Sony Ericsson launches the Xperia Play and the Xperia Arc in India

Sony Ericsson has added to its Xperia smartphone lineup in India with the launch of the Xperia Arc and the Xperia Play in India for Rs. 32,000 and Rs. 35,000 respectively.

Lets start with the self-proclaimed gaming smartphone: The Xperia Play.

The Xperia Play is a PlayStation certified smartphone running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and boasts of dedicated Dual Shock style gaming controls along with six axis motion controls.

Under the hood, the Xperia Play runs on a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU with Adreno 205 GPU and 1GB ROM. The device has a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 854x480 pixel and internal storage of 400MB expandable to 32GB via a micro SD card. The rear of the device houses a 5MP camera with LED flash. The Xperia Play will come preloaded with 6 games and 70 games will be available for download via the PlayStation Pocket Store.

Although the device has a strong lineup of games, it's the hardware configuration that is a little disappointing. While the world is moving to dual core processors in smartphones, the Xperia Play still has a single-core processor. The battery life too is a bit disappointing as the company claims 3.5 hours of juice when the device is used solely for gaming.

Being a gaming phone it sacrifices phone ergonomics in favour of the normal phone. The headphone and charging jacks are placed in a way that they are best used while gaming - while using it as a phone or a music player, the placement does not seem to be as good. The volume rocker has also been displaced to give way to the L/R buttons of the game controller.

Does the device justify a price tag of Rs. 35,000? Take a look at our video review to find out.

The Xperia Arc on the other hand is just 8.7mm thin at its slimmest point. The device boasts of a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 CPU with Adreno 205 GPU, Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, a 4.2-inch BRAVIA engine reality capacitive touch-screen display with a resolution of 854x480 pixels.

The device has 320MB internal storage expandable upto 32GB via micro SD card. The rear of the device houses an 8.1 MP camera with Sony Exmor R image sensor.

The Xperia Arc is a stunning device if viewed as a standalone product. But compare it to the current market offerings and you have better options out there at better price points. LG has recently launched the Optimus X2 that boasts of a NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual core processor and Android 2.2 upgradable to 2.3. The camera on both the devices too has an 8MP censor. The Arc however has a larger screen by 0.2-inches and boasts of Sony's BRAVIA technology.

Both the Xperia Arc and the Xperia Play boast of Sony Ericsson's custom built UI called Timescape that integrates all your social media, messaging and communication under one app. 

FUJIFILM launches 12 digital cameras in India

FUJIFILM has announced the launch and availability of 12 new digital camera models in India. The company has introduced the following cameras:  AV200 and AX300 (A series), JV200, JX300 (J series), FinePix X100, T200, F500 EXR, HS20, S2950, S3300, S4000 and Z900. Earlier this year FUJIFILM launched the Real 3DW3 - a camera that can shoot photographs and video in 3D.

All the models launched have the ability to shoot video in 720p and boast of features such as Digital Image Stabilization, Motion Panorama mode, Face Detection technology, Picture Search, Scene Recognition Auto, Blink Detection, Smile & Shoot mode and Facebook/You Tube web upload.

Details of the cameras launched are below.

FinePix X100 (Rs.64,999)

If you are one who has ever seen a Leica M3, then you will immediately relate to the Fujifilm FinePix 100. It has a retro look and feel to it so much so that if anyone sees the camera from the front will think that you have picked it up from your grandfather's closet. See the rear of the device, and you will realize how much technology has advanced in the past 40 years!

The FinePix X100 has a Hybrid Viewfinder that combines the window-type "bright frame" optical viewfinder found in rangefinder-type film cameras such as the classic 135-size or medium-format cameras, and the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in most compact or mirror less digital cameras. This gives photographers a retro or modern feel while shooting images depending on their mood.

The camera has a reverse Galilean optical finder with a 0.5× magnification and features all-glass elements made from high-refractive index glass and demonstrates low chromatic aberration and distortion. It has a 23mm F2 Fujinon Lens. Its 12.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS Sensor & EXR Processor enables the capture of images from low sensitivity to high sensitivity.

