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Winamp Media Player is Shutting Down on 20th December 2013
Written By Esha Tips on Saturday, November 23, 2013 | 1:01 AM
Winamp was created by Nullsoft in 1997 as a community supported media play and disruptor in the digital media space. Winamp supports music playback using MP3, MIDI, MOD, MPEG-1 audio layers 1 and 2, AAC, M4A, FLAC, WAV and WMA. Lead by Justin Frankel and his merry band of developers, Winamp soon became one of the most popular media player. On 20th November 2013, AOL announced that Winamp.com would shut down on 20th December 2013, and the software would no longer be available for download after that date.
Rohit Sharma must take leaf out of Shikhar Dhawan's book
Written By Esha Tips on Saturday, June 22, 2013 | 2:44 AM
In 87 ODI innings over 92 matches, Rohit Sharma has been dismissed 36 times for less than ten runs. On 31 further occasions, he has got a start and thrown it away before getting to a half-century
Shikhar Dhawan is one good performance away from being named the Player
of the Tournament in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Rohit Sharma, who
has accompanied Dhawan out to the middle in the each of the four matches
in this tournament, is one negligent performance away from earning the
wrath of captain and coach.
The beauty about opening partnerships, especially ones that have developed naturally over the years between players who complement each other well, is that one person's success can so easily paper over the failures of the other. For a period of time, at least.
In Rohit's case, though, it is not that he is failing altogether as opening stands of 127, 101, 58 and 77 testify. However, in each of these instances, where Dhawan has weathered the initial movement and then cashed in when conditions allowed it, Rohit has done all the hard work only to throw it all away. In Rohit's defence, he's just starting out in this role. But, equally, there's nothing new about his tendency to gift his wicket away.
In 87 ODI innings over 92 matches, Rohit has been dismissed 36 times for less than ten runs. On 31 further occasions, he has got a start and thrown it away before getting to a half-century, while he has managed to convert the starts into really big scores (75 or more) only 7% of the time.
There's something about the manner in which Rohit bats that is naturally attractive. He appears to have more time to play his shots than most others, and even when he hits the ball a hundred yards, his strokes appear graceful rather than brutal. From a very young age, Rohit was earmarked a special talent, and his potential to do well seemed limitless.
However, as is so often the case, a man's greatest strength can also be his biggest weakness, and this appears to be the case with Rohit. Simply because he has the ability to play a dazzling array of shots, he tries to do more than the situation demands. He's so confident in his own talent that he attempts audacious shots to perfectly good balls and perishes in the process.
It's been suggested that he has so many stroke-making options for each ball that he isn't fully committed to any one and gets himself out in the process. Sunil Gavaskar, who was the exact opposite of Rohit when he played, in that he put a dear price on his wicket and certainly did his utmost to carry on once set, had a suggestion for Rohit. Since acceleration was never going to be an issue for someone of Rohit's skills, why not deny himself freedom at the start, and get the first 20 runs in ones and twos? It's almost counter-intuitive to the modern outlook of limited-overs opening batting, where the hard ball and ten Power Play overs beg to be exploited. But, in Rohit's case, this is an approach well worth exploring, especially when his partner is doing so well.
Dhawan, who admitted not so long ago that there was a period following his two-ball duck on debut in which he wondered if he would ever get the chance to play for India again, and show what he was actually capable of. In Test cricket, Dhawan certainly showed that the long wait had whetted his appetite for the feast, crashing a racy 187 in perhaps the most eye-catching debut by an Indian batsman ever. The new and improved Dhawan, who had married commonsense and composure to his original method of aggression and domination, has ODI scores of 114, 102*, 48 and 68 since his comeback. In the early part of his career, Dhawan lacked the refinement and poise that Rohit was blessed with, but made up through brute strength and all-out attack. There were intermittent reminders of what Dhawan was capable of, but even his backers found it difficult to take the leap of faith needed to believe he could replace the likes of Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir. Fortunately for Dhawan, the current selection panel, led by Sandeep Patil, had no such problems, and their faith is now being repaid with runs by the bucketful.
