12 Things DuckDuckGo Can Do That Google Can't

Also Read Everything You Need to Know About the Bash Bug

Search engines have evolved to make it easier to find the information you need without having to go through different websites. Google has the Knowledge Graph feature that shows a neat box with useful information above (or beside) search results. It can do cool things such as calculations, show flight information and even currency conversion.

Although these features are incredibly useful, Google Knowledge Graph has its shortcomings. The biggest problem is that results are not uniform. When we were digging through Knowledge Graph features to find cool things you didn't know you could do with Google, we noticed that the results were not always the same. When one person searched for Apple stocks, Google showed him regular search results, but when a colleague searched for the same term, he was shown current stock information along with a nice price versus time graph.

These limitations made us look for alternatives and we found one that impressed us with its utility - DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focussed search engine. DuckDuckGo is a search engine that shows the same results for a search term to all its users. This is unlike Google, which filters search results based on the sites you have been visiting. It is also now possible to set DuckDuckGo as a default search engine in iOS 8 as well as OS X so you can get the instant search results just by typing your query into the Safari browser. Of course you can also use DuckDuckGo in Chrome or Firefox by visiting DuckDuckGo.com and clicking the Use in Chrome or Use in Firefox button.

Because it doesn't try to personalise results, DuckDuckGo's instant answers work for everyone and it has a great community of developers and users that are constantly adding new sources for answers. After using DuckDuckGo as our primary search engine for quite some time, we found that its instant answers are often as good as or better than Google's Knowledge Graph. Here are 12 amazing things DuckDuckGo can do that Google can't.

1. Social media bio
DuckDuckGo lets you see the social media profiles of people without leaving the search engine. The same thing works for Google+ and Gravatar as well. To look up a Twitter bio, you need to search for the handle. For Google+, type G+ and then the name of the user. For Gravatar, just type Gravatar, and then the username you want to look up.

Another cool feature that is related is letting you search inside other sites. With Google, you can use the site: modifier to search for results within a particular site, but then you still have to open the link to see the results. With DuckDuckGo, you can use the site's own search functions.

For example, if you want to search for someone's details on LinkedIn, you don't need to open the site. Just type "!linkedin" followed by the person's name, and you will see the LinkedIn search results page. You can do this with a large number of websites; !g lets you search with Google, !a is Amazon, !r is Reddit, just to name a few. You can see the full list by just typing ! in the DuckDuckGo search bar.

2. App store search, alternatives to apps

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Search for any popular app on DuckDuckGo and you will find that it shows a carousel full of apps with similar names. Clicking on any one of the cards on the carousel will show you the price of the app, a description and links to the store. We found that this feature doesn't work with very obscure apps, but it can find most of the well-known ones.

Another useful feature shows alternatives to apps in a neat carousel. Tired of MS Office? Just search for "Alternative to Word" and see the results for yourself. It also works for Web services, so you can even search for "Alternative to DuckDuckGo", if you like.

3. Shorten and expand links

Want to find out which websites are at the end of shortened links such as http://bit.ly/1tYrmaB ? Open DuckDuckGo and search "expand http://bit.ly/1tYrmaB".

4. Generate passwords

Can't think of a strong password? Just head to DuckDuckGo and search for "Password 20". You'll see a strong 20-character password. You can replace the number to change the number of characters in the password. If you find those random passwords hard to remember, you can make DuckDuckGo generate XKCD-style passwords. These passwords comprise four common words put together, which are easy to remember and hard to crack, and were first suggested in the popular Web comic XKCD. For these passwords, search "Random passphrase".

5. Quick stopwatch

Both Google and DuckDuckGo let you create a quick timer (search for "timer") but DuckDuckGo also has a stopwatch. Simply search for "stopwatch" to use it.

6. Change case and check number of characters
Want to change a sentence to Title Case, lowercase or UPPERCASE? Just add one of those three terms before your sentence and key it in on DuckDuckGo.

