EspY

The biggest 512GB SD card in the world

2014-09-17T14:35:00.003+05:30

While 128GB seemed like an enormous storage space fitted inside a minuscule memory card, Sandisk has now taken a leap by launching a gigantic 512GB SD card. The Sandisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I packs in 512GB into its flat frame – the highest ever seen on an SD card.

SanDisk unveiled its first 512MB SD card in 2003, though capacity demands have increased exponentially in just over a decade. The new 512GB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I card represents a 1,000-fold capacity increase at the same size footprint. This translates to nearly 800 music albums in MP3 format or more than 150 movies.

It claims to deliver write speeds of up to 90 MB/s and comes under the UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) category – ideal for high-resolution video recordings and even 4K Ultra HD videos. This Sandisk also claims transfer speeds up to 95 MB/s, though actual read and write speeds may differ.

Needless to say, the massive 512GB SD card doesn’t come cheap. You’ll have to shell out a whopping $799, which translates to approximately Rs 48,700. However, it could be priced slightly lower when available via retailers and online stores.

“The new 512GB SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I card offers incredible speed and capacity,” said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. “Our Pocket Cinema Camera customers shoot in every type of circumstance and location, and get amazing wide dynamic range RAW images capturing the brightest highlights and darkest shadows at the same time. The additional capacity of the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I card will extend the creative freedom for our customers shooting in RAW and open up the ability to use wide dynamic range RAW files with even more productions.”

The new 512GB card is aimed at 4K content. It offers both the speed and capacity needed to support 4K Ultra HD video capture, which you can watch on a 4K TV. Other key features include its build quality, which has been tested against harsh conditions to protect it against extreme weather conditions, water, shocks, and X-rays. Sandisk also backs it with lifetime limited warranty and the RescuePRO Deluxe data recovery software which helps restore accidentally-deleted images.

Images of Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime with 5 megapixel front camera leaked

2014-09-17T14:32:00.001+05:30

At a time when the world is going crazy over the selfie phenomena, Samsung is rumoured to have developed its first selfie-centric smartphone. The Galaxy Grand Prime reportedly has a 5MP front-facing camera fit for clicking a great self-portrait.

It has a five inch, high definition quality (540 x 960 pixels) display, a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1 GB of RAM, Vietnamese website thegioididong.com reported.

The ‘selfie’ phone runs Android 4.4 KitKat and is said to be equipped with an 8MP main camera which can record video in 1080p. It also has 8 GB of built-in storage, a microSD card slot and a 2600 mAh battery.

According to the website, it will be priced at approximately $236 (Rs 14,000). Galaxy Grand Prime will be a dual-SIM device with 3G connectivity and is expected to arrive in October.

It’s not clear whether this model will launch globally or will be restricted to South-East Asian countries. Competitors on the selfie-front would be the Lumia 730 and the Sony Xperia C 3 both of which have a 5 megapixel front camera.

Intel launches kids tablet Eddy in India

2014-09-17T14:29:00.001+05:30

Intel and Metis Learning have launched a tablet for children aged 2-10 priced at Rs9,999, an official said.

"The technology landscape is changing in India. Tablets can be used as a learning tool. The kids tablet Eddy, combines an ideal balance of performance and battery life coupled with strong learning content to provide an innovative and exciting solution for kids," Sandeep Arora, Intel South Asia director, marketing, said.

Bharat Gulia, co-founder of Metis Learning Solutions, told IANS the company has done a pilot project for the tablet with 500 children.

"We have spent 2 to 3 years creating this and building solution. It is very important to give kids something that is engaging. These years of their lives are the best potential years," he said.

Eddy comes with Android 4.2 and has an internal storage of 16 GB and can be expanded up to 32 GB. It comes pre-loaded with over 160 learning apps selected by educators and experts to accelerate a child's social, emotional and cognitive development.

The size of the tablet market in India is 4 million and of that 10% is the children's tablet market.

"We are trying to tie-up with schools and pe-schools for this tablet. Especially pre-schools are showing a lot of interest," Gulia said.

Eddy will be available in e-commerce portal Amazon for around a month, following which it will be available in retail stores, he said.

Google wants to teach programming to millions of American girls

2014-09-17T14:26:00.001+05:30

Internet giant Google is seeking to teach computer programming to millions of girls in the US under its Made with Code initiative, which has an eye on developing women programmers in the Silicon Valley.

"Less than 1% of high school girls are interested in studying computer science. This is the problem we are addressing," Made with Code spokesperson Kate Parker said.

The initiative was launched in mid-June and, over the next three years, Google will set aside $50 million for the programme.

The project began against the backdrop of an ongoing debate about the lack of gender as well as racial diversity in the Silicon Valley.

For example, only 30% of Google's employees are women. A similar gender disparity, if not worse, exists in other companies like Twitter, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft.

To resolve the problem, Google seeks to go to the root — the lack of interest among girls in programming and computer science, as only 18% of all students majoring in the subject in the US are women.

This figure is well below the 37% recorded during the 1980s, and the trend contributes to the existing male dominance in Silicon Valley.

According to Google, this lack of interest among girls is due to them not relating programming with the fields of their interest, not realizing that other girls do it too or not knowing that they can do well in this field.

"We look to change the perception about programming. We hope that once the girls see all the incredible things computers can do, they develop an interest in the subject," Parker said.

Made with Code will organize events where girls will be invited to do programming together and discover that computer programme codes can be used to make and print bracelets using 3D printers, design accessories to superimpose on "selfies" or compose an instrumental piece.

The initiative will also have a strong virtual presence which Google considers as extremely important for a wider reach.

The website of Made with Code draws the attention of girls to the fact that many of the things they like are made using codes, and even includes simple classes to enable them to take their first steps in programming.

The website — which has pink overtones — also includes several videos where young people like MiralKotb explain how coding and dance go hand-in-hand in Broadway musicals.

In other videos, girls successful in their fields narrate how computer technology can help to combat diseases and crime, design video games and create special-effects in movies made at Pixar studios.

"The message we are trying to convey is that programming and computer technology is a naturally creative field and serves as a gateway to many industries and other diverse fields," Parker emphasized.

"We want the girls to understand that basic knowledge of computers is necessary for anything they want to do when they grow up," she added.

Susan Wojcicki, a Youtube representative, said during the launch of Made with Code that programming is "a new form of alphabetization and offers the possibility to create, innovate and, literally, change the world".

Google will seek the support of parents and teacher, which it considers crucial for the girls to progress in this field.

The company is also associated with organizations like the Girl Scouts of the USA, National Centre for Women and Information Technology, Teach for America and Unicef, among others, in order to present the initiative to young people in their networks.

