INTEL CORE I7-5960X REVIEW

High

• Amazing multi-core performance
• X99 platform offers excellent connectivity
• Surprisingly efficient

Lows

• Very expensive
• Not compatible with previous LGA2011 sockets
• Doesn’t work with DDR3 RAM

Before Haswell goes away, however, Intel has decided to let it have one last hurrah in the form of Haswell-E. This new line of processors offers six to eight cores, and is launching alongside the X99 platform, which is the first ever to support DDR4 RAM. The star of the show is the Core i7-5960X processor, an eight-core behemoth clocked at 3 GHz.

Such extreme hardware is sure to make enthusiasts salivate but, as usual, Intel’s quickest Extreme Edition comes with an equally extreme price of $999.

How much performance can a grand buy you?

Same old architecture

From a technical perspective, the Core i7-5960X is the least exciting component of this launch. Though it manages to provide eight cores, which is a first for any Intel processor (previous Extreme Editions maxed out at six), it does so without any fancy footwork. Intel has simply added more Haswell cores, and slapped on more cache (20MB, split between all cores) to match.

One thing this processor doesn’t include is integrated graphics. This is not odd for a high-end Intel chip, but it’s worth mentioning because it can surprise people who are new to enthusiast hardware. Every Haswell-E desktop needs a dedicated graphics card.

Exciting new platform

While the processor itself offers few surprises, the new X99 platform is a different story. As Intel’s latest flagship platform, it offers a buffet of features, some of which are firsts. While releasing a radically revised platform may seem odd with Broadwell right around the corner, Intel has indicated that it will launch with mobilechips, then follow up with desktop parts. X99 will likely be Intel’s latest-and-greatest until the spring of 2015.

The big story is support for DDR4 RAM. Everyone needs memory, of course; the quicker is better. This is a big win for anyone running large, complex programs. For this niche, the fact that X99 supports DDR4 with speeds up to 2133 MHz across four channels may prove to be important. It makes sense that Intel would release DDR4 first on an expensive platform meant for expensive processors, as buyers interested in such chips are those most likely to be interested in quicker RAM.

DDR4 isn’t entirely a boon, however, as there are several problems. Like all new technologies, it comes with a hefty early adopter tax. Four sticks of DDR4 memory totaling 16GB (that’s four per stick) will set you back well over $200.

That’s about three times more than equivalent DDR3 memory. X99 also supports speeds only up to 2133 MHz, which is lower than the standard’s maximum. Owners of this platform won’t be able to use the quickest DDR4 RAM available.

Quick and efficient

We hooked up the 5960X and the X99 motherboard up to our wattmeter. We noted idle power draw of 74.6 watts, and load draw of 156.9 watts. An Nvidia GT 650 video card was also installed. These figures are much higher than a typical Intel quad core CPU, but are still solid given the platform’s impressive performance. Falcon Northwest’s Talon, which we reviewed earlier this year, was equipped with an overclocked Core i7-4770K, and consumed only ten watts less.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-5960X pushes the bleeding edge of desktop performance forward. In our tests, we found it to be up to 43 percent quicker than the six-core 4960X, Intel’s previous Extreme Edition chip, and up to 77 percent faster than the 4770K quad-core.

Unsurprisingly, Intel’s newest chip achieves its greatest victories in tests which are reliant on multi-threaded performance, like the 7-Zip compression benchmark. In Geekbench’s single-core test, the 5960X’s relatively low clock speed puts it behind some of Intel’s old quad-cores.

Alienware Area 51

dell Alienware gaming brand is reviving one of its classic desktop lines, with the new Area 51. While it shares a name with the big, boxy, desktop gaming systems of old, this version has an entirely new look and feel, and includes a just-announced high-end processor and chipset from Intel.

for the first time alienware come in spaceship shape

The system is built around Intel's new Haswell-E CPU, a late entry to the Haswell generation of CPUs designed to give that fourth-gen Core i-series technology a final boost for enthusiast PC gamers. Intel'sBroadwell generation of Core i CPUs won't be around until next year, and the new Core M family is aimed squarely at tablets, hybrids, and ultrabooks, so for now, this is likely to be the marquee processor for gaming desktops. It comes paired with a new motherboard chipset, called X99, that promises to support DDR4 RAM.

