Archive for 2012
Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Year 2012: iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 probably won’t sell as much as Samsung’s Galaxy S III this year, but it did win another coveted prize: Time Magazine’s gadget of the year. Time’s Harry McCracken calls the iPhone 5 “one of the most artfully polished gadgets anyone’s ever built,” adding that “when it comes to melding hardware, software and services so tightly that the seams fade away, Apple still has no peer.”
Despite 5 million units sold in its opening weekend, and stellar sales results that catapulted iOS back into the mobile operating system lead in November, the iPhone 5 probably can’t catch the Samsung Galaxy S III, which launched in the summer and reached 18 million units by early November.
At least, in 2012 sales numbers.
This nod from Time, however, is a prestigious indicator that Apple is still in the smartphone market leader position in terms of overall device and operation system quality.
The other top 10 gadgets selected by Time?
- iPhone 5
- Nintendo Wii U
- Sony Cyber-shot RX100
- Raspberry Pi Model B
- Lytro
- Apple 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display
- Microsoft Surface with Windows RT
- Samsung Galaxy Note II
- Nest
- Simple.TV
Nokia Updates Xpress, Makes it Compatible with All Windows Phone 8 Devices
Nokia’s content discovery app Nokia Xpress has now been updated for Windows Phone 8 OS and been released into the Windows Phone marketplace. Earlier, the app was only available for Lumia Windows Phone 7.5 devices, but Nokia has now released the updated version for all Windows Phone 8 devices.
Nokia Xpress is an app developed by
Nokia to deliver content in a novel way to handsets. The app was
primarily designed to reduce data usage and can allow browsing of the
web with up to two-thirds less data consumption. The redesigned app is
also said to be easy on the battery, so browsing the web won’t only save
on your data consumption, but also be somewhat forgiving to the
battery.
Nokia Xpress isn’t the first proprietary Nokia app that has broken free of the Nokia-exclusive shackle. Some time ago, Nokia released Nokia Here, a navigation app for iOS in light of the Apple Maps debacle. We reviewed the app
and found it to be extremely impressive with respect to the Indian
roads. If that is anything to go by, we’re expecting that Nokia Xpress
would do an equally impressive job at keeping data consumption rate low
while not draining our batteries, all while delivering a novel
experience of content consumption.
Over 17 Million iOS and Android Devices Activated on Dec 25
According to Flurry Analytics, whopping
over 17 million Android and iOS devices were activated on Christmas Day
this year. The figures are about 2.5 times higher than Christmas last
year, and a 332 percent surge over the December baseline average of 4
million activations per day.
Data released by Flurry Analytics
further says smartphones were the majority of activations leading up to
December 25, but on Christmas Day tablets gained the lead and grabbed 51
percent of all activations. Amazon's Kindle Fire HD saw the highest single-day growth, rising several thousand percent compared to the December baseline.
App downloads as expected were affected
by the massive surge in new activated devices, with Flurry reporting a
112 percent increase in downloads on Christmas compared to the previous
20 days. Overall, about 328 million iOS and Android apps were
downloaded. “With a record number of iOS and Android devices flooding the market, we
next look at the surge in app downloads. For these figures, Flurry
estimates its percentage penetration per platform to estimate total
market app downloads. The company also benchmarks download volumes
tracked in its system against publicly released app download milestones
from Apple and Google,” says Flurry Analytics on its blog.
TRAI releases “Quality of Service of Broadband ServiceBroadband Service (Amendment) Regulations, 2012
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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) has tightened the noose around the broadband service
providers and asked them to meet the Quality of Service benchmarks
failing which they will be facing fines.
The regulator earlier this week released
the “Quality of Service of Broadband Service (Amendment) Regulations,
2012 (28 of 2012)” on financial disincentives. TRAI
in its release says the “purpose of the regulations is to prescribe
financial disincentives on the service providers for failure to meet the
prescribed Quality of Service benchmarks of Broadband service.”
“These regulations prescribe financial
disincentive on Broadband Service providers for noncompliance with the
benchmark at a rate not exceeding Rs. 50,000 per parameter for the first
noncompliance and Rs. 100,000 per parameter for subsequent
non-compliance of the benchmarks.”
Google Revamps Santa Tracker; Features Games, Real Time Tracker
Google
has got into holiday spirit by releasing a new Santa Tracker version.
Santa Tracker is an interesting tool that allows users to track Santa
Clause on his gift-giving route across the world. Google's updated Santa
Tracker comes after it ended its five-year Christmas collaboration with
the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mapping Santa's
epic virtual journey. The NORAD Santa Tracker, scheduled to launch on
Christmas Eve, has partnered with Microsoft's Bing this year.
This year Google has come up with a full website
featuring lot of games and Easter Eggs aimed at entertaining users
during the Holidays. The updated Santa Tracker looks more interactive as
it features a virtual village in the North Pole, which is dubbed to be
Santa's headquarters. The village is said to be reminiscent of Google's
own research-focussed campus.
