Yahoo! Hack India to be held in Hyderabad

NEW DELHI: Programmers, developers, designers across the industry and student stop technical universities in India will gather at Hyderabad for a two-day hacking event.

Over 1,000 developers across 20 states had signed up to participate in the sixth edition of "Yahoo! Hack India"July 13, of which 250 best hackers have been selected after an entry-level coding challenge.

"These hackers will now participate in the two-day event which brings forth a series of technical workshops, followed by a nonstop 24-hour coding Hackathon on July 13 and 14," a statement said.

For the first time, Yahoo! Hack India is being organized in cyber city Hyderabad. This will be Yahoo!'s first hack event in India hosted outside Bangalore,Yahoo! has its second largest research and development centre.

Due to overwhelming response developers across India in the last five years, Yahoo! had decided to expand this hack events to cover more Indian cities over the next few years.

"This year will see two external hack events by Yahoo! in India, one in Hyderabad and another in Bangalore later in this year. The event brings together programmers, developers, designers across the industry, start ups and students the top technical universities," it said.

"Hackers team up to turn their ideas into a working prototype, or hack, as it's called in just 24 hours. It gives developers a chance to work together and build applications and product ideas scratch using market-leading technologies Yahoo! as well as other technologies, to develop something cool that can potentially solve a real-world problem that impacts Internet users," it said.

The two-day event involves a hacking competition using a great collection of new web tools, services and APIsBSE 0.00 % ( Application Programmable Interface), as well as data around the web.

Yahoo! Open Hack was started as an internal event in 2006 at Yahoo! headquarters in Sunnyvale, US with an aim to bring the Yahoo! developers together. So far, Open Hack has been hosted in seven countries with representation over 30 countries.

The first Open Hack in India was hosted way back in 2007, which was attended by 180 developers in and around Bangalore.

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Infosys is my life: SD Shibulal

Despite the solid performance in first quarter of the current fiscal year, Infosys has adopted a "cautiously optimistic" stance and left its full-year growth forecast unchanged. In the third quarter of the last fiscal also, the Bangalore-based company delivered a surprisingly robust performance, only to slump back in the quarter after that.

Acknowledging the volatility in performance, in an interview with N Shivapriya and Akanksha Prasad, chief executive officer SD Shibulal cautioned against drawing conclusions about a secular trend based on a single quarter's performance. While he described analysts as "experts", Shibulal refused to comment on why they are getting Infosys estimates wrong quarter after quarter. Edited excerpts:

In the last three quarters, including this one, analyst forecasts have failed to get Infosys' performance right. In your view, why is this happening?

Our performance has been volatile in the last few quarters. Even at the end of Q3, we said that a single quarter's performance cannot be taken as a secular trend. This quarter we have done reasonably well and we have not changed our guidance. We have a few challenges which we are trying to address - high quality growth is one of them, plus there are also challenges on the cost side because salary increases will have an impact. We have to mitigate these through various methods. I do not want to comment about why analysts are getting it wrong; they are the experts. I do acknowledge that our performance has been volatile. This is one of the reasons why we are optimistically cautious and have not changed our guidance. Our guidance is a statement of fact and not a statement of hope.

Does this quarter's performance feela vindication for you?

If we look at this quarter, we have achieved 2.7% growth. On constant currency, the growth is around 3.4%, which means we lost around $40 million due to currency volatility for the quarter.

You referred to certain steps the company undertook earlier that are showing results now. What are they?

Part of the overall Infosys 3.0 strategy was to grow the consulting and system integration business, which is now strong. The second aim was to achieve balanced growth. The Business IT Services division was growing below the company's average, so we brought in a lot of focus into that segment. Our target is to bring it on a par with the company's growth rate although as a percentage of the overall revenue it may not increase because other divisions are growing faster.

What is your strategy to win large deals?

We are working on multi-tower solutions and alliancesthe one we have with IPSoft. Since business IT services is price sensitive, we need to ensure that we bring tools, automation, and operational efficiency. It is tough to balance margins and growth, but we have done it for many years and we will do it again.

What are some of the changes you are making?

There have been changes and it is part of the overall strategy. Despite competition getting aggressive and poaching people, in the last two years, we increased our sales force800 to 1,200. It depends on the way you look at the glass - half full or half empty.

For Narayana Murthy, Infosys isa middle child. What is Infosys to you?

For me, Infosys is life. Most of my life has been spent here.

With your term ending in 2015, has the company set in motion the succession planning process?

We have a nominations committee, which has the responsibility for it. They are looking at it.

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Your car may soon talk to your mobile

CHENNAI: An entertainment and communication console that seamlessly connects the phone with the car? The mobile phone-enabled 'integrated' system is a given in many high-end luxury cars but after the Ford EcoSport, the trend is now finding converts in mass market cars as well. As the mobile becomes a one-stop entertainment-cum-communication device, car companies are looking at ways to extend that connectivity to the vehicle too.

Not a cheap technology, this has so far been the premise of high-end cars including the just-launched Mercedes-Benz A-Class. But after the Ford EcoSport's SYNC system, more volume car makers are starting to wonder if the technology can come to less pricey brands in India.

Said Kenichiro Yomura, president & CEO, Nissan Motor India: "We are studying that kind of possibility and will definitely try to introduce those sort of features in India. In Japan we have the 'CarWings' (vehicle telematics) system which allows you to communicate between the car and the service centre for example. We provide this option in many models in Japan because scale makes the technology affordable and we are studying to see if it will work for India as well."

Ford and Nissan aren't the only volume car brands that are looking at bluetooth and telematics as the ultimate bells and whistles for car buyers. General Motors India packs in bluetooth, USB port and an MP3 (though no telematics) player as part of its entertainment package for the Sail hatchback and notchback and the Cruze and Captiva. Vehicle telematics is already a favoured option in a number of high-end cars. The Honda CRV and Accord for instance come with bluetooth interface.