This new version has a unique three-sided design, which Alienware calls "triad." The flat corners of the triad shape allow you to rock the massive chassis back easily and access ports or doors with only one hand. You can also grip two of the handle-like points of the triangle to lift or move the system, which will weigh roughly 45 pounds.

Both side panels are removable, offering access to the motherboard, video card slots, and hard drive trays. The Area 51 supports up to three full-width GPUs (both Nvidia and AMD options will be available), up to five hard drives, and the system is designed to support a 1.5K watt power supply. Running hardware like that can generate a lot of heat, so Alienware says the angled design can allow you to push the chassis up against the wall while still allowing hot air to escape.Like just about every Alienware laptop or desktop, there is an entire user-controlled light show built in, with nine separate zones, all controlled by the company's AlienFX software.

In our brief eyes-on time with the system, it at least looked different and more sculpted than other gaming desktops, although the traditional market for these systems has been at least partially eroded by better gaming laptops, next-gen living room gaming consoles, and new devices such as Alienware's own Alpha, a small form factor gaming desktop designed for living room use.

Dell says the Area 51 will start shipping in October in the US, and later in the Holiday season globally. The starting price has not been announced, but we expect it to cost a lot.

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display (15-inch, 2014) review:

For anyone complaining that Apple has not released any new products in the first eight months of 2014, we point you toward a series of underplayed but important updates to the Mac line of laptops and desktops.

Already this year, we've seen processor bumps and price cuts for the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air, a new lower-cost entry level 21.5-inch iMac all-in-one desktop, and now similar component upgrades and price cuts to the MacBook Pro line.

The entry-level 13-inch and 15-inch Retina models each doubled the included RAM, from 4GB to 8GB for the 13-inch, and 8GB to 16GB for the 15-inch. Both of those models also received a slightly faster CPU, with the 15-inch model reviewed here going from a 2.0GHz Intel Core i7 to a 2.2GHz Core i7, but still from the same generation of Intel Core i-series processors (newer CPUs are expected from Intel late this year).

Further, the higher-end 15-inch Retina Pro, the base model we reviewed in each of the past two years, dropped its price by $100, down to $2,499; and the lone non-Retina MacBook Pro, the positively ancient 13-inch model with an optical drive and relatively paltry 1,280x800-pixel display, also dropped its price by $100, down to $1,099.

The model we're testing here is the entry-level (to stretch the term) 15-inch Pro, which starts at $1,999 (£1,599, AU$2,499 RRP) and includes the aforementioned 2.2GHz Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. Unlike the higher-end models we've reviewed in previous years, this Pro doesn't have a discrete Nvidia graphics card, relying instead on Intel's integrated Iris Pro graphics.

HTC desire 510

The 4.7-inch phone comes encased in polycarbonate plastic in a choice of black, white, grey or a very luxurious midnight blue. The choice of colour may depend on where you buy it, however.The Desire 510 is a Category 4 LTE phone. Cat 4 is one of the fastest current flavours of 4G, but you can only enjoy the extra speed of a Cat 4 device if you live in a country that has a Cat 4 or LTE-Advanced network.

Even if you don't live somewhere covered by LTE-Advanced signal, 4G LTE is still an order of magnitude faster than 3G, and sees you surf the Web, stream video and music and connect with apps much faster. The only caveat is that with that extra speed you will burn through your data allowance (and battery) faster, and as 4G is still relatively new in many countries, that can cost you.

Inside the 510 is a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor with 1GB of RAM. There's 8GB of on-board memory for music, movies, and photos, with a microSD card slot for extra legroom.

While the 4G and processor speed are pretty respectable, the most disappointing specs are the 854x480-pixel screen and the cameras: the main snapper is a 5-megapixel job, with a low-resolution 640x480-pixel camera on the front for blocky video chat.

