Asus ZenBook UX305FAsus ZenBook UX305F

Asus ZenBook UX305F

The ZenBook UX305F is available in two colours, white and what Asus calls Obsidian Stone. We received the latter, and it's an unusual purplish-brown colour that looks different under different types of light.The UX305F is remarkably thin at 12.3mm and weighs just 1.2kg, making it very easy to carry around in one hand. Even the charger that ships with it is small and convenient, barely any larger than a tablet charger. You'll find two USB 3.0 ports and a full-sized SD card slot on the left, with another USB 3.0 port, Micro-HDMI video out, headset socket, LED status indicators and charger inlet on the right.

Specifications and software
At the heart of the ZenBook UX305F is a Core M-5Y10 processor, part of Intel's new line of ultra-low-power devices for exactly this kind of thin-and-light laptop. It has two CPU cores with Hyper-Threading and can scale its speed from 800MHz to 2.0GHz in order to balance power requirements. It also stays under a 4.5W TDP, which allows the UX305 to dispense with a cooling fan.The laptop comes with 4GB of RAM which cannot be upgraded, and a 256GB M.2 SSD module. Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel HD 5300 GPU. The 13.3-inch screen has a resolution of 1920x1080 and there's also Wi-Fi g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. Asus advertises superior sound thanks to a tie-up with Bang & Olufsen. No other configuration options are available in India at this time, though more RAM, larger SSDs and higher-resolution screen options might come in later.

Performance
The ZenBook UX305F is a pleasure to work with. We appreciated how quickly it booted and how responsive it felt when loading and switching between programs. It's also completely silent thanks to the lack of fans and moving parts, which subtly gives this laptop an even more premium feel. The keyboard is crisp and comfortable. We sometimes found ourselves missing a touchscreen, but this was never a real annoyance.

With that said, the Core M processor definitely isn't a powerhouse. You'll be quite happy with it for most productivity and entertainment needs but we wouldn't try anything mission-critical on this laptop - and you can pretty much forget about playing 3D games at high quality settings.

Price (MRP): Rs. 49,999

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Google Chrome's Data Saver Feature Now Available

Google Chrome's Data Saver Feature Now Available 

Google has launched a new Chrome browser extension called Data Saver, which can be used to save bandwidth and time when loading Web pages. The service has till now been primarily targeted at mobile users, since they suffer from limited connectivity and try to save expensive data. However, with the launch of this extension, Google has made the service available to PC users of the Chrome browser as well.

The extension will only work on Chrome 41 and above, and should turn on by default immediately after installation. It can be disabled and re-enabled through settings. It should also be pointed out that the extension does not function when used with secure (HTTPS) sites and during Incognito mode.

Google's Data Saver feature has been available for mobile devices through Chrome for Android and Chrome for iOS in release form since January 2014. Apart from saving bandwidth and loading Web pages faster, the extension also boosts security, since all sites are routed through Google's servers, where they are checked for malware and malicious pages.

The Data Saver extension, currently in beta, can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store. Google has been quiet about this launch, refraining from making any announcements on the same. The extension was released on the Chrome Web Store on March 23.

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HP Stream 11 Low-Cost Laptop

HP Stream 11 Low-Cost Laptop

HP has come up with a device that gives us another option - the new Stream 11-d023tu. It's part of a series of devices that emphasise portability and connectivity, and so it breaks from the usual common standards that we take for granted when it comes to laptop specifications. The Stream lineup also includes a laptop with a 13-inch screen and a tablet with an 8-inch screen, but what we have today is the smaller clamshell model, the Stream 11.

Look and feel

There's no getting around it: The HP Stream 11 is an eye-catching device, and not everyone will think this is a good thing, or that it's been done for the right reasons. HP has experimented with colourful pastels before, but the Stream 11 takes unusual design to a whole new level. The entire exterior is a bright blue, except for a mirror-finished HP logo in the centre of the lid. The texture feels good, but it in our time with the device it picked up smudges, sweat and oil from our fingers very easily, and even got scuffed when being put into or pulled out of bags.

