Tech Strip

Space Junks : Bigger threat to future space missions!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 05:36:02 PDT

As we celebrate the successful landing of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, TechStrip looks into the danger in-waiting for the future missions due to the millions of space junk revolving around our planet Earth.

“Space Junks” or “Space Waste” or more technically “Space Debris”, are the million of objects floating orbit around our Earth that were created by humans but no longer serve any useful purpose. These objects are everything from released rocket stages and deactivated satellites.

The majority of the estimated tens of millions of pieces of space debris/space junk are small particles, less than 1 centimetre (0.39 in). These include dust from solid rocket motors, surface degradation products such as paint flakes, and coolant released by nuclear powered satellites.

" I'm safely on the surface of Mars” , tweets Curiosity!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:20:28 PDT

"I'm safely on the surface of Mars ” ,tweets Curiosity to its 475,454 followers , after landing safely on Mars.

A string of tweets on behalf of US space agency NASA's rover Curiosity tracked the tense moments before the spacecraft landed on Mars.

"I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! "
said an ecstatic tweet after the rover landed safely on Mars.After successfully passing on its “seven minutes of terror” the NASA Curiosity Rover landed on Mars.

Soon! You can edit your Facebook status!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:07:50 PDT

Social Nteworkin sire Facbook users may sonn bee able to edit theie staus update!

Oops typo!

*Facebook users may soon be able to edit their status updates!

Yes! Every Facebook user at least once would have experienced that awkward moment of realising all typos or misplaced words or at least a double ‘the’ after posting the status. That embarrassment may end soon as the company is thinking of adding edit feature to user’s status updates.

The social networking site allows editing feature in Photo posts and recently added edit feature to the post comments. Now, the company is hinting that the feature may also be available for status updates.

tshirt OS : World’s First Wearable, Washable, Shareable, Programmable and 100% cotton “T-shirt “!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:24:33 PDT

Seriously, people have become too much innovative these days and so here comes a wearable computing “T-shirt”.

Imagine a normal T-shirt with LED display, camera, microphone, speaker and accelerometer stitched up in 100% cotton texture and all that is controlled through an app on your Smartphone.

Say Teee!

Introducing tshirtOS, World’s first ever attempt on wearable electronics computing “T-shirt”.

Wearable gadgets are not new to us as we have already seen about Google’s Project Glass. But this is a certain evolution in wearable computing devices world, as a t-shirt with an integrated display and camera that gets your clothes online!

Is Facebook becoming a Fakebook?

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:19:04 PDT

More than 8% of people in Facebook are fake said the first quarterly earnings report.

Facebook , the Social Networking giant as a public company revealed its quarterly report says it has 955 million monthly active users and 543 million monthly active mobile users.

The social-networking site disclosed that nearly 20 percent of the mobile users accessed the social network in June solely from their mobile device.

i.e., 102 million users login to their Facebook account only through mobile and have never logged in from desktop, that’s a 23 percent jump since its last report.

This report comes days after the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said No to Facebook Smart Phone.

The increase of the only-mobile users is bit of a bad news for the company as large part its ad revenues is from the desktop site as mobile ads only show up one at a time, while on Facebook's desktop at least seven ads can be displayed per page.

The company introduced sponsored stories for mobile site last March only.

Microsoft will release Surface with Windows 8 on October 26!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:25:07 PDT

Surface and Windows 8 will be available on…26/ October 2012!

Earlier this month, Microsoft promised to ship Windows 8 sometime in October. Today, it announced the official date of the operating system’s arrival: October 26, 2012.

Speaking during Microsoft’s annual sales meeting, Steven Sinofsky, president of the company’s Windows division said,

Microsoft Kills Hotmail and gives birth to ‘social-friendly’ Outlook.com!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:00:39 PDT

Microsoft the software giant killed its long standing email service Hotmail and gave its mail service over to ‘social-friendly’ Outlook.com.

The changes include the new email address “@outlook.com “ which will replace the older “@hotmail.com” address, used by millions worldwide for more than 10 years of its service. Users can already "Upgrade to Outlook.com" to keep their existing address.

CoolMail

Hotmail still the world's largest email service with 324 million users (about 36 per cent of the market) but had been losing its market to Google's fast-growing Gmail with 425 million users!