It's high time Rohit also realised that the enormous goodwill and support he has enjoyed should not be taken for granted and that the time for talk of potential is long gone. A young man of his ability must deliver, lest the long rope extended to him be severed permanently.
The beauty about opening partnerships, especially ones that have developed naturally over the years between players who complement each other well, is that one person's success can so easily paper over the failures of the other. For a period of time, at least.
In Rohit's case, though, it is not that he is failing altogether as opening stands of 127, 101, 58 and 77 testify. However, in each of these instances, where Dhawan has weathered the initial movement and then cashed in when conditions allowed it, Rohit has done all the hard work only to throw it all away. In Rohit's defence, he's just starting out in this role. But, equally, there's nothing new about his tendency to gift his wicket away.
In 87 ODI innings over 92 matches, Rohit has been dismissed 36 times for less than ten runs. On 31 further occasions, he has got a start and thrown it away before getting to a half-century, while he has managed to convert the starts into really big scores (75 or more) only 7% of the time.
There's something about the manner in which Rohit bats that is naturally attractive. He appears to have more time to play his shots than most others, and even when he hits the ball a hundred yards, his strokes appear graceful rather than brutal. From a very young age, Rohit was earmarked a special talent, and his potential to do well seemed limitless.
However, as is so often the case, a man's greatest strength can also be his biggest weakness, and this appears to be the case with Rohit. Simply because he has the ability to play a dazzling array of shots, he tries to do more than the situation demands. He's so confident in his own talent that he attempts audacious shots to perfectly good balls and perishes in the process.
It's been suggested that he has so many stroke-making options for each ball that he isn't fully committed to any one and gets himself out in the process. Sunil Gavaskar, who was the exact opposite of Rohit when he played, in that he put a dear price on his wicket and certainly did his utmost to carry on once set, had a suggestion for Rohit. Since acceleration was never going to be an issue for someone of Rohit's skills, why not deny himself freedom at the start, and get the first 20 runs in ones and twos? It's almost counter-intuitive to the modern outlook of limited-overs opening batting, where the hard ball and ten Power Play overs beg to be exploited. But, in Rohit's case, this is an approach well worth exploring, especially when his partner is doing so well.
Dhawan, who admitted not so long ago that there was a period following his two-ball duck on debut in which he wondered if he would ever get the chance to play for India again, and show what he was actually capable of. In Test cricket, Dhawan certainly showed that the long wait had whetted his appetite for the feast, crashing a racy 187 in perhaps the most eye-catching debut by an Indian batsman ever. The new and improved Dhawan, who had married commonsense and composure to his original method of aggression and domination, has ODI scores of 114, 102*, 48 and 68 since his comeback. In the early part of his career, Dhawan lacked the refinement and poise that Rohit was blessed with, but made up through brute strength and all-out attack. There were intermittent reminders of what Dhawan was capable of, but even his backers found it difficult to take the leap of faith needed to believe he could replace the likes of Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir. Fortunately for Dhawan, the current selection panel, led by Sandeep Patil, had no such problems, and their faith is now being repaid with runs by the bucketful.
It's high time Rohit also realised that the enormous goodwill and support he has enjoyed should not be taken for granted and that the time for talk of potential is long gone. A young man of his ability must deliver, lest the long rope extended to him be severed permanently.
source : http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-champions-trophy-2013/features/209622-rohit-sharma-must-take-leaf-out-of-shikhar-dhawans-book?pfrom=home-cricket
ICC Champions Trophy: England's final failures
Tournament hosts England have not won a major ODI title, losing three World Cup finals and the 2004 Champions Trophy final when, as now, they were the home side.
Birmingham: 
England
will try to end nearly 40 years of one-day international heartbreak
when they face India in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on
Sunday.
Tournament hosts England have not won a major ODI title, losing three World Cup finals and the 2004 Champions Trophy final when, as now, they were the home side.
Reigning world champions India, by contrast have won both the 1983 and 2011 World Cups and in 2002 they shared the Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka after a Colombo wash-out.
