TechTalk: Exploring the Latest Technology News, Updates, Reviews, and Gossip

The competitive smartphone market is getting fierce with multi-cored processors and large 5-inch displays. While not everyone can afford such devices from top of the crop phone makers, some Indian manufacturers have ensured that we enjoy the next-gen quad-core efficiency at an affordable price. Lately, a slew of such handsets have been launched in the Indian mobile space – sporting all the nifty features that one expects in a high-end smartphone. We have jotted down the latest quad-core budget smartphones priced under Rs 15,000. Xolo Q1000 – Rs 14,999 The quad-core Xolo Q1000 packs in a nifty set of features for Rs 14,999. Following the latest fad of large screen smartphones, the Xolo Q1000 brings the "phablet" experience with its scratch resistant 5-inch display, which won't disappoint you with its HD quality viewing. The smartphone is up for pre-order and online sites are selling it for a lower sum of around Rs 13,999. This new handset appears to be a wo...

Whether you are planning short weekends or thinking of a long holiday this summer, your mobile phone would certainly top your packing list. You would make sure your mini entertainment is taken care of when you are out travelling. This entertainment could be in the form of music, movies and photography, but what could stop you are a few unwanted hurdles. For example, your smartphone cannot play music or videos loud enough for a larger group or maybe the camera could have been a bit more feature-rich. But at the end of the day, the phone’s battery life is what could let you down.  We have put together a small list of five accessories that fit your pocket, in terms of both size and budget. These accessories should take care of most of the shortcomings of your mobile phone and keep your holiday spirit going strong. These items are not easily available at your local mobile accessory store. However, they can be ordered online with great ease. The accessories mentioned here are f...

How do you choose between the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4? On the one hand, the iPhone 5 is an entirely known entity that just works. You might not be getting the most exciting or feature-rich smartphone, but at least you know exactly what you’re getting. Samsung’s Galaxy S4, on the other hand, is world’s apart from the iPhone 5: It’s huge, and massively powerful, and it has a ton of features that might be awesome or gimmicky, depending on your point of view. The best bet, if you need help choosing between the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4, is for us to start at the beginning: the hardware. We’ll then work our way up through the software, first- and third-party support, and other features that might break the tie.

Like ballistic weapons and automobiles, the basic working principle in audio equipment has largely been the same for a long time. All improvements over the past few decades have been incremental at best, especially since there hasn't been any fundamental shift in the underlying technology. This means, we are used to having a clear idea of capabilities and limitations of any product within a given price range. Take the low-end IEM segment for example. Although the sub-Rs 1500 range is home to excellent offerings from JVC, SoundMAGIC and Sony, none of these alternatives are without their fair share of niggles. These are niggles that we have grown accustomed to, because what's gained in terms of value in a budget IEM invariably has to be balanced out with a compromise in audio fidelity. This was believed to be the norm—that is, until we got our mitts on Cowon's EM1 in-ear earphones.

If you’re worried that China will grow to one day rule all things and become the world’s biggest and most feared superpower, it probably doesn’t help to know that a computer security firm published a report that states hundreds of terabytes of governmental and industrial data have been stolen by a single Chinese hacker unit. Computer security firm Mandiant claims that a single hacker unit of the People’s Liberation Army, dubbed Unit 61398, is a prolific hacking force with which to be reckoned, accounting for hundreds of terabytes of stolen data tracing all the way back to 2006. Of course, China’s Defense Ministry denied the reports of a government-backed hacking unit, and said Mandiant’s accusations were unprofessional — not that a government would willingly own up to clandestine security missions that could conceivably start a war with another country of significant power. Mandiant claims it released the report in an effort to “arm and prepare” security experts in the face o...