World's first Firefox OS smartphone hits stores

MADRID: Spain's Telefonica is offering the world's first smartphone with the Firefox operating system to compete with devices running Google's Android and Apple's iOS. 

The ZTE Open smartphone goes on sale in Spain this week for 69 euros (about $90) and will soon be available in several Latin American countries. 

The device is aimed at the youth market and at people who are new to smartphones, Telefonica's chief of product development, Carlos Domingo, said during a Madrid press conferencehe was joined by executives Mozilla and telephone-maker ZTE. 

Equipped with a 3.5-inch 480x320p touchscreen, the ZTE Open includes a 3.2MP camera, 256MB RAM and 512MB flash memory enhanced with a 4GB microSD card that comes as part of the package. 

The purchase price includes 30 euros ($39) of pay-as-you-go credit. 

The ZTE Open is fully integrated with Facebook and the Spain-based social network Tuenti and talks are on about incorporating the WhatsApp instant messaging service, Telefonica said. 

Mozilla executives said the ZTE Open is the "first chapter" in what they expect to be a long project, one that is already attracting interest many other telecommunications companies.

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Govt releases National Cyber Security Policy 2013

NEW DELHI: With an aim to protect information and build capabilities to prevent cyberattacks, the government released the National Cyber Security Policy 2013 to safeguard both physical and business assets of the country. 

"...policy is a framework document and it gives you a broad outline of what our vision is...the real task or the challenge is the operationalisation of this policy," Minister of Communications and IT Kapil Sibal said while releasing the policy here. 

Sibal said the critical infrastructure such as air defence system, power infrastructure, nuclear plants, telecommunications system have to be protected otherwise it may create economic instability. 

"...air defence system, power infrastructure, nuclear plants, telecommunications system willhave to be protected to ensure there is no disruption of the kind that will destabilise the economy...instability in cyber space means economic instability no nation can afford economic instability, therefore it is essential not just to have a policy but to operationalise it," Sibal said. 

The cyber policy was necessary in the wake of possible attacks state and non-state actors, corporates and terrorists as the internet world has no geographical barriers and was anonymous in nature. 

The Minister said there will be multiple places cyberwar could take place, it will involve individuals, sections of society, businesses, terrorists, drug dealers and those who want to generate violence. 

He added it will not be able to point out to a particular country to say the source of the attack because it will difficult in the cyberspace to figure it out. 

"In the ultimate analysis, we have to develop global standards because there is no way that we can have a policy within the context of India which is not connected with the rest of the world because information knows no territorial boundaries," Sibal added. 

He said everything today is cross border, we have to corroborate to find what is that meeting ground which allows the citizens to be empowered and at the same time ensures that nation is safe. 

"We don't know who attack our systems, so we have to ourselves secure our systems," Sibal added. 

In order to create a secure cyber ecosystem, the policy plans to set up a national nodal agency to coordinatematters related to cyber security in the country with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. 

It plans to establish a mechanism for sharing information, identifying and responding to cybersecurity incidents and for cooperation in restoration efforts.

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Google digital book case: Setback for authors

Google notched a legal victory in its bid to create the world's largest digital books library, winning the reversal of a court order that had allowed authors challenging the project to sue as a group.

A panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said Circuit Judge Denny Chin prematurely certified a class of authors without first deciding if the "fair use" defense under US copyright law allowed Google to display snippets of books. 

The three-judge panel also signaled it may prove improper to allow a class action on behalf of potentially hundreds of thousands of writers arguing that the Google Books Library Project improperly copied their works without permission. 

"Putting aside the merits of Google's claim that plaintiffs are not representative of the certified class — an argument which, in our view, may carry some force — we believe that the resolution of Google's fair use defense in the first instance will necessarily inform and perhaps moot our analysis of many class certification issues," the panel said. 

A class action would let The Authors Guild, an association of authors, and others sue as a group rather than individually, potentially resulting in higher awards and lower legal costs. 

Google has scanned more than 20 million books after partnering in 2004 with major libraries around the world such as the Harvard University library and the New York Public Library. 

The lawsuit began in 2005, and Google has estimated that it could eventually owe more than $3 billion if The Authors Guild, which has demanded $750 for each scanned book, were to prevail. 

