Technoratti

Microsoft brings Bing app for Android phones

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:54:00 +0000

The software giant has released a new Bing search application for those Verizon customers using Android-based smartphones. The Mobile app is quite similar to the Web-based Bing, except it focuses on the kind of information one wants when searching on their cell-phone.

As posted by Andy Chu on the Bing community blog for mobile, "Today we are happy to announce the first official Bing for Mobile Android App available to Verizon customers. You can now download the free Bing App from your Verizon Wireless Android phones’ Marketplace. The app homepage features the Bing image of the day, complete with clickable hotspots that you can explore and discover related trivia".

The app allows users to search using text search as well as voice search using the mic option. It also features an Image search which has an attractive UI that lets users swipe through previews and lets them click straight through to the image host site. The app also features a mapping functionality that tries to find the user's current location when loaded, and then helps them discover interesting places around them for food, entertainment, shopping, etc. or get driving directions. Apart from this, the app allows users to view the 'Bing Image of the day' for the last 7 days.

The Bing app for Android is currently available only for Verizon customers and can be downloaded from the Verizon Wireless Android phones’ Marketplace. However, Microsoft has assured their users that the free Mobile app will also be available on other devices, as well as other carriers in the near future.

Apple announces the new Apple TV

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:47:00 +0000

Apple already had an Apple TV device which was available for $299 at launch, however they have now announced a new apple TV device. Which has undergone a fundamental shift in functionality, form factor, and purpose. While the new device will be available at a much lower price of $99, this doesn’t come without its sacrifices.

First of all the new device is all black and much smaller, which means it will fit in much better in your setup. It features minimal connectivity options, which just power, ethernet, HDMI, and optical audio connections. The device has the usual polish and appeal of any Apple device.

Unfortunately, Apple TV only supports HD videos of up to 720p just as the original version did. Apple claims this is being done to maintain a balance between bandwidth and quality. Of course this means that if you have enough bandwidth and a higher quality TV, you won’t be able to take advantage of either..

The new device is supposed to simplify using the Apple TV to watch content, and abandons the old system of syncing content from your iDevices running iTunes to your Apple TV, instead favoring direct streaming of content. The Apple TV device will however let you start watcing your content on one device only to resume watching it — from where you left off — on another device. All this will of course not come simply with the purchase of the Apple TV, but will be enabled as Apple releases newer versions of its iOS and iTunes. Since you are streaming and renting your content, the device itself has no storage!

Which brings us to the second major change in the new Apple TV system. No purchases. Yes, you will no longer be able to purchase content from your Apple TV, instead only rental options will be available. Rather than pay $2.99 for each episode of a TV show to own forever, you will now only be able to rent it, albeit at a lower price of $0.99. This works well for TV shows perhaps since many people tend to watch them only once, however the same model is applicable for movies as well, which will be $4.99 for rental, but will be available at the same time the DVD comes out.

Additionally all content will be in HD and only HD. Apple TV will be able to work without any other devices, as you will be able to rent and view content from its interface directly. Since the device has WiFi, you will still be able to stream content you own / purchased onto it from your PC. Finally, the Apple TV will also integrate NetFlix — besides YouTube, Flickr, and mobileme.

The Apple TV is up for pre-order from Apple, and will be available in 4 weeks.

Be warned: Spammers hitchhiking on World Cup hysteria

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:13:00 +0000

Spammers and hackers have always exploited the weakness of human psyche, often riding pillion with popular events or products to do their dirty work. These spams have in the past given us the chance to win PS3s, Xbox 360s on launch dates, and while 'Tickets to World Cup' was obviously on 'prize list', a different kind of scam-mail has had the internet security firm, Websense Security Lab issue warning to all eager football fanatics.

With about a circulation 80,000, this spam mail tries to inform you about 'FIFA World Cup South Africa..bad news". The text, carefully kept minimal to avoid spam detectors, states: "Hello!! FIFA World Cup 2010 scandal news, read attached document.” Control your eager hand as the attached HTML file has an embedded JavaScript, "which when run redirects you to an attack site or to a spam page", according to Websense experts.

Be warned and remember: Any sort of scandal at World Cup would be aired on 'IndiaTV' first. Just stay tuned...

ASUS unveils the Bravo220 - ‘The Eco-Friendly’ HTPC graphics card at Rs. 6,550

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:02:00 +0000

ASUS unveils Bravo220 - an innovative home entertainment PC graphics card, that promises to rejuvenate the essence of spectacular multimedia to the next level. ASUS appears to have discovered a golden median with the Bravo220 - a prospective solution that is reportedly designed to provide cutting-edge visual fidelity while maintaining an eco-friendly profile. Bravo220 apparently symbolizes the ASUS's commitment to innovation, green principles and unsurpassed entertainment value.

Speaking on the launch of the eco-friendly graphics card, Mr. Vinay Shetty, Country Head – Components Business, ASUS (India) has reportedly said, “The Bravo220 was designed from the start with energy savings in mind. Its thermal landscape balances thrifty operation with the need for uncompromising performance as a multimedia anchor, resulting in 21% better power efficiency compared to competing models. The cooling solution also boasts of silent 0dB operation, with no fans needed. Instead, Bravo220 uses oversized heatsinks and advanced materials to ensure quick heat dissipation and greater longevity, without falling back on power-hungry active cooling, thus minimizing energy consumption”.

The integrated EMI shield of the graphics card is said to reduce emissions and thus protect users & PC components from any potential hazards. Similarly, a sturdy fuse protection is meant to guarantee long-lasting operation for this component even in the extreme case of fluctuating power supplies. This technological marvel appears to be part of Bravo220’s environmental stance, mirrored in the chic green colored heatsink attachment.

Optimized visual treat with Splendid Plus:

Bravo220 cards are purportedly designed to work in sync with an intelligent image enhancement suite called the exclusive ASUS Splendid Plus technology. ‘Splendid Plus’ is said to automatically optimize video content, reacting to ambient conditions while adjusting brightness, color and contrast – imbibing the characteristics of a human eye.

This Splendid suite is expected to work with a huge range of media formats, which is a perfect trait for a card that promises to sum up a complete home entertainment PC. For each media format, Splendid is expected to produce magically sharper, clearer and vivid images, by reducing noise and artifacts while processing high resolution images and videos.

In addition, selectable presets are said to help users pinpoint the best visual performance configuration, based on their needs and environment - gaming, theater, vivid, color and auto incorporating every usage type that needs a mention.

Bravo Media Center: the control hub of multimedia experience

Bravo220 symbolizes to be the heart and soul of a PC-based home entertainment system with a power packed feature-rich configuration backed by green principles. That precisely appears to be the prime reason for ASUS incorporating the Bravo Media Center interface, which is reportedly an intuitive and robust user package built to bridge every feature with an easy access. Apparently, most vital entertainment features are expected to be accessible through the ergonomic remote control shipped with the card.

Bravo220 does not disappoint, promising a seamless multimedia experience for everyone, with a long-lasting feeling that is comparable to a high-end consumer Audio/Video setup.

