Chand Mohammed and Fiza are together again.

Chand rises, shines for Fiza again
Hillary Victor, Hindustan Times

Chand Mohammed and Fiza are together again.

Son of Haryana’s political stalwart Bhajan Lal, former deputy chief minister in the Haryana government, Chand (45) was earlier Chander Mohan till he converted to Islam last December. All in his bid to wed Fiza (38), lawyer and former additional advocate general, despite being already married.

Fiza too, formerly Anuradha Bali, converted similarly.

Within 40 days of the nikaah on December 18, however, Chand mysteriously disappeared, leading Fiza to lodge a police complaint.

On March 14, Chand called her from London to pronounce talaq three times and thereby annul their marriage.

It was said he had gone back to his first wife and children.

“I uttered the word talaq only twice over the telephone, not thrice as Islamic law requires,” said Chand addressing a press conference on Sunday.

“My marriage to Fiza is still valid.”

“She is my wife and I love her more than ever before,” he added. “I’ve come to her to apologise for the emotional turmoil she had to undergo due to my recent conduct.”

Fiza who first consumed sleeping pills after Chand left her, and had to be rushed to hospital, had later criticized him bitterly and even threatened to contest against him in the next Haryana assembly poll.

But on Sunday, clad in a flaming red kurta, she was all smiles. “I’ve yet to decide whether I’ve forgiven him,” she said. “I’m thinking about it.”


Source :www.hindustantimes.com

Is Google About To Introduce A Microblog Search Offering?

Is Google About To Introduce A Microblog Search Offering?

By Joseph Tartakoff - paidContent.org

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) executives have openly professed their admiration for Twitter’s success and they may finally be able to cash in on it. The Google Operating System blog reports that the company will launch a search service that will index content from Twitter and other microblogging sites, similar to Google’s current blog search offering. Results would also be incorporated into Google’s main web results. Google Operating System (which is not associated with Google) does not cite sources for its story but does note a recent Google listing, which refers to “Google’s MicroBlogsearch” and mentions Twitter as “the popular service associated with this format.” As the blog notes, it also wouldn’t be too surprising for Google to launch a way to search Twitter, considering that Google’s Marissa Mayer has said that that the company is “interested in being able to offer ... micro-blogging and micro-messaging in our search.”

It’s unclear whether Google would be launching the service independent of Twitter. The two companies have been rumored to be in discussions about some sort of search partnership—and Google CEO Eric Schmidt has talked about how ads could be attached to services like Twitter—something that he said Google would be “very happy to pursue with them.” If Google did launch its service independent of Twitter, it’s easy to see how users could swoop to the Google version, rather than Twitter’s own search service, which is riddled with problems. A Twitter executive said last month that the company was planning to bulk up its own search function but nothing has been said about those plans since. Google representatives did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment Saturday.



Source :http://www.reuters.com

Bing lands with a bang, but will it boom?

WEB BUZZ
Bing lands with a bang, but will it boom?

By Jen Leo


The travel section of Bing ( www.bing.com/travel) is one of the major upsides to Microsoft's new search engine. The level of integration within the search feature makes shopping for travel a more informed experience from the first click -- reducing the number of steps between you and a fully booked trip. So when Microsoft calls itself a "decision" engine, it makes sense.

What's hot: Bing Travel combines Farecast flight and hotel information with Microsoft editorial content. You don't have to be within Bing Travel to access handy travel information. From the main Bing search area ( www.bing.com), type in the airport codes of your departure and destination airports and watch as reservation numbers pop up along with a sample price and links to a 30-day outlook or deals. To compare with Google, when you run the same search you get links to specific websites or blog posts. Use the "airfare deals" tab within Bing.com/travel to find low fares across the board. I found a $486 round-trip ticket between LAX or Seattle and Rome in the fall (including tax).

What's not: The hotel section has a terrific, easy-to-use user interface -- with tabs to sort the search results from the top and search refinement by amenities, price or distance on the left. It even offers historical prices so you can evaluate the deal for yourself. However, in my searches for "Vegas hotels," I discovered that the deals promoted did not match once I clicked through to the third-party site. For example, a $129 deal at the Venetian turned into $159 after I clicked through. Also, when I searched for a hotel I planned to book, no phone number was listed.


