Li-Fi it's 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

Li-Fi has just been tested in the real world, and it's 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

Sorry, Wi-Fi. We had some good times together. 

Expect to hear a whole lot more about Li-Fi - a wireless technology that transmits high-speed data using visible light communication (VLC) - in the coming months. With scientists achieving speeds of 224 gigabits per second in the lab using Li-Fi earlier this year, the potential for this technology to change everything about the way we use the Internet is huge.

Li-Fi was invented by Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland back in 2011, when he demonstrated for the first time that by flickering the light from a single LED, he could transmit far more data than a cellular tower. Think back to that lab-based record of 224 gigabits per second - that's 18 movies of 1.5 GB each being downloaded every single second.

The technology uses Visible Light Communication (VLC), a medium that uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz). It works basically like an incredibly advanced form of Morse code - just like switching a torch on and off according to a certain pattern can relay a secret message, flicking an LED on and off at extreme speeds can be used to write and transmit things in binary code.

And now, scientists have taken Li-Fi out of the lab for the first time, trialling it in offices and industrial environments in Tallinn, Estonia, reporting that they can achieve data transmission at 1 GB per second - that's 100 times faster than current average Wi-Fi speeds.

"We are doing a few pilot projects within different industries where we can utilise the VLC (visible light communication) technology," Deepak Solanki, CEO of Estonian tech company, Velmenni, told IBTimes UK.

"Currently we have designed a smart lighting solution for an industrial environment where the data communication is done through light. We are also doing a pilot project with a private client where we are setting up a Li-Fi network to access the Internet in their office space.”

Read More 
source: sciencealert
By: BEC CREW

Best Free Antivirus for Windows 8.1,8 and 10

According to reports, the Windows defender on Windows 8.1, 8 and Windows 10 can’t resist a number of modern threats, such as zero day attacks without using any third party security suite. Fortunately here you can find number of best free AntiVirus for Windows 8.1, 8 and Windows 10, which revolutionizes internet security in 2015 for home and business PCs. Here we do a small review and list out the cons and pros of best free antivirus with free download.

The number of cyber-attacks in recent years has greatly increased and even big names are not safe. Take for example the Sony hacking spree that took place recently. Cyber-attacks are not the only thing people worry about, the intrusion of privacy is also a big concern for many and after the revelations about the NSA spying programs many people started taking active steps for their protection. Most of these cyber attacks are in the form of a virus or malware software that people install on their PCs. However, the installation of best antivirus for Windows Operating Systems can highly improve the performance of the system as well as guarantee maximum protection against nasty virus, spyware, malware, hackers, and phishing sites. Everyone wants their system to be safe, but majority are reluctant to use paid services or pay the renewal fees.

Since Microsoft has recommended to install third party antivirus software on your Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 to fight against advanced virus attacks, its always better to select and install one of the best free Antivirus software. You can disable or remove Windows defender as explained here.

Top Rated Free AntiVirus Software for Windows 8 and 8.1
1) Avast Free Antivirus 2015:
2) Avira 2015 Free Antivirus:
3) AVG AntiVirus Free 2015:

Read More
source: SYSPROBS

4Mbps the minimum speed generally required!

Different download speeds for broadband services can give Internet users a variety of online experiences.

Internet speed - or a lack thereof - could influence the quality of experience you have with everything from emailing and web browsing to online gaming and video conferencing.

So, to help you figure out what speed is right for you, you should first understand that connection speeds are calibrated in megabits per second (Mb or Mbps), a number referring to how many bits of data - in millions - can be moved in a second.

The other factor for measuring speeds is bandwidth, or the "size of the conduit in which the data is traveling," says David Salway, director of the Broadband Program Office for New York State.

Download Speed: 4-6 Mbps:
The Federal Communications Commission considers 4 Mbps the minimum speed "generally required for using today's video-rich broadband applications and services, while retaining sufficient capacity for basic web browsing and e-mail."

Salway offers a similar opinion, saying most users with 4-6 Mbps typically will have smooth sailing if they are emailing or, in some cases, streaming music.

But online gaming applications, which might require much higher speeds, could fail at this connection tier, depending on the network traffic.

In fact, the FCC reports you might be at the very minimum speed for two-way online gaming in high definition or streaming HD-quality movies. So, if you're a movie buff or gamer, your lifestyle might be better suited to higher internet speeds.

