India Post offers instant money remittance through mobile

India Post has tied up with BSNL to start this service where a message will be sent to the post office where money has to be delivered

Soon people will be able to transfer money within the country in a matter of minutes through India Post. The service will use a mobile to send a message to the post office where money is to be received, which will in turn handover the money to the beneficiary instantly.

The postal department will launch this instant mobile money remittance scheme with the help of BSNL Infrastructure by next month, chief postmaster general of Kerala circle, Sobha Koshy, announced.

In the first phase, the scheme will be implemented in select states like Kerala, Bihar, New Delhi and Punjab, Koshy told reporters after releasing a special postal cover in connection with the ruby jubilee celebrations of Kottayam Press Club.

In Kerala, the scheme will be implemented in 30 post offices in Idukki, Aluva and Pathanamthitta. As per the scheme, a person can send money through a post office which will send a message to the other post office about the amount to be given to the recipient at the other end, she said.

The service, if implemented properly, will not just boost post office revenue, but will also prevent a lot of hardship that migrant labour from these states face while sending money. Currently, most of them rely on people from their locality going back home, or sending money to people who have a bank account in the locality, who then give the money to the concerned person.

India Post currently offers money transfer through a tie up with Western Union, but with this mobile remittance service India Post will keep things in-house and will offer services to a wider audience. This system will also be easier to implement in post offices across the country.

Koshy said the process of computerising the entire postal network in the country, numbering 1,55,000 post offices, was going on.

The department is also planning to implement a range of products including e-post instead of letters, where a print out of an email message can be delivered to a person who doesn't own an internet connected PC or mobile; and electronic money order scheme by which up to Rs 5,000 can be sent with a small message.

While talk of the service has been going on for quite some time now, its effectiveness can only be judged in the coming times. Also interesting to see would be whether the project is implemented properly and if people will start using post offices again in large numbers.

Now start video conferencing from Gmail inbox

You can start video chat with nine friends including those who are on Android and iOS devices from Gmail inbox. Earlier only peer to peer video was allowed.

Google first introduced video chat from Gmail in 2008, and now it has made the feature even better by including Hangout feature of Google+ in the Gmail.

Unlike the earlier process, when video chat was based on peer-to-peer (single person to single person) technology, with this new feature you can reach people on your Google+ list. You can also chat with those who are accessing their Google account through Android or iOS based smartphone or tablet from your Gmail account itself. You can watch the official video of this feature to understand what this really means.

All Gmail users will benefit from this upgrade, but if you and the person you're chatting with also use Google+, you'll get even more from the Hangouts experience. You'll be able to video chat with up to nine people at once, watch YouTube videos together, collaborate on Google documents and share your screen (take screenshot and send).

Plus, Hangouts has a bunch of fun effects that you can try out, like pirate hat or mustache.

This feature is already available in Gtalk Android application, but the recent step brings this functionality to a wider number of devices so that one needs not be bothered about which device his/her friend is on.

Micromax Funbook Pro now available for Rs 9,999

The 10 inch version of Micromax Funbook is now available along with free Tata Photon+ Dongle.

Micromax Funbook Pro, the 10 inch version of Funbook, is now available in the market for Rs 10,990, but is being sold by Snapdeal for Rs 9,999 along with free Tata Photon+ dongle. The tablet comes with 1 year warranty.

The features of the tablet include 25.6 CM (10.1) capacitive touch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution. The tablet is based in Android 4.0.3 Ice-Cream Sandwich operating system, which runs on a Cortex A8 1.2 GHz processor.

The tablet comes with a large 5600 mAH battery which is necessary for a larger screen. However, it supports only Tata Photon+ dongles for high speed data.

The tablet comes with 1 GB DDR3 RAM which is good for a low cost tablet like this. You also get 8 GB inbuilt memory and support for 32 GB micro SD card. There is also a HDMI port and a 0.3 megapixel camera in the front.

Micromax is one of the first well known Indian brands to come with a 10 inch tablet and given that the pricing is very attractive, as is always the case with Micromax, it is likely to attract a lot of buyers.

Just like the previous version, Funbook Pro is targeted towards student community with an app platform, called as Vriti, to source study material from. Besides, the tablet is also capable of playing HD movies as well.

Cloudandme: Backup & Synchronize Your Facebook & Google+ Images On Dropbox

Computer users today have numerous options to choose from when it comes to online social networks. You will find that many active Internet users have accounts on Facebook as well as Google+. Maintaining your photos on both networks and keeping them in sync can be a difficult task. Not only can you miss synchronizing a few photos but you can also accidentally delete photos or albums that you thought were duplicates.

Here to help you out of this problem and offer an effective solution is a web service called Cloud and Me.

Cloud and Me is a free to use web service that helps its users synchronize photos between their social networking accounts, supporting Facebook and Google+. The Google+ support includes Picasa as well. Apart from your online social networking accounts, you connect the web service to your Dropbox account as well. The site then gathers albums from your networking accounts and creates a backup for them in your Dropbox account.

You can use the Cloud and Me native interface then to view your photos. You will find on the left pane categories and folders to access your images. A buttons list on top of your images also lets you navigate the albums and browse the images.

To enlarge a photo from its thumbnail, simply click on it and it will be shown enlarged in a floating window.

You can also have the image open in its own page. The imported albums have individual privacy settings which you can control from within the app interface.

In conclusion, Cloud and Me is an excellent backup and synchronization application that lets you view your photos across multiple networks under a single interface.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Synchronizes photos across your social networks.
• Supports Facebook, Google+, and Picasa.
• Creates backup of your photos on Dropbox.

Check out “Cloud and Me” @ http://www.cloudand.me

Pinerly: An Analytics Site For Your Pinterest Account

Pinterest is an interesting website that lets you ‘pin’ digital images to a virtual pinboard to share and promote them. Social media workers have been using Pinterest for promotions but the site lacked stats reporting. Here to change that is a service called Pinerly.

Pinerly is a service that acts your data analytics tool for your Pinterest account. You can begin campaigns from within Pinerly; these campaigns can be initiated from images stored on your computer or on a website. With each campaign you add a description and you get a direct link for people to visit and ‘pin’.

As your campaigns are pinned by others, ‘Pinalytics’ – the stats are tracked – are shown graphically to you.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Helps track Pinterest stats.
• Lets you begin campaigns.
• Campaigns can be begun from offline files or from websites.

Check out Pinerly @ http://www.pinerly.com/landing

Converter Boxes: Convert Videos For Your Android Or iOS Devices

There are numerous desktop applications that let you convert the format of videos. But knowing which file formats and which resolutions would be suitable for your smartphone can require a bit of tweaking in the settings. Here to simplify matters is a solution called Converter Boxes.