Another interesting feature is the number of characters. You can quickly check how many characters are in your search query by adding "chars" before or after the query. Try searching for "chars I really like this article" without the quotes and see the results.

7. Checks whether websites are down

If you can't open a website, you might want to check if it is not opening anywhere or just on your computer. You can use websites such as isup.me to check this or you can simply search DuckDuckGo with the keywords.

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8. Does mime rhyme with time
You read that right. DuckDuckGo also has an instant answer that finds rhyming words. Search any word you can think of. You'll see an instant answer with rhyming words, from RhymeBrain.

9. Calendar

Google and DuckDuckGo can show you the current date and time. But DuckDuckGo goes one step further by supporting calendar as an instant answer. Search "calendar" to see one, with the current date highlighted. It can also show you the calendar for any month and year. Try searching for "calendar january 1899".

10. Loan calculator

Another useful DuckDuckGo instant answer is a loan calculator. It's useful if you want to see how much your monthly installments will be and how much interest you'll be paying in total. The search query for this is a little hard to remember, like the terms and conditions for most loan agreements. It is "loan AMOUNT at INTEREST with PERCENT down for DURATION". All the uppercase words are what you need to key in - total amount, interest rate, down payment percentage and the duration of the loan. We tried "loan Rs 50,00,000 at 4.5% with 25% down for 15 years" to get the answer in the picture below.

11. Cool features for developers
There are several instant answers that will be useful to software developers, but might be less important for the general public. Here's a quick list of what DuckDuckGo can do:

• Generate lorem ipsum text
• Encode URLs to machine-readable text
• Convert binary to decimal
• Show a list of special characters and their HTML values
• Show HTML value for any special character
• Show colours based on hexadecimal values

12. Add instant answers to other search engines

If you like all these instant answers but don't want to leave your favourite search engine, just download the DuckDuckGo extension on Chrome, Safari or Firefox. Now whenever you search, you'll see DuckDuckGo's instant answers above search results in any search engine.

Bonus
There are several other instant answers on DuckDuckGo that are quite cool, but not very useful. That's why these are included as a bonus in this article. Here's a quick list of some of the best we could find.

• How many people are in space
• Generate ASCII art
• Chinese Zodiac queries
• Anagram solver
• Blood type compatibility

These were the best instant answers we could find on DuckDuckGo and none of those are available on Google.









Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/

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Everything You Need to Know About the Bash Bug

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Internet security experts are warning that a new programming flaw known as the "Bash Bug" may pose a serious threat to millions of computers and other devices such as home Internet routers. Even the systems used to run factory floors and power plants could be affected.

So, is it time to panic? Here are some common questions and answers about the latest security scare.

Q. What is the Bash Bug, and why is it a big deal?

A. The bug, also known as "Shellshock," is in a commonly used piece of system software called Bash. Bash has been around since 1989 and is used on a variety of Unix-based systems, including Linux and Mac OS X.

Devices that use Unix in some form include many servers, routers, Android phones, Mac computers, medical devices and even the computers that create Bitcoins. Systems running power plants and municipal water systems could also be affected by the bug, though security experts already recommend that these systems remain disconnected from the Internet to avoid opening them to such risks.

Bash is a command shell - "the thing you use to tell your computer what you want it to do," explains Christopher Budd, global threat communications manager at security firm Trend Micro. Thus, exploiting a security hole in Bash means telling your computer, or other systems, what to do.

Q. Why are people saying it's worse than "Heartbleed," the flaw that exploited security technology used by hundreds of thousands of websites?

A. While Heartbleed exposed passwords and other sensitive data to hackers, Bash Bug lets outsiders take control of the affected device to install programs or run commands.

On the other hand, Bash Bug might be harder to exploit. Heartbleed affected any system running OpenSSL, a common Web encryption technology. With Bash Bug, your system actually has to be using Bash, Budd said. There are multiple types of command shells, so even if Bash is installed, the system could actually be using a different one.

