Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Turns 31: 12 Little-Known Facts

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg turns 31 today. Born on May 14 1984, Zuckerberg became the youngest billionaire in the world at age 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also wished Zuckerberg on his birthday.

"Mark, I wish you a very Happy Birthday! Your innovative zeal has left a deep impact on society and you remain an inspiration for the world. I warmly recall our meeting a few months ago. I pray that you are blessed with a long life filled with good health," wrote PM Modi on his Facebook page.

Here are 10 little-known facts about the man who made social networking synonymous with Facebook.

1. Started Programming In Pre-Teens

May 24, 2015

At the age of 12, Zuckerberg used Atari BASIC to create a messaging program his dad used in his dental office. While still in high school, he created an early music streaming platform Synapse, which AOL and Microsoft showed interest in, but were rebuffed by young Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg enrolled in Harvard University in 2002, where he quickly became known for his developer skills.

2. Doesn’t Work Long Hours

May 24, 2015

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Q&A session revealed that he works approximately 50-60 hours per week, which is close to the number of hours most employees put in the office.

However, he added that he has remained focused his entire life if one counts the time he has spent on his mission. Zuckerberg said that he has spent most of his time thinking how to connect people and serve the community better.

3. One Rule For Hiring

May 24, 2015

For people who work directly for him, Zuckerberg has one rule: He will only hire people that he would have as a boss. The test has seen Zuckerberg hire some of the most famous technology executives in the world.

Sheryl Sandberg, for instance, was chosen by Zuckerberg to be chief operating officer at Facebook and is perhaps the most famous woman in the tech world. He considers Sandberg a mentor, and has said that she has helped make Facebook into a healthy business.

4. Favourite Quotes

May 24, 2015

According to Zuckerberg's official Facebook page, his three favourite quotes are:

*Fortune favours the bold: Virgil, Aeneid X.284

*All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up: Pablo Picasso

*Make things as simple as possible but no simpler: Albert Einstein

5. Youngest Billionaire In The World

May 24, 2015

Zuckerberg became the youngest billionaire in the world at the age of 23 in the year 2008, according to a Forbes estimate. He was ranked 785 on the World’s Billionaires list.

With a fortune of $33.4 billion, he is the 16th richest person in the world, according to Forbes’s latest ranking.

6. Colour Blind

May 24, 2015

Facebook CEO is red-green colour blind, which means that the best colour he can see is blue. Zuckerberg reportedly once said, "Blue is the richest colour for me. I can see all of blue."

No prizes for guessing why blue is the most dominant colour on the world's top social networking site.

7. His Facebook Profile

May 24, 2015

Wondering what the founder of world's No. 1 networking giant likes? As per his Facebook profile, Zuckerberg likes McDonalds, In-N-Out Burger, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Kate Perry among others.

8. Sticks To T-Shirts And Hoodies

May 24, 2015

In the year 2011, Zuckerberg topped the GQ's worst-dressed men in Silicon Valley list. Zuckerberg got the top honour for ill-fitting hoodies, jeans, T-shirts and Adidas sandals. Zuckerberg is mostly spotted in his trademark jeans with black tie over a T-shirt at most press events or special occasions.

He has said that even small decisions like picking what to wear or what to eat for breakfast can take up time and energy that he doesn’t want to waste on such matters. "I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community," Zuckerberg said, adding that he has "multiple same shirts."

9. A Love For Books

May 24, 2015

Mark Zuckerberg started a Facebook page called A Year of Books, where a book is recommended to followers every fortnight.

Started in January 2015, the page’s first recommendation was The End of Power. The current book, number 10 in the list, is The New Jim Crow.

10. Even His Dog Has 2 Million Facebook Followers

May 24, 2015

Zuckerberg owns a pet dog named Beast. A Hungarian Sheepdog, Beast too has his own Facebook page with over 2 million fans.

11. An Atheist Who Doesn’t Own A TV

May 24, 2015

Born to Jewish parents, Zuckerberg considers himself an atheist. According to a report in Business Insider, Zuckerberg doesn't own a TV.

