computer active india - april 2014

100
  `  120 April 20 14, V ol. 9, Issue 4   E  X  T  R A   F  E A  T  U  R  E  S   E  X  T  R A   P A  G  E  S  M  O  R  E   V A  L  U  E   F  O  R   M  O  N  E  Y Windows XP Survival Guide YOUR PC CAN GO EVEN Best speed tips no one ever told you about Mak e old PC s last longer Stop things taking ages  Remove hidden junk F astest hardware, cheapest prices .... Oh, and you can get faster broadband too! FASTER  Get a Faster Home Network  LENOVO YOGA TABLET 8 PLUS Lenovo’ s First Multimode Y oga Tablet bo rn LG G FLEX A curvy smartphone from the future

Upload: qinlao

Post on 06-Oct-2015

30 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

it magazin

TRANSCRIPT

  • ` 120

    April 2014, Vol. 9, Issue 4

    EXTRA

    FEATURES

    EXTRA

    PAGESMORE

    VALUE

    FOR MONEY

    Windows XP Survival Guide

    YOUR PCCAN GO EVEN

    Best speed tips no one ever told you about

    Make old PCs last longer Stop things taking ages

    Remove hidden junk Fastest hardware, cheapest prices

    ....Oh, and you can get faster broadband too!

    FASTER

    Get a Faster Home Network

    LENOVO YOGA TABLET 8

    PLUS

    Lenovos First Multimode Yoga Tablet born

    LG G FLEXA curvy smartphone from the future

  • Brought to you in India by...

    MEDIAMAN INFOTECH PVT. LTD.14 th oor , Goldlled Tower B , Sion Bandra Link Road ,Sant Rohildas Marg, Sion , Mumbai 400017.Tel.: +91-22-24061200 E-mail: [email protected]=+0$'$%$'=$1*$/24(=$42'$=+7%$1(59$4=+23$/=+(11$,=+$1',*$4+=2&+,1=2,0%$624(=(+4$'71=(/+,=79$+$6,=74*$21=24$.+374=2$=7%/,=1'24(=$,374=$007=$05+('374=$//$1'+$4=2/.$66$=$1374=7&.129=70%$,=$*374=$5,.=$61$=$49$122=21'&+(44:=71(= $374= $-.26= $1&+,=!(&71'4$%$'=!74$6="4,8$1'470=#,5+$.+$3$61$0=#,-$:$9$'$website: www.mediaman.co.in Facebook:+663)$&(%22.&200(',$0$1&2,1

  • Editor & Publisher Amit Tewari

    Senior Feature WriterKunal Gangar

    ContributorsDaniel Booth, Alian Lu, Sherwin Coetho, James Temperton, Scott Colvey, Graham Brown

    Creative Director & Head ProductionAtul Bandekar

    Designer Prakash Gavnang

    Image Desk Deepak Narkar, Ravi Parmar

    Illustrators Ian Jackson, Nick Palmer, Tom Steyer, Ajay Paradkar

    PhotographyMahesh Reddy, Sharonjit Samrai

    Asstt. Operations Manager CirculationSanjeev Roy

    Asstt. Circulation ManagerKapil Kaushik, Delhi

    Subscription Supervisor - PrintSachin KelkarTel: +91-22-43525220 Fax: +91-22-24955394Email: [email protected]

    Apple Newsstand & Magzter Queries:[email protected] Subscriptions Queries:http://in.zinio.com/help/index.jspFor Pocket Mags Queries: [email protected]

    DISCLAIMER Readers are reminded that the opinions expressed, and the results published in connection withreviews and/or laboratory test reports carried out on computing systems and/or related items, arecon ned to, and are representative of, only thosegoods as supplied and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase. Whilst every precaution is taken to ensure that reliability andgood business practices prevail, the Publisher cannot be held responsible for the overall trading activities of any supplier referred to, or advertisingwithin, this publication.

    Printed by Amit Tewari Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Published by Amit Tewari on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound,Senapati Bapat Mar, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai400013. Printed at Kalajyothi Process Pvt. Ltd,1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20.Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg,Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013.

    Next Gen Publishing Ltd. 2nd Floor, C Wing , Trade World, Kamala MillsCompound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W),Mumbai 400013Tel: +91-22-43525252 Fax: +91-22-24955394Email: [email protected]

    2013 Dennis Publishing Ltd.All rights reserved. Published with the permission of Dennis PublishingLtd. Reproduction in any manner in any language inwhole or in part without prior written permission from Dennis Publishing Ltd & NGPL with regard to their respective content is prohibited.

    Editor : Amit Tewari

    Vol. 9 Issue 4

    Visit our website: www.computeractive.in

    Ahmedabad305, 3rd Floor, AEON Complex Near Angira Society, Vijay Cross Roads, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009 Tel: + 91 79 26405061/2/3BengaluruUnit No. 509, 5th Floor B Wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bangalore -560001, India Tel: +91 80 66110116/17 Fax: + 91 80 41472574ChennaiUnit No. 20, 3rd Floor, Modern Towers, No. 35/23 West Cott Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600014. Tel: + 91 44 39149889 Fax: + 91 44 39149892HyderabadRichard G.C., Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation)Mobile no. 09949217127

    KolkataVidyasagar Gupta, Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation). Mobile no. 09804085683New Delhi26-B, Ground Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase-III, New Delhi - 110020.Tel: +91 11 4234 6600 / 6678 Fax: + 91 11 4234 6679Pune401B, Gandhi Empire, 2, Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411040. Tel: + 91 20 32930291 Fax: + 91 20 26830465Mumbai2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013Tel: +91 22 43525252 Fax: +91 22 24955394

    Editorial email addressesSorry, but we can only give technical help and consumeradvice through published replies in the magazine we cannot take phone calls or answer letters personally. For subscription enquiries, see the details above.For editorial enquiries, please write at the email addresses given below.

    Opinion, feedback and enquiries: [email protected] help: [email protected]

    Branch offices

    4 Computer active April 2014

    Welcome From the Editor

    Microsoft will be ending support for windows XP from 8th April. In a three part survival guide starting this issue, we explain whats happening and what it means for you. On other pages, nd

    out whats making your computer run slowly and then speed it up.

    I hope you enjoy reading this issue, as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

    Amit Tewari, Editor [email protected]

    p42

    p52p56

    p32p30

  • In this issue

    In every issue

    4 Welcome

    8 Letters

    10 News

    24 Protect Your Tech

    27 Best Free Software

    61 Whats All the Fuss About?

    87 Problems Solved

    93 Fast Fixes

    94 Jargon Buster

    95 The Final Straw

    97 IMS QUIZ

    42 YOUR PC CAN GO EVEN FASTERFind out whats making your computer run slowly, then get it going faster than ever before with ours expert tweaks and upgrades

    48 Play all your music anywhere you likeEnjoy your entire music collection on any device whenever you want

    50 The 10 stupidest things in Windows Windows is riddled with unfriendly controls. we explain how to avoid Ctrl+Alt+Del and other idiotic aws

    52 Windows XP Survival Guide-Part 1In the rst of a three-part series on how you can survive the end of support for XP

    56 Get a fasterHome networkDont pay for a new router. we show you how to get nippier network connections without upgrading

    Windows XP Survival Guide-Part 1 p52Windows XP Survival Guide-Part 1 p52

    CAN GO EVEN

    Find out whats making your computer run slowly, then get it going faster than ever before with ours expert tweaks and upgrades

    YOUR PC

    FASTER

    Get a faster Home network p56

    58 Scariest new ways to get hacked Hacking now comes in lots of di erent forms. we nd out the 14 worst things hackers can do so far

    62 Control your PCs power and save moneyEnergy prices may have skyrocketed, but you can cut your bills by reducing how much power your PC wastes. we explains what you should do

    6 Computer active April 2014

    April 2014 [ Issue 4Contents

  • Asha 502 p29

    LG G Flex p32

    Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 p30

    Reviews

    Sony Xperia Z1 Compact p39

    Workshops22 pages of brilliant workshops

    65 Get a free tablet office suite with CloudOn68 Read your webmail offline with Thunderbird70 Master the new iOS 7 on iPhone and iPad72 Send huge files with Hightail73 Hack Windows Media Player to share your media76 Master Chrome on iPad and iPhone

    78 Make a private social network with Path80 Learn how to create a tilt-shift photo

    81 Readers Tips82 Tablet & Phone Tips84 Make Windows Better85 Make Office Better86 Secret Tips For... OneNote

    PLUS

    28 HP DeskJet 2520hc

    29 Asha 502ASRock H61 Pro BTC Motherboard

    30 Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8

    31 LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 HDD

    32 LG G Flex

    33 Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti GPU

    34 D-Link DCS-825L Baby Camera Epson EH-TW5200 Projector

    36 SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive Strontium 64GB microSDXC card

    38 Sony VAIO Flip 13

    39 Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

    40 Google Chromecast JBL Flip 2

    7April 2014 Computer active

    Contents

  • 8 Computer active April 2014

    Letters Tell us whats on your mindEmail: [email protected] Post: Letters,CA, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, S. B. Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. We cannot offer technical assistance or reply personally to correspondence but all letters are read by our staff.Letters and emails may be edited for publication on this page. Please mark your message not for publication

    if you would prefer it not to be shared.

