Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite portable HDD streams media wirelessly to mobile devices

With a lack of USB ports or SD card reader there's no easy way to expand the storage capacity of an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. With the iPad and iPod touch topping out at 64GB and many opting for the cheaper, lower capacity models, users are either faced with the task of picking and choosing and switching and swapping the media files and documents they think they'll be wanting to enjoy, or looking for an app to stream media over the Internet to their device. With this latter option leaving users at the mercy of increasingly congested Wi-Fi hotspots or chewing through data over 3G or 4G networks, Seagate has just announced another solution in the form of the GoFlex Satellite – it combines a 500GB portable HDD with a built in wireless streamer to let users take their entire media library with them.

The GoFlex Satellite device is basically a standard GoFlex 500GB HDD packed in an enclosure along with an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi module, rechargeable lithium polymer battery and web-server. Used in conjunction with the free GoFlex Media app for iOS devices, the drive appears as local attached storage for up to three devices at the same time. However, an Android app is due this northern summer and in the meantime users of Android smartphones and tablets can stream media to their device's web browser.

Getting content onto the drive from a Windows PC or Mac OS X computer is accomplished using the included Media Sync software. The software is configured to only allow the transfer of files that are compatible with your iOS device, including music and videos purchased through iTunes that will then play on all authorized devices. For those with a USB 3.0 enabled computer, the drive also comes with a USB 3.0 cable to take advantage of the higher transfer speeds offered by USB 3.0.

Seagate says the GoFlex Satellite's battery has a 25-hour standby battery life and will deliver up to five hours of continuously streaming video. To help extend the battery life, the GoFlex Media app also provides a progressive download feature that will temporarily load video onto your iOS device so the drive can go into standby mode. Along with the wall charger, the drive also comes with a car charger to ensure the kids aren't left hanging halfway through on a long car trip.

The GoFlex Satellite is available now for pre-order from Seagate for US$199.99 and is set to arrive in Best Buy stores in July, 2011. Global availability is scheduled for later this year. The GoFlex Media app is available now as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Verifying passwords by the way they're typed

There are good passwords and bad passwords, but none of them are totally secure. Researchers at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, are working on strengthening an approach to password security that's not just about what you type, but how you type it.

Ravel Jabbour, Wes Masri and Ali El-Hajj of the American University of Beirut have developed software that aims to improve upon past attempts at linking password authentication to the the speed and rhythm of the user's keystrokes, a method called key-pattern analysis (KPA).

Instead of just measuring the time-lapse between keystrokes, the researchers also measure how long each key remains depressed. They argue that this extra parameter of "intra" timing significantly boosts reliable authentication and improves the overall KPA approach.

Modified keyboards that measure keystroke pressure represent another avenue for, but this approach works on a standard keyboard. It would work like this:

-> The user enters their password multiple times to set-up a log-in;
-> The program creates a user profile based on intra and inter timing and other parameters like the relationships between two keys (digraph) and three keys (trigraph);
-> This profile is stored for comparison when the user logs-in again.
It's a bit of a double-edged sword because the longer and more complex the password, the harder it is to repeatedly type it in with the same rhythm. The researchers acknowledge the trade-off - it's a matter of finding a "sweet spot" between length and reliable typing. If one had a choice between a longer password and a system that stopped someone with my password written down in front of them from gaining access, one would choose the latter.

The researchers say they have also integrated secure "group" functionality into the system to cater for another possible drawback - the ability to share passwords when you do want someone else to have log-in access.

Keyless LifeBook concept would allow users to arrange their own keyboard layout

Designer Laura Lahti's Keyless LifeBook concept appears to offer both the touchscreen benefits of something like Toshiba's Libretto W100 and the fluid keying of LiquidKeyboard, but in a full-size laptop form factor. It's not clear from the design whether a production model would feature vibration key feedback but this would certainly be a useful addition.

Apart from satisfying those of us who regularly write in more than one language and would otherwise need to seek out different keyboards, the concept would also be useful for anyone wanting to split the keyboard into different sections for ergonomic comfort or gaming efficiency, for instance. Users might wish to place a numeric keypad to the left instead of the more familiar right-hand placement. Being a touchscreen affair also means that any touchpad area could also be positioned for personal comfort, or simply moved out of the way when not needed. The nature of this appealing design also lends itself to custom color layouts.

Google+ launched, takes on Facebook

Finally, the news we've all been waiting for close to a year now. Google last night unveiled the Google+ project, its counter-weight to try and balance the growing power of Facebook as a social network on the Web. Google+ allows users to share photos, videos, and more with their friends -- as it turns out, Circles -- a social layer added on Google search few months ago -- is now part of Google+. So let's see what's all the fuss about.

Rumours of Google working on its own social network first emerged as early as June 2010, when the tech media poured over the Facebook killer that Google was apparently building -- Google Me. It no longer goes by that name, Google's social networking layer over its primary search offering as of launch day is now known as Google+.

So what is Google+? Interesting question. And part of the answer leads us to believe it's much better than Google Buzz, the company's past major attempt at anything social.

Google+ isn't a social networking product, per se -- it isn't like Google Wave, an isolated product. On the contrary, Google+ is an extension of Google search itself, an added layer of social network to enrich your overall Google experience online.

The Google+ project: A quick look



The Google+ project is an assimilation of the following broad categories: +Circles, +Spark, +Hangout, +Mobile (further broken down into +Location, +Huddle, and +Instant uploads).

+Circles:

Powered by HTML5, +Circles lets you drag and drop your friends into different social circles -- siblings and parents in a circle called "Family," office colleagues in a circle called "Work," best buddies in a circle called "Best friends," and so on. Unlike Facebook, which primarily focuses on sharing information with all your friends, Circles in Google+ is more about sharing within well-defined groups for greater control over your audience and the long-term impact of what you share with them.

