Infotech

Look and feel: Surprisingly slim, unbelievably light.

2011-08-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, the Samsung Galaxy S II surprised us with its extremely slim form factor and the fact that it is the lightest of all Android smartphones we have tested recently, albeit by quite a margin. The likes of the Samsung Google Nexus S and the HTC Incredible S are heavier by quite some margin. However, let us not forget that the HTC Incredible S did have a stronger body, and so did the Google Nexus S. No wonder the S II has even piped the extremely sleek Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc by 1 gram!

Below the four-inch display are two touch keys- menu and return, and a hardware button- home. The traditional search button we had seen on Android phones is missing in this one. The left panel has the volume rocker, while the right panel has the power button. The top panel has the 3.5mm headphone jack only, since the power button that is usually placed here is now on the side. The bottom panel has the micro USB port. The entire front panel has a glossy finish to it, which does catch quite a few fingerprints. The rear panel has the 8MP camera, with LED flash. Below the battery bay cover is the tiny speaker. But please do not be fooled by the size of this one! Speaking of the battery cover, this piece of plastic has a self-imprint design on it. The nails will come into practice every time you wish to pry out this cover, and there is a sense of disappointment while doing that. Despite spending more than Rs 30k on a smartphone, you will be opening the cover the way it is done on most Chinese budget phones. We would have loved to see an HTC Incredible-esque rubberized back panel, or something with a metal finish, but looking at it from Samsung’s perspective, keeping the weight down was a priority. However, if you change sim-cards often, this cover doesn’t feel like it will last very long.

Wink XTS

2010-12-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

As one of the first successful eBook readers, the Kindle by Amazon swept most readers off their feet with its petite size and super slim body. Moreover, with the large selection of books in Amazon’s online store, users could buy anything they wanted without spending time searching for it. Everything from business and investing to spiritual books can be located with the click of a few buttons. Still, some people wonder what the appeal of eBooks is in the first place. But imagine you’re on holiday and reading The Lord of the Rings, for example, which is over 1,000 pages long and is a good 3-4 inches thick. Not only will it take up space but will also add to the weight of your luggage. This is where eBook readers fit in. They are small, compact and can accommodate hundreds of books without adding to the weight when you’re traveling.

An Indian company, EC Media International, has launched an eBook reader called the . This device isn’t here to replace the Kindle, but it is an initiative by an Indian company to bring e-reading content to our local market. To make this possible, Wink will offer consumers a one-stop e-store, where the user will have access to a large number of eBooks (www.thewinkstore.com); from history texts to career guides to Do It Yourself (DIY) manuals; the company promises you’ll find it all in the Wink store.

The Wink reader is as thin as an everyday cellphone and comes with a 6-inch E Ink screen. A keyboard is placed just below the screen, while the buttons for navigating between pages are on the top left side of the device. However, unlike the Kindle, the Wink is devoid of navigational buttons on the right, so the user is forced to use only his left hand to hold the product. Moreover the keys are too small for comfort, so people with large fingers will definitely have issues using this device. Apart from its reading capabilities, the device is also capable of playing audio. You will find a pair of speakers on the rear of the device, which are capable of delivering audio quality that is surprising for its size. The rear is also home to a reset button along with a Power Off switch that is meant to be used when the Wink is not going to be used for a substantial period of time. Towards the bottom, you will find a standard USB port that is used to charge it and to transfer files to the device. A 3.5 mm headphone jack sits just beside it to let you connect headphones or desktop speakers. The SD card slot placed on top gives you the freedom to carry additional music and files. Another aspect to note is the rubberized back that provides good grip when held.

The Wink comes with a well laid out user interface designed to make navigating between menus easy. It’s quite self explanatory and gives you direct access to your music, library, Wi-Fi and system settings. However, what it lacks is operational speed. If there is anything that goes against the Wink it is the extreme sluggishness with which it operates. You’ll have to wait a few seconds for each button press to register. You also have direct access the Wink store site via the Wink Home menu, and this is where your patience with the product is tested even further. Navigating from one link to another takes more than a second, so browsing for books is a real hassle as you would need to wait to press the arrow keys as many times as it takes to actually get to a book. This is where a dedicated joystick and a faster screen refresh rate would have helped. Having said that, the Wink does come with two refresh modes – Full refresh and Quick refresh. The Quick refresh mode is basically meant to make page transitions snappier, but it still doesn’t quite impress with its speed. While the increase in speed is barely noticeable, there is a definite lowering of the refresh rate, whereby contents of the previous are visible for a while even after switching to a new page. This could make reading quite uncomfortable over time.

The Wink’s internet connection can only be used to browse the Wink store, and not to browse the web at all. However, it does have an email client that allows you to sync and read your messages, though at a snail’s pace. The Applications section is home to just one game, Minesweeper. However, playing it is a pain, thanks to the Wink’s sluggish refresh rate and grain-sized keys.

Performance is undoubtedly bad, but the overall usability is good thanks to the E Ink screen. Text and pictures appear crisp – this is probably the only thing that the Wink really shines at delivering. Text can be reflown in case it is too small and unreadable, but as expected, this doesn’t happen very smoothly either. There is considerable amount of lag when zooming or switching between pages. However, performance issues aside, the Wink is quite easy to work with. You also have a bookmark key that allows you to instantly mark important pages. You can also jump to any page by typing the page number into the ‘Go To’ dialog.

Ebook readers in general are not intended for everyone. The Wink and Kindle are aimed more towards bookworms who love reading. Unlike tablets and laptops, they offer a much higher level of comfort when it comes to reading, mainly because of the E Ink display technology that mimics real paper rather than LCD screens, which require light shining through them from the rear. However, taking everything into account, the Wink is a difficult product to recommend mainly due to its frustrating performance, which actually detracts from the pleasure of reading, unlike the Kindle, its most obvious competitor.

Having said that, however, one advantage that the Wink has over the Kindle is its ability to read EPUB files. In addition, the device comes with an SD card slot that supports an additional 16 GB of memory over the inbuilt 1.5 GB. Battery life is just about average and it fails to go beyond two days at a stretch. The Wink is a decent first attempt, but there many issues that need to be ironed out.

Dell Streak

2010-12-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

The Dell Streak is a lot smaller than your average tablet and a lot bigger than a large touchscreen mobile phone. So the question is, just where does it fit in?

Dressed in all black, we have to admit that it’s quite a looker. It’s just 10 mm thick, which actually makes it a lot slimmer than quite a few smartphones. Weighing just 220 g, it’s comfortable to hold as well. It’s got 2.2 GB of internal memory and it also supports microSD cards of up to 32 GB. Although there’s a hot swap under the rear panel for the memory card, for some strange reason, the handset tends to auto switch-off if the panel is opened. The 3.5 mm hands-free port is located on one side, or rather the top of the device, since it’s typically supposed to be used in landscape mode like the Nokia N900. The volume/zoom keys, screen lock and the camera’s shutter release are also located on this side.

Dell’s first mistake is incorporating a proprietary USB/charging port (bottom) into the Streak. Since it’s pretty much a large mobile handset, it would have been a whole lot simpler on us if they went with a standard micro USB socket. Dell has gone with touch-sensitive buttons on one side of the display. A microphone is also located on the same side. A light sensor and front-facing VGA camera are located on the other side just near the phone’s speaker. Using this rather large device to answer calls takes a lot of getting used to, so we’d recommend using the hands-free instead. The large 5-inch touchscreen display sports a 480x800 pixel resolution, which makes it clear and easy to view even in the bright outdoors.

Dell’s second mistake is launching a device like this with an outdated version of the operating system. The Streak comes with Android 1.6 and we were told that it’s upgradeable to 2.1 (although we were unable to do so). Donut just doesn’t cut it anymore, and while Éclair has its flaws, it left 1.6 in its dust long ago. If you’re removing shortcuts/widgets from the desktop, there’s no click-and-drag-to-Trash option; you’ll have to select the icon and then select the menu button to remove the item. It allows you to create multiple desktops, and wallpapers can be set individually to each. The drop-down menus make it easy to access various options, notifications and settings.

