Sort Important Mails with Gmail's Priority Inbox

At times, you receive so many emails that you start wondering how will you ever sort out the clutter. You can relax now as Google has introduced a new experimental beta feature - Priority Inbox in Gmail to sort out your emails automatically. Starting today, several lucky Gmail users have got the new Priority Inbox feature to prioritize their emails as per their requirements. The emails are sorted on the basis of your interaction with mails and particular contacts. 

New Priority Inbox divides your Inbox into three categories - Important & Unread, Starred and Everything Else. The self explanatory category names will place the most significant mails under 'Important and Unread', mails you've marked as important would be placed under the 'Starred' section and the rest of the emails go in 'Everything Else' section. 

This categorization takes place on the basis of your Gmail usage behavior - how often do you correspond to a particular sender, what mails you usually tend to open, etc. Do note that this new feature is in its beta mode at the moment and would be rolled out to all users gradually. Hence, you might have to manually tame it at times to determine which mail is important and which one is not.

You already have Filters and Labels in your Gmail inbox to keep your emails organized. But when you receive emails in large amounts, Priority Inbox will make it easier to sort the most important ones and spend best time on it. 



Since this feature has not been available to all, we'd like to hear from those who've got Priority Inbox feature. Do let us know your experience in the comment box below. If you're on Twitter, send a tweet to @Techtree. 

Chandrayaan 2 to Carry 7 Payloads: ISRO

Almost two years after India's maiden moon mission, the Chandrayaan, it is time to turn our attention to the Chandrayaan 2. While we still have three years to go before the launch, a mission as complex as this requires meticulous planning - which is precisely what is happening now.

While many mission related objectives are still under wraps, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has decided to let the world know that the Chandrayaan 2 will carry as many as seven payloads from various countries - including a Russian lunar-lander. The mission would also include a wheeled rover that would be used to scourge the lunar surface for soil and rock specimen. The other payloads include scientific instruments and mappers like the ones included on the Chandrayaan 1.

Here are the details of the same:

• Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) from ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore and Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM) from Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad for mapping the major elements present on the lunar surface.
• L and S band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad for probing the first few tens of meters of the lunar surface for the presence of different constituents including water ice. SAR is expected to provide further evidence confirming the presence of water ice below the shadowed regions of the moon.
• Imaging IR Spectrometer (IIRS) from SAC, Ahmedabad for the mapping of lunar surface over a wide wavelength range for the study of minerals, water molecules and hydroxyl present.
• Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ChACE2) from Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Thiruvananthapuram to carry out a detailed study of the lunar exosphere.
• Terrain Mapping Camera2 (TMC2) from SAC, Ahmedabad for preparing a three-dimensional map essential for studying the lunar mineralogy and geology.

Unlike the Chandrayaan 1, which was launched using a PSLV rocket, the Chandrayaan 2 would avail the services of the larger GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) launch vehicle. However, with the previous launches of the GSLV being unsuccessful, it is likely that the Chandrayaan mission could be delayed. It is pertinent to note that the GSLV's maiden flight using India's indigenously built Kaveri Cryogenic engine was a failure back in April 2010.

LePhone Launches Triple SIM Phone in India

If it's raining dual SIM phones these days, there is a steady trickle of Triple SIM phones too from various quarters. 

Adding to the trickle is LePhone Mobiles which has announced the launch of its latest Triple SIM handset in the country. Its latest handset is the A10 which boasts of three SIM card slots (2GSM + 1CDMA).

Now, for the interesting bit. While most dual and triple SIM phones were feature phones, the LePhone A10 is claimed to run Symbian OS and is actually a pretty decent smartphone. Note that this is a claim we are yet to verify and would only confirm once we get a review unit. (the UI sure doesn't look Symbian).  

It boasts of a 2.2-inch display and features like an FM Radio, Bluetooth, GPRS support and USB support. There is a  3MP camera with flash light at the rear. The battery of the phone is rated at 850mAh and is capable of providing 300 minutes of talk time and 150 hours of standby time.

