By using our services after January 1, 2015, you agree to our updated terms, data policy, and cookies policy and to seeing improved ads based on apps and sites you use. Learn more below about these updates and how to control the ads you see.

Updating Our Terms and Policies: Helping You Understand How Facebook Works and How to Control Your Information

Over the past year, we’ve introduced new features and controls to help you get more out of Facebook, and listened to people who have asked us to better explain how we get and use information.

Now, with Privacy Basics, you'll get tips and a how-to guide for taking charge of your experience on Facebook. We're also updating our terms, data policy and cookies policy to reflect new features we've been working on and to make them easy to understand. And we're introducing improvements to ads based on the apps and sites you use off Facebook (online behavioral advertising) and giving you control.

These updates take effect on January 1, 2015. As always, we welcome your feedback about our policies.

Privacy Basics

Privacy Basics offers interactive guides to answer the most commonly asked questions about how you can control your information on Facebook. For example, you can learn about untagging, unfriending, blocking and how to choose an audience for each of your posts. This information is available in 36 languages.

Along with our privacy checkup, reminder for people posting publicly and simplified audience selectors, Privacy Basics is the latest step we've taken to help you make sure you're sharing with the people you want.

Helping you get more out of Facebook

Every day, people use our apps and services to connect with the people, places and things they care about. The updates to our policies reflect the new products we've been working on to improve your Facebook experience. They also explain how our services work in a way that's easier to understand. Here are some highlights:

Discover what's going on around you: We’re updating our policies to explain how we get location information depending on the features you decide to use. Millions of people check into their favorite places and use optional features like Nearby Friends (currently only available in some regions). We're working on ways to show you the most relevant information based on where you are and what your friends are up to. For example, in the future, if you decide to share where you are, you might see menus from restaurants nearby or updates from friends in the area.

Make purchases more convenient: In some regions, we're testing a Buy button that helps people discover and purchase products without leaving Facebook. We're also working on new ways to make transactions even more convenient.

Find information about privacy on Facebook at the moment you need it: To make them more accessible, we moved tips and suggestions to Privacy Basics. Our data policy is shorter and clearer, making it easier to read.

Understand how we use the information we receive: For example, understanding battery and signal strength helps make sure our apps work well on your device. We ask for permission to use your phone's location when we offer optional features like check-ins or adding your location to posts.

Get to know how the family of Facebook companies and apps work together: Over the past few years, Facebook has grown and we want to make sure you know about our family of companies, apps and services. We use the information we collect to improve your experience. For example, if you're locked out of your Instagram account, you can use your Facebook information to recover your password. Nothing in our updates changes the commitments that Instagram, WhatsApp and other companies have made to protect your information and your privacy.

Your information and advertising: People sometimes ask how their information is shared with advertisers. Nothing is changing with these updates—we help advertisers reach people with relevant ads without telling them who you are. Learn more about ads and how you can control the ads you see.

Giving you more control over ads

We've heard from some of you that it can be difficult to control the types of ads you see if you use multiple devices and browsers. In the past, if you opted out of certain kinds of advertising on your laptop, that choice may not have been applied for ads on your phone. We know that many people use more than one phone, tablet or browser to access Facebook, so it should be easy for you to make a single choice that applies across all of your devices.

That's why Facebook respects the choices you make about the ads you see, across every device. You can opt out of seeing ads on Facebook based on the apps and sites you use through the Digital Advertising Alliance. You can also opt out using controls on iOS and Android. When you tell us you don't want to see these types of ads, your decision automatically applies to every device you use to access Facebook. Also, we're now making ad preferences available in additional countries, beginning with Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the UK.

We hope these updates improve your experience. Protecting people's information and providing meaningful privacy controls are at the core of everything we do, and we believe these announcements are an important step.

Facebook Will Allow Children to Join the Network

The company is trying to figure out the way to allow children under 13 years old join the social network. It turned out that Facebook has designs for a system that allows children under 13 to be supervised by parents, as the US legislation prohibits children under 13 from using any online services that collect information without explicit “verifiable parental consent”. At the moment, the social network doesn’t allow users under 13 to join.

Facebook is now trying to address this problem, and the company filed a patent application based on 2-year-old research, but it is not a predictor of future work in this area. According to the patent, the company developed a system of parental supervision. First of all, the parent would have to verify their own identity before allowing the child to create an account. Then parents get access to parental controls tools that would allow to restrict access to specific content, friends and 3rd-party apps like Facebook games. The chances are that a system proving the identity of a parent and their consent would have to be approved by the US Federal Trade Commission.

