Miss Techs

Microsoft to launch social networking phone

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:02:00 +0000

Software giant Microsoft is to launch its own mobile phones in the US later this year as it aims to challenge the growing smartphone dominance of its main rivals Apple and Google.

The phones will be made available in July exclusively on Verizon, the largest cellphone carrier in the US, and will be aimed at heavy users of social networks. It is reported that initially Microsoft will launch two phones. The two phones are codenamed 'Pink' and 'Pure', and will be manufactured for the software giant by Sharp.

Last month Microsoft unveiled a new mobile operating system that was widely praised by technology pundits.

Microsoft used to enjoy a leading position in the smartphone arena but has seen its position severely eroded by Apple's iPhone, by the Blackberry and by numerous devices running Google's Android operating system.

Nokia develops self-charging cellphone

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:45:00 +0000

Experts have come up with a cellphone that can recharge its own battery by harvesting energy from the owner's motion.

The self-charging handset by Nokia, who has already filed for a US patent, was predicted to work with heavier components, such as the radio transmitter circuit and battery, supported on a sturdy frame.

According to a report by New Scientist, “The frame apparently could shift along two sets of rails, allowing it travel up and down and side to side”.

Each rail apparently hosted strips of piezoelectric crystals at its end, capable of generating a current when compressed by the frame such that motion, by the user or the movement of the phone, generates electricity.

That in turn charged a capacitor and subsequently the battery, boosting the charge.

JooJoo Tablet PC in consumer hands by End of February

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:58:00 +0000

Fusion Garage's JooJoo tablet PC is expected to be in consumer hands by the end of February, when it will likely give some indication as to the public's interest in tablets such as the Apple iPod.

Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan says that not only have the preorders for the JooJoo tablet exceeded expectations, but there has been an increase in inquiries since the debut of the iPad -so it looks like the public may be ready for tablet computers after all.

The JooJoo Tablet, which began its life as the TechCrunch CrunchPad, was announced in December 2009. The 2.4-pound touch screen tablet has a 12-inch, 1366-by-768-pixel display, 1GB of memory, and a 4GB Solid State Drive (used to store the OS and cache data). It also features a USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth support, built-in speakers, Wi-Fi, and a Webcam with a mic. The JooJoo tablet also features a fun color-tinted screen-but don't worry, the color can be changed.

Instead of custom-built apps, the JooJoo tablet uses the web as its primary platform. It also supports Flash and reportedly plays 1080p Youtube streaming videos fairly well. The JooJoo tablet's price point is close to that of the iPad's, at $499.

While the JooJoo tablet beats the iPad in a few ways (notably, multitasking, Flash support, and the webcam/mic combo), it also falls short in some pretty major areas. It has a 4GB SSD, but users cannot directly save files to said drive -it's purely an internet tablet. The problem with this is that the JooJoo has Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi only -there is no 3G option, though Fusion Garage is "not ruling out the possibility of 3G in the near future."

Because the JooJoo tablet uses the Internet as its platform, the lack of an "App Store" is another downside.

The JooJoo tablet is just, quite literally, the internet in your hands. Of course, the iPad is just, quite literally, a giant iPod Touch in your hands.

Online shopping store for car accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:32:00 +0000

Online shopping stores are fast becoming a way of our life. With the growth and easy access of the internet for the people, online stores are making their presence felt in our everyday life. There are thousands of online shopping stores available on the internet from where you can buy virtually any type of good or item according to your need. You can shop from these online stores from the ease of being at home. From clothes to eatables to kitchen accessories to study materials to travel tickets to car accessories to truck accessories to music systems to televisions to computers. You can buy just anything from these stores.

Here I would like to talk about an online store which specializes in selling car accessories. At CARiD.com you can buy accessories for your car that you own. This car accessory online shopping store specializes in accessories for the cars from manufacturers like Acura, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Daewoo, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Skoda, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagon, Volvo etc and etc. And these are just some of the brands for which accessories can be bought at Carid.Com.

Ford has been one of the top brands in America. It’s an icon in the arena of automobiles in America. You too could be one of the proud owners of one of the models from Ford. If that is the case, next time you can consult http://www.carid.com/ for your much desired ford accessories.

HP launches digital music venture in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:57:00 +0000

Hewlett-Packard Co. is partnering with U.K. mobile music startup Omnifone Ltd. to launch a subscription music service on its personal computers in Europe, moving into a market dominated by Apple Inc.'s iTunes.

Under the partnership, HP will offer a digital music service - called HP MusicStation - on about 16 of its new PC models across 10 European countries. Users of new HP PCs in nations including the UK, France, and Germany could use the service to legitimately download and share millions of music tracks on their computer.

The service comes with a monthly subscription fee of 8.99 pounds ($14.50) in the UK, or euro9.99 in other parts of Europe. A subscription enables users to have unlimited access to over 6.5 million tracks from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music International.

The subscription-based service contrasts with iTunes, which sells songs to users by track or album.

MusicStation is pre-installed in a range of new HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario and Envy models, Omnifone said.

"Starting today, HP PC users in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland can try MusicStation for free for up to 14 days, get access to millions of tracks, keep their favorite tracks permanently and share music and playlists with other MusicStation users," said HP Europe, Middle East and Africa's Charl Snyman.

