IRCTC brings ticket booking app to BlackBerry World

Available now on the BlackBerry World is the IRCTC ticketing app which will allow BB loyalists to ensure that their tickets are booked right through their smartphones. It’s only meant for BB 10 devices at the moment, and can be downloaded free of cost of course.

Describing it as an ‘easy and streamlined train booking service,’ Annie Mathew, who’s the director of the business development and alliance over at BlackBerry India has asserted that the company is ‘excited’ to bring the IRCTC app to BB World. ‘Increasing smartphone perpetration and the increasing dependence on mobile applications,’ is what has propelled the Indian body to release this product, according to her.

Apart from booking tickets, you can make use of the app for other important tasks as well, thus enhancing your travelling experience further. For instance, if you’ve booked a waitlisted ticket, your reservation status will be accessible from right inside the application, whereas the schedules and routes of trains will also be available.

And that’s not all, using the IRCTC app on your BlackBerry devices you can check the availability of tickets for a particular train or journey whenever you wish to. Other traits that form part of its offerings include the ability to cancel tickets, view stuff like booking history, recent history, favorites and the facility to add passengers as contacts.

Like we said, the IRCTC app is live now on the BlackBerry World storefront as a free download. The app is already available through the Windows Phone Store since late last year.

Gmail, other apps easily hacked with 92 percent accuracy, say researchers

Scientists have developed a novel method that allowed them to successfully hack into Gmail with up to 92 percent accuracy. A team of researchers, including an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering, have identified a weakness believed to exist in Android, Windows and iOS mobile operating systems that could be used to obtain personal information from unsuspecting users. They demonstrated the hack in an Android phone.

The researchers tested the method and found it was successful between 82 per cent and 92 percent of the time on six of the seven popular apps they tested. Among the apps they easily hacked were Gmail, CHASE Bank and H&R Block. Amazon, with a 48 percent success rate, was the only app they tested that was difficult to penetrate. The researchers believe their method will work on other operating systems because they share a key feature researchers exploited in the Android system.

The researchers believed there was a security risk with so many apps being created by so many developers. Once a user downloads a bunch of apps to their smartphone they are all running on the same shared infrastructure, or operating system.

“The assumption has always been that these apps can’t interfere with each other easily,” Zhiyun Qian, of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC Riverside said. “We show that assumption is not correct and one app can in fact significantly impact another and result in harmful consequences for the user,” said Qian.

The attack works by getting a user to download a seemingly benign, but actually malicious, app, such as one for background wallpaper on a phone. Once that app is installed, the researchers are able to exploit a newly discovered public side channel – the shared memory statistics of a process, which can be accessed without any privileges.

The researchers monitor changes in shared memory and are able to correlate changes to what they call an “activity transition event,” which includes such things as a user logging into Gmail or taking a picture of a check so it can be deposited online.

Augmented with a few other side channels, the authors show that it is possible to fairly accurately track in real time which activity a victim app is in.

There are two keys to the attack. One, the attack needs to take place at the exact moment the user is logging into the app or taking the picture. Two, the attack needs to be done in an inconspicuous way. The researchers did this by carefully calculating the attack timing.

Facebook tops usage numbers, but many US smartphone owners don’t even download apps

There may be a growing number of apps for smartphones, but people in the US tend to cling to the few they like and shun the rest, an industry tracker says.

Nearly two-thirds of US smartphone owners download no apps monthly, comScore said in its Mobile App Report. Further, the report stated that nearly half of all app — mini-programmes — downloads were done by just 7% of smartphone owners in any given month.

Fun, functional or hip apps for smartphones or tablets are seen by analysts as key to the popularity of the devices, and rivals such as Apple, Google and Microsoft work hard to get developers to tailor apps to devices powered by their software.

App Store boasts billions of titles available for users of devices powered by the California company’s software.

While more than half of US smartphone owners accessed apps on their gadgets daily, ‘a staggering’ 42% of time was spent in just their favorite app, according to comScore.

