Cisco May Be Interested in Skype

Posted by . , Monday, August 30, 2010 3:00 AM

Cisco has made an offer to buy Skype, according to TechCrunch, though this comes from only one source and details are very scarce.

If the rumor is true, though, it would make for a very interesting deal for both companies.

Skype was spun-off from parent company eBay late last year as the service didn't really fit with the auctions site's other interests. The lawsuit with Skype's former owners didn't help either.

eBay had big plans for Skype when it acquired the company in 2005 for $2.6 billion. But it failed to integrate the voice services into its auctions site.

In 2009, eBay started considering an IPO for Skype as a way for the company to become more independent. The IPO plans were halted by a lawsuit from Skype's founders who still owned part of the core technology that powers the VoIP service.

The two founders eventually got their way and received stakes in a spun-off Skype. A number of investors also bought a majority stake in the company, with eBay still owning about a third of Skype.

The most recent plans were again for an IPO which would value Skype at about $5 billion. Despite the huge valuation, Skype only hoped to raise about $100 million in the IPO, according to the filing.

If Cisco is really interested, it must be offering at least that much to raise any interest. While Cisco made its name and fortune in the networking hardware business, it has been aggressively expanding into other areas and services is one of them.

With Skype, it would be able to offer a complete communications solution for enterprises and it's a path more and more companies, especially hardware companies, are adopting in a bid to stay relevant.

Source http://news.softpedia.com/news/Cisco-May-Be-Interested-in-Skype-154202.shtml

0 comments

Nokia 5250 Music Phone Launched

Posted by . , Tuesday, August 24, 2010 2:56 AM

Nokia has finally announced new 5250, a music-centric handset about which we had reported earlier this month. The all new Nokia 5250 is said to be music-centric and is a step higher version of the existing 5230/5235 handset. This handset will come with Ovi Music Unlimited in select regions.

Nokia 5250 has 2.8-inch TFT touchscreen with 16:9 aspect ratio and will support 640x360 pixel resolution. Loaded with Symbian^1 (S60v5 Touch), this multimedia centric phone will come with Guitar Hero 5 Mobile for free. Though its internal memory is mere 51MB, one can add up to 16GB via microSD memory cards. Also, Nokia has added FM radio for the avid radio listeners.

This 5230 phone successor will sport a 2 megapixel camera and has Ovi Share pre-installed to share photos directly to the web. With support for quad-band GSM/EDGE networks and GPRS for data, users can obviously access Ovi Store to install different apps and games.

Nokia promises to ship the new 5250 music-centric handset in the fourth quarter of this year for 115 EURO (Rs. 6,800 approx), albeit without taxes. Expect this music phone to cost around Rs. 7,500 when it reaches India. You can expect to see this phone in Black, White, Purple and Blue colors.

Source http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Nokia_5250_Music_Phone_Launched/551-112660-893.html

0 comments

Nokia dials India with dual-SIM phones

Posted by . , Monday, August 23, 2010 3:18 AM

Nokia is ready with its dual SIM phones for India. The Finnish giant is preparing to launch its C1 and C2 models of entry-level dual SIM phones in two-three months. Both models would be launched simultaneously in India, following its global launch in the third quarter of the current fiscal year. The phones would sport features like FM radio, a 1,000 entries-address books, LED torch, VGA camera.

Although the company is yet to divulge price details, it is expected to be within the tag of R2,500. Both models would be integrated with Nokia Life Tools service (for information on healthcare, education and entertainment) as well as Ovi Mail.

V. Ramnath, director, operator channel, Nokia India, said the company was yet to decide whether the new phones would be manufactured at Nokia's Chennai facility now or at a later stage when the numbers pick up.

Samsung had launched its dual SIM phones in the country about two years ago. It currently has five dual SIM models in India with price tags ranging from R3,200 to R9,600.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Nokia-dials-India-with-dual-SIM-phones/Article1-590354.aspx

0 comments

HP to launch webOS tablet computer in 2011

Posted by . , Friday, August 20, 2010 2:53 AM

The computer giant – which acquired Palm for $1.2 billion in April – is working on a tablet computer that runs Palm’s mobile operating system webOS, and the device will be on sale early next year.

"You'll see us with a Microsoft product [running Windows 7] in the near future, and a webOS-based product in early 2011," said Todd Bradley, head of HP's personal systems group, during the company’s quarterly earnings call.

