Latest Technology News

How to Get Free 2GB as Bonous in Google Drive Storage Last Date 2016 February 11

2016-02-11T00:01:00.002-08:00

How to Get Free 2GB as Bonous in Google Drive Storage Last Date 2016 February 11

Google is offering 2GB Bonous in Google Drive Storage, To get this offer you have to Security check-up before 2016 February 11.

To get this you have Security Check-up your account https://g.co/accountcheckup

In the past year, there were 591 per cent more searches for ‘How to track a lost phone’, the company said. Here are five things users can do to stay secure online:

Use a strong, unique password made up of a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
Do not reuse the same password for important accounts
Set up two-factor authentication, in addition to password
Check account recovery information and add a phone number or other contact information
Do a Security Checkup by clicking this url https://g.co/accountcheckup

Google shut down Helpouts on 2015 April 20

2015-02-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Mid Night I received a mail from Google Helpouts Team, that they are going to shut down the Google Helpouts on 2015 April 20.

Hi,

We have some sad news to share with you today: Helpouts will be shutting down on April 20th, 2015. While this announcement was just posted on our site, we wanted you to hear the news directly from us.

Since launching in 2013, Helpouts has been a home for people to connect with experts on topics they want to learn about or seek advice and solutions to everyday problems. The Helpouts community includes some engaged and loyal contributors, but unfortunately, it hasn't grown at the pace we had expected. Sadly, we've made the tough decision to shut down the product.

Starting April 20th, you'll be able to download your Helpouts history using Google Takeout (available until November 1st, 2015). Until then, you can email us with any questions or concerns you have about your account or take a look at these FAQs.

We want to thank you for your support—both the providers who shared their expertise with the world, and the people who needed some extra help or advice along the way. You've had a lot to contribute—and we've loved learning alongside you.

Our best wishes,
The Helpouts Team

Red Rose

2014-07-31T01:31:00.002-07:00

Rose - Click through Canon Powershot SX510HS

Bird on a Leaf

2014-07-31T01:26:00.002-07:00

My Click in Canon Powershot SX510 HS

Mozilla Firefox Released New Version 31.0

2014-07-31T00:48:00.002-07:00

Mozilla Firefox Version 31.0 has released.

Fixed in Firefox 31

MFSA 2014-66 -- IFRAME sandbox same-origin access through redirect
MFSA 2014-65 -- Certificate parsing broken by non-standard character encoding
MFSA 2014-64 -- Crash in Skia library when scaling high quality images
MFSA 2014-63 -- Use-after-free while when manipulating certificates in the trusted cache
MFSA 2014-62 -- Exploitable WebGL crash with Cesium JavaScript library
MFSA 2014-61 -- Use-after-free with FireOnStateChange event
MFSA 2014-60 -- Toolbar dialog customization event spoofing
MFSA 2014-59 -- Use-after-free in DirectWrite font handling
MFSA 2014-58 -- Use-after-free in Web Audio due to incorrect control message ordering
MFSA 2014-57 -- Buffer overflow during Web Audio buffering for playback
MFSA 2014-56 -- Miscellaneous memory safety hazards (rv:31.0 / rv:24.7)

Highlights of the new version include a search field added to the New Tab Page and preferences to modify the browser.tabs.closeButtons was removed. If you have modified close tabs, this update changes it to default (one close button for each tab). To restore the setting, an add-on such as Classic Theme Restorer is suggested.

The issue introduced with version 29.1 that many users have experienced with slow shut downs resulting in the "Firefox is already running" warning continues unresolved. In the meantime, Firefox users having this issue may want to refer to the KB article, "Firefox is already running but is not responding" error message - How to fix it.

What’s New in Version 31.0

New -- Add the search field to the new tab pag
New -- mozilla::pkix as default certificate verifier (learn more)
New -- Block malware from downloaded files (learn more)
New -- Partial implementation of the OpenType MATH table (section 6.3.6) see documentation about mathematical fonts and the MathML Torture Test for details
New -- Support of Prefer:Safe http header for parental control.
New -- audio/video .ogg and .pdf files handled by Firefox if no application specified (Windows only)
Changed -- Removal of the CAPS infrastructure for specifying site-specific permissions (via capability.policy.* preferences). Most notably, attempts to use this functionality to grant access to the clipboard will no longer work. The sole exception is the checkloaduri permission, which may still be used as before to allow sites to load file:// URIs.
HTML5 -- WebVTT implemented and enabled (learn more)
HTML5 -- CSS3 variables implemented (learn more)
Developer -- Numerous Developer Tools and other changes. See Release Notes for details.
Fixed -- Search for partially selected link text from context menu (985824)

Known Issues

unresolved -- Slow shut downs lead to 'Firefox is already running' warning (see 966469 and 985655)
unresolved -- PDF.js: With some fonts, some characters might not be displayed. Affects a very small number of PDF (1028735)
unresolved -- Mac OS X and Windows: Citrix Receiver no longer works. As a workaround, mark the plugin as Always Enable in the addon manager (1025627)
unresolved -- GNU/Linux and Windows XP: Google Maps Street View displays a black screen (1034593)
Resolved in v32.0a2
unresolved -- Mac OS X: cmd-L no longer opens a new window when no window is available (1008793)
Resolved in v32.0a2

Update

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu at the upper left of the browser window, then pick "About Firefox." Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.

If you do not use the English language version, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

Wi-Fi Virus - Chameleon

2014-02-28T22:11:00.002-08:00

LONDON: Researchers have shown for the first time that Wi-Fi networks can be infected with an 'airborne' virus that can move as efficiently as the common cold.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool in UK designed and simulated an attack by a virus, called "Chameleon" on Belfast and London in a lab setting . They found that not only could it spread quickly between homes and businesses, but it was able to avoid detection.

