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Google Celebrates the Last Day of 2013 with a Doodle

Google’s doodle for today, is the last doodle that you will see in 2013. The doodle features numbers 2 0 1 and 3 on the dance floor with the number 4 waiting along the side. The word Google is seen sandwiched between two speakers, with the second O replaced by a disco ball.

The Doodle showcased today is not interactive, unlike other Doodles. However, Google has included an option below the search bar that says: “What did the world search for this year? Remember the moments of 2013“, once you click on the link it will give you various options like: What did the world search for in 2013? and also gives you an option to look around the top 100 stories of 2013.

Some of the most popular stories include, Nexus 5, iOS 7, HTC One, Windows 8.1, Samsung Galaxy S4, BlackBerry 10, Xbox One, iPhone 5s, PlayStation 4 and alot more.

December 31, 2013
HTC Executive Indicted For Leaking Secrets

Six employees of leading local smartphone maker HTC Corp, including vice president of product design Chien Chih-lin, were indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday on charges of leaking trade secrets and breach of trust.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Thomas Chien, formerly VP of product design at HTC, has been charged with leaking details of a future smartphone interface design, believed to be version 6.0 of the company’s Sense software for Android.

In addition, prosecutors allege that Chien and his collaborators profited to the tune of 33.6 million New Taiwanese dollars ($1.12m) by accepting kickbacks from suppliers and charging fake expenses back to HTC.

The Taipei Times named the 5 other HTC employees involved in the indictment as HTC senior manager of design and innovation Huang Kuo-ching, HTC research and development director Wu Chien-hung, senior manager of design and innovation Huang Hung-yi, manufacturing design department manager Hung Chung-yi, and employee Chen Shih-tsou.

An HTC representative said that “The company expects employees to observe and practice the highest levels of integrity and ethics. Protecting the company’s proprietary and intellectual properties, privacy and security is a core fundamental responsibility of every employee. The company does not condone any violation.”

Leaking company secrets could carry prison sentences of up to 10 years. The indictments top off a year of bad news for HTC, which has struggled with poor sales and executive management.

December 28, 2013
RBI Cautions Users of Virtual Currencies(Bitcoin) against Risks
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, they are digital coins that can be sent through the internet. The company claims that Bitcoins has number of advantages over the other alternatives. Using Bitcoins money is directly transferred from a person to another, which means no bank is involved in between. This further means lower cost of transfer and Bitcoins can be used in any country, user’s account cannot be frozen, there are no prerequisites or arbitrary limits.

However, authorities of India does not like this concept at all. Several Indian Bitcoin exchanges have suspended operations following a warning from the Reserve Bank of India, which is concerned on digital currencies. The Reserve Bank of India has today cautioned the users, holders and traders of Virtual currencies, including Bitcoins, about the potential financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks that they are exposing themselves to.

RBI says, the creation, trading or usage of VCs including Bitcoins, as a medium for payment are not authorized by any central bank or monetary authority. No regulatory approvals, registration or authorization is stated to have been obtained by the entities concerned for carrying on such activities. As such, they may pose several risks to their users, including the following:
- VCs being in digital form are stored in digital/electronic media that are called electronic wallets. Therefore, they are prone to losses arising out of hacking, loss of password, compromise of access credentials, malware attack etc. Since they are not created by or traded through any authorised central registry or agency, the loss of the e-wallet could result in the permanent loss of the VCs held in them.
- Payments by VCs, such as Bitcoins, take place on a peer-to-peer basis without an authorised central agency which regulates such payments. As such, there is no established framework for recourse to customer problems / disputes / charge backs etc.
- There is no underlying or backing of any asset for VCs. As such, their value seems to be a matter of speculation. Huge volatility in the value of VCs has been noticed in the recent past. Thus, the users are exposed to potential losses on account of such volatility in value.
- It is reported that VCs, such as Bitcoins, are being traded on exchange platforms set up in various jurisdictions whose legal status is also unclear. Hence, the traders of VCs on such platforms are exposed to legal as well as financial risks.
- There have been several media reports of the usage of VCs, including Bitcoins, for illicit and illegal activities in several jurisdictions. The absence of information of counter-parties in such peer-to-peer anonymous/ pseudonymous systems could subject the users to unintentional breaches of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) laws.
Bitcoin came into existence in 2009, and the current number of Bitcoin units generated so far is about 12 million. However, India is not the only country to suspend the use of Bitcoins, as Thailand and China did the same. RBI is examining the issues on the usage of the virtual currency under the extant legal and regulatory framework of the country.

