Several online sources, including 9to5Mac and MacRumors today posted photos of what's said to be the chassis of the upcoming iPhone. 9to5Mac notes its source is a reputable one, being the same people who revealed that a white iPad was en route.
The images show a device that is, as rumored, taller and thinner than existing iPhones, and includes a redesigned, smaller iPod dock connector. The headphone socket has also moved to the bottom of the phone and it's said the extra space in the "chin" of the phone is to improve the iPhone's speakers. The format does agree with many long-standing rumors, from the alumninum back to a thinner format, and also is compatible with the notion Apple may go for a bigger screen that could be in 16:9 HDTV shape.
Questions have arisen about the parts' authenticity, but a number of clues point to genuine Apple provenance. These include the high-detail milling of the device's back surface--a feature that reminds us of the first iPad, and which would need a high-spec manufacturing process that is now an Apple trademark.
Separately, Bloomberg recently revealed that Steve Jobs was intimately involved with the design of the upcoming device right up until his death.
Grooveshark Reveals Free User Data Analytics Targeting Artists And Advertisers
Grooveshark has opened up a trove of user data to the world for free, via an in-depth analytics service called Beluga. The data Grooveshark has collected is anonymized and comes from surveys that users have responded to in exchange for points on the music network. User information spans a whole gamut, from the cell phones they use, to their annual income, to the kinds of nail paint they prefer. The data also includes age and sex demographics information, and of course, the time, frequency and device used for music listening--all searchable by artist. Grooveshark hopes the free data and analytics will help artists understand their audiences better (though, as TheNextWeb rightly points out, the pool is skewed towards a survey-answering, Grooveshark-using, BlackBerry-weilding demographic) and even perhaps snag advertising partners on the music network--a plus for Grooveshark and a bonus for the artists on it.
23andMe Parkinson's Disease Discovery To Get Patent Approval
Google-backed personalized genomics company 23andMe is expecting approval for its very first patent, inspired by a discovery about Parkinson's disease that the company's research staff made in October last year. They identified a genetic variant that could protect people with a certain kind of mutation that put them at risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Identifying the variant is a first step to developing a treatment for the disease. 23andMe is continuing work on the variant in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, co-founder Anne Wojcicki wrote in a blog post--work that could one day find use in drugs developed by biotech companies and pharmaceuticals. 23andMe has been cultivating a patient community and database of information about Parkinson's among its members for about a year now. Parkinson's is of particular interest to Wojcicki's husband and 23andMe backer Sergey Brin, who has been a strong supporter of Parkinson's research since 2005 and also carries a gene for the condition.
SoftBank's New Smartphones Will Detect Radiation
Japan telecom operator Softbank will start selling smartphones this summer with radiation sensors built-in. The Pantone 5 107SH (which comes in eight colors) is waterproof and dustproof, but will also detect radiation in microsieverts per hour when a key is pressed. Also, a map app will keep track of past radiation check locations and levels. While Sharp has yet to release pricing details for the phone, Softbank founder Masayoshi Son said the phone would be "affordable." The Pantone series is considerably popular in Japan already, and the fact that this phone is the first to run Android 4.0, The Verge points out, may be reason enough for its success, even without the addition of this rather unusual feature. After Fukushima, radiation has become a day-to-day concern for people in Japan, making its way into the environment and mixing itself up with some kinds of food.
Samsung Launches Music Hub, A Direct Competitor To iTunes, Spotify
Alongside the launch of its new top-line Galaxy S3 smartphone, Samsung has released its Music Hub app in a number of European nations. It's an all-in-one music portal costing £9.99 a month that offers to act as an MP3 player as an app, and also as a music locker offering free streaming access to your music, including the opportunity to upload tracks that aren't included in the list of around 19-million tracks that Samsung has already stored in its cloud. The intention is to release the service on all Samsung phones going forward, and possibly to release it for other devices. Music Hub's systems are very similar to the latest iteration of Apple's iTunes and its iCloud integration, and also challenge other streaming apps like Spotify.
