WhatsApp vs. Skype vs. Viber – Spoiled for Choice

There are many clients available for instant messaging and making VoIP calls through the desktop or through mobile phones. Chatting has now left the PC and entered the mobile world in a very big way.

Messaging apps offer additional features, such as making voice and video calls as well. You can even send and receive files, share photos and videos and group conversations through such hangouts. In fact, there are so many apps, such as WhatsApp, Skype and Viber, that the user is spoiled for choice. What makes one better than the other? Let’s see if we can sort it out.

WhatsApp

It is a very popular messaging app for mobile platforms and has more than 200 million users from all over the world. It is available for the Android and iOS phones, as well as for the BlackBerry and Windows Phones. It was recently bought over by Facebook and is also looking towards including audio calls in the near future. Its top features are text chatting, including chatting with groups. It also offers sharing of files, such as photos and videos and location sharing.

WhatsApp is very accessible and simple to use. You don’t have to incur any more SMS charges through your carrier, if your friends also have the app installed on their smartphones. You get a free trial for a year after which you have to pay $1 for a year as subscription. However, at present, you cannot make audio or video calls through this application. In addition, it does not have a presence on PCs and is available only for the mobile platform. It was founded in the year 2009 by two Yahoo employees who created this SMS alternative.

Skype

Skype has the largest user base among all VoIP apps and presently enjoys more than 300 million users from all over the world. It works on the desktop as well as on mobile platforms. The app is a cross platform one and can be installed on the Android and iOS devices, as well as Windows Phone and the BlackBerry. You can also install it on your Windows 8 desktop or a Mac OS X. Skype offers text chatting and instant messaging as well as group chatting. In addition, Skype also offers audio and video calls for free, to all other users who have the app on their devices. You can also make calls to other landlines and other mobile numbers at a very reasonable rate. Skype enables sharing of files, photos and videos as well in addition to a screen-sharing feature.

Skype has become so synonymous with Internet calls that it has gained a verb status. Those who want to make free or cheap international calls generally make use of this app. It has also entered smart TVs and the Xbox One as well as mobile phones. You can have group-chatting with hundreds of users or contacts at the same time. Skype has also introduced the Skype Qik, which can be used for sending short video messages to contacts.

Viber

Viber is a very popular messaging, audio and video calling application with more than 200 million users. It is available for all mobile platforms, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone as well as BlackBerry devices. It can also be installed on your desktop, Windows 8 or Mac OS X. Viber allows free calls to contacts already having the app. You can access group chatting, audio and video calls as well as share files and access location sharing features. Your phone number is your ID, so you don’t have to create any account or add contacts to the app, which is not the case with Skype. You can also make Viber Out calls to those who do not have the app, and in this case it will be charged to your usual call allowance on your phone.

Google rolls out 'smart' spoon

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Google is throwing its money, brain power and technology at the humble spoon. 

But these spoons (don't call them spoogles) are a bit more than your basic utensil: Using hundreds of algorithms, they allow people with essential tremors and Parkinson's disease to eat without spilling. 

The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. In clinical trials, the Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by an average of 76 percent. 

"We want to help people in their daily lives today and hopefully increase understanding of disease in the long run," Google spokesperson Katelin Jabbari said. 

Other adaptive devices have been developed to help people with tremors — rocker knives, weighted utensils, pen grips. But until now, experts say, technology has not been used in this way. 

"It's totally novel," said UC San Francisco Medical Center neurologist Dr Jill Ostrem, who specializes in movement disorders like Parkinson's disease and essential tremors. 

She helped advise the inventors and says the device, which has a fork attachment, has been a remarkable asset for some of her patients. 

"I have some patients who couldn't eat independently, they had to be fed, and now they can eat on their own," she said. "It doesn't cure the disease — they still have tremor — but it's a very positive change." 

Google got into the no-shake utensil business in September, acquiring a small, National of Institutes of Health-funded startup called Lift Labs for an undisclosed sum. 

