Google Talk Hidden Emoticons

See this link in which all the Google talk hidden emoticons are there:

LAPTOP USERS: BE AWARE! :-

A couple lost their 25 year old son in a fire at home on June 4th. The son who had graduated with MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison two weeks earlier had come home for a while. He had lunch with his dad at home and decided to go back to clean up his hostel room. His father told him to wait, to meet his mother, before he went back for a few days. He decided to take a nap while waiting for his mom to come back home from work. Some time later their neighbors called 911 when they saw black smoke coming out of the house. Unfortunately, the 25 years old died in the three year old house. It took several days of investigation to find out the cause of the fire. It was determined that the fire was caused by the laptop resting on the bed. When the laptop was on the bed cooling fan did not get the air to cool the computer and that is what caused the fire. He did not even wake up to get out of the bed because he died of breathing in carbon monoxide. The reason I am writing this to all of you is that I have seen many of us and also our brothers& sisters sons&daughters friends&family using the laptop while in bed. Let us all decide and make it a practice not to do that. The risk is real. Let us make it a rule not to use the laptop on bed with blankets and pillows around. Please educate as many people as you can. "Please pass to everyone you know, you might save one's life"

25 Keyboard Shortcuts

Useful Shortcuts to Ctrl + C/Ctrl +V Win + C: Display the Windows Charms Bar, where you can perform search and change settings. Win + D: Takes you to your desktop. Win + M: Minimize all open apps. Win + Page up/ page down: Move between your two monitors when in dual display mode. Win + Space bar: Switch language. F11: Enter full-screen mode on your browser. Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder in current directory/ folder. Ctrl + W: Close current tab. Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopens last closed tab (works on most browsers). Ctrl + B: Manage browser bookmarks. Ctrl + Q: Close current application. Ctrl + Z & Ctrl + Y: Undo & Redo. Ctrl + O: Open file. Ctrl + R: Reload page. Ctrl + 1-9: Switch between browser tabs, according to order of appearance (works on most browsers). Alt + Tab: Switch between open programs. Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Display Task Manager. Ctrl + Mouse wheel: Make font size bigger or smaller. Ctrl + -/+: Zoom in and out on page. Ctrl + Enter: In the internet browser URL field, use this combo to add “www.” and “.com” to the text you type. Home (in a text field): Move to beginning of line. End (in a text field): Move to end of the line. Home (on any open window): Go to the top of the current window. End (on any open window): Go to bottom of current window. Shift + Delete: Erase file permanently.

THE NOTEBOOK

We call laptop as notebook but no it is not the notebook. Notebook is shown here. Have a look.


U all can get this notebook from the given link:
http://www.indiaplaza.com/notebook-stationery-stat04102011hbc01-10.htm

It costs only Rs. 249. So cheap it is.

TWITTER UNVEILS REVAMPED, USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE

Boston: Micro-blogging site Twitter has unveiled a revamped website that will make it easier for users to check images and videos, besides helping the company to attract more advertisers.

The "re-engineered" Twitter.com, aimed at providing an "easier, faster and richer experience" is expected to roll out around the world in the next few days.

The website is now split into two panes. One is devoted to messages or "tweets" posted on Twitter each day, and the other will feature photos, videos, replies and other information related to a Tweet's author or subject.

"This is really a complete revamp...It is going to increase the value that people are getting out of Twitter, so in less time you can get more information and value," Twitter's co-founder and chief executive Evan Williams said.

Users will now be able to see embedded photos and videos directly on Twitter, unlike previously when such multi-media was displayed on other websites or browser tabs.

The company has reached agreements to display content from more than a dozen online photo and video sites, including Google-owned YouTube, Yahoo's Flickr, GoJustin.TV, Twitgoo, TwitPic, TwitVid, Ustream, Vimeo, and yfrog.

The redesigned site also makes it simpler to see information about authors of Twitter posts and conversations among Twitter users.

