Differences and relationship between CPU and GPU

The CPU or Central Processing Unit is where all the program instructions are executed in order to derive the necessary data. The advancement in modern day CPUs have allowed it to crunch more numbers than ever before, but the advancement in software technology meant that CPUs are still trying to catch up. A Graphics Processing Unit or GPU is meant to alleviate the load of the CPU by handling all the advanced computations necessary to project the final display on the monitor.

Originally, CPUs handle all of the computations and instructions in the whole computer, thus the use of the word ‘central’. But as technology progressed, it became more advantageous to take out some of the responsibilities from the CPU and have it performed by other microprocessors. In the days before GUIs, the screen was simply a small grid with each box having an 8bit value that corresponds to a character. This was relatively very easy to do for the CPU, but GUIs have greater resolutions with each pixel having a 16bit or 32bit color value.

GPUs where originally developed to render 2D graphics; specifically, to accelerate the drawing of windows in a GUI. But as the need for 3D and faster graphics acceleration grew, the GPU became faster and more specialized in its task. GPUs are now generally floating point processors that can easily crunch geometric computations along with texture mapping tasks. Most GPUs have implemented MPEG primitives to make enhance the playback of videos; some even have the capability to directly decode HD video data, taking another task away from the CPU.

Hardware wise, GPUs and CPUs are similar but not identical. If we looked at the very building block of each, the transistors, we can see that most GPUs already rival CPUs in transistor count. The specialized nature of GPUs means that it can do its task much faster than a CPU ever can, but it is not able to cover all of the capabilities of the CPU. Multiple GPUs can also be employed to achieve a single goal much like the dual core CPUs currently available. ATI’s Crossfire and NVidia’s SLI allow users to connect two identical GPU’s and make them work as one.

Summary:
1. CPU is the brain of the computer the GPU is only meant to complement it.
2. GPUs are specialized and cannot replace the function of a CPU.
3. CPUs can perform the functions of a GPU but at a much slower speed.
4. GPUs can rival CPUs in transistor count.
5. GPUs can also work in tandem just like the CPU’s multi core capability.

Samsung finally launched Omnia W its first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango SmartPhone in India

After a long wait, just after the arrival of Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710, Samsung has launched Omnia W its Windows Phone Mango SmartPhone for India. Samsung Omnia W became visible (to the best of my knowledge) in the product list of Samsung's Official Indian Version of the website ( www.samsung.com/in/ ) at around 18:00  IST on 18th December.

Samsung finally lists Omnia W - the Windows Phone based Smartphone  in its website

The Samsung Omnia W (also known as the Samsung Focus Flash and GT-8350) is a SmartPhone running Windows Phone operating system 7.5 also known as Mango. The device features Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 SoC clocked at 1.4 GHz, 3,7-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 480x800 and 8GB capacity of internal storage.

Omnia W is the first Windows Phone Mango to be launched by Samsung in India. Though Samsung had launched Samsung Focus, Samsung Focus S, and Samsung Focus Flash in the UK/USA Market, it wasn't until 18th Decemeber that Omnia W finally appeared in Samsung's official website for India. Hence, Omnia W is Samsung's first Windows Mango Phone by Samsung for the Indian Market.

The Samsung Omnia W - Samsung's first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango SmartPhone for India

However, the product itself was not available in stores not even with the authorized dealers. Dealers and retailers are more excited about the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note - the Android Tablet cum Phone cum NotePad.

The Awesome New Samsung Galaxy Note

Considering the fact that Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 - the much awaited Windows Phone Mango phones from the one time King of the Mobiles, were launched just 4 days its a good move by Samsung to launch Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung Omnia W at the same time. Not only this increases the competition but also gives users a wide range of products to choose from.

Nokia Lumia 701 and Nokia Lumia 800

Click on the above pic to have a better view of Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710

However, if you happened to have visited the Atta Market in Sector-18, Noida especially the Great India Palace or the Mobile retail shops opposite the Great India Palace you would have found stalls for each of the following phones:

1. Samsung Galaxy Note
2. Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710
3. HTC Sensation XL

We can easily assume that similar trend will be observed all over India.

So basically Nokia will be facing a tough competition. Lumia 710 (with approx market price 19000/- ) will be pitted against Samsung's Omnia W (with approx market price 19000/- ) while Nokia Lumia 800 (with approx market price 30000/- )will be competing against Samsung Galaxy S2 (with approx market price 29000/- ) and Samsung Galaxy Note (with approx market price 32000/- ). Also Nokia Lumia will additionally be competing with HTC Titan and HTC Radar.

To conclude its a great move by Samsung.

Nokia 700 - a mixture of Art and Technology, a must buy Symbian Belle Smartphone

A week ago, I bought Nokia 701 and I must say I am impressed. Though I plan to write a series of blog-posts about my experiences with Nokia 701 its time to write a few things about the younger brother - Nokia 700.

