12 common mistakes done by programmers

Most often, software developers seem locked into certain failure modes that can't be avoided and such is the frequency with which they fall prey to a particular poor programming practice.Peter Wayner of Computerworld writes about twelve most common programming mistakes, each of which is accompanied by its opposing pair. Below are the twelve programming pitfalls developers should stay away from.

Playing it fast and loose
Failing to prop up the basics is the easiest way to make errors in coding. There are a lot of small places where a developer may make a mistake which causes software to fail. And the worst part about sloppy programming is that advances in language design aimed to fix these problems don't do their job. There have been improvements in syntax in programming languages. For instance, the latest version of Java tries to make null-pointer checking easier by offering shorthand syntax for the endless pointer testing. But such syntax improvements can only prevent code from crashing. They don't eliminate the root of the problem: the proliferation of null values due to fast and loose programming.

Overcommitting to details
On the flip side, overly buttoned-up software can slow to a crawl. Relentless devotion to detail can even lock up software if the obsessive checking requires communicating with a distant website over the network. Here, the challenge is to design the layers of code to check the data when it first appears, which is much easier said than done.

Not simplifying control
Not simplifying control over tasks in their code may invite disaster for developers. The software assumes that if someone creates an object of type Name with two fields first and last, then it should immediately create a database table called Name with two columns, first and last. The names are specified in only one place, avoiding any problems that might come if someone fails to keep all of the layers of configuration in sync.

Delegating too much to frameworks
Sometimes the magic tools lead only to confusion. By abstracting functionality and assuming what we want, frameworks can all too often leave developers at a loss for what's gone wrong in their code. The rules are, while quite reasonable, not entirely trivial. As the app grows, it depends on more and more of these almost-trivial bits of external knowledge.

Trusting the client
Many of the worst security bugs appear when developers assume the client device will do the right thing. For example, code written to run in a browser can be rewritten by the browser to execute any arbitrary action. If the developer doesn't double-check all of the data coming back, anything can go wrong.

Not trusting the client enough
Sometimes too much security can lead paradoxically to gaping holes. Because of this, many Web developers are looking to reduce security as much as possible, not only to make it easy for people to engage with their products but also to save them the trouble of defending more than the minimum amount of data necessary to set up an account.

Relying too heavily on magic boxes
Many programmers assume they can link in the encryption library, push a button, and have iron-clad security. But many of these magic algorithms have subtle weaknesses, and avoiding these weaknesses requires learning more than what's in the Quick Start section of the manual.

Reinventing the wheel
Then again, writing your own libraries just because you think you know a better way to code can come back to haunt you. But grow-your-own cryptography is a welcome sight to attackers. Many libraries don't need to be perfect, so grabbing a magic box is more likely to be better than the code you write yourself.

Opening up too much to the user
Placing the onus on users to customize functionality they do not fully understand can invite disaster in the form of inadvertent security holes and privacy violations. When making purchasing decisions, most users can't handle the breadth of features offered by any given piece of software.

Overdetermining the user experience
Some developers decide to avoid the trouble of too many features by offering exactly one solution. But if users don't like the idea, they will look for ways to work around these limitations, and it will lead to an outcome that could translate into security vulnerabilities.

Closing the source
The decision to not distribute code works against the integrity of that code and it can discourage innovation and fixing bugs. Just opening up the code forces you to make the info more accessible, understandable, and thus better.

Assuming openness is a cure-all
While openness can make it possible for others to pitch in and, thus, improve your code, the mere fact that it's open won't do much unless there's another incentive for outside contributors to put in the work. Opening up a project can also add new overhead for communications and documentation. Moreover, a good open source project comes with extensive documentation of the API and road maps for future development.

Top 10 IT certifications in demand today

With the global economy moved out of the great recession, technology jobs are playing a significant role in the recovery. There are a number of technology certification programs. Some of them are sponsored by software vendors, some by vendor-neutral organizations, and some by educational institutions. But which are the skills and certifications that can give you an edge over the others on getting the job?

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
MCTS helps IT staff validate skills in installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting a specific Microsoft technology. The MCTS certifications are designed to communicate the skills and expertise a holder possesses on a specific platform. For example, candidates won't earn an MCTS on SQL Server 2008. Instead, they'll earn an MCTS covering SQL Server business intelligence, database creation or SQL server. MCTS credential enables professionals to target specific technologies, and is generally the first step toward the Professional-level certifications.

Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
CCIE is a vendor-sponsored certification, focusing on Cisco's products. It requires that the candidate passes both a written exam and a hands-on lab. Candidates have to choose from one of several tracks: Routing and Switching, Security, Storage Networking, Voice, and Service Provider. CCIEs must recertify every two years or the certification is suspended. CCIE accreditation captures most of the networking company's certification glory.

Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP)
CCSP focuses on skills related to securing networks that run Cisco routers and other equipment. Candidates are required to pass five written exams and must recertify every three years by passing one current exam. Before a candidate can take the CCSP exams, he must meet the prerequisites by obtaining one of Cisco's lower-level certifications, either the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or the Cisco Certified Internetwork Specialist (CCIP). It focuses on skills related to securing networks that run Cisco routers and other equipment.

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)/Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)
RHCE is one of the well respected Linux certifications in the industry. The exam is performance-based. Candidates are required to perform actual network installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and administration tasks on a live system.

RHCA is an advanced certification that requires completion of five endorsement exams, each of which costs $749. Like the RHCE exam, they are hands-on skills tests. Candidates must have the RHCE certification to take the RHCA exams.

Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
ITIL certifications provide demonstration of knowledge and skills involved in management positions in IT services. There are three certification levels: Foundation, Practitioner, and Manager. The Manager level certification requires completion of a two-week training program, and candidates must have the Foundation certification and five years of IT management experience. Then, they must pass two three-hour exams consisting of essay questions. ITIL is intended to assist organizations in developing a framework for IT service management. Worldwide, ITIL is the most widely recognized qualification in IT service management.

International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)
ISTQB is a software testing qualification certification organization. It is responsible for the international qualification scheme called "ISTQB Certified Tester". The qualifications are based on a syllabus, and there is a hierarchy of qualifications and guidelines for accreditation and examination. It is the ISTQB's role to support a single, universally accepted, international qualification scheme, aimed at software and system testing professionals, by providing the core syllabi and by setting guidelines for accreditation and examination for national boards.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
The Project Management Institute (PMI), a nonprofit organization that serves as a leading membership association for project management practitioners, maintains the PMP exam. The certification measures a candidate's project management expertise by validating skills and knowledge required to plan, execute, budget, and lead a technology project. Eligible candidates must have five years of project management experience or three years of project management experience and 35 hours of related education.

Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)
MCPD accreditation measures a developer's ability to build and maintain software solutions using Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. Split into three certification paths (Windows Developer 3.5, ASP.NET Developer 3.5, and Enterprise Applications Developer 3.5), MCPD targets IT professionals tasked with designing, optimizing, and operating those Microsoft technologies to fulfill business needs.

Sun certified system administrator (SCSA)
SCSA gives the wide opportunity to professionals interested in imparting knowledge related to the Solaris operating system administrator. It's beneficial for all system administration professionals and linked with performing an essential system administration tasks on Solaris system. The basic requirements for SCSA certification is, to have deep knowledge of Solaris system and involves two examinations related to different versions of this operating system.

Oracle's Database administration (DBA)
Oracle has introduced a wide range of certification programs for entry level to experienced professionals and for domains ranging from database administration and database management to programming.

