Tectrac

TREADMILL COMPARISONS

2009-07-02T14:30:00.004+06:00

The best treadmills are those that combine functionality with ease of use and price, along with other factors. The treadmills that follow represent the top 5 found on the market today.

The Sole F80 is one of the top 5 treadmills available, according to shoppers. This is also one of the best foldable treadmills available. Users can fold the treadmill for easy carrying, travel and storage. It weighs in at just 350 pounds and contains rollers underneath the surface, which increases its durability. The F80 from Sole is 55 inches long and 20 inches wide, with a wide surface for running or walking. It comes with a lifetime warranty on the motor and frame, with a five year warranty on other parts. The company also agrees to service problems in the owner’s home, rather than forcing them to send it off. It’s best for those who like running on a treadmill, but aren’t ready to make a more serious investment since it retails for $1,500.

Sole is the manufacturer of the F63, which also makes the list of the top 5 treadmills. This treadmill is priced at just $999, making it the cheapest one on the list and more affordable for some shoppers. It’s perfect for those who don’t have a lot of money, but still want a quality machine. This folding treadmill weighs 325 pounds and comes with an optional pulse monitor that attaches to the chest while walking. The F63 has a three year warranty and comes with built in speakers. Users can attach their Mp3 player directly to the machine while walking.

The Platinum Pro VR treadmill from PaceMaster also makes the list of the top 5 treadmills. The treadmill has a negative incline, which allows runners to go at their own speed and adjust the incline for a more serious experience. It’s great for those who run frequently and need a machine capable of giving them the same experience they’d find outside, or those who want something more professional. It measures 60 inches long by 20 inches wide for a large running surface and holds up to 400 pounds at one time. It’s priced at $2,500.

Landice makes the L770 Home Cardio Trainer Treadmill, which also makes the list. This is best for those who want the same experience as one they’d find in the gym since this is a professional treadmill. This is priced at $3,300, but it’s strong enough for constant daily use. It has a soft running engine for a quiet run and a 3 horsepower engine that allows it to be used frequently. The treadmill features a built in programming system that allows runners to customize their routine.

Last on the list of the top 5 treadmills is the budget friendly Gold’s Gym 450 priced at just $375. This machine is best for those who want a treadmill for exercise, but aren’t daily runners since it isn’t as strong as the more expensive models. It comes with 6 programs that automatically adjust as the owner walks or runs on the treadmill. It also allows users to input the amount of calories they want to burn, and the machine creates a workout around that number. The treadmill is lightweight and has a running surface of 50 inches long and 18 inches wide.

(courtesy: .sports-media.org)

Hawk WiFi robot is probably more fun to hang around than your friends

2009-05-12T22:04:00.003+06:00

Hawk is a humanoid, autonomous, wireless, and handsome robot made by Canadian company Dr. Robot. He's got WiFi, a GPS navigation system, dual cameras in his moveable, animated head, and a host of other cameras and sensors that keep him trucking along. Designed with education in mind, Hawk's skill set is a bit limited, but his hands are pretty impressive. Hawk is on sale now, and while there's no price listed for the bot, base parts of the robot are in the range of $5,000. Video of Hawk beating the skins after the break: yes, we're aware of the fact that he's not exactly John Bonham but, then again -- neither are any of your friends, right?

HP 50g Graphing Calculator

2009-04-18T17:42:00.003+06:00

The ultimate graphing calculator for surveying, engineering, math and science professionals and students is even better. The new HP 50g graphing calculator features an SD card slot with formatting functions, RPN~, Algebraic and Textbook data entry, the largest high-contrast screen with more usable space than ever, serial port and USB and connectivity. Plus, HP Solve, structured programming and Computer Algebra System (CAS). You also get the reassurance of award-winning HP support 24-hours a day.

