TG Updates

Visitors

Powered by Blogger.

Blog Archives

Google: Gmail and Chrome are number one worldwide

Written By samizares on Saturday, June 30, 2012 | Saturday, June 30, 2012


For what seems like an eternity, Microsoft has held the number one spot in several key areas of the computing world. Windows remains by far the most widely-installed operating system, and Office the top-selling productivity suite. But they may now have slipped back to the number two spot in a couple very important areas: webmail and browsing.
According to Google’s numbers, Gmail is now the world’s most popular webmail app with an active user base of 425 million and counting. If Google really has taken over the top spot here, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. With one million new Android device activations every single day and Gmail pushed during the first run, it stands to reason that new users would be arriving in droves. Accounts are also pushed on Google.com, Youtube, in Chrome, and pretty much everywhere else Google pops up online.
Comscore isn’t convinced that Hotmail has been ousted, however. Their data pins monthly unique visitors to Hotmail at 325 million and Gmail at 289 million. It’d be hard to call a Gmail user “active” if they’re not even checking in once a month. There is, of course, the possibility that Comscore’s numbers are off. You’d certainly hope Google knew (and reported) the correct count, but sometimes it’s more important to flaunt the biggest number you can.
And speaking of big numbers, Chrome hit version 20 this week. In addition to no longer being a “teenager,” Google reported that Chrome is now the most popular browser on the web. VP of Chrome Sundar Pichai says there are now 310 million regular users.
The folks at StatCounter won’t be at all surprised by this news. They predicted back in January that Chrome would overtake IE for the top spot, and that the changeover would happen in the middle of this year. Recent numbers from both StatCounter and Commscore showed that the gap was incredibly narrow — and even that Chrome may have squeaked past, but it now looks pretty official.
With 8 of the top 25 most-visited sites on the web (and even more of AdSense and Analytics users) pumping data into Mountain View, it’s hard to imagine that their figures would be off.
Saturday, June 30, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

How Private Browsing Works and Why It Doesn’t Offer Complete Privacy


Private Browsing, InPrivate Browsing, Incognito Mode – it has a lot of names, but it’s the same basic feature in every browser. Private browsing offers some improved privacy, but it’s not a silver bullet that makes you completely anonymous online.
Private Browsing mode changes the way your browser behaves, whether you’re using Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Apple Safari, Opera or any other browser – but it doesn’t change the way anything else behaves.

What Browsers Normally Do

When you browse normally, your web browser stores data about your browsing history. When you visit a website, your browser logs that visit in your browser history, saves cookies from the website, and stores form data it can autocomplete later. It also saves other information, such as a history of files you’ve downloaded, passwords you’ve chosen to save, searches you’ve entered in your browser’s address bar, and bits of web pages to speed page load times in the future (also known as the cache).
Someone with access to your computer and browser could stumble across this information later – perhaps by typing something into your address bar and your web browser suggesting a website you’ve visited. Of course, they could also open your browsing history and view the lists of pages you’ve visited.
You may be able to disable some of this data collection in your browser, but this is the way the default settings work.

What Private Browsing Does

When you enable Private Browsing mode – also known as Incognito Mode in Google Chrome and InPrivate Browsing in Internet Explorer – your web browser doesn’t store this information at all. When you visit a website in private-browsing mode, your browser won’t store any history, cookies, form data – or anything else. Some data, like cookies, may be kept for the duration of the private browsing session and immediately discarded when you close your browser.
When private-browsing mode was first introduced, websites could get around this limitation by storing cookies using the Adobe Flash browser plug-in, but Flash now supports private browsing and won’t store data when private-browsing mode is enabled.

Private browsing also functions as a completely isolated browser session – for example, if you’re logged into Facebook in your normal browsing session and open a private-browsing window, you won’t be logged into Facebook in that private-browsing window. You can view sites with Facebook integration in the private-browsing window without Facebook tying the visit to your logged-in profile. This also allows you to use the private-browsing session to log into multiple accounts at once – for example, you could be logged into a Google account in your normal browsing session and log into another Google account in the private-browsing window.
Private browsing protects you from people with access to your computer snooping at your browsing history – your browser won’t leave any tracks on your computer. It also prevents websites from using cookies stored on your computer to track your visits. However, your browsing is not completely private and anonymous when using private-browsing mode.

