In competition with Apple App Store and Google Play
NEW YORK: While 20,000 apps in an online store may seem paltry compared to the more than 700,000 apps in Apple’s store and more than 600,000 apps in Google Play, the milestone is significant for an upstart in the app trade like Microsoft. Microsoft broke the 20,000 mark last week, according to Directions on Microsoft Windows App Store Watcher Wes Miller. Nearly 18,000, or 87 per cent, of those apps are free, according to Miller.
Those are worldwide numbers, and the total number of apps available within regions can vary. For example, the Canadian Windows 8 app store has come 14,000 programmes, while the US has 12,675; and the UK, some 11,000. What must be heartening for Microsoft is the velocity at which apps are being added to its online market: some 500 new apps appear each day, according to The Next Web.
At the rate, the store could reach 40,000 apps by the end of the year. Moreover, that climb should remain steep as buyers of new Windows PCs during the holiday season hunt for apps for their new computers for weeks to come, and developers feverishly seek to meet that demand. Nevertheless, app uploads must accelerate even more for Microsoft to meet its goal of 100,000 apps in the store within 90 days from the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.
Comparing the number of apps in the Windows 8 store to the Apple App Store and Google Play can be misleading, though, since those outlets service mobile devices. A more suitable comparison might be made between the Windows store and Apple’s Mac App Store. From January 2011 to April 2012, only 10,000 apps were added to that Apple outlet. Uploads at the Windows 8 app store have been a source of controversy for Microsoft in recent days. — Agencies
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Teacher’s impact
Years ago a John Hopkin’s professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums. Take 200 boys, between the ages of 12 and 16, and investigate their background and environment. Then predict their chances for the future.
The students, after consulting social statistics, taking to the boys and compiling much data, concluded that 90 per cent of the boys would spend some time in jail.
Twenty-five years later another group of graduate students group was give the job of testing the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys — by then men — were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the original 200. They found that only four of the group had ever been spent to jail.
Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were continually told: “Well, there was a teacher…” They pressed further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same women.
The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she exerted this remarkable influence over that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her? “No,” she said, “No I really couldn’t.” And then, thinking back, she said amusingly, more to herself than to her questioners, “I loved those boys…”
The students, after consulting social statistics, taking to the boys and compiling much data, concluded that 90 per cent of the boys would spend some time in jail.
Twenty-five years later another group of graduate students group was give the job of testing the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys — by then men — were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the original 200. They found that only four of the group had ever been spent to jail.
Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were continually told: “Well, there was a teacher…” They pressed further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same women.
The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she exerted this remarkable influence over that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her? “No,” she said, “No I really couldn’t.” And then, thinking back, she said amusingly, more to herself than to her questioners, “I loved those boys…”
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
I will live
As the light shines through my window I awaken.
I am reminded once more that today is another day stolen from borrowed time.
Today I will live and live to will. I will be thankful for all I love and all I have.
Every breath taken in shall be full as I take in the world around me.
I will push away the pain, hide my tears and sorrow and drown out all that threatens my very being.
Today I will climb that rock and sit on top staring and soaking in the beauty of nature, of life.
I will let the wind whisper in my ears and flow through me filling my every sense, breathing life once more into my soul.
Just for today I shall truly live, making the best of everything, because I know as the sets and sleeps, so shall I.
I will be there once more to watch the last ray of the sun one day it may never awaken me. Just for today I will live.
— Laurah Lynn
I am reminded once more that today is another day stolen from borrowed time.
Today I will live and live to will. I will be thankful for all I love and all I have.
Every breath taken in shall be full as I take in the world around me.
I will push away the pain, hide my tears and sorrow and drown out all that threatens my very being.
Today I will climb that rock and sit on top staring and soaking in the beauty of nature, of life.
I will let the wind whisper in my ears and flow through me filling my every sense, breathing life once more into my soul.
Just for today I shall truly live, making the best of everything, because I know as the sets and sleeps, so shall I.
I will be there once more to watch the last ray of the sun one day it may never awaken me. Just for today I will live.