More than 10 million people worldwide, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin's mother, have essential tremors or Parkinson's disease. Brin has said he also has a mutation associated with higher rates of Parkinson's and has donated more than $50 million to research for a cure. But the Lift Labs acquisition was not related, Jabbari said. 

Lift Lab founder Anupam Pathak said moving from a small, four-person startup in San Francisco to the vast Google campus in Mountain View has freed him up to be more creative as he explores how to apply the technology even more broadly. 

His team works at the search giant's division called Google(x) Life Sciences, which is also developing a smart contact lens that measures glucose levels in tears for diabetics and is researching how nanoparticles in blood might help detect diseases. 

Joining Google has been motivating, said Pathak, but his focus remains on people who are now able to eat independently with his device. 

"If you build something with your hands and it has that sort of an impact, it's the greatest feeling ever," he said. "As an engineer who likes to build things, that's the most validating thing that can happen." 

Pathak said they also hope to add sensors to the spoons to help medical researchers and providers better understand, measure and alleviate tremors. 

Shirin Vala, 65, of Oakland, has had an essential tremor for about a decade. She was at her monthly Essential Tremor group at a San Ramon medical clinic earlier this year when researchers developing the device introduced the idea and asked if anyone was interested in helping them. 

As it was refined, she tried it out and gave them feedback. And when they hit the market at $295 apiece, she bought one. 

Without the spoon, Vala said eating was really a challenge because her hands trembled so hard food fell off the utensils before she could eat it. 

"I was shaking and I had a hard time to keep the food on a spoon, especially soup or something like an olive or tomatoes or something. It is very embarrassing. It's very frustrating," she said. 

The spoon definitely improved her situation. "I was surprised that I held the food in there so much better. It makes eating much easier, especially if I'm out at a restaurant," she said.


Source:The Times of India

Facebook Faces Government Probe Over Study That Manipulated Users' Emotions Without Telling Them

Facebook faces a government investigation in Europe over its study of whether manipulating people's news feeds could change their emoti Reportedly recently,Facebook's experiment tweaked the algorithms of nearly 700,000 unwitting users, causing people to see an abnormally low number of either positive or negative posts. People who saw more negative posts wrote more negative posts, and vice versa, showing that their mood was being affected by the kinds of things they were reading on Facebook.

Now, governments in the U.K. and Ireland look set to investigate, according to the Financial Times:

The Information Commissioner's Office said it was probing the experiment and planned to ask Facebook questions after widespread outrage when it was revealed at the weekend. The regulator said it would also be in contact with the Irish data protection body, because Facebook has its European headquarters in Dublin.

A spokesperson for the ICO said it was too early to tell exactly what part of the law Facebook may have infringed. The regulator looks at how much personal data are used and whether users have given their consent.

Facebook won't be helped by the fact that the company didn't alter its terms of service to disclose to users that their posts would be used for research until four months after the experiment took place, according to Forbes:

Four months after this study happened, in May 2012, Facebook made changes to its data use policy, and that's when it introduced this line about how it might use your information: "For internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research and service improvement." Facebook helpfully posted a "red-line" version of the new policy, contrasting it with the prior version from September 2011 - which did not mention anything about user information being used in "research."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg need not lie awake stressing over the outcome of any probe, however. The ICO only has the power to levy a fine of up to £500,000 ($857,000), the FT says - which is pocket change in terms of the $3 billion that the social network holds on its balance sheet.

Facebook Home developer team disbanded

Facebook has disbanded its Home (Android Launcher) team, but the app still lives. 

Facebook's plan to take over the smartphone has not panned out and the social networking site has disbanded its team that was initially responsible for developing Facebook Home. The Android skin released last year displayed Facebook photos on its lock screen and provided easy access to chat messages and status updates.

The Home app released last year wasn't a success that Facebook had hoped for. Although it did a good job of transforming an Android phone into one that felt purpose-built for Facebook, not many users took it up. The skin came preinstalled on the HTC first, but did not get a good response and disappeared shortly after its launch.

