: 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

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

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..:)

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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.

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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

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

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

Google: All New Android Phones Must Ship With KitKat

According to MobileBloom, a leaked memo has been identified, stating that all Android smartphones will have to run KitKat or else Google will not endorse the handset.  The Android memo is the first sign that Google is finally sorting the problem it has with fragmentation.  Because Google offers hundreds of phones to customers from many manufacturers across the world, Google’s operating system is swiftly becoming fragmented.  This issue is one of the top objections the operating system receives from application developers.

Apparently, the memo was sent from the Android team to its top OEM partners: Sony, Samsung, HTC, and LG who are all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for Google.  “Starting February 2014, Google will no longer approved GMS distribution on new Android products that ship older platform releases,” the memo states. “Each platform release will have a ‘GMS approval window’ that typically closes nine months after the next Android platform release is publicly available.”  Any handset that does not get approval from Google Mobile Services (GMS) will not be able to ship with Google’s main applications which include Now, Maps and Google Play store.

Does this mean the end of all budget Android phones?  It could be! If real, the memo could mean an end to cheap  Android handsets and increase the price of middle of the road smartphones.  KitKat also has higher minimum specifications than foregoing operating systems.  This may mean that phones like the Samsung Galaxy core are no longer possible.  It has been said that KitKat has been coded to work better on lower powered smartphones. However, this could still have enough of a knock on effect to possibly  give the developing market to opponents such as Mozilla’s FireFox and Tizen.

Last year, Android CEO Sundar Pichai said him and his team were working on solutions for Android fragmentation. Figures showed, at the end of January 2014, that approximately 1.4 per cent of all Android smartphones were running the latest version of the operating system. While in contrast, over 80 per cent of iPhones were running iOS7, Apple’s latest operating system.  Android released KitKat just weeks after iOS 7 was released for Apple’s devices.  It is uncertain how Nokia will be affected as they use older versions of Android. We will just have to wait and see. 

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

 EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

WhatsApp Goes Down Following $19 Billion Facebook Buy-Out

Last week Facebook announced that it is acquiring the messaging company WhatsApp for an approximate total of $16 billion. Included in the deal is $4 billion in cash, $12 billion of Facebook shares and an extra $3 billion in restricted stock units which will be granted to WhatApp’s founders and employees.

In spending so much money you can only imagine Mark Zuckerberg’s frustration when, on Saturday afternoon WhatsApp went down for over three hours, leaving its users unable to access the app.

WhatsApp was quick to respond to the issue and announced that it was suffering from “server issues”. However after the prolonged period of time users took to Twitter to vent their frustrations, with some comments saying: “Mark Zuckerberg please do us a favor. Never buy Twitter,” and, “Thanks Zuckerberg for re-uniting families tonight!”

This is not the first time that the messaging giant has gone down, with reports claiming that crashes occur nearly once a month. Yet with the spotlight shining brightly on the app since the acquisition announcement, this occurrence has certainly received more press than any other incident.

WhatsApp currently has over 450 million users, with 70 percent of these actively using the service every day. In a blog post Facebook outlined the reasons for the deal, saying that the two companies have a “shared mission to bring more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably.”

The announcement also outlined plans to allow WhatsApp to continue to operate independently whilst retaining the brand. “WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I’ve known Jan for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.

EnjOy..:)

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Microsoft announces nine new manufacturing partners for Windows Phone

There will likely be a deluge of new Windows Phone handsets hitting the markets as Microsoft announces nine new manufacturing partners.

When Satya Nadella announced that Microsoft’s strategy going forward would be mobile first, he wasn’t kidding. Microsoft today announced nine new manufacturing partners to Windows Phone, which brings the total list of manufacturers to thirteen.

Among the new partners are LG and Lenovo, two of the biggest names in manufacturing. Microsoft is also focusing its attention on markets like China and India by bringing Foxconn, Gionee, Karbonn Mobiles and Xolo on-board. Manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE have manufactured Windows Phone handsets before, but have since weaned off the platform, like most other manufacturers.

With Nokia’s acquisition in the final stages, Microsoft needs a strong presence in these countries. In China, Windows Phone is well-catered to, as it now has Foxconn, Gionee, HTC, Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE in addition to Samsung and LG as manufacturers set to launch new handsets. However, the lack of Indian manufacturer Micromax from the list is disconcerting, considering that the other two biggest Indian manufacturers, Karbonn Mobiles and Xolo (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lava Mobiles) are included. Micromax is said to be working on a Windows Phone device that was scheduled to launch later this year. Whatever the case might be, it Microsoft is widening its reach by adding new hardware manufacturers.

