Latest recruitment for SSC to conduct All India Examination for Delhi Police Central Armed Police Forces recruitment

Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued the notification regarding All India Examination for Recruitment to the Post of Sub-Inspectors in Delhi Police & Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assistant Sub-Inspectors in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for the current year 2014.

Company: 
Delhi Police & Central Armed Police Forces

Vacancies: 2892
Central Reserved Police Force    2197  
Central Industrial Security Force    564  
Delhi Police    131

Eligibility 
Candidates should be a Graduate at least and should have valid driving licence
Those applicants should be minimum 20 years and & maximum 25 years old

Selection procedure:

Written examination is conducted for two papers in two separate days separated by three months. Each paper is of 200 marks with duration of two hours. Selected candidates will be called for medical test followed by physical fitness and interview conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC).

How to apply

Off-line Mode of Application

For filling the offline application, download the application format and send the duly filled application with fees, to the concerned Regional Office/Sub Regional Offices of the Commission

Submit application fee by means of "Central Recruitment Fee Stamps (CRFS)"only. 

Applicants have to paste their latest photograph

On-line Mode of Application

Visit the official website of SSC to apply online

The online application contains two parts Part-I Registration and Part-II Registration. The last date of filling the both parts is different. 

Upload scanned signature and photograph of specified dimensions in JPG format

Submit the requisite application fees through Challan form of the State Bank of India or through SBI net banking.

The women candidates candidates belonging to Scheduled tribe, Scheduled caste, physically handicapped and ex-serviceman categories along with the female candidates are exempted from submitting the application fee.

Important dates:

Last Date for receipt of application form                : 11th April, 2014
Last date for receipt of the abroad application forms: 18th April, 2014
Online Mode :   
Last Date for Registration of Part 1  : 9th April, 2014
Last Date for Registration of Part 2  : 11th April, 2014

Written examination Paper 1: June 22, 2014
Written examination Paper 2: September 21, 2014

Official application link:
http://ssconline.nic.in.
http://ssconline2.gov.in

Besharam music is fun.Ranbir Kapoor is now synonymous with fabulous music

Though the soundtrack of Besharam doesn't quite match expectations, it is still fun and peppy and keeps you engaged, feels Joginder Tuteja.

There are huge, really huge, expectations from the soundtrack ofBesharam.

After all, Ranbir Kapoor is now synonymous with fabulous music. His last three releases Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Barfi!and Rockstar are testimony to that.

Moreover, filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap's Dabangg had boasted of some chartbuster music too.

For his Besharam though, he decides to do away with Sajid-Wajid and instead ropes in Lalit Pandit, as the sole composer. Lalit had scored the blockbuster song Munni Badnaam inDabangg.

It is tough to digest title song Besharam at the first listen. With lyrics like Paidaa Nangaa Hua To Kaahe Ki Sharam, this Shree D sung track tries to be cool, peppy and fun.

However, despite a club setting to it, one takes time to warm up to it. Unlike Batameez Dilwhich had a similar appeal, this one with Ishq Bector rapping Besharam (it also appears in a remix version) loses its steam during the antara portions. Himanshu Kishan Mehra has penned the lyrics.

There is an attempt to bring on element of fun in a quintessential nok-jhonk number Tere Mohalle.

For a change, Mamta Sharma sings for a heroine instead of crooning for an item girl. She does well, with Aishwarya Nigam for company. With a small town appeal to it, this desi number, written by Nikhat Khan, has a racy feel to it.

Up next is Love Ki Ghanti, which is the unofficial desi version of Italian number Bella Ciao. One can't deny that in spirit, it has a very Kishore Kumar feel to it, right from the mukhda to the portions that follow. A Rajeev Barnwal written song which has a conversational appeal to it, it also has Sujeet Shetty singing like Kishore Kumar, especially in the 50s/60s.

Leaving aside the 'inspiration', Love Ki Ghanti (which also appears in a 'remix version' and has Ranbir Kapoor and Amitosh Nagpal being heard as well), is some good fun for sure.