Q. It's been a quarter century since Bash came out, so why is the bug a threat now?

A. That's because someone - Stephane Chazelas of Akamai Technologies Inc. to be specific - just found it.

Heartbleed was around for more than two years before it was discovered.

Q. Should you be worried?

A. For now, the Bash Bug appears to be more of a potential nuisance than a major threat.

It's a more vexing problem for Mac owners. The Bash Bug makes it easy for hackers to take control of a Mac running on a public Wi-Fi network, such as one in a coffee shop or airport, said Chris Wysopal, chief technologyofficer of computer security firm Veracode.

At home, a hacker who takes control of an Internet router could consume so much bandwidth for online mischief that the owner gets hit with a huge bill from service providers that impose monthly data caps, said Dave Lewis, Akamai Technologies' global security advocate.

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Another possible security problem: A hacker who seizes control of a vulnerable Web server might collect online passwords stored in databases, said Joe Siegrist, CEO of LastPass, a service that stores and protects passwords. The threat doesn't appear to be as high as with Heartbleed, however.

The Bash Bug could cause massive damage if it's used to create an Internet "worm" - lines of malicious computer coding that wiggle from one vulnerable server to the next. A worm that reaches pandemic proportions could bog down the Internet and even render some services inaccessible. At this point, a worm feeding on the Bash Bug looms as a theoretical threat.

Q. What can you do about it?

A. Everyday users can't do much right now, except to wait for manufacturers to release fixes for their products. Budd recommends applying the patches for routers, Macs and other devices as they come out.

Even if a fix is developed, getting it could be another matter. Budd expects that to be an issue with Android phones, because their manufacturers and carriers are often slow to push out the system updates that Google provides.

Of course, it always helps to run up-to-date security software on your devices.

Q. Should these recurring security breakdowns cause people to reassess society's ever-increasing dependence on the Internet?

A. Probably, given that the revelations about Bash Bug and Heartbleed surfaced within six months of each other. What's especially troubling about Bash Bug is that it's been hiding in plain sight for the past two decades, even as millions of more machines came online to widen the threat.

Furthermore, these risks are likely to escalate as people store more documents, photos, videos and even medical records over the Internet. At the same time, technology is expected to make it possible to plug just about everything imaginable into the Internet, be it coffee machines or automobiles.

We'll just have to live with technological risks. As Lewis noted, "We are already too far down the road to take a step back."

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Full Specs Of Micromax Canvas Nitro

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Micromax Canvas Nitro detailed specifications

GENERAL

Alternate names	A310
Release date	September 2014
Form factor	Touchscreen
Battery capacity (mAh)	2500
Removable battery	Yes
Bundled accessories	cable, charger, screen guard
Colours	Pristine White, Blue
SAR value	0.57999998331069946

DISPLAY

Screen size (inches)	5.00
Touchscreen	Yes
Touchscreen type	Capacitive
Resolution	720x1280 pixels
Pixels per inch (PPI)	294
Colours	16M

HARDWARE

Processor	1.7GHz  octa-core
Processor make	Mediatek 6592
RAM	2GB
Internal storage	8GB
Expandable storage	Yes
Expandable storage type	microSD
Expandable storage up to (GB)	32

CAMERA

Rear camera	13-megapixel
Flash	Yes
Front camera	5-megapixel

SOFTWARE

Operating System	Android 4.4
Java support	Yes
Browser supports Flash	Yes

CONNECTIVITY

Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	NA
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes, v 4.00
NFC	No
Infrared	No
DLNA	No
Wi-Fi Direct	No
MHL Out	No
HDMI	No
Headphones	3.5mm
FM	Yes
USB	Micro-USB
Charging via Micro-USB	Yes
Proprietary charging connector	No
Proprietary data connector	No
Number of SIMs	2
SIM 1
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
3G	Yes
SIM 2
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
3G	Yes

SENSORS

Compass/ Magnetometer	No
Proximity sensor	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Ambient light sensor	Yes
Gyroscope	No
Barometer	No
Temperature sensor	No

Also Read Datawind to Launch Rs. 2,000 Android Phone With Free Lifetime Internet

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Datawind to Launch Rs. 2,000 Android Phone With Free Lifetime Internet

Also Read Moto G is Back with Upgraded Version

With the aim to double its volumes, low-cost mobile devices maker Datawind on Friday said it will launch a Rs. 2,000 smartphone before Diwali that will come bundled with free Internet for life.

