Aakash Tablet Now Available Online

Kapil Sibal's made in India low cost tablet is now available on http://www.aakashtablet.com/.

The Aakash tablet is available online only and the payment for the device can be made on delivery.

Once ordered, the device will reach your doorstep in seven days.

The Aakash tablet is available for Rs. 2,500 where as the UbiSlate 7 (the upgraded version of Aakash) is open for preorder and is priced at Rs. 2,999.

Take a look at the differences in specifications of both the devices below.

Buffy, ‘The’ Facebook Phone coming soon

After denying for years that it is not interested in entering the hardware space, Facebook is indeed working on its own phone, AllThingsD reports. The phone will be manufactured by HTC and will be run on a heavily customized version of Android.

Facebook was apparently tapping both HTC and Samsung but eventually sided with the Taiwanese OEM-turned-smartphone-vendor. It will also support HTML5 as a platform to run Facebook apps and is apparently still 12-18 months from launch.

The project has been in works for about two years but has changed in scope and size. Facebook has earlier partnered with both HTC and Motorola to make smartphones with keys dedicated to Facebook. Recently, it partnered with MediaTek to bring a better Facebook experience to low-cost feature phones.

Read

iPhone 4S Pre-Orders Go Live, Starts From Rs 44,500

Airtel has just flipped the switch on iPhone 4S pre-orders. Users will have to pay the full amount online and will get the phone on the day of launch – November 25.

The iPhone 4S is priced at Rs 44,500 (16GB) and Rs 50,900 (32GB). There is no mention of iPhone 4S 64GB variant. The iPhone 4 8GB page at the moment is redirected to Apple’s Hong Kong store.

We will be updating this post through the day, stay tuned. Just for the record, the prices of iPhone 3GS 8GB could be priced at Rs 20,900 and the iPhone 4 8GB at Rs 37,900.

Motorola Launches Defy+ in India for Rs 17,990

Motorola today officially announced the Defy+ in India at a best buy of Rs 17,990. The Defy+ still features the same ruggedness as its predecessor but sports a faster processor (1GHz processor) and Android 2.3 operating system.

Other features remain the same – a 5.0 MP camera, 3.7-inch display with Gorilla Glass, 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM and 2GB of internal storage and the usual connectivity options.

The Defy+ will compete with Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA Active, which is available for Rs 19,990. Motorola is also expected to launch the Android version of the RAZR in India later this month.

APB - Reloaded - Nun's Bun's Gun's & Schoolgirls

APB stands for (All Points Bulletin) and it's on online pretty hot videogame that recently was renamed APB: Reloaded. Well here is a general idea of what's what in the game just incase you've missed out or if your into guns & chicks & blowin shit up.

 

Facebook Attacked By porn, Inquiry On

Are pornographic images invading your Facebook news feed?

We have yet to see it, but ZDNET recently reported that “gory, violent pictures” and “hardcore pornography” are spreading across the social network.

Facebook says it is getting to the bottom of the problem, but hasn’t yet revealed a solution or how the fiasco started.

“Protecting the people who use Facebook from spam and malicious content is a top priority for us and we are always working to improve our systems to isolate and remove material that violates our terms,” Facebook spokesperson Andrew Noyes said.

“We have recently experienced an increase in reports and we are investigating and addressing the issue.” It is unclear who is behind the attack.

As The Washington Post points out, the flood could be a trick played by the now infamous hacker group Anonymous, in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day, which occurred on November 5th, but the group typically stakes its claim on major attacks.

The images, which are apparently spreading like a wild fire, could also be the result of unsuspecting users having been tricked into clicking malicious links. Updated with statement from Facebook.

Facebook’s official statement on the matter is as follows:

“Recently, we experienced a coordinated spam attack that exploited a browser vulnerability. Our efforts have drastically limited the damage caused by this attack, and we are now in the process of investigating to identify those responsible.

During this spam attack users were tricked into pasting and executing malicious JavaScript in their browser URL bar causing them to unknowingly share this offensive content.