There are elves waiting for buses and
readying for the season. Google will also be allowing users to track
Santa in real time via Google Maps and Google Earth, starting December
24 at 2 a.m. Pacific time.
To make the tracker more fun, Google has added
three new games called Jetpack, Racer, and Present Drop. Users can play
these games on their browser using a keyboard.
BlackBerry Z10 To Be the First BlackBerry 10 Phone
As the January 30, 2013 launch date for
BlackBerry 10 draws closer, leaks have started to emerge all over the
Internet about devices that will be powered by RIM’s latest OS. Today we
have information about a device that will be called the Z10.
The Z10 is a complete touchscreen device
and it is expected that RIM will launch smartphones that will have a
QWERTY keypad as well. The leaked images of the Z10 comes from unwiredview.com,
which says, “Both a Torch-like full-touch device, as well as a
Bold-like QWERTY candybar are expected. According to the marketing
material pictured below, obtained by a reliable source, RIM is
jettisoning the traditional four-digit model numbers in favor of a
shorter, catchier nomenclature; the full-touch device, currently known
by its “L-series” designation, should come to market as the BlackBerry
Z10, in both black and white.”
Apart from the touchscreen device, RIM
will be launching a keyboard variant of the smartphone. No details are
known of the device except the fact that it will be called the X10. All rumours will be put to rest on
January 30, 2013 when RIM will not only officially release BlackBerry 10
but also the next gen hardware that will power the OS.
Hyundai Demos Mobile Phone Based Entry System For Cars, via NFC
In its latest demo, Hyundai showcased
how they plan on making the cellphone an integral part of your vehicular
lives. The entry mechanism that they demoed ditches the Bluetooth concept for one that employs Near Field Communications. Thanks to a small sticker (an NFC tag)
on the window of your car, all you would have to do is swing your phone
over it and the car in unlocked and ready to go.
Along with entertainment, Hyundai also
plans on being able to save seat alignment preferences, temperature
preferences and any other personal settings to individual driver
profiles, which will be assigned to specific phones. Essentially, if 3
different people drive the same car, all they have to do is place their
phone on the little dock and voila. Along with keyless entry, Hyundai is
also attempting to bring together a more personal experience to driving.
A dock in the center of the vehicle would be a place where the phone
could be seated for charging, from where, it will be able to transmit
your playlists and radio preferences to the in-dash entertainment
system.
Facebook Launches Poke for iOS app, Takes on Snapchat
Facebook on Friday introduced a
reinvented Poke feature with a new standalone iOS app. Considered a
rival to Snapchat, the Poke app for iOS allows users to send messages,
including photos and videos, to their friends on the networking site.
The catch is the message will disappear
within 10 seconds of someone opening them. However, users can set a time
limit for how long the recipient can view – either 1, 3, 5, or 10
seconds. It seems the message can contain up to 120 characters.
“The poke feature has been a part of
Facebook since 2004. Now we’re excited to share a new poke experience
for mobile. With the Poke app, you can poke or send a message, photo, or
video to Facebook friends to share what you're up to in a lightweight
way. To see a message from a friend, press and hold the message until it
expires. If you ever see something you’re uncomfortable with, you can
click the gear menu and report it,” says Facebook in post.
WhatsApp Now Available on iOS For Free For a Limited Time
Now iOS users can download WhatsApp on their iPhones for free for a limited time. The app is otherwise a paid app on iOS where users could buy it for $0.99. WhatsApp for other platforms such as Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone can be downloaded for free, but users are expected to pay $0.99 after one year. The annual $0.99 fee doesn’t apply to iOS users as they pay upfront for the app.
WhatsApp
is a messaging app that lets users send message over data rather than
cellular. The app works cross platform, which means that users can send
messages from an Android device to an iOS device over data. If you are
connected to Wi-Fi, the messaging is virtually free. The application
utilizes push notifications to instantly get messages from the sender
who may be using a different device running a different OS. If you are
one who has an iPhone now is the best time to get this app, simply
because its free.
The app is available for a large number of platforms and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, Google Play store, Blackberry App World, Windows Phone Marketplace and Nokia Ovi Store.
HTC Windows Phone 8S Available Online at Rs. 19,350
HTC’s Windows Phone 8 powered
smartphone; the HTC 8S is available for purchase online at Rs. 19,350.
Those interested can order the smartphone from Saholic or Flipkart.
HTC Windows Phone 8S Features :
- Runs on the
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset with a dual-core 1GHz processor and
Adreno 225 GPU coupled with 512MB of RAM
- 4-inch S-LCD
display with an 800x480 pixel resolution (translating to 233ppi), and a
Gorilla Glass screen
- 10.3mm-thick- Weighs in at 113 grams
- 4GB of built-in storage, with microSD expandability up to 32GB
- 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, and support for 720p HD video recording at 30fps
- Comes with Beats Audio sound
- Offers 3G (HSUPA/HSDPA), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and EDR, microUSB v2.0, GPS with A-GPS support, and a 3.5mm audio jack
- 1,700mAh battery powers the 8S.