What You Can Do: File sharing (small/medium files), IPTV (Internet TV services)*

Read more: Yahoo Homes (source)
By: Tony Moton

Alibaba's Singles' Day sales $14.3 billion

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's total value of goods transacted during its Singles' Day shopping festival was 91.2 billion yuan ($14.32 billion), the Chinese e-commerce giant said in Beijing on Thursday.

The numbers got a boost this year from adding the sales from various new channels, including its affiliates and investees. In all, the figure for this year's Singles' Day is up 60 percent from 2014.

The results are preliminary and unaudited, Alibaba said. Of the total value of transactions, 68 percent was through orders from mobile devices.

Alibaba founder and chairman Jack Ma gestures as he attends Alibaba Group's 11.11 Global shopping festival in Beijing, China, November 10, 2015.
 REUTERS/CHINA DAILY

Six years ago, Alibaba turned Nov. 11 into China's equivalent of United States shopping event Cyber Monday. It has now become larger than both Cyber Monday and Black Friday combined, and a closely watched barometer of the company's performance.

"Alibaba is positioned as the number one player in the Chinese e-commerce market, so it has to be seen to be maintaining, or gaining ground really," said Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based tech consultancy BDA.

Read more: REUTERS (source)

BEIJING | BY PAUL CARSTEN

Optical Fibre Cable market in India will reach $424m by 2020

A recently published report released by TechSci Research suggests that the Optical Fiber Cable market in India will reach $424m by 2020 based on the growing adoption of smartphones, broadband services and upcoming 4G roll out.

It is believed that Indian consumers are heading towards internet driven applications such as video on demand and HDTV, this in turn is boosting future investments in fibre.

In comparison to copper cables, fiber optic technology delivers much higher bandwidth, which has become extremely vital for supporting burgeoning data traffic.

“Government of India, on its part, is doing every bit to contribute towards expanding telecom infrastructure. This is evident from government’s participation in various telecom support projects such as National Optic Fiber Network (NOFN) to connect Gram Panchayats in rural pockets of India with a principal telecom network, for high speed data transmission and internet services.

“The NOFN project is expected to be one of the major drivers for OFC installations in India over the next five years.” said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a global market research and consulting company.

“India Optical Fiber Cables Market Forecast & Opportunities,2020” has evaluated future growth potential of OFC market in India and provides statistics and information on market structure, industry behavior and trends. The report includes market projections and demand forecasting.

“The report is intended to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers in taking sound investment decisions. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities in India’s OFC market.”

Read more: TechSci Research

Apple has $137.1 Billion in cash

Apple has $137.1 billion in cash reserves, according to the company's recent first-quarter earnings , with $94 billion is stored offshore. If Apple wants to repatriate this cash, it will have to pay huge amounts in taxes and would lose a significant percent overall. 

For now, Apple's just sitting on it. Doing nothing. Nada.

An investor launched sued Apple after it announced plans to get rid of "black check preferred stock" instead of cold, hard cash. This led to Apple stating that is in "active discussions about returning additional cash to shareholders." 

Read More: ZDNet

Caption by: Zack Whittaker

Placing your router near a lamp slows down internet speeds

Experts warn that placing your router near a lamp slows down internet speeds

Few people would argue against the idea that router placement -- particularly when it comes to maximizing Wi-Fi footprint -- is important. But it is not just the location that's key; broadband speeds could also be affected by seemingly innocuous objects in the home.

The head of the UK's communications regulator Ofcom warns that numerous electrical goods in the home can interfere with signals and slow down the internet. It's a problem that affects around 20 percent of households, and while there are some obvious culprits on the list of web-killers such as stereos and baby monitors, there are also some surprises.

Ofcom's chief executive Sharon White says that many people who suffer with slow internet speeds actually have a fast connection delivered to their house. She blames people placing their router on a coffee table next to things like cordless phones and other electrical products.

source: betanews

By Mark Wilson

Bell Canada on pace to bring 1 Gbps FTTH service to 2.2M homes by the end of 2015

Bell Canada has extended the reach of its 1 Gbps FTTH service Gigabit Fibe to over 2 million homes across Quebec, Ontario, and the Atlantic region of Canada, with plans to extend it to a total of 2.2 million homes by the end of the year.

With four to five years of experience in rolling out FTTH via other subsidiaries like Bell Aliant, Bell Canada also has built a foundation to deliver speeds higher than 1 Gbps.