Threats On Your Computer

Private Browsing prevents your web browser from storing data about you, but it doesn’t stop other applications on your computer from monitoring your browsing. If you have a key logger or spyware application running on your computer, that application could monitor your browsing activity. Some computers may also have special monitoring software that tracks web browsing installed on them – private browsing won’t protect you against parental-control-type applications that take screenshots of your web browsing or monitor the websites you access.
Private browsing prevents people from snooping on your web browsing after it’s occurred, but they can still snoop while it’s occurring – assuming they have access to your computer. If your computer is secure, you shouldn’t have to worry about this.

Network Monitoring

Private browsing only affects your computer. Your web browser can decide not to store browsing activity history on your computer, but it can’t tell other computers, servers, and routers to forget your browsing history. For example, when you visit a website, the traffic leaves your computer and travels through several other systems to reach the website’s server. If you’re on a corporate or educational network, this traffic goes through a router on the network – your employer or school can log the website access here. Even if you’re on your own network at home, the request goes through your Internet service provider – your Internet Service provider can log the traffic at this point. The request then reaches the website’s server itself, where the server can log your access.
Private browsing doesn’t stop any of this logging. It doesn’t leave any history lying around on your computer for people to see, but your history can always be – and usually is — logged elsewhere.






Saturday, June 30, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Toyota to recall SUVs over floormats


Toyota is set to recall the 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450H SUVs because their floor mats can trap the gas pedal and cause the SUVs to speed up without warning. The automobile company said on Friday it will recall 154,000 of the luxury SUVs U.S.
Meanwhile safety regulators, who asked Toyota to recall the vehicles, may investigate whether the company reported the problem fast enough.
Toyota’s action adds to a string of embarrassing safety recalls that began in 2009. The Japanese automaker has recalled more than 14 million vehicles globally to fix problems including sticky gas pedals and floor mats. The recalls tarnished the company’s sterling reputation for reliability and cut into sales. Toyota says it thought the acceleration problem had been solved when it began selling the SUVs.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sought the latest recall after reviewing complaints from customers and information from the company. The agency does not believe any additional Toyota vehicles have the same problem.
If NHTSA decides to open an investigation, it wouldn’t be the first dustup between Toyota and the agency. In 2010 and 2011, Toyota paid a record $48.8 million in fines to the government for failing to promptly alert regulators to safety problems.
Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the company is cooperating with NHTSA and provided information in a timely manner after investigators asked for it.
Owners of the Lexus SUVs should take out the driver’s side floor mat and have their vehicles serviced as quickly as possible, NHTSA said.
They will be notified of the problem by mail in early August, and dealers will fix it for free, Toyota said.
Experts say if your car accelerates unexpectedly, you should step on the brake and shift into neutral, steer safely to the roadside and shut off the engine.
Saturday, June 30, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

How to Activate Windows 7 and Make it Genuine: 100% Free

Microsoft Windows 7 is the most commonly used operating system; even most Windows XP & Vista users are now switching to Windows 7. But the problem most Windows 7 user face is that after installation, the Window will expire after 30 days of use, and then a notification from Microsoft will pop out requesting for validation of the Windows 7. After the 30 days trial, some features will stop working and you will have to pay Microsoft about $500 to activate your Windows to enjoy the full features.


Today, I will teach you How you can Activate your Own Copy of Windows 7 and pass Genuine Advantage pop-up notification without using any serial keys and cracks. This can be done by using the software called WAT Remover. WAT simply means Windows Activation Status and this is what Microsoft use to trace your Windows Activation status. In order to make your Window 7 Genuine, you have to run this WAT Remover to remove the Genuine Advantage Notification so that you will be able to download and install latest Windows 7 Updates directly from Microsoft website. This software will make your Windows 7 Home PremiumWindows 7 ProfessionalWindows 7 UltimateWindows 7 Enterpriseand etc. genuine and it also work with 32 bit and 64 bit Windows 7 operating systems.

