Hacker copies fingerprint from a photograph Independent

Geek uses commercially available picture of a German minister to clone her biological data.

New techniques could allow hackers to copy fingerprints using only a photograph. Fingerprint technology is hoped to be one of a range of new forms of biometric security, but the discovery by a member of the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) shows even personal biological data might not be safe from hackers.

Jan Krissler, who is also known as Starbug, said that he had used commercially available photographs of German defence minister Usula von der Leyen.

While hackers have previously been able to copy fingerprints from any object with a polished surface, like a plate of glass or a smartphone, that had been touched, the discovery seems to mark the first time that such a hack has been done without even needing to steal objects carrying the data.

He demonstrated the technology at a convention for members of the CCC, a 31-year-old network that claims to be Europe's largest association of hackers.

Krissler took the photos from a press conference in Germany in October. He said that he presumed that politicians would wear gloves to stop use of similar technology by malicious hackers.

Fingerprint technology is already used to secure Apple and Samsung phones. It avoids the need for a password in most cases — making logging in much quicker and easier, but also giving anyone with the correct fingerprint the ability to access personal data and make purchases. The technology was even used to identify voters in Brazil's most recent elections. Similar technology that recognizes finger veins has been introduced by Barclays for business customers and at cash machines in Japan and Poland.

Global electronics company Hitachi, too, manufactures a device that reads the unique pattern of veins inside a finger and works only if the finger is attached to a living person.

In 2013, trials at Southampton General Hospital's intensive care unit indicated that vein patterns are not affected by fluctuations in blood pressure.

168 Foxconn workers arrested for trying to enter Chennai plant

More than 150 employees at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co's Chennai factory were arrested on Monday as they attempted to force entry to the mobile phone plant earmarked for closure at the end of the month.

Hon Hai, which trades as Foxconn, announced on December 11 that it would close the factory, coming close on the heels of a similar move by Nokia and delivering a second blow for the government as it seeks to beef up the country's manufacturing sector.

Hon Hai is the world's largest contract manufacturer of electronic goods and counted Nokia as a major client in India. Its plant in southern India employed about 1,700 workers.

About 168 workers were arrested, including 16 women, when they tried to enter the factory, said E Muthukumar, president of Foxconn India Employees Union.

A Hon Hai spokesman declined to comment.

Vijaya Kumar, superintendent of police at Kancheepuram district, said the arrests were a preventative measure and that the workers were likely to be released soon.

The employees had been trying to gain entry in protest at the lack of any formal notice of closure, the employee union's president said.

It’s app-ening: Tech will transform aam aadmi

           The multi-billion-dollar valuations of Flipkart and Snapdeal are no pricing bubble, but a signal that India's technology boom has begun. The next five years will see a flurry of technology innovations that will transform the country as much as cellphones have over the past 15 years. This will be enabled by the availability of low-cost smartphones, the digital identity that Aadhaar has provided to hundreds of millions of people who lacked any documentation, and a host of exponential technology advances. A billion Indians will be joining the global economy during this decade.

There is a lot for Indian entrepreneurs to learn from Silicon Valley. But the bigger opportunities are for them to leapfrog it by solving the problems of the many rather than of the few. The same infrastructure lacuna that enabled India to create Aadhaar—lack of all technological legacy to have to worry about—offers it an opportunity to implement changes inarguably for the public good and to show the world how to create an entirely new digital infrastructure in areas such as the following.

Microsoft wants to pilot White-Fi tech in India

NEW DELHI: Satya Nadella, global CEO of Microsoft, urged telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to allow the US software major to pilot its 'White-Fi' technology to provide internet connectivity in remote villages in the country at a meeting in the capital on Friday.

Microsoft's White-Fi, or television White-Space technology, works like Wi-Fi on a bigger scale to provide wireless connectivity across a 10km radius at a speed of up to 16mbps, by using chunks of airwaves lying between spectrum kept untouched by broadcasters to avoid interference or disturbance between transmissions.

Nadella, who is in the country on Christmas holidays, also discussed with Prasad other ways in which Microsoft could partner in the government's Digital India initiative. He was accompanied by the firm's India head Bhaskar Pramanik.

