Technology Information: May 2012

Five Indian Blogs Men Must Follow

Agreed you don’t have time to read newspapers any more, no time to read books.

“Mate, I work 10-12 hours a day, you can bet your good money I have no time for all this.” Fine. But you still need intellectual stimulation. You still need to be in the know of what’s going around you. And of course you need a breather from work, a break from constantly staring at a flickering screen with boring documents, and numbers and figures. You need entertainment, a sort of power fun (like power nap), if you will, to rejuvenate yourself. So how do you get this? Blogs. They are interactive, informative and a lot of fun. Here are the top 5 blogs that we think you should follow, especially men:

1. Technology, Gadgets, Mobiles: Labnol, if you’re someone who likes to be on top of all the technology, gadget related development, this blog is your best bet. Digital Inspiration, founded and authored by Amit Agarwal, is one of the most widely-read tech and how-to blog. Through this blog he covers interesting topics like gadgets,web applications, tutorials, reviews of computer software and much more.

2. Dope on Auto industry: Carblogindia, This one is for all the automotive freaks out there. This blog is comprehensive and offers unbiased information on the Indian automotive scene. Car Blog India features news and reviews on vehicles. It also carries test drive reviews, car comparisons, and information on automobile technologies.

3. For a laugh: Cartoonistsatish, When you’re bummed at work and want to just relax, head to this blog page. CartoonistSatish is the brainchild of, well, Satish, who quit his MBA job to pursue cartooning. He must be good then, right? Check out his hilarious cartoons and have a good laugh.

For random observations on life, culture, offices, and travel, check Sidin Vadukut’s blog page, Whatay. He is also the author of Dork: The incredible adventures of Robin Einstein Verghese.

4. Books, yes, very important: Uread, This blog features book reviews, author interviews and special features. You don’t necessarily need to be a book buff to appreciate this. It features mostly Indian authors and their books, so it’s a great way of getting to know what’s cooking on the Indian literary front.

5. Get, set, cook: Whether you live alone or with your parents. Whether you want to impress your friends, girlfriend or wife, cooking is a great way of showing affection and love to those around you. So put on an apron and get into the kitchen. Follow the recipes on Finelychopped, and become the Masterchef of your home.

Blogs are a lot of fun, especially when you’re having a tough day at work. Who knows these blogs might even inspire you to start your own blog someday.

Source by:google:

World's smallest artificial heart

An Italian heart surgeon holds a tiny titanium pump, the world's smallest artificial heart, which was implanted in a baby, at the Bambino Gesu' Hospital in Rome

Italian heart surgeon Antonio Amodeo holds a tiny titanium pump, the world's smallest artificial heart, which was implanted in a baby, at the Bambino Gesu' Hospital in Rome May 24, 2012. Doctors from Rome's Bambino Gesu' Hospital saved the life of the 16-month-old baby in March with the artificial heart, which weighs only 11 grams, before the infant received an organ donation.

Italian heart surgeon Antonio Amodeo and his team implant a tiny titanium pump, the world's smallest artificial heart, in a baby, at the Bambino Gesu' Hospital in Rome, in this undated handout picture made available to Reuters May 24, 2012. Doctors from Rome's Bambino Gesu' Hospital saved the life of the 16-month-old baby in March with the artificial heart, which weighs only 11 grams, before the infant received an organ donation. REUTERS/Press Office Bambino Gesu' Hospital

An Italian heart surgeon holds a tiny titanium pump, the world's smallest artificial heart, which was implanted in a baby, at the Bambino Gesu' Hospital in Rome May 24, 2012. Doctors from Rome's Bambino Gesu' Hospital saved the life of the 16-month-old baby in March with the artificial heart, which weighs only 11 grams, before the infant received an organ donation. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

source-by-google:

Sony unveils smart phones

Sony Mobile Communications of Japanese electronics major Sony Corporation Thursday unveiled a range of smart phones for the upward mobile with unique features to access a plethora of services anywhere and anytime.

Models pose with the new Sony Xperia smartphones during its launch in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad May 23, 2012. The prices of the smartphones start from rupees 17,399 ($320).

