Technology News

Effects of Computer Hacking

2014-06-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

Computer hacking is the act of modifying computer hardware or application, in order to cause destroy to sensitive knowledge on a computer or to basically steal confidential knowledge. Computer hackers often target home and office computers that are connected to the Web. The Web is a gateway for a computer to connect to the world, which also makes it vulnerable to assaults from hackers from across the globe. What are the consequences of computer hacking? Let us find out.

Effects of Computer Hacking

Effects of Computer Hacking

Computer hacking is a breach of computer security. It can expose sensitive user knowledge and risk user privacy. Hacking activities expose confidential user knowledge like personal details, social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account knowledge and personal photographs. User knowledge, in the hands of computer hackers, makes it vulnerable to illegitimate use and manipulation. Read More - http://www.findonweb.net/blog/effects-of-computer-hacking/

Iraq and India: A forgotten love story

2014-06-21T04:28:00.001-07:00

The abduction of 40 Indians from Mosul, Iraq, has justifiably triggered a wave of anxiety at their dreadful plight. Should New Delhi fail to free the hostages forthwith, the anxiety would likely turn into rage, inspiring stereotypical images of the Islamic world detesting Indians, of us living forever in the crosshair of blood-thirsty militants. This narrative will inevitably portray Iraq as yet another Muslim country hostile to India, a veritable enemy territory.

But all those who worked in or visited Iraq in the 1970s will narrate you another story. They will tell you that unlike, say, the arrogant Saudis and nouveau riche Emiratis, the Iraqis had an abiding love for India, not least because they looked upon it as a civilisation as old as theirs. But this love wasn’t merely sentimental. It was as much based on respect for India’s technological prowess and assistance to Iraq in its quest to emerge as a modern nation-state. There was, even in those days, admiration for India’s democracy and freedom and, above all, its romantic, at times maudlin, Hindi films.

Reuters

Indeed, it is vital to recover the narrative of Indians about the Iraq of the 1970s. For one, it will underscore the grossly limited scope of contemporary international relations studies, mostly defined and designed to focus on the interests of global powers. Two, such a narrative will tell you that Iraq wasn’t always an economically backward, Islamic fundamentalist country. Three, and more important, it will portray that a conflict between two nations has severe consequences for a third country even though it doesn’t share borders with either.

Memories of Mosul

Those Indians who lived in Iraq in the ’70s are either very old or dead. It’s, therefore, the responsibility of their children to bring the complicated narratives of the ’70s into the public domain.

I’m one of those children, then a schoolboy who visited his parents in summer or winter breaks every alternate year. My father taught applied mathematics for eight long years in the University of Mosul, the city from which the 40 Indians were abducted a few days ago.

To reside in Mosul was to breathe history, to even live it. The city was said to have been inhabited continuously centuries before the Common Era (CE). Here you could find the mausoleum of Prophet Younis, or Prophet Jonah to the Christians. There were churches and monasteries dating back to the sixth century, in sharp contrast to the monochromatic portrayal of Iraq in the global media.

Even heterodoxy flourished. In the mountains to the north of Mosul, there lived a tribe which was said to worship Shaitan or Satan. Their logic of worshipping Shaitan was impeccable: Since he was the barrier between man and God, the path to salvation could be smoothened through direct invocations to the antithesis of the sacred. I was once taken to the mausoleum which the tribe held in great reverence, for there was buried one who had supposedly acquired enormous spiritual powers through his appeasement of Shaitan. Indeed, a land’s antiquity can be judged as much from carbon dating as from its forms of worship and apocryphal stories.

Mosul was a fine city, spread on either side of the river Tigris. Exclusive enclaves of villas dotted the suburbs, the labyrinthine old quarters and bazaars dominated the city centre. At night, the city would be lit up with a psychedelic touch. From the roadside cafes would waft the aroma of chicken skewered on spindles that turned slowly over the oven, as would drift the lilting voices of Arabic singers. On its roads cruised spiffy cars, from Mercedes Benz to Volkswagen to Toyota to Renault, long before they made the Indian roads as their own. Yet, late night, drunken men returned from taverns in horse-drawn carriages, the haunting echo of clip-clop mingling with delirious laughter.

Mosul, as also much of Iraq, didn’t just choose to dress its ancient soul in the tawdry dress of modernity. It sought to alter the sensibilities of its people, and provide a liberal gait to its ancient style. The societal transformation was manifest in the substantial presence of women in the public arena. They were in government jobs, behind shopping counters, in healthcare and teaching professions. They dressed as they wished, from draping themselves in the black chador to trousers to skirts to micro-minis.

In this file photo, residents shop at a city market in Mosul, Iraq.

The freedom the women enjoyed was, in a way, ironical, living as they did under the authoritarian regime of Saddam Hussein. But his rule wasn’t just about keeping people under a tight rein. His Ba’ath party espoused secularism, or strict neutrality towards religion, and undertook the project of building a modern nation-state. Revenues gushing from oil wells helped finance this modernist project. For instance, college education was free, including even textbooks, subject to the proviso that irrespective of the socio-economic status of the student, he had to join the army as an ordinary soldier in case he failed to clear the annual college examination in two successive years.

