Gadgets Blog » lavenya dilip

If your nana is like mine, then she is adamant about not jumping into the 21st century and is convinced that computers are too complicated for her to bother with. And if you are scratching your head wondering just what would please her this Christmas, you might want to hear about this:

A new computer called SimplicITy helps people over the age of 60 who have never before used PCs or the Internet experience the simple pleasures of chatting, social networking, online gaming, online shopping, online dating perhaps if she is single.

The simplified desktop opens to a bare bone screen called Square One that is designed not to overwhelm. It displays just six clickable buttons that will direct users to basic tasks such as e-mail, chat, browse the web, store photos and write short documents. Each machine is pre-loaded with 17 video tutorials from television presenter Valerie Singleton. Grandma will never have to worry her pretty head about login screening or drop down menus. If she has a problem she can just go ‘back to Square One’ and start all over again. Moreover she can make new friends as all SimplicITy users with an eldy.org address will be able to chat to each other via the “chat” button.

Each machine is built on a Linux operating system. Users can replace the SimplicITy desktop with a standard Linux desktop if they feel confident enough to move on.

The made-to-order computer can be ordered by mail and takes two weeks from request to delivery. You can order the PC from SimplicITy website, using your PayPal account.

Source: BBCNews

A futuristic digital technology the likes of which we’ve seen in several Sci-Fi movies over the years has now become a reality. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab are working on a revolutionary prototype called “Sixth Sense” which is a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.

The SixthSense prototype comprises a pocket projector, mirror and camera worn in a pendant-like mobile device. Both the projector and the camera are connected to a mobile computing device in the user’s pocket. The system projects information onto the surfaces and physical objects around us, making any surface into a digital interface; the camera recognizes and tracks both the user’s hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision-based techniques. SixthSense uses simple computer-vision techniques to process the video-stream data captured by the camera and follows the locations of colored markers on the user’s fingertips In addition, the software interprets the data into gestures to use for interacting with the projected application interfaces. SixthSense also supports multi-touch and multi-user interaction.

In layman’s terms, with the Sixth sense in hand, you can walk around like Tom Cruise in Minority Report, and get all the info you could possibly need about anything you are looking at with a full display report projected onto the object itself. The object in question could even be a person and you would be able to get information on him or her at first sight. By merely using hand gestures you could get mundane things done like a magician without going through the actual process. For example, You could draw a watch dial on your hand using your fingertip and the time will be digitally displayed instantaneously. You could make a picture frame in the air, and a photo would be immediately taken of the view in front of you. Similarly, you just have to look at the books in a library or the items displayed in your grocery store to get all the info you would need to make an informed decision about the product. By looking at a flight ticket, you would be informed of any delays or changes in flight plans. And what’s more, you will be able to build this dream “machine” all by yourself!

“I am trying to make this tech available to people, and I will provide all the open source software for SixthSense starting next month,” The Economic Times quoted Pranab Mistry, the the MIT grad student behind Sixth Sense as saying. “I notice that it’s hard to for these kind of things to market in some sense. . . because I don’t want this to comply with some of kind of corporate policy. People will be able to make their own hardware. I will give them instructions how to make it. And also provide them key software… give them basic key software layers… they will be able to build their own applications. They will be able to modify base level and do anything.”

The current prototype system costs approximate $350 to build. For a video on how the Sixth sense works , watch below.

YouTube - Watch 

Source: SiliconIndia.com

Sony Ericsson, the fourth largest handset maker revealed its new X10 mobile phone this morning, its first attempt to run on Google Inc’s android operating system . It has now formally enlisted in the ever increasing group of vendors that have come out with smart phones running on Google’s OS this past year. Well at least you will have more options if you are a part of the anti-iPhone movement!

The X10 will have a 4-inch-wide touch screen, music player, high-speed web access, Google Maps, a touch-screen interface and will use Qualcomm Inc’s Snapdragon processor. It also comes with an 8.1 megapixel camera that supports geo-tagging, face/smile detection, image stabilization, auto-focus and flash. The facial recognition software will be able to recognize up to five faces in a single picture, automatically connecting that photo with a user’s “social phone book” comprising of calls and messages sent to and from that person. Sony’s strategy takes a fresh turn from entertainment and mega pixel rich units to full scale social media. A new “user experience platform” enables people to organize their contact information, social networks and personal media through an “open, human and intuitive user experience”. It has a “social phone book” that threads conversations by person, and a one click access to all your interactions with contacts whether the medium of interface was by text or email, or on Facebook.

