SAN FRANCISCO: Survey results released on Tuesday showed that growing numbers of businesses plan to buy iPads as tablet computers make their way from personal lives into work places. Slightly more than one-in-five companies said they will buy tablets for workers by the middle of this year, with 84 percent of those purchases to be Apple iPads, according to a ChangeWave Research poll. The results indicated "the highest level of corporate iPad demand" ever seen in a survey by the US-based, independent research firm. ChangeWave also found that the pending arrival of a new-generation iPad set for release on Friday has contributed to an "across-the-board decline" in plans by companies to buy tablets made by Apple rivals. Apple last week unveiled a third-generation iPad enhanced with features aimed at keeping it on top of the booming tablet computer market. The new iPad boasts a more powerful processor, eye-grabbing resolution on par with that of an iPhone 4S, and the ability to connect to the latest 4G LTE telecom networks that move data faster than their predecessors. "We think that iPad is the poster child of the post-PC world," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said at the unveiling, noting that iPad sales topped those of any personal computer maker during the final three months of last year.

NEW YORK: Facebook is warning employers not to demand the passwords of job applicants, saying that it's an invasion of privacy that opens companies to legal liabilities. The social networking company is also threatening legal action against those who violate its long-standing policy against sharing passwords. An Associated Press story this week documented cases of job applicants who are being asked, at the interview table, to reveal their Facebook passwords so their prospective employers can check their backgrounds. In a post on Friday, Facebook's chief privacy of policy officer cautioned that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may open itself up to claims of discrimination if it doesn't hire that person. ``As a user, you shouldn't be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job,'' wrote Erin Egan. ``And as the friend of a user, you shouldn't have to worry that your private information or communications will be revealed to someone you don't know and didn't intend to share with just because that user is looking for a job.'' Not sharing passwords is a basic tenet of online conduct. Aside from the privacy concerns, Facebook considers the practice a security risk. Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that the company doesn't think employers should be asking applicants for their passwords because ``we don't think it's the right thing to do.'' ``While we do not have any immediate plans to take legal action against any specific employers, we look forward to engaging with policymakers and other stakeholders, to help better safeguard the privacy of our users,'' he said.

To implement Direct Tax Code at the earliest To implement DTC at the earliest GST to be operational by August 2012 Expect current account deficit to decrease next year

TOKYO: A Japanese court has ordered search giant Google to suspend its auto-complete function because it breaches one man's privacy, his lawyer said. Tokyo District Court approved a petition by the man, who claimed typing his name into the search engine generated a suggestion linking him to crimes he did not commit, lawyer Hiroyuki Tomita told media on Sunday. If a user accepts the search suggestion, thousands of results are produced that imply criminality of which the man is not guilty, Tomita said. The lawyer added that since these postings began appearing on the Internet over the last few years, his client has had difficulty finding work, with his online reputation always in question. Auto-complete is a function provided by many search engines that predicts what a user may be looking for. It is often based on what previous users have searched for when they typed the same initial letters of a word. The details of this case are not known, but it is possible that the plaintiff shares a name with someone who is legitimately associated with a crime. Tomita said the auto-complete function was problematic because it guides users to sites that may contain false or misleading information. Google has responded to the man's complaints by saying that since the results are compiled automatically there is no intrusion of privacy, Tomita said. The petition was approved by the court on March 19, but Google has so far refused to take action, saying Japanese law does not apply to its US headquarters and its own corporate privacy policy, Tomita told reporters. The man may seek financial damages in a bid to press Google to erase the suggested search, said Tomita, who was trained in California and has taken on many Internet-related cases, including online reputation issues. Google did not immediately respond to AFP enquiries about the case, but has told Japanese network NHK that it was considering its response.

