Advanced Technology Tips

Toshiba introduced AirSwing - a gesture-based UI system in action (video)

2010-06-04T17:20:00.008-04:00

I still remember playing Prince of Persia on my 486 computer. Those were the days. (wow I feel old) Back then no one could possibly imagine how computer would evolve in past 20 years. Who would have thought of YouTube, Facebook, Hulu, Netflix and of course new devices to interact with those service like iPhones and iPads. What’s interesting is that I am still using the same keyboard and a mouse to interact with my computer exactly like 20 years ago.
Of course there is a touch screen and voice activated commands on some operating systems, but most of us still use an old fashion mouse and keyboard to interact with out computers either with a wire or without one.
Not for long! Toshiba recently introduced a new way to interact with your computer. Well we all know that Opera and guys from MIT research group were there first. So, what makes Toshiba’s AirSwing so special? The main difference is that Toshiba allows users to use regular webcam. No other expensive hardware needed. You can just attach your camera to the top of your screen and you good to go without worrying about substantial CPU resources. Now you can easily move and zoom into pictures and what not just by waving your hand in front of the camera.

In fact, according to Toshiba their UI system uses only 3% of the processing power of a 400MHz ARM 11 CPU -- meaning that you have plenty of processor left for running other programs. The way it works is that the display shows a semi-transparent image of the user, a menu and the content the user is supposed to interact with. It’s then possible move around or select pieces of content, for example flick through photos in a photo gallery, simply by making gestures.

Flash vs. HTML5+CSS3: Apple’s response!

2010-06-04T16:43:00.003-04:00

I’ve heard a lot of different arguments of what is better Flash with Flex or HTM5+CSS3. Many programmers are not rushing to develop their products in HTML5 and CSS3, just for the reason that most of old browsers don’t support it yet.
However, Apple is actively promoting the use of HTML5 and CSS3. Here is a new website that demonstrates that ability of CSS HTML combination is not limited in any way compare to Flash.

Lenovo introduced Atom-powered C100 all-in-one desktop for $399

2009-09-21T18:55:00.005-04:00

Lenovo introduced another addition to the stylish and innovative collection of all-in-one desktops – Lenovo C100. It want really unclear when Apple’s started the trend with its iMac if there would be a market for this computer. But now everyone is doing it…. Everyone including Dell, HP, Sony. Why not Lenovo? As a manufacturer of good quality non expensive computers, Lenovo quickly won the hearts of many users. What is not to like here?

Starting at $399 (or $50 less than the similar IdeaCentre C300), this rig is equipped with an 18.5-inch LCD, a two-inch thick chassis, Intel's Core 230 or Core 330 CPU, a DVD burner, four USB sockets, GMA950 integrated graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB (5400RPM) hard drive and Windows XP running the show. If you think it is early to worry about a Christmas present think again. It is already there since September 16th just waiting for you.

Spec from the manufacturer:
Attractive slim-line design: Compact dimensions of 18.5 inch x14.5 inch x 4 inch, featuring an 18.5 inch, 16:9 widescreen and two-inch screen depth design.
Intel Atom Core™processors: Available with Intel Atom 230 single core or Intel Atom 330 dual core options for fast and powerful operations.
Easy to access multimedia: DVD burner/reader and four USB ports.
Security and peace of mind: The C100 comes with the Lenovo Recovery System including OneKey™ Antivirus and OneKey™ Recovery that scans for viruses before entering Windows and effectively recovers and restores corrupted data.
For more info go to Lenovo.com

Get Windows 7 for $29.99 with student discount

2009-09-18T00:10:00.006-04:00

Microsoft pleasantly surprised everyone today in the morning by announcing the new discount for students. Starting today though January 3, 2010 anyone with a valid student email (.edu), can purchase a Windows 7 upgrade for only $29.99. The announcements first appeared on Microsoft’s Twitter account. Which as very clever, since a lot of students are using Twitter.
To check out the offer please visit this website: http://www.win741.com and click on the "Buy" section like shown on this picture:

Modern Warfare 2 limited edition of Xbox 360 revealed

2009-09-17T14:14:00.011-04:00

According to Albert Penello, senior director of global marketing for Xbox 360: “It is thrilling to bring the exclusive ‘Modern Warfare 2'-inspired Xbox 360 console to Call of Duty fans”. Thrilling is exactly the word which applies here to refer to the recent announcement about the new Modern Warfare 2 limited - edition of Xbox 360. Microsoft and Infinity Ward announced a limited edition “Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2” bundle in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Aside from the actual gaming console itself the bundle also includes a copy of Infinity Ward’s “Modern Warfare 2", two black wireless controllers, a 250GB hard drive, and an Xbox 360 headset.