How to Activate Your Windows 7 In a Minute

  • First download WAT Remover software from HERE
  • Extract and install the software.
  • After installation, run the software and click on Remove WAT Button and wait until you see the message on successful completion of the procedure.
Finally, your computer will restart and now your Windows 7 is activated forever and permanently.
Saturday, June 30, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Download MTN Opera Mini at m.opera.com for Faster Internet Browsing

MTN in collaboration with Opera launched MTN Opera Mini™ that will make internet easier, faster, and affordable. You might have received a message from MTN that: Yello! For SUPER FAST browsing experience on your mobile phone, download the MTN branded Opera mini browser for free! Go to m.opera.com to download now.
MTN make this move because they want their subscribers to enjoy the best browsing experience.


Some features of this opera mini are:
1. It loads web pages faster
2. It reduces browsing cost because it compresses data
3. It’s free and easy to download.

MTN Opera Mini™ browser can be downloaded to your phone directly from m.opera.com. You need to subscribe to MTN mobile internet plan to enjoy it.
Saturday, June 30, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Check out this ceiling fan geeks

Written By samizares on Friday, June 29, 2012 | Friday, June 29, 2012

This epic upside down helicopter ceiling fan brings new meaning to the term “watch your head.” Created by Italian designer Raffaele Iannello, this scale model is a replica of the famous Hughes / MD 500, a very popular model of aircraft that you have seen on television countless times (whether you know it or not). Known for it extraordinary maneuverable, the MD 500 indeed had the ability to fly upside down among other amazing tricks it could perform. 

Iannello’s ceiling fan version of the MD500 is a three-speed fan, complete with remote for controlling comfort levels. It’s a 1:6 scale model made out of fiber glass with carbon fiber blades. The internal frame work is made out of aluminum. Making its debut at the 2012 Milan Design Week, there of course is no price listed on Iannello’s site which means it’s probably going to cost more than the average person can afford until it gets mass produced in China. Nevertheless it’s certainly drool worthy and a must-have for any man cave out there!

Friday, June 29, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Texas college students hijack drone aircraft


What’s that in the sky? It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a unmanned military drone that’s been hijacked by a group of college students? Yes, some smart young folks from the University of Texas at Austin managed to take control of an aerial drone’s course, and disturbingly, it was really easy to do.
Mind you that this was not some kind of fly-by-night operation. The students were asked by the Department of Homeland security to do their best to gain control of the drone (which is technically university property). It turns out that all they needed was about $1000 worth of equipment to seize control of a multi-million dollar piece of technology often deployed by the military.
The government became concerned about the vulnerability of drone aircraft after it became apparent that Iran had most likely taken control of a US drone and crashed it in Iranian territory several months ago. The Austin students, led by professor Todd Humphreys, used the high-end GPS equipment to spoof the GPS signal being sent to the drone. Spoofing the signal means the students were able to trick the drone into mistaking their signal for the real one. This allowed them to lead the drone astray quite easily. The aircraft being used employs the same unencrypted GPS signals that the government vehicles do.
This hack presents a serious problem for proponents of the domestic use of drones. If anyone with $1000 and a little know-how can crash a drone into things, that’s just not safe. It is currently illegal to use drone aircraft in US airspace without special clearance from the FAA, and it might take a little longer than expected for that to change.
Friday, June 29, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

The average salary at Square Enix Japan is $273,000


Working in the games industry can be a very good career choice due to the pay on offer for more senior roles. Deciding which developer or publisher to work for is obviously going to come down to how much they are willing to pay you and whether you are a good fit for the types of games they create. If your main concern is pay, and you want to work in Japan, then Square Enix is clearly the place to seek employment.
Nensyu Labo is a company that tracks salaries across a range of industries in Japan. One of those industries is video games and they have just published the latest compensation chart for Japanese game developers and publishers.
The top 10 includes the companies you’d expect to see such as Sony, Konami, Namco Bandai, Tecmo, and Capcom, but it’s Square Enix that pays the most, and by a huge margin if these figures are to be believed.
The average salary for an employee working at the Final Fantasy studio is 21,680,000 yen. That’s roughly $273,000 a year. To put that in context, the company coming in second on the list is Sony who pays an average of $116,000. That’s less than half what Square Enix is offering.
Here’s the top 10 in full:
  1. Square Enix – $273,000
  2. Sony – $116,000
  3. Nintendo – $115,000
  4. Sammy – $103,500
  5. Konami – $85,000
  6. Namco Bandai – $80,500
  7. Tecmo Koei – $77,500
  8. Gala – $74,500
  9. Capcom – $72,000
  10. Yuke – $71,000
Nensyu Labo gather their information from public records, so there’s every chance these figures are off. That incredibly high pay for Square Enix may actually represent the average across the company’s Japanese management team, or they just have some very well paid employees that push the average much higher than it is in reality.
Even so, if you don’t count Square Enix you get a good idea of how well paid you could be working in the Japanese games industry. Of course, it’s going to take you a number of years to earn anything near the average at one of these companies.
Friday, June 29, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

