Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Apple iPhone 3GS review
Vodafone's iPhone gets 14 January 2010 UK release date
HTC's new Sense UI to ape iPhone design?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Puzzles : That crooked your mind.
E-Litmus pH Test Exam
Hiring Potential Test (pH Test)
Pitfalls in Evaluations
For a test that has a large enough number of test takers, the marks distribution will be a normal curve as shown below. |
- The methodology used to identify the right candidates is misplaced
A real story: When Sunitha’s parents were visiting her in Bangalore, she wanted a driver who could show them around the ciry. She hired one after asking him these questions: “Do you know the route to MG Road , Lalbagh and Forum?” and “Do you have a valid driver's license?” Both of which criteria, of course, the driver satisfied. The second day on the job, he met with a road accident injuring both parents. A classic example of evaluation gone wrong; it tested the stated objective but was not completely relevant. Most tests created “in-house” are ad-hoc. The creator of the test tries is usually always looking to come up with 'clever' or 'difficult' questions rather than trying to identify the skills that need to be tested by a question.
- 'Unsuitable' and 'Border-line' candidates are able to make it to the 'Right' candidates region
A typical campus written test of 1 hour has 40 multiple-choice questions with a cut-off around 18 marks. Now, consider a candidate who knows the answers to 11 questions and gets another 7 right through sheer guess work. At the interview stage, questions from any given panel tend to repeat across interviews. If this candidate is interviewed towards the end of the line-up, s/he could clear this process because of access to historical information.
- Conventional linear negative marking approach is used
To prevent guess work, typical tests (including CAT) penalise a test taker with negative marks for wrong attempts. Negative marks are awarded for each wrong attempt and are a fraction of the marks awarded for the right answers. This system is inherently flawed. To begin with, no attempt is made to differentiate between a student who actually solves the question and gets a wrong answer and a guess maker. Seconly, the resources (ex:time) used by a test-taker are not taken into consideration. For example, a test-taker who attempts 20 questions and gets 4 wrong and a test-taker who attempts 40 questions to get 4 wrong are penalised equally, whereas the first test taker had the luxury of more time per question compared to the second one. pH Test uses a handicap based negative marking approach to address such issues. Read more about pH test's pioneering methodologies.
- High preparedness of the candidates
Typically, the test format or question types are extremely predictable for a company. A candidate could prepare for such an exam over a long period of time utilizing historic data and clear the evaluation. In an endorsement of the phenomenon, the IITs recently identified prolonged preparation by candidates as a reason for the falling quality of intake.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The iPhone Now Has 100 GB of Storage Space
The new premium service lets everyone store, access and easily share files through any smart phone or browser and gives you 100 GB of storage right in your pocket.
Daniel Arthursson, icloud's Founder and CEO, said, "Having 100 GB directly accessible in your pocket through an iPhone or smartphone will definitely change how we use and interact with data. With the massive storage of the icloudSuper Drive, everything will always be accessible, no need to bring your computer to do a quick PowerPoint
presentation, just present it straight out of the cloud."
Features include:
- Secure cloud storage with backup accessible from any computer, iPhone, Android or Windows Mobile phone
- Free basic version includes 50 applications like Office, Mail, Music, Video, Instant Messaging and Games
- icloud Premium with 100 GB Super Drive now available for $39.99/year
- Community (my.icloud.com) and email @icloud.com
- Zero installation, runs within browsers
- Available worldwide in 26 languages and used in 170 countries
Microsoft Helps Fight the Disease That is Child Porn
The technology, called PhotoDNA, was initially created by Microsoft Research. It was further developed by Hany Farid, a leading digital-imaging expert and professor of computer science at Dartmouth College, to help NCMEC in its efforts to find hidden copies of the worst images of child sexual exploitation known today.
Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC, says child porn is a problem that had all but disappeared in the late 1980s - the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that it was not protected speech, but instead constituted child abuse. Law enforcement had cracked down on its distribution and importation.
“Twenty years ago we thought this problem was virtually gone,” Allen says. “As wonderful and powerful as the Internet is, it has created an opportunity for people to network with others of like interest, and to access content in the privacy of their own homes that would have formerly put them at risk to acquire.”
Today, says Allen, the problem is exploding. Since 2003, NCMEC has reviewed and analyzed almost 30 million images and videos of child pornography. These photos of sexual abuse are seized from pedophiles who both trade in the illegal images and form communities that reinforce their shared interest in children.
Allen says that the NCMEC cyber-tip line has handled 750,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and child pornography from the public and Internet service providers. “We’re currently reviewing 250,000 images every week,” Allen says. “So this is a massive problem.”
NCMEC has worked with law enforcement to identify many of the worst images of child sexual abuse and exploitation. As they are passed from pedophile to pedophile, many of these images surface repeatedly during child pornography investigations. “Our goal is to stop that victimization,” Allen says. “Using PhotoDNA, we will be able to match those images, working with online service providers around the country, so we can stop the redistribution of the photos.”