12. Gets Special Protection

May 24, 2015

Zuckerberg receives special security protection paid for by Facebook, according to the company's SEC filing. This includes a security system at his house in Palo Alto, California, and the annual cost of security personnel.

“We require these security measures for the company’s benefit because of the importance of Mr Zuckerberg to Facebook, and we believe that the costs of this comprehensive security programme are appropriate and necessary,” according to the filing.

6 Tech Skills You Need To Know In 2015

Technology is one area that no one in any industry can afford to grow complacent about — tech is changing so quickly that skills you mastered last year may already be outdated. In such a quickly evolving industry, information decays at a rate of 30% a year, according to Research in Labor Economics, rendering nearly a third of last year's tech-related knowledge irrelevant.

But don't panic — there's a solution. Staying up-to-date with emergent technologies and trends — as well as the skills needed to master them — will help you offset the lightning-fast pace of skills disruption and keep you ahead of the curve.

On that note, here are the top six tech skills that Pluralsight has identified as not just "nice to know," but "need to know," in 2015.

1. Coding

May 24, 2015

As I've written recently, coding is the number-one skill in demand today worldwide. Although coding and computer science are still marginalized in the K-12 education system, it's clear that the ability to code has become as important as other basic forms of literacy like reading and math.

Fortunately, no matter what your age or current comfort level with technology, there are ways to pick up intro coding skills — and many of them are free.

2. Big Data

May 24, 2015

According to Forbes, big data will continue to grow in 2015, due in part to the rise of the Internet of Things, which has the power to embed technology in practically anything.

As ever-larger volumes of data are created, it's vital to know how to collect and analyze that data — particularly when it's related to customer preferences and business processes.

No matter what industry you're in, you'll miss out on key marketing and decision-making opportunities by ignoring big data.

3. Cloud Computing

May 24, 2015

TechRadar reported this month that 2015 will be the year that the cloud becomes the "new normal." The reason, writes Mark Barrenechea, CEO of OpenText, is that costs can be slashed as much as 90% through digitization of information-intensive processes.

Barrenechea predicts that by year-end, we'll see "a world of hybrid deployments in which some information and applications reside in the cloud and the remainder resides on-premise."

Learning to utilize the cloud's flexible power can improve everything from your data security to your collaboration ability.

4. Mobile

May 24, 2015

As Six Dimensions states, "If you don't have a mobile strategy, you don't have a future strategy." This has never been truer than in 2015, the year in which The Guardian predicts an increasing number of companies will learn how to mobilize their revenue-generating processes, like making purchases and depositing checks.

This is also the year that we'll hit critical mass with the fusion of mobile and cloud computing, according to Forbes. That means many more centrally coordinated apps will be usable on multiple devices.

5. Data Visualization

May 24, 2015

Data keeps multiplying, which means whatever message you hope to communicate online must find increasingly creative ways to break through the noise. That's where data visualization comes in, which involves using a visual representation of the data to discover new information and breakthroughs.

Fortunately, you don't have to be a web designer or developer to create compelling infographics. There are several free tools available you can use to visually enhance your data.

6. UX Design Skills

May 24, 2015

User experience (UX) designers consider the end user's ease of use, efficiency, and general experience of interfacing with a system (such as a website or application).

Smashing Magazine notes that while user experience has long been important, it has become more so recently in relation to the diverse ways that users can now access websites, including mobile and apps.

"The more complex the system, the more involved will the planning and architecture have to be for it," writes Jacob Gube. But it's not just professional designers who can benefit from understanding UX design — anyone can.

First impressions of Samsung's iPhone 6 rivals Galaxy S6, S6 Edge

BARCELONA: Samsung has gone for a total reboot of its smartphone line with yesterday's unveiling of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones. The smartphones are similar in design to the models launched since September last year, but you would be hard pressed to believe that they are part of the same family that spawned Galaxy S5 and S3. 

We spent some time with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge at the showcase event to see whether the two new smartphones are worth the hype and if these can be the iPhone challengers that Samsung desperately needs them to be... Here's what we think: 

Display
Samsung has upped the pixel density on Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to the highest among all smartphones by slapping 2K (1440x2560p) resolution on their 5.1-inch displays. We believe that this exercise is not of much value since the pixel density on Full HD screens (1080x1920p) is high enough, and a 2K panel doesn't add much to the experience. 