Technology is contantly evolving. From bendable displays to batteries that last for years, Karan Bajaj & Hitesh Raj Bhagat have the info on some of the new tech that will soon make its way to your home and to the gadgets that you use every day. Internet through wireless charging powerlines Think about it: your home is already completely wired up - all rooms have multiple electrical connections and power plugs. Why not use the same network of cables to transmit an internet connection along with electricity? With broadband over powerlines, you'll just need to plug your computer into the power socket and it'll get an internet connection too. Devices that use the HomePlug specification will be able to do this. Western Digital, the hard drive and media player guys, already make the WD Livewire; a pair of adapters that can add internet to any existing electrical cabling. Flexible displays Currently, the shape of a display dicates the shape of many of the gadgets we use: they have to have at least one flat surface to accomodate the flat display. But if the display itself was flexible, you could roll it up for storage when not in use, reducing the size (and weight) of the gadget considerably. Because of the flexible nature, these displays will also be unbreakable and current research suggests that they will draw a lot less power than conventional displays, giving a boost to the limited battery life of our gadgets. These types of 'electrophorectic' displays could also have military applications such as electronic maps & augmented reality combat tools. Cameras that don't need focusing Lytro is a camera allows you to change the focus of an image after you have clicked. Since there is no need to focus, the camera works much faster. The camera works by capturing depth information along with all the available light in the frame. Because of this, low light photographs without a flash and 3D images are easily possible too. Some cell phone manufacturers are already in talks with Lytro to introduce the technology into our mobile devices. The next step? Cameras can use a similar technology to record videos too. Waterproof coating on gadgets Liquids are one of the biggest enemies of electronic gadgets. You may get waterproof devices, but they tend to be bulkier and more expensive than their normal counterparts. A company called HzO recently showcased WaterBlock - a nanotech waterproof coating that repels water/moisture and small debris - without making the device bulkier or heavier. Considering the practical applications, we can expect a majority of manufacturers to be very interested. Fuel Cell Batteries Imagine having to charge your cellphone once a year instead of every other day. It could soon be a reality with fuel cell batteries. Though the term fuel cell has been around for some time, the automotive industry has always been more interested in it. A fuel cell generates electricity using a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Therefore, it can generate electricity for a much longer time period compared to lithium-ion or alkaline batteries. Mobile (miniaturised) fuel cells (which are still in development) are expected to power devices like phones, tablets, notebooks and other handheld devices. The big issue of limited battery life will be solved and you'll save a packet on electricity bills too. Wireless charging With an increase in the number of gadgets, even the number of chargers increases. Many devices may be switching to micro USB, but you still need to plug them in. With wireless charging, you just place your gadgets on an inductive mat and they will start charging. A set of coils needs to be built into the device - this will allow a short range transfer of power. Fulton Innovation is a company working on this technology. Alternately, PowerMat offers inductive charging mats and cases for your cellphones with these inductive charging components built in. Wireless power transmission Imagine if you never needed to plug an appliance into a power socket. Lights could be freely placed without bothering with wires. There would be no risk of shorting or electrical shocks. Typically, this would happen over shorter distances - like within your house. Various methods being experimented; transmission via microwaves, lasers, electromagnetic fields and electrostatic fields to name a few. Once efficiency increases (when most of the source energy reached the destination), this will become viable.

TORONTO: Imagine standing at the Eiffel Tower and being able to see messages and videos overlaid through your smartphone from all visitors who have come before you. A new app called Wallit combines augmented reality, a virtual view of the real world that can be extended with graphics and other content, with a social experience. It allows users to post and view content at virtual walls in popular places, tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, stadiums and stores. "Think of a virtual wall on the face of the Golden Gate Bridge from one end to the other where people can leave sentiments, photos, movies and even audio that are persistent at that location, even though the people who generate the content constantly keep changing," said Veysel Berk, the founder of Wallit. The goal, he said, is to record a cumulative, human experience at a location that exhibits the character of a place over time.

BARCELONA: Microchip maker Intel has tied-up with Indian start-up Lava to announce the first Intel-powered smartphone in India. Announced at the Mobile World Congress here, the handset is expected to hit retail shelves in India in the second quarter this year and will support all major 2G and 3G networks. "We are proud to partner with Intel on XOLO to bring a superior smartphone computing experience to customers in India," Lava International Co-founder and Director Vishal Sehgal said. The XOLO X900 will be powered by 1.6 Ghz processor and have 4.03-inch high-resolution LCD touch screen. Apart from web browsing and multitasking, the handset will also feature two cameras for advanced imaging and video capabilities. Intel is betting big on smartphones, and announced other partnerships as well -- with China's ZTE and Orange. Similar to its previously announced partnership with Motorola Mobility, Intel announced multi-year mobile device collaboration across smartphones and tablets with global handset maker ZTE. The first Intel-powered mobile device from ZTE stable is scheduled to debut in the second half of 2012. With ZTE and Lava on board, Intel will have a foothold in two of the world's biggest telecom markets. France Telecom's mobile unit Orange will launch a smartphone in France and the UK this summer that have been designed by Intel using its newest processor. Synonymous with computers, Intel is now looking at strengthening its presence in the mobile telephony space. "We are very pleased to add new, important customers and capabilities to our phone offerings today. We remain focused on delivering exciting new features and outstanding performance to smartphone customers around the world," Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini said. Intel has been trying to establish itself in the growing mobile handset market and wooing smartphone makers to use its processor architecture. Today, a major chunk of the smartphones and tablets have ARM-based chipsets. Apart from the handset makers, Intel has also partnered with Visa to develop mobile commerce solutions tailored to consumers in developed and developing countries. Besides, Intel unveiled a trio of new Atom chips to fill out its mobile-centric product portfolio. Extending the performance and energy efficiency of the Intel Atom processor Z2460, formerly codenamed " Medfield," Intel announced that the platform will now support speeds up to 2GHz.