"We have asked Microsoft to put forth concrete ways in helping achieve various social objectives under Digital India such as raising digital literacy," Prasad said.

A person privy to the discussion told ET, "The minister assured Nadella that the government would welcome all possible technological solutions to bring broadband connectivity to remote areas."

During his visit, Nadella also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley.

The Hyderabad-born Nadella said Microsoft was committed to setting up data centres in India to promote the cloud first and mobile first strategy as a means to empower every citizen and business in the country.

ET was the first to report that Microsoft had filed an application with the wireless planning and coordination wing in October to deploy White-Space technology for a pilot project in Bangalore.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was the first global CEO to speak to the telecom minister for deploying alternate technology — in its case, solar drones — for last mile connectivity, followed by Google, which offered to provide inexpensive internet access across India through a network of helium-filled balloons, and now Microsoft.

While Facebook and Google are yet to put in written requests to the government, Nadella on Friday told Prasad his company is eagerly awaiting the government's approval to begin the pilot.

The White-Fi technology has already been successfully implemented in the US and Singapore and is being tested in Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa and Tanzania, among others. It works on chunks of unused spectrum available in broadcasting bands in the lower frequencies from 200MHz to 700MHz.

The government's Rs 1.13 lakh-crore Digital India initiative envisages delivering e-services such as health and education to every nook and corner of the country over broadband by 2019.

Despite the government laying a nationwide optic fibre network, reaching homes, schools, hospitals and other institutions may require wireless technology, especially in hard-to-reach areas. This is where the technology giants such as Facebook and Microsoft hope to deploy their respective technologies.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella meets PM Narendra Modi

Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella (left) during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday . PTI

Nadella, son of a retired IAS officer and currently in India on a vacation, made the most of his visit by meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finance minister Arun Jaitley, communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and other senior government officials on Friday.

“In every meeting, of course, both ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ are top of mind and for us, top of mind in terms of our contribution to India,” Nadella said after his meeting with Jaitley.

A mobile and cloud (Internet)-connected world can empower every individual citizen, business organisation and institution in India, he added. “So, I am looking forward to be a part of both the Digital India and ‘Make in India’,” Nadella said.

“I have requested him to consider electronic manufacturing in India. I have also requested that Microsoft, which has a great profile in the field of social services, digital literacy can promote it in India. We had a very purposeful exchange,” Prasad said after meeting Nadella.

The Hyderabad-born CEO also highlighted that the company is making huge investments in its data centres, the capacity of which could be expanded, depending on the requirement.

Microsoft is keen on collaborating with the government in providing last mile internet connectivity, especially through the wi-fi technology, a government statement said. Technologies of interest to Microsoft includes the white space technology that can be used to provide wi-fi with speeds upto 16 mega bits per second (16 Mbps) in public places. It is being mainly used by state broadcaster Doordarshan.

This was Nadella’s second visit to India after taking over as the global CEO of the technology giant earlier this year.

Edit Microsoft Office files via Gmail!!!

Google updated Gmail with a new feature which allows to edit Microsoft Office documents from within inbox.

When Office files are emailed as attachments, Gmail now will include an “Edit with Google Docs” options. Selection of this options automatically converts the documents and opens it in Docs, Sheets or Slides.

“We realize that as a Docs user, you still sometimes have to work with different file types, so we often launch updates to make it a little smoother for you,” the company wrote on Google+. “It’s now even easier for you to edit Office files where you often come across them — as attachments in your email.”

This will let for those who don’t have Microsoft office installed, Google notes it’s also benefiticial for collaboration as all changes are automatically synced to the cloud and collaborators can keep tabs on the most recent version of that document at any time.

Google also updated the list to support for fifteen new Microsoft Office file types, which includes .pps and .ppsx presentation files along with templates and macro enabled files.

Company also claims that it has also improved its ability to convert charts, tables and graphics within documents.

There is provision for Users who wish to open and edit Microsoft Office files in Drive without converting the file type can also do so, Google points out with the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets and Slides Chrome Extension. This extension allows users to open and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files in Google Drive, even if they don’t have Microsoft Office Installed.

Google plans to open own campus in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Internet giant Google plans to open its own "permanent and big" campus in Hyderabad and is set to sign an MoU with Telangana government shortly to take up the venture.