On November 13th, 2011, I went to meet Osama Azim, a classmate from BIT Mesra in the Atta Market, Sector-18 Noida. Its the same market where I first saw the Nokia 701. By the way, if you want to save a few bucks, I suggest you don't buy from market especially from authorized dealers. They charge much more, atleast INR 500/- to 1000/- more. You can buy your Nokia 701 or Nokia 700 from FlipKart.com or Letsbuy.com. These websites are selling stuff at comparatively reasonable prizes, and I have bought stuff from both of them.

However, I went to one of the Nokia's authorized dealers to have a look at Nokia 700. Just by holding the phone at hand, I was thinking "Why did I buy Nokia 701?" Then I realized that Nokia 701 has 8MP dual LED flash camera,secondary camera 8GB Internal Memory, Bigger Screen etc etc compared to Nokia 700's 5MP LED flash camera, 2 GB internal memory and smaller screen size. Needless to say that Nokia 701 is also the World's brightest phone in terms of nits. Its rated 1000 nits as opposed to 700nits of second raking LG Optimus.

If you have ever had a Smartphone, I want you to just check out Nokia 700. I am not suggesting you buy it, but just get a hold of it and you will be amazed. Its such a small, brilliant, light and smooth phone that you will instantly fall in love with. Nokia 700 has the same OS - Symbian Belle and same 1Gz Processor, and it feels awesome. I might buy Nokia 700 soon, if Nokia Lumia 701 or Nokia Numia 800 is delayed.

So, if you want a bigger screen and heavy gaming experience, and if you are into photography, Nokia 701 is the obvious choice. but if you want a real smartphone, with awesome features, stylish look and a very different experience Nokia 700 is the best!

Nokia 700 is one of the best gadgets I have seen, and I strongly recommend it. You can buy Nokia 700 in two colors - Cool Grey and White Silver from Flipkart.com at 16,500/- Only. If you go and look out for a Nokia dealer they'll charge more. I got my Nokia 701 at INR 16700/- while the dealer prize at Atta Market was 17,400/-

My experiences with Nokia 701 (Part 1) - The Nokia Ovi Suite Install and Update Problem to connect to internet using 3G

Hello Reader!

On 6th November after two weeks of extensive research (reviewing the reviews of blogs & websites about smart-phones) I decided against my younger brother's advice (which was to buy a Android phone, preferably  a device from Samsung Galaxy series) and bought Nokia 701 - equipped with Symbian Belle and the world's brightest phone in terms of 'nits' till date.

Why I preferred it over any other device will be discussed in another post. This post is about a problem that occurred when I wanted to connect to the internet by using the 3G services of my mobile.

First of all, since the package did not contain any CDs which might have contained an installer for Nokia Ovi Suite, I was a bit confused. Actually, since the phone has an internal memory of 8GB, Nokia decided to save a few bucks by dumping the software on the device memory itself.

1. Thus you can find the Nokia Ovi Suite installer in the E:\ Drive of your phone which is referred to as 'Mass Memory' by Nokia 701 .
2. You need to run the set-up.
3. Once the installation is complete, connect your device through USB and make sure your phone is in 'Dual Mode' for using 3G services (it is by default).
4. The Device Driver for the Phone will be installed followed by a connection with the Nokia Ovi Suite.
5. Click on 'Connect to Internet'

This process was quite easy and proceeded smoothly. However, after sometime the real problem began. The phone got disconnected and I tried to reconnect it. The Nokia Ovi Suite said it needed an update for further use. I let it update itself. But, it failed to update because there was no internet connection! The worst thing was the Nokia Ovi Suite has been programmed to exit, if you chose NOT to update it. This is really bad. They should have thought about it.

For update, I needed internet connection, and for internet connection I needed Ovi Suite to be connected to my device! It was a trap. I was stuck.

I needed some other internet device, but I had none. Imagine the situation. What would you do?

The idea struck me! And its simplicity was amazing. May be you have guessed it. May be not. So here are the steps to get your Nokia Ovi Suite getting updated and getting connected to the internet.

1. Uninstall the Nokia Ovi Suite.
2. Reboot the System (Preferred but not necessary)
3. Connect the device and reinstall the Nokia Ovi Suite
4. As soon as installation is complete, connect your device to Nokia Ovi Suite via USB.
5. Click on Tools -> Software Updates
6. Update Nokia Ovi Suite

So you see no you have the updated Nokia Ovi Suite 3.0 (which is displayed as 'Nokia Suite') and the internet connection you want!

I must tell you that the version 3 of Nokia Suite is much better. The Graphics and the functionality are much better than the previous version. I recommend you update your Nokia Suite ASAP.

P.S. The funny part is.... if you search (Google) for Nokia 701 or you search in the websites of major dealers you get info and image of Nokia WH 701 Stereo Headset!!

Samsung may bid for InterDigital's 8,800 patents for SmartPhones

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phones, is examining InterDigital Inc.’s patent portfolio after being approached to make a bid, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Samsung is looking at the patents along with Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG) and other potential bidders, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. InterDigital, which holds patents related to mobile technologies used to transfer information, said last month that it hired bankers as it considers a sale.