Despite the fact that the social network prohibits children under 13 from using the website, they still do it. The problem is that verifying a person’s age is very difficult to do online, particularly for people without official government-issued identity papers or other age-related identities.

Security experts explain that the matter is that children are already using Facebook, with or without parental supervision, and they are unlikely to stop getting on there, regardless of Facebook avoiding accepting preteen members. The social network is actively trying to remove underage children – for instance, about 800,000 preteens have been removed from Facebook in 2012 alone. In the meantime, it was also estimated that 5.6 million underage accounts remained active on Facebook, many of them having been created with the help of parents.

The social network claimed that it has nothing to announce thus far in regard to allowing children under 13 to join Facebook, and that the patent application was filed in response to research being conducted in the area, which is not necessarily indicative of future work.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Samsung Will Have to Pay Apple $120 Million

A US jury has recently ordered Samsung to pay almost $120 million to Apple for smartphone patent violations, though it is much less than iPhone-maker initially wanted and marked a big loss for Apple in the latest round of the two companies’ litigation.

Apple have accusing Samsung of violating patents on smartphone features for a while now, trying to claim it was Steve Jobs who invented everything. In response, Samsung denied warongdoing. In result of one of the trials, which took place in the United States, the jury found Samsung infringed two Apple patents.

The two companies have been fighting in courts across the globe for several years now. Jurors awarded Apple about $930 million after a trial in the US two years ago, but the company failed to persuade American district judge to issue a permanent injunction against the sale of Samsung phones in the United States.

Industry experts think that Apple is just trying to curtail the rapid growth of phones based on Google’s rival Android software. It is known that Samsung was by far the largest adopter of this mobile OS. Despite the fact that this verdict is large compared to others, it can’t be regarded as a victory for Apple. The matter is that this award is less than 10% of the amount Apple requested, and may even not surpass the amount of money the company spent litigating this case.

The latest lawsuit involves 5 Apple patents that weren’t at issue at that trial two years ago and cover such iPhone features as slide-to-unlock and search technology. The iPhone-maker had sought to ban sales of a number of Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S3, and demanded over $2 billion in damages.

Apple claimed that the recent ruling reinforced its stance that Samsung stole its ideas and copied its products. This situation led some experts to question if patent litigation was a viable strategy, as it can be abused and hinder innovation. The supporters of this point of view believe that litigation can help innovators protect their IP and benefit from it.

Samsung argued that Apple had exaggerated the importance of its iPhone features, while Apple argued that the Korean company couldn’t have competed in the smartphone market without copying iPhone.
In the trial two years ago, by the way, it was also found that Apple had infringed one of Samsung’s patents, and the Galaxy-maker was awarded $158,400
EnjOy.. :)
Bugs 0f Techn0l0gy

: Socio-Economic impact of 3G/4G technology on Pakistan:

Socio-Economic impact of 3G/4G technology on Pakistan

 