The LePhone A10 is priced t Rs. 4990

HTC Wildfire Most Anticipated Mid-range Android

With at least ten different models between the Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 price bracket in the market, there was bound to be rat race to get the tag of the best preferred mid-range Android phone. The Google operating system is now really showing its advantages to this price bracket, luring buyers with models that have the features and functionality of a 30,000 rupee iPhone 3GS but costing close to half as much. We asked our beloved readers which Android would they prefer? This is how they responded: 

On the top of the crown is the HTC Wildfire, a handset much liked for its exquisite HTC Desire-like looks, the Sense UI atop Android 2.1 and a fairly healthy feature set. Except for the screen, that is. At QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) measuring 3.2 inches, it does sound a little too low for an enthusiast's liking but we'll have to thoroughly inspect it ourselves before we declare it as a deal-breaker or not. Next in line is the Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800, a phone that seems to offer so-very-much for that pocket-friendly Rs. 12,000 price. The only sore point that we see with the phone, like the Wildfire, is the kinda-low WQVGA (400 x 240) pixel resolution (as compared to a Spica that had an HVGA one). So, despite running Android 2.1, we really have to check whether apps have started supporting this odd-ball resolution or not.

The third spot is taken by the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8. However, there is one thing everybody who has apparently read this is thoroughly asking for. Yes we're talking of a 3-inch 320 x 480 HVGA display! It still runs Android 1.6 but SE has promised 2.1 by the end of the year. Also, the 3.2 megapixel fixed-focus camera was disappointing, but then if you really don't care a lot about taking good quality snaps, then the X8 should serve you good on all other aspects. 


The fourth spot was surprisingly rooted for the Samsung Galaxy 5 i5500. For the unaware, the Galaxy 5 is a cheaper variant of the Galaxy 3 (ironic naming, we know) and has a smaller 2.8-inch QVGA display and a paltry 2 megapixel camera. But my assumptions for people preferring this is mainly due to the psychological Rs. 10,000 barrier which is good enough money to buy this. Also, the design of this el-cheapo Android is actually more attractive than the i5800 to my eye.

The fifth spot is taken by the XPERIA X10 Mini/Mini Pro midget-brothers. These models are desired by many for their compact shape, small-ish but responsive touch-screen, and good multi-media capabilities. The sixth spot is given to the Motorola Backflip, who was preferred by a minor 8 percent of our readers. The seventh spot is shared by a lackluster 2 percentage votes for the LG GW620 and the Acer beTouch e110. Well, I believe our readers are smart enough not to touch these with a ten-foot pole! 

Are you convinced by the outcome of the poll? Or do you think there's a better mid-range Android phone out there. For me, the only phone that has got the perfect hardware combination is the HTC Aria, that AT&T is selling in U.S. There's no news whether this model will make it to the Indian shores but I wouldn't mind waiting. Or if I were to let my imagination run wild, then this is what I think a perfect mid-range Android would be.

RIM BlackBerry Services get 60-day Grace Period

Research in Motion met the Indian Union Home Ministry yesterday for discussions of providing lawful access to encrypted services as August 31 was the deadline for barring BlackBerry Services if RIM doesn't do the needful. However, the Indian government has now accepted RIM's proposal for 'lawful access by law enforcement agencies' of encrypted BlackBerry data. Also, RIM earned a 60-day grace to continue BlackBerry services in India, reported The Economic Times. But by November end, RIM will need to set up a local server in India or else its services will be banned in the country.

So, BlackBerry owners can heave a sigh of relief and continue using the services without any sort of worry.

Canadian smartphone maker RIM had issued a media statement clarifying its stand regarding its squabble with the Indian government. In that statement, RIM clarified that there was no master key or any backdoor for accessing encrypted corporate information. Also, RIM stated that the data remains encrypted all the time between the customer's BlackBerry Enterprise Server and his BlackBerry device. However, even after yesterday's meeting, the government of India holds on to its stand and RIM will still have to provide data access to security agencies.