Converter Boxes is a site that offers two different free desktop apps – Apple Video Converter Box and Android Video Converter Box. As their names suggest, each app is a desktop video file format converter for iOS and Android devices. On the first run, after installation, you are shown all of the file formats that the installed app can convert videos for.

Additionally when you are converting video formats, the supported phones for that format are shown in a floating balloon.

With the apps you only need to select the resolution – the format, bit rate, and other details are all handled by the app itself, making video conversion much easier.

Features:

• A user-friendly desktop app.
• Converts video formats for smartphones.
• Contains versions for Android and iOS devices.
• Provides list of supported phones and devices.

Check out Android and Apple Converter Boxes @ http://www.converter-boxes.com

MagicReader: Turn The Pages Of An eBook By Moving Your Head [iOS]

If you are an iPad owner who reads eBooks on your device, then you might have found that flipping pages with your finger is inconvenient when you are holding the device a certain way. Here to offer a “touch-free” page-flipping feature is an app called MagicReader.

MagicReader is a free to use iOS application meant to be used on iPad devices running version 5.0 or later of iOS. The app utilizes the front facing camera of the device to detect when you are moving your head. The pages on the eBook you are reading are flipped according to how you move your head. If you want, you can disable the touch-free feature anytime and turn to manual page-flipping. The app also showcases your eBook collection on a virtual bookshelf for visual appeal.

Features:

• A user-friendly device app.
• Compatible with iPad devices.
• Lets you read eBooks.
• You need only move your head to flip the pages.

Check out MagicReader @ http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/id505117386

DVDChief: Catalog Your DVD Collection Quickly & Easily

Do you have a large selection of DVDs that you need to catalog and keep track of. This can be easier said than done. In the digital age where everything is downloaded and stored in folders on our computers, it is easy to forget how hard it can be to keep track of physical media. Well DVD Chief is here to lend a helping hand. It will make it easy for you to catalog all of your physical media and it does it in the most elegant and easiest way possible.

The program allows you to add movies manually, by simply typing in the name. If you prefer, you can also put the DVD in the drive, and it will scan it and add it to your collection for you. Once you choose the movie you want to add, the program uses the Internet to find as much information as possible about the movie. This way, when you want to go back and find your movies based on certain parameters, you will be able to.

You can use this program to do everything for your movies. You sort them however you like, create multiple databases and even play the movies right from within the program. It really is a one stop DVD management solution.

Features:

• Keep track of your movies with ease.
• Enter manually or scan from the DVD in the drive.
• Downloads information about the movie automatically.
• Create multiple databases.
• Play movies from within the program.

Find DVD Chief @ www.dvdchief.com

Pair: Connect With Your Significant Other While You Are Apart From One Another [iOS]

Is just sending regular text messages back and forth not enough for you and that special someone? Do you feel that you need something more to feel connected with each other even when you are apart? Well if you do, than you should check out the iOS application called Pair. It allows you and your significant other to stay connected, even when you are apart.

Pair offers all kinds of ways for you and your partner to connect. You can send each other text messages, video messages, picture messages, doodles, locations and even little pings just to let them know that you are thinking of each other. If you both have a Facetime device, you can switch from text to video chat with the push of a button. If you are both in the app at the same time, you can live sketch and see when they are touching the screen for a “thumb kiss.”

Not only can you use the app for live chatting, you can also use it for relationship to-do lists, birthdays, and anniversary reminders. You can share the to-do lists with your partner, so they can remember something important.

Features:

• App to connect with your significant other.
• Chat, sketch, video message, picture message and more.
• To-do lists, anniversary and birthday reminders.
• Live sketch with each other if you are both online.
• Switch to Facetime right from the app.

Find Pair on the iTunes App Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pair/id503663173?ls=1&mt=8

DMD Panorama: Take & Share Panoramic Photos [iOS]

Taking panoramic pictures with a jailbroken iOS device is easy since numerous apps available on Cydia let you enable the panorama mode. But if you are looking for an app that lets you take panorama photos without jailbreaking your phone, then you should check out a tool called DMD Panorama.

DMD Panorama is sized at 2.9 MB and compatible with iOS devices running iOS 4.0 or later. When you run the app you can begin to take panorama images easily. You can hold the camera at a place to mark the center; next you slowly move the camera in the desired direction and the images are ‘stitched’ together fast and your image is created. The app’s users can share their images with others and view the wonderful panoramic photos others have taken. The images you take can also be emailed to others as a file attachment or shared on your social networks.

DMD Panorama is available from iTunes for $1.99.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app.
• Compatible with iOS devices.
• Lets you take panoramic photos.
• Lets you share your photos in various ways.
• Similar tools: PanoramaPro and Photosynth.

Check out DMD Panorama @ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dmd-panorama/id441183050?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

OEMs to receive Windows 8 RTM on August 1

Microsoft had earlier announced that the Windows 8 Release to Manufacturers (RTM) will be available in the first week of August. However, news has it that  Mary Jo Foley revealed in a recent Windows Weekly Podcast that as per her sources from MSDN and TechNet services, the Windows 8 RTM will be made available for its OEM partners on August 1. Also, recently Win8China got their hands on leaked screenshots of the Final Build of Windows 8 RTM, which is said to be the build 9200.16384.WIN8_RTM.120725-1247. The site also got a glimpse of the Lock Screen of Windows 8 RTM.

Windows 8’s final public version is scheduled to be released on October 26 along with Windows 8-enabled devices from companies such as HP, Dell, Acer, Asus, and Samsung, and also Microsoft’s first Surface Tablet (WinRT version). The Intel based Surface will be released 90 days after the release of the WinRT version of Surface Tablet. As per a post on The Windows Blog, the author Brandon LeBlanc has stated, “October 26th, 2012! That’s right! Just a few minutes ago, Steven Sinofsky announced at Microsoft’s annual sales meeting that customers will be able to get Windows 8 – whether in upgrade fashion or on a new PC – starting on October 26th. Earlier this month at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Tami Reller told attendees Windows 8 would be available in October. But now everyone has a specific date to mark on their calendars. It’s on mine!”

We had also seen some leaked screenshots of Windows 8 a few days back. The screenshots suggest that the OS promises a host of changes including a boot screen with the new Metro-style logo, Internet Explorer 10 that interacts with the colour of the Windows 8 theme, new colour picker options for the desktop UI, additional Metro inspired wallpapers and backgrounds for lock screen. What makes it even more special is its availability for both desktops and tablets. It will also be made available for ARM devices through an operating system called Windows RT, which includes the all-new Metro user interface. PCs, notebooks and x86 tablets will have access to the standard Windows 8 operating system, which will include both the new Metro user interface as well as the traditional desktop user interface. The Metro user interface is designed specifically for tablets and touchscreens.