"Our new devices are a sign of the brand's commitment to Indian users, especially youth, young professionals and upward mobile who would like to stay connected and access a range of services in voice, data and digital forms," Sony Mobile marketing head Prasun Kumar told reporters at a product preview here.

Priced between Rs.17,399 and Rs.25,449, the three smart devices - Xperia U, Xperia P and Xperia Solar - have been designed for youth, executives on the move and high-profile users for a variety of services and applications through internet, web and television channels.

"The Xperia smartphones have been designed around user experiences of listen, watch, play and create and share to improve their personal, professional and social life. The Sola smart phone boasts of 'floating touch' for accessing web services by holding any finger on the screen to open the links," Sony mobile managing director P. Balaji said in a statement.

The company's smartphones, which operate on Android platform, are shipped to India from its manufacturing units in Japan, China and Mexico. Courtesy IANS

To promote the devices, the Indian subsidiary has tied up with Tata Teleservices Ltd to provide with free data services up to 3GB on Tata Docomo platform and about 30 games.

The Facebook IPO - All You Need to Know

As it stands, Facebook, the world’s third most populated ‘country’, after China and India, is going public by means of an IPO – Initial Public Offering.

The social networking giant will start trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker FB. It has set a price range of $28 to $35 per share. However, it is expected that the stock will trade higher than the offering price, in the range of $34 to $38 per share.

In terms of pure numbers, Facebook is going to sell more than $15 billion worth of shares to investors. AT&T Wireless, the current technology IPO leader, had raised more than $10 billion in 2010. As a result, Facebook’s valuation is expected to hit the $90 billion to $100 billion range – and may even go upward – depending on the actual price at which the stock trades. This offering of 421 million shares is likely to be the biggest venture-backed Internet IPO in history of all time. Shares are going to be priced today, on May 17th, with trading commencing from the 18th of May.

Facebook recently crossed the 900 million users mark, thereby giving credence to the opening factoid of this article. The company has not made its intentions clear about what it intends to do with the money, only mentioning that it may use the cash for acquisitions and expansion, to state a few.

However, this IPO is not as much of a golden egg as far as small investors are concerned. To get the shares at the offer price, you’ll need a lot of money – or friends in Facebook, high up the influential ladder – or a large account with one of the banks or brokerage firms which are directly involved in the IPO. Of course, you can buy shares once FB begins trading on the NASDAQ. Doing this would mean having to pay much more than the offering price.

Privacy Concerns
What needs to be understood is that this valuation is going to put tremendous pressure on the company to keep increasing sales and profits at a fast rate. This directly translates to more advertising on the site. Facebook has never been very forthcoming in terms of user privacy and has often found itself in the middle of privacy issues raised by users after Facebook had made changes to the site layout and various other account features.

The only real way to make money from advertising is by finely targeting its ads towards the user. To do this, it needs even more information about its users and make optimum usage of the information it already has. Facebook has practically all the details about a user, ranging from user demographic to the food outlets they prefer and the sports they like. Also, user-tracking off the website, through the omnipresent ‘Like’ button is another issue that has been raised in the past.

Advertiser concerns

Looking at the importance of ads for Facebook, it comes as a bit of a shocker when you realize that advertisers have actually been questioning the effectiveness of Facebook ads in garnering user interest. GM has already decided to take down its advertisements from FB, while maintaining its pages. The bitter truth remains, how many users actually click on ads? It is definitely not the majority.

FB on the go

Almost half of Facebook’s daily users log in from a mobile device. Mobile is one area where Facebook hasn’t made as much of an inroad as it would have liked. The mobile app is half decent at best, and mobile advertising is still in an infant stage. Mobile internet is pretty much a virgin when it comes to monetization on a similar note to the Web version, where ads are highly targeted and contextual.

Overwhelmed already

While there is no question that social media has become an essential part of our lives, it is also a fact that people are getting overwhelmed by its impact. There are a slew of social networking sites out there. There is a legion of people who use Facebook only for the bare minimum purpose of keeping in touch with friends. Twitter, Google+, Path, Pinterest etcetera are other sites which have added to the dilemma of Internet users. Add to that Facebook’s recent acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion, where it is still unclear as to how FB plans on using Instagram as a profit generating machine.