Facebook Home saw half a million downloads after its launch, but the growth stalled from there. Google Play lists that the skin has been installed between 1 million and 5 million times which is quiet low for Facebook. Facebook says that it still has a team working on Home, but chances of it moving forward are less. The app remains available in the Play Store, however it hasn't been updated since January.

Facebook has been working on new apps like Slingshot and Facebook Paper. Paper is a magazine-style news reader service and was launched in February. The service is very similar to Flipboard and Google Currents and pulls out relevant content including photos, videos and links from Facebook feed.

Facebook launched a Snapchat clone called Slingshot earlier this month. The app allows users to share videos and photos with their friends, but the only way recipients will be able to see the messages will be if they share something back on Slingshot. The app has been officially launched for Android and iOS platforms.

Hangouts 1.3 Will Reportedly Add SMS, Giving Android Its Own iMessage Equivalent

Google is said to be prepping an update
to its Hangouts instant messaging/video
chat Android app that would allow it to
integrate with SMS, making it possible
to get all text and MMS messages right
in the same inbox. That would fulfill a
promise made a long time ago, near
when Hangouts was first announced, by
Hangouts and Chat community manager
Dori Storbeck.

The new info comes from Android Police,
which says it had heard that Google
would be building SMS integration into
Hangouts in a version releasing soon, a
report which was then corroborated by
screenshots from an anonymous tipster.
In the screenshots, Hangouts is depicted
as showing messages clearly sent “via
SMS,” as well as being able to “Send an
SMS message” in the existing compose
screen. There’s also a screenshot of the
settings where SMS can be toggled on
and off.

The update would also offer up video
sharing via Hangouts, the report claims,
but the biggest news for both Google
and for other third-party messaging
platforms would be the SMS integration.
It would consolidate one more service/
app offering into Hangouts for Google,
which has already subsumed Google Talk
and Google+ Messenger. It would be
easy to see it taking the next logical
step from there and offering VoIP
services, too, providing a complete over-
the-top service.
It would also be potentially bad news
for competitors like WhatsApp and
Facebook Messenger. FB’s messaging app
already offers SMS integration, but
Google’s Hangouts version would ship on
devices pre-installed, and could
conceivably replace the Messaging app
altogether, making it the default option
for Android users. It could also eat
away at more carrier business, as
combining the two and favoring Google
+ based messaging first would have a
similar effect to iMessage, where
carriers eventually derive less revenue
from shuttling SMS content back and
forth.
SMS has long been in the cards for
Hangouts, and hopefully it’s arriving
soon. There’s no timeline attached to
the report, apart from some speculation
it could arrive with Android KitKat, but
in all likelihood this functionality will be
generally available to Hangouts users
regardless of their OS version.

LG's curved display smartphoneconfirmed for November launch

LG Electronics Inc's display unit said on Monday it will start mass production of curved smartphone displays as the South Korean phone maker plans to launch a smartphone with the new screens next month to catch bigger rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. 

Samsung said last month it would introduce a smartphone with a curved display in October as the world's top handset maker seeks to set the pace of hardware innovation amid slowing growth in the high-end smartphone market. 

Curved displays are in the early stages of development and allow bendable or foldable designs that could eventually allow mobile and wearable gadgets to take new forms that could radically change the high-end smartphone market.

LG Display Co Ltd said on Monday it has started production of a six-inch display curved top to bottom. LG Electronics plans to launch a smartphone with the curved display in November, a source familiar with the matter said. By contrast, Samsung's phone will have a display curved side to side, another source who has direct knowledge of the matter said. In January Samsung, which has taken over from Apple Inc as the global smartphone leader, showed off prototype products with a flexible screen and a display that extends from the side of a device. 

Technology firms have yet to figure out how to mass produce the parts cheaply and come up with display panels that can be thin and heat resistant. 

Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions. 
Samsung and LG Electronics started selling curved OLED TV sets this year priced at about $9,000.

iOS 7 experience on Android via iLauncher

Not all Android users give a hoot about
iOS 7, but we know there are a few of
you out there that may be a little
intrigued about Apple’s new operating
system. We have come across an
Android app called ‘iLauncher’, which
gives you the iOS 7 experience on your
Android.
This app is fairly decent, there is one
feature within iLauncher iOS 7 users
would love Apple to add to its next
update, a few iOS 7 users experienced
motion sickness when using the new
operating system, but this Android app
allows users to disable the zooming
function that makes iPhone users a
little sick.
iLauncher provides a similar experience
as iOS 7, same design with a few added
extras. Once you have installed this app
your entire Home screen will look like
Apple’s UI.
Main iLauncher Android app features
include smooth scrolling, the ability to
uninstall apps from the Home screen,
you can edit exit mode by pressing the
back button, support 5 rows mode just
like the iPhone 5, 5S and 5C. The apps
have rounded corners and gloss
effects; it also includes a dock bar
and so much more. The app does cost
just a little over $2, for more
information about iLauncher, please
visit the Google Play Store .
If you do decide to install the app you
must be aware that you may lose the
ability to add widgets to the Android
Home screen, shortcuts can be added
still.
Not sure why Android users would want
to add iOS 7 to their devices, but hey
we are sure someone would like to give
it a go. If you do decide to install
iLauncher please give another app some
thought, this Android app is called
‘Espier Launcher iOS7 ’ and unlike
iLauncher this one is free.
Would you like iOS 7 on your Android
device?

Apple Beats Coca-Cola, Google To Become World’s Most Valuable Brand

Apple is now the world's most valuable
brand, according to a report by
Interbrand. Reuters
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has surpassed
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Google
(NASDAQ:GOOG) to become the world’s
most valuable brand among 100
competitors, according to the “Best
Global Brands” report for 2013
released by Interbrand, a New York-
based corporate identity and brand-
consulting company.
According to the report, while Apple
claimed the top position this year,
Google secured the second spot and
Coca-Cola, the brand that held the
No. 1 position for 13 consecutive years,
fell to third place.
“Every so often, a company changes
our lives—not just with its products,
but with its ethos. This is why,
following Coca-Cola’s 13-year run at
the top of Best Global Brands, Apple
now ranks #1,” Jez Frampton, global
chief executive at Interbrand, said in a
statement. “Tim Cook has assembled a
solid leadership team and has kept
Steve Jobs’ vision intact – a vision that
has allowed Apple to deliver on its
promise of innovation time and time
again.”

Apple, which was ranked thirty-sixth
when Interbrand’s Best Global Brands
began grading brands back in 2000, is
now valued at $98.3 billion, at almost
15 times its brand value 13 years ago.
Last year, the Cupertino, Calif.-based
technology giant was in second place
after more than doubling its valuation
from 2011.
Here is an excerpt from the report:
“Few brands have enabled so many
people to do so much so easily, which is
why Apple has legions of adoring fans,
as evidenced by the record-breaking
launch of the iPhone 5c/5s… From our
perspective, Apple’s internal brand
strength has remained steady. CEO Tim
Cook has assembled a solid team that is
aligned around the Apple vision, which
has allowed them to deliver against the
promise time and time again. There’s
been a lot of change at the top in the
last 12 months, but the alignment of
both hardware and software design
under Jonathan Ive is a major step
toward maintaining focus.”
According to the report, Apple proved
to be resilient and managed to climb up
the list despite having its reputation
somewhat tarnished by patent spats
with Samsung (KRX:005935) and a
scandal at its supplier, Foxconn, over
unsuitable labor conditions, and
emerged as the leader in the Best
Global Brands 2013 list.
Google, in second place, managed to
reach a brand valuation of $93.3
billion, while Coca-Cola got a valuation
of $79.2 billion, followed by IBM
(NYSE:IBM) with $78.8 billion.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) rounded up
the top 5 with a valuation of $59.5
billion.
The other companies that made it to
the top 10 list include General
Electronics (NYSE:GE) with $46.9
billion, McDonalds (NYSE:MCD) with $
41.9 billion, Samsung (KRX:005935) with
$39.6 billion, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)
with $37.2 billion and Toyota
(NYSE:TM) with $35.3 billion.
Interbrand said that while determining
the top 100 most valuable global
brands, it examines three key aspects
that contribute to a brand’s value --
the financial performance of the
branded products or service, the role
the brand plays in influencing
consumer choice and, the brand's
ability to command a premium price or
secure earnings for the company.
In addition, each of the companies are
also required to generate 30 percent of
total revenues from outside their
domestic markets and have a presence
on at least three major continents as
well as coverage in emerging markets.
This year, the total value of the 100
Best Global Brands was $1.5 trillion --
an 8.4 percent record increase over the
total value of the 100 Best Global
Brands in 2012, the report said.

