The 5 best Smartphones under Rs. 10,000 (update January 2013)

Seeing the immense popularity of our Last post. I've decided to come up with updates to this post. every quarter. Since our last update we've seen the lower end of the smartphone market heat up beyond anyone's expectation, in a bid by companies to expand its shares and make more users to shift from regular phones to smartphones. We've researched far and wide to com out with the best and cheapest smartphones under Rs. 10,000 (approx $ 195). So here it is our top picks for year 2013.

1. Micromax A110 Superfone Canvas 2 (Our top pick)

As a smartphone manufacturer Micromax has come a long way since its humble beginning a couple of years back and the Canvas 2 is the latest proof to this. Featuring a dual core 1Ghz Mediatek processor, a massive 5 inch 16m colours IPS Capacitive LCD,dual sim dual standby capability, 8mp dual LED camera and a front facing camera and running on Android 4.0.4 ICS this phone packs a punch..Although some reviewers stated it is incapable of high end gaming others have found that it plays high end games with ease too. The only drawback we found is probably the 512mb RAM but at the price it comes for we aren't complaining too much. Last time we were amazed by the Superfone A50 and Micromax hasn't disappointed us this time either.
Street Price: Rs. 9,999
Full Specs and User reviews

2. Sony Xperia Tipo (Single and Dual Sim)

For a smartphone manufacturer Sony has normally stayed away from the budget smartphone segment and decided to compete at the higher end. However, that all changed with this nifty little device. Although our initial impression of this was good, but it's performance issues made us stay away from it. However, sony has sorted that out and the device looks really good now. Also known as Sony Tapioca it Features a Qualcomm chip with 800 Mhz cortex A-5 Chip, Adreno 200 Graphics card, A 3.2 inch TFT capacitive screen with a 2.5gb internal storage(expandable to 32 gb), 512mb ram and runs on the ICS version of android featuring the Sony's Timescape UI. Another special feature of this phone is the XLoud feature of Sony for the music lovers. This device is available in both single and dual sim versions, however dual sim version is not dual-standby.
Cons: Some users have complained that touch screen stops functioning within a month. However we've also heard a patch is available for that on the forums of Sony's website.
Street Price Xperia tipo: Rs. 8,990
Xperia Tipo Specifications
Street Price Xperia tipo dual: Rs. 9,990
Xperia tipo dual Specifications

3. Samsung Galaxy Music Duos

Samsung's latest offering in the Galaxy Series is a delight for the music lovers. The Galaxy Music duos comes with dual sided speakers as well as good quality headsets just for this purpose.This comes with a 3 inch display, dual sim, 4gb memory(expandable to 32gb) 512mb ram, 850Mhz Cortex A-9, runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich (upgradable to Jelly Bean as per samsung) , 3mp Camera and is powered by a 1300 mAh battery. It also features the samsung's very own touchwiz UI and comes in blue, orange and gray. When it comes to music it's speakers and the SRS sound enhancement will amaze you.
Cons: Overall the phone is on the lower side when it comes to Screen resolution (240X320). It is able to run some standard games, but nothing you will be impressed about.
Street Price:Rs. 8,990
Samsung galaxy music duos review

4. Xolo A700

Xolo came out with its first phone last year when Lava mobiles brought it out with an intel chip. The makers have come a long way since then and brought out two new handsets the Xolo A700 and A800. Though the model has not been heard of much because it hasn't been marketed to that extent, this phone packs quite a punch at the price. The phone has a 4.5 inch IPS LCD (960X540) display, 1 Ghz dual core mediatek processor, a 5mp camera with flash and 0.3mp front camera, dual sim, a PowerVR SGX 531 graphics core, 512 mb ram, and runs on Android 4.0.4 ICS and powered by a 1700 mAh battery. One noticable feature of this phone is that the android is stock, that means no UI no manufacturer apps which will allow you a much cleaner RAM than other phones and you get a better performance than other handset.
Cons: On the downside, you won't find too many accessories for this phone. Also some people have complained about heating while recharge.
Street price: Rs. 9,800
Complete features and review of Xolo A700