Speaking to investors during its third quarter earnings call, George Cope, president and CEO of BCE, said that it will be able to deliver 10 Gbps by 2017.

"FTTH technology also provides a clear path to -- significantly to support other speeds beyond one gig over time," Cope said during the earnings call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. "And by way of example ... by 2017 we'd have the ability to do 10 gig speeds."

Cope added that it could achieve the 10G speeds "without requiring any upgrade to our network" and unlike its cable competitors "any segmentation capital."

BCE, Bell Canada's parent, touted its ability to reach nearly 20 percent of its footprint with FTTH services while maintaining capital spending intensity of about 4 percent below its cable competition over the past three years.

"We anticipate that BCE's overall capex intensity in 2016 will again be in the range of 16% to 17%, as we continue our fiber build out throughout Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada," Cope said.  

Although rolling out FTTH requires a large amount of upfront capital to fund builds in the markets it is targeting, Bell Canada is finding that the infrastructure requires less maintenance than traditional copper.

Bell's experience is not uncommon. Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) has continued to migrate more of what it calls "chronic" copper customers, or those that have required three or four truck rolls in a year, onto fiber.

Read More: Fierce Telecom

By Sean Buckley

USB stick that can instantly fry any machine

Killer USB stick destroys your computer in seconds

Russian hackers have created a USB stick that can instantly fry any machine it is plugged into.

These 'killer' USB sticks can fry your laptop or phone in seconds, if plugged in.

A simple USB stick, created by a Russian security researcher known as 'Dark Purple' can instantly fry any machine it plugs into, including your laptop or TV.

The USB destroys laptops by sending 220 volts through the signal lines of the USB interface, rendering anything it is plugging into useless.

Dark Purple claims in a Russian-language blog post that the attack is not just limited to computers, but can used to incapacitate almost anything equipped with a USB drive. The examples he gives are smart phones that support USB mode, TVs, routers, modems, etc. His goal, he writes, is to test prototypes of "devices that perform only one function - the destruction of computers."

Although the laptop looks completely dead after the USB is done with it, Dark Purple claims that it will be restored once the motherboard has been replaced. "It is extremely unlikely that the hard disk or the information on it was damaged," he wrote.


This is good news as it means hackers who get their hands on the USB won't be able to wipe the data stored on your computer's hard drive - which is is probably more valuable to you or your business than the computer itself.

To protect yourself, don't plug in unknown USB sticks into your personal devices.

Source: The Telegraph

By:  Madhumita Murgia

Dell to buy EMC in $67 billion record tech deal

Dell to buy EMC in $67 billion record tech deal, aims for cloud market:

Computer-maker Dell Inc struck a deal on Monday to buy data storage company EMC Corp for $67 billion, setting a record in the technology industry, as it tries to transform itself into a giant in the fast-growing market for managing and storing corporate data.

The acquisition, the year's third-largest in all sectors, highlights the frenzy of dealmaking sweeping the economy, as big or mature companies take advantage of low interest rates to buy rivals as a way to spur growth.

The deal should help privately held Dell, the world's No. 3 computer maker, diversify from a stagnant consumer PC market and give it greater scale in the more profitable and faster-growing market for cloud-based data services.

That desire to reach beyond PCs - whose growth has been stopped in its tracks with the rise of mobile devices - echoes moves by Dell's big rivals. Hewlett-Packard Co, the No. 2 PC maker, is splitting off its computer and printer unit this year to focus on the corporate data business. IBM Corp sold its PC unit a decade ago.

By combining Dell's server businesses with EMC's storage and virtualization assets, the new, enlarged company will have a broader range of products to challenge Cisco Systems Inc, IBM and Hewlett-Packard in the areas of cloud computing, mobility and cyber security.

"I don’t think either Dell or EMC were viable over the long run as a standalone; they really needed each other," said Eric Johnson, dean of the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. "Dell was mostly on the consumer side, which is a terrible place to be. EMC had some enterprise products, but not the complete package."

The deal valued EMC at $33.15 a share as of the end of trading Friday. Dell will pay $24.05 per share in cash and will also give EMC shareholders a special stock that tracks the share price in VMWare Inc, the maker of cloud-based virtualization software majority-owned by EMC.