Below AFP Sport looks back at England's near-misses in major one-day finals.
1979, Lord's: World Cup final v West Indies -- England lost by 92 runs
England, without the injured Bob Willis, reduced the West Indies to 99 for four but paid for the fast bowler's absence as Vivian Richards (138 not out) and Collis King (86) cut loose to take the defending champions to 286 for nine.
Mike Brearley and Geoffrey Boycott shared a century opening stand but England were rarely up with the run-rate and giant Joel Garner, one of several formidable fast bowlers in a powerful West Indies side, finished off the hosts with five wickets for 38 runs.
1987, Eden Gardens: World Cup final v Australia -- England lost by seven runs
England held arch-rivals Australia to 253 for five despite contributions from David Boon (75) and Mike Veletta (45 not out).
They were well-placed at 135 for two when England captain Mike Gatting reverse-swept opposing skipper Allan Border and was caught behind. Bill Athey's run out left England 170 for four and from then on wickets fell steadily with Gatting's men eight down as they finished within touching distance of victory.
1992, Melbourne: World Cup final v Pakistan -- England lost by 22 runs
Derek Pringle had arguably his greatest match for England, the tall all-rounder taking three for 22 after dismissing both openers.
Had Pringle's appeal for lbw against Javed Miandad (58) been upheld the match might have taken a different course but together with captain Imran Khan (72) he shared a stand of 139 that took Pakistan to 249 for six.
England's Neil Fairbrother made 62 in the chase but the match turned Pakistan's way decisively when Wasim Akram produced two stunning deliveries to bowl Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis off successive balls.
Defeat meant England's Graham Gooch had lost three World Cup finals in three different decades.
2004, The Oval: Champions Trophy final v West Indies -- England lost by two wickets
England on a dreary September day had the match all but won when, after making 217 with opener Marcus Trescothick contributing 104, they reduced the West Indies to 147 for eight with the loss of their last top-order batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
But wicketkeeper Courtney Browne and paceman Ian Bradshaw numbers nine and 10 respectively, turned the match on its head with an unbroken stand of 71 as the West Indies won with seven balls to spare.
England
will try to end nearly 40 years of one-day international heartbreak
when they face India in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on
Sunday.Tournament hosts England have not won a major ODI title, losing three World Cup finals and the 2004 Champions Trophy final when, as now, they were the home side.
Reigning world champions India, by contrast have won both the 1983 and 2011 World Cups and in 2002 they shared the Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka after a Colombo wash-out.
Below AFP Sport looks back at England's near-misses in major one-day finals.
1979, Lord's: World Cup final v West Indies -- England lost by 92 runs
England, without the injured Bob Willis, reduced the West Indies to 99 for four but paid for the fast bowler's absence as Vivian Richards (138 not out) and Collis King (86) cut loose to take the defending champions to 286 for nine.
Mike Brearley and Geoffrey Boycott shared a century opening stand but England were rarely up with the run-rate and giant Joel Garner, one of several formidable fast bowlers in a powerful West Indies side, finished off the hosts with five wickets for 38 runs.
1987, Eden Gardens: World Cup final v Australia -- England lost by seven runs
England held arch-rivals Australia to 253 for five despite contributions from David Boon (75) and Mike Veletta (45 not out).
They were well-placed at 135 for two when England captain Mike Gatting reverse-swept opposing skipper Allan Border and was caught behind. Bill Athey's run out left England 170 for four and from then on wickets fell steadily with Gatting's men eight down as they finished within touching distance of victory.
1992, Melbourne: World Cup final v Pakistan -- England lost by 22 runsDerek Pringle had arguably his greatest match for England, the tall all-rounder taking three for 22 after dismissing both openers.
Had Pringle's appeal for lbw against Javed Miandad (58) been upheld the match might have taken a different course but together with captain Imran Khan (72) he shared a stand of 139 that took Pakistan to 249 for six.
England's Neil Fairbrother made 62 in the chase but the match turned Pakistan's way decisively when Wasim Akram produced two stunning deliveries to bowl Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis off successive balls.
