Indian doctors use Google Glass during surgery

Orthopedic surgeon Selen G Parekh used the medium of Google Glass, the tech giant's wearable computer, to perform a successful foot and ankle surgery here on Saturday.

A team of doctors under supervision of US-based Dr Parekh conducted the foot and ankle surgery wearing Google Glass, which was broadcasted live on Google website.

The surgery was held during a three-day annual Indo-US conference attended by a team of experts from the US, and headed by Dr Ashish Sharma.

Sharma said Google Glass allows looking at an X-Ray or MRI without taking the eye off from the patient, and allows a doctor to communicate with a patient's family or friends during a procedure.

"The image which the doctor sees through Google Glass will be broadcasted on the internet. It's an amazing technology. Earlier, during surgeries, to show something to another doctor, we had to keep moving and the cameraman had to move as well to take different angles. During this, there are chances of infection. So, in this technology, the image seen by the doctor using Google Glass will be seen by everyone throughout the world," he said.

Doctors said the small devices, which feature a screen that sits just in front of a user's right eye, will revolutionize surgery and would teach procedures to aspiring surgeons without being part of operation team.

The Google Glass serves as a great advantage as it is easily accessible through internet and doctors from across the globe could give their input during the live surgery. This could work wonders in rural areas where healthcare is not much accessible.

In September last year, a doctor in Chennai became the first Indian to perform a surgery wearing the Google Glass as he live streamed an upper gastro-intestinal laparoscopy procedure on a 45-year-old man to medical students seated two blocks away.

Google Glass has a frame similar to the traditional spectacles but is actually a wearable computer that follows voice commands. It can take photos and videos to show the viewpoint of the user.

The gadget is yet to hit the markets. However, Google had distributed at least 2,000 of the glasses for testing before being made available to the common man.

Apple wakes up to India's potential; makes iPhones cheaper, without appearing to be cheap

 

BANGALORE: India - After deliberating for months, Abhilash Sathyendra, a 25-year-old equity adviser in Mysore, India, bought his first Apple phone. He paid 9,000 rupees, or $150, upfront for a black iPhone 4s and swiped his credit card for the remainder, six no-interest monthly payments of $62.50.

"I've used Android phones forever, but the iPhone is hardier and makes a social statement," said Sathyendra, whose new phone has become a conversation opener with clients. "I think I look, not wow, but cool and corporate," he said.

Indians use the monthly payments, called equated monthly installments, to buy a variety of products and services, like branded jeans and cosmetic dental treatments. That Apple used this method too clinched it for him. "EMIs make the iPhone affordable to Indians like me," said Sathyendra, who takes home a salary of $400 a month.

In 2013, Apple wakened to the potential of the world's fastest-growing smartphone market. India also happens to be the second-largest mobile market, with 800 million active users. "Apple sees that the market is at a takeoff point. Sales numbers could get serious within a year or two," said Anshul Gupta, a Mumbai-based principal analyst for mobile devices at the research firm Gartner. Apple's shipments have doubled from 2012 and will surpass 1 million phones in 2013, Gupta said.

In a price-sensitive country where multinational corporations sell bottles of soda for 16 cents, pizzas for 75 cents and burger meals for $1.40, basic cellphones have dominated the landscape. Smartphone penetration is less than 20 percent of the phone-using public. But a combination of falling prices, fast 3G speeds and a thriving app ecosystem is fueling the adoption at ripping speeds.

Shipments more than doubled, to 41.4 million, last year, according to IDC, a market research firm. The smartphone market grew 229 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2013, and IDC projects shipments will exceed 129 million by 2015.

With that kind of energy, this is a market where Apple can no longer afford to be a fringe player, selling to an elite few and losing out to pushy rivals. It is also a market where 80 percent of smartphones sell in the range of $70 to $200, said Gupta, the Gartner analyst. High prices have kept Apple at the tail of the top 10 brands by sales, way behind No. 1 Samsung, which sells more than three-quarters of its phones for less than $400, and No. 2 Micromax of India, whose most expensive phone is $350. The cheapest iPhone costs about $525 in India.