'Inspirations' continue to make their presence felt, this time quite loud and clear, in Dil Kaa Jo Haal Hai. Starting off as Jo Haal Dil Ka, which was Jatin-Lalit's composition from Sarfarosh, it soon takes a turn with the sound that is straight out of Na Kar Deewana, a chartbuster track by Pakistani band Roxen, which was later (officially) heard again in Tera Mera Rishta [Awarapan].

Now if one is willing to leave behind the 'heard before' factor, this Abhijeet and Shreya Ghoshal number written by Rajeev Barnwal makes for a good hearing indeed, first as an original (!) and the later in the 'remix' format.

Just when one wondered whether a true original number would follow soon, there arrives Tu Hai, which is a sweet love song that has Shreya Ghoshal beginning the portions.

Now this one has a vintage Jatin-Lalit feel to it, though it is only the latter half of the jodi which is at the helm of affairs here. No, one is not looking at the next chartbuster in the offering here but from sheer 'serene' quotient that comes in, Tu Hi does well, especially once Sonu Nigam comes at the helm of affairs, albeit belatedly. One wishes that this Nikhat Azmi written song came earlier though later an 'unplugged' version makes up for it.

After a couple of love songs arrives Aa Re Aa Re which has Rajeev Barnwal returning as a lyricist. First things first, this is one song which is basically for those who have loved Govinda songs in the 1990s.

With the kind of high beats that this yet another nok-jhok number in the album enjoys, especially in the 'remix', it has Mika Singh coming behind the mike with Shreya Ghoshal joining him. One can safely say that with Salman Khan in there, it could well have been a Ready orBodyguard moment. Now with Ranbir in there, expect the youngster to be seen in a new avtarhere, especially with lyrics like Dil Mera Engine Hua Re.

The album began with a club song Besharam and ends with one too as Chal Hand Uthake Nachche arrives next. One of the rare instances where Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh come together, this Kumaar written number has Sunidhi Chauhan joining them as well. Expected to be a song that would play in the end credit title rolls, this one actually gets into the Pritam territory. Aided by some vibrant picturisation and high octane promotion, this one could well cover some distance.

Ever since the promotion of Besharam has begun, some flak has come its way for various reasons. Now though the soundtrack isn't quite the kind that matches up to the kind of high that one was expecting, it still is fun and peppy enough to keep you engaged right through the duration that it plays. 

Hackers offered cash, booze to crack iPhone fingerprint security

 Hackers are gearing up for iPhone 5S release with a contest to crack the device's first-ever fingerprint scanner, a high-tech feature thatApple Inc says makes users' data more secure.

A micro venture capital firm joined a group of security researchers to offer more than $13,000 in cash along with bottles of booze, Bitcoin currency, books and other goodies to the first hacker who breaks the device in a contest promoted on the website.

Arturas Rosenbacher, founding partner of Chicago's IO Capital, which donated $10,000 to the hacking competition, said that the effort will bring together some of the hacking community's smartest minds to help Apple identify bugs that it may have missed.

"This is to fix a problem before it becomes a problem," he said. "This will make things safer."

Meanwhile, Forbes.com reported that a 36-year-old soldier living in Spain's Canary Islands, Jose Rodriguez, has already uncovered a security vulnerability affecting iOS 7, which Apple began distributing to existing iPhone and iPad customers on Wednesday.

The publication said that it is possible to bypass the lock screen of those devices in seconds to access photos, email, Twitter and other applications. It included a video demonstration on its website and advice on how users could thwart the bypass technique:

Among those gearing up for the fingerprint reader hacking contest is David Kennedy, a former US Marine's cyberintelligence analyst who did two tours in Iraq and now runs his own consulting firm, TrustedSec LLC.

"I am just waiting to get my hands on it to figure out how to get around it first," the founder of the DerbyCon hacking conference told the Thomson Reuters Global Markets Forum this week. "I'll be up all night trying."

Why worry?
Security experts worry about the implications of using the module to grant access to sensitive data on the phone and potentially enabling mobile purchases.

The fingerprint scanner on the top-of-the-line iPhone lets users unlock their devices or make purchases on iTunes by simply pressing their finger on the home button. It has been hailed as a major step in popularizing the use of biometrics in personal electronics.

