TechBank

The Making Of A Masterpiece.

2008-08-11T10:07:00.001-07:00

The making of a Masterpiece.

Hi guys. Tell me how many of you have been to a car factory and seen a car in the making. Not many of you i guess. Well, here is your chance to have an insight into the world of car manufacturing, that too a Peugeot "Citroen". Well, the basic processes of car manufacturing are same. What I have for you is an animated car manufacturing plant showing the different processes involved in car manufacturing. It shows the different stages of car manufacturing right from unreeling of galvanised steel sheets to body assembly and finally the finished product. When you move your cursor around the plant you will see the name of the process at the right hand top corner. Click it and you will see the animated version of that particular process. Some processes have an option of "A CLOSER LOOK". Click it and you will get a deeper insight of the process.

I want to keep my post short and sweet. Rest is for you to explore. So, go ahead guys and click here.

The Big Dog Is On The Prowl.

2008-08-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Big Dog is on the prowl.

This is something out of Steven Speilberg's futuristic sci-fi movie. Let me introduce you to the Big Dog. It is the alpha male of Boston Dynamic's futuristic breed of robots. Now let me tell you something about Boston dynamics. It is an engineering company that specializes in robotics and human simulation. The company began as a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where Marc Raibert and his colleagues first developed robots that run and maneuver like animals. Their groundbreaking work inspired the launch of Boston Dynamics in 1992.

The Big Dog is an amazing robot built by Boston dynamics. It can walk, run, climb rough terrains and can incredibly balance itself if you hit, kick or apply any kind of force to it. Just have a look at the video link below. You can imagine the amount of brainwork that has gone into building it. The complicated design which mimics the movement of a dog. Great inventors have always looked at nature to create something simply awesome like the Big Dog. Take for example the aeroplane which uses the same mechanism to fly as the birds do. The feathers are replaced by aelerons to control the speed and direction. Well now the Big Dog is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog's legs are articulated like an animal’s, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule, measuring 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight.

BigDog has an on-board computer that controls locomotion, servos the legs and handles a wide variety of sensors. BigDog’s control system manages the dynamics of its behavior to keep it balanced, steer, navigate, and regulate energetics as conditions vary. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a laser gyroscope, and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature, rpm, battery charge and others.

In separate trials, BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, and carries a 340 lb load. Boston Dynamics has three other robot which are equally impressive. They are Rise, Rhex and the Little Dog. To know more about the robots and watch their videos click here.

IDUG 2008

2008-07-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

IDUG 2008

Hi, this is an invitation for IDUG India 2008 starting on 21st August 2008. IDUG 2008 for Australia and North America are already over but if you are a DB2 die hard you can catch up with the other two, India and Europe. IDUG Europe 2008 starts on October 13. Experience IDUG face-to-face and walk away with a host of new ideas, proven techniques, and professional contacts to take your utilization of DB2 to the next level.

The IDUG 2008 - India Forum will be hosted 21 - 23 August 2008 at Le Meridien in Bangalore, India, and will feature three days of leading-edge education delivered by expert users, consultants, and representatives of IBM, as well as other leading DB2 vendors. More than 30 technical sessions covering such diverse topics as DB2 for z/OS, DB2 for Linux/UNIX/Windows, application development, compression, Dynamic Warehousing, PureXML, security, DB2 High Availability Features, and Database Partitioning will be delivered.

If this interests you can go ahead and click here to find out more.

To register for IDUG India 2008 click here.

To register for IDUG Europe 2008 click here.

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Google Code Jam Contest.

2008-07-13T12:55:00.003-07:00

Google Code Jam contest.

Hi guys. This is one contest that nerds wait for all round the year just like atheletes wait for the Olympics. If you are a nerd you know what I am talking about. Its none other than the Google Code Jam contest. Its been a success since it started. Let me present to you Google Code Jam contest 2008 "The battle of the geeks". Do you love solving tough problems and algorithms, then this is the place you belong. And even you are not very proficient in programming, go give it a try. You will come to know where you stand because only the "geekiest" survives.

Google Code Jam is a coding competition in which professional and student programmers are asked to solve complex algorithmic challenges in a limited amount of time. The contest is all-inclusive: Google Code Jam lets you program in the coding language and development environment of your choice.

Google Code Jam begins in July and continues in August, when you will compete in online rounds against contestants from around the world. The Top 500 participants will advance to onsite competitions at a local Google office to compete against those in their region (Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and the Americas). The Top 100 will participate in the final round at the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California on Friday, November 14.

