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Today’s Latest News
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Nokia launches two new handsets under 'Asha' range
NEW DELHI: Aimed at strengthening its mobile Internet devices portfolio, Finnish handset maker Nokia today launched two new devices in the country under its 'Asha' range of phones.
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Google to sink pirate websites in search results
Google on Friday said it is tweaking its search formula to give higher priority to legal content and sink rankings for websites hit with piracy complaints.
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Carnation Auto opens its first franchise in Thane, Maharashtra
The franchise, Car Galaxy will provide customers with Carnation Auto certified pre-owned cars.
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BMW Goes Mobile in India
As the war for leadership in India’s growing luxury car market gathers speed, BMW AG has turned to mobile showrooms to reach out to potential customers beyond the major cities.
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Google bolsters voice search app for iPhone
Google Inc showed off enhancements to its voice-based search technology for Apple Inc's iPhone and said it was testing a new service that will combine its Web-based email with its search engine. The new version of Google's search app for the iPhone and iPad, expected to be available
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Nokia launches two new handsets under 'Asha' range
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NEW DELHI: Aimed at strengthening its mobile Internet devices portfolio, Finnish handset maker Nokia today launched two new devices in the country under its 'Asha' range of phones.
The Asha 305 and Asha 311 are equipped with cloud accelerated Nokia browser, which will compresses data by as much as 85 per cent, helping users browse the Internet faster and lower their spend on data charges.
"The Nokia Asha family has received tremendous consumer response. With the launch of Nokia Asha touch range, we are strengthening our range of mobile Internet devices," Nokia India Director Marketing Viral Oza told reporters here.
Asha 305 will be priced at Rs 5,029 and is available in the market, while Asha 311 will be available August 12 onwards, priced at Rs 7,139, he added.
Globally, there are about 10 devices under the 'Asha' series.
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Featured Technology Talk
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Vizio 14" Thin + Light Laptop Review: Can a TV Maker Put Out a Good Laptop?
AVizio, the company that sells millions of HDTVs at Costco, Walmart and Sam's Club every year, set its sights on cracking something different this summer: the Windows laptop market, and it didn't just want to be another player. It wanted to stick out in the sea of similar ultrabooks (a term coined by Intel to describe a new category of thin and light Windows laptops).
Vizio focused on design, struck a deal with Microsoft to preload a clean version of Windows and perhaps most important, figured out how to offer what it does best in TVs: a good array of specs at an affordable price (the 14-inch version starts at $898, $948 for the 15-inch model).
But I had one question when the Vizio Thin + Light 14" Laptop arrived on my doorstep for review: Can a company that has been so successful at creating and selling affordable televisions really hack it as a computer maker?
It was when I was getting the laptop out of the box or my bag at work that I was the most impressed with the machine.
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Google to sink pirate websites in search results
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Google on Friday said it is tweaking its search formula to give higher priority to legal content and sink rankings for websites hit with piracy complaints.
"Starting next week, we will begin taking into account a new signal in our rankings: the number of valid copyright removal notices we receive for any given site," Google senior vice president of engineering Amit Singhal said in a blog post.
"This ranking change should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily - whether it's a song previewed on NPR's music website, a TV show on Hulu or new music streamed on Spotify."
More than 200 "signals" are factored into Google's secret search algorithm for determining what gets priority on results pages.
Since Google revamped its copyright removal process two years ago it has been able to gather much more data about pirated content popping up online, according to Singhal.
Google said that it receives more copyright removal notices daily - some 4.3 million in the past 30 days - than it did in all of 2009.
"Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results," Singhal said.
Google provides "counter-notice" tools for website operators to challenge piracy accusations.
Motion Picture Association of America senior executive vice president Michael O'Leary said the film industry group was optimistic that change would help steer people away from "rogue cyberlockers, peer-to-peer sites, and other enterprises that steal the hard work of creators across the globe."
"We will be watching this development closely - the devil is always in the details - and look forward to Google taking further steps to ensure that its services favor legitimate businesses and creators, not thieves," O'Leary said.
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Carnation Auto opens its first franchise in Thane, Maharashtra
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The franchise, Car Galaxy will provide customers with Carnation Auto certified pre-owned cars.
Carnation Auto, India’s first independent multi-brand auto solutions network, has inaugurated its very first franchise in Thane today. Car Galaxy, its franchise partner, will provide their customers with Carnation certified pre-owned cars. The opening of this franchise is Carnation's next step towards spreading its successful network across the Indian market.
