Tech News Stop - Sharing by Wasim Akhtar

Android Live Wallpaper - Tutorial

This tutorial describes the creation of live wallpapers for Android. It is based on Eclipse 3.7, Java 1.6 and Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread).
http://www.vogella.com/articles/AndroidLiveWallpaper/article.html

Android Intents - Tutorial

This tutorials describes what Intents are and how to use them in Android. It is based on Eclipse 3.7, Java 1.6 and Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
http://www.vogella.com/articles/AndroidIntent/article.html

Android Camera API - Tutorial

This tutorial describes how to use the camera API in Android. The tutorial is based on Eclipse 3.7, Java 1.6 and Android 4.0.
http://www.vogella.com/articles/AndroidCamera/article.html

::::A New Slew of Tech Layoffs Reminds Us that No Lead Is Ever Safe::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"<img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1338398501_temp.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="150" align="left" /</div<p<span style="text-align: left"By many indications, things are going well for the tech industry. Mobile and cloud services are taking off. Apple, the comeback story of the century, is insanely profitable. Facebook is a public company</span<span style="text-align: left; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px", never mind its stock slide.</span<span style="text-align: left"So why the heck is HP slicing 27,000 jobs? Why are promising startups slashing headcount or going belly-up? That's just the way it is.</span</p<div id="more" class="asset-more" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: both; text-align: left"<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px"First, a quick review of recent - and upcoming - carnage.</p<ul style="margin: 5px 0px 7px 25px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-image: initial"<li style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"Research In Motion, the BlackBerry maker that thought it was flying high just a couple of years ago, warned today it would make "significant spending reductions and headcount reductions in some areas throughout the remainder of the fiscal year," although it will be staffing up in other areas. This comes as RIM has lost market share in the fast-growing smartphone market and now expects to lose money this quarter.</li<li style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"HP, the tech stalwart, said last week it would cut 27,000 jobs, or 8% of its workforce. CEO Meg Whitman said the layoffs were "absolutely critical for the long-term health of the company." HP has suffered as its large PC and printing businesses slow down, and because of management turmoil.</li<li style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"Google, whose $12.5 billion Motorola purchase just closed, could potentially lay off thousands of Motorola employees. Motorola, a mobile pioneer, did OK in its sale to Google but has largely been a failure since the Razr peaked - which was in the middle of last decade.</li<li style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"Yahoo laid off 2,000 employees in April, or 14% of its headcount. Who knows what's going to happen now, given that the company has just installed its sixth CEO in five years.</li<li style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"Digital Chocolate, a seemingly promising gaming startup created by former Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, has reportedly laid off a significant portion of its workforce, and Hawkins has stepped aside. Another gaming venture, 38 Studios, founded by former pro baseball player Curt Schilling, laid off all of its staff last week.</li</ul<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px"Get the picture? It can be pretty grim out there, depending on where you're sitting.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px"So what's the lesson here? As quickly as the technology industry creates new opportunities and new winners, it also presents a harsh reality for the losers. These aren't even bubble-bursting times - again, things seem like they're going pretty well, overall. But thousands will be out of work.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px"The good news is that this cycle of growth and decay can be a virtuous one. Those who may not have a job at Yahoo or HP today may start one of tomorrow's great new firms, which may grow to employ thousands.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px"As the industry shifts toward even lower amounts of capital required to build new businesses - and to destroy old ones - this cycle may even speed up. No lead is ever safe. But as far as progress goes, it's probably a good thing.</p</div<p </p

http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/A-New-Slew-of-Tech-Layoffs-Reminds-Us-that-No-Lead-Is-Ever-Safe-12737>View More</a>

::::How Not to Screw Up Your Startup Presentation::::

