Losing cell phones is undoubtedly a sensation that can send our nervous system into doldrums. And one cant always rely on a cell phone tracker to be able to outthink the potential mobile thieves. Cell phones have become so much more than just mere communication devices; they are our social hub, data storage safe, memory box, entertainment center and whatnot! Losing all of this in one blow could possibly rupture a few nerves and give one a quasi cardiac arrest.
Now, to save the cell phone usersfrom that sinking feeling, Senator Charles Schumer and New York City Police Commissioner are vying to come up with a new law that would virtually make cell phone theft pointless.
The New Law
This new law that is being formulated in the New York police drawing board is vying to make stealing someone elses phone less desirable, while at same time making it impossible to be reactivated by thieves, if stolen. As things stand, once a phone is reported as missing its carrier deactivates the device. Even so, a lot of potential damage can be done during the time that the phone takes to be deactivated. With the new law, which is scheduled to be implemented in November 2013, its MEID number a unique electronic serial number will be red flagged for a solitary database per carrier, which would mean that no one would be able to reactivate it at all.
This simply means that while in the past, a person could get the MEID number changed after getting hold of a particular phone, that wont be possible now, since the number will be fixed. This connotes that you wouldnt have to be a cell phone tracker aficionado to feel secure about your phone, youd just know that no one but you could access your phone and its data.
Common Database
While Verizon has been making optimistic noises with regards to the new law, the fact that other carriers are also following suit and evolving to LTE and 4G technology means that there would be a need of a cross carrier database. This cross carrier database or a common database would help all networks and carriers ensure that stolen cell phones arent activated from other networks. Having a common database covers all the bases and outlets through which a human cell phone tracker or a mobile thief could possibly make use of someone elses cell phone.
A Verizon spokesman has stated that once the law is implemented, 90 percent of American cell phone users would be supported by a humongous common database of unique ID numbers. This would allow all the carriers involved to disable any phone that is reported to be stolen.
Plan Of Action
According to resources, leading companies including Verizonand T-mobile would be working on developing programs to disable stolen phones. This should be done within the next six months.And then 18 months after that, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) would fuse them all together into the aforementioned common database, which would nullify the possible usage of other networks.
However, while we all wait for the plan of action and the lawmaking to materialize, if your phone is stolen you should still notify your carrier as soon as possible. There are some smartphones that have apps to erase your private data remotely, plus you can also ask your company if they have a cell phone recovery plan. For, even as things stand, some companies have an array of plans that could at limit the damage that losing your phone could potentially cause.
For countries except the US
There isn’t any word for any similar security initiative in other countries. It’s quite clear with the new andtighterinitiative for cell phone securityby the US law, other countries will follow, sooner or later.
It’s just 2 days away, and you can already feel the excitement among the horde of fans out there. To stop them from attacking their offices, Blizzard have released a new trailer for their hotly anticipated game. Titled “What is Diablo 3″, this trailer gives us some basic info about the backstory and the different characters you can play with. It’s time people, it’s time!
Max Payne 3 is just around the corner. The third entry in Rockstar’s beloved franchise is looking like another hit in their collection. Rockstar has a history of making good stories, and this one looks no different. And we’ve missed bullet time, so it’s about time we get back to playing with time and wasting bullets along the way. But somehow, with the visuals and trailers, Max Payne 3 doesn’t feel like what we’ve come to expect from Max Payne; rather it feels like a completely different game, which leaves me a little disappointed.
The original Max Payne had put the players in a world which came to life in the depths of darkness. Darkness is what comes to mind when we talk about Max Payne; it has become synonymous with the series. And it’s not just a game mechanism, it is to beautifully-exaggerate Payne’s state of mind, and has been executed flawlessly in the first game. The second game ups the ante even further by taking madness to a completely different level. Hallucinations and nightmares ensue, which turn the game into more of a movie, better than most movies out there with similarstory-lines.