Google Maps For iOS Downloaded More Than 10 Million Times in 48 Hours
Google Maps for iOS has been downloaded
over 10 million times in less than 48 hours after becoming available on
Apple’s iTunes app store.
On his Google Plus page, Google’s Jeff Huber says:
“More than 10 million downloads in less than 48 hours after release! We're excited for the positive reception of Google Maps
for iPhone around the world. Congratulations to the Maps Team on the
recognition for the passion and hard work they poured into it, for this
release and over the last 7+ years.
If you're an iPhone user and haven't downloaded the Maps app yet, get it on the App Store or visit: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id585027354?mt=8.
If you already have it -- thank you,
and please tell a friend. Any feedback you have is welcomed, here in G+
or in the app (just shake it).”
Google Maps become the most popular app
on the App Store in just 7 hours of becoming available.
Apple had decided to remove the Google Maps app, along with YouTube,
potentially over the spat between the two companies. Apple Maps
promised users turn-by-turn navigation with voice, something that
Google’s app was lacking. However, when Apple Maps made it to the users,
it was, to put it nicely, a fiasco. Incorrect directions, horribly
disfigured 3D views of buildings and roads, not to mention, Apple Maps'
complete inability to map anything in India.Lenovo Brings IdeaPad Yoga to India, Priced Starting 61,790
Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga is the latest convertible to hit the Indian market. At an event in Bangalore, the company launched its IdeaPad Yoga 13-inch and 11-inch devices that have the ability to flip and fold from an ultrabook into a tablet in a singular motion.
Yoga 13 Features :
- Powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors
- Weighs a mere 1.54 kg thanks to a slim 0.6 inch frame
- 8 hours of battery life
- Yoga 11 is lighter at 1.25 kg
- 2 more hours of battery life
- It will be a Windows RT version and will hence run on the ARM-based Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.
"The product is targeted at individuals who want to enhance their performance at work and play through one extraordinarily light device that offers flexible multi-modes. Despite having two devices rolled into one, the Yoga is unbelievably thin, offering the user great mobility and convenience," said Rajesh Thadani, Director, Consumer Business Segment, Lenovo India.
The IdeaPad Yoga 13 will be available from Rs 84,290, while the Yoga 11 will be available from Rs 61,790.
Sony Finally Announces Jelly Bean Update Schedule for Xperia Smartphones
Sony Mobile has announced the schedule
of Android Jelly Bean upgrades for its Xperia smartphones. However,
there is a big surprise in store – not all 2012 Xperia smartphones are
on the list. The announcement also clearly states that the update will
bring Android Jelly Bean 4.1 on board. The smartphones that will get the update first are - Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V. The Jelly Bean update will roll out globally for these phones during February 2013 and March 2013. In the second phase, the Xperia P, Xperia J and Xperia Go will receive the upgrades. This rollout will start towards the end of March 2013. The third bunch of upgrades will cover the Xperia S, Xperia SL, Xperia Ion and Xperia Acro S, which “will follow in the subsequent weeks”.
These phones do meet the minimum requirements for a good Android
experience, and surely should have been upgraded. It is rather sad for
those who have just purchased the U, Tipo, Miro or Sola. Secondly, the
rollout will begin sometime in February-March 2013, which quite frankly,
is just too far down the road.
HP Launches Windows 8 Hybrid, Ultrabook
HP became the latest to announce its Windows 8 portfolio by launching the Envy X2 hybrid and the Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 in India. The company has also launched the HP Envy 23 TouchSmart all-in-one.
The Envy X2 is an ultrathin Intel Atom powered Windows 8 notebook. Remove its keyboard and the X2 becomes a 11.6-inch tablet. Docked to the keyboard the device promises up to 14 hours of battery life. The device comes with Beats Audio, HD webcam, an 8-MP camera and NFC. Without the keyboard, this hybrid weighs just 700 grams. The Envy Ultrabook is a 14-inch device with a multi-touch screen and 3rd gen Intel Core i5 processor. Though an ultrabook, the device weighs 2.16 kg and promises 8 hours of battery life. Both the X2 and the ultrabook have been priced at Rs 59,990 and will be available from January 2013.
The Envy 23 AiO comes with a Intel Core i5 processor on a 23-inch HD display. There is also a substantial 1TB storage on this slim device. The touchscreen can sense up to 10 fingers at a time and there is also a remote for wireless control. The AiO is priced at Rs 71,990 and will be available in stores this month.
Samsung Surpasses Nokia as Top Phone Maker of 2012
For the first time in last 14 years,
Samsung has gone past Nokia for the first time to become no. 1 phone
maker in the world. According to new data from IHS iSuppli, the makers
of the popular Galaxy smartphones are the top phone maker in 2012.
Samsung accounts for about 29 percent of global mobile phone shipments,
up from 21 percent in 2011 when it had grabbed the no. 2 spot. Nokia, in
the meanwhile, has seen its shares dropping from 30 percent to 24 this
year. Nokia has ruled the mobile phone market since 1998.
