LG Optimus G Pro: The new phablet king

 

South Korean manufacturer LG is on a spree to challenge its cross town rival Samsung on all fronts in the smartphone market. While its answer to Galaxy S III in the form of the acclaimed Optimus G was much delayed, the company has taken a slight lead on Galaxy Note III (going by the rumoured specs of the upcoming Samsung phone). The company launched the Optimus G Pro in February this year, with specs that will help it match what the next-gen Note phablet is likely to offer.

At the India launch event for the Optimus G Pro, the company compared the handset to the currently available Galaxy Note II several times. While the two phones are miles apart when it comes to features and spec sheets, it is a wise comparison since the latter has a huge fan following in India.

We do a review of the LG Optimus G Pro to see exactly how good it is and whether it is a better buy than Samsung Galaxy Note II and indeed over the upcoming Note III, going by leaked specs. 

Hardware and design:

LG Optimus G Pro features a 5.5-inch screen, just as big as the one in Galaxy Note II. However, at first look you will see the difference between the two displays. The LG phone's screen is considerably clearer and brighter than that of Note II. This is because the smartphone features screen resolution of 1920x1080p, with pixel density amounting of 401ppi. In contrast, Note II user has to stay content with relatively low 1280x720p resolution and 267ppi pixel density. The LG phone has a huge advantage over its Samsung rival in this area.

The phone packs the same 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon S600 processor that we saw in LGOptimus G. The phone has 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSD card support up to 32GBand a 3,140mAh removable battery. Its connectivity features include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB, infrared and NFC. On the back, you get a 13MP camera with LED flash, while a2MP camera is placed in the front. All in all, LG Optimus G Pro has all the makings of a top-endphablet.



Coming to design, you will find that LG Optimus G Pro vastly differs from its sibling Optimus G. Instead of the finely cut, sharp edges that defined the look of Optimus G, you fill find that the new phablet is characterized by curves. In fact, it looks quite like Note II, albeit slimmer and longer. Nevertheless, the phone feels good in the hand and all buttons are easy to access, though we feel that the positions of the volume rocker and Q Memo key should be interchanged as the former is used more often.

The phone is made entirely using plastic, instead of premium materials like glass and metal. At 172 gram, it is not the most lightweight phablet in the market today, but still weighs lesser than Samsung Galaxy Note II and Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

The front holds the secondary camera and the usual set of sensors above the screen and the three-key layout below it. The audio jack and IR blaster are on top of the phone, while the microUSBport is at the bottom. On the left is the QMemo shortcut key as well as the volume rocker, while the Power/Lock button is on the right. The speaker grille sits on the left side of the rear camera, while the LED flash is on its right.

The back of the device bears a shimmering pattern, similar to the design we have seen in OptimusG as well as Nexus 4 (also manufactured by LG). However, the effect is not as attractive onOptimus G Pro's plastic body as it is on the glass back of the other two smartphones.

Software:

Sadly, LG Optimus G Pro runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), in a market where all top-end handsets are powered by Android 4.2. Even though the upgrades in the latest version of Google's free OS are not too many, we would still like to have the best in hand when paying as high as Rs42,500 for a phone.

However, the Korean manufacturer has used its Optimus UI on top of the operating system in this phone. We have seen this user interface in Optimus G and OptimusL7 II dual. This skin has several good things on its side. It is very light, making the overall user experience very zippy. It is also the only Android skin that supports landscape orientation. It offers much more customization than the custom UIs of other manufacturers.

The notification bar has the usual toggles (spread across three tabs), access to floating apps, brightness etc. You can make notes or annotate on any homescreen or app via QMemo(accessible via the hardware key on top left side or the app itself). Floating apps, which Samsung and Sony also offer, are apps that open in small windows rather than taking up the whole screen. You can move them around, change their size or alter their transparency levels. By default, you get five floating apps, Videos, Web Browser, Memo, Calendar and Calculator; others can be downloaded from the app marketplace.


LG Optimus G Pro also has a notification LED light that is embedded in the Home key, instead of being placed on top of the screen, as is the case with most phones. You can choose the colour of LED light assigned to your contacts (in the Contacts app). Other customization options in the phone include home screen transition effects and preloaded themes. The phone pauses videos automatically when you look away from the screen; you can hold an icon and tilt phone sideways to move towards the right or left homescreen.

Camera:

The new Optimus G Pro has a 13MP camera on the back, which takes images with good details even though there is some noise. However, colour reproduction in the images is not exactly accurate, though it is extremely close. The daylight photos we captured were good, but lowlightimages suffered as the LED flash is not powerful enough. Volume rocker key doubles up as a hardware camera key in this phone.

The Camera app has features like Burst Mode, voice commands (say terms like LG and cheese to click images), HDR and panorama. Apart from these, the phone has several unique features like Beauty Shot, which alters features of the subject to make the face brighter and smoother. Time Catch takes quick photos even before you capture any image so that you can also save lost moments. 
The dual capture mode works while capturing photos as well as videos, wherein the front as well as rear cameras operate simultaneously to capture the subject as well as your own expressions in real time (this feature is present in other phones like Samsung Galaxy S4HTC One, and now Nokia Lumia 1020). Other cool features in the phone's camera are capturing a photo while recording a video and 360-degree panorama.