HP is the world's No. 1 seller of personal computers.

Naveen Jain : The Man behind Intelius

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:20:00 +0000

Through this post I would like to make your attention towards a young entrepreneur and visionary, who can make others inspired. Definitely, he is a self made successful man who once said, ‘you make your own luck’.

Yes, you guessed it right. I am talking about Mr. Naveen Jain. He is a successful young entrepreneur who established InfoSpace in 1996. This was his first company that he founded. It was dedicated hard work and seer vision of Naveen Jain that the company was declared one of the most successful company by 2000. InfoSpace was basically meant to provide content to major websites.

It was 2002, when Jain left InfoSpace only to launch another company Intelius. This company is a information broker based on technology. The services of Intelius include criminal and financial background checks, security solutions, real estate verification etc and etc. under his leadership, Intelius has flourished. Today, he is serving as the CEO of Intelius. He has been recognized as a rising star in IT field. Red Hiring has selected him as one of the top 20 entrepreneurs. In 2007, Jain was honored with Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. And the man with a distinct vision has also fetched Albert Einstein Technology Medal.

Without doubt, he is someone to learn with. One can find more about Naveen Jain at his Crunchbase Profile.

Microsoft to bring Xbox Live to Windows Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:15:00 +0000

What if you could play all your favorite Xbox Live games on your mobile phone? You may soon be able to do just that, if a job listing from Microsoft offers any clue.

Based on recent job postings on Microsoft's site, it appears that Redmond is making moves to bring Xbox Live to Windows Mobile devices. The competitive differentiating capability may be available when Windows Mobile 7 debuts in late 2010.

Microsoft posted the listing on its Connected Entertainment job site on Dec. 23. The job title is Principal Program Manager - LIVE Entertainment for the Xbox Live product. The post outlined how Microsoft is connecting players via the Live services on new devices beyond the console.

"We need a Principle Program Manager who can help drive the platform and bring Xbox LIVE enabled games to Windows Mobile," the post said. "This person will focus specifically on what makes gaming experiences 'LIVE Enabled' through aspects such as avatar integration, social interactions, and multi-screen experiences."

The Mobile-Gaming Landscape
Could Microsoft be setting out to compete with Nokia and Apple on the mobile-gaming front? Microsoft would have some catching up to do, but with the popularity of Xbox Live, the software giant could make strides quickly.

Games continue to dominate Apple's App Store - there are currently nearly 950 games available. Apple has sold more than 30 million iPhones and iPod touch units, keeping pace with Nintendo's Wii video-game console. The iPhone opened up a new world of gaming potential for mobile devices that some call the smartphone games 2.0 market. According to media research firm Screen Digest, the iPhone accounts for 10 percent of the U.S. mobile-gaming market. For Nokia's part, the N-Gage is a made-for-mobile games service available in compatible Nokia Nseries and other S60 3rd Edition devices from Nokia. N-Gage aims to make it easy to find, try, buy, play and manage high-quality mobile games as well as connect to friends and other players in the N-Gage Arena, Nokia's mobile-gaming community. But Nokia is not making the same headway as Apple.

Microsoft's Mobile Opportunity
Market researcher DFC Intelligence predicts the global market for mobile and portable games will reach $11.7 billion by 2014 - and Apple will get most of the pie. Games sold for the iPhone and iPod touch could grab as much as 24 percent of the portable game software sales, DFC reports. That could change, though, if Microsoft gets into the game with its Xbox Live services.

Google Nexus One Mobile gets Launch Date

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Google has sent out invitations for a January 5 "Android press gathering" at their Mountain View, Calif. campus. Everyone expects the event will be the official unveiling of the Nexus One Mobile phone, although Google didn't say as much in the invitation.

The final piece of the Nexus One puzzle fell into place when Gizmodo and Engadget posted leaked documents purporting to show the Nexus One's price: $529.99 "unlocked" or $179.99 with a two-year T-Mobile contract and a very specific, limited service plan.

If that is indeed the pricing, the Google narrative changes here from "are they going to disrupt the wireless industry?" to "do they want to sell any of these at all?" For an unlocked, high-end smartphone, $529.99 is pretty standard. Without a contract, the Nokia E72 is around $400, the Motorola Droid is $559.99, and the iPhone 3GS is $599.99. None of them are big sellers at those prices.

Gizmodo says that to get a $179.99 Nexus One you'll need to sign up for a single, specific T-Mobile plan (500 minutes, unlimited data), which makes absolutely zero sense unless Google doesn't actually want to sell any phones.

I hope that this phone will sell with the full T-Mobile range of plans, just like any other T-Mobile smartphone. So given that this is just like any other T-Mobile smartphone, why is Google making so much of a fuss over it?

On the other hand, they could have some sort of blockbuster surprise next week.

Google launches Movie Search Service for Mobile Devices

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Google has launched a mobile version of its movie search service that is compatible with Apple's iPhone as well as all mobile devices running Android and the Palm webOS. The new offering promises to make it easier for movie fans to plan their next theater trip while on the go.

Google's movie search results are available now in English on mobile devices in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. To access the new mobile service, users go to Google.Com in the handset's web browser, search for "movies" and then tap on the "more movies" link, wrote Google mobile team member Nick Fey on the Google Mobile Blog.