5. Nokia Lumia 510

Once you step out of the android circle of phones, there's hardly anything left for you. Samsung's attempt to give a bigger role to Bada has failed miserably and other OS in phones will still take time to catch up to android or the more popular iOS. However Windows has managed to do just that. One of the phones we had to feature was this nifty little device running the Windows 7.8 OS. The Lumia 510, though launched quite a while back is really impressive. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and a 800 Mhz CPU and an Adreno 200 GPU. 256mb Ram and 4gb of internal storage. Skydrive integration to store your files etc on the cloud. A 5mp auto focus camera is good enough for decent pics, and its 480 X 800 resolution looks pretty good on its 4 inch screen.
Cons: Low Ram, no expandable storage, though a 7 GB skydrive integration may make up for that. Also Nokia's announcement for the launch of Lumia 505 might put your plans of buying this on hold.
Street Price: Rs. 9,700
Complete Specs and user reviews

Over the past few months, we're seeing this segment only getting more and more competitive and when we come out with our next segment to this blog, we'll have our hands full deciding the best.

The 5 best Smartphones under Rs. 10,000

The world is all set for the release of Samsung Galaxy S III. Although this phone is expected to give all others a run for their money, it's way beyond the reach of a large number of people who want a cheap and effective phone or those who still have an old phone and are looking to make the switch to a new smartphone. There are also several others who feel spending much on a mobile phone is plain outrageous but are on the lookout for something unique. We have compiled the list of the cheapest and the best phones in terms of a) Price b)Durability c) Usage experience d) Call experience e) Other features & f)Pros & Cons.

1. Micromax A50 Super Ninja (Our Top Pick)

Truly a delight that Micromax has been able to launch a smartphone within the reach of every single person. The A50 boasts of a 3.1 Capacitive Touchscreen, Dual Sim, Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread), 650MHz CPU, Wi-Fi, 2MP camera, good battery and Its own version of a Voice assistant A.I.S.H.A. which is somewhat like Siri but a long way to go. The touchscreen is effortless with an occasional lag.Calling is okay and having the android gives you access to millions of apps for work and play .Unlike some other smartphones in this category, it supports Flash and Java as well. All this is enough to put it on the top of our list. As it was launched at the start of this May, it's too early to comment on its durability and some other features where some smartphones start to lag after sometime. At this price we decided to leave out the cons because we can't really complaint too much on it.

Average Price : Rs. 4,850

Click here for Full Specs and user reviews for A50 Ninja

2. HTC Explorer

We don't even know where to begin with this one. From the moment we had it in our hands it was a sheer delight using it. HTC has lived up to its reputation on this phone. While having a 600MHz Cortex A5 CPU, HTC combines it with a Qualcomm MSM7227A Snapdragon Chipset and an Adreno 200 GPU to make it the fastest phone in this segment.It also has a 512 Mb RAM and 512 Rom but the internal memory after being used up by android and stock apps comes out to 90-105 mb which is lower than some other phones. Featuring Android 2.3(gingerbread) and combining it with the latest HTC Sense UI 3.5 makes sure effortless usage. Sturdy enough to withstand a few shocks and crystal clear sound while making calls. HTC has also ensured good speakers in this. The camera is 3.15 MP good enough for casual shots. It also has an option of different colours in an appeal to the youth. 

The Cons: You won't get a SD card or a headset with this phone so you need to buy separately. No Flash with the Camera.You will have to get a few apps separately to deal with the low internal memory such as "App to SD" 

If you don't mind these problems then go for it.

Average Price: Rs. 8500

Click here for Full specs of HTC Explorer

3. Samsung Wave-Y(Young) S5380

This one's another smartphone specially recommended for those who aren't very keen on Android or want to get their hands on something new and different. The Wave-Y Features Samsung's Proprietary OS Bada 2.0 which itself borrows heavily from android but is more unique and thus allows Samsung to add several features which Android phones do not. Its other features include 832MHz CPU, 3.2 inch Capacitive touchscreen, Wifi, and A 2MP camera. Samsung's Touchwiz UI works pretty well on the Bada Platform and there's not much lag and the screen is decent. Sound quality is okay but nothing to write home about. The call feature was slightly irritating due to lack of smart dial and lack of secondary micro phone for noise cancellation but still worked pretty well.It's features for a low price makes it one of our picks,

The Cons: Bada is still new in the market thus giving you a limited choice of apps and a few that Samsung has developed.