— Laurah Lynn
Monday, November 19, 2012
How to properly clean gadgets
Without ruining them in the process
No matter how clean a house you keep, computers and gadgets are bound to get a little dirty here and there. Here is how to clean them well:
No matter how clean a house you keep, computers and gadgets are bound to get a little dirty here and there. Here is how to clean them well:
1. Monitor: White vinegar
LCD screens are pretty delicate, so do not press hard on them, because that can burn out the pixels. Instead, turn the monitor off (so you can better see the dirty spots), and grab a dry micro fibre cloth. Just gently wipe the screen. If the monitor is filthier, resist the urge to press hard and wet the cloth with a 50:50 mix of water and white vinegar. If possible, use distilled water instead of tab water. Do not use anything paper-based, like paper towel, Kleenex, or toilet paper, since they can scratch your monitor. Remember never to spray any liquid on the monitor itself—always spray it on the cloth first.2. Mouse: Water or alcohol
Most mice do not need to be opened up to be cleaned. Just turn the mouse over and take a cotton swab to the rubber pads, wetting it with water or alcohol if necessary. For all the mouse buttons, use some alcohol on a cotton swab to rub away dirt and grime. Also, remember to turn off or unplug the mouse before cleaning.3. Touch screen gadgets: Water and vinegar
The best cleaner for a touch screen device is a 50:50 mix of distilled water and vinegar. Touch screens are a bit more resilient than LCD monitors, so you can press a bit harder if you have a particularly stubborn spot. Just like everything else, use a micro fibre cloth and spray the cloth with a small amount of liquid, not the screen, before wiping it down.4. Keyboard: Compressed air and alcohol
If your keyboard is only mildly dirty, do two things: blow some compressed air in between the keys and clean dirty keys with a swab of rubbing alcohol to remove oil, grime, and germs. If the keyboard is rather disgusting, though, pop out the keys and really dig in with a toothbrush. — Agencies
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Power of listening: Way to peace
We express our behaviour either in a positive or negative manner. Because of our positivity, we are steady, patient, calm, and consistent. The negativity, on the other hand, makes us rude, angry, imbalanced and inconsistent. Due to the absence of positive thoughts, we sometimes avoid listening to others, as a result of which we fail to understand them fully.
If we want to be good communicators, then we should develop the skill of listening to others first, otherwise we will not get the feedback of the communication process which is forced to become one way communication and that is as good as no communication.
There are a number of examples we get to read, or hear regarding misunderstandings happening between people, leading to severe conflicts between them. These conflicts happen simply due to lack of listening to the other party, which is the root of all the misunderstandings.
So how can one become a good listener?
The simplest way to be one is to consciously discard all the negative traits one has within oneself and start looking at everything positive around us. In short, if we want to be happy in life, then we must sportingly take whatever odd comes in our way. Else, it will become very difficult to adjust in this hi-tech modern life, that will lead to non-adjustment to the present environment which is beyond our control. Due to all this, no one else but we ourselves will be the worse sufferers.
So, why suffer? Why not enjoy our precious life which we get only once? So remember, first listen patiently and sincerely to everyone who talks to you, and later act using your own conscience and the power of ‘listening’ wisely.
Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.
If we want to be good communicators, then we should develop the skill of listening to others first, otherwise we will not get the feedback of the communication process which is forced to become one way communication and that is as good as no communication.
There are a number of examples we get to read, or hear regarding misunderstandings happening between people, leading to severe conflicts between them. These conflicts happen simply due to lack of listening to the other party, which is the root of all the misunderstandings.
So how can one become a good listener?
The simplest way to be one is to consciously discard all the negative traits one has within oneself and start looking at everything positive around us. In short, if we want to be happy in life, then we must sportingly take whatever odd comes in our way. Else, it will become very difficult to adjust in this hi-tech modern life, that will lead to non-adjustment to the present environment which is beyond our control. Due to all this, no one else but we ourselves will be the worse sufferers.
So, why suffer? Why not enjoy our precious life which we get only once? So remember, first listen patiently and sincerely to everyone who talks to you, and later act using your own conscience and the power of ‘listening’ wisely.
Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Our worth
A speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. “Who would like this $20 bill?
Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you – but first, let me do this.”
He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.
“Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?”
Still the hands went into the air.
“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or creased, you are priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by …WHO WE ARE.
“You are special — don’t ever forget it.”
Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you – but first, let me do this.”
He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.
“Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?”
Still the hands went into the air.
“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or creased, you are priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by …WHO WE ARE.
“You are special — don’t ever forget it.”
