No more visits to bank, now print your passbook at ATMs!

It’s there everywhere. We are talking about the pass book printer, nothing else. Especially, after the COVID 19 pandemic, almost all nationalized and private banks have installed passbook printing, cash depositing and cheque vending machines at their ATMs.

One need not have to go to the bank to print his passbook to know the transactions happened in his or her account over a period of time. It can be done in a matter of time at ATMs of respective banks.

Passbook printers are generally dot-matrix or impact printers, which are extensively used to print customer data such as information on money paid or any other recurring details in a prescribed format for record purpose.

Not only for banking services…

These passbook printing kiosk are designed to print front office applications catering to banks, postal department, financial services and public administration and are capable of handling wide variety of printing formats.

As most of the brands are embedded with auto alignment and Automatic Gap Adjustment (AGA) features, passbooks and documents that are re-inserted with variable thickness and in any position can be printed efficiently and quickly.

Unlike other POS machines where thermal technology is used, passbook printers are dot matrix ones with the ribbon life having around 10 million characters and print head life of about 400 Million Characters. This gives long life for the impressions printed on the sheets.

Passbook printers are otherwise known as transactional multifunction printer for front office and financial applications having interfaces – Serial, Parallel and USB.

Top brands…

Some of the top brands offering passbook printers are Epson and TVSE which are known for speed, quality and reliability that banks need for fast throughput and customer satisfaction.

Customer segments where passbook printers are extensively used include: Banks, jewellery stores, manufacturing companies, automobiles and chit funds.

 

Use Colour Label Printers to Colour Your Business

 Colour label printers are inkjet printers which are used in varied industrial environments to print clear images, colour codes and pictograms to highlight relevant information on merchandise or packages or on display racks. These printers are highly useful in retail sector including general grocery stores, super markets, hypermarkets, medical stores, bakery shops, entertainment industry, to name a few.

 

Mostly used as back-store support system for any retail business to print labels, images or barcodes with relevant product information, Colour Label Printers can recreate crystal clear digital images by injecting high speed ink droplets on chemical coated papers.

 

Commonly used in general retailing and entertainment sectors, colour label printers are sturdy, cost effective, less noisy, easy to operate and install and reliable compared to other types of printers.

 

Made to meet customers’ requirements of providing low or high-volume labels with high-mix applications, colour label printers encourage retailers to print multiple variations of colour label in quick intervals, improving productivity and product identification.

 

Colour label printers are available with stunning image resolution and they can print upto four inches per second in 4-colour system. To add value to customers, these printers can also offer more black ink which can improve the colour ranges customers want to reproduce.

 

Colour label printers, contrary to general belief, are cost effective and can improve productivity. One can also set the on-demand printing so that one doesn’t have to keep the inventory of expensive colour labels. On-demand colour labelling technology can save customers up to 50 per cent on labelling costs and enhance work productivity.

 

Customers buying colour labels should check that colour labels are coated with chemicals which are environment friendly and safe for human handling. Always look for GHS-compliant labels, which are safe and environment friendly. Some manufacturers use pigment inks and wide variety of media which are BS certified making it an ideal cost-effective option for GHS market.

 

Always look for colour label printers which can produce clear, crisp, easy-to-read barcodes and text and vibrant graphics which should be fade resistant and long-lasting, and can also be used in extreme weather conditions with quick drying feature. Choose printers which can produce images and printers which are smudges and water-resistant, even on ordinary paper.

 

Now-a-days, colour label printers are coming with high-tech sensors and auto nozzle check system, which can detect clogs and ink droplets and can automatically clean the nozzle quickly so that users get professional quality printed labels in every use.

 

Businesses should select the Colour Label Printers which offer advanced feature. For example, Epson’s latest colour label printer TM-C3510 can be installed easily and offer very low maintenance cost. The printer can support all major software applications, monitor ink levels using an LCD display and multiple network printers.

 

Environment Protection

 

As mentioned earlier, manufacturers are taking protecting environment as prime factor while doling out upgraded and new printers in the market. Colour label printers are not exception to this trend. Inkjet printing technology doesn’t use heating components unlike its thermal counterparts.

 

For example, Epson’s TM-C3510 is energy efficient as it consumes less power during printing and standby mode. Also, the printer is Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant and adheres to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives.

