A Game Of Thrones (book) by G.R.R. Martin review

Upfront, I must tell you guys that I’m not much of a reader. I only read in my spare time, which mostly includes fiction like sci-fi, fantasy. Although, after reading the book first of the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, I think I’m becoming one quickly. This book is THAT good! It brings out the bibliophile inside. And now I’m a big fan of the franchise, having watched the inspired HBO TV series.

The plot involves three main story-lines which are interconnected to each other. Martin introduces a fictional continent called Westeros (and it’s seven kingdoms) in a fictional world where only three continents exist or are known & mapped, others being Essos and Sothoros. Story is told by view point of some major characters.

Out of the three main story-lines, one concerns the seven kingdoms which are ruled by a king named Robert Baratheon who overthrew House Targaryen fifteen years before the events of the book with the help of his friend Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn, the man who fostered both. Second main story-line involves the events of the Wall – a massive construction situated north of the Westeros which prevents the dark forces that lie beyond-the-wall for entering the realm and a military order created to hold it called Night Watch. The writer clearly draws inspiration from Medieval Europe and War Of The Roses. The final main story-line concerns the remnants of House Targaryen – a young exiled prince and his 13 years old sister who her brother barters to a mighty savage house-lord hoping he and his army will help him take the Seven Kingdoms back from Robert Baratheon who they understandably call the Usurper.

Writing of the book is very vivid and take my word, it’s really hard to put the book down once you’ve started reading. The world Martin has created is rich, immersive and has diverse characters, few you’ll love, few you’ll hate and on few you’ll be undecided. There is just the right amount of humor to keep the interest going if things get a bit too serious.  I never really got bored, the language never feels insipid, can’t really say the same about Tolkein and Rowling’s writing, though I do respect their works, their writing gets dull and seems far-fetched every now and then.

Funny, witty and inspirational dialogues, amazing character depth, engaging story-line and grey characters contrary to the usual black and white of other fictional writings makes this a must. Well, if you love reading even a bit, just get it.

Top 10 PC games of 2011

I must say this year must be one of the best year for gamers if not the best. Started from Mass Effect 2 & Dead space 2 in January and ended with  Assassins Creed: Revelations! Ah! Gem of an year for avid gamers really!
I also wrote a piece about the most awaited games to look out for in 2012 a while back, check that one as well if you haven’t already!
Okay I’ll start the list with the number 10. Here we go!

10) Deus Ex: Human Revolution:-  It was the third game in the critically acclaimed award-winning Deus Ex franchise and totally lived up to the hype it created before the release. Basically a sci-fi first person shooter with RPG elements. Takes place 25 years before the first title in the year 2027. The series is known for perfect blend of action and Role playing, things which mostly doesn’t go well together. Both Shooters and RPGs fans should pick this one! My Score: 7.5/10

09) Rage:- A true visual marvel from id Software. One of the best looking games this year and also extremely heavy on the hardware. It’s pretty difficult to enjoy this game if you have an ageing hardware. My GTX 580 handled this game very well without breaking a sweat. If your card can run this game with at highest settings, you’re in for a visual treat. Brilliant character animations, awe-inspiring details and meticulously rendered rocky canyon walls are just seen to be believed. Add to that extremely satisfying combat and outstanding aural component, makes this game amazingly addictive. My score 8/10

8) Assassins creed revelations:- Well I don’t think I need to introduce this one. Revelations follows the series’ typical open-world style and introduced few gameplay elements like the hookblade, which can be used to zipline across the city or grab enemies to yank them in for a combo attack. Throughout the course of the game, the three protagonists from the previous games are featured: Ezio, Altair, and Desmond. The game  includes various improvements and changes in the story-telling, gameplay and graphics. Fans of the series, just pick this up! My score 8/10

7) Crysis 2:- Crysis (2007) was a genuine innovation in computer graphics and a new standard in photorealism. Four years down the line, it still hasn’t been bested and holds the crown for best looking game ever. Crysis 2 was the first game for consoles from the Crytek. They had to downgrade their engine to make it possible to run it on consoles. Thankfully, game still looked great and probably the second best game visually after Battlefield 3 this year. It also addressed the system requirement issue of the original which required you to rob a bank and buy a super powered gaming rig to run it at the highest settings. Most modern graphic cards still struggle to run it at highest quality. Crysis 2 also has an incredible soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer which hides the few noticeable flaws present in the game. It was more action oriented than the open-world nature of the original. A gripping sci-fi story, menacing AI (quite buggy at times, though) and a high octane second half makes this game almost a must for Crysis fans and for those looking for a high quality single player first person shooter. My score 8.5/10

6) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim:- Okay I haven’t played this game much but most of my gamer classmates have and they absolutely love it. I’m not much of a RPG fan except for the likes of Fallout and STALKER series. Don’t think I’m going to buy and play this game mainly ‘cos of the high price. For what I’ve played-The gameworld is pretty huge and looks very very nice. The game seems to have a large amount of content and also an amazing soundtrack.

