Microsoft has created a game Called “Ribbon Hero” that will help you to get familiar will all the features ofMicrosoft office. Users with a limited knowledge can add this game to their office and could boost their knowledge with fun. The game presents users with challenges that test their ability to use different features of the programs.

Jennifer Michelstein, a program manager at Microsoft’s Office Labs who helped design the game said “Any reasonably complex software faces a question of discoverability,So we asked how can we help users become experts?”
“But,” she said “a lot of us were very sceptical about it. We didn’t think we could build anything fun.”

Ribbon Hero currently works with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel (both 32/64 Bit).It is only limited to Version 2007 and 2010 only and will run on Windows 7, Vista and XP When you install the ribbon hero, a tiny green icon appears on the screen. When you use different features of Word, Excel or PowerPoint you earns point. Each command contains points accordingly. The game is designed to expose users to new features while playing. You can also connect ribbon hero with your facebook account, You can share your points and also can compare your score with others. Facebook ask you to publish your score after each 100 points.
“We were surprised because right away people were telling us they were playing it and it was fun,Competition motivated their play.
“A lot of people told us they liked this way of learning, they really liked that they could learn for a few minutes at a time.
“Anecdotally we are hearing that people are learning and remembering what we have taught them,” she said.
Sadly, said Ms Michelstein, the game was not designed to last forever.
“We never designed the game to be something that users will play over and over again,” she said. “Once you play all the challenges twice you are done.”

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

The social networking site Facebook has warn users to avoid applications like “stalker apps” which make such claims because it’s not currently possible to produce a list of the “friends” who view a given person’s profile.
According to the BBC, a number of apps have disappeared from the social-networking site, including the idiotically titles ‘Stalker Check’ and the not-so-catchily named ‘Who has visited my profile’.
“Don’t believe any applications that claim they can show you who’s viewing your profile or photo. They can’t,” said a spokesperson for Facebook.
Facebook’s Head of European Policy, Richard Allan, said: “Applications try to attract users in and try to get people to install them.
“Once a large number of users have installed that application, they can try to offer services like advertising that will make money.”
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg said “Our philosophy is that having an open system anyone can participate in is generally better”
When a large number of Facebook users have installed a particular application, they’re often asking to offered services such as advertising to generate money. Similarly there are such application that could cause viruses and malware when advertisements are clicked on.

Cellular phone subscribers’ base has witnessed a significant contraction by 2.22 percent in January as the result of ongoing data correction process.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) latest statistics show a decline of 2.17 million users in the overall sector, which reduced the teledensity of the country by 1.4 percent to 58.20 percent by the end of January 2010.

Warid remained the worst effected operator as it lost 2.65 million customers in total in January, taking it back to 4th slot in terms of subscribers.

The number of total subscribers in Pakistan now stands at 95.4 million after reducing from 97.57 million in a month.

Soon, your Nokia cell phone will never run out of battery, while you are on the go.

New Scientist figured out that Nokia has filed for a US Patent for a phone that recharges as the phone user moves.

Some watches already use similar pattern for generating energy – they use circular frames on back end of dial, that keeps moving to generate energy.

Nokia thinks that there can a phone in which the heavier components, such as the radio transmitter circuit and battery, are supported on a sturdy frame. This frame can move along two sets of rails, one allows it travel up and down, the other side to side.

Strips of piezoelectric crystals sit at the end of each rail and generate a current when compressed by the frame. So as the user walks, or otherwise moves the phone, the motion generates electricity. This charges a capacitor which in turn trickles charge into the battery, keeping it topped up

At the time of launch of easypaisa, many people wanted a service they can host from their mobile phone. I see mobile accounts as the service that lets you do that. It is not any over the counter service like bill payments and money transfer but a virtual Bank Accounts opened for Telenor subscribers to access from their own mobile phones at any time.

Registrations for mobile accounts are available only from Telenor SSCs, Telenor Franchises and Tameer Bank Branches. Once registered users only have to go to a Merchant to ‘Deposit Cash’ or ‘Withdraw Cash’ from their easypaisa Mobile Account. All other services can be accessed on the user’s mobile phones.

