How to Chat with Wikipedia through Whatsapp

How to Chat with Wikipedia through Whatsapp

Unknown   08:37:00

Bots are everywhere around the internet. They chat with you posing as customer service reps, they reply to your comments on Reddit and even live on your smartphone as your personal assistant et al the Siri and Cortana. These software bots are designed to do automated tasks and repetitive works. As in the case of Siri they can gather information from around the web and your phone and present it to you.

Today we will look at one such bot which can pull information from Wikipedia and do other stuff, all through Whatsapp.

Disclaimer: Wikipedia doesn’t have any official bot and the bot being used here is of Duta, which aggregates stuff from the web, based on your queries. While they claim they don’t spam you (in my experience they didn’t), the way in which this works means they can see your mobile number. So, use your discretion before proceeding.

Setting up the Bot

Let’s see how to set up the bot.

Step 1: First of all go to their site and save the number given there in your phonebook with a suitable name. In case the first number doesn’t work, you can get a backup number from here.

Step 2: Next, you will need to create a group with the bot as it doesn’t respond to direct chat. You can be the only participant in the group and can also add other friends and contacts. The bot will reply to all the participants in the group. Next, we will take a look at the commands that can be given.

Step 3: There are over 20+ commands that can be issued but the important ones, which are not country specific, are as follows:

                                                                         

If the bot doesn’t reply even after receiving your messages (much like your crush) check their website to see if they have changed numbers.

Telegram – The better Platform for Bots

Whatsapp doesn’t like bots, so much so that it violates their terms & conditions if you make a bot for their platform. They have shut down many such bots in the past.Telegram, on the other hand, explicitly supports and loves bots. They have a bot-store where you can pick bots of your liking. Also, there is no setup involved, download the Telegram app, register with your number and then add the bots you like from here.

Some of the examples of how elegantly the bots function in Telegram.

It also has a Wikipedia Bot but it doesn’t work as the Whatsapp one, fetching only the links instead of content.

Bots Can be Idiots Sometimes

Bots are really fun, great in helping us & being our personal assistant. But till now they haven’t achieved the level of sophistication in morality and emotions. And we have the latest example of a bot failing miserably, Tay, the Microsoft developed bot with a teenage mind. Within the span of a few hours after it was launched on Twitter, it starting fuhrer-ing the Nazi propaganda and Microsoft had to shut it down before it ventured into other dark territories.

If Tay is an example of the limits of intelligence of current bots, we don’t have to worry about an invasion because Skynet, if turned on, will probably shitpost online and get into petty fights on Twitter. That said, do share your thoughts and comments with us.

Top 5 Nokia smartphones 2016: 4GB RAM, 38MP Pureview Camera

Top 5 Nokia smartphones 2016: 4GB RAM, 38MP Pureview Camera

Unknown   09:53:00

Nokia Smartphones, are definitely the highest quality mobiles, usually with very affordable prices. As Nokia Comeback 2016 is coming close, lets take a look at the 5 Best Nokia Smartphones of 2016…

1. Nokia C9 – Winner of Design!

Nokia C9 is one of the most realistic Nokia smartphones we got to know so far. The handset falls into budget category, with an expected Nokia C9 price tag of around USD 170 – 220 (which is equivalent to PHP 8K – 10,5K and Rs 11,5K – 15K). In terms of Nokia C9 specs, seems like the phone sports a handy 5.0 inch FHD display, 2GB RAM, Nokia 16MP Pureview and special long-lasting 4,000 mAH battery by Nokia technology. Similar to the Nokia E1, the Nokia C9 will run on the newest Android Version.

Nokia C9 Specs

Device                                                                 Nokia C9

Display                                                               5” or smaller

Rear camera                                                       16MP with Pureview sensor

Front camera                                                      to be updated, at least 5MP

Processor                                                          to be updated

RAM                                                                 2GB

Storage                                                               to be updated

OS                                                                  Android OS, allegedly 6.0 version

Battery                                                      4,000 mAH or bigger

Connectivity                                             Allegedly 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Hotspot

PRICE                                                       USD 170 – USD 220

Colors                                                        Classic Black and White

2. Nokia 1008

Nokia 1008, aka Nokia Catwalk is an exciting smartphone render that makes sure to impress you with its features. The phone has a unique design with a twisting camera module that is 38MP Pureview and can take both landscape and selfie shots with the highest resolution imagined. Besides that, Nokia 1008 runs on WP8 OS and will have a decent 2GB RAM together with 32GB internal storage. More amazingly, the phone is equipped with dual LED flashes, one of which is used as light notification    LED.