The Government of Pakistan is going to auction 3G/4G spectrum on April 23, 2014. The 3G/4G will enhance the broadband proliferation in Pakistan. This service will generate revenue between Rs. 380 and Rs. 1180 up to 2020 for national exchequer of the country. By launching this service mobile users will migrate from text or voice based services to data driven services like video calling, live video streaming, e-education, e-banking, e-health, e-commerce and social media applications. The 3G/4G service will provide ubiquitous internet access to users through smart phones.
The debut of this service will open huge opportunities for entrepreneurs in Pakistan and generate million of direct and indirect jobs. This technology will improve productivity and efficiency of government, corporations and individuals. This technology will lay down digital infrastructure to cater governments, businesses and common people in 21th century. The 3G/4G service will boost growth in sectors like education, banking, media, retailing and health. By 2017 the market share of 3G/4G service will expected to increase by 53%. It has been forecasted that 50% of total connections will be running on 3G/4G service by 2017. The 2G connections are forecasted to decline to 50% by 2017 as user migrates to 3G/4G services. According to GSMA/Deloitte study, there will be enormous economic impact of migration to 3G/4G technology on economy and prosperity of countries and citizens.
It has been calculated that 10% shift from 2G to next generation technology leads to 0.15% increase GDP. With introduction of this technology Smartphone penetration will also increase in Pakistan, which stands currently on 15%. This technology will improve ways of learning’s, living and working in our country.  This 3G/4G services will provide speed, reliability, connectivity to internet users. 
There are many industries which will be transformed by introduction of 3/4 G technology but I will explain few of them.
UTILITIES:
The big beneficiaries of 3G/4G service will be utilities and their customers. The important applications of 3 G/4G service are smart grids, smart meters and electronic sensors. Smart grid is a network of millions of smart meters and sensors connected through 3G service that manage the power stations, energy transmission lines and electronic devices on that network. The smart meters will measure electricity every selected intervals and transmit energy usage to central energy management system through 3G/4G network. Furthermore, Smart meters will manage energy supply to selected appliances and share energy consumption information with home owners.
 The 3G/4G service will assist in automated meter reading, optimum energy consumption and dynamic pricing instead of fixed pricing as currently practiced by energy distribution companies in Pakistan. In the same way, smart grids and smart meters will be excellent solution for gas and water utilities. Providing energy to a growing population will require effective co-operation between the cellular companies, utilities companies, technology companies, governments and regulators.
TRANSPORTATION:
The automobile companies are preparing to launch 3G/4G enabled cars and these cars will support applications like cloud based video streaming, real time 3D navigation systems and other location based services. The 3G/4G service will support telemetry applications such as vehicle performance monitoring, driver performance monitoring by insurance companies and delivery of emergency services. This technology will introduce era of connected automobiles which will have potential to share real time information at the time of emergency, improve driving experience and modernize automobile entertainment and remote monitoring of automobile vehicles. The passengers in public transports could be able use high speed internet during traveling.
The automobile vehicles will be able to communicate with each other’s and with their drivers through this service. The 3G/4G service will revolutionize the public transports and supply chain systems by sharing real time information with companies.  By connecting automobile and sharing real time information, it could be possible to reduce road accidents, road congestions, and information about petrol stations, restaurants and hospitals on road.  This service will help logistic and freight companies to control their supply chain systems by tracking real locations of their vehicles, managing their routes and reduce fuel costs.
HEALTH:
The large population of Pakistan does have access to adequate health care services.
Telemedicine will be used to serve patients in remote and underserved areas of Pakistan. Video conferencing will be used by doctors for checkups, diagnosis, to give instructions to patients and clinic staff at remote location. The 3G/4G enabled ambulances will improve survival rate of stroke patients. These ambulances will be equipped with CT scanners on board operators can perform scan on patients transmitting images to nearby hospitals and receiving instructions for treatment. The real time diagnosis and treatment in transit will improve survival rate of patients in critical condition.
The 3G/4G service will facilitate development and delivery of innovative health care solutions like remote consultations, diagnosis, monitoring for disabled people and the elderly. The 3G/4G service will facilitate connection of ambulance and hospitals in order get on route expert diagnosis in order to reduce treatment time. The doctors and health care worker could remotely access patient health care record like CT scan and MRI report that will reduce treatment time up to 20-30%.
It is very difficult for government to provide health care services to every citizen of Pakistan due to its meager resources and high cost of delivery. The 3G/4G technology will be the most effective conduit for delivery of innovative health care solutions like dengue tracking system in Pakistan.  The government will be able to launch disease preventive measures like monitoring of health care service and improvement in curative measure. The patients living in remote area will able to connect with their doctors through mobile telemedicine units. The technology will help Government in effective delivery of emergency services like RESCUE 1122 through global positioning system (GPS) navigation. In future smart watches will be able to monitor the body temperature, blood pressure and warn patients if any unexpected change happen in body temperature and blood pressure.
EDUCATION:
The 3G / 4G service will revolutionize the education industry in Pakistan.
This service will improve education by providing access to high speed internet and delivery of educational content to students. The 3G/4G services will bridge the gap of missing facilities in schools of rural areas and facilitate students to access video lectures and study material via smart phones, tabs and laptops. Many organizations like Salman Academy, Coursera, Edx are providing free video lectures for students.
Students will be able to access their educational content on their tabs, laptops and smart phones through 3G / 4G services. Students could be able to make preparation of their exams, attend video lectures online, take exams online and make contact with their teachers by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The Punjab government has launched E-learn Punjab project in which it has provided online interactive books of 9th and 10h class which will expand its reach by introduction of 3G / 4G technology.
INTERNET OF THINGS:
This technology will introduce the era of Internet of Things (IOT) in Pakistan. The estimated market of Internet of Things (IOT) market will be $20 billion globally by 2018. It is that technology through which electronic devices can exchange with each other in order to generate value for human beings. Internet of Things (IOT) intelligently connects people, electronic devices and systems. The WAPDA could be able to read meters of its customers by using telemetering devices instead of visiting their houses. The vehicles could be able to automatically detect nearest fuel station, service station and parking in congested areas. The sensors in homes could automatically shut off appliances, monitor security of home and share real time information with home owners. The doctors will be able to monitor their patients at home without requiring them to visit hospitals through specially connected devices. Internet of Things (IOT) will make make our lives efficient, safe and secure.
This technology will commence an era of mobile TV and online entertainment. Through this technology entertainment, infotainment and educational videos will be produced and shared by the people and for the people. This technology would weaken the power of middle man in manufacturing and service industries. The companies will be able deliver its products and services directly to customers.
This technology is bad news for internet service providers ISPs which are providing sluggish, poor and snail speed internet connectivity at high prices. In order to survive in cut through completion with 3G/4G companies, ISPs will have to provide better connectivity at lowest prices to its customers.
After introduction of this 3G/4G service, government of Pakistan is planning to establish telecentres in rural areas of Pakistan in order to provide services like registration of births & deaths, information of weather, commodity prices and farming of different crops. The government would be able to provide basic health service in rural areas through telemedicine centers. The government is also planning to establish NADRA centers in rural areas in order to make identity registration accessible for every citizen.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Are You Still Using Windows XP?

