Technology

Nokia N9 Special Preview

2011-08-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted 10 Nokia N9 HD videos into my Youtube Channel and they have already received more than 18k views in less than 1 week. Looks like a lot of people are interested in this smartphone that runs on MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan OS.

Nokia N9

My Nokia N9 videos are quite brief because I had only 1 hour+ to explore everything on the phone during the special preview session. I tried my best to capture as many things on video but I think that’s not enough for you all so I decided to write this long post to feature all the important aspects I found in Nokia N9.

Below is a list of the key features of Nokia N9 :-

OS: MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan
Processor: 1Ghz ARM Cortex-A8 OMAP3630 (45nm)
GPU graphics processor: PowerVR SGX530
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 16GB OR 64GB
Display: 3.9″ (resolution 854×480) WVGA AMOLED display with curved Gorilla glass, no air gap, anti-glare polarizer
Network: Pentaband (WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 1700, 2100), Quadband (GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
Camera: 8MP Carl Zeiss, auto-focus, 28mm wide-angle lens, 2x LED flash
SIM card type: Micro-SIM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, A-GPS, WiFi 802.11abgn, NFC, 3.5mm AV connector, micro-USB
Battery: 1450mAh
Size / Weight: 116.45mm (L) x 61.2mm (W) x 7.6-12.1mm (T) / 135g

Micro-SIM slot, micro-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of Nokia N9

Nokia N9 will be available in 3 beautiful colors (black, magenta & cyan) and 2 variants (16GB & 64GB). The 64GB version will only be available in black, on the other hand the 16GB version will have all 3 colors. According to Nokia Malaysia, a matching protective case will be given in the box as well.

Nokia N9 comes in 3 colors.

The body of Nokia N9 is made of one piece poly carbonate with smooth shapes along with the curved glass. Nokia uses the durable Gorilla glass for the screen and removes the air-gap in between the glass and display so the images you see is like floating on top of the screen. There’s no front-facing button and only ~~4 buttons~~ 3 buttons (volume +/-, power) on the sides.

It’s quite easy to operate the phone because everything is just a swipe away. There are 3 home views, each designed for a specific purpose :-

1. Application View: Display a list of all installed application
2. Open Applications: See all your running apps and multitask between them in this view
3. Events View: Your people, news & events in one view

Nokia N9: Swipe Gesture

Switching between these 3 views is easy, just swipe sideways.

3 basic swiping gestures for Nokia N9 :-

Swipe from top to bottom : Close the application
Swipe sideways : Put the application into background
Swipe from bottom to top : Bring out the application shortcuts

Check out the swipe gesture video below to see it in action.

Nokia N9: Camera

A 8 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss camera is at the back of Nokia N9 and this 28mm wide-angle lens is auto-focus and great in low light with its large lens aperture f/2.2 and dual LED flash.

8 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss, 28mm wide-angle lens, auto-focus lens

The design of the camera user interface has been improved a lot. Now you can change any setting in one place without the need to go into one category to set the flash and another category to set the ISO. Besides, photo gallery icon is located on the camera screen so it’s just a click away to preview the photo taken quickly and easily.

Just tap anywhere on the screen to focus while shooting a photo in Auto mode. Digital zooming can be adjusted on the screen or using the volume button.

The rear camera is able to capture HD video in MPEG-4 at 720p @ 30fps and the front camera can be used for video calls.

Watch the video below to see the camera in action.

Nokia N9: Photo Gallery

Photos and videos are viewed in 2 separate apps in Nokia N9, unlike the Gallery in Symbian where all photos and videos are listed together. So, Photo Gallery is only for viewing photos and sharing it through a few ways: Near Field Communication (NFC) via Bluetooth, Email/Facebook/MMS, etc.

Slideshow function is available in Photo Gallery too. Besides, the app supports both pinch to zoom and double-tap to zoom.

Nokia N9: Music & Video Player

The main screen of Music Player shows 4 categories sorted by Artists, Albums, Songs & Playlists. A group of albums is displayed at the top of the screen for quick selection. Ovi Music still remains in Music Player even though this service already ceased its operation in many countries. However, Ovi Music is still available in country like India, China, etc.

In Video Player, videos are listed in portrait thumbnail view but will play only in landscape mode to make full use of the 3.9″ screen. Videos can be shared in the same ways as photos in Photo Gallery.