India, Iraq: A love story

Indians were respected precisely because they played a significant role in Iraq’s project to emerge as a modern nation-state. They held a slew of technical teaching positions in universities, manned its healthcare systems, built its roads and rail links, rejuvenated its agriculture, and trained its air force pilots. These roles the Indians have played elsewhere, but in Iraq rarely were they looked upon, as they are in some Western Asian countries, as citizens of an impoverished land selling their skills for better remuneration. For instance, Indians driving out of cities were often waved past check-posts without security search, an astonishing concession in a paranoid police system that Iraq decidedly was.

Perhaps their respect for Indians was because of the common sensibilities ancient civilisations are said to spawn. It was this sharing of sensibilities which perhaps explains the popularity of Hindi films in Iraq. They were a rage, a new release drawing packed halls. My most enduring image of their love for Hindi cinema was the audience response to a scene in Sholay. It was that dramatic shot in which Gabbar Singh, after mowing down Thakur’s family, points the gun to his grandson, trembling in fear. The audience burst out shouting, “No, no,” and took to hurling coke bottle caps at the screen. You would have thought the Iraqis were incapable of fighting one bloody war after another.

However, it was on the pavements of Mosul I grasped the roots of Iraqi’s respect for India. It had this curious tradition of students spreading their bedrolls on pavements and studying in the bright glow of city lights. Presumably the students belonged to lower socio-economic strata, their home perhaps too overcrowded to prepare for examinations diligently. On such nights they would communicate to me through a smattering of English words and sign language that while Iraq had exceptional wealth, the Indians possessed knowledge and brain-power.
The more articulate among them would ask me what it was to live in a democracy, to vote and choose leaders, to enjoy the freedom of expression. It was brave of those students to speak on politics. An Iraqi friend of my father’s confessed that they refrained from discussing politics in extended family gatherings, suspicious as they were of cousins working as Saddam’s spies. One night an anguished cry rent our neighbourhood. I was later told it was of a man whom the secret police had whisked away for engaging in clandestine political activity. Such men, it was said, never returned.

To my childish eyes, Saddam didn’t seem a brutal dictator on the day we were out on a picnic in the rugged mountains of the Kurdish area. We heard the clatter of choppers as they hovered over us, descending slowly, their tails swaying. From one of them stepped out Saddam, briskly walking around shaking hands. He joined a circle of Kurds, their arms interlocked, taking two steps forward and kicking their right legs high, and then two steps backward to toss their lefts legs in the air. The dictator stood so close I could have even touched him. In hindsight, I guess it was a show mounted for television.

Nevertheless, I was impressed. Till then, the closest I had ever been to a political leader was around 100 meters from Indira Gandhi, who had driven down the roads of Patna, where I was schooled, in a convertible. Later in the evening, I saw Saddam address a crowd from the balcony of the governor’s residence. They cheered him uproariously every now and then. I thought he was Iraq’s Indira, boasting an indomitable will and enjoying tremendous popularity.

Things fall apart

All this was before Saddam entangled himself in the Sunni-Shia competition and opted to become a footsoldier in America’s grand plan to stem the Islamic revolution in Iran from spilling across it borders. Like so many other West Asian leaders in the past, Saddam too wished to emerge as a pan-Arab personality. In 1980, he unilaterally declared he was abrogating the 1975 Algiers treaty that had settled the Shatt-al-Arab border dispute between Iran and Iraq. A desultory, disastrous Iran-Iraq war ensued, prompting Indian professionals to leave the country.

They left not only because of deteriorating security condition; it was also because the government had diverted its financial resources to war efforts and could no longer bankroll an expensive retinue of expatriate professionals. Eight years later, the war ended, but not its consequences.

Presiding over an impoverished state, Saddam demanded monetary compensation from Saudia Arabia and Kuwait for having battled on their behalf the Iranians and their Islamic zeal. Perhaps he wouldn’t have invaded Kuwait but for the duplicitous role American ambassador in Iraq April Glaspie played. The transcripts of her telegrams to Washington reveal she had tacitly encouraged Saddam to invade Kuwait, or at least conveyed the impression that the US wouldn’t intervene in an Iraqi-Kuwait armed conflict. No doubt, Saddam’s troops overran Kuwait in a swift raid, but it also became a pretext for the US and its allies to launch the first Gulf War in Jan 1991. An impoverished Iraq was bombed mercilessly.

But its woes still didn’t end. Stringent UN sanctions were imposed on Iraq, which was disallowed to determine the quantity of oil it could sell. Battered, its economic recovery became impossible and, tragically, infants began to die for lack of food and medicine. Then came George Bush’s neo-cons, who pummeled Iraq further, in the hope of reconfiguring the region to their imagination.

End of the new beginning

Over the last few years, the democratically elected government in Baghdad had succeeded to put Iraq back on rails. Not only did militancy show a downward spiral, Iraq clocked an impressive growth of 8.5 per cent in 2012. In the same year, it pumped 3 million barrels of oil a day, the highest since 1983. It had planned to commit $ 45 billion on infrastructure in 2013, conveying its resolve to rebuild its economic sinews.

