You can't blame anyone for the blurry or poorly framed selfies that you often capture because you might be scrubbing your thumb fishing for a virtual shutter button as the moment passes you by. For better selfies, consider some of these gadgets.

1. Halo/Hisy ($25, roughly Rs. 1,547)
This one is really simple. The Halo is a small plastic button that serves as a wireless shutter trigger for your phone's camera. Its only job is to trigger your phone's shutter when you click the button. One function, one result.The company makes an iPhone version called Hisy. You need to install its free camera app, Shutter Panorama, as neither Halo nor Hisy works with the regular camera app that comes with the phone.

Shutter Panorama doesn't have too many manual settings or special features. But the device does a good job in allowing me to place my phone in places other than your hand. It's more elegant than setting the camera's timer and running to get in the shot.

2. Kodak Pixpro SL25 ($300, roughly Rs. 18,500)
The Pixpro SL25 from Kodak is essentially a camera lens that mounts onto your phone, allowing for higher resolution than what your phone's camera can capture. The Pixpro communicates with your phone over Wi-Fi and lets you compose the image on the phone's screen. Once the photos are snapped using the shutter button on the Pixpro, the phone serves primarily to review and share the images to social media services.

The downside is you have a second device to carry around, which defeats the purpose of taking selfies on the fly.

The upside is image quality. The Pixpro shoots sharp 16 megapixel photos and full high-definition video at 1080p. This quality is common for rear cameras, but not the front ones for selfies. As a bonus, the Pixpro offers a zoom of up to 25 times, which is more helpful for regular shots than selfies. It's a real, optical zoom, not a software magnification phones typically use.The Pixpro has fold-out arms to attach to the phone, such that the two devices act as one. That, in itself, isn't different from using just the phone for selfies.

It has a wide-angle lens that fits plenty of action into the frame.

3. Satechi Smart Selfie Extension Arm Monopod ($50, roughly Rs. 3,100)
This telescoping monopod from Satechi helps get more than just yourself in the frame. Similar to the Kodak unit, this monopod has spring-loaded rubber pieces that grip the phone on its sides, holding it firmly in place. From there, you simply extend the telescoping device out to its full three feet and get lots of buddies or surroundings into the shot.What really helps is that a shutter button on the grip of the pole connects to your phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to snap the selfie without reaching up to the phone. 

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Processors are slower, yet that's not so noticeable for basic tasks such as email,Facebook and weather checks. Video and audio are also enjoyable.

Because you spend so much time with your phone, there's a case for having the best. But those come with a price tag starting at about $650.

So consider how you use your phone and what features will remain most important to you over the next year or two. Before you drain your wallet, here are three solid phones that cover the basics:

ZTE Nubia 5S Mini (Android, Rs.15399)
The Nubia is a slim, light device with a 4.7-inch screen - the same as the iPhone 6. It looks sleek and is comfortable to hold. What's the catch?

The Nubia's display measures 1,280 pixels by 720 pixels, well short of what you get on the latest iPhones and top-end Samsung Galaxy devices. That resolution is adequate for 720p high-definition video, not the sharper 1020p. The camera is OK for taking everyday shots; pricier models deliver better focus and colors and take nicer low-light photos with the flash off.

However, the front camera for selfies is 5 megapixels, better than the typical phone. (The rear camera takes 13 megapixel shots, which is common.) And it comes with 4G connectivity and 16 gigabytes of memory.

Motorola Moto G (Android,Rs. 11162)
Motorola has a $129 Moto E phone, and you get a good device at that price. But I've found photos to be subpar, especially because the camera has a fixed-focus lens, meaning it doesn't compensate for how far away your subject is. Given how much people use the camera on their phones, I recommend spending another $50 for the

The latest Moto G model has a large 5-inch screen that is covered with Corning's Gorilla Glass for durability, something more common in pricier phones. The Moto G's back is curved, which could contribute to a better grip. Like the Nubia, its display is 1,280 pixels by 720 pixels.

The rear camera is 8 megapixels, the same as the iPhone, though shots weren't as good. The front camera is 2 megapixels.

The Moto G's main shortcoming is the lack of 4G LTE cellular connectivity. You're stuck with the slower 3G network. LTE is available for last year's Moto G model, but that screen is only 4.5 inches and the camera's resolution isn't as good. The Moto G also starts with just 8 gigabytes of memory, when many smartphones are starting to offer 32 gigabytes.