Our engineers have been working diligently on this self-XSS vulnerability in the browser. We’ve built enforcement mechanisms to quickly shut down the malicious Pages and accounts that attempt to exploit it.

We have also been putting those affected through educational checkpoints so they know how to protect themselves. We’ve put in place backend measures to reduce the rate of these attacks and will continue to iterate on our defenses to find new ways to protect people.”

Read [ZDNET] Read [The Washington Post]

Virtual Tailor: Software That Can End The Agony Of Online Clothes Shopping

By Jaya Narain

Shopping online for the latest fashions aims to take the drudgery out of tramping the High Street.

But variations from shop to shop often means choosing the right size can be little more than guesswork.

But now a new ’virtual tailor’ has been launched which boasts of being able to take your vital statistics in less than three minutes.

All dressed up: A screengrab from the Upcload online shopping website showing how the virtual tailor works

The software works by scanning your body as you stand in front of your webcam at home.

By holding up a familiar object - such as a CD or DVD - the software can accurately determine your exact measurements and then uploads a 3-D template of your body.

Asaf Moses, chief executive of Upcload, said a database of around 100,000 people is then used to recommend clothing which might suit your size, shape and age.

He said: ‘It means we can suggest clothing ideas to people that they may never have thought of before.

‘The program is using your body shape to suggest genuinely new ideas to people rather than simply suggesting on the basis of your historic buying pattern. It is like having your best friend with you'.

Also product characteristics, such as textile material and consistency, are all taken into consideration before making a final recommendation for the proper size and fit.

Mr Moses said the idea came about when he had to exchange online clothing purchases once too often.

He realised the online market for fashion was booming but faced a big problem with clothing returns.

Almost every second clothing purchase made online is sent back to the retailer because, in most cases, the customer had ordered the wrong size

He discovered almost every second clothing purchase made online would be sent back to the retailer because, in most cases, the customer had ordered the wrong size.

The user, for whom the service is free, must complete the measurement process just once.

They will then have an UPcload profile which they can use at all the online shops within the UPcload network, and all they have to do is login and purchase.

It is the shops that pay for using the Upcload profile to successfully send out clothing which is the correct size for the customer.

Mr Moses said it has taken more than two years to bring the software to this point though they were still trying to iron out minor problems.

He said people with fat legs which do not have a gap between them pose a particular problem for the software as did people who had very pale skin.

He said: ‘The low-grade cameras used in computers were unable clearly to see the dimensions of a pale-skinned person if they were standing in front of a white or light-coloured wall'.

The company, which is based in Berlin, has been running the system with German shops but has just launched a trial with North Face in the United States.

It hopes to launch in Britain shortly and be taking online measurements of customers by next summer.

Aircel Starts Pre-Booking iPhone 4S

Aircel today announced it will start pre-booking for the iPhone 4S from November 18, with the launch happening on November 25. This is line with what we have been exclusively reporting for over a fortnight now.

Both Airtel and Aircel will initiate the fanfare that usually happens with any iPhone launch on November 24, with sales starting from midnight in select stores in major cities.

Apart from the online pre-booking, we are also hearing at least one carrier might also have some online booking post the launch.

Our sources are indicating the carriers have received lower number of units than what they would have liked.

Apple is reportedly diverting a big chunk of its iPhone 4S inventory to Europe and the US, where the demand remains high despite reports of battery woes that have not been fully resolved with the recent iOS 5.0.1 update.

The shortage of iPhone 4S inventory is expected to continue till January, once the holiday season shopping frenzy in the west subsides.

Know About VoIP Here

Call Using Your Phone, not your Service Provider

VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol. In layman’s terms — this is the technology that allows you to reroute voice communications over the internet.

You’ve all heard of Skype by now, I’m sure. It’s strange that VoIP is so uncommon on the platform specifically designed to make calls.

At first glance it looks counterintuitive. But think about it — it’s your cell that you’ll keep on you at all times, not your laptop. Why hasn’t the idea caught on then? VoIP has its issues — it’s more prone to noise and latency than traditional phone calls.

