TIPS & TRICKS WITH SMS FUN

Windows 95, 98, XP and Linux hacked to run on Android phones.

2012-02-01T16:28:00.000+05:30

Are one of those guys who wants to fiddle with their phones. Well here is a new thing to try out. Install full Windows 95, 98, XP or full Linux OS on your Android phones.

XDA-Developers forum member mnomaanw shared a way to get Linux--along with various old versions of Windows--to run on Android smartphone. His method will let you run either Linux, Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows XP on the HTC device, allowing for a bygone desktop experience on your smartphone. These are not mobile themes or ARM version of Windows CE made to look like 98 or XP. These are really the full versions of x86 Intel/AMD compatible Windows that you install on your PC.

To install Windows just download the few mentioned APK files. Get an ISO image on your SD card. Install and Run Bochs apk.

Here are the controls :-

It emulate touchpad on touchscreen and left/right mouse buttons on volume
You can also click touch screen to generate mouse left button click.
Back = BackSpace, Menu = Enter, left-upper corner click generates TAB
left-lower corner click popups keyboard

MHL to HDMI is tested and working. And your SD card will work as My Computer.

Most exe files are said to be working fine under this setup. But don't except to play 3D games or even latest version of Office without hangs and crashes.

Be careful while proceeding. The setup is tested on HTC Evo 3D, but others are testing it on tablets like Kindle Fire, Xoom Transformer Prime etc...

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Firefox 10 released with Extended Support Release for Businesses, full screen apps, disappearing forward button, WebGL antialiasing, smoother scrolling and more For Windows, Linux, Mac OSX and Android. End of Windows 2000 and XP RTM announced.

2012-02-01T15:54:00.000+05:30

Following Google Chrome's six week release cycle, Mozilla rolled out the tenth iteration of its popular open source browser Firefox 10 on Tuesday.

Though the software does bring an array of tweaks and enhancements for both users and developers, it's perhaps most notable for the fact that it marks the debut of the business-oriented Extended Support Release (ESR) program Mozilla has been working on with the Enterprise User Working Group it re-established last summer.

As the biggest UI tweaks will arrive in Firefox 12, the majority of changes are under the hood: except that the "forward" button now only appears once you've pressed "back." New API, which lets developers show part of their web page / app in full screen. This can be used for not only video, but games, or even other HTML based apps, such as presentation slides as well.

Anti-aliased WebGL graphics and and the IndexedDB implementation has been updated to match the specification. An "extended support release" that enables enterprise customers to only download security updates.

CSS 3D Transitions are now supported alongside a new CSS inspector for those digging deep into the fabric of the universe internet- a major CSS3 feature that allow — as suggested by the name — 3D transformations of web page elements. This is not WebGL, which is a richer way to allow any kind of 3D content, but a simple way for people to have basic 3D transforms applied to their text.

Java applet and moving bookmarks crashes should be a thing of the past, but it's not all plain sailing: no new release ever is, after all. On the "to be fixed" list includes herky-jerky scrolling in Gmail, Silverlight videos not working in OS X and vertical scrolling is broken on some touch-pads. Let's hope they get the former fixed quickly, our inbox is already overflowing 'round these parts.

Here is a look at the new developer tools available in Firefox 10.

The mobile version of Firefox for Android release still lacks official support for Adobe Flash Player, but makes up for this absence with native support for WebGL anti-aliasing. The new release also sports extremely smooth scrolling, accelerated layers in OpenGL ES and a new <bdi> HTML5 element for bi-directional text isolation.

Of course, many Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich users have already noticed that Google's latest stock browser seems to be doing a pretty good job of satisfying most casual Web browsing scenarios, certainly a major improvement over Android 3.0 Honeycomb's impotent and almost functionally useless stock browser. Nevertheless, Mozilla seems to be doing a very good job of holding its Android browser marketshare on tablets, with 5 to 10 million downloads of Firefox 10.0 since Tuesday morning.

End of Firefox Support for Windows 2000

If you're one of the few Firefox users still on Windows 2000 or still using Windows XP without Service Pack 2 or later, Firefox is going to have to say goodbye. Yesterday, Mozilla's Asa Dotzler announced that Firefox team is moving to a newer version of the Visual Studio toolchain. Once Mozilla moves to Visual Studio 2010, they won't be able to build for Windows 2000, XP RTM or SP1.

Asa added "It's always a difficult decision to leave some users behind. The number of Firefox users on those OS versions -- less than one half of one percent of our Windows Firefox users, and the benefits to our development process and the hundreds of millions of Firefox users on XP SP2 and above, however, compel us to look forward rather than back.

If you are a Windows 2000 user, Firefox 12, released on June 5th, will be the final supported Firefox release. After that, your options are limited. Switching to Opera is probably the best path forward.

If you're a Windows XP user still on RTM or Service Pack 1, I strongly urge you to install the free Windows Service Pack updates."

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Siri alternative Evi available for iOS and Android devices

2012-01-25T21:22:00.000+05:30

Are you waiting to try Siri (Apple's virtual voice based personal assistant), but don't wanna get locked by Apple walled garden or enjoy Android or have an iPhone older then 4S. You can try hacking Siri onto another device, but Apple’s so-called “intelligent personal assistant” is only officially available for iPhone 4S only.

Introducing,a new voice activated personal assistant for smartphones that may give Apple's "Siri" a run for its money.

So, if you’re looking for a straightforward, legal way to enjoy Siri-like functionality on Android hardware — or any Apple gear other than the fanciest of iPhones — you’ll have to enlist a Siri copycat app. The latest of the bunch, released Monday, is called Evi. According to the developer’s description, “Evi understands what you want to know and gives back exactly what you’re after.”

Right now, She may not be Siri, but Evi is a useful AI tool for getting quick information on the go.

“Evi knows about a billion facts and is built to adapt to you and your world. The more questions you ask her, the smarter she becomes,” the True Knowledge website says.

Available for Android as a beta, and for iOS as a final build, Evi seems to lack some of Siri’s natural language capabilities. Evi also lacks direct calendar and e-mail integration, and can’t be used to dictate e-mails, text messages, notes and the like. These are all Siri mainstays. But Evi does deliver smart, concise responses to tough questions, and they’re delivered in-app without redirecting you to a search page, which is often the default response of apps such as Vlingo and Dragon Go!. In fact, anecdotal testing showed that even compared to Siri, Evi is much more likely to provide short, quick answers rather than dumping you off to a web search.

News.com.au put Evi to the test and found the personal assistant needed a lot of time to give answers. When asked what day it was, what the weather is like and who the Prime Minister of Australia was, Evi replied eventually and came up with the answer.

The Evi interface has a stylish (if minimalist) gray and white color scheme. The logo, which sits at the top of the screen, is a fairly adorable cyclops smiley face that occasionally blinks or moves its eye as you perform queries. Interactions occur through speech bubbles. The user interface and experience are largely identical on both the iOS and Android versions.

Here’s how Evi works: You can either type a question — e.g., “What time is it in New York?” — in the search bar at the bottom of the screen, or click the Siri-like microphone icon to verbalize your query. We expect most users will summarily ignore the search bar, and go straight to voice dictation, the main attraction of any Siri-esque virtual assistant. Evi’s speech-to-text abilities were spot-on about 95 percent of the time during testing, suggesting keyed-in queries would rarely be necessary.

Evi is built by True Knowledge, which develops technology that “can represent the world’s knowledge in a form that is clear and accessible to humans, as well as being comprehensible to computers,” according to the company’s marketing brief. The app sources its responses from billions of “facts” — discrete pieces of knowledge that will make sense to a machine. From all these “facts” contained in the True Knowledge database, Evi can infer responses, and provide information from other sources when appropriate.

Like Siri, Evi sources food, business and restaurant information from Yelp, displaying it all in a simple list. You can ask questions like “Where is the nearest place to buy a light bulb?” or “Where’s the best coffee shop in San Francisco?” and receive an appropriate Yelp listing result.

For nerdy questions like “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?” Evi provides the apropos “African or European swallow?” response. Siri offered a bit more snark when I asked her the same question, replying “The last person that asked me that ended up in a crevasse.”

If you ask these two AI services, “What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?” Evi replies with “The answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is 42.” Siri, on the other hand, replies, “That’s easy.. it’s a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general.”

Evi is also adept at performing calculations. Ask, “What is the square root of 56?” and you get a simple “56′s square root is 7.48331477355.” Siri provides a more complete response sourced from Wolfram Alpha, showing you the input, the exact result, the decimal approximation (to 28 decimal places), and other information.

But while Evi may be a lightweight in math, she trumps in Siri in home economics. Ask, “How do I make a pumpkin pie?” and Siri simply sends you to a web search for that query. Evi, on the other hand, provides a list of recipes you can tap on.

If you’re looking for an intelligent way to do voice-powered search, Evi is a great tool. But if you’re hoping for a full, voice-controlled digital assistant that can access information from your calendar and contacts, Evi succumbs to the almighty Siri.

You can get Evi for $1 in the App Store, or the beta version for free in the Android Market. However, you may experience some issues if you’re among the legions of downloaders flocking to get Evi today. True Knowledge CEO William Tunstall-Pedoe said that Evi’s servers have been buckling under the immense attention she’s getting. Evi’s now among the top 10 apps in the U.S. App Store and is the number one Lifestyle app in Apple’s U.K. store.

Tunstall-Pedoe said via e-mail, “The entire team here is busy working to build up the server capacity and the issue will be resolved soon.”

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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin Supports Voice Based Menu Commands in form of HUD

2012-01-25T20:01:00.002+05:30

Mark Shuttleworth founder of Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux reports in his blog that a new Head-Up Display, or HUD computer menu system, will be implemented into the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS release scheduled to go live in April. The new HUD feature will replace current menus in Unity applications, providing a faster way to access menus in applications. Instead of clicking through menus, users simply type the command they require in a search box.

According to Shuttleworth, the new HUD can actually learn the actions a user most often requests and prioritize options for commands based on past use. HUD also covers system functionality, meaning users can play and pause music, or even change their IM status or go offline without having to access Skype directly, as an example.

"It’s a way for you to express your intent and have the application respond appropriately," he writes. "We think of it as 'beyond interface,' it’s the 'intenterface.' This concept of 'intent-driven interface' has been a primary theme of our work in the Unity shell, with dash search as a first class experience pioneered in Unity. Now we are bringing the same vision to the application, in a way which is completely compatible with existing applications and menus."

Shuttleworth indicates that voice input will be added, but not at its full potential when the HUD arrives in April. "The full integration of voice into applications will take some time," he writes. "We can start by mapping voice onto the existing menu structures of your apps. And it will only get better from there."

Given there is a lot of time before the actual release happens in April, there’s still a lot of design and code still to do in regards to getting HUD ready.

Mark added "We’ll make sure it’s easy for developers working in any toolkit to take advantage of this and give their users a better experience". "And we’ll promote the apps which do it best – it makes apps easier to use, it saves time and screen real-estate for users, and it creates a better impression of the free software platform when it’s done well."

Can't wait to try it out, try this out from a PPA or branch the code in Launchpad (you will need these two branches).

Read the full post here.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

SOPA/PIPA acts on postponed, A small victory achieved but war is not over for free Internet

2012-01-21T16:12:00.000+05:30

According the statement released by Lamer Smith about his proposed SOPA bill:-

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy. It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.

“The problem of online piracy is too big to ignore. American intellectual property industries provide 19 million high-paying jobs and account for more than 60 percent of U.S. exports. The theft of America’s intellectual property costs the U.S. economy more than $100 billion annually and results in the loss of thousands of American jobs. Congress cannot stand by and do nothing while American innovators and job creators are under attack.

“The online theft of American intellectual property is no different than the theft of products from a store. It is illegal and the law should be enforced both in the store and online.

“The Committee will continue work with copyright owners, Internet companies, financial institutions to develop proposals that combat online piracy and protect America’s intellectual property. We welcome input from all organizations and individuals who have an honest difference of opinion about how best to address this widespread problem. The Committee remains committed to finding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American intellectual property and innovation.”

The House Judiciary Committee will postpone consideration of the legislation until there is wider agreement on a solution.

The move comes after widespread protest on the Internet on Wednesday by Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, Facebook and others. The showed their displeasure with the bill by going dark. That day, several Congressmen dropped their support for SOPA and its Senate counterpart, PIPA. The latter bill has also been taken off the table for now.

After the announcements of of bill put put on hold Facebook expressed its relief on its Facebook DC page :-

"We are relieved that Congress has recognized the serious damage the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) could cause to the Internet and are pleased that congressional leaders have decided not to move forward on these bills. We want to thank the millions of Facebook users who shared their views with us, with members of Congress, and with their friends and families on this important issue, and who changed the direction of this harmful legislation. We appreciate that lawmakers have listened to our community's concerns, and we stand ready to work with them on solutions to piracy and copyright infringement that will not chill free expression or threaten the economic growth and innovation the Internet provides."

According to Andrew Bridges, a lawyer at Fenwick and West in San Francisco :-

“If this law was enacted years ago, a guy like Justin Beiber would go to a federal prison for five years because he was singing unauthorized versions of Michael Jackson songs posted on websites around the world,”

Salman Khan of Khan's Academy released a video on YouTube channel to explain ill-effects of SOPA/PIPA acts, you can watch the video below for better understanding :-

For now the supporters of free internet can rejoice as the bill is dead — or at the very least buried, but the war is not over as it may well rise again in another form in a year or so.

Finally, one can assume that SOPA and PIPA are dead, but only in the way a zombie is dead.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Play your desktop PC or MAC OSX games and use applications like Microsoft Office on Apple iPad, Android or TV

2012-01-20T17:33:00.000+05:30

OnLive is a cloud gaming platform: in which games are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and delivered via the Internet.