Global smartphone shipments are expected to grow by 35.5 percent this
year whereas cellphone shipments are likely to grow 1 percent.
Smartphone penetration in 2012 is expected to hit 47 percent, high from
35 percent in 2011. Next year, the penetration is likely to reach 59
percent in 2013, marking a "significant tipping point" in the cellphone
market. IHS iSuppli points out that Samsung has released a lot of phones in a
short span of time, launching dozens of new models each year, which
range from high-end to budget devices. Nokia, the research firm notes, has only been “mired” in switching over its smartphones to Windows OS. Sales of Nokia's Symbian-based phones have gone down.
Karbonn Launches Cosmic Smart Tab 10 at Rs. 10,490
Karbonn Mobile has launched yet another
budget Android tablet in India, called the Cosmic Smart Tab 10. Priced
competitively at Rs. 10,490, the Cosmic Smart Tab 10 features a 9.7-inch
capacitive touchscreen and runs on the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
out-of-the-box.
Karbonn Launches Cosmic Smart Tab 10 :
- 9.7-inch display of the Cosmic Smart
Tab 10 supports a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution
- Powered by
a 1.5GHz Cortex-A9 dual core processor
- 1GB of DDR3 RAM
- 6,000 mAh
battery
- 2MP rear camera and a front facing VGA camera
- Supports Wi-Fi and 3G via USB
- Gravity
sensor and 3D G-sensor for gaming
- Supports Bluetooth and
HDMI-out
- 1.5 GB built-in storage (user available) and expandable storage up
to 32GB- Wide range pre-loaded apps and games such as Saavan, Angry Birds Seasons, Turbo Fly 3D, NexGtv, Flipboard, Google Chrome, Kingsoft Office, Facebook, JustDial and many more.
TweetDeck Chrome App Adds Typeahead and People Search Update
TweetDeck has rolled out an updated
version of its TweetDeck Chrome application. The update brings
significant improvements to the search box functionality. The Typeahead
and People Search update for the Chrome TweetDeck app makes “extremely
easy to find someone you are looking for, and you will see suggestions
of similar search terms, making topic searches more effective”. The
update will gradually roll it out to the Web, PC and Mac versions over
the coming weeks.
TweetDeck
explains how the new feature works: You need to click in the search
box, and a new dropdown box appears featuring yours previous searches.
Click on a previous search to re-run it. You can clear the history by
clicking on the “Clear history” link at the bottom. As you type each character into the search box, two things happen in real time:
- A related search is run. This
effectively tries to autocomplete your search term, potentially saving
you from having to type the whole word or phrase. Search results will be
displayed in the top half of the search dropdown.
- A user search is run, and this displays user accounts whose names contain the search term in the bottom of the box.
You can also click on the Users button at the top and swap to a list of
those user accounts which match the search term i.e. the user account
name or profile contains the search term.
Mobile Devices Driving Internet Usage in India: Google
India now has the third-largest Internet market in the world with over 137 million users. By 2015, it is projected to have the largest Internet user base, with 300 million users, more than the estimated number for the US.
Releasing the Google Zeitgeist report for 2012, Rajan Anandan, Google India's VP and MD for Sales and Operations, said this year's Zeitgeist reflects data from 1.2 trillion searches worldwide in 146 languages. The annual report reveals the hot trends that captured the world's attention in the past year, as seen through Internet searches.
Though Anandan did not divulge the number of searches originating from India, he said smartphone adoption was clearly the driver. Currently, India has 27 million smartphone users, and is sixth globally on this count. Overall, there are 70 million mobile Internet users in India. "We expect India's next 150-180 million Internet users will access the Internet through a mobile device," said Anandan. Mobile users were still mostly searching for entertainment and local content, in contrast to desktop/notebook users, he added.
Globally, mobile phones are also driving the popularity of YouTube, which is now uploading 72 hours of content every minute. One in three views on YouTube in 2012 was from a mobile device. YouTube now has over 10,000 Indian movies and 500,000 songs. Another interesting trend was the growing popularity of e-commerce, with 25 million active online buyers in the country driving trade to the tune of $9 billion. As expected, Flipkart was the most searched shopping website followed by Homeshop18 and Snapdeal. India's e-commerce sites are predicted to reach transactions of more than $40 billion by 2015. Travel sites were another driver, with Makemytrip generating the most searches, followed by Cleartrip and Redbus.
Google Puts Chandni Chowk Traders Online
Google India seems to be putting a lot of weight behind its year-old 'India Get Your Business Online' campaign. Google India and webhosting services provider HostGator have built over 2,500 free websites for businesses operating from Old Delhi's historic Chandni Chowk market.
Launching the initiative, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Communications & IT, said the Internet is becoming an engine of economic growth and is expected to contribute over $100 billion to India's GDP by 2015. "I am happy to note that due to initiatives such as these, small and medium businesses are embracing the Internet to increase their competitiveness. I would like to congratulate all these businesses from Chandni Chowk who got a website from Google's initiative and hope that many more businesses will adopt the Internet."