Specifications

The HP Stream 11 is powered by a lowly Intel Celeron N2840 CPU, which is a dual-core model and runs at 2.16GHz. This particular processor is based on the Bay Trail architecture which is usually associated with low-powered Atom processors, not the Haswell architecture which powers most of Intel's desktop and laptop CPUs. There's 2GB of RAM, which is the minimum acceptable amount these days.

HP has cut a corner in terms of the amount of storage available. The Stream 11 has only 32GB of solid-state memory which is again more common of tablets than laptops. This is disappointing, and HP tries to explain it away by pointing out the ubiquity of cloud storage services today, and the fact that 32GB of flash is a lot faster than a spinning hard drive.

Strangely, the SD card slot can only handle cards of up to 32GB, which is just ridiculous to us. SDXC capacity support would not have cost that much extra, and even tablets today allow for more expansion. With Internet access still too slow and expensive for anyone to rely on cloud services, buyers who need to store more than just a few documents will have to get used to carrying a portable hard drive around.

The screen resolution is of course 1366x768, though that isn't too bad for an 11.6-inch screen. However the screen itself is not of very high quality. Viewing angles are not good, colours are dull, and it isn't visible enough under indoor office lighting unless you pump the brightness nearly all the way up.

Performance

We calibrated our expectations of the Stream 11 based on its low-grade Celeron, and our instincts turned out to be accurate. Performance was barely better than what we'd expect from a netbook or tablet. The Stream 11 booted very quickly thanks to the flash storage, but there were definitely times when the device lagged without even very much load. Menus took a second to pop up, programs didn't load very snappily, and the Windows 8 spinning-ring cursor made frequent appearances. That said, all other devices at this price level, regardless of size or shape, perform roughly the same.

The benchmarks didn't surprise us much, except that both 3DMark and PCMark were unable to run to completion. Only PCMark's Home scenario finished and gave us a score of 1777 points, which was on par with entry-level laptops and tablets. POVray finished running in 30 minutes, 13 seconds while Cinebench gave us a CPU score of 70 (multi-threaded) - both scores well below those of the HP Pavilion 13-b102TU we reviewed a little while ago, illustrating the sort of tasks that are really crippled by the low-end processor.

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Tech Deals of the Week : iPhone 6, Asus Laptop, Headphones

Tech Deals of the Tech Deals of the Week : iPhone 6, Asus Laptop, Headphones

1. Apple iPhone 6 64GB space grey
 
You can grab a brand new 64GB space grey for as low as Rs. 52,043 (effective price) on Paytm this week. That's almost equal to the price of a new 16GB variant. Paytm will give you a cashback amount of Rs. 9,000 when you use coupon code A9K to buy the iPhone 6 64GB. You can use the cashback amount to pay your phone, broadband, or DTH bills for the next few months. The Apple iPhone 6 64GB comes with full 1 year manufacturer warranty, and Paytm will accept returns within 15 days of delivery. While buying the iPhone 6 64GB, make sure you're getting the lowest price by checking what other sellers are offering for the same product. The sellers option is right under the huge buy button. The cashback amount, however, will remain the same at Rs. 9,000.
Price: Rs. 52,043 (effective)
Link: Paytm

2. Asus X550CC-XX922D 15.6-inch laptop

In the market for a bright coloured laptop? The Asus X550CC-XX922D 15.6-inch laptop is available in red, and at a discount on Amazon this week. The laptop is available at a discounted price of Rs. 28,790 (MRP Rs. 36,999). The Asus X550CC-XX922D comes with a 15.6-inch screen, and is powered by the Intel Core i3 processor clocked at 1.8GHZ, supported by 4GB DDR3 RAM. There's a 2GB dedicated graphics card from NVIDIA, and a 500GB hard drive to store all your data. You won't get an operating system pre-installed on this laptop, which pretty much explains the low price tag. You'll need to buy a license for Windows, or simply transfer your existing Windows licence to this machine. You can also install any free Linux distribution on it.
Price: Rs. 28,790 (MRP Rs. 36,999)
Link: Amazon

