ANDROID Operating System

Android is a mobile operating system initially developed by Android Inc. Android was bought by Google in 2005. Android is based upon a modified version of the Linux kernel...

What Is WEB 2.0 ?

Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,and collaboration on the World Wide Web.

Social Network Services

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities.

Latest Trends N Upcoming Trends

Information technology (IT) is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...

Tips N Tricks (Various OS)

This Is crazy!! Set Processes Priority Follow this tip to increase the priority of active processes, this will result in prioritisation of processes using the CPU.CTRL-SHIFT-ESC...

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

uTorrent Web now Supports Android & iPad

BitTorrent Inc. has now made the remote access ‘Web’ feature of its uTorrent Falcon client compatible with the iPad and Android devices. This comes a month after it was announced for iPhone devices. uTorrent users can now remotely control their downloads from wherever they are on their favorite mobile device.
With uTorrent ‘Web’, users can access torrents running on their PC from anywhere in the world, on any computer they have access to. Torrents can be added, paused and removed using an interface with a look and feel identical to that of the uTorrent application. Initially, uTorrent ‘Web’ was only available on standard PC browsers, but last month iPhone support was added. And now even the iPad and Android users can make use of uTorrent web.

utorrent-ipad

Using the feature is easy, all you need to do is set up a username and password in your uTorrent client (under Options > Preferences > Web), and then go to http://web.utorrent.com with your iPad/iPhone/Android device.

Note that you will need the latest development build of the client to play with the web interface (3.0 alpha), which is only available for windows at this stage – mac users will have to be more patient to play with the feature.

Pic courtesy: LifeHacker
[via]TF



Multitasking in Android 3.0 as Compared to Playbook & iPad


Google seems to be very busy as far as Android 3.0 is concerned, and this version is developed, designed and devoted to a larger extent for Tablets alone. Just two days ago, Google launched the Android 3.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) named ‘Honeycomb’ for developers. We already know a bit or more about the latest version of Android like – “Android 3.0 has software-based navigation instead of physical buttons, tabbed web browsing, big-screen Google apps and developer tools for creating modular, panel based apps that work on tablets or phones“.
But a more startling fact can be seen in some of the teaser videos released by Google and Motorola’s Xoom announcement at CES, which focus on the functioning of Android 3.0’s multitasking. What these videos say is what I will quote and here goes - ”As users launch applications to handle various tasks, they can use the Recent Apps list in the System Bar to see the tasks underway and quickly jump from one application context to another. To help users rapidly identify the task associated with each app, the list shows a snapshot of its actual state when the user last viewed it“.
Let us dig deeper and know what this actually infers into, by looking at how other OS player operate -
RIM’s PlayBook
The feature of Multitasking with RIM’s PlayBook has been one of its trademark features and very popular, besides its swipe-based user interface feature. In case you want to load a movie, download a game and log on to a website all at once, nothing is going to stop you from doing so; since users can in fact view all of these happen at one shot. All three things will be visible side-by-side from PlayBook’s main menu.
Apple’s iPad
It is a completely different or in fact a reverse-picture when it comes to multitasking with Apple’s iPad. Unlike PlayBook, an iPad does not serve you with an all-at-one-shot option. When you navigate away from one function, the application freezes and does not allow for viewing another application or function side-by-side. Users only need to guess if the download, loading, etc. that could be happening at the background. Though, certain number of apps do exist in Apple which tap a specific set of multitasking tools, for instance background downloads of video or photos, yet several other apps don’t have this luxury. A user can only know what is happening behind the scenes, by checking on individual apps one after the other.

Now, Android 3.0

It seems that Android has a piece of both worlds, but there is more imitation of iPad than PlayBook as far as Android 3.0’s multitasking feature is concerned. The third version of Android lets apps function in the backdrop which will not be visible to the user. A look-through for the recent list of apps in Android’s system bar shall portray only the earlier states of all the apps that are open and not what they’re presently doing.
A more likeable approach amongst all three without much doubt is the one that RIM’s PlayBook operates with. It is easy, simple and most importantly hassle-free. Having said that, we still haven’t seen the real Android 3.0 in full action as yet, so let us just hold on to our horses before passing the verdict.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

What is Android?

Large_android-cd49e3fd60

Android

Android is a mobile operating system initially developed by Android Inc. Android was bought by Google in 2005. Android is based upon a modified version of the Linux kernel. Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance collaborated on Android's development and release. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android. Unit sales for Android OS smartphones ranked first among all smartphone OS handsets sold in the U.S. in the second and third quarters of 2010, with a third quarter market share of 43.6%. Android has a large community of developers writing application programs ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. There are currently over 200,000 apps available for Android.

Freebase CC-BY
Source: Android on Freebase, licensed under CC-BY
Other content from Android.com, licensed under the GFDL
 

How Does 3D Technology Work?

AdvertisementThe Innovative Entertainment Series is supported by Dolby. “Like” Dolby for a chance to have Adam West read your Facebook status update, live, on camera, February 18th.



In 1838, Sir Charles Wheatstone first described the process of stereopsis: the process by which humans perceive three dimensions from two highly similar, overlaid images. Or, the process by which Avatar looks like a mind-blowingly immersive alien landscape instead of a bunch of brightly colored fuzz.
3D technology has come a long way since Wheatstone developed his stereoscope, then used to view static images and eventually pictures. Now we get to wear Wayfarer knock-offs and enjoy 3D films, television shows and video games.