Microsoft Lumia 635 (Windows, roughly Rs. 9,500))

This 4.5-inch device doesn't feel as sleek as top-end Lumia phones such as the Icon and the 1520. But it's better than the $79 Lumia 530, which feels like a bar of soap, given its bulk and smaller screen. It's worth getting the 635 instead, especially as some carriers and retailers are offering substantial discounts to bring its price close to the 530's.

The Lumia 635 has a 5 megapixel rear camera, no flash and no front camera. It performed better than the Nubia and the Moto G in low light. Just don't expect shots to match what the 20-megapixel Icon produces. The display resolution is lower than on the Nubia and the Moto G, and the built-in storage is again just 8 gigabytes.But the 635 does have 4G connectivity.

So for those with a tight budget, think again before you get your hands into the costlier smartphones.

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People keep forgetting their passwords all the time, but if there's one kind of password that no one bothers to remember it has to be the Wi-Fi password.Before you head down that path, here are a few tips to recover your saved Wi-Fi passwords.That is illegal and could land you into far more serious trouble than you probably realise. These steps are only for recovering your own Wi-Fi password, and are impossible if you haven't already got access to the network on one of your devices. If you have forgotten the password of your Wi-Fi network, follow these steps to recover it.








Windows

While you might come across several apps that claim to let you recover saved Wi-Fi passwords, you don't need any of those on Windows PCs. Even if you don't have administrator access on your PC, you can look up the Wi-Fi password by following these steps. Note that this method only works when the security is set to Personal - if you're connected to an Enterprise network, such as your office Wi-Fi, then this method will not show the password.

1. Using a PC that is connected to the Wi-Fi network in question, go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Centre. On Windows 8 computers, you can tapWindows key + C, click Search and look for Network and Sharing Center.

2. Click Change adapter settings on the left sidebar.

3. Right-click the Wi-Fi network you're using and click on Status.

4. Click Wireless properties.

5. Click the Security tab.

6. Now you will see the name of the Wi-Fi network and the hidden password. CheckShow characters to reveal the saved password.

Mac

You can find saved Wi-Fi passwords through the Keychain Access app on the Mac. Here's how.

1. Go to /Applications/Utilities.

2. Open Keychain Access. Go to the System keychain listed under the Keychains on the top left.

3. Search for the Wi-Fi network you are trying to find the password for, by typing the name of the network (SSID) in the search box in the top right corner, or by manually finding it in the list.

4. Double-click the name of the network and in the resultant box, check the Show password option.

4. Enter the user account password when prompted and you'll be shown the saved Wi-Fi password in clear-text.

Via the router
In case you don't have a Windows or Mac computer that has the Wi-Fi credentials saved, or if you're trying to do this with your phone or tablet, you can still try to find the saved Wi-Fi password through the router. Obviously this will only work if you're connected to the router's network - remember you can connect to the router with an Ethernet cable as well. Tablets and mobile phones can't proceed further unless they are already connected to the Wi-Fi network.

The steps will vary slightly with each router. Changing the wrong settings here may mess up the wireless network for everyone, so proceed at your own risk.

1. First, open your browser and go to the router's local address - this is usually http://192.168.1.1 - but the URL varies depending on the make of the router, so check the manual (or the official website) to find the correct address.

2. Enter the username and password. Again, this will vary by manufacturer, and you can and should change the passwords as well. By default though, on both MTNL and Airtel provided routers, both the username and password are "admin" without the quotes (other routers often have "password" without quotes as the default password) . You'll have to check with the router manufacturer or ISP if this combinations don't work.

3. Click Internet and then click Wireless. In some routers the Wireless option may be visible on the main screen.In this section you'll see the security type (WEP, WPA, etc.) and the key. Some routers may have these options under a Security tab.

The box next to the key field contains the password for the Wi-Fi network. On many routers this is in plain text, so you can just note it down.

If all these fail..
You might have to reset the router if nothing else works. Don't do this unless you just can't connect to the network using any device. Resetting the router is an extreme step and you will have to reconfigure the network to restore your Internet connection. Unless you know how to do that, we suggest that you contact your ISP for help in this process.