Source :http://travel.latimes.com

10 cool things about the iPhone 3G S

10 cool things about the iPhone 3G S

Ross Catanzariti, PC World Australia


Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Apple has announced its latest iPhone -- the iPhone 3G S.

The third iPhone to be released since the first was launched in the U.S. in 2007, Apple claims the iPhone 3G S is faster and more powerful than the current iPhone 3G. Although it retains an identical form factor and design, the iPhone 3G S has some nifty new features. Here are 10 of the best:

1. It's faster

Apple launched the iPhone 3G S by announcing it has a faster processor, more memory and "snappier performance". Although the iPhone 3G is no slouch, it can be a little sluggish when opening and closing applications. If Apple's demo videos are anything to go by, the iPhone 3G S will be a much zippier smartphone.

2. It has more memory

Apple will sell two models of the iPhone 3G S: 16GB and 32GB. There original iPhone came with 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of storage.

3. Video recording

Wow! A smartphone in 2009 that can record video? No way! Apple critics will point to the fact that the iPhone 3G can't record video as an example of a phone that lacks some basic features, but for potential iPhone owners the addition of video recording is a real plus.

4. Improved camera

The iPhone 3G S has a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, compared with the iPhone 3G's 2-megapixel, non-autofocus camera. It still lacks a flash, but the increased megapixel count should slightly improve photos and tapping an area on the screen to focus on is a cool feature that should make mobile photography easier.

5. You can talk to it

The iPhone 3G S introduces what Apple calls Voice Control, a voice recognition feature that allows you to make a call and play music by speaking. Voice Control can find any entry in your contacts list, and users simply have to say a name or phone number to make a call. For music, you can ask what song is playing and hear the iPhone 3G S answer, tell it to play your favourite album, or play similar tracks to the current one.

6. It has a built-in compass

A built-in digital compass is another new feature of the iPhone 3G S. We aren't sure exactly how often anyone would use this as a standalone app, but when combined with Google Maps, the compass will rotate maps to always match the direction you're facing. Now that is pretty cool.

7. Internet tethering

The iPhone 3G S can now be used as a modem, connecting to a Mac or PC via USB or Bluetooth. Although AT&T in the US won't be supporting this feature, Optus is one Australian telco that has confirmed it will be. Telstra and Vodafone are yet to announce whether they will offer tethering capability.

8. Accessibility features

Apple has included a number of features that help people with disabilities use the iPhone 3G S. These include Apple's VoiceOver function, which reads aloud what is on the screen, a zoom function that magnifies up to five times, and a white on black display option that provides increased contrast.

9. Nike+ iPod integration

Previously only available for selected iPod nano models, Apple's Nike + iPod is a fitness system that involves a Nike shoe communicating wirelessly with an iPod. The iPhone 3G S will be compatible with the system, which displays real time walking or running statistics.

10. New headphones

The iPhone 3G S will include Apple's remote headphones in the sales package. The new headphones have a multi-button remote and volume control keys, as well as a microphone to handle voice calls.

For the latest on the iPhone 3G S check out our iPhone Centre.


Source : www.pcworld.com

Microsoft unveiling free anti-virus

Microsoft unveiling free anti-virus
REUTERS


BOSTON: Microsoft Corp is getting ready to unveil a long-anticipated free anti-virus service for personal computers that will compete with produ
cts sold by Symantec Corp and McAfee Inc.

A Microsoft spokesman said on Wednesday that the world's biggest software maker is testing an early version of the product with its own employees. Microsoft would "soon" make a trial version, or product beta, available via its website, he added, but declined to provide a specific date.

Symantec shares fell 0.5 percent on Nasdaq and McAfee fell 1.3 percent on the New York Stock Exchange, while Microsoft was up 2.1 percent. The Nasdaq composite index was down 0.47 percent.

Investors are closely monitoring the free service, code-named Morro after Brazil's Morro de Sao Paolo beach, amid concern it could hurt sales of products from Symantec and McAfee, which generate billions of dollars of revenue a year protecting Windows PCs from attacks by hackers.

"It's a long-term competitive threat," said Daniel Ives, an analyst with FBR Capital Markets, though he added that the near-term impact was minimal.