The 510 runs on Android 4.4 KitKat software, the latest version of Google's operating system. You can download more apps from the Google Play app store, including any apps you've already downloaded if you've had an Android phone before.On top of regular Android is HTC Sense, an interface only found on HTC phones, which adds extra features to the basic Android experience. The home pages also include BlinkFeed, which pulls together news and updates from your social networks to show you what's going on with the world and your friends every time you look at your phone.

Like the  HTC One M8 , HTC's flagship phone, you can check out what's going on with your 510 without opening the case. HTC's DotView case, which costs extra, covers the phone, but with teeny-tiny holes on the front through which you can see the screen, forming a cool dot matrix-style pattern.While at rest, the phone shows a display specially designed to be viewed through the small holes without opening the case. The 510 does not have the smart sensor features of the One M8's DotView case, but it does give you a choice of 18 wallpapers and themes.

We'll meet the HTC Desire 510 next week at annual technology trade show IFA in Berlin, where we'll be on hand to bring you the first photos, videos and hands-on first impressions of this and all the cool new kit heading your way before the end of the year.

LG L60 smartphone available online for Rs. 7,999

LG's latest entry-level Android smartphone L60 is now available via e-commerce site Amazon.in for Rs. 7,999. The new LG smartphone is also listed on the company's official India website, but with a higher price tag of Rs. 9,000.

The LG L60 measures 124.1 X 66.3 X 12.0 mm. It has 4.3-inch WVGA display. The smartphone runs Android 4.4 KitKat OS and is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB of RAM. window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">

LG L60

The L60 has a 5MP rear camera with fixed focus and a VGA front-facing camera. The smartphone has 4GB internal memory, supports 32GB additional storage. For connectivity, it supports dual-SIM Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, USB. It is powered by a 1700 mAh battery. You can check out the full specifications of the smartphone here.

LG's latest smartphone is set to compete against a range of entry-level smartphones such as the Moto E and Unite 2.                                

Nikon D3300 review:

+ POINT The Nikon D3300's photo quality improves on its predecessor, and while it's not incredibly fast it performs pretty well for its price class.

- POINT The feature set remains pretty limited.

The Bottom Line Very good photo quality for its class plus decent performance make the Nikon D3300 A solid choice for a first dSLR.

NIKON DX3300

Performance

Overall, the D3300 tests faster than the D3200 and many of its competitors, but it still feels pretty slow to shoot with -- possibly because of the relatively sluggish new kit lens. It takes half a second to power on, focus, and shoot; that's not bad. Time to focus and shoot in good light runs about 0.4 second, rising to 0.6 second in dim light. It does perform quite fast when shooting two consecutive photos, 0.2 second regardless whether you're using raw or JPEG, since it doesn't attempt to refocus, rising to 0.9 second with flash enabled.

Live View performance remains terrible, taking almost 2 seconds to focus and shoot thanks to slow everything -- slow autofocus, slow mirror movement -- and two consecutive JPEG shots takes 3.7 seconds.

The camera delivers an excellent 5.1fps burst when equipped with a 95MB/sec SD card (almost 4.4fps for raw) with autofocus and with no significant slowing -- it just gets a little more variable -- for more than 30 frames. However, the autofocus can't really keep up with the frame rate so there are a lot of misses.

The annoying small, dim viewfinder hasn't changed, unsurprising since that's typical for these entry-level models. I really dislike the tiny focus points which only illuminate (and briefly) when you half-press the shutter. They're impossible to see in moderate to dim light, so if you shoot on anything other than full auto you first have to press the shutter to find the appropriate focus point (in my case, center) before you can even begin to frame the scene. The LCD hasn't changed, but it's a good size, bright and reasonably visible in bright sunlight.

Image quality

Photos are the camera's strongest suit. The D3300 improves on the image quality of the D3200, with most images appearing somewhat sharper as you'd expect from the new 24-megapixel antialiasing-filter-free sensor, and the camera fares pretty compared to competitors. Also, for example, ISO 3200 JPEGs look a lot less noisy than their counterparts from the D3200, but the raw files seem to clean up about the same, pointing mostly to the inevitable improvements in Nikon's image processing over the past two years. JPEGs look very clean through ISO 400 and display only minimal artifacts through ISO 1600. Depending upon scene content the photos are usable through ISO 6400, but above that the less-bright colors become too desaturated and the tonal ranges compress unattractively.

