My Tech Idea

Give Your Facebook Profile, A New Touch

2010-08-21T10:50:00.000+05:30

Who doesn't like wearing new clothes, i mean be it an ordinary day in college or a special one with your partner, we all like and would definitely love to wear new and stylish clothes each n every day. There is hardly anyone among us who likes to wear same, old and stinking clothes everyday (shower may or may not applied ☻). So when you know that you will be spending most of your time on a place like Facebook (coz that's the fastest and the most preferable place where you can show yourself in your new clothes these days), why not give your favorite virtual friend a new and fresh look. So here i am giving you all a unique way to change the boring 'classy blue' look of your facebook profile:

Follow the following steps to install facebook layouts/themes

1. Firefox users download:
Grease monkey add-on
Stylish add-on

2. Chrome users download:
GreasemetalInstaller.exe

3. After installing the above add-on(s), restart your browser. You will see a small monkey shaped icon at the bottom-right side of your browser's window.Right Click it to enable it if it is not enabled by default.

4. Firefox users, you will also see a smalls-shaped icon representing the stylish add-on. Right click on it and select "Find styles for this site". You will be redirected to http://userstyles.org.
Here you will find many layouts listed in a serial manner. Select any of these layout. After you select a layout for your facebook profile, you will see two options for installing the theme like following:

The recommended way to install this user style is to .

Greasemonkey users can .

5. Perform the desired installation method, and then again restart your browser.

6. Log-in to your facebook profile to see the changes. Enjoy the fresh look :)

Imp: Chrome users can go to http://userstyles.org. directly and search for facebook themes.

Sony Ericsson India Announced 6 Brand New 'Entertainment-Packed' Phones

2010-08-20T23:14:00.000+05:30

Sony Ericsson just unveiled six new phones in the Indian market, phones it describes as entertainment-packed...They are: Xperia X8 (previously known as Shakira), the affordable GreenHeart Cedar, the QWERTY messenger Aspen, and three Walkman phones – Yendo, Spiro, and Zylo. Unfortunately, no pricing details have been revealed yet. Happy with the successful launch of the Fab 5 (Xperia X10, Vivaz, Xperia X10 Mini, Vivaz Pro, and Xperia X10 Mini Pro) earlier this year, Sony Ericsson is looking to introduce a host of innovative new features with these devices into the Indian market, across various price segments.

Claiming to provide “an unmatchable user experience”, the phones each have their own qualities. Let’s take a look at them:

Another member of the Android 1.6 Xperia family, the X8 is a smaller, lower-powered Xperia X10, and is described as a “great entertainment smartphone that extends the appeal of the Xperia collection to new market segments.” While one of the X10’s signature applications, Mediascape, is missing from its portfolio, it features Timescape, and, due to its smaller screen, inherits the four-corner shortcut interface from the X10 Mini.

Said to offer the “perfect balance between your business and social communication”, the GreenHeart Cedar apparently provides easy browsing, emailing, and social networking with its 3G HSPA connectivity, all at an “affordable price”, and with green features such as recycled plastics, a low power consumption charger, an e-manual, waterborne paint and compact packaging. Another of its USPs is Widget Manager 2.0, which supposedly gives users social networking features on the standby screen.

The only dedicated business mobile of the lot, the Aspen is also the only Windows Mobile (6.5.3 Professional) phone. Branded as an “affordable GreenHeart phone”, the Aspen offers green features similar to the Cedar. Citing its “rich user interface and powerful productivity tools” as its business capabilities, Sony Ericsson insists the phone also offers entertainment value, with its Media Browser and PlayNow features, as well as quick access to social networking.

Sony Ericsson’s first full-touch Walkman phone, the Yendo is described as combining “music, social networking and communication in one colourful phone". The Yendo also features the Xperia X8 and X10 Mini’s four-corner shortcut touch-UI, to allow for one handed operation. The phone also features ease of social networking (including Facebook 2.6), instant/text messaging, and email use, and has been designed in the same human curvature style of the Xperia and Vivaz devices. It will also appeal to the trendy youth, with numerous body colour choices and mix-and-match combinations.

Distinctly Walkman phones, the Zylo (left) and Spiro (right) are similar in interface and design, and supposedly “marry music with social networking”, allowing users to access everything from Twitter to Facebook at the “touch of a button”, without interrupting their music listening experience. The two phones also feature the TrackID function, which allows users to find the name and artist of any track they’re listening to, “wherever they are”.

Sony Ericsson’s Anurag Kontu, Marketing Head – India, commented on the introduction of the new phones into the Indian market: “Greater access to applications and customizable user experience on handheld devices has shaped the mobile success story in India today. As the communication entertainment brand, Sony Ericsson phones have always enjoyed a phenomenal response from consumers in the region. With the launch of the new portfolio, we continue to offer an amalgamation of communication and entertainment by fusing together best quality touchscreen experience, premium imaging and music features, and great connectivity options across price segments.”

Best Way To Password Protect Your Files and Folders

2010-08-19T16:46:00.000+05:30

Do you have files and folders on your computer that you absolutely don’t want anyone else to see? Or do you even carry important documents on those easy-to-misplace USB drives? If the answer is yes, you should definitely download a copy of SafeHouse Explorer – it’s a free and incredibly easy-to-use file encryption utility that will hide all your private files from prying eyes in few easy steps. You may use the tool to password protect files that are residing on your computer’s internal hard disk or even on external USB drives.