A confident Baghdad was also inclined to re-forge old ties with India. In 2012-2013, Iraq accounted for 13 per cent of India’s oil imports, taking the second slot among the countries meeting Delhi’s energy needs. It offset the dip in supply from Iran because of UN sanctions. In 2006-2007, India's exports to Iraq were worth $ 200 million. The figure jumped to $ 1.3 billion in 2013. Iraq’s imports showed even a bigger spurt – rising from $ 5.5 billion in 2006-07 to $ 20 billion in 2012-13.

When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited India last year, he expressed his wish for a larger Indian investment in the oil and gas industry and cooperation in the healthcare and education sectors. To demonstrate Iraq’s faith in Indian doctors, he checked in at a hospital in Gurgaon. On average, 100 Iraqi medical patients come to India daily.

But hopes of Iraq’s revival were cruelly dashed, yet again, because of America’s adventurism, its penchant for regime change in countries that had been opposed to it. Much of the turmoil in Syria had been courtesy the Americans, who provided arms and logistical support to militant groups arrayed against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It can well be accused of encouraging if not directly supporting the Al Qaeda footsoldiers who have banded under the banner of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It’s the ISIS that has swept through Iraq, triggering an upheaval in which the lives of 40 Indians have been imperilled.

Perhaps the West will argue, stubbornly and hypocritically, that its intervention in the region is to promote democracy and provide an opportunity to an oppressed people to live in freedom. Perhaps they will tell you that it is the price Iraqis, and the Arabs, must pay to build a better future.

Cut to 2003. When the Americans began to amass troops in Kuwait for launching the invasion of Iraq, my father often thought of his Iraqi friends. To allay his worries, I took from him the names of his colleagues, believing academicians had greater chances of surfacing in an internet search. Over weeks of relentless search, I stumbled upon a professor whose name matched one on my father’s list. I wrote to him friend asking him whether he had been in the University of Mosul and remembered my father.

I received a reply from him the next day. Yes, he said he had been my father’s colleague and listed others from the faculty and their whereabouts. They had all moved out of Iraq. Even the Jordanian professor’s extended family had dispersed all over West Asia, and his children were employed in the UAE. He said Iraq has lived through terrible times, and fervently hoped Iraq could recover the happy ordinariness of life now that Saddam had been deposed. But he added a caveat, “Not under American occupation. Never.”

I wrote to him saying, yes, the burden of challenging the American hegemony had now fallen on the Iraqis. He didn’t respond. The professor must have thought of me as a foolish man, preaching defiance and rebellion from the comfort of certainty denied to his country for a generation.

As we worry over the fate of 40 Indians, spare a thought for the Iraqis, who became victim of the overweening ambitions of a dictator and the callous arrogance of a superpower. Undoubtedly, we should bristle against the Islamic militants. But we should also against the Americans, who fight wars in distant lands, their own people insulated from unimaginable miseries and dislocations of wars.

(The author is a Delhi-based journalist and can be reached atashrafajaz3@gmail.com)

Asus Zenfone 5 Unboxing Video and First Look

2014-06-20T23:14:00.001-07:00

If rumours are to be believed then Asus will be announcing their whole Zenfone series come July 9. This will mark Asus return to the smartphone game in India after a long hiatus. Fortunately, you require not wait till next month to receive a first hand look as they managed to snag a unit off a cargo van on the way to Asus’s warehouse. kidding, but they do have, what is likely, the final retail unit which will go on sale in India next month.

They have the Zenfone 5, which is the 5-inch version in the series & from the looks of it, looks like a serious contender against offerings from Samsung & Sony. The phone was first announced at CES 2014 but since then, Asus has made a couple of changes to the final Indian retail unit. For starters, the Zenfone five ditches the Intel Atom Z2580 for a Z2560 SoC, which runs at one.6GHz in lieu of 2GHz. This is not a major setback as it’s still a dual-core with HyperThreading based on the CloverTrail+ platform. To make up for it, Asus has also increased the RAM to 2GB & boosted the battery to two,110mAh.

The remainder of the specifications stay much the same. You receive a 5-inch HD IPS display with Gorilla Glass, quad-band 3G & 2G, dual-SIM, expandable memory (8GB onboard) as well as a 8MP camera on the back.

The phone feels well built & put together. It’s sturdy as well & the back cover sits flush with the remainder of the body. The tiny brushed aluminium trim at the bottom adds some flair to the phone & is in keeping with the Zen-series design language.

The Zenfone five had a launch cost of $149, which ought to translate to an India retail cost of roughly Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000, after adding taxes & duty. If this is indeed true then it’s not bad thinking about the specifications. We’ll be putting the Zenfone five through the ringer over the next seven days so stay tuned for the full review.

#Article370: RSS hits out at Omar, says J&K will always be a part of India

2014-05-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: Amidst the raging debate over Article 370, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) spokesperson Ram Madhav has lashed out at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeting that the state "has been and will always be a part of India."

"J&K won't be a part of India? Is Omar thinking its his parental estate? 370 or no 370, J&K has been and will always be an integral part of India (sic)," Ram Madhav tweeted.

Meanwhile, the core group of Jammu and Kashmir's ruling National Conference is meeting at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence on Wednesday to discuss the statement made by Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Article 370 claiming that the government had started speaking to stakeholders to repeal Article 370.

The National Conference will be meeting at Omar Abdullah's residence to discuss the statement made by MoS Jitendra Singh on Article 370.