With Windows 8, Microsoft has put their best foot forward. It has been focusing on several factors including graphics performance. In a post on the Building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft’s graphics group programme manager Rob Copeland explains,”Graphics performance on Windows depends on both the operating system and the hardware system, comprised of the CPU, the GPU (graphics processing unit), and the associated display driver. To ensure that we could deliver a great experience for new Metro style apps, we needed to make sure that both the software platform and the hardware system would deliver great performance. In the past we’ve used many different benchmarks and apps to measure the performance of DirectX. These have been largely focused on 3D games. While games are still very important, we knew that many of these existing ways to measure graphics performance did not tell us everything we needed to know for graphics-intensive, 2D, mainstream apps. So, we created new scenario-focused tests and metrics to track our progress”.

3 million add-ons downloaded from Mozilla Firefox

Popular browser Firefox has been having a steady increase in add-on downloads since 2007, and has recently finally crossed the 3 billion 'add-ons downloaded' mark, Mozilla announced. According to a post on the Mozilla blog, “That’s almost half of the world’s population and more than the number of people on the Internet today.”

Add-ons were introduced by Mozilla to the web in 2004 with the Firefox Addon-ons Gallery, and to phones in 2009. More than 85 percent of Firefox users have at least one add-on installed, and on average, a user has five add-ons installed.

Some of the most popular add-ons for Firefox include AdBlock Plus, Firebug, NoScript, Personas Plus and Video DownloadHelper, among others. The most popular categories for add-ons include privacy and security, search tools, bookmarks and themes.

According to the blog post, there are more than 150,000 user-created collections of add-ons to choose from, some of which are Family Organizer, Traveler’s Pack, Sports Fanatic, The Paranoid Kit, Web Developer’s Toolbox and Online Shopping.

The blog post goes on to thank users of the browser, “This amazing milestone was made possible by the hundreds of millions of Firefox users and more than 25,000 Firefox Add-ons developers around the globe.” Mozilla has made an infographic about this achievement as a way to thank users.

According to earlier reports, the Firefox blog has recently announced the release of a new version of beta for Firefox 15. One of the main purposes of the new version of the popular web browser is fixing memory leaks, both for the browser and its add-ons. The other big addition to the beta of the new version of Firefox is the addition of support of the Opus audio format. The format can be played directly in Firefox 15 and offers better compression than formats such as MP3, OGG and AAC. It is also supposed to be good for both music and speech, can dynamically adjust bitrate, audio bandwidth and coding delay, and supports both interactive and pre-recorded applications. The beta was released less than a month after the release of Firefox 14.

Mozilla has also recently announced that Firefox 16 will have support for web apps in its versions for Windows, Mac and Linux. This indicates that when the company’s Marketplace is released, which could be Q4 of 2012, users will be able to run web-based applications from any of their devices. It is also interesting to note that Firefox OS is coming next year, and this entire bundle is part of Mozilla’s Kilimanjaro project, with great syncing features at the core.

Microsoft announces keyboards and mice designed for Windows 8

Microsoft has announced new hardware for its Windows 8 operating system, and the software giants are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that this will be a gigantic leap from the previous iterations. As far as input peripherals are concerned, here’s what the mice and keyboards have on offer.

Wedge Touch Mouse:

Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse packs functionality into an ultra compact frame that’s great for a mobile lifestyle. Small enough to fit in your pocket, the Wedge Touch Mouse is designed to complement your Windows experience in all its forms, providing four-way touch scrolling and navigation at your fingertips.
Its minimalist design also comes free of cables or USB transceivers — you simply turn it on and connect it to your Bluetooth-enabled laptop or tablet for a clutter-free experience.
It features BlueTrack Technology so you can use it on virtually any surface, whether you’re in a conference room, a coffee shop or at home on your couch.
It includes Backpack Mode to power down and sleep along with the computer it’s paired to, extending battery life.
Pricing: estimated retail price of US$69.95.  (approx. Rs. 3,881)

Wedge Mobile Keyboard:

The new ultraslim Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard brings full-size keyboard comfort, efficiency and speed to a tablet. Designed specifically for tablet users, Wedge Mobile Keyboard includes some of the most commonly used features, such as Windows Hot Keys and built-in media keys.
The lightweight design makes it easy to carry, and its full-sized keyset provides a comfortable experience that makes typing a breeze.
Its durable cover not only helps protect your keyboard from scratches but also quickly converts into a tablet stand. When you’re done using it, simply snap the cover back on the keyboard to power it down before you stash it in your bag.
Bluetooth technology lets you wirelessly connect to your tablet without a cable or transceiver.
Pricing: estimated retail price of US$79.95.  (approx. Rs. 4,438)

Sculpt Touch Mouse:

Designed to provide comfort matched with portability, the Microsoft Sculpt Touch Mouse is a great solution for smooth and easy navigation with a Windows 8-based PC.
With a four-way touch scroll strip, you can breeze up and down, left and right, and through applications and documents with a simple finger swipe, making it great for navigating the Windows 8 Start screen.
Sculpt Touch Mouse uses Bluetooth technology, so you can wirelessly connect to your tablet without a cable or transceiver.
Pricing: estimated retail price of US$49.95. (approx Rs. 2,773)

Sculpt Mobile Keyboard:

The Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard aims to provide mobility, comfort and productivity. A full-size keyboard with Microsoft’s Comfort Curve design and Bluetooth connectivity, the Sculpt Mobile Keyboard is built to be the ideal travel companion.
At just more than one pound, the keyboard is perfect for on-the-go computing with high-quality construction built for travel.
Its Comfort Curve design helps position the hands and wrists in a natural and comfortable resting position.
Battery-saving technology powers the keyboard down into sleep mode after a period of inactivity. The keyboard wakes up and reconnects with the simple tap of a key.
Pricing: estimated retail price of US$49.95. (approx Rs. 2,773)

Touch Mouse — Updated Gesture Settings for Windows 8
The Microsoft Touch Mouse will obtain updated functionality specifically designed for Windows 8 with new gesture settings to easily navigate the new UI.
One-finger swipes allow customers to move naturally and intuitively side to side or up and down, shifting content on screen.
Two-finger movements manage apps, switch through open apps and show app commands.
Three fingers allow customers to zoom in and out.
Thumb gestures navigate backward and forward within apps.
Pricing: estimated retail price of US$79.95. (approx. Rs. 4,438)

Beginning with the introduction of the Microsoft Mouse, the Microsoft Hardware Group has designed its hardware to specifically light up features in Windows. Optimized for Windows 8, Microsoft’s new lineup of mice and keyboards are loaded with features including Bluetooth connectivity, BlueTrack Technology for tracking, and specific functionality that gives customers a fast and fluid way to navigate with Windows 8. The hardware is designed by Microsoft and optimized for Windows, desktop, laptop and tablet so users can have the best computing experience for any lifestyle. “Our new mice and keyboards really light up Windows, providing fast and fluid navigation, increased productivity, and enhanced mobility packaged in sleek, stylish designs,” said Brett Kelleran, general manager, Microsoft Hardware. “Microsoft Hardware is designed by Microsoft, optimized for Windows.”