Through the franchise route, Carnation aims to build a pan-India brand across a wider network to become more accessible to their customers. Leveraging its existing robust car service network Carnation will provide certified cars that have been subjected through stringent 160 points quality check and in-house refurbishment. Every certified used car purchased from any Carnation outlet comes with free services, warranty, hassle-free documentation, and after sales support. Even customers interested in selling their cars to Carnation will benefit from honest and transparent dealings.
According to market estimates, the used car industry is expected to grow at a rate of 18-20% per year, and the organized segment at 40%. Carnation and HDFC Bank have been collaborating together, since the start of the company, to help grow this organized used car market.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Jagdish Khattar, chairman & managing director, Carnation Auto said, “Having taken the lead in the independent multi-brand segment, the company is now looking to exponentially grow its network across India through the franchisee format. Our tie up with Car Galaxy is the first step in that direction. After successfully showing proof of concept with our company owned stores, we plan to replicate the success with our partners."
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TECHNOLOGY
"A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing."
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Power generation from Maheshwar project gets nod
BHOPAL: The National Green Tribunal has allowed Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Corporation Ltd (SMHPCL) to increase the water level at the Maheshwar dam upto 154 meters from the existing 145.76 meters and also gave permission to commence generation of 40 megawatt of electricity.
Tribunal's principal bench, headedby Justice A S Naidu and Dr G K Pandey, on Thursday set aside a petition seeking to stop SMHPCL to increase the water level in the dam. Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has been campaigning against increase in water level in the Maheshwar dam.
In its order the bench observed that it was satisfied that adequate measures have been taken by the ministry of environment and forest for protection of the villagers. The order also allowed SMHPCL to generate 40 MW of electricity by increasing the water level upto 154 meters for a period of three months.
The National Green Tribunal Act 2010 was set up for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.
Meanwhile, in an e-mailed statement, SMHPCL director Alok Sinha hailed the NGT decision to grant permission to fill water level in dam reservoir to 154 metres, maintaining that the decision has exposed narmada bachao Andolan's false claims on submergence of villages.
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Famous Scientist
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel (About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) (21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He was the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments.
Nobel held 350 different patents, dynamite being the most famous. He used his fortune to posthumously institute the Nobel Prizes. The synthetic element nobelium was named after him. His name also survives in modern-day companies such as Dynamit Nobel and Akzo Nobel, which are descendents of the companies Nobel himself established.
Born in Stockholm, Alfred Nobel was the fourth son of Immanuel Nobel (1801–1872), an inventor and engineer, and Andriette Ahlsell Nobel (1805–1889). The couple married in 1827 and had eight children, although, beset by poverty, only Alfred and his three brothers survived past childhood.
Through his father, Alfred Nobel was a descendant of the Swedish scientist Olaus Rudbeck (1630-1702), and the boy, in his turn, was interested in engineering, and especially explosives, from a young age, learning the basic principles from his father.
Nobel travelled for much of his business life, maintaining companies in various countries in Europe and North America and keeping a permanent home in Paris from 1873 to 1891. He remained a solitary character, given to periods of depression. Though Nobel remained unmarried, his biographers note that he had at least three loves.
In 1888 Alfred's brother Ludvig died while visiting Cannes and a French newspaper erroneously published Alfred's obituary.
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BMW Goes Mobile in India
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As the war for leadership in India’s growing luxury car market gathers speed, BMW AG has turned to mobile showrooms to reach out to potential customers beyond the major cities.
Mobile showrooms are typically set up in a particular region for about 15-20 days, before the air-conditioned structures are dismantled and shifted to another location. BMW, which says this is the first such initiative by a luxury car maker in India, plans to have a total of seven mobile showrooms this year. It already has 25 permanent showrooms in India, with plans to expand to 40 by the end of December.
To give customers a feel of the BMW experience, a traveling showroom has several vehicles on display, a reception area and a VIP lounge. Models on display and available for test drives are the recently-introduced 3-Series and 5-Series sedans, as well as the X1, X3 and X5 sport-utility vehicles.
The showrooms will also display models such as the 7-Series sedan and the X6 SUV, which are imported as completely-built units.
The company produces the 3 Series and 5 Series sedans as well as the X1 SUV in Chennai. It also makes the diesel engine version of the X3 SUV in the southern port city.
A spokesman for BMW India said the company has received an enthusiastic response to the first mobile showroom, set up on the premises of a hotel in Karnal, in the northern state of Haryana.
“Families are coming to the showroom and checking out the cars for the first time,” the spokesman said. He said BMW may establish a permanent dealership in some emerging cities if it is confident of generating sufficient sales.
