All about Mobile Screens...!

The screen defines your smartphone. This is why its size and the quality of image it reproduces determines, to a large extent, your overall experience of using a smartphone.

No wonder mobile phone makers are investing a fortune in screen technologies. But what makes one screen better than the other? ET explains the mainstream technologies behind smartphone displays.

#1...LCD

LCD, or Liquid Crystal Display, is the most common flat panel display. It uses a combination of layers of liquid crystals and a backlight to produce an image. The properties of the liquid crystals to block or allow light change as current is applied

#2...TFT

TFT or Thin Film Transistor is used to improve readability of LCD panels. Transistors are embedded within the panel itself, reducing crosstalk between pixels and improving image stability. Used mainly in entry-level handsets with colour screens.

#3...IPS LCD

IPS, or In Plane Switching, is a further evolution of the LCD, invented by Hitachi and LG to improve on colours and viewing angles of TFT displays

#4...Retina

Introduced by Apple, this type of LCD uses pixels smaller than the human retina can perceive. Retina displays are found in fourth-generation iPod Touch and iPhone 4/4S.

#5...OLED

OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diodes, produce their own light rather than relying on a backlight. It offers a brighter, more vivid picture with a higher contrast ratio on lower power consumption.


#6...AMOLED

AMOLED, or Active Matrix OLEDs, allow for a larger size screen with a higher number of pixels.

#7...SuperAMOLED

SuperAMOLED Plus & AMOLED Advanced are improvements that increase brightness, reduce reflectance or lower power consumption.

#8...S-LCD

Super, or S-LCD, is a corporation founded by Samsung and Sony. S-LCDs use technology that brings quality and contrast levels to near-Amoled standards, but at a lower price.

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How wikileaks worked...Spy files !

When citizens' protests overthrew dictatorships in Egypt and Libya this year, they discovered listening rooms where devices from companies like Gamma corporation of the UK, Amesys of France, VASTech of South Africa and ZTE Corp of China monitored their every move online and on the phone.

What was extremely difficult to digest, however, was the fact that such wide-scale snooping and tracking had been going on not just in these two countries, but across as many as 25 nations across the globe. The governments in these countries had been keeping tabs on its citizens since 2002.
According to Spy Files released by WikiLeaks, intelligence agencies, military forces and police authorities "silently... and secretly intercepted calls and had taken over computers without the help of telecommunication providers", and tracked the physical location of mobile phone users, even when their devices were only on standby.

#1...25 countries snooped

Mass interception of entire populations is not only a reality, it is a secret new industry spanning 25 countries, according to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These countries include India, US, UK, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

#2...The Indian angle

There are three Indian companies in the WikiLeaks list of surveillance companies. These are Shogi Communications, ClearTrail and Shield Security.

#3...Big names involved

According to Assange, international surveillance companies are based in the more technologically sophisticated countries, and they sell their technology on to every country of the world.

This industry is, in practice, unregulated and has some 160 companies. Some of the significant names include, BEA, Dialogic, Cambridge Consultants, HP, Siemens, Nice Systems, Nokia Siemens Networks and Thales.

#4...How it worked: Computers hijacked

Surveillance companies like SS8 in the US, Hacking Team in Italy and Vupen in France manufacture viruses (Trojans) that hijack individual computers and phones (including iPhones, Blackberries and Androids), take over the device, record its every use, movement, and even the sights and sounds of the room it is in.

#5...How it worked: Voice analysis

Other companies like Phoenexia in the Czech Republic collaborate with the military to create speech analysis tools. Other companies like Phoenexia in the Czech Republic collaborate with the military to create speech analysis tools. They identify individuals by gender, age and stress levels and track them based on 'voiceprints'.

Blue Coat in the US and Ipoque in Germany sell tools to governments in countries like China and Iran to prevent dissidents from organizing online.

#6...How it worked: Location-based spying

The CIA officials have bought software that allows them to match phone signals and voice prints instantly and pinpoint the specific identity and location of individuals. Intelligence Integration Systems, Inc, based in Massachusetts - sells a "location-based analytics" software called Geospatial Toolkit for this purpose.

Another Massachusetts company named Netezza, which bought a copy of the software, allegedly reverse engineered the code and sold a hacked version to the Central Intelligence Agency for use in remotely piloted drone aircraft.

