39% internet users in US believe they were affected by Heartbleed

The Pew Research Center report found 39% of US internet users took steps to protect their data such as changing passwords or cancelling accounts.

WASHINGTON: Many Americans scrambled to protect their personal information online after learning of the Heartbleed internet flaw, and some believe their data was stolen, a survey showed Wednesday.

The Pew Research Center report found 39% of US internet users took steps to protect their data such as changing passwords or cancelling accounts.Six percent of the online users said they believed they lost data as a result of Heartbleed, Pew found.

Split bills, tip with new PayPal's MyCheck

New technology for PayPal users called MyCheck will give more options like 'split bills' and 'tip the server.'

WASHINGTON: New technology for PayPal users called MyCheck will give more options like 'split bills' and 'tip the server' with their phone when dining out.

According to CNET, Paypal has collaborated with MyCheck, and now it allows users to pay for select restaurants, split bills and tip their server right from PayPal mobile app.

MyCheck offers a consumer-facing app of its own, available for Android and iOS, the report added.

PayPal's app already offered some features like "pay at table", order-ahead and other such services by working with various companies.

Soon, charge mobile phones with your body heat

LONDON: Scientists have devised new technology which generates electricity from body heat, allowing you to charge electronic devices on the go. 

Professor Byung Jin Cho from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea is leading the team working on a thermoelectric (TE) generator. 

The small and flexible generator, made from glass and fabric, can be used to power up heart monitors, smartglasses and other wearable tech. 

"Mobile phones consume high electrical energy compared to electrical sensors. Right now we are trying to make a sample that provides electricity for medical sensors," Cho said. 

"After that, smartphones will be the next application of the TE generator," Cho added. 

Nokia appoints Rajeev Suri as new CEO: All you need to know about India-born Nokia veteran

Nokia today announced 46-year-old India-born Rajeev Suri will be its new CEO. Suri had been the leading candidate for the position, ever since it was known that there will be a re-organisation within Nokia post the Microsoft takeover. “I am honored to have been asked to take this role, and excited about the possibilities that lie in our future. Nokia, with its deep experience in connecting people and its three strong businesses, is well-positioned to tap new opportunities during this time of technological change. I look forward to working with the entire Nokia team as we embark on this exciting journey,” Suri in a statement released by the company.

Chrome Beta Gets Another Update; Start Page Now Gets A Cleaner, Refreshed Look

The last update to Chrome Beta brought a nifty undo feature that allowed users to reopen a previously closed tab. Moreover if you kept clicking on the floating notification, you could undo all the previously closed tabs in the session.

This time around Google has given Chrome Beta’s start page a refresh and it certainly looks good. If you ask us, it now looks a lot similar to the desktop version of the Chrome browser with a leaner look. That lean look comes from the new Google start page which seems to be flatter and minimal compared to the current non-beta Chrome browser.

Now, manage emails better with 'Sanebox'

There are various services that let you send emails to others which get deleted once they read them.

WASHINGTON: A new mail management system is launched that analyzes user's emails, and sorts them according to one's past behavior.

According to The Good Techie, Sanebox separates important and unimportant emails according to user's behavior and automatically filters out unimportant email into a folder and summarizes it in a daily digest.

The result of which is that one's inbox is left with important and high priority emails.

This lamp can record and live-tweet your conversations

The lamp dubbed Conversnitch surreptitiously listens in on nearby conversations and posts snippets of transcribed audio on-line.

NEW YORK: Next time you lean against a lamp post while having a private conversation, think twice! 

Two US artists have developed a creepy new lamp that secretly records people's conversations and live tweets them. 

The lamp dubbed Conversnitch surreptitiously listens in on nearby conversations and posts snippets of transcribed audio on-line. 

New-York based artists Kyle McDonald and Brian House hope to raise questions about the nature of public and private spaces in an era when anything can be broadcast by ubiquitous, internet-connected listening devices, 'Wired.com' reported. 

US govt: Stop using Internet Explorer till bug is fixed

A US government cybersecurity watchdog has warned computer users Monday against using a version of the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser with a security hole that could allow hackers in.

The government's Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) said in a statement that it was aware of "active exploitation" of the security flaw in versions six through 11 of the flagship Explorer browser.

The agency, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, urged computer users to take protective actions and "consider employing an alternative web browser until an official update is available."

The security flaw is of particular concern for computers running Windows XP, an older version of the operating system for which Microsoft has said it will no longer issue security updates. 

Why the future of internet is wireless

As part of its Project Loon, Google last year launched a balloon 20km (12.4 miles) into the skies above New Zealand, providing wireless speeds of up to 3G quality.

The internet may feel like it's everywhere, but large pockets of sky, swathes of land and most of the oceans are still beyond a signal's reach. 

Three decades after the first cellphone went on sale — the $4,000 Motorola DynaTAC 8000X "Brick" — half the world remains unconnected. For some it costs too much, but up to a fifth of the population, or some 1.4 billion people, live where "the basic network infrastructure has yet to be built," according to a Facebook white paper last month. 

Twitter rolls out redesigned profile for all users

WASHINGTON: Twitter's new Facebook-like profile design, which was earlier available only to a certain group of users, has finally been made public.

According to CNET, the design, though radically altered from Twitter's previous profile design, may look familiar as it smacks of Facebook's Timeline, especially with the massive photo up top and key biographical information displayed on the left.

Twitter users also have the option to pin a selected tweet to the top of their profile page.

Meanwhile, tweets with more activity appear larger as compared to the rest, the report added.

7 things to know while buying a laptop

Laptop designs and technology have changed considerably over the years and picking up a laptop that suits your needs and budget can be a challenging task. Follow these tips while buying a laptop…

Touchscreen

If you love gadgets that you can operate via touch, then a touchscreen laptop is right for you. For instance, the tile- and gesture-based Windows 8 interface is far easier to use with a touchscreen.

Touchscreen laptops also have a number of benefits. It is easier to scroll through web pages, start apps, browse images and view lengthy documents. In touchscreen laptops, you can also revert to traditional keyboard mode.As of now, touchscreens are available in Windows only. A touchscreen laptop with Windows 8 can be purchased for less than Rs 30,000.