Google Introduces Landmarks on India Maps
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Top five examples of Augmented Reality
Augmented reality – the idea of enhancing our view of the world around us with digitized text or objects – has moved out of research labs. Below are five of our favorite videos demonstrating a few of the myriad ways AR has jumped onto smart phones and computer screens to entertain and inform ordinary consumers.
1) The US Postal Service helps customers find the right-size shipping box.
2) BMW's experimental tool walks auto mechanics through repairs.
3) Esquire magazine’s special issue has several AR features.
4) Acrossair.com offers a Subway Finder for the iPhone.
5) Topps 3D baseball cards “come alive” with AR.
6) Tags activate 3D action figures from the movie “Avatar.”
Monday, December 14, 2009
4G networks released in Scandinavian countries
Mobile phone firm TeliaSonera has completed work on two 4G networks in Oslo and Stockholm.
The company said that the first customers will be able to start using the networks in early 2010.
Despite the launch of the network, no handsets can yet use 4G. Initially customers will connect via a dongle and a laptop.
Fourth-generation, 4G, networks are based around the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology and downlink data speeds can hit 100 megabits per second - about ten times quicker than the fastest 3G networks.
The technology has been designed to overlay existing 3G networks and most operators have committed to upgrading to the faster system.
TeliaSonera said it was recruiting customers to pilot the network during the first quarter of 2010.
It has released no information about the cost of connecting to the high-speed network. The dongles for connecting to the LTE network are made by Samsung.
Phone equipment maker Ericsson has put together the network in Stockholm, Sweden and Chinese firm Huawei is behind the one in Oslo, Norway. Both networks cover the central regions of both cities.
TeliaSonera said it expected the boost in speed to drive many novel applications including gaming on the move and much greater viewing of video on laptops.
Handsets that can use LTE are expected in mid-late 2010.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Cheapest Nokia phone
So nokia has done it again. It has released nokia 1280 which is the cheapest nokia phone till date. The looks seem pretty good, and simple. Being priced at 20 euros, its 5 euros less than 1202, which was released in India last year. It seems that the hope of having a 5€ phone is not far away.
This phone is especially designed for masses in remote and rural areas. In such cases phone sharing seems to be a common idea. Hence nokia has developed it with the possiblity to have 5 separate phone books.. hmm good thinking. And if one really buys the phone for sharing purposes, the cost per head comes to 4€ :)
Anywayz, Highly dust resistant and scratch resistant with a robust keyboard, the 1280 has been designed with longevity in mind. The same can be said on the battery life front, with up to 22 days of standby time and 8.5 hours of talk time – invaluable in communities where gaining access to electricity can often mean traveling to the nearest town many miles away.
Other key features include a torch, again a significantly valuable tool in areas without electricity, speaking clock with alarm, hands-free calling and FM radio support. Style hasn’t been left out of the equation though, as the 1280 features changeable colour covers and loud MP3 grade ringtones.
It will launch in certain markets with Nokia Life Tools pre-loaded.
The Nokia 1280 is slated to launch in the first quarter of 2010 for 20 Euros.
Way to go.. look out!
Note: One special mention about this phone's chip.. !! One of my friends was involved in the development of the chip.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Google Steps Into Another Market: GPS for Phones
In a move that is likely to be seen as an attack on yet another industry, Google on Wednesday introduced a free navigation system for mobile phones that offers turn-by-turn directions.
Google Navigation
Analysts said that Google’s free service, if successful, could erode the sales of GPS navigation devices made by companies like Garmin and TomTom and of navigation services offered by cellphone carriers.
“There’s no doubt that those guys are going to be disrupted,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with Opus Research.
Google has sowed animosity in various business sectors by giving away products and services that others charge for, from digital voice mail to Web analytics tools.
But during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said he didn’t think of the new service as disrupting an industry. Instead, he said it is a windfall for consumers that was made possible by the increasing power of smartphones and the growing ubiquity of Internet access.
“Obviously we like the price of free because consumers like that as well,” he said.
After the briefing, Mr. Schmidt said he was not concerned that the new service would create new enemies for Google. “As long as you are on the side of consumers, you’ll be fine,” he said.
The new service will be available as part of the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile, which will be released along the new version of Google’s Android operating for mobile phones, called Android 2.0. Separately on Wednesday, Motorola and Verizon Wireless were to unveil Droid, the first smartphone to be powered by Android 2.0.
Google executives said that they hoped that the new Google Maps for Mobile with navigation capabilities would eventually be available on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. But they said it was up to the makers of those devices to decide whether to include the application.
Google said that its turn-by-turn navigation system may be supported by ads in the future.
To be sure, Google’s new service, which has long been expected, will not change the market overnight. Currently, 21 percent of American adults own a personal navigation device, and that market is expected to continue growing at 33 percent a year for the next five years, according to a recent study by Forrester Research. However, by 2013, phone-based navigation systems, which are more popular with younger users, will dominate the market, the study said.
Google’s entry into the market will accelerate the transition, said Charles S. Golvin, an analyst with Forrester, who conducted the study.
“People are going to be moving to the phone-based solutions, but if it is free, they are going to be moving even quicker,” he said.
Currently many personal navigation devices cost from $100 t0 $300. Navigation services on mobile phones offered by carriers like Verizon Wireless or AT&T cost about $10 a month, though they are increasingly being bundled in packages that include other features.
Anticipating the move to smartphones, device makers have been creating applications to run on them. TomTom, for instance, recently introduced an iPhone application that costs $100.
The market for Google’s new system will be limited, at least initially, to the number of phones running Android 2.0. What’s more, Mr. Golvin said, many consumers prefer dedicated devices to phone-based systems, because they want to be able to carry on phone conversations as they drive.
As mobile applications that exploit a user’s location become increasingly important, the underlying mapping data has become a valuable strategic asset. Google recently began creating its own digital maps in the United States, ending a contract with map data provider TeleAtlas, which is owned by TomTom. A year earlier, Google had chosen TeleAtlas to replace Navteq, a map data provider that Nokia acquired for $8.1 billion in 2007. Google and Nokia are rivals in mobile phone operating systems.
