a2z Information: 2012-09-30

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Countries building own Internet network to be disastrous, Pentagon

Countries trying to build and operate their own interned system are on a "road to disaster", a top Pentagon official said given that Iran and China are making such an effort.

"Any country that builds and operates its own Internet devices and infrastructure, I think, is on a road to disaster," General Keith Alexander, Commander of US Cyber Command, told a meeting of US Chamber of Commerce yesterday, explaining that such countries would lag far behind the rest of the world.

They come together each morning from the sloping forests. Some walk for more than an hour along muddy footpaths past terraced farms stacked like soft green steps. Some race their new motorbikes down narrow, cracked roads cut into the hillsides.

The team of young men and women wear ID cards on lanyards around their necks and have that rarest of commodities in rural India, a company job.

They work mainly in data processing for a 3-year-old business called B2R that is using the spread of the internet to transport India's outsourcing boom from metropolitan Bangalore and the suburbs of New Delhi to this speck of a farming village in the Himalayan foothills.

The best young leaders are able to strike a balance: they are respectful and extraordinarily good at learning from senior colleagues, says Rajan Anandan, VP & MD, Google India It is important for young leaders to be themselves, be new age, be fast, and have a healthy disregard for the normal. It's equally important to learn from senior colleagues.

The best young leaders are able to strike a balance: they are respectful and extraordinarily good at learning from senior colleagues, says Rajan Anandan, VP & MD, Google India, and a jury member of The Economic Times Young Leaders Programme.

Oracle Corp has all the pieces it needs to compete in cloud computing but is always interested in looking at compelling M&A opportunities, Chief Financial Officer Safra Catz told investors.

Speaking at Oracle's annual investor day on Thursday, Catz said Oracle is now a one-stop shop for companies moving to cloud computing, while rivals likeAmazon.com and Salesforce.com each offer some but not all of the necessary components.

Observing that laws both at national and international level were still struggling to catch up with cyber activities worldwide, a CBI judge today said India is yet to sign a treaty with other countries to extradite accused involved in cyber crimes.

"Till date, we do not have a single treaty with any other country to extradite a cyber criminal to be brought to India", CBI Special Judge, New Delhi, Talwant Singh said at a seminar.

Sony Corp said it has halted sales of its Xperia tablet PCs, a month after its launch, after discovering gaps between the screen and the case that make some of the machines susceptible to water damage.

The problem with the tablet, which is supposed to be water resistant, is the result of a manufacturing flaw at the Chinese plant where it is fabricated, said Sony spokeswoman Noriko Shoji. Sony has not yet decided when it will resume sales, she added.

Facebook 'likes' are being added to webpages irrespective of whether users have clicked a like button or not, or even visited the social networking site, the company has acknowledged.

A US security researcher has found that simply sending a web address to a friend using Facebook's private messaging function adds two likes to the page.

Leaving a comment on a story within a Facebook page also adds to the tally, the 'BBC news' reported.

Calling internet as the greatest invention of mankind after the printing press, Reliance IndustriesBSE 0.55 % chairman Mukesh Ambani said today that Mahatma Gandhi's dream of self-reliance can be attained by making use of internet and technology.

Speaking at a function where columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni's book titled "Music of the Spinning Wheel: Mahatma Gandhi's Manifesto for the Internet Age" was released, Ambani said that Gandhi's dream of self-reliance can be attained through the use of internet and technology.

Now, irritated Apple users need not worry about errors and omissions made in the Maps service, as Google has updated its web-based maps app, which iPhone users can easily access through their mobile's web browser.

Google made its Street View product available on mobile web browsers in a bid to lure users away from Apple's failed maps service on the new iPhone 5.

"To make Google Maps even more comprehensive, accurate and useful, today we're making Street View available on mobile browsers," the Daily Mail quoted Amanda Leicht, Product Manager Google Maps, as saying.

AT&T will start selling Nokia's two latest Lumia smartphones in November, making it the first carrier to commit to the devices in the United States. AT&T said on Thursday that both models - the Lumia 920 and 820 - will run on its fastest network starting in November. It also said it would sell a Samsung Electronics camera with a wireless connection.

