Top 10 non-stop running game apps for iOS and Android

Sitting at the metro station or a bus stop perhaps with nothing to do but stare at people walking by? Or a coffee shop maybe, waiting for someone, perhaps stuck at that one clue trying to solve a mundane crossword? If you're the proud owner of an iOS or Android device, you should be making the most of it. Casual gaming apps are gaining popularity on both these platforms that not just keep you engaged but offer a whole new level of fun.

A more recent category of gaming apps pertaining to non-stop running is catching up fast with games like Temple Run and Jetpack Joyride offering various levels of challenges without compromising on the fun factor. We have put together a list of 10 such endless running game apps that are challenging, addictive and extremely fun. Let's get you running!

1. Temple Run
Developer Imangi Studios had thought this out well from the beginning. Right from day one, Temple Run has been a huge hit amongst the masses for its simple gameplay, missions and the one motive that keeps you hooked: keep running. Your reflexes are put to the ultimate test as you navigate through cliffs and ruins by sliding, jumping, turning and tilting. Collect coins to unlock various character, abilities and power ups that can be put to good use during the game. The iOS app offers social integration with Facebook, Twitter and even lets you Message, Mail or save your scores to camera roll.

The game's popularity knew no leaps and bounds and Imangi cashed in on the opportunity to release two spin-offs in association with Disney namely Temple Run: Brave and the more recent Temple Run: Oz along with a recently introduced sequel to the original hit. Temple Run 2 offers tons of new gameplay features and story lines offering more diverse and stunning environments with the introduction of new traps and hurdles along the way. The game now also has new characters, more power-ups, special achievements, better gameplay graphics and this time round a bigger monkey chasing you down the structures.

Temple Run (iOS, Free)
Temple Run (Google Play, Free)

2. Jetpack Joyride
The adventures of Barry Steakfries are never-ending. Jetpack Joyride is the brainchild of HalfBrick Studios, immensely popular for their creations such as Fruit Ninja, Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots, Age of Zombies and another running game called Monster Dash. Jetpack Joyride features the adventures of Barry Steakfries, a disgruntled bureaucrat who breaks in to a secret laboratory and runs amok dodging dangerous objects like zappers, lasers, electricity fields and even guided missiles. Barry is equipped with a jetpack powered by machine gun propulsions to begin with, that help him on his missions.

The game offers many interesting missions like 'high-five 10 scientists in a run' or 'run 500m without collecting coins' and much more. Completing three missions in a row takes upgrades Barry's rank, that starts from 'Beginner'.Gamers can collect coins to purchase utilities from 'The Stash' which includes other jetpacks, snazzy outfits for Barry and can even stock up on items for later use. Players will get a boost of speed and power using the Lil' Stomper, Profit Bird and Crazy Freaking Teleporter, just a selection of the vehicles pickups available, all playable with one touch controls.

Jetpack Joyride (iOS, Free)
Jetpack Joyride (Google Play, Free)



3. Subway Surfers
A product of Kiloo Games and Sybo Games, Subway Surfers is based on Jake's running skills on train tracks amidst incoming trains and being chased by the station officer and his police dog. You'll find yourself mostly dodging objects by sliding, jumping and shifting to the sides in vibrant and colourful environments. The game animation gives a very child-like appeal and the music has a hint of naughtiness that doesn't go unnoticed.

Collect shiny gold coins by not just covering the ground, but also somersaulting over train tops to purchase items for one-time use or upgrade power ups like Jetpack, Super Sneakers, Coin Magnet and 2x Multiplier.

Mystery boxes at various instances in the game award you with more coins and extra power-ups just in case you happen to run low. They also give you articles related to the other characters Tricky and Fresh that will unlock them. You can complete daily challenges by collecting all letters of a particular word to earn more coins or complete a mission set of 3 tasks.

The app recently got updated with the adventure continuing in Rome, for both iOS and Android and now also includes other goodies like a paint powered jetpack, new hovering boards, an egg hunt (collect 100 eggs for a special prize), Roberto a new Italian scooter kid character and the ability to make your jetpack and other power-ups last even longer with extra power-up upgrades.

Subway Surfers (iOS, Free)
Subway Surfers (Google Play, Free)



4. Rail Rush
Developed by Miniclip.com, Rail Rush is a challenging on-the-move game set in underground mines. Hop in to the cart and start exploring 6 different surroundings amongst caverns, waterfalls, spider nests, dead cities and mushroom halls, tilting and swiping to avoid signals and obstacles on the rail tracks.

You can complete missions such as "Jump up 20 times in a game", "Enter secret level five times" or Die in Dead City 5 times" and level up from a Passer By to Novice and other higher ranks.

Collecting gold nuggets lets you purchase power ups for your cart such as Wood Ram, Super Magnet Force, Iron Grid etc. as well as other characters like Ace Upsleave, Axel Firechief, Charles Longshot and more from the Shop. You can also collect Rock Eggs that offer extra nuggets and other gems to complete your explorer's collection.

The game begins really fast after a certain distance and demands greater focus and presence of mind. The graphics look stunning on both platforms, which also include social networking integration from Facebook and Twitter.

Rail Rush (iOS, Free)
Rail Rush (Google Play, Free)



5. Pitfall
A remastered version of the 1982 classic, Pitfall for iOS and Android follows the adventures of Harry in a volcanic jungle filled with treacherous twists. In this game from Activision, you'll find yourself dodging your way across narrow trenches, dark caverns, and cascading waterfalls, swinging past chasms and whipping away the occasional rattlesnakes, scorpions and crocodiles blocking your path. You must jump and slide to avoid obstacles such as fiery volcanic flames, tumbling ancient artefacts and narrow cliff side pathways.

The game has certain checkpoints marked by the presence of a giant colourful Macaw and a gold bell. You can choose to activate these check points by spending your loot of diamonds collected during the game. You can also use them for power-ups that aid in your running experience. The in-game store also offers added extras like costume changes, potions for extra speed and antidotes for when you're poisoned by the game's snakes and scorpions.

