(Credit: Acer)
At a press conference this morning in New York, Acer introduced a number of new touch devices, including a very eye-catching Android smartphone that's due out in April 2011.
According to Acer, the yet-unnamed device has the "soul of a tablet" but the capabilities of a smartphone, with one of the hallmark features being its 4.8-inch, 1,024 x 480-pixel touchscreen. The company says the 21:9 aspect ratio display will provide the same user experience as a PC, so you won't need to zoom in and out and scroll left to right on Web pages.
Though Acer did not disclose which version of Android would run on the handset, the Web browser offers support for Adobe Flash 10.1, multiple windows, and multitouch.
Other goodies include a 1GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video calling, DLNA support and Dolby Mobile Technology, Wi-Fi (802.11n), and Bluetooth 3.0.
The smartphone is a quad-band GSM handset and has HSPDA support, but there was no mention of carrier at this time.
Via Android Atlas


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 Damian Koh  |  Nov 24, 2010
 
Apple is said to be targeting a iOS 4.3 release, which will enable subscription billing for applications as early as December 13, according to blog site MacStories. It is also believed that The Daily, a joint effort between Apple and News Corp, will be the first app to support a recurring payment mode.

Earlier reports had confirmed that News Corp was working on a daily tablet-only digital newspaper, which will cost US$0.99 per week. The Daily is expected to be unveiled in December with a launch slated for early 2011. Daring Fireball's John Gruber speculated that an update to the iOS may be required to support the subscription billing APIs. This would give developers and publishers the avenue to charge users for daily, weekly or monthly content updates.

In June this year, Apple announced it was building a server farm facility in North Carolina. Many in the media surmised that the data center, which is on schedule for completion year-end, will form the backbone for Apple's cloud services. This seems to corroborate with the release of the rumored iOS 4.3.

An anonymous source also told MacStories that Apple was already planning to release a new build of iOS 4.x in mid-December. This was even before the Wi-Fi issues on iOS 4.2 were discovered, which subsequently delayed the launch of the update. The source added that iOS 4.3 should include "bug fixes and maintenance of the code" and will likely address initial issues with the wireless streaming feature AirPlay.

The source also suggested that the new data center will lead to a "mass expansion of all services, iTunes, MobileMe, activations, retail services and any cloud services they [Apple] might go with in the future".

This could possibly allay future download hiccups, which some users experienced when iOS 4 was first released in June.

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AP File photo of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks. The webite is apparently down after a suspected cyber attack. The whistle-blower website WikiLeaks has said its website is under a cyber attack. The website, in its Twitter feed has posted this: "We are currently under a mass distributed denial of service attack."

The website had earlier announced that it would publish more logs on Iraq war on Sunday.

Several countries including the United States, have asked Wikileaks to halt the release of the classified documents of the State Department.

In its latest Twitter feed, Wikileaks has assertained that it will go ahead with its plans. "El Pais, Le Monde, Speigel, Guardian & NYT will publish many U.S. embassy cables tonight, even if WikiLeaks goes down," reads its Twiiter feed.

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This Apple-1 sold at a Christie's auction for $210,700.
(Credit: Christie's)
Talk about a smart tech buy. An Apple computer purchased more than 30 years ago has sold for 425 times its original selling price.
An Apple-1, one of only about 200 such machines built in Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' parents' garage, sold at Christie's auction house in London today for 133,250 pounds (about $210,700). The Apple-1, which didn't include a casing, power supply, keyboard, or monitor, originally retailed for $666.66 in 1976. Apple discontinued the model in 1977.
Christie's called the computer a "historic relic" and said the auction included all the original components, including its 8K bytes of RAM, in its original shipping box, as well as a signed letter from Jobs to the original owner.
The winning bidder was Italian businessman and private collector Marco Boglion, who made his offer over the phone, according to the Associated Press.
In a time when most personal computers were sold as self-assembly kits, the Apple-1 broke new ground as the first personal computer sold with a fully assembled motherboard.
Fellow Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who attended the auction in London, threw in an autographed letter with the sale. Wozniak said he was proud to have his work auctioned alongside such technologically notables as an Enigma, the World War II German code-making machine, and documents from British mathematician Alan Turing, a pioneer of modern computing.
"Today my heart went out as I got to see things auctioned off like the Turing documents and the Enigma machine--and the Apple I," Wozniak reportedly told journalists after the auction. "It really was an important step, (even though) I didn't feel that way when I designed it."
View the original article here