ASUS Bravo220 truly exhibits an edge over others, with power packed configuration and the promise of unsurpassed multimedia experience on a PC:

Bravo220 SILENT/DI/1GD2 specifications
Graphics engine	GeForce GT220
Video memory	1GB DDR2
Engine clock	525MHz
Shader clock	1360MHz
Memory clock	800MHz (400MHz DDR2)
Memory interface	128-bit
DVI max resolution	2560X1600
Bus standard	PCI Express 2.1
DVI output	DVI-I
HDCP compliant	Yes
HDMI output	Yes
D-Sub output	Yes
Included accessories	Light sensor Remote control Low profile bracket
Bundled software	ASUS utilities and drivers

Note: Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more details.

Other details about the product:

Bravo220 SILENT/DI/1GD2)
Price: Rs. 6550/- (excluding taxes)
Contact person: Mr. Vinay Shetty
Phone: (91) 22 – 67668800 / 18002090365
E-mail: media_india@asus.com
Website: www.asus.in
Warranty period: 3 years

Fujifilm unveils FinePix S2500HD - 12MP, 18x Fujinon long-zoom lens at Rs. 16,999

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:55:00 +0000

Fujifilm is reportedly proud to announce the release of the new FinePix S2500HD - a compact and portable 12 mega pixel digital camera with high performance Fujinon long-zoom lens, that promises to promote digital photography to the next level.

Speaking on this occasion Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, Managing Director, Fujifilm India, has reportedly said, “Built around 18x Fujinon lens and Fujifilm’s proprietary image processing, the new FinePix S2500HD delivers remarkably high quality results all the way from wide angle through to telephoto. With unique easy-grip styling, and its small, lightweight design, this model is sturdy enough and can be easily carried around.”

Sharing his viewpoints on the high performance Fujinon long-zoom lens, Mr. A. Rajkumar, Country General Manager (DSC), Fujifilm India, has reportedly stated, “Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD boasts a 28mm wide-angle start to the zoom range and extends it up to an impressive 504mm at telephoto (18x). From sweeping landscapes, interiors and large group shots to distant sports or wildlife action, FinePix S2500HD is ready for every photographic challenge thrown at it.”

It is said to incorporate a mechanically fortified CCD sensor and high ISO sensitivity (ISO 6400) to provide anti-blur protection and thereby minimize the blurring effect of both hand-shake and subject movement to provide sharp, clear and high quality images even at the longest zoom settings or in the most mediocre lighting conditions. Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD promises to give you the flexibility of framing your shots using the high quality electronic viewfinder or the large, bright 3.0-inch LCD screen. Irrespective of the option you choose, both are expected to offer high resolution image playback at a fast frame rate of 60 fps (frames per second).

Apparently, FinePix S2500HD employs Fujifilm’s Scene Recognition Auto (SR Auto) function to intelligently select the scene mode and the ambient shooting conditions. The camera settings are said to adjust accordingly, optimizing performance results and enabling the user to take high quality snapshots. FinePix S2500HD is reportedly designed to capture HD videos and HD images enabling you to play them back on any HD ready television for the ultimate viewing experience. Additionally, the FinePix S2500HD introduces a HDMI mini port, which could be connected to a HD ready TV directly, using a HDMI cable.

FinePix S2500HD also introduces Tracking Auto Focus function. This handy function purportedly allows you to track moving subjects by half-pressing the shutter button, and ensures that while capturing a shot your subject is automatically framed in the center of the viewfinder and in perfect focus, leaving no chance for frustrating missed shots! To further enhance the existing face detection system, Fujifilm has reportedly added two interesting and valuable features: Smile & Shoot Mode which can recognize the precise moment your subject smiles and is programmed to release the shutter only at that instant, ensuring that all your photos are memorable ones. In addition, the Blink Detection feature is expected to warn you if any of the subjects in the viewfinder have blinked, so that you can re-shoot the photo if necessary.

Instant Zoom is said to be another versatile feature which enables the user to keep the subject in frame even at long distances, by offering a wide field of view around the frame and then zooming in to the subject once the snapshot is taken. In addition, the innovative Zoom Bracketing feature is said to enable three shots to be taken at the single click of the button, at varying degrees of magnification (original, 1.4x and 2.0x). This apparently unlocks instant editing on the camera to select the ideal shot, rather than having to revert to a PC to facilitate a digital crop.

The famed Panorama mode is meant to allow you to take a series of pictures and then stitch them together to create an impressive continuous shot of a landscape or a large group photo. This new model is said to feature impressive pre-programmed scene modes, incorporating a one-touch setting for almost every possible situation, including: Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Party, Flower, and Text. The new S2500HD is said to possess advanced burst capabilities to quickly shoot two images in rapid succession - one with the flash and one without and save both. This handy function is meant to allow users perform an image comparison at their convenience and select the most appealing image. It is also said to feature Programmed AE, Shutter Priority AE, and Manual mode with extensive metering and focus options for the advanced & the adventurous users alike.

New Auto Picture Rotation is a function that reportedly ensures your photos are always the right way up in playback. Whether you have taken a landscape or portrait image, you are guaranteed to enjoy your pictures whichever way around you are holding the camera, as the image is programmed to rotate in the screen to suit. Last but not the least, the Micro Thumbnail - a playback feature that is meant to allow for an index-style image viewing on the LCD. The FinePix S2500HD is rated to show up to 100 images in micro form and the control buttons are meant to select specific images. The feature-rich FinePix S2500 HD makes its domineering presence felt in the Indian market with a competitive price tag of Rs.16,999.

Samsung Wave

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Samsung, in it's ‘Global Developer Day’ event in Bangalore yesterday, announced their hotly anticipated smartphone 'Wave', the first device based on the proprietary OS 'bada'.

By launching what will be one of the most powerful smartphones in India, Samsung have ushered the era of 'superphones' in India. Wave has a 3.3-inch Super AMOLED WCGA capacitive touch screen that displays 16 million colours at a crisp resolution of 480x800. It offers a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. But it's the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor that elevates this phone to the 'superphone' status. It will also have accelerometer, proximity sensor, and TouchWiz UI 3.0. Oddly, however, Samsung didn't announce the price of the device in the event.

Samsung, in the event, also announced the 'Samsung bada Developer Challenge'. The challenge gives Indian developers and opportunity to have a share of the US$ 2,700,000 prize money set aside for this worldwide competition. Even you can develop applications for the platform, which Samsung labels as 'user-interactive, service-oriented, open and configurable'. The top Samsung 'bada' developer will win a grand prize of US$300,000. The money reflects Samsung giving the 'bada' sound backing, or is it just the App rat-race? A look Samsung's answer to "What is bada?" indicates a fair bit of customizability in the OS, something the developers will surely appreciate. We can't wait to pick up the device and fiddle with it!

Samsung's decision to spell 'bada' with a small 'b' looks utterly odd though. What does the small 'b' denote? A common noun? Just another OS? We hope it is not...

Iron Man 2 [movie review]

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sat, 15 May 2010 19:43:00 +0000

Before going for the special press preview of Iron Man 2, I had the usual sequel anxieties. Will it be as good as the first? Will it match up to my expectations? Giving it some thought I realised this is really too much baggage considering I’m going for the movie to have fun. So I left it all outside; including the first set of opinions I got on twitter about the movie. People quoted international reviews which basically revealed nothing other than the fact that critics are confused.

