Category Archives: Techs and other stuffs
10 ways Android beats iOS, Windows, and everything else
Windows Mobile and the iPhone have some advantages over Android, but in these areas, no one beats Google’s OS.
1. Maps and navigation
Google’s Maps application is simply the best out there. It’s only going to get better with monthly updates that will add features and perfect the interface. Bing Maps on Windows Mobile is surprisingly good but it doesn’t have the same layers and granular features as Google Maps.
The iPhone’s Maps application has barely changed since 2007. Good alternatives in the app Store can be expensive and take up as much as 1-2 Gigs of precious phone storage. Google’s app, on the other hand, takes up almost no space on the phone because everything is in the cloud.
The only downside is that Google’s Maps uses more data and re-routing when outside of a data area. If you require offline maps, there are some in the Android Market. Also, HTC is offering a free version of offline Maps on their phones.
2. Notify bar
Google’s notify bar leaves other platforms’ notification systems looking incomplete. Emails, SMSs Facebook notifications, charging, software updates, task managers–just about anything you can think of is managed from a pull-down drawer that can be almost universally used from any screen.
Windows Phone 7 uses tiles that require leaving the current application. iPhone has serial notifications that can’t be grouped onto one screen.
3. Widgets
At first, I didn’t really see the need for Widgets. But after playing around, it is hard to imagine using a smartphone without them.
Just like Windows Mobile 7′s tiles, you can set up a page with your Google Voice, RSS, Twitter and Facebook streams and organize them any way you want. It makes a much better ‘mission control’ screen than you can get on the iPhone, which only lets you see apps and notifications.
4. Carrier choice
Right now in the US, you’re stuck with AT&T if you have an iPhone or Windows 7 phone. That will change in 2011, but at the moment, you don’t have another choice if AT&T doesn’t have coverage in your area or costs more than you want to pay.
With Google, on the other hand, you can pick the best carrier in your area for your budget. Each one will have at least a few great Android phones available.
5. Hotspot
You can create a Wireless hotspot with most Android phones that lets other devices like iPads and laptops jump on the same connection as the phone.
While this costs extra, the convenience and utility of the service make it much better than purchasing separate hardware. iPhone does do tethering, but only to laptops (without jail-breaking). Windows 7 doesn’t create hotspots at all.
Via: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/fortune/1010/gallery.google_best_phone_os.fortune/6.html
Click here to see the full list of 10 ways Android beats iOS, Windows, and everything else
Five things to know about the DSi XL
What do you do when you’ve conquered the world? Try conquering it again, I guess.
Such is the position that Nintendo finds itself in, at least if the world you’re talking about is that of the portable gaming scene. Despite hitting shelves back in 2004, the Nintendo DS system is still totally dominating the handheld market, even managing to set a U.S. sales record with a stunning 11.2 million units sold in 2009.
But rather than sit back and bask in their success, Nintendo is moving forward by releasing the fourth iteration of the DS, the DSi XL, on March 28. Not sure what the new system is all about? Here’s what you need to know.
1. Yes, it’s much, much bigger.
Much. This is the heaviest, longest, and widest DS to date. Specifically, the DSi XL boasts twin 4.2 inch screens — 93% larger than the DS Lite and a fair share bigger than the DSi. It also packs a standard stylus alongside a fat new stylus roughly the size of a pen. See for yourself in this handy size comparison pic.
2. That goes for the battery, too.
This might be the most overlooked new feature. The supersized battery means you don’t have to charge it up as often, reportedly lasting between 13 and 17 hours on the lowest brightness setting. That’s a significant boost over the DSi’s 9 to 14 hour range. Unless you’re flying halfway around the world, chances are the DSi XL will be a dependable travel companion.
3. It’s pre-loaded with games.
Although we’re not sure they all deserve to be called “games.” Two of them are Brain Age spinoffs: one for Arts and Letters, another focusing on Math. The others? A Photo Clock (which lets you turn any picture into a timekeeper), a browser, and the Flipnote animation studio. It’s not exactly Mario Kart, but hey, free stuff is free stuff.
