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The most expensive programming mistake ever?

Poul-Henning Kamp wrote an excellent piece claiming that the choice of NULL terminated strings for the C language may be the most expensive mistake in the history of programming, and it was only a one-byte mistake at that. I write the TechRepublic Patch Tuesday column every month, and I can tell you that the kinds of issues that NULL terminated strings cause are the biggest cause of security issues for Windows, and therefore cost billions of dollars every year in security violations and lost time patching systems.

Does “social” fit into your mobile apps?

Appcelerator released its latest quarterly mobile developer survey, which has a big focus on “social” and how it fits into mobile apps. I think that mobile apps + social is a great blend. While I’m not that big on social stuff for enterprise scenarios (do you really want your server Tweeting that it’s had a failure?), I think it’s a good match with mobile devices, which tend to have a lot of consumer features.
Windows Phone 7 has a lot of social capabilities, and it is a great experience. For example, when my daughter was born a couple of months ago, I was able to get details and photos out to my friends and family within minutes of the birth, allowing those who could not be there to still participate.
I’m not sold on Google+ for a number of reasons, and Google’s history with its APIs makes me reluctant to recommend integrating apps with them, but an integration with Facebook and Twitter (where appropriate) makes perfect sense for many mobile apps.

10 reasons not to buy an iPad for your college student

The fake Apple store

Android 3.2 became official

The most recent version of the operational system Google Android for the tablets is official now. The new system Android 3.2 will surely arrive on some tablets very soon, according to cnet.com.

The first proof of this fact is that Motorola already started to offer this update for its tablet Xoom. According to the sources, there are already other Android 3.2 eager. The next brands that will have this software update are Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Iconia Acer Tab 500 and Toshiba Thrive.

This comes right after a month since the Huawei announce that said that its tablet will be the first in the entire world to have a seven inches display with dual-core and Android 3.2 system.

According to an official statement of the company, the new Android 3.2 is a very important launching that adds more features both for the developers and the users.

The new platform includes some API changes (that is a programming interface for the applications). This is not the only company’s update. There are also wide ranges of the display dimensions that can be supported, not only the 10.1 inches ones, the media files can be directly loaded from the SD card and these aren’t just a few.

According to the experts, Android 3.2 will not revolutionize the tablet’s way of using, but the facilities that the new operational system brings are new and very interesting. The new display dimension feature will probably be the first one that the tablet manufacturer will use, because the quick appearance of bigger tablets.

For the applications that are loaded directly from the mobile phone or just using a little resolution that the screen one, there is a facility now.

It allows the filling of the screen through the pixel’s scaling. The tablets that have a slot card will access the multimedia content directly from the card, without the copying of the content in the internal memory.

Another interesting update allows the developers a precise control of the graphic interface. This news is a very good one for the uses that wants to launch application compatibles with the 3.2 version of the operational system Android. For them, another alternative is to get the new SDK from Google.

The analysts think that Android 3.2 is the last major update for the Honeycomb family, before the company will pass on the Android 4, the next generation for this operational system.

Is Google+ the new Facebook?

