Apple strikes gold with iPhone 5s (Gold)

Either by gross under estimation or strategic design, stores across the United States quickly ran out of the gold-toned iPhone 5s hours after the model's release on Friday, sparking off a frenzy that may well translate into rich pickings in the two marketsApple wants a bite of - China and India. After all, it is no secret that the two of the world's hottest economies are gold crazy. 

Apple's original idea was to get a big bite of this Samsung-dominated market with a cheaper version of the iPhone, the 5c, which comes in five colors - white, pink, yellow, blue, and green. Instead, it might as well strike gold with the higher priced 5s, particularly the gold-finish model that was snapped up from stores at a faster rate than other models. 

Across the United States and beyond where Apple released 5s and 5c, shoppers - some of them paid stand-ins - lined up in front of stores through the night for first dibs on the new instruments, partly driven there by Apple forsaking online booking. Apple's flagship store in New York City's Fifth avenue reported 1400 people in line on Friday morning. But many of them reportedly melted away when told that the gold 5s - which is more champagne-colored - had sold out. 

About a third of the crowd walked away when told the 5s gold was out of stock, according to one west coast retailer. Ashish Gupta, an executive at Applauze, a ticketing and events app, who said he has been to every iPhone launch, told USA Today he surveyed people waiting outside a Palo Alto outlet who were given cards by stores according to the models they are waiting for; Gold topped by a long way, followed by silver-gray. 

The popularity of the gold iPhone suggests that consumers are yearning for a new form factor, Gupta said. The gold color makes it clear that the owner has the new iPhone, whereas other models may look too similar to the old iPhone 5. 

Apple's online store showed that gold 5s will not ship until October; by contrast, the silver and "space gray" models will be shipped in 7 to 10 business days. The company, which didn't comment officially on customer preference, is reported to have asked its suppliers to step up supplies of its gold model. 

So for some weeks at least, flaunting the gold model will be the bling thing among shiny-eyed suckers. 

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Microsoft offers Ahmedabad boy $180,000 package

An Amdavadi boy who attended school in Shahibaug and interned at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Ahmedabad, has landed one of the highest pay packages offered to an engineering postgraduate - $1,80,000 USD plus incentives. The offer was made by Microsoft to 23-year-old Priyanshu Kumar Jha, who earned a master's from Singapore. Priyanshu will work for Microsoft's Bing search engine as development engineer.

Priyanshu will head to the Microsoft headquarters in the US next week. He is the youngest of the batch of students who appeared for placements at the National University of Singapore this year, where he studied for the master's degree in software engineering. He has secured a bachelor's degree in information technology from UV Patel College of Engineering, Ganpat University, Mehsana.

Priyanshu's father, Prabhat Kumar Jha, is a zonal director (central zone) National Small Industries Corporation, ministry of medium, small & micro enterprises. Priyanshu's mother, Ranjana, is a homemaker. Priyanshu completed his schooling from Central School, Shahibaug.

"As an engineering student, I always aspired to work for Microsoft at some point in my career," Priyanshu said. "But to have my first job, at this age, as an engineer in Microsoft is a dream come true." Being the youngest achiever in his group has been Priyanshu's habit. He was the youngest to be chosen for the master's programme in Singapore. "I had to put in a lot of extra work to keep up with my batchmates, who had a minimum of two years of work experience," he said. "I was the only one with no work experience, but my top scores always gave me an edge over the others."

Priyanshu told TOI that he had been exposed to computers since 1994. "My dream is to work for corporations for a while and use my learning to launch my own company after coming back to Ahmedabad," he said. "I want to give back to society which has given me so much."

As for the interview with Microsoft, Priyanshu said it consisted of six rounds with each one lasting six hours. But he said the interactions were always relaxed.

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Time to step away from smartphone!

Whenever Michael Carl, the fashion market director at Vanity Fair, goes out to dinner withfriends, he plays something called the "phone stack" game: Everyone places their phones in the middle of the table; whoever looks at their device before the check arrives picks up the tab. 

Brandon Holley, the former editor of Lucky magazine, had trouble ditching her iPhone when she got home from work. So about six months ago, she began tossing her phone into a vintage milk tin the moment she walked in. It remains there until after dinner. 

