Facebook Testing a New Timeline Version: Reports
According to The Next Web report,
the trial is available for a select number of users in New Zealand. The
new tweaked Timeline is bit different from the profile redesign that
was tested earlier this year.
According to screenshots posted by the site, the social networking site
has retained the updated Timeline headers while pushing the existing
boxes for ‘Friends’, ‘Photos’, ‘Maps’ and ‘Likes’ to a sub-menu.
Moreover, the Timeline activity section
covers about two-thirds of the page's column width. This gives more view
to the uploaded content, shared links and messages by other people.Report regarding new version of Facebook Timeline comes weeks after the
company started rolling out the single-column profile as well as new
content management features.
Google Hindi Input: Now Type in Hindi on Your Android Device
Google has rolled out a new app that
allows users to input text in Hindi on their Android phone. The app,
known as Google Hindi Input, also supports transliteration, which allows
users to type in English and convert them into Hindi.
The Google Hindi Input app is available
on the Google Play store for the Android version 2.0+. The app features
a Hindi keyboard, which allows users to type and input text in
Devanagari script.
Consonants are alphabetically ordered
into 2 pages. To navigate between the pages, users need to press the
paging button “1/2” “2/2”. By long press the character key, users can
select various forms in the popup.
Google already provides Hindi
transliteration on the web and as a Chrome extension. The
transliteration tool also supports other Indian languages including
Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi.
Considering it's an initial release, we
can expect the future updates of the Android app to bring support for
other Indian languages as well. So far, the Google Hindi Input app has
received 4.8 out of 5 ratings on the Play store with most users feedback
being positive.
Zopfli: Google's New Data Compression Algorithm
According to Google, the new algorithm is named after a Swiss bread recipe and is implementation of the Deflate algorithm, which is used in the popular ZIP archive format, as well as in gzip file compression. Google explains in its blog that the output generated by Zopfli is about 3-8 percent smaller as compared to zlib at the maximum compression. Zopfli has been written in C and is a compression-only library. Zopfli is bit-stream compatible with compression used in gzip, Zip, PNG, HTTP requests, and others.
“The smaller compressed size allows for better space utilization, faster data transmission, and lower web page load latencies. Furthermore, the smaller compressed size has additional benefits in mobile use, such as lower data transfer fees and reduced battery use,” says Google in a blog post.
“Due to the amount of CPU time required — 2 to 3 orders of magnitude more than zlib at maximum quality — Zopfli is best suited for applications where data is compressed once and sent over a network many times, for example, static content for the web. By open sourcing Zopfli, thus allowing webmasters to better optimize the size of frequently accessed static content, we hope to make the Internet a bit faster for all of us,”.
Google Updates YouTube For iOS with New 'Send to TV' Feature
Google has rolled out an update its YouTube app for iOS platform that allows users to pair their devices with a compatible TV or set-box to manage videos on the big screen.
The new feature known as “send to TV” is
available for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch devices. Users can use the
feature to make their iOS device as a remote for select smart TVs, if
they are on the same Wi-Fi network. To use the “send to TV” feature, users
need to choose a video on their mobile device, then tap the icon at the
top of the screen to automatically begin playback on the TV. There are
play and pause buttons as well. Moreover, users can even scrub videos in
order to skip ahead.
The Android version has similar features including pause, skip and
scroll. The app also allows users to search for new videos on the phone
as well as play the video without any interruption on the TV.
LG Optimus G Officially Launched: Better than Samsung Galaxy S III?
LG has officially launched the Optimus G in India at a price of Rs. 34,500. However, the phone is already available online for Rs. 30,990. This price and the hardware that powers the Optimus G makes it clear that LG is targeting the Samsung Galaxy S III.
If you look at the table below, you'll see that while there are certain similarities between the LG Optimus G and the Samsung Galaxy S III, there are very clear differences too. The LG Optimus G has better hardware powering it with the Snapdragon S4 Pro platform which outperforms the Exynos 4412 that runs the Galaxy S III.
Graphically too, the Adreno 320 inside the Optimus is capable of better gaming performance than the Mali-400MP. The Optimus G also offers 32GB of internal storage while the Galaxy S III has to make do with 16GB. However, the Samsung does let you use microSD cards up to 64GB while the LG doesn't support external memory.
