H-1B visa applications surge to 172500, twice the cap

The US, which received more than 172,000 applications for the H-1B visas, has conducted a computerised draw of lots to determine who all would be given the most sought after work visas that are highly popular among IT professionals from countries like India. 

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted the computerised draw of lots to select the Congressionally mandated 65,000 applicants, who would receive the H-1B visas. 

The USCIS, in a statement, said it also conducted draw of lots for Congressional mandated 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption. 

"USCIS received about 172,500 H-1B petitions during the filing period which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption," the federal agency said. 

"On April 10, USCIS completed a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery, to select enough petitions to meet the 65,000 general-category cap and 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption," it said. 

For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing. 

The USCIS conducted the selection process for the advanced degree exemption first. 

All advanced degree petitions not selected then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit, the federal agency said. 

However, the USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. 

Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted towards the congressionally mandated fiscal 2015 H-1B cap.

Facebook Has Updated Its Newsfeed In Order To Clean Up Low Quality Posts

The Facebook newsfeed is central to the Facebook experience. Over the years, Facebook has been tweaking its algorithms to deliver relevant content to users. However, there have been repeated instances of poor quality and irrelevant content that makes it there. The reason this happens is unfortunately, because of the users themselves. Some Facebook pages use multiple techniques to drive up engagement and then subject those who clicked to poor quality content.

Today, the social network has announced that it will be actively screening for such instances and weeding them out. In it’s blog post, the company outlines the kind of post types that could end up being removed from the newsfeed.

1. Like Baiting:

Like baiting refers to the practice of a page asking its readers to like, comment or share its post. Once users do any of these actions, the post gets higher visibility in the network and ends up reaching a far greater distribution than it normally could. While some years back, many brands engaged in this behavior while exploring the medium, today it seems to be the domain of low quality content distributors, according to Facebook. However due to the way the newsfeed works, they frequently end up in a user’s feed.

The reason like baiting works is because when you put up a call to action in a post, many users who see the update end up following the call. When there is good quality content, there might be no issue with this sort of behavior, but Facebook’s main issue is with mediocrity of the content being posted using like baiting. This ends up spoiling the experience for Facebook users in general. According to Facebook, these kind of posts are estimated to be 15% less relevant than other stories which are on the similar league when it comes to likes, shares etc.

The newsfeed will now automatically detect low quality content posts and make sure that these posts are not prominently displayed on the newsfeed. The company was quick to point out that Facebook pages which are genuinely looking to engage with fans, will not be affected by the update.

2. Frequently Circulated Content:

Frequently shared content refers to multiple instances of the same content being uploaded and shared thus leading to decrease in relevancy among users who have already seen the content before. Pages may do this in order to maximise engagement with the content they have or can link to. However, this practise negatively impacts the user experience and Facebook will de-emphasise such posts with repeated content.

3. Spammy Links:

Spammy links refer to the practice of deceiving users by crafting post communication which is designed to trick people into clicking a link.  Normally, this leads to shady places.. such as a website with ads and even a mixture of frequently circulated content and ads.  Facebook now detects spammy links better by studying the how frequently people who visit links in a post, share or like the original post. With this knowledge, the company will limit distribution of these posts in the newsfeed.

These are some welcome changes to the newsfeed which has traditionally offered very little control to users when it comes to deciding what they would like to see. Even though you have very little control even today, these measures can at least remove questionable and poor quality content from your feed. Facebook says that a vast majority of publishers do not use the tactics mentioned above and this change will actually affect them positively as it will seek to remove the posts which drown out actual relevant content.

Your next smartwatch could be charged by your own body

Battery life is the real Achilles' heel of wearable tech right now, but it's a problem that might have just found a solution. And the key component has been sitting there since mankind began.

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have created a small flexible patch that converts body heat into electricity which could be used to power a wearable device.

The ability to generate power in this way is handy anyway, but the added flexibility here means it would be perfect for smartwatches and fitness bands.

It's unclear whether this could make charging redundant completely or just help extent the battery life a bit - but we'll take anything right now.

In Depth: Meet the car that thinks it's a smartphone

If there is a dynamic downside, it's the engine. The 1.4-litre petrol lump is pretty coarse and delivers mediocre performance. It's really the only significant weak link in the overall package.

Overall, we like the work Vauxhall has done with the Adam and Intellilink. Is it the best multimedia system in this part of the car market? No. MINI Connected is clearly superior. If you want a hatchback with the best possible infotainment, that will be a MINI, albeit in a car that's a size up from the Adam and more expensive.

And what about Apple CarPlay?