Alongside the launch of its new top-line Galaxy S3 smartphone, Samsung has released its Music Hub app in a number of European nations. It's an all-in-one music portal costing £9.99 a month that offers to act as an MP3 player as an app, and also as a music locker offering free streaming access to your music, including the opportunity to upload tracks that aren't included in the list of around 19-million tracks that Samsung has already stored in its cloud. The intention is to release the service on all Samsung phones going forward, and possibly to release it for other devices. Music Hub's systems are very similar to the latest iteration of Apple's iTunes and its iCloud integration, and also challenge other streaming apps like Spotify.
Facebook Rumored To Be Buying Israeli Face Recognition Firm Face.com
Over the weekend rumors began to swirl that Facebook was looking at spending about $100 million to buy Israeli startup Face.com to access its clever face recognition technology. Now it's suggested via GigaOm that the momentum for the deal is actually in Russia's search engine leader Yandex, which invested in Face in 2010, and may be looking to sell its large stake in the company for a combination of cash and Facebook stock. It is likely that many such acquisition rumors will surround Facebook now that it has its cash reserves buffered by the IPO, but this one is particularly interesting: Face recognition systems would be useful for Facebook, although controversial for their privacy implications...and it's a tech that other tech giants like Google and Apple are exploring too.
Groupon Getting In On Square's Game, Low Rates And Free iPod Included.
According to a report at VentureBeat, daily deals site Groupon is testing an iPhone payments system like that of Square, PayPal and Verifone. The system is said to include aggressive pricing of 1.8% fee and 15 cents per transaction--compared to Square's 2.75% share with no transaction fee and PayPal and Verifone's 2.7%. Critically, in what may be a deal-maker for many low-end merchants, Groupon is offering a free iPod Touch alongside its free card reader, while its peers require the merchant to buy an expensive iPod, iPhone, iPad or Android device of their own. The information comes via a leaked internal email, and Groupon has no comment. Groupon recently reported profits after a period of poor performance. Considering Groupon's expertise is in daily deals and discount coupons, it's possible that the firm will leverage this system into its new mobile pay service--meaning our prediction for the rapidly-evolving future of the credit card looks on target.
Microsoft Downplays Windows 8 Adoption Numbers, Preps 80-Inch "Tablet"
According to Wired.co.uk, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has an 80-inch giant Windows 8 "tablet" hanging on the wall of his office, and he's ditched his phone and his note paper. The tablet is made by a different company, but a Microsoft spokesperson made a note of saying the machine--effectively a Windows 8-equivalent of its Surface product--will go on sale. Meanwhile Microsoft is in PR withdrawal, correcting some words Ballmer uttered last week to say "500 million users will have Windows 8 next year." Ballmer was restating, out of context, some figures that had been previously released, MS now asserts, which represent the maximum possible ugrade path from Windows 7 devices. In other news, Microsoft has upset some developers by saying it will withdraw some of its software support tools for writing Windows 8 desktop apps, intending to concentrate its app push onto full Metro-supporting software (implying full touch control, versus more traditional Windows code).
Stock of the company Freeze tag Inc ( OTC: FRZT ) rallied as high as $0.08 and still holding more than 100 % of upside. There was not any announcements from the company and up move might look fishy. We advised not to trade the stock until the company announcements released.
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| AGR tools Inc |
Stock might gain further as volumes might drive stock further upside. One might consider buying for more upside.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake shook northern Italy on Tuesday, killing at least three people according to Italian news reports.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT), was centered 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Bologna.
It hit the same region where a stronger temblor measuring 6.0 earlier this month killed seven people, most when factories working overnight collapsed.
The news agency ANSA reported three dead, two in San Felice sul Panaro and one in Mirandola. Media earlier reported that a tower in San Felice had collapsed.
Television footage on Sky News 24 showed evacuees from the previous quake peering out of shaking tents in disbelief.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT), was centered 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Bologna.
It hit the same region where a stronger temblor measuring 6.0 earlier this month killed seven people, most when factories working overnight collapsed.