HP said that tablet computers based on Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system would be aimed at enterprise users, while webOS-based devices would be better suited to consumers.

Palm won critical acclaim for its webOS platform, which powered its flagship Pre handset. The operating system pulled together contacts and information from disparate social networks, and offered an excellent browsing experience.

HP hopes that by offering a variety of tablet computers to suit different needs, it will be in a good position to challenge the dominance of Apple’s iPad.

The computer company has also said that it will use webOS to power a range of smartphones, netbooks, and internet-enabled printers.

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/7955722/HP-to-launch-webOS-tablet-computer-in-2011.html

0 comments

Facebook Places logo is '4' in a square

Posted by . , Thursday, August 19, 2010 2:45 AM

The logo shows a purple icon above an image of a map in which the layout of the roads reflects the shape of the number four.

It is potentially embarrassing for Facebook because some blogs and websites have accused Places of being a rip off of existing location-based social networks such as Foursquare and Gowalla.

The new service allows its members to automatically share their location with each other.

People’s friends on the site can see if their friends are near them at any time, if they have chosen to ‘check-into’ their current location.

So far Places has only been launched in the US, with plans for a global roll-out “soon”, according to the Facebook blog post.

It is currently live on the Facebook iPhone app in the US and on an advanced version its mobile site.

It is not yet known when the tool, which allows users to check-in to restaurants, bars and shops, will launch in the UK.

Facebook has said previously that it had worked with the likes of Foursquare and Yelp to develop Places. But the nature of the collaboration is not clear.

Dennis Crowley, Foursquare’s co-founder, told The Telegraph last month that he wasn’t worried about the threat posed by Places.

He said: "Twitter already turned on its location capabilities – but regardless of others starting to play on location more, Foursquare remains unique as people are using it for different reasons.

"They are using it to play the game, discover offers, tell friends where they are and find new places.

"On Twitter, people are telling each other their thoughts, whereas on Foursquare we are building an incentive and reward program to encourage people to try new places.”

0 comments

Maruti Introduces Automatic Variant of A-Star

Posted by . , Tuesday, August 17, 2010 2:36 AM

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., the country's largest car maker by sales, Tuesday introduced an automatic transmission variant of its small car, the A-star, priced at 435,000 rupees ($9335) at showrooms in New Delhi.

The new variant will be powered by a 998 cubic centimeter K-Series gasoline engine, which is also used in the manual transmission variant of the A-star.

"We see a growing market for automatic transmission cars in India as traffic congestion is increasing," said Shashank Srivastava, chief general manager of marketing at Maruti.

Source http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704554104575434844027734772.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

0 comments

Media unveils Indian laptop @ Rs 1500

Posted by . , Thursday, August 12, 2010 3:09 AM

The latest sensation in the laptop and tablet market is India's announcement to bring a laptop for just $35. Now media unveils the model of the tablet which will hit the market soon.

NDTV Gadget Guru revealed the model of India's major step in the tablet market. Channel telecasted the first videos of much awaited Indian tablet PC.

The new tablet PC has 2GB of RAM which is quite sufficient for web browsing, the occasional video streaming and document editing tasks. Also the tablet is powered with Android OS.

It has the connectivity of Bluetooth, Wi-fi, USB ports, Video out, SD card slots and SIM card slots for 3G ready connectivity.

It will have 7-inch screen and a camera at the rear part. The camera configuration is not yet decided.

Kapil Sibal, Human Resource Development minister, told that the government is aiming to bring the cost down to $10 later. He expects at least a million units of the $35 tablet in the hands of Indian students by 2011.

Source http://news.oneindia.in/2010/08/12/nedia-unveils-indian-laptop-rs-1500.html

0 comments

All that's new in Gmail!

Posted by . , Labels: , Wednesday, August 11, 2010 3:21 AM

Search giant Google has revamped its email service Gmail. The company has overhauled the contact management tool found inside Gmail.


Gmail.jpg
Search giant Google has revamped its email service Gmail.
In a blog post Benjamin Grol, Gmail product manager said "An improved Contacts interface has been the number one requested feature from user feedback."
While the core Gmail experience has been changed significantly since its 2004 launch, the Contacts interface has not seen too many changes. The new version of Gmail's contact manager, which Google says is already in the process of going out to users, brings with it a number of changes and addons.

* Mail, Contacts, and Tasks links have moved to the top left of Gmail.

* Compose mail is now a button rather than a link.

* A smaller header area puts the first message in users' inbox.

* The Select All, None, Read, Unread, and Starred links that used to be above your messages are now options in a drop-down menu, next to the Archive button.

* Keyboard shortcuts now work in Contacts too, and Google has made selecting and grouping contacts more like selecting and labeling email.

* Users can now sort contacts by last name. Look under More actions for this option.

* Use custom labels for phone numbers and other fields.

* Now, when users have the option to undo their recent changes.

* Automatic saving: This means users no longer need to worry about 'edit' mode or `view' mode — just edit away and Gmail will save your changes.

* Structured name fields: Users can now set name components (i.e. Title, First, Middle, Last and Suffix) explicitly or continue to use the name field as a free form area if they prefer a less structured approach.

* Manual and bulk contact merge: Users can now merge contacts from the More actions menu. All they need to do is select the contacts they would like to merge and select Merge contacts from under the More actions menu.

0 comments

Nao: the robot that expresses and detects emotions

Posted by . , Monday, August 9, 2010 2:52 AM

The humanoid machine, called Nao, hunches its shoulders when it feels sad and raises its arms for a hug when it feels happy.

It has been designed to mimic the emotional skills of a one-year-old child and is capable of forming bonds with people who treat it with kindness.

Nao is able to detect human emotions through a series of non-verbal “clues”, such as body-language and facial expressions, and becomes more adept at reading a person’s mood through prolonged interaction.

It uses video cameras to detect how close a person comes and sensors to work out how tactile they are.

The wiring of the robot's “brain”, designed to mirror the neural network of the human mind, allows it to remember its interactions with different people and memorise their faces.

This understanding, along with a set of basic rules about what is “good” and “bad” for it, allow the robot to indicate whether it is “sad” or “happy”.

The actions used to display each emotion are preprogrammed but Nao decides by itself which feeling to display, and when.

"We're modelling the first years of life," said Lola Cañamero, a computer scientist at the University of Hertfordshire who led the project to create Nao's emotions.

"We are working on non-verbal cues and the emotions are revealed through physical postures, gestures and movements of the body rather than facial or verbal expression."

Cañamero believes that robots will act as human companions in future.

"Those responses make a huge difference for people to be able to interact naturally with a robot," she said.

“If people can behave naturally around their robot companions, robots will be better-accepted as they become more common in our lives."

Nao was developed as part of a project called Feelix Growing, funded by the European commission.

Though some scientists believe that robots could be used to help around the house, or to care for the elderly, in the future, others have warned that the humanoids could spin out of control and attack their owners by accident.

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/7934318/Nao-the-robot-that-expresses-and-detects-emotions.html

0 comments

Motorola Will Soon Roll Out Android 2.2 Froyo

Posted by . , Friday, August 6, 2010 3:06 AM

When HTC and Sprint started to roll out the Android 2.2 update, Droid customers started to wonder when Motorola’s going to roll out theirs. Motorola is known to have been coming up in the market with firsts. So not to be left behind, Verizon Wireless announced that it would have its Android 2.2 Froyo within the week.

Though Verizon did not mention when the update process will start, this is still good news for the mobile community. There are of course a number of reasons why Android 2.2 is most recommended, and of these reasons is the security issue. Android 2.1 has been found to lack a number of security features. However, with the 2.2 update on Droid, it could mean better password policies, administration and as well as protection. Other vital features are also included in the update like the latest flash incorporated in the browser, Wi-Fi Hotspot attributes, task managers and a lot more. Thus, 2.2 Froyo on Droid is spells nothing

Source http://techd.in/gadgets/motorola-will-soon-roll-out-android-2-2-froyo/

0 comments

BMW or Mercedes: Which one should you buy?

Posted by . , Thursday, August 5, 2010 3:23 AM

More like shades of grey. With the E-Class taking on a sporty demeanour and the 5 Series pulling off an admirably comfortable ride, where to park your 50 lakh rupees has become a rather difficult question

BMW or Mercedes: Which one should you buy?


Time was when this would have been a foregone conclusion: BMW would win on dynamic ability, Mercedes on comfort. But in the three years since BMW set up shop in India, it has passed a snoozing Mercedes-Benz.

