An Infineon chip could be at the root of complaints from around the world that Apple Inc's new iPhone drops calls and has unpredictable Internet links, according to a research report from Nomura.
BusinessWeek also reported on its website that the iPhone is suffering from faulty software on an Infineon chip, and that Apple plans to fix the problem with a software update.
Some useful products...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Vodafone prices iPhone at Rs 31K
In what would be a sure dampener for the potential buyers of Apple's iconic iPhone, Vodafone on Wednesday confirmed that the 8GB model would be priced at Rs 31,000.
The operator also confirmed that the 16GB model will cost Rs 36,100.
The operator also confirmed that the 16GB model will cost Rs 36,100.
Desi hackers trying to unlock iPhone SIM
Hackers across the country are working overtime to find ways to unlock the SIM cards that will come with Apple's iPhone once it is launched at the stroke of midnight on August 22.
Since the SIM-locked iPhone will be sold by Airtel and Vodafone Essar, non-Airtel /Vodafone GSM subscribers won’t be able to use it unless codes are available to break the SIM lock.
However, a brand new way to unlock the phone is now available, in case the hacking software doesn’t work. A mobile phone expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ET: “If your iPhone is loaded with 04.02.13_G, the 1.1.2 firmware (read: the latest version), it cannot be unlocked with any software.
A Turbo SIM card, available for upwards of Rs 1,500, does what hacking software cannot do even for the latest version of iPhone. The manufacturers are claiming it will not get locked again--an issue that plagued earlier hacking methods.”
Since the SIM-locked iPhone will be sold by Airtel and Vodafone Essar, non-Airtel /Vodafone GSM subscribers won’t be able to use it unless codes are available to break the SIM lock.
However, a brand new way to unlock the phone is now available, in case the hacking software doesn’t work. A mobile phone expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ET: “If your iPhone is loaded with 04.02.13_G, the 1.1.2 firmware (read: the latest version), it cannot be unlocked with any software.
A Turbo SIM card, available for upwards of Rs 1,500, does what hacking software cannot do even for the latest version of iPhone. The manufacturers are claiming it will not get locked again--an issue that plagued earlier hacking methods.”
Now choose your STD/ISD carrier
You’ll soon get to choose the cheapest STD and ISD tariffs, irrespective of your service provider.
After recommending the opening up of Internet telephony services, telecom regulator TRAI this week will mandate that telcos offer subscribers the freedom to choose their carrier for making long-distance calls, whether domestic (STD) or international (ISD).
Even players like Gail, RailTel and Power-Grid that have long-distance backbones can offer this facility, along with telcos that provide customer access.
After recommending the opening up of Internet telephony services, telecom regulator TRAI this week will mandate that telcos offer subscribers the freedom to choose their carrier for making long-distance calls, whether domestic (STD) or international (ISD).
Even players like Gail, RailTel and Power-Grid that have long-distance backbones can offer this facility, along with telcos that provide customer access.
What will 3G mean for you
The 3G guidelines rolled by government is set to revolutionize India’s mobile phone services and take it to the next technological level.
The 3G policy announcement paves the way for high-speed mobile connectivity in the country, keeping in mind that 3G offers greater capacity and efficiency than the current 2G systems.
Let us look at some tit-bits of 3G:
# What exactly is 3G?
# What can you do with 3G?
# 2G Vs 3G services
# Pricing of 3G models in India
# How soon can you get 3G in India
# Mobile WiMax threadt to 3G
The 3G policy announcement paves the way for high-speed mobile connectivity in the country, keeping in mind that 3G offers greater capacity and efficiency than the current 2G systems.
Let us look at some tit-bits of 3G:
# What exactly is 3G?
# What can you do with 3G?
# 2G Vs 3G services
# Pricing of 3G models in India
# How soon can you get 3G in India
# Mobile WiMax threadt to 3G
What exactly is 3G
3G is short for third-generation mobile telephony services.
3G phones work in higher bandwidths of 15-20 MHz. Currently mobile phones work on 2G or 2.5G, and use 30-200 KHz bandwidth.
Bandwidth is a measure of the width of a range of frequencies used while transferring data from one point to another and is measured in hertz.
3G phones work in higher bandwidths of 15-20 MHz. Currently mobile phones work on 2G or 2.5G, and use 30-200 KHz bandwidth.
Bandwidth is a measure of the width of a range of frequencies used while transferring data from one point to another and is measured in hertz.
2G Vs 3G services
3G represents the next step in the evolution of mobile telephony, offering markedly greater capacity and efficiency than the current 2G systems.
While 2G is focused on voice, 3G supports high-speed data of at least 144 kbps enabling broadband Internet access on the mobile, and "triple play" features like mobile TV and converged communication services.
