It is boom time for Android phone users who do not like typing text in. Depending on their device, they can now choose between two applications that will let them control their phones by their voices. And that too without paying a penny. While Google introduced its Voice Actions for Android devices running Android 2.2 (or Froyo), Vlingo made its app for Android devices running Android 2.0 and 2.1 free of cost. Both applications let you do a host of things on your handset, from sending texts to checking mail to searching the Internet, by just talking to it.
While Google Voice Actions seems to be the faster to adapt to your voice, we must confess to being very impressed with Vlingo which has some very interesting features, such as the option to update your Twitter status by just speaking to your device. On the flip side, we love Google Voice Actions’ ability to head to a website when you speak to it. As we said, it is a terrific time to be using Android.
FarmVille might be a rage all over the world, but there are a quite a few Facebook users who find nothing more annoying than seeing messages about wandering cows and flowers pop up on their walls. Well, they can now strike back, thanks to an app called, very appropriately, Farmvillain. The app is available on Facebook (just head to http://apps.facebook.com/farm-villain/) and even on the iPhone/iPod touch. Basically, the app is designed to spoof everything that happens on Facebook. So you can send people stories about how how you have successfully shot 10 intruders on your farm, or how the cows on your farm have caught mad cow disease, or (if you really do not like cows) how you have successfully butchered more than a thousand cows in the previous 24 hours.
In essence, it is the total antithesis of the cutesy feel of Farmville that sets lots of users teeth on edge. Yes, some of it tends to be a bit gross and might offend some sensibilities, but some people just might like it, and most will be hard pressed not to laugh. Definitely worth a look, we think.
Days after its last tweak, Google has gone and made some changes in Gmail again. Last time it was the option to sign into two Gmail accounts within the same browser, this time it is more a revamp of the interface, especially that of the contacts. A quick visit to http://gmail.google.com will reveal a tweaked Gmail, with three new links on top of the left column “Mail,” “Contacts” and “Tasks,” a clear indication that Google wants this to appear as a part of a suite of applications (we are waiting for “Files” to be added to the list, bringing Google Docs into the equation). Of course, you can turn off viewing Contacts and Tasks if you wish by just hitting the minus sign next to “Mail,” but we honestly do not see any reason why we should.
However, the biggest overhaul has been in the contacts section, with each contact now being presented in a single line, with details. Continue reading »
We have had the opportunity to play around with India’s first 3G-enabled tablet, the OlivePad from Olive Telecom, and while we are not exactly sure that it will drive us away from the iPad, it is by far the best stand-alone tablet product in the country. Yes, we do not know its final price yet, but if you are looking for reasons to invest in it, here are six factors that we think could help make up your mind. Continue reading »
The recently-launched OlivePad and the Apple iPad might have got more column space in news columns, but we at Techgazing are keeping our fingers crossed that the tablet that will really change the world will the one recently shown by the HRD ministry. Featuring a touchscreen and a number of connectivity options and running on a version of Linux (no, not Android), the biggest attraction of the product is the fact that it is expected to be priced at as low as $35 (around Rs 1600). Now compare that with the Rs 23,000 price tag of the OlivePad and the Rs 30,000 of the Wi-Fi iPad, and you can see why we are thrilled at the prospect of such a product. Not only would it make computing so much more accessible to the masses, it would also force other manufacturers to bring down their prices. Yes, we know that the $35 tablet is unlikely to have the kind of specs the iPad or the OlivePad possess, but from what we know it will let users browse the Net, check their social networks, do some e-mailing and also some word processing. Truth be told, not too many people need more from a portable computing device. We certainly would be more than content, even if its price tag doubles or heck, triples!
There has been widespread scorn poured on the product by most of the international media, which are already calling it “vapourware,” but given the involvement of the prestigious IITs in the project, we cannot help but root for it. We are keeping our eyes on this product. And our fingers crossed. Watch this space for more news.
Hidden Reflex, an Indian startup company claims to have come out with a web browser specially designed for India. Called Epic, the browser is built on the Mozilla Firefox engine and comes with some interesting features, including an inbuilt word processor and a sidebar that can hold shortcuts to apps and websites. Pretty cool, you think? Well, what actually has us grinning in delight is the fact that the browser actually supports typing in Indian languages. Every time you type something in Epic, you will be given the option to transliterate your text into one of 12 supported Indian languages. Now, that is truly Indian, as it lets a user do just about everything on the browser from chatting to sending e-mails, searching and making posts on their social networking sites in their own language - something that can be a bit of a pain in other browsers. Thrown in a stack of Indian themes and the fact, that being on the Firefox engine, Epic pretty much supports all Firefox add-ons and we think that Hidden Reflex might have a winner here.