Tutorial: Encrypt and Password Protect your Files and Folders
SafeHouse Explorer, in simple English, works something like this. It creates a hidden storage area on your disk to hold all the files that you want to protect. These files and folders are hidden from normal view and will only become visible when you enter the correct password.
Here’s a more detailed tutorial on how you can protect your files with SafeHouse Explorer.

Step 1: Download and install SafeHouse Explorer to your hard-drive.

The software works with XP, Vista and Windows 7 (both 32 and 64-bit editions). It is also portable so you may run it directly without installation.

Step 2: Once the installation is complete, click the “New Volume” button to create your hidden storage that will house your various files and folders.
You may either create one large volume to store all the “private” files or you can create multiple smaller-size volumes each corresponding to the type of files that they’ll store. For instance, you may have one volume for storing confidential documents and spreadsheets while another one could be for hiding those “personal” pictures and so on.

For step 2b, choose a volume size based on the size of the folders that you’ll be storing inside that volume. The “Pre-initialize Volume with Random Data” basically means that your virtual drive will be filled with random data if there aren’t enough files to fill complete that volume. Use the default “on” setting.

Step 3. Now that your volume is created, open Windows Explorer (Win+E) and you’ll see a new “virtual drive” under My Computer. Just drag and drop any of your folders and files into this virtual drive and they’ll instantly get protected using encryption.
Once you have added all the files to the “protected” volume, make sure you delete them from the original location as the original copy is unencrypted and therefore anyone can open it without requiring a password.

Step 4. Switch to SafeHouse Explorer and choose File –> Close Volume to lock up the files. Congratulations. You have successfully created your first encrypted and password-protected folder on your computer that you can only access after typing the correct password.

To access your protected files, simply navigate to the folder that houses your SafeHouse volumes and double-click the corresponding volume file to open it. Type the password and you should see all the files and folders under a virtual drive in Windows Explorer again.
Encryption is obviously a complex subject for most of us but what you’ll really like about SafeHouse Explorer is that it hides all the technical details from the end user.

Encrypt your USB Flash Drive and Email Attachments

The tool will also be extremely handy for people who carry around important and confidential files on USB drives and external hard disks.
Instead of copying files and folders to your external disk directly, first encrypt these files on the hard-drive (as explained above) and then copy the encrypted volume (the .sksk file) to your external disk. Now even if the drive gets misplaced, the finder won’t be able to read any of your files and, since the software uses 256-bit encryption, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to crack your password.
Similarly, you can add an extra layer of protection to your sensitive email attachments with SafeHouse. Encrypt the files, send them as email attachments and communicate the password to the recipient over another medium (like phone).

HTC Desire launched in India with Tata DOCOMO

2010-08-17T21:19:00.000+05:30

HTC has released one of its top smartphones in India, the HTC Desire, in partnership with Tata DOCOMO, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices. The HTC Desire is one of HTC’s Android flagship phones, featuring the Android 2.1 OS with HTC’s acclaimed Sense UI, and a 1GHz processor. HTC Desire that's being launched in India will not feature the stunning 3.7-inch AMOLED screen. We assume that means HTC will be using its SuperLCD screen technology instead, as it indicated in a statement about AMOLED shortage earlier this month.

Check out the phone's specifications below:

2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 2100
Dimensions	119 x 60 x 11.9 mm
Weight	135 g
Display	3.7-inch SLCD? capacitive touchscreen with WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) resolution @ 16M colours
Camera	5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash; video - WVGA (800x480 pixels) @ 15fps
Sensors	Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, proximity sensor for auto turn-off, optical trackpad
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz processor
OS	Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair)
Memory	576 MB RAM; 512 MB ROM
Storage	microSD, up to 32GB, 4GB included
GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G	HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
Connectivity	Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, WiFi 802.11 b/g, microUSB v2.0
Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
Audio support	3.5 mm audio jack, MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA9 formats
Video support	MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV9 formats
GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
Java	Via third party application
Colours	Black, Brown, Silver
GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Battery	Standard Li-Ion 1400 mAh; Standby Up to 340 h (2G) / Up to 360 h (3G); Talk time Up to 6 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 6 h 30 min (3G)

The HTC Desire is priced at Rs. 28,900 (MOP)

Ajay Sharma, Country Head of HTC India, had this to say about the phone’s India release: “HTC Desire underlines HTC’s leadership in offering cutting-edge technology and a superior mobility experience. Globally, one of HTC’s core strengths has been its innovation-packed converged 3G devices and the HTC Desire is yet another testament to our technological capabilities. HTC Sense on the new HTC Desire not only delivers one of the most dynamic and personalized user experiences possible, but also one of the easiest ways to interact and integrate social networks into your life.”

DOCOMO has also announced a special offer for their Postpay subscribers, who will get a free data download of 500MB per month for 6 months. To avail this offer, they will have to SMS ‘Android’ to 54321 from their HTC Desire handset. A spokesman from Tata DOCOMO commented on the release saying “this launch marks the strong relationship TATA DOCOMO enjoys with HTC and, going forward, we will continue to work together to launch more innovative mobile offerings for Indian consumers on the Tata DOCOMO platform.”