Defeat meant England's Graham Gooch had lost three World Cup finals in three different decades.
2004, The Oval: Champions Trophy final v West Indies -- England lost by two wickets
England on a dreary September day had the match all but won when, after making 217 with opener Marcus Trescothick contributing 104, they reduced the West Indies to 147 for eight with the loss of their last top-order batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
But wicketkeeper Courtney Browne and paceman Ian Bradshaw numbers nine and 10 respectively, turned the match on its head with an unbroken stand of 71 as the West Indies won with seven balls to spare.
source : http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-champions-trophy-2013/news/209630-icc-champions-trophy-englands-final-failures
Tennis : Qualifier Jamie Hampton to face Elena Vesnina in Eastbourne final
Hampton squandered five set points in the opening set to give the momentum to her opponent, But Wozniacki was unable to serve out the second set leading 5-4 after winning the first in a tiebreaker and came up short in the third.
Eastbourne: 
American
qualifier Jamie Hampton will line up in the first final of her career
against Russian Elena Vesnina in a first-time meeting for the title at
the pre-Wimbledon ATP-WTA Eastbourne International on Saturday.
The 41st-ranked Hampton earned her place with a 6-7 (8/10) 7-5, 6-3 upset of former world number one Caroline Wozniacki on Friday, while Vesnina followed up her ouster of China's second seed Li Na in the quarter-finals by crushing Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-0 in just 51 minutes.
The Hampton-Wozniacki clash took nearly three hours but could have ended much earlier had fifth seed Wozniacki managed to complete a straight-sets win.
As it was, the Dane was made to pay the price for missed opportunities by her surprise opponent in their first meeting.
"Obviously I would have loved to have won today, it would have been worth it to be out there for three hours," said Wozniacki.
"Actually we played a very good match. The wind that was there, it was so difficult. But I had my chances. I didn't take them, and, she played very well, I have to say.
"Overall I'm feeling good, I feel happy to be on grass. I feel like my game is where I want it to be. Hopefully at Wimbledon I'll do well."
The match was played in blustery conditions on the English south coast after several days of sunshine and atypical calm weather.
Hampton squandered five set points in the opening set to give the momentum to her opponent, But Wozniacki was unable to serve out the second set leading 5-4 after winning the first in a tiebreaker and came up short in the third.
Hampton, 23, will move into position as US number three behind Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens after the best week of her career.
Hampton was the first American woman since Jennifer Capriati a decade ago to play the semis at Devonshire park and is the first qualifier on the WTA to reach a final this season. The last American to win here was Chanda Rubin in 2003.
Hampton upset Wozniacki while playing in only her third career grass event and will compete at Wimbledon next week for only the second time after reaching the second round a year ago.
Wozniacki was denied a chance at her second career grass court title after winning Eastbourne in 2009.
Vesnina will aim for her second career trophy after making a breakthrough for the Hobart honours in January. The Russian stands 1-7 in career finals.
Men's semis at the joint event featured Spain's Feliciano Lopez against Croatian Ivan Dodig and Italian seventh seed Andreas Seppi facing french number two Gilles Simon.
American
qualifier Jamie Hampton will line up in the first final of her career
against Russian Elena Vesnina in a first-time meeting for the title at
the pre-Wimbledon ATP-WTA Eastbourne International on Saturday.The 41st-ranked Hampton earned her place with a 6-7 (8/10) 7-5, 6-3 upset of former world number one Caroline Wozniacki on Friday, while Vesnina followed up her ouster of China's second seed Li Na in the quarter-finals by crushing Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-0 in just 51 minutes.
The Hampton-Wozniacki clash took nearly three hours but could have ended much earlier had fifth seed Wozniacki managed to complete a straight-sets win.
As it was, the Dane was made to pay the price for missed opportunities by her surprise opponent in their first meeting.
"Obviously I would have loved to have won today, it would have been worth it to be out there for three hours," said Wozniacki.