5 Things to Keep in Mind While Buying CCTV Cameras

With increasing crime, round-the-clock remote monitoring has become necessity as policing can’t be possible at all places and time. Closed Circuit TV Cameras have become more of the need than luxury these days. The law enforcement agencies want people to install CCTV surveillance cameras in their houses, apartments and commercial establishments to check crime. Civic bodies too have installed CCTV cameras at several sensitive and crime-prone public places to monitor/prevent unlawful activities.

For retail business houses, it is essential to monitor the premises to curb theft/pilferages, monitor workers or view customer footfalls for better store management. However, one can’t simply visit a store and buy CCTV cameras for his enterprise or home. One needs to analyze several factors before deciding to install cameras. Let’s discuss a few important things to keep in mind before buying a CCTV surveillance system. 

Cheap can be Costly! 

You may tend to settle for low cost cameras as service providers can show you several unbranded CCTV solutions at a very attractive price. While there is nothing wrong in buying things at lowest price, it is also important to check the quality. 

For CCTV too, it is wiser to invest in good quality system which will satisfy your security objectives. It is better to choose a camera which has good resolution in terms of visual and recording and also serve you for the next 3-5 years without any problem. Go for reputed brands like CP Plus, Hikvision, Sony, Zicom, Dahua, etc., which may be little expensive than unbranded (low quality) cameras but will serve you better in terms of life cycle and return on investment. 

Know your Camera Type 

You can select CCTV cameras from the three types available in the market - Analogue, High Definition (HD) and Internet Protocol (IP) cameras. Analogue cameras provide basic low resolution images which are suitable for simple monitoring and detecting people’s movement. These cameras can’t be used to identify faces or specific things. HD cameras are the largely used among all as it offer better resolution than analogue and can provide images suitable to identify faces, numbers and characters. 

These High Definition (HD) cameras, though moderately priced higher than analogue, are ideal for most of the retail enterprises and residential houses. IP cameras offer high quality images using digital technology. These cameras, though costly, can be used to detect theft or crime in highly sensitive areas which house expensive goods or at public places where one need to identify faces and numbers to solve crime. Night vision cameras:

If you need to monitor your workplaces round the clock, it is better to go for night vision cameras which offer very high resolution video footings even at feeble light. Compared to normal day light cameras, these cameras are costly but have immense use for commercial establishments and apartments to check crime and pilferages during night. 

Moving and static cameras 

A camera which can move constantly at 360 degrees can be very useful at times, when wrongdoers may choose blind spots to carry out their illegal activities. Though priced higher than static cameras, it is better to install this rather than shifting cameras from one place to another or zooming in and out. Static cameras are useful to detect theft when it happens within its focal areas, as these cameras are installed to look at a particular direction. But with automatic moving cameras, crime can be detected anywhere as it revolves at 360 degrees. 

 Know what you buy 

When you purchase a CCTV system, check with your vendor whether it comes with recording facility, monitor and warranty, number of cameras, high resolution, night vision, storage power, power cables and adaptors and installation expenses. Make sure that you understand and check all these before signing the purchase agreement. 

Get professional advice

Before you install the cameras, seek professional advice. Ask them to survey your place to understand the surveillance nature and need and ask them to give you a customized security solution which should satisfy your work/house environments.

Payment Infrastructure Market in India Sets for Huge Makeover

 Indian point of sale (POS) terminal market has grown up to worth INR 2.15 billion in 2015 and is poised to reach INR 3.86 billion by 2022 aided by unprecedented demand triggered by government’s move to open millions of bank accounts with ATM/debit/credit card facility, according to an analysis by the leading international research firm, Frost & Sullivan.

 

With government opening up banking sector to rural folks, India’s payment infrastructure is set to witness an explosive growth, and the country, which is presently the 13^th largest plastic economy in the world, has a great potential to scale up the ranking as more retail businesses are being introduced to PoS systems.

 

The study by Frost & Sullivan titled - Analysis of the Indian Point-of-Sale Terminals Market -says that India, with 35% of population presently having bank accounts, will also witness a huge demand for wireless POS terminals owing to less complexity and ease of use.  The wireless PoS terminal market is growing rapidly and will surpass wired terminals by 2022, the study said.