We cant give you  the step-by-step guide for this because it varies quite a bit depending on the make of the router. You must check the user manual for your router before attempting this. Each router has a reset switch. Some routers have a tiny button, while other routers have this button hidden in a tiny hole (that you can hit using a paper clip). This switch needs to be pressed for a few seconds for the router to reset. Flashing lights on the router will tell you that it has been reset. Once that is done, wait for it to reboot and reconfigure the network. The exact steps for this process will also vary depending on your ISP, which is why we recommend contacting your ISP if you need to reset your wireless router, unless you know exactly what you are doing.

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Toyota’s Mirai will be the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell car 

The Toyota Mirai is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, one of the first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to be sold commercially. The Mirai is based on the Toyota FCV fuel cell concept car, which was unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The FCV range is expected to be approximately 700 km (430 mi) under Japan's JC08 test cycle.

The name Mirai is especially apt when you consider the hydrogen powertrain takes just five minutes to fill, emits no exhaust besides water vapor, and can even siphon energy into an owner’s home with the Optional Power Take-Off device.

As far as driving experience goes, the Mirai shouldn’t differ drastically from a normal electric vehicle. The sedan is a tad on the portly side at 4078 pounds, but its maximum output of 153 horsepower allows it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in around 9 seconds.

Like the Prius, the Mirai is not an overtly beautiful creature (yes, that’s some understatement) but it was styled quite deliberately to break the mold. 

Furthermore, because the hydrogen components are mounted close to the ground, the FCV has a low center of gravity, which lends itself to spry handling.

But for now, the Mirai is the future — literally: the name means “future” in Japanese — and Toyota hopes that it will follow in the treads of the successful Prius (whose name means “predecessor” in Latin, incidentally). And this so-called future will become the present starting in the third quarter of 2015.

 The Mirai, and hydrogen vehicles in general, are on the proverbial razor’s edge. If they’re a huge success, the world as we know it will undoubtedly change. If they turn out to be a dud, it was a lot of money research, and hubbub about nothing. Realistically, I find that to be unlikely.

The ‘future’ goes on sale in California in fall 2015.

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Windows 8 brings significant advantages to those who are upgrading existing PCs or purchasing new ones, thanks to features that better take advantage of the new OS's capabilities. The operating system offers improvements in performance, existing capabilities, and is cheaper.

I should mention, however, that there are some cases in which you probably shouldn't make the move. The OS has a new look and requires some adjustment in the way you interact with your PC. If you don't like change or learning new ways of doing things—even if in the long run they turn out to be more efficient—you should probably stick with what you're using. Also, if your PC's specs are extremely outdated—less than 1GHz processor or less than 1GB RAM in particular—you won't be able to upgrade. And obviously, if your PC is for work use, your employer may not allow the upgrade. If these issue don't apply, read on.

                                 Windows 8 : New Start Background

"Tattoos" let you customize your Windows 8 Start screen with artistic backgrounds.

                                                    Windows 8 - SkyDrive

SkyDrive is your Windows cloud storage. Apps can be programmed to access the online storage with your permission.

 
1. Faster startup. On my testscomparing Windows 8 performancewith that of Windows 7 on the same computer, Windows 8 started up more than twice as fast as Windows 7. In a comparison with Mac OS X Mountain Lion, running in Boot Camp on a MacBook, Windows 8 even started up faster than Apple's latest desktop operating system. And it's not just startup time: Windows 8 ran several benchmark performance tests quicker than either Windows 7 or Mountain Lion. Microsoft has clearly put work into improving performance in Windows 8.

                                                            Windows 8 - Store

The Windows Store now features apps for purchase, with prices ranging from $1.49 to $999. Like the Mac App Store, it lets you reinstall apps you've bought on any of your PCs and oversees app updating.

2. A whole new world of apps. Windows 8 gives PC users a whole new world of full-screen, touch-friendly, Web-connected apps to explore. And these new apps can even display relevant information on their Windows Start screen tiles, something impossible in Windows 7 or just about any other operating system around, save Windows Phone. The new Windows Store—analogous to Apple's iTunes App Store—makes discovering and installing these new-style apps a breeze. The update process is simple, and you can install purchased apps on multiple Windows 8 devices without paying again, provided you're signed in. Finally, uninstalling the apps is streamlined by the Store, with no Registry complications as in past Windows versions' apps.

                                                  Windows 8 - SkyDrive

SkyDrive is your Windows cloud storage. Apps can be programmed to access the online storage with your permission.

