Cooler Master launches CM Storm Sirus gaming headset

Need a competitive edge in those multi-player games? How about, Cooler Master’s brand new Sirus headset from their CM Storm line-up. First seen at Computex 2011, the popular PC chassis maker has launched it in India for a price tag of Rs.9,999.

This surround sound headset sets itself apart from the competition. It boasts of four individual drivers in each of the ear cups for a good 5.1 channel sound effect. It’s also engineered for comfort and style with a futuristic military design and extra-large comfortable cushions that sit around your ears. You also get interchangeable ear pads, a leatherette one for comfort and a breathable weaved one for those long gaming sessions. The primary drivers are 40nm, while the remaining six are 30mm drivers. The surround effect can be adjusted with the ‘Tactical Mixing Console’, which is similar to the Razer Megalodon. This is further complemented by a ‘Software Console’, using which users can further fine tune their settings.

Sirus also uses an unidirectional microphone with noise cancellation features. While its steep price may be a put off for many, we’ll have to put it to the test to see how this compares to Razer’s Megalodon and if its higher price is indeed justified.

Wynncom beefs up low-end handset category with 6 handsets

Looks like its raining handsets for those looking at handset options in the low-cost segment of the Indian market. After Idea Cellular, and XAGE, yet another upcoming manufacturer, Wynncom has beefed up the low-end handset space with the launch of six handsets - W401, W403, W257, W259, W352 and W355 Sonic. Wynncom has priced all of these six handsets in the below Rs.2,600 range. 

Wynncom range of handsets

Confirming in an official press release, Wynncom stated that all the six handsets offer features like -

• Bluetooth
• Dual-SIM
• MP3/ MP4
• Video recording 
• Mobile tracking 

Further according to the official statement, the W401 and W403 handsets are powered by 'lithium polymer' batteries, making them, reportedly the first handsets in the country with this feature. According to Wynncom, this is a revolutionary feature, considering that it's safer, comparatively smaller in size, and lighter, too. These batteries, Wynncom adds are also big on power saving. Both W401 and W403 offer a battery back-up of 55 days and a talk time of 35 hours, confirms Wynncom.

Other features of W401 and W403 include :

W401

• 2.4-inch colour display
• 4GB expandable memory
• FM Radio with Recording facility
• Phonebook with 500 contacts limit
• Mobile Tracker
• 3000 mAh battery

W403

• 2.6-inch colour display
• 4GB expandable memory
• FM Radio with recording 
• Phonebook with 500 contacts limit
• Mobile Tracker
• 3000 mAh battery

The W257 comes with a battery back up of 22 days and offers a talktime of 12 hours. Wynncom has priced it at Rs.1,890. The W257 is available in black and red colour options. 

It's other features include:

• 2-inch colour display
• Mobile tracker
• 1500 mAh battery

The W259 gives a battery back up of 30 days and a talktime of 16 hours. Wynncom has priced W259 handset at Rs.1,949. The W259 is available in blue and black colour options.

It's other features include:

• 2-inch colour display
• Mobile tracker
• 1800 mAh battery

The W352 Magic and W355 Sonic by Wynncom offer a battery back up of 30 days and a talktime of 8 hours.

Both these handsets come with the following common specifications:

• 2.0-inch QVGA TFT display, 
• 3.5 mm music jack

But, they differ in their batteries - the W352 Magic is powered by a 1800 mAH battery, while the W355 Sonic is powered by a 1320 mAH battery. Wynncom also offers the W352 Magic in a black-red colour combination and the W355 Sonic in black-red and golden-red colour combinations. The W352 Magic has been priced at Rs.2,145, while the W355 Sonic comes with a price tag of Rs.2,075.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 730 launched in India for Rs. 34,610

Update: Samsung has just launched the Tab 730 or 8.9 in India with a price tag of Rs.34,610 (MRP). However, you can find the tablet for as low as Rs.30,900, across some online stores. The Galaxy Tab 730 is identical to the 750 in every aspect, other than the screen size and battery capacity. If you were looking for something more portable and lighter, then the Tab 730 may just be a perfect fit for you.

The official announcement hasn’t come yet, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab 730 aka. the Galaxy tab 8.9 has reportedly landed on Indian shores. Online shopping site Letsbuy has priced the Galaxy Tab 8.9 at Rs. 32,445 which is surprisingly higher than the price for the 750 – Rs. 32,000. It’s a little absurd considering the Galaxy Tab 10.1, as the name suggests has a bigger screen than the 8.9. The tablet is available for immediate purchase.