Money and future

A recently conducted survey showed that more than 50% of Americans think that the issue is over-priced. This also includes people who are regular traders. All this talk of money-making means the Facebook experience is going to become more commercial as the days pass. The latest feature which is being tested by Facebook, the ‘promoted status update’, involves users paying to have their updates made visible to more people in their friend lists.

Whether the shares will sustain in the long run is a very doubtful issue. Undoubtedly, tomorrow is going to be a great day for Facebook, its founder and its investors. However, the future of the company and how much it may further expand is a case of genuine concern, as the company is at a peak right now. More and more people are beginning to think that Facebook is a passing fad, and nothing more than that. Let’s wait and watch.

source-by-google:http://ctechnologyinfo.blogspot.in/2012/05/facebook-ipo-all-you-need-to-know.html

Learn How to take Great Digital Photographs

Follow these easy steps to success.

Own a Digital Camera and Get Started!

Before turning your cam on, ensure that you have fresh or charged batteries and that your camera is in camera mode and not in the playback mode.

Find an Appealing Subject

Look out and discover an interesting subject. You don’t have to confine to people or animals. Some objects in still life and nature can make good themes and concepts too.

Determine Emphasis and Point of Interest

The eye on the dog, the cherry on the sundae, the head of the horse, or a ladybug on the flower will mostly work better than the dog, sundae, horse and the flower alone.

Ensure Appropriate Lighting

Using a flash helps in night photography and in situations of low light or areas away from direct sunlight. However, when shooting outdoors, make sure that your flash is off and that you are positioned against the sun.

Contrast is Significant

Contrast in a photograph is well determined by some dark spots and some light spots. The best way to do create contrast is to imagine your composition in black and white- you must have a white spot, a black spot, and a grey spot.

Follow the Rule of Thirds

The point of interest in your composition should ideally never be in the center of your photograph. Imagine a tic tac toe across your composition. The emphasis should be at one of the four points where the lines cross.

Fill the Frame

Try to make it possible for the subject to take up the whole photograph. Any empty space is negative space that takes attention away from your subject and emphasis. However, negative space works wonders in certain compositions.

Point of View

Clicking subjects at the eye level rarely excites the viewer. Compositions should ideally be framed from below or above the eye level.

Avoid Camera Shake

If you or your subject is causing the camera to shake, the photograph will in most cares be blurry or in soft focus. For more support hold the camera close to your body. You may also use a tripod.

Source:by-google:http://ctechnologyinfo.blogspot.in/2012/05/learn-how-to-take-great-digital.html

Robotic unicycle does the walking for us

Honda Motor Company unveiled its new UNI-CUB personal mobility device at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, Japan May 15, which allows the rider to control speed, up to 6km per hour, and direction by shifting their own weight.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled the new UNI-CUB personal mobility device, designed for harmony with people. Featuring a compact design and comfortable saddle, UNI-CUB offers the same freedom of movement in all directions that a person enjoys while walking.

Prototype model of a personal mobility device 'Uni-Cub' developed by Japan's auto giant Honda Motor during a press conference in Tokyo on May 15, 2012. The electric device is equipped with Honda's omni-directional wheel drive enabling it to move in all directions including forward, backward, side-to-side and diagonally. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA

Representing the evolution of the U3-X personal mobility device that Honda announced in 2009, UNI-CUB features Honda's proprietary balance control technology and the world's first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System). These technologies allow the rider to control speed, move in any direction, turn and stop, all simply by shifting his or her weight. Since the rider can freely move forward, backward, side-to-side and diagonally, he or she can quickly and easily maneuver among other people.

Moreover, UNI-CUB's compact saddle-style packaging makes it easy for the rider's legs to reach the ground and maintains eye-level height with other pedestrians. This configuration promotes harmony between the rider and others, letting the rider travel freely and comfortably inside facilities and among moving people.

Mamoru Mori, Executive Director of National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) and former astronaut, rides Honda Motor Co's new UNI-CUB personal mobility device at the museum in Tokyo May 15, 2012. Honda unveiled the new device on Tuesday, which allows the rider to control speed, up to 6km per hour, and direction by shifting one's own weight. Honda and the museum will joinly conduct demonstration testing of UNI-CUB from June 2012, Honda said. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao (JAPAN - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY)

Starting in June 2012, Honda will jointly conduct demonstration testing of UNI-CUB with Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. In addition to testing the feasibility of using UNI-CUB indoors, this project will explore the practical applications of the device in a wide range of environments in Japan and other countries.