Did I forget something. Oh yes, the winner gets a handsome prize money of 10,000 USD. Now this will surely make you give it a try. Top 500 finalists gets a Google Code Jam T-shirt. The Top 100 finalists from the local onsites will be flown to Mountain View, California to compete in the onsite finals. Travel and accommodation will be covered by Google.

Well if you are interested enough to register for Code Jam then click here. Registration closes on July 17, 2008. Hurry up guys. Don't miss this one.

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Wine Is Served.

2008-06-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Wine is served.

Hi guys. Sorry for not posting anything for a long time. Its just because i didn't find anything worth mentioning. This one is pretty interesting. Finally Wine 1.0 got released on June 17th 2008. This is the first stable release of Wine after 15 years of development and beta testing. Dont know what m talking about??? Well then, let me give you a brief introduction about Wine. Obviously, its not about french wine. Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely free alternative implementation of the Windows API consisting of 100% non-Microsoft code, however Wine can optionally use native Windows DLLs if they are available. Wine provides both a development toolkit for porting Windows source code to Unix as well as a program loader, allowing many unmodified Windows programs to run on x86-based Unixes, including Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Solaris.

The Wine project started in 1993 as a way to support running Windows 3.1 programs on Linux. Bob Amstadt was the original coordinator, but turned it over fairly early on to Alexandre Julliard, who has run it ever since. Over the years, ports for other Unixes have been added, along with support for Win32 as Win32 applications became popular.

Wanna know more about Wine. Here you go: click here

To download wine 1.0: click here

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Android Bootcamp

2008-06-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

Android Bootcamp.

Till now I have been writing about Android and Google and on similar topics. But this is something very interesting and practical. Guess what!!! Android Bootcamp is here. It starts on September 15th in Atlanta, Georgia. Not only Android, there are a whole lot of courses to choose from. Starting from C, Cocoa, Django, iPhone etc. You name it, you have it. This is no child's play. Pros are here to teach you. They are one of the best in their respective fields. Android course is priced at $3500. To check for course availability and pricing click here. There are courses held in Frankfurt, Germany also for Europe Geo.

Big Nerd Ranch, Inc. is a company with a radical new approach to teaching. They offer intensive, head-down computer programming courses taught by experts in a retreat environment. Classroom, accommodations, and dining all take place within the same building, freeing the student to learn, code, and discuss with your programming peers and instructors. If you want to know whoz gonna teach you click here. A knowledgeable instructor is a wonderful thing, but knowledge alone doesn't make for a good teacher. Big Nerd Ranch instructors provide the necessary combination of knowledge and outstanding teaching skills.

Expense reporting is a simple process for a Big Nerd Ranch class. One fee covers tuition, meals, lodging, and transportation to and from the airport. You get on and off a plane. We take care of everything else.

At the Big Nerd Ranch, they remove the distractions inherent in standard corporate training. We offer classes in quiet, comfortable settings in Atlanta, Georgia; Frankfurt, Germany; and Rome, Italy. After an intense day of learning, you walk a few steps to your room for a good night's sleep and awake refreshed and ready to focus on the next day's lessons.

To register for any course click here.

To have a glance at their library click here.

China's Huawei May Sell A Stake Abroad.

2008-05-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

China's Huawei may sell a stake abroad.

HONG KONG -- Huawei Technologies Co. is considering the sale of a multibillion-dollar stake in its mobile-devices division to a foreign investor that could help the closely held Chinese telecommunications-equipment maker navigate the North American market, according to people familiar with the situation.

The sale, which could rank among the largest foreign investments in a Chinese company, is at an early stage, the people said. Later this month, Huawei plans to invite strategic investors and private-equity companies to make bids for a significant stake in the business, with a foreign investor possibly taking a majority shareholding in the business.

Verizon Launches The Samsung Glyde.

2008-05-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Verizon launches the Samsung Glyde.

One of the worst-kept secrets in Verizon's stable is finally getting official today; that's right, ladies and gentlemen, meet the Glyde from Samsung. Wearing CDMA guts underneath its F700 clothing, the fashion-friendly QWERTY slider offers a 2 megapixel cam with flash and autofocus, GPS, the full range of Bluetooth profiles, microSD slot, and a true HTML browser. Unlike its crosstown competition -- the LG Voyager -- the Glyde doesn't offer support for Verizon's VCAST TV service, but we imagine most folks will consider that a minor (read: nonexistent) inconvenience. Look for the phone to start circulating into retail channels this week for a princely $249.99 on contract after $50 rebate.

