Indian Air Force Rafale Jets Will Be Made In India, To Give Boost To Tejas Technology

India's largest-ever military deal is likely to bring in big business for the private sector with the French side looking to set up a production centre for the Rafale fighter aircraft as well as a low-cost executive jet in India, besides sharing vital aircraft technology for the indigenous Tejas project.

Officials familiar with the project have told ET that major partners for this 'Make in India' project are currently being identified by the French side and are likely to include Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Systems, Noida-based Samtel and Bharat ElectronicsBSE -0.36 %. These officials, both Indian and French, spoke on the condition they not be identified.

Spokespersons of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group told ET "there is no development". Officials on the French side told ET, on condition of anonymity, that the agreement between Rafale and an Indian partner will be on the lines of the 2012 agreement between the French company and the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries

Source : techgignews.com

Change the color of inactive windows in Windows 10

When Microsoft released the retail version of Windows 10, window titlebars supported only the white color. This meant that every titlebar, with some notable third-party exceptions that used their own color scheme, was white.

Microsoft was criticized heavily for the lack of coloring options, promised to do better, and added options to Windows 10 later on to pick a different color for the active window.

Options to pick an accent color from the background, or a fixed color, were added to the Personalization > Color options of the Settings application.

The move improved the situation somewhat, but ignored inactive window colors completely. These were still displayed with a white background and without options to change the color in the Windows settings.

The screenshot below highlights how that looks currently if you have set a different color for the active titlebar in Windows 10.

Windows 10 users who want to change the color of inactive titlebars in the operating system had to resort to third-party solutions until now.

Ask VG discovered a Registry key that handles the inactive titlebar color natively. Once created and filled with a value, it uses the selected background color for all inactive windows in the operating system.

You need to do the following to do that:

Tap on the Windows-key, type regedit and hit enter.

You may get an UAC prompt which you need to accept.

Use the tree structure on the left to navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM

Right-click on DWM and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.

Name it AccentColorInactive.

Double-click the value afterwards and add a color hex code to it. Note: The hex format is reversed, instead of using RRGGBB it uses BBGGRR with R=red, G=green and B=blue.

You may use a service like Paletton or similar services to get these color codes (check Base RGB on the site).

If you get the code 403075 for instance, you would have to add it as 570304 in the value field of the AccentColorInactive preference.

Color changes become active right away. I suggest you open two Windows Explorer windows and toggle between them to see the effect immediately. Adjust the color as you see fit until you are satisfied.

Source : ghacks.net

This Indian startup takes the headache out of subscription ecommerce

“Imagine you’re a business that’s global in nature, and you’re growing globally. You have lots of customers in Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, the UK, and Australia. You host a lot of products in these companies, [but you] also want the customers to have a more local experience,” says Krish Subramanian, founder and CEO of ChargeBee.

ChargeBee caters to that. Based in Chennai, India, ChargeBee got its start in 2013 and helps businesses better manage recurring billings and online subscriptions. It serves about 1,000 clients across industries in nearly 50 countries. All clients deal in subscription ecommerce, meaning they rely on regular payments that come in from users.

Payment management is a big deal for up-and-coming companies, particularly startups, which are often short-staffed and need to conserve resources. They could do with an easy and convenient way to process transactions, particularly transactions overseas that may be in a different currency. In a recent move, ChargeBee has partnered with Worldpay, a London-based payment processing company, to bring an integrated payments solution to subscription billing.

Instead of paying in the currency of your company’s country, you’d want your customers to be able to pay in their own currencies. Dealing with multiple currencies is not the easiest thing to do. For example, paying across countries with different credit cards means that your payments have a lower rate of acceptance. The collaboration allows for, as Krish says, “crossover” between payments that won’t need in-house processing or a bank as a middleman.

In other words, ChargeBee takes a lot of the processing work required for subscription billings out of the picture — if you’re paying a certain amount per month, someone has to process that, and ChargeBee offers to do it for you instead of wasting time and resources having your staff do it. With the Worldpay partnership, the service can now process payments between different currencies without involving a bank and with a lot less red tape involved.

ChargeBee joins Zuora, Avangate, and Cleverbridge in a battle to get companies signed up for this kind of convenience. Subscription payment startups are doing well in an economy that seems to be becoming more and more subscription-based.

Source : techinasia.com

Sky talks UHD and leaving door open for Netflix and Amazon on its new box

Sky will not be launching Ultra HD until the company is sure that the customer demand is there, and it has not ruled out the chance of Netflix or Amazon Prime apps appearing on its new Sky Q box.

The Sky Q Silver box will launch early in 2016, but although the box is 'UHD ready' that part of the service will be held back at launch.

With rival BT already offering a UHD service - most notably in Sky's traditional cutting-edge area of football - it's important for the company to be seen as not lagging too far behind.

But rushing out a service is not something Sky is entertaining, with Director of Customer Experience Kathryn Lacey confirming to techradar that the company would launch when ready.

"The decision not to launch [with UHD] was based on us as a company only launching a service when we think they are ready for it.

"We want to make sure that we have a comprehensive line-up and also it's about making sure the customer demand is there."

When techradar asked about whether Netflix or Amazon may arrive on the service, Lacey did not rule out the chance of services that may be considered competitive joining the launch apps in the new smart functionality of the Sky Q.

"This is just the start - the guys we have got in [the apps] are the ones we've worked with and had a real appetite," she said

"Everyone wanted YouTube so that's on the box - and we are totally open to working with a number of partners."

So it's not a no from Sky, which gives a glimmer of hope that this comprehensive service will soon not only be toting UHD but also more content services beyond its own.

Source : in.techradar.com

iPhone 7 – Waterproof And With 3GB Of RAM?

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are over two months old, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not interested in the upcoming iPhone, how it will look like or what new features will be added. There are already tech websites filled with rumors about the specs of the iPhone 7 and they suggest that the upcoming flagship will be waterproof and will support more RAM.

TrendForce launched some rumors according to which in 2016, Apple will come with a 4-inch iPhone, in addition to the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models, because some fans are missing the old iPhone 5S and repeatedly asked Apple to bring a smaller version, because not all of them are fond of phablets.

Another speculation is related to the collaboration between Apple and Samsung, which will edge closer next year. The South Korean giant already built the A9 processor for the current iPhones and some are whispering that the iPhone 7 might adopt an AMOLED display.

Other rumors say that the screen will be an OLED, while most of the specialists believe that Apple will continue to use the TFT-LCD display technology. No matter what type of panel it will be, it will include an eye-tracking technology, likewise that that was introduced on the Galaxy S4, which stops some actions when the user is not looking at the screen, such as Smart Pause for videos, Smart Scroll for moving web pages up or down, and Smart Stay, which prevents screen-dimming, when the user is looking at the screen.

Source : techgignews.com

63 Percent of Top Android Apps Engage in Covert Communications

MIT researchers have analyzed the top 500 most popular Android apps and discovered that 63% of these apps initiate covert communications to remote servers that have no impact on the user experience.

Researchers used both static analysis techniques and human evaluators to compile their results. The researchers described an overt communication as any connection between the app and a remote server that directly changed or modified the app's behavior and UI. All other connections were considered covert, having no impact on the user's experience within the app.