"From there, you can either browse a list of movies or select the 'Theaters' button to browse a list of theaters near you," Fey wrote.

Mobile Movie Trailers
Google's new movie listings page incorporates buttons that enable web visitors to play the latest movie trailers on their phones. Mobile users also are able to drill down to access more details about a film, such as the movie's rating, Fey noted.

"Just touch the poster or movie title and you'll see our new movie-details page that has a synopsis of the movie, a more detailed list of showtimes, the cast and crew, and pictures," Fey wrote.

The new service also provides users with new ways to explore films by genre. "Sometimes, you might feel like seeing a sci-fi flick or a romance, but you're not sure what's out in theaters,"

Associate Product Manager Dan Stokeley wrote on The Official Google Blog. "With genre filters you can start browsing right away and quickly find the right movie for you."

Alternatively, users browsing by theater will see a map of the venues nearest to them. "Then just tap on the link to any particular theater to see what shows are playing there and what times they're playing," Fey wrote.

This is where Google Maps Navigation can come in handy, at least for users with compatible handsets running Android 1.6 or higher. They will be able to chart a course to the nearest theater in the list by speaking the address, the name of a nearby landmark, "or just about anything into the search box and Google will find it for you," Google Software Engineer Keith Ito wrote on the Google Mobile Blog. "Then press 'Navigate' and you're on your way."

Blending Video With Search
Google movie search is just one among the many things the search giant is trying out that merges search with videos and other multimedia content.

"Text is often useful, but sometimes videos and pictures are a more effective way to receive information," Google Vice President Susan Wojcicki wrote on The Official Google Blog. "So over the past few years, we've blended videos, images, maps and more into the search results on Google.Com."

As always, Google is looking to make the search results it delivers more relevant, not only to users but also to the online advertising community. From the film industry's perspective, movie trailers may represent the ultimate advertising tool, but not the only one.

So it will be interesting to see how Google evolves its movie search service to include other types of movie promotions and tie-ins from which the company can derive advertising revenues.

"As we continue to think up innovative ways to give you the information you want, you're likely to see even more ad formats until we pinpoint the most useful, relevant and engaging ones," Wojcicki wrote.

Sony optimistic on 3-D TV display

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:24:00 +0000

A third to a half of the Sony Corp. TV sets sold annually will be packed with 3-D features by the year ending March 2013.

But Sony Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka acknowledged that what Sony may really need for its money-losing TV business is its own display technology and the ability to make its own TV displays.

Sony has fallen behind in flat-panel TV technology to rivals like Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea.

Yoshioka acknowledged that having to buy panels from Samsung was one reason why his Tokyo-based company lags in flat-panel TVs that use a new kind of backlight called LED - an innovation that can produce super-slim TVs and clearer images.

Samsung has scored success with its LED backlight TVs.

Yoshioka said in hindsight the panel joint venture with Samsung produced difficulties despite some of the benefits.

"They were a competitor," he said of Samsung, while declining to give details on when Sony may have its own displays.

Yoshioka hinted Sony was planning an upgrade of a different kind of technology called organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, which are different from LED TVs, and generate light on the display's surface and don't have to be illuminated from behind.

Sony already sells an 11-inch OLED TV. But Yoshioka said engineers were encountering technological hurdles for making bigger sizes.

The electronics giant will have a unique product if it beats rivals in delivering a bigger TV with that technology.

"The business is tough without our own displays," Yoshioka said in an interview at Sony's headquarters.

For the short term, Sony has been bullish about 3-D TVs, one area where rivals are also just getting started, and Sony is promising products next year.

With 3-D TVs, images appear to have depth and give an illusion of almost jutting out from the screen, although they require special glasses.

Sony is targeting 20 percent global market share in the liquid-crystal display TV market and 1 trillion yen ($11 billion) in sales from 3D-related products by the fiscal year ending March 2013.

Koya Tabata, electronics analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo, was still skeptical 3-D TVs will sell in big numbers.

"Sony has fallen behind because it had been busy focusing on its restructuring," he said. "Sony has watched global market share getting grabbed by Samsung."

Samsung has had the top global market share in sales for the last several years, according to Display Search, which compiles such data.

Sony's Yoshioka said 3-D TVs are especially fun for playing games, where Sony has an edge because of its PlayStation business. Sony also has a movie division, and some 3-D theater releases have proved popular.

Sony is hoping to also expand into the battery business for electric cars. Yoshioka said the company was in talks with several automakers, although he declined to give names or details. He said Sony's lithium-ion batteries were competitive because of breakthroughs after encountering quality problems in its batteries for laptops, which required a massive global recall in 2006.

Sony is expecting its second straight annual loss for the fiscal year through March 2010 - hurt by sliding prices, the global slowdown and its failure to produce blockbusters products like Apple Inc.'s iPod or Nintendo Co.'s Wii.

The maker of the Walkman portable player expects a 95 billion yen ($1 billion) loss for the fiscal year through March 2010 — marginally better than the 98.9 billion yen loss the previous fiscal year, its first annual loss in 14 years.

Dell to launch smart phones in China and Brazil

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Dell Inc. is officially jumping into the "smart" phone market this month in a deal with China's biggest wireless carrier, China Mobile Ltd.

The Dell Mini 3, a keyboardless touch-screen phone that runs Google Inc.'s Android operating system, will also be available in Brazil later this year. The computer maker, based in Round Rock, Texas, would not say when the phone would reach the U.S.

Friday's announcement ends more than two years of speculation that Dell, now the world's third-largest PC company by unit shipments, would expand into the phone business.

The economic downturn abruptly halted growth in the computer industry this year as consumers and businesses held off buying new technology. Hewlett-Packard Co., the No. 1 computer maker worldwide, fared better than Dell because its business is more diverse. Acer Inc., a Taiwan-based company, pushed past Dell to the No. 2 spot in the most recent quarter on the popularity of its tiny, inexpensive netbook computers, a category Dell was slow to enter.

Dell, however, was one of the first computer makers to pair up with wireless carriers to sell subsidized netbooks with cellular data plans. One such deal with China Mobile helped lay the groundwork for the Mini 3 launch, which the two companies foreshadowed in August when they showed off a prototype of the Mini 3 at an event in Beijing.

Michael Tatelman, vice president of sales and marketing for Dell's global consumer business, said Dell wants carriers to have some control over the way the phone works. It chose the open-source Android system because it gives Dell many ways to customize the software - but didn't rule out making phones that run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile.

In China, the Mini 3 will be part of China Mobile's forthcoming OPhone line, a defensive play against the official arrival of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which is sold exclusively by the smaller China Unicom Ltd.

Dell didn't release technical specifications for the Mini 3, but Tatelman said it sports a three and a half inch high definition screen and "great sound" for listening to music or watching movies without headphones. It uses a touch-screen keyboard instead of a physical one.

Like the first legitimate iPhones in China, the first Mini 3s won't have Wi-Fi because of an earlier government ban on the technology. Tatelman said that over time, China's homegrown wireless technology will be built into the phone.

By the end of the year, the Dell Mini 3 phone will also be available in Brazil through Claro, part of America Movil SA, Latin America's largest mobile phone carrier.

Tatelman characterized the deals as having "limited exclusivity." He would not say whether Dell expects to produce phones for other carriers in the two countries, but indicated that at least in Latin America, expansion would be quick.

Papers filed by Dell with the Federal Communications Commission indicate the company is also laying groundwork to launch the phone in the U.S., where the iPhone remains the hottest gadget two years after its initial release and Android phones made by other hardware companies are starting to gain traction.

About the U.S. version, Tatelman says, "you have to assume that this is a global strategy."

Android phone can change your life

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:04:00 +0000

In the past few months several mobile devices have en mass taken to Google's mobile operating system and launched Android-enabled handsets. In this season of heavy activity around Android phones, comes the big announcement of the launch of version 2.0 of the operating system, also code-named Eclair.

A number of enhancements have been added to the previous version including the much talked-about multi-touch feature and sync. Here's how the Android can up your tech quotient with these new capabilities:
* Communicate instantly by tapping on the contact, and choosing from all available communication options (Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, etc).

* Availability of an accounts management API to store centrally account-credential information on the device.

* Supports devices with various screen sizes and resolutions, with three different screens of each of the applications.

* Multiple email account synchronization, that combines all account into a single email inbox with option of exchange support.

* New virtual keyboard layout for faster and more accurate typing. The multi-touch ensures that all keys pressed during typing are not skipped.

* Bluetooth API allows the device to connect to other nearby devices. This capabilities includes the integration of features of social-interaction and P2P communication.

* Improved camera controls with digital zoom, a scene mode, white balance controls, macro focus and colour effects.

* Upgraded search and navigation features, with the addition of text and multimedia message search.

Now, you can get your hands on the Android 2.0 version through Verizon's Motorola Droid, which was released today and among the first phones to implement the Android 2.0 version. Alternatively you can also download the Android 2.0 software development kit and experience its features through an emulator.

IBM launches LotusLive iNotes to compete with Gmail and Microsoft Exchange

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:19:00 +0000

IBM has launched LotusLive iNotes, an on-demand e-mail, calendaring and contact management system meant to compete with the likes of Gmail and Microsoft Exchange.

Pricing starts at US$3 per user per month, undercutting Google Apps Premier Edition, which costs $50 per user per year.

IBM is aiming the software at large enterprises that want to migrate an on-premise e-mail system to SaaS (software as a service), particularly for users who aren't tied to a desk, such as retail workers. It is also hoping to win business from smaller companies interested in on-demand software but with concerns about security and service outages, such as those suffered by Gmail in recent months.

LotusLive iNotes is based on technology IBM purchased from the Hong Kong company Outblaze.

"What we brought to Outblaze and to the marketplace is what you'd expect from IBM in terms of security, reliability and privacy," said Sean Poulley, vice president of online collaboration.

While alluding to Google's service outages, Poulley acknowledged that no company can guarantee 100 percent uptime for on-demand applications. But IBM has a long-standing track record of running "the world's mission-critical systems," he said.

IBM will also have an opportunity to win customers from Microsoft who aren't ready to migrate to the upcoming Exchange 2010 release, given the headaches and investments involved, Poulley said.