5) Batman: Arkham City:- There are very few good super-hero games out there and Arkam City (and Arkham Asylum) has to the best of them. Batman is my favorite superhero as he seems to closest to the possible reality. Game is an open-world action affair that incorporates elements of stealth and predator tactics. Irresistible world, joyous movement, rewarding combat, and varied side quests make it an exceptional adventure game. My Score 8.5/10

4) Battlefield 3:- Well this game is my personal favorite in the list. I’m playing the multiplayer since two months and a game can’t get as enjoyable as this one. I reviewed this game too, check it below. One thing is certain, I’ll continue to play this game until Dice comes out either with Battlefield 4 or a better multiplayer shooter pops up. It will prove really hard to beat a perfect game like BF3. I had one of the most enthralling moments while playing the amazing 64 player multiplayer warfare. Sprawling huge battlefields, explosions all around and fantastic animations. Needless to say game is heaviest around and if you’ve anything less than a GTX 570, you’ll struggle to run it properly at highest settings. The game eats most graphic cards in the breakfast. Upgrade your rig before even thinking of playing it. Singleplayer isn’t much fun though, seems to be inspired from Call of Duty series. Multiplayer on the other hand is like a roller-coaster  ride.
Best gaming experience for me after the incredible Left For Dead 2. My Score 9/10

3) Limbo:- Though this platformer was released for Xbox 360 in 2010 itself, PC and PS3 users got their hands on it only in April 2011. One of the best platform games ever in my opinion. Dark, atmospheric setting, brilliant gloomy sound and amazing puzzles which force you to use the deepest part of your mind. One of the most original games and consistently brilliant. Only grouse was the short gameplay but you’ll be entertained every moment of the game. The black and white visuals make everything creepier and the animation is very smooth. It somehow establishes a strong connection with the player despite the lack of story, dialogue, text, or explanation. Must play for everyone! Be it hardcore gamers or casual gamers. Most of the girls I know loved it to the core. Best part is you don’t need an overpowered PC to run it.  My Score 9.5/10

2) Dead Space 2:- Dead Space was an absolute monster of a game. Very fresh and original. Amazingly scary and extremely gruesome. Dead Space 2 removed few programming and presentation flaws present in the original. It is scarier, better graphically and almost flawless, not to forget runs well on a variety of PCs. DS2 continues where the first one left off. You play a scientist who’s fighting rotesque monstrosities called Necromorphs, which are reanimated human corpses. Be prepared to encounter some genuinely scares and jumping-out -of-the-seat moments. If you love horror and/or gore, you can’t go wrong with this one!  My Score 9.5/10

1) Portal 2:- Portal was a mind-bending marvel from Valve Corporation. Basically a first person puzzle game. Working on a sequel of a perfect game and bettering it in every aspect was never going to be easy. But Valve did it! Released Portal 2 this year and gamers were blown away. Lovely presentation, art design, mind boggling yet interesting puzzles, Portal 2 never fails to entertain. Attention to minute details in absolutely remarkable, so is the entertaining story. One of the few games with no flaws at all. My Score 10/10 and game of the year for me!

Game of the year:- Portal 2

Visual marvel of the year:- Battlefield 3

Soundtrack of the year:- Crysis 2

Most innovative game of the year:- Limbo

Notable mentions:- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Mass Effect 2. Both of which were great games but fell short compared to the games in this list.

Thanks for visiting the blog and going through the post. Constructive criticism, suggestions & queries are very well welcomed and hate comments not!

 Cheers!

Five must have games for 2012

If the world doesn’t end, 2012 promises to be a dream year for avid gamers. Here’s my list of favorite five, the ones I am especially keeping my eye out. This list is not in a particular order, I’m eager to play them all equally.

1)Far Cry 3 :- When Far Cry came out back in 2004, gamers were dumbstruck looking at the insanely detailed environments and beautiful tropical setting. It was also the debut title of Crytek, the developers best known for Crysis franchise. Then came the Far Cry 2 and Far Cry fans were disappointed because of little or no resemblance it had to the Far Cry (hardly something you can call a sequel). Partly the reason was, it was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and not Crytek. Game wasn’t bad though and looked great on even low graphic settings.
Far Cry 3 is now in development and going by the trailers and gameplay videos coming out, it looks pretty good. Environs looks a lot more lush and green. Ubisoft Montreal has announced few innovative gameplay elements they are going to incorporate in FC 3 like ability to perform “takedown” abilities by performing melee attacks from above or in crouch mode. The game is still a sandbox and open-world shooter. One thing that went against Far Cry 2 was that it was too much open-ended. Initially you love it, wandering freely in wide savannah forests and plenty of freedom. But eventually you”ll get tired because every other objective will require to pick up or steal a four wheeler and take a few miles ride. I hope the Ubisoft Montreal will adress this issue in Far Cry 3. Crysis like open-endedness will do just fine. Graphically the game looks absolutely gorgeous and will rival games like Crysis 1/2 for sure

2) Max Payne 3 :-  Max Payne series excels when it comes to brilliant story telling and addictive Bullet time gameplay. Story line of the series is one of the strong aspects. Couple with that, very soothing music peices and audio effects to keep up with the tone of the game. Series revolves around the life of a NYPD cop named Max Payne. Gameplay is a third-person shooter affair involving a variety of weapons and gameplay elements.In Max Payne 3, the sequel of the second game, Max has become a bald man and gameworld looks quite open-world going by the trailers.

