Now, Gmail, Facebook accessible on cable TV

There's good news for those who use cable television services. You can now check your Gmail, watch YouTube videos or connect with friends on Facebook at the cost of the regular cable subscription of Rs. 150-200 per month - without having to pay extra for an internet connection.

Logic Eastern, a Noida-based manufacturer of cable infrastructure, has developed special set-top boxes which come with an in-built patented hardware that enables connections to Gmail, Facebook and YouTube. The company has made possible two-way flow of data, that is, from websites to cable operators to consumers and return by using the existing cellphone technology.

The company has installed large servers which download Gmail, YouTube and Facebook pages on behalf of its subscribers and pushes them on to their television screens. For now, consumers can access this service with a special remote control. However the company is developing a wi-fi keyboard that will be given along with the set-top boxes. Also, apart from the remote control, consumers can use their mobile phones to surf channels or access these websites.

Logic Eastern has already deployed 60,000 such set-top boxes across South Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar and Jammu. The company has roped in ICICI as an investor. It has bought a 20 percent stake, which is helping Logic Eastern monetise these services that even existing Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) companies and the Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators have not been able to achieve.

"We believe it will be critical for cable operators to differentiate their services by leveraging the massive bandwidth that their cables take to each home. This is something that even DTH cannot do," says Vineet Wadhwa, Chief Technology Officer and Promoter of Logic Eastern. Instead of value-added services, the company prefers to call them 'enhanced services.' But how safe is accessing your email via cable? It is as safe as logging on to the internet on your home computer or laptop, says Wadhwa.

Why Google Should Cool It With Chrome OS

Instead, Google is positioning Google Chrome OS against Microsoft with a lightweight OS shipping with netbooks next year. Chrome OS will function as a modified browser, enabling netbooks to handle everyday computing with web-based applications. That’s right: No native software, just the web.

The philosophy behind Chrome OS is extreme: Go the web way, all the way. It’s a “paradigm shift to make the web synonymous with the computer,” as Mashable’s Ben Parr puts it. But it’s an idealistic vision that could take several years to actualize, given the currently limited state of wireless connectivity and web-based applications. Google is aware of that, and the company is merely massaging us with this radical idea of a web-only computing experience by suggesting we try it on netbooks first.
Looking ahead, the company said it plans to share Chrome OS with more-powerful devices, including notebooks and desktops. But we doubt consumers will show much interest in a Chrome OS netbook the way Google is currently packaging it.
With Chrome OS, the search giant is pushing an OS that enables us to do less — even less than already low-powered netbooks can do. Web apps can’t let us process Microsoft Word documents, sync our iTunes libraries, or edit photos with Photoshop, for example. Thanks to their crampy keyboards and small screens, netbooks aren’t ideal for productivity apps such as Photoshop or Microsoft Word — but you’d be surprised at the different uses for netbooks that made them last year’s hit product category. Watch what happens when Google offers an OS that doesn’t at least provide the option of using the aforementioned apps.
Of course, as Google’s pitch goes, there are web alternatives to everything. Cloud storage for backups> Internet-streaming music and video services. The Google Docs web suite for all your spreadsheet or word-processing needs. The list goes on.
The idea is such: Give up the computing experience you’ve grown accustomed to for over a decade. Come live in Google’s browser.
Why would anyone wish to do that today, tomorrow or even next year when the OS ships?