Ditto for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class on which the iPhone can be synced seamlessly offering music playback on the head unit, audio streaming and text messages are displayed in the CD display if the bluetooth message access profile (MAP) is supported by the mobile phone.

Said Mercedes-Benz MD & CEO Eberhard Kern: "The bluetooth and phone compatibility option is standard in the A Class and it allows you to play musicyour iPhone and use the contact list to make calls etc. It's a seamless integration of entertainment and communication between the phone and the car."

Car manufacturers have been tying up with software makers to integrate the mobile with the car, making the car an extension of the entertainment-cum- communication devise . Ford for instance is working with Microsoft globally which has powered its SYNC integrated communication and entertainment technology for the EcoSport. Apple reportedly announced at its developers' meet last month that it plans to link its iOS7 mobile operating system with the techentertainment systems of passenger cars.

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VGA to RCA Cable_Connector

The length of this HDMI to VGA is 5ft and there will non be any problem in connecting through two devices. There is golden plate in the HDMI to VGA adapter and it make the high-speed data transfer. If you want to do a presentation on a big screen for hundreds of people then you will need special adapter to convert the video and audio from a small twist to a big screen and the HDMI to VGA is one of the best employed adapter which has ability to show more clear images with high resolution of video quality. Some connectors have the trouble of hardness and in that case it becomes very hard to wrap the cable but this HDMI to VGA adapter has got moderate softness that one can easy fold it while putt inside the bag or while adjusting the wire in a small space if there is extra while connecting.

You power have faced the problem of slow video or cutting video or even auto-pausing effects while transferring the video on a big screen through a connector because those are non that much efficient but ‘HDMI to VGA and 3 RCA Audio Video AV Adapter Cable‘ has extremely high working performance and there will non be any deceleration or cutting video or auto-pausing problems. This can be the best thing to entertain with the family members; you can use this HDMI to VGA connector in connecting the high-definition DVD player and the projector and finally enjoying the high quality display effect on a big screen with your family. The materials used in making this HDMI to VGA adapter is of high quality and so it is durable for long time, there will non be any problem at all during its usage time.

The design and coloration of HDMI to VGA and 3 RCA Audio Video AV Adapter Cable is amazing and this is why attraction is also an extra feature included in this cable. HDMI toVGA cable is portable and can be put inside your bag; you can take it out whenever its use is required. The reasonable price is another nice aspect of this HDMI to VGA cable. If you are provision on having this amazing fellow then it is guaranteed that you will get lots of features just spending little money. You will get money-back policy while ordering the product from Dinodirect.com, returning can be done if you are not slaked with the product.

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What’s new @ Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail...

All major free email services have added several new features. Hitesh Raj Bhagat & Karan Bajaj tell you how to make the most of it.

Unlimited storage on Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail offers unlimited storage for users. No more worrying about how many heavy attachments have been sent to you. With Yahoo, you can send free text messages to cell phones. Simply enter the phone number or choose a contact from your list and type out the SMS. The recipient can reply to the SMS to send a message back. 

It offers the option to view mail, SMS or Chats as a conversation for easy reading and reference. You can attach up to 25MB in a mail, however, Yahoo has tied up with Yousendit.com to send files up to 2GB in a mail.

Attachments are stored on Yousendit servers and can be downloaded for 30days.  You also get 1GB online cloud storage with Yahoo as they have a tie up with ZumoDrive. A quick sign-up is required first time to integrate ZumoDrive with Yahoo Mail. After that, you can upload, download from within the mail window itself.

In terms of social networking, there is integrated Facebook chat as well as a tie up with Sobees.  Sobees allows access to Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Myspace. You can view the feeds from various networks and update status on multiple networks in one go. There are a variety of layout options available as per your choice. Yahoo Mail also has a stationery feature, which allows mails to be created with various custom backgrounds to give it a funkier look. Another tie-up with Fontself allows you to send mail in various fonts. An integrated notepad allows you to save notes to yourself, and sort them into folders for later use.

Gmail-The best there is, with many new features

Gmail’s 7GB+ storage is constantly expanding. Plus, you can purchase an additional 20GB of space for only $4.99. Gmail’s built in audio/video chat is used by many – plus it can save all chat history. Numerous experimental 'labs' features are available to all users. Many useful features like ‘undo sending’, custom keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures can easily be enabled from the labs menu. Completely integrates with  Google Docs, Google Calendar, Picasa, Google+, Google Buzz.

Gmail’s activity tracker lets you track which IP address has accessed your account, to look out for suspicious activity (such as access from another country).  For additional security of your account, Gmail offers free twostep authentication — with a password sent via sms. You can download any Google account data as a .zip file (for backup) or to free up used space in the ‘data liberation’ section.

Gmail’s contact manager has powerful editing features - it also automatically gets synced to any Android device (when you sign in with your Google account).  Advanced email filters, mail sorting features (priority inbox, labels, stars, markers) make it easy to manage emails. You can pull email from any account, but also ‘send as’ from another account.

GMX-Gives you 50MB attachments with each mail

GMX offers unlimited storage, 50MB attachments on each email and an uncluttered interface with a preview pane. You can add widgets to the home page (daily comic strips, Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps, games and so on). These are visible as soon as you sign in. 

The built in mail collector feature can pull in email from various accounts — to read all your mail within GMX itself. Before you decide to go with GMX, you can check for available usernames on the homepage itself — without going through any of the sign up process. GMX includes built in file storage — an additional 2GB of storage for any files.

It essentially works like a virtual drive in which you can create folders, share folders with others and download contents as zip files. Once you sign in, you get access to the GMX forum, where you can post your questions about GMX or read guides and get support on various features. You can open email in tabs within the same browser tab/window. This allows you to read/compose multiple emails at the same time. It integrates with Facebook to allow wall posting and sharing of photos.

