CrazyGeeks

Sony’s PlayStation 4: Not Just About Gaming

Sony Play Station users are taking more interest to buy Vita 4G, which is going to be launched by next year. Around 63 percent of Sony PlayStation 3 users are intending to purchase Vita after its release in 2012, while 60 percent of PlayStation Portable owners are willing to purchase Vita before mid of 2013, as claimed by PlayStation Director of Hardware and Marketing during an interview.

However, it’s still not clear how Sony has collected this data, but it is a possibility that this data has been collected through their registered owners of PlayStation. All those clients who pre-order the device will collect their Vita along with all additional devices, earlier than any other client. Sony claims that the device will not only be used for gaming purpose, but users could also connect with social networks and media networks with their Vita.

Sony has delayed the launch of Vita due to horrifying earthquake that stroke Japan this year, now it is expecting to be launched by February 2012. According to estimated data, Sony is expecting to sell 33 million Vitas after its launch. Vita’s first edition will offer with a 4GB memory card, a travel case, Little Deviants Game, Device’s 3G models and will be retailed at $350. Sony’s earlier 3G version of Vita is currently retailing at $299.99, while its Wi-Fi version is retailing at $249.99.

Windows 8 Takes the Competition to Next Level

In his address, the Acer Chairman, JT Wang, said they anticipate the revival of Microsoft software in the upcoming years and Windows will be enabled more efficiently to take on Apple. Acer has been ranked at No.4 in the globe in PC shipments during third quarter of the year; while a recent report by Gartner cites that MS Windows had not seen any reasonable success in markets of NoteBook and laptop shipment; thus, not holding a sufficient market share.

Commenting on Wang’s statement, Taipei-based Digitimes article reported that the strong and encouraging growth of Apple iOS on tablets (iPad) and Smartphones (iPhone) is a demanding challenge for Windows and Microsoft.

Although, the report on Wang’s comments does not provide with the details on his point of view, most probably he is talking about market infringement by iPad on the low-end Laptop and Notebook markets.

Future Windows 8 Acer will be highly capable to give a tough competition to Apple devices, quoted by Acer’s Chairman. Wang also claims that Apple’s Notebook devices with very low potential of growth have fallen below the enormous growth capabilities of iPhones and iPads. While, Windows 8 has full capability to lead the market; thus, looking at it as the renaissance of Microsoft. This new Version of Windows is anticipated to launch by 2013 and Windows 8 could effectively respond to its user’s demands.

Wang has also welcomed HP’s decision to remain in Hardware industry, stating, it will help Microsoft to compete against Apple and gain more market share. Windows 8 is predicted to be compatible with devices like UltraBook Laptops, tablets, tablet-laptop hybrids and many others.

China to Shut Down More Than 200 Million Blogs Because of Pornographic Reasons!

According to Reuters, China just took a bold step by shutting down more than 50 micro-blogs that were spreading out pornographic elements and jumbled and offensive material. This news was delivered by the State media on Monday. According to the State media, Government took this step after monitoring Internet at length.

The Xinhua news reported that these micro-blogs have been shut down for the reason that these were putting forward offensive and vulgar contents including pornographic, X-material and advertisements regarding sex. The information provided was all on prostitution along with illegal advertisements on sex-oriented drugs- a highly illegal act as reported by news agency.

These blogs are blocked after being reported by public members to the State officials who, after receiving this news, investigated it via their trusted agencies and then took an action to close these all micro-blogs, as stated by one of the State Internet information office.

The government after this incident announced their strict policy for pornographic kind of stuff. According to Government policies, no such vulgar stuff should be presented to their users, neither on Twitter nor on any other social site. As stated, these micro-blogs were used by more than two-hundred-million Chinese, which really is a fearing fact. Apart from these blogs, Government scandals and policies were also under threat and discussed on these blogs, serving live feed or platform to Chinese to chat about X factor materials, scandals and all.

This factor of pornography hit the social sites, Internet, blogs and cell phones in 2009. This was stated by Xinhua that these materials have an effect on the youth more because they are the ones who make use of the social sites and blogs more than anyone else do. This techno-stuff spreads pornography widely.

As said by the officials, Government will always take action against such materials and oppose this act of spreading pornography and vulgar contents on social sites or blogs, whenever they would be reported by public or they come to know via any source.

Except this pornographic stuff, they hint at no other material and information. This blog potency came into lime light after July incident when 40 people were killed in high bullet train accident. These bloggers roared against this unpleasant incident and raised their voice against the Government, starting a wave against Chinese Government for this ambiguous July incident.

