Facebook Has No Plans to Launch in China
Jayne Leung, Facebook’s North Asia director, revealed during the Social Media Matters event in Hong Kong on Friday that the social network still has no plans to launch in China, according to The Next Web.
There have been rumors floating around that Facebook would enter China ever since 2007 when the company first registered the domain name Facebook.cn. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited China on vacation, fueling these speculations even more.
For Facebook, China represents an opportunity to vastly expand its user base. The country currently has more than half a billion Internet users, while Facebook is closing in on the 1 billion user mark. However, any plans to launch in the country have been complicated by the fact that the Chinese government has blocked access to Facebook since 2008. While some in China have found ways to get around this restriction, most have turned to other local social networks like Sina Weibo, which play by China’s censorship rules.
Microsoft Launches Windows Server 2012
Microsoft officially released Windows Server 2012 today. The new OS shares quite a few things with Windows 8 such as the kernel and the UI. Aside from the GUI, the main focus of Windows Server 2012, just like with its client counterpart Windows 8, is on the cloud. Microsoft, it seems, is jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon to capitalise on the trend. It should suffice to say that the latest version of Microsoft’s server OS takes a giant step forward when it comes to usability and features.
One of the main features of this operating system is the inclusion of PowerShell, which lets you control the server remotely through a command line. Server 2012 is the first version of Windows that lets you do that just like Unix-based servers do. It also enables you to pipe, or forward, the output of one process to the input of another process.
Windows Server 2012 also features a data-centre-friendly installation method called Server Core, which provides a way to install the OS over the network. Windows Server 2012 is available in four different editions to suit individual user requirements and cater to the wide base of Microsoft's followers. The pricing depends on which edition of Windows Server 2012 you are going for.
The Standard and Datacenter versions of Windows Server 2012 both support a larger number of storage, memory and processing power than Windows Server 2008 R2. Server 2012 has support for up to 320 CPU cores and up to 4TB of data storage space.
In addition to Standard and Datacenter, we have two limited-capability versions – Essentials and Foundation. Essential lets you run it on a machine with two sockets or in a virtual machine. Unlike the Standard or Datacenter versions, you can’t run Essentials on both hardware and virtual machines simultaneously. Foundation will be provided only via OEMs and will run only on single socket machines. Foundation doesn’t support virtualisation at all.
Idea Launches Cloud-Based 3G Dongle at Rs. 1,799
Idea Cellular has launched a new 'cloud-based' 3G dongle in India. According to Idea's official statement, the new 3G dongle offers Internet access, storage up to 2GB on the cloud, and Cloud Messenger - a cloud-based messenger service allowing free and unlimited communication between cloud users.
The device is capable of download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5.76 Mbps. Idea is offering free storage of up to 2GB for a period of one year. Users can simply plug in the dongle to use it, the dongle will automatically install the Idea software.
Idea says its new cloud dongle enables users to share pictures, music, videos and documents through the ‘Cloud Share’ option, syncing all the attached devices. Users of Idea dongle can also avail other cloud features such as data backup and easy recovery.
Google Maps for Android Gets "Voice Guided Navigation Feature"
GPS-based navigation services are highly popular among smartphone and tablet users across the world. Back in India, there are very few options for such navigation services. The new voice-guided GPS navigation feature comes shortly after Google updated its Maps, adding suggested routes and departure times for more than 1 million public transit stops across the world. Google also added indoor directions for navigation.
Google's voice-guided GPS navigation service is now available in India. The new feature enables travelers to get turn-by-turn GPS navigation to a destination on Google Maps through voice commands. So far, Google Maps only had passive navigation service. The feature is available as part of Google Maps for Android for free.
It's notable that Google's Maps with Navigation is in Beta phase right now. The updated Google Maps features detailed maps with 3D buildings, driving, public transit, biking, and walking directions, live traffic information, local search and business reviews. To download Google Maps with Navigation (Beta), click here.