"This is really a complete revamp," Williams said, adding, "Once you start using it, what you are going to see is that everything is very responsive... The entire front end is re-engineered to be more agile, more responsive."

The new features are aimed at attracting more advertisers to Twitter.com that faces stiff competition from social networking site Facebook.


The four-year-old San Francisco company is developing a platform for advertisers who want to promote products and services. Twitter has more than 160 million customers, while Facebook has over 500 million users.

While it's easy for Facebook users to upload photos and compose messages to be shared with friends, most Twitter customers don't post many messages or share links, Williams said. They mainly read what others post about events, disasters and their own lives.

The changes would roll out as a preview over the next several weeks. During the preview, users would be able to switch back and forth between the old and new format giving them time to grow accustomed to the new look.

"Eventually, everyone will have the updated version of Twitter.com," Williams said.

Twitter.com, which had about 24 million unique visitors last month, has been a simple website with few features. More than 90 million messages or tweets are posted daily on Twitter.

Increasingly, government agencies, news organisations and celebrities around the world are using Twitter to share information or links with followers on the site.

The company had said majority of its users are outside the US in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Indonesia.

WE HAVE GOT NEW INTERNET EXPLORER 9 BETA

Get it now from this link:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-in/internet-explorer/products/ie-9/home?os=winvista&arch=a&browser=other

MAKE YOUR PC RUN AS FAST AS NEW

There could be several hardware-related reasons for a slow computer. For example, the processor, the brain of your computer, may be too slow to run today’s demanding software. It may drag along if you have several programs running simultaneously. Then, there is RAM - the temporary memory the computer uses to do its calculations. If you do not have enough RAM, your programs will run slowly.

For better speed, you can upgrade the processor or RAM. A tune-up may also do the job. All you need to do is tweaking some settings to breathe new life into your PC.

STEP 1

For those who believe their computer lags at start up, a quick look at the MSConfig would be the place to start. MSConfig can be accessed by hitting the Windows button on keyboard along with R key. This will bring up the ‘Run’ dialog. Type "MSConfig" and you will get the "Start Up" tab with a list of programs and executables that are launched when the computer starts up.

Starting up of too many programs when the computer boots could be a reason why the boot time is so long. The remedy would be to go through the entire list and uncheck the unnecessary items. If there are entries you are not sure about, check them on the internet, as unchecking the wrong entries could potentially mess up the functionality of some of your programs.


STEP 2

Defragment the hard drive once a month. It’s like changing your car’s oil — it should be the one thing on your list even if you don’t do anything else. Windows stores information about your programs in the Registry. This can get cluttered and affect performance. The solution is to download free registry cleaners from the internet (eg CCleaner) to remove redundant program entries.

STEP 3

Indexing Services is a nifty little program that uses a large amount of RAM. This processes indexes and updates lists of files on your computer. This is done so that when you search for something, it can search faster by scanning the index lists.

So, if you don’t search your computer often, turn it off would better performance. Simply go to ‘Start’ button on taskbar, click on ‘Control Panel’ and select ‘Add/Remove Programs’. Find the tab ‘Add/Remove Window Components’ and uncheck ‘Indexing Services’. Click Next.

Also, if there is a delay every time you open ‘My Computer’ to browse folders, try this. Open ‘My Computer,’ click on ‘Tools’, select ‘Folder Options,’ click on the ‘View’ tab to uncheck the ‘Automatically search for network folders and printers’ box. Click ‘Apply’ and then reboot your computer for changes to apply.

STEP 4

Hard drive performance plummets as you near the drive’s maximum capacity. Assuming you don’t have an additional drive to move the content to, your choices are slim. But before you take a machete to your files, you may want to compress them.

Use the built-in compression tool in Windows, which makes accessing the files no different from it currently is. Go to ‘Disk Cleanup’ and make sure ‘Compress Old Files’ is checked. Click ‘Options’ and specify the age of the files you want Windows to compress — Windows will compress only the files you haven’t accessed in more than six months (or as specified).

