Infosys to start hiring from next year

HYDERABAD: IT major, Infosys Technologies Limited plans to go to campus recruitment across the country next year. Chief Executive Officer and Managing director, Infosys technologies Limited, S Gopalakrishnan told reporters on the sidelines of a CII meeting that companies which skipped campus recruitment following global economic downturn this year, are looking at training about 18,000 of their employees under the extended mode till January 2010.

The recruitment and expansion would begin early next year, he said hoping that economy will revive in second quarter of the fiscal. Economic meltdown affected the growth rate of leading IT companies including Infosys, he said.

Gopalakrishnan expected better performance of IT companies including Infosys in the first quarter results. He said the IT and ITES industry would continue to grow despite the economic slowdown and its growth rate is expected to pick up by mid next year.

Gopalakrishnan said that his company has no immediate plans to expand activities in two tier cities in Andhra Pradesh.

Infosys work for the second campus at the SEZ has already begun and is expected to be complete by next year as the campus with over 10,000 employees in Hitech city was inadequate, he said.

Microsoft-Yahoo deal: How it will work

Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc sealed a 10-year Web search deal to better compete against market leader Google Inc. The long-expected deal means Microsoft's new Bing search engine will be combined with Yahoo's experience attracting advertisers in the first serious threat to Google Inc -- if the companies get regulatory approval and can make the partnership work.

Here’s how the Yahoo-Microsoft deal will work out: Financial details, search, advertising, risks, obstacles and more...

* Microsoft will guarantee the revenue per search for Yahoo's owned and operated sites in each country for the first 18 months after initial implementation in that country.

* Yahoo expects the agreement to boost annual GAAP operating income by about $500 million within two years and help capital expenditure savings by about $200 million. Yahoo also expects the partnership to add about $275 million to annual operating cash flow.

* Microsoft will pay Yahoo through a revenue-sharing agreement on traffic generated on Yahoo's network of both owned and operated and affiliate sites.

* Microsoft will pay traffic acquisition costs to Yahoo at an initial rate of 88 percent of search revenue generated on Yahoo's owned and operated sites for the first five years.

* Yahoo will act as the global sales force for both companies' premium search advertisers.

* Microsoft's AdCenter platform will fulfill self-serve advertising for both companies.

* AdCenter's automated auction process will set prices for all search ads.

* Each company will keep its own separate display advertising business and sales force.

* Under a 10-year license, Microsoft will be able to integrate Yahoo's core search technologies into its current Web search platforms.

* Microsoft's Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo sites. Yahoo will continue to use its technology and data in other areas of its business, including display advertising technology.

* Yahoo will innovate and "own" the user experience on its own properties, including the user experience for search, even though it will be powered by Microsoft technology.

* The agreement restricts the use of search data shared between the companies. To protect consumer privacy, it will limit the data shared between the companies to the minimum necessary to operate and improve the combined search platform.

* Yahoo! will continue to syndicate its current search affiliate partnerships.

* The companies will continue to compete in other areas as the agreement does not cover each company's Web properties and products, email, instant messaging or display advertising.

Bing Lands into Worlds Top 20 Websites

How much time does it take to launch a new service and bring it in to the coveted "worlds most visited" sites list? Not much if the service happens to be a Search Engine, and more importantly, if the search engine is from Microsoft. Well, it's not the most visited website as yet. However, breaking into the top 20 was cakewalk for Bing, which managed the feat in just about two months from the launch date.

So, ladies and gentlemen, it's now official. Microsoft's Bing, launched sometime in June, has now made its quiet entry into Alexa's top 20 list. It is still behind the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Strangely, Alexa's "top 20" page still lists Bing's erstwhile Avatar, Windows Live Search at the number five spot. Windows Live is dead for all practical purposes as going to live.com redirects to Bing now.

While it may have inched itself into the top 20 list, it is still way behind Google, which continues to dominate the number one position. In second place is Yahoo followed by another Google property, YouTube. Almost two months since the launch of Bing, it sure is a good sign for Microsoft about Bing's growth. However, it still has a long way to go before it can ruffle the feathers of folks over at Google in the Search Engine wars. As for Bing, its growth, in sheer numbers has been great; however, the overall usage pales in comparison to Google.