Oracle's OCA DBA 11g is an entry-level certification specifically designed to certify foundation skills required for database administration or application development. Its objectives are intended to measure a candidate's ability to work as a junior team member with database administrators or application developers. OCP DBA 11g develops, within the candidate, the skills of managing a large scale database and enhances the knowledge regarding the concepts and architecture relating to database, backup and recovery procedures. OCA DBA 10g is an entry-level certification specifically designed to certify foundation skills required for database administration or application development. OCP Certification DBA 10g validates a candidate's skills that include implementing and managing complex Oracle Database 10g functions, and recovering and tuning the database using advanced tools and technologies. OCA DBA 9i is an entry-level certification specifically designed to certify foundation skills required for database administration or application development.

Top 5 Security Suites for your PC

Thanks to the various malicious software and phishing scams, today no one can stay online without having the threat of stealing of personal details, hijacking of browser, malware attacks and many other security issues. A mere antivirus program is not just well enough to stop malicious software like malwares from infiltrating your computer. We need multi-functional security suites that target not only viruses, but all types of attacks. A number of security firms are offering much improved multi-functional security suites these days. Below are the top five security suites that are capable of securing your PC from multiple security threats.

Symantec Norton Internet Security 2011

Symantec Norton Internet Security 2011 meliorates its already-excellent protection. The edition is very easy to install and use. Most of the tasks run in idle time. It is loaded with additional virus cleanup tool and an intelligent firewall. It also offers many Web-based products and services like online backup and parental controls. There is a new interactive panel in its main window makes Norton Internet Security 2011 a manager for these online services.

Symantec Norton Internet Security 2011 extends the "Download Insight" feature introduced by the earlier edition. In the latest edition Norton also has introduced a free stand-alone application, Norton Power Eraser that discovers and kills hard-to-find scareware that cannot be detected by traditional antivirus software.

Symantec Norton Internet Security 2011 runs on Windows 7/XP/Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and supports browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (32-bit only), Firefox 3.0 and later. It requires minimum 256 MB RAM and minimum 300 MB free hard disk space. It is available at 1,200.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010

With a well-designed interface, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 finishes second in the list for strong malware detection and efficient performance. Kaspersky is good in detecting active malware infections on a PC. It is a top performer in rootkit detection, finding and removing all inactive and active rootkits. In detection and disinfection of malware through behavioral scanning, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 is very effective.

Kaspersky Internet Security's impact on system performance is minimal. A PC with Kaspersky's suite installed booted in 43.4 seconds on average, beating the average starting time by 3.5 seconds. The same PC running the McAfee or Norton suites, by comparison, took about 50 seconds to start up.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 runs on Windows 7/XP/Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and supports browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (32-bit only) for downloading updates. It requires minimum 256 MB RAM and minimum 375 MB free hard disk space. It is available at 890.

McAfee Total Protection 2010

With excellent malware protection, McAfee Total Protection 2010 provides effective and real-time anti-phishing protection. The anti-spam is also great. This security suite has a very user friendly interface and it is an efficient solution which won't slow your system down. The firewall includes a useful feature called Attack Detection, which is used to detect popular exploits and attacks on the Web.

It also features malware protection that works to remove malware and spyware that could potentially give out sensitive information to thieves. McAfee Total Protection 2010 installs a browser toolbar called SiteAdvisor Plus, which helps users avoid malicious Web sites.

McAfee Total Protection 2010 runs on Windows 7/XP/Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and supports browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (32-bit only), Firefox 3.0 and later. It requires minimum 512 MB RAM and minimum 200 MB free hard disk space. It is available at 1,220.

BitDefender Total Security 2010

BitDefender Total Security 2010 offers effective malware protection, anti-phishing coverage, a good spam filter and excellent parental controls. BitDefender gets a new interface that comes in three variations: a basic display with only three large icons and simple text, an intermediate design showing more detail, and an advanced interface for those who want to see granular details.

In detecting and disabling active infections, BitDefender Total Security 2010 is quite effective. It is also good at detection and disinfection of rootkits. BitDefender has improved the average startup time by roughly 3.5 seconds for a total of 43.46 seconds at startup.

BitDefender Total Security 2010 runs on Windows 7/XP/Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and supports browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (32-bit only), Firefox 3.0 and later. It requires minimum 512 MB RAM and minimum 450 MB free hard disk space. It is available at 1,790.

PC Tools Internet Security 2010

PC Tools, which is better known for Spyware Doctor, also offers this complete security suite with firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and spam filter protection. The software is easy to use but the spam filter is slow and the package does significantly increase your system boot time.

Although the interface has very little change from last year, it's very user friendly. In rootkit detection PC Tools Internet Security 2010 is capable of scoring high. In detecting, blocking, and removing unknown malware, PC Tools is quite effective. The program gets installed quickly, but it does require a system reboot.

PC Tools Internet Security 2010 runs on Windows 7/XP/Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and supports browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (32-bit only), Firefox 3.0 and later. It requires minimum 256 MB RAM and minimum 150 MB free hard disk space. It is available at 1,890.

Software to stop you writing e-mails when drunk

A new software can now stop you writing e-mails or posting messages when you are drunk. The Social Media Sobriety Test poses a series of simple problems that are intended to be fiendishly difficult to complete when intoxicated.

The test is designed to prevent alcohol-related posting to social media sites like
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

It also stops people from using custom sites like Foursquare or blogs and web-based
e-mail accounts such as gmail or hotmail, the Daily Mail reported.

If the inebriated user fails one of the simple tests, a message can be posted on their Facebook or Twitter page that tells their friends that they are "too drunk to post right now".

Developed by web security firm Webroot, the test's tagline is "Nothing good happens online after 1 a.m." And it is free to download.

Users are able to personalise it to choose which sites to block and then select the hours of the day when they are most likely to have enjoyed a few drinks.

If you want to access social media sites during these times, you will have to pass a randomly selected sobriety test such as 'drag your mouse in a straight line', 'type the alphabet backwards', or 'follow the finger'.

A Webroot spokesman said: "We saw an opportunity to remind people to be responsible on social networks, and to be humorous while talking about Internet security."

Top 10 ways your network can be attacked

Network security appliances do a great job of keeping the cyber monsters from invading your business. But what do you do when the monster is actually inside the security perimeter? Some of the major ways to attack your networks are mentioned below.

1. USB thumb drives: It is one of the common or the easiest ways to infect a network from inside a firewall. The ubiquity of thumb drives has driven hackers to develop targeted malware, such as the notorious Conficker worm, that can automatically execute upon connecting with a live USB port. Changes in the computer's default autorun policies can be said as one of the solution to this treat.

2. Laptop and netbooks: A notebook may already have malicious code running in the background that is tasked to scour the network and find additional systems to infect. This notebook could belong to an internal employee or guest who's visiting and working from an open cube or office. Laptops are also really handy Ethernet port for tapping directly into a network. Implement an encrypted file system for sensitive data can be a precaution.

3. Wireless access points: Wireless attacks by wardrivers are common and have caused significant damage in the past. It can provide immediate connectivity to any user within proximity of the network. Wireless APs are naturally insecure, regardless if encryption is used or not. Strong, mixed passwords should be used and changed on a fairly frequent basis to prevent this.

4. Miscellaneous USB devices:Devices like digital cameras, MP3 players, printers, scanners, fax machines and even digital picture frames are also included in the list besides the common USB devices. Since the primary functions of these devices are different we often forget their potential to cause threats. Therefore it is important to implement and enforce asset control and policies around what devices can enter the environment and when.