Related Youtube videos are suggested when you are viewing the details of a video.

Nokia N9: My Accounts

Nokia N9 manages multiple accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Nokia Account, Google Account, Skype, Flickr, Picasa, Youtube, etc) in My Accounts. My Accounts gives you a one-stop view to manage all different accounts at one place, for example setting online status for different online services (GTalk, Facebook Chat, etc). Sharing options for different online services can be set in My Accounts too.

All accounts in one place.

Besides, contacts from social network such as Facebook or Twitter can be imported into Nokia N9 and you can choose to show these contacts in Contacts by enabling it in My Accounts.

Watch the video below to have a brief view of My Account.

Nokia N9: Contacts

One of the features that is worth mentioning in Nokia N9 Contact is the “Import Contact” feature. This import function is compatible with Nokia, Android & Apple iOS devices and contacts can be imported easily via Bluetooth.

Sending contact to a device that supports NFC is very easy too, just activate NFC and touch the 2 devices to initiate the contact transfer.

Watch the video below to see how contacts can be easily transferred wirelessly.

Nokia N9: Email, Contact & Song Sorting, & Search Function

I love the user interface design of how Nokia N9 displays the order in email, contact, and song list. When you are scrolling at the edge of the screen, a huge alphabet/time display will be shown. Smart and nice!

Searching for anything in Nokia N9 is very easy too. Just type the phrase in Search app, all sorts of result matching the search phrase will appear including applications, contacts, phone functions, user guides, etc.

Check it out in the video below :-

Nokia N9: GPS Optimized For Driving

Nokia Maps are separated into 2 in Nokia N9: 1. Maps is optimized for walk & normal map navigation; 2. Drive is optimized for turn-by-turn in-car drive navigation. Therefore, Maps is displaying in portrait mode while Drive will only be in landscape mode.

GPS Optimized For Driving

Both Maps & Drive will always remain free in Nokia N9 and public transport routing will be available in selected countries. Voice guidance will be available in both GPS apps as well.

Nokia N9: Web Browser

The web browser in Nokia N9 doesn’t support Flash but is able to play online video on Youtube and Vimeo without a problem. When you click an embedded flash video on a website, a video player will pop up to play the video. According to Nokia Malaysia, web browser in Nokia N9 will not support Flash in the future and it’s built for wide HTML5 support, which offers access to rich web application and fast video playback.

Zooming is easy in Nokia N9′s web browser, just pinch to zoom or double-tap to zoom.

I have tested the Nokia N9′s web browser along with Apple iPhone 4 (iOS) and Samsung Galaxy S (Android) in a HTML5 test and the score is :-

HTML5 Test on Apple iPhone 4, Nokia N9 & Samsung Galaxy S

Nokia N9: Angry Birds Magic

Angry Birds Magic is a free games pre-installed in Nokia N9. This version of Angry Birds supports NFC feature, which allows you to unlock a new level by touching another NFC phone with Angry Birds Magic.

Nokia N9: Developer Mode

Developer Mode is available in Settings of Nokia N9, which enables some advanced feature such as X-Terminal, etc. I’m sure many advanced users will like this Developer Mode very much.

Ok, it took me a few hours to finish this long post, hope you all like it. :)
I’ll add more details into the post once I can recall other details that I missed while composing this post.

Review : I-connect View X Laser Pico Projector (iPod, iPhone & iPad Compatible)

2011-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Ever thought of having a laser projector that is small in size and light-weight so that you can conveniently bring it around and on top of that being compatible with many portable devices on different occasions? I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector could be the right projector for you.

I was totally impressed with the size and weight of I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector when I first got it for a review. It sports a dimension of 14mm x 60mm x 118 mm and weights only 122g including battery. It looks just like a mobile phone and I’m sure it fits nicely in any adult’s hand, even kid’s!

I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector

I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector is the first palm-sized projector that is compatible to Apple’s iPod touch, iPhone and iPad. The projector is completely plug-n-play and it works instantly with all these iOS devices.

I tested the projector with my iPad 2 and found that it only works in 2 modes on iOS devices: 1. Video playing mode (playing video in iPad or online video on Youtube) & 2. Photo slideshow mode.