New Corby, Pop, to Cost Less Than 7K
Google in Talks to Buy Review Site Yelp
In July, Internet portal Yahoo Inc teamed up with AT&T Corp in a partnership that involved the phone company's 5,000 sales people selling Yahoo advertising inventory to local businesses. News of the recent talks between Google and Yelp - backed by Benchmark Capital and other venture capital firms - and the $500 million price tag were first reported by the blog TechCrunch. The source familiar with the situation said talks were currently bogged down by concerns among some Yelp investors that thecompany could be selling itself prematurely, and that it could be worth far more than $500 million if it had a chance to develop its business. The source added that Friday's news stories may have been floated to put pressure on for the deal to be consummated at a price that was too low.
Yelp said in an emailed statement that it is frequently approached to discuss "partnerships, investments and more, and the company does not comment on private discussions that may occur." A Google spokeswoman said the company does not comment on rumors or speculation. Google has had its eye on Yelp for some time. According to one former Google executive, the Internetcompany had had "early discussions" with Yelp about an acquisition several years ago, but ultimately passed on the deal. "Yelp doesn't monetize very well, so it's always a bit hard to justify an acquisition," the person said. Thelocal businesses that Yelp sells online advertising to are more interested in promoting their businesses through coupons than online ads, he added, noting he believed Yelp was still an unprofitable business.
Yelp was founded in 2004 and has received $30 million in funding from Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners. The acquisition talks are the latest in a string of recent deals by Google, including the $750 million acquisition of mobile ad firm AdMob announced in November, that are designed to extend Google's reach into new advertising markets. The world's No. 1 Internet search engine generated roughly $22 billion in revenues last year, but has seen its top line growth slow from the 40 percent-plus clip it was managing as recently as early 2008. Google has stepped up efforts to court local merchants recently, encouraging businesses to register their information on its small-business online directory. But some analysts say Google will have its work cut out trying to sell online ads to local merchants more comfortable with traditional channels like local television, newspapers and the Yellow Pages. Needham's May estimated that Yelp, which had 8.9 million unique visitors to its site in November according to comScore, is generating revenue at an annual rate of $15 million to $20 million. "That's a pretty tough nut to crack," May said about selling online ads to local merchants. "Whether Google can crack the code on it, is still to be seen."
Google to Comply With Swiss Court on Street View
The company is accused of failing to obscure such sensitive images from its photo mapping application sufficiently and setting cameras at a height on filming vehicles that allows them to see over fences, hedges and walls into private property. "Google commits to a final and binding Swiss court decision and to implement it also with regard to images which have already been transmitted outside of Switzerland," Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) Hanspeter Thuer said in a statement on Friday. Street View went live in Switzerland in mid-August, after it had already caused controversy in Britain and raised concerns when vehicles mounted with periscope cameras began shooting images in Germany earlier this year. Google could continue taking photos of roads in Switzerland provided it gave at least a week's notice on where photos would be taken, but would not be allowed to put the images on the Internet until the final court decision, Thuer said. "We are pleased that we have come to this agreement with Mr Thuer, under which we can continue taking photographs for Street View," said Google's Global Privacy Counsel Peter Fleischer. "However, we will not put online any additional images on Street View until the decision of the Federal Administrative Court." A source close to proceedings said a final court decision was unlikely within the next year. Thuer referred the matter to the country's Federal Administrative Court in November, saying Google had failed to comply with most of his recommendations to protect people's privacy. Google said previously it would not lower the height of the cameras on its vehicles in Switzerland.
Google did this in Japan, but only to preserve image quality since the streets are narrower and houses closer together. Loweringthe cameras posed other problems because it brought them closer to people's faces, the company said, adding it continually improved the software it used to pick out and blur faces and licence plates automatically.
JetLite Offers Online Booking Engine, Mulls Over Hotel/Car Rental Facility
Guests can follow a simple booking process and make their selection based on 3 parameters
- Lowest Fare
- Fixed dates
- Flexible dates
In addition to the on-line booking engine, key features like 'Manage my booking' and 'PNR Status' are also added on the website.
The automated CyberSource Risk screening solution along with the 3D secure Payment gateway as per RBI guidelines ensures transactions are secure.
Jetlite.com also offers web check-in facility where in guests can select their preferred seat and print their boarding pass from the comfort of their home or office.
Key features include:
- Easy and flexible search options
- Friendly display of flight details and the "Best Fare of the Day" for easy selection
- Lowest fare display with calendar shopping feature
- JetProtect Travel insurance available during the booking process
- Guests given customized offers and discounts with the 'Promo code' facility
- Booking is in 2 Currencies INR and USD
Belson Coutinho, General Manager, eCommerce and Innovations, Jet Airways said that through their new booking engine, they have the flexibility and control over the portal, to add new products, services and facilities. They want to incorporate hotel and car rental inventory so travelers can book their flight, as well as accommodation on the same platform. They currently offer hotels and chauffeur drive products under the ‘Plan your Travel’ option on the Jet Airways portal.