Established service providers see it as a threat. International calls are much cheaper using VoIP and as internet becomes cheaper, it will only grow.

For now, remember to install a VoIP client and get a net connection to make your life easier if you need to make international calls or if you’re travelling abroad to a first world location — it’s simpler and cheaper than buying a local SIM or praying for network portability — trust me on this.

Plenty of competitors are in the market — Skype, 3CX, Vyke, Viber — take your pick.

iPhone4S vs Galaxy Nexus vs Droid Razr

The smartphone battle has just got hotter. Just days after Apple launched iPhone 4S, Samsung has launched its much awaited Galaxy Nexus powered by brand new version of Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich. Joining the fray is Motorola's Droid Razr, touted as the world's slimmest smartphone. With Droid Razr, Google-owned Motorola Mobility is reviving its once-popular Razr brand.

Here's how Galaxy Nexus and Motorola Droid Razr stack up against Apple's iPhone 4S, which has already become one of the highest-selling smartphone ever.

Display

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S features a 3.5-inch LED-backlit TFT screen with 960x640 resolution.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Samsung Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch, super AMOLED HD display with 1280x720 resolution.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr sports a 4.5-inches qHD Super AMOLED screen with 540x960 resolution.

Camera

iPhone 4S: As anticipated, the new phone packs an 8 megapixel camera with f2.4 aperture. Apple has also included other camera improvements like backside illuminated sensor which Apple claims gets 73% more light than the iPhone 4 sensor. There is also hybrid IR filter and better colour accuracy. For video, the camera will shoot at 1080p HD with real-time image stabilization and temporal noise reduction which will help iPhone users take videos in low light.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Galaxy Nexus features a 5 megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling. According to Samsung, Galaxy Nexus has zero shutter lag. Ice Cream Sandwich OS, which powers Samsung Galaxy Nexus also comes equipped with photo editing tools for removing red eye and cropping.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razor sports an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels for video recording. The other improvements include an auto focusing, image stabiliser. The phone also features an additional front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera that allows video calling.

Processor

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S will be powered by dual-core A5 processor, as found in iPad 2. The company claims that two cores in A5 chip deliver up to two times more power and render graphics up to seven times faster than iPhone 4. The dual-core graphics offer faster and improved 3D experience.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Galaxy Nexus will be powered by 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid runs on dual-core 1.2GHz processor.

Memory

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S has a 512 MB RAM and the device is available in three models 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: As for the memory, the phone will pack 1GB RAM. The phone will come with 16GB or 32GB storage capacity on-board.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr packs 1GB RAM and boasts internal memory of 16GB extendable upto 32GB using MicroSD cards.

Battery

iPhone 4S: Apple claims iPhone 4S will offer a much better battery life with as much as 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of browsing (9 on Wi-Fi), 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of music.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a 1750mAh battery.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr claims to have a battery life of 12.5 hours talk time, 8.9 hours of video playback.

Connectivity

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S can run on both CDMA and GSM networks. With AirPlay feature, iPhone users can wirelessly stream the data phone to HDTV and speakers via Apple TV. In addition, with AirPlay Mirroring, whatever you do on your iPhone appears on the HDTV at the same time.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Samsung Galaxy Nexus can runs on WCDMA and UMTS networks. On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication (NFC) and a USB 2.0 port.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr can run on 4G networks, LTE, HSDPA, CDMA. The other connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and mini HDMI port.

Dimensions

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S measures 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm and weighs 140 gram. The new device retains the same 3.5-inch (diagonal) Retina display as found in iPhone 4.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Samsung Galaxy Nexus measures 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94mm, the phone weighs mere 135 gram.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr claims to be the world's thinnest smartphone measuring 130.7 x 68.9 x 7.1mm and weighing just 127 gram.