Google India has also launched a portal, www.chandnichowknowonline.in, which will act as a directory for the all the businesses that have been put online as part of the drive. The Chandni Chowk market was built in the 17th century and some of the businesses there have been operating for over 100 years.
Mozilla Details Progress of Firefox in 2012 (Infographic)
Firefox as a browser has seen some major
updates in 2012 and all of them were for the better. In 2012, the
browser shipped in 89 languages and passed 3 billion Firefox Add-ons
downloaded. It is safe to say that the browser has become better than
what it was a year ago.
2012 also saw the launch of a new
version of Firefox for Android. The browser is compatible with more than
250 million Android devices. Firefox for Android has support for
Android ARMv6 phones with at least an 800MHz processor and a minimum of
512MB of available RAM. The Android version of Firefox of course has stiff competition from
Chrome, which has become the default browser from Android 4.1 Jelly
Bean.
Nokia Lumia 505 Now Official, Runs Windows Phone 7.8
Nokia’s Lumia 505, spotted earlier was recently officially announced in Mexico. It looks quite similar to the Lumia 800, but and there are a few key differences between the two.
Features of Nokia Lumia 505
- 3.7-inch AMOLED clear black display of WVGA(800x480 pixels) resolution and runs Windows Phone 7.8 right out of the box.
- 8 megapixel EDOF camera with autofocus
- 800MHz Snapdragon S1 processor.
- Connectivity it supports 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and GPS/A-GPS.
- 4GB of internal storage, expandable memory via a microSD card and 256MB of RAM.
- 1,300 mAh battery.
The Nokia Lumia 505 will come in Black, Pink and Red colors and it will be heading to Telcel in Mexico. It is still unclear whether the device will launch in other regions. The pricing and availability is yet to be announced.
More than 14,000 Indian Sites Hacked Till Oct. 2012
Cybercriminals have gone on a rampage.
According to data revealed by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (
CERT-In), more than 14,000 websites were hacked till October this year, a
sharp increase of 57 percent from 2009.
The CERT-In data says in 2009 the number
of attacks was 9,180, it rose to 14,232 in 2011 and in the first 10
months of this year itself has surpassed the 14,300-mark, 14,392 to be
precise. In 2010, about 16,126 websites were hacked in 2010.
The numbers are however lesser than 308
sites hacked last year (till October). A total number of 201 and 303
government sites were hacked till October in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
During May-June, 2012, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
were launched against a number of government websites by various hacker
groups. A DDoS attack is an attempt to make a machine or network
resource unavailable to its intended users. The CERT-In figures come days after Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora revealed in the Parliament that about 294 websites of various government departments and ministries were attacked by hackers during the period between January-October 2012.
Recently, Anonymous took down BSNL's website to protest against controversial Section 66A of the IT Act, 2000. Even Kapil Sibal's website had suffered cyber attack recently.
Lava Xolo A800 Available Online in India, for Rs. 11,999
The recently revealed Lava Xolo A800, is
now available online in India, listed at such online retailers as
Infibeam.com, for Rs. 11,999.
Features of Lava Xolo A800
- Dual-SIM Android device
- Supports both GSM and CDMA networks
- 4.5-inch IPS LCD
display with a resolution of 960x540 pixels
- 1GHz dual-core MediaTek processor
- Android 4.0 ICS
- 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash, along with a
front-facing VGA camera
- 1,600mAh battery that will
deliver roughly 5.8 hours talktime on 2G networks, and 7 hours of video
playback time.
- 4GB of built-in
storage with microSD card slot expandability, 512MB of RAM
- 3G/Bluetooth/GPS with A-GPS/USB 2.0/Wi-Fi connectivity
Google Zeitgeist: What Did India Search For In 2012?
Google's Zeitgeist 2012 list for India reveals IBPS, Gate Exams, Sunny Leone and Ek Tha Tiger are among top five Google India searches during this year. The top 10 list also includes CBSE, Rajesh Khanna, Aakash Tablet, HDFC and Jabong.
Actress Sunny Leone tops the list of
most searched people on Google India. Leone has been extensively covered
by the Indian media, especially during the release of Jism 2 movie.
Late actor Rajesh Khanna ranks second on the list. The legendary actor,
also dubbed as the first superstar of Bollywood, passed away this year.
The demise of the actor saw the entire country mourning with a lot of
people searching for his old songs, interviews and movies on the web.
On the third position is Poonam Pandey,
the controversial model who shot to fame during the 2011 World Cup when
she announced she would strip for the Indian cricket team if they won
the tournament. Pandey has been quite active on Twitter this year and
made it to news often for her bold pics and statements. The list also
includes the likes of Alia Bhatt, Nirmal Baba, Sherlyn Chopra, Yash
Chopra, Saif Ali Khan, Diana Penty and Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Salman Khan's Ek Tha Tiger is the most
searched movie in 2012 followed by Akshay Kumar's Rowdy Rathore. The
list also includes Jannat 2, Housefull 2, Raaz 3, Jism 2, Barfi,
Ishaqzaade, Agent Vinod and Vicky Donor.
