Samsung Galaxy S4 shootout versus HTC One, iPhone 5

Samsung may have loaded up its 13-megapixel smartphone shooter with playful settings, but it didn't skimp on raw image prowess.

The Samsung Galaxy S4's camera goes for gold.

Samsung has absolutely stuffed its Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel camera with settings and modes, but non of that matters if the phone's image quality can't stand up to the hype.
And so, this smartphone shootout, between the Galaxy S4's top Android rival, the HTC One, and another beacon of smartphone photographic excellence, the iPhone 5.

One important thing to note is that all three phones have very different sensors. The Galaxy S4 hosts a 13-megapixel camera, and the iPhone 5 has an 8-megapixel shooter.
For its part, the HTC One has a camera it calls "ultrapixels," which is actually a 4-megapixel camera. Although there aren't a lot of other specific details available, it's pretty clear that each smartphone camera has different focal lengths.
A note on my methodology: I took all photos at the same time and from the same vantage point. In most cases, I used the camera's automatic mode, and kept flash in auto mode as well. I want to show how well the cameras handled the common scenarios I set up without any special adjustments. If you're more photographically inclined, you'll be able to tease out even better images using manual settings and other modes.
Most pictures are resized and cropped; I'll point out if they're crops from full-resolution images. When it came time to evaluate the photos, I called on CNET camera editor Josh Goldman to review them with me. Down the line, Josh plans to put the Galaxy S4 camera through his usual battery of camera tests in New York. For now, though, I hope you enjoy this San Francisco shootout.

Arrow up

A very cool, colorful, and tucked-away statue stacks up arrows (or are they pixelated people?) in a towering arrangement.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
Josh and I thought that Samsung's Galaxy S4 colors look the most accurate, if a little cool. The image is also the most evenly exposed. HTC's One overexposes the shot, with blown-out yellow, and a lot of lost highlight detail in the background and in the reflection of the glass door on the left. However, you can see the seam on the black statue most clearly in the HTC One's shot. For its part, the iPhone underexposes the image a bit, but the rounded-out colors are a little more pleasing.

Ebb and flow

I shot these pictures of a fountain fixture in a nearby plaza.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
The Galaxy S4 loses this round. Its camera didn't seem to know where to focus, so it chose the steadiest thing around: the block of rock within the fountain. HTC's One is the clear winner, likely leaning on fast shutter speed to successfully freeze the running water. Of all three pictures, this image is also the most focused across the entire plane, but as before, the One blew out the detail in the water's the splash. The iPhone 5, meanwhile, fits right in between the two.
We also noticed that the HTC One's color is off, tending toward blue. You see that replicated in many images throughout this test.

Fountain close-up

Here's the cropped, full-resolution portion at the focal point in the water's stream.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
Up close, the One's dominance in this shot is even more crystal clear, though Josh notes that the water's definition is oversharpened and "crunchy."

Strictly forbidden

Don't park here. They really mean it.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
All three cameras did a nice job capturing this image, but the Galaxy S4 has the advantage for its most accurate color representation and lowest levels of noise. The One was our least favorite, losing a lot of background detail. The red was a little little rusty as well, a symptom of the camera's overall blue cast. Of the pictures, the iPhone 5's saturated red makes for a more lively image.

Signage, up close

These photos are full-resolution crops of the original, and all different sizes.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
The artifacts around the lettering are strongest in the HTC One and iPhone 5 pictures, which you can see in slightly jagged edges there. Colors are a little more accurate on the GS4, and while there's still noise, there's less of it.

Heads up

There's quite a lot of texture in this is clay noggin. I focused on the mouth, such as it is.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
This one's an interesting shot because it looks so different across the board. The S4's image is my favorite overall, once again blessed with the most even exposure of the three. You can see the clay detail and also some definition in the background street scene. The One's statue looks the brightest in the dueling light, but it's hopelessly overexposed, which you can tell when you take in the blown-out tree leaves, strip of white street, barely yellow meter, and color-striped taxi.
Although the iPhone produced the darkest image, it's the only one where you can see the actual road and the best taxi cab detail. There's more shadow detail as well. This may be the most technically proficient picture of the three, but my vote goes to the Galaxy S4 in this round.

Sweet ride

What better way to see how the phone cameras handle color than this awesome scooter?
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
All three of these photos look pretty nice. Samsung and iPhone produce rich, vibrant reds (the One once again is blued). If you look closely at the front of the Vespa, you'll notice that the HTC phone and, to a lesser extent, the iPhone, wash out the surface. For another example, fix your eyes on the mount just to the left of the handlebar area on the right.