4. It will play all your DS titles.
Besides, you’re not going to waste time with the pre-installed software for long. The DSi XL supports all 1,000 or so DS games released over the past six years. And since it’s still technically a DSi system, you can also download DSiWare titles.
5. It doesn’t really fit in your pocket.
One of the selling points of any portable game system is, well, its portability. By most accounts, the DSi XL is a little too bulky to tote around in your front pocket. It’s not as unwieldy as an iPad, but it’s hardly as portable as your iPhone…or your standard DSi.
Via http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/five-things-to-know-about-the-dsi-xl/1395084
Adobe preannounces Creative Suite 5
I have to admit–I’m in complete awe at the capability of Adobe’s PR machine to instigate and maintain a steady buzz about a product months before it’s even official without ever having to lie, pretend to leak, or have a well-known evangelist equipped with a reality distortion field. For a product like Adobe’s Creative Suite, home to popular applications like Photoshop and Flash, there’s never a doubt that a new version will arrive, and it’s on a pretty regular timetable of every 18 to 24 months. That means Adobe can’t rely on the will-they-or-won’t-they school of generating buzz that works so well for Apple. Instead, months in advance, Adobe starts touring and posting short technology demos of features that may–or may not–be in the next new version, wowing watchers and priming them to loosen their purse strings, along with dropping tiny feature tidbits like breadcrumbs leading you to the announcement.
In its latest move, Adobe has announced that the CS5 launch will take place on April 12, and that it wants you to tune in at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET) to watch online; you’ll need to register first to be able to watch. But as long as the existence of CS5 is no longer “secret,” then I’ll take the opportunity to tell you to check back here at the same time for our reviews and previews of at least the major applications in the suite. There’s my breadcrumb.
Via : http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20001043-1.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody
NASA, Giant Leap in Robotic Technology
NASA and General Motors are working together to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related technologies for use in the automotive and aerospace industries.
Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM worked together through a Space Act Agreement at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants.
The two organizations, with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, developed and built the next iteration of Robonaut. Robonaut 2, or R2, is a faster, more dexterous and more technologically advanced robot. This new generation robot can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid machines. R2 can work safely alongside people, a necessity both on Earth and in space.
“This cutting-edge robotics technology holds great promise, not only for NASA, but also for the nation,” said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “I’m very excited about the new opportunities for human and robotic exploration these versatile robots provide across a wide range of applications.”
NASA and General Motors have come together to develop the next generation dexterous humanoid robot. The robots — called Robonaut2 — were designed to use the same tools as humans, which allows them to work safely side-by-side humans on Earth and in space. Credit: NASA.
“For GM, this is about safer cars and safer plants,” said Alan Taub, GM’s vice president for global research and development. “When it comes to future vehicles, the advancements in controls, sensors and vision technology can be used to develop advanced vehicle safety systems. The partnership’s vision is to explore advanced robots working together in harmony with people, building better, higher quality vehicles in a safer, more competitive manufacturing environment.”
The idea of using dexterous, human-like robots capable of using their hands to do intricate work is not new to the aerospace industry. The original Robonaut, a humanoid robot designed for space travel, was built by the software, robotics and simulation division at Johnson in a collaborative effort with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency 10 years ago. During the past decade, NASA gained significant expertise in building robotic technologies for space applications. These capabilities will help NASA launch a bold new era of space exploration.
“Our challenge today is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space,” said Mike Coats, Johnson’s center director. “Working side by side with humans, or going where the risks are too great for people, machines like Robonaut will expand our capability for construction and discovery.”
NASA and GM have a long, rich history of partnering on key technologies, starting in the 1960s with the development of the navigation systems for the Apollo missions. GM also played a vital role in the development of the Lunar Rover Vehicle, the first vehicle to be used on the moon.
