Archive for November 2013
5 Reasons Why the Nexus 5 Should be Your Next Phone
Google, which has been on a roll lately making some great hardware, likes to release its own take on Android once a year with a new phone in its Nexus line of devices. This year's phone is called the Nexus 5, which like last year's Nexus 4 was developed in collaboration with LG.
1. Great Hardware
The smartphone has a 4.95-inch True HD IPS Plus display with a 1920x1080 pixel resolution giving it a pixel density of 445ppi. Under the hood, a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM powers the device. The rear of the smartphone has an 8MP camera with OIS and the front has a 1.3MP camera. A 2300mAh battery powers the smartphone. The device is available in two storage variants – 16GB and 32GB. This is a bump up when compared to the Nexus 4, which came with 8GB and 16GB built-in storage. All the flagship smartphones available today offer some killer hardware and the Nexus 5 stands tall bringing the same hardware that is powering the LG G2. Sure, the battery is a mere 2300mAh but we think it can get the job done to last through a day at least.
2. Android Kitkat 4.4
The prime reason why anyone would pick up a Nexus device is the vanilla Android experience. The smartphone runs on Android 4.4 KitKat straight out of the box and keeping Google’s policies in mind, the smartphone will receive all major Google OS updates for the next 18 month. iOS may roll out its updates globally on day one, but this is usually faced with download errors and other issues. The Android 4.4 KitKat update is available for the Nexus 4 and it will take a few days to hit Nexus devices in India but when it does, the roll out will be very smooth. If you want to be the first to receive the Android updates, then the Nexus 5 should definitely be your weapon of choice.
If you are someone who likes skins overlaying the OS, the Play store has a large number of paid and free skins and themes to choose from.
3. Price
The 16GB Nexus 5 is priced at Rs. 28,999 and the 32GB Nexus 5 is priced at Rs. 32,999. Let's put this into perspective. The 16GB iPhone 5S is priced at Rs. 53,500. The LG G2 is priced at Rs. 40,490 for the 16GB variant and Rs. 43,490 for the 32GB variant. The 16GB Samsung Galaxy S4 is priced at Rs. 38,999 and the HTC One is selling for Rs. 46,999 for the 32GB variant. The Sony Xperia Z1 is priced at Rs. 38700. The G2, Z1 and the S4 boast of expandable storage.
4. Display
The 5-inch 1080p display of the smartphone has a True HD IPS+ panel and a pixel density of 445 ppi. On paper, the display is the same as the LG G2 and the G2 has a display to die for. It has great viewing angles, is very vibrant and vivid. Put simply, it’s one of the best displays we have seen on a smartphone. The same was the case with the Nexus 4 and the LG Optimus G (the Optimus G was used as a reference for the Nexus 4). The Optimus G had an incredible display but the same wasn’t translated to the Nexus 4. Even if the case is the same with the Nexus 5, you still get a great display on the smartphone.
5. Build
One of the biggest pros and cons with the Nexus 4 was the build of the smartphone. Taking elements from the iPhone 4, the Nexus 4 had a glass back that made the smartphone look really sexy. The downside was that one drop and the rear glass panel would break.
'News in Shorts' News App Now Available on Play Store
An Indian start-up 'News in Shorts' has launched an app for Android, that can deliver news articles in 60 words sharp.
The app's interface displays an image, a headline and the article, and the next item can be accessed simply by swiping across the screen. There is also an option to customize the interface by choosing a preferred category of news by a drop down menu. You can also read the full article by signing up, save an article for later and select what order you want the news to be. The sign-up process is also hassle free, just do it via your Facebook account.
Samsung Adds SMS and MMS Support to ChatOn for Android
Korean giant Samsung's ChatON messaging app has received an update that adds both SMS and MMS support for Samsung devices on Android 4.0 and above. The update is available on the Play Store and on Samsung Apps. Samsung has followed Google's footsteps and has launched the SMS and MMS service on its ChatOn messenger. The new update will allow users to view text messages along with those sent over the Internet in a combined chat list.
Google recently added the option to view SMS on a device via the Hangouts app, a much requested feature by Android users. However the service has got mixed reactions from users since Google made it the default approach in Android Kitkat 4.4. Facebook has also removed SMS service from its messaging service that it just launched a few weeks back due to negative feedback from users.
The new feature is only available in
Brazil and Germany for now, but it will be launched in other markets
soon. Samsung mentions that the service works well with Samsung Note II,
Note 3, Galaxy S III and S4 devices. Samsung ChatOn messaging service crossed the 100 million user mark
in September. The service is available in 237 different countries and
offers support in 63 different languages across the world.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Coming to iOS and Android in December
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is all set to make its debut on Android and iOS. The game will launch for the mobile platform next month. There is no information on an actual launch date or price for the game.
On its official website, Rockstar games
says, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has been upgraded for its mobile
release. Newly remastered graphics including dynamic and detailed
shadows, greater draw distance, an enriched color palette, plus enhanced
character and car models make this the best-looking version of San
Andreas yet.”
The game also features new touch controls including contextual control
options to display buttons only when you need them. The game will offer
players three different control schemes for driving and maneuvering. The
game also implements a reworked checkpoint system for easier
progression. Rockstar Games website goes on to say that Grand Theft
Auto: San Andreas for mobile also comes with full controller support,
including Made for iOS controller capability on iOS7. It will be
available for select iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle and Windows Mobile
devices.