TVS & LAVA Introduces The New Rupee Symbol Into Their Products For The Very First Time

2010-08-17T19:56:00.000+05:30

Just weeks after the new symbol for the Indian Rupee was unveiled, there were talks about who would be the first to integrate the symbol to their systems (both, hardware and software). While folks have already made the new Rupee font available for download, what was missing so far was a keyboard that could actually let you type in the symbol with ease.

Well, your wait has ended - thanks to folks over at TVS who have just announced the launch of its latest keyboard, the Gold Bharat which happens to be first keyboard to come with the new Indian Rupee sign. TVS has intelligently decided to launch the keyboard on the eve of India's 63rd Independence Day.

The Gold Bharat keyboard supports up to 50 million strokes per switch. And boasts of a very light touch operating force of 60 + 15 cN. TVS adds that the keytops are etched by laser and are wear resistant well. The keyboard supports both USB and PS/2 interfaces. It is mechanical in nature and is claimed to be highly reliable thanks to its 200,000 hours mean time between failure rating.

The Gold Bharat keyboard will set you back by Rs.1,495.

On the other hand, after TVS announced their first keyboard incorporating the new Rupee sign, India based Lava Mobiles has launched what is arguably the first phone on the planet to come with the rupee symbol.

The new phone is known as the Lava B5 which is also famous for its ABCDE (alpha) keypad (instead of QWERTY). While the original version if the phone was launched a few weeks ago, it is now that it will ship with the new rupee sign.

The phone boasts of a play, dual SIM capabilities, email, Opera mini, Nimbuzz, MSN, Skype, FM radio, Bluetooth, media player, 3.5mm headset jack and memory card support.

The B5 will cost you by Rs.4.399.

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type unveiled, S40 goes touch

2010-08-17T18:34:00.001+05:30

Today Nokia announced their first handset to pack a touchscreen and a regular alphanumeric keypad simultaneously. Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type is also the first S40 touch-driven device to get a global release.

The unusual handset leaked last week and most of the specs that were made available back then got confirmed today. Despite its low standing in the food chain, the Nokia X3-02 packs excellent connectivity with WLAN (including the new N standard), 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth and microUSB all on board. The music fans will also appreciate the 3.5mm audio jack.

The Nokia X3-02 touchscreen measures 2.4" in diagonal and sports QVGA resolution. This is one of the smallest touchscreens on the market so i really hope that Nokia did a good job of optimizing the interface.
The final noteworthy feature of the 9.6mm slim device is its 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera that is also capable of recording video.

The phone also comes with dedicated music and messaging keys and in select countries, will be offered with Ovi Music Unlimited, allowing access to a library of over 11 million tracks. For extra storage - up to 16GB - there's a MicroSD memory card slot. The X3 T&T offers five hours of talk time and can remain in standby mode for upto 17 days

The X3 Touch and Type is expected to be on sale this quarter and will retail for approximately 125, (Rs. 7,500) excluding taxes and subsidies. It will initially be offered in China, Ireland, the UK, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Mexico Saudi and Yemen. When launched, it would be available in a brushed aluminium finish and with a choice of five colors.

Sony Ericsson looks set to finally launch the PSP phone with Android 3.0

2010-08-12T19:56:00.000+05:30

While rumours of Sony Ericsson developing a PSP phone or PSP 2 device have been circulating for over a year now, and innumerable renders such as the above image have been seen since, the latest information pegs it as a very real possibility. Sony Ericsson has been actively developing the device for sometime now, and is apparently in the late stages of planning, and should start production soon enough.

The sources also made several references to how the hardware would shape out, and it will supposedly be “a cross between the Samsung Captivate [horizontal slider] and the PSP Go”. The device will apparently run on Google’s Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) platform, feature analog controls in the form of a “long touch pad”, regular PSP buttons, 5MP camera, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and a large display that is anything between 4.1-inches and 3.7-inches. As for looks, the prototype is apparently “mostly black with some silver highlights, and the gamepad area is white / silver in color.”

As for the interface, the Android 3.0 PlayStation smartphone will reportedly have access to a special games section at the Android Market, as it is speculated that in the early days of the device games will be written specifically for it, until compatible hardware is made by other manufacturers. This would also mean the introduction of true 3D gaming to the Android platform.

The platform and ecosystem will supposedly release by October this year, though this is less than certain.

Mobile number portability from Oct 31, retain your cell phone number while you change network

2010-08-12T19:43:00.000+05:30

All the networks in the country have been technically upgraded for implementations of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Service and the network of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is in the process of upgradation. However, the readiness of networks can be ascertained after comprehensive testing of networks which is being conducted across all the networks. Government is regularly monitoring the status of implementation of MNP including readiness of the networks.

All the networks of the Access Service Providers in all the service areas and International Long Distance Operators (ILDOs) in the country have to be ready and tested for satisfactory performance in post MNP implementation scenario before the MNP Service is commercially launched. In case, any of the networks is not ready and MNP service is launched, it will not be possible to make calls from that network to ported numbers of other network.

The Government had set the time line for implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Service as 31st March 2010 in the month of December, 2009 which was further extended to 30th June 2010. The whole network {all Access Service Providers in all service areas and International Long Distance Operators (ILDOs)} in the country have to be ready and tested before the MNP Service is implemented. Keeping the complexity and enormity to the testing involved before MNP is implemented and keeping in view of the status of implementation by various operators in the month of June, 2010, Government has extended the time line for implementation of MNP to 31st October, 2010.