All products will be available soon at the online Microsoft Store and through other retailers. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found out here.

New Intel tech will bring 3G to low cost phones

Intel's SMARTi UE2p will offer lower footprint and reduce the cost of mobile chip besides offering 3G connectivity.

Intel has announced a new low cost 3G solution for mobile phones, tablets and machine to machine connectivity. Called SMARTi UE2p, it is a radio frequency solution that integrates 3G power amplifiers into radio frequency circuits. The new system-on-chip (SoC) solution enables a smaller footprint and reduces complexity for developers as well as the associated total cost of ownership.

"The SMARTi UE2p will simplify the product development and supply chain logistics with the reduction in component count and system complexity," said Stefan Wolff, vice president of the Intel architecture group and general manager of Multi-Com.

"This will allow our customers to introduce lower-cost 3G handsets and support the transition of the machine-to-machine (example: fridge with connectivity) market segment toward 3G-based connected devices to help enable the 'Internet of things," Stefan added.

The new technology reduces number of components and even allows power management, which is normally done by a separate chip currently.

This solution is targeted at new mass market segments such as sub-Rs 5000 level 3G handsets and machine-to-machine modules that allows connectivity for fridge, washing machine etc to let them directly order supplies when they run out, or to inform you the same.

This will also enable low cost tablets to offer 3G connectivity which are currently only on WiFi.

Samples of the tech will start to reach manufacturers by end of this year and is expected to start shipping to consumers by beginning of 2013.

Instagrille: Manage & Browse Your Instagram Account From Your PC Desktop [Windows]

If you are a hardcore Instragram fan, you should know that Instagrille has brought the much loved and awaited Instagram application to your Windows platform.

The main purpose of the application is to let you manage and browse Instagram. The only feature missing from the Windows application is the ability to upload images to your Instagram account.

Once you download the application and launch it from your taskbar, you will be required to connect it with your Instagram account after which you can do pretty much everything, except upload images. The application also gives you the ability to follow/unfollow other Instagram users and features profile views, comments, and likes with real-time notifications.

Features:

• It’s free.
• Simple and easy to use.
• Control and browse Instagram account right from your PC.
• Real-time notifications allow users to keep in touch all the time.

Check out Pokki @ http://www.pokki.com

gText: Free Group Text Messaging

Ever since the mobile phone was invented, text messages have exploded in popularity. The ability to send quick messages using the number keypad has made text messaging (also known as SMS’s) a hot favourite, especially amongst young people and students. Now a service called gText is offering users the ability to send instant free text messaging to groups.

Do you have a group of people you want to keep in touch with on a regular basis?  Maybe it’s a class or perhaps your customers or family?  Well with gText, you can send one text message which is instantly sent out to everyone in your network. The messages can be sent using your phone or your computer (which would make fast typing a lot easier and a lot more accurate).

But what makes this service really great (especially if it is being used to keep in touch with children and young people) is that by default, everyone’s mobile number is kept private from the others in the network (although this can be changed by the owner of the mobile number if they wish it).  So there would be no need to worry about bullying or harassment via text messaging as no-one would have access to any of the other numbers in the group.
gText also claims that you can use the service to send files such as photos and documents.

Features:

• Send text messages to a group of people
• Send the messages via a phone or computer
• Numbers are kept private from the others in the group
• Send files via text messaging

Check out gText @ www.gtext.com via Free Technology For Teachers

SlideShark: Easily View Powerpoint Presentations [iPad]

If you have a PowerPoint file, which you want to view on your iPad, and want to show your co-workers and boss, check out SlideShark, the only application that allows users to view PowerPoint files without messing with them.

SlideShark allows users to view their PowerPoint presentations on their iPad while preserving the original animations, fonts, graphics and colors of the presentation.
Using the service is easy. Just sign up for an account on SlideShark and upload your PowerPoint files onto the SlideShark private secure servers. Once done, use the SlideShark app on your iPad to download and view the PowerPoint presentation.

In addition, you can share the presentation file right from your iPad to anyone who wishes to see the file. No need to connect to your PC or whatsoever, everything is done from your iPad.

The free account on SlideShark gives the user 100MB storage space. If you need any more, you will need to buy storage space or get a premium account.

Features:

• Free and easy to use.
• View presentation files on iPad in its true form – no manipulation.
• Share presentation files with co-workers easily.
• Premium plans available as well.

Check out Slideshark @ http://www.slideshark.com

Snipplist: Share & Save Interesting Information Online As Small Blocks Of Text

At the moment, the trendy thing to do online is snip, collect and curate information, whether it’s showing photos on Pinterest or sharing 140 characters worth of wisdom on Twitter. Now Snipplist wants to go a step further and provide people with the ability to snip small blocks of text and save it online, as well as share that text with other people.

All you need to do is sign up for an account, which at the moment is confined to only a Facebook login, and then drag the Snipplist bookmark to your browser bar.  Then when you see text that you would like to highlight and share, just highlight the text with your mouse and click the Snipplist bookmark.  Snipplist then takes the text, as well as the weblink to the page in question, in case users want to see in what context the text was said (something which can sometimes be a problem on Twitter) and places it on the Snipplist feed.

The service is still quite young but this is one to keep an eye on in the future.

Features:

• Sign up with a Facebook account login.
• Snip blocks of text by highlighting with your mouse and clicking the bookmark.
• Weblink to the page is also captured to provide context to the text.

Check out Snipplist @ http://www.snipplist.com via ArcticStartup

2Fb.me: Easily Make Your Tweet Shareable On Facebook

2fb.me is a handy online tool that allows users to generate a link that, when put in a tweet, allows users to share the tweet on their Facebook account.

As you may already know, if Facebook and Twitter are connected, all the tweets are shared on Facebook as a status. However, 2fb.me allow users to generate a unique link that when put into tweets and clicked, gives users the ability to share that specific tweet.

Just visit the 2fb.me website, enter your Twitter username into the text box provided, and click on “Okay”. The website will generate a unique link, which you can copy, and paste into the Twitter status you want to share on Facebook.