InterDigital’s engineers invented some of the technology for high-speed mobile phone networks now used by the world’s biggest handset makers. The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based company may fetch more than $5 billion, according to analysts at Algorithm Capital and Dougherty & Co. Eastman Kodak Co. (EK) and other companies also are selling their patent portfolios.
Should Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung pursue a bid, it would vie against Apple and Google to purchase all or part of a portfolio of about 8,800 patents on inventions used in devices ranging from the iPhone to Google’s Android-based handsets and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM)’s BlackBerry. Smartphone sales are forecast to almost double to 1.1 billion in 2015, according to Gartner Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut.

‘Pretty Risky’

“InterDigital has a lot of key patents,” Lee Seung Woo, a Seoul-based analyst at Shinyoung Securities Co., said by telephone. “The fight between Apple and Samsung is getting serious, so if the assets go to Apple, it could be pretty risky for Samsung. To hedge the risk, Samsung could go ahead with bidding, although they may have to pay a big premium.”
Samsung is involved in patent lawsuits with Apple since the iPhone maker sued the South Korean company in April, saying the Galaxy devices “slavishly” copied its products.
InterDigital has gained 73 percent since July 18, the day before it disclosed plans to explore a sale. The stock rose $8.75 to $71.96 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. Samsung fell 2.2 percent to 833,000 won in Seoul trading today.

Apple and Google are weighing possible bids, a person familiar with the matter said last month.
Jack Indekeu, a spokesman for InterDigital, declined to comment. Adam Yates, a U.S.-based spokesman for Samsung, didn’t return a call seeking comment.

Smartphone Supremacy

During the second quarter, Apple and Samsung became the top two makers of smartphones. Their shipments trumped those of Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) for the first time, research firm Strategy Analytics said last week. Apple’s iPhones accounted for 18.5 percent of global smartphone shipments, followed by Samsung’s 17.5 percent and Nokia’s 15.2 percent, according to the research firm.

Samsung ranks second behind Nokia in terms of overall mobile-phone shipments.
Evercore Partners Inc. (EVR) and Barclays Capital will “explore and evaluate potential strategic alternatives” that may include a sale, InterDigital said last month.

Google, whose Android operating systems runs smartphones that compete against the iPhone, lost in a bid for Nortel’s $4.5 billion portfolio to a group that included Apple and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) InterDigital’s patents in cellular technology are “deeper and stronger” than Nortel’s, InterDigital Chief Executive Officer William Merritt said in April.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeffrey McCracken in New York at jmccracken3@bloomberg.net.

Apple To Merge iOS And OS X In 2012

According to analyst Peter Misek,  Apple could start merging it’s iOS and Mac OS X as early as next year.

Peter Misek believes that merging the two operating systems, iOS and Mac OS X would lead to “synergies” that would allow customers to stream TV shows and movies, as well as other forms of media stored on Apple’s iCloud service, across smartphones, tablets, computers and AppleTV. He thinks this will include better gross margins and an ease in licensing of content for Apple.

“Users want to be able to pick up any iPhone, iPad, or Mac (or turn on their iTV) and have content move seamlessly between them and be optimized for the user and the device currently being used,” writes Pisek. “We believe this will be difficult to implement if iOS and OS X are kept separate.”

Misek also notes “We believe Apple is looking to merge iOS (iPhones/iPads) with OS X (Macs) into a single platform for apps and cloud services starting in 2012-13.” Misek also sees Macbook Air gaining Apple’s A6 processor, in the second half of 2012, or some time in 2013, following the debut of the chip in the “iPad 3” in the first quarter of 2012, and in the “iPhone 5” next summer. (Misek considers the forthcoming iPhone to be the “iPhone 4S.”

While, Macbook Pros and Mac desktops are expected to stick with current software and Intel (INTC) processors , but they could also switch to iOS by 2016.

“We believe Apple is ready to start sampling the A6 quad-core app processor and will be the first such multi-device platform capable of PC-like strength.”

Misek believes the “merger” of the platforms could boost unit sales across the product line, and he models a 50-cent-per-share-per-year boost to EPS for “every 1% increase in unit volumes” as a result. He also thinks a final merger into one 64-bit platform could boost Apple’s margins by 25 to 125 basis points.

Seven 7 Facebook features that Google+ Lacks!

Google Plus is said to be in testing mode, (might be coz of its unimpressiveness). The search-engine giant might really wants to up the ante in its competition with Facebook, but there are seven features the veteran social network boasts that are not yet offered by the newcomer.

 

Search

Yes, Google is commonly referred to as the search-engine giant (see above), but so far, only other users are searchable within Google Plus, but on Facebook, all public content is searchable.

So, let’s say you want to find reactions to a breaking news story. You can do that on Facebook, while right now, it’s not possible on Google Plus. That’s pretty ironic.

 

Application Programming Interface

Right now, Google Plus does not play well with other applications. For example, foursquare users can have their check-ins automatically appear on Facebook, but there is no way to accomplish this on Google Plus. Google is obviously working on releasing an API, but it’s not there yet.