For some people, seeing cool images might be enough. But others might be curious how Pandora was brought to life, or how TRON: Legacy zapped them into its glowing world. The answer is both reassuringly simple and inordinately complex, depending on who you ask and how you look at it.
How do 3D films work? What’s the difference between polarity and anaglyph (we’ll get there), and what are the next steps for 3D gadgets and imagery? Have a look below for a breakdown of how today’s “it” technology functions. Plus, we put in some sweet looking pictures. What’s not to love?
A tremendous thank you to David Leitner, Rob Willox and Professor Ian Howard for their collective insight and help in describing the various forms of 3D technology below.

Stereoscopy 101




stereoscope image

Big words! Academic nomenclature! Relax, this is actually the easy part. 3D, or “stereoscopy,” refers to how your eyes and brain create the impression of a third dimension. Human eyes are approximately 50 mm to 75 mm apart — accordingly, each eye sees a slightly different part of the world. Don’t believe me? Hold up a pen, pencil or any other thin object. Close one eye. Now switch.
The image on either side should be pretty similar but slightly offset, like that line behind the woman’s head in the picture above. These two slightly different images enter the brain, at which point it does some high-powered geometry to make up for the disparity between the two images. This disparity is “3D” — essentially, your brain making up for the fact that you’re getting two different perspectives of the same thing.
This is also, essentially, what modern 3D technology is trying to replicate. All those silly sunglasses and silver-coated projectors are all designed to feed your individual eyes different perspectives of the same image. Easy, right?

Well, yes. It is pretty easy for your brain to figure out the disparity between the two images. Your brain can automatically figure out all the angles and math and geometry to sync the images. The hard part is getting a camera to do the same thing, and to get those individual images to your individual eyes without butchering the whole effect.

What We Watch


Films

Film has been one of the pioneers of 3D, thanks to its hefty budgets and some technological daring. There are largely two ways 3D has been achieved in motion pictures: anaglyph and polarized glasses.
anaglyph image

Anaglyph is a fancy way of referring to the red-and-blue glasses we used to wear. By projecting a film in those colors — one in red, one in blue — each eye would get an individual perspective and your brain would put the 3D effect together. Other colors could be used, providing they were distinct enough to be separated on screen. This technique, however, didn’t allow for a full range of color and had a tendency to “ghost,” or have the once-distinct images bleed into one another. Not cool.
Much more common is the use of polarized glasses, which take advantage of the fact that light can be polarized, or given different orientations. For example, one image can be projected in a horizontal direction while the second can be projected in a vertical direction. The corresponding glasses would allow horizontal polarization in one eye and vertical polarization in the other. The problem is that this kind of 3D requires you to keep your head still, à la A Clockwork Orange. Tilting your head can distort how the waves get to your eyes, messing with the color and 3D effect. Also not cool.


polarized glasses image

This is the tricky part. To counteract this, 3D now uses rotational polarity, meaning the film being projected actually has two different spins to it. The glasses then pick up those opposite rotations — clockwise in one eye, counterclockwise in another eye — to separate the image. Now you can tilt your head or place it on your boy/girlfriend’s shoulder and still be able to watch the movie.

Television

It’s possible to use the same techniques in film projectors for home theaters, but you would need some serious cash. Films use special silver-coated screens that are much better at reflecting light back to the viewing audience. Your television, unfortunately, is not silver-coated. There are, however, two ways to get 3D at home: active and passive.

The most common, active 3D, involves wearing those electronic RoboCop glasses. The glasses are synced up to your television and actively open and close shutters in front of your eyes, allowing only one eye to see the screen at a time. This sounds like a recipe for a stroke, but the shutters move so quickly that they’re hardly noticeable. These shutter lenses are made possible because of the refresh rate on televisions. 3D-enabled televisions have high image refresh rates, meaning the actual image on screen is quickly loaded and reloaded. Through the glasses, you receive one constant image instead of a flicker.


lenticular

Passive systems are less common but run much like your 3D film. These televisions have a thin, lenticular screen over the standard display. A lenticular screen is made up of a series of incredibly thin magnifying strips that show a slightly different perspective of the screen to each eye, as illustrated above. While this technology doesn’t require bulky, expensive glasses, it can limit the image quality. Essentially, each eye only sees one half of the screen at any given time. For example, if a screen had 100 pixels, 50 pixels would be magnified and sent to the left eye and the other 50 pixels would be magnified and sent to the right eye. In practice, your brain is actually able to put the two images together and retain the entire 100 pixel fidelity.

How It’s Made


Cameras

3d camera

There is a lot of fancy footwork that goes into creating 3D. The real heavy lifting, however, is all just a matter of geometry and precision. To get a 3D image, you essentially need two versions of the same scene filmed from the precisely correct angle as if your eyes were seeing the same scene. Filmmakers need to triangulate the distance between the two cameras and make sure they are focused on the same object. They also need to zoom and track, or move, at the same speed, otherwise the images won’t sync up. In modern film rigs, these two cameras are bolted into place preventing any unwanted jostling or disparity.

Close-ups, a staple of modern film, are hard to capture in 3D because the cameras need to be extraordinarily close together to mimic the angle of your eyes. To solve this, filmmakers sometimes use mirror rigs. Mirror rigs film through one lens, and that image is then bounced by a tiny internal mirror to another camera where a second image can be recorded. Providing there are no imperfections on the mirror (including scratches, dirt or warping), the close-up will be filmed in 3D.