Michael Gartenberg, a tech analyst at Interpret, sums up the state of computer use today better than anyone else: “What we’ve seen is most users are looking for a combination of the two: rich applications on my desktop, and the apps where I want to be connected.”
“This idea that I’m somehow going to do away with rich app architectures and do everything through the browser is an old argument, and it’s never taken root,” he added.
The benefits of Chrome OS don’t seem to outweigh everything Google’s modified browser will do away with. The pluses: Tight security, thanks to Google’s careful monitoring for malware in Chrome OS apps; saving the money you’d spend on an external hard-disk drive thanks to cloud storage; ultimately, being able to “stop worrying about your computer,” as Google said in a promotional video shown at its Thursday event.
Stop worrying about our computers? We’re worried about you, Google. T-Mobile Sidekick customers should especially be disenchanted with the cloud. Microsoft, T-Mobile and Danger hosted the data of all of T-Mobile’s Sidekick users in the cloud, and recently the server crashed, losing everything.
Nobody’s perfect, so it’s conceivable that the same thing could happen with Chrome OS. After all, Google’s Gmail service crashed in February and again in September this year. While no data was lost, it did cause hours of Angst for people who had grown dependent on the mail service.
And then there’s money. Aside from losing access to the native apps we’ve paid for on our PC, it’s certainly imaginable that using Chrome OS could get expensive to use in general. If we wished to put an always-connected, web-app-only computer to good use, we’d need to purchase a data plan from a carrier. This could come in the form of an EVDO card or a smartphone tethering plan — in other words, a monthly bill. Google said Chrome OS will have caching features, so you won’t need internet access to do everything, but caching won’t provide the same offline experience as a full native application.
(Of course, our wireless problems could be solved if we could find an open Wi-Fi connection just anywhere we go. But unless you live in Mountain View, California, where Google provides free Wi-Fi, ubiquitous, free hotspots are not part of your reality.)
With all that said, there’s a ton of potential here for Chrome OS to be vastly appealing, and I’m keeping an open mind. To succeed with Chrome OS, Google should take a step down. To start, Google should modify Chrome OS into a “mini OS” of sorts that can live alongside another OS, such as Windows, on a netbook.
For comparison, Phoenix Technologies offers a mini OS called HyperSpace, which some netbooks are already shipping with. HyperSpace runs parallel to Windows as an instant-on environment, allowing netbooks to perform internet-centric functions without actually booting into Windows. Functions include multimedia players, browsers, internet telephony, e-mail and IM.
Sounds a lot like what Chrome OS is going to be, doesn’t it? That’s because it’s almost the same idea, only Phoenix Technologies is a lesser-known company (which developed the BIOS that boots many Windows computers today, by the way) and is taking a humbler approach — offering HyperSpace as an optional, complementary (but not complimentary) OS rather than a full-blown substitute for Windows. It’s an approach that could lead to greater results if embraced by an incredibly powerful brand like Google.
By offering Chrome OS as a free, downloadable mini OS that runs parallel to a full one, Google can still continue to expand its presence onto hardware — without having to sell the OS with netbooks. Consumers could still try out the benefits of Chrome OS and cloud computing when it’s convenient for them. Then, if users wished to boot into their primary OS to back up their data or do document processing with Microsoft Word, for example, they could — a hybrid, more feature-rich experience.
Unfortunately, not everything we want is on the web just yet. That’s not going to radically change in one year, and not even Google can change that.

IBM to develop 'thinking computers'

Bangalore: In their pursuit of computers that "think" like a living thing's brain, researchers from IBM say that they have simulated a cat's cerebral cortex, the thinking part of the brain, using a massive supercomputer. The computer has 147,456 processors (most modern PCs have just one or two processors) and 144 terabytes of main memory - 100,000 times as much as your computer has. 

The scientists had previously simulated 40 percent of a mouse's brain in 2006, a rat's full brain in 2007, and one percent of a human's cerebral cortex this year, using progressively bigger supercomputers. The latest feat, being presented at a supercomputing conference in Portland, Oregon, does not mean the computer thinks like a cat, or that it is the progenitor of a race of robo-cats.

Dharmendra Modha, Manager of Cognitive Computing for IBM Research and Senior Author of the paper, called it a "truly unprecedented scale of simulation." The researchers created a program that told the supercomputer, which is in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to behave how a brain is believed to behave. The computer was shown images of corporate logos, including the IBM's, and the scientists watched that different parts of the simulated brain worked together to figure out what the image was. Researchers at Stanford University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory were also part of the project.

The simulation, which runs 100 times slower than an actual cat's brain, is more about watching how thoughts are formed in the brain and how the roughly one billion neurons and 10 trillion synapses in a cat's brain work together.

Modha said that the research could lead to computers that rely less on "structured" data, such the input two plus two equals four, and can handle ambiguity better, like identifying the corporate logo even if the image is blurry. Or, such computers could incorporate senses like sight, touch and hearing into the decisions they make.

Source: www.siliconindia.com

Run Commands in Windows

To Access…	Run Command
Accessibility Controls	access.cpl
Accessibility Wizard	accwiz
Add Hardware Wizard	hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs	appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools	control admintools
Adobe Acrobat (if installed)	acrobat
Adobe Designer (if installed)	formdesigner
Adobe Distiller (if installed)	acrodist
Adobe ImageReady (if installed)	imageready
Adobe Photoshop (if installed)	photoshop
Automatic Updates	wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard	fsquirt
Calculator	calc
Certificate Manager	certmgr.msc
Character Map	charmap
Check Disk Utility	chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer	clipbrd
Command Prompt	cmd
Component Services	dcomcnfg
Computer Management	compmgmt.msc
Control Panel	control
Date and Time Properties	timedate.cpl
DDE Shares	ddeshare
Device Manager	devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (if installed)*	directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter	dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility	cleanmgr
Disk Defragment	dfrg.msc
Disk Management	diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager	diskpart
Display Properties	control desktop
Display Properties	desk.cpl
Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected)	control color
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility	drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility	verifier
Event Viewer	eventvwr.msc
Files and Settings Transfer Tool	migwiz
File Signature Verification Tool	sigverif
Findfast	findfast.cpl
Firefox (if installed)	firefox
Folders Properties	folders
Fonts	control fonts
Fonts Folder	fonts
Free Cell Card Game	freecell
Game Controllers	joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof)	gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game	mshearts
Help and Support	helpctr
HyperTerminal	hypertrm
Iexpress Wizard	iexpress
Indexing Service	ciadv.msc
Internet Connection Wizard	icwconn1
Internet Explorer	iexplore
Internet Properties	inetcpl.cpl
Internet Setup Wizard	inetwiz
IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration)	ipconfig /all
IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents)	ipconfig /displaydns
IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents)	ipconfig /flushdns
IP Configuration (Release All Connections)	ipconfig /release
IP Configuration (Renew All Connections)	ipconfig /renew
IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS)	ipconfig /registerdns
IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID)	ipconfig /showclassid
IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID)	ipconfig /setclassid
Java Control Panel (if installed)	jpicpl32.cpl
Java Control Panel (if installed)	javaws
Keyboard Properties	control keyboard
Local Security Settings	secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups	lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows	logoff
Malicious Software Removal Tool	mrt
Microsoft Access (if installed)	msaccess
Microsoft Chat	winchat
Microsoft Excel (if installed)	excel
Microsoft Frontpage (if installed)	frontpg
Microsoft Movie Maker	moviemk
Microsoft Paint	mspaint
Microsoft Powerpoint (if installed)	powerpnt
Microsoft Word (if installed)	winword
Microsoft Syncronization Tool	mobsync
Minesweeper Game	winmine
Mouse Properties	control mouse
Mouse Properties	main.cpl
Nero (if installed)	nero
Netmeeting	conf
Network Connections	control netconnections
Network Connections	ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard	netsetup.cpl
Notepad	notepad
Nview Desktop Manager (if installed)	nvtuicpl.cpl
Object Packager	packager
ODBC Data Source Administrator	odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard	osk
Opens AC3 Filter (if installed)	ac3filter.cpl
Outlook Express	msimn
Paint	pbrush
Password Properties	password.cpl
Performance Monitor	perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor	perfmon
Phone and Modem Options	telephon.cpl
Phone Dialer	dialer
Pinball Game	pinball
Power Configuration	powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes	control printers
Printers Folder	printers
Private Character Editor	eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed)	QuickTime.cpl
Quicktime Player (if installed)	quicktimeplayer
Real Player (if installed)	realplay
Regional Settings	intl.cpl
Registry Editor	regedit
Registry Editor	regedit32
Remote Access Phonebook	rasphone
Remote Desktop	mstsc
Removable Storage	ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests	ntmsoprq.msc
Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof)	rsop.msc
Scanners and Cameras	sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks	control schedtasks
Security Center	wscui.cpl
Services	services.msc
Shared Folders	fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows	shutdown
Sounds and Audio	mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game	spider
SQL Client Configuration	cliconfg
System Configuration Editor	sysedit
System Configuration Utility	msconfig
System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately)	sfc /scannow
System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At The Next Boot)	sfc /scanonce
System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot)	sfc /scanboot
System File Checker Utility (Return Scan Setting To Default)	sfc /revert
System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache)	sfc /purgecache
System File Checker Utility (Sets Cache Size to size x)	sfc /cachesize=x
System Information	msinfo32
System Properties	sysdm.cpl
Task Manager	taskmgr
TCP Tester	tcptest
Telnet Client	telnet
Tweak UI (if installed)	tweakui
User Account Management	nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager	utilman
Windows Address Book	wab
Windows Address Book Import Utility	wabmig
Windows Backup Utility (if installed)	ntbackup
Windows Explorer	explorer
Windows Firewall	firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier	magnify
Windows Management Infrastructure	wmimgmt.msc
Windows Media Player	wmplayer
Windows Messenger	msmsgs
Windows Picture Import Wizard (need camera connected)	wiaacmgr
Windows System Security Tool	syskey
Windows Update Launches	wupdmgr
Windows Version (to show which version of windows)	winver
Windows XP Tour Wizard	tourstart
Wordpad	write

Windows Vista Key Board Shortcut

Ease of Access Keyboard Shortcuts:

v Right SHIFT for eight seconds - Turn Filter Keys on and off

v Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (or PRTSCRN) - Turn High Contrast on or off

v Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK - Turn Mouse Keys on or off

v SHIFT five times - Turn Sticky Keys on or off

v NUM LOCK for five seconds - Turn Toggle Keys on or off

v Windows logo key +U - Open the Ease of Access Center

General Keyboard Shortcuts:

v F1 - Display Help

v CTRL+C - Copy the selected item

v CTRL+X - Cut the selected item

v CTRL+V - Paste the selected item

v CTRL+Z - Undo an action

v CTRL+Y - Redo an action

v DELETE - Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin

v SHIFT+DELETE - Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first

v F2 - Rename the selected item

v CTRL+RIGHT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word

v CTRL+LEFT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word

v CTRL+DOWN ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph

v CTRL+UP ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph

v CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow key - Select a block of text

v SHIFT with any arrow key - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document

v CTRL with any arrow key+SPACEBAR - Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop

v CTRL+A - Select all items in a document or window

v F3 - Search for a file or folder

v ALT+ENTER - Display properties for the selected item

v ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or exit the active program

v ALT+SPACEBAR - Open the shortcut menu for the active window

v CTRL+F4 - Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)

v ALT+TAB - Switch between open items

v CTRL+ALT+TAB - Use the arrow keys to switch between open items

v CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size of icons on the desktop

v Windows logo key +TAB - Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D

v CTRL+Windows logo key +TAB - Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D

v ALT+ESC - Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened

v F6 - Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

v F4 - Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer

v SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item

v CTRL+ESC - Open the Start menu

v ALT+underlined letter - Display the corresponding menu

v ALT+underlined letter - Perform the menu command (or other underlined command)

v F10 - Activate the menu bar in the active program

v RIGHT ARROW - Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu

v LEFT ARROW - Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu

v F5 - Refresh the active window

v ALT+UP ARROW - View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer

v ESC - Cancel the current task

v CTRL+SHIFT+ESC - Open Task Manager

v SHIFT when you insert a CD - Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts:

v CTRL+TAB - Move forward through tabs

v CTRL+SHIFT+TAB - Move back through tabs

v TAB - Move forward through options

v SHIFT+TAB - Move back through options

v ALT+underlined letter - Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter

v ENTER - Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands

v SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box

v Arrow keys - Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons

v F1 - Display Help

v F4 - Display the items in the active list

Microsoft Windows Logo Keyboard Shortcuts:

v Windows logo key - Open or close the Start menu

v Windows logo key +PAUSE - Display the System Properties dialog box

v Windows logo key +D - Display the desktop

v Windows logo key +M - Minimize all windows

v Windows logo key +SHIFT+M - Restore minimized windows to the desktop

v Windows logo key +E - Open Computer

v Windows logo key +F - Search for a file or folder

v CTRL+Windows logo key +F - Search for computers (if you are on a network)

v Windows logo key +L - Lock your computer or switch users

v Windows logo key +R - Open the Run dialog box

v Windows logo key +T - Cycle through programs on the taskbar

v Windows logo key +TAB - Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D

v CTRL+Windows logo key +TAB - Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D

v Windows logo key +SPACEBAR - Bring all gadgets to the front and select Windows Sidebar

v Windows logo key +G - Cycle through Sidebar gadgets

v Windows logo key +U - Open Ease of Access Center

v Windows logo key +X - Open Windows Mobility Center

v Windows logo key with any number key - Open the Quick Launch shortcut that is in the position that corresponds to the number. For example, Windows logo key +1 to launch the first shortcut in the Quick Launch menu.

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts:

v CTRL+N - Open a new window

v END - Display the bottom of the active window

v HOME - Display the top of the active window

v F11 - Maximize or minimize the active window

v NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) on numeric keypad - Display all subfolders under the selected folder

v NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) on numeric keypad - Display the contents of the selected folder

v NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN (-) on numeric keypad - Collapse the selected folder

v LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder

v ALT+LEFT ARROW - View the previous folder

v RIGHT ARROW - Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder

v ALT+RIGHT ARROW - View the next folder

v CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons

v ALT+D - Select the Address bar

Windows Sidebar Keyboard Shortcuts:

v Windows logo key +SPACEBAR - Bring all gadgets to the front and select Sidebar

v Windows logo key +G - Cycle through Sidebar gadgets

v TAB - Cycle through Sidebar controls

Windows Photo Gallery Keyboard Shortcuts:

v CTRL+F - Open the Fix pane

v CTRL+P - Print the selected picture

v ENTER - View the selected picture at a larger size

v CTRL+I - Open or close the Details pane

v CTRL+PERIOD (.) - Rotate the picture clockwise

v CTRL+COMMA (,) - Rotate the picture counter-clockwise

v F2 - Rename the selected item

v CTRL+E - Search for an item

v ALT+LEFT ARROW - Go back

v ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Go forward

v PLUS SIGN (+) - Zoom in or resize the picture thumbnail

v MINUS SIGN (-) - Zoom out or resize the picture thumbnail

v CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size of the picture thumbnail

v CTRL+B - Best fit

v LEFT ARROW - Select the previous item

v DOWN ARROW - Select the next item or row

v UP ARROW - Previous item (Easel) or previous row (Thumbnail)

v PAGE UP - Previous screen

v PAGE DOWN - Next screen

v HOME - Select the first item

v END - Select the last item

v DELETE - Move the selected item to the Recycle Bin

v SHIFT+DELETE - Permanently delete the selected item

v LEFT ARROW - Collapse node

v RIGHT ARROW - Expand node

Keyboard Shortcuts For Working With Movie Maker Videos:

v J - Move back one frame

v K - Pause the playback

v L - Move forward one frame

v I - Set the start trim point

v O - Set the end trim point

v M - Split a clip

v HOME - Stop and rewind all the way back to the start trim point

v ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Advance to the next frame

v ALT+LEFT ARROW - Go back to the previous frame

v CTRL+K - Stop and rewind playback

v CTRL+P - Play from the current location

v HOME - Move the start trim point

v END - Move to the end trim point

v PAGE UP - Seek to nearest split point before the current location

v PAGE DOWN - Seek to nearest split point after the current location

Windows Help Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts:

v ALT+C - Display the Table of Contents

v ALT+N - Display the Connection Settings menu

v F10 - Display the Options menu

v ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move back to the previously viewed topic

v ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to the next (previously viewed) topic

v ALT+A - Display the customer support page

v ALT+HOME - Display the Help and Support home page

v HOME - Move the to beginning of a topic

v END - Move to the end of a topic

v CTRL+F - Search the current topic

v CTRL+P - Print a topic

v F3 - Move to the Search box.

Source: Microsoft.com