Apple launches the most awaited iPhone 5

     Apple Inc on September 12,2012 unveiled iPhone 5, claiming it to be the world's thinnest smartphone. The new bigger, thinner, faster and lighter smartphone from Apple is launched expecting the top spot in global smartphone market.The iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6 with 200 new features including Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation, Flyover view; new Siri features ;Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar etc.

     The iPhone 5 "is made entirely of glass and aluminum," said Tim Cook, CEO, Apple, at the iPhone 5 launch event, adding "You see we're able to add a 5th row of icons." 

     The iPhone 5 comes with a 4-inch retina display. High speed internet can be accessed using 4G LTE network. iPhone 5 is 20 pecent lighter than 4S. It features the Lightning connector that is smaller and more durable than the previous connector. The phone has an 8 megapixel iSight camera with smaller lens. iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA

     "It is an absolute jewel. The software and engineering that went into this product is the most challenging our team has ever taken on," said Apples's Marketing Chief Phil Schiller at San Francisco.

FEATURES

*  iPhone 5 is 20% lighter than iPhone 4S

*  Uses A6 chip which is 2X faster CPU, 2X faster graphics, 22% smaller.

*  Voice and data are integrated in one chip

*  7.6 mm anodized aluminum body

*  iPhone 5 is entirely made of aluminium and glass

*  weighs 112g & is 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S.

*  Apple iPhone 5 runs iOS 6

*  8 Mp (3264x2448) camera with thinner lens than 4S

*  iPhone 5 has panorama mode which results in 28 Mp images

*  4-inch screen with retina display

*  iPhone 5 will support 4G LTE and DC-HSDPA

*  Battery life : supports 8-hours of LTE browsing

*  New connector that is 80% smaller than the iPhone 4S

     

     Apple's iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21. Customers can pre-order the phone from friday, September 14. 

     The iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

     The iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model.

Google Maps Navigation & Traffic Data Launched In India

       Google announced advanced features such as voice guided turn by turn navigation and live traffic updates in India. India is the latest addition to the list of countries where Google offers these features. Google Maps is a free app that can be downloaded from the Play store and navigation also doesn't incur extra charges but for using the navigation you will be charged with the mobile data charges. Google Maps app can be used in any smartphone running Android 2.2 or later.

       "We're extremely excited to bring Google Maps Navigation and live traffic information to Google Maps users in one of the world's most dynamic and fastest-growing markets for online maps, and we're confident that these features will help Indian users find their way around town with greater ease and convenience than ever before." says  Mr. Darren Baker, Product Manager for Google Maps.

       The voice enabled directions will help you reach your destination by simply typing or speaking out your destination address. Currently live traffic update is only available to a few selected cities which are Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. 

"Live traffic" on Google Maps

     Different colours are used in the map to show traffic density. Green for free flowing traffic, yellow for small slowdowns, red for significant traffic density. Navigation in Google Maps also considers traffic density and thus you will be shown the lowest time consuming route to current location. 

      Google Maps saves your precious time by reducing the time you stay in traffic blocks. Live traffic updates for other cities will be coming soon. Every Google Maps users in India will surely enjoy the new features added to this excellent app.

Microsoft unveils Office for tablets.

Microsoft on July 17, 2012 unveiled a new version of its Office suite tailored for tablets and other touch screen devices, in the company's largest-ever overhaul of the workspace software it relies on for much of its profit. The revamped Office takes advantage of Cloud computing and is designed for use with the Windows 8 operating system, Windows Phone 8, and the updated Xbox. It makes use of cloud computing by storing documents and settings on the Internet by default, and is compatible with touch screens widely used in tablets. It also incorporates Skype, the video-calling service Microsoft bought for $8.5 billion in 2011. While the previous vesions of Office uses PC's hard drives for saving documents, the new Office uses Microsoft's online "Skydrive" or "Sharepoint" service for default storage. The new Office incorporates social networks which allows you to view multiple email accounts, get facebook updates etc in Outlook itself. Documents can be easily shared on facebook or published in blogs in the new Office. The company is planning to sell the product through online subscription service. Office is Microsoft's single-biggest profit driver. The last update of the office was done on 2010 when it introduced the online versions for the first time. The full version of Office 15 is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2013. However it is unclear whether Microsoft have plans to launch versions of Office compatible with Apple's iPad or tablets running Google's Android platform.

Internet Gains Trillions of Addresses

IPv6 Logo released by the Internet Society. 
[ Image courtesy : www.worldipv6launch.org ]

       A new Internet standard giving the global network more room to grow came into effect on June 6,2012. The switch occured at 0001 GMT when Internet opetrators switched to a new standard called IPv6 that allows for trillions of IP addresses, up from the current 4.3 billion. IPv6 is developed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IEFT). More countries came forward for the deployment of IPv6 after the World IPv6 Launch on June 6,2012. The Internet runs today on the IPv4 protocol predominantly. The IPv4 protocol uses a 32bit addressing scheme, and thus insufficient for today booming Internet world. In this internet age, where every electronic device is IP enabled, we have already ran out of IPv4 address resources. The solution to this problem is to move on to the next level of addressing scheme of the Internet Protocol, called the IPv6. IPv6 uses a 128bit addressing scheme, thus enabling it to address the Internet for decades to come. IPv6 uses eight groups of four digit hexadecimal numbers for addressing. For example

1201:4ab0:58b3:100b:6a2e:0000:0710:3347.                                             

       IPv6 is adapt with the new requirements of the internet world, and makes it easier for address assignments to smart devices of the future. With IPv6 the long anticipated problem of IPv4 running out of addresses is solved.

