Author: Shivaank Rana

HCL Infosystems launches its 3G Tablet – the HCL ME Y2
HCL Infosystems Ltd., launched its latest 3G enabled tablet –HCL ME Y2 priced competitively at Rs 14,999. This third generation tablet from HCL is a trendy and stylish device, based on the latest OS and designed specially to suit the needs of the Indian consumers.

The HCL ME Y2 is packed with applications and special offers. The Hungama Application comes with a special offer for HCL ME Y2 customers – free three months subscription to download and play unlimited music, videos and ringtones. Bigflix again offers unlimited streaming of movies for a month for just Rs. 1. The Y2 also has the ThinkFree Office Mobile that enables the user to create, view, edit or share MS Office docs. The HCL tablet also has useful applications like LinkedIn, Twitter, 3D Digital Weather Clock, Games, Sweet’ N ‘Spicy (huge collection of Indian Foods and Recipe), iBrowser (makes downloading and browsing on the tablet easy and smooth), ICS Browser (to view multiple open pages at once), Bollywood Hungama and Saavn (to listen to Bollywood and Indian music).

[quote]Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gautam Advani, EVP & Head, Mobility, HCL Infosystems Ltd. said, “The HCL ME Y2 is yet another value product from our company. This third generation tablet delivers enhanced experiences to our customers through advanced connectivity and innovative features. With the growth in tablet market and increasing adoption, on-the-go connectivity has become vital and the ME Y2 promises seamless connectivity with great user interface. The Y2 is yet another innovation from HCL and we expect it to meet the growing demand of our diverse customers to meet their specific use cases on the tablet.”[/quote]

The new HCL ME Y2 offers 3G connectivity with its in-built SIM slot. Based on Android OS 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the device is equipped with a 2-mega pixel rear camera and a 0.3-mega pixel front camera which enables video chatting with HD display. The tablet sports a 7-inch multi touch capacitive screen with a 1024*600 pixel display. The tablet runs smoothly on a powerful Cortex A9 and 1 Ghz processor. It comes with a 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory, along with a memory card slot that can add another 32 GB. HCL ME Y2 also has a mini USB, mini HDMI and a Micro SD card slot. It has a robust 4000 mAH battery to deliver long hours of high definition audio and video playback. The Y2 is enabled with bluetooth and also provides for wi-fi connectivity.

The HCL ME Y2 will be supported by an integrated back up service – HCL Touch, a 24X7 one touch service facility. HCL ME Y2 tablet will be available in stores in Delhi and across the country from today onwards.

Specifications

Check out the Press Release below :

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HCL Infosystems launches its 3G Tablet – the HCL ME Y2
- Attractive Pricing of Rs.14,999/- & 3G enabled with in-built SIM slot and Wi-Fi connectivity
- Powered by Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS and equipped with Dual camera
- Stylized with full HD, enhanced performance and rich entertainment features
- Special Offers on Pre loaded and handpicked applications for the Indian consumer
- Backed by the unmatched HCL support and service infrastructure spread over 4000+ cities, the Y2 also loaded with a one touch service application on the tablet – HCL Touch
New Delhi, August 13, 2012: HCL Infosystems Ltd., India’s premier hardware, services and ICT Systems Integration and Distribution Company, launched its latest 3G enabled tablet –HCL ME Y2. Combining unique features, content and connectivity, the HCL ME Y2 promises an exciting experience to its users. This third generation tablet from HCL is a trendy and stylish device, based on the latest OS and designed specially to suit the needs of the Indian consumers.

The HCL ME Y2 is packed with applications and special offers to suit the requirements of the Indian consumer. The Hungama Application comes with a special offer for HCL ME Y2 customers – free three months subscription to download and play unlimited music, videos and ringtones. Bigflix again offers unlimited streaming of movies for a month for just Rs. 1. The Y2 also has the ThinkFree Office Mobile that enables the user to create, view, edit or share MS Office docs. The HCL tablet also has useful applications like LinkedIn, Twitter, 3D Digital Weather Clock, Games, Sweet’ N ‘Spicy (huge collection of Indian Foods and Recipe), iBrowser (makes downloading and browsing on the tablet easy and smooth), ICS Browser (to view multiple open pages at once), Bollywood Hungama and Saavn (to listen to Bollywood and Indian music). Along with the pre-loaded apps, The Y2 also has an exclusive access to the ME App store which has over 15000 applications capturing the latest and the best android apps in the world for the tablet users.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gautam Advani, EVP & Head, Mobility, HCL Infosystems Ltd. said, “The HCL ME Y2 is yet another value product from our company. This third generation tablet delivers enhanced experiences to our customers through advanced connectivity and innovative features. With the growth in tablet market and increasing adoption, on-the-go connectivity has become vital and the ME Y2 promises seamless connectivity with great user interface. The Y2 is yet another innovation from HCL and we expect it to meet the growing demand of our diverse customers to meet their specific use cases on the tablet.”

