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Thursday, 23 August 2012

Windows 8 upgrade registrations open

Microsoft has now started accepting user registrations for Windows 8 upgrades and will continue accepting them till February 28, 2013. The deliveries, however, won't begin until October 26, 2012. Those users purchasing a qualifying Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 can go in for the registration by paying Rs.699.

The offer is applicable to customers (e.g. Home users, students, and enthusiasts) who purchase a qualified PC. A qualified PC is essentially a new PC that has been purchased during the promotional period with a valid Windows 7 OEM Certificate of Authenticity and product key, and preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
Registrations open for Windows 8 upgrade
Registrations open for Windows 8 upgrade


Once users are done with their registration and get validated by Microsoft, they will receive a registration confirmation e-mail. Once the deliveries begin on October 26, 2012, the registered users will receive an e-mail containing the promotion code and instructions for purchasing and downloading the software. Users can redeem the promotion code that they receive during the upgrade ordering process to avail the promotional price.

Users can purchase a downloadable version of Windows 8 Pro. For an additional fee plus shipping and any applicable taxes or duties, they can even go in for an optional installation DVD. 

Those who have purchased a PC prior to the offer duration can also register for the upgrade, but for a higher cost - approximately Rs.2,200. 

Earlier in July this year, we had reported about Microsoft offering Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 as part of a promotional scheme. This offer is up for grabs up to the 31st of January, 2013 and will be available in 131 markets. Not only users with Windows 7 are eligible for this offer, but it is also valid for users who have Windows Vista and XP. Microsoft has not just stopped there; they have also stated that users can even add Windows Media Center for free through the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after the upgrade procedure.

In was in June this year that we had reported about Microsoft announcing its Windows 8 upgrade offer for Windows 7 PC users in India at a price of Rs.699. At the time, however, the registrations had not begun and the below link informed users that it would be made available in the near future. At the time, Tami Reller, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Windows at Microsoft said, "We’ve seen a great interest in Windows 8, especially given the availability of the Windows 8 Release Preview this week, and yet we know many consumers want a new PC now. The Windows Upgrade Offer gives people the flexibility to purchase the new Windows PC they need today, with the knowledge they can easily upgrade to Windows 8 when it’s available."

To register for Windows 8 upgrade, click here. 

Saturday, 11 August 2012

Google death benefits pay dead employees' families for 10 years


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Google treats its dead employees better than some companies do their living workers.
Google's unusual "death benefits" include paying the deceased's spouse or domestic partner 50% of their salary for 10 years, the company's "chief people officer" Laszlo Bock revealed in an interview this week with Forbes.
What's more, all of the dead Googler's stocks vest immediately. Each child of the employee receives $1,000 per month until age 19, or age 23 for full-time students.
These perks aren't just for longtime employees. There's no tenure requirement, Google (GOOGFortune 500) told Forbes -- all of the company's U.S. employees qualify. Bock said the oldest Googler is currently 83.
A Google representative declined to comment in more detail about the policy. Forbes writer Meghan Casserly noted dryly in her article that "providing death benefits is a no-win for the company."
But that isn't the point, Bock told her: "Obviously there's no benefit to Google. But it's important to the company to help our families through this horrific if inevitable life event."
The death benefits revelation adds to the already legendary list of Google perks: free food, foosball tables, on-site dry-cleaning service, generous parental leave and more.
The company's perks site hawks a "Corporate Concierge team [that] can assist with everyday tasks such as planning a dinner party as well as more unusual requests, like finding a jewel-encrusted scepter to accompany a Googler's special Halloween outfit."
But Bock told Forbes he doesn't like the word "perks." Instead, he says, what helps employees ultimately helps the company.
As he put it: "There is, of course, research that show employee benefit programs like ours can improve retention, and appear to improve performance on some level."