The US Department of Labor estimates that by 2020 there will be over 1.4 million job vacancies in the field of computer science, but going by the present rate, only 30% of these posts will be filled by graduates from the US who are competent in the field.

Social Media Impressed With PM Narendra Modi's Speech

2014-08-21T14:22:00.002+05:30

NEW DELHI: Indians took to the social networking site Twitter in large numbers impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden speech on the country's 68th Independence Day.Reacting to Modi's speech from the Red Fort here, @PriyalGuliani wrote: "I liked this speech... Rape...cleanliness.. equality ..communal violence .. development."

Another Twitter user, @sanjeevsanyal said: "Wow, what a speech! PM Modi lays out a clear, actionable vision for India. Now over to implementation."

Reacting to Modi's speech from the Red Fort here, @PriyalGuliani wrote: "I liked this speech... Rape...cleanliness.. equality ..communal violence .. development."

Another Twitter user, @sanjeevsanyal said: "Wow, what a speech! PM Modi lays out a clear, actionable vision for India. Now over to implementation."

User @smitabarooah said that after the Prime Minister's "inspiring" speech, "Believe our nation has a roadmap, our nation is in safe hands".

Another user @rashneek wrote: "Great to hear names of Aurbindo Vivekananda and Lal Bahadur in an independence speech. A truly inspiring speech from toilets to technology."

WeChat Gains Popularity Among Millennials, Closes In On Whatsapp

2014-08-21T14:19:00.001+05:30

BANGALORE: With the increase of SmartPhones globally, messenger apps are increasingly making their way as top priorities in the messaging and chatting world. The traditional way of messaging is sinking and newer versions of mobile messaging apps like Line, Whatsapp, Hike, and WeChat are emerging.

WeChat, the popular mobile messaging app offered by the Chinese internet giant Tencent claims to have 430 million active users, closing in on its American rival WhatsApp, which boasts of 500 million active users. WeChat, also known as ‘weixin,’ or micro-message in Chinese, has taken the country by storm in just three years; reports The Times of India.

Founded in November 1998, Tencent has grown into one of China's largest and most used Internet service portal. Since its establishment over the last decade, Tencent has maintained steady growth under its user-oriented operating strategies. On June 16, 2004, Tencent Holdings Limited (SEHK 700) went public on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and achieved the top 1st rank as well.

WeChat is more versatile than its rival WhatsApp, allowing its users to find each other by shaking their smartphones–a common dating technique–and even book and pay for taxis, as well as send text, photos, videos, and voice messages.

In recent years, the popularity of WhatsApp is gradually coming down with WeChat and other messenger apps attracting customers with new features along with better messaging security.

Samsung Is India's No. 1 Smartphone Maker: IDC

2014-08-21T14:16:00.002+05:30

NEW DELHI: India, the fastest growing smartphone market in Asia Pacific, is witnessing a weaker pace of growth at 84 percent year-on-year compared to the triple digit expansion seen in the first quarter this year.

During the April-June quarter, smartphone shipment in the world's second most populous market grew 84 percent to 18.42 million units from 10.02 million units (in April-June 2013 quarter), research firm IDC said.

Compared to this, sales had zoomed 186percent in January-March 2014 to 17.59 million units compared to sales in the same quarter of the previous year.

IDC said Korean handset maker Samsung still continues to lead the smartphone market with 29percent share, followed by Micromax 18 percent, Karbonn 8 percent and Lava 6 percent.

"While Samsung has held on to its leadership position in the market, it is noteworthy that Micromax is growing faster. Samsung needs to continue to address the low-end of the market aggressively, and also needs a blockbuster product at the high end to regain momentum," IDC vice president and general manager South Asia Jaideep said.

Given the current growth rates, there is a real possibility of seeing vendor positions change in the remaining quarters this year, he added.

Among the top five vendors, Micromax (18 percent) and Lava (54 percent) were the only ones to have outstripped the market growth.

"Micromax not only toppled Nokia to clinch the second spot but also created a gap between the second and the third spot," IDC said.

IDC further said a new entry-level price point is being breached by the Indian home grown vendors every quarter. "These devices are not equipped with high end specifications and RAM is typically 256 MB. This ultra low cost segment may not sound a viable option to the repeat buyers, but it works well on the targeted segment," IDC India Senior Market Analyst Karan Thakkar said.

However, IDC believes the potential for growth in the smartphone market is still "quite high" as 71 percent of the market continues to be on feature phones. Also, the festive season ahead and continuous run rate buying from the consumer is expected to fuel growth in the smartphone segment.

"The overall India mobile phone market stood at 63.21 million units in Q2 2014 ie a 5 percent quarter on quarter growth against Q1 2014. Back to back volume growth in the smartphone market are being noted due to the re-defined low price models in smartphones and continuous migration from feature phones to smartphones," IDC said.

The share of sub-$200 smartphones (about Rs 12,000) is also increasing (81 percent in Q2 2014), it added. "With the influx of Chinese vendors and Mozilla's plans to enter the low end segment of the smartphone market will become crucial in the coming quarters," IDC said.

Also, the contribution of 'phablets' (5.5 inch - 6.99 inch screen size) in Q2 2014 comprised 5.4percent of the overall smartphone segment. It segment grew by 20 percent

Indian creates Google Glass clone for Rs 4,500

2014-08-21T14:11:00.000+05:30

BANGALORE: While it took Google over a year to build its augmented-reality goggles, Google Glass, Kochi-based Arvind Sanjeev says he was able to replicate it in less than a month for just Rs 4,500, thanks to open-source hardware.

Instead of commercializing the product and with the intention of contributing to the community, Sanjeev posted a blog explaining how his 'Smart Cap' can be built by anyone using open-source hardware such as a Rasberry Pi computer, an Arduino board and Android software.

Open-source hardware platforms such as these and RepRap 3D printers are enabling students, engineers and entrepreneurs to start building hardware products with little to no knowledge of electronics.

"Before I got introduced to Arduino in college, I had no idea how a calculator works or how I could build one," confessed Sanjeev, 23, who couldn't learn anything about building computer hardware at his engineering college and decided to make all his projects available for anyone to replicate. He's developed a platform that he says can take over your car. "With the help of open-source hardware, I have been able to build a platform wherein you could control the entire car, including its ignition through just a mobile app." Sanjeev has already applied for a patent for the platform and expects to sell it for Rs 9,000 apiece.

Mumbai-based Shreekant Farasbee, who has built a medical device to track glucose levels of diabetes patients, also used the Arduino computer board to create his prototype and is planning to contribute back to the open-source hardware community by making his Diabeto open source.

"Open-source hardware lets you cut down on your prototyping and design time significantly and the vast community support helps you at every stage," said Farasbee, whose device has received interest from global pharmaceutical companies.

Looking at the growing demand for its boards in India, Arduino opened its first India office in Bangalore last year. "We are seeing explosive growth for our business in India. We are talking to local companies here to start manufacturing our boards in India within the next couple of months," said Priya Kuber, managing director of Arduino in Bangalore. With local production, Kuber expects the prices to go down to Rs 900 from Rs 1,200.

Using RepRap, another open-source hardware toolkit, many Indian startups have already been able to build 3D printers, which are being sold commercially. "We used RepRap and Arduino as a platform to build our own 3D printer," said Nikhil Velpanur, co-founder of Bangalore-based Brahma3.

"It is only a matter of time that open-source hardware will become a part of school and college curricula," said S Sadagopan, professor at IIIT (International Institute of Information Technology), Bangalore. "The cost of IP ( intellectual property) makes hardware expensive. Open-source hardware eliminates that cost, making electronic hardware very accessible."

The move has already begun. The Kerala government has already decided to hand out out 10,000 Rasberry Pi computers to school students.

Some entrepreneurs are building their own open-source hardware to promote hardware product creation in India. Meerut-based Electrobricks is one such example. The company sells the basic kit for Rs 2,000, which kids and enthusiasts can use to create various hardware products.

World's Biggest Smartphone Manufacturers

2014-08-07T11:54:00.001+05:30

BANGALORE: In today’s world Smartphone is an important asset of life. It is equipped with superior capabilities to access the internet and has thousands of applications, where one can download movies, listen to music, read news online, play games, and many more. Today, we have innumerable Smartphones falling in an endless variety for which the credit goes to the leading makers of the devices.
Here is a list of 5 top mobile manufacturers in the world.

#1.Xiaomi

Xiaomi is one of China's biggest electronics companies, founded by Lei Jun. The company is into designing, developing, and selling smartphones, mobile apps, and consumer electronics. Since, its release of the first smartphone in August 2011, Xiaomi has gained market share in China and henceforth, developed wider range of consumer electronics. Xiaomi surpasses Samsung as China’s top smartphone and has become the fifth largest smartphone maker in the world. It has a market share of 5.10 percent, as of now.

#2.Lenovo

Lenovo is a Chinese multinational computer technology company headquartered in Beijing and Morrisville, North Carolina. The company is into designing, developing, manufacturing, and selling smartphones and many other electronic devices. Lenovo Smartphones are fashionable and the leading devices in the industry. They feature powerful multicore processors, access to the latest apps through Android, and provide superior display technology. It has a global market share of 5.40 percent in 2014.

#3.Huawei

Huawei is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Huawei was founded in 1987 by ex-military officer Ren Zhengfei and formed as a private company owned by its employees. Huawei manufactured a series of windows phone and Android smartphone namely “The Huawei Ascend.” It has a global marketshare of 6.80 percent in 2014.

#4.Apple

Apple is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, CA. The company is into designing, developing, and selling consumer electronics and personal computers. Apple created the famous device iPhone. Currently, there are seven generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the six major releases of iOS. It has a global market share of 11.90 percent in 2014.

#5.Samsung

Samsung Electronics is a multinational electronics and Information Technology company, founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938. It is headquartered in Suwon, South Korea and is the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group. Samsung is also one of the largest manufacturers of mobile phones and Smartphones. It has a global market share of 25.20 percent in 2014.

Wikipedia fights back against Europe’s “right to be forgotten”

2014-08-07T11:47:00.002+05:30

Wikipedia fought back against Europe’s “right to be forgotten” by listing the online encyclopaedia’s articles removed from search results, snubbing a court ruling that allows people to stop personal information appearing under Internet searches.

The Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that runs the free online encyclopaedia, said on Wednesday that it had received notices from search engines affecting more than 50 links to Wikipedia pages.

In its first public statement against the ruling from Europe’s top court in May confirming that people can stop irrelevant or outdated personal information from appearing under searches for their name, the foundation said it would publish each notice for the removal of a link to a Wikipedia page.

“Accurate search results are vanishing in Europe with no public explanation, no real proof, no judicial review, and no appeals process,” wrote Lila Tretikov, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation on its blog.

“The result is an Internet riddled with memory holes — places where inconvenient information simply disappears.”

The “right to be forgotten” has divided experts and pitted privacy campaigners against defenders of free speech, who argue that the ruling will lead to people whitewashing their past.

However, search engines are required to take into account the public’s interest in knowing certain information about famous or public figures when evaluating removal requests, and the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) said a balance must be struck between the freedom of information and privacy.

Also, the person requesting that the link be removed is not necessarily the one named in the article, but could be one whose name appears in the comment section.

“The disclosure of the link alone is not too helpful as you have no idea what name on the page asked for link to come down,” said Lilian Edwards, a professor of Internet law.

“LINK CENSORSHIP”

Wikimedia had received five notices affecting over 50 links across the British, Italian and Dutch versions of Wikipedia by Wednesday, it said.

Google, which handles around 90 percent of searches in Europe, had received over 90,000 requests under the right to be forgotten by July 18 and was accepting over half of them.

The search engine giant has been criticised for notifying publishers that a link to their website has been removed, a method that can draw unwanted attention to the page in question and feed speculation over who made the request.

“Our concern is that these notifications generate a lot of confusion, and in some ways undercut the request itself by bringing people’s names back into the open,” Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, who heads France’s privacy watchdog and the WP29 group of EU national data protection authorities, said in an interview with Reuters.

Google says it is necessary to ensure transparency and already notifies the owners of websites that are removed from search results because of copyright infringements.

Wikimedia said it was posting the removal notices in the interests of free speech and transparency.

2015 Hyundai Sonata review: Driver assistance makes this the best midsize sedan made today

2014-08-07T11:44:00.000+05:30

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata adds adaptive cruise control, other important driver aids, and a more upscale dashboard at the same time that it tones down the exterior design. This will be one of the first cars with Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. Combine tech features with decent pricing and the 2015 Hyundai Sonata sedan is the best mainstream midsize car make today. As such, it earned our Editors’ Choice as the best mainstream sedan.

What ails the Sonata is modest: not enough USB jacks, no 120V outlet, noisy driver alerts, driver-assist tech that requires you to buy the sunroof, and fewer driver aids on the eco version. Handling is improved but thrill-seekers will prefer Honda, Mazda or Subaru. Sonata partisans may believe they bought a front-drive Hyundai Genesis for $15,000 less. The center stack feels especially Genesis-like and in fact uses the same LCD display.

Why do we love the 2015 Sonata? It offers the holy trinity of driver assistance: adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, and lane departure warning. Hyundai has them all and does a better job than the immediate competition. The ACC is full-range — down to 0 mph — and starts up again by tapping the resume button.