The new HCL ME Y2 offers 3G connectivity with its in-built SIM slot and is priced competitively at Rs 14,999. Based on the super fast Android OS 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the device is equipped with a 2-mega pixel rear camera and a 0.3-mega pixel front camera which enables video chatting with HD display. The tablet sports a 7-inch multi touch capacitive screen with a 1024*600 pixel display. The tablet runs smoothly on a powerful Cortex A9 and 1 Ghz processor. It comes with a 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory, along with a memory card slot that can add another 32 GB. HCL ME Y2 also has a mini USB, mini HDMI and a Micro SD card slot. It has a robust 4000 mAH battery to deliver long hours of high definition audio and video playback. The Y2 is enabled with bluetooth and also provides for wi-fi connectivity.

The HCL ME Y2 will be supported by an integrated back up service – HCL Touch, a 24X7 one touch service facility. HCL ME Y2 tablet will be available in stores in Delhi and across the country from today onwards.

About HCL Infosystems:

HCL Infosystems Ltd, with revenue (LTM) of US$ 2.4 billion (Rs.10,754 crores) is India’s premier hardware, services and ICT systems integration company offering a wide spectrum of ICT products that includes Computing, Storage, Networking, Security, Telecom, Imaging and Retail. HCL is a one-stop-shop for all the ICT requirements of an organization. India’s leading System Integration and Infrastructure Management Services Organization, HCL has specialized expertise across verticals including Telecom, BFSI, eGovernance & Power. HCL has India’s largest distribution and retail network, taking to market a range of Digital Lifestyle products in partnership with leading global ICT brands, including Apple, Cisco, Ericsson, Kingston, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Microsoft, Nokia, Toshiba, and many more. HCL today has India’s largest vertically integrated computer manufacturing facility with over three decades of electronic manufacturing experience & HCL desktops is the largest selling brand into the enterprise space. With India’s largest ICT services network that reaches to every corner of India, HCL’s award winning Support Services makes it the preferred choice of enterprise and consumers, alike. For more information please visit us at www.hclinfosystems.in

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August 14, 2012
Aakash 2 to be out soon : Kapil Sibal

As declared by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today, very soon an improved version of Aakash will be introduced in the market. In the month of June, this new and much better version of Aakash has been already inaugurated by Sibal at IIT-Bombay.

The improved version is fitted with a faster processor (most probably an 800 Mhz processor) and enhanced battery life among other features.
[quote]
“It (the idea of low cost computer) was rejected throughout the world and it was said that India would not be able to make it. Our HRD ministry was committed to the Aakash project and ultimately we came out with the first version of the Aakash which costs Rs 2,276. Now, Aakash-2 has been rolled out with battery life of three hours, 800MHz processor, providing internet access everywhere and it has a capacitive screen. The process to distribute this device has begun and it would be formally launched very soon,” Sibal said. [/quote]

August 14, 2012
Samsung targets 25% growth from home appliance business in 2012

Samsung Electronics today announced its plans to strengthen its Home Appliance business by announcing the launch of its new Direct Cool refrigerator and Semi automatic washing machine range in the country.

The company today launched new direct cool refrigerators and semi-automatic washing machines with a price range of Rs 11,300 and Rs 18,900 for refrigerators and Rs 10,950 and Rs 11,950 for washing machines.

[quote]“We are targeting a growth of 25 per cent in both refrigerator and washing machines segments in 2012,” company’s Vice President (Home Appliances) Mahesh Krishnan told reporters here.[/quote]

With a growth of 20 per cent, the Korean electronics major sold 1.7 million refrigerators and seven lakh washing machines last year, he said.