Security engineer Charlie Miller, known in hacking circles for uncovering major bugs in the iPhone as well as circumventing security in Apple's App Store, said it could take fewer than two weeks for Kennedy or some other smart hacker to get around the new lock.

Once they're in, they could gain access to the cornucopia of data typically stored on a user's iPhone and might potentially be able to buy goods from iTunes and Apple's App store.

Apple declined to comment for this article.

To be sure, experts say they know of nothing intrinsically wrong with Apple's fingerprint reader, based on what the company has so far disclosed. Reviewers this week gushed over its ease of use and reliability.

The reader's sapphire crystal sensor is embedded in the phone's home button and reviews the fingerprint as a user touches it to verify his or her identity.

Data used for verification is encrypted and stored in a secure enclave of the phone's A7 processor chip. No information is sent to any remote servers, including Apple's iCloud system.

HD Moore, a well-known hacking expert and chief researcher with the security software maker Rapid7, said such protections mean "the bar is a little bit higher," but that certainly won't discourage hackers from trying to break the new technology.

"This is definitely something to target and something people will want to go after," he said.

Nothing personal
Apple shouldn't take hackers' enthusiasm personally.

All major electronics products are subjected to similar scrutiny as new features are rolled out, including devices from Google, Microsoft and Samsung Electronics.

For example, in 2012, Charlie Miller led a team that demonstrated techniques for taking over smartphones running Google's Android software through their use of near-field communications, or NFC, a wireless technology used for sharing data or making purchases at point-of-sales terminals.

Bugs are often disclosed by "white hats," hackers who unearth flaws and report them so manufacturers can repair them, preventing criminal exploitation. The hope is the good guys find them before "black hats" uncover them for nefarious purposes.

White hats have found multiple security issues with iPhones, iPads and in the App store since Apple launched its first smartphone in 2007. They say that scrutiny has helped make it one of the most secure devices on the market today.

Apple executives said at last week's iPhone launch that the new fingerprint reader, dubbed Touch ID, will help make phones far more secure by dint of its ease of use.

About half of all smartphone users don't bother to use current screen-locking technology because of the inconvenience of keying in multiple-digit passwords. Apple is betting users may be far more willing to avail themselves of a solution that requires a single finger-swipe.

"The technology within Touch ID is some of the most advanced hardware and software we put in any device," Dan Riccio, senior vice president of hardware engineering, said at the event.

Kennedy said he needs to examine the new iPhone to figure out how to best attempt an attack.

He said his choices include hacking the software that analyzes the fingerprint data, or physically opening up the phone and connecting it to a custom-built device that would impersonate Apple's fingerprint reader.

He added that it might be possible to lift a user's fingerprint from elsewhere on the device and somehow make a clone of it.

Rich Mogul, an analyst with the security research firm Securosis, said he planned to use it and expects it to be widely adopted despite the fact that hackers are circling.

"Nobody has gotten their hands on it to see what the weaknesses are and how easy it is to crack," Mogul said.

She fought obesity, asthma, Nina’s granny says

 Oblivious of the racial slurs being heaped on her granddaughter who won the Miss America pageant, Nina Davuluri's 85-year-old grandmother V Koteswaramma is rejoicing. 

"I am not surprised. I was always confident she would go places as I was aware of her abilities and dedication," said Koteswaramma. Her home at Moghalrajapuram was busy with family friends and relatives trooping in to congratulate the grandparents since Monday morning. 

Recalling how her grand-daughter struggled before reaching the pinnacle, Koteswaramma said that Nina overcame two obstacles, asthma and obesity. "I can only say that Nina will not stop here," she said. 

A relative said Nina was the only one in her immediate family who did not pursue medicine. While her parents, father Koteswara Chowdary and mother Sheila Ranjani, are doctors in the US, her maternal aunt and uncle too are doctors. Nina's elder sister, Meena, is in her third year of medicine. Her paternal uncles are also doctors in US. 

