The world's hottest tech towns – and what makes them tick

We've all heard of Silicon Valley - home to headline-grabbing US firms like Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter among many others - but there are several other global cities that are just as important in the worldwide electronics and IT business.

We are talking about the places where electronics are actually manufactured, where tech startups are sprouting like nowhere else, and where the IT sector dominates. Silicon Valley might be where it all started, but California has plenty of competition.

Source : techradar.in

Wipro wins five year IT contract from leading Norway retailer Coop Norge Handel

BENGALURU: Wipro today said it has won a five-year IT contract from Coop Norge Handel AS (Coop Norge), a leading retailer in Norway.

Under the agreement, Wipro will transform Coop Norge's enterprise SAP software landscape and upgrade the company's data centre infrastructure, geared towards achieving superior performance, Wipro said in a statement.

This IT engagement will benefit supply chain and distribution operations at the Norwegian retailer, among other functions, it added.

It will enable Coop Norge to strengthen its move towards a more efficient operating model with increased reach and availability, the company said.

Coop Norge has a market share of 33 per cent with over 1,500 stores.

Source : ETCIO.com

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 Still Overheats, but Samsung May Help Fix the Issue - Report

There are many handset makers that have put their trust in Qualcomm recently, as the chipset manufacturer announced several weeks ago that more than a dozen devices packing its most powerful SoC (system-on-chip), the Snapdragon 820, would be released in the first half of 2016.

After the overheating issues that affected the Snapdragon 810 chipset, many companies decided to go with Qualcomm's hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor instead.

Even though Qualcomm denied the issue numerous times and said that it already fixed the overheating issues that many smartphone users had been complaining about, it appears that the same problem is affecting the chipset the company plans to launch next year.

SamMobile reports sources familiar with Qualcomm's business have told Korean media that the Snapdragon 820 chipset has similar overheating issues.

The Snapdragon 810 “heatgate” is happening again?

However, the chipset maker has allowed Samsung's engineers to help address this problem by the time Snapdragon 820 gets inside the most powerful and expensive smartphones soon to be available on the market.

Since Samsung has decided to lend its expertise in order to fix the overheating issues affecting the Snapdragon 820, it's certain that the South Korean company plans to use this particular chipset inside its Galaxy S7 smartphone that's supposed to be unveiled early next year.

One other reason Samsung is desperately trying to stabilize the Snapdragon 820 CPU is the fact that it's manufactured using its own 14nm FinFET process.

If Samsung is successful in addressing these issues, then the Galaxy S7 sales will be boosted since it packs one of the most powerful chipsets on the market. If not, the Galaxy S7 won't be doomed since Samsung plans to launch three variants with different chipsets.

Unfortunately, there's no telling whether or not these reports are accurate, or someone wants to sink Qualcomm's shares even more.

Source : softpedia.com

Facebook To Offer Slow Internet To Its Employees As Part Of ‘2G Tuesdays’

While high-speed data is becoming more common in India, there's no denying that there are still a large number of regions out there that don't have access to proper internet.

In order to remain mindful of that, Facebook has announced a new company-wide initiative called '2G Tuesdays' which will offer slow internet to the employees for one hour every Tuesday. Facebook claims that this is an optional program for the employees.Facebook Product Manager, Chris Marra said "People are coming online at a fast rate in emerging markets. In most cases, they are doing so on mobile via 2G connections. But on a typical 2G network, it can take several minutes to download a webpage. That doesn't make for a great experience when sharing content with friends and family. To build for a global audience like ours, we know that we need to design features that work seamlessly even on a 2G network."

Having a slower internet connection will allow Facebook employees to understand how they can improve their mobile apps like Messenger when faced with a slow internet connection. This is a great initiative by the Facebook team and could set the precedent for other companies in Silicon Valley.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is in Delhi today for a Townhall event and he converse with students and answered pertinent questions about social media and internet.org

Source : techgignews.com

Tokyo Motor Show: Nissan IDS Concept Envisions The Future Of Autonomous Driving And Zero Emission EVs [Video]

The Nissan IDS Concept just made its debut at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, giving a glimpse into the automaker's vision for the future of cars.

Nissan sees an exciting future with autonomous driving and zero emission electric vehicles (EVs) and the new Nissan IDS Concept embodies that futuristic view.

Autonomous driving is a key aspect of that vision for the future and Nissan will start introducing such technology early next year in select markets. The automaker plans to gradually introduce autonomous technology and artificial intelligence (AI) across its lineup, aiming to offer fully autonomous vehicle by 2020.

The new Nissan IDS Concept now previews core design and engineering technology that will grace future vehicles. A 60 kilowatt-hour electric drive unit, a sleek construction made of carbon fiber and other light materials and a compact, yet aerodynamic shape are just some highlights, but the IDS Concept has several exciting features.

"Nissan's forthcoming technologies will revolutionize the relationship between car and driver, and future mobility," said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and CEO.

EVs will soon evolve to go greater distances on a single charge and aerodynamics play a key role in increasing the driving range. The Nissan IDS Concept boasts the automaker's most advanced aerodynamic technology, heralding a promising future.

At the same time, the concept vehicle also tackles a major challenge automakers currently face with autonomous cars: communication. A self-driving vehicle needs to ensure communication not only between the car and driver, but also between cars and people.

"A key point behind the Nissan IDS Concept is communication. For autonomous drive to become reality, as a society we have to consider not only communication between car and driver but also between cars and people. The Nissan IDS Concept's design embodies Nissan's vision of autonomous drive as expressed in the phrase together, we ride," added Mitsunori Morita, Nissan's Design Director.

The automaker has come up with an intriguing solution for communication, placing an outward-facing display in the dashboard. This screen will display messages such as "After You" to pedestrians and cyclists, letting them know they can safely go about their route.

At the same time, a strip of bright LED lights called the "Intention Indicator" will shine white when pedestrians or cyclists are close by to indicate that it is aware of them.

The Nissan IDS Concept further packs five radar sensors, five laser scanners, 12 cameras and other high-tech features to ensure the car recognizes surrounding objects and always takes the safest course of action.

The interior design, meanwhile, transforms depending on the driving mode. In Manual Drive mode, for instance, the Nissan IDS Concept will look similar to a regular car, with a steering wheel on the driver's side and a digital instrument panel. In Piloted Drive mode, however, the car will house the steering wheel into the dashboard and push out a large flat screen, while also adjusting the position of the seats so the car's interior seems more like a lounge.

Users will be able to control the car's autonomous driving functions either by voice or by gestures. A PD Controller switch, meanwhile, will rest between the front seats, requiring the driver to physically toggle between the Manual and Piloted Drive modes. According to Nissan, this physical action is an essential step to ensure safety.

The Nissan IDS Concept has plenty of other futurstic features to offer, so check out the videos below to get a better idea of Nissan's vision for the future.

Source : technews.com

HTC's new flagship phone will cost $100 more after launch in the US

If the $399 pricing of HTC's new flagship phone, the One A9, sounds like a sweet deal, you may want to reserve a unit right now. Turns out it's just a "special promotional pre-sale" for the online store and select retail outlets in the US, a company spokesperson told Engadget, which will soon be over. The electronics maker failed to mention that in the past, so now you only have a few days to decide whether you want to purchase the One A9 at its current price. Starting on November 7th at 12:01 AM, htc.com will be selling the phone for $499.