In terms of megapixel count, LG Optimus G Pro's camera ranks in the league of Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z. However, as we saw in Optimus G, LG's 13MP camera is not really a match for the best in the segment. While the image quality has improved a lot as compared toOptimus G, it still does not match the photos delivered by Samsung Galaxy S4. It is likely thatS4's imaging capabilities will be replicated or even bettered in Note III.

Performance:

The Snapdragon 600 processor that Optimus G Pro carries is one of the most powerful in the market. It delivered excellent results when we tested it earlier in Optimus G and the streak continues with this phone. On Antutu benchmark, it delivered a score of over 19000, which is respectable by any yardstick. However, it is not the highest in phones currently available in India (HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 deliver higher scores). More importantly for LG, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note III is said to beat these scores by a huge margin, with leakedAntutu screenshots showing that it notches up 34000 on the same test.

The display of LG Optimus, though gorgeous, is quite reflective and easily gets smeared with fingerprints. The colours are good while viewing videos but the contrast is a little off. Nevertheless, in big-screen smartphones in India, this is one of the only two phones that deliver such display quality, the other being Lenovo K900.

If you find the phone too big for your hands, you can choose the one-handed operation feature, where the keyboard, phone dialler etc can be moved towards the left or right so that it is easier to type on the big screen.

One thing we liked about the phone is its music player app, which is smooth, clean and has a YouTube icon that allows you to search for the song's video on the video sharing website directly from the music player. The stock video player of the phone can handle all popular video formats and features in-video zooming by default.

The 3,140mAh battery of LG Optimus G Pro is one of the biggest selling points of this phone. It last us over a day on a single charge, with usage being two-three hours of internet browsing and videos, four-five hours of music playback, an hour of gaming and calling.

Rivals:

LG Optimus G Pro obviously targets the high-end phablet market that Samsung Galaxy Note II dominates. However, this phone has to not only compete against Note II, but also Lenovo K900. Lenovo is not known for its smartphones in India, but K900 is a direct competitor of Optimus G Pro, albeit with a price difference of over Rs 10,000.

Both the phones have 5.5-inch displays with 1080p resolution and 401ppi pixel densities as well as13MP cameras. However, the LG device bags a major victory due to a more powerful processor, though Lenovo's handset is made using a much more durable material, steel, and runs on Android 4.2.

Overall, LG Optimus G Pro pushes the right buttons and can lord over the top-end phablet market easily.

Verdict:

If you want a top-end phablet today, then LG Optimus G Pro is the device for you. However, its stay at the top is likely to be short as Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Note III at the start of September. The upcoming gadget will have two crucial advantages - a bigger screen and a faster processor.

If you can wait for another couple of months to spend over Rs 40,000 on a phablet, then Note III would be the device of choice. But if your purchase needs to be made in the next few weeks, then we have no qualms in recommending LG Optimus G Pro over any phablet in India, including Samsung Galaxy Note II.

What we like:

Gorgeous screen
Fast processor
Great battery

Several customization options


What we don't like:

Sub-par camera
High price
Plastic body

Price: Rs 42,500

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Sony Xperia Go

 

It's the monsoon season. Rain gods have not been too kind to India, especially in Delhi and surrounding areas, this year, but there is a chance that one of these days you may find yourself in middle of a downpour. 

Getting drenched in rain is an enjoyable experience but it may cost you your phone. Water and Smartphone’s don't go together very well. But there is an exception. The rugged phones can survive rain with ease. These are the phones designed to handle tough conditions well. This means they are waterproof or water resistant up to a reasonable degree. They can survive moderate amount of dust or ice. They can handle a fall or two with grace, without shattering into pieces of broken plastic and glass. 

We have one of these rugged phones for review today. Made by Sony, it is called Xperia Go. The name makes Sony's intentions clear - it is a phone meant for those who have active lifestyle and are likely to run into situations where 'normal phones' may be in peril. 

But does the phone justify its Go tag? We find out. 

Feels light for a rugged phone

Build quality and the material used are crucial for ultra-durable devices. After all, ability to survive odd conditions is the major selling point for these phones. Xperia Go scores well on the durability aspect. It has an all-plastic design, which helps it survive minor bumps and falls. Its ports are covered with plastic caps so that water should not enter into them. Even the speaker grills have thin protective layers on them. 

When the back cover is opened, it reveals how Sony has made the phone waterproof. Battery and other internals of the phone are placed inside the phone's body and are not accessible by users unless they are willing to use a screwdriver. Camera and flash modules have rubber rings around them to seal any opening. SIM has to be placed in a tray, which slides in, sealing the phone while micro SD port has a rubber cap. 

The use of plastic means the phone feels light and sleek despite its 'tuff' tag. It is also very sturdy, with no creaking parts anywhere. Our only complain as far as the design is concerned is the type of plastic Sony has used to make the back cover. It has a rough finish, similar to sandpaper. Yes, it's a rough-n-tough phone but a smoother finish would have given a better feel to Xperia Go. 