Experts found that "Chameleon" behaved like an airborne virus, travelling across the Wi-Fi network via Access Points (APs) that connect households and businesses to WiFi networks. "When "Chameleon" attacked an AP, it was able to collect and report the credentials of all other Wi-Fi users who connected to it. The virus then sought out other Wi-Fi APs that it could connect to and infect," said Alan Marshall, professor of Network Security at the University.

source : http://www.techgig.com/readnews.php?category=IT+Security&tgnews_link=http%3A%2F%2Fcio.economictimes.indiatimes.com%2Fnews%2Fdigital-security%2Fwi-fi-virus-that-spreads-like-common-cold%2F31081324%3Futm_source%3DRSS%26utm_medium%3DETRSS&tg_type=rss&tgnews_id=45946

How Bioelectronics Promise A Future Cure For Cancer

2014-01-31T22:50:00.002-08:00

When you think of cyborgs becoming a reality, you probably picture Arnold Schwarzenegger's glowing red eye from Terminator or the steely, tight-lipped stare of Robocop. But the future where man and machine converge won't just be built with nuts and bolts. It will be built with biology.

Self-avowed cyborg expert Tim Maly said as much when I talked to him last year. The first full-fledged cyborg "probably won't be a mechanical body," he told Gizmodo. "It will probably be some biogrown body, and it won't be recognizable to us as Robocop, because it'll already be part of a long line of small improvements."

Those improvements have already begun.

The field is known as bioelectronics, and it's exactly what it sounds like: biology meets electronics. Before I get ahead of myself, though, it's important to define what bioelectronics is, then we can start to look at its very exciting possibilities.

Brief History

Bioelectronics is a fairly new word when it comes to scientific disciplines, although its origins go back at least a century. You can look at least as far back as the first accurate recording of the electrocardiogram in 1895 for the beginnings of bioelectronics. That's when it became obvious that electronic systems could have a profound impact on the field of medicine. Today, some 160,000 defibrillators are implanted in the United States alone, turning thousands of Americans into walking, breathing cyborgs, whether they realize it or not.

The field of bioelectronics has only recently taken off, however. In fact, about 95 percent of all papers written on the topic were published after 1990. And only in the past couple of years have truly world-changing breakthroughs started to surface. After the 20th century brought us everything from the pacemaker to robotic prosthetics, ambitious scientists started to wonder how they could push the synergy between biology and electronics even further. Instead of building electronic devices that could be implanted in biological systems, for instance, why not build devices that become a part of them?

click here to read more.....

Free Office Softwares Download

2014-01-24T00:37:00.002-08:00

OpenOffice - office suite
PC Suite 602 - office suite
AbiWord - text editor
Atlantis Nova - text editor
Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer - power point files viewer
Adobe Reader - pdf reader
Foxit PDF Reader - pdf reader
PDFCreator - create pdf documents
Doc Convertor - document convertor
Convert - unit convertor
Converter - unit convertor
Sunbird - calendar/organizer
EssentialPIM Free - calendar/organizer
PhraseExpress - speed up your writing
ATnotes - create notes on the desktop

Google Glass may be close to a UK release

2014-01-08T19:57:00.005-08:00

Google Glass vs driving - it's the latest battle for Google's wearable tech, despite the fact it isn't even available to buy yet.

While it was starting to look like Glass on the road would be a no-no by the time it arrived in the UK, The Sunday Times reports that Google has been negotiating with the UK Department of Transport to make its glasses road-ready.

Google making moves to have Glass safe for British roads suggests that it could be gearing up for a UK release reasonably soon.
U-turn

Last year the Department for Transportation (DfT) said that it was in discussion with the police to make sure that people would not use Glass and other similar devices while driving. But going on what it's saying now, it seems like Google may have persuaded it to change its mind.

"We have met with Google to discuss the implications of the current law for Google Glass," said a DfT source.

"Google are anxious their products do not pose a road safety risk and are currently considering options to allow the technology to be used in accordance with the law."

A spokesperson for the DfT told TechRadar that a conversation had indeed taken place, but declined to comment further.

Right now we're expecting Google Glass to launch at least in the US towards the middle of 2014.

Will you pass on Glass? Don't make any decisions until you've read our hands on review

thanks to : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Google-Glass-may-be-close-to-a-UK-release-21043

Android smartphones consume more data

2014-01-08T19:55:00.002-08:00

Android smartphones are kind of like Hummers. Reminiscent of the oversize, gas-guzzling SUV's, Androids have the biggest screens and tend to use much more data than other types of smartphones, including iPhones. And that higher data usage could rack up heftier phone bills.

So why does Android use more data? The reasons are multifold. The most obvious is that Android phones tend to have the largest screens, so they download bigger files and video with more pixels, says Chetan Sharma , a telecom analyst.

Another factor is that Android is less efficient at managing apps than Apple's iOS. For instance, multiple Android apps may be running in the background with things like location data being collected, he said.

Also, Android users typically don't upgrade their operating systems as frequently as iOS users, so their smartphones may not receive fixes improving data management, he said.

Jan Dawson, an independent telecom analyst who previously worked for Ovum, noted that the data traffic numbers may also reflect the profiles of the people who choose Android versus those who choose iPhones. People with larger Android phones are more likely to skip buying a tablet, whereas iPhone owners may be buying iPads and consuming a lot of content there.

thanks to : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/personal-tech/computing/Why-Android-smartphones-consume-more-data/articleshow/28539893.cms

Winamp Media Player is Shutting Down on 20th December 2013

2013-11-23T01:01:00.000-08:00

Winamp was created by Nullsoft in 1997 as a community supported media play and disruptor in the digital media space. Winamp supports music playback using MP3, MIDI, MOD, MPEG-1 audio layers 1 and 2, AAC, M4A, FLAC, WAV and WMA. Lead by Justin Frankel and his merry band of developers, Winamp soon became one of the most popular media player. On 20th November 2013, AOL announced that Winamp.com would shut down on 20th December 2013, and the software would no longer be available for download after that date.