And Marc Jacobs, the fashion designer, didn't want to sleep next to a beeping gizmo. So he banned digital devices from his bedroom, a house rule he shared with audiences during a recent screening of "Disconnect," a film that dramatizes how technology has alienated people from one another. 

As smartphones continue to burrow their way into our lives, and wearable devices like Google Glass threaten to erode our personal space even further, overtaxed users are carving out their own device-free zones with ad hoc tricks and life hacks. 

Whether it's a physical barrier (no iPads at the dinner table) or a conceptual one (turn off devices by 11 pm), users say these weaning techniques are improving their relationships - and their sanity. 

"Disconnecting is a luxury that we all need," said Lesley MM Blume, a New York writer who keeps her phone away from the dinner table at home. "The expectation that we must always be available to employers, colleagues, family: It creates a real obstacle in trying to set aside private time. But that private time is more important than ever." 

Much of the digital detoxing is centered on the home, where urgent emails from co-workers, texts from friends, Instagram photos from acquaintances and YOLO updates on Facebook conspire to upend domestic tranquillity. 

A popular tactic is to designate a kind of cellphone lockbox, like the milk tin that Holley uses. 

"If my phone is buzzing or lighting up, it's still a distraction, so it goes in the box," said Holley, who lives in a row house in Brooklyn, with her son, Smith, and husband, John. "It's not something I want my kid to see." 

An empty fishbowl, which sits on a dining room credenza, serves a similar function for Jaime David, a publicist at the Starworks Group in New York, except there are consequences for violators. "If someone picks up the phone between 6:30 and 8:30 pm without a really good reason, they are tasked with getting our son to bed," said David, who lives in Maplewood, NJ, with her husband, Jon, and two sons, Milo, 4, and Jack, 10 months. 

Others assign a digital curfew. 

"No screens after 11 pm," said Ari Melber, a host of MSNBC's "The Cycle," who lives in a walk-up apartment in Brooklyn, with his fiancee, Drew Grant, a pop culture reporter at The New York Observer. The rule was instituted in January, after a vacation in Honduras where the couple found themselves without internet access and ultimately happy about it. 

"We found the evenings were more relaxing, and we were sleeping better," Melber said. 

Sleep is a big factor, which is why some, like Jacobs, draw the gadget-free line at the bedroom. 

"I don't want to sleep next to something that is a charged ball of information with photos and emails," said Peter Som, the fashion designer, who keeps his phone in the living room, plugged in overnight. "It definitely is a head-clearer and delineates daytime and sleep time." 

Households with young children are especially mindful about being overconnected, with parents sensitive to how children may imitate bad habits. 

Rebecca Minkoff, a fashion designer, makes a point of turning off the ringers and leaving her two phones on the opposite end of her Dumbo apartment when she plays with her 2-year-old son, Luca. 

"It isn't easy, but I do my best to make the few hours I have with my son cellphone-free until he goes to sleep," Minkoff said. 

Other parents regard dinnertime as sacrosanct. 

"It's a nice break for me when all of us can unplug," said Josh Pickard, an owner of the restaurants Locanda Verde, Lafayette and the Dutch, who forbids his two teenage children, Lotte, 17, and Jack, 13, from bringing their multiple devices to the dinner table. "I can just be in one place in one moment."But it's not just inside the home where users are weaning themselves from the habit. Cellphone overusers are making efforts to disconnect in social settings, whether at the behest of the host or in the form of friendly competition. 

To keep guests from texting under the table, some party hosts are banning devices outright. 

Peter Davis, the editor of Scene magazine, recently attended a dinner party for about 12 at a West Village home where the host offered to check guests' phones and put them in a bowl. Although most balked, Davis said that guests did manage to stay off their phones during the dinner. 

"It was a hint not be on your phone," he said. "Unless you work in the ER or you're a doctor on call, no one really needs to be on their phone." 

But maybe the best way to curb cellphone overuse is by preying on people's social insecurities. In some circles, being inaccessible is a status symbol. 