Yamaha Entered Into Sensible 150-160cc Segments

2010-08-11T01:12:00.003+05:30

Yamaha SZ 150
The new Yamaha SZ 150 is a stylish bike from Yamaha India .Yamaha SZ 150 sports a powerful 153cc , 2 valve engine developing 11bhp of maximum power and 10.4Nm of maximum torque .It will be an executive commuter bike .There is a long list of the Yamaha SZ 150 competitors in its 153cc segment : Honda Unicorn Dazzler, Hero Honda Hunk,Honda CBZ Extreme, TVS Apache , Bajaj Pulsar 150,and Bajaj Discover 150.

Yamaha SZ 150 bike details :

* 150cc engine
* 11bhp maximum power
* 10.4Nm maximum torque
* 2 valve engine
* Alloy wheels
* Five gears
* longer wheelbase

Yamaha SZ 150 Price
Yamaha SZ 150 Price in India : The new Yamaha SZ 150 Price is Rs.49,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Yamaha SZ 150 Mileage
Since it will be a commuter bike so you can expect anything around 65 – 70 kmpl .

Yamaha SZX 150
The new Yamaha SZX 150 is a 153cc engine Bike and is another version of the Yamaha SZ 150 bike.Yamaha SZX 150 features Electric start.It lacks Disc brakes.

Yamaha SZX bike specifications :

Engine : 153cc
Maximum Power : 12.1PS @7500rpm
Maximum Torque : 12.8Nm @4500rpm
Five speed manual transmission
Wet type clutch
17-inch alloy wheels
Wider 100/90 rear tyre
Dimensions : 2050x730x1100mm
Wheelbase : 1320mm
Fuel tank capacity: 14 Litre
Available in Colours : Red,Black,Grey
Electric start and Kick Start
Drum Brake

Yamaha SZ 150 vs Yamaha SZX 150 ( Difference )

Yamaha SZX 150 is taller
Yamaha SZX 150 features Electric start along with Kick-Start , Yamaha SZ 150 has only kick start
Yamaha SZX 150 sports Drum Brakes , Yamaha SZ 150 features Disc Brakes
Yamaha SZX 150 available in 3 colours(Red,Black,Grey) ,Yamaha SZ 150(Red,Black)

Yamaha SZX 150 Price will start from Rs.49,000 (ex-showroom Delhi)
Yamaha SZX 150 Mileage – Yamaha SZX 150 should give around 65-70 Mileage

Maruti Alto K10 : Price And Reviews

2010-08-11T00:45:00.001+05:30

The all new Maruti Alto K10 2010 is the new upgraded version of the popular Maruti Alto car sporting the new Maruti K10 Series (998 cc) engine generating peak power of 68PS and a maximum torque of 90Nm.This version, called the Maruti Alto K10 , comes with improved suspension, new cable-type transmission, superior brake system and more knee-room for rear seat passengers.

Maruti Alto K10 2010 Car key features :

Fuel efficiency: 20.2 km per litre – the highest among petrol cars in A2 segment
Performance: Alto-K10 can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just 13.3 seconds
New Gearbox:New cable type transmission for easy gear shifting and enhanced driving pleasure
9998 cc K10 series engine
Tachometer
0-100km in 13.3 seconds
Power Windows
155/65 R13 Tubeless tyres
Fuel tank capacity – 35 Litre
Fog Lamp
Central Locking
Internally adjustable ORVM (Outer Rear view mirror)
Remote Fuel lid opener
Remote Boot opener

Changes in Dimensions, Exterior and interiors:
Alto-K10 is longer by 125mm to accommodate the bigger K-series engine. It has a new aggressive front, with a differently styled combination of dynamic hood, bold eagle-eye headlamps with crystal-clear lens.
Maruti Alto K10 Exteriors :

Tinted glasses
Large13-inch tubeless tyres
Body coloured bumpers
Trendy wheel-covers
Precise and smart front grill
Interesting body side mouldings
Stylish tail gate
Newly designed back door
Fresh set of rear combination lamps.

Maruti Alto K10 Interiors :

Plush two-tone interiors
All-new 3-spoke steering wheel
Vibrant new colours for upholstery
Vanity mirror
Colour coordinated door trim fabric
Accessory socket
Stylish gear knob
Rear parcel tray
Integrated headrests at front and rear
Ash tray and Cup holder
All-new speedometer, tachometer and electronic tripmeter
Front power windows

Superior power and fuel efficiency

Alto K10 is powered by a 998cc three-cylinder ‘K10B’ engine
Peak power of 68ps@6200rpm
Fine balance of more power and high fuel efficiency
High torque of 90Nm@3500 rpm Low emissions and Low NVH.
Remarkable peppy performance

Maruti Alto K10: High on Safety and Security

Collapsible steering column
Headlight leveling device
Improved suspension system
The child locks on the rear door
Improved brake system
Central locking
Side impact beams
i-CATS, to minimizes chances of a burglary
Front fog lamps
High mounted rear stop lamp

New Maruti Alto K10 Comfort

Air-conditioner and a heater
Improved knee-room for rear seat passenger comfort
Power Steering
Remote fuel tank lid opener
13-inch tubeless radial tyres
Remote back door opener
4.6 meters turning radius to take on traffic and parking challenges
Key-off reminder
A high 160 mm ground clearance
Internally adjustable ORVM

Environment Friendly

BS IV compliant
E-10 and ELV compliant

The new Maruti Alto K10 is available in six colours :

