Dell Alienware M11x Laptop

Dell Alienware M11x

At first glance, the Alienware M11x lookslike it's leaped out of a Transformers movie. But does it qualify as Autobot or will it die a Decepticon's death?

Packaging and Contents
The packaging of the device has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from an Alienware device. It comes in a rather large briefcase-like box that is divided into two sections. The first houses the 11-inch device and the second has the manuals, charging cord, adaptor and installation CDs - which is kind of weird, seeing as how the device doesn't have a CD drive! Though you do have the option to pick up an external drive when you purchase the device.

First Impression
You'd expect an 11-inch compact device to be pretty light but, since this is a gaming machine, it is rather heavy, weighing in at about 2kgs. It has amasculine build but with enough curves to make it an attractive machine. Using the M11x in public is a guaranteed attention-getter.

Multimedia
The Alienware M11x has an 11.6-inch WXGA display with a resolution of 1366x768, which is great for watching 720p HD movies. We ran a couple of full HD movies on the device and they played very smoothly without any hiccups. The audio output from the device was extremely good. The Klipsch speakers deliver crisp and clear output and the audio doesn't distort at high frequencies.

The inclusion of 2 headphone ports on the device is a nice touch usually found on most Dell laptops, as it gives you the freedom to attach two pairs of headphones without the need of a splitter.

Gaming
This is the reason why you will buy themachine and this is also where the device is a bit of a let down. Don't get us wrong, the horsepower under the hood will easily run any game you throw at it. But the keyboard feels cramped, the screen is too small to take advantage of the maximum output offered by games and the absence of a CD drive means you would have to use a disk image to run the game without the CD or download a digital copy. Quite problematic.

The customization options on offer are really cool. You have an array of colour options to choose from for the backlight of the keyboard, speakers, Alienware logo and the Wi-Fi indicator. This rates among the top features offered by Alienware.

Despite its drawbacks, the device does deliver with the games. On the 3D mark the device scored a whopping 8326. We played a bit of Crysis 2 and Portal 2 on the machine. We bumped up the graphics of the games to their maximum settings. Portal 2 ran virtually without any hiccups. Crysis 2 however faced a jitter every now and then and the frame rate dropped when the high octave action sequences took to the screen. Dropping the settings down to medium however ensured that Crysis 2 ran a lot better.

When the graphical capabilities of the device are pushed to their limits, the device can get rather noisy.

If you are a fan of the orchestral music used in games like we are, then you will undoubtedly appreciate the speakers of the M11x while gaming. The opening musical score of Crysis 2 sounded breathtaking and the painful taunts by GlaDOS in Portal 2 were crisp and clear.

Performance
With all the extreme hardware, the startup time of the device isn't great. It took a complete minute and 15 seconds to start up. On the PC Mark Vantage x64, the device had a score of 6743.

Performing as a standalone notebook, the Alienware M11x is a mixed bag. The keyboard looks stunning with its customizable backlight and the keys are really soft to type on. On the other hand, the keys on the keyboard are very cramped. You will inevitably keep hitting the wrong keys for quite some time before you get used to it.

The trackpad is fairly sized for an 11-inch notebook and the left and right click buttons too are fairly large and comfortable. The trackpad has a textured finish, which makes it comfortable to use.

In terms of connectivity, the device has two USB 2.0 ports to the right accompanied by two headphone ports and a microphone jack. The left of the device houses one USB 2.0 port, Ethernet port, card reader, display port and HDMI out. Despite being such a high-end machine, there is no USB 3.0 port.

The battery life on the device is good. On the Battery mark test, the device scored 953282. Running the CPU at 100%, the test result showed that the device would last for 3hours 23 min 2 sec. On the forecast, the test result states that the device will last for 5 hours 1 min 28 sec during economy use.

There are 5 LED lights at the bottom of the device that indicate the battery level on the M11x. We wish that Alienware had taken a leaf out of Apple's thinking cap and placed this indicator on any of the side panels of the device just like the MacBooks. Frankly, it's very inconvenient to turn the device around to check the charge status while the device is turned off.


Verdict
The Alienware M11x is a great notebook but falls just that bit short. Its hardware and build quality is perfect for gaming but it lacks in ergonomic structure. If you absolutely must have that second portable gaming rig for your traveling needs then the M11x is worth a look. But if you are looking to pick up a laptop as your primary gaming machine, take a look at the Alienware M14x or at the high-end machines from the Asus, Acer, Toshiba, HP and MSi stables.

