12 powerful life lessons

1. It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.
2. Support your children in pursuit of their dreams.
3. There is nothing to hold you back, except yourself.
4. There is only one way to learn, and that is through action.
5. Trust your gut (or Learn to recognize omens, and follow them.)
6. Follow your dreams.
7. Know what you want.
8. Make a decision and dive in with massive action.
9. Move on - always look forward.
10. You will encounter obstacles and take detours while realizing your dreams.
11. Don’t fear the unknown.
12. Learn to understand the universal language - the language without words.

Sony Xperia X1: A review

What kind of smart phone can Rs 44,500 buy? The luxe Xperia X1 from Sony Ericsson. At this price, it probably appeals only to recession-resistant gadget lovers, but it says something about what some gadget makers think the rest of us would want if money were no object.

Here's reviewing the new iPhone rival on the block.

Straight specs

Out of the box, the device is pure eye candy, with a black or silver metal-and-plastic body, crisp 3-inch touch screen and slightly curved QWERTY keyboard that slides out smoothly with a satisfying click. The X1 has minimal included memory, so you'll need a sizable microSD card if you want to access lots of songs, videos and photos on it; I used a 4 gigabyte card during my testing, which was enough for plenty of content.

But even before I turned it on, I started to get nervous about the whopping number of choices I'd have to make. I felt more confused about the phone's operations than excited about the freedom to use it as I pleased.

11 buttons and a joystick

There is assortment of 11 buttons on the X1's face, including a center button that can select items or work as an optical joystick, which scrolls with a finger swipe. I often used the buttons for starting and ending phonecalls, but tended to forget about the rest of the controls, including the joystick.

Beyond the button bounty, you can navigate the X1 by tapping its screen with your finger or with a stylus. The stylus was often the best way to go, as the device's many options are often presented in small text that is difficult to accurately jab at with an index finger.

Customised apps
The X1 uses Windows Mobile 6.1 as its operating system, but Sony Ericsson developed a variety of customised enhancements that run on top of it. Most notable is the stylish panel interface, which consists of up to nine small rectangles you can customise and use to view different applications or media on the device in different ways.

The panel idea is cool, and it's a nice way to differentiate the X1 from the slew of touchscreen phones that have been released this year, since each rectangle leads to a variety of options, instead of just a single application. I used panels for conducting Google searches, listening to the built-in FM radio and checking out the songs and videos I stored on the X1.

However, the panel interface still sits atop Windows Mobile, which offers its own methods for listening to tunes or watching videos. I couldn't understand why anyone would want so many options.

Business mail

That said, the inclusion of Windows Mobile does mean that if you're familiar with it you won't have much trouble navigating the X1 once you find and click the "Start" tab in the upper right corner of one of the panels.

Business users can synchronise the phone with their PCs and get e-mail from their Microsoft Outlook account pushed straight to the phone -- something that can make it difficult to switch to a more consumer-friendly phone like the iPhone or the G1, which uses Google Inc's Android operating system.

Better resolution than iPhone

And there are several cool features on the X1. Though the iPhone has a larger screen, the X1's touch screen sports a sharper resolution. As such, videos look quite good. You can also stream some content from the Internet, such as videos from YouTube, and adjust video sizes to make lesser-quality clips look more palatable.

The X1 also has a standard headphone jack, which is becoming increasingly common on smart phones and makes a big difference to music fans like myself.

Surfing the Web is easy on the X1, and, as with videos, online content looks very good on the screen. The phone includes the Internet Explorer Mobile and Opera Mobile browsers, and I did appreciate having more than one option here.

The built-in 3.2 megapixel camera takes good photos and can also be used for videos. The phone also has a video calling option.

Applications slow
Still, my issues with the X1 often overshadowed the fun. Many times it seemed fairly slow to open applications or complete actions, displaying the multicolored Windows processing icon while I waited.

Even without slowdown, it usually took me several steps to complete a simple action. When I wanted to change the panels on the device, I had to click a little tools icon, click the panel I wanted to change, click it again to confirm I really did want to alter it, choose a new panel, and click again to select it. After all this clicking, I could barely remember what I was trying to do in the first place.

The X1 is a gorgeous device. But even if you can afford it, dealing with its overabundance of choices would, in the words of Dewey Finn from "School of Rock," test your head and your mind and your brain, too.

Omnia vs Bold vs N96 vs iPhone

The past few months have seen the launch of a surfeit of high-end smart phones beginning with Apple's iPhone, followed by Nokia's N96, HTC Touch Diamond, Blackberry Bold and Samsung Omnia.

All of these handsets cost closer or above Rs 30,000 and claim to provide a big bang for your buck. Welcome to the iPhone generation phones! It is therefore time we considered how they stand against each other on some of the most touted features. Here are some of these key features compared with the rest of the pack.

Storage
Nokia 96: The phone's 24GB of memory consists of 16GB internal memory and an optional 8GB microSD card which can be purchased with the phone. According to Nokia, the phone can store up to 60 hours of video or 20 full-length movies. The 24GB memory of N96 can store up to 18000 songs, up to 20000 images.

