Tag: new

Wikipedia back online after brief service cut

Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia was knocked offline on Monday thanks to two accidentally cut cables near a data centre in Florida.

The site, and various associated services, were inaccessible or extremely sluggish for over two hours beginning at around 1430 BST on Monday.

A status web page showed various parts of the Wikimedia network as suffering performance issues.

Wikipedia ruled out any suggestion of malicious intent being behind problem.

The two cables, which stretched between Tampa and Virginia, were broken for an hour and six minutes, the site said.

After the cables were repaired, it took another hour for basic service on Wikipedia to be restored.

Its mobile site appeared to unaffected, although the service’s API – application programming interface – continued to suffer problems even when the main site had been restored.

David Gerard, a UK spokesman for the Wikimedia Foundation – the charity which owns Wikipedia and other similar sites – told the BBC that the problem had been fixed.

“Things appear to have been patched up, services are being brought back and things are getting to OK now,” he said.

“Someone cut the cables going to the Tampa, Florida data centre. We have two big [centres], one in Florida and one in Virginia, and some network proxies in Amsterdam.

“Everyone in that data centre was affected!”

He said it was not yet clear what had caused the cut, or where exactly it had taken place.

Mr Gerard joked that due to the site’s limited financial resources, some of its infrastructure relied on “gaffer tape and string”.

In an error message posted to the site, the Wikimedia Foundation reiterated its reliance on donations to fund its continued operation.

“The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organisation which hosts some of the most popular sites on the internet,” the message read.

“It has a constant need to purchase new hardware. If you would like to help, please donate.”

Despite its limited funding, the site is considered to have impressive reliability. Its last significant down time was deliberate – the site went “offline” for 24 hours in protest at proposed anti-piracy bills in the US.

August 7, 2012
Google to shut down podcast app Listen, Video for Business & Apps for Teams

Google will be shuttering Apps for Teams, Google Listen, Google Video for Business and an unspecified number of its more than 150 blogs.

[quote]“Technology has the power to change people’s lives. But to make a difference, we need to carefully consider what to focus on, and make hard decisions about what we won’t pursue,” Google wrote in a blog post. “This enables us to devote more time and resources giving you products you love, and making them better for you.”[/quote]

Google says it’s made changes to around 50 products, features and services in the past year. By eliminating products, it says, it can better allocate its time to more popular products, which will be used by more people.

Google Apps for Teams was launched in 2008 to allow people with school or business email addresses to collaborate on non-email applications, such as Google Docs, Google Calendar and Google Talk. Come Sept. 4, Google will turn Team accounts into regular Google accounts.

In 2009, Google Listen was launched for improved podcast discovery, which the company says has been made irrelevant because of Google Play. The podcast search function will be discontinued Nov. 1, though people who’ve already downloaded specific tracks will still be able to listen. Podcast subscriptions will be available in Google Reader, under the “Listen Subscription” folder.

Google Video for Business has allowed Apps for Business and Apps for Education users to use video for internal communications. Stored videos will be migrated this fall into Google Drive, but will not count against a user’s storage quota.

Though Google did not elaborate on which of its more than 150 blogs it would be terminating, the company says it won’t reduce post quantity, rather it will consolidate its communications in its most popular blogs.

August 6, 2012
Amazon selling more Kindle ebooks than print books

The UK’s biggest book retailer Amazon now sells more ebooks than hardbacks and paperbacks combined, the company has said. For every 100 print books sold through the site, Amazon said it sold 114 titles for its Kindle e-reader device.

It added that the average Kindle owner bought up to four times more books than they did before owning the device.

The strong figures have been boosted by titles such as multi-million selling erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. The book has sold more than 31 million copies worldwide, with two million ebooks of the title selling in less than four months.

The figures do not take into account ebook sales on other platforms, such as Apple’s iBooks or the website for bookseller Waterstones.

Amazon’s figures have also been boosted by a surge in popularity for self-publishing. The company said there had been a 400% increase in authors using Kindle Direct Publishing since summer 2011.

Among them were some of the site’s bestsellers. British author Kerry Wilkinson is one of the world’s most successful self-published authors. He has sold more than 300,000 copies of his work in the past year.

With print sales, however, Amazon faces competition from many big, established retailers.

“To really judge the state of the ebook market, we need proper sales data so that we can compare across the board,” he wrote.

Jonathan Ruppin, web editor for bookseller Foyles, said it is a trend the book industry must adapt to deal with.

“The proportion of sales that are taken up by ebooks will continue to increase,” he told the BBC.

The figures were released as Amazon marked the two-year anniversary of the Kindle’s release in the UK.

“Customers in the UK are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books, even as our print business continues to grow,” said Jorrit Van der Meulen, vice-president of Kindle in Europe.