There’s more tech: a backup camera and telematics are standard on all but the entry trim line where it’s an option. Rear parking sensors and rear cross traffic alert supplement the camera on higher trim lines. Lane change assist supplements blind spot detection; it measures the closing speed of overtaking cars, and warns you not to veer out of lane. An 8-inch display on a midsize non-premium car is unusual. The first-level (basic) Blue Link telematics package is $100 a year for crash notification and other essential services, half what others charge. You can check on the car from your smartphone via Blue Link, which despite the name has nothing to do with Bluetooth.

The Sonata is a fine car for all-day cruising as well as commuting and carpooling. There are plenty of entertainment choices now and more with CarPlay and Android Auto late this year (probably late this year). The front row is especially spacious. You’ll get decent fuel economy and performance from the 185 hp four-cylinder engine rated 24 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, 28 mpg combined (the base SE gets a bit more). The 245 hp turbo four takes the place of a V6 and gets 23/32/26. Both engines have gasoline direct injection, which usually raises performance and efficiency. Flush underbody covers and a super-low 0.27 coefficient drag make you think fuel efficiency might be a bit higher. Both engines use six-speed automatics when some competitors have CVTs or seven- to nine-speed automatics. These are front-drive-only cars; if you want all-wheel drive, Hyundai will sell you a Santa Fe Sport SUV.

The performance-oriented Sport 2.0T, the only Sonata to get the turbo, was more fun to drive, with paddle shifters and a retuned suspension. It may be worth the extra 30-35 gallons of gas a year for the average driver. On the highway, the Sonata’s main driver aids worked well: Adaptive cruise paced the car ahead, slowed, stopped and restarted. Blind spot detection had good range. The BSD’s visual warning is on the windshield pillar (better than on the mirror) but it’s not very bright. Lane departure warning was accurate, and annoying, because it beeps whenever you reach the limits of your lane. On the Genesis, the audio alert can be turned off leaving off a flashing indicator in the LCD multi-information display in the instrument cluster. Not here.

The Sonata and most competitors are 191-192 inches long (4851-4877 mm) but the cabin feels longer because this is a four-cylinder that moves the passenger compartment forward several inches. It’s enough to make the Sonata the only midsize car that the EPA rates as a large car: A midsize is up to 119 cubic feet (3.37 cubic meters) passenger and cargo volume. The Sonata checks in at 122 cubic feet (3.45 cubic meters). For all that, the rear seat passengers don’t benefit much; legroom is only average. They do get side window shades on upper trim lines.

Robots to Up-End the World of Work, for Good and Bad

2014-08-07T11:39:00.004+05:30

Robots and artificially intelligent devices will take over many jobs now done by people, and experts are divided as to whether their spread will do human society more good than harm.

The Pew Research Center said experts see a growing role for self-driving cars, delivery drones, robotic workers, smartphone-based assistants and even algorithmic journalism by 2025.

But they are divided on whether these technological advances will be helpful, with 48 percent of respondents to Pew's survey saying they will destroy jobs and increase income inequality.

Nevertheless, a slim majority said the technology will take over undesirable tasks and generate new kinds of human employment.

The report is not based on a randomized poll sample, but instead on an opt-in survey of people deemed experts or affiliated with certain organizations, taken between November 2013 and January 2014.

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Internet Project, said experts see "the accelerating displacement of work that can be done more efficiently and cost-effectively" by robots.

This means "a transformation of labor, especially in the fields of transportation, fast food and medicine; freedom from day-to-day drudgery that allows people to define work in a more positive and socially beneficial way."

But Rainie said many see this as leading to "a shrinking of the middle class and expansion of the ranks of the unemployed."

'Automation is Voldemort'
"Automation is (the 'Harry Potter' villain) Voldemort: the terrifying force nobody is willing to name," said Jerry Michalski, founder of Relationship Economy eXpedition, a think tank of corporate executives.

"The race between automation and human work is won by automation, and as long as we need fiat currency to pay the rent/mortgage humans will fall out of the system in droves as this shift takes place."

Stowe Boyd, lead researcher at GigaOM Research, said the growing use of autonomous vehicles will take away important jobs for men such as truck and taxi drivers.
"An increasing proportion of the world's population will be outside of the world of work either living on the dole, or benefiting from the dramatically decreased costs of goods to eke out a subsistence lifestyle," he said.

"The central question of 2025 will be: What are people for in a world that does not need their labor, and where only a minority are needed to guide the 'bot-based economy?'"

Justin Reich at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, said, robots and artificial intelligence "will increasingly replace routine kinds of work even the complex routines performed by artisans, factory workers, lawyers, and accountants."

Others were optimistic such as JP Rangaswami, chief scientist for Salesforce.com.

"The very nature of work will have changed radically by 2025, but only in economies that have chosen to invest in education, technology and related infrastructure," he said.

"Some classes of jobs will be handed over to the 'immigrants' of AI and robotics, but more will have been generated in creative and curating activities as demand for their services grows exponentially."

Vint Cerf, chief Internet evangelist for Google, said: "Historically, technology has created more jobs than it destroys and there is no reason to think otherwise in this case. Someone has to make and service all these advanced devices."

The report is based on views from nearly 1,900 respondents selected by Pew because of their background.

They were affiliated to think tanks; companies including Cisco Systems, British Telecom and Microsoft; universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; news organizations and activist groups such as the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Yahoo appoints Netflix executive Mike Kail as CIO

2014-08-07T11:36:00.001+05:30

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo on Wednesday said that it has hired Mike Kail as its chief information officer, drawing a key technical executive from the streaming video group Netflix.

Kail will also hold the titled of senior vice president for infrastructure and will lead Yahoo's IT and data centre operations, reporting to chief executive Marissa Mayer.

"The strength of our technical infrastructure is critical as we aim to deliver the best possible user and advertiser experiences," Mayer said in a statement.

"It also ensures that Yahoos have the tools and technology necessary to execute... Mike has the perfect combination of experience and vision to lead our IT and infrastructure to even greater global reach and scale."

Kail was vice president of IT Operations at Netflix and previously worked at Attensity, where he was responsible for the Americas data centre operations team. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Iowa State University.

The hiring is the latest by Mayer, hired from Google two years ago to revive the fortunes of the internet pioneer.

Mayer is putting heavy emphasis on mobile access and media as it seeks to counter Google and its popular YouTube video service.

World's Fastest External Phone Charger Developed

2014-08-06T15:19:00.003+05:30

Researchers claim to have invented the world's 'fastest' external phone charger which ends the need to plug your smartphone into a wall electricity socket and can achieve full charge in just 15 minutes.

The Petalite Flux battery, created by Leigh Purnell, an Aston University graduate, can charge itself from empty to full in 15 minutes. The device, small enough to fit in the pocket or bag, eradicates the need to plug your phone into a wall electricity socket or computer USB slot.