After dealing with RIM for BlackBerry services, the Indian government will take similar steps against Google, Skype, MSN hotmail and VPNs to make encrypted services accessible and available in readable format. From today onwards, the government will send notices to these companies to set up local servers in India if their services cannot be monitored by Indian Security Agencies. A government official told The Economic Times, "We are very clear... anything which must be lawfully intercepted has to be made accessible to us... that too in an intelligible and readable format." 

The government intends to make all encrypted email and messaging services accessible in a readable format for security agencies. This is to monitor any misuse by terrorists and ensure national security. 

Finnish handset maker Nokia has made the best out of the situation to get its email and messaging services free from any such lawful hiccups. Nokia India VP D. Shivakumar has stated that the company will install local servers as well as infrastructure to monitor encrypted email and messaging data. 

It would be interesting to see whether any disturbance would be caused to millions of Google, Skype and MSN Hotmail users in India by any further action taken by the government. 

Buffalo Unveils MiniStation Lite

Buffalo Technology has unveiled a new MiniStation Lite USB 3.0 portable hard disk drive that can store, protect and transport digital images, music and other files easily. The Lightweight MiniStation Lite USB 3.0 package is designed for mobility and one can carry large amount of data around.   

MiniStation Lite USB 3.0 comes with a plug and play option and features like Eco Manager and Turbo PC for windows. With Turbo PC installed for windows, the MiniStation Lite provides 25% faster transfer rate.

Buffalo has designed this portable storage solution with an energy efficiency tool to reduce power usage and battery consumption, especially during extended periods of inactivity. The MiniStation Lite USB 3.0 is ideal for users who need high-speed USB powered storage for the storage and transfer of digital content.

Key Specifications: 

• SuperSpeed USB 3.0: Provides accelerated file access and increased transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps

• Compatible with USB 2.0 and 3.0: Support for legacy USB 2.0 and SuperSpeed 3.0

• Connect and Go: Preformatted hard drive is ready for immediate use with Windows and Mac

• Buffalo's Backup Utility: Easy-to-use comprehensive backup software for Windows PCs

• USB Powered: No external power supply needed

• Time Machine Compatibility: Works perfectly with Time Machine to back up your Mac computer

• Eco-Minded: Energy efficiency tool conserves energy and reduces laptop battery consumption by regulating the power usage of the hard drive, cutting power to the hard drive during extended periods of inactivity

Backed with a three-year replacement warranty the Buffalo Eco-Minded MiniStation Lite USB 3.0 is available in two different capacities - 500 GB costing Rs. 9,000 and 640 GB priced at Rs. 11,000. 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab with CDMA Support in Works?

While the web is abuzz with Samsung Galaxy Tab which is due to arrive later this week, we stumbled upon a different version of the tablet. New images which surfaced via Israeli forum iAndroid showed the Galaxy Tab tablet with a CDMA sticker on it. It sure makes us think that Samsung will launch a CDMA version of the tablet exclusively through certain mobile operators. 

Samsung officially made the Galaxy Tab teaser on its website - http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com. Several features of the tablet were mentioned in the video. We already reported that this tablet will be unveiled on Friday at the IFA 2010 event. Now we see images of the same tablet in the CDMA version. 

Apple already has mini-SIM accommodating iPad 3G+WiFi version on sale but Samsung is taking a step forward. CDMA networks are termed as good networks (we're talking about minimal data packet loss and consistency)  for data connectivity and it's likely that Tablet releases through US based and Japan based CDMA mobile operators. It's obvious that Samsung wants its consumers to experience blazing fast mobile web experience on the new Galaxy Tab. Although Galaxy S phone is suffering from GPS woes, we hope same thing doesn't banter the tablet. 

You can read our detailed account of how Samsung Galaxy Tab can trump Apple iPad here. 