The only downside to this camera is that it has no flash and the lens has no zoom.
FinePix HS20 (Rs.24,999)

For those of you that like to get up close and personal with you subjects without going close to them, the FinePix HS20 might just be for you. Why? Well for starters it has a 30x Manual Barrel zoom and high-speed auto focus. The FinePix HS20 also has a new EXR CMOS sensor, high speed continuous shooting capability, and can shoot stills in 16-megapixel resolution.

FinePixF500EXR (Rs. 17,999)

All you amateurs that want a little more than a straight point and shoot may consider the FinePixF500EXR. The camera's features include an all-new 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, 3.0 inch LCD with 460,000 pixel and new User Interface using vector fonts and graphics, anti blur technologies and GPS functionality. The GPS functionality helps you tag the location where you take the pictures.

Other features include, Full HD movie capture, Motion Panorama 360 mode and Photobook Assist function.

S series (S2950, S3300 and S4000) (Rs. 9,999, Rs. 14,999 and Rs. 17,999 respectively)
For the photography enthusiast inside you that is tired of a simple point and shoot and is not ready for a DSLR may want to check out the pro-sumer S series offered by FUJIFILM.

The new S2950, S3300 and S4000 cameras have zoom lenses that are 18x zoom, 26x zoom and 30x zoom respectively. These cameras also have Playback functions, Face Detection, Auto red-eye removal; Multi-frame playback (with micro thumbnail) and Photobook assist features. The new S series cameras all have a high-resolution 14-megapixel CCDs and 24mm wide-angle lenses. The S series cameras have a bright 3.0-inch LCD screens.

The S4000 and theS2950 also allow you to upload your images directly to the web.

FinePix T200 (Rs.9,999)

This 14-megapixel camera has a slim body and is available in black colour. Its face recognition and image search along with photo book assist are a boon for the casual photographer. An ISO of 3200 ensures good sensitivity. It has a 2.7-inch rear LCD with 230,000 dots that enables the user to view the scene with maximum clarity.

 J series(JV200 and JX300) (Rs. 5,999 and Rs. 6,999)

The J Series along with the below mentioned A series are budget point and shoot cameras that offer a variety of features making them an ideal option as your first point and shoot digital camera.

The J series come in slim metal-bodied design with 2.7-inch LCD screen.  These cameras are loaded with features like sharp Fujinon zoom lenses, Scene Recognition Auto, Panorama Shooting Mode, Movie Mode with Sound, Picture Search etc. The Smile & Shoot Mode works with FUJIFILM's Face Detection technology to detect smiles on faces. It will not take a picture until it detects a smile. Another new feature is Blink Detection that warns users if they have captured an image with people blinking, so that they can re-shoot if necessary. The J series is also enabled with Facebook/You Tube easy web upload.

A series (AV200 and AX300) (Rs. 4,999 and Rs. 5,499 respectively)

An ideal camera for your children's first camping trip as the A series cameras are not expensive and easy to use. Although you can take a look at the entry-level Kodak cameras for similar price points.

Both AV200 and AX300 are 14 megapixel cameras with 3x (AV200) and 5x (AX300) Fujinon zoom lens. These cameras are light-weight and easy-to-use. Loaded with features such as Digital Image Stabilization, Single and Tracking Auto Focus, Motion Panorama mode, Scene Recognition Auto, Face Detection technology and convenient Picture Search (by Face, by Scene and by Date) the A series is aimed at beginners. Like the other models FUJIFILM AV200 and AX300 also support 720p HD movie capture.
 

US: Prostitutes' killer had sophisticated understanding of police techniques

Long Island:  Whoever killed four prostitutes, and possibly four other people, and then dumped their bodies in heavy underbrush along a beachfront causeway on Long Island appears to have a sophisticated understanding of police investigative techniques, according to people briefed on the case.

A series of taunting phone calls made to the teenage sister of one of the victims -- calls that the police suspect came from the killer -- were made from in or around some of the most crowded locations in New York City, including Madison Square Garden and Times Square, according to the people briefed on the case and to the mother of Melissa Barthelemy, that victim.

The locations, detectives say, were probably chosen because they allowed the caller to blend into crowds, so that if investigators pinpointed his location from the cellphone's signal, they would be unable to pick him out of the crowd using any nearby surveillance cameras, one of the people said.