On the other hand, those wanting a relatively cheaper deal need to hold on for a while though as Flipkart have announced that product will come soon at a price of Rs. 30,900. Flipkart, however, have priced the 750 at 33,000. 

The following are some of the highlights of the tablet:

• 8.9-inch LCD, Capacitive touchscreen with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with DLNA support and hot spot
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and USB 2.0
• 3.1 megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash, 720p video capture
• 2MP secondary camera
• Memory expandable up to 32 GB via accessory option
• 3.5 mm headphone jack

Galaxy Nexus' volume bug gets a fix, on its way

We reported a couple of days ago, that there was a quirky bug affecting the volume controls of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The volume issue, basically had the users experiencing fluctuating volume levels (reducing, in most cases), due to radio interference. According to a report by CNET, Google have confirmed this issue and said that they are aware of the issue and have developed a fix. They go on to say that they will update devices as soon as possible.

Presently, the Galaxy Nexus is available only across Europe and the issue is apparently caused by the 900MHz 2G radio frequency used by UK carriers O2 and Vodafone. With a fix on the way, the Galaxy Nexus handsets that will be coming here would most certainly be without this volume issue. At present, there is no information on when the Google phone will be launched in India. But, Google has already put up a page indicating that it will be coming soon.

HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio launches in India

HTC's Sensation XE smartphone featuring Dr Dre’s Beats Audio has finally made it to the Indian shores, after a global unveiling a couple of months ago with a price tag of Rs.35,490 (MRP) and for a Best Buy price of Rs.33,990.

While audio is the high point of this smartphone, HTC has packed-in some other neat features, too. The main features of HTC Sensation XE, include a 4.3-inch qHD S-LCD display. The smartphone's powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The Sensation XE is based on a Qualcomm MSM8260 chipset and features the latest Android 2.3 and HTC Sense 3.5 software.

Additionally, it sports an 8 MP camera at the rear, along with dual LED flash for still images and a VGA front-facing camera. HTC Sensation XE can record HD videos at 1080p. HTC has also added a 1730mAh battery allowing users to listen, watch, speak and browse for longer durations. Connectivity options are aplenty with this new handset as they have loaded it up with quad-band GSM, dual-band 3G with HSPA support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0 and FM radio. 

Also included in the HTC Sensation XE package is a microSD card, 8GB or 16GB giving users enough memory capacity to load thousands of songs. To better complement the HTC Sensation XE with the Beats Audio technology, HTC have bundled-in a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headphones. The headphones feature a remote control, using which users can pause, play or skip through tracks and answer/end calls, while the phone's in their pocket.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (16GB)

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, also known as the Nexus Prime, is the latest 'Google Phone' offering and the very first handset to run Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).
Having previously manufactured the Google Nexus S, Samsung has once again been chosen by Google to apply its innovative smartphone expertise to its latest handset and this knowledge is married perfectly with the range of new features that Ice Cream Sandwich has to offer.
A range of cutting edge Android features are introduced via the Galaxy Nexus thanks to Android ICS. These include Face Unlock, a means of unlocking the device by looking at the 1.3 MP front facing camera. There's also 'Android Beam', a feature that allows you to easily share contacts, apps, websites and more between two NFC enabled Android devices. Improvements have been made to several of the stock apps, such as camera, calendar and the web browser. More detail on the new Ice Cream Sandwich features can be read here.
Of course, it's not just the software features, but also the hardware features of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that are bound to impress. A 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM make this handset very powerful indeed, while the 4.65" Super AMOLED display is also an industry first. As well as the 1.3 MP front facing camera, there's a 5MP snapper on the back of the Galaxy Prime, which features and LED flash and shoots 1080p video,
Needless to say, the Galaxy Nexus is not lacking in connectivity features. The usual suspects - Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth are all included, but there's also NFC capability and the new 'Wi-Fi Direct' feature that has been introduced thanks to Android ICS. With Wi-Fi direct, users can connect to nearby peer devices over Wi-Fi without the need for an internet connection. This allows for the instant sharing of files, media and third party apps. In terms of internal storage, this version of the Galaxy Nexus comes with 16GB of space, so there's plenty of room for music, movies and photos.

Features of Samsung Galaxy Nexus (16GB)

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 1.2GHz Dual-Core Processor
• 4.65 Super AMOLED Display
• 5MP Rear, 1.3MP Front facing camera
• 16GB Internal Storage
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct
• Face Unlock, Android Beam & More
• 3.5mm Audio Jack
• 1GB RAM

What's in the box of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (16GB)?

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• Stereo Headset
• Battery 1750mAh
• USB Data/Charge Cable
• Mains Charger (UK)
• Additional Documentation