Facebook changes your News Feed again

Facebook will be "bumping" up potentially intriguing stories that went unnoticed during prior visits.

MENLO PARK: Facebook's quest to be a personalized newspaper for the internet age continued on Tuesday with tweaks aimed at making sure members spy hot stories from their friends.

Changes to the leading social network's formula for figuring out which posts will be of interest included "bumping" up potentially intriguing stories that went unnoticed during prior visits to Facebook.

"It is hard for users to get back to old things; you have to scroll through things you have already seen," Facebook News Feed team engineeringLars Backstrom said while discussing the latest changes.

"We wanted to make it so people weren't missing important stories that didn't make top slots but were just below the fold."

Signals weighed in the machine learning algorithm were modified to bump-up a story considered more interesting than fresher material that formerly got priority simply for being newer.

"We tweaked the model," Backstrom said, noting that about 30,000 signals are balanced in the algorithm.

"Instead of just taking the new stories, we would take all stories that were new to you, that you haven't seen, even if it isn't the freshest."

A test of the change showed that the number of stories people read in News Feeds rose to 70% from 57% with "bumping," according to Facebook.

"Story Bumping is going to be a really nice tool for people if they... are sitting with a Facebookaccount and have run out of things to look at," said Facebook vice president of product Chris Cox. "It will bump up new stuff."

News Feeds were also modified to take into account the "last actor" a member interacted with and then give that friend's posts temporary priority since they seem to be up to something interesting.

"We wanted to capture your current state of mind as you were using Facebook," Backstrom said.

"A lot of signals are long term, such as the relationship with each friend; we wanted a real time factor."

Facebook's ranking software assigns numerical scores to the roughly 1,500 stories typically eligible for delivery to a member's News Feed and displays the top 300.

Powerful factors for ranking are relationships, along with how often a member comments, shares, "likes," or otherwise acts on posts of friends. Hiding posts sinks content from that person in News Feed rankings.

"Our goal is to create the best personalized newspaper for each of our readers," Backstrom said.

Facebook engineers are experimenting with ways for News Feeds to better handle chronological posts, such as a friend firing off play-by-play updates from a sporting event.

Backstrom's team meets each Tuesday to brainstorm ways to improve the Facebook News Feed, with worthwhile ideas tested internally among workers or with a tiny fraction of the social network's more than one billion members.

"It starts with intuition and then that gets written into code as a feature," said Cox. "Then we look at interactions."

Ads displayed as promoted posts in News Feeds are handled separately from content generated by people's friends or family members at Facebook, according to the ranking team.

"We figure out the most relevant News Feed with the organic content, and then, as a newspaper or television programme might do, we create advertising slots," said Facebook product manager Will Cathcart.

Backstrom compared the job of ranking News Feed posts to the challenge faced by internet search engines Google or Bing when it comes to quickly determining optimal results for queries.

"Facebook is one of the only places where you have a problem on the same scale as what Google or Bing is doing but you have to use different techniques because of the personal aspects of it," Backstrom said
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Fingerprints for sim cards: DoT examines proposal

DoT is examining a proposal for making it compulsory for mobile operators to take fingerprints for a new mobile connection.

NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecom is examining a proposal for making it compulsory for mobile operators to take fingerprint or any other biometric feature of the subscriber at the time of receiving application for a new mobile connection. 

Minister of State for Communications and ITMilind Deora said DoT has recently received a suggestion from the Ministry of Home Affairs indicating that a central database be maintained by DoT of all subscribers which maintains biometric parameters akin to the Aadhaar system. 

"As per this proposal, this would entail taking fingerprint/thumb impression or any other unique biometric feature of the subscriber when he/she applies for a mobile connection," Deora said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. 

He added the suggestion "is presently being examined in DoT and decision on the same is yet to be taken." 

Strengthening the rules for taking a new mobile connection, the DoT last year came with tough guidelines which called for physical verification of facts provided by the subscriber. 

