Total Media News

You must know this Before You Date a Programmer!

2013-12-04T20:47:00.001+05:30

So you have hots for this nerdy programmer you met somewhere and you are already dreaming of dating him/her! Good enough, but it isn't easy to date a geek! Here are 5 things you should know before dating a programmer and the tips come straight from the horse's mouth. Excerpts from willwriteforacookie.com's blog:

1. We are not here to fix your computer.

“If that is the first thing that crosses your mind, then give up. There is nothing more annoying than someone asking you so you are a programmer, can you fix computers? Infact we do not like to fix our own computers, our solution to a slow computer is to Erase the damn thing and reinstall everything."

2. Yes we think we are smarter than you.

“The IT industry is very competitive. Programmers are a dime a dozen, so the only way to stand out is to be the best and to be the smartest person in the room. Google, Apple, Microsoft, amongst others, only hire the best and the smartest people out there to create the next best thing. Due to the competitive nature of our field, we tend to be arrogant and prove that you are wrong and we are right. Furthermore, a lot of programmers have masters or phD degrees.”

3. Work is above everything, including you.

“We are passionate about our work and give the extra mile to get things done and to make it look good. Sometimes we even forget to eat or sleep to meet our deadlines. When we are absorbed in work, we are in our little bubble world, especially during crunch period. So if we forget to eat or sleep, don't expect us to call you back. We are borderline OCD perfectionist, so we spend our waking hours trying to make our project as close to perfect as possible.”

4. We love our toys - gadgets.
“Don't be surprised if we jump like a 5 years old when we see a new gadget in the wild. It's usually something that we have been reading and hyping up for the past 5 months, so it's only normal to be excited when we see it in real life.”

5. We are worth your time and effort.
“We consider our job as an extension of our personality. If our work is an extension of our personality, chances are, our relationships are the same, for better or for worst.”

via: efytimes

TOP 10 Operating Systems For Hackers

2013-11-26T17:52:00.003+05:30

Top penetration testing operating systems

Below is the list of Top Operating Systems focused on Penetration and Hacking,The Operating Systems are judged on these Criteria : Number Of Package's, Availability of tutorials,how often new editions come out, popularity and user experience. I have personally used each of these tools, and i must say they do live up to their name and reputation.

One Operating System of note:

Damn Vulnerable Linux.

Well this is new, Damn Vulnerable Linux (DVL) is everything a good Linux distribution isn't; Its developers have spent hours stuffing it with broken, ill-configured, outdated, and exploitable software that makes it vulnerable to attacks. Based on Slackware, DVL isn't built to run on your desktop – it’s a learning tool for security students. So put it on your old PC and start your hacking carrier.

NOTE: This is not a distro full of security tools and how-to-hack apps. This is one of the best tools to use as a target to test your skills against. The people who developed this have sense discontinued the project, but you can still find ISO's and virtual images of this product for your own use.

NOTE: ITT Technical Institute students are given a copy of this on a virtual machine with their server farm structure for ISS classes. It is labeled as one of their Linux VM's

With that, here it is:

Number 9 : Samurai Web Testing Framework (WTF).

The Samurai Web Testing Framework is a live Linux environment that has been pre-configured to function as a web pen-testing environment. The CD contains the best of the open source and free tools that focus on testing and attacking websites. Developed by Kevin Johnson [security analyst] and Justin Searle [IT Security Architect for JetBlue Airways] specially for hacking web based application and websites. Bad thing it is only available as Live DVD, and its one of more difficult distro's to install. Interested ? then check out their page Here.

Number 8 : Back Box Linux.

BackBox is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. It has been developed to perform penetration tests and security assessments. Designed to be fast, easy to use and provide a minimal yet complete desktop environment, its own software repositories, are always being updated to the latest stable version of the most used and best known ethical hacking tools. Check it out Here.

Number 7 : Gnacktrack :

Gnacktrack

Ahh, gnackTrack is no-doubt the best looking Pentesting operating system ever,and this is the best for beginner hackers,it has a good software library,GnackTrack is a Live (and installable) Linux distribution based on Ubuntu.The latest version "GnackTrackR6" is gaining a lot of popularity and you should try it out if you are interested.Official Site Here.

Number 6 : Network Security Toolkit (NST).

The Network Security Toolkit (NST) is Based of Fedora (not debian ) and The main intent of developing this toolkit was to provide the network security administrator with a comprehensive set of Open Source Network Security Tools.This Distro has a whole new level of Graphical Interface and damm it looks good.Get this beautiful yet dangerous OS Here.

Number 5 : Live Hacking Operating System.

Live Hacking DVD is a Linux distribution packed with tools and utilities for ethical hacking, penetration testing and countermeasure verification. Based on Ubuntu this distribution comes in two forms. A full Linux desktop including a graphical user interface (GNOME) and tools and utilities..Another in live DVD form.Plus Point : This distro has a huge guide on hacking on its official site.Get this Distro Here

Number 4 :DEFT Digital Evidence & Forensic Toolkit.

DEFT 7 is based on the new Kernel 3 (Linux side) and the DART (Digital Advanced Response Toolkit) with the best freeware Windows Computer Forensic tools. It’s a new concept of Computer Forensic system that use LXDE as desktop environment.It is a very professional and stable system that includes an excellent hardware detection and the best free and open source applications dedicated to Incident Response, Cyber Intelligence and Computer Forensics.Get this Swiss Army Knife of the PC world Here

Number 3 : BlackBuntu Linux.