3. Nokia N2

Nokia N2 smartphone was introduced to us in late December by Designer David Quijada. This Nokia N2 has all the potential it takes to become the rebirth of Nokia in the smartphone market. In terms of Nokia N2 specs, we have a huge 6-inch display, Snapdragon 810 CPU, and beautiful FHD resolution. Nokia N2 cameras will be what we all love: 21MP Pureview sensor on the back and 8MP selfie shooter on the front. Both come with LED flashes for better shots under low light conditions.

4. Nokia C1

Nokia C1 is one of the first smartphones to be rumored ever since we heard about Nokia’s plan to come back to the smartphone market. After many rounds of updates, the lastest information we got was that, Nokia C1 will be featuring both Windows and Android OS. What leaves us curious is whether this means we will see 2 different versions or the phone itself can be switchable between the two. Nokia C1 specs as of now, include a 5.5-inch Full HD display, powerful 4GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a 64-bit MediaTek CPU. As for the camera, it is expected to boast a 20MP Pureview cam combined with an up to 8MP selfie shooter.

5. Nokia E1

Nokia E1 is the frequently talked-about celebrity among all Nokia smartphone renders. This beast rocks at very first sight with an elegant, classy and beautiful design that suggests a handy display for a surprisingly affordable price tag of around USD 200 – 250 ( which is about PHP 9,5K to 12K and Rs 13,6K to 17K). Nokia E1 is believed to sport 2GB RAM, 20MP Pureview camera and a decent battery (Which Nokia has always been famous for even with their feature phones)

Nokia E1 VS Lenovo Vibe X3

Recently, reliable sources have been claiming that, Nokia will be participating in MWC 2016 (Mobile World Congress 2016) held in Barcelona, Spain. This is contributing to confirm that Nokia is getting so close to launching a new smartphone this year. Would it be any of these 5 handsets that we mentioned?

F8 Effect : Now you can transfer money via Facebook Messenger

F8 Effect : Now you can transfer money via Facebook Messenger

Unknown   10:30:00

Facebook Messenger will very soon allow you to transfer money

In the lead-up to Facebook’s marquee F8 developer conference happening later today, it appears that other than announcement of new app features, Facebook has bigger plans for Messenger like including features like chatbots, videos or something as useful as transferring money.

While the feature is only available in the US currently, it is expected to go live soon. Here are a few steps to show how to send and receive money via Messenger:

Step 1) Payments on the app requires a debit card on both ends of the transaction, however, there is no attached cost to use the service. It offers PIN-based protection and what Facebook claims are “industry-leading security” standards. You need to add your debit card first to get started. For the Android app, you need to press the profile icon and then scroll down to payments to add the card. On the other hand for the iOS app, you will need to click on Settings, then Payments. Click on Add New Debit Card and complete that process.

Step 2) Once the card is added, open a new chat with the person whom you want the money or whom you want to request money from. Tap the little “more” icon in the toolbar, which is the one with three dots in a rectangular box and continue.

Step 3) Once you enter the Payments sub-menu or option, click on next to move to the Pay screen where you will be requested to enter the desired amount and then click on Pay to complete the transaction. On the other hand, the user needs to have already added a card to his account for the entire process to be successful.

Step 4) Instead of the ‘Pay’ option in the Payments sub-menu, you need to click on ‘Request’ and enter the amount and then finish the process to complete the transaction, in the event you want to request money from a contact. The transaction will appear as embedded item right in line with your existing chat with any of the one action. From there, just by tapping the recipient can either accept or reject the payment.

For those who use debit cards, this is a super easy way to perform electronic transactions on the move.

Indian telcos welcome TRAI's suggestion to reduce spectrum usage charges

Unknown   08:45:00

Indian telcos welcome TRAI's suggestion to reduce spectrum usage charges

The move is expected to entice more companies to take part in the ensuing auction of spectrum.

While telecom companies have been expressing concern over the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's recommendations in fixing reserve price for over 2000 MHz -- to be auctioned in the coming months -- the Department of Telecommunications has decided to slash spectrum usage charges from 5 percent to 3 percent of gross revenues on spectrum acquired in the ensuing auction.

This would entail savings of about $480 million (3200 crore rupees) to the cash-strapped mobile operators. The decision, which will be approved by the Indian Cabinet in the coming days, is also likely to benefit consumers as the phone charges would come down. The decision is a follow up of TRAI's suggestion to collect a uniform charge of 3 percent across all frequencies.

TRAI has recommended auction of spectrum across seven bands for this summer, including the much sought after 700 MHz, which is expected to fetch over $85 billion (5.34 lakh crore rupees) to the government.