The service is available using the OnLive Game System, PCs running Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Intel-based Macs with OS X 10.5.8 or later, Android devices and iOS devices. Since the games are rendered on OnLive's servers, a low-end computer may be used to play any kind of game as long as it is able to play video. For that reason, the service is being seen as a competitor for the console market. All games on the service are available in 720p format. OnLive recommends an Internet connection of 5 Mbit/s or faster, and a 2 Mbit/s connection meets the minimum system requirements.

In this Consumer Electronics Show, OnLive announced "OnLive Desktop" an iPad application. OnLive Desktop uses virtualization technology to create a remotely hosted Windows 7 desktop.

Firing up OnLive Desktop on the iPad 2 presents a full-screen Windows 7 desktop, with access to Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. These are the full Windows Office apps, running in a virtual Windows 7 environment on the company’s servers. The apps and the Windows 7 environment makes good use of the touch interface on the iPad, including an onscreen keyboard.

What makes this service and iPad app so unique is that it allows you to run Windows and Microsoft Office, even if you don’t own either one. The free service gives you full access to the Office apps, and up to 2 GB of free document storage. Paid service with greater storage capacity is in the works for those who need more space.

Using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint in OnLive Desktop is just like using them in Windows, because that’s what you are doing. The iPad 2 is just the window into the OnLive system.

OnLive Desktop supports Bluetooth keyboards to make typing long documents easier, also the Office UI(Office Ribbon) works flawlessly in touch interface.

Currently OnLive Desktop officially supports Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Aside from Office, OnLive gives access to Windows Media Player for streaming video and supprot for Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7.

Apple Inc. is worth more than whole Greece

2012-01-20T17:05:00.000+05:30

Accrding to CNN, Apple's value on the stock market briefly rose to $400 billion on Thursday, a record high for what was already the world's most valuable technology company.

The company's market cap slipped below the $400 billion mark by midday as Apple's stock fell back from the all-time high of $431.37 it set earlier in the morning. Shares ended the day slightly down, leaving Apple with a $398 billion market value.

Still, that puts Apple in some pretty exclusive territory. Only Exxon Mobil has a higher valuation, at about $420 billion. PetroChina is Apple's closest competitor, at $270 billion, and Microsoft follows at $235 billion.

Apple's market cap is higher than the gross domestic product of Greece, Austria, Argentina, or South Africa. (For more comparisons, check out this excellent blog: Things Apple is Worth More Than.)

Despite its size, Apple is still one of the fastest growing technology companies. The company will report its finances for the past quarter next week, and analysts expect Apple to announce that its sales grew by 45% compared to last year, according to a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters.

Unsurprisingly, Apple topped CNNMoney's survey of technology analysts about the best tech company to invest in for the future. Choosing Apple for the prestigious spot as one of the Four Horsemen of Tech, respondents noted that Apple is a frontrunner in the smartphone revolution. Its iPad created a new category of mobile computing, and Apple has embraced cloud computing with its high-profile iCloud.

Apple's growth is a stunning achievement for a 35-year old company that had a market cap of just $10 billion a decade ago.

The company's turnaround began with the launch of the iPod, and growth really skyrocketed after the iPhone's release in 2007. Apple is forecast to have sold a record 30 million iPhones last quarter, following the launch of the iPhone 4S in October.

Apple on Thursday announced three new initiatives to reinvent the textbook, including the ability to create and publish searchable, updatable and interactive e-textbooks for the iPad. The company also released a publishing tool for secondary school curriculums and instituted a $15 price cap for e-textbooks on the iBookstore.

Megaupload site shut down on piracy allegations

2012-01-20T15:30:00.000+05:30

A serious blow to free internet landed when on Thursday The Department of Justice announced that it has conducted a major action against seven individuals and two companies behind the popular file-sharing website megaupload.com, a popular file-sharing site widely used for free downloads of movies and television shows.

After receiving indictments from a grand jury in Virginia for racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and other charges on Jan. 5, federal authorities on Thursday arrested four people and executed more than 20 search warrants in the U.S. and eight foreign countries, seizing 18 domain names and an estimated $50 million in assets, including servers run in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The indictments, which do not include Swizz Beats, seemed to trigger a series of distributed-denial-of-service attacks, apparently by the hacker group Anonymous, that hobbled several federal and entertainment industry websites.

MegaUpload is a "digital locker" that allows users to store files that can then be streamed or downloaded by others. Its subsidiary site MegaVideo became very popular for the unauthorized downloads of movies and TV shows. Users whose uploaded content proved particularly popular were paid for their participation.

In a joint statement, the Justice Department and FBI called the action "among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States."

Ira Rothken, an attorney for MegaUpload, said in an interview that he only learned of the actions in a press release this morning and had not yet read the entire indictment. "Our initial impression is that the allegations are without merit and MegaUpload is going to vigorously contest them," he said. "We have deep concerns over due process and assets being taken without the opportunity for a hearing."

According to the indictment, the operators of MegaUpload earned more than $175 million in illegal profits and caused an estimated $500 million in harm to copyright holders.

The site is advertised as having more than 50 million daily visitors, according to federal authorities.

Four of MegaUpload's operators have been arrested in New Zealand, while three more remain at large. The seven each face a maximum of 55 years in prison.

Not listed on the indictment is rapper Swizz Beatz -- real name Kasseem Dean -- who, according to a report in the New York Post, is the CEO of MegaUpload. Beatz is married to pop singer Alicia Keys.

Rothken said that Beatz had not been running the site but that recently there had been "a transition period going on."

The case came a day after Internet companies and websites such as Google, WordPress, Mozilla, Wikipedia, Wired, Reddit and as many as 10,000 others websites went black to protested about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).

The news is sure to be welcome in the entertainment industry, whose leaders have faced a recent setback in their push for the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act. The proposed bills, if passed, would make it easier for U.S. courts to go after piracy sites that, unlike MegaUpload, operate entirely overseas.

The Obama administration announced its opposition to the bills in their current forms Saturday.

An hour after the indictment was announced, the Justice Department's website, www.justice.gov, came under cyberattack. Anonymous, the hacktivist computer group, claimed responsibility.

Asked about the claims by Anonymous, a Justice Department spokeswoman said, "The Department of Justice Web server hosting justice.gov is currently experiencing a significant increase in activity, resulting in a degradation in service. The department is working to ensure the website is available while we investigate the origins of this activity, which is being treated as a malicious act until we can fully identify the root cause of the disruption."

The Justice website appeared to be back online this evening, but with limited graphics and pictures.

The FBI's website also appeared briefly to be inaccessible, but later came back online.

The attacks appeared to be distributed-denial-of-service attacks, rather than hacks in which data was compromised or lost. Distributed-denial-of-service attacks flood Internet sites and computer networks with requests for information and commands, making the networks and websites unavailable to computer users.

Members of Anonymous were sending around a link that appeared to help contribute to the attack, with some computer users sending requests to FBI.gov and justice.gov when they clicked the link.

Websites for the Recording Industry Association of America, Universal Music and the Motion Picture Association of America also appeared to be unavailable or under attack.

The federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Virginia against megaupload.com alleged, "In exchange for payment, the Mega Conspiracy provides the fast reproduction and distribution of infringing copies of copyrighted works from its computer servers located around the world. Premium users of the site ... are able to download and upload files with few, if any, limitations."

If convicted they could face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The seven suspects have been charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, conspiring to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.

Barrett Brown a spokesperson for the group Anonymous said in an interview with news outlet RT that it is a terrible case of happenstance that agents went after Megaupload only hours after the thousands of sites protesting in an anti-SOPA blackout went back online. "Web surfers were by-and-far ready to defend an open Internet" the article states, and Brown said that the agents “could not have chosen a worse time to take down Megaupload.”

“Even without SOPA having been passed yet, the federal government always had tremendous power to do some of the things that they want to do. So if this is what can occur without SOPA being passed, imagine what can occur after SOPA is passed,” Brown told RT.

Here’s the full list of seized goods, not counting bank accounts:

2010 Maserati GranCabrio, VIN ZAMKM45B000051328, License Plate No. “M-FB 212” or “DH-GC 470”, registered to FINN BATATO;
2009 Mercedes-Benz E500 Coupe, VIN WDD20737225019582, License Plate No. “FEG690”;
2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM, VIN WDB2093422F165517, License Plate No. “GOOD”;
2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG 5.5L Kompressor, VIN WDB2093422F166073, License Plate No. “EVIL”;
2010 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG L, VIN WDD2211792A324354, License Plate No. “CEO”;
2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drop Head Coupe, VIN SCA2D68096UH07049; License Plate No. “GOD”;
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, VIN WDD2120772A103834, License Plate No. “STONED”;
2010 Mini Cooper S Coupe, VIN WMWZG32000TZ03651, License Plate No. “V”;
2010 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, VIN WDC1641772A608055, License Plate No. “GUILTY”;
2007 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG, VIN WDD2163792A025130, License Plate No. “KIMCOM”;
2009 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, VIN WDC1641772A542449, License Plate No. “MAFIA”;
2010 Toyota Vellfire, VIN 7AT0H65MX11041670, License Plate Nos. “WOW” or “7”;
2011 Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG, VIN WDB4632702X193395, License Plate Nos. “POLICE” or “GDS672”;
2011 Toyota Hilux, VIN MR0FZ29G001599926, License Plate No. “FSN455”;
Harley Davidson Motorcycle, VIN 1HD1HPH3XBC803936, License Plate No. “36YED”;
2010 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, VIN WDD2163742A026653, License Plate No. “HACKER”;
2005 Mercedes-Benz A170, VIN WDD1690322J184595, License Plate No. “FUR252”;
2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500, VIN WDC1641752A026107, License Plate No. DFF816;
Fiberglass sculpture, imported from the United Kingdom with Entry No. 83023712;
1957 Cadillac El Dorado, VIN 5770137596;
2010 Sea-Doo GTX Jet Ski, VIN YDV03103E010;
1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, VIN 59F115669;
Von Dutch Kustom Motor Bike, VIN 1H9S14955BB451257;
2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM, VIN WDB2094421T067269;
2010 Mini Cooper S Coupe, VIN WMWZG32000TZ03648 License Plate No. “T”;
1989 Lamborghini LM002, VIN ZA9LU45AXKLA12158, License Plate No. “FRP358”
2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63, VIN 4JGBB7HB0BA666219;
Samsung 820DXN 82” LCD TV;
Samsung 820DXN 82” LCD TV;
Samsung 820DXN 82” LCD TV;
Devon Works LLC, Tread #1 time piece;
Artwork, In High Spirits, Olaf Mueller photos from The Cat Street Gallery;
Sharp 108” LCD Display TV;
Sharp 108” LCD Display TV;
Sony PMW-F3K Camera S/N 0200231;
Sony PMW-F3K Camera S/N 0200561;
Artwork, Predator Statue;
Artwork, Christian Colin;
Artwork, Anonymous Hooded Sculpture;
2009 Mercedes-Benz ML350 CDI 4MATIC Off-Roader;
Sharp LC-65XS1M 65” LCD TV;
Sharp LC-65XS1M 65” LCD TV;
TVLogic 56” LUM56W TV;
Sixty (60) Dell R710 computer servers.

Breaking News: Windows Phone 7 OS is the most expensive component in your Windows Smartphone

2012-01-19T19:47:00.000+05:30

Any guess, how much it costs a smartphone maker to build a phone, most of you will say CPU, memory, camera or the screen being the most expensive parts. But the correct option is licensing for the operating system. According to IntoMobile reports that ZTE is paying Microsoft about $27 for each Windows Phone it makes.

ZTE’s Tania smartphone will hit markets starting from next month and will be running Windows Phone 7.5 OS. The smartphone features a 4.3 inch screen with the same 800 x 480 pixel resolution that all Windows Phones are required to have, 1 GHz processor from Qualcomm, 5 megapixel camera, no front facing camera, which makes it no special phone except its killer pricing. This phone is currently sold by SFR at 270 euros without ZTE branding. That $27 per device is a lot of money, but it seems that smartphone maker is getting quite a bit for its money too. According to IntoMobile, that $27 licensing fee gets ZTE a list of the exact specs it needs to make a working smartphone running the OS.
The tip on the cost of licensing Windows Phone comes from the ZTE UK Portfolio Manager Santiago Sierra. He said that ZTE pays Microsoft between £15 to £20, with the average amount converted to USD working out to $27.02.

This sounds like a great advantage to Android, but currently Microsoft, Apple are already trying to sue manufacturers or pay them loyalty which equals the licensing costs of WP7.5. Until, Google can come up with a solution to protect manufacturers from paying loyalties to Microsoft and Apple, it will loose one of the biggest advantage of free OS over Windows Phone licensing costs.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak prefers Android over iPhone

2012-01-17T15:54:00.000+05:30

One of the Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak said that he prefers Google Android phones, for certain functions.

He quotes 'My primary phone is the iPhone, I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do.'

His comments, in an interview with the Daily Beast, are in stark contrast to Steve Jobs' take on Android, which according to him is a 'stolen product'.

Android, created by Google, entered the market after Apple but soon gained greater market share. A lot of Apple fans dismiss Android as a ripoff of Apple’s ideas, and a crappy one at that.

Apple has conducted high-profile lawsuits around the world against Android phone manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC to restrict them from selling Android phones.

Although, he is no longer an employee of Apple, Wozniak is often pictured camped out overnight for Apple iPhone launches, and is a very vocal fan of the Apple smartphones, so his comments might come as a surprise to some.

But Wozniak also travelled to Google's Mountain View campus to pick up the company's recent Galaxy Nexus flagship smartphone, and is known for voicing his own opinions rather than toeing Apple's party line.