SAMPLE IMAGE FROM D3300

Design and features

The body looks almost identical to the D3200 (which had barely changed from the D3100 before that) except for a few tweaks. It's light and a bit plasticky with a deep, comfortable grip. On top of the grip sits the power switch and shutter button, and behind that a trio of buttons: a somewhat hard-to-feel record button, plus exposure compensation and info display.

D3300 BACK

SPECIFICATION

A programmable Fn button -- you can set it to control the image quality, ISO sensitivity, white balance, or Active D-Lighting menus -- lies under your left thumb.

The back has the same parade of buttons -- review, Menu, zoom in, zoom out and i, which brings up the frequently used settings -- down the left side. Nikon redesigned the multi-selector navigation control to allow diagonal movement, which is useful when selecting an AF point, for example.

The SD card slot is in the more accessible grip-side location, as opposed to the battery compartment, and I still like Nikon's implementation of the interactive display. The adjustment options now appear beneath the settings readout rather than around the edges of the display, which some people might prefer, since you don't have to navigate sequentially through the options.

In addition to a composite, a HDMI out, and a USB connector, plus the connector for Nikon's proprietary GPS module, D3200 adds a jack for an external mic.

COMPARISON BETWEEN D3300 AND D5300

The introduction of a collapsible kit lens seems unnecessary to me. Unlike mirror-less systems where the bodies are much smaller, the body of the D3300 is still relatively large and the new lens only shaves about a half inch in length and circumference and 2.4 ounces from the weight. It's certainly not worth the extra $50 if you're buying it standalone. Since it will coexist in the market with the traditional 18-55mm version, watch out when shopping online and make sure you're getting the lens you expect. However, I also bet that there will be cheaper versions of the kit available with the old lens.

For a complete accounting of its features and operation, download the D3300's manual.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a competent but inexpensive general-purpose first dSLR, the D3300 is a fine choice.

BUY IT HERE:- 

Samsung Smart Camera WB350F

+POINT The Samsung Smart Camera WB350F is like having a bunch of smartphone camera apps built into the interface of a point-and-shoot camera that has a 21x zoom lens and optical image stabilization. The camera's wireless features make it easy to shoot and share your photos to Android or iOS devices or straight to Web sites.

-POINT  There's no improvement in photo or video quality or shooting performance from the previous version, which was just good. While its wireless options are still plentiful, its remote viewfinder function lags behind competitors'.

The Bottom Line The Samsung Smart Camera WB350F is a good package if you want to add an affordable long-zoom point-and-shoot to supplement your smartphone photography.

SPECIFIACTION

The Samsung Smart Camera WB350F is a good reason why you shouldn't shop by specs alone.

When it was announced at CES 2014, it seemed the WB350F was a redesign of 2013's WB800F camera, a higher-end compact megazoom that featured a similar 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a 21x, f2.8-5.9, 23-483mm lens. The WB350F is actually, as the model name might suggest, an update to the lower-end 18x zoom WB250F. Or to be more succinct: this camera, despite what its specs might imply, is not as good as the WB800F and really offers little improvement over the WB250F beyond having a longer zoom lens.

      
Basically, you'll want to consider this camera for its features more than for its photo quality. The photos aren't bad, especially if your priority is to share them online. If you need a camera that can take photos for prints larger than 8x10 in all lighting conditions or for something like birding, where you'll want to enlarge and crop in to examine fine details, this likely won't be enough camera for you. The camera's strengths are in its novel shooting options and Wi-Fi capabilities (though even those are starting to slip behind the competition).

The camera's video quality is good enough for posting online or viewing at small sizes on a computer screen, and having a zoom lens with optical image stabilization gives it an edge over a smartphone. However, depending on which smartphone you have, there's a good chance you'll get better video from it than the WB350F.

