Author: Swati

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Reviews

Share your iTunes library using Dusty Tunes

For all you music lovers… Would you like to share the music in your iTunes library with the rest of the world? A new website called Dusty Tunes makes it easy to do just that. It is a FREE online service and very easy to use.

With Dusty Tunes, you can create your own personal web page automatically, with a list of all the music in your iTunes library and other sources. It will organize the XML data into a list and then provide you with the links so that you could share your music further with your friends on blogs, forums, websites, digg, and social networking sites like Facebook.

Within the website you can browse user’s collections and when possible preview and buy tracks via iTunes. If you can’t find anything you like in other people’s lists, then you can use the ‘Tune Search’ feature to search for specific items. You could also comeback to the website again and update your page with all your recent favorites.

Macworld UK said:

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“Dusty Tunes offers a rare chance for others to explore your musical tastes from the cool and contemporary tracks to those guilty pleasures that might otherwise be hidden from public view.”

How can you upload your iTunes library?

  • Register for an account and login
  • Browse for your file
  • Select the “iTunes Music Library.xml” file from your computer.
    • Normally found in: My music > itunes > iTunes Music Library.xml
    • Mac users should look here: Music > iTunes > iTunes Music Library.xml
  • Upload file

That’s it… you can start sharing your list!

(Source: Dusty Tunes)

Categories
News

India running out of IP addresses!

By 2011, India will run out of Internet Protocol addresses! Business Standard reports that the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) had 4.3 billion IP version 4 (IPv4) addresses of which, 68% have already been allocated and 13% are unavailable due to technical issues.

What is an IP address?

  • A numerical identification of a company’s name that the web understands.
  • Used to trace the origin of an email, malicious worms or location of a defamatory website or blog.

What is IPv6?

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IP version 6 (IPv6) is the next version that supports a total of 16 billion IP addresses.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that:

“The fast growth of Internet and likely migration towards NGN (next generation networks) will require IPv6 addresses. In this background, the creation of a National Internet Registry (NIR) is urgently required”.

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The roadmap ahead

  • The Indian IT industry, however, is yet to acknowledge the need for IPv6.
  • It is very important for TRAI to create awareness about this among ISPs.

The migration could prove fatal unless there is a proper migration process in place. The Indian IT industry is yet to gear up for this migration. A whole lot of systems need to be configured and equipment needs to be put in place supporting IPv6.

(Source: Business Standard)

Categories
News

Anonymous Posting Made Illegal in South Korea

Problems of Internet slander or bullying are very common these days, and governments across the globe are struggling to find ways to deal with them. For this very reason, South Korea brought in a new lawsuit called “Cyber Defamation Law” effective since April 1, 2009. According to this lawsuit, posting “anonymously” online is ILLEGAL. South Korea wants to ensure that people are more responsible while posting content online and are accountable for what they say.

According to this lawsuit:

“Any Internet user commenting or uploading to a website that has over 100,000 unique visitors a day MUST append their real name to the comments they make. Sites must identify whether they meet the number of visitors threshold. If they do, the registration process must require the visitor wishing to post something to enter his national identification number.”

According to the Internet Defamation Blog, the Cyber Defamation Law could have been a reaction to the “dog poop girl” story.

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  • A woman failed to clean up, after her dog defecated on a public transit.
  • Someone took pictures of this and posted them on the Internet.
  • The result:
    • She became a public outcast
    • Had to quit school
    • Had to move away from her home!!!

Do you think that such a Cyber Defamation Law should be implemented in other countries as well?

I personally feel there’s no harm in revealing your identity. If someone has to post something online, he/she might as well reveal who they really are. If what’s being posted is not “ethically wrong”, then what’s there to hide?

(Source: Internet Defamation Blog)

Categories
News

NASA crew to Tweet from Space, LIVE!

Now even NASA astronauts will Tweet and take questions on YouTube while in Space, to reconnect with the people on Earth.

NASA astronaut – Mark Polansky, during his crew’s mission to the International Space Station, has posted a video to NASA’s YouTube channel. The idea is to let YouTubers and Twitter fans ask questions via YouTube and follow mission updates over Twitter. Polansky, who is commanding this mission, will answer these questions, live from Space, in a way taking social media “out of this world”.

Mark Polansky says:

“Your questions and my answers from space will be broadcast nationwide on NASA television during the mission… My crew and I are ready to fly and looking forward to sharing the excitement with you.”

To ask a question through YouTube:

  • Create short videos of 30 seconds with the question and submit to YouTube.
  • Send the link to Polanky’s Twitter account via @ reply.
  • He will respond to questions on NASA TV which is broadcast worldwide.

Recently, NASA also launched a collection of Photosynth galleries of the ISS and Mars Rover. Looks like NASA is keen on reaching a bigger audience through the web and social networking sites. I think it’s a great move.

