Twitter brings all your friends’ updates, however, misses out on the friends’ feed front. Here Moblf plays its role. Simply use your Twitter username to set up an account along with the promotion code “Insta” (invite for first 300 people). FriendFeed users will certainly find the service useful.

Microsoft is dropping the Visual Basic for Application (VBA) from it’s soon to be released 2008 Mac version. VBA will be replaced with AppleScript. This means that macros created with Office for the Windows version will not run on Office for the Mac.

Microsoft Office for Mac will not update its earlier draw back of lack of support of the Unicode and BiDi languages. Therefore, if Mac users wanted to write in Arabic or Hebrew then the Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac will be of no use to them.

The Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac can be run both on PowerPC as well as on Intel Macs. The Office Open XML format will be built into Office 2008 for Mac. Mac users can now gear up for the new Microsoft Office suite that is variously priced between $400 and $150.

Source & image:gizmodo

Mostly known as QMS, the Quality of Monitoring Server is designed as a software based competitor. This is Microsoft’s competition to Cisco Systems Inc. The QMS will be used to collect data or rather metrics regarding the individual calls. The software will then analyze the information and compare the parameters like loss, jitter, delay, device quality, etc.

The QMS is mostly SQL server oriented and used by folks who base their business over VOIP networks. I think this would be a great tool for call centers and even private VOIP users. The QMS metrics will also show things like bandwidth reduction, stepwise quality degradation, congested links as well as several other factors. The voice quality analysis tool will hopefully be a superhit with the VOIP users. With the introduction of this tool, Cisco better watch out!

Image Credit: Microsoft

This is the first time that Skype has allowed its technology to be integrated with a 3rd-party application.

MySpace users with a Skype account will be able to call the computer or telephone number of another member with a single click on button in their MySpace profile. Users can make free calls using MySpaceIM without downloading any additional Skype software or sign up for Skype account.

Standard PC-to-PC phone calls will be free but users have to pay for ‘premium’ options like their own personal phone number, voice mail, call forwarding, and the ability to make calls from a computer to land lines or cell phones.

In addition, the integration of MySpace and Skype will allow MySpace users to transfer information, such as portraits, from their profiles to their Skype accounts. Users who have set their MySpace profile in ‘private’, they will not receive any Skype call from someone who is not on their friend list. Users can select their individuals and add them in their Skype personal contact list.

MySpace, the largest social networking site with 110 million users will share its revenue from the deal with Skype, which allows its customers to make a long-distance calls using their computers. The service would be available in 20 countries.

Finally, with an open-ended solution and cooperation from video file owners, Google developed this cutting edge technology called video ID technology. This technology can recognize copyrighted video files within minutes of their upload onto the site. The theory behind this tool is to maintain a database of video content IDs and crosschecking every new file that is uploaded. Once an ID is found to be copyrighted the tool can either block or upload it with some advertisements or as specified with the content owners.

Google has made it clear that though the content owners and YouTube have to work on a large scale to provide an ID to each and every video file. It is all for the benefits of copyright owners so that no one else would be eating out of their platters anymore. So now no sleepless nights for content copyright owners.

Source: www.profy.com

Pure innovation from IBM: Better, cheaper, denser, faster, more reliable and simpler.

The New memories: Two possible configurations of a novel type of memory. The vertical arrangement (left) is more difficult to make, so researchers will probably create the horizontal device (bottom) first. In both, bits of data are stored as domain walls–boundaries between adjacent magnetic regions oriented in different directions. The domain walls can be shuttled along the nanowire past a reading device (purple) that detects magnetic fields, and a writing device (green) that generates them.
A new nanowire-based memory device being created by the researchers at IBM may well coalesce the finest qualities of the different types of memory used today.

With innovation comes in better products at cheaper costs and quicker results.

Even now, the work is in the very beginning phase of development. But the prospects of it could serve as a universal memory, substituting for the different types that are being used now.

This is termed as a Nanowire memory. This magnetic nanowire (thin line at top) made of iron and nickel is expanded linking electrical contacts to test properties that could direct to improved memory devices.

The device stores bits in the form of domain walls which are areas where two magnetic regions in the nanowire meet.

