Twitter buys anti-malware firm Dasient

Micro-blogging site Twitter has acquired internet security firm Dasient for an undisclosed amount. Dasient, which was founded in 2008, is focused on web-scale security problems involving malware and other types of online abuses.

Twitter, created in 2006, is a communication platform allowing people across the world to interact instantly through 'tweets', or messages not exceeding 140 characters. Twitter has more than 100 million active users worldwide.

"The Dasient team is excited to announce that we have been acquired by Twitter! Effective immediately, we will be bringing our technology, tools, and team to the revenue engineering team at Twitter," Dasient Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Neil Daswani said in a blog post yesterday.

However, the company has not disclosed the financial details of the deal. In 2009, Dasient launched its web anti-malware platform,capable of scanning URLs and websites for the presence of harmful content. In 2010, Dasient launched the industry's first 'anti-malvertising' service to protect ad networks and publishers from the scourge of malicious ads.


"Over the last year, we have been very active in securing the ads and content of the some of the industry's largest ad networks and web sites," Daswani added. By joining Twitter, Dasient will be able to apply its technology and team to the world's largest real-time information network.

As part of the merger, Dasient is winding down its business and is no longer able to accept new customers. In December last year, Twitter received a combined investment of USD 300 million from Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud and his investment firm Kingdom Holding Company (KHC).

Dell Latitude ATG 6420

Laptops built for rough and tumble use are fairly niche and not ideal for everyday use. Their rugged build hinders portability and, unless you are a hiker or adventure sportsman, you will get better value for money elsewhere. Nonetheless, if you are the sort who spends most of your time outdoors and are looking for a laptop that will not be damaged with a fall, then there is a whole category of hard use fdevices you should consider.

Today we have with us the Dell Latitude ATG which looks like it's built more for combat than computing. Will this be your next adventure sport gadget?



Build/design and ports

The build of the Dell Latitude ATG is fantastic. It's strong, rugged and made out of some very hard plastic with a black rubberized finish around its border. The top of the lid is brushed aluminum grey with black rubberized bordering and the device is so strong that we actually stood on it for a bit and it didn't even flinch under our weight.

Keep the device closed and it looks just like a briefcase thanks to its handle and square design. Since the device is heavy, this isn't a flimsy briefcase either. It is strong enough to be swung at someone and cause some damage.

Adding to the overall look and outdoor utility is the fact that all the ports on this laptop have a rubberized cover. These covers help prevent the device from exposure to dust and dirt in an outdoor open environment. The device even has a DVD drive. This adds a little to its weight and size but it's a fair trade-off considering now you don't need to carry that external CD drive.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the device is that the ports are all over the place. The SD card reader rests on the front panel. Its position is a little inconvenient as it is very close to the briefcase style handle. To the right of the device you have two USB 2.0 ports along with an e-SATA cum USB 2.0 port. The right also has the CD drive along with a Wi-Fi on/off toggle. The left of the device houses a VGA out, one USB 2.0 port and the headphones jack. To the left rear of the device we have an Ethernet port along with the DC in. To the right rear of the device we have the HDMI out.

The overall placement of the ports is convenient but fell scattered. The design of the device isn't eye candy and resembles the bombing PC found in the Call of Duty video games, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.



Keyboard and track pad

Open up the device and you are greeted with a compact and well laid out keyboard. It isn't chicklet style but is surprisingly comfortable to type on. The keys are springy and feel well-built. We bashed our fingers real hard on this rugged machine only to find out fingers hurt but keyboard stays intact. Laughs apart, the keyboard is seriously one of the best in the business.

Controlling the mouse however is a mixed experience. You have the pointing stick (why do they still make that? It's horrible!), which isn't the best way to control the mouse. The pointing stick rests between the G, H and B button whereas the left and right click rests under the spacebar. The other is a standard track-pad with a dedicated left and right click. The track pad isn't as large as the one you'd find on a MacBook but it's enough to get the job done. Made out of plastic, the trackpad is fairly smooth and comfortable to use. The same cannot be said about the pointing stick, which we just hate.



Display and audio

The device has a 14-inch display with a resolution of 1366x768 and is a touchscreen. The screen has a rugged black border surrounding it. The best part about the screen is that its brightness and contrast is quite high making it ideal for use in an outdoor situation. The colours look rich and vibrant and the screen is susceptible to very little glare.

The audio on the device is what you can expect from an average laptop. The speakers are loud, lack bass and have a high midrange. The speakers are located on the front panel of the device. Its placement is pretty ideal if the device is used on as the sound bounces off the table enhancing the volume a bit.

You could listen to music and enjoy a 720p HD movie on this device with absolute ease. Just remember to turn down the brightness a bit when you are indoors or you're in for one hell of a headache.



Performance

Apart from being able to survive an accident, a drop and some insane amount of torture, this device also needs to be capable of doing mundane tasks like email, MS office and browsing the Internet along with the occasional gaming needs of the user.

In terms of the hardware under the hood, the device shows off some impressive specs. It has a 2.7GHz Intel core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM running a 64-bit Windows 7 OS and a 320GB HDD. It also has dual graphics i.e., Intel integrated and an Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics card. The 3D mark score was a bit disappointing at 2441 which means that you can't expect it to run all the latest games smoothly. If gaming is your focus we suggest you look at a much more delicate Alienware laptop.

On the PC mark score, the device scored 5462. That's an above average score and you can do all your everyday tasks along with a bit of heavy software use with ease. 

The battery life of the device is a bit of a disappointment. Especially since the device is built to be used outdoors. Run the device to its fullest potential and it will last you a little over an hour and a half. Used sparingly however and the device may just carry on a bit more.



Verdict

The power under the hood along with a great keyboard, fantastic display and rugged build make this device ideal for your camping trips. Just be prepared to endure the extra weight and space of the device. For around Rs. 1,00,000 this is targeted at the adventure sport hungry businessmen who needs access to a notebook all the time. The rest of us can do with a Mac or a high end Windows based gaming notebook for the same price.

Pros:
Fantastic build
Great Keyboard
Great display for outdoor use

Cons:
Pointing stick is bad
Heavy
Battery life
 
Score:
Performance: 3
Price: 3
Ease of setup: 4
Ergonomics: 4
Wow Factor: 3
Overall: 3.5 

Google Plus user base crosses 90 million mark

Google's online social networking service 'Google Plus' has crossed 90 million users mark since its launch in June. Google Plus now has attracted 90 million users,reflecting the huge interest in the social networking site which was opened to the public on September 20. That more than doubles the 40 million that Google reported in October.

Earlier, Google Plus service was available only through invitation as part of trial runs. Interestingly, rival Facebook took about four years to reach 90 million users. Facebook, founded in 2004, has now 800 million users globally. 

"I am super excited about the growth of ... Google Plus,which now has 90 million users globally  well over double what I announced just three months ago. By building a meaningful relationship with our users through Google Plus we will create amazing experiences across our services," Google CEO Larry Page said while announcing the company's latest quarterly earnings.

Google unveiled 'Google Plus' in late June as part of efforts to garner a share of the lucrative social networking space that has so far been dominated by Mark Zuckerberg led Facebook. 

Since launch, Google has added toolbars and other buttons on its websites to aggressively promote the service. During the quarter, Google has reported a net income to USD 2.71 billion in for October-December, which analysts termed as below market expectation.It registered revenue of USD 10.58 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2011, an increase of 25 per cent from the year-ago period.