US Comes With World's Fastest Supercomputer.

IBM's Sequoia [ Image Courtesy : IBM ]

          US has regained the top spot for world's fastest supercomputer. The fastest supercomputer named Sequoia, is an IBM BlueGene/Q System installed at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It has been developed for a range of complex functions, such as N-simulations and the study and reliability of US nuclear weapons. It is also used for research in astronomy.

         The BlueGene/Q Sequoia has the capacity to deliver 16.32 petaflops per second (a petaflop is equal to a thousand trillion operations). The newly crowned supercomputer pipped Fujitsu's "K Computer" installed at RIKEN Advanced Institute for computational Science in Kobe, Japan. The K Computer is currently at the number two position in the world with capacity of 10.51 petaflops per second. A new Mira supercomputer which is also part of the IBM BlueGene/Q series and is installed at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois (USA), is presently the third fastest in the world.

A Computer that can be Carried in a Memory Stick

         A group of scientists have come up with a new software that helps one carry his/her personal computer in a memory stick. The full Operating System (like Windows) can be stored inside the USB stick. When auser plugs the stick in a computer, that computer will restart into his/her personal set-up. Once the user has finished using it, no one will ever know of it. One just has to shut down the computer,put the USB stick back in the pocket, and the PC will never know it has been used.
       The personal set-up is named Tails. As everything the user does is contained within the Tails, the software on a stick , not a single trace is left on the original PC. That means no chance of cookies of websites browsed remaining in the PC, and no documents being left in the recycle bin.

Leap Motion Sensors Makes a Breakthrough.

[Image Source :  leapmotion.com ]

Leap motion, a motion sensing gadget for gaming consoles and personal computers has been launched. It is a rival for Microsoft Kinetic. Kinetic was mainly aimed for PC's running on windows and X-box 360. The main advantage of leap motion is that it can be controlled by gestures. The gadget looks similar to an USB pendrive and has the plug and play feature also like any other USB peripheral devices. Leap motion is certainly more effective than a mouse,trackpad or a touch screen. It is said to be 200 times accurate than the currently available motion sensing gadgets. After installing the leap motion drivers we can use the USB port to connect it with your PC. You can contol your gaming console or a PC using your hand in Leap Motion. While playing games you can even contol it with your fingers. The gestures can be preset in Leap for your convenience. Leap Motion works in almost all operating systems.Though Leap doesn't support Linux at present the Leap Motion team has it on their agenda. Leap is only available for pre-booking at present. The price tag of this wonderful gadget is around 70$.

Now your can edit your comments in Facebook

Facebook now allows its users to edit the comments they have posted.  You can edit the comment by clicking on the pencil button and on edit in the drop down menu. Earlier it was only possible to delete the comment and re-type it when we makes a mistake. The editing ability was established a few days ago and will soon be open to all the users. Although the comments can be edited, the history of the conversation can be accessed by the commenters or likers.

Tablet Security : Kaspersky launched Android based Tablet Security Software

          With the advent of tablet revolution security features has also become a major concern. Though any major threats has not arrived in this segment, in future that might not be the case. Your tablet may contain personal information such as contacts, emails, texts, pictures etc. Thus security should become an essential feature in yor tablet. One of the leading players in the anti-virus field, Kaspersky has launched their Android based tablet Security software.Some of the key features of it are given below.

[Image source : www.kaspersky.com ] 

*  Automatic virus scanning
*  Real time protection against dangerous links and web pages
*  Remote blocking,wiping and location of mising tablets
*  'Mugshot' feature to identify unauthorised users
*  Increase performance through small updates
*  Optimized interface to boost usability and performance
System Requrements:
*  Android v 2.2 and higher
*  Minimum screen resolution 480*800
Price Tag : $19.95 (1-Device for 1-Year)

Now you can Unprint a Printed Page!

      Scientist at Cambridge University,Britain says that they have developed a new technique which can remove ink from printed pages. The new technique uses short pulses of laser light to delete printed words and images. The laser vapourises the toner ink without damaging the paper. This invenvention opens up the prospect of future computer printers and photocopiers having an "UnPrint" function to allow paper to be reused. The process works on a wide range of toners. The positive aspect is that it does not damage the paper. This technology will be a big boost to those who support saving paper.

