Monday, August 31, 2015

Freelancers and entrepreneurs can reduce their tax outgo by claiming these not-so-well-known deductions

Have you claimed these deductions?


 
For the salaried class, it is easy to file eturns. There is Form 16 to turn to. There are also defined and well known heads under which salaried employees can claim deductions.However, for freelance professionals and consultants, it's a different story . To claim certain deductions, besides having to keep records of various financial transactions, they have to ensure that some little-known conditions are also met. “Quite often, they tend to miss out on claiming genuine expenses because of lack of awareness,“ says Varun Advani, COO, makemyreturns.com.Clearly, information is key to keeping the money in one's own pocket. Here's how freelancers and new entrepreneurs can ensure they do not miss out on deductions they are eligible for.

OPERATIONAL EXPENSES
A freelancer can claim expenses directly related to his or her business. This includes rent, repairs, office supplies, telephone bills, Internet bills, travel expenses--domestic and foreign--meals, entertainment and hospitality-related expenses connected with the business. These have to be business-related expenses and not personal. If you are using a mobile phone or Internet connection for personal and business purposes, only a portion of the bill can be claimed as deduction. “One can see the trend for a couple of months and then define the percentage of the bill which can be allocated to professional expenses,“ says Archit Gupta, Founder and CEO, ClearTax.in.
Similarly , in case you are living in a rented apartment and are using a room to carry out business-related activities, you can show a proportional amount as business rental.“Even if the house belongs to your parents, you can pay them rent and show it as a business expense,“ says Sudhir Kaushik, CA and CFO, Taxspanner .com.

Compliance Tip:
When paying in cash, make sure the amount does not exceeds `20,000 per day. As per Section 40 A (3), payments above `20,000, to qualify for deductions, have to be made using an accountpayee cheque.

DEPRECIATING ASSETS
On capital expenses, you are allowed to charge a small depreciation every year. Capital expenditures include furniture and gadgets used to set up your office, property bought to run business, etc, where benefits from such assets are expected to last more than a year. The depreciation percentage and methods are laid out in the I-T Act for different type of assets, ranging from 5% to 100%. In case you own the property and only a portion is being used as your office, you can still show depreciation on a percentage of property value. “If you have taken a home loan on this property, make sure you do not claim the amount twice. Deduct the business expense from your interest and principal repayment claims before you show it under the capital asset depreciation column,“ says Kaushik.
Compliance Tip:
The percentage you can charge as depreciation varies hugely, even within a category. For instance, for a building mainly used for residential purposes, you can charge 5-10% depreciation. However , if you have built wooden structures in the office, those can be depreciated at 100% in the first year itself. Then there are different rates for intangible assets such as patents and copyrights. It is important to recognise the block of assets correctly. If in doubt, it is best to take professional help.

PROFESSIONAL FEES
Freelancers often consult other professionals and pay them a fee. If documented, such payments can be claimed as deductions, as they qualify as business expense. However, do not try to fool the taxman. A lot of new entrepreneurs tend to employee their relatives at key positions at higher salaries. “To check these cases of tax-avoidance, the I-T department says that any payment made over and above the market rate for hiring such a resource, won't be eligible for deduction,“ says Advani.Entrepreneurs often take services from professionals outside India. Some of them work as consultants, while others are on pay-rolls.“Either the money is being paid as a fee or as salary , such an expense will be allowed for deductions only when TDS has been deducted and paid to the I-T department before filing taxes,“ says Advani.
Compliance Tip:
If you are a professional with a turnover of more than `25 lakh and are liable to get your books of accounts audited, payments such as interest, commission, royalty, etc. won't be allowed for deductions, if you have not deducted the tax at source and submitted it before filing the return.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

fashion - SHERWANI 2.0

fashion - SHERWANI 2.0


Shorter, sharper versions of this traditional attire are being picked up by men in vogue