Free Pop3/IMAP access is offered, so that you can access mail offline using any email program.  The user labs feature lets you suggest new features and improvements in the platform. Once you’re a part of the community, you can activate experimental features for your account and give feedback. GMX claims to only use clean energy to power data centers.

Hotmail-Integrates with SkyDrive with 25GB free space

Hotmail storage expands as per your need. In theory, this is unlimited storage that keeps growing as you store more mails in your inbox. You can group mails from the same sender in a conversation view. This way if there are multiple emails being sent to and fro, it is easier to follow up and read.  You can connect with Facebook, Myspace and Linkedin to view feeds on the home page of Windows Live.

However, if you have set Hotmail to go directly to your inbox, you will have to go back to ‘Home View’ to view the connected feeds.  Hotmail Plus allows you to create as many different email ids as required with the same username by just adding a “+” sign and some text after that. The mails are delivered to your inbox and can be easily sorted due to the plus mail address.

So, if you want mails from a subscription site, simply register on the site using username+offers @ hotmail . com and it can be set to go to a specified folder.  There is an easy way to view mail with attachments using the Quick Views menu. You can view only the mails that have photos or the mails that have office documents or the ones that have been flagged.  Sweep functionality allows you to quickly move all mails from a specific sender to any folder of your choice. Simply select a mail received and use the sweep function.

Mail.com-Connects with Facebook for updates, photo sharing

Mail.com offers multiple domain names - you can choose from mail. com, email. com, doctor. com, techie. com and many more for your email ID. You can view emails in tabs, which allows you to read or compose multiple emails at a time. Mail.com offers unlimited storage and 50MB attachment size. Create upto 10 alias email addresses within Mail.com — email for each alias will be delivered directly to your inbox. 

A handy organiser is included, accessed from the menu on top — you can add tasks, events, send email invitations, move tasks around by dragging and dropping. Personalise with various themes, change orientation of preview windows for easy reading.  All the usual features like custom signatures, a vacation auto responder and custom email filters are easily accessible. You can enable a few experimental features like audio alerts for new mail and feedback mode, to help improve the service.

Mail.com offers easy online instructions to configure email with various email clients.  There is complete Facebook integration — you can read/write on walls or share photos to Facebook. You only need to sign in once and allow Mail.com access to your Facebook account. Free and direct customer service is available in case you get stuck with any of the features.

- JMDComputerIndia.com

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Acer launches Android-based Liquid Metal

Acer has expanded its Smartphone portfolio in the country with the addition of Acer Liquid Metal. Acer Liquid Metal is based on Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system and runs on 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Core processor.

Measuring 115 X 63 X 13.5mm inches, the Smartphone has a curved 3.6" display with a TFT capacitive touch screen. The Smartphone has a stainless steel battery cover, which is solid and resistant.

The Liquid Metal supports HSDPA for on-the-go Internet access at speeds up to 14.4Mbps as well as Wi-Fi allowing data transfer 10 times faster than previous devices. The LED signal on the upper part of the telephone notifies the user of missed calls, the need to charge the battery, and new incoming messages clearly.

Acer Liquid Metal's 1500 mAh battery coupled with intelligent power management means you have up to 8 hours talk time and 550 hours in standby mode. Acer Liquid Metal comes with 3 popular keyboard layouts including Clever XT9 predictive text support to save users typing unnecessarily.

Liquid Metal is built in with a pinch to zoom feature, 5-megapixel camera with digital zoom, LED flash with a maximum resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The camera offers 720p HD video recording as well as autofocus and smile recognition.

Key specs:

* Powered 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Core Processor

* Android 2.2 Froyo OS (5X faster than the earlier versions)

* Display : 9.1 cm (3.6-inch) TFT capacitive touch screen, 16M colors, 480 x 800 pixels resolution

* Fastest Connectivity Suite : HSPA 14.4 MBPS , 3G (3G + WiFI), GPS, Mini USB

* Record video in HD at 720p (30fps)

* Dolby Surround technology , EQ profiles and Dynamic Bass Boost Push Mail

* 3 Predictive Dialers (3 KB with XT 9)

* Superior Battery Life up to 8 hrs of talk time (1500 MAH Battery)

* Top LED Indicator

* Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate

* Wireless LAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, UPnP

* Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP

* Camera: 5 mega-pixel,auto-focus, LED flash ,Geo-tagging, face and smile detection, image stabilization

* Unique Acer Interface

* Pinch to Zoom option

* 8GB Micro SD Card (up to 32GB)

Available in silver, brown and tiffany Blue colors, Acer Liquid Metal is priced at Rs. 20500.

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CISCO - LINKSYS E-1000

GO WIRELESS AND EASILY PUT THE SPEED AND POWER OF WIRELESS-N TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR HOME…..

PRESENTING LINKSYS E-1000 WIRELESS N ROUTER……..

BEST FOR   : - 

STANDARD, QUICK TO INSTALL, WIRELESS – N CONNECTIVITY FOR SURFING THE WEB, SENDING EMAIL AND FILE SHARING….

BENEFITS : -

Ø WIRELESSLY SURF THE WEB AND SEND E MAIL.

