iPad in India... finally

iPad to be available in India almost a year late... but the thing to see is if other operators tie up with them too.

Right now BSNL has come up with iPad plans... slightly sticky service i say

http://www.medianama.com/2011/01/223-ipad-bsnl-data-plans/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+medianama+(Medianama:+Digital+Media+In+India)

Opera is indeed the fastest

I have always been double minded about which browser renders the site te fastest. Since i can't give up on Firefox with its extensions, which sometime act quite sluggish, I considered Google Chrome as the preferred option only when i'm browsing surfing flash sites etc...

But (and thats a big butt), Opera 10.54 is by far the fastest site rendering I have ever seen. and I'm not even turning on the Turbo mode (which of course cuts down on image quality to render fast).

One feature i've always liked it that we have a search bar with an option of searching in all search engines at the same time and whichever the fastest results will be shown. Soo cool eh..

The normal Opera browsing is indeed the "fastest browsing on earth"

And Navjot left Opera recently.. damn :P

Google Voice - Final step towards G Phone?

Google is coming up with a Voicemail service which is something users would love as it reduces the pain of so many numbers.


Now, if all Google Voice did was send phone calls to your cell phone, that would be great all by itself, but the amount of extra tools and features are truly amazing

When a voicemail is recorded, you can check it by going to the Google Voice website and logging in, or calling your Google number. You can even be notified by email, or text message.

Check out some other handy features http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html

S(o)per(a)man

I just checked the New Opera 10... and like the picture on the opera page depicts... Up up and Away....


I tested in 3 type of connection speeds 256 Kbps, 512 Kbps, 1 MBPS +. Of course there is a slight difference but its reaaly fast site rendereing... For the sites that you have opened once.. the next time would just be a breeze...

Not much to say apart from check it out yourself

and one more thing... Oh Yeah its fast...

Cheerio

Add on Collections by Firefox

I just stumbled upon a really cool thing that firefox did after a long time... (of course firefox 3.5 as well). I always wondered and wished there was a way where i can get my fav extensions bundled together.


Especially when there is a system crash or you lose your browser settings (read extensions) by any means. Look what we finally have - a collection of extensions bundeled together for your taste and purpose to help you work.

You can choose from array of collections already available, create your own collection & download an Add on collecter for your personal bundle.

Ain't that cool.. Firefox loyalists Check it out https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/editors_picks

Google scares me now

The more I use the new Chrome browser... the more I feel scared... Google has always backed up Firefox.. and now secretly develops its browser (by hacking one of Firefox developer).

But what really scares me is the amount of information that Google has at its disposal currently. I have always had issues with Google keeping an eye on my browsing, for me thats serious breach of privacy... I know EULA is something I accepted but.. this could be dangerous...Now we dont have google toolbar, but the browser records everything and anything according to EULA... Damn it...

With this kind of information and some backdoor business moves.. dunno how much of "Do no Evil" still stands true... Another microsoft in the making....

Chrom(e)atic Browsing

I just downloaded the New browser from the Google stable - Chrome. Being a Firefox loyalist for 3 years now, I generally keep looking out for a reason to give up the loyalty but extensions just keep me hooked. But the first look of chrome, I got to say, I'm really impressed. With whatever time I played with it.. these are some of the really user friendly features:

- Dynamically moving tabs: The tabs can be dynamically moved on the taskbar. Although this has been a feature on Firefox for long, The visual impact is more in chrome.
- Speed of site rendering: The moment I opened a URL it appeared in no time at all... like in a flash. I dunno how they have achieved this, but I was amazed
- Task manager for crash control - In case your tab freezes or hangs up on you, the browser wont be affected as each tab is independent of the other in Chrome. Just right click and you have a "task manager" for browser... Beat that. Perhaps thats how they get the maximum speed of page rendering as each tab works independently. Wo ho..

