Microsoft has Released Office for iPad and Android

Microsoft is finally released Office suite for iPad with touch friendly features, since the release, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and NoteOne become best free apps in the App Store.

This is new strategy for Microsoft, since 2012 it is rumored that Office for iPad is coming, but Microsoft didn’t want to loose its corporate customers to other platforms such as iOS or Android. This new move of releasing Office suite for both iPad and Android for free will make the corporate users with such platforms to choose the Office as their productivity suite once again.

There is no real alternative for Microsoft Office out there. There are many alternatives, but none of them could offer the rich features that MS Office offers. This is a good move from Microsoft.

Download Links

Word

Excel

Power Point

NoteOne

Office for Android

Vulnerability is Found in Microsoft Word–Microsoft Issued “Fix-it” Patch

There is been a vulnerability in Microsoft Word 2010, which allows attacker to cause remote code execution if someone opened specially created Rich Text Format Files (RTF files) with Word 2010 or open specially crafted mail in Outlook while using Microsoft Word as the mail reader.

Microsoft has claimed there was limited number of targeted attacks, but not wanted to wait until second Tuesday of the month (patch Tuesday, when Microsoft issues security updates through Windows Updates), it has issued Fix-it update to address this flaw.

Download the Fix-it Update

Mozilla Halts the Development of Windows 8 Modern UI Version of Firefox

Mozilla, the company behind Firefox has announced that they will stop the development of Modern UI version of Firefox. Mozilla says that the platform doesn’t get much needed attention. Johnathan Nightingale, vice president of Mozilla said, they never seen more than 1000 active daily users in the Modern UI environment.

Now Firefox team will use their resources on developing Firefox and projects that are connected to more people. Probably Mozilla wants to put more effort on their new mobile operating system Firefox OS.

Firefox 28 to be released on March 18, it suppose to contain Modern UI version of Firefox as well.

Instagram for Android Updated - Flatter Design, Speed and More Devices

Instagram android app is updated with massive UI changes and speed and stability. New update features flat and clean design, also new camera interface.

This update also brings some performance and speed improvements, and supports more devices, specially low-end devices are now better supported.

Instagram 5.1 on Play Store

Twin Quasar–But It is A Single Quasar

Full size original image

In this new Hubble image two objects are clearly visible, shining brightly. When they were first discovered in 1979, they were thought to be separate objects — however, astronomers soon realized that these twins are a little too identical! They are close together, lie at the same distance from us, and have surprisingly similar properties. The reason they are so similar is not some bizarre coincidence; they are in fact the same object.

These cosmic doppelgangers make up a double quasar known as QSO 0957+561, also known as the "Twin Quasar," which lies just under 14 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars are the intensely powerful centers of distant galaxies. So, why are we seeing this quasar twice?

Samsung Galaxy S5–Official Hands-on Video

Galaxy S5 is the next-gen premium smart phone from Samsung, we already have seen it’s specs here in Free Tech. Now Samsung has released an official hands-on video for Galaxy S5 – showing all of it features in 7 minutes.

iOS 7.1 - Brings Stability and Performance

iOS 7 was a major overhaul of the operating system since the first iPhone. With iOS 7 many things have changed, the user interface, the multi tasking and many more.

iOS 7 is supported by iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5S and 5C. iPhone 4 is almost 4 years old and the performance of iOS 7 was not that good, with stuck and jiggled animation, the user experience wasn't that good. In the 5S spectrum, the stability wasn't that great - often crashes.

To address those problems, Apple has released iOS 7.1 for all the devices running iOS 7. iOS 7.1 has fixed lot of issues, such as crash bugs on 5S. It also brings speed and performance to the 4 and 4S.

For iPhone 5S users, the Apple Touch ID - finger print scanner accuracy is also increased. Apple also added some useful UI additions.

Source: arstechnica

Image: Apple Deaf News

Cloud Storages - Which is Best for You?

Since the beginning we all store our files in our local PC, but these days online storage services are popular option to get some extra storage in the cloud.

There are some advantages such as able to backup your files and access your files across many of your devices, there are some disadvantages too, like security breaches and ownership of your files.

Here I am going to give few online storage (cloud) options for your to choose, and I will let you give their plus and minus.

Beautiful Solar Flare in Different Wavelengths

Click on the image to enlarge

On Feb. 24, 2014, the sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 7:49 p.m. EST. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which keeps a constant watch on the sun, captured images of the event. These SDO images from 7:25 p.m. EST on Feb. 24 show the first moments of this X-class flare in different wavelengths of light -- seen as the bright spot that appears on the left limb of the sun. Hot solar material can be seen hovering above the active region in the sun's atmosphere, the corona.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation, appearing as giant flashes of light in the SDO images. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

- by NASA

Google to Release SDK Specifically for Wearable Devices

With the huge success of Android and recent purchase of NEST, now Google want to cover the wearable devices area. Google already has Google Glass, which runs on android and can do variety of stuffs.