 

The researchers however felt that India’s payment terminal market though growing at a faster pace than its South East Asian peers, its penetration and usage was much less compared to Western counterparts. This is primarily due to a wide gap between the number of plastic cards issued against the number of installed PoS terminals and reluctant to adopt POS terminals by small and medium business establishments.

 

"In order to introduce banks to the huge population in India, private and nationalized banks should play a key role in rapidly expanding their operations across all tiers of cities," felt Aiswarya KG, Frost & Sullivan Electronics and Security Research Analyst, who further added that there should be a concerted effort to create awareness on security of bank accounts and transactions which will change customer sentiment and promote cashless transactions.

 

In India, PoS terminals are widely used in Tier-1 cities while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are catching up gradually. Projects such as Jan Dhan and Micro ATMs are upping the usage of PoS terminals in rural areas.  Also, the recent introduction of chip-plus-pin authentication provides double security advantages for consumers making transactions through cards.

 

The accelerated growth of cashless transactions using credit/debit cards by e-commerce websites are surely going to make a dent on POS terminal market, the report felt, which further added that though card-on-delivery is gaining momentum across major cities, online transactions have gained the lion’s share in the digital transactions.

"Interestingly, more than 80 per cent of retail businesses in India still do not have a PoS terminal as they do transactions through traditional means. With the present government pushing cash-less transactions across the nation, there will be more adaptation for plastic currency, with card issuers, banks and retailers offering value-added services for card holders,” says Nirupama Sridhar, Founder and Director of Payment Connect, a B2B space dealing with POS terminals, barcode scanners, receipt printers, barcode printers, hand-held terminals, to name a few.

How POS Systems Become Easy Target for Data Hackers

 With digitization and cash-less transactions becoming the norm of life for Indian shoppers who invariably use credit or debit cards and UPI/online transactions for buying things through line shopping sites or POS terminals installed at mom-and-pop stores, should be more careful as with every swipe of their cards or voluntary disclosure of personal data, they are putting themselves at great risk of losing hard earned money to the unscrupulous data miners.

Vulnerable POS Terminals

With innumerable number of shopping malls and other retail enterprises storing sensitive personal data such as credit/debit card information in their backyard, data pilferages can be effectively carried out by professional hackers who can plant suitable malware in POS systems if retailers do not have secured and highly effective firewalls to protect such unauthentic external intrusions.

But the reality is worrisome. However strong anti-malware tool one may have, people can still find ways to extract personal data from the POS systems without being caught. According to a recent analysis by a leading American retail software analytical firm, even from top ranking American malls such as Home Depot, Target, Sonic and Whole Foods, to small grocery and brick-and-mortar stores are unsafe and un-secured.

Despite many best practices, POS system breaches continue to worry customers and retailers. The presence of huge debit/credit card data makes POS systems an attractive and profitable place for malware planters and hackers. Retailers need to strengthen their system with the latest technology by fortifying their systems against the possible malware threats.

How to strengthen POS systems

 

The raise of credit card and digital payment has made more retailers discarding traditional cash registers and opt for new, advanced POS system which runs suitable retail POS software and has hardware components such as cash drawers, touch screen monitors, POS receipt printers, barcode scanners, barcode printers, label printers, pole displays, to name a few.

Restaurant, Retail and Hospitality businesses, among retailers, predominantly use retail POS software to execute sales quickly, monitor sales data, cash flow, manage inventory and other related analytical activities.

"Organized gangs are so well equipped that they can easily overrun any restaurant and hospitality point-of-sale system in India. Even the much advanced US retailers are struggling to keep their customer data secure. It is worrisome that we have still not made our POS systems strong enough to thwart any possible attacks by illegal data extractors or malware intrusions," says Karthik Anbarasan, a software analyst who has expertise in retail software business.

POS Becomes an Easy Target

When compared to other cybercrimes, stealing card data from POS systems is the easiest to monetize. Once a POS system is compromised, hackers sell sensible personal data to card shops or any underground forums, informs an analyst from FireEye, a cyber security agency.

 

Hackers, apart from stealing card numbers and PIN, also extract sale transaction details with personal email IDs, names, addresses and zip codes. So, how to protect POS systems from malware attacks?

Attackers need just a small opening to enter and execute their wicked plan. And this small gap, more often than not, is made due to overlooked details, human errors or failure to update the system.