"Nina too wanted to study medicine and become a cardiologist. But she took a new route and has now won the Miss America title," Koteswaramma beamed. She said Nina was a loves Telugu films and culture and is a trained Kuchipudi and Bharat Natyam dancer. 

Koteswara shifted to the US soon after his marriage in 1981. Sheila is on the board of Montessori Kalasala as vice-president and visits the city at least once in two years. The girls of the Montessori celebrated the Nina's new title. 

Nina last visited Vijaywada city in 2007 soon after becoming first runners up in Miss America'soutstanding teen contest. However, except for Koteswaramma's close family circle, very few in the city knew of her until she was crowned Miss America. Nina is a graduate in cognitive science from Michigan university. 

Earlier, a Vijayawada girl, Gadde Sindhoora won the 'Femina Miss India' title and reached the Miss World semi-finals in 2005. 

Google Glass Could Soon Accompany Surgeons into the Operating Room

For the Everyman, wearing Google Glass seems a bit like overkill. Who needs to always be connected or record every minute of your life? But for specialty jobs that require a high level of expertise, say a heart surgeon, Google Glass might come in pretty handy, in fact it might just save your life. Surgeons and doctors may be some of the earlier adopter of Google Glass, which would allow them to view patient scans and monitor critical vital information while performing procedures. We just hope they aren’t using it to watch a PGA tournament or check their stocks while you’re under the knife. Think we’re years away still from Google Glass being used in surgery. Think again, it’s already happening. At the recent Rock Health conference in San Francisco, Dr. Pierre Theodore discussed his use of Google Glass during surgery to help him visualize anatomy while working on the patient. Glass was used to project images of the patient’s CT scans so Theodore could refer to them to help with the procedure. He explained that using Glass wasn’t disruptive, but in fact helpful to his work and described it as “akin to the switch a driver makes when glancing in the rear-view mirror.”

Google Glass can also be used to record a live surgery (with consent of course) for use in teaching situations. Since Glass allows hands-free recording from the viewer’s perspective, the video of a surgery from the surgeon himself is incredibly as a useful teaching tool. Other uses for Google Glass discussed at the Rock Health conference envision doctors wearing Glass while talking with patients to record histories and discussions for review at a later time. When connected with healthcare applications and software, like Augmedix is developing specifically for Google Glass, this could reduce the time doctors spend doing paper work and give them more time to attend to patients.

Apple set to announce two iPhones with eye on India, China

SAN FRANCISCO: The handset market is so brutally competitive that Apple, the most successful smartphone maker, is preparing to step up its game this week by offering two new iPhones instead of one.

At an event on Tuesday at its Cupertino, California, headquarters, the company is set to unveil for customers worldwide a new iPhone with a faster processor, along with another model that will be sold at a lower cost.

The company's profit growth has slowed in response to a saturated handset market in America and parts of Europe. Many people already own a smartphone and are not upgrading to new devices as often as before.

A lower-cost smartphone could allow Apple to expand into overseas markets — especially China, where the iPhone has been highly desired among many consumers but is just out of reach because of its price.

"A cheaper model will open up the market significantly for Apple," said Chetan Sharma, an independent telecom analyst who consults for phone carriers.

Apple declined to comment on the new products. But analysts expect the higher-priced model to be an improvement over the current iPhone, including a faster processor and better camera flash, as well as a fingerprint sensor for security.

The second iPhone is expected to be a cheaper version of the soon-to-be-outdated iPhone 5, coming in a variety of colors, with a plastic case instead of aluminum. Analysts expect the full price of the lower-cost iPhone to be $300 to $400, positioning it as a midtier product.

Apple has been enormously successful, with the iPhone driving most of its revenue. In the second quarter, the company took 53% of the profit in the global smartphone market, with SamsungElectronics, which uses Google Android software to run its smartphones, taking the rest, according to a survey by Canaccord Genuity, an investment bank.

But both Apple and Samsung face a common enemy: the tide of manufacturers that produce dirt-cheap Android phones. While they make all the profits, Apple and Samsung have seen their combined share of the worldwide smartphone market drop to 43% in the second quarter from 49% a year earlier. The makers of cheaper phones — including Huawei, Yulong and ZTE of China, and Micromax and Karbonn of India — are raking in sales in emerging markets where high-end smartphones are not popular.

