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5 Things I Can Teach You About Twitter
A lot of people take the wrong approach to Twitter, using it for a constant stream of spam links and self-promotion but if you intend to use Twitter for communications, networking and marketing this is not very effective.
Teens are really social and as Twitter is an extremely sociable platform, it only makes sense that I as a teen can teach you a few things about the micro-blogging service.
1. Be Social
School is miserable. Lessons, tests and detentions from teachers who you don’t like and who don’t like you. Majority of teens who you speak to will agree that school is a bore. The one way to get through it is to have some friends to help you to pass the time. But how do you make friends? It’s by talking and being social of course. Twitter is the same, if you’re using it for communication, make sure that you reply to every DM, @reply and though provoking tweet that you get in your timeline. It’s the only way that you can make friends and gain follows as well as influence on the site. Not only this, but being social can result in great opportunities because of your network and creating this loyal group of followers will increase the likelihood of people ReTweeeting our links, making more people aware of you through their marketing.
2. Play Nice
Think about your school days. Remember that there was that bully in the playground who was mean to everyone? When it comes to Twitter, don’t be that guy. As if us teens didn’t dislike school enough without the addition of overbearing thugs annoying us in corridors! Here’s a life lesson: once you’re the bad-guy, you’re always the bad-guy and if you consistently insult people via Twitter, you’ll quickly gain a reputation as a loud mouth bully. If you have something to say, remember the 2 C’s – Creative Criticism. If you’ve got a problem with someone or something, be polite and say it gently. At least that way you get to voice your opinion and help someone out too!
3. Get that Extra-Credit
Take it from me, your lessons are a whole lot easier when your teachers like you. For any teenager in any class there’s a meanie who is rude to the teacher and has no manners. That kid practically lives in detention! There’s always a teacher’s pet too, who showers the teacher in compliments. That kid is a genius. With Twitter, compliments get you everywhere. @reply lovely messages (only if you mean them!) and watch as your followers attempt to create relationships with you, who is obviously a nice, kind-hearted person. You’ll also increase your chance of being followed as more people will tell their followers to follow you!
4. Pay Attention
Recently, I got the chance to make a screencast/video tutorial to my peers as part of an assessment. The lesson plan was the easy part but what I found difficult about it was that they wouldn’t pay attention for very long. It’s obvious that you learn more when you give something your entire focus, not getting distracted at all, especially in school but this same technique can definitely be applied to Twitter.
If you pay attention to Twitter, you’ll notice when people are talking about certain trends which means that they’ll be using search engines to search for them too. You’ll be able to harness that extra traffic potential by writing great posts about the latest ‘in-thing’ that the Internet is into.
5. Be Prepared
The worst thing in high school is to show up to a lesson unprepared. Everyone’s experienced that moment when the fear hits, and the sheer look of horror slowly creeps upon your face as you realize that the homework that you spent an entire weekend on, lays on a work-table, at home, miles out of reach because you simply forgot to prepare the night before and put it in your bag, ready to take to school. Knowing what you’re using Twitter for can really help. Using it for marketing? Know and prepare what links you’ll be sharing when you get a flood of new followers. What about communication? Be ready to jump in and get involved with the ‘happening’ discussions, this will also help to make you look like an expert in your field too. If you’re a Twitter networker, preparing to reply to your followers can let them know that you appreciate them!
Social media is new and exciting, but it comes down to interacting with others in a respectful, supportive manner. Remember, it’s a “community.”
10 Biggest Technology 'Fails' of 2010
CNN has listed out their “The 10 biggest tech fails of 2010” in which they have picked Apple’s iPhone 4 “antennagate” as tech’s biggest fail of the year 2010.
1. iPhone 4 'Antennagate'
This is what CNN had to say about the now infamous “antennagate” scandal from the much hyped Apple iPhone 4
Apple drama — nothing brings out the diehard fans and Apple haters quite like this one.
The newest iteration of the wildly popular smartphone was released in June.
By all standards, it’s been a huge success. All standards except one.
Some people couldn’t actually use it for phone calls.
OK, maybe that’s an overstatement. But the Grip of Death (caused when users covered part of the antenna in a band around the phone’s edge) was real — and a big glitch in the device’s rollout.
First Apple said the problem didn’t exist. Then they said it was a software issue. Then they kind-of admitted it existed and gave away free cases to help. Then, they said it doesn’t really exist anymore and stopped giving away the bumpers.
Months later, the problem is all but forgotten and the phones show no sign of dipping in popularity. So "fail," in this case, is a pretty relative term.
Other notable mentions in that list were: 3D TVs (at #2), Microsoft KIN (at #3), Google Nexus One (at #4), and iTunes Ping (at #10).