According to Rockstar’s Sam Houser, it is their intention on starting a new chapter of Max Payne’s life with the game. “This is Max as we’ve never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever.” Since the last game, the press release states Max has left New York City behind and has “drifted from bad to worse.” The press release then goes on to say Max has been double-crossed in this new city and he is searching for the truth and a way out. The game will be set in São Paulo, Brazil, where Payne is working in the private security sector for a wealthy local family, set 8 to 12 years after the events of the second game.

3) BioShock Infinite :- Now this game is just worth waiting for. It’s neither a prequel, nor a sequel of BioShock 1 or 2 and takes place in a city suspended in the air by giant blimps and balloons, called “Columbia”, named in homage to the female personification of the United States. Those who played the previous games would know that 1 and 2 were set in a fictional underwater city of Rapture. From what I’ve seen in BioShock 2 (didn’t play the first one) is it’s basically a first person shooter with survival horror, role playing and action/adventure elements. The player controls a character as they explore Rapture, learning of the city’s past and the fate of its citizens, defending themselves from attacks from Splicers along the way as they complete missions given to them by the few unaffected survivors. The player is given several options to approach many situations through combination of a number of game elements. The player collects an arsenal of weapons; weapons can be upgraded over course of play, and each can be loaded with different types of ammunition which can have different effects on different foes. The player also gains plasmids, ADAM-infused concoctions that grant the player active superhuman-like powers such as telekinesis or pyrokinesis in addition to passive abilities such as increased speed or better damage resistance. The player can use weapons and plasmids in conjunction with the environment to set traps or to turn the security systems of Rapture against the player’s enemies. For example, all enemies in a water-filled room can be shocked by electrocuting the water, sentry guns and cameras can be hacked to fire on detected Splicers, or explosive proximity traps can be set through the help of telekinesis.

As the player explores Rapture, they will come across health and EVE (the substance used to power plasmid-granted powers) recovery items, recording devices that reveal more of Rapture’s history, and money. The money can be used at vending machines to acquire more ammunition or health and EVE items. Plasmids are purchased by collecting ADAM from Little Sisters after defeating the heavily armored Big Daddy that protects them. Both BioShock games give the player a choice of how to do this; the player can either safely extract the sea slug from the girl, earning a modest amount of ADAM and leaving the child alive, or they can kill the child, and extract a large amount of ADAM directly. Though the player can purchase numerous plasmids, they can only equip a limited number at any time, though devices throughout Rapture can allow the player to change this loadout at any time.

4) Metro: Last Light :- Metro 2033 was the game we all shooter fans adored. It was the one of the first few games which supported the Direct X 11 and also the first game that could challenge Crysis in terms of photorealism. Gameplay itself was immersive, eery and ambiance chilly with survival horror elements thrown in. One complaint was that enemy AI was quite buggy. That aside the game looked pretty fantastic with astonishing details. Previously announced as Metro 2034, the Metro: Last Night is a sequel to Metro 2033, and although author Dmitry Glukhovsky has apparently been working with the developers, it bears no relevance to the book Metro 2034. Very little is known about the game for now.

The game is set in 2034 in the same setting as Metro 2033, the Moscow Metro. The game picks up after the “bad” ending from Metro 2033, in which Artyom delivers a devastating attack on the mysterious supernatural race known as the Dark Ones. The station-cities of the Metro struggle for power using weapons found in D6. The player follows Artyom, the main protagonist from Metro 2033, as he searches for the mysterious “Prisoner”, the supposed “key to survival – the last light in our darkest hour. Can’t wait!

5) Counter-Strike: Global Offensive :- Even  Minh “Gooseman” Le and Jess “Cliffe” Cliffe. wouldn’t have thought that the Half-Life mod called Counter-Strike they are building will be so huge. Cs 1.6 was the game which revolutionized Multiplayer gaming and even after more than 12 years of it’s launch, it is still the most popular multiplayer game. This game gave the gaming fraternity terms like “Camping”, “noob”, “pwning” etc. There are a few complaints though. Though the gameplay is still addictive, engines has become very old with little or no physics Because of this reason, Valve later updated the game to their new source engine but received warm reception. Now with Global Offensive they aim for a complete overhaul with all new graphics effects. It will contain classic content, such as old maps, as well as brand new maps, characters and game modes. Also, it will support matchmaking and leaderboards. Cross-platform multiplayer is confirmed between Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and PlayStation 3 players. The PlayStation 3 version will offer three control methods, which include using either the DualShock 3 controller, PlayStation Move or USB keyboard/mouse. You can look for the de_dust trailer available on Youtube.

This was my list of 5 must have games for 2012. Of course, there are more but these would always be my favorite. By the way did anyone notice, not a single game listed above is an original game? And except for BioShock: Infinite, every other game is some sort of sequel!