Rohit Sharma must take leaf out of Shikhar Dhawan's book

2013-06-22T02:44:00.001-07:00

In 87 ODI innings over 92 matches, Rohit Sharma has been dismissed 36 times for less than ten runs. On 31 further occasions, he has got a start and thrown it away before getting to a half-century

Shikhar Dhawan is one good performance away from being named the Player of the Tournament in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Rohit Sharma, who has accompanied Dhawan out to the middle in the each of the four matches in this tournament, is one negligent performance away from earning the wrath of captain and coach.

The beauty about opening partnerships, especially ones that have developed naturally over the years between players who complement each other well, is that one person's success can so easily paper over the failures of the other. For a period of time, at least.

In Rohit's case, though, it is not that he is failing altogether as opening stands of 127, 101, 58 and 77 testify. However, in each of these instances, where Dhawan has weathered the initial movement and then cashed in when conditions allowed it, Rohit has done all the hard work only to throw it all away. In Rohit's defence, he's just starting out in this role. But, equally, there's nothing new about his tendency to gift his wicket away.

In 87 ODI innings over 92 matches, Rohit has been dismissed 36 times for less than ten runs. On 31 further occasions, he has got a start and thrown it away before getting to a half-century, while he has managed to convert the starts into really big scores (75 or more) only 7% of the time.

There's something about the manner in which Rohit bats that is naturally attractive. He appears to have more time to play his shots than most others, and even when he hits the ball a hundred yards, his strokes appear graceful rather than brutal. From a very young age, Rohit was earmarked a special talent, and his potential to do well seemed limitless.

However, as is so often the case, a man's greatest strength can also be his biggest weakness, and this appears to be the case with Rohit. Simply because he has the ability to play a dazzling array of shots, he tries to do more than the situation demands. He's so confident in his own talent that he attempts audacious shots to perfectly good balls and perishes in the process.

It's been suggested that he has so many stroke-making options for each ball that he isn't fully committed to any one and gets himself out in the process. Sunil Gavaskar, who was the exact opposite of Rohit when he played, in that he put a dear price on his wicket and certainly did his utmost to carry on once set, had a suggestion for Rohit. Since acceleration was never going to be an issue for someone of Rohit's skills, why not deny himself freedom at the start, and get the first 20 runs in ones and twos? It's almost counter-intuitive to the modern outlook of limited-overs opening batting, where the hard ball and ten Power Play overs beg to be exploited. But, in Rohit's case, this is an approach well worth exploring, especially when his partner is doing so well.

Dhawan, who admitted not so long ago that there was a period following his two-ball duck on debut in which he wondered if he would ever get the chance to play for India again, and show what he was actually capable of. In Test cricket, Dhawan certainly showed that the long wait had whetted his appetite for the feast, crashing a racy 187 in perhaps the most eye-catching debut by an Indian batsman ever. The new and improved Dhawan, who had married commonsense and composure to his original method of aggression and domination, has ODI scores of 114, 102*, 48 and 68 since his comeback. In the early part of his career, Dhawan lacked the refinement and poise that Rohit was blessed with, but made up through brute strength and all-out attack. There were intermittent reminders of what Dhawan was capable of, but even his backers found it difficult to take the leap of faith needed to believe he could replace the likes of Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir. Fortunately for Dhawan, the current selection panel, led by Sandeep Patil, had no such problems, and their faith is now being repaid with runs by the bucketful.

It's high time Rohit also realised that the enormous goodwill and support he has enjoyed should not be taken for granted and that the time for talk of potential is long gone. A young man of his ability must deliver, lest the long rope extended to him be severed permanently.

source : http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-champions-trophy-2013/features/209622-rohit-sharma-must-take-leaf-out-of-shikhar-dhawans-book?pfrom=home-cricket

ICC Champions Trophy: England's final failures

2013-06-22T02:41:00.003-07:00

Tournament hosts England have not won a major ODI title, losing three World Cup finals and the 2004 Champions Trophy final when, as now, they were the home side.

Birmingham: England will try to end nearly 40 years of one-day international heartbreak when they face India in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on Sunday.

Tournament hosts England have not won a major ODI title, losing three World Cup finals and the 2004 Champions Trophy final when, as now, they were the home side.

Reigning world champions India, by contrast have won both the 1983 and 2011 World Cups and in 2002 they shared the Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka after a Colombo wash-out.

Below AFP Sport looks back at England's near-misses in major one-day finals.

1979, Lord's: World Cup final v West Indies -- England lost by 92 runs

England, without the injured Bob Willis, reduced the West Indies to 99 for four but paid for the fast bowler's absence as Vivian Richards (138 not out) and Collis King (86) cut loose to take the defending champions to 286 for nine.

Mike Brearley and Geoffrey Boycott shared a century opening stand but England were rarely up with the run-rate and giant Joel Garner, one of several formidable fast bowlers in a powerful West Indies side, finished off the hosts with five wickets for 38 runs.

1987, Eden Gardens: World Cup final v Australia -- England lost by seven runs

England held arch-rivals Australia to 253 for five despite contributions from David Boon (75) and Mike Veletta (45 not out).