- History on blank tabs and all the recently opened and closed tabs withing the browser window (Some like me, would call that a breach of privacy)

- Suggest feature in the URL bar: Just when you are typing, Google suggests the URLs popular or date and other relevant Keywords. Something we saw in the new Version of the Opera Browser.

- Instant bookmarking - just press the star button and you are done.
- No sharing info mode: Something that Google calls the "Incognito Mode" where the page would work in the same way but nothing from the session would be stored by Chrome. (I take back the breach of privacy statement :))

- Other standard features like - Phishing control, safe browsing, instant download bar (no extra download window- just icon at bottom)

Google recently stopped the Browser Sync extension on Firefox - where users could have copy of their bookmarks and browser settings on Google servers .. I wonder if Chrome has anything to do with it. Hmmmm...

Anyways download your copy of Chrome and learn more.... I'll keep updating with new discoveries or enhancements in near future

3 Smart phone shootout

Since my friend was looking for a smart phone and I sent him my views.. I thought I might just post some reviews on the blog.. These are three phones which have basic and advanced smart phone features.. all targeted towards different audience... I just came across these three phones recently so.. there we are lemme tell you a litlle bit about it in the time i got to use them...

Motorokr (Multimedia entertainment kinda phone)
Features:
Premium entertainment PDA
• 2-megapixel CMOS camera with 8x digital zoom
• QVGA video capture for up to five hours
• Integrated MP3 player with dedicated music keys and built-in FM radio
• PDA featuring Business Card Reader, POP3 e-mail¹, document viewer to view Microsoft Word, Excel, etc., PIM
• Connectivity includes integrated stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology³, HTML browser, hi-speed USB 2.0 EMU, 3.5 millimeter stereo jack
• Removable memory card slot, up to 2GB full SD card support;


What I like: There are 2 versions available one with the bloototh headset and one without it with difference of 2000 Rs between them.. but go for the one with headset.. Also there one without the touch screen (PDA)

Best music phone from Moto.. great interfaces and camera as well as music.. slim and sleek.. so not to heavy in our pockets... still manages to be a manly one.. not sissy slim

Possible Downside: No EDGe and no Wi Fi... for a PDA type phone Wi fi is must...Since it promises to be a decent business phone as well.

Price: 15000

Nokia 6300 (simple middle of both segments phone)
I know it may not be fit for smart phone as per the latest definition.. But simplicity still rules for me
Features:
# attractive yet conservative design
# 2 megapixel camera
# microSD memory card slot
# FM radio
# standard miniUSB connector
# 2.5 mm audio jack
# Bluetooth with A2DP profile support


Possible Downside:
Could be that we do not like slim ones in our hand (atleast I don't) may be considered sissy by some..
Also unsatisfactory camera performance, videos taken at QCIF (176 x 144 pixels) resolution only, side keys are difficult to press, no Infrared port

Bottomline
Not the best smart phone in the market.. but its like thge best non-jazzy no-nonsense phone with the basic features built in and light... Its for you and me and people like us who want their phones to be phones and cameras to be separate and music players to be separately that...

PRICE: 10000-11000

HTC touch (Business Phone and more)
Features: PDA, has everything that a phone can have. Business phone like -Windoes IE, Outlook, MSN Instant Messenger, Windows Live, Windows Media Player 10, Solitaire, Bubble Breaker (game), Voice Recorder as well as handwriting recognition and MS' standard on-screen keyboard...blah blah.. has wi fi connectivity which is great and also the camera is not too bad either. Abhi I asked in market theres another less costly version (at about 14 K) available



What I like:
Light and small... also multimedia playback is very good through the included wired stereo headset and through stereo Bluetooth headphones. Very good battery life by Windows Mobile Professional standards. Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi

Possible Downside:
I'm not a touch screen person so I find it cumbersome...
Windows tend to be sluggish and unresponsive like on our desktops. Touch interface doesn't extend far, no 3G, have to remove battery cover to access the MicroSD card slot.

