Finally, Facebook Too Gets The #Hashtags

Bangalore: Hashtags, which were popular on the sites like Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, or Pinterest, have made their way to Facebook too. On Wednesday, the social networking giant, on its news room page, posted that the hashtags will now be clickable on Facebook pages; allowing you to add context to a post or indicate that it is part of a larger discussion. When you click on a hashtag, you'll see a feed of what other people and Pages are saying about that event or topic.

“Every day, hundreds of millions of people use Facebook to share their thoughts on big moments happening all around them. Whether it’s talking about a favorite television show, cheering on a hometown sports team or engaging with friends during a breaking news event—people on Facebook connect with their friends about what’s taking place all over the world,” the post said. Facebook users will now be able to group comments on the same topic by typing the hashtag alongside a keyword - such as #holiday! - at the end of a post.

Facebook is said that hashtag is one of many other new features that it will introduce to highlight discussions about events on Facebook. But presently the feature will only be rolled out to roughly 20 percent of its users, with a full global launch expected in the coming weeks.

Although Facebook's own users have been using hashtags for some time, to highlight some comments and status updates, they will now be able to click on the hashtagged words as a search term and view a feed of discussions relating to that topic.

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Google launches Cloud Print app for Android devices

The new app lets Android users print from their devices to compatible printers.

Google's new Cloud Print app for Android.

Android users now can print photos, documents, and other files directly to certain printers with Google's Cloud Print app.
Landing in Google Play on Wednesday, the app allows you to print from any compatible Android phone or tablet to any Google Cloud Print connected printer. You can also share photos and documents from the built-in Gallery and other Android apps to Cloud Print and check on the status of your print jobs.
You can see if your printer is compatible with Google's cloud printing through the Cloud Print Web site.

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HTC, Samsung Fights On Twitter; LG Plays The Referee

Bangalore: Twitter is the perfect ground to exchange potshots. The 140 character strings has so far displayed some of the fierce and funny battle with words. And when it’s between Samsung's and HTC, things get interesting; adding spice to it was LG, who came up with a good advice.

Things started with HTC winning UK’s “Hottest Phone of 2013” award. HTC’s official Twitter account celebrated the victory calling out Samsung UK. Samsung took no time in replying about the three awards they took home last night and told HTC can keep their one.

When we thought everything is over, there was HTC again, but this time with a hard, striking one, telling that the paid reviews Samsung does with students had indeed paid off.

Apparently LG, another hot contender in the Smartphone race has also joined the verbal battle, but as a referee, asking both companies to cool down, with a funny advice, “calm down dears! It’s only a phone.”  See the words exchanged below:

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Champions Trophy: Dhawan, Jadeja star as India march into semifinals

India's Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik walk off at the end after leading their side to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy match against West Indies at The Oval cricket ground in London.

LONDON: The Oval looked like a photoshopped image of a cricket ground on a grey canvas here on Tuesday. Adding life to that image was Team India and the scores of high-decibel fans who had arrived here in the morning to show their support.



MS Dhoni and his boys did not disappoint, putting in a dominating performance with both bat and ball to beat West Indies by eight wickets with 65 balls remaining.

The thumping win gave India an easy passage into the semifinal and also shut out Pakistan's hopes. West Indies's next match against South Africa is now a virtual quarterfinal, while India's next game against Pakistan is a dead rubber.

Shikhar Dhawan (102 not out off 107 balls; 10x4, 1x6) scored his third consecutive international hundred and man of the match Ravindra Jadeja (5/36 off his 10) were the two men who fashioned victory for India. There's little that Dhawan can do wrong these days. And even if he does, expect a Kemar Roach to be there to drop him. Roach did just that, dropping an easy one when the batsman was unbeaten on 41. The left-hander never gave the West Indies another chance.

A six over third-man brought him his second successive ton and he celebrated in trademark style. The target would've been way lower than the eventual 233 set by the West Indies if not for Darren Sammy's unbeaten 35-ball 56, inclusive of five fours and four sixes, that changed the course of the game. Until then, India — riding on Jadeja's thrilling five-wicket haul — had done very well to restrict the West Indies to 182-9.

The left-arm spinner, who also won a review for Marlon Samuels' dismissal, happens to be in the same zone as Dhawan, hardly going wrong with the responsibility entrusted to him. While remaining the most economical of all bowlers, Jadeja picked 5-36 from his 10 overs, inclusive of two maidens, that set the bar high for the rest of the attack.