Sherwanis are back as the tuxedos of Indian weddings.After a flurry of bandhgalas and waistcoats dominat ing the Indian wedding scene, sherwanis are once again the apparel of choice for the groom. The short er and sharper sherwanis, available in psychedelic and floral prints, innovative embroidery patterns, bright colours and quirky accessories are driving the stylish `ghar wapsi' of desi grooms. Fashion designer Rohit Bal says, “Our desi dulhas apart, I'm seeing a lot of foreign-returned boys fascinated by the garment. A lot of young men who have worked or studied abroad are opting for it.“
Designer Rohit Gandhi attributes the growing popularity of sherwanis as an extension of the bandhgala trend. “Just as a bandhgala, a sherwani has also become a must-have garment. With options now to sport it in shorter length, with a Patiala salwar, Jodhpur pants or breeches, men are wearing it for fun and formal functions alike,“ he says.
Among all the detailing and designing innovations, designer Raghavendra Rathore feels it is the fit that's driving this fad. “The achkan which is much shorter than the sherwani, seems to be the outfit in demand this season. These outfits in brocade silks in bright colours are becoming mainstream. They'll be here for a while,“ asserts Rathore.
1. A masculine-styled achkan worn with Jodhpuri pants, accessorised with the right turban, neck jewellery and stylish buttons completes the look. For matching the outfit with your bride, get small accents in the pocket square.
--Raghavendra Rathore
2. Indo-western fitted sherwanis in innovative prints are the ones to go for. These can be worn with fitted pants and look stylish with traditional footwear.
--Zubair Kirmani
3. Match your accessories with the look of the bride to complement each other. A saafa, belt and shoes can be matched with the colour of the bride's trousseau.You can get embroidery or motifs as well that match the bride's look.
--Rohit Kamra
4. A jamawar shawl can light up even the simplest sherwani. Polki or metallic buttons, tone-on-tone embroidery and a bright saafa are very trendy.
--Mayyur R Girotra
5. Keep the sherwani simple and stylish.Nothing beats the charm of a wellstitched cream, beige, off-white or white sherwani. Rather than too much of contrasting heavy embroidery, embellish the look with antique buttons, tie and dye prints, self-embroidered fabrics or customised shoes. Velvet, brocade, cotton and silks are ideal fabrics to go for while the length should be till the knee.Colourful pants are the latest trend.
--Rohit Bal
6. The simplest way to get the look and fit right is to treat the sherwani as an extended bandhgala. Keep the fit straight rather than the traditional flared one.Indian embroidery is the best way to get the opulent, ethnic look.
--Rohit Gandhi





Gadgets that will soon R.I.P.



We will soon open cars with our smartphones, store data on Cloud and command computers with our voices. Given below are some of gadgets that will be obsolete in a while
One day, the reporter's face will pop out of this newspaper to read this story to you.By the time that day comes, the following gadgets will be resting in peace.
You know what's the most magical thing about technology? It is its fixation to replace old with new, obsolete with promising and smart with genius. This is the reason why, every decade, a set of tech things that eased our lives in a million ways make way for something newer, better and brighter.For example, the fixed line gave way to the pager and mobile, cassettes to compact discs and digital content, wires to infrared and Bluetooth, yellow bulbs to CFL and LEDs. Here are a few other products that will soon age and fade.

TRADITIONAL CAR KEYS: Steel car keys are already dead. They have been replaced by smart keys that you don't even need to take out of your pocket to start or turn off the engine. These come loaded with chips and can't be duplicated by local key makers, which means the car thieves have bigger challenges to deal with than half a decade ago.However, this is not where the evolution of car keys has stopped; by the time you retire, or maybe a lot sooner than that, car keys will be completely out of business. They will be replaced by smartphone apps that will grant you complete control over your car ignition, temperature control and stuff like that. Tesla, BMW, General Motors and Volvo already offer such apps, and this fad will roll down to cars for the masses soon. You will still have to make sure that you don't lose your smartphone.