The guidelines also made operators responsible for inaccurate information provided by subscribers for taking new prepaid and postpaid mobile connections. 

Under the new rules, the authorized person selling sim cards has to give an undertaking that he has seen the applicant and matched the photograph attached on the application form. 

Retailers and franchisees selling mobile sim cards have to register police complaint against subscribers if they submit forged documents to get the connections
.

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MS Dhoni's tips have really helped me, says Kohli

"I keep trying to talk to Dhoni about different situations. I chatted with him a lot in the West Indies and all his tips really helped me out," says Kohli. 

NEW DELHI: Breaks are a rarity in any international cricketer's life, especially if he comes from India. Virat Kohli has the chance to enjoy one as the next assignment on India's calendar is in October.

The young Delhi batsman, who has just returned after a couple of months on tour, is looking to make the most of the 'lean' period. "I can't believe that I have a two-month break.

The first month I am planning to take it easy and then start preparing for the one-day series against Australia after that. The month of August is going to be really relaxing," Kohli, who led India to a 5-0 ODI series victory over Zimbabwe, said on Tuesday.

The prolific 24-year-old batsman, who carries his emotions on his sleeves, believes there is nothing wrong in being aggressive on the field. "The criticism that I am being too aggressive has been there for some time now.

I have said this before also that it is never my intention to cross the line. That said, I always like to stick to my natural instinct which is being aggressive," he added.

Asked whether he got any leadership tips from Indian skipperMahendra Singh Dhoni, Kohli said, "When MS (Dhoni) goes away on holidays it's really difficult to contact him. He's a guy who generally doesn't say much.

I keep trying to talk to him about different situations and how I should try and handle myself in different conditions. I chatted with him a lot in the West Indies, when he was sidelined and I was leading. All his tips really helped me out."

India's domination of the ODI series in Zimbabwe was on expected lines but Kohli was especially pleased by Ravindra Jadeja's rise to the no.1 in the ODI ranking. "I am really happy that Jadeja has got the No.1 ranking.

He has worked really hard for it and I have seen him come up the ranks with me. I was his captain in the U-19 side as well. I am really happy to see him grow and I am proud of him.
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Apple's new iPhone ad ignores Microsoft, Samsung, and Nokia

While all its competitors compare themselves furiously with Apple, Cupertino's new ad keeps going down the same path: this time it's more people connect face-to-face on the iPhone than on any other phone.

It's a dog eat dog world, but Apple sees no other dog but itself.

When they're all trying to get at you, you must be doing something right.

Or you're simply paranoid and inventing the whole thing.

Apple simply doesn't want to acknowledge the criticisms being tossed its way by pretenders.

Even though many of the more famous companies have released ads comparing their products to Apple, Cupertino just keeps marching down its path of righteousness like Ayn Rand or a randy vicar who's rediscovered his faith.

Its latest ad continues in the recent vain of making universal claims for the iPhone. This time, it's that "more people connect face-to-face on the iPhone than on any other phone."

Just as Apple's adorable claim that more people take pictures on its phone than on any other camera seems to be based on a Wikipedia page I cannot find, so this one must require a little blind faith.

For myself I am most moved by the scene 40 seconds in, when a sad girl sits on the floor and her friend asks over FaceTime: "Did he apologize?"Still, it's as warm and cuddly as it's assumptive.

The forlorn girl just shakes her head.

Sometimes, people are just mean. Why, Microsoft has spent quite some airtime offering that its tablets are better than the iPad. Samsung has been positively giddy insuggesting iPhone users are docile dodderers.

Monday, Nokia joined in the amusement by offering that the iPhone's camera was from the daguerreotype era.

Did they apologize? No, they did not. So Apple sits on the floor, shakes its head, and keeps putting out the same message, believing that it's still in the right.

Of course, this is all largely playing for (face)time. Apple knows that it's been a long time since it generated true excitement, so it's banking on the warm human feelings it's engendered over a decade of great products to see it through.

