APPS - Revamped Facebook app for iOS: Review

Slow and steady wins the race is history. The need for speed is the need of the hour not just for techies, but users everywhere. Facebook has finally realised this fact and updated its iOS client to version 5, which has bid adieu to HTML 5 and says hello to Objective-C.The social networking app is now twice as fast with Photos, News Feed and the app itself launching quicker than ever. With this update, iPad users can now access the Timeline profile view. The app has been built from scratch over the past nine months to bring a major performance improvement. We take a detailed look at what's new under the hood. Now when you launch the app, it opens in the blink of an eye as opposed to earlier when you would continue to stare at the logo...

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Posted in: APPS

GADGETS - TABLET - HTC reportedly working on Windows RT tablets to compete with Apple’s iPad

It appears that Microsoft is going all out in its competition with Apple as the tech giant plans to manufacture Windows RT tablets with HTC in a bid to push the sales of its latest operating system.According to a report by Bloomberg, sources familiar with the matter claim that HTC is working on a 12-inch tablet as well as a 7-inch model with the ability to make phone calls. Both these tablets will run on the Windows operating system. HTC is believed to debut these products in 2013 after being excluded from the first batch of Windows 8 devices. These HTC tablets will be based on Microsoft’s Windows RT OS, designed for machines with chips using technology from Arm. The report goes on to state that delays in those machines, as well...

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Posted in: GADGETS

NEWS - How Modi’s victory changes the political pitch for 2014

If you’re frothing at the mouth and are going apoplectic, it’s a sure sign that you have nothing coherent to say and have allowed emotion to interfere with lucidity of thought. In that sense, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam’s vulgar abuse directed at Smriti Irani of the BJP, in a television talk show late on Thursday (watch the clip here), is symptomatic of the Congress’ colossal failure to get its head around the political significance ofNarendra Modi‘s win in Gujarat. Appearing on ABP’s post-election analysis, Nirupam resorted to the usual Congress strategy of launching ad hominem attacks on Modi based on wilful misrepresentation of facts about his record of governance in office, which was far and away the one election issue...

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Posted in: NEWS

TIPS - Free and Useful Android Apps

Filling your phone with great applications is the best way to ensure you're getting the most out of your smartphone. That said, trawling the app market for quality apps can be a laborious task (there's an awful lot of junk in there). The Tom's Guide team has put together a list of the best free and useful apps. Be sure to check out '40 Free and Useful Android Apps' for some of the best the Google Play Store has to offer. The majority of apps available through Google Play, the online software catalog for Google's smartphone and tablet platform, are free. The true challenge is sorting the gold from the dross. Here's a list of 40 apps we've tried and loved. Hopefully you will too, especially since they'll...

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Posted in: TIPS

MOBILES - Top 6 Tech Trends of 2012

2012 has been a busy year in the tech world. Samsung got slapped with a mind-bending $1.05 billion patent infringement payout, Microsoft took a shot at the hardware business with its Surface tablets, paired with their new touch-centric OS, Windows 8, Apple finally released an iPad mini, Nokia took another stab at regaining its lost momentum in the smartphone world, and Google got more involved in the hardware scene with its revamped Nexus line. Without a doubt, it's been a busy year. So, based on what was popular this year, what will the big buzz be in 2013? Let's take a look at the top Google searches in tech for 2012: 1. iPad 3 Apple's iPad lineup got a little fuzzy early on, with the iPad 3 being...

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Posted in: MOBILE

COMPUTER - Police use computer software program to catch criminals

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A forensic artist has created the sketch of a man Myrtle Beach Police believe sexually assaulted a woman in a parking lot. That crime was allegedly committed on December 16 in the parking lot behind a home on Somerset Drive. The victim says she saw the man walking past her house several times before the assault. The suspect is a white male standing 5'09' tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds. He has short "scruffy" blond hair. Thom Berry with the State Law Enforcement Division says the forensic artists they employ have substantial training and qualifications, asking lots of questions of the victim or witness to create an accurate sketch. This case is the first since 2011 where Myrtle...

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Posted in: COMPUTERS

GADGETS - i PHONE - iPhone 5 Review: Critics vs. Consumers - Who Should You Listen to Before Making Your Holiday Shopping Decisions?

Looking to buy an iPhone 5 for the holidays? Reviews from critics and actual users don't always agree. Who should you trust? In general, critics gushed over the iPhone 5. CNET editors gave it a 4 out of 5. PC Magazine thought it was a little better, giving the iPhone 5 a 4.5 out of 5. MacWorld agreed, bestowing 4.5 mice. But one of the drawbacks to professional reviews is the short amount of time reviewers usually have with a piece of tech. It's fine with a movie that everyone will see once, but living with a phone or a computer every day for years is a very different experience than simply taking it for a spin. So user reviews can offer more insight into the pros and cons of a particular phone. Of...