While running you also come across rare gold tokens that provide you help in the form of a black Jaguar or a big black Bear to cover a certain stretch.

Though the jungle is just one aspect of it, you'll also be running through villages offering alternate path routes, even under mines riding in a cart over spilled lava and riding a motorcycle in part sequences. Since the paths are very random, you'll always be surprised while playing. Like the other games in the list so far, Pitfall doesn't miss out on social media

Pitfall (iOS, Free)
Pitfall (Google Play, Free)

6. Into The Dead
It's safe to say that everyone loves a zombie game whether it's intense like Dead Trigger and Age of Zombies or light hearted like Plants vs. Zombies. A first-person endless runner game exclusive for iOS from PikPok, Into the Dead let's you experience a grim zombie apocalypse by simply running in the opposite direction. As you'd like a true zombie game to be, Into The Dead offers an intense and visceral zombie-escaping experience in the wilderness with your own breathing sounds occasionally overshadowed by zombie cries.

Eventually you will succumb to the flesh eating zombies, but you're also rewarded for your success with coins. Those coins can be used to pay for perks, which cost little and last just one round. It's easier to survive when you can pay to start with a gun, or to jump ahead 1500m, hold more ammo or find more weapon crates.

Coins can also be used to skip missions or unlock new weapons early. Along with the zombie-slaying Massacre mode, they add some much-needed variety to the game.More powerful weapons unlock as players complete goals like reaching distance and zombie kill milestones. The shotgun has a scatter fire and the chainsaw can slice through multiple zombies.

There is no story, apart from the fact that your chopper crashes and you're invaded by a horde of flesh eating zombies. There is no ending so to say. All you do is continue to run as far as you can engulfed in thick fog and the game keeps you at the edge of your seat. A recent update has brought new Footballer and WWII zombies, kill based scoring and a new map layout.

Into The Dead (iOS, Free)



7. Agent Dash
Here's a game that lets you don the Bond avatar in true style. As the name suggests, you're Agent Dash and your mission is to sprint as far and as fast as you can through a series of dangerous yet gorgeous environments of enemy bases. The game's animation resembles a lot like Disney's art style. The soundtrack is very spy-like and so are the subtle touches like those of footsteps.

Players will find themselves starting each round with jungle surroundings that itself is pretty challenging. It will take more than a while before you can witness other bases such as the lava lair or the town.

Swipe gestures have Dash sidestep, leap and slide beneath incoming obstacles such as laser beams, falling trees, skidding trucks and fiery lava while he also tries to collect stray diamonds, which are used to purchase new gadgets and unlock new agents. Of course, as a free title, those gems can be bought through in-app purchases.

There's a long list of Objective challenges to complete, each one rewarding players with an extra percentage multiplier on their score. Tapping destructible objects has your agent open fire with one of two pistols.

The game offers plenty of spy gadgets to help you on your way like jetpacks, parachutes, magnets and even slow-mo to slow down time. In addition to Agent Dash, players can unlock other runners, including a female agent and some distinctly familiar villains, like one character with an iron jaw and a short fellow with a deadly hat.

Though most of those unlocks are simply new outfits for existing characters, the customisation is taken care off and it's better than dealing with an array of individual items. Facebook integration allows you to connect and compete with friends.

Agent Dash (iOS, Free)
Agent Dash (Google Play, Free)

8. Run Like Hell
The name just says it all. That's the basic aim and once you play Run like Hell, you'll know that it is difficult to keep up. The game is a frantically paced run-and-jump platformer where you'll mostly see yourself sliding, climbing, stringing, jumping and crawling to safety and avoid the clutches of the native hungry tribals coming at you with spears for a juicy spit roast!

The game has three game modes namely endless, story and time-trials set in various environments like ancient ruins, night jungles and beach, village and caverns. Every environment has its own set of obstacles such as boulders, treasure chests, turtle shells on the beach; mad bee hives, anger tribal women in night trails.

While Endless mode can get you running until the tribals catch you, in time trials you can challenge yourself to complete a stage in a stipulated time. Story mode has comic cut scenes as you progress in the storyline.

In case you trip and fall, it will take a few seconds before you pick up speed again. At various points you can collect fog or thunderbolts to slow down the tribals along with the letter 'A' connoting Adrenaline, which boosts your speed should you choose to use it. YOu can spend coins in the Store to purchase various doses of Adrenaline.

You can also play through the Yeti, Avalanche and Heartbreaker bonus modes. Collecting coins unlocks other levels and additional game modes. Reaching milestones The graphics and gameplay experience for both iOS and Android are really smooth and will keep you hooked for hours.

Run Like Hell (iOS, Free)
Run Like Hell (Google Play, Free)

9.Totem Runner
An iOS exclusive from Chillingo, Totem Runner is one of a kind. You're a warrior trying to secure harmony and happiness to the earth, sowing flowers as you go along. The game has an upbeat soundtrack that ensures you'll be surprised every step of the way.

The initial stage, Waterfalls Valley is a tutorial to get you acquainted with the various kind of totems you'll be using in your journey. Eternal Wind Totem makes you fly with Eagle Wings, which can soar and dodge cliffs and spikes in air.

Nature's Rage Totem transforms you into a boar form to smash obstacles and enemies on the ground. The Dragon's Light Totem is an ancient force you can summon with enough gems that easily gets you through stretches until the next checkpoint arrives. But you'd want to spend them wisely since collecting gems is not all that easy and only after 50 odd gems or so, you'll be awarded with one Dragon Light Totem.

You need to constantly sow flowers in the earth as you're running that fills the three stars in each stage and unless you accomplish that, other episodes in the game won't unlock. While in most levels getting two stars is still manageable but collecting all three requires great skill and careful timing. At times, you'll even find yourself memorising a certain stretch since it will be unknown to you the first time and the sequence can be very long as well.