We had a couple of issues with the UI. Firstly, multi-touch wasn’t a universal function. On any Android 2.1+ handset, Angry Birds would allow you to pinch zoom out so you can see just where you’re firing. Thankfully, the browser and image gallery allow for multi-touch zooming without a hitch. It still isn’t as smooth as the iPhone’s, but it’ll do. We expected a bit more in terms of speed from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor. It’s not a slow handset, but activating apps and opening menus wasn’t as smooth as we’d hoped. The keypad could also have been a little better designed. With the num pad on the side, it means your right thumb is going to have to do a bit of stretching. In portrait mode, the Zero and ‘O’ are too close together since the num pad moves above the QWERTY keypad. It’ll take some getting used to.

There was quite a bit of confusion while syncing Facebook and Google accounts with the device’s phonebook. Most contacts that were downloaded didn’t allow us the option of sending them text messages until we had synced them with those transferred from the SIM phonebook, which is strange.

The music player is pretty standard in functionality, and it’s loud enough to listen to comfortably in a crowded train. The problem is that neither the hands-free nor the device’s earpiece provide proper clarity on calls. The volume on calls was just too low most of the time. The device also features a voice recorder, but no FM radio. Dell has included an MP3 Store application with the Streak that lets you search for music files and albums to download for a fee. The media player has no frills, except that it allows you to create playlists on the go. Sadly, the device doesn’t support DivX or XviD formats, so you’re going to have to convert videos before you can play them on the Streak. Once converted properly and optimized for the resolution, though, the viewing experience is not bad at all.

Like any high-end mobile phone, the Dell Streak is also well equipped for connectivity. From 3G (HSDPA, HSUPA), EDGE and Wi-Fi to Bluetooth (just version 2.0) with A2DP and USB 2.0, it’s all packed into this device. The Streak also comes with support for Microsoft Exchange and regular POP/IMAP accounts. For added functionality for Exchange, Dell has thrown in the TouchDown App with Active Sync support. Browsing the Internet on the large screen is absolute bliss and the native Android browser works just perfectly for rendering pages in a convenient, easy to read format.

While the integrated Facebook widget worked out just fine, the one for Twitter refused to let us sign in. Images can be easily shared or sent to email accounts, posted on Twitter, Facebook, Picasa or Flickr with just a couple of easy clicks. The Streak also has a GPS module, but there’s no preinstalled application other than Google Maps. There really aren’t too many other extras thrown in that are worth mentioning. A sync option for your Outlook Notes and tasks is available, Voice Control (which incidentally works really well) from Nuance Technologies, and Google Voice Search are on board as well. Productivity app QuickOffice is also available.

The 5 megapixel camera on the Streak comes with a dual LED flash and features that include a few scene modes, white balance, multi-shot, self timer and flicker adjustment. Image quality is not bad at all. Whether outdoors or indoors, colors remain quite vivid and the details are quite good for a mobile phone sensor. The Streak isn’t going to win any awards for its 1530mAh battery. Thanks to its large display, battery life is quite low. On an average, it ran for a little over a day and a half with just over three hours of talk time.

So here’s the Rs 35,000 question – should you buy the Streak or go in for a mobile handset like the HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S? The handsets offer the same functionality as the Streak does and more, especially with Android 2.2 on board. Stick to a handset, we’d say. Don’t forget that the Galaxy S also comes in a 16 GB capacity and it’s more convenient to carry around. The Dell Streak just doesn’t fit in. Had it come with Éclair and better preloaded apps, it could be worth considering. On the plus side, it’s still smaller than a standard tablet, so you could just hold it up to your ear to talk, but it’s really not worth the price when a smaller device that does more is easily available.

IBM talks up holographic Star Wars phones

2010-12-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

Those wacky kids in the Star Wars universe had it figured out a long, long time ago. If IBM's recent predictions are any indication, we may finally be catching up.The company this week issued its yearly "Five in Five" list, which outlines bold technology predictions for the next five years. At the top of the list: holographic phones.The phones will beam holographic, 3D images of, one assumes, the person calling you. Also on the list, batteries that breathe air and cities that are powered by the heat of their own servers."All this demonstrates a real culture of innovation at IBM and willingness to devote itself to solving some of the world's biggest problems," IBM VP Josephine Chang told Bloomberg in an interview.

Nokia N900: Powerful, but Missing Some Key Features

2010-02-01T02:30:00.000-08:00

Nokia fans disappointed by last summer's N97 smartphone, get excited: The Nokia N900 ($570, unlocked; price as of December 18, 2009) delivers on its promises of fast performance and excellent Web browsing. It also offers solid multimedia features, as well as one of the best cameras I've used on a smartphone. But the N900 isn't for everyone: Some people might find the Linux-based Maemo (MAY-mo) platform confusing and not as user-friendly as other platforms.The handset is also missing some crucial features, such as app-store support and MMS messaging, as well as full Exchange support.

The brick-like Nokia N900 isn't exactly pocket-size. Measuring 4.4 by 2.4 by 0.8 inches and weighing 6.4 ounces, this slider phone is a little heftier than most smartphones out there. The build feels solid, however, and the display slides up easily without feeling as if it's about to snap off. The N900 is meant to be used mainly in landscape mode, which became evident when I tried to use a couple of apps in portrait mode--they didn't work. In fact, the only app that I could view in portrait mode was the phone app.

Buttonwise, the N900 is pretty minimalist. The front face has no keys--not even Talk/End keys. The top spine (when you hold the phone in landscape mode) has a volume rocker, a power button, and the camera shutter button. A hold switch, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a stylus can be found on the right spine, while the micro-USB port is on the left. The camera lens and flash are on the back, as is a kickstand for propping up the device to watch videos.

Lenovo's C300

2010-02-01T02:24:00.000-08:00

Lenovo's C300 may have more storage than any similarly priced all-in-one PC we've seen,

but the system (which costs $549, as of December 8, 2009) makes a number of sacrifices that almost counterbalance its good general performance and price.

Intel's 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor is the only dual-core processor in the Atom lineup, and it helps the C300 deliver acceptable--but not stellar--performance in our WorldBench 6 test suite. The system's score of 42 in our benchmark is on a par with what's typically delivered by similar all-in-ones; it just edges out the 20-inch Asus Eee Top ET2002, despite both systems sharing CPU model and type. Current-generation gaming is out of the question on the C300, as is the case for all models on our budget all-in-one PC chart.

As hinted at the outset, the C300's 640GB hard drive is the most storage we've seen on an all-in-one this side of $1000, and its 4GB of DDR2-667 memory isn't bad, either. The problem is, Lenovo preinstalls a 32-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium, whereas you need a 64-bit OS to fully address all 4GB of memory you're paying for. Whether you opt for Windows 7, Vista, or XP, go 64-bit if you've got 4GB of RAM or more.

The C300 also has no touchscreen, which is tough given that several competing (and less expensive) all-in-ones do. And finally, the C300's networking is pretty weak: It has only 802.11g Wi-Fi (no N), and 10/100 ethernet instead of gigabit speeds. This won't affect your usual Web browsing experience, but it will certainly bog down your network file transfers.

The unit's 20-inch (1600-by-900 resolution) screen provides a good mix of strong contrasts and colorful saturation. The only real flaw is in extremely dark scenes, where a faint bit of backlight glow can be detected at the top and bottom of the display. The C300's integrated sound, however, is another story.
The included speakers aren't very pleasant to listen to at all--they're worse than what you'd typically find on a run-of-the-mill laptop, which in itself is a rather low bar.

Six USB ports line the sides and rear of the C300, along with a multiformat card reader and a mini-FireWire 400 port. It's nice to see Lenovo at least attempting to offer a connection above and beyond the standard USB. You also get an integrated DVD writer (you can watch DVD movies with it, too). That's a good thing, as you can't actually go into the C300's guts to replace or modify either component. What you buy is what you get.

The compelling features of Lenovo's C300--good performance, good price, great capacity--show that the company did well in considering the big-picture elements that go into a successful all-in-one system. However, drawbacks like poor networking features, the lack of a touchscreen, and that 32-bit OS issue all limit the unit's appeal.