The telecom companies, which are facing an acute financial crunch, have appealed to the government to defer the auctions for at least two years or reduce the prices to enable them participate in the bids.While some of service providers like Airtel have started acquiring spectrum from small companies by spending more than $1 billion so far as part of rolling out 4G services across the country, others like Reliance Jio have entered into an understanding with other firms in sharing the spectrum.

The government has not taken any decision on the regulator's recommendation but, in the backdrop of these developments, is looking at ways and means to make the companies rethink on participation in the next round of spectrum.

Terming the decision to reduce spectrum usage charges as a "first step in the right direction," the companies are demanding the government reduce the spectrum usage charges further.

"The government should bring down these charges to meet the administrative costs as the companies have already paid high amounts during earlier rounds of auction of spectrum," Ashok Sud, secretary general of the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUTSPI), said.

Speaking to ZDNet, Sud said that further reduction will also help in more investments by the mobile service operators which in turn would help them to improve services to its consumers.

According to a report in Business Standard, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged the government to impose the 3 percent spectrum usage charge in a uniform manner and bring it down to 1 percent in a phased manner.

In a letter to TRAI and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the association pointed out that there were different charges for spectrum assigned at different points of time. "The multiplicity of these rates leads to ambiguity while entering into transactions such as mergers and acquisitions (M&As), spectrum trading, and sharing, and a uniform rate will simplify calculations and remove arbitrage," the association said.

Indian Minister for Communication and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said in December last year that the telcos have to pay $8 billion in arrears to the government, half of it in the form of spectrum usage charges, but the service providers have challenged the claims in various courts where the cases are being heard.

"The cases are being defended vigorously in various courts and in the Supreme Court and action will be taken depending upon the judgments," he told the Indian Parliament.

Carbon Fiber Noodles

Carbon Fiber Noodles

Unknown   09:21:00

Carbon Fiber Noodles Could Save a Building From an Earthquake

ARCHITECTURE

The Komatsu Seiten Fabric Laboratory, wrapped in CABKOMA Strand Rods by Kengo Kuma. Photos by Takumi Ota

Seismic retrofitting is a major endeavor that requires bolting an older building to its foundation so it doesn't shake apart in an earthquake. But depending on a building's age and what materials it's made of, a traditional retrofit has the potential to destroy a structure in a different way-aesthetically. A Japanese company believes strings of carbon fiber could solve this problem, so it wrapped them around its headquarters to demonstrate how this might work.

Light as a feather

The super-light seismic reinforcement material named CABKOMA Strand Rod is made by the Komatsu Seiten Fabric Laboratory, which is based in Ishikawa, Japan. Yes, fabric: It's a carbon fiber core, wrapped in additional fibers, and coated with a thermoplastic resin. A 520-foot piece weighs less than a garden hose and can be carried in one hand.

Carbon fiber is one of the best ways to absorb shockwaves without adding bulk. It has a very high tensile strength; in fact, it's as strong as steel, but 90 percent lighter. And unlike rigid rods which require drilling for installation, the Strand Rod is a flexible, whisper-thin band that is secured using screws and an adhesive. It essentially works in the same way as the traditional brace-and-bolt, but instead of anchoring the building's walls to its foundation, it tethers the roof of the structure to the ground so that when the big shake hits, the entire building moves together.

Komatsu Seiten recruited the legendary architect Kengo Kuma and Ejiri Structural Engineers to collaborate on a visionary application for its headquarters, where they've used the Strand Rods as an architectural element. The strands drape off the side of the building like a harp, then are attached to the building's frame below the ground. The video above shows how the interior walls were strengthened by adding webs of the stuff throughout.

This doesn't necessarily mean Japan will go wrapping all buildings like rubber band balls. With the space the strands add to a structure's footprint, it's certainly not practical for dense cities or taller buildings. But I could definitely see it being used to protect an older, fragile landmark in a seismically active area that might not survive more invasive construction. Plus, the thin ribbons of carbon fiber look beautiful on their own. Think of it as a well-designed architectural safety net.

[Komatsu Seiten Fabric Laboratory]

How to Create Custom Start Menu Tiles in Windows 10

How to Create Custom Start Menu Tiles in Windows 10

Unknown   21:04:00

Although Windows 10 is jam packed with options to customize your user experience, some features are often disregarded by most users.

The Windows 10 Start Menu — designed to incorporate certain features of the previous Windows 8 metro theme — is a perfect example; the new Windows Start Menu incorporates tile and program fencing features, which all too often go unnoticed.

With our helpful tips, you can turn your plain Windows 10 Start Menu into a crisp and beautiful command console!