Mastering the quick switch between one form into human and back, over and over is a real challenge and this comes with a combination of before hand knowledge and quick reflexes. At times you need to swap between bird and boar mid-flight or on the trailing edge of an attack. The difficulty level only increases as you progress.

The graphics of the game differentiate it from the rest in this list offering a very raw experience with each level featuring a vibrant colour scheme and fantastical backdrops -- forests, castles, villages and other strange things. The background layers give a beautiful parallax effect that just can't be ignored.

Totem Runner (iOS, Rs. 55)



10. TheEndApp
Besides offering a perfect end to our list, Goroid Games' TheEndApp employs the basic skill of running for as long as you can. It is a behind-the-back endless runner, with a currency and IAP system and tilt and swipe controls and uses original water effects.

The environs offer a refreshing look with urban hazards, striking looks, light-hearted tone and the damage model it applies. Obstacles along the way include lava pits, cracked cement, jack-knifed trucks and broken car. There are ramps at various points to help you cover longer distances. There are 28 days with 5 challenges each day. 

Unlike other games, TheEndApp offers you multiple chances to keep running even if you bump into an obstacle. For instance, if you bang into a car while tilting to pick up a snaking line of duct tape, your screen becomes a shade of crimson for a few seconds. Another differentiating factor that is themed to the game is that while most other games allow you to collect coins or gems, The End App offers duct tape.

You can unlock different characters like Fed the Zombie, Suzy, Yukiko and Bobby with duct tape collections as well as buy PowerUps and other Extras from the Camp. In case you're greedy for additional duct tape, you can Like TheEndApp on Facebook (5000 DT), Follow them on Twitter (for 5000 DT), connect with friends on Facebook (for 10000 DT) and so on.

You can explore different surroundings in three different game mode - The End Origins, The End Pro Zone and The End London Apocalympics. While Origins is free for all, the Pro Zone needs to be bought. However, free users can get a Single Ride Pro Ticket for 10,000 duct tape to gain entry in the Pro Zone without having to purchase the episode separately. The London version is accessible only if you have Pro.

TheEndApp (iOS, Free)
TheEndApp (Google Play, Free)

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Google Reader is dying, but we have five worthy alternatives

With Google Reader on its way out, many users will be in need of a replacement for their RSS subscriptions. Here's a roundup of what we think are the best alternatives available

 

Hear that? That's the sound of millions of news junkies on the Web scrambling to find an alternative to Google Reader.
As you may have heard, Google Reader will soon be no more. The search giant has announced that it will shutter its much-maligned -- though still widely used -- RSS reader, which will, no doubt, leave many users in a tizzy, searching for other ways to subscribe to their favorite RSS feeds. Sure, Google Reader may not have been the most beautifully designed product to come out of Mountain View, Calif., but it sure was convenient. And now that it's going away, it's evident just how valuable it has been.
With that in mind, we've put together a list of what we think are the best replacements for the soon-to-be-late Google Reader. Plugged-in types won't want to miss a beat once Google Reader sees its sunset, so getting familiar with these alternatives now could be key.

Ideally, an RSS reader should be available on both mobile devices and desktop computers, so we tried our best to focus on this type of service.
That said, we also thought it important to mention a couple of services (at the bottom) that are only available on Android and iOS, simply because we know that they're viable alternatives, and more people than ever are reading on mobile devices these days anyway.
Finally, when you're ready to make the jump, be sure to check out the Data Liberation Front's primer on exporting your Reader data using Google Takeout.

Feedly (free)

iOS | Android | Web

 

One of Feedly's most popular features is that it can sync with Google Reader. But since that feature will soon be useless, we need to focus on the rest of what the app brings to the table. Fortunately, Feedly brings a lot.
When you first launch Feedly, it offers up a menu of featured sites from all around the Web. These sites cover categories from Design to Android to Apple to Business. You can go through and subscribe to any of these featured sites individually, or you can even subscribe to entire categories of sites with a single click. And of course, you can always search for specific URLs, site names, or topics from within Feedly and subscribe that way, just as you would with Google Reader.
More than just an RSS reader, though, Feedly comes with a built-in "Save for Later" feature and a History function, so you can go back and see what you recently read. It even lets you share items via Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Overall, Feedly is one of the best RSS readers out there. It performs well and looks slick on both iOS and Android. And for desktops, it is available via Firefox or Chrome browser plug-ins.

Taptu (free)

iOS | Android | Web

 

Taptu gives you a visual interface for browsing news feeds, a lot like Pulse (see below), and also lets you add your personal Twitter and Facebook feeds for easy access. But the DJ aspect of the app is that you can customize your feeds exactly the way you want them.
The app comes with several premade Taptu-curated news categories, but it's just as easy to strike out on your own with the feeds you already love. Build a stream from scratch using the Add Streams button, where you'll find tons of feeds from popular publications. You also can search by category, or simply perform a search to gather all the feeds that relate to a specific keyword.
In our experience, Taptu was a little laggy when scrolling through stories from within the app, but you have the option to switch to a Web version of a story that is much smoother. At any rate, Taptu is great for finding and tuning your feeds and makes for a great way to tailor your news to your specs.

Pulse (free)

iOS | Android | Web

 

Pulse News gives you all the news from your favorite feeds with an intuitive interface for touch screens. News sites are laid out vertically so you can swipe up and down to the latest news from all sites quickly, or you can swipe horizontally to read more stories from the same site. If you want to switch categories, you can touch the menu button and choose from a list or you can use a search field to find sites by keyword. The app comes preloaded with several popular Web sites you can add to your Pulse home screen.
The layout of this app is especially intuitive, making it easy for people unfamiliar with newsreaders to get started quickly. Your Pulse home screen is completely customizable, so you can reorder your feed list to show your most-read sites first. You can also add Facebook to your feed if you want to see the latest stories from your friends.
If you want a slick and elegant way to quickly read news stories from all your favorite Web sites, Pulse takes only a little bit of setup to have the latest headlines laid out for you when you launch.