This year hasn't been kind to HTC, and as Engadget editor Chris Velazco once said, it has a lot riding on the One A9. A hundred bucks is a big deal, especially when (despite the company calling it a flagship device) it's only equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor. That's a step down from the Snapdragon 800 chipsets its other devices use. We'll know soon enough if the device performs well in spite of the price change. For now you can read HTC's official statement below:

The cost of the HTC One A9 is the same worldwide to all distributors and operator partners. For end consumers, HTC's sales regions are given the freedom to set prices and promotions as they see fit for local market needs. The One A9 price in the US is a very limited-time promotional offer for that region's online store, as well as select HTC-only franchise stores. The offer is a special promotional pre-sale and is expected to conclude once the One A9 is available on-shelf at major retail and distributor partners.

After the promotional pre-sale offer ends, the new price in the US at htc.com will be $499.99 beginning 12:01am on 11/7.

Source : engadget.com

Microsoft reveals the date Xbox One will get backwards compatibility

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox One will finally become backwards compatible on November 12.

Microsoft community manager Larry Hryb announced on Twitter that the update will roll out on November 12 for all Xbox One owners. It'll allow the Xbox One to run a selection of Xbox 360 titles including Mass Effect, Burnout Paradise (announced this week) and Gears of War.

November 12 will also mark the arrival of the 'New Xbox One Experience', an updated dashboard that brings a new Guide, a new Community section, and an update to the OneGuide feature that lets you see which TV shows are trending.

Source : techradar.in

10 New Facebook features you may not have noticed..

Facebook, the world's top social network, has rolled out a slew of new features in the recent past. From allowing users to watch videos in 360-degree view to adding videos as profile pictures, these and many of the new features are aimed at improving user experience. Here's are the 10 such Facebook features.

1.Gets live video streaming

Facebook too recently joined the streaming video fray. The social networking giant launched a new feature called "Live," designed to allow celebrities and public figures to stream video to its nearly 1.5 billion users. The service works out of Facebook's Mentions app, launched last year.

2.Facebook opens up Mentions app to verified users

Expanding the role of Mentions app, Facebook rolled out a new feature by which users who have verified accounts, including journalists, could engage with their followers and share content. Interested users have to fill out an online form before they can download and use the app.

3.A reboot for Notes

Facebook recently rolled out its updated Notes feature to make it more like blog posts. Notes feature provides users more font formatting options as well as an opportunity to add a large cover photo at the top of the post. Photos, headers and lists can also be included.

"We’re rolling out an update to make notes on Facebook more beautiful and customizable. Notes are now an even better way to write a longer post and share with anyone — whether it’s a small group of friends or everyone on Facebook," said the company in a statement.

4.Videos go 360-degree

Facebook updated its News Feed with support for 360-degree videos. The feature displays the user an entire scene in virtual reality. The company worked with Oculus, the VR headset maker it acquired in 2014, to develop the feature.

5.Add videos as profile picture

Facebook now allows users to use a short video as his or her profile. Users can also set a temporary profile picture that reverts to their old picture at a specific time. This feature can be used to set a profile picture that backs a particular cause or other activity pictures like birthday celebrations.

The new feature also allows users to write a bio, with details describing their education and work to appear at the top of their profile. They can also choose up to five Featured Photos that can go at the top of the profile.

6.'Dislike' button comes to Facebook, with a catch

Since its launch, Facebook users around the world have been demanding a 'dislike' button. Facebook finally heard them -- but a little differently. The company rolled out a series of expressive "reactions", rather than exactly replicating the dislike button. Facebook Reactions include emotions like "Love," "Haha," "Yay," "Wow," "Sad" and "Angry."

7.Get 'Suggested Videos' on Facebook

Further stepping on YouTube's territory, Facebook rolled out 'suggested videos' feature. The company announced that it's testing the feature that will show Facebook users related videos in a row after they've tapped one from their NewsFeed. In a statement, the company also said, "In addition to helping people find more videos they may be interested in, we know people sometimes want to multitask while they watch videos. To make this possible, we’re testing a way for people to watch a video in a floating screen while simultaneously multitasking on Facebook."

8.Instant Articles

With this feature, Facebook wants to make reading on mobile phones faster, or as the company terms it 'Instant.' According to the social-networking giant, the feature will improve the load times of news stories on its mobile app by as much as 10 times. Also, Instant Articles is not just about faster load times, it also includes other features like interactive maps, image zoom, autoplay videos and audio captions.

9.Facebook Search gets 'real-time'

Facebook updated its search capabilities to let people find conversations about news shared publicly. It is now a tool to see what the internet is talking about in real time. As part of the feature, Search shows users what the world is saying about topics that matter and how their friends and family are reacting.

10.Notification tab gets more personalized

Facebook is making its notification tab more personalized for you. Until now, the alerts to Facebook users had been focused around postings by friends, birthdays and upcoming events. Facebook's expanded alerts will now also include community news and events, storm warnings and other weather information, and suggestions for television programmes or nearby movies. These notifications can also be customized according to happenings around the community.

Source : The Times Of India - Tech

Infocus M260 spotted online at Rs 3,999

A new Infocus smartphone, Infocus M260, has been spotted online on Snapdeal at Rs 3,999. But at the time of writing this news, the phone was listed as sold out on the e-commerce site. However, few websites are claiming that the phone has already been launched, though Infocus has not officially said so till date.

As per the listing, Infocus M260 features a 4.5-inch (854 × 480 pixels) FWVGA IPS display. It is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor coupled with 1GB. The device runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system out of the box with Inlife UI on top.

Infocus M260 comes with a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash. For selfies, it comes with a 2 megapixel front camera. The rear camera features are 4X digital zoom, exposure compensation, continuous shooting, scene setting, white balance, face recognition and beauty shot. It comes with an 8 GB in-built storage which can be expanded to upto 32GB through a micro SD card. It packs a 2,000 mAh battery.

For connectivity it has 2G/3G, WiFi, GPS/AGPS, Bluetooth, and micro-USB along with dual SIM with dual standby option. The phone measures 132.87 x 67.8 x 10.48 mm and weighs 150 grams.

Infocus M260 is available in Fluorescent Green, White and Orange color variants.

Source :themobileindian.com

Underwater Internet Cables Could Be The Next Target In Tech Warfare

Underlying the internet, often literally lying under the sea, is a surprisingly vulnerable array of cables that keep the world connected.

When we talk about modern tech warfare, we’re usually focused on nuclear reactors, water pumps, 

or transportation systems. We might think of the super-virus deployed by the United States and Israel to slow down Iran’s nuclear program in 2010. We don’t typically consider the miles of undersea cables that, according to the US Federal Reserve, carry $10 trillion in transactions every day.

Now, the US government is concerned the Russian military could attempt to sabotage these cables in a time of conflict, according to the New York Times (paywall). The newspaper reported an uptick of activity by Russian submarines near several major cables.

Although internet cables close to shore tend to be bulky and well-armored, those that run along the deep sea are often much thinner, according to Nicole Starosielski, a communications professor at New York University and author of The Undersea Network. These cables, like the one we’ve illustrated above, are just a centimeter or two in diameter and protected only by an outer layer of insulation.