In addition to new vendors, Microsoft also announced that Windows Phone devices will now support Qualcomm hardware like the Snapdragon 200, 400 and 400 LTE. Furthermore, the platform is said to add functionality for dual-SIM devices, with Live Tiles for each SIM. The first dual-SIM Windows Phone device will likely be the Nokia Lumia 630. With an increased focus on low-end dual-SIM based devices, it is clear that Microsoft is targeting emerging markets.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

::WhatsApp Goes Down Indefinitely, Social Media Explodes::

I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

- See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

WhatsApp Goes Down Indefinitely, Social Media Explodes - See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

WhatsApp Goes Down Indefinitely, Social Media Explodes
I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

- See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

- See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

EnjOy..:)
Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Facebook buying messaging app WhatsApp for $19B

NEW YORK: Facebook is buying mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, by far the company's largest acquisition and bigger than any that Google, Microsoft or Apple have ever done.

The world's biggest social networking company said Wednesday that it is paying $12 billion in Facebook stock and $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp. In addition, the app's founders and employees — 55 in all — will be granted restricted stock worth $3 billion that will vest over four years after the deal closes.

The deal translates to roughly nine per cent of Facebook's market value. In comparison, Google's biggest deal, Motorola Mobility, stood at $12.5 billion, while Microsoft's largest was Skype at $8.5 billion. Apple, meanwhile, has never done a deal above $1 billion.

The price stunned Gartner analyst Brian Blau. ''I am not surprised they went after WhatsApp, but the amount is staggering,'' he said.

Facebook likely prizes WhatsApp for its audience of teenagers and young adults who are increasingly using the service to engage in online conversations outside of Facebook, which has evolved into a more mainstream hangout inhabited by their parents, grandparents and even their bosses at work.

''This is a bet on the future for Facebook,'' Blau said. ''They know they have to expand their business lines. WhatsApp is in the business of collecting people's conversations, so Facebook is going to get some great data.''

In that sense, the acquisition makes sense for 10-year-old Facebook as it looks to attract its next billion users while keeping its existing 1.23 billion members, including teenagers, interested. The company has said it will develop a ''multi-app'' strategy, creating its own applications that exist outside of Facebook and acquiring others.

''Facebook seems to be in acknowledgement that people are using a lot of different apps to communicate,'' said eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson. ''In order to continue to reach audiences, younger in particular, it needs to have a broader strategy...not put all its eggs in one basket.''

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Surf the Blocked Websites encrypted with Chrome Extension "ZenMate"

Surf the Blocked Websites encrypted with Chrome Extension "ZenMate"

The Internet is a great place with many possibilities. Unfortunately it’s not the safe place any more that it used to be. Unpleasant surprises from hackers, spying internet service providers, restrictive governments, I.D. thieves, and viruses are often “just around the corner” and users are unprotected, without even knowing it.

With Zenmate, Your Internet connection is highly encrypted and redirected via the ZenMate cloud where our encryption- & acceleration software is installed. To deliver you maximum speed and utmost uptime senmate only rented servers from the most reliable and trustworthy hosting providers around the world. This great choice allows you to choose the location you need to get protection as well as a free, unrestricted and private Internet experience.

Zenmate is the only one browser extension, that are providing SSL encrypted traffic .

Download Google chrome browser extension.

Now you have the option to change your location

it,s currently free and providing the high speed servers in the five country. You can easily switch to other country location. Your IP is always hidden and your privacy will be protected with ZenMate.

Enjoy free VPN service with Zenmate.

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Instagram Finally Released On Windows Phone

Is it worth the wait? After all, it has been a long time coming but Instagram has finally released a native app for Windows Phone. The long suffering of you out there that use Windows phones (sorry I’m an iPhone man myself), will finally be able to share pictures in new and interesting ways, just like the rest of us.  Well, kind of anyway.

 

The new Instagram app has most of the great features that iOS and Android users have come to appreciate. All the photo filters are there and you are able to see your feed, complete with all of your friend’s snaps and “heart” and comments too.  However, all is not rosey in the Instagram world as a few things are peculiarly absent.  The most important of which is the fact that the Windows app cannot take photos or upload video from within the app?

Windows users can still upload photos from their camera roll and Instagram for Windows Phone will launch the native camera app to take new photos.  Currently, there is no option for video, but apparently it is all in the pipeline. As Instagram has finally made the leap over to Windows Phone, we should all be grateful, even if the app is still ironing out the flaws.