When the phone needs charging, users can simply connect it to the Flux battery and continue with their day. In 2014, Purnell established Petalite Battery Systems with the intention of creating the world's fastest charging external battery.

The Flux battery will soon be launched on the IndieGoGo crowd-funding website.

Recently, a new battery pack (also commonly referred to as a power-bank) was claimed to charge-up sufficiently in 15 minutes to be able to recharge most smartphones completely. Made by UNU Electronics, the Ultrapak Portable Battery Pack Series is claimed to gain 2000mAh of power with just 15 minutes of charging.

UNU had introduced the new Ultrapak series last month. The Ultrapak Go and the Ultrapak Tour by the company uses the Ultra-X charging technology that supposedly recharges up to 8x faster than conventional batteries thus resulting in a 2000mAh recharge in about 15 minutes. Users can then connect the power-bank to normally charge their smartphones or tablets.The Ultrapak Go comes with 3000mAh battery capacity which can be fully charged in about 30 minutes of time. The power-bank is priced at $59.99 (approximately Rs. 3,600) and is available on company's store. The 10000mAh large battery capacity power-bank Ultrapak Tour requires approximately 100 minutes to fully charge. The power-bank on its store is priced at $99.99 (approximately Rs. 6,000).

Google's Big Headache: Android Forks Hit 20 Percent Marketshare

2014-08-06T15:17:00.003+05:30

Android continues to grow at a tremendous rate, and in terms of global market share, it is definitely the dominant platform today. However, much of this growth is taking place in countries like India and China, and in these countries, you're seeing a lot of people who are using customised versions of the Android OS, "forked" off from the main path of Android.

The most famous forked devices are probably Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet and the recently-launched Fire phone, which come with their own app store and other unique features. This means no Google Play, and no revenues from apps for Google, and most Chinese smartphones also launch without Google Play, and instead come with their own third-party app stores. This is partly because Google Play doesn't allow paid apps to be sold in China, but also, localisation of content and local language content is a big driver for growth in China.

According to a report released on Sunday by ABI Research, a market research and intelligence firm based in New York, in the second quarter of 2014 (ending June), forked Android has grown 20 percent quarter-on-quarter, driven by Chinese handsets. Other Android phones are growing at a relatively slower rate - 13 percent.

Not only has the forked Android segment grown by 20 percent, but according to ABI, it also accounts for 20 percent of the market - in other words, one in five smartphones does not have Google Play on it.

"AOSP's growth is driven by the development of Chinese and Indian handset manufacturers, not only in their domestic markets, but increasingly throughout Asia and beyond," said Nick Spencer, senior practice director, mobile devices, ABI Research.

"Chinese and Indian vendors accounted for the majority of smartphone shipments for the first time with 51 percent share. While many of these manufacturers are low cost, some are making inroads in the mid-tier, including Xiaomi and Gionee, hence the growing challenge to Samsung in particular," added Spencer.

Samsung has been facing increasing pressure in both India where it was recently overtaken as the top phone vendor by Micromax and in China, where it was overtaken as the top smartphone vendor by Xiaomi.

Xolo launches 8X-1000 octa-core phone, HIVE UI

2014-08-06T15:15:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: Indian handset vendor Xolo (a Lava International brand) has launched Xolo 8X-1000, a new Android smartphone that will be available starting next week at Rs 13,999.

It also unveiled HIVE, its proprietary user interface platform, which runs over Android. Built on the lines of Xiaomi's MIUI, HIVE features customized UI elements including themes, a new launcher, widgets, customized system apps that offer additional features and the ability to connect with Xolo's software development team to offer feedback.

Xolo 8X-1000 sports a 5-inch 720p display with Asahi Dragontrail glass panel. The phone features a glass back with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Xolo's new HIVE UI running on top.

Xolo 8X-1000 is powered by a 1.4GHz MediaTek MT6592M octa-core processor and 2GB RAM and comes with 16GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.

The phone sports an 8MP rear camera with Exmor R sensor and 2MP front camera, and comes with a 1,920mAh battery.

In terms of connectivity, the phone supports Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and Wi-Fi Direct.

Vishal Sehgal, co-founder & director, Lava International, said "We are excited to announce HIVE to our XOLO customers. Built on an Android core, HIVE is a "Made in India, Made for India" platform designed by our Software Design Centre at Bangalore. With user empowerment at its core, HIVE enables users to contribute creatively to the platform, taking smartphone personalization to The Next Level"

10 hot gadgets launched in India recently

2014-08-06T15:12:00.004+05:30

India has seen the launch of several hot gadgets in the last couple of months, from first 2K smartphones and 4K laptop to first Android Wear smartwatches and smartphones that redefine the term ‘value for money’. Whether you have less than Rs 10,000 to spend or more than Rs 80,000, you have enough options to choose from.

Here’s a look at 10 hot gadgets launched in India recently.

Xiaomi Mi 3

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has jolted the Indian smartphone market with its Mi 3, which offers the specs of Nexus 5 at just Rs 13,999. The device has a 5-inch Full HD display and runs on a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM. It is powered by Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with Xiaomi's proprietary MIUI skin on top.

Mi 3 sports a 13MP camera with dual-LED flash on the back and a 2MP camera in front. It packs 16GB internal storage, but does not support storage expansion via microSD cards. Connectivity suite of the smartphone consists of 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC. It has a 3,050mAh battery, and Xiaomi claims that the smartphone can deliver talk time of up to 21 hours on 3G networks.

LG G3

LG G3 is among the only two smartphones in India that feature a 2K display (2560X1440p resolution). It sports a 5.5-inch screen and runs on a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor. The 16GB version is priced at Rs 47,990 and has 2GB RAM, while the 32GB model comes with 3GB RAM and costs Rs 50,990.

The all-new G3 smartphone sports a 13MP camera that boasts of Optical Image Stabilization+ (OIS+) and laser auto focus. It captures images by measuring the distance between the subject and the camera using a laser beam for better pictures. The smartphone packs a 3,050mAh battery and has connectivity options like 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, 10.5

Samsung has launched its top-end Galaxy Tab range of tablets in the Indian market. Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has an 8.4-inch screen and costs Rs 37,800, whereas Galaxy Tab S 10.5 sports a 10.5-inch screen and is priced at Rs 44,800. Galaxy Tab S 10.5 comes with a 7,900mAh battery while the 8.4-inch version has a 4,900mAh battery. The other hardware and software features are common between the two.

Both Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4 have display resolution of 2560x1600p and are powered by the eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor (1.9GHz quad-core+1.3GHz quad-core) with 3GB RAM. The devices run Android 4.4 (KitKat) with Samsung's customized UI. The two Samsung tablets feature 16GB internal storage and microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 128GB.