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Posted in: GADGETS

TIPS - Google Nexus 4 tips, tricks and cool features

If you’re fortunate enough to have received your Nexus 4 from Google then no doubt you’ve set about finding out just what it’s capable of. If you’d like to learn something about your new phone, take a look at some of the useful features and tips we’ve found so far. Put your face to your name Android 4.2 includes a neat two-way notification bar, which includes a tile for your user profile. Usually this is just a blank section, but you can put your face there to make it look pretty cool and stamp your ownership on your Nexus. Swipe the notification bar down from the top of the screen, touch the grid in the top right corner and then tap the square with your name underneath it in the top left. Touch the contact icon to the right of your name,...

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Posted in: TIPS

TRAVEL - Christmas travel exodus: latest road, train and flight advice and information

There has been a disastrous start to the great festive getaway, after a fire caused disruption to London's Paddington station, the main gateway to the west and Heathrow Airport. Heathrow Express services were cancelled, putting more pressure on the Tube network, and making booked-out flights difficult to reach in time. Heathrow Airport said it was expecting 123,000 passengers to depart today and 104,000 to arrive....

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Posted in: TRAVEL

SPORTS - Selectors meet on Sunday to pick squad for Pakistan series

               National selectors will meet here on Sunday to pick the Indian squad for the limited-overs series against Pakistan amid speculation that struggling senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar has made himself available for ODI selection. The panel, headed by Sandeep Patil, will be meeting for the first time after the humiliating Test debacle against England. The T20 matches against Pakistan are scheduled on December 25 and 28 in Bangalore and Ahmedabad respectively and the squad is unlikely to see many changes from the one playing against England in the same format that concludes here on Saturday.              It is the ODI squad that would draw more attention...

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Posted in: SPORTS

BOLLYWOOD - 'Dabangg 2' up for worst film at Golden Kela Awards

Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh and Salman Khan's much hyped films 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' and 'Dabangg 2' are competing for the worst film trophy at the 2012 annual Golden Kela awards, which recognises the best of the worst in Hindi cinema. The other films in the worst film category include 'Housefull 2', 'Son Of Sardar', 'Khiladi 786' and 'Joker'. This year's Golden Kela Awards, the Indian version of Razzies- “Golden Raspberry Awards”, have come up with surprising names in different categories. The winners are decided by audience vote. In the worst actor (male) category, Akshay Kumar comes on top with his four releases-- 'Housefull 2', 'Rowdy Rathore', 'Joker' and 'Khiladi 786', Ajay Devgn is part of the list for his two films 'Son...

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Posted in: BOLLYWOOD

HEALTH - Intestinal transplant: How it can save the Delhi rape victim’s life

Recently the news has been flooded with how the Delhi rape victim has been offered an intestinal transplant by Sir Gangaram Hospital. The offer was communicated by D.S. Rana, the Chairman of Sir Gangaram Hospital who said that the private hospital has performed India’s first and only living donor intestinal transplant which has been reported in peer reviewed journal this year.  So what is an intestinal transplant? Why does she need it? Will it work? Here are some things you need about intestinal transplants. Intestinal transplantation has evolved in the past decade from being considered an ‘experimental’ procedure to what is considered as a last-resort treatment option for patients with intestinal failure who develop...

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Posted in: HEALTH

TECH - Facebook now lets you untag yourself from unwanted photos at once

After rolling out some new privacy tools to help users manage who can see what they share on Facebook, the social networking giant has now announced a new tool - a Request and Removal tool - that lets users untag multiple photos at once. Users can see this tool in the updated Activity Log. Here is how you can take actions on multiple photos you are tagged in - Go to your Timeline > click the Activity Log button on your timeline, under your cover photo > Click on photos link on the left > and select multiple photos you want to take actions on. Users can either ask friends to take down the shots they don't like - they can even include a message about why this is important to you, or they can use the tool to untag multiple photos...

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Posted in: COMPUTERS

TECH - Google to launch Motorola X-phone, tablet: Report

Google is working with recently acquiredMotorola on a handset codenamed " X-phone", aimed at grabbing market share from Apple andSamsung Electronics, the Wall Street Journalsaid, citing people familiar with the matter.Google acquired Motorola in May for $12.5 billion to bolster its patent portfolio as itsAndroid mobile operating system competes with rivals such as Apple and Samsung.The Journal quoted the people saying that Motorola is working on two fronts: devices that will be sold by carrier partner Verizon Wireless, and on the X phone.Motorola plans to enhance the X Phone with its recent acquisition of Viewdle, an imaging and gesture-recognition software...

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Posted in: TECH