I will be looking forward for the feedback. Thanks for visiting the blog

Adios!

Battlefield 3 PC Review

Battlefield 3, the long-awaited, mature-rated third installment in the popular EA series, is finally here. It has managed to make me happy and disappointed at the same time

Before diving into the heart of Battlefield 3, I should address the window dressing: Namely its single-player campaign. This portion of the game really is a round of terrorist whack-a-mole, just like Call of Duty. You’ll face an unending wave of brain-dead suicidal terrorists until you manage to inch your way up to whatever checkpoint controls enemy spawning, take a few seconds’ break, and do the whole thing all over again. It’s not bad, but it is frankly uninspired. The gameplay itself is indistinguishable from COD, though the narrative trappings are a bit more down-to-earth. While this works well (in the sense that it’s one of the few elements of the campaign that distinguishes itself from the game’s competition), BF3′s reach exceeds its grasp near the end of the campaign when the story takes a sharp left turn into crazy town. The campaign trades in its pseudo-realistic credentials for a finale straight out of an ’80s action movie, with giant plot holes to match. The schizophrenic nature of the single-player is disappointing in light of the campaigns in the Bad Company spin-offs, which also take cues from COD but manage to maintain their own narrative voice.

However, for all its flaws, the campaign is a wash. It’s a nice distraction, but what fans are really throwing down their $60 for is the multiplayer, which manages to marry modern FPS tropes (like the progressive unlocking of weapons and abilities) with the massive mixed-arms battles of previous Battlefield games. Most maps are populated with an amazing assortment of helicopters, tanks, mobile anti-aircraft guns, and jets. Ground vehicles are easy enough to maneuver, but aircraft are tricky. BF3 offers keyboard-and-mouse controls for all vehicles, but try piloting an F-18 with them and you’ll crash almost immediately. I took to holding a 360 controller in my lap and switching to that whenever I climbed into an aircraft. Once I made the switch, I found myself scoring far more kills. It may sound a bit awkward, but seasoned Battlefield veterans are used to switching between controllers on the go.

The new control scheme also improved the rate at which I unlocked upgrades. The game features an independent unlock track for each class, weapon, and vehicle. Upgrades come at a decent rate if you’re putting hours into the game, and the sheer number of separate ways to level up means that if you’re stalled on one you can focus on another. Even when you’re not being rewarded with new stuff, the game lets you know how close you are to leveling up at the end of each match just to ensure that your brain is hooked to a steady dopamine drip. Even when I didn’t earn anything in a match, I enjoyed watching BF3 enumerate and quantify my successes at the end of each round. I may not have earned that fancy new scope I was hoping for, but I’m much closer now thanks to my MVP ribbon (earned for being the top player in a round), Savior Ribbon (earned for saving multiple allies in a match), and boatload of experience earned from killing dozens of enemies and reviving nearly as many allies with my defibrillator.

Saving your friends is just as valid a way to level up as simply killing the enemy. BF3 rewards you for playing smart and using teamwork. While the incentives aren’t enough to prevent a lone jackass from driving off alone in a six-passenger vehicle, thus stranding his allies far away from the battle (a dilemma as old as the series itself), it is enough to ensure that there’s more to ranking at the top of the server than your kill/death ratio. For example, if you spot an enemy behind cover and can’t take him down yourself, you’ll earn XP for keeping him pinned with suppressing fire while your teammates take care of him. While you’re keeping the bad guy down with suppressing fire, his vision blurs and his weapon accuracy will take a hit as well, making it easier for your allies to clean up.

Of course, some of you are wondering if you can even run the game on your machine, or whether you’re better off sticking with the console version. Based on my own experience in the beta and with the final retail build, I can say that if you have a DirectX11-compatible video card and a quad-core processor — not a particularly high bar to clear these days — you’re definitely better off with the PC version. I was impressed when I played the BF3 beta on my quite powerful  Nvidia GTX 560 with no issues. I was able to max out the settings at 1080p. The game looks better than the consoles on all but the lowest settings. So, even if you have aging hardware, running the game on medium or high (as opposed to ultra) will still serve you just fine.

If you do have the hardware, BF3 rivals Crysis 2, Metro 2033, and The Witcher 2 for the king-of-PC-graphics crown — even in giant 64-player matches. The Bad Company series eliminated this particular trademark, along with going prone and aircraft. All three make their return, though the 64-player count is exclusive to the PC; console players are limited to 24. These battles are massive, and it’s fantastic to see friendly aircraft flying overhead keeping the skies clear while you defend allied armor from enemy RPG fire at a capture point.

If you want to rack up the kills in smaller environments, you can try 32-player Team Deathmatch or Rush, which was featured in the beta and tasks you with destroying enemy M-Com stations. Squad-based variants on both modes further shrink the player limit down to 18 and 8 players, respectively. These modes don’t stress mixed arms as much as the 64-player Conquest mode, but they might be more suitable for leveling up classes and guns quickly, and Bad Company 2 die-hards will be pleased that there are modes that play more like that game than BF1942.