Sony launches Wire-free, All-in-one Walkman, W Series MP3 Player

Sony recently launched All-in-one Walkman W Series MP3 Player . Showcasing a wire-free design, the Walkman W series is perfect for audio fans who want a simple and headphone-only MP3 player to use on the go. The ultra portable W series is compact and lightweight (35g) with a revolutionary design that fits comfortably behind the head, so users can get active without getting tangled. Available in five stand-out colours; black, white, pink, violet and lime, it features 2GB internal storage, ensuring you have a wide selection of songs whilst working the treadmill.

The unique design means there is no traditional display to this MP3 player; instead, it incorporates Sony’s unique new ZAPPINTM function that offers an effortless way of browsing, searching and listening to music without a display, allowing you to concentrate solely on your workout. By simply clicking the Jog Dial operation on the inside earpiece, the ZAPPINTM mode helps you find tunes easily, by playing a four or 15 second snippet of each song in the music library one after the other until a favourite song is found.

The Walkman W series MP3 player offers a handy solution for all those times you’ve discovered your battery is flat. A quick charge feature has been incorporated in this model, allowing users to play back up to 90 minutes of music with only a three minute charge – perfect for a quick gym session. Give it a full charge and users can enjoy up to 12 hours of music playback. The W series also comes with a USB cradle to dock and charge your MP3 player.

You can be assured of the clearest sound with Sony’s impressive 13.5mm EX headphones, offering exceptional sound quality and maximum comfort. In addition, the ‘Content Transfer’ software supplied with the W series Walkman allows you to easily transfer non-DRM music files from online music services, such as iTunes, to the Walkman by simply ‘dragging and dropping’ files.

With an affordable price tag of Rs.4,990/-, the NWZ-W200 Series will be available at all Sony Center stores and retail partners across the country.

Scientists develop 'sensor' to measure happiness

Washington (PTI): Are you feeling happy or sad? Well, scientists in the United States have created a "sensor" which is capable of measuring happiness of people.

Peter Dodds and Chris Danforth, a mathematician and computer scientist respectively, working in the Advanced Computing Center at the University of Vermont, have developed a mechanism to measure happiness of millions of bloggers.

"The proliferation of personal online writing such as blogs gives us the opportunity to measure emotional levels in real time," they wrote in their study, 'Measuring the Happiness of Large-Scale Written Expression: Songs, Blogs, and Presidents,4" available in online edition of Journal of Happiness Studies.

Their "hedonometer" gathers sentences beginning "I feel ..." Then, applying standardized "psychological valence" of words, each sentence receives a happiness score.

According to release by the the University of Vermont, the scientists were able to make observations of people "in a fairly natural environment at several orders of magnitude higher than previous happiness studies".

"They think they are communicating with friends," but, since blogs are public, Danforth said, "we're just looking over their shoulders."

"We are thus able to present results of what might be considered a very basic remote-sensing hedonometer," Dodds and Danforth were quoted as saying in the release. "Our study is a data exploration," Danforth underlined, adding "It's not about developing a theory."

Nokia N86 8MP Smartphone @ Rs. 27,359

Nokia has finally launched its N86 8 Megapixel mobile phone in the market. The phone has been a force to be reckoned with everyone hailing it as the best non-touchscreen smartphone. This is the first phone from the world’s largest mobile maker to feature such a high quality camera. N86 in the Indian market at a price tag of Rs. 27,359.

This N86 is a dual-slide design with rounded corners. It measures 103.4mm x 51.4mm x 16.5 mm (4.1in x 2.0in x .6in) and has a display of 16 million colors.

Each Nokia N86 8MP can play up to 25 hours of music on one charge which can be enjoyed with the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-214 also announced today.

The company says their built-in camera will take “clear” pictures in both dark and light conditions. There is a wide-angle option along with a high speed shutter.

The device also offers a bright OLED screen with scratch resistant hardened glass, easy photo management, full sync capability with a PC and TV-out support for slide shows.

This phone has also taken care for the gaming fans as phone offers dedicated gaming keys and some 17 pre-loaded N-Gage labels.

When there are no more IP addresses

The ‘dotcom’ industry, which has evolved gracefully into an indispensable business channel in emerging economies after its boom and bust phase, may be at yet another cross roads at the start of this decade. The reason is that the unique IP addresses allotted to websites are peaking at a number of 4 billion globally, and at just 3 million in India. The IPV4 standard of addressing can accommodate only a finite number of IP addresse, which are estimated to be exhausted by 2011-12.