This unique tool allows users to share retweets and tweets made by other people while at the same time giving credit to them.

Features:

• Easily share specific Twitter tweets with friends on Facebook.
• No need to connect Facebook-Twitter accounts – just use the link generated.
• Good for people who want to share re-tweets and tweets by other people.

Check out Retweet To Facebook @ http://2fb.me

Lavie Z, world's lightest Ultrabook weighs 875 grams

Ultrabooks are slowly but surely getting into the notebook segment. They are emphasizing more on portability - the key aspect of a laptop, than previous generation notebooks. NEC personal computers have announced a new Ultrabook, the Lavie Z, which according to the company, is the world's lightest Ultrabook.

The Lavie Z notebook weighs just 875 grams, which is incredibly light for a laptop. The other specs of the device include a 13.3-inch display and a battery that can charge upto 80 percent in one hour. The display resolution is a cool 1600 x 900 pixels and the ultrabook comes in two variants: one with a Core i7-3517U processor and 256 GB of SSD storage; the other with a Core i5 - 3317U processor and 128 GB of SSD storage. There is 4 GB of RAM on both variants. Other features of the Lavie Z include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a 720p webcam. "Quick power on" gives you an on time of about 2 seconds. There's a 'Network Duet' feature that can share data with a second PC as well.

NEC have also underlined the initiatives they took for the weight reduction of this laptop. The company adopted what they claim is the world's first lithium magnesium alloy that makes it lightweight. They have also included a die cast magnesium housing that has given it a further 0.5mm - 0.6mm thinness. The laptop has an integrated display enclosure design and the housing is assembled directly with the components of the display contributing to a narrower frame. Next, to achieve a thinner profile, instead of using a keyboard that has to be attached to a unitized body, NEC introduced an integrated design. This design assembled the keyboard parts to the housing directly. The laptop is incredibly thin as well, with the thickest part measuring 14.9 mm. From the bunch of Ultrabooks that we have reviewed in the recent past, the Toshiba Portege is the only one that comes close to the Lavie Z with a weight of 1.12 kg. The Asus Zenbook UX31 too has an incredibly thin profile, but an extremely high price tag. It'll be interesting to see the retail cost of the Lavie Z.

The launch date of the Lavie Z laptop has been set to August 23, 2012. Its pricing and availability have not been disclosed yet. How much would you be willing to pay for a laptop so thin and light? Let us know in the comments section below.

resumeLater – Watch A YouTube Video From Where You Left Off Last Time

8 years worth of content is uploaded to YouTube every day, quite a lot of it full length documentaries and feature films.  But we all lead busy lives and we may not be able to watch a whole video in one sitting.  But then the problem arises – how do you find y0ur exact place in the video when you come back the next time to finish it?  Instead of getting frustrated by clicking for ever and ever, try the Firefox extension “resumeLater” instead.

resumeLater sits unobtrusively at the bottom of your Firefox browser and quietly monitors your YouTube watching. When you stop a YouTube video, it marks your precise place so you know where to come back to next time.  Then when that time comes, just click on the green arrow logo at the bottom of the browser, then click on the larger green arrow inside the box that pops up.

You will then see a list of all the videos you haven’t finished watching yet, along with the exact places where you stopped last time.  Simply click on the one you wish to continue watching and the video will open in a new window at the exact moment you need to start watching.

Features:

• Firefox extension for marking where you left off in unfinished YouTube videos
• Click the one you want to watch and resumeLater will start it at the correct place

Check out resumeLater @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/resumelater

Snapguide: Easily Create & Share Your Own Step by Step Guides [iOS]

Do you have a certain skill that you wish to share with the world? Do you want to teach others to do something, but don’t want to create a video or a website? Well if you do, Snapguide for iOS is a great option. It allows you to create a step by step guide quickly and easily. If you want to share your skills with the world, you should take a look at this free iPhone application.

Once you install the app, it will take you step by step through the process of creating your guide. You click the “Create” button and start taking your pictures and writing your guide. You do not need any programming or coding skills, as the easy to use app handles all that for you. All you need is your knowledge and some photos. It is a beautiful and elegant solution for helping others.

You can share your guides on Facebook and Twitter so you can help your friends learn the skill you have. You can also use the application to browse other people’s how to guides. If you have ever wanted to learn something new, the step by step guides in Snapguide are a great choice.

Features:

• Create beautiful step by step guides with your iPhone.
• Easy to use.
• Step by step creation process.
• Share guides on Twitter and Facebook.
• Browse guides to help you learn new things.

Find Snapguide on the iTunes App Store.

SlimKicker: Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals By Monitoring Your Progress

People give up on weight loss plans often because they do not have anything to remind them how far they have come. What is required a tool that monitors your weight loss progress and encourages you to keep going. SlimKicker is precisely that tool.

SlimKicker is a free to use web service that monitors your weight loss for you. You start by entering your overall goal. This means you enter your age, height, and current weight along with your target weight. You are displayed a list of stats suggesting the calories and other foods you should consume per day. You are also given a date on which you will achieve your weight loss target.

You can use the site’s smartphone app for iOS devices to quickly log in entries and view your progress stats.

The site also offers a platform for people to interact with one another and share their daily weight loss achievements.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Helps monitor your weight loss progress.
• Offers a smartphone app.
• Lets users interact with one another.

Check out SlimKicker @ www.slimkicker.com

Keyboard app for sport enthusiasts.

Keypoint technology has launched Adaptxt sports theme with integrated sports dictionary to help users gain insights on favorite sport, team, sportsperson, etc.

KeyPoint Technologies, has launched a new keyboard Adaptxt sports theme with a Sports 2012 theme for the sports lovers.

This new theme for Adaptxt smartphones users sports a vibrant color combination of Green, Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow representing the Olympic rings and Olympic torch.

The Adaptxt Sports 2012 theme comes with a "2012 Sports Dictionary (English)" that helps the user enjoy his favorite games even when he is typing mails or messages. The sports dictionary is in addition to existing dictionary set which facilitates relevant error correction, next word prediction while texting.

Another feature that's being developed and deployed exclusively for smartphones is the "Xplore" key feature. This new feature enables the user to gain insights about his favorite sport, team, sportsperson etc by using them as keywords and seeking information with just a single tap.

The user just needs to type and then select the sports keyword from the suggestion bar or type the keyword and hit the spacebar, which then activates the Xplore key on the keyboard like a glowing bulb. Clicking on the Xplore key then directs the user to a specific link where all the relevant information is displayed.

KPT also plans an Adaptxt sports 2012 theme release for their Tablet users soon featuring the sports keyboard layout and the 2012 Sports (EN) Dictionary.