CNN’s 10 Biggest Tech Fails of 2010:
1. iPhone 4 ‘Antennagate’
2. 3D TV
3. Microsoft KIN
4. Google Nexus One
5. Facebook privacy
6. Google Buzz
7. Gawker media sites hacked
8. Content farms
9. Digg relaunch
10. iTunes Ping
[Src CNN Tech ]
2010 : Top 10 Phones Of The Year
The year 2010 was all about phones.Every known hardware manufacturer released a new handset after every 3-4 months with 1GHz processor, huge screens, AMOLED displays and loads of internal storage and RAM.
However, only a few of them were good enough to stand out from the crowd.
There were some Android phones which gave Apple’s iOS based iPhone a run for it’s money. Microsoft also entered the race in late 2010 with their Windows Phone 7 platform which introduced some new phones. Even Nokia came up with a good phone using the Symbian platform. So which are the top 10 phones than made a mark in 2010? Here is a list of them in my opinion.
1 – iPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is our number 1 handset of the year 2010 because of its killer looks, screen, hardware and OS (Did I forget to add any other aspect left in a phone?). The iPhone 4 sports a stunning 3.5-inch Retina display with a mind boggling 960×640 resolution. The handset is also the slimmest phone in the market right now and is made up entirely out of glass.The iPhone 4 does have its share of problem like antennagate but still it has been setting the sales chart on fire since Day 1.
2 – Samsung Galaxy S/Nexus S
Google announced the Nexus S in the first week of December. The Nexus S is basically a Galaxy S with some minor differences including Android 2.3 and NFC support. The Galaxy S has been one of the most popular Android handset this year, selling nearly 10 million units. The Galaxy S/Nexus S features a brilliant 4-inch Super-AMOLED screen with WVGA (800*400) resolution. The Galaxy S launched with Android 2.1 on board, but Samsung has already started rolling out the Android 2.2 update for the handset in some regions.
The reasons why the Galaxy S/Nexus S came second to the iPhone 4 in our top 10 phones of 2010 is due to its cheap build quality, lack of Flash in some Galaxy S models along with GPS woes and poor Samsung software support.
3 – HTC EVO 4G
The HTC EVO 4G was the first ‘monstrous’ Android phone with a huge 4.3-inch display. It was also the first ever Android phone to sport 4G. The handset was exclusive to the Sprint in the U.S until recently when HTC launched an updated version of the EVO 4G –the Desire HD – in other regions of the world. The HTC EVO 4G is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and packs in 512MB of RAM. HTC launched the device with Android 2.1 with its Sense UI on top of it. The handset also got its Froyo update soon after.However, one of the biggest disadvantage of the EVO 4G is its poor battery life. Also, in this age of Super-AMOLED/AMOLED and Retina Display, a LCD just does not cut it.
4 – T-Mobile G2/ HTC Desire Z
HTC is popular for its slide-out QWERTY keyboard form-factor based Windows Mobile running handsets. Many HTC loyalists and Android lovers were patiently waiting for HTC to come up with a decent slide-out QWERTY keyboard based Android handset. HTC answered the request and pleads of their loyalists with the T-Mobile G2/Desire Z. The handset sports a pop-out QWERTY based keyboard which offers great feedback and tactility.It was also among the first Android handsets to be powered by the new generation Qualcomm Snapdragon/Scorpion CPU. While the CPU of the G2/Desire was clocked at ‘only’ 800 MHz, it still kicked all other handsets running the previous generation Snapdragon processor at 1GHz. Other key specifications of the G2/Desire Z include a 3.7-inch S-LCD screen, GPS with A-GPS, microSD card slot and a 5MP camera. The T-Mobile G2 runs on stock Android 2.2 Froyo whereas the Desire Z runs on Android 2.2 with the popular HTC Sense UI skin on top of it.
5 – Motorola Droid X
Motorola and Verizon announced the Droid X with a lot of fanfare. The Droid X sports a 1GHz OMAP 3630 processor and 512MB of RAM. The phone also sports a huge 4.3-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 854×480. Other important specifications of the phone include Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and an 8MP snapper with an LED flash.However, what led this phone down was that it was launched with Android 2.1 on board. A few months later when Motorola updated the Droid X to Android 2.2, the update turned out to be a total disaster. The highly criticized MotoBLUR UI and the locked down boot loader did not help things either.