Computer Graphics



toy story 3 image

There is a difference between creating three-dimensional graphics and images that appear to be 3D in the theater. Again, it’s all just a matter of some high-tech geometry. To get a movie like Toy Story 3 into 3D, animators create two versions of each frame, one from the perspective of each eye. Because computer-generated movies don’t need cameras, it’s much easier to get perfectly synced images and to fine-tune any mistakes in post-production. The downside is that this technique requires a lot of time and elbow grease to get perfect.

It’s possible to create a 3D video game using the same technique; however, games add their own complications. Films and shows are largely pre-recorded and all have a fixed perspective — you can’t move the camera’s focus or orientation when you’re watching a film. Video games allow you to change the perspective by moving your on-screen character. This creates a labor-intensive problem since animators need to create objects that can be seen in 3D from a variety of angles depending on where the user is looking and moving.

The Future




3D future image

One of the toughest problems to solve with 3D technology is the fundamental halving of any image. Lenticular screens send half the image to each eye, shutter lens glasses physically block one eye from seeing the image, and polarized glasses only send half the displayed light to each eye.

The human eye needs approximately 50 frames per second in order to see film as one continuous image. 3D effectively halves that so each eye would only see 25 frames per second and get some nauseating flicker. Modern technology has been able to significantly up that frame rate (or refresh rate in televisions) so that we can achieve the illusion of 3D.

Advances in computing and memory have also made 3D possible in a number of handheld and consumer products. There are already prototypes for 3D laptops, cameras, camcorders, and a variety of other tech.


nintendo 3ds image

In the coming years, keep a look out for technology that uses autostereoscopy, or 3D that doesn’t require glasses in any way. The Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo’s newest portable 3D gaming device, is one such device. One of its tricks is syncing a lenticular display with its forward-facing camera. By using eye recognition, it can track where the user’s face is and shift the display to accurately display 3D no matter how the user views the screens. Look for autostereoscopy to test the waters on handheld devices before it heads to large format screens.

We’re just at the start of what 3D can offer, with a lot more successes and failures to occur in the meantime. Let us know in the comments what you hope to see for the future of 3D, or what 3D-enabled tech you’re looking to scoop up.

Series Supported by Dolby



The Innovative Entertainment Series is supported by Dolby. On February 18th, Adam West could read your Facebook status. “Like” the Dolby page to watch it live, on camera.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Facebook Privacy: 10 Settings Every User Needs to Know

Facebook’s privacy settings are extremely detailed, giving you the ability to fine-tune the privacy aspects of almost every little part of your Facebook account. Unfortunately, for most users, this level of micromanagement makes Facebook’s privacy settings a convoluted mess.Even worse, these settings change often; you may think you know everything there is about them, only to be greeted with a completely different layout and a bunch of new options the next time you visit the dreaded Facebook Privacy Settings page.
So, what do you do when you’ve got over 170 options to choose from? You focus on the most important ones. We’ve entered Facebook’s maze of privacy options and came out on the other side bruised, battered, but with 10 essential settings in our hands. Disregard them at your own peril!

1. Sharing on Facebook






Account > Privacy Settings > Sharing on Facebook
Controlling how you share content is quite complex and will probably make your head hurt, but it’s essential that you take a good look at the settings and decide for yourself what you want to share and with whom.
Facebook gives you the easy way out: You can share content with Everyone, Friends of Friends, or Friends only. However, if you’re using lists (see item number eight on this list), you might want to customize the settings and set a certain type of content to be visible to the people on some of your lists, and invisible to others. For example, only my close friends can see all my photos, while business associates can see just a few.
It’s important to note the “Preview my Profile” option which lets you see your profile as someone else would. Setting all the options just right can sometimes be tricky. When in doubt, defer to this option.

2. Existing Photos






Account > Privacy Settings > Sharing on Facebook > Customize Settings > Edit album privacy for existing photos
Settings for sharing content on Facebook can be treacherous as they don’t always apply to all your existing photos. With this setting, you can go through your old albums and change the privacy setting for each one, including your Wall Photos.

3. Checking In to Places


 



Account > Privacy Settings > Sharing on Facebook > Customize Settings > Friends can check me in to Places
Another setting under Sharing on Facebook often goes unnoticed, and it can be very important, as it lets your friends check you in to Places. Having someone else telling the world where you are can be unpleasant and even dangerous in some cases. If you want to avoid it, disable this feature.

4. Connecting on Facebook






Account > Privacy Settings > Connecting on Facebook
Privacy settings for sharing content on Facebook are separated from the settings for connecting, which basically means sharing information about you: Your photo, gender, age, education, hometown etc.
Furthermore, these settings determine how people can find you on Facebook. Can they do it simply by searching for your name? Can anyone add you as a friend, and send you a message?
Here, you can change those settings to Friends Only, Friends of Friends, Everyone or — in some cases — customize them. For example, if you get pestered by too many anonymous messages, you might consider letting only your friends send them. Be careful: If you set everything to the strictest available privacy setting, people may have a harder time finding you on Facebook.

 5. Apps You Use







Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Apps You Use
This is another painful setting as it usually means wading through dozens of apps and either removing them or editing the privacy settings for each of them individually.
We suggest removing all of the apps you’re not using (hint: If you can’t remember what it is, you probably don’t need it), and carefully reviewing the permissions you’ve given each individual app. For example, some apps like to post on your Wall even though they don’t require the option to function.

6. Instant Personalization






Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Instant Personalization
We’ve covered this setting in-depth before. For detailed info on what it does, check out this article. Essentially, it lets third-party websites personalize your experience, which can be nice, but it also allows access to your personal data.
You can opt-out of Instant Personalization on individual third-party websites, such as Pandora, simply by clicking on “No Thanks” when asked about it. However, on Facebook you can completely disable it by leaving the checkbox before “Enable instant personalization on partner websites” unchecked.

