Something is cooking

We at Silent Watchers are always looking to grow. We have a target for reaching the very top echelons of blogging.  And yesterday we took a big step towards realizing that. 


We are now moving to a new domain.

Being one of the subscribers to the 'live to eat' philosophy, it was an absolute delight to buy the domain techtikka.com.


We , tSW are moving. Hope to see you there.


Cheers

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A New Way to Search!

About a week ago, Google introduced something called as Google Image search at the 'Inside Search' event. What it means is, usually we search using words,like a strings of characters, but now we can search using pictures. Google will understand this picture and gives us the most relevant information about the contents of the picture. It is the first time Google is venturing outside the text-search area, in which it has mastered over the years.
Google says the Image search is just an extended version of Google Goggles, which is exclusive to Android, for the desktops.

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Gameranger guide.!!!

Long ago Gamespy removed the access to their online servers to game "Rise of Nations" in January 2010. However, gamers have found workarounds to use those servers. But these doesn't work for everyone. And not all games are stable for the entire period. We don't like disconnecting midway through the game , who does like it? So we have some alternatives. Here we will try to use GameRanger as an alternative. Actually GameRanger is more than an alternative. 

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The Stolen Scream

Have you ever wanted to be an icon? A person whose work is world renknowed? A person whose work has been in the middle of many a world changing event? Noam Galai got just that, but with a twist…


Read More

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Want to watch Lunar Eclipse? Head to Google

If you want to catch todays celestial events but you can't see the eclipse then don't worry, Google is here to help you have the astronomical sights of the Moon. The Google App Engine will render the mission interface thus enabling millions of people to take a glimpse of the moon during the eclipse. Along with the video feed, there will also be a live commentary from real-life astronomers so that you can learn about the events first hand.

Also you can enjoy the live streaming from Google's channel on YouTube or using the Slooh Space Camera Android app. We will definitely be watching this event, of course thanks to Google ! Live Feed

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"OFFICIAL" unlocked Apple iPhone 4 (and others are) out!!

Yes, at last Apple has released officially unlocked iPhone 4. They are, however, available in US market only. The 16GB version is priced at $649 and the 32 GB is priced at $749. If the iPhone 4 has to be used in other countries then we have to take the micro SIM card route(cut your SIM card into a micro SIM card) as only micro SIM card can be used in an iPhone. The phone is available in both black as well as white colour, though the white one takes a little more time to be delivered. 

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Hacked - Yours Truly Anonymous

The message on NIC read-

Greetings!

.We exist without nationality..We exist with humanity.
.NIC took 3 mins.
.This time we talk to the government - On NIC Homepage and Sub-Domains.
.There is no use securing. There is no use of spending on forensic.
.Get this message clear Mr. Prime Minister and others.
.We do not like to talk much and Yes! IT is our world.
.Expect Us.
anonymous_indian@hushmail.me

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The Return of the King

Back in the summer of 2004 (March to be precise) a 17 year old shocked the world by beating the then No.1 , Roger Federer ... in straight sets.
The  same bloke , now No.1 looked threatened to be dethroned by the very same Roger Federer. But it was not be.

There is a reason why Rafael Nadal is called the Clay Court King. His ability to retrieve the ball , no matter how hopeless it seems, no matter in which corner it falls will leave any opponent , simply stunned. It was a rare sight to see World No.2 Roger Federer do so many unforced errors. Or perhaps they were forced, by the man standing across the net.
Either way we are seeing Rafa take the crown time after time and for those who love stats he has won 13 out of the 19 finals he has met Roger in. The new Legend has indeed arrived.
What do you think?

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Sony Welcome Back Packages are live!

We have summarized the entire episode of SONY's Playstation Network and Qriocity services getting hacked back in April and all the drama that ensued. The wait for the welcome back packs are over. Though the horrific experience of gamers around the world cannot be compared or balanced by a couple of games, but, hey SONY is atleast offering something!

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The Silent Watchers Mag - Issue 1 on YUDU

Click to launch the full edition in a new window
Self Publishing with YUDU

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"+1" is Here!

Back on Feb9th 2011, Google debuted their version of a social network - Google Buzz. This was not a success at any level but Google has released an recommendation button to the entire Internet. With the +1 button you can show your friends or see what your friends feel are interesting on the internet.

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A for Apple?