    STAR LETTER

    Chromebooks battery is punyI notice that Google has launched another

    Chromebook the HP 11 (www.snipca.com/10274). They say its for everyone. Id say its only for people who dont mind recharging their laptop every couple of hours. People say its cheap. Id say its a false economy because youll probably end up spending more than that on electricity. I bought a Chromebook last year and now wish I hadnt. It simply has the puniest battery of any laptop Ive ever used. Yes, its fast and simple. Its good for people whose web life revolves around Googles services, and its stylish

    and light. But you cant rely on a single charge to last all day, for example. So be warned before you fall for Googles tempting marketing.

    Deepak More

    Last months winner: Jay singh

    This is with reference to the article that appeared in computer active December 2013 issue.

    Whats the best OS ever? And the comment by a reader

    Mr.Peter Goms.

    I am a hobbyist and interested in old vintage Hindi Music and so are my other old vintage music lover friends. Most of this category people are old senior citizens. The old music is a past time for us.

    I am using windows XP for the last couple of years. I find it very useful tool. I can load my music files at any of the PCs hard disc drives without having any problem and can open the same from any of the music player of my choice. But I think this is not the case with Windows 7 or Windows 8.

    Once I opened a Window Media Player in Windows 7 which pointed to organize the music files as per the default of Window Media Player. (I may be wrong also). In Windows XP OS it is simple to operate the music files in a simple way without having unnecessary complication. People like us are deterred to use advance Windows 7 or Windows 8 OS for such music hobby purpose. The advance system will be useful for other users but not us. At the most we may use the computer to load the photos to PC from digital camera. For that Microsoft should keep the option to users to use either of the Operating Systems rather than totally rejecting Windows XP. They may charge for updating the XP file.

    Those customers who have purchased the new computers on the basis of XP OS will be in troubles.

    I think one more suggestion if Microsoft slashes the cost of the Windows XP software instead of closing it, there would be thousands

    of users who would be opted to purchase the genuine software from the Microsoft Company.

    The nero media player is also one the best music player for hobbyists. nero informs users to purchase Nero mp3 PRO software for mp3 music. However, when enquiry is made to them on line for the purchase, they offer a very advance version of software for music, videos and photos etc. which may not be much useful for us. Even the recording of cassettes music as

    provided in the old version of nero media palyaer. is available or not available in the new version, is not known.

    Windows OS has also withdrawn the facility of License for playing cda. format of music files in Window Media Player and the other music players.

    There are very good computer engineers and technicians in our country, would anybody be kind enough to guide us in the matter.

  • News Round up of the top stories of the month

    10 Computer active April 2014

    Gionee, the leading global designer and manufacturer of mobile devices launched the Worlds Slimmest Smartphone - ELIFE S5.5 in India. Named after its biggest feature a 5.55mm slim body. The path breaking innovative smartphone ELIFE S5.5 is going to hit India market by mid April 2014.The ELIFE S series is a new product category developed through Gionees deep understanding of customers desire for a slim and powerful smartphone to also act as a fashionable accessory. The ELIFE S series products will incorporate an emphasis on design without compromising

    the hardware and software of a smartphone to create a whole new user experience.The phone specifications include 5.0 Super AMOLED Plus display, Octa- Core 1.7GHz CPU,Single SIM, 13.0MP AF rear and 5.0MP AF front Camera, AMIGO OS 2.0 (based on Android OS, V4.2) 16GB on board memory with 2GB of RAM. The phone measures 145.1 x 70.2 x 5.55mm and comes with a non-removable 2300mAh Battery.The GIONEE ELIFE S5.5 is available in Black, White, Blue, Pink, and Purple. ELIFE S 5.5 will be available at the price of INR 22, 999 in India.

    Gionee launches Worlds Slimmest Smartphone ELIFE S5.5 in India

    Sony India has launched Xperia T2 Ultra. Designed specically with customers from emerging markets in China, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacic rim in mind, Xperia T2 Ultra brings together the best of Sonys imaging and display technologies with ground-breaking design eciency to produce a stunning Android smartphone at a mid-range price point.Xperia T2 Ultras stunning 6 HD IPS TRILUMINOS display extends to within 2.5 mm of the phones edges. This means that it has a screen to phone size ratio of 73.6%, both making the most of the space available and ensuring that the phone is no wider than a standard credit card. It is also both slim (7.6 mm) and light (weighing only 173 1g depending on variant dierences), tting easily in a

    jacket pocket. Big, bright screens can often use a lot of power, but thats not a problem with Xperia T2 Ultra, Sony has ensured that it is ready to go the distance by incorporating a battery-ecient processor and massive 3000 mAh battery. Xperia T2 Ultra features a 13 megapixel camera. Xperia T2 Ultra dual (the only variant available in India) oers a new experience through the incorporation of Sonys latest

    generation of dual SIM mobile technology. Users can set up both SIM cards independently with custom ring tones and one-touch switching between SIMs before making calls or sending texts.

    Sony brings large screen Xperia T2 Ultra at an affordable price

  • 11April 2014 Computer active

    Nokia has announced that the Nokia X, part of the new Nokia X family of aordable smartphones that run Android apps, will begin selling in India. The new Nokia X family that includes Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL is the perfect introduction to the world of Android apps, coupled with signature Nokia experiences, and the most popular Microsoft services.

    Nokia X comes with Fastlane, a screen which lets people switch between their favorite apps more smoothly. People can access curated, quality-tested apps from Nokia Store, more than a dozen third-party app stores and by side loading. All devices are also pre-loaded with a variety of very popular third-party apps and games such as BBM, Twitter, Facebook, Plants Vs. Zombies, etc.

    Out of the box, consumers can enjoy signature Nokia experiences including

    free HERE Maps, with true oine maps and integrated turn-by-turn navigation, and Nokia MixRadio for free music streaming and downloadable playlists. The Nokia X is also an aordable introduction to popular Microsoft services, including 7GB free cloud storage using OneDrive and additional 3GB if consumers enable camera back up.

    Nokia X, a beautifully crafted smartphone with Nokias signature design approach and bold, bright colours. At only 10.4mm thin, the slim, durable monobody design features a 4 scratch-proof display and exchangeable back covers that come in a variety of statement colours. Inside, the device runs on the Nokia X Software Platform and is powered by a1Ghz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

    The dual SIM Nokia X will be available in India starting at Rs. 8599 MOP.

    Canon India Pvt. Ltd., has launched the EOS 1200D in the Indian market.

    This entry-level DSLR offers advance control, images with sharp details, a host of easy-to-use features giving consumers the option of exploring Canons repertoire of more than 70 EF lenses.

    The new EOS 1200D is targeted at newcomers to the world of DSLR cameras, including families who want to capture their memories with superior quality, budding amateurs and even hobbyists looking to work on their photography skills with a user-friendly DSLR. By combining Canons powerful DIGIC 4 imaging processor and an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the EOS 1200D produces stunning photographs with a combination of sharp details and attractive background blur.

    A key difference between taking photos on a smartphone or compact camera and on a DSLR is the availability of an optical viewfinder in the latter. The EOS 1200D has a highly-accurate

    9-point Auto Focus (AF) system with center cross-type AF point enables accurate and rapid focusing on both horizontal and vertical planes.

    The EOS 1200D captures Full HD movies at up to 30 fps. Videos are shot with beautiful background blur effects and incorporate a higher dynamic range, a capability that a smartphone cannot achieve. Even in low light situations, the EOS 1200D is able to shoot videos at ISO

    speeds of up to 6400.The EOS 1200D will be available at all

    Canon Image Squares and leading retail outlets at a price of INR 30,995 (MRP) for the body only.

    Canon new EOS 1200D targets families and first time users

    First Android-powered Nokia X now available in India

  • News

    12 Computer active April 2014

    HTC unveiled the highly anticipated new HTC One (M8), the ultimate evolution of the award-winning HTC One (M7). Launching in Gunmetal Gray with the all-new HTC Sense 6, the new HTC One (M8), boasts a high quality metal unibody with a Smart Sensor Hub that anticipates your needs and uses Motion Launch controls to make everyday tasks easier. New Duo Camera technology delivers creative, professional-looking photos and amazing e ects, and HTC BoomSound again sets new standards for audio quality on a smartphone.

    Th e new HTC Ones body has been re-crafted to create an even more stunning yet approachable look. Th e beautiful, durable, high quality metal unibody ows right up to the 5-inch, full HD (1080p) display, tapering to thinner edges, with softer curves for a smooth, more natural grip.

    Supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs and running Android 4.4, KitKat, the latest version of the Android OS, the new HTC One (M8) features the all-new HTC Sense 6, available on the device and as an upgrade from the Google Play store. Completely redesigned with a cleaner, more striking visual style, HTC Sense 6 features bold, customisable colour themes and delivers a more intuitive, personalised user experience

    Th e new HTC One (M8) brings a totally

    di erent dimension to mobile imaging by combining the worlds rst smartphone with a Duo Camera that features HTCs innovative HTC UltraPixel module, a dual colour ash and full 1080p HD video recording. A 5-MP wide-angle front facing camera also captures superior sel es with ease.

    With the introduction of HTC Sense 6, the new HTC One (M8) boasts capabilities that give the product a sixth sense. For example,

    Motion Launch is immediately able to detect its position and movement, thanks to built-in motion sensors that allow you to interact with the phone without turning on the screen. A simple swipe will activate the device, Auto Answer allows you to answer a call by putting the phone to your ear without

    touching the screen a handy tool if the phone rings when you are digging the garden or washing the dishes and a double tap turns the lock screen on and o .

    Taking that sixth sense functionality one step further you can extend Motion Launch by double tapping the dot view case, in addition to checking the time, weather, new texts, emails and calls - without touching or revealing the screen.