Hotmail was launched in 1996 by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and acquired by Microsoft in 1997 for an estimated $400 million. The rebranding and overhaul of Microsoft's email service is Microsoft's first major change in its email service in 10 years.

Microsoft is hoping that the new Outlook.com as a free mail service that pulls features from Hotmail and Exchange. It is designed for both personal consumer use, Microsoft continues to position Outlook as its business e-mail client.

We call it ‘social-friendly’ Outlook.com because;

"Facebook Smart Phone? Not Now " says Mark Zuckerberg.

noreply@blogger.com (Techstriper) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:15:27 PDT

Mark Zuckerberg,Founder and CEO of Facebook, has put an end to the rumors surrounding the Facebook-based Smartphone.

He told analysts in a conference call that ," it wouldn't make very much sense” to make a Facebook-centered smartphone.

“Facebook is the most-used app on basically every mobile platform,” he justified. “So when we think about what we want to do right now, we want increase the depth of the experience in addition to just growing users.”

“We want to not just have apps that people use but also be as deeply integrated into these systems as possible,” Zuckerberg continued. “We want to support a development ecosystem where other apps can build on top of Facebook.”

Google introduces Handwriting Search

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:45:11 PDT

Google introduced Handwrite recognition search for all iPhone, iPad ans Android touch phones this week.

So,now you can physically write your search queries on to Google using your touch screen iPhone,iPad or Android device.

This will be more convenient than typing it into the little qwerty box using actual letters on an actual keyboard.

To activate it, you'll need to go to Google.com in your mobile browser,

Techno Olympics 2012

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 07:45:56 PDT

TechStrip Olympic Special - II:
(In case if you missed I - Top Android Apps for Olympics)

London Olympic Games 2012 is called the Twitter Olympics or Data Olympic,in short this 2012 Olympics is the most modern and technology driven games ever!

Here's a quick look at the most interesting tech stories to watch at the London Olympics.

Robotic cameras:

Getty Images will install robotic cameras at a few locations at the Olympic Games. They can be controlled remotely and swivel 360 degrees. "The biggest help will come from cameras stashed in floodlights, rafters and scaffolding in and around Olympic venues to provide imagery from places inaccessible to human photographers due to space or security reasons," NBC News wrote.

Souped-up sound:

If you like to believe in the Tooth Fairy, don't read the next sentence:

Top Android Apps for London Olympic Games 2012

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 03:33:17 PDT

TechStrip Olympic Special :

Yes! World's biggest sporting extravaganza has began in style, London Olympics 2012 is here and you have to be on your mark for the games latest updates.

Here is TechStrip's collection of top 'must-have' android apps devoted specially for the London games.

Twitter is Down Too

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:30:54 PDT

Yes! Twitter Bird is down for <%= reason =%> (~~What on earth does that mean)~~

Hours after Google's GTalk went down and slowly crawled back to normalcy,the micro blogging site twitter is down in most part of the world and for me too.

Twitter Down

People in Britain, the United States and elsewhere appear to be having difficulty accessing Twitter, a day before the 2012 Olympic Games are due to officially launch and spike activity on the site. The social network's main website is unreachable from New York, London and Johannesburg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE 23:00

Twitter bird is back flying high for <%= reason =%> ~~(LOL)~~

Tweeples trolled Gtalk all day for the outage and its Twitter's turn now.
Here are some funny tweets on the outage of the bird.

"That awkward moment #WhileTwitterWasDown when you suddenly realize you have no life."

"Hmm... the %=reason% got solved.Even twitter likes maths problems"

"Flash: While twitter was down, scientists found life on orkut."

"Dammit. I almost left a suicide note. Thank god Twitter is back!"

"BREAKING: Twitter shifts to IRCTC servers."

"RT if Twitter is down."

"I think Twitter had the best error message ever though. Twitter is currently down for <%= reason
%>. Really informative."

"Twitter is no longer down for <%= reason %>."

Google's GTalk service muted!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:15:51 PDT

Google's GTALK DOWN!

No! its not just you,Google Talk, Google’s popular chat-messaging service, suffered massive outage. Its seen that the service is down in several parts of the world.