7. Info Accessible to Your Friends







Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Info accessible through your friends
This is where Facebook’s privacy settings get really tricky, and most users don’t realize it. No matter how tight your privacy settings are, you’re still sharing some of your content and info with a group of people, even if it’s only your closest friends. However, what you share with them doesn’t necessarily end with them, especially if their privacy settings are lax. In the end, your friends might be sharing your info with third-party services, which is precisely what you want to avoid.
With this setting, you can set exactly what information is available to apps and websites if your friends use them.


8. Public Search






Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Public Search
When someone searches for you on a search engine, they might get a preview of your public profile which, in some cases, can be very revealing. If you don’t want that to happen, you should turn this option off.


9. Friend Lists


Friends > Edit Friends > Create a List

If you’re a typical Facebook user, you have 130 friends, and it’s very likely that you don’t want to share every detail of your life with all of these people.
This is where Friend Lists come into play. By creating lists of — for example — your family members, close friends and business acquaintances, you can finely tune the details you want to share with each list (as explained above).
Creating lists can be a bit dull at first, especially if you start doing it when you already have hundreds of friends, but once you set them up, it’s easy to add each new friend to a particular list.

 

10. Enabling HTTPS


 





Account > Account Settings > Account Security > Secure Browsing (HTTPS)
The last setting we’d like to highlight has more to do with security than privacy. However, if someone hacks into your account or sniffs your data (which can be easily done with an app like Firesheep), all the privacy settings in the world won’t help you protect it.
Recently, Facebook started introducing HTTPS support, which makes it a lot harder for someone connected to the same network to sniff your password and other data. It makes Facebook a bit slower, and certain features don’t work yet, but we highly recommend it as HTTPS is essential to online security on all web services, not just Facebook.
If the option isn’t available to you just yet, don’t worry. Facebook promised it will gradually roll out the feature in the following weeks.


Ubuntu 10.10 Final Version Download Available Now!

ubuntu-10.10
All you Ubuntu fanboys can forget about the specialty of 10/10/10 as Ubuntu 10.10 Final (codenamed Maverick Meerkat) has been released which is super fast to boot (takes less than 9 seconds) and carries new “Unity” user interface, which is optimized for smaller netbook screens and mobile computing.
The Unity UI offers limited support for touch and a host of new, sleek, larger fonts. Users can, for instance, launch applications from the left bar, display tabs and maximize and minimize applications from touch capable laptops running Ubuntu 10.10.
ubuntu-10.10

Ubuntu 10.10 Features

Super easy installation, the incredibly user-friendly Software Center, Ubuntu One’s streaming music, the new Ubuntu font, and the Unity interface for netbooks are just some of the uber-cool features we love in Ubuntu 10.10!
The new default wallpaper isn’t orange anymore and I love it personally. The two themes – Ambiance & Radiance are modified just enough to make them look different and bit more orangey. The Ubuntu Software Center has received a lot of improvements. It now has a Featured Applications and What’s New section.

 

Download Ubuntu 10.10

 

The wait for the final version of Ubuntu 10.10 is now over! Head over to Ubuntu.com to download a disk image (or just hit up Update Manager if you’re already running Ubuntu).

Download Ubuntu 10.10

If their website is still acting weird (as it was at the time of writing this post), you can always look for the torrent sources!

Ylmf OS!: Ubuntu Hacked to Look Just Like Windows XP

ubuntu-xp-hacked
That’s not Windows XP, it is actually an Ubuntu OS hacked and transformed by Chinese pirates to make it look exactly like Windows XP and they have pretty much succeeded in doing that! It’s called Ylmf OS! Why have they moved to Ubuntu? Because their previous release, a pirate version of Windows XP itself is being cracked down on by Microsoft.
The official site of Ylmf OS! is completely in Chinese with no option to open the English version. The download page though has some five links to the ISO that you can download. But note that the OS’s GUI is completely in Chinese as well.
ylmf-xp-ubuntu
ylmf-login
For more screenshots, you can check out this page and you will be shocked to see that the pirated copycat Ubuntu version of Windows XP looks surprisingly close to Microsoft’s version! Though the Chinese have limited laws to prevent piracy, I expect Microsoft to try their level best to stop the distribution of this Ubuntu version as soon as possible as it still copies its GUI!

Update: One of the comments on Download Squad indicates that by using the “sudo locale-gen en-US” command after installation, he was able to change the language to English (which would explain why the picture below has English in it).
ylmf-os-english

[via]DownloadSquad

 

5 Must Have Applications for Ubuntu


While trying to unravel the depths of Linux operating system, I came across various such posts which included an exhaustive list of applications having various well known Ubuntu apps like Thunderbird, Wine etc. which according to me are very obvious. So going beyond obvious here are 5 applications for Ubuntu which you will appreciate and will enhance your experience with the distro.

