Thursday, October 7, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Apple unveils the iPhone OS 4.0!
Multitasking and More
Tech giant Apple has sold more than 450,000 iPads, 50 Million iPhones to date, and Steve Jobs' company aims to go higher with the announcement of the iPhone OS 4.0. The operating system goes into operation sometime in May but a developer preview has already been leaked.
But here's the biggie - the iPhone OS 4.0 will support multitasking, which means iPhone users now get to pause games, switch between apps, and one can double tap the home button to view running applications. However the older iPhone 3G, the iPod touch 2nd gen and even the iPad will not get multitasking.
Other features that would be supported include background audio, background VoIP which lets you switch apps during skype calls, and also receive skype calls on a locked phone, Push and Local notifications that alarms. Also in the mix are Fast app switching, Folders, Homescreen wallpapers, Enhanced mail which now has a 'Unified inbox' that combines Web mail, MobileMe and multiple exchange accounts, Thread organization. The iBooks feature syncs bookmarks and such between devices, SSL VPN support, Social gaming features etc.
One interesting feature is the iAd, Apple will sell and host the ads, 60% of the revenue generated will be pocketed by the devs. The ads will be developed in HTML5 and will be fully interactive. Steve Jobs describes as "Developers [of free apps] need to find a way to start making their money. A lot of developers turn to advertising – and we think these current advertisements really suck. If you look at advertisements on a phone, it's not like on a desktop. On a desktop, its about search. On mobile, search hasnt happened. People aren't searching on their phones. People are spending their time in apps. The average user spends over 30 minutes using apps on their phone. If we said we wanted to put an ad up every 3 minutes, that'd be 10 ads per device per day — about the same as a TV show. We're going to soon have 100m devices. That's a billion ad opportunities per day! "This is a pretty serious opportunity, and it's an incredible demographic. But we want to do more than that. We want to change the quality of the advertising. We're all familiar with interactive ads on the web. They're interactive, but they're not capable of delivering emotion. We have figured out how to do interactive and video content without ever taking you out of the app."
But here's the biggie - the iPhone OS 4.0 will support multitasking, which means iPhone users now get to pause games, switch between apps, and one can double tap the home button to view running applications. However the older iPhone 3G, the iPod touch 2nd gen and even the iPad will not get multitasking.
Other features that would be supported include background audio, background VoIP which lets you switch apps during skype calls, and also receive skype calls on a locked phone, Push and Local notifications that alarms. Also in the mix are Fast app switching, Folders, Homescreen wallpapers, Enhanced mail which now has a 'Unified inbox' that combines Web mail, MobileMe and multiple exchange accounts, Thread organization. The iBooks feature syncs bookmarks and such between devices, SSL VPN support, Social gaming features etc.
One interesting feature is the iAd, Apple will sell and host the ads, 60% of the revenue generated will be pocketed by the devs. The ads will be developed in HTML5 and will be fully interactive. Steve Jobs describes as "Developers [of free apps] need to find a way to start making their money. A lot of developers turn to advertising – and we think these current advertisements really suck. If you look at advertisements on a phone, it's not like on a desktop. On a desktop, its about search. On mobile, search hasnt happened. People aren't searching on their phones. People are spending their time in apps. The average user spends over 30 minutes using apps on their phone. If we said we wanted to put an ad up every 3 minutes, that'd be 10 ads per device per day — about the same as a TV show. We're going to soon have 100m devices. That's a billion ad opportunities per day! "This is a pretty serious opportunity, and it's an incredible demographic. But we want to do more than that. We want to change the quality of the advertising. We're all familiar with interactive ads on the web. They're interactive, but they're not capable of delivering emotion. We have figured out how to do interactive and video content without ever taking you out of the app."
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Confirmed: Microsoft Natal will premiere at E3
The Wait is Over
Software giant Microsoft will indeed show off their new gadget, the highly anticipated 'Natal' motion sensing controller that goes with the Xbox 360 at E3 on June 13, 2010. The gadget would be previewed and the full specs and its price would obviously be given away during the event.
