Google Chromecast hits Europe, with a new way to watch TV

According to the internet giant, the device has done well in the US, with “millions” sold to date, although it has not revealed a precise figure.

PARIS: Gone are the days of squinting at your smartphone as you try to make out what is happening in your favourite film.

On Wednesday, eight months after the American release, Google launched its latest innovation — Chromecast — in Europe and Canada, a small device the size of a finger which allows you to transfer online video content from a mobile device onto an HD television.

According to the internet giant, the device has done well in the US, with "millions" sold to date, although it has not revealed a precise figure.

Wednesday saw the device released in ten European countries — Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, Finland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Britain — as well as in Canada. Google is also now opening up the platform to developers, with 3,000 already signed up to create content.

The Chromecast device plugs into a television through an HDMI port, then communicates with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop over the wifi network.

Click the small icon, and you can send videos from your mobile device to your television, or use your smartphone as a remote control.

The device means consumers will be able to watch everything from cat videos on YouTube to feature films on Netflix. Content will also vary by country. In the UK, viewers can use the device to watch programmes from the BBC, in France, they can use it for FranceTV Pluzz and SFR TV.

While there have been other devices to connect televisions to mobile devices before, such as Apple's Air Play, Google is betting that the simplicity of its device, its size, and price — it sells for 35 euros ($49) will win over the market.

It is also proud of the way Chromecast allows users to "multitask" — it is possible to send mails and use other applications while watching television.

"Chromecast is the easiest way to bring your favorite online movies, shows, music and more to the TV screen," said Mario Queiroz, director of product management at Google. "It should be easy for people to watch the content they want wherever they are."

According to rumours, online shopping giant Amazon will also release its own television-smartphone interface next month.

Pascal Lechevallier, the founder of What's Hot, a consultancy which specializes in new media, said the device was a great way for multi-channel networks on YouTube to be watched on the home's main television.

"History is changing, and the video offering online is going to become even larger," he predicted, stressing the importance, in time, for Google to capitalize on video ads as they are screened on television
.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Google Chromecast hits Europe, with a new way to watch TV

According to the internet giant, the device has done well in the US, with “millions” sold to date, although it has not revealed a precise figure.

PARIS: Gone are the days of squinting at your smartphone as you try to make out what is happening in your favourite film.

On Wednesday, eight months after the American release, Google launched its latest innovation — Chromecast — in Europe and Canada, a small device the size of a finger which allows you to transfer online video content from a mobile device onto an HD television.

According to the internet giant, the device has done well in the US, with "millions" sold to date, although it has not revealed a precise figure.

Wednesday saw the device released in ten European countries — Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, Finland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Britain — as well as in Canada. Google is also now opening up the platform to developers, with 3,000 already signed up to create content.

The Chromecast device plugs into a television through an HDMI port, then communicates with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop over the wifi network.

Click the small icon, and you can send videos from your mobile device to your television, or use your smartphone as a remote control.

The device means consumers will be able to watch everything from cat videos on YouTube to feature films on Netflix. Content will also vary by country. In the UK, viewers can use the device to watch programmes from the BBC, in France, they can use it for FranceTV Pluzz and SFR TV.

While there have been other devices to connect televisions to mobile devices before, such as Apple's Air Play, Google is betting that the simplicity of its device, its size, and price — it sells for 35 euros ($49) will win over the market.

It is also proud of the way Chromecast allows users to "multitask" — it is possible to send mails and use other applications while watching television.

"Chromecast is the easiest way to bring your favorite online movies, shows, music and more to the TV screen," said Mario Queiroz, director of product management at Google. "It should be easy for people to watch the content they want wherever they are."

According to rumours, online shopping giant Amazon will also release its own television-smartphone interface next month.

Pascal Lechevallier, the founder of What's Hot, a consultancy which specializes in new media, said the device was a great way for multi-channel networks on YouTube to be watched on the home's main television.