The model that did the business was the 5 Series, which sold 3500 units in just under three years. On the other side: Though the new E had been launched in Europe nearly a year before, India was saddled with the old one. Everybody who could afford one either waited or bought BMWs. That should have been reversed this year, since there is usually a long gap before new models hit India. But, just two months after we drove the sixth-generation 5 Series (F10) at its world launch it’s here, ready to do battle.

DESIGN
If there’s an instant criticism of the new 5 Series, it’s that it has lost the design mojo that made BMW, well, BMW. The softening and toning down started with the 7 Series and the 5 opts drops all the in-your-face details for sophistication and light and shadows effects. You need an hour walking around it to absorb all the subtleties: tightly-pinched shoulder line running from front wheel arch to tail lamps stretching out the passenger cell, ever-so-slightly concave sides, pumped out wheel arches, deep creases in the bonnet, the short front overhang, the pert bum that stretches over the rear wheels. From the 7 Series come details like the wider, more upright grille (in profile seeming to be leaning forward) and the L-shaped tail lamps with three rows of LEDs. The 7’s heavily detailed head lamps with the iced eyebrows and LED corona-ring daytime running lamps are re-interpreted here. That sets the tone for a car that grows on you, that looks much calmer than its predecessor, more compact, despite having grown.

Which is in marked contrast to the E-Class, where Mercedes has ditched conservatism for a more prominent three-box profile, squared off lines, angular, sharp creases, prominent shoulder lines, interesting wheel arch treatment from the ’53 Ponton Benz and lots of bright-work. It is also the slipperiest four-door saloon in the world, with a drag coefficient of just 0.26 Cd. It is both stylish and elegant and has the potential to look sporty too. This a big luxury saloon that makes no bones about it. Except for rear tail lamps (that could have come from Japan or Korea), Merc has elegant opulence.

INTERIORS
If you’ve sat in a 7 Series, you will be instantly familiar with the 5’s cabin. The trickle-down has really helped; quality (never a complaint) is even better, the materials plusher, the plastics softer, the wood trim very posh and, ah, the aroma of leather. It’s not as driver-focused as before but it doesn’t snub the front passenger either and is probably a better balance. Sporty details abound: Speedo and tacho dials get equal prominence, unencumbered by integrated displays; the steering has thicker hand-holds and a sporty diameter; the gear lever is a handful of metal, not the size-zero lever of the earlier 5.

Other premium touches include the black panel display in the instrument binnacle, 8.2-inch DVD screens integrated into the back rest (Rs. 4.5 lakh option on the 535i) and the second generation iDrive (more intuitive, more functionality, 10.2-inch display, pre-loaded owner’s manual, integrated hard drive that stores music with full iPod and Bluetooth integration).

Upholstery options are black, beige, brown/black, oyster/oyster dark, or oyster/black. Whatever you choose, you get fabulous seats that support and pamper you in the right places. The cabin is isolated from wind and tyre noise, unlike the E which has significant tyre noise intrusion.

Heightened focus on safety is the norm in this segment; there are front, side and head air bags for driver and passengers, rear curtain air bags, and a pop-up bonnet that cushions the blow to pedestrians on impact. Though it is too new to be crash-tested, there’s little doubt it will get five stars in the EuroNCAP ratings.

The E-Class has a full five-star crash safety rating, with all this plus knee air bags, and Attention Assist (which monitors your driving; when it senses you’re falling asleep it flashes a warning).

Inside, the E-Class gets more brightwork, and quality is up there with the best. But while the 5 Series feels like a scaled down 7 Series, the over-riding impression of the E is of being a scaled up C-Class.

Source http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/bmw-or-mercedes-which-one-should-you-buy_475657.html

0 comments

Motorola Milestone XT720, Backflip Out In India

Posted by . , Wednesday, August 4, 2010 3:05 AM

Motorola has announced the launch of two brand new Android based phones in India. The devices in question are the Motorola Milestone XT720 and the Blackflip. We had earlier reported about Motorola's intentions to launch the XT720 here by the first week of August.