"We are likely to sign MoU with Google. They are likely to open their campus here in Hyderabad. It will be the third campus they will have after the US and the UK," Telangana IT, electronics and communications secretary Harpreet Singh told PTI here.

Google currently operates from rented premises here but wants to move to a "permanent campus", he said, adding the tech major would sign an MoU with the state government shortly.

He, however, declined to go into further details of the proposed venture, saying a press conference is scheduled to be held shortly on this but added that it would be a "big campus".

Singh also said Cisco, Airtel, Vodafone and a Taiwanese company, among others, have responded to the expression of interest floated by the government on proposed venture to make Hyderabad a Wi-Fi enabled city. "

Many of them are partnering and coming," Singh said, adding the Taiwanese firm, in fact, was behind making Taipei a Wi-Fi enabled city.

But he said the companies that have evinced interest have sought information such as detailed maps of the city, including roads, and some clarifications with regard to certain specific points. "So, we are preparing the replies; we will give it to them".

"It will take time (to make the city Wi-Fi enabled) because business model is the critical issue. Making Wi-Fi is not a big problem ... but how to monetise it ... is the key issue," he explained.

Singh, however, said the contract for this venture is expected to be awarded in the next three-four months after floating the request for proposals and the bidding process.

After that, the successful bidder is expected to take six months to roll out the infrastructure, he said, indicating that the city is likely to be Wi-Fi enabled only towards the end of next year.

On the proposed Rs 30 crore incubator facility for technology start-ups, he said its designs have been completed and the process of tendering is in progress.

The 70,000 square feet facility will have 800 seats, housing an expected 500 start-ups in different stages of growth, he said.

"We are planning to formally inaugurate this building on June two (on the first anniversary of Telangana State's formation)."

As for software exports from Hyderabad, he noted that it was Rs 57,000 crore or roughly ten billion dollars in the year 2013-14. "This year (2014-15), I think it's (going to be) 12% (more). We may do slightly better (better than 12% growth)," Singh added.

How To Earn Upto 300USD Per Day With MyLikes

My Story, MyLikes and its Legality

This tutorial is about a Social Web Called "MyLikes" MyLikes is one of the best social network i ever see because it will give you money for your shares and posts. But here is a logic if you follow it you can earn much and massive. I saw my a proof of my friends who was already working on MyLikes.com.  He is earning almost $263/Day as he was old with MyLikes so he told me MyLikes giving about $1000/Day am surprised how any social webcan giving out such a great money.  His screenshot is below.

I saw a proof of another member of a group i joined. He give out a screenshot of his PayPal Transication.

I tried tried and finally i got success, now i can earn as much as i want ;), because i know how to use MyLikes safely. This tutorial is specially for the beginners see my next posts about MyLikes to make huge money.

Step by Step Method Of MyLikes

All you need just must have or a facebook page having about 50K+ Likes or twitter account having 20K+ Followers more Likes/Followers will give you much more money.

STEP # 1: First of all goto http://mylikes.com/publishers/signup sign up with Twitter/Youtube/Email Account.

STEP # 2: After Sign up just sign in to mylikes.com > Setting> Connected Accounts; and connect all social accounts.

STEP # 3: Now its the time to move forward, just visit http://likes.com/partner you will see here alots of posts and many things here's a screenshots. (NOTE: Every image has two side i hope you will use its good one's, Turn on family safety, Actually here's a small trick if you share family safety posts/ no adult posts it will build your audience and you will get visits more than all.)

STEP # 4: Now its the time to choose right and share posts on your domain. Choose Royalities posts, because royalities posts are those which are more reshared with which you can gain more than ordinary post. You can share ordinary posts too if that was interested it helps you to build your audience. Click on Share > Get Link > Then Copy Link > Share On Your Social Networks, such as facebook, google+, twitter, reddits and much more (I will recommend you to short copy link via Goo.gl or Bit.ly)

STEP # 5: Here is another way to make money, by creating a gallery if more and more people reshare your gallery then here are many chances to come in royalities. In royalities you can earn more than all your resharer makes money by sharing your photo. Adding videos are another great option, to earn more than a gallery. For example; If your gallery gives you $0.005/View Video can give you $0.009/View.