In terms of quality, both SuperAMOLED displays offer excellent sharpness, viewing angles and contrast. We can't give a judgement on sunlight legibility until we get a review unit that we can around under direct sunlight. Samsung has been able to balance the colours a little more over last year's Galaxy S5, so the greenish tinge of AMOLED screens is a lot less noticeable now, though we still won't say that it is completely gone. 


The Edge screen on Galaxy S6 Edge is on both sides this time, up from just one side as is the case with Galaxy Note Edge. though this is an engineering feat, it still does not add as much of value as you would think since the Edge screen features can be used on only one side at a time. 

Moreover, the Galaxy S6 Edge's curved panel is not independent of the main display, as it is in Galaxy Note Edge. therefore, you lose out on the feature that gives you one-touch access to apps and widgets by just swiping on the home screen. You can only check out missed notifications using the Edge screen on Galaxy S6 Edge, but not a lot more. 

This feature, however, is still available if the screen is locked; just rub the Edge screen when the phone is asleep and the curved display will light up. Samsung is also letting you set colour codes for your contacts, so that the Edge screen will light up when they call and your phone is facing downwards. 

A huge improvement? We think not. The features, though not available on other phones, are still limited and can't even compare to those on Galaxy Note Edge. 

Design
The design is a huge improvement over Galaxy S5, using metal and glass and dumping plastic altogether. 

The Galaxy S6 Edge is of course thinner at the sides than the Galaxy S6, but both of them look the same apart from that. The metal body is similar to the one we have seen in Galaxy Alpha and Note 4, but has a tougher feel to it due to the polish and thus does not look as premium. 

The glass panel on the back is a fingerprint magnet, and surrounds the camera lens. The camera lens, which is also surrounded by metal on all sides, protrudes a little. 

At the bottom is the speaker grill, charging port and speaker, making the new phones look way too much like iPhones for comfort. 

However, the overall effect of the new design is pretty good and marks a huge move away from the plastic body that Samsung is known for. 

Software
Samsung made a point to showcase the software improvements it has introduced with the two new smartphones. TouchWiz is based on Android 5.0 now and, thus, is full of animations that you can't miss, courtesy Material Design. And you will also notice the much smaller number of preinstalled Samsung apps in the smartphone instantly. 

The simpler, more intuitive UI, as Samsung calls it, is not as much in your face as you would expect it to be after years of using the cluttered TouchWiz. However, its subtle quality is also hard to discern without using it for a few hours at least. 

The hardware
Inside, Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge pack the 2.1GHz octa-core processor and 3GB RAM, which make for a powerful and extremely responsive smartphone when combined with the Android 5.0-based TouchWiz. We noticed no lag, which TouchWiz is criticised for widelh, at all during the time we spent with the smartphones. 

For the first time, the back panel is not removable and you can't place a microSD card for storage expansion. Instead, you get 32, 64 and 128GB options; Samsung says that the new flash memories it has used make the process up to 80% faster.

 

The battery is 2,600mAh in capacity, smaller than the one in Galaxy S5. However, the fast-charging tech Samsung has used can charge the phones from nil to 100% in just 30-40 minutes. And charging the phone for just 10 minutes will ensure that it lasts for up to 4 hours, Samsung claims. 

Samsung has replaced the swiping gesture from the fingerprint sensor such that you need to press the Home button to register the fingerprint, like you do iPhones. 
Camera
The 16MP rear camera of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is great for lowlight photography, Samsung claims, as the sensor is now able to capture up to 60% more light now. However, we were unable to test this as the demo area was way too well lit. 



The camera's indoor photography skills are top notch, capturing all the details and delivering great colours and contrast. We will need to spend more time to decide how much of an improvement it is over the cameras of rivals. 

However, we can safely say that the selfie camera has got a huge boost since last year. The 5MP front camera captures just as much light as does the rear camera. This means much clearer, brighter selfies for you. On the software side, you get features like beauty mode and wide-angle selfie for better self-portraits. What we think
Samsung has pressed all the right buttons with its new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The phone has enough consumer-centric features to make it a decent rival to the new, fast-selling iPhones. 