Sunlight Copper
Midnight Black
Fire Brick Red
Superior White
Ecru Beige
Silky Silver

Maruti Alto K10 models :

Maruti Alto k10 lxi
Maruti Alto k10 Vxi

Maruti Alto K10 Price

New Maruti Alto K10 Price – The new Maruti Alto K10 car price starts from Rs.3.03 lakh . (ex-showroom Delhi)
Maruti Alto k10 lxi Price
Maruti Alto k10 Vxi Price

Maruti Alto K10 Price in Delhi – Lxi Rs.3.03lakh, Vxi Rs.3.16lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Mumbai – Lxi Rs.3,18,759, Vxi Rs.3,32,417
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Bangalore – Lxi Rs.3.08lakh, Vxi Rs.3.21lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Chandigarh – Lxi Rs.3.05lakh, Vxi Rs.3.18lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Chennai – Lxi Rs.3.0lakh, Vxi Rs.3.13lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Hyderabad – Lxi Rs.3.06lakh, Vxi Rs.3.19lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Bangalore – Lxi Rs.3.08lakh, VxiRs.3.21lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Kolkata – Lxi Rs.3.06lakh, VxiRs.3.19lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Pune – Lxi Rs.3.10lakh, VxiRs.3.23lakh
Maruti Alto K10 Price in Ahmedabad – Lxi Rs.3.10lakh, VxiRs.3.23lakh

Maruti Alto K10 Mileage : The new Maruti Alto K10 mileage will be 20.3 kmpl.

The Explosive Expendables Promo...Crazy Enough To Blow Your Head Off

2010-08-09T22:11:00.001+05:30

It’s rare that you see a movie with such a nice viral ad campaign. You shouldn’t miss this short video, in which Sylvester Stallone gives a quick interview about The Expendables, its latest movie, when things suddenly go wrong. For the bad guys, at least. Got your attention? Jump right in, it’s under a minute.

Oh, and by the way, The Expendables premiers on 13 August starring Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Terry Crews, and Steve “Stonecold” Austin. I believe Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis make cameo appearance, as well.

Here is the mighty link The Expendables

Now It's Camcorder's Turn To Reincarnate The 3D Touch

2010-08-02T01:44:00.001+05:30

Panasonic may have the first 3D camcorder now, but technically speaking DXG has been sitting on the stereoscopic gold mine for months. This past week, the budget camera company's 3D View pistol cam got real, in a Hammacher-Schlemmer package that'll set you back $600. That outlay buys you not only the twin-lens VGA shooter you see above, but also a companion 7-inch, 800 x 480 3D media player, both of which are outfitted with glasses-free parallax barrier LCD screens. It's not a terrible deal considering the alternatives on offer, but don't be down with the $200 luxury tax Hammacher and company tacked on top, and we're a little wary about the way that ram is staring at us. Cameras are expected to ship August 6th.

Google Search Fully Blocked in China

2010-07-30T04:44:00.002+05:30

According to several reports and data from Google, the search engine is fully blocked in mainland China as of

today.

Also fully blocked are ads and mobile access. Image search is partially blocked, as are Google Docs, Google News and Google Groups.
Other sites and apps that were previously and remain blocked include YouTube, search suggestions, Google Sites, Blogger and Picasa.
Google and China have been at odds since at least the beginning of this year, when a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” was conducted on Google’s corporate infrastructure; the attack originated in China. As a result, the search engine, which had been serving censored search results to comply with the demands of the Chinese government, announced it would no longer be modifying search results.
The company said it would even be willing to pull out of China altogether if search results were to be censored.
However tense relations were between the company and the country, negotiations continued — even past the point where some felt that Google’s stand for freedom of information had been compromised. Our Ben Parr wrote in March:

After Google was hacked, it was put in between a rock and a hard place. Its actions, while still bold, will not change how things are done in China. Its indecisiveness with how to proceed has made the pressure on China all but evaporate.

Earlier this month, we were told that China and Google had reached a satisfactory conclusion to the search-and-censorship negotiations; Chinese authorities had renewed Google’s Internet Content Provider (ICP) license after the company found a loophole which allowed them to display search results and also allowed China’s Golden Shield Project (a.k.a. the Great Firewall) to block those links at will.
Now, however, it seems China/Google relations have once again broken down.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt told press earlier this month, “Our operations in China are completely at the discretion of the Chinese government. I don’t want anyone to be confused about that.”
The only confusion have surrounds questions of timing: Why now? What new developments have caused China to change its position on Google?
As Google continues to lose market share in China to competitor Baidu, we’re sure a few Googlers are wondering the same thing. We’ve reached out to the company for comment and will update this post as more details become available.

Intel's Light Beams Replaces Electronic Signals For Future Computers

2010-07-30T04:29:00.000+05:30

Intel Corporation today announced an important advance in the quest to use light beams to replace the use of electrons to carry data in and around computers. The company has developed a research prototype representing the world's first silicon-based optical data connection with integrated lasers. The link can move data over longer distances and many times faster than today's copper technology; up to 50 gigabits of data per second. This is the equivalent of an entire HD movie being transmitted each second.