Via http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205110636.htm
UNO MOTORBIKE LEANS INTO ACTION
For travel, many of us opt for a motorbike, whist very few of us have the time tolearn to ride the more comical unicycle. Well, an 18 year-old scientist by the name of Ben J. Poss Gulak, has decided to merge both modes of transport, and develop what he has termed, ‘Uno’. The bike caught the attention of many attendees to the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto, either because they thought it was cool or to determine what it actually was. The common wheel set-up, of one at the back and one at the front has been revolutionised into two wheels sitting side by side. The Uno also utilises rear footpegs and a considerably smaller chassis.
Amazingly, the Uno weighs only 120lbs and has no controls, except for a simple on/off switch. In order to move, you lean your body in the direction, so leaning back kicks the Uno into reverse. The Uno’s speed id controlled by how far you lean forward or back and is completely controlled by an ECU (electronic control unit) which is attached to the motor. The Uno is currently a one-off, but looks and sounds very cool indeed!
Wi-Fi smartphones to dominate
LAS VEGAS – In the next few years it will be difficult to buy a new smartphone that does not have built-in Wi-Fi for speedy Net access, according to a report that ABI Research published Tuesday.
Today, about half the smartphones sold have Wi-Fi. By 2014, the forecast goes, about 90 percent of smartphones will offer access to Wi-Fi.
The big driver for Wi-Fi is bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications, such as graphically intense games and streaming video. The Apple iPhone was among the first devices to show the true benefit of having Wi-Fi. AT&T, the exclusive carrier offering the iPhone in the U.S., has said that iPhone subscribers consume more data than any other people using its wireless service, even other smartphone customers.
And because of these heavy traffic loads on its overburdened 3G network, AT&T is encouraging all its iPhone subscribers to access its more than 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots for free. The hope is that the company can offload some of the traffic onto the Wi-Fi network by encouraging subscribers to use Wi-Fi for data-intensive activities when they’re in range of a hot spot.
“In the age of data-centric multimedia phones, carriers have embraced Wi-Fi technology as a way to offload traffic from licensed spectrum and improve the consumer experience,” Michael Morgan, industry analyst for ABI Research, said in a statement. “We are seeing handset users starting to demand Wi-Fi because of its higher data rate and indoor reception benefits.”
Even as carriers roll out 4G wireless networks, Wi-Fi will still have a place because it can offer fast Internet access at a relatively low cost for many devices.
While most cell phones today use Wi-Fi technology based on older standards, the newer specification called 802.11n is gaining traction. And by 2012 ABI says it will become the predominant Wi-Fi technology used in mobile handsets. Today 10 smartphones already have 802.11n certification, including four phones by LG Electronics and six phones from Samsung.
The benefit of using 802.11n is that it offers up to five times the download speed of 802.11g. The newer 802.11n also doubles the range of a Wi-Fi hot spot from about 100 meters to about 200 meters.
It also has a few other features built into the specification that will improve the experience for mobile users. For example, since data transmissions are more efficient with 802.11n, battery life lasts longer than with other forms of 802.11 technology. The specification also prioritizes network resources for voice and video applications to improve the performance, which means voice-over-IP calls and streaming video should run more smoothly on devices connected a via an 802.11n hot spot.
And because 802.11n offers higher capacity, it allows more users to connect to a single hot spot at the same time than older forms of Wi-Fi.
Verizon unveils the LG Cosmos
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s LG Remarq announcement by Sprint, Verizon announced yet another LG messaging phone today, dubbed the LG Cosmos. Though it doesn’t have quite the same green cred as the Remarq, the Cosmos does have a similar slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Features include the typical text and multimedia messaging, plus a speakerphone, Bluetooth, GPS, voice command, automatic voice clarity, and a 1.3-megapixel camera that boasts 2x zoom and noise reduction. Verizon also says the Cosmos will have easy access to social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and more.
The LG Cosmos will be available this Thursday, March 25, from Verizon Wireless for $29.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year contract.
Pi??
PARIS (AFP) – A French software engineer said on Friday he was claiming a world record for calculating Pi, the constant that has fascinated mathematicians for millennia.