How to Prevent Data Theft

 

So, the onus is on retail businesses to follow all basic protection exercises and protocols such as training employees, updating systems, finding risk factors and closing the vulnerable lose ends to reduce the risks.

Network segmentation is one of the proven ways to limit malware threats, as it separates the business network from the card data storage locale linked to POS systems.

As systems are not connected together, retail businesses can lessen the threat perceptions of losing sensitive customer data.

For customers, they should not use their cards where they feel that the POS terminals are unsecured and also keep changing their PIN as often as possible.

FSS Partners with IBM to Power Digital Solutions for Banks

IBM has announced that Financial Software and Systems (FSS), a global leader in payment technology and transaction processing, has selected IBM's MobileFirst platform to revamp its existing digital banking solutions to ensure it remains the leader in the mobile payment and mobile banking ecosystem in India/APAC regions.

The rapidly growing FSS clientele includes over 100 leading global banks and financial institutions, as well as, some of the world’s largest processors, pre-paid issuers and retailers, including over 35 public and private sector banks in India.

With banks constantly trying to lower their operational costs and transform their bank branches into sales centers, mobility solutions for banking have become crucial while customer stickiness via mobile banking services has become top priority. Increased demand for mobile services from customers has compelled banks to look for solutions that are compatible across mobile operating systems and handheld devices. At the same time, banks expect the solution to future-proof them from the rapid changes in the mobility space and help them scale seamlessly to cater to future demands.

This strategic partnership will result in providing scalable next-gen mobile banking solutions to banks in the APAC region. Together, FSS and IBM will be able to power nearly millions of devices with this next generation payment applications for banks.

IBM's MobileFirst platform integrates the build, test and management phases of payment solutions seamlessly. It enables standardization of processes on a single platform, thereby improving efficiency in addressing time to market needs with agile app development. The platform also offers enhanced security ensuring a fully protected app along with reduced total cost of ownership and business continuity – provided by assured support on future roadmap and development for new OS. It comes with key features like Device Fingerprinting (OS, IMEI Code and System Info) and Mobile Device Management that includes remote de-bugging and software fixes. It also offers Mobile Application Management along with auto upgrades and seamless upgrading of mobile banking and mobile payment features on the move, to deliver a seamless mobility experience for the banks.

“FSS aims to be the best payments technology and transaction processing provider in the world and is continuously investing in cutting-edge technologies to enhance customer experience and introduce innovative products and solutions to meet the evolving needs of its customers. In line with our core values of providing state-of-the-art infrastructure solutions, we are continuously looking for ways to foster innovation to deliver greater value and superior customer experience. Also, our belief in IBM as a trusted technology provider was further strengthened with the unique capabilities of the MobileFirst Platform which will help us provide scalable next-gen mobile banking solutions to banks in the APAC region,” said  Suresh Rajagopalan, President – Software Products, FSS.

IBM’s MobileFirst Platform continues to enable enterprises to accelerate delivery of their mobile strategy with development libraries, capabilities that are designed to facilitate secure integration and a ubiquitous data layer to provide a more engaging user experience. It can help clients achieve greater efficiencies and take advantage of new growth opportunities in untapped markets while securely scaling the number of users and apps being delivered to the market, especially in the financial services sector,” said Naveen Gupta, Asia Pacific Executive –  MobileFirst, IBM.

Xiaomi launches low cost phablets in India

Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi has recently introduced two phablets variants in India. Priced at a competitive price, the 5.5 inch Redmi Note 3G and Redmi Note 4G are targeted to grab the low cost smart phone market in India. While Redmi Note is prices at Rs 8999, 4G-LTE variant of Redmi Note 4G will be sold at Rs. 9,999.

To be available across the country from December 2, like its earlier products – Xiomi Mi 3 and Redmi 1S, the new products too begin its flash sale through leading shopping site with registration beginning on Flipkart from November 25.

The company has not fixed any sales target for Redmi products in the first phase.

Unlike Redmi Note, customers can also get Redmi Note 4G in Airtel stores in six Indian cities from the second half of December. However, they should first register their names to grab their Redmi Note 4G.

Xiaomi officials revealed at the launch event that the company has plans to open more than 100 service centres in India by 2015.

The Chinese phone maker had showcased Redmi Note initially in July at the Mi 3 launch and indicated its likely price.