The Google+ project: Circles



+Sparks:

An interesting approach by Google to re-imagine how people encounter and share quality content on the Web, Sparks is the core sharing engine within the Google+ project. It delivers quality content based on your interests -- movies, cricket, wayne rooney, etc. -- through various parameters and sources -- Google search, Google +1 button recommendations, and more. Here again Google+ diverges from Facebook -- where videos and photos are often shared in a chain -- by allowing every user to encounter content on their interest areas and share it with their social circles.

The Google+ project: Sparks



+Hangouts:

This is a combination of instant messaging and video conferencing features built right into Google+ through Hangouts. Although Google argues it's different from existing IM and video chats, I don't really see any difference -- apart from a cool interface. Do you?

The Google+ project: Hangouts



+Mobile:

Probably the most important of the Google+ project, Mobile is where Google+ will explode very soon. And very smartly, Google+'s Mobile component focuses on three broad aspects, more than anything -- GPS (for location-based activities and labelled +Location), Camera (for uploading and sharing photos from your camera via +Instant uploads), and Chatting (ping friends and start texting with group messages through +Huddle).

The Google+ project: Instant Upload



The Google+ project: Huddle



There's an Android app for Google+ currently out on the Android Market that you can download and get started with. Google said an iOS app is also on its way soon.
As is evident from the videos, Google+ is part of a re-looked Google homepage, with a brand new menu bar at the top which has a +You button to launch Google+.

However, all of you who can't wait to get started with Google+, Google is keeping it an "invitation only" project for now -- remember Gmail and its deployment back in 2004? So yes, unless you have an invite, you'll have to wait to start using Google+.

Turning the palm of your hand into a smartphone interface

Taking on the idea that daily smartphone use can create automatic touch recall, just like touch typing on a keyboard, students at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, have created the "imaginary phone" concept that turns the palm of a hand into a smartphone touch interface. Using spatial memory built up while operating the physical device to remember gestures and the relative position of icons on the phone, users can perform simple smartphone tasks without even taking it out of your pocket.

The imaginary phone concept uses a depth-sensitive camera to detect hand gestures such as tapping and sliding, software to analyze the video, and a wireless radio to send the instructions back to the smartphone. Patrick Baudisch, professor of computer science at the Hasso Plattner Institute, and his colleagues believe that their concept could free users from physically retrieving a device to carry out the large number of "micro interactions" that users perform every day.


The imaginary phone "serves as a shortcut that frees users from the necessity to retrieve the actual physical device" says Baudisch. Unless the user is already wearing a Bluetooth headset, the concept probably won't be much use for answering calls - unless you like yelling at your pocket - but Baudisch says the concept would be more useful for sending calls to voicemail or turning off an alarm, for example.

During the research project, a depth camera was affixed to a mounted rack and proved to accurately sync gestures with a local iPhone. Whilst the setup is far from flashy, it serves the basic idea that once the technology has been mastered, micro cameras can be fixed into clothing materials, such as a shirt button, or reading glasses.

The "imaginary" technology eliminate the need for a projector and it doesn't rely on learning new hand gestures.The system does, however, rely on users remembering the position of icons on the phone's display, so it will only be useful for commonly performed tasks - unless you've got a photographic memory. With that being said, it could definitely come in "handy" when you are driving or washing the dishes.

Watch the demo video below:

Google’s Driverless Cars, Now Legal In US State Of Nevada

Google has been lobbying Nevada legislators to make driverless cars legal on state roads for sometime, well this week Assembly Bill No 511 was passed making Google’s driverless cars now legal in the US State of Nevada.

The new Nevada law defines permits cars which relies on artificial intelligence, sensors and GPS to drive without active the attention of a human operator. You can see a video of the new Google driverless car put through its paces after the jump.

Google is not the only company developing driverless and automatic driving controls for cars, Volkswagen has also been developing a new temporary autopilot system for cars called TAP.

TAP is a semi automatic driving mode that will drive your car at the speed you have selected and also keep you at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.

Volkswagen Shows Off Self-Driving Auto Pilot Technology For Cars

While most automakers try to fix the problems with today's tech, Volkswagen is working on tomorrow's. The future of driving, in major cities at least, is looking more and more likely to be done by high-tech computers rather than actual people, at least if the latest breakthroughs in self self-driving vehicle technology mean anything. Internet search engine giant Google has logged some 140,000 miles with its self-driving Toyota Prius fleet and Audi has had similar success with its run of autonomous cars.

Now Volkswagen has presented its ‘Temporary Auto Pilot’ technology. Monitored by a driver, the technology can allow a car to drive semi-automatically at speeds of up to 80 mph on highways.

It works using a combination of existing technology such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, rolling them all into one comprehensive function. Nonetheless, the driver always retains driving responsibility and is always in control, and must continually monitor it. In this way, Volkswagen only sees it as a stepping stone towards what seems like an eventual future where nobody will be doing any driving.

In the semi-automatic driving mode, the system maintains a safe distance to the vehicle ahead, drives at a speed selected by the driver, reduces this speed as necessary before a bend, and maintains the vehicle’s central position with respect to lane markers. The system also observes overtaking rules and speed limits. Additionally, stop and start driving maneuvers in traffic jams are also automated.

The good news--or bad, depending on how you look at it--is that compared to the more advanced autonomous driving technologies, Volkswagen’s latest Temporary Auto Pilot is based on a relatively production-like sensor platform, consisting of production-level radar-, camera-, and ultrasonic-based sensors supplemented by a laser scanner and an electronic horizon.

Sound Charge t-shirt tops up mobile devices using sound

Visitors to the best-known music festival are almost guaranteed three things - mud, loud music and a dead mobile device battery. Happily, Orange has increased the number of Chill 'n' Charge tents to help make sure lines of communication stay open. The company has announced the development of a new green charging technology. As the name may indicate, the Sound Charge t-shirt turns sound waves into electric charge, allowing the wearer to top up a device battery while thrashing around in the mosh pit.

The development team reckons that the t-shirt will generate up to 6Wh of power when exposed to sound levels of around 80dB - that's about the same noise level as a bustling city street. The reservoir should then get enough energy to fully charge two standard mobile phone or one smartphone, although wearers would most likely use it for a quick top up rather than a full charge.