Overall, the main point of interest in IBM's announcement is price, said Gartner analyst Matt Cain.

"Outblaze always sold low-cost mailboxes and that's what this is," he said. "Google's long been in it, Microsoft's long been in it. Now IBM's in it."

However, that's not to say IBM's brand on the software isn't of some value, Cain added. "From an enterprise perspective, you'd rather buy e-mail from IBM than a company called Outblaze."

It's unlikely that IBM's pricing strategy will cause competitors to lower fees for their offerings, according to Cain. For one thing, Microsoft already has a $2 per month Exchange Online option called "Deskless Worker”.

Internet turns 40 today

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:20:00 +0000

The 'Internet' turned 40 today. It may sound strange, but today it is quite impossible to think of world without the 'World Wide Web'.

On Sept 2, 1969, around about 20 people gathered in a lab at the University of California, Los Angeles and two bulky computers were used to pass test data through a 15-foot gray cable. That was the beginning of the Internet. Now, 40 years later, we take a look at the Internet timeline.

Key milestones in the development and growth of the Internet..
1969: On September 2, two computers at University of California, Los Angeles, exchange meaningless data in first test of Arpanet, an experimental military network. The first connection between two sites UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California takes place on October 29, though the network crashes after the first two letters of the word "logon." UC Santa Barbara and University of Utah later join.

1970: Arpanet gets first East Coast node, at Bolt, Beranek and Newman in Cambridge, Mass.

1972: Ray Tomlinson brings e-mail to the network, choosing "at" symbol as way to specify e-mail addresses belonging to other systems.

1973: Arpanet gets first international nodes, in England and Norway.

1974: Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn develop communications technique called TCP, allowing multiple networks to understand one another, creating a true Internet. Concept later splits into TCP/IP before formal adoption on January 1, 1983.

1983: Domain name system is proposed. Creation of suffixes such as ".com," ''.gov" and ".edu" comes a year later.

1988: One of the first Internet worms, Morris, cripples thousands of computers.

1989: Quantum Computer Services, now AOL, introduces America Online service for Macintosh and Apple II computers, beginning an expansion that would connect nearly 27 million Americans online by 2002.

1990: Tim Berners-Lee creates the World Wide Web while developing ways to control computers remotely at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

1993: Marc Andreessen and colleagues at University of Illinois create Mosaic, the first Web browser to combine graphics and text on a single page, opening the Web to the world with software that is easy to use.

1994: Andreessen and others on the Mosaic team form a company to develop the first commercial Web browser, Netscape, piquing the interest of Microsoft Corp. and other developers who would tap the Web's commerce potential. Two immigration lawyers introduce the world to spam, advertising their green card lottery services.

1995: Amazon.com Inc. opens its virtual doors.

1996: Passage of US law curbing pornography online. Although key provisions are later struck down as unconstitutional, one that remains protects online services from liability for their users' conduct, allowing information and misinformation to thrive.

1998: Google Inc. forms out of a project that began in Stanford dorm rooms. US government delegates oversight of domain name policies to Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. Justice Department and 20 states sue Microsoft, accusing the maker of the ubiquitous Windows operating system of abusing its market power to thwart competition from Netscape and others.

1999: Napster popularizes music file-sharing and spawns successors that have permanently changed the recording industry. World Internet population surpasses 250 million.

2000: The dot-com boom of the 1990s becomes a bust as technology companies slide. Amazon.com, eBay and other sites are crippled in one of the first widespread uses of the denial-of-service attack, which floods a site with so much bogus traffic that legitimate users cannot visit.
2002: World Internet population surpasses 500 million.

2006: World Internet population surpasses 1 billion.

2008: World Internet population surpasses 1.5 billion. China's Internet population reaches 250 million, surpassing the United States as the world's largest. Netscape's developers pull the plug on the pioneer browser, though an offshoot, Firefox, remains strong. Major airlines intensify deployment of Internet service on flights.

Apple iPhones to be launched in China

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:40:00 +0000

China Unicom and US high-tech giant Apple have announced they had reached a multi-year deal to launch the widely popular iPhone in the world's largest mobile market later this year.

The announcement marks the iPhone's long-awaited debut on the mainland, which has about 687 million mobile phone users and is one of the last major markets where the trendy smartphone is not yet officially sold.

Unicom, one of three major state-owned carriers, would be the first Chinese phone company to formally support the iPhone, though thousands of unlocked iPhones brought in from other markets are in use in China. It is the only company in China that supports the network standard needed for the iPhone, known as WCDMA.

The initial launch is expected to be in the fourth calendar quarter of 2009. This will provide users with a brand new communication and information experience.

The iPhone, which also functions as a music player, camera and Internet browser, could help Unicom compete against giant China Mobile, which dominates the mainland's mobile market.

The company, the smaller rival of China's largest wireless operator China Mobile, started iPhone negotiations with Apple after the government issued third-generation, or 3G, mobile phone licences in January.

Chang and China Unicom president Lu Yimin said their company aimed to take more than one-third of China's 3G mobile market next year.

The iPhone is likely to be priced from 2,999 yuan (439 dollars) with a requirement that users also buy 3,000 yuan worth of pre-paid calls, the Caijing business magazine reported Thursday, citing sources close to the talks.