Cables are generally safest out in the deep sea, but it’s not uncommon for them to be accidentally damaged by fishing operations. “An undersea grapnel could easily cut a cable, as can an anchor,” Starosielski wrote in an email. “It happens all the time.”“It wouldn’t be much trouble at all” for the Russian military to deliberately sabotage such a cable, Starosielski said.

Damage to cables that are close to shore can be fixed fairly quickly. Not so for broken lines in the middle of the ocean. “Since ships have to cross the ocean before getting to the line, this unavoidably takes time,” Starosielski said

Source : techgignews.com

Alibaba results likely to dim outlook for China consumer spending

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's second-quarter revenue growth is likely to have slumped to half the year-earlier rate, undermining hopes consumer spending will temper a slowdown in the world's second-biggest economy.

SHANGHAI: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's second-quarter revenue growth is likely to have slumped to half the year-earlier rate, undermining hopes consumer spending will temper a slowdown in the world's second-biggest economy.

Beijing is hoping that private consumption will pick up the slack as exports fall and it tries to rebalance the economy - now heading for its slowest full-year growth in 25 years - away from a reliance on trade and government spending.

But Alibaba's second-quarter results due on Tuesday are expected to cloud the increasingly grim outlook for consumer spending, which accounted for 60 percent of China's economic growth in the first half of 2015.

"Much focus will be paid to the deceleration in volume growth Alibaba guided to mid-quarter. Investors will be looking to see if Alibaba can improve take rates to make up for this slowdown," Wedbush Securities analyst Gil Luria said.

Mediocre data from the firm behind China's biggest and most-successful e-commerce platforms could provide fresh fodder for bears predicting China is heading for a much harder economic landing than the official figures would suggest.

Having warned in September of slower-than-expected sales, Alibaba's revenue in the three months through September is expected to be 21.3 billion yuan (US$3.35 billion), according to Thomson Reuters data analysing forecasts from 28 analysts.

That would represent an increase of 26.7 percent from the same quarter last year, when year-on-year growth was a sizzling 53.7 percent.

In the April to June quarter, revenue and gross merchandise volume (GMV) - the total value of goods transacted across Alibaba's platforms - both eased to their slowest rates in more than three years.

To be sure, government data shows retail sales have continued to grow above 10 percent so far this year, even as GDP growth has slowed to 6.9 percent in the third quarter.

But a China consumer confidence index produced by ANZ Bank and polling company Roy Morgan fell to a record low in August, and research firm Gartner says smartphone sales recorded their first fall in China during the second quarter.

Even so, Alibaba founder Jack Ma told shareholders in a letter earlier this month that high savings rates and lower prices online would continue to drive e-commerce spending regardless of the economic environment.

Alibaba celebrated the one-year anniversary of its record US$25 billion initial public offering in September by watching its share price dip to an all-time low of US$57.20 that month.

Source : channelnewsasia.com

Oracle launches new cloud platforms

SAN FRANCISCO: Making an aggressive push for its diversified software solutions and integrated cloud platforms, global software major Oracle launched a slew of innovative moves to take on its main cloud computing rivals Amazon and Microsoft.

The company's executive chairman and chief technology officer Larry Ellison announced two cloud platforms at the Oracle's OpenWorld 2015 conference, its with a great emphasis on maintaining security at a time when private data is at the risk of being stolen via cyberattacks.

While the new "Oracle SCM Cloud" will offer the first complete supply chain and discrete manufacturing with 100% fusion, the "E-commerce in the CX Cloud" platform will be a complete, integrated modern suite covering the customers' requirements across the spectrum like marketing, sales, service and social responsibility.

"Oracle has committed to make its cloud and data platforms easy, performing, compelling and secure. We will lower the costs down and accelerate your power," Ellison announced.

"We are building solutions that will take off your workload and give you a better performance," he added.In another significant move, Ellison announced a new mobile, consumer-like Cloud UI -- a state of the art mobile user interface.

"The Java-based mobile platform will always make you connected and able to work. It is a modern tablet and smartphone-friendly platform and will become the best choice among all other mobile platforms available today," Ellison told the packed Moscone Centre in the heart of the city.

He also announced an integrated "Just-in-Time Learning System" that will be embedded in all Oracle SaaS applications to benefit the customers.

"So learn the app and learn the job," he said. "Ten years ago, we realized to rewrite all our applications and run on the cloud.""We started building all our application on the cloud and for this, we had to rewrite our entire database. We had SaaS then. Once we had this, we found that now, we need PaaS (Platform At-A-Service)," he said."That helped us to reach where are we today," he said.

PaaS is a category of cloud computing services that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage web applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure.

Ellison also announced the "Exadata Cloud Service" that will facilitate identical software and hardware on-premise."Infrastructure has been a stunning change. We are today in every layer of the cloud. We have the largest enterprise-based cloud applications," he told the gathering.

The aim of Oracle cloud is low pricing, reliability, performance, analytics, standards, compatibility and security.

"We can't automate everything. We can't replace ourselves as users of the applications. But we need to make systems easier to use. We insist on real time security to stop data," he said.Earlier, some of the software industry's top leaders and various stakeholders from 141 countries convened here for an ultimate cloud experience.

The five-day event is going to see some of the technology's greatest minds brainstorm on the future of the enterprise, Oracle's integrated cloud platform and the new era of secure computing."By 2020, 50% of the global workforce will be tech-savvy millennials (those born after 1980). The companies worldwide need to go simpler, faster and more innovative to win their trust. And Oracle is delivering new features and innovations for them," said Bob Evans, chief communication officer, Oracle, during a media interaction.

For the quarter ended August 31 this year, Oracle revenue for its Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) and Platform-As-A-Service (PaaS) cloud solutions rose by 34%."We have added 800 new PaaS customers and 612 SaaS customers in the quarter. Oracle also had 1,300 new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) cloud customers in the past 12 months," Evans informed.

More than 45 Oracle products and services will be unveiled throughout the conference during multiple sessions and events, providing networking opportunities for customers, partners and peers.

The conference, which runs October 25-29, is taking place at 18 locations throughout downtown San Francisco with the Moscone Center serving as its epicentre.Nearly 60,000 people from 145 countries attended the OpenWorld conference last year. The conference will also be webcast.

Source : The times Of India - Tech

Next Stage In Mobile Revolution: Apps Going 'Offline'

BENGALURU: At a time when most startups in India are switching to a mobile-first model, a clutch of firms in Silicon Valley and India have moved on to the next stage — an offline-first strategy.

Offline first refers to a mobile application-development strategy where the app's most crucial features work even when internet connectivity is lost. Poor internet connectivity plagues all geographies, be it metropolitan cities or remote areas. While urban centres suffer from network congestion, remote towns at times get no signal at all, especially in developing nations in Africa and Asia.

"It's becoming a big trend in Silicon Valley, not just in the emerging economies," said Wayne Carter, chief architect of mobile at US-based Couchbase, whose product helps developers design mobile apps that work with or without an internet connection. Carter was in Bengaluru recently to address developers at a conference on how to build apps for an offline-first world.Being able to work offline is dependent on the actual purpose served by the app.