 

Brand Pages

Moving past the controversy created when Google did not outline its brand page policy for Google Plus, causing companies and organizations to create pages that were subsequently deleted — from a user standpoint, some of the information shared by brands on their Facebook pages is actually of interest and useful. It’s not all, “Please buy our product.” Google must clarify its policies on brand pages sooner, rather than later.

 

Ads

While users probably don’t miss ads on Google Plus at all — especially the targeted ads that appear in the Facebook sidebar, which often focus on one word a user types in a status report, and then deliver ads for products they have zero interest in — revenue is revenue, and Google is missing out on some serious revenue, with Google Plus approaching 20 million users.

Not running ads during the trial period is understandable, and seeing them appear when Google Plus “officially debuts” would not be a surprise. But if they don’t appear when the site moves out of beta, well, that would be interesting.

 

Photo Tagging

Although photo tagging has been known to raise privacy concerns, it is also the most efficient way to let friends and contacts know when they appear in users’ photos. Overall, the interface to download and organize photos in Google Plus is well organized and easy to use, but the lack of tagging is a glaring omission, thus far.

 

Games

It is pretty much a given that Google is working on a gaming platform, and that it will attempt to lure game developers that are unhappy with Facebook’s terms, but it’s not here yet, leaving fans of Farmville, Scrabble, and the like dependent on Facebook, for the time being.

 

Events and Birthdays

As of now, Google Plus does not offer the ability to organize events, while the feature is widely used on Facebook, albeit sometimes not wisely. Events are social, and should be part of a social network. In addition, the percentage of Facebook users who have avoided awkward conversations due to Facebook’s birthday reminders on its homepage must be staggering. Yet not only does Google Plus have no matching feature — birthdays aren’t even part of users’ Google Plus profiles. While this is certainly a minor issue and no reason to quit Google Plus, it’s also an oversight that should be attended to.

Readers: Can you think of any other Facebook features aren’t yet offered by Google Plus?

Changes Social Networking, specially Facebook has brought about in the society.

Although primarily a social networking tool, Facebook has brought changed to all areas of life. A few are highlighted below.

Business
The basic principle of Facebook is communication, which is a vital asset for any business. But it doesn’t have to be limited to text, as companies increasingly use apps, games and video to get their message across. It can also allow for more targeting, as the information people share on their pages can help indicate who is more or less likely to want a particular service or product. Nothing is more effective than the influence of friends however, and once a social circle sees one member liking and using a business, the others are very likely to follow.

Facebook Adds have been used by various organizations and corporate giants. Many biggies have integrated Facebook social plugins in their websites.

Recruiting
Facebook allows companies to give a face (or many faces) to their name. Increasingly they use real images of their workers and work environment on their profile pages, to demonstrate to job seekers what it would really be like as part of the team. This has been particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand where Deloitte have gone as far as live webcam feeds into their offices. Some companies, such as Ernst and Young, even broadcast interviews to provide a demonstration of how the process works.

Relationships
The average length of courtship before marriage is far shorter for couple who meet online than for those who meet offline. This may due to the quick and simple way we access information about people’s interests, tastes and hobbies; what could take weeks of dating to find out now takes minutes of profile perusing. Perhaps this also reflects a shift in attitude from viewing romance as a slow blooming process, to something we want as quickly as simply as everything else we search for online.

Travel
Online service is about more than just the company website. Airlines have been giving special Facebook offers, such as ‘Facebook Friday Fares’ with AirTran, and travel agents promote their latest holidays to their fan list, but apps are the current hot topic as they become all the rage for smart phones and social networks alike. Skyscanner’s flight searcher is a great example of this, allowing Facebook users to look up great prices with no hassle. For example, if you were searching for flight prices for September from the UK to Canada you could

a) Visit a site like Skyscanner/Flights Direct or

b) Visit the Skyscanner flight searcher page and type ‘UK to Canada in September’ and immediately you would get pinged back with a price.

Do we really need a flight search app in Facebook? Of course not. It’s just a nice little gimmick and something that’s ideal for those that don’t want to leave Facebook.

Politics
Political views have never been easier to spread and put into practice than since the advent of Facebook and Twitter. Middle-Eastern uprisings have be coordinated though social media, student protest groups formed and rallied to action, regular marches such as Gay Pride are planned and promoted through groups. In this sense, Facebook is proving that the younger generations are not politically apathetic, and that protest is not a relic of the past.

Many events were organized to support Anna Hazare’s campaign. Other events and groups were formed to raise voice against corruption. Also, during and after attack on Mumbai, voices were raised against terrorism through Facebook status updates.

Rumors
However, Facebook has also supported spreading of rumors. People blindly copy status updates from friends without thinking about the same. People just don’t have time to check the authenticity of a status. Any news that’s posted as a status update must be checked for credibility.

This ‘tact’ has been employed by a few organizations to create rumors about competitors to bring down their market. These Status update also sometimes take the form of SMS and then are circulated via the SMS channels. This is one major side-effect.

Quarter2 2011 pretty Bad for Nokia!