This fact, as well as the killer's use of disposable cellphones to contact the four victims who have been identified -- women in their 20s who advertised their services on Craigslist -- suggested to some investigators that the killer was well versed in criminal investigative techniques, gleaned either through personal experience or in some other way, and could even be in law enforcement himself.

"He is a guy who is aware of how we utilize technology," one investigator said. "Frankly, people are thinking maybe he could be a cop" -- either one still in law enforcement or one who has moved on.

"Without question, this guy is smart, this guy is not a dope," the investigator continued. "It's a guy who thinks about things."

Also, the caller kept each of his vulgar, mocking and insulting calls to less than three minutes, according to the dead woman's mother, Lynn Barthelemy. The caller made about a half-dozen calls over roughly five weeks to the victim's sister.

One investigator said the brief duration of the calls thwarted efforts by the New York Police Department to use the signal to pinpoint the caller's location and find him, something Lynn Barthelemy said they told her they tried to do four times.

New York investigators began those efforts about a week after Melissa Barthelemy, a 24-year-old who lived in the Bronx, disappeared around July 10, 2009.

The investigator, and several others, emphasized that the idea that the killer could be an active or former law enforcement officer was just one theory being examined by homicide investigators in Suffolk County, where the bodies were found.

The Suffolk Police Department's chief of detectives, Dominick Varrone, would say only, "Our investigative team is considering many theories and all possibilities."

The police commissioner, Richard Dormer, said in a statement late Friday that "no suspect has been identified in the Gilgo Beach homicides."

Ms. Barthelemy's body was one of four uncovered over the course of three days in December in the thick undergrowth along Ocean Parkway, near Gilgo Beach, in the town of Babylon. All were dumped in burlap sacks.

It is unclear whether the county medical examiner's office, working with its counterpart in New York City, has determined the causes of death in the four cases.

The discovery marked the third time in two decades that a serial killer of prostitutes had stalked Long Island.

After the snow melted, the Suffolk police intensified their search in the area. On March 29, a Marine Unit officer discovered a fifth set of remains, and two days later, three more sets of remains were found, more than a mile east of where the first bodies were found clustered.

Two officials briefed on the case said it appeared that those additional sets of remains had been dumped many years prior to those found in December, and there were no burlap sacks.

They said there were other differences that set them apart from the four bodies that have been identified, but they would not describe them.

Both of the officials suggested that the differences raised the possibility that remains found in the past two weeks -- the police have yet to identify them or even say whether they have determined the gender of the dead -- were unrelated to the four Craigslist women.

But they also said the differences could be ascribed to the development of the killer's technique over time.

On July 10 nearly two years ago, Ms. Barthelemy saw a client and then deposited $900 into her bank account, her mother said. That night she called an old boyfriend, but he did not pick up. Then she disappeared.

Melissa Barthelemy's teenage sister, Amanda, was preparing to fly to New York from Buffalo and visit with her sister, but the trip was called off because the family could not reach Melissa. Concerned, the Barthelemys pleaded with the New York police to help find her.

Then Amanda began to receive calls, about one each week, from her missing sister's cellphone. The voice on the other end was calm and bland, and never yelled or laughed, her mother said.

Lynn Barthelemy would not say what was said in those calls. She said the authorities told her not to disclose details so that they could use that information, which they believe only the killer would know, to weed out false confessions.

The family's lawyer, Steven M. Cohen of Buffalo, said the caller had made remarks that were "disparaging of the sister, because of her lifestyle."

"We can't for certain make the leap that the person who called the sister was the killer, although I believe that to be the case," Mr. Cohen said. "If you accept it was the killer calling, he certainly had feelings of anger towards prostitutes."

Lynn Barthelemy said detectives had told her they rushed to several locations during the calls, which never lasted more than three minutes, but were unable to identify a suspect.

In one instance, the police learned that Melissa Barthelemy's phone had been turned on near Massapequa, on Long Island, and that someone had gained access to her voice mail, the victim's mother said, but that happened only once.

The caller did not ever say that Ms. Barthelemy was dead or suggest that she was alive, Lynn Barthelemy said.

"He kept us hopeful," she said.