"We're obviously disappointed," Michael Boni, a lawyer for The Authors Guild, said in a phone interview. "We're going to litigate the fair use now, and that is the shooting match." 

Matt Kallman, a Google spokesman, in an emailed statement said the Mountain View, California-based company is "delighted" with the decision. 

Google has said its digitization of current and out-of-print works would help researchers and the general public. 

It has argued that authors, especially of obscure works, could benefit the library, and that a case-by-case approach was needed to determine fair use. 

De facto monopoly

In certifying a class, Chin in May 2012 said it would be unfair to force authors to sue individually given the "sweeping and undiscriminating nature of Google's unauthorized copying." 

But the 2nd Circuit panel said several court rulings, including a 2011 US Supreme Court decision favoring Wal-Mart Stores Inc, might help Google avoid a class action. 

It sent the case back to Chin to review fair use issues, and eventually consider class certification again. 

In March 2011, Chin had rejected a $125 million settlement, saying it raised copyright and antitrust issues by giving Google a "de facto monopoly" to copy books en masse without permission. 

Among the individual plaintiffs is former New York Yankees baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, the author of "Ball Four." 

Groups of photographers and graphic artists have also been suing Google over its digitization of their works. 

Publishers had also been part of the lawsuit, but settled with Google last October. 

The 2nd Circuit panel included Circuit Judges Pierre Leval, Jose Cabranes and Barrington Parker. Chin oversaw the case as a trial judge and kept jurisdiction after joining the 2nd Circuit. 

The case is Authors Guild et al v Google, 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 12-3200.

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How to reorganize video library in iTunes 11

While iTunes 11 automatically sorts movies and television shows purchased the iTunes Store into the correct content library, new videos imported other sources often get filed automatically in the Home Videos area because the program needs more information about the clips. 

Start by clicking on a video you want to move. Go to File menu and Get Info. (If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, click on video and press Control and I keys on a Windows PC — or the Mac's Command and I keys — at the same time.) 

When the video's information box appears, click the Options tab. Use the drop-down menu next to "Media Kind:" to change Home Video to TV Show. If you want to add additional information about the video,the proper name of the show, a short description of the episode or the season number, click the Video tab and type in the details. Click the Info tab to edit the name iTunes displays for the video. 

Click the OK button when you have finished and the video should now appear in the TV Shows library under the name you have given it.

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BSNL to become leading operator again: CMD

DHARAMSHALA: State-run BSNL is expanding network capacity and it will become a leading telecom operator again, its chairman and managing director RK Upadhyay said. 

"We lagged behind other private companies, as we could not purchase the required equipment in the last 4-5 years due to many reasons. Now everything is okay and tenders to purchase has been floated," he told reporters here. 

"BSNL has planned a Rs 40,000 crore capital for the purpose," he added. 

He also said that the company is emphasizing on converting present telephone exchanges into New Generation Network (NGN), to givemobile facilities to land line subscribers. 

"29,000 such exchanges shall be converted to NGN of which 28,000 are in the rural sector," he said. 

On cutting costs, Upadhyay said the PSU is awaiting government's approval for offering VRS to employees. 

"BSNL is spending 52% of its capital in employees salaries as compared to other competitive companies who are just spending 5-6%," he said. 

On resumption of network in flood-ravaged Uttrakhand, he said: "70 telephone exchanges were affected in Uttrakhand tragedy and only 7 are to be restored now...the 400 towers are now working there." 

He said that BSNL could respond to 4,000 calls to give last location of lost persons through their cell phones record in last seven days. 

He also said that the remote areas of Himachal shall be connected through Microwave so that fibre cable disconnection in bad conditions could be avoided.

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DoT proposes new definition for crossholding norms

NEW DELHI: The internal committee of Department of Telecommunications ( DoT) working out the mergers and acquisitions norms for the telecom industry has once again proposed a new definition for crossholding norms. 

The new definition, third one to be proposed, seeks to bar a telecom company holding any equity in its 'competitor' in the same service area. 

The new definition if adopted under the new unified licensing regime would impact Vodafone's current holding of 4.4% equity stake in Bharti Airtel, currently permissible. The current crossholding norms bar a telecom operator holding more than 10% in its competitor in the same circle. The internal panel after mooting this definition later dropped it for one barring a telecom company or its promoter owning any 'beneficial interest' directly or indirectly in another mobile services provider in the same circle. 