Google's Zeitgeist list also includes what news were most searched this
year. Sensex, Vilasrao Deshmukh Death, Hurricane Sandy, Anna Hazare and Assem Trivedi
cartoons are top searched news terms n 2012. The list also includes
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kingfisher Airlines, Earthquake in Chennai,
Pranab Mukharjee President and Rajesh Khanna Death. The top 10 searched travel destinations
are Kerala, Taj Mahal, Wagah Border, Vaishno Devi, Amarnath, Kashmir,
Shirdi, Rameshwaram Temple, Munnar and Gateway Of India. The top 10
searched Indian cities are Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune,
Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Jaipur and Goa.
Tag :
google
Anonymous Defaces BSNL's Site, Demands Withdrawal of Section 66A of IT Act
Hacker group Anonymous India has struck
BSNL's website, demanding withdrawal of the controversial Section 66A of
the IT Act, 2000 and expressing support for activist Aseem Trivedi who
is on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, Delhi for the same
demand. BSNL's site – www.bsnl.co.in – is inaccessible at the time of
publication, though reports claim the site was restored last night.
Activist Trivedi confirmed Anonymous
had contacted him yesterday afternoon to inform him about defacing
BSNL's site. Anonymous also leaked passwords and database of the
state-run telecom operator. A cached version of the BSNL's home page featured an image of activist Trivedi with texts that read, "Hacked by Anonymous India. Later Anonymous India confirmed in a Twitter post on Thursday, it had hacked BSNL's site and leaked company passwords and database on Pastebin. "Anonymous India demands the withdrawal of Section 66A of the IT Act," the post said.
Attack on BSNL's site comes days after Anonymous took down official website of Union minister Kapil Sibal.
Claiming the responsibility of hacking Sibal's website, Anonymous on
its Twitter account said: "He (Sibal) had used the words 'Victims of
freedom of Expression'. He is hiding the fact that #66A is breaking the
internet media." This is not the first time Anonymous has targeted the government websites. Earlier this year, the self-proclaimed hactivists took down various government sites to oppose the move to ban file sharing and streaming websites such as PirateBay and Vimeo.
Apple Updates iTunes to 11.0.1, Fixes iCloud and Airplay Issues
Apple has released an update for iTunes,
version 11.0.1. The update brings with it a bunch of bug fixes as well
as the ability for a user to displaying duplicate songs.
Apart from recognizing duplicate songs,
the update fixes an issue where new purchases in iCloud may not appear
in users library if iTunes Match is turned on. The update also makes
iTunes more responsive when searching a large library. It also fixes a
problem where the AirPlay button may not appear as expected and
important stability and performance improvements
Recently, we reported
that in iTunes 11 lacked the ability to search for duplicate songs, a
feature that was present in the previous iteration of the app. After a very long wait, the iTunes store
is finally active in India where users can purchase music and movies.
The iTunes store is littered with a plethora of Bollywood content. We’ve also listed five cool features of the of Apple’s latest media
app, iTunes 11. If you haven’t checked out iTunes 11, you can download it for Mac and Windows here.
Cisco Report: Indian Gen Y Obsessively Connected to Smartphone
An annual survey conducted in several
countries around the world which tries to point towards emerging global
digital trends, this is the third such Cisco Connected World Technology
Report or CCWTR to point at interesting global technology trends,
especially about Gen Y. The survey was conducted by
InsightExpress of 1,800 college students and young professionals aged 18
to 30, across 18 countries, Cisco
said. The report examines how Generation Y uses the Internet and mobile
devices to connect with the world around them. Let’s look at the
findings in greater detail.
Connected or addicted?
India ranks ahead of the rest of the
world when it comes to their Gen Y’s addiction to technology and smart
devices. While globally, 60 per cent of Gen Y subconsciously or
compulsively checking their smartphones for emails, texts or social
media updates, 70 per cent of respondents in India compulsively check
their smartphones for updates. Of those, 42 per cent said they would
feel anxious if they couldn't check their smartphones and 71 per cent
wish they didn’t feel so compelled, but they like to stay connected.
The Cisco survey claims that 9 of 10
respondents globally get dressed, brush their teeth, and check their
smartphones as part of their morning ritual. In India, the number is
higher: 96 percent of those who have smartphones will check for updates
as part of the morning routine. The survey also states that women (85
per cent) are more addicted to compulsively checking their smartphones
for updates than men (63 per cent).
Gen Y’s online shopping habits
- Nine out of 10 Gen Y respondents surveyed globally said they engage in online shopping. While in India, 84 per cent of respondents shop online.
- Nearly three out of five (58 per cent) report they regularly rely on customer reviews when deciding on online purchases; an additional 28 percent consult online reviews occasionally. In India, a total of 93 per cent of respondents rely on customer reviews for online shopping.