“Why apple don’t dominate the Smartphone market as they used to?” That’s the question everyone’s asking.

Nowadays, the smart-phone market has mainly been a two sided affair - Apple on one side and everyone else on the other!!!
Smart-phones have changed our lives a lot. We got to accept that they indeed simplify our work. Smart-phones have been around since the beginning of 2000's but they were not as effective as now. As the engineers put more and more transistors onto a nano-sized chip, the amount of work that can be done with a phone increased. It is currently in a situation where manufacturers are considering to produce only smart-phones, if not already.

The moment where the smart-phones became a ‘cool’ device was when the idea of touch-based phones were talked off. When Apple Inc. released the first series of iPhone, the world watched it in awe. The idea of a 3.5-inch touch screen was breath-taking. The guys at Cupertino constantly added more spice to this juicy product and today it stands as the one of the most desirable product in the world. Why such a craze? The back-bone of the Apple's smart-phone plans lie in the Appstore and iTunes. AppStore has just too many apps to serve anyone's greed and the iTunes transforms the iPhone into an iPod (THE BEST music player, confirmed by nearly a billion) ,almost instantly. The User Interface makes it a joy to dive into the iOS. So with such strong advantages does Apple have anything to fear? Yes, Apple has everything to fear.

The main points which weigh down the iPhone have been its price-tag and the facts that there are other phones which can do much more. Though iOS took the first step towards revolutionizing the Touch-based mobile interfaces, many others like Android and Windows are catching up quickly. In fact, Android boasts about a couple of useful features more than the iOS.

But we have to observe that people are still buying those iPhones in spite of intense competition from manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and Samsung. But for how long can this continue? Will people continue to use Apple products? The answer is NO!

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SONY Services hacked - The Entire Story !

A group of hackers, supposedly an offshoot of the "Anonymous" hacker community hacked the Playstation Network and Qriocity services of SONY. The hackers were not only successful in bringing down the network but also able to gain access to credit card credentials of the users. Once the security people at SONY sensed an attack on their network, they immediately shut down all the services. This was done to prevent loss of any further damage to the network and its users. At the beginning SONY indefinitely closed down the PSN and Qriocity services, which shocked everyone. 

What did the hackers take? they made away with everyones passwords for sure, and also credit card details of many (if not all) users. It is believed that these hackers demanded ransom for the return of the credit card details. This is the main reason why these hackers are not part of the 'core' Anonymous community, who won’t care for financial gains (or so it is assumed). All said the network was down; a lot of gamers were left complaining. Some decided to back Sony during this hardship, some tried to fly to the Xbox camp while some didn't really understand what was going on. 

Also SONY were asked by the US House of Representatives to answer the risk involved for an american consumer which is detailed here.

On 1^st May, SONY announced that all services will be up and running on that weekend, but it was not until 15^th May that the service was restored. This was followed by a letter from Howard Stringer Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Sony Corporation. SONY showed how serious they were about this attack by releasing a video which had Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony, regretting the unfortunate turn of events and praising the patience of the SONY customers. He also mentions that the attacks are now being investigated by detectives, and with the help of police force they expected to catch the men behind these attacks. On 15th may Sony restored the network partially - The PS store was still down, but PSN was up and running along with Qriocity services. The restoration was done along with a graphical map of america being shown the areas in which the network was being restored. 

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We are back with a bang!

Introducing the Silent Watcher magazine. Looking forward to your feedback!

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The Back Cover of tsw Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing - More mufc

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The Silent Watchers Mag Cover Page

I have decided to go with a simple layout. Hope you like it!

Inputs are much appreciated.
Picture credits: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1256

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The Silent Watchers Mag!

Open publication - Free publishing - More current


If anyone is interested in contributing articles just put in as how we can contact you, in the comments section. We would be glad to accept your articles :)

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Google Doodle: Alam Ara

Today's Google Doodle is a tribute to the Alam Ara . India's first movie with sound.

Both the movie and its music were widely successful(duh), including the hit song De de khuda ke naam per, which was also the first song of the Indian cinema(duh again).

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The Night the Bombs Fell

A heart touching story with an ending that will leave a lump in your throat.

Written by  Samarth Rangavittal

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Top 4 sites to buy console games in India

Being a proud owner of a Sony Playstation 3 console, I know how difficult it is to buy those console games in the normal stores. No one seems to have stock! Here we have the top 4 sites you can purchase the console games. 