Flipboard (free)

iOS | Android

 

Flipboard is already an immensely popular newsreader and social-network hub, but it has no desktop or browser-based component. Still, if you have an iOS or Android device, Flipboard is an excellent option because you can organize the info you want to look at and then flip through it like a magazine. All you need to do is create an account with Flipboard, then sign in to your Facebook, Google+, and Twitter accounts to be fully socially connected.
Once you're all signed in, Flipboard presents you with an intuitive layout of your social networks and some default news categories to browse. Touching a panel lets you browse through any of the default categories; touching and holding a panel lets you delete it and replace it with whatever RSS feed you might want. You can customize your Flipboard by browsing through several categories like News, Technology, Business, and Entertainment, then adding popular sites to your Flipboard like BBC News, the Guardian, The Economist, and Salon.
Flipboard's strength is in its magazine-like layout, but there's an enormous amount of content to choose from, making it possible to customize it with exactly the types of stories you want.

Google Currents (free)

iOS | Android

 

Never heard of this one? Don't worry, you're not alone. Google Currents was officially unveiled in December 2011 on both Android and iOS, and was framed as a sort of hybrid magazine viewer and RSS reader in one. Relatively few people jumped on its bandwagon then, and still today it has yet to gain widespread traction on either mobile platform. Regardless of its usage statistics, though, Google Currents is still useful, especially now that Google Reader will be going away.
Similar to Flipboard, Google Currents employs a magazine-style interface with large images and paginated posts. It may not be most intuitive app in the world, but it looks sleek and works well. It lets you subscribe to and download app-optimized editions of publications like Forbes and CNET, and you can subscribe to any RSS-enabled sites you like, just like with Google Reader. There's even a Breaking News feature that instantly pulls up the latest news stories within a given category.
While Google Currents may not be the biggest name on our list (even though it is, in fact, made by Google), there's no doubt that this app has potential. And with its sibling Google Reader soon biting the dust, it may even be poised for a huge upswing in popularity.

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Eye-tracking tech in the Samsung Galaxy S4? Say what?

Navigating the phone with your eyes is one of the Samsung Galaxy S4's rumored features. Reports conflict, but we take a look at how it all could work if the technology does indeed appear in the gadget.

If you believe the rumors, the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S3 (pictured) could scroll up and down based on your eye movements.

If the Samsung Galaxy S4 rumors pan out, Samsung's newest smartphone may let people interact with the screen using just their eyes.

Eye-tracking uses the camera to lock onto the motion of a user's peepers, following wherever they move. With it, the phone can perceive where the user is looking, and can respond to a set of behaviors, let's say a very intentional movement to scroll a Web page up and down, or a long, purposeful blink to click.
If your eyes have reached the bottom of a page, eye-tracking software could automatically scroll you down the following paragraphs of text.
This type of technology -- which had been researched for desktop computing long before it was conceived of for the smaller smartphone screen -- has been demoed for a variety of actions: zooming in or out, pausing a video by looking away from a screen, and playing games.
One company, Umoove, has already posted a demo video on how different eye-tracking navigation could work (below).

This isn't to say that this is the exact implementation that Samsung would use, if it were to integrate eye-tracking software at all, but it does help us visualize the pros, cons, and use cases of "perceptual computing" with this type of gesture-based software.
Software that's hard to perfect
We'll be the first to admit that weaving and bobbing your head to interact with the screen looks a little silly, but there are a few practical use cases, particularly if you're the type of person who's often busy with your hands. It's also a potentially useful accessibility feature.

From a business perspective, eye-tracking software also has interesting ramifications for advertising, potentially allowing companies to tailor ads based on the parts of a story or screen where people actually look.
However, there are also plenty of possible cons. Since the technology is still in its early days, commanding the screen with a come-hither look won't always be accurate. Just think of the issues users have had with Apple's Siri and Samsung's S Voice assistants.
Movements could look awkward in public, and distractions could easily keep your orbs darting this way and that, interfering with the tracking software's behavior. Battery life is also an issue, since the phone would have to be awake to keep an eye on you.
Just how likely is this?
We don't have any insider information on this, but eye-tracking is just the kind of feature Samsung would include in its handset.
Why not? The Galaxy S3 has SmartStay, which, if you enable, keeps the screen from dimming if you look at it. An Android phone, the Galaxy S3 also includes rudimentary facial recognition to unlock the screen.
All that's in addition to a long list of optional physical gestures that use sensors like the accelerometer to pan and zoom when you move the phone, and mute a call or song when you flip the device over.
For Samsung, a company all about staying ahead of the pack, being one of the first to use a feature like eye-tracking would be a big win -- whether anyone really uses it or not.
"Innovation is quite difficult to achieve in these devices when you're effectively using the same software platform as everyone else and the same underlying hardware," Ovum analyst Tony Cripps said. "These investments are perceived as important in that they provide some kind of differentiation from rival devices in the market."
A recent Bloomberg article reports that eye-scrolling (one of eye-tracking's behavioral expressions) won't make it into the Galaxy S4, but there's a strong chance that future devices could feature it.
As more and more handset-makers look for ways to innovate, expect to see more visual gestures creep into a smartphone's bag of tricks.

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Meet Sundar Pichai, the new head of Android

The executive, who rose to prominence on the success of Chrome, is tasked to keep Google's momentum in the mobile world going.

Sundar Pichai, the new head of Android, speaking at Google I/O last year.

Sundar Pichai, a Google veteran fond of fast browsers and computers, will have to move quickly himself as the newly named head of Android.
CEO Larry Page announced Pichai's new role in a surprise blog post today. Pichai assumes the responsibilities of Andy Rubin, who is stepping down as head of Android to "start a new chapter at Google." As the man who shepherded the Chrome browser and operating system from concept to their current, more refined iterations, Pichai has a record of defying skeptics and building projects from the ground up. But with Android, Pichai inherits a behemoth, arguably the most influential entity in the mobile industry.