Currently the airlines accepts only credit and debit cards for online booking but will soon accept cash cards and bookings through direct net banking.
Google Adds 'Landmark' to Google Maps
Users can now navigate around locations using Google Maps on their desktops and mobile phones using landmarks like petrol stations, banks, schools, railway stations, bus stops, local businesses and traffic circles and signals,Google India said in a statement.
India is the first country globally to get this feature on Google Maps, it added.
PC Market Bounces Back, to Grow Through 2013
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A.P Intermediate syllabus too tough for students, Teachers???
23rd November is Holiday? GHMC elections Polls
GHMC elections Polling on 23rd November...
Worse With Age
One of the most important functions we perform is to keep readers up to date about what’s going on in the markets and which products are the current best value-for-money picks. Unlike many other types of products, PC components have very short shelf lives. The pace of this industry results in new generations of major products roughly every year, and new models of individual parts at least three times as often. I’m not saying that all technology products are doomed to becoming useless within a few months of being purchased, but they might not remain the best choices for very long.
Sadly, all products shipped out of a factory are not sold when they’re within their prime, and thousands of four- or five-year-old motherboards, graphics cards and game consoles lie in warehouses and store displays until they’re sold to unwitting customers. I can still see GeForce 6600 and Radeon X1950 cards which should have disappeared half a decade ago being sold on the streets at their original prices despite current models being available cheaper. Online stores have vast collections too, with almost no indication of product age. If you weren’t familiar with Nvidia and ATI’s businesses you might have no way of knowing how many new models have been released since these were good cards to buy. And if you didn’t study their naming and numbering schemes, you might never know whether a GeForce 8800GTX or a GeForce GTX280 is the better buy today. It’s not that they won’t work—you’d still get better graphics than most onboard systems can manage—but you won’t have any idea how much you’ve missed out on. These cards could still be great bargains if they were priced according to their ages, but that is rarely, if ever, the case.
And if old parts aren’t being sold openly, they’re quietly being shoved inside new PCs. Neighborhood assemblers and big brands alike hardly ever specify the chipsets they use. All too often, I see brand new PCs with recent CPUs on ancient motherboards. Again, these feel quite fast to those who are upgrading after years. But in a little while when they want to add a hard drive, they’ll discover they don’t have enough SATA ports. Or they’ll try to play a high-definition movie clip, and discover their onboard graphics are completely unable to handle it.
Apple’s latest iPod nano and touch models are physically identical when seen in their retail packaging, and bear no indication of their generations. The new nano has a video camera, while the new higher-capacity touches have faster CPUs for better gaming. Both devices have twice as much storage space as their predecessors for roughly the same price. Both old and new models are currently in the market. Parents shopping for gifts wouldn’t ordinarily expect there to be any ambiguity to the devices, but they too could wind up with less than what they deserve for their money.
In this day and age, buyers have to be aware of what they’re in the market for. Check model numbers online and search around for news of the companies whose products you’re thinking of buying. A little background checking could save you from being cheated and help get you the best value for your money.
Assistant Editor – Technical
CHIP India
Top 5 Headphones for Gaming
It's gaming, and it needs some heavy pounding for it to sound realistic. Thus we take 5 very popular brands and their products made especially for video game applications. Couple of the brands mentioned here specialize in gaming products itself, while the others have impressed us in a way fit perfect for gaming audio. Not all of them are headsets, some are without mics, as in this review it’s the audible sound quality we are interested in. The prices and features vary, and this is NOT a comparison feature, just options in various budgets. So let’s get to it..
Razer Barracuda HP1
MRP- Rs. 7299
MOP-Rs. 6050
This heavy piece of work from gaming specialists Razer seems quite daunting when on; you don’t want to be on the same map as the bearer. The unit comes with an all black body, with earcups stout and firm having a mildly lustrous finish, made of hardened plastic. The head band is actually a thin 2 pronged structure with an elastic leatherette band attached to it, which looks a little out of place with the solid cans. The cans can rotate around fully, while the left one has an inlet for the included mic.
This unit has eight discrete drivers, out of which 2 are subwoofers, all integrated into the earpieces. The frequency response is 50-20,000Hz, while power is 330mW RMS. It is a 5.1 headphone unit, thus needs to be used with an appropriate soundcard with a digital out to access the full surround sound. It still works normally in stereo, and performance wise it is quite impressive due to its “forward”, in your face sound. This is the opposite of open sounding headphones, also mainly because of the closed back design that acoustically blocks out external noise. In pure stereo, the sound sucks. It’s not for music listening at all. But, when in surround sound mode in a game like COD: Modern Warfare and Crysis, the sound totally hit the spot, with the crunching mid frequencies of gunshots right in your ears. The ambience created by the surround drivers is an honest attempt, and actually quite nice.