The design was inspired by the blockbuster sequel to the best selling first-person action game in history “Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2”, therefore Microsoft wanted to "make it look like a piece of military equipment" as an Infinity Ward spokesman said in a promotional video on Microsoft's site. The Modern Warfare 2 console is black and features a prominent "2" on the face of the device. Elsewhere on the product are different markings to keep the “…meaning to the game."

The price would be $399 and will be released on November 10--the same day Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 hits store shelves. It would be awailable for purchase in Europe, the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia), UK, US, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.

Inside xbox:

iMac is now a docking station

2009-09-16T16:11:00.002-04:00

This device looks sick. That’s what I can say. This looks like the ultimate dream on the go. Imagine this: you working on your iMac at home on very-very important project. The phone rings and you realize that you have to go… I mean you don’t have a choice you have to leave the house. Not a problem, just grab the tablet from your iMac and finish your work on the go.

Sounds great! And that is how it looks like.

Apple Tablet, MacBook Touch or Apple iPad. What is it? Myth or Reality?

2009-09-16T15:53:00.004-04:00

After the release of Archos 9 pc tablet, it becomes clear that the market for “keyboardless” tablets exists. Moreover, with the success of netbooks and iPhone there are not doubts that there is a huge demand for light and “keyboardless” computers. People like to interact with their technology either by swinging stuff around (the Nintendo Wii) or by touch (the iPhone).
It is logical to assume now that Apple would release their tablet sooner than expected. The initial roomer was that the tablet would come out at the end of 2010, but Apple cannot afford to wait that long. So, the new predictions are falling to Q1 of 2010, which is not that far away.
According to the information that licked out Apple’s device would havet a 9.6-inch “finger friendly” touchscreen from Wintek possible OLED, HSPA connectivity, possibly Wi-Fi and a processor from PA Semi (a company that Apple owns) and the battery from Dynex.

Device features:
According to the information that licked out Apple’s device would have:
• 9.6-inch “finger friendly” touchscreen from Wintek possible OLED,
• HSPA connectivity, possibly Wi-Fi
• Processor from PA Semi (a company that Apple owns)
• Battery from Dynex.

Wireless Printing, Wireless File Back Up and Wireless File Sharing Easy With Belkin Home Base

2009-09-15T17:13:00.002-04:00

For some obscure reason even now wireless printing is a nightmare, especially if there are more than one computer on a home network and they running Windows and Mac OS. It is logically to assume that in our high tech time this basic task should be automatically configured by the printer. However, this is not the case. It takes a while to set up a wireless printer… And even when it is set up, there is still a chance that at some point the connection might be interrupted. Same applies to wireless back up.

But now problem is solved with Belkin Home Base. This innocent looking devise has very aggressive capabilities. Belkin Home Base lets anyone print from anywhere in the home with an existing wireless network. It is alos possible to attach an external hard drive and share files with family or friends.
One of the most exiting features of this device that it automatically backs up each connected computer's files to a connected external hard drive. It can be also set up to automatically upload files to Flickr or Picasa accounts.
The price for this device is $129.99.

Device features from the manufacturer:
• A 2008 ABI Research survey shows more people are incorporating wireless networks into their homes.
• The amount of people adopting home networking technology has grown from just over one-third of US households in 2006 to over 50 percent in 2008.
• Broadband, printer and file sharing are the top three applications people are using in their home networks.
• Connect and access up to 4 USB 2.0 devices over an existing wireless network
• Automatically back up files and share pictures on Flickr® and Picasa®
• Access media files stored on your gaming console
• Features push-button WPS security
• Compatible with 802.11b/g/n devices

Microsoft is launching the latest version of its media player - Zune HD on Wednesday.