STEP 5

An important feature of Windows is its ability to return system files to the state they were in earlier. Before tweaking, users can create a new "Restore Point." Go to Control Panel>Performance and Maintenance>System Restore or Start-All Programs > Accessories > System Tools>System Restore and select "Create a restore point."

If it is left alone, this can consume a good portion of your disk space with unnecessary restore points. By default, it uses up to 12 per cent of each of your drives and, even if you have a big hard drive, many extra restore points can slow down processes like virus checking, disk-defragmenting, etc. Typically, how much space you should allot to system restore depends on your system (200 MB - the minimum allowed - will hold 5 or 6 restore points) and should suffice for average users.

STEP 6

Also, the Windows XP (and Windows Vista) computers have features like smooth animated menus and transparent windows.

These use processor resources, too, which means they can cause slowdown. Right-click the ‘My Computer’ icon and click ‘Properties’. Click the ‘Advanced’ tab and under ‘Performance’, click ‘Settings.’ Choose to switch off some of these effects and see the improvement in your PC’s performance.

STEP 7

Accumulated dust in computer cases a reason for over-heated PCs. Dust gets into the ball bearings in the fan and cause the fan to stop working. This may lead to overheating of processor and permanent hardware failure. It is less common, but static charges from dust can also be a threat. A layer of dust on a memory chip can cause static electricity to build up. This can amount to electric charge, which discharges on to your motherboard or memory chip. The best way to stop dust from building up is to open the case on your PC and vacuum it.

(We recommend never tweak without knowing how to return where you began)

GET MORE OUT OF YOUR FREE GOOGLE ACCOUNT

So you have a Google account? While the search engine and the free Gmail account by now are common, the Internet giant also offers picture sharing through Picasa, blogging through Blogger, videos through YouTube and social networking through Orkut. But that is not what I want to focus on today.

The company has been either acquiring or building Web-based software so fast that many nice little features that you can use get overlooked. I illustrate a few here.

In search, a small link on the side of the Google search box talks of “advanced search” that needs to be leveraged better. Rather than a random search, this can help you define the exact terms or phrases that you are looking for, and more important, you can even specify domains, file format or language. For instance, if it is news you are looking for, you can just list news sites like CNN or hindustantimes.com and hope to get a refined reply.

While Google offers its Microsoft Office-like productivity software for word processing, presentations and spreadsheets at its documents site (http://docs.google.com) the site also offers you software under which you can create survey forms and even do a drawing. These can be additional to the usual applications.

My real favourite is the Google Calendar (http://calendar.google.com). Though you can now set you calendar and diary items on your commonplace mobile phones, where Google Calendar scores is that it is integrated with telecom service providers.

Typing a calendar entry is much easier on a desktop. You can fill in your appointments, and choose your own options in getting reminders by email and/or on your mobile phone.

I have used it so that I get the full address of my appointment venue (which I simply cut and paste from email to calendar) messaged to me on my mobile phone on the morning of a meeting.

Such little features can dramatically enhance the comfort of a Web-based lifestyle.

NEW FACEBOOK FAD: QUITTING IT

New Delhi, May 14 -- The tech world is buzzing with the new facebook fad. No, it does not involve hanging out on facebook or a new application which has caught everyone's fancy; instead many users are deleting their facebook account citing privacy concern.

Several high profile technology pundits and celebs are kicking the world's number one social networking site to the curb. Meanwhile, Facebook is making it difficult for users to delete their accounts.

Most users feel uncomfortable that their personal information is being sashayed on the internet and complain that adjusting their privacy setting is far too complex. Recently a glitch in the chat functionality gave access to people to view the user's conversations.

Interestingly, a back up plan may already be in place for ex-Facebookers- 'Diaspora'. A group of programmers have already raised $100,000 for their Diaspora project which they call "an open source personal web server that will put individuals in control of their data."