"Actually we played a very good match. The wind that was there, it was so difficult. But I had my chances. I didn't take them, and, she played very well, I have to say.
"Overall I'm feeling good, I feel happy to be on grass. I feel like my game is where I want it to be. Hopefully at Wimbledon I'll do well."
The match was played in blustery conditions on the English south coast after several days of sunshine and atypical calm weather.
Hampton squandered five set points in the opening set to give the momentum to her opponent, But Wozniacki was unable to serve out the second set leading 5-4 after winning the first in a tiebreaker and came up short in the third.
Hampton, 23, will move into position as US number three behind Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens after the best week of her career.
Hampton was the first American woman since Jennifer Capriati a decade ago to play the semis at Devonshire park and is the first qualifier on the WTA to reach a final this season. The last American to win here was Chanda Rubin in 2003.
Hampton upset Wozniacki while playing in only her third career grass event and will compete at Wimbledon next week for only the second time after reaching the second round a year ago.
Wozniacki was denied a chance at her second career grass court title after winning Eastbourne in 2009.
Vesnina will aim for her second career trophy after making a breakthrough for the Hobart honours in January. The Russian stands 1-7 in career finals.
Men's semis at the joint event featured Spain's Feliciano Lopez against Croatian Ivan Dodig and Italian seventh seed Andreas Seppi facing french number two Gilles Simon.
source : http://sports.ndtv.com/tennis/news/209605-qualifier-jamie-hampton-to-face-elena-vesnina-in-eastbourne-final
In Hockey World League India beat France 6-2
India's goals came from the sticks of Akashdeep
Singh (13th minute), vice-captain V R Raghunath (27th), S V Sunil
(33rd), captain Sardar Singh (42nd) and Mandeep Singh (56th, 69th).
Rotterdam: 
The
Indian men's hockey team finally tasted some success in the FIH World
League Round 3 when they defeated lower-ranked France 6-2 to qualify for
the fifth-sixth position play-off match, here on Friday.
The 11th-ranked Indians, who came into the match without a win under their belt, scored three goals apiece in both halves of their first classification game against France, who are placed six rungs behind them.
India's goals came from the sticks of Akashdeep Singh (13th minute), vice-captain V R Raghunath (27th), S V Sunil (33rd), captain Sardar Singh (42nd) and Mandeep Singh (56th, 69th).
For France, Hugo Genestet scored from a field effort in the third minute while their second goal came from a penalty corner by Guillaume Deront in the final minute of the game.
India will now play seventh-ranked Spain in the fifth-sixth place play-off match on Sunday.
Spain eked out a 1-0 win over Ireland in another classification match earlier in the day.
Contrary to the result, the Frenchmen stunned India when Genestet scored a field goal early into the match.
The fragile Indian defence was once again at the receiving end and it could have been worse for Michael Nobbs' boys had France converted two penalty corners that came their way early in the first half.
Rattled by France's early onslaught, the Indians got their acts together soon and drew parity when Akashdeep scored from a rebound.
India doubled their lead in the 27th minute through Raghunath who converted his team's first penalty corner, before Sunil made it 3-1 six minutes later after combining well with Chinglensana Singh from the right flank
After the change of ends, skipper Sadar Singh extended India's lead deflecting in Dharamvir Singh's free hit.
Young striker Mandeep scored his first goal of the day, deflecting in a backhand cross from Dharamvir in the 56th minute.
Mandeep was yet again in thick of things in the penultimate minute of the game, gently pushing in Sunil's diagonal cross from close range.
France earned as many as five penalty corners in the second half but managed to utilise just one through Deront, that too in the dying stages of the game.
The
Indian men's hockey team finally tasted some success in the FIH World
League Round 3 when they defeated lower-ranked France 6-2 to qualify for
the fifth-sixth position play-off match, here on Friday.The 11th-ranked Indians, who came into the match without a win under their belt, scored three goals apiece in both halves of their first classification game against France, who are placed six rungs behind them.