Having dual-SIM facility with dual standby, Xiaomi Redmi Note is run by 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MTK6592 SoC featuring a Mali-450MP4 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Redmi runs on Android 4.2.2 with MIUI v5 skin on top.

Whereas Redmi Note 4G runs on quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU coupled with 2GB of RAM. A single-SIM device, Redmi Note 4G comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat with the same MIUI v5 skin. Xiaomi said it will provide updates to Android 5 Lollipop to customers in future. 

Redmi Note and Redmi Note 4G has similar specifications. Both have 5.5-inch 720x1280-pixel IPS LCD screens and have 13-MP rear autofocus cameras with LED flashes as well as 5-megapixel front-end cameras for taking selfies.

Both Redmi Note 4G and Redmi Note come with 8GB built-in storage and microSD card slots for expansion. While Redmi Note supports cards up to 32GB, Redmi Note 4G can support an external storage up to 64GB.

Redmi Note models are compatible to GPRS/EDGE, 3G and hotspot functionality, a Micro-USB port with OTG support, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct and A-GPS. Both the devices are supplied with long lasting 3100mAh batteries.

Lenovo Vibe X2 mobile review: A value for money

Lenovo’s Vibe X2 is the Chinese electronics giant’s latest move to get a foothold in the smart phone market. The brand doesn’t enjoy users’ confidence compared to its competitors and badly needs a product to become a mainstream hit. Comes with an affordable price (US $ 400), Lenovo’s Vibe X2 has impressive features. The model has its own UI skin offering enhanced features and customisation options.

Look and feel

First thing first! The phone looks dam smart and slim. The 'multi-layered' design gives the exterior an impression of stacking different coloured layers together, which is unique. The phone is 7.27mm think and weighs 120 grams, which make it ideal for one hand use.

With its flat edges and subtly rounded corners, Vibe X2 looks stunning and sharp. Available in red, white, dark grey and gold colours,   the capacitive touch navigation keys are arranged next to the display offering good touch sensitivity. The super-thin phablet with a brushed metal unibody sports a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) display.  

Software updates

Having customized Android 4.4 KitKat with Lenovo's Vibe UI running on top of it, Vibe X2 is powered by a MediaTek MT6595 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM inner space. 

The phone has built-in six themes each of which has different set of icons, font style, wallpapers, lock screen styles and sounds. The problem is that one can’t download and install new themes but has to customise the existing ones.

The software does not include any available Android apps and everything from Gallery, Calendar, Calculator to Email apps are supplied by Lenovo's software team. Though there is no doubt that the apps look stunningly beautiful with additional value added features, for users, it will take some time to get used to it.

Other smart gestures Lenovo offers include: Double tap the home button to shoot a picture, double tap to unlock, automatic answer call, among others. With the float menu option, one can programme the display to detect thumb impression and launch the menu, a unique functionality provided by Lenavo.

Vibe X2 comes with several built-in apps, which include Security app, Guvera music streaming app, UC Browser, SyncIt, CloneIt and ShareIt apps, Txtr eBooks app, WPS Office, Route 66 navigation and a number of Gameloft games. However, all these can be uninstalled to free storage space.

Cameras

To make it more attractive Lenovo has cameras on both sides. While the rear end has 13MP, front side has 5MP wide angle camera for enhanced selfies. The phone comes with Lenovo's own camera app, which offers settings for all optical attributes, Timer modes, Panorama, HDR, among others. Capable of recording 1080p videos, the phone, however, lacks optical image stabilization resulting in apparent shakes.

Other features

The phone has powerful 2300mAh battery, 4G LTE support compatibility, FM radio, Bluetooth and GPS.  The phone offers good signal reception and call quality apart from locking to GPS without any hiccups. The external speaker outlet on the phone, located at the back, offers good sound output but without stereo effect.

Conclusion

Lenovo Vibe X2 makes for a good buy at this price. On the positive side, the phone looks stunningly good, has quality display and performs decently if you can do with a mediocre camera. 

What is good about Samsung Galaxy Note 4?

The hype created by iPhone’s new 6 and 6 Plus is hardly died down, here comes its competitor Samsung launching its latest big screen phablet ‘Galaxy Note 4’, which is all set to hit the markets across the globe by this month end. Will it overshadow the equally impressive iPhone 6?