1.Game4u
They are very reliable. But they dont offer any kind of discounts on the MRP. These guys have opened 2 retailing game stores already in Mumbai. So what you waiting for?

2.Intencity
It is a very nice website with online support as well. They even have a separation category for selling used games also. They provide a discount of about INR 50-250 on almost all titles. They even take pre-orders of all major titles.

3. Moviemart
This isn't the usual website. They started by renting out movies and now they are renting and selling console games. The renting system extremely systematized and very easy to use - they provide doorstep delivery and returns. Check them out if you are looking for a real deal.


4.Flipkart
They are coming to be known as the Amazon of India. They too sell console games with reputable standards. They offer a discount of approx 10% on almost all the titles. Buy from them for speedy and neat service.


Hope to see you on PSN untill then Game On!!

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Is the Tablet-Race over Already?

At the beginning of 2010 everyone were excited about a new market space being available - Tablets. It was very fascinating to do so much on a less than 10-inch screen. And many of them were predicting 2010 to be "The Year of the Tablets" but it was really very disappointing to see only 2 praise worth tablets in the entire year. Without any doubt these 2 tablets are Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab (Come on, Dell streak was a phone without calling capabilities! HP slate was dead even before it arrived).

With the start of 2011 many companies (like Motorola,RIM et al ) were yet to put a tablet on sale. Though many showed the prototypes, which were impressive, none were ready to be shipped. What this means is they are not yet ready to be used. So What happened to this "new" attractive market ? Do you think it went drought? Really? Think again. Apple has done it again! They were clearly the highest (and the only ?) Tablet-selling company.
Not even a year ago Apple released the iPad to everyone awe. Some called it an enlarged iPod but nonetheless it was one hell of a revolutionary product. It sold like cup cakes. When competitor(s) were failing to get tablets off the shelves Apple was minting billions through the iPad sales. Though when it was released everyone thought it was too expensive but even the tablets released(I mean shown) in the 2011 were priced more than iPad. Some like RIM are still to make a announcement regarding the prices for a tablet shown before Christmas.
Now Apple thought it was time for using the turbo boost. And boom we have the next generation of the iPad - iPad 2. Yes when many are struggling to release their tablets, Apple have shown it to the world and are ready to be shipped ,in 2 colors -White and Black. Though iPad 2 isn't game changing like its predecessor but it patches almost all the shortcomings of iPad.

Yes we have one playing Catch-up with Apple - Samsung announced the second iteration of Galaxy Tab ,but it doesn't have a shipping date nor a price quote. Samsung have already announced that their Tablet sales are not satisfactory.

Though everyone called iPad expensive I think many manufacturers have realised that it takes a lot of green paper to make a 9-inch touch screen. Motorola Have also announced Motorola Xoom with a heavy price of $1199. Though Xoom is tough on paper with all it's solid specifications ,it is going to take some time before it is sold in the stores. Moreover it is being sued for trademark violation. But, if there is a product which is capable of pulling customers away from the iPad it has to be Moto Xoom. With Xoom also running Android 3, it will be very exciting to see it pitted against iPad 2 in the stores.

So we ask the question again which was asked about a year ago - Who is going to win the Tablet-Race this year? Wait what ? Isn't it already won by the super-good iPad ?

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We are looking for a logo and a header!

Lets be honest here... the above header is no piece of art. So I request anyone to maybe provide us with a good looking header. We will give full credits on the Credits page & who knows what else in the future :)

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Namma Metro

A special interview with Y(A Bangalorean who knows about the  Metro project well) by Sachin(Me who wants to know all about it)...

Sachin: What is Namma Metro?

Y: It’s a mass-transit rail system project which hopes to give a solution to the biggest problem of Bangalore, the traffic.

Sachin: What is the cost of this project?

Y: It’s roughly around `8158 Crore

Sachin: What is the maSachinimum capacity that it can withstand? Essentially we want to how many people will be benefited?

Y: The Bangalore Metro has been designed for a capacity of 40,000 PHPDT. The number of passengers eSachinpected to travel on the metro everyday is estimated at 10.20 lakhs in 2011 and 16.10 lakhs in 2021. Remember it is just an expectation!

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(Updated) : Twitter suspends UberTwitter and Twidroyd for policy violations. Who's next?