The mobile showroom in Karnal will remain until Aug. 18, and then will be moved to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. It is currently being managed by a BMW dealership based in the northern city of Chandigarh. Other mobile showrooms are planned for six more cities: Agra, Dehradun–the capital of Uttarakhand state, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand state, Patna–the capital of Bihar state, Bhopal–the capital of the Madhya Pradesh state and Nashik in the state of Maharashtra.
BMW will offer 100% financing on the entire product range at the mobile showrooms.
The company’s latest marketing initiative comes as competition intensifies from its German rivals–Audi AG and Daimler AG, as well as others such as Jaguar Land Rover in India. Economic expansion and a growing number of dollar millionaires who are spending on high-end goods are prompting several luxury car makers to sell their products in India. Premium luxury car makers–Maserati SpA, Ferrari SpA, Volkswagen AG’s Bugatti and Bentley, as well as BMW’s Rolls-Royce are also among those selling vehicles in India.
BMW remains the largest luxury car maker in India with sales of 2,760 cars during April-July. But that’s a decline of 14% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, Audi AG, the second-ranked luxury car maker in India, sold 2,527 cars, a growth of 45%. Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd. reported a 24% decline to 1,633 vehicles.
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Google bolsters voice search app for iPhone
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Google Inc showed off enhancements to its voice-based search technology for Apple Inc's iPhone and said it was testing a new service that will combine its Web-based email with its search engine. The new version of Google's search app for the iPhone and iPad, expected to be available
within a few days, will let users find information about everything from the weather to nearby movie showings by speaking into the devices, matching some of the capabilities offered by Apple's own Siri technology.
Google's new app recites answers to search results in a human sounding voice, similar to Apple's Siri, which some analysts and technology observers believe could make iPhone users less reliant on Google's search service.
The news comes as the relationship between the two companies grows increasingly competitive. On Monday Apple said it would no longer offer Google's YouTube app as a pre-loaded app in future versions of its iPhone.
Google, which unveiled a version of the voice-based search app for its Android software earlier this year, showcased the version for Apple devices at a press event at its San Francisco offices on Wednesday.
The company also announced a test version of a new service that will integrate users' personal emails into searches on the Google website. The service, which Google said will initially be available to 1 million users, aims to make it easier for consumers to access information such as flight schedules or shipping orders.
A truly universal search will "have all the information that humanity has put on the Web and information that's your information," Amit Singhal, senior vice president of Google Search.
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Tips to make your browser secure
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Browsers may be among the most commonly used applications, but they also offer the greatest number of attack options for dangerous content on the net.To keep viruses, worms and other malware away from your computer when surfing,it's crucial to configure your browser for security.
The firewall on a DSL router is a good first step for protecting the computer during surfing, says Marco Rinne from the computer portal chip.de. But that doesn't hold true if your browser is out of date: “Internet Explorer 6 and 7 or Firefox 2 no longer satisfy current security standards,” he says. For optimal protection, he therefore urgesusers to keep theirbrowsers updated.
There are numeroussecurity tools already present in Firefox and Internet Explorer. The pop-up blocker,for example, prevents more than justannoying ads. It alsothrottles other windows that can be used to sneak malicious software onto PCs. Phishing filters protect personal dataagainst theft.
Firefox offers additional configurationoptions underthe Settings item in the Security tab of the Options dialog box: thisincludes the ability to block risky or forgedwebsites.It's also a good idea to prohibit websites from installing add-ons on their own. Similar settings are possible under Internet Explorer in the Security tab of the Internet Options dialog box, accessible from the Tools menu.
Computer owners should also activate all options for warning against attacks, advises Markus Linnemann, managing director of the Institute for Internet Security (ifis) at the Polytechnic University of Gelsenkirchen in Germany. This applies in particular to warnings about suspicious content to be displayed using ActiveX, Flash, or JavaScript.
Yet the warning mechanism on most browsers alone isn't usually enough, Linnemann says. Those who wish to be especially careful can, for example, use the Firefox add-on 'No Script,' which blocks all active content of a website by default and allows the user to decide which should be permitted. The problem is that most users are unable to determine which content represents a threat to their computer, Rinne msays.
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Cartoon of Technology
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Tyroo Direct Launches its Mobile Offerings
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Tyroo Direct, India’s largest performance marketplace has launched its mobile performance product offerings. Tyroo’s mobile performance solutions will enable existing and new advertisers to scale their digital marketing campaigns by being visible on all screen types- web, tablets and mobile.
Tyroo’s mobile performance products have been launched to fulfill advertiser’s requirement of ensuring presence on devices that are capturing Television and PC’s share of time and optimizing the purchase funnel for assisted commerce. Tyroo’s mobile Portfolio includes: CPL Demand Generation, WAVE-Pay Per call to drive assisted commerce, RAPID – Mobile APP Download.
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“There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."
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