An IP (internet protocol) address, otherwise known as web addresses

, is the unique identification number given to each web space allocated to a particular individual or corporation. The international standard of addressing for this is IPV4 (internet protocol version 4), which allows a finite number of addresses only.

Taking stock of the situation, an alternate system of addressing named IPV6 has been under development for over a decade now. This system is structured in such a way that it allows infinite number of URLs to be allocated. However, despite a clear indication of exhaustion of IP addresses under IPV4, IPV6 deployment remains below 1% globally and near zero in India.

In fact, Sify is the only web service provider which has converted to IPV6 in India, apart from research networks. “Web clients, servers and internet service providers (ISPs) will much rather look at deployment of alternate technologies to circumvent the addressing problem than attempt a complete overhaul of standards,” said Verisign India vice president Shekhar Kirani. “IPV6 deployment stands at a mere 0.45% in the US and 0.24% in China.”

Incidentally, China beat the United States in the amount of web traffic it attracts in Q1 of 2009-10, at 27.59% of global traffic, compared to US’ 22.15%. The growth in traffic YoY has been at 43% from 19.3% last year, whereas US’ has fallen by a marginal 7% from 22.85%.

“It is clear that it is in emerging economies that the IP addresses crunch will be felt direly,” said Sify Technologies global infrastructure operations VP P K Saji. “67% of the world’s IP addresses have been allocated to the US, 17% to the US and only 9% to Asia. But, it is in Asia that the demand for IP addresses has grown rapidly in the past year.”

The Indian government’s outlay on e-governance alone is estimated to be Rs.23000 crore till 2011. “According to data from banks, 20% of financial transactions done in this country are done online, and this number is expected to hit 30% by the end of this year,” Mr.Saji said. “But, India has just 0.0006 addresses per person, while the US has 9 addresses per person.”

At a recent forum on IPV6 held by the government of India’s telecom engineering centre, it was concluded that all e-governance projects will have to be IPV6 enabled. Mr.Kirani considers IPV6 penetration highly unlikely as it involves a change in ISP infrastructure, network architecture and web design on a concerted effort. “If it doesn’t happen simultaneously there will be issues with interoperability,” he said. But, Mr.Saji suggests a solution – a dual stack adapter fit to the web server. “Our site uses that adapter and so, can communicate with IPV4 as well as IPV6 infrastructure. For every enterprise to do that, it means a mere 20-25% increase in their network infrastructure cost, which is only 10% of their IT costs,” he said.

US-based Akamai, director David Belson said, “As a nation with a developing telecommunications infrastructure, there is enormous potential for IPv6 in India. Because of the vast number of IP addresses available with IPv6, it is possible to assign IP addresses to nearly any device and connect them to the internet. This can have a significant impact in areas such as agriculture, shipping, retail, entertainment, communications, and utilities.”

Presently, there are said to be 10^36 IP addresses available under IPV6, of which Sify has managed to obtain 0.7 trillion from ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the international body for IP address allocation. “There are 6.1 billion people in the world. IPV4 falls short of them by 2 billion, while IPV6 exceeds them exponentially!” Mr.Saji said.

Ironically, the operating system which was supposed to put a computer on every desk at every home – Windows, is one of the challenges for IPV6 deployment. “While Mac is 2.4% compatible to IPV6, Windows is only 0.32% compatible,” Mr.Kirani said.

In this state of affairs, it is inevitable that markets would arise for IPv4 addresses that have become a scarcer resource, Mr.Belson feels. Mr.Saji said, “Instead of enterprises squeezing whatever efficiency is possible from IPV4 through LAN networks, it makes sense to shift to shift to IPV6, for by April 2012, when there are no more IPV4 addresses to be allotted, it will be inevitable.”

Nokia extends style association with Priyanka Chopra

Nokia, the world leader in mobile devices has further strengthened its style and imaging portfolio with the launch of the sleek and chic Nokia 6700 Classic & Nokia 6303 Classic. The devices, which were launched by Bollywood diva, Priyanka Chopra, are targeted at the suave and savvy Indian consumers who are looking for superior functionality with premium finish at competitive prices.

