TECH FLASH

We compare the Chromebook Pixel with two Apple Macbooks to see if the Google notebook is worth its price. Google has announced its intent of storming into the ultraportable laptop market with the announcement of the brand new   Chromebook Pixel   netbook. The Chromebook Pixel will run on Google's own Chrome OS, that also powered the earlier Chromebooks, but instead of relying on other manufacturers like Samsung and Acer, the Chromebook Pixel will be completely designed and manufactured by Google. The Chromebook Pixel's premium design and pricing make it interesting competition for Apple's Macbooks. Of course, there are certain things that set these laptops apart- the Chromebook Pixel's 13-inch display is also touch-enabled whereas the Macbooks aren't (although it's rumoured that Apple are also headed the touchscreen route for its notebooks). The Macbooks run on a “proper” operating system capable of running full-fledged productivity applications. The ...

Getting Ubuntu onto your Nexus Device may seem like the next cool thing to do, but before you take the plunge, there is a whole lot you need to know! Canonical has   just released   their long awaited Ubuntu Mobile OS for phones and tablets, but it is currently not in its finished state. If you’re itching to flash your shiny Nexus phone or tablet with this early developer build, there are a number of things that you must keep in mind before you begin the process of giving your device a new soul. Compatibility: Currently, the “Touch Developer Preview for Ubuntu” is only compatible with Google Nexus devices, but each device must be running a specific version of the firmware. Here is a neat little tablet that shows the various devices and the required firmware. Device Codename Factory firmware from Google Galaxy Nexus maguro takjuoryakju Nexus 4 mako occam Nexus 7 grouper nakasiornakasig Nexus 10 manta mantaray If you’re wonderin...

We begin the month of February by sharing our list of most anticipated games for the month on which you can drop your hard-earned cash. And February looks to be the month that will burn quite a big hole in your pocket! Hitman HD Trilogy We start the list by respecting gamers who will pick up the HD remaster of the original Htiman Trilogy. Newcomers to the world of gaming who have some hands on time with  Hitman: Absolution , know this – the original games were tough as hell and took a lot of patience and perseverance to get through the levels. The trilogy will include Hitman: Contracts, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin and Hitman: Blood Money. Gamers will play through more than 40 intense missions across the three classic games. The best part, all the three games have been remastered in glorious HD. The Hitman Trilogy will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in the first week of February for Rs. 1,499 approx. watch a cool trailer :- http://youtu.be/SSI5qPFbdpE ...

Facebook is planning to attract the hardcore gaming audience with the hope that gamers will spend more time and money playing hard-core games on the social networking website. Facebook plans to diversify the audience that plays games on the social networking website. The website plans to launch 10 high-quality games in 2013. These games will be targeted at the hard-core gamer, unlike casual social games like Farmville, Mafia Wars and more. Facebook, which takes a cut of the revenue generated by these games, hopes to keep its 1 billion-plus users logged in and spending more time and money on the website. Micro transactions, which are small in game purchases, are the biggest source of revenue through these games. Studies have shown that the hard-core gaming audience is the population between the age of 18 and 30. They spend a large number of hours playing games like Halo, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty and more on the home console and PC. "You'll see a whol...

Dead Space 3 is now available in store shelves globally, but still needs to see the light of day in India. Reviews of the game are out and most of them say that the game doesn’t live up to its hype. That isn’t to say that the game is bad, it’s just that the presentation and overall package of its predecessors is better. A general consensus on the review of the Dead Space 3 says that the game looks gorgeous with its graphics, the gameplay is still fun as ever, and dismembering a Necromorphs is still a thrilling experience. The addition of multiplayer in the story means that you can now share the adventure with a friend. A new mechanic added to the game is the ability to create your own weapons or modify them, as you like. This is a break from the standard upgrade mechanic and is a good twist to the game. On the downside however, the story of the game is weak. It isn’t well connected and doesn’t keep you as engaged as it did in Dead Space 2. A DLC pack...

As the date for E3 edges closer and closer, we’re getting little spurts of leaks about the upcoming updated Xbox console (a.k.a Xbox 720), codenamed Durango. The source of the leak, who goes by the alias SuperDaE, first came to public attention when he tried to sell one of the Durango developer kits on eBay (seen below), a sale that was blocked by Microsoft. SuperDaE seems to be in possession of a number of white papers on the next-gen console from Microsoft, papers essentially written for game developers. Included in these documents are some very interesting details that, as we have learnt from the past, are not all necessarily the guidelines for the final production model. Amongst the many new features, the first that sticks out is the new “always-on” Kinect setup. The next gen console might require the Kinect unit to be plugged in, switched on and configured to the room in order for the Xbox to work. The Kinect unit itself has apparently received a ma...

The Samsung Series 5 Touch Ultrabook, also known as the Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch, is a Windows 8 ultrabook with a touchscreen, with no pretentions of being a hybrid or a tablet device. This is probably what we are most impressed with, the Series 5 Touch not trying to achieve the best of both worlds, and ending up delivering a compromise on both. Build & Design The resemblance with the previous version of the Series 5 ultrabook remains – it all stays in the family! Straight out of the box, our initial impression was the matter-of-fact look. The design is carried forward to the extent that the Series 5 Touch Ultrabook’s base is slightly curving upwards on three sides, making it feel slimmer than it actually is. The 13.3-inch version of the Series 5 Ultrabook does away with the optical drive, while the 14-inch version retains that. This has a positive impact though, which makes this Series 5 Touch Ultrabook slimmer. The ports are spread on the right and left sid...