First off, let’s make the point of this review clear. I’m not here to critique the movie or to tell you whether or not you should spend 124 precious minutes of your life. I’m sure you’re going to end up watching the movie whether I tell you to or not. I mean c’mon it’s Iron Man! A narcissistic billionaire capable of building some awesome tech like a wearable, indestructible exo-suit with an arsenal of weapons is every geek, chick and action junkie’s wet dream!

Now that you know who the movie is meant for let me tell you who fails to make the height requirement for this thrill ride. The movie is definitely not for two kinds of people:

1.The kind who rub their chin thoughtfully and ask “is it better than dark knight” and

2.The kind who want their fix of “realism” in cinema (don’t know why). These are the kind of people who ask you in a nasal voice to explain why whiplash’ whips didn’t cut through the tarmac when they could easily slice formula X cars.

The movie starts off where we last saw Tony Stark – brashly proclaiming to the world “I am Iron Man”. Little does he know that the world is not yet ready for an outspoken super hero. No wonder they wear masks, right? So what ensues is not only Tony Stark’s fight against the bad guys but also a humungous PR battle to keep his suit from being turned over to the government. To add to the plot mix you have Tony Stark slowly being poisoned thanks to the Palladium used in the arc reactor core in his chest.

These might leave you feeling that the movie was a little light on the action, but that’s just a feeling. Ignore it. Instead focus on the brilliant AC/DC fuelled adrenalin rush you experience throughout the movie. Honestly I was on the edge of my seat all through the first half, heaving an involuntary slow breath only at the interval. If there’s one complaint about the film then it would be that I would’ve liked more daylight action in the second half. The film has more corny moments than the first and very few of those under 12 child friendly jokes.

You will be very pleasantly impressed by some of the cool new weapon systems from Iron Man’s arsenal that are revealed in this movie. Also, if Minority Report impressed you with the interface-free touch/gesture computer screen, this movie will blow your mind. It takes augmented reality and computer assisted overlays to a whole new level.

Amongst other things worth reporting is Scarlet Johansen, who looks ravishingly tasty – no kidding. I wonder how poor Gwyneth agreed to share the screen with her, knowing no one will even glance at her. Mickey Rourke played a convincing, though nowhere near joker-esqe super villain. And yes there is a new black guy. Err… Colonel Rhody I mean. To his defence, he states in his first dialogue on screen - more to the audience than Tony - “yea I’m here, it’s me, now deal with it”. The only actor I couldn’t stand was Samuel Jackson (who plays Nick Fury). Yea fine we need the avengers build up but this guy can be irritating.

All in all Iron Man delivers the right mixture of action, humour, cheesy action hero one-liners, and most importantly – FUN. The first movie probable made you get up and say “whoa this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” The sequel will probably make you say “hey this was friggin cool too”. What more do you want? Ok fine I’ll leave you with a little spoiler and some advice. In this movie you get one of your biggest questions answered – how does Iron Man pee when he is wearing the suit? And the advice – stay till the titles get over.

Rating: A solid 4 on 5

Android leaves Apple behind in US smartphone race

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sat, 15 May 2010 19:13:00 +0000

Based on unit sales in the first quarter of 2010, NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Track has revealed a major shift in the US smartphone market, when one collates the operating systems from the data. The Android OS has managed to edge out the Apple iPhone OS, to take number two spot in the US smartphone market. More accurately, more phones based on the Android OS were sold in this quarter, than phones on the iPhone OS. Figures are 28% of the market for Android, 21% for Apple, and 36% for RIM, the rest being split up over various other operating systems, such as webOS, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.

While we all knew this would happen one day, it is welcome news nonetheless, a sign of how the smartphone market is ‘opening’ up, as numerous smaller companies begin to compete with Apple and BlackBerry (RIM) at a level footing, helped in no small part by their choice of operating system.

Methodology: The NPD Group compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically-representative sample, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers. Note: Sales figures do not include corporate/enterprise mobile phone sales.

Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:00 +0000

The Microsoft wireless Laser Desktop 6000 tries to make computing comfortable with its ergonomic design, and also compliments your need for style with its neat looks and great design.

The Laser Desktop 6000 comprises of a keyboard that is based on Microsoft’s Comfort Curve Design; keys have been placed in an ergonomically approved curvaceous design to give your fingers the perfect position and comfort for long hours of work. The keyboard is Windows Vista Aero inspired, and that is why Microsoft has incorporated a few dedicated Vista Aero shortcut keys. The keyboard has a semi transparent border, much like the Aero windows in Vista.

Apart from the basic keys, the keyboard features loads of shortcut keys, with one-touch access to Windows Flip, Zoom, Mail Client and even 5 programmable keys that you can set according to your preference.

The included wireless mouse uses laser technology, which gives it a more precise control as compared to an optical mouse. The tilt wheel allows it to scroll both horizontally as well as vertically. If you are looking forward to a gaming solution, then this will not disappoint you with its responsive mouse, but you might find the keys to lack tactile feedback.

The Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 operates at 2.4 GHz wireless radio frequency, allowing it to connect and operate smoothly without any interference from other electronic wireless devices connected to your computer.

We found the combo to perform well even over large distances. Microsoft claims the operable limit of the hardware is 40 Feet, and is good enough to give you the freedom to connect it to your HTPC. It worked flawlessly for us at a distance of about 15 feet. Both devices operate on 2 AA batteries each, and Microsoft claims they will last for 4 months.

Nokia N900 and Maemo 5 finally official; preview video makes us drool!

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:47:00 +0000

We’re tired of talking about potential iPhone killers. It’s been three years now and no one has come close enough to challenge the Apple of our eye, so while the new Nokia N900 has finally been officially unveiled and looks like the best bet so far, we will hold of on being soothsayers till the phone is actually in our hand.

In terms of hardware, the Nokia N900 matches or betters the iPhone in every segment, other than the thickness due to the physical Qwerty keyboard, which stands at 18 mm as compared to iPhone’s 12.3 mm. The height and the width of the N900, though, are lesser than Apple’s flagship device: 110.9 x 59.8 mm to 115.5 x 62.1 mm.

The screen size remains the same at 3.5 inches, but the N900’s resistive touchscreen offers a much better resolution of 800x480 pixels. In a video preview by the Nokia press team, the screen seemed to be quite responsive to thumb-based navigation, which has been a point that a lot of Nokia users have complained about. Perhaps it’s the Maemo interface, but either way, it looked quite good. Still, it’s a public relations video, so we will wait till we have the actual device in our hands before we believe the hype.

