Tech World Updates – August 2011

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Things are changing rapidly, just over a decade ago, Geek was used as an insult – it sometimes still is, but usually by someone of no importance and a huge chip on his shoulder. But the word is now associated with Mark Zuckerberg, Page and Brin or perhaps Bill Gates. It’s simple logic to deduce that the evolution of mankind will take the path of the wealthy; they have better chances of survival, finding a mate and seeing their offspring into adulthood. Same thing goes with Technology World – it is also progressing in faster manner. Even a day can bring evolution in tech world. Today, we have gathered some mind changing and innovative news related to technology; hope it will be interesting enough to attract your attention.

tech-world-updates

Zapak launches subscription based gaming services

Popular gaming website zapak.com, has launched a subscription based gaming service named Zapak Plus, enabling users candownload full games on their PC and play then via a client, by subscribing to monthly or quarterly plans. Initially, the gaming company is offering around 120 titles from different genres such as arcade, sports, action and others. Charges for now are fixed at Rs.99 for a month of playing or Rs.247 for three months.

 

IBM develops multi-bit phase change memory

IBM research – Zurich has announced a new type of inexpensive and reliable universal non-volatile memory called Phase Change Memory. Shattering records, it supposedly reads and writes 100 times faster than conventional flash based memory with a latency of 10 microseconds, and is also several of orders of magnitude more reliable with 10 million estimates write cycles. It is built using cells created from a special alloy, which can be electrically controlled into different physical states – crystalline with low resistance properties, amorphous with high resistance properties, Each alloy cell is capable of storing four data bits using different resistance levels, making it the first multi-bit-phase-change-memory with reliable retention – only single bit PCM was capable of this earlier.

 

  • Georgia Tech researchers have found a way to cheaply tap ambient electromagnetic energy from the air.
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  • Oxford University Scientists have developed bionic glasses to aid the visually challenged, using minuscule cameras to alert wearers about the things around them.
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  • Acer has released two models of the new Aspire TimelineX laptop series in India – Aspire 5830T and 5830TG starting from Rs.32,999.
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  • A Doritos survey found that more female online gamers liked playing online games, than FOGs who liked shopping or having Sex.
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  • Indian Railways has announced a new SMS-based system for purchasing rail tickets on mobile phones, a system that will reportedly roll out soon.
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  • Apple files another patent infringement case against HTC.
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  • Apple iOS 4.3.4 was supposed to have fixed the recent jail-breaking on 4.3.3. It’s reportedly still vulnerable to Pwnage Tool working across most iOS devices.
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  • Microsoft accidentally revealed socl.com, its ‘in the works’ social network.
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  • The major online payment gateway eyes the offline market to catch more fish.
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  • Apple – the $323 Billion company was ordered to pay $946 in compensation for collecting user geo-location data without permission in May.
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  • T-Mobile has started 4G HSPA+ network with 42MBPS speeds in 50 cities in the US.
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  • Google officially announced its “What Do You Love” search tool. Click Here for more.
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  • Google buys PittPatt – a facial recognition firm, despite privacy concerns and declaring it had no interest in facial recognition.
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  • A new non-operational social search service called Tulalip was found at socl.com. Microsoft later called it an internal design project. For more Click Here.
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  • Due to slow uptake, Google will stop its health monitoring service Google Health on Jan 1, 2012.
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  • ClamWin proves to be a must try antivirus, the ClamWin Ltd. Claims to have more than 6,00,000 users worldwide.
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  • Zimbra began its life as an ordinary SourceForge project and it was later on acquired by Yahoo for a heart stopping $350 million.
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  • One of the biggest bakers of Linux is Brazil, where almost the entire IT infrastructure of the federal government is based on Linux.
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  • Due to the rapid adoption of Red Hat Linux in India, the company has started a development center in Pune.
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  • For publicity, Google’s social networking site Google+ has started a verified account system similar to what Twitter offers.
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  • The next version of Qt, used by KDE, is coming soon, but will be a much easier transition than Qt ¾ was.
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  • The $7 billion company, Google gives its advertising customers a credit card to beef up competition in the cut-throat market.
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  • Apple plans to do away with physical distribution OS on CDs/DVDs, Mac OS Lion will be sold via internet download or in a thumb drive.
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  • Adobe has released the beta version of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 runtimes.
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  • IBM’s Jeopardy wining super computer Watson, with its superb vocal recognition technology, may be on the other side of the line the next time you call a hospital.
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  • A study performed by Dr. Du Shengwang of the University of Hong Kong “Proves” that nothing can travel faster than the light speed, thus making time travel impossible, sadly.
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  • Not content with aping the latest consumer gadgets, a new trend in China creates fake buildings and exact copies of real Apple Stores.
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  • ICM Registry has received nearly 9,00,000 interested buyers for .XXX domain names during its pre reservation process.
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  • The new paid version of uTorrent is expected to offer better media management and encoding facilities.
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  • Virgin Media is testing DOCSIS-2 which is powered by a 1.5 Gbps network in London.
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  • LaCie Rugged Mini is a USB 3.0 portable drive with five layers of protection that makes it scratch, rain and water resistant.
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  • Blackle, created by Heap Media Australia, claims to save energy by displaying darker colors compared to your normal Google Search.
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  • LinkedIn has now become No.2 Social network in US, surpassing MySpace.
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  • Apple’s revolutionary app store crosses the 15 billion download mark.
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  • University of Georgia students have created a spray-on solution which can render clothes permanently germ-free.