Blackbuntu is distribution for penetration testing which was specially designed for security training students and practitioners of information security. It's currently being built using the xubuntu 12.04.This edition has a large software library and nearly 100000's tutorials flying on YouTube and other sites. Blackbuntu runs on almost any PC,new or old,because of its less requirements.The Main developer,Krit Kadnok says "It's created in our own time as a hobby."Get Blackbuntu Here.

Number 2 : BugTraq Operating System.

Bugtraq system offers the most comprehensive distribution, optimal, and stable with automated services manager in real time. Bugtraq is available with XFCE, Gnome and KDE based on Ubuntu, Debian and OpenSuse. The systems are available in 11 different languages. Bugtraq has the widest range of tools and a whole lot of tutorials on the net,besides that,This distro has a sick interface.Get this Here.

Number 1 : BackTrack/ Kali Operating System.

BackTrack is an Operating system which is especially made for Hackers,ethical Hackers,Penetration testers etc.This operating system includes all the security assessments and features till date.This distro got it all,Slick Interface,Powerful yet latest tools,high compatibly large software library,tons of tutorial.you name it.This is used by FBI,NSA and most of the hackers.So why don't you try it ? Get Version 5r3 from Here.

NOTE:Now the Backtrack is based on Debian and has been name as Kali Linux.
So its better to use the latest version and get all kernels, applications updated.
You can download Kali Linux HERE.

Is Facebook's Database Hacked???

2013-10-21T18:20:00.002+05:30

Today something happened to the world's number one social networking site FACEBOOK.

Some are saying that its a hacking attempt and few are saying that its a regular update in the database.

For reasons yet undisclosed, Facebook currently doesn't allow updating your status.
Neither you will be able to change your password nor you can like something.

Trying to do so will yield this message: "There was a problem updating your status. Please try again in a few minutes."

Facebook status update problems aren't uncommon, but this one seems global — we've tested it from several IPs, receiving the same message.
We've contacted Facebook about the issue but have not yet received a response.
Stay tuned for updates.
Image: Facebook

source: Mashable

Samsung's smart watch The Galaxy Gear coming on September 4

2013-08-27T21:23:00.000+05:30

Samsung will launch its smart watch, the Galaxy Gear, on Sept. 4 ahead of the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, Germany.

Lee Young-hee, VP of Samsung's mobile business, confirmed the date and some details about the device in an interview with The Korea Times.

“We will be introducing a new wearable concept device called Galaxy Gear at our own event in Berlin on Sept. 4," Lee said. He added that the Gear will not have a flexible display. "We are confident that the Gear will add meaningful momentum to the mobile industry."

Lee also confirmed Samsung's official launch of the Galaxy Note 3 at IFA, but he did not reveal any details about that device.

Mashable will be at IFA Berlin this year to bring you firsthand impressions of the Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note 3.

Are you excited about Galaxy Gear? Share your thoughts in the comments.

[Mashable]

This Gel Works Like the Memory Cloth from The Dark Knight

2013-08-03T16:56:00.001+05:30

Remember that scene from The Dark Knight where Christian Bale leaps off a building in Hong Kong, grabs his cape and the gloves Morgan Freeman made him send an electrical charge through the material causing it to firm up in the shape of a wing. Well, a material like that actually exists.

Researchers from North Carolina State University are experimenting with a squishy hyrdogel that does some pretty amazing things when an electric current passes through it. Just hook up a copper electrode, turn the current on and sections of the gel stiffen causing the whole thing to change shape. It's a reaction called "ionoprinting" that's caused by the copper ions travelling through the hydrogel.

The implications for such a substance are exciting as it mimics biological material. "In the nearer term, the technique may have applications for drug delivery or tissue scaffolding and directing cell growth in three dimensions, for example," N.C. State professor Dr. Orlin Velev explains.

"We are currently planning to use this technique to develop motile, biologically compatible microdevices."

But let's be honest. The scientists should probably make a cape out of it. If there's anything science is good for, after all, it's making our wildest superhero fantasies come true. And they're already so close!

[Gizmodo]

Kaboom : The game , A new avatar of The Bomber Man

2013-08-01T18:12:00.000+05:30

Steps to make and publish your app:

STEP 1: Register :- http://www.devworx.in/contests/intel-app-innovation-contest-2013/app_details.php?appid=80

STEP 2: Submit

STEP 3: Validate

STEP 4: Build

The INTEL® APP INNOVATION CONTEST 2013, Have Begin and its quite a time that the developer all around the globe
have already posted 100s of there apps and the contest is taking up quite a hits with the about 30 Registrations/day.

The Devworx Team have announced a Grand prize of about$20000 (approx. 1200000 Rupees) and about$10000 (approx. 600000 Rupees) for each category.

The Category of Most Views, Most Rated and a Surprise Prize amount will be announced later during the contest. which is expected to be about $5000 (approx. 300000 Rupees).

The contest is open to any developer who is at least 18 years old and the age of majority residing in the following countries: Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Canada (not including Quebec), Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, People’s Republic of China, Republic of South Africa, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, UK, Ukraine, and 50 United States of America (and the District of Columbia).

While The Most Liked App in the Gaming Category is KABOOM THE GAME which is inspired from the epic Game, The Bomber Man.

The Link to The Contest:
http://www.devworx.in/contests/intel-app-innovation-contest-2013/app_details.php?appid=80

Chromecast: Google's new content streaming Dongle for your TV

2013-07-25T15:55:00.000+05:30

Google today announced a whole new device and they are calling it the Chromecast. Google Chromecast is a media streaming device that connects to the apps running on your Android and iOS device including Youtube and stream content to your HDTV. This is a Wi-Fi enabled device that seems to have a micro-USB port on one end and HDMI port on the other.