Nokia also announced that it will continue its association with tinsel town’s reigning queen and Nokia’s youth style icon, Priyanka Chopra who will be seen in a new print and digital campaign being unveiled by the company soon. With the tagline “Pictures get us talking”, the new campaign has a contemporary visual appeal that brings out how people use the elements of mobile imaging in their way of mobile communication rather than just voice.

Alongside the Nokia 6700 Classic & Nokia 6303 Classic launch, Priyanka also rolled out an interesting consumer engagement initiative - “Pictures get us talking”. The consumer contest that starts from today, gives users an opportunity to upload their interesting and unique pictures on the Nokia website – www.nokia.co.in.. The picture that starts the maximum conversations and is the most talked about in the virtual world will emerge as the winner. The winning entry will get a complete makeover by a well known fashion designer. In addition, Priyanka will also talk and twitter about her favourite pictures on her twitter.

Bill Gates: US curbs on talent a mistake

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said it would be a "big mistake" if the US imposes curbs on the entry of skilled workers from abroad, putting his weight behind "smart people" from countries like India who want to work overseas.

"I can't make any predictions. Immigration policy could get more difficult. Microsoft as a company is very vocal. It would be a big mistake," Gates, here for overseeing the philanthropic activities of his foundation, said in an interaction with India Inc.

"The US Congress is very tough on immigration. But why not make an exception for smart people?" said Gates while addressing an interactive session organised by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom).

Even though Gates now devotes most of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he has always been vocal about his support for migrant professionals that is reflected in the number of such workers at the
Microsoft offices in the US.

Gates said he was also keen to partner India in its ambitious plan to issue a single identity card and number to its 1.17 billion citizens for which a new authority has been formed under Infosys Technologies co-founder Nandan Nilekani.

"Microsoft wants to be part of the Unique Identification Authority of India project," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Nilekani to discuss the issue.

HTC Hero goes on sale

The device, which features a five-megapixel camera, built-in GPS and a digital compass for simple navigation, runs Google’s Android operating system. The Hero also has a touch-screen interface, an accelerometer that can sense which way the phone is being held, and up to 16GB of memory, so it can store thousands of songs, photos and movies.

Gadget fans have been impressed by the handset, which gives Apple’s iPhone a run for its money. HTC said the Hero boasts cutting-edge device-wide and contextual search, enabling users to easily search for people in their contact list or messages in their email in-box, as well as across other services, such as Twitter.

Users will also be able to download “widgets” on to the Hero’s home screen, providing at-a-glance access to the latest news headlines, weather reports, email inboxes and calendars.

The Hero is available exclusively on the Orange network, and will be available for free on selected price plans, including a £39.15 per month, two-year contract, which gives users unlimited data usage and text message as well as 1,200 minutes of free calls.

“The Hero offers a unique blend of form and function that will take Android to new heights,” said Peter Chou, chief executive of HTC.

Kingston launches its best 256 flash drive DataTraveler 300

Kingston Technology has launched its best 256 flash drive DataTraveler 300. The product is a huge improvement in both technology and storage capacity than previous flash drivesIn just around two months time the company seems to have doubled the capacity of its 128 GB USB flash drive.

Just a few weeks ago the company had released DataTraveler 200 (DT200), the world's first 128GB USB Flash drive. The large capacity along with password protection gave users the flexibility to carry critical data with them at all times in a very small form factor.

The company while launching the previous flash drive had said, "The new DT200's robust storage capability lets consumers store complete libraries of music, photos and videos. It is also a great tool for business users who carry around large databases or files".

The Kingston DataTraveler 200 featured a capless design to protect the USB connector when not in use and is enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost. It came in 32-, 64- and 128GB capacities. The 128GB drive is build-to-order only. Customers who wish to purchase it can place an order through normal.

Kingston is a Taiwanese-American producer of memory products. Its global headquarters is located in Fountain Valley, California. It has manufacturing and logistics facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China.

It is the largest independent producer of DRAM memory modules, currently owning 27.5% of the third-party worldwide module market share, according to iSuppli. These figures do not include Kingston OEM revenues. Kingston is arguably the second largest supplier of flash memory.

Kingston’s latest DataTraveler 300 allows users to carry around thousands of image files and whole databases of documents, the company said. Kingston said the product offers fast data transfer rates and the option to password-protect data.A company official says, “The DataTraveler 300 will enable users to carry huge volumes of data with them everywhere they go - up to 365 CDs for example. That's one album for every day of the year, and it demonstrates how far flash technology has developed”.