Except for part-time bowler Virat Kohli, the other bowlers shared a wicket each. Riding on a disciplined attack and some impressive fielding, India would've enjoyed an easier chase if not for Sammy throwing his bat at anything that came his way.

India began their chase in the manner they began their innings in Cardiff, with Rohit Sharma's finesse complimenting Dhawan's aggression. Sharma reached his 15th half-century before a DRS review suggested a faint nick off the bat.
Incidentally, India twice opted for the decision review and got it right both times.

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Google buys Waze to further improve Maps

Google Inc bought Israeli mapping startup Waze on Tuesday for just over $1 billion, a source familiar with the matter said, acquiring an online real-time mapping service to safeguard its lead in one of the most crucial aspects of smartphone usage.

Google said in a Tuesday blog post it had closed the long-anticipated deal. It now planned on using Waze's service to enhance its own Maps product, but did not say how much it paid.

Maps and navigation services have become vital for technology companies as consumers adopt smartphones and other mobile devices. Waze uses satellite signals from members' smartphones to generate maps and traffic data, which it then shares with other users, offering real-time traffic info.

Waze's product development team will remain in Israel and operate separately for now, Google said. Eventually, its service will also serve to enhance the U.S. company's Maps app, while the core Waze product itself will benefit from integrating Google-search capabilities.

Google's acquisition ranks among the largest purchases of an Internet company this year as technology deals begin to heat up. Last month, Yahoo Inc closed a $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging service Tumblr.

In a separate blogpost, Waze Chief Executive Noam Bardin said his company decided to forego the typical initial public offering route for startups, because it wanted to focus on the product.

"Choosing the path of an IPO often shifts attention to bankers, lawyers and the happiness of Wall Street," said Bardin, who is based in Palo Alto, California along with a small staff. "We evaluated many options and believe Google is the best partner for Waze."

Offense or defense?
Maps are among the five most-used applications on smartphones and tablets, along with music and games. Analysts say Google might have been motivated by a desire to keep Waze and its real-time traffic information out of rivals' hands.

Facebook Inc was, at one point, an interested buyer, sources have told Reuters. Talks however with the world's largest social network broke down after disagreement over whether Waze's main team should remain in Israel or not, AllThingsD and other tech blogs reported last month.

Four-year-old Waze was the brainchild of Ehud Shabtai, a software engineer with a degree in philosophy and computer science from Tel Aviv University, who hit upon the idea when he realized commercially available GPS software could not reflect real-time conditions speedily enough, or provide certain useful data - such as speed traps.

According to Waze's website, Shabtai teamed up with entrepreneurs Uri Levine and Amir Shinar to found Waze in 2008.

It now has 47 million users, raising $67 million in funding to date from firms including: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Blue Run Ventures and semiconductor company Qualcomm Inc.

Shares in Google, which pledged on its blog to work with Waze's existing community of update contributors, slipped 0.47 percent to $886.96 in the early afternoon. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was down .36 percent at the time.

"Imagine if you could see real-time traffic updates from friends and fellow travelers ahead of you, calling out 'fender bender...totally stuck in left lane! and showing faster routes that others are taking," Google Geo Vice President Brian McClendon wrote in a blogpost.

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Mobile developers from India, China in demand

Mobile developers from India, China in demand: Study

To bridge the significant gap in demand and availability of skilled mobile developers, several large organisations are tapping global talent hotspots like India, China, Israel and Europe, says a study.

Job postings for mobile developers has doubled in since 2011, but supply is growing only at 13 percent, the study by Talent Neuron, a web-based talent planning and management platform from Zinnov LLC, said.

To address the gaps, companies are following a three-pronged approach acquisitions, leveraging global talent hotspots by expanding their R&D footprint and vendor partnerships to take advantage of available talent, the study said.

"Several large organisations are leveraging global talent 'hotspots' such as India, China, Israel and Europe," it said. The majority of mobile application talent is located in EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), where 42 percent of the global top 25 cities for mobile development are located, with Finland, Tel Aviv and Moscow emerging as key locations.

Interestingly, APAC (Asia Pacific) is a hotspot for talent that works on Android platform, while iOS and Blackberry developers are less prevalent in the region.