You read the headline right , Uber Twitter and Twidroyd users were unable to login to their twitter accounts through their app as Twitter had suspended these massively popular Twitter apps. Uber Twitter and Twidroyd are both owned by Uber Media . The reason given for the suspension is with respect to usage of the Twitter trademark and ads within the app. Doesn't Twitter just hate others siphoning off money without telling it.
Uber Media is also in the process of acquiring Tweetdeck and Echofon. Hopefully it won't do the same mistakes as now.

Update : (21/02/2011) :
Twitter released this statement today morning:

“We’ve given the developers of twidroyd and UberSocial for Blackberry (formerly UberTwitter) access to the Twitter API again. Our initial review indicates that steps have been taken to remedy the violations for these applications.

When the developer updates twidroyd and Ubersocial, you’ll be able to download their updates to access Tweets again on these applications.”

Looks like things are heading back to normal now.

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Cricket World Cup is Here- Google Doodle

We have written about the World Cup before. Today the World Cup is going to start with first match between India and Bangladesh-both of them are host nations. Google has doodled (I made that up :D) about cricket world cup this morning. Look for yourselves below.

The Doodle shows a picture of a batsman trying to play a shot. The background is the view from the stumps on the pitch. As you can see there is nothing flashy or too decorative. But lets enjoy those on the Cricket pitch right?
The World Cup will kick off today from Dhaka,Bangladesh. However the host nations include India and Sri Lanka also. In the run-up to the tournament, India and South Africa are considered to be the favorites to win the coveted trophy. Australia will be defending the World Cup and trying to win the Cup for a record fifth time. We wish all the teams the very best on their road to glory.
Definitely we will be watching the Cricket World Cup but not silently.

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Google wants those Delicious Bookmarks !!

Are you a Delicious user? Want to export all your precious bookmarks which cared to collect for all these years? No worries Google is here to help you out. The official Twitter account of Google tweeted yesterday informing about the new Delicious import tool which imports all the bookmarks from Delicious to Google Bookmarks.

Indeed a smart move from Google considering the vast number of bookmarked links in Delicious systems. With the "deal" to buy/sell Delicious is still under wraps but Google is not waiting for the lines to be drawn. Delicious already being put on sale ,according to a leaked Yahoo confidential paper, has been losing a lot of its users who are fearing the service may shut down any day. Delicious was previously being linked to a buy offer from Digg. However that deal broke down when leaked reports showed that Yahoo wanted to "sunset" Delicious services. There is definitely no doubt that Delicious is not seeing much green off late.
We do hope Delicious will get a honourable exit rather than a harsh shunting from the Yahoo family. 

Have you used Delicious? Will you import those bookmarks to Google bookmarks?

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New Photo Viewing in Facebook

Facebook has started rolling out a new way of showing the pictures.
Basic Look - As soon as you click on a photo it does not reload the page like before, however, you get a pop up with black background in which the photo is embedded. Along with the photo ,the usually section-comments,tags,share et al also exists. Check the picture below to see how it might look.

As you can see your screen will be engulfed by black background. The effect  is very irritating when the picture is taken in a vertical angle- Then the picture will be padded with black background which makes it very bad. Though some pictures do suit the black background, for large majority of the photos the new feature fails to impress the user.
The good thing about the newly introduced feature is that you don't have to reload the page to see the picture, the picture is enlarged in a pop up when you click it. You can still click on the photo to move to the next photo else you could use the arrows given to move back and forth through the album.
The reception of the new feature has been against it ( same as when Facebook released the news feed column). However it is unlikely that the new feature will be withdrawn so soon. Having the largest collection of photos online, Facebook must really look into the uneasiness created to the users by this new feature. By the viral revolt against the viewer has already started.
Gyan:  If you want to see the pics the old way then right click on the photo and open the photo in new tab or window. Enjoy the picture in white background :)
Thanks to Karthik V and Prashanth HS for the tip-off.

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GATE 2011 Answer key

Having written GATE I was desperate to check my score.

Yeah right.

While the credibility of the following sites are doubtful , you can get an approximate estimate of your score. Some answers seem to be off target... especially the fuel efficiency problem(personal opinion) and some other aptitude questions.

Nevertheless, Best of luck!

• Gateforum  
• Fresher hub (Has various GATE EC versions)

Oh and for all those interested in knowing how percentiles are calculated , its 

P= ((T-R) / R) x 100 

where P=Percentile, T=Total number of candidates, and R=All India Rank

Read more on it at ehow .