Ø SHARE FILES AND PRINTERS

Ø QUICK SET UP

PASSWORD PROTECTED GUEST ACCESS, PARENTAL CONTROLS, ADVANCED SETTING

HOW WE DO IT :-

Ø WIRELESS N TECHNOLOGY WITH 2 INTERNAL ANTENNAS

Ø 2.4 GHz BAND OPERATION

Ø CISCO CONNECT SOFTWARE

Ø ADVANCED SECURITY AND FIREWALL PROTECTION

Specifications

Ø Standards                              :               802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.3, 802.3u

Ø Ports                                      :               Power, Internet, and Ethernet (1-4)

Ø Buttons                                   :               Reset, Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Ø LEDs                                    :               Ethernet (1-4), Wi-Fi Protected Setup, Wireless, Internet, Power

Ø Cabling Type                           :               CAT 5e

Ø RF Pwr (EIRP) in dBm                :               17.5 dBm

Ø Antenna Gain in dBi                 :               1.5 dBi

Ø UPnP able/cert                       :               Able

Ø Security Features                  :               WEP, WPA, WPA2

Ø Security Key Bits                   :               Up to 128-Bit Encryption

Environmental

Ø Dimensions                           :               7.95" x 1.34" x 6.3" (202 x 34 x 160 mm)

Ø Weight                                   :               9.81 oz (280 g)

Ø Power                                    :               12V, 0.5A

Ø Certification                            :               FCC, CE, IC-03, Wi-Fi, Windows 7

Ø Operating Temperature             :               32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)

Ø Storage Temperature               :               -4 to 140°F (-20 to 60°C)

Ø Operating Humidity                  :               10 to 85% Noncondensing

Ø Storage Humidity                    :               5 to 90% Noncondensing

Please call for any support or inquiry….

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ViewSonic ViewPad 10 tablet review

The first dual-boot tablet is surely worth a look, but needs a price cut. 

There are a lot of tablets that have been launched in India within the past few months and more are on the verge of being launched. Most tablet manufacturers have chosen to go with Android as the operating system, whereas few others have chosen Windows 7. However, ViewSonic comes with a tablet that dual boots both operating system, that almost provides the user best of both sides.

Looks & Ergonomics
The ViewPad 10 is not the slimmest or the sexiest tablet out there, but its got a vibrant 10.1” display. There are three touch sensitive buttons on the matte finish bezel that extends below the glossy bezel and perform different functions under the two OS. There is a 1.3MP front camera present as well. The tablet has two full size USB2.0 port, mini VGA port, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack and microphone on the side.  The back has a brushed metal finish with the ViewSonic logo printed in the centre with speakers and heat vent at corners.

 

The tablet weighs just under 1kg and was easy to use with two hands. Using the tablet in vertical as well as horizontal position did not pose any problem. The brushed metal back and the matte finish bezel provide excellent grip.

Display
The tablet has a 10.1” capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. We loved the touch response on the tablet and multi-touch worked superbly across windows and android. Of course, like every other tablet out there, the large display is a fingerprint magnet and requires cleaning every now and then.

Hardware & Software
The ViewPad 10 is powered by an Intel Atom processor running at 1.66GHz with 1GB of DDR 3 RAM along with 16GB SSD storage. The SSD provides quick boot up and thought the hardware is more than enough for Android, 1GB RAM makes the overall windows experience slightly sluggish. It comes with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3G and assisted GPS.  The tablet also has a G-sensor, E-compass sensor and an ambient light sensor.

The tablet comes loaded with Windows 7 Home premium and Android OS v1.6 as operating systems, which can be selected, on start-up. We loved the fact that Windows on the tablet performed the same way on a laptop. In fact, when we tried connecting to the Internet using a Reliance Netconnect USB modem, it worked flawlessly. We installed various windows application and other than the slight sluggishness due to low RAM we faced no issues.

It comes with Android is v1.6 and ViewSonic has no plans to upgrade it on the tablet. The performance on Android is fantastic, though due to the older version the number of apps is limited across categories.

Multimedia
Thanks to Windows 7 and the full size USB 2.0 port, the ViewPad tablet provides for the easiest access to multimedia. Like a standard desktop, various codecs and multimedia player could be loaded allowing the user to play any format of video as well as audio. Watching videos on the tablet was superb due to the large sized display. The sound output from the tablet is not too loud, but is higher than that for personal listening. The sound output in the earphones is great though with excellent clarity.

User Interface
ViewSonic has not done any modification across either of the interface than the standard wallpaper change to Viewsonic’s logo. Windows 7 interface is like a standard laptop, instead of physical mouse and keyboard; the user gets an onscreen keyboard and the multi-touch display to work with. In Android, it’s the same basic android interface that was in phones around a year back.

Conclusion
Although, the tablet has excellent hardware with a great touch-screen display, it’s the dual-boot operating system that is the major advantage over competitors here. However, we barely used the Android operating system over windows as it provided more options. The battery backup of the device lasted us just over a day, which is impressive considering we constantly worked on it and it was connected through WiFi constantly.

The ViewPad 10 is priced at Rs 38,000, which is too steep for an average consumer who now has options in terms of the MSI Windpad at 35,000 and the Apple iPad starting from Rs 28,000 in the same screen size.

Specifications

10.1" LCD screen with Capacitive multi-touch screen

1024x600 with LED backlight

220 cd/m2 Brightness

700:1 Contrast Ratio    

Intel Pine Trail N455 1.66GHz processor

DDR3 1GB SDRAM 667MHz

16GB SSD SATA

Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 (optional 3G module) + EDR, 3G and assisted GPS
Windows 7 Home Premium

Android 1.6

0.875 kg

1.3 megapixel camera (front)

G-Sensor, E-Compass sensor and ambient light sensor

Ports-3.5mm audio jack for stereo headset, 2 USB 2.0 ports, mini VGA port, Micro SD card slot

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HP Dreamscreen Review

A fancy desktop with lots of eye candy, but very limited use

Touchscreen tablets are expected to be the top selling gadget this year. With around 100 tablets announced at CES, touchscreen devices seem to be the direction to go. Looking at all the hype, HP has tried to go a step ahead and instead of providing a portable tablet; they incorporated touch-screen into their new desktop offering called the DreamScreen.