Samsung Omnia: The mobile comes in two versions -- with 24 GB memory (internal memory of 8 GB and an extendible memory of 16 GB) and with 32 GB memory (internal memory of 16 GB and an external memory of 16 GB).

iPhone: The Apple iconic device comes in two model memory variants, 8GB and 16GB.

HTC Touch Diamond: HTC Diamond comes with 4 GB of internal storage with 256 MB flash.

BlackBerry Bold: The phone packs 128MB flash memory, 1GB on-board storage memory and has support for microSD/SDHC memory card slot for memory expansion of up to 16GB.

Camera
Nokia N96: N96 boasts of a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, flash and video light. The video camera captures at 30 frames per second. Images can be stored in both JPEG and EXIF format. With the integrated A-GPS, users can geotag their pictures with location data. The dual-slider Nokia N96 supports standard video formats including MPEG-4, Windows Media Video and Flash Video.

iPhone: 3G iPhone comes with a 2 megapixel camera and no video recording option and no flash. The optical zoom is missing too.

Samsung Omnia: The smartphone features a 5 megapixel camera. It support auto focus, image stabliser, geo tagging, auto-panorama shot, wide dynamic range and face detection options. Also, it has option of video recording, video editing, audio dubbing and live dubbing.

HTC Diamond: The smartphone has a 3.2 megapixel camera with an optical auto-focus lens, video calling capability and auto sensor screen pivoting.

BlackBerry Bold: It has a 2 megapixel camera and supports video recording.

Features
Nokia N96: It has media keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers. Users can access digital video broadcasting, wireless Internet and Bluetooth. The phone offers music playback time of 14 hours and video playback time of 5 hours. The N96 is loaded with the N-Games application, Asphalt 3: Street Rules. N96 offers Nokia Maps 2.0 with voice directions for India as well.

Samsung Omnia: The Samsung phone features a TV-Out feature to playback content from the phone directly on the television screen. DivX technology enables video content transfer from the PC to the mobile.

Apple iPhone: iPhone lacks regular FM and offers users streaming Internet radio. iPhone offers Google maps, however, it does not offer any voice directions in India.

HTC Diamond: The TouchFLO 3D interface provides animated access to messaging, email, photos, music, weather and other features. Other features include Bluetooth with EDR, minUSB, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi.

BlackBerry Bold: It comes with Roxio Media Manager application that allows users to search media files on their computer, view, organise, create MP3 music files from CDs, add audio tags and album art, create playlists and copy or convert pictures, music and videos for playback. The phone comes with a 3.5 mm jack, dedicated volume controls and dual speakers. It also supports video streaming.

Looks
Nokia N96: No touchscreen. It has a 2.8-inch TFT screen.

iPhone: Offers a large 3.5-inch screen display. The phone's black plastic skin back has been replaced by silver-aluminum back. While the 8GB model comes in black only, the 16GB version is available in both black and white. iPhone boasts of a single Home button placed below the screen.

Samsung Omina: Sporting a platinum look, the phone takes advantage of Samsung's TouchWiz user interface.It has a 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen display.

BlackBerry Bold: It features a black exterior with satin chrome finished frame and leatherette backplate. Bold sports BlackBerry's sharpest display ever -- HVGA (480x320 resolution at 217 ppi) colour LCD display.

HTC Touch Diamond: The smartphone features a new 3D touch interface called TouchFLO 3D. Measuring 102 x 51 x 11.33mm, Touch Diamond comes with a 2.8 inch VGA touchscreen display.

Cost
Nokia N96: Nokia N96 retails at Rs 35,000 for 16GB.

Samsung Omnia: It is priced at Rs 39,999 for 32 GB and Rs 37,999 for 24 GB phone.

iPhone: Apple sells 3G iPhone in India at Rs 31,000 for 8GB model and Rs 36,100 for 16GB model with Airtel or Vodafone.

BlackBerry Bold: Priced at Rs 34,990, BlackBerry Bold will be available by September end on Airtel and Vodafone network.

HTC Touch Diamond: HTC Touch Diamond is available for Rs 27,500 at all authorised HTC resellers.

Operator lock
Nokia N96: No operator lock, you can use it on any service provider's network.

iPhone: Available only on Airtel and Vodafone network.

Samsung Omina: Omia too is service provider-agnostic. Users can run it on any service provider's network.

BlackBerry Bold: Blackberry Bold would be sold at an identical price by Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance. While Airtel and Vodafone will be launching Bold towards September end, Reliance Communications will launch it a month later in October.

HTC Touch Diamond: Available only on Airtel network.

Miscellaneous
Nokia N96: N96 comes preloaded with Wave Secure, a S60 security application that allows consumers to track their handset in the event it is lost or stolen. It also allows them to backup their phone data over the Internet. N96 comes bundled with a full-length Hindi feature film -- Om Shanti Om, 50 music videos, and a mix of 100 Hindi and 100 English songs.

iPhone: iPhone 3G gives users faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

Samsung Omnia: Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the phone comes with MS Office. An optical mouse has also been included for easy navigation.