And this is what I want to stress about the third part. It lacks the atmosphere. Okay, the trailer looks awesome, and the game might turn out to be a masterpiece. It also has multiplayer, which should be fun given the Bullet time element which will come into play. But still, it feels more like the game lacks a main ingredient that made the first two games so unique. Slowing time is a trademark feature of the series, but it has been implemented by many games out there. But what those many games don’t have is the setting and the eerie nature of the story. Max Payne 3 seems to have lost it as well.
On the bright side, the shooting mechanics are looking better than ever, and the player now has a multitude of options to handle each firefight. The classic 360 degrees action elements have been enhanced as well, in order to provide a more realistic feeling, while at the same time keep the fun intact. The graphics are looking spectacular. This might well end up becoming one of the best looking games out there. And the classic Max Payne sound track is there. It’s all there. It has all the makings of a great game, barring the one thing I might end up missing the most.
At the end of the day, it’s just a shot in the dark. What we have seen are just previews, which don’t signify what the full game might be like. Rockstar may be voluntarily hiding the atmospheric moments, so that we experience them first-hand without any spoilers. But of course, as a hardcore Max Payne fan, I can’t but express my concern from whatever I have seen until now. Whether it holds any value or not, only time will tell (which is ironical given how controllable time actually is in the game).
Though it started off as a small venture by an ex-employee of Apple Inc. and later on acquired by Google, Android has now become a tool that device manufacturers heavily rely on and software developers capitalize on. Android has succeeded the existence of several entities in the mobile phone ecosystem. Starting off from its incubation and following the alphabetical desserts/sweet treats – Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo (frozen yogurt), Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, there has been a steady growth in its market presence. The current success can obviously be attributed to Google’s smart move of creating the OHA(Open Handset Alliance) and the Open Source Approach(AOSP).
Apart from what’s mentioned above, there have been certain eccentric major ground breaking innovations thathas helped Android stand out from other participants (or be the only participant) in the smartphone’sreality show. Samsung, a vital member of the OHA, despite of creating mass market offerings varyingon price points, handsets, OS’s have been successful in creating a few top notch premium categorydevices that has captivated the audiences worldwide (S1,S2). Though a major part of the credit goes tothe Google’s mobile OS market leader Android, a major part also goes to Samsung for its technologicalfinesse.
Even though there were several device manufacturers offering several options to choose from, there existed arevolutionary device that changed today’s smartphone scenario, one that took the smartphone standardsto the next level and outmatched customers expectation. When we thought ofa device thats fast, powerful & vivid, most of us would agree that it was none other than the Samsung Galaxy S2. Unarguably (the most successful Android phone since the existence of Android and risen from a successful predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S), it stimulated not only Androids but also Samsung’s market presence. Packed under the hood a super fast dual core processor, massive 1GB RAM, huge and lavish Super AMOLED Plus display, astonishing 8 megapixel camera coupled with an amazing 2 megapixel front camera, huge phone memory (16GB built-in plus 32GB ext) and a amazingly slim and light design.
The S2, not only made us think over replacing our current device but had us keenly awaited for theimmediate successor to this game changing player. A year passed while the New Galaxy was inthe works. On the 3rd of May 2012, the day several Samsung users worldwide eagerly awaited whilecompetitors feared. Press conferences were held, curtains dropped, users hooked onto their PCs,eagerto get a peek into what will next occupy their pocket space.
On the first look there were shouts of disappointment (seeing quite an ordinary design for a phone of that caliber), but the whole inspired by nature act whichseemed laughable at the first look, was believable post the presentation videos of the amazing fast andfluid display, interface and functions preloaded into the device, some tweaked and some never seenbefore.
As we know, like every successful device, the Galaxy S3 has its pros and cons.
Where it meets our expectations
Hardware
4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED with Gorilla Glass 2
1.4 GHz Exynos 4 Quad Processor (Quad-core)
Rear 8-megapixel Camera(AF+HDR) + Front 1.9 Megapixel Camera
Android Beam -It allows anNFCenabled device to push an NDEF message by tapping the two devices together.Basically, it enables the convenience of tossing multimedia between phone just by just tapping each other.
Smart Stay- Should we claim this one genius add-on? When the phone screen turns off with the pre-set timer, this phone will actually read your eye movements (with the front camera) and turn the screen on to avoid annoyances. Now that’s a step up!
S Voice -A Siri like feature from Samsung
Android 4.0 ICS
The owners of Samsung Galaxy S3 get 50GB of free Dropbox storage
Where it falters
Design could have been more contemporary
Too much power which is yet not harnessed completely by most apps out there, while the need has not been yet established. Or has it?
Whether it will live up to match the achievements of its predecessor is yet to be seen. What is your opinion?
“2012 is going to be a great year for video-games” – I don’t know how many times i’ve said this. But it’s turning out to be a fact; one which makes me happy and excited. And as such, there is the possibility of that odd game totally passing under your radar. The game might not be popular on the hype meter, or it just might not look good in the previews. One such game which totally surprised me is The Walking Dead episode One.
First of all this is not your typical Zombie slaying game. So if you’re expecting something akin to Left 4 Dead, don’t give this game a try. It’s based on the critically acclaimed television series, and hence its focus is more on the story and the characters than on the zombies. It’s a character driver game where you interact with the world around you and unravel the story. And Telltale game studios have done an excellent job of recreating the world as shown to us by its television counterpart.
As visceral as it gets!
The major highlights of the game are the solid story and the immersive graphics. The graphics are especially impressive, and coupled with the brilliant set-pieces, really bring the game to life. Again, I did not really expect the game to be this good, and so I had to play the game twice just to ensure that I wasn’t getting carried away! That does not mean that it does not have its flaws. The game lacks good puzzles; a game such as this needs some puzzles to keep the entertainment factor going throughout. The other thing that I didn’t like is the low level of difficulty. Difficulty makes the game even more entertaining. Well, I guess Dark Souls has spoiled me.
Overall, I feel The Walking Dead is an amazing achievement. It does not have the hype or the funding, but Telltale games have created a shocker of a good game which will be an underground sensation and will be talked about for years to come. And this is just the first episode. More are coming, which just adds to the excitement. This year just keeps getting better!
No matter to what level consumer technologies and appliances be new to a market, they have always been accepted for good reasons. By definition and intention, consumer technologies are constantly augmented to simplify our routine habits and requirements. Pointing specifically at the household appliances, you may introduce new devices and setups to your current home eco-system to make itsmarter than ever. But there has always been a much wider room to enhance your abode. Much of the menial tasks at home can be automated.
Microsoft’s Home Operating System research is about pushing the home eco-system management to a broader level. Of course, refrigerators, television sets, washing machines, air conditioners,etceteras,are the most common home applications that automate a good deal of manual work. But consider a time when you are not home and you have a set of activities to perform, which can only be achieved in your presence. Or may be a point where you need to perform a step-by-step list of activities that require physical presence just to tip-tap buttons and get the machines working (television, set-top boxes, lamps and so on). This is where HomeOS steps in to organize the menial tasks into one place and conveniently control, like as easily from a smart phone.
A student demonstrating how to turn on and off lights via gestures with a Kinect (an excerpt from the white paper)
With HomeOS, you can add remotesurveillance for security andmonitor the energy consumption at your home. All and more of these capabilities will be available and setup through the HomeStore gateway installed on the user’s computer. The user can accordingly add more functionalities to the home system from the HomeStore. According a video shared by one of thecontributorsof this research, the add-on like functionalities inHomeOS are coded in C# language.
In the following video, Ratul Mahajan (one of thecontributorsto this project) demonstrates how the HomeOS system would work on a very basic scale.
2012 is gearing up to best 2011, as one of the best years for gaming ever. 2011 served up some great feasts for gamers with games such as Portal 2, Uncharted 3,