Google executives said that the company’s navigation service is better than some rival systems because it is always connected to the Internet. It can, for example, provide live updates on traffic conditions and conduct searches for restaurants along the route. It also recognizes voice commands. During a demonstration, a Google executive asked for directions to a “San Francisco museum with a King Tut exhibit” and the service correctly offered directions from Google to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, which is currently hosting a show called “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.”
Google Navigation
Analysts said that Google’s free service, if successful, could erode the sales of GPS navigation devices made by companies like Garmin and TomTom and of navigation services offered by cellphone carriers.
“There’s no doubt that those guys are going to be disrupted,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with Opus Research.
Google has sowed animosity in various business sectors by giving away products and services that others charge for, from digital voice mail to Web analytics tools.
But during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said he didn’t think of the new service as disrupting an industry. Instead, he said it is a windfall for consumers that was made possible by the increasing power of smartphones and the growing ubiquity of Internet access.
“Obviously we like the price of free because consumers like that as well,” he said.
After the briefing, Mr. Schmidt said he was not concerned that the new service would create new enemies for Google. “As long as you are on the side of consumers, you’ll be fine,” he said.
The new service will be available as part of the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile, which will be released along the new version of Google’s Android operating for mobile phones, called Android 2.0. Separately on Wednesday, Motorola and Verizon Wireless were to unveil Droid, the first smartphone to be powered by Android 2.0.
Google executives said that they hoped that the new Google Maps for Mobile with navigation capabilities would eventually be available on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. But they said it was up to the makers of those devices to decide whether to include the application.
Google said that its turn-by-turn navigation system may be supported by ads in the future.
To be sure, Google’s new service, which has long been expected, will not change the market overnight. Currently, 21 percent of American adults own a personal navigation device, and that market is expected to continue growing at 33 percent a year for the next five years, according to a recent study by Forrester Research. However, by 2013, phone-based navigation systems, which are more popular with younger users, will dominate the market, the study said.
Google’s entry into the market will accelerate the transition, said Charles S. Golvin, an analyst with Forrester, who conducted the study.
“People are going to be moving to the phone-based solutions, but if it is free, they are going to be moving even quicker,” he said.
Currently many personal navigation devices cost from $100 t0 $300. Navigation services on mobile phones offered by carriers like Verizon Wireless or AT&T cost about $10 a month, though they are increasingly being bundled in packages that include other features.
Anticipating the move to smartphones, device makers have been creating applications to run on them. TomTom, for instance, recently introduced an iPhone application that costs $100.
The market for Google’s new system will be limited, at least initially, to the number of phones running Android 2.0. What’s more, Mr. Golvin said, many consumers prefer dedicated devices to phone-based systems, because they want to be able to carry on phone conversations as they drive.
As mobile applications that exploit a user’s location become increasingly important, the underlying mapping data has become a valuable strategic asset. Google recently began creating its own digital maps in the United States, ending a contract with map data provider TeleAtlas, which is owned by TomTom. A year earlier, Google had chosen TeleAtlas to replace Navteq, a map data provider that Nokia acquired for $8.1 billion in 2007. Google and Nokia are rivals in mobile phone operating systems.
Google executives said that the company’s navigation service is better than some rival systems because it is always connected to the Internet. It can, for example, provide live updates on traffic conditions and conduct searches for restaurants along the route. It also recognizes voice commands. During a demonstration, a Google executive asked for directions to a “San Francisco museum with a King Tut exhibit” and the service correctly offered directions from Google to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, which is currently hosting a show called “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
A New way to steal money with a Trojan
Till now Trojans were known to harm computers by corrupting system files etc. Well now the limit being stealing online money. Heres a report on the new kind of virus and its activities. The world is really going somewhere.
Researchers at security firm Finjan have discovered details of a new type of banking Trojan horse that doesn't just steal your bank log in credentials but actually steals money from your account while you are logged in and displays a fake balance.
The bank Trojan, dubbed URLzone, has features designed to thwart fraud detection systems which are triggered by unusual transactions, Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at Finjan, said in an interview on Tuesday. For instance, the software is programmed to calculate on-the-fly how much money to steal from an account based on how much money is available.
The specific Trojan Finjan researchers analyzed targets customers of unnamed German banks. It was linked back to a command-and-control server in Ukraine that was used to send instructions to the trojan software sitting infected PCs. Finjan has notified German law enforcement authorities, Ben-Itzhak said.
"It's a next generation bank trojan," he said. "This is part of a new trend of more sophisticated Trojans designed to evade antifraud systems."
Finjan researchers were able to trace the communications from the code on an infected machine back to the command-and-control server, which was left unsecured, according to Ben-Itzhak. On that server, they saw the LuckySploit administration console and were able to see exactly what types of rules the Trojan was written to follow and statistics on victims.
About 90,000 computers visited the sites housing the malware and 6,400 of them were infected, a 7.5 percent success rate, he said. Of those whose computers had the Trojan installed, a few hundred had money stolen from their bank accounts, he added.
During the span of 22 days in mid-August, the criminals behind the Trojan stole the euro equivalent of nearly $438,000, according to the security company.
Here's how the trojan works:
Potential victims get their computers infected either by opening an e-mail and clicking on a link to a Web site created to distribute malware or by visiting a site that has been compromised and malware hidden on it.
In this case the malware, a toolkit called LuckySpoilt, exploits a known security hole in the browser, affecting the major browsers, and installs the Trojan on the computer. When the Trojan notices the computer user visiting the site of a targeted bank it springs into action.
While the computer user goes about his or her business on the site, the Trojan looks at the available balance and figures out how much money to steal. The Trojan is given a minimum and a maximum range that is below the amount that triggers antifraud systems and to leave a certain percentage in the account, Ben-Itzhak said.