Mvix Ultio Pro 1080p HD Media Center With PVR (Personal Video Recording)

2010-02-01T02:20:00.000-08:00

The market leader in technology and products for hard-disk based HTPCs, portable media-centers and high-definition digital signage players, MvixUSA has announced its new HD (1080p) HDD-based home theater media center – Mvix Ultio Pro (MX-880HD), which features an unprecedented full HD 1080p media compatibility and PVR (personal video recording) capability,

aiming to enrich your home entertainment experience.

Download iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta To Develop Applications For iPad

2010-02-01T02:16:00.000-08:00

After launching its latest multi-touch iPad, Apple has released its iPhone SDK 3.2 beta for developers to start developing applications for iPad. The iPhone SDK 3.2 beta is being designed to include all the necessary tools which allow the developers to start developing and optimizing iPhone OS applications for iPad. The iPhone SDK 3.2 beta is only available for iPhone Developer Program members.

(Speed And Control Surfaces) Razer Vespula Dual-Sided Gaming Mouse Mat

2010-02-01T02:08:00.000-08:00

The global leading maker of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, Razer Group has launched its new lightweight gaming grade mouse mat, named as Razer Vespula, which features an unique dual-sided design to offer gamers 2 distinct gaming-grade surfaces for suiting their preferred level of gaming glide – Speed Surface for faster mouse movements and Control Surface for ultra-precise movements and tactile feedback.

Create a blog in a jiffy

2009-11-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

Create a blog in a jiffy

Vox.com makes it possible to create a blog — complete
with music, videos and images —in a matter of minutes.

STEP 1
CREATING YOUR FIRST BLOG ENTRY

STARTING a blog is the wish of many but creating it often takes a lot of time, especially when it
comes to customizing your page. Vox helps you do all this without wasting much time.
Visit 1. www.vox.com. Click "Join Vox".
2.NOTE: The "Take a tour" button will help you embark on a short tour through the
website.The Vox account you
3.create will be free of cost. Enter the details in the textboxes. Enter the verification code
4. as shown in the picture and click "Sign up".

NOTE: A confi rmatory e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address. It will constitute of a link that needs to be clicked.

5. You will be redirected to the site. Here you will see a number of options available to get started.
6. Click "Create" to post the first article on your blog. Since you had last clicked 1. "Save", you will be redirected to a page that confirms that your first post is saved successfully. Scroll down to the bottom 2. of the page and click "Blog". Click "Options" and then 3. "Edit".

7. Make your first blog entry here and give it an appropriate title. 8. Click "Save" once you have
filled your blog.

NOTE: It is important to pick a catchy title that draws the attention of your readers and at the same time, maintains relevance.

STEP 2
BEAUTIFYING YOUR BLOG
NOW that you have learnt to create and save a new blog entry it's time to work on its looks. Besides interesting text, it is important for a blog to have other elements such as audio and video. Here's how to change your blog from its default simple look and make it attractive.
1. Since you had last clicked "Save", you will be redirected to a page that confirms that your first
post is saved successfully. 2. Scroll down to the bottom
of the page and click "Blog". 3. Click "Options" and then "Edit". 4. Use the various text editing tools to format the text. 5. To make your blog look more poetic you can try aligning it to the center. Use the "Spell check" tool 6. to make sure that there are no typing errors in your blog entry. Click the "Photos" button 7. on the editing bar. In the dialog box, click the 8. "Upload" tab.
Click "Browse" to upload 9. the images that you would like to add to your "Vox library" and click "OK". In the "Edit Layout" dialog 10. box that appears, select the "Orientation" of the image.
Click "Insert" once done. 11. The images will align 12. themselves to the portion of your post that you had selected. Tags can be added in 13. order to make your blog easily searchable. Click the "Audio" button. 14. Under "Upload" click the 15. "Browse" button and select the audio clip that
you would like to add to your blog. Click "OK". 16. It is advisable to select a 17. smaller size for the audio player. Place it in a noticeable 18. corner on your blog. 19. Click "Insert". The audio file will be 20. uploaded on your page. Keeping the mouse 21. pointer on the object will display a list of options to edit the image. Click "Save" once you are 22. done with the changes. Click "View post" in the next window to get a quick preview of your blog.
NOTE: You can share your profi le and posts with others by sending them the profile link in the following syntax: "http://.vox.com/ profi le/". Eg: "http://myblog. vox.com/profi le/"

Stoba Material ‘Trips’ Thermally to Eliminate Lithium Ion Battery Explosion Issue

2009-11-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

Lithium Ion is currently the most famous battery technology that has been widely used in mobilephones, portable media devices, laptop and other handheld devices. Although it seems to be trouble free and quite reliable for use, but there will be occasion that the Lithium-Ion based battery can overheat and explode and that is one of the key reasons that triggers for next generation Zinc-Air battery technology besides prolong battery life. However, it may take some times before Zinc-Air really come in and as an interim solution, a team or researchers led by Alex Pang has invented a new material named as Stoba that is claimed to be able to prevent explosion incident when it is overheated under any extreme situation.

Techno Couture in LED Galaxy Dress

2009-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Techno Couture in LED Galaxy Dress

While technology may be all the rage, you may not want to wear it as a party gown, unless it is as glamorous and beautiful as the LED Galaxy Dress by Cute Circuit. With 24,000 2×2 mm full-coloured LEDs embroidered on layers of organza crinoline and silk chiffon, the dress shimmers and flashes as one walks. Unlike the usually stiff and tacky lit-up couture , the dress is light and mesmerising. The dress is powered by small and light iPOd batteries which are easily hidden
beneath the layers of cloth. For 30 minutes to an hour, the LED Galaxy Dress displays a walking show of light and colours.

Eurotech Catalyst XL and FX Based on Intel Atom Z5XXPT Solution Targeted for System Builders

2009-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

We have been mentioning about new Intel Atom processor Z5XXPT with larger foot print and extended temperature support and if you wonder what actual platform that has been specifically designed based on this, now here is one of them that you may be interested in. Just recently,

Eurotech has announced a COM (Computer on module), with the name of Catalyst XL based on Intel Atom Z5XXPT and SCH US15WPT as well as a relatively larger Catalyst FX carrier board to extend various peripherals IOs support targeted for developers and system builders.

Communication at the Fingertips for the Visually Impaired with BrailleNote Apex

2009-11-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

Communication is not any less important when a person is blind or deaf and handicapped in one means of receiving and transmitting information accessible to others. Physical handicaps

should not prevent one from living a normal and productive life. HumanWare, the leader in technological devices for the visually impaired, has added another feather to its cap. It has introduced the world’s thinnest and lightest notetaker for the blind, the BrailleNote Apex.

Create a perfect résumé

2009-11-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

Recession is a new age word which terrifies almost everyone who is mainly a part of the service sector, especially when you realize that you never saw it coming. Although you cannot imagine yourself to be the next target, you need to be realistic in your approach and think without getting overtly emotional. This does not mean you start hunting for alternate jobs right away. Instead, what you can do is take little steps in the right direction.

The fi rst thing you can start with is updation of your résumé. You may not have paid any attention to it in a long time, and hence it may need many fixes. Making a résumé from scratch, at times might be easier than fi xing one created ages ago. If you keep a few essential must-does in mind, the process can get very easy and you can be armed with an impressive résumé in no time at all! Let us guide you through some tools which may come in handy.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BIODATA, A CV AND A RÉSUMÉ

Although the words are used in the same context, they serve very diff erent purpose. A bio-data is typically useful if you intend to show your lineage, family history or personal background. A bio-data typically has a pass-port size picture of the applicant followed by his name, his father's name, nationality, father's occupation, date of birth, followed by education details in tabular form. This format is very ideal for a marriage proposal, not for a job profi le. A CV, on the other hand is, a detailed chronology of professional experience. CV is an acronym for curriculum vitae is usually over two pages long and at times even contains samples of the applicant's work.

The CV is a preferred job application format in the United States, Canada, and some European nations. It is usually advisable to submit your CV when you are not applying for any specific position in the company and would prefer any openings that suit your profile.
CV's are considered ideal for people who have published work and wish to enter the educational or academic field.
A résumé also spelt as resumé or resume is a concise summary of events your work experience. A résumé is considered to be a marketing tool which is to be used if you have a specifi c position to apply in a company. In an ideal résumé, career objectives and work history are given more importance and visibility than academic qualifi cation. It is more about where you worked than about what you did. It's a very nice technique to market yourself especially if you are a part of the middle or senior management and have worked for stably long periods with good organizations.

