Apple iPhone 3GS review

Apple has released another new iPhone - the 3GS - to stave off the competition from the Palm Pre and the HTC Magic. But is it worth the super-high upgrade charges, given the iPhone 3G with the new 3.0 software is very similar?

The iPhone 3GS was delivered by Phil Schiller rather than Lord Jobs on high, and a packed crowd hung on his every word, lapping up every new feature Apple had deigned to bestow upon us. The thing is it didn't take long, as essentially Apple has released a new phone that bears a very significant resemblance to the original version.

In fact, the only palpable difference in the chassis is the iPhone lettering is now mirrored in the same way as the Apple logo was on the last iteration.

Of course, with the new iPhone 3GS (the 'S' apparently standing for speed) we're getting a whole host of new features, essentially an improved processor (up to an apparent 600MHz according to a recent T-Mobile leak), a better 3MP camera with video recording and an upgrade to 32GB of memory.

The curious thing about the new iPhone release is not only that it doesn't bring a whole lot of new hardware in the latest upgrade (we're not talking the essential jump from 2G to 3G here) but it's also been released to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 3.0 firmware update.

That in itself brings a whole host of new extras to the iPhone game. Check out our in depth review of the new software to find out what snazzy extras Apple has brought to the party.

But this upgrade is obviously available for the previous Apple handset, meaning that for the most part an updated iPhone 3G is the same phone as the iPhone 3GS, and presents most users with a real dilemma: is it worth shelling out for the new upgrade less than a year later?

In the box

As most iPhone users will know, there's not usually a lot in the tiny Apple iPhone box, and once again, the company has perfected minimalism. There are the standard accessories bedecked in white as well as the phone itself of course.

The headphones are the same as normal, the bundled white buds symbolising that you've bought into the Apple brand and are indeed proud to wear the badge of Jobs-honour. It's a shame that Apple hasn't followed the lead of the likes of Samsung with its recent handsets, such as the i8910 HD, and realised that having a phone built for top end media should come with some decent headphones.

We would have at least have liked to seen some in-ear buds with this iteration, or even some Bluetooth cans (something Samsung again does with certain models in its PMP range) but that would cannibalise the healthy accessories market Apple has lovingly crafted, so it's hardly a surprise to see the standard fare here again, although we were pleasantly surprised at how well the hands free kit worked on the bundled buds.

And Apple is again banking on some customer loyalty in only including a USB lead with wall-plug connector. We know this is Apple's usual game, but we'd reckon a good portion of mobile phone owners have lost their charger in the past and been forced to use the USB lead to charge the handset before buying a new charger, so if you lose this one, it's a dead iPhone for a while.

Clearly Apple is assuming that its customers have many iPhone compatible leads lying around (in the same way that Nokia chargers will grow in any draw full of wires) so has kept things minimal, and of course saved packaging, and therefore penguins and polar bears, in doing so.

Indeed, in comparison to the likes of the Palm Pre and the HTC Magic, Apple is doing the same thing in trying to reduce packaging (as it always has done). We still can't feel like there should be more in the box however, even though a video output lead is always going to be out of the question.

Vodafone's iPhone gets 14 January 2010 UK release date

Vodafone has announced that its iPhone offering is available for pre-order, as well as dropping all the pricing and availability info.

The Vodafone iPhone UK release date has been set as 14 January, and you can register your interest for one now, from £30 per month.

That low-end price is on a 24-month deal, so any one hoping to nab a new year cut price iPhone will be left disappointed.

The 24-month deals come in £30, £36 and £45 offerings, with unlimited texts on each and voice minutes ranging from 300 to 1200.

Text appeal

On the 18-month side, you'll be looking at forking out between £40 and £80 per month, with unlimited texts again and between 600 and 3000 minutes per month.

All of the plans come with 1GB of data and unlimited Wi-Fi as well, so we'd imagine unofficial tetherers will be pushing that figure as hard as they can.

The three iPhones on offer (the 3G 8GB, the 3GS 16GB and the 3GS 32GB) will also cost you for most of the price plans, costing between £59 and £239 depending on your price plan (although the cheaper models are free on the higher costing tariffs.)

If you want to see the full details, then point your browser to vodafone.co.uk/iphone.

HTC's new Sense UI to ape iPhone design?

HTC's upgraded UI?

HTC's possible new user interface for its Android phones has been leaked, ahead of a release next year.

A couple of screenshots have appeared on the web from the Italian HD Blog, which claims to have nabbed them ahead of the launch at Mobile World Congress in February next year.

Word is that they're set to land with a new Android phone from the HTC lot - the Espresso, although we know very little about this new handset other than it might be packing this Sense Android overlay upgrade.

Translucent beauty

The new Sense overlay has translucent application squares holding the application icons - a little iPhone-like, casting doubt on whether this would be a road HTC would really want to go down.

There's now also a direct link to your contacts list, which has apparently been upgraded to make your contacts even more intuitive - we'll be intrigued to see how this manifests.

We'll be out and about in Mobile World Congress to check out this new UI if it lands, and if it really looks like a poor Windows Mobile skin in the flesh.

From HDBlog.it via Engadget

Problem 2: A square medieval castle on a square island is under siege. All around the castle there is a square moat 10 meters wide. Unfortunately, a group of  raiders have brought footbridges that are only 9.5 meters long. The invaders do not want to fail in their assault.  How can they use their footbridges to invade the castle?

Solution:

Puzzles : That crooked your mind.