Other features include:

OS: Maemo 5

Camera: 5-megapixel, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Dual LED flash, video light, geo-tagging; WVGA (848x480 pixels) at 25fps

Storage: 32GB, expandable up to 48GB via microSD

CPU: ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX graphics; 256MB RAM

Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi, EDGE, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, microUSB

GPS: GPS with A-GPS support, Ovi Maps

Others: Physical Qwerty keyboard, 3.5mm audio jack, Stereo FM radio, document viewer, multimedia player, digital compass

The preview video of the N900 also served to showcase the wonderful new Maemo 5 operating system. Have a look:

The idea of panorama desktops, which is basically five or six virtual desktops, goes down very well with us. Simply flicking your finger across the home screen will take you to different desktops, such as one for Internet, another for multimedia, one more for contacts, etc.

What’s more, the true power of the Linux-based platform shows through in its multi-tasking capabilities, where all your programs or windows are kept open at the same time. Since you never have to close a window, the phone runs quite a bit faster than any other we have seen.

And Nokia has taken a page out of the Mac OSX by including an Expose-like feature called Dashboard, whereby pressing a button throws all your open windows into a thumbnail grid to easily select the one you want.

Browsing the Internet, especially, seemed brilliant as the phone can render a Web page just like that on a regular PC screen. Zooming in and out has been finally innovated into a single-finger function: Making a circling motion with your finger in the clockwise direction zooms in, while circling anti-clockwise zooms out. Nice!

As for the camera, it seems to deliver good pictures and comes with a whole array of photo-editing options, including adding tags. And you can always upload any picture very quickly to the Internet through the set of onboard tools.

All in all, the Nokia N900 and Maemo 5 combination is seeming very, very promising indeed. We can’t wait to get our hands on this iPhone-kil--- doh!

10 reasons why the iPad fails to impress

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:10:00 +0000

For a device which claims to provide the best internet browsing experience, support for Flash is essential, and yet the iPad shuns Flash. This does more to hurt the iPad than it does Flash. For an internet centric device which boasts of 3G and WiFi connectivity, the lack of suppot for the full and rich interent experience is a blunder. A large sumber of cloud applications rely on Flash, and it is not just restricted to web-video. While shunning Flash from the iPhone might have worked out fine since no one expects a full interent experience on a phone, however when you are buying a device which is supposed to bring the "best web experience" you expect more.

Better than a netbook really? The iPad fails to be better than even an iPhone.

So here are 10 reasons why I think the iPad sucks, if we haven't made that clear already:

No multitasking. Remember, it's meant to be better than a netbook.
No Flash support. "The best web experience"; indeed
Screen is not widescreen. Well, innovation sometimes take us a few steps backwards
No HD output. Who watched HD these days anyway?
No camera. So much for video chat...
No USB port. Don't want to be too much like a netbook now do we?
No SD card slot. Cause 64GB ought to be enough for anybody...
Essential peripherals sold extra: keyboard, USB, SD card dongles, each sold for $30!
Another iPhone-like operating system. Read closed system. This seems to be Apple's game plan
You need to pay $10 per app for the iWork productinvity applications suite. It's like Apple didn't want you, or expect you to be productive on it by default

Even so, the iPad has a chance for success, and for many of the same reasons that the iPhone is a success. It is a beautiful product, with a dedicated developer community which just won't give up dispite the constant abuse. It has hundreds of thousands of applications which give it an edge over new platforms which have lesser applications. The iPhone continues to be a favourite of many because it is a pleasure to use despite its many flaws. Apple may not have done anything new here, but just given a more of the good old stuff that they already know works.

God of War III release date confirmed

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:08:00 +0000

Sony Computer Entertainment has announced the release date for God of War III as March 16^ththis year. This was posted on the PlayStation (US) blog, so this only confirms the North American release date. According to a related post made on the PlayStation (UK) blog, the PAL release date for God of War III remains unconfirmed. However, the post did mention that they are aiming to release the game simultaneously in North America and PAL territories.

Along with the release date, SCE has also released the final cover art for the game, alongside the final packaging for the Ultimate Edition.

Ubisoft announced new DRM system for future PC game releases

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:03:00 +0000

Ubisoft has announced use of a new digital right management (DRM) system for PC games in lieu of existing Starforce DRM. This announcement is a good news- bad news situation—the good news is that player will be able to install the game on unlimited number of systems and will be able to run the game even in the absence of the game's disc. The bad news is that user will need to be constantly connected to the Internet, to be able to play the game, even if it is in single-player mode.

This new DRM system will require the users to create an account on UBI.com and then login using this account information to activate the game. After the initial activation, the game will regularly contact the authentication servers while you are playing the game. Now this is where it gets really bad: if the game is unable to contact the servers for any reason, the game will pause for the duration and it may even force you to restart the game from the last checkpoint if the authentication attempt fails. In the absence of an Internet connection, the game will be completely unplayable. In exchange for this inconvenience, Ubisoft will spare some of its server space to store your saved game files—similar to what Valve is offering with its Steam Cloud system.

Ubisoft believes that this measure will curb on piracy, but historical evidence suggests that this kind of strategy has a high probability of backfiring. The publisher appears to be well aware of potential community backlash, as one the question on the official FAQ reads: “Why is Ubisoft forcing their loyal customers to sign up for a Ubisoft account when they don't want to give their private data and only play single player games?” This PC authentication system will make its debut with the Settlers 7 beta.

Assassin’s Creed II PC: Release date announced

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Ubisoft recently announced the release date for Assassin’s Creed II on PC as March 16, 2010. This means that the PC version of last year’s hit game will be release full four months after the console releases. The American release of the game is priced at a whopping $59.99, for both the retail and downloadable versions. This high price tag can be blamed on the inclusion of two upcoming DLC episodes titled Battle of Forli and Bonfire of the Vanities.
As if this is not costly enough, Ubisoft has announced that they will also be releasing what they are calling the “Black Edition”, with a price tag of USD 64.99. Ubisoft has not divulged any details on the exact content of this Black Edition and according to a post on Joystiq, the publisher has asked us to wait until next month for more information.

Assassin’s Creed II will hopefully be priced much lower in the Indian market, where the prices of PC games have always been significantly lower than other major market. For those who have been waiting for the PC version of this game, here are the system requirements:

Minimum Configuration:
SUPPORTED OS: Windows XP (32-64 bits) /Windows Vista (32-64 bits)/Windows 7 (32-64 bits)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHZ or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHZ RAM: 1.5 GB Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista - Windows 7
Video Card: 256 MB DirectX 9.0–compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0 –compliant sound card DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0
Hard Drive Space: 8 GB
Peripherals Supported: Keyboard, mouse, optional controller

Recommended Configuration:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ or better
Video Card: GeForce 8800 GT or ATI Radeon HD 4700 or better
Sound: 5.1 sound card
Peripherals: Keyboard, mouse, joystick optional (Xbox 360 Controller for Windows recommended)
Supported Video Cards at Time of Release: ATI RADEON X1950, HD 2000/3000/4000/5000 series NVIDIA GeForce 7/8/9/100/200 series

iPad tablet pc launched

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:26:00 +0000

After the success of the iPod and iPhone, much hype surrounded the release of Apple’s secretive new tablet PC project. The device called iPad was revealed in the US on Wednesday night by Apple’s head honcho, Steve Jobs.

“We want to kick off 2010 by introducing a truly magical and revolutionary product,” said Jobs.