The balance control technology of UNI-CUB is part of the Honda Robotics family of technologies, which originates with Honda's research into humanoid robots, including the world-famous ASIMO.

Going forward, Honda will continue its proactive research and development of next-generation mobility technologies, aiming always to offer more and more people the joy and fun that comes from freedom of movement.

Key specifications of UNI-CUB

Size (L x W x H) : 520 x 345 x 745 mm

Seat height : 745 – 825 mm

Battery type :Lithium-ion battery

Maximum speed : 6 km/h

Range: 6 km

Application environment : Barrier-free indoor environments

Key features

Maneuverability promotes compatibility with people in many environments:

1. Omni-directional freedom of movement similar to human walking UNI-CUB has a two-wheel configuration with a minimal wheelbase. The front wheel features the Honda Omni Traction Drive System that Honda first announced in 2009. The rear wheel moves laterally to facilitate turning. By leveraging the different rotational speeds of the front and rear wheel treads during lateral movements, UNI-CUB can move forwards and backwards, side-to-side and diagonally and also turn in place, making possible quick, nimble movement.

2.Movement in harmony with other people

Honda's proprietary balance control technology makes it possible for the rider to freely control the wheels of the UNI-CUB, much as human beings maintain their balance. With a design that takes into consideration the rider's environment, this system allows the rider to maneuver while moving side by side with or holding hands with another person.

3.Compact size for moving and climbing gradients in barrier-free indoor environments

Thanks to UNI-CUB's compact saddle-style packaging, the rider and vehicle together are about the same width as a person when walking. Optimized wheel design and high-precision drive/balance control enhance UNI-CUB's ability to climb gradients in barrier-free indoor environments.

4. Ease of control promotes freedom of movement:

Weight shift control combined with touch panel control When the rider is using weight shift control, UNI-CUB's incline sensor detects the direction in which the rider is leaning, allowing UNI-CUB to calculate the direction and speed intended by the rider. And touch panel control via smartphone and other devices is another convenient control option.

Honda UNI-CUB Personal Mobility Device

Honda UNI-CUB Personal Mobility

Honda UNI-CUB Personal Mobility Device

Top 25 most searched phones in India

The Mobile Indian
The list is based on the preference of one million unique visitors who visited The Mobile Indian in the month of April.

The world of mobiles is quite dynamic as almost every week we see some new handsets being launched and if a person is planning to buy a new phone, this adds to her/his confusion.

The question like, should I buy this phone or what are the preferences of other buyer's usually crop up in the buyer's mind. The Mobile Indian thus brings a list of 'Top 25 Most Searched Phones' which is based on the preference of one million unique visitors who visited the web site in the month of April 2012.

1. Nokia C5 03 (Rs 8,449)

Nokia C5-03 is a mid-range Symbian smartphone offering a 3.2 inch resistive touch screen, 5 megapixel camera, WiFi, A-GPS and micro SDHC card slot. It looks similar to Nokia 5800 Xpress Music but has more feature than the later.

On the connectivity front, Nokia C5-03 supports GPRS, EDGE, 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth. Users can also charge the handset via the USB port. A 3.5mm audio jack is also provided to

2. Nokia C6 (Rs 10,399)

The Nokia C6 comes with a slide-out Qwerty keypad, 3.2 inch touchscreen display, 3G connectivity, 5 megapixel rear camera, Bluetooth, WiFi and 16 GB expendable memory.

It also comes with Ovi Maps 3.3 Touch preinstalled (the rebranded Nokia Mapsattach it with your headphones.

3. Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 (Rs 7,050)

The Samsung Galaxy Y is a good candidate for someone's first Android smartphone. It runs on 2.3 Gingerbread, and has a 3 inch display.

It also supports WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, 2 megapixel camera, 830 MHz processor, 180 MB of internal memory and micro SD card support.