HTC Touch Diamond: The Touch Diamond offers a customised, HTC-developed YouTube application for viewing a variety of user-generated videos as also Google Maps for mapping data.

BlackBerry Bold: BlackBerry too has joined the 3G bandwagon. Wi-Fi support, missing in the earlier Blackberry models, has been added. Bold supports WiFi (802.11 a/b/g) network with enterprise-grade security. The phone comes with a new "Push Button Setup" for faster connection to protected wireless network that requires a sign on process.

Source: India Times Network

Corrupt and proud of it: We are like this only

India has become slightly more corrupt since last year. It was ranked 72 in the Corruption Perception Index 2007 and slipped to 85 in the same index for 2008.

What this means is that India's integrity score on a scale of 10 has gone down marginally from 3.5 in 2007 to 3.4 this year. The higher the integrity score, the lower the extent of corruption in a country, says a worldwide report on corruption in 180 nations prepared by the non-profit group Transparency International.

The police, the political establishment and the lower judiciary are the most corrupt institutions in the country. If India wanted to gloat over the fact that it is less corrupt than its neighbours Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, then the sobering news is that Bhutan is ranked 45 and has an integrity score of 5.2.

India and China shared the same rank in 2007 but the communist nation has retained its position of 72 with a slightly higher integrity score of 3.6.

But then did Indians really need Transparency International to tell them that there is corruption in the nation? As one IBNLive reader said: “corruption in India is like common cold, everyone suffers from it and everyone spreads it.”

Is corruption second nature for Indians? CNN-IBN’s Sagarika Ghose asked this on Face The Nation to former central vigilance commissioner N Vittal, senior Supreme Court lawyer Ashok H Desai, and Anupama Jha, executive director of Transparency International.

It pays to be corrupt

"It is very advantageous to be corrupt in India," said Vittal. "Our conviction rate in criminal courts is hardly six per cent. Therefore, corruption is a low-risk and high-profit business."

Corruption is no longer a scandal in the country, said Desai. "Corruption is increasing because we are tolerating corruption. In the old days people would be much more indignant about it (but) today there is a systemic change," he said. “Indians follow the law if it is convenient but not if it is inconvenient and they can get away with it.”

Surely petty corruption—bribing the railway clerk for reserving a train berth, or getting a telephone connection—has decreased in India because of modernisation and privatisation. "No, petty corruption is not declining. Touts at queues in cities have decreased but not in villages," said Jha.

Greasing police, politicians

Police is regarded as the most corrupt government organisation—a grim piece of news at a time when the country is battling terrorism. "There has always been a close link between terrorist activities and corruption,” said Vittal.

“When the hawala case came out it was seen that Kashmiri militants were getting money through the hawala route. In that corruption cycle there were politicians, bureaucrats and terrorists involved. The 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai were helped by corruption in the Customs department," he said.

The sight of three BJP MPs waving wads of currency notes in Parliament and claiming that they had been bribed to vote for the Government played out on national television on July 22. It created a furore but two months later India seems to have forgotten the scandal. Is Indian politics impossible without bribes and black money?

Dirty money is the "contingency fund" of politicians, said Desai. "Most politicians need contingency fund. They require this fund to get themselves and their flock elected, to keep their flock in discipline and lastly to win confidence votes."

Transparency International reckons Indians living below the poverty line paid Rs 9,000 million as bribes in 2007 to avail need-based services. "These services were related to the police, land records, housing, banking, hospitals, PDS, school education, water and so on," said Jha.

That means the poorest of the poor pay have to pay bribes just to survive. Are Indians naturally corrupt or is it just failure of the law?

Don't blame the law but the attitude of the nation, said Desai. "The same laws were applicable to the same people 40-50 years ago. There were role models then who didn't flaunt their wealth. There was a concept of simple life then. Today the collection of money has become a pursuit in itself. If you get into politics, law or medicine the role models are people who earn the most and not necessarily people who show character," he said.

Indians are corrupt because they know the system in their country doesn’t work. "Indians will throw rubbish anywhere in India but not in Singapore because we know that the system works in that country,” said Vittal.

Corruption doesn’t shame Indians, so corruption won’t end.

Source: IBNLive

Little-known facts about Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, the revered CEO of Apple is credited of helping make Personal Computers as easy to use as telephones, changed the way animated films are made, persuaded consumers to tune in to digital music and refashioned the mobile phone.

In November 2007, Fortune magazine named him the most influential businessman on earth for his role in the computer, music, animation and phone industries. Here are some little-known facts about the tech czar.



College dropout

Not many know that Steve Jobs is actually a college dropout. In 1972, Jobs graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California and enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon. One semester later he had dropped out.