"I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward," Page said in his post.
Google declined to make him available for an interview. Pichai's entry into the rapidly changing mobile world comes at a chaotic time. Despite the strength of the Android ecosystem, Samsung Electronics has emerged as the de facto Android king with its Galaxy S franchise (the Galaxy S4 is set to be unveiled tomorrow). Rubin, at one point, referred to the Korean giant as a threat. At the same time, many companies building Android phones are trying to wean themselves from Google's mobile operating system by seeking various alternatives, from established mobile platforms, such as Microsoft's Windows Phone and BlackBerry, to start-ups, like Mozilla's Firefox and Samsung's Tizen. The shake-up in Android leadership also brings up a lot of questions. Some industry observers believe Pichai's new responsibilities could point to the merger of Chrome and Android, potentially bridging the divide between the computer and smartphones and tablets. That's a daunting task. Most outsiders believe Chrome and Android businesses have been competing against each other, said Avi Greengart, who covers Google for research firm Current Analysis. The platforms are based on different visions for the future of computing: universal HTML 5 applications in the cloud for Chrome versus optimized native applications installed in the device for Android. Pichai's biggest challenge will be juggling the two worlds and deciding whether or not they should collide.

High-end Chrome OS: Google's Chromebook Pixel (pictures)

 

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At the same time, it will be his job to maintain Android's considerable momentum. The operating system held 70.1 percent of the smartphone OS market in the fourth quarter, growing nearly three times faster than the second-largest platform, Apple's iOS.
By many accounts, Pichai brings a strong resume to the job. He joined Google in 2004 and saw his stock rise with the success of Chrome. Indeed, his success there and in the Apps business, which includes Gmail and Google Drive, likely helped win him his new responsibilities. "Chrome has done phenomenally well," said Daniel Ernst, an analyst at Hudson Square Research. "It's a big part of Google cementing their role in desktop search." As Page noted in his post, people questioned whether the world needed another browser when Google kicked off its version in 2008. Now, Chrome has claimed a solid position as the most-used browser, according to Statcounter, with a share of 36.5 percent of the market. Another firm, Net Applications, uses a different calculation and has Chrome at No.3, with 17.5 percent of the market behind Internet Explorer and Firefox. The Chrome OS, which appears to be where Pichai's true passion lies, has likewise transformed from a fringe project to an operating system installed in products. While the Chrome computers haven't been tremendously successful, products like the Chromebook Pixel are considered significant improvements from the first generation.

Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president of engineering in charge of Chrome and the Google Apps, shows off the touch screen Chromebook Pixel at an event in San Francisco.

Pichai is a lanky, energetic executive known for both his intensity and his calm smile. He's also a family man, fond of showing slides of his family members during presentations; he's been known to use them as guinea pigs for Chrome OS tests. For instance, he'll have his daughter work on her homework on a Chromebook, his wife work on another, and then remotely manage a third for his parents.
He exudes genuine enthusiasm for his projects and shows an evangelical zeal when it comes to Chrome and Chrome OS without (remarkably) gaining a reputation for being overbearing, according to CNET editors who have spent time with him. "He's a very capable executive," said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at Global Equities Research, adding that he admires some of the innovations Pichai brought to the Chrome browser. Before joining Google, Pichai worked at Applied Materials and McKinsey & Co. He got his bachelor's degree in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, where he was awarded an Institute Silver Medal. He also holds a master's degree in science from Stanford University and a master of business administration degree from Wharton, where he was named a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar. If Android is going to continue its stellar run, Pichai will have to stay on his toes. His appreciation for moving quickly can only help.

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Facebook redesigns Timeline to clean up the mess

It's spring cleaning season for your Facebook profile. The company is rolling out a new version of Timeline that better organizes the elements of your life on and off the social network

The new Facebook Timeline features posts on the right side of the profile page. Photos, music, and other recent activity have been pushed to the left-hand side of the page.

Facebook said today that members soon will see a new, cleaned-up version of Timeline. The redesign comes nearly a year and a half after the social network first debuted Timeline, a radical take on the member profile page as a vehicle for storytelling.
The new Facebook Timeline, which begins rolling out to members today, dumps the two-column posting format for a single column of posts and life events.
"We heard from you that the current timeline layout is sometimes hard to read. Starting today, all posts are on the right side of your timeline, with photos, music and other recent activity on the left," Rose Yao, product lead for Facebook Open Graph, wrote in a blog post.
As Yao indicates, music, recent activity, and photos have been pushed to their own sections on the left-hand side of the page. This app-centric sidebar ties in with a new About tab and aims to make it easier for members to share their favorite interests through apps.
People can organize their interests, such as movies, TV shows, books, music, and fitness, on their About page. In each category, a person's activities and likes are displayed and tied to various apps -- including Netflix, Spotify, and Endomondo -- as selected by the member.

 

Also, members can add individual app sections to Timeline to showcase activity from favorite applications -- photos from Instagram or favorite items on Etsy, for instance. The changes, which were spied earlier this year, are quite dramatic. If Facebook Timeline is the story of your life, as the company intends it to be, that story has been one convoluted and incoherent mess. The new version of Timeline organizes the clutter and creates a more inviting environment that you and your visitors actually may enjoy.

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Hotmail, Outlook, SkyDrive hit by service disruptions

Users complain of hours-long inaccessibility of Hotmail, which Microsoft plans to blend with Outlook later this summer.

 

A handful of Microsoft Web services have been inaccessible for hours this afternoon, including Hotmail and Outlook.
Frustrated users of the e-mail services and cloud storage service SkyDrive complain about the services' hours-long inaccessibility.
Microsoft's services status dashboard confirms that the three services are not functioning properly but says it is working to restore service. It is unknown whether the disruptions are related or whether they may be connected to Microsoft's plan to shutter Hotmail and move the "hundreds of millions" still using it to Outlook.com by this summer.
This is the second time in recent months that Hotmail and Outlook users have been unable to access the services. iPhone, iPad, and Android phone users were disconnected from their accounts for several days in January.
CNET has contacted Microsoft for more information and will update this report when we learn more.