It's also worth noting that what works well now may seem very old hat once car's with support for Apple's CarPlay interface begin to appear.

iOS 8 Rumor Roundup: Everything We Know So Far

iOS 8 Rumor Roundup: Everything We Know So Far is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

As we push deeper into the year and further away from the release of iOS 7, Apple’s next version of iOS is starting to take shape. iOS 8 rumors have begun to emerge at a blistering pace and here, we take a look at everything we know about the software that it will likely emerge with this year’s iPhone 6.

At last year’s WWDC, Apple took the stage during the conference’s keynote and showed off two new pieces of software. The first, OS X Mavericks, the current Mac software that was released, free of charge, for OS X users around the world. Mavericks replaced the company’s OS X Mountain Lion update.

The other, iOS 7, a completely redesigned version of Apple’s mobile software for iPhone and iPad. The redesign was so drastic that Apple called the software the biggest change to iOS since the software first arrived back with the original iPhone. iOS 7 transformed the look and feel of Apple’s popular mobile products. And while many think it to be a solid update, there is still work to be done.

Every iOS update builds on its predecessor by introducing new features and improvements to current ones and rumors suggest that Apple will be doing the same to iOS 7.

Its still fairly early in the year, we’ve already heard a lot about what might be coming next from Apple. Rumors suggest that Apple will be releasing a brand new iOS update later on this year. The update is currently being called iOS 8 and from the looks of things, we’re only weeks away from a full reveal.

While we wait for Apple to take the stage and show off its brand new software, we want to help current iPhone and iPad owners catch up with the latest iOS 8 news. In the past two weeks alone we’ve seen a great number of iOS 8 details emerge from the shadows. Nothing is set in stone, it will take an Apple announcement to do that, but thanks to credible rumors, we have a pretty good idea about what Apple is planning.

iOS 8 Launch Date

At some point down the road, Apple will replace its current iOS 7.1 software with a brand new iOS update. The next update is being called iOS 8 though its name remains unconfirmed. Apple may not be ready to talk about the next iOS update just yet but that doesn’t mean that we don’t know when it plans to talk about iOS 8.

Every year, Apple sets aside some time to talk to its developers. The company calls the conference WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) and it typically takes place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This year, the company will once again be taking over Moscone Center West when it hosts WWDC 2014. The event kicks off on June 2nd.

Apple typically hosts a keynote on the very first day of the event in an effort to generate excitement amongst developers and consumers. In years past, we saw the company deliver a new iPhone. In recent years, the company has focused on its software advancements for the iPhone, iPad and the Mac.

We expect an iOS 8 announcement and a new MacBook Air release on June 2nd.

This year’s keynote will almost certainly take place on June 2nd which means that there is a very good chance that that will be the first time that iOS 8 is shown off to the public. If you don’t take our word for it, take Apple’s:

Every year the WWDC audience becomes more diverse, with developers from almost every discipline you can imagine and coming from every corner of the globe. We look forward to sharing with them our latest advances in iOS and OS X so they can create the next generation of great apps.

That quote comes from Apple’s Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, and it’s a hint at what’s to come. iPhone and iPad owners that are at all interested in iOS 8 would be wise to circle June 2nd. That should be the iOS 8 launch date.

iOS 8 Release Date

The iOS 8 launch date and iOS 8 release date are going to be much different from one another. While the iOS 8 launch date will likely land on June 2nd, the iOS 8 release date will likely arrive weeks later, probably in the fall.

When Apple unveils iOS at WWDC, it unveils an early preview. It also tends to release the update into the developer beta program so that devs can dive into the new features and ensure a smooth transition from one update to another. In other words, there is a very good chance that we’ll see iOS 8 on June 2nd but there’s a very good chance that it won’t be the final version.

Apple typically releases its iOS updates alongside new hardware. And while there are summer iPhone release date rumors, most iPhone 6 release date rumors point to the fall.

This Healthbook mockup shows what Apple’s app may look like in iOS 8.

Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac has shared many details about the new version of Apple’s iPhone and iPad software. Health and fitness are a major focus and a collection of iOS 8 mock ups show what a Healthbook feature could look like.

Other iOS 8 rumors flowing from Gurman and his sources include plans for a better Apple Maps and a standalone iTunes Radio app. He also claims that iOS 8 will look similar to iOS 7, something that isn’t surprising given the massive changes that Apple introduced in last year’s update.

More recently, we’ve heard about possible improvements to Siri, VoLTE, and a powerful accessory that could join iOS 8 and the iPhone 6 later on this year.

Apple could use a new purchase to deliver a better Siri in iOS 8 this year.

