Intel developing computer chip that supports voice-enabled applications

Computer chipmaker Intel today said it is working on developing a chip that can support voice-enabled software applications in computers that may be launched next year.

"We are working closely with many companies on voice-enabled application... We are working on a chip that will be compatible with voice-enabled interface, and will be powerful enough to be able to process voice with minimum usage of battery," Intel Technology India, Director, Marketing & Market Development (South Asia) Sandeep Aurora told reporters in Chandigarh on Thursday.

"I expect it may come out next year," he said.

Noting that a few voice-enabled interface solutions are available in the market, but which are not sufficiently robust, Aurora said, "for a country like India where the literacy rate is not that high, the rolling out of voice-enabled software solutions will be immensely beneficial."

Intel launched its fourth generation Core processors earlier this year, which according to the chipmaker deliver 50 percent improvement in battery life, translating to over nine hours in some systems, and also enable a range of 2-in-1 convertible devices that can act as both a tablet and a PC.

"We will continue to move full steam ahead into the tablet and 2-in-1 space. Touch it, type on it, or talk to it - these devices are multi-tasking powerhouses that will offer us new interaction possibilities," he said.

Observing that computer and Internet penetration is abysmally low in India, Aurora expected that with the extensive roll out of 4G, the scale of penetration in the country would go up considerably.

WhatsApp updated for iPhone, brings new iOS 7-style

WhatsApp, the popular mobile instant messaging service, has updated its iOS app bringing the redesigned iOS 7 user interface. The new update (2.11.5) also brings improved location sharing using the 3D maps.

Some of the new features introduced in the new version of WhatsApp for iPhone include a new broadcast list, allows users to send a message to a group of friends at once; brings overhauled interface for managing blocked contacts; larger thumbnails view; crop image feature before sending; new notifications alerts and sounds, and the default use of device's text size. The new update also introduces a new set of icons and chat bubbles.

Click on the down redirection link to download/upgrade

The WhatsApp app is now offered as a free download, although new users would be charged $0.99 every year after getting one year of free access to the service, similar to how the service is offered on other platforms.

Not too long ago, WhatsApp updated its iPhone app adding support for iCloud chat history backup, restore functionality and sending multiple images at the same time. With the iCloud backup functionality, users are now able to have the option to back-up their message history to iCloud, Apple's cloud service. With the update, WhatsApp also changed its monetization model for the service on iPhone.

Earlier, WhatsApp claimed worldwide active user base of 300 million, with 20 million active users in India. WhatsApp also introduced push-to-talk voice messaging in the app on all mobile platforms including Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Nokia (Series 40 and Symbian), and Windows Phone.

Microsoft ends Windows 7 retail sales

Click on the image down to upgrade your OS to Windows 8 for free (Redirection Link)

Microsoft has quietly ended retail sales of Windows 7, according to a notice on its website.

The company's policies for shutting off sales to retailers and shipping licenses to OEMS (original equipment manufacturers) are posted on its site, which was recently updated to show that Windows 7's "retail end of sales" date was Oct. 30.

The next deadline, marked as "End of sales for PCs with Windows preinstalled," will be Oct. 30, 2014, less than a year away.

Microsoft's practice, first defined in 2010, is to stop selling an older operating system in retail one year after the launch of its successor, and halt delivery of the previous Windows edition to OEMs two years after a new version launches. The company shipped Windows 8, Windows 7's replacement, in October 2012.

As recently as late September, the last time Computerworld cited the online resource, Microsoft had not filled in the deadlines for Windows 7. At the time, Computerworld said that the end-of-October dates were the most likely.

A check of Microsoft's own online store showed that the company has pulled Windows 7 from those virtual shelves.

In practical terms, the end-of-retail-sales date has been an artificial and largely meaningless deadline, as online retailers have continued to sell packaged copies, sometimes for years, by restocking through distributors which squirreled away older editions.

Today, for example, Amazon.com had a plentiful supply of various versions of Windows 7 available to ship, as did technology specialist Newegg.com. The former also listed copies of Windows Vista and even Windows XP for sale through partners.

Microsoft also makes a special exception for retail sales, telling customers that between the first and second end-of-sale deadlines they can purchase Windows 7 from computer makers. "When the retail software product reaches its end of sales date, it can still be purchased through OEMs (the company that made your PC) until it reaches the end of sales date for PCs with Windows preinstalled," the company's website stated.

The firmer deadline is the second, the one for offering licenses to OEMs. According to Microsoft, it "will continue to allow OEMs to sell PCs preinstalled with the previous version for up to two years after the launch date of the new version" (emphasis added).