I am really excited about this. Being able to follow updates from our space heroes is totally awesome. Honestly, never really thought Twitter could reach such heights one day. Now even sky is not the limit!

(Source: LA Times)

Categories
Analysis

Impact of Obama’s Plan on the Indian Outsourcing Industry

The US President Obama’s proposal to tax expenditure by the US companies on availing services from outside the country from 2011 has received mixed reactions from all over the world.

Most of the industry leaders in India believe that the plan is aimed at curbing the country’s outsourcing industry. At the same time, the proposed tax system is also winning few fans in India.

The Scenario

  • India’s information technology and outsourcing companies employ about 2.2 million people, and the US companies account for about 60 % of their business.
  • The US companies either have their own subsidiaries in India or employ Indians by contracting work to local technology and outsourcing companies.
  • Many of these Indian operations handle customer service and back-office functions, particularly for the US banks and credit card companies.
  • Recently, many US corporations have also expanded their sales, marketing and distribution in India.
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The Proposal

  • Elimination of a deduction for the US companies when they invest in subsidiaries outside the United States.
  • To tax expenditure by the US companies on availing services from outside the country from 2011.

The Reaction

Let us try to see what various people are saying before forming our own opinion:

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NASSCOM (India’s leading outsourcing lobby):

  • The tax plan may actually end up reducing competitiveness of US companies with global operations when compared to their European and Japanese counterparts.
  • The proposals appeared to be aimed at addressing the tax rate differentials that exist across the world. It will impact American headquartered companies with overseas operations

CII (The Confederation of Indian Industry)

  • It’s an internal issue. It will only reduce their competitiveness. He added, “It is a populist posture. Perhaps his (Obama’s) intention was not the same. However, it sends a wrong message.

Infosys (India’s second largest software and outsourcing company)

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  • It is not for us. It is for US companies that have operations in other destinations. It will not have an impact on Indian companies.
  • We do not believe that it has anything to do with IT outsourcing done by US corporations.

Mphasis

  • It is irrelevant as far as Indian IT providers are concerned. It may encourage more US companies to invest and create jobs within that country

FCCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry)

  • While Obama’s move would have some impact on the US investment abroad and into India, in the long run this would only run counter to the interest of US corporations seeking global presence.
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The Opinion

It was the availability of young talent pool, the time zone factor and the cost advantage that made outsourcing in India flourish in the last decade. It was not due to any tax benefit that the US firms enjoyed.

US companies save 60-75% by outsourcing their back office operations to countries like India. The overall impact would be clearer once the exact structure of the taxation is announced. Nobody really knows what will happen in the longer run but the move has definitely diluted the spirit of the global economy and the flat world.

(Sources: New York Times, indiatimes)

(Image credits: indiatimes)

Categories
Reviews

Firefox add-on for Better Privacy

Even if you regularly clean your history and cookies from your Firefox browser, you will end up leaving all kinds of traces behind on your machine, allowing someone else to easily track your actions online.

One of the ways to manage this problem is by using Firefox add-ons that help remove traces and cookies in your local computer. But Flash-based streaming videos, advertisements, and controls that are nearly ubiquitous on the web these days are still left behind untouched. That’s why BetterPrivacy add-on comes in handy.

BetterPrivacy is a free download and works wherever Firefox does.

What is BetterPrivacy?

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  • Super-Cookie Safeguard which protects from usually undeletable LSO’s (Flash-Cookies) or DOM Storage Objects.
  • It blocks long term tracking on Google, YouTube, ebay and many other domains.

With the help of this add-on, you can get rid of those hidden, never expiring objects. You can set your browser to always clean your Flash cache and DOM objects automatically. However, those of you who wish to manage all cookies manually have the option to disable the automatic functions.

Click here to download your BetterPrivacy add-on.

Link: BetterPrivacyAddon

Categories
Reviews

Squirrel: A new startup by the Twitter co-founder

Well, it has not been announced yet but the news flying by is that the Twitter inventor and Chairman – Jack Dorsey – is working on a new project, code-named “Squirrel”.

If we have to believe the TechCrunch report, Squirrel will allow anyone to accept credit card payments on their iPhone.

M.G. Siegler on TechCrunch quotes:

“Here’s what else we know so far: It’s a service that allows anyone with an iPhone to become a merchant. Just like the wireless credit card swipers you see at certain shops and restaurants, you can carry around your iPhone and take payments. Apparently, the idea is that this will allow any individual to take credit card payments on a mobile device, kind of like what PayPal does for the web.”

The rumors (rather, reports from trusted sources) are that “Squirrel” will be a hardware dongle that needs to be attached to the iPhone to accept credit card payments.

