6 ways to improve laptop's battery life

Working on the go and your laptop has run out of life? This problem plagues most laptops as they tend to lose their battery capacity over time. But worry not, as there are several ways to improve laptops' battery life without too much trouble.

So, here are 6 ways to improve your laptop's battery life.

Display

Similar to phones, laptop screen is also a power guzzler. Keep the brightness as low as possible. Also, if you also have keyboard backlighting, turn it off.

External devices

Any external device plugged in the USB port constantly draws power from your laptop. Removing them after use conserves battery.

Overheating

Overheating leads to the internal fans to run faster - which in turn consume more battery. Use a laptop cooler to keep the temperature at bay.

Hibernate

Instead of putting your computer on standby, choose to hibernate - it saves the state of your computer and shuts down the computer and saves battery.

Windows power plans

Laptops running windows have built-in power plan settings. You can choose various items such as display brightness, when to turn off the display/hard-drives and USB power. Use these to improve your laptop battery life.

BatteryCase

This application records the battery discharge cycle and also shows a detailed battery status including consumption, manufacturer, wear level etc. It also shows CPU and hard drive temperature to indicate any overheating.

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Lenovo YOGA Tablet 10 Review

After establishing an impressive reputation for itself in the global market with conventional notebooks and tablets, Lenovo has taken a fresh leap into Android tablet segment and has launched new tablet the Yoga Tablet 10. 

Much like other Yoga devices in Lenovo's line-up, the Yoga Tablet 10 features multimode design and can be used in different 'modes'. The Chinese giant has been touting the Yoga tablets as the company's biggest launch of the year. 

But can the combination of decent hardware, revamped tablet design with sleek form factor make this the turnaround vehicle for Lenovo's tablet segment in India? Let's try to find out in this review.

Design/ Build

As far as looks go, Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 10 is a complete departure from the tablet norm and features a cylindrical end design at one end, which is reminiscent of a folded magazine, while the other end has a sleek profile. The company has been promoting the Yoga tablet's cylindrical design as being more user-friendly when compared to other conventional tablets. 

While using the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10, we experienced that the cylindrical design at one end made it easy to grab and move the tablet around. Further, while using the tablet in portrait mode, the Yoga Tablet 10's cylindrical design was more comfortable to hang on to with the left hand, for example for when reading eBooks or for browsing on the tablet. It took some time to get used to the tablet's cylindrical end, though after that period it was quite easy to use the 10-inch tablet with one hand, at times.

However, the tablet does feel a tad heavy at the bottom when using the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 in landscape mode and after a point of time; it doesn't balance well in the hands. At around 600 grams, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 is heavy when compared to some 10-inch counterparts.

The Chinese major is touting Yoga Tablet 10's multimode design, offering three modes to work - hold, tilt and stand. The tablet's cylindrical end shape is responsible for these modes.

First is the stand mode which enables doubling up as a hinged stand that can be folded back at the back of the tablet. Second is tilt mode, which refers to placing the tablet on a surface with the cylindrical end offering a tilt shape for users to work. The last is the hold mode, which apparently means holding the tablet by the rounded end. We must confess that we used all the three modes of the tablet, and were impressed with the modes. 

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 includes both the aluminium and plastic material in build. The company has smartly used the aluminium on the hinge stand and also at the edges giving tablet a premium look; although in another places the Yoga Tablet 10 is built of plastic material. The rear panel of Yoga Tablet 10 features textured plastic material which doesn't help much in gripping the tablet. 

Another interesting feature of the Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 10 design was the power button, which has been built-in the cylindrical end of the tablet at one end, while the other end houses the 3.5mm audio jack. There was no problem in hitting the power button, sometimes even when not looking at the tablet, thanks to the placement. The top of the tablet houses the Micro-USB charging port, while the volume rocker buttons are placed at the bottom, when using the tablet in portrait mode. 

Display

Lenovo may have spent a lot in terms of R&D for the new Android Yoga Tablet 10 but unfortunately, much of that effort goes in vain due to the display of the tablet. When we first time switched on the tablet, the 10-inch display was a let-down.

At 1280x800 pixels resolution, the Yoga Tablet 10 display offers a pixel density of just 149ppi. The resolution and pixel density of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 is far lower than some of its 10-inch tablet competitors such as the year-old Nexus 10 that offers a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels or the Apple's new iPad Air which offers 2048x1536 pixels. However, the prices of both the Nexus 10 and iPad Air are way above the price of Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 10. There is no doubt that Lenovo has chosen to compromise the screen of the Yoga Tablet 10 to bring down the price.

Camera

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 sports dual cameras --- a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera. At the back of the Yoga Tablet 10, one can find the 5-megapixel rear camera embedded on the cylindrical end, which at times gets accidentally covered while clicking images.