After the lukewarm response to Google Buzz, the search giant is back again - this time with the feature-packed Google+. Touted as the rival to Facebook, the new social networking place has the online forums buzzing. While most people are going gaga over its cool features like Circles and Hangout, some are just slamming it as a mere copy of Facebook.
While you still make up your mind whether to love or hate Google's latest offering, here's what the experts are saying.
Expert talk
Danny Sullivan, searchengineland.com
The terrible name is a bad start. Google+? Google+! I can't even question or exclaim about the bad name without it looking bad in writing.Pronounced "Google Plus," the product is officially written as Google+ - making placing any punctuation after the name fairly awkward. And Google+ looks like and quacks like Facebook in several ways.
Ben Parr, mashable.com
No matter what Google says, Google+ is the company's response to the rise of Facebook. The two companies are in heated competition for talent, page views and consumers. While Google controls the search market and has a strong presence on mobile with Android, it hasn't been able to crack the social nut. Its most successful social product, YouTube, had to be acquired, and it still ranks as one of the most expensive acquisitions in the company's history.
Mark Hachman, Pcmag.com
Put simply, Google+ is a social network for geeks. But users used to Facebook's minimalist interface may find Google+ jarring. And, sad to say, Google's "field trial" suffered from overcapacity, an issue which may or may not have rippled into our evaluation on Tuesday afternoon. I and other PCMag.com staffers experienced numerous annoyances, which resulted from either poor design decisions, alpha glitches, or the overcapacity issue - I don't know which.
Brian Womack, bloomberg.com
With Google+, users easily share information based on the circle of friends they think would most like to see a photo or read a message, such as immediate family or people who like a certain hobby or sports team.
Ryan Tate, defamer.com
Really! Dump Facebook and tell all your friends about your new, richer social network. It's like Facebook but with much better groups (purportedly), so you can segregate your relatives and friends into different "Circles" that get different streams of information from you. You can name your circles and add whoever you want to each one; the relationships can be one way, so you can receives shares without sharing back. There are some other features, but that's the only one you need to care about. Google is touting Plus as a big improvement over Facebook.
Marshall Kirkpatrick, readwriteweb.com
With Google+, users such as immediate family or people who like a certain hobby or sports team. Once users sign up, they have a profile page with security settings that let them share or hide personal information, such as education or job descriptions. Contacts are suggested based on user e-mail accounts.

Buying iPhone 4? Read this

Puneet Kumar recently bought an iPhone 4 from a shop in Amsterdam where he went for a business trip. It was an unlocked device, bought at 680 euros from a shop that was very much legitimate. Puneet got a bill along with the device and a “two-year international warranty”.

Unfortunately for him, his iPhone 4 started malfunctioning days after he came back to India. The home button was “erratic” and many a time Puneet found pressing the button wasn’t bringing him back to the home screen. Armed with his copy of bill and a receipt that “specified world-wide warranty”, he visited a service centre that was authorized by Apple to provide after-sales service in Delhi. But he was in for a rude shock.
The customer care executives at the service centre refused to touch his iPhone 4, saying it was not covered under any warranty. Their position was that iPhones are not covered under Apple’s international warranty and the only way for Puneet to get his device fixed was to talk to the dealer in Amsterdam and ship the device to him. Exasperated, Puneet decided to ring up Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. There too he was told — according to him in a not-too-nice manner — that his device is not covered by any warranty in India. While he was free to deal with the dealer in Amsterdam in whatever manner he deemed fit, officially, Apple could not help him in any way.
After coming to know about Puneet’s experience, I decided to dig a little deeper into the warranty policy that Apple follows for iPhone 4 in India. Due to delayed launch of iPhone 4 in India, a large number of people in India use iPhones that they bought abroad — with all bills and warranties — or from the grey market. We hope this information will be useful for these people, as well as to those who plan to buy iPhone 4 in future.
1- No international warranty: Apple is renowned for its warranty. People who use Apple products often talk about how their grievances are handled efficiently without any questions. All because of one simple fact. Most Apple devices are covered under international warranty.
But iPhone 4 is an exception. In India, Apple provides warranty for only those iPhones that have been bought in this country. In fact, for iPhones — because they are often linked to carriers — there is nothing called international a warranty. If some dealer abroad tells you that you will get international warranty on an iPhone, he is misleading you. He may provide a “seller’s warranty” but that is not Apple’s warranty.

2- Buy from ‘authorized’ shops: In plain terms, this means that you should specifically ask the seller if he is authorized to sell the iPhone. It's even better if you check the list of authorized stores at Apple, Airtel or Aircel website and only buy from a shop which figures on the list. It is a fact that iPhone 4 has been launched in India, but not all shops or websites are authorized to sell it. So take care.
3- You are doomed (likely) if you bought iPhone 4 from the grey market or from abroad: Officially, service centres authorized by Apple in India are not supposed to touch any iPhone 4 that has not been bought from “authorized source”. This means that even if people are willing to pay money for parts and service, Apple will officially not provide any service to such a device in India. That’s the official policy. In reality, some centres — read the more benevolent ones — may take pity on you. But that is no guarantee.
4- iPhone is an exception: Apart from iPhone, all other Apple products are covered under international warranty in India. Apple claims that because of the complexity — read jail-broken devices — and its business model that relies on carriers like Airtel and Aircel, the company does not provide any international warranty to iPhone 4 in India.