“Americans have a difficult time living without their mobile devices, as evidenced by the vast majority of consumers using apps on their smartphones and tablets nearly every day,” comScore said in the report.

However, nearly three of every four minutes spent using apps was in any of four preferred mini-programs.

According to the report, social networking, entertainment and messaging accounted for much of the time spent using mobile apps in the United States. And further, internet titans Facebook, Google, Apple, Yahoo, Amazon and eBay accounted for nine of the top-10 most used apps. Facebook in fact, has been stated as the top application in terms of audience size and share of time spent by smartphone users.

It has also been observed in the study that people using iPhones spend large shares of their ‘app time’ on general news, radio, photos, social networking, and weather. And those opting for Android-powered devices devoted a greater share of their time to online search and email.

The annual income of a median iPhone app user was $85,000, compared to $61,000 made in a year by a median Android user, comScore reported.

50 Best Apps and Websites for Travelers

There's an app for just about everything, from making the most of an extended flight delay to tapping into local culture. Here are the best digital tools for travelers, all tested by T+L's tech correspondent.

Everyone has an airport horror story. But you can make the most of a bad situation with apps like Flight+, which will keep you abreast of the latest delays and gate changes. And if you need a shower, unlimited Wi-Fi, or a work space during your extended layover, LoungeBuddy will alert you as to which free and pay-as-you-go lounges are available.

These are just two of the digital tools that can improve your experience on the road—among the 100,000-plus travel apps on the market. No need to feel overwhelmed, though. We spent the past year travel-testing apps and websites, everywhere from airplanes and buses to airport lounges, cars, and remote camping sites across the globe. The resulting list represents the best of the best, with runners-up in categories where the competition is fierce.

Google certainly makes an appearance, given the search giant's strengths in navigation (Google Maps), translation (Google Translate), photo management and storage (Google+), booking (Google Flight Search), and communication (Gmail and Google Hangouts).

Still, there are plenty of areas that shine brighter in other companies. RouteHappy's flight ratings guide you to the most stress-free flight; Booking.com's stellar customer service delivers an actual human on the other end of the help line; and Flickr offers a whopping 1 terabyte (TB) of free photo storage.

Read on for more innovative apps and websites that will help you every step of the way: planning your vacation, getting there, exploring, and sharing trip photos and stories after you return home.

Top 10 Shooter Games for Android

Shooting games are always one of the most favorite choice for the video game enthusiasts. Shooting games are undoubtedly addictive and full of excitement. The amazing hardware attributes of smartphones had opened the new gates for gaming enthusiasts. The sharply accelerating popularity graph of shooting games has magnetized a lot of game developers to showcase their expertise.

At present Google Play Store is flooded with a bunch of various shooter games and to help you choose from some of the best I am providing the list of top 10 best shooter games available on your Android devices. All these games are recommended by millions of users from all around the globe.

Frontline Commando

This is one of the most popular shooting game for Android users. This is a mission based game which enables the users to use a wide range of weapon , strategies and shooting specification to blow down the enemies. This game is absolutely free to install and liked by more than 4 million Android users.

N.O.V.A 3

Get ready to fight for the survival of the human kind. Amazing graphics and a strong storyline behind the concept of N.O.V.A makes it a great choice. This is a paid game brought to you by the popular developer Gameloft. You can play this game with your friends with its innovative multiplayer features. The critics had tagged N.O.V.A as the copy of the popular XBOX 360 game Halo; if you are a regular player of the Halo franchise then this game may disappoint your expectations.

Contract Killer 2

Contract Killer is a new entry in the list of the best shooting games for Android. Attractive high definition graphics and easy controls offer an engaging interface to the player. The story theme of this game revolves around the concept of contract killing and assassination of gangs. This game offers a bunch weapons and moves which create a unique experience. This is a free game on the Google Play Store.

Shadowgun

This game has undoubtedly extended the horizon of Android games. Excellent graphics, mind blowing story and fluid controls emphasize the user to spend hours on this game. It is a paid game but it can surely worth the value. The only reason that makes it a bit low in the ranking is the fact that this game is OLD, it is undoubtedly the best choice but it is very common now. If you haven’t tried it yet then I will surely recommend you to give it a shot.