Good: Good, tough external design, Surround sound works well
Bad: Frequency response quite uneven, mids are too forward
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Specs
Frequency response: 50-20,000Hz
Impedance: 2.2 KOhm
Total power rating: 330mW RMS
Skullcandy Skullcrusher
MRP/MOP Rs.3469
This piece of gear is not exactly straight up for gaming like the Razer, but we’re sure anyone using these headphones will surely be into gaming, and love it for that. It’s got MAD bass, to put it simply. To elaborate: the headphones come in a variety of color schemes, and these schemes are real intricate paint jobs made up of dazzling meshes, lines, patterns etc. We like the Snoop Dogg version the best. The headband has a foldable joint in the middle, it is used to fold in the two cans together for storage. The earpieces themselves are attached to the band via swivel joints, thus one can turn the earpiece outwards if someone interrupts when your skull is being crushed.
Technically speaking, the model has a built in bass driver that is amplified by an AA battery. This battery is placed in the cyan cased terminal towards the end of the cord, which also houses the amp. Also, a black slider switch and volume knob protrudes out. The knob is only bass volume, and not overall level. This is a small deterrent.
Good: superb aesthetics, Acoustic noise cancellation works a charm, very loud
Bad: Bass can get daunting, needs to be lowered and kept.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Specs
Frequency response: 50-20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 99 dBSPL/1mW
MRP-Rs.2045
MOP-Rs.1450
Logitech has a dedicated gaming repertoire, owing to their enormous PC accessory range of products. The Precision PC gaming headphone, with the extremely creative name, weighs in very light, and fits on behind the neck rather than on the head. The ear pads are large over the ear, or cirumaural ones, with the left ear having an attached mic. The headband is a thick plastic frame, with no adjustment capabilities, but this model seems to be a one size fits all design.
Performance wise the sound is not as loud as others, but the inline volume control is good thing for adjustment. The mic works very well, and is quite conveniently placed. Bass is not strong here, its quite a laid back mild type of response, which might not impress the heavy bassheads. Highs and mids are very clear though, that is one of the positive points of this headset. In game dialogues and background music sounds quite nice and crisp, but more in a laid back manner, and not “in your face” tightness.
Good: lightweight and neat external design, good
Bad: Frequency response quite uneven, mids are too forward
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Specs
Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: -59 dBV/µbar
SteelSeries Siberia Full –Size headphone
MRP-Rs. 5199
MOP-Rs. 4939
This slick looking piece is from SteelSeries, again specialists in gaming gear. Fresh off the boat in India, they recently sent us a product for review, thus we straight up included it in this feature after one listen. The design of this SiberiaHeadphone is an open back, circumaural type, with a very light weight but at the same time, a rigid exoskeleton. The frame of the headband is made of 2 curved prongs, with an elastic band attached that stretches to fit any head size. The finish of the product is really impressive, with clean cut edges for the earcups and its joints. We received an all black model, having a glossy black finish. The cushions around the rims of the cans is not leatherette , but rather upholstered in a soft foam.
Performance wise also we were quite impressed as this model had a very open and really large soundscape, considerably due to its open back design. This is good for those long explorer single player campaigns and RTS marathons. But then sound leaks out, and your neighbor will hear what you do, which actually is not a direct fault. Thefrequency response is theoretically quite balanced, but then bass is not as thumpy as one would want, nonetheless it’s satisfactory. Also, another very good point is the sheer loudness. These sensitive headphones can belt out clean audio at a very healthy volume.
Good: lightweight plus very neat looking, very loud, very open and balanced soundscape
Bad: Bass could be more aggressive and tighter.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Specs
Frequency response: 18 - 28.000 Hz
Impedance: 40 Ohm
Sensitivity: 99 - 104 dBSPL @1kHz, 1V
Sennheiser HD202 headphone
MRP: Rs.1590
MOP:Rs.1350
How can Sennheiser’s name not be there in any list having to do with heapdhones? We personally review a lot of their products as and when they release, and they release stuff regularly. But the HD 202 are not touted by them as gaming, in fact they have a model called “HD 201 G4ME”. I’ve heard those too, and the HD 202 definitely has better bass response, and are better headphones overall.
The closed back, circumaural design is pretty basic but also very neat looking, with huge white fonts for the Sennheiser logo print, on the headband sides. The rest is black matte- very classy. The leatherette is of good quality, and also appears on the underside of the headband as a soft patch. The weight too is quite light, thus comfortable.
Sound quality wise the output, as mentioned, has a very nice bass response, which goes down low and stays audible there. Even though the sensitivity is rated high, it’s not the loudest one in today’s group, but definitely has a sound more like the SteelSeries - its soundscape is quite open and doesn’t bog you down. This combined with the light weight makes for a chilled out listen. The highs are spacey and not jarring or edgy.
Good: Very open and quite balanced soundscape, reasonable price.
