Google and Pottermore Sign Ebook Deal

Pottermore is bringing Harry Potter to the digital format with ebooks and has signed a deal with Google to use their literary services for this purpose. This fall, Harry Potter will make its ebook debut on Google eBooks, which lets users port their purchases to 80 other readers. The ebooks will be available via Google eBooks, as well as its iOS and Android apps. However, since the Kindle doesn't support ePUB or PDF files, it is not clear how the eBooks will be supported on that device. The books, as previously reported, will be DRM free. Buy your Pottermore ebooks via Google Google also said that it will provide the payment platform via Google Checkout and the video platform via YouTube for this digital Harry Potter experience. This means, that you will be paying for the eBooks directly to Google as opposed to other services like PayPal or Amazon Payments. Pottermore is expected to open up in October. Since the release of the last movie in the series, Potter fanaticism is at an all time high and Pottermore seems to be catching fans just at the right time. Google, too, will stand to gain by partnering with the Pottermore website right at the opportune moment.

Simmtronics Launches India’s First Solar-powered Desktop

How’s this for green computing? Simmtronics Semiconductors have launched a new range of desktop PCs that are powered completely by solar energy. This new line-up is best suited for areas that encounter frequent power cuts or villages that don’t have the luxury of electricity. The solar PC is available for a price of Rs 28,990 that includes the solar setup, as well and a year's worth of on-site warranty.

Perfect for areas with frequent load shedding

Simmtronics claim the PC can run for more than 10hrs without solar energy, which is good enough for a day's worth of work. Now don’t expect a high end rig here, obviously the PC is designed for basic computing tasks like a few Office applications, light multimedia usage and internet surfing. The specifications include a Via C7 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, keyboard and mouse and a 15.6-inch LED monitor. The operating system used is Linux (exact distro is unknown) and the kit includes a 74W solar panel with charge controller, SMF battery and AC inverter. Powering it in the monsoons will be a bit of a challenge though, perhaps you'll need multiple batteries for a few days worth of power.

Pictarine Acts as Aggregator for All Your Online Pictures

Pictarine is a new service that allows you to aggregate all your pictures across various sites like Twitter (photo services like Twitpic, Yfrog and Lockerz), Facebook, Instagram, Picasa and Flickr. This way, your friends can see all your pictures without having to hop across various services. Other services include discovering your friends' photos (especially if they're on Instagram and you don't follow them). Mobile and DSLR photos can be added too, allowing all your pictures to be in one place. This however, doesn't mean that Pictarine is hosting your pictures. The other websites continue to host your pictures.

Put it all in one place

The website seems simple enough. You sign up for a Pictarine account, then add your Facebook, Twitter and whichever other accounts you wish to add. When you add Pictarine for Facebook, it asks you the same questions for authorization as any other third party Facebook app would. You then have what Pictarine calls 'zests'. A zest is a virtual album created of aggregations of photos from your various sites. The service has boost mode, which allows you to upload pictures to the various websites, as well as download from them with a single click. To sign up for Pictarine, click here.

Transfer Photos from Facebook to Google+ using Fotolink

So, you’ve managed to get a Google+ account, but don’t know where to start. You've managed to upload a profile picture, join a few circles and update a few streams. What's social networking without photos? However, all your photos are linked to your Facebook account. Here are a few quick steps to get your photos copied from your Facebook to your Google+ account. Fotolink, developed by Primadesk Inc allows easy integration of all your images from one account to another and has a relatively easy way to get all your Facebook images onto Google+.

• Go to the Fotolink application from your Facebook account and allow access, just like any other application.
• An integrated window will open that will display yours as well as your friends recent photos and albums. Click on the album you want to share with your Google account or select the photos to be shared and press Copy. The files will be copied to the clipboard. 
• Next, select ‘Photo Accounts’ and click on the Picasa Logo. Enter your Google username and password and press Connect. A separate window will appear that will ask you for access. Click on Allow Access.

Fotolink Access

• Your Google account is now integrated with Fotolink. Maximize the ‘My Online Accounts’ tab on the left hand side of the screen. Click on your account name that has been created. Create a separate album/ Click on an existing album and press Paste on the right hand side of the screen. Your pictures will be linked to your Google+ account.
• Log into Google+ Click on the photos tab. Next click on ‘Your albums’. Your photos will be available there. You can share it with your circles or post it on your stream. 

It’s that simple. So do try this out as I have and let me know what you think in the comments section below. Happy Google +ing!

Google Buys g.co Domain for a Ridiculous Sum

When companies the size of Google decide to buy domain names and specifically, domain names the size of g.co, they shell out a lot of money. When Google bought this domain recently, they're said to have paid to the tune of $1.5 million for it. Google would most likely use the domain to host its array of apps, everything from Gmail to Google Docs. The .co line of domains belongs to Columbia. A whole bunch of companies own sites on the .co domains including Twitter (t.co) and Amazon (a.co). A compact domain, merely a luxury The CO Internet company is run with support of the Columbian government. As of now, g.co isn’t accessible for any services. Instead, you’re just pointed out to Google’s official URL shortening service - goo.gl. The .co domain range is close to a year old and has some 1 million domains registered as of early June. Not all of these domains are obviously single alphabet ones. Shorter domains are a bit of a novelty. It makes accessing sites a little simpler and quicker. It’s only sensible for dot com moguls the size of Google who can afford to buy such exotic domains considering the user base they have.

Google Adds ZIP and RAR Support to Docs

Google Docs already lets you view 15 types of files in Gmail without downloading them. Now they've added support for ZIP and RAR files. So if someone sends you a ZIP or a RAR file, you just have to click on "View" and you can view the file within the browser itself. This will bring up a view of all the files in the folder and what type of and size files they are. When you hover over the files, you'll get a drop down list of options to View, Save to Google Docs, and Print (PDF). You'll be able to view documents that are supported by the Google Docs viewer and print (PDF) those that offer PDF support.

Check out ZIP and RAR viewability in Google Docs

ZIP and RAR files embedded in other ZIP and RAR files also work. You can have a RAR file inside a ZIP file and you can just click on it to access the embedded archive. This feature is also available in Google Docs for mobile. For each supported file, there is a link that you can click on to view it. Google says that they're continuing to add more types of files to Docs. If you'd like to tell them what additional file support you'd like, post on their forums. To try this feature in Google Docs, click here.

Mozilla Streamlines Passwords, Rolls out BrowserID

In an attempt of the make the user’s online experience of trying out new websites and new services that the Internet offers; Mozilla has launched BrowserID, as per the company's official blog post. The newest technology to have come out of the Mozilla camp allows users to maintain just one password for their several online accounts, and most importantly keep the task of confirming their sign-ins at bay. All that you need? Operating on the Verified Email Protocol, BrowserID basically gives the user of a particular address the authority to prove that particular email belongs to him. The system of BrowserID, completely negates the need of having to enter one’s user name and password for each login, but instead shifts the reliability completely on email ids to do the same. To begin with, users just need to pick the site they want to log into using BrowserID. BrowserID then gives you an option of the email address you choose to sign-in with. While all this is being done, the users’ identity is being verified and taken down to assist BrowserID for the user’s further sign-ins. For beginners who wish to set up BrowserID on their system, a set of email addresses and passwords need to be provided to BrowserID, so that the latter has it stored on its database. After a quick verification, the user is informed via mail that he needs to verify his email address by clicking a link provided in the mail. Once the user verifies his email, he’s good to go. After this process, whenever the user attempts to log-in the registered site using BrowserID, all he’s got to do is decide which email id he chooses to log in with. Mozilla adds, that the best part about BrowserID is that it doesn’t leak back data to even its own servers, let alone to anyone else. However, for now, only the prototype has been readied. But, Mozilla-iites are one optimistic bunch. Others, you could give BrowserID a try here. You could alternately view the video below, and know what BrowserID is all about.

Paid Version of uTorrent Coming Soon

The infamous files sharing application, uTorrent, is likely to be releasing with a paid variant. Less than a month after the release of uTorrent 3.0, BitTorrent, the program’s parent company revealed plans to introduce a paid upgrade for users called uTorrent Plus. With close to 100 million active users a month, uTorrent is without a doubt the most-used BitTorrent client. However, this new version is still in development and unavailable for the public. This paid program, uTorrent plus, will eliminate codec problems, convert file formats and move content between devices.

Premium for a bunch of new features

uTorrent Plus will be available as an invite-only beta before it will be made public. Jordan Berson, Director of Product Management for uTorrent told TorrentFreak that no price has been set for the program as of now, but it will include new features. Berson said that uTorrent is designed for users who are looking to find, get and play content anywhere on their device. The download will probably be free on uTorrent sites, but file sharing will come with a price. However, no plans include any anti-piracy features in it. You can visit the sign-up page for any additional information about uTorrent Plus.

Microsoft Hotmail to Block Simple Passwords

If you thought 123456 was a strong unhackable password, think again. Microsoft is going to stop users from using simple passwords. Hotmail, Microsoft’s free e-mail service is going to force users to use more comprehensive and complicated passwords. It’s just not simple sequence of alphabets and numbers, a lot of users tend to use short phrases and statements as passwords such as ‘ilovedogs’ or ‘ilovecats’. Microsoft feels that easy passwords are more vulnerable to brute force password hacks, where a program or individual is likely to use a list of commonly used passwords to gain access to your account. Once that happens, it’s very simple to change the password of that account. This new rule will be enforced soon and you’re likely to be asked by Microsoft to change your password if it’s deemed too simple.

Guidelines to ensure your password is strong enough

Looking at the large number of recent hacking incidents, there’s no telling who could be the next target. Microsoft is probably playing it safe by forcing users to change the way they set passwords. Microsoft even has an online page dedicated to passwords. There’s a list of guidelines on what a good password should contain and what are considered bad passwords. If you’re one of those who uses simple passwords, do give that page a read.

Apple Thunderbolt Displays Coming Soon

Apple’s MacBook Pros already have Intel’s new high-speed data interface, Thunderbolt. Now, rumours have cropped up that Apple is going to launch Thunderbolt enabled displays in the near future. Apple’s 27-inch LED displays, for example are very popular among Apple Mac users. MacRumours has unearthed a few images of a new LED-backlit display that haven’t been published on the site yet.  The image as can be seen below shows a screen with a wallpaper found on Mac OS X Lion, instead of Snow Leopard. 

For specific users only

There are also images of two similar displays being connected to a MacBook Pro. The displays seem to be connected to a single display using a single connector. Now, the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros are the only ones built with the Thunderbolt interface.  The display is likely to come built with a Thunderbolt interface at the rear instead of the existing DisplayPort connects. There’s no official launch date on the new Thunderbolt display, but one thing is for sure it’s bound to be happen soon after the official OS X Lion update. The only ones who’ll be able to use the new display will be those with the recently launched MacBook Pro.

Flaw in Intel's 320-Series SSDs

Intel’s new 320-series SSDs seem to be having a peculiar problem. Now, here’s the trouble: In case of a power failure, the drive reverts from 600GB to an 8MB drive. 

Several users have mentioned that under power failures, the drive loses all the data stored on it and converts it into an 8MB drive. This ‘8MB bug’ has recently been acknowledged by Intel. However, for now, those that have bought the drive have to be satisfied with the fact that, ‘Intel is aware of customer sightings on Intel SSD 320 series’ and can contact Intel representatives or Intel customer support. Unfortunately, Intel has not divulged whether the problem is actually a hardware problem or just a firmware issue and when it actually will be fixed.

Intel introduces buggy 320-series SSDs

According to a few preliminary reports, the drive tries to reconnect with the SATA port rather than go for a proper shutdown. Embarrassingly for Intel, this ‘8MB bug’ has infested the whole array of its 320 SSDs. However, their acknowledgement of this problem seems to be a step in the right direction.

You can find the official note here.

Have you faced any similar problem on Intel SSDs? Let us know in the comments sections below.