Priced at £629, which is just above iPhone’s new series, Note 4 comes in three variants - Frost white, Charcoal Black and Bronze Gold.  The greatest catch for Galaxy Note 4 lies in its striking 5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED display along with more sensitive S Pen stylus, powerful processor and metallic design, which would kick most of its rivals to the edge.

With 1440 x 2550 Quad HD resolution having 515 per inch pixel density, Note 4 runs close to LG G3 and leaves far behind iPhone 6 Plus.

Appearance

Discarding its chrome-covered plastic edges as witnessed in previous Galaxy series, Note 4 has shimmering and sturdy metal chassis with bevelled edges. But the metal frame is prone to scratches and Note 4 did not change its cheap leather cover at its back as in the case of Note 3. The company should have used quality leather like Motorola’s Moto X or just could have used soft plastic cover to match the colour and texture.

For bright and clear images

With any smart phone coming in the market there comes an anticipation of its camera specification and Galaxy Note 4 will clearly outwit other phones in the market with its brighter and clearer images using 16MP Smart OIS rear and 3.7MP front-facing cameras. Samsung claims that the lenses can capture perfect images even in dark background.

Advanced S Pen

The latest S Pen in Galaxy S4 provides users an improvised digital writing experience thanks to its plastic nib which has 2,048 levels of enhanced pressure sensitivity. Compared to Note 2 and 3, S Pen in Note 4 makes drawing, taking screenshots, annotating and jotting down notes, a pleasurable experience.

Software and Performance

Not long ago, Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface was in total mess, but with the launch of Galaxy S5 the company has almost fixed this issue. With Note 4, the software has become simple yet powerful. Compared to Galaxy S5 and Alpha, S Health feature is more powerful with added feature in Note 4. Apart from recording walking, cycling, running, sleep, heart rate and more, the new Note 4 has an added oxygen saturation level monitor to record oxygen level in your blood and UV sensor to read on how harmful the sun is to your body. Both these facilities are placed on the back of the phone adjacent to the camera flash.

Packed with a mammoth 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor having 3GB RAM, the performance is the best among the best. Also, users will be delighted to see apps opening quickly, games super smooth and HD videos run flawlessly. However, fingerprint scanner needs improvement as sometimes it requires repeated swipes to work properly.

More work less charge

Note 4 has long battery life even after long hours of usage. One can charge up to 50 per cent in just 30 minutes. Even after 30 hours, Note 4 would consume only 15% battery charge, so with full charge one can see one through the whole day with average to heavy usage, or can be stretched to even two days of lighter usage. For emergency situation where charging is not possible, users can opt for Ultra Power Saving Mode, which not only turns the screen to grey it will also limit the users to texts, calls and email. With this mode even 10% of charge can see through a full day of light to medium usage.

Coming with the latest multi window functions offering more flexibility, one can use multiple applications at a time on a single screen.  

    

Other features

Note 4 is water proof, light in weight (176g) and thin (8.5mm). With its more added features and facilities compared to its previous three Note phones, Note 4 justifies the steep £629 price tag.

Conclusion

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is one of the best phablets available in the market. Note 4 is far superior than other equivalent brands in the market for its high resolution screen, better OS and design and most importantly the S Pen stylus.

Though iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have undoubtedly swept the mobile markets across the globe, but for people who are particular about good and reliable operating systems with whole of apps and user-friendly software, Galaxy Note 4 will be the best bet.

Is Xperia Z3 the best from Sony? A review

Sony's latest Z-series smartphone Xperia Z3 reached the market only few months after Z2’s release. 

With refined design and few improvements in software, Xperia Z3, which was released along with the Z3 Tablet Compact and smaller Z3 Compact, promises integration with Sony's PlayStation 4 games console. Recently Sony also announced Xperia Z3v, another version of Z3, with similar specs but with remote charging facility, to be sold exclusively by Verizon.

With Z3, Sony has finally unified its various platforms into one that can give run for money for Microsoft or Apple. Xperia Z3 is available in the UK with SIM-free option from around £500 and on monthly contracts from around £35. 

Design

Having glass-covered front and rear sides with aluminium band, Xperia Z3 is smaller, slimmer and lighter than Z2. The rounded edges of Z3 helps to give better grip compared to sharper edges of Z2. The disadvantage of the glass top and bottom is that it can be prone to fingerprints smudges.