"History is changing, and the video offering online is going to become even larger," he predicted, stressing the importance, in time, for Google to capitalize on video ads as they are screened on television
.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Moto X with wood panel to launch in India soon

While Flipkart did not reveal a launch date, the phone is likely to be available for purchase before March 20.

NEW DELHI: Flipkart, an e-commerce websitethat partnered with Motorola for the Moto G as the exclusive launch partner in India, has now announced that it will soon launch Moto X in the country. Unlike Moto G, which is targeted at budget conscious buyers, Moto X is a high-end Android phone and is likely to cost around Rs 25,000. 

Flipkart on its Twitter page said on Thursday that just like Moto G, it would launch Moto X with some exclusive offers. While Flipkart did not reveal a launch date, the phone is likely to be available for purchase before March 20. 

In answer to several queries from its Twitter followers, Flipkart said that in India Moto X will launch without Moto Maker, an online tool offered by Motorola in the US. Through Moto Maker, customers can customize the Moto X before Motorola ships the unit to them. But Flipkart said that the phone will be available with wood panel finish in teak and walnut. 

"Walnut (will have) black front and silver accents. Teak (will have) white front and silver accents," the company noted. With plastic back cover, the phone will be available in five colours. 

Moto X has a 4.7-inch screen with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution, 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 10MP primary camera and 2MP front camera. It is powered by a dual-core -- but high-end - Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that runs at 1.7GHz. The graphics chip is Adreno 320, which is capable enough to handle almost all high-end games available for Android devices. 

The phone launched with Android 4.2 last year but now has been upgraded to Android 4.4, which is the latest version of the OS. It runs an almost unmodified version of Android, though Motorola has added some special features to the OS. For example, Moto X is a phone that is always in listening mode and hence can be activated through voice commands even when its screen is in the sleep mode. Then there is a feature called flick-to-click that allows the Moto X user to start camera app by holding the phone in their hand and flicking the wrist. 

Both Flipkart and Motorola consider Moto G launch in India to be very successful. Moto G was priced aggressively in India and Flipkart had trouble keeping it in stock immediately after the launch. But on Thursday the company said that it has "made improvements in planning (the stock) this time around". 

However, one factor to keep in mind is that Moto G lacks a worthy competitor in the market. Unless Motorola is very aggressive with the price - somewhere around Rs 22,000, which seems unlikely -- Moto X will have to compete against phones like Nexus 5, the official Android phone that sells for Rs 28,999, and Samsung Galaxy S4, which recently got a price cut and is now available for around Rs 30,000. Both Nexus 5 and Galaxy S4 have better hardware than Moto X.
 

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

New Apple controversy: People hate Shift key on iPhone's keyboard

iPhone 5S has several improved features, but there is one problem. Users are unhappy with the shift key on the keyboard.

Apple updated iOS, the operating system that powers iPhones and iPads.

For the most part, it's a great update. The fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5S is improved, bug crashes are less frequent, and the animation of opening an app is zippier.

There is, however, one problem. It's really hard to figure out when you have the shift key on or off with the keyboard.

To illustrate the problem, take a look at the following and guess when the shift key is on and when it is off:


If you need help the one on the left is with shift on and the one on the right is with out it on.

This might seem trivial, and that's only because it is.

But, for Apple which prides itself on design and intuitive user interfaces, it's a bit of an embarrassment.

People are really freaking out about it on Twitter:

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Today`s Mark Zuckerberg Status...

As the world becomes more complex and governments everywhere struggle, trust in the internet is more important today than ever.

The internet is our shared space. It helps us connect. It spreads opportunity. It enables us to learn. It gives us a voice. It makes us stronger and safer together.

To keep the internet strong, we need to keep it secure. That's why at Facebook we spend a lot of our energy making our services and the whole internet safer and more secure. We encrypt communications, we use secure protocols for traffic, we encourage people to use multiple factors for authentication and we go out of our way to help fix issues we find in other people's services.

The internet works because most people and companies do the same. We work together to create this secure environment and make our shared space even better for the world.

This is why I've been so confused and frustrated by the repeated reports of the behavior of the US government. When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government.