One word defines Nokia's quarter: UGLY!. 

Here's the scorecard:

• Net sales of EUR 9,275M vs EUR 10,003M in Q2 2010;
  
• Operating loss of EUR 487 million vs operating profit EUR 295M;
  
• Reported EPS (diluted) of EUR -0.10 vs EUR 0.06.

Worse still, Smartphone sales are down 32% YoY and 33% QoQ.

For the first time in living memory, according to Asymco's Horace Dediu, Nokia has lost the #1 smartphone maker title--to Apple.

Stock's up though, so there's something the market liked!

It's worth noting that this isn't attributable to Nokia's shift to Microsoft Windows. Nokia hasn't come out with a Windows phone yet. 

But the big argument for Nokia being a survivor was its huge distribution network, particularly outside the US, that would allow it to hold marketshare and push Windows phones. It doesn't seem to be happening. Instead, it seems it's slowly deteriorating, and it's less and less clear that it can be saved.

All in all, painful to watch!

Microsoft displays Windows Phone 'Mango' Phones by Samsung, Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE.

Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) kicked off on 11th July with a keynote that had CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledging poor sales of the company’s Windows Phone 7 handsets. That may soon change with the upcoming Mango update. The company today gave a sneak peek at WPC of several exciting new handsets on the way. Catch the video after the break.

Corporate VP of the OEM Division at Microsoft, Steve Guggenheimer revealed several new Mango handsets including one from Samsung. that resembles the Galaxy S II Android model.  The phone looks like the Windows Phone sibling of the Galaxy S II. Specifications are still unknown, but some are speculating that it could mirror that of the Android Galaxy. That particular phone features a dual-core processor, 1GB of ram, 4.3 super-AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, and a slender build. It could be the SGH-i937 that is currently being tested. Guggenheimer said that he was particularly excited about the Samsung device and noted that it was extremely thin and light.



However, no details and exact specifications were revealed during the presentation. Other devices mentioned on stage included Acer’s first Windows Phone, a pink waterproof handset from Fujitsu, and a ZTE handset. This was the first time these yet-to-be released Windows Phone 7 devices were shown actually running the Mango update.

Microsoft hasn’t offered up required specifications for Mango, but it’s widely expected to introduce support for a front-facing camera. Windows Phone 7.5 will release sometime this fall, so expect the second generation of Windows Phone devices to be in tow.

Samsung delivers world’s first virtual desktop monitor with Cisco Universal power-over-ethernet (UPOE) technology

The Samsung NC220 monitor with Cisco UPOE powers and connects individual monitors via the network to a “virtualized” central server that executes all tasks and applications, offering businesses a flexible and convenient cloud computing alternative to the traditional workstation setup.

Samsung designed the NC220 with its new LED BLU technology, which offers bright and clear pictures on an ultra-slim, eco-friendly design—and markedly reduces energy consumption when compared with conventional CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) monitors. Such innovations have allowed Samsung to remain the undisputed global leader in monitors for 19 straight quarters, according to a recent report from market research firm IDC.

This easy-to-deploy, easy-to-maintain desktop virtualization system reduces IT burden at every step. Software and security updates can be deployed in minutes from a centralized location, eliminating the need to service each individual workstation. Additionally, the Cisco UPOE technology is designed to enable that both data and power can be supplied through a single Ethernet cable, allowing for easier installation and more flexibility when configuring an office space.

“Samsung and Cisco are leading the way in transforming enterprise workspaces,” said Jeong-Hwan Kim, senior vice president of Display Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Now every workstation can leverage the power and speed of the company’s centralized server, while reducing energy costs and creating a more beautiful, less cluttered environment.”

Samsung virtual desktop monitor

The addition of Cisco UPOE increases flexibility and choice for businesses by extending network power resiliency, at reduced costs compared to traditional power infrastructure, to an unprecedented range of devices. Cisco UPOE can supply up to 60 watts of power—twice as much as existing power-over-Ethernet technologies, which is currently restricted to 30 watts.

“Cisco UPOE doubles the amount power delivered over the Ethernet to support many more devices, including the Samsung zero client desktop virtualization devices,” said Jeff Reed, vice president of Cisco’s Unified Access Business Unit. “Now the same Ethernet cable that provides network access will power Samsung’s industry leading virtual desktop devices—dramatically simplifying deployment and management of these devices.”

Enterprises can save additional energy by implementing Cisco’s EnergyWise to better manage and monitor the power consumption of IT devices powered and connected to their Cisco network.

Zero client monitors like the Samsung NC220 are server-based monitors for businesses’ cloud computing systems. These products eliminate the need for local CPU, memory and storage at each individual workstation; instead, the monitor is connected via the network to a central server that executes tasks traditionally handled by a desktop PC. Samsung and Cisco have been working togetherto embed the Cisco UPOE on the Samsung NC220 since the two companies entered into an alliance earlier this year.

Google releases new version of Android Market–Now you can Buy Books and Rent Movies!