Like its pictures, the video isn't particularly good in low light. There is some judder when panning the camera, and you'll see some ghosting with fast-moving subjects (which aren't uncommon for the category). The zoom lens does work while recording, but you will hear it moving and focusing. (There's a Sound Alive feature that will dampen this sound, though it will muffle the rest of the audio, as well.) The camera is relatively fast to refocus and adjust to exposure changes.

SCREEN SHO

SHUTTER SPEED

If you like to control shutter speed and aperture, shutter speeds can be set from 16 seconds to 1/2,000 second. Available apertures at the wide end are f2.8, f3.2, f3.5, f4.0, f4.5, f5.0, f5.6, f6.3, f7.1, and f8.0; in telephoto you have just f5.9, f6.9, f7.5, and f8.5.

Being a Smart Camera, the WB350F's wireless features are a key part of the package here. If you connect the camera directly to a Wi-Fi network, you can send pictures and video by e-mail; upload to Evernote, Facebook, Picasa, YouTube, and Dropbox; and share content to DLNA-enabled devices as well as sync to a personal Samung Link cloud storage account, which you can also access from other devices.

If the camera is connected to a wireless network with a Windows PC on it, you can set up Samsung's i-Launcher software and do wireless auto-backups to your computer (though you're probably better off connecting via USB). If you connect to the same network as the camera with a smartphone or tablet, you can use the camera as a baby monitor, which is fine if you're on vacation or just in a pinch, but the performance isn't good enough for regular use.

What you'll probably use most, though, are the camera's Remote Viewfinder, AutoShare, and MobileLink features. MobileLink lets you transfer files from a smartphone or send files from the camera to one or more smartphones. AutoShare gives you the option to automatically send photos to a smartphone as you shoot them with the camera. The Remote Viewfinder turns your smartphone or tablet into a viewfinder, and you can also move the camera's zoom lens as well as hit the shutter release. However, that's about all you can do with this feature, and you're limited to capturing 12- or 2-megapixel images. Other camera manufacturers allow you to capture at full resolution, start and stop video, and use shooting modes other than auto.

Establishing a Wi-Fi connection with Android and iOS devices is pretty straightforward: Start the feature that you want to use on the camera, use your device's Wi-Fi settings to connect to the camera, and launch the Samsung Smart Camera app on your device. But, for Android devices with NFC, the procedure is even easier -- you just have to tap the two together, and they'll start the connection.

Conclusion
The Samsung Smart Camera WB350F is a good package if you want to add an affordable long-zoom point-and-shoot to supplement your smartphone photography. Just don't look too closely at the photos

GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition

+POINT The GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition produces some of the best -- if not the best -- video we've seen from an action cam. Its abundant resolution and frame rate options will satisfy beginners and experienced shooters.

- POINT Navigating the on-camera settings menus still isn't the best experience. Battery life can be brief depending on the features you're using. Plan to buy accessories including a microSD card.

The Bottom Line Like the Hero3, the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition's strongest attributes are its excellent video quality and impressive list of shooting options. If that's what matters most to you, this is the action cam to get.

HERO3

Depending on whom you ask, GoPro's action cameras are the best available or they're all marketing.

Regardless of where you fall -- or if you're still undecided -- it's impossible to ignore GoPro's position in the category. The release of 2012's Hero3 models seemed to propel them far in front of competitors and the 2013 Hero3+ models aim to keep them there.

The GoPro HERO3+: Black Edition is the top of the GoPro lineup, followed by theHero3+ Silver Edition, and the Hero3 White Edition, with the White being the only one unchanged from 2012. (Oh, and despite the colorful names, the cameras are all silver and black with just the "3" on front in the corresponding color.)

As the highest-end model, the Black Edition has the most shooting options including a Protune mode for high-bit-rate video with neutral color and 24 frames per second recording for professional video production, the highest resolution capabilities up to 4K at 15fps, and includes a Wi-Fi remote.

In the box
GoPro doesn't exactly shortchange you on accessories for your $400, but at the very least you'll need to get a microSD card up to 64GB. That's really the only thing that you'll need in addition to what's in the box to get you shooting.