India's goals came from the sticks of Akashdeep Singh (13th minute), vice-captain V R Raghunath (27th), S V Sunil (33rd), captain Sardar Singh (42nd) and Mandeep Singh (56th, 69th).
For France, Hugo Genestet scored from a field effort in the third minute while their second goal came from a penalty corner by Guillaume Deront in the final minute of the game.
India will now play seventh-ranked Spain in the fifth-sixth place play-off match on Sunday.
Spain eked out a 1-0 win over Ireland in another classification match earlier in the day.
Contrary to the result, the Frenchmen stunned India when Genestet scored a field goal early into the match.
The fragile Indian defence was once again at the receiving end and it could have been worse for Michael Nobbs' boys had France converted two penalty corners that came their way early in the first half.
Rattled by France's early onslaught, the Indians got their acts together soon and drew parity when Akashdeep scored from a rebound.
India doubled their lead in the 27th minute through Raghunath who converted his team's first penalty corner, before Sunil made it 3-1 six minutes later after combining well with Chinglensana Singh from the right flank
After the change of ends, skipper Sadar Singh extended India's lead deflecting in Dharamvir Singh's free hit.
Young striker Mandeep scored his first goal of the day, deflecting in a backhand cross from Dharamvir in the 56th minute.
Mandeep was yet again in thick of things in the penultimate minute of the game, gently pushing in Sunil's diagonal cross from close range.
France earned as many as five penalty corners in the second half but managed to utilise just one through Deront, that too in the dying stages of the game.
Source : http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/hockey/209597-india-beat-france-6-2-to-play-spain-for-5th-place-in-hockey-world-league
2014 World Cup must be held in Brazil: FIFA
Rio de Janeiro: 
The
2014 World Cup must be held in Brazil, FIFA secretary general Jerome
Valcke said on Friday, one day after more than one million people
marched in protests across the country.
"The Confederations Cup is taking place in Brazil and the World Cup must be held in Brazil," he told local media ahead of a meeting bringing together FIFA, the Brazilian Football Confederation and the World Cup's Local Organizing Committee.
"There is no plan B," he insisted.
Earlier on Friday, world football's governing body FIFA said that it has no plans to scrap the Confederations Cup currently under way, and that no team wants to pull out despite the huge protests rocking Brazil.
"At no stage has FIFA considered or discussed abandoning the Confederations Cup with the local authorities," FIFA media chief Pekka Odriozola said. "We are monitoring the situation with the authorities."
"We support the right of free speech," he added. "We condemn violence."
Mass demonstrations, which have sometimes turned violent, are taking place as Brazil is hosting eight teams from around the world for the Confederations Cup, a dry run for next year's World Cup being held in six host cities.
Many Brazilians are angry that bills for preparing the World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics are running to billions of dollars while many say they are not benefiting a country saddled with deep social inequality and inadequate social services.
On Thursday, two FIFA minibuses and the facade of a hotel housing some FIFA staff were stoned by some demonstrators before a Confederations Cup match in which Uruguay edged Nigeria 2-1.
Source : http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/209624-2014-world-cup-must-be-held-in-brazil-fifa
The
2014 World Cup must be held in Brazil, FIFA secretary general Jerome
Valcke said on Friday, one day after more than one million people
marched in protests across the country."The Confederations Cup is taking place in Brazil and the World Cup must be held in Brazil," he told local media ahead of a meeting bringing together FIFA, the Brazilian Football Confederation and the World Cup's Local Organizing Committee.
"There is no plan B," he insisted.
Earlier on Friday, world football's governing body FIFA said that it has no plans to scrap the Confederations Cup currently under way, and that no team wants to pull out despite the huge protests rocking Brazil.
"At no stage has FIFA considered or discussed abandoning the Confederations Cup with the local authorities," FIFA media chief Pekka Odriozola said. "We are monitoring the situation with the authorities."
"We support the right of free speech," he added. "We condemn violence."
Mass demonstrations, which have sometimes turned violent, are taking place as Brazil is hosting eight teams from around the world for the Confederations Cup, a dry run for next year's World Cup being held in six host cities.