The iPad has a 9.7-inch colour screen and resembles an oversized iPhone. It is 1.3cms thick, weighs less than a kilo and comes with 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes of memory. The cheapest iPad model, with Wi-Fi connectivity and 16GB of memory, is $499 (Rs 23,000 approx), while the most expensive – which includes 3G connectivity and 64GB of memory – costs $829 (Rs 38,000 approx).

Apple said it would start shipping the WiFi version, which has a virtual keyboard but can also dock with an external keyboard, in late March in the US. The 3G version will reach the US markets in late April.

Dressed in his trademark blue jeans, black turtleneck and sneakers, Jobs walked around the stage and sat on a couch at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts Theatre as he showed off the gadget.

He demonstrated various features which include browsing the Web, checking email, working with spreadsheets and charts, playing videogames, listening to music or watching video. Jobs also said they were launching an online “iBookstore” for the device and touted its abilities as an electronic reader for books, newspapers and magazines. But online rumours say the device may not feature ebooks on launch outside the US.

The device is also not without some serious flaws, like a lack of an HDMI adapter and a native USB port (the iPad requires an adapter to connect a USB device) that had some people fuming.

Technology journalist Mihir Patkar said: “No multi-tasking. No Adobe Flash. No USB port, and an adapter is just a pain! No HDMI to connect to a TV. No Web cam. The only way for fast text input is when you keep the device on your lap, with your feet raised – and the virtual keyboard will still take up over one-third of your screen! Apple just took the Touch, gave it a gave it a larger screen, and is trying to pass it off as a ‘revolutionary new device’. It could just as well have been called iPod Touch – SuperSized!”

Others accepted the device as it is. “Despite its negatives, I think the iPad is a pretty good device. It certainly replaces the netbook in my mind and possibly my iPhone, even though the two are different product categories,” said Tushar Burman, an iPhone enthusiast who followed the launch online.

When asked about an Indian release schedule, a local representative for Apple said that they were not informed about release dates for the Indian market but it won’t make it to our shores for a while.

Intel launches Core i5, Core i7 and Xeon processors in India

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:05:00 +0000

Intel Corporation introduced several high-performance desktop and server processors today, bringing the next level of integration and intelligence to computers. The new Intel Core i5 processor series, two new Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel Xeon processor 3400 series bring Intel’s latest Nehalem microarchitecture to mainstream desktop and entry server markets.

Commenting on the occasion Prakash Bagri, Director-Marketing, Intel South Asia, said: “With the launch of the new Core i5 and Core i7 series of processors, we are extending the path-breaking Nehalem microarchitecture for mainstream PC users. This is coupled with revolutionary changes in chipset design delivering great new levels of performance and scalability. Ultimately it allows discerning users to get previously unheard levels of intelligent performance in their desktop PCs and experience smooth and more realistic gaming and multitasking.”

New Intel Core Processors for Consumers

Formerly codenamed ‘Lynnfield’, these new chips are based on Intel’s award-winning Nehalem microarchitecture and are designed for consumers who need top-notch performance for digital media, productivity, gaming and other demanding applications. These processors, along with the new Intel P55 Express Chipset, are available today.

All processors are lead- and halogen-free and feature Intel Exclusive Turbo Boost Technology. The top-of-the-line Core i7 processors also support Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. Combined, these features give computer users absolute “intelligent” performance when necessary and optimum power-efficiency when the computer is lightly loaded.

Computers Just Got Smaller

The new chipset brings the most revolutionary design changes since the invention of the PCI bus in the early 1990s and sets the stage for Intel’s forthcoming 2010 compute platform. The Intel P55 Express Chipset will be the baseline building block component for motherboards worldwide, delivering great new levels of performance and scalability for everyone from the retail buyer to the technically savvy do-it-yourselfer.

The new Core i7 and i5 processors are the first Intel processors to integrate both a 16-lane PCI Express 2 graphics port and two-channel memory controller, enabling all input/output and manageability functions to be handled by the single-chip Intel P55 Express Chipset. Previous Intel chipsets required two separate chips. A new Direct Media Interface (DMI) connects between the processor and chipset. The chipset supports 8 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Ports (2.5GT/s) for flexible device support. Dual graphics cards are supported in a “2x8” configuration. The chipset also supports 6 SATA 3 Gb/s Ports with Intel Matrix Storage Technology providing RAID levels 0/1/5/10. Up to 14 USB 2.0 Ports can be supported with the chipset’s integrated USB 2.0 Rate Matching Hub, along with Intel High Definition Audio for premium digital sound. The new processors are the first to be supported by the new Land Grid Array (LGA) 1156 package and socket technology.

Intel announces Uber Gamer Championship in association with Zapak

Intel also announced the Uber Gamer Championship in association with Zapak to mark the launch of the new Core i5 and i7 processors. The championship – culminating on the 11th of September – will see India’s best gamers play knock out games of NFS Most Wanted, Crysis and FIFA 09. For more details on the championship please visit www.ubergamer2009.com

“Zapak is proud to be associated with Intel in the launch of the new Intel Core i5 processors,” said Rohit Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Zapak. “The Uber Gaming Championship currently being held at our exclusive gamplexes gives the gamers a chance to compete on the new Intel Corei5 and i7 processor based gaming PCs and experience previously unfathomable levels of gaming. The new Core processors will help Zapak in its endeavour to provide gamers with the best gaming experience possible.”

Better Entry Servers

Small businesses requiring 24/7 operation and educators now have more reasons than ever to buy a purpose-built server with Intel’s new Xeon processors and Intel 3400 and 3420 chipsets. These new products improve small business productivity by running email, file, print and dynamic Web serving tasks more efficiently. They also improve education by enabling dependable classroom collaboration and making school administrative services more productive. For more information on these products, please visit www.intel.com/xeon.

While the prices for the new processors have not been released yet, we will update the same as soon as we get them. For an estimate based on the US prices, check the chart at the bottom of this link.

The Google NEXUS ONE is out! Will cost you about Rs. 24,400

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:57:00 +0000

Considering that the device was seeded to thousands of Google employees before it was even officially unveiled, it is no surprise that the there is little new to learn about it. However, now the Google Nexus One phone is official, the tease is over.

As expected the Google Nexus One runs the Android 2.1 operating system. The other specification of the phone have been confirmed, and were right on the mark. The Google Nexus One has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1Ghz processor (QSD 8250), 512MB RAM, 512MB internal storage, included 4GB microSD card (upgradable to 32GB), and a 3.7-inch widescreen AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 800x480. The phone is 3G capable and supports WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1.

The phone includes multiple sensors: AGPS, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and a secondary microphone for noise cancellation. The camera on the Google Nexus One phone has a 5MP sensor with autofocus, and LED flash, and can capture video at up to 720x480 resolution (DVD quality).

The phone has very few physical buttons, merely a power button, volume controls (up/down), and four illuminated soft-touch buttons for the Back, Menu, Home, and Search functions. The phone features a clickable trackball which changes color (tricolour) according to function. The touchscreen of the Google Nexus One is capacitive and offers haptic feedback.

Finally, the Google Nexus One will be available for $179 with a T-Mobile contract, and a unlocked phone will set you back by as much as $529 (~Rs. 24,400).