The study found tremendous demand for HTML 5 development skills, which witnessed a 149 percent increase in job postings in 2013, followed by job posts for Android app developers (146 percent rise) and iOS developers (132 percent rise).

Commenting on the findings, Talent Neuron Co-Founder and CEO Vijay Swami said, "There is an intense war for mobile development talent, fuelled by low availability and the dynamic nature of the industry which requires constantly updated skillsets."

"Rather than waiting for the perfect candidate, companies should aggressively leverage global locations to expand their catchment area, analyse skills of niche mobile first organisations before M&A and opportunistically leverage partners for talent (not cost)," Swami added.

The report further noted that regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, London and Tel Aviv can take on high-end work, while cities like Sydney, Tokyo, Munich, Sao Paolo are 'challengers' where talent predominantly works on testing and development.

The ecosystem is still nascent in emerging cities like Beijing, Bangalore, Shanghai, Dublin and Madrid, it added.

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Apple announces iTunes Radio free music streaming service

Apple on Monday unveiled its hotly anticipated iTunes Radio Service, as the iconic maker of the iPhone moved to challenge streaming music operators like Pandora and Spotify.

(Also see: Apple showcases iOS 7 featuring complete UI overhaul)
The free Internet radio service features over 200 stations "and an incredible catalog of music from the iTunes Store," Apple said in a statement as it opened its annual developers conference in San Francisco.
(Also see: Apple unveils OS X Mavericks, new Mac Pro)
The ad-supported free music service is set to launch later this year and "offers music fans access to thousands of new songs every week, as well as serving up exclusive music from new and popular artists before you hear them anywhere else," an Apple statement said.
The service will be integrated with Apple's personal voice-assistant software program Siri, so users will be able to find out "Who plays that song?" or ask the program to "Play more like this."
"iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalized radio stations which have been created just for you," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services.
"It's the music you love most and the music you're going to love, and you can easily buy it from the iTunes Store with just one click".


iOS 7 and other Apple launches in pics

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Bihar to uplift 1 crore people through skill development

Bihar government has set a target to enhance the skills of one crore people in various works in the next five years so as to lift them above the poverty line, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today.
“After development of skill of one crore people their income will increase two to four times and this will help pull masses above poverty line,” Kumar said while addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the newly constructed building of women ITI at Digha Ghat here.
A trained labourer would earn not less than Rs 500 a day and even if he works for 24 days a month he would earn Rs 12,000 in a month and would come above the poverty line, he said.
“Lifting people above poverty line is the prime target of the Bihar government,” he said.
One effective way for skill development was through industrial training institutions with the state government setting up a human resource development mission under his chairmanship, Kumar said.
12 women ITIs have been opened in nine subdivisions of Bihar. There are 59 government industrial training centres and 459 non-governmental institutions in the state, the CM also said.
In a bid to empower women, the state government has planned to form 10 lakh women self help groups. Out of this 1 lakh SHGs have already come into being.
“When 10 lakh SHGs start functioning, 1.25 crore women would be full of economic confidence, then how the state would remain backward,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that skill development would bring down the migration rate from Bihar for livelihood.

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‘Compensation structure will be more agile and flexible in times ahead’