6 – Google Nexus One
The Nexus One was launched at the beginning of this year and definitely set the baseline for other Android phones to follow. The Nexus One from Google/HTC was the first handset to sport a 1GHz Qualcomm processor and to run on Android 2.1. Being a Google Developer device, it was very easy to unlock the phone’s boot loader, root it and open the gates to unlimited customizability. This made this phone a modding community favorite.At the end of the year, the Nexus One might look like an ‘old’ handset to many readers but it set the trend for other high-end Android handsets to follow
7 – Nokia N8
The Nokia N8 makes it to this list only because of its exceptional camera quality. The 12MP camera on the device is assisted by a Xenon flash and is truly a digital camera replacement. The quality of the pictures taken by the phone are simply outstanding and unrivaled by any other camera phone in the market right now. The N8 is also capable of recording videos in 720p HD format.Other key specifications of the phone include a 3.5-inch AMOLED screen, a mini-HDMI port with Dolby digital surround sound and USB OTG (On-The-Go). The N8 is also the first phone from the Finnish giant to run on the latest version of Symbian – Symbian^3. However, other features of the N8 are simply disastrous at best, including the input system and the web browser.
More Comming Soon ... [This Post Will Be Updated Soon]
Src [GsmArena,FoneArena]
iPhone 4 Unlock on iOS 4.2.1, Baseband 2.10.04 and 3.10.01 Isn’t Too Far Off From Release
Good news for iPhone 4 users who are waiting for the unlock on iOS 4.2.1, baseband 3.10.01 and 2.10.04. The Egyptian iPhone Baseband hacker Sherif Hashim replied to a user on Twitter, confirming that the unlock for iPhone 4 on the latest firmware and baseband isn’t too far off from release.
(In Arabic) Gerges2001: @sherif_hashim mn el a5r keda ,, el gish bta3y ibd2 ioom 16-1 ,, hal72 el unlock lel iphone4 wala eih el kallam ???
(English Translation) Gerges2001: @sherif_hashim I’m going to perform military service by January 16, will I get the unlock before this date?
Sherif_Hashim: @Gerges2001 sure
Last month, The iPhone Dev-Team released an Ultrasn0w update which enabled iPhone 3G
and 3GS users to unlock their devices on iOS 4.2.1 by permanently (for now) upgrading it to iPad’s baseband 06.15.00. Rumor has it that there is soon going to be a way for iPhone 3G and 3GS users to downgrade the baseband back to the original 05.15.04 which ships with iOS 4.2.1 for these older devices.
[Src ModMyi]
Top Delicious Alternatives To Save Your Bookmarks
Yahoo! is shutting down Delicious and you want to export your bookmarks so that you have a backup copy. You can also import your delicious bookmarks into Diigo, Xmarks, Chrome, Opera, Firefox and Internet Explorer, however, what now? Which bookmark service can you use to store your bookmarks in the cloud?
Thanks to the internet you will at-least find a few options for something you want to do, some of them are free, some not. Here is a list of alternatives you could use for bookmarking in the cloud.
Google Chrome Sync – If you use Google Chrome, it has a handy feature which allows you to sync your bookmarks in the cloud. You could make use of it and have your bookmarks available on any PC running Google Chrome. If you don’t have Google Chrome handy, you will find all those bookmarks in Google Docs. Alternatively you could also use Google Bookmarks.
Firefox Sync – Just like Google Chrome, Firefox also has an option to sync your bookmarks to the cloud. Use this service if you are a heavy Firefox users.
Opera Link – Another browser based backup service, but this time for Opera. I guess I wouldn’t even have to tell Opera users about this. Use this service to backup and sync your bookmarks across Opera.
Diigo – Diigo is another good service which provides with an easy way to bookmark web pages on the web. It also has some cool apps which allow you to read those bookmarks on a device like iPhone and read the webpages while you are offline. Diigo also offers a Chrome App called "Read Later Fast" which allows you to store webpages in Google Chrome and read them later.
Xmarks – Many of you might be aware of Xmarks which was recently acquired by LastPass. This service has been very popular and is used by thousands of people. Xmarks also provides users a way to discover new webpages using information stored by other users, something similar to what Delicious provided users with.
I find that these three alternatives should be able to get you over your Delicious hangover, however, if you are looking for more you can always try out one of other options available below.
* Mister Wong
* vi.sualize.us
* Favilous
* Pinboard
Whats your favourite bookmarking service ?
Facebook Brings Face Recognition To Photo Tags
I recall Facebook launching its Face Detection feature last year, using which Facebook detected similar faces in numerous photos of an album and tagged each one of them in one go. Well that’s improving, starting from today!
The social network boosted the usability of its photo product by enabling auto tagging of photos. How exactly? Facebook uses its face recognition feature to detect a person and then utilize your network of friends as reference to place tags on the people visible in the picture. With over a 100 million photos being tagged each day I think the new update would make tagging easier for all those photo lovers.