The news agency ANSA reported three dead, two in San Felice sul Panaro and one in Mirandola. Media earlier reported that a tower in San Felice had collapsed.
Television footage on Sky News 24 showed evacuees from the previous quake peering out of shaking tents in disbelief.
Nifty Trading Tips & Outlook Today
We have recommended a small buy positions at 4830 levels few days ago and squared off the positions yesterday around 4980 ( spot ). We will remain on buy side and continue buy on dips strategy until Nifty breaks 4800 decisively. Traders might get bullish call for short term and use buy on dips strategy. The upside is capped at 5050 and downside is at 4850 for the week. Trade accordingly.
Check out our previous recommendations here
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| Poonam Pandey celebrates KKR win in IPL 5 |
"WARNING 18 & under should not try looking up the pic. that said i do not take responsibility for anyone under age #NewPic #Dare2BareAllWowwwwwwwwwwww what ever team i supoort alwayz wins #IPL #KKR #SRK so as i Promised a Pic is on its way #Dare2BareAl," she tweeted to her 160,218 followers on Twitter.
And going by the elated response of her fans, they love the photo showing her curves and long legs as she pouted for the camera. She earlier tweeted "Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo re!", the anthem of the KKR team. She had earlier promised to strip if India won the cricket World Cup but never kept her promise.
Pandey is all set for her Bollywood debut. Although director Amit Saxena declined to divulge details about her role in the film, Saxena conceded that it would be in keeping with her image.
Interestingly, she is the only one from the cast signed on as of now, and the director assures that the rest of the actors will be finalised shortly.
To see more log on to www.poonampandey.in
Gujarat High Court Exam which was held on 06/05/2012 ( May 6 2012 ) has announced a result of candidates who have secured at least 50 % passing marks click here to see results
This project has pulled Smut Peddler out of the mothballs and once again gifted the world with quality filth, but in the format of a square-bound, standard-sized, black-and-white book. The new Smut Peddler contains over 350 PAGES of lady-driven dirty comics. And believe it, ladies can be pretty dirty.
All perverted authors line up (names listed together worked on the same story):
Jess Fink, Carla Speed McNeil, EK Weaver, Ambrosia & B. White, Kel McDonald & Ben Riley, Diana Nock, Rennie Kingsley, Argets, Mary Magdalene & Mr. Darcy, Amanda Lafrenais, Lee, Blauersouth & Abby Lark & Theo Lorenz, Trisha Lynn & Erin Basie, Steve Horton & Erica Currey, Alice Hunt & Deanna Echanique, Nechama Frier , Shari Hes, Alice Fox, Pupcake, Erika Moen & Leia Weathington, Algesiras & Dwam, Blue Delliquanti, Betty Jean Doe, Ursula Wood & Jennifer Doyle , Rebecca Ruby &Megan Furesz , Magnolia Porter, Spike
And a cover by Emily Carroll!.
Read More
The key to learning to code is learning to think like a computer--which is a hard thing to do. "It requires structured thinking, ability to abstract details away, and there’s little margin for error--one little typo and your program might do something entirely different from what you wanted," says game developer Rui Viana. "The real world just doesn’t work like that, so it’s hard to get your head around it." Which is precisely why Viana created Cargo-Bot, a simple iPad app that turns "thinking like a computer" into a genuinely addictive puzzle game. It’s like Angry Birds crossed with Codecademy, and it’s total genius.
Most of the press that Cargo-Bot has gotten so far focuses on the fact that the game was itself programmed entirely on an iPad (using another app called Codea). That’s pretty great, but it’s missing the larger point: who cares what device you can or can’t program stuff on, if you neverwant to program anything? That’s the problem that Cargo-Bot so brilliantly solves. It’s designed to make programming seem not just doable, but fun: something you’d want to do just to enjoy yourself, not as a means to some other end ("This is how I’ll make the next In$tagram!"). Not even Codecademy manages that.