We are downloading it and really think you should take it for a spin (or rather, a surf too). You can get it from http://www.epicbrowser.com/.
The iPad might not have arrived on Indian shores yet, but you can be sure of one thing - come Thursday, India will see its first 3G-enabled tablet device. Olive Telecom are the folks launching it - if we remember right, they were the first ones off the mark with the first 3G-enabled laptop in the country too. The launch is scheduled to happen in Delhi around noon on Thursday.
Of course, there are a host of questions that spring to mind at the announcement - what operating system will the tablet run on (Android, Windows, proprietary), what will be the connectivity costs (3G connectivity ain’t cheap from what we have seen), what will be the functions available on the tablet (will it be able to take photographs) and most importantly, what will be the price tag that it carries? Given Olive’s reputation for solid, value-for-money devices, we are hoping in our heart of hearts for an Android tablet that costs less than Rs 20,000, but we will know only on Thursday. Watch this space until then.
Microsoft is definitely in redo and revamp mode as far as its apps go this year. We have had new Windows Live apps, a new look Hotmail and a new MS Office, and now a whole new MSN homepage. While the entire design of the page has been given a thorough once-over, what has caught attention has been the integration of social networks like Twitter and Facebook on the homepage.
From now onwards, when you log in to MSN (http://in.msn.com), you will not only be told how many new mails are there in your Hotmail account, but you can also check out the latest updates in your Facebook and Twitter accounts on the right hand side of the page. All you need to do is provide your username and the next time you log in to the MSN homepage, you will be able to see the latest updates from both accounts. Even better, you will be able to do basic tasks like replying, commenting and tweeting from the MSN homepage itself without having to open any additional app or website. Now, that’s handy.
Honestly speaking, we are not too sold on the look and feel of the newly designed MSN page, but the social networking integration has us grinning from ear to ear. Here’s hoping for more networks being included and users being given the option to see their network updates right on top of the MSN page instead of having to look at a panel on the right!
The iPhone 3G kicked off the era of the mobile apps - software that you could install on your phone to get extra functionality. While smartphones (like those on Symbian Series 60 platform and on Windows Mobile or BlackBerry OS) might have an edge in the app business, it is entirely incorrect to assume - as some people do - that apps can be installed ONLY on smartphones. In fact, you can get a very decent array of mobile apps for most mid-segment (beginning from Rs 6,000) phones - “if it has a colour display and connect to the Net, it is a fair chance it will support apps,” as one app guru told us.
And we just went and cherry-picked six of the best that we think would even make the dumbest-seeming phone almost as good as a smartphone. Continue reading »
All right, we think this is definitely a case of Christmas coming early. Airtel has announced that all its subscribers can access the mobile website of Facebook on their handsets free of cost until August 31. In simple English, that means that all Airtel users can “post status updates, comment and write on walls, message others, and also be able to view or upload photos - all without any data charges” (yes, we got that from the press release, so now you know it is official). As if that were not enough, there is also the fact that in the coming days, Facebook mobile will also be accessible in five different Indian languages (Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam) apart from English and Hindi. Now, that is what we call a terrific deal, with no strings attached (and we looked!). Continue reading »
The iPhone 4 might be attracting a lot of controversy over its signal reception, but it already has a fan in one of the biggest names in Bollywood - Amitabh Bachchan. The Big B made no secret of how much he likes the device when he recommended it to yet another Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan.
It all happened over Twitter with Shah Rukh tweeting: “iPad…iMac…nokia…kindle…so much wifi around me feel like a holographic 3d image of myself in space.Marconi we’ve come a long way baby.” Bachchan promptly responded: “shahrukh ! May I add to your wifi world of confusion - get the iphone4 .. It is just incredible ! Ha ha” Of course, we do wonder where Shah Rukh got a Kindle with WiFi (none officially exists), but even then, we doubt the iPhone 4 - or any tech device - has ever had a bigger endorsement. We do hope this will make Apple bring the device to India sooner than expected!