5 Must Have Applications for Ubuntu

  1. Ubuntu Tweaks:
    Ubuntu Tweaks is probably the most widely known application out of all the other applications in this list. It gives you immense power and control over all the functionalities and settings of the system. It can be considered to an Ubuntu variant of Ultimate Windows Tweaker for Windows7.
  2. Clementine:
    Being honest, I spent ages looking for a decent media player which could match it’s counterparts on Windows, and finally my search ended with Clementine. It is inspired by Amarok player for KDE, but loading KDE libraries on Gnome (which comes default with Ubuntu) can make your system clumsy and sometimes cause irritating bugs. Clementine has been on GTK libraries which is perfectly compatible with Gnome and takes about 15 mb of RAM. It has tabbed playlist, awesome context pane which displays informations from Last.fm, premium users can play music directly from Last.fm, can play internet radios and do a lot more.
  3. Bleachbit:
    I am sure anyone who are conscious PC users, are aware of operating systems gathering temporary files and thereby becoming slow and sluggish. For Windows there are some applications like CCleaner, TuneUp-Cleaner etc. Bleachbit does the same for Ubuntu. It cleans all the temporary files gathered by various browsers, installers, desktop environments etc.
  4. Shutter:
    I know of people complaining about the screenshot application for *nix. There are some nice applications for  Windows and Snag-it is one of them. Though this application is nowhere near to Snag-It, it definitely is one of the best available replacements in Ubuntu. It can capture screenshots, edit them and provides various other annotation options.
  5. Gnome-Do:
    
    Windows 7′s start menu has a very handy option of searching the application and launching, rather than browsing each section and then finding the right application to start. Gnome-do, which is very similar to Launchy but much more advanced, does the same. It can be started with just a hit of a short-cut. It gives a lot more options which is dependent on the application, for instance triggering the bookmark for firefox or posting your status update on twitter.

Make Your Own Google Search St

google-search-stories
I’m almost an year late, but I’m sure enough of you haven’t tried Google Search Stories yet. Google surprised everyone by releasing a Super Bowl ad last year titled “Parisian Love“. The ad got really popular and started a viral meme of sorts, including some parodies. Google was quick enough to sense the opportunity and they released a nice Youtube video creator tool called Google Search Stories! If you haven’t tried it yet, you are surely missing some fun.
It’s a simple, self-explanatory tool where-in you can enter up to seven queries (including Images, Maps, and standard web search) and choose a musical track, and the video creator will produce an animated spot in a jiffy. You can then upload the video on to your Youtube account and share it with your friends and family with ease.
Though I didn’t like Google restricting the number of queries to six (the last one isn’t queried), the variety of options you get to choose the music for your story is amazing. The end quality of the video is awesome and nearly professional. A brief search on Google shows you thousands of videos created by different people as their business ads, social awareness campaigns, travelogues and even romantic proposals!
Unleash your creativity and come out with a cool story.


Saturday, February 5, 2011

GPS receiver with Bluetooth

The Leadtek 9559X is a slim, compact, lightweight Bluetooth GPS receiver, apt for portable devices, such as PDAs or smartphones. Based on state-of-the-art SiRFStarIII technology, the Leadtek 9559X has the benefits of high sensitivity, low power consumption and fast connection with Bluetooth embedded devices. With the synchronization of the Leadtek 9559X and a PDA or smartphone (device should have BT connection and mapping function), you can easily locate your position with accuracy.
The Leadtek 9559X can be used with mobile devices which also provide location-based service (LBS). The Leadtek 9559X can be easily integrated with all navigation software applications to indicate your position. It has a standard NMEA output and is compatible with all Palm OS and pocket PC devices. With support from SiRFLoc software, the Leadtek 9559X also provides SiRFLoc multimode technology. It can determine your position with the help of carrier networks through Bluetooth-equipped phones or determine it independently from satellite signals.

Features :-
  • SiRFStarIII chipset supported
  • 20 channels with all-in-view tracking and SiRFStarIII high sensitivity software
  • RF metal shield for best performance in noisy environments
  • Multi-path mitigation hardware
  • Light-weight design and easy to carry
  • Cold/warm/hot start time: 42/38/1 sec at open sky and stationary environments
  • Specially designed Li-ion battery (compatible with Nokia 3650 battery pack)
  • Power on/off slide switch
  • Two LED indicators: Bluetooth and GPS
  • Neck strap eyelet
  • Build-in ceramic patch antenna and external antenna connector
  • Dimension: 68.1mm x 44mm x 26.5mm
  • Weight: 70g with battery
  • Compliant with Bluetooth v1.2, class 2
  • Operation time: 11 hours, in continuous mode 


New segments open up to GPS

The Australian cricket team employed GPS satellite tracking devices to get an idea of the distances and speeds they cover on the field.

BANGALORE: In addition to their trademark resilience and aggressive playing style, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology could well be one of the defining factors behind the Australian cricket team’s performance in recent times.

Early this year, the team employed GPS satellite tracking devices to get an idea of the distances and speeds they cover on the field. This provided some interesting such as a significant difference in heart rates between training and competitive matches, which meant they had to train harder.

Cricket apart, GPS is finding its way into many other commercial and consumer areas. A whole new segment called recreational GPS is emerging. Especially in the US, GPS devices are being used for a wide range of consumer applications,” said Ashu Pande, country head, SiRF India, a company that provides chips and software platform for GPS applications.

Hikers and trainers use it not just for location tracking but also to clock data such as speed and height climbed. Once this data is uploaded and processed at the backend, a user gets relevant info such as a comparison with previous outings and activities, time taken to cover the distance and number of calories burnt.

“We prefer to look at GPS as not location based but location enabled services because location by itself is not a killer application. But enabling location within an application makes it a killer application.” SiRF is doing its bit to bring together the ecosystem of application developers, content providers and device manufacturers through its community. This site allows developers to register download the programming suite SiRFStudio, and also interact with the community.