Subsequently, Government demanded Internet companies and social sites to bring spreading toxic stuff on net to an end because it affects youth, giving rise to misconceptions in their mind against Government. They even demanded to put policies together to do away with these pornographic materials on Internet, blogs and sites where the public holds a greater access to.

Chinese Government seriously filters Internet, blocking all renowned foreign sites involving YouTube, Twitter, Facebook after seeing public x-factored stuff on Internet. The attempt was made to provide toxic free stuff to Chinese and to filter the offensive stuff out.

All Eyes on Tim Cook to Do Jobs’ Job

Tim Cook, the brain behind Steve Jobs and the leading man behind the scenes has big boots to fill after the sad departure of the legendary technology inventor, Steve Jobs. Tim Cook has already introduced a few changes to undo the mistakes of his predecessor. His approach is more of an administrator than an innovator. However, he has served as Apple’s CEO in the past and has not made very drastic changes. Cook has already seen a lot both good and bad in his short tenure, including a great iPhone 4S launch and former CEO Steve Jobs’ tragic death.

Cook has had the American dream of his own, belonging not to a well-to-do family; he served at many big companies at various managerial posts, before joining Apple back in 1998 as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations. He is credited with reducing the inventory levels of Apple, streamlining the company’s supply chain. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer as the year 2007 started. He led Apple as CEO two times before when Jobs had health problems, after becoming the company’s new head when Jobs resigned on August 24, 2011. 

Cook has introduced a few changes to the technology giant Apple with his more typical CEO approach rather than an innovator like Jobs. He has divided Apple’s education division into sales and marketing groupings, initiating to put iAds and change the organizational culture in Apple. Unlike Jobs, Cook has introduced a charity program that donated $10,000 in September. According to a Washington Post, Cook is also thinking of getting dividends or a stock buyback unlike Jobs.

Cook was also described, by many students at Auburn University, as very humble when he met students at his former university’s spring 2010 Commencement, back in May 2010. Speaking on the occasion, he had acknowledged ‘intuition’ as the driving force behind his success at Apple and the decision to leave Compaq for Apple, termed silly by his friends as Compaq was a big name those days.

Cook is also sending more emails to many employees, which the aloof Jobs did not do. In fact, Cook is more frank with the employees than Jobs. Ryan Tate of Gawker.com claims that Jobs was “rude, dismissive, hostile, spiteful…” and treated his employees with “bullying, manipulation and fear”. On the other hand, the friendly Cook has addressed his employees as a “Team” in many of the emails, he forwarded that has been leaked recently. Cook is reported to have acknowledged Jobs as his mentor and not changing much at Apple in his mails. “I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role,” says Cook in an email sent in August.

Some people suggest that Cook is not a task master like his former master Jobs, but is more open. After taking up the role of CEO the third time and this time for good, Cook claimed he will not change Apple, but he has tinkered a bit with the company. Although, Apple has seen an increase in net income by 54%, but it has not performed as expected in iPhone sales. Like Jobs, Cook also has had his health issues as he had a multiple sclerosis scare, but he doesn’t share the same approach. So far we can conclude that Cook is a better Executive with amazing administrative expertise, but has not proven yet to be as productive with Jobs’ innovative qualities, as Cook himself thinks of Jobs as “Irreplaceable!” Let’s see how the “story behind the story” (as Mike Homer described Cook) unfolds.

Spying Attacks on Top Companies of US

California based Symantec has discovered cyber espionage against 50 different firms, including chemical and defense organizations. Symantec has declared in the released report that primary objective of this industrial espionage is to steal technical secrets and intellectual assets of these defense organizations for gaining competitive edge. The intellectual assets include documents designs, formulas and manufacturing methods.

Earlier, Avera-French Nuclear Power Group reported a cyber assault in September. This series of cyber criminal attacks started back in April, when hackers got control over command and control servers. Though, during the period, from start of June till mid July, no mischievous activities were reported; however, the attacks on chemical and other defense industries started back in late July and continued till September. Hackers of these espionage attacks are supposed to attack other industries as well.

Symantec Corp. reported, “the attackers have changed their targets over time. From late April to early May, the attackers focused on human rights related NGOs. They then moved on to the motor industry in late May.” The targeted companies include those Fortune 100 companies, working on R&D of chemicals and development of infrastructure for advance materials of military automobiles; however, it’s still a myth which fortune companies are on target.

Symantec has claimed that hacking computer is owned by a Chinese male resident and security analysts of US are considering it an attack by Chinese Government because China’s military is a leader of Cyber war, but they are continuously rejecting all these accusations of hacking, claiming that they are also a target of hackers. This way, U.S and Chinese authorities are charging each other for this industrial spying.