Microsoft Office 2010 pricing details released

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:39:00 +0000

Microsoft has now officially released the pricing details for its Office 2010 product editions. The pricing and details for the four editions are as below:

The Product Key Card version here is a new offering by Microsoft, wherein a user is able to purchase only a card containing a license key for the particular version of Office 2010. This key can then be used to activate or upgrade a copy of Microsoft Office 2010 pre-installed on the computer by the OEM.

The Office Home and Student edition is a family pack allowing for use in up to three computers in the same home. The other three, Office Home and Business, Office Professional, and Office Professional Academic will allow installation in up to two PCs. The keycard however is only applicable for a single installation.

The new Microsoft Office Starter edition, as stated before will be only come preinstalled on new PC, and as such is not included here. The Starter edition will be free, but ad-supported, and will only include Word, and Excel.

While the final version is to be available in July 2010, for those eager to try out the latest Office suite, the beta version is still available, and the free license will enable you to use it till October this year. You can download it from the Microsoft Office 2010 website .

In the short duration of seven weeks that the Microsoft Office 2010 beta has been available as public beta, Microsoft claims that it has been downloaded over 2 million times, quite high indeed. According to Microsoft 90% of the people who have used it have found it an improvement over their current suite.

Windows 7 review-Part2:Modification of apps.

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:49:00 +0000

One of the most unsettling trend, that seams to have been broken with Windows 7, is that each version of Windows was more bloated than the last. Windows 7 unbundled some of the applications that few people would be using anyway, such as Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Mail, Windows Calendar, Windows Contacts, Microsoft Agent, etc.

While it was nice that Windows tried to be more functional as a fresh install, their offerings are too weak and bloated to be of much use, and this reduction of bloat is highly appreciated. While the quality of having everything you need installed out of the box has been a much touted Linux advantage, it seems the same does not work for Windows.

For people who still prefer to use the Microsoft applications for their simplicity of use, don't worry, most of these applications have not been abandoned. Microsoft has made available a Windows Live Essentials package which can be downloaded and installed to bring back the familiar Windows Mail, Messenger, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker applications. However, the Windows Contacts and Windows Calendar applications are missing, though most likely they will not be missed! The calendar and contact functionality is available to a certain extent in the new Windows Live Mail application.

To allow you to reduce the bloat even further, Windows 7 now allows users to remove / disable more of the core application than it previously did. You can now easily remove Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, Windows Search, Windows Media Centre, and Windows Gadgets.

You can now uninstall more of Windows applications than possible before.

Windows Vista with all its reputation as a mere glossy coat on a rotten operating system brought with it an unnecessary visual upgrade to the games included in Windows. Windows 7 instead, goes for upgrading the core applications which have long been neglected into uselessness.

The new Windows 7 versions of WordPad and Paint have something more new than just the version number, they now sport the ribbon interface similar to Office 2007. They include many new features to go with the new interface, most important of all Wordpad can read and write both the new Office 2007 .docx files, and the Open Document .odt files. The new version of the calculator application now includes some very useful features such as a history, worksheets support, date calculations, statistical calculations etc.

WordPad

The Windows 7 WordPad ribbon UI

Wordpad displaying an .odt file

Paint is heavily revamped and now includes multiple useful brushes, shapes, displaying rulers and grid-lines and more. Paint now defaults to the compressed .png file format for saving images instead of BMP. While paint is still a far cry from a good image editor, after this upgrade, it is certainly a decent one.

Paint

The Windows 7 Paint ribbon UI


Windows 7 Paint UI	New selection of brushes in Paint	New shapes in Paint. This is an example of a star shape, with a watercolor style red border, and a crayon style yellow fill.

Calculator


The new UI for Calculator in Windows 7	Calculator now stores a history of calculations allows easy tracking of previous calculations and reuaing results	The new calculator support may more UI modes, and features.	Simple tools exist to perform calculations on dates.	Worksheets allow you to use predefined templates to perform common calculations. Such as the mortgage calculation shown above.

With Windows 7, the On-Screen Keyboard utility has also seen a big change. The new version is now fully scalable, and sports a new glass-enabled interface. The new OSK however does away with all the menus and configuration options, making it impossible to change the font of the keyboard. A useful feature added in this release is the support text prediction. As you type text, the application will display a row of word completions allowing you to speed up text entry significantly.

On-Screen Keyboard

The new glassy On-Screen Keyboard utility in Windows 7

The magnifier too, has seen a functional upgrade. The interface is much simplified, and now supports three usage modes, a docked mode (similar to the functionality of older versions), a magnifying glass version, where a magnifying glass follows the cursor magnifying everything underneath it, and a full screen mode which zooms in the entire screen.

Magnifier


The much more simplified and cleaner Magnifier UI	The Magnifier window collapses into this icon after some time to preserve screen space.		This new mode in the Windows 7 magnifier allows you to move around a magnifying glass.	In this mode, the entier screen is magnified.

Among completely new applications to be included with Windows 7 is PowerShell 2.0, which is now installed by default with the OS. PowerShell allows the experiences user to write powerful scripts to automate many tasks. It is a much more powerful solution than the batch script support available in previous versions of Windows. Another handy utility included in Windows 7 is the "Sticky Notes" application which was used to showcase the Jumplists and tasks feature of Windows 7. The application lets you add sticky notes to your desktop and integrates with the Windows 7 taskbar by allowing you to create new notes from the jumplist. It is of limited use however, since it very little formatting options and few color options.

PowerShell 2.0


PowerShell 2.0 CLI installed with Windows 7	PowerShell 2.0 Script editor installed with Windows 7

Sticky Notes

Sticky Notes application in Windows 7

An interesting tool which could be of great use is the new problem steps recorder. It is a handy utility which allows you to record procedures and actions which lead to problems (bugs, crashes, errors etc), or even otherwise. However this tool has not been promoted much by Microsoft in the OS, and few people might even realize it exists. For now the best way to launch it seems to be by using the Run command, and entering "psr".

Overall Windows 7 manages to provide more usability in a smaller size than its predecessor, Windows Vista, which is indeed a remarkable feat.

part 1 of the review

The further reviews by me will soon be posted...If know some more features of windows 7 please do write them in comments.

Net revolution: URLs in Asian, Arabic scripts

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:17:00 +0000

On 40th Birthday, Internet To End Rule Of Latin Characters.The internet is about to get more accessible for millions worldwide with the imminent approval of a new multilingual address system that uses Asian and Arabic scripts, a global regulator said on Monday.The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) said it would declare an end to the exclusive use of Latin characters for website addresses on Friday — the final day of its six-day conference in Seoul.
This is the biggest change technically to the internet since it was invented 40 years ago”, Peter Thrush, chairman of the ICANN board in charge of reviewing the change, said. Thrush said he expected ICANN’s
full board to grant approval on Friday — a day after the 40th anniversary of the internet’s birth in an experiment at the University of California, Los Angeles.When the change comes into force, it will be possible to use characters from other languages — such as Chinese, Arabic, Korean and Japanese — for a full internet address, instead of just part of the address as now.
ICANN president Rod Beckstrom said internet addresses would no longer use limited “Generic Top-Level Domains” such as .com or .org, and instead use more flexible “Internationalised Domain Names” such as .post or .bank. Beckstrom said the change would also allow internet users to type fewer keystrokes to access a website which will “give companies a quicker way to get directly to their customers”.The world would be able to “save roughly 60 to 100 billion human keystrokes a day” by getting rid of keystrokes that are currently needed to find web addresses ending, for example, in individual country codes,he said.Under the new system, all web addresses ending .bank would only be available to “authorised” banks.