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Editors' note, November 26: This story has been updated since its original publication to reflect the latest Kindle, Nook, and Sony models, and to address reader comments.
Yes, it's true: now is a better time than ever to be in the market for an e-book reader. Hardware prices are more affordable, and more titles are available electronically--anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on whether you include the huge library of free public-domain titles--than at any point in history.
The market has consolidated around a handful of major players: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and Apple. Recently updated products from the first three include excellent options in the sub-$250 (and even sub-$150) price ranges. Also, a flood of new reading-centric apps continues to solidify the Apple iPad's position as the premium media tablet of choice--even as a likely wave of competing Android tablets appears on the horizon.
With these new variables, now is a perfect time to re-evaluate the e-book reader landscape and figure out which product is best for you. If you're an experienced shopper, you can jump straight to our current recommendations--or check our lists of top e-book readers and top tablets. If you're looking for a more in-depth discussion, read on to consult this quick guide, which boils the purchase decision down to eight questions:
At the bottom of the price scale, you'll find lesser-known readers such as the Aluratek Libre, Kobo eReader, and the Sharper Image Literati that now cost as little as $99 to $129. However, we strongly steer bargain hunters toward the latest versions of the Amazon Kindle (CNET Editors' Choice) or the Barnes & Noble Nook. They're priced at $139 and $149, respectively.
As you approach the $200 price point, you can step up to an e-book reader with built-in cellular data that lets you download books, magazines, and newspapers anywhere there's AT&T coverage. You'll pay a $50 premium on top of the Wi-Fi-only models mentioned above to get their otherwise identical 3G equivalents: the $189 Kindle (CNET Editors' Choice) or the $199 Nook. (There's no charge for the wireless service itself--see question 4 below for more details.)
If you want to pay a premium for touch-screen support (and ultimate portability), check out the new Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350 ($179). Unfortunately, it lacks any sort of wireless option, so you're required to download books to your PC first, then transfer them via a USB cable. (For touch-screen support plus built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, you'll need to spend $299 on the Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-950, which also features a larger 7-inch screen.)
Sitting in the middle price range of the e-reader category is the $249 Barnes & Noble Nook Color (CNET Editors' Choice). This Android-powered color LCD touch-screen reader straddles the gulf between the entry-level e-ink readers mentioned above, and more expensive--and versatile--tablets discussed below.
Amazon's large-screen Kindle DX and the Apple iPad dominate the high-end e-book reader market. The Kindle DX costs $379, whereas the iPad ranges in price from $499 (16GB, Wi-Fi only) to $829 (64GB, Wi-Fi plus 3G). Yes, both of these devices are considerably more expensive than the aforementioned readers, but the iPad is more of a Netbook or laptop competitor than it is an e-book reader competitor. The iPad offers a variety of step-up features--via tens of thousands of downloadable apps--that currently aren't available on more-affordable mainstream e-readers. That said, the Nook Color also delivers some of the same Web browsing and multimedia features as the iPad, and it may become a more formidable competitor as more Nook-compatible apps are introduced in 2011.
We know there are a variety of competing e-book readers available that we didn't mention, including the Entourage Edge and the Alex eReader. That's because we don't consider any of them truly competitive with the Nook, Kindle, Sony Readers, or iPad at their current prices. However, the arrival of new tablet models could change that in the very near future.
Best e-book readers (under $150): Amazon Kindle (Wi-Fi), Barnes & Noble Nook (Wi-Fi)
Best e-book readers ($150-$200): Amazon Kindle (3G/Wi-Fi), Barnes & Noble Nook (3G/Wi-Fi)
Best color e-book reader (under $250): Barnes & Noble Nook Color
Best e-book readers ($350 and above): Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle DX
Even if you plan to never leave home with your e-book reader, you should consider its size before buying one. Since you hold the device in front of you whenever you want to read, the weight and size can be an issue.
The smallest and lightest dedicated e-book reader we've seen to date is the aforementioned Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, which has a 5-inch touch screen and weighs just 5.5 ounces (without a case). With its 6-inch screen, the latest Kindle is a svelte 8.7 ounces (without case)--15 percent lighter than its predecessor. The E-ink Nooks--also with a 6-inch screen--round out the "light" group at 11.6 to 12.1 ounces.
The Nook Color boasts a larger 7-inch screen, but it weighs almost a full pound (15.8 ounces). The Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-950 also has a 7-inch screen (e-ink), but tips the scales at an impressive 9.6 ounces.
If you want a truly large (9.7-inch) screen, you'll want to buy the Kindle DX or Apple iPad. However, at 1.2 pounds and 1.5 pounds (without case), respectively, some people find these devices to be too heavy to hold for long reading sessions.
Remember, all e-book readers let you adjust the font size of the content you're reading, so even a small screen can display much larger type than you're used to seeing in a book, magazine, or newspaper. In other words, a smaller screen does not mean you need to sacrifice readability.
Lightest e-book readers: Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, Amazon Kindle (Wi-Fi), Amazon Kindle (3G/Wi-Fi)
Large-screen readers: Amazon Kindle DX, Apple iPad
E-ink: As close as you'll get to a printed page
Dedicated e-book readers such as Nook, Kindle, and Sony Reader use an e-ink screen. However, e-ink screens have some drawbacks: they're black and white, and the pages don't refresh as quickly as an LCD does. However, they do an excellent job of reproducing the look of the printed paper. With few exceptions, they're not backlit--so you can't read in the dark--but you can read them in direct sunlight, which is something you can't do on an LCD screen (a fact Amazon is keen to point out in its advertising).
If you prefer to read at night with e-ink, however, all is not lost; cases with built-in lights are available for the Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader models.
(Credit: Apple)
LCD: Bright, backlit--and potentially tiring
In contrast, the iPad's LCD screen is a bright, colorful, beautiful display; the Nook Color has a smaller but still brilliant color LCD as well. Both are full touch screens (the e-ink Nook has a small LCD touch screen that's used for navigation, but its larger e-ink display doesn't respond to finger swipes). But those advantages have trade-offs. The iPad's reflective screen makes it hard to read in bright light, and many people find that the backlight tires their eyes over long reading sessions.
So, which screen is better for reading: e-ink or LCD? We can't answer that question for you. (See LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate.) If you don't have a problem staring at your laptop or LCD monitor screen for hours on end--or if you enjoy reading in low light without an external light source--you'll probably like the iPad's screen. Likewise, if you enjoy reading Web sites, magazines, and newspapers, and if you want support for interactive children's books, you'll want to go with color. However, if you prefer the look of newsprint or if you enjoy reading outside, an e-ink display is your friend.
Touch screen: Prevalent but not universal
A related concern: is touch-screen support a must-have? To date, the 2010 Sony Readers (starting at $179 with no wireless) are the only worthwhile e-ink touch-screen models we've seen. Conversely, the Apple iPad's capacitive color LCD touch screen is arguably the standard against which all touch screens are judged. Meanwhile, the smaller Barnes & Noble Nook Color is the best color LCD touch-screen we've seen on a sub-$250 reading device. The entry-level Nook splits the difference with a touch-screen color navigation pad that sits below a black-and-white e-ink screen.
We expect touch-screen support to become standard by the end of 2011, whether on LCD or e-ink models. In the meantime, you'll pay a premium for touch-screen support.
Whether you're checking your preference for e-ink versus LCD or touch screen versus keyboard controls, we'd strongly recommend that you try a few devices before you buy one. You'll find most major e-book readers (Kindles, Nooks, Sony Readers, Apple iPads) under one roof at your local Best Buy. (Note that the Kindle and Sony Readers use the new and improved "Pearl" e-ink screen, whereas the one found on the e-ink Nook models is one generation older.)
Best e-ink screens: Amazon Kindle (Wi-Fi), Amazon Kindle (3G/Wi-Fi), Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-650, Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-950
Best LCD color screens: Barnes & Noble Nook Color, Apple iPad
Best touch screens: Barnes & Noble Nook Color, Apple iPad, Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-650, Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-950
The entry-level Nook, Kindle, and iPad models only have Wi-Fi for going online; the $189 Kindle, the $199 Nook, the Sony Reader Daily Edition, and the more-expensive iPads have access to AT&T's 3G cellular network in addition to Wi-Fi. Notably, the 3G data service on the applicable Nooks, Kindles, and Sony Readers is free. On the iPad you'll pay a monthly fee to AT&T, but it's a prepaid monthly service, not a long-term contract; in other words, you can cancel or restart any time, without paying an expensive early termination fee.
The 3G premium on the Nook and Kindle is $50 each; on the iPad, it's $130, plus the monthly data bill. Is the extra money worth it? As with the screen decision, this is a personal preference. Personally, I think Wi-Fi is adequate for an e-book reader. If you plan to take a long trip to a remote area--the desert, mountains, moon, wherever--you can always download and purchase a long list of books in advance and take them with you on the reader.
For the iPad, which offers a wide range of additional online features--such as e-mail, video, a full Web browser, social networking, and so on--a 3G data connection may be a more useful feature. However, with more phones offering Wi-Fi hot spot functionality and establishments such as Starbucks offering free Wi-Fi, there are plenty of ways to get seamless online coverage with your reading device without it having 3G network support built-in.
Best Wi-Fi readers/tablets: Amazon Kindle (Wi-Fi),Barnes & Noble Nook Color, Apple iPad (Wi-Fi), Barnes & Noble Nook (Wi-Fi)
Best 3G readers/tablets: Amazon Kindle (3G/Wi-Fi), Barnes & Noble Nook (3G/Wi-Fi), Apple iPad (3G/Wi-Fi)
One of the advantages of having your reading collection "in the cloud" is that you can access your books on multiple devices, though some e-book vendors offer better cross-platform support than others do.
 The Android Kindle app
(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)
Amazon and Barnes & Noble are currently neck and neck when it comes to device support. In addition to their respective e-book readers, both vendors offer free apps on the iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, Android phones, BlackBerry phones, Windows PCs, and Macs. So even when you leave the e-reader at home, for instance, you can pick up your book right where you left off and continue reading it on your phone or PC screen.
Sony currently offers Windows and Mac versions of its software (currently called Reader Library, soon to be rebadged as "Reader Desktop Edition"). The company has pledged to offer iOS (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) and Android Reader apps before the end of 2010.
For now, you can only read Apple's iBooks on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.
Kobo also has good cross-platform e-book support. In addition to Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, you can get a Kobo app for BlackBerry, Android, and Palm Pre phones.