Average Price: Rs. 6,500

Click here for Full specs of The Samsung Wave Y

4. Samsung Galaxy Y S5360

This phone has almost the same features as of the Wave Y running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The only difference is of a lower screen resolution for this phone. This can make the viewing experience a bit disappointing. If you want a start you can go with it but don't expect HD videos on it. Also its ARMv6 processor will not support flash upgrades which also means flash videos won't work and some apps which require flash won't work as well. However its neat package and easy feature makes it a good option for beginners. You can also go for the Galaxy Y duos which has the same features on dual sim for a slightly higher price

The Cons: Old processor, Low resolution screen

Average Price: Rs. 7,500

Click here for full specs of Samsung Galaxy Y

5. Nokia 500

Last but not least on our pick is the low cost smartphone from Nokia the Nokia 500. Powered by a 1GHz ARMv11 CPU it runs on the Symbian Anna platform (upgradable to the new Symbian Belle). It boasts of a 360X640 resolution 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen which is by far the best in this segment. A 5MP camera will give you good shots but there is no flash or auto focus. Also it's call quality is one of the best that anyone has seen and comes with removable colour covers. It also works perfectly on all types of 3G connections.

The cons: A lot of people have complained about lags in this phone however an upgrade to Symbian Belle sorts out most of them. Also we have noticed a poor web browser performance which you may improve by installing a different one. The ovi store may give you a choice of apps but it's not as comprehensive as Android. Lastly, the camera isn't up to the mark, though good for a few snaps.

Average Price : Rs. 9,250

Click here for Full Specs of Nokia 500

Besides the above our other picks for you are Micromax A73, Micromax A 75,  Huawei Sonic, Samsung Galaxy pocket and Huawei Ideos X3 which are all priced under Rs. 10,000 and worth a buy

Nothing Special about this K- The Kelloggs K Pack

It's been around for quite some time and has caught the imagination of a lot of people especially women who will got any lengths to lose flab. But a close look at what it really is is what makes it as either the work of marketing genius or simple fraudsters.

The lowdown
Special K guarantees that if you have 2 bowls of it instead of proper meals for 2 weeks, you'll loose weight and inches off your body, the little * also indicates that you also need to couple it with proper exercise etc.

The Facts
Having 2 bowls of cornflakes instead of 2 meals in itself will rob you of your proper calorie requirement but also some other Vitamins and minerals not available in a bowl of cornflakes and milk. Furthermore, if you have a proper diet coupled with exercise you will lose weight in any case. However, after the challenge is done and once you return to your normal diet there is a chance that the weight and flab will come back faster than you lost it. To overcome this you may end up sticking to the K pack forever.

Besides the above the more solid grounds for Kelloggs Special K cereal being a hoax is when you hold regular Kelloggs cornflakes and special K together to look at the Nutritional Information of both packs.You'll see there 's only minor differences in calorific value and negligible differences in others such as fat, fiber, sodium etc. They Say Special K is 98% Fat Free, where the fact is Corn Flakes hardly have any fat to begin with. However here is where I felt it's just a way to make more money.

Seeing this I am not the one to judge anything more. In the end I only want to say "Jaago Grahak Jaago(wake up consumer, wake up)"

Last minute Pranks on April Fool's day

It's April Fools day and the pranks have already Begun around the world. We urge you to join the action by using some of these pranks which are easy to set up and most of them done through computers.

1. Prank SMS and E-mails through Sharpmail : Sharpmail is one of the few mail services that give you a fake e-mail id per mail, you can Create an authentic looking mail in minutes and send it to a co-worker posing as your boss or anything else that comes to your mind. Similarly, for a small fee you can even send out spoof messages to anywhere and the recipient will see the sender number and Name which you want them to see.
Spoofing through Sharpmail

2. Change the Keyboard layout from QWERTY to DVORAK:Dvorak is just another form of Keyboard gaining popularity slowly and on windows especially Windows 7 you can change settings easily to let other people think that their Keyboard has gone wild. Here's how to do it.
1 - Click the Start button.
2 - Click "Control Panel."
3 - Click on either "Clock, Language, and Region" or "Region and Language," depending on if you have your control panel items sorted by categories or icons.
4 - Click the "Keyboards and Languages" tab.
5 - Click the "Change keyboards..." button.
6 - Click the "Add..." button.
7 - Click on "English (United States)," then "Keyboard," and finally, "United States-Dvorak."