Playing movie from iPad 2

Viewing photo slideshow from iPad 2

Mobility is one of the main selling points of this palm-sized laser projector and therefore its compatibility does not end with Apple products only. A wide variety of devices with TV-Out function are supported as well, such as mobile phones, digital camera, video camera, etc. This feature is particularly very useful when you need to view your digital media on a larger screen on different devices when you are on the go.

Playing Angry Birds on Samsung Galaxy S and project it via TV-Out

Conventional VGA port that we can find on most, if not all, PCs and laptops is of course supported on I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector too. However, a VGA dock is sold separately if you need to use the projector with PC or laptop. The good news is the VGA dock is included for free if you get it now in Malaysia.

Projecting via VGA port of a laptop

Instead of using LED bulbs like other conventional projectors, I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector uses the revolutionary PicoP display engine (uses blue, green and red lasers to create an image) to deliver immediate vivid big screen experience with no focus adjustment needed.

Below are the technical specifications in case you wish to know :-

Resolution: WVGA (848×480)
Brightness: 15 Lumens
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen
Contrast Ratio: >5000: 1
Throw Ratio: 1:1
Image Size: 150mm-2500mm
Charging port: microUSB
Battery Life: 90 minutes

Everything in the box

My take on I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector

Plus points

Very portable because it is small and light-weight
Using PicoP laser technology to deliver vivid images
Compatible to A LOT of portable devices (iPod/iPhone/iPad, mobile phones, digital camera, video camera, laptop, etc)
Completely plug-n-play with no setup or software required
No focus adjustment needed
Good for instant viewing of many digital media, such as photos, videos, documents or games
All compatible cables are included : Apple Connectivity Cable – iPod, iPhone, iPad; Composite Cable – mobile phone, camera, video camera
VGA dock (worth RM299) will be included free

Minus points

Only work in 2 playing modes on iOS devices, video playing mode and photo slideshow mode
90 minutes of battery life is a bit short if you want to watch a full movie
Not suitable to use in a bright environment

Conclusion

I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector is truly useful for both business and leisure purposes. This laser projector can be used on many occasions, be it on a business presentation, showing photos/videos taken during a vacation, watching movie projected on the ceiling while lying on the bed at night, etc. Projecting digital medias from a wide variety of devices has never been so convenient on a projector like this considering all the plus points listed above. Well, the only concern I have for the projector is the rather short battery life. I hope the supported projecting modes on iOS devices are not limited to only video playing and photo slideshow in the future.

I-Connect View X Laser Pico Projector is available at the retail price of RM1399 (including VGA dock) and can be purchased at Challenger IT Megastore at The Mines Shopping Mall in Malaysia or via TimeTech online store.

Photo Gallery of I-Connect View X Laser Pico Projector

World’s Largest Stop-motion Animation Shot On A Nokia N8

2011-08-31T21:43:00.001-07:00

September last year, Nokia shot the world’s smallest stop-motion animation named Dot using a Nokia N8. Now a short film namedGulp has broken a world record for the world’s largest stop-motion animation and it is entirely shot on a Nokia N8 too.

This new stop-motion film was created by Sumo Science at Aardman and shot at Pendine Beach in South Wales. Watch the video below and be amazed. :)

Watch the making of this cool stop-motion animation here :-

Motorola Atrix – Webtop Experience Using Multimedia Dock & Lapdock [Videos]

2011-08-31T21:42:00.001-07:00

Last week, Motorola Atrix was launched in Malaysia and 2 specially designed accessories were introduced as well :

Motorola HD Multimedia Dock : RRP RM439
Motorola Lapdock^TM : RRP RM1399

Both of these accessories run on Motorola’s revolutionary webtop application, which aim to bring desktop-like or laptop-like PC experience on a smartphone. You may read the details of these 2 accessories and webtop application in my previous post.
Take a look of how Motorola Atrix is used on the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock :-

The video below will show you how Motorola Atrix is used on the Motorola Lapdock :-

2011-08-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

Gamescom trailer: Play Xbox LIVE games on your Windows Phone 7

Xbox fans – get ready to play your favourite games anywhere, anytime on your Windows Phone 7 mobile with Xbox LIVE, check it out in this Gamescom 2011 video trailer.

Gamescom 2011 video trailer.

Many thanks to Kim for the tip!

Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio comes with retro looks

2011-08-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Combination of retro looks and modern technology has always been a successful dual, and if you’re looking for such a device, Grace Digital has something for you.
Grace Digital has recently announced a unique radio that combines the retro looks of the 40’s and the power of internet into one unusual device called the Victori Nostalgic Internet Radio. Besides the vintage looks, Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio has a lot more to offer, and one of those things is Class D digital 16 watt RMS amplifier (50 watt peak), so that this radio can fill an entire room with quality sound. This radio also comes with a 4-line adjustable backlit display, five alarm settings, 110 station presets, built-in 802.11n wireless and Pandora controls on a special remote. In addition, you can also download Grace Digital’s remote control app for iOS and Android devices

As for the supported internet radio stations, the list includes Pandora Radio, SiriusXM, Rhapsody, NPR, Live365, DAR.fm, WeatherBug, and more than 50,000 AM/FM/HD radio stations. As for the price, Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio will be priced at $229.99.

Latest solar gadgets: Solar Vox Ultra – a flower shaped solar charger

2011-08-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Solar chargers aren’t anything new, but most of these chargers come with an unattractive and simple design, and if you want a nice looking solar charger, then you should seriously consider the latest Solar Vox Ultra.
Solar Vox Ultra is an improved version of Solar Vox and it is designed by Eric Botzen of Botzen Design. Unlike other solar chargers that only come with a black solar panel, Solar Vox Ultra is designed in shape of a flower and it even comes with petal-like panels. Of course, these panels aren’t here as a decoration, and they are actually being used to reflect the sunlight at the center of a charger. Another thing that makes this charger so special is its small size, so it’s perfect for traveling.
Solar Vox Ultra charges all devices using its USB port so the list of compatible devices is endless. Sadly, this device isn’t available for sale yet, but we hope that we’ll see it in stores soon.

Light Blue Optic projector gets approved by FCC

2011-08-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Pico Projectors aren’t very popular, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t see more of them in the future. Speaking of projectors, the latest Light Blue Optics projector has arrived at FCC, which means that we might see it in stores someday soon.

What makes Light Blue Optic different is that fact that this projector is using a holographic laser that creates a touchable image on a surface. Light Blue Optic is using a combination of holographic laser projector and infrared sensors to create a virtual WVGA 10.1-inch touchscreen on any flat surface that is able to reflect the image. This projector comes with output of 35 lumens for images and up to 15 lumens for videos. There’s also a built-in mono speaker and a 3.5mm stereo out jack and a composite video input and micro USB connector. In addition, this device comes with integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi chipset and Windows CE as its operating system.
Light Blue Optic is an amazing product, and we’re hope we’ll see it in stores soon.

Chinese iPhone 5 knockoff based on leaked features – only $70

2011-08-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

If you’re an iPhone / Apple fan, you may have recently seen the video roundup of all the anticipated but still rumored iPhone 5 features and specs. However, given that the rumored official launch date will be some point in September or even October, some of you might be too eager to get your hands on something similar.

If that’s you, you could take a look at this clone / knockover iPhone 5 which has been apparently built based on all the supposed leaked features and rumors.

This fake iPhone 5 like many which have come from China in the past, isn’t the most well built but it does feature things that you wouldn’t normally expect from Apple – a phone case out of the box, extra batteries, and a SD card reader to say the least plus this knockoff comes in black, white and red They’ve also done the job thoroughly too, while it doesn’t come with iOS 5, it does come equipped with a UI copying that of iOS. Given its pricetag, one who is desperate might like to buy this just for the sake of having a laugh, as for myself, I’d probably save my cash for a month or so longer, but if you’re interested, do check out the video and full review via the source link below.

“iPhone 5″ Clone from M.I.C. Gadget on Vimeo.

Printing dress from Microsoft displays your tweets

2011-08-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

Combining technology and fashion together, one can produce interesting results, and if you remember the Sound Illuminating Dress we featured recently, you’re going to love this latest geeky dress.
It is called Printing dress, and surprisingly this tech dress is designed by Microsoft’s employees: Asta Roseway from Microsoft Research division and Sheridan Martin Small from Xbox division. The thing that makes this dress so special is that it can display your tweets using the projector and a laptop, and besides this unusual feature, this dress comes with the keyboard buttons that have been sewn into the dress itself. As you see, due to the hardware requirements to display the tweets at the front of the dress, this dress isn’t intended for wearing, and it’s just a prototype so far. We have to mention that Printing dress has won Best Concept and Best in Show awards at the International Symposium on Wearable Computers that was held in San Francisco this June.