Portrait

I took these photos indoors at dusk in a room with artificial lighting, focusing on her nose. I took multiple shots with each camera, and used automatic mode, so the camera algorithms could decide to use flash or not.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
I'm still not sure what happened here. None of the three photos turned out as expected, which is to say, in focus. In fact, all three images look pretty terrible. The Galaxy S4 fired its flash, which filled in the picture but also made the subject look sallow.
The HTC One never focused and never attempted to use flash; it's the blurriest of the bunch, and this is (believe it or not), the best of the three shots I took. While the iPhone 5 picture is noisy, it's arguably better-looking than the GS3 picture, because it makes use of natural light. I think this one's a toss-up for me, but if I were sharing one of them over e-mail or through a social network, I'd choose the GS4.

On the rocks

I shot this cocktail without any flash in a very low-lit indoor environment.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
Oh, Samsung, what have you done? The GS4 camera clearly picked the wrong light source to focus on, creating an inky low-light image, while the HTC One's picture actually came out strong enough to tell that you're looking at a beverage in a glass. Strange highlights and a floating blue window put a hitch in the One's victory dance, but you get the general idea. The iPhone 5 takes this round with the best colors, evenness, and detail.

It's all textual

A single, flickering candle illuminated this drink menu, taken indoors with the flash off. I focused on the large "R" and kept this cropped image at full resolution. These images represent the best of three shots per camera.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
This is one of those photo setups that's pure stress test, though few would likely recreate this exact scene. Once again, Samsung's Galaxy S4 completely wiped out, which leaves the bout for the top low-light prize for this full-resolution crop between the iPhone 5 and HTC One. The One his the technically better shot when you account for the highest amount of detail and least amount of color noise. The iPhone 5 image contains a tremendous helping of noise, but I think that if you were to take a photo of a menu like this in its entirety, the iPhone's picture would be the easiest to read.

Final assessment

Josh and I both agree that the HTC One's camera is the weakest of the three. Its color reproduction is cooler and adds a blue cast to shades. It also overexposes more shots and conveys the least amount of detail. However, the One's low-light performance was pretty good, and in many instances, we'd be happy using a picture from the One in casual photo-sharing situations.
When it comes to the out-and-out winner, the tussle between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 grows murkier. In well-lit photos, the choice for the "better" camera is a coin toss. The iPhone's slight underexposure captures the most detail across a scene, but the GS4 camera produced a lot of the photos we liked best.

The HTC One's camera in action (pictures)

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If there's one thing that tips in the iPhone's all-around favor, it's low-light performance -- and in this, the Galaxy phone's automatic mode miserably failed. The iPhone has always had a terrific track record with consistently good shots that don't require you to dig through settings first, and it's proven that again here against the GS4.
Still, Samsung deserved kudos for a job well done with the Galaxy S4's camera, including tools like automatic burst mode and settings like panorama and HDR, among more fanciful creations

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'Wintel' on the wane: Intel goes Google

Intel has been synonymous with Windows PCs seemingly forever. But it's trying to change that in a hurry. Enter Google.

A sign of things to come? A $99 Craig Android 'Netbook' powered by Intel.

The fact that Microsoft and Intel no longer rule the personal computing world isn't news. But what happens next is.
I'll start with a flashback from the early '90s. I remember attending the launch of Windows 3.1 when I lived in Japan. Kazuhiko Nishi, former friend and business partner of Bill Gates, made a statement that foretold the fate of the Japanese PC industry as well as the global PC market.
I'm paraphrasing, but he said Microsoft was the chassis and Intel the engine of the personal computer. The point, of course, was that the two companies controlled the Windows PC and, as a consequence, controlled the digital computing world.
That was then. Today, Intel needs to be the engine powering the non-Windows world. That's where the explosive growth is.
So Intel is turning to Google. I've been hearing from sources at Intel for a long time that Android is the future. And Intel said as much to CNET this week.

Expect to see Intel-based Android laptops and hybrids priced between, let's say, $200 to $500 in the coming months. (Likely, at first, from companies such as erstwhile Netbook vendors Asus and Acer.)
But those aren't the only newfangled devices you'll see. Intel's Communications Group is also pushing hard into Android phones. The Lenovo K900 and Motorola RAZR I, and phonelike devices such as the Asus FonePad, come to mind. Intel will continue to expand this business in developing countries.
And Intel-powered Android tablets are also in the cards. If you don't think that's possible, just look at all of the Intel-Android tablets being sold in China.
Then there's the Chromebook. Intel is inside most of these, including the Chromebook Pixel, Acer C7, and HP Pavilion Chromebook.
The question, of course, is how successful Intel can be when it's not calling the shots with Microsoft.
I'll be watching carefully in the next 12 months. Will consumers?

