Microsoft launches Touch Mouse in India

BANGALORE: Microsoft India launched 'Touch Mouse; that it said "makes everyday tasks more fluid and intuitive by using natural gestures instead of clicks".

Exclusively designed for Windows 7, it combines the virtues of the old familiar mouse with multi-touch gestures, the company said in a statement.

"It marries natural human gestures with the ability of an electronic mouse and helps click, flick, scroll, pan, tilt and swipe on Windows 7 seamlessly", it said.

"A first of a kind in India, the Touch Mouse is soothingly captivating, given its fluid, rhythmic movements, seamless and unobstructed surface, and multi-functionality".

According to the company, the Touch Mouse's multi-touch functionality helps users navigate easier and faster with a flick of their fingers.

Priced at Rs 3,999, Touch Mouse is based on BlueTrack technology and is ambidextrous in design. Further, the mouse pad is made redundant as it can be used on all surfaces, except clear glass and mirrors, the statement said.

Satish Parreddi, Senior Category Manager Microsoft Hardware India, said, "This is the first time we've married the control and precision of a mouse with the interactivity that touch delivers on the PC".

HTC unveils Windows Mango smartphone

NEW DELHI: Microsoft India has unveiled its second Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone, HTC Radar, in India. The device runs on the most recent version of Windows Phone code-named Mango.

Microsoft claims to have added over 500 new features in Windows Phone 7.5. Of these the key additions are: Custom ringtones, visual voicemail, new speech commands, Linked inboxes, conversation view in email, multitasking, video sharing, picture tagging, Smart DJ and sync with SkyDrive.

Another new feature called All Windows Phones, gives users the ability to use any web browser to log in to and locate their lost phone on a map, have it sound the ringer, lock it, or wipe it.

The conventional application icons have been replaced by Live Tiles on the Windows Phone start screen. The Live Tiles come to life with real-time updates from the Web such as news, appointments or the status of friends. The integrated experiences are achieved through 'hubs' which bring together related content into a single view to simplify common tasks. These Hubs include, People, Pictures, Games, Music & Video, MarketPlace and Office.

With Windows Phone 7.5, Microsoft's Web Marketplace also makes its debut in India. This gives Windows Phone users the opportunity to surf for apps online just like Android and iOS users.

HTC Radar sports a 3.8-inch LCD touch screen display and is powered by a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor.

A dedicated camera button provides easy access to the Radar's 5-megapixel camera, even if the smartphone is locked. It comes in at 4.7 by 2.4 by 0.4 inches, and has 8GB of on-board storage. It packs 1520 mAh non-removable battery, which is claimed to last up to 10 hours of talktime on GSM and up to 8 hours on 3G. The smartphone is priced at Rs 23,999.

Another Windows Phone 7.5 phone unveiled recently is Samsung Omnia W i8350. The smartphone is priced at Rs 19,990.

Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan: Break for the rich?

Herman Cain has a plan to radically reform the nation's tax system and make things a lot simpler for taxpayers.
Problem is, it could end up adding to the deficit and shifting the tax burden away from the wealthy and onto the poor, according to some leading tax experts.
Cain, who's recently moved up in the polls to become one of the leading Republican presidential candidates, is basing much of his campaign on what he calls the 9-9-9 plan, which would get rid of almost all current taxes and replace them with a 9% flat tax on income, a 9% flat corporate tax and a 9% national sales tax.
Cain claims his system would raise as much tax revenue as the current complex system of federal income tax, corporate taxes and payroll taxes. And he believes his plan could bring in additional revenue by boosting economic growth.
Tax experts from various nonpartisan think tanks say without seeing more details of the plan than Cain has released thus far, they can't say for sure whether the system would match current tax collections, or add to the deficit.
"It is theoretically possible it could be revenue neutral, if you literally taxed all of consumption," said Diane Lim Rogers, chief economist with the Concord Coalition, a think tank that focuses on reducing the federal deficit.
Other experts doubt Cain's proposal would be able to raise as much revenue as the current system, even with the addition of the sales tax.
Millionaire tax would cover cost of Obama jobs bill
"That's a big revenue hole you have to fill," said Joe Minarik, director of research for the Committee for Economic Development, referring to the significantly lower rates for income, payroll and corporate taxes. "A 9% sales tax is relatively muscular. It will raise a lot of money But my guess is you'll probably be revenue short."
But what is far more clear, according to the experts, is that the wealthy would end up paying less than under the current system, and the poor would end paying more.
About 22% of taxpayers, primarily low-income earners, pay no taxes and even get money back from tax credits, according to Roberton Williams, senior fellow for the Tax Policy Center. Credits they get for things like having children and the earned income tax credit offset the money they own in payroll taxes. And since they'd be paying a 9% sales tax under Cain's proposal, their dollars won't go as far.
"For the bottom end it's certain to be a tax rise of substantial proportion," he said.
The effective tax rate for the top 1% of wage earners is about 18%, Williams said, so a flat rate of 9% would mean a substantial reduction for most, even with the addition of a 9% sales tax on purchases. The wealthy are far less likely than low- or middle-income wage earners to be spending all of their earnings on purchases that would be subject to the sales tax.
"Every change in the tax system shifts who pays how much. If you're trying to be revenue neutral, there's always going to be winners and losers," said Williams.
But Cain's chief economic advisor, Rich Lowrie, said that low-wage earners would be better off with the 9-9-9 plan because some of the government assistance they now receive quickly falls away as they start to earn more, which he said prevents upward mobility, creating what he calls a "poverty trap."
He also said the sales tax would not increase costs for consumers, because lower corporate taxes would lead businesses to cut prices in order to stay competitive.
And he said the plan would also include some tax breaks in inner cities, details of which are still being worked out.
"We did focus a lot on how do you address the poverty problem," he said. "Clearly, the current system is not working. The advocates of the present system haven't been able to show results for 40 years," Lowrie said.

What’s Next for Apple?

Four years of fresh Apples?

According to a report in the Daily Mail, before he passed away, Apple icon Steve Jobs planned four more years worth of products, guaranteeing a wealth of new goodies for the foreseeable future.

Jobs spearheaded one of the best corporate turn-around stories of the ages, and built Apple into a brand to rival Sony. So it’s not too soon to ask what will happen to Apple without him, even with all those products in the pipeline -- but it's the wrong question.

Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO who invented and masterfully marketed ever-sleeker gadgets that transformed everyday technology, from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhone, has died at age 56. Read more

To ask what's next for Apple is to imply that there has been a gap or a lag in action. There hasn’t been.

Apple hasn't been in a holding pattern since Steve Jobs fell ill and took a medical leave of absence. This year alone the company has released new operating systems for both mobile and desktop devices, a new iPhone, a new line of iMacs, new Macbooks -- oh, and ever heard of iPad 2? That's hardly a holding pattern.

Jobs didn’t pass unexpectedly. The man was aware of his mortality and spent the last of his energy making sure that his company would live on with his vision and passion. Remember that despite his medical leave of absence as CEO, he still served as chairman of the board until his passing Oct. 5 at age 56.

Friends and sources who work at Apple say they are saddened to have lost their leader, but they don’t seem to be wandering around cyberspace like the Lost Boys. These are capable and brilliant people with confidence in their ability to innovate.

And innovate they do! A quick browse through recent Apple patent filings reveals designs for mobile solar-powered devices, Minority Report-style gizmos you can interact with through a wave of your hand, and near-field communication -- a form of touch-to-pay that lets you use your iPhone at a store’s checkout counter.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

A friend recently told me that the attitude at Apple is somber yet resilient. This is not a company that will wallow in suffering. Apple is too busy trying to change the world, even without Jobs. That resilience, according to my sources, even has the company revisiting ideas and features that Jobs had previously vetoed -- respectfully, of course. And senior product managers are now taking a more prominent role by shepherding projects and designs.

Like millions of others, in the days since the passing of Steve Jobs, I've found myself far more broken-hearted than I ever thought I would be. I wasn't friends with Jobs. I didn’t know him personally. I met him once, last year at the launch of the original iPad. He walked up to the table I was standing at and simply said, “What do you think?” And we talked for only one or two minutes after that.

I never knew personally, but he has spoken to me personally many times -- through his products. I respected Jobs immensely, and I find myself asking not only how I can implement his passion in my professional life, but in my personal life as well. That is what it means to inspire people.

And just as Jobs could inspire complete strangers like myself, he inspired those who worked closely with him. I felt it coming from Jobs’ hand-picked successor Tim Cook as he delivered an impressive new product line at last week’s iPhone 4S launch.

No, Tim Cook is not Steve Jobs. He's from the South and speaks with a slight accent. He probably wears different clothes to work every day. He smiles an avuncular smile when he speaks, unlike the mad-genius smile Jobs often wore. Plus he's gentle and lacks Jobs’ biting competitive edge.

But none of that means he won’t be capable of his own brand of genius. Can he come up with a product as groundbreaking as the iPad? That's a question no one can answer. Is there any accounting for inspiration?

As I watched Cook present the company’s latest products last week, and hand off the stage to the men who had designed each piece of the product at hand, I felt inspired by him as well. I knew that I was watching a man who knew how to steer the massive ship he now captains, a man with an enormous amount of creative talent in each department.

And I thought to myself, You know what? This place is going to be okay.

'Jagjit Singh was a great human being and friend'

JALANDHAR: His alma mater, the city where he spent his youthful days and old friends were at loss of words while grappling with the news of demise of Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. If his alma mater DAV College held a 'shok sabha' to remember and pay tributes to one of its most illustrious and famous alumni, his old friends shared the cherished memories of "good old days".
"He was a great singer and much greater human being and friend," said Iqbal Singh, Lt governor of Puduchery, an old co-actor in dramas and a fellow musician.
"We used to practice together in the hostel of Kurukshetra University and I used to accompany him on tabla. He was a family friend and even performed kirtan at my brother Aya Singh's marriage," Iqbal Singh recalled. Jagjit was a turbaned Sikh at that time. "We were together in a play, ammaii and would still recall those moments whenever and wherever we would meet," he said. "Only a few months back we met at Mumbai and kept on sitting till 2 am in the night recalling the college days," he said.
"Despite he scaled great heights in his singing career and became one of the most famous ghazal singers of the country but he never forgot the old friends and valued and cherished the bonding. Once he was performing in Delhi and a friend who did not know about our old friendship bought tickets for his shows. We arrived late and he was already prepare to wind up but audience was shouting one more one more. I reached in the front row and said "two more" when Jagjit saw me saying it he himself said "four More".
As the friendship perpetuated in the next five decades, recently Jagjit recalled those old days when Iqbal Singh being Lt governor honoured him at a function held in Mumbai by International Punjabi Society.
For Prof B S Narag, a former music teacher of DAV college and respected name in classical singing, said that Jagjit's was his ideal in music. 'I was quite junior to Jagjit in college and when I would see him performing at youth festival or university competitions I 'll dream if I could sing like him. Seeing him performing would motivate to practice more," Narang recalled.
DAV College principal Satish Sharma said that their college would always take pride that Jagjit was their alumni. For all the music students of this college he had become a pivot, Sharma said.

How to choose the best Gifts for Kids on Diwali

So finally the wait is over. The occasion of family gathering has come and one can start wondering the grand celebration with she/he can celebrate with family. Diwali or Deepawali is a family affair as we all know and much more you say about it the less it is. People of all age not only celebrate it with joy but also wish happiness and prosperity to each other as it is one occasion when not only family member but your friends and their families celebrates with you as well. When it comes to such an important occasion how can you forget the power house of the family and all the important festivals, Children’s are the main power house of any celebration. Children’s add lot of fun to the celebration as they are not only the one that brings energy but with their innocence they also make any moment a divine moment. With such an important role in the family affairs they all need a small appreciation for the energy they bring to the family.

Thus today I will share some handy hints with you that are focused on how to pick an ideal gift for kids. As we all know kids are fond of chocolates and they would not be able to think anything better than chocolates. So if you are planning to get some Diwali gifts for kids please keep chocolates at the top of the order. I am sure you must be wondering what else you can add to the list to make it the best. In my suggestion getting some good clothes for your children will give it a perfect tone. Many online stores provide such services at the moment and that too at very competitive rates so you get the best deal at the door steps. Not only getting clothes for the kids is the best deal but is also the correct in sense as it would make them fell you care them a lot, and is also a good choice as it will last longer than any other form of gifts.

Not all the kids are expressive, many are also shy and keep thing to them selves, they are those kids who express there desire in form of art so giving them gifts like painting set so they can paint as many kid these days love to paint or may prefer to play different games. They would be shy to talk but when it comes to their hobbies to would talk and talk. So giving a toy of their hobbies like cricket bat or a painting set would be a perfect choice in case you are looking for something new. Thus we wish you all the best for Diwali.

Ferns N Petals is the leading online florist in India offer Diwali Gifts for kids like: Diwali crackers, Diwali chocolates, Diwali sweets,soft toys and diwali flowers with free home delivery.

Theodore Sumrall (Ted) Sumrall

Modern Love is a column in the New York Times and it looks at love in our current society. Diabetes and Love is a major crisis to the love life and intimate life. What many people do not speak about is that dating a diabetic is an almost impossibility at times. Here is the reason. The diabetic male suffers from impotence almost all the time. Modern Love means that we must face this reality.

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Sadly the lack of an intimate life for the diabetic is something not mentioned in our modern love New York Times society. It is critical for the male to seek help naturally and without medication. A typical sugar free diet does not reverse diabetic male impotence.