Many Brazilians are angry that bills for preparing the World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics are running to billions of dollars while many say they are not benefiting a country saddled with deep social inequality and inadequate social services.
On Thursday, two FIFA minibuses and the facade of a hotel housing some FIFA staff were stoned by some demonstrators before a Confederations Cup match in which Uruguay edged Nigeria 2-1.
Source : http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/209624-2014-world-cup-must-be-held-in-brazil-fifa
Google plans to hire more female engineers
Written By Esha Tips on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 | 8:38 PM
Search engine Google is aiming to increase the number of female
computer engineers in order to reduce the gender gap in the industry.
Co-founder
Larry Page in his address during the I/O conference, said that the
company is focused on recruiting more women 'forever' so as to ensure
that the company is not all male.
In a report
by CNN, Page suggested that more young girls and women need to be
directed towards technology, which will undoubtedly double the rate of
progress.
Google Vice president Megan Smith
said that visibility of technical women has always been the company's
priority because in the past years women representation was low at the
company's developer conference.
The report
further added that Google held a Women Techmakers social for female I/O
attendees before the conference to create projects using littleBits and
arts and craft supplies.
Smith indicated that
part of the problem of having less female presence in the technology
sector is the poor PR because women didn't think the field is
interesting or that they too can be good at it, the report said.
Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Google-plans-to-hire-more-female-engineers-18254?
BitTorrent announces cloud storage and sharing service Sync
Written By Esha Tips on Monday, January 28, 2013 | 1:41 AM
Cloud backup services are popping up everywhere these days, with even BitTorrent
now jumping onto the cloud craze. BitTorrent has announced a new cloud
backup service it calls Sync, and though it of course has plenty of
similarities with other cloud services out there, Sync offers a couple
key differences. By using Sync, you’re actually using BitTorrent’s
servers to transfer files from one device to another.
This
has a number of benefits, as it means you won’t be subject to size
restrictions like you are with other services. One of the major
headaches with services like Dropbox and SkyDrive is that you’re limited
in how much you can have in your synced folders – for Dropbox, for
instance, you get 2GB of free space, and that runs out quick when you’re
trying to sync multiple video files at once. Once you’ve hit that cap,
you’ll need to shell out some cash if you want more space.
That’s
not a major complaint, as these are companies that exist to make money
after all. BitTorrent’s Sync, on the other hand, is free to use. You
won’t have to worry about limits on the amount you can transfer from one
device to another, which probably sounds like a Godsend to those who
constantly have to rely on cloud services to move files between devices.
As cool as it sounds, there’s one slight problem: BitTorrent
Sync isn’t available to use just yet (unless you love pre-alpha
testing). It’s currently in the testing stages, but it shouldn’t be more
than a few months before Sync is available to BitTorrent users. What do
you think of this new cloud service from the people behind BitTorrent?
Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/BitTorrent-announces-cloud-storage-and-sharing-service-Sync-16846
New version of Internet addresses available in India
Written By Esha Tips on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 | 9:40 PM
Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) has started
issuing next version ofInternet addresses 'IPv6', which would make it
easy for security agencies to identify each Internet user.
The Internet addresses under the present version IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4), are limited and service providers often assign single IP address to many users, making it difficult to identify the end user.
"The number of IPv6 addresses available is enormous.ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can allocate an IP address to their users. People can be easily identified if they are using IPv6," APNIC Director (Services and Operations) Sanjaya said at the roadshow for new version IPv6 here today.
APNIC, which is one of the five authorised bodies for issuing Internet addresses, has recognised Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) for issuing IP addresses in India.
"We are issuing IPv6 addresses at up to 60 per cent less than prevailing rates in the ongoing soft launch period. This is to test compatibility of hardware and softwares that has to be in place. In next couple of months we will launch industrial grade of IPv6," National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) Chief Executive Govind said.
IRINN has been set-up under the state-run NIXI. On new version IPv6, Internet Service Providers Association of India President Rajesh Charia said that the new addresses will be multiple times cheaper for companies than IPv4 addresses.