4. Samsung Galaxy Y Duos (Rs 8590)

This beautifully designed handset has Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, 3 megapixel primary camera, and an 832 Mhz processor. Its 3.14 inch capacitive touchscreen displays graphics and images with VGA">QVGA resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Besides, it has 32 GB of expandable memory option.

Like other Samsung smartphones, this handset has also TouchWiz user interface and comes preloaded with Facebook, Twitter, and SocialHub. You can geo-tag images clicked with its 3 megapixel camera which can also capture videos at 24 fps (frames per second) which is okay.

The Galaxy Y Duos is a full touchscreen handset styled with polished metallic casing and features 3.14 inch touchscreen display. It also features the Samsung's own cross-platform ChatON chat app and Social Hub Premium.

The Galaxy Y Pro Duos has a Qwerty keypad and sports 2.6 inch display. This handset too has the dual-SIM support along with pre-loaded apps such as Polaris and Find My Mobile.

5. Samsung Wave Y S5380 (Rs 6,788)

This Samsung phone runs Bada v2.0 operating system on a 832 MHz processor. The single SIM Wave Y S5380 can be used on both 2G and 3G networks. It comes with a 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with 2 MP rear camera, FM, 32 GB expandable memory, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and A-GPS.

Wave Y has Samsung's propriety TouchWiz user interface with ChatOn application. Its 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery promises talk time of 13 hours on 2G and 4 hours on 3G networks. Besides, it has accelerometer and proximity sensors for better gaming experience

6. Samsung Galaxy SL I9003 (Rs 17,450)

The Samsung I9003 Galaxy S runs on Android 2.3 and has a 4 inch LCD capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution. It has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face, smile and blink detection.

The Galaxy SL supports GSM and EDGE network and offers WiFi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Besides, it has an internal storage of 16 GB which can further be extended upto 32 GB through a micro SD card.

7. Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus

The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus has a 3.65 inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen. The smartphone is backed by a 1 GHz processor running on Android Gingerbread, and it features Samsung's TouchWiz user interface.

It comes with 2 GB of internal storage capacity, which is expandable up to 32 GB. For connectivity, it has WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0. Besides, it has a 5 megapixel back camera with single LED flash

8. Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 (Rs 12,825)

The Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 has a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen display of HVGA resolution. It runs on Android 2.2, and has an 800 processor.

Galaxy Ace Samsung S5830 has a 5 megapixel camera at the rear and supports 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Micro USB, 3.5mm jack and a GPS receiver are also on board

9. Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos

The Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos is a dual SIM (GSM + CDMA) smartphone with dual standby. It comes with 3.5-inch (320 x 480 Pixels) TFT display and is powered by 800 MHz Qualcomm processor. It has 3 megapixel camera and runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

It is 12.5 mm thick and weighs 122 gm. It has WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G EvDO Rev A capability that offers 3.1 Mbps download speeds over CDMA network. It has 3.5 mm audio jack, FM Radio, 32 GB expandable memory and comes with 1,650 mAh battery that offers up to 7 hours talk time.

10. Samsung Galaxy Note (Rs 30,690)

This iconic device, which is hailed as an amalgamation of tablet and smartphone, comes with Android 2.3 operating system but will soon be upgraded to Android 4.0 soon. It has a 1.4 Ghz Dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 processor for ultra smooth function.

Besides, it has an 8 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front camera, WiFi Direct, and 5.29 inch super Amoled touchscreen. Notably, it can record full HD movies at at 1920 x 1080 dot pixel resolution (30 fps)

11. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

It comes with 4.2 inch capacitive touch screen with LED backlight, along with scratch-resistant surface and utilises Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine which is Sony's display technology.

The phone comes with Timescape user interface which is Sony's proprietary user interface with deeper Social network integration. The phone is based on Android v2.3.4 (Gingerbread) OS and 1.4 GHz Scorpion processor.

12. Samsung Star 3 Duos (Rs 5,050)

The Star 3 Duos features Samsung's proprietary operating system integrated with TouchWiz Lite interface that offers better usability and functionality. The handset has 3 inch TFT LCD display that comes in 320 x 240 pixel resolution with a capacitive touch based input.