Omar had warned the new Modi-led government against scrapping Article 370 saying that any such move would only further isolate the state. He also further added that any talks on Article 370 need to focus on strengthening it and not scrapping it claiming that abrogation of the law will further isolate the state.

In conversation with IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Omar said that "Article 370 is the constitutional link between Jammu an Kashmir and rest of India. You take that link away, what else is there? Please understand that J&K is exceeded to the union of India on the basis of Article 370, which cements that relationship.

He also said that denied BJP's argument that the Article weakens the process of integration than strengthening saying that it is the only process whereby J&K is a part of India.

However, he also said that he is ready for a discussion on the issue. "I had offered a dialogue from the first time when Modi had come to Jammu where he said in a speech that we're ready to talk. I said you name the time and place. I'll be there to talk. If you're willing to reopen the entire question of accession of J&K to India. Please by all means open the question of revocation of Article 370 and let's see where you reach," he said.

The debate over the Article erupted yet again after Dr Jitendra Singh, soon after taking charge as MoS in the PMO, said that the government has started a debate on the abrogation of Article 370, which gives special status and autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir.

While speaking to CNN-IBN, Jitendra Singh had said, "Article 370 has done more harm. Youth of Kashmir has to be convinced about this. That's why honourable PM has called for a debate." However, he later clarified that he had been misquoted. Article 370 grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K won't b part of India? Is Omar thinking its his parental estate? 370 or no 370 J&K has been n will always b an integral part of India.
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavrss) May 28, 2014

Best Antivirus on Windows 8: Looking at Your Options

2014-05-27T03:35:00.002-07:00

Microsoft will include antivirus in Windows 8 for the first time in the history of Windows. But will this software--the new version of Windows Defender--provide adequate protection against viruses, spyware, and other malware? Let's take a closer look at what Windows Defender provides, and whether its features are enough to keep you safe.

Bear in mind that even though Microsoft will include Windows Defender in Windows 8, PC manufacturers may disable the program on new PCs that carry preinstalled antivirus software from a third-party such as Norton or McAfee. The preinstalled third-party antivirus options are usually limited-time trials, so your initial decision may be whether to keep any preinstalled antivirus; if you decide against keeping it, you'll need to decide whether to enable Windows Defender and use it or to switch to another third-party antivirus program.

The most important thing to consider when choosing antivirus software is its protection strength--how well it detects, disables, and removes viruses, spyware, and other malware. In this article I'll focus on comparing the protection strength of Windows Defender to that of other antivirus programs.

Protection Strength of Windows Defender

Windows Defender in Windows 8 looks a lot like Microsoft Security Essentials.

Though we haven't fully tested Windows Defender in Windows 8 yet, we have tested Microsoft Security Essentials, which uses the same antimalware engine as Windows Defender.

Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials also have very similar interfaces. Consequently, using the results from the existing Security Essentials review for a casual comparison seems reasonable. Security companies regularly update their products, and the results you obtain with the most recent iteration of each package could very well differ from those discussed here, but the earlier data does give us a rough idea of how Security Essentials and Windows Defender match up to their competition.

In a roundup review that we posted three months ago, based on evaluations that we conducted in conjunction with AV-Test, a well-respected antivirus-software testing lab, we appraised the performance of seven free antivirus programs. In this group, Security Essentials placed fifth. Our reviewers found it easy to use and deemed it the best of the seven at completely removing malware that it uncovered; but they also found its malware detection rate rather lackluster: It spotted 97 percent of known malware samples, whereas programs turned in detection rates as high as 99.9 percent.

To compare the protection strength of Security Essentials to that other free and paid antiviruses, you can refer to AV-Test's website for its latest testing results. Those results, at this writing, show that Security Essentials provides great malware repair and removal: placing third, just behind Bitdefender and Kaspersky. But the program's results for malware detection are much worse: It placed 21st in a field of 22.

Additional Free Antivirus Options

If you'd like to save some money, but prefer to use some other program, you have quite a few options. Again, I'll refer to our roundup review from last April, which evaluated seven free antivirus suites. Here are the top four you might consider using:

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition was the highest-ranked of the seven free antivirus programs we assessed earlier this year.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition: Though it had the lowest detection rate of the top four free antivirus programs with a 98.7 percent detection rate against known malware (Avast, Panda, and Avira finished with rates of 99.1 percent, 99.9 percent, and 99.7 percent, respectively), it handily outperformed Security Essentials (which finished with a detection rate of 97 percent). And though it wasn't as good at completely removing malware as Security Essentials (66.7 percent versus 80 percent), it was the only antivirus to disable 100 percent of detected malware; Security Essentials finished at 93 percent on this measure. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition also tied Panda Cloud Antivirus for the top rate of blocking brand-new threats, at 85.7 percent, whereas Security Essentials was at 71.4 percent.

Avast Free Antivirus: Avast's freebie provided strong detection of known malware samples, at 99.1 percent. Its rate of completely removing malware (67 percent) fell short of Security Essentials' rate (80 percent) and the two programs delivered matching 93 percent rates for disabling active malware. Avast Free Antivirus did provide better blocking of real-world malware, achieving a 78.6 percent rate, compared to Security Essentials' 71.4 percent.