COMPACT CAMERAS: Thanks to the war of megapixels amongst the mobile phone manufacturers, and our never-ending craze for selfies, the sale of compact cameras has drastically dropped. You hardly find anyone using a point-and-shoot camera these days. However, DSLR will be with us for a very long time because of the growing interest in amateur photography and professional use. Says Manish Sharma, president, CEAMA and managing director Panasonic India and South Asia, “Due to the growing popularity of smartphones, the sales of compact cameras declined by 30 per cent till October 2014. Also, heavy discounts have led to consumers preferring high-end smartphones and tablets over cameras. However, the Digital SLR segment is witnessing exciting times.“ Just in case you lost track, Kodak, whose little yellow film boxes defined your growing up years, quit the camera-making business a few years ago after ruling the world of photography for more than a century! In fact, a Singapore-based label which is doing exceedingly well in DSLR is struggling to sell its compact cam eras, and its sales in this segment is dropping every quarter.

HARD DRIVES: With every thing moving to Cloud based storage and the in crease in the sale SSD (solid state drives), the sale of hard drives has already taken a hit. Cloud-based storage allows all data to be stored online, and can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. On the other hand, SSDs, smaller versions of hard drives, are very expensive and incredibly fast and robust.“Technological progress is making things smaller, faster, smarter and web based. With everything going digital, Cloud computing will become big soon, and we will manage our data using a Cloud-based app,“ exlpains Chris Chang, managing director, ADATA Technology India.

MEDIA PLAYERS: Who plays DVDs and CDs on dedicated media players these days? Stoneage men? Aren't we already using Chrome Cast and streaming movies online on our tabs and phones? With Apple TV and iTunes, the fate of DVDs and Bluerays has more or less been sealed.

KEYBOARD: This story has been typed using a keyboard, but in times to come, as intelligent voice functions like Siri and Ok Google evolve, and the computer starts reacting to gestures and motions, the keyboard will eventually die the death of a typewriter, and instead of typing this story, we will voice them onto the designer's computer. Designers, obviously, will not be allowed to sleep. LOL.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

‘Muslims pursuing population, land jihad’

‘Muslims pursuing population, land jihad’


Controversial Hindu outfit Sri Ram Sene’s chief Pramod Mutalik was in Mumbai on Friday to launch ‘India against IS’, a website created by a group of right-wing organisations to start a movement across India to make Muslim youths aware against the threat of IS and distract them from joining the outfit.

How will the website help discourage Indian Muslim youths from joining the IS?
Islamic State terrorists are seeking to influence and recruit vulnerable Muslims from across the world approaching them through online platforms. They have have a specific target for India. Some educated Indian Muslims have already joined them without realising that they are involved in killing of Muslims, slaving women, raping little girls in the name of Islam. This website aims to reach out to youths with all available literature and facts about IS, their barbarism, anti-humanity agenda. We would rather encourage them to join the Indian Army. A large number of Hindu organisations are part of this nationalistic initiative.

Will you approach Muslim organisations?
Yes. We urge Muslim institutions to join us and spread the message of humanity among the community.

Have you analysed the reasons behind Indian Muslims joining the IS?
In the name of religious education, many Madrassas are misguiding the children. Pakistan has banned Madrassas but we haven’t.

How convincing this initiative would be since the supporting organizations have controversial image?
Nation comes first. This platform seems to unite youths of all communities to save the country. Our objective is simple — youths must stay away from the IS. I am sure people would pay attention to us.

You had joined the BJP last year but were expelled soon after following huge criticism from across India. Will you join BJP again if any offer is made?
No. I am a man of self-respect. I am happy with my organisation which has spread across India within 9 years pursuing staunch Hindutva.

You rose to popularity a few years back after vandalism and violence in pubs and restaurants to oppose Valentine’s Day. This has made you hugely unpopular among young India. However, your protests seem to have toned down since then. Have you realized your mistake or sensed the times have changed?
I’m still against Valentine and Friendship days and against Western culture which is misleading our youth. Consumption of wine, drugs, sex and rapes go many fold on such days which youngsters don’t know. Do we really need to celebrate such days? We have curbed celebration of such days by 75% in Karnataka. We have 5 lakh members in the state. That means-people agree with our stand. This is the success of Sri Ram Sene.