"Public cellphone use has reached an uncivilized fever pitch, so now it's chicer behavior to exempt yourself from that," said Blume, the New York writer. "You're not answerable 24/7, and that's a powerful and luxurious statement."

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Microsoft to unveil new Surface tablet

A year after its flubbed tablet introduction, Microsoft is back with a new Surface. 

The US tech giant, which has invited media to a launch in New York, is seeking to correct missteps from its first try and gain a foothold in the tablet market dominated by Apple's iPad and others using the Google Android operating system. 

Details of the new device were not known, but many analysts expect a more powerful Surface tablet to help Microsoft build momentum in mobile computing. 

Microsoft, which is trying to shift its focus to "devices and services" to better compete with Apple and Google, barely made a dent in the sizzling tablet market since introducing the first-generation Surface in October. 

The company has not released sales figures, but reported tablet revenues of just $853 million in the fiscal year ended in June. Research firm IDC said Microsoft sold 900,000 in the first quarter of the year -- a market share of just 1.8% -- and even fewer in the second quarter. Apple by comparison sold some 34 million iPads in the first half of 2013. 

Microsoft was forced to take an embarrassing $900 million writedown for "inventory adjustments" due to weak sales of the new tablet, which has a basic version and a more expensive "Pro" model. 

Rob Enderle, analyst and consultant with Enderle Group, said he expects the new tablets to be much improved. 

"This new release should be massively better than the first one. The trick will be getting folks to look at the product fresh," he told AFP. 

Enderle said the first version "was too heavy, too expensive and had poor battery life," and the upgraded Surface Pro lacked a key element, the Outlook email program. 

Microsoft appears to have fixed these issues and now has a chance to gain some traction with a device that aims to serve as a tablet with some of the functionality of a laptop PC. 

"Right now, people don't want to carry a large tablet and laptop," said Enderle. 

"If you can consolidate into one product, it lightens your load and it's a lot cheaper." 

Jack Gold, analyst at J Gold Associates, said the first Surface "was not a complete device" and did not work with many Windows apps. 

Gold said Microsoft can succeed with "a reasonably priced and performance-oriented Pro" to appeal to business users, but that the company "has to build momentum before Android makes it mostly irrelevant." 

Others argue that Microsoft's strategy has become muddled as it tries to gain ground in the "high mobility" computing segment while still serving the hundreds of millions using conventional PCs on the Windows operating system. 

Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies Associates said Microsoft has been struggling to serve these sometimes conflicting goals. 

"The ambiguity of Windows 8 is built into its architecture," Kay said. "Microsoft has been doing nothing but looking over its shoulder. You need to have your own vision of what people need." 

Kay said Microsoft still has a long road to become a meaningful player in mobile computing. 

"High mobility and that form factor are up for grabs between Apple and Google and perhaps Microsoft, but Microsoft will be a distant third," he added. 

Kay said Microsoft's best chance in the segment was to build momentum with its acquisition of Nokia's phone business, and extend that into tablets. 

Kash Rangan, analyst at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, said Microsoft is hurt by a "diffused focus" as it tries to reorganize, search for a new chief executive and reboot its mobile strategy with its Nokia acquisition. 

"We worry about the tsunami of changes the company is currently undergoing," Rangan said in a note to clients with a "neutral" investment rating. 

"The reorganization, CEO change, acquisition of Nokia, and financial reporting structure change are all occurring simultaneously, and only serve to increase the complexity of the investment story."

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Security software market revenue reached $19.2 bn

Global security software market revenues rose 8 per cent to $ 19.2 billion last year, spurred by practices like bring your own device ( BYOD), among other issues, global research firm Gartner said on Thursday.

Worldwide revenues from security software market totalled $ 17.7 billion in 2011, the firm added.

"The evolution of new threats and working practices, such as bring your own device (BYOD), is driving spending on security," it said.

The 2012 security market saw a continuation of increasing demand for consumer and enterprise security tools as McAfee's high growth of 37 per cent boosted the market's overall growth rebound in 2012, Gartner Research Director Ruggero Contu said.

Spending on security software is also influenced by the evolution of new threats and working practices, he added.