3. SkyDrive integration. Microsoft's cloud service has become way, way more than just online storage. Sure, it still lets you save and access files to an online space that's accessible from a Web browser or apps that run on not only Windows, but also Mac OS X, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. But with Windows 8, SkyDrive is accessible to any app that wants to use it, just as though it were a local drive. It also backs up your PC's settings, letting you replicate your environment should you get a new PC.

4. Better Security, Less-intrusive updates.  PC Magazine networking and security analyst Fahmida Rashid considers Windows 8 "the most secureversion of Windows yet." This stems from a couple of things, starting with Secure Boot. ExtremeTech's Sebastian Anthony explains secure bootsuccinctly as follows: "Windows 8 stops a computer from loading an operating system that hasn’t been signed by the publisher (in this case, Microsoft or an OEM)." Another security gain is that all apps in the Windows Store are scrutinized for security issues.  Finally, Windows 8's default Web browser, Internet Explorer 10, was rated best in a recent test by NSS Labs, detecting and blocking over 99 percent of malicious downloads without any help from a third-party antivirus program. This compared with 70.4 percent for Google Chrome, which uses the same Safe Browsing API as Firefox. Opera and Safari only managed to block about 4 percent of the malicious downloads.

5. First-class touch input, but still fine with keyboard and mouse. In some ways, touch-screen input on Windows 8 is superior that of the Apple iPad. For example, you can do everything you need to by swiping with your thumbs, making a tablet easier to use by holding it by the sides. Also topping the iPad interface is Windows 8's ability to snap a sidebar to the side of the screen with a touch gesture, so that you can keep tabs on two apps at the same time.

But mouse and keyboard are hardly forgotten. The full complement of keyboard shortcuts still works, and navigating through the new interface with the mouse and mouse wheel is almost as intuitive as touch gesture input—though there are certainly some actions where touch is a better fit. Using the Windows Key becomes particularly important, as it summons the Start screen and offers key combinations that let you search, share, change settings, access devices, and more.

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The Asus PadFone 2 is now official and it might just beat the LG Optimus G to become the first phone out there with Qualcomm's extremely powerful Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 quad-core chip. Not just that - both devices go neck to neck in terms of performance, and will probably be one of the hottest devices this Holiday season.

The PadFone 2 covers everything that you might wish for. Starting with the larger, 4.7-inch 720p screen, going through the 2GB of RAM and quad-core chip, and finishing with the 13-megapixel camera.

The PadFone 2 however has the unique advantage of the PadFone Station, a $210 accessory that is a tablet chassis. What this means is that for $210 more dollars, you get a 10.1-inch 1280x800-pixel screen with a 5,000mAh battery, that is powered by your phone.

How does it fare against devices like the LG Optimus G and the LG Nexus 4? We only have the preliminary specs of the Nexus 4 (those are likely to change), but we'd still like you to see the three devices go in a cold-blooded spec battle. Witness it in the tablet below, and don't hesitate to let us know: which one wins your heart?

DESIGN
OS	Android (4.0)	Android (4.0.4)	Android (4.2)
Dimensions	5.43 x 2.71 x 0.35 (137.9 x 68.9 x 9 mm)	5.19 x 2.71 x 0.33 (131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45 mm)
Weight	4.76 oz (135 g) the average is 4.1 oz (116 g)	5.11 oz (145 g) the average is 4.1 oz (116 g)

DISPLAY
Physical size	4.70 inches	4.70 inches
Resolution	720 x 1280 pixels	768 x 1280 pixels	768 x 1280 pixels
Pixel density	312 ppi	318 ppi	318 ppi
Technology	Super IPS+ LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD

BATTERY
Capacity	2140 mAh	2100 mAh

HARDWARE
System chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
Processor	Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait	Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait	Quad core
Graphics processor	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 320
System memory	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel)	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel) / DDR2 (500 MHz)	2048 MB RAM
Built-in storage	16 GB	32 GB	8 GB
Storage expansion		microSD, microSDHC up to 64 GB

CAMERA
Camera	13 megapixels, Immobile	13 megapixels, Immobile	8 megapixels, Immobile
Flash	LED	LED	LED
Camcorder	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (720p HD) (60 fps)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)
Front-facing camera	1.2 megapixels	1.3 megapixels	Yes

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