Monday, January 31, 2011

Indian's First Mobile Application Store

Airtel App Central - India’s First Mobile Applications Store

Airtel Live introduced Airtel App Central, India’s first mobile applications store.There are currently over 1250 apps available for download across 550+ devices.
These apps are categorized under 25 customer categories and still growing.There are productivity, business applications, utilities, casual games, themes, books, social networking and IM applications and many others that are available for download. This service is available for both Pre paid and Post paid Airtel customers You can simply download and purchase applications directly from your phone. Just browse through App-Central, choose your category and from a wide range of applications under the category, pick one that you want. There is no need of credit card for puchasing the applications, Airtel deducted the purchasing abount from the available talk-time in your account. There are quite a few of the total available applications that are free to download.
If you want to get App Central, just visit Airtel Live on your mobile phone and browse into App Central or SMS app to 54321 (toll free) to receive the URL.

Screen Shots

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Apple be the largest company in the World

Apple Passes Microsoft as World’s Largest Tech Company

By Dylan Tweney
May 26, 2010 |
4:08 pm |
Categories: Silicon Valley, Wired-o-Nomics

What a long, strange trip it’s been.

Apple’s market capitalization officially passed Microsoft’s Wednesday afternoon, making the Cupertino, California, company — for the first time — the largest technology company in the world.

With a market cap of $241.5 billion versus Microsoft’s $239.5 billion, Apple also became the second-largest company on the S&P 500, according to Standard & Poor’s analyst Howard Silverblatt. At the moment, only Exxon Mobil is bigger.

Market cap is a measure of the total value of all the outstanding shares of a company, and it’s a proxy for what investors think the company is worth, taking into account future earnings and future growth. As such, it’s a measure of expectations, not reality: Apple’s annual revenue was $42.9 billion in the most recent fiscal year, versus Microsoft’s $58.4 billion. Both look puny next to Exxon Mobil’s $301.5 billion in annual revenue.

Market cap is also a fickle mistress, and fluctuates wildly depending on stock price, so Apple’s position as the king of the hill may be short lived.

But it’s a significant milestone for a company that looked like a has-been just one decade ago.

Ten years ago, Apple was all but written off by most expert commentators. An also-ran computer company that once dominated geeks’ hearts and minds with the Apple II and the Macintosh, Apple made serious missteps in the 1990s that relegated it to a tiny niche of the overall computer market, with market share in the low single digits. It was all but certain that its share would continue dwindling until the company faded away entirely, like Commodore, Atari, Tandy and dozens of other computer makers before it.

What the commentators didn’t count on was the string of hits Apple would deliver over the next 10 years. Founder Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996 and removed then-CEO Gil Amelio in 1997, making himself interim CEO (and then eventually dropping the interim title).

Jobs then instituted what can now clearly been seen as a far-reaching strategy to consolidate and simplify Apple’s product line, while gradually leveraging the company’s strengths (ease of use, consumer-friendly branding, attractive design, and high margins) to expand into new areas of consumer technology.

Jobs also carefully created a new company culture, one that’s centered on innovation, control and secrecy. That approach has alienated many people — and runs counter to Silicon Valley received wisdom about the value of openness and sharing — but the proof is in the pudding. With a CEO of Jobs’ caliber, at least, that kind of top-down control works.

This list of product rollouts tells the story:

iMac (Bondi Blue) – 1998
iBook (clamshell) – 1999
iPod with scroll wheel – 2001
Mac OS X – 2001
iTunes Store – 2003
MacBook (switch to Intel) – 2006
iPhone – 2007
App Store + iPhone SDK – 2008
iPad – 2010

By 2010, Apple had firmly established its dominance (in mindshare and innovation, if not in absolute numbers) in three areas: computers, MP3 players and smartphones; the company also controls an increasingly large marketplace for music, video and applications with iTunes, which counts its users in the hundreds of millions and has served more than 10 billion songs, 200 million TV shows, 2 million films and 3 billion apps. Apple’s now the largest distributor of music in the United States with 26.7 percent market share, according to a Billboard analysis.

The recent introduction of the iPad — Apple claims over a million have been sold so far — may not move the needle much in terms of revenue, but it’s probably what pushed the company’s stock over the top. Early numbers of 200,000 sales per week suggest that Apple’s iPad is on track to outsell the Mac.

The iPad’s launch epitomized the Apple way: It’s a beautifully designed, precisely engineered piece of hardware, based on a software and apps platform largely controlled by Apple, and introduced through a carefully orchestrated marketing program that encompassed every detail of public relations, advertising and even retail presentation.

As a result, the iPad captured the imagination of the press and of investors worldwide, and has surely helped propel the company’s stock price to its current heights.