G-MUTE

Google acknowledged the problem around 4:10PM and initiated investigation of reports from various servers deployed across the world.

According to many users (including me), contacts and send messages were not able to be seen .Some

Apple makes a low-key launch of its latest iPad in China

noreply@blogger.com (Techstriper) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:41:50 PDT

After a chaotic situation caused by the launch of Apple's iPhone 4S last January in China, Apple seems to have learned its lesson, as it has staged a low-key launch of its latest iPad in China on Friday (20th July).

The calm, orderly queues in Shanghai and Beijing came as a surprise to many Apple fans in China, who are used to standing overnight in snaking queues with scalpers to get their hands on the latest product.

Chaotic situation, last Jan.

Apple adopted an online reservation system that allowed it to control the flow of people to its stores and avoid a repeat of the riotous iPhone 4S launch in January, when one of its flagship stores in Beijing was pelted with eggs by scalpers who had turned rowdy.

The scene on Friday.

The launch of the latest iPad, which features a sharper display and better camera than previous versions of the wildly popular tablet, comes weeks after Apple paid $60 million to a Shenzhen-based company to settle a trademark lawsuit over the iPad name.

Microsoft Office 2013: Next generation Office suite.

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:02:27 PDT

The Good Old MS Office is done and done.

Welcome to Office 2013, Microsoft’s new age Office suite.

Welcome to Nxt-Gen office.

With Windows 8 almost here, it was inevitable that Microsoft would refresh its Office suite of productivity to reflect the style of its new OS.

Microsoft has done just that.

Yes, Microsoft Office 2013 is officially relived along with a new free Consumer Preview available for download.

Touch for good!

This new Office suite is to be launch with Windows 8, hence Office 2013 has been designed with touch-based devices in mind, i.e., it will work well on tablets, smart phones, and touch screen PCs.

And, the standard mouse and keyboard-operated PCs aren’t forgotten either.

But the downside is that

5 Cool Reasons Why Google Chrome Should Be Your Only Browser

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:51:15 PDT

It's Very Fast!

Most Secure Browser!

Simple Searching!

More Screen Real Estate!

Quick Incognito Mode!

It's from Google!

Yes,Google Chrome, the web browser by Google, has been gaining market share steadily since the day it was introduced. And rightly so. It's by far the best browser.

Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers out there today. Mozilla’s Firefox and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer are constantly competing with Google’s browser for top spot amongst the most used when surfing the Internet
.

Google decided to release a large chunk of the source code for its web browser which they title Chromium. This has allowed a multitude of developers to tweak, change and modify Chrome in such a way to make it accessible on the Mac OS and Linux operating systems as well as making native improvements to the Windows-based version.

. If you are not already using Chrome, you’re missing out on a lot of great features. There are five top reasons why Chrome is the best

Top 15 Ways To Google Better

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:51:52 PDT

For millions of people Google is an indispensable search tool that they use every day, in all facets of their lives. From work or school, research, to looking up movies and celebrities to news and gossip, Google is the go-to search engine.

Googled!

But instead of just typing in a phrase and wading through page after page of results, there are a number of ways to make your searches more efficient.

Some of these are obvious ones, that you probably know about. But others are lesser-known, and others are known but not often used. Use this guide to learn more about, or be reminded of, some of the best ways to get exactly what you're looking for, and quickly.

Your Yahoo Voices Hacked:Change your passwords ASAP.

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:52:18 PDT

Yahoo Voices Hacked:Change your passwords ASAP.

Hacked!

More than 450,000 usernames and unencrypted passwords appear to have been stolen from Yahoo

Voice, a user-contribution services on Yahoo's network, and posted online.

Similar attacks have been reported separately against other online services, including

Say hello to Windows 8 and Bye-bye to the Desktop and Start menu

noreply@blogger.com (Techstriper) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:20:24 PDT

Gone is the Start Menu. Gone is the Desktop. Instead, applications, widgets and social network updates appear in the form of a mosaic of tiles.

Everything is touch-friendly, as you swipe across screens to access more tiles and more tiles.

This is the new version of Windows, and it is almost ready for prime-time, with Microsoft preparing Windows 8 for launch in October.