"For example, as companies increase the mobility of their workforce, this situation raises new security concerns and requirements. Growing demand for remote access requires organisations to safeguard off-premises applications and data, as well as an array of new client devices," he said.

In addition, the rapid adoption of virtualisation in the SMB (small and medium business) market is driving interest in security solutions targeting virtual environments, he added.

"Security continues to be a top priority across all technology categories in the SMB market. The rise of midmarket demand presents a new challenge for participants in the security space, as SMB requirements are different from those of larger enterprises," Contu said.

Security buyers from SMBs are increasingly considering security as a service to serve as an alternative for deploying security technologies, particularly for areas such as email and web security, he added.

Such requirements are leading to market consolidation and more competitive pricing, as established players acquire pure-play cloud-based specialists across the security landscape, Contu said. 

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7 ways iOS 7 improves Apple‘s mobile devices

There may not be many revolutionary changes to Apple's popular mobile OS but it builds on popular features found in Android, BlackBerry & Windows Phone to deliver a streamlined experience says ET.

Easier On The Eyes

The most visible change in iOS7 is the new user interface. The icons have a modern, flat look with a new colour palette and new fonts that work well on small screens. Most native apps get new icons to suit the new colour palette. Menus and pop-up windows have a translucent background — to give the appearance of layers stacked on top of one another — makes it easier to see the layer right on top. There 's also a lot more white space to give everything a cleaner, more Apple-like feel.

Easier File Sharing

With iOS 7, apps can have a 'Share' button built in. Tap the share button to open a new window called Share Sheet from where you can send a selected photo, video or contact to supported apps such as Mail, iCloud, Twitter, Facebook, and Messages. Another feature called AirDrop lets you send files to a nearby iOS 7 user wirelessly (using Bluetooth & WiFi). People around you with iOS7 will be visible in the Share Sheet — and once he/she accepts the incoming transfer, it will be sent to their device. AirDrop transfers between two iOS 7 devices are automatically encrypted. Note that this feature only works with devices on iOS 7

Interface Improvements

iOS 7 banks heavily on gestures to offer improved and easy navigation. Even though there is no physical back button, you get a virtual one — swipe in from the left of the screen to go back to the previous window (works in supported apps only). Swipe an email to delete or move it without opening the mail. Unlocking the phone is easier — instead of swiping left to right on a bar, the screen unlocks with a left-to-right swipe from anywhere on the lock screen. The Notification Centre can also be accessed from the lock screen (this can be switched off in settings).

iTunes Radio

Like many internet radio services, iTunes Radio offers over 200 genre-based radio stations to choose from. The difference is that it is baked right into iOS 7's Music app and is completely free. You can create a personalised radio station around your favourite artist or genre and set a balance between playing new songs or known hits as well as choose to never listen to a particular song. Any song being played on iTunes Radio can be purchased and downloaded immediately. Apple says that the service will be free (adsupported) and will initially be U.S. only.

Control Center

Quite like Android, with Control Center, you get quick access to a few commonly-used settings, apps & features. To bring up Control Center, swipe up from the bottom of the screen anywhere in the interface (including the lock screen). From the Control Center, you can activate Airplane mode, Bluetooth, WiFi, Do Not Disturb and screen rotation function. You can also adjust screen brightness and launch apps like the Torch, Calculator, Timer and Camera with one tap. Finally, Control Center also includes a mini music player with song information and playback controls (play/pause, track and volume).

Better Multitasking

iOS 7 offers a new way to multitask. Double click the home button to see preview screens of all the running apps — this makes it easier to view what you were working on. To close an app, just swipe the preview screen of that app upwards. iOS 7 also learns from your usage habits to optimise app updates. It will learn when you open an app on a daily basis and automatically get the latest update at that time. It will also schedule updates when it causes the least amount of battery drain.

Camera Improvements

Many iPhone users complained about the lack of camera features available by default — this also exaplains the popularity of third-party camera apps. With iOS 7, the interface looks modern, clean and adds gesture support. You can swipe horizontally to shift between Photo, Video, Panorama and the Square (for Instagram and the like) shooting modes. Various artistic filters are included — depending on the device you use, filters can either be tried out before taking a photo or applied after. 

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