[Source]
December 28, 2013
Live : Launch of the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2

Samsung will launch the new Galaxy Grand 2 in India today starting 12:00 Noon, stay tuned and get the latest updates on iGyaan.

December 23, 2013
Chrome Updates the Web Store Policy Keeping Chrome Extensions Simple

Google has updated its Chrome Web Store policy to keep Chrome fast enough by restricting the extensions on the web browser.

This new policy from Google will start implementing today. With this update, Google is aiming towards extensions that have a single purpose, which is narrow and easy-to-understand. The multi-purpose extensions can crowd the browser UI and slow down the web browsing experience.

The blog from Erik Kay (Engineering Director) notes, a simple and speedy browsing experience has been part of the core principle of Chrome since the beginning. It further notes that Chrome will not use any toolbars as more toolbars reduces the capabilities of the browser. Users would have more control over features they add to their browser. For more information check out the source link below.

[Chromium]

December 21, 2013
Watch India’s Indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft In Action (Video)

The country’s indigenously designed and developed multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft LCA-Tejas got the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC II) on Friday, a significant step towards its induction into IAF squadron.

The single-engine light weight state-of-the-art fighter aircraft will replace the ageing fleet of MiG 21s from the IAF and will be fully operational after attaining the ‘Final Operational Clearance’ (FOC) scheduled for the end of 2014.

Image Courtesy : ADA

Defence Minister AK Antony handed over the 500-page ‘Release to Service Certificate’ of the aircraft to IAF Chief NAK Browne marking the country’s elevation into the select club of nations with capability to produce fighter aircraft.

“During the last three years, the capabilities of the aircraft have been improved significantly. In recognition of the enhanced capabilities, IAF has decided to grant it a higher status, namely, the IOC-II for induction into the service,” Antony said.

After this the production of MK-II variant would be undertaken and IAF would raise four squadrons. In all about 200 aircraft would be inducted into the force. On why more aircraft would not be inducted, Air Chief Marshal Browne said it was so because the operational requirement for a particular type of aircraft were limited. “We require a balanced force which also has medium and heavy aircraft. The LCA seeks to replace the MiGs, whereas the medium range comprises aircraft like Mirage and the heavy like Sukhoi.”

About 250 MiGs still remain in the IAF which at the peak of their use had about 600 of them. The IAF had started decommissioning Mig 21 Type FL 77 category earlier this month.

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) achieved Initial Operational Clearance (IOC-1) in January this year, the IOC-1 was a watered down version of a full IOC because the LCA did not meet the complete requirements.

When limited IOC was granted by the IAF last year, HAL was expected to deliver the first 20 Tejas Mk-1 aircraft to the IAF by end 2013, followed by the next batch of 20 aircraft in mid 2015. The Tejas was also expected to have 75 per cent indigenous content according to Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) sources by the time it attained FOC, something that will be impossible to achieve in the time-frame set.

The second lot of 20 aircraft will see the addition of a new Close Combat Missile (CCM – Python-5), Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles, rockets, guided and unguided bombs along with new drop tanks and other refinements. The mid-air refueling system, however, will be integrated only on the Mk-2 variant.

December 21, 2013
Winter Solstice: First Day Of Winter in the Todays Doodle

Google has always been creative with the doodles, we have seen a variety of them on different occasion. For today, Google has released a new Doodle on its homepage to celebrate the First Day of Winter, also known as Winter Solstice.

December 21 is the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This is called the winter solstice, which usually occurs on either December 21 or December 22. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year as the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky. Further, the sun begins moving northward, making the days longer for those in the northern hemisphere.

Countries like America will only see the daylight for 9 hours 32 minutes. Whereas, in Iceland the sun rises at 10 am and the sun sets at 4:49 pm and in countries like Alaska there is not sunrise.

The animated Doodle, created by German illustrator Christoph Niemann, shows a scarf being knitted into the shape of Google’s logo.

December 21, 2013
In Conversation with LG : G Flex, Their Revival, Tablets and Future

LG has been under the radar for a very long time, However, many will agree that 2013 was a good year for LG. After their Association with Google last year for the Nexus 4, LG started to get noticed a lot more in the consumer smartphone scene. We had a chance to visit the LG manufacturing facility in Greater Noida, India, to get a perspective on the current situation of LG smartphones and their future plans.