The DreamScreen is pure eye candy in terms of looks. This All-in-one desktop has a large 18.5” display with 1366 x 768 resolution. The display has a clear plastic bezel around the display frame that adds to the looks of the system. There is a large indicator right at the front bottom that looks like a power button, but works only as a power indicator. Other controls are placed on the right hand side. All the connectivity ports for USB and card reader, headphones are placed neatly on the left hand side with additional ports at the back. There is also a slot load DVD drive on the right hand side just above the control buttons. All in all, the Dreamscreen looks very good and can easily add to the décor of a room. The only issue is that it takes a wire with an adapter for power that is clearly visible behind the monitor.

The HP Dreamscreen is powered by an Intel processor and comes with a 250GB hard-drive. There is very little information about the hardware that has been shared by HP. It comes with a mouse and keyboard as well even though the onscreen keyboard of the PC is very responsive and easy to use. It has inbuilt WiFi for connectivity and also comes with an Ethernet port at the back.

The desktop runs on a Linux based operating system, which has been heavily customized.  The interface has been tweaked to be touch-interface friendly. The good thing is that HP has provided large icons to use on the desktop for various activities. You can either log in as the administrator or as an student. The student account has limited privileges in terms of installing and purchasing content. HP has tied up with various vendors to provide content on their machine across categories such as News, music, videos etc. Some content is paid, while other is free. Video streaming is free from various channels, whereas to use application for astrology, you need to subscribed etc. The User interface overall is very easy to use and quick to respond.

What we didn’t like was the operating system is too limited and restricted. It will play media of very few formats, does not remember your last sites/applications and does not even remember you WiFi connection password on restart. Moreover, a user cannot install additional applications, which is a major downer.

The HP dreamscreen is priced at Rs 19,999 and is aimed at the mid-level consumer who wants to have a good looking desktop with internet and multimedia capabilities.
Start your day with the LD2 Daily Bytes newsletter. It's the best gadget advisor in the country.

Whats Hot

- Looks
- Easy to use
- price
- touchscreen
-
Whats Not

- restricted OS
- paid subscription model
- limited media support

Estimated Street Price

Rs 19,990/-

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BELKIN Play Max wireless router

One of the best routers available today with just one flaw. The name ‘Play Max’ raised our expectation before we actually tested this IEEE 802.11n based router and when we did it we were not at all disappointed, in fact disappointment came from other features. 

Once out of box what you have in hand is a compact clean looking router with hidden antennas and single indicator light and WPS button in front for hassle free secure connection setup. Number of connection ports at back is where Play Max has edge when compared with other similar products; there are 5 gigabit ports (1xWAN, 4xLAN) which would be ample for any wired connection plus being gigabit would mean faster data transfer speeds.  2 USB 2.0 ports are also present at the back for connecting external USB based storage devices with FAT 16/32 and NTFS file system, USB printers are also supported by Play Max giving you ability to convert your USB based printer to network one.

Setting up this router was the simplest of jobs and a mere 3 step process with initial configuration provided in small booklet attached to box. To use most of the features of this router including using USB storage/printer you have to install router management software that would sit in task bar and add to CPU usage, which as per us is a major con of Play Max. The main issue we faced with the router was that it does not support plugging in a 3G USB modem.

To test the performance of this router which supports true dual band in 2.5 Ghz and 5 GHz  band respectively, we carried out two tests. First we used Qucheck 3.0 to test throughput, we connected one machine with wire to router and other wirelessly to N based laptop (both laptop and machine were running Windows 7) and then checked throughput over TCP protocol. Play Max was able to transfer 1000 Kb payload at 64 mbps which is one of the best scores we have seen. In second test we transferred 40 MB of mixed data from machine to laptop; Play Max was able to complete this transfer in 4 seconds which is again very high when compared to other products. We also tried using the router to stream HD videos from a windows media center to an Xbox 360 over WiFi, and it worked great.

Besides performance and features there are number of bundled utilities for different purposes like torrent gene for downloading files to external storage, bit boost for traffic prioritization, music mover for wireless music play from external storage. All in all, a high performing router with not so user friendly bundled software.

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Interview Tips

Entering in the Room

Enter in the room with due permission of the interviewer. Shake hands firmly and wish the interviewer as per time of day. Radiate your confidence with smile. Dress conservatively. Be always on time. Be a stickler for promptness while answering the questions with aplomb. Spontaneity is the buzzword. Remember the interviewer's name.

Body Language

When the interviewer tells you to sit or gestures you to sit down then do so after thanking him. Look alert. Sit up erect. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer all the time. Speak with confidence and assurance. Interviewers like candidates who are not shaky but are enthusiastic and responsive.

Straight Answers

Answer questions openly, spontaneously without holding back and beating about the bush. Yet be direct and to the point, avoiding long, drawn-out explanations. It never pays to present answers made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas.

Keep it Simple and Straight

If put on the defensive (e.g. "Why do you shift jobs so frequently?" Why are you changing now?") answer as simply and succinctly as possible. Keep smiling.

 No Carping

Don't dwell on carping and caviling at faults of manner of previous or present employer.

 Be Courteous

Do not smoke or chew gum during interviews. It shows the disrespect towards interviewer. Do not ask direct questions about salary or other benefits at the beginning of the interview. Do not slouch in the chair, tap your feet, play with eyeglasses, pencil, or fidget nervously.

 Learn about the Company

Do your homework and learn as much as you can about the company and the job requirement.

 Start from the Basics

Prepare and rehearse common questions and answers. For example - What was the nature of your job? What special skills did you acquire? Were any special goals were set for you? What was your day was like on your job? What were your strengths? Weaknesses? Why are you considering leaving your present job? Why are you interested in this company and how can you contribute?

 If you have it, Flaunt it

Ergo, stress your achievements. For example: Processes developed, sales records achieved, systems installed, absenteism reduced, product or production improved, etc.