When it’s just you and a friend who want to play, you can jump into a series of co-op missions. These levels are best when they change things up from the single-player campaign — for example, by putting one team member in the role of helicopter pilot and the other in the gunner’s seat. However, many of the missions revolve around putting down enemy troops — just like the single-player game — and they suffer from the same flaws plus one additional issue: There is no mid-mission save or checkpoint in co-op. That means if you fail, you’ll have to start from the beginning, and these missions are long. While some fans will love the challenge, far more will do what I did: Say “screw this” and go back to competitive multiplayer.

Fortunately, Battlefield 3′s competitive multiplayer is among the best in its class, providing immensely rich and immersive combat zones. These are complemented by the slick browser-based Battlelog, which serves as the hub from which you access each game mode. With EA’s Origin software running unobtrusively in the background, Battlelog tracks your unlock progress, displays your stats, and enables you to join parties and launch games easily. Battlefield 3 may not offer much beyond the multiplayer, but there are so many ways to contribute and feel like a powerful soldier that after hours and hours of playing, all you’ll want to do is play more. Games like these deserves every bit of hype they gather.

Pros:

• Amazing visuals
• Impressive aural component
• Mind-blowing weapons
• Gratifying combat
• Solid multiplayer with tons of features
• Unbelievably smooth animations

Cons:

• Average single player gameplay, skip this if you are looking for a good single player shooter
• Few glitches, mostly in Single player
• Lousy Co-op
• Slightly higher hardware requirements

Score: 9/10

iPhone 4S: What’s new!

iPhone 4S

After a load of rumors and speculations, the fifth generation iPhone is here. What was supposed to be an iPhone 5 turned out to be an iPhone 4S. Kind of upgrade over iPhone 4. At least that’s what looks tell you. The iPhone 4S looks remarkably similar to iPhone 4 if not exactly identical. Inside however is all different.

What’s different:

GSM+CDMA it’s a world phone

Previously, Apple had two models of iPhone out there. A CDMA and a GSM. While CDMA remained  in USA to Verizon, GSM made it to all over the world.

Apple call iPhone 4S “A World Phone” packing in both GSM and CDMA capabilities. Thus making it more lucrative for international travelers and at the same time at a global stage increasing the prospective number of carriers it can work with. The HSDPA limits on the iPhone 4S is 14.4Mbps download, compared to the 7.2Mbps on the iPhone 4.

Upgraded camera

With the 4S, Apple has bumped up the camera specs and optics. Apple says their phone’s camera is better than the point and shoot cameras in terms of quality. It’s now 8 megapixel, shoots 1080p videos. Apple revealed several other features in the iPhone 4S camera, be it the image signal processor of A5 comparing to DSLRs or video stabilization for making those shaky shoots better. The front camera however remains VGA. But i am not complaining

Faster processor

The iPhone 4S uses the same CPU as the iPad 2. The dual core A5 chip and claims it delivers up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics. And apparently it helps increasing the battery life because of it’s power efficiency. Expect a smoother UI and richer & fluid gaming experience.

Siri: The voice assistant

Now this is launching in beta with the 4S and brings in a wow factor. Even before we get started, Dear Apple, will this work with my Indian accent? Will be interesting to see. Siri integration in 4S brings a personal assistant to iPhone. Something that you can speak to naturally and get things like looking up an address, sending a text or creating a calendar entry done. Imagine if you spoke to your iPhone about anything you want to be done on the iPhone? Like looking up an address, sending a text or creating a calendar entry done. Wouldn’t that be amazing!

Availability

Apple has promised ‘fastest rollout’ with the 4S. 70 countries before year end, while I hope India would be on the list, for now pre-orders begin on 7th October and the iPhone 4S go on sale in US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK from 14th October. The US pricing is $199 for 16GB version, $299 for 32GB and $399 for the 64GB version.

The iPhone 4S

Features to look for when shopping for a digital camera

A female friend of mine recently went shopping for a digital camera (Point and shoot) and came out empty-handed. It wasn’t that she couldn’t find one; there were enough in the store to build a three-bedroom house entirely out of cameras.
Actually, she was overwhelmed by the camera terminology and wasn’t quite sure that she was making a smart decision. The little placards they put in front of the cameras on the store shelves use all sorts of terms not found anywhere else in the universe, like megapixel, ISO, and digital/optical zoom. She asked me to make some sense of the alphabet soup of digital photography terminology for her. I this post I share that knowledge with you: Here’s the top digital camera terms you need to understand when you go camera shopping.

Megapixel:- This is probably the most advertised feature by the camera brands and highly overrated by the camera users. Most people who are buying a camera assume that the more megapixels their camera will have, better quality photos it will capture. Megapixel is simply the resolution of the image i.e. number of pixels. While this is fairly important if you plan to work on the images later like cropping out the unwanted part, more megapixels will ensure that resulting images are decently detailed and not too grainy. On the other hand if you plan to print 4*6 prints of the photos you capture without any extensive editing and cropping, even a 5 megapixel sensor will be more than enough for you. Most cameras today come with a 10 megapixel sensor and above which is enough for sharp 8*10 prints. And more megapixels on the tiny sensor of Point and shoot cameras (DSLRs have bigger sensors) could result in grainy images.