Microsoft has said that Morro will offer basic features for fighting a wide range of viruses, which would likely make it comparable to low-end consumer products from Symantec and McAfee that cost about $40 per year.

Their top-selling products are security suites that come with features including encryption, firewalls, password protection, parental controls and data backup.

Three years ago, Microsoft entered that market with Live OneCare, which turned out to be a commercial flop. It announced plans in November to kill that product suite, saying it would launch the free Morro service by the end of 2009.

Analysts said they are looking forward to Morro's beta to see exactly how its features compare to those in products from competitors.

Microsoft has said it will provide protection from several types of malicious software including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.

Officials with Symantec and McAfee have said they do not see Morro as a threat.

"Microsoft's free product is basically a stripped down version of the OneCare product Microsoft pulled from the shelves," said Symantec Consumer division president Janice Chaffin. "A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected."

Joris Evers, a spokesman for No. 2 security software maker McAfee, said his company is already enjoying strong growth despite competition from free anti-virus products that are on the market.

"On a level playing field, we are confident in our ability to compete with anyone who might enter the marketplace," he said. A spokeswoman for Trend Micro Inc, the No. 3 player, declined to comment.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Brian Moss, Richard Chang)


Source : http://infotech.indiatimes.com

Apple iPhone 3G S Sports Faster, More Powerful Chip

Apple iPhone 3G S Sports Faster, More Powerful Chip

Specifications for the iPhone 3G S have surfaced, indicating that Apple's latest mobile device has a 600-MHz processor and 256 RAM on board.

By Antone Gonsalves
InformationWeek

The higher performance touted by Apple in the iPhone 3G S is because of a new ARM processor that delivers roughly twice the performance of its predecessor in the older iPhone 3G.

In unveiling the iPhone 3G S Monday at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, executives boasted that the new smartphone had twice the overall performance of the older model, but did not offer any technical details. On Tuesday, however, wireless carrier T-Mobile in the Netherlands posted iPhone 3G S specifications that indicate a "600-MHz processor" and "256 RAM."

The iPhone 3G is powered by a 400-MHz ARM processor and 128 MB of RAM, or system memory. The new specs indicate that the latest iPhone would have twice the processing power of the older model.

What won't be known for sure until Apple releases the iPhone 3G S on June 19 is the kind of processor in the smartphone. Before the device was introduced, Apple-focused tech sites speculated that it would contain an ARMv7 Cortex processor.

On Wednesday, however, AnandTech reported that the iPhone 3G S uses a Samsung Electronics system-on-a-chip with an ARMv8 Cortex and PowerVR SGX graphics processor, the same CPU and GPU, respectively, as the recently released Palm Pre. The iPhone 3G also uses a Samsung SoC, but with the slower ARM processor.

The iPhone 3G S may be the last to use ARM's off-the-shelf reference designs. Future versions are likely to use an ARM processor surrounded by Apple's proprietary technologies based on PA Semi, a low-power chip designer that Apple bought last year.


Source :http://www.informationweek.com

Apple selling iPhone 3G S at 8 a.m. June 19, AT&T at 7 a.m

Apple selling iPhone 3G S at 8 a.m. June 19, AT&T at 7 a.m.
by Erica Ogg










This post was udpated with information about AT&T store hours at 3:45 p.m. PDT.

Apple offered clarification Wednesday for when exactly the new iPhone 3G S will go on sale.

Though Apple Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller said during his keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference that the phone will first be available in the U.S. and seven other countries on June 19, he didn't offer a specific time. The 3G S will go on sale starting at 8 a.m. (in all time zones) next Friday. We know that many stores will open early that day for the occasion.

AT&T Stores will open even earlier, at 7 a.m., just for those who have pre-ordered an iPhone 3G S from the carrier. Those who haven't will have to wait outside AT&T stores until 8 a.m. with the rest of the public.

As usual, we'll be following iPhone sales in various time zones. Will Apple fans stand in line for the third straight year? We'll find out. In the meantime, click the photo above for a gallery of very committed line standers from the 2008 launch of the iPhone 3G.
Originally posted at Apple

Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica.


Source :http://reviews.cnet.com