Tech News Stop - Sharing by Wasim Akhtar

::::Micromax launches A50 Ninja Superfone::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"><img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1335491616_temp.png" border="0" align="left" /></div>Micromax Informatics Limited has expanded its Superfone smartphones portfolio in the country with the addition of another budget phone A50 Ninja.  A50 runs on Android version 2.3.6(Gingerbread) with a processor speed of 650 MHz .The phone features a 7.9 cms multi-touch capacitive screen. The dual-SIM Micromax A50 sports a 2.0 MP camera.  Priced at Rs 4,999, Micromax A50 Ninja comes with an Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant (AISHA). AISHA is a voice recognition tool through which users can search on Google, view stock market details, know phone status, movie reviews, make calls, read news of desired locations, know horoscopes etc.  Key specifications *7.9 cm capacitive touch screen  *Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread  *Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant, AISHA  *Dual SIM, 3G  *Wi-Fi, GPRS connectivity, Bluetooth  *2.0 MP rear camera  *Gravity Sensor  *Memory storage expandable Up to 32GB by SD card

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Micromax-launches-A50-Ninja-Superfone-11990'>View More</a>

::::Firefox 12 released with UAC-less update system on Windows::::

<img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1335407508_temp.png" border="0" alt="Image" width="250" height="150" align="left" />Mozilla announced today the availability of Firefox 12, a new version of the popular open source Web browser. The release brings some minor incremental feature improvements, a number of fixes under the hood, and a significant change to the browser’s update system on Windows.Ever since Mozilla transitioned Firefox to a shorter development cycle, the organization has been working tomake browser updates less intrusive and more seamless. The eventual goal is to make updates completely silent, performing them in the background without user intervention.Mozilla is reportedly on track to deliver silent updates in Firefox 13, the next major version. The Firefox developers have been working to implement some of the underlying technical changes that are needed to support the functionality. One of those changes, which is included in Firefox 12, is a new update system that will be used on Windows.In order to make updates silent, Mozilla has to first find a way to avoid the intrusive User Access Control (UAC) prompt. The UAC dialog is shown during the update process because the updater needs elevated privileges in order to modify the Firefox program files on the filesystem. The dialog requires user intervention, which makes it an obstacle to seamless updates. The new updater in Firefox 12 on Windows no longer requires the UAC dialog.There are a number of different approaches that software applications can use to avoid triggering the UAC dialog during updates. Google’s Chrome Web browser, for example, installs itself in the user’s home directory rather than a destination on the filesystem that would require elevated privileges to modify. Mozilla was reluctant to take that approach for various security reasons, and opted instead to build their updater on top of a service.A “service” on Windows is a kind of headless background task. Mozilla’s new update service, which is called MozillaMaintenance, has a high enough privilege level to be able to modify the Firefox files without needing a UAC prompt. Mozilla used a special access control entry to configure it so that it can be initiated by unprivileged applications.This means that the conventional Firefox updater can instruct the service to launch and perform an update without user intervention. When the MozillaMaintenance service is launched with a command to perform an update, it will perform the task and then terminate itself; the service itself doesn’t remain in the background when it’s not needed. In unusual cases where the service can’t be installed, the conventional UAC-dependent updater will continue to be used.

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Firefox-12-released-with-UAC-less-update-system-on-Windows-11979'>View More</a>

::::Though risks are minimal, one in five Mac computers found to contain Windows malware::::

<img src="http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/top-win-malware-on-macs.jpeg" border="0" alt="top-win-malware-on-macs" width="350" height="200" align="left" />Security firm Sophos on Tuesday indicated that a surprisingly high level of malware has been found on Mac computers — the firm’s research revealed that one in every five Mac computers is harboring some kind of Windows malware. Of the 100,000 customers sampled through Sophos’s antivirus offerings, 20% of users were found to be carrying one or more instances of Windows malware. The firm highlighted that Windows malware on a Mac won’t cause any harm, however, unless the computer also runs a Windows partition in addition to OS X. The company’s research found that just 2.7% of Macs that installed the company’s free anti-virus software were infected by OS X malware. Nearly all of the OS X malware discovered was an iteration of the “Flashback” trojan called “Flshplyr.” Sophos said that cybercriminals may find Macs to be targets because OS X users are less likely to be running an anti-virus software, however Macs can get viruses and the right software can keep a user’s computer safe. A second pie chart follows below. <img class="size-full wp-image-136788 aligncenter" src="http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/top-mac-malware3.jpeg" border="0" title="top-mac-malware3" width="500" height="315" />   <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheBoyGeniusReport/~4/ZavUKaNBp8c" border="0" width="1" height="1" />

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Though-risks-are-minimal-one-in-five-Mac-computers-found-to-contain-Windows-malware-11978'>View More</a>

::::Pulse announces programmable antenna to enable LTE connectivity in laptops::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"><img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1335408281_temp.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="200" align="left" /></div>Pulse Electronics, a provider of electronic components, has introduced a high performance programmable antenna that enables LTE connectivity on mobile-connected laptop computers.  The antenna can switch frequencies easily to accommodate both low and high operating bands. With a maximum height of 1mm, this low profile antenna fits the design of ultra thin laptops. Pulse Electronics' new antenna enables four states for low band operation: 700-750MHz (LTE low), 750-790MHz (LTE high), 820-900MHz (GSM850), and 880-960MHz (GSM900) as well as high band operation covering GSM 1800/1900/2100. The switch to change the frequency is on the same flex as the antenna, saving space and maximizing performance. To fit the ergonomic and cosmetic appearance and function of the laptop, the antenna can be implemented to the device display area and adjusted for various display sizes (as long as good grounding to the display shield can be provided). The pattern can be made planar so it fits very thin displays. It is compatible with several antenna manufacturing technologies such as LDS, flex, and sheet metal, and can be adapted for a variety of display sizes and laptop computer configurations.