STEP # 6: Another method to make and get $14/ 1k views, just upload your own video and promote it and you will get earned with that. But you must will have to know that here is a rule after MyLikes will put a small promotional video inside your video after 1mint its mean if you have upload an video of any product or anything you want but note must be unique. Just upload any video to MyLikes and you have done. MyLikes employes will edit your video they will put there message inside your video and will upload to Youtube for you, on your channel. 

NOTE:

• My recommended steps for earning. STEP # 4 & STEP # 5 if you can do Step # 6 better then Step # 6 is best then adding videos of others. 
• Rules of MyLikes are very strict you must needs to read and follow before get ban and waste you money. Must see FAQ and there rules here FAQ for Social Publishers & FAQ for Video Publishers.
• Use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Reddit, or likes.com for getting Traffic to your posts. (Must needs follow MyLikes rules before posting on social website.)

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge launched at Rs 64,900

NEW DELHI: Samsung has launched Galaxy Note Edge, the first smartphone in the world to have a display on the side in India, at a market price of Rs 64,900. It will be available for sale from January first week through select retailers in "charcoal black," and "frost white" colour variants.

The display curves on the right edge and looks like a stripe that can display additional information as the user operates the phablet. The curved display is secured inside metal brackets and the left side is curved slightly as well.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge sports a 5.6-inch Quad-HD+ (1600x2560 pixel) Super AMOLED display. The phablet boasts of a unique design wherein the right edge of the screen is curved and provides quick access to frequently used apps, alerts and device functionality.

It is powered by a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor. The smartphone features a 3.7MP front camera and 16MP rear camera. It has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD card.

The phone runs Android 4.4 KitKat. It also comes with additional software optimized to make use of the accompanying S Pen stylus. Users can multitask in multi-window mode, which supports minimizing apps as floating widgets. It also has text selection and crops selected areas on the screen for later viewing. The S Note app gets its own widget, so that users can access the core functions of the stylus as soon as they unlock it.

The Note Edge supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2X2 MIMO). NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 (BLE),ANT+, USB2.0, MHL 3.0 and IR LED connectivity options. It has a 3000mAh beattery with support for quick charging.

Samsung had announced that Galaxy Note Edge would be available in selected markets only as it was a 'limited edition concept.'

Other than India, Galaxy Note Edge is expected to be launched in Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Singapore and Italy.

"Samsung continues with its legacy of pioneering extraordinary innovations and setting new benchmarks in the mobile industry. The Galaxy Note Edge is a stunningly beautiful device equipped with a unique curved screen which not only makes the smartphone distinctive but also delivers a unique way to access information and optimizes functionality," Asim Warsi, VP, mobile & IT, Samsung India, said.

Infosys to 'follow' Google, Facebook in evaluating employees

BENGALURU: Infosys is in the midst of putting together a staff appraisal practice that includes some of the best practices followed at new age companies, including Google and Facebook, and will start evaluating employees from October next, a move some experts believe if executed well, could help the country's second largest software firm retain the tag of preferred employer in the country.

One of the benchmarks Infosys will take into consideration to evaluate its over 160,000-employees will be on feedback from its over 900 clients. The new system will also see an individual's performance being judged by his team members and in many cases, even subordinates in the team. Significantly, Design Thinking, the creative and systematic approach to problem-solving, will be used to implement these 'futuristic performance measures,' according to a senior executive.

"Today, we have a 360 degree feedback for senior people — both internal feedback, and in some cases, through external feedback," said Srikantan Moorthy, HR head. "Already, more than 2,500 people have gone through this process, some of whom have got feedback from clients. If we have to extend it for 160,000 people, we have to use Design Thinking in articulating the solution before it gets rolled out."

Although Google and Facebook keep details of their HR practices close to their chest, some experts said the companies use a lot of analytics to find the right candidate for a job or for a promotion. Further, in many cases, they even seek client feedback on an engineer's performance at a particular project. "When we talk about HR practices, developmental plans and promotions are components. So, we are looking at best practices at various companies at what they do and create a more futuristic perform ance management system that will last for some time. That's what we are working on," Moorthy told ET in an interview earlier this month.