According to official sources, Reliance Communications had raised concern over the committee's recommendation on beneficial interest, as it could have affected its operations. RCom renders GSM services in a few circles under another company Reliance Telecom as well. 

Official sources told ET that the term 'beneficial interest' was turning out to be ambiguous since it wasn't defined in the Companies Act or the Competition Act but there was a declaration of beneficial interest prescribed in the Companies Act. According to the new definition, a competitor shall mean another licensee company providing access services in the same service area. 

In a recent presentation to telecom minister Kapil Sibal, the panel had highlighted that even as financial institutions might not hold direct equity in a telecom company but might hold sway over decision making, hinting that the panel was considering whether to bring such institutions within the ambit of holding control. 

"To overcome investment requirement at a particular point the various telecom companies may have to arrange financial resources in long term and short term, such lenders may control the decision making process of the company," the committee had said. 

However, according to sources, given the financial pressure on the telecom industry, the panel has decided that any such clause would hurt the industry and so the latest proposal seems to bar financial institutions and scheduled banks the definition of a promoter even if they hold more than 10% equity.

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Narayana Murthy's advice to entrepreneurs

MUMBAI: Bring the bad news early to win the trust of investors this was a piece of advice Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy offered small business entrepreneurs. 

"Bring the bad news early and pro-actively to your investors. I always say, let the bad news take the elevator, good news can take the steps," he told an SME award event organized by ICICI Bank here this evening. 

Murthy, who returned to the struggling Bangalore-based IT giant as executive chairman last month, said investors will trust an entrepreneur for his plainspeak. This in turn will embolden the entrepreneur to be more bold in decision-making. 

"So as long as you are willing to be open to bring the bad news to the investors, then they will trust you. If they trust you, then you can take bold and tough decisions," he said and advised small business owners not to be "hesitant" in updating investors. 

The IT industry icon asked entrepreneurs to derisk as much as possible and predict revenue pipelines with precision. 

Infosys, which has seen a decline in its topline and giving weak guidance to investors, last month recalled Murthy back to an executive role five years after his retirement.

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Yahoo buys mobile app start-up Bignoggins

SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA: Yahoo has bought Silicon Valley start-up Bignoggins Productions as part of its quest for more bright ideas in mobile applications. 

The acquisition of Bignoggins on Monday announced is the latest in a series of mostly small deals that Yahoo has completed since the internet company hired Marissa Meyer as its CEO nearly a year ago. 

Mayer, a longtime executive with Google before defecting to Yahoo, has been paying relatively small amounts to bring in more compelling technology and mobile engineering talent. 

As with most of the other acquisitions completed since Mayer's arrival, Yahoo didn't disclose how much it is paying for Bignoggins. That's a sign the price was too small to have a significant impact on Yahoo, which ended March with $5.4 billion in cash. 

A chunk of that money has since been spent on Yahoo's $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging service Tumblr, by far the biggest deal during Mayer's tenure. 

Although Bignoggins deal didn't dent Yahoo's wallet, it represents a coup for Bignoggins founder Jerry Shen. He quit his job as a software engineer shortly after starting Bignoggins in San Jose, California, three years ago and proceeded to develop a series of mobile apps for players in fantasy sports leagues. 

Bignoggins apps such as Fantasy Monster and Draft Monster proved to be popular enough to convince fantasy sports players to pay for the service, helping Shen to finance a trip around the world that his wife, Adrienne, blogged about at shenventure.com. 

Shen, 30, is joining Yahoo's mobile engineering team at the company's Sunnyvale, California, headquarters. He is the only Bignoggins employee joining Yahoo. 

Yahoo isn't going to keep distributing Bignoggins apps, but will blend some of the underlying technology into its own services for playing in fantasy sports leagues.

