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May 28, 2012

Yahoo 'Axis' Browser Extension Launched For iOS, Desktop



Below is the demo of Yahoo Axis









AP
 |  By Posted: Updated: 05/24/2012 6:40 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Joining the battle to redefine Internet search, Yahoo is taking aim with a new browser enhancement it calls "Axis."
It alters browsers made by other companies to display search results in a more convenient and visual format.

The troubled Internet company Yahoo Inc. released Axis in Apple's app store late Wednesday. That version will work only on Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The software also can be installed as a plug-in on most major browsers used on desktop computers and laptops. Apps for other mobile devices are in the works.
A device running Axis can display search results in a panorama of visual thumbnails that can be scrolled through above a Web page. It's a departure from search engines' traditional presentation of a list of staid Web links that require more navigation and guesswork.
"Searching through links has outlived its utility," said Shashi Seth, a Yahoo Inc. senior vice president. "Users are demanding more now because we are all short on time."
All the major search engines are adopting new formats intended to make it easier for users to find information without clicking through to page after page.

Two weeks ago, Microsoft Corp. previewed an upcoming change that will spread Bing's search results in three columns, including one devoted to personalized recommendations pulled from Facebook, Twitter and other social networking services.

Last week, Google unveiled a new search feature called a "Knowledge Graph" that seeks to provide more immediate answers by highlighting information from a database containing more than 500 million entries about people, places and other commonly requested things.
The biggest challenge facing Axis may be overcoming the perception that Yahoo stopped innovating in search when it joined forces with Microsoft and started relying on Bing.
"If it's good enough and cool enough, people will go out of their way to get it," predicted IDC analyst Karsten Weide.

Yahoo is counting on Axis to reverse its steadily declining share of the Internet's lucrative search market and bring it more traffic from among the growing number of smartphone and tablet users.

Its greatest appeal figures to be on mobile devices because users with the app installed can see their search results at the top of the screen just by flicking on whatever page is displayed. The relevant results appear in a ribbon of Web page snapshots, making it easier for users to find the right information.

Much like Google's Knowledge Graph, Axis draws its results from a custom-built index. Most of the data in the Axis index resides on Yahoo's own services. If Axis can't find answers there, it presents links from Bing's search index.

Yahoo has relied on Bing's technology since 2010 as part of a decade-long partnership formed to lure users away from Google. So far, most of Bing's gains have come at Yahoo's expense, but Yahoo was losing search traffic well before it began leaning on Bing.
Yahoo's share of the U.S. search market stood at 13.5 percent through April, down from nearly 25 percent five years ago, according to the research firm comScore Inc. Bing holds a 15.4 percent share, up from 9.4 percent five years ago when Microsoft operated a search engine under a different name and system. Google's share has climbed from 56 percent five years ago to more than 66 percent now.

Yahoo's alliance with Microsoft gives it the flexibility to offer unique search features, such as Axis, that Bing doesn't have. Getting people to use its search engine more frequently is important to Yahoo because it keeps 88 percent of the revenue generated from requests made on its service, but none when a query is entered directly on Bing.

The erosion in Yahoo's Internet market share has been a major factor in a financial malaise that has caused the company's stock to slump for years and contributed to the management turmoil that has taken Yahoo through four CEOs — including two interim leaders — during just the past nine months, when it was working on Axis.

Yahoo won't show ads next to Axis search results initially, but the company believes the visual format will be ideal for video commercials and graphical marketing.