Not all the covert traffic can be attributed to analytics

By processing app data traffic and comparing the UI before and after the connection started, scientists found out that 63% of the top free Android apps are guilty of engaging in "secret whispering."

While half of the covert communications accounted for analytics traffic, data shared with online advertisers about the device and its user, the other half remained a mystery to MIT's scientists.

"Our analysis shows that covert communication is quite common in top-popular Android applications in the Google Play store," the research team noted.

Human testers confirmed the researchers' findings

Researchers went a step further and also decompiled and modified 47 of the top 100 free Android apps, disabling their ability to start covert communications.

The MIT staff then tested these apps with human subjects, who reported that they couldn't spot any differences between the original and the modified version in 30 of these applications. Only 5 applications stopped working, while the other 12 showed minimal impact on the UI.

In most cases, most of the secret communications were started by the same components. The biggest offender is com.google.android, used in 76.4% of the entire analyzed apps. Researchers discovered that the component started 1,913 covert calls, 50% of its total number of calls.

Other notable infringers are com.gameloft  (mobile games), com.unity3d (mobile games), com.facebook (social media), and a slew of advertising SDKs.

Researchers also noted that the Candy Crash Saga, an app that was scrutinized so many times about various user privacy issues, was not making any secret calls at all.

Source : softpedia.com

Indian startups, Chinese giants Baidu, Alibaba & Tencent eyeing you

NEW DELHI: A new group of investors — Chinese in origin — is poised to step in as investors of choice for Indian startups, taking the place of some of the country's biggest venture capital firms that are becoming more cautious about writing large cheques.

Baidu, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings, collectively known as BAT, have been scouting in India for a year for startups to invest in, to take advantage of potential opportunities in the world's third-largest smartphone market, several investors and entrepreneurs ET spoke to said.While Alibaba and Tencent have already ploughed in millions, questions, however, have stacked up about their focus and investment strategies for Asia's second-largest economy.

"India is the last big frontier for the global mobile internet," said Vikram Vaidyanathan, managing director at Matrix Partners India. "BAT as global heavyweights will definitely play a role in shaping this ecosystem. Given their investment track record and deep sector expertise, I think many Indian startups would welcome their participation.

The growing interest in India comes at an opportune time for BAT, with venture capital investors realigning their portfolios as several startups are struggling to sustain or grow.Baidu declined to comment for this story while Alibaba and Tencent did not reply to email queries.

Venture capital firms pumped in a record $4 billion (Rs 26,000 crore) in Indian startups between January and September this year, but the deals are becoming fewer and smaller — investments dropped from 43 deals worth $604 million in July to 30 deals worth $255 million in September.

US-based Tiger Global Management, the most prolific backer of startups in India, has decided to tone down its aggressive style in the country, in a reflection of the limits of its strategy so far as well as the changing investor mood, ET reported on November 20.

Alibaba Group, China's largest ecommerce firm, invested $680 million in Noida-based online retailer Paytm in September, a month after pumping in $100 million to $125 million in Snapdeal, India's second-largest online marketplace by sales.

"(Alibaba Group) has invested close to $1 billion (in Indian startups), which is the largest from China," said Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and chief executive of Paytm. "They have the sharpest focus among the three."Shenzhen-based Tencent, which owns mobile app WeChat, in August invested in online healthcare startup Practo as part of a $90-million funding round. Baidu, China's largest internet search company, is in talks to invest in Mydala, an online coupon and discount marketing firm, ET reported on November 10.

"Each of them will likely invest here, and will invest in sectors that are close to their core business," said a fund manager with a venture capital firm, on condition of anonymity. "Commerce and wallets for Alibaba, social and mobile consumer for Tencent, and mobile consumer and commerce for Baidu."Some believe ecommerce will not be the only port of call for the big three Chinese investors. "Travel, real estate and education could also turn out to be attractive picks for the three Chinese investors.

I don't see them limiting themselves to e-commerce as other sectors also present large markets," said Mayank Khanduja, principal at investment firm SAIF Partners. "They are prolific venture investors in China... I don't think they'll adopt one dominant strategy for India."Mahendra Swarup, India managing director of private equity firm Avigo Capital, said Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent are likely to seek active roles in the companies they invest in. "They're strategic investors, and they want to drive their portfolio companies by taking a majority stake in them."

Alibaba and its affiliate Ant Financial hold over 40 per cent in Paytm, according to people aware of the matter. Baidu, too, is looking to pick up a controlling stake in Mydala. Tencent's stake-holding in Practo is undisclosed."With Alibaba, it was always about such a large, significant ownership combined between Alibaba and Ant Financial from day one," said Paytm's Sharma. "This was so that they can commit various resources and help to the company, beyond just a pure financial stake."

Source : The Times Of India - Tech.

NASA Gives MIT A Humanoid Robot To Develop Software For Future Space Missions

NASA announced today that MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) is one of two university research groups nationwide that will receive a 6-foot, 290-pound humanoid robot to test and develop for future space missions to Mars and beyond.

A group led by CSAIL principal investigator Russ Tedrake will develop algorithms for the robot, known as "Valkyrie" or "R5," as part of NASA's upcoming Space Robotics Challenge, which aims to create more dexterous autonomous robots that can help or even take the place of humans "extreme space" missions. (NASA's challenge is divided into a virtual competition using robotic simulations, and a physical competition using the robot.)Tedrake's team, which was selected from groups that were entered in this year's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, will receive as much as $250,000 a year for two years from NASA's Space Technology Mission Directive.

Exploring deep space by botNASA says it is interested in humanoid robots because they can help or even replace astronauts working in extreme space environments. Robots like R5 could be used in future missions either as precursor robots performing mission tasks before humans arrive or as human-assistive robots collaborating with the human crew. While R5 was initially designed to complete disaster-relief maneuvers, its main goal is now to prove itself worthy of even trickier terrain: deep-space exploration."Advances in robotics, including human-robotic collaboration, are critical to developing the capabilities required for our journey to Mars," said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a NASA press release. "We are excited to engage these university research groups to help NASA with this next big step in robotics technology development."

Source : techgignews.com

Zano Drone Program Shuts Down Over Delays

After a Kickstarter campaign that earned almost $3.5 million USD, the Zano Drone Project has shut down amid high-level staff resignations and heavy delays in production.

On Nov. 18, the company Torque, which was behind the Zano Project — an effort to launch a line of "sophisticated" nano drones with HD video and aerial photo capabilities — sent an email to over 12,000 backers and contributors to alert them that the project was folding. 

Then again, many of the backers couldn't have been that surprised: the project had been delaying shipments since its first original launch date, which was supposed to be in June 2015 — subsequently, the few models that were sent out received an overwhelming number of complaints from customers, due to alleged technical difficulties.  

While the Kickstarter page for the product was updated in October to reflect Zano's setbacks, it didn't seem to assuage anyone — not even the firm's own directors. Chief engineer Ivan Reedman's update post presented a company possibly harried by delays of its own making.

"We have had a few issues, some customers have experienced some issues and I am sure we will continue to see issues of all sorts but as a team," Reedman stated in his apology, afterward stating that purportedly less than 10 percent of the Zano mini-drones experienced issues.

"We are here to help all customers get the best from their Zano and will continue to improve the software, the app and the experience. That was our promise and that is what we are doing," he added.