He started Apple with a fellow college dropout Steve Wozniak in the Jobs’ family garage in Los Altos, California on April 1, 1976. Jobs, then 21, was the pitchman, Wozniak the engineer.

Wozniak said about Jobs at an Intel Corp conference in August 2008, "Everytime I designed something great from when we were very young, he would say, "let's sell it." "It was always his idea to sell it."

Born to an Arab father!

Born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco to then unmarried graduate student Joanne Carole Schieble and a Syrian father Abdulfattah Jandali, Steven Paul Jobs was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs, a middle-class American couple who struggled to make ends meet.

Fan list includes Bill Gates

"In terms of an inspirational leader, Steve Jobs is really the best I have ever met," said former Microsoft Chairman and Chief Architect, Bill Gates, in January 1998 when asked to name the CEO he most admired.

"He's got a belief in the excellence of products. He's able to communicate that."

Sought ‘enlightenment’ in India

The Big boss of Apple came to Indian in the summer of 1974 in search of spiritual enlightenment. Jobs left to India with one of his best friends from Reed College, Dan Kottke.

Deeply philosophical, Jobs wanted to study and experience, spiritualism and existentialism. In India, he wanted to visit the NeemKaroli Baba at his Kainchi ashram. Unfortunately, when they arrived they learnt that Baba had died.


Takes home $1 salary

One of the most admired CEOs, Jobs draws a $1 salary. His compensation came into spotlight when the company gifted him a Gulfstream airplane in 2001. He was awarded 10 million shares of restricted stock in 2003.

Interestingly, Jobs has a personal fortune worth $5.4 billion according to Forbes annual survey of the world's richest people in March 2008.


Got `Pinkslip' in the company he co-founded

In 1985, Jobs was ousted from Apple by John Sculley, whom he brought from Pepsi in 2003, after disagreement on how to run the company. The August 5, 1985 issue of Fortune magazine with the cover story "The Fall Of Steve Jobs" dwelled on the exit Jobs from the company he founded: Here's an excerpt:

"From the end of May to the middle of June, Apple reorganised in a rush, fired 20 per cent of its workforce, announced that will record its first-ever quarterly loss, saw its stock hit a three-year low of $14.25 per share, and stripped Steve P Jobs, Apple's 30-year-old co-founder and Chairman of all operating authority."

"Jobs fate aroused intense speculation. Not just another young entrepreneur, he is Johnny Appleseed of personal computing. Many insiders are shocked at his removal; they fear Apple has lost the spirit, and vision that made it into a business phenomenon. No players in the drama have explained publicly why Jobs come to grief. But several of them, promised anonymity, have revealed essential details to Fortune."

"What emerges from Apple sources is a tale of adversity -- a general slump in the PC business and disappointing sales at Mac division -- driving a wedge between Sculley and Jobs. Apple's board of directors played an important role in Job's downfall. On several occasions, beginning December, the board goaded Sculley to assert his authority over the company. Even then, Sculley put off acting partly from innate caution about organisational change and partly out of concern for Jobs’ feelings."


Beatles' Apple

According to Jim Carlton, author of 'Apple: The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania, and Business Blunders', Steve Jobs chose the name Apple for his company because he admired the Beatles' Apple Records. The Beatles first began using an image of a Green Granny Smith apple on their recordings in the late 1960s. Apple's logo shows an image of the fruit with abite taken out of it.

The choice led to a legal battle with the Beatle's Apple Corp over the use of Apple's iTunes music store. Apple Corps is owned by Beatle band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono. The two sides settled the dispute in February 2007.

Jobs and Wozniak got a share of 45 per cent each, while the remaining 10 per cent went to Ron Wayne, an Atari engineer who had given hand to the duo.


Millionaire at 25

Apple had their first big success with Apple II, a machine that helped popularlise the idea of computers at home. Apple sales rose from $7.8 million in 1978 to $117 million in 1980, the year Apple went public. By age 25, Job's was a millionaire.

Mac surpassed the success of Apple II. Mac was the first successful PC built around graphic user interface. Mac used icons and a mouse to allow users to pint-and click programmes. It was later adopted by Microsoft in its rival Windows.

Mac became a fashion statement among graphic artists and students.

Steve's NeXT

Out from Apple, Jobs, then 30, started NeXT Computer Inc. The company developed a computer rival to Mac and the PCs powered by Intel chips and Microsoft's Windows software.

Though NeXT computer won admiration for its technology prowess, the company failed to create a ripple in the market when it came to product sales. The NeXT's machines kept losing money and in 1993, Steve was forced to abandon NeXT's hardware operations.


Animation dreams

In 1986, he bought the computer division of film director George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd for $10 million. He named the computer animation studio Pixar, and signed a distribution deal with Walt Disney.

As the CEO of Pixar animation studios, Jobs promoted computer-generated story telling with movies including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life and Monster Inc. The movies were a huge success and Jobs decide to take the company Public in 1995. He was back in business.