BlackBerry Porsche P'9981: RIM launches Rs 1.39 lakh phone

BlackBerry Porsche P'9981 [Image Source : in.blackberry.com]

         Research In Motion has launched an ultra-premium BlackBerry Porsche P'9981 at a whopping price of Rs1,39,990/-. It is developed in association with Porsche Design. The 155g smartphone features a MSM 8655,1.2 GHz processor and liquid graphics technology, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, advanced sensor enabling new augmented reality applications (Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Proximity etc), and built-in support for NFC (near field communications). It has an 8 GB internal memory, expandable to up to 40 GB with a microSD card. The integrated GPS and WiFi is among of the key features.The 5Mp front camera arrives with Face detection , Image Stabilisation and Geo-tagging. Porsche P'9981 is having a Capacitive touch screen as well as an Optical trackpad. P'9981 arrives with a number of pre-loaded applications and is also supported by Wikitude(an Augmented Reality browser) which gives an augmented reality app experience.

Microsoft launches Surface tablets

Microsoft launches Surface Tablets. [Image Source : www.microsoft.com]

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on 18 June,2012 unveiled Surface Tablets at Hollywood's Milk Studios , Los Angels. Panos Panay is the general manager of the Microsoft Surface. The Surface tablet will run on Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 8 operating system. It has a 10.6-inch (27cm) screen and comes in 32GB and 64GB variant memory sizes. Surface is a 9.3mm thick tablet which weighs under 1.5 pounds. It comes with a kickstand to hold it upright and the keyboard is part of the device's cover. Microsoft is expecting a strong position in Tablet market by introducing the Surface Tablet. The Surface Tablets are expected to compete with the Apple iPad . Microsoft is also planning to introduce Ultrabook which runs on Intel Corp chips in the near future. Ultabooks also arrives in the heavy tablet segment.

Go to the Official Review.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

Tablets supporting 23 Indian languages launched

Wishtel, a Mumbai-based company, on March 25,2012 launched a 7-inch Android tablet of its kind which supports 23 Indian languages. The company launched two versions namely 'Ira' and 'Ira Thing' with a few differences in specifications. The only considerable difference between these two versions is that Ira has Resistive touch screen and Ira Thing has got Capacitance touch screen. These tablets are launched targeting middle class customers with affordable prices. Ira is available at Rs. 4,000 and Ira Thing is available at Rs. 5,500. 

India's First CDMA Android Tablet Launched

                One of India's Telecom majors, Reliance Communications, on March 12,2012 launched country's first CDMA tablet. Dubbed Reliance CDMA Tab, the slate is available for Rs. 12.999 ($260 or 200 EUR). The 7-inch capacitive touch screen Tab with Android 2.3 OS comes with a 512 MB RAM and micro SD external storage. Weighing 397 gram, it has a 2 MP rear camera and a front camera. The company, which launched 3G Tab in 2011, is offering a free 4GB SD card with the CDMA version. THe device supports up to 32GB storage. The CDMA tab was launched in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean To Debut On Nexus 7 Tablet.

         Google’s $199 Nexus tablet to become the first ever device to feature android 4.1 jelly bean. The device also features a software build number JRN51B in which J represents jelly bean. Jelly bean was speculated as a major release as android 5.0 but the new information suggests that it will be more of a minor update and hence labeled as android 4.1. Nexus 7 comes with Nvidia Tegra 3 quadcore 1.3 GHz processor and features a 7” display with 1280 x 768 screen resolution. Jelly bean is rumoured to come with a lot of new features which will hopefully provide an awesome user experience.

Ultra-Fast Internet (Coming Soon)

                 There is a good news for people who get upset with slow speed of Internet connections. As per reports published on March 12,2012, thanks to a new ground-breaking fibre-optic technology, lighting quick Internet speeds, more robust connections and a considerable increase in network capacity will soon be possible. The landmark project is known as Sardana and involves a consortium of European Universities. They have already demonstrated speeds of up to 10 Gigabytes per second (Gbps), which is about 2000 times quicker than todays fastest Internet speeds.
                The researchers also showed that such speeds can be achieved at relatively little extra cost using existing fibre infrastructure. The fully optical technology would mark a giant leap forward in fibre network performance. It is sure to prove a boon for these times characterised by hectic Internet traffic. According to estimates, yearly global Internet traffic will need to be measured in Zettabytes (one trillion Gigabytes) within next three years, which is a four fold increase from now. The data traffic size will be equivalent of all the movies ever made passing through Internet operators' networks every five minutes.

India leads world in junk Emails

According to Internet security firm Sophos,India overtook United States to become the world's top global contributor of junk messages.The findings were revealed in Sophos' 'Dirty Dozen', spam-relaying countries' report for the first quarter of 2012,released on April 23,2012. India with 100 million Internet users, has the third highest Internet users after the United States and China.

Samsung overtakes Nokia as World's biggest mobile phone maker.

              Samsung Electronics ended Finnish phone maker Nokia's 14-year leadership of global mobile phone market in the first quarter of the year, the result in which which were announced on April 27,2012, outselling the struggling handset maker for the first time ever.Samsung sold 88 million cell phones in January through March, surpassing the 83 million, which Nokia sold in the quarter.