Samsung launches Galaxy Grand phablet at Rs 21k

Samsung India has launched Galaxy Grand Duos with dual-sim functionality, bringing another phablet to the market just a day after Micromax announced its Canvas HD with 5-inch screen. The company said it will retail the device with a flip cover in the box and price it at Rs 21,500.

The all-new Galaxy Grand Duos has a 5-inch WVGA TFT screen and is powered by Android4.1 (Jelly Bean). This smartphone runs on a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz and has 1GB RAM. Samsung has continued with the design language it introduced in the Galaxy S III in this smartphone as well.

At the back, the smartphone has an 8MP camera with LED flash, while there is a 2MP snapper on the front. Available only in an 8GB variant, the device's memory capacity can be raised up to 64GB via microSD card. Running on a 2,100mAh battery, the Galaxy Grand Duos has connectivity features like 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, S Voice and microUSB. Other features of the device include Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video and AllShare Play. Galaxy Grand will also have multi-app functionality, allowing users to access two apps simultaneously.

A Samsung India executive said that if a user is taking a call on one sim, Galaxy Grand Duos' auto-forwarding feature will automatically redirect an incoming call on the other sim to the first connection.

Micromax recently claimed that it has shipped more phablets than Samsung in the country. At the unveiling of Canvas HD, the indigenous manufacturer said it shipped 1.98 lakh phablets, while Samsung imported 1.89 lakh units of its Galaxy Note and Note II tablets.

Infosys market cap jumps by $4 billion, more than Fiji‘s GDP

Shares in Infosys closed up 16.8 per cent on Friday after stellar third-quarter results and an unexpected rise in its fiscal year revenue estimate, adding $4.07 billion to its market capitalization, more than the GDP of Fiji.

Infosys' 16.8 percent jump almost single-handedly kept the Sensex in the black, with 26 of its 30 components closing lower, including index heavyweights Reliance Industries and tobacco major ITC.

Fiji's gross domestic product stood at $3.81 billion in 2011, according to the most recent data available from the World Bank.

India's No.2 software services provider Infosys Ltd raised its revenue forecast after posting stronger-than-expected quarterly profit, triggering a 15 percent surge in its shares, set for their biggest gain in more than a decade.

Many investors had dumped shares in the company after a string of disappointing quarters eroded Infosys' reputation as the sector bellwether, putting pressure on CEO SD Shibulal to win more deals and make the firm more profitable.

"We continue to gain confidence from a strong pipeline of large deals," Shibulal said in a statement. "We remain cautiously optimistic about the January-March quarter."

The Bangalore-based company unexpectedly raised its sales forecast for the year ending March 31 to at least $7.45 billion, including $104 million in additional revenue following its acquisition of Switzerland-based consultancy Lodestone Holdings.

That would be a rise of 6.6 percent from a year earlier, compared with a previous forecast for a 5 percent increase.

New deals, including 13 in Europe, helped boost Infosys' revenue. Spending on IT services by capital markets clients such as investment banks and brokerages has also improved, Ashok Vemury, head of Americas and manufacturing, told reporters in Bangalore after the earnings announcement.

Clients that have signed big contracts with Infosys, including Harley-Davidson, also accelerated spending during the quarter, he said.

However, some analysts said it was still too early to predict a recovery for the company.

"We are positively surprised by Infosys' performance, and need to study the durability of Infosys' comeback," JPMorgan said in a research note.

Analysts had expected Infosys to trim its annual sales growth to as low as 3.3 per cent after the company warned last month that US clients had cut back on projects and delayed signing big deals.

"The market was slightly predatory, given that the last two times the company has disappointed, but this time the organic guidance is better ... which I think will be taken positively," said Rikesh Parikh, vice president for markets strategy and equities at Motilal Oswal Securities in Mumbai.