To draw young buyers and increase its volume and market share, Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., offered a number of enticements besides the payment plan. Full front-page newspaper ads and TV commercials in recent months offered bonuses for trading in certain old phones and multiple deals, but with a single carrier so far. Wary of the inevitable branding-versus-pricing dilemma, Apple carefully couched these offers to not look like discounts.

"Apple has shown great agility in their India strategy all through 2013," said Manasi Yadav, a Bangalore-based senior mobile industry analyst with IDC India.

Making the phones cheaper, without appearing to be cheap, is enticing a new category of young, brand-conscious Indians, like Chaithra Nayak, to switch to the more expensive iPhones. Nayak, 24, who studies in the bustling coastal city of Mangalore, took six months to persuade her parents to get her an iPhone. Her father, a businessman, eventually buckled when she told him she could trade in her old Sony smartphone for a discount of Rs 13,000, or $216, on the iPhone 5c, which costs Rs 41,900, or $698.

"When I use my blue-colored iPhone, I draw attention," Nayak said.

Mystery 5.5-inch Samsung smartphone shows up in India

Samsung has been linked to several potential handsets that it may launch at MWC 2014, and now there's more news of a big screened smartphone - although one unlikely to challenge the Galaxy Note 3.
Popping up on Indian site Zauba, the handset goes by the moniker Samsung GT-I9405, and it's apparently touched down in India "for testing and evaluation."
Other than the 5.5-inch screen size, the leak gives very little away about the handset, but considering its ID doesn't fall in line with either of Samsung's flagships products (the Galaxy S4 is the I9500) it's not going to be the Galaxy S5 or a direct relation to the Note 3 (N9000).

Who are you?

We've seen reports suggesting a Galaxy Note 3 Neo, Note 3 Lite, Galaxy Grand Neo and Galaxy Grand 2 - could this latest leak be linked to one of these - or is it something completely different?
Samsung likes to launch a phone for every single segment of the market, so the GT-I9405 could well be a handset engineered to plug a hole in a specific market, rather than try to dominate globally.
TechRadar will be out in full force at MWC 2014, and we'll be reporting live on all the new phones and tablets, including anything from the Samsung booth.

7 best takeaway ideas from CES 2014

 

A show like CES crams in a lot of technology into a short time. After taking in all of CES over four days, Karan Bajaj came away with these ideas: concepts that promise to change how we use and perceive technology in the near future 

1) Fitness trackers 

While existing players like Fitbit, Nike & Jawbone did not show anything new, a number of new products were announced. Most track steps and monitor sleep while a few can also track heart rate. We especially liked Garmin's Vivofit that offers a battery life of 1 year. Razer's Nabu, which has two displays and combines a smartwatch with fitness band is also impressive. Other products to look out for include LG Lifeband Touch, Sony Core and Epson Pulsense. 

Smartwatches 

Smartwatches seems to be the new 'in thing' — we saw several of them from various new players. Intel showed a prototype with location based notifications, ZTE announced a smartwatch that connects with your phone to show notifications. Neptune's Pine and Burg's Smartwatches work independently of a smartphone and have their own SIM slots for calls and data connectivity. Among other launches, the SonoStar, Kreyos Meteor, Martian Notifier and smartwatches from Archos proved impressive. 

2) Android will move into cars 

Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Google and Nvidia have formed the 'Open Automotive Alliance' to develop connected cars. Nvidia showcased Tegra powered car infotainment systems and they have been working with Google for tablets and gaming products (Nvidia Shield). Audi demoed Mobile Audi Smart Display — a 10.2-inch Android tablet for in-car use. Hyundai announced that the Genesis will be the first vehicle with Google Glass integration. With major car makers joining tech firms with a common goal, we expect Android in cars to be a big feature of 2014. 

