more at E3 2012, when Microsoft is expected to show off the console ahead of its launch next year.

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Koenigsegg Agera R to be world’s fastest production car

Hyper cars are the new super cars, achieving record-shattering speeds reserved only for the mega rich, and the Koenigsegg Agera R will sit at the front of the pack soon, as the world’s fastest car.

The record is currently held by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport at 431km/h, but the Koenigsegg Agera R 2013 is packing a dizzying 1140bhp that should get it up to 440km/h (273mph) when it’s put to the test later in the year. Koenigsegg used to hold the top spot so it’s in with a big chance of taking that back. But even if the Agera R isn’t the fastest production car in the world it still has some impressive attributes.

The Agera R can manage 0-200mph in a jaw shaking 17.8 seconds. And it does it thanks to a unique hollow, one-piece carbon wheel designed from scratch by Koenigsegg to shave off 20kg of weight. This gives the Agera R, “the lowest unsprung weight of any supercar”.  And the technology doesn’t stop there as the cylinders are coated in a low friction nano-composite that saves energy otherwise wasted on friction, delivering 1.8-4.5 percent more energy efficiency. It sounds petty but in the upper echelons of speed every bit counts.

So if you’ve got a few quid floating around and want to kit out your Koenigsegg to perfection, you can chose every last detail here on theKoenigsegg configurator page.  Then all you have to do is sweet-talk the authorities when they catch you doing 273mph down the M25.

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Samsung Launches New LED Monitor Series Starts from Rs 6200 for 18.5".

Samsung has launched a new LED monitor series in India, which claims to be superior to its predecessor in more than one ways. The new monitors sport a better design and apparently, have better picture quality. Available in screen sizes of 18.5", 20", 21.5", 23", and 27", these target general as well as business consumers. The new series does not have any specific name as such.

The new monitors come with a specified Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 5,000,000:1. Samsung has once again used its Magic Angle technique for wide vertical as well as horizontal viewing angles of up to 178 degrees, thus the images appear the same regardless of the position of the viewer.

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Angry Bird Space Releaved

According to Rovio "It's one small step for birds, one giant leap for birdkind". Indeed, who would have thought that a mobile app maker can become big enough to tie up withNASA? Hard to believe, but the new Angry Birds game has been announced from the International Space Station.



This is the biggest announcement from Rovio after a long time. As its name suggests, Angry Birds Space is set in zero-gravity conditions. Needless to say, the gameplay has been drastically changed, and this new gameplay mechanics have been explained by the NASA astronaut Don Petit.

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Apple drops iPad 2 prices in India, now starting Rs. 24,500

pple lovers rejoice! We may not have a launch confirmation of the new iPad in India but the iPad 2 has seen a price drop globally. With the launch of the New iPad (which will be available in the US beginning March 16th), the price of the iPad 2 in India has fallen.

Customers can pick up an iPad 2 Wi-Fi only for Rs. 24,500 and the iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G for Rs. 32,900. In the US too, the iPad 2 saw a drop in price of $100.

If you wanted to pick up a 32GB or 64GB version of the iPad 2 you’d better hurry as Apple will discontinue these models (due to the obvious reason of the price overlap).

With the cheapest iPad now costing Rs. 24,500 the competition will have to fight a price war. We can expect to see competing tablets slash their prices over the coming weeks or offer bundle deals on their products (remember the BlackBerry Curve + PlayBook offer anyone?).

If you are confused as to which tablet device is right for you, you can check out our iPad 2 versus the new iPad tablet comparison here.

So, the big question remains; is anyone still interested in picking up the Asus Transformer Prime in India for Rs. 50,000?

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