Cargo-Bot’s Tetris-like simplicity is the key to its charm. The goal is to tell a robot arm how to move colored boxes around on a platform into different patterns. That’s it. It does contain a few technical-sounding terms (like "program" and "loop"), but mostly, says Viana, "I wanted it to be a game about moving blocks around with a claw, and make you forget that you are in fact programming."
The first time I played Cargo-Bot, I lost myself in it for an hour--but not because it magically turned me into a good programmer. Quite the opposite: I spent most of that time "debugging," or correcting malfunctions or inefficiencies in my code. In most coding tutorials, this feels like drudgery--your program doesn’t work, you don’t know why, and you have no choice but to scour each barely intelligible line of code to find the error. But in Cargo-Bot, debugging is the fun part. By watching the cartoony robotic claw execute your instructions, you can literally seeyour code in action--and see exactly where and when it fails. Watching the claw do something you didn’t expect, or crash into the side of the wall and break, immediately makes you want to fix it. Even better, Cargo-Bot rewards you not just for solving puzzles, but for solving them efficiently: shorter programs earn you more points.
Sound like the dorkiest thing ever? Maybe. But in the 21st century,programming is the new literacy. "Cargo-Bot is a great way to demo what programming is about in a fun and visual way," says Viana. "If you 'get’ Cargo-Bot, you can go through other coding tutorials and pick up a lot from them by yourself." In other words, it’s the ultimate gateway drug. Consider this five-star review of the app in iTunes:
That nearly brought a tear to my eye. Four years old. Cargo-Bot isn’t just fun. It’s damn near noble.
After the central government allowed state-run oil marketing companies to hike petrol prices by Rs 6.28 per litre, leading to an overall increase of about Rs 7.50 per litre because of a consequent increase in state taxes, there have been growing calls for states to reduce their taxes on the fuel to ease the aam aadmi’s burden.
But are states — or the centre — really in a position to cut taxes? A Business Standard report on Monday provided details on how much is actually charged as tax on petrol in various states. It pointed out that several states now charge more taxes on petrol than the centre.
According to the report, the central government levies a fixed excise duty of about Rs 14.78 per litre of petrol. In comparison, states impose an ad valorem (value-added) tax, which increases every time the price of the fuel increases. The extent of the tax (plus surcharges) varies across states. In West Bengal, for instance, the state’s tax on the fuel increased to Rs 16.08 per litre after the fuel price hike, which is higher than the central excise duty. (The state’s firebrand leader, Mamata Banerjee, while demanding a rollback of the petrol price hike, has said nothing about reducing state taxes to offer relief to the common man).
In Mumbai, the state’s tax on petrol now totals Rs 16.70 per litre, the newspaper said. In Hyderabad, it’s as high as Rs 19.83, while Delhi has the lowest state tax on petrol of Rs 12.20 per litre.
As the report notes, “state governments levy sales tax/VAT on petrol ranging from 15 per cent in Puducherry to 33 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, making it a major source of income”. No wonder they don’t want to give it up.
While the central government is leaning heavily on Congress-ruled states to cut taxes, the fact is that the precarious fiscal position of most states leaves little room for them to lower taxes.
Maharashtra’s chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, for instance, told reporters that cutting taxes on petrol was unfeasible because that would mean lower funds for development, adding that value added tax brought in more than 70 percent of the state’s revenues, according to The Hindustan Times.
Of course, at least one state has slashed sales tax dramatically in recent months: BJP-ruled Goa. A few months ago, it cut nearly its entire tax on petrol, making the fuel cheaper by Rs 11 per litre. But no other state really followed Goa’s example.
After the recent hike, Kerala and Uttarakhand did waive off the increase in VAT, which lowered the price by about Rs 1.60-1.90 per litre in those states. It’s very possible, however, that instead of Congress-ruled states, Opposition-ruled states might be more willing to consider VAT cuts, not because they can, but to generate some political mileage.
For now though, the pressure is on to keep the focus on the central government. Some opposition political parties — and some Congress allies — are ready to go on strike to ensure the central government rolls back the petrol price hike.
As the political games continue, consumers pay the (high) price.