GOING ONLINE

There are several online options available to create a basic résumé absolutely free of cost. Some such web services include the "resumizer" and the "emurse". To use the resumizer, you can visit http: //resumizer. com/resume_creator. htm. The website is extremely user friendly and easy to use. The other notable features on the website are the covering letter and references page formats which can be used to enhance your resume. These formats are quite preliminary in approach, and hence you may require using alternative solutions to build a more constructive resume. Moreover, if you try to save an editable version of your online resume, it is saved as
a webpage. You can copy-pasted the contents on a word document to create a local copy or your résumé, covering letter and reference list.
Alternatively, you can use the emurse. Visit www. emurse. com/resume/content to create your résumé. Just like the resumizer, the website is equally easy to use. But emurse scores over the resumizer because of its customization options. Moreover, you can save the copy of your résumé locally on your computer as a MS Word document, an OpenDocument, an HTML page,
a PDF, a Rich Text Format or a plain text document as per your requirements.
You can navigate to the design page to change the layout of your résumé. The emurse web service, however, does not provide additional services like the resumizer does. Also, you are required to create a login for the website before you can start using its services.

THE WORD WIZARD

The MS-Offi ce Word has been an international favorite for creating résumés, curriculum vitae and bio-data for a long time now. The newer versions of the application suite provides additional support in terms of tips and pre-created templates. If you use Word versions 97-2003, or XP, you can use the "Resume Wizard" to guide you to create your résumé through the "File |
New | Templates" menu option. You can visit http:// offi ce.microsoft.com/en-us/templates and click the "Resumes and CVs" category. Here, you can browse
for a résumé format on the basis of your requirement. It is advisable to use Internet Explorer for browsing the offi ce sites, as none of the other browsers support ActiveX components like the Internet Explorer.
This task gets easier, if you are using Word 2007. Open a Word 2007 document, and click the "Office" button. Click "New" and browse through the "Microsoft Office Online" templates in the left-side panel of the "New Document" dialog box. Select the "Resumes and CV" category. You will fi nd the same subsections like that on the website. You will however, be required to validate the genuineness of the Office 2007 application suite if you download templates contributed by the Microsoft community, either through the Word 2007 application or the website itself.

USING THE RIGHT APPLICATIONS

If you are still unable to get the desired results from your resume, you can use tools available across the Internet. Some of these tools cost quiet a lot and come with limited trial period. But the biggest hindrance in using a resume creator tool is that most of them save files in formats which cannot be read by any word-processor. Let us take a look at some of these applications in more detail.

THE RESUME BUILDER 4.8:
The Resume Builder 4.8 is a comprehensive and easy to use tool, which enables you to create very professional yet to-the-point resumes which will enable you to achieve the full attention of your target organization. You can visit www. sarmsoft . com/product/ resume builder to download a trial version of the application. All the features are available to you for use during the trial period and you can use the application for up to 14 days after installation with registering for the serial key. Although a résumé file created in the application is saved in the *.rb4 format, you can however export the file as HTML, HR-XML, Microsoft Word or Text Format files. You can even export your completed resume to be uploaded via FTP servers, so sent to your saved
contacts using an SMTP connection. The application provides you over 30 diff erent résumé styles to choose from. Also, you can attach your picture to your resume and add sections and sub-sections of your choice, as per the requirements of your job profi le. The
application however does not provide you with any assistance to create a covering letter or a references list for your résumé.

THE RESUMEMAKER PROFESSIONAL:

The “ResumeMaker Professional v14” is a neither a freeware nor a shareware application. You will have to purchase the application in order to use it. But the application is well worth your time. You can visit www. individualsoftware.com/software/resume_career_
development/resumemaker_professional to purchase the latest version (v15).
The software provides essential features like contact manager with mail merge facility, and free
professional fonts, just to name a few. The application not only helps you to create your not only a well guided résumé, but also a host of other important résumé accessories like a covering letters, list of references and addendum to your résumé. You can also make a job portfolio which collates your resume, covering letter, list of references and resume addendum into one PDF fi le. The application provides documents samples and expert tips as per your needs.
You can save your résumé in the application format (*.rmr fi le) or as a MS Word document (both the *.doc and the *.docx formats), the Rich Text Format (*.rtf), ASCII Text (*.txt), Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) or a Web Page (.html).

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE DRAFTING

You should not add personal details like your age, date of birth, gender, marital status, number  of dependents or health status for legal reasons. Such details may be a cause of discrimination.
A cover letter adds more genuineness to your résumé. Create a covering letter especially if you choose to omit the "Objective" section, which is ideal if you are applying for specific positions in an organization.
While filling academic details, be concise. Include details such as course name,program/degrees completed along with graduation dates which may be optional, unless you are applying as a fresher.
Details like work experience and academics should appear in the reverse chronology, i.e. mention the most recent details at the beginning itself.
When you are applying for a specific position, tweak your résumé details accordingly. You may keep different versions of your résumé for different target industries.
Keep your résumé up to two pages or less. Ensure the spacing is adequate and you have highlighted key words.
Keep separate addendum for key sections such as list of articles written, detailed job specifications and references etc.
Use action words effectively instead of phrases like "was responsible for" or "duties included" to make your résumé more vibrant. Some of the commonly used action words include led, achieved, arranged, accomplished, guided, facilitated, etc.

Computer security

2009-10-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

SECURITY

Software and security companies join forces as Conficker continues to spreadIn an unprecedented international move, several Internet, antivirus and security-relatedorganizations around the world have united to fight the Conficker/Downadup outbreak that isalready being described as one of the worst worm outbreaks in history. The key players inthe alliance are Microsoft, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,which administers the world's top-level domain names and IP address allocation), and othercorporations including VeriSign, AOL, Symantec, F-Secure, Arbor Networks, the Shadowserver Foundation, Georgia Tech, and several DNS registrars. By sharing predictionsof which domains the worm will try to contact, the companies hope to be able to cut off itssource of updates and instructions. In addition, Microsoft has announced areward of US$ 250,000 for any information that results in the arrest and conviction ofthose responsible for spreading the code, which the corporation has labeled a criminalattack. The reward is applicable to anyone around the world, since the worm has affectedInternet users around the world.

OpenDNS and Kaspersky:
Another alliance aimed at combating Confickr was announced by OpenDNS and Kaspersky, whobelieve that system administrators need to be more aware about how malware isspreading on their networks. OpenDNS is a web infrastructure service that processes andcan optimize and filter web requests from individual computers or large corporations.Using the same pseudo-random strings to predict the domain names that the worm willtry to contact, the companies can attempt to block the worm from contacting its creatorsand spreading. Network administrators will also be alerted about machines on theirnetworks which have become infected and have started contacting these domains.

About Conficker:

The worm, also known as Downadup and Kido, has already infected over50 million PCs worldwide, with over 1.1 million new infections detected in a single day inJanuary by security vendor F-Secure. The original Conficker.A worm and its more virulentvariant Conficker.B, spread through a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that affectsserver services, now known as MS08-067. Iinfected computers contact 250 pseudorandomlygenerated domain names each day to check for updates and to download updatesto itself. The attackers who spread the code know how the pseudo-random name generatorworks, and can register any domain name in anticipation of a day on which infected PCs willtry to contact it.Infected machines are unable to access the websites of most antivirus and securityvendors, and cannot download updates for their security software. Windows Update isalso blocked. The worm then attempts to modify system files and the Windows registryin order to propagate and ensure its components are running on each boot, beforecreating autorun.inf files in every shared folder and removable device.The worm spreads through removable media by exploiting the Windows Autorunfeature, and can also propagate across a local network by probing network shares andgenerating random IP addresses in the same range as the host, along with trying brute-forcepassword cracks using a set of extremely common and weak passwords, which has theside effect of locking users out of their own PCs after multiple failed attempts.Despite Microsoft releasing an unscheduled emergency patch for the vulnerability, itcontinues to infect millions of PCs. Symantec statistics show that the majority of infectionsare on Windows XP SP2/SP3 computers, but a huge percentage are on computers running XPSP1 or lower. These machines are almost certainly not using Windows Update, and aretherefore unpatched.