The stock market gave the deal a lukewarm response. EMC shares rose 1.8 percent to $28.36 after earlier jumping more than 2.5 percent. VMware shares plunged 7.8 percent to $72.48, decreasing the value of Dell's offer.

VMware will remain a publicly traded company. FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives said shareholders were concerned, however, that VMware would lose talented employees amid uncertainty about their future under Dell, eventually hurting the company's performance.

Read More: REUTERS

By: GREG ROUMELIOTIS AND JIM FINKLE

Battery life problem - iPhone 6S

IT SEEMS it's not just 'shutdowngate' plaguing iPhone 6S users, as the smartphone is reportedly suffering from a problem in the battery life department.

Not long after the iPhone 6S made its debut, it was revealed that there are two versions of the handset in the wild: one with a 16nm TMSC chip, and another with a Samsung chip built on the 14nm standard.

It was believed that, despite Samsung's chip being smaller, the two processors performed equally well, but MacRumours has revealed that this isn't the case. According to benchmark tests carried out on the iPhone 6S, the version with the TMSC chip offers almost two hours more battery life than the version with Samsung-made internals.

If you've got an iPhone 6S and want to check whether it has a TMSC or Samsung chip, you can do so by installing this app, users on Reddit are advising. TMSC's chip shows up as N66MAP or N71MAP, while Samsung's appears as N66AP or N17AP. However, it's worth noting that we tried using the app on our iPhone 6S, but didn't have much luck.


Read more: the INQUIRER
By Carly Page

Peruvian shamans pray for protection from El Nino

Photo: Martin Mejia, AP
Shamans hold up a statue of baby Jesus, or "El Nino" in Spanish, as they play drums and maracas during a ritual asking for protection from the natural phenomenon known as El Nino, on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. 


LIMA, PERU — Shamans in Peru participated in a ritual Thursday asking for protection from the natural phenomenon known as El Nino on the outskirts of Lima.

Peruvian sailors named the formation El Nino—the (Christ) Child—because it was most noticeable around Christmas.

Every few years, the winds shift and the water in the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual. That water sloshes back and forth around the equator in the Pacific, interacts with the winds above and then changes weather worldwide. 

In Peru, they've already declared a preemptive emergency to prepare for devastating flooding.

source: SFGATE
by: Martin Mejia, Associated Press

Tesla's Model X SUV is Fast and Expensive

Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced the company's latest supercar on Tuesday: the Model X. It's an all-electric SUV that accelerates like a sports car.

Musk spent a lot of time touting the safety features of the Model X, arguing that it has dramatically better crash safety than competing SUVs. Advanced sensors and software can detect an impending crash and automatically apply the brakes. And Musk says the car has the industry's best air filters, including a "bioweapon defense mode" to prevent bacteria, viruses, pollen, and other pollutants from entering the vehicle.

                                           (The Verge)

The most visible innovation in the Model X is the falcon-wing doors. Instead of swinging outward as they do on most SUVs, the rear passenger doors on the Model X swing upward.

But before you get too excited, the Model X has sports car pricing to go with its sports car acceleration. On Tuesday, Musk unveiled a 90D model for $132,000, a P90D model with a "Ludicrous Speed" acceleration mode for $142,000. A tweet from Musk indicates that "lower cost versions" are "coming later."

The Falcon-Wing Doors
Unlike normal car doors that swing out to the side, the rear passenger doors on the Model X swing up. In the past, this kind of door has had a big problem: If there's an obstacle next to the car — like another car — it can block the door from opening.

Tesla solved this problem by adding an extra set of hinges to the middle of the doors. That allows the doors to swing upward without swinging out very far:

Source: www.vox.com
by : Timothy B. Lee 

Google to Use Email Addresses for Ad Targeting

If you've ever searched for a product on Google, you've seen ads from a bunch of companies looking to make you their customer. But soon you'll likely see more ads from companies that already count you as a customer, and not only when you're searching on Google.

Taking a page from Facebook's playbook, Google is beginning to let advertisers upload lists of their customers' email addresses in order to target those people with ads when searching on Google, watching videos on YouTube or checking email on Gmail. Eventually brands will also be able to target people that Google identifies as having similar characteristics to the people in their email lists.