Cheers!

P.S : If you want you can share your experiences/observations of GATE 2011 in the comments section

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Google Says Happy Valentine's Day along with Robert Indiana

This Valentines Day Google is displaying a Doodle based on the designs of renowned "Love" artist Robert Indiana. Checkout the doodle below. This is one of the first doodle in months which is not interactive.

However as far as my knowledge goes this is the first time Google is displaying their symbol differently. The redesign can be regarded as the work of Robert Indiana.
I guess everyone has heard enough of Valentine's Day already. Robert Indiana is a pop culture artist who is mainly famous for the way he depicts certain words. Some of the famous works include the depiction of the word "LOVE" ,EAT ,Hug and especially for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign - "HOPE". His works are so popular that even the US stamps carry them from 1973 as part of their "love series". Below are some of his works.

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GeoHot Raps about Sony after getting Sued

Geo Hot the famous(or infamous) hacker is again in the news. Back in January he got sued by Sony for publishing the private keys pertaining to PS3 jail-breaking. However after putting the keys on his site then, he made it clear that he won't be trying to hack the PS3 system completely but published the keys in order to help others who were interested in jail-breaking the Sony console. Revealing the keys to everyone on the internet did'nt go so well with Sony. Hence they sued and him and were successful in getting restraining orders against Geo Hot. 

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Roooneeyyy!!!

The Manchester Derby today was spectacular match. The teams were evenly matched on paper (actually Manchester City are better) and there was not a better time to win a match for either team. At this crucial stage of the Barclay's premier league , this derby match was the best opportunity for either team to show some champion stuff. 

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Half Century !

They say that 50 posts is just a stat. 

But being mad about stats , this milestone is of significance to me. We have reached for an audience larger than expected, and we haven't yet implemented some core ideas ! I feel that The Silent Watchers has loads of potential. Hope all of you stay and support us. 

Thank you .

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Happy Birthday Thomas Alva Edison

Today is the 164th birthday of Thomas Alva Edison. He is held in high regard for his numerous inventions ,one of which is the incandescent bulb, which some still use. Google has put out a doodle to celebrate this day with the following doodle.


The Doodle shows the drawings which include that of a Electrical Printing instrument,Electric Bulb, music recorder , Phonogram , Picture capture ( or camera) and others. These are just 7 of the many inventions this great man has done in his lifetime. 

However he is supposed to be the one of the person who have not been awarded the Nobel Prize in any field. Also Alva Edison has an infamous feud with another inventor who goes by the name Nikola Tesla.

Famous quotes by Edison :

"If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward"

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Google Sign-in Becomes more secure

Starting from today Google have started rolling out a new security feature for all Gmail users. It is called as 2-step verification process. It definitely makes it more difficult for anyone to get around into your email account. But it wouldn't be a nice idea to lose your mobile phone along with your email account password.

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Google Doodle : Steer a Submarine

It is very generous to identify people who have influenced our lives very much and honor them on the Internet. Google are at it again through their Doodles . Today they are changing their logo to look like the front view from an artistic ocean (or more like goggles of a sea diver) in honor of Jules Verne. Again Google has used HTML5 to implement the Doodle thereby showcasing their support for this emerging technology.

A small history lesson. Jules Verne is a French author who wrote science-fiction. His best known novels include Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), A Journey to the Center of the Earth(1864), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). However he is highly reputed for the reason that he wrote about air,under water and space travel in a time when they were not practically used. For this reason they also regard him as one of the "Fathers of Science Fiction". 


More about the doodle. It is essentially showing the ocean from the front of a submarine. Due to the use of HTML5 we are able to move the view up,down,left and right. As you go from the top to the bottom we find the different fish being portrayed. Though the left to right movement is very limited , the movement from top to bottom is pretty good. Nevertheless one of the best ways to remember the great Jules Verne.

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De Ghuma Ke

We mentioned earlier about the Cricket World Cup which is going to be held in India later this month. Today we  have the World Cup anthem. The Anthem titled 'De Ghuma Ke' is composed by the famous music directors trio - Shankar-Ehsan-Loy . Listen to the song below

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Guest Post: Counter-Strike Guide for Newbies

You can read the prologue to this post here. Counter strike 1.6 is kind of old game. But not surely like age of mythology. And mark these words Cheat codes won’t work. And for all who feels this game is out dated. There is newer version of this game "Counter Strike Source”.