The camera's waterproof housing is good to depths of 131 feet (40 meters); the Hero3's dive housing was good to 197 feet (60 meters). If you don't need the camera to be dust- or waterproof and would like a bit more audio to reach the built-in mono mic, you can swap out the standard backdoor for the skeleton backdoor.

Design and features
There are some differences between the bodies of the Hero3 and Hero3+, but you'd pretty much have to have it side by side to see them. The Hero3+ remains a little box that is not rugged without its housing, unlike competitors from iON , Garmin , and Drift. Don't get me wrong, the camera feels very well constructed and might survive a minor tumble, but its GoPro's housing that keeps the camera dry and safe.

The camera can sit up on its own, but without an integrated tripod mount there's no way to easily attach the camera to anything without using a housing. Being a leader, if not the leader, in action cams, there's no shortage of mounting options available from GoPro and third-party accessory makers. It's certainly an advantage to getting a GoPro, but not a big one since other action cams either have tripod mounts or available adapters to use with GoPro mounts.

Video quality
The Hero3+ Black Edition produces some of the best quality video I've seen from an action cam. With few exceptions, bit rates on action cameras tend to be around 15Mbps or lower. The Black Edition passes double that amount of data, giving you nice detail -- even when you're moving fast.

Performance

Battery life is a concern for all action cams; they're small cameras with small batteries that capture high-res video at fast frame rates. GoPro claims better battery life with the Hero3+ and going by its engineering estimates, you can get up to 2 hours of battery life shooting at 1080p 30fps with Wi-Fi off. Using higher resolutions or faster frame rates, as well as using the Wi-Fi with the included remote or GoPro mobile app, will bite into that time. Also, Wi-Fi doesn't shut off when you turn the camera's power off. If you don't turn Wi-FI off separately it will continue to drain your battery.

Basically, if you're going out for extended shooting, you'll want to get extra batteries. At least it has a replaceable battery, unlike other action cams that have built-in batteries. (By the way, the longest battery life I've seen is from the Drift Ghost-S with up to 3.5 hours recording at 1080p30, and its battery is replaceable, too.)

Though I never experienced it during testing, it is possible for the camera to get hot enough during use that it will pop up a warning to let you know that it needs to cool down. According to the manual, the camera will not allow itself to overheat and damage the camera.

Conclusion
Like the Hero3, the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition's strongest attributes are its excellent video quality and impressive list of shooting options. If that's what matters most to you, this is the action cam to get. However, if you're just looking for something to play with and post videos online or watch on mobile devices, it's overkill and there are plenty of other options out there.

3 Reasons You Shouldn't Buy an iPhone 5C From Walmart for 97 Cents

To be fair, Walmart is far from the only retailer trying to trap you into a mobile phone contract with low prices. It's just one of the most pervasive. Walmart, along with Costco and Target, account for 12% of all cellphone sales in the U.S. Walmart is particularly popular with families, which is why Sprint recently chose the retailer as the launchpad for its family-oriented Custom plans.

A free (or nearly free) iPhone — one of the current models — sounds like a great deal, and it would be... if this were 2013. Or even early 2014. But right now, you're way better off skipping Walmart's cheapo iPhone. Here's why:

1. You can already get it for $0.

Yep, 97 cents is a great deal. You know what's a better deal? No cents. You can buy the iPhone 5C right now — with no contract — from T-Mobile for $0 down. In fact, you can do the same at AT&T, Verizon and Sprint under their various programs.

The big catch? To get those deals, you have to pay for the phone with incremental payments every month, which are usually about $25 to $35. But at least those payments stop after two years, whereas a new contract — which the Walmart deal requires — would mean your phone's true cost ($549 for the iPhone 5C) is built into the rates you pay, which don't automatically cease when the contract expires.

Either way, they get your money. And if you really want the iPhone 5C with a contract, Sprint actually already offers it for $0. At least you'll save nearly a buck.

2. It's really just a colorful iPhone 5.

The reason the iPhone 5C exists at all is because Apple wanted to offer the previous year's model (as it always does) as a "step-down" version of the iPhone for budget-conscious consumers, but it also wanted to build it cheaper so it would still produce decent profit margins.It might not have been the most impactful part of Apple's iPhone strategy, but it did succeed in packaging "last year's tech" — namely the iPhone 5.