Pros 
Sexy looks
Alienware customization options
Strong build
Great hardware
Good battery life 
Great speakers

Cons
Cramped keyboard
No USB 3.0
No CD Drive
Heavy

Price: Rs. 64,000

Specifications:
Processor: Intel Core i7 1.50GHz processor 
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
8GB RAM
Dual Graphics: Intel Integrated graphics + 1GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
750GB HDD
2MP Webcam
Bluetooth 2.1
Display: 11.6-inch WXGA display with a resolution of 1366x768
HDMI 1.4
8-Cell Lithium ion battery
82 Keys Keyboard with AlienFX lighting controls

 

 

 

Source : NDTV

Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 

Microsoft recently launched its Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 in India. It can be paired with any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, notebook, desktop or tablet. 

Mobile Keyboard 5000 succeeds company's Mobile Keyboard 6000 and the only major difference between the versions is the missing numeric pad in the former.

Packaging and contents
The red keyboard box is just as sleek as the product. Apart from the Bluetooth keyboard, the package comes with a user manual and two Alkaline AAA batteries that are required to power this device. 

Design and build quality
Microsoft's Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is a visually appealing device. Unlike the competing keyboards that are rectangular in shape, it has a slightly curved design that works in its favour.  Another positive for this keyboard is its slim and light-weight profile.

The keys are large and well-spaced, but unlike other keyboards not all keys on Microsoft's Keyboard 5000 are of equal size. The function keys placed in top row are very small in size; however, as the function keys are hardly used, we did not find it much of an issue. 

Function keys aren't the only ones with smaller size on the keyboard. While centre keys such as 'B', 'N', 'G' and 'H' are larger, the corner keys like 'O', 'K', 'L' and 'Q' are smaller. According to the company, this unusual size of keys, and the design of this keyboard, encourages natural posture while typing. That might well be true, but it certainly takes some getting used to. 

Talking about the other parts of the keyboard, the battery lid has been placed at the rear along with power button and Bluetooth pairing button. The pairing button is quite small and we found it a little uncomfortable to use. If you plan to pair with different devices on a regular basis, this may be a slight pain-point.

Moving on to the build quality, this keyboard is made essentially of the plastic but it does not look cheap and feels like a sturdy device.

With mere 414 grams weight, the keyboard is quite lightweight, but because of the size, we didn't find portable enough for tablets. To make it more travel friendly, the keyboard should have ideally come with a soft cover/pouch. But, Microsoft seems to have overlooked it. 

Further on the downside, there is no indicator for Caps Lock, or the battery life. Company has just given a power indicator, which informs you if the device has been powered on and also blinks while the device is in discoverable mode.

Performance
To use the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000, all one needs to do is insert two AAA batteries in the keyboard and pair it with a compatible Bluetooth device. We paired it with an Apple iPad and Windows notebook, and in both cases we found the connecting procedure to be similar and fairly straightforward.

In terms of usage, the device is comfortable to use and is very responsive. However, as we have already pointed out, it takes a while to get used to the keys on this one. 

Verdict
If you are out in the market looking for a wireless keyboard for home-use, Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is a decent option, but if you want a portable keyboard for your new tablet, you might find it a bit large.

Pros
Appealing design
Light-weight/Portable
Easy to connect

Cons
Takes a bit of time to get used to the key placement
No battery life/Caps Lock indicator
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D-Link DIR-605L

D-Link DIR-605L Cloud Router

D-Link announced its cloud service and a range of cloud-based products at this year's Consumer Electronic Show (CES). The DIR-605L Cloud Router is one of the products unveiled by the company in Las Vegas. We received the unit last month and here's our somewhat belated review.

In the box
DIR-605L
Power Adapter
1 LAN Cable
User Manual

Build & features
The router looks rather plain with a black plastic body that is dominated by two large, non-detachable antennas at the back. The top features seven indicator lights at the front - Power, Internet, Wireless and numbered lights for each LAN port. The backside sports the power port, WAN/ Internet port and 4 LAN ports. A WPS button is present on the side.

The DIR-605L is pretty much a no-frills router, with 300 Mbps 802.11n wireless networking perhaps the only feature hitherto seen in higher-priced routers. There's no dual-band wireless (only 2.4 Ghz), no Gigabit Ethernet or USB ports.




Setup & options
The router does not come with a CD. You simply join the default wireless network or connect via LAN cable and follow the web-based setup to configure your network. The setup is simple enough without being anything special.

The router supports port forwarding & triggering, dynamic-DNS, UPnP and other features you expect from a modern router. An interesting addition is Parental Control Rules that let you define a black/white list of sites that users can access and have a schedule associated with each list. This lets you, for example, have a pre-defined list of sites your kids can access while you are at work during the day, and an unrestricted Internet when you are around. The feature works as advertised.