An Introduction to Bitcoin & More About it
Bitcoin is an open source peer-to-peer electronic money and payment network introduced in 2009 by pseudonymous developer "Satoshi Nakamoto".Bitcoin has been called a cryptocurrency because it uses cryptography to secure transactions. Digitally signed payment messages are broadcast to and verified by a decentralized network. Specialized computers use a proof-of-work system to prevent double-spending, a problem for digital currencies. The operators of these computers, known as "miners", are rewarded with transaction fees and newly minted Bitcoins.
Bitcoins are stored by associating them with addresses called "wallets". Wallets can be stored on web services, on local hardware like PCs and mobile devices, or on paper print-outs. Thefts of bitcoins from web services and online wallets have been covered in the media, prompting assertions that the safest way to store bitcoins is in a paper wallet generated on an uncompromised computer.
In 2012, The Economist reasoned that Bitcoin has been popular because of "its role in dodgy online markets", and in 2013 the FBI shut down one such service, Silk Road, which specialized in illegal drugs (whereupon the FBI came into the control of approximately 1.5% of all bitcoins in circulation). However, bitcoins are increasingly used as payment for legitimate products and services, and merchants have an incentive to accept the currency because transaction fees are lower than the 2 to 3% typically imposed by credit card processors. Notable vendors include OkCupid, Reddit, WordPress, and Chinese Internet giant Baidu.
How Bitcoin Works :
Things you need to know about Bitcoins :
- What is Bitcoin? It is a digital currency that is created and exchanged independently of any government or bank. The currency is generated through a computer program and can be converted into cash after being deposited into virtual wallets.
- When Bitcoin was launched? In 2008, a programmer known as Satoshi Nakamoto - a name believed to be an alias - posted a paper outlining Bitcoin's design and later in 2009 released software that can be used to exchange Bitcoins using the scheme. That software is now maintained by an open-source community coordinated by developers.
- How does Bitcoin work? It exists through an open-source software program and its supply is controlled by a computer algorithm. Once you download and run the Bitcoin client software, it connects over the Internet to the decentralized network of all Bitcoin users and also generates a pair of unique, mathematically linked keys, which you'll need to exchange Bitcoins with any other client. One key is private and kept hidden on your computer. The other is public and a version of it dubbed a Bitcoin address is given to other people so they can send you Bitcoins.
- How Bitcoins are generated? The process of generating Bitcoins is quite complicated and involves solving complex algorithms and sharing the solution with the entire network. The "mining" is very computationally intensive and requires powerful computers.
- How to transfer Bitcoins: When you perform a transaction, your Bitcoin software performs a mathematical operation to combine the other party's public key and your own private key with the amount of Bitcoins that you want to transfer. The result of that operation is then sent out across the distributed Bitcoin network so the transaction can be verified by Bitcoin software clients not involved in the transfer.
- How to trade Bitcoins: Exchanges like Mt. Gox provide a place for people to trade Bitcoins for other types of currency. Payments to a merchant who accepts Bitcoins are made from the wallet application, either on your computer or smartphone, by entering the recipient's address, the payment amount.
- Who controls the Bitcoin network: It is controlled by all Bitcoin users around the world. While developers improve the software, they can't force a change in the Bitcoin protocol because the virtual currency can only work correctly only if there is a consensus among all users.
-
Bitcom transactions: At the end of August 2013, the value of all
Bitcoins in circulation exceeded $1.5 billion with millions of dollars
worth of Bitcoins exchanged daily, according to Bitcom website.
Bitcoin, the virtual currency gaining ground around the world, has crossed $1000 for the first time in history. On Mt Gox, the world’s biggest Bitcoin exchange, the price is $1,080 as of this writing. The average price on other exchanges is close to $1000, but is hovering around the $990 mark as of this writing. The total Bitcoin market is estimated to be around $11 billion at the current value. CoinMonk, an Indian website aimed at creating awareness for the currency has put Bitcoin’s value at around $1077.
Google Aims to Get 50 Million Indian Women Online by 2015
Google India plans to get 50 million women in the country using the Internet within one year. The company has launched a new initiative that aims to bridge the gender digital divide by providing women with easier access to technology.
The "Helping women get online" initiative is largely centred around its website www.hwgo.com, which provides step-by-step information - in both Hindi and English - on the basics of how to use a computer and access the Web. The initiative involves setting up easy Internet access points for women across the country and a toll-free helpline, 1-800-419-9977, to guide new users. Google India said its first priority was to create awareness about the benefits of the Internet for women through a mass media campaign.
"Lack of easy access to Internet, lack of knowledge on how to use the Internet and its relevance in their daily lives are the biggest barriers for women to get online. 'Helping women get online' is an initiative that aims to overcome these barriers and empower women to improve their lives," Google India's Managing Director Rajan Anandan said in a statement on Wednesday.
With more than 200 million Internet users in the country and growing, India is set to overtake the United States as the world's second largest market after China. Yet only one-third of India's online users are women.
Monday, 25 November 2013
Posted by Unknown
Microsoft's Xbox One Sales Cross One Million Mark in less than 24 hours
Microsoft released a PR today, revealing the company has sold 1 million Xbox One consoles in less than 24 hours of its launch, making a new record of best day one console sales of the company. Sales mark a pretty decent start for the Xbox One, far better than the Xbox 360 sales that were recorded to be only 330,000 during its first month. Xbox One sales, in just 24 hours, are three times as much as Microsoft managed to sell Xbox 360 in its first month.