China Unicom, which had 140 million mobile subscribers by end-June, expects to attract high-end users with the iPhone to turn around weak performance in competition with arch rivals China Mobile and China Telecom, reports have said.

The confirmation of the deal with China Unicom means Apple has dropped China Mobile, which has been in similar talks with the US company for years. China Mobile, which had 493 million subscribers by the end of June, is developing a handset similar to the iPhone with firms including Chinese computer maker Lenovo.

Microsoft Bing coming to IPhone Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:13:00 +0000

Microsoft is targeting the iPhone as another avenue for boosting usage of its Bing search engine.

Microsoft has released a software developer kit designed to make it easier for iPhone developers to build access to Bing into their applications. Using the SDK, a developer can build an iPhone application that searches Bing for Web information, images, videos, news and phonebook results.

Developers can only query Bing from applications built on Cocoa or Cocoa Touch, APIs for building applications on the iPhone.

Google is the default search engine in the iPhone's Safari browser, and users can decide to switch that to Yahoo. Otherwise, if iPhone users want to access Bing they have to type in the URL.

The SDK will also let developers incorporate Bing searches into applications for Macintosh computers.

While Microsoft and Apple compete in the mobile-phone market, other Microsoft services and applications are already available on the iPhone. For instance, the iPhone supports Microsoft's ActiveSync to let people access their Exchange e-mail. In addition, Microsoft's Live Labs group released an iPhone application for Seadragon, the technology that lets users browse through potentially very large images.

China Mobile and HTC to work together

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:32:00 +0000

China Mobile and Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC Corp have agreed to work together to develop products for the mainland's third generation mobile network.

They signed a memorandum of understanding in Taiwan to kick off the partnership, focusing on product and technology development.

"Together, we look forward to expanding the TD-SCDMA industry chain and spurring development of the cross-strait telecommunications sector. We look for this partnership to become a model of cooperation," China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou said.

TD-SCDMA is the first international technology standard in China's telecommunication industry, employing Chinese-developed intellectual property rights.

"Going forward, HTC will actively develop intelligent advanced wireless broadband products based on the TD-SCDMA standard, and will work closely with China Mobile to design and make products tailored to the needs of the China market," said HTC chief executive officer Peter Chou.
China Mobile, one of the leading telecommunication service providers on the mainland, and HTC said they will also conduct research into mainland consumer trends as part of product development.

Nokia to Roll out Micro Finance for Mobile Phones

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:32:00 +0000

Nokia plans to roll out a micro financing program for mobile phones across 12 states in India.

The company has completed a pilot of this program across 2,500 villages in the rural areas of the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states of India. Nokia tied up for the pilot with a micro finance institution to offer mobile handsets on installments of 100 Indian rupees (US$2) a week for 25 weeks.

The company said in a statement that it expects that the benefits of mobility will reach 500 million people in the country by next year.

The penetration of mobile phones in rural India is still very low at 13 percent, and much of the growth in mobile telephony will be in non-urban markets, the company said.

Its objective is to lower access barriers as well as total cost of ownership in these markets, it added.

Nokia did not name its micro finance partner.

The mobile phone giant is also launching Nokia Life Tools commercially in the country this year, which includes a range of agriculture information and education services targeted at non-urban consumers. The service was tested in Maharashtra state.

India added 12 million mobile subscribers in June, the latest month for which data is available, taking the total number of subscribers to 427 million, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Mobile service operators and handset makers are targeting India's rural market as the next big opportunity. The rural market is however low margin and geographically dispersed.

Data from TRAI for the first quarter of this year showed declining ARPU (average revenue per user) and utilization of mobile phones by consumers, across service providers, reflecting the economic slowdown and expansion of services in rural markets.

Study Reveals: More Kids Are Using Cell Phones

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:26:00 +0000

A survey by the Pew Internet & Life Project has concluded that more and more teens are using cell phones.

In 2004, the study found, less than half of U.S. teens aged 12 to 17 owned a cell phone, compared to 65 percent of adults. By 2008, teens owning cell phones had increased to 71 percent, versus 77 percent of adults.

The sample size of the study, however, was just 914 people in 2004, versus 2,134 respondents in 2008.

However, the cell phone wasn't the most prevalent electronic device teens owned, at least in 2008. The most popular gadget was a game console, owned by 78 percent of the respondents. Next was an iPod or other MP3 player, which just edged out the mobile phone with 74 percent. Only 60 percent of teens said they owned a PC, whether it be a desktop or notebook.

Cell-phone ownership tends to increase with age, according to the Pew report, with only 52 percent of 12- to 13-year-olds owning one. By age 17, about 82 percent of the survey's respondents owned one. But the cell phone isn't the most frequently- used communications device; that's still the landline, Pew found, with 88 percent using it versus 66 percent for cell phones.

Not surprisingly, families with more money tended to own mobile phones: 62 percent of respondents in households owning less than $30,000 owned a phone, 63 percent owned one within households earning $30,000 to $50,000, and 79 percent owned a phone within families earning more than $75,000, a statistically significant difference, Pew reported.