In our testing of the Yoga tablet's rear camera in outdoor, dim and indoor environments, we found that picture quality was average. The clicked images were a bit washed out and grainy at edges. They were nowhere near to a smartphone picture quality. The Yoga Tablet 10's camera disappoints while clicking low-light shots, which had a lot of noise.

Users can choose from a host of camera settings on the Yoga Tablet 10, like face detection, self timer, ISO, exposure, colour effects, scene mode and white balance. It also offers a burst mode, letting users click to 99 shots at once; users just need to long-press the camera soft key on the display to take burst shot.

Software/ Interface

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 runs Android 4.2.2, which seemed to be the OS of choice in Android based tablets in the country until few months. However, Lenovo may soon roll out the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for the Yoga tablet. The company might even think of skipping the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update and may directly release the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Yoga tablet.

Talking about the Yoga Tablet 10's interface, Lenovo has given it a complete overhaul, which seems more inspired by Apple's iPad tablet interface. Initially, there were three homescreen panes filled with apps. It can include up to seven homescreens.

After spending some time with the Yoga Tablet 10, we realised that Lenovo has removed the main menu which houses various apps and widgets in Android tablets. To find apps when required is a struggling task due to lack of menu view and at times had to use Google to search for pre-installed or downloaded apps on the tablet. Thankfully, the new downloaded apps on the homescreen panels sport a 'New' tag until someone opens the app for the first time.

Next thing we noticed in the Yoga Tablet 10 was the oversized app icons, which looked blurred. In an attempt to fix the issue by reducing the app icon size but couldn't find a way to change it. When download the Temple Run and Temple Run 2 on the Yoga Tablet 10, instead of showing the full name of the later app, it only showed Temple Run for both the apps. Further, Lenovo has completely skinned UI elements of the operating system on the Yoga Tablet 10. The tablet offers four themes that come with different icon set.

Performance/ Battery Life

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 is powered by a quad-core MediaTek chipset (MT8389) clocked at 1.2GHz along with 1GB of RAM. There is 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable up to 64GB with the help of microSD card.

Without any doubts, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10's specifications sound quite acceptable on paper. But unfortunately, the same is not the case in real life performance. The tablet was lagging in launching some apps although the lag is not that consistent but considering that a quad-core processor backs the Yoga tablet, it is quiet disappointing. 

However, the biggest compromise for playing games for longer periods on any device, a tablet or a smartphone, is the battery backup. But thankfully, the company has equipped the Yoga Tablet 10 with huge 9000mAh battery and that delivers. Overall, we got an acceptable gaming experience.

The Yoga Tablet 10 was able to play all popular formats including MKV, MP4, MOV and AVI. Also, the tablet played full-HD videos with minimal fuss.

The Verdict

There is no doubt that Lenovo has put in a lot of thought in the whole design of the tablet, making it stand out from the routine crowd. Additionally, it's worth pointing out that Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 10 multimode feature includes those modes, which generally require a separate cover or a stand for a tablet. While it does live up to what Lenovo's Yoga line-up is known for (multimode design), a better chipset and a higher-resolution display could have helped the cause.

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 delivers in some departments but disappoints completely in others. And while everything generally worked well on it, we did experience the odd lag, making us wonder whether the MediaTek's quad-core processor was a good choice by the company. Another deal breaker is the Yoga Tablet 10's display, being a 10-inch device with a display sporting lower screen resolution looked awful. The company has made changes to the UI of the tablet, but that too does not help much in the overall experience. Further, the tablet sports dual front loudspeakers but the sound experience was not that great.

At Rs. 28,999 for the 16GB and Wi-Fi + 3G edition of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 is priced decently. Those looking for alternatives can look for the Apple iPad 2, which is a dated device but offers a better package. 

Now, the Pros and Cons of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10:  

Pros

• New (refreshed) tablet design
• Battery life outstanding
• Multimode design helpful at times

Cons

• Disappointing camera
• Average speaker performance
• Low-resolution display

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FIFA 14 Review

The next generation of gaming is here and with it, the world’s most popular sports franchise has a whole new version available for the PlayStation 4 gaming system. With FIFA 14, a whole new chapter has come up.

The new installation, however, doesn't bring much in the way of new features. So what has changed? What can you expect? Take a look.

For the last few years, the franchise has been on top of the chart due to realism, detail and gameplay. While the closest competitor, the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise, comes close due to the detail it gives to every aspect of the game, overall, FIFA has reigned supreme. This new edition has vastly upgraded graphics, a new physics engine, living world’s environments, a new precision movement system and much more.

Those long-used run-and-gun attacks up the centre of the pitch so beloved by FIFA players are met here with a steely wall of defence and a disheartening counterattack. This is a slower, more considered take on football that rewards careful build-up play.