2009-09-15T12:42:00.002-04:00

HD seems to be common acronym lately. We got HD television, HD radio, HD video, HD telephone. How “HD” crawled to the media player, with Microsoft’s future release of Zune HD.
iPod was dominating the market for media players for a long time now. And in some point people would not distinguish the difference between iPod and media player terminology… But it is all in the past now… or is it? Well, let see what’s going to happen after the release. For now it is quite clear the marking need a healthy competition to make better products.

Zune HD is available in 16GB for $219.99 and in 32GB for $289.99

Device features from the manufacturer:
• Built-in HD Radio™ receiver. Allows you to listen to higher-quality sound than is available from traditional radio channels, as well as access additional programming through HD2 and HD3 multicast channels from many of your favorite local FM radio stations at no extra cost.
• HD video output capabilities. Supports HD video playback from the device through a premium HDMI A/V docking station (sold separately) directly to an HDTV in 720p, making it easy to enjoy better-than-DVD-quality video on your own big screen at home.
• OLED touch screen. Allows you to easily flip through music, movies and other content. The 3.3-inch glass screen and 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offer a premium viewing experience.
• Built-in Wi-Fi. Allows for browsing, streaming or downloading new music from Zune Marketplace.
• Internet browser. Full-screen Web browsing, optimized for the multitouch screen with zoom-in and zoom-out gestures.
• Accessories, at home and on the road. Zune HD and AV Dock charges and syncs players while playing supported 720p HD videos on HDTVs. Play HD Radio, music and podcasts from your Zune HD device through your car stereo using the Zune Premium Car Pack.

Twitter was Interrupted by 300,000 Kanye West Twitts

2009-09-14T17:22:00.004-04:00

Twitter community was not able to disregard the recent act of Kane West on the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday when he made a full of himself jumping on stage when Taylor Swift was giving her speech as she accepted the Best Female Video award. While Swift, was speechless for a while, Twitter responded with almost 300,000 twits.

According to Trendrr, which tracks buzz on Twitter, there were a total of 293,024 tweets in the hour immediately following West’s outburst. Just a reminder. West embarrassed himself by grabbing Swift's mic during her speech. West commented that Beancey should have been the winner of this award. If only Mr. West would have a little more patience he would be probably satisfied when Beyonce was indeed announced as a winner of Video of the Year award.
The reaction to Kenye’s wired act was very interesting. Pink on her Twitter account stated: “Kanye west is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote me.” I assuming that the rest of 300, 000 twits were similar nature.

In case if you did not see what happened here is the clip

Charge your phone anywhere - thanks to portable Solar Tree charging station.

2009-09-14T12:39:00.003-04:00

All the problems are solved! No more running around looking for ice for the cooler… no more worrying that you mobile phone battery need to be recharged. Because Solar Tree is here. Solar Tree is a universal charging station which would be the best solutions for beach and other kinds of trips. Now with the power of sun, you can charge you phone or camera, listen to the music or have you drinks cooled.

Solar Tree is light and portable device which transforms sun light into the usable energy for the electronic devices. It has a battery which stores the energy while the sun is up and lets you use the station while the sun is behind the clouds. Like a typical solar panel, the Solar Tree collects solar energy and converts it from between 12 and 230 volts of electricity.

What is ARCHOS 9pctablet?

2009-09-12T16:31:00.010-04:00

Looks like Kindle performs like a high end PC, has no physical keyboard like an iPhone, so what is it. On ARCHOS website this gadget is listed under Netbook section of the website. So let this be it.

ARCHOS 9 PC tablet has a lot of interesting features.
Let start from the fact that the fundamental difference between ARCHOS 9 and a traditional Netbook is a lack of physical keyboard. Which is the greatest visual improvement. Who need to waste space on a key board this days. We don’t buy computers to use as a type writer anymore. We watch movies, listen to the music, serve the web and shop… Done easily without keyboard. But, in case if you need to write a message to your fiend you can always use a virtual keyboard. This concept makes the gadget much lighter. And the keyboard will never beak.

ARCHOS 9 weights less 800g and it is as thin as 0.63''. With dmentions, you would not expect e lot of great performance, however the ARCHOS 9 incorporates the new Intel® ATOM™ Z510 processor, an 80 GB1 hard disk, Bluetooth to tether wireless accessories and 2 antennas to receive DVBT TV with diversity reception. And what's more, the ARCHOS 9 is running Microsoft® Windows 7.

Is Facebook Lite a Twitter killer?

2009-09-12T00:43:00.004-04:00

Facebook introduced it is new “Lite” version. The initial prototype was intended for the countries with a limited access to high-speed internet access. However, the new design was so attractive and promising it stayed here in the US and now available to all current Facebook users.

First it was MySpace which introduced social network to the world. Then Facebook with its genius concept delivering friends updates. Then it became a little overwhelming for some people. And then Twitter come along. What’s now?

Facebook has enormous user base and with Lite version there is no need to have a Twitter account if you have one on Facebook. The Lite version appears to be much cleaner and simpler. It appears, at a quick glance, to be a better site for Facebook newbies or for anyone who finds the current site overwhelming or noisy.

Facebook Lite has couple of visual changes, compare to Facebook Classic. Most of the navigation and info page that was on the left side including apps are now gone. The input box is replaced by buttons (Write, Post Photos, Post Video) that pop down the actual input forms only when needed.

All pages on the site seem to be affected. They are simpler, easier to read, and faster. They load faster, partly due to what appears to be HTML optimization at Facebook…. Well I don’t want to spoil it for you log in and look for yourself… Its lite.facebook.com

Yahoo Mail Supports 100MB Email Attachments

2009-09-10T19:09:00.005-04:00

As of today September 10, 2009 Yahoo Mail is capable of supporting 100MB email attachments. It became possible due to the new Drop.io’s Attach Large Files application, which is now available to Yahoo users, after the Yahoo and Drop.io became partners.

The good thing about this service is that all files are stored in the cloud, so the recipients can see what files were sent and either download them individually or all at ones. Users can attach as many files as they want as long it is not exceeding 100mb.

Drop.io is a New York based file sharing service made their app available thought the API which makes it easy to add this service to the account. User just needs to select this app from the Application Menu. It would be more logical however to have this option form the usual compose menu, but enough is as good as a feast.

Watch the video for more info:

Apple Released Snow Leopard Update, which fixed Adobe Flash Issue

2009-09-10T18:12:00.012-04:00

On Thursday 09/10/09 released a new update for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Recently users who updated to Snow Leopard discovered that this new update downgraded them to an older version of Adobe Systems’ Flash Player.
It seems that this issue is minor and only requires few clicks to upgrade again, however the older version of Flash Player plug-in is less secure and does not protect protect users against the latest threats.

Moreover, Sophos security expert Graham Cluley said Wednesday:
"Mac users who have been diligent enough to keep their security up-to-date do not deserve to be silently downgraded, we know that hackers keep finding security holes in Adobe's code--and that's deeply concerning because it is so widely used by many internet users, whether on Mac or PC."
Apple promptly responded to this by fixing the problem and addressing this issue with Snow Leopard 10.6.1 keeping the most stable version of Adobe Player.

Mac OS X 10.6.1 can be downloaded from here

iPhone 3.1 software update is out

2009-09-09T18:00:00.021-04:00

On Wednesday, 09/09/09, at the Yerba Buena Center during the “Rock and Roll” event Apple's CEO Steve Jobs introduced the latest iPhone software update - iPhone 3.1. According to Apple this update includes some great new features, as well as all the features from previous updates.

iPhone OS 3.1 provides Genius recommendations for apps, supports download ringtones wirelessly, offers a new way to organize apps on the iPhone, automatically generats playlists of tracks based on the library, has the ability to organize applications on the iPhone's Home screen in iTunes; new syncing options for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and photos; iTunes U content organization and more.