Stuart Parkin, an experimental physicist at IBM’s Almaden Research Center, in San Jose, CA, says that

The memory, which would pack a hundred bits of data on a single nanowire, could potentially store 10 to 100 times more data than flash–the type of memory used in digital cameras and other small portable devices–while operating at much faster speeds. And because it’s solid-state memory, it would be far sturdier than magnetic hard drives, which require mechanical devices to read and write data. In principle, we could be cheaper than flash would be, denser than flash would be, and orders of magnitude faster. And there’s no wear-out mechanism, so it’s totally reliable.

Parkin’s earlier discoveries and inventions have led to a thousand-fold increase in the storage density of magnetic hard drives, paving the way for the massive data-storage centers crucial to today’s Internet, as well as making possible the immense storage capacity of portable devices such as iPods.

The different combinations and technological applications that seem to be going to the making of this brilliant memory also adds in that it would not require a mobile head and spinning disks to read and write these bits.

Thus, there would be no mechanical parts, making Parkin’s memory much more strong than a hard drive. These devices could also be more compact and cheaper than conventional solid-state memory.

So as we keep awaiting our future to get better and cheaper, it seems it is going to bring in lots of such good memories.

In depth view of a memory ‘Nanowire’(image below)

Via Source: technologyreview

Image Source: eurekaalert
blog

The McAfee’s 2008 security solutions includes integrated safe search and surf protection, protection for mobile phones and proactive protection for instant messaging. With the McAfee’s safe search and surf technology, users will receive ratings in different colors to indicate whether site is safe or risky, which helps users to avoid malware, adware, spam, viruses and other online dangers. The addition of “Protected Mode” in McAfee’s safe search and surf technology redirects kids and teenagers to safe their web-page anytime as their computer is about to interact with a risky site.

McAfee’s mobile security works with mobile operators and phone manufacturers to integrate security into mobile devices. The solution McAfee Internet Security Suite and McAfee Total Protection include VirusScan Mobile, so that users can get extra level of protection. McAfee VirusScan Mobile protects against the threats, which originate from e-mail, instant messaging and multimedia downloading. Initially, the solution is available with Microsoft Windows Mobile devices.

In addition, McAfee’s 2008 security solutions also provides security for users of work applications, gamers, YouTube users and other multimedia users. McAfee has also introduced ‘Unified Licensing’ with special introductory pricing. Unified Licensing will make it easy for you to add additional subscriptions. While other features like Version-less Software is a true security-as-a-service. With the Version-less Software, users will automatically receive security enhancements, upgrades, fixes and patches.

Image: AAVAR

eBay desktop runs on Adobe’s AIR runtime, which allows web-connected applications to run, look and feel like desktop applications. The eBay Desktop comes with sleek interface, which allows eBay buyers and sellers to navigate the auction site in new way. The new eBay Desktop comes with drop-down menus, a tab for searches and recent categories and an integrated look which shows user’s recent item.

With the eBay desktop, users can personalize their eBay tools for their own history, accounts and searches. Other tools will allow developers to offer new updates on eBay auctions, personalized feeds for search eBay listing. Soon, eBay will launch variety of products, including Next Gen My eBay for streamlined, customized eBay pages, eBay Marketplace for Facebook applications, and eBay to Go.

Image: Web Ware

A latest improvement in the spam fighting tool is the software that fights spam. A tool developed recently, allows von Ahn’s team to digitize documents and protect them against spam messages. This particular technology is known as CAPTCHA. Yahoo seems to be making good use of this technology under the name of CAPTCHACHAT.

The CAPTCHA tool has become popular with the net users. Why? Well, the answer lies in the codes that are used by the tool. CAPTCHA is a shorter version of Completely Automated Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart. This tool uses letters and numbers in a distorted manner. An interesting fact is,

There’s still about 100 million books to be digitized, which at the current rate will take us about 400 years to complete.

Here’s how the digitizing is done. The image is positioned on a rubber sheet and it’s pulled to distort the geometry. So from now on, spammers beware!

Carnegie Melon school is using this particular spam prevention technology in order to decipher words in books. This seems by far, the most cunning weapon devised against spams.