After performing the calculation, the Trojan then makes the transaction, communicating with the bank site through the browser without the computer user knowing.
"The Trojan is sending requests to the bank and getting replies that your browser doesn't display," Ben-Itzhak said. "You are looking at your account and you don't see any of it."
The Trojan has the money sent to the bank account of a money mule, someone who has an account set up to receive the funds. Money mules are typically people recruited online as "independent contractors" or "financial managers" whose sole purpose is to wire the money placed into their account to someone else, typically out of the country, in exchange for a commission. Because their accounts are used only once or twice, they often do not realize the ruse immediately, Ben-Itzhak said.
Meanwhile, the Trojan hides the theft by erasing it from the report of account activity displayed to the computer user and shows a fake balance--what the amount would be if not for the theft. The victim will not notice something is wrong until a different, uncompromised computer is used to access the account, an ATM is used, or a transaction is denied because of insufficient funds.
The Trojan also keeps a log of the victim's bank account log in credentials, takes screenshots, and snoops on the user's other Web accounts, such as PayPal, Facebook, and Gmail, according to the Finjan report.
This is the first Trojan Finjan has come across that hijacks a victim's browser session, steals the money while the victim is doing online banking, and then covers its tracks by modifying information displayed to the victim, all in real time.
Researchers at security firm Finjan have discovered details of a new type of banking Trojan horse that doesn't just steal your bank log in credentials but actually steals money from your account while you are logged in and displays a fake balance.
The bank Trojan, dubbed URLzone, has features designed to thwart fraud detection systems which are triggered by unusual transactions, Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at Finjan, said in an interview on Tuesday. For instance, the software is programmed to calculate on-the-fly how much money to steal from an account based on how much money is available.
The specific Trojan Finjan researchers analyzed targets customers of unnamed German banks. It was linked back to a command-and-control server in Ukraine that was used to send instructions to the trojan software sitting infected PCs. Finjan has notified German law enforcement authorities, Ben-Itzhak said.
"It's a next generation bank trojan," he said. "This is part of a new trend of more sophisticated Trojans designed to evade antifraud systems."
Finjan researchers were able to trace the communications from the code on an infected machine back to the command-and-control server, which was left unsecured, according to Ben-Itzhak. On that server, they saw the LuckySploit administration console and were able to see exactly what types of rules the Trojan was written to follow and statistics on victims.
About 90,000 computers visited the sites housing the malware and 6,400 of them were infected, a 7.5 percent success rate, he said. Of those whose computers had the Trojan installed, a few hundred had money stolen from their bank accounts, he added.
During the span of 22 days in mid-August, the criminals behind the Trojan stole the euro equivalent of nearly $438,000, according to the security company.
Here's how the trojan works:
Potential victims get their computers infected either by opening an e-mail and clicking on a link to a Web site created to distribute malware or by visiting a site that has been compromised and malware hidden on it.
In this case the malware, a toolkit called LuckySpoilt, exploits a known security hole in the browser, affecting the major browsers, and installs the Trojan on the computer. When the Trojan notices the computer user visiting the site of a targeted bank it springs into action.
While the computer user goes about his or her business on the site, the Trojan looks at the available balance and figures out how much money to steal. The Trojan is given a minimum and a maximum range that is below the amount that triggers antifraud systems and to leave a certain percentage in the account, Ben-Itzhak said.
After performing the calculation, the Trojan then makes the transaction, communicating with the bank site through the browser without the computer user knowing.
"The Trojan is sending requests to the bank and getting replies that your browser doesn't display," Ben-Itzhak said. "You are looking at your account and you don't see any of it."
The Trojan has the money sent to the bank account of a money mule, someone who has an account set up to receive the funds. Money mules are typically people recruited online as "independent contractors" or "financial managers" whose sole purpose is to wire the money placed into their account to someone else, typically out of the country, in exchange for a commission. Because their accounts are used only once or twice, they often do not realize the ruse immediately, Ben-Itzhak said.
Meanwhile, the Trojan hides the theft by erasing it from the report of account activity displayed to the computer user and shows a fake balance--what the amount would be if not for the theft. The victim will not notice something is wrong until a different, uncompromised computer is used to access the account, an ATM is used, or a transaction is denied because of insufficient funds.
The Trojan also keeps a log of the victim's bank account log in credentials, takes screenshots, and snoops on the user's other Web accounts, such as PayPal, Facebook, and Gmail, according to the Finjan report.
This is the first Trojan Finjan has come across that hijacks a victim's browser session, steals the money while the victim is doing online banking, and then covers its tracks by modifying information displayed to the victim, all in real time.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
An Interesting iphone App
The iPhone App for the iT Staff
It’s been coming. iPhone apps started with the average consumer, then spread to small businesses, now they’ve hit the corporate level. Several apps are now aimed directly at the people who run computer networks for companies. On top of that, new businesses are springing up to make money from installing and supporting the apps on other companies’ devices…
PocketCloud, an iPhone app from Wyse Technology, a San-Jose based computer company, is one of several in the App Store that are more for IT people than average consumers. Simply, it lets employees access their Windows desktops from an iPhone.
Forgot to run a report, send an email, or backup the hard drive? Run PocketCloud and the phone's screen looks and functions just like the computer at work. If typing is needed, it brings up the iPhone's keyboard. A lot of effort was put into the software's interface so that you can see the cursor next to your finger, read the help bubbles that popup next to links, right-click, and view it in widescreen.
Most iPhone apps average around a $1 or so. PocketCloud is $29.95. Still, it's been downloaded some 10,000 times since it was released a month ago. Jeff McNaught, Wyse's Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer says that's because actual IT folks are snatching it up. They don't mind paying because it's the first time they've had this kind of mobility and it's worth the money, he says. The reviews on iTunes are effusive.
(One reason Wyse charged $29.95 was to keep people from picking it up cheaply to experiment, not becoming able to figure out its proper use, and end up posting a negative review of the software on iTunes.)