They were well-placed at 135 for two when England captain Mike Gatting reverse-swept opposing skipper Allan Border and was caught behind. Bill Athey's run out left England 170 for four and from then on wickets fell steadily with Gatting's men eight down as they finished within touching distance of victory.

1992, Melbourne: World Cup final v Pakistan -- England lost by 22 runs

Derek Pringle had arguably his greatest match for England, the tall all-rounder taking three for 22 after dismissing both openers.

Had Pringle's appeal for lbw against Javed Miandad (58) been upheld the match might have taken a different course but together with captain Imran Khan (72) he shared a stand of 139 that took Pakistan to 249 for six.

England's Neil Fairbrother made 62 in the chase but the match turned Pakistan's way decisively when Wasim Akram produced two stunning deliveries to bowl Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis off successive balls.

Defeat meant England's Graham Gooch had lost three World Cup finals in three different decades.

2004, The Oval: Champions Trophy final v West Indies -- England lost by two wickets

England on a dreary September day had the match all but won when, after making 217 with opener Marcus Trescothick contributing 104, they reduced the West Indies to 147 for eight with the loss of their last top-order batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

But wicketkeeper Courtney Browne and paceman Ian Bradshaw numbers nine and 10 respectively, turned the match on its head with an unbroken stand of 71 as the West Indies won with seven balls to spare.

source : http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-champions-trophy-2013/news/209630-icc-champions-trophy-englands-final-failures

Tennis : Qualifier Jamie Hampton to face Elena Vesnina in Eastbourne final

2013-06-22T02:39:00.004-07:00

Hampton squandered five set points in the opening set to give the momentum to her opponent, But Wozniacki was unable to serve out the second set leading 5-4 after winning the first in a tiebreaker and came up short in the third.

Eastbourne: American qualifier Jamie Hampton will line up in the first final of her career against Russian Elena Vesnina in a first-time meeting for the title at the pre-Wimbledon ATP-WTA Eastbourne International on Saturday.

The 41st-ranked Hampton earned her place with a 6-7 (8/10) 7-5, 6-3 upset of former world number one Caroline Wozniacki on Friday, while Vesnina followed up her ouster of China's second seed Li Na in the quarter-finals by crushing Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-0 in just 51 minutes.

The Hampton-Wozniacki clash took nearly three hours but could have ended much earlier had fifth seed Wozniacki managed to complete a straight-sets win.

As it was, the Dane was made to pay the price for missed opportunities by her surprise opponent in their first meeting.

"Obviously I would have loved to have won today, it would have been worth it to be out there for three hours," said Wozniacki.

"Actually we played a very good match. The wind that was there, it was so difficult. But I had my chances. I didn't take them, and, she played very well, I have to say.

"Overall I'm feeling good, I feel happy to be on grass. I feel like my game is where I want it to be. Hopefully at Wimbledon I'll do well."

The match was played in blustery conditions on the English south coast after several days of sunshine and atypical calm weather.

Hampton squandered five set points in the opening set to give the momentum to her opponent, But Wozniacki was unable to serve out the second set leading 5-4 after winning the first in a tiebreaker and came up short in the third.

Hampton, 23, will move into position as US number three behind Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens after the best week of her career.

Hampton was the first American woman since Jennifer Capriati a decade ago to play the semis at Devonshire park and is the first qualifier on the WTA to reach a final this season. The last American to win here was Chanda Rubin in 2003.

Hampton upset Wozniacki while playing in only her third career grass event and will compete at Wimbledon next week for only the second time after reaching the second round a year ago.

Wozniacki was denied a chance at her second career grass court title after winning Eastbourne in 2009.

Vesnina will aim for her second career trophy after making a breakthrough for the Hobart honours in January. The Russian stands 1-7 in career finals.

Men's semis at the joint event featured Spain's Feliciano Lopez against Croatian Ivan Dodig and Italian seventh seed Andreas Seppi facing french number two Gilles Simon.

source : http://sports.ndtv.com/tennis/news/209605-qualifier-jamie-hampton-to-face-elena-vesnina-in-eastbourne-final

In Hockey World League India beat France 6-2

2013-06-22T02:35:00.002-07:00

India's goals came from the sticks of Akashdeep Singh (13th minute), vice-captain V R Raghunath (27th), S V Sunil (33rd), captain Sardar Singh (42nd) and Mandeep Singh (56th, 69th).

Rotterdam: The Indian men's hockey team finally tasted some success in the FIH World League Round 3 when they defeated lower-ranked France 6-2 to qualify for the fifth-sixth position play-off match, here on Friday.

The 11th-ranked Indians, who came into the match without a win under their belt, scored three goals apiece in both halves of their first classification game against France, who are placed six rungs behind them.

India's goals came from the sticks of Akashdeep Singh (13th minute), vice-captain V R Raghunath (27th), S V Sunil (33rd), captain Sardar Singh (42nd) and Mandeep Singh (56th, 69th).

For France, Hugo Genestet scored from a field effort in the third minute while their second goal came from a penalty corner by Guillaume Deront in the final minute of the game.

India will now play seventh-ranked Spain in the fifth-sixth place play-off match on Sunday.

Spain eked out a 1-0 win over Ireland in another classification match earlier in the day.

Contrary to the result, the Frenchmen stunned India when Genestet scored a field goal early into the match.

The fragile Indian defence was once again at the receiving end and it could have been worse for Michael Nobbs' boys had France converted two penalty corners that came their way early in the first half.

Rattled by France's early onslaught, the Indians got their acts together soon and drew parity when Akashdeep scored from a rebound.

India doubled their lead in the 27th minute through Raghunath who converted his team's first penalty corner, before Sunil made it 3-1 six minutes later after combining well with Chinglensana Singh from the right flank

After the change of ends, skipper Sadar Singh extended India's lead deflecting in Dharamvir Singh's free hit.