Follow us on Twitter!

FIVE HIDDEN DANGERS OF FACEBOOKING

An expert in online privacy has drawn attention to the five dangers of sharing information on social networking site Facebook.

Joan Goodchild, senior editor of CSO (Chief Security Officer) Online, claims marketing efforts by the company often results in a compromise on account holders' privacy, reports CBS News.

Goodchild noted five risks of using Facebook on 'The Early Show on Saturday Morning.' They are:

1.Your information is being shared with third parties

2. Privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign

3. Facebook ads may contain malware

4. Your real friends unknowingly make you vulnerable

5. Scammers are creating fake profiles

Earlier this week, 15 privacy and consumer protection organizations filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, alleging that the site manipulates privacy settings to make users' personal information available for commercial use.

SHAKESPEARE'S "ROMEO AND JULIET" IN TWITTER TWIST

LONDON – One of Shakespeare's most famous plays gets a 21st century makeover in a new version of "Romeo and Juliet" which will unfold through Twitter messages and on the Youtube video website.

Entitled "Such Tweet Sorrow," the experiment is a collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Mudlark, which produces entertainment on mobile telephones.

The production will take place over five weeks and allows for the characters to interact not only among themselves but also with members of the "audience."
Each character writes their own tweets, guided by an existing storyline and diary which outlines where they are at any moment in the adventure.

And so two families named after the original adversaries the Montagues and Capulets have loathed each other for years after a fatal car crash in an unnamed English market town in 2000.

Juliet, played by actress Charlotte Wakefield, is just turning 16 and wonders whether she should have a birthday party to celebrate. She posts a video on Youtube showing viewers a typical teenager's bedroom.
Her Twitter name is @julietcap16 while Romeo's entry into the messaging world comes later as "he is too busy on his Xbox."

"We have no real idea of what the next five weeks will bring, but we are holding onto our seatbelts," said Charles Hunter from Mudlark.

Michael Boyd, artistic director of the RSC, added: "Our ambition is always to connect people with Shakespeare and bring actors and audiences closer together.

"Mobile phones don't need to be the antichrist for theater. This digital experiment ... allows our actors to use mobiles to tell their stories in real time and reach people wherever they are in a global theater."

OPERA BROWSER GETS ACCEPTED FOR APPLE iPHONE

HELSINKI – Apple Inc has accepted distribution of Opera Software's Internet browser for its iPhone after a long review, opening a new and potentially lucrative market so far closely guarded by Apple.

There are numerous versions of Apple's own browser on App Store, but Norway-based Opera is the first rival to get access to iPhone.

Opera applied on March 23 for its mobile browser to be distributed on iPhone, and it was available for downloading to consumers early Tuesday, three weeks later. Usually the review process takes up to one week, developers say.

Analysts have said the decision was difficult for Apple -- whose application store is the only way to distribute software for iPhone users -- as its Internet browsing function is key behind the success of the iPhone.
Opera's browser promises up to six times faster download speeds than Apple's own browser and to cut data traffic by up to 90 percent.

Massive data traffic from iPhone mobile phones has caused problems for many operators' networks.

APPLE iPHONE TO SOON GET LONG-SOUGHT MULTITASKING

CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad devices will soon be able to run more than one program at a time, an ability that phones from Apple's rivals already offer and that iPhone owners have long sought.

The changes, coming this summer to iPhones and this fall to iPads, mean that users might be able to listen to music through the Pandora program and check a bank account online simultaneously. Currently, users must return to Apple's home screen, effectively quitting the open program, before starting a new task.

"We weren't the first to this party, but we're going to be the best," Apple CEO Steve Jobs declared Thursday, as bloggers, software developers and others in the audience greeted the news of such "multitasking" with applause.

The iPhone already permits some multitasking, but that's largely limited to Apple's own programs. Apple had not given users ways to seamlessly switch among all the software "apps" available from outside software companies, the way phones from rivals Palm Inc. and Google Inc. already do.