Fabrice Bellard told AFP he used an inexpensive desktop computer — and not a supercomputer used in past records — to calculate Pi to nearly 2.7 trillion decimal places.
That is around 123 billion digits more than the previous record set last August by Japanese professor Daisuke Takahashi, he said.
Takahashi, using a T2K Open Supercomputer, took 29 hours to crunch Pi to 2.577 billion digits.
Bellard took 131 days, comprising 103 for the computation in binary digits, 13 days for verification, 12 days to convert the binary digits to a base of 10 and three final days to check the conversion.
The gear cost “a bit less than 2,000 euros” (3,000 dollars), Bellard, who earns a living as a software consultant in digital television in Paris, said in an email exchange.
“It is a completely standard PC. The only unusual thing is that it has five 1.5-teraoctet hard disks. Mainstream PCs generally have only one 1-teraoctet disk.”
Bellard has placed on his website details of the achievement, including the use of a high-powered mathematical engine called the Chudnovsky algorithm that chewed through the computation.
Extracts of the 2,699,999,990,000-digit outcome have been published so that they can be compared to preceding records in order to gain independent verification, Bellard told AFP.
Files containing the digits are also being offered to any outside organism keen on hosting the record, he said.
Pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, kicks off with 3.14159… in a string whose digits are believed never to repeat or end.
Bellard said he was “not especially interested” in Pi’s digits but more in taking up the gauntlet of writing the software to carry out the arithmetic.
“Optimising these algorithms to get good performance is a difficult programming challenge,” he wrote.
Via: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/sciencemathematicsfranceoffbeat
3D TVs are eye-popping, but they have their drawbacks
It’s all about 3D at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, and believe me: there’s no shortage of eye-popping, head-ducking 3D demos on the show floor. It’s all quite impressive, but look a little harder and you start to see the flaws.I’ve spent a good part of my time at CES running from one massive exhibitor booth to another, starting with Panasonic and moving on to such big names as Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, and Sony.
I’ve tried on more 3D glasses than I care to count (they’re all of the battery-powered “active-shutter” variety, by the way, complete with LCD lenses that rapidly open and shut in sync with the alternating left-and-right images on the HDTV screen), and overall, I’m happy to report that the effect is, indeed, very similar to what you’ll see in a theater.
Yes, the 3D image does seem to stretch behind the screen, with moments that deliver a sublime sense of depth, such as, say, the ballroom floor during the “Alice in Wonderland” trailer or even the foreshortened spinning wheel in “Wheel of Fortune” (yes, someone bothered to shoot an episode in 3D, I kid you not). There were also plenty of “whoa!” sequences, like a CGI dude with a ball and paddle who repeatedly zinged the ball right up to my nose.
That said, I did notice a few key annoyances that could be a problem for anyone who buys one of these new sets for their living room.
Glare
Granted, lighting conditions on the CES show floor aren’t the best … but the same goes for most living rooms, frankly, and I found the glare on glossy HDTV screens (particularly the plasma variety) to be very distracting, putting a serious dent in the 3D effect. Ideally, of course, you’ll want to have your 3D HDTV in a completely darkened room (such as the makeshift theater where Panasonic was showing off its gargantuan, 152-inch 3D plasma set). Barring that, though, you’ll at least want to make sure there aren’t any glare-inducing light sources in the area.
Flicker
The latest generation of 3D HDTVs and their accompanying active-shutter glasses are designed to have refresh rates so fast that you won’t notice any flicker at all; nevertheless, there were still moments when I definitely did notice a slight but distracting flicker, particularly during brightly-lit scenes. The effect was worse on some sets than others (I won’t call anyone out quite yet, given that it’s so tough to judge on the CES show floor), and it’s possible that proper calibration could reduce the problem. Still, it’s worth noting.