But, what about privacy? I for one won’t like being tagged without my permission or at least I would like to be notified to grant permission. This is exactly what the Facebook’s VP Product, Chris Cox had to address. Cox mentioned that users do have the choice to opt out of the feature altogether, disabling anyone to auto tag you using this feature. Seconding that he also mentioned that this won’t be used for a network wise face search and would strictly be applicable to the network of friends.
The feature will be rolled out to around 5% of the social network users initially. It’s just the start of it, so don’t be surprised if it tags Jhon as Lynda, vice versa.
Google Chrome Cr-48 Laptop Unboxing and Review
Seems like this was Google's week with a lot of releases from the big G primarily the big one was the release of the Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Google Nexus S, followed by the Chrome OS a few days back. Google also announced Chrome OS netbook for free to selected people in the US and reviews of the device have already started rolling out.
The Google Cr-48 laptop will be running Google’s Chrome OS, featuring a 12.1-inch screen and will be powered by the Intel Atom processor. The in depth review has everything you might want to read about the Chrome Cr-48 laptop but the gist of it is:
The Cr-48 may look like just any other laptop, but we can tell you right off the bat that it feels considerably better than most of those plastic netbooks sitting on store shelves right now. The entire body (that means the lid, edges, and the underside) is made of a soft, rubber-like matte black plastic — in fact, it feels a lot like the back of the Droid, though it feels a bit less rubbery.And Just in case you aren’t interested in going through loads of text, engadget has a video walkthrough of the Google Cr-48 laptop. You can view this video below:
Src [Engadget]
Watch Free Tv On Your Pc With 650+ Channels Online
I was watching Gadget Guru on NDTV 24/7 when suddenly my friend called me up and asked what was i doing.He was pretty surprised to hear not because I was watching the news channel, but since I was watching it online, that too on my browser.
Today i would like to share with you a portal “FreeTubeTV.net” which lists over 650 Free TV channels and more being added regularly under various categories:
# News
# Business
# Educational
# Entertainment
# Religious
# Music
# Sports
# Lifestyle
# Webcams
# Movies
Link: FreeTubeTV
I have watched many channels without much trouble on a 256kbps connection, so I hope this shall work nicely for you all.
Get The New Facebook Profile
Facebook has introduced a new Profile Page. The New Profile Page gives a face lift to your Profile Page. This new profile page now gives more priority to your basic information and profile than wall posts. It gives a new look to the profile page.
Some of the elements have been moved to different positions. I guess they have tracked which elements are interacted most by the user and which are not. Tagged photos have been moved to the top
To Get the New Facebook Profile Page,Follow These Steps :
"Once you enable new Facebook Profile Page, You can’t go back to the old layout."
* Visit http://www.facebook.com/about/profile/
*After logging into the Facebook, You should see a button on the top right corner “Get the New Profile”
*Click on that button to get the new Facebook Profile Page
Google Nexus S Unvieled – Features, Price and Availability
Google has announced the successor of Nexus One! Its so-called Nexus S and its comming to the United States on December 16, and to UK on December 20.
Designed by Google in Mountain View, California,and manufactured by Samsung,Nexus S is the first phone supplied with the freshly released Android Gingerbread 2.3
Here are the Features:
Connectivity
* Quad-band GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
* Tri-band HSPA: 900, 2100, 1700
* HSPA type: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
* Wi-Fi 802.11 n/b/g
* Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
* Near Field Communication (NFC)
* Assisted GPS (A-GPS)
* microUSB 2.0
Display
* 4.0" WVGA (480×800)
* Contour Display with curved glass screen
* Super AMOLED
* 235 ppi
* Capacitive touch sensor
* Anti-fingerprint display coating
Size and weight
* 63mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm
* 129g
Hardware
* Haptic feedback vibration
* Three-axis gyroscope
* Accelerometer
* Digital compass
* Proximity sensor
* Light sensor
Processor and memory
* 1GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor
* 16GB iNAND flash memory
Cameras and multimedia
* Back-facing: 5 megapixels (2560×1920)
* 720 x 480 video resolution
* H.264, H.263 MPEG4 video recording
* Auto focus
* Flash
* Front-facing: VGA (640×480)
* 3.5mm, 4-conductor headset jack
(stereo audio plus microphone)
* Earpiece and microphone
* Software noise-cancellation
Battery
* Talk time up to 6.7 hours on 3G
(14 hours on 2G)
* Standby time up to 17.8 days on 3G
(29.7 days on 2G)
* 1500 mAH Lithum Ion
Software
* Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
* Android Market
* Calendar
* Gmail
* Google Earth
* Google Maps with Navigation
* Google Search
* Google Talk
* Google Voice
* Voice Actions
* YouTube
Check out the trailer:
Pricing:
Customers in US will be able to purchase Nexus S for $529 as an unlocked phone without a contract. Nexus S optimized for T-Mobile’s network is available for $199 with a two-year service agreement and qualifying voice and data plan. In UK, at £35 on contract, and £549 for the unlocked version.