It is not really official, but the tech rumour market in India is abuzz with the news that the new iPhone, iPhone 4, will be seen in India in September. Both Vodafone and Airtel are expected to offer the phone to their users. The 16 GB model is likely to carry a price tag of around Rs 35,000, while the 32 GB model will cost about Rs 40,000. Those are stiff prices, in best iPhone tradition, and one can only hope that the service providers will come up with some subsidy, allowing users to get their hands on the phones for a lower price, while locking them in to a contract. Mind you, that did not happen with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. That said, there will be those who will be willing to shell out even Rs 40,000 for the latest edition of a phone that is being hailed as the best in the world, reception issues notwithstanding.
It is easily one of the most coveted gadgets in the world, having made the cover of both Time and Newseek, single-handedly reviving the tablet industry, and adding a whole new dimension to accessing content on the move.We are talking of the Apple iPad. Such is its attraction that thousands of people in India are already queuing up for it, even though it has not been officially released in the country, asking relatives and friends abroad to get them a unit or simply picking one up from the grey market. If you are one of those swayed by the iPad and are itching to get one, our advice to you is simple: wait. And no, we are not saying that because we are jealous (hey, we do not have an iPad yet - there! we have confessed it), but because of some very valid reasons. Continue reading »
Want to tweak your videos before or after you upload them to YouTube? Well, you can now do so without having to install any software on your computer. YouTube now has its very own video editor that comes with features like trimming the beginning or end of clips, combining clips into one video, and adding a soundtrack from YouTube’s free AudioSwap music collection. It is definitely not comparable with desktop video-editing tools that professionals use, but is more than adequate if all one wants to do is some basic editing. The interface is intuitive and easy to understand - check the embedded video from the YouTube official blog below.
Of course, in best YouTube and Google tradition, the video editor is free! You can access the editor by going to www.youtube.com/editor. We would recommend you giving it a spin, especially if you have decent connectivity.
With the world getting a dose of football fever, how could one of the most famous tech companies around stay immune. Google has added a number of World Cup touches to all its products. And in best Google tradition, they are wonderfully simple while being effective. There are Chrome extensions and iGoogle desktop gadgets to get you the latest from the tournament, and you can explore stadiums in 3D and even go inside them using Street View in Google Maps. More details are available at www.google.com/worldcup/
But the best touch of them all is the one on search - you just have to search for “World Cup” to get the latest scores or search for “World Cup group A” to get the standings of that particular group, right on top of the search results. This is particularly terrific for cellphone users who are saved the hassle of going to a website and waiting for it to load. Thanks, Google!
With more than fifty matches scheduled in the FIFA World Cup over the next four weeks, keeping track of what is happening and when can be quite a tough ask. Which is why we love what the folks at Marca.com have done -they have come out with a really innovative calendar showing the entire tournament in a wheel of sorts, where you can view matches and results by team, date, cities and group - with an option to make the calendar fullscreen too.
All you need to get details is place your mouse over specific parts of the wheel. A must-bookmark for all football fans, we think, and a great example of just how easy technology can make things, although most of the site is in Spanish (the calendar has an English version, relax). You can see the innovative calendar wheel here.
World Cup mania has well and truly gripped the world with the world’s premier football tournament getting underway in South Africa today. Predictably, just about every website worth its tecno-salt is attempting to cover the tournament in some form or the other - from live video to flash animation to text commentary. We have cherry-picked five of our favourite sites in this regard - they might not offer the best in terms of cutting edge technology but they sure will tell you everything that is worth knowing about the tournament.
Samsung seems to be betting very heavily on all-touchscreen phones that do not cost the earth. After the success of the Star and Corby, the company has now come out with what it calls its “most affordable 3G full touch handset”, the Star Nano 3G. The device sports a 2.6 inch touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel camera and Samsung’s TouchWiz 2.0 interface that allows users to access different websites and services from a host of widgets on the homescreen. Of course, as its name itself indicates, the phone is 3G-ready, and its price tag of Rs 7,320 is supposed to be on the lower side for such a device.
Honestly, we think the screen is a bit on the smaller side for a device that is based on a touch interface (the BlackBerry Bold has as big a screen AND a QWERTY keypad to boot) and we do think that a 1.3 megapixel camera is a bit passe in these days when one can get a 3.2 megapixel shooter for most devices in the Star Nano 3G’s price range. Nevertheless, we think it is the performance of the device on a 3G network that Samsung is really betting on and after seeing how well the Corby has handled it on Tata Indicom, we would not bet against this one. Of course, we are still waiting for 3G to come to India, but Samsung seems to be ready for it already. Consumers are unlikely to complain.