Performance
This is where the router really begins to shine. The wireless range is excellent, thanks, no doubt, to the dual antennas. We installed the DIR-605L in a large six-bedroom house that was originally being served by two dated routers working in conjunction. The DIR-605L served strong signal in every corner of the house.

The wireless performance was excellent and we didn't experience any signal drops or any need to reset the router during our 3-4 days test period. The data transfer speeds were satisfactory and in line with the specifications.

Cloud integration

The DIR-605L is mydlink enabled, which is D-Link talk for a device that supports its cloud service mentioned earlier. Once you've signed up for the service, you can link and control all your mydlink enabled devices from the web or mobile. D-Link has also released iOS and Android apps that let you do the same.

Linking the DIR-605L to the cloud was pretty straightforward but of limited utility. While it's nice to be able to monitor your router from anywhere in the world without fiddling with half-a-dozen settings, the mydlink service doesn't let you do much with the device. You can monitor the throughput and, sure, you can reboot your device when needed, but, chances are, when your router really needs a reboot, it won't have a live Internet connection for you to remotely login either!

Verdict
What the DIR-605L lacks in features, it makes up in performance. If you are looking for a wireless router for a duplex apartment or large office, this one deserves a second look.

Price
Rs. 2,900

Pros
Steady performance
Good range

Cons
Lacks features that other similar-priced routers offer

Source : NDTV

HTC One umbrella

HTC

HTC made a big splash at the Mobile World Congress this year when it showcased three new devices under its HTC One umbrella, namely the One X, One S and One V. The One V is the second device in the series to be launched in the country. Priced at Rs. 19,399, the smartphone draws attention thanks to its protruding chin design, which is reminiscent of the HTC Legend. Unlike its elder siblings the One S and the One X, the device sports a comparably smaller 3.7-inch display, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But is the device worthy of all the attention? We take a look.
Hardware/ Design
The HTC One V has a unibody aluminium chassis that gives it a premium look. The curved back edges make the device quite conformable to hold. Drawing on inspirations from the HTC Legend, a prominent design feature is its kinked chin bottom that certainly differentiates it from the rest in its category.
With a 3.7-inch Gorilla Glass display, the One V is about the same size as the iPhone 4. It sports a slender design at 9.2mm thick and is reasonably light at 115g.
Following suit of its One branded siblings, the One V limits physical buttons to a power/wake button on top and a volume rocker on the right. The 3.5mm headphone jack rests on the top with a notification LED that flashes every time you get missed calls, messages and indicates the phone's charging state.
Just above the silver HTC logo on the front, one can find a row of tiny holes for the earpiece. Since the top of the glass is cut at this section, the sharp edges can get uncomfortable when held up to the ear. The bottom has three capacitive buttons for back, multi-tasking and home. The left panel houses the Micro-USB port for charging and data transfers.
The back features a 5MP camera with LED flash at the top while the bottom has a plastic cover that conceals the mic and speakers. When removed, one can find slots for a full-sized SIM and a microSD card. The battery however is non-user replaceable.
Display
The HTC One V comes with a 3.7-inch capacitive touch display covered with Corning's Gorilla Glass. It supports a resolution of 800x480, giving it a pixel density of about 252ppi. For a mid-range Android handset, the display is bright, sharp and vibrant with no pixilation visible to the naked eye. It won't be wrong to say that the LCD offering stacks up well against other AMOLED and S-LCD smartphones available in this budget. The phone has great viewing angles and text appears sharp even under the sun.
Camera
The One V comes with a 5MP rear camera on board, compared to the 8-megapixel shooter found in the One X as well as the One S. But what it does inherit from the One family is ImageSense, which claims to provide continuous shooting, ability to capture stills while shooting videos and no shutter lag.
The burst shot mode is the best feature drawing its power from the ImageChip processor allowing you to capture several images per second. You can press the on-screen shutter button for as long as you need and then select the best from the stills captured.
Images look decent even under low light but it is advisable to shoot with the Flash turned off. It tends to burn out images and leave them unsaturated as well. The camera's autofocus performs decent enough and seems reliable.
You can also add multiple effects to your pictures both before and after shooting. Despite being HD capable, video recording quality might come as a disappointment. The device is unable to switch between different lighting conditions while recording. The built-in digital zoom only adds to the poor performance of the smartphone's recording capabilities.
Software/ Interface
The device comes with Android 4.0 straight out of the box but is layered with HTC's latest Sense 4.0 UI. The interface felt pretty smooth with no lags absolutely whatsoever. The unlock ring gives you access to a range of shortcuts to applications on your home screen. You can also use exclusive Android 4.0 Google Apps such as Chrome Beta and a highly improved version of Gmail. 
Sense 4.0 makes the phone extremely user-friendly with multiple features allowing for smooth navigation through various lists and menu options. And considering its Ice Cream Sandwich, closing applications is just a swipe away.