Chromecast device
This sweet piece of cake transfers all your data directly to your big screen High Definition TV. You can also stream content from Google Chrome to your HDMI device via this Dongle. And that not all that's in the package. Your content doesn't go through your device first (if streaming from the Internet). Even if you do something else on your phone, the playback is uninterrupted.
Your phone becomes a remote to you Chromcast cast.

It looks like reincarnation of the Nexus Q.

Currently Chromecast supports:
YouTube and NetFlix
Google Play and Google Music
Chrome for Windows, Mac and Chroembook Pixel

Chromecast is similar to Apple AirPlay that streams content directly to Apple TV. But Google took the game to the next level by making Chromecast cross-platform and Google is also releasing a Chromecast SDK.

Google said,
Our goal is to partner to create an ecosystem of apps as well as devices. While the Chromecast device is the first instantiation of Google Cast, we expect the technology to be embedded in a range of devices from our partners.
This might be a game changer. It's capable of doing that Nexus Q couldn't do. Tell us in the comments below, what you think about it.

Chromecast is available in the Play Store. click HERE

Quadro: The 'Fastest GPU ever' made

2013-07-24T16:12:00.005+05:30

NVIDIA today unveiled the visual computing industry's new flagship technology -- the NVIDIA® Quadro® K6000 GPU, the fastest and most capable GPU ever built.

NVIDIA today also launched a new line of professional graphics GPUs for mobile workstations, delivering the highest levels of performance and graphics memory ever available on mobile platforms.

The Quadro K6000 GPU delivers five-times higher compute performance and nearly double the graphics capability of its predecessor, the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 GPU, and features the world's largest and fastest graphics memory.

Combining breakthrough performance and advanced capabilities in a power-efficient design, the Quadro K6000 GPU enables leading organizations such as Pixar, Nissan, Apache Corporation and the Weather Channel's WSI division to tackle visualization and analysis workloads of unprecedented size and scope.

Animation and Visual Effects - Pixar
"The Kepler features are key to our next generation of real-time lighting and geometry handling. We were thrilled to get an early look at the K6000. The added memory and other features allow our artists to see much more of the final scene in a real-time, interactive form, and allow many more artistic iterations."
-Guido Quaroni, Pixar vice president of Software R&D

Product Styling - Nissan
"With Quadro K6000's 12 GB of memory, I am now able to load nearly complete vehicle models into RTT Deltagen and have stunning photorealism almost instantly. Instead of spending significant time simplifying the models to fit into previous hardware, we can now spend more time reviewing and iterating designs up front which helps avoid costly changes to tooling."
-Dennis Malone, associate engineer, Nissan North America

Energy Exploration - Apache
"Compared to the Quadro K5000, the Quadro K6000 tripled the performance when running jobs on Terraspark's InsightEarth application. With jobs running in mere minutes, we can run more simulations and get better insight into where to drill. In this business, drilling in the wrong place is a multi-million dollar mistake, and the Quadro K6000 gives us the edge to make better decisions."
-Klaas Koster, manager, seismic interpretation, Apache Corporation

Unprecedented Performance
The Quadro K6000 GPU is based on the NVIDIA Kepler™ architecture - the world's fastest, most efficient GPU architecture. Key performance features and capabilities include:

12GB ultra-fast GDDR5 graphics memory lets designers and animators model and render characters and scenes at unprecedented scale, complexity and richness

2,880 streaming multiprocessor (SMX) cores deliver faster visualization and compute horsepower than previous-generation products

Supports four simultaneous displays and up to 4k resolution with DisplayPort™ 1.2

Ultra-low latency video I/O and support for large-scale visualizations

"The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 GPU is the highest performance, most capable GPU ever created for the professional graphics market," said Ed Ellett, senior vice president, Professional Solutions Group at NVIDIA. "It will significantly change the game for animators, digital designers and engineers, enabling them to make the impossible possible."

New Mobile Workstation GPUs
NVIDIA today also revealed a new flagship professional graphics GPU for workstation notebooks, the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M GPU. Delivering the highest levels of performance and graphics memory available on notebook platforms, the Quadro K5100M anchors a new line of workstation notebook graphics that includes the Quadro K4100M, K3100M, K2100M, K1100M, K610M, and K510M GPUs.

Quadro GPUs are designed, built and tested by NVIDIA to provide the superb reliability, compatibility and dependability that professionals require. They are certified and recommended by more than 150 leading software application providers worldwide.

Availability
The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 will be available beginning this fall from Dell, HP, Lenovo and other major workstation providers; from systems integrators, including BOXX Technologies and Supermicro; and from authorized distribution partners, including PNY Technologies in North America and Europe, ELSA and Ryoyo in Japan, and Leadtek in Asia Pacific.

The new Quadro mobile workstation graphics product line will also be available beginning this fall from major mobile workstation OEMs.

[NVIDIA]

Ubuntu forum hacked..1.8m accounts compromised..

2013-07-23T18:44:00.000+05:30

Ubuntu Forums suffered a massive data breach, the company behind the Linux open-source based operating system said on Saturday.

In an announcement posted on its main forum page, Canonical confirmed there had been a security breach and that the team is working to restore normal operations.

The notice said "every user's local username, password and email address" from their database was stolen. The company confirmed that though the passwords are not stored in plain text, users who share passwords across sites are encouraged to change them.