For now, homegrown technology firms, including Infosys, rely on data analytics when it comes to hiring prospective employees. But the biggest challenge haunting these companies is to retain talent as many junior engineers at these firms leave the company, with the attrition rate being the highest in the band of employees with two to five years' experience. Infosys had an attrition rate of over 20% for the second quarter ended September 30 while its city rival Wipro had an attrition level of close to 17%.

"We will be applying Design Thinking principles to engage with employees to get feedback, articulate the problem, develop the right model or solution before rolling it," said Moorthy.

For this reason, some experts dub this thinking at country's second largest software exporter as a step in the right direction.

"Indian companies for a long time have seen employees at lower levels as replaceable, but with raising costs, higher training costs, we see a change in thinking happening, also in India," said Holger Mueller, principal analyst and VP at Constellation Research.

Since Infosys tasked its first nonfounder chief executive Vishal Sikka to help the company match up with industry-matching growth numbers of 13% yearly growth, Sikka has kicked off various steps to motivate employees. From rewarding them with more number of promotions and even doing away with the variable pay component for entry-level employees, Infosys also started with the first kind of crowdsourcing initiative, 'Murmurations' to motivate employees.

For all these reasons, the management believes that the company should be able to bring down attrition to 13-15% by as early as June next year.

Facebook to cut unpaid posts by marketers on news feeds

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook's executives are not terribly worried about upsetting people these days.

Flush with profits and a high stock price, Facebook recently shocked investors by saying that it planned to spend billions of dollars on projects that might never generate any profits.

Android, iOS or Windows Phone — which OS is best for you?

Mobile operating systems or mobile OSs have come a long way since the first generation of Apple's iOS, back in 2007. With major advancements in hardware, and reduced costs of processors and sensors, the possibilities for mobile software have really opened up, and software developers have been quick to take advantage of these new-found powers. So what does that spell for shoppers in the market for a new phone?

It's not about which OS is the best, but rather which OS is the best for you. We all have different needs and usage habits. I grew up tinkering with PCs and love having control over every aspect of my devices, and Android is flexible enough to accommodate my affinity for tweaking settings frequently. On the other hand, you may not care as much for customization options and would rather have an easy-to-use touchscreen device that lets you chat and take great photos — why not consider a Windows Phone device?

When it comes to personal devices, there's really no need to be loyal to any one brand or OS. Buyers are often swayed by aggressively-worded articles that rubbish one OS and praise another to no end. What you need to remember is that hardware and software are both evolving at a rapid pace, and that reviews should only guide you towards which products you should check out. The best way to know if a phone or OS is best for you, is to try it at the store. Let's take a look at which OSes fits your needs best.

Android owns the lion's share when it comes to smartphones in India because of its availability across several brands and because it meets the needs of a wide range of users. From gaming to multimedia entertainment to photography to everyday calling and messaging, Android does it all, while offering users a tremendous control over their experience. Want a simple phone-and-SMS only experience? Prefer a custom lock screen and custom lock screen and launcher with informative widgets? Need an enhanced camera app? Android's got you covered, with apps and settings for all of the above.

Google's also been stepping up their game considerably with their Android One programme, that standardizes specs and brings timely OS updates. They offer a pleasant experience even at lower price points. The latest version, dubbed Android 5.0 (Lollipop) introduces a new design language that's more refined, consistent and focussed on content. If you want a flexible OS and access to a huge variety of apps and games, give Android a try.

Obama's immigration plan has both relief and risk for tech sector

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration is expected to include some modest changes to make it easier for technology companies to retain high-skilled workers frustrated by long and unpredictable waits for green cards.

But the major overhaul that the tech sector is seeking of the visa and green card system would require action by Congress. For now at least, the prospects for legislation appear to be slim.

Obama has pledged take executive action on immigration by year-end and could act as early as next Friday. Lobbyists for tech companies said they have not seen details about the fixes. But based on the options the tech sector pitched to the administration, they are expecting only incremental changes.

"We'd be grateful for anything, really, because the situation is that severe," said Emily Lam, a vice president with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a trade group that represents more than 375 employers.

"The true fix really has to be legislative, anything within their power is really going to be tweaking on the sides. It doesn't solve the fundamental issues," she said.