Windows fans may lament their loss, but Microsoft has seen the future, and it is all about touch.

Microsoft officially announced the time-frame for Windows 8's mass-market release at a company conference in Toronto.

New versions of Windows typically come out every three years, but this update is the most widely anticipated overhaul of the software since 1995.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, has designed the operating system so it can run on personal computers or touch-based tablet computers.

Desktop aficionados may lament the new focus on touch - and wonder how it will work on older, non-touchscreen computers.

Critics may also wonder whether touch is any kind of replacement for keyboard and mouse in terms of day-to-day productivity.

Luckily those who miss the old approach will still find their Desktop accessible. But now it is more like a program, in the same way Office or Photoshop are programs.

The company is also putting a special price on its next version of Windows - offering upgrades to the operating system for just $40.

The offer, which translates to about £25 in the UK, will run until next January and applies to the previous versions of Windows - XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Microsoft has not yet confirmed the price in the UK yet, but the company is likely to price the upgrade at between £25 and £40.

Microsoft will also throw Media Centre, which allows you to browse picture, music and video files from a distance, in for free.

Microsoft will be anxious to get the latest Windows on to as many desktops as possible, following the rising popularity of Android and Apple tablets, and Google and Apple - as well as other companies - encroaching in on the Microsoft-heavy segment of the PC market.

Windows 8 will be quite an evolution. The core Windows concept has changed little in more than 20 years, but for the first time, Microsoft is dramatically overhauling the interface, making it touch-friendly.

The Start Menu - and the desktop - have both gone, to be replaced with the Metro interface, which uses 'Live Tiles' for updates and for programs, in a manner similar to Windows Phone 7, and the upcoming Microsoft Surface tablet.

Those upgrading from Windows 7 will be able to keep all their settings, programs and files, while the older operating systems have some caveats, such as the inability to carry programs over from Vista, and settings over from XP.

Microsoft announced the moves on the company blog.

A spokesman said: 'We believe that your upgrade experience in Windows 8 will be a breeze by offering a faster experience, a single upgrade path, and compatibility from prior versions of Windows.

'We’ve continued to listen to our customers and have expanded the ability to download to over 100 countries and 37 languages.

'We have simplified the Windows upgrade experience with the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which supports you during your upgrade with everything from selecting your language to pausing your download to built-in compatibility checks - it’s seamless. And if you’re an enthusiast you will have the flexibility to download and control how you upgrade.

'If you prefer to shop at a local store, a packaged DVD version of the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will be available for $69.99 during this promotion.

'This upgrade promotion for Windows 8 Pro both online and at retail runs through January 31st, 2013'.

Google Glass: The Beginning of Future technology!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 23:10:03 PDT

Ever wished to own a high end techno gadget used in Sci-Fi movies?

Remember, that X-ray glass James Bond used in “The World is not Enough “ or the Neuralyzer from “Men in Black” which has the ability to wipe the memory of anybody who sees the flash or at least the non-techie Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak!,

that magical sheet which makes person covering it disappear.

At least some might turn reality soon! Yes!

Introducing Project Glass...Google’s attempt to create Sci-fi movies gadgets.

See the Future !

Let’s see what Google offers.

Glass is a wearable computing gadget in an effectively smart pair of glasses with an integrated display and a battery hidden inside the frame.

In Simple words, your smart phone will be fixed in a spectacles so that your hands are free! ;)

Google's Project Glass will probably use a Non-transparent LCD display to put information in front of your eyeballs. It contains a front-facing camera and GPS, and you can scroll and click on information by tilting your head (~~Like a boss)~~ .

Glass will also use voice input for information.

Google wants this gadget to run on Android. Reports suggest that the device is designed to be a stand-alone rather than an Android phone peripheral.

So, clearly this can also be Google’s answer to the iPhones and the Galaxies.

Here is one of the few official videos of Project Google.

Have a look and imagine what all you can do with this!

Truly evolutionary gadget!

For Google Glass pictures and info follow them here Project Glass.

People who confuse Glass with Google Goggles, don’t worry you are not the only one. And, Glass has nothing to do with this.

Goggle is a mobile software that search web based on photos.