The challenges and criticism Microsoft faced after announcing the Xbox One made it look like the console would not be able to pay off Microsoft for its efforts, well that has just been proven wrong with stock running out in major local stores after the Xbox One sales hit 1 million in the first day. Yet still, Microsoft should not start rejoicing the success of Xbox One, this is only the beginning and if compared to the Sony’s PlayStation 4 launch, Microsoft’s beginning is not much satisfactory.
Customer response to both the consoles on launch day has been quite great. Both Microsoft and Sony went well with their expectations from their next-gen console, having a matching sale of 1 million in only 24 hours. However, Microsoft again did it with launching the console in over 13 countries where as Sony achieved the score last Friday by just launching the console in two countries. Xbox One launched in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the U.K., U.S. and New Zealand. While only the U.S. and Canada got PlayStation 4 before the rest of the world.
Sony said it sold 1 million PS4 units in 24 hours after launching last Friday in just the United States and Canada. The PS4 expands to other regions, including Europe, Australia and South America, from November 29. It then hits Japan in February.
Google Play Newsstand App Launched
Google combines its current and Play
magazines into a Newsstand app for Android users. The app combines
subscriptions from newspapers, magazines with content from blogs and
other sources. Google
Play Newsstand app includes both paid subscriptions and Flipboard-like
newsreader content in a card view. Once the user opens Newsstand, the
app takes you to "Read Now," that has breaking news, trending articles
from publications that you follow. and other items that Newsstand thinks
you will enjoy based on your reading history.
Each article in the Google Newsstand
gets automatically tagged with a single subject "Android" or any other
topic. By tapping on the tag users can access all the recent articles on
that subject. Users can subscribe to tags with a single tap and
everything tagged by your will be displayed under "My News."
Newsstand brings to you to articles and
stories from some of the world’s top newspapers like The Financial
Times, The Australian, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal as
well as popular magazines like The Economist, The New Yorker and
pouplar blogs like TMZ and The Verge.
"With the swipe of a finger, you can browse full length articles, with
beautiful images, audio and video right inside the app. You can access
these articles even when you're offline or bookmark them to read later,"
said Google in a blog post about the app.
Now Send Encrypted Messages From Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft announced today that it is releasing Office 365 Message Encryption, a new service that will let you send encrypted emails to anyone outside your company, in the first quarter of 2014.
This means that no matter the end destination of your email being sent via Office 365, Microsoft is adding another level of protection against unauthorized access. This would come in useful for sensitive communications, such as a bank sending credit card statements to their customers or a mortgage broker asking clients for financial information.
Encrypted email messages to anyone isn’t a new feature for Microsoft. The previous incarnation of Office 365 Message Encryption used to be Exchange Hosted Encryption, a paid-for service for users to encrypt email without complicated hardware and software. However, Microsoft has made
improvements to Office 365 Message Encryption, making it much easier to use than EHE, and adding features such as the ability to apply your company’s branding to encrypted messages.
Here’s how Office 365′s new encryption will work. Simply select the action to apply or remove encryption for whatever types of messages in the Exchange admin center, and the outgoing message will get encrypted before it is delivered to the outside mail server.
Traffline Smartphone App Launched, Gives Real Time Info about Traffic Jams in India
Two Mumbai based entrepreneurs have
launched a new smartphone app called Traffline. The app gives
information about traffic jams and the best possible routes to make life
easier for commuters in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. The app is
available for Blackberry, Android and iOS users.
Commuters can also report accidents, stalled vehicles or processions on various routes and get points for contributing correct information. Registered users can later redeem the points through various schemes. The app also gives you quick access to traffic police's helpline. Users can also share their location with their friends on social media or through instant messengers if they need help via the Traffline app.
Brijraj Vaghani, founder of the start-up stated at the launch, "Traffline aims at helping motorists save on time wasted in traffic jams. Users can look up information like vehicular movement around the area they are based, estimated travel time between two locations, choice of best route available and a call centre for help. The information is in the form of a map, text and audio."
Posted by Unknown
Samsung Ordered to Pay Apple $290 Million Over Patent Dispute
It appears the jury has finally reached a verdict in the Apple, Samsung feud over patent infringements, and decided that Samsung should pay Apple over $290 million for violating patents, slightly less than the $380 million Apple had requested.
According to a jury verdict form, the total amount comes to $290,456,793, which is a massive drop from more than $450 million figure that Koh reached. Though, certainly not the kind of number Samsung was hoping for. Apple was targetting an amount of $380 million out the retrial, while Samsung was hoping it could get away with a mere $52 million.
The fact that the jury reached a verdict this week, was a bit of surprise, as it seems they had other priorities. The Verge reports that " they (the jury) had been recently engaging in a back and forth over their lunch menu", not the kind of attitude you would expect from a jury close to wrapping things up. That's not all, before coming out to read the verdict, one of the jury's last request was that they be provided with an artist's depiction of them in the courtroom, apparently trying to make the most of the situation.
Finally, after a 30 minute review, the jury got back to discuss their thoughts. While Samsung had no objections, Apple reportedly was cribbing over a mere two dollars. Finally both sides agreed not to dispute over the amount, and the jury was dismissed for the day. In a recent update, Apple has commented on the verdict,"For Apple, this case has always been about more than patents and money," the statement reads. "It has been about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love. While it's impossible to put a price tag on those values, we are grateful to the jury for showing Samsung that copying has a cost."
