Vodafone 553 QWERTY MOBILE!!!

Vodafone 945 Android smartphone and Vodafone 553 touch QWERTY feature phone unveiled:

Vodafone seem pretty keen on continuously expanding their portfolio of own-brand phones and smartphones. The previous global announcement regarding the Vodafone handset line took place in April and unveiled the first Android-powered Vodafone device, the 845.

Vodafone’s second Android smartphone, the 945, was just announced today. This one is clearly a step up in features and specifications from the 845, though it’s not meant to be a replacement, as they’ll both be selling side by side.

The Vodafone 945 features:

• Android 2.1
• a 3.2-inch WQVGA (240×400) capacitive touchscreen
• HSDPA, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth
• 5 megapixel camera with flash
• 300 MB internal memory, microSD card slot
• Colors: black or silver

If priced accordingly, this could sell very well thanks to its good spec sheet and prove to be a worthy competitor toOrange’s San Francisco (which has a bigger and higher-res screen but a lower megapixel count). The San Francisco’s price, however, is rather tough to beat.

Alongside the 945, Vodafone also introduced the 553. This is a budget touch+QWERTY device. As such, it features a 2.8-inch touchscreen and a side-sliding full QWERTY keyboard. There’s no fancy smartphone OS here, as this is a featurephone. It comes with Opera Mini 5 preinstalled and Vodafone’s 360 People address book.

Other notable features of the Vodafone 553 include a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio and a microSD card slot.

Both phones will be available in time for the holiday season. The 553 will be aimed more at the pre-pay/pay as you go market.

Pricing is not available yet, but these are (or should be) budget devices after all, so don’t expect anything that will break the bank.

Wireless USB 1.1 Specification Now Available

The Wireless USB Promoter Group today announced the completion of the Wireless USB 1.1 specification, the technical map for product developers to bring the next generation of Wireless USB products to the market.

Wireless USB 1.1 delivers key performance enhancements to Wireless USB technology, as well as added UWB upper band support for frequencies of 6 GHz and above, and offers backward compatibility with Wireless USB products currently in use by consumers.

Wireless USB is evolving with optimized power efficiency and ease of use. Lower idle power requirements and improved battery life enhance Wireless USB power efficiency, and the new association model offers support for Near Field Communication (NFC) and proximity-based association, making Wireless USB even easier to install and use.

"The Wireless USB 1.1 specification is the next step in Wireless USB technology,".

"Consumers want a fast, easy-to-use solution to wirelessly transfer content from PCs to devices. Wireless USB 1.1 is the solution supporting robust, high-speed wireless connectivity among devices."

Reference: TECHNEWS

Flickr Access on UAE!!!

UAE Gets Access to FLICKR....

After 5 years of on and off blocking the most popular image sharing platform UAE residents get access to Flickr just to raise the question: how long this time?

The Flickr blocking ‘phenomenon’ had it’s foundations laid over 5 years ago back in 2005, with the service being unblocked on occasion, it apparently was considered offensive to the nation’s culture described in UAE’s TRA (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) 13 Prohibited Content Categories[PDF].

A heard news of Du one of the UAE’s two teleco carriers unblocking the service two days ago, but users feared it to be a breath of fresh air that wouldn’t last long before the door was slammed on it as previous incidents show, mostly during Firewall updates and service maintenance.

But with increasing reports today from Etisalat & Du users in the UAE in addition to a tweet sent out by Etisalat’s twitter account implying the decision was made by TRA and not Etisalat themselves means it’s probably official. Flickr is unblocked and very much accessible to UAE residents.

VLC Media Players for Ipad!!!

VLC For iPad Heralds A New, Friendlier App Store Era:

Good news for people who think outside the iTunes box, multimedia player VLC hit the Apple store today, meaning you can now play AVI and Quicktime movies without having to convert them to iTunes, and also meaning that the app will presumably be taking at least some eyeball traffic away from the iTunes store. Does this generous decision on behalf of Apple mean that the kinder gentle App store is here to stay?