"Ubuntu One, Launchpad and other Ubuntu/Canonical services are not affected by the breach," the open-source company stated.

An estimated 1.82 million users are subscribed to the forums, with more than 1.96 million threads, according to the last crawl by the Internet Archive in mid-June.

The forum itself is understood to be using vBulletin, a popular Web-based forum software.

The site was defaced by hackers during Saturday afternoon, according to social media reports. The main page was altered to include an image sporting a Twitter handle "Sputn1k_" which directs to an account with just five tweets and double-digit followers. The account did not follow any other user at the time of writing.

The image also pointed out a "shoutout" to Twitter user @rootinabox, who appears to be based in the Netherlands. But the link pointed to a website that does not appears to be associated with the account holder.

The social media community appeared generally critical of the move.

"You must feel proud defacing a site by volunteers. They dedicate time and effort to make a free distro. Worst kind of 'hacker'," said one user directed towards the alleged hacker's Twitter account.

Others who tweeted the attacker during the past few hours simply asked what the music was that he injected into the hacked page when it loaded.

[zdnet]

New Lighter Facebook for India and Brazil...

2013-07-22T16:36:00.001+05:30

Facebook has been quietly working for more than two years on a project that is vital to expanding its base of 1.1 billion users: getting the social network onto the billions of cheap, simple "feature phones" that have largely disappeared in America and Europe but are still the norm in developing countries like India and Brazil.

Facebook soon plans to announce the first results of the initiative, which it calls Facebook for Every Phone: More than 100 million people, or roughly 1 out of 8 of its mobile users worldwide, now regularly access the social network from more than 3,000 different models of feature phones, some costing as little as $20.

Many of those users, who rank among the world's poorest people, pay little or nothing to download their Facebook news feeds and photos, with the data usage subsidized by phone carriers and manufacturers. Facebook has only just begun to sell ads to these customers, so it isn't making money from them yet.

But the countries in which the simple phone software is doing the best - India, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Vietnam - are among the fastest-growing markets for use of the Internet and social networks, according to the research firm eMarketer.

Like many other giants of the technology industry, Facebook is struggling with the seismic shift of its customers away from computers to mobile devices and erosion of profits that can bring.

Last year, the company overhauled its apps for Apple iPhones and Android-based smartphones to improve mobile access and introduced new types of ads that nudge users to install a new game or other apps on their phones. But customer growth in developed markets like the United States has still slowed dramatically because just about everyone who wants to be on Facebook has already joined the network.

Analysts say that Facebook has a powerful opportunity to win the long-term loyalty of millions of new global users by giving them their first taste of internet through Facebook on a simple cellphone.

"In a lot of foreign markets, people think that the Internet is Facebook," said Clark Fredricksen, a vice president at eMarketer.

Those users, the company hopes, will become more attractive to advertisers as their incomes grow and they gain broader access to the Web.

The feature phone project was driven by a small group of people who joined Facebook in 2011, when it purchased a startup called Snaptu. The team had to re-engineer Facebook's software to drastically shrink the amount of data sent over slow cellular networks. They also had to find a way to quickly display familiar Facebook features like chat and photos on phones with very basic computing power and low-resolution screens.

"We actually run the apps on our servers," said Ran Makavy, who was chief executive of Snaptu and now runs Facebook's feature phone project. "The result was something that looks almost like a smartphone app."

The software has features that are common in more advanced versions of Facebook, including sticker-size emoticons in chat and Instagram-style filters to dress up photos. (Facebook for Every Phone can be used by feature phone customers anywhere, including those in the United States. It can be downloaded from Facebook using the phone's mobile browser or obtained from app stores operated by the phone maker or independent companies like Getjar.)

Brian Blau, who studies consumer technologies at the research firm Gartner, said that given Facebook's mission of linking the entire globe through its service, it needed to reach out to the least tech-savvy customers.

"They talk about socially connecting the world together," he said. "They can't do that until they connect people who don't have smartphones or computers."

To understand how far Facebook has come in its approach to mobile devices, consider this: until two years ago, the only way to sign up for the service was through a Web browser, which is much slower to use than an app. Facebook originally viewed phones as mostly useful for posting status updates, not as a primary way to access the service, said Javier Olivan, who heads Facebook's growth team.

Eventually, the company realized that tens of millions of people in developing countries were eager to try Facebook but had no access to a computer, nor could they afford the $600 iPhones or $40-a-month data plans common in the developed world.

"It became very obvious that the next wave of users would come on mobile only," Olivan said in an interview last week.

To go after those customers, Facebook spent a reported $70 million to buy Snaptu, an Israeli company that had begun to offer primitive versions of Facebook and other apps on simple cellphones.

The acquisition "unlocked an opportunity for us," Olivan said.

From virtually no users on feature phones a couple of years ago, the company has grown to 100 million active users. Facebook declined to offer any specific predictions about the growth of its service on either smartphones or feature phones.

The immediate prospects are modest of making money from feature phone users. During the first quarter of this year, Facebook got only 24 percent of its $1.5 billion in revenue from outside of the United States, Canada and Europe. It is just beginning to ramp up its mobile advertising revenue, which was 30 percent of its overall global ad revenue in the first quarter. Those mobile ads are not as profitable as desktop ads, whose growth is flat.

The company will report its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, but analysts expect that developed markets will be the biggest source of Facebook's revenue and profit for a long time.

Still, there is a longer-term business opportunity, for both Facebook and its phone industry partners, as mobile usage grows in Asia, Latin America and Africa.

[timesofindia]

Apple's Developer Center Hacked..!!!