HP Teases Three New Gadget Images on Twitter

Hewlett Packard is all charged up for the South by South West - Interactive 2011 panel scheduled next year. An HP employee Mark Budgell posted photos of three new gadgets via an update on his Twitter account. In those photos, HP's chief technology officer is shown holding these gadget prototypes. While a wrist band like gadget remains common for both photos. 

In the Twitpic, we can spot HP's Personal Systems Group CTO Phil McKinney holding a tablet-like device with something on his wrist. Both the device and his wrist are blacked out. Well, HP has officially made it clear that Palm's WebOS running tablet would be introduced in the first quarter of 2011 at the company's third quarter earning's call. 

McKinney confirmed that the blacked out gadgets were early prototypes. The smaller gadget would most likely be a smartphone or a portable media player running the WebOS. What mostly interests us is the wrist-band that has been blacked out unlike the obvious tablet and smartphone/portable media player. 

As we said before, these gadgets are prototypes which might not be available commercially when they're show next year at SXSW festival. 

AMD sheds ATI brand name

Silicon processors and graphics maker AMD has decided to shed the ATI brand name from its line of graphics products, as reported by Tech Report. Now, all those PC gamers and graphics enthusiasts who've been scratching their heads over different lineups from same graphics company need not worry. AMD will rebrand its consumer graphics products as Radeon and professional graphics products as FirePro. Seriously, don't know what's got into AMD.

AMD acquired graphics ptroduct maker ATI for $5.4 billion back in 2006. Internally, ATI, which was known as a part of AMD Graphics Product Group, continued to churn out products with ATI Radeon and ATI FirePro brands. Also, AMD introduced its big plans to launch Fusion line of products - merging CPU with GPU to make an APU. But before that, looks like AMD decided to conduct a market research about brand awareness post ATI-AMD merger. A slide show representing the outcome of the research can be seen below.

We've seen NVIDIA-ATI rivalry for topping the graphics product scene since the last five years. Now, AMD will launch graphics products with just Radeon and FirePro brand names. So, we can see upcoming range of graphics cards as AMD Radeon or AMD FirePro. Not only that, the graphics related technology such as ATI Eyefinity technology as AMD Technology. 

Do note that only one brand name ATI is being dropped from the Red graphics (referring to their brand logo) products. AMD still hasn't formally announced this change and new Radeon as well as FirePro branded products will be introduced later this year. Now, we bid adieu to ATI.

Winners of World Cyber Games 2010 India Announced!

The results are out! WCG India officially crowned the National Winners of the  WCG 2010 India Championship at EsselWorld, one of India's largest gaming park. Competing across four extremely popular yet competitive games, eight very dedicated gamers - Rahul Kumar (FIFA), Team ATE (Counter Strike), Naveen Uraon (Asphalt 5) and Gana Sekhar (T20fever) were crowned as the National Winners. The winners of FIFA, Counter Strike and Asphalt 5 will represent India in the Grand Final at Los Angeles (US), between September 29 and October 3.
 

Team ATE who won Counter Strike

Starting July 20, WCG had organized online as well as offline events travelling across six cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai in search of gamers, who could compete across four games namely - FIFA Soccer 2010 , Counter strike, Asphalt and promotional game for India - Cricket T20fever. Through a series of supreme and unparalleled competition, the winners from each city was brought to the last destination - Mumbai to compete for the title of WCG India 2010 Finalist and a chance to compete at the WCG 2010 Grand Finale at L.A.

 

Rahul Kumar who won FIFA 2010

Concluding this mega gaming tournament in search of India's most deserving gamers, the national finals saw a clash of regional winners from across six cities battling it out for the India title. With astounding and unmatched skills - Rahul Kumar emerged as the undisputed winner for the popular soccer game - FIFA Soccer 2010.  For Counter Strike, the team of 5 that struck the winning gaming chord were Team ATE, comprising of Ritesh Shah, Ben Verges , Poojan Mehta, Mikhel Mehra and Pranay Bhatia. Aspalt 5 saw some intense competition between all the regional finalists but Naveen Uraon walked away with the final title and Gana Sekhar, through his passion for both gaming and cricket won the India promotional game - Cricket T20fever.