Pande sees synergy between Internet and GPS. “Adding context to Internet content is the key. For example, yahoo takes a user to a specific country home page based on IP address. If the GPS function is added, depending on the location, it could automatically provide relevant info such as weather or traffic updates.”

The US is leading the market in GPS adoption thanks to the 911 mandate which requires phones to be GPS tagged so that those dialing the emergency number 911 can be reached based on the location tracking. India however has been slow on GPS adoption and its uses have been restricted to transport and vehicular tracking.

Pande, however, feels that there is a lot of potential for GPS in the commercial space IN India especially for people management and asset tracking.

“Mobiles fitted with GPS could be relevant in B2B applications in logistics, services industry and also segments which employ a massive sales force.”

“We are working with a customer in Korea to make a cell phone with limited call functions that can send location details back to the enterprise,” he said.

Pande also said that the company is also in talks with the Planning Commission to explore the feasibility of road tolling using GPS devices, on the Golden Quadrilateral highway.

This could be on the lines of the successful deployment of a high-tech road toll system that was launched for heavy commercial vehicles on German highways.

© CyberMedia News


  

Accelerating WANs

Wide area networks (WANs) are fairly common nowadays from big banks to telecom companies, all connect their branch offices through it. But, the big question is whether the companies are able to take out all the benefits from WANs

MUMBAI: Inter-connectivity is one of the biggest hurdles that organizations spread over multiple locations face. How to transmit data between different branches, and more importantly, how to do it efficiently?

Wide area networks (WANs) are fairly common nowadays from big banks to telecom companies, all connect their branch offices through it. But, the big question is whether the companies are able to take out all the benefits from WANs.
 
This was the topic that the CIOL seminar, Application Acceleration Using Wide Area Data Services - The Road to Success, discussed recently in Mumbai. The event witnessed some path breaking technology discussions and demonstrations on ways of accelerating WANs.
 
Vivek Singh, regional director (India and SAARC), Riverbed, spoke at length on how different companies were grappling with the issue. The typical response of most companies faced by low bandwidth issues was either to increase the pipe or try and consolidate the data center. Either didn’t help much.
 
“According to a survey over 67 per cent of employees, work in a location other than the headquarter. In this globalized scenario, bandwidth connectivity can be extremely critical. Yet, what is promised is not necessarily the bandwidth speed that one gets and the main reasons behind this is latency and software chattiness,” Singh said.
 
He went on to talk about how Riverbed’s proprietary technology solved these two critical issues.
 
Prem Mishra, director – Technical, from Millennium Infotech, also spoke on the issue and gave a demonstration on how Riverbed helped in accelerating the network speed. Most of the attendees seem to be quite impressed by the demonstration and were seen seeking more details on the technology.
 
© CyberMedia News

Friday, February 4, 2011

Download GreenPois0n RC5 to Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 [How to Guide]

greenpois0n-rc5
The Chronic dev team has just released GreenPois0n RC5 jailbreaking tool which can be used to jailbreak iDevices running the latest iOS 4.2.1 firmware. Only catch here is that (for now) GreenPois0n RC5 is available only for Mac and it is not a stable release (RC5 – Release candidate 5). GreenPois0n for Windows and Linux is expected to arrive soon.
With GreenPois0n RC5, you will be able to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 (untethered) on iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 4G/3G/2G, iPad and Apple TV 2G. Unlike Redsnow 0.9.7, Greenpois0n RC5 will not need any 4.2b3 SHSH Blobs saved on Cydia for Untethered Jailbreak.

Download GreenPois0n RC5

 

greenpois0n-rc5-download
You can download GreenPois0n RC5 from Greenpois0n RC5 or use this mirror. You can check the guide given below to use GreenPois0n RC5 to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1, but be aware of this being an unstable release and expect some problems if you don’t follow the procedure carefully.
Update: Greenpois0n RC5_2 has been released which fixes some of the previous issues. Download it here or here.


How to Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 using GreenPoisOn RC5?

Disclaimer: The guide is purely for informational and educational purposes only. Jailbreak your device at your own risk.
Do not proceed if you rely on carrier unlock. Ultrasn0w doesn’t support this baseband yet.
1. Download GreenPois0n RC5 from the links given above.
2. Connect your iDevice running iOS 4.2.1 to the USB of your mac.
3. Start GreenPois0n RC5 and click on Jailbreak button. Follow the on-screen instructions to put your device in the DFU mode.
4. Click again on Jailbreak button of Greenpois0n to start the jailbreaking process.
5. Wait for GreenPois0n to complete its steps. Once it’s complete, you will see a “Loader” icon on the springboard. Tap on it and install Cydia.
Voila! Your iDevice is now jailbroken with iOS 4.2.1! Thanks Blogsdna!


 

 


Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Cloud Revolution – All About it !!