In an effort to make Axis even more useful, Yahoo plans to store search activity on its servers so users can have access to their past activity on any computer or mobile device where they log in. Axis will accept the logins that people use on Google and Facebook, as well as Yahoo.
___
Online:
Axis plug-in for desktop computer browsers: http://axis.yahoo.com
Axis mobile app: http://www.iTunes.com/appstore

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/yahoo-axis-browser_n_1541206.html?ref=tw

May 27, 2012

Online Instant Messenger Programs


Posted by . Filed in IM, Online Tools, Web2.0
There are various Instant Messager (IM) services available like AIM, GTalk, Yahoo, MSN, Skype etc. And if you use more than one IM network account, don`t you think it will be easy if you have a single instant messenger platform featuring most of IM services. Even handling multiple IM account problem have been solved by desktop IM apps. But the again, it’s not very connivance for those work on multiple computers or mobile devices.
So, online instant messengers will the best solutions, which it do not require plugins or installers. The best part of these online Instant messenger applications has a huge user base and some instant messenger services are handling millions of users. Presenting below is the list of top online instant messenger (IM) websites, which allows connect multiple IM services; hence you see and select the one, which suits you the most.

 

Best Instant Messenger Sites To Connect Multiple IM Networks

 

 

imo.im




Imo.im is an interesting IM website supporting multiple Instant messaging services. To be precise, it supports 12 instant messaging network services namely MSN, Yahoo, AIM, Google Talk, MySpace, Skype, Jabber, Hyves, Stream and Facebook. With imo.im, you do not need to sign up, you just have to login using anyone of these 12 clients. imo.im also allows you to chat via voice and video apart from text.
Meanwhile, imo.im allows grouping of buddies using lists and sorting by adding a star to buddies you talk often. Meanwhile, Imo.im offering a decent set of features like blocking or hiding from buddies, renaming buddy names, Skype integration, video and voice chat. Mobile phone icon right next to them indicates buddies chatting from a mobile phone.
Furthermore, Imo.im services also available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and Nokia mobile devices.
Visit Imo.im

 

Meebo Messenger

 

 



Meebo Messenger is one of my favorite instant messenger clients, the sole reason being its support for huge number of clients, nearly all available clients. It supports AIM, Yahoo, Facebook, Windows Live, MySpace, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, Are you interested etc. To be exact, Meebo supports 64 clients. However, most of these clients must be alien to most of the users and it also misses Skype. Meebo also supports sharing of files, Video/audio call, group chat and even playing of games.
Visit Meebo Messenger

 

Nimbuzz

 

 



Nimbuzz is a widely famous client available for most of the handsets as well. However, it also has web based IM service that support text messaging, voice & video chats, file sharing and group chats. It supports 12 instant messenger networks including Windows Live, Yahoo, Facebook, Google Talk, AIM, MySpace, ICQ, StudiVZ, SchulerVZ, Gadu-Gadu, Hyves and Skype.
The advantages of  NimBuzz Nimbuzz compares to other online IM services is their VoIP Calls,  Skype is supported out of the box, enabling users to make free or cheap VOIP calls.
Meanwhile, Nimbuzz IM services also support various mobile platforms like IOS and Android.
Visit NimBuzz

 

eBuddy

 

 



eBuddy is yet another multiple IM manager services which support 7 clients including MSN, Yahoo, GTalk, Facebook, ICQ and MySpace. This online instant messenger supports video and voice chat. The best part of this web based instant messenger is support IM loginbox widget by adding their instant messenger embedded code on your website and social network. This mean you can spice up your website and offer your friends or page visitors a fast and exciting way to get in touch with you and the rest of the world!
Meanwhile, ebuddy online IM services also have mobile IM apps for Apple and Android mobile devices. If you don’t want to install their mobile application, you can try out their  mobile web IM version.
Visit eBuddy – Web Based Instant Messenger

 

KoolIM

 

 



It has a simple interface supporting 7 IM clients namely AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Gtalk, ICQ, Gadu-Gadu and Xfire. Though it doesn`t offer the huge number of services what Meebo does, but you can easily send text messages and emotions with KoolIM. The best part of KoolIM is their services can works behind a firewall or proxy servers.
Meanwhile, you can chat either using the embedded client available right within the browser window or a pop up client that looks like a desktop instant messenger apps.
Visit KoolIM

 

ILoveIM

 





ILoveIM perhaps is the most simple online instant messenger app, which connect to MSN, AIM, ICQ, GTalk, Myspace, Facebook chat and Yahoo IM under one sides. It offers basic functions we expect from a desktop messenger app. The best part of ILoveIM is they enables you to be invisible right from from the sign up page. Plus more, all IM information and passwords are encrypted with a 1024 bit RSA key and is a participant of the TRUSTe Privacy Seal Program.