According to the security advisors, high accusation level of previous attacks, linked to China, hints that perhaps its armed forces or other Government authorities are stealing the technology and trade secrets to aid the state corporations.

According to U.S House of Representatives, intelligence committees’ chairman, Mike Rogers, Chinese labor’s efforts to thieve U.S technology over internet had peaked to an “unbearable stage”. Last month, he also asked top Government authorities of U.S to pressurize Beijing to stop these spying activities.

In August, another security firm, McAfee Inc., detected a five-year-yearn cutting campaign opposing more than 70 think tanks, corporations, governmental authorities and international institutions called as “Operation Shady Rat”.

McAfee also claimed in February that hackers from China have stolen out information from oil corporations of United States, Taiwan, Greece, and Khazakistan. This information comprises the details about invitation for oil fields, procedures and financing.

In China, more than 450 million people are available on internet. Government uses web for the promotion of their education and business and this huge number of internet users make China as globe’s biggest populated country with huge number of internet users. China holds a huge club of hackers where thousands of intelligent experts work. Analysts believe that some of them are supported by the armed forces in order to acquire a pool of potential recruiters. Moreover, it is said that civilians, trained by militants, might work as declarers for the companies that want to theft technology from competitors.

Google’s China-based search engine was closed after hearing complaints of cyber attacks in opposition of its email service last year. This case spotlights the challenge of tracking the assailers. Experts suggest that even if the attacks, caused to Google, were lined to a PC in China, it needs to be observed in person to be certain about the cyber attack of Google.

RIM Parts Ways with another Top Executive

Apart from other manufacturers of innovative and leading third generation telecom companies, Research-in-Motion is continuously in-touch with controversies. As on 24 August 2011, Manager of Iron Fire capital, Eric Jackson, declared research in motion dead by 2013.

Adding to the stream of top-level departures from the company, Research-in-Motion has once again disconnected a senior Software and Business Services executive, Jim Tobin. His departure has created more doubts about the company.

The lay down on such a huge scale is a result of RIM’s efforts for getting its competitive edge back. Company is trying to beat its competitors Apple and other Smartphone companies, but it is continuously delaying the launch of its new products and few launched products are continuously getting bad reviews from clients, making it difficult for the company to successfully manage its business.

Board Chairman and Co-founder Mike Lazaridis and his partner Chief Executive Jim Balsillie are facing difficulties because of the call of re-establishment from investors and investigators.

Research-in-Motion has confirmed the news of Jim Tobin’s departure through an email on Thursday, though it never officially announced the disconnection before. Despite the fact that the Vice President Jim Tobin, who was connected with company’s progress into “cloud-based” services, had left the Canadian premises few months earlier.

Company’s recent progress into cloud services was due to Jim Tobin, who allowed its users to handle corporate data and emails through RIM servers instead of on-site data servers, setting up a team, which developed the BBM music, running on top of RIM’s famous blackberry messenger; known as a song sharing service as well as a roomy push incorporating messenger into third-party developer applications.

He remained as a principal assistant at a conferring firm called McKinsey and formerly he had worked at COMSAT in product development and in a corporate technological role in Time Warner. His LinkedIn profile still demonstrates him as a RIM employee.

This month could be called a burning month for RIM. During this month, company had declared an apology letter to its millions of users when its blackberry network collapsed for three days, leaving behind its users without internet and email access across five continents. Company’s management group has missed number of its topmost managers in Developer Relations, Marketing and Sales during the same month, including Jim Tobin, Chief Marketing Officer, Keith Pardy and the Head of Developer relations, Tyler Lessard.

A member of Tyler Lessard’s Developer Relations Unit resigned from RIM in August, while two members of Keith Pardy group had switched their jobs to the RIM’s competitor, Samsung. Before all this, in the month of July, “Don Morrison”-one of RIM’s three CEO’s, resigned after taking a leave for medical purpose and during the same month, company confessed for cutting down 11% of its sales due to decreased sales and profits.

Despite the news of Tobin’s disconnection with the company, RIM’s stock was trading at a price of $21.24 with 2.5% rise, on the list of NASDAQ. After attaining the peak of $70 million during February this year, RIM shares have decreased by 70% in value.

YouTube Looking Forward to Launch Digital Video Streaming Platform

YouTube- a huge online video streaming site is now looking forward to launch some new exclusive contents for their users. The contents will include Madonna-gossips to economic giant Wall Street. By launching these contents, YouTube will step into a new venture of entertainment programming.