Does this work?

Yes, the design works. During our use the phone had several falls or bumps (we made sure that it did). The device survived them with aplomb. Dust? With all its ports sealed, dust proved to be a no issue. And water? We did some extensive water tests with Xperia Go. We washed it, we left it open in rain and we dunked it in jug full of water. The device handled it all fine. 

Xperia Go the Smartphone

Durability is just one aspect of Xperia Go. It is also an Android Smartphone. On paper, it mostly ticks all the right boxes. The phone is powered by a dual-core 1Ghz processor. It has 512MB RAM and 8GB storage, with support for micro SD card. The camera shoots pictures in 5MP and videos in up to 720P resolution. Unfortunately, there is no front camera so you can't use the device for video chats. 

Xperia Go is powered by Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread. The original operating software is skinned with Sony's proprietary user interface called Timescape. The Sony's skin is definitely an improvement over Gingerbread in terms of user interface as well as functionality. It is also very pretty, with translucent layers giving it a classy look. That said, it is disappointing that the phone ships with an older version of Android and not Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4) or Jelly Bean (Android 4.1). 

In terms of performance, we found Xperia Go to be a fairly fast phone. The device handled web browsing, video playback, casual gaming and multitasking with ease. There was no lag in UI and animations were smooth. We also found the call quality to be good. The 5 megapixels camera turned out to be average. The phone clicked pictures that had good colors but lacked details. Battery life was also disappointing with the phone lasting around 9 hours on 3G connection when used for web browsing, Twitter, making calls, some gaming and photography. 

Xperia Go looks like a mid-range phone and performs like one. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, there is one crucial aspect where the device falls short. The screen on Xperia Go is poor considering its price. The colors are average and level of brightness, though not good, is something that may not bother most users. But the resolution of 320 x 480 pixels is too low for a 3.5-inch screen. This makes the text look blurry around the edges and especially affects web browsing experience. 

Sum of it all

In terms of performance and features, Xperia Go is a decent mid-range phone. Unfortunately, the poor screen means we cannot give it a nod ahead of the phones like HTC One V. The phone's price of Rs 18,999 doesn't help the matters. At this price, we feel Xperia Go doesn't have any value for money. 

However, there is the 'tuff' angle to the device and it may appeal to some users. 

If you want a phone that can survive while you walk in the rain, Xperia Go could be the right device for you. There are several other rugged phones in the market but all of them have a thicker body and uninspiring design. This makes Xperia Go an appealing proposition, if you can live with a below average screen. 

Pros: Rugged design makes the phone water and dust proof, light and sleek, good performance, pretty user interface 

Cons: Older version of Android (though Android 4.0 or ICS update has been promised), pricey, poor screen, plastic body feels rough in hands)

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Sony Xperia neo L

The Android smartphone market is growing by leaps and bounds and not wanting to let Samsung and HTC corner all the expanding growth, Sony is betting big on it. After a patchy ICS update to other smartphones of the Xperia series which drew a lot of ire from its users, Sony is launching three new Android phones - neo L, Go and Ion - this quarter. All three are being launched in the Xperia series. Neo L expands the Xperia series in the mid-range and succeeds neo V, which was launched about a year ago.

Unlike its haloed siblings like Xperia S, Xperia U and Xperia Arc S, the neo L runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system straight out-of-the-box, which gives it a slight edge over others as most phones being sold in market are still based on Gingerbread. However, in an already flooded Android market, the question remains whether Sony Xperia neo L will stand out at a price of Rs 18,499, especially when HTC One V is available at Rs 18,599 and the similarly-priced dual core-powered Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 is scheduled to hit India in a few months.

We played around a bit with the phone and here's what we think of it:

Looks and dimensions

Sony seems to have deviated from the laws of genetics in case of neo L. Hence, its design doesn't bear much resemblance with the sleekness of its recent breed of Xperia S, Xperia U, Xperia P phones. Its shape, however, has glimpses of some older Xperia phones such as the Arc and neo V, but unlike the thin beauty of the Arc, neo L is fatter.

The phone measures 4.8x2.4x0.5 inches, which may seem to be sleek but once you hold the phone, it isn't really light. It weighs 131.5 grams against the Xperia neo V which weighs 126 grams, and Xperia Arc S which weighs 117 grams. Other contemporaries also weigh less, such as HTC One V, which weighs 115 grams and Samsung Galaxy S Advance, which weighs 120 grams.

Hardware

Though the phone is good to look at, it is like a fingerprint-magnate and any user would be hard-pressed to keep it devoid of smudges for even a few minutes. It has a glossy and rather brittle seeming plastic casing for a back cover that has to be kept clean regularly, sometimes many times a day! The frame is lined with chrome, which certainly gives it a sleek look and makes it appear similar to the neo V, Arc and Arc S. A 3.5-mm audio jack is placed in the top-centre of the phone which gives it an avoidable ugly bulge. On the left is a mini USB port for charging and data transfer, and on the right panel are the buttons for power and volume and a small speaker.