For instance, HolidayIQ's travel app allows users to store and download all information of their end-destination, so the phone continues to be smart sans the internet. Music streaming services such as Gaana, Saavn and Hungama allow songs to be locally stored on the phone. Gmail, on the other hand, gives an option to store the last few messages on devices for quick access.

"The real innovation is not in using the phone storage, but in a magical four-letter-word called sync," said Chuck Ganapathi, founder of US-based Tactile, whose sync technology helps salespersons manage email, calendar, tasks, contacts, LinkedIn connections offline on the app.

Syncing data between phone storage and an app's servers is something that all global and some local players use. Apple's Mail, Calendar, iTunes, Gmail, Dropbox are a few examples of tech companies that keep the app running. These apps allow users to meddle with it, and reflect the changes when the connectivity comes back.Tactile spent $10 million (Rs 64 crore) and three years to develop its sync technology. Google, Apple and Couchbase offer tools for designing apps for an offline-first world."Makes a lot of sense in India. Some enterprise tech companies that sell to small and medium businesses in India, do this well," said Shekhar Kirani, partner at Accel, whose global firm has invested in both Couchbase and Tactile.

"We do a lot of thinking around offline usage," said Hari Nair, founder and CEO of HolidayIQ, whose app also allows users to take a video, save it as a draft and upload it when data network is found. But how difficult is it to rethink mobile strategy for an offline-first world?

"They are fundamentally different architectural styles of development. It is like brick masonry versus a wooden house," said Ganapathi.

Source : techgignews.com

Microsoft Launches “Hey Cortana” on Android Phones

Microsoft has just released another update for the beta version of Cortana on Android devices that finally brings support for “Hey Cortana,” the feature that allows you to simply call your personal assistant by name and tell her to perform a number of tasks.

While this feature comes in handy on Windows Phone devices because you don't even have to touch your phone in order to have it start a number of actions, such as sending a message or setting up a reminder, its behavior is different on Android, where additional input is required.

Basically, while Hey Cortana is now available on Android, it doesn't work in the same way as on Windows devices. On Windows Phone or Windows 10, whenever you say Hey Cortana, the personal assistant wakes the phone, no matter if it's locked or not, and listens to your command.

Hey Cortana won't work if your phone is locked

On Android, the phone needs to be unlocked, as Microsoft hasn't found a way to get around the locking system and make it work just like on its own Windows Phone platform.

Obviously, since it needs the phone to be unlocked, Hey Cortana barely has a purpose on an Android phone, and it's hard to believe that anyone would give up on OK Google just to use Microsoft's personal assistant. Truth is, it does bring a handful of really helpful features, but it's still easier to use OK Google because it's fully integrated into each Android device.

If you want to activate Hey Cortana on your Android phone, all you have to do is launch the app and go over to settings, where there's an option carrying this exact name.

What's important to keep in mind is that Cortana for Android is still in beta stage, and a number of features might not work exactly as expected. It could take a while until the feature arrives in full on Android, but there's no doubt that some limitations when comparing it to the Windows sibling will still exist.

Source : softpedia.com

Apple may remove the Home button in iPhone 7

Apple is planning to change the design of its next iPhone, and there's a chance it may even remove the physical home button we've all grown used to, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster wrote in a recent note picked up by Barron's.

The idea that Apple could change the design of its next iPhone, which will presumably be called the iPhone 7, isn't surprising.Apple typically revamps the way its iPhones look and feel every other year. But what's interesting about Munster's predictions is that he notes there's a "50% chance" the iPhone 7 won't have a physical home button.

"As many have speculated, the addition of 3D Touch may provide Apple with a way to eliminate the home button on the phone and use the additional space to make the screen bigger or make the device smaller," Munster writes.

Munster makes a point -- some Android device makers are able to add larger screens to their phones without actually increasing the physical size of the device by making the bezels (the borders around a device's screen) smaller. Eliminating the home button would allow Apple to cut out part of the bezels to make the iPhone's screen larger while keeping the design relatively small and thin.

But there's a big reason why it seems unlikely that Apple will cut out the home button anytime soon -- TouchID. Apple's fingerprint reader, which is used to unlock the iPhone and authenticate purchases with Apple Pay, currently resides in the home button. Munster noted this too, and suggested that Apple could move the TouchID sensor to the side of the phone.

Apple has also filed a patent application that describes a system in which a fingerprint sensor could be embedded in the screen itself. That doesn't necessarily mean this tech will appear in Apple's future products, but it just shows the company has at least considered it.This isn't the first time we've heard rumours about Apple getting rid of the iPhone's home button. Digitimes, a Taiwan-based publication with a shaky track record when it comes to reporting on upcoming products, reported in June that Apple is making an iPhone with a home button built into the iPhone's screen. Apple Insider reported the same citing its own sources, but also said an iPhone without a home button wouldn't launch before 2017.

Source : The Times Of India - Tech

eBay Auction Gives Public A Chance To Name New Moth

An auction on eBay allows the public to make a different kind of purchase as they peruse the used clothing, electronics and war relics on the site. Up for sale: naming rights to a new insect.

A moth that weighs less than an ounce and measures about an inch was discovered eight years ago at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico by entomologist Eric H. Metzler.

The rigorous process to have a new species approved has taken several years, but now Metzler, a volunteer at the park, is ready to give his flying friend a name.

That honor is usually bestowed on the person who made the finding.

But Metzler wanted to give back to the Western National Parks Association, which has funded some of his research. So he asked the organization to start an online auction for the naming rights and to take the proceeds.

"I am not a rich man and I don't have a lot of money to give to charity but this is the way I could give them money in the form of service. I could use my brains to help them," Metzler said.

The auction went live Saturday on eBay and ends Oct. 23. Bidding starts at $500.

"When are you ever going to have the opportunity to have your own moth named after you?" said Amy Reichgott, development manager for the Western National Parks Association.

The winner will work with Metzler to Latinize the name. An international organization has to approve the name.

Others have auctioned off naming rights with varied success. Last year, Nova Southeastern University, for example, auctioned off the naming rights to a newly discovered type of sea lily.

The university's public affairs department touted it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, suggesting it was the perfect holiday gift that would also help benefit the school's Oceanographic Center.

The winner of the auction, a Florida resident, shelled out $6,150. The sea lily hasn't been officially named yet as it's still undergoing a peer-review process, university spokesman Joe Donzelli said.

Reichgott knows a moth may be even less appealing than a sea lily, so the organization sent out emails reminding members and others that moths are butterflies without the bright colors that fly at night, not the daytime.

"We're trying to break the stigma against the moth. Give the moth a fair shake," she said, laughing.

Source : toptechnews.com

Free Ideas: These NASA Patents Are So Crazy They Just Might Work (For Startups)

When NASA put out the word this month that it was offering more than 1,200 of its patented technologies to startups for no money down, the spotlight naturally fell on the farthest-out ideas – for example, a collapsible airplane suitable for sending to Mars , or solar sails for interplanetary flights.

But the real point of the exercise is to make it easier to convert NASA’s out-of-this-world ideas into profitable innovations on Earth. NASA is willing to waive the patent licensing fees for the first three years of commercialization, but will take a standard net royalty fee once businesses start selling commercial products.