One big reform that requires legislation: Lifting the annual cap for H1B visas for specialized technology workers that last for up to six years.

The United States loses about 500,000 jobs per year because of those limits, according to estimates from Compete America, a coalition representing tech giants including Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft.

Most changes within Obama's powers are aimed at easing the transition for workers moving from H1B visas to greencards.

For example, lobbyists think the administration could finalize a regulation announced in May that would give work permits to spouses of some skilled immigrants with temporary visas.

The most ambitious proposal for tech would speed up long wait lists for green cards for employees on temporary H1B visas by changing the way their spouses and children are counted under an annual cap of 140,000.

But several lobbyists told Reuters they were not optimistic that the proposal would be accepted due to fears by some lawyers it could be challenged in court.

"I think some of it will be band-aids," said one industry lobbyist. "While they're little fixes, it creates a bigger political problem," the lobbyist said.

The fear is that bigger legislative fixes for business could get caught up in an explosive political war between Republicans and Obama over relief for undocumented immigrants, prolonging the needed changes.

Nadella effect: Microsoft surpasses Exxon, becomes world's second most valuable company

SAN FRANCISCO: The bull run in Microsoft's stock this past year has helped the tech giant surpass Exxon Mobil and seize the rank of the second most valuable company, behind Apple Inc.

Under new CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has worked to overcome its reputation as a clumsy behemoth struggling to keep up with new tech trends and consumer habits. Nadella has cut expenses — and jobs — while pledging to refocus the company on mobile technology and cloud computing. His efforts have fueled a stock surge that drove Microsoft's total market value above $410 billion on Friday. That leapfrogged Exxon's value of $404 billion, which has been dinged by the drop in oil prices.

YouTube introduces a paid service called Music Key

SAN FRANCISCO: Google is remixing the music on its YouTube video site with the addition of ad-free subscription service ``Music Key'' and a new format designed to make it easier to find millions of songs that can still be played for free.

The subscription service is part of Google's effort to mine more revenue from YouTube as the video site approaches the 10th anniversary of its inception. Music Key has been speculated about for months while Google Inc. wrangled over the licensing terms with recording labels. The service, priced initially at $8 a month, is comparable in cost to other digital music subscription services sold by Spotify, Apple Inc's Beats and Google's own 18-month-old streaming service tied to its Android ``Play'' store. But Music Key subscribers will be able to stream through the Google Play service at no additional charge, too.

YouTube also is unveiling a new tab devoted exclusively to music on its mobile apps and website. This option is meant to make it easier for the video site's 1 billion users to find specific songs and entire albums, even if they aren't subscribers.

Most music subscription services own the rights to the same catalogues, making their ability to learn listeners' preference to create appealing playlists particularly important. Music Key, though, will offer the unique distinction of being able to show artists performing their songs too.

That difference could help lure listeners away from Spotify, which says it has about 50 million users, including 12.5 million subscribers, said Mark Mulligan, a longtime industry analyst with Midia Research. And YouTube's redesigned library of free music could do even more damage to Spotify and other services, such as video site Vevo, where people flock to check out songs at no cost. Expanding the audience that listens to free music would be profitable for Google because that would yield more opportunities to show ads _ the main way that the Mountain View, California, company makes its money anyway.

Amazon wants to do an Alibaba in India

NEW DELHI: E-commerce giant Amazon wants to do in India what Alibaba did in China. Amazon's India head Amit Agarwal on Tuesday met telecom and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and urged him to allow the use of new technologies such as real-time tracking and monitoring devices on the India Post network to develop a delivery mechanism based on smart logistics.

The government has sought a detailed proposal from Amazon, to which it will respond, a person familiar with the details of the meeting told ET. Amazon wants to leverage an improved India Post network to ramp up its delivery mechanism to within 24-hours anywhere within the country.

Agarwal was accompanied for the meeting by Monique Meche, Amazon's vice president for international public policy.

Data tariffs may fall 20% with Reliance Jio's entry: Fitch

NEW DELHI: The entry of Reliance Jio Infocomm in the telecom space will intensify competition and may bring data tariffs down by at least 20%, Fitch Ratings said today.

It, however, said no tariff wars are expected as witnessed during the 2009-2013 period.