Orange says that an interchangeable cable ensures compatibility with most brands, and the panel and electronics can be removed prior to washing - an important consideration for those attending a music festival. The Sound Charge t-shirts will undergo live testing around the Spirit of 71 stage, to see which of the acts prove most charge-friendly.

"Sound vibrations, particularly bass frequencies, will create enough shaking to produce electricity from a material as simple as piezoelectric film," said Spirit of 71's Tony Andrews. It looks like it could provide a real solution to mobile charging.

The following video gives a short developmental overview..

Enter text just by thinking

In 2020, mobile phones are becoming available with the option of texting by thought power alone. A sensor-mounted headset is worn by the user. This contains brain-machine interface technology, which analyses brain waves and converts them into digital signals.

Some of the higher end models feature glasses or visors, with displays built into the lenses. This allows completely hands-free texting, effectively creating a form of electronic telepathy. The process is rather slow at this stage - requiring a high degree of concentration - but advances in the coming decades will revolutionise communication.

PossessedHand: Technology group develops device to move your fingers for you

In an interesting meshing of robotics and prosthetics development, Japanese researchers from Tokyo University working in conjunction with Sony Corporation, have created an external forearm device capable of causing independent finger and wrist movement. The PossessedHand as it’s called can be strapped to the wrist like a blood pressure cuff and fine tuned to the individual wearing it. The PossessedHand sends small doses of electricity to the muscles in the forearm that control movement, and can be "taught" to send preprogrammed signals that replicate the movements of normal wrist and finger movements, such as plucking the strings of a musical instrument.

Though the signals sent are too weak to actually cause string plucking, they are apparently strong enough to cause the user to understand which finger is supposed to be moved, thus, the device might be construed to be more of a learning device than an actual guitar accessory.

Currently devices that do roughly the same thing are done with electrodes inserted into the skin, or work via gloves worn over the hand, both rather cludgy and perhaps somewhat painful. This new approach in contrast, is said to feel more like a gentle hand massage.


Though the original purpose of the PossessedHand seems to be as an aid to help people learn to play musical instruments, something that has inspired a bit of criticism from the musical community due to the fact that nothing is actually learned when using the device; the hand basically becomes an external part of the instrument, while the brain remains passive; it seems clear the device could be used in multiple other ways. For example, it could be used by hearing people to assist in speaking with deaf sign-language users, or to help people type who have never learned how, or perhaps more importantly to help paralyzed people or those suffering from a stroke.


In these instances it’s not always imperative that the user actually learn anything new, just that they are able to communicate when they want to. If the programming of the device could be made to work in real time in other ways, by the user, then its value would greatly increase. For example if a person could speak out loud into a microphone and those words could then be captured and translated to sign-language and transferred directly to their fingers, deaf people would instantly be able to communicate with anyone they meet who is willing to wear the cuff.

NHK shows off a TV that watches you

The folks who attended Open House 2011, were able to see NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories demonstrate its new UTAN TV viewing interface. For those of you who are curious, UTAN stands for User Technology Assisted Navigation.

The system begins with a camera mounted on your TV. That camera takes pictures of you while you are watching and with the help of some clever software gauges your level of interest. It does this by assessing your level of attention paid to the screen, based on your facial expression and motions.


The system can then send this data out. Currently, the only place it is going is to a tablet PC that shows the interest level data. Since the system is capable of reading multiple viewers at the same time, the person with the pad would be able to see how interested everyone in the room is in the show.

There is only one problem, how the system makes the measurements, which is by a lack of change in expression. So, if the viewer has an emotional response to what is on the screen it will be seen as a lack of concentration on the show, which could be an incorrect assessment. Currently, the system is also incapable of judging the type of response it is getting, so a laugh and angry screams are all the same to this system. Though, the makers of the device say this level of monitoring is possible in the future.

University of Brighton design students makes biking safer with BLAZE projection system

Emily Brooke, a design student at the University of Brighton, may just be the best friend that a biker has ever had. Anyone who has tried to ride a bike on crowded city streets knows how much of a challenge it can be to get in and out of traffic unscathed will be grateful for her new invention. Known only as BLAZE the handlebar mounted system. The system projects a laser image onto the road in front of the bike, alerting near by drivers that there is a cycle in the lane in situations where the driver may not have otherwise been aware of the presence of a bike rider. Hopefully, this early warning system will prevent drivers from changing into lanes with a bike in them.

"Eighty per cent of cycle accidents occur when bicycles travel straight ahead and a vehicle maneuvers into them," Ms. Brooke, told reporters. "The most common contributory factor is 'failed to look properly' on the part of a vehicle driver. The evidence shows the bike simply is not seen on city streets."

The system, which Ms. Brook developed in consultation with Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Bus Company and driving psychologists projects the sharrow symbol in a green light bright enough to be seen in full daylight. For those of you not familiar with it the sharrow symbol is the sign for a shared lane. The system can be mounted to pedal bikes, scooters and motorcycles.

This design has already won its inventor a paid course at Babson College in Massachusetts, where she can continue to develop BLAZE. No word yet on when BLAZE will be on sale.

i’mWatch: First Android OS cellphone watch

We’ve seen plenty of wristwatch mobile phones in the past, but none powered by the Google Android OS, until now. This latest cellphone watch is called i’mWatch, and unlike other cellphone watches on the market, it runs on its own custom version of Android OS.

You can use i’mWatch to connect to your Android, iPhone 4, and future BlackBerry devices via Bluetooth. Unlike other cellphone watches on the market, i’mWatch comes with a set of apps that it can run, so you can easily make and receive calls and text messages, access your email, weather data, and social networking sites.

As for the hardware specs, i’mWatch comes with a 1.54″ TFT display, it’s powered by Freescale ARM9 IMX233 CPU and it has 64 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage space. In addition, 600mAh battery can provide you with 2 hours or 48 hours of standby that that will likely be more than enough.