Nathan Su a senior company official says, “Having the ability to carry over 51,000 images or a paper tower 1346 meters tall in such a small format, demonstrates how far flash technology has developed”. He goes on to add, “Users can also safeguard their data by initializing the Password Traveler software, which will allow business users and consumers to password protect their data in a privacy zone without the need of administrator rights.”

Microsoft Offers Free Trial of SaaS Offerings

Microsoft India has announced a two-month trial for its SaaS offering for businesses called the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). Users can try the offerings at Microsoft India’s Website at no charge before its commercial launch in October 2009. Microsoft’s BPOS suite includes Exchange, SharePoint, Office Communications Server, Office LiveMeeting and CRM Live.

“Over 80 percent of the businesses in India are SMBs that are increasingly looking to use world class IT for better business productivity. With tools such as email and collaboration becoming increasingly a must-have in this segment, the pay-as-you-go affordability and freedom from IT administration, our Online Services offer the much needed respite from financial and logistical hurdles,” said Sanjay Manchanda, Director, Microsoft Business Division.

Online Services such as Exchange Online (for e-mail) and Office SharePoint Online (portals and collaboration) are available separately or as a suite together with Office Live Meeting (for conferencing), Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services and Microsoft Office Communications Online (for instant messaging and presence).

Microsoft’s SaaS strategy has three components—Windows Live for consumers and small businesses; the second is the hosted SaaS offerings where third-party companies will host the mailing, collaboration and CRM solutions and offer it to the market, while the last piece is the Online Services (BPOS) which will be hosted and delivered by Microsoft.

Microsoft expects Online Services to offer significant opportunities to partners that can sell, customize and provide consulting, migration, and managed services to small and medium businesses.

Technology will be key factor in tackling climate change

NEW DELHI: India and the United States on Tuesday “registered points of congruence” in their approaches to climate change and agreed to continue to remain engaged on issues where there were divergences.

“The talks were useful and productive. We welcomed the fact that both see climate change and energy security as interlinked challenges,” Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran told The Hindu after holding talks with his U.S. counterpart Todd Stern

Both agreed that climate change action must enhance and not erode the developmental prospects of the developing countries. They also agreed that technology would be a key factor in enabling the world to meet the climate challenge, Mr. Saran said.

“We need to talk more about mitigation and the scale of financial resources required to enable climate action in the developing countries beyond the significant action they are already taking such as India’s own National Action Plan on Climate Change,” he said.

The two countries further need to discuss how they could create a global regime that would allow rapid and widespread diffusion of climate-friendly technologies.

Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh explained India’s position to Mr. Stern. He said that even in a high growth scenario, India would not be a major polluter. “He appreciated our position and said we should work for an international agreement that would take into account the concerns of countries like India and China,” Mr. Ramesh said.

Earlier, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah told Mr. Stern that the U.S. should remove “barriers” that prevented research and technology transfer and ensure easy funding in the renewable energy sector to combat the threats of climate change.

“We told them [the U.S.] very clearly that renewable energy, for instance solar energy, is very expensive and, therefore, we are unable to give the boost that it needs. We also spoke on how they would make the research easily available to the developing nations, particularly to India,” Dr. Abdullah told journalists.

Yahoo set for a radical makeover

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo Inc said it plans to introduce a major overhaul of its Internet home page, as the company strives to make itself more relevant to Web surfers and create new ways to sell advertising.

The new homepage blends Yahoo's collection of online content and products with popular social networking services like Facebook and Twitter, representing what a Yahoo official called the most "radical" make-over of the site since its inception more than a decade ago.

"It's a sea change in the way we think about products, the way we think about users, and the way we think about our business," Yahoo Senior Vice President of Integrated Consumer Experience Tapan Bhat said in a conference call with reporters ahead of the announcement.

The new homepage comes as negotiations between Yahoo and Microsoft Corp on a search and advertising partnership are regaining momentum.

Yahoo, which is due to report its second-quarter financial results on Tuesday, is facing increasing competition from Microsoft, following the release of Microsoft's Bing Internet search engine in June.

According to comScore, Yahoo's share of the U.S. search market decreased to 19.6 percent in June from 20.1 percent the month before, while Microsoft's search share increased from 8 percent to 8.4 percent.