To accomplish this customer matching, Google will be cross-referencing brands' email lists with the email addresses tied to people's Google accounts, the majority of which are Gmail addresses though people can use other email providers to sign up for a Google account. A Google spokeswoman declined to say how many Google accounts there are. Google will use a process called "hashing" to disguise the email addresses on both sides of the match and prevent any personally identifiable information from being exposed.

source: Advertising Age
By: Tim Peterson

#SuperBloodMoon Did you miss it?

Take a look at some pic of the #SuperBloodMoon

A supermoon rises in the sky above the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica in Marseille, France, September 28, 2015. © Jean-Paul Pelissier / Reuters

An event that occurred only five times in the 20th century – created quite a stir on social media. Spectators hurried to post fascinating photos of the reddish supermoon, as the next one is expected only in 2033.
The celestial phenomenon took place for the first time since 1982, according to NASA. Instagram addicts had to take to their cameras immediately as the next suchlike event will take place in 18 years.

The bloodmoon was seen in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and some regions of West Asia and the eastern Pacific. For more than an hour, the Earth came between the sun and the moon and its shadow almost swallowed up the lunar disc.

#خسوف #القمر #الان . . #superbloodmoon #moon #lunareclipse #bloodmoon #nofilter #bloodycoldoutside #frozemyass #canon #nikon #nikond800 #canon7d #canon70d #canon5dmark3 #canon5dmarkiii #lens70200 #lens70300 #night #thenight

A photo posted by Alagha_photograph (@khalagha) on Sep 27, 2015 at 7:42pm PDT

Read More: RT.com

How to extend Wi-Fi range

Find and fix WiFi problems:
David Ludlow
@daveludlow

The trouble with Wi-Fi

Most Wi-Fi problems are caused by interference. This is because the majority of networks operate on the 2.4GHz frequency band, which is also used by a host of other devices, including baby monitors, DECT phones, Bluetooth headsets and game controllers. That's not even counting all of the other wireless networks out there competing with your own. 

Indoors, the construction of your home has an impact: wood, plaster and glass have little impact on 2.4GHz radio waves, but brick and concrete can impede them; in some cases, if your router's mounted on a brick wall or sat on a metal shelf, simply moving it can make a difference.

Newer routers can also work on the 5GHz band. This has the advantage that there's far fewer things to interfere with the wireless signal, with the frequency reserved for networking; the downside is that range of these networks is a lot less than with 2.4GHz networks.

Whether you've got a 2.4GHz or 5GHz network, the key to a trouble-free life is to minimise interference where possible and use additional kit to extend range where physical factors (range and the construction of your home) are the limiting factors.

Read More: expertreviews.co.uk

How do you measure an internet connection

We are all confused when it comes to this questions. What are bits and bytes?

An internet connection is measured differently from data sizes. What we mean is, a file on your computer is measured in bytes and your internet connection is measured in bits.So megabits and megabytes aren't the same. There is a big difference.

A byte is much bigger than bit.  1 Byte = 8 bits Which means every byte contains 8 bits.

Did I loose you with all this maths?

Let's try with an example. You go online to download a file of 50 megabytes (MB) in size, you are currently using a  50 megabit per second (Mbps) broadband connection. To download this file it won't take you 2 seconds, it will take 8 x 1 seconds because 1 MB (megabyte) is 8 times bigger than a Mb (megabit). If you have perfect speed it will take you 8 seconds to download (in theory).

How to identify a bit or a Byte?

The spellings are different. A bit will be in lower case "b", a Byte will be in upper case "B".

Internet connections always are in Mbps (mega bits per second) Files are in MB's (mega byte).

The Birth of Alegra Broadband

"Customer support: Please be online and we will be with you shortly"​
We have all heard these lines, nobody gets back to us shortly unless its a paid customer support. But hey wait aren't you paying for their services already?

We were tired of calling the customer support over and over again trying to fix the slow net speed issues. Nothing worked!! Finally we got tired and stopped calling. The internet speed is dead slow, so slow that sometimes I feel my 56K dial-up internet was faster.

This is when Alegra Broadband was born. We want everyone to surf the internet at blazing speeds, be a part of new age systems.
Our base lines are 4Mbps where as other service providers are just switching to 2Mbps.

Be the change!

For the generation who are not aware of a 56K dial-up modem. 

Dial up modem connected to the phone line and it would make a cranky noise while connecting to the internet. Unlike today's broadband it was not always connected to the www. We could go for a shower and come back for a single page to be loaded. :)