The resulting products might well have nothing to do with outer space. Here are seven patented ideas that may sound crazy but could work for the right kind of startup:

Drones that glide like birds: If you build a better drone, will the world beat a path to your door? NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center developed a guidance and control system for unmanned aerial vehicles that detects and takes advantage of thermals,  the buoyant plumes of air that birds use to keep aloft without having to flap their wings. NASA says the system can extend the flight time of a typical UAV by up to 12 hours – which addresses one of the biggest limiting factors for commercial drones.

Beach blanket wi-fi: Engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center invented a portable communications signal booster for lunar missions, but the technology can be adapted to boost signal strength for wi-fi or cellular reception right here on Earth. The low-cost, lightweight device can be built into foldable patch of fabric, a beach umbrella or a window shade. No power plugs, cables or batteries needed.

USB drives that plug into USB drives: The folks at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center patented a technology for tweaking a USB thumb drive so you can plug in yet another USB drive (or other type of memory device), daisy-chain style. The double-headed arrangement lets you easily increase your computer’s memory capacity on the fly, and at the same time makes it easier to find the data you’re looking for across multiple flash drives.

Solar-powered refrigerators: Keeping vaccines, biological samples and other essentials cold is a huge challenge for the International Space Station, but also for tropical regions where electricity is in short supply. NASA’s patented technology for solar-powered refrigerators has been applied to the earthly challenges for more than a decade.  Now it’s being offered for commercialization without up-front fees. The battery-free system stores energy using a compressor and thermal reservoir. Keeping things cold year-round with the power of the sun? How deliciously ironic!

Portable brain scanner: Brain-imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (a.k.a. MRIs and PET scans) have revolutionized neuroscience – but such scanners are too bulky to monitor brain function during typical real-world tasks. NASA’s functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) cognitive brain monitor uses sensors worn on the head to track blood levels in the brain. NASA says the device could check the cognitive state of airline pilots, train engineers and construction workers as they perform safety-critical duties – which sounds awesome and a little bit scary.

Antigravity simulator: Johnson Space Center uses its patented Active Response Gravity Offload System, or ARGOS, to give astronauts and other test subjects a feel for simulated weightlessness while they practice outer-space tasks. But ARGOS could be adapted for a new kind of thrill ride as well. Imagine being suspended in a harness from a crane system that senses your movements – for example, walking or jumping – and then translates them into automated tugs that make you feel as if you were moving in Martian, lunar or zero gravity. I’d be up for that ride. Would you? NASA says the technology could also be used for physical therapy or situations where workers have to manipulate heavy objects.

Source : www.forbes.com

Oracle has a crack internal team building a completely new cloud - here's what we know so far

Oracle is taking some drastic, far-reaching steps to fix its troubled cloud business and turn it into a major player.

Right now, Oracle has a public cloud, based at least in part on the technology it got in the acquisition of startup Nimbula.

But Business Insider has learned that Oracle has assembled a crack team of cloud experts, assembled from engineers formerly of Nimbula, shuttered startup Nebula, and Amazon Web Services, building a new public cloud to offer right alongside the old one.

Oracle is investing heavily in making this new plan work, paying those engineers top dollar, and even offering raises when it finds out people are interviewing elsewhere.

A vital effort

Cloud computing is a growing trend in businesses, where they outsource a lot of core computing functions to a big tech company, rather than running and managing a bunch of computer servers in their own facility or a leased space.

Oracle's longtime rival Microsoft is generally seen to be way ahead of Oracle with its cloud offerings, while newcomers Amazon and Google are also cashing in big.

As we've previously reported, Oracle has been using very aggressive tactics to sell its current cloud platform. The company's sales team has resorted to the "nuclear option" of threatening a costly and expensive audit of other Oracle software products, then offering to skip the audit if the customer agrees to add cloud services.

Now, Oracle has assigned a team to build a completely new cloud offering to appeal to its largest customers.

Here's what we know about the product so far:

#The initiative started in early 2015, and is being scheduled to enter private beta late next year with select customers. It's going to be targeted at banks, hospitals, and other customers with stringent security and compliance needs, rather than small, independent developers.

#It will be billed as being way more reliable and higher-performance than Amazon Web Services, while still meeting security needs. While Amazon is focused more on developers and startups, Oracle's new cloud will comply with the way that big businesses already build their applications.

#The current Oracle Cloud offering, which is more similar to Amazon Web Services, will stick around for at least a while.

#The new public cloud team is mainly working out of offices in downtown San Francisco and Seattle, rather than Oracle's main headquarters in Redwood City.

#When Larry Ellison held a special event to announce two dozen new features for the Oracle cloud, the new public cloud team watched via webcast from the office with a mix of amusement and interest - not all of the features he mentioned were ready yet.

The initiative is so important to Oracle, the company has offered many of the team working on it stock-based incentives worth around $500,000, and has thrown additional incentives of $100,000 or more at people who have shown interest in leaving for other companies.

The team also gets away with a lot of little things that the rest of Oracle does not.

For instance, when the team was struggling with Oracle's central IT to get the server resources they needed, the team requisitioned a bunch of desktop computers from Oracle's Seattle office and turned them into an OpenStack-powered private cloud development environment so they could continue their work in peace, right in the middle of the office floor.

If any other team did this, they would probably be fired, suggests a person familiar with the matter.

(Ironically, when the team needed more memory for those computers, the bureaucracy reared its head; three managers turned down the request before a fourth finally approved it.)

While the new team is apparently in favor with Oracle leadership now, that doesn't mean the old one is slated for the scrap heap - Ellison is known to spur internal competition within the company. So there's no guarantee that the new cloud will ship on schedule with the promised features, or that Oracle will keep it around at all.

But one thing is clear: The heat is on for the current cloud product and the teams running it.

Oracle declined to comment.

Source : ETCIO.com

Lava To Invest Rs 500 Crore To Set Up Manufacturing Facility In Andhra Pradesh

NEW DELHI: In line with 'Make in India' initiative, domestic handset vendor Lava will invest Rs 500 crore to set up a manufacturing plant in Tirupati. 

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for a dedicated mobile handset and electronics manufacturing facility at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. 

According to officials, apart from Lava, the facility will house brands like Micromax, Celkon and Karbonn.

"The manufacturing plant, which will be operational in 2017, will target production capacity of five million phones a month once fully functional. Lava will invest Rs 500 crore for this facility that will be set up over 20 acres of land allotted by the government," company's International Chief Manufacturing Officer Sanjeev Agarwal told PTI. 

He added that the facility will aim to generate employment for 12,000 people."Over the next few years, we plan to develop the entire manufacturing ecosystem in India and promote localisation of components," Agarwal said. 

Lava's existing manufacturing unit in Noida, which has a monthly capacity of one million units, was commenced six months back."We have already achieved manufacturing cost as competitive as that in China (from Noida unit). Moreover, with our robust infrastructure, we are delivering products with 50 per cent better quality as compared to products made in China," he said. 

This development is an important milestone in Lava's journey and will help deliver on the promise to empower people to do more and be more by generating employment and imparting skills, he added.

In July, Lava had said it will invest Rs 2,615 crore over the next 7 years to set up two manufacturing units in India. Once operational, the units will have a combined capacity of 18 million handsets per month. 

Global handset makers like Samsung and domestic players like Micromax and Spice have assembly units in India.Recently, international players like Xiaomi, Gionee and Asus have announced assembly units in India in partnership with electronics major Foxconn in Andhra Pradesh. 