That will change with the updates known as iPhone OS 4. Apple generally makes such updates available for free, and often automatically, as a software download.

"It really changes the way you use the iPhone," Jobs said. "You're bouncing around the apps with tremendous fluidity."

Jobs said the company waited so long because it wanted to offer multitasking in a way that didn't drain the iPhone's battery or reduce the phone's performance.

In demonstrating the feature, Jobs double-tapped on the iPhone's main button while playing a game to reveal a row of icons for other programs that were quietly running in the background and accessible with a finger tap.

Multitasking could enhance the functionality of Internet phone services such as Skype. Currently, a call automatically ends if you exit the Skype app. With multitasking, that call could continue while you look up directions, or you could receive incoming Skype calls even if you're reading the news or a "Gossip Girl" blog instead.

Full multitasking had been high on many people's wish lists. Because Apple's new iPad runs the same software as the iPhone, changes would apply to that larger gadget as well. Some people have held off buying one because of its inability to run more than one program at once.

Other updates include the ability to have messages from multiple e-mail accounts land in a single inbox and a way to connect an iPhone with a regular keyboard using Bluetooth wireless technology.

But Apple still won't support Flash technology, even though many Web sites require it for displaying video. Flash was alongside multitasking at the top of many wish lists.

Although Apple is making the updates available to all iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad models, some features will only work with newer versions. The multitasking function, for example, won't work with the original iPhone or the iPhone 3G — only the 3GS versions that came out last summer. For the iPod Touch, you'd need the models that came out late last year.

Jobs also announced an advertising platform called iAd in which Apple will sell and host ads to run on apps made by outside developers; those developers will get 60 percent of the ad revenue. Jobs said users shouldn't find the ads annoying because Apple will make it easy for people to navigate back to what they were doing before clicking.

He admitted that Apple is still "babes in woods" when it comes to advertising, though the company is learning fast through Quattro Wireless, a mobile advertising company that Apple bought in January for an undisclosed amount. Jobs said the company had wanted to buy mobile advertising service AdMob, but lost out to Google. That deal is undergoing regulatory review.

Jobs also said the company has sold 450,000 iPads since its launch Saturday. The company earlier said it delivered more than 300,000 iPads on the first day, though that included pre-orders and units shipped to retail stores such as Best Buy but not necessarily purchased right away.

NEW NETFLIX DEALS MEAN MORE STREAMING MOVIES BUT LONGER WAIT FOR 'AVATAR', OTHER DVDs

Can't wait to rent "Avatar" on DVD or Blu-ray? Well, if you're a Blockbuster subscriber, the day you've been waiting for arrives in just a couple of weeks. If you're a Netflix user, though, don't expect to find "Avatar" in your mailbox until mid-May.

Mirroring a deal that Netflix signed with Warner Bros. earlier this year, the freshly inked agreements between Netflix and two other big Hollywood studios — Twentieth Century Fox and Universal — call for a 28-day delay between the time that new DVD and Blu-ray releases from the studios go on sale and when they become available for rent in your Netflix queue, PC World reports.

In the case of Fox, that means "Avatar," which has a retail release date of April 22, won't be available for rent through Netflix until May 20, according to PC World. Meanwhile, "It's Complicated" from Universal won't bow on Netflix until May 25, nearly a month after the movie's April 27 retail debut.

The 28-day delay gives the studios a little more time — or at least, they hope so — to rack up sales on their latest DVDs and Blu-rays and get more on-demand exposure (both via cable and iTunes) before Netflix renters get their hands on the discs. In return, Netflix will get more instant streaming titles from the two studios. From Fox, expect "Aliens," "The Thin Red Line," and Patton," plus full seasons of "Lie to Me," "24," "King of the Hill," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; Universal, meanwhile will offer up such titles as "Gosford Park," "Billy Elliot," "The Pianist," and "Do the Right Thing," according to TechCrunch.