- 57 percent of Gen Y are willing to share their email address with stores and online sites in order to receive notices about discounts and sales. In India, the number is significantly higher at 93 percent, but they are wary of sharing much more than that – few are willing to share phone numbers, home address or other personal data.
Google Maps For iOS 6 Now Available, Brings Voice Navigation
Apple had decided to remove the Google map app, along with YouTube,
potentially over the spat between the two companies. Apple Maps
promised users turn-by-turn navigation with voice, something that
Google’s app was lacking. However, when Apple Maps made it to the users,
it was, to put it nicely, a fiasco. Incorrect directions, horribly
disfigured 3D views of buildings and roads, not to mention, Apple Maps'
complete inability to map anything in India.
Google Maps
also brings with it not just its pin-point-accurate mapping, but also
voice guided turn-by-turn directions, the one feature Apple has said
Google lacked. There is also StreetView, which allows the user to see
detail rich panoramas of the streets one might be looking for. Download Google Maps for iOS 6 here.
Google Updates Image Search Algorithm, Makes it Tougher to Find Porn
Google has updated its Image Search
algorithm in an attempt to make it difficult to browse explicit content
through the image results. The issue was first noted on Reddit when
a user pointed out that "as of the past two hours, Google images
safesearch is MANDATORY for US IP's." User also linked to a screen shot
of an image search for 'b***job', which didn't show pornographic images. In the Advanced Search section of Google Images, there is a SafeSearch option having two choices: Show most relevant results or filter explicit results."We've simplified SafeSearch settings on
image search and the new default behaves similarly to what most users
had as the default previously ('moderate').
According to the Internet giant, the
change brings Image Search settings in line with other settings for its
Web and Video searches. However, it's notable Google has been making
efforts to make Internet users' work easier with the web. CNET in its
report further says, “The idea behind products like the Knowledge Graph
and Google Now is that the company should bring you information with
the least amount of effort possible. With its new image search settings,
Google has identified one place where it wants users to work a bit
harder.”
Nokia India Unveils Asha 205 Dual-SIM Phone with Dedicated Facebook Button
Nokia has introduced yet another
Asha-series phone in India, the Asha 205. The device is priced at Rs.
3,499 and is slated to hit the store shelves on December 24, 2012.
The Nokia Asha 205 Features :
- 2.4-inch screen
with 240 x 320 pixels resolution
- 0.3MP camera and supports dual-SIM
with easy Swap.
- 64MB built-in storage and microSD card slot that
supports storage up to 32GB.
- Connectivity, the device supports
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with Slam, 2G, GPRS and EDGE.
- FM Radio with
RDS as well.
-1,020 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver maximum 2G
talk time 11 hours and music playback time of 30 hours.
The Asha 205
comes with a number of preloaded applications including Google Talk,
Yahoo!, Facebook chat, Windows Live Messenger, eBuddy, Direct chat,
Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Nokia Mail, Direct Email, and 40 EA games.
“Young consumers are increasingly using Facebook for communication,
socializing and entertainment. The launch of the Nokia Asha 205 responds
to this growing demand and gives a unique option for consumers at an
affordable price point,” said Mr.Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia
India. “People who use Nokia Asha devices are hyper-social and we are
proud to partner with Facebook to improve the user experience further
with the introduction of the Facebook button.”
New BBM 7 Update Rolls Out; Users Can Now Make Calls via Wi-Fi
RIM had released new BBM voice calling feature
via the BBM v7 beta update last month. The update includes a slew of
new features including the ability to make voice calls to BBM contacts
via Wi-Fi. Now, RIM is rolling out the updated BBM 7 to all BlackBerry
users. BBM 7 is available now in BlackBerry App World
for devices running BlackBerry 6 OS and higher with support planned for
smartphones running the BlackBerry 5 OS early next year. The update may
take some time to appear in the app store.
BBM 7 also gives users notifications when there are updates to download
straight from within the app. The update includes BB ID Synchronization,
which means users can link BBM profile, Groups and Contacts with
BlackBerry ID. Also, there are new 16 emoticons. According to RIM,
about 90 percent of users who tried the beta said they would like to
use BBM Voice while travelling. Almost half of BBM's users have global
contacts, so the new feature will allow users to save time and money
when making international calls.
A Look at Great Online Shopping Festival, India's Own Version of Cyber Monday
The Great Online Shopping Festival is Google’s initiative to
bring the same Cyber Monday fever to the Indian consumer and kicks off
at midnight, December 12, 2012.
Google’s
brought every popular online retailer on the Indian e-commerce scene
onto one platform, to allow the Indian consumers to indulge in an online
shopping extravaganza. The concept comes from the Black Friday and
Cyber Monday sales that come after the Thanksgiving celebration, which
is always on a Thursday. It is a little ironic though, that after
spending a day being thankful for what they have, the people feel
compelled to lineup at 3 in the morning for Black Friday Deals. The USA
has had a track record of a number of deaths occurring due to
overzealous shoppers looking for that extra percent off on their
favorite garment. We found the same pattern across many tech categories like cellphones,
hard drives, laptops etc. However, sellers like eBay and SnapDeal will
only reveal their deals once the festival has officially kicked off at
midnight tonight. Some sites such as are offering discount codes that
would apply to any purchase made on their site, along with discounted
prices on certain items.
