IT Masala

This is totally surprising to see that Microsoft is going to offer music for FREE on Xbox Live. 

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the launch of a new initiative that will give artists an exclusive chance to reach out to as many people as possible through a new and free program called Ignition.

You can access Maximo Park’s content on Zune Marketplace and Zune.net:

[via pcworld  ]

YouTube-Video Search is a tool that will give you easy access to YouTube.

Features:
* Searching videos on YouTube
* Results (up to 100) with information about name, length, rating.
* Download videos on YouTube directly to your hard disk.
* Thumbnail viewing.

[ Download ] (rs link)

The eBay Toolbar lets you search eBay, access your account and more, all from within Firefox. Currently, eBay's own browser toolbar is an Internet Explorer-only product. grow up ebay !!

You can do everything which is possible on present ebay's toolbar - Search eBay from anywhere, Access your account easily, Get to ending auctions quickly, See image previews for all search results. Compatible with linux,mac,windows. we can say that this works wherever Firefox works !!

My eBay Fox rocks ..njoy !!

[ My eBay Fox ] [ Download Plugin ]

Really saying i am fed up of people asking PNR status to others when they are not at their pc desk. Even though Railway has made such a nice service of Railway enquiry through sms, people hardly use it.even the so called " tech geeks" rarely use..then whats the use of technology when its not being used for making the work easier ! So atleast from now on use Railway SMS Enquiry service to know your PNR status. I know its difficult to remember all the codes for train list, seat availability, etc.. but atleast PNR status is simple !  : PNR <PNR NO> and send it to 676747

Or if you cannot remember carry a printout of the codes for it !! lol..nono..u dont need to..

here,do this to make your work easier !!

Here are the numbers to which you can send and get the info..

- 7886,676747,7070,8888   ( i like 676747 , as time of message reply back is faster..)

For example : You use 676747

-  To get the list of codes  … send . sms TRAIN to 676747 

- Checking your PNR status

sms PNR <your PNR number> to 676747
eg: PNR 1234567891    or just send your PNRNo to 676747

- Checking for Trains running between two stations

sms TL < starting city > < ending city > to 676747
eg: TL Hubli Bangalore or use stations codes   eg: TL UBL SBC

- Checking for Ticket Availablity

sms TA <train number > <starting city> <ending city> <journey date > to 676747
eg. TA 6590 hubli bangalore 07May

Networks which Support 676747 :

8888 is busy.. many a times i have never got any reply from it..as its used for many other purposes, maybe it takes longer time to respond to this railway query !

So from now on use your mobile ONLY when you are not at your pc desk..

Happy railway smsing !

For more info : [ Railway SMS Service ] [ Service provided by ACL Wireless Limited  ]

Don't use cracked version or pirated version of DivX Pro.Want to have the professional version of DivX for FREE legally..then here's your chance …

Help rid the world of grainy, low-quality video and get DivX Pro for free!

Join DivX in their mission to spread the good word about DivX by posting links or buttons to your website, blog or social networking profile and we’ll give you DivX Pro for Windows or DivX Pro for Mac (a $19.99 value) for free.

Take the Share DivX Pledge:

    * I believe the future of Internet video can be better than it is today
    * I believe we can make it easier to create, discover and share meaningful digital content
    * I believe we all deserve high quality video that isn’t stuck on the PC

How to get DivX Pro for Free :

Step1 : Copy the code for any of the buttons from this page into your site or page code.

Step2 : Enter your email address and the URL for the page where you linked to DivX

Step 3: You’re done! Wait for 5 days while the DivX guys check your site.

If it’s been more than five business days or you have any questions about Share DivX, just Email DivX

[ Download Free version of DivX ] [ Get DivX Pro Free ] 

DivX is really a great software , as i always compress videos using their DivX codec  and its fantastic..DivX just rocks ! 

I have done the above steps too..waiting for my DivX Pro.This is a nice kinda of viral marketing ..spreading about their software without any cost. This is pretty great idea !!