BlackBerry 10 L-Series and N-Series QWERTY detailed in leaked slide

Written By samizares on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 | Tuesday, June 26, 2012


There’s a bit of good news this morning for the RIM faithful: the first BlackBerry 10 device with a QWERTY keypad has been outed. Unfortunately, in keeping with most other RIM developments over the past year or two, there’s bad news, too: none of the new hardware is slated to arrive until the first quarter of 2013.

That’s not a good thing, since it’s already been announced that no current RIM smartphones will receive an update to BlackBerry 10. If the information presented on these leaked slides is accurate, then, that means RIM is either planning on launching some non-upgradeable handsets in the interim or nothing at all for at least 6 months — when the all-touch L-Series or the QWERTY N-Series finally arrive with the new OS. Neither of those situations bodes well for the embattled company.
On a more positive note, the square-screened N-Series is getting a nice display upgrade. It’ll feature a 3.1-inch 720 x 720 OLED panel (for a ppi of 330) perched atop RIM’s trademark keypad. The all-touch L-Series will feature the same panel that’s used in the Playbook-esque BlackBerry 10 developer device: a stunning 1280 x 768 unit with solid viewing angles that has impressed those who have handled it.
Initially there were some concerns that RIM was going to scuttle QWERTY devices altogether, but CEO Thorsten Heins quickly informed the public that wouldn’t be the case. He also promised that devices running the new OS would arrive before the end of this year — so there’s a chance that this slide could be a bit out-of-date. If not, there are more than a few BlackBerry users that are going to look to another platform instead of waiting patiently for an upgrade.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 | 1 comments | Read More

Sony announces next generation Google TV set-top box

Google TV was first launched in 2010, but since its launch,it has had a bit of trouble getting the masses to adopt Google TV in the way that Apple TV has. Sony is hoping to change that with the NSZ-GS7, which was originallyannounced at CES in January, with pre-orders starting from today and expected in stores on July 22,  priced at $199.

 Sony has also announced pricing of the NSZ-GP9, which is similar to the GS7 but also includes a Blu-ray player on board for an extra $100 and will launch in time for the holiday season. The GS7 will be the first device to ship outside of the Unites States, coming to the United Kingdom in July and followed later by Canada, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Mexico. The GP9 is also launching outside of the States in all countries mentioned above except for Brazil and Mexico.
The box features a redesigned remote control after the monstrosity of their last attempt. It has general controls and a trackpad on one side and a QWERTY keyboard on the other. It runs on Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) but with I/O just two days away hopefully we’ll see future updates for the platform announced there.
My fellow geeks,my prayer na when e go enter 9ja???Just keep your fingers crossed,i will definitely keep you posted.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Convert PDF Files to Word Documents and Other Formats

Written By samizares on Monday, June 25, 2012 | Monday, June 25, 2012


Most of us know easy ways to turn a Word or other text document into a PDF, but what if we need to convert a PDF to Word?  Today we will take a look at some methods to turn a PDF document into a Word or other text document.

Online Solutions

The first couple of solutions are web-based, so you don’t even need to install any software to convert your files… keep in mind that with these web sites you are uploading your data to a third party, so consider the privacy implications if you are converting sensitive documents.
Zamzar
Arguably the most popular online file conversion site is Zamzar.  This free service allows you to convert files up to 100MB for free.  Just browse to the PDF, select the format to convert to, then enter your email address.  When the document is ready Zamzar will send you an email with a link to the document to download.  Zamzar will also convert a PDF to HTML, ODT, PCX, PNG, PS, RTF, and TXT.
PDF Online
Another great online service is PDF Online.  This service is powered by BCL Technologies Easy Converter software which you can download a 30 day trial of if you or your company wants to convert a large number of documents.  Currently you can sign up for a BCL Premium Online account which allows you to convert 20 documents per day with a 10MB (per document) size limit. 