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Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: New Features

The latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, or simply Android ICS introduces a bunch of new features never seen before in its prior iterations. It would be available for tablets as well as smart-phones and it is expected to hit the Indian stores in November.


#1...Font System

One of the first things you will notice while using Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the brand new font system, which is much more appealing than previous versions. It is known as Roboto which is specially designed for high resolution screens and brings a magazine-like feel to the whole interface.

#2...Screenshots

Finally, your Android smartphone will allow you to take screenshots without rooting the smartphone or installing any third-party apps. Just hold down the volume down key and the power button to capture the screen.

#3...Instant voice

While this is not as compelling as Siri on iPhone, unlike other versions of Android which support voice commands, Android 4.0 will not take very long to transcribe your words. Just speak it in and it instantly transforms it into text.

#4...Android Beam

This features is based on NFC (Near Field Communication) and it allows two Android smartphones to securely exchange Web pages, contacts, media or even applications. It is based on NDEF Push technology.

#5...Unified tablet and smartphone API

Unlike Android Honeycomb, Android 4.0 ICS will work on tablets as well as smartphones, making it simple for developers to create one application and have it work on various form factors. This will surely improve the number applications on Android tablets.

#6...Web browser

The new version comes with a brand new Chrome mobile Web browser. It syncs with your desktop or laptop Chrome bookmarks, it can save pages for offline reading, and it can open upto 16 tabs at the same time.

#7...Improved Camera & Facial Recognition

Android ICS has some great new camera features, a brand new camera UI, options to edit your images using multiple effects right after you click them and it captures images at a ridiculously fast speeds, probably the fastest amongst smartphones. Video recording modes have also improved along with support for a time lapse mode.

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Neutrino Faster Than light..Remarkable Change In Physics

A pillar of physics - that nothing can go faster than the speed of light - appears to be smashed by an oddball subatomic particle that has apparently made a giant end run around Albert Einstein's theories.
Scientists at the world's largest physics lab said Thursday they have clocked neutrinos traveling faster than light. That's something that according to Einstein's 1905 special theory of relativity - the famous E (equals) mc2 equation - just doesn't happen.

CERN neutrinos travel faster than light

The Chicago team had similar faster-than-light results in 2007, but those came with a giant margin of error that undercut its scientific significance.

Other outside scientists expressed skepticism at CERN's(European Organization for Nuclear Research) claim that the neutrinos — one of the strangest well-known particles in physics — were observed smashing past the cosmic speed barrier of 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second).

CERN says a neutrino beam fired from a particle accelerator near Geneva to a lab 454 miles (730 kilometers) away in Italy traveled 60 nanoseconds faster than the speed of light. Scientists calculated the margin of error at just 10 nanoseconds, making the difference statistically significant. But given the enormous implications of the find, they still spent months checking and rechecking their results to make sure there were no flaws in the experiment.

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How to try the new Facebook Timeline right now...!!

Facebook announced a new profile page design dubbed the "Timeline" on Thursday and while it may be weeks before the change rolls out to most users, you can try it right now. Here's how.

Greg Kumparak at TechCrunch explains that the secret to getting an early look at your Facebook Timeline is simple: You just have to trick the social network into believing that you are developing apps for its Open Graph feature.

Of course, this deceit means that there are some risks and drawbacks to the whole affair. There are some bugs here and there, your Facebook accounts has to be verified (by the addition of a confirmed phone number), and your profile could unexpectedly revert to the old design. Oh, and none of your friends will actually be able to see your Timeline unless they use this same trick.

Not bothered by any of those things? Great! Here's what you need to do then:

• Head to Facebook's developer's page (after logging in to your account, of course).
• Hit the "Apps" button on the blue bar and give the "Developer" app permission to access your information.
• You should be redirected to a page which offers you the option to "Create New App." Click that button. (If you don't see it, go right back to the developer's page and hit the "Apps" button again.)
• Enter an "App Display Name" and an "App Namespace." (Don't worry, no one will see what you put here since you're not actually making an app.)
• Read the "Platform Privacy Policy" and check the box to agree to it. Hit "Continue."
• You'll now see a confusing looking settings page for your fake app. Ignore it and click the "Open Graph" button on the left side.
• You should arrive at a page which suggests that you get started with Open Graph.