NEW DELHI: A growing issue in the West is coming to India: the threat to net neutrality. The concept of net neutrality is based on the idea that companies which offer internet access should treat all internet content equally, in terms of speed, pricing, and access. It is important to protect this principle because if ISPs and telecom operators use their connectivity to influence how and what users consume, it can result in either censorship by a private company or anti-competitive practices. The internet was built as an open network, where information could flow freely. In this environment, innovation, entrepreneurship, and democracy have thrived all over the world. Governments, including that of India, have rightly limited its openness when it violates laws, such as defamation or piracy, but such restrictions are imposed only in public interest. The challenge to net neutrality is that the decisions of what content to censor or to give preference to, lies in the hands of ISPs, which are predominantly corporate entities. In other words, the gatekeepers of free speech and open competition are private companies, whose job is to make profit. Experts say net neutrality is essential for freedom of speech, and that giving any power to an ISP or telco to limit or favour certain content will violate this fundamental principle. Clear guidelines should be put in place to ensure network operators do not deprive citizens of free speech and choice. "The moment an ISP or any other entity controls users' access to internet, that entity infringes on the freedom of speech and freedom of choice. The recent Arab Spring and movements across Libya, Egypt and Syria show you cannot put curbs on freedom of people to access and use internet to drive change,'' said Ranbir Singh, vice-chancellor, National Law University.

Technology firm iGATE Patni expects nearly 25 per cent of its overall revenue to come from the product engineering services (PES) business in 2-3 years. "We expect almost 25 per cent of our total revenues to come from the PES business in 2-3 years. Currently, about 15 per cent of the revenues accrue from PES business," said iGate Patni Executive Vice-President and Head of PES Satish Joshi. PES business provides end-to-end product development and product life cycle management -- right from research and evaluation, electronic and engineering design, up to sustenance and maintenance. The business caters to sectors such as auto, industrial automation and control, consumer electronics, mobiles and semiconductor. The company is expanding in the PES space, specifically looking to strengthen the customer base in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), A-PAC (Asia Pacific) and Japan. Currently, EMEA and Japan markets constitute more than 30 per cent of total PES business, Joshi told PTI. iGATE Patni closed 2011 with revenue run rate in excess of USD 1 billion. On the future plans, Joshi said, "We are also looking to expand into new industry segments including Media & Entertainment, Plant design, Plant Automation and Mining." To a question on the Indian market, he said the domestic market was an important focus area for the PES business. "The company is looking to increase its focus on the Indian market, especially in the Industrial Automation, Transportation, Energy and Medical & Healthcare sectors". He also said the company planned to recruit 1,500 people for its PES division over the next two years. Currently, the PES team has a strength of over 3,200. The PES business of iGATE Patni would be expanding in new markets and mining deeper into existing customers. "The company is looking at becoming most preferred strategic partner for entry into emerging geographies. iGATE Patni will also be investing in high-end tools, R&D infrastructure and training facilities," he said.

NEW DELHI: Faster Internet accessibility and ability to use more applications are the main reasons that drive people to buy smartphones, a report by Ericsson Consumerlab said. "Among today's users in high growth markets, smartphone adoption is driven by application functionality and a faster Internet experience," the Ericsson ConsumerLab's Emerging App Culture report said. About 43 per cent people say that better Internet access is the main reason for buying a smartphone while 33 per cent prefer to buy these devices to access more applications, the report said. The research was carried out among smartphone users in the 15-54 year age group, who accessed Internet at least once a week, in India, Russia and Brazil. "The app culture emerging in these high-growth markets reflects a trend similar to that in the US... we see a general evolution toward new users purchasing increasingly specialised apps, such as those for dating services and price comparison, from the moment they get their smartphones," Ericsson ConsumerLab Senior Specialist Jasmeet Singh Sethi said. People mostly use their smartphones to check in to locations, use maps for navigation, watch Internet TV, movies, live news, play online games, among others, the study showed. A majority owners are first-time users who purchased their smartphone during the past six months, it added. However, mobile applications (apps) are used differently across the three markets. "The Indian smartphone users are more interested in downloading personalisation applications, such as screen savers, live wallpapers and third party browsers apart from social media applications and games," it said. Russians use their phones for navigation and maps, shopping comparisons, barcode scanners, translators, dictionaries while the Brazilians used applications to enhance their social interactions, the report said. The study said users have few applications on their phones but they use them frequently. "While 69 per cent say they access Internet using applications daily, almost half do not use more than one to five applications on a weekly basis," the study said. When it comes to the daily application usage, 49 per cent people say they use it for social networking, 39 per cent for chat, 31 per cent for weather forecasts, 26 per cent for news, 20 per cent for maps, GPS and navigation and 12 per cent for timetables and traffic.