Dropbox Adds AirDrop Support and an iOS 7-inspired Look
Popular cloud storage company Dropbox
has rolled out the latest version of its iOS app, and offers an improved
user interface for the iPad, with a complete new design for iOS 7 and
hints at new features coming soon. The new version of the app is
available in the Apple App Store.
The iOS app now has a redesigned icon
and supports Apple’s AirDrop feature, it allows links and files to be
shared over the air with nearby devices. The new interface includes iOS
7-style icons, and has white space and colors for a cleaner look. The
usual bug fixes were noted in the release. In addition to the revamp and
added AirDrop functionality, Dropbox adds that the new app offers
improved speed while loading photos or videos for on-device viewing.
The new iPad app lets users toggle
between full screen and a split screen setup. Apart from these new
features Dropbox has made an interesting comment that states that the
new app “a bit like a new beginning for Dropbox on iOS” and it ”sets the
stage for some exciting things to come.”
Google Launches Campaign to Help Women Get Online
Google India has launched the 'Helping
Women get Online' campaign. The initiative is aimed at encouraging women
in the country use the online medium more effectively.
Google states that lack of easy access
to Internet as well as lack of knowledge on how to use the Internet has
been one of the biggest barriers for women to get online. At present,
India has over 200 million internet users, but only one third of these
are women. The initiative will help 50 million additional women get
online by end of 2014 by undertaking various projects across India.
Google has launched a mass media
campaign and a specially designed website www.hwgo.com as a first step
in the initiative. The site will have content covering the very basics
of Internet and special content that is relevant for women in India,
available both in Hindi and English languages. Women can also access a
toll free helpline number 1800 41 999 77 to get answers for any queries
that they may have about the Internet. The initiative is being supported
by Intel, HUL and Axis Bank. Intel will also launch a mobile app called
“Easy Step” for women on the Google playstore.
Winamp to Shut Down
After “whooping the llama’s ass” for 16 years, Winamp, the popular desktop music player will be shutting down. AOL has announced that it will be closing down Winamp (and its related services) on December 20, following which, the software will be unavailable to download from official websites.
However, since Winamp is primarily an offline software, you can continue to use it, just make sure you download
and keep a copy of the installer safely backed up and tucked away,
although I’m sure there will be a million sites out there from which you
could continue to download the installer, even if the official source
shuts down. Updates aren’t too big an issue since Winamp users are
accustomed to getting very rare updates, maybe once a year. However, the
death of official support could mean that Winamp users may be left out
in the cold if incompatibilities with any future versions of Windows
should arise. One way this could be dealt with is if the Winamp source
code is released, although considering AOL’s background, that seems
unlikely.
Winamp still remains one of the most
popular music players on desktops but ever since the advent of the iPod
and iTunes and the more recent emergence of streaming players like
Spotify, user share has dipped. In 2004, Nullsoft, the developer of
Winamp, was bought by AOL for $80 million. Even now, Winamp is said to
generate about $6 million of revenue annually for AOL, so the reason
behind the decision to shut it down remains a strange one.
Nexus 5, Nexus 7 2013 Now Officially Available in India
The long awaited Nexus 5 Android smartphone and the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet are finally officially available in India via the Google Play store. According to the website, the device is in stock and will leave the warehouse in 1 to 2 business days after an order is placed.
Specifications of the Nexus 5 Smartphone :
- The smartphone has a 4.95-inch True HD IPS Plus display with a 1920x1080 pixel resolution giving it a pixel density of 445ppi.
- A 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM powers the device.
- The rear of the smartphone has an 8MP camera with OIS and the front has a 1.3MP camera.
- A 2300mAh battery powers the device.
- The Nexus 5 runs on Google's latest mobile OS, Android 4.4 KitKat.
- The 16GB Nexus 5 is priced at Rs. 28,999 and the 32GB variant is priced at Rs. 32,999.
- A 7-inch display with a1920x1200 pixel resolution giving it a pixel density of 323ppi.
- It has a 5MP rear facing camera and a 1.2MP front facing camera for Hangouts.
- The Nexus 7 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz Krait processor, coupled with Adreno 320 GPU.
- 2GB of RAM.
- A 3950mAh battery powers the tablet.
- Coming to the Nexus 7 2013, the Wi-Fi only 16GB variant is priced at Rs. 20,999 and the 32GB Wi-Fi only is priced at Rs. 23,999. The 32GB LTE variant is priced at Rs. 27,999.
LinkedIn Announces Showcase Pages
LinkedIn has announced Scope Pages for companies, allows companies to highlight various aspects of their commerce and introduce to the territory. The property will be helpful to companies who poorness to amend customer involution and modify them into possible hires.
LinkedIn's Scope Pages instrument better part and presentation substance for specialised audiences. David Thacker, the company's evilness president of marketing solutions products, official that Container Pages are "wilful to learning the self way" as Set Pages. He extra that each complement can make up to 10 Scope Pages for atrip, but LinkedIn is hoping businesses faculty also pay to depute those pages with Traveler Ads and Sponsored Updates.
LinkedIn mentioned in its authorised journal base that Consort Industrialist administrator can easily create their fellowship Showcase Diplomat. Honours, the chief need to denote the commercialism areas that you status a Showcase Page on. Then the soul has to go to the "Edit" dropdown listing and superior "Create a Setting Diplomatist." After the diplomat is created, the executive can commence sharing acceptance and also observe the show of the Setting Tender through the consort's isolating tools.