You should know that Microsoft has finally given up on its most successful product and announced that it won’t support Windows XP any more. In other words, millions of computers all over the world are now at risk from security threats, but the software giant failed to persuade people to switch to another operating system. According to the latest statistics, almost 25% of the world’s machines still run XP.

Of course, it has been a pretty long run. Windows XP was released in the mid-2001 and its development was started in the late 1990s. Its prototype code was codenamed “Neptune” and built on the Windows NT kernel, intended for consumers. In the meantime, an updated version of Windows 2000 was also initially planned for the business market. In the early 2000, both of these projects were shelved in favor of a single operating system nickenamed “Whistler”, which could be used in both business and consumer environments.
The new OS introduced a considerably redesigned graphical user interface and became the first version of Windows which used product activation in an effort to reduce software piracy. Despite this feature, XP was pirated to oblivion, so you can see how that worked out.
Windows XP proved to be extremely popular among users: by January 2006, more than 400 million copies were in use. XP remained the most widely used OS until August 2012, when Windows 7 overtook it.
The much-extended deadline fell on the same day as Patch Tuesday, giving Microsoft a chance to release updates for the platform. But after the April, 8 no more updates for machines without custom support are released. The exceptions are the UK government, which has paid Microsoft £5.5 million to keep public sector entities covered, and the Dutch government. For everyone else it will be a great time to target machines running on Windows XP, because there is no protection short of virus checkers anymore.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

:New Season of Game of Thrones Is Pirated to Oblivion:

New Season of Game of Thrones Is Pirated to Oblivion

The premiere of 'Game of Thrones' new season has set a new piracy record: over a million downloads in half a day. After people from all over the globe downloaded a copy, next morning there were more than 300,000 Bit Torrent users sharing the new episode simultaneously – both on legal and less-authorized channels.

Such a demand even caused a technical trouble for the HBO Go service – it crashed and was inaccessible for a few hours. This downtime could be the reason for some to look for illegal copies. Those, of course, were widely available via dozens of torrent websites soon after the episode finished. Unlike HBO Go, downloads via Bit Torrent finish faster if there is an increased interest. And there was, indeed!

Half a day after the new episode appeared on the Internet, more than a million people have already downloaded a copy via a torrent tracker. Next morning over 300,000 people were seen actively sharing it.

According to the statistics, the number of downloads is close to the same as in 2013, but it didn’t set a record for the largest Bit Torrent swarm. Perhaps, this is because there were multiple copies available, with the most shared one having about 140,000 people sharing at once. As usual, the number of downloads is expected to increase: in 2013, Game of Thrones was recognized as the most pirated TV show for the 2nd time, and now it is well on its way to securing the title for one more year.

It looks like the most file-sharers origin from Australia (11.6%). It is followed by the US (9.3%) and the UK (5.8%) – all English-speaking countries, as you can see. In a week, when the episode is translated and dubbed in other countries, the numbers might change.

In the meantime, Australia with its first place is all the more impressive with its population of only 22 million people – relatively small compared to the other 2 countries. The main question, as usual, would be why people choose illegal version. And the answers are all the same: sometimes there’s no legitimate alternative, due to licensing or technical troubles like those suffered yesterday by HBO Go. Sometimes, the legal options are too limited, restrictive, or just expensive. In addition, for some people using Bit Torrent has become a habit, despite having the legal alternatives.