After that date, Microsoft shuts off the spigot, more or less, although OEMs, especially smaller "white box" builders, can and often do stockpile licenses prior to the cut-off.

But officially, the major PC vendors -- like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo -- will discontinue most Windows 7 PC sales in October 2014, making Windows 8 and its follow-ups, including Windows 8.1, the default.

How Apple's new iBeacon technology works

Apple made headlines Friday by announcing iBeacon, new software that pushes notifications to users as they walk around the company's retail stores.

But what is iBeacon and how exactly does it work?

Essentially iBeacon is nothing more than software that any Apple iOS device, such as the iPhone and iPad, is capable of using.

PHOTOS: Top 10 ways to take advantage of the 'sharing economy'

IBeacon doesn't track users. IOS devices using iBeacon simply send out signals through Bluetooth, similar to the way sonar works on submarines.

Once that signal reaches another Apple gadget, it will display a notification if the receiving device also has Bluetooth turned on, has the Apple Store app installed and has an owner who opted in to receive iBeacon notifications. 

If the signal reaches multiple Apple devices at the same time, each of those devices will display the notification at the same time.

The only time iBeacon will display a notification customized to individual users is when a user has ordered an item online and has come to an Apple Store to pick it up. When the user enters the store, iBeacon will send a notification saying the item is ready.

Apple has set up iPhones, iPads and third-party boxes that are about the size of an Apple TV to use iBeacon at its stores.

Because iBeacon is a software feature, developers will soon be able to use it too. The Apple Store announcement is simply the first major deployment of the technology.

"We're really excited about what iOS developers will be able to do with iBeacon, a technology we introduced with iOS 7 that uses Bluetooth Low Energy and geofencing to provide apps a whole new level of micro-location awareness, such as trail markers in a park, exhibits in a museum or product displays in stores," the company told The Times.

Android comes under EU scanner

European anti-trust regulator is looking at whether internet major Google's popular smartphone platform Android is violating fair competition norms.

Google is already under investigation of European Commission for alleged anti-competitive behaviour in the search engine market.

Regarding the Android issue, European Commission vice president Joaquin Almunia said the case is at an early stage and a decision on launching a formal investigation is yet to be taken.

"We have not yet formalised the concerns. We are looking at the way the Android ecosystem deals with different elements that can be considered as anti-competitive rules," Almunia told PTI here.

Android is one of the widely used smartphone operating platforms.

Going by estimates from global research firm Gartner, Android accounted for more than 80% share in the smartphone operating system market during the third quarter of 2013.

The competition division of the European Commission -- the executive arm of European Union(EU) -- is looking into the case. EU is a grouping of around 28 countries.

Meanwhile, consultation process is progressing with regard to the Commission's probe into allegations of Google indulging in anti-competitive ways in the internet search engine market.

"It is on-going and we are at the end of second round of consultations," Almunia told reporters.

With respect to this case, the Commission is expected to take a final view in the coming months after taking into consideration the outcome of the consultation process, views and responses from stakeholders and Google, he added.

"It is a very difficult investigation because this is the first time that from an anti-trust point of view we are dealing with search engine sector...," he said.

India's Competition Commission is also probing alleged unfair practices by Google in the internet search engine market.

How to Make Windows 8 Look Like Win 7 on PC

Windows 8's blah reception from many computer users may have been due at least in part to a peculiar trait that we humans have, and that's our obsession with improvement.

Improving our lot has been a fixation throughout virtually all of human history, so it shouldn't come as any great surprise that Microsoft couldn't help itself when it became time to update its OS -- an OS that we had all learned to use expertly over the last 20 years or so.

That obsession, along with a need to keep about 100,000 employees occupied, resulted in Windows 8's improvements over Windows 7 -- the strange omission of the Start button and the hiding of the Windows Desktop, that icon-studded screen we used to launch into.

Well, if you don't like improvement, are simply a Luddite or just fondly miss the Windows Desktop, you can take matters into your own hands. Here's how to start Windows 8.1 into Desktop mode -- bypassing the new, improved tile-based look -- plus a couple of other tricks.

Step 1: Make a backup of your personal files by swiping in from the right edge of the screen and choosing Search. Enter the term File History Settings and then click on the results and follow the instructions to perform the backup.

Tip: You'll need an external drive, like a USB memory drive.

Step 2: Touch or click on the Store tile on the Start page.

Step 3: Choose the free Windows 8.1 Update and select Download. Allow the update to proceed and complete. Then restart the PC and sign in.

Configure the Desktop Startup

Step 1: Launch the Desktop from the Start page by clicking on the tile labeled Desktop.