Internet Subscriber Base in India Projected to Reach 150 million
The report points out that the growth will be driven by the youth with mobile phones becoming major point of Internet access for social networking and is changing the way users are now online. "Thanks to this trend, we see a huge spike in the frequency of Internet usage from a mere 28 per cent of the users in 2011 accessing Internet daily to 54 per cent users now," the report said.
As of June 2012, India has 137 million 'claimed Internet users', with rural areas having 38 million subscriber base. The urban India has about 99 million subscribers. Out of the 137 million claimed users, 111 million are active users, it added. The report points out that the number of active users is growing at a rate of 19 percent.
DoT Panel says Foreign Players Must Install Local Servers in India
A Department of Telecom (DoT) panel has proposed that foreign long-distance telephony players such as Verizon, AT&T, BT and Cable Wireless should set up local servers in India.
The draft report from DoT panel says foreign players should install a local remote access storage server in the country. The operators should also work to have a system where they can limit remote access to the network in India in case an emergency, suggests the panel report.
For the domestic operators and service providers that are long-distance arms of the telecom operators, the government has barred any transfer of account information of users (except in case of roaming) outside the country. They cannot share information about their infrastructure and network diagrams.
Nokia Lumia 920 Details Emerge: 8-MP Camera, Wireless Charging
Although the only details about the device were its name — Lumia 920 — and the fact that it has a 4.5-inch screen.
Now, The Verge has the scoop on the device’s other specifications. It’ll have a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, wireless charging capabilities, 1GB of RAM memory and 32GB of storage memory. Its camera will be marketed as PureView, although the megapixel count won’t even be close to the monster 41-megapixel sensor in Nokia 808 PureView (see pics below). Instead, the Lumia 920 will have an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3-megapixel one on the front.
The Lumia 920 will likely be launched in “late October or early November,” The Verge reports.
Windows 7 Overtakes Windows XP as the Most Popular OS
Windows 7 is now the world’s most popular desktop operating system, according to the August report from Net Applications.
In August, Windows 7 had a 42.76% market share, a fraction of a point more than Windows XP’s 42.52%. Windows Vista sits at third place with a 6.15% market share, followed by Mac OS X 10.7 and Mac OS X 10.6 with 2.45% and 2.38%, respectively.
All in all, older versions included, Microsoft controls some 92% of the market. It took three years for Windows 7 to become the world’s most popular OS. Microsoft’s desktop operating system, which was launched in October 2009, will soon be replaced by a newer version — Windows 8.
Creative Wireless Speakers Automatically Adjust to Your Room
The D5XM, due in January for about $200, at first looks like simply a more stylish upgrade to the current D5x model. But the new D5XM has a twist: It builds a home theater for you. First comes the wireless capability that allows up to three units to communicate with each other and with a matching subwoofer over their own wireless network using the 5.4-gigahertz frequency. In “party mode” each speaker simply blasts the same thing to cover a larger area. But the speakers can also be set up as a home theater with left, right and center audio channels, plus rumbling from the subwoofer.
Another neat trick is a bit esoteric but very handy for people serious about audio. An audiophile can calibrate the system; adjusting for the shape of the room, equalizing the loudness of each speaker and other adjustments; using a simple app.
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How Do You Sort Out Fake Followers From Real Ones on Twitter?
The number of live humans following you on Twitter might be significantly lower than your profile’s “followers” number states. This infographic below shows that many celebrities and politicians on Twitter often with millions of followers typically have more than 30% fake followers.
Foreigners to Get Mobile Connection For Only 3 Months
The government has directed the telecom service providers not to issue mobile connections for more than three months to foreign tourists visiting India. The move is aimed at checking wide misuse of SIM cards in the country. The service providers have been asked to accept passport with valid visa as proof for issuance of a mobile connection to a visiting foreigner.