"The likely entry of new telco Reliance Jio, which is a part of Reliance Industries Ltd in 1H15 will intensify competition in the data segment, and may cause data tariffs to decline by at least 20%," Fitch said in its 2015 outlook for Indian telecommunications services.

Reliance Industries had announced that it would launch commercial 4G telecom service of RJio in 2015 entailing investment of Rs 70,000 crore.

Fitch said Jio will focus largely on data and may have a limited impact on the incumbents' core voice business, given a weak "voice-over-LTE" technology ecosystem and lack of affordable 4G-compatible handsets in India.

"We do not foresee a re-run of the tariff wars of 2009-2013, which led to a severe decline in industry tariffs," Fitch said.

Fitch expects the top four Indian telcos — Bharti Airtel Limited, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular and Reliance Communications — to increase their revenue market share to around 83% by 2015 from the current 79% in the $-30 billion industry.

"The likely entry of new telco Reliance Jio, which is a part of Reliance Industries Ltd in 1H15 will intensify competition in the data segment, and may cause data tariffs to decline by at least 20%," Fitch said in its 2015 outlook for Indian telecommunications services.

Reliance Industries had announced that it would launch commercial 4G telecom service of RJio in 2015 entailing investment of Rs 70,000 crore.

Fitch said Jio will focus largely on data and may have a limited impact on the incumbents' core voice business, given a weak "voice-over-LTE" technology ecosystem and lack of affordable 4G-compatible handsets in India.
"We do not foresee a re-run of the tariff wars of 2009-2013, which led to a severe decline in industry tariffs," Fitch said.

Fitch expects the top four Indian telcos — Bharti Airtel Limited, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular and Reliance Communications — to increase their revenue market share to around 83% by 2015 from the current 79% in the $-30 billion industry.

Apple accused of 'bait-and-switch' by bankrupt supplier

Apple Inc pulled a "bait and switch" move to force GT Advanced Technologies into a money-losing deal to supply the iPhone maker with sapphire, according to an affidavit by a senior executive at the company.

In documents unsealed on Friday by a US Bankruptcy Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, GT Advanced chief operating officer Daniel Squiller says Apple offered what would have been GT Advanced's largest sale ever and then changed the terms of the agreement after it was too late for the smaller company to pursue other opportunities.

GT Advanced, a maker of sapphire furnaces that supplied sapphire material to Apple for its smartphone screens, filed for Chapter 11 protection on October 6 and refused to publicly explain why it had imploded, citing confidentiality clauses in its Apple contracts.

The two companies later reached a deal to part ways and allow GT Advanced to proceed with its bankruptcy, but Judge Henry Boroff denied requests by the companies to keep some of the documents in the case under seal.

In a deal struck last year, GT Advanced outfitted a plant owned by Apple in Mesa, Arizona with furnaces that it would use to make scratch-resistant sapphire exclusively for Apple.

"With a classic bait-and-switch strategy, Apple presented GTAT with an onerous and massively one-sided deal in the fall of 2013," Innovative Write.

Google starts rolling out Android 5.0 (Lollipop)

NEW DELHI: Google in an official blog post has said that the Android 5.0 (Lollipop) update has been released.

However, the company has not said which models and regions will get the latest version of Android first. There have been no reports of Nexus 4, 5, 7 (2012 and 2013) and 10 getting the update across the world till now. Apart from Nexus device, Google Play Edition smartphones and tablets will also get the update in the initial wave.

Earlier, there were rumours that Google has not been able to create a stable version of Android 5.0 update for cellular models like Nexus 4 and 5 smartphones as well as 3G/4G-enabled Nexus 7 and 10 tablets.

Android 5.0, which Google has called its most ambitious release ever, brings a host of new features, such as a total design revamp, better battery life, improved security and support for multiple user profiles on same device.

Motorola has said that Moto E as well as the first- and second-generation Moto G and X smartphones will get Android 5.0. Likewise, Sony will release the update for all Xperia Z series models, among other smartphones. HTC has said that its One and One (M8) smartphones will get Android 5.0 update within 90 days of its release.

Other major manufacturers, such as Samsung and LG, have not revealed their plans to upgrade products to Android 5.0.