Twitter's New Facebook-Inspired Profile Design to Go Live Tomorrow
Twitter had announced new look for its profile pages. The new look seems highly inspired by Facebook's Timeline cover photos. The update was then only available to a small number of users though. Now the micro-blogging site is rolling out the changed design to all users, globally.
Twitter has
announced the updated profile will be available to all users on
December 12. Users will get to add a larger header image across the top
of the page, along with smaller inset image in the center. If users
choose not to upload a header photo, user and everyone else will only
see a default grey image on the profile page.
The roll-out of the new design comes amid ongoing tussle between Twitter and Facebook-owned Instagram. Shortly after Instagram disabled photo support for Twitter, the micro-blogging site announced its own photo filters for users.
Microsoft Updates Bing, Adds New Categories in Snapshot
Microsoft has updated its Bing search
engine, adding direct results for famous people and places in its
snapshot sidebar. The new feature is considered to be Microsoft's
response to Google's integration of Knowledge Graph with Search. The
Knowledge Graph is the sidebar on the search that provides direct
relevant information about searches for famous people, places or things.
Bing has had the snapshot feature for
quite some time. But with the update, snapshot shows more contextual
information about people and places. Microsoft's Bing update is actually quite very similar to Google's Knowledge Graph.
The snapshot bar, part of Bing's three-column search product, shows
users relevant information about a person or place, without requiring
them to click a link.
For celebrity searches, Bing shows summary of information such as recent
movies, albums, and related celebrities, instead of a list of blue
links. You can watch movie trailers, listen to and purchase music, with
just one-click.
Iran Launches YouTube-Like Video-Sharing Site, Mehr
Iran has launched a video-sharing website called Mehr in a bid to provide local users an alternative government-approved Internet services. Mehr mainly focusses on Persian-speaking users and promoting Iranian culture, says the About Us page of the website.
The new website
comes at a time when the country is rumoured to be working on a
country-wide Intranet, which allows the local authorities to have
monitoring and restricting access to 'anti-Islamic' content. Iran had
blocked YouTube
since mid-2009 and deployed various filters to restrict Iranian's
access to websites it considered 'anti-government'. Facebook is also
banned in the country. In September this year, the Iranian
government blocked Google search and Gmail until further notice. The
government then announced it is working on a “domestic Internet
Network”, which it says will improve cyber security.
The Indian government has also time and again made efforts to control the Internet, social media in particular. According to Google's latest transparency report, India ranks second in the world for accessing private details of its citizens, only after the U.S.
Facebook Suffers Brief Outage after DNS Update
Facebook suffered a brief outage on
Monday as the social networking made a change to its DNS infrastructure.
A number of users were unable to reach out to the site due to the
change. Facebook has fully restored the service now. According to reports, mobile users, with
smartphone and tablet access, remain unaffected by the change. The
outage had created a bit of confusion as some Facebook
users reported that the site worked fine, while many others reported it
was not inaccessible. Turned out that the mobile site was working fine,
while attempts to access Facebook via a desktop browser resulted in
error. The outage continued for about half an hour.
In the meanwhile, Facebook has released a statement on the issue.
“Earlier today we made a change to our DNS infrastructure and that
change resulted in some people being temporarily unable to reach the
site. We detected and resolved the issue quickly, and we are now back to
100 percent. We apologize for any inconvenience,” says Facebook in the
statement.
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IBM Researchers Develop Feasible Silicon Nanophotonics Chip
Researchers at IBM have published a
paper at the IEEE's International Electron Devices Meeting, showcasing a
feasible method to embed optical data links into power-efficient 90nm
silicon microchips, capable of data rates of 25Gbps. The IBM silicon nano-photonic chip
has both regular (electrical) and optical data connections, with the
latter theoretically providing a boost in data transfer speeds and
distances, as well as a reduction in power consumption.
An excerpt from the paper presented at the IEEE IEDM event describes the technology:
The first sub-100nm technology that allows the monolithic integration of optical modulators and germanium photodetectors as features into a current 90nm base high-performance logic technology node is demonstrated. The resulting 90nm CMOS-integrated Nano-Photonics technology node is optimized for analog functionality to yield power efficient single-die multichannel wavelength-mulitplexed 25Gbps transceivers.
The photonics
researchers say they can use multiple methods for sending and receiving
data using pulses of light, including wavelength division multiplexing,
which allows for separate recognition of multiple frequencies of light,
thereby upping the data transfer rate on a single node. Current speeds of 25Gbps with the prototype connection can reasonably be
expected to improve, with improvements in associated technologies and
applied parallelism. IBM’s research into the subject was to find
feasible methods of bypassing Moore’s Law, with current day technology.