cloud computing
To wonder why cloud computing revolution is occurring today, is something of circumlocution. A comprehensive definition of cloud computing, fundamentally gets associated with a broad swath of the major advances happening, in how IT is functioned and distributed at present. Internet- based computing where servers provide resources, software and data to computers and other devices on demand is known as cloud computing. It’s an expected evolution of the extensive embracing of virtualization, service oriented architecture and utility computing.
Fast application and service provisioning, flexible reaction to load changes, low-touch management, network-centric access, and the capacity to move workloads from one site to another are all features of cloud computing. To sum it up, cloud computing is more of a cuneiform for the important things happening in IT, than it is a precise technology.
The name “Cloud Computing” comes from the utilization of a cloud image to symbolize the internet. The dependency on this ‘cloud’ for dependably sending and receiving of data is very profound. At first there were data pipes, routers and servers; but now there are services. Cloud computing comprises the total continuum of delivering hosted services over the internet. These services are largely classified into three categories:
1) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) – E.g. Amazon,
2) Platform as a Service (PaaS) – E.g. Google Apps,
3) Software as a Service( SaaS ) E.g. Web-based E-mails.
There are three essential services of cloud computing, that make a distinction from conventional hosting. They are, being sold on demand, it is flexible as per the services required by the user and the service is fully administered by the operator. The user only requires a computer along with an internet connection. It makes the world virtual more than ever.
It is apparent that there isn’t an enormous amount of exhilaration and propaganda around changing the data centers being operated, access to applications and deployment of new services.  The reason for such a broad based sprint, to do things diversely is because large evolutionary trends under right circumstances come together, in a way that results in something that is quite revolutionary.
A cloud can either be private or public. A public cloud sells services to anybody on the internet, whereas private cloud is a data center that provides hosted services to a restricted number of people. When a service provider utilizes public cloud services to create their private cloud, the outcome is identified as a virtual private cloud. The objective is to provide simple and suitable access to computing resources and IT services, be it private or public.
The most extensively used cloud computing applications used across many industries are -
1) Collaboration Applications,
2) Cloud Backup,
3) Business Applications,
4) Personal Productivity Application, and
5) Web Applications.
The aim of cloud computing is to use unused resources, authenticate the cost savings and attain an insight on how to handle performance across a virtualized infrastructure. Companies providing cloud services other than Amazon and Google are Salesforce, AT&T and Enomaly.
The main advantage of cloud computing is that small and medium sized business can immediately achieve the benefits. Ease of access to multiple data centers anyplace in the globe is an additional benefit. It also means that companies don’t require paying for hardware if they need further services from the cloud computing service provider.  Lastly, the most exceptional feature is that it is more ecologically gracious. Transferring applications to the cloud diminishes energy costs for operating and cooling hardware.
All I can bet on is, Cloud Computing is here to stay. And, it surely is rocking too.


Mobile Broadband on Your Laptop

mobile-broadband-dongles


Accessing the Internet on the move is easier than ever before, with options including smartphones, tablets and laptops. For people who want more from their mobile browsing than looking at Facebook and making use of the latest apps, getting mobile broadband on a laptop is often the medium of choice – perfect for doing work on the move or watching streamed TV programmes.
When Wi-Fi isn’t available, a dongle is the required piece of kit to get online

What is a dongle?

A dongle most commonly refers to the smallest of mobile broadband modems, housed in a USB stick plugged into the appropriate port on a laptop. Small enough to fit in your pocket, or as an addition to your key ring, dongles are easy to transport providing a simple way to get online practically anywhere.


Choosing the best deal !!

Accessing the Internet through a dongle can be paid for in a number of ways, with contract and pay as you go options, much like mobile phones. To work out what’s going to be best for you, first you need to think about how you use the internet. If it’s just browsing the odd web page and updating your status on Facebook, then pay as you go is probably all you need. To set your-self up with a pay as you go dongle, simply go to your local phone shop, or buy online; dong les typically cost around £20.
If you want to download lots of data, such as films and music, then you should consider going down the contract route as this could be very pricey under pay as you go. Contracts typically last from 12 to 24 months, so if you don’t want to be tied in for too long, make sure you know what you’re signing up to. Go for a contract with large or unlimited data allowances – if there is a limit, make sure you don’t exceed this, as it’s likely to be expensive. Contract dongles are often provided free, with laptops thrown in as part of the deal in some instances. Mobile broadband comparison sites are a good place to start when choosing a dongle contract.


Check your access !!

Like a mobile phone signal, mobile broadband connectivity varies for each provider depending on where you are in the country, so make sure you check the area you’re going to use mobile broadband most is covered.
Cheap and easy to access, dongles have revolutionized the way we go online, with pretty much everywhere in the world, able to pick up the mobile broadband of at least one provider. Just make sure you do your research first to get the best dongle deal to suit your individual needs.
This is a guest post by Jessica Lowe who writes on behalf of Broadband Genie, the independent comparison website for broadband, smartphones and mobile broadband deals.



Wednesday, February 2, 2011

How to Build a Wireless Home Network Without a Router?

wifi-home-network
Usually, everyone has just one internet connection at home. What if you want to share that internet connection with across all your desktop and laptop computers, your Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones (like the iPhone), media players (like the iPod Touch), video game consoles (like the PS3/Xbox), digital photo frames and any other wireless devices that you may have at home?
Yes, having a wireless router is the easiest solution. Set up a wireless network with the help of a router, connecting it to your modem and then to all your wireless devices. What if you don’t have a router? Or your existing router just conked? Don’t buy a new one, it’s really not needed!

Build a Wireless Home Network Without a Router?

 

A lot of people don’t know that if you run Windows 7, Windows Vista or even Windows XP, it is possible to build your own wireless network at home or office without using a wireless broadband router or a wireless access point, saving some money. In this tutorial we will show you step-by-step how to build this kind of wireless network, also known as ad-hoc.
Note that if you have any old desktops you might need to buy a wireless network card for each computer you want to connect to your network and to the Internet wirelessly. But most new desktops and laptop computers are already equipped with internal network adapters so you are ready to go without a router.
In order to build your own wireless network you will need the following:
  • A broadband Internet connection;
  • A wireless network card installed on each computer that you want to connect to your wireless network;
There are two types of wireless network cards available: USB and add-on. Usually add-on cards are more stable. Add-on cards for desktops are provided for the PCI slot and add-on cards for laptops are provided for the PC Card (PCMCIA)
Below is an example image for PCI wireless network card for desktops
pci-card
And a USB wireless network card would look like this
usb-wireless-card
As for the laptops, you would need a PC Card add-on wireless network card similar to this
pc-card-wireless
Once you have everything ready, you can now create a Wi-Fi network.