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Today`s quotes

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

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Workplace stress can double your risk of heart disease

Healthy employees exposed to stress at work are at twice the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new German study has warned.
Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany evaluated data from a population-based cohort study and found that healthy workers exposed to stress at work displayed significantly elevated inflammatory parameters and faced twice the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The study was based on a long-term observation of more than 950 people as part of the population-based cohort study MONICA/KORA.
The work was conducted by Dr Rebecca Emeny as part of the Mental Health working group headed by Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig, Institute of Epidemiology II at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (HMGU).
Data was analysed from questionnaires on psychological stress at work and concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers in the blood.
More than half of the participants in the study stated that they experienced psychological strain and stress at work.
Scientists found a clear association between stress and elevated concentrations of CRP (C-reactive protein), which is an inflammatory marker, and were thus able to demonstrate a stress-related inflammatory reaction in the body.
Moreover, job stress led to harmful psychological effects such as depression and sleep disturbances as well as to unhealthy behaviour, for example, physical inactivity.
Doing sports regularly, for at least one hour per week, significantly reduced inflammatory activity. However, the differences in terms of health risks between people who suffered from work stress and those who did not still remained.

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“Even a moderate increase in happiness at work improves the bottom line by 20%”

  Alexander Kjerulf AKA The Chief Happiness Officer is the founder of Woohoo inc and one of the world’s leading experts on happiness at work

How important is happiness at workplace?
Happiness at work is the most important success factor for businesses, and has a huge impact on the bottom line. One study showed that even a moderate increase in happiness at work improved the bottom line by 20%. Another study showed that the happiest companies are three times as profitable as regular businesses.
Also happiness at work is one of the main sources of happiness in life, so it also has a huge effect on employees. In fact, being unhappy at work can not only make you unhappy in life, it can also make you sick and ultimately kill you.
What are the ways and means by which employees can be happy at work?
Most people and companies get it wrong. They think that happiness at work comes from salaries, raises, bonuses, pension plans and perks. It takes two things to make us happy at work:

• Results
• Relationships

Let’s take a closer look at these two. Firstly, results. We all want to get results. We all want to make a difference, know that our work is important, get appreciation and do work that we can be proud of.
One of our deepest psychological needs is the need to control our environment. If we’re placed in a situation where we have no control and where nothing we do matters, we feel terrible. On the other hand, we love to make a difference. Accomplishment feels great. As Franklin. D. Roosevelt put it: “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
Some managers don’t realise this about their people. They think employees must be pressured into performing. That when they are left alone, they choose to do nothing. In fact, the reverse is true and when given half a chance, they will work their hearts out to accomplish great results. Especially, meaningful results.
And secondly, there are relationships at work. When you ask people what makes them happy at work, they consistently rate these things highest:

• Nice co-workers.
• A good manager.
• Good communication.
• Fun and a sense of humor in the workplace.

Each of these is a sign of good relations, including care and indeed love – simple signs that people like each other and communicate well. These good relations don’t have to stop with co-workers and managers, but can also apply to customers, suppliers, shareholders, and the company’s wider community.
And relationships at work matter so much because we will be spending a lot of time with people at work. When you think about it, you’ll be spending more of your waking hours with them, than with your friends and family combined.
So this is the secret to happiness at work: Results and relationships – doing great work together with great people.
Do you believe employers should do their part to keep their employees happy? What are some of the possible strategies they could implement to create a happy workplace?
The company has a responsibility to be good workplace and executives must make happiness a strategic priority.  Managers need to realise that happiness at work is the most important driver of productivity. So, managers need to realise that their most important job is to make sure that their employees have results and relationships and are happy at work.
They can do simple things like praising people who do good work. They must make sure to connect with and understand their employees, so they feel understood and valued. They must give employees the tools and resources they need to do a good job.
Otherwise they will end up creating a very unhappy and unsuccessful workplace.
Are there some things that employees must be careful about while trying to be happy at work?
I’ve spoken in India several times and there are two things I’ve noticed about Indian workplaces, that I think needs to be changed before they can become really happy. One is that there seems to a very authoritarian culture – the boss’ word is law and the structure is very hierarchical. Also, in some places at least, low-level employees are treated quite rudely or badly. This is bad for employee happiness. It is important to treat every employee, regardless of status or position, with respect.
Also, I’ve noticed that Indian workplaces look to the US for clues on management. Well let me tell you something: The American management style doesn’t even work that well in America. And considering how rich the Indian culture is, I would much rather see Indian workplaces look there for inspiration than to the USA.
Finally, I think the huge advantage you have in India is that there is already in Indian culture and society a desire to be happy, at least in private life. I would love to see more Indians take that desire into the workplace.

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Try Ayurveda for hair loss

Try Ayurveda for hair fall

For thousands of years, men and women of all countries and races have shared the tragedy of pre-mature hair loss.

According to Ayurveda , the hair is derived either as a by-product or produced as a breakdown product of Asthi (bone tissue). Any disturbance in this tissue metabolism, which very much depends on the digestive fire, can affect the health of the hair. To a certain extent, the quality of hair depends on the body constitution.