The bottom line is that Amazon and Barnes & Noble currently have the best support for a wide variety of devices. But since this software is free, you can mix and match e-book stores as needed. You can also "try before you buy" as each platform offers hundreds, if not thousands, of public-domain books that you can download and read for free.
Best cross-platform providers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo
Most versatile hardware readers: Apple iPad, Apple iPhone/iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Android phones with full Android Market support, Android tablets with full Android Market support
Each of the readers listed above can download and display books from their respective online bookstores, and the iPad works with several (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iBooks, to name a few). However, there's also an open e-book file standard known as EPUB. Using this format, you can obtain loaner books from certain online local libraries, as well as download free (mostly public domain, pre-1923) books from a variety of sources, such as Google Books.
Of the leading e-book readers, only the Kindle can not read files in the EPUB format. If that's a must-have feature, then, you'll want to steer clear of Amazon's reader. That said, thousands of the most desirable public-domain titles are available on the Kindle for free. As a result, we don't consider the Kindle's dearth of EPUB compatibility to be a black mark on the device. (Note: Expert users can convert EPUB files to Kindle-friendly format using the freeware Calibre software.)
Best EPUB support: Anything except Amazon Kindle
Not every e-book store has the same selection of titles. Moreover, comparing the relative numbers of titles in each store is difficult, because some of them count periodicals, games, and--most importantly--free, public domain books. But by most estimates, Amazon's Kindle store has the best selection of books overall, with over 700,000 titles. Barnes & Noble is second, and Kobo, Borders, and Apple bring up the rear.
Note that not every book is currently available electronically. Also, some publishers delay the electronic version of the book for weeks or months after the publication of the paper version (a process known as "windowing").
How can you tell if your favorite author or favorite books are available on a given format? Thankfully, most e-book stores can be searched through a standard Web browser:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Kobo