The stuff of business school case studies, to be sure. But it’s a feat that few companies have been able to pull off.

Image: Share price of Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) over 10 years, as plotted by Google Finance.

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THE MISTERY OF BERMUDA TRIANGLE IS NOW SOLVED

Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved

Ads by Google

Computer studies of ocean floors around the world, particularly the area known as The Bermuda Triangle, reveal evidence of massive methane explosions in the past. For years, believers in the paranormal, aliens, and other outlandish theories pointed to the the disappearance of ships and aircraft as an indicator of mysterious forces at work in the “Devil’s triangle.” Scientists have finally pointed the rest of us to a more plausible cause.
The presence of methane hydrates indicates enormous eruptions of methane bubbles that would swamp a ship, and projected high into the air- take out flying airplanes, as well.

Any ships caught within the methane mega-bubble immediately lose all buoyancy and sink to the bottom of the ocean. If the bubbles are big enough and possess a high enough density they can also knock aircraft out of the sky with little or no warning. Aircraft falling victim to these methane bubbles will lose their engines-perhaps igniting the methane surrounding them-and immediately lose their lift as well, ending their flights by diving into the ocean and swiftly plummeting.

Tags: bermuda triangle, shipwreck

Next-Gen Olympus Pen Hits the Micro Four Thirds Sweet Spot

Olympus E-PL2, Fourth Generation PEN camera
Digital Cameras and Camcorders
· $600 as tested
· Olympus

Reviewed by Dave Bullock

· January 5, 2011

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Micro Four Thirds cameras sit comfortably in their own little niche, both in price and performance, between high-end point-and-shoots and beginner-level digital SLRs. They boast interchangeable lenses, large sensors and retro-cool styling, so they appeal to people who are serious about photography and can wax poetic about the compact lines of a vintage Leica.

They are also a great stepping stone for the point-and-shoot person who wants to become a better photographer. And their small form factors make them an excellent antidote for the SLR owner suffering from “heavy camera bag” syndrome.

The new E-PL2 joins the growing family of other Micro Four Thirds models from Olympus. It has a svelte metal-composite body, gorgeous high-resolution 3-inch LCD viewfinder and enhanced low-light performance. It’s a welcome upgrade to the E-PL1 and viable alternative the more expensive E-P2.

This fourth-generation Olympus Pen sports a 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor, which is roughly eight times larger than the sensor in your average point-and-shoot camera. The larger sensor provides better image quality and low-light performance, similar to that of a digital SLR.

The E-PL2 also pumps up the ISO to 6400, making it great for night photography. The fastest shutter speed has also been increased to 1/4000th of a second to help you freeze action and use fast lenses in bright light.

Other internal updates include eye-detection for more accurate focusing of portrait shots, a live-guide feature for viewing effects in real time, and an updated suite of artistic filters — in-camera effects that give your pictures that Lomo warmth, or an old-timey, grainy black-and-white vibe.

The live guide is intended to show you how altering the camera’s settings can change the picture, and it’s meant for those first learning photography. Unfortunately, it hides what is actually being changed. For example, it shows a slider to “change background focus” instead of explaining how f-stops work. The artistic filters are fun, but the plethora of desktop and online applications available to spruce up your images make them somewhat redundant.

The E-PL2 ships with a new M. Zuiko 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens (28-84mm equivalent) that works during movie or still shooting and has a very snappy response time. The lens collapses for storage but must be extended to roughly double its stored size when in use.

The results from the supplied lens were better than expected for a kit lens. The beauty of the Micro Four Thirds standard is the wide variety of adapters, which allow other manufacturers’ lenses to be used. The Pen’s body is just screaming to be mated with a classic manual-focus Leica or Voitlanger lens. Old manual lenses still benefit from E-PL2’s image stabilization, which is internal and sensor-based.

One very welcome new feature is the redesigned case. The grip is more comfortable, and the E-PL2 feels solid in hand. Holding it evokes a feeling of nostalgia for a classic rangefinder film camera with its pleasant heft and balance. The front half of the camera and the lens mount are both constructed of metal, the body is cast and the mount is machined. The rear case material is a hard plastic, but it’s nearly indistinguishable from the metal of the front. It feels like a high-quality, professional camera.

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Tags: Bluetooth, E-PL2, Micro Four-thirds, olympus, Prosumer

Entry-Level Sport Bike Revs Expert Performance

Yamaha FZ6R
Automotive

· $7,090 (as tested)
· Yamaha

Reviewed by Chuck Squatriglia

· April 15, 2009

Ever thought “that guy can’t ride” after some kid on a crotch rocket cuts you off on the freeway? There’s a good chance you’re right. Yamaha says one-third of those who purchase sportbikes are first-time motorcycle buyers. That’s the two-wheeled equivalent of getting a pilot’s license and joining the Blue Angels.