 

Operating system

iPhone 4S: The iPhone 4S uses iOS 5. iOS is very simple to use. It is simple, effective and efficient. Also with iOS 5, Apple has overhauled the notification system, thereby removing one of the biggest drawbacks its mobile OS had.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Samsung Galaxy Nexus features the just-launched version of Google Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, which has 'talk-to-type' technology, image-editing tools, off-line search for emails and support for mobile payments.

Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Himalayas: The Future Of Solar?

By John Roach

The Himalaya, including the Mount Everest range 87 miles northeast of Kathmandu, Nepal, shown here, have a massive potential to produce solar electricity, a new study finds.

The high peaks of the Himalayas may soon be a beacon for adventurous solar power entrepreneurs, suggests a new study that identified the lofty region as having some of the world's greatest potential to capture energy from the sun.

Other regions not traditionally considered hotbeds of solar power potential include the Andes of South America and Antarctica, note Takashi Oozeki and Yutaka Genchi with the National Institute of Industrial Science and Technology in Japan.

In addition to copious amounts of sunlight, these regions are chillier than the usual suspects such as the southwestern United States and the deserts of North Africa. Colder temps increase the operational efficiency of certain photovoltaic solar cells, which turn sunlight into electricity.

"The Himalayan region is especially attractive because it is near regions with large future energy demands such as China and India," the pair writes in Environmental Science and Technology.

The finding is based on a global analysis of photovoltaic potential that takes into account the effect of ambient temperature, something the team says has not been done before.

Plopping solar cells high up in the rugged mountains will require addressing additional challenges such as building and maintaining the transmission infrastructure to bring the electricity to the cities where it is most needed, the pair notes.

But overcoming those challenges may be worth the hassle especially when factors such as global climate change are added to the equation. China, for example, adds the equivalent of two 500 MW coal fired power plants per week, according to a 2007 MIT report.

"Because CO2 emissions per unit electricity in China and India are larger than those in the developed countries, using PV energy in these regions could have a large mitigation effect on climate change," write Oozeki and Genchi.

Big solar in Antarctica, the team adds, doesn't make much sense — at least with current technology — given the low population there and the fact that it's dark for half the year.

"If some way can be developed to store the generated energy, e.g. in the form of hydrogen or refined metals, then it may be possible to utilize the large potential in this region in the future," the team notes.

 

source: msnbc.com

Steve Jobs: Inventor, Innovator, Visionary, Entrepreneur, World Changer

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, has died, according to the company. He was 56.

The hard-driving executive pioneered the concept of the personal computer and of navigating them by clicking onscreen images with a mouse. In more recent years, he introduced the iPod portable music player, the iPhone and the iPad tablet -- all of which changed how we consume content in the digital age.

Jobs had battled cancer for years, took a medical leave from Apple in January and stepped down as CEO in August because he could "no longer meet (his) duties and expectations."

The Internet Pays Tribute To Steve Jobs

Here are some tributes to Steve Jobs that have showed up following Apple’s announcement that he had died.

by Jonathan Mak Long via J. Adam Moore

by Mike Mitchel

India Launches $30 Tablet: Sakshat

Kapil Sibal Reappears with Mythical Sakshat Tablet for October Launch

The Indian wonder tablet was suppose to be launched on June 2011, to initial testing by shipping it to IIT students.

Then, it disappeared, along with Kapil Sibal, HRD Minister, possibly succumbing to Team Anna's protest.

Now, both of them have reappeared.

At a function in Delhi, Sibal said: "The computer will be launched next month…This is not just a dream, it is a reality," he added. Officials announced that the device will be launched on October 5, 2011. However, Sibal has not spoken about the device's specifications. 

The device's prototype is likely to be a 5/7/9 inch touchscreen gadget, featuring a webb browser, PDF reader, video conferencing, open office, sci-lab, media player, remote device management capability, multimedia input-output interface option, and a content viewer.

Sibal also mentioned how "corruption…in the recent past will be dealt with through initiative of IT…"… the device.

Sibal hasn't announced any program to institute the tablet for government work, Besides, And, the tablet won't actually be used for any of this - Indian government has issued a directive granting Rs. 50,000 to MPs to buy iPads and Samsung Tabs for parliamentary work, along with training to use the tablet interface.