Friday, 10 August 2012

Microsoft Office 2013: First impressions

Microsoft Corp.'s CEO Steve Ballmer recently unveiled the customer preview of the new Microsoft Office, optimised for Windows 8 and touch-based devices like tablets. This release features an intuitive design that works beautifully either with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across new Windows devices. The new Office is social and unlocks modern scenarios in reading, note-taking, meetings and communications, and will be delivered to subscribers through a cloud service. We decided to give it a quick try and here are our initial impressions on the widely used applications that form Office 2013. 
SkyDrive syncing
SkyDrive syncing


Aesthetics and UI enhancements
Office 2013 is slick and buttery smooth. There hasn't been much change to the UI, with the same ribbons, options and enhancements still there, but there are a ton of new features that we have individually covered below. However, the overall aesthetics and user interface of this new version is simply beautiful – from the smooth refresh rate for the cursor and the lag-free, fluid scrolling to neat little subtle animations, everything feels buttery. The colour styles are well chosen, giving this new Office a very minimalistic yet professional look. Let’s have a look at the individual applications below. 

Word 2013
Images in Word now come with live layout and alignment. What this indicates is that if you add an image to your text and move it around the page, your text automatically aligns itself based on where the image is placed, in real time. You also have a simple mark-up view that provides you with a clean, uncomplicated view of your document, but you still see markers where changes and comments have been made. You can click on the vertical bar on the left side of the text to see the changes. Or click the comment icon on the right to check out comments about the text. The read mode has got a neat little trick – all images can be expanded from the read view itself, giving you a uniform read in a single window. 
Word 2013
Word 2013


Users can also add and play online videos inside their Word documents. You can also add pictures from Facebook, Flickr, and other online photo services without having to save them to your computer. Click Insert > Online Video to add a video to the document.
Image-only PDFs didn’t have as many editing options like we have seen with free online software, but PDFs with texts are now easy to edit and save. We’re not sure if this is a good thing, though; editing PDFs was always known to be a complicated process and this may just be an easy way out for those wanting to make changes in their PDF files. 

Excel 2013
Flash filling your data is now a part of Excel 2013. It’s really helpful for those working with insanely large numbers of spreadsheets with similar actions for particular rows and columns. For example, you start typing the first names of your email IDs which are in column 1 and the rest of the names are added automatically. Simple, yet saves a lot of time. 

Excel
Excel 2013


You can analyze data using live previews and Excel gives you a quick analytical chart in the column itself, showing you the differences between the different values. A recommended chart option in the Insert tab lets Excel recommend you charts based on the data you have entered. The look and feel of Excel may not be a complete overhaul from previous versions, but why fix something that’s not broken? With the new subtle animations and smooth transitions, the experience with Excel 2013 makes us like it even more. 

Nokia launches Asha 305 and 311 in India

Finnish brand Nokia has finally guided its Asha 305 and Asha 311 mobile phones to the Indian market with a launch in the country. The Nokia Asha 305 is from its affordable series of phones and comes with an Easy Swap Dual-SIM. The Nokia Asha 305 features a 3-inch display, along with Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity. It comes with a 2MP camera, Nokia Maps and the Nokia Browser. The Nokia Asha 305 is fuelled by a 1110 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 305 weighs in at 98g. Forty EA games are available for download with every Asha 305 device. The Asha 305 will be available in Dark Grey and Rose Red and will soon add a mid blue and a Silver White variant.
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 305:
  • 3-inch WQVGA resistive touchscreen
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR  
  • 2.0  Megapixel(s) camera
  • Stereo FM radio
  • Internal memory: 10MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

Next in the order is Nokia Asha 311 smartphone, which too has been launched in India. The Nokia Asha 311 sports a 3-inch touchscreen display and is powered by a 1GHz processor. The Nokia Asha 311 is fuelled by a 1110.0 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 311 weighs in at 95g. The Nokia Asha 311 comes with pre-installed Nokia Maps, in addition to 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds. The device will launch in Rose Red, Dark Grey and Sand White.