Similarly, 3G will allow operators to enhance their capacities for voice traffic as well. Currently, key operators are facing severe 2G spectrum crunch in top 20-30 cities which is hampering their future growth. As the government has indicated that it has limited spectrum left for 2G services.
Also, while 3G is good for data services, it is also three times more efficient than current technologies in packing in subscribers.
While 2G is focused on voice, 3G supports high-speed data of at least 144 kbps enabling broadband Internet access on the mobile, and "triple play" features like mobile TV and converged communication services.
Similarly, 3G will allow operators to enhance their capacities for voice traffic as well. Currently, key operators are facing severe 2G spectrum crunch in top 20-30 cities which is hampering their future growth. As the government has indicated that it has limited spectrum left for 2G services.
Also, while 3G is good for data services, it is also three times more efficient than current technologies in packing in subscribers.
What can you do with 3G
3G services will give mobile users high-quality voice transmission and access to high-end data applications on their mobile phones, including broadband Internet access, interactive gaming and download movies, video clips and music. The can also enjoy other multimedia features such as video conferencing, mobile TV etc.
For example, a user will be able to download a 3-minute song in approximately 15 seconds with 3G. This will help mobile players to offer high-end value-added services like movie downloads, mobileTV, etc to prop up their ARPUs (average realisation per user). Presently, Indian mobile operators generate only 7-10 per cent of their revenue from non-voice services, primarily dominated by SMSs.
For example, a user will be able to download a 3-minute song in approximately 15 seconds with 3G. This will help mobile players to offer high-end value-added services like movie downloads, mobileTV, etc to prop up their ARPUs (average realisation per user). Presently, Indian mobile operators generate only 7-10 per cent of their revenue from non-voice services, primarily dominated by SMSs.
3G models, pricing...
According to analysts, one of the key hurdles in switching to 3G services for users can be the initial cost of upgrading to a superior handset. Presently, about 15-20 per cent of the mobile phones in India are 3G-ready.
However, now with 3G services only six months away, mobile phone makers are reportedly ready to offer handsets for as less as Rs 3500. Chinese telecom company Huawei Technologies is said to be in talks with Indian GSM operators to introduce a 3G entry-level phone between $80-100.
Other mobile manufacturers like LG and Motorola too foresee a fall in 3G handset prices.
Motorola currently has three 3G models priced between Rs 14,000-19,000.
In India, both Vodaphone and Airtel have priced iPhone in the similar range, disappointing the customers who had expected a price tag similar to that in the USA.
However, now with 3G services only six months away, mobile phone makers are reportedly ready to offer handsets for as less as Rs 3500. Chinese telecom company Huawei Technologies is said to be in talks with Indian GSM operators to introduce a 3G entry-level phone between $80-100.
Other mobile manufacturers like LG and Motorola too foresee a fall in 3G handset prices.
Motorola currently has three 3G models priced between Rs 14,000-19,000.
In India, both Vodaphone and Airtel have priced iPhone in the similar range, disappointing the customers who had expected a price tag similar to that in the USA.
How soon can you get 3G
While the state-run telecom companies, MTNL and BSNL have said that they will launch 3G services within six months (starting from North and East zones), private service providers may take longer.
Successful private 3G bidders are likely to launch services by mid-2009.
Successful private 3G bidders are likely to launch services by mid-2009.
The Mobile WiMax threat to 3G
hough presently, there seems to be a scramble for 3G services, the service faces a big threat in another technology called WiMax. The evolving technology offers data download speeds 10-30 times faster than 3G.
Also, while WiMax can provide similar services such as 3G, the technology still has to establish itself as a global standard. Globally, only a few operators have deployed WiMax giving higher economies of scale to 3G technologies. However, WiMax enjoys strong backing from companies like Intel, Motorola and Nortel.
So, though as a consumer, you may choose between the two, telcos would probably want to offer both.
The telecom minster A Raja said that government will also auction Wimax services. The reserve price for these services has been set at 25 per cent of that of 3G. Initially, about three licences would be offered, which will be doubled later depending on the vacation of the spectrum by Defence.
Also, while WiMax can provide similar services such as 3G, the technology still has to establish itself as a global standard. Globally, only a few operators have deployed WiMax giving higher economies of scale to 3G technologies. However, WiMax enjoys strong backing from companies like Intel, Motorola and Nortel.
So, though as a consumer, you may choose between the two, telcos would probably want to offer both.
The telecom minster A Raja said that government will also auction Wimax services. The reserve price for these services has been set at 25 per cent of that of 3G. Initially, about three licences would be offered, which will be doubled later depending on the vacation of the spectrum by Defence.
'Network cloud' for Internet bugs
That constant cribbing about the antivirus software in your computer may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new "cloud computing" approach to malicious software detection developed at University of Michigan that tackles computer bugs seamlessly on the Internet.