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GlassTesla brings Model S remote control to Google wearable

An unofficial Tesla Google Glass mashup brings remote control of the coveted electric car to Google’s wearable computer, with GlassTesla bringing unlocking, location, and auto-climate control to the head-mounted display. The app, handiwork of Sahas Katta, can show currentge status of the Model S as well as offer control over starting and stopping recharging,

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Apple dynamic display-bezel tech could liberate iWatch and iPad mini

Apple is exploring active phone and tablet bezels that would be able to dynamically change between giving a place to grip and extending the interface, maximizing the potential display space for small-screen devices that possibly includes the iWatch. The research, detailed in a new Apple patent for “Electronic device, display and touch-sensitive user interface”, centers

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DoT to set up security lab to test network gear

KOLKATA: The Department of Telecom (DoT) is likely to set up a state-of-the-art security lab to test network gear used by mobile phone companies as it failed to reach an agreement on the proposed funding model with Tech Mahindra and Wipro. The two were interested in setting up such a certification facility. 

Both the companies have recently told DoT that the proposed lab can be set up only after a workable funding model is thrashed out since testing tools to certify networks cost millions of dollars and involve multiple stakeholders. 

The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, which was originally tasked with the job, has suggested that "it may be appropriate to set up the test lab under DoT since the exercise entails multi-level interactions between the telecom department, network gearmakers, system vendors and mobile phone companies," according to government documents reviewed by ET. 

A senior DoT official said "the government will build national capacity on a holistic basis in key areas, including security standards, security testing, interception and manufacturing of critical gear," adding that it was "evolving an institutional framework to deal withtelecom security related issues by October 1." He said this was discussed during a recent review meeting on implementing the National Telecom Policy. 

The telecom department wishes to set up the lab swiftly since it has mandated telcos to use only telecom network equipment "deemed safe" by an authorized lab in India. The project is part of the government's objective to ensure India's telephone networks are free bugs and malicious software that may be used remotely for spying. 

A pilot lab established by IISc Bangalore will work closely with the proposed DoT test lab and will develop the security standards, procedures and tools for testing network equipment used bymobile phone companies in India. 

"The IISc has already evolved testing standards to certify VoIP switches and routers" used in mobile and wireless broadband networks, says an internal DoT note dated June 25, a copy of which was reviewed by ET. 

If the lab doesn't become operational on time, mobile phone companies may face problems in deploying imported telecom gear October since the test facility is proposed to serve as a clearing house forimported network equipment. 

Post-Mumbai terror strikes in 2008, India has initiated a slew of projects to counter rising security concerns, including the development of a Centralised Monitoring System that can trackcommunication traffic-wireless and fixed line, satellite, internet, e-mails and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls. 

In the immediate term, a 16-member team of senior officials DoT's security wing have been tasked to formulate norms pertaining to user device testing, telecom network security testing & certification and internet security, said another DoT official.

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Apple plans new solar farm in US

Apple said it plans to build a new solar farm with NV Energy for power supply to its new data centre in Reno, Nevada, a major step towards its goal of having its data centres run on renewable energy. 

Apple and other technology companies such as Amazon.com and Microsoft, that build and run computer server farms have come under criticism for their high consumption of electricity and other resources. 

These data centres cater to an explosion in internet traffic, streaming content through mobile devices and hosting of services to corporations. 

The new solar farm will provide power to Sierra Pacific Power's electric grid that serves Apple's data centre and when completed will generate about hours 43.5 million kilowatt of clean energy a year, Apple said in a statement. 

Apple already runs its largest data centre in the US on solar power. The center in Maiden, North Carolina produces 167 million kilowatt hours, the power equivalent of 17,600 homes for one year, a 100-acre solar farm and fuel cell installations provided by Silicon Valley startup Bloom Energy.

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Microsoft TechNet is dead, long live MSDN

Software enthusiasts and IT professionals alike have been googly-eyed over Microsoft‘s TechNet subscription service for years, but after 15 years of providing early access to new software for subscribers, Microsoft has decided to shut down the service. The company will no longer take new susbcribers or renewals after August 31, and they plan to shut

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7 apps to increase your productivity

A number of us work home or on the move. Here's a ion of apps that keep track of what we're supposed to do, log in remotely, share files and invoice customers...

Eternity Time Log Lite

This is a time management app. It promises to help you time your work, rest and play — and these are the main categories loaded into its activities list. Tapping on each category brings up a timer window with a big start button. To log time on a particular task, you use this timer and add a note or a tag for later viewing. Later, you can look at the activities and filter them by tag or even by hour ranges, giving you an insight into your work patterns. For best results, you have to use it consistently andthe time, and this may not suit you (though it is probably easy to get into the routine). To access the full list of features,the ability to create an unlimited number of activities and tags, you have to buy the pro edition at $10.