Meanwhile, Blockbuster will get a leg up on Netflix thanks to its new deal with Fox, which (as the L.A. Times reports) allows the retail chain to rent Fox's DVDs and Blu-rays — both in stores and by mail — on the same day they go on sale. (Blockbuster signed a similar deal with Warner last month. That effectively gives Blockbuster an advantage in terms of offering, say, "Avatar" for rent nearly a full month before Netflix does. (Oh, and in case you're wondering, no: The "Avatar" Blu-ray that's coming out this month won't be in 3-D.)

On the other hand, as the L.A. Times points out, financially strapped Blockbuster had to pay a heavy price for the privilege: Both Fox and Sony Pictures (with which Blockbuster also cut a deal) now have a first lien on Blockbuster's Canadian stores. Ouch.

I'd also expect the other shoe to drop soon with Redbox, which (like Netflix) recently signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. that calls for — you guessed it — a 28-day window before it can start renting the studio's latest DVDs.

Redbox had initially opposed the idea of a DVD retail window and filed suit against Warner, Fox and Universal, all of whom had instructed their distributors to hold back their DVDs from the buck-a-night kiosk company until a month or so (depending on the studio) after their discs had arrived in stores. Redbox dropped its suit against Warner once it signed the new distribution deal, and I'm guessing we'll see the same thing happen with Fox and Universal in the near future.

HP LAUNCHES STORAGE WORKS LTO-5 ULTRIUM TAPE SOLUTIONS

Bangalore: HP is expanding its Linear Tape Open (LTO) technology portfolio with the upgraded HP StorageWorks LTO-5 Ultrium tape drives, which deliver improved data transfer speeds and management capabilities. Available with the HP StorageWorks MSL tape libraries, these new archive solutions enable businesses to better manage information through enhanced data protection, disaster recovery as well as long-term data retention operations.

HP StorageWorks LTO-5 tape solutions improve backup performance and reduce data loss with built-in encryption. This prevents unlawful access in the event of theft or malicious use by encoding data to ensure it is unreadable to unauthorized users. With nearly double the capacity of LTO-4 tape drives and encryption support, HP LTO-5 drives can store more data at a lower cost while meeting data security requirements.

HP LTO-5 tape solutions offer easy-to-use management tools that automate maintenance tasks, providing clients with improved operational efficiency through the new HP TapeAssure software that proactively monitors the status, performance, utilization and health of drives as well as backup media. Simplified data backup and recovery with HP StorageWorks MSL tape libraries that automatically backup and consolidate drives through an easy-to-manage network.

Lowered operational costs as the tape drives' increased capacity reduces the amount of media, time and human intervention required for daily tape backup. HP StorageWorks Enterprise LTO-5 tape library will be available mid 2010.

MICROSOFT UNVEILS VISUAL STUDIO 2010,.NET FRAMEWORK 4

Bangalore: Microsoft unveils its Visual Studio 2010, .NET Framework 4 and Silverlight 4 today. "In the new versions of Visual Studio, .NET, and Silverlight we've packed hundreds of new features, new functionalities and benefits that improve the development lifecycle from design to deployment. This is the biggest tools release we have put up so far. When we have a phenomenal product everything else flows from that. Using the Visual Studio 2010, .NET Framework 4 tools, developers have a way to where they want to be and they also have a powerful tool to easily create compelling user experiences both on and off the Web," says S Somasegar, Senior Vice President - Developer Division at Microsoft.

For the first time, Microsoft has taken a novel approach to launch its product globally. "In the past, we would first do the U.S. launch and then go to other locations. This time, we decided we will launch on April 12th in all locations. We will follow the Sun," notes Somasegar. The first launch is in China, second launch in Malaysia, third launch in India, fourth launch is in Malaysia, fifth launch in the U.S. These five locations have been chosen understanding the strategic importance of countries where there is huge developer population and is growing at a very healthy rate. Apart from these strategic launches, Microsoft has planned 150 other launches in other parts of the word starting tomorrow. "The goal is to physically touch a million developers or more through the launch event," he notes.