The next ad will probably say that more people talk to Siri on the iPhone than on any other phone.

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Firefox updates amp up social side, and more

Mozilla takes another stab at social and tightens security in its desktop browser, while Firefox for Android adds more customization.

Firefox now features a share button.

Mozilla updated Firefox for desktops and Android on Tuesday with new features aimed at giving both versions of the browser a bit more pop.

Firefox for Windows, Mac, and Linux now offers a Share button. The icon looks like a paper airplane and allows people to share the Web site they're on with several services, including Facebook. It leverages the recent Social API to bring a bit of a mobile browser feature to desktops.

The browser also now comes with mixed content blocking. This means that on sites that serve both secure and insecure content, page elements that are served over standard HTTP will be blocked by default. Page elements that arrive over HTTPS will be allowed through.

The change, though small, is expected to cut down on "man-in-the-middle" attacks by preventing potentially malicious content, often added to the page by third parties, from loading.

Mozilla hopes that the Social API will get used to share everything from social network status updates to finance and to-do lists.

You can also change your default search provider or add RSS feeds to your default RSS manager from within the browser, and the browser is arguably the first Android browser to autocomplete URL locations.Firefox for Android gets more substantial updates, including a location bar that automatically hides when not in use. It's a minor change, but one that frees up precious real estate on mobile phone screens.

Firefox has been struggling to gain user attention and market share on mobile, even as it maintains steady interest on desktops, as evidenced by a flat rate of growth even as the Web increasingly add more people.

The browser's less than 1 percent market share on Android is hardly stellar, and it faces increased competition from expected sources like Google's own Chrome for Android, and the less familiar, like Dolphin Browser.

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WhatsApp passes 300M active users, adds voice messaging

The hit app has added 50 million active users in less than two months and now processes 31 billion messages on a daily basis, the developer says.

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum at AllThingsD's mobile conference.

Watch out for WhatsApp. The mobile messaging smash has grown to a captive audience of more than 300 million people, up from 250 million active users less than two months ago. The 4-year-old service is also expanding in function to include a new type of messaging.

"Today, we're proud to announce that WhatsApp has surpassed 300 million monthly active users worldwide, a milestone on the road to WhatsApp becoming the communication network of the 21st century," a company spokesperson told CNET.

"On this occasion, we are also excited to introduce Voice Messaging, a new feature that will allow our customers to quickly and easily communicate in real time using voice messages with friends and family, whether they're across the room or thousands of miles away."

Push-to-talk voice messaging arrives in WhatsApp. Press and hold the microphone button to record your message. Lift your finger to send the message, or slide to cancel.

WhatsApp makes a cross-platform messaging service that works across iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Symbian devices, and has gained popularity among younger users as a cheap alternative to texting. In mid June, the company said it handled 27 billion messages in a record one-day period. Now WhatsApp says it processes 11 billion sent messages and 20 billion received messages, or 31 billion total, on a daily basis. The app also sees 325 million photo uploads each day, the spokesperson said.

Tuesday, WhatsApp will attempt to conquer a new realm in messaging. The application is being updated with push-to-talk voice messaging so people can effortlessly weave audio recordings into their conversation threads -- potentially already populous with photos, videos, or locations -- with friends on the service. Members simply tap and hold the microphone icon to record a message that sends on release of the button, or they can slide their finger to the left to cancel the recording.

The new feature is being rolled out to all users on all platforms within the next 24 hours, according toAllThingsD, which was first to report the news.

In the realm of mobile messaging services, voice messaging is far from a novel idea. WhatsApp's version is playful in nature, however, and it should act as yet another tool that entices youngsters and wards off a multitude of challengers that include Facebook, push-to-talk incumbent Voxer, and Japanese messaging sensation Line, known for its vast sticker collection.