For more information: click here

Google Holds Verizon’s Feet To Fire On 700MHz Open Access

2008-05-07T01:11:00.000-07:00

Google holds Verizon’s feet to fire on 700MHz open access.

The struggle over the Federal Communications Commission's 700MHz auction's C Block just flared up again. Google has written a stern letter to the FCC demanding that the agency force the block's winner, Verizon, to honor the spectrum region's open platform provision.

"The rule requires openness for 'Any Applications, Any Devices'—not 'Any Applications, Except on Verizon Devices,' as Verizon would interpret it," a small squad of Google attorneys told the FCC on Friday. "The Commission must ensure that Verizon understands that this license obligation means what it says: Any Apps, Any Devices."
Google wants the agency to make Verizon promise to adhere to the C Block rules—in writing.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080505-google-holds-verizons-feet-to-fire-on-700mhz-open-access.html

Is It A Challenge Or Phishing.

2008-05-06T21:32:00.001-07:00

Is it a Challenge or Phishing.

Is the Android Challenge legit or an elaborate form of phishing,or even an outright scam of sorts?It seems that the challenge has a few glaring problems:

The rules favor teams and/or individuals with financialbacking or resources. The Challenge is scored in 4 areas. I suggest that Originalityand Indispensibility are areas that favor contributors equallywhether they are poor individuals or well funded teams.However "Effective Use of the Android Platform" and "Polish and Appeal" penalize those with limited financialresources. These qualities require more time to implementthereby favoring those who could spend more time on thechallenge than those who responded to the challengein the "Willy Wonka" spirit (believing all had a chance)and had to work on the challenge in their spare time.2) Google discontinued support for the Challenge userswhile continuing to support OHA and other stakeholders(e.g., device manufacturers, MIT) thereby marginalizing/under supporting the Challenge members.
Using the Android platform, whichdespite being Linux and Java, is no picnic or walk in the park.The processing model is different (and I'll question it's necessity on a Linux platform in another post), the SDK has bugs, thedocumentation has inconsistencies (e.g., look at the variousplaces where TableLayout and table row are documented),pieces of the SDK were missing (e.g., BT, etc.) and so on.And while independents were toiling away trying to slog throughthe Android'isms and bugs, Google was actively supporting membersof the OHA (are they really on the same SDK version as we are? Are all submitters really isolated from those who had moreinside information? Access to the source. Participants who fail to win in round 1 stand to lose even more.

When you made your submission you agreed that if Google or any of the Judges developed your idea you had no recourse.What if Google/Judges never had the idea before you submitted it?Had not yet visualized it on the Android platform before the entries were submitted? Do you think you can get your idea to market faster than the multi-billion dollar Google juggernaut?In it's most perverse form isn't it all really a way for Googleto potentially get 1700+ original ideas for which they only need to pay for 50.

Android Vs Limo

2008-04-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Android Vs Limo.

Hi guys,
I just found a good article on business week. Check it out. Hope u like it.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/bangaloretigers/archives/2008/04/the_indian_conn.html

In the tech industry these days, when you lift a rock you often find a bunch of Indian programmers hard at work under it. So it goes with the LiMo Foundation, which is building a stack of open-source middleware and an application programming interface to run mobile phones. Azingo, a four-year-old mobile software company with headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., is on the board of LiMo and is performing a lot of the development and test work for the consortium. (LiMo has 30 members, including the likes of Motorola, Samsung, LG, and NTT DoCoMo) That work is being done by some of the 300-plus Azingo programmers in Pune and Hyderabad.

But this is no all-volunteer army. Azingo’s main business is taking the open-source software stack and the API and turning it into a commercially-hardened and supported software product, which it’s selling to handset makers and mobile operators. Azingo got a $30 million cash infusion from private equity firm Garnett & Helfrich last year and is in the midst of raising another major round of financing to pay for its business ramp-up. The company demonstrated its software running on a handheld a few weeks ago, and CEO Mahesh Veerina expects to have two major-player phones running the package in the market early next year. “We see it as Red Hat for the mobile industry,” says G&H partner Terry Garnett.
The main threat to Azingo, and LiMo, is Google…

Google, of course, is pushing Android, its software package that runs on top of Linux for mobile phones, and its Open Handset Alliance. Wrap it all together and it's basically LiMo--only controlled by Google. Most of the mobile service operators and major handset makers who are members of LiMo have also pledged allegiance to Android and the Open Handset Alliance. Azingo's Veerina insists that he doesn't see Google as a major threat, though. "Ours is a more operator-sympathetic platform," he says. "Operators will launch Android phones, but, privately, they're threatened by Google. They don't want somebody else controlling the API and controlling how applications get on the phones." A wild card is Nokia, with a 40% share of the handset market, which has not joined either alliance.