Techcrunch reports that Apple bought a company called Novauris last year for an undisclosed sum. Yoon Kim, and other voice recognition experts are currently working with Apple. For those not aware, Novauris is a speech recognition company, and the founders and team are speech recognition experts. Nothing is set in stone but Apple’s acquisition hints at potential improvements to the iPhone and iPad’s virtual assistant, also known as Siri.

Mark Gurman also hints a major addition coming with iOS 8. He claims that the new update could deliver VoLTE support on the new iPhone for this year. The feature is still up in the air, mainly due to Verizon and AT&T waiting to officially roll out VoLTE networks.

For those not familiar with the perks of VoLTE, the service delivers many advantages including better call quality. It’s also much more efficient, which could play a role in delivering better iPhone battery life for heavy talkers. Battery life is essential to iPhone owners and its a common complaint amongst Apple’s user base.

Finally, rumors once again have suggested that the iOS 8 release could come with the arrival of a brand new accessory. Apple’s iWatch has been talked about for years but still hasn’t been released. With iOS 8 expected to include a number of health related features and rumors firming up, that could change in 2014.

In the latest report from the Economic Daily Times, Apple plans to ship the iWatch in Q3 which runs from July through the end of September. This lines up with many recent iPhone 6 release date rumors which mostly point to September.

While there are a ton of iWatch rumors swirling around, we still don’t know what Apple’s oft-rumored product looks like. The video below shows an iPhone 6 concept that incorporates parts of iOS 8 but there is a good chance that Apple’s product and this concept will look nothing alike.

We expect iOS 8, iPhone 6 and iWatch rumors to continue to emerge as we inch closer to WWDC and the fall.

Google Glass On Sale to Public: Here's What You Need to Know

Google Glass On Sale to Public: Here’s What You Need to Know is a post by Cory Gunther from Gotta Be Mobile.

If you want to own one of the newest cutting edge pieces of technology made by Google, your chance is coming next week on Tuesday the 15th of April. Google broke the news this week on Google+ that they’ll be offering Google Glass to the general public, but for one day.

The wearable computing device known as Google Glass has seen its share of attention as of late, both good and bad, and now after a limited invite-only run Google will finally allow the general public to buy a pair of Google Glass.

Being a gadget for geeks until now, not a lot is known about Google Glass by the general public, but that will soon be changing. While we can’t estimate when an actual retail product will be available, this is certainly a hint that it’s getting close. So what is Google Glass, and why should you be interested? Read on for a few more details.

Two years ago at Google’s annual developer event they announced Google Glass. Aiming to put a refined and simple version of the Android smartphone OS into a sleek pair of sunglasses, and revolutionize wearable computing. Forget the smartwatch, Google Glass is always visible and sits right above your line of sight.

How It Works

Essentially adding a decent set of specs from a smartphone in 2012 into a smaller form factor, inside of glasses, and then displays a small screen right above your eyesight. It’s actually extremely neat, works a lot like Google Now, and is all based on gestures with a control pad by your temple, or voice commands. “Ok Google, get directions” or “take a picture” and it instantly snaps a photo with the controversial 720p video 5 megapixel front facing camera.

It syncs to your Android smartphone or iPhone with Bluetooth or WiFi, and shares notifications, instantly uploads photos or videos to a gallery or Youtube, and allows for tons of touchless operations. You can make calls, get directions, reply to texts or emails and more all from Google Glass, with your phone in your pocket. Simple voice commands do almost everything, and it’s rapidly changing with monthly updates too.

Many have called Google Glass the future of computing, or a version of it at least, but it’s also been heavily criticized for privacy concerns, as well as the price. People have been banned from bars for wearing it, kicked out of movie theaters, and it’s future is still up in the air. It’s too early to tell just what Google has planned for Glass, or if it will revolutionize wearable computing, but we’re slowly getting closer to an official release date.

Last year Google finally made it available to roughly 5,000 developers that attended Google I/O for a steep $1,500 price tag. Simply because it’s cutting edge technology, a developer beta product, and a privilege. However, it has been nearly a year and that same huge price tag is still included, and they’ve allowed thousands more to buy one with invites from the original 5,000 users. However, now on Tuesday, April 15th, Google Glass will be available for the public to purchase.

We’ve heard time and time again that an actual Google Glass v2 or v3 would be coming in 2014 as an actual retail product for consumers, and rumors have stated it will be available in late 2014. Sadly there’s nothing to confirm this, but Google’s news this week allowing anyone to buy Glass is certainly a good sign. They could be putting the final touches on the program before preparing a major release.