For more information regarding the release, please check out the following release notes:

Over 150 million users love Instagram! It’s a simple way to capture and share the world’s moments on your Windows Phone.  Customize your photos with one of several gorgeous and custom built filter effects. Transform everyday moments into works of art you’ll want to share with friends and family.Share your photos in a simple photo stream with friends to see – and follow your friends’ photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you’ll see new photos from your closest friends, and creative people from around the world.

Main Features Include:

100% free custom designed filters: XPro-II, Earlybird, Rise, Amaro, Hudson, Lo-fi, Sutro, Toaster, Brannan, Inkwell, Walden, Hefe, Nashville, 1977, and others.
Video recording with breathtaking cinematic stabilization
Linear and Radial Tilt-Shift blur effects for extra depth of field.
Instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Foursquare
Unlimited uploads
Interact with friends through giving & receiving likes and comments
Full front & back camera support
And much much more…

You can get Instagram for Windows Phone at the Windows Phone Store.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Spotify Connect Available For Android

Recently, online music service Spotify, introduced Spotify Connect for iOS devices.  The company has now provided the service to their Android app, this now ticks all the boxes and makes it a multi-platform feature from Spotify.

Spotify Connect allows you to stream music over WiFi to select speakers. Unfortunately the system only works with streaming content and not localised MP3s. In addition to this, it will need a premium account for it to work. Right now it only allows you to send music to a single device, but that could change in the not too distant future.

Spotify Connect is not really a lot different from what you can already do with nearly all Bluetooth-enabled speakers. What it does do, however, is it eliminates the need for you to pair the devices together. Which can become tedious, if you use the same Bluetooth speaker on many different devices?

The better features of the product are that because Spotify Connect uses WiFi, it has much further range than what Bluetooth can provide.  The upshot of this is that your friends can share their own music, as long as they have the Spotify app and your wireless password to connect.

This is very similar to the streaming functionality of Apple’s AirPlay system. But it appears to be easier to initialize as once you have pressed the Spotify Connect button on your Android device, you’ll be free to do complete whatever you want to do on your phone.  This is unlike Apple‘s AirPlay system, where once you start, you are locked in?

Spotify Connect is available on Android through the Google Play Store.  As always, your comments regarding the Spotify Connect app are appreciated in the comments section below.

[Image via amobil]

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

:Top Ten Password Cracking Methods:

Top Ten Password Cracking Methods

1. Dictionary attack :-

"This uses a simple file containing words that can, surprise surprise, be found in a dictionary. In other words, if you will excuse the pun, this attack uses exactly the kind ofwords that many people use as their password..."

2. Brute force attack :-

"This method is similar to the dictionary attack but with the added bonus, for the hacker, of being able to detect non-dictionary words by working through all possible alpha-numeric combinations from aaa1 to zzz10..."

3. Rainbow table attack :-

"A rainbow table is a list of pre-computed hashes - the numerical value of an encrypted password, used by most systems today - and that’s the hashes of allpossible password combinations for any given hashing algorithm mind. The time it takes to crack a password using a rainbow table is reduced to the time it takes to look it up in the list..."

4. Phishing :-

"There's an easy way to hack: ask the user for his or her password. A phishing email leads the unsuspecting reader to a faked online banking, payment or other site in order to login and put rightsome terrible problem with their security..."

5. Social engineering :-

"A favourite of the social engineeris to telephone an office posing asan IT security tech guy and simply ask for the network access password. You’d be amazed how often this works. It take the advantage of people trust."

6. Malware :-

"A key logger or screen scraper can be installed by malware whichrecords everything you type or takes screen shots during a login process, and then forwards a copy of this file to hacker central..."

7. Offline cracking :-

"Often the target in question has been compromised via an hack ona third party, which then providesaccess to the system servers and those all-important user password hash files. The password cracker can then take as long as they need to try and crack the code without alerting the target system or individual user..."

8. Shoulder surfing :-

"The service personnel ‘uniform’ provides a kind of free pass to wander around unhindered, and make note of passwords being entered by genuine members of staff. It also provides an excellent opportunity to eyeball all those post-it notes stuck to the front of LCD screens with logins scribbled upon them..."

9. Spidering :-

"Savvy hackers have realised that many corporate passwords are made up of words that are connected to the business itself. Studying corporate literature, website sales material and even the websites of competitors and listed customers can provide the ammunition to build a custom word list to use in a brute force attack..."

10. Guess :-

"The password crackers best friend, of course, is the predictability of the user. Unless a truly random password has been created using software dedicated to the task, a user generated ‘random’ password is unlikely to be anything of the sort..."

EnjOy.. :)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy