The 2nd Coming of Intel into the SmartPhone World - can LG help them?

If The report is to be believed, The Korea Times reports that LG will debut an Intel-powered smartphone at CES 2012, but the bigger question is whether or not the device will ever make it to market.

LG and Intel’s first mobile partnership yielded an Android smartphone running on Intel’s Moorestown chipset for CES 2011, but the device was ultimately scrapped. According to one of the Times’ executive sources, the device could be released as soon this March. Still, the original LG-Intel phone was pegged with a 2011 release date, so take those claims with a grain of salt for bow.

Hopefully LG’s second coming at an Intel-powered phone fares a little better — it’s said to run on Intel’s next-generation Medfield system-on-a-chip, and early tests have yielded some pretty impressive benchmarks when compared to NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM8260 SoCs.Of course, Intel's lack of presence in the mobile market to date could mean that Medfield could drown in a sea of established ARM-based chipsets.

That’s why the partnership with LG is so critical — despite their handset division spending a few quarters in the red, LG is still the number two handset OEM in the U.S. Having a major hardware vendor taking a chance on their new platform could establish Intel as a real player in the mobile space, and right now Intel’s mobile efforts could use all the visibility they can get.so lets keep our Fingers Crossed .

Make Old Photos to 3-D scene- A Software project from Kevin Karsch

In just a few minutes, users can turn a photograph into a 3-D scene with lighting that makes synthetic objects look real.Making Old Photo Objects into 3-D real is child's play from now on. 

If you can go IEEE Spectrum website (http://spectrum.ieee.org), they have an excellent  interview of Kevin Karsch (http://kevinkarsch.com/), a computer science PhD student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He and his collaborators have developed a method for inserting synthetic objects into photographs without having access to the original location.

By marking the rough physical geometry of the scene and the location of light sources within it, users can quickly add digital objects that behave as if they were in the original photo.

Karsch will present his work in Hong Kong next week, at SIGGRAPH Asia 2011.

To Dig Deep Further:
Karsch's project page (includes full paper and video): http://kevinkarsch.com/publications/sa11.html
Paul Debevec's light probe research: http://ict.debevec.org/~debevec/#Resources

News Courtesy : http://spectrum.ieee.org

Cluzee,The Android replacement Offers Competition For Siri

Siri has been a big selling point for the iPhone 4S, indeed for some it is the only selling point, and it has pretty much lived up to its promise. So good is Siri in fact that it hasn't been uncommon to see Android users asking around for an equivalent service for their device. you might want to check out Cluzee, which might just be the first real competitor for Siri.

The app will be available to Android users from today , but a cloud based version is also in the pipeline that will be usable by anyone who has a mobile, computer, tablet or any device that can connect to the net basically.

Android users can head to the Market to check it out of course, but for the rest of you here is a video until that cloud service gets off the ground.

Microsoft's Next-Gen Surface, Samsung SUR40 - Pre-order Begins

$ 8400 priced Microsoft's next-gen Surface table computer, the Samsung SUR40.

blogs.msdn.com reports that the next-generation Surface "touch-based table computer" is now available for pre-order through Samsung Dealers in 23 countries worldwide. Commercial businesses that has $8400 in their wallet can head to the stores, to find a local representative and establish their place in line when the unit begins to ship in first quarter of 2012.

Named as the Samsung SUR40, the device features PixelSense technology which gives LCD panels the ability to see without the use of cameras. It recognizes up to 50 points of simultaneous touch -- including fingers, hands and other objects placed on the screen -- this is achieved by the 2 million sensors that have been built into the panel to pick up visible or infra-red light.

Automotive, education, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and retail are just some of the industries that will soon be able to take advantage of Samsung SUR40’s PixelSense technology, new, sleeker form factor and horizontal and vertical orientation options.

In addition to the new touch technology, the second-generation Surface sports a more powerful & better processor and improved System control software. As seen ten months ago back at CES 2011, it can also be used horizontally or vertically given that it no longer needs projector cameras (like the first-gen model). It's also cheaper than its predecessor which cost a hefty $12,500 back in 2008.

Countries eligible to pre-order the Samsung SUR40 include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Stay tuned for product availability in additional markets coming soon

 

Collect More details From :: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hh241326.aspx
Original News Courtesy : http://blogs.msdn.com/b/surface/archive/2011/11/17/preorder.aspx

The Real Revolution is Building Up - Replicant, An Android Distribution that is 100% Open Source

The Real Revolution is On -  "Replicant",  The Libre -Droid, An Android Distribution that is 100% Open Source

Replicant  a distribution of Android that is 100% Free Software. Most of Android is licensed freely under the Apache License 2.0. The Linux core is mostly Free Software under the GPLv2. However, there are numerous components of the default software stack on the devices that are proprietary software. Most notably, nearly any component that touches the hardware directly is proprietary software. (Official Website : http://replicant.us)

They  also have an Micro-blog @ http://identi.ca/group/replicant

They also have an App-Market, it’s called F-Droid. It’s a GPLv2 client app that comes configured with a repository hosting only free as in freedom applications. F-Droid comes with its own repository that contains only libre applications.(You can get the feel from http://f-droid.org/ ) .Any Developer Can submit their applications to F-Droid. The Developers are ensuring that Using Replicant you can manage any apk manually.

Some of Libre software replacement for non free Google apps

* Android Market ->  FDroid

* Gmail -> K9

* Google Maps ->  OsmAnd (best), gvSIG Mini Maps, OSMdroid,  navit (offline routing based on osm maps)

* Google Talk ->  CSipsimple (best),  Beem,  Gibber, Sipdroid, Nimbuzz

* Youtube -> no need for a proprietary app, just browse the mobile version of youtube which uses rstp (no adobe flash)

* Genie Widget (also known as News/Weather widget) -> News providers: BBC News or NPR News. Weather providers: no need for a proprietary app, just browse the mobile version of your favourite weather website.

You can get the Installation Guide From " Replicant Install Guide ". They Are also providing a Software Development Kit (SDK) - You can get it from Replicant 2.2 SDK

Replicant  team of developers are just enthusiastic hackers that are giving a try.Currently they have this blog and a Trac instance, both graciously donated by OSU-OSL.Replicant was founded by four people: Bradley M. Kuhn, Aaron Williamson, Graziano Sorbaioli, Denis ‘GNUtoo’ Carikli.

You Can Support Them on in various departments .Visit  http://replicant.us/how-to-help/   to know the input methods towards the Development.


Get Supported Device List From : http://replicant.us/supported-phones/

The Talk of the Town - New Adobe Touch Apps for Droids

The Android Market has received six new Adobe Creative Suite-inspired tablet apps from Adobe Systems Incorporated today.

 

The six new Adobe Touch apps include

•            Adobe Photoshop Touch
•            Adobe Collage
•            Adobe Debut
•            Adobe Ideas         
•            Adobe Kuler
•            Adobe Proto

All of them are specifically made for tablets, and allow users to play to their creative needs.
All of them Uses finger gestures to navigate the app and transform images.

Adobe Photoshop Touch shares features of its Big Brother from PC World
Adobe Collage allows users to combine photos
Adobe Debut is  a presentation app.
Adobe Ideas is a vector-based tool for drawing that allows the user to create smooth strokes using their stylus or finger.
Adobe Kuler produces color themes that can be used  as color swatches for other Adobe projects.
Adobe Proto allows for the creation of website and mobile app prototypes that can be shared with creative teams, clients, etc.

"Adobe Touch Apps will transform how people use tablets -- from mere consumption devices to vehicles for expression and creativity," said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager of Adobe's Digital Media Business Unit.

You Can get  Adobe Touch Apps can be found here.

Future Mobile World Congress Announcement - HTC JetStreamer, The Quad-Core Tablet

How does a quad-core HTC phone and tablet combo sound to you? Awesome?, because that's precisely what the Taiwanese will be introducing at Mobile World Congress, according to a report from the Commercial Times.

The story goes that HTC is currently planning to take the wraps off of an Nvidia quad-core-powered (aka Tegra 3) Android tablet and smartphone at MWC in February,

 
DigiTimes are also reported  that HTC are planning on unveiling a new quad-core Tegra 3 Android tablet come MWC in Barcelona next year. The device itself will be launched before the end of quarter three next year according to the same report. It's actually an important launch for HTC given that their previous tablet offerings have had, at best, mixed results.

The HTC Flyer is reported to have had disappointing sales, whilst many saw the HTC Jetstream as being simply too expensive. Perhaps third time's the charm?

[Source: DigiTimes & the Commercial Times]   

How to Read Malayalam in mobile ?

How to Read Malayalam in mobile ?
*************************************
1. Install Opera Mini browser.
2. Type config: in Address bar. (Don’t fail the colon symbol) And Press Goto button.
3. A Window will open. Select ‘YES’ in the field, Use bitmap fonts for complex scripts. (As seen in the picture)
4. Press SAVE Button.
Thats all! Now you can Read Malayalam. NB: If ‘config:‘ not works please type opera:config

OR DOWNLOAD BOLT INDIC BROWSER FROM www.grtjar.com

New Horizons revealed - Intel Core i7-3960X - Sandy Bridge E Processor – Quick Look

Intel Core i7-3960X - Sandy Bridge E Processor – Quick Look

• Memory controller supports DDR3-1066 and DDR3-1333 memory
• Processor has unlocked multiplier
  

 

Intel debuts its $1000+ Extreme Edition 3960X processor parroting how great it is for the gamer and enthusiast. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a new motherboard and chipset platform, and quad channel DDR3, Intel as done the impossible, given us everything we don't want, and nothing we do want. The Intel Core i7-3930K clocked at a 3.2GHz base clock with a 3.8GHz Turbo clock, sporting the same 6 cores and 12 threads. It will carry a neutered 12MB of cache as opposed to the 15MB of the Extremely Expensive edition. Along with is huge 130 watt TDP, the 3930K will carry an Extremely Expensive price as well, with an estimated street price of $575.
Features

Family                               Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition

Model number                   i7-3960X CPU

Frequency (MHz)             3300
Micro-architecture            Sandy Bridge

Processor core                  Sandy Bridge-E

Core stepping                   C1 (SR0GW)

Manufacturing process     0.032 micron Hi-K metal gate process

Data width                        64 bit

Number of cores               6

Floating Point Unit           Integrated

Level 1 cache size           6 x 32 KB instruction caches
                                         6 x 32 KB data caches

Level 2 cache size           6 x 256 KB

Level 3 cache size           15 MB

Multiprocessing               Uniprocessor

The Show-Stoppers: Google Nexus Prime & iPhone 4s

Feature Comparison between the two Show-Stoppers : Google Nexus Prime & iPhone 4s

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Prime                                           Apple iPhone 4S

 

Features/Phones	Samsung  Nexus Prime	Apple iPhone 4S
Display	4.65-inch screen with Super AMOLED HD curved display with 720x1280 pixel resolution at 316 ppi pixel density	3.5-inch TFT Retina multi-touch display with 960 x 640 resolution at 330 ppi pixel density
Processor	1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor (CPU), PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP4460 chipset	1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor (CPU), PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, Apple A5 chipset
Camera	5-megapixel rear-facing with LED flash; 2-megapixel front-facing; 1080p HD video	8 megapixel autofocus rear-facing camera with 3264×2448 pixels, LED flash camera, a .9 MP VGA front-facing camera and shoots HD videos of up to 1080p
NFC?	Yes	No
Operating System	Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)	Apple iOS 5
Data Speed	HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSDPA 14.4 Mbit/s, UMTS, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, EDGE	HSDPA, 14.4Mbps download, 5.8Mbps upload speed
Storage	1GB of RAM; 16GB/32GB internal memory	The iPhone 4S comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. No microSD card slot; 512MB RAM
Battery Life	1750 mAh lithium-ion battery	1420 mAh lithium-ion battery, with 480 minutes of talk time on 3G and up to 200 hours standby time
Dimensions	5.33" x 2.67" x 0.35" (135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94 mm)	4.5"x2.31"x.37" (115.2 mm x 58.6 mm x 9.33 mm)
Weight	4.76 oz (135 g)	140g/4.9 ounces
Price	Unannounced (possibly $299.99) on Verizon Wireless	$199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB model, with a new two-year contract from AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint

Panasonic BT300 Full HD Plasma Professional Reference Monitor -First Look

Panasonic BT300 Series Full HD Plasma Professional Reference Monitor

It’s been almost 6 years in the making, but Panasonic has finally come out with a Pro-reference-grade plasma monitor. First announced at the 2011 HPA Technology Retreat and shown publicly at NAB 2011, the TH-42BT300U and the TH-50BT300U are the industrial monitors that doubles as a reference display for post-production and a host of critical imaging applications.

The BT300 Series plasma reference monitors offer the optimum monitoring solution for 2D and 3D production and post-production, as well as content creation for gaming, graphic design and more. Available in 42- and 50-inch sizes, the plasmas allow facilities to upgrade their service offerings by providing seamless color correction capabilities available immediately upon content acquisition from either 2D or 3D cameras. The BT300 Series marks the introduction of a single reference monitor that fully satisfies both 2D and 3D post-production demands 

Features 
(models:TH-42BT300U/TH-50BT300U)

1.Ideal for critical reference applications, including professional master monitoring and 3D post-production
2.Highest-quality 3D images with Panasonic crosstalk suppressing technology

3.Bi-level Drive technology that doubles the number of gradation steps for smoother, richer image expression in dark areas

4.Multiple gamma and color gamut presets for critical image adjustments

5.SLOT2.0 custom applications via optional function boards

Specs

 

Glass type:	Anti-reflection
UPC Code:	8 8 5 1 7 0 0 5 1 0 0 3
Display:	.
Screen Size:	49.9-inch (1,268 mm)
Aspect Ratio:	16:09
Effective Display Area (WxH):	43.5" x 24.5" (1105 x 622 mm)
Resolution (HxV):	1920x1080 pixels
Pixel Pitch (HxV):	0.576 x 0.576mm
Contrast Ratio1:	5,000,000:1
Gradation:	TBD
Full HD moving picture resolution speed:	1200 pixel per second
Display Moving Picture Resolution:	1,080 lines
Panel Life2:	approx. 100,000 hours
FULL HD 3D3:	Full HD 3D Ready
Electrical:	.
Power Requirements:	110 - 127 V AC, 50/60Hz
Power Consumption:	420W
On Mode Avarage Power Consumption4:	approx. 205W
Power off condition:	0.2W
Stand-by condition:	Save OFF 0.7W, Save ON 0.4W
Sound:	.
Speaker out:	6Ω, 16W [8W + 8W] (10%THD)
Input/Output Terminal:	.
VIDEO IN/AUDIO IN(L/R):	BNC x 1 / RCA pin jack x 1 set
COMPONENT/RGB IN/AUDIO IN(L/R):	BNC x 3 / RCA pin jack x 1 set
HDMI IN:	HDMI TYPE A x 1
DVI-D IN/AUDIO IN (L/R):	DVI-D x 1 / M3 jack x 1 (Common terminal with PC)
PC IN/AUDIO IN (L/R):	D-sub 15pin x 1 / M3 jack x 1 (Common terminal with DVI)
Control Terminal:	.
LAN:	RJ45 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX, compatible with PJLink
Serial:	D-Sub 9-pin x 1, RS-232C Compatible
3D Shutter Out:	M3 jacl x 1
DC 8V out for 3D IR Transmitter:	Center Plus for EIAJ 4mm Plug
Interchangeable Terminal:	.
SLOT 2.0:	Yes
MECHANICAL:	.
Dimensions (inches) W x H x D:	47.7" x 28.5" x 3.5"
Mechanical Dimensions (mm)W x H x D:	1210 x 724 x 89 mm
Mechanical Weight (lbs.) (approx.):	75.0 lbs
Mechanical Weight (kg) (approx.):	34 kg
Cabinet Color:	Black
Packing dimension:	.
Dimensions (inches)W x H x D:	54.5" x 32.9" x 11.2"
Packing Dimensions (mm)W x H x D:	1385 x 836 x 284 mm
Packing Weight (lbs.) (approx.):	43 kg
Packing Weight (kg) (approx.):	94.8 lbs.
Operation Environment:	.
Temperature:	32°F to 104°F (0 - 40 degrees)
Humidity(Non condensation):	20% to 80%
Altitude:	0 to 9100feet (0 - 2800m)
Standards (Certifications):	.
SAFETY REGULATIONS:	UL60065, CAN/CSA-22.2No60065:03
RADIATION REGULATIONS:	FCC Part 15 Class-B, ICES-003
Energy star 5.1:	Yes
MULTI PIP/Digital Zoom/Video Wall:	.
Digital Zoom:	Yes
ID Select:	Yes
Power-On Delay:	Yes
Picture/Pos./Size Adjustment:	.
HV DELAY:	H DELAY/V DELAY/HV DELAY/OFF
OVER SCAN:	Yes
UNDER SCAN:	Yes
Auto Set Up:	Yes
Picture adjustment:	.
Picture menu:	STANDARD/DYNAMIC/CINEMA/MONITOR
Gamma:	1.0/2.0(→2.4?)/2.2/2.35/2.6
Studio Gain:	Yes
Color Temperature:	NORMAL-WARM-WARM2-WARM3-COOL-STUDIO
Color space adjustment (Color Gamut):	DIGITAL CINMA COLOR/CUSTOM/NATIVE/BT.709/EBU/SMPTE-C
Noise Reduction:	Yes
External Scaler:	Yes
Frame Creation:	OFF/MIN/MID/MAX
Picture Adjustment Moving Picture Resolution:	ON/OFF
3D 24p Film Display:	Yes
HDMI Range:	Yes
Picture profile (Memory save):	Yes
WAVEFORM MONITOR:	ON (Full scan, Single line scan)/OFF
MARKER SETTINGS:	Aspect marker/Safe area marker/Center marker/Crossharch marker
RGB/MONO settings:	BLUE ONLY/RGB/MONO
Reduce Screen Image Retection:	.
Screen Saver:	Negative image, Scrolling bar only, White screen, Overlay scrolling bar
NANO DRIFT Saver:	Yes (LOW/MID/HIGH)
Side Bar Adjust:	Yes
Peak Limit:	Yes
Setup of SCREENSAVER Time:	Yes
Reduce Power Consumption:	.
Power Save:	Yes
Stand By Save:	Yes
PC Power Management:	Yes
DVI Power Management:	Yes
No Signal Power Off:	Yes
No Active Power Off:	Yes
.:	.
3D INPUT FORMAT:	AUTO/SIDE BY SIDE/TOP AND BOTTOM/NATIVE/SIMULTANEOUS
3D VIEWING MODE:	3D/COMPARISON(SIDE BY SIDE/TOP AND BOTTOM)/LEFT/RIGHT
Function botton (Remote controller):	1˜8
Network funaction:	Yes
TEST PATTERNS:	Color bars/Red/Green/Black/1%window/Frame/Blue
Audio Input Select:	Yes

Kodak Playsport Zx3- Closer Look at the 1080p Pocket Camcoder

Closer-Look @ Kodak Playsport Zx3 - The Underwater Full HD Pocket Camcorder

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 is a fine device for capturing a common day at most of the favourite locations in& out of water. It has waterproof  capabilities & feels rugged and solid than other pocket camcorders. The PlaySport also stands out with impressive HD video for its price ($150 aprx), size, effective electronic image stabilization feature.

          

SPECIFICATIONS

    •   1080p Full HD Pocket Camcorder
    •    5 megapixels Sensor Resolution
    •    Image Stabilizer Electronic 
    •    Digital photo mode
    •    Automatic White Balance
    •    Automatic Exposure mode
    •    Widescreen Video Capture

    •    Supports for Flash Memory & SD Memory Card
    •    Lens - 5.54 mm - F/2.8
    •    Digital Still Camera Mode
    •    Water Proof & Crushproof ,
    •    
YouTube capture mode,
 ,
    •    
USB 2.0
    •    Software : Drivers & Utilities,
ArcSoft MediaImpression
    •    LCD display - 2 in
    •    Built-in -Microphone
    •    Connections -1 x USB,
1 x HDMI output,
1 x Composite video/audio output
    •    Expansion Slot(s)- 1 x SD Memory Card
    •    Support- Mac OS X 10.4 or later,
Windows Vista,Windows 7,Windows XP SP2
    •    Underwater Capturing Feature-  Depth Up to 9.8 ft
    •    Cables Included 1,
1 x A/V cable,
HDMI cable
    •    Battery type - Rechargeable Lithium ion - Kodak KLIC 7004

Pros: Top Class Video for its Price & Class; waterproof features; HDMI cable packed; sharing software is excellent.

Cons:Short battery life, No built-in USB connector; Accessories-pack Lacks memory card; lacks Sharing Software for Mac/Linux. 

The Editor's Advice: The Kodak Playsport is an excellent handy-pocket-camcorder that can with stand abuse and capture Good quality HD video.

In the news : Kodak has earned two Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Awards for the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera and the KODAK PULSE Digital Frame. In addition, the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera received a Best of Innovations Award. The awards were recently announced by the International Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and selected by a panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and journalists. 

The Next Genaration ARM - Mali-T658 mobile GPU;10x faster

ARM announces new Mali-T658 mobile GPU, promises 10x performance boost

ARM has just unveiled the next gen Mali GPU, dubbed Mali-T658. The GPU is said to deliver desktop-class performance, offering 10 times the processing power of the Mali 400.According to ARM, the Mali-T658, should also offer four times the performance of the Mali-T604, which was previously announced, but is still to enter mass production. That’s the T-604 that is rumored to feature in the next generation Exynos chipsets

Source:http://blog.gsmarena.com

The second coming of Firefox @ Android

Native Firefox for Android is Coming! - Firefox for Android getting an overhaul to use native Java widgets and UI, will bring better performance

 

Many of you have heard or already experiencing the Firefox browsing experience on your Android Phone or Tablet. We hope your experience has been a great one, and continue to look forward to your feedback. The engineering team is taking it a step further and porting Firefox to a Native Java Application, which promises similar features you’re used to, but with a handful of improvements!

Development is already in progress, and many features have already landing.  You can find out more details in our weekly newsletter , as well as specific areas to test and focus on.    There has already been significant improvements in startup performance, responsiveness, and a much more fuller, native experience on the phone.    Native Firefox Android is estimated to launch in Q1 2012.  Here’s a nice recent writeup by Ryan Paul at Arstechnica.com

In the meantime, there is a Testday tomorrow (Friday, Nov 11th) that you can join!   We are looking for folks interested in a first look, alpha feedback, and want to share their comments and bugs around our product.   If you are a firefox user, and own an Android device, you don’t want to miss this event!

Source: http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2011/11/-mozilla-is-working-on.ars

The Modern Way of Searching – Retrieve a piece of information from our past

In our day-to-day lives, we are surrounded by contextual cues. The websites we visit, the files and applications we open, the music that is playing, meetings, phone calls, tweets and even our location. And as we try to retrieve a piece of information from our past, human memory leverages these contextual cues for recall. And in many cases, these contextual cues are not semantically related.

“What was that PDF I was looking at yesterday? The name escapes me, but I know that AC/DC was playing when I was reading it,” or “I know that I read it during that meeting last week, what was it’s name?” All users have had moments like this, yet modern computer systems do not support this type of contextual search.

To address this need, we have  YouPivot.[have a look at this super tool at http://youpivot.com/.still in beta though].YouPivot is a novel approach to personal file and activity search. If you had lost your car keys, you would think “where was I when i last had them?” With YouPivot, you can ask the same thing of your digital items.

Wait for the time when you can explore THE TIME with your search.