Source : techtimes.com

Bessemer Leads $25 Million Funding In Services Marketplace UrbanClap

BENGALURU: UrbanClap, a mobile-based services marketplace, has raised $25 million in a series B round of funding led by Silicon Valley venture fund Bessemer Venture Partners, an early backer of Skype and Pinterest, along with participation from existing investors SAIF Partners and Accel Partners.

The Gurgaon-based startup lets users book plumbers, beauticians, Yoga instructors among 75 such services across Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. Started in October last year by Abhiraj Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra, UrbanClap had so far raised $12 million in risk capital."By the same time next year, we are aiming to have over 200,000 professionals on the platform and serve over 100,000 customers every day," said Bhal. 

The company plans to extend its offering to 25 cities in over 100 categories over the next one year with the latest financing in place. It also plans to hire an additional 300 people taking the its headcount to 600.Investors had rushed to fund a clutch of early-stage online marketplaces in the local and home services space earlier this year with the likes of Taskbob, Tiger Global-backed LocalOye, Housejoy raising money. 

However, over the past few months with the market tightening this category has seen some players unable to shore up further capital while others lke LocalOye laid off employees to cut costs paving way for consolidation.UrbanClap's Khaitan said they were about five times bigger than all other players on every metric with an annual gross merchandise value or GMV of $ 200 million and 5,000 customer requests coming in per day with an average order size of Rs 7000. It is no surprise that we have also raised five-six times more capital than anyone else, he said.Vishal Gupta, MD of Bessemer Venture Partners said, "We are impressed with how the UrbanClap team has aggressively built this mobile marketplace in a short period of time, and a capital efficient manner to become the industry leader. As they launch city after city, they are creating micro-entrepreneurs across service categories.

Source : techgignews.com

Nokia CEO: Alcatel buy will boost 5G firepower

FRANKFURT: Nokia's planned takeover of rival network gear maker Alcatel-Lucent will give it far greater scope to invest in new technologies like 5G mobile equipment while cutting costs, its chief executive said.

Rajeev Suri also told Reuters in an interview that the Finnish company was making rapid progress towards closing the acquisition, originally valued at 15.6 billion euro ($16.62 billion).The deal coincides with a major new industry investment cycle set to kick off next year to develop the next generation of 5G networks that are expected to start going mainstream around 2020, Suri said.

French-American company Alcatel-Lucent spends around 4.7 billion euros on research and development, while Nokia spends less than half that. "We have more scale to invest in 5G than we would had alone," Suri said.

5G equipment will be needed to handle the projected data demands of connected cars and industry, while making cities more secure and enabling new wearable communications devices. Current 4G networks handle mostly phone and computer traffic.

"The next year is the key, this is why the timing of our acquisition is good," Suri said. In the 4G era, the two separate companies had two different portfolios, but with the merger, it will be able to invest in and market a single 5G product line.

Suri was speaking on the first day of Nokia's public exchange offer to Alcatel-Lucent investors, for which the company needs a simple majority of more than 50 percent of shareholders to accept by the closing date of December 23.

Nokia shareholders hold a separate vote on the deal on December 2, clearing the way for the deal to close some time in the first quarter, the company has said."Mentally, we want to hit the ground running," Suri said. "For us, the deal closes when we get more than 50 percent" of Alcatel-Lucent shareholders accepting the deal, he said.Settlement of the offer and holidays mean the earliest the deal could close would be some time after the first week of 2016.

A handful of Alcatel-Lucent investors including second largest holder Odey Asset Management had called for better terms after its results earlier this year were markedly better than Nokia's.But few expect this to succeed since the deal is structured as a tender offer, requiring only a majority of Alcatel shareholders to be willing to sell. Suri declined to comment on whether other major shareholders were ready to back the deal.

Source : The Times Of India - Tech

5 startups to watch in India

Ola

On-demand cab service Ola has received US$500 million in a series F funding round, it announced today. Investors include Didi Kuaidi, Baillie Gifford, Tiger Capital, SoftBank Group, FalconEdge Capital, and DST Global.

Ola, Uber’s rival in India, claims that it gets a million booking requests a day and has over 350,000 vehicles using its service.

Hipship

Logistics startup Hipship got an undisclosed amount in funding from Inara Capital and a consortium led by Scootsy founder Rishi Khiani, it said today.

The startup aims to empower customers and SMEs by picking up and delivering their packages and documents. It aims to strengthen its technology backbone and expand across the country with the new funds.

Hostmaker

Hospitality management service Hostmaker today closed a US$2 million seed funding round led by DN Capital that also saw participation from Asia-focused DSG Consumer Partner and other venture funds, entrepreneurs, and travel industry professionals.

Hostmaker was founded a year ago by Nakul Sharma, a hospitality professional. It offers its Airbnb management services in London, Barcelona, and Rome, serving about 5,000 guests every month. The funding will be used for product enhancements and phase two of its expansion to other European capitals.

ScoopWhoop Media

News startup ScoopWhoop Media has raised US$4 million in fresh funds from venture capital firm Kalaari Capital.

The two-year-old startup plans to expand its video production unit, ScoopWhoop Talkies, with the fresh funds.

Goodbox

Tsepak Technologies’ instant messaging app Goodbox, which connects users with merchants, attracted US$2.5 million in a series A round. The investment came from Nexus Venture Partners.

Goodbox will use the money to expand operations, Bangalore-based Tsepak said in a press statement. The app allows businesses to create a real world-like storefront

Source : techinasia.com

Facing Cyber Blackmail? Don't Pay A King's Ransom

When your business is under fire and a ransom is on the table, it's tempting to pay and make the criminals go away. But how do you know they'll fulfill their part of the bargain? Even if they do, you've made yourself complicit in a growing criminal enterprise.

Demands to pay up or endure the consequences come in many varieties. It may be a promise not to out the victim for using a questionable service, or not to dump data files stolen from corporate servers. More often, though, the threat is delivered via ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts user files and makes the encrypted data useless until ransom is paid -- in amounts generally ranging from $200 to $10,000.

Some experts argue that paying ransom makes the situation worse because it rewards criminal behavior. The groups behind ransomware know victims will pay, which has resulted in more ransomware variants and new attack vectors. It's basic game theory: One victim pays the ransom, so the game will be repeated for the next victim, who will look at what the first victim did.

"Paying the ransom simply encourages the attackers to continue following the same playbook," said Andrew Hay, senior research manager at OpenDNS, which was acquired by Cisco earlier this year

Source : infoworld.com

How Robots Can Quickly Teach Each Other to Grasp New Objects

Grabbing a pen or pair of sunglasses might be effortless for you or me, but it’s fiendishly difficult for a robot, especially if the object in question is unfamiliar or positioned awkwardly.

Practice makes perfect, though, as one robot is proving. It is teaching itself to grasp all sorts of objects through hours of repetition. The robot uses different cameras and infrared sensors to look at an unfamiliar object from various angles before attempting to pick it up. Then it does so using several different grasps, shaking the object to make sure it is held securely. It may take dozens of tries for the robot to find the right grasp, and dozens more for it to make sure an object won’t slip.

That might seem like a tedious process, but once the robot has learned how to pick something up, it can share that knowledge with other robots that have the same sensors and grippers. The researchers behind the effort eventually hope to have hundreds of robots learn collectively how to grasp a million different things.