Models
|
LG Optimus G
|
Samsung Galaxy S III
|
Display Size (inches)
|
4.7
|
4.8
|
Display Resolution (in pixels)
|
1280x768
|
1280x720
|
Processor
|
Quad-core 1.5GHz
|
Quad-core 1.4GHz
|
RAM
|
2GB
|
1GB
|
Internal Storage
|
32GB
|
16GB
|
microSD Support
|
No
|
Yes (up to 64GB)
|
Dimensions (lxbxh)
|
131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5 mm
|
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm
|
Weight (in grams)
|
145
|
133
|
Camera (MP)
|
13
|
8
|
OS
|
Android 4.1.2
|
Android 4.1.2
|
GPU
|
Adreno 320
|
Mali-400MP
|
Battery (in mAh)
|
2100
|
2100
|
Price (MOP)
|
Rs. 30,990
|
Rs. 29,500
|
Specifications of LG Optimus G :
- General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; UMTS 1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA, HSUPA; LTE, 100Mbps down, 50Mbps up
- Form factor: Touchscreen bar
- Dimensions: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4 mm, 160 g
- Display: 5.5" 16M-color FullHD (1080 x 1920 pixels) True HD-IPS+ LCD capacitive touchscreen
- Chipset: Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600
- CPU: Quad-core 1.7GHz Krait 300 processor
- GPU: Adreno 320
- RAM: 2GB
- OS: Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
- Memory: 32 GB storage, microSD card slot
- Still camera: 13 megapixel auto-focus camera with backlit sensor, face detection and Best faces feature, touch focus and image stabilization, HDR
- Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps, LED flash, HDR; 2.1MP front facing camera, video-calls, 1080p@30fps; dual video recording
- Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL features (TV Out, USB host), GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, NFC
- Battery: 3140 mAh
- Misc: Optimus UI, Extremely rich video/audio codec support, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
Sergey Brin Evangelises Google Glass at TED Event, Reveals 2013 Launch
Google co-founder, Sergey Brin took the stage at a TED conference in California to talk about the search giant's latest project: Google Glass. Apart from elaborating on the product itself, Brin also revealed that Google Glass would be available for purchase by anyone by the end of the year for less than $1500 (Rs. 82,000 approx.). Google Glass is currently available for purchase by select American developers, short-listed through a contest, for $1500 right now.
Google also recently released a “How it Works” video for Google Glass. According to Google, users will be able to use Google Glass to take photos, stream live videos and also search the Web using their voice. Google Glass will also be able to transmit audio but will not rely on earphones. Instead, it will transmit sounds through the user's skull directly to the ear canal. Brin admitted that the experience would feel, “a little freaky at first, but you get used to it."
Check out the official video for Google Glass here.
Instagram Clocks 100 Million Users
Instagram, the popular photo sharing social network, has clocked 100 million active users. Instagram announced this by uploading a photo, and putting this caption with it, “Today, we're excited to announce that there are currently 100,000,000 active users on Instagram.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, believes
that the network could pose a threat to their business. "One of the
services that is, I think, a quite formidable competitor is Instagram,"
David Ebersman, Facebook chief financial officer, told investors at the
Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, & Telecom Conference. This is a
huge testament to Instagram’s own place in the social networking
services business.
At the moment, while Facebook owns Instagram, it is not benefiting out of it, at least monetarily. And with
the company now saying openly that some of its business is now shifting
to its own other entity, we can expect a tighter integration between
the two in the not too distant future. At the moment though, Facebook
would do well to not tinker too much, and let Instagram grow as much as
possible, allowing it to pass services like Twitter and Google+.
Is Google Finally Planning to Bring its Hardware to India
Asus India just announced its plans to
bring the Google Nexus 7 to India by June 2013, in collaboration with
Google. Now we are pretty excited about the Nexus slate coming to India,
but we can’t help but wonder if this is going to be a game changing
move by Google.
India has seen market trends change in
the recent past, and gone are the days when manufacturers could just sit
back and watch the consumer gobble up their devices. Apple has been
very aggressively pushing the iPhone, increasing its revenue by 400% simply by offering its phone through easy installment options.