August 13, 2012
Google to cut 4000 jobs at Motorola

Motorola Mobility will cut approximately 4,000 jobs as well as close about one-third of its production facilities and streamline its mobile lineup, the firm confirmed Monday.

The reductions represent about 20 percent of Motorola Mobility’s 20,000 employees, and 7 percent of Google’s overall work force. Two-third of the job cuts will take place outside of the U.S., Google said.

The job eliminations come three months after Google bought the once-dominant U.S. cellphone maker for $12.5 billion, chiefly with a view to using its large patent portfolio to bolster its legal defenses.

Motorola will also close or consolidate about one-third of its 90 facilities and “simplify” its lineup of mobile products in order to focus on “more innovative and profitable devices” rather than feature phones. Severance payments will cost Google about $275 million, which will largely be recognized in the current quarter. The company also expects to book an unspecified amount in restructuring charges, mostly in the quarter.

August 13, 2012
WTF Episode 8 – 3 Leaks, 4 Launches

Check out the latest episode of our very own Weekly Tech Focus. Bharat talks about the rumored HTC Windows Phones, Xperia Tablet Leak, Asha 305, 311 Launch, Mercedes R350, Sony Xperia Ion Launch and answers your Questions!

August 13, 2012
Rumor : HTC To Unveil 3 Windows Phone 8 Smartphones In September

According to the latest rumors, HTC is set to unveil three new Windows Phone 8 devices in October, the Zenith, Accord and Rio. To date there hasn’t been any images of these devices surface online, but new details have potentially risen this morning. According to WPDang, HTC will beholding a media event in both New York and London sometime during the third week of September (17th – 24th) to announce their upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices.

The Zenith, Accord and Rio all come with various specs, but the flagship Zenith will be the star player and have a quad-core processor, 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display (300ppi), and an 8MP camera. It is rumored to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor.

The HTC Accord appears to sit in the middle of the range and is rumoured to have a 4.3 inch touch-screen, dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It’ll also have a 5 mega-pixel and support for both NFC and 3G.

Sitting at the bottom of the range is the HTC Rio which will be an affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone. It’s specification is rumoured to include a 4 inch touch-screen, dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM and a 5 mega-pixel camera.

August 12, 2012
Indian Government to set up cloud storage for storing critical data

While our cyber security experts fret over our below-par security standards, the Indian government is planning to set-up a cloud network storage to facilitate the storage of critical data.

According to the Economic Times :

Department of Information Technology is planning to set up a national cloud based network that connects all state data centers which would make that the backbone of national e-governance plan, which when completed would deliver many government to citizen and government business services via the internet. In effect, each of the 28 states and 7 union territories will now have a private cloud of their own. The Department of IT has invited proposals from IT companies like Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM, Cisco (CSCO) and Dell to set up and maintain private clouds in each state. The move may cost the government less than (around 100 million rupees), and will help the exchequer prevent waste of money on duplication of resources.

August 12, 2012
Sony Xperia Tablet Images and Specification Leaked

The IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany seems to be the ground center for several new devices that run on Google’s Android mobile operating system. Samsung is probably one of the most-discussed companies that are expected to launch new smartphones at the event, but Sony doesn’t fall too far behind.

If rumors are anything to go by, the Japanese electronics giant has three smartphones and one tablet lined up for this event.

This Xperia-branded tablet has earlier leaked via a set of slides, which detailed some very attractive specifications. A 9.4-inch 1280 x 800 screen can be seen up front, while a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset provides the power. It boasts an 8-megapixel and a 1-megapixel camera, a 6,000mAh battery that promises up to 10 hours of endurance, and wireless connectivity options that include 3G, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. Models with 16, 32 and 64GB of internal storage will be available.

Ice Cream Sandwich should be the most likely operating system of the device, but the presentation leaves open the possibility of some Jelly Bean action going on. The slides also include one with pricing details for the tablets themselves as well as the planned accessories. The base price for the entry-level 16GB unit falls at $450, while the larger options tack on $100 or $200 on top.

Photos of the upcoming device also reveal an evolutionary shift from the current Sony Tablet S, which de-emphasizes the latter’s wedge shape, while keeping its folded paper-like styling cues.