What else is on your agenda apart from pursuing Hindutva?
We are working to save cows and against the wine lobby. We are also working against “love jihad” through which Muslims not only lure girls but marry women as well and convert them. With the support of Pakistan, Islamic organisations are purchasing illegal land in a big way across India to make mosques and acquire more power. This is “land jihad” which is the biggest threat before us. Muslims are also doing “population jihad”. They seek to convert India into a Mughal state.
But there are over 40 police cases registered against you in many districts and even Goa has banned your entry.

There are 92 cases against me and all due to political reasons. But Indian courts and people’s courts have acquitted me. Over the years, the original culture of Goa has destroyed. It’s now known for drugs, sex, casino and alcohol only. Goa government possibly agrees with my stand principally, but they have banned me because my campaign affects their major revenue. Manohar Parrikar and I were part of Ram Mandir Andolan in Ayodhya and stayed in one hall. He is a good friend but even he couldn’t ignore revenue concerns.

Alcatel launches POP 8S 4G tablet at Rs 10,499

Alcatel launches POP 8S 4G tablet at Rs 10,499
Powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor and 1GB RAM, the tablet comes with 8GB storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card.
Alcatel has launched a new Android tablet - POP 8S in India, priced at Rs 10,499. The 4G LTE-enabled tablet will be available exclusively on Flipkart.

Alcatel POP 8S sports an 8-inch IPS display with WXGA (800x1280p) resolution. It's 7.9mm thick and weighs 327grams.

Powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor and 1GB RAM, the tablet comes with 8GB storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card.

The tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat which is not the latest version of the OS.

The Alcatel tablet sports a 5MP rear camera and a 3MP front-facing camera.

In terms of connectivity, the device supports Wi-Fi, 4G LTE (both Indian bands), 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS in addition to an Infrared blaster. The POP 8S is powered by a 4060mAh battery.

Micromax Canvas Nitro 4G launched at Rs 10,999


Micromax Canvas Nitro 4G launched at Rs 10,999
The phone is powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 Octa Core processor with 2GB RAM and has 16GB internal storage. 
Micromax has launched Canvas Nitro 4G smartphone at Rs 10,999. The phone will be available at retailers across India.

The Canvas Nitro 4G sports a 5-inch IPS HD(720x1280p) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

The phone is powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 Octa Core processor with 2GB RAM and has 16GB internal storage. It's not clear if the phone has an external storage card slot.

It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Canvas Nitro 4G sports a 13MP rear camera with ISOCELL sensor and dual-LED flash and a 5MP front facing camera. It is powered by a 2,500mAh battery.

In terms of connectivity, the phone supports 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth and GPS. It's not clear if it supports dual-sim.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow: 10 new features



After months of waiting, Google has finally announced that the next version of its mobile OS Android will be called Marshmallow. Also, it the next update of the OS will be numbered Android 6.0, instead of Android 5.2 as previously speculated.

Announced at Google I/O 2015, Android Marshmallow brings with it a number of new features to spruce up your smartphones and tablets (provided they get the update). Here we take a look at 10 of the features you can look forward to with the next build of Android

Google Now on Tap

One of the key Android Marshmallow features is Google Now on Tap, a more advanced version of the company's digital assistant. While Google Now is presently available, on most phones, only via the Search app, Android 6.0 will make it all-pervasive.

This means that you will be able to pull up Google Now to make a quick search across any app while using the smartphone. All you need to do is to select any section on the screen, for example any particular text, and Google Now on Tap will pull up relevant information, including context-based definitions.

Chrome Custom Tabs

Many a times, you click a link in an app and it either takes you to the default browser (like Chrome, Opera etc) or opens the link on the in-app browser. With Android 6.0, app makers will be able to integrate Chrome tabs into their apps, but retain the app’s customized look. The toolbar colour, enter & exit animations, and custom actions as well as overflow menu can be picked by the app makers even if the link is of an external website.