Basic version free on iOS

Logmein

This enables you to remotely access your Mac or PC. This can be helpful if you're working on a tablet a coffee shop or other venue and your main computer is at home. It connects over the internet to a companion app that's running on your computer, and lets you directly control that machine as if you were sitting at it. LogMeIn is free, but to access a few extra features you'll have to buy a subscription.

Basic version free on iOS

Wunderlist

It is a powerful app for making and managing lists that has a clear interface controlled by gestures and taps. You can make as many lists as youand add lots of items to each one, and you have the option of setting reminders for each item. The company also offers a cloud-based scheme so you can share your lists with colleagues or your boss. One irritation is that some of Wunderlist's features require a subscription. For example, to add unlimited subtasks or have the ability to designate tasks to friends or colleagues , you'll have to pay $5 a month.

Basic version free on Android and iOS

Box app

Home working often means that you have to share files with coworkers or your boss who are located elsewhere. It's a cloud-based app and even gives you 5GB of storage space free. It's simple to use and you can encrypt the files. The app is an alternative to DropBox.

Free on Android, iOS

One Note

The app comes withof Microsoft's office software expertise and it can sync with task list data you create on your computer. But mainly , it's great for working on the move or at home. The idea behind the app is that you can make ann o t at e d lists to remind you what tasks you've got to tackle and then check them off when you're done. One issue is that you can only create 500 notes with the app.

Free on Android and iOS

Zoho Invoice

For freelance home workers, one important task at the end of completing a job is invoicing. Though the app's really about invoicing , you can also use it to track time spent on different projects. It's simple to use and attractively designed, which in its Android edition makes it stand out a little many of its peers. It can also be easy to get lost among its different menus because they look similar.

Free on Android and iOS

Bento app

It's a good for keeping track of different tasks you're working on at home. It lets you build lists so you can keep on top ofyour projects and even plan events and filethe relevant contacts you'll need for a particular task. But it costs $5, and you may find it just a little too complicated if you're only an occasional home worker.

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Overflowing inbox? These apps can help you

TORONTO: Buried under emails? Losing control of an overflowing inbox? New apps are designed to help consumers deal with seemingly endless streams of electronic mail. 

Three apps, Dispatch and Boxer for the iPhone, and Boomerang for Android devices, try to make email management on smartphones fast and simple. 

Another app called Sanebox, which works on any platform and costs between $2 and $20 each month, creates a folder in a user's mailboxit filters unimportant messages. Algorithms in the app learn about a user's behavior to understand what he or she considers urgent. 

"You think you're being productive by clearing stuff out of your inbox, but no matter how good you are, more emails will keep coming," said Dmitri Leonov, a vice president for Boston-based SaneBox. 

The average office workers spends 13 hour each week reading, writing and replying to emails, according to the McKinsey Global Institute, the research arm of McKinsey management consultant. 

The Dispatch app works by communicating with 16 other apps, such as one for note-taking and another linked to-do lists to simplify email. Users can send a link to Instapaper, an app for reading articles at a later time, and can also customize messages to help them respond to emails faster. 

Boxer has a feature so users can "like" an email and put it on the app's to-do list for later processing. They can also request that a coworker handle an email, and there are templates for quick responses, such as "Good idea," and "When do you need this?" 

Both Dispatch and Boxer cost $4.99 and are available worldwide. 

Boomerang, for Android devices, allows users to defer messages until later, schedule emails to be sent at a particular time, and track responses. The free app only works with Gmail. 

Leonov suggests people focus on dealing with urgent and important messages, rather than trying to keep up with everything that lands in your inbox. 

"Email is a to-do list that other people can write on for you," said Leonov.

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Review: Huawei Ascend G510 and Ascend Y300

NEW DELHI: Huawei, the fourth biggest smartphone manufacturer at last count, is riding the Android wave to success. To its credit, the company has unveiled a host of cool devices to its credit, such as the world's slimmest smartphone and a 6.1-inch monstrosity that costs 'just' Rs 24,900.