The most popular activity for the connected teen is sending texts; 38 percent of all teens do this on a daily basis, Pew reported. Twenty-six percent send messages daily via social networks like Facebook, while 24 percent use instant messaging on a daily basis. Twenty-nine percent, by contrast, spend time with their friends in person.

Again, however, the frequency by which teens perform these activities varies by age; more than 70 percent of 17-year-olds talk with their friends via cell phone on a daily basis, versus 28 percent of 12-year-olds. That also holds true for texting, as 51 percent of teens aged 15 to 17 text daily, versus a quarter of teens aged 12 to 14.

Interestingly, girls are the more frequent texters, 42 percent to 34 percent for boys, the study found.

Microsoft Nokia alliance to rival RIM

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Microsoft Corp and Nokia announced an alliance to bring business software to smartphones and counter the dominance of Research in Motion Ltd's BlackBerry.

The alliance between the world's largest software company and cell phone maker means the latest versions of Microsoft's Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and messaging, will be available on a range of Nokia cell phones, which make up 45 percent of the global smartphone market.

The two companies, at one time fierce rivals in the mobile telecommunications business, expect to offer Nokia phones running Office sometime next year.

"This is giving some of our competitors - let's spell it out, RIM - a run for their money," said Nokia Executive Vice President Robert Andersson, in a telephone interview. "I don't think BlackBerry has seen the kind of competition we can provide them now."

Research in Motion's BlackBerry created the market for mobile e-mail, and its dominant position in the corporate sector, especially in North America, has protected it from Nokia's attempts to crack the market in recent years.

"RIM should be reasonably safe in the near-term because Nokia's presence in the U.S. is relatively small. Partnering more closely with Microsoft will help to raise Nokia's profile in the U.S." said Neil Mawston from research firm Strategy Analytics.

The alliance also aims to counter Google Inc's recent move into free online software, targeted at Microsoft's business customers, and the growing popularity of Apple Inc's iPhone device.

"It's clear that Nokia and Microsoft are both facing competitive challenges, most notably from Google. It makes sense for these two companies to work together to see if they can pool their competitive strengths to try and counter some of this pressure", said John Jackson, an analyst at wireless research firm CCS Insight.

The alliance means Microsoft's new Office suite of applications could be available to a much wider audience than the users of Windows Mobile phones, which make up 9 percent of the smartphone market.

"We see this as a great opportunity to deliver Office Mobile to 200 million Nokia smartphone customers," said Takeshi Numoto, an executive at Microsoft's Office business.

Analysts said Microsoft is clearly looking at the largest possible audience with the Nokia deal.

IBM Scientists Build DNA Computer Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:20:00 +0000

Scientists at IBM are experimenting with using DNA molecules as a way to create tiny circuits that could form the basis of smaller, more powerful computer chips.

The company is researching ways in which DNA can arrange itself into patterns on the surface of a chip, and then act as a kind of scaffolding on to which millions of tiny carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles are deposited. That network of nanotubes and nanoparticles could act as the wires and transistors on future computer chips, the IBM scientists said.

For decades chip makers have been etching smaller and smaller patterns onto the surface of chips to speed performance and reduce power consumption. The fastest PC chips today are manufactured using a 45 nanometer process, but as the process dips below 22 nanometers in a few years, the assembly and fabrication of chips becomes far more difficult and expensive, said Bob Allen senior manager of chemistry and materials at IBM Research.

The new technique builds on work done several years ago by Paul Rothmund, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology, who figured out that DNA molecules can be made to "self-assemble" into tiny forms such as triangles, squares and stars. The approach takes advantage of DNA's natural ability to incorporate large amounts of complex information that can be applied to different types of activities.

To make a chip, the scientists first create lithographic templates - the patterns from which circuits are made - using traditional chip making techniques. After, they pour a DNA solution over the surface of the silicon and the tiny triangles and squares - what the scientists call DNA origami - line themselves up to the patterns etched out using lithography.

The IBM scientists, working with Rothmund, then figured out how to layer millions of nanotubes or nanoparticles over the DNA scaffold, where they adhere to form tiny integrated circuits.
The ability for the DNA structures to self-assemble is a key element needed for achieving greater precision in the design and manufacture of chips, said Greg Wallraff, an IBM research scientist and co-author of a paper about their achievements.

"The degree of difficulty of nanofabrication is going up rapidly," Wallraff said.

While the technology shows promise, it is years away from practical use, the scientists warned. "It's too early to say whether this will be a game changer," Allen said. "But we're pretty enthusiastic about the potential of this technique."

If it works as planned, it could lead to a new way of fabricating features on the surface of chips that allows semiconductors to be made even smaller, faster and more power-efficient than they are today.

Its time to say Hello From Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:49:00 +0000

An Australian website is giving texting an intergalactic touch and allowing users to send short mobile phone-type messages into space.

From Wednesday and until August 24, people hankering for an out-of-this-world experience can visit http://www.hellofromearth.net to post messages no longer than 160 characters that will be transmitted to Gliese 581d, the nearest Earth-like planet outside the solar system likely to support life.

However, the expected delivery time is some 20 years, the website said. And there's no guarantee of a response.
"It's like a “message in a bottle” cast out into the stars. What's interesting is not just whether there's anyone listening, but what the public will say to intelligent life on another planet," said project spokesperson Wilson da Silva.