These Samsung tablets sport 8MP rear cameras with LED flash and 2.1MP front-facing cameras. In terms of connectivity, the tablets offer Wi-Fi (including 802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.0, IrLED, 3G and voice calling capabilities.

HTC One (E8)

HTC has launched the plastic version of its One (M8) smartphone, named One (E8), in the Indian market at Rs 34,990. Just like One (M8), the new smartphone has a 5-inch Full HD screen and is powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core chipset with 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports memory cards of up to 128GB.

The smartphone runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6 UI running on top. It supports 'Motion Launch' gestures that were part of HTC One (M8).

One (E8) sports a 13MP rear camera (unlike the One (M8) that has an UltraPixel camera) and a 5MP front-facing camera for enhanced selfies. Both of the cameras can capture Full-HD video. It comes with a 2600mAh battery and sports two BoomSound speakers in front.

Asus ZenFone 5

Asus ZenFone 5 has a 5-inch screen with 720p resolution and runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean); Asus has promised that it will soon get Android 4.4 (KitKat). The smartphone runs on a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor with HyperThreading technology and packs 2GB RAM.

On the back, Asus ZenFone 5 has an 8MP camera with LED flash, while a 2MP camera is placed in front. The smartphone has a 2,110mAh battery, dual sim support, 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. The 8GB variant of the smartphone costs Rs 9,999, while the 16GB model is available for Rs 9,999.

Oppo Find 7

Oppo recently launched India’s first smartphone with 2K display, Find 7, at Rs 37,990. With screen size of 5.5-inch, this smartphone has the highest pixel density in the smartphone market with 538 pixels per inch. It is powered by 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset and 3GB RAM and runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) operating system, with the company's own ColorOS 1.2 on top.

Find 7 has 32GB internal storage, microSD support, 3GB RAM and 3,000mAh battery. Its 13MP rear camera can take multiple shots of a scene to create a single photo of 50MP resolution. Oppo says that users can operate the phone with wet hands without any risk of water damage.

The phone features a notification strip at the bottom, where it displays incoming calls as well as unread SMSs and emails.

Toshiba Satellite P50t

The Satellite P50t-B Y3110 laptop has a 15.6-inch IPS display with 3840x2160p resolution, four times higher than that of the standard Full HD (1080p) screen. The touch-enabled laptop is made of aluminium and features an HDD protection sensor and Harman/Kardon speakers. Other key features of the laptop are USB-sleep-and-charge support and frameless backlit keyboard.

On the specifications front, Toshiba Satellite P50t-B Y3110 laptop has 1TB HDD and packs a 2.5GHz fourth-generation Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost Technology. It comes with Windows 8.1, 8GB RAM (expandable up to 16GB) and 2GB AMD dedicated graphics card. It has all standard ports, like USB 3.0 (x4), Wi-Fi, HDMI, UHS-II SD card slot etc.

BlackBerry Z3

BlackBerry recently launched its new budget smartphone Z3 in India at Rs 15,990. This smartphone sports a 5-inch qHD (540x960p) display and runs on BB10.2.1 operating system.

It is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8230) dual-core processor and has 1.5GB RAM.The new Z3 sports a 5MP rear camera and a 1.1MP front-facing camera.

It comes with 8GB storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB. It has a 2500mAh battery, which the company claims, offers up to 15.5 hours talk time and up to 16.2 days of standby time.

Samsung Gear Live

Samsung’s first Android Wear smartwatch, named Gear Live, is now listed on the Google Play India website at Rs 15,900, with the tag coming soon.

This smartwatch sports a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED (320x320p) display. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz Processor and 512MB RAM, and comes with 4GB internal storage. It has a 300mAh battery and features a heart rate monitor.

Gear Live comes with changeable straps, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, and is dust and water resistant (IP67).

LG G Watch

LG too has listed its G Watch smartwatch, powered by Android Wear, in India at Rs 14,999 and will start shipping the model on July 8.

It features a 1.65-inch IPS LCD (280x280p) display and is powered by a 1.2GHz processor with 512MB RAM. The smartwatch comes with 4GB internal storage and has a 400mAh battery.

LG G Watch comes with changeable straps, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, and is dust and water resistant (IP67).

Apple products banned in China's government offices: Report

2014-08-06T15:07:00.002+05:30

BEIJING: China has prohibited government agencies from purchasing Apple hardware products due to security concerns, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing government officials familiar with the matter.

Ten Apple products, including versions of the iPad tablet and MacBook laptop, have been omitted from a government procurement list distributed by China's National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance, Bloomberg News said. They were included in a June draft, according to the report.

The ban would apply to all central and local agencies in China, Bloomberg News said.

Reuters could not immediately reach officials at the NDRC and finance ministry for comment. Apple spokespeople in China did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report comes after the Chinese government published a software procurement list last week that excluded foreign anti-virus vendors like Kaspersky Lab and Symantec, which had previously sold software to Chinese agencies.

China, citing security concerns, has increasingly sought to limit the use of US technology over the past year following revelations by Edward Snowden of widespread US government spying.

State-run China Central Television said in a report in June that location-tracking software on Apple's iPhone could potentially lead to the disclosure of state secrets. Apple said in response that it has never allowed and will never allow governments access to its servers.

Pooch-O, an app to find auto rickshaws in New Delhi

2014-07-16T12:08:00.001+05:30

NEW DELHI: Now you can use your smartphone to hire an autorickshaw in the national capital with a new app 'Pooch-O', which has been launched by Delhi's lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung.

Delhi Integrated Multi-Model Transit System (DIMTS) has developed Pooch-O, which will allow Android users to locate GPS-equipped autos nearest to them and call its driver, whose numbers are registered with DIMTS, on their mobile phones and book a trip.

Users have to ensure that the GPS of their phone is on and can find out auto nearest to them through Maps.

Launching Pooch-O at his secretariat, Jung said that this is very advanced technology, which would be very useful especially for women travelling in auto at night.

"After booking auto through this app, commuters can share their travel details on Facebook and Twitter so that their friends and family members can get to know about their locations. Besides, there are several security elements in this app," Jung told reporters.

Jung also said that they can also give their feedbacks on their travels in auto on Pooch-O app.

"Pooch-O users can also calculate estimated fare for their trip and even track the auto to check if it is coming towards them or not after calling its drivers. This app will soon be available on iPhone. Auto drivers will also be benefited with this app as they will easily have passengers," SN Sahai, managing director (DIMTS) said.

Sahai said that there are 24,000 autos in Delhi which are fitted with GPS and hope that more autos will come under GPS so that a large number of people can be befitted with this app.