LinkedIn has got beatific activity from big tech companies like Microsoft, Brick, Cisco and HP. Microsoft has created a writer convergent on Duty and one writer on Dynamics, spell Brick has created a author for its Generative Cloud flat of products and for its Marketing Darken.
Eric Schmidt: Indian Entrepreneurs Can Build the Next Google
Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt states that India's entrepreneurial innovators have the potential to build the 'next Google' if the country 'plays its cards right' and ensures Internet access for millions of its citizens. In an essay written in 'Reimagining India: Unlocking The Potential of Asia's Next Superpower' edited by global consulting firm McKinsey, Schmidt said that India is 'an Internet laggard'. He added that India needed to increase its Internet penetration in towns and cities to unleash the country's full potential.
"Just think what will happen when
India's entrepreneurial innovators are able to create great global
companies without leaving their country. They will change the world.
Hundreds of large firms focused on the Internet will be founded and will
succeed by focusing purely on Indian consumers, Indian taste, Indian
style, Indian sports.
"Can anyone of those companies ultimately become the next Google? Of course. That may not happen for quite a few
years. But if India plays its cards right, we will soon see Indian
engineers and small businesses tackling Indian problems first, then
exporting the solutions that work best," Schmidt said
India has approx 600 million mobile-phone users, but only 150 million
people regularly connect to the Internet. However India's Internet
penetration rate in 2011 was just 11 percent, which is less than a third
of China's penetration ratio of 38 % and less than half of those in
developing countries (24%).
Yahoo to Encrypt all User Data by 2014
CEO Marissa Mayer has announced the
company plans to have all of its internal server traffic encrypted by
the end of Q1 2014. The statement comes fter a recent report by the
Washington Post alleged that the NSA has been intercepting traffic
between Yahoo’s servers as a means of collecting data on its targets.
Marissa Mayer stated in a blog post on Tumblr, “As you know, there have
been a number of reports over the last six months about the U.S.
government secretly accessing user data without the knowledge of tech
companies, including Yahoo. I want to reiterate what we have said in the
past: Yahoo has never given access to our data centers to the NSA or to
any other government agency. Ever,” she said.
Yahoo also stated that they will also be
offering a chance to users to encrypt all of the traffic that they send
to or from the service using HTTPS by Q1 2014. Marissa announced in a
blog post the company will make Yahoo Mail even more secure by
introducing https (SSL - Secure Sockets Layer) encryption with a
2048-bit key across our network by January 8, 2014. Yahoo will be adding
the encryption across all Yahoo products as well as all mail partners.
Mayer also stated that NSA can not get any user information without the
company’s knowledge.
HTC One Max to Launch in India for Rs. 56,500
HTC has announced its new Android phablet, One Max, will be available in India next week, with a price tag of Rs. 56,500. The company will also be launching two new accessories - HTC Mini Plus (priced at Rs. 5,000) and Phone Finder (Rs. 2,500) - next week.
Specification of HTC ONE MAX :
HCL Shutting Down PC Manufacturing Business
Declining PC sales in the global market
has finally started to take a toll on the PC makers, who have already
been exploring new avenues with tablets and ultrabooks. PC maker HCL
Infosystems has announced it is phasing out its PC manufacturing
business – a move that is aimed to help the company better margins and
focus on the services and distribution.
"We will be stopping manufacturing. My
distribution today does lot of distribution of PCs of multiple brands...
We will be in PC distribution and in after-sales services but will not
manufacture HCL branded products some time in the future," HCL
Infosystems CEO and managing director Harsh Chitale is quoted as saying. PC makers shipped 76.3 million units in the first three months of 2013, which is a 13.9% decline over the same period in 2012. On possibilities of job cuts, Chitale points out less than 3% of
employees of HCL's 15,000-strong full-time employees are part of the
manufacturing vertical.
According to a TOI report, the PC
business contributes about 8%, which is around Rs. 1,000 crore, to the
company's overall revenues. With growing popularity of smartphones,
tablets and phablets, HCL's PC business had been under an immense
pressure. The Rupee's value against the Dollar and other currencies has
also hit the Indian PC market, considering the fact that about 90-95% of
the components are imported.
Posted by Unknown
Facebook Updates its Chat Feature
Facebook is currently testing a new
messaging feature that just not reveal friends are online at the same
time as you are, but also they are online via mobile or desktop version
of Facebook. The new feature shows friends' status as currently online
on “web” or “mobile.”
Microsoft Releases Office Remote App for Windows Phone
The app will allow you to control PowerPoint slides, work with Excel presentations by allowing you to switch between sheets by a simply swiping left to right and even jumping from one heading to the next in MS Word. The catch, however, is that this app is only available for Windows Phone devices, meaning the remote functionality is yours to wield only if you’re a Windows Phone loyalist. It doesn’t just stop there though. The Remote app will only work to control the x86/64 versions of Office 2013. So if you have an RT version of the suite running on your tablet, the app will not play with that.
Here’s a full list of things you can do with the Remote Office app for Windows Phone.
Word
Jump to headings
Jump to comments
Screen up/down
Line up/down
Change the zoom level
PowerPoint
Jump to the next, previous, and last slide
View slide thumbnails and jump to a slide
View speaker notes on phone
View presentation timer and slide numbers
Laser pointer using touch on your phone
Excel
Change worksheets by swiping
Use Slicers, PivotTable, and Filters
Jump to any named object in your workbook
Move up or down the worksheet
Change the zoom level
You can download the Office Remote app for Windows Phone from the Windows Phone Store for free. You will also need to install the add-in for Office on your PC by downloading it from Microsoft.