Apple Blocks Java 7 on OS X to Address Widespread Security Threat

As noted by ZDNet, a major security vulnerability in Java 7 has been discovered, with the vulnerability currently being exploited in the wild by malicious parties. In response to threat, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recommended that users disable Java 7 entirely until a patch is made available by Oracle.
Hackers have discovered a weakness in Java 7 security that could allow the installation of malicious software and malware on machines that could increase the chance of identity theft, or the unauthorized participation in a botnet that could bring down networks or be used to carry out denial-of-service attacks against Web sites. 'We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem,' said the DHS' Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) in a post on its Web site on Thursday evening. 'This vulnerability is being attacked in the wild, and is reported to be incorporated into exploit kits. Exploit code for this vulnerability is also publicly available.'Apple has, however, apparently already moved quickly to address the issue, disabling Java 7 on Macs where it is already installed. Apple has achieved this by updating its 'Xprotect.plist' blacklist to require a minimum of an as-yet unreleased 1.7.0_10-b19 version of Java 7. With the current publicly-available version of Java 7 being 1.7.0_10-b18, all systems running Java 7 are failing to pass the check initiated through the anti-malware system built into OS X.



Apple's updated plugin blacklist requiring an unreleased version of Java 7 Apple historically provided its own support for Java on OS X, but in October 2010 began pushing support for Java back to Oracle, with Steve Jobs noting that the previous arrangement resulted in Apple's Java always being a version behind that available to other platforms through Oracle. Consequently, Jobs acknowledged that having Apple responsible for Java 'may not be the best way to do it.' It wasn't until last August that the transition was essentially complete, with Oracle officially launching Java 7 for OS X. Java 7 does not ship by default on Mac systems, meaning that many users are not affected this latest issue or other recent ones, but those users who have manually installed Java 7 may be experiencing issues with their systems. There is no word yet on when an updated version of Java addressing the issue will be made available by Oracle.

Nokia: We are in a hurry to catch up

Finnish handset major Nokia is banking on a slew of product launches across a wide price band in a bid to regain its lost market share in the smartphone category. Nokia executives say the company is in a "hurry to catch up" with giants such as Apple and Samsung who currently consume a majority of the market.

In an interview with TOI at the launch of the new Nokia Lumia 920, director & head of smart devices at Nokia, Vipul Mehrotra, talks about the company's strategy to win back its market share through the new launches. Excerpts:

Q: Nokia posted losses in six consecutive quarters until October 2012. How do intend to change that?

A: We are in the race and are accelerating our own clock cycles. Launching three handsets at a time is a proof point that we need to catch up in hurry. We will be working towards offering phones across price points. We did not have a flagship model in Lumia earlier. With the new Lumia 920, we have one. Of course it is not a mass market phone but then the new launches are intended to regain the smartphone share in the market.

Q: The Lumia phones have not managed to gain the desired consumer base. Where do you think you went wrong?

A: As I said, one, we had no flagship product to show to the consumers that we had a leader in the category. Also we needed to build up on the OS. The transition took us time but it has started now.

Q: Nokia has been more focused on the entry to mid level price range. Nokia Asha phones have performed exceptionally well. With the launch of Lumia 920, are you announcing an entry into high-end smartphones?

A: We are targeting a range of prices in our products. We are also aiming at having more products on the shelf, as there are a lot of options in the market today. Last year we introduced the Lumia category, which was a big step for us. With these launches, we are taking a huge stride again. High-end smartphones work on innovation. Asha phones have surpassed our expectations and they are in the highest growth segment. Now, we will focus on far more innovation in Lumia. Besides traditional forms of marketing, we will concentrate on experiential marketing for Lumia. Smartphones are not a game of width but of depth. We will intensify focus on those outlets that are doing well for us on experiential marketing.

Facebook testing $100 charge to message strangers

Facebook is at it again, folks. The social network giant is testing out yet another new feature, and this time it’s almost too ridiculous to believe. Facebook is testing a new service that charges you $100 to send a message to a stranger. So, instead of having the message land in their “Other” inbox, it will go straight to their main inbox.
Some Facebook users have been reporting an interesting popup when they attempt to send messages to people outside of their friend network. The popup notes that the message will be filtered to the “Other” inbox of the recipient, but offers to deliver it to the top of the recipient’s inbox for a staggering $100.
Facebook first began experimenting with this kind of option last month when it first introduced filters, including the “Other” folder. In initial tests, the fee was just $1. However, according to Mashable, Facebook confirms the $100 option is part of that test, and they say they’re testing “some extreme price points to see what works to filter spam.”
Mashable reported seeing $100 as the fee to send a message to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, but sending messages to other strangers result in the same price, which means that the fee isn’t based on the popularity of the user. However, unless you’re part of the test group, you still can’t send a message to strangers, and there’s no word on when or if the feature will be rolling out. It’s also entirely possible that if the service eventually launched, the fee might change.
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Facebook says 'Come and see what we're building' on January 15 event
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[via Mashable]

Facebook testing $100 charge to message strangers is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.