August 12, 2012
Google changes its search formula to address piracy

Google says it will introduce changes to its search engine that will discourage piracy by placing legitimate copyrighted content higher in online queries.

The change was viewed as a concession to movie studios, music labels and television companies that have tried to lobby, cajole and, in some cases, sue Google into helping them shut down online piracy.

This week, the company will begin using algorithms that push potentially pirated material to a lower position in search results, it said in a blog posting on its website.

Entertainment companies have urged Google for years to make pirated content harder to find. The new system will use ”removal notices”, or complaints from entertainment companies, that a website has received in ranking search results, Amit Singhal, the senior vice-president for engineering, said. Hollywood applauded the move.

”We are optimistic that Google’s actions will help steer consumers to the myriad legitimate ways for them to access movies and TV shows online,” Michael O’Leary, a senior executive vice-president at the Motion Picture Association of America, said.

Lower rankings do not represent a conclusion that copyright has been violated, Mr Singhal wrote. The company received 4.3 million copyright removal notices in the past 30 days, he said.

August 11, 2012
RIM looks to sell NewBay, other assets

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is looking to sell cloud services provider NewBay and some of the other minor assets it recently acquired, as part of a strategic review process, according to a source familiar with the matter.

RIM acquired NewBay, a provider of photo, video, and social-networking tools for smartphones and computers, in October 2011 for reportedly around $100 million, as it sought to roll out a new strategy to stem its steady decline.

RIM declined to comment on the sale report.

RIM, based in Waterloo, Ontario, is a pioneer in the smartphone industry, but has struggled over the last couple of years, as its aging line-up of BlackBerry smartphones have not been able to compete against more-advanced devices like Apple Inc’s iPhone and a slew of other devices based on Google Inc’s Android software.

The acquisition of NewBay in Dublin, Ireland, was a huge part of the former RIM leadership’s plan to alter its course and boost service revenue by having carriers use its services for messaging, content delivery and analytics on all smartphones.

When RIM bought it in late 2011, NewBay had over 80 million subscribers. NewBay stores media on its own servers and delivers it to any Internet-connected device, including mobile phones, personal computers and tablets.

But in the face of mounting pressure RIM’s Co-Chief Executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie resigned early this year. RIM’s new CEO Thorsten Heins has begun a strategic review process within the company and is focused on delivering a new line-up of devices that run on RIM’s new BB10 operating system, in the first-quarter of 2013.

Since taking the reins early in 2012, Heins has retained RBC Capital Markets and JPMorgan to explore options for RIM.

Its share price has fallen more than 60 percent over the course of the last year, as RIM has continued to hemorrhage market share to the likes of nimbler competitors like Apple and Samsung Electronics Co.

RIM’s shares closed more than 6 percent higher at $8.29 on Friday on the Nasdaq, after Bloomberg reported that tech giant International Business Machines Corp had at one point considered buying RIM’s enterprise division.

Source : Reuters

August 11, 2012
Crytek releases CryEngine 3 Tech Trailer for Crysis 3

Today Crytek released a trailer that serves as a preview of Crysis 3‘s graphics and the capabilities of their proprietary tech CryEngine 3. It’s pretty much porn for you video game artists out there.

The in-game footage is probably from a high-end PC. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Crysis 3 will be easy on the eyes, it seems unlikely they’d be capable of this level of quality. Look at it as a preview of next-gen consoles’ potential, I guess.

Tesselated vegetations, displacement mapping and real-time volumetric cloud shadows are among the features touted in the trailer. I understand about half of those words. The video seems to be targeted at fellow developers. Fortunately purty graphics are easy to decode even if the tech jargon isn’t.

Crysis 3 is due in February of next year.

August 11, 2012
Olympics Day 14 Google Doodle : Be the next Schmeichel, Penalty Shootouts! !

Yet another enthralling Google Doodle! This time, you get the chance to be the next Peter Schmeichel! Save shots from a notoriously obese player as he starts off slow but somehow manages to fire bullets as the game goes on! I managed a score of 39 (Beat That!) and have been trying better that ever since! Go check it out now and post your score below!

August 10, 2012
HTC One X Android 4.0.4 update rolling out

The international version of the HTC One X will be getting its Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich update today, the same update that began rolling out for the AT&T version of the device just a short time ago.