PayPal Launches NFC Solutions for Android

PayPal, the popular mobile payment solutions provider has introduced the concept of Near Field Communications for Android devices. Popularly known as the NFC, the concept achieved massive popularity, after it was learned that it made payments easier than what it used to be. At the recently concluded MobileBeat 2011 Conference (12 - 13th July, 2011) in San Francisco, PayPal revealed its plans for revolutionizing mobile payments and a swanky demo of the PayPal NFC widget for Android devices.

Interestingly, unlike before, where a user had to specifically look out for the PayPal app to proceed with his transactions; the peer-to-peer concept just requires the widget. In an official blog post, it was revealed that users can, using the tap gestures proceed with the final stage of the payment. When the phones are tapped together, the Android widget on the smartphone sends the payment data. Laura Chambers, Senior Director PayPal Mobile demonstrated the concept at the event. She tapped the smartphones with each other, and the transaction went off, smoothly.

The service can be expected to start rolling out later this year. PayPal India users hopefully should have something for themselves, too. However, that is speculative.

GoogleMINUS Tells You When You've Been De-Circled

It hurts to be defriended on Facebook, doesn't it? And now that we have Google+, we have a brand new way of being emotionally abused. Un-circling (I prefer de-circling) is cruel. Just like you have a browser extension that can find for you who's defriending you on Facebook (Unfriend Finder), you can now get a browser extension that allows you to see who's de-circling you on Twitter. It's called GoogleMINUS. The extension works on Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome, but requires another browser extension to be downloaded, Kynetx. Kynetx is a device that allows developers to easily develop cross platform applications that run on multiple browsers. Feed your ego Once you have Kynetx installed, there are dozens of other browser extensions you can install, including GoogleMINUS. You'll need to create an account on Kynetx by authenticating via Facebook or Google. The way it works is pretty simple. Everytime you get de-circled, you get a notification that pops up and tells you who's removed you from a circle. According to the developer, there will be more features coming soon. For now, enjoy the info and here's to hoping your ego doesn't get too badly shattered.

LG Unveils World’s First Glasses-Free 3D Monitor

3D desktop monitors have hit a bit of a roadblock and there isn’t much to choose from as compared to 3D televisions. This is probably due to the fact that 3D glasses don’t come cheap and you have to pair it with Nvidia’s 3DVision kit which again is quite an investment. To avoid all this hassle, LG has launched their first (world’s first as well) glasses-free 3D monitor. The D2000 will also feature an eye tracking technology that automatically adjusts the 3D effect depending on the position of your eye.

No more dorky glasses

Along with that, the monitor also features 2D to 3D conversion feature which automatically converts movies and games into 3D. This is very similar to Asus’s Naked 3D technology used in their upcoming gaming notebook which also uses a camera to track your eyes. No word on the specifications or pricing as of now, so I guess we’ll have to wait and watch.

India Comes Together for Mumbai Via Twitter and Google Docs

After three bombs ripped through Mumbai last evening, the people of the city (and some parts of the rest of the country) came together to help each other out almost impeccably. Twitter and Facebook updates were filled with users posting not only information for helplines but also offering help. Hashtags for #needhelp and #Here2Help were created. Users that were at home offered shelter to other users that were still commuting.

The man behind the spreadsheet

Beyond Twitter, a Google spreadsheet was created by a Twitter user in Delhi, Nitin Sagar. Thespreadsheet contains information of Mumbai and non-Mumbai residents offering help as well as asking for help with their contact information and the nature of help that can be offered or is needed. There are currently 250 entries, most of which are users offering help. A map of live tweets can also be found on Google Maps. This doesn't seem to be updated in real time, however, it can be used to find users in the areas of the blasts.

It really is impressive to see citizens coming together to help each other out. Even though, sometimes, this method of coming together can really only help those who even have access to technology at the time (and the government blocked off cell phones for an hour after the blasts), there are concrete examples of citizens who have been helped just by responding to offers on Twitter and the Google doc.