Turns out most of those Valentino Rossi wannabes aren’t after triple-digit horsepower or eye-compressing acceleration. They only want the aggressive look of a sport bike, so Yamaha wrapped the entry-level FZ6R in slick bodywork that even guys with gelled hair and tribal tats could love.

Don’t let the “entry-level” designation leave you thinking the FZ6R offers the thrills of an Antiques Roadshow marathon. Yamaha made the bike gentle enough for n00bs who want to build skills but sporty enough to keep experienced riders grinning. It’s also versatile enough for a weekday commute or some tight cornering on a Sunday afternoon.

The torquey 600-cc, 4-cylinder engine is tuned for mid-range oomph and makes wheelies a snap — if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s got nothing below 5,000 rpm, but raise revs above that and the power builds smoothly and predictably to its peak of 78 horsepower at 10,2000 rpm. The FZ6R isn’t as fast as the R6 or other weapons-grade middleweight sportbikes, but if you’re just starting out, you definitely don’t need that much power.

Entry-level bikes often have suspensions with the sophistication of a screen door, but Yamaha didn’t skimp on the FZ6R. The 41mm non-adjustable fork and pre-load adjustable shock keep the bike more stable than a Navy SEAL sniper when you’re cornering, without sacrificing all-day comfort. But as good as the suspension is, the brakes are even better.

Sport bikes are usually about as comfortable as a prostate exam, but the FZ6R offers a relaxed riding position with good wind protection. Easy adjustments let you lower the seat and move the bars back, while the clutch and brake levers need only a light pull and there is absolutely no vibration from the engine. Add a set of luggage and you could do a road trip on this bike. Try doing that on an R6.

Yamaha did a great job with the FZ6R. It’s stylish enough to satisfy boy-racers, quick enough to keep you grinning and a fantastic dance partner in tight curves. It’s more than a sweet beginner bike. It’s a sweet bike.

WIRED Adjustable seat and handlebars make the FZ6R perfect for people whose wingspan is bigger than their inseam. Suspension and brakes belie the bike’s budget price. Gearbox is smoother than a scoop of Haagen-Dazs.

TIRED Fake air scoops carry the repli-racer look half a lap too far. Some of the plastic is a bit flimsy. Subdued exhaust note kept us wondering, “Is this thing on?

Google Cracks Down on Spammers and Scrapers

By Sam Gustin
January 28, 2011 |
4:33 pm |
Categories: Media, Search

(Update 4:55 p.m. EST with Google statement)

Spammers and scrapers of the world beware.

In a move that internet content creators have been dreaming about for years, web search giant Google has moved to crack down on spammy and derivative content that has been largely copied from other sources on the web and which somehow manages to bubble higher in results than the original.

Anyone who’s ever written a word on the internet and seen it ripped off and posted elsewhere will appreciate this move.

On the other hand, companies who traffic in low-quality content in the hope that by littering the internet with search-driven mediocrity they’ll generate enough advertising revenue to be a going concern, should be concerned.

“This was a pretty targeted launch: slightly over 2% of queries change in some way, but less than half a percent of search results change enough that someone might really notice,” Google search quality honcho Matt Cutts wrote in on his personal blog, in a follow-up to changes that had already been announced.

“The net effect is that searchers are more likely to see the sites that wrote the original content rather than a site that scraped or copied the original site’s content,” Cutts wrote.

Scrapers have long said they are protected by the “safe harbor” provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s “fair use” principle, which allows excerpting of others’ content for some uses.

That’s most likely true, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to wade through all the derivative junk that is basically copied off others’ websites.

Google did not name specific companies that will be affected, but in the earlier post he made reference to “‘content farms,’ which are sites with shallow or low-quality content.”

It’s up the rest of us to try to divine what “content farms” Cutts was referring to.

In a follow-up email, a Google rep offered more detail, though the company declined to name specific websites that will be affected, as per company policy.

“At Google we are constantly tuning our algorithms to improve the relevance of our results,” the Google statement read. “Sometimes we’re simply doing a better job catching pure webspam with paid links, hidden text, scraped content and other violations of our webmaster guidelines. Other times we are tuning the algorithm to do a better job surfacing relevant, authoritative, interesting, on-topic, original content.”

“We made more than 490 improvements to search last year alone, so this is an ongoing process and a complicated science,” the spokesperson added.

Demand Media shares (DMD) traded down nearly six percent on Friday — the Big Board was down 1.49 percent — two days after the company went public.

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