The US government should be the champion for the internet, not a threat. They need to be much more transparent about what they're doing, or otherwise people will believe the worst.

I've called President Obama to express my frustration over the damage the government is creating for all of our future. Unfortunately, it seems like it will take a very long time for true full reform.

So it's up to us -- all of us -- to build the internet we want. Together, we can build a space that is greater and a more important part of the world than anything we have today, but is also safe and secure. I'm committed to seeing this happen, and you can count on Facebook to do our part.


Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Use WhatsApp on Android? Your chats are not so secure

If you use WhatsApp on an Android phone, you should be careful about what you talk about or share on the instant messaging app. 

NEW DELHI: If you use WhatsApp on an Android phone, you should be careful about what you talk about or share on the instant messaging app. Using a few scripts and a rogue app, anyone can peer into your chat logs and see what you talk about with your friends.

A Dutch security consultant has found that WhatsApp chat logs saved on the SD card of an Android phone can be read by other apps because of the way Android allows sharing of data between apps.

"The WhatsApp database is saved on the SD card which can be read by any Android application if the user allows it to access the SD card. And since majority of the people allows everything on their Android device, this is not much of a problem," Bas Bosschert wrote on his blog.

"What do we need to steal someone's WhatsApp database? First we need a place to store the database," Bosschert explained. "Next thing we need is an Android application which uploads the WhatsApp database to the website."

When an Android application is installed, whether from the Play store or through an APK file, which is an installer file for Android phones and can be downloaded from various sources, the app requests for permissions to use network and SD card etc.

To explain his hack, Bosschert set up a web server and then created an Android application that required several special permissions on a user's phone. But because Android OS allows applications to access various parts of the phone - this is why users can conveniently share almost everything through any app on Android phone - Bosschert's app had no difficulty gaining access to WhatsApp data.

Bosschert wrote that the code that allows his application to access WhatsApp data and then upload it to his web server can be added to a popular Android app by a rogue developer to fool users and steal WhatsApp chat logs.

The older versions of WhatsApp were so insecure that they didn't even encrypt their data stored on SD card. The data from older versions of whatsApp could be read by anyone once it was uploaded on the web server. Even the data from newer version of WhatsApp, which uses encryption, can be accessed with ease.

"The WhatsAppp database is a SQLite3 database which can be converted to Excel for easier access. Lately WhatsApp is using encryption to encrypt the database, so it can no longer be opened by SQLite. But we can simply decrypt this database using a simple python script. This script converts the crypted database to a plain SQLite3 database," wrote Bosschert. "We can conclude that every application can read the WhatsApp database and it is also possible to read the chats from the encrypted databases."

Bosschert joked, "Facebook didn't need to buy WhatsApp to read your chats."

The security issue apparently doesn't exist on iPhones or Windows Phone devices because on these smartphones, apps have limited access to storage and other phone hardware. The more flexible access to phone hardware allows Android apps to talk to each other and helps a user quickly share content between apps. This is very convenient compared to what is possible on iPhone or Windows Phone, where it is difficult to share content between apps. But it also exposes data to rogue apps.

Google says that it keeps an eye on apps inside its Play store and removes apps if they pose any security risks. But this doesn't negate the fact that theoretically it is possible for a rogue app to do more damage on Android because of the open nature of the OS compared to iOS, which uses silos. Google also advises people against installing apps that don't come through Play store. By default Android phones are set to not install apps downloaded outside the Play store
.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Google opens Add-On stores for Docs and Sheets

Google opens Add-On stores for Docs and Sheets

Search outfit Google has attempted to beef up its Docs and Sheets services to give it an edge over its rival in the cloud office field, Microsoft. 
According to a Google blog post, the add-ons can help people create tables of contents, embed Twitter tweets into their documents, run mail merges, connect with Google Maps and Google Analytics, and add new fonts to documents. 
The new features are classified as being experimental, but since most of Google's live products are in Beta, this will come as no surprise. Google is also making its Sheets 