 

IM+

 

 

 



IM+ perhaps is an easy-to-use feature-rich IM client for mobile phones and web. IM+ Web Messenger allows you to log in and chat with contacts from MSN Live Messenger, Facebook, Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, MySpace, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber. Meanwhile,  IM+ mobile app is available for iPhone/iPad, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Java and WebOS.
The best part of IM+ will be their IM+ account, which you can save your logins for each IM networks so you won’t need to set them up each time you open the service. Meanwhile, IM+ allows you to login in to several accounts of the same network simultaneously, thus, you may easily separate your professional and private chats on one page.
Visit IM+
How did you like the above mentioned online IM clients? Which one is your favourite? Do let us know your views.

May 24, 2012

Three Best Websites To Get A University Education For Free






free online university

The idea that you are never done learning has never been more true than today. The Internet has revolutionized the way we access information and knowledge – formerly a luxury accessible only to the rich and highly gifted – which is now freely available to anyone with Internet access.
Education and learning should be a lifelong process and the Internet is your chance to get a university level education for free, regardless of where you are in life. This article introduces you to the three best websites to get started.


Khan Academy

 

 

 

 



The Khan Academy is probably the most famous educational website out there. It was started in 2006 with the mission to provide “a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.” Meanwhile, the site provides over 3,000 videos on subjects from science to humanities, which have been delivered to millions of people. More than just videos, the site also offers short exercises to help students practice the knowledge they have acquired by watching the video material – all of it for free.


Coursera

 

 

 





Online education is spreading and the traditional institutions are taking note. Coursera has partnered with top US universities to provide some of their courses for free. The site offers lectures on computer science, healthcare, social sciences, and economics from universities like Princeton, Stanford or Berkeley.
Like the Khan Academy, they offer interactive exercises. Moreover, Coursera promises that you will join a global network of thousands of students, who you can depend on for feedback and support. Coursera takes you through full courses, which follow a schedule, meaning you have to sign up for them in advance.
If you enjoy Coursera and the Khan Academy, you may also enjoy one of these 6 Really Good Sites with FREE Video Lectures from Top US Colleges or 5 Great Sites with Free Video Lectures from Top Colleges.

 

 

Academic Earth

 

 

 

Similar to the Khan Academy, Academic Earth’s vision is to offer “a world-class education for everyone on earth“. The site offers free online classes and in-depth online learning through video lectures from university professors. Interestingly, Academic Earth has partnered with the same universities as Coursera and many more. In addition to Princeton, Stanford, and Berkeley, you will find video lectures from UCLA, Harvard, and Yale. Moreover, Academic Earth has partnered with the Khan Academy.


free online university
What makes Academic Earth unique is that you can sign up to earn an actual online degree. While this isn’t necessarily free (no definite information is available), it may at least be accessible to you regardless of where you live.
If you still haven’t learned enough, we have written about 8 MORE Knowledge Websites With Free Online Video Lectures, as well as 12 Great Free Video Tutorial Sites To Brush Up Your Tech Skills, and 5 Websites To Watch Educational Videos That Will Expand Your Mind. Would you like to take classes on your iPad, iPhone or iPod? Check out iTunes U, which we have recently reviewed here: Taking Free Classes & Courses At iTunes U.
Fans of YouTube, check out these articles:

May 22, 2012

Internet Explorer 11, A Game Changer


Internet Explorer 11, A Game Changer

By | May 21, 2012 | 9 Comments

Ever wondered what could possibly Internet Explorer 11 bring to the table? If the recent rumor is true, it will change the security game as we know.