Young striker Mandeep scored his first goal of the day, deflecting in a backhand cross from Dharamvir in the 56th minute.

Mandeep was yet again in thick of things in the penultimate minute of the game, gently pushing in Sunil's diagonal cross from close range.

France earned as many as five penalty corners in the second half but managed to utilise just one through Deront, that too in the dying stages of the game.

Source : http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/hockey/209597-india-beat-france-6-2-to-play-spain-for-5th-place-in-hockey-world-league

2014 World Cup must be held in Brazil: FIFA

2013-06-22T02:30:00.002-07:00

Rio de Janeiro: The 2014 World Cup must be held in Brazil, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said on Friday, one day after more than one million people marched in protests across the country.

"The Confederations Cup is taking place in Brazil and the World Cup must be held in Brazil," he told local media ahead of a meeting bringing together FIFA, the Brazilian Football Confederation and the World Cup's Local Organizing Committee.

"There is no plan B," he insisted.

Earlier on Friday, world football's governing body FIFA said that it has no plans to scrap the Confederations Cup currently under way, and that no team wants to pull out despite the huge protests rocking Brazil.

"At no stage has FIFA considered or discussed abandoning the Confederations Cup with the local authorities," FIFA media chief Pekka Odriozola said. "We are monitoring the situation with the authorities."

"We support the right of free speech," he added. "We condemn violence."

Mass demonstrations, which have sometimes turned violent, are taking place as Brazil is hosting eight teams from around the world for the Confederations Cup, a dry run for next year's World Cup being held in six host cities.

Many Brazilians are angry that bills for preparing the World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics are running to billions of dollars while many say they are not benefiting a country saddled with deep social inequality and inadequate social services.

On Thursday, two FIFA minibuses and the facade of a hotel housing some FIFA staff were stoned by some demonstrators before a Confederations Cup match in which Uruguay edged Nigeria 2-1.

Source : http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/209624-2014-world-cup-must-be-held-in-brazil-fifa

Google plans to hire more female engineers

2013-05-28T20:38:00.001-07:00

Search engine Google is aiming to increase the number of female computer engineers in order to reduce the gender gap in the industry.

Co-founder Larry Page in his address during the I/O conference, said that the company is focused on recruiting more women 'forever' so as to ensure that the company is not all male.

In a report by CNN, Page suggested that more young girls and women need to be directed towards technology, which will undoubtedly double the rate of progress.

Google Vice president Megan Smith said that visibility of technical women has always been the company's priority because in the past years women representation was low at the company's developer conference.

The report further added that Google held a Women Techmakers social for female I/O attendees before the conference to create projects using littleBits and arts and craft supplies.

Smith indicated that part of the problem of having less female presence in the technology sector is the poor PR because women didn't think the field is interesting or that they too can be good at it, the report said.

Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Google-plans-to-hire-more-female-engineers-18254?

BitTorrent announces cloud storage and sharing service Sync

2013-01-28T01:41:00.002-08:00

Cloud backup services are popping up everywhere these days, with even BitTorrent now jumping onto the cloud craze. BitTorrent has announced a new cloud backup service it calls Sync, and though it of course has plenty of similarities with other cloud services out there, Sync offers a couple key differences. By using Sync, you’re actually using BitTorrent’s servers to transfer files from one device to another.

This has a number of benefits, as it means you won’t be subject to size restrictions like you are with other services. One of the major headaches with services like Dropbox and SkyDrive is that you’re limited in how much you can have in your synced folders – for Dropbox, for instance, you get 2GB of free space, and that runs out quick when you’re trying to sync multiple video files at once. Once you’ve hit that cap, you’ll need to shell out some cash if you want more space.

That’s not a major complaint, as these are companies that exist to make money after all. BitTorrent’s Sync, on the other hand, is free to use. You won’t have to worry about limits on the amount you can transfer from one device to another, which probably sounds like a Godsend to those who constantly have to rely on cloud services to move files between devices.

As cool as it sounds, there’s one slight problem: BitTorrent Sync isn’t available to use just yet (unless you love pre-alpha testing). It’s currently in the testing stages, but it shouldn’t be more than a few months before Sync is available to BitTorrent users. What do you think of this new cloud service from the people behind BitTorrent?

Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/BitTorrent-announces-cloud-storage-and-sharing-service-Sync-16846

New version of Internet addresses available in India

2012-11-27T21:40:00.000-08:00

Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) has started issuing next version ofInternet addresses 'IPv6', which would make it easy for security agencies to identify each Internet user.

The Internet addresses under the present version IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4), are limited and service providers often assign single IP address to many users, making it difficult to identify the end user.

"The number of IPv6 addresses available is enormous.ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can allocate an IP address to their users. People can be easily identified if they are using IPv6," APNIC Director (Services and Operations) Sanjaya said at the roadshow for new version IPv6 here today.

APNIC, which is one of the five authorised bodies for issuing Internet addresses, has recognised Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) for issuing IP addresses in India.

"We are issuing IPv6 addresses at up to 60 per cent less than prevailing rates in the ongoing soft launch period. This is to test compatibility of hardware and softwares that has to be in place. In next couple of months we will launch industrial grade of IPv6," National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) Chief Executive Govind said.

IRINN has been set-up under the state-run NIXI. On new version IPv6, Internet Service Providers Association of India President Rajesh Charia said that the new addresses will be multiple times cheaper for companies than IPv4 addresses.

IRINN is issuing initial set-of IPv6 addresses in price range starting at Rs 21,999 compared to prevalent rate of around Rs 66,000 in Asia Pacific region.