Thanks to Torrent Freak for providing the source of the article

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Facebook Will Remove Chat to Promote Messenger App

Facebook is going to remove chat from the primary iPhone and Android app, in order to force users to install a standalone Facebook Messenger app.

 

Facebook has already notified its users in the United Kingdom, France and other European countries that they will need to install a separate Messenger app if they want to continue using Facebook chat on their smartphones. The company issued a statement, saying that they have created a fast and reliable messaging experience via Messenger, and are now determined to focus on that experience.

The representatives of the company admitted that they plan to eventually require that users all over the world install the Messenger app, but they couldn’t provide a specific timeframe for the change.

The app developers point out that the free, standalone Messenger is faster than the messaging service built into the main Facebook app for smartphones. The users will also be provided more features in the Messenger app, including the ability to make voice phone calls via Wi-Fi in some countries and send texts on Android.

At the moment, Facebook keeps facing increasing competition from new and fast-growing mobile messaging application like Line and WeChat, along with such established brands as Google Hangouts and BlackBerry’s BBM. Fortunately, Facebook managed to acquire one of its biggest messaging competitors, WhatsApp, for $19bn a couple months ago. WhatsApp then announced adding voice calling later in February at Mobile World Congress.

Industry observers believe that Facebook’s decision to encourage users to switch to a separate messaging app on mobiles could either help boost the popularity of its Messenger or cause a backlash if users view the action as heavy-handed. In addition, this standalone app will also directly compete with WhatsApp.

Nevertheless, Facebook is increasingly moving into the mobile space, believing that it is a way to continue expanding its 1.2 billion-strong user base. The company has developed or acquired a catalogue of standalone apps aside from its main application over the past few years. Three months ago, Facebook launched Paper, a photo-heavy news-reading application that has already earned positive reviews. The company also purchased photo-sharing app Instagram a couple years ago, which recently reached 200 million users.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Skype For Outlook Now Available Worldwide, Adds HD Video Calling Support

Skype for Outlook.com, the integration of Skype’s messaging features into Microsoft’s webmail platform, is now available worldwide, the company is announcing this morning. To get started with the feature, users must first download a web browser plugin, which is available for IE, Chrome, Firefox and now, Safari, browsers.

Afterwards, those who already have Skype accounts can link them to Outlook. If you haven’t yet signed up for Skype, you can instead use your Microsoft account to sign in.

Once installed, Skype users can place video and audio calls right from their email inbox. And today, Microsoft notes that’s it’s also adding support for HD video calling for PC users, while also fixing earlier bugs some users had experienced with calls continuing to ring after pick-up when they were running the Outlook.com plugin and Skype on their desktop at the same time.

The HD calling feature only works when users have compatible HD displays, web cams, messaging clients, and broadband internet, Microsoft notes.

The company had previously introduced Skype for Outlook.com in a preview mode for select markets last year, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Brazil and Canada. Now Microsoft is making the service available worldwide, though presumably, this could still be a staged rollout.

The integration offers a Microsoft-flavored competitor to Google’s Gmail + Hangouts features, which also combines a messaging and voice client in users inboxes, in Google’s case, Gmail. As for Microsoft, the combination of the two services could lead to a wider footprint for both Outlook and Skype, the former of which has over 400 million users.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

:Facebook To Buy Oculus VR, Maker Of The Rift Headset, For Around $2B:

Facebook To Buy Oculus VR, Maker Of The Rift Headset, For Around $2B In Cash And Stock

Facebook has announced plans to purchase Oculus VR, the company behind the Rift headset, for around $2B in cash and stock. This includes $400M, and 23.1 million Facebook shares. An additional $300M earnout will be paid in cash and stock if Oculus hits certain unspecified milestones.

“I’m excited to announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Oculus VR, the leader in virtual reality technology,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement today.

Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. For the past few years, this has mostly meant building mobile apps that help you share with the people you care about. We have a lot more to do on mobile, but at this point we feel we’re in a position where we can start focusing on what platforms will come next to enable even more useful, entertaining and personal experiences.
This is where Oculus comes in. They build virtual reality technology, like the Oculus Rift headset. When you put it on, you enter a completely immersive computer-generated environment, like a game or a movie scene or a place far away. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you’re actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it’s different from anything they’ve ever experienced in their lives.