She still wonders what prompted the calls. It was as if he was "trying to finalize things," she said.

Daughter's taunt makes Afridi desperate to improve batting

Karachi: "I will focus on improving my batting during the tour. It has become really weak," Afridi told reporters here on Friday of the ODI series against the West Indies later this month.

"Even my daughter has started calling me 'Baba Boom Boom Out' because of my poor batting performance," he smiled.

Afridi finished the 2011 World Cup as the joint highest wicket-taker but flopped miserably with the bat.

"It is not an easy tour and we will have to give our best to achieve best results," he said.

Afridi was recently advised by former Pakistan captain Imran Khan to come out of Test retirement and also lead the country in the longer form of the game.

However, Afridi said that he has no plans to return to Test cricket.

"I don't have any plans to make a Tests' return," he said. "I think I am not the best choice for that format."

Afridi said Pakistan has the potential to become the world's best team.

"My team has improved a lot recently and our performance in the World Cup under pressure was commendable. I can say if we continue the same progress, we can become like the Aussies who were considered as invincible few years back."

Afridi expressed disappointment over the comments of senior all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who after being dropped for the tour of West Indies complained he was given few chances in the World Cup. "It is not true. The team management gave equal chances to all the players," said Afridi.

Find 5 honest ministers, Baba Ramdev dares govt

New Delhi:  Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today backed Anna Hazare's fight against corruption by visiting the site of the anti-corruption crusader's hunger strike here.
    
"I am in support of Hazare. I am also fasting today," Ramdev said at Jantar Mantar, the nerve centre of Hazare's protest.
    
Taking potshots at the Centre, which faces a series of scams, Ramdev said, "Our bill proposes a 10- member drafting committee in which five will be from civil society and five from the government. But I am afraid if will they manage to get even five politicians who are not corrupt and join this committee. I don't think so."
    
The yoga guru also took a jibe at the Prime Minister being "unaware" of corruption and said the "PM should shed the attitude of 'Bhisma' and now he should work like 'Bhima'".

    
He also branded the UPA government at the Centre "deaf, dumb and blind" and asked it to bring back black money stashed in foreign bank accounts.
    
Ramdev, who had earlier launched tirade against corruption through his 'Bharat Swabhimabman Aandolan' demanded capital punishment for corrupt people.
    
Meanwhile, noted social activist Medha Patkar rubbished reports that she is not in support of some of the provisions in the bill and said she was here to participate in the movement.
    
Patkar also accused the government of dilly-dallying in accepting the civil society's demands and of "conspiring" to kill Hazare by forcing him to continue his fast.
    
She demanded immediate arrest of all those involved in 2G and CWG scams.

Noted lawyer and Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani also came out in support of the crusade, saying "he will use whatever strength he has to fight against corruption. All patriots should support the cause."

Environmentalist Vandana Shiva also lauded Hazare's efforts and said he is among the firsts to work for corruption eradication.
    
Among a growing number of those who came out in support of Hazare were celebrities like actor Anupam Kher, music director Vishal Dadlani, choreographer Farah Khan and American-origin actor Tom Alter.
    
A 103-year-old P Mudgal Swami, a freedom fighter, battled his age to meet Hazare.
    
A group of about 500 advocates from the Supreme Court Bar Council also showed their support to the fasting Gandhian.

Won't force Arjun to become a cricketer: Sachin

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Mumbai: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday said that Indian team's World Cup victory has had a huge impact on his son, Arjun, but he would not force him to become a cricketer.

Talking to reporters at Wankhede Stadium -- the venue of the historic triumph -- Tendulkar said, "I was inspired by Indian team's victory in 1983 World Cup. The 2011 victory has made a huge impact on my son Arjun... I will not pressurise him to become a cricketer. He can choose what he wants to do."

Tendulkar was at the stadium to meet his Mumbai Indians team-mates, and partake of the mood on the eve of Indian Premier League's start in Chennai on Friday.

Talking about his mother's reaction when he returned home after the 2011 World Cup victory, Tendulkar said he could see joy in her eyes.

"When I returned home, my mother became very emotional, and there were tears of happiness (in her eyes)." His mother greeted him with traditional 'aarati'.