One of the key uses for the app makers is that the user stays within the app and gets a seamless experience. For the users, Custom Chrome Tabs saves them the trouble of logging into websites they are already connected to or authenticate permissions more than once. Moreover, this feature has provision to pre-fetch content, so autofill data and passwords can be entered with just a tap.



Battery life enhancements

While Android Lollipop’s Project Volta did not bring as much battery life improvement as was promised by Google, the company claims to have brought a fix with Android Marshmallow’s Doze feature. Basically, this feature is said to bring your smartphone to a near-off state when it has been idle for a long time.

In Google’s tests, Android 6.0’s Doze resulted in two times the battery life compared to Android 5.0 on the same device with the same apps.

Though Doze allows important notifications and alarms to pass, it does not let apps refresh in the background, so you won’t be able to get key updates as soon as you pick up your phone after a while.

Fingerprint support goes native

While many manufacturers, like Samsung, HTC, OnePlus, Oppo etc, have been using fingerprint sensors in their smartphones for quite some time, Google is making fingerprint sensor support native with Android 6.0.

This will not only add a new security layer to all smartphones (if manufacturers want to add this feature, that is) but also allow payment authentication via Android Pay.

Moreover, fingerprint support can be added to other apps as password for logins.

USB Type C and faster charging

Google is doing away with microUSB as the standard for the Android smartphones with the Android Marshmallow update, replacing it with USB Type C.

This relatively new USB type is backwards-compatible, which means that (like Apple’s Lightning adapter) the charging cable can be inserted in the port either way, making it a convenience for all users.

USB Type C has two other advantages: It allows for faster data transfer rates and charges devices faster. In fact, Google says USB Type C can charge products up to 3-5 times faster than the current crop of microUSB chargers.

App permissions

Google has rebooted app permissions with Android 6.0. Marshmallow will allow users to accept or deny permissions to apps as when they are updated; for example, if an app you download wants to access your camera, you can choose to deny to that requirement while approving the others.

This is different from the current setup, where you must accept all permissions if you want to download an app.

If an app adds new features and wants to access more of your phone’s hardware, you can choose to accept to deny those changes while downloading the update.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow also allows you to revisit app permissions; for example, you denied any particular permission initially, you can go in settings and accept it later.

Android Pay

Android 6.0 Marshmallow will bring in Android Pay, an NFC-based payment system that will rival Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Though it will be launched with Android Marshmallow, it will still be available for devices running on Android 4.4 and above.

Based on Google Wallet, this feature allows you to save your credit cards and loyalty cards in one place. When you want to make a transaction, you will be able to authenticate the transaction via your fingerprint or via your virtual card number (given by Android Pay while registering).

Direct Share

Sharing on Android is already pretty convenient, but Google is trying to make it easier with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with it a new feature called Direct Share.

Though a lot is not known about this feature yet, we know that Direct Share will enable apps to share content (for example images) to specific contacts with just one click.

So, if you share stuff with particular contacts frequently, the software will recognize this behaviour and show those contacts on top. It is expected that the APIs will allow for more features, but it will eventually depend on the app makers to integrate them.

New boot animation

Google is bringing in a little change to the boot animation with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which will now show four colourful circles moving about and morphing into various shapes before settling into the Android logo.

This replaces the Android 5.0 Lollipop boot animation, which had four colourful spheres bouncing about for a few seconds before turning into the Android logo.