You may be thinking "I don't need the latest and greatest," and you're right, you don't. But you also don't want to be too far behind either, and two years is a dog's age in mobile. Both platform makers and app developers design for the most recent hardware, and adapt their experiences for older models.

Just ask anyone running iOS 7 on an iPhone 4 what the experience is like. Even the iPhone 4S struggles to deal with an iOS 7 world, and that, in terms of the "tech gap," is basically the equivalent of what you'll have if you settle for the iPhone 5C now. For two years.

3. Everyone is going to discount it in a couple of weeks.

If you haven't heard, Apple is planning an event for early September. Even absent the report about the unconfirmed Sept. 9 event, Apple is always poised to unveil a new iPhone in the fall. When the new models arrive, it changes pricing for the previous models.

The Walmart discount is really just a harbinger of what's going to happen to all iPhones right then. When the iPhone 6, iPhone 6L or whatever the new models are called get here, you won't be able to throw a Bluetooth earpiece in a wireless store without hitting a discounted iPhone 5C. Apple and its retail partners need to clear out inventory to make room for the new models, and the most surefire way to do that is to cut prices.

If you're dead-set on signing a wireless contract to buy a two-year-old phone (see No. 2 above) for no money down, then just hold out a couple of weeks and you won't need to do it at Walmart.

CyberPOWER Raven X6

The market for gaming notebooks has been expanding at the speed of light in recent times. While there are countless options available from companies like Razer, Origin, Dell, ASUS, Eurocom or MSI, new models just keep coming out.

The trouble is that they seem to be bounding pretty much the same specs. Which could be a good thing if you’re driven to choose a gaming laptop based on looks or customization options.

CyberPOWER is another manufacturer of gaming system solutions which is teasing gaming enthusiasts with a new model as of this week.

The notebook is called the Raven X6 and the producing company calls it “sleek and mean” and capable of handling whatever task you throw at it. 

The Raven X6 excels at gaming, but it can easily be converted in an all-purpose notebook. For example, the existence of the HD webcam and dual digital microphones implies that the lappy can be used for video chatting and teleconferencing purposes.

The Raven arrives with a 15.6-inch display with full HD resolution, but if you want to go bigger in screen size (maybe a 17-incher), there are possibilities available on the market like the Eurocom X7.

CyberPower Raven is a new Gaming laptop 

Under the hood lies a 4th-generation Intel Core i7-4710HQ mobile processor working in concert with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M GPU. 

While this is not half bad, more demanding users might want to push things all the way up to 880M in the graphics department, but if that’s the case, then you’ll need to be looking somewhere else. 

The MSI GT Dominator Pro takes advantage of the NVIDIA GeForce 870M/880M GPU and the Razer Blade ships out with the GTX 870M card.

Going back to the Raven, the laptop boasts 8GB of RAM, which is in league with what is being offered on the market today.

Like any gaming system, the Raven abounds of different ports including 2 USB 3.0s, HDMI out, 4-in-1 media card reader and more. Also, the laptop comes with a backlit keyboard that makes gaming during the late hours of the night possible.

CyberPOWER says the notebook is customizable with options covering a variety of storage possibilities (including mSATA SSDs), gaming memory and OS-s. 

The base model includes 8GB of RAM, 1TB 7200RPM HDD, Microsoft Windows 8.1 as default operating system. All of this can be yours for the price of $1,199 / €895.

This is a good place to remind you that Acer also launched a similar gaming notebook, in the form of the Acer Aspire V Nitro which comes with FHD display, Haswell and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M.

Windows 9 unveiling set for September 30

Microsoft's Windows 9, the successor to the widely panned Windows 8, could be shown off at the end of next month, according to a new report.

Microsoft is planning to hold a special press event on September 30 to show off Windows 9, The Verge is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans. The date is currently "tentative," according to the report.

It's not yet clear whether Windows 9 will actually be known as Windows 9. The operating system is currently code-named Windows Threshold, though it's highly likely that Microsoft will keep its numbering scheme with the next platform.