The work was done by Stefanie Tellex, an assistant professor at Brown University, together with one of her graduate students, John Oberlin. They used a two-armed industrial robot called Baxter, made by the Boston-based company Rethink Robotics.

At the Northeast Robotics Colloquium, an event held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute this month, Oberlin demonstrated the robot’s gripping abilities to members of the public.

Enabling robots to manipulate objects more easily is one of the big challenges in robotics today, and it could have major industrial significance (see “Shelf-Picking Robots Will Vie for Amazon Prize”).

Tellex says robotics researchers are increasingly looking for more efficient ways of training robots to perform tasks such as manipulation. “We have powerful algorithms now—such as deep learning—that can learn from large data sets, but these algorithms require data,” she says. “Robot practice is a way to acquire the data that a robot needs for learning to robustly manipulate objects.”

Tellex also notes that there are around 300 Baxter robots in various research labs around the world today. If each of those robots were to use both arms to examine new objects, she says, it would be possible for them to learn to grasp a million objects in 11 days. “By having robots share what they’ve learned, it’s possible to increase the speed of data collection by orders of magnitude,” she says.

To grasp each object, the Brown researchers’ robot scans it from various angles using one of the cameras in its arms and the infrared sensors on its body. This allows it to identify possible locations at which to grasp. The researchers used a mathematical technique to optimize the process of practicing different grips. With this technique, the team’s Baxter robot picked up objects as much as 75 percent more reliably than it did using its regular software. The information acquired for each object—the images, the 3-D scans, and the correct grip—is encoded in a format that allows it to be shared online.

Other groups are developing methods to allow robots to learn to perform various tasks, including grasping. One of the most promising ways to achieve this is deep learning using so-called neural networks, which are simulations loosely modeled on the way nerves in the brain process information and learn (see “Robot Toddler Learns to Stand by ‘Imagining’ How to Do It”).

Although humans acquire an ability to grasp through learning, a child doesn’t need to spend so much time handling different objects, and he or she can use previous experience to figure out very quickly how to pick up a new object. Tellex says the ultimate goal of her project is to give robots similar abilities. “Our long-term aim is to use this data to generalize to novel objects,” she says.

Source : technologyreview.com

Amazon’s innovation marketplace launches in the UK

Shoppers can now get access to some of the startup scene’s latest hardware, food and wellbeing products as Amazon’s curated Launchpad portal is now live outside of the US.

Although many current listings are from US companies (and some, like Pebble, aren’t particularly new) UK makers littleBits and smartphone manufacturer Wileyfox are among the first to start selling on the site.

An Amazon spokesperson said this is an opportunity for people to get to know the stories behind the products they buy as the site offers space for information about the founders who came up with the ideas.

Amazon Launchpad is mainly designed to support startups that are already part of the shopping giant’s growing partner network of VCs, accelerators, incubators and crowdfunding platforms.

This now includes products funded on UK crowdfunding sites like Crowdcube and Crowdfunder.co.uk.

The programme clearly gives Amazon a direct line into innovators as products are launched, although the companies do not have to list exclusively on the Launchpad.

Budding makers and existing Amazon suppliers can apply now to be listed on the portal, even if they aren’t working with one of Amazon’s partners, but their products must be ready for shipping within 90 days.

Source : thenextweb.com

Paris attacks: Faced with cyberwar, ISIS issues 'how not to get hacked' messages

 ISIS-affiliated account on the messaging app Telegram has sent out a message about Anonymous' threat to launch its "biggest operation ever" against the terrorist group.

After the Paris terror attacks on Friday that left at least 129 people dead and hundreds more injured, the hacking collective Anonymous posted a video in which a person who claims to represent the group said, "Anonymous from all over the world will hunt you down."

"We will launch the biggest operation ever against you," the masked person said. "Expect massive cyberattacks. War is declared. Get prepared."

 ISIS-affiliated account on the messaging app Telegram has sent out a message about Anonymous' threat to launch its "biggest operation ever" against the terrorist group.

After the Paris terror attacks on Friday that left at least 129 people dead and hundreds more injured, the hacking collective Anonymous posted a video in which a person who claims to represent the group said, "Anonymous from all over the world will hunt you down."

"We will launch the biggest operation ever against you," the masked person said. "Expect massive cyberattacks. War is declared. Get prepared."

The message goes on to provide "instructions" on how to avoid potential hacks: Don't open any links unless sure of the source. Change Internet Protocol addresses "constantly." And "do not talk to people [you] don't know on Telegram" or through Twitter direct messaging.

The message was then forwarded around to various other ISIS-affiliated Telegram channels.

Anonymous started targeting extremists in January after the terror attacks on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo. The hackers worked to identify ISIS-linked social media accounts and take down extremist websites.

Source : The Times Of India - Tech

State Of Play: 3D Printing

Once a booming new industry seemingly set to take over the world with its revolutionary technology, today the 3D printing industry lies partially buried, with even the pioneering MakerBot Industries shutting stores and slashing staff numbers. The question is though, is this a fatal blow or merely a blip in 3D printing's inevitable rise?

It’s not been a good year

Even the most loyal advocate of 3D printing has to admit that 2015 is the year that saw the 3D printing bubble burst. After riding a five-year wave of innovation and hype, a period in which 3D printing was brought to the public through a series of crowdfunded projects, stores, events and products, as well as being heralded as the return of old-fashioned, localised manufacturing, things suddenly fell off a cliff.

MakerBot Industries, the poster child for the 3D printing field, shuttered its three high-street stores, let go 20 per cent of its staff and its parent company, Stratasys, saw its share price plummet from 104.16 on November 17, 2014, down to 22.59 as of November 16, 2015. At its height on January 3rd, 2014, Stratasys had once seen its shares worth 136.46 each but now they were worth a fraction of that.

Things weren’t localised to MakerBot and Stratasys too. 3D Systems, another prominent 3D printer manufacturer whose CTO Chuck Hall is credited with actually inventing the stereolithographic process used by many of the machines, also saw its share price nosedive, falling from 35.33 last year down to 8.65 over the same period. Organovo also saw its share price halved, Voxeljet AG too. It was a collapse that reminded people of the dot-com bust. Now, far from people zealously proclaiming that in the future ‘everything will be 3D printed’, investors were actively veering away from the tech, fearing that the industry was now in terminal decline.

Source : techgignews.com

Sandeep Girotra To Be New Nokia Head For India

NEW DELHI: Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia said Sandeep Girotra would become the head of India as part of the planned merger of the company and Alcatel-Lucent.Girotra is currently vice president and head of India, Nokia Networks.

The company said Girotra would oversee the combined company's customer operations across India, driving the execution of strategy and ensuring superior customer service, underpinned by a strong focus on innovation and quality.

Nokia in April had announced the acquisition of French firm Alcatel-Lucent in an all-stock deal valued at 15.6 billion euros ($16.6 billion).

"Sandeep Girotra would become the head of India as part of the planned combination of Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, after and subject to the successful closing of the public exchange offer for Alcatel-Lucent securities announced on April 15, 2015," the company said in a statement.

Girotra joined Nokia Networks in 1996 and has held a number of different roles in India, heading the region since 2011. In 2010 he served as head of sales for business solution networks having been customer team head at IDEA Cellular within Nokia Siemens Networks from 2007 to 2009.

Girotra would report to Ashish Chowdhary, chief customer operations officer.