The best thing about Samsung's new smartphones is that they are more of a revolution than an evolution, unlike HTC One M9. Plus, Galaxy S6 Edge has the dual curved screens as its distinguishing feature, which is likely to entice many buyers. 

Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge Vs HTC One (M9) Vs Apple iPhone 6

Every year it’s always about the next big innovation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. However this year it’s different. With smartphone technologies drawing from the same pool of processors, camera tech, software and other hardware parts, it’s getting harder and harder for manufacturers to really stand out in the way that Apple does. This year sees the Goliaths Samsung and HTC dig their heels in and start pushing back against the David’s whittling away their bases.

We take a look how the HTC One (M9) faces off against the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 edge, and the Apple iPhone 6.

1. Design & build

March 02,2015

Samsung has gone design first with the Samsung Galaxy S6. Shedding the plastic skin of phones past and into metal and Corning gorilla glass 4 front and back, there’s not a hint of plastic, though no waterproofing or microSD card slots either. The S6 Edge is a sleek curved glass across a metal frame in a symmetrical, beautiful design. The new Galaxy phones take some inspiration from the iPhone 6, especially the frame. 

The HTC One (M9) retains that same aesthetic as its predecessors and there’s hardly any major innovation on the design front. 

The iPhone 6 sports a rounded and curved shape in addition to a slim frame. The phone exudes a premium feel thanks to the use of glass and aluminium materials.

2. Display

March 02,2015

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge sport 5-inch SuperAMOLED displays with 2K (1440x2560p) resolution, making them the smartphones with the highest pixel density in the market at 576ppi. The display panel is extremely sharp and offers rich colours and contrast. The S6 edge has two displays, one at each edge displaying additional content.

HTC One (M9) sports the same 5-inch SuperLCD 3 display at 1080p resolution.

The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display with 1334x750-pixel resolution at 326ppi which is not even full-HD.

3. Hardware

March 02,2015

Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge are powered by the new 2.1GHz Octa Core Exynos 7420 processor, with 3 GB of RAM. In the absence of a microSD card slot, the internal storage comes in 32, 64 and 128 GB variants. The phone is powered by a 2,550mAh battery (2600mAh for S6 edge) and there’s also a fingerprint sensor and a heart rate monitor.


HTC One (M9) is powered by a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 64-bit octa-core processor and 3GB RAM. The phone offers 32GB storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 128GB storage. It has a 2840mAh battery. 

Apple iPhone 6 is powered by the A8 chip that features 64-bit architecture. Certain benchmark tests have revealed that the chip has a dual core processor and 1GB RAM and an 1810mAh battery. iPhone 6 also features an integrated fingerprint sensor.

4. Camera

March 02,2015

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phones feature a 16MP, f1.9 rear camera with optical image stabilisation, and a 5MP front camera for selfies which lets in 60% more light. The camera app also gets a huge boost, which will takes shots in less than a second.The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phones feature a 16MP, f1.9 rear camera with optical image stabilisation, and a 5MP front camera for selfies which lets in 60% more light. The camera app also gets a huge boost, which will takes shots in less than a second.

HTC One (M9) sports a 20MP rear camera (BSI, sapphire glass lens) and a 4MP Ultrapbixel front camera with super-wide angle lens. 

The iPhone 6’s 8MP rear camera has been shining through and is considered among the best smartphone cameras. The front camera is 1.2MP.

5. Software

March 02,2015

With the Galaxy S6, Samsung’s software has also got a major reboot, with the Android 5.0-based TouchWiz UI becoming a lot more responsive and cleaner. There are very few preinstalled Samsung apps and the UI shows the influence of Material Design.

HTC One (M9) runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense UI 7 running on top. The UI skin is not very different from its current avatar but now offers the ability to customize the theme and has a location-aware menu.

iPhone 6 Plus comes with iOS 8, the latest iteration of the OS. The OS is very similar to iOS 7, but under the hood there are a number of changes.