Bad: Could use a bit of thump in the lows.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Frequency response: 18 – 18,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 115 dBSPL @1kHz, 1V
Home » Reviews » Consumer Cameras and Accessories » Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1
Amazing low light performance Strong macro results The touchscreen is responsive | It tends to saturate colors Manual ISO selection only up to ISO 800 |
The TX1 could easily be one of the smallest and the slimmest consumer camera in the market today. The device is smaller than most of the multimedia and business phones out there.
The ultra compact TX1 weighs 119g (without battery) and with dimensions 94 x 58 x 17. The hard plastic body feels good and the brush metal finish on the slide shutter gives the camera a great look. And don’t let the small size fool you; the TX1 is fully loaded with features.
The TX1 offers 4x optical zoom with a 10.2 megapixel image resolution. But unlike its brother, the WX1, TX1 features a Carl Zeiss –Vario Tessar lens. At the top, the power and shutter button are placed alongside the zoom lever. The camera functions on a touchscreen 3-inch LCD screen with a pixel count of 230,000 dots.
Just to give some information on the Exmor R sensor — Its main feature is to produce clear images under low light. The high speed sensor, clicks 6 separate images in less than a second and combines them into a single shot. The processor which does this function is the Bionz processor.On the camera, this technology is put to use on the Hand-held Twilight mode, Anti Motion Blur mode and the Panoramic mode.
Test results of this new feature by Sony were very good. Though it may take time to process the image, the quality of the pictures in Hand-held Twilight and Anti Motion blur mode is absolutely amazing. Now we did find the stitching visible in some images, but it’s nothing to complain about.
Controversial Games in Recent Times
Mad World
In Mad World you’re a contestant taking part in an extremely violent reality show where your aim is to finish off your opponents in highly gruesome ways. Had the game released on the Xbox360 or the PS3, it wouldn’t have been an issue but the controversy arose from the fact that it was being released on Nintendo’s family friendly console, the Wii. Being hailed as the “Most Violent Wii Game ever”, Britain’s local newspaper the Daily Mail claimed Mad World’s concept had “horrified” parents who associated Nintendo’s console with Wii sports, Wii fit and other such mellow stuff. At the end of the day the game released in all its violent glory but didn’t end up selling too well.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Ok where do I begin? For starters the game irked the PC community no end when Activision announced axing of Dedicated Servers and then people across all platforms got irritated by its high pricing. But I think the final (and the more mainstream blow) came when people realized that within the game lay a mission that allowed you to play as a terrorist in an airport. The net imploded in an outcry but that didn’t really make any difference to Activision’s life who’ve made enough money to buy out certain countries.
Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2’s controversy stemmed from the fact that the game was basically announced barely a year after the original leaving PC gamers wondering if Valve would even support the first game. Seeing the awesome treatment Valve was dishing out for Team Fortress 2, L4D owners expected a similar treatment for their beloved game, mainly because the campaign itself was painfully short. This lead to the creation of a 'BoycottLeft 4 Dead 2 group' on Steam that now sits at around 35,000 members. This movement did work in their favor at the end of the day with Valve releasing a bunch of free, stand-alone maps for L4D.
Mac Warranties Void For Smokers
The Consumerist points out that Applecare warranties do not appear to mention that cigarette smoke will void Mac warranties.
Both consumers appealed up to the office of Steve Jobs and both lost.
Windows Live Messenger Now on Nokia Messaging
This first installment of Windows Live Messenger for Nokia Messaging includes tabbed chat windows, the ability to call directly from the buddy list, and notifications of new messages that pop up while the application is in the background making multitasking even easier. 'Invisible' login is also an option, which means you can sign in toWindows Live Messenger but still appear offline to your friends – making it easy to choose who you want to talk to. Familiar desktop features such as grouped contacts, emoticons and sounds are also available.
The Nokia E72 is the first device that comes with Chat and support for Windows Live Messenger, while the Nokia E63, Nokia E71 and Nokia E75 require a download of 'Nokia Messaging for IM' from Ovi Store.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Home » News » PC Accessories PCs & Laptops » Aten launches its first figital KVM Extender. Aten launches its first figital KVM Extender
ATEN International has introduced its first Digital KVM Extender. The CE790 is an IP-based KVM Extender with automatic cable detection (Auto-MDIX) and RS-232 serial functionality that allows access to a computer system from a remote USB console (USB keyboard, monitor, and USB mouse) anywhere on the intranet.
The CE790 system consists of a transmitter (CE790T) that connects to the computer system and a receiver (CE790R) that is located on a user’s desk. It can be configured with multiple number of receivers, providing access and control of various computing resources from any number of remote consoles via a standard TCP/IP network. The CE790 system can be installed in point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, multipoint-to-point, and multipoint-to-multipoint configurations.
Both the transmitter and receiver units are assigned a unique IP address and connect via a single Cat 5e cable.