Moreover, the titles that would support the Natal would also be revealed. As we reported earlier, the Natal occupies 13 feet, or 4 meters of space. According to Microsoft, Natal will not only bring a revolution to gaming, but will also effectively replace TV remotes. And if what Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten says is true, we won't be able to tell the difference between the TV, game console, and the Internet.
Watch a video demo of the Natal below:
The Natal will reportedly cost about $80, However, Microsoft and many of the developers would like to see the company get that price down to $50, if possible. In any case it will not cost more than $100, which is the 'impulse buy' amount. The pre-orders and demand will be huge. But you don't need to worry about availability, since Microsoft is shipping as many as 5 million units, which is about one Natal for every seven of the nearly 34 million Xbox 360s that have been sold to date.
Some of the units will be sold in an Xbox 360 console bundle, while the others will be simply sold as an add-on unit. Now those are huge numbers, we can safely say that Microsoft is banking that Natal will get a lot of attention and be successful. The other biggie is that as many as 14 titles will be available or support the use of Natal at launch. Software support will be a major factor for the Natal to be successful, and 12 major game publishers have confirmed that they will support it. As to which titles will be released remains shrouded in secrecy, only Fable III has been confirmed that it will offer Natal support.
Moreover, the titles that would support the Natal would also be revealed. As we reported earlier, the Natal occupies 13 feet, or 4 meters of space. According to Microsoft, Natal will not only bring a revolution to gaming, but will also effectively replace TV remotes. And if what Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten says is true, we won't be able to tell the difference between the TV, game console, and the Internet.
Watch a video demo of the Natal below:
The Natal will reportedly cost about $80, However, Microsoft and many of the developers would like to see the company get that price down to $50, if possible. In any case it will not cost more than $100, which is the 'impulse buy' amount. The pre-orders and demand will be huge. But you don't need to worry about availability, since Microsoft is shipping as many as 5 million units, which is about one Natal for every seven of the nearly 34 million Xbox 360s that have been sold to date.
Some of the units will be sold in an Xbox 360 console bundle, while the others will be simply sold as an add-on unit. Now those are huge numbers, we can safely say that Microsoft is banking that Natal will get a lot of attention and be successful. The other biggie is that as many as 14 titles will be available or support the use of Natal at launch. Software support will be a major factor for the Natal to be successful, and 12 major game publishers have confirmed that they will support it. As to which titles will be released remains shrouded in secrecy, only Fable III has been confirmed that it will offer Natal support.
Monday, March 1, 2010
India's first urban mobile WiMAX service arrives
BSNL on Saturday launched India's first mobile 4G broadband Internet access network, the Mobile WiMAX in Kerala. The state has become the first in the country to have the facility and BSNL is now the first operator to launch the service in India.
The technology has been provided by AVIAT, formerly Harris Stratex. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology can provide very high speeds (up to 37 mbps). 900 BTS (Base Transmitting Stations) have been deployed in the state and the entire project is expected to cost about Rs 100 crore. 450 BTS are being set up to cover major cities, district headquarters and important towns. 25 BTS will cover Ernakulam, Tripunithura, Kalamassery, Aluva and Angamally muncipalities. According to E M Abraham, Principal General Manager of BSNL, "The new technology will provide access to broadband at a cost performance ratio that is far better than any other technology."
According to a recent study, India will be the largest WiMAX market in Asia Pacific by 2013. There would be as many as 14 million WiMAX users by the year 2013 and the annual growth rate would be nearly 130%. "Eventually, we expect WiMAX growth to be much faster in smaller cities and rural towns. The investment on WiMAX will then go up substantially. WiMAX will not be an alternative to 3G but will be used for overall broadband diffusion in India," said Rahul Gupta, Strategy Analytics manager for emerging market communication service. "WiMAX, unlike 3G, will find the bulk of its consumer applications in providing fixed and nomadic broadband access in India. Purely mobile usage of WiMAX is expected to be a fairly small component of the total usage. But technological competition will come in the near term from 3G which is being marketed in many emerging markets as an alternative for fixed broadband access," said Mr Gupta.