Adobe Flashes Flash 11 Beta

Adobe Flash is used across all platforms on the desktop, as well as mobiles. Adobe has released a new version of the runtime - 11 (Beta 1 11.0.1.60). The latest release is still in the Beta phase. There are a few additions to the new version. One of the key features is called Stage3D Accelerated Graphics Rendering, which basically uses hardware acceleration to render and power the graphics that you typically see in Flash applications. Technically, this should be possible on everything from mobile phones to desktops to smart TVs with compatible hardware. There’s also H.264/AVC video encoding, so video streams from cameras can be encoded in real time using the modern standard. Fighting the HTML5 assault Inefficiency has also been addressed in the new build. Better compression techniques and support for newer JPEG standards (JPEG-XR) are present. 64-bit support is also integrated in the new release. Adobe is claiming that Flash element files can be compressed upto 40 per cent of their original size. Resolution of images used in Flash are no longer limited to 16 megapixel resolutions either. Some of these improvements should also spill over into the new Adobe Air 3 release. Flash 11 builds for Windows, Mac OS and Linux can be downloaded here. 64-bit downloads are also available.

Facebook App for Every Phone

With social networking fast becoming a core part of the lives of millions, it only makes sense to keep oneself connected 24/7. What better way than to have it on one’s phone? Keeping this sentiment in mind, Facebook has rolled out an app, which it claims functions on over 2,500 Java-enabled mobile phones. Called the Every Phone app, it comes with the popular social networking site’s most popular features – News Feed, Inbox, and Photos. Additionally, users can also upload their pictures, and also search for their phonebook contacts on Facebook.

One for all..

What’s enticing is that, Facebook has roped in several mobile service providers, including four from India, namely – Aircel, Airtel, Idea and Reliance and 16 others to offer free data access to users for a 90-day period. The site has also been optimized for different mobile platforms, so as to ensure that the data consumption is minimal compared to other apps. 

Those willing to give this a try can download and install the same by logging onto - http://d.facebook.com/install from their mobile browsers. The app has been made available with GetJar, Appia, and Mobile Weaver.

Cisco Possibly Still Planning on Downsizing Global Workforce

Although still unconfirmed, reports on Bloomberg suggest that networking equipment manufacturing leader, Cisco Systems Inc. may soon be on its way to slicing off a considerable chunk of its workforce. We had already reported back in May of this year that this was in the works and although the company hasn't yet made it official, the situation seems to say that it's quite possible. In a bid to boost profits, and bring back some lost glory, Cisco may reportedly cut as many as 10,000 jobs from its total global workforce, comprising of 14 per cent of the entire strength.

Downsized?

As many as 7,000 employees will be let go by the end of next month, and some 3,000 employees who agreed to the buyouts are being presented with early-retirement packages. Apparently, the market share of Cisco, along with the reputation that the brand had built over the years, has been slowly slipping. Newer names like Juniper Networks Inc. (JNPR) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) have been usurping the switches, router market with lower-priced products. These changing trends have been giving Cisco officials sleepless nights and this cut-off seems to be the only logical option they have. 

The company plans to have substantial boosts in its profit margins post the cut-off. It may seem worthy to note that Cisco Systems had acquired Flipcam and Linksys, sometime back. Of which, Flipcam died a silent death as we reported a couple of months go.

iPhone 4, Samsung Nexus S on Space Shuttle Atlantis' Final Mission

Afew days ago NASA bid adieu to its 30 year long, space shuttle mission, with the launch of the space shuttle, Atlantis. Along with the four member crew, Atlantis had some special guests onboard. Reports suggest that the Atlantis crew carried with them, along with the other equipments; two Samsung Nexus S smartphones and an iPhone 4.

Simply out of this world, quite literally!

According to reports, the smartphones will aid the crew onboard with several experiments they routinely carry out. Both the Nexus S and the iPhone 4 will be connected to the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, and Experimental Satellites, also known by the acronym SPHERES. With the smartphones doing the routine experiments, the crew members will spend a lot of time with  them. 

While the Nexus S smartphones would have been placed small spheres propelled by thrusters, completely ruling out the need of manual operations, the iPhone 4 will be used to run an app called ‘Space Lab’. Using the app, the crew onboard will be able to carry out numerous experiments with  the phones’ cameras, gyroscopes, and some other sensors, in addition to checking if the computer memory would suffer any repercussions owing to space radiation.