EA has definitely put a lot of effort in making the gameplay feel more real. This has been a constant part of FIFA’s overall development over the past few years. The major difference that we could pinpoint between this franchise and Konami’s PES series is the delicate balance it maintains to keep each match grounded in realism. PES, on the other hand, has always been bogged down by slightly unrealistic gameplay. The team line-up is as expansive as ever, with even the lowest divisions being clearly detailed. Realism in terms of player details seems to range, though. While some players come with accurate facial builds, others seem to be slightly off the mark. 

Graphics

To truly be appreciated and enjoyed, the camera must be changed from the default setting to “Dynamic” or at the very least, put at an angle where the players are seen for all their glory. Clearly, the graphics of the player models are fluid, dynamic and realistic. The graphics have a sharpness that simply did not exist on the prior generation and the crowd moves fluidly to provide an authentic FIFA experience.

FIFA 14 on the new consoles features a new default camera that is angled lower and closer to the pitch to bring new 3D crowds life. The crowd is now a part of the action. Larger stadiums in the game will also feature stadium exteriors and broadcast-inspired stadium fly-overs to add more depth to the match-day experience.

FIFA 14 isn’t earth shatteringly different from the earlier installments. The tweaks in the latest installment, though, come out when you get down to playing a match. Every detail has been worked on from how the player runs, jumps, makes a pass or even the stance that individual players take on the field. 

The EA SPORTS IGNITE engine allows for greater graphical fidelity. New cloth technology ensures player kits look and react to movement just as they do in the real world. Particles of grass and dirt, and even splashes of water will be visible during matches. All of the enhanced detail helps each match tell a compelling story, on and off the pitch.

Audio

FIFA has the best audio in the sports gaming industry and that holds true in the PS4′s edition of FIFA 14. The soundtrack is impressive, but not anything new from the previous generation. The commentary is absolutely outstanding and relevant during all facets of a match, while the crowd genuinely reacts at the right time, as opposed to a collective sigh whenever there’s a strike at the goal. While the audio actually sounds about the same as it does on the previous generation’s version of this game, which does not mean it is anything other than spectacular.

Gameplay

With all of the changes brought about by the EA Sports Ignite engine, there is a lot for FIFA players to adjust to while playing the game. Even on easier modes, no longer will players just blow by unsuspecting defenders to get a 1:1 opportunity against the keeper. No longer, thanks to the improved A.I., will players simply run a formulaic triangle pass play with a through ball to create an uncontested opportunity. The game truly has changed, perhaps to the chagrin of players that enjoy a more casual “football” experience, but to the point where experienced players will totally appreciate all the subtleties that add up to big changes. The gameplay of FIFA 14 on PS4 is excellent, and while gamers might feel that this new generation is a tad on the difficult side and requires a fair amount of mental and physical re-calibration to master, it’s well worth the effort as the gameplay experience has certainly be elevated.

Pro Instincts

Players make decisions four times faster than on previous consoles. Decision-making is now based on multiple frames per second, resulting in players that are more aware of their surroundings and react accordingly. Depending on the situation, an attacking player may check his run, back into a defender or brace for an incoming tackle. During a sprint, a player may feint or leap over a sliding defender while still maintaining possession of the ball. Defenders will recognize more opportunities to support and pressure the opposition to help create balance.

Precision Movement

In FIFA 14, gameplay is built around True Player Motion and delivers a whole new feel in the game. Players will have unique step animations instead of blended run cycles, which mean that every step counts. Foot slides have been eliminated and players will use true bio-mechanics to shift their weight from one leg to the other as they run. This dramatically changes the feel, look and realism within the game as players will be more grounded as they move across the pitch.

Players will gradually gain or lose speed as they run but will still have a burst of speed available. Using it incorrectly or relying on it too much may prove costly. Momentum is preserved while sprinting, so there’s a balance to ensure each match still feels authentic. And more player personality will be visible in the way each player moves around the pitch.

Overall Impression

FIFA 14 on PlayStation 4 delivers the goods and fulfils the tremendous expectations set upon it by the gaming public. The game actually feels next generation with the new physics, graphics and artificial intelligence. It also plays markedly different than the same title plays on a PS3, and for the better, assuming gamers are long-time fans of the franchise. While there are certainly going to be a lot of growing pains for experienced gamers to basically make dramatic adjustments in hand-eye coordination as well as in-game strategy, FIFA 14 will deliver hundreds of hours of entertainment.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Official Update

The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update has been rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones all around, and the Asian devices too are receiving the updates now. It’s an OTA update, thus you won’t really need to do anything except for connecting to the internet and waiting till there is an official update notification popping up on the screen.