Shubha Kasivisweswaran, HR Director, SunGard

What actually goes into building a sustainable and effective compensation strategy during appraisals? 
Whatever the season, employees will stay if the work is good, the environment is challenging and healthy; and the rewards are consistent and fair; and they see a joint commitment to their future in the organisation. What is unique to the appraisal cycle is that we decide increases at this time – decision on these needs to be shaped by the organisation’s philosophy. Firms that want to build a pay-for-performance culture will differentiate by performance level; firms that have diverse teams across domains or industries are more decentralised and expect managers to own their resources; they will give broad guidelines and let managers decide individual payouts; so, compensation strategy cannot change seasonally and needs to support business drivers and structures. It is useful to have increase structures that allow you to differentiate increases for merit, for promotion and for market catch-up.
What do employees generally expect from appraisals? How do you see the expectations changing in times ahead? 
Appraisals refer to the review of work done, but in most organisations and with most employees, this is synonymous with the increases and promotions that usually follow an annual appraisal exercise. To claim that an appraisal process is successful we must be able to make the distinction between the two processes in the minds of employees. That will ensure a fair understanding of how appraisals will impact pay outcomes, but also how the appraisals will feed into career plans, personal development and overall satisfaction. Employees expect that the appraisal process will be transparent, predictable, and fair. Appraisals are not a sphere in which people like surprises – even a positive surprise actually sends the message that the employee’s ability to assess work and impact of his work is not congruent with how the organisation views that work and that impact.
What retention strategies do you put into place to retain dissatisfied employees, post appraisals? 
When we say post-appraisal outcomes, we cover salary increases, promotions, role changes, transfers etc. To deal with dissatisfaction in any of these outcomes, you must start along with the appraisal process itself. We introduced a channel for employees to raise any concerns and I believe the key to why it succeeded was because we launched it along with the appraisal process and at every stage of the process, reminded employees to raise concerns, doubts or alerts through that. This works in two ways: there are always some employees who are feeling aggrieved and this forces them to examine the issue they are aggrieved about and that usually gives them a perspective that we could never manage through discussions; the second is when a genuine issue is dealt with promptly as soon as it arises and in confidence, word spreads. This in turn, reduces the incidence of that issue for others – remember that it is usually the same set of issues that are raised again and again. Do not discount the power of peer conversations – have a process that acts as a catalyst to surface these issues and address them promptly. That will help you harness the power of peer conversations. 
How do you see compensation strategies changing in times ahead?
In the years ahead, as organisations become more agile and flexible, compensation and reward structures will follow suit. For example, I believe we will see structures where a number of components could be short-term and revisited a few times a year; for example, an employee working on a critical project receives an allowance that lasts as long as that project does and there is no stigma with its discontinuance at the end of the project. The sense of entitlement that employees have now will diminish. Also, more organisations will move to communicating a Total Compensation or Total rewards picture to employees to maximise the value from investment and also to ensure employees understand the full extent of the investment the organisation is making.

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Indian student in Cornell University hacks into ICSE, ISC database

Kolkata-born Debarghya Das, majoring in computer science, says that all he had to do was run a simple program that entered all roll numbers after defining a range to get access to all the results.

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old Indian student from Cornell University hacked into the database of ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) school exam results, exposed glaring anomalies in the marking system and went on to merrily write about his exploits in an online post.

Kolkata-born Debarghya Das, majoring in computer science, says that all he had to do was run a simple program that entered all roll numbers after defining a range to get access to all the results. "It is shocking they haven't implemented a more secure system," Das told TOI on phone from New York.

After the result's data was crunched, analysed and plotted in graphs, Das discovered an interesting incongruity in the marking system: there are 33 different scores unattained between the passing mark of 35 and the maximum of 100 by the nearly 1,50,000 who appeared for the ICSE (Class X) exam. According to Das' findings, not a single student got the following marks: 36, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93. Similarly, in the case of ISC (Class XII exam) a set of 24 marks between 40 and 100 were found to be unattained.

When contacted, chairperson of the CI SCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) Gerry Arathoon, refused to comment on both data security and the unattained marks. "I can't say anything until I have had a look at things myself," he said.

Das says that the missing marks indicate that perhaps they were tampered with. He offers mathematical and statistical arguments to defend his position in his online post. He says that the ISC anomaly appears to be a case of awarding "grace marks" and writes -- "Everything from 35 onwards, and most things from 23 onward seem blindly promoted to a pass mark."

Pranesh Prakash, policy director at the Center for Internet and Society, says one needn't even be a techie to execute such a hack. "You don't need real technical skills to do this. You just need to figure out the ranges and feed them in. It is an interesting revelation that the website does nothing to obfuscate the javascript for security, but one can still retrieve data without that information. Once you have the data, it requires two minutes of programming to get it in a spreadsheet," says Prakash. In his post, titled "Hacking into the Indian Education System", Das wrote that he was doing this to "demonstrate how few measures our education board takes to hide such sensitive information". The student also told the TOI that it wasn't possible to change any values in marks and upload fudged data again, and that he made any significant progress in this direction only about 3-4 days after the results were announced. His online post says he also has the data for CBSE class XII. Though he hasn't yet made it public, he does admit it was harder to crack than CISCE, though not altogether difficult.

Schooled in Kolkata, Das is curren tly interning at Google, working on YouTube's captioning system. He is also working on a tongue-controlled game and has earlier been active in game and applet design. The idea to hack the results came to him fo llowing a desire to help two close friends who had recently taken the exams.