The reason for hair loss is a subject that no two doctors, seem to agree on and everyone seems to have their own opinion on the subject. The major causes of hairfall are hormonal, nutritional deficiencies and complication to other diseases and medications. Hormone related hair fall may also result from an increased sensitivity of hair follicles to male hormones or due to greater number of male hormone receptors attached to hair follicles. This is the component that is inherited through the genes — termed as Pitta constitution.

According to Ayurveda, excess of Pitta dosha in the body is increased by hot climatic conditions, excessive intake of spicy, salty and sour food, hot and sharp food, tea, coffee, alcohol, meats and excessive smoking. Eating too much fried, oily, greasy, and acidic foods also aggravates Pitta. Pitta balancing herbs (Eg: Shatavari —Asparagus) and vegetables which improves the quality of Asthi dhathu (Eg: bitter vegetables) are effective in treating hair fall.

There are a number of other causes for hair fall like acute illness, high stress, and thyroid imbalance, certain drugs, sudden weight loss and high fever.

The first step is to locate the root cause in your diet or lifestyle that may be increasing the Pitta dosha. Once you locate it, try to give up or at least reduce the diet, habit, or activity responsible for increasing Pitta. Internal use of Ayurvedic medicines like Thikthakam kashayam, Thikthakam ghritham as per medical advice are effective to correct the metabolism. Ayurvedic general tonics like Narasimha rasayanam, Chyavana prasam are effective for improving hair growth. In alopecia, due to systemic diseases, treatment of the same is also required.

General recommendations and tips to maintain the results are some of the following:
- A high protein and an iron rich diet is recommended for hair loss. An adequate intake of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, salads, green leafy vegetables should be included in the diet on a regular basis. - Use a natural shampoo to clean the hair. Amla (embilica officinalis), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) are very good for washing the hair. - Oiling and massaging of scalp is very beneficial for stopping the hair loss. Use coconut oil at least three times in a week. Certain medicated oils like Neelibhringadi oil, Kunthala kanthi oil, Kanjunnyadi oil are very useful. Put oil on the scalp, and massage gently in the roots of the hair.

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7 Foods that help burn fat in summer

Foods that help burn fat

Forget fancy diets, the top flab busters can be found in your own kitchen.

Summer is here and if you have been feeling wistful over not being able to wear your bikini, it's not too late. A magazine quoted dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton as saying, "Metabolism is what converts food into energy. A slow rate means calories are more likely to be converted into fat." While exercise helps, and so does portion control, here are those foods that act as the the biggest metabolism boosters.

Apples: These are said to be nutrient-rich and contain enough fibre to keep the digestion healthy. A tip? Eating an apple just 20 minutes before your meal will make you eat lesser calories in your main meal.

Turkey: This is regarded as a good alternative to chicken as it is lower in calories and higher in proteins and nutrients. It's said that 5 ounces of turkey contains just 175 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Broccoli: Adding more broccoli to your diet can help you lose that weight as it is a low-calorie food that can help you fill up quickly. A single cup of steamed broccoli gives you about twice the amount of vitamins C and K you need in a day. It also is a very good source of vitamins B6 and B2, phosphorus, magnesium, protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

Almonds: Almonds can speed up metabolism like no other. They are also associated with with reducing cholesterol and lowering blood sugar.

Peppers: Bell peppers are great for weight loss. They can fill out any dish without adding the calories and have a small amount of fat burning capsaicin in them.

Pulses: Legumes or pulses like soya beans and kidney beans have key nutrients like iron, vitamins of B group and dietary fiber. Pulses help maintain regular bowel movement because the texture of the fibre helps it move through the digestive system quickly.

Green tea: Is another substance that can be added to the diet that can increase the metabolic rate. Green tea has EGCG in its composition. This substance helps to increase the body and the rate that the nervous system functions. It in turn increases the metabolism.

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Airtel, Microsoft announce combo offer

Bharti Airtel and Microsoft announced a partnership, wherein consumers in the country can get discounts on purchase of Xbox games and Airtel high speed broadband connection.

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel and Microsoft announced a partnership, wherein consumers in the country can get discounts on purchase of Xbox games and Airtel high speed broadband connection.

As part of this combo offer, consumers buying an 'Xbox 360 4GB Kinect' console or taking a new Airtel high speed broadband connection can save up to Rs 15,500, a joint statement by the two comapnies said.

This combo includes 10 Xbox 360 games, 12-month free Xbox LIVE gold membership and up to Rs 4,888 offer on the existing or new Airtel broadband connection, it said.

The Xbox is a video game console manufactured by Microsoft.

The promotional offer is valid till June 30, 2013 and is available across Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, it added.

"Consumers can now enjoy a smooth Xbox LIVE entertainment experience which includes the best multi-player action that Xbox is so well known for on an Airtel broadband," Microsoft Corporation India Business Group Lead (Interactive Entertainment Business) Anshu Mor said.

"We are confident that our-tie up with Microsoft... deliver a much-awaited and enhanced experience for gaming lovers," Bharti Airtel CEO (Homes and Office) Najib Khan said.