Sony says the interface will be overlaid on the existing Google Android foundations and will be the first mobile phone to “truly humanize the way people interact with their phones”. Where have we heard that before? Sony has added two unique applications of its own that it calls Timescape and Mediascape. Timescape is a messaging application that lets users access all of their communications in one place including Twitter posts ,Facebook updates, phone calls and SMS messages. Mediascape is a media management application that lets users arrange their music, video and web content like YouTube and Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow apps store. Of course one can download all the additional apps and software you want to from the Android Market. It will go on sale in selected markets at the start of 2010.

For more specifics, visit sonyericsson.com.

Firefox fans would be happy to know ( and there are so many Firefox enthusiasts out there) that Mozilla announced the availability of the first beta for version 3.6 of its open source Firefox web browser. If you are a dedicated Internet Explorer user, you will not find the updates too thrilling but Firefox users will get some new upgrades in this version.The release features will provide built-in support for Personas, “skins” for the browser surround of menus (Users can now change their browser’s appearance with a single click) , alerts that will warn users when their plug-ins are out of date or on delivery of new plug-ins and support for the Web Open Font Format (WOFF). Other promises are quicker loading and support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5. You can also expect better JavaScript performance and display Open, native video on full screen. A feature allowing you to drag and drop files from a PC to the browser can be included.

Mozilla warns that being pre-release software, you are likely to run into compatibility problems with some websites and add-ons. If you are an outstanding open source citizen , you can help Mozilla by bringing these bugs to their attention and help them get fixed here.

You can find the full scoop on Firefox 3.6 browser here and for free Download click here.

It’s an accepted fact by now that iPhone killers come and go, but so far none have quite managed to dethrone the crowned prince. But Droid managed to set the press on fire yesterday as news and reviews poured in for this Motorola-Verizon-Google Smartphone. Many gadget lovers believe that this might just be the one tenacious contender to finish the job that others failed to accomplish!

Let’s start with the basics. Said to be the slimmest phone on the market with a full, slide-out QWERTY keypad , it is poised for release on Nov. 6th for $199 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. It makes it at 4.6 by 2.4 by 0.5 inches, a negligible few hundredths of an inch thicker than the iPhone. If you are looking for a lightweight phone, you might be disappointed that it is on the heavier side at six ounces. But there are going to be some pay-offs for the physical keyboard and the big display which is lacking in the iPhone and sought after by many.

Droid’s 3.7-inch touch screen is about two-tenths of an inch bigger than the iPhone’s display and provides an advantage while web browsing. What’s got everyone’s curiosity piqued is the fact that it is the first phone to run on latest version 2.0 of Android, Google’s open source operating system. That comes with a few extra perks such as full-on push support for Microsoft Exchange and Google Gmail. If you are a Facebook addict, the phone will draw contact information from your Facebook pals into your address book via a widget. A click gets you right into their profiles and you never need to miss on any of their status updates when you are on the go. Other preloaded widgets include YouTube, a corporate calendar, and “Power Control” where you can turn on/off your wireless connections, adjust brightness etc. (The iphone does not support widgets.) A You Tube app lets you comment on clips, favorite them, or share videos via e-mail and Facebook.

Google Maps with new GPS-aided turn-by-turn navigation makes it’s debut with Android 2.0 and Droid. The navigation system provides free, voice-activated service with satellite view, traffic, ATMs, and restaurants, Google latitude, turn-by-turn directions etc. Thanks to Android’s voice-recognition technology, you can say where you want to be directed to if you find typing cumbersome.

The Droid’s 5-megapixel camera comes with a dual LED flash and auto-focus/image stabilization capabilities and the consensus is that the DVD-quality video recording is comparable to that of iPhone’s. You can then upload your shots directly to Facebook and Picasa with geotags. The iPhone is still king when it comes to cooler and more numerous apps for download, not to mention the popular access to movie rentals and iTunes store. (Droid does let you download songs via the Amazon MP3 store). But it is only a matter of time before Droid’s open android platform, more malleable to customization to get the development community going for a more creative apps palette.

Other features include Wi-Fi; USB mass storage; Bluetooth 2.0; a 3.5mm headphone jack; 440×854 pixels resolution, a vibrate mode, text ;multimedia messaging, a calculator, and an alarm clock .

Now the million dollar question is if Droid will manage to knock Apple off its pedestal. Judging by past record of wannabes, I wouldn’t hold my breadth on that one. But judging from all the excitement in the media, Droid promises a stiff fight ahead.

Google has thought of a new service called Social Search that produces search results rich with personalized social content from your friends. It was launched yesterday in an experimental mode. How it manages to do that is by using your contact lists on various sites like Google profile page, Google chat, blogs, Twitter, Friend Feed and customizing your results to the people you know.