Yahoo's homepage, however, is one of the most visited pages on the Web, and among the most valuable of Yahoo assets. The homepage had more than 100 U.S. million unique visitors a month in June, according to comScore, and 330 million worldwide in May.

The new Yahoo homepage is less cluttered than the existing version, showcasing fewer of Yahoo's products and services. A column that runs down the lefthand of the Web page allows users to swap-in various "apps" that preview content from third-party websites like USA Today and Facebook, as well as Yahoo sites, when a user rolls a cursor over them.

Yahoo will sell display ads that run alongside the app previews.

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz had previously said that the new homepage was set to go live in the Fall.

According to Yahoo's Bhat, the new homepage will be available in the U.S. on Tuesday, and in several other countries in the coming weeks, as a beta product that users can opt-in to receive. The new homepage will become the standard option for all visitors to Yahoo sometime in the fall, he said.

Only three operators can offer 3G services in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Only three telecom operators can roll out third generation (3G) services in Delhi due to a spectrum crunch, Communications and ITMinister A. Raja said on Monday.

"Delhi has only 15 Mhz of spectrum available making it possible only for three telecom operators to offer such services," Raja told Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The minister also told parliament that an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) had been constituted to look into matters concerning 3G spectrum auctions, scheduled to happen this year.

Each telecom operator (successful bidder) will be allocated 5 MHz of 3G spectrum once the auctions are over.

In Delhi, only two private players will be able to offer this high-end services as one slot is already reserved for the state-run telecom operator Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL).

The minister said West Bengal will get only 10 MHz of spectrum, while Gujarat will have 15 MHz.

Such a crunch may lead operators to make crazy bids to acquire spectrum in maximum number of telecom circles, industry officials worry.

The government is expected to earn about Rs.35,000 crore from the 3G auctions.

‘Anytime upgrade’ could be ‘never’ for Windows 7 netbook users

Microsoft is including all editions of Windows 7 on an installation disc to encourage users to pay an extra fee to upgrade from their original choice. But one analyst says pricing and other factors make it unlikely many will take advantage of this scheme.

The ‘Anytime Upgrade’ program uses the multi-edition disc to allow users to simply pay online and upgrade from one edition to another. Microsoft will be particularly keen for people to do this on netbooks where many manufacturers will opt to install the entry-level Starter edition to save on costs.

The problem is that the $80-90 fee for upgrading from Starter to Home Premium (effectively the standard consumer edition) may seem pricey from multiple viewpoints. It’s about 70% of the price you’d pay to upgrade Vista Home Premium to Windows Home Premium, meaning that most users might as well have bought a Home Premium machine in the first place.

And it’s likely to seem particularly expensive when seen as a proportion of the cost of most low-price netbooks. Stephen Baker of the NPD group told Computerworld “At those prices, there won’t be many opportunities to [convince users to] trade up. If people are buying cheap [PCs] they’re buying cheap for a reason.”

In theory the ‘Anytime Upgrade’ system doesn’t have to run through a DVD. PC manufacturers are able to install the full range of Windows 7 editions on the computer ready to be unlocked as and when the user opts for the upgrade.

However, it’s likely that option would be more popular among manufacturers of higher-spec machines. Not only would many netbooks struggle to perform well with the top-end editions of Windows 7, but on those which could cope, users could well feel duped if they believe their Windows 7 experience has been artificially limited to try to squeeze some extra cash out of them.

That anger would have been particularly strong if Microsoft had gone ahead with plans to limit the Starter edition of Windows 7 (designed for netbooks) to only run three applications at once. Dropping that limit has quelled a possible outrage, but does mean users have less incentive to upgrade from the Starter edition.

Google flies you to the moon

Google Earth can now take you to the moon.

Timed with the 40th anniversary of the first moon walk, the Internet giant on Monday released an addition to its Google Earth mapping software to provide images of the landscape of the moon and traces of human exploration there.

Called the Moon in Google Earth, the software allows you to see topographical features on our closest celestial neighbor with the lunar equivalent of the Google Street View. People can also see a gallery of the Apollo space missions and get information on every robotic spacecraft that has visited the moon.

"This tool will make it easier for millions of people to learn about space, our moon and some of the most significant and dazzling discoveries humanity has accomplished together," said Anousheh Ansari, a Trustee of X PRIZE Foundation and first female private space explorer, on the Official Google blog on Monday.