The one exception is iBooks (Apple). To search Apple's selection, you'll need the free iBooks app on a compatible device (iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch).
Ironically, the most popular e-book readers offer compatibility only with one store each: Kindles only work with Amazon's store, Nooks only work with Barnes & Noble. Tablets and smartphones that offer wider app support are the closest thing to "universal" readers. The iPad, for instance, can toggle between reading apps from Apple (iBooks), Barnes & Noble (Nook), Amazon (Kindle), Kobo, and many others.
The same is true for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which has access to the Android Market. The Kindle app is pre-installed, and you can also download the Nook, Borders, or Kobo apps. (Don't expect to ever see Apple's iBooks app offered on the Android Market.)
Most versatile hardware readers: Apple iPad, Apple iPhone/iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Android phones with full Android Market support, Android tablets with full Android Market support
This is basically the "dedicated e-book reader or multifunction tablet?" question. Though the Kindle and e-ink Nook can do some other things, their Web browsers and onboard games pale in comparison to what you can do on tablets like the iPad, the Galaxy Tab, and even the Nook Color.
The Nook Color is the big wild card here. It's not as versatile as those tablets, but it's already got a worthwhile Web browser, works as a decent media player (for some audio and video files), and supports Pandora's free music streaming service. Barnes & Noble is pledging to deliver more apps in 2011, and--since the Nook Color uses a version of the Android operating system--porting existing Android apps should be pretty straightforward. The addition of (for instance) a good email app, social media apps (Facebook, Twitter), and real Flash support (already promised) could go a long way to making the Nook Color a "good enough" tablet for users who don't want to pay for the far more expensive likes of an iPad or Galaxy Tab.
So, for the time being: If you're only interested in reading books (plus newspapers and magazines), an e-book reader is the way to go. The Nook Color is a great choice if you want to add some light Web browsing--and the potential for more functionality in the future. If you're looking for something that approximates a laptop--e-mail, Web browsing, streaming media, games, and so forth--you should consider paying extra for a full-fledged tablet.
As of November 2010, CNET has bestowed its Editors' Choice award on two e-book readers: the current Amazon Kindle (both the 3G and Wi-Fi-only models) and the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. The Kindle is our pick for those who prefer e-ink screens, the Nook Color is our recommendation for those who prefer color (at the sub-$250 price point).
With its newly improved firmware, the Barnes & Noble Nook remains a worthwhile choice for e-ink fans (if you prefer EPUB compatibility), though we wish Barnes & Noble would offer it with the better Pearl e-ink screen found on the Amazon and Sony models.
If you want a more full-featured tablet that can double as an e-book reader, the Apple iPad is an excellent choice. The same is true of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Both offer free Kindle, Nook, Borders, and Kobo reading apps, with full access to those e-book stores. Additionally, the iPad offers Apple's own iBooks application.
Best overall e-ink e-book readers: Amazon Kindle (Wi-Fi), Amazon Kindle (3G/Wi-Fi)
Best color touch-screen LCD e-book reader (under $250): Barnes & Noble Nook Color
Best tablets for reading: Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab
Depending what features are important to you--color versus black and white screen, backlight versus readability in the sun, touch screen versus not, cheap versus expensive, 3G versus Wi-Fi, lightweight versus heavy, reading-only versus full-featured--the device you prefer may be different from ours. However, there's no arguing that the range of choices for e-book readers is better and more affordable now than it ever has been.
Share your thoughts and experiences about e-book reader preferences in the comments below.
Additional reading:
Best e-book readers
Best tablets
Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook Color earn CNET Editors' Choice Awards
LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate
How to self-publish an e-book
How to find free e-books for your Kindle
See all recent e-book reader reviews