India has 25 million Facebook users

The number of Facebook users in India has crossed the 25-million mark, the social networking site said Thursday.

"Facebook currently has 25 million users in India," said David Fischer, vice president advertising and global operations, Facebook at an interactive advertising and digital marketing exhibition, Ad-tech.

Facebook has become one of the most popular websites for active internet users in the recent past in India, leaving behind other social networking sites such as Orkut and Twitter.

"We are also looking forward to building strong relationship with India's strong network of developers and entrepreneurs who are increasingly harnessing Facebook to create unique sharing experiences on the social web," said the company.

The 25-million and growing Facebook users in India range from business people and students to public figures and institutions, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the Delhi Traffic Police and bollywood perfectionist Aamir Khan.

From January, Municipal Corporation of Delhi has also started using Facebook for users to post problems for immediate action on areas like sanitation and garbage cleaning.

New White Apple iPhone Begins Shipping to INDIA

Apple is starting to ship a version of their iPhone in the classic white color that is well-known on their other products. Although somewhat strange why they did not sell it until now, the white-colored iPhone has been requested by numerous customers (or should I say, fans!).
There have been some who have created knock-off iPhone shells that are white and sold on the black market for many dollars. It’s no surprise that Apple has finally decided to cash-in on this large demand.
How much do you want a brand new white iPhone? Is it worth getting a new one phone, just to change colors?

9 things you can do with Wi-fi ...

Wi-Fi can be used for a lot more than just connecting to your computer or phone to the internet. The technology can come handy for a variety of other tasks.

Here are nine little-known uses of Wi-Fi.

Make DTH signal go the distance
Monsoon Multimedia's Vulkano is a device that connects to (and controls) your existing DTH set top box (STB).
It has to be set up so that the STB outputs to the Vulkano, while the Vulkano is connected via HDMI to the TV.

You can watch TV normally, but Vulkano also lets you stream your existing TV, which you've already paid for, to any internet-connected PC, Android phone or iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch.
Whether you're within your Wi-Fi connected home, or anywhere in the world, you can connect to the Vulkano box, switch on the STB and watch or record live TV.

If you have a recorder like TataSky+, the Vulkano box can also be used to schedule a recording on it.
At $280, this is a cool new way to make your TV channels go the distance.

Control DSLR over Wi-Fi with your iPhone
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, an app called DSLR Camera Remote by OnOne Software ($19.99 for the pro version, $1.99 for the lite) can work as a remote viewfiner and shutter release for one of the compatible Nikon or Canon DSLRs.

Connect the DSLR to a PC using USB, download and install the client software and then the app on the iPhone/iPod.
As long as both the iPhone and the PC are on the same wireless network, you'll be able to see what the DSLR sees, even in another room.

Apart from actually taking the photograph, you can also control the exposure and various other settings remotely.

Turn webcams into surveillance cameras
An app called iCam ($4.99) for the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch can be used to remotely monitor your home when you are away.

You need to install the free iCamSource software (available for Windows & MAC) on each laptop or PC that you want to use, and then configure it to the iCam software in a simple , two-step process.

You can configure up to 12 different webcams with each iPhone, and view the feeds from four of them simultaneously. Like a high-end surveillance system, iCam also offers push notifications.

The app continuously monitors the camera feeds for movement. If movement is detected, a message will pop up informing you of the same.

Share Net connection using Wi-Fi
Free program called Connectify turns your Windows 7 machine into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Download Connectify from connectify.me and set it up by giving your Wi-Fi network a name and password, just as you would with a regular Wi-Fi router.

So whether your laptop is connected via Ethernet or to a USB broadband modem, you can share internet with other nearby laptops or devices like Wi-Fi enabled phones, iPods and tablets.