Google is hosting an event to launch the Moon in Google Earth site at the Newseum in Washington D.C. where Ansari and Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin will speak.

Enjoy 'Special 5' Plan on Airtel Mobile

Bharti Airtel has announced a new add-on feature called 'Special 5' that gives the customer the flexibility to choose any five numbers of his/her choice across both local and STD.

Under this feature, customers can select five Airtel mobile numbers from their friends, family and colleagues and stay in touch with them at 20 paise per minute on local calls and 50 paise per minute on STD calls. This feature is available as an add-on to customers' current tariff plans in prepaid. Customer need to register the five numbers and enjoy the benefits over and above the current tariff benefits enjoyed. In postpaid, it will be available as exclusive 'Special 5' plan.

Prepaid customers can use this service by dialing 12141 and registering their special 5 numbers online through the automated IVR. Postpaid customers can send a message "FIVE" to 121 and register on the Special 5 plan. There will be a daily rental component for each number (Re.1 for STD and 50 paise for local Airtel to Airtel mobiles).

Following is the brief description for prepaid numbers.
1) Rs 5 will be charged initially per number
2) 1 rupee/number will charged afterwards every day.

i.e. if you have subscribed 5 numbers, you have to give 150 Rs/month from your balance.

Mobile cos line up Google's Android phone launches

Google’s smartphone operating system (OS) Android is soon going to get a leg up in India with leading cellphone vendors such as HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola firming up plans to roll out a portfolio of such handsets.

The vendors plan to target Android phones for urban youth users and position them in the mid to high-end segment. While HTC has just started shipping the first Android phone to India, Samsung will roll out its first device, christened Galaxy, next month.

Android phones from LG and Motorola’s stable are also likely to hit the market by December, industry sources said. Google too expects faster adoption of the Android platform in India with such launches at varying price-points.

Talking to ET, Google India director (products) Vinay Goel said 47 companies are working on the Android platform. “Globally, around 15-20 Android handsets will be launched by December. We expect some of these models will be shipped to India as well,” he said.

Toshiba may surrender to Blu-ray, finally

Consider it the final phase in the HD format war. Toshiba may be releasing its first ever Blu-ray player, after having dropped its own contender, the HD DVD format, in February of last year, and trying to pitch an enhanced DVD player as a cheap alternative to Blu-ray late last year. Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper was reporting last week that Toshiba is now preparing the BD 18 player for a 2009 release.

The article apparently had been removed by the publication without comment by the time of this writing.

The release of a Toshiba Blu-ray player has been a question of when, not if. The company announced the shutdown of HD DVD on February 19, 2008 and has repeatedly stated since then that Blu-ray players are pricey, but has remained quiet about its Blu-ray product plan otherwise. Mainstream Blu-ray players have broken the $300 barrier in 2008 and are now close or below the $200 mark, apparently convincing Toshiba that there is not enough room for a premium DVD player equipped with its “eXtended Detail Enhancement” XDE technology. And it seems that Toshiba is finally over its $1 billion HD DVD adventure.

From a technology point of view, the production of a Blu-ray player has never been an issue for Toshiba. Back in January of 2006 we reported that Samsung would be producing Blu-ray players through Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Korea (TSST Korea), a joint venture between Toshiba and Samsung. Toshiba holds 51% of that business, Samsung the remaining 49%. TSST Korea was founded in April of 2004 as a subsidiary of TSST.

Back in 2006, we were told that TSST is an "independent company" that Toshiba understands as being a developer of both formats in a "neutral position." But TSST has been focused on products that were in line especially with Toshiba's product strategy: For example, the company announced a slim HD DVD drive in September 2005, long before the actual introduction of HD DVD players. Even if TSST Korea seemed to have catered to Samsung's needs with Blu-ray players, it was clear that Toshiba is covering its bases just in case HD DVD would fail. By the way, Sony did the same through a joint venture with NEC, which guaranteed the company access to HD DVD manufacturing equipment.

Toshiba has come a long way and may enter the Blu-ray market when there is still room to claim its stakes. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, unit shipments of Blu-ray players will jump 112% this year, reaching nearly six million. Even as prices drop, revenues are expected to top $1 billion for the first time, representing an increase of 48% over 2008.