[pullquote_left] LG hardware is why Google Chose LG for Nexus[/pullquote_left]

Amit Gujral, whose current title puts him as a General Manager at LG Electronics, is also the Marketing head for LG Mobile in India, told us that LG’s hardware is one of the primary reasons Google picked LG for the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 5. The company believes that the success they have faced in 2013 has been purely based on the fact that the LG Optimus G and LG G2 were ground breaking products not only from an LG brand prospective, but also from a Nexus point of view.

LG has also recently announced the LG G Flex, a phone intended for launch in India around Feb 2014 for upwards of Rs. 65000 (US $ 1050). Despite the price, Amit says that the LG G Flex is a “cause for celebration”, stating that wearable and flexible devices are the future.

[pullquote_right] The G Flex is a cause for celebration[/pullquote_right]While Bendable products will be game changers, flexible devices are a step closer in approaching that goal. The most innovative feature is also claimed to be the flexible battery, from LG Chemical, which has truly made a flexible device possible for LG.

LG will also not launch the G Pad 8.3 in India, the company believes that larger smartphones have become a trend. In a market like India, a user prefers a phone call and data capable Smartphone over a non connected large screen tablet.

LG also feels that the technology for making phones truly rugged and truly waterproof is not here yet and it costs a lot at its present capability. “The Indian market is not ready” claims Amit “to understand and pay for this waterproof technology”.

The Self Heal coating from the LG G Flex may make its rounds to the next-gen LG devices as well, with a focus on consumer feedback, Amit expressed simply “If the People want it, we will put it”.

LG plans to eventually bring smartphone manufacture to India, with their two manufacturing plants operational 24 hours a day, and a major chunk of their Smartphone demand from India. LG is also working on something for the safety of women in India, while Amit was not keen to discuss intricate details on their pet project dedicated for the Indian market. An app in all likelihood will be an answer to what it could be.

LG has had a truly successful year in terms of their handsets, with the Optimus G, Optimus G Pro, the LG G2, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 doing exceptionally well in all markets including India, the G Flex may as well be LG’s next premium grace.

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mJ9rIH3W8Y”]

December 20, 2013
Chuck Norris Betters Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Split In Parody Video

Chuck Norris sends a special Christmas and New Year greeting while copying and topping Van Damme’s famous Volvo leg splits. This time the famous feat is ‘performed’ between airplanes – with a little help from CGI and Delov Digital.

The American action star and martial artist Chuck Norris one-upped his international counterpart in a holiday-themed parody of the well-known Volvo advertisement. The video from Hungarian firm Delov Digital, “Greetings from Chuck,” features Chuck Norris balancing 11 uniformed men in the shape of a Christmas tree standing atop his cowboy hat, all while he does the splits between a couple of flying jets.

It’s a CGI parody of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Volvo trucks split made by Hungarian animation studio Delov Digital and probably the most epic Christmas greeting card you’ll see this year.

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-D1KVIuvjA”]

December 20, 2013
Google Fined $1.2 Million By Spain For Violating Privacy Laws

Spain on Thursday fined Google for breaking the country’s data protection law. The charge by Spain authorities claim Google for combining personal information from its many different online services and also failing to inform users clearly on how Google uses their data.

Earlier, Google’s new privacy policies were questioned by six European countries, but Spain is the first of them to charge Google with a fine. Spain fined Google €900,000 which is $1.2 million for violation of data protection laws.

The AEPD has found that Google does not give users enough information about which data collected and for what purpose uses, combines those obtained through different services, preserved for an indefinite time and impedes the exercise of the ARCO rights

“Inspections have shown that Google compiles personal information through close to one hundred services and products it offers in Spain, without providing in many cases the adequate information about the data that is being gathered, why it is gathered and without obtaining the consent of the owners,” said the Spanish Agency for Data Protection in a statement.

However, this is not a huge amount for a company like Google, but it is not about the money here. Google will probably have to make privacy policies that will work for every country’s law and not target on any individual’s privacy.

December 20, 2013
Microsoft To Appoint CEO By Early 2014

Microsoft has stated that they will not be naming a new CEO in 2013, defying speculation that the board wanted to make the announcement before the end of the year. The announcement came via a post on the official Microsoft blog by John W. Thompson, a member of Microsoft’s board of directors.

John Thompson said that the company has filtered its list of candidates from 100 to 20 to a smaller, though unspecified, number.

