Google launching free videoconferencing

Google is all set to strengthen its voice and video chat capabilities. The voice and video chat feature in the company's the email se
rvice, Gmail, is currently limited to one-to-one communication, however, Google wants to broaden this capability to more than two participants.

The Google Apps product manager Rishi Chandra told SFGate that Google is set to roll out its first update in a long line of updates that will include multi-user video conferencing.

Chandra told the web site, “This (current Gmail capability) is the first step in a much broader set of features we hope to roll out over the next six to 12 months around video (and voice) chat capabilities.” He added, "It’s a great opportunity for us to push that space along."

Google acquired Web and video conferencing software in 2007 from Swedish company Marratech.

Windows 7 For Less: Where to Find Discounts

If you're still thinking about stepping to Windows 7, but are appalled by the usual pricing, you might want to check windows 7 upgradeout some special deals now available from Microsoft and some of its retail partners. Each of these offers comes with some catches, though.

I first spotted a mention of Windows 7 discounts in Kim Komando's CyberSpeak column in USA Today. ZDNet's Ed Bott dives down into a lot of details.

In one deal, the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack, you can get up to 58 percent off if you have two or more PCs at home and want to upgrade them. The package of two DVDs includes one copy each of the 32- and 64-bit Windows Home Premium upgrade installation media, with a single activation key good for activation on up to three PCs. Pricing is $149.99 from The Microsoft Store, but you might be able to buy the pack for less elsewhere online.

In another offer, when you buy a new PC running Windows 7, you can get a second copy of Windows 7 for use with another PC at a price break of up to 50 percent. In addition to The Microsoft Store, participating retailers include Tiger Direct, Newegg.com, Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Amazon, Walmart, Office Depot, Costco, and Buy.com.

A third deal, known as the Anytime Upgrade, is for someone who already has a Windows 7 PC, but wants to upgrade to another edition of the new OS, With the Anytime Upgrade, you can move from the Windows 7 Home Premium Edition to Win 7 Professional for $89.95 direct from Microsoft. In comparison, a Windows 7 Professional retail upgrade would cost you $199.99, for example.

But what if you have a single older PC and you want to upgrade it to Windows 7? As reported in Computerworld, you can buy an OEM or "system builder" edition of Windows 7 for slightly less than Microsoft's upgrade edition through an online retailer such as Tiger Direct or Newegg. You'll get a full license with the OEM edition, but with several stipulations. The OEM edition comes without customer support, it can only be used for a clean install, and the license bans users from transferring the OS from one PC to another.

Pandemonium in Maharashtra assembly as Abu Azmi takes oath

India Economic Summit-2009

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addresses a press conference to inaugurate a three-day India Economic Summit, organized by the World Economic Forum, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Nov 8, 2009. Singh says his government is pushing ahead with its economic reform program to achieve seven per cent growth by next year but would make sure the benefits accrue to the poor as well. (AP)

Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum (WEF), Klaus Schwab addresses the World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009.(AFP)

Indra Nooyi (R), chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, and chairman of Bharti Airtel Ltd. Sunil Mittal smile during the three-day long India Economic Summit 2009 at the World Economic Forum in New Delhi November 8, 2009. (REUTERS)

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PepsiCo, USA, Global Agenda Council on the Role of Business, Indra Nooyl (R) and Chairman and Managing Director of Bharati Telecommunication, Air Tel Mobile, Sunil Bharti Mittal attend the World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009. (AFP)

Chairman and Managing Director of Bharati Telecommunication, Air Tel Mobile, Sunil Bharti Mittal (L) talks with the Vice-Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti TeleTech, Rakesh Bharti Mittal during the World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009. (AFP)

Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Jubilant Organosys, Hari S Bhartuia (L), Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum (WEF), Klaus Schwab, (2L), Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, (C), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president, Venu Srinivasan (2R), and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Booz and Company, United Kingdom, S. S. Banerje (R) attend the World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009. (AFP)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addresses The World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009. During his speech Singh said that he would pursue financial sector reforms to fund infrastructure development that would in turn propel the econom. (AFP)

Chairman and Managing Director of Bharati Telecommunication, Air Tel Mobile, Sunil Bharti Mittal (L) shares a light moment with Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PepsiCo, Indra Nooyl during the World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009.(AFP)

Manmohan Singh greets delegates at The World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009.(AFP)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (C) and Confederation of Indian industry (CII) President Venu Srinivasan (R) attend the World Economic Forum's 25th India Economic Summit-2009 in New Delhi on November 8, 2009.( AFP)

Marine One

President Barack Obama salutes as he boards Marine One helicopter at the White House in Washington.(AP)

Marine One is the sign used when President is on board

Marine One is the call sign used when the President is on board one of the HMX-1 Marine helicopters. The primary presidential helicopter is the Sikorsky VH-3D (Sea King).

HMX-1 was established in December 1947

HMX-1 was established in December 1947 as an experimental unit to test and evaluate helicopters and tactics.

HMX-1 provides all helicopter transportation for the President both overseas and within the continental United States.

In addition, HMX-1 provides helicopter transportation for the Vice President, members of the President's Cabinet, and foreign dignitaries as directed by the White House Military Office.