    Th e innovation doesnt end there, as we are also changing how people use their phone battery. With the original HTC One (M7), HTC optimised power consumption so that you could get the most out of your phone. Th e new HTC One (M8) takes this to a whole new level making the battery power last 40% longer. Whilst normal power saving mode delivers a great experience, we have also included an Extreme power saving mode that makes your battery last even longer. Fully charged it will deliver 14 days worth of battery power, whilst still allowing you to receive calls, texts and emails perfect for when you are travelling. Activated either manually or automatically, it delivers 60 hours of extra standby time at 20% power, 30 hours at 10% power and 15 hours at 5% power so, whether you are out

    late at night or hiking in the mountains, you never have to worry about running out of battery again.

    Th e HTC One (M8) will be available globally in Gunmetal Gray, Glacial Silver and will be rolled out in the South Asia region in the coming weeks.

    HTC unveils One (M8) smartphone

  • News

    14 Computer active April 2014

    BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of Interactive Classroom IQ solution and a leader in the global DLP projector market introduces their energy e cient and eco friendly classroom projectors MX823ST&MW824ST.Th e MX823ST & MW824ST feature

    LumenCare Mode, which adjusts projector lamp power in gain steps until full power is reached. It is the rst and only projection feature on that ensures three years of consistent image brightness for optimal learning and teaching. Along with the same,the LampSave Mode is designed to adjust the lamp power dynamically by content brightness level to extend projector lamp life signi cantly by 50% giving the total lamp hours of upto 10,000. Th e lamp replacement frequency is also reduced by up to 50% to lower the replacement costs.Th e wide range of connectivity options and availibity of PointWrite and QWrite interactive features make MX823ST& MW 824ST complete classroom interactive projector solution. Th rough PointWrite and QWrite interactive features teachers can get

    up to 4 students to come up to the board and collaborate simultaneously with PointWrite pens to solve Quizzes, board work, presentations and games.Th e ultra-sharp contrast ratio of 13000:1, 3200 ANSI Lumens brightness and long lamp life guarantee vibrant, reliable visual performance time and again. Both MX 823ST & MW824STcomes with DLP technology that supports 3D functionality, ensuring an immersive learning experience to their students with a simple preparation of 3D glasses and 3D content from your blu-ray player.Th e MX823ST has a native resolution of XGA (1024 X 768) while the MW824ST has a native resolution of WXGA (1280 X 800).MX 823ST & MW824ST are available at a retail price of Rs 60000 & 65000 respectively.

    BenQ debuts two new short-throw classroom interactive projector solutions

    Moto X represents the best of Motorola and Google, and its available to Indian customers exclusively through Flipkart.com from 19th March, 2014.Moto X has a unique curved back, designed to fit your hand. With Google Now, Moto X tells you what you need to know when you need to know it. With two flicks of your wrist, Moto X becomes your camera and captures the shots you used to miss. Its ready when you are.To use your Moto X, you only need your voice. Without touching it at all, you can get directions, set an alarm or do just about anythingjust by talking. Moto X is always ready to tell you what you need to know. Instead of a uselessly blinking light, Moto X gives you useful info at a glance with Active

    Notifications, which appear right on screen. Moto X knows you need a camera, and its always ready to go. Just twist your wrist twice and its ready. Touch anywhere on the screen, and youll get the shot. All in just a few seconds. Continuous shooting capabilities, as well as a ten megapixel camera, mean the photos you do take are the ones you want.

    Moto X will be available in Woven Black and Woven White starting 19th March for INR 23,999. In early April, there will be three more color variations (Cherry Red, Royal Blue, and Turquoise Green) and two wood-finish editions (Walnut finish and Teak finish) would be priced at INR 25,999.

    Motorola launches Moto X, exclusively on Flipkart

  • News

    16 Computer active April 2014

    Transcend Informationhas launched SDXC/SDHC UHS-I cards featuring full support for the Ultra High Speed Class 3 (U3) speci cation . Capable of reaching incredible read and write speeds of up to 95MB/s and 85MB/s, Transcends SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards provide the performance necessary to harness the full power of UHS U3-compliant digital recording equipment.

    Recently released by the SD Association, the Ultra High Speed Class 3 speci cation guarantees a minimum constant write speed of 30MB/s to facilitate cinema-quality video recording. Transcends SDXC UHS-I U3 and SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X Extreme cards, however, can achieve at least double this performance with blazing-fast write speeds of up to 60MB/s and 85MB/s respectively. When used with todays advanced camcorders, such as

    the Sony 4K Handycam FDR-AX100, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, and Canon EOS C500 Cinema Camera, these cards ensure smooth 4K video capture in stunning color and clarity.

    In devices that do not support the UHS-I speci cation, Transcends SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards o er constant write speeds of at least 10MB/s (SD Speed Class 10 performance), which makes them perfect for Full HD video recording as well as fast-action consecutive shooting. Pairing the new UHS-I U3 cards with Transcends RDF8 USB 3.0 multi-card reader or the handy RDF5 USB 3.0 card reader with built-in USB port signi cantly reduces the time it takes to transfer data from card to computer with read speeds of up to 95MB/s.

    Featuring capacities ranging from 32GB to an enormous 128GB, for added value, each Transcend memory card includes a free download of Transcends exclusive RecoveRx photo recovery software. All

    Transcend memory cards are fully tested for compatibility and reliability, and carry Transcends Lifetime Warranty.

    Seagate Technology has announced the second generation of its sleek external storage lineup, Seagate Backup Plus Slim. With a svelte compact design and superspeed USB 3.0 interface, the Backup Plus Slim drive is the ideal storage solution to aggregate and back up valued photos, videos and other les despite being spread across numerous devices, social networks and personal computers.

    Th is new o ering includes the backup software, Seagate Dashboard, which made the rst generation of Seagate Backup Plus drives so popular. Th e Seagate Dashboard software provides an easy one-click backup solution, but can also be set as a scheduled backup up as needed. Additionally, the Dashboard software will back up Facebook and Flickr albums to ensure that even video and photos shared through these networks are backed up

    and easy to nd. Use the Save and Share features to download and upload content from these social media networks. Even all the photos you have been tagged in can be backed up from your social networks to the drive.

    Backup Plus external storage is available in a range of capacities to t every size of job. Th e USB 3.0-powered, 2TB drive is the highest capacity drive tting into a 12.1mm form factor. Th e metal-top case of these drives, available in red, blue, black and silver, is designed to resist scratches and ngerprints.

    Seagate Backup Plus storage is available in stores by capacity: for Backup Plus Slim portable: 500GB Slim - INR4,250, 1TB Slim - INR6,000, 2TB Slim - INR10,500 and the 4TB Fast - INR25,000 MSRP.

    SATranscend Launches SDXC/SDHC UHS-I Cards that support 4K Video Capture

    Seagate launches new Backup Plus Portable Drives in India

  • News

    18 Computer active April 2014

    Lenovo, one of Indias leading PC players has unveiled the new Th inkCentre M73 Tiny, a compact, high performance desktop, perfect for modest workspaces. Starting at INR 28,500 plus taxes, the a ordable desktop comes with VESA mount support, which allows the M73 Tiny the exibility to t anywhere in the workspaceon the desk, or behind a monitor.

    Th e 1L sized desktop weighs 2.9 pounds (1.3Kgs onwards), and is equipped with 4th generation Intel Core i processors that improve performance by 10%. Th e PC Cloud Manager 2 o ers failure warnings, troubleshooting and power consumption reports to keep the PC healthy and green. Th e Intelligent Cooling Engine (ICE) 3.01 allows for working in hotter temperatures and enables system monitoring with thermal alerts that preempt overheating possibilities.

    Lenovo unveils Thinkcentre m73 tiny desktop

    Kingston has announced the launch of its DataTraveler microDuo in India. In a small form factor, the microDuo is a combination of USB and microUSB Flash drive that allows consumers to expand the storage of their Android tablets and smartphones on-the-go.

    DataTraveler microDuo uses the microUSB port on devices often used for charging to expand

    storage up to 64GB. This is especially helpful as more and more smartphones and some tablets come without a microSD card storage expansion slot. The drive can be used with any USB On-The-Go compatible device and the dual interface allows users to transfer files without plugging into a PC. Smartphones and tablets shoot hi-res photos and HD video, and with some devices now shooting 4K video, consumers can easily move large files, photos, videos and music off the device to free up space just like a normal Flash drive.

    Kingston Launches MicroDuo Dual Interface USB Drive

  • News

    20 Computer active April 2014

    Samsung Electronics has introduced the Galaxy S5, blending features that matter most to consumers. The new Galaxy S5 offers consumers a refined experience with innovation of essential features for day-to-day use. The Galaxy S5 combines an advanced camera, the fast network connectivity, dedicated fitness tools and enhanced device protection features as consumers stay fit and connected in style.

    The Galaxy S5 blends iconic Samsung design with modern trends to appeal to a range of consumer tastes and interests. The Galaxy S5 features a perforated pattern on the back cover creating a modern glam look. Its new sleek, contoured shape comes in an array of vivid colors, including charcoal Black, shimmery White, electric Blue and copper Gold, to complement the style of the individual consumer.

    The new Galaxy S5 offers superior camera functionality, featuring a 16 megapixel camera with an enhanced menu and user interface that allow consumers to effortlessly take, edit and share photos. The Galaxy S5 offers the worlds fastest autofocus speed up to 0.3 seconds and the advanced High Dynamic Range (HDR) reproduces natural light and color with striking intensity at any occasion.