Sumit Goswami, chief executive officer of KeyPoint Technologies "We wanted to provide a unique experience for the sports fanatics to stay in sync with all information on the sports front regarding their favorite sportsperson, team, sport etc, thereby becoming a one stop shop for the entire sports buzz.".

Adaptxt keyboard for Android Smartphone is currently available on Google Play store and Getjar App stores. All the add-ons available on Google Play store for Android users are free to use for a limited period.

Google search in mobiles,tabs gets handwriting recognition

Google has enabled handwriting recognition for its mobile and tablet version of the Google search website.

Google has added yet another feather to its hat by adding the support for handwriting recognition in its mobile and tablet version of Google.com. Dubbed as Handwrite, the new handwriting recognition feature has been enabled only for the touchscreen devices. This indeed is a cool new feature for the users who wish to use gestures instead of on-screen keyboard to input search queries.

Using the on-screen keyboard to search anything on Google.com can be cumbersome especially when you are in a moving vehicle. Apart from that, users can generally endure the gesture based input is certainly welcome. Google has implemented handwriting recognition on its mobile and tablet versions of the Google.com website. The feature has been dubbed as Handwrite and once enabled, the users can simply write on the touchscreens to feed in a search query.

To enable the new Google Handwrite, users simply need to visit the www.google.com/preferences on the native web browser. From the list of settings enable the Handwrite settings and tap on the Save button to confirm the changes. After that, go back to the home page and tap on the Handwrite icon in the right bottom corner of the page.

Now simply write on the touchscreen and then choose the respective query from the search suggestions to initiate the search. You no more have to keep your eyes glued on the keyboard and the search box for feeding the correct query.

The new Handwrite feature for Google.com is currently supported by Android 2.3 Gingerbread or higher update running smartphones, Android 4.0 Honeycomb or higher update running tablets and iOS 5.0 or higher running devices.

RIL moves closer to launching 4G services in Mumbai

Reliance Industries has awarded Samsung the deal to roll-out network in Mumbai circle, which means that we are few months away from Mumbai getting its LTE network.

Samsung has procured the much-awaited Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) deal from Reliance Industries (RIL) for the Mumbai circle, Lightreading.com has reported quoting reliable industry sources.

LTE TDD is a fourth generation or 4G telecom technology that is the successors of 3G or third generation services, offering data speeds of upto 100 Mbps.

Given that contract for supplying the back-end equipment for rolling out the network has been awarded, it is expected that Mumbai should get its first LTE network or 4 G services (If Airtel doesn't do it even before them) in a couple of months.

Samsung will supply back end equipment like RAN (Radio Access Network)for accessing radio signals; Core layer or fiber cables that are responsible for fast and reliable transportation of data across a network; and access layer which contains devices that allow workgroups(systems) and users to use the 4 G services in the network, a reliable industry source said on condition of anonymit to light reading.

RIL is the only player with a pan-India Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum. According to industry sources, RIL plans to launch LTE services in the circles of Mumbai and Delhi initially. As of now, only Bharti Airtel has launched the 4G services in Kolkata and Bangalore earlier this year.

Apart from RIL, Qualcomm and MTNL have 4G spectrum in Mumbai. Qualcomm has already signed a deal with Airtel to roll-out services in all its four circles including Mumbai. MTNL which was contemplating WiMax based services is it to launch it on a commercial scale.

Toshiba launches ‘Thinking LED’ range of TVs

Toshiba has launched its new ‘Thinking LED’ range of TV sets for the Indian market. The torch bearer of the new range is the RZ1, the first large-screen glasses-free 3D TV powered by Toshiba’s high-performance multi-processor platform, the REGZA Engine Cevo Duo S. There are other exciting models with screen sizes ranging from 19 inches to 55 inches.

Coming back to the RZ1, this glasses-free 3D TV delivers an immersive 3D TV experience and also displays 2D content at four times of (Quad) Full HD resolution. Powered by the REGZA Engine Cevo Duo S,  RZ1’s Integral Imaging technology delivers nine parallax images that create multiple wide-angle viewing zones, and allows a large group of viewers, each facing the screen from a different angle, to share the 3D experience. It features a face tracking application to optimise and align the viewing zones of the TV with the viewers’ actual positions. A contrast ratio of 9,000,000:1 further improves the experience for the viewers. Apart from this, the 4K Super Resolution+ function in the RZ1 provides a stunning 2D experience by converting and mixing 2D content to 4K levels, be it standard or high definition. The RZ1 is priced at Rs. 12,00,000.

Apart from the RZ1, Toshiba’s Thinking LED range features a variety of option for Full HDTVs, HDTVs, Active 3D TVs, Passive 3D TVs and Smart-TV LED TVs. Let’s take a look at some of the other models:

RW1 Passive 3D Smart-TV

RW1 series represents the Passive 3D Smart-TV from Toshiba. The Passive 3D technology uses lightweight passive 3D glasses and offers crisp and sharp pictures. Users can access rich and interactive content via the TV application Toshiba Places. This new line of 3D Smart TVs comes equipped with features such as Dolby® Digital solution and MHL™. Powered by Gracenote, the ‘Music Search’ function lets you identify the artist, song and album name of songs featured in movies, TV programs and commercials. It does so by accessing the Gracenote Global Media Database, the world’s largest source of music data. The RW1 LED TV is available in two screen sizes- 47-inch and 55-inch, costing Rs. 1,20,000 and Rs. 1,70,000, respectively.

PX200 Internet TV

The Wi-Fi ready PX200 Smart-TV series features the Toshiba Places interface that enables viewers to use social networking services and view content online. The TV offers many smart applications and comes with a host of connectivity options, including 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports and 2 composite ports. The high efficiency speakers produce higher sound pressure levels delivering twice the efficiency of conventional speakers. With options to choose between HD and Full HD, the PX200 series will be available in 32-inch, 40-inch and 46-inch screen sizes, priced between Rs. 36,990 and Rs. 75,990.

PT200 Full HD LED TV

Toshiba’s PT200 features a combination of minimalistic design and unmatched performance. Powered by the REGZA Engine technology, the full HD display delivers unmatched vivid and vibrant picture quality with improved color accuracy as compared to conventional LED TVs. The 32-inch PT200 is priced at Rs. 35,990.

PS 200 Edge LED TV

Featuring Edge LED technology, the PS200 series combines high definition images with high efficiency speakers and Power Bass Booster for an enhanced TV viewing experience. Powered with the REGZA Engine technology, the PS200 series integrates the new Auto Clean technology and Contrast Booster feature along with Auto Signal Booster and Auto View, to deliver life-like images. The high efficiency speakers are140 percent more efficient than conventional speakers and deliver the same performance with only half the power. The 40-inch Full HD version is priced at Rs. 33,990, and the 32-inch HD version at Rs. 53,990.