In 2006, Disney bought Pixar for $8.06 billion. Job was Disney's largest shareholder and held a seat on their board.


Second stint at Apple!

In 1995, Apple Computer was at its lowest point in history. The company was facing tough competition from Microsoft. Apple's CEO, Gil Amelio, was desperately looking for a way to save the company. In December 1996, Amelio, bought NeXT for $400 million and had welcomed back the company's founder as 'informal adviser'.

Within eight months of the acquisition, Amelio was out and Steve Jobs became Apple's interim CEO. He made the title permanent in January 2000. Jobs returned to the company after Apple had losses totaling $1.86 billion in a two-year period. As part of the turnaround, Jobs unveiled an unprecedented partnership with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates in August 1997, who invested $150 million in Apple. Apple on its part included Internet Explorer browser on the Mac.

However, Jobs' biggest coup came in May 1998, when he unveiled iMac. iMac combined computer and monitor into a single unit. A stunning success, iMac helped revive Apple sales and remains one of the biggest money makers. In 2007, Mac accounted for 43 per cent of the company's revenue.

In October 2001, Apple unveiled its first iPod, the digital music players further galvanised the company's position in the market. The portable music players continue to dominate the global market.


A Buddhist and vegetarian

Few know that Steve Jobs is a Buddhist and a vegetarian. Jobs has never named a successor. He told shareholders in March 2008 that the board would have a variety of executives to choose from when he steps down due to any reason. He singled out two potential leaders: COO Timothy Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer. Cook stood in for Jobs during his leave in 2004.


`Shuns' computer!

In January 2007, Steve Jobs introduced iPhone, Apple's state-of-the-art mobile phone. With iPod and its accessories, Apple TV and the iPhone, it became clear that Apple is not a mere computer company anymore. Hence, went the term `Computer' from its official name. On January 7th, 2007, Jobs announced that Apple Computer Inc has become Apple Inc.

Apple iPhone hit the market in June 2007. The device got updated this year and has been introduced in 22 countries across the globe. The second-generation iPhone runs on 3G network and supports business email system.


Read his obituary!

The tech czar is also probably the only corporate honcho to have read his own obituary, which was fired by financial newswire Bloomberg to its subscribers.

Had the man who reinvented himself, a moribund Apple Inc, and just about every rule in the game of personal electronics with iPod, and then in telecom with iPhone, finally lost his battle with pancreatic cancer?

No, the man was alive and kicking even as a red-faced Bloomberg -- usually sharpshooters when it comes to financial news -- had missed the mark by miles.

The gaffe happened when the American agency decided to update its 17-page stock obituary on Steve Jobs, and someone accidentally published it in the process. The story, which was meant to be sent to Bloomberg's internal wire, accidentally slipped out to its subscribers. And all hell broke loose!

The story that ran 'Hold for release' - 'Do not use' couldn't actually have been stopped as it was simply too big for global financial markets. The jitters subsided later when the agency promptly retracted it.

Google browser: Why Google needs it

The search giant Google has officially confirmed its long-rumoured entry in the browser arena. Termed Chrome, the new browser will take on Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla Foundation's Firefox.

Google's entry in the browser market further embitters the long-going Microsoft-Google battle for Web supremacy. At the same time, it once again hots up the browser battles even as Microsoft has launched IE8 beta 2 and Firefox 3.0. But few people know why a browser might become an important weapon in the Google arsenal.

Here's an insight into why Google needs Chrome.

Microsoft worries
Google browser reflects the company's concern that Microsoft would find ways to use its dominance of the PC software to favour its own Internet applications.

Google has been worried that Microsoft could `use' its power by manipulating Internet Explorer's default settings in a way that might hurt traffic to Google's search engine. In 2006, Google contacted the Justice Department to raise alarms about changes to Internet Explorer that Google believed made it more difficult to install search toolbars made by Microsoft's rivals. Although regulators decided not to intervene, Microsoft subsequently modified the way Explorer handled the selection of search toolbars.

The new feature in the latest beta of Microsoft IE 8 makes it easier for users to block information about their browsing habits, a move which could hamper Google's interests in display advertising.

Independent Mozilla
Until recently, Google had been trying to undermine Microsoft's hold over the browser market by supporting Firefox. Bolstered by an advertising partnership with Google's search engine, Firefox ranks as the second most popular browser, with a market share of more than 10 per cent.

So, an important question is why Google needs another browser when it has Firefox. The non-profit Mozilla Foundation, which manages Firefox, has Google's help both in terms of engineering as well as financially. Firefox has collaborated with Google on a variety of technical issues, including a system for reporting software crashes and to make software browsers more secure.

According to the company's financial figures for the 2006, 85 per cent, or about $57 million of the company's $67 million in annual revenues for the year, came from Google. Last week only, Google extended its advertising alliance with Firefox through 2011.

On its part, Firefox assigns Google search site as the default for the browser's search bar, though users have the option to change this to a rival search site if they wish.