HD Spy Camera Light Switch can be Turned On Remotely

If you want to keep an eye on parts of your home or business that people aren’t supposed to be in Chinavasion has the spy camera for you. This camera is designed to look like a light switch and hangs on the wall. It will actually control the lights too. Inside the motion-detecting switch is a little phone camera.

The camera can record video in 320 x 240 resolutions at 30 fps. It can also shoot photos at 1280 x 960 resolution. The camera stores the content to a microSD card and the video and photos can be archived to as computer via USB. It also has a SIM card slot that lets camera do some cool stuff.

You can get a SMS message when someone enters the room you ware watching. The camera switch can also shoot you a SMS message with the photo of the person in the room if you want. You smartphone can also be used to turn the camera on or off. The camera uses a rechargeable battery, not the power wires for your light.

Piezoelectric generator creates power from shoes

Could walking or running generate enough energy to power your cell phone or GPS device? Dr. Ville Kaajakari has developed an innovative piezoelectric generator prototype small enough to be embedded in the sole of a shoe that's designed to produce enough power to operate GPS receivers, location tags and eventually, even a cell phone.

Harnessing kinetic energy is not without its challenges because it’s difficult to generate enough energy to power today’s applications. That’s where Kaajakari's invention - which has recently been featured in the MEMS Investor Journal - comes in.

The shoe generator uses a low-cost polymer transducer with metalized surfaces for electrical contact. Traditionally, ceramic transducers are hard and therefore unsuitable to use in shoes but Kaajakari's generator is soft as well as strong so it could replace a normal heel shock absorber without loss to the user experience.

According to Kaajakari, the new voltage regulation circuits can convert the piezoelectric charge into a usable voltage and combined with the polymer transducer give a time-averaged power of two milliwatts per shoe on an average walk - that’s comparable to lithium coin/button cells and enough to power running sensors, RF transponders and GPS receivers.

"This technology could benefit, for example, hikers that need emergency location devices or beacons," said Kaajakari. "For more general use, you can use it to power portable devices without wasteful batteries. Ultimately, we want to bring up the power levels up to a point where we could, in addition to sensors, charge or power other portable devices such as cell phones."

It will be interesting to see if Kaajakari’s inventiveness pays off – will shoes of the future be capable of charging mobile devices, and at the same time will our footsteps power the buildings we walk through?

LaCie Reveals 100GB CloudBox HDD / Cloud Storage Solution

These days, it's either about tablets or clouds, or both! LaCie has a new external hard drive on offer, but the 100GB box isn't your average drive. It's actually fairly small in size, but what it lacks locally it makes up for on the cloud. Basically, it keeps one copy of your computer back-up on the drive. And then it also sends that copy to LaCie's storage servers elsewhere, ensuring that you'll have a copy even if something awful were to happen to the unit itself.

This isn't a new concept. People have been able to buy their own external drive for years and just pipe it to whatever external cloud hosting service you like, but LaCie's bundling those two services into one easy-to-consume package. It'll work with PC and Mac systems, and so long as the backup has made its way onto the CloudBox, it'll upload to the cloud even if your machine is flipped off.

The CloudBox provides multiple levels of data security including two copies of your files and AES data encryption. Unlike other cloud storage offerings, your files are encrypted before they are sent to the cloud – meaning no one, not even LaCie, has access to your most important files. The CloudBox ensures complete data security and safety from data loss.

iPad Invisibility App Is Awesome (Video)

The usefulness of the iPad 2 rear meagre camera has always left it a little redundant but now a new app called Invisibility uses the iPad 2′s rear camera to create a variety of fantastic optical tricks.

The new Invisibility application has been designed and created by Levity Nolvety and uses a combination of the iPad 2′s rear camera and gyroscope to create a wonderful invisibility effect on the iPad’s screen.

Have a look at this video

SoftStep KeyWorx offers foot-operated computing

Using one's feet works quite well while driving, so why not use them to control computers, too? That's what Berkley-based company Keith McMillen Instruments wondered, and ended up designing SoftStep KeyWorx, a foot-operated computer interface device. It's Mac and PC compatible, and offers 10 touch-sensitive buttons and a navigation pad, along with up to 100 macros that allow for customized commands and shortcuts.

The SoftStep Foot Controller was initially designed for musicians and music studios. Upgrading it with the KeyWorx software, however, made the device fully computer-adapted. Media production applications, video games, software programming, or web browsing are among the applications listed as being best-suited to the device.

What exactly can you do with the SoftStep under your feet? KMI points to such tasks as opening and closing apps, controlling the cursor, text input, changing toolsets within applications, zooming in and out, controlling volume or scrolling through programs.


"People with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), carpal tunnel, loss of use of upper body/paralysis, limited dexterity, hand/arm strength, or wrist pain, including veterans and the disabled," are among the target groups likely to be interested in SoftStep, according to KMI. However, the company would like to address the device to a wider audience, namely "anyone who wants a faster way to use their computer," including gamers.

SoftStep features pressure- and location-sensitive keys, and is made of elastomeric and graphite composites, thus making the design rugged yet lightweight (1.3 lb/590 g). The blue backlight makes it visible in darkened places, such as under desks. It has a four-character LED display, and the keys are lit by LEDs as well.

The video below offers a brief presentation on the device:

Samsung's solar-powered netbook

Samsung has rolled out its solar-powered netbook, NC215S. This solar powered device, packs a 10.1-inch matte display with a resolution of 1024×600 pixels. Moreover, it has 1GB of RAM and a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N570 dual-core processor.

Though not the most impressive spec, but according to Samsung, you should be able to get an hour of battery life for every two hours of charging time via its solar panel. Under ideal conditions, Samsung says, you should also be able to squeeze about 14 hours of battery life out of the netbook. But it is obvious that it will provide much shorter battery life for say when under cloudy or rainy conditions as it runs on solar energy.