Additonal CP (traffic) Anil Shukla, who was also present, said that if a driver refused to take Pooch-O users, he would then be penalized with a heavy fine.

"Traffic police will be asked to connect this app to its website, their traffic apps so that if auto driver refuses commuters without any reason, strict action would be taken against them," Jung said.

Samsung Galaxy Core 2 launched at Rs 11,900

2014-07-16T12:02:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: Facing a number of budget launches by Asus and Xiaomi, market leader Samsung has launched the Galaxy Core 2 smartphone in India. The new Galaxy Core 2, which was announced globally earlier this month, has been priced at Rs 11,900.

Galaxy Core 2 is only available for purchase via Samsung's India e-store at present.

Samsung Galaxy Core II is a dual-sim smartphone with a 4.5-inch (480x800p) display. It runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat) and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 768MB of RAM. It has 4GB internal storage and supports microSD cards of up to 64GB.

Galaxy Core 2 sports a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera. Connectivity options in the device include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. The smartphone is powered by a 2,000mAh battery and is available in two colours — black and white.

Asim Warsi, vice president — marketing, mobile & IT at Samsung India, said, "The Galaxy Core 2 is the perfect device for users who want an optimal mix of style, portability and power. We are confident that the Core 2 will help us augment our existing market share in the Rs 10,000-15,000 price range."

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 tablets, unveiled in India earlier this month, have also hit the market along with this smartphone. Galaxy Tab S 8.4 has been priced at Rs 37,800, whereas Galaxy Tab S 10.5 costs Rs 44,800.

HTC launches One (E8) and Desire 616 dual sim in India

2014-07-12T11:46:00.003+05:30

NEW DELHI: Taiwanese handset giant HTC has launched One (E8), a variant of HTC One (M8) that sports a polycarbonate body instead of the metal one, in India at Rs 34,900. The company has also launched a new octa-core processor-powered smartphone, Desire 616 at Rs 16,900. HTC One (E8) will be available from end of July,while Desire 616 will start selling this week.

HTC refers to the One (E8)'s design as 'Dual Curve' and claims that it fits naturally in the user's hand in virtually any position.

The phone will be available in a dual-sim version in India.

HTC One (E8) is powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core chipset and 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports memory cards of up to 128GB. It sports a 5-inch Full-HD, borderless display and dual stereo BoomSound speakers.

The smartphone runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6 UI running on top. It supports 'Motion Launch' gestures that were part of HTC One (M8).

One(E8) sports a 13MP rear camera (unlike the One (M8) that has an UltraPixel camera) and a 5MP front-facing camera for enhanced selfies. Both of the cameras can capture Full-HD video. It comes with a 2600mAh battery.

The One (E8) comes in four colours: Polar White, Electric Crimson, Maldives Blue, and Misty Grey.

Desire 616 on the other hand, is a budget handset that weighs 150gram, measures 142x71.9x9.15mm and sports a 5-inch HD(720x1280p) display. It is powered by a 1.4GHz MediaTek octa-core processor and has 1GB RAM, along with 4GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 32GB.
The dual-sim smartphone comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense UI and BlinkFeed.

It features an 8MP rear camera with auto focus and LED flash that supports full-HD video recording and a 2MP front-facing camera. It has a 2000mAh battery.

In terms of connectivity features, HTC Desire 616 offers Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. The phone comes in dark fray and pearl white colours.

Android KitKat smartphones under Rs 7,000

2014-07-12T11:41:00.003+05:30

Believe only top-end smartphones boast of Google's latest operating system KitKat? Not really. Here are seven phones you can get in sub-Rs 7,000 range that run on Android KitKat.

Moto E

With a display of 4.3-inch (960x540p) display, Motorola’s cheapest smartphone Moto E is exclusively available for Rs. 6,999 on Flipkart. The smartphone is powered by dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB RAM and comes with internal storage of 4GB; it also supports microSD cards up to 32GB.

On the back of Moto E is the 5MP camera, sans LED flash; the secondary camera is missing as well. Connectivity features of the smartphone are 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and microUSB 2.0. The phone runs on a 1,980mAh battery and is available in two colours – black and white.

Micromax Unite 2

Available online for Rs 7,000, Micromax Unite 2 has a 4.7-inch screen (800x480p resolution) and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor with 1GB RAM. It features 4GB on-board memory, expandable up to 32 GB via microSD cards.

Micromax Unite 2 has a 5MP main camera with LED flash and 2MP front camera. On the connectivity front, the smartphone has 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and microUSB 2.0. It has a 2,000mAh battery and is available in gray, green, red, and white colours. The distinguishing feature of the smartphone is support for 21 Indian languages, such as Maithili, Bodo, Dogri, Sanskrit and Sindhi.

Intex Aqua N15

Available exclusively via Amazon.in for Rs 6,999, Intex Aqua N15 has a 4-inch screen with 800x480p resolution. This smartphone packs a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor with 1GB RAM and features 4GB internal storage; it supports microSD crds with capacities up to 32GB.

On the back, Intex Aqua N15 sports an 8MP camera with LED flash, while a 2MP camera is positioned in front. It has all the standard connectivity features, including 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, microUSB 2.0 and Bluetooth. It is powered by a 1,600mAh battery and comes in white colour only.

Karbonn Titanium S99

Karbonn Titanium S99, available online for approximately Rs 5,700, has a 4-inch screen with 800x480p resolution. Running on quad-core 1.3GHz processor with 512MB RAM, this smartphone has 4GB built-in storage and supports microSD cards with capacity up to 32GB.

Titanium S99 has a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera. It can access the internet over 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi and transfer data over Bluetooth and microUSB. It packs a 1,400mAh battery and comes in white and black colours.

Micromax Canvas Engage

The cheapest Android KitKat phone by Micromax, Canvas Engage has a 4-inch screen with 800x480p resolution. It runs on a quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB RAM and features 4GB internal storage and supports microSD cards up to 32GB.

The phone has a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and VGA front camera. The phone also gives the user the basic internet and connectivity features 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and microUSB. It has a 1,500mAh battery and can be purchased for approximately Rs 5,700.

Karbonn Smart A11 Star

Karbonn’s cheapest Android KitKat smartphone, Smart A11 Star has a 4.3-inch screen with 800x480p resolution. It runs on a dual-core 1.2GHz Mediatek processor with 512MB RAM and comes with 4GB internal storage and 32GB microSD support.

The smartphone has 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a VGA camera in front. This dual-sim phone has standard connectivity features: 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB. Available only at Flipkart, this smartphone is priced at Rs 4,499.

Celkon A35K Campus

Available at Rs 2,999, Celkon A35K Campus is the cheapest Android 4.4 smartphone in the Indian market. The smartphone has a 3.5-inch screen with resolution of 320x480 pixels, runs on 1GHz processor and has 256 MB RAM. It has 512MB internal storage and supports microSDs card of capacities up to 32GB.