    The Galaxy S5 offers the fastest Wi-Fi performance available today, ensuring blazing fast data speeds for unrivaled media consumption and productivity. The Galaxy S5 supports fast 3G speeds at 42Mbps and it comes with a powerful Octa-core processor, capable of

    operating all 8 cores at the same time, to deliver a seamless experience on the Galaxy S5.

    With the enhanced S Health 3.0, the new Galaxy S5 offers more tools to help people stay fit and well. It provides a

    comprehensive personal fitness tracker to help users monitor and manage their behavior, along with additional tools including a pedometer, diet and exercise records, and a new, built-in heart rate sensor.

    The Galaxy S5 is IP67 dust and water resistant. It also offers a Finger Scanner, providing a secure, biometric screen

    locking feature. The Ultra Power Saving Mode turns the display to black and white, and shuts down all unnecessary features to minimize the battery consumption.

    Expanding its industry-leading wearable line, Samsung has launched three incredible devices Gear Fit, Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo that blend style, fitness and convenience to provide ultimate connectivity for the active mobile consumer.Samsung Gear Fit, the industrys first curved Super AMOLED wearable device, empowers consumers to stay physically active without sacrificing personal style or mobile connectivity. The Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are designed to take the freedom, convenience and style of wearable technology to the next level. The Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo offer consumers enhanced connectivity and a completely integrated approach for the most personal wearable experience. Both devices offer a lightweight design with a premium finish that reflects modern

    trends. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is priced

    between Rs. 51,000/- and Rs. 53.000/-. Galaxy Gear 2 is priced at Rs. 21,900/- and both Galaxy Gear 2 Neo and Galaxy Gear Fit are priced at Rs. 15,900/- each. These devices will be available across India through Samsungs retail stores and e-commerce sites on April 11, 2014.

    Samsung unveils Galaxy S5

  • 24 Computer active April 2014

    Protect Your TechScams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools

    Ashampoo has launched its first antivirus software since 2009, using malware-blocking technology from Bitdefender and Emsisoft. The program, which works with every version of Windows from XP to 8.1, contains all the necessary tools you need to stay safe, such as real-time protection, which thwarts attacks as they happen. Whats really impressive, though, is that it also contains two privacy tools from Ashampoos

    WinOptimizer software (www.snipca.com/10363): File Wiper to erase files and folders, and Internet Cleaner to delete your browsing history.

    Ashampoo Anti-Virus comes in one, two and three-year packages, priced 29.99, 39.99 and 54.99 respectively. Theres also a free trial which lasts 10 days if you dont register (30 days if you do). Helpfully, you dont need to provide your credit-card details to sign up for the free trial.

    New tools

    What happened?A researcher found security aws in seven D-Link router models. Its thought hackers could have used the weaknesses to take remote control of a router and modem and spy on peoples online activity.

    Writing on his blog (www.snipca.com/10334), Craig He ner said the DIR-100 (pictured), DI-524, DI-524UP, DI-604S, DI-604UP, DI-604+ and TM-G5240 models were at risk. He also claimed two models made by Japanese company Planex (www.planex.net) were a ected. Th e aw, known as a backdoor, lets hackers bypass normal security authentication while remaining undetected. Fortunately, theres no evidence its been exploited by hackers.

    Craig He ner belongs to a group of hackers called /dev/ttys0 (www.devttys0.com), which delves into

    devices such as routers and set-top boxes looking for vulnerabilities that companies should x.

    What should I do?If you use any of these routers you should install D-Links rmware updates to x the aws. At the time of going to press, the company said these would be available by the end of October. In a statement posted on its website (www.snipca.com/10335), D-Link wrote: We are proactively working with the sources of these reports as well as continuing to review across the complete product line to ensure that the vulnerabilities discovered are addressed. On the same webpage youll also nd rmware updates to x other vulnerabilities identi ed earlier this year. If you use

    any of the routers listed you should install the update now.

    We go along with D-Links advice, especially that you should ignore emails that claim your router is in danger of being hacked and prompt you to click a link. Th ese emails will de nitely be scams. You should also disable remote access to your router if you dont need it.

    Security fl aws in D-Link routersWATCH OUT FOR

    Ashampoo Anti-Virus 2014 www.ashampoo.com/antivirus

  • MP3 COVER FINDER

    OS : Windows XP/2003/2008/Vista/7/8/8.1

    q &WFSOPUFq3PCP5BTL

    q1-&9.FEJB4FSWFSq J5VOFTq 8JOEPXT&TTFOUJBMT

    q5VOF6Q6UJMJUJFTq*OY1%'&EJUPSq+BWBWVQEBUFq 0QFSBq .JDSPTPGU0OF%SJWFq%SPQCPY

    Full Software

    Productivity :

    Multimedia & Entertainment :

    Utilities :

    CD Contents

    26 $PNQVUFSBDUJWF April 2014

    April 2014

    From the EditorDear Readers,

    Th is months CD contains a multitude of productivity software. For music lovers, this months full software will be a treat. Enjoy.

    EDITOR

    PS:-Please reach us on [email protected] with your suggestions. Some of the software provided on this disc requires a product key from the publisher.

  • Best Free Software

    27April 2014 Computer active

    Brilliant new programs that wont cost you anything

    :27:HERI7UXVWLVDQH[FHOOHQWWRROWKDWXVHVWUDIILFOLJKWVWRLQGLFDWHZKHWKHUDZHEVLWHLVVDIHWRYLVLW7KHUDWLQJVDUHJHQHUDWHGIURPIHHGEDFNXVHUVSURYLGHDIWHUYLVLWLQJZHEVLWHV&OLFNWKHFLUFOHQH[WWRWKHZHEOLQNRUDGGUHVVEDUIRUFRPSUHKHQVLYHGHWDLOVDERXWWKHVLWHVUDQNLQJ,QWKHQHZYHUVLRQ\RXFDQUDWHVLWHVDFFRUGLQJWRVSHFLILFFULWHULDLQFOXGLQJFKLOGVDIHW\DQGWUXVWZRUWKLQHVV

  • 28 Computer active April 2014

    HP DeskJet 2520hcPRINTER

    A simple and efficient printer

    HOW WE TEST Computeractives reviewers follow strict guidelines to ensure the opinions expressed in the magazine are fair, accurate and independent. Every product or service we review is thoroughly examined and tested by experts. The manufacturer has no involvement in our tests and is never told the result of a review prior to publication. Please note that our reviews grade products, not customer service. We welcome feedback on our reviews send us an email to [email protected]

    OUR STAR RATINGS We provide a clear verdict for every product we review. Each verdict is accompanied by a star rating. Heres what those stars mean: An excellent purchase A good purchase OK by us Below average quality Very poor quality

    OUR STAMP OF APPROVAL

    BUY IT!

    Our Buy It! stamp of approval is a sign that a product has exceeded our high expectations in both quality and value.

    If you see the Buy It! logo you know we were impressed with the product and we think you will be too. The Try It! Stamp is our equivalent award for software and services that are free of charge.

    PRICESThe prices we print are the suggested retail prices set by the manufacturer. Products can often be found much cheaper on the internet or in shops.

    TECHNICAL TERMS AND JARGONWhile we try to keep our reviews free from technical language or jargon, it is sometimes unavoidable. See the Jargon Buster column for concise explanations of highlighted words.

    Reviews

    The HP DeskJet 2520hc has a simple yet elegant design. It is a good looking all-in-one with premium touches all over. Finished in pristine matte black plastic, steeply raked at the front, it has surprising good looks for a budget printer. The beige bezel, a chrome striped gradient on the top lid, neatly designed control panel and the well concealed paper input and output trays, make it surprisingly compact. Despite the compact size, the two cartridge slots are easy to access.

    A single USB 2.0 socket at the rear is the only means of connecting, the printer does not have HPs ePrint or Mobile Printing ability. The installer package is very interactive and is a detailed step-by-step process, it starts with an online check for the latest installer le. In our case it downloaded a 54.45MB installer le. The installation process took around 15-25 minutes, this may vary based on your computers conguration.

    Printing quality is not bad at all. We started with printing a 8 page PDF in Draft mode, the job was completed in 49 seconds. The quality was paler than usual, but this is common with most printers. We them printed 9 pages of dierent font sized text in normal quality, it took 1.09 minutes to print the entire document. To test the printer at best quality, we used a PDF that had dierent font sizes, graphs and images. The speed achieved was ve pages a minute.

    Scan and copy speed is better. Scanning a

    4x6in photo took 24seconds at 300DPI. Scan quality was good with ample details and colour.

    While printing photos, it took 1.03mins to print 4x6in image at best quality settings. The photo quality is acceptable. The colours are natural with limited grains, however the black level is not cent percent accurate, this may be due to the dual colour cartridges. But at this price, you should not expect more than this.

    The printer retails at Rs. 8300 (at the time of review), it is available on HP online store and others. The cartridge costs Rs. 546 each, and lasts 750 pages (colour) or 1500 pages (Mono).

    VERDICT: A compact ecient home MFP

    INFO: hp.com/in/

  • New Products tested by our experts

    29April 2014 Computer active 29

    PHONE

    Asha 502Nokia improves on the Asha 501 with a new Asha phone

    Nokia launched the Asha range with an aim of bringing smartphone-like features to entry-level devices, making the Asha 501 an instant hit. Following in the footsteps is the Asha 502, which we looked at, this month.