View the original article here

Recruiters warn applicants to be vigilant with their online profiles if they want employment..

(For original link click here)

International government agencies are doing it. Online advertisers are doing it. Stalker-types are doing it. And that company you just submitted a CV to for a job is probably scouring your MySpace, Facebook or Twitter account at this very moment to figure out who you really are.

Yet young jobseekers and teenagers — the most tech-savvy people of this digital age — are least aware of it. Oblivious to the professional, and to some extent, social consequences, their online profiles hold all kinds of sensitive information and pictures that could affect their employability.

"We have had a situation where a client working in a very conservative industry had interviewed a candidate, prepared a job offer, and after viewing profiles on social networks retracted it," said Jennifer Campori, Charterhouse Partnership's managing director for Europe and the Middle East.

"The client claimed the photos on the site were unacceptable to the calibre of person they wished to hire," added the head of the boutique recruitment agency.

However, as the desire for fame and attention grows, we see more people inviting members of the public to get a glimpse of the most intimate moments of their lives.

Yet, recruitment professionals are warning young graduate jobseekers as well as those in the workforce to become increasingly vigilant about how they build their personal online brand because watchful eyes may be upon them.

The virtual reality

"I think people need to be aware of the power of the internet and realise that their actions can have a longer term impact on their social and professional career," said Campori.

But this has yet to impact these youngsters and become a reality, said Jackie Smith, 19, a first year student at the Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai.

"Everyone has things on Facebook that can't be erased and once my generation starts looking for jobs I think it will hit some people hard," she said. "We don't yet see our posts as a threat because we haven't entered the workforce and it hasn't become a reality," Smith added.

However, it is not only the youth grappling with the realities of their online posts. The concept of somebody monitoring online activities is still somewhat generally hard to fathom psychologically said, Annie Crookes, senior lecturer of Psychology at Middlesex University Dubai.

"It is hard to visualise that there are people out there, like employers, watching what you are doing," said Crookes.

"It is difficult to comprehend what that means because as humans we are used to face to face communication," she added.

Crookes added that a recent study conducted on students' attitudes towards privacy showed no correlation between the amounts of personal information they revealed on SNS.

"These were the same people putting intimate personal details out there on the net and suggesting they still have a level of privacy," she said. "They didn't realise and weren't fully conscious or comprehend how much information about them people can access," Crookes added.

Raising awareness

Yet if the online self-portrait has now become as important as some suggest it is, why are career service departments at universities slow to act on raising awareness, Smith asked.

"During freshman orientation tutors talk to us about how employers will evaluate our GPA, but they don't tell us we will be evaluated on our social networking character which is becoming even more important," she said.

However, some institutions have integrated it into their curriculum. At Murdoch University, Dubai, students in media and public relations courses are exposed to the realities of social networking, said Chris Pilgrim, head of student affairs.

He said the career services department, which Pilgrim oversees, aims to bring all students to a level of understanding that social media can be either friend or foe when it comes to sustainable employability. "We try to make them understand that they shouldn't post online what they wouldn't reveal to a potential employer or put on their CV," said Pilgrim.

He added that postgraduate students are more conscious of portraying themselves as employable professionals through social media compared to their undergraduate counterparts. "I've seen many jaws drop when I start talking to some students about this," he said. "There is probably a lack of understanding of the magnitude of social media and that potential employers are using it to check out potential candidates," added Pilgrim.

Staying safe

However, some students exercise a level of caution when it comes to what they reveal online, for concern over their safety, not because they are mindful of their professional image.

"Some people will stalk Facebook profiles because they can and because people ignore their privacy settings; letting everyone know exactly where they are and what they are doing through applications like foursquare," said Mohammad Obaid, a student at the University of Wollongong in Dubai. "When you join SNS you are asking to be stalked and I've thought about that, which is why I try to keep my settings as private as possible," he added.

Yet, for Khalifa Al Muhairi, a student at the American University in Dubai, signing up to SNS with a fake name was the way to go.

"I don't use my real name because I don't like everyone to know who I am for many reasons which can lead to personal problems," he said.

However, as a photographer, Al Muhairi believes it important to have a professional online profile to gain exposure to help in a job search. "It is important not to combine online personal matters with work because some things need to be kept private, but if it's all out there on the net there is no privacy any more," he added.

Play Deal or No Deal at blog.vinodmenon.in

The 10.1 touchscreen netbook with rotating display is unlike anything we have seen so far on the market so the excitement that greets it is completely understandable. F






The available info on the specs say that on the inside you will find a dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, 250GB of storage (there are also higher-capacity options), and Windows 7 Home Premium. The 10.1” display resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels and it uses the capacitive touch technology.

Dell has also equipped the Inspiron Duo with a custom Stage UI that is launched automatically when you flip the display and turn the device into a slate. It’s got an emphasis on social networking but also has Dell’s MusicStage, VideoStage, PhotoStage, and BookStage touch-optimized apps.

Facebook will most probably announce its email service on Monday - says PC world magazine after independent confirmation from various industry sources.

All signs are pointing to Facebook introducing an email service on Monday. Both TechCrunch and VentureBeat have confirmed the rumors with independent sources. This shows why recently gmail was not allowing facebook users to import email addresses from gmail account. This is part of the facebook email launch.

Facebook is hosting a special media event on Monday, November 15, where the company is expected to introduce its own email service code named Project Titan. The service apparently includes a full-on Web-based email client and will give Facebook subscribers their own @facebook.com email address, according to TechCrunch.

keep checking this blog for updates....

Update: Facebook news: "We are also providing an @facebook.com email address to every person on Facebook who wants one. Now people can share with friends over email, whether they're on Facebook or not. To be clear, Messages is not email. There are no subject lines, no cc, no bcc, and you can send a message by hitting the Enter key. We modeled it more closely to chat and reduced the number of things you need to do to send a message. We wanted to make this more like a conversation - FB"

So, it will be more like a chat program rather than a full-fledged email.

So far the email is available only on invitation. You can log in to your facebook email and then request for invitation here. CLICK HERE


BTW, you can get a Nokia X3 slider here (with delivery in India and Gulf): Nokia X3 Slider Unlocked GSM Phone with 3.5 MP Camera and 2 GB SD Slot--US Version with US Warranty (Red/ Black)