Wireless charging: Pick Google Samsung or Nokia

Smartphone battery running low?

You are not alone. With millions of mobile devices handling more tasks, batteries are draining faster, forcing the industry to look for solutions including wireless charging, which can give consumers a power boost on the go.

Many solutions to this problem were on display at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, but consumers may be confused by the number of competing platforms and standards.

The Wireless Power Consortium, which includes some 100 companies and has 130 products certified under its standard known as Qi (pronounced chee), has been using the CES to promote the concept this week.

The consortium works with makers of smartphones and producers of charging pads, furniture and automotive consoles that enable a consumer to simply place a device on top for a charge -- without worrying about plugging in.

"This is the only consortium that has real products on the market," said CJ Moore of Fulton Innovation, one of the technology firms behind the group that also includes Nokia, LG, Panasonic and Texas Instruments.

The members are deploying charging pads and stations which can be used in homes and also at airports, coffee shops and other locations.

Moore, who was showing CES visitors the variety of charging pads and sleeves in use, noted that members have some 130 certified products and 10 million devices in use.

The consortium said Qi chargers will be available this year in the Toyota Avalon, as well as in audio and video products and furniture.

IHS analysts expect the industry to grow to nearly 100 million shipments by 2015.

The French firm Gidophone, whose 100 Qi charging stations in Europe allow customers to pay for a wireless charge, said at the CES show it is planning to deploy in the United States.

"The reaction to our kiosk, thus far, has been phenomenal," said Christian Pineau, Gidophone's vice president of sales.

But at CES, two other competing alliances offered their own platforms for wireless charging, using different technical norms.

The Alliance for Wireless Power, whose 30 members include Samsung, Qualcomm and Deutsche Telekom, said it would launch its own products using what it called a superior platform.

"Consumers prefer to charge multiple devices at the same time," said alliance president Kamil Grajski, as he showed a news conference various planned devices, such as coffee tables and auto consoles.

Grajski said the previous efforts have failed to generate enough participation over the past few years, and said his group is offering "a next-generation" wireless charging option.

He acknowledged that consumers may end up confused by the different, incompatible standards but added that "this is a competitive marketplace. No company or group can declare itself the winner."

Some companies, including chip and component makers, are members of both alliances. So is Samsung, though representatives of the South Korean firm said it is committed to AWP.

A third group called the Power Matters Alliance, backed by Google, AT&T and Procter & Gamble, announced in Las Vegas the addition of 30 new member firms.

PMA said its membership has tripled in the past month, and its board now includes AT&T, Starbucks and the US government's Federal Communications Commission as an observer.

The PMA standard is being tested at Boston-area Starbucks with Duracell, a P&G unit. Delta Air Lines has installed PMA-compatible charging spots in airport lounges, and General Motors is planning to put in compatible charging consoles, according to the alliance.

Ariel Sobelman, president of the PMA, said the group includes "undisputed global leaders in their respective category" and is working on "a real-world wireless power ecosystem here and now."

Jack Black, a scientist with Qi alliance member DLS Electronics, said the Qi system remains an open platform, which allows more companies to easily participate.

"It's like the battle between VHS and Betamax," said Black, whose firm does compliance testing for products. "At the end of the day the market dictates the standard -- and this (Qi) technology has a lot of play."

NXP, a Dutch semiconductor firm, is producing components that can allow chargers to bridge different standards.

"We are thinking about a solution which recognises your device and charges it," said NXP's Kai Neumann, who showed a multi-standard charger at the NXP booth.

But the future may have other options, including more durable batteries, improved antennas and devices that manage power better.

Stu Lipoff of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers said firms are also eyeing technologies "where you can put a transmitter in the room and it will charge the device" from several feet away.