The other handset makers and the mobile operators are threatened on all sides. Nokia, Microsoft, and Google all seem to have designs on mobile hegemony of one kind or another. So the rest of the bunch may find strength in togetherness. If so, they'll depend on Azingo and its Indian programmers to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Project Virgle, The First Permanent Human Colony On Mars

2008-04-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.

Hi,

An invitation: Earth has issues, and it's time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.
Source: http://www.google.com/virgle/index.html
April Fooled by Google and Virgin. This blog was published on 1st April, this is a little light innovative humor by these billion-dollar corporations.

By the way, how may of you have clicked on the link "Gmail Custom Time" (http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html) in gmail on 1st April, That was a April Fool...
source:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/home/news/2008/04/02/April-Fools-2008-Web-Roundup/p1

google search:

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=april+fool&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn

If you are interested to know Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes Of All Time http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/P0/

Now, An Internet 10,000 Times Faster Than Broadband

2008-04-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Now, an Internet 10,000 times faster than broadband.

Hi,
The scientists who invented the Internet have now built a lightning-fast successor that can download a full-length feature film in five seconds, with a speed around 10,000 times faster than a normal broadband connection.

Cern, the particle physics centre that created the World Wide Web, says what they have named ‘The Grid’ would have the power needed to transmit 3D holographic images; allow simultaneous online gaming with lakhs of players; and offer high-definition video.
Read the full story...
http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=2235&cid=2

New Look Of Google

2008-04-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

New look of Google.

Google is the second Brain to many of us. We use it frequently. It uses white screen which consumes higher power.

Read the following?..

If Google had a black screen, taking in account the huge number of page views, according to calculations, 750 mega watts/hour per year would be saved. In response Google created a black version of its search engine, called Blackle, with almost the same functions as the white version, but obviously with lower energy consumption:
Help spread the word? Please use : http://www.blackle.com/

For details regarding Blackle refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackle

Linux All The Way.

2008-03-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

Linux all the way.

Hi guys,

Want to know how good linux is. Take a look at this. After three days of attacks by leading hackers, a laptop running Ubuntu remained untouched while two others, running Mac OS X and Windows Vista Service Pack 1, succumbed. The attacks were launched at the CanSecWest PWN 2 OWN contest in Vancouver, Canada.

http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/62378.html

Android Onto Real Hardware.

2008-03-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Android onto real hardware.

Hi guys,
Several actual hardware has been hacked to run Google's Android software stack. Check out the link below if you wanna know more........
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4262102607.html

Happy reading...........

World's Smallest Website.

2008-03-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

World's smallest website.

Hey guys check out world's smallest website.
It has 10-20 games.
itz JUST 2x2...kool...isn't it...
http://www.guimp.com/

156 Useful Run Commands

2008-03-26T01:36:00.000-07:00

156 Useful Run Commands.

Hi Guys,
Here are some run commands. Try them out. Its kool.

