WhatsApp on web: 5 things it can’t do

NEW DELHI: With more than 700 million monthly active users, there's no doubt that WhatsApp is one of the largest mobile-focused messaging service. A large number of these users have been demanding a PC interface for the service to stay connected with their favourite people even when they switch devices. After a long wait, WhatsApp has finally introduced a way to access the service on a PC. However, there are several limitations attached to it as the interface is limited to a web browser.

Here are five limitations of WhatsApp for web...

1. It doesn't support iPhone: WhatsApp for web essentially syncs messages between your smartphone and browser via its servers. At this time, the service does not support the iPhone. According to WhatsApp it's unable to provide the web client to iOS users due to Apple's platform limitations. Reports indicate that it intends to support the iPhone in the future but till then, if you use WhatsApp on an iPhone, you'll need to peep into your phone every time you get a WhatsApp message even if you're in front of your computer.

2. Needs your phone to be on and connected to the internet: After pairing your smartphone with WhatsApp's web client through a QR code image, you'll be able to send and receive messages through your browser. But what if your phone loses the data connection or runs out of charge? Sadly, the WhatsApp web version will also go offline. Your phone needs to stay connected to the internet for the web client to work.

3. Doesn't support browsers other than Google Chrome: WhatsApp's web interface only supports Google Chrome. So if you use Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer, you're out of luck. A number of IT environments restrict the use of applications not approved by admins. If you're part of one and can't use Chrome, you'll not be able to use WhatsApp for web. WhatsApp's justification is that Chrome's push technology is better.

It's surprising that the service doesn't support Internet Explorer given Microsoft's investment in Facebook which owns WhatsApp. Also, it's worth pointing out that Google (the developer of Chrome) competes directly with Facebook.

4. You can't block users: To block users, you still need to go to the WhatsApp mobile app. The number of spam messages on WhatsApp has gone up considerably and the only way to deal with these, is to block their number. Unfortunately, the web version does not offer the block feature.

5. You can't create and leave groups: While you can send and receive messages from groups you're a part of, the WhatsApp web client doesn't let you create new groups or leave existing ones. You also can't send broadcast messages via the web client.

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Sanket Barot

JMD Computer India.com

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Samsung Galaxy S4 may have unbreakable screen

Samsung Electronics, the world's leading technology company by revenue, is likely accelerating the launch of its next-generation flagship Galaxy smartphone -- which may come with a breakthrough unbreakable screen.

Codenamed "Project J" after mobile division chief JK Shin, development of the new Galaxy S IV could be aimed for release by as early as April, according to analysts and tech blogs.

And, as smartphones increasingly look alike - the converging form factor - an unbreakable screen could be a big selling point for the Galaxy, which is battling Apple Inc's iPhone to lead the $200 billion plus smartphone market.

The Galaxy S IV is also expected to have bigger and better display, powerful quad-core processing power and a 13-megapixel camera, with picture density improving to 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a big improvement from the Galaxy S III's 306 ppi and better than the iPhone 5's 326 ppi.

"Looking to the first half of 2013, we see evidence of Samsung likely accelerating the release of the Galaxy S IV - compared with May (this year) for the Galaxy S III," said UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudois. "We believe preparations for volume manufacturing of unbreakable plastic substrate displays continue. All in all, we could see a strong products push in the high-end in the first half, followed by other releases."

Samsung declined to comment.

Samsung, a major backer of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, is a frontrunner in developing unbreakable screens, as OLED panels can replace glass substrate with plastic material. Down the road, mobile gadgets could be flexible as well as unbreakable.

"Eventually, they'll have unbreakable and flexible displays. Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That's going to be a game-changer," said Mark Newman, an analyst at Stanford Bernstein in Hong Kong.

Both Newman and Gaudois are ranked as 5-star analysts, the top ranking, by Thomson Reuters StarMine for their recommendations on Samsung.

Courtroom revisited

It would also be a game-changer for Samsung, which has built its reputation as a 'fast follower' of others' technologies and designs.