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Pulse-announces-programmable-antenna-to-enable-LTE-connectivity-in-laptops-11977'>View More</a>

::::My inspirations from life - N Nataraj, Global CIO, Hexaware::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"><img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1335407988_temp.jpg" border="0" align="left" /></div>A fast rising performer, N Nataraj, Global CIO, Hexaware and Head (SVP) IMS Business, Hexaware, has been one of the rare CIOs to leverage IT to create business opportunities for his firm. He incubated the IMS service line within Hexaware and now it contributes approximately 5 percent of revenues in a short span of time. He has also been instrumental in developing Hexaware’s private cloud platform, which is now opening the doors for his firm into several businesses. As President, CIO KLUB, Bangalore Chapter, and an active and influential CIO among his peers, and winner of several prestigious awards such as the Global CIO award from InformationWeek, there are several important lessons from his career and life, which are inspirational for emerging CIOs and other IT professionals. He shares with InformationWeek's Srikanth RP his key inspirations from life, and the lessons he has learnt from every individual. Here is Nataraj in his own words:I am who I am and where I am, because of the decisions I made in this life’s journey of 42 years; influenced by my experiences and lessons learnt from those who inspired me, or those I followed (as Twitter describes it, today). What you learn in B-school and professional colleges could be subject knowledge or dopes on strategy, planning tools, conceptual/ application oriented understanding on people, financials, markets, technology, etc. Being a learner, what I learn from life, through experiencing the moments & inspirations from people form the school that I choose to never graduate from. Inspirations and learning from others be it family, teachers and professors, colleagues at work, friends and many achievers who have been influencers in my life has been the school for me. My early years Born in a lower middle class family, shuttling along with my father across the Delhi – Haryana belt through my childhood, taught me lessons on hard-work; that there are no shortcuts in life, one has to earn and deserve every bit of what one gets. I saw my father as a standing example of hard-work, discipline, perseverance and commitment. My elder brother and I didn’t have enough of luxuries; to be sent to the best of schools, colleges and formal training in our hobbies; however we were happy – a complete family of four, each of us unique and strong individuals. Learnings on differences in people thinking and behavior was an early lesson as a growing boy. I decided to be serious with academic and aimed at a successful career; worked hard, scored ranks, qualified for entrance tests of reputed engineering institutes; I believed that my high scores would take me to where I am today, professionally; but life had something else in store; we couldn’t afford the fees. I put up my case with a dream reputed institute stating, ‘I am an outstanding student!’ The response I got was every student here is outstanding. How true! I asked myself, what is my differentiator? I didn’t find an answer then. 

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/My-inspirations-from-life-N-Nataraj-Global-CIO-Hexaware-11976'>View More</a>

::::Can software help Infosys out of financial rut?::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"><img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1335407413_temp.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="180" align="left" /></div>Infosys derives only about 6 percent of its almost USD 7 billion in annual revenue from proprietary software products. Its goal is to pump that up to one third of its revenue. The move comes as Infosys's traditional IT services business faces slower growth. To understand how Infosys hopes to get to this new future in software, look at its new software product in one of the industry’s hottest markets: digital marketing. Infosys is selling an online, subscription software product called BrandEdge, aimed at helping companies conduct digital marketing campaigns and measure the results. Inofsys is pitching the software to chief marketing officers, whose tech budgets are rising as their work moves increasingly to websites, email, mobile apps, and social networks, and as CMOs do more analytics to measure performance. Gartner analyst Laura McClellan caused a stir early this year by predicting CMOs at high-tech firms would control more tech budget than CIOs by 2017. Infosys is selling the BrandEdge software service in partnership with WPP, one of the world's largest advertising and marketing firms, whose Fabric subsidiary provides marketing management software that's part of this suite. Infosys is selling the software as an online subscription, and it also sells

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Can-software-help-Infosys-out-of-financial-rut--11975'>View More</a>

::::Google launches Google Drive; upgrades Gmail to 10 GB for all users::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"><img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1335407326_temp.png" border="0" align="left" /></div>Google has launched Google Drive, a cloud storage service where users can upload and access all of their files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond. The service is offering new users 5GB of storage for free with upgrades starting at 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. Google also increased the free storage in Gmail from the existing 7.5 GB to 10 GB to all users.“Drive is built to work seamlessly with your overall Google experience. You can attach photos from Drive to posts in Google+, and soon you’ll be able to attach stuff from Drive directly to emails in Gmail. Drive is also an open platform, so we’re working with many third-party developers so you can do things like send faxes, edit videos and create website mockups directly from Drive. To install these apps, visit the Chrome Web Store—and look out for even more useful apps in the future,” Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome and Apps, Google has said in a blogpost. 

<a href='http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Google-launches-Google-Drive-upgrades-Gmail-to-10-GB-for-all-users-11974'>View More</a>