India wants smart card for better project implementation

New Delhi: The Planning Commission of India has said that the use of the multi-application smart cards system (MASCs)could help simplify the implementation procedures and enhance the efficiency of government schemes.
According to the working group of the Commission that examined the design and potential use of the system, the use of MASCs can help the government improve the outcome of various central government schemes—including PDS, Indira Awas Yojana and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
These studies could form the basis for the introduction of a smart card system and a Web-enabled information system, on an experimental basis.
According to the Commission, the smart cards system will be based on unique ID, sharing of ID, multi-application and access control.
It added that the entire system will consist of front, middle and back end, where the electronic card will be the front end of the integrated smart card system.
The Planning Commission stated that the front end is the point of delivery of the system where the smart cards will be read and used.
The middle office will be responsible for charging and updating the card periodically—month, quarter and annual—depending on the type of information and the requirement and transfer information from the front end to the back end and vice versa, the Commission added.
The examination has revealed that the back end set-up will contain the computerised records, guidelines, accounts and management information systems.
According to the Commission, the complete system would require complete digitisation of the records.

Introducing Ubuntu Mobile - full Internet, no compromise

Ubuntu Mobile
Introducing Ubuntu Mobile - full Internet, no compromise
Ubuntu Mobile is an Ubuntu edition that targets an exciting new class of computers called Mobile Internet Devices.Ubuntu Mobile, based on the world's most popular Linux distribution, and MID hardware from OEMs and ODMs, are redefining what can be done in mobile computing.
Ubuntu Mobile, a fully open source project, gives full Internet, with no compromise. Custom options may include licensed codecs and popular third-party applications.
Full Web 2.0/AJAX fidelity, with custom options of Adobe Flash®, Java, and more
Outstanding media playback so you can enjoy videos, music and photos with superior quality and easy navigation
A suite of applications that work seamlessly to meet every need of a digital parent, student or anyone who is on-the-go
Facebook®, MySpace®, YouTube®, Dailymotion®, 3D games, GPS, maps, in short, the full Web 2.0 experience delivered into your hands as a compact and powerful device that's easy and fun to use
The product of Canonical collaboration with Intel® and the open source community, Ubuntu Mobile is the software that makes it all possible.
Just the right stuff
Ubuntu Mobile just works, and it works just right.
Just the right applications provide an uncompromised Web 2.0 experience: Web browsing, email, media, camera, VoIP, instant messaging, GPS, blogging, digital TV, games, contacts, dates/calendar, simple software updates... and lots more.
All unnecessary complexity in the user experience is eliminated.
Finger friendly, touch driven
Ubuntu Mobile is finger friendly, with no stylus needed. You drive Ubuntu Mobile with touch. Simply tap the screen or drag a finger to make gestures for intuitive navigation and control.
Tap an application with your finger to launch it, and tap menus and buttons to use them.
Swipe a web page to pan up, down or sideways.
Swipe a video, photo, song or thumbnail page to move to the next or the previous one.
Leveraging the MID
MIDs typically have the following features and attributes:
Small size/form factor
4 to 7 inch touch screen
Physical and/or virtual keyboard
Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, WiMAX
2GB to 8GB Flash or disk storage, 256MB+ memory/512MB+ recommended
OpenGL 3D
USB, camera, head phone jack, speakers, microphone
Customizable
Clutter User Interface
Flash User Interface
Ubuntu Mobile is highly flexible and customizable. It is an ideal platform for the kind of product differentiation that reaches target users and penetrates key markets.
User interface in HTML, Flash, Clutter, Python with GTK, C/C++ with GTK and Java
Different application sets for different products or configurations
Integration with popular Web 2.0 sites
Internationalization and translation support to meet market requirements
Custom sets of licensed media codecs and third-party proprietary software for commercial partners
Custom engineering