On addressing security issues with the help of IPv6, Charia said, "Government will have to ensure that the new equipment and devices that are produced or imported in the country are at least IPv6 enabled."

At present, there is no import restriction on devices and equipment that do not comply with IPv6 standards.

Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/New-version-of-Internet-addresses-available-in-India-16232

ET Review: Sony Xperia SL

2012-11-26T23:28:00.000-08:00

Cost: Rs 32,549

Rating: * * *

Specifications: 4.3-inch (1280 x 768 pixels), 1.7Ghz dual core, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 12MP/1.3MP camera, Android 4.0, 144 grams, 1750 mAh

Positives: Pin-sharp display, well built and stylish, high quality stills from the 12MP camera

Negatives: Steep price, no expandable storage, confusing feather touch Android buttons, poor quality video recording

NEW DELHI: Back in 2011, when Sony Ericsson launched the Xperia Arc and its successor, the Xperia Arc S, they were doing hardware upgrades to make sure that the devices could hold their ground against increasing competition. Along the same lines, Sony has now launched the Xperia SL, successor to the Sony Xperia S.

The SL is a replica of the Xperia S in terms of design but has an upgraded processor. It is still a great looking phone, but continues with the oddly-placed feather touch Android buttons that are a pain to get used to. The 4.3-inch touchscreen is responsive & thanks to the enhanced 1280 x 720 resolution, it is pin-sharp & boasts of a higher resolutuion than the iPhone's Retina display (342 vs 330 pixels per inch).

The performance is great with the faster 1.7Ghz dual core processor, but there is no visible difference between the Xperia S and the SL's performance on a day-to-day usage.

Existing owners of the Xperia S have no reason to upgrade.

It also features the same 12MP camera as the Xperia S. The camera starts quickly, autofocus locks on in an instant and the pictures have rich colors with sharp details. However, the phone's video recording capabilities are disappointing.

The videos are good to view on the phone, but when viewed on a large TV, they lacked details and seemed blurry. With calling, audio/video, camera and social networking, the phone's battery lasts less than a day — be prepared to carry a charger around since the battery is not removable.

Even though the hardware has been upgraded significantly, the Xperia SL seems pricy compared to new (and very capable) quad core smartphones from Samsung, LG and HTC. We recommended that you spend just a little more and go for the Samsung Galaxy SIII. It has a larger 4.8-inch screen, faster quad core processor, expandable storage, better overal camera as well as better battery life.

Pictures courtesy: www.sonymobile.com
source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/ET-Review-Sony-Xperia-SL-16227

Samsung launches Android 4.1 camera at Rs 29,900

2012-11-24T01:32:00.003-08:00

Samsung has launched its Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)-powered Galaxy Camera in India at Rs 29,900. The company has teamed up with Airtel to offer 1GB of free monthly data for two months, along with a extra battery that comes free with this 16MP camera.

The new Galaxy Camera has a 4.8-inch touchscreen and is compatible with all the apps available on Google Play marketplace. It is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB RAM and boasts of a 1,650mAh battery. The gadget supports sim-card for 3G connectivity and can also access the internet over Wi-Fi.

Samsung Galaxy Camera has a BSI CMOS sensor and has digital and optical zoom of 21x each. The company has included features like optical image stabilisation and auto-focus (centre, multi and Face Detection) in this gadget. Some of the unique features of this camera are Instagram, Paper Artist, Dropbox, Photo Wizard, Video Editor, AllShare Play, S-Suggest and S-Voice.

The only other camera with Android in the market is Nikon S800c, which costs Rs 20,950 in the country, approximately Rs 9,000 less than Samsung's gadget.

The South Korean manufacturer had begun taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Camera earlier this month at Rs 3,000, while the rest of the sum was to be paid within three days of its launch. The South Korean manufacturer is giving a 16GB microSD card for free with the device to those who pre-ordered the device on its website and pay the full amount within the next three days. The company is not offering Cash on Delivery option for the Galaxy Camera.

Samsung India will send emails to those who booked it in advance, notifying them of its availability. Those who do not make the full payment for the device within three days of its launch will not be entitled to the free 16GB microSD card. Also, the users who do not pay the full amount within 15 days of official launch will have to forfeit their Rs 3,000 pre-booking amount.

Tech specs:
Display: 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD touchscreen with 308 ppi pixel density;
Operating System: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean);
Sensor: 16.3MP (effective) 1/2.3" BSI CMOS;
Lens: F2.8, 23 mm, 21x super long zoom;
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200;
Processor: 1.4GHz quad-core processor;
Memory: 8GB on-board, microSDSC, microSDHC, microSDXC memory slots;
Capture modes: Macro, Rich Tone, Action Freeze, Waterfall Trace, Light Trace, Beautiful Sunset, Blue Sky, Natural Green, Silhouette, Vivid Fireworks;
Connectivity: WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi HT40, Bluetooth 4.0;
Battery: 1,650 mAh;

Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Samsung-launches-Android-4-1-camera-at-Rs-29-900-16215

Infosys: IT sector to see slowdown in hiring

2012-11-22T23:38:00.003-08:00

With global economy facing challenging times, the Indian IT industry is expected to grow at a lower pace of 11 per cent this fiscal, Infosys Executive Co-Chairman S Gopalakrishnan said.

He added that last fiscal, the country's IT industry grew by 16-17 per cent despite global IT industry went up by 5.4 per cent.

"Global economy is going through challenging times, it will have some impact (on IT industry growth). The projection for IT industry growth is 11 per cent for current fiscal," Gopalakrishnan told reporters on the sidelines of an IT event held here.

Slow growth in IT sector will also also cause slowdown in employment generation in the industry, though the industry will add jobs, he said.