The South Korean consumer electronics giant faces off against Apple again on Thursday in a US courtroom for a follow-up ruling on whether it copied some of its US rival's patents and should pay the $1 billion awarded to Apple by jurors in an August verdict.

Samsung wants the verdict overturned, while Apple wants the damages to be increased and Samsung phones banned in the United States.

Since that landmark verdict, however, Samsung shares have gained 14 percent to record highs, while Apple shares - dented by a maps app fiasco, tight supply of its iPhone 5 and ever tougher competition in the mobile market - have slipped by nearly a fifth, wiping more than $120 billion off its market value.

Barring any extra costs related to the US ruling, Samsung should report a fifth straight record profit this quarter, as profits from its component business recover and more than offset thinning margins on mobile phones - squeezed by higher year-end holiday marketing campaigns.

"Samsung's strength extends beyond cool products, they're also a leader in the technology behind these devices. We see further upside to Samsung's stock as success in smartphones continues and chips and display profits also rebound," said Newman. "In smartphones, the opportunity is for Samsung to take more share from Apple in the premium segment, where Apple is still dominant."

UBS estimates Samsung will ship around 22.5 million of its Galaxy S III and Note II devices in the quarter to end-December, up from 20 million in July-September. Shin said in November that Galaxy S III sales would hit 40 million by the end of this month.

In a worst-case scenario for Samsung, US judge Lucy Koh could treble the damages payable to Apple, given the jury in August found Samsung "willfully" infringed some Apple patents.

"That would be a major blow to Samsung's fundamentals and overall investor sentiment, but it's not the most likely scenario," said Young Park, a 4-star StarMine analyst at Woori Investment & Securities.

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LinkedIn investigating reports of more than six million stolen passwords

Business social network LinkedIn said it is investigating reports that more than six millionpasswords have been stolen and leaked onto the Internet.

Although LinkedIn did not confirm if any user data had been hacked or leaked, researchers at U.K. Web security company Sophos say they have confirmed that a file posted online does contain, in part, LinkedIn passwords ``hashes.'' That's a way of encrypting or storing passwords in a different form.

Graham Cluley, a consultant with Sophos, recommended that LinkedIn users change their passwords immediately.

LinkedIn has a lot of information on its more than 160 million members, including potentially confidential information related to jobs being sought. Companies, recruiting services and others have accounts alongside individuals who post resumes and other professional information.

There's added concern that many people use the same password on multiple websites, so whoever stole the data could use the information to access Gmail, Amazon, PayPal and other accounts, Cluley said.

As a precautionary measure, LinkedIn issued security tips in a blog post Wednesday. The company said users should change passwords at least every few months and avoid using the same ones on multiple sites.

LinkedIn also had suggestions for making passwords stronger, including avoiding passwords that match words in a dictionary. One way is to think of a meaningful phrase or song and create a password using the first letter of each word.

Cluley said hackers are working together to break the encryption on the passwords.

``All that's been released so far is a list of passwords and we don't know if the people who released that list also have the related email addresses,'' he said. ``But we have to assume they do. And with that combination, they can begin to commit crimes.''

It wasn't known who was behind such an attack.

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Which type of woman...

Which type of woman do you like?

1. HARD-DISK Woman: She remembers everything you say and do, FOREVER.

2. WINDOWS Woman: Everyone knows that she can't do anything right, but you can't live without her.

3. EXCEL Woman: They say she can do a lot of things but you mostly use her for only your basic needs.

4. SCREENSAVER Woman: She is good for nothing functional, but at least she is exciting, colorful, and lots of fun.

5. INTERNET Woman: Difficult to access and hard to keep running.

6. SERVER Woman: Claims to be available to you, but Always busy when you need her.

7. MULTIMEDIA Woman: She has a way of making horrible things look very beautiful.

8. CD-ROM Woman: She always has you on the move, going faster and faster.

9. E-MAIL Woman: Out of Every ten things she says, eight are plain nonsense.

10. VIRUS Woman: Also known as “WIFE”; when you are least expecting her, she shows up, installs herself, and starts gobbling up all your resources. If you try to uninstall her, you will lose almost every thing. If you don't try to uninstall her, you will still have nothing.

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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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