Price

So how much will Google Glass cost? The same $1,500 is the asking price come next week, but that shouldn’t be the final retail price. Google Glass also will come with your choice of sunglass shades or prescription lenses for free, which is nice, but early adopters like myself had to pay for those options. New users are getting more for their buck, even if it’s still extremely expensive being $1,500.

Users took to Google+ to share their excitement over the chance to buy Google Glass, but overall it appears more are upset with the price, rather than being happy they can try it today. Obviously Google Glass is still not a retail product, no where near an official launch, but a price break for regular users (not developers) makes sense, but doesn’t appear to be coming anytime soon.

How to Get Your Own

Late last year Google started taking names of those interested in Glass, and now they’ll be having a one-day sale for potential buyers to get their own. The company is being rather quiet on its plans, and could still be testing the water to see just how much excitement and traction Google Glass really has, before they announce anything further. We’d like to think this is a sign that a sub-$500 retail product is coming sometime later this year, but it’s too hard to tell.

As a reminder, last month Google announced Android Wear. A new operating system for wearables like smartwatches or Google Glass, which brings Google Now and voice controls to a beautiful new user interface. We’re expecting new Android Wear smartwatch options like the Moto 360 to launch in late June. If we had to guess, Google is preparing to launch a full attack on wearable computing devices this summer.

Learn more and get your own set of Google Glass from their online storefront.

Digital career fair does the job with ongoing 'feeds'

The process of finding a job is hard enough. Finding the right job in a company whose values and culture inspire you is even harder.

Think of how it works for millions of students and you realise that the process is truly broken - especially for students and young professionals who have less than five years of work experience.

In a study by MeritTrac, they found that India produces over 400,000 engineering graduates and 2.3 million other graduates. Studies reveal that only slightly below 15% of the engineering talent pool is industry-ready and around 10% of non-engineering graduate talent pool is suitable for the BPO industry. IT and BPO industries alone forecast a shortfall of half a million people.

The Employer's Problem

It is hard to find the right candidate when you have to sift through so many students. The employer's brand has to have a high share of mind with the right candidate.

Most employers have not changed the way they find talent. They will still go to colleges and make presentations about their organisation even though all what they are presenting and more is already available on the Net.

They need to ask how students hear about companies and form opinions. In a survey by the US start-up Collegefeed that polled 15,000 Millennials, 60% still in college and 40% recent graduates, almost 70% of the students said they hear about interesting employers from friends.

The Student's Problem

The students know only about the companies like Google and Apple who are in the news. They are well-known brands that frequently appear in the "best places to work" lists.

They want companies that employ people like them. Surprisingly, people and culture fit matters to the millennials the most, followed closely by career potential and work-life balance.

The career fairs are inefficient. They work very well for the handful of companies that every student wants to work for. Even in a business school, the process is remarkably inefficient. For the top 5 schools, the best students get multiple job offers from multiple employers.

This process works only for the top few employers and students.

Digital Career Fairs

Sanjeev Agrawal is the CEO and cofounder of the start-up Collegefeed. Before starting Collegefeed, he ran product marketing for Google. This former McKinsey consultant has a BS and and MS from MIT.

He has an innovative solution to this problem. "Run Digital Career Fairs", he suggests. "Imagine having career fairs through the year, if not every day." The placement process for college students is broken. Employers have to travel on campus, bring the right 2-3 people, and put up banners and billboards to attract students. They have a short window of opportunity to evaluate students who show up at the booth.

Carnegie Mellon University students recently had a taste of a Digital Career Fair when they recently signed up with Collegefeed. They created a profile that asked not only for their grade sheet, but gave them a chance to put up their digital portfolio. The students also got a chance to state their top three preferred employers.

Collegefeed's site uses an algorithm that will send their resume to whichever company is looking for people with that background and interests.

More and more employers, including well known ones like Google, Apple and Tesla have publicly talked about how they look not just for students with top grades, but important cultural attributes like problem solving and demonstrated ability to build things. The algorithm can do just that. The service is free for students.

For a fee, Collegefeed offers employers a chance to sign up and get ongoing "feeds" of relevant students delivered to them over multiple days and even weeks. This is so much more efficient than sifting through hundreds of irrelevant resumes. The idea is to deliver ongoing sets of matching profiles to employers and make lots of connections happen. Whether it is Google or a 2-person alumni-run start-up that wants to hire students, both get an equal shot at attracting talent.

Sanjeev says, "When I was a student and needed a network to get an internship or a job, I had none. So, the idea was to create a network that students or anyone with less than five years of experience could leverage to find an internship or a job. I would love to bring this to India, but I am not sure if there is a business proposition there. In the US, it costs almost $3,000 to hire a college student. It is an 8-10 billion dollar opportunity waiting to be tapped."