This Printing dress is amazing, and it really takes social networking to a completely new but rather awkward level, but sadly, it’s just a prototype for now.

Roundup: iPhone 5 launch rumors

2011-08-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

We’ve seen numerous leaked shots and heard rumors about Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 5 / iOS 5, if you’re an Apple fan yourself too and is anticipating its rumored Sept launch, here’s a quick video rounding up all the leaked features and specs so far plus the likelihood we’ll actually see them…

Improved Google+ invitation system lets you invite up to 150 friends.

2011-08-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Google+ has been released for a while now, and according to the reports, this social network had 18 million users in July, but most Google+ users don’t have all of their friends on Google+, so Google has decided to make inviting friends a bit simpler than before.

As you know, current Google+ invite system requires that you add the email address of the person that you’re going to add, and since you probably don’t have email addresses of all the people that you wish to add, this can become a bit of problem, but luckily, Google has a solution for you. Now in order to invite your friends, you don’t need their email address, you can simply generate a link by clicking the invite friends button and share that link with your friend, it’s simple as that.

Since Google+ is still currently in its trial stage, you have only 150 available invites, but Google thinks this should be enough to get most of your friends on Google+, at least temporarily.

Leaked: Speech to text feature spotted in iOS 5 beta screenshot

2011-08-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

If you’re an iPhone owner then you’re probably waiting for iOS 5 with anticipation since it’s going to have many new features, and one of these features is going to be speech-to-text feature.

Apple hasn’t revealed much about features that we’re going to see in iOS 5, but according to the latest news, it appears that Apple is working on integrating Nuance’s text-to-speech features into iOS 5. So far, only information about this feature is a screenshot leaked that clearly shows the presence of a microphone button on iPhone’s virtualkeyboard. Pressing this button will show you an even larger microphone, which means that your speech will be recognized and transferred from speech to text. As for the accuracy of this feature, reports say that it works pretty well, but we’ll have to wait and see for ourselves.
This feature is a welcome addition, but we have to wonder how it will handle different types of accents when iOS 5 finally becomes available.

Latest gadgets: USB Portable Mini Scanner scans your documents wherever you go

2011-08-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

If you do most of your work while commuting or if you travel a lot, sometimes there’s a need to scan certain documents, and since you cannot carry that big scanner with you at all time, why don’t you use a USB Portable Mini Scanner?

USB Portable Mini Scanner measures 90mm x 28mm x 20mm and weights 57 grams, so you’ll be able to carry it wherever you go, and thanks to the image sensor of 300 dpi, you’ll be able to scan a document within two seconds while saving the image in JPEG format. In addition, USB Portable Mini Scanner comes with multifunctional software such as Picture Direct, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Direct, and BCR Direct. As you can see, besides its small size, USB Portable Mini Scanner has a lot to offer, so it’s perfect if you need to scan documents while traveling.

As for the price, the USB Portable Mini Scanner will set you back at just $66.

Flying Yacht: Innovative Future

2011-07-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

The brainchild of French designer Yelken Octuri who also designs cabins for Airbus, this ‘Flying Yacht’ concept combines his knowledge of aircraft design with love for seas to create this outlandish concept yacht. We have seen many seaplane concepts so far, but this one surpasses them all as greatest does the least. Flying Yacht idea doesn’t seem as weird or far-fetched, as many engineers and designers have already approached him to turn it into reality.

When on the water, each of the four mobile masts reaches a height of 40-meters and can be individually oriented through a double-jack system, which ensure optimal positioning regardless of wind direction. Sails are stored in compartments located inside the each mast that are further lowered down to work as horizontal wings. This amazing 46-feet long trimaran sailing yacht converts from super yacht to glamorous jet plane with the help of four mobile masts.

Four Things to do on Your Computer to Boost Your Broadband Internet Speed

2011-07-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Using the internet is a comfortable way of building our lives. With a good broadband internet connection at hand, anyone can make a good impact on the world. The internet has turned things around and has changed the world from the private fiefdom of a privileged few to the world of everybody, where you and I can make things happen, even though we are not rich.

Quite unfortunately, many of the people that have been granted this awesome opportunity are beginning to lose it, and this is due to not having a good medium of connecting to the internet. Many are privileged to have a personal computer and a broadband modem that gets them connected to the internet, but due to some unseen reasons they are no longer flamboyant online again.