3. The Blue Screen of Death Screen saver :Make your co-worker think their PC crashed when they get back from lunch. The  BSOD available for windows(ironically.) For other operating system "support," check out the Linux BSOD 'saver with support for Apple, Windows, and Linux crash screens.

4 . Hijack Firefox with a simple  addon: Your victim use Firefox? Install the " Total Confusion Pack " Firefox extension, which enables the following "features" on April 1st only:

a Two Steps Back: Make the back button go back twice—not every time, but only on random instances.

b Rick Rollr: Switch out 2% of the video clips your victim watches with the infamous Rick Astley video.

c The Devil's Inbox: Make the number of unread email in your victim's Gmail inbox exactly 666.

d Highs and Lows/Sarcarsm Enhancer/For real: Add LOL, *sigh*, "for real," "Whatever" and various other commentary to web page text.

e Watch it: Make it look as if the page was loading forever. (Now this is just plain mean.)

5. Use NetSend to give out authentic looking popups that display your message: All you need is netsend and your Victim's IP. Here's one person's prank 
A good prank that I have played on some friends involves the net send command. What I did was I used the net send command to send a message that said "Microsoft has detected that you have a small penis. Please consider upgrading for better performance" to other people on my local network. When you use the net send command in the command prompt, you specify the computer you want it sent to by typing the computer name, it also says on the message which computer it came from, so I changed my computer name to Microsoft, so it appeared, to the technically challenged, that the message actually came from Microsoft. In case you were interested, the syntax for the net send is:

net send computername message

Net Send for windows

Tackle Eve Teasing with these simple tricks

It's International Women's Day Today and here despite everyone talking of women's right somewhere we mess things up. Media portrayal of women as an object, insensitive remarks by people overtime especially police and politicians and our own Male as the dominant person mentality has somewhere allowed women to be the target of harassment at work, out on the streets and almost everywhere except the safety of their home. Here are a few simple things you need to understand before dealing with this menace.

Know your Enemy
The first thing you must remember is knowing who you are dealing with. Based on their behaviour the types of stalkers are.
1) The Shy one : this guy will generally follow around but doesn't have the courage to talk or communicate. Their form of harassment includes, getting phone calls which, the moment you answer are cut or no one talks at other end. Though not really much of a threat but they are a cause of irritation and discomfort at times. Identifying them may also be a problem. But if you do find them, telling them off on the face is the best thing you can do.
2) The Perverts: These are the ones that are in the habit of passing lewd remarks and unlike the Shy ones, they don't care for what you say. Dealing with them is a problem but the since they do everything in public best way is humiliating them in public instead of ignoring
3) The Tough nuts: In other words the real troublemakers. The ones that have made news for all the wrong reasons. You will have to use force while dealing with them so we'll talk about them in the points below.

Get Public attention
Eve- teasers are in the habit of isolating their targets in full public view. There are times when you are being harassed but you feel no one bothers. Public apathy may be the reason but another is that the person harassing you has isolated you that only you are bearing the brunt. This is the best time to shout and call other people for help or call up the police. The chance is that the person will run away at the first instant. If not, then there is a likely chance that he won't be able to trouble you thanks to the Public. If this happens at deserted place it's time to call the cops and prepare yourself.

Pepper Spray
A must have nowadays. This is your first line of defence. A spray in the person's eyes and he'll be blinded for enough time that you can either attack him or just run away.

Know your weapons
Although learning self defence techniques are your best bet, but women always have some stuff with them which they can always use.
a) Heels: If you wear stilettos, just drive it in the person to hurt him badly.
b) Nails: The things that enhance the beauty of your hands, you don't even know the damage they can do if you know where to go for.
c) Nail files: Use as a small pocket knife for defence.