The XT720 boasts of an 8 megapixel camera and support for HD video recording. The XT720 is also touted to be the world's slimmest 8 megapixel phone with Xenon flash. It measures 10.9mm thick and has a capacitive 3.7-inch touchscreen display with a WVGA (480X854) resolution. The phone comes loaded with Android 2.1. The 8 megapixel camera supports features like Smart Image Capture, includes easy panorama, face detection, multi-shot (six shots in a row), face filter, red eye reduction and camera shake prevention. It also comes with an HDMI cable (in the box) that allows HD video captured on the phone to be viewed directly on an HD TV. The phone comes with an 8GB microSD card and supports cards of upto 32GB display.

As for the Backflip, as you might be aware, it features a reverse-flip design and comes with a friction hinge that allows the QWERTY keyboard to flip underneath for working in tabletop mode. It features a 3.1-inch (7.8 cm) HVGA screen and also has the Backtrack feature which is a touch panel located on the other side of the device. The Backflip has a 5 megapixel camera and auto-focus LED flash. Other features include a GPS, stereo Bluetooth, MPEG 4 capability, 3.5 mm (0.35 cm) headset audio jack and expandable memory of up to 32GB.

As for the pricing, Motorola has priced the Milestone XT720 at a princely Rs. 34,990 while the Backflip will set you back by Rs. 22,990. Considering the Samsung Galaxy S is available for much lesser, do you think its worth paying almost Rs. 7,000 extra for that better camera and Xenon flash? You decide!

Source http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Motorola_Milestone_XT720_Backflip_Out_In_India/551-112471-893.html

0 comments

Now available: website to ‘jailbreak’ iPhone

Posted by . , Tuesday, August 3, 2010 3:45 AM

The new Apple iPhone 4 displayed at an Apple store in Los Angeles.
The new Apple iPhone 4 displayed at an Apple store in Los Angeles.

Less than a week after the U.S. government said it was no longer illegal to hack your own phone, a new website launched on Monday that allows iPhone owners to “jailbreak” their smartphones online to circumvent restrictions put on the devices by Apple.

Prior to the launch of the website jailbreakme.com users had to download software to their computers and then connect their phones up in a complicated and time-consuming process. However, many iPhone users went through to this trouble to circumvent the tight restrictions on what software can be used on the popular devices.

Jailbroken phones can download any software they want, not just Apps pre-approved by Apple. Some of the most popular applications include MyWi, which turns phones into mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, and IntelliScreen, which lets users put e-mail and calendars on their home screens.

The U.S. government updated its regulations last week to legalise “jailbreaking,” though the activity still violates Apples software license and voids the company’s warranty on the phone.

Early reports said that some users of the site were experiencing difficulties using the videoconferencing feature called Facetime on their hacked phones. The new website does allow users to uninstall the software by using the restore feature available over iTunes, and this seems to fix the problem, according to online reports.

There was no initial reaction from Apple to the new software. But after the government changed the jailbreaking rules last week, the company justified its tight control over the phone’s software.

“Apple’s goal has always been to ensure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience,” Apple wrote.

Source http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/gadgets/article549702.ece

0 comments

Hassle free JailbreakMe Returns for iOS 4 Devices

Posted by . , Monday, August 2, 2010 2:52 AM

JailbreakMe - a new jailbreak for iPhone 4 and iOS 4.0 based devices has arrived with a bang. Developed by c0mex, the same guy who came out with first iPad jailbreak Spirit, the new JailbreakMe solution is a Mobile Safari based remote jailbreak. This means you don't need any computer or Mac to jailbreak your device. Just connect it to web, visit JailbreakMe.com and then it works like a charm. Of course, you should know that jailbreaking for fair use is an exception in DMCA and is no longer illegal.

The new JailbreakME.com is an online Mobile Safari browser based remote jailbreak that can be used for iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G devices running iOS 4.0 and 4.0.1 updates. Even the iPad running iOS 3.2.1 can be jailbroken with this solution but you might face some annoyances.

To jailbreak your device, you got to visit either of these two websites on your iOS device:
After that, you have to Slide the button to jailbreak your device. At this moment, millions of users might be visiting both websites so you might have to try a couple of times. Along with this jailbreak, you might see FaceTime and MMS issue which c0mex tweeted about. However, these have been taken care of. All you have to do is fire up Cydia and upgrade when prompted.

Do note that you'll be responsible if something goes wrong with your device. Just in case something wrong happens, don't panic. Hook up your iOS based device to iTunes and perform a clean restore (provided you have the respective .ipsw update file for the same device).

0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)