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Samsung's trademark filing for 'Galaxy Gear' reveals the name of its upcoming smart watch

While Samsung sent out invites for its next Unpacked event scheduled for September 4, where it's expected to unveil the next generation Galaxy Note device, there's also buzz that it might release a smart watch, named Galaxy Gear, at the same event.

Adding more fuel to the rumour is a new report by Dutch website Galaxy Club (via BGR) which hasspotted a trademark filing on the USPTO's website related to a new range of smart devices christened as Galaxy Gear. Samsung describes the devices as "Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages; wearable electronic handheld devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle for the wireless receipt, storage and/or transmission of data and messages and for keeping track of or managing personal information; smart phones; tablet computers; portable computers" in the filing. This, in a way is a confirmation that Samsung intends to name its smart watch "Galaxy Gear."

Just a few days back, Korean publication Asiae.co.kr had reported that Samsung is likely to launch its new smart watch at the September 4 event with the Galaxy Note III, citing unnamed sources.

Previously, Patently Apple had also reported in July, that Samsung was planning to release its new smart watch which would be named "Samsung Gear" and positioned as a smartphone accessory with the Galaxy Note III smartphone/ phablet.

While not much is known about the smart device, there have been rumours about Samsung working on a smart watch as part of its Project J lineup. Samsung had confirmed that it was indeed working on a smart watch but did not reveal any other details. As per past rumours, this smart watch is likely to come with an arm band, will have the ability to bike mount and will come with a pouch as well. Someleaked screenshots of this watch also surfaced online, which indicated that this smart watch was running on a beta version of the Altios OS.

It would be interesting to see how Samsung's offering would compare to the current crop of smart watches from Sony, Pebble and other smaller players. However, Samsung would be looking to gain some mileage before Apple unveils its own smart watch. We had reported in July that Apple had applied for the 'iWatch' trademark in Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Turkey and Colombia.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg had reported that Apple's so-called iWatch is expected to release this year and that the project is currently being fuelled by the efforts of over 100 engineers being led by Apple design chief Jony Ive himself.

A recent report by Apple Insider, also mentioned that Apple's smart watch is likely to debut in 2014, quoting Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities who regularly offers predictions on future Apple products.

It's worth mentioning that companies like Google, Microsoft, and LG, are all said to be working on bringing their own smart watch-like devices to the market.

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Vodafone ordered to pay Rs. 10,000 compensation to customer

The Thane District Consumer Redressal Forum (TDCRF) Thane ruled that Vodafone was deficient in providing services to one of its customers and ordered the company to pay him a cash compensation of Rs. 10,000.

TDCRF president Umesh Jawalikar and member N D Kadam stated in their order that the company and its dealer should jointly pay the compensation in three months from the date of order or else pay interest at the rate of 12 percent per annum from the date of order, until the amount is realised.

The case relates to one Prabhakar Y Joshi of Badlapur from Thane district who had purchased a mobile connection from a Vodafone dealer in 2007.

At the time of purchase of the cellular phone connection, he was assured by Vodafone's agent in Badlapur, Parth Telecom, that he would receive trouble-free signal reception throughout Maharashtra state.

However, the customer told the consumer forum that whenever he went to his native place Srivardhan, he never received Vodafone network connectivity during 2007-2008 and lodged a claim of Rs. 44,000 from Vodafone and the dealer.

The respondent company and the dealer in their submission told the forum that at certain times, due to technical issues and geographical location, the customer might not get network connectivity and this was already mentioned in the contract.

After hearing both parties, the consumer forum arrived concluded that Vodafone's service was deficient and there was interruption in its services not merely once or twice, but repeatedly during 2007-08.

The company and its dealer never paid any heed to his complaints, the complainant told the forum, and hence he had lodged a complaint.