Handset makers are looking to tap the multi-billion dollar opportunity in India, which is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world.The Indian handset industry is poised to overtake the US as the second-largest market in next few years. According to research firm IDC, shipments in India grew 44 per cent year-on-year to 26.5 million units in April-June 2015 quarter.

Lava ranked fourth in the tally with seven per cent market share, after Samsung (23 per cent), Micromax (17 per cent) and Intex (11 per cent).

Source : www.techgignews.com

Google Investing Big Bucks In Bold Projects To Boost Digital Journalism: $169M Fund Should Heat Things Up

Google has launched a 150-Million-Euro fund for news publisher's digital projects. According to the search giant, the funding will have no strings attached, but we're guessing the publishers will investigate this given recent strained ties.

This fund can be tapped by European digital news outlets when developing new projects for the web. News outlets that may require large-scale grants would first need to seek approval from a 13-member council which includes the likes of Telegraph chief Murdoch MacLennan. We understand that the rules will apply to all, and that no one should be able to take advantage of the funds in a way that does not fall under the terms and conditions.

Google first made its intention known to launch this fund back in April as part of the company's Digital News Initiative. This is aimed at improving the not-so good relationship between European digital news outlets and the search giant.

According to Google, it will award the funds over a three-year period, which means digital news agencies will gain access to €50 million (around $55,517,500) every year for the next three years. As stated above, there's no strings attached, and no requirements to use Google products.

"The ambition and intent of the Fund is bold: to spark new thinking, which could come from anywhere in the news ecosystem, to give news organisations - of all sizes - the space to try some new things. We've set aside up to €150 million (around $166,552,500) for that purpose, which we'll make available in the form of no-strings-attached awards over the next three years," says Google.

With this large sum of cash, news start-ups along with well-established companies can pave the way for new innovations along with the possibility of coming up with new ways to read news content on the web.

At the moment, Google has over 120 news organizations as part of the project from across the European Union. However, at the moment, we're not certain if the search giant intends to allow others to join the fray in the future.

Source : www.techtimes.com

Youtube Red Will Provide Viewers an Ad-Free Experience; But Content Creators Given Just 2 Options: Signup or Disappear

Youtube has finally launched their much anticipated paid subscription plan, which will allow users to access ad-free videos and a bunch of other advantages. Christened as “Youtube Red”, this is certainly one of those redefining moments for Youtube, as it can finally leverage their billions of hours of videos and millions of daily viewers.

Youtube Red can also be an excellent case study on how digital services can monetize their content without advertisements.Youtube Red is being initially launched in US, but subsequently, it would be rolled out across other countries. Subscription charges are $9.99 per month or roughly Rs 7400 per year in INR.

In their blog post, Google said, “On October 28th, we’re giving fans exactly what they want. Introducing YouTube Red — a new membership designed to provide you with the ultimate YouTube 

experience.”

Features which Youtube Red subscribers would be able to enjoy:

Ad free access of all videos on Youtube

Videos can be saved for offline usage

Access of saved videos on various devices such as mobiles, tablets, desktops and Cloud

Videos can be played on background as well

Membership advantages will be available across Youtube Gaming app; Youtube Music App (which would be launched very soon) and Google Play Music

Access to exclusive content on Youtube, which would not be available on other platforms such as TV/cinema

Youtube has categorically stated that Youtube access is still free, however, “with YouTube Red, you’ll be able to support the people who make your favorite videos while watching what you want, when you want, on any device you want, uninterrupted.”

Content Creators: Sign up or Disappear

Amidst the excitement of this paid Youtube plan, it seems that the most important entity of this whole platform: The content creators, are being taken for a ride by Google.Apparently, all content creators are being forced to signup for Youtube Red, or else they can face extinction. Technically, its an offer which they can’t refuse.

It’s literally a “signup or disappear” situation for them, as indirectly, Google has informed all content creators that if they don’t sign up for Youtube Red, then their content would be neither available in old free format nor in the new paid format.

This leaves very little room for negotiation for all content creators, whose hard work is now being monetized by Youtube. Techcrunch has said that “It’s a tough pill to swallow that makes YouTube look like a bully..”.

Although its a proven fact that turning free viewers into paid subscribers would enable content creators to make more money; but things are hazy and doubtful as of now. Some observers are commenting that instead of ‘signup or disappear” strategy, Youtube could have simply flagged such videos as “Not on Red”. But here, the content creators are forcefully signed up for this paid feature.

The situation becomes sticky here, as in the month of April, Youtube had said that they will pay 55% of the revenues generated via paid subscription to the content creators. Spotify pays 70% of overall revenues to the content creators; Apple Music pays 71.5% to the artists; but with Google, the revenue sharing arrangement is much less.

Yesterday, Google emailed this response to Techcrunch, regarding the issue:

“Both creators and users have been asking for a YouTube subscription service and that’s why we built YouTube Red. Today, the overwhelming majority of our partners, representing nearly 99% of the content watched on YouTube, have signed up. Videos of partners who don’t update their terms will be made private, but we remain committed to working closely with these partners with the goal to bring them on board.”

There are several content creators who are specializing in mass entertainment like standup comedy etc, who feel that advertisement based revenues would be higher than subscription based revenues. But with Youtube Red, they don’t have much of an option – either they can signup, or their content would not be available; this is the reason 99% of content creators have actually signed up for this paid service!

We will keep you updated, in case Youtube and Google come up with more clarification regarding this issue.

Source :www.trak.in

Redesigned Google Play Store now rolling out to users

NEW DELHI: It appears that the redesigned version of Google Play Store is now being rolled out to Android devices.

The development was originally reported by the folks at Android Central who have already received the update. This follows Google engineer Kirill Grouchnikov spilling the beans on the Play Store on mobile getting a big visual overhaul.

The new design is inspired by Google's Material Design language, and offers different tabs for apps (and games) and other content offered by the digital marketplace. The redesign includes a highlights banner at the top that features popular content across all categories. Different content destinations are colour coded and follow a theme.

It also features the recently revamped Google logo and switches to horizontal scrolling for navigation to aid discovery.

The update will be rolled out from Google's end and not as an app update.

Source : The Times Of India - Tech

How Big Data Analytics Helped Snapdeal Deliver During Diwali Sales Frenzy

It was 3.00 AM in the morning. And there were only a few hours left for the big e-commerce festive sales to flag off. Executives burning midnight oil in office wasn't an anomaly for the Indian e-commerce firms. That's when Anand Chandrasekaran, Snapdeal's Chief Product Officer and his team decided to go play some basketball.

 They had gone over and over their dress rehearsals for the most important days of the year, and found nothing that should keep them from that basketball game. Anand Chandrasekaran might have spent a lot of Diwalis away from home, but he sure knows how special and secular the festival is in India. And that is why, he kept telling his team that the Diwali sale is actually about the user. It starts right from informing the user through the right channels, and ends with making shopping on Snapdeal not only an experience, but a habit for customers. "We keep saying internally that 'boring is good'.

 We did so many dress rehearsals that we knew exactly how the site will respond- so there were no surprises. We also used extensive predictive analytics to be prepared logistically for the sale," Chandrasekaran told ET. Snapdeal distinguished its sales model from rivals Flipkart and Amazon, something which Chandrasekaran told us was a conscious decision, since they wanted to focus on efficiency. Though Snapdeal is still owns the third slot on the Indian e-commerce dais, its sale processes won it quite some praise from consumers and industry observers.