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Mistakes to avoid
One of the hardest challenges we face in life is to live in our own skin — to just be right here, right now, regardless of where we are. Too often we needlessly distract ourselves with anything and everything to keep us from being fully present in the current moment.
We use compulsive work, compulsive exercise, compulsive love affairs, and the like, to escape from ourselves and the realities of living. Many of us will go to great lengths to avoid the feeling of being alone in an undistracted environment. So we succumb to hanging-out with just about anybody to avoid the feeling of solitude. For being alone means dealing with our true feelings: fear, anxiety, happiness, anger, joy, resentment, disappointment, anticipation, sadness, excitement, despair, and so on and so forth.
And it doesn’t really matter if our feelings are positive or negative — they are overwhelming and exhausting, and so we prefer to numb ourselves to them. The bottom line is that every one of us is an addict, and what we are addicted to is avoiding ourselves. Acknowledging this addiction is the first step to healing it.
Here are eight reason so many of us miss out on life as it’s happening.
We use compulsive work, compulsive exercise, compulsive love affairs, and the like, to escape from ourselves and the realities of living. Many of us will go to great lengths to avoid the feeling of being alone in an undistracted environment. So we succumb to hanging-out with just about anybody to avoid the feeling of solitude. For being alone means dealing with our true feelings: fear, anxiety, happiness, anger, joy, resentment, disappointment, anticipation, sadness, excitement, despair, and so on and so forth.
And it doesn’t really matter if our feelings are positive or negative — they are overwhelming and exhausting, and so we prefer to numb ourselves to them. The bottom line is that every one of us is an addict, and what we are addicted to is avoiding ourselves. Acknowledging this addiction is the first step to healing it.
Here are eight reason so many of us miss out on life as it’s happening.
1. The fear of missing out
If you feel anxious because you constantly feel like you’re missing out on something happening somewhere else, you’re not alone. We all feel this way sometimes. But you could run around trying to do everything, and travel around the world, and always stay connected, and work and party all night long without sleep, but you could never do it all. You will always be missing something. So let it go, and realise you have everything right now. The best in life isn’t somewhere else; it’s right where you are, at this moment.2. Avoiding pain and defeat
Not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be okay — you just need to learn a lesson or two first. Don’t run from the realities of the present moment. The pain and defeat contained within is necessary to your long-term growth. Remember, there is a difference between encountering defeats and being defeated. Nothing ever goes away until it teaches you what you need to know, so you can move on to the next step.3. Holding on to what’s no longer there
Some of us spend the vast majority of our lives recounting past memories, and letting them steer the course of the present. Don’t waste your time trying to live in another time and place. Let the past, go. You must accept the end of something in order to begin to build something new. So close some old doors today. Not because of pride, inability or egotism, but simply because you’ve entered each one of them in the past and realise that they lead to nowhere.4. Retelling a self-defeating story
If we continue to repeat a story in our head, we eventually believe that story and embrace it — whether it empowers us or not. So the question is: Does your story empower you? Don’t place your mistakes on your mind, their weight may crush your current potential. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as a platform to view the horizon. Remember, all things are difficult before they are easy. What matters the most is what you start doing now.5. Attempting to fit in by becoming someone else
The hardest battle you’re ever going to fight is the battle to be you, just the way you are in this moment. We cannot find ourselves if we are always searching for, or morphing into, someone else. In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your awesome self. Be your own kind of beautiful right now, in the way only you know how.6. The picture in your head of how it’s supposed to be
What often screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be. Although every good thing has an end, in life every ending is just a new beginning. Life goes on — not always the way we had envisioned it would be, but always the way it’s supposed to be. Remember, we usually can’t choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.7. Berating yourself for not being perfect
Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of people willing to do that for you. Do your best and surrender the rest. Tell yourself, “I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment. And that is all I can expect of anyone, including me.” Love yourself and be proud of everything that you do, even your mistakes. Because even mistakes mean you’re trying.8. Waiting, and waiting some more
Stop waiting for tomorrow; you will never get today back. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. It doesn’t matter how low or unworthy you feel right now. The simple fact that you’re alive makes you worthy. Life is too short for excuses. Stop settling. Stop procrastinating step forward. If you are not sure exactly which way to go, it is always wise to follow your heart. — Agencies
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