So, here is the first big question. What if a person already wears glasses? Will this Glass work for them too, or should they wear both?

The answer is simple. We still don’t know and so, have to wait and watch. But the official answer is that, Google is experimenting with designs that will fit over existing glasses so you don't have to wear lots of specs.

When can we expect it! Well, Google suggest that a beta version will be released in mid 2013 and the public release in early 2014.Thats a long wait indeed.

As we wait, let’s think of the issues with Google Glass when they turn reality.

When you think Pop-ups in a web browser irritating, just imagine them in a corner of your right eye ! :D

This is how it will be.

A spoof of the same video shown above with a twist!

If that's ok, there is still a big down side of using Google Glass.

Yes, you guessed it right after seeing the video.

~~Only~~ ~~Google~~+ :P

Nevertheless, this is a step into the future technology to turn Human to Super Human.

Some of the cool features of Google that are not known to many

noreply@blogger.com (Techstriper) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 07:22:11 PDT

Google is a vast machine with all types of apps, programs, and tools. A lot of these—like Gmail and Google Docs—are clearly useful and beloved by many. But hidden inside Google's network are some awesome, lesser-known gems that can make your life easier.

Hidden beneath popular apps like Gmail, Google Search, and Chrome are a lot of cool features that most people don't mess around with. Here are some of our favorite unsung Google features, from Google Drive apps to Google+ to everything in between.

Tech Strip brings you some of the unsung Google features, from Google Drive apps and Google+.

Use Google Drive Apps for Added Functionality and Features

Send and Receive Faxes for Free with Hellofax

HelloFax isn't the only service to send faxes online, but its tight integration with Google Drive makes it incredibly easy to use.

With HelloFax installed, every fax you send with the service is linked directly into Drive. Need to fax some forms? Send them from Drive. Waiting on a fax? HelloFax will stuff it right into your Drive folder so you can access it from anywhere. Most of us only need a fax machine on rare occasions and HelloFax is a handy alternative to a big clunky machine

Sign Any Document Easily with DocuSign

Just like sending faxes, another thing you probably don't do often is sign and return documents. DocuSign is a Drive app that does just that. You can share documents that need signatures, or add your own directly from your Google Drive. You only get 15 free signatures with the service, but honestly, how often do you need physically sign something?

Edit Photos Right in Your Browser with Pixlr Editor and Aviary

Both Pixlr Editor and Aviary are simple, but useful photo editing tools for Google Drive that work right in your browser.

If you're looking for a photo editing app similar in function to Photoshop, Pixlr Editor feature set makes it a pretty good choice. Pixlr Editor doesn't have the abundance of tools as Photoshop, but as a free cloud photo editing tool it works great.

If light touch-ups to photos are more your thing, then Aviary is all you need. Upload your photos into your Google Drive and you can make simple edits like color balance, and blemish correction right inside Drive.

Get Details About Your Google Docs Usage with Spanning Stats

Ever wondered what you actually spend your time doing in Google Docs? Spanning Stats is an app that breaks it down for you in a graph. For most people this means you'll see a breakdown of what's taking up space in your Drive. Advanced users will benefit from graphs that show you the volume of documents created by week, month breakdowns, and more. You also get a nice visualization of the times you typically create new documents.

If you're a fan of the idea of the quantified self, then Spanning Stats is a nice app to keep around in your Google Drive. With Spanning Stats you can see how you're using Drive and hopefully use that information to use your time better.

Google+'s Handy Hidden Features

Use Local to Find and Share Your Favorite Places

Google+'s local tab doesn't really seem that interesting from the description alone: type in an address and Google+ shows you restaurants with a Zagat score. More interesting is the fact your Google+ peers can also write reviews and they'll show as recommendations. Done right, you can get restaurant recommendations from people you know every time you search for restaurants.

Even without the social features, Google Local is handy for finding a good place to eat quickly. Sure, millions of different restaurant recommendation services exist, but Google Local is integrated into where you probably already start most restaurant searches: Google Search.

Organize Your Parties with Events for Open Access and Invitations

Facebook has an Events system, but the problem with it is that you need a Facebook account to use it. Google's brand new Events is a lot easier to use. Create an event, share it with your Google+ friends, or anyone in your email list, and you're done. They don't have to sign up for Google+ just to see the invite.