"We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sandeep Girotra as designated head of India. He brings valuable regional experience and expertise, and would be a great asset to the management team," Chowdhary said.The proposed appointment is effective only after the successful closing of the public exchange offer and is subject to the completion of the relevant works council consultation procedures, it added

Source : techgignews.com

Clash of Clans Update With These 5 Tips and Tricks

Don’t Waste The Gems!

Don’t was the gems on building instant structures and, instead, keep them in order to purchase the Builder’s Huts, which is a structure that comes with a builder that you can use to make upgrades on your buildings or to create new buildings.

Keep in mind that the first Builder’s Hut you will get for free but of the rest you will need to pay as follows:

– Second Builder’s Hut: 250 Gems

– Third Builder’s Hut: 500

– Fourth Builder’s Hut: 1000 Gems

– Fifth Builder’s Hut: 2000 Gems.

At the same time, using gems you can boost the training of troops or even buy a shield that will protect your village from attacks for a period of time, gems can be harvested from rocks, trees, but you can also get some by completing achievements.

Village Layout

It is very important to have a good village layout, especially if you will want to get in a higher League. There are players who choose to place storages (such as gold, elixir or dark elixir) in the center of the base, so they can protect them against invaders. At the same time, near them you should place the Town Hall and hope that the attackers will not reach these structures.

There are many base designs all over the internet, but you’ll choose them depending on what you want to protect (resources or trophies).

Upgrading Mines And Collectors

The best way to gain resources is by raiding other villages. However, while you are offline, the gold mines and elixir/dark elixir collectors can gather resources, at low levels, the gold mines and elixir/dark elixir collectors will not gather too many resources, but keep upgrading them and they will pay off eventually.

Shield

The Shield is protecting your village from getting attacked. However, as soon as you attack another player, the shield will be removed, no matter if there are still a few hours until it will actually expire.

Clan

After you rebuild the Clan Castle, you will be able to join a Clan. The clan can have up to 50 players and you can share troops, attend clan wars and chat with them in-game. If you win a clan war with your Clan, you will earn a good amount of resources.

Source : neurogadget.com

MobiKwik app gets a makeover

NEW DELHI: Mobile wallet firm MobiKwik, Monday revamped its Android app's user interface.

The company has launched home screen cards that allow users to explore the different facets of the mobile wallet, it said in a statement.

The home cards, according to the company are contextual in nature and would be personalized for each user and transaction would become three fold faster.

The revamped version will allow MobiKwik under one consolidated hub 'My Wallet' and include account details, favorites, saved cards, loyalty points, and transaction history.

In addition, it has also launched a new tab on the app under offers category for games and apps.

Source : ETCIO.com

Amazon is going to promote the most innovative products built by UK tech startups

Amazon is launching a new platform to help UK technology startups sell and market their products, according to a report in The Financial Times.Launchpad, which has been available in the US since July, will provide a new shop window for UK tech startups looking to reach wider audiences.

Startups like computer kit manufacturer Kano and Wi-Fi enabled kettle creators iKettle will be able to promote their products through a new dedicated page on Amazon's UK website in exchange for an undisclosed cut of the sales, the FT reports.

The Seattle-headquartered retail giant will help startups to distribute their products to its millions of customers through its well-established delivery network.

Christopher North, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, told the FT that the move was an effort to help small businesses in the lead-up to Christmas, adding that many of Amazon's customers would miss these innovative products if they weren't showcased somewhere on Amazon's website.

"We know from talking to start-ups that bringing a new product to market can be just as challenging as building it," said North. "Amazon Launchpad gives startups support . . . so they can focus on inventing on behalf of customers."

Amazon will reportedly turn to US venture capital heavyweight Andreessen Horowitz and crowdfunding platforms like Crowdcube in order to identify the most promising startups to showcase on Launchpad.

Business Insider has contacted Andreessen Horowitz, which has invested in UK fintech star Transferwise, to see how this partnership will work in practice. We will update this story if we hear back.

Source : businessinsider.in

Android Gmail app security hole lets you pretend to be anyone online

A bug which allows you to pose as anyone when sending an email through the Gmail application has been deemed a non-issue despite the risk of exploit via phishing campaigns.

The bug is found within the standard Gmail application and needs only a few simple steps to implement. As reported by Motherboard, the issue was discovered by security researcher Yan Zhu and disclosed publicly last week.

In order to spoof your email address and masquerade as someone else when sending an email, you need only change your display name in account settings, which hides your legitimate email address.

Zhu demonstrated the problem through the email screenshot shown below. The independent researcher did nothing beyond changing her display name to yan ""security@google.com" -- including the important extra quotation mark, which triggers a parsing bug. The bug then forces the real email address to become invisible in the Gmail app, allowing Zhu to conceal herself as a member of Google's security team.

If an attacker is able to spoof their email address in this way and appear as something legitimate -- whether it be security@yourbank.com, account@google.com or your grocery store, a well-known delivery agent or friends and family, mass-phishing campaigns and spear-phishing may become more successful.

These techniques are used by cyberattackers to make fraudulent emails appear legitimate and entice victims to visit malicious websites which may download malware payloads or lure people into entering their account details, paving the way for account takeovers, data theft and empty bank accounts.

Your spam box is full to the brim of fake messages from sources pretending to be your bank, financial institutions and well-known companies such as eBay and PayPal because it is not difficult to spoof email addresses. However, the problem with this bug is that the flaw allows attackers to circumvent the usual spam filters which detect and stop these messages reaching your main inbox.

Source : zdnet.com

BitLocker encryption can be defeated with trivial Windows authentication bypass

Ian Haken, a researcher with software security testing firm Synopsys, demonstrated the attack Friday at the Black Hat Europe security conference in Amsterdam. The issue affects Windows computers that are part of a domain, a common configuration on enterprise networks.

When domain-based authentication is used on Windows, the user's password is checked against a computer that serves as domain controller. However, in situations when, for example, a laptop is taken outside of the network and the domain controller cannot be reached, authentication relies on a local credentials cache on the machine.

In order to prevent an attacker from connecting a stolen, lost or unattended laptop to a different network and creating a spoofed domain controller that accepts another password to unlock it, the authentication protocol also verifies that the machine itself is registered on the domain controller using a separate machine password.

This additional check doesn't happen when the controller cannot be reached, because the protocol developers assumed that the attacker can't change the user password stored in the local cache. However, Haken figured out a way to do it -- and it only takes a few seconds if automated.

First, the attacker sets up a mock domain controller with the same name as the one the laptop is supposed to connect to. He then creates the same user account on the controller as on the laptop and creates a password for it with a creation date far in the past.

When authentication is attempted with the attacker's password on the laptop, the domain controller will inform Windows that the password has expired and the user will automatically be prompted to change it. This happens before verifying that the machine is also registered on the controller.

At this point the attacker will have the ability to create a new password on the laptop, which will replace the original one in the local credentials cache.

Logging in while connected to the rogue domain controller would still fail, because the controller does not have the machine password. However, the attacker could disconnect the laptop from the network in order to force a fallback to local authentication, which will now succeed because only the user password is verified against the cache.

This is a logic flaw that has been in the authentication protocol since Windows 2000, the researcher said. However, physical access did not used to be part of the Windows threat model, because in such a situation an attacker could boot from an alternative source, like a live Linux CD to access to the data anyway.