Although, he wasn’t crazy about the Galaxy Nexus—he likes the Motorola Droid Razr better

He says that while Android is more complicated, it offers more functions, 'If you’re willing to do the work to understand it a little bit, well I hate to say it, but there’s more available in some ways.'

According to him voice commands work better on Android. Android’s built-in navigation system, where the phone acts like a GPS system, is another advantage, he says.

Wozniak says, Apple is up against a stronger competitor, since in his mind Windows was never a very good program, while Android actually is. “There’s not as big a difference between iOS and Android as there was between Mac and Windows,” he says.

The other difference involves applications. It took a long time before applications looked as good on Windows as they did on the Mac. But with Android, that’s not the case. In fact, in some ways Android might have an edge.
Woz says he recently spoke to a developer at Foursquare who said Apple’s bureaucratic approval process slows app developers down, whereas on Android, developers can get programs out faster and work on making tweaks and revisions in less time.

Wozniak was also scathing about Apple's much-hyped Siri voice assistant, complaining that the service was patchy, and that its reliance on an internet connection is irritating.

'With the iPhone 4 I could press a button and call my wife,' he says.

'Now on the 4S I can only do that when Siri can connect over the Internet. But many times it can’t connect. I’ve never had Android come back and say, ‘I can’t connect over the Internet.'

He quotes “I used to ask Siri, ‘What are the five biggest lakes in California?’ and it would come back with the answer. Now it just misses. It gives me real estate listings. I used to ask, ‘What are the prime numbers greater than 87?’ and it would answer. Now instead of getting prime numbers, I get listings for prime rib, or prime real estate,”.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Boycott SOPA: An Android app for everyone to protest against supporters of SOPA

2012-01-13T21:59:00.000+05:30

Armchair activists now have a tool that can transport their SOPA protestations into the real world: Boycott SOPA, an Android app that scans barcodes and tells you if an object’s manufacturer/publisher is a supporter of the much maligned Stop Online Piracy Act.

Boycott SOPA works in exactly the same way like if you scanned a barcode on your Android phone to look up a book or CD on Amazon. First you have to install the ZXing Barcode Scanner app, but then you simply go around pointing your phone’s camera at product barcodes. Boycott SOPA gives you a big red cross if the product is distributed by a SOPA supporter, or a green tick if it’s “clean.” Much to my chagrin, Coca-Cola supports SOPA — but Smirnoff, on the other hand, does not. If you ever needed a sign from Above that you ought to drink more, there it is.

Scanning food isn’t really where Boycott SOPA is at, though: Really, it’s all about scanning books, CDs, movies, and games — products that are protected by massively militant groups like the MPAA, RIAA, and BSA who are spending millions on buying off Representatives to shoehorn SOPA through Congress. If you scan a random selection of media in your DVD rack or bookcase, you’ll be unsurprised to see that almost every object is produced by a company that supports SOPA. It’s worth noting that the app isn’t perfect, though: It relies on a user-curated list of SOPA supporters — a list that isn’t complete nor publicly visible. The app developer claims that the list will be regularly updated.

Technicalities aside, though, the ultimate goal of Boycott SOPA is to change your shopping habits. The idea is that you should scan everything that you buy at the supermarket, and refuse to put any SOPA-backed products into your basket. It’s a very grandiose idea, and in a day and age where shoppers regularly eschew a selection of products on principle (“damn baby-killing multinationals!”), or buy entirely local produce, Boycott SOPA fits right in.

Inadvertently, though, the developers of Boycott SOPA have given us a tantalizing hint of how technology empowers consumers. Imagine for a second if you chopped “SOPA” from the name of the app and simply called it “Boycott.” Imagine if there was an Android app that let you boycott whatever you wanted. If you had a personal beef with Coca-Cola — which has very long tendrils indeed — you could program the app to pick up anything produced by Coca-Cola and its manifold subsidiaries. Likewise, if you want to stick it to publishers or artists that refuse to make their songs available on Spotify, you could tell Boycott to block them.

You could even take it one step further and make Boycott the one-stop-shop for all of your political needs. Imagine if you could scan a cereal box and find out that the company’s CEO likes to hunt rhinos, ride elephants, and eat shark fin soup — at the same time. Imagine if you could scan a video game box and immediately see all of the active legislation, the Representative sponsors and supporters, and how much money they’ve received from industry lobbying. You could even go as far as equipping the app with facial recognition, so that you can point your phone at a Senator’s face on the TV and quickly find out whether what he’s saying actually jibes with his real world behavior and voting record. This isn’t a futuristic concept; we could do this right now with the tech we have. Download it from here.

Dual SIM Android phone launched in India for Rs. 5123

2012-01-05T20:18:00.000+05:30

Spice Mobiles known for its affordable feature rich phones has launched yet another Android smartphone in the market, called Spice Mi-280. Affordably priced at Rs. 5,123. It is a multi-touch dual-SIM phone, offering Android 2.3 Gingerbread to price conscious consumer.

It is the successor to the Spice Mi-270, and offers various benefits compared to its predecessor.

Some of the features are:-

* Dual-SIM functionality (GSM + GSM) dual standby,

* A 2.8-inch capacitive display multi-touch with 240x320 pixels resolution,

* Four touch sensitive buttons,

* A 650MHz processor + 200 MHz GPU,

* 256MB of RAM,

*134MB of built-in storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD.

* 3.2MP rear camera,

* VGA front-facing camera,

* 1000 mAh battery,

* Connectivity options as 3G / Wi-Fi with hotspot functionality / Bluetooth 2.1 and USB.
* Proximity sensor and three-axis gyro sensor.

While, we still haven't got our hands on this device. Its sure looks pretty impressive with its features to price comparison. If you are not in taking high resolution pictures or playing HD movies, playing high end games, this can the phone to look for. It can be a great device to introduce Android OS to mid-budget consumers not willing to pay for high end devices.

To sum it up we can say its a true smart phone for masses.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Safely Root Android phones and remove Bloatware

2012-01-01T21:12:00.000+05:30

When users purchase a new Android mobile, they are greeted by pre-installed applications. And not many of them are of any use to users. This is similar to when users purchase new Windows PC, but one catch is that these pre-installed applications on Windows can be uninstalled by users but pre-installed apps in Android can't be uninstalled by users. Since the users are given a user very low privileges by default. So for users with some little technical knowledge have an option to root your mobile to get Root user privileges and remove unwanted apps.

Mind you root has a little chance of Bricking your phone. by rooting, However rooting software won't unlock your bootloader which means that your warranty remains intact. However we are yet confirmed this.

So Lets start Rooting your Android:-

* Download latest version of SuperOneClick from here or here.

* Download and install Android SDK from here.

* For Android SDK you need to have JDK installed, if not pre-installed on your system go here.

* In your Android Phone go to Setting -> Applications -> Check 'Unknown sources'.

* In your Android Phone go to Settings -> Applications -> Development -> Check 'USB Debugging'

* Now connect your phone in MTP mode to your PC via USB cable.

* Make sure you Unmount your SD card.

* Run Android SDK install SDK tools and Google USB driver.

* Now locate the zip file of SuperOneClick you just downloaded and extract it.

* Right Click on SuperOneClcik.exe from extracted files and select Run As Administrator.

* Click Root button.

* If you get Error like this

Then click Yes

Here click Install driver software anyway.

This should appear finally

* Now, try to reconnect the device and click Root again.

* When you have successfully Rooted your device, Reboot it.

* Now you will find an icon named Superuser which means your phone is rooted successfully.

* To remove programs pre-installed on your phone, you need to download Super Manager free on Android Marketplace.

* After installing it go to Settings -> Location and security settings -> Select device administrators -> And Check 'Super Manager' to make it Admin.

* Open Super Manager and click on its settings icon at top right.

* In Super Manager settings, go to 'ROOT'.

* Then select Enable ROOT function.

* Tou will get a prompt from Superuser app to Allow or Deny Root access to Super Manager click 'Allow'.

(If you disabled USB debugging after rooting your device you will get this prompt from Super Manager to enable it again)

* Now go to APK Manager in Super Manager.

* Now you will see each and every thing installed in your Android device, which can be installed.

Caution:- Be very careful while removing apps from APK Manager, since your are running in Administrator privileges, you may accidentely uninstall some important utility or function. E.g. You might accidentely remove Contacts, Messages, Dialer, Bluetooth apps etc.. Which may not be available to install from Android Marketplace. But you may find them in XDA forums.

To assist you here are few list of apps which can be removed safely for some devices, you if you have a different device you can search Safe to remove apps for your device on Androidcentral or XDA.

Sony Ericsson (Xperia Mini/Mini Pro, Arc S, Play, X10, Neo V, Pro, Ray, Active etc)
LG (Optimus Black, Optimus M, Optimus 2X, MyTouch, Optimus 3D, Nitro HD etc)
Samsung (Galaxy S2, Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab, Captivate, Epic 4G etc)
Motorola (Droid Bionic, Droid 2, Defym Droid Razr, Atrix etc)
HTC (Flyer, Desire, Wildfire, Sensation etc)

Best thing about rooting your device is you can un-root yor device with ease. Just reconnect your device, open SuperOneClick and select Unroot.

If you have accidentely removed an essential app, first try to search for its apk on XDA, if you don't find anything you can ask your friend with same device to upload its apk. The last resort if you are unsucessful in getting apk is to re-install official ROM into your device or if you want you can go for 3rd party ROMs like CyanogenMod or MIUI.

A Happy New Year 2012 to all. God Bless You.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Official HTC Bootloader unlocking tool availiable

2011-12-30T17:01:00.000+05:30

It wasn't long ago that HTC bootloader unlock utility was released, to unlock the company's locked phones. Now, continuing its commitment to mod-lovers and those who appreciate freedom, HTC has announced that its latest lineup of Android phones can now be unlocked in similar way. The company has released an updated bootloader unlock tool that supports all Android devices released after September 2011. This includes handsets as the HTC EVO Design 4G, Rezound, Rhyme and Vivid etc... However, no updated list of supported devices has been released, but they hope to do it soon. Also, as of today HTC has announced on its HTCDev website that all of its Android products released after September 2011 are now unlockable, but not all devices will show up on HTC's unlock list right away, but the company says that its site will be updated to reflect the changes in the coming weeks. As for pre-September products? They that it's still working on it, but didn't provide any details on when new devices will be added.

Quote from HTC "All HTC Android devices launched after September 2011 are unlockable. The website will be updated accordingly to reflect this in the coming weeks. We continue to work on models launched prior to September 2011, please check back often for the status of older devices."

For those who are wondering what the is a bootloader is and why would you want to unlock it?

In brief, with an unlocked bootloader you can easily take the full control of your device, customize it with 3rd party ROMs like Cyanogenmod or MIUI etc... However you do loose your warranty when you unlock it.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Now Legally use Siri on MAC OS X

2011-12-27T19:30:00.001+05:30

No doubt, Apple's Siri is quite a hit among iPhone users, whether for it's general voice assistant capabilities or funny sense of humor, Youtube videos etc... You can not only use it to control your iPhone 4S (or jailbroken iPhone), it can also tell jokes, sing a song, start your car, queue up Plex, play the piano, tell you a story, set the thermostat, answer riddles and some even claiming to control whole room. Currently, Macs are left out of all the voice control fun. Not anymore, Thanks to Air Dictate.

[Screenshots: Air Dictate from the Apple App Store]

Air Dictate from developer Avatron has found a way to use a Siri-enabled iPhone to dictate to Macs on your network using your voice. For now it's limited to text input — there's no voice control of other applications just yet — but considering there's no public API for Siri, this is still impressive. By use of Siri's technology, the app allows you speak into your iPhone, which will recognize your voice and send it to your computer in text form, to any application that uses text input.

After purchasing the app for $1, you need to get Air Dictate Receiver from Avatron's website for your Mac and make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi. Now, you'll be able to get started with Air Dictate. Currently Air Dictate requires at-least Mac OS X 10.6.8 at present and it only supports the iPhone 4S--no jailbroken iPhone is allowed.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Download Siri legally for your iOS 5 devices (iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch, iPad etc...)

2011-12-27T19:04:00.000+05:30

Great! News for older iPhone users trying to get some Siri love on their phones can finally rejoice. Thanks to hackers Grant Paul (aka chpwn), Steve Troughton-Smith and Ryan Petrich. After months of work, they have developed an installer called Spire.

With Spire you can install Siri legally on your iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod Touch, iPad (all iOS 5) devices. The creators claim that their is no copyright infringement issues unlike previous Siri hacks.

To achieve this they are using Proxy servers to connect to Apple's servers. Once installed it will connect to Apple servers to initiate official Siri download of about 100MB.

Although, some limitations still exist for you before you can have Siri up and running on your device. To begin with, Your iDevice must be jailbroken in order to install Spire. Then you need to have some technical knowledge to set up the proxy servers, to identify your device as iPhone 4S.(Check back for official step-by-step configuration of Spire coming soon).
The latest version of Spire can be downloaded from 3rd party appstore Cydia.

The developers claim that whenever iPhone 4S gets jailbroken, their won't be any need of proxy servers. Also they are evaluating an option of using Google Chrome's Speech API to serve the Siri requests, which in my opinion is better option because it will eliminate the need to bypass Apples's Server authentication.

We are still waiting to see how Apple reacts to this News. Whether they will allow it(unlikely) or they somehow manage to identify and block these proxy servers.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Jailbreak and Carrier Unlock iPhone 4S/4/3Gs iOS 5.0.1/5.0 Patch Available Online

2011-12-26T20:33:00.000+05:30

Now your latest iPhone 4 can be carrier unlocked which works now on iOS 4.3.5/5 firmware. With it you are can unlock iPhone 4 (and iPhone 3Gs running 4.3.5/5) and use it on any compatible GSM network.