5. Inside connections: Internal company employees can also inadvertently or intentionally access areas of the network that they wouldn't or shouldn't otherwise have access to and compromise endpoints using any of the means outlined in this article. Passwords should be changed regularly. Authentication and access levels are a must for any employee - he should only have access to systems, file shares, etc. are some of the important steps to prevent this.

6. The Trojan human: It can take less than a minute for an unsupervised person in a server room to infect the network. Avoid assumptions and identify the source by asking questions can be said as one of the major steps.

7. Optical media: Recordable media that appear to be legitimate can and has been used to piggyback data in and out of networks. And, like the thumb drives mentioned above, they can be used as a source for network infection. As with the USB tip, it's important to implement and enforce asset control and policies around what devices can enter the environment and when. And then follow that up with frequent policy reminders.

8. Hindsight is 20/20: The human mind is also very effective at storing information. Who is watching you when you log into your desktop? Where are your hard copies stored? What confidential documents are you reading on your laptop at the coffee shop, airplane, etc.? The best safeguard is being conscious and alert about this threat whenever working on sensitive material -- even if it means stopping what you're doing momentarily to observe your surroundings.

9. Smartphones and other digital devices: phones do more than just allow you to call anyone in the world from anywhere; they're full-functioning computers, complete with Wi-Fi connectivity, multithreaded operating systems, high storage capacity, high-resolution cameras and vast application support. And they, along with other portable tablet-like devices, are starting to be given the green light in business environments. Therefore it is important to implement and enforce asset control and policies around what devices can enter the environment and when.

10. Email: Email is frequently used within businesses to send and receive data; however, it's often misused. Messages with confidential information can easily be forwarded to any external target. Therefore source identification should be made compulsory.

Logitech introduces solar-powered keyboard

Logitech has unveiled a solar-powered keyboard K750 that allows users to enjoy computing for longer durations. The company claimed that the new Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is powers itself whenever there is light, even indoors.

The keyboard powers itself through integrated solar panels and includes an integrated power-indicator light. The device is a third of an inch thick, and incurve keys that support the shape of fingertips. In addition, the keys have rounded edges that make it easier for fingers to glide from key to key.

The Solar Keyboard requires a receiver that plugs into a computer's USB port. Using the 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, this Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard is available for pre-orders at $80 (around 3550) in U.S. As of now, it is not clear about its availability and price in India.

Innovations that herald a new tech era

"Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things" and hence, innovative ideas are always critical for survival and growth today. Every other day we come across new technologies focusing on solving a variety of complexities. But very few of them we can tag as true innovations. Let's take a look at some of the important innovative technologies in key areas like computing systems, network security, software and wireless.

Software:
Simplifying the process of building 3D games, San Francisco-based Unity Technologies has brought out software with the help of which one can easily create 3D interactive content like games, training simulations and medical visualizations for various device including cell phones to game systems. The software has an editor that can take prefabricated components and combine them with other features to create full game environments. It has the best innovation award in the Software category of The Wall Street Journal 2010 Technology Innovation Awards.

Wireless:
Addressing two of the key problems - poor cellphone coverage inside a house and the growing congestion on cellular networks, Ubiquisys, a UK-based firm has introduced a small cellular base station for use indoors named Femtocells. The company's first femtocell to be sold at a wholesale price under $100 was G3-mini. The technology has won the best innovation award in the Wireless category of The Wall Street Journal 2010 Technology Innovation Awards.

iSIM, developed by Motorola is another key innovation in the world of wireless technologies. Motorola's iSIM (Intelligent SIM) is based on a flexible wafer that can be attached to the subscriber's original SIM providing additional services that can be controlled via SIM tool kit (STK) allowing third party developers to build applications and services.

Now, let's come to Pyxis Mobile's Application Studio. It is a platform that allows creating applications for mobile devices without coding. Companies can build apps with Pyxis Mobile without any hard coding, which enables to cut development time by as much as 80 percent.

Computing Systems:
U.S.-based Lightfleet has come up with a new way of connecting computer processors that uses beamed light instead of copper or fiber-optic wires. The key difference that this new technology from Lightfleet brings is that the traditional wired switches used to manage connections between microprocessors will be replaced by a device that will send a data-carrying beam of light to all the nodes at once. The technology has won the best innovation award in the Computing Systems category of The Wall Street Journal 2010 Technology Innovation Awards.

Another U.S.-based firm named Marvell Semiconductor has introduced Plug Computer, a small and low-power networked home server, which is capable of delivering data and applications to a variety of devices. At a time when consumers expect always- on and always- connected computing, this innovation from Marvell can find traction among the users. Unlike other embedded devices in the home, it contains a gigahertz- class processor designed to offer PC- class performance.

Network Security:
No matter how important the Internet is for us, it is true that it has gradually turned out to be the 'sweet home' for viruses, worms, spyware, Trojan horses and many other malicious software. But there are new ways coming out every day with the focus of heading off these threats.

Symantec's "reputation-based" technology is one of the most innovative ones in this category. In order to spot dangers that the traditional security products are unable to tap, this new technology examines the usage patterns of millions of computers. On the basis of data these patterns give about a particular program's characteristics like source, age and prevalence, the technology from Symantec assigns a "reputation rating" to each of the software that it examines. Since there are so many new malware variants constantly appearing, this new security solution can be effective to spot them. It has won the best innovation award in the Network Security category of The Wall Street Journal 2010 Technology Innovation Awards.

With the increasing demand for cloud computing, cloud-based security solutions are also gaining momentum. Spain-based Panda Security has introduced a free, cloud-based antivirus solution with 50 percent less impact on PC performance compared to the industry average. It utilizes a thin-client agent and server architecture which processes and blocks malware more efficiently than locally installed signature-based products.

SinglePoint is another key innovation by the U.S.-based cloud security company Symplified,that provides a cloud-native unified identity and access management platform allowing companies to extend and enforce IT security policies for access control, authentication, administration of users, and auditing to cloud applications.

Millions lie to take leave from work

One in five employees take leave for stress but almost all are too afraid to admit it and instead lie about having an upset stomach or that a relative is ill, researchers have found.

While it found that talking about workplace pressures is still a huge taboo, few workers actually want to hide their stress from their bosses.

Seven out of 10 would like to discuss the issue with their employers although one- third want their manager to make the first move, reports the Daily Mail.

Previous research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests businesses are losing around 8.4 billion pounds a year through absenteeism caused by poor mental well being.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, a mental health charity which conducted the study, said: "Millions of people experience unmanageable stress at work, and the fact that so many people feel forced to lie about it rather than finding a solution should be a major concern for our businesses.

"If employees don't feel they can be honest about the pressures on them, problems that aren't addressed can quickly snowball into low morale, low productivity and high sick leaves. We'd urge employers to encourage a culture of openness at work so they can solve problems now rather than storing up problems for the future," Farmer said.

The Mind research also reveals that 62 percent of employees feel their bosses aren't doing enough to look after the workplace well-being of their staff.

Microsoft survey says most people hate bad phone behavior

Most people have a problem with bad phone behavior, reveals a Harris Interactive poll commissioned by Microsoft and states that its new mobile platform, Windows Phone 7 will help change phone etiquette for the better.

Microsoft said it commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct the telephone phone survey that shows how the mobile phone has infiltrated people's lives. 2,024 people aged 18 and older were surveyed during October 6-17. It revealed that 72 percent of those surveyed consider bad mobile phone behavior to be one of their top 10 pet peeves, but only 18 percent admitted to engaging in such behavior themselves.