FUTURE TECH

2009-10-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth over Wi-Fi brings huge speed boosts

A new Bluetooth specification for portable devices will piggyback on their built-in Wi-Fihardware to accelerate file transfer speeds by a huge margin. The process, technically known as Alternate MAC/PHY will reportedly become an official addition to theBluetooth specification this April. It involves having devices search for and recognize eachother using standard Bluetooth handshake protocols, and then handing over actual file transfers to the devices' Wi-Fi hardware using an ad-hoc connection while control over the connection remains with the Bluetooth controller. Speeds could jump upto Wi-Fi's current 54 Mb/s rating. But that's not all! According to Broadcom, some of its chips already in circulation can be upgradedwith just a firmware flash.

2009-10-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

3G POLYMERS

Unique laptopaccessory

3G Polymers has launched Laptop Skinz for laptops, the first such product available officially in India. Theinnovative Skinz give any laptop a designer look and also protect the lid of the laptop from scratches. They areavailable in sizes ranging from 10 inchesto 17 inches. Laptop Skinz are made of high quality imported self-adhesive plastic. The special adhesive can beremoved from any surface without leaving stains, and can be reused twice. Skinz are available in 18 themes and 150-plus high resolution designs. A user can use his or her own favorite photo to create a skin customized to the size required. The company also offers corporate branding options..

PRICE: Rs. 549

Affordable feature-rich laptops

2009-10-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

CROMA

Affordable feature-rich laptops

Croma has launched its own private labeled Croma laptops. These are featurepacked machines at a surprisingly affordable price. To start with, the HomeSeries laptop is suitable for home users since it is packed with features, and is midsized and budget-friendly, while the Entertainment Series laptop suits onesneeds if he designs websites, edits home movies or plays games since it comes with a powerful processor, lots of memory, Nvidia graphics card, and a healthy hard drive. Both laptops are preloaded with operating systems and have a trendyimprint design. The Croma Advantage Program will help customers get 2 years’extended warranty at the cost of one year, one year’s antivirus free, and Tata Indicom modem at a special price.
PRICE: Home series: Rs 32,999; Entertainment series: Rs 42,

Techno***>>>

2009-10-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

HAMRA

combination of laser and magnet headsallows considerably higher data densities onhard disks and is on the brink of going from the lab into production.

Blu-ray

A blue laser allows considerably finer data structures on optical media.After an intense war of formats years later, Blu-raycomes out on top against the HD-DVD and becomes the HD video medium.

Iomega
The Rev is a 2.5-inch removable hard disk system with a capacityof 35 GB, in which the motor and disk are part of each unit.Only the electronics and reading heads are found in the drive.

Laptop Mouse & Webcam

2009-08-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Laptop mouse and webcam
Using the touchpad for a prolonged period can be quite frustrating even for advanced users—nothing is as comfortable as a mouse. Although desktop mice can be used with a laptop, they are bulky to be carried in a laptop bag.
Laptop mice are more compact and yet are very comfortable on the hand.
Wired as well as wireless variants of such mice are available in plenty of designs.
Webcams are common features in most entry-level and mainstream laptops. But if your laptop doesn’t have one, there are several models available that clip on to the laptop’s lid. The resolution of the webcam should be at least 1.3 megapixels, which translates into 1280x1024 pixels. The best brands to consider are Microsoft, Logitech and Creative.

Samsung NP-NC10(Netbook)

2009-08-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

NETBOOK

Samsung NP-NC10
Samsung is a late entrant in the netbook arena, but has introduced something solid. Although hardware in most netbooks is
courtesy Intel’s Atom processor, let’s fi nd out what is diff erent about the NC10.
Features
The Samsung NP-NC10 features hardware that is common to most netbooks. It is built around the Intel
945GSE chipset and is powered by the Intel Atom N270 which is clocked at 1.60GHz. This package and 1 GB RAM, a 160GB hard drive and an onboard Intel GMA
950 GPU make this netbook worthwhile for business on the go. Its decently sized 10.2-inch screen which houses a
1.3-megapixel webcam is a nice touch for video calls and messages. The screen’s resolution of 1024 x 600 is good enough
for offi ce work, an occasional in-fl ight movie or even light gaming. Connectivity is off ered via 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi b/g
and Bluetooth. Samsung could have provided Wi-Fi n. Since the hard drive is roomy enough, why shouldn't users be
able to download faster? Other features include one VGA and 3 USB ports, audio ports and a Kensington
lock slot. There’s an SD card reader housed in the front of the device. Along
with the preinstalled Microsoft Windows XP Home edition, you get McAfee Virus
Scan as well. The inclusion of the Samsung Recovery Solution for XP in the bundle adds value to the product.
However, using the disc will need an external optical drive, which netbooks don’t come with. Build quality
When it comes to build quality, the Samsung NP-NC10 is a cut above other
netbooks. It is chunky, robust and fl aunts a solid design. Even the color used is all-solid, the one we tested was
an elegant metallic violet. The overall impressive build quality also includes the sturdy lid and bezel. With aptly arranged keys, the keyboard is one of the better ones we’ve seen so far. The touch pad is smaller than that of other netbooks butis comfortable and has a scroll zone. So overall, we’d say this one scores well on build quality.
Performance:
As far as performance goes, there isn’t much to diff erentiate the NC10 from other standard netbooks. When stacked up against the Asus 1000H, the NC10 matches it in performance in most cases. The memory bandwidth is the same, and even the processing power doesn’t falter in comparison. It performs as well as any Atom N270-based netbook. Sound quality is good and even the battery life is tremendous with nearly a whopping 5 hours when using regular applications.

Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II

2009-08-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

SPEAKERS
Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II
Creative usually does well with its speakers, so we could not wait to get our hands on the high-end Gigaworks T40 Series II set. Design and Features This 2.0 system comes wrapped in an attractive rectangular case containing the two speakers, power adapter, EP wire, Dual RCA-to-stereo Adapter (TV adapter) and instructions in multiple languages. The front panels of the speakers are covered with detachable cloth grilles, the build quality of which aren't up to the mark for such a highend set. The speakers themselves are well made with a black matte fi nish and a mild lustre. Each one is ported on top, which is something unusual. The line-in and headphone jacks are below the knobs on the front panel. The maximum power output is 16 watts per channel and the frequency response is rated at 50 Hz to 20 KHz. Performance We wanted to see how this unit performed in music, movies and games. The frequency response trailed off at around 50 Hz, and highs were a bit uneven near the treble end of the frequency spectrum. The bass is not the best and could be tighter. The overall loudness is impressive, we played the speakers at the maximum level, and they didn't succumb to any distortion.

USB flash Drive

2009-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

USB FLASH DRIVE

Kingston DataTraveler Mini Slim Kingston has always been excellent as far as memory and flash storage products are concerned. This time around they have introduced a new product known as the DataTraveler Mini Slim. As the name points out, this fl ash drive is quite slim and almost looks like a MicroSD card with a USB interface. Weighing just around 1.5 grams, this little drive can actually get lost in your pocket. The DataTraveller Mini Slim series is available in black, pink and blue colors and variants of 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB and 16GB storage capacities. The fl ash drive
has a two year warranty. The Mini Slim was surprisingly sluggish when it came to real-world
fi le transfer tests. We transferred fi less amounting to around 500 MB each in single and multiple bundles. Write speeds of 1.8 MB/s and 1.1 MB/s were noted for single and multiple fi les
respectively, while read speeds were measured at 12 MB/s and 11 MB/s respectively. The DT Mini Slim is not advisable for those who need high data transfer speeds, anyone looking for a
small storage device which can slip into any corner of your bag or pocket will probably quite like it. The 4 GB capacity is enough for an average of 1,000 MP3 songs or fi ve DivX movie fi les. Sharing data is not a problem as the read speeds are above average, but fi lling the drive
to full capacity gives you enough time to take a lunch break.

iRiver E50

2009-08-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

This one is a simple, sleek media player without a
lot of pretensions, but the gorgeous brushed
metal look and discreetly hidden controls still
make it worthy of being desired. The E50 weighs
just 40 grams and will last for about 52 hours of
audio playback on a single charge.

ipod Suffel

2009-08-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

Apple iPod shuffle

The third generation iPod shuffle is a study in
minimalism—apart from dispensing with the
screen, it's gotten rid of its buttons as well! You
control the thing with a single button on the inline
remote, and it can use your PC or Mac's voice synthesis
capabilities to read out the names of playlists and
songs to you. It might be OK for a gym, but the
whole concept seems to require just a bit too much fiddling for our tastes.