Windows 7 review-Part1

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:31:00 +0000

While Windows 7 was recently launched, it barely feels like that. This time Microsoft has involved testers in such an extensive way, that for many people Windows 7 is already a familiar experience, after all, it has been around for nearly a year.

Windows 7 has changed little since its first beta release back in January 2009, which is all the more remarkable as it means that the operating system was nearly done by then. They have abandoned the search for a clever name, and gone for a clever operating system instead!

The biggest advantage of the extended public beta testing period of Windows 7 has been to the people who "tested" it, and essentially got a free licensed version of Windows for a year. However a lot of the feedback and bugs discovered during the beta period of Windows 7 was actually accommodated into Release Candidate which came afterwards.

While Windows 7 is essentially a minor update to Windows Vista, it has some significant and positive changes which have turned the utter failure of Vista to the critical acclaim it has received. Nearly every version of Windows has been considered to be too bloated for its time, and for the very first time, we have a version of windows which can run on a lower configuration than its predecessor!

Let us now take a look at some of the defining features of this new version of Windows, the good and the bad:

The Taskbar: Renovated after a decade

The taskbar is perhaps the most talked about aspect of Windows 7 -- this long stagnant icon since the Windows 95 days has finally seen a significant upgrade. Windows 7 makes the taskbar more than just a way to switch between windows, it has now become a way to interact with and control the windows themselves. In my opinion, its functionality is under-hyped!

The changes in the taskbar are more than just cosmetic upgrade to square icons instead of wide tabs: the preview functionality is useful for once, and makes managing lots of open windows easier. If the preview isn't enough, hovering over the window lets you see the active application in its own, with the other windows made "transparent." A button on the right-most corner of the taskbar lets you take a peek at the desktop through all your windows. Finally, we have the rather simple facility of actually moving around window icons on the taskbar, and the system tray.

These features just let you manage windows better, just like grouping of tasks made working with multiple windows simpler, but as stated before, the Windows 7 taskbar is more that just that. Windows 7 lets application publish common actions that can be performed on them in a list which now appears on a right-click instead of the normal menu. While common examples show application publishing their frequently or recently opened files, and common tasks here, it can pretty much be used for anything. Seen from the popular context of a browser, it can show your recent history, bookmarks, and show tasks allowing you to open new tabs or windows.

Applications can use the Windows 7 taskbar API to provide a wide variety of information and control via the taskbar itself such as:

Displaying status icons (such as a available / idle / invisible etc. for an IM app, or playing / paused / stopped for a media player) on their icon on the taskbar,

Winamp taskbar icon Winamp taskbar icon

with triangle icon overlay with square icon overlay

to depict play state to depict stopped state

Displaying progress using a green highlight. The highlight can display the progress information published by the application, and show determinate or indeterminate progress on the icon itself. A yellow highlight can depict a paused process, and a red one can indicate an error.

Winamp taskbar icon Winamp taskbar icon Windows Explorer t

showing playback showing playback paused displaying file copy

progress as green highlight as yellow highlight error status using red highlight

Application controlled preview. The preview image shown by an application can be controlled by the application itself, which can result in much more meaningful previews of relevant content, instead of ones of the entire window.

Tabs can now show their previews straight on the taskbar, and you can use the taskbar to directly switch between, and close individual tabs from the taskbar instead of opening the window.

Windows 7 taskbar showing previews of tabs opened in Internet Explorer 8

Thumbnail toolbars are used by applications such as Windows Media Player to display information about the currently playing song in the preview of the window, and provide buttons to control playback.

Winamp displaying album art, track playback information,

and a toolbar of available actions in preview window

The new taskbar now also superseded the functionality of the older QuickLaunch toolbar by allowing any application to be "pinned" to the taskbar itself. A pinned application appears on the taskbar even when it isn't running, and gets highlighted while running as an indicator. This makes working with your favourite applications even more easily, as they are now easily available to be launched in a convenient location, and furthermore it will appear in the same location where it is pinned, making working with frequently accessed windows easier.

For those using Windows for a long time this may come as a break in tradition, and they will be required to adjust to the new mechanism, however the new interface is well worth adjusting to. So although an option exists to switch back to the older more familiar taskbar style, it is not something we expect much people to opt for, and certainly not something we'd recommend.

As you can see the taskbar has grown to accommodate some of the features that were earlier provided by toolbars, and to an extent the system tray. In the current scenario where multi-tasking is becoming increasingly important, the Windows 7 taskbar comes well prepared.

part-2 of the review

Wolfram|Alpha?

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Wolfram|Alfa is a novel approach to search, and is self-described as a computational engine. First, we will get out of the way some misconceptions about Wolfram|Alfa, and what it is not. Wolfram|Alfa is not a contender for Google search, as they both work very differently, and are made for different purposes. Google is a search engine, that indexes the web, and brings up web pages relevant to the search string. Wolfram|Alfa is a factoid machine, it indexes a large number of facts and algorithms, then calculates or sums up this information in relation to the search string, and other parameters, including the time of the day, the day of the year, and the location of the searcher. Wolfram|Alfa is not a better way to search the web, in fact, Wolfram|Alfa has very little to do with the web at large. Wolfram|Alfa is a closed site, with all the information being curated internally, unless it is generated, as in a calculation search. Wolfram|Alpha can be used for a number of things, but mainly these involve cold, hard facts, or any kind of calculation or computation. Wolfram|Alfa deals with measurements, comparing quantities, or throwing up statistics relating to the search. Right now, Wolfram|Alfa does not seem very useful, and a lot of the output, including the calculations are already done by Google, before the search results, but it is a great toy to play around with.

Wolfram|Alfa is not a semantic search engine. It does not parse strings of text, and compute an output based on what it means. For example, a semantic search engine would parse the search string “Where can I watch Terminator Salvation?” and throw up results of Theatres near the location of the searcher, and show timings. This is one of the most basic semantic search operations, and Google does this to some extent, drawing the necessary geographic location from the searcher’s IP. Such a search is beyond the purview and scope of Wolfram|Alfa.

What is unique about Wolfram|Alfa is the way it draws in from a large pool of knowledge, and throws up facts and figures related to a search. To understand what Wolfram|Alfa does better, it is necessary to learn just a bit about the engine Wolfram|Alfa is based on. This engine is called Mathematica, and is a piece of work. Mathematica is an engine that collects data, understands it, co-relates it, and throws it back up with reference to parameters and aesthetics. This works with a wide range of data, including dates, statistics, mathematical operations and specific lines of information. The way Mathematica correlates, throws up, and graphs information, is what makes Wolfram|Alfa so novel and interesting. Mathematica is a stand-alone engine, which combines a software, a database, and a number of possible applications, and can be purchased for commercial use. Wolfram|Alfa is based on this engine, and there are plans for a commercial version of the search engine.