So how can it save companies money? Imagine an e-commerce company that makes a million dollar a minute has a server acting up after hours that needs to rebooted... You can see the need for immediacy.
Security is on the company's computer, not the phone, so no one can hack through the iPhone if it gets lost or stolen. Anyway, the newer iPhones have encryption and a "remote wipe" feature that lets owners erase the phone from any computer.
If a company wants something like PocketCloud and lacks the knowledge or bravery to deploy it, it could turn to an outfit like Enterprise Mobile. The Watertown, Mass.-based company has made a business out of installing mobile apps for businesses, integrating them with the old software, and making sure all the kinks get worked out.
It’s been coming. iPhone apps started with the average consumer, then spread to small businesses, now they’ve hit the corporate level. Several apps are now aimed directly at the people who run computer networks for companies. On top of that, new businesses are springing up to make money from installing and supporting the apps on other companies’ devices…
PocketCloud, an iPhone app from Wyse Technology, a San-Jose based computer company, is one of several in the App Store that are more for IT people than average consumers. Simply, it lets employees access their Windows desktops from an iPhone.
Forgot to run a report, send an email, or backup the hard drive? Run PocketCloud and the phone's screen looks and functions just like the computer at work. If typing is needed, it brings up the iPhone's keyboard. A lot of effort was put into the software's interface so that you can see the cursor next to your finger, read the help bubbles that popup next to links, right-click, and view it in widescreen.
Most iPhone apps average around a $1 or so. PocketCloud is $29.95. Still, it's been downloaded some 10,000 times since it was released a month ago. Jeff McNaught, Wyse's Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer says that's because actual IT folks are snatching it up. They don't mind paying because it's the first time they've had this kind of mobility and it's worth the money, he says. The reviews on iTunes are effusive.
(One reason Wyse charged $29.95 was to keep people from picking it up cheaply to experiment, not becoming able to figure out its proper use, and end up posting a negative review of the software on iTunes.)
So how can it save companies money? Imagine an e-commerce company that makes a million dollar a minute has a server acting up after hours that needs to rebooted... You can see the need for immediacy.
Security is on the company's computer, not the phone, so no one can hack through the iPhone if it gets lost or stolen. Anyway, the newer iPhones have encryption and a "remote wipe" feature that lets owners erase the phone from any computer.
If a company wants something like PocketCloud and lacks the knowledge or bravery to deploy it, it could turn to an outfit like Enterprise Mobile. The Watertown, Mass.-based company has made a business out of installing mobile apps for businesses, integrating them with the old software, and making sure all the kinks get worked out.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Pirate bay offline
Today marks victory for Swedish authorities and Hollywood and a sad day for file sharing. Today the Swedish Authorities have ordered The Pirate Bay to be taken offline immediately or the ISP could face heavy fines of 500,000 Kroner ($70,600 US) a day. The Pirate Bay's ISP had no choice but to comply and disconnect the website from the Internet.
The take down of The Pirate Bay comes 3 days earlier than expected, as the site was going offline on August 27 or legalize the site before then, which was unlikely to happen. Black Internet, The Pirate Bay's largest bandwidth supplier is not the only connection to the Internet the website has, technically the website could go back online until other ISP's are sent cease and desist orders.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. The Court seems to consider themselves above the Constitution", said the leader of The Pirate Party, Rich Falkvinge.
As one of the world's largest torrent trackers goes offline, dozens more will surface in its place. The Pirate Bay had over 25 million unique peers and 3.6 million registered users downloading from its website.
The future of The Pirate Bay is uncertain as the owners will face one year in prison and a fine of $2.4 million US.
Update: A Pirate Bay insider has told sources they have "got a new connection to the net" for their website. The owners of the website were prepared for take down actions such as today's and have secured another Internet connection for the website, with minimal down time. The Pirate Bay should return by tomorrow morning for almost all users.
The Pirate Bay team added this, "The MAFIAA has spent millions of dollars and endless amounts of time to get this ban in order. Our guess is that they also bribed a bit to get it since it violates so many laws not only in Sweden but also in the EU, not to mention violations against human rights. And what do they have to show for it? 3 hours of partial downtime."
The take down of The Pirate Bay comes 3 days earlier than expected, as the site was going offline on August 27 or legalize the site before then, which was unlikely to happen. Black Internet, The Pirate Bay's largest bandwidth supplier is not the only connection to the Internet the website has, technically the website could go back online until other ISP's are sent cease and desist orders.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. The Court seems to consider themselves above the Constitution", said the leader of The Pirate Party, Rich Falkvinge.
As one of the world's largest torrent trackers goes offline, dozens more will surface in its place. The Pirate Bay had over 25 million unique peers and 3.6 million registered users downloading from its website.
The future of The Pirate Bay is uncertain as the owners will face one year in prison and a fine of $2.4 million US.
Update: A Pirate Bay insider has told sources they have "got a new connection to the net" for their website. The owners of the website were prepared for take down actions such as today's and have secured another Internet connection for the website, with minimal down time. The Pirate Bay should return by tomorrow morning for almost all users.
The Pirate Bay team added this, "The MAFIAA has spent millions of dollars and endless amounts of time to get this ban in order. Our guess is that they also bribed a bit to get it since it violates so many laws not only in Sweden but also in the EU, not to mention violations against human rights. And what do they have to show for it? 3 hours of partial downtime."
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Free live streaming link for ipl matches
A site where you can watch IPL matches live. There are multiple links and you can choose which one suits your browser.
If you missed a live match, then here is another site where you can catch the highlights.
If you missed a live match, then here is another site where you can catch the highlights.