What PayPal does with your money

under PayPal's control - and whether a desire to retain those funds for longer spurred eBay's holding plan.
However, company executives and industry analysts say the money PayPal makes off such payments has a negligible impact on its bottom line.
Any funds PayPal holds for dispersal are automatically deposited in a corporate bank account, which earns interest, according to Paypal representative Amanda Pires. The money is kept there until it's ready for distribution. PayPal, which processes payments for eBay auctions as well as e-commerce transactions from elsewhere on the Internet, counts interest payments on those funds as one of its revenue streams.
That's a perfectly legal practice, as PayPal is classified as a deposit broker, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) spokesman David Barr.
"Deposit brokers make money being deposit brokers," Barr said. "That's the reason they're in business. As long as fees are disclosed, that's fine from our standpoint."
Indeed, Paypal's user agreement - which all accountholders must read and accept - states: "Paypal may combine your funds with the funds of other Users and place those Pooled Accounts in one or more bank accounts in PayPal's name."
This applies to any user funds that are in the company's "custody." The agreement further states that accountholders "irrevocably transfer and assign to PayPal any ownership right that you may have in any interest" that accrues in these accounts.
EBay boycott winds down, but anger remains
But the revenue generated from this practice is miniscule given PayPal's total revenue picture, said Thomas Weisel Partners managing director Christa Quarles.
"Money's definitely being made on the float, but is that the purpose at the end of the day?" said Quarles, who covers eBay. "Our sense is it's not necessarily material in its contribution."
Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) Director of Internet Research Mark Mahaney arrived at similar estimates by examining PayPal's public quotes of average "stored value." Mahaney approximates the interest earned on the float at "single-digit millions per quarter, and at most $10 million a quarter."
All that's a drop in the bucket, said Quarles. In 2007, PayPal generated $1.8 billion in revenue. EBay's total 2007 revenue was $7.7 billion. EBay does not break out PayPal's earnings in its financial statements, meaning analysts must rely on their own estimates of the division's profits.
"I understand sellers are angry about [the 21-day policy], but the fee changes are really what's going to drive broader revenues at eBay," Quarles said.
PayPal's Pires said accountholders should be aware that they have the power to collect interest for their own use on delayed funds. It's as simple as enrolling in the company's PayPal Money Market Fund, Pires said.
For enrolled accountholders, any funds earmarked for a hold are diverted into the Money Market Fund rather than PayPal's corporate bank account, Pires said. The dividends earned are credited to user accounts on a monthly basis.
"Every U.S. accountholder has the ability to invest in the Money Market Fund," Pires said.
PayPal's Money Market Fund is run by Barclay (BCS)'s Global Investments. No minimum balance is required, and the fund's current interest rate is 3.46%.
PayPal funds freeze draws fire
The company would not disclose what percentage of PayPal's 57 million active accountholders have enrolled in the fund. But Pires said the fund is a "well-utilized service by our customers."
Barr of the FDIC notes that PayPal does not ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of the FDIC, which regulates banks and banking institutions. Regulation of deposit brokers or money-transfer operations falls to individual states, he said.
Alana Golden, spokeswoman for California's Department of Financial Institutions, said PayPal's plans for a 21-day holding period do not run afoul of any DFI regulations. The DFI regulates only PayPal transactions that involve transmitting money to foreign countries, and has no jurisdiction over PayPal's domestic operations.
Therein lies PayPal's competitive advantage, said Quarles of Thomas Weisel Partners.
"They've figured out how not to be regulated, and they've done that globally," Quarles said. "[PayPal] has gone to great pains to be not considered a bank."