"When we returned to the hotel, there were huge crowds waving at us... I have never seen anything like this before," he said, talking about the jubilation after the historic win.

When asked about Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi's controversial remarks about Indians, Sachin refused to say much.

"No comments...I have no control over what someone has to say," he said.

Anna Hazare breaks his fast, says real fight begins now

New Delhi:  Social activist Anna Hazare finally ended his hunger strike at Jantar Mw Delhi today. The 72-year-old Gandhian went on a "fast-unto-death" on April 5 demanding that the government introduce a bill to tackle corruption immediately, and t

"This victory is a result of your sacrifice," he told his supporters at Jantar Mantar, adding that "this is only the beginning. Our real fight begins now. If the government does not pass Lokpal Bill, I will come back to fight again."

Before breaking his fast, Mr Hazare also offered water to some of his supporters who had fasted along with him.

It took Mr Hazare almost 98 hours of fasting to accomplish every point of an agenda that seemed preposterously ambitious when the week began. Till India pitched in, expressing its solidarity with rallies around Mr Hazare's cause.  

Earlier this morning, the government issued a notification on the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill. A copy of this was handed over to Mr Hazare's representative Swami Agnivesh, who then gave it to Mr Hazare. (What is Jan Lokpal Bill?)

The government has agreed that the panel that will draft the Lokpal Bill will include five representatives of civil society, including Mr Hazare, and five ministers. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be the Chairman of the panel; and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, who has been picked by Mr Hazare, will be the co-Chairman.

Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed will be the other government representatives on the panel.

Besides Shanti Bhushan, those representing civil society on the panel will be Anna Hazare himself, eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan, retired Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal.

On Friday, it was decided that the joint committee will be notified formally with a government order that will explain its term and references, conferring legislative authority upon it. Mr Hazare had said he will break his fast after the order is out; Kapil Sibal had said it will be issued at 10 am on Saturday. But when Swami Agnivesh went to collect the order from Kapil Sibal this morning, he was handed over a copy of the notification on the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill - this was the activists' original demand. "We have got much more than we expected," Swami Agnivesh said, coming out of the minister's residence.

While Mr Hazare has his reservations about the title "co-Chairman," he has been assured that the post comes with the same powers and authority as the Chairman's. It was this concern that led to a two-hour delay on Friday between the meeting that negotiated the compromise and Mr Hazare's public announcement to end his fast.

The breakthrough came after Mr Hazare's representatives - Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh, and Arvind Kejriwal, all activists in their own right - met with three senior ministers on Friday evening. The government's delegates were Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Minorities' Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed.

At two meetings on Friday- in the morning and evening - Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister urged senior ministers to end the impasse.

The government's unprecedented concessions were thrust upon it partly by Sonia Gandhi, who in a statement on Thursday night spelled out her support for Mr Hazare's stand and urged him to end his fast. An equal amount of pressure was applied by lakhs of Indians online and offline, who swapped cynicism for a determination to be the change.

That mood reflected on Friday evening at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, a short drive away from where the ministers were finalising a peace treaty with the activists. Six thousand men, women and children sang "We shall overcome".  A few minutes later, Mr Hazare addressed them, reassuring them that he was in good health. "You are my strength," he said.

For the last few days, Mr Hazare has with these speeches drawn middle class out of its inertia. For every demand that Mr Hazare presented, the government had an equal and opposite reaction. And slowly, it began conceding one point after another, till it was game, set and match for Mr Hazare.

Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said on Friday, "This sets a precedent - it shows how civil society and government can work together. We are happy that we are now ending these days of uncertainty through a resolution in which both sides had confidence in each other."

Mr Sibal expressed hope that the bill would be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. (Watch)

The government and activists on Friday swapped their drafts of the bill - wide differences have existed between the two versions so far.

Since September last year, India has confronted corruption scams of unprecedented scale.  The list is topped by a telecom swindle that saw 2G spectrum being sold at throwaway prices in 2008 by then Telecom Minister A Raja. He is now in jail. His actions are estimated to have cost the government upto Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. As a series of financial skeletons have tumbled out of the government's closet, public anger has been escalating. The country needed a rallying point, and Mr Hazare provided an inspiring one