The Rs. 1750 price-tag (quoted in dollars by the government) has also been questioned. Even though the tablet is considered, by experts, to be a copy of the Chinese Hivepad tablet, such a low-price tablet has never been invented by the Chinese.

According to PCWorld: "The basic components like a processor, motherboard, memory, display, etc, however obsolete they might be, that go into a computer, would cost more than $35 even if you buy in millions of pieces, which the major manufacturers anyways do…"

Meet The Huawei-Discovery Expedition

Discovery Communications has partnered with Huawei Technologies to come up with the ‘Huawei-Discovery Expedition’ phone. The partnership and the launch of the handset is a part of the expanding Discovery Expedition line, the official lifestyle brand of Discovery Channel.

The Discovery Expedition handset is quite a rugged phone (water-resistant, dustproof and anti-shock, includes a GPS, torch, compass, G-sensor) suitable for the outdoorsy kinds. Yes, it will come with native SNS apps like Facebook and Twitter to allow you to share your adventures online with your buddies.

We do wish that we had some more specifications to talk about but judging just by the looks of it, we can say its a fairly sturdy and strong. No don’t expect any ridiculously frail touchscreen display as this one is meant for the adventurous kind.

The handset is expected to hit various markets anytime in the next three months.

Free Apps To Beat TRAI’s 100-SMS Per Day Rule

For those addicted to instant messaging, fret not over the telecom regulator’s  100 sms per day cap. A host of apps like WhatsApp and Nimbuzz can help you get around the problem.

1. Nimbuzz: If you don’t have a smartphone, there’s no need to feel left out.

Nimbuzz, A free software  links you to friends through the internet and even works on a cheap phone. The free app works on every phone and is not restricted to only smartphones. It allows you to send messages  to other instant messenger applications like Windows Live, Google Talk or Facebook. The app also allows free voice calls to other Nimbuzz users over WiFi or 3G without using any voice minutes. For a symbian phone which does not have push mail service Nimbuzz helps you stay connected. Just log in and Nimbuzz gives you multiple options— Chat, text messages, phone calls,  sharing of  pictures or multimedia files— all for free.  The only thing you have to pay for is your internet!.

You can download the app here.

Cnectd : For a different flavour, try  Cnectd— a mobile messaging and social networking free application for smart phones.  The best thing about it is that it uses very little of your phone battery but works just like the BlackBerry Messenger. It  does everything Nimbuzz can, but only on smartphones. You can download the app from http://getjar.com/Cnectd.

 WhatsApp: WhatsApp Messenger  is another free  cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Messaging is clean and simple and you can share unlimited video and audio files. WhatsApp is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia and yes, those phones can all message each other! Moreover, it prompts everyone on your contact list to download the application on their phones.

Download the app here.

GroupMe: A free app that lets you create groups and start conversations with multiple people. Once you add the people you want to create a conversation with, just start typing. Each group receives its own phone number that everyone in the group is assigned to.  It offers the ability to include pictures in messages, make conference calls and send questions to Facebook and Twitter. The app works on Android, BlackBerry and Iphone devices.

You can download the app here.

But if you are willing to spend a little, start saving up now and buy youself a BlackBerry that enables unlimited instant messaging among BlackBerry users.

The World's First Flexible Cell Phone...

Samsung Galaxy Skin: So tough it can be hit with a hammer

Your flexible friend? Samsung to release bendy-screened phones 'in Spring 2012' - so tough they can be hit with a hammer

By Rob Waugh

The Galaxy Skin phone will be so flexible you can roll it up - and may be in shops early next year

Demonstrations of 'bendable' screens have been a staple of technology shows ever since there were screens small enough for us to carry.

This week, Samsung has given the strongest sign yet that the hi-tech devices might become reality.

The company demonstrated 'bendable' AMOLED screens 4.5 inches across and just 0.3mm thick in January this year.