Ok, enough faff, let’s get to the good stuff. Put in any number, and Wolfram|Alfa throws up interesting things about it. Our fingers went over 969329648432 for some reason, and as things turn out, this is approximately (read the same order of magnitude as) the number of stars in the milky way, red blood cells in the human body, and the number of people who have ever lived. Interestingly, the prime factorisation is 2^4x283x214074569, which includes a rather large prime number. Great for such an obscure number, but Wolfram|Alfa unfortunately, does not throw up the same interesting titbits for something like “7”, a number about which Wikipedia has a lot to say. Another interesting thing we found is that when you search for bands or artists with spaces, you’ll get a timeline of the active careers of these musicians. Great to compare bands and eras. This is a great feature, but is a hit and miss affair. Any combination of Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, RHCP, Green Day, Donovan, Elvis Presley does not work, but Moby, Prince, Cobain, Morisette throws up this timeline:

Asking “why does the sun rise in the east?” gives no meaningful answer, but “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” gives the second part of the tongue twister, along with a footnote “the paper "The Ability of Woodchucks to Chuck Cellulose Fibers" by P.A. Paskevich and T.B. Shea in Annals of Improbable Research vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 4-9, July/August 1995, concluded that a woodchuck can chuck 361.9237001 cubic centimeters of wood per day”. We could go on all day giving interesting little things that Wolfram|Alfa can do, the point is that it does this in a half-hearted manner. For a complete list, head over to this page.

{ http://www54.wolframalpha.com/examples}

Wolfram|Alfa is still very much in development, and as such cannot practically be used for too many things. The trillions of data entries it claims falls drastically short of the potential uses of such an application. Mathematica is a great engine, and can potentially be put to good use, but it is nowhere near public-ready. The list of things that you can do with Wolfram|Alfa, while being terribly long, still manages to miss out on a whole range of things that users might search for. More importantly, the parser, or the interpretation of search strings is seriously flawed, and can come up with answers in highly specific circumstances, for highly specific searches. The UI of the web page is a little buggy, and needs some ironing out. At the end of the day, the potential use of such an engine does not outweigh the benefits of something like Google. True, the traditional search engine directs you to a web page, but the said web page will have far more exhaustive information than Wolfram|Alfa shows up, even for mathematical data, which the engine is specially geared towards. Just compare searches for any single digit number in Google and Wolfram|Alfa and see for yourself. There are a few instances where an engine like Wolfram|Alfa can be of immense use, but there is simply not enough data quantified and curated. Since it is an engine throws up quantifiable data, we envision Wolfram|Alfa to one day come up with concrete answers to “What was the carbon footprint of producing Captain Planet?”

Einstein robot learns to smile and frown, just like how babies do

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:08:00 +0000

One of the most popular humanoid robots, the Einstein-mimicking Albert Hubo, can now boast of a new trick: teaching itself how to make realistic expressions!
“As far as we know, no other research group has used machine learning to teach a robot to make realistic facial expressions,” said researcher Tingfan Wu, the computer science Ph.D. student from the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.
Automating the process of learning for a robot is an arduous task. Currently, Hubo has about 30 facial muscles, each moved by a tiny servo motor connected to the muscle by a string. A highly trained person must manually set up these kinds of realistic robots so that the servos pull in the right combinations to make specific face expressions.
To simplify this process, Wu’s team looked at the most basic of learning behaviours: babies! Developmental psychologists speculate that infants learn to control their bodies through systematic exploratory movements, including babbling to learn to speak. Initially, these movements appear to be random, as infants learn to control their bodies and reach for objects.
“We applied this same idea to the problem of a robot learning to make realistic facial expressions,” said co-researcher Javier Movellan.

Albert Hubo, the "Einstein robot", tries out a few facial expressions

To begin the learning process, the researchers directed the robot to twist and turn its face in all directions, a process called ‘body babbling’. During this period, Albert Hubo could see itself in a mirror and analyse its own expression using facial expression detection software created at UC San Diego called CERT (Computer Expression Recognition Toolbox). This provided the data necessary for machine learning algorithms to learn a mapping between facial expressions and the movements of the muscle motors.

Once the robot learned the relationship between facial expressions and the muscle movements required to make them, it learned to make facial expressions it had never encountered.

For example, Hubo learned eyebrow narrowing, which requires the inner eyebrows to move together and the upper eyelids to close a bit to narrow the eye aperture.

The success aside, Wu and team acknowledge there is a lot of work still to be done, especially since some of the complex facial expressions are still awkward. The researchers think the ‘body babbling’ model may be too simple to describe the coupled interactions between facial muscles and skin.

While the primary goal of this work was to solve the engineering problem of how to approximate the appearance of human facial muscle movements with motors, the researchers say this kind of work could also lead to insights into how humans learn and develop facial expressions.

The research paper by the scientists can be found here.

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:52:00 +0000

Anuraag invites you to SocialVibe.com

PSP Go gets unboxed and hands-on; introduces pause-and-resume for multi-tasking

noreply@blogger.com (Technoratti-Anuraag) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:52:00 +0000

The guys at GameSpot UK got their hands on the new PlayStation Portable Go – the latest version of the handheld console from Sony – and have just posted a detailed unboxing video of the same on their site.

A couple of things stand out in the video, with the most promising new feature being the inclusion of the ability to pause your game. In the old PSP-3000 and all previous versions, the best you could do was quit the game if you wanted to perform some other task, such as watching a video. But in the new PSP Go, you can simply pause the game (although it takes a lot of time to do so), go back to the XrossMediaBar and head over to the videos section to watch a movie.

This feature could be especially handy for games with checkpoints that are too far and few in-between. We have also found ourselves sometimes wishing for a feature like this when travelling in a crowded train. As playing the game becomes impossible, the option of pausing it to listen to music and then resume the game later, right where we left off, is absolutely fantastic in our books. Round of applause here, please?

Apart from that, the other big change is that the PSP Go comes with a proprietary cable now. Gone are the days of using just any micro-USB cable you have handy with your PSP; Sony is back to its ‘use our cables and make us rich’ nonsense again.

Part of the reason for this might be the fact that the PSP Go does not come with a TV-out port like the older versions. The GameSpot reviewers surmised that the new proprietary port might double up as a TV-out port – with another proprietary cable that you will have to buy, of course.

Both the reviewers were also impressed with the build quality of the PSP Go, noting that the slider mechanism feels good, the analog nub has more resistance, the chrome buttons on the edge feel better than the plastic ones of old, and overall, the console has a ‘solid, but lighter’ feel to it.

One line in the review did bother us though: Apparently the PSP Go can be synced up to only PCs and not Macs. Is this Sony’s way of welcoming the iPod Touch to the world of handheld video game consoles?

Source: GameSpot UK

http://uk.gamespot.com/psp/action/resistanceworkingtitle/video/6217171/psp-go-video-unboxing