    Design is more or less similar to its predecessor. It has a similar candybar form factor but differentiates itself with a glossy but clear plastic body, giving the phone a crystaline effect. Moreover, the phone is small but has a decent width that offers a good grip.

    Asha 502 is essentially a feature phone but Nokia has spruced up the device to integrate smartphone-like features. Nokia has made no changes in the display department, which remains at 3-inches along with QVGA (240x320) resolution

    Unlike Android where the selling point of the device is the processor and RAM it packs, Asha ranges highlight is the software and its ability to give smartphone-like features. The Asha 502 runs on the Asha Platform 1.1 and has

    something called as Fastlane. A simple swipe on the main screen shows the Fastlane, which lists recent activities on the phone, enabling users to quickly access them. However, the limited processing power and memory does come with some drawbacks. There are times where youll notice some lag and slow performance.

    Nokia 502 is also packed with Nokia services like HERE Maps, Music, Xpress Browser and even supports third-party apps like Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter.

    The camera on the Nokia Asha 502 is a step up from its predecessor. The phone comes with a 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera and LED flash that produces some good pictures, provided you shoot in good lighting conditions. However, the camera takes below par pictures in inadequate lighting.

    Asha 502 is a dual-SIM phone and despite two cellular networks continuously searching for network coverage, battery life on the Asha 502 is

    VERDICT: Good phone for the price, but the lack of 3G is a dampener

    INFO: www.nokia.co.in

    impressive. On a full charge, the phone easily lasts more than a day.

    Asha 502 is a good device that improves on many things that Asha 501 lacked or could not deliver smoothly. But if youre looking for 3G support, youll have to go for Asha 503 as the Asha 502 does not support it.

    HARDWARE

    ASRock H61 Pro BTC Motherboard This new motherboard mines Bitcoins

    VERDICT: Decent motherboard for Bitcoin GPU miners

    INFO: www.asrock.com

    Use of Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies have increased in the last few months and to cash in on the opportunity, ASRock has introduced a motherboard that makes mining Bitcoins easy. For the uninitiated, Bitcoin, also known as BTC or is a peer-to-peer payment system and digital currency introduced as an open source software in 2009. It is called a cryptocurrency because it uses cryptography to control the creation and transfer of money. Bitcoins also take a lot of computational power to mine a single Bitcoin. This is where ASRocks latest motherboard comes into play. ASRocks BTC motherboards like this one are equipped with six PCI expansion slots. In short, a Bitcoin

    miner can install up to six graphics cards that can be used simultaneously to mine a Bitcoin. The motherboard also oers stable voltage considering it comes with two extra 4-pin power connectors for users to connect their graphics cards safely. The ASRock motherboard is also equipped with a High Density Glass Fabric PCB, which means the motherboard is protected from water, humidity, thus, drastically reducing the chances of it being aected by humidity. Furthermore, the H61 Pro BTC supports second and third generation of Intel Core, Pentium and Celeron processors, supports Dual-channel DDR3 RAM, 4 SATA ports, 10 USB 2.0 ports and D-Sub and HDMI for video out options. It also

    comes with ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) an all-in-one software to ne-tune dierent features like Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking, OC DNA, IES and XFast RAM; Intel Smart Connect Technology that keeps refreshing the content like email, social networks etc. automatically updated even when the system is asleep; Intel Rapid Start for quick boot; ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard) that acts as an internet lter and lots more. ASRock has an interesting hardware to oer. GPU mining may not be cost ecient and fast like ASIC mining but it certainly is useful if you want to dabble on the cryptocurrency craze. If not, its still a good motherboard for your regular computing needs.

  • 30 Computer active April 2014

    Reviews

    Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8TABLET

    Lenovos First Multimode Yoga Tablet born

    Lenovos Yoga range of devices rst broke cover as convertible notebooks based on Windows OS and now the Chinese PC maker has set its eyes on the burgeoning tablet market with its rst multimode Yoga tablet. The Yoga tablet from Lenovo is also the rst range that has been created after the appointment of Hollywood star, Ashton Kutcher as Lenovos Product Engineer. While weve reviewed many tablets in the past, Lenovos Yoga Tablet 8 is the rst one to take a dierent approach in terms of design. Its the cylindrical design at the bottom that gives the Yoga Tablet 8 a distinct touch. This design makeover however, serves many purposes more importantly, Yoga tablets Multimode feature. The cylindrical handle enables the tablet to be used in three modes Hold, Tilt and Stand. The handle makes it easy to hold the tablet and is particularly useful while reading. Pop out the side cylinder 90 to make the tablet stand on a tablet or use it as a kickstand for a better viewing angle. As far as the rest of the design goes, Yoga Tablet 8 is stylishly designed device with clean aluminium nish and laser etched back to prevent scratches. In short, Lenovo wins full marks for making the design of the Yoga Tablet 8 innovative and attractive.The tablet features an 8-inch HD (1280x800) display and produces good colours with decent colour accuracy. The viewing angle is excellent as well. The Yoga Tablet 8 runs Android 4.2.2 with Lenovos custom user interface that really transforms the Android we know. The interface fuses the app drawer and home screen into a hotseat for apps that enables

    quick access for up to 6 apps.The interface also supports few gestures like a top swipe that reveals the launcher menu or a bottom swipe that shows recently used apps. Powering the tablet is MediaTeks 1.2GHz MT8389 processor and 1GB RAM, and to put it frankly, this combination for the tablet is not enough. While most of the things work as intended, theres an obvious lag and stutter when you try to scroll through the interface. The tablet supports 3G and just like majority of the Android tablets, Yoga Tablet 8

    supports voice calling. It also comes with 16GB internal memory with support for expansion via microSD up to 64GB. On the multimedia front, the tablet fares really well as it plays everything you throw at it. Theres Dolby support as well that adds to the overall audio quality. The Yoga Tablet 8 features a 5 megapixel camera at the back and 1.6 megapixel on the front. Both cameras perform well in good lighting conditions, support HD video recording and continuous image support.

    VERDICT: A good looking tablet with excellent battery life, bogged down by an average CPU

    INFO: www.thedostore.com

    We mentioned at the start that the cylindrical handle serves many purposes and one of them is that it hosts dual batteries.Lenovo claims the dual batteries in the Yoga Tablet 8 are generally found in laptops and in our tests, with a mix of watching movies, using 3G data and Wi-Fi, Yoga Tablet 8 easily went over two days, making it one of the best tablets if youre looking for prolonged battery life.To sum things up, Lenovo oers a great looking tablet with a stellar battery life at an

    attractive price. The only shortcoming is the mediocre processor choice that makes the tablet lag a bit. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 sells for Rs. 22,000.

  • New Products tested by our experts

    There are many portable hard drives in the market but very few boast the military-grade protection to protect the data from any untoward accident. LaCie is one of the few with their Rugged Triple USB 3.0 drive that gives decent storage and protects the drive from accidental drops and hacking.

    The LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 is designed by renowned designer, Neil Poulton based in France but were not talking about its aesthetic appeal but its four layers of protection. The portable drive boasts an orange, rubberized, shock-resistant rubber sleeve with an aluminium anti-scratch protective shell. There are internal rubber bumpers to save from shocks and a shock-resistant hard drive

    capable of handling up to 1000G of shock. In short, the drive adheres to

    the 810-F military specication and can even withstand

    drops of up to 2 meters when not in use.

    Performance-wise, the LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0

    supports USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 interface. Its backward compatible as well, which means if youve got a PC supporting USB 2.0 or FireWire 400, the drive will still work but will give lower transfer speeds. In our tests with USB 3.0, the LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 reached a transfer speed of around 90MB/s.

    The drive also supports AES 256-bit

    software encryption that enables users to create a password-protected area on the drive to save all the data from prying eyes.

    But thats not all. LaCie bundles an Easy Setup assistant and automatic backup software and 10GB of Wuala secure online storage for free for a year.

    The 1TB version of LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 is priced at around Rs. 12,000 and if youre serious about preserving data with the best in class protection, LaCies HDD is good to have in your arsenal.

    MONITOR

    LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 HDDHeading: Rugged Protection in a compact chassis

    VERDICT: Combo of rugged protection with high-speed interface support gives the drive an edge over others

    INFO: www.lacie.com

  • 32 Computer active April 2014

    LG G FlexSMARTPHONE

    A curvy smartphone from the future

    With the processor and memory advancements in the mobile phone industry reaching maturity, companies are looking to innovate on the form factor front. One such case is LG who announced the G Flex earlier this year for the Indian market.

    A glance at the G Flex, and youll know somethings different with the phone. Thats because LG has integrated the worlds first 6-inch curved OLED display. The curve adopted by LG is a vertical curve, which according to the Korean company is ergonomically designed to suit the human faces curvature. Another good thing about the design is the can flex! Apply some pressure on the back of the device to see the G Flex straighten itself and return to its original curved form.

    G Flex has a clean design with just the screen dominating the front side of the phone while the physical keys like power/lock button and the volume keys are placed at the back. Speaking of back, LG also touts G Flex to have a self-healing back. No, were talking sorcery here but in fact the back of the G Flex comes with an elastic coating that can heal light and small scratches automatically.

    Display on the G Flex is a 6-inch curved Plastic OLED display. While there are little complaints when it comes to colour accuracy and contrast, the biggest bane we feel is the 720p resolution. HD resolution would have been better with a display as large as on the G Flex, there are times when noise is pretty evident in the image.