What PayPal does with your money

under PayPal's control - and whether a desire to retain those funds for longer spurred eBay's holding plan.
However, company executives and industry analysts say the money PayPal makes off such payments has a negligible impact on its bottom line.
Any funds PayPal holds for dispersal are automatically deposited in a corporate bank account, which earns interest, according to Paypal representative Amanda Pires. The money is kept there until it's ready for distribution. PayPal, which processes payments for eBay auctions as well as e-commerce transactions from elsewhere on the Internet, counts interest payments on those funds as one of its revenue streams.
That's a perfectly legal practice, as PayPal is classified as a deposit broker, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) spokesman David Barr.
"Deposit brokers make money being deposit brokers," Barr said. "That's the reason they're in business. As long as fees are disclosed, that's fine from our standpoint."
Indeed, Paypal's user agreement - which all accountholders must read and accept - states: "Paypal may combine your funds with the funds of other Users and place those Pooled Accounts in one or more bank accounts in PayPal's name."
This applies to any user funds that are in the company's "custody." The agreement further states that accountholders "irrevocably transfer and assign to PayPal any ownership right that you may have in any interest" that accrues in these accounts.
EBay boycott winds down, but anger remains
But the revenue generated from this practice is miniscule given PayPal's total revenue picture, said Thomas Weisel Partners managing director Christa Quarles.
"Money's definitely being made on the float, but is that the purpose at the end of the day?" said Quarles, who covers eBay. "Our sense is it's not necessarily material in its contribution."
Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) Director of Internet Research Mark Mahaney arrived at similar estimates by examining PayPal's public quotes of average "stored value." Mahaney approximates the interest earned on the float at "single-digit millions per quarter, and at most $10 million a quarter."
All that's a drop in the bucket, said Quarles. In 2007, PayPal generated $1.8 billion in revenue. EBay's total 2007 revenue was $7.7 billion. EBay does not break out PayPal's earnings in its financial statements, meaning analysts must rely on their own estimates of the division's profits.
"I understand sellers are angry about [the 21-day policy], but the fee changes are really what's going to drive broader revenues at eBay," Quarles said.
PayPal's Pires said accountholders should be aware that they have the power to collect interest for their own use on delayed funds. It's as simple as enrolling in the company's PayPal Money Market Fund, Pires said.
For enrolled accountholders, any funds earmarked for a hold are diverted into the Money Market Fund rather than PayPal's corporate bank account, Pires said. The dividends earned are credited to user accounts on a monthly basis.
"Every U.S. accountholder has the ability to invest in the Money Market Fund," Pires said.
PayPal's Money Market Fund is run by Barclay (BCS)'s Global Investments. No minimum balance is required, and the fund's current interest rate is 3.46%.
PayPal funds freeze draws fire
The company would not disclose what percentage of PayPal's 57 million active accountholders have enrolled in the fund. But Pires said the fund is a "well-utilized service by our customers."
Barr of the FDIC notes that PayPal does not ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of the FDIC, which regulates banks and banking institutions. Regulation of deposit brokers or money-transfer operations falls to individual states, he said.
Alana Golden, spokeswoman for California's Department of Financial Institutions, said PayPal's plans for a 21-day holding period do not run afoul of any DFI regulations. The DFI regulates only PayPal transactions that involve transmitting money to foreign countries, and has no jurisdiction over PayPal's domestic operations.
Therein lies PayPal's competitive advantage, said Quarles of Thomas Weisel Partners.
"They've figured out how not to be regulated, and they've done that globally," Quarles said. "[PayPal] has gone to great pains to be not considered a bank."

Super-speed Internet satellite blasts off in Japan - CNN.com

Super-speed Internet satellite blasts off in Japan - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Japan launched a rocket Saturday carrying a satellite that will test new technology that promises to deliver 'super high-speed Internet' service to homes and businesses around the world.

A rocket carrying a super-fast Internet satellite lifts off from its launch pad on the Japanese island of Tanagashima.
The rocket carrying the WINDS satellite -- a joint project of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -- lifted off its pad at 5:55 p.m. (0855 GMT).
If the technology proves successful, subscribers with small dishes will connect to the Internet at speeds many times faster than what is now available over residential cable or DSL services.
The Associated Press said the satellite would offer speeds of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second.
The service initially would focus on the Asia-Pacific region close to Japan, a JAXA news release said.
'Among other uses, this will make possible great advances in telemedicine, which will bring high-quality medical treatment to remote areas, and in distance education, connecting students and teachers separated by great distances,' JAXA said.
The rocket was launched from Japan's Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center."

Super-speed Internet satellite blasts off in Japan

Japan launched a rocket Saturday carrying a satellite that will test new technology that promises to deliver "super high-speed Internet" service to homes and businesses around the world.

read more | digg story

Google to get real-time space images

The Internet search company has formed a new partnership with scientists building a huge sky-scanning telescope, with hopes of helping the public access digital footage of asteroids, supernovas and distant galaxies.

read more | digg story

iPhone hacked to work outside US with Vodafone contract

Guy bought US iPhone, removed AT&T SIM, put it in old cell phone, took it to Vodafone store and added it to his contract (replacing phone currently on the contract & using the AT&T SIM). He then took it home, popped the SIM, put it back in iPhone, used iASign to activate. Results: UK Phone number, Vodafone contract. May possibly work in any country

read more | digg story

recharge your ipod with your shirt

U.S. scientists have developed a microfiber fabric that generates its own electricity, making enough current to recharge a cell phone or ensure that a small MP3 music player never runs out of power.