If Google was to open up the Hardware section of its Play Store to
India, we’re looking at some of the best Android devices coming to a
performance conscious, price sensitive market. Such a move would really
work in favour of Google, finally giving Apple stiff competition in the
Indian market, while pushing manufacturers like Samsung to lower the
prices of their devices in order to stay competitive. However, if Google was to enter through Asus and LG, the makers of Nexus 7 and Nexus 4
respectively, Google would gain a serious advantage over every other
manufacturer with respect to price, performance and features. Obviously,
this would be contingent on Google pricing its products at the same
rates as in US.
For example, The Nexus 4 16GB variant retails for $350, which roughly
comes out to Rs. 20,000. The same price tag would allow the Nexus 4 to
gain a huge market share, but if it were to cross over to the near 30K
mark as most “high end” phones tend to, then there’s a very good chance
that the phone will end up becoming just another face in the crowd.
Google Rated India's Most Trusted Internet Brand; eBay Leads Online Shopping
The report also reveals leaders in the
various sub-categories. Naukri leads in the Internet Services, while
YouTube in online sharing. Ebay leads in online shopping, Google in
Internet tools and Facebook in social networking.
A study of the number of brands in each
sub-categories shows that Internet Tools is represented by nine brands,
Online Shopping by eight brands, Social Networking by four brands and
Online sharing and Online Services by two brands each. The report notes a significant change
that the number of brands represented in the Internet category this
year has gone up from just 14 in 2012 to 25 this year, showing a direct
increase in the trust Internet-based exchanges have begun to garner.
The Brand Trust Report, India Study -
2013, is the third in its series researched and published by Trust
Research Advisory. This year's research was conducted in 16 cities
generating 19,000 unique brands across 211 categories. Trust Research
Advisory is a part of the Comniscient Group, a group of India's largest
non-advertising based communication businesses.
Microsoft DigiGirlz to Inspire Indian High-School Girls Towards IT Careers
Microsoft has launched an initiative for high school girls in India. Called DigiGirlz, the programme aims to foster awareness about careers and research in the fields. India and Brazil have been highlighted as the focus countries for this initiative.
The DigiGirlz endeavour will provide a
platform for the employees of Microsoft and other technology companies
to interact with female student demographic, introducing them to the
opportunities available in the science and technology fields, through
workshops and other events. The initiative is specifically aimed at
Class 8 or 9 students, between ages of 12-14, to ensure the students
have sufficient time to prepare and make the relevant choices for their
careers.
According to statistics quoted by TOI, women account for less than 15
percent of the students at the various Indian Institute of Technology
campuses, and this figure is only marginally bigger in lower-tier
science and technology institutions. TOI also quotes a National
Association of Software and Services Companies estimate, which says that
fairer sex makes up roughly 30 percent (or roughly 800,000 employees)
of the IT-related BPO workforce.
The DigiGirlz initiative is not new, and was originally kicked-off in
2000 by the Redmond giant. Speaking about the introduction of the
DigiGirlz initiative in India to TOI, Jacky Wright, VP of Microsoft IT,
said: "Lack of women in sciences and engineering is a global problem.
Awareness is the key. The students are aware of technology more than
ever before. Almost 100% of them have Facebook accounts, but the idea is
to make them think of technology as a career." Referring to such female
industry stalwarts as Marissa Mayer and Sheryl Sandberg, Wright added:
“Girls need to see role models. If they see it can be done, they will do
it.”
Opera and Airtel Launch "Opera Web Pass"
Bharti Airtel in collaboration with
Opera Software has launched mobile Internet services for its customers.
Through "Opera Web Pass", a user can have simple pay-as-you-go plans.
An Airtel user just has to select Opera
Mini on his mobile phone, then click on Opera Web Pass on the speed dial
start page and view the various subscriptions plans available. Users
can select the plan that suits there individual needs.
The user can Purchase an hourly data
plan or a 24 hour subscription plan or even a weekend plan at affordable
rates. The Opera Web Pass offers a simple and flexible solution to
users who do not have a regular data plan.
Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software, added that “Access to the web is a
universal right. Partnering with market leaders such as Airtel has
offered us the opportunity to help lower the barriers to access the
mobile web and empower more Indian users to get online.”
Windows Phone Store Now Has More Than 130,000 Apps: Microsoft
Microsoft Windows Phone platform – it has now more than 130,000
apps in the Windows Phone store. About 15,000 of the total apps are
espcially designed for the latest Windows Phone 8 OS.
Microsoft also revealed that after the launch of Windows Phone 8 (read our review),
the company has seen a surge in sales of its mobile phones. In the
fourth quarter of 2012, Microsoft claims Windows Phone sales grew four
times whereas Windows Phones contribute 10 percent of the market share
in various markets.
There's apparently also been surge of 75
percent in app downloads and a staggering 91 percent growth in paid app
revenue. The company reveals an average user downloads around 55 apps
while Windows Phone Store has amassed more than 1 billion transactions.
The company's developer community for
the Windows Phone platform is also growing. Only 90 days after the
launch of Windows Phone 8, the community grew to 40,000. Just within 4
months of the Windows Phone 8 launch, the Windows Phone SDK has been
downloaded over 500,000 times.
Microsoft's 130,000 apps feat may be huge but it is still way behind the
675,000+ apps offered by the Google Play store, and the 775,000+ apps
offered by the Apple's iTunes App Store.
Google Play Books Now Available in India
Google has just made available its Books on Google Play section in India, opening up a whole new avenue for
revenue generation for its Android platform. The announcement that came
through the Google India Blog highlights that the Android users in India
will now be able to enjoy access to a catalogue of over 5 million
e-book titles.
Of the 5 million or so large catalogue, the Play store
also includes thousands of Indian titles, with books starting from as
low as Rs. 50 and while apps may have been the major attraction for the
Play store so far, we have a feeling that may be about to change.
The introduction of the books section to the Play store makes a lot of sense given that we just got word that the Nexus 7 will be coming to India
by June 2013. The Nexus 7, besides being a well-rounded tablet, is also
used by many to read books, making the move a very smart one.
Google Expands Gmail Search Field Trial to Include Calendar Results
Google has expanded the personalized search “field trial” it initiated last year, pulling in additional results from Google Calendar. Your Google Calendar appointments join your Gmail and Google Drive documents alongside traditional Google search results for an all-in-one Google search experience.
If you’d like to participate, head on over to the signup page and add your account. Once that’s done, just log in to your Google account. You’ll then be able to search Gmail, your Google Drive documents and now your Google Calendar appointments directly from the Google search page (or from within Gmail).
The Google Calendar integration doesn’t just add appointments, it also features support for natural language queries. For example, type “what is on my calendar today” and you’ll see the day’s agenda. More specific queries work as well; to find out when you’re meeting someone, just type “when am I meeting” and the person’s name. Note that the personalized search trial is still only available to U.S. users with @gmail.com addresses
Password Protection Not Utilized by Over 30 Percent Mobile Device Users
Most of the smartphone users use more
than 10 apps on their smartphones/tablets during a typical week. The
majority of these apps are connected to the most critical accounts such
as e-mail, texting, banking, social media, payment apps and even apps
linked to our credit cards. Developers normally create apps that require
one-time log-in to ensure ease of use for days, weeks, months or until
users manually revokes access.
According to the McAfee report, about 36
percent of smartphone users don't use password protection. The report,
citing its recent global survey, notes users are “largely unconcerned”
about keeping their information safe on their mobile devices.
“For example, only one in five
respondents have backed up the data on their smartphone and tablet, and
more than one in ten (15%) save password information on their phone.
This means that if their phone falls into the wrong hands, they risk
opening up all sorts of personal information such as bank details and
online logins to whoever finds the device”, adds the report.
McAfee points out that having a password
or PIN does not guarantee data is safe, and more than half of survey
respondents (55 percent) admitted they had shared these details with
others, including their children.
The security firm has also cited some pointers to keep mobile devices safe such as:
- Don't use easy passwords such as 1234 or 1111.
- Don't use the “Remember Me” functions on apps or mobile web browser.
- Don't share PIN/password with anyone.
- Stay aware about the latest ways to protect mobile device.