Iso:-The acronym ISO refers to the International Standards Organization, which among other functions sets some standards for photography. When we talk about a camera’s ISO settings, we’re talking about ways to adjust how sensitive the camera is to light.

A digital camera’s ISO rating corresponds to the speed ratings for 35mm film: A low number, such as ISO 100, is “slow,” or relatively insensitive to light; a high number, such as ISO 400, is fairly sensitive. Every time you double the ISO, you halve the amount of light needed to properly expose a picture–and vice versa.

Unlike film cameras in which you must set the camera to correspond with the film’s rating, the ISO of digital cameras is adjustable on the fly. To ensure plenty of flexibility, shop for a camera that has a good range: ISO 100 to 400 is typical in an affordable point-and shoot, and more expensive cameras allow you to use higher settings. Generally, you want to shoot with a low ISO because it results in a sharper picture with less digital noise; but a high ISO is handy for taking pictures at night and in the dark. If you want to do a lot of low-light photography, it’s a good idea to look for a camera that has a wider ISO range. Expect a significant amount of digital noise at ISO settings above 400.

Zoom:- There are two type of zooms in a camera: Digital and optical. Digital zoom is another highly overrated feature advertised by different brands. Digital zooms simply means to zoom digitally like we do in an image manipulation software with a huge loss of detail. Always keep in mind, 500x digital zoom is in reality inferior than even a 1x optical zoom sensor.
About optical zoom, the more the merrier. And through optical zoom, camera zooms into an image using the optical mechanisms of the camera.  But at higher optical zooms like 10x and above, image stabilization (explained later) will become crucial because image will be highly unstable at such high zooms and can render the feature useless. Alternatively you can use a tripod or a monopod to stabilize the image (which will be essential anyway in wildlife professional photography).

Image-stabilization:- Fairly important feature. Image stabilization (IS hereon) is a technique used to reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure. Specifically, it compensates for pan and tilt (angular movement, equivalent to yaw and pitch) of a camera or other imaging device. Like mentioned earlier, IS has huge importance in high optical zooms as view becomes very jerky and resulting image will come out blurry ruining all your hard-work. Like in the zoom feature , always prefer optical IS over digital IS.

Canon Digital IXUS 220 HS- A typical compact point and shoot camera

Compactness:- If you are overwhelmed by the different camera terms and want a simple, light and no-frills camera which you can easily carry on trips, this category is tailor made for you. Compact cameras are typically lacking in features than other categories and possess low optical zoom because of their small size and weight. Of course that doesn’t mean that you can’t capture some good shots with them. After all quality of image captured is 95 % dependent on the skill of the photographer and remaining 5% on the camera.

Closing words:- What i have done is made you aware to the most important features a layman should look for when buying a digital camera. If you are professionally interested in photography, buy a decent and not too expensive point and shoot camera. Work and experiment with it, increase your skill. Click some pics and upload them to your Flickr and Picasa web albums account and show them to the world. In case of any doubt, comment below or contact me via my Facebook account (through the widget on the left)
Good luck!

Facebook Timeline preview

Facebook has recently made various notable changes in their user interface. Most prominent change is the Timeline which is as of now available for developers only. Of course if you don’t develop apps for Facebook, you can still incorporate the Timeline feature in your profile. Just visit this link: Enable timeline  to enable it. It’s fairly easy.
Simply put, the Timeline is your new Facebook profile page design. It sorts your stuff like wall posts, links, photos, videos chronologically and provides a complete summary of your profile since the birth!
Timeline uses an algorithm to assess the most important moments of your life, which can then be edited to your satisfaction. Unwanted updates can be hidden from the Timeline.
The new profile pages are thought to constitute one of Facebook’s most extreme redesigns so far, completely reimagining what a social networking profile can be. Timeline also means that Facebook now bears fewer similarities to Google+, a social network from Google which currently uses the standard format of showing the most recent updates first.

The Timeline has received mixed reviews from users and critics. Criticisms of Facebook Timeline include claims that by requesting users “complete” their profiles, Facebook is seeking to capture more user data to make its service more appealing to advertisers. Others have expressed concerns about Facebook Timeline’s ability to surface information about a person that was previously hard to access, and that Facebook’s encouragement to add your date of birth to your profile (among other incentives to add additional personal information) may encourage identity theft.

My take:-

Timeline works! It’s fun to dig your and friends older updates for that amazing nostalgic feeling. Digging deeper, I noticed you can go back and add events from the distant past to round out your timeline. You can tell the story of your entire life here — something you could do in a resume-like way before, but never with this sort of clarity. Therein lies the brilliance of Timeline: It takes advantage of something computers do well — they can instantly sort and group things, find patterns and visualize data in different ways that can take on entirely different meanings.