Among the smartphones that this Chinese manufacturer has launched in India are Y300 and G510, budget offerings that compete in a segment dominated by the likes of Samsung, Sony and Micromax. Will these phones hold their own or wilt under the pressure of intense competition? Read our review before deciding for yourself...

Hardware

Huawei Ascend G510 and Y300 feature 4.5-inch and 4-inch displays respectively, but the surrounding bezel makes them appear smaller than they are. So, in spite of huge real estate (for the segment), you get rather bulky handsets. Nevertheless, the two phones are not too big to hold and seem sturdy. The display quality of the screens is quite good, with decent viewing angles (IPS panels are known for this) and accurate colours. On the negative side, the pentile matrix is hard to avoid and pixels can be easily seen.

The two dual-sim phones are made entirely of plastic, hence do not have the premium feel. What hurts their prospects is that the build quality, though acceptable by any measure, does not match the levels of rivalsSony Xperiatipo and Samsung's Galaxy phones.

Coming to the technical specifications, Ascend G510 has 854x480p resolution and 218ppi pixel density. The phone is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, backed by 512MB RAM. Ascend Y300, the smaller of the two, gives you resolution of 800x480p, with a decent 233ppi pixel density. It runs on a dual-core 1GHz processor, once again with 512MB RAM.

Below the screen, both the phones have the standard Android three-key layout. The duo share most other specifications, including connectivity options2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and microUSB 2.0. Primary cameras of the two phones are rated at 5MP, while the secondary unit is of VGA resolution. Internal storage is also the same - 4GB. Battery capacity varies marginally, 1,730mAh in Ascend G510 and 1,700mAh in Ascend Y300.

Software

Both the phones run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), which is one of the smoothest operating systems out there. Huawei has used a heavily customized version of the OS here, named Emotion UI. This user interface does away with the app menu completely, puttingthe apps and widgets on the homescreens. The number of homescreens in the phones increases with the number of widgets and apps you add; the option to create folders to keep the homescreens sorted is there too.

Emotion UI is quite unique, with a host of transition effectsflip, box etc. You can replace the apps at the bottom and access various toggles the Notification Bar. While heavily customized, this UI is not too heavy and we did not observe any lag in the phone. However, downloading was too slow for our patience even on a rather capable 2Mbps network.

Performance

In order to assess the performance of the two phones, we put them through the Antutu. Ascend G510 secured an average score in the range of 6800, while Ascend Y300 notched up an average of 6200. This performance is acceptable, though dual-core CPUs are expected to do better. Nevertheless, the two have given us better scores than rival devices, which give them a slight edge.

During the review, we constantly felt that the bezel around the screen make the display of the two phones look smaller than they are in real, something which may hamper user excitement. Another thing to note is that the screen, though big, is not of the highest quality. However, you will find that most - if not- phones in this segment have similar displays.

Rather limited 512MB RAM is another concern, since using several apps will obviously take its toll. However, the UI is quite light and phone remains responsive; we observed lag only when playing games that are known for stressing the chipset, or when too many apps were open at the same time. Otherwise, the phones remained quite fluid.

Battery life of the two phones is decent, providing backup for around half a day on a regular day. This usage includes a couple of hours of internet browsing, an hour of video playback, around three hours of music and half an hour each of games and e-books.

Considering preloaded appsFacebook and WhatsApp, we feel Huawei is targeting youngsters with these phones. However, download speed of both the phones is painfully slow and we were disappointed with the performance (or the lack of it) on this front.

The 5MP cameras of the two phones are okay just for social media uploads. In both the phones, the captured images were a little grainy, but contrast was good and we saw good levels of detail. The camera app is quite simple and has provision for touch-focus.

Rivals

Instead of naming rivals and comparing specs, the easier way to do a competition check in this case would be to see the overall strengths and weaknesses. Firstly, big screens and dual-core processors are not offered by other global brandsSamsung, Sony and LG in this segment, giving a big advantage to the Huawei duo. Ascend G510 and Ascend Y300 delivered satisfactory performance for the price and have a decent chance against rivals, provided buyers are comfortable going for a little-known (at least in India) brand.