India is the second largest developer population in the world. Currently in India there are approximately 1.5 million developers and in the U.S. it is 3.2 million developers. In India, developer growth rate is in the range of 14 to 16 percent range and 3-4 percent in the U.S. Majority of these developers use Microsoft technologies (tools and platform). "The rate at which the developer community in India is growing should soon see it on the top. In the next 5-7 years, the number ofdevelopers in India will exceed that in the U.S.," says Somasegar, while speaking exclusively for SiliconIndia.

The Visual Studio launch is happening in the backdrop of Microsoft TechEd India, a three days conference that promises to enrich developers, IT professionals, architects and CXOs with knowledge and expertise by introducing them to the world of today's cutting-edge trends which make life easier for them at work. At this year's Microsoft TechEd there are 105 technical sessions, 21 technical tracks and several keynotes. "This is a larger than life event for developers and Microsoft. Developers, IT professionals, architects and CXOs can take a look at what is coming down the pipe in terms of new technologies, platform and exciting innovation. This is also an opportunity for us in Microsoft to interact with them. It is technology all around," says Moorthy Uppaluri, General Manager, Developer Partner Evangelism, Microsoft India. While over 3000 are attending the sessions on-location in Bangalore, Uppaluri is expecting to touch 50,000 IT professionals through three hundred event hosting centers across India via live broadcast of the event. "This is indeed a Diwali for developers in India," he says.

"Visual Studio 2010, .NET Framework 4 is powerful tool for any developer in today's world. Visual Studio 2010 is designed keeping in mind today's developer. Indian developers create software for everybody in the world. In a way our developers are core of innovation for the world. India is where the future is. Keeping this in mind we are launching this product that is relevant to them," says Uppaluri.

GOOGLE CEO SAYS APPLE HELPED AD MOB DEAL

WASHINGTON - Apple's plunge into the advertising market announced this past week gave Google a big boost in arguing for regulators to approve its acquisition of mobile advertising leader AdMob, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said on Sunday.

U.S. antitrust enforcers are apparently concerned the AdMob purchase could hurt applications developers, who often sell their apps for very little and make their money by selling advertising space on them.

But Schmidt, speaking after a speech at the American Society of News Editors, said Apple's plan to make a foray into the advertising market with iAd, was "evidence of a highly competitive market."

"It just seems obvious to me," said Schmidt. "I hope it (Google's purchase of AdMob) gets approved."

Apple's new advertising platform for the iPhone and iPad -- dubbed iAd -- marks Apple's first move into a small but growing market.

With iAd, applications developers will pocket 60 percent of the revenue. Apple will sell and host the ads.

Apple's entry into the mobile ad arena had been widely expected. It paid $270 million for Quattro Wireless, an advertising network that spans both mobile websites and smartphone applications.

Google, the online search leader, announced a $750 million deal in November to buy AdMob, which controls about one-third of the market for putting ads on mobile applications and web pages.

FTC staff have been canvassing app developers to try to line up support to fight the deal, said one developer, who asked to remain unidentified because he had been interviewed by FTC attorneys.

"It's been really interesting talking to them because they are so dead set against this," said the developer. "They have been clearly positioning to try to stop this."

Google, which generated 97 percent of its $23.7 billion in 2009 revenue from advertising, has faced growing antitrust scrutiny.

The company walked away from a search deal with Yahoo in 2008 when the Justice Department said it would challenge the tie-up. And Schmidt was forced to step down from Apple's board last year after his dual roles came under FTC review.

The U.S. Department of Justice has been sharply critical of Google's settlement with book publishers and authors' groups that would allow the search giant to create an online digital library.