For Sexual Health Week, we spoke to Mr N. Pisal, a gynaecologist from London Gynaecology, about the most common women’s complaints and what they all mean.

Heavy periods (Menorrhagia)

“A normal period can be hard to define as every woman is different. But if you have to change sanitary protection frequently, or if you have to use double protection (pad and tampon) or if you pass large blood clots, you could call your periods heavy.

Heavy periods can make you anaemic and tired. Hormonal changes, fibroids and endometriosis can cause heavy periods. Simple medications such as Tranexamic acid or using the contraceptive pill can reduce the bleeding significantly, so it is worth seeing you GP.”

Aussies in final as Hunter goes for the kill

Julie Hunter would hope her male counterparts do equally well in the evening.

COLOMBO: Medium-pacer Julie Hunter snared five as defending champions Australia defeated the West Indies by 28 runs to enter their second successive ICC Women's World Twenty20 final, on Friday. Australia will meet England, the 2009 winners, in the title clash on Sunday.

Historic Tipu Sultan painting to be auctioned in UK

ondon, Sep 26 (ANI): British Auction house Mullock's are set to auction an array of Indian artifacts in the UK, some belonging to the period after the annexation of Mysore by the British, and also includes a famous painting depicting the death of former leader Tipu Sultan.

The painting of Tipu Sultan (1750-1799), who was also known as the 'Tiger of Mysore', dates back to 1828 and is expected to fetch over 2000 - 3000 pounds.

"We are excited about this sale as we have a number of important pieces relating to India," Mullock's specialist Richard West-Wood Brookes said.

Low fat options may not be as healthy as they seem, with lighter options having a higher sugar content and same number of calories as the standard option.

Which? found that food labelling as ‘low fat’ is misleading as many have a high calorie countand contain a larger amount of sugar than if you were to eat the full fat option.

The consumer champion found that 6 in 10 people reported to opt for the lower fat option, believing it was the healthier choice.

Which? looked at low-fat, reduced-fat and light products from across all supermarkets, and compared them with their standard full-fat counterparts, looking at total calories and fat, sugar, and salt content.

"When I play in November, I will reassess things," he said.

Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar admitted on Friday that he is contemplating retirement and said he would reassess his future next month.

In an interview to be broadcast on Indian television Friday, the 39-year-old said he would decide on a "series by series" basis as he acknowledged that the clock was running down on his record-breaking career.

"Some are corrupt, but some cricketers are turned into criminals by the system," he said.

Controversial former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said on Friday the cricketers are being tempted into fixing matches because they are underpaid by their board.

"Fixing happens in our culture because there's less money, there are even lesser opportunities. Cricketers victimised by their boards return (to the team) to mint money," Akhtar, 37, told the Headlines Today news channel.

If you’re struggling to sleep well at night, follow these top tips to help you put down that glass of warm milk and ditch the sheep counting.

1. Set a regular bedtime

Go to bed at the same time every day. Simple. Like children, we need routines to tell our bodies when it’s time to shut down.

Choose a time when you normally feel tired so you don’t toss and turn.

If you need to change the time, do it slowly over a few nights with 15 minute increments.

2. Wake up at the same time

Likewise with bedtime, you need a regular time to get out of bed sleepyhead. Try and maintain this even at weekends.

If you are getting enough sleep, you should wake naturally without the help of an alarm clock. Adjust your bedtime accordingly.

The fertility diet

Make some simple food changes to help boost your fertility as a couple... scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast means slow-release carbs and protein, and eggs are rich in omega 3, ideal for male production of prostaglandin (controls hormone regulation). Andpumpkin seeds for him as they contain high zinc levels- needed to make the outer layer and tail of sperm... yes really!

Getting startedIt’s important you start off in a healthy and positive manner, this means, getting your fertility back-on-track by seeing it as a joint project to do together, trying to make it an enjoyable exercise for you both. This can be anything from researching delicious (and nutritious) recipes together, to combining some regular exercise in your weekly schedules.