Panda Cloud Antivirus: This tool provided the second highest protection against known malware samples overall at 99.9 percent, compared to 97 percent by Security Essentials. Though Panda's malware repair percentage was among the lowest in the group of seven, it tied with AVG for the best performance at fully blocking brand-new threats, turning in a rate of 85.7 percent, versus Security Essentials' mark of 71.4 percent.

Avira Free Antivirus: Avira provided the third-highest detection rate (out of seven free antiviruses tested) for spotting known malware samples: 99.7 percent, compared to Security Essentials' rate of 97 percent. Though it scored lower than Security Essentials on AV-Test's remaining detection and repair tests, Avira did provide much faster scanning.

Paid Antivirus Options

Though free antivirus programs can provide adequate protection for most users, the best protection must be bought. To compare these, I'll refer to a roundup review of paid security suites that we posted in January of this year. Here are the top four programs you might consider purchasing, with their prices for one year of protection on three PCs lited parenthetically:

G Data InternetSecurity 2012 earned the top ranking among paid antivirus programs in our January roundup.

G Data InternetSecurity ($45): Among 14 paid packages tested, G Data Internet Security provided the best protection against known malware with a 99.99 percent detection rate. At the same time, it had minimal impact on PC performance, and an acceptable complete malware removal score of 60 percent.

Norton Internet Security ($50): This program delivered solid detection of known malware, at 99.94 percent, but it suffered from a higher-than-average false-positive rate and a relatively low malware removal mark of 50 percent.

Bitdefender Internet Security ($80): Bitdefender turned in the second-highest malware detection rate among paid programs, at 99.96 percent, and it also distinguished itself with a very good removal rate (90 percent), but its scan speeds tended to be slow, and the software had a relatively large impact on PC performance.

Kaspersky Internet Security ($65): Kaspersky's paid antivirus software combined good malware protection (at 99.34 percent) with an acceptable malware removal rate of 60 percent.

When you buy an Internet Security suite, in addition to getting better protection, you usually get more features and services than you would with a free antivirus program. For example, most Internet Security suites include a firewall to help block intrusions and data theft (these firewalls tend to be better than the free firewall built into Windows), as well as a spam filter to help you control your junk email. Many security software vendors offer tech support for removing malware if you do become infected, and they may provide additional security features such as sandboxing, and even extras like online storage or PC tune-up utilities.

Choosing Your Antivirus for Windows 8

If your Windows 8 PC comes with a third-party antivirus preinstalled on it, you should firstcheck the program's ranking; if it doesn't rank in the top four, consider opting out and using something else. As we've seen, the free antivirus built into Windows 8 should be easy to use and should provide excellent malware removal, but it will likely be relatively weak at detecting malware in the first place.

Though Windows Defender will still certainly protect you from most malware and may be suitable for some users, you may prefer to install on of the better-performing free antivirus programs offered by AVG, Avast, Panda, and Avira. Or for superior protection and more features, consider buying antivirus protection from one of the top vendors: G Data, Symantec (Norton), Bitdefender, or Kaspersky.

WhatsApp crosses 500 million active users; 48 million in India alone

2014-04-22T23:12:00.003-07:00

Popular messaging app WhatsApp has now crossed 500 million users. The company which was bought by Facebook in February this year - for a gigantic amount of $19 billion – has been steadily adding to its growing list of users.

Last year in August, WhatsApp had 200 million users while the number doubled to 430 million in January 2014. The instant messaging app had also revealed that it processes 50 billion messages on an average every day.

Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp says in a post on company’s blog, “In the last few months, we’ve grown fastest in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, and Russia, and our users are also sharing more than 700 million photos and 100 million videos every single day.”

The post further clarifies that these 500 million people are not only registered members but also active users. The new milestone for the messaging app explains why Mark Zuckerberg was interested in buying it.

As far as India is concerned, it remains one of the fastest growing markets for WhatsApp. WhatsApp’s Neeraj Arora told BGR India that it’s adding a whopping 4 million active users per month and the India user base is set to cross 50 million mark in May, constituting 10 percent of all users. Currently the report says the service has 48 million active users in the country. Read More here- http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/whatsapp-crosses-500-million-active-users-222292.html

John Sculley to launch mid-end Obi Mobile smartphones in India

2014-04-18T04:50:00.002-07:00

The former CEO of Apple computers, who switched to computers from soft drinks in 1983 desires to launch new mobile rings in India. John Sculley of the “Dynamic Duo”from Apple who later co-founded the company Inflexionpoint , an IT and telecom supply chain Company. The company is prepared to enter the Indian market with rings under Obi Mobiles brand.

John Sculley is famously known for the way the temperamental and very-very meticulous Apple co-founder Steve Jobs made him an offer to quit Pepsi Co to join Apple and his tiff with the Jobs that later made Jobs leave Apple. Jobs came back later to save the ailing company and made it of the most successful and innovative company of the world. According to Patently Apple they has said that they regrets the decision that was taken way back in 1985 in which Apple board of directors agreed to move Jobs out of the company. “I think, in hindsight, for the founder to leave was a mistake and I was a part of that” they said according to the news document.