PU200 Edge LED TV

The PU200 Edge LED TV can play 28 different formats of movies through a USB port. It comes packed with features such as Power Bass Booster, Auto Signal Booster, Auto Clean and AutoView. The PU200 also has 2 HDMI ports and an RCA port for easy connectivity. Available in screen sizes of 40-inch and 23-inch offering full HD experience, and 32-inch with HD display, the PU200 series is priced between Rs. 18,990 and Rs. 52,990.

PB200 Direct LED TV

Powered by the Toshiba REGZA Engine technology that integrates advanced technologies to ensure crisp, high resolution images with true-to-life colors, the PB200 series features a dedicated sound bar with the Power Bass Booster feature, which generates harmonics at different frequency intervals, and increases the frequency depth and clarity of the bass. Available in 23-inch and 32-inch models with an option of HD and Full HD, the PB200 models are priced at Rs. 17,990 and Rs. 29,990.

With the launch of its latest range, Toshiba has widened its LED TV portfolio to 22 models and looks forward to capture the number one position in the LED TV market. Mr. Tengguo Wu, Director (DS Division), Toshiba India, said at the launch, “The LED TV market in India, though witnessing a steep growth, is still at a nascent stage. With our plans to achieve the number one position in LED TV market, we want to be at the forefront of driving the transition from the traditional CRTs or LCD TVs to LED TVs. In line with our business strategy, we have launched our new range of LED TVs along with a new marketing campaign with our brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar. The ‘Thinking LED’ campaign will enable us to register an overall 15 per cent market share in FY2013 in the flat panel TV segment in India.”

For more details and information on the range, visit the company's website.

Google Fiber service for Internet and cable TV launched

Google has launched its Google Fiber service in Kansas City today. The highly anticipated service is aimed at consumers only, and offers gigabit-speed Internet connectivity and cable TV. Google has divided the service into three packages. There is a common construction fee of $300 for connecting the home to the fiber infrastructure, irrespective of the package opted for. Internet access alone will cost $70 for Internet. Internet and cable TV service will cost $120 a month.

The reason Kansas was picked as the launch city is explained by, Kevin Lo, General Manager of Google Access, in a blog post on the Google Fiber Blog. Kevin wrote, “When we announced that we wanted to provide a community with Internet access more than 100 times faster than what most Americans enjoy today, we asked who was interested in working with us. More than 1,100 cities raised their hands, and those of you in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri won us over with your enthusiasm for better, faster web connections.”

The registration process for this service in Kansas has already started will end on September 9, 2012. However, you will need to do something more than just register to avail the services. First, you need to pre-register by visiting the Google Fiber website (http://www.google.com/fiber). Next you have to rally neighbors to register for the services. The neighborhood with the most number of registrations will get the service first.

The different packages are:

Google Fiber + TV: This is the ultimate package which offers symmetrical gigabit-speed connection plus Google TV, which offers local channels, YouTube, Netflix and Google’s “fiber channels.” Consumers opting for this package will also get a brand Nexus 7 tablet, which they can use as a remote control for the TV. There is also a regular Bluetooth remote control in the package, in case you find the tablet a bit too big to pass as a remote control. Plus, Google is also planning to release an iOS app for controlling the Google Fiber TV product with iPhones or iPads. A Wi-Fi router and a 2-terabyte storage box are part of this package. Consumers will also get a free terabyte of storage in Google’s cloud locker, G Drive. The total cost for this package is $120 per month and if customers sign a two-year contract Google will waive the $300 connection fee.

Google Fiber: This package offers the same thing except the TV package. This will suit consumers who just want high-speed Internet connection and are not much interested in the TV service. This package costs $70 a month and for users who sign a 1-year contract Google will waive the $300 connection fee.

Free Internet: This is exactly what it says – free Internet connection with no monthly charge. However, consumers will have to pay the construction fee of $300 either lumpsum or $25 a month if they sign up for one year. This plan covers any household which falls in the fiber footprint.

Facebook working with HTC for Project Buffy smartphone

Facebook has reportedly been working closely with HTC on its upcoming smartphone project.

Facebook has reportedly been working on a smartphone that will have the social network in its core. Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook, has hired a team of former Apple employees who worked with the first version of the iPhone for the upcoming Facebook smartphone, dubbed Buffy. Bloomberg reported that the popular social network is closely working with HTC for the smartphone.

Even though previous Facebook bearing smartphones did not attract millions, the social network continues the effort to create its own smartphone. Facebook has the former Apple employees who worked on the first iPhone to work on the Buffy smartphone project. One of these employees has worked on the iPad as well. Besides that, Facebook has also acquired a digital publishing software maker that was founded by former Apple employees who had worked on user experience and feel of the software on iPhones and iPads.

Facebook stated in an official statement, "Our mobile strategy is simple: We think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social. We're working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world."

Other than an army of former Apple employees, Facebook still needs a handset partner and is hence reportedly working with HTC. As reported previously, Zuckerberg is worried about Facebook's face in the mobile space. He does not want it to remain just an app but be deeply social. As of now, it is difficult to judge whether Facebook is trying to create a new mobile operating system or whether it is working on a stripped down Facebook-integrated OS. Similar to the one Amazon created with Kindle.

Facebook integration in the iOS 6 is what everyone is looking forward to and therefore the company will automatically cover millions of iOS device users.

Low cost Android handsets may come with Swype

Swype is also in talks with operating system developers for integrating Swype keyboards in their OSes.

Swype keyboard, which is known for its innovative text predicting feature, and is quite popular on Android may soon be available on low cost Android smartphones manufactured by Indian players.
Notably, its makers, Nuance Communications, had announced the launch of a newer version of the keyboard, with support for Hinglish language - a mixture of Hindi and English, yesterday.

Zach Hooper, director of product management, Nuance Communications, said to The Mobile Indian, "We are in talks with Indian handset manufactures to make available our Swype keyboard in low cost Android smartphones manufactured by them."

He didn't share the timeline when it will be implemented or the names of Indian handset players with whom Nuance is in talks but said, "by this endeavor we plan to reach the masses and offer an interesting and easy keyboard input interface for entering text in their mobiles."

Interestingly, Micromax's first Android smartphone - A60 had Swype keyboard support and after that the mobile maker has launched a couple more Android smartphones but they don't support Swype.

Apart from handset players Nuance is also in talks with operating system developers for integrating Swype keyboards (via SDK) in their OSes.