• Enter some kind of action and object into the boxes on the screen ("watch" and "movie" will do the trick just fine). Click "Get Started."
• You'll get to another confusing settings page. Ignore it and scroll all the way down. Click "Save Settings."
• Twiddle your thumbs for a few minutes and then go to the Facebook homepage. You should see a message offering you the chance to enable your Timeline.
• That's it. Go enjoy looking at your shiny new profile page.

Whew! That wasn't so tough, right? But what if you want to go back to your normal profile for a little while longer? No problem. Here's how to do it:

• Go back to Facebook's developer's page (after logging in to your account, of course).
• Hit the "Apps" button on the blue bar.
• You should see the fake app you created. Hit the "Edit App" button on it.
• Look to the left. There should be an option to "Delete App." Select it and confirm that you want to do that.
• Go to your Facebook privacy settings.
• Select the option to edit the "Apps and Websites" settings.
• Click the "Turn Off Platform Apps" button. 
• Check the "Developer" app in the pop-up window and confirm that it's what you want to do.
• Go back to the same page and click the "Turn On Platform Apps" button. This won't bring back the "Developer" app, but it will simply prevent you from having problems with any of your other apps.

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Introducing New Facebook : Things to know

            Facebook has gone new again. The company has announced a slew of new features and partnerships. The changes give the world's no. one social network a new look and feel. Facebook also unveiled new ways for users to listen to music and watch TV. 

Here's all you need to know about Facebook's latest transformation.

#1... Why don't I have the new Facebook yet?

Answer:  Facebook rolls out its new features gradually, so not all 800 million users see the updates at once. First, the changes are tested internally Facebook employees. Once they are public, the changes are rolled out geographically. 

US users will likely see the changes first, but even that could depend on where you live. You also may need to close and reopen your browser or log out and log back in. The just-announced timeline feature won't be available to users until later this year -- Facebook has not yet said when.

#2... What is the scrolling, Twitter-like list of my Facebook friends' activities doing on the right side?

Answer:  Facebook calls this the "ticker" - not to be confused with, but similar to, Twitter. The idea is to show a live feed of everything going on with your Facebook friends and pages you follow as it is happening. There will be information here that doesn't appear on your regular news feed, such as songs your friends are listening to on the music service Spotify, news stories they are reading or, eventually, even movies or TV shows they watched on Netflix.

#3... What is the new Timeline feature?

Answer:  Facebook has introduced a new version of Profile pages that will let you display images and highlight which posts are important while integrating the new applications. The Timeline can show photos, past songs that have been played and locations. 

For example,

                   The new profile serves as a sort of diary of a person's life, organised by each year they've been on Facebook. The timeline can also go back to include years before Facebook even existed, so users can add photos and events from, say 1985 when they got married or 1965 when they were born. Timeline will work on both personal computers as well as mobile devices.

#4... How do I go back to the "Old Facebook"?

Answer: You mean other than a time machine? That's tough. But there are some website plugins, such as "Better Facebook" that try to enhance the way your Facebook page looks and feels. Using the mobile application will also give you a more simple Facebook experience.

#5... How does Facebook determine what my "top news" should be?

Answer: The "top news" feature has already existed on Facebook, it just didn't automatically appear on the top of your news feed every time you logged in. This is the stuff Facebook thinks you will be most interested in. So it's updates from friends you interact with the most, big news stories from media accounts you follow or photos from your friends that got a lot of comments,

for example,

                   It's not an exact science, so you can uncheck a top story by clicking on a tiny triangle on its upper left corner. The site will try to remember, and a box will pop up saying "we'll try not to pub more stories like this at the top of your News Feed."

#6... Is there any change in the 'like' button?

Answer: Facebook users will now have new ways to flag content beyond the familiar "like" button which people click to endorse various items on the Web, from news articles to running shoes to websites. 

Facebook has introduced a new way for users to signal they "like" something on the Web. The company is adding buttons to the site to let users show they have "reviewed" or "watched" something, for example.

#7... What is the new feature Gestures all about?

Answer: Called Gestures, these actions further integrate Facebook with every part of the Web. For example, you will be able to click a Facebook "Challenge" button that would allow you to post a game challenge on your friend's wall, or a "Support" button to support a cause or your friends when they need it. And yes, this means now you can also create a "Dislike" button.

#8... Is there also any change in permissions that various apps on Facebook seek?