Facebook reportedly building Flipboard-style mobile reading app

There have been murmurs of Facebook
building a mobile reading app; tonight,
that talk is getting a little louder. The
Wall Street Journal claims that the
social network has spent the past year
working on a dedicated story browser,
codenamed Reader, that would curate
articles in a Flipboard-like interface.
While most other details of the
rumored project aren't available, it's
reportedly important enough that Mark
Zuckerberg is closely involved. The
company isn't commenting on its
plans, but there's reason to believe
that Reader is more than just idle
speculation: Facebook recently added
hashtag support as a "first step"
toward helping users track topics.
Accordingly, the company's Graph API
includes some unused RSS code that
could prove relevant for browsing
story feeds. There's no guarantee that
we'll see the app soon, if at all. When
mobile is becoming the cornerstone of
Facebook's business, however, we
wouldn't completely rule out Reader's
existence.

Facebook can make you mentally ill: Study

Facebook and other social networking
sites may affect your mental health by
causing psychotic episodes and
delusions, researchers warn.
As Internet access becomes
increasingly widespread, so do related
psychopathologies such as Internet
addiction and delusions related to the
technology and to virtual
relationships, according to the study.
Computer communications such as
Facebook and chat groups are an
important part of this story, said Dr Uri
Nitzan of Tel Aviv University's
Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the
Shalvata Mental Health Care Center.
According to Nitzan, patients shared
some crucial characteristics,
including loneliness or vulnerability
due to the loss of or separation from a
loved one, relative inexperience with
technology, and no prior history of
psychosis or substance abuse.
In each case, a connection was found
between the gradual development and
exacerbation of psychotic symptoms,
including delusions, anxiety,
confusion, and intensified use of
computer communications.
The good news is that all of the
patients, who willingly sought out
treatment on their own, were able to
make a full recovery with proper
treatment and care, Nitzan said.
While technologies such as Facebook
have numerous advantages, some
patients are harmed by these social
networking sites, which can attract
those who are lonely or vulnerable in
their day-to-day lives or act as a
platform for cyber-bullying and other
predatory behaviour, he said.
All three of Nitzan's patients sought
refuge from a lonely situation and
found solace in intense virtual
relationships.
Although these relationships were
positive at first, they eventually led to
feelings of hurt, betrayal, and invasion
of privacy, said Nitzan.
"All of the patients developed
psychotic symptoms related to the
situation, including delusions
regarding the person behind the
screen and their connection through
the computer," he said.
Two patients began to feel vulnerable
as a result of sharing private
information, and one even experienced
tactile hallucinations, believing that
the person beyond the screen was
physically touching her.
Some of the problematic features of
the Internet relate to issues of
geographical and spatial distortion,
the absence of non-verbal cues, and
the tendency to idealise the person
with whom someone is
communicating, becoming intimate
without ever meeting face-to-face.
All of these factors can contribute to a
patient's break with reality, and the
development of a psychotic state.
The study was published in the Israel
Journal of Psychiatry and Related
Sciences.