Back to CS 1.6, this game needs Team play, strategy, dexterity and mainly practice and knowledge about the game. Practice without Knowledge and Knowledge without Practice makes u a noob. (Noob means amateur player). There are lots of professionals (termed as pro) over there who can “headshot” you from a distance. So learn this game offline before playing online. But according to me mastering this game is not easy. To play this game first should know the map, know the weapons, know your surroundings and you should know when to reload and when to hide. Team play counts more when you play in De_maps (bomb defuse/plant maps). These are some famous maps you may have to know - cs_assault,aa_dima, de_dust, de_dust 2, de_nuke, de_aztec. These are just the famous ones. But a huge collection of maps are available.

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1984 won't be like 1984

Back in 1984 when personal computers were not an essential household item but that was to change. The change started with Apple Inc. (no it was not Microsoft). As always Steve Jobs knew how to catch everyone's attention even in the starting era of computers. They released an Ad which played during the break of Super Bowl marketing the unknown gem which was going to be showcased to the world - Macintosh. And they were right 1984 won't be like 1984, anymore. In short Macintosh started the change in world of personal computing.

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Here comes the World Cup!

The much talked about world cup starts this month, February 19th to be specific ,in the sub-continent (except in terrror prone pakistan). The cricket fever is getting better and better ( rather worse and worse) .People are recalling their or their team’s world-cup memories as if it happened just day before yesterday. The media is going really crazy about this mega event ( they got to be so, right) , so much so that even our own dearest child ‘ IPL ‘ has been forgotten , to certain extent ( except some crazy club followers ), leave alone other games .

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Is Bing stealing from Google !?

Well... Yes and no.

Swalpa background : Google Fellow Amit Singhal claimed this morning that Bing was simply siphoning off results from Google. Of course he had to show proof field this. So this is what he did.
He finds  a search term that returns no matches for either site , make a " honeypot " page manually appear for the term , then he had some Google employees make the search (and click the top link ) using Internet Explorer with both Suggested Sites and the Bing Toolbar on. Within two weeks , Singhal found that about 7 to 9 of the 100 or so " honeypot " results were popping up in Bing. Coincidence? The results matched for bizarre words  like mbrzxpgjys , hiybbprqag , and indoswiftjobinproduction .


Why did we say no as well? That's because the 'sting' was run with Bing's toolbar and  Suggested Search feature activated, which MS explicitly says are used to collect data and improve services. And more popular search terms do return different results(which is the reason many return to Google ;) ) 
So this one looks like a don't-use-us-to-improve-yourself from Google. Microsoft will probably come up with a counter attack . Watch out for some fireworks !




Siphoned from engadget ;)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

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Encounter the world of Counter Strike!

Counter Strike 1.6 is a tactical FPS game (oh come on, you donno what FPS means? Go Google it :P ).Counter Strike  was developed by Valve and released onto Steam for PC.

Counter-Strike divides players into teams of terrorists and counter terrorists. Equal number of players on both sides makes the game more interesting.

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PS3 hacked, Again !!

Just before new year, hackers such as Geo Hotz and fail0verflow were successful in hacking the PS3. They were able to find keys which are very private to any ps3. These keys were really essential component of the security layer of the PS3. Hence, revealing those meant PS3 being hacked completely. However, these guys did not finish the job completely. I mean the hack was not complete-everyone had their priorities. Fail0verflow wants the Linux functionality back-nothing more- while Geo Hotz is tired of hacking and would like to work on the other side. But they were generous enough to put all they knew on the internet so that another hacker could use the keys in a better way.
This ‘another hacker’ happened to be “KaKaRoToKS”. Yes, he is the one who released the custom firmware for version 3.55 and 3.41. You can use the custom firmware version if you have not yet updated to version 3.56. 

As always Sony was quick enough to release an update to annul the custom firmware functionality. The new update is mandatory to login to PSN. Hence firmware had t be updated if needed to go online. Smart move don’t you think? Guess who got smarter? Within a day of the update being released it was hacked again by KaKaRoToKS. He also published the application keys which were extra security introduced by version 3.56. However, KaKaRoToKS assures that the new version can be hacked to allow homebrew applications. But, sadly he is not interested in that. He tweets that he is currently concentrating on giving more functionality to his custom firmware rather than hacking the new firmware. This is indeed bad news but not to worry because the world is full of hackers who are eager to hack the PS3 once in for all.