<img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/xphoto_1338398101_temp.jpeg.pagespeed.ic.HGghj1f_yq.jpg" border="0" alt="Image" align="left" /<p class="p1"<span style="text-align: left"It’s the moment every startup founder dreams about. You’ve spent countless days and nights, sacrificed your personal life and most likely tossed in your life savings - just for the chance to make this presentation. Whether it’s to a bank, potential investors or possible partners, it has to be pitch-perfect.</span</p<div class="asset-body" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: both; text-align: left"<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"You may not get a second chance, so you better make sure you don’t screw it up. We asked Peter Arvai, CEO of Prezi, a maker of cloud-based presentation software, for tips on how to avoid the most common - and most devastating - mistakes.</p</div<div id="more" class="asset-more" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: both; text-align: left"<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"ReadWriteWeb: Are there common mistakes startup entrepreneurs make when giving presentations? Arvai: There are a host of presentation mistakes entrepreneurs can make. The four most common we’ve seen are:</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"1. Procrastination. Waiting until the last minute to create the presentation, and therefore showing something half-baked to your audience. Likely, these are important meetings that took some time to set up. It’s irresponsible and a waste of both parties' time not to put serious effort into the presentation. 2. Content Overload. Adding too much content and not enough focus. Don’t overwhelm your audience with information overload. Keep in mind the presentations are supposed to enhance the discussion, not dominate it. 3. Not practicing. This is your chance to sell your big idea. What’s the point of developing a great idea/concept and not being able to explain it? 4. Not understanding the audience. It is critical to understand your audience long before entering the board room or taking the stage. During the presentation creation process, keep your audience top of mind. Use social tools, [your] network and word of mouth to find out as much as you can about your audience, and use that information to tailor your presentation content and delivery style.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"RWW: Can making these kind of mistakes derail your startup? Arvai: Entrepreneurs typically have only one shot to present their ideas to VCs, customers, partners, employee candidates, etc. They need to think of presentations like first dates, where visual appeal and performance are as important as content.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"For investment pitches, try to get to know a few of the investors you will be meeting with withoutfocusing on getting them to invest in your company. Start with an informational interview asking questions such as: How do they work? How do they choose entrepreneurs? And – very important - how do they get compensated? Spend time understanding who they are and what motivates them in their businesses. This will help you deliver the most compelling presentation.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"RWW: Obviously, startups have to get it right - the first time - especially if they’re pitching to potential investors. What should they strive for? Arvai: A big vision is key, but without the necessary details to make story credible, it’s hard to capture and hold your audience’s attention. In order to do this, you need an inspiring story. If you can help the audience visualize the story, or better yet, make the appeal so strong they can imagine themselves as part of the story - then you hold their attention.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"Know your content, inside and out. Be prepared for anything - interruptions, audience challenges, even a technology blackout. We’re fans of presentations where the presenter doesn’t stick to one scripted storyline, and feels comfortable ad-libbing where appropriate.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"On a side note, the mobility and touch-screen capacities of iPads and tablets make them great for more informal and interactive presentations.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"RWW: I saw a stat that said almost 25% of people would give up a night of sex to avoid sitting through another PowerPoint presentation. How do you fight that mindset? Arvai:PowerPoint can be boring, but it also gets a bad rap. When used well, it can capture and hold an audience’s attention. The biggest challenge is that, like most presentation software packages, it forces users to distill their ideas into boxes that are connected with meaningless transitions.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"A good, creative presentation is dependent on the content and the format. Starting with a series of slides can sometimes limit the creative process, because it assumes your story is already completed, and all you need to do is write it down.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"But great ideas are almost never born this way. Creative presentations should start with an open canvas where a host of ideas can be gathered. Then establish the relationships between those ideas and tell a story with them. Steve Jobs - who is recognized for being a great thinker - started working on his presentations many weeks in advance: vetting, improving and rehearsing his idea. His ideas were usually not spontaneous, although we were sometimes left with that [impression].</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"RWW: What other factors help make a presentation go well - or badly? Arvai: Here are a few tips on how to make a presentation good or, if used improperly, bad:</p<ul class="ul1" style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: outside; list-style-image: initial"<li class="li2" style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"Begin with having a genuine passion for your message. Then come up with a strong visual metaphor to communicate that message. Take the time to create something of value. Know that it will take time.</li<li class="li2" style="margin: 0px 0px 7px 7px; padding: 0px"Learn how to communicate your message effectively. Don’t rely on technology to guide you. Take a public-speaking class and practice, practice, practice!</li</ul<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"For more specific factors on how to create dynamic presentations, we have found these tactics invaluable when developing presentations:</p<img src="http://www.readwriteweb.com/files/objectives-fromtothinkdo.jpeg" border="0" align="left" /<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"From-To Think-Do Matrix: This grid helps map out your presentation objectives.</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"The Squint Test: When you squint at your presentation (so you can’t read the text) do you still get the gist of it?</p<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1" </p<img src="http://www.readwriteweb.com/files/two_alternatives.jpeg" border="0" align="left" /<p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px" class="p1"Method of Loci: This memory-retention device dates back to ancient Greece. The concept is to visualize locations and associate your content with it. It takes practice, but it can help build confidence in your presentation delivery.</p</div<p </p