The survey revealed that phone owners between the ages of 18 and 24 were more likely than older users to slot in inappropriate conduct. Twenty-four percent in that age group have had their phone ring and upset a wedding, religious service or play.

Microsoft announced the results of the survey on the day its Windows Phone 7 went on sale in the U.S. Windows Phone 7's design has been advertised as an antidote to bad behavior, saying it makes it easier to do more with fewer steps.

Most people surveyed seemed to agree about places where phone use is out of line. Forty percent of mobile phone users surveyed admitted to using handset in a bathroom, and 48 percent said they think talking on the phone in a public restroom is inappropriate. Ninety percent said it's inappropriate at a religious service or funeral and 82 percent won't tolerate it at a wedding.

9 Ways to effectively use technology for a smart job search

Searching for jobs? But still following traditional ways? It's time for a change. It won't be easy to enhance your chance of getting a job if you cling to the older ways of job search. The technologies available today can double the chances of getting a preferred one, but they should be used in the correct way at the correct time. "Technology is a job hunter's friend, but only if you use it correctly", says Kate Wendleton, President of The Five O'Clock Club, a U.S.-based career coaching and outplacement network. Here are nine suggestions by Wendleton on proper new technology etiquette for job hunters.

Make your first impression the old-fashioned way
Since hiring managers use to get too much e-mails and spam, chances are there that your mail might get deleted by them. When hiring managers get an unsolicited e-mail that they don't recognize, they may well hit 'delete' without ever opening it. What's the solution then? Go for snail mail, as it is the best way to get recognized by hiring managers. It allows you to take advantage of paper quality, resume design, and appealing typefaces so that the package you are sending is more like a printed marketing piece than a quick solicitation. This will differentiate you from other candidates.

E-mail is best for follow-up and networking
Suppose you want send a link to showcase your work after a meeting or indicate a relevant article reflecting the content of your conversation, E-mail would be the most suitable form of communication. But important follow-ups should always be sent by snail mail also, to assure that the formatting will be correct and the letter won't get lost in cyberspace. E-mail is ideal for building networks also. One should always put the person's name, by whom he has been introduced, in the subject line to be sure you are not automatically deleted (e.g. "Bob Smith Suggested That I Contact You").

When following up after a job interview
The form of follow-up for the organization or person you will be contacting is a vital thing. According to Wendleton, since hiring decisions are made very quickly these days, one should send an e-mail follow-up and also mail a copy of his follow-up influence letter. Also, at the end of the interview, one should ask the interviewer how he or she prefers to be contacted.

Use mobile devices only in a pinch
Generally mobile messages are composed in a hurry and in a quick reaction to an inbound e-mail. Therefore most of the times, the tone in a mobile message tends to be crisp and likely to be misunderstood. Hence, if it is necessary to use it, you should always proofread before sending it out.

To sell yourself to potential employers, don't "cell" yourself
One should never use a cell phone for telephone interviews or other phone communication, even if it's just a cursory screening interview. Chances are there that the interviewer could easily miss words, lose the tone of your voice, or not hear your emphasis on a critical question. And if it happens, you will fail to communicate your energy and enthusiasm.

Don't call your interviewers on their cells, either
As an applicant for a job, you should never make an initial or introductory call to a hiring manager's cell phone. Mobile phones are mostly perceived as private as their home phones, therefore, an unsolicited call from a job hunter may disturb a hiring manager, and it virtually guarantees a negative result.

Avoid instant messaging and social networks for first-time communication
Instant messaging is a permission-based concept. People invite others of their choosing to interrupt them with instant messages. Seeking out and finding a hiring manager via IM is considered intrusive. The same holds true for social networking. Even though the Internet enables you to search out an individual using directory tools or through social networks, it is not acceptable to approach future employers using these tools.
"Network" through LinkedIn and other sites
Sites like LinkedIn are the key ways in job search today. LinkedIn provides a jobseeker with a 21st century way to build up his professional network. Just as you should consider other passive techniques such as contacting search firms and answering ads, LinkedIn should be on your list of job searching strategies.

Always use your best judgment
One's own judgment is always the most crucial element in any strategy. In this job hunt strategy also a jobseeker should always rely on his judgment. There are always occasions where it's okay, or even advisable, to break the rules. When it comes down to it, you must assess the risks of your decisions and do what is right for you.

Bharti launches triple sim mobiles

India's top telecom services provider Bharti group Sunday entered the country's mobile handset market, launching eight triple SIM phones priced between Rs.1,750-7,000.

Beetel Teletech, a subsidiary Bharti Enterprises, launched the 'Beetel' range of phones that includes "a gaming QWERTY phone, triple SIM offering GSM+GSM+CDMA, the first phone to house a complete movie and a 3G phone with an exceedingly well designed and easy user interface."

The phones will offer a bouquet of value added services including popular social networking applications such as Facebook, a mobile commerce partner NgPay and a mobile portal browser.

"Through our range of product offerings we intend to address the value for money seeking Indian consumer who is keen on having innovative technology coupled with design features at attractive prices," said Vinod Sawhny, chief exeuctive, Beetel Teletech.

In the first phase, the Beetel mobile phones will be available through a nationwide distribution network of over 4,000 outlets across Delhi, Haryana, UP, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Punjab and the seven North Eastern States.

The company plans to establish its presence across India by the end of the current fiscal.

The phones powered by GPRS technology will allow users to make free calls and send messages.

As per Industry estimates, mobile handset industry has grown exponentially with 108 million mobile phones sold in the country in 2009-10, resulting in sales of Rs.27,000 crore as against Rs. 25,910 crore during the previous year.

Faster growth is expected in the coming years as the mobile replacement market that currently stands at 55 percent, is expected to reach 70 percent by 2010, according to Boston Consulting Group.

Bharti's entry into the cluttered handset market will add to the worries of mobile manufacturing majors, Nokia and Samsung, whose margins have come under increasing pressure in recent months from Chinese and smaller Indian mobile firms.

According to the Voice&Data 100 Indian Telecom Survey, these Indian brands strengthened their presence in the domestic handset market in 2009-10, growing at the expense of market leader Nokia. Even though the Finnish company's remained the leading seller of mobiles in India, its share came down to 52.2 percent from 64 per cent last year.

The mobile handset market grew 4.2 percent by revenue during the last fiscal compared to 7.9 percent in 2008-09. Around 108 million mobile phones were sold in the country during 2009-10, adding up to Rs 27,000 crore sales, up from Rs 25,910 crore the previous year.

Motorola hopes to launch tablet computer in 2011

Mobile phone giant Motorola hopes to expand its product line beyond cell phones and the company is looking at launching its tablet computer early next year.

"We want to make sure that any tablet that we deliver is competitive in the marketplace, and I think all of us will make sure that we will only deliver (computer) that when that occurs," Motorola's India-born co-chief executive Sanjay Jha said.

"Hopefully, that's early next year. The tablet would be Motorola's answer to Apple's iPad, which has dominated the market since its launch in April this year," added Jha.

Apple said in June that it has sold three million of its iPad tablets.

Jha has tried to turn around Motorola's troubled cell phone business by refocusing it on smart phones powered by Google Inc's Android operating system, the Wall Street Journal said.

"Google has made clear it doesn't think the latest version of Android, called Froyo, is appropriate for tablet devices," the paper quoted Jha as saying in a conference call.