Head on to www.BestUnlockiPhone.com to unlock you iPhone. Their site states that it will work, not only to unlock the iPhone 4 running the latest iOS version but it will work with any iPhone model and any firmware or baseband version. If you still own the iPhone 2G/3G/3GS then it is probably the best unlock for you.

Remember that unlocking the iPhone can only be performed once you have jailbroken the device. By unlocking your iPhone you unlock your iPhone to thousands of new features that will your make your iPhone experience a more pleasurable experience. Like the ability to install free games, free themes, free wallpapers, use Bluetooth to its full potential (read transfer and receive files) and many many other things that will make your iPhone infinitely better than the locked variant.

iOS 5 саn already bе jailbroken untethered. Bυt іf user upgraded tο iOS 5, thеу wіƖƖ need a further jailbreaking solution. Currently, iOS 5 саn οnƖу bе jailbroken using thе tethered option. Thе untethered solution іѕ nοt unfilled уеt. Sο іf phone owners want tο jailbreak using thе untethered option, thеу wіƖƖ hаνе tο downgrade thе firmware back tο 4.3.3.

Jailbreaking is a safe and reversible process when you use the software provided at www.BestUnlockiPhone.com also once you pay $24.99 you receive lifetime updates for free which means future versions of iPhones can be unlocked without paying a dime. The software allows you to unlock as many iPhones as you want from same software. Their unlocking software works on Macs and Windows.

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Review : BlackBerry Curve 9380

2011-12-24T23:07:00.003+05:30

RIM recently launched a new device named Blackberry Curve 9380. RIM as of lately is trying to break away from the image of a staid, business phone and this device is being marketed as the first consumer oriented , mass market full touch Blackberry device. The 9380 looks almost identical to the 9350 from the back with only difference being the placement of USB port.

The front of the Curve 9380 is dominated by a 3.2 inches (~188 ppi) TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 360x480. The touchscreen is generally bright and responsive. The bottom of the device has four backlit buttons separated by an optical trackpad in the middle. Smooth fingerprint-prone plastic is flanked by high quality matte black plastics on both sides. The camera remains a 5MP unit with LED flash capable of 2592х1944 pixels still resolution and VGA recording. The video quality disappointed us but it might be a limitation with 800Mhz single core processor inside. The left side has a micro USB port and nothing else. Rather stiff camera and volume keys are located on the right side of the device. The top has a 3.5mm jack and screen lock button. It features usual like microSD support upto 32GB, WiFi b/g/n, HSDPA, HSUPA, A-GPS with NFC etc.

On the software side it features updated Blackberry 7 OS which is fully touch optimized. Hardcore QWERTY fan will be disappointed as there is no physical keyboard. The new OS comes with pre-installed social networking apps including Facebook, Twitter and Social Feeds apps. The graphics are now hardware accelerated which Blackberry calls Liquid Graphics, the result is very smooth and fluid animations comparable to iOS and WP7. The 1230mAh (JM-1) can last a day and half on full charge. But some high WiFi, Video, couple of 3G calls will ensure that battery lasts only a single day.
The virtual keyboard is not very accurate like iOS or Android and is error prone. The 5MP camera can take decent shots but the images get blurred on slight movement of hands. We were unable to test the performance of NFC unit of the device.

Final Take

The Curve 9380 almost looks like the smaller sibling of the Torch 9860. While it feels a bit weird to use a Blackberry without a trademark QWERTY keypad, this one does quite well on the touchscreen front. Where it does face a stumbling block is that the OS 7 isn't really optimized for the touchscreen, and the go-between attempt to work well with a QWERTY as well means the UI experience isn't as slick as it could have been. Nevertheless, this is The touchscreen only Blackberry to buy, even more so because it isn't very expensive.
If you aren't a sucker for the BBM service, your options in the market are aplenty both in this price range and lesser. And BlackBerry boys could easily go for this if they do not want to spend the extra bucks on the Torch 9860.

Price:- About $329 (Rs. 20,990 in India)

LAVA Mobiles launched LAVA A16 MTV Phone for Rs. 4000

2011-12-24T22:37:00.000+05:30

Lava Mobile has launched a music phone with MTV India, called the Lava A16 MTV Phone with a unique combination of style and superior value that is specially designed for MTV generation . The device is available on retail shelves right now, priced between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 4,500.

The Lava A16 features a fashionable Diamond cut back cover with soft contours for easy handling, SRS WOW HD audio via its bundled earphones, which also has dedicated audio controls and has a Yamaha PA system for an enhanced loudspeaker experience.

The device has a 2.6-inch IPS gorgeous display, a 3.2MP camera with "LOMO effects", Privacy Protection and Facebook application, and a 900 mAh battery. Also including auto call recording, video player, mobile tracker, live wallpapers, multiple themes, as well as SMS and image locks. The phone is built to withstand impacts of up to 120 kg making it very durable and solid.

List of Android Mobiles Getting Ice Cream Update (Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Asus, HTC, Motorola etc...)

2011-12-14T12:35:00.000+05:30

The next version of Android OS and successor to Honeycomb and Gingerbread has been released by Google. Known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The release ushers in the biggest changes the software has seen since the launch of Froyo in 2010 -- maybe even Eclair back in 2009. Nearly every facet of the OS has been made over, and the very core of the Android user experience has been completely re-imagined.

Like every time Google releases a new version of Android, each and every Android user gets curious will their current handset get the latest and greatest from Android.

Here is a list of all handsets expected to receive Ice Cream Sandwich love:-

Note - This list will be updated as we get new announcements from OEMs.

Archos
The French tablet maker expects to upgrade Archos 80 and 101 G9 tablets to the Android 4.0 operating system in the first ‘trimester’ of 2012.

ASUS

Asus has officially announced updates for following phones:-

Padfone

Transformer Prime

Eee Pad Transformer
Eee Pad Slider

Rumors suggest Prime may get update in January 2012.

AT&T
AT&T's Vivid and Galaxy S II Skyrocket will get Ice Cream Sandwich but no fixed time frame.

Acer
Acer has announced that Acer Iconia Tab A100, A101, A500, A501 will get updated in January 2012.

HTC
HTC has announced that following HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL and HTC Sensation XE, as well as the HTC Rezound, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G and HTC Amaze 4G will gt Ice Cream update in early 2012.
On other side Nexus One won't be getting official update.

Huawei
Huawei has already announced that Huawei Honor will be the first handset after Galaxy Nexus to come with Android 4.0 default.

Lenovo
Lenovo's manager has confirmed that Lenovo Thinkpad will get the update in somewhere first half of 2012.

LG
LG has confirmed that most of its Optimus will get Android 4.0 update Optimus 2X, Optimus Black, Optimus LTE, Optimus 3D. Official dates will be communicated shortly.

Meizu

Meizu's MX and M9 will soon upgraded to 4.0

Motorola

Motorola have announced that they are planning to upgrade as many handsets as possible. Currently Droid RAZR, Motorola XOOM (including Family Edition), Droid Xyboard and Droid Bionic have been confirmed to get updates. But not timeline is specified.

Notion

Notion Ink Adam tablet was supposed to get ICS in November according to their blog post, but thus far no updates have been rolled. But the update might start rolling in early January 2012.

Pantech

Pantech have just announced that they are evaluating their products for ICS update but, thus far have not confirmed any handset.

Samsung

Samsung have officially announced updates for their Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S II LTE handsets, but without any timeline. Google has announced that Nexus S will get ICS update after the release of Galaxy Nexus.

Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson was one of the first to announce that they will update their entire Xperia 2011 range of handsets to ICS which include Xperia Play, Arc, Active, Arc S, Ray, Pro, Neo, Neo V, Mini, Mini Pro. Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman has also been confirmed to get ICS.

It's Italian division has suggested that the update might arrive early in March 2012.

ViewSonic

ViewSonic has been planning to get ICS to ViewPad series of tablets. But have not confirmed anything right now.

Some devices that may not get ICS love (unofficial):-

Acer Liquid E is still running on Froyo so an update to ICS may not be possible.

Dell Streak is another tablet that has been waiting to get an official announcement for Gingerbread update, so ICS is least possible on it.

HTC's Aria, Desire, Eris, G1, Legend, Dream, Magic, MyTouch 3G, MyTouch Slide, Wildfire, Ascend, ChaCha, Hero, are some devices that may not be in line to get ICS.

LG Alley and Apex are some devices nthat still run Froyo, therefore no wonder ICS is definitely not on cards.

Motorola Backflip, Cliq, Charm. Original Droid aka Milestone, Droid X, Defy, Flipside, Flipout, i1, Droid Pro may not get ICS.

Samsung Acclaim, Behold II, Continuum, Galaxy Apollo, Moment, Transform, Sanyo Zio, original Galaxy S, Galaxy Y may not be getting ICS.

Sony Ericson Xperia X10 has been officially discontinued and won't be getting any update in future.

Update
Samsung has recently announced that Galaxy R, Galaxy Note, Tab 10.1, 8.9, 7.7, 7.0 Plus Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Y will be getting ICS starting from January 2012. Also as I predicted before Samsung have officially announced that Galaxy S will not be getting ICS due to the size of ICS and Touchwiz ROM size.

Sony Ericsson has announced ICS rollout will start will in late March or early April and Xperia arc S, the Xperia neo V, and Xperia ray will be the first devices getting Android update followed by rest of the Xperia series in late April or early May 2012.

Dell has rolled Gingerbread update to Streak 5 and has confirmed that it will not be giving ICS update to Streak 7.

While Nexus S has got an official MIUI ROM with ICS update.

Original Motorola Droid aka Milestone owners here is a bad news it was certain that Motorola won't be giving ICS update to such old device now, guys at CyanogenMod announced that they are dropping support for original Droid.

Update (December 28, 2011) Sony quietly confirmed a Ice Cream Sandwich update for its Tablet S and Tablet P devices on its UK site. No Fixed time-frame yet announced.

Update (January 3, 2012) ASUS have announced on their Facebook Page that their Eee Pad Transformer Prime will get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich FOTA(Firmware Over The Air) update starting from January 12, 2012.

CNET reports Samsung Galaxy Ace and Samsung Galaxy Tab will not receive the Ice Cream Sandwich update.

Update (January 16, 2011) ASUS have announced after Transformer Prime gets updated, they will roll out updates for original Transformer TF101. Most likely in February.
While Ice Cream update has been rolled to Nexus S phones.
Motorola also rolled out Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to its Xoom tablets WIFI only versinon

Get our regular updates in Google Currents for Android or iOS platforms click here or scan QR code below.

Unlock or Jailbreak iOS 5 for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

2011-12-12T22:51:00.001+05:30

Untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 is on the way, according to Chronic Dev Team.They have already found several exploits that could possibly be used in a future iOS 5 jailbreak. At the same time, Apple quickly patched these exploits before the public release of the firmware.

One of Apple's weapons in the arsenal against jailbreaking is the log of crash reports, sent automatically from iTunes that serves to identify possible exploits.

Chronic Dev Team is trying to stop Apple from finding out about these potential jailbreak opportunities by circumventing the automatic crash reports from iOS. Now the Chronic Dev Team is hard at work collecting submissions from iPhone users everywhere. As per the report, these will be 10 million in one week to be exact, which will help the team identify possible exploits for a new iOS 5 jailbreak. The Chronic Dev Team recently released an app that collects iOS crash reports in iTunes and sends them to the team’s private servers to help find exploits for the future iOS 5 untethered jailbreak.

Chronic Dev Team told iDownloadblog that 10 million crash reports have already been submitted by users via their computers. In a recent tweet, the Chronic Dev Team announced that 10,071,868 crash reports had been uploaded to the Chronic Dev Team’s servers ever since the tool for collecting the data was released last Sunday

The variety of jailbreak apps available on the Cydia jailbreak app store increases the usability and breadth of functionality of the iPhone, improving the user experience via unique software and system tweaks for ultimate customization.

There’s still no expected time of arrival on an official untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, but this incredible number of submitted crash reports is a testament to how committed the jailbreak community is to making the Chronic Dev Team’s jailbreak a reality.

For more information and updates follow Official Chronic Dev Team on Twitter.

Linux Mint 12 “Lisa” sets to dethrone Ubuntu as top opensource OS

2011-12-01T15:18:00.001+05:30

In past few months, Linux Mint is on a road to surpass Ubuntu as the most popular Linux operating. According to an open source ranking website DistroWatch, Linux Mint has already topped Ubuntu as the top Linux distro. Why, ? The reason is because the Mint is giving users a choice between old and new interfaces. According to Clem(Maintainer of Linux Mint) Mint is one of the last distro to support Gnome 2.32 which has been abandoned by major top distros like Ubuntu, Fedora etc.. The new interfaces on those systems have mostly focused on mobile metaphor instead of the traditional desktop metaphor. The Ubuntu's answer is controversial Unity which has been rejected by most users as is the Gnome Shell which is used by other distros. Linux Mint here took a very unique turn, they have rejected implementing Unity and have focused on Gnome Shell and MATE. The Gnome Shell is modified by Mint developers with MGSE(Mint Gnome Shell Extensions) to make Gnome Shell look and function like a traditional desktop. For those die hard fans of Gone 2.32 they have also integrated MATE which is a fork of Gnome Shell 2.32, it functions and looks similar to Gnome 2.32. However, note that Linux Mint is actually built on Ubuntu, so it has quite a few of Ubuntu’s advantages while doing away with some of its shortcomings, and serving up a plethora of multimedia codecs.

Version 12 of the Mint distro, “Lisa” is now available, escorting in with it a new desktop based on Gnome 3 with some Mint-specific improvements and an open source-friendly search engine called DuckDuckGo which does not collect any personal information while searching, also when you search with DuckDuckGo, Mint gets a commission to make them financially stable. Also, the extras from Ubuntu make Linux Mint 12 take up a bit more space than usual , but you get to use a solid desktop interface that looks familiar and remains functional.