Google’s Mobile team had been working on to release a new version of Android Market with some new features including purchase of books and rental of movies.  The features are available for Android 2.2 and higher devices. Unfortunately, it has been launched (today) only in USA as of now.

The Google Mobile team claims to have overhauled the Android market to make it it faster, easier, and more fun to discover great apps, movies, and books.

The new Android Market will be rolling out in the coming weeks to Android 2.2 and higher phones around the world. You don’t need to do anything - the update is automatic on supported phones. If you’re in the U.S., you’ll also be able to download the Videos app, rent movies, and buy books once you receive the new Android Market.

In the U.S., you’ll be able to rent thousands of movies, starting at $1.99, right from Android Market on your phone. With the Videos app, available in Android Market, there’s no more waiting for downloads, syncing, or worrying about storage space. Simply sign into Android Market with your Google account, and you can rent movies from anywhere – the web, or your Android phone or tablet – and start watching instantly. You can also download movies to your device so they’re available for viewing when you don’t have an internet connection.

Also in the U.S., you can now purchase books from Android Market on your phone. Like movie rentals, books are linked to your Google account, so they’re instantly available across all of your devices – computer, phone, or tablet – without the need for wires or downloads.

After Google’s + and Infy’s Bubble its Microsoft’s Social Search Network ‘Tulalip’ at www.socl.com

Yes! You read it right. After Google+ and Infy Bubble its Tulalip – A Social Search-Network integrated with Bing by Microsoft Research.

You don’t believe me? Check out www.socl.com

Now, I know what most of you are thinking – ”Oh no! Not another Social Network!!”. Or may be even this – “Its Microsoft remember! Ctrl+C Ctrl+V!”. But did not people doubt when we had the Great Orkut and Facebook was just launched??Well, it was supposed to be a secret project but Microsoft unintentionally/intentionally brought it to limelight.

Microsoft Research’s Experimental Social Search Network Tulalip

 

Fusible first discovered the page sitting at www.socl.com, a domain that MS recently purchased. Known as Tulalip (also the name of a group of Native American tribes near Redmond). The platform also features sign-in buttons for Facebook and Twitter, the latter of which leads to an authorization page explaining that Tulalip is an "experimental app," and that it will be able to "update your profile" and "post tweets for you" (see the screenshot, after the break). It's too early, of course, to say whether or not the service will launch as a direct competitor to Social Search, or if it'll even get off the ground, though Microsoft insists that it didn't mean to tip its hand so early.

From the looks of it, this will likely be a venture into “social search” with Bing running the show. “With Tulalip you can Find what you need and Share what you know easier than ever,” reads the teaser tagline. Notice the capitalization of Find and Share? Yep, I’m pretty sure this will be where search meets share, which is kind of good news since you can’t do a Google search within Google+. Oddly enough, there are Facebook and Twitter log in fields on the teaser page, which leads us to believe that this will be a rather light foray into social networking rather than a heavy-duty Microsoft experience.

 

First Look at Microsoft’s Social Search Network Tulalip

The teaser page has since been pulled, while Microsoft swears it was an accident. It's too early, of course, to say whether or not the service will launch as a direct competitor to Social Search, or if it'll even get off the ground, though Microsoft insists that it didn't mean to tip its hand so early. The Socl.com welcome page now reads: "Socl.com is an internal design project from one of Microsoft's research teams which was mistakenly published to the web. We didn't mean to, honest."

Infosys comes with a Social Network ‘Infy Bubble’ for its employees!

Now that’s interesting! A social network specially for employees. And get what you can submit negative feedback for bosses and peers… obviously personal attacks are not allowed.

They call it ‘Infy Bubble’. Its based on the lines of Facebook. They can share photos and stuff and about their work.

I think its really a great way to strengthen the bonds between colleagues. Infosys had to come up with something as the rate of attrition has been a pressing concern for them.

I will be glad if other companies follow the suite! Personal communicators are not much fun anyway.

Google’s Google’+’ (plus) a ‘-’ (minus) like Wave and Buzz!

NOTE: If you are a hard-core Google Fan, I request you to go to other blogs in which you can find appreciation; in this particular blog-post all you’ll find is Google Bashing.

Google has never fared well in the Social Networks… honestly I am sceptic about its innovations in the area. Apart from the Google Search, there’s hardly any REAL Google product that can be called innovative.

You might think of me as a fool, but you must know that YouTube, Blogger, Google Docs etc were bought by Google! Many of the Gmail features have been bought by them. Honestly I have no problem if they buy and improve, after all I am a Pro-Blogger and I love blogger for its services.

However, their R&D innovations like Buzz and Wave have been trashed somewhere. Orkut is already dead!

They have tried to copy Facebook for long, creating plugins, +1 buttons, comment boxes etc., and now they created a Facebook look-alike. It really isn’t much different than any other basic social networking site. It really doesn’t excite me.

Dear Google, you are really good at creating hypes but you are also known for not being able to live up to your hypes. Please come up with some real innovation!

Hindi transliteration is not working in Blogger!

Google O Google!