3) Web will invade everything 

Pretty soon, all new TVs will have smart features and web-connected interfaces. To make sure that owners of 'dumb' TVs don't feel left out, some innovative products have been launched. Case in point is the InAir Smart HDMI Adapter. This tiny adapter plugs in between your set-top box and TV (using the popular HDMI interface). It overlays a display on top of your TV video feed and can show details regarding the content you are watching or you could access your social network feeds on the TV screen. The device can be controlled via a smartphone app. 

4) TV technology will astound you 

CES 2014 was a big platform for all TV makers to launch their UHD (4K) and OLED TVs. Companies like Samsung, LG and Panasonic announced an entire range of 4K & OLED TVs that will launch over the year. The shift appears to be similar to what we saw earlier — from SD (standard definition) to HD. Now 4K resolutions are set to replace HD as the future. Another aspect that saw renewed interest was smart TV interfaces. LG showcased the WebOS based interface while Panasonic announced a new Life+ interface with face detection and information personalised to the user. This means that the next generation of televisions will not only be smarter but also much more interactive. 

5) Toys will advance 

Some toys are incorporating an incredible amount of technology. We're already fans of Parrot's AR. Drone — this year they've launched a palm sized version called the MiniDrone. It has two wheels on the side that protect it from bumps and enable wall climbing. Parrot also announced Jumping Sumo — a two-wheeled bot that can jump three feet in the air. Another announcement was Sphero 2B — a cylindrical bot with customizsable tyres. It can move at a speed of 14 feet/second and can scoot over rough terrain without damage. All these toys are controlled by smartphones. 

 

6) All devices will stay connected 

In terms of connectivity, your smartphone, tablet, TV and even some refrigerators can connect to the Internet for information and updates. However, as the next step, we saw manufacturers aiming at making new types of devices also connect to the Internet. Qualcomm took a step in connectivity for automobiles by showcasing an Audi A3 with built in 4G LTE connectivity (using Qualcomm's Gobi chipset). On the other hand, Liquid Image announced the Ego LS HD action camcorder with built in 4G LTE connectivity. The camcorder is capable of streaming live video over a fast 4G data connection. 

7) Everything will be app controlled 

The old adage 'there is an app for that' takes an all new meaning post CES 2014. No longer are apps are just to be used with accessories and toys. Thanks to a bunch of new app-controlled devices across categories, your smartphone can now control your entire universe. For starters, you can lock or unlock your home doors with smart locks that work with smartphones from Okidokeys. NetatMo Thermostat lets you set a home temperature from anywhere using your smartphone. Belkin's WeMo cooker lets your remotely cook food from your smartphone (with notifications about how its coming along). Plus, we already have bulbs from Philips that can change hues using apps. This year, a number of other manufacturers also showcased similar app controllable bulbs.

Hackers targeted 11.7m gamers in 2013: Kaspersky

Gamers around the world have suffered 11.7 million attacks in 2013, Kaspersky labs experts said.

Kaspersky Labs have recognized 4.6 million pieces of malware focusing on gaming. Each day, round 34,000 gaming users are targeted by hackers on an average.

According to the Daily Express, gamers in Russia are the worst-hit followed by Vietnam and China. In 2013, about 8,813,050 attempts were made on the Russian gamers.

Vietnam gamers experienced 503,947 attack attempts while China occupied third position with 376,058 attack attempts on its gamers.

Kaspersky Labs had detected a major espionage campaign earlier this year, targeting multi-player online game makers.

Hackers use different types of malware to gain access to users' gaming accounts and passwords.

These hackers target popular games and lure gamers with the promise of giving them additional powers along with discounts or cheap gaming goods.

This app lets you quit your job with an SMS

Thinking about quitting your job? A humorous new app aims to relieve the stress and anxiety of confronting the boss with the news by sending a text message instead.

Although the new iPhone app is meant to be funny, its creators are hoping it will take off and people will use it to leave jobs.

The Quit Your Job app takes users through a series of steps to determine why they are leaving and then crafts a text message that is sent directly to their boss.