"Consumer subscriptions in the developing Asian countries are forecast to grow at a compound rate of 132% through 2013, with the subscriber base reaching almost 27 million in that year. Most emerging markets WiMAX providers will launch their initial services in major urban areas, to take advantage of concentrations of existing Internet users with purchasing power. However, over the longer term the most rapid growth is expected to be in second-tier cities and in rural areas, where there is substantially less competition from incumbent broadband suppliers. China and India will be critical markets while the speed of HSPA deployment will be the most significant competitive factor in most markets." he added.
The technology has been provided by AVIAT, formerly Harris Stratex. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology can provide very high speeds (up to 37 mbps). 900 BTS (Base Transmitting Stations) have been deployed in the state and the entire project is expected to cost about Rs 100 crore. 450 BTS are being set up to cover major cities, district headquarters and important towns. 25 BTS will cover Ernakulam, Tripunithura, Kalamassery, Aluva and Angamally muncipalities. According to E M Abraham, Principal General Manager of BSNL, "The new technology will provide access to broadband at a cost performance ratio that is far better than any other technology."
According to a recent study, India will be the largest WiMAX market in Asia Pacific by 2013. There would be as many as 14 million WiMAX users by the year 2013 and the annual growth rate would be nearly 130%. "Eventually, we expect WiMAX growth to be much faster in smaller cities and rural towns. The investment on WiMAX will then go up substantially. WiMAX will not be an alternative to 3G but will be used for overall broadband diffusion in India," said Rahul Gupta, Strategy Analytics manager for emerging market communication service. "WiMAX, unlike 3G, will find the bulk of its consumer applications in providing fixed and nomadic broadband access in India. Purely mobile usage of WiMAX is expected to be a fairly small component of the total usage. But technological competition will come in the near term from 3G which is being marketed in many emerging markets as an alternative for fixed broadband access," said Mr Gupta.
"Consumer subscriptions in the developing Asian countries are forecast to grow at a compound rate of 132% through 2013, with the subscriber base reaching almost 27 million in that year. Most emerging markets WiMAX providers will launch their initial services in major urban areas, to take advantage of concentrations of existing Internet users with purchasing power. However, over the longer term the most rapid growth is expected to be in second-tier cities and in rural areas, where there is substantially less competition from incumbent broadband suppliers. China and India will be critical markets while the speed of HSPA deployment will be the most significant competitive factor in most markets." he added.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Microsoft to release Zune Phone this Month!
To counter Google's Nexus One
Microsoft did not do so well with the Zune music player, for obvious reasons, and the fact that Apple outdid it in every possible way. Now the software giant is ready to take on the mobile market with the Zune Phone.
Nothing is official but very reliable sources suggest that Microsoft is indeed prepping up the Zune phone to release this month during the 2010 Mobile World Congress. There's been a lot of secrecy surrounding the project and Microsoft has been absolutely tight lipped about the Zune Phone, and at times has even denied developing the gadget. The Zune Phone may likely be based on the original music player and would be powered by the NVIDIA Tegra processor. Safe to say there would be those standard bells and whistles loaded on the phone, with one or two extra smart phone capabilities to rival the other phones on the market like the iPhone, Droid and the Nexus One.
The Tegra platform was used in the Zune HD player and also in upcoming tablets. The Zune Phone has been given a lot of codenames as 'Project Pink and the 'Microsoft Zune Phone Experience'. It it possible that the Zune phone would run Windows Mobile 7 and incorporate the Zune software just like Apple's iPhone runs the iPod software. What would you like to see in the Zune Phone?
Nothing is official but very reliable sources suggest that Microsoft is indeed prepping up the Zune phone to release this month during the 2010 Mobile World Congress. There's been a lot of secrecy surrounding the project and Microsoft has been absolutely tight lipped about the Zune Phone, and at times has even denied developing the gadget. The Zune Phone may likely be based on the original music player and would be powered by the NVIDIA Tegra processor. Safe to say there would be those standard bells and whistles loaded on the phone, with one or two extra smart phone capabilities to rival the other phones on the market like the iPhone, Droid and the Nexus One.