That all changed when BitLocker was introduced in Windows Vista. Microsoft's full-disk encryption technology, which is available in the professional and enterprise editions of Windows, is specifically designed to protect data in case a computer is stolen or lost -- in other words when an unauthorized individual has physical access to it.

BitLocker stores the data encryption key in a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a secure hardware component that performs cryptographic operations. The key is unsealed from the TPM only if the same boot process is followed as when BitLocker was first activated.

The various stages of the boot process are cryptographically verified, so an attacker with physical access to a BitLocker-enabled laptop will not be able to boot from an alternative OS to read the data stored on its drive. The only possibility left for the attacker in this case is to boot normally to unlock the encryption key and then to bypass the Windows authentication to gain access to the data, which Haken's attack allows.

Microsoft fixed the vulnerability Tuesday and published the corresponding MS15-122 security bulletin.

This attack shows that when it comes to security, we constantly need to reexamine old truths, Haken said.

BitLocker offers the option to enable preboot authentication using a PIN or a USB drive with a special key on it, in addition to the TPM. However, such configurations are a hard sell for enterprises, because they introduce friction for users and make it difficult for administrators to remotely manage computers, Haken said.

Source : computerworld.com

US bill on visa curbs bodes ill for IT firms

BENGALURU: The US is set to pass a bill on immigration with major implications for the $146-billion Indian IT sector and its employees. The bill seeks to prohibit companies from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people in the US and more than 50% of those employees are H-1B and L-1 visa holders.

The bill, if passed, will place severe restrictions on Indian IT companies that are the largest users of H-1B visas. Though companies do not disclose the data, it is believed that the large Indian IT companies have more than 50% of their employees on H-1Bs and L-1s.

Last week, Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin introduced a bipartisan legislation that would reform the H-1B visa programme, consistent with the US Congress's intent to ensure that qualified American workers are given the first opportunity at high-skilled job opportunities. The duo has argued that the H-1B visa was meant to fill gaps in specialized areas that cannot be filled by Americans. "There's a sense of urgency here for Americans who are losing their jobs to lesser skilled workers who are coming in at lower wages on a visa programme that has gotten away from its original intent. Reform of the H-1B visa programme must be a priority," Grassley said in a press statement recently.

The two have argued that outsourcing companies import large numbers of H-1B and L-1 workers for short training periods and then send these workers back to their home country to do the work of Americans.

Source : The Times Of India - Tech

How Paris ISIS Terrorists May Have Used PlayStation 4 To Discuss And Plan Attacks

Following Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris which killed at least 127 people and left more than 300 injured, authorities are discovering just how the massacre was planned. And it may involve the most popular gaming console in the world, Sony ’s PlayStation 4.

The hunt for those responsible (eight terrorists were killed Saturday night, but accomplices may still be at large) led to a number of raids in nearby Brussels. Evidence reportedly turned up included at least one PlayStation 4 console.

Belgian federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon said outright that the PS4 is used by ISIS agents to communicate, and was selected due to the fact that it’s notoriously hard to monitor. “PlayStation 4 is even more difficult to keep track of than WhatsApp,” he said.

When the new generation of consoles launched, there were concerns that they would be too light on privacy, with peripherals like Microsoft MSFT -1.92%’s Kinect and PlayStation’s Camera possibly having the ability to spy on users if say, the government wanted a window into your living room.

While the idea is certainly Orwellian, it’s the non-peripheral based communication on consoles which may provide terrorists a channel to effectively converse with one another. The comparatively low-tech system may offer a more secure means of communication than even encrypted phone calls, texts and email.

While it remains unclear whether the Paris ISIS terrorists employed PS4 to communicate, there are a few options, from sending messages through the PlayStation Network (PSN) online gaming service and voice-chatting to even communicating through a specific game. Documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 revealed that the NSA and CIA actually embedded themselves in games like World of Warcraft to infiltrate virtual terrorist meet-ups.

With PlayStation 4, it seems likely that simple voice communication could have worked just fine. It’s still difficult for investigators to monitor IP-based voice systems compared to say, a simple cellphone. In 2010, the FBI pushed for access to all manner of Internet communications, including gaming chat systems. The FCC did not grant the FBI access to peer-to-peer communications, but the government agency did build its own rigs to record their communications in pursuit of  criminals in organized chats, like a pedophile trying to lure kids via Xbox Live. Most consoles today come equipped with such capabilities, as nearly anything you do on your unit can be recorded if you want, in this age of YouTube and livestreaming.

The point is that terrorists could simply be in a PSN party together and chatting away mostly free from the fear that anyone is listening because of the difficulty and infrequency of governments eavesdropping on those forms of communication. It remains unclear just how much access the government has gotten to places like PSN and Xbox Live in the past few years, but whatever it is, it’s likely still short of its ability to track more traditional forms of communication, such as cellphones and computers.

By last count, PSN alone had around 110 million users, 65 million of them active, making this no small pool of people. While government agencies can often build profiles of suspected terrorists based on their Internet or communication history, it’s much harder to profile someone based on console usage, if that data is even accessible. Few users would visit extremist’s sites in the PSN Web browser for instance or brag about future attacks in a public game lobby. There is no collection of games that really should raise “suspicion” about possible terrorist ties in an era where terrorism-filled Call of Duty titles are the best-selling games of the year, every year. How do you “profile” a gamer when information is not easy to access, and probably will tell you nothing even if you could get your hands on it?

The scary part of all this is that there are probably still a number of ways that terrorists could send messages to each other without speaking a word, if they really wanted to. An ISIS agent could spell out an attack plan in Super Mario Maker’s coins and share it privately with a friend, or two Call of Duty players could write messages to each other on a wall in a disappearing spray of bullets. It may sound ridiculous, but there are many in-game ways of non-verbal communication that would almost be impossible to track. To do so would require an FBI or NSA agent somehow tapping all the activity on an entire console, not just voice and text chat, and that should not even be technically possible at this point.

While the makers of burner phones were once criticized for making it easier for criminals to communicate, it seems unlikely Microsoft and Sony will face the same scrutiny (not that they should). And yet, they may be inclined to start providing easier ways for governments to monitor specific accounts or consoles than what’s readily available now. Because as it is, the most popular gaming devices also happen to be the most effective at connecting not just the world’s friends, but the world’s enemies as well.

Source: forbes.com

High-Power Lasers Can Make Materials Hotter Than Sun

Lasers could heat materials to temperatures hotter than the centre of the Sun in only 20 quadrillionths of a second, according to a new research. 

Theoretical physicists from Imperial College London have devised an extremely rapid heating mechanism that they believe could heat certain materials to 10 million degrees in much less than a million millionth of a second. 

The method could be relevant to new avenues of research in thermonuclear fusion energy, where scientists are seeking to replicate the Sun's ability to produce clean energy. 

The heating would be about 100 times faster than rates currently seen in fusion experiments using the world's most energetic laser system at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. 

Researchers have been using high-power lasers to heat material as part of the effort to create fusion energy for many years. 

In this new study, the physicists at Imperial were looking for ways to directly heat up ions -- particles which make up the bulk of matter. 

When lasers are used to heat most materials, the energy from the laser first heats up the electrons in the target. These in turn heat up the ions, making the process slower than targeting the ions directly. 