1 of the co-founders of Inflexionpoint Neeraj Chauhan had a very important role in bringing the brand to India. I have been looking for years for a chance to build a brand here. When Neeraj approached me (around 18 months ago) with the idea of building a mobile brand, I got interested, says Sculley. For More click on image

Airtel Night Store brings unlimited-usage service packs starting at Rs 7

2014-04-16T23:10:00.001-07:00

Telecom major Bharti Airtel has launched multiple unlimited-usage service packs, beginning from Rs 7, for prepaid customers.

Bharti Airtel today introduced its Night Store a first of its kind store that will enable customers to buy value-for-money offers on their prepaid mobile for web usage and local calling at night, 12 midnight to 6am,the company said in a statement.

Airtel has made access to Facebook free in the coursework of night hours, which users can activate by dialing 129.

Under of the night service offers, Airtel prepaid customers can make limitless calls to local Airtel numbers for Rs 7, limitless 2G mobile web for Rs 8 and combination of both these services for Rs 15.

The company is also offering 500 MB of 3G service for Rs 29 and 1GB of 3G for Rs 49 in the coursework of night in service areas where it's 3G spectrum.

The offers come in the same month when the company has reduced benefit on mobile calls and web under some schemes.

As per Trai information, Airtel leads Indian mobile services market with over twenty crore customers.

Via - Firstpost

Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM

2014-04-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Asus has announced their third iteration of the Fonepad 7 which now features dual-SIM capabilities. They managed to get an exclusive sneak peek at the device before launch & what better way to kick things off than with an unboxing video. The Fonepad 7 Dual SIM is priced at Rs 12,999, which is lovely thinking about the features & the backing of a lovely brand name.

Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM sports a 7-inch LED Backlit IPS display with 1280×800 pixels of resolution. Under the hood, it comes powered by a dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 processor that clocks at one.2 GHz & coupled with 1GB of RAM. The device also includes PowerVR SGX544 GPU graphics. The tablet comes equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera & a one.2-megapixel front-facing camera.

On the connectivity options include Wi-Fi & 3G, along with Bluetooth three.0 & GPS support. The 8GB onboard storage is expandable up to 64GB by microSD card slot. The tablet runs Android four.3 Jelly Bean & packs in a 3950 mAh battery that promises 28 hours of talk time on 3G.

Samsung’s graphene breakthrough could pave way for lighter, flexible devices

2014-04-14T21:57:00.002-07:00

Samsung has announced a new breakthrough in the manufacture of graphene that could bring lighter, faster and more flexible devices in the near future. In graphene, carbon atoms are densely packed in a hexagonal lattice, quite resembling a honeycomb. It remains one of the strongest, most durable materials on the planet.

In association with Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), became the first organisation in the world to uses the synthesis method to produce graphene that can be used in electronic semi-conductors and other applications. Samsung’s work would help in making mass production of graphene less cumbersome and SAIT has managed to synthesise graphene using a method that previously yielded less than satisfying results. -

Samsung’s graphene breakthrough could pave way for lighter, flexible devices

Samsung Galaxy S5 now available in India starting at Rs 51,500

2014-04-11T03:41:00.003-07:00

Update: The official Samsung India store has begun selling the 16GB Galalxy S5 for Rs 51,500. Surprisingly, Flipkart is selling the 16GB Galalxy S5 unit for a tad pricey Rs 53,499.

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5 that was launched last month, & expected for a cost somewhere between Rs 51,000 & Rs 53,000, has finally hit store shelves in India. Though the official site still asks users to pre-book the gizmo by paying a sum of Rs one,500, the gizmo is available at online retailers for a cost of Rs 51,500.

Online retailers like Infibeam, Snapdeal & Saholic have started selling the 16Gb Galaxy S5 for Rs 51,500 & promise to ship the gizmo in 3-4 working days. Besides, it will even be available through brick & mortar stores. The Galaxy S5 was expected to be available in black, white, blue & gold colours, but it seems the gold hasn’t made it to online stores yet. - Samsung Galaxy S5 now available in India starting at Rs 51,500

US Warns Facebook on Privacy in WhatsApp

2014-04-10T23:08:00.004-07:00

The warning came as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) informed Facebook it had approved the deal, according to sources familiar with the review, allowing Facebook to go forward with its largest-ever acquisition and expand its footprint and mobile offerings.

In a letter to both companies, the FTC noted that WhatsApp has made “promises” to consumers on defending their knowledge and that both companies have told consumers that after the acquisition, WhatsApp will continue its current privacy practices.

Washington: US regulators warned Facebook about making changes to the privacy owner of WhatsApp, the smartphone messaging service set to be acquired by the social network for a whopping USD 19 billion.

Rich said that if the deal is done and WhatsApp fails to honor these promises, “both companies could be in violation” of the law “and, potentially, the FTC’s order against Facebook.” Rich was referring to a 2011 settlement in which Facebook pledged to get consumers’ consent before making changes that override their privacy settings. -

US Warns Facebook on Privacy in WhatsApp

Whatsapp voice calling coming soon?

2014-04-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

couple months ago at Mobile World Congress, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum announced that the popular messaging app would be adding voice calling to its feature list. The assumption has been that the service would be similar to Skype or Facebook Messenger, but there has been no word on when the feature would be added. Some new clues are making it look like voice calls may be on the way soon, though.