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Intel launches Android-based Education Tablets with Atom processor

Intel has launched two Android tablets, Intel Education tablet 7-inch and 10-inch targeting the education sector. Both tablets are powered by Intel's Atom processor.
The Intel Education tablet 7-inch features a LCD display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor with 1GB of RAM. It also includes an 8GB of internal storage. Intel claims that the Education tablet 7-inch can give 8 hours of battery life. Other features include USB port, a microSD slot, an audio in/ out combo, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, integrated speakers and microphone. There are dual cameras - 2-megapixel rear and 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Intel Education tablet 10-inch features a 1280x800 pixels LCD display. It is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor with 1GB of RAM. The tablet includes a 16GB of internal storage. However, this one doesn't supports microSD card. The company claims the tablet to deliver 6.5 hours of battery life. Connectivity features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB port. Surprisingly, the Intel Education tablet 10-inch runs on an older Android version, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is rather dated considering Android 4.3 Jelly Bean has been rolled out.

Intel claims that both the Intel Education Tablets available in 7-inch and 10-inch sizes are designed specifically for education and built to meet students' needs. The tablets come with Intel Education Software pre-loaded.

There is no word on pricing and availability of the tablets, or indeed if these are reference designs or if Intel plans to market these tablets directly.

Intel Education Tablet 7-inch key specifications

• 7-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels
• 1.2 GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 8 hours of battery life
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Intel Education Tablet 10-inch key specifications

• 7-inch LCD display with screen resolution of 1280x 800 pixels
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 6.5 hours of battery life
• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

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India is now the world's third-largest smartphone market: Report

India has now become the third-largest smartphone market after China and the United States in terms of smartphone shipments, according to the latest report by Canalys.

The report states that in Q2 2013, the global smartphone shipments were at 238.1 million, an year-on-year growth of 50 percent, while smartphone shipments in India grew by 129 percent to hit 9 million, making it the world's third-largest smartphone market.

The Canalys report mentions that the top five smartphone vendors in India include Samsung, Micromax, Karbonn, Sony and Nokia.

Jessica Kwee, Canalys Analyst on Indian smartphone market said, "Samsung has invested heavily in its brand and channel relationships over a number of years, which has given it a big advantage over many of its international competitors. Samsung took over a third of the Indian market this quarter, followed by local vendor Micromax at 22 percent. Karbonn, Sony and Nokia made up the top five."

The report also suggests that the dynamics of the market make it challenging for international vendors, besides Samsung, to succeed.

"India is a market in transition, moving from feature phones to smart phones, and is a market that offers huge potential as hundreds of millions of users have yet to upgrade their feature phones. Domestic vendors, such as Micromax and Karbonn, are capitalizing on the popularity of their feature phones and are quicker to respond to local market demands, hence their current success," added Kwee.

The report notes that smartphone shipments in China grew 108 percent year-on-year, which is the second highest growth rate, taking the total shipments to the market to 88.1 million. This represented over a third of all worldwide shipments. Lenovo took second place in China this quarter, where it shipped 10.8 million smart phones.

The report also takes note of platform-wise growth and suggests that Android grew the fastest during the quarter, by 79 percent year-on-year. Android now powers 190 million, or 80 percent, of the smartphones shipped in Q2. While the share of Apple's iOS fell to 13 percent as the Cupertino based company is gearing up to unveil new products in the second half of 2013.

It's worth pointing out that Canalys, an independent analyst firm compiled the shipments data for vendors in around 50 countries that it tracks, so the findings might be different from actual sales data

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HTC teases 'Big Things ahead' on Twitter, hinting at One Max

HTC seems to be all set to spoil Samsung's Galaxy Note III party. A few hours after Samsung sent invitations for the 'Unpacked' 2013 event, HTC teased a new video tagged 'Big Things Ahead'.

The Taiwanese handset maker has posted a video of around 16 seconds on YouTube that ends with the notes, 'Here's To Change' and 'Happy Telephone Company'.

In the video, a person is seen with an HTC device (which we believe is the HTC One Max) that features the same design as that of the HTC One. The person with the device is shown waiting for a helicopter's arrival and then the person who gets down from the helicopter gives a land slap to the first person. The device is visible twice in the video though it is not clear whether the device is the new One Max or the original flagship device. However, one thing is clear, HTC is trying to create some buzz for its upcoming device.