Microsoft's online services dashboard.

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Automatic automates monitoring your driving habits, fuel economy (hands-on)

The Automatic Smart Driving Assistant tracks and reports on your driving habits...automatically.

What does it actually do?
The Automatic Smart Driving Assistant and its companion smartphone app aim to make monitoring your vehicle's performance as simple as monitoring your personal performance with a Fitbit or Nike FuelBand. As you drive, the Automatic sensor monitors your fuel economy, acceleration, deceleration, and speed. At the end of each week, Automatic compiles all of this data via the app and assigns a driving score. At the end of each trip, the app also compares your fuel economy with the EPA estimated values for your particular vehicle and lets you know how much the trip cost you using real-time fuel prices.

Meanwhile, it's also tracking and logging your GPS position and can show you individual trips and routes on a map to let you know where you've been and how you got there. (This can be useful for helping drivers to learn their driving habits and in planning to possibly combine future trips.) At the end of each trip, Automatic also automatically logs the GPS position of your parked car so you can navigate back to your ride.

In the event that your car throws a Check Engine light, Automatic and its app will allow users to download the trouble code that caused the light to illuminate and automatically search an online database to explain what that code means and whether you should see a mechanic. In the event that the code was caused by something simple, such as a missing fuel cap, Automatic will also allow the user to clear the code and the Check Engine light.

Finally, should Automatic's built-in accelerometer detect that you've been in a crash, the app can automatically contact emergency 911 services with your name, current location, and vehicle description. In the event that that crash was just a really, really big pothole, you can cancel the emergency call with the app on your smartphone.

How is this different from other OBD-II readers?
One of the problems that many users have with other fuel economy monitors or diagnostic devices is that they require quite a bit of know-how and inputting of parameters to get them working properly. (I'd wager that three of five people that I know don't even know their vehicle's engine displacement.) Even I have a hard time tweaking most OBD readers to accurately report fuel economy for CNET's poor Chevrolet Aveo test car.

The Automatic unit plugs into your vehicle's OBD-II port. For most users, setup ends there.

Like those fitness devices mentioned earlier, the Automatic Smart Driving Assistant pairs with the Apple iPhone 4S and 5 via a Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy connection, to preserve as much of your handset's precious battery life as possible. There's not much setup involved, Automatic's designers have aimed at making the system as plug-and-play as possible. Simply plug the device into your car's diagnostics port, pair the device with the app running on your smartphone and (if your vehicle isn't automatically recognized as many will be) scan your car's VIN bar code to automatically calibrate the device using an online database for the most accurate reading from your car without having to know anything about your car.

Do I really need another driving distraction?
One other way that Automatic distinguishes itself from other fuel economy monitors and diagnostic devices is that it does its thing automatically and without interaction from the driver. When you enter the vehicle, the Automatic and your phone automatically pair and the app automatically starts logging your location, driving habits, and fuel usage. The phone can stay in your pocket or can be used for other purposes, such as navigation, hands-free calling, or audio streaming to a car stereo without interrupting the process. Later, when you're not driving and are ready to look at the data, it will all be there in the app.

Users can set audible alerts for high speeds and sudden acceleration or deceleration, often symptoms of inefficient driving. When the Automatic senses any of these conditions with either its built-in accelerometer or speed sensor, it can sound a beep with its built-in speaker. If audible alerts are disabled, the Automatic and its app can still log these events for viewing alongside the rest of the fuel economy and driving data later.

When can I get one and for how much?
The Automatic Smart Driving Assistant is available for preorder on Automatic Labs' Web site for $69.95. The device will ship with iPhone 4S and 5 compatibility in May 2013. Android compatibility for select Bluetooth Low Energy-capable handsets will be added in the fall. For a projected list of those Android devices that will be supported, see Automatic's Web site.

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Microsoft's latest patches address new USB hack

The software giant discovers a Windows vulnerability that lets attackers gain access to data in locked or logged-off computers with a USB thumb drive.

A new kind of vulnerability popped up recently, one that lets hackers stick a USB thumb drive into a computer -- even if it's logged-off or locked -- type out a bit of attack code and steal whatever data they want.

In an effort to avoid this type of cyberattack, Microsoft issued its monthly software patches today and included a fix for this Windows vulnerability calledMS13-027. This vulnerability lets a hacker get into the computer with a thumb drive and take over administrative privileges.

"When the Windows USB device drivers enumerate the device, parsing a specially crafted descriptor, the attacker could cause the system to execute malicious code in the context of the Windows kernel," Microsoft wrote in a blog post today. "Because the vulnerability is triggered during device enumeration, no user intervention is required. In fact, the vulnerability can be triggered when the workstation is locked or when no user is logged in, making this an un-authenticated elevation of privilege for an attacker with casual physical access to the machine."

According to IDG News Service, security experts also view the vulnerability as a serious issue.

"You've seen this attack method in movies for years, and it's now showing in enterprises all over the world," nCircle's director of security operations Andrew Storms said, according to IDG News Service. "The potential for harm with this vulnerability can't be overstated."

Microsoft issued six other patches today, four of these were categorized as critical and three were listed as important. Combined, the seven patches look to cover 20 vulnerabilities found in Internet Explorer and Microsoft's 

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Google Now starts arriving in latest Chrome, Chrome OS

It's not usable yet by the public, but Google has begun folding its smart notification system into its browser and its Chrome OS.

Google has begun putting flesh on the bones of a skeleton it's been building to add Google Now to Chrome and Chrome OS.

Google Now is starting to work its way into Chrome via the about:flags page for enabling features that aren't necessarily ready to be turned on by default.

The latest raw builds of the browser have an option in the about:flags panel to enable the Google Now system. "Sadly, we still can't play with it yet because the Google Now server URL still remains secret,"commented Chrome watcher Francois Beaufort, who spotted the change.

The infrastructure dovetails with a new rich notification system being built into Chrome and Chrome OS, a mechanism that will let developers use HTML-formatted pop-ups. That will be handy for Google Now notifications, which often display graphics like maps and weather icons.