Today computer components are connected to each other using copper cables or traces on circuit boards. Due to the signal degradation that comes with using metals such as copper to transmit data, these cables have a limited maximum length. This limits the design of computers, forcing processors, memory and other components to be placed just inches from each other. Today's research achievement is another step toward replacing these connections with extremely thin and light optical fibers that can transfer much more data over far longer distances, radically changing the way computers of the future are designed and altering the way the datacenter of tomorrow is architected.

Silicon photonics will have applications across the computing industry. For example, at these data rates one could imagine a wall-sized 3D display for home entertainment and videoconferencing with a resolution so high that the actors or family members appear to be in the room with you. Tomorrow's datacenter or supercomputer may see components spread throughout a building or even an entire campus, communicating with each other at high speed, as opposed to being confined by heavy copper cables with limited capacity and reach. This will allow datacenter users, such as a search engine company, cloud computing provider or financial datacenter, to increase performance, capabilities and save significant costs in space and energy, or help scientists build more powerful supercomputers to solve the world's biggest problems.

Justin Rattner, Intel chief technology officer and director of Intel Labs, demonstrated the Silicon Photonics Link at the Integrated Photonics Research conference in Monterey, Calif. The 50Gbps link is akin to a "concept vehicle" that allows Intel researchers to test new ideas and continue the company's quest to develop technologies that transmit data over optical fibers, using light beams from low cost and easy to make silicon, instead of costly and hard to make devices using exotic materials like gallium arsenide. While telecommunications and other applications already use lasers to transmit information, current technologies are too expensive and bulky to be used for PC applications.

"This achievement of the world's first 50Gbps silicon photonics link with integrated hybrid silicon lasers marks a significant achievement in our long term vision of ‘siliconizing' photonics and bringing high bandwidth, low cost optical communications in and around future PCs, servers, and consumer devices" Rattner said.

The 50Gbps Silicon Photonics Link prototype is the result of a multi-year silicon photonics research agenda, which included numerous "world firsts." It is composed of a silicon transmitter and a receiver chip, each integrating all the necessary building blocks from previous Intel breakthroughs including the first Hybrid Silicon Laser co-developed with the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2006 as well as high-speed optical modulators and photodetectors announced in 2007.

The transmitter chip is composed of four such lasers, whose light beams each travel into an optical modulator that encodes data onto them at 12.5Gbps. The four beams are then combined and output to a single optical fiber for a total data rate of 50Gbps. At the other end of the link, the receiver chip separates the four optical beams and directs them into photo detectors, which convert data back into electrical signals. Both chips are assembled using low-cost manufacturing techniques familiar to the semiconductor industry. Intel researchers are already working to increase the data rate by scaling the modulator speed as well as increase the number of lasers per chip, providing a path to future terabit/s optical links – rates fast enough to transfer a copy of the entire contents of a typical laptop in one second.

This research is separate from Intel's Light Peak technology, though both are components of Intel's overall I/O strategy. Light Peak is an effort to bring a multi-protocol 10Gbps optical connection to Intel client platforms for nearer-term applications. Silicon Photonics research aims to use silicon integration to bring dramatic cost reductions, reach tera-scale data rates, and bring optical communications to an even broader set of high-volume applications. Today's achievement brings Intel a significant step closer to that goal.

Whats This Magic Trackpad From Apple All About

2010-07-29T22:17:00.001+05:30

Today as we all know Apple has become an organization which is constantly changing the current generation tech gadgets both physically and functionally by its revolutionized products. I mean everything that Aple produces is seen by others as their next milestones. A Perfect example of this theory has already been seen by the world through Apple's iPhone and iPad. So today we are going to discuss another Trump Card from Apple that will surely going to change the way we handles our track pads on our laptops specially .Please Welcome: The Brand New Magic Trackpad from none other than Apple, California.

This wireless touch input receptacle -- already thoroughly leaked, trademarked, and FCC-approved -- has just made its debut in Apple's Store app for iOS 4. It's basically exactly what you'd expect: a glass-covered, aluminum-shelled replicator of the glorious multitouch experience on offer in Apple's MacBooks, only for the desktop. The Trackpad is battery-powered, communicates via Bluetooth fairy dust, and is ready to ship out right this minute for a dollar under 70 bucks.
From here let's cut out the bla bla bla and hands over the study to the following video illustrating application wise usage of the Magic Trackpad. Check It Out :

The following image will brief about the main actions that the Magic Trackpad offers to us :

And now let me revile the basic funda behind all this. Along with releasing the brand new versions of Apple MacBook Pro which already contains the revolutionary trackpad and some updates for iOS 4, Apple in order to maintain the sales of its desktop based computer systems the iMac, smartly releases the isolated version of the Magic Trackpad and a Wireless Keyboard designed to serve especially iMacs and Windows Based Systems.

Right on schedule, Apple's released new drivers for the Magic Trackpad, in both OS X and Windows flavors. The download is pretty amusingly huge at 75MB, since it includes videos of all the gestures in action, but at least you'll know exactly how many fingers to use for that new three-finger drag gesture. The bad news? It requires OS X 10.6.4, so you're out of luck if you're still running Leopard and itching to get your swipe on with Apple's latest peripheral.

So here it is, after spending a large amount of time on iPhones and iPad, Apple haven't let its most classic products of all time down. Whats next ???....May be its iPod's turn now.