Max Payne Mobile

After rocking the charts on desktop and consoles; Max Payne now wants to be on your smartphones and tablets. Although it took some time for Rockstar Games to get it on mobile devices, it is finally here and making huge sound. The gameplay and controls of this game is almost similar to the mobile version of Grand Theft Auto III. It might take some time for getting used to the controls.

9 MM

9 MM is another blockbuster game by Gameloft which can fulfill every expectation of a shooter enthusiast. Amazing visual graphics, Hip-Hop beats from Apathy, Jack One and Beanie Sigel make this game a super cool option for Android users. The fluid locomotive controls incorporation with a long list of arsenals can attract any user to blow up some thugs and gang leaders.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

A lot of impressive reviews from various users as well as market experts earned this game a place to be in my list of top 10 shooting games for Android. This is a must to try game for every Call of Duty fan; now the enemies are the zombies who want to see you dead on the floor. Sadly some users have also raised the problem of game crash on their Android smartphones.

Dead Space

Published by EA Games; Dead Space is a great Android shooting game that can suck the life out of you. It is a must for every user who loves the combination of science fiction with horror. The fluid and easy control are the best part of the game. So if you are looking for the good Android shooter and you are also a fan of the original franchise then Dead Space surely is a good deal for $6.

Mass Effect Infiltrator

With second spot in the list of top 10 Shooters for Android; Mass Effect is another impressive game by the EA. It has a great story and can get you addicted for a long time. The visual effects employed in Mass Effect Infiltrator are awesome and works great with high definition displays.

Modern Combat 3

Modern Combat 3 is surely the best game in my list of top 10 shooters for Android. This is undoubtedly a game which I will recommend to everyone. Super amazing visuals, mind blowing theme and brilliant gameplay options offer the crown to this game. It is a multiplayer game that enables up to 12 players to play together on 7 different maps. It require a powerful device with 1.37 GB of free storage space for optimum performance.

Download and convert Youtube videos to mp3 ring tones with Mp3Tube

Mp3Tube is a tool for downloading Youtube videos and converting them to mp3 songs.
Mp3Tube provides a neat interface with the below features

• Search videos and browse hot music videos on Youtube.com
• Download and convert videos to mp3
• Make and manage playlists
• Pin your favorite playlists to the start screen
• Listen to the downloaded songs
• Edit mp3 songs to make ringtones

Users can get Mp3Tube for free (ads-supported version) here or pay only $0.99 for a full version without ads here.

Now in Marketplace: Box for Windows Phone

Sharing large or sensitive documents with co-workers and clients just became a lot easier: today Box released an official Windows Phone app for its popular file collaboration and storage service. Download it now

The free app makes it easy to view, share, edit, and comment on files. Since it’s designed for the office, Box also employs an app-specific passcode as an extra layer of security.

Finally, the new app offers some Windows Phone-exclusive features, such as slideshows and Live Tiles notifications for updated files. “We designed our app to really take advantage of this platform’s unique characteristics and capabilities,” the Box crew notes on its official blog. Check out their post for more details.

What Windows Phone apps do you use at work?

Now in Marketplace: Crackle for Windows Phone

“Dude, have you downloaded Crackle yet?”

I’d barely opened my laptop this morning and my Windows Phone-owning buddy (and big Stephen King fan) was already pelting me with instant messages. “All you have to do is set up an account and you’re watching flicks. I watched Christine on the bus to work this morning.” He urged me to blog about how cool it is.

He was right: The official Crackle app, which landed in Marketplace earlier this week, provides free access to hundreds of full-length films and TV shows, streamed to your Windows Phone for free. What’s nice is that you can play them as much as you want, and nearly two dozen new titles are added to the catalog each month from sources including Columbia Pictures, Tri-Star, Screen Gems, and Sony Pictures Classics. Download the app—or check out the Crackle site—for the complete list of titles.  The app is available in Australia, Canada, UK, and US.

Anybody else give it a whirl yet?