Similar functionality can be found on smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S and HTC HD2; both have built in software that lets you share your GPRS connection with other Wi-Fi devices in the vicinity.

Transfer photos from digicam to PC
Imagine a memory card for your digital camera that never ran out of space. That's what the Eye-Fi wireless SD can do for you.
The card packs in regular flash memory and a Wi-Fi adapter into a standard SD card that can fit many digital cameras.

When you first get it, you need to configure the card to your Wi-Fi network by connecting it to a PC.
You can also configure it with Flickr, Picasa, Evernote, YouTube, Snapfish, Photobucket and many more.
When you get within range of your configured Wi-Fi network, photos and videos stored on the card will automatically get transferred to your computer or connected site.

The 4GB Eye-Fi SD card is available for 3,800 (including customs & delivery) from eBay India's Global Easy Buy program.
Note: Although Eye-Fi is supported by over 1000 camera models, before buying, do check the compatibility list on the company website.

Send photos to digital photo frame
The iGala Wi-Fi photo frame looks just any other 8-inch photo frame. But it's actually pretty advanced.
Based on Linux, the touchscreen can be used to configure it to your Wi-Fi network.
Sign in to your Flickr account on it to instantly have it display photos from your stream.

You could also use it just like any other photo frame, by displaying images from the 1GB built in memory or external SD/USB devices.
Available from Thinkgeek.com for $240 (They ship to India; customs and shipping charges extra).

Make your own portable Wi-Fi hotspot
You may not always have an available Wi-Fi connection to get your fix. However , with the help of a handy new device, you can create your own Wi-Fi hotspot wherever you go.

The Tata Photon+ Wi-Fi is a small, battery-powered device that connects to Tata Photon's broadband network (just like the USB device) and instantly creates a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that can be used by up to five devices at a time.

It also has a single Ethernet port to connect to a desktop or laptop without Wi-Fi .
Buy the device for 6,499 and choose from a number of different plans starting at 500 per month.

Modern warfare with the Parrot AR.Drone
Designed solely for the Apple iOS platform, the AR.Drone is a toy quadricopter that you can control via Wi-Fi from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
The Drone broadcasts its own Wi-Fi network and connects to your iPhone/iPod once you download the free app.

Each pairing between an AR.Drone and iOS device is unique, so you can even have multiple Drones in the same area.
Meanwhile, two cameras built into the drone relay a live video feed directly to your iPhone/iPod so that you can send it along on reconnaissance missions (just don’t stray too far away).

Multiple AR.Drones can take on each other in a dogfight or a race around obstacles if that takes your fancy.
For indoor use, the supplied hull shield needs to be out on that surrounds the rotors and protects them from any impact against the wall or other Drones.

The hull can be removed for outdoor use.
The Parrot AR Drone is available from international reseller shopyourworld.com for 21,000 (including customs and all shipping charges)

Monitor entire house with Rovio
Rovio is a toy, but a pretty advanced one at that. The battery-powered, camera-toting and Wi-Fi enabled Rovio will wait patiently at home for your command. Connect to it from a remote location, and you'll see what Rovio sees.

You can also move Rovio around and use it to communicate with other people thanks to the built in speaker and mic.
Teach Rovio your home's layout by setting waypoints and Rovio can navigate to those preset locations all by itself.

And Once Rovio's battery is depleted, it can automatically back itself into the charging dock at home.
Available from Thinkgeek.com for $199 (They ship to India; customs and shipping charges extra).

HP TouchPad Tablet Promises Superb Multitasking Performance

Finally, the unveiling of one of the most awaited tablets has occurred. The HP TouchPad tablet was announced in an event held on Wednesday in San Francisco. First impressions by those who were lucky enough to play with the device were mostly positive. The HP TouchPad succeeds in delivering superb interface and animations on the 1024 x 768 display. This is made possible because of the intuitive webOS.