Adding on
According to Google, it's now possible to browse add-ons for Docs and Sheets, with an option to download them, from the menu of any open document or spreadsheet. Once an add-on is installed it becomes available across all of your documents or spreadsheets and can be used right away. 
One of the functions is Letter Feed Workflows, which routes a document to the right people and adds a simple "Approve" button right inside your document or spreadsheet. This means that a person can be notified as soon as it 's approved, and can publish the final version with a single click.
Our favourite is the ability to create a bibliography without leaving Docs. The EasyBib Bibliography Creator helps cite books, journals, and websites in MLA, APA, and Chicago style by entering in titles, journal article names, and websites right inside the document.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

'NSA posed as Facebook for surveillance'

The NSA has "co-opted" more than 140,000 computers since August 2007 for the purpose of injecting them with spying software.

SAN FRANCISCO: While US law enforcement agencies have long tried to stamp out networks of compromised computers used by cybercriminals, the National Security Agency has been hijacking the so-called botnets as a resource for spying. 

The NSA has "co-opted" more than 140,000 computers since August 2007 for the purpose of injecting them with spying software, according to a slide leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and published by The Intercept news website. 

Botnets are typically used by criminals to steal financial information from infected machines, to relay spam messages, and to conduct "denial-of-service" attacks against websites by having all the computers try to connect simultaneously, thereby overwhelming them. 

In November, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told the Senate that botnets had "emerged as a global cyber security threat" and that the agency had developed a "comprehensive public-private approach to eliminate the most significant botnet activity and increase the practical consequences for those who use botnets for intellectual property theft or other criminal activities." 

According to the NSA slide published by The Intercept, one technique the intelligence agency used was called QUANTUMBOT, which "finds computers belonging to botnets, and hijacks the command and control channel." The program was described as "highly successful." 

Reuters reported in May that US agencies had tapped botnets to harvest data from the machines' owners or to maintain the ability to issue the infected computers new commands. 

The slide leaked by Snowden is the first confirmation of the practice, and underscores the complications for the NSA of balancing its major mission of providing eavesdropping capability with the less well-funded missions of protecting critical national assets and assisting law enforcement. 

The Top Secret slide was marked for distribution to the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance, which includes the United States and Britain. 

The NSA declined to confirm or deny the existence of the program. It is not known if the botnets hijacked by the agency 

were in other counties or in the United States, or if the botnets could have been recaptured by criminals. 

Many botnet operations disable the machines' security software, leaving them vulnerable to new attacks by others. 

In a written statement, an NSA spokeswoman said: "As the President affirmed on 17 January, signals intelligence shall be collected exclusively where there is a foreign intelligence or counterintelligence purpose to support national and departmental missions, and not for any other purposes. 

"Moreover, Presidential Policy Directive 28 affirms that all persons - regardless of nationality - have legitimate privacy interests in the handling of their personal information, and that privacy and civil liberties shall be integral considerations in the planning of US signals intelligence activities."

The Intercept article and supporting slides showed that the NSA had sought the means to automate the deployment of its tools for capturing email, browsing history and other information in order to reach as many as millions of machines. 

It did not say whether such widespread efforts, which included impersonating web pages belonging to Facebook Inc and other companies, were limited to computers overseas. 

If it did pursue US computers, the NSA also could have minimized information about those users.
 

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Infosys expects muted growth in Q4

Infosys expects sluggish growth in January-March quarter mainly due to muted spending by clients, especially in the retail sector.

NEW DELHI: IT major Infosys expects sluggish growth in January-March quarter mainly due to muted spending by clients, especially in the retail sector.

Infosys CEO and managing director SD Shibulal said muted growth in the fourth quarter of 2013-14 may spill over to the next financial year also.

"At the beginning of the quarter (Q4) we gave guidance for FY 2014, several factors may result our revenues to be near the lower end of guidance," he said at a Barclays investor meet.

"At the broad level some of our clients have seen slowdown in their business, these are across various verticals leading to unanticipated project ramp downs and cancellations in Q4.