To Access------
Run Command

Accessibility Controls---

access.cpl
Accessibility Wizard---

accwiz
Add Hardware Wizard---

hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs---

appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools---

control admintools
Adobe Acrobat (if installed)---

acrobat
Adobe Designer (if installed)---

acrodist
Adobe Distiller (if installed)---

acrodist
Adobe ImageReady (if installed)---

imageready
Adobe Photoshop (if installed)---

photoshop
Automatic Updates---

wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard---

fsquirt
Calculator---

calc
Certificate Manager---

certmgr.msc
Character Map---

charmap
Check Disk Utility---

chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer---

clipbrd
Command Prompt---

cmd
Component Services---

dcomcnfg
Computer Management---

compmgmt.msc
Control Panel---

control
Date and Time Properties---

timedate.cpl
DDE Shares---

ddeshare
Device Manager---

devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)*---

directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter---

dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility---

cleanmgr
Disk Defragment---

dfrg.msc
Disk Management---

diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager---

diskpart
Display Properties---

control desktop
Display Properties---

desk.cpl
Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected)---
control color
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility---
drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility---
verifier
Event Viewer---
eventvwr.msc
Files and Settings Transfer Tool---
migwiz
File Signature Verification Tool---
sigverif
Findfast---
findfast.cpl
Firefox (if installed)---
firefox
Folders Properties---
control folders
Fonts---
control fonts
Fonts Folder---
fonts
Free Cell Card Game---
freecell
Game Controllers---
joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof)---
gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game---
mshearts
Help and Support---
helpctr
HyperTerminal---
hypertrm
Iexpress Wizard---
iexpress
Indexing Service---
ciadv.msc
Internet Connection Wizard---
icwconn1
Internet Explorer---
iexplore
Internet Properties---
inetcpl.cpl
Internet Setup Wizard---
inetwiz
IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration)---
ipconfig /all
IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents)---
ipconfig /displaydns
IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents)---
ipconfig /flushdns
IP Configuration (Release All Connections)---
ipconfig /release
IP Configuration (Renew All Connections)---
ipconfig /renew
IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS)---
ipconfig /registerdns
IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID)---
ipconfig /showclassid
IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID)---
ipconfig /setclassid
Java Control Panel (If Installed)---
jpicpl32.cpl
Java Control Panel (If Installed)---
javaws
Keyboard Properties---
control keyboard
Local Security Settings---
secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups---
lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows---
logoff
Malicious Software Removal Tool---
mrt
Microsoft Access (if installed)---
access.cpl
Microsoft Chat---
winchat
Microsoft Excel (if installed)---
excel
Microsoft Frontpage (if installed)---
frontpg
Microsoft Movie Maker---
moviemk
Microsoft Paint---
mspaint
Microsoft Powerpoint (if installed)---
powerpnt
Microsoft Word (if installed)---
winword
Microsoft Syncronization Tool---
mobsync
Minesweeper Game---
winmine
Mouse Properties---
control mouse
Mouse Properties---
main.cpl
Nero (if installed)---
nero
Netmeeting---
conf
Network Connections---
control netconnections
Network Connections---
ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard---
netsetup.cpl
Notepad---
notepad
Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed)---
nvtuicpl.cpl
Object Packager---
packager
ODBC Data Source Administrator---
odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard---
osk
Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed)---
ac3filter.cpl
Outlook Express---
msimn
Paint---
pbrush
Password Properties---
password.cpl
Performance Monitor---
perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor---
perfmon
Phone and Modem Options---
telephon.cpl
Phone Dialer---
dialer
Pinball Game---
pinball
Power Configuration---
powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes---
control printers
Printers Folder---
printers
Private Character Editor---
eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed)---
QuickTime.cpl
Quicktime Player (if installed)---
quicktimeplayer
Real Player (if installed)---
realplay
Regional Settings---
intl.cpl
Registry Editor---
regedit
Registry Editor---
regedit32
Remote Access Phonebook---
rasphone
Remote Desktop---
mstsc
Removable Storage---
ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests---
ntmsoprq.msc
Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof)---
rsop.msc
Scanners and Cameras---
sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks---
control schedtasks
Security Center---
wscui.cpl
Services---
services.msc
Shared Folders---
fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows---
shutdown
Sounds and Audio---
mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game---
spider
SQL Client Configuration---
cliconfg
System Configuration Editor---
sysedit
System Configuration Utility---
msconfig
System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately)---
sfc /scannow
System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot)---
sfc /scanonce
System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot)---
sfc /scanboot
System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting)---
sfc /revert
System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache)---
sfc /purgecache
System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x)---
sfc /cachesize=x
System Information---
msinfo32
System Properties---
sysdm.cpl
Task Manager---
taskmgr
TCP Tester---
tcptest
Telnet Client---
telnet
Tweak UI (if installed)---
tweakui
User Account Management---
nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager---
utilman
Windows Address Book---
wab
Windows Address Book Import Utility---
wabmig
Windows Backup Utility (if installed)---
ntbackup
Windows Explorer---
explorer
Windows Firewall---
firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier---
magnify
Windows Management Infrastructure---
wmimgmt.msc
Windows Media Player---
wmplayer
Windows Messenger---
msmsgs
Windows Picture Import Wizard (need camera connected)---
wiaacmgr
Windows System Security Tool---
syskey
Windows Update Launches---
wupdmgr
Windows Version (to show which version of windows)---
winver
Windows XP Tour Wizard---
tourstart
Wordpad---
write

Android And The Mythical Gphone

2008-03-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

The next big thing in the mobile world.