After the event is going, people can share photos live as they happen directly on the event page by enabling Party Mode in the Google+ app, take a look at photos afterwards, and download all the pictures with one click. As a way to invite and document an event, Google Events is pretty strong.

Store Your Photos in the Google+ Cloud Automatically

Even if you're not using Google+ for much of anything, it's a good place to store photos. Again, you already have the account, so you might as well make use of the space it offers. You can enable the Automatic Uploadfeature on your iPhone or Android and every picture you take will automatically be stored in the cloud. As a free, easy-to-use backup service, it's not a bad option.

As far as sharing is concerned, you can set up photos so they're visible by certain people in your Google+ circles, or make them private and share them directly through email. The recipient doesn't even need a Google+ account to look at the gallery. If you prefer a desktop client, all the Google+ photo settings integrate seamlessly with Google's free photo management tool, Picasa.

Run Any Meeting Online with Google Hangouts (and Its Apps)

Google+ Hangouts is a simple video chat room that allows up to ten people to participate in a conversation together. It simple to use. More interesting is the abundance of specialized apps developed for Hangouts that add all sorts of functions ranging from whiteboards to video poker. Here are a few of our favorites:

Cacoo: Cacoo is a full suite of nerdy extras for Hangouts. Inside your Hangouts you can create mind maps, collaborate on diagrams, and even work on office layouts. Cacoo probably isn't something most of us will use every day, but it'll certainly come in handy on occasion.
SlideShare: SlideShare is all about presentations. You can create slideshow presentations with SlideShare and share them with others in a hangout. Simple, easy, and doesn't require a bit of technical knowledge to use.
ConceptBoard: Want to collaborate on a big project and let everyone just dump ideas into one simple image? ConceptBoard is a giant whiteboard for your hangouts. It might seem a little silly at first, but it works pretty well if you collaborating on something that needs visuals.
Screen Sharing: Screen sharing is one of the built-in features of Hangouts that makes it great to use when you need to do tech support for friends or family. In a Hangout, simply click "Screenshare" at the top of your screen and you're done. You can't remotely control someon's computer, but you can share exactly what you're doing (and they can do the same with you) to make troubleshooting easy.

Google Drive and Google+ are certainly where Google is concentrating a lot of its momentum right now. If you find any other less familiar, but handy features of Google that is not listed here, please share it with us.

Alureon virus: Could black out 250000 PCs on Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Techstriper) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:02:34 PDT

Alureon is a DNSChanger Malware that redirects web surfers’ away from trusted websites to spoof websites, is now threatening to blackout over a quarter-million computers from the Internet on Monday (July 9).

Please don't panic!! Tech Strip is here to help you understand about the malware and the ways to detect and remove it, if your system is infected.

What is a DNSChanger?

DNSChanger is a Trojan horse malware with many variants. It changes an infected computer's DNS settings to point to rogue, bad guy-controlled servers. These then show you ads that look real, but aren't. Basically, it redirects your legitimate Web surfing to malicious Web sites that then attempt to steal personal information and generate illegitimate ad revenue.

What does DNSChanger do?

DNSChanger changes your Domain Name System settings without your permission. This is bad because DNS is basically the Internet's phone book crossed with a map. DNS links a URL, such as CNET.com, to an IP address. (An IPv4 address would be something like 192.1.56.10, while an IPv6 address would look like 1050:0:0:0:5:600:300c:326b.) DNSChanger changes that and redirects search results and URLs to malicious sites that are designed to either serve you ads to malicious sites, or intend to illegitimately collect your login information.

How much money did DNSChanger make?

From the time it was discovered around 2007 until six Estonian scammers were caught in November 2011, DNSChanger scored them upwards of $14 million, reportedly.

If the bad guys have been caught already, why does DNSChanger still affect people?

Simply put, the malware was exceedingly effective and infected hundreds of thousands of computers. Prior to the bad guys being arrested, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and German Federal Office for Information Security created a redirect of the redirect, so that many people infected by DNSChanger would still go to the legitimate Web sites that they intended to visit.