You can download the most recently released version of Linux Mint 12 “Lisa” here from the official Linux Mint Blog here.

Debate: Kindle Fire vs iPad Which one will you choose?

2011-11-29T16:08:00.001+05:30

First of all Kindle Fire exceeded everyone’s expectations. The Fire is a tablet for all; its form factor makes the iPad seem a bit odd in comparison –- and you can even get two Kindle Fires for the price of one iPad.

Also, Amazon Prime customers can watch streaming movies and TV shows for free, the app marketplace isn’t censored the way that Apple’s is, and it’s also terrific for kids.

The Fire is more sturdy and durable than the iPad, it can easily survive being dropped off a table and is scratch resistant.

Contrary, customers will want a Fire in addition to their iPad, but opposite won't be true.

It’s the best bang for bucks. The Fire is a Kindle with benefits. Amazon’s App store is also far more friendly to developers than Apple’s, so the Fire is only going to get more exciting from here on out.

On the other hand The iPad is the current king of the hill over the tablet market for the past two years, despite a steady stream of challengers trying to knock it off its perch. Enter the Amazon Kindle Fire, the first real competitor that is causing anyone at Apple to break a sweat. Amazon is going to sell a lot of Kindle Fire tablets, without a doubt. It won't sell as many as Apple but the Kindle Fire's $200 price tag and solid design will be enough to nab a lot of buyers.

Still, the Kindle Fire is not the tablet for technologists or business professionals. It is the tablet for your grandma, Uncle Ted, or your 12 year old. It's good at two things -- consuming content from Amazon (books, videos, and music) and purchasing products from Amazon. The Kindle Fire does not and will not have the extended ecosystem of the iPad and the Fire's 7-inch screen -- as opposed to the 10-inch iPad -- makes it less of a laptop replacement.

The new Kindle Fire is still the cheapest tablet, but Amazon is not yet ready to give more discounts.
Amazon has unveiled its Black Friday Deals list but it looks like the retail chain isn’t ready to slash the price of the Kindle Fire yet.

According to company’s shopping site, the Kindle Fire is still $199, which is the product’s official price tag. It is worth noting that other Kindle products including the Kindle DX are included in the Black Friday Deals.

Kindle Fire is one of the cheapest Android tablets in the market right now, in fact, the Fire could be the cheapest “high-end” Android tablet just because it includes a dual-core CPU and a robust ecosystem. Apparently, Amazon has tweaked the Google Android operating system to include its own app store and other digital online stores like the MP3 store and the Kindle e-Books store.

Amazon’s tablet strategy is similar to Nook Tablet, Barnes and Noble’s $249 tablet running a custom Android Gingerbread operating system, and dual-core CPU. The new Nook is also not included in Barnes and Noble’s Black Friday sale list.

Meanwhile, Apple is trying its best to stop the new cheap Android tablets with the Black Friday iPad 2 sale. According to the company’s official shopping website, the iPad 2 is now $41 cheaper, and the cheapest model (16GB model) is now $458 only, the 32GB is $548 while the high-end 64GB is priced at $638. The cheapest iPad 2 now is still $259 more expensive than the Kindle Fire.

Apple is trying to attract the customers with the new iOS 5 operating system which supports the new iCloud service, iTunes Match, new gestures for the iPad, deeper Twitter integration, PC free activation so users can activate the iPad without a PC or Mac and the wireless software update which is similar to Android’s.

Are you willing to shell out $458 for an iPad 2? With $458, you can also buy one Kindle Fire and one Nook Tablet with a total bill of $448.

A new Facebook scam threatens to delete user accounts

2011-11-29T15:59:00.001+05:30

After a massive spam attacks hit Facebook, a new phishing scam has reportedly hit the social networking site. Security firm Sophos Naked Security in its blog claims that the Facebook users are receiving phishing mails, threatening to delete users' account unless they submit valid account details within 24 hours. They further add that the phishing messages accuse the users of breaching Facebook's policy guidelines by irking other Facebook users. The messages then seek personal and financial information including credit card numbers from the users of the social networking site.

The phishing e-mails read like this:

“LAST WARNING : Your account is reported to have violated the policies that are considered
annoying or insulting Facebook users. Until we system will disable your account within
24 hours if you do not do the reconfirmation.
Please confirm your account below:
[Link Removed]
Thanks.
The Facebook Team
Copyright facebook © 2011 Inc. All rights reserved.”

The link mentioned in the phishing e-mails further take the victim to a fake Facebook page, where the users are asked to provide their personal information, which includes log-in details, e-mail id, security answer, credit card details etc.

After completing the first form, the users are directed to another fake Facebook form. According to reports, if users fill up this form, their e-mail and Facebook accounts could be hacked.

In case of filling up the second form, the users are taken to the third page, where the scammers seek credit card details, such as username and first digits of the card.

Facebook users are recommended to be strictly wary of such spam/phishing messages and never provide personal or financial details.

Finally Skype comes to iPad and disappears

2011-08-02T13:20:00.000+05:30

Finally, Skype lovers out there Skype iPad app released on Apple’s App Store, available for download now for free. This version of Skype is built specifically for iPad, able to call, video call, on instant message anyone back and forth using Skype’s easy to use interface yet. Skype Credit will work as well, allowing users to call mobile devices as well as landlines for what Skype Software notes are “really low rates.” You can join Skype from your iPad or sign straight into your account, whichever applies to you.

If a user already has a Skype account, their Skype contacts will already be synced when they first sign in on the iPad app. If instead they’ve got a Skype account with no contacts (or if they’ve got any amount of contacts, of course,) they can add new contacts with a few taps of the screen. One touch call, video call, or messaging is set up instantly, and moving through recent calls and instant messages in one’s Skype for iPad history is simple as well. This version of Skype works over Wi-Fi or 3G connections and is able to connect with the following devices: Skype on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, and Skype on TVs. With such a large list we’ve got to also assume that this connection will work to and from Android devices – we’ll get back to you on that one.

Users using Skype for iPad will be able to utilize both their front and back-facing cameras, showing off their face or whatever they’re taking a look at in front of them. Skype for iPad enjoys “near CD quality” (SILK) sound, and instant messages do indeed include emoticons (welcome back to 1996!) Pay features include “Pay As You Go with Skype Credit” and subscription services via monthly payments, the former being great for occasional users, the latter made for heavier talkers.

Apple App Store links: [Skype for iPad] [Skype for iPhone / iPod touch]

What’s required for this version if Skype? You’ll need an iPad, first of all, then you’ll need version 4.0 of iOS or higher. For front and back video chat, you’ll of course need an iPad 2 as the first iPad features no such camera combo – on the other hand, should you download the regular version of Skype for your non-iPad Apple device, you can still receive video should you have no camera- this including the first generation iPad and the iPod touch 3rd Generation. Go get it now!

UPDATE: Skype has pulled the app for now – those lucky enough to have downloaded the app in the short bit it was up should not be surprised if issues arise.

Intel's Sandy Bridge processors have a remote kill switch ???

2010-12-19T16:59:00.001+05:30

Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge processors have a new feature that the chip giant is calling Anti-Theft 3.0. The processor can be disabled even if the computer has no Internet connection or isn't even turned on, over a 3G network. With Intel anti-theft technology built into Sandy Bridge, David Allen, director of distribution sales at Intel North America, told ITBusiness that users have the option to set up their processor so that if their computer is lost or stolen, it can be shut down remotely.

For those who want to protect their computers from thieves, the ability to remotely disable them sounds great. But disabling a CPU might discourage a few thieves but those technically literate criminals might not be bothered. For e.g, Most cyber criminals are after the data not the hardware itself. So if the owner disables the CPU the hard disk will still be usable & no one can stop them from accessing the hard disk from other computer. Plus the question is how will the processor be disabled? If some algorithm is implemented that will prevent it from booting then hackers might still be able to disable the algorithm. Also if the person removes all the power sources from the laptop before the owner can report it then it might be safe. Another question arises is that how will the process be initiated ? Suppose if the method is not full proof then cyber criminals might be able to disable random systems remotely. Suppose a scenario a cyber criminal remotely disables all the servers of a organization without even touching them.

These are some of the worst possible scenarios but the good thing is the new initiative that Intel has started and I can clearly see this feature to be implemented in HDDs of future which according to my opinion is much needed.

The rumors are that Microsoft is implementing a feature similar to Intel in future version of Windows OS. Which will remotely disable Windows to boot if the owner reports it and also disable the access to all the sensitive data of the user.

This clearly points to a more secure digital world in future.

Electrolux Fridge running Linux

2010-11-29T14:35:00.000+05:30

Linux is growing every day. Now you can add one more to the list: Electrolux (Frigidaire) in Brazil has just announced the Infinity i-kitchen, a smart appliance running Linux on an embedded 400MHz Freescale i.MX25 processor. With 128MB RAM and a 480×800 touch panel, the i-kitchenprovides the user with unparalleled control over his refrigerator operations.

In addition to providing basic information such as current time and temperature, several additional apps are built-in: notes, calendar, contacts, photos, tips and recipes. According to the manufacturer:

"Following the bold design found in the Infinity series, this new refrigerator brings high-end technology to your kitchen. It features a high-resolution touch panel with a clean user interface designed with simplicity and intuitiveness in mind. From annotating a phone number to controlling its internal temperature, all the functionalities are just a finger touch away from you"

"The Notes application avoids spreading the famous Post-it notes throughout the refrigerator all the while taking its functionality to a new level, marking messages as unread, reminding you of birthdays and appointments. Through Photos it’s possible to use your refrigerator as a digital photo frame andRecipes brings more than 600 recipes published by a famous Brazilian magazine"

Whats more your i-kitchen can also link to your smartphone and automatically update your shopping list.

I can see in near future: Microsoft will announce the MyFridge.Net or Windows Fridge 7 initiative, Google will introduce the FridgeDroid, and Apple will come out with an iOS-driven iFridge that only stocks Apple approved foods.

Facebook Introduces onetime Temporary Password

2010-10-19T14:51:00.000+05:30

Facebook has introduced two new security features, what it hopes will make users feel more secure: Onetime Passwords, and Remote Logout. As always, through the many iterations of Facebook’s security features and policies, just how secure Facebook is depends a lot on just how secure the user makes it, quite consciously, as is the case here:

Onetime PasswordsIf your mobile is associated with your account, you will be able to request a onetime password from Facebook that’s valid for twenty minutes, meant to be used at unsecure locations.

Facebook says: "Simply text "otp" to 32665 on your mobile phone (U.S. only), and you'll immediately receive a password that can be used only once and expires in 20 minutes. In order to access this feature, you'll need a mobile phone number in your account. We're rolling this out gradually, and it should be available to everyone in the coming weeks."

Remote Logout
As the name says, users will be able to remotely logout of their accounts, in case they logged in at other secure/unsecure locations, and forgot to logout.

Both features require users to make an active effort to secure their accounts. Sophos Labs do point out that Onetime Passwords will still be vulnerable to malware, even if the random short lifespan password wards away from keylogging spyware.

Common sense as always prevails, making the above features redundant unless required in unavoidable circumstances. Sophos’ Graham Cluley warns:

"There's a simple lesson that everyone needs to learn. Never visit websites like Facebook from computers that may not be running adequate anti-virus software or security patches. If you don't trust the PC, don't use it to access Facebook - even if you do have a temporary password," continued Cluley. "Instead, wait until you have access to a trusted PC, rather than risking sharing your personal information with unknown others. There's a real danger that the one-time-password system will be viewed as a green light by Facebook users to access their accounts from unsafe PCs."

The new BSD Licence is written in poetic style

2010-10-06T14:16:00.000+05:30

In an effort to make licence more readable BSD licence is re-written in poetic style.

According to gerv.net

This is an effort to make licence documents more readable and interesting by turning them into verse. (Note that there is no document called the "Poetic Licence"; if I ever do more than one of these, that will be an umbrella term.) The original is OSI-approved, but the verse version certainly is not, and so should not be used for software. To make sure that does not become the case, I retain all copyright rights for now.

Here is the original version of BSD Licence

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
Neither the name of the nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

And here is the poetic version

You may redistribute and use - as source or binary, as you choose, and with some changes or without - this software; let there be no doubt. But you must meet conditions three, if in compliance you wish to be.

The first is obvious, of course - To keep this text within the source. The second is for binaries Place in the docs a copy, please. A moral lesson from this ode - Don't strip the copyright on code.

The third applies when you promote: You must not take, from us who wrote, our names and make it seem as true we like or love your version too. (Unless, of course, you contact us And get our written assensus.)

One final point to be laid out (You must forgive my need to shout): THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THIS WHATEVER THING MAY GO AMISS. EXPRESS, IMPLIED, IT'S ALL THE SAME - RESPONSIBILITY DISCLAIMED.

WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR LOSS NO MATTER HOW INCURRED THE COST THE TYPE OR STYLE OF DAMAGE DONE OR CLEVER LEGAL THEORY SPUN. THIS EVEN STAYS THE CASE IF YOU INFORM US WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO.

When all is told, we sum up thus - Do what you like, just don't sue us.

Copyright (c) 2010, Gervase Markham 
All rights reserved.

This seems a very good approach to make boring Licence a lot more interesting to end users. Hope someone translates the Linux GPL licence too.

Make Windows 7, XP or Vista speak a Personal Welcome message everytime you login

2010-09-24T09:32:00.000+05:30

You can make your PC narrate welcome message each time you logon to Windows. You must be familiar with Windows build-in Text to Speech program (Narrator) which is in comparison with Windows Vista, more powerful and easy to go around with. We will be creating a simple script to use Windows Narrator class to speak the message.

To begin, all you need is to create a VB script file to make use of Windows 7 narrator. First, create a new text file and open it in Notepad. Now insert the following lines of code. In the second line, you can enter any phrase or a sentence that is to be narrated, within the double quotation marks.

Dim speaks, speech
speaks=”Welcome Mr User”
Set speech=CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”)
speech.Speak speaks

Save the changes made and close the file. Now rename the file extension to .VBS.

In the last step, all that is required is to place this newly created script into Windows Startup folder. In Windows 7, you can directly navigate to Startup folder using the following address.

C:\Users\<>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\

Or click All Programs in Startup menu and scroll down to find Startup folder.

If you are a Windows XP user, you will find Startup folder here;

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\

Once you’ve placed the script into Startup folder, disable default Windows logon sound, then reboot your system and listen to the welcome message on Windows logon.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 Beta Review and Download

2010-09-16T16:14:00.001+05:30

Which browser do you use for daily surfing chances are you would say Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera etc… anything but Internet Explorer. However, Microsoft has just unleashed the beta version of IE9, which could make you change your mind about browsers.

The first look I would say, It's very minimalist: the box is both the address bar and the search box. The default is of course Bing, but you can change that. Next to that are tabs; to the far right of the screen are discreet icons for your home page, your favorites (not everyone is going to like that being moved to the other side of the screen) and your tools. And that's it. What you get instead of toolbars, add-ons, buttons and sidebars is just acres of screen real estate. Perhaps a little too much on a wide, high-res screen as many websites are designed as though they're going to fit on a sheet of A4 paper, though generally the sense is of the browser fading into the background and putting the website center stage.

Customization freaks will feel bereft as there's no skinning – instead the back button adopts the underlying style sheet of the website you're visiting, and the bar at the top renders in Aero glass. Oh, and there's the rub: this is only for users of recent Microsoft operating systems: Vista SP2 and Windows 7. No XP, and certainly no other operating systems.

But the point is that it's designed to take advantage of modern hardware. Instead of calling on your CPU for processing, IE9 diverts the grunt work to your graphics processing unit (GPU), which means that graphics can be rich and fast. Do a side by side test with your current choice of browser and IE9 of the FishIE Tank, Pac Man, Mr. Potato etc.. at http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/ and see the difference hardware acceleration.

The whole thing feels fast - the browser is focused on standards and compliance, which makes sites built in HTML5 a pleasure to use. In fact, what this does is in effect turn websites into apps: the IE9-optimized version of Amazon.com, for example, which looks rather like the iPad bookshelf app, means you can pick books off the shelves, flip through them and order them via interactive process.

You can pin websites as apps in your taskbar

And if you drag the favicon from the IE9 box down to your taskbar, you can launch the site direct from that – just like an app, though how much use I'll make of that remains to be seen as those buttons could fill up the taskbar rather quickly. Developers can code the jumplist –the list of options that pops out from a button on the taskbar when you right-click it - making websites feel even more like apps.

Under the hood, Microsoft says it's safer than other browsers. Using the same engine as its Security Essentials antimalware package, the browser checks websites and downloads and warns you if an app you're downloading isn't signed or a site is dodgy.

Privacy is also at the fore in this version of IE. You can block elements of web pages – such as those that gather browsing metrics, though you have to do so on a site-by-site basis. However, you can't use that to block ads, and at present there isn't a dedicated ad-blocking add-on, which might be a dealbreaker for some.

As more websites build content that takes advantage of IE9, the benefits of it will become clearer. For now, this is a good beta: it's stable, clean and fast and integrates well with the operating system. It could mean that downloading a new browser is no longer the first thing you do with a new computer.

Pros: Clean UI; ability to pin websites to the taskbar, safe browsing, standards-focused, HTML 5 support, Peppy Starts in an instant & my favorite GPC acceleration.

Cons: Tabs are still not at the top of the screen like Chrome, does not support XP

Download and try the latest beta from here.

Source:- Guardian

Install Windows 7 or Windows Vista from a USB Drive

2010-09-10T22:03:00.000+05:30

Many people are not aware of this, but it is quite possible to install Windows Vista, or Windows 7 from a flash drive. Even among those who are aware of this face, few like to do it themselves, since the procedure involves some command line voodoo. Many people are afraid that the smallest misstep will render their device useless. Well, gone are the days when such people would need to go to the neighbourhood geek to get their USB devices made bootable and ready to install Windows 7.

Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool is a software focused on doing one thing, and one thing only. It takes a Windows 7 disc image file, and produces a bootable DVD or USB drive for the user. It is true that in DVD burning scenarios, there are plenty of other choice and better competitors, but few are capable of creating a bootable Windows 7 USB with its clean GUI, easy interface and impressive performance. What's more? It's completely free!

Its operation is simple. Select the Windows 7 ISO image file, then choose whether you would have it make a bootable DVD or a thumb drive. Once you make this selection, it's time for selecting the target drive on which the write operation will be performed. The biggest mistake you can make here is to select the wrong drive, since doing that will result in the drive being formatted and written over - and the data you had on it would be gone forever. You can be this cautious, right? Once you have made sure the the target drive is the correct one, it is a good time to give the command to start the creation process. It'll take some time, usually 3-5 minutes; you can get yourself some coffee.

Oh yeah, remember this - you need to have a 'more than 2GB' pen drive, i.e. typically a 4GB one.

You may wonder why it is even important to install Windows from a flash drive. Firstly, installing Windows 7 from a flash drive is much faster than installing it from a DVD drive. Secondly, netbooks and tablets are becoming more popular by the day, and most of these devices lack a an optical drive, making such an alternative a necessity. This tool is just meant to help you out in either of these cases, with an ease. As it takes care of the automation of the process commands, you are saved from mingling with the CLI.

Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool has been opensourced by Microsoft. You can take a look at their project page if you wish to get the code, or plan to extend it. However, if you are satisfied just having the binary executable program, you can get the latest Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool version 1.0.30.0 from here. Windows XP users should take a look at this documentation to make their PC ready before using this tool.

Source:- Thinkdigit

How to design a great looking and stunning Powerpoint Presentation or Keynote

2010-09-07T19:32:00.000+05:30

STEAL THIS PRESENTATION!

Have a look at how to design a stunning slides in your presentation or keynote whether for work, schools, college etc....

Microsoft Windows Phone 7 hands on First Look Review

2010-09-03T22:00:00.000+05:30

Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is launching in few months. So here is the first look preview at the new OS.

Look

The UI on this phone also known as Metro UI, Zune or Xbox Live.

Windows Phone 7 on homepage uses tiles, instead of application icons. This makes it look different from Apple iOS and Google Android.

Tiles offer several advantages. First off, there is a great deal of flexibility about what's on a tile. For example, the address book tile has pictures of your friends on it, not just an icon just like a thumbnail view in Windows.

Also, the tiles can be different sizes, so more important ones are easier to see.

Tiles will be used to give the user some quick status updates. For example, the email tiles shows how many unread messages are waiting. Developers will have a certain amount of control about what appears on the tiles for their apps.

Unlike the Android OS, there are no homescreen widgets, and there is only one home screen, though you can make this as long as you like by adding as many tiles as you want.

You probably won't want to add more than a few, though, as the homescreen is really about giving you quick access to your favorite software, people, and music. A small arrow to one side gives you access to a complete list of the apps installed on the device, so you have easy access to everything.

PERFORMANCE

Windows Phone 7's performance was on par on the prototype device I was using. Everything was lightening fast.

But there's something you need to keep in mind: Windows Phone 7 is not a multitasking operating system. When you switch away from an app, it closes itself. This is probably one of the reasons why the performance is so good, but it's definitely a tradeoff.

A definite drawback is that Microsoft left support Cut & Paste out of this OS.

Software
I tried out the Microsoft Office apps, and was quite pleased. Admittedly, I was just opening the small demo files for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but they opened in a flash.

I also used the web browser, and was equally pleased. I went to the Tips & Ticks with SMS Fun page, and the Windows Phone 7 browser correctly handled the scrolling frame that lists recent news articles.

The address book -- called People -- stores the information you'd expect, plus it ties into Facebook and other social networking services. You can see more than just a single recent FB post from your friend, you can get all the recent ones, and even post replies, raising the question on whether you need a stand-alone app for this service.

One thing you need to get used to with the People app -- as well as the Games, Pictures, Office, and Music+Video ones -- is that what you're seeing is just a portion of a larger screen. For example, the image to the left is showing the People app. If you slide the screen to one side, you'll see a list of the most recent Facebook posts. If you slide it the other, you'll see images of people you've contacted recently.

I didn't get a chance to test out all the bundled software -- there wasn't enough time. But i was pleased with what I saw.

Hardware
Some of you are probably curious about the smartphone I saw running Windows Phone 7. I haven't mentioned it because it's not very interesting: it was the same prototype unit that Microsoft has been demoing this operating system on since this new OS was first unveiled.

Still, Microsoft is being cautious, and I was not allowed to take any pictures.

But we already know quite a bit about what all the devices are going to be like, as Microsoft has set some fairly stringent hardware requirements for its new operating system.

All smartphones running Windows Phone 7 will have to have a WVGA (800 x 480) capacitive touchscreen, Wi-Fi, at least a 5 megapixel camera with flash, a GPS receiver, and 8 GB of storage and 256 MB of RAM or more. The feature list also must include an accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, and an FM radio.

Final Thoughts

Based on my short amount of time testing out Windows Phone 7, I can tell you I like what I see. It's both functional and good looking, and the speed is more than acceptable.

It looks like Microsoft is going to offer a decent platform, but the real question is going to be whether it will get the support from other companies it needs. Even the best mobile operating system is going to bomb without a large collection of third-party developers. This group is going to have to write new applications for the platform, as ones written for Windows Mobile aren't compatible.

Only if the Windows Phone 7 software store is quickly populated with apps then only this OS will become a serious competitor for the Android and iOS.

Microsoft has revealed that Dell, Samsung, HTC, LG and Asus are first manufacturers to launch Windows 7 Phone.

PS:- You can get the Windows Phone 7 look on your Windows PC to get the idea of what is coming by installing:-

Rainmeter

& Omnimo 2 theme for Rainmeter

Apple Introduces iTunes 10 for MAC and Windows

2010-09-02T13:29:00.000+05:30

Apple had their media event today and there were plenty of new launches.

Apple iTunes 10 is now available and it comes loaded with an integrated social networking platform named Ping.

Ping is largely aimed at the audience that is a heavy user of Apple iTunes. It is also aimed at music lovers.

People can sign up, then find friends, acquaintances and public figures to "follow." As with Facebook and Twitter, Ping will deliver a stream of updates, showing friends' iTunes purchases and other information. Ping will also generate a personalized top-10 music chart based on what friends buy or listen to.

Apple says Ping is an optional service; people can choose to keep their music purchases and other iTunes actions private.

Ping doesn't have to rival Facebook or Twitter in popularity to be a success, Forrester analyst James McQuivey said. He said Ping just needs to help Apple sell a few more songs.

The social feature is the first obvious sign that Apple is integrating technology from the music startup Lala.com, which it bought last year.

Lala also gave members a peek at what music friends were playing. And it had developed — but never introduced — an iPhone app that would have allowed users unlimited streaming of songs for 10 cents each.This is pretty huge considering Apple has a ready user base of more than 100 million users who use Apple iTunes actively to manage music on their iPods.

Apple, however, gave no indication Wednesday that it might be working on a Lala-inspired streaming music service, which might let people access their vast iTunes music libraries remotely instead of having to download and store them individually.

Other companies are set to benefit from Ping, including Live Nation Entertainment Inc., which powers the concert listings of the new Ping music discovery tool. CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement he was "thrilled" to take part in the plan, which he said will help sell tickets through LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com.

Apple iTunes incidentally also get a brand new logo. The company said that because CDs have become so irrelevant today, they decided to get rid of the previous logo that featured one.

Apple Introduces iPod Touch 4 (Fourth Generation)

2010-09-02T13:14:00.000+05:30

Apple iPod Touch since 2007 has been the best PMP in the market for music, web or gaming. The only thing really to say about the fourth-generation model is more awesome, yet still not quite a match for the capabilities of the iPhone 4.

The pricing is the same at the high end, with a 32GB model going for $299, and a 64GB version for $399. The 8GB entry model is $229, which is pricier than the $199 8GB version they kept around last year, but has the advantage of sharing all the same specs as other expensive models.

As far as design goes, the fourth-generation model is noticeably lighter and thinner than previous generations but still maintains a sturdy feel with curved, chromed steel backing. The curve is a little less pronounced than the second- and third-generation models, allowing it to lay flat without wobbling, but it still maintains a slimmer taper at the edges than the first-generation version. The volume rocker is now split into two separate buttons, however, the profile of the buttons is the same as before. The screen lock button is still at the top, though located on the right as opposed to the left side.. The black antenna window on the back is gone. Headphone and dock connections are on the bottom where they've always been, only now they're joined by small speaker grille slit on the left side of the dock connection.

The news about the new Touch is the addition of two video cameras--one facing the user and one facing out. The front-facing camera is meant for use with Apple's Facetime video chat app (first unveiled with iPhone 4), as well as any supported third-party apps. With Facetime on the Touch, users can place or receive video calls to both iPhones or other iPod Touch, using an e-mail address, as opposed to a phone number.. The feature can be used with a plug-in headset (not included) or simply with the integrated speaker and microphone. Touch can be owned for as little as $229, & Facetime on the iPod Touch is a unique and noteworthy feature making it value of money.