Today, there are 1.5 billion television sets in use around the world. 1 billion people are on the Internet. But nearly 3 billion people have a mobile phone, making it one of the world's most successful consumer products. Building a better mobile phone would enrich the lives of countless people across the globe. The Open Handset Alliance™ is a group of mobile and technology leaders who share this vision for changing the mobile experience for consumers.

Android is a mobile phone platform based on the Linux operating system and developed by the Open Handset Alliance. The unveiling of the Android platform on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 hardware, software and telecoms companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. When released in 2008, most of the Android platform will be made available under the Apache v2 open-source license. If you can measure a new technology's popularity by the number of companies trying to attach their names to it, then Google's new Android mobile-phone platform is a big deal. Some of the giants involved in the project are Intel, Motorola, HTC, LG, Samsung, Telefonica, China Mobile, KDDI, NTT DoCoMo, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Wind River Systems etc.

In July 2005 Google acquired Android Inc. At that time little was known of Android Inc. other than they made softwares for mobile phones. This started rumors that that Google is planning to enter the mobile phone market. At Google a team led by Andy Rubin had developed a Linux based mobile device OS which they were marketing to handset makers and carriers on the premise of providing a flexible and upgradeable system.

Android supports a whole lot of applications. We can use gtalk, orkut, the google search engine etc on our Gphone. We can probably incorporated devices such as the OBD (On Board Diagnostic) scanner on the Gphone and check different parameters like tyre pressure, fuel left, oxygen level etc in a car. Google has applied for a patent for a mobile payment system known as Gpay that would let the user send a text message to Google giving the details of a payment to a specified recipient. Gpay would then debit the user’s bank account crediting the money to the payee. The company could very well have a trump card to play, if it follows through on its interest in the 700MHz spectrum auction scheduled for January 2008 at the FCC. Google is leaving no stone unturned to challenge the big guns of the mobile market like Nokia, Sony Ericcson and Microsoft.

But on the other hand, Google is unlikely to launch a "Gphone" mobile device because it doesn't fit in with its business model. It's a tough move for Google to go into the device market. The most notable thing about it is not who's in the Open Handset Alliance group, but who's out: Microsoft and Nokia. And why are they out? Because they already make cell-phone operating systems. Much has been made of the notion that Google will license its new cell-phone OS, Android, for free. And much has been made of the possibility that Google will introduce compelling new mobile apps. But I don’t think either promise will amount to much? Because this is what Andy Rubin (Google's director of mobile platforms) had said “We recognize that many among the multitude of mobile users around the world do not and may never have an Android-based phone. Our goals must be independent of device or even platform. For this reason, Android will complement, but not replace, our longstanding mobile strategy of developing useful and compelling mobile services and driving adoption of these products through partnerships with handset manufacturers and mobile operators around the world.

More interesting is the claim that HTC is a firm that's going to make Gphones. This seems a lot more plausible, because it knocks down speculation that Google would make Gphones. Also, HTC is quite plausible as a Gphone maker, since they are a generic Taiwanese ODM (trying to become a branded vendor) with US presence via Cingular (AT&T), and in fact is only known in the US because they have already used someone else's software (Windows Mobile) as a market entry strategy. But of course, if Google is a mobile software supplier, there will be many other vendors.

I guess Google will keep building mobile versions of its apps -- Gmail, YouTube, and the like for real phones that people actually use today, not the mythical Googlephone, or the handsets Google's partners may release next year. And everyone, not just Googlephone users, will benefit from those apps. But apparently the phone has roughly five prototypes that Google had built to demonstrate the Open Handset Alliance software to potential members, and HTC's Peter Chou says in the two years it's been working on OHA designs, "this is the best one we've seen." The device itself, which measures about 3 x 5-inches, sports a touchscreen, navigational controls at the base, and a full swivel out keyboard. When swiveled the screen goes from portrait to landscape mode, but unfortunately that's the limit of info on the actual hardware. The software apparently has "time-sensitive" touch controls that expands your area control the longer you touch. Icons for your most important apps -- which are apparently email, text documents, and YouTube -- are lined up across the top of the screen. There's also some fancy stuff under the hood to keep an ongoing browser session open to speed launch times, and the browser downloads large files in stages to speed delivery.

Can Google really be a mobile-software developer, search engine, application house, and wireless carrier? And will people actually want to use that? We might soon find out. Watch out for Google in 2008.

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