Since the introduction of Smart watches by Pebble, Samsung and Sony - all of them runs modified version of android - Google want to unify the experience.

Android's head Sundar Pichai said that his team is going to release SDK specifically engineered towards the wearable devices. The basic idea is to combine all the wearable device with the smartphone, so it can create a bigger system.

Google recently announced "Android for Cars Project" which will be also coupled with this wearable SDK.

Google is aware that Samsung is trying to break out of "Googliness" in their Galaxy products, upcoming S5 is a great example for that, but Google doesn't want its OEMs to think this initiative as bad advantage for them.

Pichai said that Google want its software to be as much open as possible and cover almost every aspect of its ecosystem.

After releasing the SDK, we will see how developers respond to them, and what kind of devices are going to be emerged from the market.

Source : Techhive

Image: Wikipedia

Password Trouble is Over - Lastpass Helps You Manage Passwords

This is little awesome program helps in many ways. Lastpass is a password manager for cross platform and web browsers. As Lastpass team put "The last password you have to remember".

It is a secure vault, encrypted and synced on cloud, with one master password, you can keep all your other passwords safe - and the best part, you don't have to remember your other passwords.

Best Websites for Kids Learning Stuffs

This is the age of internet and we have lot of resources fro education and knowledge. In the old days we had Microsoft Encarta and Britannica encyclopedia on multiple DVDs, it was fun time to learn, since came internet and changed the way we access information. Microsoft discontinued its Encarta, Britannica is still expensive. So here is the list of websites which helps kids and students learn various things.

1. National Geographic kids

This is awesome site for kids learning science and stuffs, also have lot of information about animal kingdom, space and science, people and places.

It also includes photos, videos and even games! with quiz and projects, your kids can engage with it easily and learn zillion things!

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

2. Fun Brain

It is educational based site for kids - it has math, reading, fun and games sections. Math and reading sections are made out of games like learning way, so kids wont get boring at the same time, its fun! so lets play.

http://www.funbrain.com/

Wunderlist - Great Way to Organize Your Life

There are many to-do list and even management apps out there, but Wunderlist is not just an app. Elegantly designed, multi platform, cloud based to-do list manager will make you accomplish more and stay focused in work.

There are many things you can do with Wunderlist. You can create your to-do list and also share it with your friends, collaborate with office workers too. Creating reminders and notification for them are breeze.

Linux Foundation to Make Its $2,400 "Introduction to Linux", Free

Linux is the basic backbone of almost all open source works and powers most of the web servers. The governing body for Linux is The Linux Foundation, and it offers many courses and training for people who needs it through it website. The cost for those training can be as much as $2,400.

Last week The Linux Foundation has announced that it will work with non-profit MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) site edX, which is powered by Harvard and MIT, to make those Linux courses free and open for everyone.

The course will be held this summer and over 2500 people have already signed up within 24 hours. The course will take 40 to 60 hours to complete and also don't have any prerequisites.

It is said that if this course will be a success, then The Linux Foundation will make more courses MOOC.

Link for "Introduction to Linux" on edX

Source: arstechnica

Newly Found Quasar Spinning as Fast as Physically Possible

Black holes are one of the deepest secrets of the universe, and when it comes to detect them, it is near impossible due to its size, even observing super massive black holes are hardest.

The recent discovery is about a quasar that is 200 million times massive than our Sun, named RX J1131-1231, is about 6.1 billion light years away. Because it is so far away, studying it clearly is a hard or even near impossible one.

But fortunately there is a galaxy right between the quasar and Earth, there for making a lensing effect known as gravitational lensing, predicted by General Relativity theory by Einstein.

Mega Force is Tearing The Galaxy Down

New images from Hubble space telescope captured the galaxy named ESO 137-001 - a spiral galaxy in the southern constellation of Triangulum Australe, is torn apart by a massive force.

The blue fireworks like shapes are actually new born hot stars being torn away from the galaxy by the surrounding force as the galaxy moves through space. This process is known as ram pressure stripping.

ESO 137-001 is part of a massive intergalactic cluster, known for its massive size and stronger gravitational pull. This region is located about 200 million light years away from our Milky Way galaxy. It is also detected that our galaxy and local group of galaxies too being attracted toward this massive region.

Facebook Redesigns Its News Feed Again

Yesterday Facebook has rolled out new design for its News Feed page. This time the design is not all changed, rather it is a minor design change to make the desktop Facebook to look like its mobile counter part.

Last year Facebook experimented with radical new design and got many people in fire, but that design had few good elements such as bigger photos. So Facebook address those ‘bad design’ issues now, it keeps the same news feed and bigger images, best of both worlds, also with new font.

The changes are only in visual and not anything technical – how the content is displayed to people. Though the new design has bigger images, but links, stories and ads will be the same size.

The new updated news feed will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

Source: Facebook

NVIDIA Reveals Tegra K1 Benchmarks

Nvidia announced that it will release next generation mobile processor with Kepler architecture – The same architecture that powers GeForce graphics cards with 192 cores.

Now Nvidia has shown 2 versions of SoC, one is 32-bit, 4 core and other one is dual core 3.0 GHz 64-bit. Both perform far better that latest Snapdragon 805 SoC. You can see the benchmarks below.

The quad core 32-bit Tegra K1 based mobile phones will be available in few months, but the 64-bit version will be further delayed.

Nvidia is known for its high performance GPUs for PC and well known player in GPU/CPU design. Nvidia couldn’t create x86 based CPU for PCs because of the license conflict with Intel and AMD, so they are trying to conquer the mobile market.

After seeing the performance of K1, now we can see what Qualcomm and ARM will come up with.

Source and Images : MyDrivers via NeoWin

Flipboard Buys Competitor App Zite

The all famous news reader app Flipboard has bought another news app Zite from CNN. CNN acquired Zite in mid-2011 for $25 million and then added CNN content to it. Flipboard says that it will stop updating the Zite app and incorporate its functionalities and CNN news source into its Flipboard app.

CNNMoney reported that the deal was sealed with $60 million. Flipboard was interested in Zite because of its technology – Zite’s personalized content display. Flipboard generates almost 2.5 billion page views per month and adds 250,000 new users everyday.

Source and image : The Verge

Yahoo to Disable User Sign-in Using Google and Facebook

Yahoo allowed its users to sign in to Yahoo services using Yahoo account or Google or Facebook account since 2011 – a move made by former Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. But Yahoo now seeking to remove that option and want it users to use it own sign-in process.

Yahoo said that this will help streamline the sign in experience across its vast services, faster customer services and account assistance. Yahoo spokeswoman said that “The eventual switch for all users to a Yahoo username will occur over time”.

Under its new CEO Marissa Mayer, Yahoo seems to be going very well and this move will be seen as a way for Yahoo to say that I am still in the game.

Facebook Messenger is Now Available for Windows Phone

Microsoft has been working hard to close the apps gap between its rival platforms – iOS and Android. Today another important app has shown up in the Windows Phone Store, that is Facebook Messenger.

It’s been two years since Facebook had launched its Messenger for iOS and Android, but working closely with Microsoft, both Facebook and Microsoft was able to create a flat design version of Messenger app that is compatible to Windows Phone design language.

In this Mobile World Congress (MWC), Microsoft had announced that it will make the Facebook Messenger available for Windows Phone in few weeks, and it did as exactly as it said.

You can download the Facebook Messenger app here. (Windows Phone Store link)

Facebook Wants to Bring Internet to The Undeveloped Countries with Drones

The social media giant Facebook is looking for many ways to connect the rest of the world to its social media stream. Facebook is already connecting more that a billion people in the planet and pretty much everyone who has internet is on Facebook too.

So Facebook wants to bring those who doesn’t have internet connection to it social network, therefor it is experimenting with ways to connect people without internet, particularly with drones.

Titan Aerospace is a company developing solar powered drones which can cruise at an altitude of 65000 feet and can stay up to 5 years in the sky without landing or changing batteries. The drones can also carry communication devices such as internet and imaging devices to capture photos of Earth.

Facebook wants to buy this company so it can use the “atmospheric satellites” for providing cheap internet to the undeveloped countries. The deal has been valued at 60 million US dollars.

This action of Facebook can be seen as Mark Zuckerberg’s Internet.Org project, where he wants to connect every single one on this planet.

Microsoft’s New Digital Assistant

When Apple released Siri in 2012, it was so much praised by everyone for its awesomeness and afterwards even Google made its own rival called Google Now and it is also one of the highly successful product.

Since then it was rumored that Microsoft is working on its own intelligent digital voice activated assistant for its Windows Phone 8.1. Cortana is the name of the digital assistant – a name from Microsoft’s game series Halo.

Like Apple’s Siri, Cortana will be able to adjust the behavior to your needs and also track information and reminds you like Google Now.

Cortana is not yet officially announced, it is expected that Microsoft will announce this in the upcoming Build conference, and it is also not clear that Microsoft would keep the name ‘Cortana’ for the final product.

Source : The Verge \\ Images from The Verge

Bill Gates, Once Again The World Richest Man

Bill Gates, Co-Founder and former Chairman of Microsoft, once again become the richest person on the planet. Bill Gates was the richest person for 15 years in the last 20 years.

Past four years, Mexican telecommunication giant, Carlos Slim was the richest person according to Forbes, a business magazine that rates billionaires in the world. Since last year, Microsoft’s share price is going up and that made Bill Gates once again the richest person with $76 billion as his net worth.

Bill Gates now mostly spend his time working with his non-profit organization Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation, which is curing diseases, fetching water and food and improving the lives of billions of people in the third world countries.

Microsoft also recently announced that Bill Gates will work closely with the newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella to increase Microsoft’s potential.