According to the Guardian, Thompson further said that as the list of potential successors has been narrowed and they have done deeper research, which is expected to be completed in the early part of 2014.

The frontrunners in the CEO race include ex-Nokia chief Stephen Elop, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, Microsoft’s cloud computing head Satya Nadella among others.

After spending 13 years running Microsoft, Steve Ballmer might be turning in his key to the men’s room for a coach’s whistle as there is talk he might coach his son’s high school basketball team. While he will be missed, there are those who would like to see a replacement named quickly. Certainly, the new CEO will have a lot to work with considering Microsoft’s huge variety of product offerings.

December 18, 2013
Dropbox for Android now allows Folder Sharing

If you just updated your Dropbox app on your Android device, you will be happy to know that you now have the ability to share folders. The new update allows users both invite others to shared folders and manage the relevant permissions. The new in-app purchase will also allow users to upgrade to Pro accounts via Google Play. Dropbox will bring the functionality to iOS soon.

[Dropbox Blog]

December 18, 2013
San Francisco to Deliver Free High-Speed Outdoor Public Wi-Fi Access

Ruckus Wireless today announced a partnership with the City and County of San Francisco to deliver free, high-speed outdoor public Wi-Fi service. This service will be available in the City’s world-famous Market Street corridor.

However, initially this service will be available in an approximate area of 5 kilometers between the Embarcadero and Castro Street. This was first proposed in the year 2007, but as it is said better late than never, Sans Francisco now has Free High-Speed Outdoor public WiFi access. San Francisco now offers free internet of speeds upto 50 Mbps, but only limited in the above mentioned area. The free WiFi will show up in your device as ‘_San_Francisco_Free_WiFi’.

Because San Francisco is at the world’s epicenter of technology innovation and use, residents, visitors and even businesses now have a fundamental expectation for pervasive wireless connectivity,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “We have gone to great lengths to build the foundation to deliver on these expectations with the best Wi-Fi technology we could find right in our own backyard.”

This service will not only be a boon for the locals but will also be great for the visitors as they would probably not have to rely on hotel’s WiFi.

Our goal was to identify and install some of the world’s best Wi-Fi technology that could deliver an exceptional experience to some of the world’s most discerning users,” said Marc Touitou, Chief Information Officer and director of the Department of Technology for the City and County of San Francisco. “We’ve found that technology right in our own backyard, and have worked hard with Ruckus Wireless to build the foundation of what we believe is one of the country’s premiere public Wi-Fi services.”

December 17, 2013
Skype 4.5 for Android Tablets Brings Video Calls Anywhere and More
Skype has again updated its Android application specially for tablets. The company seems to have focus on optimizing its application for Tablet users. The Skype 4.5 for tablets brings some new features like picture in picture window and new pinch to browse feature.

Skype is the first Android application to offer a picture in picture window that lets you see the video call even when you switch away to other applications. Which means, users can simply use the tablet for anything, surfing the web or playing games while the video call is still active. Skype is trying to create the Snap View type of experience that is currently used by Windows 8 users.

On the other hand, the company has also added a new scrolling feature to jump from one contact to another quickly. Users now just have to pinch the contact list to zoom out to an alphabet and tap on the letter to jump to that section. The company claims that this is alot faster than actual scrolling.

Alongside the addition of these two new features, Skype has also added some improvements to this version:
- Improved Video Instant Messaging functionality overall, including fixes on latest Samsung phones
- Added compatibility for the Hudl tablet
- Fixed crashes on the Nexus 5
- Drop down filter selections on the people tab are now persistent
[Skype]
December 14, 2013
Samsung Merges Camera and Mobile Divisions

Samsung has recently merged two of its major divisions. The company has merged its digital imaging division with its mobile phone business. The reason for this reshuffle is not shared by the company yet.

Merging of these two divisions might not show any drastic impact in the coming years, but it clearly shows the company’s interest to work on better cameras for its mobile phones. Nowadays, consumers are mostly worried battery life and camera of the smartphone they buy, and for cameras the connectivity options are something which adds a drastic difference. With this reshuffle it seems that Samsung has some future plans to work on this.

In a statement to ET News, Samsung also says that the primary goal is to “integrate the technical know-how of the two business divisions into competency for differentiating our smartphones.”

We will have to wait and see what are the plans for the company in the future. However, it will not be wrong to expect camera improvements in the Samsung smartphones, much like HTC’s ultrapixel and Nokia’s pure view. What do you think ?

[Source]

December 14, 2013