Challengers the stables of Micromax, Karbonn, Spice etc are a different deal altogether. They offer bigger screens than what these Huawei phones boast of and CPUs that are clocked at the same speed. Some,Micromax Canvas 2, score better in terms of featurescamera etc. While Huawei has proved its mettle globally, it does not really inspire the confidence that Samsung does, and is likely to be taken in the same league as Micromax, Spice etc only in terms of the brand value. But in terms of quality, the two Ascend smartphones do better than the competitor models by Indian brands in terms of Antutu scores.

Verdict

Huawei phones are good, but they also have their disadvantages. The biggest bug is the slow internet download speed. We are not sure it is something that affected only our review units. But other than that, there is nothing that rivals have and these phones do not. Overall, we found Huawei Ascend G510 and Ascend Y300 to be decent smartphones for beginners, and would recommend them to buyers, provided they are okay with slow downloads.

Price:

Huawei Ascend G510 - Rs 11,000; and

Huawei Ascend Y300 - Rs 8,000

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BlackBerry starts exchange scheme to push Z10 sales

NEW DELHI: BlackBerry has started a month-long programme allowing users to trade their older mobiles for the newest model Z10 for hefty discounts of up to Rs 11,000 as the smartphone maker seeks to push sales. 

"Customers across 17 cities will get discount of up to Rs 11,000 if they buy BlackBerry Z10 under this scheme. We have given reference rates to dealers for existing BlackBerry users willing to shift to BlackBerry Z10," BlackBerry India's director for channel sales Prosenjit Sen said. 

Users of BlackBerry Bold 9900 can get discount of up to Rs 11,000 under this scheme while users of entry level modelsBlackBerry Curve 8530 can get discount of Rs 3,000. 

BlackBerry Z10 is being sold in India on e-commerce websites in the range of Rs 37,500 to Rs 42,490. The phone has 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. 

Under the scheme, BlackBerry is offering credit card users option of balance payment through 9 monthly installments without any upfront cash payment, no interest and zero processing fee. 

Sen said that the scheme is valid for users of other branded smartphones but the discount in that case will be on the discretion of retailer. 

"Our retailers will estimate the resale value of the phone brought for exchange and accordingly offer discount," Sen said. 

The scheme is available across 1,400 outlets in 17 cities including four metros, National Capital Region, Lucknow, Bangalore, Baroda and Chandigarh.

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Toshiba to increase NAND flash chip production

TOKYO: Toshiba on Tuesday said it will expand a NAND flash memory chip production facility in Yokkaichi, in central Japan, with construction to start in August of this year and be completed in the summer of 2014. 

Toshiba said it will spend nearly 30 billion yen ($300 million) for the expansion. 

Toshiba's incoming president Hisao Tanaka had flagged a possible expansion of the facility in a recent interview, as demand has picked up this year for the chips, used in smartphones and memory cards, while a weaker yen has bolstered Toshiba's competitiveness towards rival Samsung Electronics.

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Yahoo to shut internet search pioneer AltaVista

LONDON: Internet company Yahoo is reportedly going to shut down the services of pioneering search site AltaVista on 8 July. 

AltaVista was hugely popular when it was launched in 1995 because it had indexed 20 million web pages and developed its own 'crawler' technology that did the job of finding web pages and logging what was on them, reports BBC. 

Yahoo had acquired the AltaVista technology, index and name when it bought ad firm Overture in 2003. 

According to the report, AltaVista used fast computers behind the scenes to return results quickly and this made it one of the top web destinations till 2001 when number of searches conducted via Google overtook it. 

The AltaVista software was created by US computer scientists Paul Flaherty and Louis Monier and Briton Michael Burrows whilethree worked in the research labs of DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation). 

The report said that AltaVista was sold off in 1999 to a venture capital firm who prepared an IPO that was abandoned in the wake of the dotcom crash of 2001 and was later bought by Overture in 2003 and Yahoo acquired it a year later. 

Search analyst Danny Sullivan said that the search service was 'loved' during its brief heyday and that it deserved a better send off than Yahoo had given it through its blogpost, the report added.

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Zynga CEO Mark Pincus steps down

SAN FRANCISCO: Zynga's decision to bring in the head of Microsoft's Xbox business to replace founder Mark Pincus is a bold stroke that was hailed on Wall Street, but it still leaves questions as to who is ultimately inge at the troubled game-maker.