Camera-enabled mobile payments

In an attempt to edge its way into the crowded mobile payments market, a new credit card scanning system is saying "ah, hell no!" to typing and swiping. Card.io is billed as an SDK that takes advantage of smartphone cameras to let devs accept credit, because, as its creators point out, "typing on mobile phones is slow, and most consumers don't have a separate hardware attachment." When it's time to pull out the plastic, Card.io gets your phone's camera going, and up pops a little green rectangle, in which you frame your card and snap a pic. Your credit card info is then processed by a third-party merchant, and the details are subsequently deleted from your phone.

Have a look at this video to see how it works

Glasses-free 3D smartphones about to invade. First ones coming from Sprint, AT&T

Glasses-free 3D smartphones are about to invade the U.S., with Sprint launching sales of the HTC Evo 3D on Friday and AT&T confirming that sales of the LG Thrill 4G will begin sometime later this summer.

Sprint said on June 6 that its 3D entry will go on sale June 24 at a cost $199.99 with a two-year service contract.

AT&T on Wednesday said it will make the LG Thrill available this summer, but it didn't name a price or an availability date.

The two phones have similar 3D features, but they also have some important differences.

In addition to offering 3D viewing without a need for glasses, both run on the fastest available networks from their respective carriers: Sprint's WiMax and AT&T's HSPA+. Also, both have 4.3-in. touchscreens and dual rear-facing stereoscopic cameras to capture 3D video content.

Among their differences, the HTC Evo 3D will run the Android 2.3 operating system, which gives it an advantage over the LG Thrill, which will initially run Android 2.2 but will later be upgraded to Android 2.3.


The HTC Evo 3D has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, while the LG Thrill comes with a 1GHz dual-core processor that features two channels to connect to the phone's dual memory to improve performance.

Gamers will be the prime audience. They will likely be eager to take advantage of the fast networks and complex games that sometimes take place in real-time among multiple players in different locations.

The LG Thrill 4G from AT&T will come preloaded with a 3D button on the home screen that allows access to 3D games, 3D movies and user-created 3D content. It will be preloaded with access to YouTube 3D for viewing and uploading 3D content.

New discovery might lead to laptops powered through typing

Everlasting batteries and self-powered portable electronics have come one step closer to reality, according to the results of new research by Australian scientists from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The researchers successfully measured a piezoelectric thin film's capacity for turning mechanical pressure into electricity. It may sound like an idea from the realm of science fiction, but the discovery could eventually lead to laptops powered through typing.

Piezoelectric materials are able to to convert mechanical energy into electric power. Piezoelectricity as a phenomenon was discovered in the 19th century, and is used in things like electric cigarette lighters, which use a piezoelectric crystal capable of producing a high voltage electric current after being hit by a spring-loaded hammer, to ignite gas. Piezoelectric bulk or block materials (like crystals or ceramics) have been studied thoroughly, but research on thin films is relatively new, according to the lead co-author of the research, Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran.

The scientists were able to quantify the amount of energy that can be generated by piezoelectric thin films coatings. "Our study focused on thin film coatings because we believe they hold the only practical possibility of integrating piezoelectrics into existing electronic technology," Dr. Bhaskaran said. She believes it is possible to implement the discovery into consumer electronics on a wider scale. "The power of piezoelectrics could be integrated into running shoes to charge mobile phones, enable laptops to be powered through typing or even used to convert blood pressure into a power source for pacemakers - essentially creating an everlasting battery."

Camera That Lets You Shoot Now, Focus Later

Ever snapped a photo and only noticed it was out of focus after the fact? A new kind of camera from an ambitious startup could make such focusing mistakes obsolete. Able to take so-called "living photographs," the Lytro camera captures images in such a way that viewers can change which part is in focus while viewing them.

"I am thrilled to finally draw back the curtain and introduce our new light-field camera company, one that will forever change how everyone takes and experiences pictures," Lytro CEO Ren Ng wrote in a blog post. "Lytro's company launch is truly the start of a picture revolution."

The camera is based on light-field photography, a method of taking photos that captures much more information than regular photography. Regular digital cameras only record the sum total of light rays hitting the image sensor, according to the Lytro, but the Lytro camera records the color, intensity, and vector direction of every individual ray. Not only does it result in images with flexible focus, but it also can create 3D images from a single lens.

The idea of light-field photography has been around for a long time, and has been used in professional circles for years (it's the same method that created the groundbreaking wraparound special effects of The Matrix movies). Typically, such a setup requires multiple cameras and a lot of computing power to render the images, but Lytro says it has put the tech into a single camera that's "portable and stylish" via sophisticated optics and algorithms.

The effect is impressive: a photo can take on entirely new meaning, depending on which part you focus on. For example, a picture of two cats looks like a simple close-up when focused on the one in the foreground, but zeroing in on the background cat almost implies an ominous threat. A company spokesman only said the camera would debut "at the end of the year." There are no pricing details yet.

Have a look at this video

G-Connect offers 500GB of wireless storage, portable WiFi network to smartphone, tablet users

Hitachi's G-Technology unit has already showered us with a slew of external hard drives, but it's taking a slightly more hybridized approach with the G-Connect -- a device that offers both wireless storage and portable WiFi access to smartphone and tablet users. Designed with nomadic content-hoarders in mind, this device boasts 500GB of mobile storage, can simultaneously support more than five different devices on its 802.11n wireless network, and, when connected via Ethernet, serves as a WiFi access point. It's also robust enough to stream up to five standard-definition movies at one time (or up to three HD flicks), and, at about 9.7 ounces, it won't add too much weight to your quiver of gadgets, either.

If you're worried about security, you can surround the network with a password-protected fortress, or store some of your less mentionable content in your very own private folder. iOS users can further enhance their G-experience by downloading the accompanying app, which will allow them to view and access all of their G-stored documents and media from the comfort of their iDevices (an equivalent app for the Android crowd will launch this fall). If you're interested, you can pre-order the G-Connect from G-Technology's website for $200, or wait until it hits retailers next month.

Camera that Can Capture Scenes Around the Corner

Scientists at MIT managed to create a camera is able to take pictures of scenes hidden around the corner.