The past few days have seen a lot of noise about the security - or lack of it - on Facebook, and the consequences. Well, there are many ways of making sure that your Facebook data is reasonably secure, but if you are the type that likes a simple solution (heck, most of us do), then all you need to do is go to www.ReclaimPrivacy.org. One the page you will see an option to drag a button titled “Scan for Privacy” to your browser’s bookmarks bar. Drag it to your browser’s bar and the next time you are visiting your Facebook account, just click on the button and hey, presto, you will be given a quick breakdown of how secure your data on the site is and how you can improve it, if needed.
It is incredibly simple, and costs nothing. We are already using it, and think that you should, too.
Arguably one of the most popular games of all time, Pac-Man, turns 30 on May 21 and Google has decided to celebrate by literally putting the game on its own home page. So, if you are looking to play Pac-Man, all you need to do is head to www.google.com and you will see the Google doodle (the fancy manner in which “Google” is written) in the form of Pac-Man. Just hit the “Insert Coin” option or wait for ten seconds and the game will start - you just need the direction key to keep moving and avoid the ghosts.
And no, this is not a half-baked tribute to the game. Google has actually equipped the doodle with many unique characteristics from the original Pac-Man. The personalities of the ghosts have been faithfully reproduced: Inky (blue: fickle), Blinky (red: chaser), Pinky (pink: ambusher) and Clyde (orange: slow). Even programming bugs from the original game like a “kill screen” on level 256, have been retained. Yessir, this is Pac-Man all right. And it does not affect the lightning-fast download speed of Google’s home page either. Take a bow, Google…and thanks!
Facebook users on some networks will be able to access the social networking site totally free of cost, thanks to the launch of a new website called Zero Facebook. The site can be accessed at http://0.facebook.com on most handsets and works at the rate of knots as it focuses on displaying text, pushing video and images to the background, although users can access them through links if they wish (viewing pics will incur data costs, though). In essence, the site lets you do everything you can on the regular mobile Facebook site (http://m.facebook.com) like updating their status, viewing their News Feed, commenting on posts, sending and replying to messages, etc., without your having to pay even data charges.
The catch, of course, is that not all mobile service providers in India support the site yet - at present, only subscribers of Videocon and Reliance can access Zero Facebook. Facebook, however, has assured us that it is looking to tie up with other operators too, so it might not be too long before one can access Facebook on one’s handset without incurring a penny of data costs.
Hotmail, the e-mail service that made e-mail a rage more than a decade ago (and Sabeer Bhatia a household name and a millionaire, but that is another story), has got a whole new look about it. About time too, some cynics will scoff, pointing out that the mail service had been losing ground to the likes of Gmail, with its cluttered interface and relative lack of speed. Well, all that might be a matter of the past, if the new-look Hotmail is anything to go by. Not only is it a lot friskier than its rather laden-footed predecessor, but it also brings in some very nifty new features, such as better integration with other e-mail services (yes, you can even get your Yahoo! Mail and Gmail mails here) and social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
One of the most welcome additions is going to be the conversation view in the inbox which groups all mails about a particular subject under one head, Gmail style. There is also Live Messenger integration, allowing you to sift through mails and chat at the same time, and the option to access images and videos from Bing or photo albums from Windows Live SkyDrive without leaving one’s inbox. Handy, very. Besides these, there are the predictable (and difficult to test) improvements in spam control and security. The one feature that will make jaws drop, however, is the 10GB limit per message, which would literally allow one to send entire films in a single mail, bandwidth permitting. The new Hotmail might just have killed the attachment limit barrier!
So will these features help make Hotmail cool once again? We do not really know yet, but they have convinced us to start using our rusty old Hotmail account again. We suggest you do so too, if only to see how much things have changed. For the better.
There is good news for all those who use Peek, the handy and extremely affordable QWERTY device that lets you access e-mail on the move. According to a mail that we have received, the Peek service is going to get upgraded on May 18. Improvements include “faster email delivery for many users, and the ability to view PDF attachments as images on your Peek.” The service will not be available for three hours (from 0730 hrs to 1030 hrs, Indian time) on May 18, while the upgrade takes place. Also, the upgrade will not let users view attachments of old mail downloaded before the upgrade. Still, if it delivers what it promises - the speed boost and the PDF handling - most Peek users in India, some of whom have been complaining about the service being a tad on the slow side, will be more than delighted.
Now, we just hope the folks at Peek can do something to bring down that Rs 299 per month rental for using the service, which we maintain remains on the high side, considering that Aircel (the network that offers the Peek) has an unlimited Mobile Internet access package of Rs 98 per month!