IRINN is issuing initial set-of IPv6 addresses in price range starting at Rs 21,999 compared to prevalent rate of around Rs 66,000 in Asia Pacific region.
On addressing security issues with the help of IPv6, Charia said, "Government will have to ensure that the new equipment and devices that are produced or imported in the country are at least IPv6 enabled."
At present, there is no import restriction on devices and equipment that do not comply with IPv6 standards.
The Internet addresses under the present version IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4), are limited and service providers often assign single IP address to many users, making it difficult to identify the end user.
"The number of IPv6 addresses available is enormous.ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can allocate an IP address to their users. People can be easily identified if they are using IPv6," APNIC Director (Services and Operations) Sanjaya said at the roadshow for new version IPv6 here today.
APNIC, which is one of the five authorised bodies for issuing Internet addresses, has recognised Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) for issuing IP addresses in India.
"We are issuing IPv6 addresses at up to 60 per cent less than prevailing rates in the ongoing soft launch period. This is to test compatibility of hardware and softwares that has to be in place. In next couple of months we will launch industrial grade of IPv6," National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) Chief Executive Govind said.
IRINN has been set-up under the state-run NIXI. On new version IPv6, Internet Service Providers Association of India President Rajesh Charia said that the new addresses will be multiple times cheaper for companies than IPv4 addresses.
IRINN is issuing initial set-of IPv6 addresses in price range starting at Rs 21,999 compared to prevalent rate of around Rs 66,000 in Asia Pacific region.
On addressing security issues with the help of IPv6, Charia said, "Government will have to ensure that the new equipment and devices that are produced or imported in the country are at least IPv6 enabled."
At present, there is no import restriction on devices and equipment that do not comply with IPv6 standards.
Source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/New-version-of-Internet-addresses-available-in-India-16232
ET Review: Sony Xperia SL
Written By Esha Tips on Monday, November 26, 2012 | 11:28 PM
Rating: * * *
Specifications: 4.3-inch (1280 x 768 pixels), 1.7Ghz dual core, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 12MP/1.3MP camera, Android 4.0, 144 grams, 1750 mAh
Positives: Pin-sharp display, well built and stylish, high quality stills from the 12MP camera
Negatives: Steep price, no expandable storage, confusing feather touch Android buttons, poor quality video recording
NEW DELHI: Back in 2011, when Sony Ericsson launched the Xperia Arc and its successor, the Xperia Arc S, they were doing hardware upgrades to make sure that the devices could hold their ground against increasing competition. Along the same lines, Sony has now launched the Xperia SL, successor to the Sony Xperia S.
The SL is a replica of the Xperia S in terms of design but has an upgraded processor. It is still a great looking phone, but continues with the oddly-placed feather touch Android buttons that are a pain to get used to. The 4.3-inch touchscreen is responsive & thanks to the enhanced 1280 x 720 resolution, it is pin-sharp & boasts of a higher resolutuion than the iPhone's Retina display (342 vs 330 pixels per inch).
The performance is great with the faster 1.7Ghz dual core processor, but there is no visible difference between the Xperia S and the SL's performance on a day-to-day usage.
Existing owners of the Xperia S have no reason to upgrade.
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It also features the same 12MP camera as the Xperia S. The camera starts quickly, autofocus locks on in an instant and the pictures have rich colors with sharp details. However, the phone's video recording capabilities are disappointing.
The videos are good to view on the phone, but when viewed on a large TV, they lacked details and seemed blurry. With calling, audio/video, camera and social networking, the phone's battery lasts less than a day — be prepared to carry a charger around since the battery is not removable.
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Even though the hardware has been upgraded significantly, the Xperia SL seems pricy compared to new (and very capable) quad core smartphones from Samsung, LG and HTC. We recommended that you spend just a little more and go for the Samsung Galaxy SIII. It has a larger 4.8-inch screen, faster quad core processor, expandable storage, better overal camera as well as better battery life.
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Pictures courtesy: www.sonymobile.com
source : http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/ET-Review-Sony-Xperia-SL-16227