Here's how the system works: the camera uses a femtosecond laser to launch a beam of light that hits the door and is reflected into the room. The atmosphere disperses the beam and a part of its light hits you, while another part is reflected back to the door. The latter reflects part of the light back to the camera. The camera then collects the light and forms a picture

The MIT team, led by Prof. Ramesh Raskar says their new system is able to capture light at very short time scales, and namely about one quadrillionth of a second.

The camera is able to create a 3D image of the hidden scene by continuously collecting light and calculating the time and distance each pixel has passed, reports Physorg.

Scientists are still working on the project, hoping to obtain a technology that would allow capturing more complex scenes.

The team says that their latest invention could be used in various ways. For instance, the camera could be used in rescue missions to help look for survivors in damaged buildings or help avoid car accidents at blind corners.

HOLO 2.0 : Future Wearable computer for 2015

What do you imagine for the next generation computer in the year 2015? Let me give you some hints: it’s going to be wearable, fashionable, equipped with ecological power source, holographic display, and of course, connected anytime anywhere. HOLO 2.0 is a project designed to be the next computer replacement for the future. This wearable computer offers a new user experience with its portability and ground breaking architecture. This multi function gadget allows you to keep connected to the web whenever, wherever!
HOLO 2.0 uses kinetically chargeable battery, the power source is generated from the kinetic movements of your hand. It features an interactive holographic display to establish a connection between the user and the device itself. Could we change it into a desktop computer? Well, yes, this device comes with a docking station to emit a larger holographic display which you can use as a desktop computer display at the convenient of your home or office. The main strength of this gadget is its minimal size but with a complete function as a laptop. The dimension is: 140mm (length), 20mm (width), 2.5mm (minimum thickness), and 10mm (maximum thickness).

TankBot - World's First Micro-Robotic Toy Controlled With iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

Desk Pets International (HK) Limited, the manufacturer of micro-robotic toys, unveiled TankBot. The new toy which was seen at the 2011 Toy Fair that took place in New York City between February 13 and 16.

The world's first micro-robotic toy that costs under $20 can be controlled with the help of an iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The toy has 3 modes for navigation, roaming and clearing obstacles. There will be no need to buy new batteries, since the TankBot features a built-in USB charger.

To use the toy it is simply required to plug it into the headphone jack of the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. It can be moves forward, backward and sideways using Apple's accelerometer technology.

If the autonomous mode is activated the toy can travel around a give area avoiding obstacles and interacting with the user's movements by itself. This became possible thanks to the incorporated infrared sensors.

Practical flying cars

Anti-gravity propulsion has been under development for almost a century now. Initially seen in military applications, it eventually found its way to the consumer market. Here, it began showing up in various luxury items and devices, such as hoverboards and floating recliners.
Further refinement of this technology - together with advances in AI, microjets and collision avoidance systems - has led to the dawn of a new era in personal transportation. In the late 2070s, it is not uncommon to see what citizens of earlier decades might describe as "flying cars" moving through cities.

In fact, these are light-duty vehicles based on earlier military VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) craft, but with slimmed down functionality and costs. They come in a variety of models and sizes, but are typically around 4 metres wide, and limited to a maximum of one or two passengers. By the end of this decade, they are becoming cheap, safe and numerous enough to be regarded as a mainstream form of transport.



The craft have a number of advantages over established forms of mobility. Since they float above the ground, they can access terrain and environments that would easily defeat traditional automobiles. This makes them popular with adventurers and explorers. They are also substantially faster than normal cars, able to reach several hundred kilometres per hour if necessary. They are more versatile and manoeuvrable than aeroplanes and can utilise a much greater volume of airspace. Since the traffic they generate is decentralised and there is so much available airspace, this makes them safer than both cars and aeroplanes, too. Collisions are almost unheard of, in any case, due to the onboard software and AI.
In addition, they use considerably less fuel than earlier forms of transport and require less maintenance.

Some of the more expensive models are capable of reaching low Earth orbit for short periods. Others feature striking designs, often personalised by their owner - such as holographic decals and other accessories. These craft are being used by many businesses too (especially for rapid delivery of goods), as well as police and ambulance crews.
Further developments in anti-gravity will lead to bigger, more sophisticated versions - including recreational vehicles serving as truly mobile homes. Many previously inaccessible parts of Earth will become inhabited thanks to this, such as mountains and remote islands

The iPhone of 2020!

Designer Josselin Zaïgouche, who created the Zero Phone has now sent an incredible design, the Apple Black Hole concept, possibly the iPhone of the year 2020. “What’s going to happen in 10 years” asks the designer and the answer should look something like this..


As you can see, the Apple Black Hole comprises 4 components: the charging base, the Prism, the Black Hole and the giftbox. Things get interesting when you try to use the handset… its central ball will levitate when you open your hand and all functions will be controlled in mid-air, with the aid of holographic technology. How cool is that?

The Black Hole concept phone can be connected to the charging base and used as a desktop device, still projecting the needed interface. Brilliant? Yes! Viable? Maybe…

The Multi-touch surface computing

These coffee table-sized devices have been appearing in business venues for a couple of years already. They are now becoming cheap enough for the consumer market.
This computing platform responds to natural hand gestures and real world physical objects. It has a 360-degree user interface and a large reflective surface, with projectors underneath which project images onto its underside. Cameras in the machine's housing record reflections of infrared light from objects and fingertip movements.

The surface is capable of object recognition, object/finger orientation recognition and tracking, and is multi-touch and is multi-user. Users can interact with the machine by touching or dragging their fingertips and objects such as paintbrushes across the screen, or by placing and moving placed objects. The platform can respond to over 50 touches at a time.

The use of multi-touch technology is increasing exponentially during this time. For example, sales of touchscreen phones will rise from 200,000 in 2006 to over 21 million by 2012, while iPads and other tablet devices are seeing similar growth.

Japanese ‘K’ Computer Is Ranked Most Powerful

In the rankings of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, a Japanese machine has earned the top spot with a performance that essentially laps the competition.