"We've had several indications from the handset market that vendors are in real trouble," said Tero Kuittinen, an analyst for Alekstra, a mobile diagnostics firm. "The biggest threat to all the companies seems to be the low-end Androids."

In terms of sales, smartphones surpassed traditional flip phones this year. There are a few markets remaining where traditional cellphones are still outselling the smartphone, including India, Brazil and Russia. Data from Qualcomm suggests that Latin America, China and India are adding substantially higher numbers of smartphone subscriptions than North America, Japan, Korea and Europe.

China, with its huge population, is an attractive target for Apple. But Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, said recently in a call with investors that the company was puzzled about why sales of its products were struggling in China. Sales there fell 4% in the second quarter compared with the same quarter last year. And Apple's sales in Hong Kong were down about 20%.

A cheaper iPhone could help it gain traction in China, depending on its cost.

Analysts said the introduction of the cheaper iPhone would probably coincide with an expected partnership deal with China Mobile, which has about 700 million subscribers — about seven times as many as Verizon Wireless. Capturing even a small percentage of China Mobile customers would translate to tens of millions more iPhone sales.

Apple already sells its phones in China through China Telecom, a major network operator, but it slipped into sixth place among smartphone makers there in the second quarter, with a share of only 4.8%, according to Canalys, a research firm. Over all, China is the largest smartphone market in the world, accounting for one-third of worldwide shipments of smartphones in the second quarter; the United States is in second place, accounting for about 14% of shipments in the same period, according to Canalys.

Despite Apple's efforts to keep its plans secret, clues about the new iPhones leaked out. China Telecom briefly posted a message last week on a blog platform soliciting early orders for the new devices. It identified the high-end model as the iPhone 5S, and the lower-cost one as the iPhone 5C. The post was later removed. A spokesman for China Telecom declined to comment, citing nondisclosure agreements.

In Japan, where Apple is much stronger but faces a renewed challenge from domestic smartphone makers like Sony, the company has struck a deal to sell the iPhone with the country's biggest mobile phone carrier, NTT Docomo, two people briefed on the situation said Friday. Docomo has 60 million customers, but it has been losing market share to Japan's other two main mobile operators, SoftBank and KDDI, which operates under the brand name au. Both have been marketing Apple's phones aggressively, giving Apple a 40% share of smartphone sales in the first quarter, according to IDC, a research firm.

Historically, so that it can protect the quality of its products as well as profit margins, Apple has refused to make cheaper products just to get more customers. Therefore, a lower-cost iPhone would most likely be positioned as a midtier product, similar to the approach Apple took with the iPad Mini. At $330, the iPad Mini is cheaper than the bigger, $500 iPad, but not as affordable as the smaller Android tablets offered by Google and Amazon, which cost from $160 to $230.

Realistically, a lower-cost iPhone will be $300 to $400 at full price, Mr Kuittinen, the Alekstra analyst, said, significantly less than the current iPhone, which costs $650. Overseas, many phone carriers charge full price because they do not subsidize the upfront cost of a smartphone the way carriers do in the United States. And while a lower-cost iPhone would drive up Apple's revenue, it would probably not be a blockbuster hit in economically disadvantaged markets, Mr. Kuittinen said.

"Nobody is saying Apple should have a $130 iPhone," he said, "but if they price this iPhone 5C at $400 or above, it's just not going to be effective in countries like India, China or even Brazil."

Still, even if the price is fairly high, a cheaper iPhone should appeal to a subset of people in developing countries who flaunt gadgets as status symbols, like jewelry. People who were on the fence about buying an iPhone might pay a little extra just to be able to show off, Mr. Sharma, the telecom analyst, said. "Consumers are willing to shell out money to own a brand," he said. "I think a $300 price gives them a chance to own it."

Forward head posture condition causes neck, shoulder pain

You may have superpowers in the virtual world of gaming . But the moment the game ends, a stab of pain shoots through your neck. If you ignore the warning signs, you may develop forward head posture, which could lead to headache and toothache, say physiotherapists.