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 311:
  • 3-inch scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 400x240 pixels
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 3.2  Megapixel(s) camera 
  • Stereo FM radio 
  • Internal memory: 120MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

The Nokia Asha 305, which Nokia has priced at Rs.5,029, is already available in the market, while Nokia Asha 311 is priced at Rs.7,139 and will be available starting August 12 across the country.  

Launching the latest Asha Touch range, Mr. Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India, said, “The Nokia Asha family has received tremendous consumer response. With a variety of form factors across price points and innovations such as Nokia Browser, Nokia Maps and DRM free Nokia Music, Nokia Asha family has triggered data consumption habits in first time data users. With the launch of Nokia Asha Touch range, we are strengthening our range of ‘mobile internet’ devices that offer these exciting experiences to the consumers.”
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


In their official statement, Nokia has further highlighted that the Asha touch devices are supported by Nokia Browser 2.0, which the company claims will offer consumers faster and cheaper Internet access as it compresses the data consumption by 85 percent using cloud acceleration technology. Nokia adds that the browser helps websites load up to three times faster compared to devices without cloud-accelerated browsing, making it simple for users to find and select from more than 10,000 web apps available for download. 

Nokia further adds that in addition to providing a great social online experience, the Nokia Asha 311 and Asha 305 have been created with entertainment in mind. All users will receive an exclusive gift of 40 EA games to download for free (data charges will apply) and keep forever. These games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run and Fifa 2012.

Nokia further claims that consumers can easily stay connected with friends and family at the touch of a button as well as share files and links across their social networks. Furthermore, the Nokia Browser’s Download Manager feature helps consumers to manage external content easily, saving music, video or pictures on a memory card while surfing the internet.

The latest Nokia Asha devices were launched by India’s ace racer, Karun Chandhok. He added, “I spend most of my time on the road and this is a great device for me to stay connected with my friends and loved ones. Being a gaming enthusiast, I am impressed by the EA Games package on these devices. With these devices, Nokia again has launched a winner true to its legacy.

Nokia launches Asha 305 and 311 in India

Finnish brand Nokia has finally guided its Asha 305 and Asha 311 mobile phones to the Indian market with a launch in the country. The Nokia Asha 305 is from its affordable series of phones and comes with an Easy Swap Dual-SIM. The Nokia Asha 305 features a 3-inch display, along with Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity. It comes with a 2MP camera, Nokia Maps and the Nokia Browser. The Nokia Asha 305 is fuelled by a 1110 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 305 weighs in at 98g. Forty EA games are available for download with every Asha 305 device. The Asha 305 will be available in Dark Grey and Rose Red and will soon add a mid blue and a Silver White variant.
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 305:
  • 3-inch WQVGA resistive touchscreen
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR  
  • 2.0  Megapixel(s) camera
  • Stereo FM radio
  • Internal memory: 10MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

Next in the order is Nokia Asha 311 smartphone, which too has been launched in India. The Nokia Asha 311 sports a 3-inch touchscreen display and is powered by a 1GHz processor. The Nokia Asha 311 is fuelled by a 1110.0 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 311 weighs in at 95g. The Nokia Asha 311 comes with pre-installed Nokia Maps, in addition to 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds. The device will launch in Rose Red, Dark Grey and Sand White.

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 311:
  • 3-inch scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 400x240 pixels
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 3.2  Megapixel(s) camera 
  • Stereo FM radio 
  • Internal memory: 120MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

The Nokia Asha 305, which Nokia has priced at Rs.5,029, is already available in the market, while Nokia Asha 311 is priced at Rs.7,139 and will be available starting August 12 across the country.  

Launching the latest Asha Touch range, Mr. Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India, said, “The Nokia Asha family has received tremendous consumer response. With a variety of form factors across price points and innovations such as Nokia Browser, Nokia Maps and DRM free Nokia Music, Nokia Asha family has triggered data consumption habits in first time data users. With the launch of Nokia Asha Touch range, we are strengthening our range of ‘mobile internet’ devices that offer these exciting experiences to the consumers.”
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


In their official statement, Nokia has further highlighted that the Asha touch devices are supported by Nokia Browser 2.0, which the company claims will offer consumers faster and cheaper Internet access as it compresses the data consumption by 85 percent using cloud acceleration technology. Nokia adds that the browser helps websites load up to three times faster compared to devices without cloud-accelerated browsing, making it simple for users to find and select from more than 10,000 web apps available for download. 