"Right now because the (IT) growth is slow, there will be a slowdown in addition of jobs. But even (under) this environment, industry will be adding 2.5 lakh jobs this year," he said.

Indian IT industry, which contributes 7.5 per cent to the country's economy, gives direct employment to 25 lakh people, he said.

He, however, termed the slowdown in economy as temporary phenomenon, he expressed confidence that the IT industry's revenue will reach $300 billion by 2020 with total employment generation reaching 5-6 million jobs.

The revenue of Indian IT sector for 2011-12 is pegged at $100 billion with over 70 per cent of IT exports in US and Europe.

Stating that global economy may not turnaround in next 2-3 years, he asked the IT sector to expand in emerging markets like Russia, China, Indonesia and Mexico.

"If you look at global economy, it will probably be challenged for about 2 to 3 years. It will not turnround that far. (Country's) IT industry may turnaround faster if u are able to take advantage of other markets, emerging markets like China, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey. These (countries) are going faster," he said.

Speaking about trends in the IT sector, Gopalakrishnan said Indian IT companies would continue to make investments in creating Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), while mergers and acquisitions deals in this space would expand further.

He, however, advised IT industry representatives to focus on quality services and investment in creation of talent pool to put this sector to growth trajectory.

Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Infosys-IT-sector-to-see-slowdown-in-hiring-16201

Intel needs a visionary like Steve Jobs?

2012-11-22T23:36:00.005-08:00

Wanted: Visionary CEO to help world-class chipmaker expand beyond struggling personal computer market into tablets and smartphones. Experience with cutting-edge manufacturing plants and $10 billion annual capital expenditures a plus.

Intel raised eyebrows on Wall Street and inSilicon Valley this week when it said it will consider an outsider to take over from outgoing Chief Executive Paul Otellini, potentially ending a four-decade tradition of internal succession. Some analysts took that as a sign the top global chipmaker might be considering a transformative hire.

Intel came under fire during Otellini's tenure for missing out on the mobile revolution, insisting that emerging markets would prop up growth while underestimating the scale of the eventual drop-off in personal computer demand, and orchestrating a push on " Ultrabook" laptops that have so far failed to excite consumers.

A future leader not steeped in Intel's insular culture could potentially open the chipmaker's prized factories for the first time to outside customers like Apple Inc or pursue other new strategies to expand into tablets and smartphones, said analyst Nathan Brookwood of Insight 64, a consulting firm. But any investor hoping Intel will hire an outsider with a dramatic solution to the top chipmaker's PC plight may be out of luck, experts say.

While the idea of an iconic visionary like Steve Jobs stepping in to lift Intel into the mobile market - its Achilles heel - may sound attractive, it could open the chipmaker to new risks should it waver from its traditional focus on hard-core manufacturing.

Gurus with the experience to run a company with $53 billion a year in sales, a $10 billion capital spending budget and cutting-edge chip manufacturing plants are few and far between - and even rarer outside of Intel, which is struggling with falling PC sales and meager progress in mobile computing. "If you bring someone in who hasn't run chip companies it's going to be very difficult because Intel is somewhat unique," said Patrick Henry, CEO of Entropic Communications, which makes chips for home entertainment. "It would probably surprise me if they didn't hire one of the internal guys."

Silicon Valley peer Hewlett-Packard Co exemplifies the risks of a poorly thought-out external hire, recruiters and analysts say. During his tumultuous 11-month tenure, former software CEO Leo Apotheker engineered the widely panned $11 billion acquisition of Autonomy, which HP accused this week of accounting wrongdoing enroute to swallowing an $8.8 billion charge. He also presided over several quarters of lackluster financial results.

"I don't think (Intel) needs a 180-degree transformation. You don't want somebody like a Leo Apotheker coming on and being your complete undoing," said JMP analyst Alex Gauna. "Because of how badly things have gone for HP, the most probable scenario for (Intel) at the end of all this in May is that it looks very much the same."

But Mel Connet, a tech industry executive recruiter at Heritage Search Partners in Menlo Park, California, said Intel's culture needs a shakeup that justifies looking for an outside candidate, while being mindful of the HP example. "My only advice would be not to use the same search firm that HP used," said Connet, whose firm has not been contracted by Intel for its search.

Inside contenders
Chief Operating Officer Brian Krzanich, who is Intel's manufacturing guru, is frequently mentioned by Intel employees as a strong contender to become CEO, partly because manufacturing is at the heart of Intel and previous chief executives have been promoted from the COO position. Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith is well known by financial analysts and many favor him, believing he is the best bet for keeping Intel stable.

The company's other executive vice presidents are Renee James, who is in charge of Intel software; Intel Capital head Arvind Sodhani; and Dadi Perlmutter, head of Intel's push into mobile. They are well respected but are mentioned less often as potential picks. Sanford Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said a CEO hired from the ranks would have instant credibility among the company's tight-knit workforce, which includes over 4,000 PhDs. "There's no silver bullet. The issue here is not any sort of miss-execution on their part," said Rasgon. "Their market is changing beneath their feet."

Otellini's decision to retire, announced Monday, caught the board unprepared to replace him, Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy has said. All of Intel's previous CEO successions were planned long in advance, leaving no room for instability. While Intel said it would include external candidates in its search for a new CEO, it also announced the promotion of Krzanich, Smith and James to executive vice presidents, suggesting that they remain serious potential candidates.

Mulloy has said Intel veterans will have a natural advantage in winning the CEO position because they are familiar with the company's manufacturing-intensive business model and insular, engineering culture.

Tattered alliance
The Santa Clara, California-based company has long been king of PC chips, particularly through its historic "Wintel" alliance with Microsoft, which led to breathtakingly high profit margins and an 80 percent market share. Its cutting-edge fabrication plants are the envy of rivals likeSamsung Electronics Co Ltd and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), and helped it cement its leadership over decades.