YouTube is owned by the Google- globe’s first and foremost search engine. Google Inc. announced on Friday that YouTube will soon launch certain fresh video channels. The video channels will be more than 100, covering news from all entertainment and infotainment sectors. The videos will be produced by Hollywood top notch sites that will help in providing news regarding Hollywood celebrities, films, new movies, songs, etc.  This step will tie up the users more to the platform of YouTube, as they won’t have to search for media info on some other sites.

YouTube is putting its money to different interested and expertise companies, shelling out approximately 100 million U.S dollars to them to prove their abilities. This money, they are putting on, is an advance-payment way i-e 5 million U.S dollars per channel. This information was provided by a person who knows the terms, but don’t want his name to be included or got publish.

Google Inc. though didn’t provide details on the deal, but said that most of the deal money will be paid to the partners.

The participants from whom the Google want to take information involve the legendary singer Madonna, Deepak Chopra, Amy Poehler-a comedian, U.S star ex-basketball player-Shaquille O’Neal, Ashton Kutcher, Rainn Wilson and Sofia Vergara. They are mostly those celebrities who own their own production channels. Madonna, on one hand, is a partner with Dance On whereas NBA player, Shaquille, is an official partner with Comedy Shaq network.

Loinsgate is currently presenting fitness channel whereas some other channels will soon be launched by satire-the Onion.

The channel will start its debut this month, but rest will premiere next year. But dozens of series will be launching on their scheduled time.

In a Friday blog, YouTube posted that: “specifically for the digital age”.

YouTube is looking to provide the platform to professional advertising for friendly and quality videos because on YouTube most of the videos are user-created videos with low quality. YouTube has strived to glue to the user to their platform by providing TV series longer than any TV channel.

YouTube is hiring professional services to provide something worth-watching to the users.

Most of the US channels, including News Corp.’s FOX, Walt Disney, ABC, have simply obstructed their contents and videos for Google. The reason being the networks complain that the company is not paying them handsome amount on showing their contents. It will be banned till they have a deal with them and the company, if paid them well. The networks even don’t want to screw up their relationship with the TV-distributors including Comcast Corp. and DirecTV.

Set-top box makers have recently adopted Google Company for having Logitech-revue. The Google has sold that device, worth 100 U.S dollars.

Techno-speech By Gates- Algorithm is The Key Solution to Solve All Problems

The floor of School of Computer Science and Engineering University of Washington set on fire when Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates, delivered a crunching sand provoking speech there. The Q&A session simply turned the table out. There were so many key points marketed by Bill gates. Apart from the important note that computer if applied accurately can change your life, the other key points of his speech were:

-          “Maybe I’d have been more rounded if there weren’t as many books around”.

-          “Many problems in society are just poorly designed algorithms”.

-          I like hash tables and I dislike malaria”.

-          “It’s the same hamburger”.

-          “All you’re trying to do is put stuff on your eye”.

Except these golden words, the speech he delivered was bounded with following facts and words.Gates shared his credibility and education experience. Their generation was the people who played with bits bytes, but the new generation is the one that plays with kilo and mega-bytes, storing each and every university lecture on technological devices. Past was a hurdle of saving every byte, which was “actually kind of absurd that we’re not doing that.” The advantage he highlights is “miracle availability”. In past, things were restricted and owned by elite echelon, but now it’s available and in hands of common people either.

He said education should be of the highest priority. On question of education, he said that though people are getting education and the level of literacy has reduced, yet there are so many who need education. The rate has been reduced if consider the history, but according to American dream the success we had achieved was not mark-able in education sector.

He discussed different ideas how to deliver lectures. He said problems can be overcome by algorithms and for teaching there should be an algorithm. He said computer education or mere computer teaching should be added to every elemental study, emphasizing on using computer as much as anyone can, but the hilarious thing he added was the things related to computer like database and hash tables. He said that we- an ordinary person talk about complexities that lose its effectiveness. He gave an example that the mere health bill, passed by Obama, comprises 4000 pages, making it difficult for an ordinary man to read then how would this be effective.

He said to reduce a problem, the reaction should be cyclic. He presented a model to get rid of malaria. He said confidently, “the world effort to get rid of malaria will be based on this model, which will make the solution rational.”

On question of wealth, he said that with wealth there comes freedom. He never wanted to be rich; it gives you glad feeling when you find that the hamburger has still the same old price.

On question of what would come next after big screens to laptop to smartphones. He said it seems odd now when we look back and find big screen machined that will break once throw down, but each and every thing has reduced to eye from flexible screens to adjustable size.

Nokia Unveils its Innovations to Re-emerge in the Market

Nokia unfolds it’s all new and exclusive Windows cell phones on Wednesday. This was an effort from Nokia Corporation to regain the place, it has lost to its rivals i.e. smartphones in the market.