It supports high resolution video up to 1920x1080 and all widescreen formats. The CE790 also provides an OSD on both the transmitter and receiver units. The RS-232 serial ports allow users to connect to a serial terminal for configuration, or serial devices such as touchscreens and barcode scanners.
LAVA Mobiles Launch KKT-24 Dual SIM Handset
Lava has launched its new phone KKT-24. The KTT-24 is another Dual SIM handset to hit the Indian market and the trend seems to be going exponentially with a variety of new companies getting on the band wagon.
The KKT-24 features -
- 2 inch screen
- Dual stereo speaker
- Digital camera
- FM radio with recording facility.
- Video Player
- One touch music player.
- Conversation recording facility.
- Led Torch.
- MicroSD card support up to 8GB
The company also claims that the handset is capable of offering users up to 10 hours of talk time and up to 30 days of stand-by.
The KKT-24 is available in red and black color options and priced at Rs. 3,750.
Google Debuts Experimental Image Serach Feature
Try out Google Image Swirl here.
RIM Security Chief Sees Smartphone Attacks on Horizon
Scott Totzke, RIM's vice-president of BlackBerry security, said hackers could use smartphones to target wireless carriers using a technique similar to one used in assaults that slowed Internet traffic in the United States and South Korea in July. In what's known as a distributed denial of service, or a DDOS attack, criminals use phone signals to order tens of thousands computers to contact a targeted site repeatedly, slowing it or eventually crashing it. "I think that's an area of concern," Totzke said in an interview this week at the company's headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario. Totzke said a technique involving data packets might be used to bring down a wireless network, though hackers might accomplish that using a relatively small number of smartphones. Malicious software that could launch such attacks would likely come from applications that smartphone users install on their devices, said Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer at Flexilis, a mobile security software maker.
Flexilis researchers have already identified virus-tainted versions of popular smartphone applications such as Google Inc's Google Maps software and computer games. "These are not telephones anymore. These are computers. So people are going to have all the problems on their phones that they have on their computers," Mahaffey said. The best way to protect against such an attack is through regularly applying security patches, which smartphone makers such as RIM release as they identify potential security flaws in their devices, Totzke said.
GSMA Asia Mobile Awards 2009 - The Winners are...
The Asia Mobile Awards were created by the GSMA as a platform to showcase leadership and diversity for mobile content, products and services across Asia. Judged by a panel of independent analysts, journalists and industry experts, this year’s Awards attracted more than 100 entries from operators, vendors and the broad value chain from across the mobile industry that provideproducts and services that are commercially available in at least one Asian market. For the first time, this year’s winners will also be shortlisted for the Global Mobile Awards, which take place next year at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
“We are delighted with the number of high quality entries we received for this year's Asian Mobile Awards and Mobile Innovation Grand Prix – Asia Tournament,” said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board for the GSMA. “These awards reflect the strong growth of mobile communications in Asia - in the last year alone mobile connections in the region have risen by 370 million, and this growth is driven by innovative new services, applications and ever richer mobile content. These awards recognise the leaders, pioneers and innovators that are making this happen. Our congratulations tothe winners, and our thanks to all those who participated.”
The winners of the Asia Mobile Awards 2009 are:
Best Mobile Game
Gameloft for ‘Hero of Sparta’
Best Mobile Music Service
Singapore Telecom Mobile for ‘SingTel AMPed’
Best Mobile TV or Video Service
Telegent Systems for ‘Telegent Free-to-Air Mobile TV – TLG1120 Mobile TV Receiver’
Best Mobile Advertising or Marketing
Smart Communications and Unilever - AXE for ‘AXE on Phone’
Best Mobile Enterprise Application Product or Service
Orascom Telecom Bangladesh for ‘Banglalink Jigyasha’
Best Mobile Internet Service
Geodesic for ‘Mundu IM’
Best Mobile Money Service
Smart Communications for ‘Smart Money’s expanded mobile-based security feature for online purchases’
Mobile Money for the Unbanked Award
Smart Communications for ‘Smart Islands Activation Program (IAP)’
The Green Mobile Award
Grameenphone and Huawei for ‘Building a Greener Mobile Network’
Best Mobile Broadband Handset/Device
Nokia for N97 Mini
Samsung Spica to Come With DNSe2.0 and DivX
It will also feature Samsung’s DNSe 2.0 sound engine to enhance the Android’s already pretty good audio player’s capabilities. Here’s a quick look at the other features the handset will be equipped with -
- a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution
- 3G with HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB
- GPS with A-GPS support, Geotagging
- 3 megapixel camera
- microSD card support (up to 32GB)
- 3.5mm earphone socket
- 800MHz CPU
LG Launches GD900 Crystal
LG has launched the LG-GD900 Crystal, with a transparent, smart keypad. The LG-GD900 Crystal’s slide-down Crystal Touchpad first appears to just be an alphanumeric keypad, also it doubles as a touchpad for controlling the phone. It can be used like the trackpad on a laptop computer but also recognizes handwriting, responds to multi-touch commands and enables a new way of navigation called Gesture Command.