http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/How-Not-to-Screw-Up-Your-Startup-Presentation-12734>View More</a>

::::Olympus to cut 2,500 jobs, sell equity stake - media::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"<img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1338397825_temp.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="150" align="left" /</div<pJapan's Olympus Corp (<span7733.T</span), hit by a $1.7 billion fraud scandal, plans to shed 2,500 workers and sell an equity stake to either Sony Corp (<span6758.T</span) or Panasonic Corp (<span6752.T</span) in a bid to bolster its finances, local media reported Wednesday.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Olympus, the world's leading maker of diagnostic endoscopes, is struggling to recover from an accounting fraud uncovered last year by its then CEO, Michael Woodford. It was forced to correct years of accounts, leaving its balance sheet badly weakened.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"The job losses, equal to about 7 percent of its total workforce, will come mainly from Olympus's loss-making camera business and by consolidating its overseas plants, the Nikkei business daily said. They would be revealed on June 8, it added.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Sony and Panasonic are the leading contenders to pump fresh equity in Olympus, the Asahi newspaper said, adding that the successful suitor would invest several hundreds of millions of dollars for a stake of more than 10 percent.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"That decision is expected by end-June, the Asahi said.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Olympus shares jumped 4 percent to 1,214 yen on the news, although the stock is still down nearly half since Woodford blew the whistle last October.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Investors in Sony and Panasonic, both struggling to turn their own businesses around after reporting record losses, gave the newspaper reports a cold reception on Wednesday. Sony shares fell 1.9 percent and Panasonic lost 2.2 percent in a wider Tokyo market which dipped only 0.3 percent.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Panasonic is considering plans to shed as much as half its 7,000-strong workforce at its headquarters, after 17,000 job cuts in the year ended March 31. Sony has said it is cutting 10,000 people from its payroll.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Both companies have been hobbled by losses in their TV businesses but there has been speculation that they, along with other global electronics firms, are interested in expanding into the healthcare industry, which offers more stable revenues.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Olympus's endoscope business has continued to be a reliable earner throughout the scandal and its tumultuous aftermath.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Japan, unaccustomed to mass U.S.-style layoffs, is awash with news of job losses as big companies look to cut costs amid weak demand and a strong, profit-sapping yen.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Last weekend, a source revealed that struggling chip-maker Renesas Electronics Corp (<span6723.T</span), the world's largest maker of microcontroller chips, would axe 12,000 jobs.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"On Tuesday, Woodford won a likely multi-million dollar settlement from Olympus over his claim of unfair dismissal.</p

http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Olympus-to-cut-2-500-jobs-sell-equity-stake-media-12733>View More</a>

::::Apple CEO sees TV as area of::::