Know where to hit
1) The Family Jewels: No further explanation needed.
2) Eyes: poke him with your fingers and he'll be blinded for enough time to hit in the family jewels and make a run for it.
3) Back of the head: If you've seen pundits with their choti on the back, you should know that's the weakest part of the head. A hit there with something hard and he'll be knocked out.

Break the shackles of Hesitation
Discussing these things with your friends/colleagues, family members and seeking their advice if harassment is mental and ongoing is the best option. Your stalker should get the message clear in his head that he should stay away from you. Avoiding it initially means giving him another chance to strike.
A Zv2 Original Post

Make an Ice cream at home in 5 minutes

The winter is slowly winding down and the summers are all set to sizzle. And we couldn't agree less if you're already in the mood for some ice cream. But if the heat is getting to you and you are in no mood to go out, we found TLC columnist Sarah Fernandez telling us how to make it in 5 minutes. Just mix up your ingredients and put them in a bag, then take a larger bag fill it with ice and salt and put the smaller bag inside. Shake it up and you should have a decent ice cream ready in 5 minutes. It may take more if you are a slow shaker but nothing above 10 minutes. Experiment with your own flavours and new ingredients to break out of what ice-cream companies have to offer.

The 5 Minute Ice cream | via TLC How stuff works

The Forever Alone's guide through Valentine's day

Today's that day when being single feels like a crime. It's not because you're single, it's more because the couples, the media and everyone else hyping up this day rubs it in making you feel like a loser. That's why our team of loners at ZV2 :P has compiled a list of how to get through this day without feeling bad for yourself.

If you're looking to propose someone.
Do it today, and make sure you go through our How to propose: factsheet. And though we advise against it you can still try proposing to a random girl but don't be mad if you get rejected and feel worse than before.

If you just broke up/ got dumped
Life may look harsh at this point, especially if your ex ditched you, or you broke up for whatever reason. Instead of sulking  around, get some other friends together who're single and organize a party, watch movies, or just keep yourself busy by doing something you wanted to for a long time. If nothing else then comfort food will do you good or just think about the ton money you saved and rub it in others face for a change.

If you've been single for a lot of time/ not hooked up yet.
These fall under two categories, one who don't care and those who do. The latter feel quite miserable but there's hope for you. Yes keeping yourself busy is already said, but there's more. Firstly, treat is as just another day and you won't even know when it passed. Other than that there's a lot of sporting action lined up today. First is the Football action and secondly is cricket

Other stuff to do

Get Out Of Town

If you’ve got the time and the extra cash, this might be the best opportunity to do some traveling. You don’t even necessarily have to leave the country (though it wouldn’t be a bad idea considering most countries don’t celebrate such a dumb holiday), because a trip in your own country might be just as much fun. Visit friends you haven’t seen in a while or just go explore a new town. Spend most of Valentine’s Day on a plane or in a car, and it’s pretty easy to ignore.

Do the usual

It’s Valentine’s Day. Big. Farking. Deal. Just because it’s a day that everyone else is celebrating doesn’t mean you’ve got to observe and celebrate. Just pretend it’s a normal day: go to work, go to lunch, go for after-work drinks, and do all the things you’d do on a normal, boring day. It only lasts 24 hours, and you spend the majority of that time in bed or at work. It will all be over soon.

The bottom line is whatever you do, DO IT LIKE A BOSS

How to propose: The Fact sheet to see if you're doing it right

It's propose day people, and more guys than girls take advantage of this day to say out loud their inner feelings to girls. Here's are a few simple tips that'll come in handy before, during and after you pop the question.

If you want to do it to a random person you just saw

If you are one of those who just saw a girl/guy and feel you like that person, than better to communicate through possible mutual friends or in other cases trying to start a conversation close to her and see the response instead of diving head first and knocking yourself out. If she is interested in the chat than you have a small sign but you should rather keep it at just friends at this point of time. If she's not showing any signs and is keeping to her own business than that's your cue to get lost( No, seriously). For those who already have some one as a friend and a possible companion, read on....

Popping the question- The preparations

1) Place : If You know that person fairly well or somewhat that the first thing is to decide a place, somewhere where you've hung out or someplace the other person likes to be, where both of you can be comfortable. It can be home, a restaurant, beach or even in a car for a long drive. Doesn't need to be an expensive place as long as both of you are comfortable.
2) Mental Preparedness: Just be ready to hear NO. That may be hard but you need to ensure what to do in case that happens.
3) Make sure you have a lot of time with each other.