Airtel 3G free on Nokia Lumia 800 Dark Knight

Airtel's online store (shop.airtel.com) is offering a Dark Knight Rises special edition of Nokia Lumia 800 for Rs 24,999.

If you are planning to buy a limited edition Dark Knight Nokia Lumia 800 smartphone, check out Airtel's online store as it is offering free goodies along with the device.

Airtel's online store (shop.airtel.com) is offering the Dark Knight Rises special edition of Nokia Lumia 800 for Rs 24,999 along with 2 GB of 3G data free from Airtel for four months. You will also get a special Dark Knight Rises Messenger Bag free along with the smartphone, but the catch is that to get these freebies one has to book the smartphone before July 31 as the offer will expire after that.

The limited edition of Lumia 800 was recently launched by Nokia in association with makers of the latest Batman flick, Dark Knight Rises. The black phone has a Batman logo at the back. The phone also has special contents like exclusive premier videos and wallpapers of the movie.

Nokia Lumia 800 is a Windows Phone with a 3.7 inch Amoled capacitive touchscreen with pinch to zoom and a built in 8 megapixel camera. Its Li-ion battery claims to provide talk time of 13 hours and standby time of 265 hours. The phone has 16 GB internal memory but there is no option for expandable memory.

FBProfileCovers: Create & Browse Visually Appealing Facebook Timeline Cover Photos

Facebook is used by almost all of us to keep our friends updated with what is going in our lives. The network offers us numerous options to customize our profiles and make our spaces more personal. One feature of the network that lets us personalize our profiles is the cover photo which is now situated on top of the Facebook timeline. A good cover photo can really make your timeline stand out from the rest. Here to help you get your hands on good cover photos and make them from your own photos is a web service called FB Profile Covers.

FB Profile Covers is a free to use web service that lets its users browse numerous cover photos that are visually appealing. On the left pane of the site you will find various categories of cover photos; from abstract and animals to nature and religion, you will find cover photos of a wide variety. Clicking on a cover photo category opens up relevant cover photos in the right pane. To set the cover photo as your own, all you have to do is click on it.

This useful website also lets you create your own cover photos. You start doing this by selecting the “Create Facebook Cover” option from the left pane and then giving the FB Profile Covers app access to your Facebook images. The application creates a visually appealing cover photo by using a mixture of your current Facebook images. If you do not like the default template of the cover photo, you can choose a different template from the image thumbnail present under the image.

You can then shuffle image or simply proceed to the final step and make the image your Facebook timeline cover photo.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service
• Offers numerous visually appealing cover photos
• Lets you create cover photos from your existing Facebook images
• Offers various cover photos templates for you to choose from

Check out FB Profile Covers @ http://fbprofilecovers.com/

iMindMap: Create Intuitive Mind-Maps [iOS]

Mind maps are a wonderful way of jotting down your ideas. Most applications that let you create mind-maps have a ‘robotic’ feel to their interface and they seem uncreative. Here to change that by delivering a visually appealing intuitive interface is an iOS app called iMindMap.

iMindMap is sized at 8.5 MB and is compatible with iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad devices running iOS version 3.2 or later. The app lets you easily create mind-maps on your iOS device through its user-friendly tools. Your maps are maintained within the app and can be exported to PNG, PDF, or IMX files. You are asked to create an online account on the first run so that the maps you create across all devices can be synchronized.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app.
• Compatible with iOS devices.
• Lets you create mind-maps.
• Mind-maps can be synchronized across all devices.
• Mind-maps can be exported to PNG, PDF, and IMX files.

Check out iMindMap @ itunes.apple.com/us/app/imindmap/id503812755?ls=1&mt=8

Phonedeck: Manage Your Mobile Phone From Your Browser [Android & Nokia]

Have you grown tired of checking your mobile phone every time to see if there are any new messages, phone calls, or to check a contact’s number? If yes, then you must try out Phonedeck.

Phonedeck is a handy online tool that allows users to manage their mobile devices from their browser. Once you have made an account on Phonedeck – which is free – you can manage all of your phone calls, text messages and contacts right from the browser.

Currently, Phonedeck only supports Android and Nokia smartphone devices. Others will be added shortly to their growing list of supported devices. Just install the Phonedeck application on your mobile, the browser extension to your browser and connect (or leave) your LinkedIn account, and you are all done.

You can then find all your contacts online. The Activities tab shows your activities related to phone calls and text messages and notifies you if you receive any text or call.

Features:

• Manage calls and messages from online – check your home phone activities sitting in your office for example.
• Contacts are kept online – a good source of backup.

Check out Phonedeck @ http://phonedeck.com

Google Search gets 34-button virtual scientific calculator

Google.com has added a new 34-button virtual calculator with scientific functions to its search bar. By adding this scientific calculator, Google further extends the capabilities of its search bar beyond web pages, conversions, and more. This tool simplifies the use of the search engine to be used as a handy calculator. Moreover, this tool can be used across browsers on web and mobile. To access the calculator, one has to simply type ‘calculator’ in the search box and it pops up instantly. It will appear even if you type your mathematical query in the search box. For instance, if you type "3*8-5" in the search box, the answer is displayed directly in the scientific calculator, which appears once you hit on the ‘Enter’ button.

Now, this isn’t the first time that Google has introduced a calculator. Google already has a graphical calculator in tow. The graphical calculator that was launched about more than a year ago is also accessible directly from the Search box. This scientific calculator comes with an array of scientific functions which includes the sin, cos, tan, and log functions, exponential calculation, and square roots.

Google often tweaks its products for the better and sometimes for worse (read, new Gmail look that was forced upon everyone). At the Google I/O event this year, the company said they have redesigned search from the ground up in the Jelly Bean OS, with a new user interface and faster, more natural Voice Search. They also went on to state that one can type their query or simply ask Google a question. Google can speak back, delivering a precise answer, powered by the Knowledge Graph, if it knows one, in addition to a list of search results.

Recently, Google search for Android tablets and the iPad was spruced up with a weather widget, which allows users to take a quick look at the weather before they step out. Users have to just type weather in the Google search on their tablet to view the new weather widget and it shows the weather conditions at their location. The widget also displays information about the weather in any other city in the world. Users have to simply type the name of the city or the ZIP code and 'weather' next to it. Google wrote in a blog post on Google+, "When you type [weather] into Google on your +tablet, you'll see the current weather and you can scroll through the hourly and ten-day forecast. You can also toggle the Precipitation and Wind buttons to check out the percent chance of precipitation and wind direction/ speed, respectively". The Search giant also released the Google Now feature recently that aims to bring users information, as and when they need it, like informing them about the weather.