 Leave the Door Open

Never tell the interviewer that you are not interested in the job. Leave the door open. The first interview is not the place to turn down an offer. Do not tell about interviews you have had or plan to have.

 Ask for the Job

If you are favorably impressed and know all the details of the position, then ask for the job.

 Say Thanks while Concluding the Interview

While concluding the interview, thank the interviewer for the time and consideration given you. Ask when you should meet again to discuss the position further. It often takes several interviews to obtain the job offer. Ask for a business card and give yours in return.

 Don’t be Anxious

There should be no room for anxiety even if you need the job desperately. (The company wants someone who is a winner and in demand.) Don't give the impression that beggars can never be choosers. Ask questions about the position -- show your serious and genuine interests in the duties and responsibilities of the position.

 Besides the Interviewer is No Less Perplexed Over the Knack of Interviewing

Modern industry is highly complex and work life in general, has generated an increasing awareness of interdependency of tasks / roles and the need to understand the individual’s preferred / dominant patterns of behavior, particularly in relation to people and in groups.

Knowledge and skills assessment alone have been shown up to be inadequate in predicting success in roles / organizations. This is further aggravated by the fact that presence of knowledge / skills is no guarantee that they will be deployed as desired.

Personal Interviews as a tool for Selection and internal sourcing, while being the most popular, promises much but often suffers on many counts.

Not enough interviewers are trained in the art of interviews. They are not prepared in advance; the process is often led less by the interviewer’s ability and more by his confidence in his judgment of people. They tend to play pop psychologists.

Not enough time is invested in the process to look for evidence and consistent patterns of behavior, extrapolations, assumptions and conjectures are made about how a candidate is likely to be / behave from limited data about the candidate. Interviewer’s own world-views, biases and prejudices (personal stances) affect his judgment. Focusing on what a candidate "knows" to the near exclusion of a good probe on "what" a candidate has done, "how", and the nature of his interfaces with others and the world at large.

Standardization of interview items and sequence, rigor in established benchmarks for responses andappraisal of responses is shunned as tedious, impractical and at best insipid and monotonous. The bottom line is: Comparisons are difficult and choice making is largely subjective, the "feel good" factor dominating the decision.

It is now well established by research that an individual’s values, motives, traits and other components that constitute the core of personality have a more enduring influence on patterns of deployment of energies and behaviour. Factoring these in decision making on selection, fitness and development planning thus makes sound business sense.

Assessment tools developed by experts to profile aspects of personality provides a reliable basis for data generation about individuals and is time / cost effective! Professionals help in the absence of relevant training to interpret results of these tests is a useful step.

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Walkie Talkies FAQ

Q: Which radio band is right for me?
A: FRS Walkie Talkies are ideal for folks who generally wish to use these for outdoor purposes such as when hunting, fishing or camping. They are free of interference from business and government agencies and don't require you to have a license. GMRS have a much broader range for talk, extending up to five miles. These aren't intended for hobby use, rather they're meant for purposeful communications such as business or commercial activity. You must obtain a license from the FCC in order to operate in this band.

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Q: What's the advantage of GPS-enabled Walkie Talkies?
A: GPS units are equipped to map out your route, location and destination. These are ideal for the great outdoors to ensure your safety and prevent you from getting lost.

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Q: What's the advantage of weather-alert enabled Walkie Talkies?
A: Weather-alert Walkie Talkies can provide you with advanced warning of severe weather to come. With an advanced signal to notify you of approaching storms, you can take the necessary precautions to make sure you and your family are safe.

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Q: What brands manufacture Walkie Talkies?
A: There are a variety of brands on the market today. Here, on WalkieTalkies.com, we'll be carrying brands such as Audiovox, Cobra, Kenwood, Cherokee, Garmin Rino, Uniden, Midland and Sylvania.

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Q: How do I know how what distance capability I'll need?
A: People who plan to use these for general outdoor activities such as walking or biking usually only need 2 or 5-mile capabilities. Same probably goes for business people who might use these at trade shows or the like. However, if the planned use is for greater distance activities such as hunting, hiking or camping, greater capabilities might be preferred to ensure safety and effective communication.

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Q: What's the difference in channels?
A: Channels 1-7 are solely for use with the FRS/GMRS system. Channels 8-14 are solely for FRS and 15-22 is for GMRS. Some radios will only give you one Channel option where some will give you seven. Consider a 14-channel unit if you plan to use your radio in a large, urban environment where GMRS is already popular.

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Walkie Talkie Distances

Size doesn't matter, right? Well, perhaps. But when comparing distance capabilities in walkie-talkies it sure does! There's the more common 2-mile and 5-mile units. And then theres the less common like the 7-mile, 8-mile or even 10-mile units. Your range of service needed really just depends on what your use will be. Hikers, for example, might prefer a greater range of distance.

 

The important thing to keep in mind when considering distance is that buildings, hills and other tall, solid structures can very easily get in the way of your transmitted signal. Distance is especially an issue with hunters, hikers and campers. FRS radios can grant you a range of up to 2 miles, whereas GRMS units can typically take you up to 5 miles. Just remember that the height of the antennae may be more important than the level of your radio's output power.

The greater distance units, like the 7-mile, 8-mile or 10-mile radios, may be more ideal for folks who generally do a lot of caravanning on road trips. The walkie-talkies would be great for outdoorsmen or hunters when they catch their target so they could buzz their buddies into helping them carry the large animal back to their vehicle.

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Whatever the case may be, it's free two-way communications, where you don't have to rely on a cell-phone tower to get signal. With just the push of a button, you can easily get the attention of your friends, family and coworkers and get your message across. And you can do it knowing that in this case; when it comes to two-way radio distance range, size does matter.