1. Customize System Settings

Some of the best customizing features of the Start Menu are already present in thesystem settings. Before jumping into tile customization, let’s go over a few easy changes.

Default Start Menu settings can be found under Start > Settings > Personalization > Start. Some of these settings, such as Use Start full screen, are great options, if you are using a Windows 10 tablet. There is also a Show more icons option, which increases the amount of programs you can add to a fence’s row from 3x to 4x medium tile spaces.

If you’re annoyed by how often you have to open File Explorer to access your Downloads folder, click on the Choose which folders appear on Start option to add certain folders directly onto your Start Menu.

If you’d like to add tiles to your Start Menu, right-click on any program and selectPin to Start. Once a program is added to the Start Menu, you can resize the icon by right-clicking the tile selecting Resize.

Programs like weather applications downloaded through the Windows Store even have built-in live tile features. Chrome applications and universal windows applications can be added to the Start Menu as well, along with any program located on your PC.

By default, you can also activate the fence feature in Windows 10 by dragging a tile below or above another to create a section. You can label the tile grouping in the space provided as well.

These are the most basic and useful default changes you can apply to your Start Menu. We recommend populating your Stat Menu with your favorite and most used application, so you can start customizing!

2. Try Better StartMenu

Better StartMenu is a popular and highly ranked Start Menu customizing program, which offers easy to use tile customization for your favorite programs. The software comes in two parts: Better StartMenu and StartMenu Helper. The Helper program saves the tile data, including the name, icon, and path of the program, while Better StartMenu adds the tile onto your Start Menu.

Although the program lists a cost of $2.99, the trial version has no limitations. When you open the program, a screen pops up with three sections.

The first section tells you to download the StartMenu Helper. Clicking on the section will lead you to a website where you can download the Helper application. The Helper application downloads as a zipped file, so unzip the file to get started. Double click on the application file located in the folder to open Helper.

Better StartMenu Helper

To create a new tile, select New Tile, then click on the Auto Generate all from a single image button to select an image for your tile. This option will automatically resize the picture; if you would like to use a different icon for different sized tiles, click on the image size and select your image.

There are several ways to go about finding pictures for your tile. The easiest way to find large selections of high quality icons is through a website like Flaticons, which provides free downloadable icons packs to use.

Note: Different customization software requires different picture formats to function; Better StartMenu requires PNG files to create custom Start Menu tiles.

Name the tile whatever you’d like under Other options. You may also add a background color, if you are using an icon with a transparent background, along with adding simple or advanced titles.

The Action section will provide a path for your program. The Action Type drop-down menu specifies which type of file or folder you wish to open. This is very convenient if you are, for example, a video editor, who regularly requires access to an external hard drive or raw video folder. The Select entry is where you will link the tile to the path or program you wish to open. 

The simplest way to link the path, is to use a tile already pinned onto your Start Menu. Access the file path under Start > right-click tile > More > Open file location. Next, Right-click Program > Properties to access the specific file location and copy the Target location. Paste the location into the Select entry of Better StartMenu Helper.

Click on Generate tile data and your tile will show up in the Better StartMenu program.

After you’ve generated the tile data, open Better StartMenu, click on your newly created tile in the second section and click Pin select tile to Start Menu to add the custom tile to your Start Menu.

Finally, position your tile and enjoy your fully functional and fully stylized Start Menu tile. The potentiality of Better StartMenu is endless, so feel free to tinker with the program to create the perfect Start Menu tiles for your PC.

3. Add Steam Tiles

One of the best looking functions you can provide for your Start Menu is adding game tiles. The Steam Tile application available in the Windows Store serves this very purpose.

The only thing you need to provide for this program is your SteamID. You can access your SteamID by opening Steam > Account Name > Profile > Edit Profile > Custom URL. Add your preferred URL and click Save Changes.

Once you have created your Steam ID, enter it into the Steam Tile welcome screen and you can pin your steam games to your Start Menu.

The difference between simply adding gaming programs to your Start Menu and using Steam Tiles is stark and impressive. This also allows you gaming access without having to open the Steam library.

If you use more than one gaming client, consider Pin More (also available in the Windows Store). Pin More offers the same functionality as Steam Tile, but with a larger range of customization and gaming clients.

Using these programs will not only make your Start Menu a program repository, but a gaming command console as well!

Start Menu Turned Program Platter

The tile service offered in Windows 10 conserves the sleekness of Windows 8 tiles, without the overbearing Metro / Modern UI theme. Customization was the only default feature lacking from turning this service into a genuine facet of the Windows 10 experience. With these programs, you can finally free your Start Menu and take advantage of yet another subtle and dynamic feature present on your PC.