Sharp Making E-Book Readers Sharp

2010-07-28T19:19:00.001+05:30

Sharp's newest microchip is likely to draw some serious industry attention. Improving on an idea that began in 2008, the company has recently shown off a new chip (dubbed LR388G9) that can control two mobile LCDs and can simultaneously display a pair of different 1,024 x 480 pixel clips on a pair of screens; moreover, it can output full 1080p to any source connected via HDMI. Since '08, Sharp has increased memory capacity from 16Mbits to 32Mbits while boosting the image processing speed, and the company now intends to hawk this new guy to outfits who manufacture smart phones, e-readers, digital photo frames and even netbooks. If all goes well, the chip will ship within a 261-pin WFBGA package this September, with volume pricing pegged at around ¥2,400 ($27).

India Develops World’s Cheapest Tablet

2010-07-24T04:29:00.002+05:30

Finally realising his dream project, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday launched a $35 computing device that will be made available to ‘learners’ right from primary schools to universities. Aiming at bringing down the price to $10, the Ministry has also begun discussions with global manufacturers to start mass production of arguably the world’s cheapest laptop. The device is released after understanding the ever increasing impact of heavy books filled bags and the fully-loaded homework on school going childrens. All thanx to the team of 200 engineers from IIS Bangalore, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.

Talking specifically, It's a sort of tablet and, while we don't know full specs, is said to have 2GB of RAM memory, run on Linux or may be the Android Platform, be able to connect to the internet over WiFi, open PDFs, and even play YouTube videos. It may not looks like as glossy as Apple's i Pad both physically and technically but at this type of cost lets understands the importance of advantages that the device will prevails all over the country if implemented in a wise direction. The Indian government plans to subsidize their sale to students such that they'll cost only $20. The goal is to have them selling for as little as $10 in the future. Exciting?

Chilled Fruits, From Markets To Mouth

2010-07-20T16:17:00.000+05:30

Sony Ericsson Vivaz dressed in pink, says Hi to the ladies

2010-07-20T07:54:00.000+05:30

It seems the Vivaz fella is selling quite well in all the four colors, because Sony Ericsson is launching a new pink version.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz in Light Pink will be available in the selected markets by the end of September.

Vivaz is one of the best sellers this year and definitely a huge success for Sony Ericsson. The manufacturer claims all the colors are well accepted by the users and that’s the reason they are launching a new one, specifically targeting the ladies.

You can find the full Vivaz specs here

LG goes all in with 3D: announces a notebook, a monitor and a projector

2010-07-20T07:50:00.000+05:30

LG has announced a trio of new 3D-enabled products and declared their commitment to the 3D technology. The company went official with a 15-inch 3D notebook, a 3D monitor and a 3D projector.

The LG R590 3D notebook is certainly the most interesting of the new announcements. It packs a 15.6-inch display, Intel Core i7 Processor with HM55 chipset and NVIDIA GeForce GT335M graphics card with 1GB of dedicated DDR3.

The new notebook also features SRS Tru-Surround HD for an even better 3D experience and in case you feel like it, you can also get the optional Blu-ray drive.

LG’s first 3D notebook will be launched in Korea this month and introduced globally in the weeks to follow.

Next comes the 3D gaming monitor LG W63D. Spec’d at full HD resolution, 70 000:1 contrast ratio and 120Hz refresh rate it doesn’t look bad at all. It’s price isn’t mentioned but it should be available worldwide in the following days.

Finally LG unveiled their Full HD 3D projector, capable of projecting an image of 200 inches with a brightness rating of 1250 ANSI lumens (or 2500 ANSI in 2D). The contrast ratio is 7 000:1, which is pretty decent for a projector. Its pricing and targeted availability remain a mystery, though.

The Fastest Electronic Bike Money Can Buy

2010-07-19T02:57:00.000+05:30

Impressed by the Brammo Empulse, which just became official earlier this week? Wait 'till you get a load of this. Roehr Motorcycles has just confirmed that its eRoehr line of bikes is now available for order, and they are quite a suite of machines. If you're not familiar with the company, they're about the only American manufacturer making a proper sportbike these days, and now they have a suite of electric offerings too. Full details after the break.

There are three models here, like with the Empulse, but unlike Brammo's offerings these three differ in a lot more than range. The eSuperSport is the lowest-spec, with a 48hp motor, 395lb weight, dual 300mm brake discs up front, 41mm inverted forks, and 5.8Kw/h worth of batteries good for 80 miles of range and 100mph top speed. Step it up to the eSuperBike and you get two of the same motors for a combined power of 96hp but a total weight of 500lbs. Also, the rear shock gets boosted to an Ohlins unit (surely to handle that extra girth) and 7.7Kw/h worth of batteries good for 100 miles of range and 135mph top speed. Finally there's the RR model, which moves up to Ohlins suspension on the front as well plus lovely, lightweight wheels.

All are cloaked in the same slippery bodywork that certainly looks distinctive and efficient. With no ICE pumping out heat the vents are minimized and everything looks smooth as can be. That Modena-red paint doesn't hurt, either.

The cost? $16,995 to start, with the eSuperBike costing $27,595 and the RR model going way up to $34,495. Yes, mighty costly, but these bikes are all about performance, with the upper two intended for entry in the fledgling TTXGP racing series. For a turnkey race bike, that's not a bad price. For a street bike? Yeah, very spendy, but these aren't mass-produced machines. Place your order now (with a $2,000 deposit) and one will be custom-built for you with your choice of colors. We'd go for blue... naturally.