Answer: Yes. And this may be a controversial one. As with these changes, Facebook apps would require your permission only once to share a certain information on your behalf. Now, if once you authorise an app, it will tell you what it's going to share about you, and if you are fine with that, the app is never required to ask you again. Till now, apps had to ask every time they shared information about you in your profile.

#9... What is Facebook Music?

Answer: Basically, Facebook Music is not a service. It's a feature that's shared among different kinds of content and media. Any digital music service (or really any other content service) can use Facebook's new API to integrate themselves into the platform. 

Not only will that allow subscribers to authenticate themselves using their Facebook login, it also gives them an option to add any song, album, radio channel or artist that they subsequently listen to on that service to appear on Facebook for others to see. 

And, it allows their friends to view a report of their top songs, artists, albums and channels based on their listening history. All users need to do is select the "Add to Timeline" button in the service one, and all activity will be seamlessly recorded from that point on. The feature will allow users to see the history of songs played and listen together.

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India might overtake japan to become the world's 3rd largest economy in 2011...!

India might become the world's third largest economy in 2011 by overtaking Japan in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) measured according to the domestic purchasing power of the rupee, otherwise called purchasing power parity.

India is now the fourth-largest economy behind the US, China and Japan. Numbers from 2010 show that the Japanese economy was worth $4.31 trillion, with India snapping at its heels at $4.06 trillion. But after March's devastating tsunami and earthquakes, Japan's economy is widely expected to contract while India's economy will grow between 7% and 8% this fiscal. 
India should overtake Japan in 2011 to become the third-largest economy in the world at purchasing power parity
IMF forecasts show India and Japan neck-to-neck in 2011, but the disaster in Japan has brought the event forward. 


Were it not for the earthquake and tsunami, India would have overtaken Japan in around 2013-14

The purchasing power parity (PPP) method measures the size of an economy by levelling price differences between countries that occur in the process of conversion to a single currency.

Under this method, a dollar should be able to buy the same amount of goods anywhere in the world and exchange rates should adjust accordingly.

The Economist's Big Mac Index, which takes the price of a Big Mac burger across 120 countries to calculate the 'real' price of its currency, is a crude way to measure PPP. India was included in the index recently. It showed that the Indian rupee was undervalued by 53% against the US dollar in August.

Earlier, a report by consultant PwC suggested that the Indian economy would surpass the Japanese economy in 2012. The IMF expects the Japanese economy to contract 0.7% this year while India is expected to grow 8.2%. A bigger economy could also give the government additional clout and bargaining power overseas.
According to the University of Pennsylvania PPP world tables, India has already moved ahead of Japan in 2010. The size of the Indian economy is expected to reach almost $5 trillion by the end of 2011.

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India might overtake japan to become the world's 3rd largest economy in 2011...!

India might become the world's third largest economy in 2011 by overtaking Japan in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) measured according to the domestic purchasing power of the rupee, otherwise called purchasing power parity.

India is now the fourth-largest economy behind the US, China and Japan. Numbers from 2010 show that the Japanese economy was worth $4.31 trillion, with India snapping at its heels at $4.06 trillion. But after March's devastating tsunami and earthquakes, Japan's economy is widely expected to contract while India's economy will grow between 7% and 8% this fiscal. 
India should overtake Japan in 2011 to become the third-largest economy in the world at purchasing power parity
IMF forecasts show India and Japan neck-to-neck in 2011, but the disaster in Japan has brought the event forward. 


Were it not for the earthquake and tsunami, India would have overtaken Japan in around 2013-14

The purchasing power parity (PPP) method measures the size of an economy by levelling price differences between countries that occur in the process of conversion to a single currency.

Under this method, a dollar should be able to buy the same amount of goods anywhere in the world and exchange rates should adjust accordingly.

The Economist's Big Mac Index, which takes the price of a Big Mac burger across 120 countries to calculate the 'real' price of its currency, is a crude way to measure PPP. India was included in the index recently. It showed that the Indian rupee was undervalued by 53% against the US dollar in August.

Earlier, a report by consultant PwC suggested that the Indian economy would surpass the Japanese economy in 2012. The IMF expects the Japanese economy to contract 0.7% this year while India is expected to grow 8.2%. A bigger economy could also give the government additional clout and bargaining power overseas.
According to the University of Pennsylvania PPP world tables, India has already moved ahead of Japan in 2010. The size of the Indian economy is expected to reach almost $5 trillion by the end of 2011.