So far, among the notable features in the TouchPad’s performance is the stacked notification. If an update comes, it immediately appears on the upper right portion of the screen, so the user can immediately check it out even if he’s in the middle of something in the Tablet.
Aside from that, it also allows panel-like viewing to see all the accounts. Scrolling through the panels is possible as well. Stacking is another great feature to help minimize space. The user can break down the stack as he pleases.
The virtual keyboard is another great feature because its size can be changed to small or large, depending on the user’s preference. The HP TouchPad tablet also connects easily and conveniently to the user’s web photos.
Users can also go into gaming while doing other things in the TouchPad. Game can be passed in the background while writing email or dealing with notifications.
So far HP TouchPad tablet promises great multitasking performance with its webOS and dual-core Snapdragon processor.

Are ENTREPRENEURS born or made?

Thanks to Social Networking websites we have no face to face interaction.

Interaction is a part of our daily life, either face to face or by some networking websites. Facebook, orkut, Myspace are some of the names in social networking area that needs no introduction. Most of these sites are attractive in design, easy to use, and are aimed at connecting people around the globe grabbing more and more users like us. Their huge success speaks for their addiction as more and more people are joining everyday. Even it surprised google also as Facebook is the most visited site over the internet. These sites have become addiction due to some of their features like chat, games etc. which demands more and more time of the user and hence user becomes an introvert though he may seem to be an extrovert with 100’s of friends in the list including those with whom he never had any face to face interaction.

These networking websites have some benefits and some losses too. Benefits for those who are in a long distance relationship, for those who serve their community people instead of meeting personally.  And losses like the person on the other side can easily fabricate the information he/she is supplying, so we can never judge the person is pretending to be real or fake. Though these network giants help people to get instant access to friends and relatives and make their web presence but it is also deteriorating their social life.

As popular quote says “Excess of everything is bad”. Yes social networking websites are a boon to the society if they are used within limits else they may make a person socially insocial.

my gadgets

Well i am a gadget geek too. Here are few gagdets which i have and i love them.

Nokia N8 Review

A nice big phone with good specifications. Few things which i like about this phone is its camera, 12 megapixel (no need co carry a digicam) although it cant provide quality like that but is still good but on top of 12 MP you have Carl Zeiss optic’s on the Nokia N8.
Great apps, infact large no of apps.

First phone to offer HDMI port, so you can show off your friends your videos,pictures etc. The screen on the N8 is a massive 3.5 inches with a 16:9 resolution (640 x 360) or more commonly known as HD. 16.7 million colours are used along with the ambient light detector / proximity sensor to ensure you screen always looks at is best and saves power where possible.
Videos can be shot in HD (720p res) at 25 frames per second. There are settings to configure the scene, video light, colour tone and white balance. There is a photo editor as standard on the N8 and you can make use of the in-built GPS receiver by using geo-tagging, very useful if your lucky enough to be on a road trip.
I have to say initially the Nokia N8 looks very impressive. The spec list is truly massive and for me the big plus points have to be the 12 MP camera (xenon flash and Carl Zeiss optic’s), free sat nav and HDMI support. However the touch screen, navigation of the phone has to be up with and as responsive as HTC else it will fall flat on its face.

Enjoy reading!

Apple iPad is touchscreen tablet suited for web browsing, Email, Photos, Videos, Music, Games and eBooks. Apple iPad is just big brother of of iPhone with same Mac OSX and similar widget based user interface and incredibly thin.

iPad also features built-in iTunes store, watch YouTube with high-definition playback, TV shows and movies.Apple iPad is loaded with Wi-Fi, GPS with Google maps, Full Capacitive Touchscreen with Multi-touch.

Apple iPad Technical Specification:

• 1GHz Apple A4 Processor
• 9.7″ inch IPS Display
• 16GB to 64GB Flash Storage
• WLAN 802.11n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth v2.1
• GPS with Digital Compass
• Accelerometer
• Speaker
• Microphone
• 0.5″ inch thin
• 10 Hours of Battery Life
• One Month Stand-by Time
• Weight: 680gm

Apple iPad in India: Approx. 30,000 to 50,000 Indian Rupee (INR) depends upon model and Version like 3G+wi-fi model will cost you extra..

I wish i could have too!!