"We have also seen some challenges in skill miss-matches between skills that clients need and what we have which has led to slowdown in ramp-ups. These factors are leading to decline in business momentum for us during the quarter," Shibulal added

Infosys had raised revenue growth forecast to 24.4-24.9% for the financial year ending March 31, 2014 from 21-22% estimated earlier.

"Many of the factors that have led to the recent slowdown will continue to impact client spending at least in the initial part of fiscal year 2015," he said.

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy was brought back to head the IT major in June, following quarters of laggard performance.

"We have re-organised our sales structure and we have created several new small units that can bring better growth in areas where we find headroom for growth. We have also revamped our key performance indicators so that high performers will get better and better rewards," Murthy said
.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

Your 2G internet bill is likely to go up

Telcos may adopt this strategy to propel first-time smartphone users to use 3G.

NEW DELHI: Tariffs for second-generation (2G) and third-generation (3G) data services are likely to converge over time as mobile phone companies could raise prices for 2G data offerings, having lowered 3G data prices in the recent past, a senior executive from Vodafone India said. 

Mobile phone companies may adopt this strategy to propel first-time smartphone users to use 3G and push their existing 2G data users to experience faster speeds on 3G, say experts.

"We brought down 3G prices about four months ago and we expect that 2G and 3G prices are going to converge in the future," Vodafone India's Delhi circle head Subrat Padhi said. 

However, companies may not be able to lower 3G rates further, Padhi said. He was speaking on the sidelines of an event to launch Vodafone's plans to promote 3G awareness among its own customer base and new smartphone users. 

Vodafone said that only a fourth of its 160 million subscribers use smartphones, of which only half use 3G services. The company wants to increase this share of 3G users by making people aware that the technology gives better browsing experience and faster speeds. Top telcos, including Vodafone, had spent thousands of crores in buying 3G bandwidth through auctions in 2010, and had to price the services high to recoup the cost which proved unattractive to cost-sensitive subscribers in India. 

Carriers thus have been forced to reduced tariffs of high-speed 3G plans significantly over the past couple of years. Leading telecom companies including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea slashed tariffs by over 70% in 2012 in order to boost usage. Since 3G usage has doubled year-on-year for the companies. 

In contrast, telcos have raised tariffs for 2G data indicating that the industry is already moving in that direction. The last increase was done four months ago when discounts were cut in various circles and the amount of free data was lowered without touching headline tariffs. 

Padhi added that initial signs of convergence were evident as differences between 2G and 3G tariffs had significantly reduced
.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More

South Africa demanded Rs 180 crore to host IPL 7

In comparison, BCCI will need to spend a total of around Rs 60 crore on staging the event in UAE, and if needed, Bangladesh.

NEW DELHI: BCCI would have loved to host the IPL in South Africa but the plan was shelved because of the cost factor. 

According to sources, Cricket South Africa (CSA) was demanding close to Rs 180 crore to host the T20 event, though it could not be ascertained if the demand was for hosting the entire event or just a part. 

The steep demand put off not only the board but also IPL team owners who did not want to spend that kind of money. Thus, South Africa lost out as a possible host as the teams did not want to go there even for a part of the event. 

In comparison, BCCI will need to spend a total of around Rs 60 crore on staging the event in UAE, and if needed, Bangladesh. Of course, the board will save some more money if the government allows IPL matches in India from the first week of May itself. 

"These venues work out to be cheaper. The intention is to play as many matches as possible in India. The calculations have been done but we will get correct figures only after home ministry's direction," a top BCCI official told TOI. 

Franchises hope that a large population of expats in UAE will help boost revenue from gate receipts which would compensate them partly
.

Hi guys If u like this post please leave a comment in comment box... comment box will top right of every post and bottom of every post. its useful for me give a better information.. check top of the blog there is menu bar in that go to comments i replied for u r comments because there is no direct option for reply for u r comments. if u want to give any suggestion in bottom of blog there is contact information option please leave a msgs with u r mail id sure i will get u.

Read More