Sony Xperia neo L sports a 4-inch HD TFT touchscreen with 854x480 pixel resolution, slightly larger than HTC One V's, but smaller than that of Motorola Atrix 2 and Samsung Galaxy S Advance. Below the screen are four physical buttons (in the same curved shape as the three buttons in the Arc) namely Back, Home, Menu and Search. These buttons are stiff, small and you may sometimes accidentally tread upon the on-screen controls while pressing the hard hardware buttons. Likewise, the buttons for power and volume are not well placed if the phone is held in one hand. Since, the glossy body of Xperia neo L is rather slippery, even not-so-clumsy users might end up dropping it a few times.

Ice Cream Sandwich integration

The phone runs on Android 4.0 out-of-the-box and that is an important selling point since users would not have to wait for an update, a la Motorola Atrix 2. However, the HTC One V, priced similar to the Xperia neo L, also offers a premium Android 4.0 straight from the box.

Users can choose between seven pre-installed neon-based Ice Cream Sandwich themes in the Sony Xperia neo L, which are seen in the background when the home screen and menu are open. The overall user experience is quite smooth and fluid. Sony's Timescape has made its way to this phone as well, so that users can see the recent updates, tweets, messages etc by all contacts on a single scrollable window from the home screen.

Sony has done well by adding a number of useful widgets in the Xperia neo L that add to its functionality, such as the Gallery View, which allows users to access pics, videos and music from the same widget. The dock/menu bar located at the bottom of the five home screens is also customisable and can hold a total of four applications. Users can create folders if they want to add more applications to this dock.

Connectivity

The phone comes loaded with all modern connectivity options available in a mid-range smartphone, such as Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, 3G, GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR. It has GTalk, Gmail and a combined inbox for all emails. The social networking integration, including Facebook and Twitter, will make it a suitable choice for the youth.

Call clarity is decent, but only in a quite room. When we stepped out on a noisy street, the sound became muffled, which will be a dampener for those who travel a lot.

Music and videos

The stock music player in Sony Xperia neo L will be welcomed by any audiophile, as it features a host of features in addition to the standard music playing options.

In the music player, tapping on the on-screen button placed in the middle of the bottom row shows a pop-up with options like Find Music Video on YouTube, Get more@PlayNow, Search Artist Info on Wikipedia, Search for Lyrics on Google, Search Karaoke Videos on YouTube, along with the option to find more extensions. This will contribute towards a rich music experience for any user. The standard features of the music player include customisable playlists, folder view for music, including tabs named Artists, Albums, Tracks and Playlists.

TrackID is yet another add-on that will be favoured by audiophiles, as it shows all the details of the song being played based upon the title and artist info. It will track the data over an internet connection and show a host of details, such as artist info, lyrics etc. However, this feature proves to be rather redundant considering that Sony has already included such features in the stock music player.

Sony Xperia neo L's default video player can play videos at 720p easily, though we expect it to hang after other processes eat up more RAM. The stock video player has only three options, forward, back and start/pause.

Camera

In today's world, the camera plays an important role in any smartphone. The best part of Xperia neo L's camera is that this 5MP unit with autofocus is accompanied by an LED flash that clicks far better pictures than many. There's also a front-facing VGA camera for making video calls.

But then one notices the unexpected negative point on the camera front. The camera does not have any zoom. Considering that even the cheapest Android phones with least megapixel also feature zoom function, it's a strange miss for the Xperia neo L. Moreover, there is no way to lower or mute the shutter noise when the camera clicks a picture, which can be an irritant for many.

A feature we found to be redundant in the camera was the panel located on the right side of the on-screen interface. On the bottom, Sony has placed icons so that users can choose between video, audio and panorama mode, but tapping on either one expands the window and users need to select the camera mode once again, thus making it a lengthy process.

Its chief competitor, HTC One V, also features simultaneous HD and video recording in the camera, which helps it snake past Xperia neo L.

Games

In an effort to lure gaming enthusiasts, Sony has included EA Games, Get Games and Games & Apps in the Xperia neo L. Both the apps offer a host of games that would prove to be addictive and enjoyable. The screen resolution makes the image clarity at par with the best in the phone, but we expect that the phone's 512MB RAM would prove to be insufficient for heavy gamers. Moreover, none of the games come pre-installed; users would have to download them over the internet.

The last word

If an Android phone carries a mid-range price tag of Rs 18,499 today, a fair bit is expected from it, such as bundle of applications, a fast processor, a good camera, light-weight, sleek design and more. As of the design, weight and camera, Sony Xperia neo L doesn't meet the expectations. But where Sony has really lost the bet is when it comes to the processor. The phone is powered by a single-core 1GHz processor coupled with 512MB RAM which is just not enough for those who use apps or are into gaming heavily, and not just make calls and send messages. On connectivity, the phone has standard features like Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), GPS (with A-GPS support), standard Android internet browser and the other connectivity options that come bundled with Android 4.0. The good part is that the phone is powered by a 1500mAh battery that can run up to 8-hours while on an active call.