Wonder what purpose this would solve?

Hmmm… A pizza delivery boy coming to your doorstep with “Squirrel” and an iPhone to help you make a payment through your credit card could be one option!!! Well, whatever! But even in this (absurd!) case, won’t wireless (GSM/CDMA based) credit card swiper be a cheaper option?

Anyways, let us wait to hear directly from Jack Dorsey. Hopefully, he is up to some brilliant business idea we are not yet aware of.

Till then, here is some food for thought for all of us here… hmmm…

iPhone + Credit Card + Squirrel + a pinch of Twitter + that pizza boy = ? ? ?

Well keep thinking, and keep posting your thoughts and comments!

(Source: TechCrunch)

(Image Credits: CrunchBase)

Categories
News

Google Chrome Ads – From YouTube to your TV set!

Google recently launched a video campaign to market its web browser – Google Chrome with the help of 11 short films, telling the users what Chrome is all about. Google then released Chrome Shorts on the YouTube channel that seemed to receive a good response.

Seeing this, Google has now decided to show this to a wider set of audience. With the help of their Google TV Ads team, Google will run the Chrome Ad Campaign on various television networks starting this weekend.

But Why?

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As per Google,

  1. To raise awareness of the Chrome browser amongst the masses.
  2. To help understand how television can supplement their other online media campaigns.

Google believes that Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier. With all the security problems around it that we’ve seen in the recent past, I am sure many of us disagree with what is being stated.

In spite of that, Google’s innovative ad campaign does seem to be attention-grabbing (no doubts about that). The short films creatively demonstrate Chrome’s capabilities in the simplest way possible, so that even a non-techie could understand.

(Probably mass advertizing is their last ditch effort to get people to use it after all.) 😛

To view all of the Chrome shorts, you may go to ChromeShorts.com. You could also view the videos on the YouTube channel.

If not, then simply wait and try and catch it on your television set. 🙂

(Source: Google blog)

Categories
Tips

Measure Distance on Google Maps

Do you ever have debates with your friends on which is the shortest way to travel between two places in your city? And then end up measuring the distance on your vehicle, to find out who wins?

Well, you may no longer need to hit the roads for that. A simple Google Map will solve your problem.

Here is how…

  • Browse through the Google Map directory and add the Distance Measurement Tool
  • Now, go to the Google Maps and enable the “Distance Measurement Tool” from “My Maps”

  • Browse to your locality map and start clicking on the road from source to destination.

  • You will see the total distance in the left pane of the window
  • Reset the map and now measure the distance of the alternate route in the same manner

And if this doesn’t impress you much, then another way to find the shortest route between any two points in your city (especially in India) is to hire a PREPAID auto rickshaw. Rest assured, the auto driver will take you from the shortest possible route (you like it or you don’t!).

Links: Google Maps, Distance Measurement Tool

(Images Credits: Fotosearch, Google Maps)

Categories
News

800 Airplanes with Broadband Soon!

A recent research indicates that by the end of 2009, there will be about 800 planes with in-flight broadband services. And this would generate a worldwide passenger revenue of $49 million.

By the end of 2008, there were only 25 airplanes with broadband enabled. Reports indicate that this market is still emerging and will grow upto $1 billion annually by 2012.

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

  • In-flight broadband equipment revenue will nearly double between 2009 and 2013.
  • Competing providers include Aircell, Panasonic and Row44.
  • In-Stat forecasts over 200 million annual in-flight broadband connects by 2013, with long-haul connects dominating over short-haul connects.
  • Connections from handheld devices will account for about 1/3 of connects, with notebook computers accounting for 2/3.
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How will this work?

Airplanes would get their broadband connectivity through:

  1. Satellite (like Row44 and Panasonic’s service)
  2. An air-to-ground network (Aircell’s service based on its own air-to-ground network)

Challenges till date

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  • Weak economy
  • Poor availability of in-flight entertainment
  • High costs of the service and equipment
  • Difficulty getting regulatory approval for external antennas
  • Extra weight of the equipment adding to fuel costs

Where are we today?

  • Aircell has been working with American, Delta, United and Virgin America to offer Gogo broadband Wi-Fi services on a number of planes.
  • JetBlue’s “BetaBlue” plane has a narrowband service that allows sending emails and instant messages.
  • American Airlines has plans to install in-flight broadband in more than 300 of its airplanes in the next two years.
  • All 28 planes of Virgin America should have Wi-Fi enabled by June this year.
  • Alaska and Southwest airlines have begun testing Row 44’s satellite-delivered broadband services on some planes.

With service and equipment costs going down, conditions look a lot brighter now. In-flight broadband providers like Aircell, Row44, and Panasonic can now look at large scale deployments.

(Source: In-stat)