Named CloudAV, the new approach moves antivirus functionality into the "network cloud" and off personal computers.
It analyses suspicious files using multiple antivirus and behavioural detection programs simultaneously.
The researchers say that antivirus software from popular vendors are not very effective, and that new threats go undetected for an average of seven weeks.
For coming up with this novel approach, the researchers evaluated 12 traditional antivirus software programs against 7,220 malware samples, including viruses, collected over a year.
The vendors tested were: Avast, AVG, BitDefender, ClamAV, CWSandbox, F-Prot, F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee, Norman Sandbox, Symantec and Trend Micro.
While traditional antivirus software checks documents and programs as they are accessed, this results in only one antivirus detector being used at a time because of performance constraints and program incompatibilities.
However, CloudAV can support a large number of malicious software detectors that act in tandem to analyse a single incoming file.
Since each detector operates in its own virtual machine, the technical incompatibilities and security issues are resolved.
CloudAV is accessible to any computer or mobile device on the network that runs a simple software agent. Every time a computer or device receives a new document or program, that item is automatically detected and sent to the antivirus cloud for analysis.
The system uses 12 different detectors that act simultaneously to tell the inquiring computer whether the item is safe to open.
It also caches analysis results, which accelerates the process as compared to traditional antivirus software.
According to the researchers, this may prove beneficial at places where multiple people might access the same document, such as workplaces.
This new system also includes something dubbed as "retrospective detection", which scans its file access history when a new threat is identified. This enables it to catch previously-missed infections earlier.
CloudAV has promising implications in cell phones and other mobile devices that aren't robust enough to carry powerful antivirus software.
A paper on the new approach was recently presented at the USENIX Security Symposium.
Named CloudAV, the new approach moves antivirus functionality into the "network cloud" and off personal computers.
It analyses suspicious files using multiple antivirus and behavioural detection programs simultaneously.
The researchers say that antivirus software from popular vendors are not very effective, and that new threats go undetected for an average of seven weeks.
For coming up with this novel approach, the researchers evaluated 12 traditional antivirus software programs against 7,220 malware samples, including viruses, collected over a year.
The vendors tested were: Avast, AVG, BitDefender, ClamAV, CWSandbox, F-Prot, F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee, Norman Sandbox, Symantec and Trend Micro.
While traditional antivirus software checks documents and programs as they are accessed, this results in only one antivirus detector being used at a time because of performance constraints and program incompatibilities.
However, CloudAV can support a large number of malicious software detectors that act in tandem to analyse a single incoming file.
Since each detector operates in its own virtual machine, the technical incompatibilities and security issues are resolved.
CloudAV is accessible to any computer or mobile device on the network that runs a simple software agent. Every time a computer or device receives a new document or program, that item is automatically detected and sent to the antivirus cloud for analysis.
The system uses 12 different detectors that act simultaneously to tell the inquiring computer whether the item is safe to open.
It also caches analysis results, which accelerates the process as compared to traditional antivirus software.
According to the researchers, this may prove beneficial at places where multiple people might access the same document, such as workplaces.
This new system also includes something dubbed as "retrospective detection", which scans its file access history when a new threat is identified. This enables it to catch previously-missed infections earlier.
CloudAV has promising implications in cell phones and other mobile devices that aren't robust enough to carry powerful antivirus software.
A paper on the new approach was recently presented at the USENIX Security Symposium.
Nintendo DS to make you pretty
Women in Japan will soon be able to have their own hand-held beauty consultant after games company Sega teamed up with cosmetics giant Shiseido to offer make-up tips on the Nintendo DS.
"Project Beauty", which will go on sale from November 27 in Japan, is used with a scanning device that feeds digital images of the user's face into the DS, which analyses the shape and position of the eyes, lips and other parts.
The software, priced at 6,090 yen (55 dollars) including the scanning device, matches faces with one of four groups -- cool, active, cute or feminine.
It would then show a user's face with no make-up on one screen and a proposed make-over on the other.
For users who want to choose their own make-up, they can simulate a full make-over by selecting different shades of colours and other details of the foundation, blusher, mascara, lipstick and other make-up.
They can also learn how to apply foundation along with other basic skills.
"Project Beauty", which will go on sale from November 27 in Japan, is used with a scanning device that feeds digital images of the user's face into the DS, which analyses the shape and position of the eyes, lips and other parts.
The software, priced at 6,090 yen (55 dollars) including the scanning device, matches faces with one of four groups -- cool, active, cute or feminine.
It would then show a user's face with no make-up on one screen and a proposed make-over on the other.