HTC One V is the main competitor of Xperia neo L in terms of cost as well as features and will in all likelihood replace it. It is slightly better than this phone because of slightly lower price tag, better camera features, more internal memory, better user interface and lower weight. However, it loses out due the lack of a video-calling camera and a slightly smaller screen.

The other phones in the same price range like Intel Xolo X900 (around Rs 20,00 to 21,000), Sony Xperia sola, HTC EVO 3D and Motorola Atrix 2, are powered by dual-core processors. Moreover, the EVO 3D offers the unmatched 3D viewing experience and has 1GB of RAM, whereas the Xolo X900 has a 1.6GHz processor, 1080p video recording; Atrix 2 also has 1GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch screen and 8MP camera with 1080p recording, which put it ahead of the neo L. Only the Xperia sola has similar specifications, which made us wonder why Sony launched these two devices in the market as they would cannibalise each other's market share.

Overall, Xperia neo L is not a great phone and even though its native OS is ICS, it still doesn't make the cut. For a price tag of Rs 18,499, it's advisable that you look for a device that offers better value proposition before making the final pick. For camera minus zoom, single core processor and a not-so-sleek looking body, paying anywhere close to Rs 20,000 for an Android device cannot be justified.

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Assassin’s Creed Rogue might surprise you........

Ubisoft’s last-generation version of Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed Rogue, might actually surprise fans of the franchise, especially given it’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag-like emphasis on naval combat.

During a recent trip to Ubisoft Montreal I had the chance to go hands-on with Rogue for approximately 20 minutes. In many ways Assassin’s Creed Rogue is Black Flag II, only this time the player is thrown into the role of a Templar hunting Assassin. In Rogue you play as Shay Patrick Cormac, a character of Irish descent with a yet-to-be-revealed vendetta against the Assassins. Cormac is working with the British Empire in the frozen Atlantic ocean in the 1700s during the Seven Years’ War, for yet again, another undisclosed reason (Ubisoft has so far been reluctant to discuss the game’s plot).

The game seems to take players back to Assassin’s Creed III’s Revolutionary War setting, arguably the least enjoyable of the series, but in terms of gameplay, it feels much more like an extension of what Ubisoft started with Black Flag. Ubisoft Sofia’s Martin Capel, the Game Director of Assassin’s Creed Rogue, discussed why the studio decided to build Rogue around ship-to-ship combat. According to him, it made perfect sense with the kind of game they wanted to create.

“We received such a high level of appreciation for the naval [combat] that we felt for Rogue that we were in the right location for it and we already had the idea for what the game would be about – filling in the gap of history between Edward Kenway [from AC IV] and Haytham Kenway [from AC III] and what happened there. It’s very much set in the conquest of the new world and naval combat had a lot to do with that. We also had the will to push it further [naval combat] so it seemed like the logical thing to do,” said Capel.

In terms of new on-foot features, what the AC franchise was all about before Black Flag, Cormac has a grenade launcher at his disposal that can dispatch his foes in a variety of new ways. Different kinds of ammunition, including shrapnel grenades, tranquilizer bombs and even a silent air rifle, are just a few of Rogue’s new weapons. Also, while I didn’t get to try it in the short demo, Cormac comes equipped with an interesting new tool called berserk gas that can turn both enemies and animals on one another, just like in Ubisoft’s other popular open-world franchise, Far Cry 4.

Playing as a Templar also has the potential to change the typical Assassin’s Creed story line, which usually revolves around either avoiding or killing Templars, although it’s still unclear exactly how the game’s story will play out. Capel discussed how building an Assassin’s Creed title around playing as a Templar is something Ubisoft has wanted to do for quite some time, although he was reluctant to discuss how Rogue will tie into the broader Assassin’s Creed universe.

Assassin's Creed Rogue

Assassin’s Creed Rogue’s on-foot combat is reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed III’s.

“It’s something that’s been around for many years since AC1, they were like, so what’s it like to play as a Templar now? So it’s an idea that’s been formulating for many years. We felt now was the right time to do it. We’ve already established that Assassins and Templars are pushing for the same noble goal, peace, through different means. The challenge for us is expressing that through the story and gameplay but I can’t go into the story in too much detail,” said Capel.

At the start of the demo my ship, called the Morrigan this time, easily broke through the thin layer of ice covering the ocean’s surface. I was then tasked with taking down a group of nearby enemy ships. Immediately I noticed Assassin’s Creed: Rogue’s vessel is more maneuverable than it was in Black Flag and also has a range of new abilities. I found dropping a flame-engulfed oil slick behind my ship to be particularly useful, especially when multiple ships were pursuing me in open water.

“We went through just about everything in the player’s ship. This time it’s smaller, it’s faster. It’s more maneuverable. Apart from the very visual aspect that you have like how the weaponry has changed, we’ve gone over the vessel completely. We wanted to take the idea that it’s a Templar adapted ship. For us this meant that it’s more efficient and effective. We even did a pass over of all the enemy ships and the AI for the ship and the navigation as well. We also have reverse boarding this time and enemy ships can board you,” said Capel.