Weird-looking 3D
This next issue has more to do with the 3D sources on display here at CES than with the 3D sets themselves, but it could end up being an issue with the upcoming 3D TV networks and programming that are being touted this week. While the 3D trailers of “Avatar” that are prevalent at the show look amazingly realistic, some of the other demos — of, say, skaters on an ice rink, underwater sea urchins, football players bashing heads, and so on — look like the same, cheesy cardboard cut-outs that you might see in a kid’s plastic ViewMaster. The problem, I’m guessing, is that those producing these odd-looking 3D clips are trying to exaggerate the 3D effect to get the most eye-pooping visuals, but the effect looks plain weird — not anything like real life at all, but a strange, fake-looking and oddly flat 3D pseudo world. While accomplished filmmakers like James Cameron seem to be going out of their way to go for a more subtle, realistic 3D effect, my fear is that upcoming 3D programmers might be temped to go with the flashy, phony look instead.
So-so looking 2D-to-3D conversion
Both Samsung and Toshiba are promising on-board 2D-to-3D conversion on their sets, and as you might expect … the effect only looks fair, at best. I saw a demo clip showing airborne views of a forest, a soccer match, a gushing creek, and so on, and the visuals looked … well, they had what I’d call “pseudo depth,” conveying the sense that the image was stretching behind the screen but not of a real 3D landscape. It’s not terrible by any stretch, but don’t expect an on-the-fly 2D-to-3D conversion of “The Empire Strikes Back” or Anderson Cooper to look anything like the real 3D thing.
Pricey 3D glasses
I touched on this issue in passing a couple of days ago but it’s worth mentioning again: these “active-shutter” 3D glasses that come with all of the 3D TV sets I’ve seen today won’t be cheap. No one is discussing pricing quite yet, but I’ve heard that these IR-enabled, battery-powered glasses could cost somewhere in the $100 range, and at best, you should only expect to get two pairs of glasses with your new 3D TV. (Sony has committed to two pairs of active-shutter glasses for its top-of-the-line 3D models, while Panasonic will only give you one; Samsung hasn’t announced its policy yet.) So if you were having thoughts of a 3D Super Bowl party with, oh, a dozen friends or so, and let’s say the glasses end up costing only $50 a pop … well, that’s a cool $600 worth of 3D glasses.
Again, it’s really tough to get an accurate grip on the latest 3D TVs in just two hours in a jam-packed convention center, but I have to say … my impressions are decidedly mixed. While this is definitely the year for selling 3D TVs, whether it’s the year for buying one is an open question.
So, what do you think: Are you sold on 3D TV? On the fence? Keeping your distance (har har)? Fire away below.
Google VS Apple
Google Phone vs. iPhone: Head to Head
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 provided by http://www.smartmoney.com/
Will the company that revolutionized Internet search send the Apple (AAPL) iPhone looking for answers?
At a press gathering on Tuesday, Google (GOOG) unveiled the Nexus One, a Google-branded smartphone that will run on the search giant’s Android operating system. Some analysts say Google’s new device, which is being built by HTC of Taiwan based on Google’s specifications, will deal a stiff blow to Apple’s hegemony in the smartphone arena.
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Where could Google succeed where other competitors have failed? The Nexus One boasts speed improvements and enhanced camera capabilities, and the device will be sold unlocked. So rather than being forced to sign a contract with AT&T (T), a service provider that has been criticized for network mishaps and poor customer service ratings in the last year, buyers may purchase service plans separately from the device.
The Nexus One is also nice to look at, says Michael Gartenberg, the vice president of strategy and analysis for Interpret, a market researcher in Los Angeles. “Google’s Nexus One is a beautifully designed device,” he says. “It looks like Google looked at the iPhone and said we can do better.”
For now, the iPhone is the dominant device in the sector. And critics of Google’s device say the company’s design improvements offer only slight advantages over existing devices and won’t necessarily shake iPhone from its perch yet.
SmartMoney took a closer look at how Apple’s iPhone and Google’s new Nexus One match up:
Price
The unlocked version of the Nexus One, which will be sold directly to consumers via a new web store hosted by Google, will cost $529. A locked version of the phone, which will be sold initially by T-Mobile, will cost $179 with a two-year contract that will cost roughly $80 a month.
Apple’s iPhone 3GS now costs $199 with a two-year contract with AT&T.