After conversion you simply Right-Click on the link to “save link as” an RTF Word document on your PC.

Free PDF Converter
The final online service we will check out is Free PDF Converter.  This is similar to Zamzar but the free version is much more limited.  I submitted the same 4 page PDF document for all tests and this service cut my document off after 2 pages.  Also, they only let you convert one PDF every 30 minutes.  The cheapest membership is $9/month where conversions are basically unlimited.  In a pinch this site may come in handy.
Free PDF to Word Doc Converter
Finally we get to the good part, the (sort of) FREE  version.  Free PDF to Word Converter 1.1 is also basic and simple to use like BCL’s Easy Converter but actually has a few extra options such as choosing a font and selecting page numbers.  Conversions were quick and easy even with large documents with a lot of images.

There is a catch however.  After the first few conversions you are asked to download a registration code from the site every time you want to convert a document.  To never have to enter in a registration code you will have to pay $15.

Conclusion

After testing the online services it seems that converting a PDF to RTF (Rich Text Format) seems to work the best.  When converting to a Doc the format can get pretty messy.  PDF Online was the fastest, easiest to use,and produced the best quality conversions over the other online services.
Out of the two multiple file format converters, DocSmartz Pro was much easier to use and was faster than ABBYY’s PDF Transformer 2.0.  If you just need to convert a PDF to Word then Free PDF to Word Doc Converter will work a few times until the annoyance of getting a code for every document kicks in.  If you want to be able to convert PDF to multiple formats DocSmartz Pro is the best and cheapest.  If you only need to convert PDF to Word then BCL Easy Converter Desktop 1.0 is the best bet.
These are only a few of the services and software utilities available, what are some of your favorites?  Let us know!



Monday, June 25, 2012 | 1 comments | Read More

Take Awesome Screenshots of Webpages in Chrome


Would you like to take great screenshots of a webpage, annotate them, and share them, all from Chrome?  Here’s how you can do it with the Awesome Screenshot addon.
Whether you’re a budding tech writer or just trying to show your Mom how to send an email, there are many reasons you might want to take a screenshot of a webpage.  Want to show a friend a neat webapp or you found, or tell your Twitter friends about a new Google feature you discovered? One of the best ways is to take a screenshot and share it.
  Many of us have tried to save a purchase receipt page or product key, only to find that the web page looks scrambled when you later open it.  Take a screenshot, and it’ll always look picture-perfect.  There are many ways you can take screenshots, but let’s look at a great way to take and annotate screenshots of webpages directly in the Chrome browser.
Getting Started
Install the Awesome Screenshot addon  from the Google Chrome Extensions gallery as usual.
Now you’ll see a new lens icon in your toolbar.  Click it and then choose to capture the visible part of the page or to capture the entire page.
If you choose Visible Part, it’ll only capture exactly what you can see right then in Chrome.  If, however, you select Capture Entire Page, you’ll see a Capturing notification while the page automatically scrolls down.
The capture will only take a moment, and then will open in a new tab, complete with tools to help you annotate your screenshot.
Here’s a closeup of the toolbar.  You can crop your screenshot, or add a variety of shapes or text to it.
The crop tool is very useful.  Drag and select the area you want to crop, and it’ll automatically tell you the pixel dimensions of the selection.  Drag the corners to enlarge or shrink the region, and then click Crop to crop the screenshot to that size.
Once you’ve cropped the screenshot, you’ll be able to add annotations as before, all from a very nice UI.
The Blur tool is very useful.  Select it to get a blur brush that you can use to hide sensitive information on webpages.  Here we’ve used it to hide our Gmail address; this would be great if we were making a tutorial on using Gmail.
Saving and Sharing Your Captures
Once you’ve made all the edits you want, click Done.

You’ll be presented with a preview of your screenshot ready to save or share.
Right-click on the image and select Save image as… to save the screenshot to disk.  Currently all screenshots are saved in JPG format, but the developers plan to add PNG support in the future.
Alternately, if you’d like to share your screenshot online, click Share and your screenshot will be uploaded to an online photo storage service.
Once it’s uploaded, you can share the picture on a variety of services with one click.  Note that the image URL is rather long, so if you’re sharing on Twitter you may want to copy the address and shorten it with a service such as Bit.ly.  To do this, just click the address box at the bottom and it will automatically copy it to your clipboard.
Conclusion
If you’d like to take quick and informative screenshots from the web with Chrome, the Awesome Screenshot addon is one of the best ways to do it.  It’s easy to use, and takes great looking screenshots on almost all webpages.  Note that it cannot take screenshots of Flash content, but almost everything else came out great. 