The two innovations, from Nokia, involve Nokia Lumia 800 with price tag of 580 U.S dollars and Nokia Lumia 270 with price tag of 270 euro. These products are based on Microsoft Windows software-a joint collaboration from Microsoft and Nokia after they have signed a deal last year, in February. Nokia Corporation also launched four new smartphones to re-emerge in the market.

The stock rose for Nokia up to 6.81 U.S dollars i.e. to 1 percent after trading the products.

Stephon Elop- Nokia CEO said on their successful launch that Lumia 800 is a Nokia gadget with 16GB internal memory with Carl Zeiss optics features. This product will be available in European countries like France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Britain in this November. It would soon be traded to Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Taiwan at the end of this year.

Whereas the Nokia product i.e. Lumia 710 is a Nokia gadget with 1.4giga hertz processor with all new navigational applications and exclusive Nokia Music features. Along with these, it has free music streaming application in Lumia 700 cell phone. Nokia Lumia 700 will be available in India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, but at the end of this year.

CEO, Stephon Elog, elaborates that eight months ago, Nokia shared their all new strategy in public; and now Nokia Corporation is here to launch and demonstrate its strategy with all its new innovative devices. This shows that the strategy works successfully and is perfectly implemented via this action. This was what CEO Stephon said in London. He further added that we are now changing and driving our strategy from smartphones to ever-smartly-build mobile phones in the market for our customers.

Nokia Corporation launched four new smartphones in the market. The smartphones, being launched, are all with QWERTY key board and touch screen features. These smartphones, as Stephon Elog said, will help the billion users to connect to Internet, allowing them to find it helpful and exciting when come to experience.

The smartphones, launched by Nokia Corporation, is Asha. The price for this smart phone ranges from 60 euro to 115 euro, holding dual SIM card feature. The other features include music-streaming, interactive-maps feature and the popular renowned angry-bird game that is already been loaded in the smartphone. This Smartphone will be traded worldwide in fourth-quarter in coming year 2012.

Nokia Corporation said that they are getting out of smartphone’s race because it is squeezed in low end by Asian mobile companies like ZTE and at high end by Apple corporation- A research by Google and BlackBerry and Android devices.

Android Excels Apple App Store for the first time

Approximately 500,000 Android gadgets are activated every day worldwide. This lead has excelled Android over iTunes App store sale, generated 44 percent in the second quarter of this month. Last week, Ovum firm claimed that Android is about to head iTunes and Apple products the reason being omnipresence of Android gadgets. The other reason is that, for other products like iPhone, smartphones, you need applications to download them, but android gadgets don’t need this hindrance.

The figure of second quarter is reported by Pocket Gamer. The android market leads the Apple app store and products finally, cutting the revenue to 33 percent for Apple Corporation. The other advantage is that Android has many devices to present to user, but Apple merely has iPhone and iPods, two carriers. This even requires iTunes to download and store any application.

The increasing number of Android gadgets is not a surprising deal- said by ABI research. ABI said that those Android devices are more user-friendly and open; and other devices-maker-companies should think about it, if they really want to compete with Android devices.

Many manufacturers have started to use Android. This is astonishing for some. But the thing is they are not paying to Google, but Microsoft Corporation, that owns mobile technology patents. Microsoft has signed nine licensing agreements with Android smartphones companies h along with a deal with their notable manufacturers specially Samsung-Android biggest partner and Carrier right now. Samsung is even the largest company to sell Android smartphones on the globe.

But last quarter, a complete shift towards Android because of its products, has been seen. Before the release of iPhone 4S, the profit of Apple had declined up to 9 percent in the stock market at the end of September. The rate was in decline state, dropped to around 17 million from 20 million units in the same month of last year. However, Samsung has sold 22 million to 26 million units in the same period.

However, if we talk regarding the competing skills of Apple, it’s more than Android. Apple has launched its new innovation, that is in market, hitting the record iPhone 4S. Even this corporation has launched iOS, new operating system- new version of mobile operating system. The user will surely want to grab one. This will increase app sale for Apple. Secondly, due to the deal with Sprint, three US companies AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are now selling iPhone.

Google and Samsung unveiled Galaxy Nexus smartphone along with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for its users, last week. The products, with improved technology, are being considered to compete with Apple’s gadgets. This product launching has increased the ratings for Google application download platform.

Then again, these all are the predictions- no exact facts. New Android products have made promises with its users but Apple is still striking with its new product launch. Indeed, Apple has tricks to unveil but Google will surely offer some low rates to keep the Android at top.