But more recently, Intel has struggled to adapt its powerful PC processors for battery-powered smartphones and tablets, and Wall Street increasingly worries the chipmaker may be left behind in the fast-growing mobile market. It has pinned its mobile hopes on its superior manufacturing technology, but that strategy has yet to pay off. To date Intel's market share for smartphones is less than 1 percent, trailing Qualcomm Inc and Samsung.

Since all but a handful of US chipmakers have shuttered their fabrication plants in the past two decades and outsourced production overseas, few executives have experience planning and running advanced plants that cost nearly $10 billion each to build. "The perfect choice, which I don't think exists right now, is somebody who can manage massive fabs - and also mobility. They don't exist outside of Samsung, and that's just not going to happen. There's a culture clash," said Patrick Moorhead, of Moor Insights & Strategy.

Insight 64's Brookwood believes a "Lou Gerstner-type" of executive with a fresh approach could shake up Intel but said such a candidate need not come from outside. Gerstner left RJR Nabisco to run International Business Machines Corp in 1993 and is widely seen as saving the struggling technology giant by focusing on IT services instead of products, in a radical shift.

Intel believes its manufacturing strength is its key to succeeding in mobile computing, even if it takes a while for that strategy to pay off. Gauna said Intel's future CEO should stick to that strategy, although it would be good for that person to have better ties to the mobile world as well as software companies seen as vital for tablets and smartphones.

For example, Intel-based smartphones running the Android platform debuted just this year but could have been launched sooner had Otellini been more aggressive, Gauna said. "How they weave in the software strategy and the partnerships within the software and (manufacturing customer) marketplace - that's where it gets really interesting," Gauna said. "If I could paint a picture of what it needs to look like I'd put my hat in the ring myself."

Bendable phone displays from Samsung soon: WSJ

2012-11-22T23:35:00.002-08:00

South Korean manufacturer Samsung is ready to begin mass production of smartphones with bendable screens, which will make the devices thinner, lighter and unbreakable.

This was revealed in a report by Wall Street Journal, which said that the company is currently in the last stages of developing these display panels, which make use of plastic, instead of glass. Samsung will continue to use its OLED display technology in these flexible display panels, but the use of plastic instead of glass will make the panels lighter, but more resilient.
The report also said that these panels will be showcased in the first half of 2013. Lee Chang-Hoon, the vice president of Samsung's display division, said that the South Korean manufacturer is presently testing the new displays with a small group of consumers. However, it is yet to be revealed when Samsung will launch the first devices with this bendable, flexible display. The company also refused to state how much it spent in developing this display technology.

Such bendable display panels are not new, but their mass production is a major breakthrough. LG and Sony have previously showcased their own flexible display panels, but were unable to bring them into mainstream production for bulk sales. Apple's recently launched iPhone 5 has in-cell screen touch sensors embedded in the LCD panel itself.

GE to hire engineers for R&D jobs in India

2012-11-22T23:29:00.003-08:00

General Electric (GE) will make an additional investment of $60 million in its technology centre in Bangalore over the next three years and take the headcount in the centre to 5,000 by the end of this financial year. The centre currently has over 4,500 people doing cutting edge research and development in areas like energy, healthcare and aviation and is GE's largest integrated multidisciplinary R&D centre outside the US.

The $147-billion company's MD for the India technology centre, Gopichand Katragadda, said here on Thursday that new hiring would focus on senior level positions to further deepen the technological strength of the centre. "We have what we call chief engineers, who are people who finally clear designs of products, and principal engineers who support the chief engineers. We will increase the numbers of these engineers," he said. There is one chief engineer each for aviation and energy in India now; globally, GE has 15 in aviation and 20-25 in energy.

Over the past two years, the centre has developed some 30 products for the Indian market, notably low wind turbines, air circuit breakers, portable ECG machines, and maternal-infant care products like baby warmers. In many of these, the focus has been on keeping costs down through frugal engineering. "The products developed here now account for 10% of our India revenue," Katragadda said. GE does not disclose country specific revenue.

The target is to add another 30 products by 2015. The focus on energy and healthcare products will continue and GE plans to add sensing, locomotive and signaling products, the last two if it wins the bid for the Indian Railways' upcoming order for locomotives.

Katragadda said more of the R&D hiring in the coming years would happen at its Hyderabad and Pune facilities. Hyderabad already has about 1,000 employees. In Pune, the company is establishing a manufacturing plant at a cost of $200 million - to manufacture a range of products including wind turbines, sensing products, gas engine components and aviation components. The plant will be operational in the third quarter of 2013. Katragadda plans to co-locate an R&D facility there.

GE's 12-year-old R&D operation in India has filed 1,850 patent applications, of which over 350 have been granted. More than 800 of the filings have happened in just 2011 and 2012. "Earlier only our research staff were filing patents, now our engineering teams too are doing it, so the numbers have risen sharply. Our per capita patent filings are as good as any of our other global centre," Katragadda said.

For GE's global operations, India has done work in areas such as wind micrositing - helping choose the type of wind turbine to use and its exact position in a wind farm; improving fuel efficiency in locomotives - by understanding signaling conditions and when to accelerate, brake; plant optimization; and healthcare imaging.

Katragadda said future work will focus on building all-glass wind turbines (glass is cheaper than the alloys that are used now), biomass gasification, wind-solar hybrid systems (enables solar to be used during day and wind at night), improving rural water (there is a lot of arsenic in water now), and ultrasound machines that would automate foetal measurement and reporting so that they could be used by untrained people.