After the arrests, the two governments agreed to keep the rogue DNS servers running until March. Then they learned that there were still around 450,000 active DNSChanger infections, and so the servers got a reprieve until Monday, July 9.

If your computer's been infected and you haven't fixed it by July 8, your Monday morning will be even worse than normal.

So the Facebook alerts and Google warnings about DNSChanger were legit?

Yep. And around 330,000 people were still infected with DNSChanger as of the end of May, with about 77,000 of those in the

U.S.

Google's warning that appeared at the top of search results.

How can I tell if I'm infected?

If you're in the United States, go to dns-ok.us or its parent site. For computers based outside of the U.S. click on DNSChanger Working Group and you'll see an image with a green background if you're clean. A red background means you're infected.

Help! My computer's infected with DNSChanger. How can I fix it?

The DCWG has a list of free tools to download and instructions on how to clean a computer infected with DNSChanger.

How can I avoid malware like DNSChanger in the future?

Security suites aren't perfect, but they will protect you from the vast majority of threats out there including DNSChanger. Whether you're on Windows or Mac, Android or iOS, you really ought to have some kind of security program installed. And always double-check the URL before entering personal information into any kind of online text field or form, no matter what operating system or device you're using.

Ever Wondered the weirdness in Android version names?

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 21:58:36 PDT

Why are Android OS code names so weird?

Disclaimer:A funny take on Android names.If you have any other important work, please don't waste time reading further .Others,just carry on.

If you've been following android evolution, you probably can come across the terms "Cupcake","Icecream Sandwich" "Honeycomb" and "Jelly Beans" Google's official name for its new Android operating system for Google Nexus 7.

Jelly Beans --technically Android version 4.1 -- is significant because it's designed for tablet computers, not just smartphones.

Technical things aside ,Why are Android OS version name so weird?

As we all know, all Android operating systems are named after desserts. And, just in case that wasn't weird enough for you,they release these sugary names in alphabetical order!

Here is the timeline of all the Android versions with their edible names.

EDIBLE OS

Now,lets guess the name of the next version,the name will start with 'K' (~~Oh!~~ ~~that's easy guess, isn't~~ it)

Lets think of some Desserts starting with 'K' (~~Why think when you can google?~~)

OK,after some time thinking(~~Googling~~) here is some desserts starting with 'K'.

Kakigori (Japanese snow icecream )

Kit-Kat(Yes,That Chocolate)

Key Lime Pie (Lime Pie)

Kheer (a milk sweet from India)

kozhukattai(a south Inidan sweet)

Kulfi (a frozen, flavored milk dessert from India)

There is a tough competition between Key Lime Pie and Kulfi.

Lets wait and watch what the Dessert OS serves us next time.

FAKING NEWS:

Highly placed sources in Google indicate to TechStrip that Kulfi will be the official name of the next version,KULFI ANDROID 4.2.

Here is a TechStrip Exclusive,First look of the OS just for you. :p

KULFI ANDROID 4.2

Enough trolling Android!

After all, Google isn't the only high end tech company to employ weird naming conventions. Apple's operating systems are named after cats, although there's some concern that they're running out of fearsome sounding cat names.

#SORRY

Google maps goes offline for android

noreply@blogger.com (Techstriper) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 07:46:01 PDT

Your lost and don't have an accessible internet connection. Well, don't worry Google has just launched Google maps for Android that works offline to save you.

You can now save and use certain maps on offline Google Maps for Android when you're not connected to the internet. You can even find and orient yourself by enabling GPS and using My Location and the compass.

Google showed off offline Google Maps for android apps at its event earlier this month, and now during I/O it's ready to turn the feature on.

Also new in this version is the Compass Mode for Street View shown off today, that lets you look around places as though you were there based on your device's gyroscope and even go inside. We're not all seeing it on our devices yet, but the updated version has already been spotted on a Galaxy Nexus or two.

Wish you had a map when your device was offline? With offline maps, you can save and use certain maps when you’re not connected to the Internet. If you have GPS on the device, the blue dot will still work without a data connection so you know where you are. Whether you’re traveling the world or underground, offline maps can help you navigate the offline world.

What is The benefit of Offline Google Maps ?