For users who want to choose their own make-up, they can simulate a full make-over by selecting different shades of colours and other details of the foundation, blusher, mascara, lipstick and other make-up.
They can also learn how to apply foundation along with other basic skills.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Nokia's iPhone killer, N96
Nokia, the country's dominant handset player, is plotting to steal Apple's iPhone thunder. The company is set to launch its latest high-end phone N96, which calls a 'killer product' in India, three days before the much-awaited 3G-enabled iPhone's debut in India.The N96 was tipped to be launched globally in October and this may perhaps be the handset maker's first global launch in India.
Industry experts say Nokia is rushing the N96 to India to counter the hype associated with the 3G iPhone, which will be offered by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar.
While Nokia is expected to launch the product in Delhi on Tuesday, the handset is likely to be available in the market from the first week of September.
Nokia's N96 is expected to be priced around Rs 35,000. In comparison, the iPhone is likely to cost about Rs 31,000 for the 8 GB version and between Rs 35,000-37,000 for the 16 GB one.
Till date, Bharti, Vodafone and Apple have remained tight-lipped on iPhone's pricing strategy in India. But if the iPhone is bundled with a carrier's service, the price could be half this amount.
Apple's launch of a single product seems to have perturbed Nokia despite commanding a 60 per cent market in India.
Indeed, Nokia Corporation's global president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo has acknowledged the launch of Apple's iconic iPhone in India would impact the company here.
"When iPhone comes to India, it adds to our competitors here. The entry of a new product in the market creates customer interest and it, therefore, impacts us in India," he said during a recent visit to India.
He also added that that consumer interest in iPhone would lead to an increased awareness on many of the concepts and features available on Nokia's handsets.
A quick comparison of features of both handsets shows that while the iPhone scores over the N96 with its larger 3.5-inch multi-touchscreen, it only comes with a 2 megapixel camera.
N96, which has a two-way slide keyboard and a 2.8-inch screen, comes with a 5 megapixel camera.
For corporate users, the iPhone packs a punch with its encrypted Push-mail with Microsoft Exchange, which the N96 lacks. Apple has also put in a 3-axis accelerometer that senses motion much better than N96's basic motion sensor.
The feature comes in handy while gaming when a player can steer the game using the phone itself, rather than a joystick.
However, there are things one would miss in the iPhone like being able to transfer data using Bluetooth, something the N96 allows. One can only use the Bluetooth feature in iPhone for hands-free calling.
For Indian consumers who are avid texters, iPhone's no-SMS-forwarding feature could be a handicap. Apple's iconic phone, of course, also lacks your regular FM and offers users streaming Internet radio.
Indian users also may not be used to Apple's style of sealing the battery within the handset. On the other hand, the N96 offers you the freedom to remove and replace the battery.
While the iPhone offers the popular Google maps, the drawback is that these maps do not offer voice directions in India. The N96 offers Nokia Maps 2.0 with voice directions for India as well.
On the memory front, N96 scores over the iPhone as it offers its 16GB built in memory is expandable to 24GB using microSD cards.
Both phones also offer different web browsers-the iPhone comes with a full-featured Safari browser compared to the Nokia HTML browser in the N96.
Again, while both handsets offer fast internet, N96 has a few added features such as mobile TV and video calls using the front-side VGA cam.
What 3G iPhone doesn't have
By now you would surely remember by heart what the iPhone has. But wait, do you also know what it does not have?
Here is a list of features that tells you what even the iconic iPhone doesn’t have...
Miss 1: Little on the looks front
The new iPhone offers nothing new in terms of looks. The 3G iPhone looks pretty much like its predecessors.
The new iPhone is only about 0.1 ounce lighter than the previous model. The 3G iPhone shows a few cosmetic changes from the front, with similar display size and resolution, and the single Home button placed below the screen.
The phone's black plastic skin back has been replaced by silver-aluminum back. While the 8GB model comes in black only, the 16GB version is available in both black and white.
Miss 2: Video camera
There were speculations for a higher-resolution camera and a possible support for digital video recording. However, 3G iPhone disappoints with the same 2 megapixel camera and no video recording option and flash and optical zoom too missing.
This is specially a dampener since video recording feature is today found in most cell phones, even those at the lower end. Also, most of Apple’s rivals in the cell phone space like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung are offering higher version cameras.
Sony Ericsson recently introduced an 8 megapixel camera. Samsung already has one in the range. Others Nokia and Motorola too offer 5 megapixel camera phones.
Miss 3: Multimedia deficit
Another sorely missed out features are multimedia messaging and voice dialing. Users can send text messages or snapshots via email, but there's still no MMS (multimedia messaging) feature on the iPhone!
Also, the phone disappoints fans who were hoping for a bundle of new multimedia features in 3G iPhone.