Source: http://www.google.com/nexus/
[Wikileaks] 76 Mirrors Added To Stay Alive On The Web
Wikileaks is threatened not only by DDoS attacks,but also by hosting services such as Amazon and payment gateways like PayPal removing them from their networks.However, the site is up and running on wikileaks.ch which is being constantly moved across the world including a bunker provided to it.
However, to stay and continue serving the Cable Gate documents,Wikileaks is also mirrored at 76 sites, with more being added continuously
To view a list of Wikileaks mirrors for documents Cable Gate visit http://wikileaks.ch/mirrors.html
Pakistanis Hack Indian CBI Govt Website
Barely a week after the Indian Cyber Army hacked 35 Pakistani Government sites, the Pakistani Cyber Army has hit back by hacking the CBI site of Indian Government at http://www.cbi.gov.in/index.php.
The CBI is the Central Bureau of Investigations for India and is one of the biggest crime investigation organization in the country. This hack is definitely a slap in the face for Indians. The Pakistan Cyber Army has left a message saying that this attack was a response to the "Indian Cyber Army". It is a known fact that the Indian and Pakistani governments are at loggerheads, but this is taking the war to digital levels now.
The message left on the CBI site is as follows:
Oooopssss! WTF? CBI? Cyber Crime? Hacked? hahaha funny aint it! :P
This attempt is in response to the pakistani websites hacked by ‘Indian Cyber Army’. We told you before too ..we are sleeping but not dead..remember PCA(pakistan cyber army)!..back off kids or we will smoke your d00rs off like we did before..lets see what you investigating agency so called CBI can do for you or for us! haha…one more attempt from your side..we got your every website lying around here like its our local server! buahahaha..so we would like to say to your 31337 hackers and your 31337 NIC team..go and read some more books ..you guys are seriously bunch of script_kiddies! ..you know nothing rite now..got r00t access to NTC server? wtf..mass defacements..how about something like this..a planned attack! haha..btw we got r00t to your NIC too :P ..your filtering sucks..have fun! and DO NOT DISTURB..we got better things to do.. :D ..stop complaining about pakistani websites security..secure your own ass first..thats what intelligent people do!..lol…tata :D
A message by Pakistan Cyber Army
Pakistan Zindabad!
Activate iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G Officially Without Original SIM with Redsn0w 0.9.6b6 & SAM
iPhone developer and hacker Sam Bingner has released Subscriber Artificial Module (SAM) method which will allow you to officially activate your iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G without hacktivating, or using original SIM card.
“Subscriber Artificial Module (SAM)” tricks your iPhone and iTunes into creating legitimate activation tickets even though you’re unlocked with ultrasn0w. This means you get the full benefit of push applications, and your battery life increases substantially. If you’d like to try it out, check out http://www.bingner.com/SAM.html
The benefit of Subscriber Artificial Module (SAM) as opposed to hacktivation is that it will result in great battery life, fully working push notifications and so on just like how it is on the officially activated iPhones.
Follow the instructions posted below to officially activate your iPhone using this new method.
Step 1: Download the latest Redsn0w 0.9.6b6 for Windows or Mac via the links given at the end of this post.
Step 2: Jailbreak your iPhone using this latest version of Redsn0w 0.9.6b6.
Step 3: Once you have jailbroken your iPhone, start Cydia and add http://repo.bingner.com repository.
Step 4: Now install “SAM” and “SAMPrefs” from the repository.
Step 5: Now start the latest Redsn0w 0.9.6b6 again and select “Deactivate” option as shown in the screenshot below. This will allow your iPhone to revert back to a stock lockdownd in order for SAM to function.
Step 6: Now navigate to Settings > SAM and click "De-Activate iPhone"
Step 7: Start iTunes. Make sure your iPhone is connected. Allow iTunes to activate your iPhone officially.
Note: If iTunes says invalid SIM, you will need to manually select the appropriate carrier under one of the methods besides "Automatic" and click on a SIMID.
Once done, you should see the following message on your iPhone :
Download Links :
Download Redsn0w 0.9.6b6 for Windows
Download Redsn0w 0.9.6b6 for Mac OS X
Apple iPad Comes To India
Apple has quietly started shipping it’s most celebrated tablet device – iPad to India. And if you still thought Apple iPad is yet to be available officially in India, better check again! Many Apple’s franchisees in India have just started selling iPads. However there is a catch to it – you have to buy the iPads in bulk.