The Diwali festive sale saw a 500 per cent growth in concurrent traffic for Snapdeal. "We had 99.8 per cent uptime across web, WAP and the mobile app. We saw a 700 per cent growth in sales and have shipped 6 million items so far," Chandrasekaran said. "As we go into the festive season, many people discover e-commerce for the first time. For instance we saw 500 per cent concurrent growth in traffic. This growth becomes the base for us next year. It is not that we shall see a drop of 500 per cent concurrent growth in traffic. This growth becomes the base for us next year. It is not that we shall see a drop of 500 per cent after the festive season. So we don't want to make customers' interaction with us merely a transactional one," he added. 

Snapdeal has been investing significantly in logistics and backend in the run up to festive sales. Earlier this year, it had invested over $100 million in logistics and recently invested in fulfilment service provider Gojavas. In last one year Snapdeal has added 1.3 million square feet of warehousing space. At present, Snapdeal is fulfilling 60 per cent of the orders from its own warehouse as compared to 7 per cent in January. Thanks to these, 98.9 per cent of orders were shipped out on the sameday, which Chandrasekaran believes would be a first for an e-commerce company. "Many Snapdeal exclusives got delivered within hours. My own iPhones that I ordered came to me in 12-15 hours, and it had nothing to do with me being a Snapdeal employee," Chandrasekaran gloats. He added that the focus for Snapdeal this time was to improve efficiencies, since "great deals have always been a part of our offering." 

Active use of predictive analytics did a lot of work for Snapdeal. The e-commerce platform saw 300 orders per second at peak (last year 30 orders/second at peak). 2/3rd of these volumes came from tier 2 and 3 cities. Thanks to big data analytics, Snapdeal was able to save precious time from receiving the order to dispatching it. Chandrasekaran told us that a lot of sellers had kept orders ready to be shipped based on the demand forecast data provided to them by Snapdeal. One category that really benefitted from analytics was large goods, particularly furniture. "We got 70,000 orders of large goods like beds and sofas etc. But thanks to predictive forecasting, we saved a lot of time. Most of our sellers had pre packaged their goods and kept them ready to be shipped. We and our sellers were not reacting to demand, we were responding to it." Seeing the response, Snapdeal has decided to go ahead with weekly sales (every Monday) till the festive season lasts.

Chandrasekaran believes that the only thing he would want to change the next time around is the 99.8 per cent uptime. "I would want it to be 100 per cent.". The other thing he is looking forward to seeing is how the integration with Freecharge will change things for Snapdeal. 

As for this sale period, Chandrasekaran is a content man. Snapdeal's only plan was to be prepared, and that seemed to have worked. "We have a saying internally- those who sweat in peace, don't bleed in war," he signs off.

Source : techgignews.com

Here's Apple's bizarre plan to protect your iPhone screen

Smashed iPhones are in pockets the world over and Apple knows it doesn't have the most durable handset on the market - but a new technology could stop future iPhones breaking when dropped.

A new patent filed by Apple includes a mechanism where shock absorbers burst out of the front of the phone after it detects it's falling.

The patent shows four little bumpers in the bezels beside the screen of the phone. These would burst out to make sure the screen doesn't make contact with the floor and absorb most of the impact.

Save our screens

It isn't clear, but we'd assume the phone would be weighted so it'll always fall face down ready for the little bits to pop out.

Apple has been working hard to make its iPhone range more durable. After the Bendgate scandal the company went back to the drawing board and used a stronger 7000 series aluminium in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

This technology may not ever see the light of day though - Apple has various patents for technology that hasn't ever been seen on an released phone.

We've got our fingers crossed this is something Apple has been working on for a while though - that iPhone in the sketches looks like a 5S from a few years back. While we can hope it'll be ready in time for the iPhone 7 the reality of that happening is much less likely.

Source : techradar.in

Tesla self-drive mode filmed 'endangering passengers'

One appears to show a car suddenly trying to swerve off the road after exiting the motorway in Portland, USA.Another appears to show a Model S Tesla swerving towards an oncoming vehicle.Autopilot takes over driving functions such as steering and changing lane.

But Tesla said: "The driver cannot abdicate responsibility for driving."

Autopilot was released as a software update, with a note stating it was suitable only for motorway driving.The two videos showing cars swerving took place away from the motorway lanes.
Tesla said: "The latest autopilot release is a hands-on experience to give drivers more confidence behind the wheel, increase their safety on the road and make motorway driving more enjoyable."

At the time of its release, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said autopilot was still in test mode.
"The software is very new. We're being especially cautious at this early stage, so we're advising drivers to keep their hands on the wheel just in case," he said.

Another Miami driver said his car was driving at 75mph (120km/h) in a 60mph zone, resulting in it being pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol. He posted pictures of the speeding tickets he had been issued.Tesla told the BBC it was the driver had set the speed limit to 75mph, because autopilot does not set the speed limit. It also said speeding drivers were warned that they were breaking the limit.

Source : www.bbc.com

Google buys stake in $300 million China startup Mobvoi

BIEIJING: Google will take a minority stake in Beijing-based artificial intelligence firm Mobvoi as part of a $75 million fundraising round, the startup said on Tuesday, as the US search giant tries to rebuild its presence in China.

Mobvoi works on artificial intelligence (AI) voice-controlled software, like that used in Google's Android products for mobile search, and also develops hardware like smart watches. Google's parent company is now named Alphabet.

The Google-led Series C fundraising values Mobvoi at $300 million, with the start-up maintaining a controlling stake, said co-founder Li Yuanyuan in a telephone interview. The size of the US firm's investment was not disclosed by Li or in Mobvoi's e-mailed statement on Tuesday.

The deal, not Google's first in China but one of few, comes as the company seeks to re-establish itself in the world's largest internet market by population of users.Because services like its search, e-mail and mapping are blocked in China, the US firm is trying to cement partnerships with domestic providers like Mobvoi, which offers technology similar to Apple's Siri and Google's own version.

Mobvoi previously partnered with Google to provide Chinese-language voice search for the latter's Android Wear smartwatch operating system. The Chinese firm will use the money from its fundraising to invest in AI and robotics research.

Mobvoi is also developing voice search to be integrated into vehicles and a robot for families in China, said Li. When contacted, a Singapore-based Google spokesman declined to elaborate on how the Mobvoi investment fit with its China strategy.

Although Google has maintained an engineering and sales presence in China, it largely withdrew its services out of China five years ago after refusing to continue self-censoring search results.

CEO Sundar Pichai has made no secret that he wants to get back into China, with his bet riding on Google Play, the app store for its Android mobile operating system, despite it currently being borderline inaccessible in China. He faces an uphill struggle.

Source  : The Times Of India - Tech

Xiaomi Announces Self-Balancing Ninebot Mini Scooter

Xiaomi's investment in Ninebot has finally come to good use with the company releasing the Ninebot mini-scooter in China for a local equivalent of Rs 20,361 (1999 CNY).

This is a self-balancing battery operated scooter and can last up to 22KM on a single charge. Xiaomi claims that the scooter can climb inclines of up to 15 degrees with a top speed of 16 KM/h.