<div class="custm_img_blk"<img src="http://www.techgig.com/files/photo_1338397611_temp.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="150" align="left" /</div<pApple Inc (<spanAAPL.O</span) Chief Executive Tim Cook said technology for televisions was of "intense interest" but stressed the company's efforts would unfold gradually amid speculation the iPad and iPhone maker was on the brink of unveiling a revolutionary iTV.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"In one of his more revealing interviews since assuming the helm of the world's most valuable company, Cook also said he hoped someday to see Apple products manufactured in the United States and outlined his approach to managing an organization long-associated with its late founder Steve Jobs.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""Another thing that Steve taught us all is to not to be focused on the past," Cook told this year's All Things Digital conference, an annual gathering of A-list technology and media executives in the upscale California coastal resort town of Rancho Palos Verdes.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Industry insiders and executives say Apple may unveil a TV-based device in late 2012 or 2013 that has the potential to shake up the cozy television content and distribution industry the way the iPod and iPhone disrupted music and mobile content, but Cook has steered clear of commenting on that issue directly.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""This is an area of intense interest for us," Cook said, referring to Apple's existing television set-top box product. "We're going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us."</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"When asked specifically if Apple was making a television set, Cook said he was not going to answer that question.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Apple already sells a $99 set top box called Apple TV that streams Netflix and other content. Cook, who has previously said the Apple TV product had a hobby status inside the company, noted the company was sticking with it despite not being known as a "hobby kind of company."</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""Here's the way we would look at that, not just at this area but other areas, and ask can we control the key technology?" he said in response to a question about how Apple thinks about improving the television experience for consumers. "Can we make a significant contribution, far beyond what others have done in this area? Can we make a product that we would want?"</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Apple has been in negotiations with content companies for its devices. It began talks earlier this year to stream films owned by EPIX, which is backed by three major movie studios.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"The company has a good relationship with content owners and doesn't see the need to own a content business, Cook said, adding he has met with several people in that business recently.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"MADE IN USA?</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"In wide-ranging remarks, Cook said he would like to see more of the company's products assembled at home than in China and contain more U.S. components such as semiconductors.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Apple has been criticized for relying on low-cost Asian manufacturers to assemble its products and for contributing to the decline of the U.S. manufacturing sector.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Cook, who took the helm of the world's most valuable technology company in August shortly before founder Steve Jobs died, said manufacturing in the United States was difficult because of declining tool-and-die manufacturing expertise, among other things, but he was working on it.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""There are things that can be done in the U.S., not just for the U.S. market but that can be exported for the world," Cook said. "On the assembly piece, could that be done in the U.S.? I hope so, again, one day," he added.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Apple's final assembly is done through Asian contract manufacturers, particularly Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group and its listed entity Hon Hai Precision. Cook noted that Apple does some component manufacturing in the United States, including the main microchip that runs the iPhone and iPad.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Apple makes the A5 processor in a 1.6 million square-foot factory in Austin, Texas, owned by Korean electronic giant Samsung Electronics (<span005930.KS</span).</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Cook also said some of the glass for the iPhone and iPad is made in a plant in Kentucky.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"The CEO talked about how the iPad was just in the "first innings," but declined to say what was in store for it next.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"He reiterated his belief that many consumers will use the iPad more than computers. In response to a question about PC software-maker Microsoft Corp's (<spanMSFT.O</span) efforts to enter the tablet market, Cook brushed off the threat.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""The more you look at the tablet as a PC, the more the baggage from the past affects the product," he said.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Apple released the iPad in 2010 and it has quickly defined the tablet computer market, selling more than 67 million units so far.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"DOUBLING DOWN ON SECRECY</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"The 51-year old Cook said he spends less time focused on marketing and design as CEO than his predecessor, who Cook said spent "virtually all of his time on those two things."</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"At a company the size of Apple, Cook said, having a strong team is critical.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""You could have an S on your chest and a cape on your back and not be able to do everything," said Cook, who later cited Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr as well as Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger as figures that he looks up to.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"Cook also discussed efforts to make the company more transparent on certain issues, such as supplier responsibility and environmental matters, but stressed he was committed to preserving Apple's culture.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"One Jobs legacy that Cook flagged is Apple's well-known penchant for going to great lengths to keep details of new products under tight wraps, noting that he planned to "double down on secrecy" on products.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px"But he suggested Apple would not be constrained by its past.</p<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px""I love museums, but I don't want to live in one," he said.</p

http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Apple-CEO-sees-TV-as-area-of-12732>View More</a>

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