Jump to the next, previous, and last slide
View slide thumbnails and jump to a slide
View speaker notes on phone
View presentation timer and slide numbers
Laser pointer using touch on your phone
Excel
Change worksheets by swiping
Use Slicers, PivotTable, and Filters
Jump to any named object in your workbook
Move up or down the worksheet
Change the zoom level
You can download the Office Remote app for Windows Phone from the Windows Phone Store for free. You will also need to install the add-in for Office on your PC by downloading it from Microsoft.
India to Have Over 243 Million Internet Users by June 2014
The number of Internet users in India is expected to rise 18.53 percent in the coming eight months to reach 24.3 crore by June 2014, on the back of higher adoption of mobiles as a means to access the Internet, a report Wednesday said. India is also expected to overtake the US as the second largest Internet base in the world by the same time.
"The report estimates that by June 2014, India will have 243 million Internet users, at which point of time, it is expected to overtake the US as the second largest Internet base in the world," the I-Cube 2013 report, released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International said.
At present, China leads with more than 300 million Internet users while the US has an estimated 207 million Internet users. The report said Internet access from mobile devices will see huge growth in the coming years. The report said the number of mobile Internet users has witnessed a steady rise, with 11 crore users in October and is estimated to reach 13 crore by the end of December this year.
"Mobile Internet is going to be the next game changer for Internet in India." it added. "Mobile usage and hence, mobile Internet usage has seen huge jump from the 2012 penetration levels. Compared to the 0.4 percent mobile Internet users in 2012, the penetration has grown to 2.4 percent, indicating a substantial growth in the mobile Internet user penetration levels," the report said.
Of all the active Internet users, close to 90 percent use Internet for online communication and under this, e-mail communication commands the highest share of 78 percent. "Social Networking continues to be the rage with 75 percent of the users engaging in it actively while 69 percent use the Internet for entertainment," it said.
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Posted by Unknown
BlackBerry Updates BBM For Android and iOS
BlackBerry has released an update for
BBM, both for Android and iOS devices. This is a rather major update
that now allows users of Wi-Fi only devices like the Apple iPad and the
Apple iPod Touch, to install BBM on those.
The Android version of BBM gets BBM
Contact categories, the list sorting and filtering in BBM Groups, 'Tell
your friends’ feature to connect with friends on BBM and share your BBM
PIN and barcode on your social networks. The update also addresses
battery usage issues, and hopefully BBM will be even more judicious with
battery use. BBM has picked up rather well, with the app pretty much
scorching the charts on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App
Store in the first few days after the official release.
The iOS version also gets a relatively
similar set of new features and tweaks, but fixes additional issues like
contact names not showing properly, some language support problems and
the compatibility with Wi-Fi only devices. The update is now live on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, and can be downloaded directly over the air.
Google Axed 200 Million Search Results in 2013 Over Piracy Claims
Google has reportedly removed about 200 million search links from its platform in 2013 after they were found to be allegedly linked to pirated content.
Copyright holders have demanded that the search giant remove four times as many links to allegedly pirated content in 2013 as last year's 50 million.
A staff attorney focusing on intellectual property at the digital rights advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Mitch Stoltz said that the increase in takedowns isn't necessarily connected to an increase in piracy or pirated content online, Mashable reports.
Stoltz pointed that it is rather because entertainment lobbies have decided to ramp up their takedown notices and it is totally under control how many notices they send in a year. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Internet companies can avoid being held liable, and hence sued, if they remove content that rights holders say infringes on their copyrights.
Intex Launches New Range of DJ Speakers, Starting at Rs. 10,090
Intex Technologies has introduced a new
range of speakers, priced between Rs. 10,090 and Rs. 17,000. Intex says
its new speakers DJ 215K SUFBT, DJ 420K SUFBT, DJ 220K SUF and DJ 230K
SUF are designed to generate loud and powerful performance in indoor or
small outdoor surroundings.
Intex’s DJ 420K SUFBT, DJ 220K SUF, DJ
215K SUFBT and DJ 230K SUF speakers deliver a power output of 80W-120W.
The 10” & 8” speakers give a deep bass. The Bluetooth feature in DJ
420K SUFBT and DJ 215K SUFBT speakers ensure wireless music streaming. There's also option for AUX input and
USB/Micro SDCard. The speakers come with FM radio as well. The double
cordless mic in DJ 420K SUFBT, DJ 220K SUF and DJ 230K SUF amplifies the
sound experience.
Google India's Emotional New Ad Goes Viral
Google's marketing campaign in India seems to be paying off as their new ad titled 'Reunion', touches the heart by looking at the people affected by the partition, and has now gone viral. This is a great way for Google to reach out to the Indian populace and make them realise how the search engine can make a difference in both small and large ways.
Facebook Messenger Gets Phone Number Integration For iOS and Android
Facebook had announced that the phone company integrating with the Courier app was in limited beta investigating on iOS strongbox now. But, as of this salutation, you can download the updated Facebook Courier app on your iPhone or Automaton smartphone. This alternative now gives the app the added malleability of allowing you to substance your friends who are in your phone's contacts database, but not on Facebook.
The programme has been bestowed a makeover as intimately, with the labourer looking and a redesigned painting.