3. Audio Technica ATH-RE70BK
Amazon is selling the Audio Technica ATH-RE70BK retro style on-ear headphones at a discounted price of Rs. 2,399 (MRP Rs. 3,999) this week. Other online retailers are selling the same pair of headphones for around Rs. 2,800-3,000. The headphones are powered by 40mm drivers, and feature a black classic retro styling. Audio Technica promises a comfortable experience with the ear pads, along with an adjustable slider headband. If you're in the market for a decent pair of headphones below the Rs. 3,000 price point, and don't care much about a very strong bass these headphones are for you.
Price: Rs. 2,399 (MRP Rs. 3,999)
Link: Amazon

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MacBook Air

MacBook Air

#Apple's new 11-inch and 13-inch #MacBook Air models have been upgraded with new fifth-generation #Intel Core processors with integrated HD 6000 graphics, as well as Thunderbolt 2 connectivity which doubles the peak theoretical throughput from 10Gbps to 20Gbps. The 13-inch model also gets faster a PCIe-based solid-state drive.  

The 11-inch MacBook Air is officially available today through authorised retailers. It will cost Rs. 65,900 for a model with a 1.6GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, or Rs. 79,900 for the same specifications with a 256GB SSD instead. The 13-inch MacBook Air is available with a 1.6GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD at Rs. 72,900 or Rs. 86,900 with a 256GB SSD. Customers can upgrade the CPU speed, amount of RAM and SSD capacity only at the time of purchase.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display will be available starting at Rs. 94,900 for a configuration including a 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with integrated Iris 6100 graphics, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. The same specs with a 256GB SSD will cost Rs. 1,09,000. Another variant with a 2.9GHz Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD will cost Rs. 1,29,900.

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Play Cricket World Cup 2015

Play  Cricket World Cup 2015

1. ICC Pro Cricket 2015 (iOS, Android, PC)

The "official" ICC Cricket World Cup video game, ICC Pro Cricket 2015 was released by Indiagames, a local studio with a lot of experience in making cricket games. The game features a unique bowling mechanic that has you tracing the ball's trajectory on the screen, which makes for a more immersive experience. Batting has the default camera from behind the stumps much like Don Bradman Cricket and requires you to tap the for a ground or lofted shot as well as choosing the direction.

It can take a little getting used to, but this free mobile game looks amazing and is a lot of fun, as does the PC variant which costs Rs. 609. Motion capture makes an appearance as do realistic graphics along with management and simulation gameplay.

This time around its efforts are coupled with the ICC Cricket World Cup license ensuring that you have over 150 official players from 14 teams. What this means is you won't be playing as "MS Dhobi" but as the real MSD.

Download ICC Pro Cricket 2015 for iOS, Android, PC

2. Don Bradman Cricket (PS4, Xbox One)

The Don Bradman series is possibly the best cricket game available, and the fine folk at Australian studio Big Ant have decided that it was a tragedy to restrict the games to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC alone. Newer consoles also get to share in the fun now, and our review confirms that the addictive gameplay mechanics and modes that made last year's game a triumph have all been retained from the dual stick control scheme for batting and bowling to the exhaustive career mode. If you are a cricket fanatic, it's well worth the Rs. 4,099 asking price.

3. Real Cricket 14 (iOS, Android)

Another mobile game, Real Cricket 14 is Nautilus Mobile's debut attempt at the genre. Sporting a unique 2D art style and slick animations, this is a compelling game that's tough to put down. And though the title is a year old, the Android version has been updated for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, with the iOS version expected to get the same treatment soon. The controls are what you'd expect with the use of virtual buttons that are surprisingly tactile, and result in batting and bowling being a cinch.

What does the Real Cricket World Cup update bring to the table? Well, there's a free World Cup game mode and all of the game's premium features (except for equipment) such as game modes will be unlocked for India. Furthermore, the Real Cricket Premier League mode which was earlier exclusive to Intel devices will be available for purchase at around Rs. 60.