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Things to know about google...!

#1...Google WDYL

Google’s ‘What Do You Love’ service is a one-stop-shop destination for all its other services. It collates data from all its services such as YouTube, Translate, Images and News and to you at a single place and in a single click.


#2...Clear all Unnecessary ads                 

Having a hard time reading searching on your mobile? 
Screen is not large enough to accommodate Google’s advertisements, sidebars, images, et al.? 
Type "Google.com/m" in your browser to access a cleaner version of the site, minus all its ‘unnecessary’ frills.


#3...Side by side Search Engines

Wish you could look at the two most prominent search engines side-by-side saving you considerable amount of time and energy? Yes you can do it.

You can check your search results on both Bing and Google at the same time on www.bing-vs-google.com On the same page you will get the information displayed on both the sites.


#4...Google Shell

This alternative way to search Google will, for once, remind you of your HTML lessons. Goosh.org is a Google-interface that behaves similarly to a unix shell. Written by Stefan Grothkopp, Goosh calls itself ‘the unofficial Google shell.’ Users can type commands such as ‘video’ or ‘news’ to obtain results from a particular Google service. Results can be accessed by clicking on their respective links or their numbers can be typed in Goosh. To see more results type ‘more’.

#5...Google Squared

If you are tired of seeing search results in the same old ‘listed’ way and also to get a detailed perspective, try Google Squared. This feature of Google Labs creates tables of data taken from various websites. Once results are displayed individual entries can be clicked to check their source.

Users can even save their own customized tables for future reference. Users can modify their square by removing rows and columns they don't like or by adding new rows and columns and having Google Squared attempt to fetch the relevant facts.

Verify and correct the facts in your square by exploring the original sources and investigating other possible values. Google Squared does the grunt work for you, making research fast and easy.


#6...Google Desktop

Another neat way to search is Google Desktop. It comes in handy when you need to search local files on your computer or jump to a Web search. Just press ‘Ctrl’ twice and a search box will appear. This will direct you into your Web browser.


#7...Voice search

Google chrome has the option of a voice search. When you will open the Google search page you will see a microphone in the search bar. Click this microphone and just say what you are looking for.

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7 tips to avoid cell-phone readiation...!

#1...Buy a low-radiation phone

Always try to look up buyers' guide or Internet, or seek experts' advise to know about the radiation levels of your phone, or the model you intend to buy.

Most phones' model numbers are printed under the battery. Consider replacing your phone with one that emits the lowest radiation possible and still meets your communication needs.

#2...Use a headset or speaker

Headsets - whether Bluetooth or wired - emit much less radiation than phones. Choose either wired or wireless according to convenience and your needs.

However, it is not advisable to continuously wear the headsets above the ears as most Bluetooth headsets emit continuous, low-level radiation. So take it off your ear when you're not on a call. Using your phone in speaker mode also minimises radiation to the head.

#3...Stay away from the poor signal

Fewer signal bars on your phone means that it emits much higher radiation to get the signal to the tower. Make and take calls when your phone has a strong signal, instead of incessantly using it and cursing your mobile operator.

Remember, it is your brain that will be getting fried due to poor signal!

#4...Limit children's phone use

Young children's brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults. Along with health agencies in at least 6 countries, EWG has recommended parents to set up limits for children's cell phone use, such as for emergency situations only.

They may be encouraged to either make short, sweet conversations, or use the good, old landline phones.

#5...Talk less, listen more

Cellphones emit maximum radiation when you talk or text, but not when you're receiving messages or listening. Hence, the age-old saying of listening more and talking less can come in handy here in reducing your exposure level.

#6...Hold phone away from your body

Hold the phone away from your torso when you're talking (with headset or speaker), not against your ear, in a pocket, or on your belt where soft body tissues continuously absorb radiation.

Even while sleeping, avoid keeping it under the pillow or next to you. It should ideally be kept a few feet away even if you want to keep it handy just in case the President or the Prime Minister decide to call upon you in the dead of night.

#7...Use texting instead talking

Phones use less power (and hence less radiation) to send out text than voice communication. And unlike when you speak with the phone placed next to your ear, texting keeps radiation away from your head.

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