YouTube - Watch Google Social Search

I can’t say I’m too thrilled with the idea. While we probably would find it handy when we are being snoops ourselves (and we all have been there sometime), I doubt most of us would be too happy to have our every online move put on a parade a la our own version of an intrusive reality show. I understand that when we put some info out there into the world, on some level we should be prepared for this invasion of privacy because you have created the content publicly. But are you ready for this kind of concentrated, targeted information so ready at hand for any casual acquaintance that you’ve forgotten to knock from your forward list? I’m not talking just your name, place of work etc. I’m talking your political views, religious beliefs and your online review about a local restaurant, the works.

But if you are determined to try this brand new feature, at least in part to find out what you are up against when it is used against you, visit Google’s Experimental Labs page and click the button to “join the experiment.” Then after you do any search, use the “Show Options” box just under the search box at the top of the search results page. Then select the “Social” link along the left-side of the page. Upon entry, you will be privy to social information at the bottom of your search result pages. While you’re there, click on the “Results from people in your social circle” link at the bottom of the page to target the results to just the social data. For example, if you make a search on a topic that catches your fancy , you would immediately be subjected to information such as what your friends or acquaintances have said about that particular topic on other sites. It will also provide info about people whom your friends are associated with like say on a Twitter site. If this is not reason enough to stop accepting social invites from strangers on the net, I don’t know what is!

But Google does give you a way out of this scary little feature, you can always remove any mention of other services you don’t want looked into from your Google profile. And presently Google cannot access your Facebook friends or content, if you have not made it available outside of the site. Since social search is still in early stages of development, Google will probably iron out some annoying bugs soon. I hope they make a way of adding or deleting people from this service depending on our comfort zone. After all of us have different layers of trust with people in our current social circles…As they say “all friends are not made equal”.

For more info, check out the official Google Social Search features page, now live on the Google support site.

Taiwanese laptop manufacturer, ASUS’s N51V notebook computer has become the world’s first notebook to receive both Environmental Product Declaration and carbon footprint certificates.

Asus claims that it made it possible by reducing its operational carbon emissions in materials, manufacturing, using, transportation, and disposal. Moreover the ASUS N51V is an EPEAT Gold registered product for its innovative energy-saving technology that Asus calls Super Hybrid Engine which not only improves energy performance by 53.75% as compared to merely following the Energy Star standard, but also extends the battery life from 35% to 53%. The reuse, recycle and recovery rate of the N51V is at least 90%, and the recycled content in the packaging achieves at least 80%. Asus says that the laptop comes with an Air Ioniser that promotes a fresher environment for the user by helping to clean the air of allergens and germs.

The trim looking notebook is shiny black, sports a silver Asus logo in the middle and has a standard 15.6-inch, 1366×768 screen. It comes with all the features that you would expect from a medium sized laptop including three USB ports, VGA and HDMI outputs, Express Card 54, SD card reader, microphone and headphone jacks. The N51V is stacked with Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit, 2GB RAM, 802.11n, Bluetooth and gigabit Ethernet. A single button next to the power button is used to load Asus Express Gate the Splash-top based quick loading OS when you don’t need Windows in full blast.

All in all, Asus N51V is a pretty decent buy for the price and if environmental considerations figure high in your list of priorities while making a purchase, I think you will be a happy customer.

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics has launched Samsung Blue Earth, an eco-friendly mobile phone with full touch display and sophisticated multimedia appeal. It promises all the state of the art features while working hard to reduce the carbon footprint and saving the Earth. All this while sporting a good-looking face! Sounds like an ideal Miss World contestant, doesn’t it? The pretty, pebble shaped beauty is sure to make a green lover’s heart sing. It functions on very low power and is made of post consumer material extracted from water bottles, which helps lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions. It is devoid of harmful substances like Brominated Flame Retardants, Polyvinylchloride and Phthalate usually found in other gadgets. The Blue Earth has a fully functional solar panel on its back, which can be used to generate power for the phone to operate. It comes with a 5 star energy efficient charger to boot. A responsible “Eco mode” leaves you with the option of setting screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth to an energy-efficient mode with just a single, slick click. That’s not all! An “Eco Walk” function calculates the precise carbon dioxide reduction that you made happen by taking a walk instead of driving. It will even tell you how many trees you saved by walking. No kidding! If that’s not an incentive for your morning walk, I don’t know what is!

Now that they’ve managed to do all that, It is a given that it will come packaged to you in recycled paper and printed with soy ink.