Slouching and walking with your head slumped forward while looking into the computer screen, riding a bike or carrying a heavy backpack could cause forward head posture (FHP), also known as pokey chin posture . It can also be caused by your sleeping position.

Some headaches caused by FHP are misdiagnosed as migraines or cluster headaches , said physiotherapist C Anand Jothi on World Physical Therapy Day on Sunday. This year's theme is 'movement for health' . "We have many patients who go to doctors with constant headaches. The headache disappears once the posture is corrected," said Jothi, who owns a physiotherapy institute in city. Half the patients this institute treats each month have FHP, he said.

The right sitting posture is one in which the tip of the ear is almost in line with the shoulder. With every inch that you put your head forward , the weight on the spine increases by 5kg, said Jothi, who has been conducting awareness programmes on correct posture in schools and other institutions.

FHP starts with pain in the neck and shoulders, and gradually impacts adjoining muscles , leading to pain in the upper head and toothache. "In advanced cases, muscles tighten and can lead to giddiness," said M Hamsraj, chief consultant physiotherapist at a physiotherapy centre in city. Extreme cases can involve arthritis or disc prolapse. Most patients with FHP are between 25 and 40, say therapists. "The problem starts from childhood for some. Children who put their head forward constantly while listening to teachers or looking at the blackboard tend to maintain the same posture throughout," said Hamsraj.

FHP can be avoided by simply correcting the sitting, standing and driving postures with exercises. "We treat FHP by correcting postures . We also use manipulative therapy, in which we use our hands to find the exact spot of pain and treat it. The treatment could take up to four weeks," said Jothi.

The physiotherapy department in Government General Hospital also does manipulative therapy. Senior physiotherapist Krishnan said, "We get lot of patients with muscle or joint pain. We diagnose the area of the pain use physiotherapy to ttreat the problem. This doesn't involve any medicine and there are no side effects."

The treatment doesn't stop with therapy. The patient has to correct his or her posture to avoid further problems, said Hamsraj. "In addition to treatment, we suggest muscle strengthening exercises. Continuing with the exercises is a must," he said.

KBC gets its first Crorepati

History teacher Taj Mohammed Rangrez from Udaipur wins 1 Crore ​on Sony Entertainment Television's Kaun Banega Crorepati


The moment came to a standstill when host Mr.Amitabh Bachchan of India's most loved quiz game show Kaun Banega Crorepati tossed the next question in front of the hot seat contestant Taj Mohammed Rangrez and said "barwah sawal Ek Crore ke liye, yeh raha apke saamne".

Taj Mohammed Rangrez a history teacher from Udaipur, Rajasthan is the first contestant this season to walk away with the most desired title of a "Crorepati" on this life changing game show. 

On being crowned as the first crorepati of Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati, an elated Taj said, "It is a moment to rejoice & celebrate and extremely difficult to believe that 'I am a Crorepati'. It is splendid indeed to know that I am also the first contestant this season to have won Rs. 1 Crore. I was confident of the game and did not want to exhaust my lifelines at the start of the game itself. Now that I have won, my priority remains in treating my 7 year old daughter who is partially blind. Also I wish to buy a house, educate three underprivileged girls and get two orphan girls married." 

Taj Mohammed Rangrez has basked in the glory of being the first contestant from the city of Palaces - Udaipur to win One crore in Kaun Banega 'Maha' Crorepati. Taj seemed very confident from the very beginning and there was no looking back for him after acing the Fastest Finger First round. A history teacher in Fatehgarh school, Taj Mohammed has been teaching for the past 10 years. He made his intentions clear when he answered every question confidently and kept away from using the lifelines until the 9th question for Rs 12.50 lakhs. Amidst all these, Taj added that he was playing this game for his daughter who is partially blind. The amount that he wins will be used to add a ray of hope to his daughter's life. 

Taj was joined on stage by his elder sister who took in the moment of becoming a Crorepati family. Mr. Bachchan also complimented the fact on how well Taj played and that they already have a Crorepati in the second week of the show.

Samsung Galaxy Gear. $299 for this really expensive Smart Watch!