The Imperial team discovered that when a high-intensity laser is fired at a certain type of material, it will create an electrostatic shockwave that can heat ions directly. 

"It's a completely unexpected result. One of the problems with fusion research has been getting the energy from the laser in the right place at the right time. This method puts energy straight into the ions," said lead author Arthur Turrell. 

Source : gizmodo.in

The New Running Watch That Could Uncover Your Body's Secrets

The game has changed

The Garmin Forerunner 630 might not sound like much. Another upgrade to a running watch line that's already been upgraded a few times in recent years, using the same interface and still, well, just telling you how fast you've gone.

But what if I told you that same watch had the ability to monitor you during your runs and actually discern the fastest pace you can manage during a race without dying? That's what Garmin has done here.

The press release for the 630 was pretty standard. The same as the Forerunner 620, but with a few added bits of physiological tracking.

The heart rate monitor can now tell you when you're a bit stressed, can tell you whether you're wasting energy by bounding too high, and let you know whether you're favouring the left or right side of the body - all tested out on my run with Garmin's running specialist.

Slimmer than before

Before we get to that though, let's talk about the design. As someone who's used the Forerunner 920XT for the last seven or eight months, I'm pretty versed in the Garmin way of doing things. The first thing: the watch I use day to day is a tank. I'm used to it, but people tell me all the time that it's oversized.

Trend-setter, mate. Don't listen to the haters.

But the 630 looks a lot sleeker - partly helped by not needing to track as many activities. But apparently the battery life should still be good - I love the fact I can run five to six days in a row before charging the 920XT, and that should be mimicked here.

Source : techradar.in

Google's self-driving car stopped for driving too slow

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA: A California police officer made a traffic stop but wrote no ticket. The car had no driver.

Mountain View police said in a statement that an officer pulled over a Google self-driving car that was being tested on local roads on Thursday.

The officer noticed the car going 24 mph (38 kph) in a 35 mph zone and realized it was a Google Autonomous Vehicle. He stopped the car and contacted its operators to let them know it was impeding traffic, but no citation was given.

A person is required to sit behind the wheel of self-driving cars.The Google project responded in a blog post, saying it's never received a ticket and adding, "Driving too slowly? Bet humans don't get pulled over for that too often."

Source : The Times Of India - tech

Meet the tiny robot that walks on water, cleans pollution, and never needs to be charged

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to researchers who work tirelessly to further technology not simply for profit or fame, but to better the world around them. This is especially true when their inventions are as impressive as the Row-bot. The tiny robot pictured at the top of this page isn’t some cute little children’s toy parents will need to fight their way through crowds to purchase this coming holiday season. It’s a scientific breakthrough that could have a dramatic impact on the environment.

First presented last month at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Hamburg, Germany, the Row-bot is a essentially a fuel cell powered by electricity that is generated solely by bacteria living inside the device. The beauty of this particular bacteria-powered fuel cell, however, is the means by which the tiny organisms living in its gut generate that electricity.

The Row-bot has four tiny buoyant stabilizers for feet and two paddles that extend from the middle of its body. While the feet keep Row-bot afloat, the paddles send it skimming across the surface of a body of water. The device takes water into a cavity in its housing as it moves, where electrogenic bacteria digest pollutants found within the water. The byproducts of that digestion are carbon dioxide and electricity, which in turn fuels the Row-bot and keeps it moving.

Row-bot is the brainchild of a team of researchers from the University of Bristol, Bristol BioEnergy Centre and Bristol Robotics Laboratory, all located in Bristol, England.

“We present a design for an energetically autonomous artificial organism, combining two subsystems; a bioinspired energy source and bio-inspired actuation,” the researchers wrote in a paper covering their work on Row-bot. “The work is the first demonstration of energetically autonomy in a microbial fuel cell (MFC)-powered, swimming robot taking energy from it’s surrounding, aqueous environment. In contrast to previous work using stacked MFC power sources, the Row-bot employs a single microbial fuel cell as an artificial stomach and uses commercially available voltage step-up hardware to produce usable voltages.”

The team continued, “The energy generated exceeds the energy requirement to complete the mechanical actuation needed to refuel. Energy production and actuation are demonstrated separately with the results showing that the combination of these subsystems will produce closed-loop energetic autonomy. The work shows a crucial step in the development of autonomous robots capable of long term self-power.”

Source: bgr.com

ASUS' $299 hybrid tablet is a good idea that's past its prime

When ASUS launched the original Transformer Book T100 back in 2013, it had a relatively novel concept on its hands: a low-cost Windows tablet that could double as a laptop thanks to its included dock. The company clearly thinks it's still a good idea, since it recently released the Transformer Book T100HA with more powerful guts and Windows 10. But does this concept still hold water in 2015, when 2-in-1 Windows laptops are commonplace and mobile tablets are increasingly powerful? I've been living with the T100HA for several weeks to find out, and the truth is that it's no longer as sweet a deal as it once seemed. There are still many things to like about ASUS' hybrid, but you'll have to make some compromises that shouldn't really be necessary in modern hardware.

Source : engadget.com

Ola Launches Ola Money App For Mobile Recharges, Transfers

New Delhi, Nov 13 Ola today said it will offer its mobile wallet, Ola Money, as an independent app, a move that will see the taxi aggregator competing with the likes of Paytm, Mobikwik and Freecharge in the booming digital payment market in India.Ola Money, powered by ZipCash, has over 40 million users.

Earlier available within the Ola app, Ola Money enabled users to pay for their taxi and auto fares. In August, the company announced its partnerships with a host of online platforms like Oyo Rooms, Lenskart and Saavn to allow customers to make cashless transactions.

"Ola Money has seen tremendous acceptance over the last three months, since the time we opened it up for third party merchants. We continue to add more merchants and build many more use cases with Ola Money, making it a seamless experience for users," Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said.

With the app enabling users to do a lot more including mobile recharges and money transfers, Ola is excited about the possibilities that Ola Money brings for the millions, who are beginning to prefer an easy to use mobile payment solution, he added.

With the new Ola Money app, users can pay partner merchants as well as get mobile recharges and money transfers done."The app will soon be usable for utility bill payments, across online and offline merchants and leading payment gateways as well, making Ola Money a holistic solution in the payment ecosystem," the statement said.

Zipcash has a semi-closed wallet licence that is needed for third party payment services. According to reports, Ola holds a minority stake in the company.Ola Money will compete with existing players like Alibaba-backed Paytm that claims to have over 100 million users and Mobikwik that has more than 25 million wallets in the country,

Source : techgignews.com

Microsoft's futuristic HoloLens headset is getting some competition

Microsoft executives try out HoloLens on stage.

ASUS has announced that it is making an augmented reality headset that would compete with Microsoft's HoloLens, CNET reports.

Details on the headset, which will come out "next year" according to Asus CEO Jerry Shen, are light. It will run Windows Holographic - just like the HoloLens does - and it will likely be cheaper than Microsoft's version, given ASUS' computing heritage.

Shen announced the plans during the company's earnings webcast. "It should be next year when we come out with a product. We think AR will be very important for people's lives," said Shen.

HoloLens has no official release date for consumers but a $3,000 (1,900) "Developer Edition" model is coming in early 2016. If HoloLens is delayed until 2017 for consumers, then ASUS could be the first to market with an augmented reality headset.