HTC has put quite an effort when it comes to pre-installed apps on the device. Third-party apps that ship with the smartphone include Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Polaris Office, 7Digital (a music downloading service, and TuneIn Radio (on-line streaming player). 
What also comes along is HTC Hub, the company's own app store and Task Manager. Speaking of Dropbox, the Taiwanese company is providing 25GB of free cloud storage for two years with every purchase.
Performance
Courtesy the single-core 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the One V produces fairly decent results. Games like Temple Run and Fruit Ninja worked fine with no lags at all. There are occasional hiccups when running multiple applications or just loading them up. YouTube videos play out well with no pixilation and look crisp on the 3.7-inch display.
One area where the device didn't disappoint is battery life.The 1500mAh battery did more than what was expected lasting an entire day on a single charge before completely draining out. Daily users will be satisfied with the battery life of the device. This was while making/receiving calls, texting, playing a few levels of Angry Birds in between and so on. 
Call quality was great too with virtually zero call drops. Typing on the device feels a bit cramped in portrait mode and you can't help but switch to landscape orientation for a more comfortable typing experience.
The One V boasts impressive connectivity on both Wi-Fi and 3G networks. The browsing experience was a breeze with pages loading rather fast and giving no trouble at all. Speaking of browsing, there are a couple of new ICS features that the One V can show off when compared to its Android 2.3 companions.
One may notice In-page searching in the form of the 'Find on page' option. Further additions include tabbed browsing along with the convenience of foregoing mobile sites and heading over to the desktop version. Another welcome feature is a dedicated Forward button for easy navigation. All these features are easily accessible through the Menu option on the right hand corner of the screen.
Audio quality on the device isn't perfect either. The Beats Audio integration only enhances the sound which works alright when listening to certain type of music but might get frustrating with others, especially with the earphones. If you choose to listen to music on the audio speakers in a smaller, less noisy environment, you may be satisfied. But take the phone into a crowd and it's no good.
The smartphone comes with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD.
Verdict
Does the HTC One V live up to the One family tradition? It's bit of a mixed bag. The device boasts impressive specs for a mid-range smartphone, not to mention its unique design. Although it's not perfect enough, the 1GHz single core processor does keep up the pace with minor lag issues when switching between apps and menus.
It has a strong form factor that is sturdy and aesthetically pleasing, which separates it from other candybar plastic-backed offerings currently available. ICS on-board combined with the latest Sense UI is a worthwhile experience on the device. Overall, the One V is premium in looks, as well as feel.
Talking of dislikes, the audio is a bit disappointing. Probably a bundled pair of Beat headphones would work well with the Beats Audio integration. Video recording is a letdown too with the built-in digital zoom only making things worse.
If you're looking for a device with better processing capabilities then the Xperia sola (Rs. 20,449) might be an option worth considering. The device is powered by a dual-core processor and comes with a host of connectivity options including NFC and DLNA support. The downside is that it runs on Android 2.3 but an ICS update is on the cards.
Nonetheless, if you're looking for simplicity blended with excellence when it comes to getting more than just the basics right, then the HTC One V could be the Ice Cream Sandwich phone you desire.
Check out our picture gallery for more images of the HTC One V.
Pros
Differentiable and sturdy design
Display
ICS out of the box
Cons
Sloppy video recording capabilities
Price: Rs. 19,399
Ratings (Out of 5)
Design: 3.5
Display: 3.5
Performance: 3.5
Software: 3.5
Battery Life: 3.5
Value for Money: 3
Camera: 3
Overall: 3.5


Source : NDTV



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Samsung's Galaxy

Analysts cut their price targets on Nokia to little more than the value of its cash and patents on Friday as hopes fade that phones using new Microsoft software can revive the ailing mobile company anytime soon.

The launch of new Lumia smartphones, expected to start in September, has turned into a make-or-break event for Nokia boss Stephen Elop, the architect of a tie-up with Microsoft which has so far done little to resurrect the firm's challenge to the dominance of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy models.

But confidence is low after Nokia reported a thumping quarterly loss on Thursday and warned of another big splash of red ink for its phone business in the third quarter.

On Friday, credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Nokia, having previously warned it would do so if it was not convinced the firm could stabilise revenue declines and revive margins.

"The release of Nokia's Q2 results indicate that the company is currently not near this position and Fitch is not convinced that this can be attained anytime soon," it said.

Nokia's shares, down about 80 percent since February 2011 when Elop announced the shift to the largely untried Microsoft Windows phone operating system, jumped 12 percent on Thursday as investors breathed a sigh of relief that the Finnish group was not burning through its cash pile as quickly as feared.