"Any mobile connection issued to a foreigner should not have a validity beyond the validity of the visa. In case of foreign tourist, the validity of connection should not be beyond the visa period and also not exceed three months at a time even if the validity of the visa is beyond three months," say the new guidelines vetted by Union Home Ministry.
"The date of sale of SIM and activation of SIM is required to be established from the entries in the CAF. For this purpose, entry of date is to be made with the signature of subscriber at the time of filing of CAF," say the revised guidelines on submitting a Consumer Application Form.
Facebook to Take Down 'FAKE' Likes
Facebook has announced stepping up efforts to keep its brand Pages free from 'fake' Likes. The social networking company believes the move will benefit the legitimate users and Page owners. While updating its integrity system, Facebook says new security measures will automatically detect and delete Likes received by malware, hacked accounts or purchased in bulk as well as those who have been deemed as deceived users.
“These improvements to our site integrity systems benefit both users and brands alike. Users will continue to connect to the Pages and Profiles they authentically want to subscribe to, and Pages will have a more accurate measurement of fan count and demographics. This improvement will allow Pages to produce ever more relevant and interesting content, and brands will see an increase in the true engagement around their content,” said Facebook in a blog post.
Facebook is hoping the new security measures will benefit users and Page owners as well as help users associate with the Pages the they actually want to, and give the company more accurate figures of its fans and usage across the globe.
Internet Users in Rural India to Reach 45 Million by 2012
The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB (Indian Market Research Bureau) in their I-Cube report have projected a significant surge in the number of the Internet users in the country by the end of 2012. The report estimates the number of users in rural India who accessed the Internet at least once in their lifetime to grow to 45 million by 2012-end.
The claimed Internet users are those who have accessed the Internet at least once in their lifetime. The IAMAI report says claimed Internet users in rural India has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 73 percent, up from 2.6 percent in 2010 to 4.6 percent in 2012. On the other hand, the penetration of the active Internet users has grown from 2.13 percent in 2010 to 3.7 percent in 2012.
The I-Cube report further points out that mobile phones have emerged as an important point of Internet access in the rural parts of the country. As of June 2012, there were 3.6 million mobile Internet users in India, up from 0.5 million in 2010, the report adds. The traditional community service centres and cyber cafes have continued to be the major point of Internet access for rural users.“About 57.7 percent of the internet users accessed internet through this common user points. A significant 12 percent of the internet users access internet on their mobile phones,” reveals the report.
Bing Lets Users Search Facebook Photos Within Search Engine
Bing has introduced a new feature that allows users to search Facebook photos within the search engine. Users can access this via Bing social sidebar or by visiting www.bing.com/friendsphotos. When you use Bing search engine to browse photos, you will get results arranged in Pinterest-style waterfall layout.
The new feature also enables users to look for photos by keywords (matching texts in photo captions or album titles). It may be noted here this feature isn't available on Facebook right now. “With more than 300 million photos uploaded to Facebook per day, photo viewing is one of the most popular things people do on Facebook,” Bing wrote in a blog post.
The search engine on the top will have autofill while entering a friend's name. Moreover, users are also given choice to only display photos posted by their friends, or photos posted by fan pages.
Indian App Development Market to Exceed $227 Million in 2012
According to a new Gartner report, the new software delivery models, improved development methods, increasing popularity of mobile app development and open source software will help the Indian application development (AD) market achieve a growth of 22.6 percent (more than $227 million) in 2012.
According to the Gartner report titled 'Market Trends: Application Development Software, Worldwide, 2012-2016', cloud has changed the way apps are now developed and deployed, which has resulted in a major shift in AD priorities. While cost continues to be a major factor, agility, flexibility and speed have also become important criteria. The report expects about 90 percent of the major enterprises and government agencies to use some aspect of cloud computing by 2015.
The Gartner report pins open source software to be major driver for the AD shift, and suggests it will continue to expand its presence in the near future. Gartner forecasts about 7 percent new enterprise Java apps will be based on an open source Java app server by 2017-end.