Assassin's Creed Rogue

Frigid weather rules the North Atlantic Ocean.

It also quickly became apparent Rogue’s world is very cold, especially when I forced Cormac to jump into the frigid water. As I should have expected, he immediately started to take damage as he swam through the freezing ocean’s water. Rogue’s frozen, desolate Atlantic world is also a nice change of pace from Black Flag’s bright, vegetation filled Caribbean setting.

After taking down the group of ships, I was tasked with destroying a nearby gang outpost and killing its leader, which played out in the traditional way you’d expect from an Assassin’s Creed game. I took out the surrounding enemies rather quickly and then focused on finding their leader. Where things got a little different was when I tried to actually take down the assassin commander who, since he’s an assassin, had the ability to use parkour, smoke bombs and various weapons fans of the franchise have likely used themselves in other games. It was interesting to engage in a battle where it felt like I was facing an AI opponent with similar abilities to my own character.

Next I had to traverse across a shipwreck and free-run across various objects in order to reach a point high up in the wreckage of the ship. This portion of the demo reminded me a lot of Assassin’s Creed III, except for the cute penguins who jumped into the water and swam away as I first approached the wreckage.

Assassin's Creed Rogue's new ship, the Morrigan, feels like an upgraded, more maneuverable version of AC IV's Jackdaw.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue’s new ship, the Morrigan, feels like an upgraded, more maneuverable version of AC IV’s Jackdaw.

The idea of releasing two separate games in one franchise over the course of one year, might seem simple and perhaps a little ridiculous, but very few developers have tried something like this before. In fact, if you think about it, this strategy actually makes a lot of sense, especially if you’re a hardcore fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. I’d much rather have a game built from the ground up for the console I’m playing it on than a pared down port of the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 version of Assassin’s Creed Unity.

Even though Rogue might not have the next-gen sheen of Assassin’s Creed Unity, given the short period of time I spent with Ubisoft Sofia’s Assassin’s Creed Rogue, it’ll likely be worth your time, especially if you enjoyed Black Flag’s naval combat.

In fact, simply because of the game’s emphasis on naval combat, a feature that revitalized the Assassin’s Creed series and helped get me interested in it again, I’m actually more excited for Rogue than Unity, despite it only coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Still, since I played Unity shortly before Rogue, it was hard to shake the feeling that I was playing an outdated version of the Assassin’s Creed series, both in terms of visuals and gameplay mechanics, particularly when it comes to free-running.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue is set to be released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Nov. 11, 2014.

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Our Next Electric Scooter By Using Suitcase!!!

Farmer but also inventor who contributed to the development of a car safety system which has been awarded the United States, it took him 10 years to arrive to some sort of kit that gives a second function with your suitcase, a vehicle that can transport one or two people at a speed of 20kph over a distance of up to 60k m - while keeping a bit of storage space!

In practice, the suitcase is equipped with a reinforced structure and the "kit" only weighs 6.8kg (15 pounds).
Your suitcase then receives one wheel at the front that you can direct with a handlebar - which also features an accelerator, brake and light - and two rear wheels which are taking care of propulsion, you even have an integrated navigation system!

He Liangcai has already filed a patent for his invention of electric suitcase.

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China targets own operating system to take on likes of Microsoft, Google.

China could have a new homegrown operating system by October to take on imported rivals such as Microsoft, Google and Apple, Xinhua news agency said on Sunday.

Computer technology became an area of tension between China and the United States after a number of run-ins over cybersecurity. China is now looking to help its domestic industry catch up with imported systems such as Microsoft's Windows and Google's mobile operating system Android.

The operating system would first appear on desktop devices and later extend to smartphone and other mobile devices, Xinhua said, citing Ni Guangnan who heads an official OS development alliance established in March.

Ni's comments were originally reported by People's Post and Telecommunications News, an official trade paper run by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

"We hope to launch a Chinese-made desktop operating system by October supporting app stores," Ni told the trade paper. Some Chinese OS already existed, but there was a large gap between China's technology and that of developed countries, he added.


He said he hoped domestically built software would be able to replace desktop operating systems within one to two years and mobile operating systems within three to five years.

In May, China banned government use of Windows 8, Microsoft's latest operating system, a blow to the US technology firm's business which raised fears China was moving to protect domestic firms. Microsoft is also under investigation for anti-trust violations.

In March last year, China said that Google had too much control over China's smartphone industry via its Android mobile operating system and has discriminated against some local firms.

Mutual suspicions between China and the United States over hacking have escalated over the past year following revelations by Edward Snowden that US intelligence planted "backdoor" surveillance tools on US-made hardware.

The US justice department, meanwhile, indicted five Chinese military officers in May on counts of extensive industrial espionage.

Ni said the ban on Windows 8 was a big opportunity for the Chinese sector to push forward its own systems, but that the industry needed further development and investment.

"Creating an environment that allows us to contend with Google, Apple and Microsoft — that is the key to success," he added.

