Mozilla has announced that Thunderbird 2, the latest version of its popular, free, open source e-mail client, is now available worldwide.

The company said that Thunderbird 2 allows users to easily manage and organize e-mail with tags, advanced folder views, and fast inbox and message searches. Besides, users can also customize Thunderbird 2 with add-ons that match individual preferences.

Speaking on the occasion, Scott MacGregor, Lead Engineer for Thunderbird, Mozilla, said, "Thunderbird 2 has powerful new features and proven security, delivering an improved e-mail experience to users worldwide. In Thunderbird 2, we've incorporated the proven benefits of tagging to e-mail. Tagging initially gained popularity on blogs, photo and link-sharing sites, as an intuitive way to organize online information so users could easily find desired content."

According to Mozilla, Thunderbird 2 users can choose from hundreds of add-ons to customize the application for their needs. And by integrating professional networking tools, VOIP calling, and shared address books directly into Thunderbird, users can expand the e-mail client into a versatile information and communications hub.

The major enhancements in this new updated application include message tagging, wherein users can now apply tags to specific messages to group them together for easier management; message history navigation that enables the user to move around from one message to another like a Web browser next and back button; improved searching capabilities; and Web mail support that offers quick and easy access to several Web mail services like Gmail.

Meanwhile, Thunderbird 2, which is built using the same open source development model as the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, is available now as a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux, in more than 30 language versions at www.getthunderbird.com.

aouece: techtree.com

With a view to bridging the digital divide worldwide, Microsoft has announced plans to create new products and programs to help bring social and economic opportunity to an estimated 5 billion people who continue to remain untouched by the benefits of technology.

Among these announcements, the one that draws most attention is Microsoft's intention to introduce a $3 (Rs 150 approx) software package called "Student Innovation Suite" for governments to subsidize student PCs.


Microsoft said starting the second half of 2007, the "Student Innovation Suite," including Windows XP Starter Edition, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Math 3.0, Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office, and Windows Live Mail desktop, will be sold for $3 (Rs 150 approx) to governments looking to subsidize the cost of PCs for primary and secondary students - for use at home and at school.

The company also announced it will open 90 new innovation centers around the world. Currently, there are 110 such centers offering technology access/know-how to academics, local startup software companies, and other groups.

Microsoft said it is designing a Web site to help Engineering Grads to get additional training and find jobs. Initially, this program will be available only in India, with plans to widen the footprint across the globe. The site is slated to go online by end 2007, Microsoft said.

Speaking about the initiative, Chairman of Microsoft and eternal Philanthropist, Bill Gates said, "Bringing the benefits of technology to the next 5 billion people will require new products that meet the needs of underserved communities; creative new business approaches that make technology more relevant, accessible and affordable; and close collaboration between local governments, educational institutions, and community organizations."

As such, Microsoft intends to partner with government, inter-governmental organizations, academia, and industry leaders to expand the opportunities presented by technology worldwide.

source: techtre.com

Coming Soon: Google's 'PowerPoint'

According to reports, Google plans to add a new, PowerPoint like application to its hosted suite.

With this, Google's hosted suite, "Docs & Spreadsheets," will offer a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentations application.
The announcement was made by Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, at the Web 2.0 Expo event held in San Francisco.

This move by Google was widely expected, as the company has embarked on developing hosted communication and collaboration products for organizations.

The suite is seen as a competitor to Microsoft's Office. Schmidt however said, the suite does not compete with Office, as "Docs & Spreadsheets" does not have all of Office's functionality, and is instead, more focused on Web collaboration.

Schmidt is calling the PowerPoint like application a Web-based, hosted architecture for applications, designed to allow users collaborate and share information.

This application is expected to be available in the US this Summer. It is also expected for it to become a part of Google Apps, soon after release.

Google also announced it has acquired Tonic Systems, a company based out of San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia, which offers technology to create presentations and convert documents.

The timing of the acquisition coincides with the launch of the new application - perceived as a win-win by Google.

source: techtree.com

CSIA Getting Free WiFi Service

Reportedly, Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) is providing enterprise-class Wi-Fi service throughout the domestic (IA and IB) and international (2A and 2C) terminals at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), thus becoming the first international airport in the country to launch a free wireless network.

This free Wi-Fi Internet service is powered by Bharti Airtel, enabling first ever wireless coverage at a major international airport in India, with wall-to-wall service accessible throughout the CSIA passenger terminal buildings.

Which means that only bonafide passengers inside the terminal building will be able to take advantage of the facility. And to prevent potential misuse, each session would be valid for about four hours.

In a statement, a spokesperson for MIAL, said that travelers could use their laptops to connect to the Internet, to send and receive e-mail, access their corporate servers, download important documents, and surf the Web. The login process does not require users to install or use proprietary software, and can be done just by entering mobile numbers.