500 Million Users For Facebook Next Week

2010-07-19T02:38:00.004+05:30

Facebook will finally reach the impressive 500 million user milestone sometime this coming week. To celebrate, it’ll launch “Facebook Stories,” a visual memorial to all the ways the social network has changed people’s lives.

All Things Digital’s BoomTown blog uncovered the details in an interview with Facebook marketing guru Randi Zuckerberg last week. She said that while previous announcements of this nature have been about the numbers, this time the company wants it to be all about the users.
That’d be empty PR-speak on its own, but she’s talking about a real initiative: Facebook Stories will be a website within Facebook that’ll sort actual, submitted user stories by location and theme. Theme examples given included “finding love” and “natural disasters.” Each story will be limited to the same number of characters a Facebook status caps out at: 420.
Facebook has already posted a form through which you can submit your own story. If your story becomes popular — that is, if it gets more “Likes” than most — it could be featured among other popular stories.
Facebook reached 400 million users five months ago. This time last year, it had just reached 200 million, and eight months before that it was at just 100 million. The site launched in February of 2004, and has since become the most popular social site on the web.

Vaccine that will protect against every type of flu

2010-07-17T23:24:00.000+05:30

A "universal" flu vaccine that protects against many strains of the virus could be available within a few years, scientists have said They believe they have solved the problem of designing a "one fits all" jab using a new two-step approach to immunisation.

Early safety trials of the vaccine have already started and it could be tested on patients as early as 2013.
Working with mice, ferrets and monkeys, the US team "primed" the immune system with a "base" of influenza DNA. They added a "booster" consisting of a regular seasonal flu vaccine which increased and broadened its immunity. The vaccine's effectiveness improved each year until, theoretically, recipients would be immune to flu.
The "priming" or base vaccine came from a 1999 virus but antibodies were generated that neutralised viruses of different sub-types and from different years, the researchers report in the journal Science.
Mice and ferrets were able to fight off viruses dating from before 1999, including the deadly strain of 1934, and also strains from 2006 and 2007. The vaccine was also effective against H5N1 "bird flu".
Dr Gary Nabel, the study leader from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, said: "We are excited by these results.

"The prime-boost approach opens a new door to vaccinations for influenza that would be similar to vaccination against such diseases as hepatitis, where we vaccinate early in life and then boost immunity through occasional, additional inoculations in adulthood.
"We may be able to begin efficacy trials of a broadly protective flu vaccine in three to five years.” The scientists measured how well the prime-boost vaccine protected mice and ferrets against deadly levels of flu virus.
Three weeks after receiving the boost, 20 mice were exposed to high levels of 1934 flu virus and 80 per cent survived. When mice were given only the “prime” or “boost” elements alone, or a sham vaccine, all died.
Similar results were seen in ferrets, which are good predictors of flu vaccine effectiveness in humans.
Flu viruses are notorious for their ability to mutate and become resistant to vaccines. Antibodies target a lollipop-shaped flu virus surface protein called haemagglutinin (HA). But the structure of the protein’s “head” mutates readily, allowing the virus to go undetected when it changes form. The new vaccine generates “universal” antibodies that aim for the “stick” of the HA lollipop, which varies little from strain to strain.
Professor John Oxford, Britain’s leading flu expert and a virologist at St Bart’s and Royal London hospitals, said: “This a new and interesting approach and they are a very respected group. I would take this very seriously. They seem to have identified a universal or general antibody that attacks many different types of virus.”
“This is something that we have been after for a long time but the next stage is crucial. Many new vaccines fall at the human trial stage.”
Professor Hugh Pennington, Britain’s leading microbiologist, of Aberdeen University, said: “It is an exciting and attractive approach. We really do desperately need something along these lines. It is a nice idea but the proof will be in the pudding and seeing whether it works in humans.”

I Still Rules The World....I Am Windows XP

2010-07-15T18:40:00.000+05:30

Windows 7 might be flying off the shelves at an amazing pace but it’s the good ol’ Windows XP that powers the huge chunk of the computers around the world, Microsoft admits. To be specific 74 percent, or about three in every four PCs worldwide are still running loyal to XP.

Most users are obviously reluctant to upgrade from the old but still pretty functional OS. Several years back most industry watchers used to point at the Vista shortcomings as the explanation, but now that Windows 7 fixed almost all of them it’s obvious that the problem is a good portion of users finds XP good enough and an update simply isn’t worth the extra dollar.

That way everyone will be able to stick with XP for as long as they want, until they are ready to switch to Windows 7 or Windows 17 – whatever the current version is in 2020.

Google Fiber Is One Step Closer to Reality

2010-07-14T19:47:00.000+05:30

Google has launched a new website to centralize its efforts to build an ultra high-speed fiber optic Internet network, better known as Google Fiber.
Earlier this year, Google announced its plan to build a high-speed network, delivering connection speeds 100 times faster than typical U.S. connections. The announcement produced a frenzy of interest: 600+ communities applied to become ground zero for Google’s experimental high-speed network. Topeka, Kansas even changed its name to Google, Kansas in order to win the contract.
The search giant is once again moving forward with its fiber network plans. It announced the launch of Google Fiber for Communities, a simple and straightforward homepage for the project, complete with videos, an FAQ, suggestions for how to take action, and a full list of the communities that have requested more information on Google Fiber.
It’s another step towards the eventual announcement of the first community to gain Google’s high-speed network, expected later this year.