But the stock fell back 5 percent on Friday, as analysts mostly took a more cautious view on a recovery plan being implemented amid economic uncertainty and stiff competition.

Many set their price targets for the shares at around 1-3 euros, at best little more than the estimated value of its cash and patent portfolio.

Nokia's net cash position at the end of the year is seen at around 3 billion euros, or about 0.80 euro per share, compared with the 1.12 euros per share it had at the end of June.

The patent portfolio, one of the largest in the mobile industry, is estimated to be worth 0.5-1.0 euro per share.

In the second quarter, Nokia used its strength in patents to boost its cash, booking a 400-million-euro prepayment from a licensing deal. It refused to say who made the payment, but analysts and patent experts say it came either from Apple  or Microsoft.

Last roll of the dice
Sales of Nokia's Lumia phones, which run the Microsoft software, have yet to grab share back from Apple and Samsung Electronics smartphones in the most profitable part of the mobile market.

The Microsoft platform had only a 2 percent market share in the first quarter of 2012, compared with 23 percent for Apple and 56 percent for Google's Android platform, which is used by multiple mobile phone firms including Samsung.

Some analysts think new Lumia models using Windows Phone 8 (WP8) software could still change that, with local banks Nordea and Pohjola upgrading Nokia shares to "buy" on Friday.

But for most, the jury is out.

"Nokia's recovery story has paused ... We conclude that the next phase of improvement requires the launch of the Windows Phone 8 units. Nokia's story remains theoretical pending consumer adoption of WP8," Barclays analysts said.

Nomura analyst Stuart Jeffrey said Microsoft's Windows 8 software for computers - which will have a similar look and feel to the Windows version for smartphones - might eventually help Nokia, but it would take time.

"We thus believe that Nokia's traction may prove muted in H1 2013 even if the Windows Phone does take off, with H2 perhaps showing greater strength," he said in a note.

Some investors said patience may soon run out. Juha Varis, who holds Nokia shares as part of the Danske Invest Finnish Equity Fund, said Elop was likely to come under pressure if there was no breakthrough by the end of the year.

"If Windows Phones stay at current levels, I think they have to do a Plan B. They would need to do something drastic, and I think the view is that Elop is not that guy," he said on Thursday as he read through the results.

Nokia remained defiant in the face of the Fitch downgrade.

"We have a strong focus on cash conservation as we continue our transition," a spokesman said.

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012


Source : NDTV

outsourcers delaying decisions on technology spends

First quarter is usually a period of strong growth for info-tech companies. But not this year, as IT firms continue to see slowdown in growth and hiring with outsourcers delaying decisions on technology spends. Infosys, along with TCS, will be the first to report the numbers for the first quarter, and the signs are not very encouraging.

Revenue guidance

Analysts expect Infosys to pare the revenue guidance further for the FY13 in the range of 7-9 per cent compared to the 8-10 per cent it had forecast at the end of FY12 due to continued slowdown in outsourcing decisions from its clients. Similarly, Wipro had given guidance of a flat growth for the first quarter of FY13 and analysts expect it grow one per cent over the previous quarter. “We expect 2012 revenue growth to be in the mid-to-high teens compared with the 20 per cent plus growth in 2011,” said Mr Sreenivasa Prasanna, Senior Director, at ratings’ firm Fitch. “In what has generally been a strong growth quarter, we expect Infosys and Wipro to report muted revenue growth,” said Mr Pankaj Kapoor and Mr Apoorva Oza, analysts at Standard Chartered. The macroeconomic conditions in both the US and Europe would continue to dog Indian IT companies in the period going ahead, according to analysts. “With continued elongation in decision cycles and no signs of macro recovery on the horizon, there is little to suggest that companies could surprise positively,” said Mr Ashish Chopra, Analyst, Motilal Oswal. This uncertainty is delaying the joining of IT engineers, which will be something that other companies are looking to do, according to analysts.

Hiring activity

“After Infosys deferred campus joiners by a couple of quarters, hiring activity and guidance across players will be keenly watched,” said Mr Chopra. TCS and HCL Technologies are expected to grow four per cent over the previous quarter, said analysts. “TCS and HCL are likely to be the outliers, helped by ramp-ups in large projects they have bagged,” said Standard Chartered analysts. TCS bagged a $2.2-billion deal for 15 years with Friends Life and HCL has won a few billion dollar deals.

Clusters for electronics will boost hardware sector, says Ajai Chowdhry

There are huge opportunities in hardware manufacturing in India. The Government’s approval to set up electronics clusters would give a fillip to the industry, said Mr Ajai Chowdhry, HCL co-founder and chairman of the Government’s task force on information technology and electronics. “We have a large consuming country and we should create a manufacturing platform. Our whole thinking in the country has been services, and we missed out on the manufacturing space, but still it is not late,” he said. He said it was time to go after the manufacturing space, as the Government has also now accepted the report of the Information Technology Task Force on implementing some of the processes. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology had constituted the Task Force in August 2009 under the leadership of Mr Chowdhry.

First steps

“One of the first steps has been setting up of semi-conductor facilities that the Government is in final stages of taking a decision on companies and which technology to start with it,” he said. The Union Cabinet had last week approved the scheme for the development of Electronics Manufacturing Clusters to support the setting up of both greenfield and brownfield clusters. Manufacturing of computers and mobile handsets could benefit from this scheme since it will make available components locally. Currently, companies are importing components from China and Taiwan. Mr Chowdhry said that the Government is expected to decide in next three-four months. He said the whole idea was to create a series of design capabilities in India as in China.


China has taken a lead over India because it is not just a manufacturing hub, but also strong in design. “Many Indian brands today go to these design houses and they are designing as per Indian requirements. Why are we doing that? For our own country, we are creating jobs outside,” he said. This capability exists in India and many companies are designing for the world, but not for us, he argued. Therefore, with funds and support coming from the Government, an environment would be created so that there is a lot vibrancy in design. “Apple is one example. It designs in America, gets it manufactured in China; but all of its profits, intellectual property and value additions are in the US. That is exactly what we should do,” he said. Mr Chowdhry, who stepped down as Director, HCL Infosystems on June 30, said he would continue to support the company as a mentor.

Source: The Hindu Business Line

engineering IT services like product life cycle management

BPO major Genpact today said it will acquire US-based Triumph Engineering Corp, which provides engineering and technical services to aviation, energy, and oil and gas industries, for an undisclosed amount. Triumph enhances Genpact's services portfolio for the infrastructure and manufacturing sector by adding capabilities in the large and high-growth segment of engineering and technical services, Genpact said in a statement. Closing is subject to satisfaction of certain customary conditions, it added.




 "We are seeing a huge demand for engineering services in highly technology-intensive industries like aviation, energy and oil and gas. "This acquisition will allow us to combine Triumph's onsite expertise and depth in engineering with our global scale, end-to-end process management, analytics, and technology capabilities to meet this growing demand," Genpact president and CEO NV Tyagarajan said. As part of the deal, 90 Triumph employees will become part of Genpact's Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Services (IMS) vertical, it said. "Our plan is to build out engineering centers of excellence (COEs) with an initial focus on the aviation and energy sectors, which we would later expand to cover other manufacturing segments," Tyagarajan said. Triumph provides engineering services like product definition and design, product documentation and analysis. It also provides engineering IT services like product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation and customisation.

Source: The Financial Express


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Dutch company's research into costly next-generation

Intel Corp (INTC.O) will spend more than $4 billion to buy up to 15 percent of ASML (ASML.O) and bankroll the Dutch company's research into costly next-generation chipmaking technology, a major vote of confidence in the European firm that sent its U.S. shares soaring 6 percent. Intel hopes to speed the adoption of the next generation of chip manufacturing processes from ASML by as much as two years. That will require intensive capital investment, but delivers billions of future savings by cutting chip production costs, analysts said. ASML, the world's largest supplier to chipmakers of machines that etch circuits onto silicon wafers, may want to spread the risk of developing cutting-edge chipmaking equipment, based on 450-millimeter wafer sizes and "extreme-ultraviolet" or EUV lithography. Intel will acquire an initial 10 percent stake in its European supplier and tack on another 5 percent if it wins shareholder approval, for a total of about $3.1 billion. It also benefits by being able to move on to larger wafer sizes. Apart from the savings that will bring, the chipmaker may also be moving to safeguard its current technology lead.

 

"By accelerating the introduction of 450mm fabs, Intel will increase barriers to entry a lot and make it harder for small players to keep going," said Pierre Ferragu, a senior analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein. "By supporting EUV, Intel probably anticipates continued accelerated shrink plans beyond 15 nm..., and also a world in which cost efficiency matters more and more for them." Intel and other chipmakers are grappling with slowing demand as consumers shift to mobile devices, and economic growth in Europe and even emerging markets is weakening. On Monday, Advanced Micro Devices warned its second-quarter revenue may slide 11 percent, blaming disappointing demand from China and Europe. RBC Capital analyst Doug Freedman estimates Intel can save about $2 billion a year on 450mm processes, versus the current standard of 300mm. Larger silicon wafers lower production costs because more chips can be sliced off them. "The transition from one wafer size to the next has historically delivered a 30 to 40 percent reduction in die cost," Chief Operating Officer Brian Krzanich said in a statement.