Yes, you read that right. There’s a new mobile e-mail app in town and it claims it can deliver get e-mail to your handset, without your even needing a mobile Internet or GPRS connection. Called BlacMail, it is an offering from Bangalore-based Fifth C Solutions, and while we have not tried it out as yet, seems incredibly promising.
Evidently, all you need to get BlacMail working on your handset is to download the software from www.blacmail.in - you can download it directly to your phone (if you have a GPRS connection) or to your PC and then transfer it to your handset. That’s all there is to it. The app claims to support not only popular mail services like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail, but also corporate mails. Round that off with the fact that it can also let you access social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Orkut, and you will see why we are so impressed. It does not come free, though. Rates for the service begin at Rs 49, although details are sketchy at the moment. However, it runs on most handsets and by all accounts, works a charm.
Very, very promising, we think. We intend giving it a once-over in the coming days, and would advise you to do the same if you are the type that likes to get their mail on the move.
It came in unheralded, like most Google updates, but could prove to be one of the best from the search behemoth. Most of us tech followers know that we can get a 3D perspective of the earth by downloading and using Google’s Google Earth software - well, now you can get a somewhat similar experience in your browser itself, without having to download anything big. All you need to do is go to http://maps.google.com and opt for the “Use Earth View” link that appears on the left of the screen and you will be able to see the earth in 3D, panning and zooming from various angles using your mouse and your onscreen controls. Of course, it does not work well in ALL areas - we would advise you not to try seeing your neighbourhood in 3D, for instance - but when it comes to famous buildings and monuments, it is nothing short of awesome. We are still stunned at how amazing Big Ben and Mount Everest looked, and “stunned” does not quite sum up how we felt when we discovered that we could actually dive underwater to see the wreck of the Titanic.
All you need to get all this and much more is the Google Earth plugin for your browser which is, of course, available free of cost, in best Google tradition. Now, if you will excuse us, we have a planet to explore on our browser. And in 3D too!
It is boom time for Android phone users who do not like typing text in. Depending on their device, they can now choose between two applications that will let them control their phones by their voices. And that too without paying a penny. While Google introduced its Voice Actions for Android devices running Android 2.2 (or Froyo), Vlingo made its app for Android devices running Android 2.0 and 2.1 free of cost. Both applications let you do a host of things on your handset, from sending texts to checking mail to searching the Internet, by just talking to it.
The iPad might not have arrived on Indian shores yet, but you can be sure of one thing - come Thursday, India will see its first 3G-enabled tablet device. Olive Telecom are the folks launching it - if we remember right, they were the first ones off the mark with the first 3G-enabled laptop in the country too. The launch is scheduled to happen in Delhi around noon on Thursday.
The iPhone 3G kicked off the era of the mobile apps - software that you could install on your phone to get extra functionality. While smartphones (like those on Symbian Series 60 platform and on Windows Mobile or BlackBerry OS) might have an edge in the app business, it is entirely incorrect to assume - as some people do - that apps can be installed ONLY on smartphones. In fact, you can get a very decent array of mobile apps for most mid-segment (beginning from Rs 6,000) phones - “if it has a colour display and connect to the Net, it is a fair chance it will support apps,” as one app guru told us.
All right, we think this is definitely a case of Christmas coming early. Airtel has announced that all its subscribers can access the mobile website of Facebook on their handsets free of cost until August 31. In simple English, that means that all Airtel users can “post status updates, comment and write on walls, message others, and also be able to view or upload photos - all without any data charges” (yes, we got that from the press release, so now you know it is official). As if that were not enough, there is also the fact that in the coming days, Facebook mobile will also be accessible in five different Indian languages (Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam) apart from English and Hindi. Now, that is what we call a terrific deal, with no strings attached (and we looked!). 
With the world getting a dose of football fever, how could one of the most famous tech companies around stay immune. Google has added a number of World Cup touches to all its products. And in best Google tradition, they are wonderfully simple while being effective. There are Chrome extensions and iGoogle desktop gadgets to get you the latest from the tournament, and you can explore stadiums in 3D and even go inside them using Street View in Google Maps. More details are available at www.google.com/worldcup/
With more than fifty matches scheduled in the FIFA World Cup over the next four weeks, keeping track of what is happening and when can be quite a tough ask. Which is why we love what the folks at Marca.com have done -they have come out with a really innovative calendar showing the entire tournament in a wheel of sorts, where you can view matches and results by team, date, cities and group - with an option to make the calendar fullscreen too.