Developing a private cloud

Cloud computing continues to transform the enterprises it touches. Moving business processes, data storage, and embracing more virtualisation are all key components of today's cloud environments.
The outsourced foundation of the cloud is driving this sector, but businesses are increasingly looking at how they can take more control of the platforms they already own. Enter the private cloud.
A whitepaper from Cisco defines the private cloud as follows: "With a private cloud, enterprises can run processes internally and externally, having established the private cloud as the control point for workloads.
"With control through a unified management tool and a user-centric view, the private cloud thus enables IT to make the best decisions about whether to use internal or external resources, or both. And it allows that decision to be made on a real time basis to meet user service needs."

Taking control

It can also give an IT department more control in obtaining the benefits of cloud computing, including: availability on demand; the faster provisioning of business services; a economies of scale; the flexibility to run workload and applications in the most efficient and effective places; a pay-as-you-go model; standardised, auditable service levels; the capability to work with every application without the need to rewrite them; and the control of security.
Despite a growing appreciation of the benefits, there is a level of confusion when companies look at developing a private cloud. The first step is clearly to embrace more virtualisation, but this is only one layer. A control layer and a self-service portal also have to be created to form what is now being defined as a private cloud.
The need for this is reflected in a further section of the Cisco whitepaper, which says: "The private cloud is a new style of computing in which corporate IT infrastructure is available as a ubiquitous, easily accessible, and reliable utility service. Business owners and application owners requesting a new business service can use the infrastructure as a standard service, without the need to understand the complexities of servers, storage, and networks."
There is also a debate as to whether businesses should be building private clouds at all. The public cloud has freed businesses from the management of the hardware infrastructure, but these responsibilities move back to the company with private cloud deployments.

Business case

Businesses tend to begin the development of their private cloud once they realise the benefits of cloud computing in general.
For instance, they will move their CRM systems to Salesforce.com to reap the commercial benefits it can bring. They will then begin to look at their own internal IT infrastructures and ask how cloud principles can be applied there.
The first step towards is the virtualisation of existing servers. In a typical installation, only about 10% of a server is being used at any one time. With virtualisation, this jumps to 80%, with a corresponding improvement in a business' overall efficiency.
Taking onboard how virtualisation can benefit your enterprise is a major step towards developing a private cloud, but only the first step. After virtualisation is complete it becomes vital to control these virtual environments, and this forms a major component of a private cloud.
For companies evaluating whether a private cloud could benefit them, it's critical to understand how it is constructed, and whether the firm has the assets in place to make it a reality. It is necessary to clearly define the rules that govern how the private cloud is accessed, by whom and how development takes place within the private cloud environment.
It is a mistake to think of a private cloud as a completely separate entity that is behind your business's firewall and does not have any connections with the public cloud services your organisation may be using. In reality the opposite is true, as most businesses will take a hybrid approach in their use of cloud (private and public).
A good example here is how sales and marketing have evolved to take advantage of hybrid cloud services. Many companies have seen the benefits of using a public cloud with services such as SugarCRM and Salesforce.com, but businesses may not want to place all of their sales information on a public cloud.
In this scenario a private cloud offers the necessary levels of security, but does not impose any undue security protocols onto the sales teams. From a system administrator's point of view, a hybrid cloud approach makes the most sense.

Planning for a private cloud

Developing a private cloud should be approached with all the due diligence expected of any major structural change to a business. The key questions to ask include:
1.Does your company already have the infrastructure needed to deliver the services you want to develop over a private cloud? If not, what is the level of capital cost needed?
2.Have you clearly defined your goals? What do you want a private cloud to do for your enterprise?
3.How much virtualisation has your business already carried out? Remember that this is only the first step to developing a private cloud within your business.
4.Will a hybrid approach be needed to ensure that any existing public cloud services in use can be used in association with the private cloud you envisage?
5.Is there a clear business case for developing a private cloud service? Would expanding your existing use of IaaS and SaaS deliver the efficiencies you are looking for?
6.Have the levels of security that would be needed to manage either a standalone private cloud or a hybrid approach been fully assessed?
As an asset, a private cloud can deliver a number of operational and commercial benefits. But it's vital to clearly understand your company's motivation for building one, and to ensure that it integrates seamlessly with every other part of your business's IT infrastructure.