Donate organs? No, grow them from scratch

BERLIN -- Medical science, boosted by manufacturing and information technology, is on the cusp of being able to grow human tissue. So believes Nina Tandon, a senior fellow at Columbia University's Lab for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, who for her Ph.D. thesis grew cardiac cells that beat like tiny hearts. A third age of medicine is beginning, she said in a speech here at...

Will AT&T's LTE network be more reliable than 3G for the iPhone?

The new iPhone launch is just around the corner. And eager fans are starting to consider which carrier might offer the best service. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader, who has had poor experiences with his iPhone 3GS on AT&T, evaluate whether he should switch to Verizon Wireless for the new iPhone since it's likely to support 4G LTE. I also offer some advice about whether...

Bigflix app now available on Windows Phone Marketplace

India's movie on demand service Bigflix has launched an app for Windows Phone, after releasing apps for Android and iOS. Users can download the Bigflix app for free from Windows Phone Marketplace. Users can use their same log in credentials to watch movies on smartphones, tablets or PCs and laptops. Bigflix points out that the Windows Phone 7.5 OS has been especially optimised for seamless...

Google announces Let's Talk Mo service; helps create mobile site for free

Google India has come up with a new service called 'Let's Talk Mo', which aims to enable small and medium businesses to reach out to the 70 million mobile users in the country. With the Let's Talk Mo service, Google will help businesses create mobile sites for free. “With Indian smartphone users spending over 157 mins daily on the mobile web (89 percent of them are searching...

Indian PC market grows by 17 percent in Q2 2012: Gartner

According to research firm Gartner, the Indian PC market has registered a 17 percent growth in the second quarter this year as compared to second quarter in 2011. Gartner says India's combined desk-based and mobile PC market totalled around 2.9 million units in the second quarter. Related Stories: Indian PC shipments drop to lowest in 18 months Gartner: Ultrabooks fail to boost global...

Indian app development market to exceed $227 million in 2012: Gartner

According to a new Gartner report, the new software delivery models, improved development methods, increasing popularity of mobile app development and open source software will help the Indian application development (AD) market achieve a growth of 22.6 percent (more than $227 million) in 2012. "The trend is compelling enough to force traditional AD vendors to 'cloud-enable'...

Google+ custom URLs start rolling out

Few weeks ago Google had unveiled custom URL service for Google+ profiles and pages, taking on vanity URLs offered by Facebook. And now Google has expanded the service to more brands and verified individuals. Users, part of the roll-out, will see a notification on the top of the homepage that says, “your page is preapproved for the custom URL: google.com/CUSTOM followed by a...

Yes, a Microsoft Store wows a naysayer

BOSTON -- OK, so Microsoft impressed me. Microsoft opened its first local retail store here this morning. It's in the upscale Prudential Center in the city's equally upscale Back Bay. It also happens to be across the street from a very large and very sleek Apple store -- a common occurrence, it seems, for locations of new Microsoft stores. Here's what I expected to write about the new...

YouTube brings TrueView ads to mobile devices

Google has announced that users now watching YouTube videos on smartphones and tablets will also have the option to skip video ads after five seconds. The functionality, known as TrueView ads was so far only available for PCs. Google in a blog post said that now advertisers need only pay when someone decides to watch the video/ad. Google also revealed that about 15-45 percent...

Nintendo may announce Wii U price and launch date on Sept 13

It looks like September the 13th could be a day of reckoning for Nintendo, as the gaming giant may just make its debut in the HD gaming era. Nintendo is holding a Wii U preview event and invites have been sent out which read, “Interested in learning more about how the Wii U will change the future of gaming and entertainment? Join us for a presentation by Nintendo of America President...

Facebook finally deleting unwanted photos from servers

Facebook said this week that it has fixed a glitch that allowed links to deleted photos to stay live long after a user thought they'd been banished from the site. Photos that users have deleted are quickly removed from Facebook profiles and newsfeeds, but if you happened to have a link to the deleted pic, that link stayed live for some time. An update to the Facebook network,...

7Seas introduces The Dark Man game for Android

7Seas Entertainment Ltd, a Hyderabad based game developer has launched a game for the Android mobile platform called The Dark Man.  The game is priced at $0.99 (Rs. 55 approx.) but there is a free version that lets you play 10 levels.  Apart from being available on the Google Play store, the game will also be made available on the Samsung App Store and the LG Store as...

Bharti Airtel, RCom lock horns over routing of toll-free calls

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications (RCom) have locked horns over the issue of routing toll-free calls. The telecom giants have accused each other of violating an agreement reached between the two back in 2007. According to a Hindu Business Line report, the spat between the telcos has become murkier with Airtel blocking toll-free calls from RCom's enterprise calls. In...

Microsoft to replace Metro UI codename with Modern UI

Microsoft was recently in trouble for using “Metro UI” for its tablet and smartphone interface. The Metro UI name, that originally began as a codename, stuck on in the final version of Microsoft’s mobile OS, Windows Phone 7 and translated to their new desktop OS, Windows 8. Recently, we reported that Microsoft would be changing the “Metro UI” name but the new and final name...

To fight Apple-flight, Microsoft must hang tough on Surface

I just pray that Microsoft doesn't cave to pressure from partners to punt on Surface.The first public plea came this week from Acer, which, in effect, begged Microsoft to drop Surface. If that happens, Microsoft will lose the consumer to Apple for good. Probably sooner rather than later. And if Acer is that worried about Surface, then it should out-design Microsoft or look elsewhere....

Preview: Final day promises to be golden

The London 2012 Olympic Games come to an end with a star-studded Closing Ceremony, but there are still 15 gold medals to be handed out before the festivities commence.  The North Greenwich Arena is set to be one of the hottest tickets in town as the USA's 'Dream Team' bring the curtain down on the men’s Basketball competition with a final against Spain. The Spaniards start as...

Google exposes 'smart' results in search

SAN FRANCISCO -- Your search results in Google are about to get a big dose of Knowledge, the company announced today at a press breakfast at its San Francisco office. Google's Knowledge Graph, its "smart" recognition of people, places, and things in search queries, is coming to English-language search results in a big way, starting with a rollout tomorrow. Integrating the Knowledge...

Strontium launches new HAWK SSDs, starting Rs. 6,999

Strontium Technology has announced a new series of high-performance solid state drives called HAWK. These are Hynix-made solid state drives with Strontium branding and after sales support. They are based on SandForce’s SF2281 controller and SK Hynix flash. The drives are said to be an upgrade option for consumers who are looking to buy new laptop or desktop. With over 500MB/s of read...

Microsoft dropping 'Metro' name in Windows 8

Since Microsoft first showed off Windows 8 last year, the company has consistently referenced the operating system's dual interfaces - the standard, Windows desktop with which we're all familiar and the more mobile-friendly Metro-style option that replaces icons with apps. Now it appears that we will bid adieu to the phrase "Metro style" before Windows 8 makes its official debut...