The Star 3 duos comes with 3.2 megapixel fixed focus camera as well. It features a dual SIM based system that allows users to use two different connections at the same time. The device is 11.5 mm thick that makes them stylish as well as easier to carry and flaunt. The Star 3 Duos comes preinstalled with Samsung's ChatON application that enables users to sign-in without ID or password to send personalised multimedia messages, group chat, and buddy management to fellow ChatOn users.

It also allows users to access Push Instant Messenger capabilities via ChatON through various instant messaging services like MSN, Yahoo, and Google Talk. Also, Star 3 Duos phone is natively integrated with Facebook, Twitter and push email services allowing them to stay connected on the go or through integrated WiFi while at home or office as well

13. Micromax Superfone A73 (Rs 7,300)

The Superfone Lite A73 is the second device under Micromax's Superfone category after the A85. It comes with Android in dual SIM connectivity with a budget friendly price tag as well.

The A73 runs on Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has a 650 MHz processor. It features a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen, dual camera, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth etc. It also features a 32 GB expandable memory via SDHC cards and comes with a 3.5 mm universal jack for the best music experience.

The A73 comes preloaded with apps like Google voice search which enables you to perform various actions by speaking to the phone, live sending text messages, taking down notes, play music, access web sites, and find directions to places etc. The phone also has a series of apps like SAAVN for users to listen to their favourite music using this online music store, Times of India online newspaper, and Netqin antivirus

14. Apple iPhone 4S (Rs 30,000)

The iPhone 4S comes with a sleek, sharp and thin design similar to its predecessor the iPhone 4. The fifth-generation model of Apple iPhone comes with a 3.5 inch screen with a 640 X 960 pixel resolution known as the Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone.

The iPhone 4S comes with Face Time app for video calling, but only over WiFi. The display has also been given a special Oleo Phobic coating which is very useful for the Indian environment as it reduces finger prints due to sweaty hands. Along with this, the phone has an upgraded iOS 5 operating system and a mighty faster dual core processor.

Apple users can also make use of the Apple iCloud service to store their pictures. Notably, Apple is giving 5 GB of space free to every user.
The phone has an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash. The 8 megapixel snapper uses the one of the best image sensors to reproduce life like colours with detail and variance. The camera can also record full HD 1080p video and get functionalities like touch focus and Geo tagging..

15. Nokia C2 06

Nokia C2 06 is a dual SIM phone with attractive colours and easy to use ??" scroll through web sites, photos and music on the 2.6" touch screen. Plus there's a slide-out keypad for fast, easy typing.

One can even swap SIMs to minimise call and data costs. Keep one SIM inside your phone and use the easy-swap slot to switch between multiple cards as often as you want.

16. HTC One V (Rs 16,990)

HTC One V, which is cheaper version of the HTX One X, features a 1 GHz processor and has a 3.7 inch touch screen. It has a 5 megapixel camera. The phone's aluminum unibody design is very similar to that of HTC Legend.

All the other features of the One series like Android 4.0, HTC Sense 4 and camera and sound enhancements are all available on this phone also.

17. Nokia Asha 300 (Rs 6,099)

Nokia Asha 300, which is based on S40 operating system, comes with touch and type based input and a speedy 1 GHz processor. The Nokia Asha 300 features a 2.4 inch touchscreen with a 240 x 360 pixel resolution and an alphanumeric multi-tap keypad. A 1 GHz processor gives it enough power to handle most tasks with ease without freezing or any hiccups. The phone comes WiFi connectivity and is also is 3G ready.

The Nokia Asha 300 comes with a 5 megapixel camera with video recording capability. It features music player, FM radio with recording and a video player supporting various mobile video formats as well. It comes with Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. The memory of the Asha 300 can be expanded up to 32 GB.

18. Nokia Asha 302

Nokia Asha 302 is based on S40 operating system and comes with a very comfortable and user friendly Qwerty keyboard and a bigger 2.4 inch display.

To power this device Nokia has added a 1 GHz processor which makes sure that users get their work done faster, without any hiccups. Like the Asha 300, the Asha 302 also has a speedy 1 GHz processor despite of being a budget friendly device.