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Dhoni does it again as Chennai beat Hyderabad by 5 wickets

MS Dhoni rejoices after hitting the winning shot for Chennai in their IPL 6 match against Hyderabad.

CHENNAI: It was that man MS Dhoni again for Chennai Super Kings . The CSK skipper played yet another blinder on an innings (67, 37 balls, 7x4, 4x6) to take his team home against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Thursday night.



In what another tight finish, CSK needed 28 from the last two overs and 15 from the final one bowled by Ashish Reddy. Dhoni was equal to the task and took CSK past the post with two balls remaining as Reddy's lack of nerve proved costly for Sunrisers.

Michael Hussey gave CSK a fine start with a brisk 45 off 26 balls as his side chased 160 for victory. But leg-spinner Karan Sharma put the breaks on CSK by giving away just eight off his four overs. But Dhoni was there to make sure the target was reached.

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan marked his return to competitive cricket with a cracking 63 not out (45b, 10x4) to help Sunrisers post a challenging 159-6. The left-handed opener played a lone hand following a top-order collapse to lift the visitors after they had opted to bat.

As luck would have it for SH, Dhawan was hit in the abdomen region by a Dwayne Bravo delivery that forced him to retire hurt on 44, just when he appeared to have set the platform (83-4 in 13.3 overs) for a solid finish.

Darren Sammy pulled his weight by using the long handle remarkably on his tournament debut to help the SH carry on the fight. Dhawan returned on the fall of the West Indian captain (116-6 in 17.2) and reached his fifty with two spanking boundaries off Bravo.

The SH innings was all about Dhawan and his calculated assault of the CSK attack and his spectacular finish with Ashish Reddy (36 not out, 16b), the pair putting on 43 runs in 16 balls for the unbroken seventh wicket.

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Skype finally coming to BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry said on Wednesday it plans to fill one of the biggest gaps in the app line-up on its new BlackBerry 10 devices with a long-awaited Skype application.Skype, which was acquired by Microsoft Corp in 2011, allows its users to communicate via voice, video or chat over the Internet, by-passing traditional telephone networks. The service has hundreds of millions of users across the globe.
The announcement comes a day after BlackBerry said its new Q10 will be available in Canada on May 1 , and in the United States before the end of May. The Q10 (Review I Pictures ), which comes with the physical keyboard that many of BlackBerry's core fan base cherish, is the second device powered by the company's new BB10 operating system (Review ).
Skype will be available on the Q10 on launch day. Users of the existing Z10 (Review I Pictures ) touchscreen device will have to wait a few weeks more to get Skype, after a software upgrade on the operating system, BlackBerry said.
A smaller app base than Apple's iOS and Google Inc's Android platforms has been one of the biggest criticisms of the new BlackBerry system. It has yet to offer some big-name apps like Netflix and Instagram.

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YouTube to get its funny on with Comedy Week

First comes Twitter's #ComedyFest. Then in May you can head to YouTube for your online chuckles.

The challenge posed by YouTube Comedy Week.

If you think you might need a good laugh or two come mid-May, you might want to keep YouTube in mind.
Google's Internet video subsidiary on Thursday announced the first-ever YouTube Comedy Week, scheduled for May 19 through May 25.
It will start out on the evening of the 19th with the global live-stream of an all-star comedy variety featuring a mix of stand-up, sketches, and musical performances. Then as the week unfolds, YouTube said, there will be dedicated programming that includes live performances, new episodes from popular YouTube comedy channels, and curated top 10 lists from comedy stars.
The comedians of YouTube Comedy Week will include Vince Vaughn, Rainn Wilson, Sarah Silverman, and Seth Rogen, along with The Onion, CollegeHumor, Epic Meal Time, and Funny or Die.
You can tune in to the hijinks at YouTube.com/Comedyweek or follow along on Twitter via #ComedyWeek.
And speaking of Twitter, the home of the 140-character quip will be holding its own online comedy fest next week at #ComedyFest.

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Facebook purchases Parse to promote mobile app development

With the buy, the social network unveils a new strategy in mobile: selling backend services to app developers.

Facebook has agreed to purchase Parse, a service that allows developers to build mobile applications for iOS, Android , Windows, and mobile web. The social network announced Thursday that it picked up the mobile-focused company for an undisclosed sum and said it plans to continue offering Parse's products and services. The deal is reported to be worth $85 million , according to TechCrunch.
"By making Parse a part of Facebook Platform, we want to enable developers to rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices," Doug Purdy, Facebook's director of product management, said. "Parse makes this possible by allowing developers to work with native objects that provide backend services for data storage, notifications, user management, and more. This removes the need to manage servers and a complex infrastructure, so you can simply focus on building great user experiences."
Two-year-old Parse currently powers tens of thousands of mobile apps, including those of top brands, CEO Ilya Sukhar said in a blog post on the sale. Customers include the Food Network, Cisco, and Deloitte. The San Francisco-based company had raised roughly $7 million in funding from Ignition Partners, Google Ventures, SV Angel, Menlo Ventures, and other angel investors. The buy seems largely motivated by Facebook's continued interest in conquering mobile, an effort that recently culminated in the release of Facebook Home . Parse provides the social network with a new way to go about its mobile-first mission; it offers the company instant access to a pool of mobile developers who might be more motivated to weave Facebook hooks into their applications. Facebook also will, by continuing to sell and manage Parse's backend services, pick up an entirely new revenue stream and become a service provider of a different kind.
Parse offers a free plan for developers with smaller application audiences, but sells a paid service that starts at $199 per month.