Power suit for farmers
So this is an interesting concept, a power suit designed to help a farmer. Researchers at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have been demoing a new power suit. It’s intended to be used by people hand harvesting in the farm industry. The 55 pound device supports the worker’s joints as they squat and reach. Within three years, they hope to have the cost within $10K. We’ve seen quite a few power suit devices this year, but research has been going on for many years.
source: google
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Retrieve your windows vista password
Many time most of my friends keep on asking me how to change password of an User in Windows Vista, as it was quite easy in Windows XP. But thats not a fair thing to do on others system. Well what you will do if you forget password of yours Vista ? The situation becomes even more worst when you don't have password reset disk !Don't worry here is the solution both paid and free ! Active Password Changer is the commercial solution and Ophcrack is solution for free. This guide will show you how to get Ophcrack and how to use it to crack and retrieve your Windows Vista password when you don't have any password reset disk at hand.
Click here to read more
A 3D desktop Interface
I recently came across a 3D desktop interface. Would be quite real using it with touch screen monitors. Heres a demo of it. Click here to go to Bumptop
Test your internet speed for free - Online
Did this web page loads slowly for you ? Did you get low Download speed as promised by your ISP previously ? You might have internet speed problem. Here are the tips, where you can check your Internet Speed for free online.
Speak Easy - You can chose lots of locations to check on your internet speed. Does Upload and Download speed measure.
Speed Test - This is my favorite speed test website, it looks good, fast check on upload and download speed and lets you save your speed test.
Bandwidth Speed Test - Does only what it says.Well I hope many of you are not going to be disappointed in speed tests you get, and if you do , call up your ISP provider and just make sure you are getting 80% of speed that they promised.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
InfoQ - Tracking change and innovation in the enterprise software development community
Came across a very interesting page on tracking changes in the IT/software development world. If you are looking to keep yourself updated on Information Technology, then you ought to have a peek into this site. Has lots of book reviews, articles, interviews, presentations along with slides and videos, and synchronized perfectly with the videos. Search for your topic of interest and you can find it. A very informative and educative site.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Tru phone introduces unlimited plans to india mobiles
Truphone,once a great Free Mobile VOIP Service lost the ground when they stopped offering free mobile voip calls to 40 countries. However they are now back in the VOIP market with a flat monthly billing Unlimited Calling Package which included 40 countries around the world including India,Pakistan, bangladesh and many more.
If you don't know what TruPhone is, its basically a Mobile VOIP Service that means you need to have a Mobile which supports Wifi and SIP. Truphone also works over GPRS, but the call quality could be poor due to lack of bandwidth. Most latest Mobile Phones supports SIP and Wifi, mostly all N and E series Nokia phones do support SIP and VOIP Calling.
TruPhone's TruUnlimited Landline package starts at $17, however it does not include all the countries and calls are restricted to Landlines only. Don't worry, They also have a TruUnlimited Mobile package which offers unlimited calls to landlines + Mobiles in all the countries including India and most other asian countries.
You have two options to choose from:
TruUnlimited Landlines ($17)
Unlimited calls to landlines* in 38 countries worldwide. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract. Also includes unlimited calls to mobiles in 9 countries including the USA and China as a bonus!
TruUnlimited Mobiles ($40)
Along with unlimited calls to landlines* this plan includes unlimited calls to mobiles* in 69 countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany and China. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract.
IPhone Support
Truphone also has an iphone application which will enable international mobile calls over wifi. Cool feature.
If you don't know what TruPhone is, its basically a Mobile VOIP Service that means you need to have a Mobile which supports Wifi and SIP. Truphone also works over GPRS, but the call quality could be poor due to lack of bandwidth. Most latest Mobile Phones supports SIP and Wifi, mostly all N and E series Nokia phones do support SIP and VOIP Calling.
TruPhone's TruUnlimited Landline package starts at $17, however it does not include all the countries and calls are restricted to Landlines only. Don't worry, They also have a TruUnlimited Mobile package which offers unlimited calls to landlines + Mobiles in all the countries including India and most other asian countries.
You have two options to choose from:
TruUnlimited Landlines ($17)
Unlimited calls to landlines* in 38 countries worldwide. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract. Also includes unlimited calls to mobiles in 9 countries including the USA and China as a bonus!
TruUnlimited Mobiles ($40)
Along with unlimited calls to landlines* this plan includes unlimited calls to mobiles* in 69 countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany and China. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract.
IPhone Support
Truphone also has an iphone application which will enable international mobile calls over wifi. Cool feature.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Orange to provide TV channels on iphone
Over the Channel, Orange iPhone users will have access to 60 TV channels, live, in high definition quality, over the 3G network.
This is in relation to orange losing its exclusive rights over iphone contracts in france. From April 7th, SFR and Bouygues will be offering contracts for iphone in france as well. In order to add an added advantage, orange launches yet another scheme to attract users.
The application itself will be free from Apple’s store, whilst several of Orange’s tariffs will incorporate unrestricted access to the service itself. For those without the relevant tariff, an add-on can be purchased for 9 euros per month.
Navigating the channels takes full advantage of the iPhone’s interface. They can be browsed in a Coverflow fashion, and double tapping the screen will bring you out of the full screen view to access details of the programme, or alternative options.
NOTE: This is one more tricks by orange to take some money out of your pocket. If you have not upgraded your scheme to watch unlimited TV then don't even bother downloading the app. Its just a waste of money.
This is in relation to orange losing its exclusive rights over iphone contracts in france. From April 7th, SFR and Bouygues will be offering contracts for iphone in france as well. In order to add an added advantage, orange launches yet another scheme to attract users.The application itself will be free from Apple’s store, whilst several of Orange’s tariffs will incorporate unrestricted access to the service itself. For those without the relevant tariff, an add-on can be purchased for 9 euros per month.
Navigating the channels takes full advantage of the iPhone’s interface. They can be browsed in a Coverflow fashion, and double tapping the screen will bring you out of the full screen view to access details of the programme, or alternative options.
NOTE: This is one more tricks by orange to take some money out of your pocket. If you have not upgraded your scheme to watch unlimited TV then don't even bother downloading the app. Its just a waste of money.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Simple video and music search
I came across this site, http://fizy.com/. A very simple, ad free, video search site. Just lists all the videos and music. The attractive thing about this site is the simplicity and the ease of finding something that you are really looking for. The search engine is pretty good in finding the songs and videos that you are exactly looking for.