The report added that Jha has said he would not roll out a tablet until the technology is ready.

"I will only develop a tablet if it is sufficiently compelling," he added.

Jha further said he is eager to get into the tablet business, but indicated that he is thinking about new forms of mobile computing.

He is also interested in models that are "even more smartphone-centric. Other phone makers have also been lining up their tablet computers to take on the iPad."

Samsung Electronics unveiled its seven-inch Galaxy Tab in the US market today, while Dell too launched a five-inch tablet.

Google Docs editing on mobile will be possible in few weeks

Google document editing will be possible in Android and the iPad in few weeks time. Finally the demand of users who has been asking for it since Google launched its own mobile OS has come true. Mobile users have been able to view documents hosted by the Chocolate Factory for years, and since many Android users find themselves incredulous that editing isn't possible, the addition will be a welcome one.

"In the next few weeks, co-workers around the world will soon be able to co-edit files simultaneously from an even wider array of devices,"said David Girouard, President of Google's enterprise group, in a post to a company blog.

For corporate users, Google has launched two-factor authentication for mobile users. One of the factors is the mobile device itself, but it's still a step up from securing solely against a password. That feature is available to enterprise users immediately, rolling out to the hoi polloi over the next few months.
Google demonstrated progress in adding collaborative editing of Office documents for Docs users on Windows desktops and laptops, a move that would let companies do without SharePoint, one of Microsoft's top money makers.

Mobile document editing is an enviable consequence of Android's move into the tablet space, and Google's provision for the iPad is unsurprising as the company seeks to make cloud editing standard. Editing of Google Documents on the move makes the cloud platform a lot more attractive, and might transform more of those 30 million users from experimenting early adopters into regular users.

MSI launches F-series laptops in India at Rs. 37,000

MSI has launched four new F-series laptops which comes with Intel Core i5 microprocessors. The four new F-series laptops are FX400, FX600, FX700, and FR600. The F-series which is the first in the country to bring Intel Wireless Display technology is priced in the range of Rs. 37,000 and Rs. 53,000 depending upon the configuration.

The new range of laptops run on Intel Core i5 processors with Intel Turbo Boost and Intel Hyper-Threading technologies. MSI claims that new GPU Boost Technology will make the best GPU power by automatically switching graphics modes.

Coming to the Intel WiDi (Wireless Display)technology, it allows the user to stream HD audio-video content to a HDTV wirelessly, using a special adapter. However, the necessary requirements for that to happen are a minimum of 4GB RAM and Windows 7 (64-bit) OS.

The F-series notebooks come loaded with Nvidia GeForce GT 325M GPU with 1GB GDDR3 video memory for better gaming and graphics experience. MSI states that GPU Boost technology helps maintaining balance between performance and battery life.

The FX400 comes with a regular 1.3 megapixel web cam while the rest models have 720p HD quality capable webcams. In terms of sound, the FX700 equips obstruction-free sound providing speaker technology implemented in collaboration with Dynaudio and THX. All F-series notebooks come with HDMI port and have 250GB-320GB internal storage.

India's e-commerce likely to grow as 3G begins: eBay

Once 3G and mobile broadband services start in India, buying and selling of products over the internet are likely to grow at a rapid space, according to a top official of the e-commerce site eBay.

"E-commerce is taking off slowly here but I think the Indian market can experience significant growth over the next few years as 3G services are launched and mobile broadband gets more ubiquitous," eBay's President and CEO John Donahoe said.

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.

"I think what you are going to see here in India is with more people having access to the Internet through their mobile devices, you are going to see changes in consumer behaviour in terms of willingness and an ability to buy online," he added.

In India, at present, the e-commerce business is growing at 30 per cent and eBay itself is growing at 60 per cent. Ebay has about 2.5 million users in India.

Moreover, he added that e-Commerce sites like eBay are not only a platform to buy and sell products but also help the economy by creating direct and indirect jobs. About 12,800 sellers use eBay India as a primary or secondary cource of income.

"We not only help people buy and sell products, we help them to earn a livelihood," he added.

Goods worth Rs. 150 crore will be sold by Indian sellers exported outside the country this year.

Now, make phone calls from your Gmail account

Google will now facilitate Gmail users to call telephones directly from their email. It will be in direct competition with Skype and traditional operators like AT&T and Verizon Communications.

After offering computer-to-computer voice and video chat services, Google will now allow calls to home phones and mobile phones directly from Gmail. Calls to the U.S. and Canadian phones from Gmail would be free of cost this year and for calls to other countries, there would be certain charges fixed at a lower rate. Google said calls to Britain, France, Germany, China and Japan would be as low as 2 cents per minute.

According to analysts, this service would likely be a bigger competitive threat to services like Skype's than to traditional phone companies, which have already been cutting their call prices in recent years in response to stiff competition.

"This is a risk to Skype. It's a competitor with a pretty good brand name," said Hudson Square analyst Todd Rethemeier. Like Skype, Rethemeier said the Google service will likely be much more popular among U.S. consumers making international calls, than among people calling friends inside the country.

Soon, computer will read minds to search web

Imagine searching the internet simply by thinking. Well, your imagination may soon turn into reality, say scientists who claim to be developing a computer which reads human minds.

A team at Intel Corporation is working on a new technology which will directly interpret words as they are thought, unlike current brain-controlled computers which require users to imagine making physical movements to control a cursor on a screen.

In fact, the scientists are creating detailed maps of the activity in the brain for individual words which can then be matched against the brain activity of someone using the computer, allowing the machine to determine the word they are thinking, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Preliminary tests of the system have shown that the computer can work out words by looking at similar brain patterns and looking for key differences that suggest what the word might be.

Dean Pomerleau, of Intel Laboratories, said, "The computer uses a form of 20 questions to narrow down what the word is." So a food related word like apple produces activity in those parts of the brain related to hunger. So the computer can infer attributes to each word being thought about and this lets the computer zero down on what the word is pretty quickly.

"We are currently mapping out the activity an average brain produces when thinking about different words. It means you'll be able to write letters, open emails or do Google searches just by thinking," Pomerleau said.

Nokia to launch dual SIM phones in India

Nokia is preparing for entry-level dual SIM phones, and now the Finnish giant has announced they're in the final pre-release stages, and will be launching the Nokia C1-00 for Rs. 1,700, and Nokia C2-100 for Rs. 2,500 simultaneously in the next couple of months, following its global launch. Apart from Samsung, no other major international mobile manufacturer currently offers dual SIM mobile phones in India.

Also targeting the rural sector, the phones will also come with Nokia Ovi Life Tools installed. So, for now we can expect a launch either on Tata DoCoMo or Reliance Mobile, the respective GSM services of the telecommunication giants, as they're the only ones who presently offer the service.

According to a spokesperson from Nokia India, the company is undecided whether to produce the phones in India's Chennai facility, or elsewhere.

Bangalore household runs on a robot of few hundred rupees

A "Developer Evangelist" for Microsoft Bangalore, Ramaprasanna Chellamuthu, has been designing the robots over weekends for five-six years, and in the past few months, has connected them to a cloud and to Internet for an integrated "buddyHome", a proof-of-concept system that uses already available face- and image-recognition technology to offer intelligent everyday solutions. All of it cost just a few hundred rupees.

Each machines are custom-made to serve a purpose be it to wake him with a splash of water on his face if he doesn't respond to the morning alarm, to clean the house, or to alert him about intruders and overcooked noodles on the stove.