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Yahoo Mail for Android review: Simple and reliable e-mail client for Android

The good: Yahoo Mail performs smoothly and comes with most of your basic e-mailing needs. It even offers formatting tools that aren't available in other mobile mail clients.
The bad: Doesn't let you perform any actions (delete, star, or mark as unread, for instance) from the search results screen.
The bottom line: Yahoo Mail is a reliable performer that makes it a snap to both read and fire off e-mails from your Yahoo account.

With Yahoo Mail for Android, you can quickly access your Yahoo e-mail account (or multiple accounts) right from your mobile device. Altogether, the app is clean, user-friendly, and it includes some bonuses that make it feel very much like its desktop counterpart.
The first thing you'll notice about Yahoo Mail for Android is how much it looks and feels like its browser-based big brother. It's mostly dressed in purple and all of the icons are pulled straight from the Yahoo Webmail site. But of course, all of this has been adapted for the mobile screen, as most of the app's controls are tucked neatly into a nifty navigation panel that slides out from the left. From this panel you can create new or access existing mail folders, switch accounts, and edit app settings. If you have Yahoo Messenger installed on your device, the panel also includes a shortcut that can take you there.
When it comes to performance, the Yahoo Mail app doesn't disappoint. Everything moves smoothly, and messages open and close without issue. Also, I found the app's push notifications to be reliable. That said, I was disappointed that I didn't see any options for different syncing intervals.
Composing messages with Yahoo Mail is a much richer experience than in other mobile e-mail apps, thanks to all the formatting tools that it offers. It lets you make text bold, italicized, or underlined, and it lets you change the size and color of text as well. There's even a button that lets you add Yahoo emoji to your messages. These formatting options, while they may seem insignificant, actually help set Yahoo Mail apart from the Gmail and Outlook.com apps.
On a tablet, the Yahoo Mail app is optimized to take advantage of the larger screen area. The left side of the screen is taken up by a narrow panel, which lists the messages in your inbox, while the rest of the screen acts as a dedicated preview pane. This makes it easy to quickly go through messages without having to repeatedly press the Back button. To get to your folders, though, you'll still have to access the sliding navigation panel on the left.

From the search results screen, you unfortunately cannot delete messages or perform any other actions.

What annoys me about Yahoo Mail is that when you conduct a search with the app, all of the controls next to the messages seem to disappear. This means you can't star or mark messages as unread, or even delete messages directly from the search screen. And since there aren't any check boxes next to search results, you certainly can't select multiple items to commit any bulk actions.
Overall, Yahoo Mail for Android is still a winner. It does everything you need it to, plus it offers some nice features like formatting, push notifications, and integrated Yahoo Messenger. If you have a Yahoo e-mail address and an Android device, then this app is a must.

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New Chrome extension can open Office docs

Following in the footsteps of Chrome OS, Google brings the ability to directly open MS Office files to its latest browser beta with an extension.

Google Sheets made a mess out of a fairly unsophisticated Excel spreadsheet, overwriting words, dropping a graphic altogether, and generally looking ugly. Google hopes that a new Chrome extension will help eliminate these problems.

Direct browser support for Microsoft Office documents is coming in fits and spurts to Chrome. Google's latest effort is a portly extension for Chrome beta.
If you're running Google Chrome Beta on Windows or Mac , you can now install the Chrome Office Viewer . It will allow you to open links to Office files directly in the browser, a feature that was first announced with the Chromebook Pixel .
However, you're limited right now to merely viewing the files. To edit, you'll have to upload the file to Google Drive, or open it in Microsoft Office or another compatible program. It's also worth noting that the extension is quite large, and at around 25 MB it's close to the same size as the browser installer itself.
Google engineer Jelte Liebrand wrote in the blog post announcing the extension that using it increases computer security by isolating the document in Chrome's sandbox . If it's malicious, it won't be able to spread the malware to your computer. The Chrome Office Viewer is compatible with Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.
Google's quest to add comprehensive support for Office files to Chrome and Chrome OS has proved elusive, so far. The company purchased QuickOffice last year to provide more robust Office file support, but as my colleague Stephen Shankland reports, it's still painful to use them in Chrome nearly a year later. Chrome OS currently fares a bit better, he wrote, but is still not perfect.
If Google can successfully integrate Office file support in Chrome and Chrome OS, it would go a long way towards bolstering the company's argument that the browser-based operating system that powers Chromebooks and Chromeboxes are worthy competitors to computers running Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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What iTunes needs next

Apple's venerable iTunes Store has been around for 10 years, but here's what it needs to make it through another 10.