The Crystal Touchpad is completely transparent and illuminated with a soft glow. This scratch resistant design is made from tempered glass and reinforced by a band of liquid metal ensuring extended use. To launch a feature on the LG-GD900Crystal , one has to press the phone’s multitasking button and draw one of the 12 symbols on the keypad. Users can assign these symbols to any of the phone’s nine multitasking-enabled features.
“We wanted to give our consumers a super luxury experience and therefore, developed a handset that touts a gorgeous sliding keypad - the LG GD900 Crystal. The phone’s transparent touchpad feature adds to the personality of our consumers and gives gizmo geeks a wonderful reason to possess it. Not only this, we have made a creative use of hardware through Gesture Command that provides control via simple, on-screen finger movements. We are positive that our new handset will become a winning model of the year,” says Anil Arora, Business Group Marketing Head, Mobile Communications, LGEIL.
Priced at Rs. 26,000, the phone is available in Chrome and Titan color choices at all retail outlets across the country.
Sky Gazers Can Expect Celestial Fireworks Tonight
The Leonid showers, known for their outbursts over the period 1998-2002, are the most famous meteors observable during the year. Amateur astronomers in the capital can see about 100 to 300 shooting stars every hour for the next couple of days.
"People can watch out for the meteor showers during the early hours Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be fireballs in the sky," said N. Rathnashree, director of the Nehru Planetarium here.
Explaining the method to observe the meteorite, Rathnashree said, "Look up at the morning sky between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and you could see beautiful fireworksin the sky as new moon is providing ideally-dark viewing conditions.
"You need a simple telescope to watch the meteor showers. People in the capital should move to the outskirts to have a clear look as morning skies these days are covered with fog," she said.
A meteor is commonly called a shooting star. These shooting stars can be seen on any night, but when the number of meteors is large, it is called a meteor shower.
Meteor showers occur when the earth crosses the cometary orbit. As comets move about their orbits they leave a stream of debris because dust and rocky material is liberated from its head as the ice vaporises.
"The meteor showers last for just a fraction of a few seconds before they are gone. Better keep a close look at the sky for the beautiful show," Rathnashree said.
The Leonids originate from a comet named Tempel-Tuttle, which makes a visit to the sun every 33 years. They get their name from the location of their radiant (the apparent point of their origin) in the constellation.
Beta Versions of Adobe AIR 2, Flash Player 10.1 Now Available
The Flash Player 10.1 leverages hardware decoding of H.264 video on Windows PCs, netbooks and mobile devices where available, to conserve battery life and deliver an 'exceptional' video playback experience.
The Beta versions of Adobe Air 2 and Adobe Flash player 10.1 can be downloaded for free from Adobe Labs.
Home » News » Internet Internet & Software » Online Gangs Cashing in on Swine Flu Online Gangs Cashing in on Swine Flu
Sophos, a British security software firm said it had intercepted hundreds of millions of fake pharmaceutical spam adverts and websites this year, many of them trying to sell counterfeit antiviral drugs like Tamiflu to worried customers. Tamiflu, an antiviral marketed by Switzerland's Roche Holding and known generically as oseltamivir, is the frontline drug recommended by the World Health Organisation to treat and slow the progression of flu symptoms. GlaxoSmithKline makes another antiviral for flu, known as Relenza. Sophos said many of the gangs behind the sites were based in Russia and the top five countries buying fake Tamiflu and other medicines on the internet were the United States, Germany, Britain, Canada and France. Sophos spokesman Graham Cluley said a "worrying trend" towards stockpiling Tamiflu had already been seen in Britain - Europe's worst-hit country in the H1N1 pandemic so far. "As more and more cases of swine flu....come to light, it is essential that we all resist the panic-induced temptation to purchase Tamiflu online," he said. "The criminal gangs working behind the scenes at fake internet pharmacies are putting their customers' health, personal information and credit card details at risk."
The Geneva-based WHO, which declared H1N1 swine flu a pandemic in June, updated its guidance to doctors last week to say that antiviral drugs should be given even before tests conclude that an at-risk patient has the pandemic virus. Sophos said criminal gangs were operating medicines websites branded as the "Canadian Pharmacy" to try to appear genuine. It said its research showed that on one network operated out of Russia, called Glavmed, it was possible to earn an average of $16,000 a day promoting pharmaceutical websites. "But the criminals can be members of more than one affiliate network, and some have boasted of earning more than $100,000 per day," it said in a statement. The pandemic H1N1 flu virus has now spread to 206 countries since it was first discovered in March. There have been more than 6,250 deaths to date, mostly in the Americas region, according to the latest WHO toll.
Bowers & Wilkins Launches MM-1 PC Speakers
Loudspeaker company Bowers & Wilkins has announced its latest set of computer speakers, the MM-1, that consists of one 3-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter, and a dedicated 18Watts amplifier. The tweeters feature B&W's Nautilus tube-loaded design claimed to dampen resonance and improve high-frequency sounds.