Is it the `independent' ambitions of Mozilla that threatened Google. In an interview to with Computerworld in October 2007, Mitchell Baker, currently the chairwoman of Mozilla Corp said that she would not hesitate to walk away from the lucrative partnership if that was what was necessary to remain independent.

"We've spent a lot of time and energy making sure that Google understands that it cannot turn us into an arm of Google," Baker said. "If the protection of [our independence] would come into conflict with Google, or any of our search partners, we would opt for the community who built Firefox and love Firefox," she added.

Better integration with Google apps
Also, an in-house browser that is Chrome means deeper and better integration with all Google tools, including Gmail, Picasa, and Documents. As it is obvious that a company-controlled browser will operate better with Google's own software. Probably, this also means that Google won't have to pay Mozilla for the Firefox searchbox ads.

Also, if one goes by the popular argument that the browser will in future serve as an operating system or be the medium to tap into the OS, Google needs to have a product ready. And what better for Google if it connects Chrome, Desktop and Android.

Rising dominance of Web browsers
Similarly, mobile may be touted as the future, however, desktop browsers have continued to evolve and become more intrinsic to the way users use the Web. And who controls this experience goes to leverage it, and at times also at the detriment of other website companies. For instance, IE 8 makes it far easier to find something without going through Google search.

Also, with Google expanding its own range of Internet-based applications, it has increasingly become dependent on the state of browser technology. Google and Microsoft are battling over customers who use a browser for tasks such as email, calendars and word processing, applications that have traditionally resided in the stored on a PC.

New branding
According to analysts the Google browser may help the company further improve its branding. According to Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates in Wayland, Massachusetts, "This gives Google another opportunity to protect its flank and to create a new branding position." "The browser is a broader platform than they currently have," he added.

A recent Merrill Lynch & Co report said that the market for Web-based software is expected to touch $160 billion by 2011.

The more, the merrier
One thing that is certain is that Google wants a fall in marketshare of Microsoft Internet Explorer. So, here it can be the case of more the merrier. Suppose, if Google's browser grabs 10 per cent market share in first year it's sure to hit IE too.

Also, if Google's Chrome fails to become a hit with the users, according to some analysts it could be a vehicle to acquire Mozilla.

Google browser: First look

Internet search giant Google has finally made its much-rumoured entry in the browser space. After the latest releases by Mozilla (Firefox 3) and Microsoft (IE 8 beta 2), here comes Google browser Chrome.

Designed to better handle video-rich or other complex Web programmes, Chrome poses a tough challenge to browsers designed originally to handle text and graphics. Google calls the move "a fresh take on the browser" and said that it will be introducing a public trial for Microsoft Corp Windows users starting September 2.

The software, which is in beta, will be distributed for free to PC users in over 100 countries via Google's blog. The Internet search leader is also working on versions for Apple Macintosh and Linux users.

Here's looking into what all the Google browser packs.

Special tabs
Instead of traditional tabs like those seen in Firefox or Internet Explorer, Chrome puts the tab buttons on the upper side of the window, not below the address bar.

Web programmes can be launched in their own dedicated windows.




Speed dial
As a default homepage, the browser offers a “speed dial” feature, similar to the one in Opera browser. This gives users a view of their most visited Web pages in 9 screenshot thumbnails.

Similarly, users can also view some of their recent searches, recently bookmarked pages and recently closed tabs.


Privacy mode
Like IE8 Beta 2, Chrome also comes with privacy mode or porn mode feature. This mode lets users create an "incognito" window where "nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged onto your computer."

This is a read-only feature with access to one's bookmarks or favorite sites.

Address bar
The browser has an address bar ‘omnibox’ with auto-completion features. It offers search suggestions, top pages that a user visited and pages he didn’t visit but are popular.

The omnibox (“omni” is a prefix meaning “all”, as in “omniscient” - “all-knowing”) also gives suggests searches. The browser's search blank keeps a track of keywords in a users' previous visit, allowing one to type in, say, "cellphone" to pull up any web pages he visited recently that pertained to cellphones, say Nokia.

Security
For safe browsing experience, Chrome will regularly keep on downloading a list of harmful sites. This is the Internet search giant's attempt to fight malware and phishing attacks.

Google also promises that whatever will run in a tab will be filtered so that it doesn't affect user’s machine.

However, users who install plugins may loose this security feature.




Multi-tasking
The browser supports multi-tasking. Just like in a typical operating system each application is given its own memory and its own copy of global data structures. Applications will launch in their own windows so that if one should hang or crash it won’t affect the others.

This will also prevent the whole browser from crashing because it’s essentially been partitioned off.



JavaScript Virtual Machine V8
Google Chrome has a new engine for loading interactive JavaScript code, dubbed V8, which is designed to run the next generation of future Web applications. V8 will speed up JavaScript performance in the browser.

Future's 5 hottest technologies

The research agency Gartner Inc has identified emerging technologies for future and predicts that these will have a transformational business impact.

According to the report "Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2008," these should be considered for adoption by technology planners in the next 10 years.