Meanwhile, alleged images of the HTC One Max phablet surfaced online on Monday. The HTC One Max is likely to sport a 5.9-inch HD display and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, out-of-the-box. The device is said will be powered by a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, while the original HTC One is powered by a Snapdragon 600 processor. The One Max also features the same UltraPixel and 2.1-megapixel front-facing cameras as the HTC One. Other specifications include 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage and a 3300mAh battery. The site also claims that the Taiwanese major may equip the latest handset with a stylus.

Samsung has also officially sent invitations for an event scheduled on September 4 in Berlin on Monday, where the company is expected to launch the Galaxy Note III phablet.

Here's the YouTube clip of the video.

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Xolo A500S with Android 4.2 launched for Rs. 6,999

Xolo has launched a new budget smartphone, the Xolo A500S, at a price of Rs. 6,999.

The Xolo A500S features a 4-inch WVGA display that has a resolution of 480x800 pixels and pixel density of 233 Pixels Per Inch (PPI). The device is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 512MB of RAM and a Mali-400 MP GPU for boosting graphics. The device is based on MediaTek's chipset, MT 6572W.

It includes a 5-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a VGA front facing camera. The rear camera can record videos up to 720p resolution. The Xolo A500S runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It also includes 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB through microSD card. It is a dual SIM device with support for GSM+GSM with dual standby. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and Micro-USB. Other features include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and AGPS. The Xolo A500S is backed by a 1400mAh battery.

The device will be available in four colour options - Black, Blue, Red & White.

Xolo seems to be targeting the budget Android segment with the A500S. The latest smartphone is believed to be a successor to the Xolo A500 which is now available for Rs. 6,499 at online retailers.

Last month, Xolo launched the Play T1000 smartphone powered by Tegra 3 quad-core processor for Rs. 15,999.

The Xolo Play T1000 features a 4.7-inch HD display. The highlight of the device is its 1.5 GHz Tegra 3 quad-core processor which comes with a 12-core GeForce GPU and 1GB RAM. The phone comes with internal storage of 4GB which can be further expanded up to 32GB. The device sports an 8.0-megapixel rear camera and a 2.0-megapixel front camera. It comes with full HD 1080p video recording and playback capabilities. Other major features include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS support. The phone comes with a 2,000mAh battery.

Xolo A500S key specifications

• 4-inch WVGA display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels and pixel density of 233 PPI
• 1.2GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB of internal storage, expandable by up to 32GB via microSD card
• 5.0-megapixel camera with LED Flash
• VGA front facing camera
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, AGPS
• 1400mAh battery
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)

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Google updates Play Store, adds 'Recently Updated' section

Google is now rolling out an update to the Android Play Store content and apps marketplace, with version 4.3.10.

Though the update is not a major one and doesn't bring many design changes to the Play Store, it does add some usability improvements.

Android Police has listed some minor tweaks introduced with the Google Play Store update that includes a Recently Updated section, combined notifications, Book sales will displaying full list prices, much like Amazon, and the Buy and Rent keys being swapped in Movies, and the update notification displaying a "Touch to update" message.

One of the most significant changes seen on the new updated version of the Play Store is the addition of the 'Recently Updated' section that will now appear in the 'My Apps' category of the Store. The new section will include apps that have been recently updated now. Earlier, a recently updated app used to be included in the general list or the 'Up to date' list with other apps.

The next major feature added with the update is combined notifications after apps are updated. In the current version, for every successful update there is a separate notification that pops up in the notification bar.

Google has announced the roll out of the new Play Store version but it might take some time to reach your device. But users can expect the update for the Play Store to land on their devices, soon.

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Nokia parodies Apple's iPhone ad, claims the Lumia 925 takes better photos

After its strategic partner Microsoft took pot shots at Apple's iPad, it's now Nokia's turn to parody Apple's iPhone with a new TV commercial.