Zuckerberg says that their efforts with Oculus will continue to focus on gaming initially, and that the company will continue to operate independently of Facebook. But after gaming, Zuckerberg says, they’re going to expand into a variety of other arenas.

“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face just by putting on goggles in your home,” he says. “This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”

Facebook, of course, found early success with games. Social gaming is responsible for a lot of the growth and spread of Facebook as a platform, rather than just a social service. Acquiring Oculus could signal a variety of things, but being able to tap into what is potentially the next big gaming trend is likely one of them. In addition, Facebook has been aggressive about understanding and supporting mobile use cases but only after an initial period of foot-dragging and desktop focus. If VR is ‘what’s next’ then Facebook will want to tap the market early, to avoid any transitional gaffes this time around.

The purchase is expected to close in Q2 of 2014. Oculus has taken over 75k orders for its virtual reality headset so far. Those headsets have both been developer editions designed to get developers interested in playing around with VR technology. The most recent ‘Crystal Cove’ prototype features a full 1080P display and more sensors to detect and position users in virtual environments.

Of course, if you pull the thread of virtual reality out really, really far you could see a future where we’re not talking about the percentage of time people spend on mobile vs. desktop. Instead, we’re talking about the amount of time that people spend in virtual reality vs. actual reality. In that kind of landscape, Facebook starting in on VR early makes painfully obvious sense.

The company has received a total of $93.4M in funding so far from Spark, Matrix, Founders Fund, Formation 8, BIG Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Oculus got a big boost in legitimacy recently when one of the founding fathers of 3D gaming..

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Spectrum auction for 3G‚ 4G technologies on April 23

 

Dar says PTA should ensure the best quality service for the consumers.

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Spectrum auction for 3G and 4G technologies is scheduled for 23rd of next month and the sealed bids will be submitted to PTA on 14th of next month.

This was stated during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Spectrum Auction held in Islamabad on Thursday under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Chairman PTA Dr. Syed Ismail Shah briefed the committee on the progress made so far on the auction of 3G and 4G licenses.

 

Dar said that PTA should ensure that quality service of the best international standards is provided to the consumers.

The minister emphasized that the whole process should be completed with transparency.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Taiwan offers free Wi-Fi to all foreign tourists

Taiwan became one of the first countries in the world to offer free Wi-Fi on a mass scale to its citizens, and now it is extending that to any foreign tourist, also for free, in a move that will gain it a lot of goodwill.

The Taiwan government-backed free “iTaiwan” wireless network launched in 2011, and now has about 4,400 hotspots in major tourist spots, transportation hubs, cultural establishments and government offices all over the island country.

Citizens needed just their local phone number to register and then use the semi-fast 1 MBPS service.

Now, for foreign vistors, who generally have trouble getting a local SIM in the country (two forms of identity, etc), the process of tapping these wi-fi networks has been made a lot easier starting this month.

Visitors can open an iTaiwan account at a Taiwan Tourism Bureau counter/center, show their passport as ID and that’s it: they can login using their account, on their digital devices.

In addition, iTaiwan has established roaming agreements with four local governments so that tourists also have access in Taipei City, New Taipei, Taichung and Tainan.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Flickr Co-Founder Launches Findery App

Caterina Fake is the mind behind the massively popular Flickr photo-sharing site and is looking to eliminate that historical chain with a new location map-based social discovery platform, called Findery.

Findery is currently available on iOS, it becomes clear that the world is meant to be viewed by the user as a blank canvas that is ready for you to fully explore.  You can explore geo-tagged notes on a map to learn about places through experiences from different people from across the planet. Users of the app can post public or private notes with historical data, personalized stories via text, images, videos, and sound clips. The app will then cleverly annotate and then organize the information based on the location.

The social network side of the app, uses your current location to bring up appealing notes in the user’s immediate vicinity, thereby making it simple to find stories and pictures relevant to your own experience.  For example, you are exploring the historic city of Edinburgh in Scotland or you are visiting the Grand Canyon in the USA, all you need to do is open the Findery app to find out what previous visitors found of interest in those areas.  ”Every place has a story, or a thousand stories…Findery brings places to life, be they where you stand or where you hope to go,” Fake said in a statement.

Members are also able to create something called ‘Notemaps’ whih is a collection of notes about a location, topic or theme such as “Stag Party Blackpool” or “Blues in Chicago”.  This can then serve as either a travel diary or simply a record of your journey.  The app launches initially in English, although Findery have said they will support more languages this year. Findery is available now for free to download in the Apple iTunes Store.