Miss 4: User replaceable battery
User replaceable battery and tactile feedback for the touchscreen, both have been given a miss in the new iPhone. User-replaceable battery is a serious drawback.
Though Apple reportedly claims that it left out the user-replaceable battery because it adds bulk and weight, users can’t help comparing it with other smartphones.
Miss 5: Incompatible Bluetooth
Users were expecting a landscape keyboard, capability to cut and paste, expanded memory and additional Bluetooth profiles - which all too is missing.
For example, while iPhone supports Bluetooth headsets, the lack of keyboard or headphone would be a hindrance for those who want to optimise their experience with wireless peripherals.
Also, 3G iPhone does not have A2DP Bluetooth. Users may also sorely miss the support for Bluetooth stereo or in-car Bluetooth handsfree.
Miss 6: No support for Adobe Flash
Adobe says it is working on iPhone Flash, but sadly for now there is no support for Adobe Flash in 3G iPhone.
Presently, when users will browse through Web pages with Adobe Flash it will display empty spaces with missing icons. Apple claims Flash would run too slowly on the iPhone.
Thus, the lack of Flash support for the Safari Web browser limits the access of several websites on the iPhone.
Miss 7: No cut-and-paste
This may be hard to digest. BlackBerry has it, Nokia has it, however, 3G iPhone lacks it.
Most of the smartphones available in the market support the cut and paste feature, but somehow Apple has preferred to stay away from it.
Here is a list of features that tells you what even the iconic iPhone doesn’t have...
Miss 1: Little on the looks front
The new iPhone offers nothing new in terms of looks. The 3G iPhone looks pretty much like its predecessors.
The new iPhone is only about 0.1 ounce lighter than the previous model. The 3G iPhone shows a few cosmetic changes from the front, with similar display size and resolution, and the single Home button placed below the screen.
The phone's black plastic skin back has been replaced by silver-aluminum back. While the 8GB model comes in black only, the 16GB version is available in both black and white.
Miss 2: Video camera
There were speculations for a higher-resolution camera and a possible support for digital video recording. However, 3G iPhone disappoints with the same 2 megapixel camera and no video recording option and flash and optical zoom too missing.
This is specially a dampener since video recording feature is today found in most cell phones, even those at the lower end. Also, most of Apple’s rivals in the cell phone space like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung are offering higher version cameras.
Sony Ericsson recently introduced an 8 megapixel camera. Samsung already has one in the range. Others Nokia and Motorola too offer 5 megapixel camera phones.
Miss 3: Multimedia deficit
Another sorely missed out features are multimedia messaging and voice dialing. Users can send text messages or snapshots via email, but there's still no MMS (multimedia messaging) feature on the iPhone!
Also, the phone disappoints fans who were hoping for a bundle of new multimedia features in 3G iPhone.
Miss 4: User replaceable battery
User replaceable battery and tactile feedback for the touchscreen, both have been given a miss in the new iPhone. User-replaceable battery is a serious drawback.
Though Apple reportedly claims that it left out the user-replaceable battery because it adds bulk and weight, users can’t help comparing it with other smartphones.
Miss 5: Incompatible Bluetooth
Users were expecting a landscape keyboard, capability to cut and paste, expanded memory and additional Bluetooth profiles - which all too is missing.
For example, while iPhone supports Bluetooth headsets, the lack of keyboard or headphone would be a hindrance for those who want to optimise their experience with wireless peripherals.
Also, 3G iPhone does not have A2DP Bluetooth. Users may also sorely miss the support for Bluetooth stereo or in-car Bluetooth handsfree.
Miss 6: No support for Adobe Flash
Adobe says it is working on iPhone Flash, but sadly for now there is no support for Adobe Flash in 3G iPhone.
Presently, when users will browse through Web pages with Adobe Flash it will display empty spaces with missing icons. Apple claims Flash would run too slowly on the iPhone.
Thus, the lack of Flash support for the Safari Web browser limits the access of several websites on the iPhone.
Miss 7: No cut-and-paste
This may be hard to digest. BlackBerry has it, Nokia has it, however, 3G iPhone lacks it.
Most of the smartphones available in the market support the cut and paste feature, but somehow Apple has preferred to stay away from it.
Is Microsoft forcing Vista on users?
Microsoft Corp, the world's largest software maker, is being probed by Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission after an activist group filed a complaint saying consumers are being forced to buy its Windows Vista operating system.
Microsoft can face fines of as much as NT$25 million ($796,000) and be ordered to halt illicit practices if found guilty of fair-trade breaches.
Microsoft should be fined for using its monopoly to force consumers to adopt Vista after the company ended sales of Windows XP in June, Taiwan's Consumer Foundation, a non-profit group, said in its complaint posted on its Website.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, stopped selling XP individually and pre-installing the operating system in most computers in June to spur Vista sales.
Vista, which was released for consumers in January last year, requires more memory capacity and greater processing power than XP.
Demand for XP
The Consumer Foundation said its research showed 56 per cent of consumers buying a computer with Vista would reinstall XP, while 67 per cent oppose Microsoft ending the sale of the earlier operating system.
Windows XP remains available preinstalled in some low-cost computers such as Acer Inc's Aspire One laptop.
Under Taiwan's Fair Trade Act, a company may not “use incentives or other devious means to induce a business to alter a consumer's shopping choices,” the foundation said in the statement.
Microsoft can face fines of as much as NT$25 million ($796,000) and be ordered to halt illicit practices if found guilty of fair-trade breaches.
Microsoft should be fined for using its monopoly to force consumers to adopt Vista after the company ended sales of Windows XP in June, Taiwan's Consumer Foundation, a non-profit group, said in its complaint posted on its Website.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, stopped selling XP individually and pre-installing the operating system in most computers in June to spur Vista sales.
Vista, which was released for consumers in January last year, requires more memory capacity and greater processing power than XP.
Demand for XP
The Consumer Foundation said its research showed 56 per cent of consumers buying a computer with Vista would reinstall XP, while 67 per cent oppose Microsoft ending the sale of the earlier operating system.
Windows XP remains available preinstalled in some low-cost computers such as Acer Inc's Aspire One laptop.
Under Taiwan's Fair Trade Act, a company may not “use incentives or other devious means to induce a business to alter a consumer's shopping choices,” the foundation said in the statement.
How to make laptops travel friendly
Many a time business user's end up cursing it for not having enough battery power just when the presentation was about to begin. Also, security problem, spare cables and network issues haunt many on their business trips
Here are few pointers to keep you ready while traveling:
Charge your battery
Remember to charge your battery before leaving. Chances are you won’t be near a plug point. Investing in a higher capacity battery may sound expensive but is always good.
The newer nine cell batteries give up to six hours of power when used with proper power saving measures.
Save power
Your notebook has a finite store of power and this could range anywhere from 1 to 8 hours depending on the size of the laptop. But by using a few power saving modes increasing by an hour or two can just clinch you a business deal.
One of the biggest power hogger is the screen display and reducing the brightness of the screen significantly decreases battery consumption.
Disconnecting peripherals such as an external mouse or hard disk drive that may be connected via USB port is a good idea, as they consume a lot of juice. Also when not required remember to switch of the WLAN switch on your laptop as this consumes monstrous amounts of power.
Switching it off can alone help save about an hour of power. Also do not connect your mobile phone as though the mobile may be charging your laptop is losing juice.
Use preset mode like Power Saver or Balanced in Vista that keeps power consumption down by using minimum system resources.
How to guard
A notebook is every thief ’s apple in the eye. You can keep your laptop safe by using USB Locks or chains built specifically for your laptop.
These security devices prevent thieves and identity thieves from taking control of your laptop. Other devices like finger print scanners are also as helpful.
Reema John from a South Mumbai college goes further to say that on one occasion when her laptop was robbed in the train she got it back.
Apparently the thieves were unable to use the laptop and hence actually left it back unattended near a police station.
Always enable firewall
While at a coffee shop or hotel lobby and using a wireless Internet connection do remember to enable a firewall to prevent anyone from accessing data from your laptop.
Chances of someone sending your notebook a virus over the wireless network is high. Do remember to keep your laptop in your vision of sight as losing a laptop can mean losing a lot of data that leave you feeling heartbroken.
Here are few pointers to keep you ready while traveling:
Charge your battery
Remember to charge your battery before leaving. Chances are you won’t be near a plug point. Investing in a higher capacity battery may sound expensive but is always good.
The newer nine cell batteries give up to six hours of power when used with proper power saving measures.
Save power
Your notebook has a finite store of power and this could range anywhere from 1 to 8 hours depending on the size of the laptop. But by using a few power saving modes increasing by an hour or two can just clinch you a business deal.
One of the biggest power hogger is the screen display and reducing the brightness of the screen significantly decreases battery consumption.
Disconnecting peripherals such as an external mouse or hard disk drive that may be connected via USB port is a good idea, as they consume a lot of juice. Also when not required remember to switch of the WLAN switch on your laptop as this consumes monstrous amounts of power.
Switching it off can alone help save about an hour of power. Also do not connect your mobile phone as though the mobile may be charging your laptop is losing juice.
Use preset mode like Power Saver or Balanced in Vista that keeps power consumption down by using minimum system resources.
How to guard
A notebook is every thief ’s apple in the eye. You can keep your laptop safe by using USB Locks or chains built specifically for your laptop.
These security devices prevent thieves and identity thieves from taking control of your laptop. Other devices like finger print scanners are also as helpful.
Reema John from a South Mumbai college goes further to say that on one occasion when her laptop was robbed in the train she got it back.
Apparently the thieves were unable to use the laptop and hence actually left it back unattended near a police station.
Always enable firewall
While at a coffee shop or hotel lobby and using a wireless Internet connection do remember to enable a firewall to prevent anyone from accessing data from your laptop.
Chances of someone sending your notebook a virus over the wireless network is high. Do remember to keep your laptop in your vision of sight as losing a laptop can mean losing a lot of data that leave you feeling heartbroken.
How to edit pics using Adobe tools
Little do people know that if edited right, even videos of your vacations, birthdays and weddings can be a show stopper. So here are some tips that can help you spin a home-made thriller:
Editing is an impossible task without a proper application. One weapon that can come in handy when you start making professional-looking mini-videos is Adobe Premier.
The simplicity of the tools is probably what makes it one of the best options for amateur movie makers. You start with dumping your video footage from the camcorder into the computer using a Fire wire or a USB 2.0 port.
Once you do that, Adobe Premier will automatically detect natural breaks in recording and help in organising the video in an efficient manner.
It’s a good idea to go straight to a feature from Adobe Premier called storyboarding. A storyboard acts as your timeline : It lets you visualise your video shot by shot, making it easy to see where to add an effect, how long to play a certain song or when exactly to spice it up with a voice-over .
This is also a place where you manipulate the pace of the movie using the timelines so you need not stick to the birthday footage exactly as you captured it. You can simply shuffle shots and move them around by dragging footage in the timeline. Next you can splice away the boring bits by using the Cut tool, which will let you trim unwanted sections.
Cut can also be used to trim the ends of the video, thus giving you control over the video to add transition effects in between sections. Start with transitions effects such as the cut, fade and wipe. These are vital to show a change in scene or a jump to the future or past. A good sprinkling of these might make the video a surefire hit on the YouTube lists.
These transitions can be easily applied by dragging and dropping the transition of choice on the scene in the video timeline. Also remember haphazard zooms of a certain sequence can cause sea sickness among the audience, if you have plenty of these in your video ease them with the Zoom tool.
Music and narration are important elements which need to be integrated into your movie at the right points. To spice up your video, simply import your favourite U2 number into the audio timeline and add that to the footage to change the tempo. Also, it’s not necessary to use the song as is, you can trim it to match the length of the video and also play with the volume so that the music doesn’t drown out the dialogue.
Narration can also be added to a movie using a headset microphone. Dynamic feedback is available through the headset to help you control the narration on the go. There is also the voice track wizard, which will assist you in recording a satisfactory narration using volume control and feedback options. Most editing applications let you add multiple audio tracks or an audio track and a narration. This can be done by superimposing the two tracks in the same audio timeline, or by rendering the movie twice with different audio tracks.
The look and feel of the movie can be altered with the Brightness control. This one is a must for all those unflattering shots taken in bad light.
The Grayscale and Sepia effects can be used in a flashback or a dream sequence to add a touch of nostalgia to the video. It’s a good idea to take your chances with the Slow Down and Speed Up tools; these will give you hilarious results if used with imagination.
Shaky footage can also be stabilised to a certain extent using the Stabilise tool. These effects can be applied by dragging and dropping them onto the clip of choice on the timeline.
Don’t forget to preview all you’re editing in the preview monitor before you save the effects.
Finally, you can add visual effects such as animated titles, scenery, intros and outros, even a lights camera-action sequence to your home video. And for trying your hand at some cool Hollywood effects such as parting red curtains and flying bullets, check out sites like www.digitahotcakes.com.
There is much more available with tools like Premiere, of course, so go on, and let the film roll.
Editing is an impossible task without a proper application. One weapon that can come in handy when you start making professional-looking mini-videos is Adobe Premier.
The simplicity of the tools is probably what makes it one of the best options for amateur movie makers. You start with dumping your video footage from the camcorder into the computer using a Fire wire or a USB 2.0 port.
Once you do that, Adobe Premier will automatically detect natural breaks in recording and help in organising the video in an efficient manner.
It’s a good idea to go straight to a feature from Adobe Premier called storyboarding. A storyboard acts as your timeline : It lets you visualise your video shot by shot, making it easy to see where to add an effect, how long to play a certain song or when exactly to spice it up with a voice-over .
This is also a place where you manipulate the pace of the movie using the timelines so you need not stick to the birthday footage exactly as you captured it. You can simply shuffle shots and move them around by dragging footage in the timeline. Next you can splice away the boring bits by using the Cut tool, which will let you trim unwanted sections.