At 12.8 kilograms, the Ninebot mini-scooter can fit into the trunk of your car conveniently and can be carried around easily. The company is separately selling safety gear for the scooter priced at 169 CNY or Rs 1720.

As you guessed by now, this mini-scooter is pretty similar to the popular Segway scooter, but significantly smaller. It can even do a full 360 degree turn at a standstill, which is a handy feature to have on a scooter such as this.

Thanks to integration with mobile devices through a dedicated app, the Ninebot mini-scooter can give you real time information on speed, distance and even intimate you when the device has some updates pending.Indian availability cannot be ruled out at this point, although Xiaomi is yet to offer clarity on that right now.

Source : techgignews.com

India can help make cyber world level playing field, says Swedish official

NEW DELHI: Being a regional power that has huge internet consumer base, India can play a key role in ushering a "democratic" cyber space, a senior Swedish official has said.

According to Maja Fjaestad, state Secretary to Minister for Strategic Development and Nordic Cooperation of Sweden, issues like cyber bullying and harassment of women subscribers were universal and India should pro-actively participate in addressing these issues.

"The problems and issues faced by female internet users in Sweden are the same as faced by female users here in India. We have been raising these issues but if India too pushes them, it would mean a lot," Fjaestad, who calls herself a cyber feminist, told IANS on the sidelines of a conference here.

Cyberspace is home to almost the same percentage of women (47 percent) as men (53 percent), but women are twice as likely to face sexual harassment online.

As the online and offline environments are fundamentally intertwined, gender-based power structures have real-world implications regardless of platform.

According to Fjaestad, in countries with a rapidly growing internet user base, governments, businesses and civil societies should devise strategies to effectively address cyber bullying and gender based violence.

On the issue of net neutrality, Fjaestad said her country was for net neutrality. "If information has to be prioritised at all, it should be on the basis of purpose, not for the sake of money," she said.

Fjaestad said Sweden was also seeking greater cooperation with India on other fronts including trade as there was "so much common interest" involved.

Source : ETCIO.com

Libratone jumps into multi-room audio with its latest speakers

Libratone isn't content with churning out more cloth-covered wireless speakers -- it wants to muscle in on Sonos' home turf. The upscale gear maker has launched both an updated Zipp speaker and a smaller Zipp Mini (shown above) that include multi-room audio. You can link as many as six of the zipper-clad speakers over WiFi, much like some of their peers. The key, as you might have guessed, is that everything is portable. If you're jonesing to move your entire setup to a new room, you can do it without feeling like you're moving house.

The two also share 360-degree sound, Bluetooth 4.1 support, a new touch interface and between 8 to 10 hours of battery life. The decision really comes down to both the power you need, the size you like and how much you're willing to pay. The relatively tiny Zipp Mini delivers 60W of sound for $250/£179, while springing for the $300/£219 Zipp gets you 100W in a larger body. Are you going to ditch an existing whole-home system for Libratone's latest hardware? Probably not, especially if you only need two units (devices like the UE Boom 2 already pair together) to fill your abode with music. Even so, this could make a lot of sense if you've ever wished for multi-room listening that could follow you around.

Source : engadget.com

Here Are All the Cars in Need for Speed Reboot

Electronic Arts is looking to reboot its Need for Speed franchise and it’s betting a lot on the latest game in the series that will land on November 5 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and PC sometime in 2016. The Ghost Games studio has just announced all the cars that will be available on launch day and there are quite a few.

The new Need for Speed doesn't have any kind of other number or name associated with it, but this is how reboots are done these day. The developers drop any kind of indication about the past and they only focus on the future. In this case, it looks like Need for Speed doesn't really care about having a huge collection of cars that you probably won't even try. Instead, they will have a lot of very famous ones and the developers have put a lot of care into how they look.

EA is trying to get back to its roots, and one of the ways to do that is by recapturing some of the things that it used to do well, and that is an over-the-top storyline and incredible races. If the racing part is something that can be worked on, the story part doesn't seem to match. The studio went for a serious storyline that even involves some great names such as Magnus Walker, Ken Block, Nakai-san, or Morohoshi-san.

There is an old Mustang available, don't worry

The game will let players choose any car they want right from the start and they will be unlocked. The only problem will be the money, so they might as well be locked. Expect to see quite a few DLCs after launch.

Here are the cars:

- Honda Civic Type-R

- Ferrari 458 Italia

- BMW M2

- NISSAN Skyline GT-R V-Spec 1993

- Acura RSX-S

- Toyota Sprinter GT Apex

- Chevrolet Corvette Z06

- Toyota GT86

- Dodge Challenger SRT8

- Toyota Supra SZ-R

- Honda NSX Type-R

- Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670

- Porsche 911 Carrera S (993)

- Ferrari F40

- Mazda MX-5 2015

- Volkswagen Golf GTI

- Volvo 242

- Chevrolet Camaro Z28

- Ford Mustang Boss 302

- Ford Mustang Fox Body

- McLaren 570S

- Porsche Cayman GT4

- BMW M3 E92

- Honda S2000

- Scion FR-S

- Dodge SRT Viper

- Mazda MX-5 1996

- Mercedes-AMG GT

- Porsche 911 Carrera S (991)

- NISSAN Fairlady 240ZG

- Lotus Exige S

- NISSAN GT-R Premium

- Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

- SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI

- NISSAN Skyline GT-R V-Spec 1999

- NISSAN Skyline GT-R KPGC10

- SUBARU BRZ Premium

- BMW M3 E46

- BMW M3 Evolution II E30

- BMW M4

- Ford Mustang GT

- Ford Mustang

- Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4

- Mazda RX7 Spirit R

- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR

- NISSAN 180sx Type X

- NISSAN Silvia Spec-R

- Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8

- Porsche 911 GT3 RS

- Lamborghini Diablo SV

- Ford Focus RS

Source : softpedia.com

Middle East to become world leader in internet devices: Report

DUBAI: The Middle East is set to become the world leader in devices and consumer products connected to the internet and expected to generate a revenue of $270 billion this year, according to a new research.

"Middle East organisations are ideally placed to become leaders in Internet of Everything innovation. The Middle East and Africa is set to post the world's second-fastest growing ICT market in 2015, reaching $270 billion," according to International Data Corporation, a market research, analysis and advisory firm.

Internet of Everything is a broad term that refers to devices and consumer products connected to the internet and outfitted with expanded digital features."Longer-term, the Middle East's IT market is set to grow by 23%, from $204 billion in 2014 to $252 billion in 2019, according to Gartner, an American information technology research and advisory firm.

Middle East is also engaging in digital transformations with application of Internet of Things in drones, robotics, and 3D printing that can transform the region's business.

"More than ever, Middle East businesses are engaging in digital transformations, as the Internet of Things is no longer a theory, but is impacting our daily lives and business practices," said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, Dubai World Trade Centre.The 35th edition of GITEX Technology Week -- the leading Information and communications technology (ICT) event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia -- opened yesterday, featuring the latest in innovative IoT solutions, especially in drones, robotics, and 3D printing that can transform the region's businesses.

In tandem with the Year of Innovation, the GTX Horizons Zone will showcase leading edge demonstrations of next generation disruptive technologies across 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics.

Source: The Times Of India - Tech