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Walkie Talkie Channels

How many channels do I need? Just like your radio or TV at home, walkie-talkies utilize channels to obtain their signal. FRS radios typically have either seven or 14 channels. Though, in most cases, the manufacturer will give you 38 possible CTCSS tones to use in the receiving and transmitting of your handheld radio. This means that, with a 14-channel radio, you could have up to 532 separate channel configurations or frequencies. GMRS units provide you up to 22 channels.

However, please note that when in a well-populated area, anyone with CTCSS disabled on their walkie-talkie will be able to hear your radio transmission on their radio. The tones, sometimes called interference or squelch codes, are meant to help prevent this. They help filter out static, noise and unwanted chatter on the two-way radio channels. Just select a predetermined channel and code, and you can communicate only with someone using the exact same channel and code. Just remember that your conversation may be semi-private and that privacy is not guaranteed.

          

Channels 1-7 are solely for use with the FRS/GMRS system; including the more common 2 channels and 4 channels. Eight through 14 channels are solely for FRS, and GMRS gives you between 15 channels and 22 channels for a wide range of communication options. Even though FRS offers 14 channels, some radios come with only one channel and some with only seven. These radios can cost half as much and, for most people, be completely adequate. The sturdy single channel radios are good for business use. Other cheaper models with one channel are just toys. The one and seven channel radios generally have the GMRS interstitial frequencies and not the FRS-only channels. Consider a 14-channel unit if you plan to use your radio in a large urban environment where GMRS is already popular.

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Having a 15-channel or more GMRS unit definitely provides you with more choices for your business communications. Though, if you're on an FRS/GMRS system, having 2 channels or 4 channels might suit you just fine. Be sure to determine your use and functionality before making your final selection.

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EVDO Technology

EV-DO means “Evolution- Data Optimized” or” Evolution- Data only”. It is a standard telecommunication services for the wireless transmission of data. This EVDO service is for broadband internet access. It uses radio frequency signals for data transmission. It uses multiplexing techniques, code division multiple access (CDMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA).

“EVDO” is a broadband wireless service for a wide range of customers, business people, public services and students. “EVDO” provides fastest wireless broadband internet service. We can access the internet in car, train, at any place. We can access internet without the need for a hotspot. It is an advanced CDMA technology developed by QUALCOMM.

EVDO has a theoretical data rate of 2.4 Mbps and having bandwidth of 1.25 MHz. This is as fast as many residential DSL and broadband connections currently available in the United States.

This data rate is comparable to DSL speed. EVDO allows the user to access the internet wherever they are not only for email, but for downloads, large files, photos, spreadsheets, etc. One of the benefits of EVDO is the ability to roam seamlessly between connection points. EVDO is mostly available for mobile phones and laptops.

EVDO Users can work on a wide range of applications, including the MS Office Suite and others, so they can do business services from anywhere. “EVDO” provides plug and play services for business functions, games and Internet access from any place at any time. “EVDO” provides data authentication and data protection.

Advantages of EVDO over WIFI:

-Always on with seamless roaming.

-Signal can travel on same cell sites as cell phones

- No need to use hot spot.

- Users can access their corporate “VPN” (virtual private network) from anywhere.

How to use EVDO network?

For EVDO network First we should buy PC card. Install the software of pc card in desktop or laptop. After installation we should be able to connect the pc card into desktop or laptop. Initialize the connection and begin surfing the internet. Depending upon the software and security restrictions the user should have username and password for internet access.

Most significant advantage of EVDO over network technologies is that it uses the same broadcasting frequencies as existing CDMA networks. “EVDO” is relatively low cost with high capacity and allows web browsing and web application usage.

“EVDO” provides the opportunity for rural areas where without DSL (digital subscriber line) and high-speed Internet to receive Internet access. this is the best way to provide internet services to these rural areas. Most people are unable to find it cost effective to use an EVDO connection as a primary connection in rural places. It is a good option for people requiring an Internet connection in rural places.

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Mobikwik – Recharge any mobile just by sending an SMS

Ever wanted to get any mobile recharged, that too just by sending a SMS ?

Mobikwik is a offering in the online mobile recharge space for prepaid customers. It currently supports all the major operators like Vodafone, Airtel, Idea, BSNL, Reliance, Aircel and MTNL as well. It also offers users the features like a best prepaid plan finder and special offers if available, from any operator. It also has the recharge facility available by calling in or by smsing to a particular number.

Procedure to recharge with SMS:

Recharge any prepaid mobile by just sending a simple SMS to our number – 9711981981

1. SMS Format: RC space <Amount> space <Mobile number>

2. Send this SMS to our number – 9711981981

3. For e.g. if you want a recharge of Rs. 50 for 9810125342 you will type: RC 50 9810125432

4. All you need is sufficient MobiKwik Balance for the recharge amount.

5. This service is absolutely free and you only pay for normal SMS charges!

So, enjoy recharging your and your friend’s mobile just by sending an SMS. How easy a method, right ?

 

Note: - 9711981981 This is a Mobikwik Number.

By Reference Site http://www.mobikwik.com

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Buyer’s Guide for HOME THEATRE PROJECTORS

Home Theatres what was once thought to be the product for the richer, has now turned out to be an affordable product for everyone. But many would face the problem of choosing the right Home Theatre to buy. This are the guidelines that must be followed while buying a home theatre projector.

Decide on Technology of the Projector

HOME THEATRE PROJECTORS use liquid crystal display (LCD) or digital light processing (DLP) technology to process light and display an image.  So what should you buy, check out about them.

LCD projectors: Turn down the lights and deliver a presentation with vibrant colour and sharp, detailed data. It pass light through three small LCD panels, creating bright images appropriate for dimly-lit rooms and auditoriums.