    The situation is slightly different when it comes to performance. G Flex is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 2.26GHz quad-core CPU and 2GB RAM, making it more than enough for the device to run smoothly, including heavy processing during games and few other apps.

    The phone runs LGs custom UI atop

    Android 4.2.2 and though most of the things are borrowed from LGs top-end device, the G2, there are a few things exclusive to the G Flex. The phone has something called as Fluid Lock Screen that moves the wallpaper according to the tilt of the G Flex. Theres also QTheater that flaunts a curved UI for images and videos and Dual Window that enables to use two apps at once.

    G Flex also features KnockOn that locks/unlocks device with just two taps on the screen, Slide Aside that enables to run three apps simultaneously, QSlide, Quick Remote, Guest Mode.

    On the camera front, G Flex has a decent 13 megapixel camera at the back and 2.1 megapixel on the front. Camera produces some good pictures and even

    Reviews

    VERDICT: Good performing curved smartphone with an expensive price tag.

    INFO: www./lg.com

    has the ability to record videos in UHD (4K) resolution.

    G Flexs display is just one part of the curve. It also sports a non-removable curved battery rated at 3500mAh that easily gives more than a day of run time.

    LG gets full marks for G Flexs innovation but the phones success is hampered with its price tag. Its priced at Rs. 69,000, which makes it appealing for a very limited set of consumers.

  • There are over 600 million gamers worldwide or about twice the population of US and with PC gaming on the rise, Nvidia released their new GeForce GTX 750 Ti GPU with a promise to improve performance at an aordable price.

    Nvidia has made the GeForce GTX 750 Ti really compact. Its just 5.7-inches long that makes it ideal for gamers who have PCs with just the integrated graphics or PCs with small chassis. One of the good things is that it does not need an internal power connector, which means it also saves on power.

    GeForce GTX 750 Ti is Nvidias rst GPU based on Maxwell architecture and is based on 28nm process, 640 CUDA cores and 1GB or 2GB GDDR5 memory, depending on the GPU add-in partner.

    As for performance-per-watt goes, GTX 750 Ti boasts 4 times the power eciency compared to Fermi-based GTX 550 Ti or double the

    eciency when pitted against Nvidias Kepler-based GTX 650 Ti. It also consumes about 60W of power compared to AMD R7 260Xs 115W.

    Nvidia also oers the freedom to overclock the GPU and can be safely pushed to over 10 to 12 percent from its original boost clock of 1020MHz.

    The GPU is targeted at gamers who want to enjoy gaming at Full HD 1080p resolution and Nvidias oering is optimised to give a better performance than AMDs R7 260X in titles like Battleeld 4, BioShock Innite, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Batman: AO, Crysis 3 and Far Cry 3.

    GeForce GTX 750 Ti also packs in some Nvidia technologies like GPU Boost 2.0 that enables the graphics card to run at the highest clocks possible for the best gaming performance; ShadowPlay to record their games; G-Sync support that helps to resolve the

    issues of screen tearing,

    stutter, input lag on the supported monitor;

    and Gamestream that enables Nvidia Shield users to stream their Steam games from

    PC to the handheld gaming console.GeForce GTX 750 Ti oers a good set of

    features at an asking price of Rs. 11,990 and with the compact size, GTX 750 Ti opens a subset of gamers who wouldnt think to upgrade their rig due to their small PC chassis.

    HARDWARE

    Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti GPUNvidias latest GPU is powerful and small

    VERDICT: Good performance with low power consumption and price.

    INFO: www. nvidia.in

  • Reviews

    34 Computer active April 2014

    CAMERA

    PROJECTOR

    D-Link DCS-825L Baby Camera

    Epson EH-TW5200 Projector

    Check on the baby from your smartphone

    Affordable projector with 3D playback

    There are times when you want to check on your newborn while youre slogging at work and the latest gadget from D-Link helps to full this objective. The Wi-Fi Baby Camera (DCS-825L) is not a regular baby monitor but in fact, it enables the parent to check on their loved one remotely on their mobile device.

    The D-Link Baby Camera has a really simple design. It comes with an interchangeable blue and pink colour rings to add some personalisation and a matching stand where the circular shaped camera can be placed or mounted to a xed position. The top side of the camera features controls like power and volume while the AC adapter, microSD card slot and speakers are placed at the back.

    Setting up the Wi-Fi Baby Camera is really easy. Just download the free mydlink Baby app for iOS and Android and follow on screen instructions. Once the camera is connected to the Wi-Fi network, all a user needs is the app to monitor their child.

    Here is where it gets more interesting. The camera supports up to 720p quality and even night vision, which activates the infra-red LEDs

    when the ambient light gets dark. It can also detect motion, sound and integrates a

    temperature sensor. All this information comes in handy when youre using the app as the simple UI

    relays all the information along with the video feed for you to act on.

    For instance, you can remotely play lullabies (up to 5) or even use your own voice to calm your child.

    The app also noties if it detects any sound or motion and displays the room temperature to notify if

    its too hot or cold. The D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera packs in some good

    features giving you the freedom to nish some chores while keeping an eye on the newborn all the time. The

    camera is priced at Rs. 9,000.

    VERDICT: Great camera with an easy-to- use app

    INFO: www.dlink.co.in

    VERDICT: Good Projector for home users with 3D support

    INFO: www.epson.co.in

    Epson has a wide range of projectors that cater to dierent segments of the market, and the latest projector that promises to give decent features at an aordable price, is the EH-TW5200.

    Epson goes for the home users and gamers with the EH-TW5200, given the target market, Epson has made the projector compact in size and easy to lug around.

    Placement-wise, the lamp and the vents are located on the front, keystone adjuster and controls on the top and input ports like HDMI, VGA port, RCA port, RS232c, USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack at the back along with 2W monoaural speaker.

    The projector uses 3LCD technology that brings out good colours but gets aected by the lower contrast when watching a scene

    with dark background. The brightness for the colour light as well as the white light is 2000 lumens, supports Full HD resolution playback and has an estimated lamp life of up to 4,000 hours. The lamp can last up to 6,000 hours if the projector is used in Eco mode.

    TW5200 is one of the cheapest projectors to support 3D playback and since its rst objective is to be cost ecient, Epson does not bundle any 3D glasses. Consumers will need to buy new 3D RF glasses to watch 3D content. The projector also supports 480Hz Drive that helps to give an improved 3D and gaming experience.

    One of the HDMI ports supports MHL, which is a technology that enables users to mirror their smartphone devices to the projector. The projector works well with MHL

    and can even stream content from an Android or an iOS device wirelessly with an option Wi-Fi dongle and iProjection app.

    Epson EH-TW5200 can project content up to 300-inches in size and with Full HD and 3D playback added to the mix, the EH-TW5200 makes a good buy.

  • 3 easy steps let you shape the future at this amazing ICT event!

    1. Go online: www.computextaipei.com.tw

    2. Click: Visitors Pre-registration and complete registration form and survey.

    3. Click SEND and its done!

    Have your badge delivered to your hotelInternational visitors may choose to have badge delivered to designated hotels. Requests will be accepted 1 month prior to the show.

    Unlimited FREE Metro for 4 days (June 3rd 6th)First time EVER! International visitors get a FREE 4-day metro pass embedded into their upgraded visitor badges. It provides FREE unlimited rides on the Taipei Metro from June 3rd to 6th. The just-opened Xinyi Line Metro runs right to the front door of TWTC Hall 1.

    For the ease and comfort of the international visitors the organizer even offers FREE shuttle buses that zip between airports to show venues, and between the show venues and major hotels.

    Hi TechTrend SettersTop ProspectsHome Base of ICT

    COMPUTEX TAIPEI is going to feature such themes as Touch-Enabled Applications, Cloud, Wearable Technology, 3D

    Printing, Vehicle Telematics/Auto Multimedia and IoT. This ICT mega

    event and worlds leading procurement platform will run from June

    3-7, 2014 in Taipei.

    This years show will build on the success of last years show, which

    accommodated 1,724 exhibitors using 5,042 booths and

    welcomed 38,300 international visitors.

    Two new exhibition areas will join the already rich lineup- Touch

    Applications & Display Products and Smart Tech & Applications

    spotlighting products and services that reflect new technology

    and market trends.

    All buyers attending COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2014 will receive a buyers badge

    that combines buyer identification with unlimited four-day free Taipei

    Metro transportation. In other words, the badge not only allows buyers to

    visit the tradeshow, it also enables them to travel around the city for free.

    Pre-register NOW!

    Reminder: Deadline for pre-registration is May 28th. After that date, registration can only be made at on-site counters. For more details on COMPUTEX TAIPEI or to pre-register on the official website: www.ComputexTaipei.com.tw

  • Reviews

    36 Computer active April 2014

    CAMERA

    SanDisk Ultra Dual USB DriveUse the same flash drive on PC and a Smartphone

    We reviewed the Transcend OTG USB Drive last month and this month we have SanDisks USB OTG solution known as the Ultra Dual USB Drive. USB On-the-Go or simply, USB OTG enables users to use the regular USB ash drive on a device with a full size USB port and on a smartphone or a tablet.

    The SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive has been designed a bit dierently when you compare it with the Transcend oering and quite frankly, we like it. There is no cap to lose that hides the microUSB port as the Ultra Dual USB Drive comes with a sliding plastic to hide the normal-sized USB port or microUSB port, when not in use.

    Using the USB Drive is pretty simple. Just pop in the USB 2.0 drive to a PC to copy the contents like you usually do with a normal USB ash drive or if youre trying to copy or

    backup content from your mobile device, make sure the device supports USB OTG function. A full list of compatible devices can be found here http://bit.ly/1jk1IEz.