Yes, the same app store that approved Google Voice and Opera is now giving the thumbs up on an open source multimedia player, an odd reversal from the strict polices of the app store of yesteryear. On September 9th Apple released a series of guidelines making clear what is and isn’t allowed (“no fart apps”), and told developers it would consider apps built using whatever languages they wanted including Flash and Java. And it looks like it’s keeping it’s word.

Since the closed iTunes media platform is at the crux of Apple’s business model, the fact that an app would get approved that allows you to upload non-Apple compatible files to your iPad it seems counterintuitive when considering how viciously Apple has treated apps that were even slightly competitive in the past.

But this recent chain of approvals are signs a less greedy Apple is going easier on what constitutes “duplication of functionality.” What’s next, Bittorrent on the iPad?

To Apple developers the VLC approval is as symbolic as Google Voice was a couple of days ago. You can’t get more open than the free VLC which comes with a bunch of Codecs so you can basically play anything, and is open source meaning that developers can build on top of it. Giddy off of their newfound Apple seal of approval, Apptitudes, the company behind the app, holds that they plan on making an iPhone version soon.

So what happened that made Apple change their tune with regards to App Store approval policy? No one quite knows. One theory I’ve heard is governmental intervention on what were viewed by many to be monopolistic tendencies. In any case, get ready for a new App store era.

The statement that started it all, below:

• With over 250,000 apps and 6.5 billion downloads, the App Store has become the world’s largest mobile application platform and App Store developers have earned over one billion dollars from the sales of their apps.
• We are continually trying to make the App Store even better. We have listened to our developers and taken much of their feedback to heart. Based on their input, today we are making some important changes to our iOS Developer Program license in sections 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.9 to relax some restrictions we put in place earlier this year.
• In particular, we are relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to create iOS apps, as long as the resulting apps do not download any code. This should give developers the flexibility they want, while preserving the security we need.

BlackBerry tablet may be announced next week - BlackPad and SurfBook likely names

A report by the Wall Street Journal has indicated many things about RIM’s still rumoured upcoming tablet, and one of them happens to be the fact that it could possibly be unveiled as soon as next week, during its Developer Conference to be held in San Francisco.

Also reported is that the BlackBerry tablet will still be priced at around $499, and will only support Wi-Fi and BlackBerry tethering. QNX Software Systems (an infotainment company RIM acquired in April for $200 million) will apparently be making the OS from scratch, while Quanta will be manufacturing the device, and Marvell powering it. Interestingly, the report also pointed out that RIM might be considering switching all its phones to QNX's operating system.

With all the rumoured details so far, a lot of us feel quite knowledgeable about what the BlackBerry tablet would be like, however, the name still remains a mystery. While RIM taking over the Blackpad.com domain gave us a clue, it could certainly just be an option or even a marketing gimmick. RIM also applied for a trademark of the SurfBook name in Canada a few days back, so for now, the tablet’s name still remains a mystery. We’ve taken a liking to BlackPad, it certainly has a dark yet hilarious sound to it…But will RIM go ahead with it? Let us know what you think in the comments section below...

Cell Phones to Project Images on a Wall:

Now, It is possible that we can project the images by using Cell phones with the help of Miniature Devices...

A new one-cubic-centimeter projector head that can be integrated into a portable computer or mobile telephone has been developed by Lemoptix, a spin-off of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), and the Maher Kayal Laboratory.

Little Energy will be required to projector requiring on average 30% less current than the matrix- or LED-based technology currently available on the market.“This micro-projector functions using tiny mirrors of less than a millimeter’s thickness. Positioned on a silicon (wafer) disc, they reflect red, blue and green laser beams”.

The device, contained in a tiny glass case (3 mm x 4 mm), oscillates so rapidly that the beam can scan a surface up to 20,000 times a second. In August, Maher Kayal’s team was able to generate a color image in VGA resolution (640 x 480px) for the first time.