Image Credit: BBC

Flash Lite 3 is more closely replicating the desktop experience delivered by Adobe Flash Player.

With the use of Flash Lite 3, mobile users can access their content whenever and wherever they want. Handsets like the LG Prada, the LG Chocolate or the Samsung D900 are already using the Flash Lite software.

Adobe Flash Lite runs on multiple platforms, including S60 on Symbian OS, second and third edition, Qualcomm BREW 2.x/3.x and Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.

Adobe stated that the company has installed Adobe’s Flash software on more than 98 percent personal computers and it is used by all popular online video sites.

So far, more than 300 million Flash enabled mobile devices and handsets have been shipped, and Adobe expects more than one billion Flash enabled devices to be available by 2010.

Nokia, the world’s biggest mobile telephone maker, will launch a new development community to help Flash developers and designers.

Image: Penn Manor

If ever a laser printer will be in demand for its elegant looks and stylish designs, then it is Samsung’s latest ML-1630 monochrome laser printer, which has been launched last month. It is said to be the slimmest and stylish laser printer in the world with high performing qualities.


Features:

1. The printer has an elegant grand-piano black and glossy design.

2. 6.4 kg weight, 13cm height and 11cm thick.

3. Supports both Mac and Windows.

4. Smooth buttons similar to that of Samsung MP3 like buttons

5. Strong protective plastic over the lid.

6. Capable of printing 17 pages per minute

7. 1200 x 1600 dpi laser print quality

8. Possesses Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity

Finally, its ‘Easy to install.’

The high profile printer will be available in Apple retail stores for the first three months. Its price is something around $200.

Image

Now you can easily split your screen videos directly from your webcam without any need of video-editing tool or software. Tjoon will automatically detects your webcam and split the screen in four ways. Now you can fill those spots by yourself. With the Tjoon service, you can also invite friends to join you. But you can not invite your friends for real-time participation but you can record a Tjoon and then pass it your friends, so that they can also record from their webcam as well.

The Tjoon service includes e-mail and embedded sharing options for public clips. Even you can also leave comment and thumbs up or down as well. Users can also display their created tjoons as well as which they have shared with others.

But all of this, there are two major limitations for tjoons; firstly the four-way split screen is the only option for you and you can cut off from recording after only 30 seconds.

Image: Mashable

This time BitTorrent is again coming back with its BitTorrent 6 which slightly resembles with previous uTorrent. The only difference is that it includes three toolbar icon, which are quite similar than BitTorrent but with advanced features like tweaking your Web UI. Now, the uTorrent run with uTorrent capability which is bit faster and takes up less space than BitTorrent.

The BitTorrent 6 is featured with RSS tracker and search bar, which takes you to the MiniNova torrent site. The BitTorrent goes to a pay-for-most content site BitTorrent.com. The BitTorrent 6 includes a menubar item in the BitTorrent client, called Get Stuff, with links to Movies, TV, Music and Games. The bitTorrent can be promoted as a desktop program, while uTorrent can be continued to be a lightweight and portable option.

Image: Gnome files

The new DiggFeedr uses Digg API and Ruby on Rails to create new RSS feed for Digg. The new DiggFeedr has 100 items with each item contains a bit more details then the original RSS feed of Digg.

Furthermore, if you will click on the titles of the articles, it will directly lead you to the story, Digg comments and all. Last but not the least DiggFeedr is bit faster than the original Digg feed.

Image: Meta Wrap

Based on DeepMatrix technology, Microsoft’s Gatineau would be firstly come in English. Gatineau is Microsoft’s Web analytics for Microsoft’s adCenter online ad platform. Microsoft’s Gatineau includes following features:

• Demographic segmentation
• An integrated view of marketing campaign effectiveness
• Integration of conversion value data
• New tools for viewing behavioral data
• Click and visitor tracking
• Marketing campaign reporting
• Paid and natural search analysis

With the Gatineau, Microsoft is especially targeting marketing customers by providing them better analysis tool to get better ROI. With the new suit of Microsoft Windows Live services and good combination of superior analytics tool, Microsoft has especially designed this analytics tool for advertisers.

Image: 10e20