Still, if you wanted to do it from your own side, go to Settings > About > Software update and wait for the phone to connect to the servers and check for the update. Once available, you might be able to download the update file and update the OS version the Android 4.3, the latest one currently.

Samsung has started rolling out the updates, unsurprisingly to the Samsung Galaxy S4 device, with the Android 4.3 being sent to the devices over the air, and this is no surprise because earlier although we mentioned Samsung might be sending the updates to the S4 and S3, after Samsung promised this during the Note 3 event, and the Galaxy S4 would be one of the devices receiving the KitKat update later on.

There are not a lot of changes in the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update, and these are mostly the internal changes where the user won’t be able to notice much of the changes to the interface. A few changes are as listed below:

•           Bluetooth 4.0 low energy support

•           Restricted profiles

•           OpenGL ES 3.0 support

•           Support for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch

•           Samsung Knox Implementation

•           Better RAM management

•           Better Launcher for TouchWiz UI (although there isn’t any big change)

•           New Firmware for the Camera app

•           New Samsung keyboard and Reading Mode

There are a few changes to the browser too, and apart from that the different bugs in the previous versions are fixed in this update. Samsung has been sending the updates to the Snapdragon version but it’s for sure that Samsung won’t be skipping the update for that International version of S4.

To update your Samsung Galaxy S4 to the latest version via the OTA option, you need to go to Settings > About > Software Update where the update should be available soon, and you can install the update directly from there by connecting via Wi-Fi. 

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How to Update HTC One S with Kit Kat 4.4 Android Firmware

This is for all the users who want to update their HTC One S with the latest version of Kit Kat 4.4 Android firmware. Now you can update it with the help of custom ROM firmware. Though, there is no ETA on by when there will be official update of Kit Kat 4.4 for HTC One S, till the time the update arrives officially, you can apply this update.

Features of Kit Kat 4.4:

•  CM based

•  Lockscreen background options (Color fill, Custom image, Transparent)

•  Customizable Lockscreen text color

•  Lock screen rotation

•  Option to enable all widgets

•  Minimize lockscreen challange

•  Use widget carousel

•  Slider Shortcuts

•  Static Lockscreen shortcuts

•  Lockscreen button actions

•  LCD Density

•  Scroll elasticity options

•  Default App grip option

•  Custom Carrier label

•  Dual Pane options

•  Customizable boot animation (off, default, set your own boot animation)

•  Custom original BeanStalk Wallpapers by skyliner33v

•  Custom BeanStalk boot animation by skyliner33v

•  Status bar color and transparency

•  Clock and date options which includes color, location, style

•  Signal Styles which include color and text instead of icons, hide signal icons

•  Breathing SMS option

•  Battery styles – Includes specific colors and styles. Also includes battery bar

•  Do not disturb option

•  Show notification count

Quick Pre Requisites:

• You should take a backup of all the data in your device. To do so, you can use the below mentioned apps:

SMS – Use “SMS Backup & Restore app”,

Contacts – Sync with the Gmail application,

Call Log - Call Log and Restore

Images, Songs, Videos, Files – Copy to internal / External SD Card,

APN and MMS Settings – Note down from the path “Applications > Settings > Wireless and  Network > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names”

• Enable the USB Debugging Mode in your computer from the path “Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging”. This step is very important so as to provide the access to the core system files.

• Also, the minimum battery life should be a minimum of 40% or else there is a risk of device getting turned off in the middle of firmware update.

• Since this is the custom ROM firmware, make sure that your device is rooted. To check whether your HTC One S is rooted or not, check the same from the “Root Checker” app.

Disclaimer: We should not be held responsible or liable in any manner for any damage caused to the device due to not following instructions. Make sure that your current firmware version is XXUGMJ9 only and not any other version.

Procedure to Update HTC One S with Jellybean 4.3 Android OS:

• Download Jellybean 4.3 Android OS Package from here to your computer. Once downloaded, you need to connect your HTC One S to the computer with the help of original USB cable.

• Place the zip file in your device by connecting your device to the computer using original USB cable.

• Download the “ROM Manager” app from Google Play Store and install the recovery image in your device. Now, enter the device in the recovery mode by selecting the appropriate option in the ROM Manager app.

• From recovery mode, you need to select “install zip from sd card” to choose the placed firmware zip file in your device. Once the update package is selected, it will take around 4 -5 minutes for applying the update.

• Once the device is updated with the latest firmware, all you need to do is to check whether the update is applied or not from the Settings Section where it will show the current firmware as Jellybean 4.4 Android OS.

Note: If the device gets into the boot loop sequence or say gets stuck in the welcome screen, just long press power button to restart the device and re follow the above instructions so as to again follow the above mentioned instructions.

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