techSaid

Send SMS to charge your cellphone                     Out of battery? Just send a text! People living off-grid can now power their phones simply by sending a text message.A London-based company Buffalo Grid has introduced a solar-powered cellphone charging station that is activated by text message.A patchy or absent power grid poses a conundrum of problems for rural areas in the developing world, particularly in Africa and Asia, where the use of cellphones is rapidly rising.          The company's basic technology, which was recently trialled in Uganda, should help tackle this issue, 'NewScientist' reported.The battery extracts power from the solar panel using a technique called maximum power point tracking (MPPT). A 60-watt solar panel charges a battery.A solar panel's power output is dictated by environmental conditions, such as temperature and the a...

Mobile threats: Android most vulnerable                    Kaspersky Lab in a recent statement said that mobile users were actively searching for software from suspicious sources and taking no precautions when launching an unknown programme - all of which makes it easier for cybercriminals to infect devices.             Kaspersky Lab's key mobile forecast for 2012 had said that cybercriminals indeed focused their attention on the highly popular Android platform, and the number of threats for it continued to grow at a rapid pace. In January 2012, the lab had less than 6,000 unique malware samples for Android in its database, but the year ended with an astounding figure of 43,000+ malicious programmes. Over 99% of new threats found in 2012 targeted Android-based smartphones and tablets, with less than 1% aimed at devices running Symbian and BlackBerry op...

Mozilla to launch Firefox OS phones in July            Mozilla, makers of the popular Firefox internet browser, is preparing to challenge Google and Apple's grip on smartphone software.        A new Firefox operating system for mobile devices is set for a July release after winning the backing of 13 wireless service providers around the globe, including Spain's Telefonica, China Unicom and America Movil.      Mozilla   is betting there's room for a software developer-friendly mobile platform alongside Apple's and Google's Android, which together power the majority of mobile devices on the planet.       The new software is based on open web standards and is capable of operating on devices with much lower hardware requirements than today's existing crop of smartphones, according to Mozilla.        Because the   Fir...

Google Mapathon India contest kick started     Winners of the contest, which is meant to improve Google Maps, to be awarded Android tablets, smartphones, gift vouchers or Google merchandise. Google has begun its crowd sourcing initiative in India which will help improve its Google Maps service further. The initiative that has begun in form of a competition, called Google Mapathon 2013, on February 12 involves users adding data to Google Maps via Google Maps maker application. Users can help improve the existing service or can also add newer points of interest to the mapping service. Once the entry is submitted with Google, the entry will be scrutinized and will be added to the mapping data. Jayanth Mysore, product manager, Google India said, "Google aims to provide better maps for India by building better maps for the users, by the users. Today, citizens across India can participate in this great project through Mapathon 2013." Top 1000 contributors to th...

Relief fo r Smart Phone Battery Problem Now, a lithium-ion battery that charges in 10 minutes                     Researchers have developed a new lithium-ion battery that can recharge within 10 minutes and hold thrice as much energy as its existing counterparts.The new batteries could be used in anything from cell phones to hybrid cars.The design, currently under a provisional patent, could become commercially available within two to three years."It's an exciting research. It opens the door for the design of the next generation lithium-ion batteries," said Chongwu Zhou, professor at the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering, who led the team that developed the battery, the journal Nano Research reports.Zhou worked with graduate students Mingyuan Ge, Jipeng Rong, Xin Fang and Anyi Zhang, as well as Yunhao Lu of Zhejiang University in China, according to a Sourthern California statement. ...

Run 750,000 Android Mobile Apps on Windows or Mac           Tired of playing cards on your Pc? Ever wanted lots of apps and games like the android powered phones??       BlueStacks and AMD have your back. The companies have partnered up to launch the AMD AppZone Player, which will give Windows users access more than 500,000 Android apps on their PCs.      You are  simply required to have atleast 1gb of ram and ofcourse enough space on your hard drive for installation of additional files of around 100mbs.       Its so unfortunate for windows xp and vista users coz I strongly believe that they simply cannot handle. Anyway you can still try your best and it may work out since I haven't tried it personally.       As for windows 7&8 users, this app also creates its app list in the library making everything much much more...

Facebook‘s annual hacker competition opens for registration              Facebook has opened registration for its third annual Hacker Cup, set to begin from January 25.  The top prize will be $ 10,000 (approx. Rs 5.5 lakh) as against $ 5,000 (Rs 2.75 lakh) last year and as many 25 of the best hackers will be taken to Facebook's headquarter in USA, a statement said.  The Facebook Hacker Cup is an annual worldwide programming competition where hackers compete against each other for fame, fortune, glory and a shot at the coveted Hacker Cup.  "The competition will be held in two rounds starting with an online qualification, out of which 25 of the best hackers are then flown by Facebook to their headquarters inMenlo Park, CA," Facebook said.  "The preliminary round will be held between January 25 and February 16 while the onsite final round is scheduled for March 22-23, 2013....