Don Mattrick was personally recruited by Pincus. But Pincus holds on to 61 per cent of the voting rights due to a two-tiered stock structure and will remain Zynga's chairman and its chief product officer.

Mattrick, who is credited with building Microsoft's Xbox business into a gaming powerhouse, hesitated before agreeing to take the job, people with knowledge of the events said.

His doubts finally faded during a grueling bike ride through the Santa Cruz mountains one recent weekend, when Pincus opened up to Mattrick about how he had come to terms emotionally with relinquishing the reins at the company he founded in 2007.

While Wall Street cheered Mattrick's appointment, sending Zynga's shares up more than 10 per cent and another 3 per cent after hours, some analysts questioned whether the shake-up would change Zynga's performance in a significant way.

"Bringing in someone who has worked at a larger company to assist in management duties I think is a relief right now," said Richard Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG Research.

"But Pincus is still the chief product officer. So the question is, what's actually changed day to day in terms of making hit games?"

Mattrick will hold the final say in day-to-day matters, including green-lighting new games, people familiar with the situation said.

Zynga's business model, which relied heavily on selling virtual goods to gamers on Facebook's platform, began to disintegrate in mid-2012 as users tired of Facebook games and shifted to playing on mobile devices.

Pincus, who has long wanted to turn the firm he named after his pet bulldog into a large Internet company, privately acknowledged in recent months that he has lacked the ability to manage such a company, said a person familiar with his thinking.

This spring, Bing Gordon, the Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers investor and an active member of its board, floated the idea of recruiting Mattrick, whom Gordon had known their years together at game publisher Electronic Arts.

Pincus quickly agreed to help woo Mattrick, and the two had a series of meetings in California and Seattle.

In a statement issued Monday, Mattrick emphasized Pincus's role as a visionary and described their working relationship as that of partners.

"I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark's pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started," Mattrick said.

Pincus praised his successor without reservation.

"I've always said to Bing and our Board that, if I could find someone who could do a better job as our CEO, I'd doI could to recruit and bring that person in," Pincus said in a statement. "I'm confident that Don is that leader."

Stellar track record

News of Mattrick's appointment, reported first by AllThingsD, sent Zynga shares up more than 11 per cent earlier in the day. The shares rose a further 3 per cent to $3.17 when Zynga confirmed the appointment after the bell.

Over the past year, the company's value has fallen to just 25 percent of its $10 initial offering price in December 2011 as Pincus struggled keep his company out of free-fall despite multiple waves of layoffs.

Mattrick's new role leading a game maker that publishes social media-based titles and smartphone games will be a marked departure the world of big-budget, packaged console gameshe spent most of his career.

Mattrick headed successful franchises"FIFA" in his 15 years at EA,he first worked under Gordon before later supervising Gordon. He joined Microsoft in 2007.

Once there, Mattrick helped turn the Xbox business into a profitable venture after years of losses, eventually propelling it into the No.1 selling console in the United States.

Microsoft restructuring

Mattrick's departure comes just as Microsoft gears up to launch the third version of its console, called the Xbox One. Unveiled in May and scheduled to hit stores later this year, the machine has already stirred controversy.

Gamers attacked the high price, Microsoft's plan to require an internet connection at least once a day and attempts to limit the sharing of used games. Last month, Microsoft reversed its position on the internet connection and said it would allow game sharing.

Mattrick was known to be very hard on his employees but still well-liked within the gaming division at Microsoft, said one former Xbox employee. Still, his power did not extend much beyond his own unit in a company that is still essentially driven by its two main businesses, Windows and Office, and that may have contributed to his desire to leave, observers said.

"He had a good sense of humor, a pretty compelling vision of gaming, and a hard-nosed business sense," said one former Xbox employee, who asked not to be named.

Mattrick had been rumored to be considering leaving for months. After EA's CEO stepped down in March, industry sources speculated he was in the running to lead the top games publisher,he previously held numerous leadership roles.

Mattrick's departure takes place against the backdrop of a broader re-shaping of Microsoft.

Ballmer is expected to announce a broad restructuring in the next few weeks that moves the company closer to his previously stated vision of becoming a devices and services company - muchApple - rather than primarily a software company. There has been talk that Ballmer will create a 'devices' unit, moving the Xbox, Surface tablets and possibly the phone unit into one business.

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