LEnovo

2009-08-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Lenovo

Pocket Yoga
This Sony Vaio P lookalie is only a concept
design, but shows off some nice ideas like a
fully foldable screen that allows the device
to be used as a tablet, and a sleeve that acts
as a mouse when the device is in use.

Nokia N97(Mobile)

2009-08-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

NOKIA N97
The N97 is not sleek and is just a bit on the hefty side, but its weight seems well adjusted for comfort and portability. The slide out QWERTY keypad and screen angle are great and so is the 3.5inch resistive touch screen. The real panel though had a problem sitting back into the grooves and stuck out awkwardly. The Symbian OS version 904 with an S60 UI coupled with an ARM 11.434MHz processor makes for speedy usage and multi-tasking. Equipped with one of the better music players in Nokia's multimedia range of handsets the N97 does not include codecs like DivX and XviD for video playback. Podcasting, a voice recorded and a quick link to YouTube are available but the games are not impressive.
The N97 comes loaded with Wi-Fi, 3G with HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS, Bluetooth V 2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0, Nokia Maps, vWaveseure OVI, Hi% and YouTube aside from being able to support Mail for Exchange POP and IMAP accounts can be configured.
The browser is very well designed with full flash support and is pretty easy to navigate and sue with no issues.
The N97's business features are limited to a limited edition of QuickOffice wherein documents can't be created, only existing files can be opened. Nokia's Zip application and PDF reader are also present as is the Active Notes apps. The 5 megapixel camera is really quite average with features including scene modes, exposure, white balance and others. No smile or even face detection. On a single charge the handset can be used for a little over a day with it being logged to Facebook and Twitter all the time, one hour's worth of calls, lots of messages, 40 minutes of video and some navigation and music.
skool_l@yahoo.com

ASUS EEEPC 1008HA(NetBook)

2009-08-18T21:40:00.001-07:00

ASUS EEEPC 1008HA

Nicknamed Seashell, the EeePC 1008 HA is a cut above the previous models, mainly because of its looks and design. It is sleek, sexy, and very stylish. So far netbook manufacturers have paid most of their attention to features and convenience, but this baby is sure to win a lot of hearts. Since the Seashell has hardware and features that are common to most netbooks, there isn't much to speak in this regard. The closest match to its configurations is the 1000HE. Built around the Intel 945 chipset, this netbook is powered by an Atom N280 processor, has 1GB RAM and a 160GB hard drive. What caught our attention the most was the slim design-it is as thin as a thumb and is the lightest netbook available. The all-black glossy body, attractive touchpad, great keyboard and an overall slick finish is what makes this netbook one of the most attractive ones out there. Underneath these flaps are 2 USB ports, audio jacks and an Ethernet jack. Only two things are without flaps, a multi-card reader and a power jack. Asus has bundled a USB-to-VGA dongle, which co0nnects to a tiny USB port and this dongle is smartly nestled in a compartment underneath the unit. In addition to the looks and design, even its build quality is worth the praise. The combination of qualities such as strong hinges, light weight and overall ruggedness is usually hard to find in netbooks and laptops.
Performance-wise, the Seashell will suffice for most office application, Internet surfing, video conferencing, chatting, watching movies, light gaming, emails and so on. Even the battery runtime of this netbook is quite impressive-up to 6 hours.

skool_l@yahoo.com

Acer aspire one 751H(NETBOOK)

2009-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

Acer aspire one 751H

With companies like Asus, Acer, MSI and others bombarding the market with these portable, affordable machines, net books are here to stay. Having changed the face of "Mobile Computing", they are better than the average laptop when it comes to portability and battery life and are an advantage to those who need it for basic requirements such as MS Office Application and connecting to the Internet.

The sleek Acer751H with a glossy black finish is ergonomically designed, is not more than an inch thick and weighs just about 1.35kg. Though the unit is prone to finger prints one can overlook this for its robust build quality. The glossy screen tends to attract a lot of glare in brightly lit room and can be a distraction while typing or watching a movie.

Under the 11.6-inch screen lid is a full-sized keyboard with well spaced keys. The net book has a 1366×768 display resolution, is capable of playing HD movies at 720p and has support for high definition audio. Like its predecessor the Acer 751H features a multi-gesture touchpad, while slightly angular VGA and Ethernet ports sets it apart from other notebooks.

The Acer 751H is based on the older Atom Z520 which operates at 1.3GHz. Nevertheless, the 751H will suffice if you don't plan to run demanding applications. The net book is also equipped with 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, three USB ports, a multi-card reader, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It can deliver an amazing eight hours of battery backup when working on applications such as MS Office and Paint.

The Acer 751H is a great laptop alternative with its wide 11.6-inch screen and full sized keyboard. But that's only applicable if you are ready to sacrifice performance over portability.

skool_l@yahoo.com

Big Brother is Watching

2009-07-18T00:18:00.003-07:00

Has CCTV turned the UK into a surveillance society? Many argue that it has. CCTV is just a tool, like any other, in the law enforcement armoury, so much depends on in whose hands it is used. In recent years there have been a number of high profile incidents that have raised public concerns. In 2005, CCTV control room operators in Merseyisde used street CCTV to spy into the home of a female resident and film her preparing to take bath - they were found guilty of voyeurism and jailed. A test case in the European Court considered the case of a man who was saved from committing suicide by being spotted on CCTV but who later claimed that his Human Rights had been violated when the local CCTV operator released CCTV images - in which he was identifiable - as part of publicity campaign to demonstrate the value of CCTV. The EU court agreed his Human Rights had been violated. In the UK a number of organisations - including the government's own regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office - have raised concerns about the use of CCTV. There is a dynamic between, on the one hand, the police and intelligence services who wish to have as much freedom to surveil whoever they wish and, on the other civil liberties groups who believe all such intrusions into people's lives should be curtailed. What's the appropriate point between these two extremes that will give the public the maximum protection for the minimum of privacy intrusion? Recent the UK parliament's House of Lords has considered this vexed questions, and has made a number of recommendations intended to curtail CCTV's excesses. These recommendations include that CCTV should only be deployed where its use is 'proportional' - where the activity it is to surveil is of sufficient seriousness to justify the intursion of people's privacy that it will entail; that the use of 'privacy impact assessments' should be considered prior to each new CCTv deployment; and that all CCTV data (including ANPR data) should only be kept for the minimum period defined as necessary within the Operational Requirements. The Home Office and the police have between them produced a National Strategy for CCTV in the UK, which includes the recommendation that, because CCTV necessarily entails privacy intrusion, it should not be everyone who can use it - there should be a licensing/registration/vetting programme for CCTV. However, regardless of all of this, national surveys of the UK public's attitude to CCTV continue to show acceptance levels for the measur e of greater than 80%.

Who's LOOKIN at U?

2009-07-17T23:22:00.001-07:00

In the 15 years since government funds first became available for public CCTV, the UK has evolve to be the most surveilled country in the world. it has more surveillance CCTV than anywhere else on Earth. Even as long ago as 2002, according to researchers, the average UK city dweller, going about their ordinary business, is caught on camera more than a hundred time a day. So enthusiastically has the UK embraced public space surveillance that this small island is now home to 20 per cent of the world's CCTV cameras. Huge sums of money have been spent, and over 600 of the UK's towns and cities now deploy CCTV cameras on their streets. And, though accurate figures are hard to come by, best estimates suggest there is now one CCTV camera for every 14 citizens-an astonishing 4.2 million lenses pointing at the population. CCTV is now a routine and accepted part of British daily life. It is omnipresent. It's in every major public space, at every transport hum, inside every shop and office, in schools, stadiums, colleges and hospitals, it covers every major highway and every major public event.