The rear-facing camera on Touch is capable of capturing still images and video up to 720p. It is not, however, identical to the camera on the iPhone 4. It uses a different sensor and there's no flash. It's also incapable of working with the new HDR camera feature being rolled out for the iPhone. Still, it's a welcome addition and opens the door to many more apps and uses.

Under the hood, you have a ton of features carried over from iPhone 4. The processor is the same A4 chip as the iPhone. There's an integrated gyroscope now for more fine-grain gaming control. The Wi-Fi antenna now supports 802.11n at 2.4GHz. And last, but not least, the LCD is the same 3.5-inch "retina" display used on the iPhone 4, sporting a 960 by 640 resolution.

Also Apple's new 99-cent HD TV rentals, which are compatible with the Touch.

Note:- All the images are from Apple.com.

Apple introduces Next Generation Apple TV

2010-09-02T12:53:00.000+05:30

Apple introduced all new version of Apple TV, which allow the users to stream HD movies (720p) and TV shows that can be purchased from Apple's iTunes snd Netflix. It was an cheaper version, just $99, of Apple's Web-to-TV device.

Apple claims that new Apple TV features a powerful A4 processor, which will help to play everything effortlessly without frozen screens or stutters and video will look crisp and clear. Users can enjoy just like watching a DVD and even fast-forward through opening credits, pause for a popcorn break or replay a hilarious scene until the user memorize every line.

Apple TV will connect effortlessly with any TV through HDMI cable (sold separately) & no installation other installation is required.

The new Apple TV is 80 percent smaller than the previous generation even with a built-in power supply, which makes it perfect for sitting neatly on a widescreen TV stand or squeezing into a crowded media cabinet.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs once referred to Apple TV as a hobby, but made clear that the company is now ready to seriously focus on marrying the Web to TV, a combination that is also in the sights of some of the world's most creative and deep-pocketed companies, including Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

Apple Introduces iPod Nano Multi-touch Square Touchscreen

2010-09-02T12:40:00.000+05:30

Apple has launched the latest version, Apple iPod Nano. The all new iPod Nano has a 1.5-inch color display with 240-by-240 pixel resolution and is 46 percent tinier than the fifth generation Nano. iPod nano has been completely redesigned with Multi-Touch, just like iPhone and iPad.

Apple says that 'touch' is the new fashion. So it removed many buttons on the new iPod Nano. It has volume buttons on the side and a clip on at the rear, which are the only hardware buttons on the device. Apple claims that the Nano can play music continuously for 24 hours till it runs out of gas.

There would be two variants of the Nano in 8 and 16GB capacities both of which would be available in sleek anodized aluminum and seven bright colors. With the built-in 30-pin connector, users can connect it into car stereo system, home theatre and many other products.

The iPod Nano also has FM radio, which will make the users 24 hours engaged. In US 8GB Nano will cost $149 and 16GB version at $179.

PC vs MAC Funny Comparison

2010-08-31T20:40:00.000+05:30

Well I found this article on Yugatech. It has compared Mac with PC in a very humorous way.
By the way Apple Fanboys don't get angry on me as I too like all Apple products but just shared this article to show you the sense of humour of the writers.

Without any further ado here is the picture

How to choose the best Linux for you?

2010-08-28T21:01:00.000+05:30

With all the many reasons to use Linux today--particularly in a business setting--it's often a relatively easy decision to give Windows the boot. What can be more difficult, however, is deciding which of the hundreds of Linux distributions out there is best for you and your business.

Which one is right for you? That depends on several key factors.Judging by popularity statistics, as tracked both by Distrowatch and in a recent study at LinuxTrends, Ubuntu is clearly the most popular distribution, or "distro." There's no denying that Ubuntu has many benefits for business users; at the same time, there are many, many other possibilities, each offering its own twist on Linux.

1. Skills

If you or the other people in your office have never used Linux before, you'll probably want to stick with a distribution that's better suited to beginning users. This is one ofUbuntu's defining characteristics, but Fedora, Linux Mint, and business-friendly openSUSE can be good choices as well. Personally, I'd steer a brand-new user to either Ubuntu or Fedora.

Be sure to avoid alpha, beta and release candidate (RC) versions of the software, since they can sometimes be unstable. If, on the other hand, you consider yourself a power user, the more do-it-yourself distributions include Gentoo, Debian, Arch Linux and Slackware; or, with Linux From Scratch, you can even build your own distribution!

2. Focus

If your business is focused on a particular area of computing, it's worth checking out all the many niche-specific Ubuntu versions, including EduBuntu and UbuntuScience.

3. Support

Each distro has its own online community, which is often the best place to get free yet comprehensive help when issues arise. Before you pick a distro, it can be a good idea to get a feel for the culture of its community by visiting the associated forums; some are innately more helpful than others.

If you're not comfortable with getting support in this way, however, you may want to purchase a commercial Linux version with tech support from a vendor. Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (formerly known as Novell Linux Desktop) are typically among the top choices in the business category of Linux distros.

4. Hardware

One of Linux's many virtues is that it can run beautifully well on older hardware, so--unlike with Windows--it's not necessary to have the latest, cutting-edge machines. For those with very old hardware, Puppy Linux is typically a good choice. For resource-limited desktop systems, XUbuntu and Debian XFCE edition can be particularly useful.

Even with relatively modern machines, peripherals can also make a difference in the choice of a Linux distro. If you need to use a media card reader or a particular printer, for instance, it's probably worth checking ahead of time whether the distros you're considering have worked with it before. Among all the major distros out there, Ubuntu has probablydone the best job with hardware compatibility.

5. Software

Similarly, if there is an application your business just can't do without, you should plan ahead to make sure you won't have to, even for a minute. I'd recommend checking first to see if there's an open source version of the software. If it's proprietary-only, however, you'll again want to check to make sure that others have succeeded in getting it running on the Linux distro you're considering--chances are it will be fine, but it's always better to know ahead of time.

If you're still having trouble deciding on a Linux distro, there are a number of online "tests" to help guide your choice, and it can be worth checking them out. The best ones I've seen are the zegenie Studios Linux Distribution Chooser and polishlinux.org's Distro chooser.

Whichever distro you pick, it's a good idea to try it out first using a Live CD or Live USB--that way, if you decide it's not for you, nothing was ever put on your system. If you do like it, it can be a good idea to start using it in dual-boot fashion, so that Windows is always there if you--or a must-have application--really needs it (though in most cases that won't be necessary). I'd also recommend getting a book for reference; for Ubuntu users, for example, something like The Official Ubuntu Book can be a big help.

Always remember that choice is what Linux is all about. If the first distribution you pick doesn't feel right, there are plenty more out there to try, and most won't cost you a penny. Just try that in the proprietary world!

Source :- PC World

Free Telephone calls from Gmail a new gift from Google

2010-08-28T20:48:00.000+05:30

Not content with dominating search, email, maps and online video, this week Google announced that, for its American customers at least, it will also be attempting to usurp the telephone.

Within days of rolling out the option to call Google contacts’ phones from within its Gmail service, the search giant revealed that more than a million people had already used the service, which it is expecting to be driven in large part by bargain rates for international calls. But for consumers, it’s another step along the road to the idea of one number that can reach you wherever you are, rather than separate ones for mobile, home and work.

The move puts Google in direct competition with Skype, whose forthcoming IPO may now be looking somewhat less attractive, but it also marks a new evolution in the connectivity of services; the web browser, on a phone or a computer, is becoming the window via which consumers can view everyone they know. In due course it’s likely, too, that the idea of dialling a number on a landline phone will be as unusual as actually dialling one on a mobile.

Indeed, with Google’s existing American service, Google Voice, the idea of differentiating between one number for mobile and landline already seems increasingly antiquated. Just as there is one Facebook profile, one main email address, so too the integration of services looks set to mean one phone number will ring through to the most appropriate mobile, desk phone or computer.

Robin Murdoch, consultancy Accenture’s lead on internet, says that Google’s step is “evolutionary rather than revolutionary – what they’ve done is integrated the voice service they’ve already got much more tightly into Gmail. But the trend is what’s more interesting and important: it’s the increasingly unified tools that websites are constructing which offer a range of ways to communicate all in one place.”

That means, according to Murdoch, that the appearance of technological barriers will start to diminish. “Consumers increasingly are going to lose the sense of whether they’re doing something through a web browser or through a dedicated app or programme,” he says. “Where the browser ends and the app begins will become much harder to discern.”

The technology that makes data lines useful for telephone conversations is called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and many large companies already use it because it provides cheaper, cleverer phone networks. At the other end of the scale, individual customers of BT Broadband have long been offered a VoIP service, too.

What few organisations or individuals have achieved, however, is the complete integration of contacts into a single system integrated into several devices. So mobile phones and BlackBerry devices usually have far more information about contacts than landline phones. Google’s move is the beginning of a bid to bring them all together. It’s a logical, obvious ambition to unify communication, in its various modern forms, into a single place.

At the back of all this, Murdoch points out, is Google’s desire to get ever more people using the internet. “Google makes its money through search,” he says. “So the more people are online, the more likely it is they’ll be looking for things, whatever else they’re doing at the same time, and the more likely it is that Google will be able to make money selling advertising.”

It’s this that allows Google and other major web companies such as Facebook to offer previously costly services in their current free products. Google, for instance, is offering free US and Canadian calls “at least until the end of the year”.

Realistically, of course, the day when the landline, mobile and computer are all completely united is some way off. But the integration of systems across multiple devices is likely, with the muscle of corporations such as Google behind it, to offer genuine benefits to consumers – and it presents a major revenue opportunity to the companies themselves
.

Source:- Telegraph.co.uk

Use Two SIM cards in iPhone 4

2010-08-28T20:42:00.001+05:30

According to Gadgetsnreview a dual SIM adapter case for iPhone4 with it allowing users to flip between two SIM cards with the handset. There is also not required to trim the usual SIMs to make them work with the iPhone4 using this dual SIM adapter case of USBfever with latter offering it for $28.99. Apparently, the iPhone works with other GSM networks only if jaibroken using ultrasn0w along with it running over iOS 4.0.0/4.0.1/4.0.2.

Meanwhile, it is important to note that this dual SIM adapter does not allow two SIMs to remail active simulatenously rather lets users to flip them between without going through the hassle of rebooting the device for.

Indian ISPs to start IPv6 from December next year

2010-08-24T11:50:00.000+05:30

The number of internet protocol (IP) addresses globally, about 4.2 billion, are close to their exhaustion date of January 2012. To eradicate this problem, India has directed all internet service providers (ISP) to direct their web traffic via the new protocol (version six) from December next year.

The new method of routing traffic is being adopted to incorporate the growing need of more internet addresses in the world as internet connects to more electronic devices. Called as IPv6, the new protocol will replace the existing internet protocol version 4 (IPv4). World over, all internet traffic is expected to migrate to IPv6 in next 2-3 years.

Devices like mobile phones, cars, tablet PCs, televisions , refrigerators, cameras and other electronic devices are increasingly being connected to the internet, and have to be allotted an address. According to a directive by the ministry of IT & communications, all central and state government ministries will have to start using IPv6 services by March, 2012.

The problem arises because the current version of IP addresses works on 64 bits and can incorporate only 4.2 billion IP addresses. The new protocol IPv6 will work on 128-bit addresses and will be able to incorporate far more addresses.

ISPs say they are ready for the migration, and many have already started purchasing equipment which can work on both protocols. Says Jasjit Sawhney, CMD of Net4 India: “It’s good to put a date for the migration. Trillions of devices will get connected to the internet in future. So exhaustion of IP addresses is bound to happen. But our network is ready for IPv6 already.”

The current notation of IP addresses contains four numbers separated by three dots. The new protocol will have six dots separating the eight numbers which will form part of the 128 bit addressing system.

Replying to a question on IPv6 transition in the Lok Sabha last week, Sachin Pilot, minister of state for communications & IT, also said that a task force has already been set up for IPv6 implementation. The telecom engineering centre (TEC) in the department of telecom is advising organisations that want to shift to IPv6.

There are five global regional internet registrars that allocate IP addresses and domains. All of them feel that the exhaustion will be complete by January 31, 2011. The shortage also results from a fact that millions of addresses are allotted to private networks, which are left unused.

Source:- Indiatimes

Alternative Web Browser Choices for your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

2010-08-17T19:51:00.000+05:30

The built-in Safari web browser of your iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) is pretty nice but it still lacks a few essentials features that are now part of every modern browser.

What’s Missing in Safari Mobile Browser

iPad’s Safari browser doesn’t support tabs so it takes more time to switch between open web pages. There’s no private browsing mode so if there’s anything in your iPad’s web history that you don’t want other family members to see, you’ll have to clear the entire browser history.

You cannot disable images from downloading, a feature that otherwise come very handy when you are on metered Wi-Fi connection where you have to pay per byte. Safari ships pre-configured with Google, Yahoo and Bing but you just can’t add Wikipedia or any of the search engines to that list.

Alternative Web Browsers for your iPad

Opera Mini, which is now among the most popular alternative mobile browser for iPhone and iPod Touch, is not iPad-friendly yet but there are some other good browser apps that not only bring the much needed features to your iPad but they are completely free as well.

Another browser on the iPad is LastPass which offers tabbed browsing just like any other desktop browser. You are also not limited to opening nine tabs at once as in the case of Safari.

With LastPass, you can easily switch the default user-agent of the mobile browser to Firefox, Chrome or IE – this should be useful when you want to see the desktop version of a site on your iPad. The LastPass browser also offers an option to block images which can speed up page loading times when you are on a slow connection.

Next in the list of alternatives is Snowbunny – it’s a no-frills browser with some nice features and one of them is private browsing. When you exit the browser, it will automatically erase all the web pages that you may have visited, the cookies as well as the entire search history.