Features

•	Massive 2.5MB total memory—512KB RAM plus 2MB flash ROM for performing future upgrades

•	Equation library and 2300+ built-in functions—ideal for both professionals and students

•	FREE USB connectivity kit with USB cable, connectivity software and pouch included

•	Choose RPN, Textbook and Algebraic entry and customize data with four font sizes and styles

•	Enhanced HP keypad with re-definable keyboard and menu keys allows for reduced keying errors

•	HP Solve application allows you to type and store an equation then use to solve any variable

•	Easily perform complex arithmetic and calculus functions with advanced Computer Algebra System (CAS)

•	New powerful SD card slot allows you to format your card right in the calculator and expand memory

•	Calculate advanced expressions and view solutions in 2- or 3-D graphical representation (courtesy:www1.hp.com)

BLACK BERRY STORM 9500 Vs HTC TOUCH HD

2009-04-07T11:45:00.002+05:00

BlackBerry 9500 Strom is a 3G compatible smart phone that comes in a curvaceous and sleek black casing. The gorgeous handset comes equipped with a GPS navigation application and HTML web browser through which users can access popular social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook. Its integrated media player allows users to enjoy playback music in popular file formats like MP3, AAC+ and WMA ProPlus. Its 3.2 MP digital camera provides crystal clear pictures. It allows the users to record and play videos in H63, H64, MPEG4 and WMV formats.

BlackBerry 9500 Storm has support for GSM 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 frequencies. It comes with 128 MB of flash memory. Its memory can be extended by 8GB by using a MicroSD memory card. The device has a talk time of 5.5 hours and a standby time of 360 hours. Its 155 gm weight would not appear large if we consider the multitude of functions that the gadget supports. Its Qwerty keyboard comes with SureType feature that provides ease of writing text to the users.

The messaging features supported by the Storm include MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging, Wireless Email and Email with attachments. It can play MP3, MIDI and polyphonic ringtones. The device comes with many useful organiser features like calendar, To Do List, alarm clock, speaker phone, multi tap, phone book and auto rotate touch screen.

On the other hand, HTC Touch HD is a 3G smart phone that comes with a Qualcomm MSM processor. The device is quite good in multitasking. Its HSDPA compatibility allows the users to download data into the device at a speed of 7.2 MB per second. When charged fully, its battery would give a talktime of 8 hours and standby time of 440 hours. Its Wi-Fi support allows the users to wirelessly connect the handset with other compatible gadgets.

Its 3.8 inches LCD touch screen has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels that provides good quality displays. Its TouchFlo application allows the users to make on screen selections of options by the gestures of her / his fingers. Its call, home and back keys are situated just below the screen for easy access. The device comes with 512 MB of ROM and 288 MB of RAM. It measures 115 mm in length, 62.8 mm in width and 12 mm in thickness. It weighs 147 gm and supports MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging and Email with attachments messaging services.

HTC Touch HD comes equipped with a 5 MP camera which is fitted with advanced camera setting features. It supports GSM tri-band ( GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 ) and HSDPA 2100 networks. The gadget's bluetooth support allows it to transfer data wirelessly to other compatible devices with fast speed and without any hassles. The device is loaded with useful applications like Document Viewer, Handwriting Recognition, Speaker Phone and AGPS Navigation.

In the comparison of BlackBerry Storm 9500 vs HTC Touch HD, we find that both handsets are superior in their own respects. It depends more on the individual to decide which handset would suit him as per his requirements and expectations.(courtesy: ezinearticles.com & 3g.co.uk)

IPHONE APPLICATIONS POWERED BY NETFLIX

2009-04-06T11:48:00.005+05:00

Because everything needs an App Store or central directory of its own, Netflix is preparing to unveil an App Gallery on its website showing what created by developers to get the most out of its service. No word exactly when the page goes up, but until then we'll highlight the Windows mobile manager with integrated streaming trailers and the ability to add movies directly from Rotten Tomatoes as good examples...