“As a result of the success of Kindle, we’re selling more books than ever before on behalf of authors and publishers.

“And thanks to Kindle Direct Publishing, thousands of self-published authors have also been given an outlet to share their work with the millions of Kindle readers worldwide.”

However, despite the e-reader’s popularity, the company is still yet to announce plans to sell the Kindle Fire – a tablet computer – in the UK, despite it being on sale for over eight months.

August 6, 2012
Rumor: Screenshot for New Prince of Persia Game Leaked

It’s been difficult for the Prince to make his way back into the spotlight over the past few years, and that’s mostly because Ubisoft has another nimble, cloaked mascot who’s been cleaning up at retail. While Assassin’s Creed has been the focus for the French gaming company, an image spotted on the Ubisoft message boards now points to a possible new entry in the Prince of Persia franchise.

What evidence do we currently have? Well, down at the bottom, POP_ZERO_2 is visible. Prince of Persia Zero was the codename for a 2010 reboot that never quite got off the ground, so it’s possible that this could be the second attempt. The setting and protagonist aren’t exactly familiar, but this may be in an attempt to differentiate what’s currently a franchise in need of some life.

An image that in many ways matches the tone of this screenshot was released before E3, so there may be some serious validity to the forum post. Whatever it is, it looks interesting, and we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any more information.

Source : StickSkills

August 6, 2012
HTC Desire VC launched in India for Rs 21,999

The official HTC Desire VC Tata Docomo India price and availability details have arrived. The Taiwanese manufacturer has partnered with the carrier to offer the device with a range of flexible data plans.

This member of the Desire series deploys a 4-inch display that’s said to render a hyper-viewing angle for streaming media content. It tags along the dual SIM attribute and enables convenient switching between CDMA and GSM Networks. A 5MP autofocus snapper with flash is embedded on its exterior. It is powered by a 1650 mAh battery. The phone has a 1GHz processor. It ships with Android ICS out of the box.

[quote]“The new HTC Desire VC is an excellent amalgamation of style and technology. Its innovative design and dual-sim capability allows users to maximize their network connections while smartly managing data usage – making it the perfect lifestyle smartphone choice,” commented Faisal Siddiqui, Country Manager, HTC India.[/quote]

Quite predictably, the handset employs Beats Audio technology to cater to musical needs. It packs in 4GB of memory onboard that can be expanded via a microSD card slot. Besides, there’s free Dropbox storage for 2 years. For connectivity purposes, options like Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm audio jack, a micro-USB port and Bluetooth 4.0 are thrown into the mix. This ICS handset is the first to provide its users with HSIA internet for smooth web browsing.

Its price is marked at Rs. 21,999. Apart from convenient data plans, buyers tying up with the network provider’s post-paid or pre-paid schemes will receive a voice and data offer too.

August 5, 2012
Facebook Will Force Timeline Onto All 955 Million Of Its Users This Fall

If you’ve been keeping it old school on Facebook with the previous generation single-column profile page, your days are officially numbered. Big Blue says it is preparing to move all 955 million of its users over to the newer Timeline-style profiles this fall.

Timeline, which organizes all of your wall posts and status updates into a continuous two-column stream dating back to the day you first joined Facebook, was first introduced late last year. Since then, many users have already been forced to make the switch, but some others have managed to fall through the cracks.

Until now, the change to the new-look Facebook has been voluntary, but the site’s users around the world no longer have a choice as Timeline will be made compulsory from August 8.

Before being moved to Timeline, users have a 7-day grace period where they can configure their new profile (and presumably clear out those beer bong photos from 2005) before it is published.

August 3, 2012
LG Optimus L3 Dual available online at INR 8,299

LG has made available the dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) version of its budget phone Optimus L3 priced at Rs 8,299. The company launched phone’s single-SIM variant earlier in May this year.

The device runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and is powered by a Cortex A5 800MHz processor. It has a 3.2-inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The Optimus L3 features a 3.2MP camera, 384MB of RAM, 1GB of internal storage and microSD card slot that supports storage up to 32GB.

For connectivity, the Optimus L3 Dual supports Wi-Fi, 3G, Blutooth and USB 2.0. The device comes with a 1,500 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 17 hours on 2G and 10 hours on 3G.

The Optimus L3 Dual comes preloaded with a number of applications such as YouTube, Android Market, Google+, Gmail, Latitude, News and Weather Update, Software Update, Google Talk, Google, Gmail Sync, AOL, Yahoo, Hot Mail and LGE Mail.

August 3, 2012
Samsung begins manufacturing of ultra-fast 64GB NAND chips for smartphones

Samsung has begun manufacturing of ultra-fast eMMC NAND memory in sizes of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The new chips will significantly improve read and write speeds for internal memory in smartphones, with speeds of 150MB/s and 40MB/s respectively.