Apple removes Bose products from stores following Beats settlement

Bose might have settled its noise-cancellation lawsuit against Beats out of court, but the two are clearly far from putting the past behind them. Apple (Beats' new owner) has pulled all Bose headphones and speakers from its online store and several brick-and-mortar ones, according to 9to5mac, despite continuing to carry other audio brands like Urbanears, Bang & Olufsen and Sennheiser. Both companies have declined to comment about the issue when asked by Recode, but rumors about Cupertino dropping Bose have been going around since the settlement last week.

Google Indonesia was Hacked earlier today and left defaced for hours.

The Google Indonesia domain(www.google.co.id) was hacked into and left defaced for several hours today morning, The Hacker collective MaDLeeTs who claimed responsibility for the hack and also left there deface page on the website.  Google.co.id was apparently hijacked using a hacking method known as DNS Poisoning.

MaDLeeTs are known for attacks like these targeting the search giant Google, only last year in October they had hijacked Google Malaysia using a similar same method.

Google Nexus 9 listed on Play Store in India

NEW DELHI: Just a day after its global unveiling, Nexus 9 tablet has been listed on Google's Play Store website in India. However, the new Google phone, named Nexus 6, has not been listed on the site as of now.

According to the listing, the 16GB Wi-Fi version of Nexus 9 costs Rs 28,900 in the country. The 32GB Nexus 9 variant with Wi-Fi and cellular has been priced at Rs 44,900, making it the most expensive Google tablet ever in India.

There is no official word on when the tablet will be released in India, but sources have told TOI that Nexus 9 as well as Nexus 6 will be available in the country in November itself.

Google announces Android Lollipop, Nexus 6 smartphone, Nexus 9 tablet

WASHINGTON: Google on Wednesday ramped up its mobile arsenal, upgrading its Nexus line with a new tablet and smartphone, and unveiling its revamped Android software, to be dubbed "Lollipop."

The US tech giant also announced the launch of a streaming media player for music, movies and videos, which can also allow users to play games via the Android TV device.

"Lollipop" or Android 5.0, the upgraded operating system for mobile, "is designed to be flexible, to work on all your devices and to be customized for you the way you see fit," said Google vice-president Sundar Pichai, who heads the Android operations.

Innovative Technology Page : Innovative Technology

Laurel Braitman: Depressed dogs, cats with OCD — what animal madness means for us humans

Behind those funny animal videos, sometimes, are oddly human-like problems. Laurel Braitman studies non-human animals who exhibit signs of mental health issues -- from compulsive bears to self-destructive rats to monkeys with unlikely friends. Braitman asks what we as humans can learn from watching animals cope with depression, sadness and other all-too-human problems.

Science historian Laurel Braitman is the author of Animal Madness, a book that takes a close look at our non-human friends and their mental anxieties.

Watch Now :-http://www.ted.com/talks/laurel_braitman_depressed_dogs_cats_with_ocd_what_animal_madness_means_for_us_humans?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2014-08-21

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Jarrett Krosoczka: Why lunch ladies are heroes

Children’s book author Jarrett Krosoczka shares the origins of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, in which undercover school heroes serve lunch…and justice! His new project, School Lunch Hero Day, reveals how cafeteria lunch staff provide more than food, and illustrates how powerful a thank you can be.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author/illustrator of countless children's books and graphic novels, including the Lunch Lady series.

Watch Now :-http://www.ted.com/talks/jarrett_krosoczka_why_lunch_ladies_are_heroes?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2014-08-20

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Aziza Chaouni: How I brought a river, and my city, back to life

The Fez River winds through the medina of Fez, Morocco—a mazelike medieval city that’s a World Heritage site. Once considered the “soul” of this celebrated city, the river succumbed to sewage and pollution, and in the 1950s was covered over bit by bit until nothing remained. TED Fellow Aziza Chaouni recounts her 20 year effort to restore this river to its former glory, and to transform her city in the process.

Aziza Chaouni focuses on projects that integrate architecture and landscape, and that ultimately give back to their communities. For years, she has worked to revive the Fez River, which runs through her hometown of Fez, Morocco.

Watch Now :-http://www.ted.com/talks/aziza_chaouni_how_i_brought_a_river_and_my_city_back_to_life?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2014-08-19

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