The long wait for Nexus 4
Android fans are a bit anguished by the wait for the Google Nexus 4 launch in India. Though there are rumours that LG might bring to India the much-awaited handset, there is also a strong speculation that the price might be considerably marked up for the Indian market.
The Nexus series delivers the “pure Google” experience on mobile devices without any of the manufacturers’ skins or alterations. The Nexus devices — Nexus 4 smartphone and the Nexus 7 tablet — have received good reviews the world over and have been among the first to come pre-installed with the latest mobile operating system Android Jelly Bean (4.1 and above). While the Nexus 7 tablet manufactured by Asus have already hit the retails stores here, the Nexus 5 by LG is yet to arrive.
Modern Internet is 30 years old
The modern-day Internet turned 30 years old on January 1. It was on January 1, 1983 that the now standard TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol) became the default protocol for all communications on the Internet. Writing about it on the official Google Blog - http://googleblog.blogspot.in/ - Vint Cerf, one of the “founding fathers of the Internet and co-designer of the protocol, recalls the day when all hosts were asked to switch over to the new standard: “When the day came, it’s fair to say the main emotion was relief, especially amongst those system administrators racing against the clock. There were no grand celebrations — I can’t even find a photograph. The only visible mementos were the “I survived the TCP/IP switchover” pins proudly worn by those who went through the ordeal!”
For all practical purposes, it is fair to say the Internet we know today started with the switchover to the TCP/IP. “Yet, in hindsight, it’s obvious it was a momentous occasion. On that day, the operational Internet was born. TCP/IP went on to be embraced as an international standard, and now underpins the entire Internet.”
Inspirational blogger signs off
K-pop singer Psy might have been the undisputed Internet star of 2012, with his ‘Gangnam Style’ garnering more than a billion views but towards the end of the year another unlikely star emerged: a 92-year-old Englishman George White whose blog “Grey Cavalier” that captured the imagination of Tweeters around the world. He took to blogging after the death of his wife of 67 years, after which he received his first passport and undertook a trip to Switzerland. The blog which was started in November, sadly came to an end on December 31, with Mr. White, overwhelmed by the support he received, and thanking everyone and noting that the blog was closed because he could respond to every person who offered support. He signed off saying: “I wish every one of you good health and happiness for 2013, thank-you so so much.”