"Although Web 2.0 is now entering the trough of disillusionment, it will emerge within two years to have transformational impact, as companies steadily gain more experience and success with both the technologies and the cultural implications," said Jackie Fenn, vice president, Gartner.

"Later -- in between two and five years -- cloud computing and service-oriented architecture (SOA), which is moving up the slope of enlightenment, will deliver transformation in terms of driving deep changes in the role and capabilities of IT,” he adds.

So, here’s looking into the emerging technologies for future.

Green IT

Along with broader societal pressure for environmentally sustainable solutions, IT has the opportunity -- and in many cases, a requirement -- to improve the "greenness" of its own activities, as well as to contribute to broader company and industry environmental initiatives.

Cloud computing
As companies seek to consume their IT services in the most cost-effective way, interest is growing in drawing a broad range of services (for example, computational power, storage and business applications) from the "cloud," rather than from on-premises equipment.

Many types of technology providers are aligning themselves with this trend, with the result that confusion and hype will continue for at least another year before distinct submarkets and market leaders emerge.

Social computing platforms
Following the phenomenal success of consumer-oriented social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, companies are examining the role that these sites, or their enterprise-grade equivalents, will play in future collaboration environments.

The scope is also expanding to incorporate the notion of social "platforms," or environments for a broad range of developers to build on the basic application.

Video telepresence
High-end videoconferencing systems (for example, from HP, Cisco, Teliris and others) that utilise large, high-definition (HD) displays and components to show life-size images of participants in meeting rooms or suites have proven significantly more effective than earlier generations of video conferencing technology.

High cost is currently the barrier to broader adoption.

Microblogging
Pioneered by Twitter (although other services such as FriendFeed or Plurk are also available), microblogging is a relatively new addition to the world of social networking.

In this contributors post a stream of very short messages (fewer than 140 characters) providing information about their current activity or thoughts, which can then be subscribed to by others.

The phenomenon has caught on among certain online communities, and leading-edge companies are investigating its role in enhancing other social media and channels.

Nokia's iPhone killer, N96

Nokia is all set to steal Apple's iPhone thunder. In a first global launch in India, the world's largest cell phone maker, Nokia has unveiled its 'killer product' N96.

Touted to be an iPhone killer, the high-end Nokia N96 has been launched two days before the official launch of Apple iPhone (August 22).

Nokia N96 is the successor of Nokia N95. The phone which was tipped to see its global launch in October will be available in the market from the first week of September.

Here's looking inside Nokia's iPhone rival.

Here's a phone sans touchscreen, however, still billed as the toughest iPhone rival. Nokia's N96 is seen as a hot competition to iPhone, though the company is also reported to be working on a touchscreen rival reportedly called Tube.

With a large 2.8-inch screen display, the phone packs 16GB of internal memory, expandable up to 24GB. According to Nokia, the phone can store up to 40 hours of video.

The phone supports talktime of up to 3 hours and 40 minutes. Nokia N96 offers support for Symbian S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 Operating System.

Nokia N96 boasts of a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, flash and video light. The video camera captures at 30 frames per second. The images can be stored in both JPEG and EXIF format.

With the integrated A-GPS, users can geotag their pictures with location data.

The dual-slider Nokia N96 supports standard video formats including MPEG-4, Windows Media Video and Flash Video. The phone offers support for high-speed USB 2.0 connection, WLAN and HSDPA.

N96 has a 'kickstand' on the back cover that allows for hands-free viewing.

For music lovers, the phone has media keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers. The phone offers music playback time of 14 hours and video playback time of 5 hours.

The phone supports Nokia Maps application which offers maps with urban details and satellite views and has upgrade options such as City Guides, turn-by-turn pedestrian mode and voice-guided car navigation.

The phone is expected to be priced around Rs 35,000. The handset is likely to be available in the market from the first week of September.

In comparison to Nokia N96, iPhone is likely to cost about Rs 31,000 for the 8 GB version and between Rs 35,000-37,000 for the 16 GB. But if the iPhone is bundled with a carrier's service, the price could be half this amount.

For corporate users, the iPhone packs a punch with its encrypted Push-mail with Microsoft Exchange, which the Nokia N96 lacks. Apple has also put in a 3-axis accelerometer that senses motion much better than N96's basic motion sensor.

However, there are things one would miss in the iPhone like being able to transfer data using Bluetooth, which N96 allows. iPhone also lacks regular FM and offers users streaming Internet radio.

Also, while the iPhone offers the popular Google maps, the drawback is that these maps do not offer voice directions in India. The N96 offers Nokia Maps 2.0 with voice directions for India as well.

Ashoka Chakra - The Tale Of Twenty Four Spokes

The Ashoka Chakra means the 'wheel of the law'. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Dharma Chakra, which means wheel. It has 24 spokes.