Das, nicknamed Deedy, told ToI that he worked on the ICSE and ISC results off and on for a week, but it essentially took about 4-5 hours to get all the data."It took me more time to write the blog post," says Das, referring to his 19-page post with all the graphs, data and explanations that is currently online.

For Das, there was only one other takeaway from the whole exercise. "Regardless of any tampering, it would be nice to see a transparent exam scheme. SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) publishes everything related to the exam results every year. It is inconceivable that a national level exam board doesn't do that," he says.

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Ind vs SA: Shikhar Dhawan's ton sets up India's win over South Africa

India's Shikhar Dhawan (R) celebrates his century with India's Virat Kohli (L) during the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and South Africa.

CARDIFF: In the middle of all the madness surrounding cricket, if there's one man having a blast, he's Shikhar Dhawan. Confined to the first-class circuit for years, tagged a wasted talent and blamed for his off-the-field eccentricities, he's emerged from those shadows to shine in the brightness of his abilities.



He began the year 2013 with a bang, cementing his place in the squad after that spectacular century in his debut Test against Australia, and is now opening the innings for India in the One-dayers.

On Thursday, at the Sophia Gardens, in the opening match of the Champions Trophy against South Africa here, he continued in that same vein of form, scoring 114 runs off just 94 balls inclusive of 12 fours and a six that pushed the opposition into a corner early in the game.

Riding on his entertaining innings, India posted a healthy 331-7 in the stipulated 50 overs, and took control of the proceedings. South Africa began the chase well but two suicidal run-outs and some avoidable strokeplay changed the course of their innings.

Eventually, India won a match — dragged right till the end of the 50th over — by 26 runs. Dhoni hadn't hinted much about the prospect of Rohit Sharma opening the innings with Dhawan. But on the morning of the match, when the two walked out, it didn't come as a surprise to see the Mumbai batsman — who seems to have a very strong backing of his captain — open the batting. Dhawan's form seemed to have rubbed off on Sharma and the duo brought the first 100 runs in just the 16th over, off 98 balls, to set the tone.

Early on in the innings, it was Sharma who first went after the bowlers. Dhawan joined the party midway through the partnership as the do put on 127 runs. The only chance Dhawan gave in his innings was a stumping opportunity messed up by South Africa's captain and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. The rest of his innings only varied between having to make a choice between a drive and a loft and a six or a four as he made light of a wayward South African attack.

The last 10 overs of India's innings saw 82 runs scored for the loss of three wickets. That meant 149 runs coming between the 17th and the 40th over for the loss of just four wickets. It underlined Dhoni's theory of taking a cautious approach and saving wickets for the end. That India were 213-2 at the end of 35 overs and SA 212-6 sums up the story.

A great effort also came from allrounder Ravindra Jadeja who seems to be growing in confidence with each game regardless of the format. It's no surprise that Jadeja has been MS Dhoni's go-to man of late.

On Thursday, the 24-year-old's 29-ball 47 cameo consisting seven fours and a six helped India surge from 260-5 in the 42 over to the eventual total. On the field too, he was electric, picking a wicket, taking a catch, and most importantly, effecting a thriller of a run-out - of Robin Peterson - to snatch back the initiative for India.

South Africa have themselves to blame for letting India walk away with two points. Missed chances, run-outs and an unmethodical approach during the Powerplays scripted their defeat.

The wicket played true to how it had been perceived, allowing batsmen to go for their shots in both the innings. However, spinners played a larger role in the game than what had been expected, considering the new ICC rules of allowing teams to take two new balls in an innings.

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Microsoft Launches Website That Helps Students Buy Laptop

Bangalore: The graduation season is in full swing in U.S. Among the colleges that are vying to capture the attention of high school grads, the odd out, Microsoft, is trying to sell its computing machines by launching a website that lets family and friends to come together and chip in to help their grads buy a windows laptop, reports Los Angeles Times.

Last year too Microsoft came up with a way to boost its PC sells by getting a free Xbox 360 game console to the new grads with the purchase of a Windows PC.

The website too goes with the name “Chip In,” and idea behind it, as Microsoft’s Kristina Libby, the head of consumer communications for Windows, says, was to make it easier for students to get laptops for college by helping them crowd-source the necessary money from their loved ones. “It’s a really easy way for friends and family to help give students a gift that they actually want and actually need,” Libby said.