The fact that Apple resellers in India are currently selling the iPads to corporate customers and that too in bulk became more concrete when The Economic Times got in touch with another store at Noida’s Sector 18 which initially said that iPads haven’t been launched in India. But when the same store was approached later as a corporate customer the store said they will source the iPads from Hong Kong through an importer.
Linux.fm Broadcasting the Linux to the World
Linux.fm is broadcasting the Linux Kernel to the world through online radio. It uses the open source text-to-speech engine eSpeak to translate the latest stable version of the Linux Kernel into voice.
The website loads a random file from the code each time you load it and reads out its source. A note at the end of the website says it is dedicated to the supernerd of the modern age, Dr. Sheldon Cooper who is the prime attraction in the popular BBC CBS sitcom- The Big Bang Theory.
The frontpage of the website says,Have fun.
There are currently 111011 (base 2) tunes in our database and we are working to add more. A new source file is selected randomly each time you load this page : remember, if you can’t get enough, you can always open Linux Radio in two or more different browser tabs… Use the Source, Luke!
Samsung Galaxy I9000 Gets Android 2.2 Froyo Update
Wait of Indian Samsung Galaxy I9000 (GT-I9000HKAINU) owners for long awaited Android 2.2 update is finally over as Samsung Kies is now allowing the update, users with Firmware version "I9000DDJG4/I90000DDJG4 I9000DDJG4/I9000DDJG4" can now officially update to Android 2.2 Froyo upgrading there firmware to version "I9000DDJP6/I90000DDJP5/I9000DDJP2/I9000DDJP6".
Decrypt Code: 1881359
[EXCLUSIVE] First Ever Pictures Of Airtel 3G Services
The fifth largest telecom operator in the world and the largest cellular service provider in India Airtel is getting ready to launch it's 3G services in India, the official website of Airtel is updated introduction to 3G but others details are still under construction.I managed to sneak around these under-construction pages revealing details about Airtel 3G data plans and even managed to get the service activated (without an working 3G service as the service is still to be launched and i ain't picking up any 3G signals on my handset) allowing us to access Airtel 3G Portal Homepage which should not be available to public until launch.
Here are some Exclusive images of the 3G portal :
Here is some information about what other VAS (Value Added Service) Airtel 3G will offer :
* Fast Mobile Internet : Airtel is committed to establishing the 3G network with state of the art technology which will allow amazingly fast internet connection but do note, that the internet speed is dependent on the type of service and application you access from a particular server.
Now share those precious moments instantly with your friends! Upload pictures and videos on your social network directly from your phone – and don’t worry about the file size! While larger files would need more time (as upload speeds are lower compared to download speeds), the 3G network will allow uploads at blazing fast speeds.
Airtel recommends to use HSPA handsets as it enables you to enjoy the full power of the 3G on your phone, be it real time video conferences or watching the next T20 live !
* Mobile TV :Enjoy TV on the go . Choose from around 100 channels across genres like Sports, Entertainment, Regional, News, Fashion, etc.
Watch your favorite programs on your favorite channel including AajTak, ESPN, ETV, Headlines Today, Zoom, Star Network, Raj TV, National Geographic, Zee TV, Discovery, Cartoon Network
* Video Talkies :
Enjoy the magic of movies on your phone. Watch the best parts in the movie again and again or just choose a quick run through of movies you plan to watch.
Each movie capsule will have the best scenes , songs etc stitched together with a background narration of the story of the movie.
You can watch movies from various languages like Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Marathi.
* Games :
Enjoy great games on your mobile. Download games on your
mobile or play directly from the phone browser. Choose from a wide-variety of single-player games as well as multi-player-games
Single-Player-Gaming
Cricket Mania – EA Cricket 10, DLF IPL
Movie Games – Harry Potter, Avatar
Racing Games – Need For Speed Shift, Ferrari GT
Action Games – Medal of Honour, Prince of Persia
Brain Games – Tetris Revolution, 3D Tower Blox
Multi-Player-Gaming
Housie
Word Master
Tic-Tac-Toe
Teen Patti
* Music Downloads :Download music on to your mobile and enjoy your favorite music on the go.
Choose from over 1 lakh songs in 10 languages. You can choose from music in English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and other languages.
* Video Alerts :
Now get a daily alert with links to videos from categories of
your choice. You can choose from a variety of channels, from entertainment, fashion to devotional.
You can subscribe to any of the following categories of content types:
Comedy
Bollywood Gossip
Hollywood Insider
Beach Party
Fashion
News
Business News
Health/ Fitness
Devotional
* Comics Portal :
Enjoy best selling comics like Akbar-Birbal, Nagraj, Doga on your mobile
You can choose from the following comics
Love is
Akbar Birbal
Nagraj
Doga
B.C
Dick Tracy
Animal Crackers
Wizard of Id and many more
* Movie Reviews : Enjoy reviews of all your favourite movies on the go.