Last week, CNET sister site ZDNet reported that Microsoft is planning to launch a "technology preview" of Threshold at the end of September or early October. The report from Mary Jo Foley indicated that users would be able to try out the operating system, but would need to have software updates automatically downloaded to the platform each month.

Whenever Threshold makes an appearance, it's expected to come with a wide range of improvements, including a "mini" Smart Menu, separate windows for Metro-style applications running on the desktop, and support for virtual desktops.

According to The Verge's sources, Microsoft will be showcasing some of those improvements and new features at the event on September 30. The operating system should launch as a beta preview soon thereafter.

In a statement to CNET, Microsoft was succinct in its response to the news, saying only that it has "nothing to share" at this point.
Via~CNET

OMG!!! Walmart Slashes iPhone 5C Price to 97 Cents

Walmart has drastically cut the prices of the iPhone 5C and 5S, suggesting an upcoming debut of the iPhone 6 (which, granted, Apple hasn't even announced yet).

The iPhone 5S (16GB) has been reduced from $99 to $79, and the iPhone 5C (16GB, in any color) has been reduced from $29 to just 97 cents. The new prices are available with the purchase a two-year contract from AT&T, U.S. Cellular, Sprint or Verizon; the offer is good only in stores, not on online orders.

Stores tend to slash the prices of their existing iPhone stock before a new model is released; this price drop adds credibility to rumors that the new iPhone 6 will launch Sept. 9.

Still, sales on Apple products are rare, in part because the company limits how its retail partners can price its products. Walmart is one of the only retailers that can get away with selling Apple products below Apple's manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP).

Public excitement about the iPhone 6 has reached fever pitch. The new smartphone is rumored to have a reversible USB lightning cable as well as alarger screen.

Best Budget SmartPhones for Indian.

5 COOL PHONES THAT DON’T COST your pocket

Sony Xperia T3  
Cost: Rs 25,999
We've been impressed with Sony’s 2014 flagship – the Xperia Z2. The T3 brings the same cool design DNA in a slimmer avatar (just 7 mm thick) and the 5.3 inch touch screen also sports Sony’s ‘Triluminos’ display. 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard memory might be underwhelming but the energetic 2500 mAh battery and the 8MP shooter make amends.  The device currently comes bundled with Sony’s SWR10 smartband in the box just in case you want to experiment with a fitness tracker.  

Asus Zenfone 6  
Cost: Rs 16,999
The 6-inch screen is just what you need to catch a movie on the go – at 245 pixels per inch, the screen resolution won't blow your mind but the large screen real estate helps. Powered by an Intel Processor (dual core, 2GHz) and with an Energizer bunny-like battery (33000 mAh), the device also looks premium with its matte back finish.

Apple iPhone 5c  
Cost: Rs 30,000
If you're a faithful Android user looking for a brief flirtation, take a bite of the ‘Apple’ with the iPhone 5C. You might be able to snag the 8GB variant at half the price (a touch under Rs 30,000 online) of the pricier 5S versions. It won't carry a lifetime of images and music but with Apple’s iOS 7 and amazing 8MP shooter, it's good enough to check out if the grass is really greener on the other side.   

HTC Desire 816  

Cost: Rs 23,990
HTC’s One M8 might be winning all the design accolades but the Desire 816 could well be the brand's dark horse this season. Aside from the iPhone 5C, this is one of the sexiest all-plastic devices (it also comes in a vibrant palette of colours) with an elegant form factor. The ‘Boomsound’ speakers are perfect for an impromptu house party while the 2600 mAh battery has enough juice for your average day at work. 

Panasonic Eluga U  

Cost: Rs 18,990
We still can’t figure out why Panasonic refuses to unleash its top-of-the-line smartphones in the Indian market. The Eluga U feels really good in your hand despite its not-so-premium price tag – it sports a 5-inch touch screen but weighs just 115 gms. The all-glass textured back is a welcome relief from all the plastic that usually dominates this segment. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon (1.2 GHz, Quad core processor) coupled with 2GB of RAM and features a 13MP shooter that is par for the course.