I foresee an entire cottage industry springing up around Timeline. Companies can display their long-standing traditions, illustrating their meager beginnings and their growth to their current state. A couple can chronicle its relationship from first meeting to marriage, exhibiting a Timeline at a wedding reception, just as videos are shown today. Political candidates can tell their life stories (or spin them just the way they want), and make them available for all to see. Like every new medium that came before it, people will create things we can’t even imagine with Timeline.

Timeline might seem like just an application on the web, but it goes beyond that — once you populate it with your own personal data. Try it before you pass judgment. Think long-term. If your experience is anything like mine, it will help you see yourself in a whole new way, and for me, that was profound. For some users, it might even serve as a personal demonstration of why life is worth living.
I totally love it. Well done Facebook!

Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones-The audiophile’s delight!

Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones were launched to supersede QuietComfort 2 headphones and to gain some lost ground in the noise cancellation category. Bose actually was the brand which firstly introduced the concept of noise isolation in audio equipment particularly in headphones.

I can honestly say that when I began shopping for noise cancelling headphones, I really did not know what I was looking for. I had never owned anything but standard earphones (without any noise isolation), so this type of technology was new to me. Because of this, I really did not know enough about the noise cancelling headphones to just pick out a pair and feel comfortable buying them. These headphones do involve an investment, so I decided to be a wise shopper and do some research. After all my research, I decided that the Bose QuietComfort 15 are the best noise cancelling headphones on the market. I want to share the reasons why I chose them so you can decide if they are the right ones for you.

Basically, when comparing noise cancelling headphones, you will want to consider the following things:

• Noise Cancellation Technology and Rating
• Comfort, Style, and Weight
• Features and Extra Components
• Portability

Package contents:-
1. QuietComfort 15 headphones

2. QC 15 inline remote and microphone cable

3. Carrying case

4. A single AAA battery

5. Detachable audio cable

6. Airline adapter

Build quality:-

QC 15 have a pretty excellent build quality. Although most of the headphones is made up of plastic but absolutely nothing feels cheap. Cable and accessories quality is also pretty impressive.

Audio quality:-

Bose does not disappoint in this area. The QC 15 has a very balanced sound. The bass and treble blend nicely to give a pleasing sound that is very close to making you feel like you are in a studio recording session.

The highs have a superior clarity that is adjustable to give you the sound you desire. Most importantly, these headphones are free of the hissing sound that seems to plague most brands.
My test music sounded pleasingly warm and lively, with strong upper bass and clear highs. Upper mids can be a bit harsh, leading to mild listener fatigue during long listening sessions. They almost barge into the audiophile category.

Noise cancellation/Isolation:-

This is the area where these cans kick every set of headphones in its ass with its close to perfect noise reducing capabilities. And frankly this was the very feature on which i based my buying decision.

Bose has managed to significantly improve upon its previous technology, lowering noise levels in both higher and lower frequency ranges. Who knows whether it’s the extra mic or the ear cups’ seal passively reducing noise that’s the real game-changer here, but the results are undeniable. Not only is the overall ambient rumble of a train or an airplane engine significantly decreased, but there’s no audible high-frequency hiss, like you’ll get with some other noise-canceling headphone pairs. The noise-cancellation circuitry is the best you’ll find, and that’s reason enough to buy the QC 15.

Comfort:-

When it comes to headphone weight, generally, noise cancelling headphones do weight a good bit more than standard models. However, I have found that lightweight headphones with comfortable earcups are important, especially if you will be wearing them for long periods of time, like me. These headphones are quite light for a set of noise cancelling headphones.

As far as overall comfort, I like that these headphones include quite a bit of cushioning around the ear pieces, making them comfortable. In addition, they include cushioning in the headpiece. This was a welcome added bit of comfort that is not always seen in noise cancelling headphones.
Final words:-

I bought these cans at Rs. 15,300 and to be honest they are a steal at this price point. These cans possess audiophile grade sound, near perfect noise isolation, great build quality and are very comfortable for long listening sessions.

Pros:-
-Great sound quality

-Strong build

-Brilliant noise isolation

-Quite comfy

Cons:-

-Harsh upper mids

-When the battery dies, so does the music.

Acer 5742G:Portable gaming on budget

Acer 5742 Full Technical Specifications:-

Processor:-

Intel Core i5-460M Mobile Processor (3MB Intel Smart Cache, 2.53GHz)or

Chipset:-

Mobile Intel HM55 Express

Memory:-

Up to 4GB (2GB installed in each of two memory slots) DDR3 SDRAM

User upgradeable up to 8GB (one 4GB memory card in each slot)

Storage:-

Up to 500GB SATA hard drive, 5400RPM

Integrated variable-speed Super-Multi drive:

-Read – 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-ROM DL, 6X DVD-R DL, 6X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM

-Write – 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM

2-in-1 card reader supports optional MultiMediaCard or Secure Digital (SD) card

Video:-

Acer CineCrystal HD 15.6″ (1366 x 768) high-brightness (200-nit) TFT LCD 16:9 aspect ratio