Understandably the pressing is now on Whatsapp, with Facebook Traveller also actuation in the contact for a pie of the fast messaging market. The modern IM ecosystem feature was already grappling push from the BlackBerry Traveller, which has seen a rather heady actuation freshly, and already supplementary statesman than 10 cardinal users on Robot uncomparable in the premier hebdomad of propulsion. Whatsapp currently has around 300 meg users, and numeration.
Facebook has emotional off from disagreeable to incorporate the grouping SMS as comfortably, at littlest on Humanoid, and instead focusses its tending on the larger IM soul number, including those who may somebody advisedly stayed forth from making a Facebook salience dirt now.
Android Crosses 80% Market Share, BlackBerry Declines by 41%: IDC
Google's Android OS has for the first
time ever, accounted for over 80 percent of all smartphone units shipped, according to International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide
Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
The total smartphone units shipped
during the third quarter of 2013 was 211.6 million, with Android
accounting for 81 percent of the total units shipped as the smartphone
segment saw a growth of 39.9 percent year over year in the third
quarter.
BlackBerry suffered a major setback recording the largest decline among
leading operating systems which saw a drop of over 41 percent, with
shipments falling to 4.5 million units.
In the meantime, Apple's iOS saw a decline in the market share in the
third quarter as total sales volume reached a record level. However,
things could brighten up once the figure from the new iOS7 devices are
taken into account for the next quarter.
Google Officially Announces Chrome 32 beta
Google has announced the release of Chrome 32 beta for Windows, Mac and Linux. It comes bundled with new features such as tab indicators, a fresh look for Windows 8 Metro mode, and automatic blocking of malware downloads. Finally, users will be warned about malicious malware files being downloaded. The browser will also automatically block malware files, letting you know in a message right in the bottom corner of the screen.
- The first feature will come in real handy as it can figure out which one of your tabs is making that annoying sound. Not only can you scan for the speaker icon to quickly detect that noisy tab, Chrome will also be able to indicate which tabs are currently using your webcam or are being cast to your TV. It will also let you know if a tab is accessing the webcam or connected to Google's Chromecast with display on a TV.
- The second feature is exclusive for Windows 8 users who browse Chrome in Metro mode. To sum it up, it's Chrome OS in Windows 8 - where you can manage multiple Chrome windows and launch Chrome Apps from an integrated app launcher.
Below is a list of the features that will show up in Chrome 32 Beta:
-Tab indicators for sound, webcam and casting.
-A new look for Win8 Metro mode.
-Automatically blocking malware files.
-A number of new apps/extension API's.
-Lots of changes for stability and performance.
Chrome 32 is scheduled for a release in January.
Teens Favour Messaging Apps Over Facebook: Report
Facebook admitted that it was a decrease in daily teen users, indicating that they are still on the site but not using it as much acebook is reportedly witnessing a decrease in its daily users, especially teens, who have started to prefer mobile messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat, over the social networking giant.
According to the Guardian, the mass exodus from the social networking giant is attributed to the coming of messaging apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and KakaoTalk, which host free instant messages through a phone's data connection.
Unlike Facebook, these apps promote dynamic real-time chatting with different groups of real-life friends, because one gets to connect with people who already exist in their phone book. WhatsApp, established in 2009, is the biggest messaging app in the world by users, with more than 350 million monthly active users globally, putting Twitter's 218 million users behind.
The report said that since apps like these shun advertising, provide a more private sharing space like in SnapChat, and some like Kakao Talk offer services other than simple messaging or photo sharing, which includes gaming and music sharing.
Yahoo Mail Gets New Multitasking Features
Yahoo launched its redesigned Yahoo Mail
a couple of months back and received a lot of flak for missing features
and bugs in the server. Now Yahoo has added a 'Recent View' feature to
its service that allows users to switch between emails, search results,
and drafts within the same browser.
The new feature was announced by Ratan Hudda, Director, Engineering, Yahoo in a blog post.
The Recent view feature is visible just under the Folders in the left
navigation of your inbox. The feature displays the users most recent
activities once he logs in the Yahoo Mail from his computer. Recent View
will display the messaging the user was composing, latest search and
recently opened mails.
Yahoo had launched its new look for Yahoo Mail
to celebrate its 16th birthday in September. The new design offers 1TB
storage to Yahoo's 800 million monthly active users. The service also
added a new range of features including collapsible toolbar and improved
management of threaded conversations. The Recent View feature will go a
long way in pacifying users who have been complaining about the
redesign. The features for now is available for Yahoo Mail's desktop
users only and no announcement has been made when the feature will be
launched for Yahoo! Mail's mobile apps.
Cyber Security Now a National Concern: ICERT
Indian Computer Exigency Greeting Team (ICERT) Manager Solon, Dr Gulshan Rai, expressed at a recent conference that due to accelerative machine and cyberspace employment, cyber attacks are multiplying. He supplemental that cyber surety is now decorous a person anxiety and the governance is winning initiatives for securing cyber interval.
Dr Gulshan Rai explicit that the nameless nature of cyberspace makes categorization and investigating complicated, which aids cyber attackers to use strategic, financial and individual guarantee content. DG, Rai additional that the cyber attacks by offensive organisations, and criminals are continuously on the jump, threatening businesses, governments and individuals.