Reviews are available for the categories below
Movie of the week
Latest Release
Hollywood Movie Review
Regional Movie Review
It seems Airtel also have plans to offer business services via 3G, here are the details :
3G for business
Embrace the next generation of mobile communications - the generation of 3G, with Airtel.
The 3G networks are the next step in the quest for speed, increasing bandwidth to broadband speeds. As a result, 3G can provide support for more demanding multimedia applications, such as video conferencing, full motion video and streaming music, while also offering faster Web browsing and faster file downloads.
Airtel brings a host of 3G applications designed for increasing the efficiency and productivity of your business. Our customized solutions will give you the cutting edge in this competitive world where Speed is the differentiator.
fast internet
• Access faster Internet from your mobile.
• Upload & download heavy files
• Download & watch videos
• Connect to your friends on social networking sites
video conferencing
• Connect face to face with your colleagues, business associates, friends and relatives through your mobile.
• Experience high quality, real time Audio & Video calling
business networking
• Network online with like minded business associates and business communities of your interest
• Gain valuable business knowledge from others and grow your business
enterprise solutions
• Enable your organization to extend data intelligence to fields.
• On-demand access to Enterprise business data from anywhere, anytime in a seamless and secure manner.
• Customized application for different industry verticals, logistics, health, media, banking & financial sector, retail, Govt. departments such PDS, Traffic Police etc.
e-mail on the go
• A never before experience of sending & receiving e-mails
• Share files, photos & videos
• Bring life to your emails with pictograms, animation and moving characters
video calling
• See the person you are taking to and show things as you chat
• Express feelings that can't be conveyed with words alone
• Switch between voice call & video call
mobile TV
• Take a break in between a meeting and catch your favorite local drama, news, sports & infotainment programmes while on the move with Mobile TV
m-commerce
• Pay your bills and do all other financial transactions
• Ensure complete safely of your transactions
location based services
• Know the real time location of your friends & family
• Track location of your staff and field force
• Find routes, location of banks, restaurants, cinema halls etc. near you
anytime anywhere connectivity
• Get instant access to your e-mail and internet when traveling with 3G data cards.
• Work anytime and anywhere, at mobile broadband speeds
voice & data together
• Enjoy voice & data sessions simultaneously
• Chat/email while you are on a call
• Multimedia capabilities on your mobile phone
• Improved voice quality
How To Erase Personal Data From iPhone & What Should You Be Very Cautious About !
You would definitely want to wipe-clean all personal data from your phone like address-book, messages, camera-roll etc. before selling or handing over to somebody, we have shared a tip for jail-broken phones allowing users to erase iPhone contacts with ease. iOS also comes with a built-in iPhone personal data eraser functionality which takes care of wiping-off all the personal data from your device, the problem is if you have an jailbroken iPhone your device will not boot-up after using this functionality - and if you don't have your SHSH blobs saved you will need to force-update to current iOS version which might mean permanent loss of carrier-unlock.
Free McAfee Internet Security 2011 Six Months Registration Key
McAfee is one of the oldest and most well-known security software vendor, and thankfully also one of the most generous company frequently providing extended trial-version of their leading products. This time the company is giving-away free fully-functional six month subscription of "McAfee Internet Security 2011" to facebook users.
Publisher Description McAfee Internet Security 2011 :
With thousands of new viruses created every day, relying on traditional securityupdates isn’t enough anymore. McAfee® Internet Security instantly detects andblocks viruses—and stops web threats before they are downloaded to your PC.Reengineered to be faster than ever before, the software’s innovative designsimplifies your Internet security experience while offering comprehensive protection. With McAfee Active Protection™ technology the software can instantly analyze and block new and emerging threats in milliseconds so there's no gap in your protection. Detecting more threats on your PC than ever before.
To get started with the limited period free six month license key offer for "McAfee Internet Security 2011", register at - http://goo.gl/zcnd0 and following instructions provided.
Airtel To Get A New Logo
India’s largest private telecom player – Bharti Airtel is all set for a new brand identity. The company plans to unveil an all new refreshing new logo next week. The new logo has striking similarities with that of Zain Telecom of Africa which Bharti Airtel recently acquired.
The company also plans to change the design of it’s recharge vouchers and other brand, publicity materials. Here is a design concept of the new Airtel recharge voucher cards:
via TelecomTalk
Fake Like Button Viral Scam Hits Facebook
Facebook and scams go hand in hand. No matter what you do, you are never safe from one. A new fake Like scam has erupted on Facebook, and though it is not nasty, it shows how scammers can pawn Facebook users and make them like links without their consent.