The most prominent Indian Mauryan emperor, called Ashoka the Great, built the Ashoka Chakra during the 3rd century BC. The Ashoka Chakra is inscribed widely among the Lion Capital of Sarnath and the Ashoka Pillar. The Ashoka Chakra is placed in the center of the National Flag of the Republic of India. It was adopted on 22 July, 1947. It is rendered in a navy blue colour on a white background. In order to add historical 'depth' and separate the National Flag from that of the Indian National Congress(INC) Gandhian spinning wheel is replaced with the Spokes of Ashoka Chakra in the center of the Flag.

Ashoka Chakra can also be seen on the base of Lion Capital of Ashoka which has been adopted as the National Emblem of India. The Chakra signifies that there is a life in 'Movement' and 'Death' in stagnation. The process of the wheel stands for cycle or the self repeating process with the changing of time in our life. The horse the Right hand symbolizing accuracy and speed. The Bull on the Left hand stands for hard work .

Wonderful Qualities of Twenty Four Spokes :
1. Love
2. Courage
3. Patience
4. Peacefulness
5. Magnanimity
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Selflessness
10. Self-control
11. Self sacrifice
12. Truthfulness
13. Righteousness
14. Justice
15. Mercy
16. Gracefulness
17. Humility
18. Empathy
19. Sympathy
20. Spiritual knowledge
21. Moral Values
22. Spiritual Wisdom
23. The fear of God
24. Faith or Believe or Hope

Ashoka Chakra represent the 24 hours of the nation. Thus it governs all.

Superstitions and cricket go together

Despite cricket being a game of talent and mind, the players often need something 'extra' to sustain their self-belief. It might not make much sense, but the cricketers do not mind it. Not just the teams, but the countless fans watching the games on television also have their own superstitions. People have their lucky seats, lucky corners. And who can blame them if their idols and teams deliver. After all, they can not be denied of an opportunity to contribute to the success of their favourite team. Many cricketers refuse to shave in the midst of a good run. It is all in their beard, they believe. And some others wear the same trouser for several matches together. Their fear being washing them may end up washing their luck as well.

During a league encounter against Zimbabwe in 1983 World Cup, India were in the spectre of a humiliating defeat before Kapil Dev began the assault that brought a ray of hope in the dressing room. And that prompted the team manager Man Singh to instruct: "Nobody would move from his seat". Srikkanth was standing outside the dressing room on a cold, windy day, with a cup of coffee in his hand. And he had to bear it for the next two hours or so!

One more such incident happened in Sydney in 1985. During the semifinal against New Zealand in the World Championship of Cricket, India were in a spot with the asking-rate getting stiffer. As Dilip Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev pulled out strokes of extraordinary brilliance to fight it out, rest of the team did not budge from their seats in the dressing room, keeping alive the lucky charm. Vengsarkar and Kapil not only won the semifinal for India, but triumphed in the final also.

It was the final of the NatWest Trophy in Lord's in 2002. India, chasing a big total of 324, were in deep trouble with collapse of the top order. But the young duo of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif had a different agenda. They staged one of the most remarkable recoveries as skipper Sourav Ganguly instructed his team members not to budge from their seats in the dressing room. Ganguly who had kept his leg on the fence of the room, was seen in the same position for hours till India finally ended the drought of a trophy in foreign soil for long.

Indo-Pak cricket in the '80s and '90s was full of superstition. Playing a final on Friday means Pakistan's victory and Saturday suits India. The Indians were supposed to be gentle souls, firmly vegetarian though there wasn't a formal veg/non-veg head-count. They generally ended losers if they had non-veg meals on eve of the matches. Pakistan, on the other hand, were boisterous, ate everything, had factions in their team and more captains than one could count. But they always won.

Many cricketers have their own superstitions. To begin with, K. Srikkanth says he used to look into the sun as he went in, wore his left pad first, and always walked to the right of his partner, while opening the innings. It made him feel comfortable. He had been following them from the beginning of his career and was successful. It stayed that way till the end of his career with only one exception. Gavaskar, before he played his final Test innings against Pakistan, desired a slight change! India were chasing a stiff target, considering the nature of the track. Gavaskar asked Srikkanth: "Chika, can I walk to your right this time?" How could he ever say no to the great batsman. Gavaskar produced a masterly innings on a square turner. By his own admission, one of his best knocks, considering the pressure, the situation, and the pitch.

Neil McKenzie, the 32-year-old South African opener is another example. McKenzie used to believe he could not score runs unless the sporting gods had been brought on-side through various rituals including him decreeing toilet seats be closed before he left the dressing room and taping his bat to the changing room ceiling before each innings. Before the bowler runs in, he likes to look to square leg, to fine leg, and then back at the bowler. But the South African says if he doesn't do that once, he doesn't think something bad is going to happen. He says it's just like a trigger movement.

Sri Lanka's veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya hits his pads with his bat before every ball.
Sourav Ganguly has used a number of lucky charms during his long career.
Sachin Tendulkar always wears the right pad first.
Mohinder Amarnath and Steve Waugh always carried a red handkerchief in their pockets.