2013-07-22T16:13:00.002+05:30

Apple revealed late yesterday that its Developer Center had been forced out of action by "an intruder"—but a researcher has provided evidence to confirm that the downtime was a result of his identification of a security vulnerability.

Apple claimed in a statement that an intruder had attempted to steal personal information about registered developers from the site. But Ibrahim Balic, a security researcher from the UK, claims that he recently found 13 bugs within the website's system which allowed him to secure data from more than 100,000 users.

He claims to have approached Apple with details from 73 user accounts—all Apple employees—to illustrate the flaw, offering to help them fix things. Balic claims Apple's response was to shut down the Developer Center. That happened Tuesday; Apple only issued a statement Sunday.

It certainly seems that Balic's claims match up with events in terms of timing and data collection. Balic himself claims to be “a bit irritated” that Apple has publicly announced the situation as a security breach rather than a constructive piece of research—and it remains to be seen what Apple will do about his involvement. It is, at least, comforting to know that the data isn't being used maliciously.

[Gizmodo]

Download New VLC for iPhone and iPad...

2013-07-19T15:00:00.000+05:30

Hey now! VLC, the bestest fastest sweetest codec-iest easiest to usiest and every positive -est adjectie there is video player around, is now available (again) on iOS. If you're looking to play videos on your iPhone and iPad, VLC is probably going to be your best bet.

MacStories spent some time with the new VLC app and though it looks pretty much the same, it's supposed to be improved:

VLC has been completely rewritten to use modern audio and video output modules, multi-core decoding, and support for any file type supported by VLC on the desktop. In my tests, the app was able to quickly start playing any video file that I threw at it, such as .mp4 and .mkv files.

The app also lets you adjust playback speed, tweak brightness, contrast, saturation, etc. and supports subtitles. It's a welcome return to VLC which was kicked out of the App Store in the beginning of 2011

Get it here: Appstore.

$92 Quadrillion accidentally transferred by Paypal..!!!

2013-07-18T14:23:00.000+05:30

Oops! PayPal, the online money-transfer company, has accidentally credited a man in Delaware a whopping $92,233,720,368,547,800, making him by far the richest man in the world.

Chris Reynolds, 56, said he was shocked when he received his monthly statement via e-mail from PayPal last week, with an ending balance of $92 quadrillion, over a million times richer than the world's richest man, Carlos Slim.

The fortune of Slim, a Mexican telecommunications mogul, would pale in comparison at a mere $73 billion. "I'm just feeling like a million bucks," Reynolds was quoted as saying by the Philadelphia Daily News. "At first I thought that I owed quadrillions. It was quite a big surprise."

Reynolds said he has been a PayPal customer for about 10 years and uses it to buy and sell items on eBay, including vintage car parts. He said he usually spends no more than $100 a month using PayPal.

After absorbing the initial shock, Reynolds logged on to PayPal's site and saw that his balance was listed there as $0. If the prodigious account credit were true, Reynolds — who with his wife owns Reynolds Ink, a public-relations firm — said he would pay down debts with the money. "I'm a very responsible guy," he said. "I would pay the national debt down first."

PayPal has admitted the error and offered to donate an unspecified amount of money to a cause of Reynolds' choice. "This is obviously an error and we appreciate that Mr Reynolds understood this was the case," CNN quoted PayPal as saying in a statement.

[indiatimes]

HP unveils Laptop-cum-tablets Slatebook x2 and Split x2

2013-07-17T17:21:00.004+05:30

Hewlett-Packard India has announced a slew of products including notebooks, detachables and All-in-One PCs. HP SlateBook x2 sports a removable screen that also turns into a tablet. By releasing the magnetic hinge, users can move between the two form factors -— tablet and notebook PC.

Powered by Android and Microsoft Windows 8 operating systems, respectively, these versatile two-in-one devices give people the flexibility to create, consume and share content in more places, claims the company. HP SlateBook x2 runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and comes with dual battery system, one battery in the base and other in the tablet to enable users to easily switch from notebook to tablet and back. The SlateBook x2 is priced at Rs 39,990.

HP Split x2 is a two-in-one detachable PC running on Windows 8 operating system and is powered by Intel Core processor. Just like SlateBook x2, it too sports a removable screen that turns into a tablet. The hard disk in the base expands storage capacity while dual batteries are intended to help on the go users.

Split x2 also comes with a 2-megapixel HP TrueVision Full HD webcam and the HP ClickPad. It is priced at Rs 64,990.

The company also launched ENVY Rove20 mobile All-in-One PC, which the company claims is its first mobile All-in-One PC. ENVY Rove20 mobile, which unshackles desktop PC from the desk, comes with a built-in battery and advanced touch technology.

The All-in-One PC can easily move from upright to completely horizontal, has a 10-point touch enabled 20-inch diagonal IPS widescreen HD+ (1600 x 900) LED backlit display. It is powered by fourth-generation Intel Core processors and sports a price tag of Rs 69,990.

Fourth new addition to the company's portfolio is HP Pavilion 11 TouchSmart Notebook with 11.6-inch diagonal capacitive touchscreen. Pavilion 11 TouchSmart Notebook run on Windows 8 operating system and is powered by quad-core processor.

The notebook's has a two-tone look that features Ano silver lid finish and a midnight black metal interior. Price of the notebook is Rs 31,990.

Making another addition to its ultrabook range, HP has launched ENVY TouchSmart 14 Ultrabook that offers up to nine hours of battery life.

Other features include dual speakers, subwoofer and graphics from NVIDIA. The ultrabook with 2GB of video memory is priced at Rs 64,990.