Monday, June 25, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Create Keyboard Shortcuts to Applications in Windows

Do you need just one or a few special keyboard shortcuts for your favorite program(s)? A quick modification to program shortcuts will get you up and running without installing additional software.


Creating New Keyboard Shortcuts
Go to the start menu shortcut for the program, right-click on it, and select properties.



When the properties window opens click in the shortcut key text area. All that you need to do is choose an appropriate letter for the program (i.e. O for Opera, E for Editra, etc.) and type it in the blank.


You will not need to type any other keys or combination in…the “Ctrl + Alt +” will be automatically entered for you as soon as you type the letter in. Click OK to finish creating the new keyboard shortcut.



Conclusion
If you only need one or just a few special keyboard shortcuts then this method provides a quick and simple solution.


Monday, June 25, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad first impressions review

Written By samizares on Thursday, June 21, 2012 | Thursday, June 21, 2012


Microsoft has now unveiled its latest device, the Surface Windows RT tablet, which it hopes can make up lost ground on Apple's iPad. Microsoft's tablet won't be hitting the shelves until later this year, but we've poured over the available details to see how it measures up against Apple's ubiquitous tablet.
Design
It's hard to compare the design of the Microsoft Surface and latest Apple iPad, and we'd be lying if we said that the two devices don't look almost identical. We must say however, that although the Surface has clearly taken design cues from the Apple-branded tablet, it's boxy metal trimmed edges look pretty robust and add a touch of class to the Microsoft tablet. However, its lack of dedicated home button might peeve those considering switching to the Microsoft tablet, as Apple's trusty physical key is now synonymous with tablet devices.

In terms of size, the Surface is 0.1mm thicker than the latest iPad, although it's heavier than Apple's tablet, weighing 676g compared to Apple's 652g. While people probably won't notice the 0.1mm difference in thickness, they are likely to notice the 24g weight difference.
Although Microsoft's tablet has a classier look than the iPad it would be unfair not to award this point to Apple, as without the iPad the Surface probably wouldn't look this nice.
Winner: Apple
Screen
When it comes to screens, Microsoft trumps Apple in the size stakes, fitting its Surface tablet with a 10.6in Cleartype HD resolution display. Although Microsoft has yet to announce specifics, we're pretty certain that the resolution doesn't quite match Apple's 1536x2048 Retina display touch-screen, which in our opinion, is the most gorgeous display in the tablet market.


Winner: Apple
Software
This is the big issue. Whereas Apple's iPad arrives running the firm's well-known, popular and easy to use iOS operating system, the Microsoft Surface tablet will run Windows 8, an operating system that's yet to be unleashed on the general public. Designed for touch-screens, Microsoft's Metro interface does look great on a 10.6in HD display, and will no doubt offer up a slicker experience than it will on clunky non-touch-screen Windows 8 laptops.

However, there's one big issue here: apps. We all know it's more about an ecosystem than a specifications sheet now, and with Apple boasting almost 300,000 dedicated iPad apps, Microsoft has some serious competition. If it can woo developers to produce apps for Windows 8, however, Microsoft might perhaps trump Apple with its more personalised interface of updating Live Tiles.
Winner: Apple, for now
Cameras
This is a hard area to compare, as Microsoft has yet to announce the megapixel counts of its cameras. What we do know, however, is that the Surface's rear-facing "Lifecam" is angled to 22 degrees for recording meetings and events hands-free, which is a nice touch.

On the latest Apple iPad, in comparison, there's a 5MP rear camera, complete with autofocus face detection and the ability to shoot HD 1080p video at 30 frames per second. There's also a VGA Facetime camera on the front of the iPad, which - admittedly - isn't the clearest of cameras on the market.
Of course, it would be unfair to make a decision without specifications, so we'll call this one a draw for now.
Winner: Draw

Accessories
Microsoft, much like Apple, was keen to push accessories at the launch of its Surface tablets. One feature Ballmer got really excited about was the 3mm thin add-on keyboard, also known as the Surface 'Touch Cover'. This adds a full Qwerty keypad and trackpad to the Microsoft-branded tablet, bringing us truly into the post-PC, er, PC era. However, on first impressions the keyboard looks uncomfortable and a little like a child's toy, but we have yet to get our hands on the device.