Samsung unveiled its Smart Watch Galaxy Gear at IFA Berlin today. It features a 1.6 inch touch screen and shows notifications such as emails, msgs, calls, time, weather, stocks and pairs with your Galaxy high-end devices only. It costs $299 and will be available for retail from September 25th

Happy Birthday Google! The Internet giant turns 15 today

Internet search giant Google, which initially set shop in a garage but now has more than 70 offices in more than 40 global locations, including India, turned 15. 

Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who had met at university in 1995, incorporated the firm September 4, 1998. 

Originally called BackRub, it was eventually named Google. 

Since then, it has become synonymous with internet searching. 

And one can use Gmail in more than 50 languages. 

Befitting the occasion, Google has named the next version of the company's mobile operating system (OS) as Android KitKat after Nestle's popular chocolate and wafer confectionery. 

KitKat will be Android 4.4. "We couldn't imagine a better name for our Android K release than the tasty chocolate that's been a favorite among the team since the early days of Android," said Marc Vanlerberghe, director of Android marketing. 

According to Google, Android software powers more than a billion smartphones or tablets worldwide. 

Smartphones powered by Google's Android software increased their global market share as iPhones lost ground in the absence of new models being unleashed by Apple, the International Data Corporation reported last month. 

There are also reports Google will launch a Glass app store sometime next year. 

Nestle said that to mark the release of Android KitKat, more than 50 million specially brandedKitKat  bars will be available in 19 countries, including India. 

The packs will lead consumers to the website www.android.com/kitkat where they will have the opportunity to win prizes, including a limited number of Google Nexus 7 tablets, and credits to spend in Google Play. 

A small number of Android robot-shaped KitKat bars will be offered as prizes in selected markets.

Microsoft to acquire Nokia's device and services division As part of $7.2 billion deal, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will step down to become an executive vice president of the division.

Microsoft will acquire Nokia's devices and services unit and license the company's mapping services in a deal worth $7.2 billion in a bid to bolster the company's position in the smartphone market.

The software giant will pay $5 billion for "substantially all" of Nokia's phone unit and another $2.2 billion to license its patents, the companies announced late Sunday. As part of the deal, Stephen Elop will step down as Nokia chief executive to become the executive vice president of the devices and services division. Elop, a former Microsoft executive, is one of a handful of candidates suggested to replace Microsoft Steve Ballmer, who is expected to retire by next summer.

"Today's agreement will accelerate the momentum of Nokia's devices and services, bringing the world's most innovative smartphones to more people, while continuing to connect the next billion people with Nokia's mobile phone portfolio," Ballmer and Elop said in a joint statement.

Elop, the former president of the Microsoft Business Division, left the software giant three years ago this month to head up Nokia. He joined Microsoft in January 2008 after serving as COO of Juniper Networks and as an executive at Adobe Systems.

"Building on our successful partnership, we can now bring together the best of Microsoft's software engineering with the best of Nokia's product engineering, award-winning design, and global sales, marketing and manufacturing," Elop said in a statement. "With this combination of talented people, we have the opportunity to accelerate the current momentum and cutting-edge innovation of both our smart devices and mobile phone products."

Nokia Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will become Nokia's interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

"For Nokia, this is an important moment of reinvention and from a position of financial strength, we can build our next chapter," Siilasmaa said. "After a thorough assessment of how to maximize shareholder value, including consideration of a variety of alternatives, we believe this transaction is the best path forward for Nokia and its shareholders. Additionally, the deal offers future opportunities for many Nokia employees as part of a company with the strategy, financial resources and determination to succeed in the mobile space."

Also joining Microsoft as part of the deal are Jo Harlow, Juha Putkiranta, Timo Toikkanen, and Chris Weber.

The acquisition suggests that like Apple, Microsoft believes it needs more direct control of handset manufacturing to succeed in the smartphone market. The relationship between Microsoft and Nokia began in February 2011 when Elop, who had arrived at the beleaguered Finnish handset maker from Microsoft five months earlier, announced at a developer's conference that Nokia was adopting Windows Phone 7 as its primary smartphone OS.