With Google Maps for Android you can now go indoors. Next time you're running through the airport or shopping in a mall, use Google Maps on your mobile phone to find a specific place or get indoor walking directions.

Want to remember a hiking trail or share travel spots with friends? Try making your own map of what matters to you most with My Maps. You can mark locations, add details like photos and links, and invite others to collaborate on your laptop and access it on your Android device.

Whether you’re driving, walking, biking or using public transportation, Google Maps is ready to find the best route for you. Turn-by-turn GPS navigation with in-route adjustments will auto-correct your route if you make a wrong turn. Live Traffic keeps you informed in real-time, and you can also plan ahead based on past traffic conditions.

To get Offline Google Maps, first Download Google Maps For Android and take it offline with simple. Users with Android 2.2 devices and above should keep an eye on Google Play for the new version of the app.

Download Offline Google Maps For Android here and try it for your Android phone or Android tablet and share your experience here.

Top 10 Awesome Android Apps!

noreply@blogger.com (SilverStrip) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:46:26 PDT

Top 10 Awesome Android Apps:

Now that the Google Nexus 7 will soon be rolling out on various carriers and other already launched major players on Android like Samsung S 3 rocking, the app market is red hot. The million plus apps babies in android market are one of the major reasons for the high speed growth of the Operating system. Enough said about the OS, here is my list of AWESOME Android Apps in the market which will make you forget time and pull you into the mobile screen. Most of apps in the 10 here are FREE! (~~Do you want any other reason to download other than that?!~~)

There isn’t any order in this list as all the 10 are my favourite and a must have in your phone ASAP.

MOUTHOFF

Mouthoff is a damn funny app. It offers 30+ Funny, Scary, Disgusting mouths.

Select a mouth, hold your Phone in front of your mouth and talk, shout, laugh,

scream or sing to get the mouth of your choice to animate in time with the sounds

you make.

instagram

This famous iPhone app is a huge hit in Android too. Click a pic select one of the several gorgeous filter effects to breathe a new life into your mobile photos. Once done, it will prompt you to post them on your favourite social networking sites too, what else you want.  .  

Let'sCreate: Pottery

One of the amazing apps in the market. Feast to the creative part of your brain. With Let's Create: Pottery making pots has never been more simple and fun!

Throw the clay on the wheel, show your touch of innovation and make a Master Piece.!An amazing, therapeutic and uplifting experience. Don’t Miss this.

FRUIT NINJA

Waiting for a friend or a bus? Bored being alone and have no idea what to do? Fruit Ninja is just for you. It is a juicy action game with squishy, splatty and satisfying fruit carnage! Awake up the ninja in your and smash the fruits into pieces.

tabla

Phones changed the way we listen to music. And now Smart phone changes the way the music are composed. Apps in iOS and Android offer us a range of musical instruments to play and they sound exactly natural. Tabla is one such app with beautiful replication of Tabla in your phone.

duck hunting

If you had an awesome childhood you would definitely have played this shooting game. This is that same video game in app now. Shoot the ducks on the screen. The more you hunt the more you score. Play this just for that nostalgic feel will take you back. Happy Hunting.

Google chrome

Yes, World’s Fastest and the simplest of Browsers is here for your smart phone too. Nothing more to explain , if you haven’t yet downloaded ,just do it.

templerun

Another time killing app. Rules are simple just “Run for your life!”. Reason, a group of Evil Demon Monkeys nipping at your heels. Test your reflexes as you race down ancient temple walls and along sheer cliffs. Swipe to turn, jump and slide to avoid obstacles, collect coins and buy power ups, unlock new characters, and see how far you can run! Warning: Addictive game!

cut the rope

Simple. Cut the Rope, catch a star, and feed the candy! Very cool game, the
character in the game is damn cute and an amazing graphics make you love this
game.

Only miss is that, it’s too short.

talking giNA

From the creators of Talking Tom comes Talking Gina, you’re talking pet giraffe!
Take good care of this baby and she will be your best ever friend. Play Patty Cake
with Gina, the addictive reflex-building hand clapping game is fun and challenging
for all ages! A must have.

And, that ends my top 10 Awesome Android Apps. Do add your favourites in the
comment.