 
"'UTV Indiagames has been the strategic partner to WCG in India since 2002 and with each year, we see a phenomenal participation from young gamers across India and this year certainly has been no different. The response from all six cities has been tremendous and our heartiest congratulations to all the winners. We hope they make India proud at the Grand Finale," said Vishal Gondal, founder and CEO UTV Indiagames.


When we asked the winners of the tournaments what is the secret of their success and what advice would they give to others who would like to participate in the future, their answers were unanimous: hard work, concentration and loads and loads of practice. 

We wish the winners all the very best for the Grand finals in Los Angeles and hope they bring home the victory for India. 

Google planning Pay-per-view Movies on YouTube

Google recently introduced free full movies channel service with a catalog of over 400 movies on YouTube. And now, the search giant is planning to bring blockbuster Hollywood movies with its pay-per-view subscription service. Financial Times reported (need to login) that YouTube video sharing site is in talks with several leading Hollywood studios since several months. 

YouTube's plans sound similar to the recently introduced Hulu Plus Ad-supported subscription service for streaming TV shows. Nevertheless, users will be able stream full movies which may or may not have Google ads in between. As always is the case, this new service might start off first in U.S. and then made available to rest of the world. FT also reported that users could pay as low as $5 to stream new movies. 

New movies would be available for streaming on YouTube when they're released on DVD and also available through with Amazon plus Apple's iTunes service. YouTube has been pursuing several Hollywood studios since months. Only after recent rife in Apple TV launch rumors with $1 TV Show rentals to the living room, the search giant seems to be pushing harder.


It's no secret that Google has been trying to stay abreast of other services in terms of multimedia distribution - be it photos (Picasa) or videos (YouTube). The recent buzz seems to be hinting at the fact that Google is planning to make it big in multimedia distribution of movies and games. We won't be surprised to see movie rentals on Android phones. Till date, YouTube has been renting out a couple of independent movie titles. So if Hollywood studios give a green flag to streaming HD movies via YouTube, it's the users who're at the winning side. Still, we wait for the big daddy - Google to confirm this news officially.

Watch Full Movies on YouTube for Free

YouTube has introduced new free movies service after successfully striking a deal with US-based Studios like Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures as well as Blinkbox in the UK. A catalog of full length 400 movies that include both Hollywood and Bollywood flicks is available at http://www.youtube.com/movies. Full length movies were already available on YouTube but only for select regions. Now, it's been made available to the entire world. 

From a number of Jackie Chan movies, to evergreen Bollywood comedy movies like Andaz Apna Apna, loads of movies can be watched on-demand for free. Donagh O'Malley, YouTube head of video partnerships, said, "This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows." 

We hope YouTube will consider including on-demand paid HD movies in future. However, as of now, if you have a YouTube enabled TV then you can stream full length movies on it at no cost. Of course, you'll have to pay for the Internet connection. 

Minerva's Den DLC for BioShock 2 due Next Week

Big Daddy will get more action by the end of this month. Before you misunderstand, allow us to clarify that 2K games has announced new downloadable content pack dubbed Minerva's Den for latest BioShock 2 game. Scheduled to be release on August 31, Minerva's Den for BioShock 2 will have three entirely new areas. PlayStation 3 owners can buy Minerva's Den for $10 through PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 owners can grab it for 800 Microsoft points.

New BioShock 2 for Xbox 360 and PS 3 will get yet another DLC Minerva's Den featuring three unexplored new areas for single player campaign. Also you need not complete the BioShock 2 narrative in order to access them. These three new areas will have six new Little Sisters. You have to protect them while they harvest and then rescue them or drain ADAM out of them. 

Owners of previous DLC Protector's Trial can also play around with a Master Tonic picked up from any of the Gatherer's Garden. That will increase the harvest time as well as the amount of ADAM that Little Sisters get. 

There's no heads up on when PC platform will get Minerva's Den DLC. Now, we shall happily continue playing new BioShock 2 DLC till the next title BioShock: Infinite arrives in 2012.