HMX-1 also provides helicopter emergency evacuation

HMX-1 also provides helicopter emergency evacuation and other support as directed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

HMX-1 is tasked with the Operational Test

HMX-1 is tasked with the Operational Test and Evaluation of US Marine Corps assault helicopters and related equipment.

Unemployment rates around the world

Despite signs of an economic revival gathering pace around the globe, the millions of people laid off during the worst recession in 70 years are unlikely to see relief any time soon as joblessness is still climbing in many of the world's largest economies.
Unemployment rates in the 30 wealthy countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development range from a low of 3.5 percent in the Netherlands to 18.3 percent in Spain, according to September figures.
Here is a look at unemployment rates around the world:

Germany

German unemployment fell for a second month in October, but the effects of the financial crisis lingered and it is still too early to expect a turnaround in the economy, the country's labor ministry said.
The unadjusted jobless rate in Europe's biggest economy was 7.7 percent, down from 8 percent the previous month and below the 8.3 percent in August, the Federal Labor Agency said.
The dip in unemployment comes nearly two weeks after the German government raised its growth forecast and predicted that Europe's biggest economy will expand by 1.2 percent in 2010, up from an earlier prediction of 0.5 percent.

France

The increase in French jobless lines has been somewhat tempered by government incentives such as exempting payroll taxes for some workers.
The unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September from 7.8 percent in 2008, according to the OECD.
It is expected to hit 10 percent by the end of the year.

Britain

Britain's Office for National Statistics says unemployment in the United Kingdom was 7.9 percent in the three months to August.
The rate held although the number of people out of work was 88,000 higher than in the previous three months, the report said.
The number of jobless looks on course to pass the three million mark next year as the impact of the recession translates to rising dole queues.

Japan

Japan's unemployment rate fell for the second straight month in September as companies gained more confidence in the stimulus-fueled global recovery but prices continued to tumble, underscoring weak demand at home.
The jobless rate stood at a seasonally adjusted 5.3 percent in September, down from 5.5 percent the previous month and a record high of 5.7 percent in July, the government said Friday.
The figures suggest job losses in the world's second-biggest economy are easing as companies gain more confidence that global demand for Japan's cars, electronics and other mainstay exports is picking up.
Japan's factory output posted its seventh consecutive rise in September.

China

The official urban unemployment rate was 4.3 percent for the three months ended Sept. 30, unchanged from the previous three month period.
But the actual level could be more than double that because the government system ignores millions of migrant workers and employees who are furloughed by state companies but not recorded as laid off. As of Sept. 30 there were 9.15 million registered unemployed people in an urban workforce of 210 million.
As many as 30 million migrants are believed to have lost jobs in export-oriented factories in late 2008, government officials said.

Brazil

The government says the unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in August — virtually unchanged from the previous month.
Brazil emerged from recession in the second quarter. Analysts predict the economy will expand slightly in 2009.

Coming soon, the biggest thing since www: Grid

CERN (Geneva): With domain names in Hindi, Arabic and Chinese set to become a reality on the web, the pundits in this science hub of
Switzerland, where the internet was arguably invented, claim the next giant leap towards internationalisation will be the grid, which is just weeks away from powering up.

The grid, made of thousands of desktops, laptops, supercomputers, data vaults, mobile phones, meteorological sensors and telescopes, will start work when proton beams collide in the world’s biggest experiment ever inside a deep tunnel here on the French-Swiss border.

It is a revolution, say scientists of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) because it uses the internet but is not the internet.

Using cloud computing, the grid will combine the computing resources of more than 100,000 processors from more than 170 sites in 34 countries and will be accessible to thousands of physicists globally. The scientists claim it will change the way the information superhighway works.

‘global computer’

Our grid will make it possible for scientists around the world to access this data real time.’’ Till now, a giant grid was considered something of a pipe dream, says Litmaath. Its implications, he says, are enormous. “Imagine several million computers from all over the world, and owned by thousands of different people. And imagine if these PCs, workstations, servers and storage elements can all be connected to form a single, huge and super-powerful computer. This sprawling, global computer is what the grid will be.’’

CERN says it is only right and proper that the giant grid be developed in the place where the world wide web was invented.

Although there are several claimants to the internet’s authorship, it was here that British software whiz Tim Berners-Lee and other scientists set the stage for the internet explosion in 1990. At the time, Berners-Lee’s boss at CERN offered the measured response-“vague but impressive’’-to the scientists’ proposed system that would allow scientists around the world to swap information on research.

It was in that proposal, written in a small room in a CERN building, that the terms “http’’ (global hypertext language) appeared for the first time. A small placard saying ‘The web was invented here’ still hangs on the door of the room where Berners-Lee and the other scientists developed the first blueprint of the internet.

The web changed the world forever and now CERN expects great results from grid computing, which, Litmaath says, will power science around the globe-scientists can share data, data storage space, computing power, and results. Together, researchers can tackle bigger questions than ever before: from disease cures and disaster management to global warming and the mysteries of the universe.

CERN already has at least three centres in India with which it shares data and expertise on a regular basis, something that can only grow exponentially.