The computer, known as “K Computer,” is three times faster than a Chinese rival that previously held the top position, said Jack Dongarra, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who keeps the official rankings of computer performance.

K, built by Fujitsu and located at the Riken Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan, represents a giant leap forward in speed. It will also undoubtedly be a source of national pride for Japan, at least among computer scientists, who take the race for fastest computer quite seriously.

“It’s a very impressive machine,” Mr. Dongarra said. “It’s a lot more powerful than the other computers.”

The latest ranking of the top 500 computers, to be released later today(Monday), is determined by running a standard mathematical equation. The winning computer was able to make 8.2 quadrillion calculations per second, or in more technical terms, 8.2 petaflops per second.

The performance of K is equivalent to linking around one million desktop computers, Mr. Dongarra said.

Supercomputers are used for earthquake simulations, climate modeling, nuclear research and weapons development and testing, among other things. Businesses also use the machines for oil exploration and rapid stock trading.

Building supercomputers is costly and involves connecting thousands of small computers in a data center. K is made up of 672 cabinets filled with system boards. Although considered energy-efficient, it still uses enough electricity to power nearly 10,000 homes at a cost of around $10 million annually, Mr. Dongarra said.


The research lab that houses K plans to increase the computer’s size to 800 cabinets. That will raise its speed, which already exceeds that of its five closest competitors combined, Mr. Dongarra said.

“K” is short to the Japanese word “Kei,” which means 10 quadrillion, the ultimate goal for the number of calculations the computer can perform per second.

K succeeded in pushing the previous leader, China’s Tianhe-1A supercomputer, at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin, China, to second place. Tianhe-1A had been the first Chinese computer to be ranked on top, signaling the country’s growing technological might.

The fastest computer in the United States, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tenn., placed third.

Asian countries have made huge investments in supercomputing and now dominate the upper echelon of the field. Japan and China hold four of the top five spots in the latest ranking.

However, in terms of the top 10, the United States remains the leader with five computers. They are at government research facilities.

Japan’s top supercomputer ranking is its first since 2004. The United States and China are the only other countries to have held the title.

The rankings, which are issued every six months, change frequently and reflect how fast computer power is advancing. For example, the top ranked computer in June 2008, at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, is now in 10th place.

Mr. Dongarra said a computer called Blue Waters, being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, may rival K in speed.

Draganflyer X6

Draganflyer X6 is an advanced helicopter that can be operated remotely without any pilot. It is designed mainly to carry wireless video cameras and still cameras. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter can be operated very easily with its hand held controller.

The Draganflyer X6 helicopter is based on a unique 6-rotor design that has been under development since early 2006. It uses 11 sensors and thousands of lines of code to self-stabilize during flight which makes it easier to fly than any other helicopter in its class. The on-board software of Draganflyer X6 is developed after extensive testing and development. Draganflyer X6 helicopter is a revolution in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

It can be used very efficiently for various applications and it is ideal for spying on the enemy in a safe and reliable manner.

MAJOR FIELDS OF APPLICATIONS

The new Draganflyer X6 can be used in various field such as Industrial Constructions, Government Applications and Educational needs.

1)Industrial Use:

Draganflyer X6 can be used very efficiently in Bridge Constructions, Building Construction, Pipeline / Hydro-Transmission Line Inspection, Road Construction. With the help of this aircraft you can get videos and images of any site from various angels.

Equipped with a high resolution still camera (with remote zoom, shutter control and tilt) it can capture great images. And its high definition video recorder can record videos very efficiently. It has a range of 500 meters and have a flight time of 20 to 30 minutes.

It is designed specifically with easy controlling system for ease of use it. So, it is easy to fly, needs very minimal training, and provides an extremely stable aerial platform from where you can get photographs and video. It's small size and portability makes it suitable to carry it to any construction site and have it ready to fly in minutes.

2)Government Applications:

Draganflyer X6 can be used in many government applications such as Law Enforcement, Fire, Emergency Measures, Wildlife Management, Environment and Transportation. You can use this advanced machine for Disaster Response, Conservation Enforcement, Crime Scene Investigation, Crowd Control, Explosive Disposal Unit, Search and Rescue Missions, Traffic Congestion Control, Criminal Intelligence Applications, Fire Damage Assessment, Fire Scene Management any many more.

3)Educational Applications:

Draganflyer X6 is very useful in educational applications such as Advanced RC Flight Research, Aerial Archeology, Environmental Assessment, and Geological Exploration.

Intelligent Helicopters

Scientist at STANFORD have developed an Artificial Intelligence System that enables Robotic Helicopters to teach themselves to fly difficult stunts by watching other helicopters perform the same maneuvers. It can result in development of autonomous helicopter than can perform a complete airshow of complex stunts on its own. It is one of most recent example of latest technology inventions.

EXPERIMENT

The experiment was is an important demonstration of Apprenticeship Learning in which robots learn by observing an expert. Stanford's artificial intelligence system learned how to fly by "watching" the four-foot-long helicopters flown by expert radio control pilot Garett Oku.

This advanced helicopter can learn and perform actions such as traveling flips, rolls, loops with pirouettes, stall-turns with pirouettes, a knife-edge, an Immelmann, a slapper, an inverted tail slide and a hurricane, described as a "fast backward funnel."


IMPORTANCE

Previous autonomous helicopters were able to fly stunts by simply replaying the exact finger movements of an expert pilot using the joy sticks on the helicopter's remote controller. But the major problem was that uncontrollable variables such as gusting winds due to which this is not very advance. To solve this problem, the researchers had Oku and other pilots fly entire airshow routines and every movement of the helicopter was recorded.

As Oku repeated a maneuver several times, the trajectory of the helicopter inevitably varied slightly with each flight. At this point, the learning algorithms created by Ng's team were able to discern the ideal trajectory the pilot was seeking. Thus the autonomous helicopter learned to fly the routine better and more consistently.