19. Nokia Lumia 800 (Rs 22,599)

The Lumia 800 is Nokia's flagship WP 7.5 Mango based smartphone. Sporting a unique polycarbonate body and a unibody design, the Lumia 800 smartphone comes with a 3.7 inch Amoled display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution. The display is made of scratch proof Corning Gorilla glass.

Inside, the Lumia 800 houses a single core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 mobile processor with Adreno 205 graphics card. It can play the latest games as long as they are compatible with the Windows platform.

Lumia 800 runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango and comes preloaded with select Nokia apps such as maps that offer turn-by-turn navigations. At the rear lies an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash that can record 720p HD video. There's no front camera though. It has 16 GB on-board storage but with no memory slot, hence no expandable memory.

20. Sony Ericsson W8 (Rs 7,750)

The Sony Ericsson W8 is the first ever Android based Walkman smartphone. The phone has been there in the market and runs on Android 2.1 (Eclair) operating system which is a bit old now. The phone gets a 600 MHz ARM11 processor and a 3-inch TFT screen with 320 x 480 pixel resolution.

The W8 uses the proprietary Timescape UI that integrates social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to your home screen. You can customise the four corners of the home screen as per your priority and set your music and apps at just one click away.

The W8 Walkman phone is comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera. The Sony Ericsson W8 ships with 128 MB of internal memory. The micro SD compatible phone's storage can be expanded up to 16 GB using a memory card.

However, the phone is quite old and therefore doesn't match well with the current offerings in terms of specifications or features. Alternatively, you can consider the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman for the latest specifications and music capability.

21. Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V is the upgrade version of Xperia Neo and features the latest Google Android Gingerbread 2.3 operating system with the regular features of the new generation Xperia smartphones that include Facebook inside Xperia, the Bravia engine and the upgraded audio player with the Xloud. And to keep thing in great motion, it features a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with a dedicated graphics engine as well.Part from that it gets a 3.7 inch multi-touch reality display with Sony's Bravia engine for better visuals.

Neo V has a 5 MP camera with LED Flash and auto focus which can shoot 720p HD videos at 30 FPS. The phone features a 1500 mAH battery, which the company claims to have 7 hour talk time for this smartphones. It has 32 MB of internal storage and its external memory is expandable up to 32 GB through a micro SD card. The phone is priced at Rs 17,500.

22. Micromax Superfone A78 (Rs 7,750)

Micromax Superfone A85 has a dual-core 1 GHz mobile processor and the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, which is expected to be upgraded soon to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The Superfone has a unique motion sensor powered user interface and flaunts a 3.8 inch capacitive touchscreen display with WVGA (480x800) pixel resolution.

A85 has a 5 megapixel primary camera at the back that is capable of capturing good quality images and has also a built-in image editor and a secondary camera, with 0.3 megapixel resolution.

The phone supports up to 7.2 Mbps download speed over 3G and also features WiFi, Bluetooth and A-GPS. Micromax has packed a 1500 mAh battery in it. The phone is reasonably priced at Rs 7,750

23. Samsung Wave 3 S8600 (Rs 15,290)

Samsung Wave 3 happens to be the flagship Bada 2.0 device. Wave 3 looks good in its 9.9 mm thick body and weighs less than 130 grams.

It has a metal body which adds to both style and durability for long term use as well. Wave 3 has a 4 inch super Amoled display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution at 233 ppi pixel density.

24. BlackBerry Curve 9380 (Rs 15,659)

It is the first BlackBerry Curve smartphone to sport a touch screen. Besides, it will also come with new technologies such as NFC and Augmented Reality.

Its 3.2 inch screen will support 480x360 pixel resolution with 4:3 aspect ratio and has 189 pixels per inch. The smartphone also features BlackBerry's Social Feeds application, which ties all of your social networks together into one place.

With Social Feeds you can update each of your social networks at once, and new messages from your friends pop up at the top of the screen so you can check them quickly and easily.

Besides, it has a 5 megapixel camera.

25. Samsung Champ Deluxe Duos C3312 (Rs 3,779)

This 2.8 inch screen based handset is a feature phone and has 1.3 megapixel camera, 32 GB expandable memory, and has dual SIM which comes with dual standby feature that allows the second SIM to remain active even when you are talking to someone over the first.

Besides, it has FM radio, 1000 Li-ion battery, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth etc.