The company said the device will be based on Android and have 3.5-inch display. Datawind currently has three smartphones and 5 tablets under its portfolio and is selling 40,000-50,000 devices every month.

"We are looking forward to launch our Rs. 2,000 smartphone and few other devices before Diwali and intent is to double our sales by the end of this calender year," Datawind Executive Vice President Rupinder Singh said here.

He added the company is in talks with 3 telecom operators for the free lifetime Internet offer but refused to divulge more details as the deal is yet to be finalised.

Asked about manufacturing in the country, Singh said the company has aggressive plans but did not mention any timeline for implementation.

Datawind had won the contract to supply 100,000 units of Aakash tablets priced at $49.98 apiece in 2011, translated into a price of Rs. 2,276 at that time.

The project was then handled by IIT Jodhpur which provided the specifications for the product. It, however, ran into controversy following IIT Jodhpur rejecting the devices manufactured by Datawind.

The project was then shifted under IIT Bombay and Datawind was asked to supply better version of the product, Aakash 2. Singh said the company had in May last year shipped all the tablets to the government.

The Aakash project was former minister Kapil Sibal's brainchild. The idea was to provide low-cost computing device at subsidised rate to students to enable them access Internet for educational purposes.

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a recent press conference said Aakash project needs better specifications.

Asked if Datawind would be interested if the government comes out with a tender for Aakash, Singh said,"Absolutely we will be interested in that. Just a couple of months before the elections, a tender was opened for Aakash 4 by DGS&D and we emerged as the lowest bidder."

Also Read How to Download and Install iOS 8 on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch

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How to Download and Install iOS 8 on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch

Also Read Moto G is Back with Upgraded Version

The annual iOS update cycle rolls on. This time, Apple is launching the eighth iteration of its operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 8 is now available as a free download from Wednesday, September 17. The download and update process itself is quite easy, but there are a few important things you should keep in mind before you download iOS 8. Here's a guide to help you through the process with zero fuss.

Will my iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch get iOS 8?

The first thing you should check is whether your Apple device is eligible for the update. Apple has announced that the following devices will get the iOS 8 update:

• iPhone 4s
• iPhone 5c
• iPhone 5s
• iPod touch 5th generation
• iPad 2
• iPad with Retina display
• iPad Air
• iPad mini
• iPad mini with Retina display

Some iOS 8 features such as SMS Continuity will not be available on launch day, with Apple stating that they will be released in an update to iOS 8 closer to when OS X Yosemite launches.

Backup

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The next step is possibly the most important in the process - backup. Apple generally has had a great track record with no major cases of data loss reported after updates, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. Here's how to create a backup of your Apple device.

1. While you can take a backup of your device on iCloud, we recommend that you use iTunes as the entire process is more reliable, especially if you have spotty connectivity.
2. Plug in your Apple device to a PC or Mac. Open iTunes and click iPhone (or iPad or iPod Touch) on the top-right, next to iTunes.
3. Under Manually Back Up and Restore, click Back Up Now to start backing up your Apple device. This process takes some time especially if it's the first time you are backing up data. Make sure you have time to spare before you do this. It took us a little over 40 minutes to take a backup the first time, though your mileage may vary depending upon the storage capacity of your iPhone and how much data you have stored.
4. Once essential data from the default apps has been backed up, iTunes will ask you if you want to transfer purchases. This basically takes a backup of all the apps installed on your phone, along with data downloaded within those apps. To do this, you will have to sign in with your Apple ID.