However, I am giving some four solid and important computer tweaks to make a failing broadband internet connection gets back on its feet and make its owner glad again.

Use an antivirus

Your computer must have been experiencing some hard times combating virus attacks lately and this situation has affected its general output, not excluding your precious broadband internet connection. In this kind of precarious situation, nothing can go on well on your computer and if care is not taken, you’ll be losing the most valuable files on your computer. You probably don’t want this to happen, then you have to do something as soon as possible.

To save your computer from fatal damage, you have to install an antivirus program on your computer. How do you do that? Quite simple. There are a lot of free virus shield suits on the internet for people like you and I to use in order to protect our dear computers against virus attack. There are two special antivirus programs I do recommend to people, and they are avast and avg. Both can be downloaded for free. After securing and antivirus program, run a system scan: of course, this is a very simple task. And always make sure your antivirus program never runs out of date, else you stand the risk of inviting viruses into your computer. I assure you that after doing this, you’ll see a difference in your broadband internet connection.

Clean up your hard disk

Your computer gets slower with every new program and file installed on it. This is because the space reduces each time a new file is stored on it. And your broadband internet requires that your computer be in good shape and health for it to run well. This not in place, your broadband will only try hard to perform like a narrowband.

Go to ‘My Documents’, remove all the old files that are littering up your hard disk and are only eating up the precious space that could perform other better tasks on your computer. Note, also empty the recycle bin because every file in it remains on your computer’s hard disk and it makes no difference leaving it like that. After doing this, your computer will taste a little improvement and your broadband internet will work better.

Uninstall every unused application

There are many applications on your computer, this is not a sin but you are doing it because you have them for free on the internet. This can make the performance of your computer to suffer. Help make things better by uninstalling those one that are of no use to you from your computer.

After doing that, restart your computer and the changes will take effect and you will see your broadband internet perform better.

Stop startup programs

When programs start up with your computer, the performance speed of your computer is delayed. This always makes your computer slow down while using it. What makes programs startup with the computer? Most programs are programmed to do so and only have to stop that if you want to enjoy a better broadband internet.

To stop startup programs, type ‘msconfig’ in the RUN box and hit enter. Go to ‘startup’ and deselect the programs you won’t like to see delay your computer’s performance. Restart your computer and the changes will take effect. Then you will enjoy a better broadband internet connection.

New Samsung Series 9 notebooks refreshed with new Intel processors

2011-07-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

Samsung add in Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors to its new range of Series 9 notebooks. This latest series keeps the recent styles but comes with 11.6 inch and 13.3 inch models with up to 256GB SSDs and up to 6GB of DDR memory.

The Samsung NP900X1B-A02US and NP900X1B-A01US models are both with 11.6 inch screen and run in Core i3-2357M processor. NP900X1B-A02US model also consists of 64GB SSD and 2GB of memory while the later doubled this specs having 128GB SSD and memory of 4GB.

Operating in Core i5-2467M processor are NP900X3A-B01US and NP900X3A-B02US. Both models have 4GB of memory and hard drive capacity of 128GB and 512GB respectively. And finally, the NP900X3A-A05US with Core i7-2467M processor, 6GB of DDR3 memory and 256GB SSD. These three models have 13.3 inch screen display.

The Samsung series also come up with features such as FastStart and USB 3.0 connectivity

2011-07-05T19:38:00.001-07:00

Batteries That Operate With Any Liquid

Chungpin Liao, a professor at the Graduate School of Electro-Optic and Material Science of National Formosa University in Taiwan has invented an organic battery that creates electricity when wet.
The "organic" battery generates a charge within 10 seconds and will last anywhere from two days to a week depending on the liquid. It works with water, beverages or even urine.
Although it will only produce half the strength of traditional batteries, the organic battery has a storage capacity greater than water-powered fuel cells and is very cheap to manufacture.
"Plus it contains no toxic substances and does not pose an environmental hazard" says Chungpin.
Liao received his degree in nuclear engineering from National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan. He earned his Masters and Ph.D degrees in plasma science and fusion technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, United States.