GIONEE MARATHON M4


The Marathon M4 has a metallic frame and is heaviest of all the handsets reviewed here. That said, its added heft gives it a solid feel while its compact form factor allows for single-handed use. The super AMOLED display on this device is bright and renders standout colours, but sadly its glass is not scratch-resistant and neither does it come with backlit navigation controls.
When it comes to processing power, the M4 performs slightly better than the Moto G and Asus ZenFone 2 Laser, but not as well as the Yu Plus and the Eluga Icon. Still, it handles Full HD clips and 3D games like Asphalt and Real Football 2015 effortlessly .
Phone calls are clear, its speaker is loud and its music player includes audio equalizer settings for different kinds of earphones.
The M4 has a lower megapixel rear camera when compared to the Asus and Panasonic. However, it is capable of sharp pictures with adequate detail, albeit with some over-saturation.
Its front camera is not as wide angled as the Zenfone 2 Laser, but it takes sharp selfies. Overall, its cams are a bit slow to focus, but this is not a huge issue. You get a number of picture modes including Face Beauty for selfies, HDR, t Filter, Night and PicNote.
Amigo, M4's customized user inter face, includes some nifty features like “fake call“, gestures to browse pictures t without touching the screen, and a “Cha meleon“ tool that lets you use the rear t camera to select the colour palette you want your homescreen to use. But the , best part about the M4 is its 5000mAh battery , which is capable of giving over t two days of service without requiring a recharge.

YUREKA YU PLUS


The Yureka Yu Plus is an upgraded version of the Yureka Yu. This handset comes with a Full HD screen, when compared to the HD display of the Yu, but sports the same good build quality .
The Yu Plus packs in hardware that performs as well as ­ and most times ­ even better than devices that cost double its price. When it came to pure benchmarks, it was a close second only to the Pana sonic Eluga Icon. Casual games and Full HD movie playback pose no issue, and this device handles 3D games like Frontline Commando 2, Gangstar Vegas and Asphalt 8: Airborne without any hitch.
Call quality is clear and audio playback through headphones is crisp. The output of its dual cameras is sharp enough to be posted on the web. Turn on the flash and you get snapshots that retain minute details under zoom.
The device runs Cyanogen OS 12 that allows users to fully customize their phones, and it is also packed with security features like Privacy Guard that allows you to manage app permissions and a Blacklist feature to block calls and messages from any number by simply adding it to a list.
On the battery front, you get slightly under a day's worth of work on a full charge. On the downside, the Yu Plus takes a while to latch onto networks. Also, it automatically disables mobile data when the battery runs below 20% in balanced mode, with no way to override that setting unless you switch to performance mode.

ASUS ZENFONE 2 LASER


The Laser's aesthetics do not stray from the ZenFone 2 family ­ its curved back makes it comfortable to hold and its volume buttons on the back allow for easy access while adjusting sound levels in portrait or landscape mode. Besides, its rubberized back panel gives it a nice, sturdy feel in the hand.
Its scratch-resistant HD display is bright; colours are punchy and can be configured to appear vivid or balanced with its colour profiler tool. For readers, a “Blue light filter“ is also included to reduce eye strain.
The Laser runs the latest version of Android, which is heavily customized with the Asus ZenUI.It includes settings to tweak themes, icons, the app drawer, and even allows you to switch to one-handed mode.
There are pre-loaded apps like SnapView (to create a private user profile for work), a kids' mode, call recorder, gesture recognition, and more. In spite of all this, the Laser worked without a hitch during tests, though you will have to prepare yourself for frequent app updates. Call quality and music playback is crystal clear.
The rear camera, which uses a laser to focus, is capable of sharp photographs with warm tones and excellent detail. Its shutter has minimal lag and is capable of taking stellar close-up photos.The camera, like in all other ZenFone devices, comes with multiple shooting modes ­ HDR, manual, low light, super resolution, GIF animation, etc ­ along with editing options that you let you touch-up photos, remove objects from a scene, create timelapse videos, and more. If that's not enough, you also get a collage and slideshow maker.
The Laser is also capable of lasting over a day , in “balanced“ mode, without needing a recharge. And with its detailed power management options, it is possible to extend its bat tery life even further.