Samsung adds fourth touch screen phone to its portfolio

2009-04-05T14:24:00.005+05:00

Samsung India today announced the launch of the perfectly beautiful and fully equipped full-touch slider phone , Samsung “UltraTOUCH in the Indian market .Samsung UltraTOUCH , the world’s first 8MP Camera phone with AMOLED screen , re-defines perfectionism in style, design and technology – now with full touch. Samsung UltraTOUCH is an elegant full-touch mobile, boasting revolutionary touch pad, sophisticated design and comes packed with multimedia features. Centre stage is the 7.1 cm AMOLED anti-scratch full touch screen, which offers astonishingly bright and vivid colours. The ultra-slim 12.7mm body of UltraTOUCH unites perfect form and function with full-touch screen and additional 3x4 keypad slider. With a brushed metal frame for durability and an anti-scratch, anti-smudge screen, users can keep their phone in great condition. Ultimate Multimedia: Samsung UltraTOUCH is alive with technology. Its embedded 8 mega pixel camera with dual power LED flash and smile shot mode means the user can capture incredible photographs on the phone. Samsung UltraTOUCH is also powered with 3G capability (HSDPA 7.2 Mbps), offering speedy internet access, video telephony, video streaming and a host of other benefits that 3G services have to offer for Indian consumers. It also comes with DivX vedio player support for an enhanced multimedia experience from the phone. Ultimate User Interface: Samsung UltraTOUCH provides the best ever full-touch user experience and universal 3x4 keypads together. Users will enjoy being able to control the mobile easily and intuitively – flicking through photos, navigating through maps and surfing the web have never been easier and more interactive thanks to the upgraded TouchWiz user interface. Samsung Ultra TOUCH has Mobile widgets that can be dragged from the menu bar and placed anywhere on the screen for one-click access to favourite applications like Music Player, FM, Games, Calendar etc. The slide-out tactile 3x4 keypad in the Samsung UltraTOUCH offers a tangiblealternative behind the attractive touch screen, creating endless customization opportunities. (images and text courtesy of: compareindia.in.com)

SAMSUNG TOCCO

2009-04-04T12:53:00.003+05:00

Large 2.8” QVGA LCD offers a full touch navigation experience -Haptic technology offers tangible feedback when you make a selection on the touch screen -New touch UI is intuitive and simple to use, offering a digilog (digital + analog) experience -Widgets allows you to customize the user interface with applications that move with drag-and-drop ease

Design

-Card-like size is portable enough to slip into pockets -Slim and minimal size fits comfortably in the hand -Luxurious leather case and brushed aluminium exterior -Cutting-edge and stylish Ice Silver body with hairline texture

5 Megapixel Camera

-5 Megapixel camera takes stunning photos and video. Capture better-looking images with Auto Focus -Front facing camera lets you enjoy video conversations with other 3G/HSDPA users -Fun and convenient features include Smile Shot, Image Stabilization, Power LED and Quick View -Edit and enhance your photos, then upload them onto your blog directly from your mobile

High-end Camera Feature

-Face Detection automatically adjusts settings when you are taking photos of people; to ensure portraits turn out great -Smile Shot mode is able to identify when subject is smiling and automatically takes a picture -Smile Shot makes its worldwide debut on a mobile phone with the F480 -These advanced features, usually reserved for high-end dedicated cameras, are available on this mobile phone

Music
-Enjoy superior sound with the audio technology by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower. -Embedded music player plays all music forms and includes and FM Radio with RDS -Easily store and organize your Music Library into folders and playlists using the large memory -Artwork from album covers are displayed as you scroll through your music selections -Download files quickly via USB 2.0 Full Speed, Bluetooth 2.0 or HSDPA 7.2Mbps

Connectivity

-USB 2.0 High Speed facilitates fast data transfers and connections to mobile accessories -Bluetooth 2.0 provides faster wireless connection to peripherals including A2DP headsets -Faster connections enable you to download contents quicker -Enjoy enhanced usability and connectivity (images and text courtesy of : uk.samsungmobile.com)

How the Palm Pre Can Beat the iPhone

2009-04-02T23:10:00.002+05:00

The Palm Pre is being touted by almost everyone as the first serious rival to the iPhone. That’s no surprise — almost every other manufacturer has squeezed out a touch-screen, big-icon handset since the iPhone debuted almost two years ago, but they have all been me-too clones, and about as successful in topping the iPhone as the myriad MP3 players that failed to beat the iPod. The Pre looks like the first phone to actually bring something new.