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LinkedIn To Open New Office In Bangalore

Bangalore: Social networking site LinkedIn, reportedly booked a 74,341 sq ft of office space in Prestige Technology Park in Bangalore. The company has taken up the space to consolidate its existing offices while the rest of it will be used for growth, reports Economic Times.

According to LinkedIn India Country Manager Nishant Rao, "The new office space in Bangalore will house employees across functions, including customer service, engineering, sales and marketing."

LinkedIn India is currently head quartered in Mumbai and has two branches, one in Gurgaon and other a technology centre in Bangalore. The world's largest professional networking site has 150 employees in India as on December 2012. The country provides the second largest user base for LinkedIn after U.S.
"Having grown by almost 500percent since LinkedIn India started operations in November 2009, the 20 million members account for about 9percent of LinkedIn's global members (225+ million)," said Rao.

LinkedIn has launched a series of exclusive products for its users in India. HCL Technologies, ING Vysya and WABAG are among the top companies to use LinkedIn Talent Solutions; India has added more than five million users in the past 12 months until the March 2013.

The 22-acre Prestige Tech Park houses other big companies such as JP Morgan and Adobe, the transaction between LinkedIn and Prestige was reportedly handled by a property consultant DTZ.

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Acer Iconia W3 launched, world's first 8.1-inch Windows tablet

Acer has unveiled the first 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet today at Computex 2013. The Acer Iconia W3 priced at $379 was unveiled a day before the official start of the Taiwanese consumer trade show.

After a plethora of big slates running the Windows 8 OS, this is the first Windows 8 device that can actually fit in your hand. It is powered by an Intel Atom Z2760 processor with a 1.8GHz dual-core chip. The tablet comes with a 1280x800 pixel resolution LED-backlit display. It also has a 2-megapixel front facing camera and a 2-megapixel rear camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB and Micro-HDMI, lacking USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports seen on previous Windows tablets from Acer. The device weighs 540 grams and is 11.35mm thick. Acer promises around eight hours of battery life for the tablet which happens to be pretty good for its size.

The Acer Iconia W3 comes with a pre-installed copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013. The Iconia W3 will be priced at 329 Euros for 32GB and 379 Euros for 64GB storage variants. Acer US has confirmed that the tablet will arrive at $379 but hasn't confirmed the storage capacity of the device yet. With storage options of 32GB and 64GB, the device also includes a microSD card slot and will allow up to 32GB of external storage.

The tablet is made of plastic with a Windows button on the right edge. The Micro-USB port on the tablet can be used for sharing data and connecting to devices like phones, MP3 players, USB drives, or a mouse.

Acer has also introduced an optional keyboard with the device that is expected is cost around $90. The keyboard that allows Bluetooth connectivity with the tablet runs on AAA batteries. The keyboard dock hence does not power the tablet, but has a hollow space that fits the device. The look and functionality of the keyboard is said to be similar to the one seen on Acer's already existing Ultrabook line up.

The Iconia W3 is a smaller addition to the already existing large screen Windows tablets that Acer had introduced at Computex last year. With the Windows 8 segment facing tough competition from smaller Android tablets like the Nexus 7 and the iPad Mini, how a smaller Windows 8 tablet fairs in the market would be interesting to see.

Acer Iconia W3 key specifications

• 8.1-inch backlit LED display with 1280X800 pixels
• 1.8 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor
• 32GB, 64GB internal storage, expandable by up to 32GB
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• 2-megapixel front facing camera
• Eight hours of battery
• Windows 8 OS
• Weight: 540 grams
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• Micro-USB, Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack

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Google releases stock Android keyboard as standalone app in Play Store

It seems that Google has started to take the Nexus experience and provide bits and pieces of it to users on non-Nexus Android devices. To begin with, Google has released its Google Keyboard app for phones and tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above. The app on the Google Play Store is now available for English speaking countries while Google says that more locales will be added soon.

The application gives you the stock Android keyboard that comes with Nexus devices. Much like how keyboard applications like Swiftkey and Swype work, you can download the Google keyboard application from the Play Store in order to replace the existing keyboard on your Android device. It is however important to note that while these popular keyboards are paid, Google has launched the Google keyboard free of cost.

The stock keyboard was updated during the launch of Jelly Bean and comes with features such as Gesture typing and next-word prediction. With gesture typing you basically glide through letters without lifting your finger and when done you can lift your finger to finish a word. You can also tap the microphone on the keyboard to compose messages with voice typing.