2011-07-05T19:37:00.001-07:00

Invisible Shield

This latest science invention is a spray-on invisible thin glass coating that sterilizes, protects and strengthens surfaces.
The coating also repels water, dirt, stains, mildew, fungus, bacteria and viruses.
A liquid coating invented at the Saarbrücken Institute for New Materials in Turkey and patented by Nanopool GmbH of Germany, is a flexible and breathable spray-on glass film.
The film is approximately 100 nanometres thick (500 times thinner than a human hair) and has multiple applications and uses in numerous fields.
The coating is environmentally friendly (Winner of the Green Apple Award).
It can be applied within seconds to make any surface very easy to clean and safe from anti-microbes (Winner of the NHS Smart Solutions Award).
The special glass coating known as "SiO2 ultra-thin layering" protects practically any surface against water, uv radiation, dirt, heat, acid, stains, mildew, fungus. bacteria and viruses.
Trials by food processing plants in Germany have concluded that surfaces coated with liquid glass only need hot water for cleaning. In fact, the coating provided higher levels of sterility than surfaces cleaned with bleach or other chemicals.
A year long trial at a British hospital in Southport, Lancashire is to be published soon with very promising results for a wide range of coating applications used on medical equipment, implants, catheters, sutures and bandages.
Trials for in-vivo applications are confidential, but Neil McClelland, the UK Project Manager for Nanopool GmbH, describes the results as "stunning".
"Items such as stents can be coated, and this will create anti sticking features. Catheters and sutures which are a source of infection, will also cease to be problematic," he says.
Colin Humphreys, a professor of materials science at Cambridge University, commented that liquid glass appears to have a wide range of applications and that the product 'looks impressive'.
The investment opportunities for this latest science invention seem endless - buildings, vehicles, appliances, clothing etc. can have dirt and germ free surfaces without using toxic coatings or chemicals.

2011-07-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Game Gadgets

Though the Xbox 360 console and Xbox 360 controller for windows are very successful game gadgets having sold more than 54 million units worldwide; the Kinect holds the Guiness record as the fastest selling consumer electronics device ever. Kinect sold approximately 8 million units in its first 60 days of release.
The Kinect (combined usage of the words "kinetic" and "connect") is aptly named for a controlling device that plugs into an Xbox 360 console.
It is a black plastic horizontal bar that uses specialized cameras, three-dimensional infrared light, distance, motion, facial recognition and voice sensors that enable players to use gestures, motion and speech instead of the Xbox 360 controller.
On start-up, the kinetic bar moves and scans everything in a room. It not only locates you in the room but will identify you by tracking forty-eight features of your body - what you look like, how you move, and how you talk. It will know you, recognize you, and distinguish you (even a body part or facial gesture) from anyone or anything else in the room.
Kinect creates a digital replica of you within the game. What you do - your virtual double will also do. It’s an experience that no other game gadgets can create.

How It Works

The Kinect technology was developed by Microsoft as "Project Natal" and was based upon a sensory system created by PrimeSense, a company in Tel Aviv.
A projector floods the room with near-infrared light and captures the reflected rays. Complex algorithms then convert the data into a three-dimensional mapping of the area. It then processes this information with data collected from other sensors to identify and recognize everything in the room.
Although this technology may be the ultimate in game gadgets, Microsoft believes it is the just the beginning of something even more innovative.
Electromagnetic fields permeate our homes, our vehicles, and our neighborhoods because of electricity. Researchers have discovered a way for electromagnetic field frequencies to identify and recognize us.
What this means is that you may soon be able to control anything electrical in your home with the wink of an eye, flick of a finger, uttering of a word, or whatever gesture you prefer.

2011-07-05T19:30:00.005-07:00

Powermat Chargers

The Powermat is a wireless charger for hi tech gadgets. You simply place your gadget on the mat to charge it.
It uses magnetic induction energy rather than electricity to charge devices and it works just as fast or faster than standard power adaptors.
It can also charge multiple and different gadgets all at the same time.
Source: powermat.com