Advantage: Nexus One
Network
For iPhone users, the only service provider is AT&T. AT&T says it has the fastest 3G network — a claim backed by organizations like the industry testing firm Global Wireless Solutions and Piper Jaffray. Still, the telecom giant’s struggles with outages and slowdowns have been widely reported and culminated in a recent suspension of iPhone sales in New York and San Francisco. AT&T says that switching its “distribution channels” was the reason for the service halt. “While there’s always more to be done — particularly in markets like Manhattan and San Francisco — we have a high sense of urgency and we’re on the right track,” says Fletcher Cook, a spokesman for AT&T.
Like the iPhone, the Nexus One is also built for the GSM network. And while T-Mobile is currently the Nexus One’s only so-called subsidized provider, the device can also operate on AT&T’s network. However, because the device operates at frequencies unique to T-Mobile, “it won’t be able to achieve 3G speeds on AT&T,” says Jay Nakahara, a technology sector specialist at ICAP in New York. “If it is true that the Nexus One only runs at 2G speeds on AT&T, I find it hard to believe that there will be a lot of demand to buy an unlocked version.”
Nexus One may have other suitors in the future. Verizon Wireless (VZ) in the U.S. and Vodafone in Europe plan to eventually sell the Nexus One, according to Google.
Advantage: Nexus One
Applications
Apple’s app store offers more than 100,000 applications. Google’s Android Market offers between 15,000 and 20,000 apps. “You’re talking about a [tenfold] difference,” says Gartenberg. Although he says the quality of Apple’s apps may be vary widely, the momentum and attention among developers certainly favor Apple. “This is where Apple has had a real significant lead over Google’s Android,” he says.
Some analysts say that may change. The fact that Google’s Android is an open-source platform is attractive to developers, says Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a San Jose, Calif.-based technology research firm. An Android app developer can create an app and see it instantly available. However, Apple app developers need to get approval first — a process that takes roughly 15 days, he says. And Apple can be picky. “People are really having trouble with the approval process,” Enderle says.
In addition, “if you’re writing an app, you’ll write one for the biggest platform,” says Nakahara. “It’s in Google’s best interest for its operating system to be as pervasive as possible,” he says. Google’s Nexus One will run the Android platform, but so will other devices from HTC, the Motorola Droid and possibly some handsets from Samsung and LG Electronics of Korea, he says.
And Google may soon launch an Android Cloud Service so that users can run on demand apps rather than download them to a handset, says Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at Global Equities Research in San Francisco. Nexus One users will also get access to Google Voice, the company’s call forwarding application, which was blocked for the iPhone by Apple.
Advantage: iPhone
Hardware
The Nexus One boasts a five-megapixel camera with a built-in flash and autofocus, while the iPhone 3.2-megapixel camera lacks a flash, says Chowdhry. “This is critical because there is a completely new category of apps called augmented reality, which require high resolution and autofocus to work well,” he says.
However, when it comes to usability, the iPhone has the advantage. Unlike the Nexus One, the iPhone has multitouch capabilities that allow users to rotate, pinch and zoom or un-zoom the display with their hands.
Although the iPhone may get a speed boost when Apple comes out with another version in June, at this point, the Nexus One will be faster in general, says Chowdhry. Because the Nexus One will house Qualcomm’s (QCOM) latest SnapDragon processor, it will run at about 1 GHz. The iPhone now runs at a slower speed — about 600 MHz, he says.
The Nexus One also offers a removable battery. Unlike the iPhone battery, which is sealed inside the device, the Nexus One battery can be replaced by the user.
Advantage: Nexus One
The Nexus One’s default email account may be through Google’s Gmail, but that won’t stop users from checking other email accounts, says Nakahara. In checking corporate accounts, though, iPhone and Nexus One users will likely run into similar difficulties, he says.
The Nexus One boasts a larger screen than the iPhone, which may be a benefit for picture taking and overall usability. However, neither the iPhone nor the Nexus One has an actual keyboard, which has upset some users.
Advantage: Tie