Source : ETCIO.com

OpenROV's Co-Founder Discusses the Future of Underwater Exploration

The ocean, like space, is a curious place. But in space there are points of light to guide us, moments that give us a feeling of awe. In the vast deep, there are no points of reference on the surface. It's contents remain hidden the dark shroud across its surface. When we do go down to take a peek, humans are only permitted a glimpse without scuba gear. Even with it, the scope of sight is limited.

"People have been exploring from the surface for as long as people have been getting to the ocean, but getting into the ocean is still tricky business and it's only in very recent times that we've had the technology that can take us more than as deep as you can go holding your breath," Oceanographer Sylvia Earle explained in an interview.

It's not hard to believe only 5-percent of our oceans have been explored thus far. But without the means of James Cameron or Jacques-Yves Cousteau, most of us must remain happy to merely glide across its surface.

Source: techtimes.com

Apple Releases Third OS X 10.11.2 Beta For Registered Testers

Apple has released the third beta for OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan to its registered beta testers just one day after it seeded the third beta version of the operating system to developers.

The release of the third beta also came just two weeks after Apple seeded the first beta for the OS version, and only three weeks after the public release of the final OS X 10.11.1 El Capitan.

Users that have registered as participants in the beta testing program of Apple could download the third beta for OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan through the Software Update system found in the App Store for Mac. For users that would like to sign up as a participant in the beta testing program, they can do so through the dedicated website.

The first two beta versions for OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan did not contain any standout updates or changes, with the minor update mostly likely only including security improvements, bug solutions and performance tweaks to address the problems that have been reported with Apple's release of OS X 10.11.1 El Capitan.

The release notes of Apple for the beta versions for developers ask the testers to put most of their focus on the operating system's graphics, Calendar, Wi-Fi, Notes, USB, Spotlight and Photos functions, hinting on where Apple made improvements to the OS.

OS X 10.11.1 El Capitan provided a minor update to the operating system's performance, along with several significant bug fixes. The compatibility with Microsoft's Office 2016 apps also received an improvement.

The latest publicly-released version of the operating system also improved the installer reliability for upgrading to OS X El Capitan, along with fixes to issues associated with the Mail function and Audio Unit plug-ins. The reliability for the VoiceOver function has also been improved and last but not least, the operating system upgrade also added more than 150 new emojis.

Source : techtimes.com

Uber Adds TomTom Navigation Data To Its Driver App

On-demand transportation service Uber lost out on its joint bid for Nokia’s Here mapping unit, so it’s moving ahead with putting together its own navigation, mapping and location services. Today, Dutch mapping company TomTom announced a deal to provide data to Uber for use in its navigation for Uber drivers (and specifically not Uber passengers). Specifically, Uber will use TomTom’s maps and traffic data “that will contribute to the navigation experience”, an Uber spokesperson tells TechCrunch.

The companies describe the deal as multi-year and global, with a focus on some 300 cities. Neither are disclosing the financial terms.

“We are excited to provide Uber with our best-in-class location data.” said Charles Cautley, Managing Director Maps & Licensing at TomTom, in a statement. “TomTom is a truly independent map provider with the platform for the future. With this platform, TomTom is the trusted partner for innovative and future proof location technology for the global automotive and consumer technology industry.”

“We look forward to working with TomTom, a leader in the mapping and navigation space,” said Matt Wyndowe, Head of Product Partnerships at Uber. “Their mapping and traffic data will help ensure we continue to provide a great experience for drivers everywhere.”

We have confirmed directly with Uber that TomTom will be providing data for the driving app alone. It is not replacing Google Maps, nor any other services that Uber currently uses.

“It’s part of the mix now,” the Uber spokesperson told TechCrunch. “We use a variety of sources in addition to Google Maps, and will continue to.” That mix includes Uber’s own mapping assets, which include its acquisitions of Microsoft’s Bing mapping assets and startup deCarta.

(A potential separation from Google Maps was apparently the first question on many people’s minds in the wake of the announcement, according to one source at TomTom. That’s because many have highlighted how Google’s own ambitions in transportation will put it into direct competition with Uber. This would be a complicated rivalry, given that Uber uses Google Maps data and is a big investment for Google Ventures.)

The move to improve mapping data for drivers comes at a time when Uber is facing a lot of competition from a wave of other app-based on-demand transportation services, many of them focused on more local markets than Uber and its global footprint.

For drivers who work on contract in their own vehicles and are beholden to no specific service, having an app that is more accurate and efficient in terms of getting them from points A to B and providing the most solid location information could be a tipping point for them in deciding which service to drive for.

TomTom provides mapping data for its own range of GPS-navigation hardware, but it also works with a number of third parties, with its data especially strong in urban areas. Perhaps most famously, it started to work with Apple as one of several partners on its native Maps application after Apple ditched Google in favor of its own in-house data and service.

Shares for TomTom, valued at around €2.44 billion ($2.6 billion), were up over 5% in morning trading after the news came out.

Little sidenote: Uber already has a team in Amsterdam working on the company’s global mobile apps, making the integration process potentially a little easier. Geography, however, apparently wasn’t what brokered the deal in the first place.

Source : techgignews.com

Zomato Blacklisted By 6 IITs for Campus Placements; Students Warned Against Contacting Them

7 year old Zomato, which is the poster-child of food tech based startups in India, having expanded to 22 countries and generating 1.9 million views page traffic in a month; having a valuation of more than $1 billion have been blacklisted by IITs from campus placements.

Atleast 6 IITs – Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur, Madras, Guwahati and Kanpur have confirmed this development.

Atal Ashutosh Agarwal, Vice-President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana at IIT-Kharagpur, said, “Any company which violates the procedural guidelines laid down by the AIPC may be blacklisted,”

Meanwhile, another placement official at one of the IITs have said, “No company should take the IIT system for granted,”

Back in July, Deepinder Goyal, founder of Zomato had lashed out against IIT Delhi, the place from where he had graduated. The issue was that Zomato was not provided day 1 slot for campus interviews, as the salary + ESOPs offered by them amounted to just Rs 26 lakh, a figure way too less for IIT Delhi’s standards.

He had said, “Campus placements in India are broken. Placement cells optimize only for money. Growth, esops, quality of work is secondary.”

Mohak Mehta, former placement manager at IIT Bombay says, “There are startups which get very egoistical about getting an early slot.”At that time, IIT Delhi had responded by saying, “Any company which has to compete for a slot has to match the cash salary offer. Zomato did not match the salary offer,”

The issue didn’t end, it seems. Placement heads from 6 different IITs have now ganged up, and entirely stopped Zomato from entering their premises for any placement related activity.

As per Times of India, the main reason for Zomato’s blacklisting may be the recent layoffs, wherein their management had fired 10% of their employees in one single go. IITs do tend to give a warning in case of such unprecedented actions by recruiting companies; and blacklisted in case of severe actions.

Students Warned Against Contacting Them

An unverified circular from IIT Delhi is making rounds in the social media, which explicitly warns students from contacting Zomato in any form. As per the circular, Directi, a domain and web hosting company along with Zomato are blacklisted from campus placements, and if any student is found aiding them or contacting them, on or off campus, then strict disciplinary action would initiated against them.This is most probably for the first time in history that IIT students are being warned from contacting a billion dollar startup!

Source : trak.in