Samsung seems to be betting very heavily on all-touchscreen phones that do not cost the earth. After the success of the Star and Corby, the company has now come out with what it calls its “most affordable 3G full touch handset”, the Star Nano 3G. The device sports a 2.6 inch touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel camera and Samsung’s TouchWiz 2.0 interface that allows users to access different websites and services from a host of widgets on the homescreen. Of course, as its name itself indicates, the phone is 3G-ready, and its price tag of Rs 7,320 is supposed to be on the lower side for such a device.
The past few days have seen a lot of noise about the security - or lack of it - on Facebook, and the consequences. Well, there are many ways of making sure that your Facebook data is reasonably secure, but if you are the type that likes a simple solution (heck, most of us do), then all you need to do is go to www.ReclaimPrivacy.org. One the page you will see an option to drag a button titled “Scan for Privacy” to your browser’s bookmarks bar. Drag it to your browser’s bar and the next time you are visiting your Facebook account, just click on the button and hey, presto, you will be given a quick breakdown of how secure your data on the site is and how you can improve it, if needed.
Arguably one of the most popular games of all time, Pac-Man, turns 30 on May 21 and Google has decided to celebrate by literally putting the game on its own home page. So, if you are looking to play Pac-Man, all you need to do is head to www.google.com and you will see the Google doodle (the fancy manner in which “Google” is written) in the form of Pac-Man. Just hit the “Insert Coin” option or wait for ten seconds and the game will start - you just need the direction key to keep moving and avoid the ghosts.
Facebook users on some networks will be able to access the social networking site totally free of cost, thanks to the launch of a new website called Zero Facebook. The site can be accessed at http://0.facebook.com on most handsets and works at the rate of knots as it focuses on displaying text, pushing video and images to the background, although users can access them through links if they wish (viewing pics will incur data costs, though). In essence, the site lets you do everything you can on the regular mobile Facebook site (http://m.facebook.com) like updating their status, viewing their News Feed, commenting on posts, sending and replying to messages, etc., without your having to pay even data charges.
Hotmail, the e-mail service that made e-mail a rage more than a decade ago (and Sabeer Bhatia a household name and a millionaire, but that is another story), has got a whole new look about it. About time too, some cynics will scoff, pointing out that the mail service had been losing ground to the likes of Gmail, with its cluttered interface and relative lack of speed. Well, all that might be a matter of the past, if the new-look Hotmail is anything to go by. Not only is it a lot friskier than its rather laden-footed predecessor, but it also brings in some very nifty new features, such as better integration with other e-mail services (yes, you can even get your Yahoo! Mail and Gmail mails here) and social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
There is good news for all those who use Peek, the handy and extremely affordable QWERTY device that lets you access e-mail on the move. According to a mail that we have received, the Peek service is going to get upgraded on May 18. Improvements include “faster email delivery for many users, and the ability to view PDF attachments as images on your Peek.” The service will not be available for three hours (from 0730 hrs to 1030 hrs, Indian time) on May 18, while the upgrade takes place. Also, the upgrade will not let users view attachments of old mail downloaded before the upgrade. Still, if it delivers what it promises - the speed boost and the PDF handling - most Peek users in India, some of whom have been complaining about the service being a tad on the slow side, will be more than delighted.
Yes, you read that right. There’s a new mobile e-mail app in town and it claims it can deliver get e-mail to your handset, without your even needing a mobile Internet or GPRS connection. Called BlacMail, it is an offering from Bangalore-based Fifth C Solutions, and while we have not tried it out as yet, seems incredibly promising.
It came in unheralded, like most Google updates, but could prove to be one of the best from the search behemoth. Most of us tech followers know that we can get a 3D perspective of the earth by downloading and using Google’s Google Earth software - well, now you can get a somewhat similar experience in your browser itself, without having to download anything big. All you need to do is go to http://maps.google.com and opt for the “Use Earth View” link that appears on the left of the screen and you will be able to see the earth in 3D, panning and zooming from various angles using your mouse and your onscreen controls. Of course, it does not work well in ALL areas - we would advise you not to try seeing your neighbourhood in 3D, for instance - but when it comes to famous buildings and monuments, it is nothing short of awesome. We are still stunned at how amazing Big Ben and Mount Everest looked, and “stunned” does not quite sum up how we felt when we discovered that we could actually dive underwater to see the wreck of the Titanic.