 

"The faster we do this, the sooner we can gain the benefit of productivity improvements." Under the agreement, the world's top chipmaker gains no exclusive rights to future ASML products. But Freedman said Intel, as the sector leader, stands to gain if the overall industry benefits. "I was a little surprised that ASML did not offer exclusivity or preferential access," Freedman said. But "if in fact they're lowering the cost of technology in emerging markets, you're opening markets as well." Intel remains at the vanguard of computer processors but is seeing rivals like Samsung Electronics come on strong in application microchips for smartphones and other mobile devices. Analysts say the U.S. company maintains a two-year lead over the competition but needs to spend heavily to safeguard that.

 

MARKET SLOWING

ASML (ASML.O) competes with Japanese groups Canon (7751.T) and Nikon (7731.T). Its clients include Intel and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS). Ferragu said Intel's decision to tie up with ASML might come as a blow to Nikon, which also researches and develops lithography processes. A shift to cutting-edge EUV helps push the natural progression of semiconductor technology advancement known as "Moore's Law", which posits that the average number of transistors packed on a chip doubles every 18 months. Intel will help finance $1 billion of research into 450mm and EUV chipmaking, both cutting-edge technologies expected to emerge in the decade's second half. While many semiconductor companies outsource the fabrication of actual chips to third-party "foundries", Intel is among the last remaining chipmakers that build and operate their own network of multibillion dollar production facilities, or "fabs". "If Intel is able to ramp 450mm production ahead of the world's fabs such as TSMC or Global Foundries et al, it may yet prove that real men have fabs," said John Jackson from CCS Insight. "There are signs that the global semiconductor fabrication sector is poised to realign." Intel is the first major chipmaker to sign up for ASML's "customer investment" program, under which it hopes to enlist partners to fund expensive research into 450mm wafer technology. Under their agreement, Intel will pay 1.7 billion euros for the initial 10 percent slice of ASML, and a preliminary 553 million euros for research. The pact also involves advance orders of next-generation ASML chipmaking gear, strengthening the Dutch firm's assurance to move ahead in developing the technology. Intel shares slid about 1 percent to $25.87 after hours, from a close of $26.17 on Nasdaq. ASML shot up 6.3 percent to $51.53 from a close of $48.46.

 

Source: Reuters India

Insights from Big Data solutions are expected

Business intelligence is evolving quickly with the advances in social media, mobility and predictive models used in data analysis. This change in all dimensions can sometimes be hard to keep up with and seem too complex, which is why the Business Intelligence Conference hosted by SiliconIndia in Hyderabad on July 7, 2012 had a number of interesting discussions which covered topics that are currently relevant to BI professionals. An individual in the BI domain should focus on developing a deeper understanding of the business problem that is being solved through his efforts and work towards being a data scientist said Jayant Prabhu, General Manager & Global Practice Head - Information Management, Wipro while delivering the keynote on ‘Riding the BI/IM Evolution Wave for Success.’ Prabhu also said that the next gen BI/DW architect would need a deep understanding of associated skills like mobility and Java/Python. The session “Business Intelligence Implementation Challenges” by Ajay Patwari, Senior Technical Consultant - BI, PTC underlined that Customer Engagement, Requirement Gathering, Development Phase and Quality Testing could make or break a BI project. Suresh Karanam, AVP - Global Head for BI Consulting, Mahindra Satyam who spoke on Tackling Big Data Challenge said “Big Data can revolutionalize the way information insights are delivered to end users Enterprises, Government, and Regulatory Agencies.

 

Insights from Big Data solutions are expected to help enterprises better their customers’ experience, to governments in order to frame policies that are beneficial to citizens and to corporate & regulatory agencies to keep check on all the stakeholders to serve the community better. Big Data Analytics needs to help improve the lives of global citizens in the coming years.”  Karanam also touched upon how recent happenings in the banking & healthcare fraud could  have been avoided with Big Data Analytics solutions which was well received by the delegates. The fact that the playing field is changing in BI/DW space because of Social Data and the major stakeholders ( Clients, IT Companies and IT professionals) should be ready to handle this growth  was conveyed in “Social Business Intelligence - A Paradigm Shift “ by Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior manager at Deloitte. The growing demand of Predictive analysis was addressed by Vimit Kapoor, Head of Decision Models, ANZ. In his session “Predictive Modeling: Current Advancements and Future Trends”, Kapoor shed light on the role technology, data warehouses and systems have in the seamless integration of the mathematics with the real benefits of actual decisions and the growth path this area is expected to see in India. The audience was made aware of the various uses predictive analytics has in various industries. The delegates had the opportunity to network, interact with their peers and discuss about the happenings in the BI world. This successful event which was attended by more than 200 delegates was supported by Pluralsight, DEFTeam, BI Tech Systems, HCG and Lodestone.