Other features include:

• Display: 16M WQVGA TFT LCD (3.0”)Capacitive Touch Screen
• Camera: 3.2 Megapixel CMOS, Face Detection / Smile Shot / Photo EditorAudio: Audio Format Support (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA) /WMDRM, OMA DRM
• Find Music (Music Recognition) / Music Equalizer; Stereo FM Radio with RDS; Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP)Video: Video Format Support (H.263, WMV, MPEG4)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth®v 2.1 / USB 2.0 HS / Wi-FiMemory: Internal Memory : 130MBExternal Memory : microSDHC™ (up to 16GB)Dimension: 108 x 53.6 x 14.2 mmWeight: 119 g
• Battery: 1080 mAh

This environmentally conscious device will be on sale in Europe this October. I can’t wait for it to hit the stores in United States. This definitely sounds like my kind of phone!

For all of you who have been eying this beauty for quite sometime, now might be the time to finally take the plunge. Kindle 2 has gone down further by $40! What’s the big deal, you say? Considering that it debuted at $400 a couple of years ago, i say “Yay!” It also now comes in an international version that will be available and can be used in over 100 countries using a built-in AT&T SIM card for $279. So you can download a book in US and read it in other parts of the world. The new model can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.com and it will get shipped on October 19. However the original Sprint Kindle is available immediately on sale at $259.

If you need a little rekindling of what Kindle is all about, let’s jog your memory: Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazinesLightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperbackWireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots.

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required. Wirelessly send, receive and read personal documents in a variety of formats such as Microsoft Word and PDF.

Paper-Like Display: The screen works using real ink and doesn’t use a backlight. Reads like real paper with no glare, even in bright sunlight.

Choose Text Size: Kindle lets readers customize their reading preference by providing six different text sizes.

Long Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging. Kindle’s electronic ink display sips battery power so users can read for over two weeks with wireless turned off and up to four days on a single charge with wireless on.

Carry Your Library: Holds over 1,500 books in its tiny frame.Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book’s rights holder made the feature unavailable.Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Large Selection: Over 350,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available. This includes new Releases and 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers. If you are a committed traveler, you would be happy to know that Lonely Planet travel guides have been recently added to the vast collection .Travelers can now pack as many Lonely Planet guides as they want into Kindle and download new guides wirelessly elsewhere in the world.

Low Book Prices: Most downloads will set you back $9.99, unless marked otherwise

Dictionary Lookup: Kindle comes with the New Oxford American Dictionary and over 250,000 definitions that appear instantly at the bottom of the page.

I don’t own a kindle yet. But I must admit I’m tempted!

If you are constantly struggling like me to unsuccessfully pull your assortment of wired and wireless networks together, you might want to check out this new router from Netgear that will hit select retailers and online stores this fall for $139. Granted it’s more expensive but how many of us buy cheaper, less reliable brands and end up replacing them once too often due to inconsistent signal?

Netgear ‘s RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router runs on open source Linux platform and supports a wide variety of popular free applications such as DD-WRT, OpenWRT and Tomato. Apart from the support to enable more applications from the open source community, RangeMax offers high-performance wireless range and speed, Gigabit Ethernet ports and ReadyShare USB storage access. Netgear is working with software vendors through a partner program to develop more commercial grade applications such as increased online gaming support, high-speed USB file reads and writes, easy remote access, etc.

Other specific features include a 480MHz MIPS 74K CPU core with embedded hardware acceleration, a 8 MB of flash memory and 64 MB of RAM (enough to run even business-class applications). It also has five 10/100/1000 (one WAN port and four LAN) Ethernet ports with auto-sensing technology with high WAN to LAN speeds in excess of 350 Mbps. It incorporates an 802.11n access point with a wireless repeater mode to extend range. The three internal Metamaterial antennas provide enhanced wireless range and reliable connections. In addition to its Gigabit Ethernet ports to deliver ultra-fast wired network connections, the WNR3500L router includes a USB 2.0 host port for USB networked storage and for developing other customer applications, including remote access, DLNA/UPnP Media Server support, and USB modem support for 3G/4G/WiMax high-speed cellular connections.

The router protects the network from intruders via a double firewall and Denial-of-service attack prevention. The wireless connection is secured with support for Wi-Fi Protected Access, WPA2-PSK, while Push ‘N’ Connect using Wi-Fi Protected Setup enables users to add computers to the network quickly and securely. For maximum throughput, NETGEAR recommends the RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router with USB be used with a matching Wireless-N client device such as the NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adapter (WN111).

The router is backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support.