How Specific Colors Affect Social Media Strategy - Infographic

2014-04-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

How Specific Colors Affect Social Media Strategy - Infographic

[via MediaBistro]

Image via Social Marketing Writing

FTC Has Seen 2,046 Complaints About Yelp In Recent Years

2014-04-05T04:02:00.002-07:00

week that there have been 2,046 complaints filed against Yelp dating from 2008 to March 4th, 2014. While that may seem like a lot, it’s not incredibly shocking given that we see businesses complaining informally about the site pretty much every week.

Has your experience with Yelp been positive or negative? Let us know in the comments.

Businesses often vent their frustration in article comments and elsewhere on the Internet, as well as at Yelp’s own events. They often blame the site for major losses in business, and sometimes suggest that the site is holding their positive reviews hostage when they refuse to advertise.

How does Google separate popularity from authority?

2014-04-02T21:51:00.002-07:00

The topic came up when Blind Five Year Old asked Cutts, “As Google continues to add social signals to the algorithm, how do you separate simple popularity from true authority?”

Google seems to have announced some coming changes to its algorithm in the latest “Webmaster Help” video. Head of webspam Matt Cutts said the search engine is working on some changes that will help it better determine when a site is an authority on a topic. He didn’t give any specific dates or anything, but says he’s “looking forward to to those rolling out.” …

Click to read the full article…

How To Unlock Android Mobile Pattern Lock Tricks

2014-04-01T03:55:00.000-07:00

Steps:

First turn off your mobile.
Pattern lock 5 time try in simples. and 30 second wait in mobiles.
Forget Option Click and Your Password OR email id..... READ MORE - How To Unlock Android Mobile Pattern Lock Tricks

How To Turn ON Your PC In Just 10 Seconds

2014-03-30T22:05:00.001-07:00

Click on the Start button then press R it will take you to Run well go to run command, type regedit, And press enter this will open Registry Editor.

Now look for the key

HKEY_LOACAL_MECHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\

ContentIndex

Now there find the Key called
“Startup Delay”
Double Click On It... Read More - How To Turn ON Your PC In Just 10 Seconds

Top Twitter Trends Results for Awkward Moments #AwkwardMoments

2014-01-30T01:36:00.004-08:00

For More Click on Image

Zunaid Mohammad ‏@iamzunaid102m

Laughing so hard in a group that you farted and everyone stops laughing and starts staring. #AwkwardMoments

Life & Thoughts ‏@quotes545974622m

9 out of 10 men prefer a girl with a big rack. The 10th prefers the other 9 men.#AwkwardMoments

Rishi Bagree ‏@rishibagree2m

33 Days of AAP = 28Days TV Interviews + 2 Days Dharna + 3 Days Work Yet claims to give Best govt in 60 yrs #AwkwardMoments #AAPkaLokpal

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo Leaked

2014-01-24T02:55:00.006-08:00

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo will sit right between the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 & Note 3, & hopefully, will be priced accordingly when it lands in India. Various leaks recommend it will be featuring a five.5-inch 720p Tremendous AMOLED screen. It will be powered by a brand new Samsung Exynos SoC built on six cores (1.7GHz dual-core & 1.3GHz quad-core), making it the first hexa-core CPU powered smartphone in the world..... read more here or click on image - http://www.findonweb.net/blog/samsung-galaxy-note-3-neo-leaked/

FCC is Proposing To Allow Cell Phone Calls in Flights

2014-01-20T03:12:00.002-08:00

Now that the FCC is proposing to permit cell phone calls in flights or giving the airlines the chance to permit them it all gets down to the inevitable clash between passenger preference and revenue.

The expertise to permit cell phone calls on flights is obtainable and can be basically installed. The common sense, on the other hand, seems elusive.

Already, Delta Air Lines has said it won’t permit the cell phone usage, no matter what permission the FCC may grant. Other airlines, like JetBlue, have said they are studying the issue.

Worried about sitting next to a chatty Cathy? Don’t book your next flight without knowing your airline’s preliminary stance on cell phone calls. Complete policy info here.

For the moment, passenger reaction to the notion of cell rings aboard planes has been overwhelmingly negative. Read More article here - http://www.findonweb.net/blog/fcc-is-proposing-to-allow-cell-phone-calls-in-flights/

How to Check If Your Accounts Have Been Hacked

2014-01-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

There are a slew of sites out there that consolidate the publicly obtainable details from all the major hacks and let you search to see if your electronic mail is among them.

Every few weeks brings another document of electronic mail and other personal account knowledge being stolen from a major corporation. Last month a giant viral botnet was discovered stealing the information of over two million accounts from Facebook, Google and Yahoo. And the month before that, the details of a whopping 152 million accounts were stolen from Adobe. This may leave you wondering if of your lots of accounts across the net has been exposed, but how do you tell?

There’s a slew of sites out there that consolidate the publicly obtainable details from all the major hacks and let you search to see if your electronic mail is among them. Some are more useful than others, and some may basically be fronts for electronic mail harvesting services, so you require to be cautious which you use. Our favourite, haveibeenpwned.com, tells you whether your knowledge has been stolen, where the hack occurred and which of your personal details were compromised (e.g., user name, password, password hints, etc.). Read More Article Here - How to Check If Your Accounts Have Been Hacked

Court Orders Yelp To Identify Anonymous Reviewers

2014-01-13T04:17:00.002-08:00

Yelp has already appealed the decision

Seven anonymous Yelp reviewers are the target of a recent court inquiry, and Yelp has been asked to identify them.