The speakers also integrate Digital Signal Processing (DSP) components to automatically adjust sound balance depending on the signal. Plus, the speakers can handle the DAC themselves when attached via USB. The MM-1 also integrates a specially designed headphone amp for headphone connections, plus there is an aux-in jack. The company lists a frequency response of -6dB at 57Hz and 22kHz. The MM-1 is geared for near-field listening from just a few feet away.
The MM-1 is expected to ship in February, no word on pricing yet.
Punjabi GPS system to boost farming in Indi
Agriculture in Punjab will get a major boost with a Canadian company introducing its GPS guidance system in the Punjabi language. The system will offer guidance in farming applications, including spraying, spreading, broad-acre tillage and seeding methods, the Calgary-based Hemisphere GPS company said Monday.
"The Punjabi Outback S-Lite recognises the Gurmukhi script (in which Punjabi is written) and is targeted at the Punjab state in the northernagriculture region, which is known for its larger farms compared to the rest of India," the Canadian company said.
Punjab has 46 million acres in cultivated land and India's largest farming tractor population. The state, which ushered the Green Revolution in India, produces about one percent of the world's rice and two percent of the world's wheat and cotton. It also has the highest per hectare fertilizer consumption in India, accounting for more than nine percent of the total fertilizer consumption in the country.
"The Outback S-Lite (in Punjabi) has both the features and the price point to compete in India's growing marketplace," said Mohamed Abousalem, vice president for marketing, Hemisphere GPS. "We acknowledge the tremendous opportunity that exists in India with the largest arable land after the US. We will continue to adapt our products to meet the needs of this and other growing markets," he said.
Apart from the Punjabi language, the Outback S-Lite guidance system also supports 20 other international languages.
Nvidia Takes 3D Vision Technology to Notebooks
“We are extremely excited about bringing the first Nvidia 3D Vision notebook to market,” said PC Wang, Corporate Vice President & General Manager, Notebook Business Unit, System Business Group at ASUS. “Nvidia and ASUS have a passion for gaming and cutting-edge technology, and this is another example of how great companies working together can deliver awesome new platforms to our combined customers.”
Nvidia 3D Vision technology is a combination of high-tech wireless glasses, a wide-range IR emitter and software that can transforms most PC games into full stereoscopic 3D experiences. More than 400 PC games work out of the box with Nvidia 3D Vision, and recent games such as Resident Evil 5, Borderlands, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Star Trek D-A-C are providing gamers with truly immersive gaming experiences, complete with additional 3D cut scenes and out-of-screen visual effects.
“Nvidia 3D Vision is by far the most immersive, highest quality, full-resolution stereoscopic 3D technology available today." said Ryan Chung, Chief Director of Notebook Business Unit of CPT. “This is an exciting time for users, who will finally be able to see their games, movies and pictures with true 3D depth.”
LG and Samsung have also expressed their support of this technology and are designing the appropriate devices to support it. With notebook displays available, PC manufacturers are eager to bring 3D Vision notebooks to market. Notebooks will include the 120Hz 3D Vision-capable panel and bundle 3D Vision active-shutter glasses. ASUS is readying the first everNvidia 3D Vision notebook—the ASUS G51J 3D—for worldwide release in early December, followed by other OEMs in 2010, including Clevo and others.
ome » News » Games Gaming » COD: Modern Warfare 2 sells $550 mil in 5 days COD: Modern Warfare 2 sells $550 mil in 5 days
Activision Blizzard Inc announced that their game — "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" scored record sales of $550 million in its first five days, but the company is still concerned about weak consumer spending.
The game, a "first-person-shooter" that lets gamers portray elite soldiers hunting down targets in locations ranging from South America to Afghanistan, beat last year's blockbuster "Grand Theft Auto IV" from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc which sold more than $500 million in its first week.
Activision did not say how many units were sold in the period. Last week it said it sold 4.7 million copies for sales of $310 million on its first day in the U.S. and United Kingdom alone.
Analysts' sales estimates for the $60 game range from 11 million to 13 million units by the end of 2009. There is plenty at stake forActivision since "Call of Duty" is likely to account for a sizable chunk of the company's profits in the fourth quarter, analysts say.
Shares of the company, which have risen around 35 percent and outperformed chief rival Electronic Arts Inc's 11 percent gain, rose 5 cents in early trade on Wednesday to $11.74.
Still, chief executive Bobby Kotick was mindful of the weak economy, which has stung the video game industry this year as consumers think twice about buying game machines and software.
"Despite the success of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2', Activision Blizzard remains cautious about the U.S. and global economy as well as other variables that can affect industry fundamentals and our own performance, includingconsumer spending which remains a significant concern, " he said in a statement.Price cuts from home console makers Nintendo Co, Microsoft Corp and Sony Corp had been expected to help boost software sales since September, but have so far proven to have little affect on game sales.