According to Insideris, with the help of Kinect (probably Kinect 2 by the time it’s released) or a fingerprint reader, Microsoft will assign a unique ID for your finger (or face), which will be used as follows:

- If user is joining a new web site and it requires to choose a password, user touches a fingerprint reader (or smiles), unique password is generated and uploaded to Microsoft’s cloud (from what It seems, user does not actually see his password) and it’s pretty much done.
- When user wants to login, Internet Explorer 11 will detect that the password has already been generated for the following site, he touches a fingerprint reader and password is entered automatically.
Basically, it pretty much eliminates insecure passwords as all of them are generated automatically, they are stored in the cloud, user no longer has to remember complex combinations and Trojans can no longer steal login data, as user does not have to type it.
Win/Win?

Source: http://www.favbrowser.com/internet-explorer-11-a-game-changer/

The biggest changes in the release are the following:
  • Do Not Track enabled by default – Sends a do not track header to websites by default to improve privacy
  • Native Flash integration – This is the first release with a native integration of Adobe’s Flash technology
  • Improved performance
  • Improved standards support.

May 5, 2012

Firefox 13 - What's New

About a month ago I highlighted what Mozilla had in store for Firefox 13. The information back then were based on the aurora release channel, and information that Mozilla had posted at that time. Firefox 13 has now been moved to the beta channel where it will stay for the next six weeks before it will become the the stable version of the web browser replacing Firefox 12.

When you look at the changes in Firefox 13.0, you will notice that some that Mozilla aimed to release in the browser version were pushed further down the line, debuting in Firefox 14 or even later instead.

The most obvious change, or changes, are two new pages that Firefox users will come upon when they start the browser for the first time. First the new about:home start page  "about:home" featuring a Google search form and quick access to features and information such as bookmarks, the browsing history, downloads, or a button to the restore previous session.

firefox about-home


The second change is the new blank tab page that Firefox users will notice when they open a blank tab in the browser. This page gets automatically populated with a speed dial feature that is displaying the nine most popular websites based on the user’s browsing history. Important websites can be pinned to make them permanently available on the page, and it is furthermore possible to use drag and drop to change the order of pages as well. Firefox users who do not want to use the new feature can disable it with a click on the hide the new tab page button.



One of the main development aims in recent versions of the browser was to improve the browser’s responsiveness and performance. A visible feature in this regard is the new tabs on demand feature when sessions are restored on startup. Firefox basically loads the active tab on startup, and not all of the tabs that had been open in the last browsing session. These websites are loaded when the user clicks on the tabs, which speeds up the start of the browser.

The developers have also made progress integrating a new restoration feature in the browser. First code parts were added to Firefox 12, and work continued in Firefox 13. If things go ahead as planned, Firefox users will be able to restore the browser if they notice crashes and other issues with it.

Firefox 13 is also the version of Firefox were a new smooth scrolling feature is integrated in for the first time. Mozilla originally aimed to release the feature in Firefox 12, but it had to be postponed one release. It is possible to modify the scrolling distance of the feature in the about:config of the browser. You need to filter for the parameter 
toolkit.scrollbox.verticalScrollDistance and change the default value of 3 to a higher value if you want the distance to increase, or a lower value if you want it to decrease. It is still possible to disable the feature in the Firefox options under Advanced > General > Use smooth scrolling.

Some features, like inline autocomplete won’t make it into Firefox 13. These features have been moved into Firefox 14 or 15 as of right now.
Have you had the chance to play around with Firefox 13 yet? If so, what is your impression of the browser?


Related Articles:

The New Firefox Home Page
Speed Dial Firefox Extension
Firefox 3.6.3 Lorentz Runs Plugins In Separate Processes
Firefox 9 Final Available, Get It Before Anyone Else
Firefox 14 To Get Click To Play Plugin Feature


Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2012/04/27/firefox-13-whats-new/