 

Source: Silicon India

Experts mobile internet WiMAX

Experts close to the industry say that it is performance that is one of the key elements that sets WiMAX apart from other technologies and makes it unique. However, on the other hand a successful WiMAX deployment that delivers the services promised in a cost-effective way requires much more than a spectrally efficient, high-throughput, low-latency radio interface. Hence it is becoming increasingly important for operators to create a healthy wimax driven ecosystem in order to deliver mobile broadband for the end user community. And as next generation networks are getting laid, Wimax ecosystem is emerging to meet the demand from operators for efficient, cutting-edge network elements that together will create powerful end-to-end Mobile WiMAX networks, that are appropriate to the operator’s requirements and deliver fast and reliable mobile broadband to the end user community.

 

Globally, there is a very impressive collection of players which is working towards developing new solutions or adding support for WiMAX within their current solutions. Most of them have valuable experience in a specialized area and bring the necessary expertise to ensure that WiMAX operators hit the ground running. System vendors may have a background in Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) or cellular technologies; billing and provisioning companies and system integrators, in fixed or mobile telecoms; and content providers, advertisers, and application developers, in the media and software industry. It is important to note that as the ecosystem evolves and increases in complexity, it can be challenging for network operators to identify the best of breed for each network element because the landscape is still fragmented. And perhaps even more importantly they need to have assurances that the elements will be able to interoperate in their wimax driven network and that all the required system integration has been completed. Moving forward Wimax is set to increase its network footprint and deliver great mobility clubbed with broadband.

 

Source: IT VAR News Network

CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY

Network security hardware manufacturer Cyberoam issued an over-the-air update for its UTM (unified threat management) appliances in order to force the devices to use unique CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY SSL certificertificate authoritytes when intercepting SSL traffic on corporate networks. The company was forced to issue the update after an anonymous user published on the Internet the SSL private key that all Cyberoam appliances use by default. "As the private key has been leaked there are possibilities that it certificate authorityn be misused and hence we have taken an immediate action to release an OTA hotfix that changes the default CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY and protects the customers," Abhilash Sonwane, senior vice president of product management at Cyberoam, said Monday via email. After the hotfix is applied, each individual appliance will have its unique CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authorityte. Customers should see a notificertificate authoritytion about the CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authorityte being changed on the administration dashboard of their devices, Sonwane said. If for some reason the update failed and the alert is missing from the dashboard, customers certificate authorityn generate their own unique CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authoritytes using the command line interface, an option that has always been available to them.

Tor Project researcher Runa A. Sandvik and Google software security engineer Ben Laurie revealed on July 3 that all Cyberoam appliances with SSL traffic inspection certificate authoritypabilities had been using the same self-generated CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authorityte by default. This made it possible "to intercept traffic from any victim of a Cyberoam device with any other Cyberoam device or, indeed, to extract the key from the device and import it into other DPI [deep packet inspection] devices, and use those for interception," the researchers wrote in a security advisory.  Cyberoam admitted in a customer support article published on Thursday that all of its appliances used the same default CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authorityte. However, the company denied at the time that the private key corresponding to this certificertificate authorityte certificate authorityn be exported from the devices. Businesses are interested in inspecting the SSL traffic on their networks for a variety of reasons, including the detection of potential data leaks and malware activity. Network security appliances like those produced by Cyberoam achieve this by launching man-in-the-middle attacks every time network computers send requests to SSL-enabled domain names.

They intercept the requests and establish encrypted channels with the destination servers. They then generate rogue SSL certificertificate authoritytes for the remote domains, sign them with their own self-generated CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authoritytes, and serve those back to the network computers. This establishes SSL bridges that allow them to inspect what should otherwise be private communicertificate authoritytions between network endpoints and remote servers. In order to avoid any certificertificate authorityte errors being displayed on the endpoint computers, network administrators have to first install the self-generated CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authoritytes in their trusted certificertificate authorityte stores. Sonwane feels that Cyberoam has been singled out in this certificate authorityse. The whole industry uses the same methodology of shipping a default CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY certificertificate authorityte with appliances that are certificate authoritypable of performing SSL traffic inspection, he said. "As a company, we are taking this on a positive note, as these immediate changes (of forcefully generating a unique CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY) are putting our appliances at a greater security level than the rest of the industry that does HTTPS deep scertificate authorityn," he said.

Source: Info World