Step 2: Right-click on the Taskbar.

Tip: The Taskbar is the solid-colored strip below the wallpaper.

Step 3: Choose Properties and then the Navigation tab in the resulting box.

Step 4: Scroll down to the dialog, "When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the Desktop instead of Start," and check the checkbox. Click on OK.

The next time you restart your computer, the Start tile-based page will be skipped, and you'll launch into a Windows 7-style desktop instead. Hooray for the Luddites.

Tip: While you're on the Desktop page, check out the new-in-Windows 8.1 Windows icon in the bottom-left corner. It's a Start button of sorts, and clicking on it alternates you between the tile-infested Start page and the lovable classic Desktop page.

Launching Into the App Page

Adding insult to injury in the Windows 8 environment, you may have noticed that the Start page -- the one with all of the newfangled tiles -- doesn't include all of the apps that you've painstakingly searched for and downloaded.

The full listing of apps are in a page called Apps, not Start. You can get to the Apps page by clicking on the new-in-Windows 8.1 Down arrow in the bottom-left corner of the Windows 8.1 Start page if you want to see that page.

Here's how to launch straight into Apps from Desktop, bypassing Start.

Step 1: Launch the Desktop from the Start page by clicking on the tile labeled Desktop.

Step 2: Right-click on the Taskbar.

Step 3: Choose Properties and then the Navigation tab in the resulting box.

Step 4: Scroll down to the dialog, "Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start," and check the checkbox. Click on OK.

The next time you click on the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of the Desktop, you'll go to Apps instead of Start. Now that's an improvement.

Waving goodbye to Winamp, paying respects to Nullsoft

If you downloaded a song in the late 1990s and early 2000s, you most likely did it with Winamp. This week, the world said goodbye to the legendary media player with plenty of nostalgia, but for me, Winamp's death means the end of a very personal era. Here are some of my memories of working at Nullsoft, the company that created it.

When I first started there in 2001, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. America Online had just bought the company, and Nullsoft employees weren't thrilled with the prospect of being told what to do by a large company with a lot of rules. Many of us were young and full of "piss off" energy.

Nullsoft's story started way before I arrived. In 1996, Winamp -- short for "Windows Amplifier" -- was created and released by computer programmer Justin Frankel. He went on to start his company Nullsoft (a parody of Microsoft's name) a year later.

Nullsoft's snarky attitude was obvious from the start with its mascot -- a llama named Mike who came with his own tagline: "Winamp, it really whips the llama's ass!" (a line inspired by the schizophrenic singer-songwriter Wesley Willis). The motto rang true, considering it kicked the asses of any other media play on the market.

Mariachi bands interrupted meetings. Staff wore inflatable Sumo wresting outfits for the hell of it. The ultimate video game area sat in the middle of the room. 

Fifteen million people downloaded Winamp in a little over a year after its release. It allowed users to not only easily play music on their computers complete with playlists, an equalizer, and Pink Floyd light-show-worthy visualizations, it also inspired fans to make their own player skins to share with others.

In 1999, AOL bought Nullsoft and everything changed. While working under AOL, Frankel (along with fellow computer programmer and Nullsoft co-founder Tom Pepper) released Gnutella, an open-source peer-to-peer file-sharing network that competed with Napster in both popularity and controversy, due to a very miffed AOL.

According to an archived Rolling Stone interview from 2004 with Frankel aptly entitled "The World's Most Dangerous Geek":

AOL ordered him to take the program down immediately, and the company put out a statement calling Gnutella an 'unauthorized freelance project.' But Gnutella, unlike Napster, couldn't be stopped. More than 10,000 people had downloaded the beta software that first day, and intrepid hackers had gone to work to reverse-engineer it and throw it into the hands of the open-source community, laying the foundation for BearShare, Morpheus, LimeWire, and other file-trading wares.

Gnutella was now impossible to shut down, and so was Frankel, though AOL tried to keep him on a short leash by forcing Frankel to get his blog posts preapproved. That backfired too. He uploaded an MP3 search engine for the masses, and AOL took it down within hours. Frankel uploaded a program called AIMazing, which replaced AOL's Instant Messenger banner ads with a musical heartbeat. AOL was not amused. Even The Wall Street Journal published a story in 2000 called "AOL's loose cannon: Justin Frankel."

So when I was hired at Nullsoft in 2001, tensions were high between the Nullsoft staff and AOL upper management. I was hired to be the editor of Winamp.com to most likely make sure nothing went "wrong" with the site. The Nullsoft team -- who called themselves "legitimate nihilistic media terrorists as history will no doubt canonize us" -- were under a microscope. But Nullsoft didn't need a babysitter, it needed a cheerleader.