Having highest waterproof and dust proof ratings, Sony claims that Z3 can survive in underwater upto 1.5 meters for 30 minutes provided all covers and ports are tightly shut. Users can use the phone to listen to music even in a downpour or take pictures underwater. Combined with aluminium frame and super-slim body, the Android smartphone is the combination of beauty and durability.

Display

Another best thing about Z3 is its display as the IPS panel is dazzling and colors are bright. However, Sony could have capitalized on the screen size (5.2 inch) and resolution as users are limited to just five rows of huge icons. The current resolution of Z3 has been fixed as 1080x1920.  Thanks to IPS technology, the smartphone offers super sharp images and accurate colours in any angle.

Sound

Z3 is packed with Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX) technology that lets listeners upscale the low-res music to high-res quality. It restores and refines compressed MP3 and AAC files, giving powerful and full-range audio output. The High-Res Audio allows less distortion and noise at a wide range of frequency reproducing sound with amazing detail. Xperia Z3 also embedded with built-in Digital Noise Cancelling technology, which reduces exterior sound by up to 98 per cent when combined with the MDR-NC31EM headsets.

Software features

Like Z2, Xperia Z3 too runs in Android KitKat but in 4.4.4 version instead of 4.4.2. Sony has set right some bugs in the earlier version and so software-wise, there is no difference between Z2 and Z3.

Featuring fast web browsing, super fluid UI and impressive multi-tasking, Sony has made Android with the powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a built-in LTE/4G modem.

Apart from having built-in themes and floating apps, Sony includes Sony Select, an app curator, Lifelog, a health tracker and PlayStation, which allows users to play PS4 games anywhere in the house. Also, Z3 is the first smartphone to make users stream PS4 games into it, which is an added incentive, especially when others in the house take their turn to play on television screen. Other specs are 3GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB internal storage, dual band Wi-Fi, NFC connectivity and Bluetooth 4.0.

Camera

The Xperia Z3 comes with the camera of same 20.7-megapixel found in Z1 and Z2 but with few changes. The ISO sensitivity has been fixed at 12,800 with wider lens for better image stability. Like Z2, Z3 can capture 4K video. But despite having 20.7 MP camera Sony produces pictures around 8 MP, which is quite disappointing.

Battery life 

Claims to have provided ground breaking two-day battery life, Sony says that the battery in Z3 can last for two days for the benefit of people who travel a lot and don’t have charging facility. The extended mode gives users another 14 per cent extra battery life. The Extra Stamina mode extends the battery life to almost a week by keeping only essential functions on while disabling other unwanted functions and apps.

Conclusion

Though Sony Xperia Z3 doesn't have a path-breaking design, some of the good things about the smartphone are its efficient battery, brilliant display, waterproof feature, improved sound quality and PS4 game compatibility. The bad things are limited and big icons, problems in autofocus and low picture output. Sony should have waited and produced more powerful device to outwit its competitors.

Apple brings in SIM enabled iPad Air 2

Buying a SIM for your new mobile phone will become a passe soon and if one goes by the latest news from Apple’s stable, the new ‘iPad Air 2’ has come embedded with SIM, which, according to mobile network analysts, will trigger a price war among mobile operators across the globe.

Apple SIM will give the owners more freedom to choose the network and exit whenever they find a cheaper and reliable option.

The 4G-compatible iPad Air 2 has come with software-based SIM card, which nullifies the need for the multi-numbered plastic cards provided by mobile network operators to take control of their services.

With the new Apple SIM, users in the US and UK can sign up directly from the devices for services from any operators and can use the same number in different nations with different service providers.

“The Apple SIM gives users freedom to select any short-term plans from selected carriers in the UK and US from their iPad,” Apple said on its website.

The SIM provides subscribers’ unique IDs and carry out the encrypted authentication number to the network of that identity.

In the UK and US most of the phones sold are locked to a particular network, hence customers have to stick to a particular service provider even though they want to end their contract early. The software-based SIM by Apple may end the phone locking practice.

Owners with new iPad Air 2 can choose short term data plans with any mobile phone provider and shift to others when needed, which means a long contract is going to go soon.

Presently, a few mobile phone operators have recognised Apple’s new technology, which includes EE from the UK and AT&T, Sprint and T-mobile from the US.

The new SIM technology could give more freedom for customers allowing them to switch networks on-the-go, if they find a network with better service at lower cost.a