If you don't have access to a computer, then you can use iCloud Backup. Remember that only 5GB is free and you'll have to pay Rs. 60 per month for 20GB of storage on iCloud. But since the actual apps themselves are not backed up to iCloud - only app data is, along with your photos, videos and other information - free storage is usually enough for most.

1. To start backing up, on your iOS device, go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup.
2. Turn on the switch marked iCloud Backup. You'll get a warning telling you that your iPhone will not back up to your computer automatically. Tap okay.
3. Once iCloud Backup is on, tap Back Up Now. This will start backing up your data to iCloud.

Wait for the backup to finish before proceeding further. You should see the Last Backup time (which should appear right below Back Up Now) correspond to something recent once the backup is completed.

Download and install iOS 8

Now that your data is safe, let's see how to download and install the iOS 8 update. You can update your device either directly via Wi-Fi or by connecting it to a PC or Mac and downloading the update via iTunes. Downloading it directly is easier, so let's try that first.

1. On your iOS device, make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi (you can't download updates over cellular data) and plug it in to a power source.
2. Go to Settings > General > Software Update
3. On this screen, you'll see a message telling you your software is up to date. When iOS 8 is released, the message will tell you that a newer version is available. Tap Download and Install.
4. Now the device will begin downloading the update. Once the download is complete, you'll see a pop-up asking if you'd like to install the update. Tap Install. That's it. When the update is installed, your iPhone will restart.

In case you want to install the update via iTunes, follow these steps.

1. Download and install iTunes.
2. In case you already have iTunes, update it to the latest version. You can do this by going to the menu bar in iTunes and clicking Help > Check for updates on a PC or iTunes > Check for updates from the menu bar on a Mac.
3. Once you have got the latest version, connect the iOS device to your computer. In iTunes, select your device from the bar on the top-right.
4. Now click on the Summary tab and click on Check for Update.
5. To download and install iOS 8, click Download and Update.

Once the install is completed, follow the on-screen instructions to setup your iOS 8 device. You may be promoted to set up your device as new, restore from an iCloud Backup or restore from an iTunes Backup after reboot - select option 2 or 3 based on the backup method you selected above. You may also be prompted to re-enter your Wi-Fi or Apple ID/ iCloud password, or enable location services, while iPhone 5s users may be prompted to enter their fingerprint again - all that is normal.

Setting up iOS 8

Your iOS device will restart when the update is downloaded. After that, follow these steps.

1. If the update was successful, you'll see a screen with "Update Completed" written in large font. Hit Continue.
2. Now choose whether you want to enable location services. We suggest you tap Enable Location Services to ensure that anti-theft service Find My iPhone is enabled. You can easily enable this later by going to Settings > Privacy > Location.
3. If you use iCloud, your iOS device will now ask you to enter your Apple ID password. Key it in and hit the Next button at the top.
4. Apple's Terms and Conditions screen will now show up. You can read the whole thing if you wish or you could have it mailed to you by tapping Send by Email. To proceed, tap Agree (bottom-right) and again select Agree in the pop-up.
5. Now Apple will ask if you want to upgrade to iCloud Drive. iCloud Drive lets you store files on the cloud and access them on all of your devices. If you want this, tap Upgrade to iCloud Drive. If not, choose Not Now.
6. If you use iCloud Keychain, and you want all your passwords on your device again, then the this step is important. You can pick Use iCloud Security Code to have Apple send you an SMS with the code or tap Approve from Other Device to another device (that uses your Apple ID) to restore passwords. To ignore this, tap Don't Restore Passwords.
7. Finally, Apple will show you the Welcome to iPhone/iPad/iPod touch screen. Tap Get Started to start using your iOS 8 device.

That's all. Now you're ready to enjoy iOS 8.

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