Problem 1: You have 100 doors in a row that are all initially closed. you make 100 passes by the doors starting with the first door every time. the first time through you visit every door and toggle the door (if the door is closed, you open it, if its open, you close it). the second time you only visit every 2nd door (door #2, #4, #6). the third time, every 3rd door (door #3, #6, #9), etc, until you only visit the 100th door.

for example, after the first pass every door is open. on the second pass you only visit the even doors (2,4,6,8...) so now the even doors are closed and the odd ones are opened. the third time through you will close door 3 (opened from the first pass), open door 6 (closed from the second pass), etc..

question: what state are the doors in after the last pass? which are open which are closed?

Solution: 

E-Litmus pH Test Exam

Hiring Potential Test (pH Test)

In March 2008, a Fortune 500 IT services company used eLitmus pH test as a benchmark to recruit entry-level professionals. At the end of the three-month training program, there was zero involuntary attrition among people hired through pH. In contrast, the average percentage of new hires let go at the end of training period was over 5.2% when recruited through alternate channels. This resulted in a saving to the company of Rs 1.8 million for every hundred hires.

Companies ranging from start-ups to global giants across a gamut of industries like IT security, IT products, R&D, software services, physical infrastructure and KPO have benefitted immensely from using pH Test as a benchmark.

Modern day business schools are also finding pH Test extremely relevant as an admissions test. The evolution of focused MBA institutes that offer super-specialization which require potential students to have corresponding strengths. pH Test can very effectively identify these traits. Additionally, students who undergo excessive coaching at one of the training institutes (which teach students strategies to “crack the test”, not concepts) get no undue advantage on the pH test. Lastly, the pH Test uses highly researched methodologies to create a gradient in the top quartile of talent pool.

pH Test demystified

pH Test uses on-the-job performance feedback provided by select customers, and theoretical psychometric methodologies and standards to continuously improve the test validity. Our cross-functional research team comprises domain experts, industry practitioners and statisticians. We have been able to demonstrate a thought leadership of 10 to 34 months over other leading standardized tests, with path-breaking innovations like handicap-based negative marking. 

Information for test takers

The pH Test is conducted every few weeks across the country. The schedule of upcoming tests is regularly published on www.elitmus.com. The test has been designed to measure the natural ability of test takers rather than your ability to learn by rote. To this end, all necessary formulae are provided in the question paper. Those who focus on building fundamentals and broad skills, rather than on learning “tricks” to solve specific topics perform better on this 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.

Tests fail when:

1. 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.
   
   
   

1. '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.
   
   
   

1. 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.
   
   
   

1. 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.
   
   
   

The iPhone Now Has 100 GB of Storage Space

Online PC icloud has launched a premium version that offers 100 GB Super Drive that will extend all the capabilities of icloud to the iPhone.

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

Microsoft has donated a new technology to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that has the potential to make a drastic difference in the fight against the spread of child pornography online.

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

Seems like Samsung’s going a little overboard with their Corby range of handsets.

With a Corby this and a Corby that flooding the markets with loads of features to keep the youth happy and all at very reasonable prices, to release another variant so soon seems a little like overkill. Sure I liked theCorby, but to re-launch the same Model, call it the Corby Pop, reduce the camera pixel count to 1.3MP and the internal memory is going to make choice extremely hard on the consumer. On the other hand the price of Pop is expected to be below the Rs. 7000 mark. Outstanding! If it manages to retain all the same features as the original other than the ones mentioned above, it’ll be a hard act to follow. Samsung'sCorby strategy seems to be to have a Corby for every price group, and it looks like it's working.

Google in Talks to Buy Review Site Yelp

Google Inc is in talks to buy Yelp Inc, the popular website for reviews of local businesses, in a deal that could help the Internet search leader tap a lucrative local ads market, media reports say. Google may pay more than $500 million for Yelp, according to reports confirmed to Reuters by a person familiar with the situation. It came as the Web giant embarked on an acquisition spree that has netted at least five companies since August. By swallowing privately held Yelp, Google would own one of the Web's most popular repositories of local restaurant and small-business information, including more than 8 million reviews penned by Yelp's users. That trove of content and a heavy focus onlocal businesses could provide a valuable foothold for Google as it seeks to convince local merchants to shift their advertising spending to the Internet. "The local advertising market is a multibillion dollar market that for all intents and purposes is still untapped on the Web," said Needham & Co analyst Mark May.

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

Google will comply with an expected Swiss court ruling into whether its Street View web service fails to protect people's privacy by showing their faces and licence plates, the company and Swiss authorities said.

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

JetLite, the wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways India Ltd, has launched a new online booking engine, to to offer a flexible web-sale solution with a clear road map.

Guests can follow a simple booking process and make their selection based on 3 parameters

• Lowest Fare
• Fixed dates
• Flexible dates

They will also receive an SMS and an email confirmation of the booking on the mobile number and email id provided.

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

Along with this the airlines will soon offer hotel and car rental facilities on its portal.

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

Google India today said it has added a feature - 'landmarks' for providing driving directions for those who use its mapping solution 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

Back-to-school demand helped shipments to rise 2.3 percent after falling for three consecutive quarters, according to research firm IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. The market is expected to see double-digit growth in 2010, with desktop shipments roughly flat and portable computers driving overall increases in shipments. "As commercial spending recovers in 2010, we expect to see robust growth over the next several years," said Loren Loverde, program director at IDC Worldwide Trackers, in a statement. Portable computers for consumers drove overall shipments in the third quarter and rose 33.5 percent from 2008. Shipments of mini notebooks, or netbooks, designed for accessing the Internet, surged to account for 28 percent of portable shipments, from 14 percent a year ago. Those notebooks are expected to continue to grow at a slower rate than portable computers, since new ultra-thin portables are creating more competition in the market.