DOES CCTV WORK?
So what's been learnt in these 15 years of public scrutiny? Has CCTV increased public protection? Well, the short answer is that CCTV is proving a very useful and valuable tool for a whole range of different applications-except for the one thing it was originally installed to achieve: crime prevention. All of the research conducted thus far, and there have been several academic studies, indicates that CCTV's power to deter (or displace crime to areas without CCTV)-just through the fact of tis being there - is quite limited. It can have a deterrent effect on a few specific types of crime (for example, car crime in controlled areas such as multi-story car parks). But research by the UK Home Office and others, shows that the mere fact of CCTV surveillance does not prevent many serious crimes. Those involving violence, or crimes of vandalism, especially those where the perpetrator has been consuming alcohol. The reason for this is obvious, if you think about it. People who indulge in crime of passion have no time to take into account that they are being filmed. People who are drunk tend not to think rationally about the consequences of their actions. And of course, any would be terrorist or suicide bomber probably doesn't care less one way or the other if his captured on CCTV is now so all pervasive in the UK, that it is pretty much impossible for the career criminal to avoid. They must work within its gaze, because they can't work beyond it. However, luckily for all those who ear their living through CCTV, the measure has come to be acknowledged as an exceptional, even indispensable, tool for a number of other purposes. CCTV has turned out to be very good indeed for:
INVESTING CRIMES:
Nearly every major police investigation now involves seizure of all relevant CCTV image data, and a great many criminal prosecutions now include CCTV evidence. Even in the case of a recent double-murder that took place inside the victims' house, CCTV evidence from street cameras was used to show that eh perpetrators then used the victim's cash till cards following the crime- a critical piece of evidence helping to sway the jury to bring in a guilty verdict. CCTV evidence is proving to be enormously persuasive with both juries and, more importantly, with the arrested criminals themselves. If the analysis was to be done (which unfortunately it hasn't been) then CCTV would be shown to be paying for itself, probably several times over, in terms of the time and money saved to the police, criminal justice system and courts through its power to encourage criminals who are shown CCTV images of their crimes to opt for early guilty pleas. There has also been a separate benefit of CCTV. It has uncovered a whole new layer of crimes taking place in society's public places, which hitherto would have gone unnoticed, or unreported. Police now view CCTV as the 'third forensic discipline', rivaling DNA and fingerprint evidence in importance. CCTV data is now routinely recovered following any incident (and increasingly following more minor incidents), and it is often now handled and precessed by specialist police CCTV evidence teams, operating within newly established regional forensic CCTV image labs. A particular advantage with CCTV is that, because cameras run 24/7, investigators can view the events leading up to an incident.
For example, following the London terrorist bombings in July 2005, security services were able not only to identify the bombers, but also discover the background to the crimes and view the rehearsal that the bombers made in the weeks prior to the attack - giving the security services important new clues about the background to the attacks and the individuals involved.
Intelligence Gathering:
CCTV is now frequently used to investigate those who are believed to be planning criminal activities. This surveillance is either carried out overtly or covertly. Often this will involve the deployment of temporary CCTV cameras for the duration of the operation. for this, the authorities use either mobile CCTV (Vehicle-based cameras) or relocatable CCTV (cameras that can be temporarily mounted on lamp posts). In May this year, in a bizarre overt example of this type of investigation, police used Body Worn Video cameras (miniature cameras that are worn, usually either on headgear or on uniform jacket) to follow the activities of a group of suspected burglars in Essex. Police notified the individuals concerned by letter that they would be videoed, and then they followed them with cameras. Burglaries in the area during the period of the operation fell by half.
Aiding response to incidents:
The third way in which CCTV has proved valuable is though its ability to help police and other responding services, including paramedics and social services, to provide appropriate response to incidents. Monitoring staff in CCTV control rooms can provide a 'live' assessment of the type of incident, allowing responders to roaster response accordingly. If the event escalates, staff can inform police who will take necessary action to perhaps increase resources being devoted to the incident. Authorities responding to an incident are also reassured, knowing they are being watched on CCTV. There are documented instances where a police person, seeking to control public disorder, has been prevented from calling for back-up, but has been seen in difficulties by CCTV staff, who have then been able to quickly notify police to send reinforcements. CCTV staff can also quickly review CCTV data in the lead-up to an incident, even as it is happening, and communicate directly with police attending the scene, to ensure that police on the ground questions the right people, or to ensure that key witnesses do not wander away from the scene.

Ditital LIFE

2009-07-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

MasterONE:

The Swiss audiophile company has come out with a new model of speakers, called the Piefa MasterOne, Piega's claim with the MasterOne is that these are the first dipole speakers that are designed as a single source of sound, which makes the speakers crystal clear even in demanding room conditions. A single unit is available for $20,850.
CRV-43:
The CRV-43 from NEC Display Solutions is a staggering 43-inch display. Four DLP monitors are stitched together, to give one seamless 2880×900 display resolution. We are guessing that the monitors will be used for workstations, but gaming rigs may benefit if the game can handle the 30:1 aspect ratio. The monitor is available for $8,000, but good luck finding wallpapers for it.
Anti Gravity Globe:
The Levitron Anti Gravity Globe, is both, a great display piece and a toy for children, Microchip controlled electromagnets levitate a slowly revolving glove above an anti-gravity base. There are no anti-gravity waves involved, but the resulting effect is stunning nonetheless. Unfortunately, the countries and the continents are labelled, spoiling the effect a bit. Order one of these at Thinkgeek or Amazon for $80.
Flight System G940:
Logitech's Flight System G940 is a controller kit aimed at flight-sim enthusiasts. Compatible with most flight-sim games, the package consists of a controller kit, pedals and a split throttle. We can understand the force feedback allows for turbulence and the behaviour of the aircraft, we are unsure of how the gadget can simulate g-forces, but Logitech claims it can. Club this thing with the CRV-43 for the ultimate flight-sim fanatic experience Pick one up for $300.

COREL PAINTR 11

2009-07-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

DIFFERENT STROKES:

Corel's Painter is meant for 2D artists who normally sue a canvas and painting and drawing tools to create artwork. The interface hasn't changed a lot from previous versions. One of the nice features of Painter is the mixer window that lets you add and mix color like they would in a real palette. Painter even lets you use different kinds of canvas and there are some brushes like the water color that won't work on regular canvas. Thankfully, layers are present so you can separate bits and pieces of a painting. The watercolor and spray paints spread on paper like they would in real life. So there is very good attention to detail and at the same time, it makes Painter good fun to use. There is no shortage of brushes and there are plenty of presets for each kind of brush. The application is really simple to get used to and layout is more or less like any other image editor. There is basic effects such as blur and color tone changing tools in Painter. The improvements and additions to this version are basically a few brushes. There is a noticeable improvement in performance. We tried on different systems including a Pentium 4 with a gigabyte of RAM and it ran perfectly fine. We also had the Wacom Intuos 4 tablet with us for review an it worked will with painter. Painter 11 is excellent for anyone deeply interested in painting and sketching. There are a few alternatives but Painter is probably the most matured one of the lot. A lightly simpler and open interface would be nice. This software is a must have for anyone in the 2D art industry or a lot of interest in the art form.

When online romance goes wrong

2009-07-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Interesting internet love stories are not new the type that even thought it is forbidden and people known it to be wrong, still indulge in it. But what if it goes terribly wrong and one fall i love with a woman, who is actually a man wasting time and playing a prank, how does one react to that? A common scenario of a prank like this is when the victim is actually known by the prankster, so all the details about his or her likes and dislikes are known and can be exploited upon. But why would anybody do such a thing. Well recently, the latest person to have fallen prey to this type of internet abuse is none other than Antonio Castro, the son f Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The individual to blame for this-Luis Dominguez, who has been exiled from Cuba and has been blogging from Miami. He posed as a 27 year old Columbian sports journalist under the name of Claudia. Now Dominguez knew that Antonio had a weak spot towards young women and sports, so he combined the two to create this fake identity. How has this helped anybody? Well for starters Dominguez was able to penetrate the wall of privacy, created by the Castro family, and came to known about the daily routines and life of Antonio Castro and also found out some very intimate details. Another thing this operation has revealed is how the internet can be sued to conduct sting operations, though we aren't advising any of you to mess around with your friends in this manner. Apparently, Dominguez is offering no apologies for what he has done and is proud to have achieved his goal by invading the privacy of the Castros. In Cuba, people are denied internet access even from Hotels, but Antonio Castro used to chat with Claudia from his BlackBerry device with had unlimited access to the net. Here's the best part of this all, Antonio is engaged to a 26 year old TV producer in Havana, wonder how she is reacting to all this?