The keyboard comes with support for 26 languages. One major missing point that most users claim is the absence of emoticons, something that OEMs like Samsung, LG and HTC add to their keyboards.

For Nexus enthusiasts the stock keyboard coming to the Play Store is certainly positive news. Third-party applications that claim to give a Nexus keyboard experience are available on the Play Store, but there's nothing like the real thing. With the official Google keyboard now available for download, all these have surely become obsolete.

The keyboard is presently not available in India for download. But staying in line with Google's promises, we expect a roll out soon.

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Logitech buys Kickstarter-funded TT Design Labs

The two-person startup's team will now work for Logitech. The accessories maker will also start selling the TT Design Labs products under its own brand.

The TidyTilt case for the iPhone 5 at left, and the JustMount

Logitech, a company focused on selling tech accessories, has acquired a company that got its start on Kickstarter.
TT Design Labs was founded a little under two years ago by Derek Tarnow and Zahra Tashakorinia. The company's first product was an iPhone accessory, known as TidyTilt, that doubled as both a stand for easier viewing of the iPhone, as well as a case protector. The TidyTilt could also handle the wrapping of earbud cords to keep everything, well, tidy.

To get off the ground, TT Design Labs brought the concept to Kickstarter, where it raised more than 2,000 percent over its goal. Since then, the company has built another accessory, called JustMount, that works as a magnetic mount for an iPhone and the TidyTilt.
Neither Logitech nor TT Design Labs announced the terms of the deal, but Logitech will now start selling both of TT's products under its own brand. Tarnow will stay on with Logitech as a full-time designer, while Tashakorina will work in a consulting capacity.
Both the Logitech TidyTilt and Logitech JustMount are available for preorder via their new owner. The TidyTilt will set customers back $34.95, while the JustMount will cost $24.95. Logitech plans to ship them "in the coming weeks."

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Samsung launches firmware update for Galaxy S4

The update provides users with the ability to put applications onto the SD card, freeing up the precious little space on the 16GB option.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 (left) and its predecessor, the Galaxy S3.

Samsung has launched a firmware update for the wildly popular Galaxy S4 that should quell some unrest for those who own the 16GB version.
Once the firmware is installed, users will have the ability to offload their app installs to the SD card. That's especially important for 16GB device owners who were upset to find that they had just 9.15GB of usable space on the device's storage. Moving apps to the SD card can save some of the needed space. Samsung has also found a way to squeeze another 0.08GB of space on the device's drive, according to SamMobile, which was first to report on the news.

In addition to handling the storage issue, the software update for the Galaxy S4 includes a host of fixes and improvements, including the ability to record HDR video and a fix for the purple effect users were seeing when scrolling through pages.
According to SamMobile, the update is available only in Germany now, but the site cited sources who said it will roll out elsewhere at some point.

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Technology paves way for a highly competitive HR cosmos

According to industry experts any HR team facilitated by technology can efficiently manage the multi-cultural and multi-generational workforce, across the globe.

Nearly 54% of organisations will be focusing on significant technology investments to manage the global workforce, revealed a TimesJobs.com study.
The evolving “boundaryless” work environments demands dynamism in recruitment, work process, organisation structure, internal and global workforce operations, resulting in increased need to have IT enabled HR services. Technology savvy HR professionals are the need of the hour. Industry experts believe that any HR team facilitated by technology can efficiently manage the multi-cultural and multi-generational workforce, across the globe.
The (hi)-tech benefits
HR is a very crucial function of any organisation. Technology helps the HR professionals to streamline the basic recruitment process so that they have time to focus on other vital and strategic aspects of their job.
Also, it aids in reaching out to a large, diverse talent pool, with minimal effort – saving on time, energy and money. Technology also helps in organising the vast database of HR departments and simplifying the initial sifting and short-listing process. Further, it assists in setting up standard evaluation tools. Overall, the technology employed in HR functions, aids organisations in taking quick and wise hiring decisions.
Staying updated
With the insurgence of technology in HR, organisations are offering training to their respective HR departments to keep them updated about the latest happenings and innovation in the field.
Since, the hiring space is a highly competitive market, organisations are experimenting and inventing new technologies every other day, to stay ahead of their counterparts. Thus, merely knowing the existing technologies doesn’t help. HR professionals, today, need to be aware, informed and skilled enough to utilise the HR-related technologies, efficiently and effectively. For the same, there is need of constantly updating the HR staff regarding the available options, innovations in the sphere and providing the necessary guidance and training to them.
Word of caution
Some feel that extensive use of technology in HR can present challenges in the form of reduced job opportunities for HR professionals in the near future. But, industry experts rule out this threat. According to Mahesh Ramalingam, Regional Head of Talent Acquisition & Service Delivery – South Asia, Thomson Reuters, “If you look at a larger industry level – when there is more automation, there is more need of support, maintenance staff.”
Way ahead
Ramalingam stated that HR IT is a need of the hour and organisations. “Be it big or SM enterprises, organisations are increasingly investing in this area. I would tend to agree that it has to and can innovate further,” he said in a live chat session on TimesJobs.com.
“The continued growth of technology, social media, and easy communications now makes it possible for most knowledge work and team activities to occur remotely. Allowing top talent to work ‘wherever they want to work’ improves retention and makes recruiting dramatically easier,” asserted Meenakshi Roy, Sr. Vice President Human Resources, Reliance Broadcast Network.