read more | digg story

Invisible Secret Service Headset for Extreme Communications

I really hate to put things even earbuds into my ears. Let me introduce a tiny device - the smallest of its kind. They call it “Secret Service Invisible 2-Way Micro Headset”, the micro-sized earbud is smaller than a hearing aid which fits snugly and securely in the ear canal. But, i don’t think we should call it ‘INVISIBLE’.

read more | digg story

Google Might server Up Wi-Fi to Rural Areas w Ballons [PIC]

The Internet giant - which is now pushing into wireless services, has considered contracting with Space Data or even buying the firm, according to one person…Google believes balloons like these could radically change the economics of offering cellphone and Internet services in out-of-the-way areas, according to people familiar with its thinking.

read more | digg story

Google to sell display ads in Web videos

Google plans to start selling ads to appear in Web videos and has signed up 20 customers, as it aims to do for videos what it has done for text.

read more | digg story

Many More Girls Blog, Create, And Build Websites Than Boys

Research shows that among the youngest Internet users, the primary creators of Web content (blogs, graphics, photographs, Web sites) are not misfits resembling the Lone Gunmen of “The X Files.” On the contrary, the cyberpioneers of the moment are digitally effusive teenage girls.

read more | digg story

Google Shoots For The Moon

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF -First it conquered cyberspace. Now, Google is setting its sights on outer space.

read more | digg story

Internal Microsoft email prepares workers for Yahoo takeover

The Borg is moving forward: "Some aspects of the two cultures will naturally merge quickly and some will remain unique in the near-term and merge more slowly over time."

read more | digg story

Topics

Topics

Speed Racer vs. Batmobile Zoomdown: Entire 2008 Toy Lineup

We've got Mattel's entire line of Batman and Speed Racer cars for 2008, and we hope the movies are as geekgasmic as the toys. The Batman lineup punches all of my little fanboy buttons, Speed Racer's got the Mach 5, its sleeker, zippier successor the Mach 6, plus a battle bus!

read more | digg story

Inventor promises bottle-o-wind car in a year. AgainFrench hot-air jalopy gets Indian backing

Find out how your peers are dealing with Virtualization
French inventor Guy Negre, who has promoted his plan for air-powered cars for decades without significant success, says he has finally secured backing from a major motor manufacturer. Negre's small family design firm MDI has announced a partnership agreement with Indian car giant Tata, and excited reports have it that air-driven cars could be on sale within a year.

Negre himself is slightly more circumspect, merely saying that he "is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together... to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market..."


MDI OneCAT: blowing hot and cold for years now ...
The Beeb's environmental-issues people, however, tell us that Negre "has promised that within a year he will start selling a car". This would be sales in France direct from MDI; Tata has not gone firm on any production plans.

The current iteration of the air car seems to be a five-seater variant on the OneCAT designs described on MDI's website. The car uses compressed air from carbon-fibre tanks to drive a piston engine. The specs for a six-seater job claim 22 cv power (French cheval-vapeur metric horsepower units, a trifle smaller than brake horsepower). The new OneCAT should weigh 350kg, according to the Beeb, so the power-to-weight ratio comes out only a little less than that of a Fiat Panda.

That said, the OneCAT is less than half as heavy as a Panda, so it will be much more adversely affected by the weight of passengers and baggage. Even so, assuming the power figures are for real, the quoted top speed of 100km/h seems reasonable.

Negre also reckons the car could go 100km on a single charge of air. The Beeb says that such a charge can be delivered by a "compressor" in just a few minutes, which is true - you'd be talking about a big 300kW/400 horsepower job at least, though, an expensive four or five tonne piece of kit. In the video report, the MDI people actually seem to be using an air bank, which would be cheaper and simpler.

10 Most Amazing Google Search Tricks | Techtracer

10 Most Amazing Google Search Tricks Techtracer

10 Most Amazing Google Search Tricks

Searching on Google can be a magical experience once you find out how to make your search queries efficient.

read more | digg story

10 great free downloads for your network

Whether you've got a home network, small network, enterprise network or anything in between, these 10 freebies can make it more secure, run better and easier to manage. They're useful, easy to learn ... and you certainly can't beat free

read more | digg story

Yahoo! Live Video Streaming Service Opens To The Public

Yahoo! has finally decided to release their Yahoo! Live Video Stream site up to the public. Check it out and comment below.

read more | digg story

Short Range Personal Radar Device

A very small & portable radar device that uses an ir sensor & a pic microcontroller. This diy guide shows you how to build your own for less than $30.