The improved brightness and contrast will enable it to replace LCD screens. The Lemoptix team envisions an interactive version that would allow you to touch the projected image to zoom or change screen.

Reference: Newspaper (Hindu)

FaceBook Secretely Building a Phone!!!

Here It is.....

Facebook is building a mobile phone, says a source who has knowledge of the project. Or rather, they’re building the software for the phone and working with a third party to actually build the hardware. Which is exactly what Apple and everyone else does, too.

It was a little less than a year ago that we broke the news that Google was working on a phone of its own – which was eventually revealed as the Nexus One. It was about that time, says out source, that Facebook first became concerned about the increasing power of the iPhone and Android platforms. And that awesome Facebook apps for those phones may not be enough to counter a long term competitive threat.

Specifically, Facebook wants to integrate deeply into the contacts list and other core functions of the phone. It can only do that if it controls the operating system.

Two high level Facebook employees – Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos – are said to be secretly working on the project, which is unknown even to most Facebook staff.

Both have deep operating system experience.

Hewitt helped create the Firefox browser and was working on Parakey before it was acquired by Facebook in 2007. Parakey, which never launched, was described as a “Web-based operating system.” Hewitt also created all of Facebook’s iPhone web apps and then native apps, but finally quit building for the iPhone in disgust late last year. But he knows operating systems and he knows mobile.

Papakipos also has a perfect background for this project. He was leading the Google Chrome OS project until June. He then quit and went to Facebook.

But that doesn’t answer the question of why he’d leave the Chrome OS project before it was finished. It would have taken something really interesting to lure him away. Something like a Facebook Phone, for example.

So what might this phone look and feel like? We don’t know yet. When will it be announced? Don’t know. But I’d speculate that it would be a lower end phone, something very affordable, that lets people fully integrate into their Facebook world. You call your friend’s name, not some ancient seven digit code, for example. I’d imagine Facebook wanting these things to get into as many hands as possible, so I’d expect a model at a less than $50 price. Pay your bill with Facebook Credits. Etc.

As for timing, the holiday season is always a good time to launch new products. But that may be too soon.

Or who knows, the whole project might get killed before it sees light. All we know for sure is that Hewitt and Papakipos are working on something very stealthy together. And we have a source that tells us that stealthy thing is a Facebook phone.

Reference: TECHCRUNCH on Twitter...

Nokia Introduces Radar Technology

Radar Technology By NOKIA!!!

NOKIA have made an announcement that they will be adding radars to their mobile phones. It will enable you to tell the distance and speed of moving objects such as cars etc using your mobile phone.

Sounds cool already right? But the most important thing is that you will be able to control the phone using hand movements!

It was unveiled at the Nokia Research Centre. There is no information about when we will see this technology implemented in phones since its just a prototype at the moment. But it is really cool and something we are looking forward to.

Another great thing about this technology is that you can use it while its covered say in your pocket. It can mean access to various functions such as picking up a call or changing the songs!

Reference: Newspaper (Hindu)

Skin Technology (An Interactive Touch Screen):

Welcome to the future people, It has been long time coming. When you saw gadgets on the Matrix, iRobot and Back to the Future and wondered when you would get that sort of technology, now is the time. Hardware company Displax has begun marketing ‘Skin,’ an almost paper-thin film that can transform any of your non-metal surfaces into an interactive touchscreen.

It really is that thin and can be placed on any surface that is transparent or opaque. The surface does not even have to be flat to work. The technology can handle up to 16 fingers points at once, and works on any glass surface with the ability to interact with content displayed under the glass itself.

‘Skin’ can be operated in several different ways, either by touching or even blowing on the surface.

You can only imagine what sort of things you could do with this. It could be distributed in schools instead of whiteboards/blackboards, business presentations, education and museum centers, worktop instructions, games, restaurants… the list goes on.

Skin is done by nano technology and covered by an polymer film. It saves electricity and works under principle of K-Positive technology.

Reflects light 98% and it is merged with 100 micron sized Nano wires on the surface. It is connected by USB or serial cable to a computer Monitor or LCD.