HP PAVILION DV6-1240US LAPTOP

View the video here of HP PAVILION DV6-1240US LAPTOP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrLBoO8Qn3Q&feature=player_embedded

ANTI VIRUS SHIELD GUARD LAUNCHED FOR iPAD

Bangalore: Intego, company which provide security solution for Mac, has come up with first antivirus scanner capable of inspecting Apple's iPad. But security experts around the world doubt the need of an antivirus for iPad.

The operating system used on iPad is same as on iPhone and so far only few security issues has been reported on jailbroken iPhones and even then only by a handful of high-profile worms, such as the Rickrolling worm in Australia and the D'oh bank credential stealing worm in the Netherlands, which both spread last November, according to The Register.

Whether either of these worms might be capable of infecting an iPad is unclear. Intego acknowledges there is no iPad malware to defend against as yet but argues it will be ready if and when the threat materialises. "We're not saying there is malware in the wild," Peter James, an Intego spokesman explained. "But there are exploits that can take advantage of vulnerabilities."

James explained that the malware risk on the iPad, such as it is, mainly applies to devices that have been jailbroken to run apps not approved by Apple. Users of these devices can download cracked software that might pose a malware risk, or they could be exposed to future potential iPad-specific drive-by-download attacks while surfing online.

"Jailbreaking takes advantages of vulnerabilities," James told The Register. "Those users who don't jailbreak their devices have fewer security risks because they are protected by sandboxing. Jailbroken devices are not protected in same way.

"If and when iPad malware arrives we have the engine ready". But there are certain problems that the company has to solve as well. "The software doesn't run on an iPad or iPhone itself. We're looking forward to multi-tasking that will make this possible and in the mean time offering the best we can," James said. "We can't detect things live but its the best compromise we can offer for now."

APPLE UNVEILS iAD PLATFORM;iPAD SALES LOOK STRONG

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple CEO Steve Jobs showed off a new smartphone operating system on Thursday that features an advertising platform to compete with Google's, and revealed stronger-than-expected sales of 450,000 units for the iPad.

The iPhone 4.0 software will be available on Apple's hugely popular smartphone this summer, complete with a number of upgrades, including a long-awaited multi-tasking capability that allows the use of several applications at once.

A version of the iPhone's operating system is also used on the iPad, and the latest generation of software will come to Apple's new tablet computer this fall.

The new advertising platform for the iPhone and iPad -- dubbed iAd -- marks Apple's first foray into a small but growing market, and is sure to please the thousands of application developers who make their living off those devices, providing them with a new revenue stream.

The iPad's early sales impressed analysts, many of whom expect 1 million units to be sold in the quarter ending June, and roughly 5 million in 2010, though estimates vary widely.

"We're making them as fast as we can. Our ramp is going well, but evidently we can't quite make enough of them yet so we're going to have to try harder," Jobs said, noting iPad sellouts at Best Buy stores.

The electronics giant has staked its reputation on the 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet, essentially a cross between a smartphone and a laptop. It is helping foster a market for tablet computers that is expected to grow to as many as 50 million units by 2014, according to analysts.

"I think it's pretty impressive, five days almost half a million units, and it shows there's still pretty good momentum behind the first day," said Gartner analyst Van Baker.

Despite critics who question whether a true need exists for such a gadget, analysts expect Hewlett-Packard, Dell and others to trot out their own competing devices this year.

Since the iPad went on sale on April 3, users have downloaded 600,000 digital books and 3.5 million applications for the device, Jobs said. There are already 3,500 apps available for the iPad.

"It was above my expectations, frankly," said Joe Clark, managing partner of Financial Enhancement Group, referring to iPad sales. "The day the original Apps Store launched it was a game change for the iPhone and it will do the same eventually for the iPad."

At a media event at the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters, Jobs said Apple had so far sold more than 50 million iPhones, the smartphone that competes with Research in Motion's Blackberry and Motorola's Droid.

That implies that the company sold 7 million or more devices in the March quarter, which would be above many analysts' forecasts.