Take for example this new scam with an enticing link and a video titled "0MG! This GUY must be St0ned to Death for doing this to a GIRL!". Just for the record, there is no video and this link is just a scam which disguises a Facebook like button as a different button. As you can see above, 3 of my friends liked this link. If you visit the site in question, you will see an interface as seen in the image below.
The site uses an interface similar to Facebook and also sports false copyrights. In case you thought that was bad, your entire intention of clicking on that link was to watch the video. However, there is no sign of any video at all. The "Continue" button in this page is actually a "Fake Facebook Like button", which has been manipulated using some styling. Clicking on it will stealthily like the website and take you back to your profile.
Once again, some scams are easy to fall prey to. Though they are not 100% avoidable, the best you can do is to visit your Facebook profile page after you have clicked on a link if you find it dicey. If you find any unwanted updates or likes, delete them immediately. In my case, my test account showed that I liked the website after I clicked on the button (see screenshot above).
For the record about 221, 572 people have felt to the scam while I wrote this post. Don’t be one of them. Also help your friends by liking this website instead .
iOS 4.2 on iPhone 3G,Is it worth upgrading ?
If you have upgraded your iPhone 3G to iOS 4 you must be disappointed with the overall performance impact it caused. Now, iOS 4.2 is just around the corner, and if you are thinking whether things have improved for iPhone 3G just watch the video below for the answer.
As you can see Apple has finally listened to iPhone 3G users and performance is pretty much lag-free making iOS 4.2 a worthy upgrade for them.
Interesting Facts About Google
Here are some interesting Google facts collected from all over the Web
1. The name ‘Google’ was an accident. A spelling mistake made by the original founders who thought they were going for ‘Googol’,It was a typo on the first investment check they received.Also the domain name “googol.com” was already taken
2. Gmail was internally used for nearly 2 years prior to launch to the public. They discovered there was approximately 6 types of email users, and Gmail has been designed to accommodate these 6.
3. They listen to every feedback actively. Emailing Google isn’t emailing a blackhole.
4. Google employees are encouraged to use 20% of their time working for their own projects. Google News, Orkut are both examples of projects that grew from this working model.
5. The prime reason the Google home page is so bare is due to the fact that the founders didn’t know HTML and just wanted a quick interface. In fact it was noted that the submit button was a long time coming and hitting the RETURN key was the only way to burst Google into life.
6. Due to the sparseness of the homepage, in early user tests they noted people just sitting looking at the screen. After a minute of nothingness, the tester intervened and asked ‘Whats up?’ to which they replied “We are waiting for the rest of it”. To solve that particular problem the Google Copyright message was inserted to act as a crude end of page marker.
7. One of the biggest leap in search usage came about when they introduced their much improved spell checker giving birth to the “Did you mean…” feature. This instantly doubled their traffic, but they had some interesting discussions on how best to place that information, as most people simply tuned that out. But they discovered the placement at the bottom of the results was the most effective area.
8. The infamous “I feel lucky” is nearly never used. However, in trials it was found that removing it would somehow reduce the Google experience. Users wanted it to be kept. It was like a comfort button.
9. Orkut is very popular in Brazil. Orkut was the brainchild of a very intelligent Google engineer who was pretty much given free reign to run with it, without having to go through the normal Google UI procedures, hence the reason it doesn’t look or feel like a Google application. They are looking at improving Orkut to cope with the loads it places on the system.
11. Google has the largest network of translators in the world
12. They use the 20% / 5% rules. If at least 20% of people use a feature, then it will be included. At least 5% of people need to use a particular search preference before it will make it into the ‘Advanced Preferences’.
13. They have found in user testing, that a small number of people are very typical of the larger user base. They run labs continually and always monitoring how people use a page of results.
14. Google logs each search queries into its systems. More ever Google got patents for hardware designing too.
15. Quote: Give Users What They Want When They Want It
Source : http://www.google.com/press/funfacts.html
[Howto] Installing Android 2.2.1 Froyo On iPhone 3G / 2G Using Bootlace in Cydia Without Using a Pc
Probably the most easiest way to install Android on an iPhone 2G/3G is via iPhoDroid, which we did cover previously. But the problem with it is; you should have a computer to run the whole process of installing Android on your iPhone 2G/3G. But thanks to Bootlace 2.1, you can now install Android 2.2.1 Froyo on your jailbroken iPhone without needing to connect it to any PC or Mac!
And the jailbreaking tools which are supported by Bootlace 2.1 are:
- PwnageTool
- Redsn0w
- Blackra1n
That’s it, you’re done! You now have Android 2.2.1 Froyo on your iPhone.In case of any release of updates, all you have to do is to open the Bootlace and press the “Updates”