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Review: HTC One (M8),Will the king's reign continue?

It won't be an exaggeration to say that HTC set the benchmark among Android smartphones with its 2013 flagship model. HTC One is a stunning smartphone and the first one to challenge Apple's dominance in the sphere of design. The phone was very well received among critics, even though it did not break records in sales.

One year later, HTC has managed to improvise on One and come up with a more powerful version of the phone - One (M8). Is it just an iterative update, or has HTC done an even better job this time? We try to find out in our review.

Build & design

There is no doubt that the original HTC One is a great looking phone with its all-metal construction giving it a premium, yet solid, feel. With HTC One (M8), HTC decided to improvise on the design, without making major alterations.

At first glance, you may not notice much difference between the One (M8) and its predecessor. On closer inspection, however, you'll notice that the new One (M8) is slightly larger and sports a bigger display.



Thanks to the use of on-screen navigation buttons, there are no hardware capacitive keys at the front. The full HD IPS LCD display of the phone is flanked by two speaker grills, a sensor and the 5MP front camera lens.

Unlike the original HTC One which features flat edges, the new One (M8) sports rounded edges. The all-aluminium chasis has chamfered edges at the front and white polycarbonate inserts at the back. It doesn't feature polycarbonate inserts at the side edges that were seen in the original One. The edges are rounded when they meet the back of the phone.

The left edge of the phone features the sim card tray while the right one is home to the volume rocker key and the microSD card tray. The volume rocker key is not flush with the edge like the original One but is a bit raised. The key offers good tactile feedback. Opening the sim card tray requires some effort.

The original HTC One did not feature an external storage slot (though the dual-sim version featured one), so it's a welcome move.

The back of One (M8) includes not one, but two camera lenses, part of the One (M8)'s Duo Camera set-up. The UltraPixel camera lens is accompanied by a dual-colour LED flash similar to iPhone 5S. Our grey coloured review unit sported a brushed metal finish that looked more polished compared to the original HTC One.



The power/ screen-lock button sits at the top edge of the phone, with the Infrared blaster (that covers the entire top edge) while the bottom edge features the micro-USB port and the 3.5mm headset jack.



The form factor of the phone makes it fit for one hand use even though it now offers a bigger display.

Display

HTC One (M8) sports a 5-inch, Full-HD display that looks bright, offers great viewing angles and vivid colours. Colour reproduction is among the best in class. Pictures and text look crisp and sharp. Although it is a bit reflective, we did not face issues while using the phone under sunlight. We'll have to say it's one of the best displays we've seen off late.

The display comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection to guard against minor scratches.

User Interface

HTC One (M8) comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the latest version of the OS with Sense 6, the new version of HTC's custom UI, running on top. While it looks very different from stock Android, we quite like the Sense 6 interface. It doesn't look very different from that of the previous version of Sense.

It sports the on-screen navigation keys, which hide while playing games and using apps that make use of Android's new immersive mode.

HTC has not skinned the notifications tray and has sobered down the settings menu which is now devoid of coloured graphical icons. As with the previous version of Sense, the app launcher involves vertical scrolling.



The phone includes a new version of BlinkFeed, HTC's homescreen utility that brings personalized updates from the user's preferred news sources and social networks. BlinkFeed now offers automatic recommendations from the user's Google+ and Facebook networks. It also integrates information related to the user's fitness statistics from the built-in Fitbit app.

The native apps sport background colours depending on the theme applied by the user.

Transition effects are subtle and look beautiful.

HTC has also included new gestures for unlocking the screen and going directly to Blink Feed or other home screens. The phone can now be unlocked with a double tap or by swiping up. Similarly, voice dialling can be initiated by swiping down the screen when it's locked. All these gestures worked as promised.



The phone includes very few preloaded apps, including 7digital music store, Fitbit fitness tracking app, Polaris Office 5, Scribble (a note-taking app), Tasks and a Car mode app. The phone also has a placeholder for the upcoming Zoe app which will allow users to share montages created with their video and photo content.

Fitbit app is capable of recording steps, distance and calories burned. We found that it's not very accurate and often registers shakes as steps.

The new Sense UI also features an improved keyboard which is easier to use and more accurate in recording taps.

Camera

HTC One (M8) sports an UltraPixel Duo camera at the back. The primary camera has essentially the same 4MP lens as the original HTC One. HTC claims that it captures 300% more light compared to other phones. The second camera lens, part of the Duo camera setup, helps in detecting and separating backgrounds and foregrounds as it scans depth and adds that information to the picture. It doesn't capture images.

The feature allows users to refocus on an object after shooting a picture, similar to Nokia's Refocus app which is available on high-end Lumia phones. The Duo camera feature also allows users to create silhouettes, alter depth and add bokeh effect through the UFocus feature, in tandem with the phone's software. One can even cut and paste subjects across photos.

It also lets you shoot 3D-like pictures with the Dimension Plus effect though it will be visible only on the One (M8).