ADVANCED INTELLIGENT SYSTEM

This advanced and intelligent contains some instrumentation mounted on the helicopter and some on the ground. These instrumentations monitor the position, direction, orientation, velocity, acceleration and spin of the helicopter in several dimensions. A ground-based computer crunches the data, makes quick calculations and beams new flight directions to the helicopter via radio 20 times per second. Some of the important instruments it uses are Accelerometers, Gyroscopes and Magnetometers.

These advance intelligent helicopters are a new generation of very robust, very reliable helicopter which can fly just as their human counterparts.

Transparent plane of the future: Airbus reveals 2050 prediction

Airbus recently unveiled its vision for air travel in 40 years’ time, and should their predictions ring true, those with vertigo can forget about flying by 2050.

Planes in 2050 will feature see-through plane cabins, holographic pop-up gaming displays and seats that change in size and shape to fit each passenger, according to the company.

The concept design was unveiled in London this week and takes similar flight forecasts, made this time last year, several steps further.

Transparent cabin walls

Plane of the future is fitted with transparent cabin walls that provide passengers with some of the most amazing views of the earth we’ll ever see.

Passengers with vertigo who want to shut out the panoramic views can opt to turn their seats into holographic pods, rendering their sitting area opaque.

That’s great, but unless the seats have built-in potties, nervous travelers will still have to make the potentially terrifying trek from their seats to the lavatory.

Instead of being directed to our seats by cabin crew, passengers of the future can locate their seat by hand-print scanners that display images of the seating layout.


Classless future

Gone are the class divisions between first, business and economy cabins. Instead, the plane of the future is separated into themed zones.

A "Vitalizing" zone is practically a spa, with mood lighting, vitamin-enriched air and aromatherapy and acupuncture treatments.

Holographic games

An "Interactive" zone has a fully stocked bar and offers electronic games such as virtual golf.

Passengers in the "Smart Tech Zone" get to work with colleagues or even read bedtime stories to their kids remotely via holographics and sound showers.


Seats that morph to your body

Morphing seats will adapt to suit the passenger's travel budget and their body shape, providing different levels of comfort and space.

While not explaining how these wild imaginings can be turned into reality, Airbus claims that some of these renderings can be achieved with minimal environmental impact.

Computers of the Future!-Pen Shaped Miniature Personal Computer

You've just looked into the future... yep that's right!
You've just seen something that will replace your PC in the near future. In the revolution of miniature computers, scientists have made great developments with bluetooth technology.This is the forthcoming computers you can carry within your pockets.

This "pen sort of instrument" produces both the monitor as well as the keyboard on any flat surfaces from where you can carry out functions you would normally do on your desktop computer.

BrainDriver - Technology that Allows Controlling a Car Using the Power of Mind

BrainDriver is the latest invention of Raul Rojas, an AI professor at the Freie Universitat Berlin. It represents a car driving system that allows the driver to control a vehicle using the power of mind.

It is worth mentioning that the technology makes use of electroencephalography, or EEG, which allows it to read the brain's neuro-signals and then convert the electric impulses into steering output.

Thus one can control the steering, brakes and more by simply using their thought. The EEG was developed by Emotiv, a firm based in San Francisco. It is worth mentioning that initially the firm developed the EEG for gaming but now it used to help read human emotions and convert them into actions in accordance with pre-programmed patterns.

So far the technology is in the trial phase. The testing of the new system took place at the Berlin Airport.

Check out the video below to see the technology in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iDV_62QoHjY

China’s car-straddling bus — and its creativity in clean tech

This picture from China News shows China’s latest scheme for handling both its traffic jams and its air pollution — a combination bus/train that would straddle the road so cars could drive underneath it.

The project was exhibited in May at the Beijing International High-Tech Expo by the Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co Ltd., according to the news service China Hush.

It runs on electricity or solar energy. Passengers would sit on the top level (the bus can accommodate 1200 to 1400 people) while cars drive beneath them.

Its creators claim the straddling bus could reduce traffic jams by 25 to 30 percent, partly by getting people out of their cars and partly because the bus would move along with the cars underneath it rather than being one more vehicle on the road. Carbon emissions, they estimate, would be reduced by 860 tons per year.

Below, from China Hush, is a translated excerpt of the demonstration of the bus that tells how it works. You can also watch the video, which was posted on YouTube by sadieblooming and has an English voice-over.

The bus’s creators also point out that the straddling bus would be much faster to build than a subway — a year versus three years — and has a “huge skylight that will eliminate passengers’ sense of depression when (they) enter.”

Straddling bus is completely powered by municipal electricity and solar energy system. In terms of electricity, the setting is called relay direct current electrification. The bus itself is electrical conductor, two rails built on top to allow the charging post to run along with the bus, the next charging post will be on the rails before the earlier one leaves, that is why we call it relay charging. It is new invention, not available yet in other places.

The set here is super capacitor, a device that can charge, discharge and store electricity quickly. The power it stores during the stop can support the bus till the next stop where another round of charging takes place, achieving zero toxic gas throughout the process.

About the ultrasonic waves put forth from the end of the bus, that is to keep those high cars or trucks away from entering the tunnel. Using laser ray to scan, cars get too close to the passage will activate the alarm on the bus end. Inside the bus, there are turning lights that indicate a the bus is intending to make a turn to warn the cars inside. Also radar scanning system is embedded on the walls to warn cars from getting too close to the bus wheels.

Nowadays many big cities have remodeled their traffic signaling system, to prioritize public buses, that is to say when a bus reaches a crossing, red light on the other side of the fork will turn on automatically to give buses the right of way. Our straddling bus can learn from this BRT method. The car can make the turn with the bus if that is the direction it wants to go too; if not, the red light will be on to stop the cars beneath while the bus take the turn.

The bus is 6 m in width and 4-4.5 m high. How will people get off the bus if an accident happens to such a huge bus? Here I introduce the most advanced escaping system in the world. In the case of fire or other emergencies, the escaping door will open automatically. I believe many of you have been on a plane. Planes are equipped with inflated ladder so people can slide down on it in emergency. I put the escaping concept into the straddling bus. It is the fastest way to escape.