Celkon A35K Campus has a 3.2MP main camera with LED flash and 0.3MP front camera. Internet can be accessed on the phone through 2G, 3G, and Wi-Fi, while Bluetooth and microUSB can be used to transfer data. The smartphone is powered by a 1,400mAH Li-ion battery and is available in blue and white colours.

Top 10 users of H-1B visas

2014-07-12T11:36:00.003+05:30

Wonder who were the biggest users of the H-1B visas — the visas needed to import skilled workers to the US — during the fiscal year 2013?

Here are 10 companies who were the top gainers of the visa programme during the year.

Tata Consultancy Services

India's numero uno IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was the top H-1B visa holder for the fiscal year 2013 with 6,184 H-1B visas. The figure is slightly less than 7,469 visas it bagged during the year 2012.

Infosys

Indian IT giant Infosys Technologies bagged 6,157 visas during the fiscal year 2013 and stood at No. 2 among the top H-1B visa gainers. During the previous year, the company recieved 5600 visas.

Cognizant Tech Solutions

US-based Cognizant Tech Solutions received stood at No. 3 in the list of top H-1B visa gainers during fiscal year 2013. The company bagged 5,192 H-1B visas during the year. The number is almost half of 9,128 visas it bagged during 2012.

Accenture

The fourth biggest gainer of H-1B visas during the fiscal year 2013 was Accenture LLP with 3,321 visas. The company received 4,037 H-1B visas during the year 2012.

Wipro

India's software and services company Wipro was the fifth biggest gainer of H-1B visas during fiscal 2013 with 2,638 visas. In the previous year, the company bagged 4,304 visas.

HCL America

At No. 6 among top 10 H-1B visa gainers for fiscal year 2013 was HCL America with 1,732 visas. The company bagged 2,070 visas in the year before.

IBM India

IBM India stood at No. 7 in the list of top H-1B visa gainers for fiscal year 2013, with 1,363 visas. During the previous year, the company recieved approval for 1,846 visas.

Larsen & Toubro Infotech

The eighth position during the fiscal year 2013 went to Larsen & Toubro Infotech, which bagged 1,163 visas. Like the most other companies, L&T Infotech too bagged more H-1B visas during the previous year (1,832 visas).

Satyam Computer Services

The next biggest beneficiary of H-1B visas during the fiscal year 2013 was Satyam Computer Services. The company bagged 1,072 visas during the year. The Mahindra Group-owned company did not find a place among the top visa gainers during 2012.

However, its parent company Mahindra Group ranked among the top gainers of the year with 1,963 visas.

Microsoft

At No. 10 on the fiscal year 2013's list of top H-1B visa gainers was software giant Microsoft. The company bagged 1,039 visas during the year, slightly below the 1,497 visas it received during the year 2012.

Flipkart sells 1 million Motorola phones in 5 months

2014-07-10T20:56:00.002+05:30

BANGALORE: Motorola has sold a whopping million plus smartphone handsets in the five months since it started selling in India again. And all of that through the one exclusive distribution network that it chose - India's e-commerce poster boy Flipkart.

"We believe these sales figures should put Motorola among the top five mobile brands in the country," said Sachin Bansal, founder and CEO of Flipkart.

That could be true for the smartphone segment, where, according to research firm IDC, vendors shipped a total of 17.59 million smartphones in the first quarter of this year. Nokia at the fifth spot had a 4% share or 7 lakh units.

The figures demonstrate how quickly the Indian consumer is adapting to the online market and letting go of traditional brick and mortar stores. It signifies how the Indian consumer has been able to get past the touch-and-feel barrier, and enjoying the speed and convenience of shopping from home or office or from one's smartphone.

Equally, it is a story of how Motorola has scripted an impressive second innings in India, a market it once competed fiercely with Nokia for consumers.

Magnus Ahlqvist, corporate VP, Emea & Apac, Motorola Mobility, who was in Bangalore, said the company's performance was nothing but phenomenal. "It proves that the business model that we chose was a really strong one. I don't think we have achieved anything similar elsewhere," he said.

India was the first market where Motorola entered into an exclusive tie-up with an e-commerce player for the sales of its devices and took a decision to stay away from the offline retail market. Till date Motorola has launched three smartphones in India - Moto E, Moto G and Moto X, priced between Rs 7,000 and Rs 26,000.

Ahlqvist said that in the foreseeable future Motorola had no plans of taking the offline retail route and would continue to strengthen its partnership with Flipkart with more product launches. Moto E first made its debut in India before being rolled out internationally. Moto G was the first smartphone to be launched by the company in India in February and sold over 20,000 units in 15 minutes.

Flipkart's Bansal said that Motorola's sales story was what Binny (the other Flipkart co-founder) and he were working towards six years ago. "Only by selling online and only by selling with one player, a player like Motorola is able to become one of the top five mobile brands in the country," said Bansal. And added, "Five years ago this would have been science fiction. Today it's a reality and we believe that's a trend that would continue for a long time."

Terming it as the coming of age of the Indian e-commerce industry, serial entrepreneur and investor K Ganesh said that exclusive partnerships with online e-commerce players would be the future of how distribution is carried out in India. "In the absence of e-commerce, how many distribution channels and retailers Motorola would have had to reach out to to sell 1-million units! On the other hand, the cost savings through e-commerce, which reaches the length and breadth of the country, are immense," said Ganesh.

Others are now trying similar initiatives. Budget-handset maker Celkon Impex recently launched its Campus A35K smartphone in India in an exclusive partnership with online marketplace Snapdeal.com. Snapdeal.com also has an exclusive partnership with Vishal Gondal's GOQii to launch its fitness device GOQii Life in India.

Indian government allocates Rs 500 crore for internet connectivity in villages

2014-07-10T20:53:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: The government today said it will allocate Rs 500 crore for its Digital India initiative to set up broadband network in villages and promote local manufacturing of hardware and Indian software products.

"Under the Digital India initiative, National Rural Internet and Technology Mission, the government will focus on setting up broadband in villages, promote local manufacturing of hardware and Indian software products," finance minister Arun Jaitley today said while presenting the Budget for 2014-15.

"A special focus will be on supporting software products startups. A National Rural Internet and Technology Mission service in villages and training in IT.I have provided a sum of Rs 500 crore for this purpose," he informed Parliament.

Also, in what could provide more opportunities for the technology firms, the minister proposed to set up 100 smart cities for which the government will provide Rs 7,060 crore.

Besides, in a bid to boost the earnings of the small and medium enterprises, Jaitley said manufacturing units will be allowed to sell their products through retail and e-commerce platforms.