While touching the monitor the nano wires sends the interrupt to the micro processor and it is controlled by an Software. And suddenly micro processor acknowledges the request and Touch-screen is ready!!!!

Reference: புதிய தலைமுறை

Light Peak Technology!!!

Light Peak Technology:

Intel Scientist have developed a new Optical cable technology designed to connect peripheral devices through buses. It can able to transfer data in speed upto 90GBit/sec.

It is intended as a single universal replacement for current buses such as SCSI, SATA, USB, Firewire, PCI express. Cable maximum length is 100metre.

Mainly developed as a way to reduce the port Limitation on modern computers. Bus Systems like USB were intended to do the same and successful replaced a number of older technologies.

It is designed by INTEL in 2009 and it includes Daisy chain, External, Data signal connectivity. AGNOSTIC protocol is used to transfer the data among the cable to the destination.

Cables:

Light peak uses optical fiber cable containing 125 micron wide fiber that can transport the infrared signal up to 100 meters. The optical fiber is typically coated with plastic layers that protect the cable from moisture and other damage.

Characteristics:

1. Able to connect multiple device at a time.
2. Multiple Protocols.
3. Bidirectional transfer.
4. Quality of service implementation.
5. Hot Pluggable.

Reference: DIGIT Magazine(September)....

Hcl Android Tablet For School Students in INDIA!!!

HCL to Manufacture Indian Android Tablet PC For Students!!!


Friends... Our HRD minister Kapil Sibal (central minister) offers Schools Students Tablet PC for $35 (Approximately Rs.1500) designed by HCL corporation.

• It will be packed with 2 GB RAM memory, wi-fi connectivity, USB port and powered by a 2-watt system to suit poor power supply areas.

• It will laso have apps like internet browser, PDF reader, video conferencing facilities, open office, sci-lab, media player, remote device management capability, multimedia input-output interface option, and multiple content viewer.

• It should Improves the knowledge level of School Children and Country education Standard...

• Tablet will come in three versions of 5, 7, and 9 inches display, however it looks like government is only planning roll out 7 inch display version first.

• Everyone feared that the much anticipated $35 tablet project of Indian government might turn out to be a flop show but considering the latest update, tablet is very much on the right track and will make its debut in Jan 2011.

• Indian government recently awarded the contract to manufacture the Android tablet to HCL Infosystems. The company will help govt manufacture 100,000 such tablets.

Reference: Pudhiya Talaimurai , Indian Express....

Googles Android Operating System For Smart Phones!!!

Android Operating System:

• Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google and is based upon the Linux kernel and GNU software. It was initially developed by Android Inc. (a firm purchased by Google) and later positioned in the Open Handset Alliance. According to NPD Group, unit sales for Android OS smartphones ranked first among all smartphone OS handsets sold in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2010, at 33%.BlackBerry OS is second at 28%, and iOS is ranked third with 22%.
• It is programmed in C,C++ and using Java Libraries....
• Initially it is released at 21st October 2008...
• And its Latest Release is 2.2 (Froyo) / 20 May 2010; 3 months ago...
• Its Kernel type is MONOLITHIC (modified linux kernel) and the major advantage is that it is an Free and Open Source Software...
• Official Website is Android.com.

Top 10 Search Engines in 2010

The Top Ten Search Engines (Numbers 1-5)

Google.com
In America alone, there were about 14 billion web searches performed in December of 2009. Google.com serviced more that 9 billion of those 14 billion requests maintaining a 65% search engine market share. Obviously, with 9 billion people requesting your services each month, the future of Google looks pretty stable. Currently, their place in the top 10 search engines is stable for the foreseeable future.

Yahoo.com
When Google first came on the scene back in the late 90’s, the number one search engine was Yahoo. However, by providing better search results using their PageRank algorithm, Google bested Yahoo at their game. In fact, as chronicled in a great article entitled The Rise of Google: Beating Yahoo at Its Own Game, Google triumphed over Yahoo just two years after their incorporation. At number 2 on the list of top search engines, Yahoo.com currently maintains about 17% of the search engine market servicing approximately 2.5 billion requests per month as of December 2009.