The company has also launched multi-OS devices. HP Slate21 All-in-One runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and sports a 21.5-inch Full HD(2) diagonal reclining IPS touchscreen with wide-viewing angles. It comes pre-installed with an HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Wireless Direct (3) and runs on Tegra 4 quad-core NVIDIA processor.

HP Slate21 All-in-One is priced at Rs 24,990.

The company also added HP Pavilion TouchSmart 20 and HP Pavilion TouchSmart 23 to its All-in-One range.

[TimesofIndia]

Xperia i1 Honami: Sony Smartphone with 20MP camera leaked.!!!

2013-07-17T16:57:00.001+05:30

Sony has been launching smartphones at a fast clip recently, with eight handsets being launched in the past six months. The latest upcoming Sony smartphone on the radar is one that rivals cameraphones like Nokia Lumia 1020 and Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom.

The upcoming phone, being developed under the code name Xperia i1 Honami, will have a 20MP Exmor RS camera on the back, according to a report in ePrice.com. This camera will have a ½.3" sensor, Sony G-lens and Bionz image processor. The screen of the upcoming smartphone will measure 5-inch and the operating system would be Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

The report claims that the upcoming Xperia i1 Honami will have 16GB internal storage and microSD card support. It is said to run on a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, backed by 2GB RAM. The phone will have a 3,000mAh battery, 8.3mm thickness and 2MP secondary camera. Sony's upcoming handset is expected to be IP57 certified, making it resistant to water and dust.

Sony has sent out press invites for a launch on September 4, the first day of IFA 2013. The report claims that Honami will be unveiled at the event.

Nokia last week launched the Lumia 1020 with a 41MP camera, while Samsung launched its Galaxy S4 zoom with 16MP unit in June.

[Timesofindia]

World's Thinnest Solar Cell is just a nanometer thick..!!!

2013-07-16T18:59:00.000+05:30

A team of researchers at MIT has devised a technique to create solar cells that are just two molecules thick. Though the resultant solar cell can offer conversion efficiency of just 1-2 per cent, on placing multiple cells on top of the other, it is possible to increase the overall capacity, as compared to the conventional cells.
The latest trend in solar cell research has been on enhancing the conversion efficiency of solar cells. As a result, most solar cells can now generate 15 -20 per cent of the solar energy they get into electricity and the most efficient modules operate at 30 per cent efficiency level.

Researchers at MIT are now planning to turn their research into a new direction. They are now working on making the solar cells much thinner and use fewer materials. In their research paper titled “Extraordinary Sunlight Absorption and 1 nm-Thick Photovoltaics using Two-Dimensional Monolayer Materials” they have explained how they have developed a technique to create solar cells which are only two molecules thick- the thinnest possible solar cells reported so far.

As explained by Jeffrey Grossman, the Carl Richard Soderberg Associate Professor of Power Engineering at MIT, who authored the research paper along with Marco Bernardi, a postdoc in MIT’s Department of Materials Science, and Maurizia Palummo, a senior researcher visiting MIT from the University of Rome, described that they made use of nanotechnology to put a one-molecule thick layer of grapheme on top of a one-molecule thick layer of molybdenum disulphide to create a solar cell, which is just one nanometre thick.

Alta Devices is also working on developing an ultra-thin solar cell, and while their product also works at 30 per cent efficiency, it is 1,000 times thicker as compared to MIT’s cell. Also, the MIT cell will be cheap to produce as compared to Alta Devices’ which will be expensive as it involves the use of purified silicon.

Apple iPad mini Branching out..???

2013-07-16T18:04:00.004+05:30

A theme has emerged for iPad Mini rumors: multiple models.

One version of the Mini, as prognosticated, is a thinner, lighter, faster version -- sans a Retina display.

NPD DisplaySearch first anticipated this Mini update in June. As did Citi Research. Digitimes chimed in Monday with a similar rumor.

Though a thinner/lighter design is not unexpected, it's still impressive, considering that the Mini is already a mere 0.28-inches (7.2mm) thick and only 308 grams.

DisplaySearch claims it will have the same 1,024x768 display resolution but pack a faster A6 processor, compared with the A5 in the current Mini.

The most anticipated change to the Mini of course would the addition of a Retina display. On Monday, Digitimes echoed prior comments from DisplaySearch and Citi Research, saying that the Retina version may not appear until 2014.

Though that's later than many consumers would like, the supply chain is a fickle beast. It's not completely improbable that we could hear rumors next month of a Mini Retina arriving a bit sooner.
And note that Digitimes spiced up its Mini Retina rumor with the prospect of "an almost bezel-free look."
If true, this would indicate that Apple has big plans for the redesign. Even if it lands at stores a little later than expected, it will likely be worth the wait.

[CNET]

Google Chromebooks could Surge this year..

2013-07-16T17:42:00.000+05:30

Shipments of Chromebooks based on Google's Chrome operating system will surge in the second half of this year, according to an Asia-based report.
Shipments could be "double or even triple" the number in the first half of the year, according to a report Monday in Digitimes that cites unnamed electronics component suppliers.

The report attributes the expected surge partly to "weak demand for Windows 8" and as a way for companies like Asus "to counter Microsoft's dominance."
In addition to Asus, vendors slated to boost the number of Chromebook models include Acer, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, and Lenovo.

Acer will up its shipments by three fold, while Samsung is eying a four fold increase, the report said.
It is estimated that Chromebooks from Google, Acer and Samsung hold between 20 percent and 25 percent of the sub-$300 laptop market in the U.S., according to the report.