According to Hadeed Carpet Cleaning, it was unable to match the Yelp reviewers — who used pseudonyms on the site for anonymity — with actual customer experiences. Hence, the company asked that Yelp reveal the identities of these seven reviewers so Hadeed Carpet Cleaning can confirm if these are actual customers, or people leaving false reviews.

According to The Atlantic, Alexandria, Virginia-based Hadeed Carpet Cleaning received some negative reviews on Yelp, and like most companies in that position, wasn’t happy about it. But the issue is that Hadeed Carpet Cleaning says the reviewers were never actual customers at all.

Microsoft Upgrades The Surface Pro 2′s CPU Reviews

2014-01-04T00:27:00.000-08:00

The largest appeal of the Surface Pro (compared to the non-Pro model) is that it runs a full operating method, in lieu of the stripped down Windows RT, making the tablet a fully functional mPC. Microsoft has timed the release of the Surface Pro two to correspond with the release of mobile Windows 8.1, which means the differences between Windows 8 and 8.1 will translate with the generations of Surface Pros. Of coursework, upgrading an original Surface Pro to Windows 8.1 is also an option.

New York City’s Smoking Ban to Include e-cigarettes

2013-12-21T01:48:00.003-08:00

Since 2002, New York City has banned smoking in bars, restaurants, places of employment, government buildings, parks, and other public places. Now, over a decade after that law was enacted, the NYC Council has decided to add e-cigarettes to the ban.

In a 43-8 vote the city approved the measure to ban electronic cigarettes from all public buildings – and a handful of parks. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign the legislation. E-cigarettes, which use vapor to deliver nicotine to their users, have been growing in popularity over the past couple of years – not only with adults but also among teens. There are various styles of e-cigs, but the most common sees a user heat up a nicotine-laced liquid (many with fun flavors) and inhale the resulting vapor. The fact that it’s vapor, not smoke, has led advertisers to push the “vape anywhere!” pitch.

Their popularity was outpacing the regulation and legislation – at least until now. The FDA is looking to regulate the devices like tobacco products, and the CDC says “what comes out of e-cigarettes is less toxic [than a real cigarette], but it’s more toxic than breathing clean air.”

The American Lung Association takes a “it might be harmful, but more research is need” stance:

“Also unknown is what the potential harm may be to people exposed to secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes. Two initial studies have found formaldehyde, benzene and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (a carcinogen) coming from those secondhand emissions. While there is a great deal more to learn about these products, it is clear that there is much to be concerned about, especially in the absence of FDA oversight,” says the organization.

Here’s what the legislation says:

Electronic cigarette devices have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for smoking cessation and are currently unregulated by the FDA. Most devices contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Although the long-term effects of electronic cigarette devices require further study, the FDA has found that some devices contain toxins and carcinogens and has expressed concerns about their safety. Use of electronic cigarette devices, particularly in places where smoking is prohibited, may interfere with smokers’ attempts to quit by making it easier for them to maintain their nicotine addiction. Children and youth who experiment with electronic cigarettes may become addicted to nicotine and ultimately switch to smoking cigarettes.
The use of electronic cigarette devices may be visually similar to the smoking of cigarettes, and has already been observed in locations where smoking is prohibited, creating concern and confusion that threatens to interfere with enforcement of the Smoke-Free Air Act. The use of electronic cigarette devices in places where smoking is prohibited may increase the social acceptability and appeal of smoking, particularly for youth, potentially undermining the enormous progress that has been made over the years in discouraging smoking.

The Council therefore finds that prohibiting the use of electronic cigarette devices in public places and places of employment will protect the health of the citizens of New York City, facilitate enforcement of the Smoke-Free Air Act, and protect youth from observing behaviors that could encourage them to smoke.

So it appears the council’s objection to e-cigarette use has three major points – 1) we don’t know enough about e-cigarettes and their potential health hazards, 2) it could make smoking look cool and influence kids, and 3) people could be confused by e-cigarettes and think that users are smoking real cigs.

The Wall Street Journal says that other major cites could follow NYC’s lead – with both Los Angeles and Chicago eyeing public e-cig bans as early as January of next year.

Image via Michael Dorausch, Flickr

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US Warns Facebook on Privacy in WhatsApp

US Warns Facebook on Privacy in WhatsApp

Whatsapp voice calling coming soon?

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FTC Has Seen 2,046 Complaints About Yelp In Recent Years

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How To Unlock Android Mobile Pattern Lock Tricks

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Top Twitter Trends Results for Awkward Moments #AwkwardMoments

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo Leaked

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How to Check If Your Accounts Have Been Hacked

Court Orders Yelp To Identify Anonymous Reviewers

Microsoft Upgrades The Surface Pro 2′s CPU Reviews

Read More - http://www.findonweb.net/blog/microsoft-upgrades-the-surface-pro-2%E2%80%B2s-cpu-reviews/

New York City’s Smoking Ban to Include e-cigarettes