Popping the question-The time has come

1) It doesn't matter whether you're a guy or a girl, proposing it in that way with one knee on the ground has it's own special meaning. Just don't do that in public as it may make things look awkward.
2) If that's not your style than just hold the hands and look at him/her in the eyes, it'll also give you the cue as to whether the other person is ready or not.
3) Take a deep breath to ease yourself and just say it. The words you choose are a reflection of what you want so I hope you don't end up saying "Wanna be my chhammak challo"
4) DON'T propose on Facebook or during a chat
5) DON'T propose on the telephone
6) DON'T make a fool of yourself by doing something outrageous. Some girls don't really like that.

So it's a Yes


Good, now you have a reason to celebrate. But what would really help it is a simple kiss to the cheek or the lips if both of you can agree to that. The rest depends entirely on you as a couple.

OMG She said No


Sorry to hear that, but it's not the end of the world. If the answer was no, don't act startled or surprised. As I said earlier, prepare yourself for it. Regain composure and stand up, if you're kneeling down, with a smile, as much as it hurts say it we can be friends. If it hurts you that badly, then I suggest that you should lessen your contact and meet your other friends to get over it. It'll take time but you can learn a lot from it.

A ZV2 Original post

The always up-to-date guide for a better and stronger password

Password protection has been our biggest headache since the advent of internet. And hackers have been getting more and more clever. But one of the main problems that our accounts have been hacked is that we have remained as stupid as ever. The top 25 worst passwords are so simple that even a child can crack through it. What's worse is that we aren't being creative enough on that front and letting essential info fall into the wrong hands if someone takes that opportunity. 

Today I'll be starting a post which will tell you about simple tips and tricks for password protection beyond the ordinary.

What to avoid: Besides the passwords mentioned in the list. avoid using 

• Your birthday, 
• Anniversary etc.,
• Your favourite quote,
• Your nickname
• Your wife, gf/husband,bf  name
• Your Pets name
• Anything in particular which the world knows about

Then What the heck should I use?

• Get Creative: The best passwords are also the most creative one, somethings out of the blue. Movie Dialogues, something historical something you read or something that buzzes in your mind is always a good way to start off. 
• The Longer the stronger: Yeah, it counts here as well ;). Use a password that is long. This tends to throw off the hackers at times. One person I know used the CD Key to one of his games as a password. It's tough memorising it but it's almost un-crack able.
• Avoid numbers at the end: It's become a habit for us to use numbers but most of the times they go right at the end such as ABC@123 or ABC_123. Instead try this combo A1b3C2. I just jumbled them up and got a stronger combination instantly.
• Special characters: Want to make it even stronger add some special characters. One of my earlier used passwords also serving as a motivational goal in college was "get80%6sem" meant I strived for 80% in all 6 semesters.
• Unicode: This is the ultimate in Basic password security. One of the worst passwords in the list happens to be "iloveyou" Now we take the same password and convert it to this "♂i♥you♀" Using unicode characters boosts the security level to a new high. A word of advice though that you won't be able to use you account on your phone this way as unicode are not supported there. To access unicode just press "alt" key and then a number key from the numpad eg alt+15 = ☼

Note: This post will be regularly updated with more new and useful info as and when available

A ZV2 Original Post

Photo courtesy: Hackingarticles.com

The Pirate Bay is removing torrent file downloads, here's how you can still download torrent

The largest torrent site is doing away with torrent file downloads soon. Instead it'll be switching over to a magnet link only format. The main reason for this is to get out of legal trouble of hosting torrent downloads especially for copyrighted content which has caused legal trouble for them more than once. Even now if you go over to their site, you'll notice that magnet links have taken the 1st position as downloads. 

Downloading with magnet links

Using magnet links are much easier than using torrent files in the fact that with an updated torrent client you just have to click the magnet download and instead of a torrent file being downloaded, the download of the content will automatically start.

What this means

In the end, it means nothing for you. But torrent companies can hang on for longer now as this is the loophole that can allow them a longer leash against the copyright laws and courts.