The facility is also available on other hand-held devices such as pocket PCs, smart phones, mobile phones, gaming devices, and PDAs.

The MIAL spokesperson said, currently, the speed would vary between 64 kbps and 128 kbps, depending on the number of simultaneous users. However, it will never fall below 64 kbps.

And while this service is offered free-of-charge for all passengers carrying Wi-Fi enabled laptops, a paid service for a bandwidth of 512 kbps and above will soon be introduced. Free Internet kiosks will also be set up at all terminals, with each terminal having at least one kiosk with a minimum of four computers.

G V Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director of MIAL, said that they are pleased to be the first airport in India to provide wireless coverage of this nature to passengers. Wi-Fi connectivity and the free Internet kiosks will facilitate better communication access for travelers to CSIA. This initiative would help the airport enhance passengers' experience, and is in line with their commitment to making CSIA a world-class airport.

source: techtree.com

Mayatel's Prepaid Calling Cards

Mayatel, a leading VoIP carrier headquartered out of London, has introduced pre-paid international cards for calling over 30 countries, including USA, UK, Canada, Australia ,Denmark, Ireland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and China.

The company is offering an inaugural call rate of 95 paise per minute, which it says is the cheapest international call rate in the country.

Sam Mohanty, Country Manager of Mayatel India, said, they aspire to make superior quality international voice calling extremely affordable for every Indian customer, riding on Broadband connection now available even in remote areas.

Mayatel pre-paid Internet telephony cards are available in denominations of Rs 250, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, along with a 180 days validity.

They can be purchased either by logging on to the Mayatel Web site at www.mayatelfone.com, or via Mayatel's nation-wide channel network.

Customers can place an international call from anywhere within the country by using a PC, by downloading the dialer from Mayatel's Web site.

Alternatively, they can install an Internet Protocol device, which can also be provided by Mayatel.

Currently, Mayatel cards are available in a number of small cities. The company is looking at expanding its dealer network to make its pre-paid Internet telephony cards more widely and easily available.

source: Techtree.com

Now, a SET system for faster downloads from Internet

Washington, Apr 14 (ANI): A Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist and an Intel researcher duo claim to have designed a system that allows for faster transferring of large data files, such as movies and music, over the Internet.

David G. Andersen, assistant professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, and Michael Kaminsky of Intel Research Pittsburgh say the Similarly Enhanced Transfer (SET) system speeds up the download process by configuring the peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing services to share not only identical files, but also similar files.

"By identifying relevant chunks of files similar to a desired file, SET greatly increases the number of potential sources for downloads, and boosting the number of sources usually translates into faster P2P downloads," said Andersen.

However, how much SET could speed up downloads would vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and popularity of a given file, he said. In some cases, SET might speed transfers by just five percent; in others, it might make downloads five times faster, he added.

SET speeds by data transfer by simultaneously downloading different chunks of a desired data file from multiple sources, rather than downloading an entire file from one slow source, much like other P2P services such as BitTorrent, Gnutella and ChunkCast.

However, the difference lies in that SET takes additional steps of identifying files that are similar to the desired file, unlike other P2P services where downloads can be slow with networks not finding enough sources to use all of a receiver's download bandwidth.

"This is a technique that I would like people to steal. Though we have no intention of applying it ourselves to movie- or music-sharing services, but it would make P2P transfers faster and more efficient, and developers should just take the idea and use it in their own systems," Andersen said.

"In some sense, the promise of P2P has been greater than the reality. By creating many more sources for data files, P2P reduces bottlenecks for data transfers. But residential Internet service providers allot far more bandwidth for downloading than they do for uploading files, an imbalance that continues to slow P2P data transfers. And members of P2P services often limit their computer's upload capacity so it is not tied up with other peoples' uploads," he added.

Comparison tests on real file downloads between today's P2P networks further revealed that SET improved the transfer time of an MP3 music file by 71 percent. A larger 55-megabyte movie trailer went 30 percent faster using the researchers' techniques to draw from movie trailers that were 47 percent similar.

The findings were presented at the 4th Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation, April 11 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (ANI)

source: yahho.com

Your office follows you!

The world has been talking about paperless offices; I've moved to an office without walls," an acquaintance quipped talking about the way he worked entirely out of cybercafés. The year was 2003 and Internet outlets offering broadband connectivity were just coming up.

Looking back from 2007, we may chuckle at his idea of carrying software to an office on the Web. There are programs available on the Web for small offices and enterprises that can give you the keys to your own ready-made office. Networked and loaded with all the necessary digital office supplies and software, these are essentially aimed at organisations that can't or are reluctant to invest in large IT systems and solutions. It's an office domain that's 24/7, that can house up to a couple of hundred people from different geographical locations, that follows you and your colleagues wherever you go, that doesn't require you to spend money on system maintenance or software that we are talking about. The best part is, it comes free of cost, if you want it that way.