CNET reader Michael Ortiz has noticed the new notifications system on Chrome's Canary build, which has been tested some by Google servers but isn't up to the maturity level even of the Chrome developer version.

"I just got the latest update for the Chrome Canary build and it came with a Chrome OS-like notification center that's now in my taskbar. Now all of my notifications both past and present can be seen there if I missed them," he said via e-mail.

Google Now is key to Google's attempt to transform from a search engine to a purveyor of personalized online services. Google Now raises the profile of those services by weaving them into people's daily lives and, if Google can match its ambitions, supplying people with the information they want or need before they even have to ask for it.The Google Now integration thus far works only on Windows and Chrome OS, according to the Chromium patch that added the feature.

The addition of Google Now to Chrome and Chrome OS bridges a divide between Android and Google's browser-based software foundation. Google Now is available in Google's mobile OS as a way to bring information to people's attention even if they haven't specifically set an alarm or calendar reminder, for example. Google Now can prompt Android users about nearby restaurants, remind them when to leave to catch a flight, and offer navigation directions to locations they've searched for.

Google executives have mentioned the idea of converging Chrome and Android for years, but there hasn't been much overt progress beyond high-level work to ensure both are as good as possible at delivering Google services. However, the touch screen in the flagship Chrome OS device lowers the barrier a little, and Chrome chief Sundar Pichai said in February he expects Chrome OS tablets.

One convenient aspect to the convergence is Google's emphasis on synchronizing settings. It can be frustrating to have to clear the same notifications away from phones, tablets, and Web sites, especially with so many apps constantly vying for users' attention. Chrome notifications could be another place to receive the same messages.

Google's notifications system synchronizes them across different versions of Chrome.

However, Google is working on synchronizing notifications. Those who don't want it in Chrome can disable notification sync through the about:flags interface.

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Fast access to Outlook 2013's spell-checker and auto-correct options

In an attempt to clean up the right-click menu in Word 2013 and WordMail for Outlook 2013, Microsoft removed the AutoCorrect submenu and other options. You can add spell-check to the Quick Access toolbar, but it's faster simply to press F7.

When Microsoft released Office 2013 some Word and Outlook users were unpleasantly surprised to find the AutoCorrect options removed from the right-click (context) menu of Word 2013 and WordMail for Outlook 2013.

On its TechNet site, Microsoft explains that the change was made to streamline the right-click menus in those programs. (Scroll to the end of the long list of changes made to Office 2013 to find "Contents of spelling error context menu" in the Word section.)

In Outlook 2003/2007, you can access suggested spellings and AutoCorrect options for misspelled words by clicking the lightning-bolt icon that appears when you hover over the word.

Click the lightning-bolt icon under misspellings in Outlook 2003/2007 to view your auto-correct options.

Word 2010 and WordMail for Outlook 2010 expanded the context menu to include an AutoCorrect submenu in addition to suggested corrections for misspellings.

An AutoCorrect submenu was added to the context (right-click) menu in Word 2007 and 2010, and WordMail for Outlook 2010.

The design team for Word 2013 and WordMail for Outlook 2013 can't be faulted for wanting to simplify the programs' interfaces. But from an aesthetic perspective, Outlook 2013's mail-composition window looks about the same as its predecessor, with the exception of the context menu.

The mail-composition window in WordMail for Outlook 2010 appears cluttered when compared with the mail composer in Outlook 2013 (below).

The Webmail-like interface of WordMail for Outlook 2013 is decidedly less cluttered than its predecessor.

In search of software that works the way we do
People don't all work alike: some of us like to click, some of us like to key, and most of us do a little of both. The best software interfaces are flexible enough to accommodate the way we prefer to work.

Microsoft suggests you access AutoCorrect in Outlook 2013 by clicking File > Options > Mail > Spelling and AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options. Enter the misspelling in the Replace box, the correct spelling in the With box, and click Add.

Opening AutoCorrect Options in Outlook 2013 via menu options requires five separate clicks; then you enter each new auto-correct entry manually.

One option for easier access to Outlook 2013's AutoCorrect options is to add a spell-check shortcut to the Quick Access toolbar: click New Email on the Home ribbon (or press Ctrl-N), select the Review ribbon, right-click Spelling & Grammar, and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar. (The steps are the same in the 2007 and 2010 versions of Word and in WordMail for Outlook 2010.)

Add AutoCorrect to the Quick Access toolbar in WordMail for Outlook 2013 via the context menu for Spelling & Grammar on the Review ribbon.

Now when you click the Spelling & Grammar shortcut on the Quick Access toolbar, the standard spell-checking window opens and displays suggested corrections (the same that appear when you right-click the misspelling), as well as buttons for ignoring the misspelling once or always, changing it once or always, adding it to the dictionary, and opening the Options dialog from which you can access the AutoCorrect Options.

Get one-click access to WordMail for Outlook 2013's spell-checker by placing its shortcut on the Quick Access toolbar, or simply press F7.

A post from September 2010 explained how to copy custom AutoCorrect entries from one version of Word to another. A reader contacted me recently to complain that his custom AutoCorrect entries were erased when he modified his style sheets. In a future post I'll describe how to back up and migrate your customized list of automatic Word corrections.If you can manage to remember one more keyboard shortcut, you needn't customize Outlook's toolbar at all: simply press F7 to open the program's spell-checker, and then press Alt-O and Alt-A (or click Options > AutoCorrect Options) to open the AutoCorrect dialog.

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Four-eyes rejoice! Google Glass for prescription frames coming

Google confirms that it's creating a version of Glass that allows for the addition of frames and lenses to match your prescription.

Greg Priest-Dorman, a member of the Glass team, models a prescription version of the wearable tech.

Google Glass fans who wear actual glasses will also be able to don the wearable tech, without abandoning their prescription glasses, according to a Team Glass post today.

The company said one of the most asked questions about Glass was whether Google is making a prescription version. Clearly, Google has seen the value of making Glass versions for those beholden to their corrective lenses.