Nokia further adds that in addition to providing a great social online experience, the Nokia Asha 311 and Asha 305 have been created with entertainment in mind. All users will receive an exclusive gift of 40 EA games to download for free (data charges will apply) and keep forever. These games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run and Fifa 2012.

Nokia further claims that consumers can easily stay connected with friends and family at the touch of a button as well as share files and links across their social networks. Furthermore, the Nokia Browser’s Download Manager feature helps consumers to manage external content easily, saving music, video or pictures on a memory card while surfing the internet.

The latest Nokia Asha devices were launched by India’s ace racer, Karun Chandhok. He added, “I spend most of my time on the road and this is a great device for me to stay connected with my friends and loved ones. Being a gaming enthusiast, I am impressed by the EA Games package on these devices. With these devices, Nokia again has launched a winner true to its legacy.

Nokia launches Asha 305 and 311 in India

Finnish brand Nokia has finally guided its Asha 305 and Asha 311 mobile phones to the Indian market with a launch in the country. The Nokia Asha 305 is from its affordable series of phones and comes with an Easy Swap Dual-SIM. The Nokia Asha 305 features a 3-inch display, along with Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity. It comes with a 2MP camera, Nokia Maps and the Nokia Browser. The Nokia Asha 305 is fuelled by a 1110 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 305 weighs in at 98g. Forty EA games are available for download with every Asha 305 device. The Asha 305 will be available in Dark Grey and Rose Red and will soon add a mid blue and a Silver White variant.
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 305:
  • 3-inch WQVGA resistive touchscreen
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR  
  • 2.0  Megapixel(s) camera
  • Stereo FM radio
  • Internal memory: 10MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

Next in the order is Nokia Asha 311 smartphone, which too has been launched in India. The Nokia Asha 311 sports a 3-inch touchscreen display and is powered by a 1GHz processor. The Nokia Asha 311 is fuelled by a 1110.0 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 311 weighs in at 95g. The Nokia Asha 311 comes with pre-installed Nokia Maps, in addition to 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds. The device will launch in Rose Red, Dark Grey and Sand White.

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 311:
  • 3-inch scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 400x240 pixels
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 3.2  Megapixel(s) camera 
  • Stereo FM radio 
  • Internal memory: 120MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

The Nokia Asha 305, which Nokia has priced at Rs.5,029, is already available in the market, while Nokia Asha 311 is priced at Rs.7,139 and will be available starting August 12 across the country.  

Launching the latest Asha Touch range, Mr. Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India, said, “The Nokia Asha family has received tremendous consumer response. With a variety of form factors across price points and innovations such as Nokia Browser, Nokia Maps and DRM free Nokia Music, Nokia Asha family has triggered data consumption habits in first time data users. With the launch of Nokia Asha Touch range, we are strengthening our range of ‘mobile internet’ devices that offer these exciting experiences to the consumers.”
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


In their official statement, Nokia has further highlighted that the Asha touch devices are supported by Nokia Browser 2.0, which the company claims will offer consumers faster and cheaper Internet access as it compresses the data consumption by 85 percent using cloud acceleration technology. Nokia adds that the browser helps websites load up to three times faster compared to devices without cloud-accelerated browsing, making it simple for users to find and select from more than 10,000 web apps available for download. 

Nokia further adds that in addition to providing a great social online experience, the Nokia Asha 311 and Asha 305 have been created with entertainment in mind. All users will receive an exclusive gift of 40 EA games to download for free (data charges will apply) and keep forever. These games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run and Fifa 2012.