I think Google has been too much busy with their Google+ Project these days and they have forgotten that they have other services that require moderation and maintenance.

A few months back they ACCIDENTLY deleted a few Gmail Accounts… and now they have messed up with Blogger’s Hindi Transliteration feature.

The symbol ‘अ’ has disappeared from the Editor and the option for transliteration in the ‘Baisc’ Settings is also not available.

If you go through the link, which is basically a Google Support page you can see that Google promised to solve this Global problem within a week from 7th July. I am still waiting for them to fix it!

Microsoft demands $15 per Android phone from Samsung!

“Android has a patent fee. It’s not like Android’s free. You do have to license patents. HTC’s signed a license with us and you’re going to see license fees clearly for Android as well as for Windows.” – Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft.
 
Yes its true! Microsoft has asked Samsung to pay $15 per Android phone shipped. Confused? I know you are. You are probably wondering how can Microsoft demand money for a Google Product right? You have many questions like these and this blog-post will try to answer some of them.

What makes Microsoft eligible to charge for Android phones?

Microsoft can charge for Android because of the Intellectual Property Rights it has on the technology used in Google’s Mobile Operating System.

The software giant has a wide range of patents used in the mobile platform. And there are countless lines of proprietary code in Android, and any number of ways that code -- or, yes, possibly code from the Android Open Source Project itself -- could infringe on another company's patents.

What is Microsoft’s stand on the matter?

For the past year or so, Microsoft has been saying that it holds patents on technology used in the Android mobile operating system, and has been either suing or signing licensing agreements with phone and computer manufacturers that use Android. It signed a deal with HTC in April 2010, and has sued Motorola over its Droid line and Barnes & Noble over its Nook e-readers.

In October 2010, Microsoft essentially said companies using Android need to pay up or get sued.

Has Microsoft signed patent-licensing deals with other Android makers?

Microsoft has announced a flurry of patent-licensing deals with smaller Android makers, including General Dynamics Itronix, Velocity Micro, Onkyo and – on Tuesday – Wistron. Microsoft said the Wistron deal also includes coverage for devices running Google’s Chrome browser platform.

Is Microsoft going to stop pursuing these licensing agreements?

With so many customers on its Android books, it’s unlikely Microsoft is going to stop pursuing these licensing agreements. The next target is already in its sights, and this is no small fish. Microsoft is reportedly demanding Samsung pays $15 per Android smartphone it ships.

Why target Samsung?

Samsung is the top mobile-phone manufacturer in the United States, with an average market share of 24.8 percent from March to May, comScore said Tuesday

Analysts forecast Samsung, the world’s No.2 handset maker, to have sold about 19 million smartphones in the April-June quarter, with the dominant position running on Android. It is widely expected to emerge as the No.1 smartphone maker, replacing Nokia’s more than 10-year reign.

Samsung’s Galaxy S II, successor to its flagship Galaxy S smartphone, which runs on the Android platform, has sold more than 3 million units since its debut in late April.

Why is Microsoft going for the licensing-agreements?

Google Android’s average U.S. market share among operating systems was 38.1 percent over the same period, the research firm said, followed by Apple’s iOS at 26.6 percent, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry at 24.7 percent, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Windows Phone (combined) at 5.8 percent, and HP’s Palm at 2.4 percent.

The move comes as Android phones gain in popularity. Microsoft charges handset makers such as HTC and Samsung to use its Windows mobile software and has tied up with Nokia to challenge Google and Apple Inc in the smartphone market.

When Android started to get picked up by a number of major manufacturers to use in their phones and tablets, we all rightly thought Microsoft would be on its back foot. If it wasn’t for patents the company probably would be, but as it stands, Microsoft is increasingly making more money from the sale of Android devices.

What’s Samsung’s take on the matter?

Samsung hasn’t officially responded  or even agreed to comment on the demand, but it is expected that rather than fight it the company will try and do a deal to lower the price per phone.

What can Samsung do about it?

Samsung can’t really contest this because so many other companies operating in the same markets have signed up for a license. But Samsung does have the advantage of being a desirable hardware partner for Microsoft.

With that in mind we could see some new Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 devices make it on to the Samsung product list in the near future. In exchange, expect that $15 to come down to $10, or even $5 to match what HTC are thought to pay.

What makes me Happy?


If Samsung really signs with Microsoft for more Windows Phone 7 or 8 devices, it’s quite possible that Samsung’s Software Engineering Lab, Noida will get some project. As of now only HQ covers Windows Phone projects. Since as a Microsoft Student Partner I have delivered sessions on Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone 7 and also submitted apps, it’ll be like a dream come true to finally work hard-core on Windows Phone!

Technical Awareness Series - Facebook’s new style tagging in post and comments. (part 2)

In the part 1 of this series we saw that Facebook now allows us to tag friends without using the ‘@’ symbol. When I was experimenting with this new feature, I came across another feature recently introduced by Facebook.

Earlier when you tagged your friends in any status and/or comments, the full name of the person as mentioned in his/her profile appeared. Now we all know that facebook has a limit of 420 characters per status. So we all know the importance of reducing characters.