Create a Wi-Fi Network without a Router

To set up an ad-hoc network in Windows Vista, go to Network and Sharing Center from the control panel, select “Set up a connection or network” and choose “Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network“.
ad-hoc-network
Now give a name to your network. The default security type should be WPA2-Personal. Let it be like that because WPA2 is much better than WEP when it comes to wireless network security. Choose a security passphrase, click on save network if you intend to use this network again, and hit next.
save-network
Turn on Internet Sharing in the next screen and now your other home computers can connect to the ad hoc network just like they would connect to any regular wireless network. Setting up a ad-hock network in Windows XP is similar with just a couple more steps intermediate steps involved, but ensure that you are using Windows XP SP2 or SP3 for it to work.


CES 2011 – Faster Technology & Better Media Connectivity enable ‘Enhanced Networking’

It was predicted that in this year’s CES 2011 the tip of the iceberg was networking and it was also said that electronic gadgets and devices will have more built-in networking capabilities than computers.
The main theme of the networking vendors at CES 2011 was ‘Home is where the Network is’. This should not come as a surprise because since the past few years several home entertainment devices like flat-screen TVs, media playback devices, game consoles, and so on, include an Ethernet port. Others use USB Wi-Fi dongles to connect to a wireless network, and many even come with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter.
The new trend now is for network vendors to transport digital entertainment than just business data and for this; they are introducing a new range of products that will enable consumers to watch movies, share photos, listen to music and perform many such entertaining activities without actually worrying as to where the real content is located. Apart from just rendering faster networking services to home-based consumers the vendors are also focused on improving the networking of small businesses who can use faster networks or big file transfers and backups. Along with this several small businesses can also make use of the network cameras that help keep a security-eye on workplaces.

The Probable Products on offer -


The major announcements of products were those that would support the generation – next WiDi technology from Intel and they include a range of products like moving notebook multimedia to HDTVs and stereos. Renowned companies like Netgear will introduce new Push2TV adapters, the PTV2000 which are fabricated keeping in mind the WiDi technology that will enable 1080p video and streams protected content. D-Link is also intending to bring out its first WiDi adapter – the MainStage during summer. Meanwhile, Logitech has also announced a WiDi speaker adapter priced at $30, which again is a revelation in the music playing arena. The speaker adapter from Logitech would play WiDi-enabled notebook audio over external stereo speakers.
Faster Networking, More Connectivity –
One of the ways by which networking vendors are integrating multimedia is by selling hybrid routers that combine networking technologies, offering support for both wireless and wired devices. One such example of a hybrid router comes from D-Link and here is the detailing of the product – ‘D-Link’s Hybrid Wireless-N Powerline Router (DHP-1320) incorporates support for 802.1n WiFi (on the 2.4GHz band), HomePlugAV, and Ethernet. Netgear, meanwhile, announced its own Wi-Fi/HomeplugAV/Ethernet hybrid, the N300 Wireless Router + Powerline AV (WNXR2000).’
Along with routers like these there is also another device which is gaining quick recognition and a fantastic acceptance rate from the networking technologists. And that is - Powerline, which is a major help in electric wiring and sometimes more reliable than Wi-Fi. The earlier mentioned products will surely be a part of an escalating trend that uses Wi-Fi as an alternative to wired and Bluetooth amongst devices. If the Wi-Fi seems unreliable for some reason there is always the dependent tool of powerline wiring that can be called for rescue.
Altogether a fantastic start to the New Year for networking vendors by bringing in a revelation to home entertainment and also to businesses.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Gmail gets Native Desktop Notifications

gmail-desktop-alerts
Google has announced native desktop notifications for Gmail which includes notifications for chat as well as new mails. Gmail always had this bubble sound alert for new chat messages, but no real visual alert/notification as such. But now you can get to know as and when a new chat message or a new mail comes in through a desktop alert, without having to use any third party app or extension.
A catch of sorts behind this – you need to be using Google Chrome web browser. Chances are you might already be using Chrome, if not, you have a solid reason to switch to Chrome now! Over the past year or so, it has become my primary browser, just like Gmail being the primary email service.
The latest version of Chrome has HTML5 desktop notifications which display pop-ups whenever a chat message or new email arrives.

How to Turn on Gmail Desktop Alerts?

 

In order to turn on Desktop alerts for Gmail, click on the Settings link on the top right corner of Gmail and scroll down to the “Desktop Notifications” section. If you just want to get notified about chat messages, or if you use Priority Inbox and only want to get notifications for important messages, you can customize your settings from there too.
gmail-notifications

For those who are not comfortable using Chrome would need to wait for sometime and Google has promised to get it working on other browsers as well in the near future. It is not just Gmail, Chrome’s HTML5 notifications can be enabled for AOL IM, Yahoo! IM and other chats.
Note that, you might have to refresh the browser a couple of time in order to get the desktop notifications to work, but it is very well worth it if you ask me!

Source: Gmail Blog [via] Techie-Buzz



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"BLOGGING" is my passion. I am crazy about it. I love to share knowledge with others, So I found this platform is good to share knowledge with everyone. And also I like to surf net a lot to search for the latest technologies and gadgets.