The Tegra platform was used in the Zune HD player and also in upcoming tablets. The Zune Phone has been given a lot of codenames as 'Project Pink and the 'Microsoft Zune Phone Experience'. It it possible that the Zune phone would run Windows Mobile 7 and incorporate the Zune software just like Apple's iPhone runs the iPod software. What would you like to see in the Zune Phone?
Super Thin LCDs have arrived
They're bendable too!
Gone are the days of plasma screens, OLED TVs and even LCDs - its the bendy new screens from Minority Report and Avatar are on their way to hog the market.
According to reports, scientists from a Japanese consortium of 13 companies and institutions are working to develop super-thin, flexible LCDs by using plastic film instead of glass substrates. Some of the companies in the consortium include giants like Hitachi and Sharp. However one particular member, Japan's Technology Research Association for Advanced Display Materials have suggested that usage of multiple layers of plastic film in order to display colors are a good alternative to using glass substrates. Of course the positioning of the layers is not simple and is a problem but can tackled if the bigwigs set their minds to it.
According to the association, the 'new high-precision production technique combines color filters with other types of thin film'. Fewer processes are required by the production method, and as a result producers need less equipment. Also, the process is good for the environment too, as CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions can be reduced by a massive 75 percent. What's more, the new production technique would result in reduction of energy consumption by 70 percent.
The consortium on Monday revealed a bendable 3.5-inch LCD which is 0.49mm thick and weighs 7g as a first milestone. When bent, the LCD's quality of the color image drops. A superior, more commercial version is slated to release in 2012, and the consortium says that the technology would become mainstream soon after.
According to reports, scientists from a Japanese consortium of 13 companies and institutions are working to develop super-thin, flexible LCDs by using plastic film instead of glass substrates. Some of the companies in the consortium include giants like Hitachi and Sharp. However one particular member, Japan's Technology Research Association for Advanced Display Materials have suggested that usage of multiple layers of plastic film in order to display colors are a good alternative to using glass substrates. Of course the positioning of the layers is not simple and is a problem but can tackled if the bigwigs set their minds to it.
According to the association, the 'new high-precision production technique combines color filters with other types of thin film'. Fewer processes are required by the production method, and as a result producers need less equipment. Also, the process is good for the environment too, as CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions can be reduced by a massive 75 percent. What's more, the new production technique would result in reduction of energy consumption by 70 percent.
The consortium on Monday revealed a bendable 3.5-inch LCD which is 0.49mm thick and weighs 7g as a first milestone. When bent, the LCD's quality of the color image drops. A superior, more commercial version is slated to release in 2012, and the consortium says that the technology would become mainstream soon after.
The Google Tablet!
Will it kill Apple's iPad?
In the last week of January the world was witness to Apple's iPad, which was supposed to revolutionise the tablet market and blur the line between Netbooks and smart phones. Of course that didn't happen, but no fretting - Google is ready with its own version of the Tablet.
The internet is rife with pictures of how the Google Tablet SHOULD look like, below are two more images, and the photos don't seem too far fetched at all. What's more, the photos were also posted to the official Chromium site. In case you didn't already know, Chromium is the open source project behind Chrome and ChromeOS), but it is not actually part of Google. You'd be interested to know that the mockups were put designed by Glen Murphy, Google Chrome's designer. Vis a vis, the Google Tablet would look pretty much like this.
The other interesting titbit is that Google is not doling out just one Tablet, there are multiple tablets in the reckoning for release in 2010, what with Google working with a number of hardware partners like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba. There would, however, be one champion tablet with Google's brand name, much like the Nexus One (which was designed by HTC). Given our well documented hate for the iPad, we would like to see Google incorporate Flash and USB support on the tablet. A camera wouldn't hurt either. Its got to be worth the $499+ price tag after all. A Google tablet with those three features alone would shut Steve Jobs up.