    Although the drive works with any le manager in the mobile device, SanDisks Memory Zone is highly recommended as it makes manoeuvring through the content really easy. The app also makes it easier to copy or move content back and forth from the mobile device to the Dual Drive and even supports variety of online services like Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Facebook etc.

    The SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive is a handy tool for users who are always in a space crunch on their mobile devices. The drive comes in capacities from 16GB and goes up to 64GB with the price starting from Rs. 1,199.

    VERDICT: Good performance omplemented with a decent software support

    INFO: www.sandisk.com/dualdrive

    With consumers creating and consuming Full HD content, storage for devices has become one of the deciding factors during the purchase of a new gadget. Use of microSD cards has proved instrumental to give the freedom to expand the storage to consumers and at the same time, keep the price of the mobile device low.

    This month we try out Strontiums microSDXC UHS-1 card that boasts storage of 64GB. This card from Strontium is classied under UHS-1 and Class 10, which makes it one of the high-speed rated cards available in the market.

    A clean formatted card gives about 59GB of storage and in our tests, we tried the card on a Lenovo Android tablet running Android 4.2.2 and on a Dell notebook running Windows 8.1. The results were surprising to say the least. In

    HARDWARE

    Strontium 64GB microSDXC cardSDXC card with huge storage with promise of a good speed

    VERDICT: Price and decent speed makes it a good value for money accessory for mobile and camera owners

    INFO: www.strontium.biz/

    the three random tests on the Android tablet, the card managed to give a write speed of about 15.1MB/s while the read speed stood at 12-15MB/s. On the other hand, card when used with the bundled SD adapter gave a write speed in the range of 20MB/s and read speed

    to up to 56MB/s. Achieving Strontiums 85MB/s read speed is a bit of a task since its tested under certain conditions but getting a read speed of more than 50MB/s in real world conditions isnt bad either.

    Another advantage is that the card works with variety of Android devices as well as Windows Phones and digital cameras. It even bundles a full version of the MyBackup Pro app for Android devices worth Rs. 312. Strontium sells the card for around Rs. 2,800.

  • Call +91 22 4352 5252 SMS SUBS POPSCI to 56161

    To subscribe online, log on to http://nextgenpublishing.in/subs.htmlTo subscribe using your mobile SMS 56161 with the words - SUBS POPSCI

    36 Issues worth Rs.3,600, only for Rs.2500 (31% discount ) 12 issues Worth Rs.1,200, yours only for Rs.999 (17% discount)

    YOUR DETAILS (IN CAPITAL LETTERS)

    Name: Mr/Ms .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    Occupation ......................................................................................... Date of birth ........................................................................................................

    Address .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    City .............................................................................State ................................................................ Pincode ............................................................

    Email ............................................................................Phone (Off) ...................................................... Phone (Res) .......................................................

    Kindly draw the cheque/DD/PO in favor of NEXT GEN PUBLISHING LTD. (Please add Rs. 20/- extra for outstation cheque),

    Please Find enclosed Cheque/DD no. ....................................................................................Dated ...............................................................................

    Drawn on (Bank) ....................................................................................................................Branch ..............................................................................

    Or please charge my credit card Visa MasterCard

    Card No. .......................................................................................................................Card expiry date ......................................................................

    Name (as appears on card).................................................................................................Date ......................................Signature ....................................

    Please send me latest updates on Special Offers and Events of POPULAR SCIENCE

    TO GIFT A SUBSCRIPTION (ALL DETAILS IN CAPITAL LETTERS)

    Please ll out both the recipients details, below, and your details above. To gift more than one subscription, please provide address details on a separate sheet.

    Name: Mr/Ms .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    Occupation ......................................................................................... Date of birth ........................................................................................................

    Address .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    City .............................................................................State ................................................................ Pincode ............................................................

    Email ............................................................................Phone (Off) ...................................................... Phone (Res) .......................................................Please complete the order form and mail it to us at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013, 0UKPH@V\JHUHSZVMH_[OLVYKLYMVYJYLKP[JHYKW\YJOHZLZ[V -VYJSHYPJH[PVUZcall +91 22 43525252TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Please allow 4-5 weeks for processing of your subscription. Copies will be sent by ordinary post only. Next Gen Publishing will not be responsible for postal delay, transit loses or mutilation of copies. No cancellation of subscriptions will be entertained after commencement of subscription. Items showed in the picture can be different from the actual ones. Please mention your name and address on the reverse of your DD/Cheque. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Mumbai only. *conditions apply

    3 special price ` 2500year ` 36001special price ` 999year ` 1200

    Best Buy

    The Worlds Leading Science & Technology magazine

    SUBSCRIBE

    NOW!

    NOW in INDIA!

  • Reviews

    38 Computer active April 2014

    premium, thanks to the brushed aluminium finish. It also has a diamond-cut logo and curved edges that makes it really easy for the VAIO Flip use in all 3 modes Laptop, Viewer and Tablet Mode. Usefully, the charger has a USB port for charging your smartphone.

    Included with the VAIO Flip 13 are several useful extras. Pre-installed

    on the 128GB SSD is a host of useful Sony software including PlayMemories Home, VAIO Movie Creator, Xperia Link, Norton Online Backup and a few more. Sony also bundles MDR-XB8910A headphones worth Rs. 12,990 and Sony Jive music download and streaming service for three months with every purchase of the Sony Flip series notebook.

    The Sony VAIO Flip 13 is a good touchscreen laptop, but its let down by its poor screen quality. Wed expect far better at this price and this flaw make the VAIO Flip 13 only fair value. It sells for Rs. 84,990.

    Sony VAIO Flip 13

    The Sony VAIO Flip 13 Multi-flip Windows 8.1 laptop is nothing if not a head-turner. Although the Multi-flip looks like just another ultra portable laptop, its a little different because you can flip the screen 180 degrees back on itself so it can be laid flat on the keyboard, allowing the Multi-flip to be used as a tablet.

    The flippable screen is mounted on a pivoting hinge halfway up the back of the lid, which provides a fair amount of flexibility. When the screen is flipped back on itself, the computer can be turned upside down and positioned V-shaped, like a tent. Alternatively, the screen can be tilted forwards, partially covering the keyboard, which makes it more comfortable to use the touchscreen when seated at a desk or table. If you just want to use the Multi-flip as a laptop, the screen can be locked in place using the switch built into the hinge so it doesnt come loose accidentally.

    These flexible screen modes are surprisingly useful and the ability to tilt the screen forwards in particular makes using touchscreen apps on the Multi-flip much more bearable. Although its 1.3kg weight is light for a laptop, its heavy for a tablet, so holding and using the Multi-flip as a handheld tablet for even short periods of time, quickly becomes

    LAPTOP

    tiresome.Our model came equipped

    with 4GB of memory and a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 4200U processor, which makes it fast enough to be used as your main computer. Battery life was good too at about 6 hours and 37 minutes, although weve seen other laptops last even longer.

    Using the Multi-flip as a laptop is very comfortable thanks to the large keyboard. The keys have enough travel and give plenty of feedback when pressed. The keys also light up for use in dark rooms. The touchpad is large and accurate with firm, clicky buttons built into the bottom of the pad itself. The touchscreen is accurate and very responsive. Disappointingly, image quality is poor. Despite the laptop boasting a Triluminos display technology by Sony, we found the screen

    A laptop that turns into a tablet with a flip of a finger

    to be not very bright. Colour accuracy isnt great and becomes even worse when you shift seating position because the viewing angles are quite narrow.

    VAIO Flip 13s another shortcoming is the noise and the heat. Even when handling undemanding tasks such web browsing and word processing, the cooling fan is irritatingly noisy. Despite the ventilation at the side, the bottom of the device gets unbearably hot after sometime, making it uncomfortable to use it on the lap.

    The device earns full marks on the design front. It looks

    VERDICT: A potentially excellent touchscreen laptop spoiled by disappointing image quality.

    INFO: www.sony.co.in

  • New Products tested by our experts

    39April 2014 Computer active

    Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

    Devices with large display maybe in vogue these days but there are many who still vie for the same hardware found on flagship phones, with a smaller display. The mini range put out by some mobile phone manufacturers dont do justice to this demand, but Sonys newly launched Xperia Z1 Compact is looking to buck the trend.

    As the name goes, Xperia Z1 Compact is a compact version of Sonys flagship phone Xperia Z1. The design too, is inspired from the Xperia Z1 with clean glass design on the front and back and anodised aluminium sides for a premium look. The phone is also certified IP58 compliant, keeping the phone protected from dust and water.

    The compact variant of the Xperia Z1 features a 4.3-inch display supporting a 720p resolution (1280x720). Despite the current trend of going with Full HD resolution, we feel 720p is more than enough on this size of display. The display reaches a respectable 342ppi that results in sharp, clear text and images.

    Furthermore, the phone is also equipped with Sonys TRILUMINOS display tech and to be honest, we were not big fans of Sonys display tech but the difference in the Xperia Z1 Compact is quite evident. Colour accuracy, contrast ratio and even the legibility under direct sunlight are great on the Xperia Z1 Compact.

    As we mentioned before,

    PHONE

    this phone is the compact variant of the flagship and not the mini version, which means it packs in all the good hardware from a larger-sized Xperia Z1. The Xperia Z1 Compact is powered by Qualcomms 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB RAM, ensuring amazingly smooth performance, including while gaming and doing other processor intensive tasks. Battery life is decent as well on its 2300mAh battery.