Imagine what a disruptive impact this could have on the world's youngest country. 

Online shoppers population to touch 38 million by 2015

With more and more people buying products online, credit card issuers are seeing an increase in their business, and the number of online shoppers is likely to reach 38 million by 2015, says a study. 

The number of online shoppers in the country is currently estimated at 14 per cent of the total 74 million internet users and has been growing at 35 per cent over the last three years, according to an American Express study. 

According to the study, the number of online shoppers in the country is likely to reach 38 million by 2015. 

Last August the country has overtaken Japan to become the world's third-largest online market in terms of internet user base, growing at 31 per cent, after China and the US, according to research firm comScore. 

Credit card providers saw two-times more transactions on Flipkart, 1.6 times at Jabong and six times at Infibeam, says the AmEx study. 

The recent 'great online shopping festival' launched by Google triggered massive sales for various companies, from online retailers to credit card companies. 

American Express offered attractive discounts on leading e-commerce sites like Jabong, Flipkart, Infibeam and Makemytrip and saw 22 times growth in their average daily billings during the campaign, generating USD 1.7 million billings in total and USD 1.2 million in incremental billings during the period, the AmEx study said. 

According to Worldline, a payments and transactional services industry player, in the just concluded financial year, the credit card base in the country grew by 4 per cent. 

The private sector banks were the market leaders in FY14, with a 54 per cent share of the credit card base, Worldline, which is a subsidiary ofAtos, said in the report.

India Inc to offer 10.3% raise to employees this fiscal

Indian companies are likely to shell out an average salary increment of 10.3 per cent in the current fiscal with employees in pharma, health care and life sciences projected to get 12.4 per cent raise, says a survey.

The overall average increment is 0.3 per cent points lower than the previous fiscal (10.6 per cent), because of slow economic growth and lower attrition.

The findings are part of a survey conducted by Deloitte India, Human Capital Consulting.

Companies in pharmaceutical, healthcare and life sciences are expected to dole out an average raise of 12.4 per cent, highest across sectors in 2014-15. It is marginally lower compared to 12.6 per cent in the previous fiscal.

Given the overall mood of the economy, the retail sector will maintain a conservative estimate and is likely to offer the lowest average increment at 9.1 per cent, the survey said.

"Average annual increment percentages have reduced marginally across levels. The reduction is highest at the middle management levels," it added.

Meanwhile, as per the survey findings the average voluntary attrition rate across sectors in the 2013-14 fiscal had been 13.4 per cent, 0.8 per cent points lower than the previous fiscal 2012-13.

Recognition awards (monetary /non-monetary), clearly defined career paths and succession plans as well as development programmes for high potential and top performers were identified as main reasons that helped curb attrition.

The highest attrition rates were recorded in the ITeS industry (16.4 per cent), Media (15.6 per cent), Hi-tech (14.2 per cent) and BFSI (14 per cent).

Logistics had the lowest average attrition level at 10.5 per cent followed by auto sector at 10.6 per cent.

Employees identified as top performers are likely to get an average raise of 16.2 per cent while persons at the key positions -- roles in the organisation that have a maximum impact on the business -- are expected to get average increment of 14.7 per cent.

According to Deloitte, career management, developing potential leaders as well as retaining and rewarding critical talent are the top three HR challenges faced by organisations across sectors.

However, it observed that to address these challenges organisations are maximising their rewards spend by identifying, segmenting and rewarding individuals who have maximum impact on the business and are focusing on hiring talented individuals, among others.

3 things to do to protect from Heartbleed

The "Heartbleed" bug has caused anxiety for people and businesses. Now, it appears that the computer bug is affecting not just websites, but also networking equipment including routers, switches and firewalls.

The extent of the damage caused by the Heartbleed is unknown. The security hole exists on a vast number of the Internet's Web servers and went undetected for more than two years. Although it's conceivable that the flaw was never discovered by hackers, it's difficult to tell.

There isn't much that people can do to protect themselves completely until the affected websites implement a fix. And in the case of networking equipment, that could be a while.

Here are three things you can do to reduce the threat:

- Change your passwords. This isn't a full-proof solution. It'll only help if the website in question has put in place required security patches. You also might want to wait a week and then change them again.

- Worried about the websites you're surfing? There's a free add-on for the Firefox browser to check a site's vulnerability and provide color-codes flags. Green means go and red means stop. You can download it here.

- Check the website of the company that made your home router to see if it has announced any problems. Also be diligent about downloading and installing and software updates you may receive.