If you have any sensible comments regarding this story, please leave your comments in the section below.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Microsoft Office Web Apps Now Officially Office Online

It’s re branding time at Microsoft, it seems. The official statement about SkyDrive being re branded to OneDrive has barely made the rounds, and we’re now seeing another change. This time, it’s Office Web Apps, which is now called Office Online. It’s not that this move has been kept a secret, as there were hints in the past weeks, but now, it’s the real deal.

Office Online is basically the web-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. I think all of us can agree that Microsoft Office is one of the strongest – if not the strongest           – suite of software for its niche, and the web-based version can carry its own weight as well.

Why the re branding?

Perhaps it’a all a part of spreading more awareness for the product. As you may have surmised, Office Online (even back when it had a different name) led a quiet existence. Microsoft didn’t really promote it much, although the service is free. Or maybe, it is exactly because of that that Office Online was not highlighted.

One very noticeable thing about the new look is how the most popular software is highlighted from the get go. You’ll also notice the inclusion of OneDrive.

In any case, the re branding can only serve to make users aware of this alternative online collaboration, especially those who want no issues with compatibility. Additionally, humans are creatures of habit, and I am willing to bet that the average Microsoft Office user will want to see the exact same thing (layout, etc.) if they use an online version of a piece of software. And yes, Office Online does look nice, too.

With Office Online now live, I wonder how this will affect usage statistics of Google Drive? If you’re a user of the latter, and you regularly use Microsoft Office, would you consider switching to Office Online now?

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Use Yahoo Video Chats? You May Have Been Spied On

Everyday, it seems, there is new information released that makes individuals question how private their “private” lives really are. If it’s not revelations about the NSA intercepting our telephone calls and/or our emails, it seems to be something along those same lines. Unfortunately, in the year 2014, it doesn’t even seem like it’s even a remote possibility to have a private life. After all, if you own a smartphone you can most likely be found wherever you are. It seems all of the technology that is helping us run forward is also tying our hands behind our backs.

Edward Snowden shocked the world when we he released all of the confidential documents he “obtained” from the NSA. Even with all of the information he initially gave to the media, NSA officials were worried that more of their practices would eventually come to light. It turns out their fears weren’t without merit, as information about a British spy program known as Optic Nerve has recently been brought out into the open.

No, Not That Optic Nerve

It turns out that Optic Nerve is the codename for a surveillance program operated by Britain’s GCHQ (with help from the NSA). In an attempt to use facial recognition to catch terrorists and other wanted individuals, the images from 1.8 million users of Yahoo video chats from 2008 to 2010 were collected and stored on GCHQ’s servers. Obviously, most all of the images had nothing to do with terrorism whatsoever.

And, of all of the images stored, there were many images besides people’s faces, as it turns out that a large number of sexually explicit images from the video chats were also stored on the servers.

When Yahoo recently found out about this invasion of privacy, they were not at all happy about it, saying it was a total invasion of their users’ privacy rights, and stating they had no prior knowledge of the spying.

Does this news surprise you at all?

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Bugs Fixed in Stable Channel Update For Google Chrome

Google Chrome has dominated the browser market and eventually become the most used browser globally since being released six year ago. Google has worked hard to develop and refine Chrome, resulting in a fast and secure browser that can be tailored and customized to suit the user.

In Version 33.0.1750.117 of Chrome, Google has been able to fix a number of security issues, some of which were highlighted by external sources.

In total, twenty eight bugs were fixed, ranging from an issue with relative paths in Windows sandbox, to a problem with an information leak in the XSS auditor.  

Google Chrome 33.0.1750.117 is available to download here.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

:Latest Version Of CCleaner is Available Now:

The Latest Version Of CCleaner is Available Now

inShare

CCleaner from Piriform is likely the most popular freeware cleaner out there thanks to the fact that it is quick and easy to use. Effectively CCleaner gives your computer a good spring clean, removing cookies, temporary files and any other unused data that clogs up your PC, slowing it down. Once CCleaner has worked its magic, your computer’s system can run faster and enable you to have a more secure internet browsing experience.

Piriform’s latest update, Version 4.11, sees improvements to the File Finder tool. Included is an option to find duplicate files based on file content, as well as a new upper file size threshold, which will further narrow a duplicate file search.

Version 4.11 also features an improvement to the way the Driver Wiper detects SSD drives.