Nokia further claims that consumers can easily stay connected with friends and family at the touch of a button as well as share files and links across their social networks. Furthermore, the Nokia Browser’s Download Manager feature helps consumers to manage external content easily, saving music, video or pictures on a memory card while surfing the internet.

The latest Nokia Asha devices were launched by India’s ace racer, Karun Chandhok. He added, “I spend most of my time on the road and this is a great device for me to stay connected with my friends and loved ones. Being a gaming enthusiast, I am impressed by the EA Games package on these devices. With these devices, Nokia again has launched a winner true to its legacy.

Nokia launches Asha 305 and 311 in India

Finnish brand Nokia has finally guided its Asha 305 and Asha 311 mobile phones to the Indian market with a launch in the country. The Nokia Asha 305 is from its affordable series of phones and comes with an Easy Swap Dual-SIM. The Nokia Asha 305 features a 3-inch display, along with Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity. It comes with a 2MP camera, Nokia Maps and the Nokia Browser. The Nokia Asha 305 is fuelled by a 1110 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 305 weighs in at 98g. Forty EA games are available for download with every Asha 305 device. The Asha 305 will be available in Dark Grey and Rose Red and will soon add a mid blue and a Silver White variant.
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 305:
  • 3-inch WQVGA resistive touchscreen
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR  
  • 2.0  Megapixel(s) camera
  • Stereo FM radio
  • Internal memory: 10MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

Next in the order is Nokia Asha 311 smartphone, which too has been launched in India. The Nokia Asha 311 sports a 3-inch touchscreen display and is powered by a 1GHz processor. The Nokia Asha 311 is fuelled by a 1110.0 mAh battery. The Nokia Asha 311 weighs in at 95g. The Nokia Asha 311 comes with pre-installed Nokia Maps, in addition to 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds. The device will launch in Rose Red, Dark Grey and Sand White.

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Nokia Asha 311:
  • 3-inch scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 400x240 pixels
  • GPRS (2G), EDGE/EGPRS (2G)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 3.2  Megapixel(s) camera 
  • Stereo FM radio 
  • Internal memory: 120MB, Expandable memory card size up to 32GB

The Nokia Asha 305, which Nokia has priced at Rs.5,029, is already available in the market, while Nokia Asha 311 is priced at Rs.7,139 and will be available starting August 12 across the country.  

Launching the latest Asha Touch range, Mr. Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India, said, “The Nokia Asha family has received tremendous consumer response. With a variety of form factors across price points and innovations such as Nokia Browser, Nokia Maps and DRM free Nokia Music, Nokia Asha family has triggered data consumption habits in first time data users. With the launch of Nokia Asha Touch range, we are strengthening our range of ‘mobile internet’ devices that offer these exciting experiences to the consumers.”
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched in India


In their official statement, Nokia has further highlighted that the Asha touch devices are supported by Nokia Browser 2.0, which the company claims will offer consumers faster and cheaper Internet access as it compresses the data consumption by 85 percent using cloud acceleration technology. Nokia adds that the browser helps websites load up to three times faster compared to devices without cloud-accelerated browsing, making it simple for users to find and select from more than 10,000 web apps available for download. 

Nokia further adds that in addition to providing a great social online experience, the Nokia Asha 311 and Asha 305 have been created with entertainment in mind. All users will receive an exclusive gift of 40 EA games to download for free (data charges will apply) and keep forever. These games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run and Fifa 2012.

Nokia further claims that consumers can easily stay connected with friends and family at the touch of a button as well as share files and links across their social networks. Furthermore, the Nokia Browser’s Download Manager feature helps consumers to manage external content easily, saving music, video or pictures on a memory card while surfing the internet.

The latest Nokia Asha devices were launched by India’s ace racer, Karun Chandhok. He added, “I spend most of my time on the road and this is a great device for me to stay connected with my friends and loved ones. Being a gaming enthusiast, I am impressed by the EA Games package on these devices. With these devices, Nokia again has launched a winner true to its legacy.