Download Real Cricket for iOS, Android

4. 10 Ten Cricket Card Battle (iOS)

Another game from the Indiagames' stable, 10 Ten Cricket Card Battle harks back to the days when trump cards were popular. It's a cricket-based card-collection game that has you managing a team, upgrading your players' stats and of course a roster that has every player taking part in the World Cup. Aside from sporting a unique aesthetic, the economy of 10 Ten links with ICC Pro Cricket 2015, which means purchases in either game sync across both games, making for a rather interesting experience, think about it as the cricket equivalent to FIFA's Ultimate Team, allowing you to buy premium players to create an unbeatable squad.

We'll have to see how well this works out, but for now there's enough content to keep you piqued if you like your cricket games to have a more strategic, tactical feel to them.

Download 10 Ten Cricket Card Battle for iOS

5. Stick Cricket World Cup Edition (Browser)

Stick Cricket has long been the escape for many an office going drone looking to kill time between senseless meetings. As usual, this is a browser-based affair that has you batting in a chase of seemingly insurmountable scores or setting a winning total. Running between wickets is automatic. This time around it's World Cup themed wherein you've to play group matches. Win enough of those and you'll find yourself in the knock out phase followed by the semi-final and then the final itself. 

Inspite of its rudimentary gameplay, the bowler descriptions at the start of an over give it some character, making it a humorous affair. The high score chase can get highly addictive, and keep you playing this incredibly basic game for a lot longer than more sophisticated alternatives.

You can fire up Stick Cricket on your desktop browser right now.

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Watch 2015 Cricket World Cup Live on Your PC, Smartphone, or Tablet

Starsports.com

The official website of #Star Sports lets you watch ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 matches live online - for a small subscription. Follow these steps to start watching.

1. Go to the Star Sports subscription webpage.

You will see details of the subscription. You can watch 53 ODIs live online for Rs. 120. This is valid only on starsports.com and not on any of its apps. You can watch games through a Web browser on any device.

2. Click Buy Now to register and pay.

3. Once you've done that, you can watch games live by going to the Star Sports website and clicking Login on the top-right.

This subscription is valid in India only, though the website offers different packages in other selected regions.

Watch 2015 Cricket World Cup matches for free

Download the Star Sports app for Android or iOS. The app is offering free video stream of the World Cup 2015 matches that's delayed by a few minutes - a small tradeoff for something that's high quality, legal, and free.

Tata Sky Everywhere TV

If you are a Tata Sky subscriber, you can use its iOS and Android apps to watch Star Sports on your phone. You need to pay Rs. 60 per month to be able to watch all channels you've subscribed to online, and there's no extra charge for Star's channels.

Outside India

UK
Sky Sports is the official Cricket World Cup 2015 broadcaster in the UK. If you are a Sky subscriber, you can watch TV online via Sky Go. If you don't have a Sky subscription, you will have to buy a Now TV pass to watch the Cricket World Cup 2015 live. A day pass (valid for 24 hours) costs £6.99 and a week pass costs £10.99.

Australia
Fox Sports network has the broadcast rights for live coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in India. To watch it live online you need a Foxtel Play subscription; more details available on the Fox website.

Pakistan
PTV Sports offers live streaming free online (for Pakistan residents only). You can watch all matches here.

South Africa
SuperSport will live stream all Cricket World Cup 2015 matches online, but you need to be an existing TV subscriber to be able to watch these games. Live stream availablehere.

New Zealand
Sky Sport 3 is going to be broadcasting all the Cricket World Cup 2015 matches. You can watch it live online here. You need a Sky Go subscription for this, which you can purchase here.

Canada
Sportsnet is the official broadcaster in Canada for the Cricket World Cup 2015. It has a Cricket World Cup 2015 package that costs $179.99 to watch all matches live online. You can subscribe here. This page won't open if you are trying to access it from outside Canada.

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