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Fastest way to lose belly fat

Fastest way to lose belly fat

Here's your quick guide to a flat, toned stomach

Losing weight on your midriff can seem very challenging, but if you push yourself a little further, you can easily shed those extra kilos from your abs and flaunt an envious one.

Side plank
This abs exercising is known to be the most difficult one than a traditional plank one because you are supporting your entire body on two points of contact instead of four. Thus you must work your core harder to stay stabilised.

How to do it: Lie on your left side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip.

Next brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you are balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold position for 30 to 45 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Walkout from push up position
This exercise needs a full body movement such as using your arms and legs while incorporating resistance to strengthen your entire core too.

How to do it: Start in a push up position with your hands two inches wider than your shoulders. Now walk hands out as far as possible then walk back. Repeat this for 12-14 times.

The alligator drag
This exercise uses your entire core to keep your body stabilised and burns additional calories by adding movement. It mixes stability, cardio and strength training to get you the fast results.

How to do it: Look for a stretch of floor where you can move 10 to 20 yards forwards and grab anything that will slide over the surface with minimal friction. Now start in push up position with your feet on slides or towels behind. Walk yourself forward with your hands to the end of the runway and repeat the alligator back walk from where you started.

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Their is always burden of expectation on Team India: MS Dhoni

"If you don't have fans, people ask if you're missing them. When you have fans, people talk of the burden of expectation. So I think when it comes to the Indian team, there is always pressure or the burden of expectation," Dhoni said.

CARDIFF: There seem to be two faces to Mahendra Singh Dhoni these days — one which lights up if you're talking cricket and the other that sulks if you refer to the recent scandals in Indian cricket. More specifically, questions about Chennai Super Kings.

On Wednesday, the eve of the first match of the Champions Trophy between India and South Africa, he was asked about the tournament and cricket. Naturally, his face lit up. "If you don't have fans, people ask if you're missing them. When you have fans, people talk of the burden of expectation. So I think when it comes to the Indian team, there is always pressure or the burden of expectation," he said.

Pressure and burden are words he's avoided uttering ever since the Indian T20 league got over and the team left for England to play the Champions Trophy. "We always welcome the double-edged sword, you can say. We just have to balance it the right way," he added.

It is difficult to suggest what kind of pressure or burden Dhoni and his team might be going through at this moment. You can't ask him to explain because the BCCI has gagged him. So, he restricts himself only to the cricket. "We have to do all the right things over again and we hope it goes (the tournament) in our favour," he said.

Dinesh Karthik and Umesh Yadav's current form, the new One-day rules, the absence of Jacques Kallis from the opposition ranks and the role that fast bowlers might play in Cardiff are on top of his mind. "Karthik is technically sound. He's someone who should bat at 4 or 5, 3 also but definitely not at 6 and 7," he says, explain the slot in which the batsman might be asked to play. "I've always stressed that players need to bat in specialist positions," said Dhoni.

As for the attack, he's convinced that Yadav, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma, can do the job for India. "Yadav is the quickest in our side so he is someone who can get on top of the batsmen, swing the ball and be really effective. He just has to maintain his composure and not look for that extra pace," he said.

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