The capture is an example of the ease of access to a video you are looking for. Buffering is simply amazing and it has two options for every result found, watch video or just listen to the song. A site to try out. Of course the videos and songs are limited as its a pretty new site i guess. But should pick up pretty soon.
One more music search engine, equally good and simple in its looks and use is http://songza.com/
The capture is an example of the ease of access to a video you are looking for. Buffering is simply amazing and it has two options for every result found, watch video or just listen to the song. A site to try out. Of course the videos and songs are limited as its a pretty new site i guess. But should pick up pretty soon.One more music search engine, equally good and simple in its looks and use is http://songza.com/
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Apple to release iPhone OS 3.0
Just came across the news that apple is going to launch iphone OS 3.0 which would include all the missing features of OS 2.x. Some of the main features are listed below
Some of the other interesting features include stereo bluetooth, shake to shuffle, notes sync, youtube accounts etc. In addition, the iPhone Mail app is getting support for sending multiple photos simultaneously - they can be selected in the Photo gallery and then pasted into the message.
There are also new applications and tweaks to existing Apple software. Voice Memos allows you to use the onboard microphone or an external mic to record sound files. Stocks now has improved data and news stories, plus a landscape orientation view. Speaking of landscape, the keyboard is now available in landscape orientation across all “major apps”. Mobile Safari gets a password manager and form auto-fill, together with new phishing protection, while Calendar gains support for the CalDAV format (as used by Google and Yahoo!) and .ics subscriptions. Notes can by synchronized via iTunes to a Mac or PC, and there’s newly added YouTube account support with favorites, sharing and subscriptions.
New : Google Maps API are released (including turn-by-turn direction support, though only if the developer brings their own mapping data). This will enable developers or companies to develop navigation software for google maps which will transform iPhone into a GPS navigator. One of the most expected features coming into life.
- Search your iPhone
- Cut, copy, and paste
- Send photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS*
- Read and compose email and text messages in landscape
Some of the other interesting features include stereo bluetooth, shake to shuffle, notes sync, youtube accounts etc. In addition, the iPhone Mail app is getting support for sending multiple photos simultaneously - they can be selected in the Photo gallery and then pasted into the message.There are also new applications and tweaks to existing Apple software. Voice Memos allows you to use the onboard microphone or an external mic to record sound files. Stocks now has improved data and news stories, plus a landscape orientation view. Speaking of landscape, the keyboard is now available in landscape orientation across all “major apps”. Mobile Safari gets a password manager and form auto-fill, together with new phishing protection, while Calendar gains support for the CalDAV format (as used by Google and Yahoo!) and .ics subscriptions. Notes can by synchronized via iTunes to a Mac or PC, and there’s newly added YouTube account support with favorites, sharing and subscriptions.
New : Google Maps API are released (including turn-by-turn direction support, though only if the developer brings their own mapping data). This will enable developers or companies to develop navigation software for google maps which will transform iPhone into a GPS navigator. One of the most expected features coming into life.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Movies, Videos, Entertainment - OVGuide.com
Well if you are looking for sites where you can watch free movies, free TV serials, bollywood stuff etc., then heres the site for you, a collection of all the movie screening and video sharing sites that you would ever find over the internet. www.ovguide.com
I watched a couple of movies through this site till now. Believe me, the movie you want you will find it. The interesting part of this site is the search functionality. You could just type the name of the movie or TV series that you wish to find, and it lists all the search results from relevant movie/video sharing sites. I never thought that internet would have so many online sites sharing movies for no cost.
If you have a decent broadband connection, then this site would be of interest to all the movie lovers out there.
Some of the sites listed in this I found interesting were
Movie Lab TV
DivX movies
Good site to check out!!!
I watched a couple of movies through this site till now. Believe me, the movie you want you will find it. The interesting part of this site is the search functionality. You could just type the name of the movie or TV series that you wish to find, and it lists all the search results from relevant movie/video sharing sites. I never thought that internet would have so many online sites sharing movies for no cost.
If you have a decent broadband connection, then this site would be of interest to all the movie lovers out there.
Some of the sites listed in this I found interesting were
Movie Lab TV
DivX movies
Good site to check out!!!
Sync up your life - Dmailer
I stumbled across this when I was looking for a new development project. Dmailer is a software which comes preinstalled on all the Western digital hard drives, Sandisk drives. Of course its a trial version for 30 days, after which you need to buy it. Its an useful utility to back up your harddisk and sync you computer data on to your harddisk.
With Dmailer Sync software you can synchronize & save all your personal data such as your files, photos, music, emails, contacts, calendars, Favorites/Bookmarks and even your desktop background, to your potable storage device (USB key, external hard disk drive, SIM card, mp3 player…). Tried it recently and its quite good, offers an email client which you can set up and be updated on any PC.
Apart from dmailer, I came across a set of relating interesting technologies. Portable applications which will work from your USB key! To be more precise, this technology allows you to install an application on to your mobile HD. Now this HD acts as your personal computer, which can be plugged into any other computer. The data you browse or create using these applications, will be stored on your mobile HD rather than the computer you are browsing on. Cool stuff... You just dont need to install any software on to the PC which you would be using. Some companies which deal with such technologies are listed below
These sites offer software packages that you could just install on your mobile harddisk or a usb key. The package comes with a preinstalled set of application, of course offering addon capability.Try it out when time permits, its free.
With Dmailer Sync software you can synchronize & save all your personal data such as your files, photos, music, emails, contacts, calendars, Favorites/Bookmarks and even your desktop background, to your potable storage device (USB key, external hard disk drive, SIM card, mp3 player…). Tried it recently and its quite good, offers an email client which you can set up and be updated on any PC.