Chellamuthu says buddyHome is a self-learning system that takes three pictures of him every second, processes them to understand whether he's sleeping or smiling and activates certain features accordingly, recollecting all the information from the cloud - based on Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform - at night to perform better with each day.

Besides security and entertainment features, one of the buddyHome modules enhances his magazine-reading experience by ascertaining his interest in a particular story or picture from his facial expression and pulling out videos on the subject to play on a projected screen. In a video he presented at Microsoft Tech-Ed India 2010, when he reads an IPL advert in a magazine, it offers to book tickets for the next game.

Now Chellamuthu is working on a hand-gesture-recognition system for the speech-impaired that will translate sign language into words and also he working on integrating into the system an autobot that can communicate real-time. "If I'm not on my seat and my boss sends me an instant message, won't it be cool if it can take my place and reply to him?" he says.

Human brain on a microchip

Canadian scientists have developed a microchip that 'communicates' with brain cells, which they claim could help patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. They have successfully connected brain cells to a silicon chip that can "hear" conversation between brain tissues.

The neuro-chip, which has been developed by medicine scientists at the University of Calgary, will network brain cells and thus record brain cell activity at a resolution never achieved before, according to Naweed Syed who led the team that made the breakthrough.

The neuro-chip will help future understanding of how brain cells work under normal conditions and thus permit drug discoveries for a variety of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, a university statement said on Tuesday.

"This technical breakthrough means we can track subtle changes in brain activity at the level of ion channels and synaptic potentials, which are also the most suitable target sites for drug development in neuro-degenerative diseases and neuropsychological disorders," Naweed Syed, who is professor and head of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, has been quoted as saying.

The new neuro-chips are also automated.

"Previously it took years of training to learn how to record ion channel activity from brain cells, and it was only possible to monitor one or two cells simultaneously. Now, larger networks of cells can be placed on a chip and observed in minute detail, allowing the analysis of several brain cells networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions," the university statement said.

The University of Calgary is excited at the potential of this made in Canada technology, said university vice president Rose Goldsmith.

"The University of Calgary is proud to be the home of this cutting edge Canadian work with a neurochip. The advances in research and healthcare made by possible by this technology are immense. The work and collaboration happening in the lab of Naweed Syed is another example demonstrating our leadership in the field of biomedical engineering."

The new technology has been published online this month in the journal, Biomedical Microdevices.

Best Green IT Project : State Bank of India : Green IT@SBI

We all know about the power situation in India. But inside of an ATM is ironically completely different. It is often over- lit with conventional lights plus have high-capacity ACs running 24X7, making it extremely uncomfortable to bear. In places where power supply is not constant these ATMs are run on generators adding to pollution. It has been proven that ATMs, just like any IT equipment, need a dust free environment running at optimal room temperature. So, there is an immediate need to redesign ATM infrastructure in India given the bad power situation in country.

However, this is easier said than done, as in this competitive age, customer convenience can't be ignored. To cover both aspects, this project has been taken up by the Bank as part of its policy to promote green policy initiatives. Apart from savings of recurring costs to the bank, the project helps in reducing the carbon footprints impacting the quality of life of the cardholders and society at large. Further it supports the cause of the central bank's objective of spreading retail electronic payment culture and reduced dependence on paper based transactions in the country, through rapid expansion of ATMs and debit cards. State Bank of India undertook a massive rollout of ATMs during the financial year 2009-10. With more than 10,000 ATMs installed, SBI was conscious about the carbon footprint due to such a huge rollout. In all of these ATMs, LCD monitors were deployed in lieu of CRTs. LEDs were used instead of tube lights or CFL (even in signages), 5 star EER 3.1 rated ACs were installed instead of conventional high energy consuming ACs. Aluminum composite panels were put to use instead of wood based materials in the preparation of sites. Apart from these modifications, specially designed ATMs were developed and installed that consumed low energy and require no air conditioning environment. Even solar powered ATMs were developed for rural areas. A few of the modifications made to the ATMs include usage of single thermal printers instead of two and the manner in which the cash tray was placed.

Best Green IT Project
Company Scenario
Before Deployment
Wastage of energy due to usage of CRTs, conventional lighting, and air conditioning in ATMs.	�
After Deployment	�
48508500 KWH of electricity savings, translating to Rs. 24 Cr+ savings in energy bills.	�
What was deployed	�
Usage of LCD, LEDs inside ATM and even for signage, and usage of energy efficient ACs Aluminum composite panels were put to use instead of wood based materials in the preparation of sites 10,000 eco-friendly ATMs across India.	�

The key challenges faced in deployment of these energy efficient ATMs include ensuring compliance with regard to the agreed contractual terms not only with the main vendors but also the outsourced agencies. The large number of deployment of ATMs spread over a wide area in a tight schedule necessitates fine vendor management skills. In fact the SBI IT team had to work closely with vendors who till that point of time were involved in setting up conventional ATMs. Appropriate measures were required to safeguard against fire hazards in extensive use of composite aluminum materials.

Nokia N-series to use Linux

Nokia N-series is to make use of Linux operating system as N8 would be the last N-series phone to utilize the Symbian software.Though Symbian is the market leader for smartphones,with the rise of iPhone it has lost its market share.

Nokia Oyj is set to use MeeGo software in its N-series as it would provide a better chance to battle against their rivals Apple and Google.The N-series had been dominating the market before Apple's iPhone was brought into the market.

Nokia and Intel Corp revealed their plans to produce MeeGo, merging Nokia's Linux Maemo software platform with Intel's Moblin, based on Linux open-source software.

According to Ben Wood, Research Director at British consultancy CCS Insight, "The confirmation that MeeGo will be used for the next flagship Nseries device shows Nokia is betting the ranch on this platform to beat high-end rivals such as Apple's iPhone," said Ben Wood, research director at British consultancy CCS Insight.

Other versions of the Linux operating system inclusive of Google's Android operator-backed LiMo and Palm's webOS have acquired a large share in the mobile market. The Gartner review shows that in the first quarter, the market share of Linux phones rose to 14 percent from 8.5 per cent a year ago. Linux is the most popular type of open-source computer operating system. Linux's immediate rival on PCs is Microsoft.

A new software to completely destruct data from PCs

Pitney Bowes, a U.S. based mail and document management company came out with a new product in the Indian market which would facilitate in destroying data before disposing the computers. The product 'Degaussers', confirms that the data is totally erased and the hard drive becomes unusable.

Before discarding a PC, the data removal software is generally run and the drive is formatted to erase the information stored in the computer. But this effaced data can be recovered at any given point of time.

The company's major targets include the banking, financial, insurance services and telecom sectors. It also plans to aim the government for orders of the product.

Pitney Bowes India Managing Director KM Nanaiah said, "These sectors have a lot of confidential data, which also needs to be destructed at various points in time. We will start discussions with various companies and ministries (like Defence) for procuring orders,"

The product created by Martin Yale would range from Rs 7 lakh and Rs 20 lakh.

You may just need to walk to charge your mobile phone

Now you can potentially charge your cellphone battery just by walking with a new charger which can be fitted with the sole of your shoes and produce power when you walk.

Mobile phone company European Telco Orange has developed a charging prototype - a set of thermoelectric gumboots or Wellington boots with a 'power generating sole' that converts heat from the wearer's feet into electrical power.

The boot was designed by Dave Pain, managing director at GotWind, an energy firm.

Pain said the boot uses the Seebeck effect, named after physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck, in which a circuit made of two dissimilar metals conducts electricity if the two places where they connect are held at different temperatures, reported TVNZ.