HTC has announced, courtesy of Engadget, that the HTC One X’s Android 4.0.4 update will begin to roll out today and that it will be bringing a number of enhancements along with it.

Owners of the international HTC One X will now be able to map a menu function to the ‘recent app’ key in the lower right hand corner of the device. This will improve presentation in applications that currently do not support Ice Cream Sandwich. So obviously, this makes the button more useful than it already was.

The update will also new abilities to the device’s camera including white balance and continuous autofocus, both of which will be welcomed improvements.

HTC has also included a dedicated tab switching button in the browser to make it easier for owners to switch between tabs in the browser.

The update for the HTC One X will also bring better overall browsing, more stability to the device, and more. So, it’s a pretty substantial update and one that users will want to take advantage of as soon as they possibly can.

Of course, the update is not Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Google’s latest piece of mobile software that is all the rage right now in the Android world.

HTC has promised Android 4.1 for the HTC One XL, HTC One X, and the HTC One S at some point down the road but first, it needs to take care of some devices that are still limping their way to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

August 10, 2012
Blizzard Battle.net Security Breached, Passwords Accessed

Account details for millions of players have been stolen in a hack attack on Blizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo.

Blizzard revealed details of the breach in a message posted to its Battle.net account management service. Players in North America should change their login details for the account management service, said Blizzard.

So far, it said, there was no evidence that credit card numbers and other personal details had been taken.

In the message, Blizzard boss Mike Morhaime said it discovered on 4 August that there had been “unauthorized and illegal access” to its internal network.

Its investigation into the breach revealed that whoever broke in got a copy of a list of all email addresses for Battle.net users outside China.

Battle.net is the overarching account management and login service gamers use to play Blizzard games including World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3.

Also accessed was information about the security questions and account authenticators used by players on North American servers. As well as players in the US and Canada this includes people in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

The attackers also stole a cryptographically scrambled list of the passwords used on North American Battle.net accounts. The technique Blizzard used to conceal these passwords, said Mr Morhaime, made it hard to unscramble them.

Blizzard said that, as far as it knew, the information stolen would not be enough for attackers to gain unauthorised access to Battle.net accounts.

Despite this, it urged players on North America servers to change their passwords, especially if that secret phrase or character combination was used on other services.

It said it had begun an automatic process to force players to change their secret questions and get those who use authenticators to update their devices.

It said it had found “no evidence” that credit card numbers, billing addresses or real names had been exposed.

“We are truly sorry that this has happened,” said Mr Morhaime.

Paul Ducklin, a researcher at security firm Sophos, said the breach was “painful but probably not too bad” in a blogpost about the attack. He said the way Blizzard stored and managed login and password data was “sensible” and should reduce the theft’s impact.

August 10, 2012
FTC hits Google with $22.5 million fine for Safari tracking

Google Inc. has agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges for misleading users about its tracking activities on Apple Inc.’s Safari browser, the regulatory agency said.

The penalty is the largest-ever FTC penalty for violating a commission order. It comes amid mounting privacy concerns related to the vast amount of information collected by technology companies through browsers, websites, social media and cell phones.

A representative from Google was not immediately available for comment.

For several months in 2011 and 2012, the FTC charged, Google placed advertising tracking cookies on the computers of Safari users who visited sites within Google’s DoubleClick advertising network, though the company had previously told users that they would automatically opt out of this tracking through the browser’s default settings.

Safari is the browser installed on Apple’s Macs, iPhones and iPads.

Google also represented itself as a member of the Network Advertising Initiative, an industry group that requires members to adhere to a code of conduct, which includes disclosing data collection and use.

Google generates a large chunk of its revenue from selling online advertising services, including the delivery of targeted ads online. By placing tracking cookies on a user’s computer, it can collect information about that person’s web-browsing activities, and use that information to send online ads targeted to the user’s interests.

Along with the penalty, Google has agreed to disable all the tracking cookies it said it would not place on users’ computers, the regulator said.

The FTC charged that Google’s actions violated an October 2011 settlement, which barred Google from misrepresenting the extent of control that customers have over the collection of their information. The earlier settlement dated back to FTC’s charges that Google had used deceptive practices and violated its primacy promises when it launched its social network Google Buzz.

August 10, 2012