According to Sammy Hub, “the new eMMC Pro Class 1500 uses 64-gigabit (Gb) NAND with a toggle DDR 2.0 interface fabricated with 20 nanometer class process technology and is the first to support JEDEC e-MMC v4.5 specification.”

It was rumoured earlier this summer that Samsung had cancelled the 64GB version of the Galaxy S III, as the 16 and 32GB versions were the only ones to come to market. The company has ensured us that the phone is still on track for a launch later this year, though we don’t know whether it will include these new ultra-fast chips.

August 3, 2012
BSNL Penta T-Pad tablet launched, priced at INR 14,699

Pantel Technologies has launched a new 8-inch tablet PC – Penta T-Pad WS802C – that comes bundled with a 3G data plan of 2GB from BSNL valid over a period of 60 days.

Priced at Rs 14,699 , it runs on Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. The tablet features an 8-inch capacitive touch screen and is powered by a 1GHz processor and 512MB DDRII RAM. Penta T-Pad Tablet PC, the WS802C, is portable and acts as a brillianthandheld tablet PC, according to the company. The tablet supports 1080P HD videos via HDMI and comes with a built-in GPS, 3G SIM slot and Wi-Fi option.

The tablet comes pre-loaded with several games such as Angry Birds and Wow Fish, and applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Talking Tom, Google Maps, and Skype video calling and e-book facilities.

August 2, 2012
Karbonn Smart Tab now comes with Android Jelly Bean

Karbonn Mobiles has announced that its Smart tablet will now come with Android Jelly Bean on board, making it the first affordable Indian tablet to offer the latest version of Android operating system.

The Smart Tab 1 tablet is the second with Android 4.1 after Google’s Nexus 7 was announced in late June. At rupees 6990, the price is lower than that of Nexus 7, which starts at $199.

The tablet has a 7-inch screen and runs on a single-core MIPS processor at a clock speed of 1.2GHz. It has a 2-megapixel front camera, 3G support through a dongle, and seven hours of battery life while surfing and eight hours of battery on video.

The Smart Tab 1 is the first Android 4.1 tablet to be available with a processor from MIPS, which two weeks ago said it had accelerated the port of the OS to work with its processors.

Karbonn Mobiles said an over-the-air update to Android 4.1 will be delivered to existing Smart Tab 1 customers, but did not specify a timeline. The company hopes to sell 200,000 tablets per month.

It also has plans to launch 9.7-inch tablet in September, which too will be running on Android Jelly Bean platform.

August 1, 2012
Hotmail.com relaunched as Outlook.com

Microsoft has ditched Hotmail after 16 years, relaunching the service in favour of the revamped Outlook.com.

Microsoft said its new service, available to preview at Outlook.com, would reimagine the way people use email and be the first major improvement in eight years.

Although it still claims 350 million users worldwide, Hotmail has been usurped as the leading email provider since Google launched Gmail in 2007. Google claims to have signed up 425 million users in the past five years.

According to the web metrics firm ComScore, Hotmail still boasts more traffic than any of its rivals. In June 2012, Hotmail had 324 million monthly visitors, compared to 290 million at Yahoo mail and 278 million at Google’s Gmail.

However, Hotmail users will be invited to transfer their accounts to the Outlook.com portal. The relaunch is part of a wider overhaul of Microsoft’s widely-used software products, including its Windows operating system and Office services.

Microsoft said Outlook.com would offer a less-obtrusive email experience, with fewer display ads and new connections to social networks including Facebook and Twitter.

Users will be able to see status updates from friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter with a new feature on the revamped email site.

[quote]

“We think the time is right to reimagine email. So today, we’re introducing a preview of Outlook.com,” said Chris Jones, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Live.

“We realised that we needed to take a bold step, break from the past and build you a brand new service from the ground up.”

[/quote]

The demise of Hotmail brings to an end one of the earliest great brands of the consumer internet. Microsoft bought Hotmail from the entrepreneurs Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith for a reported a $400m in 1997 – a full decade before Google arrived on the email scene.

Hotmail quickly became known as the younger person’s email service as it was allied with Micrsoft’s instant-messaging platform, MSN Messenger.

After its initial success Hotmail faced intense rivalry in the US and Europe, first from email services from the likes of Yahoo and AOL, and more recently Google, with bigger storage capacity and tidier interfaces.

August 1, 2012
Micromax’s 10-inch Funbook Pro tablet now available for Rs 9,999

The new version of Micromax’s popular tablet Funbook, Funbook Pro, has hit the retail online shelves. The tablet, which is yet to be launched officially, is available at online Retailers for Rs 9,999.