Network magic

2009-07-16T01:50:00.001-07:00

Many households today have more than one PC. Even if each family member has his or her own desktop or laptop as well as a cellphone, the Home Theater PC, games consoles, a couple of smart appliances scattered around the house, and even a few gadgets in the car can all be networked so that you can store all your media centrally and share it between them. The first thing to decide about a home netwok is how much of it will be wired and how much will be wireless. You'll need Wi-Fi for your mobiles devices and laptops, but tethered computers (especially the media server and HTPC) will benefit from the bandwidth of a wired gigabit Ethernet connection. You'll need to try several spots before you find the optimal lace to put your router.

Signal strength will be affected by distance, the number and type of walls between the router and each device,and also other wireless devices in the vicinity. A basic 4-port Wi-Fi router should e enough for a small home, since most of the devices will be wireless. Of course, the router can also be used to share your broadband Internet connection to all the devices.
When you have a network with three or more networked computers, t makes sense to have one central server. With a digital hoe entertainment network, you can store all our large movies files o the server rather than keep copying them between computers. This is also a good way to ensure that your precious family photos and home videos are backed up regularly-you can set up an automatic backup routine for the server and rest easy knowing that everything is safe. You could also just use an old computer that's just lying around. Pop in a gigabit Ethernet network card and a large enough hard drive, and just configure it to sit on the network with its data in shared folders. If all the computers on our network run windows, it might make sense to ivest in windows media center hardware and software to broaden your file-sharing horizons. Windows Vista Home Premium and above come with media center by default. Media Center Extender devices can connect to your TV and hi-fi sound system, and pull music and movies from your computers to watch on the big screen. These can be used instead of full-fledged HTPCs, but you lose the functionality of a full computer in the living room. The Xbox 360 also functions as a Media Center Extender, and is one of the most popular such devices available. If you want to stream music or video off the Internet to multiple computers on your home network, a god broadband connecting will be necessary. Anything less than 2 Mbps and you'll deal with "buffering..." messages and spinning hourglasses at very step.
As with any hoe or office network, it's also important to make sure your network is adequately protected with a firewall and antivirus /antimalware programs. Viruses and infections can spread rapidly over a network, so you'll need to scan even a pen drive if a friend plugs one in to any of the computers

Big Home Entertainment Ideas

2009-07-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

Music, videos and photos should not be confined to a single room or device. Here are some ways to sling your media files around and keep yourself entertained, everywhere you go.

We live in a digitat age and analog is passe. Content in various forms has been digitized and stored on gigabyte sized hard drives. The PC may be confined to that special corner in the home, but you'll want to access its contents from anywhere, using various devices. This seems to be a bit challenge. In a typical scenario, digital media are stored on a PC in one of the rooms and you(or other) may want to access files across rooms. In another scenario, your songs are stored on your smart phone or portable player, and you want to listen to these on your multimedia PC or home theater system. And wouldn't it be convenient if your cold take your favorite DVD movies an TV shows with you and watch them while commuting?
There are varius ways to transfer digital media from device to device or room to room.
INSTANT SOLUTIONS:
Home theatre PCs and gaming consoles are for those who want an instant solution. No messing around with networks and cabling. Also consider consumer electronics solutions like Philips Streamium.
NETWORK DEVICES:
If you've got more than one PC and gaming consoles in your home, then set up a home network. You'd probably opt for a peer to peer network, but a home media server gives you plenty of options.
GO WIRELESS:
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are best for connecting portable devices like smart phones and personal media players. One you've connected your PCs and evices for sharing media, there are a lethora of application to enjoy. Video and audio streaming, Internet radio, photo slideshows on the LCD TV, ripping DVDs and transcoding video for portables are some exciting ones to try.

Convenient Mini Keyboard

2009-07-16T00:19:00.001-07:00

Logitech has unveiled the sleek diNoVo Mini pam-sized keyboard with media remote and Clickpad. Designed for people who have connected their Pc to their TV, the compact and stylish diNoVo Mini keyboard makes it easy to control PC entertainment for the sofa. For easy navigation, the diNoVo Mini keyboard features backlighting and an innovative Clickpad, which can be sued as a touchpad to point, scroll and click or navigate menus and make selections. The mni-keyboard uses Bluetooth 2.0 for unfetered use from the sofa or anywhere in the living room. The diNoVo Mini keyboard feateures dedicated hotkeys for media players and Web browsers, as well as prominent [Page up] and [Page down] buttons which allow people to scroll when surfing the Web as well as zoom in and out of documents and images.

Powerful Security Suite

2009-07-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Kasper sky Lab has announced the release of its new and improved Kaspersky Internet Security2009 in India. The new version is designed to address the challenges in the security software space, the exponential increase in malicioius threats and the unprecendented sophistication of cybercriminal activities while overcoming the bane of security software slowing down the system. Kaspersky has entirely rebuilt its award winning anti-malware security engine and now boasts of powerful detection and scanning speeds. Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 is a the first consumer PC security rotection which ombines traditional signature scanning of bad application(blacklisting) with the extensive database of more than 400 million known good application(whitelisting).

Strategies

2009-07-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Computer Education strategies shall be adopted to accomplish to above mention objective in a fair and competitive manner;

i) The School shall act as a promoter, facilitator and regulator.

ii) Computer education shall be incorporated in academic curriculum starting from primary school level.

iii) IT shall be used to improve the quality of Eduction.

iv) High priority shall be given to implement computer education.

Objectives

2009-07-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

i) To make computer education accessible to the general classes(from Primary up to Higher level)
ii) To build a knowledge based school environment.
iii) To give education of information technology.

Computer in Education

2009-07-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

Computers are used in teaching aids, research tools and analyzing systems in educational institutions. Teachers use computer to organize and prepare courses materials; children are being taught to use computers at an early age; and more and more institution are using computer assisted instruction system. Educational software has become a major influence at all levels from elementary schools to universities. Elementry and Secondary schools are using computers to play multimedia in educational programs.

Societal Impact

2009-07-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Computer is the central tool in the information society. It has made great inroads in our everyday life and thinking. It is also transforming the organization in which we work, the kinds of skills available and the skills needed to succeed. Perhaps one day, our world be fully computerized. We may never be able to get away from them.

Computer is used in all areas of modern life in science, technology, business, industry, leisure and entertainment. It is also the tools for learning, recreation and are a perfect communication medium. It is spreading further and further into our daily lives. It has become so deeply embedded in our society that almost no activity would be possible without it.

Concepts

2009-07-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

After decades of slowly expanding behind the scenes, information technology has suddenly exploded into public view and seems to be tightly woven into the fabric of our lives. Our lives are becoming increasingly dominated by information technology. In most instances, information technology has had a very positive impact, making our lives easier and more productive. The world's least developed countries including Nepal have availed themselves of the opportunity to rapidly develop education, health, agriculture, tourism, trade and various other sectors using information technology. The extensive application of this technology will engender economic consolidation, development of democratic norms and values. It is information technology, which will engender economic norms and values. It is information technology, which will turn out to be a strong infrastructure for mitigating Nepal's geographical adversities.

Intro...

2009-07-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Micro Care is one of the IT base company established under IT policy of Nepal in the year 2006. Its main aim is to provide quality education in computer and increase knowledge in information and technology sector. Under the scheme of IT policy of Nepal. It has already implemented many computer in different school. The company have its own hardware Technician for technical crisis and provided qualified instructor for teaching aids. All the books and practical courses provided by company was recognized by the Education Board of Nepal. The main objectives of the company is to keep up to date knowledge on Information and Technology and provide quality education in reasonable charges. Company is abide for all kinds of problem raises in the field of IT and giving its best support to mend it.