DLP projectors: uses a single digital chip that makes them weigh less than LCD projectors. They offer smooth video performance, high contrast ratios, and little pixilation—perfect for home theatre use

Best Guide to buy Projector

Projector Specifications

Projector resolution

Projector resolution is the number of pixels produced by a home theatre projector. Expressed as two numbers, the first number indicates horizontal pixels and the second number represents vertical pixels. For example, 800×600 and 1024×768. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image. But be cautious, because more the resolution more the price .

Projector Image brightness

Brightness, or light output, measured in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) lumens, determines how well you’ll see projected images in a well-lit room. More lumens produce a bigger, brighter image. Home theatre projectors generally have 700 to 2,500 lumens, perfect for dimly-lit or dark rooms. Look for a higher lumen count if you plan to use your projector in a room filled with sunlight. Please do not buy a projector with less than 700 lumes, else you will end up watching it in a room with no other light.

Projector Contrast ratio

Video projectors measure the difference between the brightest and darkest sections of an image with a ratio. For example, 600:1 or 2,220:1. Projectors with higher contrast ratios produce the most well-defined pictures.

Projector weight

Home theater projectors can weigh less than 7 pounds or as much as 20 pounds. Look for a lightweight projector if you want to use your projector outside your home. This factor though doesn’t affect the quality of the picture, its always better to get a light weighted one.

Decide on viewing screen

Retractable projector screens

Mount your retractable projector screen from the ceiling and roll it out when you want to use your projector.

Free-standing projector screens

Bring out your free standing projector screen when you need it.

Wall-mounted projector screens

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How to Block Porn Websites

Wierd Topic , Isn’t it? Anyway for those who wanted to block and restrict your kids from accessing porn sites on the net, here is the software that you need -  “Anti porn”. With Anti porn you can not only block adult sites, but also enforce various limits on the computer like limiting the number of hours of internet usage, You can control and limit the chat applications too. In Short, you can limit the whole of Internet to your kid using this software.

Features of Anti Porn

• Blocks any adult website using content, keyword and the website database.
• Blocks adult site even against Proxy browsing.
• Log the adult website that your kid tried to open.
• Restrict the hours and duration for playing games. (Auto-detect of games in computer as well as manual selection is available)
• Restrict the hours and duration of using Chat clients (Supports restriction of  popular chat softwares like Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, Pidgin and lot more.
• Protects your eye sight (Ya thats right ., and its done by restricting the color brightness and contrasts of the monitor)
• Fully Password protection enabled, others cannot access the software without knowing its password.
• Can Support porn filtering in multiple languages (May be Chinese government should have used this software, rather than copying codes from a US company and write its own Firewall )
• Comes with a 15 Day Trial Period

Block porn sites with Anti porn

Anti-porn Software

Password Protection Feature in anti porn

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Find your friends gmail password

I have quoted in one of my old article that gtalk has a serious security issue, which has not been rectified till now. Using this flaw we can login into a friends’ gmail account without knowing their password.

Gtalk stores its account information in the Windows Registry, that too in text format. Everything in it except the password in unencrypted.

I wonder how Google considers this as a safety measure. Though we cannot view the password directly from Windows registry, we can use the encrypted password to login to gtalk or gmail, even without knowing the actual password.

Here is the step by step guide to get an encrypted password from another computer and use it to login in your computer.

Note: You need to have access to the other computer to get the encrypted text, however if you are good in programming, you can use your skills in making a bot which can retrieve the encrypted passwords and mail to your inbox. Also you can access their encrypted password, if the user has chosen to remember his password atleast once during sign in.

In friend’s System

1. Open “Run” windows, this can be done by clicking on “Start menu” or pressing “Window Key + R”.
2. Type “regedit” and Click on “OK”

Run window

1. This will open the Windows Registry Editor.
2. Select the Hive HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

1. Then under that select HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Google -> Google Talk -> Accounts
2. This will list the accounts he that person the logged in with his computer.
3. Open the account you want to get password, in my case I have selected rkdperil@gmail.com
4. In the right panel you can see the Field “pw” , this contains the encrypted password of that gmail account.

Copy the string in "pw" field

1. This encrypted password is independent of the computer used.
2. So this password can be copied to some other computer and we can login through this.

In Your System

1. Open Gtalk, in the login form , type your friend’s id and some temporary password and select “ Remember Password“
2. Click on Sign in button, the login will fail.
3. Now open your Windows Registry and goto the gtalk account information folder (HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Google -> Google Talk -> Accounts)
4. Locate your friend’s email id there, select it. You double click the “pw” field can see some random value.
5. Now replace it with the encrypted password you got from your friend’s computer and paste it here.
6. Download a gTalk password recovery software, there are lots of such tool available.
7. Run the recovery program and it will successfully decrypt you friend’s password.
8. That’s it. You are done.

Hope you make the most out of this within Google solves this vulnerability.

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How to Kill Any Running Process From Desktop Shortcut

Yes you can kill (Terminate) any program or process running in windows simple by desktop shortcut to terminate the running process by forcefully end it with task kill command in windows. In this method I used to kill yahoo messenger as it keeps running under the processes, even after closing yahoo messenger completely or you can use this method to kill any hanged process in windows, through this way you can forcefully kill any process on windows instantly.

Here is how you can create a desktop shortcut to kill any process instantly In order to terminate the process instantly you will need to send some kill signal command using the some arguments with task kill windows command, Follow the procedure below

1. Right click on the empty area of the desktop and select New >> Desktop shortcut

2. Now copy and paste the following path in the target box

C:\Windows\System32\taskkill.exe –f –im

For Example C:\Windows\System32\taskkill.exe –f –im YahooMessenger.exe

Note:
a. –f is for force kill and –im is to kill all instances of any process

b. You can get to know the process name for any program through Task Manager under the Process tab . Press ctrl+shift+esc to open task manager.

3. Give a name to your shortcut and click

- JMD Computer                                                       Give Comment

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