MOTOROLA MOTO G (2015)


The latest Moto G comes with an IPX7 rating, which means it can survive a dip in up to three feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. The handset has a textured rubberized back panel, which offers excellent grip. And while it has a smaller display when compared to the other phones on test here, it is on a par in terms of quality . The HD screen is scratchresistant, responsive to light touches, and renders neutral colours with sharp text and is legible in bright outdoors.
Performance is snappy and lag-free.This is largely because this handset runs Android Lollipop, without any UI customizations or bloatware.You can play 3D games like Frontline Commando 2 and Deer Hunter without any lag, though advanced 3D games could see a frame drop at times.
Its front-facing speaker is loud and phone calls are distortion-free. However, this is the only phone in review here that lacks call-recording.
On the plus side, you get Moto Assist, which includes an active display for notifications when the phone is nudged while in sleep mode ­ and gesture activations: shake twice to switch onoff the flashlight, while a twist of the wrist launches the camera.
The shooters take pictures with reasonable detail and neutral colours in welllit settings. However, photos in dim environments display a cooler bluish tint and at times the white balance goes off kilter.Re-focusing on a subject is annoying and the camera does not adjust light exposure automatically .
Like it is with earlier Motos, you can expect to get well over a day's worth of work done on a full charge.
Techtonic recommends the slightly more expensive variant with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.

PANASONIC ELUGA ICON


The Eluga Icon sports a uni-body design with an un-removable rear panel. Its back has a metallic-looking finish, and gives it a premium look and feel, save for its lack of a scratch-resistant display and backlit navigation controls. That said, the Icon is equipped with a clear and responsive touchscreen, and is packed with great hardware and features.


The device breezes through every task, including Full HD movies and 3D games, making it one of the best overall performers in its price range. It latches onto networks quickly , and call quality is clear, though not as loud as the Yu Plus and the Asus Laser.
The shooters on Icon are quick to focus, and render colours accurately . The front camera is capable of wide-angle photos letting you squeeze more into the frame.Besides, the snappers are supported by features, including a beauty mode for selfies, HDR, photo filters, and a picture-inpicture mode that uses both cams simultaneously ­ where one snapshot appears within the other. You also get a Fix Me option that gives you quick access to exposure, contrast, white balance and ISO. This kind of customization runs deep within the Icon. In Settings, you can configure up to eight gestures to launch apps, like tracing the alphabet `e' on the screen to activate e-mail or `c' for camera; You can change colour temperature, and use presets like vivid and night mode for screen display; Audio Profiles come with enhancers for earphones, volume booster for speakers, and for surround-sound; a scheduler to switch the phone on and off at a fixed time, and more. Besides, on a single charge, you can get a full day of work done, without any hassles.


Meizu MX5


Chinese mobile giant Meizu makes its entry into the Indian market with the MX5. The 4G, dual-nano-SIM smartphone is fronted by a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3 display, and runs on the 2.2GHz MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core processor, 3GB RAM, and a 3150mAh battery. It comes with 16GB storage, a 20MP rear camera with laser-aided focussing and a dual-colour LED flash, as well as a 5MP front shooter with a selfie enhancement setting. What you also get is mTouch 2.0 ­ a proprietary fingerprint identification system for added security, and mCharge that juices up 25% of its battery in less than 10 minutes and up to 60% within the next 30 minutes.


Alcatel OneTouch Pop 8S



If you're in the market for an entry-level tablet with voice calling, you might want to give the Pop 8S a dekko. The slate with an 8-inch (1280x800px) IPS display, a slim 7.9mm profile, and which weighs just 327g, packs a 1.2GHz MediaTek MSM8916 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage (with support for microSD), a 5MP auto-focus rear camera, a 3MP front snapper, and a 4060mAh battery. Additionally, the Android-Kitkat device supports Miracast that allows you to stream multimedia wirelessly to compatible TVs.

Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro


The Evo Gamepad Pro is targeted at mobile gamers. Simply clamp an Android phone onto the device, pair the two via Bluetooth, and you're ready to play. The gamepad is equipped with two analogue triggers, dual analogue sticks, a D-pad and bumper buttons, allowing you full control in games, whether RPG, racing, FPS or arcade. The Gamepad Pro sports a rubberized finish; holds a 400mAh rechargeable battery that's rated to give upto 12 hours of gaming on a single charge; comes with a free tablet stand, and you can also download its exclusive app from the Google Play Store for an updated list of games to play, recommendations, and easy assistance.