The software includes a handful of new features and bug fixes:

Genius recommendations for Applications
Support for iTunes 9 (Mac and Windows downloads), which offers Genius Mixes, app organization in iTunes, improved syncing options for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and photos, iTunes U Content organization
Redeem iTunes Gift cards, codes, and certificates in the App Store
Display available iTunes account credits in the App Store and iTunes Store
Browse and download ringtones wirelessly from the iTunes Store
Save video from mail and multimedia messages into Camera Roll
Option to "save as new clip" when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS
Better iPhone 3G Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on
Remotely lock iPhone with a passcode via MobileMe
Use Voice Control on iPhone 3GS with Bluetooth headsets
Paste phone numbers into the Keypad
Option to use Home button to turn on Accessibility features on iPhone 3GS
Warn when visiting fraudulent Web sites in Safari (antiphishing)
Improved Exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling
Fixes issue that caused some app icons to display incorrectly

Apple improved its extended Genius media-recommendation algorithm to make search for new application, within 70,000 database, easier. It looks at the already owned apps and makes recommendations based on that information.

New update allows the download of over 30,000 ringtoens form major labels via a Ringtones section in the iPhone’s iTunes application. The price for a ringtone would be a little more then a dollar per clip.
A
lso, the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards, codes, and certificates in the App Store was improved. As well as a video features. Now iPhone users can save videos from both Mail and MMS into the Camera Roll.

Last but not list. One of the most exiting features include in the update. Voice control is now accessible via Bluetooth handset and there's an option to use the iPhone 3GS's Home button to activate Accessibility features.

Touchless human/machine user interface for 3D navigation (Touchless surfing)

2009-09-09T13:41:00.036-04:00

We are leaving in the most exciting time, when new technology is introduced so often that it is almost impossible to keep up. People who are aware of the resent inventions and know who to interact with it are in great advantage over others. Today, interaction is everything. We have keyboards, mice, microphones, remote controls and joysticks to interact with our favorite electronic devises. But, in the nearest future, we wouldn’t need all of that.

Aside from other exiting technology recently introduced by Opera, there is one which is impossible to pass by. Now with the new mind blowing invention from Elliptic Labs it became possible to brows though the files on your computer or navigating your television set simply with your finger or hand in the air - over, around or next to the device - without touching. Same applies to the mobile and electronic devices. Choose functionality, scroll, brows, surf and use gestures without and touching a device or holding a remote.

“Solar Surge” by Novothink is The First Solar Charging Case For the iPhone and iPod Touch Approved by Apple

2009-09-08T16:45:00.012-04:00

Apple officially approved Novothink’s new invention “Solar Surge” iPhone and iTouch solar charging device. The case features an integrated solar panel that should yield 30 minutes of talk time on a 3G network or 60 minutes on EDGE after 2 hours of sun exposure. The battery is also a rechargeable 1500 mAh 3.7 V lithium-ion that offers 120% capacity of the iPhone 3G. While the price point seems to be in line with many standard charging cases, it is probably the most compact and practical solar iPhone charger on the market. The Solar Surge for the 2G iPod Touch will be available later this month and the iPhone 3G/3GS version will come in sometime in the 4Q of 2009. The price would be around $70.

Calculate how long Surge needs to be kept in the sun to be able to charge iPhone 3G or 3G S .

The Color Rings Bluetooth ‘Handset’ Design Concept from “bck” That Turns Your Hand Into a Phone

2009-09-08T12:37:00.016-04:00

Argentinean based company "bck" recently announced the cellular phone accessory called "The Color Rings". The two rings which are designed to be worn on the thumb and pinkie finger… One ring works as the microphone, and the other is the headset. Sensors in the rings would allow you to answer the call by simply flicking your fingers into the ‘phone’ position.

Description from the designers at "bck":

The color rings are an accessory for cell phones that are inspired in the gestural language of the use of the phone. It is conceived as an extension of the hand, which makes their use a more natural one, and more comfortable and more attractive as well. The rings are thought to be either an electronic component, or a fashion accessory. They were designed to be worn in the thumb and pinkie fingers, and work as a microphone and headset, respectively. These, interconnected wirelessly with the phone, allow responding calls only by separating the fingers and speaking, using distance sensors between rings to activate the call.