Apart from dmailer, I came across a set of relating interesting technologies. Portable applications which will work from your USB key! To be more precise, this technology allows you to install an application on to your mobile HD. Now this HD acts as your personal computer, which can be plugged into any other computer. The data you browse or create using these applications, will be stored on your mobile HD rather than the computer you are browsing on. Cool stuff... You just dont need to install any software on to the PC which you would be using. Some companies which deal with such technologies are listed below
These sites offer software packages that you could just install on your mobile harddisk or a usb key. The package comes with a preinstalled set of application, of course offering addon capability.Try it out when time permits, its free.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
A skype Update - Better voice quality
Skype has finally released SILK, a New Skype-designed and developed default audio codec for all Skype-to-Skype calls. SILK is currently used in the latest version of Skype. If you don't have latest skype version, I strongly suggest you download one, its way better than older version and has superior audio quality.
Skype claims that with SILK, a super wideband audio codec it redefines the entire VOIP market by giving the best audio quality on VOIP calls with almost 50% less bandwidth usage.
What did they achieve with SILK codec:
-improved audio bandwidth going from 8 kHz to 12 kHz, meaning that a SILK conversation sounds like you are in the same room as the person you are speaking with. SILK can go upto 24 Khz.
-provides real-time bandwidth scalability to deal with degraded network conditions
-balancing codec optimization between voice, music and background noise, each of which can have an impact on the overall user experience.
-delivering a robust solution that delivers a more consistent audio experience, regardless of network conditions and an individual user’s voice signature
Skype is now expecting that industry and third party application developers will adopt SILK as a standard in wideband audio. SiLK is available for FREE. It would be interesting to see SILK adoption with Trixbox, Asterix and the likes with wideband hitting the entire VOIP world.
Skype claims that with SILK, a super wideband audio codec it redefines the entire VOIP market by giving the best audio quality on VOIP calls with almost 50% less bandwidth usage.
What did they achieve with SILK codec:
-improved audio bandwidth going from 8 kHz to 12 kHz, meaning that a SILK conversation sounds like you are in the same room as the person you are speaking with. SILK can go upto 24 Khz.
-provides real-time bandwidth scalability to deal with degraded network conditions
-balancing codec optimization between voice, music and background noise, each of which can have an impact on the overall user experience.
-delivering a robust solution that delivers a more consistent audio experience, regardless of network conditions and an individual user’s voice signature
Skype is now expecting that industry and third party application developers will adopt SILK as a standard in wideband audio. SiLK is available for FREE. It would be interesting to see SILK adoption with Trixbox, Asterix and the likes with wideband hitting the entire VOIP world.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Scribd - A document sharing site
Many of you may have come across this site, but I recently discovered its worth when I was searching for a study document for a course. Man this site really has a lot of documents, Documents on any subject you may need, it is there. The search functionality is quite good and returns relevant results to your search.
The best part is that you can download documents in pdf format, embed a document in your blog. You can follow recent updates from scribd on their blog site http://blog.scribd.com/ . Apart from their search one could browse through a vast category of books if you don't have any particular subject in mind. Simply a great online tool to learn and spread the knowledge around by uploading your documents online.
Of course you can also buy ebooks apart from the free ones they have. If you didnt know about this site, do check it out.
The best part is that you can download documents in pdf format, embed a document in your blog. You can follow recent updates from scribd on their blog site http://blog.scribd.com/ . Apart from their search one could browse through a vast category of books if you don't have any particular subject in mind. Simply a great online tool to learn and spread the knowledge around by uploading your documents online.
Of course you can also buy ebooks apart from the free ones they have. If you didnt know about this site, do check it out.
Watch Live Cricket streams and Highlights
eCric.Net
I have been using this site for quite some time now. Its been one of the best sources of live streaming cricket links. Frequently updated with live link to every ongoing match. Although the server may be down at times due to heavy traffic, otherwise it works like a charm. I would recommend this site.
Another point to be noted. What if you miss the live cricket match, don't worry, you can always catch up with highlights of all the matches within a day or two of the live broadcast. Has helped me to follow cricket even when I am abroad. No hassle of signing up or registering, just go to the page and stream to your wish.
I have been using this site for quite some time now. Its been one of the best sources of live streaming cricket links. Frequently updated with live link to every ongoing match. Although the server may be down at times due to heavy traffic, otherwise it works like a charm. I would recommend this site.
Another point to be noted. What if you miss the live cricket match, don't worry, you can always catch up with highlights of all the matches within a day or two of the live broadcast. Has helped me to follow cricket even when I am abroad. No hassle of signing up or registering, just go to the page and stream to your wish.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Video sharing Sites
Some video sharing sites that Ive come across till now. Click on image to visit the specific site. Am just sharing the sites which I feel are good.
Hotmail on your desktop
Microsoft has launched an e-mail client, similar to outlook. This is yet another program which can manage email account. Although hotmail does not offer pop settings, this program works as a normal email client, with the default configuration for your hotmail account. You just need to have a free hotmail account. Additional accounts like gmail etc can also be added/configured
Click here to go to the download page.
Click here to go to the download page.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Watch non-stop videos with inifinitube
Here's an addition to youtubes' videos. Infinitube.net claims to play videos non-stop. All you have to do is to enter a search string. Infinitube searches for relevant youtube videos on youtube and creates a playlist which is played nonstop. The buffering is quite fast when compared to youtube.
Amazingly, infinitube doesn’t just let you play videos non-stop. It also lets you watch videos full-screen if your heart so desires it. If you want to visit the video on the original YouTube page, there’s a page for you to go to. Infinitube even supplies a link for you to download the video in .flv format, so if you have the correct codecs in your computer, you can watch your favorite videos offline too.
To sum it up, to use infinitube, all you have to do is to:
- Enter whatever search term you like into the searxh bar on top
- A list of videos related to the search term will come up.
- You can either choose to play the first video that comes up or check the playlist for something you like
- infinitube will go through the automatically generated playlist non-stop
- links are provided at the end of the playlist, so you can either visit the original link or download the video in .flv format.
