Tech PIVI

It's a dilemma faced by most technophiles—to buy the new, sleek, feature-rich gadget or wait for its enhanced version six months later. We help you take a decision about six devices rumoured to be out soon. Blame it on the pace of technological progress, but today there are almost as many interesting products in the pipeline as there are in the market. The result: consumers are torn between buying a product as soon as it is out or biding their time and waiting for a better one just around the corner. In fact, many people have postponed their purchase of iPhone 4S because they expect the new iPhone (about which no official word is available) to be released later this year. This is the case with a number of other high-profile products, rumoured as well as real, which have consumers in a tizzy. Your decision to buy now or later depends on your need. If you are not in a hurry, rest assured that something better will come along. Here's a look at six such devices ...

Los Angeles:  Microsoft seems to have gotten the design and form factor right with its new Surface tablet computer. But the user interface, not so much. That's an odd conclusion to make about a device from a software company that usually lets others do the manufacturing. Still, that's how I felt after feeling the heft of the device, examining it from all sides and making a few swipes at the screen. The Surface has a touch keyboard cover that feels great and, to me, is a big step forward for tablets. The tablet's software interface, however, seems non-intuitive and sluggish. Microsoft is clearly straddling the uncomfortable divide between the old world of mice and keyboards, where it dominates, and a future ruled by touch screens, where Apple and Android devices prevail. Although the Surface won't go on sale until this fall, I had the chance to spend a few minutes with some devices in a group demonstration after Microsoft unveiled them in Los Angeles on...

For the past few days, Samsung has been drawing quite a lot of attention with the Galaxy S III. Looks like the Korean company can't seem to get enough. Sources of a Korean publication (MK Business News) are suggesting that the Galaxy Note II is due to launch in October this year. Does that ring a bell? Yes, another phablet from Samsung. The Korean manufacturer is planning to release the next version of Galaxy Note in time for Apple's launch of the next iPhone, which is also expected in the month of October.   The smartphone is expected to feature a thin unbreakable plane display (UBP) with a better display resolution and sport a slimmer design. Other rumoured features include a quad-core processor, a 12MP camera, longer battery life and a sturdier build compared to its predecessor. What's more, the smartphone is also likely to run on Jelly Bean, a successor to latest Android version Ice Cream Sandwich. We hope to see Jelly Bean debut at the Google I/O ev...