"Hello From Earth is our way of showing that science can make the impossible possible. We have been to the moon and now, we can speak to the stars," he said in a statement.
The messages, to be transmitted from the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, with the close cooperation of U.S. space agency NASA, is part of Australia's National Science Week which celebrates the country's scientific achievements and creates awareness of the importance of science.

"Hello from Australia on the planet we call Earth. These messages express our people's dreams for the future. We want to share those dreams with you,"- this was the very first message entered by Science Minister Kim Carr, in order to launch the project.

"As a child I, like many Australians, stared up at the stars and wondered what was out there. Now science has allowed me to send a personal message that may answer that question," Carr said.

microblogging can boost business

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Twitter is wooing businesses with a "Twitter 101" online course in how the hot microblogging service can be used to boost bottom lines.

While the company itself grapples with how to cash in on its rocketing popularity, Twitter has freshly-added to its website lessons in ways that "tweets" can help businesses improve their image and win customers.

"While this work was envisioned for businesses, it's also useful for anyone using Twitter so have a look if you like," Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said.

"We coordinated with business students and writers to surface some interesting findings, best practices, steps for getting started, and case studies."

A "Twitter 101" presentation titled "A Special Guide" can be found by following "Business" links at the bottom of Twitter Web pages.

"We're focused on enhancing value across Twitter in general; these documents are just a first step," Stone wrote.

Businesses can tune into Twitter to find out what people are saying about products or services and then instantly join real-time conversations in order to build on positive comments or address concerns of customers.

"Twitter connects you to your customers right now, in a way that was never before possible," an opening page at 'Twitter 101' maintained.

"Businesses of all kinds, including major brands, increasingly find that listening and engaging on the service lead to happier customers, passionate advocates, key product improvements and, in many cases, more sales."

The conversational nature of Twitter lets businesses build relationships with customers and get feedback for improving products or services, according to the 101 course.

Stone has said publicly that money-making strategies being considered by Twitter include charging fees to business users while remaining free for others.

Twitter, meanwhile, has been deleting accounts believed to be used to "spam" users with specious pitches or other junk text messages.

The service invites people to use computers or Internet-linked mobile telephones to fire off text messages answering the question "What are you doing now?" in 140 characters or less.

Twitter has become a sensation since launching in 2006.

Indian Farmers to use Mobile Phones to Control Irrigation

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Mobile Operator Tata Teleservices is testing technology that allows farmers to use their mobile phones to remotely monitor and switch on irrigation pump sets in far flung locations.

The technology, called Nano Ganesh, is being tested in two villages in the Indian state of Gujarat.

In India, where the electricity supply is erratic, farmers often walk several kilometers to where their irrigation pumps are located, only to find that there is no electricity available, Lloyd Mathias, chief marketing officer of Tata Teleservices, said.

By dialing a code number from his mobile phone to a wireless device attached to the pump, farmers can now remotely monitor the electricity supply, and also switch the pump on and off, Mathias said.

The technology for this application was developed and is manufactured by Ossian Agro Automation in Pune in western India. To use the service, the farmer pays Tata Teleservices 2,700 rupees (US$56) for the device attached to the starter on the pump and another 2,000 rupees for the mobile phone, as well as monthly service charges. The mobile phone can be used by the farmer for other communications as well.

Voice communications and SMS on mobile phones are getting commoditized, and as in urban markets, customers are looking for value-added services. By introducing technology and services appropriate to rural markets, Tata Teleservices plans to differentiate itself in these markets, and increase customer "stickiness".

The company already uses mobile phones to deliver education content, and agricultural information relevant to rural communities. It has tied up with specialist organizations to provide the content.

Thirty Meter Telescope ie World's Largest Telescope to be built in Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Rajat) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Hawaii has been chosen as the site for the world's biggest telescope, a device so powerful that it will allow scientists to see some 13 billion light years away and get a glimpse into the early years of the universe.

The telescope's mirror - stretching almost 100 feet in diameter will be so large that it should be able to gather light that will have spent 13 billion years traveling to earth. This means astronomers looking into the telescope will be able to see images of the first stars and galaxies forming - some 400 million years after the Big Bang.

According to Thirty Meter Telescope Observatory Corp. spokesman Charles Blue, "It will sort of give us the history of the universe".

The telescope, expected to be completed by 2018, will be located atop a dormant volcano that is popular with astronomers because its summit sits well above the clouds at 13,796 feet, offering a clear view of the sky above for 300 days a year.

Hawaii's isolated position in the middle of the Pacific Ocean also means the area is relatively free of air pollution. Few cities on the Big Island mean there aren't a lot of man-made lights around to disrupt observations.

The other finalist candidate site for the Thirty Meter Telescope was Chile's Cerro Armazones mountain.

Richard Ellis, astronomy professor the California Institute of Technology and a Thirty Meter Telescope board member, said that Mauna Kea is at a higher elevation, its air is drier and its average temperature fluctuates less during the course of the day - all helpful factors for those using the new telescope.

The telescope will be built by the University of California, the California Institute of Technology and the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy.

The current world's largest telescopes also are located atop Mauna Kea, but the size of their diameters are about three times smaller than the Thirty Meter Telescope.