Now Draw and Share Creations on Wii

Renowned video game developer and publisher THQ has announced an innovative gaming accessory called uDraw GameTablet for Nintendo Wii game console. Bundled with a drawing, coloring, art-based video game - uDraw Studio, this unique game accessory will also be usable in two other upcoming games - Pictionary and Dood's Big Adventure. With this new gaming accessory, casual gaming for kids and families will bring more fun with drawing, doodling and scribbling. 

New uDraw Studio game will teach kids to express their artistic side with more user-friendly tools that can be saved and shared with others too. This new hardware accessory for Nintendo Wii gaming console is a first of its kind. This white handheld tablet has 4-inch by 6-inch drawing space that is detachable and has pressure sensitive stylus for more precision and control. 

The storage area hides Wii Remote wrist strap and stylus when not in use. This uDraw GameTablet will also have an accelerometer that will allow users to enjoy tilt-n-roll movements while interacting with any game. This tablet also supports SD card to save and share your artwork. 

THQ will ship uDraw Studio bundled with uDraw GameTablet at a price of $70 (Rs. 3,260 approx.) by the end of the year. The other two games - Pictionary and Dood's Big Adventure will arrive at the same time for $30 (Rs. 1,400 approx.) each. These games would be available in Europe and other countries by early next year. 

XFX Unveil their HD5970 4GB Black Edition

Yesterday, XFX finally unveiled their 'Secret Weapon' to a handful of media folk in a very small and seemingly exclusive little event. The card in mention is the HD5970 4GB Black Edition which will be Limited edition graphics card as they are only going to make around a 1000 units. If you do manage to snag one then be prepared to pay a bomb as the MRP on this is Rs.99,990 but XFX say the end user pricing should be close to Rs.80, 000.

 

While this is not the first or the fastest HD5970 to sport 4GB of GDDR5 memory, it does have something else going for it. This card comes in a very unique package, a machine gun styled box and a gun-case replica styled LAN bag. This is keeping with the whole military themed viral campaign that was started a while back. In case you're not aware of this, just YouTube "XFX secret weapon" and watch the videos. The card comes with a clock speed of 850MHz and a effective memory speed of 4.8GHz. It's designed primarily for Eyefinity and comes with six mini-Display Port connectors. XFX also bundles adapters for HDMI, DVI so it can be used with a regular monitor as well. Since XFX will only be making 1000 units worldwide, the card will come with unique serial number and you'll even get a custom case badge with that number which is a really cool touch. The best thing is the box that it comes in which is shaped like a gun adds a bit of exclusivity to the card.

 

This XFX HD5970 4GB will be available through Rashi Peripherals but don t get your hopes too high on getting one as India will probably be getting just a few of these cards and from what we were told, these have already been booked!

Details of BlackBerry 9670 Oxford Clamshell Leaked

Internal overview details of upcoming BlackBerry 9670 Oxford Clamshell smartphone have been leaked by Boy Genius Report. This clamshell flip handset will have a full QWERTY keyboard and will sport a 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Most importantly, this handset will come with BlackBerry OS 6.0 running on it. 

As per the leaked internal overview presentation, the new BlackBerry 9670 Oxford Clamshell will have a gorgeous 360x400 internal display - good enough for that form factor. The external screen will come with 240x320 pixel resolution and will show notifications, caller ID and of course, a clock. This clamshell has a full QWERTY keypad for better typing and also comes with Trackpad instead of Trackball. 

RIM will pack Wi-Fi and Assisted-GPS on this clamshell handset. One of the good features this handset has is the 5 megapixel camera that comes with continuous autofocus, face detection and image stabilization features. Oxford will bundle an 8GB microSD memory card for storing multimedia files. 

Now we're not sure if this will fall in the hands of U.S. based mobile operators like Verizon or Sprint. We can hope to see a world edition of this clamshell since we think there is a sizeable number of users who'd like to use a clamshell BlackBerry device.