"Despite all the advances in technology we still quit our jobs the same way we did hundreds of year ago," said Alex Douzet, chief executive officer of TheLadders, a New York-based employment company that produces the app.

"There's a lot of anxiety around the resignation process, so we used technology to ease the pain in that moment and make it seamless to breakup with your boss," he added.

About 2.3 million Americans left their jobs last October, citing reasons such as dissatisfaction with career growth, compensation or simply feeling unrecognized, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Douzet said the first few months of a new year are the busiest time for job searches. Many people wait for their end-of-year bonuses before making a move to a new position.

"It always correlates with New Year's resolutions. People think 'I'm not happy and want to make a move'" he said.

Quit Your Job was inspired by another app called BreakupText. Its designers teamed up with the TheLadders to create the new app.

BreakupText, which lets users leave their significant others via a text message, costs 99 cents and is available for the iPhone.

With Quit Your Job, after sending their resignation users can browse open positions on another app called, Job Search by TheLadders, which targets positions based on the user's job profile and career goals. The free app was launched as an iPhone app in July and released on Android last week.

"This is unchartered territory," he said of the Quit Your Job app. "It's an experiment to see if people will actually use it seriously. If thousands of people download the app and only one ends up using it seriously, that's interesting because it's changing behaviors," he said.

Douzet added that before leaving a job people should have another one lined up.

"It's more appealing to know you're in demand. You'll have more power and leverage since you already have a pay check coming in," he explained.

Soon, insert yourself in a video game!

Soon, you would be able to drop yourself right in the middle of a video game! 

In a move to take 3D motion capture beyond the next level, here comes a system that quickly creates a photographic-quality render of any person and then seamlessly inserts it into video game environments as a fully-moveable digital character. 

Los Angeles-based Alexx Henry Studios has developed a system which gives your realistic avatar a chance to run, jump, fly and even break dance as you play the video game. 

Called the xxArray system, it consists of a photo booth equipped with 68 cameras to capture a 360-degree, full-body image in glorious 3D. 

Requiring just two quick poses and a couple hours of processing time, the setup generates a 14-million polygon render of the subject inside, said a press release issued by Alexx Henry Studios. 

Once the 3D image is captured, it's assigned to a digital wireframe to generate onscreen articulation and mobility. 

Now you are ready to enter the game and do whatever you want to do! 

"The high resolution would future-proof the scans for quite some time, which can also be 3D printed in extremely high quality or manipulated with design software," said Alexx Henry, owner of Alexx Henry Studios. 

The xxArray system, built by Alexx Henry Studios for Nikon, was on display at CES 2014, a global consumer electronics and consumer technology trade show, in Las Vegas Jan 7-10.

Dropbox says files are safe following service hiccup

Dropbox has said this week that it is making progress in restoring service to users after the storage site went offline on Friday.
As of Monday morning, the service said more than 99 per cent of users are able to access their files. Roughly 5 per cent of users were having trouble synching files from the desktop client when the service started having trouble, while 20 per cent had issues with Dropbox's mobile applications.
"Within a few hours, well be rolling out a change that will further improve things for those users," according to a blog post. They dismissed the claims on Friday that they had been hacked and attributed the problems to "routine internal maintenance" despite Anonymous claiming the service issues were due to them.

Still not working for everyone

One of the main issues revolved around photos. While the service was down photo sharing was disabled and the 'photos' tab on the Dropbox website became greyed out. The option was still available through the desktop client, however.
The company said: "We're continuing to make a lot of progress restoring full service to all users, and are doing so in careful steps". However, on the Dropbox support Twitter account, it has said that "not everything is working for everyone" at the moment. Features are being reintroduced gradually, with priorities geared towards basic accessibility for all users.
Dropbox sent out an email to business users on Saturday night, reassuring them that files remain exactly where they left them, despite the lack of access.
The storage system features a failsafe built into its file sharing system whereby a history of all deleted files is kept for 30 days for all accounts. The service uses Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) to hold encrypted version of people's files, according to their website.