Reports this week hint that phones using the technology - which can be 'rolled up' and survive hammer blows - will appear in the second quarter of next year.

The technology relies on atom-thick layers of 'graphene' - sheets of carbon atoms - sandwiched together, protecting a layer of liquid crystal 'screen'.

Earlier this year, reports leaked that Samsung had the capacity to manufacture large amounts of the screen by 'early 2012' - but no one knew what they might be for.

Samsung later released pictures of a concept phone using the technology - the Galaxy Skin.

The phone would be no mere novelty.

Phones using Graphene screens would be practically unbreakable, and offer an instant advantage over every other smartphone on the market.

Now, according to reports in the International Business Times, the handsets could be on sale early next year.

The report was remarkably specific, stating that the handset would offer specifications including a high-resolution 800×480 flexible AMOLED screen, eight megapixel camera and 1Gb of RAM as well as a 1.2GHz processor.

Those specifications sound suspiciously similar to the spec of Samsung's current flagship, the Galaxy S II, however.

Will Findlater, editor of Stuff magazine told Mail Online today, 'AMOLED is already the mobile screen technology to beat, so if it’s as good as promised, flexible AMOLED could put an end to smashed smartphone displays - and tablets, which are even more fragile.'

Samsung's Galaxy Skin - unveiled as a concept earlier this year - could be on sale as early as Spring 2012, according to recent reports

Layers of 'Graphene' - atom-thick layers of carbon - will be used to create paper-thin 'foldable' screens in the Samsung Galaxy Skin

'The potential for tablets that can fold to the size of a smartphone is especially exciting – you could have two gadgets for the price of one,' says Findlater.

It's perhaps wise to be a little sceptical however.

Samsung has made no official announcement regarding the product, and while they definitely can manufacture the technology - it was freely on show earlier this year - the 'gulf' between that and a working phone ready to go into mass production is huge.

'Flexible' screens have been demonstrated in various forms since as early as 2004 - with tech insiders suggesting that laptops or e-Book readers might one day take the form of a 'pen' housing a processor with a 'sheet' of paper-like screen wrapped around them.

Other ideas have included using tiny, flexible screens like electronic Post-it notes.

Facebook Is Tracking Your Every Move on the Web; Here’s How to Stop It

By Alan Henry

The Issue: Facebook's Social Apps are Always Watching

Over the weekend, Dave Winer wrote an article at Scripting.com explaining how Facebook keeps track of where you are on the web after logging in without your consent. Nik Cubrilovic dug a little deeper, and discovered that Facebook can still track where you are, even if you log out. Facebook, for its part, has denied the claims. Regardless of who you believe, here's how to protect yourself, and keep your browsing history to yourself.

The whole issue has stirred up a lot of debate in privacy circles over the past few days. Here's what the fuss is about, and what you can do to protect your privacy if you're worried.

For quite some time now, Facebook's user tracking hasn't been limited to your time on the site: any third-party web site or service that's connected to Facebook or that uses a Like button is sending over your information, without your explicit permission. However, Winer noticed something mostly overlooked in last week's Facebook changes: Facebook's new Open Graph-enabled social web apps all send information to Facebook and can post to your profile or share with your friends whether you want them to or not.

Essentially, by using these apps, just reading an article, listening to a song, or watching a video, you're sending information to Facebook which can then be automatically shared with your friends or added to your profile, and Facebook doesn't ask for your permission to do it. Winer's solution is to simply log out of Facebook when you're not using it, and avoid clicking Like buttons and tying other services on the web to your Facebook account if you can help it, and he urges Facebook to make its cookies expire, which they currently do not.

Digging Deeper: Logging Out Isn't Enough

Nik Cubrilovic looked over Winer's piece, and discovered that logging out of Facebook, as Winer suggests, may deauthorize your browser from Facebook and its web applications, but it doesn't stop Facebook's cookies from sending information to Facebook about where you are and what you're doing there.

Writing at AppSpot, he discovered that Facebook's tracking cookies-which never expire, are only altered instead of deleted when a user logs out. This means that the tracking cookies still have your account number embedded in them and still know which user you are after you've logged out.