The iTunes Store is 10 years old -- and iTunes, even older -- and it often feels like it.
Apple has certainly gone through some efforts to make iTunes look and feel different, but it's the load that iTunes bears that's the real problem. Once upon a time, iTunes was made to work with an iPod . The setup was simple; the software was good. It held MP3s and acted as the bridge.
Then a music store was added. Then, videos. And audiobooks. Now, apps. What started as a simple software-to-hardware relationship became the necessary portal for all software on and off an iPod, or the far-more-advanced iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad . iTunes handled document side-loading and software backups.
iTunes has officially hit overload.
Today, it's not that iTunes doesn't work; it just doesn't do anything extremely well. In fact, I avoid it when possible . iTunes 11 made good strides in cleaning up the older look of the software and decluttering things, but the fundamental role of iTunes -- and what it does -- remains largely the same.
Can iTunes win my love back...and yours, too? The key lies in iTunes smartly addressing what music- and media-playing feels like in 2013: mobile, cloud-based, and multidevice. iTunes needs to be simple, lean, and helpful. And it needs to do things on a computer that might not seem all that exciting but are important for media libraries we care about: heavy lifting.

iTunes should just be for music and media
iPods, iPhones, and iPads used to need iTunes to set up and install all files. That's no longer true: iOS devices can now be set up and used without ever coming in contact with iTunes on a computer (although, for getting photos and videos on and off, you'll probably still want that computer). Yet, iTunes remains burdened, perhaps overloaded, with the job of syncing and locally backing up these iGadgets.
On your iPhone or iPad, the iTunes Store and App Store are separate. So it should be on Macs and PCs, too. Managing apps, documents, and backups is enough of a job for a standalone piece of software, especially since many homes now have a fair handful of iOS devices to deal with. I don't care whether iOS device management gets folded into the Mac App Store, or becomes a third standalone application -- it just needs to go somewhere else.
This would let iTunes take a breather and just focus on tunes. And media.
iTunes in the future: Cloud first, local second
But iTunes, as a media-management software, needs to be savvier, too. There's another reason I stopped using iTunes to manage my iOS music: you're restricted to syncing with one computer's library, and getting new music away from your computer becomes a huge pain.
Whether you're streaming via an app like Pandora or Spotify, or using a third-party cloud music service like Amazon Cloud Player, getting files on and off your device happens on your phone; nothing else is required. To expect anything else is absurd in 2013, especially with how powerful smartphones and tablets have become.
iTunes Match, Apple's own cloud music-streaming and download service, solves some of these issues. But not all of them. I've switched to iTunes Match and stream songs directly from my cloud library, but iTunes Match costs money to subscribe: $25 a year. That's not a lot, but unlike iCloud, there's no starter-pack "free" option.
iTunes Match has clear advantages: it works more fluidly across computers that have a shared Apple ID, as opposed to iTunes' one-music-library-syncing philosophy on local music. This is the way it should be. If you want to find purchased music, you now have to dig into submenus on your iOS app to find that music and redownload it.
iTunes Match-like easy-to-browse cloud music delivery should be free for any purchased iTunes media, with a charge for the matching service and any content you upload yourself.

iTunes needs to be a better file-management program
iTunes works, except when it doesn't. Syncing my entire 15,000-song music library with iTunes Match took a while, but now it's all available to me at a moment's notice...mostly. There are songs with missing parts, mislabeled tracks, and other oddities, and some tracks remain grayed out, not having uploaded at all. Some of these problems were errors in my music library, but the problem with iTunes Match is that it doesn't let you easily discover and fix problems. It's not a viewable "locker" like Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music are. What this means is, I leave my broken music alone, because it's too annoying to fix.
Amazon and Google have cloud-based services, but they don't do a phenomenal job of managing actual music and media files on a computer. iTunes has an advantage there, but iTunes as an actual program for file management leaves a lot to be desired. iTunes doesn't help clean your library easily. Duplicate tracks can be spotted, but eliminating them isn't as effortless as with certain third-party solutions. Errors with song files aren't identified and fixed. For someone like me, with a decade of digital music accumulated, iTunes should be more helpful with keeping my cabinets organized.
There's value in this type of unsexy service. We have to keep our media somewhere, and having a local backup is a very smart idea. If computers are like trucks, iTunes on a computer should be more of an inventory/database service than a killer music player. Sure, we might play music on a computer via iTunes, but those days are diminishing. Music is becoming the domain of mobile devices. Music playback on a personal computer is a secondary service.
Most people I know don't go to iTunes that often on their computers. iTunes needs to be more of a storage facility than a music player, and be an excellent, clearly organized one that syncs and backs up from the cloud.
Make free streaming content easier to find
Apple has had a trend lately of offering some awfully good free streaming content. David Bowie and Justin Timberlake, among others, streamed their full albums on iTunes weeks before release. You had to browse the iTunes Store and play from the artist page, however, which most people didn't even realize.
Instead, why not have a pop-out pane that can show the music-du-jour that's free to stream? Maybe that's the eventual aim for an iRadio service, but rather than the failed music-discovery approach of Ping, offering clear and valuable music content that's easy to find feels like an obvious win for all involved.
Keep being simple
A lot of improvements were made to iTunes 11: a cleaner design and stripped-down look is the right direction. But the back-end functions of iTunes need to be strong. And from here on in, the cloud matters more for media playback than ever before. Apple's philosophy of simplicity is the right one. Maybe it's just a different set of features that need to be emphasized.
iTunes should be a service that works even when we're not using it on our computers. Even if not seen, it should be heard.

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Today`s Quotes

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

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Bright, budget-friendly Nokia Asha 210 (hands-on)

As a member of the Asha family, which is the company's line of inexpensive phones aimed at emerging markets, the 210 will not be heading to the U.S. Rather, it will launch in Q2 in parts of Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia for about $72 (before tax and subsidies). It will come in single- and dual-SIM models as well.
Nokia is also partnering with three social networking and messaging apps, and bringing them onto the Asha 210. Depending on where you are, the device will sport a shortcut key for either Facebook, Weibo, or WhatsApp.
Design
The handset is compact and has a sleek, minimalistic aesthetic that's similar to the Lumia. Save for the top of the phone (which houses a 3.5mm AV jack and Micro-USB port for charging), and a door on the left edge for the optional second SIM slot, its edges remain largely unblemished. It has a polycarbonate construction and a thin, severely bricklike shape. I especially welcome its smooth, almost chalky feel as well.
The Asha 210 measures 4.39 inches tall, 2.36 inches wide, and 0.46 inch thick. At 3.43 ounces, it's lightweight and fits well in the hand. It comes in four other colors besides yellow: white, cyan, magenta, and black.

The Nokia Asha 210 sports a 2-megapixel camera and a polycarbonate construction.

The front includes a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, with a 320x240-pixel resolution. So, while it won't display crisp HD video, text and menu icons still looked clear and easy to read when I handled it. Below the display are two selection keys, two buttons to make and end a call, a center navigation key, a shortcut camera button on the right, and a hot key on the left that will launch a certain social networking service (more on that later).
The four-row QWERTY keyboard lights up when in use and is textured for easy typing. In addition, the space bar doubles as a Wi-Fi launch button when long pressed. During my time with the device, I found the keyboard to be a bit cramped. However, save for a few typos and missed letters, the buttons are easy to press and again, I love the keyboard's chalky texture.
On the rear is a camera lens that lacks a flash. Below it is a wide speaker grill. With the help of a small indent up top, the back plate is easy to take off. Once removed, you can gain access to the primary SIM card slot, the microSD card slot that's expandable up to 32GB, and the battery.

The boldly bright Nokia Asha 210 (pictures)

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Features
One of the center selling points of the Asha 210 that Nokia is pushing is its connectivity to certain social networking and messaging services. Using its Wi-Fi or 2G capabilities, users can access these apps with the aforementioned shortcut key that's left of the center navigational button.
For Europe and Latin America, the handset will feature a physical button to launch Facebook (no, not Home, just regular Facebook). The 210 in China will have Weibo, a mobile messaging and micro-blogging service, and India, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia (more specifically, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia), will get WhatsApp, another mobile messaging application. As mentioned in its review, WhatsApp is free to download, but after one year of using it, customers will have to pay a 99-cent subscription fee. Fortunately on this phone, that yearly fee is waived.

This version of the 210 features a launch key for the mobile messaging app, WhatsApp.

The 2-megapixel camera has some editing options, including a 4x digital zoom. The device is powered by a 1,110mAh battery, which has a reported talk-time of 12 hours and a standby time of 24 days.
It runs the minimalistic and user-friendly Series 40 Asha interface and includes Nokia's cloud-based Xpress Internet browser. Other features include 64MB of flash memory and Bluetooth 2.1.
Outlook
Though the Asha line isn't bound for the U.S., the 210's $72 price tag makes it reasonably affordable in developing markets. It also sports the bare tech necessities, such as a camera and Internet connectivity, and its dual-SIM capabilities adds onto its global appeal. Most importantly, however, is its ties with demographic-specific social media services. Pushing apps like Facebook and WhatsApp elevates the handset to a younger, Internet-connected customer base, and keeps it relevant in today's market.

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