Nokia has released an ad for its Lumia 925 smartphone that parodies Apple's "Photos Every Day"commercial for the iPhone and compares the Lumia 925's camera with that of the iPhone by placing photos side by side in the same frame.

The commercial starts with a voice over repeating the same lines that are featured in the iPhone ad, "Every day more photos are taken on the iPhone than any other phone." However, as we go forward, the voice over talks about how "Nokia prefers to build for quality and not just quantity." The ad then goes on to display side by side comparison shots of pictures taken in different modes on the Lumia 925 and the iPhone 5 including various 'no flash' and 'with flash' photos and Best shot and Motion blur photos. It's not surprising that the photos taken with the Lumia 925 look better than the ones taken with the iPhone 5, in the ad. 

 

After a few more seconds into the ad, it even displays the same scenes that appear in the iPhone ad and the voice over gives the message that, "Every day better photos are taken with Nokia Lumias than with any other mobile."

While Nokia clearly intends to show off the imaging prowess of its Lumia devices, as imaging is the major differentiator in its flagship phones, the parody is in bad taste, and clearly reflects Nokia's frustration at not being able to sell as many Lumia devices as it intends to. The iPhone 5 dwarfs the Lumia phones by a huge margin in terms of sales. 

The iPhone has an edge with Apple's app and content ecosystem, and is an all-rounder as its camera is still considered one of the best among all smartphone shooters. It's also the most popular device when it comes to users sharing images on the Internet as more online photos are shot through the iPhone than with any other phone. Nokia's Lumia devices on the other hand are crippled by Windows Phone, Microsoft's mobile operating system which is facing a major app problem, that is evenacknowledged by Nokia execs. 

It's interesting to note that despite Microsoft releasing similar parody ads for its Surface tablet, the offering has not been able to do well and have yet to make any profit.

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IT companies adopt new methods to motivate employees

Companies are adopting new techniques to keep their employees motivated. The idea is to empower employees by creating an environment that contributes to continuous learning and improved performance

Although attrition is at an all time low in the IT industry, companies are adopting new techniques and processes to keep their employees motivated. Increased pressure to deliver more with shrinking timelines is the prime reason attributed to the current state of affairs.

This coupled with moderate increase in salary has resulted in a significant drop in morale.

“The primary strategy of motivating employees through financial perks are giving way to alternate means of morale boosters today,’’ states Manjul Agarwal, an HR professional with a leading IT company in Electronic City. “Buying allegiance has never proved to be an effective motivational strategy.”

The approach being adopted today is aimed more at validation of the contribution on an ongoing basis. And for this the senior management is being provided specific training.

The aim today is more towards empowering employees by creating an environment that contributes to continuous learning, performance improvement and mission accomplishment, while ensuring accountability and fairness for all employees,” Urvashi Dhankar, Chief Knowledge Officer, eVenchurs people management services. “Mid management leaders are being taught the skill of empowerment which means giving up control and letting others make decisions, set goals, accomplish results and receive rewards. It means that other people will probably get credit for success.”

Some of the areas that are being addressed in this program include adequate supply of resources for skill up gradation, training, and redesign of the current evaluation program to motivate employees.

“Motivational processes today include ongoing feedback of an employee’s desire and commitment to perform; and this is evaluated in job-related effort,’’ states Dhankar. “Within 60 days of initiation of such programs, the manager in charge is expected to personally re-visit each team in order to provide feedback opportunities for clarifying expectations, re-modify target plans and gain recognition and trust. On the basis of these activities, the manager himself is evaluated.”

The manager’s job overall is more inclined towards providing support to the work environment, in addition to rewards and validations.

“The more feedback individuals receive about how well their jobs are being performed, the more knowledge of the results they have. This in turn fosters the adage ` involve me, and I’ll make it my own’,’’ observes Agarwal.

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