The tablet has a 10.1 inch TFT LCD capacitive touch screen display (1,024×600 pixel resolution) and runs on the latest Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz Cortex A-8 processor (with Dual Mali 400- 2D/3D Graphics processor for multimedia processing) and comes with 1 GB RAM. The internal memory of the device is 8GB, which is expandable up to an additional 32GB with a microSD card.

The device features a front facing VGA camera for video calling. On the connectivity front, the tablet has Wi-Fi and it comes with a microSD port, USB port and a HDMI port, which means it will support HD video playback.

The exact dimensions of the device were not available, but the company has provided a 5,600 mAh battery in the device, which should offer decent battery life.

Micromax Funbook Pro is available in Slate Grey colour and comes with Tata Docomo+ data card for free.

August 1, 2012
Lava to launch 7-inch ICS tablet for Rs 5,499

According to a product listing on the retail website Flipkart, the Lava E-Tab Z7H will be sold for INR 5,499. This will be an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with a 7-inch screen and will feature a 1.2GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal memory, 2800 mAh battery and 3G dongle support. There is also 0.3 megapixel camera on board.

Lava had recently become the first company to launch an Intel processor powered smartphone in the country as well as world in the form of XOLO X900.

July 31, 2012
Google unveils world’s fastest Internet connection

Internet giant Google has unveiled what it says is the world’s fastest internet connection through its ultra-high speed service, offering lightning-fast access of one gigabit per second.

The service, which uses optical fibre to deliver speeds far in excess of traditional web services, offers speeds faster than almost anywhere else on Earth.

After being chosen more than two years ago by Google as the place to unveil its fledgling Google Fiber gigabit-speed Internet and cable television services, residents of Kansas City are already signing up to be the first customers now that Google has started to take preregistrations.

Google Fiber’s ultra high-speed connections and television offerings are aimed at surpassing those of current providers, allowing users to search live channels, Netflix, YouTube, recorded shows and tens of thousands of hours of on-demand programming.

However, no phone service is available.

“The phone is really a 1940s thing. Why have a landline? It’s sitting there, you use it once every two weeks,” Mr Pichette said.

Google said it also intends to roll out product packages for businesses, but would not provide details.

Google Fiber includes more than 100 networks and costs $120 a month for a package of TV, 1 gigabit per second Internet speeds and 1 terabyte of cloud storage.

“People are going to have high expectations for this. The worst thing they can do is come out and disappoint.” said Mr Ben Schachter, an analyst with Macquarie Research.

Google is also offering an Internet-only package priced at $70 a month. The download speeds would be around 1 gigabit a second, according to Google executives.

Google is charging a $300 installation fee, saying consumers should treat it as a “home improvement” cost.

July 29, 2012
Apple considering Twitter investment

Apple Inc. held discussions with Twitter Inc. more than a year ago about taking a strategic investment in the short-messaging service, according to a person familiar with the talks.

People familiar with the matter said there are no current formal investment or acquisition discussions between the companies.

News of the investment talks was first reported by the New York Times.

Since the discussions between Twitter and Apple ended, the landscape has shifted for many fast-growing Web start-ups, both public and private. Facebook Inc. had a rocky initial public offering in May, and its shares are now down more than a third below their IPO price. Valuations of other high-profile tech companies, including Groupon Inc. and Zynga Inc. also continue to fall to earth — developments that have made investors question rich valuations placed on consumer-Internet start-ups such as Twitter.

While Apple has been hugely successful in selling phones and tablets, it has little traction in social networking, which has become a major engine of activity on the Web and on mobile devices. Social media are increasingly influencing how people spend their time and money an important consideration for Apple, which also sells applications, games, music and movies.

Apple has not made many friends in social media. Its relationship with Facebook, for example, has been strained since a deal to build Facebook features into Ping, Apple’s music-centric social network, fell apart. Facebook is also aligned with Microsoft, which owns a small stake in it. And Google, an Apple rival in the phone market, has been pushing its own social network, Google Plus.

[quote]“Apple doesn’t have to own a social network,’’ Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s Chief Executive, said at a recent technology conference. “But does Apple need to be social? Yes.’’[/quote]

Twitter and Apple have already been working together. Recently, Apple has tightly sewn Twitter features into its software for phones, tablets and computers, while, behind the scenes, Twitter has put more resources into managing its relationship with Apple.

Though an investment in Twitter would not be a big financial move for Apple by any stretch — it has $117 billion in liquid investments, and it quietly agreed to buy a mobile security company for $356 million on Friday — it would be one of Mr. Cook’s most important strategic decisions as Chief Executive.

And it would be an uncommon arrangement for Apple, which tends to buy small startups that are then absorbed into the company.

But such a deal would give Apple more access to Twitter’s deep understanding of the social Web, and pave the way for closer Twitter integration into Apple’s products.

July 29, 2012