The internet is rife with pictures of how the Google Tablet SHOULD look like, below are two more images, and the photos don't seem too far fetched at all. What's more, the photos were also posted to the official Chromium site. In case you didn't already know, Chromium is the open source project behind Chrome and ChromeOS), but it is not actually part of Google. You'd be interested to know that the mockups were put designed by Glen Murphy, Google Chrome's designer. Vis a vis, the Google Tablet would look pretty much like this.
The other interesting titbit is that Google is not doling out just one Tablet, there are multiple tablets in the reckoning for release in 2010, what with Google working with a number of hardware partners like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba. There would, however, be one champion tablet with Google's brand name, much like the Nexus One (which was designed by HTC). Given our well documented hate for the iPad, we would like to see Google incorporate Flash and USB support on the tablet. A camera wouldn't hurt either. Its got to be worth the $499+ price tag after all. A Google tablet with those three features alone would shut Steve Jobs up.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Now charge your phone using WiFi!
No need of costly Electricity
WiFi is famous for sucking the life out of mobile phones, it is a well known fact that the greatest cell phone battery would whimper and die after prolonged use of Wifi, however all that may change when WiFi energy takes over.
Scientists from a little company called RCA have invented a handy gadget that allows a mobile phone to harvest the WiFi energy and convert it into electricity! As a result mobile phones would be charged for free, without the need to plug in the pesky chargers. The gadget was unveiled at the CES this year, and in our opinion it beats innovations like 3D TVs and tiny ebook readers, let alone motion controllers.
The device is named the 'Airnergy Charger', and while the technology isn't brand new, it is the first time a commercial product has been developed using it. Tests results showed that the Airenergy was powerful enough to charge a Blackberry from 30 percent battery to full battery in 90 minutes, all the while using free energy! The Airenergy comes with a little battery and the gadget itself is small enough to be carried around in a pocket. According to the RCA, the Airenergy would be available in stores by May, and will cost around $40. That is an amazing price for a gadget that revolutionises technology and energy saving. And you don't need to worry about charging the battery of the charger, the 'Airenergy' charges itself when it is anywhere near a WiFi source. If you have a home wireless network, you could just leave it anywhere in your house overnight and it would be fully charged by morning.
Below is a video which demonstrates the gadget. Check it out, its worth the buffer.
Earlier we reported that Taiwanese scientists at the Industrial Technology Research Institute successfully created a hydrogen-powered charger for mobile phones. The device will be able to recharge a mobile phone battery in less than two hours. The scientists expect the device to go mainstream by 2012 and by 2015 almost all of the world's mobile users will have hydrogen-based mobile phone chargers instead of the electric ones that are used at present. Also, Hydrogen in theory will produce no hazard to the environment.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
iPhone 4G from iphone
Some overzealous folks created a visual guide to the Apple Tablet rumors a few days ago, now up pops a similar idea from French website Nowhere Else for the next generation iPhone.
As per the image (and the rumours) the creatively named iPhone 4G has a saucy 5 megapixel camera (just like the Google candy Nexus One) and an OLED display, apart from a front facing camera, a stunning dual-core processor with more RAM and a touch-sensitive case. The iPhone 4G releases between May and July 2010. There is a good chance that Apple's new phone may have removable battery. Check out the image below and let us know what you think.
According to Goldman Sachs' Robert Chen, "Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone." Rumours suggest the new iPhone has a sensitive back case, similar to the touch panel used for the Magic Mouse (which has a touch-sensitive solid plastic shell instead of mechanical buttons). Motorola announced an Android based phone called 'Backflip' which can be controlled via a touchpad on the back of the screen. We can expect a similar design on the new iPhone.
According to Chen, the new iPhone will go into production in April and should be available to consumers in June or July. But as per Steve Dowling, an Apple spokesman, "We’re not going to comment on rumors and speculation." The iPhone is Apple's second largest source of revenue, second only to the laptops. A dual core processor on the iPhone 4G would knock the socks off the 1Ghz powered Nexus One.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)