PRICE: 20,000 (wo ho.. thats something)

Thought for lunch

Just something I made up

Working in office is like a Tennis match: until the score is love all.. all love you.... When its not, they try and throw the ball in your court. :)

PR.. Is it update time?

It seems that the Google PR update is going on. We have been noticing the dropping and updating of some website’s page ranks in the last couple of days. Also the number of backlinks have been showing a change on different data centers from the last week of July.

These are signs of an update. My guess is that Page rank is being updated by google and well there’s no rocket science there as it was expected to be around this time.. Keep an eye on the Big G.

Check out some tools to help the cause:
http://www.pageranktool.net/
http://www.mcdar.net/q-check/datatool.asp

Tabs with Special effects.. Jazz it up

I came across this really cool extension with firefox which adds some special when we switch from one tab to the other within a firefox window.

Its more of an eye candy really than being a useful one.. But sometime an eye candy is what you need if you are sitting in front of the browser all day long.. (and even nights).... This would be great for people who love the rotating thumbnail view in Linux Fedora Core 6 (an old feature in this OS) and the hyped (actually a damp squib) Windows Vista....



Check this extension Tab Effect and enjoy the effective browsing

PR update happening in April 2007?

I have been noticing the dropping and updating of some website's page ranks in the last week. Also the number of backlinks have been showing a change on different data centers from the last week of March. These are signs of an update. My guess is that Page rank is being updated by google and its according to the anticipated date by a lot of people. April's the month for changes I guess..

So after the Jan update, the signs are of an April PR update.. which might stabilize over the next two weeks... Keep an Eye

For those wondering what a Google PR is, Read this

Matt Cutts cut to size.. Hacked or Fooled

Google's most "Vocal" engineer and contributer to the algorithms Matt Cutts' blog has been hacked by the Dark SEO team, the self professed "Jehadis" of Search Engines

Have a look http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/

But hey is that an April Fool piece like google's tradition of april fool jokes?? (like TiSP and Google paper in 2007) .. I wonder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google's_hoaxes

Messy thought for food

They call my desk the messiest area of the office.... read this and say what..

If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?

Firefox 2.0 out in the open - Review time

Well Firefox 2.0 is out and its review time over a cuppa cofee

Its more robust looking and yet sleeker.. Its supposed to be more secure and enhanced.. Firefox calls it Phishing Protection where they compare their existing list of reported phishing sites (who lure you into giving sensitive personal information) which may be a great thing but since security is not “visible” so cant really comment on that. But the security console seems pretty neat with anti phishing sites option

The tabs are better looking and has got a close button right on the tab (like tab mix plus extension and of course Opera) Also for people who work with large number of tabs in the same window, there are arrows on the left and right side of the tab strip that let them scroll back and forth between their tabs... Also It has recently closed tab button in the history.. But why would anyone use history option... It would have made more sense if this was a button right on the tab bar

It has a inline spell checker in case you are filling some form which is a good feature

Right now the extensions are not compatible with the new version (and understandably so).. it was a little empty feeling for me.. I guess the extensions should also have been updated ...

One good feature is that the search boxes at top right are visually more appealing A new search engine manager makes it easier to add, remove and re-order search engines. It also comes with an awesome suggestion feature.. you type in a letter and its hows suggested words (ala Google suggest) along with you search history keywords which is a welsome step towards usability

Is it faster than the last version?... I don't think so... Opera is still much faster as far as page load time is concerned.. Firefox 1.5.0.7 was as fast as this one so no real additions here

Another thing that I noticed, As soon as I open Gmail or yahoo mail (any secure page) it me the authentication information like “authenticated by”. Well i don't know how useful that would be

Bottomline
It looks sleeker and a little enhanced in security but overall no striking change in usability or an outright enhancement. So a little bit of disappointment and kinda damp squib this release..

So looking forward to next version 3.0 code-named "Gran Paradiso”

PS: I'm still a firefox loyalist thought :-) thats why I'm more disappointed