The group I worked with understood the concept of working hard and playing hard. Mariachi bands interrupted meetings. Staff wore inflatable Sumo wresting outfits for the hell of it. The ultimate video game area sat in the middle of the room. Everyone there was dedicated to creating the best version of Winamp possible.

Fans flocked to Winamp.com over the years not only to download the latest player and find their favorite fan-made player skins (often created to honor favorite TV shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or stylized to reflect love for bands like Nine Inch Nails) but also to connect with the Nullsoft creators themselves. Our forums thrived. The site featured news and personalities of our employees with themed months celebrating everything from ninjas to prom. We all wrote public blogs linked to the site. We had a voice. We had fun.

"I got hired to explain 'wasabi' to the world; that 'plugin' architectures needed to change into 'component' architectures; that 'skinning' meant something far more amazing than simply 'replacing bitmaps' on things; and a wonderful skins and development community 'flourished,'" former Nullsoft employee and self-proclaimed "Hot Green Mustard Evangelist" Mig Gerard wrote in his Nullsoft job description on LinkedIn.

A look at the Windows 8.1 key changes

With the return of the Start button, a new search function, Skype and quicker access to cloud data, Windows 8.1 is packed with changes — both large and small — which its predecessor lacked.

Windows 8 users can update for free from their operating system’s app store. An overview of some of the key changes follows.

THE START BUTTON: The most obvious new feature is the Start button. What was missing from Windows 8 has now returned, but in a trimmed-down version. Clicking on it doesn’t pull up a list of installed programmes, but sends users to a start menu with the by-now-familiar tile interface.

But the button isn’t useless. Right-clicking on it opens up a lot of useful features more quickly than was possible before, including the option for shutting down.

ONE SHARED BACKGROUND: Windows 8.1 can be set so that the Tile interface and the old, familiar desktop both use the same background.

It might not sound like much, but it makes a big difference. The switch between interfaces no longer feels as abrupt. Windows 8.1 can also be set so the computer starts up on the desktop, and not in the Tiles start menu.

SEARCHES, LOCAL AND ONLINE: The Windows search is no longer restricted to the hard drive, but will take advantage of an active internet connection to open up Microsoft’s search engine, Bing. The function can be disabled.

NEW APPS: Windows 8.1 includes a few new programmes for the operating system. There’s a new Facebook app. There are also some novelties like a calculator, an alarm clock and a new assistant that shows new users how to interact with the Tiles.

EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE: Windows 8.1 allows users to have four apps open simultaneously. Previously, the limit was two. Users can also decide which programme gets how much space. There are also more options for organizing Tiles in the start menu in the new version.

SKYPE AND CLOUD INTEGRATED: Skype calls can now be initiated directly from the contact list or Internet Explorer. Its messenger is embedded directly into the operating system, but can be turned off.

Microsoft’s cloud service SkyDrive is also integrated so users can take information directly from Explorer and put it into the cloud or call it up from the cloud. Pictures and other files in the cloud are stored in thumbnail versions on the hard drive and only called up when needed, so as to save space.

Nexus 7 (2012) 3G tablet reportedly receiving Android 4.4 KitKat update

The purported Android 4.4 system notification on the Nexus 7 (2012) tablet reveals that the update is about 186MB in size and can only be downloaded via Wi-Fi. Further, the notifications said "via Wi-Fi only until November 23", which suggest that later it might be downloaded over 3G network. The update notification also includes some new features namely colourful Emoji keyboard, and new Print feature.

The Android 4.4 KitKat iteration brings some new features to the Nexus 7 tablets such as a new translucent menu bar, which is located at the bottom of the screen; new Emoji keyboard for emoticons in the native Google Keyboard; unified Hangouts messaging app; smarter Google Now integration; better support for cloud printing; and new Quick Settings notifications menu toggles include a 'location settings' toggle.

Earlier on Friday, the Nexus 4 reportedly started receiving Android 4.4 KitKat update in India. As of now, there is no official word from the search engine giant on the Android 4.4 rollout for both Nexus 7 tablet (Wi-Fi+3G) and Nexus 4 smartphone. But recent tweets suggest that Google might be rolling out the update in phases for the Nexus devices.

Earlier this month, Google officially announced the rollout of Android 4.4 KitKat for its Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets (Wi-Fi only models), available OTA. The search engine giant confirmed the news via Android's Twitter and Google Plus accounts. Google had also said the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 3G models would be receiving their update soon.