That also means that when you visit another site with Facebook-enabled social applications, from Like buttons to Open Graph apps, even though you're a logged out user, Facebook still knows you're there, and by "you," we mean specifically your account, not an anonymous Facebook user. Cubrilovic notes that the only way to really stop Facebook from knowing every site you visit and social application you use is to log out and summarily delete all Facebook cookies from your system.

Why You Should Care

If you're the type of person who doesn't really use Facebook for anything you wouldn't normally consider public anyway, you should take note: everything you do on the web is fair game. If what Cubrilovic and Winer are saying is true, Facebook considers visiting a web site or service that's connected to Facebook the same thing as broadcasting it to your friends at worst, and permission for them to know you're there at best.

Facebook says that this has nothing to do with tracking movements, and that they have no desire to collect information about where you are on the web and what you're doing. They want to make sure that you can seamlessly log in at any time to Facebook and to sites and services that connect with it and share what you're doing.

In fact, a number of Facebook engineers have posted comments to Winer's original post and Cubrilovic's analysis pointing this out. There's also some excellent discussion in this comment thread at Hacker News about the issue as well. Essentially, they say this is a feature, not a problem, so if you have an issue with it, it's up to you to do something about it.

What Can I Do About It?

Whether or not Facebook is tracking your browsing even when you're logged out, if you don't want third-party sites to send data to Facebook, you have some options. You could scrub your system clean of all Facebook.com cookies every time you use Facebook, but a number of developers have already stepped up with browser extensions to block Facebook services on third-party sites. Here are a few:

• Facebook Privacy List for Adblock Plus is perfect for those of you who already have AdBlock Plus installed (get ABP for Chrome or Firefox). Just download the subscription and add it to AdBlock Plus to specifically block Facebook plugins and scripts all over the web—including the Like button-whenever you're not visiting Facebook directly.
• Facebook Disconnect for Chrome keeps Facebook from dropping those tracking cookies on your system in the first place, and disables them when you're finished using Facebook-enabled services. It's essentially an on/off switch for third-party access to Facebook servers, meaning you'll still be able to log in to Facebook and use the site normally, but when you're visiting another site or using another application, that site or service won't be able to use your information to communicate with Facebook.

• Full size

  

  Disconnect for Chrome and Firefox is a new plugin from the developer behind Facebook Disconnect, but it doesn't stop with Facebook. Disconnect takes protection to a another level and blocks tracking cookies from Facebook, Google, Twitter, Digg, and Yahoo, and prevents all of those services from obtaining your browsing or search history from third party sites that you may visit. The app doesn't stop any of those services from working when you're visiting the specific sites, for you can still search at Google and use Google+, but Google's +1 button likely won't work on third party sites, for example. The extension also lets you see how many requests are blocked, in real time as they come in, and unblock select services if, for example, you really want to Like or +1 an article you read, or share it with friends.

Ultimately, the goal of all of these tools is to give you control over what you share with Facebook or any other social service, and what you post to your profile, as opposed to taking a backseat and allowing the service you're using to govern it for you. What's really at issue is exactly how deep Facebook has its fingers into your data, and how difficult they-and other social services-make it to opt out or control what's sent or transmitted. That's where extensions like these come in.

However you feel about it, Facebook likely won't change it in the near future. If you're concerned, you should to take steps to protect your privacy. As a number of commenters at Hacker News point out, it's not that there's anything inherently "good" or "evil" about what Facebook is doing-that would be oversimplifying an already complex topic. It's really an opt-in/opt-out issue.

What do you think of the assertions? Do you think Facebook has a vested interest in knowing as much about you and your browsing habits as possible, or is this much ado about nothing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

source: lifehacker.com

Navigation Friendly Phones

GPS-enabled phone, check. Mapping software, check. Smooth running of maps on the phone, uncheck?

You can't have a map to everywhere (it is not advisable either!) but you can surely have a phone that supports map apps and helps you explore new surroundings or just find your way out of a forest. Check out the phones that are best suited for interruption-free navigation.