Integrated Intel HD Graphics Microsoft DirectX 10.0 support or

NVIDIA GeForce 540M graphics Microsoft DirectX 11.0 support

Up to 16.7 million colors

Acer Video Conference with integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam, 1280 x 1024 resolution

MPEG-2 DVD, WMV9/VC-1 (Windows Media Video 9, VC-1 standard), H.264/AVC decoding

VGA and HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with HDCP (high-bandwidth digital-content protection) ports

Support for simultaneous display on notebook LCD and external monitor

Audio

Integrated microphone

Integrated mono speaker

High-definition audio support

Headphones/speaker/line-out and microphone ports

Microsoft DirectSound compatibility

Interface Ports

DC-in

RJ-45 LAN

VGA

Headphones/speaker/line-out

Microphone:-

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with HDCP (high-bandwidth digital-content protection) support

Three USB 2.0

Card Slot :-

2-in-1 card reader supports optional MultiMediaCard or Secure Digital (SD) card

Communications:-

Acer InviLink Nplify 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN, Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency, WI-FI CERTIFIED

Bluetooth v3.0 + HS (high speed) wireless PAN (select models only)

Gigabit LAN, Wake-on-LAN ready

Acer Video Conference with integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam, 1280 x 1024 resolution

Dimensions & Weight :-

15.0″ (381.0mm) W x 10.0″ (253.0mm) D x 0.9″ – 1.3” (25.0mm – 34.0mm) H

5.7 lb. (2.6kg)

Power:- 90-watt AC adapter

Six-cell, 4400mAh lithium ion battery: up to 3.0 hours life depending on configuration and usage.

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Construction and Build quality:-

This notebook is built pretty well. Solid plastics, and a rock solid hinge. The surface feels nice to hands due to matte finished and textured body. Its not that heavy at 2.6 kgs. At least not by Gaming notebook standards. Only negative is the keypad. Although very comfy, it doesn’t seem like its built too well.

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Ergonomics:-

Keypad is pleasure to use. 5742G uses a segregated  keypad which was initially used by Apple in MacBooks(then iBooks), after that Sony VIAOs, Dells and finally Lenovo, HP and Acer among others. Keys are well spaced out and provide good feedback. Neither too soft, not too hard to press. As mentioned earlier, keys doesn’t seem too well built. Touch pad is reasonably sensitive and adequately large. It also offers multi-touch gestures like pinch to zoom e.t.c. Overall, Acer 5742g is pretty good ergonomically.

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Display:-

The reflective LG screen (model: LP156WH2-TLEA) has a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. This resolution is pretty common nowadays in the mid-range and even some high-end notebooks. Needless to say, reflective screen kills the experience and viewing angles are absolutely terrible. Colors wash out with even a hint of diversion. And thats just unforgivable for a gaming and multimedia device. Saturation is good though. All necessary ports are present. Yes HDMI too to connect the Notebook with a Larger(and of course better) panel.

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Performance:-

This is the area where this notebook kicks everything around its price range. The model we got had a speedy i5 460m processor with Turbo-Boost support. Those who dont know Turbo-Boost is a technology deployed by Intel in their i5 and i7 series of processors that enables the processor to run above its base operating frequency via dynamic control of the CPU’s “clock rate”. Everything was pretty snappy. Media files opens up in a flash. Windows 7 boots up quickly. The presence of Nvidia GT540m graphics solution just garnishes already delicious dessert. Gaming performance is very impressive. Here are the some fps (frames per seconds) score in popular games.

Crysis2-

Crysis 2 is sequel to one of the best looking game ever Crysis. There was a popular quote used by GPU reviewers around the world-”yes its good but does it run Crysis?”. Reason was that the game was highly taxing requiring gamers to buy or upgrade their systems. Crysis 2 to be honest looks as good as Crysis if not better. Still manages to run better than the prequel. Our notebook gave 25 fps in its native resolution i.e. 1366*768 when we turned up graphical settings to “Very High”.

Battlefield Bad company 2-

The first-person shooter from the beginning of 2010 has always gotten along with AMD’s graphics cards until now. The GT 540M isn’t a threat for this standing with exactly 29.6 fps at Normal(Medium) settings at the native resolution.

Metro 2033-

Dark, atmospheric, eery is how you describe this game. Visually stunning, features all new DX11 effects. Notebooks performed decently enough with 28 fps at medium settings.

Important point to note: Notebooks gets pretty hot while gaming, to an extent you won’t like to call it a “Laptop” as you will not be able to keep it in your laps.

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Speakers-

No stereo goodness here. Only one mono speaker near the power switch above the keypad. Quality is strictly so-so and volume isn’t too loud either.

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Battery life-

The Aspire 5742G doesn’t earn any kudos with two and a half hours of battery life. The weak 48 Wh battery takes its toll here. While gaming, battery life is horrible. Hardly half an hour. This device is better plugged in the mains while gaming.

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Verdict-

The Acer 5742G is equipped with well built body, with a good keypad, good performance and also a cool graphic solution. But as with any other tech product, this one is not without downsides. Notable mentions-Low battery life, Palm-rest gets very hot while gaming, flimsily built keypad and reflective screen.