Other changes made to CCleaner include:

•     Added Opera 15 and newer Startup item management
•     Added File content duplicate detection to File Finder
•     Improved Drive Wiper SSD detection
•     Added Torch Browser support
•     Added File Finder upper file size threshold
•     Optimized Firefox Profile Startup items detection
•     Improved Scheduler language support (Professional only)
•     Improved Google Earth, Winamp, MusicMatch Jukebox and Windows Live Messenger  cleaning
•     Minor GUI Improvements
•     Minor bug fixes

CCleaner Version 4.11 download now

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

:YouTube with Google anti-American Court has ordered the removal of the controversial film:

YouTube with Google anti-American Court has ordered the removal of the controversial film.

Google in U.S. court against the anti-Islam film by actress Cindy Lee Garcia was filed . 

YouTube with Google anti- American Court has ordered the removal of the controversial film .
According to foreign kbrayjnsy on Google in U.S. court against anti-Islam film by actress Cindy Lee Garcia was filed , Garcia argued in court that he was involved in the film clip was made ​​for another film and I inherited his voice changed because they are life-threatening . U.S. Circuit Court during the hearing by Google as opposed to controversial material was removed 2 of the three judges hearing the company was ordered to remove anti-Islam film .
Garcia's attorney Armen Saras expressed happiness over the court's decision and said the initial removal of the controversial court ruling is a correct decision .
The controversial anti-Islam film due to protests from Muslims around the world was the ban imposed by Pakistan , which was still intact .

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Apple expected to release iOS 7.1 next month(March)

Apple brought a brand new version of its popular operating system last year with iOS 7.0, but shortly after the release it was obvious that the company was going to have to do some fixing as users complained right away about bugs that caused some devices to reboot randomly.  Apple listened, as it should and sent out a few smaller updates over the next couple weeks and while some of the bugs were fixed, others were brought forward as more users downloaded and installed the new software.  It has been a few months now, but it looks like the company is ready to release version 7.1.

Apple typically releases its new software in a series of beta testing phases and that allows the company to get valuable feedback about new features before it is sent out to the public in a mass rollout.  Even though an online source claims that Apple will be releasing the new iOS 7.1 next month, the source also claimed that Apple does not have any surprises set up for this version of the software.  Basically, what that means is the software that was revealed in the first 5 beta testing stages is exactly what is going to be seen once you download and install the software next month.

Apple is looking to set up a huge month for the company with the arrival of the iOS 7.1 and reported updates that are coming to the Apple TV as well.  Because there seems to be a few things that Apple wants to get to the public, there is a good chance that the company will do all of this with an event, but that has not been confirmed at this time.  Coming along with iOS 7.1, users will see new features, a couple of tweaks to the user interface and apps, plus an improved Calendar app.  Enhancements to the performance and fixes for some bugs that have been reported are also expected with the new software.

Judging by what was reported with the last beta version of the software, there are no major features coming with the new software, but the fifth stage is the last one before the official update and that is just as exciting to know.  There is a chance that one more beta round will be released with the Gold Master edition following shortly after that.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

OneDrive for iOS and Android devices reward users

Microsoft’s SkyDrive is about to get a new name and with it will come some deals that are likely to make you think about signing up for the cloud storage service if you have not done so already.  The OneDrive service is going to replace the well known SkyDrive cloud storage and if the new reports are right, the service is going to reward users with more storage simply by offering the chance to sign up to your online contacts.  Another way to get rewarded comes from the use of the Camera Roll backup feature for all iPhone users and those with devices running Android.

Microsoft is reportedly adding a storage earnings system and all you have to do is complete a task here or there and you could be rewarded with even more space.  Screenshots showed up online showing the service called OneDrive and the rewards that will be handed out if you complete tasks like syncing up with your PC or Mac, back up your devices and invite your friends to join.  When all is said and done it looks like you could earn up to 8GB more free storage if you are able to complete the simple tasks.

There are other services online right now that offer the same thing, including DropBox, which allows you to refer friends and gain rewards that way.  One of the first questions that you might have is that if you earn the extra storage, will it be permanent?  The answer, according to news reports is yes.  Microsoft has been adding promotions for users and that included one from last month that allowed users to get 20GB of cloud storage for backing up photos, music and videos.  The current SkyDrive gives user 7GB of free storage when they sign up and there are still options to buy more storage if needed.

Microsoft’s SkyDrive will be converted to OneDrive very soon, but the website still reads “coming soon” and once that process is complete users will be able to enjoy more storage.  A move like this could give Microsoft some push in a very crowded online storage market and that will only help the sales of smartphones, which typically need to have more storage right out of the box.  If you are not using SkyDrive right now, it can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices from the app store.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy