Google asked to provide remedial measures

In 2010, Microsoft accused Google of manipulating search results, prom oting its own advertising services, demoting the advertising services of the rivals etc. Microsoft took up the matter with European Union Commission.

Joaquin Almunia, the Competition Commissioner of EU informed that the regulators are against lengthy proceedings, which will be a sheer waste of time considering the fast advancement of technology and that it will not do any good to any of the parties. If Google can come out with a solution, the antitrust investigation could be discarded.

The regulators have given Google an opportunity to give remedy to address certain concerns of the Commission. In fact, Google has time and again expressed its desire to discuss any of the issues which the Commission has brought out.

If the Commission is happy with the remedial measures of Google, then that will be the end of the 18 month old investigation.

Almunia wanted Google to expedite as the proposals from Google is needed immediately. There are at least 17 complaints against Google with the Commission. The latest grievances are from online travel agencies like TripAdvisor, Opodo, eDreams etc.

Most of the complaints are from small European competitors. Google has been accused of suppressing competitors, which Google has denied. Google controls more than 66% of the global search market in the US. This has prompted US authorities to investigate in the affairs of Google.

If any company is found breaching EU rules, it will be penalized to an amount equal to about 10% of its global turnover.

Microsoft and Intel are among the companies which had paid the fines to EU in the past.

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Considerable increase in the net access through mobile dongles

Ofcom has concluded that there has been enormous rise in the number of people connecting to the internet through mobile broadband.

The Telecom watchdog, which made a thorough research into the performance of the mobile broadband, established that in the UK in the final quarter of 2009 only 3% used mobile broadband for accessing the net. The figure rose to 7% in the same quarter of 2010.

Ofcom has also found out that people find it cheaper to use mobile broadband in comparison with fixed line services. In fact, Ofcom has published a guide on proper selection of mobile broadband service.

Before signing up with a service provider, the consumers are advised to make sure of the coverage. They should also know the main requirement of their broadband connection. In certain locations it may prove to be much cheaper than a landline service. Further, there is the facility of ‘pay-as-you-go’ tariffs.

Ofcom’s research was based on the survey conducted between September and December 2011, on those who used data cards and dongles and not smartphones. Five 3G mobile operators were involved in more than 4 million tests in areas of good coverage to determine their performance and the average speed attained.

Epitiro, the specialists in broadband monitoring could determine that the average speed attained was 1.5Mbits/sec. It took about 8.5 seconds to download a webpage.

The speed even rose to 2.1 Mbits/sec when the 3G coverage was better than normal. It was also noticed that service providers like Three, O2 and Vodafone provided faster download speed than Orange and T-Mobile.

Ed Richards of Ofcom informed that this particular research enabled the consumers to get a better idea about the performance and efficiencies of mobile data cards and dongles which the consumers prefer to use more than the fixed line services. In fact, they consider them as their main way of accessing online services.

Ofcom must be thanked for the research they have done, which has provided the consumers with sufficient information to make their best choice among all the services in the market.

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Google Chrome popular than IE

According to the new reports, it is clear that Microsoft’s internet explorer has been overtaken by Google Chrome as it is the most utilized internet browser employed by the many of the internet users.

For the first time the browser was introduced for the benefit of the user in the year 2008 and established its top position in the list for the browser that is most popularly utilized. However this rank of the top position has been expected.

Meanwhile the data collected from startcounter also reveals the popularity of Google Chrome’s among the internet user who are using Chrome instead of Firefox and internet explorer. This implies that the gap among them is increasing rapidly.

The Microsoft Company is determined to fight back with the gossip of the arrival of its internet explorer 10 in the later part of this year. But the evolving Google Chrome available in various extensions from their store will not be easy task for internet explorer to beat Chrome.

From their own survey it has been known that among the user Chrome is the most famous web browser, almost 29 percentage readers of Pocket-lint's prefers Google Chrome than that of Microsoft’s internet explorer and other such browser.

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TP-Link TL-WR1042ND Gigabit Wireless-N Broadband Router (300Mbps)

TP-Link is the leading manufacturer of networking products. TP-Link TL-WR1042ND Gigabit Wireless-N Broadband Router (300Mbps) is manufactured to offer amazing access to internet with great speed. This router is not only safe, reliable, powerful, efficient but also affordable. This advanced router is perfect for both household and office use. This device is boosted with latest home networking technology that will deliver brilliant experience to enjoy applications like playing games online, sharing large files, making online calls and streaming HD video. It comes with two detachable Omni directional antennas.

The router comes with Gigabit WAN/LAN ports and has a wireless speed of 300 Mbps that will enable the user to experience online gaming as well as HD video streaming. Its versatile USB port helps the consumer to share data from USB storage. The router is enhanced with media server that will enable the user to share videos, photos and music. While it is also equips a print server that makes printing task more flexible whether it is at home or in the office. The frequency rate of the device is 2.4-2.4835GHz. Its parental control feature allows the boss of the office or parents to have ultimate control over the access of the internet by the staff or children. The router supports various types of connection likes dynamic IP, static IP, and PPPoE.

The device is powered by IEEE 802.11n standard, which will help the user to develop a wireless network and get the speed of up to 18X as well as range of 6X of general 11g products. The high speed of the device enables the user to work comfortably with most of the intensive bandwidth application including HD streaming, online gaming or VoIP without affecting its high speed. It comes with a CD for easy and safe installation assistant. The router has the protection of WI-FI Protected Setup (WPS) to help the user to quickly set their security by sampling pressing the “WPS” button, this will automatically establish a connect that is WPA2 secured. The power consumption of the router is 12VDC / 1.5A.

The device is in built with IP QoS (Quality of Service) ensuring optimum operation of bandwidth as well as delivering bandwidth control over blockage and also prevents its misuse. Its on/off switch helps to turn on/off of the device. Domain login function allows the user to login to the router only with a domain name. The device is compatible with Microsoft® Windows® 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, Vista™ or Windows 7, MAC® OS, getWare®, UNIX® or Linux operating system. It also features MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output), possessing and WMM (Wi-Fi Multi Media) for enhanced connectivity. TP-Link TL-WR1042ND Gigabit Wireless-N Broadband Router comes with a two year warranty. The dimension of the device is 7.9 inch of width, 5.5 inch of depth and 1.2 inch of height.

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Netgear DGND4000 N750 Simultaneous Dual-Band ADSL2+ & Fibre Broadband Wireless-N Router

If it is multimedia gaming and high definition streaming that is used by you for most of the time, then you will need a router exclusively for the purpose. Netgear has come up with their new model of fibre broadband router exclusively for such users. The all new Netgear DGND4000 N750 Simultaneous Dual-Band ADSL2+ & Fibre Broadband Wireless-N Router is sure to fulfil your needs. It supports a maximum wireless transfer rate of 750 Mbps. As this router supports Simultaneous Dual band technology that runs both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands simultaneously promising enhanced coverage and uninterrupted speed.

The key features supported by this all in one router are ReadySHARE Cloud, ReadySHARE Printer and ReadySHARE USB. The NETGEAR Genie option supported by this router allows you to set up the router with ease and also allows you to manage the dashboard control to manage, monitor and repair the networks.

In addition, it also has lie parental controls, Guest network access as well as Broadband usage meter. It comes with 8 MB flash and 64 MB RAM. This router has 1 WAN and 4 LAN Gigabit Ethernet ports for enhanced connectivity. The device also supports a range of advanced security features such as Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA/WPA2—PSK) and WEP, Double firewall protection (SPI and NAT firewall) and Denial-of-service (DoS) attack prevention. This wireless router is best suited for HD video streaming.

The dimensions of this Netgear DGND4000 N750 Simultaneous Dual-Band ADSL2+ Wireless-N Router are 223 x 153 x 31 mm and it weighs 0.5 kg. The wireless standards supported by the device are IEEE® 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz and IEEE 802.11 a/n 5.0 GHz. The Power and Wi-Fi on/off buttons are also present in the device. It comes with a warranty of 1 year. The accessories that come along with the device include Stand, Ethernet cable and UK Power adapter.

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Google utilize social network data

Google has announced a latest semantic search engine that will make the search of information easier instead of linking to web pages powered by data on the Google+ profiles. The Knowledge Graph first tries to analysis the queried object is instead of considering it as a string of random alphabets or characters.

The senior vice president of engineering on the Google blog, Mr. Amit Singal said that by recognizing the distinction in the meaning of the words, it is possible for Google to offer more intelligent search results.

Singal stated that knowing the search difficulty is the main cause of their labouring on a smart model such as geek-speak and grasp that understands entities from the living world along with their connection to one another in matters of things.

The Knowledge Graph will display the search result in the side panel of the page that surfaces additional facts about the subject. Google showed its benefit with an example of Leonardo Da Vinci search result that displayed a brief biography, photo, his paintings as well as other painter of the age.

Google is going to employ public sources like Wikipedia, Freebase and the CIA's World Factbook, meanwhile it develop its own database that already has objects of 500 million with 3.5billion information about them. Google has also affirmed to PC Pro that they also will be utilizing Google+ data.

They are combining and blending the sources, adding Knowledge Graph connections as well as Google+ profiles in order to offer most relevant information. A statement by a spokesperson said that this help Google to know people properly and their association.

Google has launched its latest search tool in the US and when it will roll out the tool in the UK is not known.

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Facebook hacker from Sussex imprisoned for one year

A young man of 21 years old from Sussex has been condemned for one year in jail on account of hacking into a private Facebook account.

Gareth Crosskey pleaded guilty for his offences against the Computer Misuse Act after the investigation carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service's Police Central e-Crime Unit and FBI. But the victim’s identity is not revealed neither by the Met nor the Crown Prosecution Service.

FBI was reported of this breach and they immediately stated their investigation and discovered the source of illegal access down to the UK as stated by Met in a statement including that in the last January, Crosskey gained illegal access to a private Facebook account.

This case according to the officials will warn the other hackers about the strict action of the authorities. In a statement Met said that PCeU is working hard in order the detect those who are found guilty of the offence before the law.

This case will work as a hindrance to any one who thinks to indulge in this type of illegal activity. The immediate action of the PCeU officers enabled arrest Crosskey quickly avoiding further interruption to the victim.

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New Reset button on Firefox 13

Mozilla’s new feature ‘Reset Firefox’ enables the user to reset the browser without disturbing the personal data.

The feature, available on ‘Firefox 13 beta’ for Windows, Mac and Linux, functions by migrating the bookmarks, passwords, cookies, form data etc to a new default profile. The old one is automatically destroyed. A new Firefox installation is accomplished without the need for troubleshooting.

Sync settings, open tabs, tab groups, add-ons etc are not saved. At this point it is difficult to say if those are planned for Reset Firefox. It is also not known whether saving would result in malfunction.

Michael Verdi, who is a Firefox Help staff, informed that the troubleshooting personnel want the feature to be retained forever, as it eliminates the vast majority of complicated troubleshooting steps.

The feature is quite easy to locate. Choose ‘Help’ from the Firefox menu button and then select ‘Troubleshooting Information’, and then click ‘Reset Firefox’ button.

Verdi informed that there are plans for making it easier for the people to locate it in future.

Reset Firefox is not yet readily available. Verdi mentioned that there are some bugs; one of them is that it may be broken in Firefox Nightly or Firefox Aurora and that it can work only with the default profile.

In other words, if the Firefox is opened with a secondary profile or command line, the Reset Firefox button will fail to appear.

The feature will indeed be an excellent addition for any modern browser. As far as Mozilla is concerned, it will at least prevent migration of its customers.

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Check broadband comparison site to know the best broadband deal

When customers are planning to switch from internet service to broadband connection, they should know certain things before registering themselves for the deal. One should make sure what they required will be satisfied and gives the user an effective and reliable service.

Most of the banks, government agencies and retailers nowadays have their own website. So they wish their customers should use their online service that will in turn reduce the paper use and also minimizes line-up in the city branches. A web connection that enable us not only the download and upload of the data but also allows to browse many website without affecting the connection speed is of outmost important.

Broadband internet service through cable or from one’s phone connection will not be available for those who reside in a remote or rural area. In order to know about it one must surf the price comparison website. Just type one’s home postcode on the page of the site and it will display all plans and packages that is provided in that area. In case if someone lives where the broadband service is not facilitated, then for them the choice left is dial-up services or satellite broadband. But it is also true that such service cannot challenge the reliability and speed that the fixed-line internet broadband connection provide. Satellite and mobile broadband are enhanced to provide favourable speed that is comparable to the present average speed of the country.

A satellite dish should be installed in a place from where it has uninterrupted view of the wide sky in order to have a good access of satellite internet service. Whereas mobile broadband is provided in those areas that have a good 3G signal. By entering one’s postcode in the network coverage map, one can know about the strength of 3G signal in one’s particular area. This coverage map is an important feature provided by all mobile phone providers on their site, so the user needs to confirm the 3G bandwidth. With the help of the smartphones one can avail mobile internet even at home but the respective area should have good 3G signals to ensure home mobile broadband.

The comparison of the broadband service is the consumer’s analysis that they collect and make it available for others to go through it to get the detail. Select the pack that will satisfy one’s need and read the some reviews to sign-up the deal. One can use technical support like Google search to procure the best package. Devote some time to surf the broadband price comparison site to get the best pack that will allow browsing the site, downloading or watching movies and favourite TV program at ease.

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Mobile broadband perfect for business users

Mobile broadband service is an advantage for its users. Particularly for business users, the development and stability of mobile broadband is of great relief. Business persons are required to be connected and increase their productivity while they are on the move. Mobile broadband is a blessing for the business persons for it offers access to emails, files as well as other such data anywhere and everywhere.

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is the major kind of mobile broadband technology in Australia. At present most of the producers are manufacturing laptops that has HSDPA capabilities.

The 3G technology has simplified the use of mobile broadband. The internet service provider will naturally give the users with a USB key that slots easily in the USB port. This device will enable the user to work online whenever it is necessary. This USB keys can be of small mobile phone size and can be bigger than that of a USB flash drive. For the transportation of mobile broadband tiny USB keys are of perfect size. The other options available are A PC card, Express Card and built-in broadband adaptors.

Compare to the PC card, Express Card is smaller so it can be easily slide in the side of a notebook. The device is almost common on all the latest laptops and so it is sure to replace the PC cards.

The greatest benefit of utilizing mobile broadband is its convenience for business purpose. With the help of mobile broadband one can quickly access the service to get the business related information and can manage the office activities while the person is away. Thus this helps the person to know all about one’s business transactions. Smartphone is the most popular device for those who really require a reliable internet access. One can also go for highly featured Blackberry’s or iPhone for instant internet access along with powerful application.

Most of the service providers are offering various plans for wireless network that is perfect for the business persons who devote most of their time outside of their office. The flexibility of mobile broadband is ideal not only for small businesses but also for big businesses.

For businesses one should go through the availability in the wireless broadband plans as well as data usage and compare the prices before signing up for a plan. Most of the business people use smartphone to access mobile internet facility.

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