Revealing the application keys were the first steps to “jailbreak” PS3 without any dongles or circuit boards. So get ready to Jailbreak your PS3 using a USB drive-as easy as you update your firmware.
Whatever the case we are watching!

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Ready for (Open)Leaks ?

Back in last November, many members of the Wikileaks group left due to disagreements  with Julian Assange. Openleaks is what happened because of these members. The website claims to be different from Wikileaks, really?

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Tiranga

Take a look at that flag. Designing that  sure took a lot of trouble. It had to please everyone. And by that I mean everyone. Those 3 bands are to courage and sacrifice, peace and truth, and faith and chivalry respectively. Now lets examine how these hold in the view of recent political developments(Lal Chowk flag hoisting incident).

Courage and Sacrifice: None have the courage to stand up and put an end to all this. The state government was scared of the separatists. The separatists scared of the their militant handlers. The militants really are non-state actors. We must have had the courage to vaporise them long ago. 

Peace and truth: Peace in the Valley is an oft repeated statement at across all the media channels. Its akin to Stop Corruption . Both never seems to happen. Both are fodder for running  'debates' and 'discussions' at Prime time. The media has got to change its attitude. Truth is often circumvented for TRP. 

Faith and Chivalry: First up is faith.None have the faith that the people of J&K are true blue Indians. J&K was, is and will continue to be an Indian state. We should not even argue about that. Chivalry has indeed become a medieval idea ... at least in India. The political parties rant about one another in a manner which is detrimental to the idea of democracy. Whatever happened to settling matters via dialogue? It isn't as if India has any dearth of external enemies. At-least our leaders must show an united front to the rest of the world.

Opportunism seems to be the theme of our political parties. Even allied parties like to go against one another to gain political ground. 

Where do you see this taking us? Can we afford to be in such political turmoil ? Will we ever change? 

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Too much spam in Google search results ? Google agrees!

Off late if you are using Google for almost everything you search then you would have realized that Google search results are no more free from spam. 5 years before you could rely on Google to find the accurate results ,however, nowadays we can find lot of web sites escaping the spam filters. Google too acknowledges this. But they promise that Google is always improving it's technique to block the spam content on the internet. They blame the increase in the spamming sites and also spammers resorting to illegal methods to promote themselves in the search results.
They also quash the concept that Google search results favor websites which show Google Ads. However you still can find that some results are promoted by Google. For example when you search for a local business then the results you first encounter are the ones which are enrolled in Google Places.

source: Google Blog

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Got Identity ? HTML5 got it today!

After almost every major internet companies from Google to Apple rallying behind the techonology of HTML5, W3C has released the HTML5 logo giving it a unique identity. Though this is not the official logo from the W3C yet, it might get finalized in the next 3 months.

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Wikipedia turns 10 !

On the 15th of January, 2011,Wikipedia celebrated its 10th Anniversary. *applauds*.
Has Wikipedia changed the web content? Is it the best source to look at? These are questions which might have to be left unanswered for now.
No one is questioning the amount of work Wikipedia is reducing for us. We all agree that without Wikipedia many of our projects might be incomplete or even spent more time Googling to find an answer or just let go of the question thinking -it may not exist on the web. Wikipedia has certainly proved to be a very good source for information. Saying that I certainly believe specific information may have to be checked twice with a secondary source. 

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Top 5 eye catchers at CES 2011

1) Motorola Xoom/ Android Honeycomb

Oh yes... They had built up using that video.
This beauty is expected to hit the stores during April. That's in the US. In India and given Moto's track record... giving a date would be equivalent of suicide.(literary suicide). Its a 10.1 incher and sports that 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 (everyone seems to have it onboard thesedays). The star is obviously Android 3.0 OS a.k.a Honeycomb a.k.a the one for the tablets. We are watching for this one with bated breath.


2) Motorola Atrix


Why Motorola? Why? 
Why is it that this company struggling in India when it is coming up with mind blowing stuff abroad? 
This one has that Tegra 2 chip. A 1930 mAH battery, Android 2.2 and wait for it... 1 Gb of RAM. 
Talking of 1Gb of RAM. It must be sufficient of running a laptop? Ain't it? 

It does just that.

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