The account opening request usually takes 7-10 minutes to enter into the system. Then the subscriber is called back in 3 hours after Nadra CNIC verification. Account will then be activated and subscriber will be asked to select a 5-digit PIN. The account opening fee is Rs. 50 + tax (non-refundable).

Limits on transactions are Rs.10,000/day, Rs.20,000/month, Rs.1,20,000/year, do not apply on Transfer In. Maximum balance of Rs. 60,000 is allowed in particular account at any time.

Once all the procedure is complete you may do mobile banking by USSD *786# and avail the following services:

Utility Bills Payment
Money Transfer to easypaisa account
Money Transfer to a CNIC (Over The Counter)
Schedule payments
Cash Deposit
Cash Withdrawal
Transfer In from a Tameer Bank Account
Transfer Out to a Tameer Bank Account

Feline Frenzy is what they have named it; a Facebook Game from Islamabad based start-up called White Rabbit.

Play Feline Frenzy here: http://apps.facebook.com/feline-frenzy/

Become a Fan here

Gameplay is about throwing boots at birds in the sky from a thrower that can turn right or left to aim the birds.

Along with there are cats flowing down hanged with balloons, you will have to aim at balloons so that cat’s don’t fall on ground safely. If four cats reach the ground, on either side – that’s the end of game.

With scores, you cross the levels. There are different boot types that get unlocked as you proceed with game levels. Watch out before firing boots, as each shot gonna cost you points.

Game is pretty addictive in nature; you may easily end up spending enough time playing it.

According to the Wall Street Journal Sony, the Japanese electronics giant working on a device that would combine e-book readers, netbooks and handheld gaming gizmos like Sony’s PSP.

The idea is to compete with Apple device ipad. The product will be launch in 2010 but the price and certain specifications have yet to be finalized. Sony’s new product will offer many of the same services that is already available on iTunes but the company will differentiate its service by allowing a wide range of applications.

“Mr. Stringer’s emphasis on creating devices that access an online network offering movies, games and music. That’s the vision, but it’s still not quite clear what specific steps Sony will take to achieve that, especially when iPad and other highly capable mobile devices are crowding the market,” said Nobuo Kurahashi, a consumer-electronics analyst at Japanese brokerage Mizuho Investors Securities.

Google challenged Apple with its Android devices and now its Sony turn to take aim at Steve Jobs apple Inc.

Sony has failed in developing smart phones, Sony Ericsson was launched in 2001 but its sale contine to decline.Similarly sales of Sony PSP is continuing to drop in US. Sony should develop a strategy for the future product.

Facebook can send your Facebook friends’ updates on your Mobile for Free. Ufone has advertised the whole process on their website.

Currently Facebook is offering Updates for Ufone, Mobilink, Telenor and Warid.

Below is the complete process of how to register your Mobile number with your Facebook Account.

Registration Process:
To activate Facebook functionality on mobile handset, user will be required to login to the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/mobile
•Click on Sign up with Facebook Text Messages. (You are supposed to be logged in before clicking on this link
•Now select your country and operator – click next
•Send a message with ‘F’ to 32665
•Enter confirmation code received on your cell into dialogue box appearing in facebook account – and you are done.

First Pakistan-made cell phone would be available in the market within a year, Secretary of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom Naguibullah Malik has said.

Talking to APP, he said: “Dialogue with China and British companies in this regard is underway and the first made-in-Pakistan mobile handset would be available in the market within a year.” To a question, he said the government was taking all possible measures to boost the IT sector. The secretary said the government was well aware of the problems being faced by the IT sector. “We will address all the problems of the IT sector,” he added.

Malik said for the promotion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, there was a need for reaching a consensus among the government, IT industry, Telcos and academia to devise effective strategies for the best utilisation of available opportunities. He said focus on the IT and Telecom education, research, entrepreneurship and local industries could boost the ICT sector.