Monikered office 2.0, there are many companies that offer this concept of office-anytime-anywhere and new ones are coming up every day. A lot of them charge a small fee for the service but almost all of them offer trial versions so you can know what you're getting.

The two big and most visible players, Microsoft Office Live and Google Apps offer basic versions that are free of cost. At the time of writing, Microsoft Office Live hasn't gone, well, live, in India. Let's take a look at Google apps and what they have on offer on the free version.

Here are a few more of the players in the Office 2.0 arena. Though all of them offer Web-based office productivity and collaboration packages, they vary in finer details. Most of them have Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation and File Sharing as standard offerings. Check them out:

Joyent: Basic plan at $15 per month. http://www.joyent.com/

Zoho: Free for open-source projects. http://www.zoho.com/

Basecamp: Basic plan at $12 per month, free trial. http://www.basecamphq.com/

Central Desktop: Basic plan at $25 per month, free plan available but limited to 25mb among 5 members. http://www.centraldesktop.com/

Web office: Basic plan at 59.95per month, free trial. http://www.weboffice.com/

Thinkfree Online:Free. http://www.thinkfree.com/

Peepel: Free. www.peepel.com

source: Hindu

SanDisk, Yahoo! in 'Sansa' Connect

SanDisk has gotten into a partnership with Yahoo! Music for its new Sansa Connect WiFi-enabled MP3 player.

Featuring a combination of Yahoo! and Yahoo! Music services, Sansa Connect allows access to these features with the simple click of a button and an open WiFi connection.

The player will enable Yahoo! ID owners to listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr sets and photos, as well as connect with Yahoo! Messenger friends, and other Sansa Connect owners nearby.

Under the deal, Sansa Connect offers both free and subscription-based services from Yahoo!, allowing users to stay constantly connected to their music, photos, and friends via WiFi. Those with a Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go subscription will also be able to discover and download music, plus listen to or download tracks recommended by friends.

The player can be used as a usual flash MP3 player, when not connected to a WiFi network. Users can play music and view photos stored either on the player, or on an optional microSD card.

Daniel Schreiber, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the SanDisk Audio Video Business Unit, said, "The Sansa Connect is a new breed of music player. It untethers consumers from their computers, and allows them to get new music and share their recommendations anytime, anywhere -- over an open wireless Internet network."

The sleek 4 GB Sansa Connect features a large 2.2-inch TFT color screen, a microSD slot for music and photo capacity expansion, and an internal speaker.

According to SanDisk, the Sansa Connect player is designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. While optimized to work wirelessly with 'Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go', the player supports all of the Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music via a PC connection.

source: Techtree.com

Adobe Media Player

Adobe has reportedly announced the "Adobe Media Player" at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show.

The Adobe Media Player promises to deliver more engaging video experiences to viewers, with the option to discover high-quality content both online and offline.

This new desktop application is a lightweight download that enables higher quality Flash format playback. It offers users the ability to download and view videos offline, ways to discover interesting new shows, full screen playback, one-click viewer ratings, and a powerful Favorites feature that automatically downloads new episodes of favorite TV shows or video podcasts.

According to Adobe, the player is cross-platform, based on open standards, including RSS and SMIL, and brings viewers the highly desired ability to play the Web's most popular video formats outside of their browser.

Adobe Media Player is perceived as a key part of Adobe's emerging ecosystem for creation and delivery of next generation Internet video.

Adobe Media Player, built using Adobe's Apollo platform, complements and leverages other Adobe components, including Flash Player; the newly announced Flash CS3 Professional; Flash Media Server 2, server software for streaming media applications; Flash Lite mobile video playback technology; Creative Suite 3 Production Premium for video, audio, and motion graphics production; and Media Encoder for compression and live streaming.

The company plans to make Adobe Media Player available as a free beta later this year; while the final version will likely be available by end of year.

source: Techtree.com

Google Pack Gets More Free Features

Google has added some new features to its Google Pack service.

Symantec Norton Security Scan that is now a part of Google Pack features automatic security updates and scheduled scanning, without a subscription fee. PC Tools Spyware Doctor Starter Edition is another addition to Google Pack and this version of the anti-spyware and anti-malware utility includes scheduled scanning, threat removal, limited active protection and free automatic updates.

Google has also included Photos Screensaver that can turn your screen into a digital picture frame that displays the latest photos from friends, family, and favorite photographers.

Google Pack downloads and installs these applications and the Google Updater, included in the Google Pack, keeps them up to date.

Google Pack Beta is available in 12 languages, runs on Window XP and Vista, and supports Internet Explorer 6.0 and Firefox 1.0 and higher.

source: tech2.com