Google has now released the complete version of a ‘Google for your computer’, the Google Desktop that lets users search their computers at the same speed they can search the Internet and easily find all their files. ( Beta version was released earlier this month)

The features section on what’s inside the new Google Desktop 5 says the following about security: “We care about your security, and have added a feature to make your search experience safer and easier by helping to combat both phishing and malicious software websites. Whether you’re clicking on links from documents, IMs and e-mails on your desktop or browsing the web itself, you may receive a warning when you’re about to visit a site that might be trying to steal your personal information or install malicious software on your computer, so you can decide if you want to use the site.”

Some New features to look at in Google Desktop 5 :

The application involves a sidebar for the user's desktop environment, variety of "gadgets", designed to display a range of functions, including the time, photos and stock prices. Vista, the latest version of Windows, offers similar functionality to the desktop sidebar(is it a copy ??)..

- It also incorporates previews of desktop search results

- warnings for Web sites that may contain malware.

- It is visually more enhanced than its predecessors and Windows Vista's version.

- Some popular gadgets have also been redesigned.

PN : Google Desktop now has for the first time, supports Hindi along with 28 other languages.

Awesome cool , Google claims , you can now search your pc's at the same speed that they can search the internet. 

[ Download Google Desktop 5 ] [ Mac version ] [ More information on features ] 

Make a video of the special thing in your pocket and share it with the world. The Video with the most number of hits will make it to the hall of fame, and if yours if judges the best of that week , you'll win a brand new Nokia N95.

Click here to participate .Win Nokia N95 

[ Win Nokia N95 ]

"FON is still giving away their wireless routers for free in Germany and Austria until Wednesday — under the premise that the devices will be connected and used as FON access points.

The router, called 'La Fonera,' is a variant of OpenWRT, but locked down to prevent modification, including a signed firmware image to prevent the upload of new software. It is, however, possible to get shell access by connecting to a serial port present on the circuit board.

And now two students from Germany have discovered vulnerabilities in the CGI scripts used to configure the device, and successfully activated an SSH daemon on the device by exploiting them, giving owners a root shell on their router. They also provide a detailed description of the procedure and 'ready-to-use' perl scripts to open up your router."

The La Fonera router attaches to a Time Warner broadband Internet connection and becomes a FON Wi-Fi access point that supports 802.11b/g wireless. The La Fonera router has two separate wireless channels, one a secure channel for the owner, and the other an open channel for other Time Warner users that are part of the shared network.

what is FON ?  

According to founder Martin Varsavsky, „FON is a global community of people who share WiFi connections. We call these people "Foneros", as a tribute to our heritage as a Spanish company. In order to become a Fonero, you go to FON, to download software that you install in your router, you place your antenna by a window and you share bandwidth with other Foneros from anywhere in the world. You can also buy the FON Ready router from our web site, plug and play. FON creates a free WiFi roaming environment for those who contribute WiFi signals, namely those who have already signed up with a local ISP and downloaded our software into their WiFi routers.”

The users may sign up to FON in three ways:

they can be Bills, Linus or Aliens. Strange isn't it ? The explanation is quite simple:

- A Linus (who are called like this after Linus Torvalds) shares his/her bandwidth for free with other Foneros,

- Bills (of course named after Bill Gates) share their bandwidth for a small fee.

- Aliens who don't share their bandwidth at all.

La Fonera router is secure out-of-the-box and offers two distinct WiFi channels. One channel is for the exclusive use of its owner; the second channel is shared with other Foneros. The La Fonera increases security through an encrypted private network and Foneros decide how much bandwidth to share. Public users cannot access the private network and there is no anonymous usage.

Also see : [ Hacking the La Fonera ]

At present on the net there are hell lot of sites distributing lyrics, not legally of course. Yahoo's song lyrics, in contrast, are supposed to be the official versions. Under the licensing agreement, Yahoo will share with copyright holders the revenue from the ads that will be displayed alongside the lyrics.

The 400,000 song lyrics included in Yahoo's database span about 9,000 different artists, ranging from old standbys such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan to more recent stars like Radiohead and Beyonce. 

Gracenote Chief Executive Craig Palmer said licensing lyrics should boost worldwide music publishing revenues, estimated at about $4 billion annually, with the words to songs ultimately providing as much as $100 million in annual revenues in about 10 years as the market expands with new opportunities like online subscriptions, downloads and automotive distribution deals.

Yahoo, Gracenote launch lyrics service [Reuters]
Yahoo expands its online music section [USA Today]