Though Chrome OS has been dinged in the past for not being a "full-time OS," Google's "pace of improvement"...is ambitious," said CNET reviews.

Price alone makes Chromebooks attractive. Samsungs $249 Chromebook has been a consistent bestseller on Amazon. As has Acer's $220 Chromebook.

Windows 8 laptops typically start at around $599. Overall, deliveries of Windows laptops have been falling on a quarterly basis, according to IDC and Gartner.

[CNET]

Can you Beat this painting ROBO..???

2013-07-16T16:24:00.003+05:30

Scientists have developed a new artist robot that can choose from five brushes and 24 colours to create a vibrant piece of art and can even decide where to add the next stroke.

The robot cleans the brushes itself and takes pictures of the canvas so that it can access the areas that need more paint.

Developed by a team at the University of Konstanz in Germany, e-David uses software to decide where to add the next brush stroke.

After each brush stroke, e-David takes a picture, and its software calculates such moves as where the image needs to be lightened or darkened, website 'Phys.org' reported.

Researchers said their project objective is to build a robot that can paint, pure and simple. By paint, they do not mean adding a fresh coat to a kitchen ceiling but delivering art.

The robot is not "person-able," more like the metallic skeleton of a mythical and very studious canine. Researchers used an industry robot normally used to weld car bodies, and enhanced it with sensors, camera, control computer, and art supplies.

The name David was chosen because it stands for what the researchers tried to accomplish: Drawing Apparatus for Vivid Image Display.

The computer program provides drawing commands that are executed by the machine. This can be considered as a step above humans painting-by-numbers: Just as one observes sidewalk artists repeatedly tweaking their lines and dabs and brush strokes as they fill an empty canvas, the robot does something similar, researchers said.

The device takes a picture of what it wants to copy. The robot watches itself paint and decides where to add the next stroke, constantly tweaking its moves based on what it's seeing through a camera pointed at its canvas.

[timesofindia]

This Linux-Pen won't let you make errors..!!!

2013-07-16T15:48:00.000+05:30

Lernstift

German inventors have developed a new pen that gently vibrates every time it senses a spelling mistake or sloppy handwriting.

Lernstift is a regular pen with real ink but inside it, is a special motion sensor and a small battery-powered Linux computer with a WiFi chip.

These parts allow the pen to recognize specific movements, letter shapes and know a wide assortment of words. If it senses bad letter formation or messy handwriting, it will vibrate, 'ABC News' reported.

Users can choose between two functions: Calligraphy Mode — pointing out flaws of form and legibility or Orthography Mode — recognizing words and comparing the word to a language database. If the word isn't recognized, the pen will vibrate, according to Daniel Kaesmacher, the 33-year-old co-founder of Lernstift from Munich. The other co-founder, 36-year-old Falk Wolsky had the idea for the pen last year while his 10-year-old son was doing his homework.

"His son had been struggling with his work and staying focused and Falk thought there should be a pen that gives him some sort of signal so he stays focused," Kaesmacher said.

After a year and a half in development, the founders have now brought Lernstift to Kickstarter to begin raising money and gauging interest.

[Timesofindia]

Angry Birds Star Wars II to be launched soon...

2013-07-16T15:34:00.002+05:30

Finnish mobile game maker Rovio has announced a new addition to its Angry Birds franchise. The company announced the new game via a blog post and said that it will hit app stores on September 19. This new game, titled Angry Birds: Star Wars II, is the sixth game to be published under the franchise, which also consists of the spin-off Bad Piggies.

Angry Birds: Star Wars II will introduce a new range of characters, with users being given access to 30 of them in game-play. Gamers who wish to play from the Sith Empire's side will now be able to join the pigs' side in the game. The company said, "We will not comment on rumours or speculation that Jar Jar Binks will be in the game."

Rovio has partnered with toymaker Hasbro to release a line of collectibles called Telepods. The post stated, "Placing these figures (Telepods) onto your phone or tablet camera will scan your character of choice directly into the game, allowing you to select new characters on the fly."

The company will also release new toys, books, apparel at the launch of Angry Birds: Star Wars II on September 19.

[Timesofindia]

World's Strongest Artificially generated Tornado

2013-07-15T18:51:00.000+05:30

Located in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is home to the ‘strongest artificially generated tornado in the world’ according to the Guinness Book of World Records. However the purpose of the 34.4 meter high (112.86 ft) may surprise you. See below to learn why.
The architecture of the Mercedes-Benz Museum (designed by UNStudio) placed particular demands on construction planners, architects and engineers with regard to smoke elimination. The provisions of the approving authority and fire protection regulations require all areas outside the fire level to be smoke-free in the event of smoke emission.

However, due to the open-plan structure of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the various exhibition areas are connected to each other without any fire zones via an interior courtyard and ramps. From the perspective of smoke elimination this presented a challenging task that could not be implemented through conventional fluid mechanics.

It was necessary to take a new approach, and so a globally unique smoke elimination system was developed especially for the Mercedes-Benz Museum. In the event of fire, 144 outlets located along the core walls inject air into the interior courtyard of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. This generates an artificial tornado, and the smoke collected is then discharged into the outside air via a smoke elimination ventilator located in the upper part of the building.

This procedure uses the principle of the tornado force, which has a devastating effect under natural conditions, to create a controlled life-saving form of fluid mechanics that opens up new architectural possibilities.