Facebook now allows to tag friends and shorten their names by deleting parts of their names. You can delete either parts of the friends name. However atleast one part should be kept intact.

For example, if you want to tag Vishal Gupta you can delete either Vishal or Gupta leaving behind Gupta and Vishal respectively.

This feature helps to maintain casual and informal conversations. Full name tags seemed rather formal. Facebook’s team is really innovating!

The screen-shots of small experiments carried out by me are displayed below-

 

Don’t be a ‘dumb’ facebook user. Don’t either be ‘just’ a facebook user. Be an aware facebook user.

Technical Awareness Series - Facebook’s new style tagging in post and comments.

Facebook’s team is working hard and is constantly coming with the new & innovative ideas and strategies to provide rich user-interface.

On 10th September 2009 they announced status tagging and launched it on 14th September 2009.

Beginning 10th March 2011, Facebook provided the facility of tagging friends in comments. This was a good feature. Tagging in comments meant we could keep the conversation live and it was a good way to inform people about their involvement in the posts.

This time they have come up with a new way of tagging friends. You don’t need to use ‘@’ to tag a friend. You can directly tag them without using ‘@’.

However, there is a fundamental difference in using the two ways of tagging. When you tag with the ‘@’ tag, you can begin the name with small letters. Like if you have a friend name Himanshu, you can type @himanshu or @Himanshu. However, when you are tagging directly you need to use the exact letters Capital/Small. For example, if my friend’ name is Sujeet I have to start with ‘S’; if I start with ‘s’, it won’t work.

So take advantage of this feature, as it saves some time. Also you might want to be careful about accidently tagging your friends when you don’t want to!

Don’t be a ‘dumb’ facebook user. Don’t either be ‘just’ a facebook user. Be an aware facebook user.

The Technical Awareness Series - Cyber Crimes and Cyber Laws in India (Part 2)

This blog post is second in the technical awareness series. It basically aims to create technical awareness. For past 20 days, I have been researching many websites and articles on Cyber Crimes and Cyber Laws in India. This article is a result of all those efforts. Please understand, that this article is a general one and based on my understanding of the various articles on Cyber Laws on the Web. It is not meant to be used a guide, its just about general awareness. Links to the websites are available for further reference.

From the Alert Indian Website I also got a few things. I would like to request to my readers that if you have created any fake profiles or are planning to create so, please have a look at Section 66C. For those who have habit of bullying or harassing others please have a look at Section 66A. Facebook users should refrain from posting comments/posts/notes about others as it is a public platform. One should also remember the line "shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both."

Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008

Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008  has been notified and enforced on 27th Oct, 2009.
This Act punishes various cyber crimes including Cyber Terrorism.

Important Sections Related to Cyber Crimes

Chapter XI

65. Tampering with Computer Source Documents

Whoever knowingly or intentionally conceals, destroys or alters or intentionally or knowingly causes another to conceal, destroy or alter any computer source code used for a computer, computer programme, computer system or computer network, when the computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law for the time being in force, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both.

Explanation -

For the purposes of this section, "Computer Source Code" means the listing of programmes, Computer Commands, Design and layout and programme analysis of computer resource in any form.

Sec 66. Computer Related Offences

If any person, dishonestly, or fraudulently, does any act referred to in section 43, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.

Explanation: For the purpose of this section,-

a) the word "dishonestly" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 24 of the Indian Penal Code;

b) the word "fraudulently" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 25 of the Indian Penal Code.

66 A Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc

Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,-

a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or

b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device,

c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.

Explanation: For the purposes of this section, terms "Electronic mail" and "Electronic Mail Message" means a message or information created or transmitted or received on a computer, computer system, computer resource or communication device including attachments in text, image, audio, video and any other electronic record, which may be transmitted with the message.

66 B. Punishment for dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication device

Whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen computer resource or communication device knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen computer resource or communication device, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to rupees one lakh or with both.

66C Punishment for identity theft

Whoever, fraudulently or dishonestly make use of the electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature of any other person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to rupees one lakh.

66D Punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource

Whoever, by means of any communication device or computer resource cheats by personation, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to one lakh rupees.

66E Punishment for violation of privacy

Whoever, intentionally or knowingly captures, publishes or transmits the image of a private area of any person without his or her consent, under circumstances violating the privacy of that person, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine not exceeding two lakh rupees, or with both

Explanation.- For the purposes of this section--

(a) “transmit” means to electronically send a visual image with the intent that it be viewed by a person or persons;

(b) “capture”, with respect to an image, means to videotape, photograph, film or record by any means;

(c) “private area” means the naked or undergarment clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks or female breast;

(d) “publishes” means reproduction in the printed or electronic form and making it available for public;

(e) “under circumstances violating privacy” means circumstances in which a person can have a reasonable expectation that--

(i) he or she could disrobe in privacy, without being concerned that an image of his private area was being captured; or

(ii) any part of his or her private area would not be visible to the public, regardless of whether that person is in a public or private place.