Dr Rai explicit that the government has embezzled several steps to focussing on enhancing the cyber warrant capability of the IT fund in the land. Dr Gulshan Rai, Filmmaker Overall of Amerind Machine Crisis Salutation Squad (ICERT) he delivered a teaching on 'Cyber Instrument Danger Landscape, Initiatives taken by governing for Securing Cyber Place' on the archetypal day of the 73rd period converging of the Amerindic Academy of Sciences (IASc) at PU on Fri.
He stated, "Cyber attacks by dirty organisations, nations and criminals are on the ascend, along with gain in cases of threatening governments, activity and individuals by attempting to pull foul, financial, and domestic warranty content."
Microsoft Launches Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7
Microsoft has announced global
availability Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 users. The company will
begin begun automatically updating Windows 7 customers to IE11 in the
weeks ahead, starting with customers running the IE11 Developer and
Release Previews. Windows 7 Users, however, can manually download the
upgrade as well.
The IE 11 brings a host of new features
including improved performance, security, privacy, and reliability that
have already been available on Windows 8 platform for weeks. According
to Microsoft, the new browser loads about 9% faster than IE10 and 30%
faster than rival browsers, thanks to improved JavaScript performance.
“IE11 includes support for the
well-defined and commonly used features of the emerging ECMAScript 6
standard including let, const, Map, Set, and WeakMap, as well as
__proto__ for improved interoperability. IE11 also supports the
ECMAScript Internationalization API (version 1.0), which enables culture
aware sorting, number formatting, date and time formatting to be
performed efficiently in JavaScript without having to round-trip to the
server,” explains Microsoft in a blog post.
Microsoft has maintained its focus on
developers with increased support for 'modern' Web standards, as the
update comes with F12 developer tools and support for touch gestures as
well as its clutter-free Reading View for Internet Explorer.
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Posted by Unknown
Pedal Charge Your Laptop with a Cycling Generator
A US organization loyal, Pedal Land, has created two cycling generators, Big Rig and Note Genny, which expose electrical cause. The design generates sufficiency automobile superpower to impeach your laptop and helps you deplete calories too.
The fellowship stated that, The Note Genny is a movable, unique operate tool with an nonmandatory sit, but does not human a win layer. It features a flywheel for silky pedaling, an all-steel, hand-built articulate and full-size cranks. The manoeuvre can be used for generating electricity, pumping water, and can be easily configured to quality most any mechanical instrumentality requiring fewer than 1 horsepower.
The indorsement organisation called Big Rig is organized for off-grid applications and features a play layer, with an ergonomic position for pleasance and can neaten hurried adjustments for polar riders. It has a flywheel to silken pedaling, an all-steel hand-built underframe and comes with a countywide represent of wheelwork.
The band stated on its website that an norm individual can use it to create 100 theologist of electricity, operate an air compressor, a hydraulic pumps or any hand-cranked tool. The organisation has been plant to be suitable for elflike chip agricultural applications such as roiled butter, noise grains and pumping thing.
Mercedes Integrates Google Glass with Infotainment System
Mercedes-Benz, has finalized on an in-car infotainment system that has complete Google Glass integration. The automotive giant had been working on this integration since July this year, and Google Glass’s primary task in this setup will be to provide seamless navigation guidance, inside and outside the car. Additionally, Mercedes wants the driving experience to be made easier, with the information in the smartphone and tablets, made available to the driver without having to look away from the road.
With Google Glass deployed, the driver doesn’t have to juggle with multiple devices, even when accessing music, e-mail, GPS assisted navigation, real-time traffic info etc. However, Jungwirth is quick to point out, "We obviously don't want people using Google Glass when they drive."
SwiftKey Keyboard App v4.3 Released on Play Store
SwiftKey, Android keyboard app has been
launched on the Google Play Store for Rs. 99 for new users, and needs
Android v2.2 or higher. The company announced that the Google Play store
version is available as a free upgrade for SwiftKey users.
Mumbai Tops Indian Cities with Maximum Internet Users: IAMAI Report
According to a recent IAMAI (Internet
& Mobile Association of India) report,
Mumbai has the highest penetration of Internet users in India with more
than 12 million Internet users. The city has seen a growth of 45 percent
mainly driven by easy internet access through smartphones. Delhi comes in second with
8.1 million Internet users and Hyderabad third with 4.7 million Internet
users. Chennai is fourth with 4.5 million internet users and Kolkata
fifth with 4.4 million internet users in the country. Kolkata registered the highest growth of Internet users with 47 per cent
year-on-year growth, followed by Mumbai with 45 per cent y-o-y growth
and Bangalore with 43 percent y-o-y growth.
The report added that the growth in Internet users in metros like Mumbai
is driven by increasing access to the internet among lower income
groups, students and housewives. IAMAI conducted the survey on 77,000
households across 35 cities in India. The study focused on cities with
over one million (2001 census) population. The survey includes people
from all income groups, chosen randomly. India has become the third largest internet population
according to a recent comScore study. India has now more than 73.9
million internet users and has seen a y-o-y growth of 31% this year.
Facebook Redesigns Like and Share Buttons
Facebook has announced redesigning its
iconic Share and Like buttons. It's notable it is the first time “Like”
button is getting a change since its launch in 2010. Websites currently
using the Like button will be automatically upgraded to the new button.
The new design does away with the
“thumbs up” and includes F with the word “like” - f like. Facebook is
also working to pair like and share buttons in a single embed, hoping
that websites will include both.
Facebook says its Like and Share buttons are viewed more than 22
billions daily across more than 7.5 million websites, and are important
drivers of Facebook referral traffic, which is greater than all other
social networks combined.