"The Glass design is modular, so you will be able to add frames and lenses that match your prescription. We understand how important this is and we've been working hard on it," Project Glass wrote on its Google+ account.

The team also posted a photo of Greg Priest-Dorman, a member of the Glass team, wearing a prescription Google Glass prototype.

The team said it's still "perfecting the design for prescription frames," so they won't be ready for the Explorer Edition's release, but consumers can expect to see this version later this year.

Google said previously that it was working on a prescription glasses solution, but this is the first time the company's provided a peek at this prescription lens model.

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Health Benefits of Jackfruit / jacktree/ Katahal~

Health Benefits of Jackfruit / jacktree/ Katahal~

Strengthen Immune System-
Jackfruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, a powerful nutrient which helps protect against viral and bacterial infections. Vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system function by supporting the white blood cells function. One cup of jackfruit can supply the body a very good amount of this powerful antioxidant.

Protect against Cancer-
In addition to containing vitamin C, jackfruit is also rich in phytonutrients such as lignans, isoflavones and saponins which have anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. These phytonutrients may help eliminate cancer-causing free radicals from the body and slow the degeneration of cells that can lead to degenerative diseases.

Aids in healthy digestion-
Jackfruit is also known to contain anti-ulcer properties which help cure ulcers and digestive disorders. In addition, the present of high fiber in the jackfruit prevents constipation and helps in smooth bowel movements. These fibers also offer protection against colon mucous membrane by removing the driving away the carcinogenic chemicals from the large intestine (colon).

Maintain a Healthy Eye and Skin-
Jackfruit contains vitamin A, a powerful nutrient which known to maintain a healthy eye and skin. It also helps prevent vision-related problems such as macular degeneration and night blindness.

Boost Energy-
Jackfruit is considered as an energy generating fruit due to the presence of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose which give you an almost immediate energy boost. Although Jackfruit is energy rich fruit but it contains no saturated fats or cholesterol making it one of healthy fruit to savor!

Lower High Blood Pressure-
Potassium contain in Jackfruit has been found to be helpful in the lowering of blood pressure and thus reducing the risk of heart attack as well as stroke.

Control Asthma-
The root of Jackfruit has been found to help those who suffer from asthma. Boiling the jackfruit root and its extract has been found to control asthma.

Strengthen the Bone-
Jackfruit is rich in magnesium, a nutrient which important in the absorption of calcium and work with calcium to help strengthen the bone and prevent bone related disorders such as osteoporosis.

Prevent Anemia-
Jackfruit also contains iron which helps to prevent anemia and also helps in proper blood circulation in our body.

Maintain a Healthy Thyroid-
Copper plays an important role in the thyroid metabolism, especially in hormone production and absorption and Jackfruit is loaded with this important micromineral.

Like Daily Health Tips for More...

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Rupee breaks three-day winning run, down 13 paise vs dollar at 54.41

MUMBAI: Tracking weak stock markets, the rupee today closed 13 paise lower against the dollarat 54.41, breaking a three-day winning run, on heavy dollar demand ahead of industrial production and consumer inflation data tomorrow.


The rupee closed in the negative terrain despite capital inflows worth USD 180 million and a sentiment boost from India's exports growing by 4.25 per cent in February, forex brokers said. 

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the domestic unit resumed lower at 54.42 a dollar from last weekend's close of 54.28 and declined further to a low of 54.52 on initial hesitancy in share markets and dollar demand from importers, mainly oil refiners, and some banks. 
However, it later recovered on dollar selling by exporters and sustained capital inflows to a high of 54.17. However, it again fell back at the fag-end in tandem with equities to settle at 54.41 -- a fall of 13 paise or 0.24 per cent. 

The rupee gained 64 paise or 1.17 per cent in previous three sessions tracking buoyant stocks markets. 

The dollar index was quoting up by nearly 0.1 per cent against a basket of six major global units. 

"The rupee was seen reacting to the export import figures for February, which released today. The increase in exports came out as a surprise to the market and it made rupee to gain against the dollar at mid-session. But internationally, the factors were pointing towards weakness in rupee, which led the rupee to close down," said Abhishek Goenka, Founder & CEO, India Forex Advisors. 

Meanwhile, the Indian benchmark S&P BSE Sensex in volatile trade closed down by 37.02 points or 0.19 per cent, snapping its straight four-session rally. 

Market participants are now waiting for the outcome of the index of industrial production for January and consumer inflation data to be announced tomorrow. The inflation data based on wholesale price index (WPI) for February is likely to be released on Thursday.

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India will grow by 6% next year: World Bank president Jim Yong Kim

NEW DELHI: Expressing disappointment over 5 per cent growth, World Bank today said theIndian economy will soon get back to high growth path of 6 per cent next year and more thereafter.


"India is going to grow by 6 per cent next year and we hope for even more increase in future,"World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said. 

Kim, who is on a three-day visit to India, was talking to reporters after meeting Finance MinisterP Chidambaram here. 
He said although the economic growth has been "somewhat disappointing" at 5 per cent, but the situation would improve as the global market scenario improves. 

"Growth rate of 5 per cent here is one that has been somewhat disappointing but we are very encouraged by what has happened and what will happen and we think India will get back to higher levels of growth," Kim said. 

The Indian economy is subject to global slowdown, he said adding "as export market starts doing better, we think India will do better as well." 

The GDP is estimated to have grown 5 per cent in the current fiscal and the growth rate is likely to improve to 6.1-6.7 per cent in 2013-14. 

India's share in global economy almost doubled in five years between 2005 and 2010, he said while lauding the efforts of Finance Minister to ensure high growth rate in future. 

Kim will also be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh tomorrow and meet Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. He would visit Lucknow and Kanpur and see development challenges in the state, which accounts for the largest number of India's poor. 

This is Kim's first visit to India after taking over as President of World Bank Group in July last year.

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Today`s quotes

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm

 upset that from now on I can't believe 

you.” 

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