The address bar in Snowbunny, unlike Safari, is not fixed and it moves off the screen as you scroll down a web page. It’s like a virtual full-screen mode.

Another browser that may be worth adding on to your iPad is TwinWeb – it’s a split browser that lets you view two web pages side by side both in portrait and landscape modes. This should be useful when you are comparing two pages – like search results on Google and Bing or two of your own documents on Google Docs.

Finally, an app that you should definitely have on your iPad is Google Mobile – it has an integrated web browser that lets you search the various Google properties as well as Wikipedia using your own voice. Once the search results load inside the Google Mobile app, you can either open the target pages in the app itself or send them to Safari.

Download New Windows Home Server Beta Preview for Windows 7 SP1 Beta

2010-08-17T16:49:00.000+05:30

Microsoft has made available for download a new development milestone of the next generation of its home server.
Although the latest release of Windows Home Server code name "Vail"marks a new stage in the development process, the Redmond company has steered clear of labeling the Build either a Beta or a Release Candidate (RC).

In all fairness, considering the fact that the first Beta for Windows Home Server code name "Vail" was released earlier this year, the latest Build should be either Beta 2 or RC.
However, Microsoft only noted that “Windows Home Server code name "Vail" Public Preview has been refreshed!”
“Since releasing our first Vail beta we have received lots of great suggestions for "Vail" and quite a few interesting bugs. Thanks to all of you who are beta testing! We love having you part of our extended team and appreciate your help,” revealed Jonas Svensson, Community Program Manager.
“This new build has plenty of enhancements and improvements over the original build and can be downloaded from the downloads section of our connect site.
“You can provide feedback about the new build through our Connect site and even log ideas or feature suggestions for future versions of Windows Home Server,” Svensson added.
There are of course a number of changes in the August 2010 Preview of the new Windows Home Server Vail Preview, including support for the Beta releases of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
“This release supports installation of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Beta,” Microsoft informed.
However, since Windows Home Server codename Vail August 2010 Preview is still pre-release software, there is an issue related to Windows 7 SP1. “Setup fails when starting from a USB hard disk drive or a USB flash drive,” the company explained.
Microsoft also detailed the solution for this problem:

1.Verify that the boot order in the BIOS does not list USB devices first.

2.Press F12 after the BIOS finishes Post to get the boot order menu, and then select the USB device as the boot source.
If the boot menu is not displayed after pressing F12, check the manufacturer’s information to determine which function key to press to display the boot menu.

3.If the computer does not start from the USB device after selecting it from the boot menu, verify that the USB device is not inserted in a lower level USB connector receptacle. Check the manufacturer’s information on the system board to determine which USB connector receptacles are lower-level.

If you do not have information about the system board, move the USB device to another USB connector receptacle, and then restart the computer until the computer starts from the USB device.”

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta are available for download here.

Microsoft Windows 7 Games unveiled Xbox Live integrated to the OS

2010-08-17T15:39:00.000+05:30

The phone will have a dedicated games “hub”, showcasing some of the best new mobile gaming titles available, and will feature free demos and multiplayer gaming, as well as pulling in a user’s console-based Xbox Live profile, complete with avatar and achievements.

Major publishers and developers, including Gameloft, PopCap and Konami, have thrown their weight behind Microsoft’s mobile gaming platform.

Matt Booty, general manager of mobile gaming at Microsoft Game Studio, said the launch of Windows Phone 7 was also the launch of a “major mobile gaming platform” for Microsoft.

“Just like we’ve done with the Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximize the platform,” he said.

Microsoft’s new mobile operating system will be available on a number of handsets later this year, including touch-screen devices from the likes of HTC and LG.

Microsoft has been keen to emphasise the tight integration between the Windows Phone 7 platform and other Microsoft services, such as its Xbox Live gaming portal, and privately believes it could help to wrest the portable gaming initiative from Apple, which has enjoyed huge success with on-the-go gaming on its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

It would also help it to compete directly with the mobile offerings of rivals Sony and Nintendo; Sony’s latest PlayStation Portable has sold solidly, if modestly, while Nintendo’s DS range of hand-held gaming devices have proved enduringly popular.

“We believe that no matter where life takes you, the best in gaming and entertainment should follow,” said Marc Whittten, corporate vice president of Xbox Live, at the Gamescom video games expo in Cologne.

“Windows Phone 7 takes a different approach to hand-held gaming, utilising Xbox Live and leading game publishers and independent developers to create powerful, shared experiences for everyone.”

However, industry experts were sceptical as to whether the tie-up between Xbox Live and Windows Phone 7 really constituted a new era in mobile gaming.

"Most of these titles are also available on the iPhone," said Jonathan Leggett, news editor of mobile phone comparison site Top10.com.

"That means Microsoft's chances of competing with Apple's handset will depend heavily on its ability to port Xbox Live games to the Windows Marketplace, preferably through an Xbox Live app store created specifically for the platform."

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat bringing multi touch to Linux world

2010-08-17T15:33:00.000+05:30

The Ubuntu 10.10 will get multitouch interface abilities, catching the Linux operating system up to Windows and Mac OS X in at least one domain.

"Every single major PC manufacturer has been asking for a touch story on Linux. This has been one of the major missing points for Linux in the PC ecosystem," said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the company called Canonical that develops and supports Ubuntu. But multitouch support will arrive in the next version of Ubuntu, 10.10, aka Maverick Meerkat.

Adding multitouch isn't easy, particularly in the open-source world of Linux where many independent organizations and programmers are involved. Canonical programmers assembled multitouch work from different layers of Linux software, wrote gesture recognition support tools, and added an interface to make it easier for programmers to add multitouch support.

Some applications and actions shouldn't need any changes at all, Shuttleworth said. Those using GNOME's GTK and KDE's Qt interface elements, for example, should automatically benefit from some multitouch gestures, such as scrolling down through a list.

Shuttleworth announced the multitouch move on his blog Monday. Further details are on the Canonical blog and Ubuntu developer mailing list announcement.

With a multitouch interface, a computing device can detect several simultaneous contact points with a trackpad or touch screen. They figure prominently on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac laptops, but the idea is now moving steadily into the mainstream as a way to interact in a more intuitive, physical way with a computer.

But just how intuitive is multitouch? Physical gestures are certainly less arcane than many computing commands--Photoshop's Ctrl-Alt-Shift-S to save a graphic for the Web, say, or Unix's "ls -al" to list all files in a directory--including hidden ones--including file size and other details.

Command-line interfaces are indeed an exercise in memorization. But at least with many apps, an array of menu commands or toolbar icons can let people discover what they might want to do or at least poke around. Multitouch commands, by comparison, can get be arbitrary and, potentially, very complicated.

One issue: there aren't many standards. Pinching to zoom out and spreading fingers to zoom in is pretty common and intuitive, but what should a three-finger swipe down do? On Firefox on Mac OS X, it moves to the bottom of a Web page, but on Safari, it does nothing. Who's to say who's right?

"If every single application picks up on different patterns for the user interface, then users are going to be mystified and not delighted" by multitouch interfaces, Shuttleworth said.

Another issue: what layer of the software stack is listening to what you're doing? Firefox is getting multitouch support, but when should the browser be gathering the multitouch input and delivering it to a Web application, and when should the operating system be gathering the input and taking appropriate actions on its own?

In Ubuntu's case, there will be some standards. One convention to be employed is that people will tell the computer what type of operation they want to perform by starting it with a particular number of finger touches--a number that can be changed mid-gesture as needed.

"If you started with two fingers, we know instantly that's going to the application. If it's initiated with three fingers, we interpret that as window management," Shuttleworth said. "We have a rich vocabulary to position windows, to minimize or maximize them, to place them efficiently, and they all start with a three-finger tap."

After the initial contact, more actions can be taken. "Rather than single, magic gestures, we're making it possible for basic gestures to be chained, or composed, into more sophisticated sentences.' The basic gestures, or primitives, are like individual verbs, and stringing them together allows for richer interactions," Shuttleworth said in his blog post.

Confusion is a problem, but it's better for Linux to be able to participate now in multitouch development rather than after things settle down, Shuttleworth said.

"This is going to be an enormously rich area of research," he said. "I expect in five years' time gestures will be much better thought through and a standard in applications."

Call n Tweet ( Voice Tweet ) for Twitter Available for Tata Indicom Customers

2010-08-17T12:56:00.000+05:30

Kirusa has launched a service called Call-n-Tweet, which let users call and record a voice message which gets published as a Twitter update. Users' Twitter status will be updated with a link to the voice message and all the followers will receive a notification from Twitter indicating that user has posted a voice tweet. This service is now available to Tata Indicom customers in India at the cost of 80 paisa per voice tweet.

In order to avail this service a user needs to login to their Twitter account through Call-n-Tweet website. Then grant access to allow the Call-n-Tweet app to access the Twitter account. Users also need to give their mobile number during registration. Once registration is done users can call up 50007 with the Tata Indicom mobile and start voice tweeting. Interestingly, during registration it does show other telecom operators from India but the service is currently only offered by Tata Indicom.

Using this service user can also share their voice tweets with others. Also, all voice tweets are stored on the Call-n-Tweet site, so users can go and check their old voice tweet anytime.

The Call-n-Tweet service is available in other countries like U.S., Dominic Republic, Bolivia, Haiti along with India. The offer is currently available to subscribers of Tata Teleservices and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra via Tata Indicom and works on any handset. We do hope the service would be soon available with other telecom operators too.

What does iOS update 4.0.2 means for my iPhone

2010-08-16T15:47:00.001+05:30

Apple released another update for the iPod touch, iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 today, patching two security holes in the operating system. iOS 3.2.2 for the iPad has also been released.

The update patches a security vulnerability in Safari, the same hole that hackers used to create the latest jailbreak. The update will patch the vulnerability found in Safari's PDF viewer, allowing for unauthorized code to be run on the device. Interestingly, the update is only available for iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 users, Apple will not patch the vulnerability on 1st generation iPhone devices.

The current jailbreak method, which can be used on any iDevice, uses the Safari browser and a single swipe of your finger to execute the unauthorized code, allowing users to run Cydia, a home-brew App Store developed by Jay Freeman.

Jailbreak users should use caution, as this update will unjailbreak your device.

The update also makes the signal bars display more accurately as apple quotes on official site " The iOS 4.0.2 Software Update includes a new security update and the iOS 4.0.1 improvement to the signal strength formula for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and

iPhone 3G. The real signal strength remains the same, but the bars on iPhone

will indicate it more precisely."

Also some problems like Proximity sensor in iPhone 4 not working have been corrected.

The massive 579MB update is available through iTunes for the iPhone and iPod touch, just connect your device and click update.

Hide or Remove Topmost NavBar (Navigation Bar) from new Blogger

2010-08-16T15:30:00.000+05:30

In every Blogger powered blogs, there is always a top Navigation bar that is mostly useless to most users & blogger alike. It looks something like this

I will show you a way to hide the navigation war through a CSS tweak. It is a very simple trick that will not mess up with your existing layout or custom theme.

Carefully follow the following steps:-

Go to blogger.com
On the Blogger Dashboard, click on the Layout link of the blog that you want to disable its NavBar. You can also click Customize on NavBar while visiting your blog.
Under the Layout tab, click on Edit HTML tab to view the template’s HTML code.
Search for the following line of code:

]]>

Before the line, add in the following line of code:

#navbar { display: none; }

or:

#navbar-iframe { display: none !important; }

Click on SAVE TEMPLATE to make the change effective.

Microsoft might benefit from Oracle vs Google case

2010-08-16T15:15:00.000+05:30

Oracle's filed suit against Google's Android might favor Microsoft. With Google's Android tied up in litigation, and Oracle becoming the latest villain in the open source community, Microsoft has a chance to make inroads in the mobile market and elsewhere.

Oracle is suing Google, claiming that Android infringes on Oracle copyrights and patents that are related to Java. Oracle spokeswoman Karen Tillman said in a statement:

"In developing Android, Google knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property. This lawsuit seeks appropriate remedies for their infringement."

Google begs to differ. Android doesn't use Java in Android, but instead a Java compatible technology called Dalvik. Google claims the Oracle suit is "baseless," and will fight it.

No matter what happens with the suit, though, it hurts Google, and helps Microsoft at a time when Microsoft is particularly vulnerable in mobile. Android use has skyrocketed, jumping to 17.2% market share today compared to 1.8% a year ago. Meanwhile, Windows Mobile has become practically a footnote in mobile, dropping to 5% of the market.

Android's success has been fueled by the large number of phone makers building smartphones based on it. Those phone makers, though, may be scared away by this suit. IDC analyst Al Hilwa told Computerworld:

"This is a typical intellectual property value defense lawsuit, but it can have serious consequences on the Android market and its adoption by OEMs."

Those OEMs could easily turn to Windows Phone 7 when it ships this holiday season, helping Microsoft increase its market share.

Microsoft can also be helped because Oracle will now become public enemy number one in the open source community, rather than Microsoft. As my co-blogger Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols points out, this suit could mean very big trouble for the open source community, because they could be in Oracle's cross-hairs next. And unlike Google, most of the open source community doesn't have deep pockets to pay for lawyers to defend them. He writes:

"If I were Google or any other company that has shipped Java spins-offs, I'd be worried. I have a sinking feeling that patent cases, such as this one, are going to be far more troublesome for Linux and open source than any of the bogus SCO copyright claims were...This does not bode well for free and open-source software."

Via its acquisition of Sun, Oracle owns quite a bit of open source software, including MySQL and OpenOffice.org. Those both compete against Microsoft software. It may be that Oracle's Google suit will chase people away from using the company's open source software, and if so, it could mean an increase in market share for Microsoft.

So Friday 13th didn't turn out to be a good one for Google, but it may well be good luck for Microsoft.