read more | digg story

Google tries to sneak "Team Edition" suite past IT help desk

Google has launched a new version of its Google Apps suite meant to allow business users to collaborate without IT staff involvement. Such a move may boost the company's presence in the corporate sector, but it could also negatively impact how Google is perceived by IT departments.

read more | digg story

Who Owns What in Web 2.0

In the wake of Microsoft's proposed $44 bil takeover of Yahoo (and all the subsequent chatter), I've updated my Who Owns What chart. Because I think this topic is so important to all journalists, regardless of whether they work in traditional media or even in the United States.

read more | digg story

Windows installer for Amarok 2 tech preview 1 available

Today is a great day for all the people waiting for the first bits and pieces of Amarok 2 on Windows. Amarok developer shakes worked hard to get it ready for you. Enjoy! Please be aware that it is only a tech preview with a lot of known problems.

read more | digg story

- Google News

- Google News: "Microsoft's Ballmer touts benefit of Yahoo deal
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 29 minutes ago
Microsoft Corp.'s proposed $42 billion purchase of Yahoo Inc. would establish the world's largest software maker as a 'strong No. ...
Google And Microsoft Cross Swords Over Yahoo!
Slashdot - 45 minutes ago
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Without JavaScript enabled, you might ...
Yahoo, Google talking deal?
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 51 minutes ago
By Elise Ackerman Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang poses for a photo in front of the Yahoo booth at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 7, 2008. ...
Google slashes back over Microsoft's Yahoo takeover bid
Detroit Free Press, United States - 57 minutes ago
By MIKE WENDLAND The unsolicited and hostile Microsoft takeover bid for Yahoo has drawn the ire of Google, the online behemoth Microsoft has in its ...
Microsoft-Yahoo Could Skip Culture Clash
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
SEATTLE (AP) — Yahoo's walls are awash in bright purples and yellows, while Microsoft's campus is coated in drab neutrals. Yahoo's co-founder holds the ..."

NASA sends Beatles "Across the Universe" to the star Polaris

This first-ever beaming of a radio song by the space agency directly into deep space is nostalgia-driven. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of the song, the 45th anniversary of NASA's Deep Space Network

read more | digg story

Traces of ‘Mythical’ Cosmic Strings Found[pic]

controversial new study indicates that there are traces of vast cosmic strings left over in radiation from the early universe. If indeed confirmed to be real, these cosmic strings would offer an unprecedented window into the extreme physics of origins of the universe.

read more | digg story

RIAA chief: We don't see a need for mandatory ISP filtering

The RIAA's Cary Sherman says that marketplace filtering solutions should be good enough; government regulation isn't needed. But Verizon has no plans to implement filters without a legal mandate.

read more | digg story

Nigerian 5-Year-Olds Repair OLPCs in "Hospital"

The OLPC is so easy to repair that even 5 year olds are doing it, and learning more about technology in the process. The rest of the computer industry can learn from this experience.

read more | digg story

Nigerian 5-Year-Olds Repair OLPCs in "Hospital"

The OLPC is so easy to repair that even 5 year olds are doing it, and learning more about technology in the process. The rest of the computer industry can learn from this experience.

read more | digg story

A tour of Google's new Experimental Search. Verdict: awesome

There's more information than ever on the web, and Google is testing some new ways to visualize it all. Ars evaluates Google's Experimental Search features which feature alternate views for search results and more.

read more | digg story

A tour of Google's new Experimental Search. Verdict: awesome

There's more information than ever on the web, and Google is testing some new ways to visualize it all. Ars evaluates Google's Experimental Search features which feature alternate views for search results and more.

read more | digg story

Palm closing all retail stores & paying out Treo owners

Palm announced on Wednesday that Treo 600 and 650 owners who have had their units replaced or repaired at least twice are eligible for cash rebates on new Palm smartphones, as part of a settlement of a class-action suit filed in 2005. The company will also repair any Treo 600 or 650 that hasn't failed twice, but is outside of the original warranty

read more | digg story

Palm closing all retail stores & paying out Treo owners

Palm announced on Wednesday that Treo 600 and 650 owners who have had their units replaced or repaired at least twice are eligible for cash rebates on new Palm smartphones, as part of a settlement of a class-action suit filed in 2005. The company will also repair any Treo 600 or 650 that hasn't failed twice, but is outside of the original warranty

read more | digg story