Fiat calls it the the only A segment four-wheel drive model. The successor to a bestseller which first appeared almost 30 years ago, the new Fiat Panda 4x4 is a perfect interpretation of the spirit of the times, proving itself able to unite consolidated off-road capabilities with a refined design and compact, efficient architecture. The Panda 4x4 is ready to tackle mountain mule tracks and the urban jungle with the same ease. The new Panda 4x4 improves itself once again and reasserts its admirable capacity to compete with off-road cars of much greater dimensions.

The new Fiat panda 4x4 – the only four-wheel drive model in the a segment – will make its debut at the forthcoming international Paris Motor Show. The successor to a bestseller which first appeared almost 30 years ago, today’s third-generation four-wheel drive Panda is a perfect interpretation of the spirit of the times, uniting consolidated off-road capabilities with a refined design and compact, efficient architecture. The Panda 4x4 is the superlative expression of the model’s great versatility, a genuine Super Panda, ready to tackle mountain mule tracks and the urban jungle in the same assured manner.

Govt may shut Kingfisher as fleet remains grounded

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Debt-strapped Kingfisher Airlines(NSI:KFA.NS - News), devoid of a turnaround plan to get back into the air, faced a possible shutdown by the government after extending the grounding of its fleet for another week.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the airline late on Friday to demonstrate why its permit to fly should not be suspended or cancelled, and gave it 15 days to reply.

The DGCA said the airline had failed to establish a "safe, efficient and reliable service".

Kingfisher stopped flights on Monday after a weekend protest by staff turned violent. Airline employees have not been paid for seven months.

My personality is such that it’s easy for me to talk to people and vice-versa," he said.

Colombo: Chris Gayle, inarguably the most destructive batsman in ODIs and T20 Internationals, doesn’t see himself as a playboy.

“I’m not one... In fact, who is a playboy? My personality is such that it’s easy for me to talk to people and vice-versa... I’m a relaxed type of person, with an open mind,” Gayle told The Telegraph.

Asia s virtual gaming bigwigs like GREE, DeNA eye Zynga s market share

A decade ago, a developer from Korean gamemaker Nexon threw a few lines of code together to create an image of a flower to present to his girlfriend, buying himself more videogame time as she sat impatiently by his side at an Internet cafe.

And, so the industry legend goes, the "virtual good" was born. In the years since, digitally created items for games and social media - from beers on Facebook to weapons in role-playing worlds - have grown into a $15 billion globe-spanning business. They helped generate the likes of Zynga Inc and underpin a fast-expandingonline-gaming industry.

New Jersey-headquartered IT company Cognizant Technology Solutions and Monitise, a global leader in mobile money solutions, entered into an agreement to help financial institutions develop mobile banking, payments and commerce solutions. By leveraging an interoperable platform instead of solutions from disparate products and mobile operating systems, financial institutions will be able to lower the total cost of ownership, and drive newer revenue streams through enhanced mobile adoption.

"Mobile is, without question, the channel of the future," said Alastair Lukies, CEO of Monitise Group. " As money becomes increasingly digitized amid exploding demand in the highly-competitive mobile money space, we look forward to collaborating closely with Cognizant to support financial institutions across the world in developing strategic, effective, and timely mobile services."

The government will prefer a consensus-based model to deal with issues related to Internet, Telecom and IT minister Kapil Sibal said today.

The minister said that people must evolve a model to build consensus among stakeholders instead of adopting governance model.

"We are moving towards concept of participative democracy where we listen to others, inform ourselves of their concerns, empower ourselves through those concerns and then through that participation arrive at a consensus through which each stakeholder obeys the rule of the game," Sibal said.

Microsoft is poised to raise the prices of its consumer and enterprise products in India by 10-25%. The increase will be implemented over the next several months, beginning November 1, a senior company executive said. It will impact popular products such as MS Word, PowerPoint, Windows Server operating system and other office software, priced in Indian rupee rates.

The company said the increase is mainly to bring the cost of its Indian products in line with global prices. Microsoft's products in India are sold at a much lower rate compared to developed markets.

For all those frequenting Facebook, the social networking website can now turn into a forum for promoting themselves as by paying a few bucks, people can now use the media for highlighting something they want to.

If you want more of your friends to see your funny one liner or personal announcement, pony up little cash and you will get more visibility.

Although the price has not yet been fixed but Facebookalready soft-launched its latest paid product 'promoted posts' yesterday as part of its effort to mop up more revenues.

Apple has been panned across the world for its new Maps application, which has been riddled with errors. Company CEO Tim Cook recently issued a public apology over the Maps fiasco and even went to recommend rivals map applications like Google and Nokia's to users of devices running on iOS 6.

However, reportedly it was Steve Jobs' displeasure with Google over Android mobile OS which made Apple build its in-house Map app. Not just this, Jobs even wanted to scrap Google Search from all iOS devices.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergtoday announced on the website that the world's biggest social network now has over 1 billion users. In an associated fact sheet, the company said that it surpassed the 1 billion-user mark on September 14, at 12.45 pm (Pacific Time).

The company stated that the median age of users joining the week that Facebook hit the 1 billion-mark was 22 years. Facebook's five biggest markets are Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, as per the company fact sheet. It also said that it has 600 million users logging into the website from their mobile devices. Since February 2009, Facebook has witnessed 1.13 trillion users' likes, 219 billion photos being uploaded and 17 billion location-tagged pictures.
The world's biggest social network, Facebook hit the 500 million user mark in July 2010. At the end of June 2012, it had 955 million active members.

Reports from various news sources claim that the iPhone 4 and 4S will soon get a price cut in India. The 16GB iPhone 4S is expected to see a price cut of Rs 3,100 to Rs 41,400. The iPhone 3GS, which last saw a price cut to Rs 9,999 via Aircel, has been discontinued.

The 8 GB iPhone 4, now the new entry-level iPhone, gets a price cut of Rs 9,100 to Rs 28,300. According to BGR.in, Apple will not be selling the iPhone 5 through Airtel or Aircel, and has appointed Ingram Micro and Redington for the launch of the iPhone 5 in India.

Describing elements of Windows 8 as 'puzzling', Microsoft co-founder Paul Allenhas admitted that the upcoming operating system needs some improvement.

Allen said some elements of the operating system 'can induce confusion', but added that he was 'excited and impressed' by the new programme overall.

Sticking to his opposition tooutsourcing jobs to countries like India, President Barack Obama has said that he wants to give tax breaks to companies that are investing in the United States.

During an intense debate with his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, Obama noted that the corporate tax rate is too high, which he wants to bring down, particularly for manufacturing, taking it down to 25 per cent.

Data services revenue to touch dollar 19.3 billion by 2020, Report

With the government focusing on its agenda to provide affordable broadband services to the masses, revenue from data services is expected to grow 400 per cent to USD 19.3 billion by 2020, a report by Huawei has said.

"The data revenue is expected to increase from USD 3.9 billion in 2011 to USD 19.3 billion by 2020, registering a 400 per cent growth," Huawei India said in its report 'Connected possibilities: innovation, integration and inclusiveness' in partnership with Ernst & Young.

The job market has slowed down in the last 6 months, says Hitesh Oberoi, CEO and MD of Info Edge in an interaction with ET Now. The growth is a lot lower thanit was at the same time last year. However, for the medium term, businesses are likely to move to the internet.

There are about a 100 million people on the internettoday and according to him, this number is going to grow by leaps and bounds over the next 2-3 years.

Oracle CEOLarry Ellison said he intends to drive growth at the world's No. 3 software maker by promoting its current suite of cloud computing products and not through an acquisition.

The billionaire, who boosted Oracle revenue dramatically over the past decade through a series of purchases, said, however, he would not rule out a big deal "down the road".

"We're not focused on any large acquisitions. We think the organic growth opportunity is in the cloud," he said in an interview on CNBC prior to making a keynote speech at his company's annual users conference in San Francisco.

Mahindra Satyam, formerly Satyam Computer Services headed by B Ramalinga Raju, has decided to start its IT development centre in Mihan. Shivanand Raja, senior vice president of the company, told the media that as a part of its expansion programme, the company would set up a 1,000 seat capacity centre with an initial investment of around Rs 80 crore. The phase-I of the campus would be operational within 15 to 18 months.

Google is inviting Indian children to doodletheir ideas on diversity.

The company on Wednesday announced the 2012Doodle 4 Google competition where children between the ages of 5 and 16, will be invited to create a doodle (using the Google logo) around the theme of 'Unity in Diversity'.

The winning doodle will be featured on Google India's home page on November 14, Children's Day.

Struggling cellphone maker Nokiais seeking to sell its headquarters in Espoo,Finland as part of a drive to dispose of non-core assets.

"We are evaluating different options for non-core parts, such as real estate holdings, and that includes the headquarters," spokeswoman Maija Taimi said.

The glass and steel building by the Baltic Sea is valued at 200-300 million euros ($259-388 million), according to a report by Finnish newspaper Iltasanomat.

High-tech startups founded by immigrants from India have grown phenomenally in US amidst a decline in immigrant entrepreneurs considered a critical source of fuel for the US economy, according to a new study.

The proportion of immigrant-founded companies in the US has slipped from 25.3 per cent to 24.3 per cent since 2005, according "America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Then and Now", a Kauffman Foundation survey published Tuesday.

Lenovo Group, the world's No.2 PC maker, will open its first PC production plant in the United States with operations expected to begin in 2013.

The Whitsett, North Carolina, facility will manufacture Think-branded laptop and desktop PCs, tablets and servers aimed at the US market, Lenovo said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Lenovo did not provide any investment figures but said it would create 115 jobs.

Samsung Germany has sent invites for an upcoming device being launched on October 11, 2012. The invite says "So big can be small and so small can be big" and "Get ready for a little sensation" in German, with the characteristic 'S' of its flagship Galaxy S series in the background.

Ultrabooks -- those sleek, lightweight laptop computers that were supposed to fire up PC sales -- are not catching on with consumers, a new survey shows.

The research firm IHS iSuppli on Monday slashed its forecast in half for the ultrabooks, saying high prices and ineffective marketing have culminated in a failure to lure buyers away from other hot-selling mobile gadgets.

Mobile computing wars pose tough choices for Internet publishers

For Microsoft Corp, and Amazon.com, and the clutch of other companies that hope to carve out a big slice of a mobile computing business currently dominated by Apple Inc, the future depends on people like Scott Porad.

As chief technology officer of Cheezburger Network, a popular publisher of humor websites, Porad has to make the tough calls on which mobile devices merit the development of special software, or apps, that will make the company's content shine.

In November 2011, Xbox 360 and PayPal users were hit by a phishing attack. The attack stole the users' passwords and then transferred money to the scammers accounts.

Microsoft had to refund their users and send out warnings to thousands of Xbox Live subscribers who may have had credit card details stolen. Microsoft also urged their users to change their passwords immediately and issued various notices on how not to fall prey to phishing attacks.

Oracle Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison, seeking to reverse slowing growth, unveiled a high-end server with more memory and an updated flagship database to compete against SAP.

Computing power and storage, applications software and Oracle's database will also be sold as a cloud service businesses can rent instead of buying outright, Ellison said on in an address at the company's OpenWorld conference. Ellison is depending on new products and a shift to cloud services to boost sales at the world's largest supplier of database software.

Professional social network LinkedIn Corp will let its users "follow" and receive updates from people outside their personal contact list, a move that could entice users to spend more time on its website.

The new feature, which LinkedIn announced on Tuesday, takes a page from other popular social networks such as Twitter and Facebook Inc, where users can check for updates from leaders, celebrities and others with large numbers of followers,

Tony Drockton, who owns a luxury handbag company in Southern California, used to take the overnight flight to New York, rather than waste business hours out of touch.

But now, his flight time is his work time as airlinesincreasingly offer Wi-Fi connections on their planes.

"I need to stay connected so people don't realize where I am," said Drockton, who now travels with a laptop, smartphone and over-the-ears headphones. "It allows me to fly during business hours and not miss any day."

Apple is set to unveil a smaller version of its tablet iPad --popularly being called iPad Mini -- in October, according to a report in Fortune. The article by Philip Elmer-DeWitt cites a 'major Apple investor' as its source.

According to the report, press invites to the iPad Mini launch event would go out on October 10 for the event scheduled for October 17. The device is expected to go on sale on November 2.

Homes where every device is linked up and can be controlled by smartphone were touted in Japan on Tuesday when Asia's biggest tech fair threw open its doors.

Manufacturers said more and more items -- from ovens to cars -- were now able to integrate thanks to better wireless technology, offering convenience and the chance to save energy.

More than 600 companies are showcasing cutting-edge gadgetry at this year's Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATEC) in Makuhari, near Tokyo.

Consulting and outsourcing group Accenture has bought some internet protocol television (IPTV) assets from Nokia Siemens Networks to bolster its online video capabilities, it said on Monday.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Accenture said the newly acquired IPTV software, assets and capabilities would be part of its video solutions business that helps companies launch video services at a low cost.

For Microsoft, and Amazon.com, and the clutch of other companies that hope to carve out a big slice of a mobile computing business currently dominated by Apple, the future depends on people like Scott Porad.

As chief technology officer of Cheezburger Network, a popular publisher of humor websites, Porad has to make the tough calls on which mobile devices merit the development of special software, or apps, that will make the company's content shine.

Google soared past Microsoft in terms of market value on Monday to become the second-richest firm in the tech world behind Apple.

Google shares gained 0.96 percent to end at $761.78, giving the Internet giant a market capitalization of $249.1 billion. Microsoft meanwhile fell 0.91 percent to $29.49, translating into a market worth of $247.2 billion.

Sony, Microsoft gain in Europe with cheaper smartphones

Price cuts helped Japan's Sony become the No. 4 smartphone maker in key European markets in July-September, overtaking Nokia and BlackBerry makerResearch In Motion, market research firm Kantar said on Monday.

Sony still trailed Samsung Electronics, Apple and HTC in the five largest European markets Kantar tracks in the 12 weeks to early September.

Thousands of Indians and Indian Americans work at the Cupertinocampus at various levels. But like all good Apple employees, none of them would know about the existence of the other.

A reason why Geek X — let's call him that lest his cover be blown — agreed to talk could be that he is serving his notice period. Or maybe because he is in no mood to give away any state secrets.

A Russian official says Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg is being encouraged to expand its operation in Russia.

Russia's communications minister tweeted that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev persuaded the social mediagiant's founder Monday to abandon plans to lure away Russian programmers and instead open a research center in Moscow.

Zuckerberg, who ditched his trademark hoodie and jeans for a suit and tie for his meeting with Medvedev, is visiting Russia as part of a world tour of programming contests to identify new talent.

Sony's new alliance with scandal-tarnished Olympus will focus on producing endoscopes and other surgical tools packed with the Japanese electronic maker's three-dimensional imaging and super-clear "4K" display technologies.

Sony President Kazuo Hirai said it's not clear when the alliance's first products will become available. He acknowledged that medical equipment requires special regulatory approval that will take longer and be a learning curve for Sony whose expertise is in gadgets and movies.

Leandre Nsabi, a senior at Rainier Beach High School here, received some bluntly practical advice from an instructor recently.

"My teacher said there's a lot of money to be made in computer science," Leandre said. "It could be really helpful in the future."

That teacher, Steven Edouard, knows a few things about the subject. When he is not volunteering as a computer science instructor four days a week, Edouard works at Microsoft. He is one of 110 engineers from high-tech companies who are part of a Microsoft program aimed at getting high school students hooked on computer science, so they go on to pursue careers in the field.

Pages

Saturday, October 6, 2012

For Sexual Health Week, we spoke to Mr N. Pisal, a gynaecologist from London Gynaecology, about the most common women’s complaints and what they all mean.

Low fat options may not be as healthy as they seem, with lighter options having a higher sugar content and same number of calories as the standard option.

"When I play in November, I will reassess things," he said.

"Some are corrupt, but some cricketers are turned into criminals by the system," he said.

If you’re struggling to sleep well at night, follow these top tips to help you put down that glass of warm milk and ditch the sheep counting.

My personality is such that it’s easy for me to talk to people and vice-versa," he said.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012