Blackberry 9900, Price: Rs 32,490

Bold 9900 is different from other Blackberry phones because apart from touch display, it has a keypad that can be used for typing in the destination. Also, you can install Google Maps, Waze and MapmyIndia Sygic on this phone though it comes with BlackBerry Maps.

SPECS: 2.8-inch display; 5 MP camera; 8GB onboard memory, 32GB expandable; A-GPS, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi; 130 gm; 1230 mAh battery.

Nokia N8, Price: Rs 22,000

With Nokia's Ovi Maps pre-installed, you don't need any other software. Select maps from the main menu and the device will instantly build a satellite connection and track your current position. The voice directions are useful when you are driving alone. Good at multitasking, you can switch between other applications as well.

SPECS: 3.5-inch display; 8 MP camera; A-GPS support with OVi Maps, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi; 135 gm; 1200 mAh battery.

Apple iPhone 3G S, Price: Rs 19,990

If you recently brought an iPhone 3GS, thinking that it is, after all, an Apple iPhone, don't worry. Even the Phone 3G S is good at handling navigation. Similar in many respects to the iPhone 4, it comes with Google Maps and digital compass for navigation.

SPECS: 3.5-inch display; 3.15MP camera; 16GB/32GB; A-GPS with digital compass; Google Maps on board.

HTC Wildfire S, Price: Rs 13, 500

You don't want to spend much but still wish to experience navigation experience on your phone? Try out the HTC Wildfire S. Powered by a 600MHz processor, it might not offer you the best and smoothest navigation but it isn't bad either. Once again an Android offering, this too has Google Maps on board.

SPECS: 3.2 inch display; 5 MP camera; 512 MB RAM, 32GB expandable; 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi; 105 gms; 1230 mAh

Samsung Galaxy S II, Price: Rs 30,000

Touted to be the fastest smartphone in the industry, the Galaxy SII is powered by 1.2GHz dual core processor along with 1GB RAM. Hence, be it launching applications, browsing applications or even using AGPS, everything happens within a fraction of a second. The big capacitive bright display makes text input really very simple and the Google Maps on board along with digital compass offers an excellent navigation experience.

SPECS: 4.3-inch display; 8 MP camera; 16GB internal memory; A-GPS, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi; 116 gm; 1650 mAh battery.

Apple iPhone 4, Price: Rs 34,500 (16 GB)

The next version of the iPhone is in the offing, but this doesn't mean the iPhone 4 isn't worth considering. The retina display is a killer and the A-GPS support along with digital compass is all you can ask for. Google Maps comes pre-installed on this phone. With plenty of navigation software and location-based apps available on App Store, you can do a lot more with this device.

SPECS: 3.5-inch display; 5 MP camera; 16GB/32GB onboard memory; A-GPS with digital compass, Wi-Fi, 3G; Google Maps on board.

LG Optimus 2x, Price: Rs 25, 499

If you have a tight budget and cannot afford to shell out Rs 30,000 for Samsung Galaxy SII, consider the LG Optimus 2x. It is powered by 1GHz dual-core processor and looks super fast in comparison to many other smartphones with a single core processor. The big and bright display can easily compensate for a navigator screen and the Google Maps pre-installed are good for basic routing.

SPECS: 4-inch display; 8 MP camera; 8GB onboard storage, 32GB expandable; A-GPS support with Google Maps, Bluetooth, EDGE, Wi-Fi, 3G; 139 gm; 1500 mAh battery.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, Price: Rs 27,270

A perfect blend of beauty with brains is what you will say about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Even with a 4.2-inch capacitive touch display, it is lightweight and looks stylish. By accessing settings, you can switch on GPS and enjoy navigation on the preinstalled Google Maps.

SPECS: 4.2-inch display; 8 MP camera; 320 MB storage memory, 32GB expandable; A-GPS with Google Maps, EDGE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G; 117 gm; 1500 mAh battery.