We found the Dual Camera feature a bit gimmicky with the only good use case being the UFocus feature that lets you refocus. It worked most of the times and results were good. However, we don't like how HTC has hidden the feature. It's only visible when you edit a photo. Also, the Duo Camera features don't work if the LED flash is used, or if zoom is not at the minimum level.

The phone's camera app now includes controls for granular settings, including contrast, saturation, sharpness, ISO, and White Balance for users who like to take full control of their photos. It also offers pre-shoot filters for adding effects before clicking the photo, Panorama, Burst and HDR mode in addition to a Zoe mode that lets you capture a full-HD video and convert the footage into stills, or take a sequence of pictures with brief video for use with other effects such as object removal.



The camera boasts of 1 second launch time, focus time of 0.3 seconds and 11fps burst shot mode and is one of the fastest smartphone snappers. One disappointing bit is that unlike the original One, the One(M8) doesn't feature Optical Image Stabilization that offsets distortions due to camera shake. However, the digital stabilization offered by the phone manages to mitigate the flaw to some extent.

In terms of quality, pictures taken during daylight appeared good, especially when you're not zooming in to 100%. However, at full resolution you'll notice that it misses out on detail. Also, we observed that some daytime shots looked overexposed. While the UltraPixel camera captures more light, it lags when it comes to detail. With the competition offering higher resolution sensors, we feel that HTC should have upgraded the camera.

Pictures taken indoors looked good with accurate colour reproduction and low noise. The ones shot in low-light also looked great without the use of flash.

HTC One (M8) features an iPhone 5S-like dual-colour LED flash to balance light. However, we still found that the pictures taken in low light with the flash on, did not look natural.



The phone takes good quality videos and even offers a slow motion recording mode.

HTC One (M8)'s front-camera features a 5MP sensor with f2.0 wide angle lens for taking selfies. It also includes a timer switch and touchup feature for enhanced selfies. The phone clicks good quality selfies and offers a number of options to eliminate blemishes, fix red eye and whiten skin tone.

Overall, we like the Duo Camera's UFocus effect, but other than that, the camera lens could have been upgraded for capturing more detail.

Performance

HTC One (M8) is one of the most powerful smartphones available right now. The variant available in India comes with a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and 2GB RAM.

Thanks to all the power under the hood, we did not notice any lag while launching and switching between apps, editing photos, browsing the web, clicking pictures, watching high definition videos or playing graphics-heavy games.

There's no doubt that HTC One (M8) offers one of the best smartphone experiences.

We were able to play videos of popular file formats barring MOV, without any hiccups. Additional file formats can be played through third party video player apps. We'll have to say that the sound delivered by the phone's front-stereo speakers is unparalleled in terms of both quality as well as loudness.

Call quality was excellent and the phone works well even in weak signal areas. We also observed that the phone catches even weak Wi-Fi signals.

The phone comes with GPS and A-GPS for navigation and maps and was easily able to lock a signal.

It comes with FM radio and NFC connectivity options. The phone also offers LTE 4G connectivity and HTC has promised that after a software update, the phone will support Indian 4G networks.



HTC One(M8) is backed by a 2600mAh battery with a claimed standby time of up to 496 hours and talk time of up to 20 hours.

We were satisfied with the battery backup delivered by the phone. With moderate to high usage, including about one to two hours of making calls, playing games, clicking some pictures, listening to music and browsing the web, the phone will last you a full working day, even if you put the screen brightness at the maximum level and keep 3G turned on.

The phone also comes with an Extreme power-saving mode, activating which will make the phone's battery last for 2 weeks, as per HTC. It also claims that the phone can offer 30 hours of talk time in the mode even when the battery's charge level is 10%. The mode restricts background data and offers access to Phone, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Calculator apps.

Gaming

We were able to play games like Temple Run 2, Riptide GP2 and Asphalt 8(with Visual Quality set to high and Engine at 100%) without encountering any frame drops or freezes, on HTC One (M8). The phone tends to get a little warm after long gaming sessions.

Verdict

HTC One (M8) is among the best Android smartphones available in the market in terms of performance, build quality as well as software. The camera is not exactly the strong point of the phone and the Dual Camera feature is gimmicky, but it still does a fairly decent job.

Having said that, One (M8) doesn't bring something new to the table, which is a bit disappointing. Unlike the competition, it's not water and dust resistant, doesn't feature a heart rate sensor, 4K recording or a fingerprint scanner. The different sensors and 4K recording are more of futuristic features which will take some time to become mainstream and not everyone will find these useful.

At a price of Rs 49,900, the phone competes with the Samsung Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 features a plastic body, doesn't look as good as HTC One (M8) and is more expensive. Also, the Indian variant of the phone doesn't feature a Qualcomm processor and comes with Samsung's Exynos processor which does not offer the same level of performance as its Qualcomm variant sold in US and other markets.



If you're fine with a non-Android phone with a smaller display, then Apple's iPhone 5S is still a good option. The Sony Xperia Z2, which is a powerful smartphone, is also expected to debut soon.

However, if you want the most good looking smartphone and price is not a consideration, we'd highly recommend buying HTC One (M8).

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