2011-07-05T19:30:00.001-07:00

Blackberry Blackpad - Playbook

Research In Motion, maker of the Blackberry smartphone, are rumored to be adding a tablet device to their hi tech gadgets.
Rumored to be named the "Blackpad", the device will compete directly with Apple's iPad and will feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology. RIM acquired the domain name for blackpad.com
Update: Well, maybe they will be using that name for something else. RIM has released their tablet and it's called the "Playbook". It competes in the rapidly growing market for hi tech gadgets that represents the gap between smartphones and notebook computers.
Powered by a 1Ghz Cortex-A9 dual core processor with 1GB of RAM, this 7-inch device has a 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen interface that goes to the edge of the device.
The Playbook has all kinds of options and features available depending on the direction you swipe the screen. There are two cameras - front and back, and it can play full HD 1080p videos.
The ease of downloading, finding apps, managing music, videos, gaming and browsing the web, will make this device a strong competitor to the iPad.
Source: bloomberg.com blackberry.com/playbook-tablet

2011-07-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

Gorilla Glass

If there is one thing that consumers have in common when it comes to their hi tech gadgets - it's their concern about cracked and scratched screens.
In fact, a whole industry has emerged to fix and replace the screens on smartphones, tablets, e-readers and other hi tech gadgets because they're a one-handed slip away from not being handheld.
But a product invented over 40 years ago is poised to become the latest and greatest screen technology for hi tech gadgets.
Gorilla glass, invented in the 60's by Corning Inc., is an utlra-thin, lightweight glass that is 3 times stronger than chemically strengthened glass and is extremely difficult to break, dent or scratch.
But when it was first invented there was no demand for such a product - until now. It's in demand because of the proliferation of digital devices.
Gorilla glass is currently used in more than 40 million mobile devices and is a $170 million a year business and expanding.
Beginning next year LCD frameless flat-screen televisions will also start using the glass. Corning expects revenues from their product to reach $200 million this year and over $1 billion next year.
Not bad for a product that has been in mothballs for 48 years.

Hi Tech Mobile

2011-07-05T19:26:00.001-07:00

Like most of us, inventor Isaac Sheppard loves his high tech gadgets. He has his iPhone, iPad, laptop, eReader and all the assorted plug-ins and accessories.

"They all have various applications I want but don't exist in just one device," he explains.
Isaac is also constantly using his gadgets, and he uses them wherever and whenever he needs them.
In fact, according to a survey by the Mobile Marketing Association, approximately thirty-eight percent of mobile device users consider their gadgets more important than their wallets.
Isaac understands the need for users to be mobile with their gadgets whether it's for personal or business purposes.
"I'm always mobile and travel a lot so I can appreciate carrying all my stuff with me. I've never forgotten my wallet but I can understand how that could happen.
I would put my smaller devices in my pockets and anything else into whatever I have as a carrying bag. But it doesn't always fit or I have to leave something behind. It just wasn't convenient or easy," he says.
Isaac searched for something that would organize, store and transport all his high tech gadgets and accessories. He wanted something convenient, organized and scalable.
But he couldn't find anything. So he decided to invent a solution and after a couple of years of research and development, Isaac created his system.
Isaac explains, "I wanted to scale the size up or down depending on what I was carrying."
His invention combines, attaches and unifies modules into a single carrying case. By simply adding modules you can expand and configure the size and design of the casing to carry anything you need, including accessories like scanners, printers, projectors or documents. But it can also scale down to a slim, light portfolio case with or without a handle.
The layout of the design and built-in shelving allows the case to be used like a mobile work station so you can use peripheral accessories such as a mouse.
There are numerous detachable/attachable features such as handles (including a telescopic extension handle, embedded wheels, integrated power supply, air-flow heat reduction channels, and shock absorbing inlays. The casing can even piggy-back attach to a larger travel bag.
"It's like an office without limitations," says Isaac, "It enables users to combine and scale many components and accessories into a sleek, practical, unified case. It allows you to easily transport and use any or all of your hi tech gadgets wherever or whenever you want. It makes mobility - more mobile."

Alcometer

2011-07-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

If you drink alcohol don't operate a vehicle. But the reality is that people rely on their own sense of sobriety if they have a glass of wine at a restaurant or a couple of beers during a sporting event.
The fact that blood alcohol levels differ for every person is what inspired this invention.
The iBAC alcometer is a thumb-sized, portable, breathalyser spectrometer that measures your blood alcohol content similar to tests done at a laboratory.
Here's how it works.
It transmits the breathalyser reading to your smartphone via Bluetooth where an application containing your bio data (such as your weight and other physical characteristics) analyzes the results in about a minute.
It will measure your degree of sobriety, your alcohol burning rate and will even forecast when you will have a zero level of alcohol in your body.
Source: alcosystems.se