"In the sole of the Wellington boot there's a thermocouple and if you apply heat to one side of the thermocouple and cold to the other side it generates an electrical charge," Pain said.

"That electrical charge we then pass through to a battery which you'll find in the heel of the boot for storage of the electrical power for later use to charge your mobile phone."

These thermocouples are connected electrically, forming an array of multiple thermocouples. They are then sandwiched between two thin ceramic wafers.

When the heat from the foot is applied on the top side of the ceramic wafer and cold is applied on the opposite side, from the cold of the ground, electricity is generated.

But the power boots have one drawback. You need to walk for 12 hours to generate one hour's worth of charge.

Pain, however, said his company was working on improving the technology, which could then also be used in other forms of clothing.

"The technology's not just limited to footwear, or indeed boots, but you could for example make clothing out of it, you know, a headband, for example," he said.

A new device with TV, internet and mobile in China

China would soon launch a new facility for people to access TV, Internet and mobile phone through a single device combining broadcasting and telecommunication technologies.

Users will be able to access all the three through a single device, an official statement said.

A pilot scheme to integrate the three systems would be launched in 11 Chinese cities including Beijing [ Images ] and Shanghai. However, the statement gave no schedule and did not elaborate on the development of the trial programme.

The programme, known as "three networks integration" in Chinese, aims to make the three systems compatible and allow users to make telephone calls, surf the Internet and watch television through only one cable or wireless entrance, official Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently, TV, telecom and Internet networks are separated in China, and different operators provide access to cable TV, telecommunications and the Internet.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, said in January that the program would be accelerated through pilot projects from 2010 to 2012, focusing on trials connecting broadcasting and telecommunication networks.

It vowed to achieve comprehensive integration by 2015. China first proposed the program in 1998.But it was delayed because of conflicts of interest between different administrators and service operators, said Wu Jichuan, previously minister at the information industry ministry, the predecessor of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

In China, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television regulates radio and TV while the MIIT is responsible for telecoms and Internet industries.

The programme will boost investment and consumption by 668 billion yuan ($98.38 billion) over the next three years, said Wu Hequan, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

5 things not to say at a job interview

Interview success in today's job market is bit difficult. But if we prepare well it is not a Herculean task to attract the interviewers. The importance of creating a good impression within the allotted time is so important in an interview.

To make a good impression, it is important to know what the interviewer is look for and what they are testing you on, according to a report by Sanjeev Sinha of EconomicTimes.com.

According to Arindam Lahiri, Director- Academics, Career Launcher India, there are five things that should be avoided while attending an interview. Rude replies, bluffing, being defensive, unprepared responses and lack of interview strategy can end up portraying a person?s personality in an unappealing manner.

Rude replies

Short, curt, arrogant or confrontational comments and replies are of course a strict no-no. You might want to pay attention to peer review about whether you come across as a genuinely friendly, amicable person or otherwise. Besides the obvious fact that the interviewer is all powerful when it comes to deciding your fate regarding the job, also keep in mind that they are not sitting there with the sole purpose of antagonizing you.

"The objective of putting you in a spot is usually to observe your behavior under pressure. Getting agitated easily would betray a lack of coping skills. On the other hand, dealing with such 'tests' with grace not only saves you trouble but also immediately scores you points," said Lahiri.

Bluffing

If you hesitate to admit something that you don't know, you will be forced to continue bluffing until you either get caught, or are forced to do what you were supposed to do in the first place - say "I don't know."

This statement can help you move away from topics you don't know much about and possibly salvage the interview by starting a new conversation thread. Of course, using this statement too often would lead to the interviewer assuming you don't know much.

Getting defensive

If you happened to make a mistake and were rightly corrected, then make sure that you gracefully admit your error and allow for the discussion to be carried on in a polite tone. Leave the 'offense is the best defence' theory outside the door along with excess ego that could seriously hamper your chances of success.

It is also necessary to clarify the interviewer as they can also be wrong about something. Maybe the mistake on their part is actually deliberate conducted, to test your knowledge or relevant social skills.

"In such a scenario, wherein you are absolutely sure of your view, stick to your guns, but (again) gracefully. Be polite but firm while presenting your case, and after a while, you might want to agree to disagree and free up the conversation to on to the next topic," informs Lahiri.

Unprepared responses

There are certain questions that are taken as granted to appear in any interview - questions related to your goals, about yourself, your reason for applying to the particular job, your interest in that company and so on.

To earn a favourable impression, the answer to these should be thoroughly prepared, clear and precise, leaving no ambiguity in the interviewer's mind.

"This does not mean you have to have a rigid 10-year plan for life or be aware of exactly what you are going to do when. Rather, your thinking process and general direction should be organized and clearly presented to the interviewers. Doing your homework early on can guarantee you a certain number of points even before you walk in the interview room," said Lahiri.

Lack of interview strategy

In a selection process, the interviewer is required to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate. For this, he/she has to steer the conversation and investigate various aspects of the candidate's personality.

Google's Chrome to feature remote desktop app

Google's upcoming Chrome operating system - a new OS that will arrive on netbook computers later this year. It is also going to offer a feature 'chromoting' - a remote desktop app for your new cloud computer that Google engineers have dubbed, reports The New York Times.

We're adding new capabilities all the time. With this functionality (unofficially named chromoting), Chrome OS will not only be a great platform for running modern web apps, but will also enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser.

In Google's case, the technology would be used to run so-called legacy applications that Chrome OS does not support. By legacy, Google means any application that doesn't run in a Web browser like Google Chrome, which serves as the basis of the new Internet-only OS, also called Chrome.

It includes the Adobe Creative Suite, perhaps, whose flagship program Photoshop is top among designers. Or maybe the full Microsoft Office suite, whose desktop programs are still more feature-rich than Google's online Docs service. Perhaps as a new competitor to desktop and notebook computer operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Apple's OSX instead of just a netbook alternative.

Then again, the world is turning to lightweight computing. So much can be done online these days. As Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently said at the D8 conference, we're entering a 'post-PC' era, referring to the eventual phase out of the personal computer in favor of lighter, more thin client-esque platforms like, of course, Apple's new iPad tablet computer.

Wipro introduces Tablet PC

Wipro joins the PC bandwagon along with Apple's iPad, with the introduction of its product under E.go lifestyle series, designed for the Indian market. The tablet PC comes with a keyboard unlike other tablet PCs, reports Tanuja, from Financial Business Chronicle.

The product, which has a 10" LED touchscreen with a 1.3 megapixel webcam, swivel base and weighs 1.2 kg, is based on the Intel Atom processor N270 and supports Windows 7. It is Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and 3G SIM ready.

Acer is already in the Indian market with a tablet PC. HP, Asus have announced their intention of launching tablet PCs. And Hyderabad-based Notion Ink is planning to come out with its Adam Tablet.

Ashok Tripathy, Head-Systems & Technology division, Infrastructure Availability Services, Wipro Infotech, told that there is a lot of customer interest for the tablet PC which has just been launched. "We expect traction for the product going forward and are targeting enterprises, educational institutions and individual consumers," he said, declining to mention any sales target.

Wipro has competitively priced its tablet PC at Rs. 30,000. It is being manufactured at the firm's Kotdwar facility.

Toshiba launches dual screen PC to takes on Amazon, Apple

Toshiba has launched a dual-screened mini notebook PC that can be used as an e-book reader, adding to competition for the likes of Apple Corp's iPad and Amazon.com's Kindle.

The new gadget, which can be used like a conventional clam-style notebook PC with a software keyboard, or turned 90 degrees for use as an e-book reader, will go on sale in Japan in late August and later in Europe, the United States and other markets.

Toshiba unveiled the Libretto W100 at a lavish event in Tokyo that also marked a quarter century since it launched the world's first laptop in 1985, though its personal computer division made an 8.8 billion yen ($97 million) loss in the year to March 2010. The company expects its PC division to break even in the year to March 2011.

The new touch-screen gadget, which also faces potential competition from Sony Corp will not shake up the e-book reader market at this point, because the company has yet to draw up any agreements with content providers. But executives were keen to emphasise that the Libretto, which they expect to retail for about 120,000 yen ($1,320) in Japan, compared with $489 for the larger of Amazon's Kindle devices, or $499 for the cheapest iPad, offers more than a passive "consumption" experience.

"Apple's iPad is probably creating a new market in terms of consuming information, browsing and reading books," Masahiko Fukakushi, president and CEO of Toshiba's digital products and network unit, told reporters. "But when it comes to creation or production ... what we have been doing still has a lot of value. We want to continue to do both."

Toshiba is the world's fourth biggest notebook PC vendor after HP, Acer and Dell. Industry-wide shipments of notebook computers jumped 43 per cent in the January-March quarter, their highest year-on-year growth in eight years, according to industry tracker Gartner. Toshiba is targeting global PC shipments of 25 million units in in the year to March 2011.

Cow dung to power datacenters

Cow dung may soon be used as a source of energy to power computers in the near future as the researchers at HP are developing datacenters that can be powered on energy generated from cow dung.

The company has released a study called "Design of Farm Waste-Driven Supply Side Infrastructure for Data Centers" that draws attention to biogas energy created from cow dung. The company plans to build datacentres on dairy farms where they would be hooked up to power plants fueled by waste.

Planet Green explained the process of transforming cow manure to biofuel called biogas. In this process, manure is first collected from the cows, and put under an anaerobic digestion process, releasing methane gas. This gas can be used as natural gas or diesel fuel in generators that produce electricity.

It apparently takes 10,000 cows to produce enough manure to power a small computer center for a bank.
One cow produces enough waste every day to power the televisions in three typical households. However, around 10,000 cows would be needed to produce enough to run a typical data center and meet the energy needs of the farm.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 @ Rs. 31,900 competes Droid, Xperia X10

With a price tag of Rs. 31900, Research in Motion (RIM) has launched the 3G-enabled Blackberry Bold 9700 smartphone in the Indian market. However, the company is doubtful if folks other than REAL hardcore BlackBerry fans or corporate users would ever think about buying this one - especially when they have the likes of the Sony Ericsson Satio, the Droid, the Xperia X10 and the Motorola Milestone and the likes at a similar price range.

It features the new BlackBerry optical trackpad and also comes with a faster 624MHz processor, which would enable zippier performance. It has a large 2.44-inch screen capable of a high 480x360 pixel resolution, at the front and 256MB of onboard memory - expandable with the addition of a microSD card. Another superlative feature is its superior media player which also offer support for 3G HSDPA networks.

Apart from these features, at the rear, is the decent 3.2 megapixel camera that should be able to take decent images. The camera is also capable of recording videos. To help the users in low light conditions, there is an LED flash too at the rear. It has a 1500 mAh battery that is rated to power the phone for 6 hours if you talk continuously.

Micromax to launch its Q55 at Rs. 5,500

Micromax will launch the IIFA Edition of its Q55 handset at the upcoming IIFA Award function held in Sri Lanka on June 5.The latest edition of the mobile known as the Q55 Bling, comes entrenched with Swarovski Elements and IIFA insignia on the back of the phone. Micromax's Q55 is a dual band phone (not dual SIM!) and boasts of a 262K color QVGA (320x240 pixels) display, 2.4-inches across. It also has a slide out QWERTY keypad and a decent 2.0 MP camera. The phone is social networking friendly and comes with an integrated Facebook app as well as Opera Mini.

"The device comes embedded with Swarovski Elements and IIFA insignia on the back of the phone. The special edition device also comes loaded with IIFA content including video of the previous IIFA editions," said Vikas Jain, Business Director, Micromax.

The Q55 is an existing handset from Micromox's growing portfolio of products. As for the features, the Q55 is a rather odd looking handset. he phone supports Bluetooth and is fully EDGE/GPRS/WAP/MMS compatible and has 10MB of internal memory and a slot for microSD cards as well. The Li-ion battery is rated at (850mAh) and gives a talk time of up to 1-4 hours and a standby time of up to 180 hours.

The phone is also ready to be sold in Sri Lanka where Micromax has tied up with Sri Lankan operator Dialog. Users in Sri Lanka will get a Dialog SIM with the handset. In India, the phone will be available starting June 3 and will cost Rs. 5,500 which amazingly is the same price at which the original Q55 retails.

Students develop device to guide blind around obstacles

Engineering students Elad Kuperberg and Einav Tasa of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel have developed an optical radar system that can help blind people move around obstacles.

The radar system incorporates a computer, two video cameras and a scanning light source to warn the blind of obstacles with audible alerts. "This optical radar device is not only user friendly, but unlike the other solutions it allows the blind to have the use of both of their hands," said Professor Shlomi Arnon, who guided the students in their project.

The system detects obstacles - even those overhead - by scanning the depth of its surroundings, taken from two different angles - similar to that of the human eye. The device was shown for the first time last week as part of the annual conference of projects in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

What is CXO?

The "X" in a CXO could be any of these letters I,E,F,L,M,P,S,T.
I= Information (Chief Information Officer - CIO)
E=Executive (Chief Executive Officer - CIO)
F=Finance (Chief Finance Officer - CIO)
L=Learning (Chief Learning Officer - CIO)
M=Marketing (Chief Marketing Officer - CIO)
P=People (Chief People Officer - CIO)
S=Sales (Chief Sales Officer - CIO)
T=Technology (Chief Technology Officer - CIO)

eMachines: Acer's new notebook

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Bangalore: PC maker Acer has announced the launch of a new notebook, eME730, under its brand eMachines. Through its value-driven product offering from eMachines, Acer aims to address the void in the value PC segment.

The Acer eMachines eME730 notebook comes equipped with 15.6-inch (39.62 cm) 220-nit WXGA TFT LED backlit Wide HD display and the 1.3 Megapixels Crystal Eye WebCam having 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution and built-in Microphone provides easy video conferencing via VoIP and video IM chats.

Weighing 3.3 kgs, Acer eMachines eME730 notebook PC is equipped 71W 4800 mAh Li-ion 6-cell battery pack which can provide up to 3.5-hour battery life. Acer QuicCharge technology enables 80 percent charge in one hour or two hours rapid charge system-off. Recently, Dell has also released new Latitude E-Series laptops and Panasonic unveiled its new Toughbook CF-31, which would be the competitors for this new notebook from Acer.

"The response to eMachines, our entry level brand, targeted at the pure value consumer, has been more than encouraging over the last 6-8 months. Customer's looking for practicality and good functionality are the target audience here. There is enormous potential at the bottom of the pyramid for an affordable computing solution. A key point to note is that while the brand is positioned at the value segment, it does not compromise in any way the quality of its offering," said S. Rajendran, CMO Acer India. The notebook will be available at Rs.30,066 across the country, via Acer's exclusive national distributor Supertron.