At once the world’s most cutting-edge museum and a repository of the most deep-rooted traditions, the Mercedes-Benz Museum combines an elegant appearance with a unique structure based on a double helix. All aspects of this architecture are in flow, with no closed rooms or straight walls. Ceilings span 33 metres without any supports whatsoever and each of the 1800 triangular window panes is unique.

There are no right-angles in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. All walls and ceilings, ramps and columns are arched or turn in on themselves, gently flowing into one another. On nine levels and covering a floor space of 16,500 square metres, the museum presents 160 vehicles and over 1,500 exhibits.

[Worldfactually]

Utilite: A Quad-core ARM-based Ubuntu box for just $99..

2013-07-15T18:05:00.000+05:30

Forget your Raspberry Pi and all of those Android dongles: this quad-core, ARM-based box claims to offer up a PC-like experience for just $99.

Cheap ARM boxes are everywhere, but most of them are underpowered Android TV dongles. Introducing Utilite, a very exciting and fully integrated ARM / Ubuntu PC.

Compulab (maker of the MintBox, Fit-PC, and Tegra-based Trim Slice) promises to deliver rich multimedia and PC-like user experience. Utilite will be available next month in single, dual, and quad core versions starting at $99.

Here are few Specs of Utilite:

✓ Freescale i.MX6 single / dual / quad core Cortex-A9 MPCore, up to 1.2GHz
✓ Ubuntu / Android options
✓ Up to 4GB DDR3-1066
✓ mSATA SSD, up to 512GB
✓ Micro-SD SDXC, up to 128GB
✓ Supports OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0, OpenVG 1.1 and OpenCL EP
✓ Supports multi-stream 1080p H.264, VC1, RV10, DivX HW decoding
✓ HDMI 1.4 up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60Hz
✓ DVI-D up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60Hz
✓ Two 1000 BaseT Ethernet
✓ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
✓ Bluetooth 3.0
✓ S/PDIF 5.1 (electrical through 3.5mm jack)
✓ Stereo line-out, Stereo line-in
✓ 4 x USB 2.0
✓ USB OTG (micro-USB connector)
✓ Two RS232 serial ports (ultra mini serial connector)
✓ 5.3″ x 3.9″ x 0.8″ 135mm x 100mm x 21mm
✓ Unregulated 10 to 16 volt input Power
✓ 3W - 8W power consumption (depending on system configuration and load)

Don't Forget to share your opinion in the comment Box Below....:)

Gionee's ELIFE E6 to Hit Indian Market in August

2013-07-15T17:16:00.001+05:30

ELIFE E6

Chinese smartphone maker, Gionee has unveiled its next generation flagship smartphone, the ELIFE E6. Priced at CNY 2,699 (approximately Rs. 26, 000), the phone was announced in Beijing and will be made available in India from August 2013.

Sporting a unibody design, this phablet is also claimed to be the world's first white One Glass Solution (OGS) phone and will be available in two colors — white and black.

Gionee Elife E6's 5.0-inch Full HD Retina display(1080p, 441 PPI) runs on the Android v4.2 Jelly Bean OS and is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, along with a 2 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory. The new smartphone also boasts of a 5 MP front camera and a 13 MP rear camera that records video at 1080p.

Backed up by a a non removable 2020 mAh battery, some of the other features include, DTS 3D stereo surround sound, dual mic noise-cancelling
technology and stereo recording.

ALSO READ: Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41MP camera..

ELIFE E6 full specifications

Display : 5-inch Full HD (1080p, 441 ppi)
Processor : Quad-core 1.5 GHz CPUCortex-A7 Main CPU
Camera : 13.0MP AF (1080p video recording) 5.0MP FHD
Operating System : Amigo ROM Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Internal Storage : 32GB
RAM: : 2GB
Dimensions : 144 x 69 x 7.7mm
Weight : 128 g (With Battery)
Battery : 2020 mAh Li-Ion
Operating frequency: Quad-Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHZ ; WCDMA900/2100MHz
Earphone jack : 3.5 mm
Wifi : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/
Other features : GPS/FM, BlueTooth 4.0/G-sensor

ALSO READ: Blackberry Z10 rollout was a Disaster.!!

ALSO READ: iPhone-5, Galaxy S4 or HTC One..??

[Gizmodo]

A Digital Museum for Outdated Apps

2013-07-15T16:51:00.000+05:30

There's a crew of hero historians out there slurping up the Internet for posterity in case we want to see it later, but what about all the apps? Well now there's a place for them too. Parts of them, at least.

Capptivate.co was put together by Alli Dryer of Bottle Rocket Apps, and serves as the realitely new resting place for apps of old. The site doesn't index full copies of the apps, or provide any of their functionality, but instead it hosts a distinct kind of snapshot: a little five-second video that showcases each's signature look and feel.

Dryer described her little project's genesis this way to Wired UK:
Someone asked me if I was going to add the refresh function from [the old iOS Twitter app] Tweetie, where the bird hatches from the egg, and I didn't have it and I couldn't get it! These things are just going to be gone. ...I'm starting to think of it as a museum that I'm curating, which holds these apps that are going to vanish, and where we can reference them.

Of course there are a ton of challenges. There are some 900,000 in the AppStore alone, for instance and so far Capptivate hasn't ventured beyond archiving the mountain of iOS apps. And that's to say nothing of how fast apps can get updated. But the project is young-only a few months-and ideally Dryer will set up some kind of system for developers to submit their own apps for inclusion.

Yoou might not think much of antiquated app animations, but someday we might have a reason to dig into that history, so it doesn't hurt to keep it around. You can read more about Dryer and her pet project over at Wired UK.