    The phone runs Android 4.3 and comes with Sonys customer user interface. Good thing about the interface is that its unobtrusive and clean like Androids original user interface. You get multiple lock screen support along with widgets, home screen and Small Apps support.

    The Xperia Z1 Compact is equipped with a 20MP Exmor RS camera sensor that promises better quality pictures on a mobile phone. There are a lot of options to play with for users to take a good shot. Sony has also integrated features like Info-eye that recognises the text or other content in the captured image to search and display related information.

    As far as camera quality goes, we would say its good but not the best. The colour accuracy, contrast and white balance are good but the picture shows some amount of noise. The camera can record in Full HD resolution but are a

    Power packed phone in a small size

    bit surprised that it does not support 4K video recording despite the Qualcomm chipset supporting it from the outset. Admittedly, there are not many devices to play 4K content but it would have been a good

    VERDICT: Its compact phone, but packs a punch

    INFO: www.sony.co.in

    thing to have.Xperia Z1 Compact is a great

    little device and theres little to complain if you want a superior hardware and performance in a small size.

  • Reviews

    40 Computer active April 2014

    Google Chromecast

    Th ere are many devices that transform your regular HDTV to a Smart TV, one of the most interesting and inexpensive solution, comes from the house of Google. Google calls it Chromecast, the basic premise of the device is to stream content to the HDTV from your smartphone, tablet or PC.

    Design-wise, Chromecast is a compact, ash drive-like device that houses a HDMI connector and a microUSB port that is used to power the device.

    Google does the job of explaining how to setup the device well, and once set up on

    DEVICE

    the same wireless network as your mobile device or PC, everything is just tap and watch.

    Best part of using Chromecast is that a user does not have to

    download a dedicated

    app to make it work. When Chromecast is connected, a supported app like

    VERDICT: Easy to setup and use, Inexpensive.

    INFO: www.google.com/chromecast

    Chromecast brings multimedia streaming to the big screen

    YouTube will automatically show a Cast button to instantly stream content on to the big screen.

    Currently, there are a limited number of

    apps that support the Cast

    functionality but given the fact that Google recently

    released the Google Cast SDK for all

    developers, the support for Googles device is bound to expand exponentially each passing day.

    Another interesting feature is the ability to cast Chrome tabs. With the help of an extension on the Chrome browser for Desktop, users can cast any open tab with a

    single click, thus giving rise to a possibility of casting virtually anything.

    In summary Chromecast may be a little raw around the edges and might have a dearth of supported apps currently, but Google by opening up the platform has signalled of good things for future. Plus, at $35 (~Rs. 2,500), it doesnt really hurt the pocket.

    Bluetooth portable speaker options are available aplenty for consumers. But how many o er a good audio quality at an a ordable price? JBLs tries to address this with their Flip 2. But does it deliver? We take a look.

    Th e Flip 2 features a cylindrical design with two 6W speakers facing the front. Th e sides has volume, power, Bluetooth pairing controls, while the back has a microUSB port for charging, Aux in and battery indicator. Users can pair their device via Bluetooth, or use the integrated Near-Field Communication (NFC), if its supported by the mobile device. Although NFC will ultimately use bluetooth for

    SPEAKERS

    JBL Flip 2Wireless Speakers with a dash of colour

    VERDICT: Good sound quality at an a ordable price

    INFO: www.jbl.com/

    pairing, its faster as it requires just a tap.All in all, Flip 2 is designed with portability in

    mind, which is why JBL also packs in a premium looking carrying case for better portability.

    Speaking of performance, JBL Flip 2 o ers top notch audio quality. Despite its size, the Flip 2 is surprisingly loud and boasts crystal clear sound without distortion even at the highest volume. We found the bass a bit lacking though!

    Th e Flip 2 also comes with a built-in microphone that enables to receive calls and talk through the speaker. Th e call audio quality is pretty good and supports noise cancellation technology.

    JBL has equipped Flip 2 with a 2000mAh

    rated battery that takes about 3 hours to charge through the bundled AC adapter. Th e rated battery life is up to 5 hours, it lasted nearly 4.5 during our test.

    Th e Flip 2 is a great compact speaker from JBL that o ers quality sound along with a choice of colours. It retails for Rs. 6,499 and comes in black, white, red, blue and yellow.

  • www.autocomponentsindia.com

    CAN COUNTERFEIT BE CONTAINED?

    Vol 1 Issue 1 MARCH 2014

    AUTOVOICE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS

    COMPONENTS INDIA

    ` 100

    Harish Lakshman, President ACMA

    Don Hillebrand, President, SAE International

    INAUGU

    RAL

    ISSUE!

    SHOP FLOOR SOJOURN: RTSSL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: HYUNDAI GRAND I10

    ` 100www.commercialvehicle.in

    At the heart of the Indian truck & bus industry

    9ROXPH,VVXH)HEUXDU\SUBSCRIBER COPY

    Corona set to rope in equity partner

    DICVs product blitz

    Apollo - CV AWARDS 2014

    Industry gears up for next wave of growth

    EXCLUSIVE: Preview of Auto Expo 2014

    Vol 4 Issue 11 January 2014 Rs. 50www.powerwatchindia.com

    GE: TECH FOR OIL & GAS RAVIN: SOLAR TRACKING COOPER: EFFICIENT ENGINES

    EVENT REPORT

    GENERATIONCOAL QUANDARY CONTINUES

    SPECIAL

    ISSUE

    ALSO REVIEWEDSTELLAR PHOENIX PHOTO RECOVERY 6

    TUTORIALSUNDERSTANDING DEPTH OF FIELD

    HDR FROM A SINGLE SHOT FUN WITH INFRARED

    PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE

    IMPORTANCE OF MAKE-UP

    INDIAS NUMBER 1 IMAGING MAGAZINE!

    ISSUE 11VOLUME 09

    FEBRUARY 2014

    RS.125

    REVIEWS: NIKON D5300 FUJIFILM X-A1 CANON EF 24-70MM F/4L IS USM SIGMA 24-105MM F/4 CANON SPEEDLITE 320 EX

    SPECIAL: SMART PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2014

    INTERVIEW AMIT RANEPROFILE SANTOSH SALIGRAM

    TRAVEL

    FEATURE

    LONDON IN B&W

    SUBSCRIBERS COPY

    Ten clearly defined and focussed titles for our readers and advertisers!

    WE ARELaunching AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA

    www.nextgenpublishing.in

  • Experience Index tool in Windows 7 and 8. Go to Control Panel, Performance Information and Tools and click Run the assessment (or Re-run the assessment if youve run this test in the past). Windows will show you scores for the processor, graphics, memory, hard drive and gaming graphics, ranging from 1.0 to 7.9. The lowest score indicates the weakest area of your computer. For a more in-depth idea of your computers performance run the PassMark Performance Test (www.snipca.com/10113).

    You can use this professional benchmarking test in a free trial for 30 days. PerformanceTest 8.0 gives you a comprehensive picture of whats inside your PC, showing the processor, motherboard, graphics card, memory, hard drive and CD/DVD drive. To get an accurate benchmark score, close down everything else thats running

    CAN GO EVEN

    Find out whats making your computer run slowly, then get it going faster than ever before with ours expert tweaks and upgrades

    YOUR PC

    FASTER

    42 Computer active April 2014

    Run the Windows Experience Index to find weaknesses in your computer setup

    Almost as soon as you get a new PC it starts to slow down. Eventually, parts wear down and your computer gets lled up with les, folders and endless bits of software. But theres no reason for everyday PC use to result in system slowdowns. Nor should you need to do anything complicated to make your computer run as fast as or even faster than when you bought it. Here we look at how to boost your PC speed quickly and easily and how spending a bit of money can get your computer running faster than ever.

    Find out how fast your computer is now

    You cant start improving things without knowing what youre up against, so first find out how well your computer is really performing and what areas are holding it back. You can get a quick overview of your computers particular strengths and weaknesses using the built-in Windows

    KEY POINTSS#@S

  • 43April 2014 Computer active

    Your PC can go even faster

    FIX THE MOST ANNOYING PC SPEED PROBLEMS

    on your computer including your web browser, email software and Skype. Start PerformanceTest, click Run Benchmark, then Yes. The test takes several minutes, during which time the screen flashes on and off as it measures how well your PC handles 2D and 3D graphics, how fast the memory operates and the condition of your PCs hard drive.PerformanceTests scores go up to around 12,000. As with the Windows Experience Index tool, you can use PerformanceTests results to analyse your computers weak spots. Your PCs score will be added to Passmarks results database. This will help provide more accurate figures for how everyones components compare. One of our oldest test computers, replete with three-year-old processor and 4GB of RAM, scored a measly 877.8. If we wanted to play games on this PC, for example, we can see that wed need to upgrade the graphics card. Your computer will probably fare better. Click Summary to compare each components performance compared with others in the Passmark database.

    Note your benchmark score, then check for improvements once youve tweaked your PC

    Compare the speed of your computer components to see whats slowing it down

    For instance, CPU Mark shows results for processors from a Core2 Duo to a high-end Core i7. The green bar indicates your computer. If your benchmark tests show a low score for memory youll be able to add more quite cheaply. But if the processor rating is also low you may want to consider buying a

    newer, faster computer because processors are neither cheap nor easy to upgrade. However, a new processor will provide a massive increase in speed.Once youve made changes to your PC based on our tips and the benchmark-test results, run PerformanceTest again t