Bing.com
Microsoft currently holds third place on the list of the most popular search engines with roughly 10% of the market share. Microsoft has tried endlessly to have success in this arena by coupling their IE browser—not known as the best web browser—with a built in search engine. Having changed names many times—MSN, LIVE, LiveSearch, and now Bing, Microsoft continues to struggle to achieve growth in the search engine sector. On an upnote, Microsoft inked a deal to provide all search services to Yahoo in July of 2009.

Ask.com
Remember the search engine service butler? Initially created as AskJeeves.com 1997, this search engine first used human editors to find relevant results. By 2005, like the others, AskJeeves had lost a significant amount of marketshare and was purchased by Barry Diller’s Group IAC, which then renamed AskJeeves to Ask.com in 2006. The site continues to rank 4th in the list of top 10 search engines servicing about 4% of search engine requests.

AOL.com
Once a high-flying Internet behometh, AOL now is ranked numbered 5 in the list of top ten search engines servicing slightly less than 3% of search requests. AOL was once the number one ranked ISP with a subscriber base of more than 30 million, most of whom accessed the web through AOL property. Nearly immediately after their purchase of Time Warner in 2001, the decline of AOL began as people realized that they did not need AOL to have the Internet. AOL has tried to reposition itself as a web property similar to Yahoo.com but faces a significantly uphill battle. In May of 2009, Time Warner spun off AOL into a different company.

The Top Ten Search Engines (Numbers 6-10)

The top 5 search engines garner so much of the search engine traffic that there is less than 1% remaining for the other search engines. Their position on the list of top search changes on a monthly basis.

That said, we will provide them numerically with the realization that this data changes very frequently.

AltaVista.com
Like many others, AltaVista was once extremely popular but its fortunes diminished and now they are owned by Yahoo. Like many of the once thriving search engines, the ownership of AltaVista has ping-ponged across many companies. Today, they serve a small portion of Internet requests and their biggest go-to product is Babel Fish translation services.

AlltheWeb.com
AlltheWeb.com debuted in 1999 and sought to be a third party to outward facing search engines like Yahoo.com, very similar to the practices of Inktomi at the time. AlltheWeb was highly praised during its debut with many services that were thought to have exceeded Google.com’s search engine. However, just like AltaVista, marketshare was lost overtime and ownership fell into the hands of Yahoo.com.

Lycos.com
Lycos.com was once the most visited online destination in the world. That was 1999. At the peak of the Internet bubble in 2000, Lycos was purchased for $5.4 billion dollars by the Spanish company Telefonica and sold three years later for a fraction of that at $95.4 million dollars to the Korean company Daum Communications. Nice investment, huh? Lycos has now been repositioned to find results for broadband content.

Excite.com
Like the others, Excite was formerly one of the best known brands on the Internet. In one of the biggest Internet mergers at the time valued at $6.7 billion dollars, the Excite.com web portal merged with the cable Internet provider @Home. Within just two years, the combined company declared bankruptcy. Excite is currently owned by the same company as Ask.com, Barry Diller’s IAC media group and they are trying to revamp the Excite brand.

HotBot.com
Like the others, HotBot.com was one of the earliest search engines and had a lot of promise. Launched in 1996, HotBot claimed distinct advantages over its competition while also offering free webpage hosting for a time. While it was once very competitive, HotBot now primarily serves its result to other search engine companies.

Top Ten Search Engines: Conclusion

As you can see from the statistics, Google absolutely dominates the search engine market. Its closest competitor is Yahoo.com but they seem to be endlessly buying old search technologies that do not provide any innovative techniques. This bodes well for Google’s continued dominion.

After researching each of these companies, it seems certain that new candidates will have to emerge to take on Google dominance in the search engine market.

But it can be done. How do we know? Because Google did it!