- if you’re too lazy to search for your own keywords, the column at the righ lists some of the recent searches, or you can even seacrh infinitube for random playlists.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sprint joins the lay off race
Faced with persistent subscriber losses and questions about its long-term prospects, Sprint Nextel Corp. is slashing its already shrinking work force by 8,000 people as it seeks to cut annual costs by $1.2 billion.
The layoffs, announced Monday, are just the latest attempt by the nation's third-largest cell phone carrier to right its financial ship in the face of tough competition and a brutal economy. They come slightly more than a year after the company cut 4,000 jobs and closed 125 retail centers as Chief Executive Dan Hesse, then new on the job, aimed to show he was serious about streamlining operations.
Sprint said it expects the latest round of layoffs, which represent a 14 percent reduction of its 56,000 employees, will be largely completed by March 31. The company said it will take a first-quarter charge of more than $300 million for severance and other costs.
About 850 of the layoffs are voluntary, through employees taking buyouts. They will make up about $45 million of the total severance costs, the company said in a securities filing.
In addition to the cuts, Sprint said it will suspend its 401(k) match for the year, extend a freeze on salary increases and suspend a tuition reimbursement program.
Yet another company to join the race, hope the situation improves soon.
Tweaks to make firefox perform better
Some tricks to make firefox perform faster
Reduce the amount of RAM Firefox uses for its cache feature
1. Type “about:config” (no quotes) in the adress bar in the browser.
2. Find “browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewer”
3. Set it’s value to “0“;(Zero)
Increase the Speed at Which Firefox loads pages
1. Type “about:config” into the address bar and hit Enter.
(Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.)
2. Alter the entries as follows:
Set “network.http.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.proxy.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.pipelining.maxrequests” to some number like 10.
This means it will make 10 requests at once.
3. Lastly, right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it “nglayout.initialpaint.delay” and set its value to “0“;.(Zero)
Reduce RAM usage to 10MB when Firefox is minimized:
This little hack will drop Firefox’s RAM usage down to 10 Mb when minimized:
1. Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then press Enter.
2. Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean.
3. In the box that pops up enter “config.trim_on_minimize”. Press Enter.
4. Now select True and then press Enter.
5. Restart Firefox.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Today I came across the term LTE viz Long Term Evolution. It is the technology into which the 3GPP and WCDMA networks will evolve. In other words, it can be called the 4th Generation network. I remember the times at University where I produced a report on the study of mobile technologies. The report contained technology till the convergence of the 3G and CDMA networks to WCDMA networks. Technology advances so fast that we are already thinking of 4G.
LTE has a new kind of access scheme, a new modulation technique OHFDM (Orthognal Frequency Division Multiplexing) and an antenna technology called MIME (Multiple Input Multiple Output) which should enable 10 times as many users per cell as 3GPP’s original W CDMA radio access technology. It also enhances the use of Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (ULTRA), which would increase the spectral efficiency by 4 times comared to ULTRA.
Would be quite interesting to work on emerging technologies like these, to be a part of it.
Would be quite interesting to work on emerging technologies like these, to be a part of it.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Microsoft slashes jobs due to economic cricis
Microsoft joins the rest of the world in layoffs, pertaining to the company's dismal second quarter financial results. Sales of microsoft windows have decreased considerably due to the economic situation. To help it cope with that lower base of demand, Microsoft said that it would lay off up to 5,000 employees, or about 5 percent of its work force — the first significant cuts in the company’s 34-year history.
Intel also a leader in chip industry announced the plan to lay of around 5000-6000 employees and shut down some production plants. Rather than recession companies are witnessing a fall in consumer base. Of course this seems to be a loop around effect, with individuals and business units cutting costs thus leading to declined sales. In turn this causes further unemployment. This may on for a while unless governments eases the cash flow into the economy.
Intel also a leader in chip industry announced the plan to lay of around 5000-6000 employees and shut down some production plants. Rather than recession companies are witnessing a fall in consumer base. Of course this seems to be a loop around effect, with individuals and business units cutting costs thus leading to declined sales. In turn this causes further unemployment. This may on for a while unless governments eases the cash flow into the economy.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Free.fr provides unlimited calls to Indian Landlines
With the voip call rates touching ground level, yet another French Internet Service Provider will be providing unlimited calls to landlines in India. This service is included in the monthly package of 30 euros. This promotion is scheduled to take off from Feb 2009. Free.fr is the largest Internet Service Provider in france having around 60% of customer base in france. Very well known for its connection speeds, Ive heard both positive and negative reviews about this operator. I my self have been using free for the past two years and haven't faced a problem till now. Although if a problem arises, I think the customer service is not that good, as this is what I heard.
Apart from providing unlimited calls to India, they also provider unlimited landline calling to 86 other destination all over the world. Check out their site to get more info. If you are in France and looking to change your internet service provider, then heres one reason to switch to free.fr, and join the huge community of free users in France.Nymgo
Nymgo - Yet another cheap Voip provider
Their pay as you go scheme is also quite comptetive compared to other schemes. The voice quality is superb. I havent had any problems with the voice quality. Although when I signed up there were acute problems with call setup, but the support team are very prompt in their reply and fix issues quite fast. I would say its a rather reliable voip provider.
Nymgo is a recent addition to cheap calls to India. It is provided by Splendor Telecom UK. As the other voip providers have, nymgo also has a client to make calls over the internet. They have two kinds of plans, charge per min and flat rate monthly (of course theres a limit you can talk). The scheme which attacted me was the monthly plans. For example the asia and australia plan costs $20, which comes to approx 15euros. This plan gives you monthly talk time of 1750 minutes, hence the cost per min comes up to 0.008 euro cents, even less than 1 cent. This is the cheapest viop provider I have come across till now in comparison to Freecall.com (2 cents/min), justvoip and others.
Their pay as you go scheme is also quite comptetive compared to other schemes. The voice quality is superb. I havent had any problems with the voice quality. Although when I signed up there were acute problems with call setup, but the support team are very prompt in their reply and fix issues quite fast. I would say its a rather reliable voip provider.
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