IBM Lotus Symphony - Request Free CDs in India

IBM Lotus Symphony is free Office productivity suite based on OpenOffice.org and supports the ODF file formats. It includes a Word Processor, Spreadsheet and a Presentation program much like Google Docs or a starter edition of Microsoft Office - see screenshots.

Symphony software is available as a free download for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X systems but if you are using a slow internet connection, you can ask IBM to send you the Lotus Symphony installer CD for free.

Just fill in this request form and an IBM Lotus Symphony CD will delivered to your place free of cost. Valid in India only.

Creative Mobile Wallpapers Pack (240 x 320)

Creative Mobile Wallpapers Pack (240 x 320)

Creative Mobile Wallpapers Pack (240 x 320)
82 jpeg images

Cell phone money transfers going international

When online payment services like PayPal were first launched over a decade ago, the sudden and disturbing ease with which regular people could electronically transfer money between each other online was nothing less than miraculous. Not only was it faster and easier than withdrawing cash from an ATM or even doing a wire transfer, an average Joe could accept credit card payments from other users without having to invest in any sort of equipment or processing system. That phenomenon is happening all over again in the form of cash transfers via text message. If you live in a country where there's a participating carrier and banking institution that supports it, all you have to do is send an SMS to your friend in order for money to virtually change hands.

One such carrier is Vodafone, which plans to announce a partnership with Western Union today that will allow users to make international money transfers just by using their cell phones. The companies, according to the Wall Street Journal, will initially launch a pilot program in parts of the UK that will allow them to send money to friends and family in Kenya. Assuming the service is as popular as many expect it to be, Vodafone plans to expand the service to other countries as an add-on service.

This will be the first time a company has gotten into the international money transfer business using text messages, but domestic money transfers via SMS have been around for a while. Users in the Philippines and India have been transferring money domestically via cell phones for some time, and Vodafone runs a domestic money transfer service in Kenya, Tanzania, and Afghanistan called M-Pesa that now has some 4 million users.

The Chicago Tribune outlines the story of a Kenyan mother of two who normally has to travel an hour by bus to get to a money-wiring office to receive cash from her husband, but can now get the money easily by text message. "It saves time, it saves money and it is safer," she told the newspaper. Other Kenyans now depend upon M-Pesa to get paid by their employers, who no longer need to take the dangerous risk of carrying around bags of cash on payday (banks are few and far between in many rural areas).

But you don't have to live on the other side of the world in order to being playing around with mobile money transfers. Obopay, a US-based company, offers a PayPal-like service that allows users to send and receive money. However, Obopay also allows users to text message each other with virtual cash, something that PayPal doesn't offer quite yet (Update: it appears as if PayPal does offer SMS payments after all). The cool part about Obopay is that you don't need to sign up for an account in order to retrieve cash that someone has sent you—just enter your personal information and bank details for wherever you want the money transferred, and it will show up there.

Apple's new in-ear headphones set to ship in about a week

Just yesterday, there were gripes about Apple's long-awaited, big-pimpin' new in-ear headphones and why they hadn't materialized. They were, after all, promised to arrive in October at the Let's Rock media event in September. This morning, however, AppleInsider brought it to our attention that orders are now being accepted via the Apple Store online, and the headphones are expected to ship in seven to 10 days.

Rumor has it that the headphones had to go back to the drawing board because Steve Jobs wasn't satisfied with the audio and build quality, despite saying in October, "I think we got it right this time." Though by no means cheap at $79, Apple's In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic include dual drivers for improved frequency response, volume and track control, and an integrated microphone for recording. Similar headphones from the likes of Shure or Audio Technica sell for about double that price and lack the remote control and mic features.

One curious detail is that Apple doesn't list the headphones as being compatible with any iPhone model—something that was confirmed to us directly by an Apple rep in September. This is apparently due to the fact the iPhones aren't designed to have the volume controlled remotely, though it seems like a firmware update could easily fix that. They are, on the other hand, fully compatible with the latest iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod touch, however.

Whatever the delay issues might have been, Apple is now ready to sell you a pair, and should ship in plenty of time for the holidays.

AT&T now offering iPhone 3G online with at-home activation

Though rumors of in-home iPhone activations in September were quickly dashed when it was revealed that AT&T was simply offering a "pre-qualification" program, AT&T is now offering customers the chance to buy an iPhone 3G online and finish the activation process at home through iTunes.

If you'd rather not leave the house to pick up an iPhone 3G, AT&T has you covered.

A banner on AT&T's wireless website promotes online buying of an iPhone 3G for the holidays. Clicking though leads to a page to select an iPhone 3G model, and even offers free overnight shipping. It appears as though the offer only applies to new customers, however. Those with existing AT&T accounts are still directed to "purchase it at a store near you."

Though Gadgetell broke the news early this morning, the blog later posted an update that AT&T representatives were giving conflicting information about the offer. We verified with AT&T that this is the real deal, however. "The device ships activated," AT&T spokesperson Brad Mays told Ars. "But a customer must accept terms and conditions over the phone with customer care or online at att.com—the same process for other phones purchased online—after which he or she will simply sync the device with iTunes to use it."

Since the iPhone requires a contract and activation via a wireless carrier in most countries, Apple is not selling the iPhone online except in Hong Kong and the UK. In the US, AT&T is now the only way to get an iPhone 3G from the comfort of your own home.

Buzz up!

Santa Claus World Championship

Participants of the 'Clau Wau - Santa Claus World Championship' pose in front of a 60 metres/197ft. high hot-air balloon in the village of Samnaun in the eastern Swiss Alps November 29, 2008. Some15 international teams are competing in events such as chimney climbing and donkey racing at the championship. [Agencies]

OrbLive streams live television to your iPhone

Here at Gear Live, we’ve been big fans of Orb for quite a while. Back in the original iPhone days, they made an app that was only available on jailbroken phones that we really liked - we just knew it needed to run at 3G speeds to be useful when on the go. The time has finally come, though, as OrbLive has hit the App Store. To back up for a moment, Orb allows you to access files and media on your home computer while on the go. This means that any music on your home computer can now be played on your iPhone from wherever you are. Videos too. Oh, and if you have a TV tuner in your computer, Orb will even allow you to tap into that and watch live television on the go as well. Isn’t that off the hook?

The one caveat for the time being is that the Orb PC software is only available for Windows - but the Orb folks are promising that versions for Mac and Linux are coming soon. We definitely recommend this one - grab the full version of OrbLive for $9.99, or if you are on the fence, there is also a demo version, OrbLive Free.