Cut can also be used to trim the ends of the video, thus giving you control over the video to add transition effects in between sections. Start with transitions effects such as the cut, fade and wipe. These are vital to show a change in scene or a jump to the future or past. A good sprinkling of these might make the video a surefire hit on the YouTube lists.
These transitions can be easily applied by dragging and dropping the transition of choice on the scene in the video timeline. Also remember haphazard zooms of a certain sequence can cause sea sickness among the audience, if you have plenty of these in your video ease them with the Zoom tool.
Music and narration are important elements which need to be integrated into your movie at the right points. To spice up your video, simply import your favourite U2 number into the audio timeline and add that to the footage to change the tempo. Also, it’s not necessary to use the song as is, you can trim it to match the length of the video and also play with the volume so that the music doesn’t drown out the dialogue.
Narration can also be added to a movie using a headset microphone. Dynamic feedback is available through the headset to help you control the narration on the go. There is also the voice track wizard, which will assist you in recording a satisfactory narration using volume control and feedback options. Most editing applications let you add multiple audio tracks or an audio track and a narration. This can be done by superimposing the two tracks in the same audio timeline, or by rendering the movie twice with different audio tracks.
The look and feel of the movie can be altered with the Brightness control. This one is a must for all those unflattering shots taken in bad light.
The Grayscale and Sepia effects can be used in a flashback or a dream sequence to add a touch of nostalgia to the video. It’s a good idea to take your chances with the Slow Down and Speed Up tools; these will give you hilarious results if used with imagination.
Shaky footage can also be stabilised to a certain extent using the Stabilise tool. These effects can be applied by dragging and dropping them onto the clip of choice on the timeline.
Don’t forget to preview all you’re editing in the preview monitor before you save the effects.
Finally, you can add visual effects such as animated titles, scenery, intros and outros, even a lights camera-action sequence to your home video. And for trying your hand at some cool Hollywood effects such as parting red curtains and flying bullets, check out sites like www.digitahotcakes.com.
There is much more available with tools like Premiere, of course, so go on, and let the film roll.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Live Beijing Olympics 2008 Online and Medal Tally for Free
# NBC - They offer both live and replayed videos for free just visit there site for Olympics coverage
# Get live Olympics 2008 coverage at CCTV
# Olympics Official Site’s Video
# Or you can visit BBC
Now you have the choices. I recommend NBC.
For updated medal tally, visit here.
# Get live Olympics 2008 coverage at CCTV
# Olympics Official Site’s Video
# Or you can visit BBC
Now you have the choices. I recommend NBC.
For updated medal tally, visit here.
AskLaila - Local search in Internet made-easy!
Today, we need more answers, faster. More importantly, we need them to be more relevant.
Enter, the Internet. Which helps. But does it do all it can?
Suppose you want to have the information about where to get the best Chinese food in town. Googling would give you thousands of results, most of which may not be the nearest to you, or the worst, be irrelevant.
Or, suppose you've got transferred to Bandra in Mumbai very recently, and you want to go to a hair-saloon, but you don't know the number of the nearest saloon...even you don't know how expensive it would be. What would you do??
Enter Ask Laila! They have the addresses and numbers of each and every shop/establishment in your local area, they manually enter those information in their database in case of the absence of any website of the shops, and they are continually evolving...
For mobile-crazy folks, they have lunched AskLaila even for mobile. Just compose your query (say, "movie theater", or "Nehru Museum"), and send the sms to 58989. You will get an sms back with the result in some time and then use it to get the landmark or phone number or even the address of your search (this service is available on Vodafone, Reliance).
What else, if you have a mobile phone with wifi or gprs connection then you can hit m.asklaila.com to access the WAP site.
You can get a glimpse of the service using a demo here.
Enter, the Internet. Which helps. But does it do all it can?
Suppose you want to have the information about where to get the best Chinese food in town. Googling would give you thousands of results, most of which may not be the nearest to you, or the worst, be irrelevant.
Or, suppose you've got transferred to Bandra in Mumbai very recently, and you want to go to a hair-saloon, but you don't know the number of the nearest saloon...even you don't know how expensive it would be. What would you do??
Enter Ask Laila! They have the addresses and numbers of each and every shop/establishment in your local area, they manually enter those information in their database in case of the absence of any website of the shops, and they are continually evolving...
For mobile-crazy folks, they have lunched AskLaila even for mobile. Just compose your query (say, "movie theater", or "Nehru Museum"), and send the sms to 58989. You will get an sms back with the result in some time and then use it to get the landmark or phone number or even the address of your search (this service is available on Vodafone, Reliance).
What else, if you have a mobile phone with wifi or gprs connection then you can hit m.asklaila.com to access the WAP site.
You can get a glimpse of the service using a demo here.
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