The Surface also comes with a built-in kickstand, Microsoft's take on the iPad's Smart Cover. One major plus point is that you don't have to fork out an additional £30 for a tablet prop, but the kickstand doesn't offer any protection for the tablet's screen. Even so, money saved is always a plus point in our books.
Winner: Microsoft
Conclusion
Right now, we can't help but think that Microsoft will struggle to compete against the Apple iPad, mainly due to its lack of an app ecosystem that just doesn't match up to the iTunes Store. However, if Microsoft can woo developers to create apps for Windows 8, it might get close to matching the Cappuccino company in the tablet sweepstakes. 






Thursday, June 21, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Windows Phone 8 system update announced by Microsoft


Microsoft has unveiled the next version of its smartphone operating system.
Windows Phone 8 shares much of its code with the firm's PC system, making it easier for developers to write programs for different types of devices.
The company said it should mean there would be some "amazing games" for handsets running its new release.
A tie-up with Nokia has already brought several Windows Phone devices to market, but sales lag some way behind models running Android or Apple's iOS.
Microsoft said Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Huawei would all be making devices powered by the system upgrade.
High-def handsets
Other new features announced at the Windows Phone Summit event in San Francisco included:
  • Support for multi-core chips, allowing devices to turn on cores to access extra processing power when needed, and to switch off cores when not to preserve battery life
  • The ability to work with different screen resolutions including the high definition 720p format
  • Support for removable Micro SD cards allowing users to store more media files or install apps saved on the format
  • A new "wallet" app allowing the phone to act as both credit and membership cards. It also supports NFC (near field communication) payments
  • Built-in maps from Nokia's Navteq division with turn-by-turn navigation
  • A more customisable start screen allowing users the choice of three tile sizes to represent installed software and more colour options
  • A warning alert if the software believes a website contains malware or is otherwise unsafe
Windows Phone 8 screenshotApplication tiles can be made to look smaller
Background Skype
The update also allows internet call software based on VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and video chat technologies to run in the background.
This addresses a complaint that the firm's own Skype program could not be used to receive calls while its owner was using another application - a function offered on rival platforms.
The firm said VoIP calls should now "feel like any other call" made or received by Windows Phone handsets.
Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 strongly resemble each other - at least when the PC system is run under its Metro interface - and Microsoft was keen to stress that their relationship goes deeper than appearance alone.
The two will share a range of components including graphic drivers, the DirectX collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) and the NT kernel that ties application software to the hardware it is installed on. They can also both support native code in the C and C++ programming languages.
Microsoft said this should not only make it easier to port software between the two environments, but should speed up the time it takes developers to recode programs originally built for iOS and Android.
source:BBC
Thursday, June 21, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Facebook agrees $10m privacy complaint settlement

Written By samizares on Tuesday, June 19, 2012 | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Facebook has agreed to pay $10m to charity in a settlement with five users of its site that were angry their images were used within adverts without their explicit permission.

 The case was brought against the firm after users complained Facebook had publicised items they had "liked" in its sponsored stories ads, without compensation or opt-out options. Facebook's sponsored stories system then turned users "likes" into paid advertisements that included the user's name and profile picture. 

It was confirmed Facebook had reached a settlement package in May and Reuters reported on Monday that the figure agreed upon was $10m, which will be given to charity. TG-Tech contacted Facebook for confirmation but the firm said it had no comment. According to Reuters, the court filing by judge Lucy Koh noted that Facebook had been in the wrong, based on long-established legal principles.

 "California has long recognised a right to protect one's name and likeness against appropriation by others for their advantage," Koh wrote. The settlement will only make a small dent in the firm's cash holdings but comes on the back of its disappointing launch on the stock market, which saw its share price slump amid accusations the firm was not totally transparent with its financial estimates. 

The firm's chief technical officer also announced he was stepping down from his role to launch his own start-up on Friday in another blow to the company.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More