What has this shown us? It makes it clear that simply adding extra features doesn’t work. Adding a 5MP camera is no more likely to topple the iPhone than adding an FM radio worked to beat the iPod. The reasons for the success of the iPhone are subtler and harder to see.

Here’s what the Pre needs to do to make a dent.

Be Fun to Use

Arguably, almost every cellphone before the iPhone was horrible to use, a monstrosity of hard-to-access features and bad UI decisions. Because every phone was as bad, the manufacturers got away with it. The Pre enters a post-iPhone world. The iPhone’s UI is not only easy and intuitive but a joy to use. Little tweaks, animations and subtle guides combine to make the iPhone fun to just play with.

The Pre’s wiggly strip, its un-intrusive pop-up notifications and its “card" metaphor are all good candidates for this. And when you see the “window-blind" expandable menus for the first time, I dare you not to crack a smile.

Applications

The iPhone is lacking in many features — just look at the reception that the addition of cut-and-paste got at the OS 3.0 announcement. But the beauty of the iPhone model is the App Store, which means developers can add almost any missing feature they like. Every smartphone can run third party applications, but Apple was the first company to make it so easy that it’s hard not to buy apps.

Palm needs to make sure the Pre has a store at least as good as the iTunes Store, and — unlike Apple — it doesn’t have the luxury of spending a year making it. The Pre needs to launch with a perfect, well stocked store to stand a chance. Pandora and Amazon have already signed up, so its off to a good start.

An Kick-Ass Ad Campaign

One of the secrets of Apple’s success is brand awareness. Nobody goes to the store to buy an “MP3 player"; they go to buy an iPod. And so the iPhone, too, isn’t seen to be the same as a phone. The iPhone exists in a category of its own.

To have a chance of really competing, rather than being a respectable also-ran, the Pre needs to become a household name, and to garner similar buzz to that surrounding Apple’s phone. This is starting with the tech blogs — we are almost universally excited by the Pre, but it needs to go mainstream. Other than the BlackBerry and the iPhone, name another handset that get regular coverage in regular news and newspapers.

One More Thing

While Palm shouldn’t try too hard to push the Pre as an iPhone competitor, it needs to have something to differentiate it from the Stupendabrick. And it has it — a keyboard. The iPhone is, like the iPod Touch, a mobile computer, a handheld pocket-box tht can do anything thanks to its very simple hardware design. The Pre is a phone, albeit a good one, and it has the keyboard to prove it.

For many, the lack of a hardware keyboard on the iPhone is a “deal-breaker". For them, the Pre might be just the thing, although with 30 million already sold, the iPhone/iPod Touch on-screen keys can’t be that bad.

JOYBOOK LITE U101

2009-04-02T20:14:00.003+05:00

BenQ has been off the hook for a while now, but they have finally collected themselves well in time for the CES, entering the laptop fray with their latest Joybook Lite U101. Weighing at about 1 kg, the U101 is aimed as a second notebook for the vivid user. It packs a 10.1” 16:9 WSVGA LED backlit screen supporting 1024 x 600 resolutions. This not so big notebook is powered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor for higher energy efficiency and extended battery life which is made possible with SSD-driven, three-cell battery. Joybook Lite U101 is expected to be made available by the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2009, with either Linux® or Windows® OS, 1.3MP webcam, WiFi and optional 3.75G HSUPA and Bluetooth. (courtesy :laptopfly.com)

YAHOO MOBILE ARRIVES AT IPHONE AND MOBILE WEB

2009-04-01T22:15:00.005+05:00

Yahoo has officially unveiled its Yahoo Mobile application for mobile web and iPhone for the UK market.

AlthoughYahoo Mobile was announced at the World Mobile Congrees , it has now arrived for more than 300 models with 'HTML-enabled mobile browsers' and is also a made-to-measure iPhone application.

"Consumers around the globe are demanding compelling mobile internet services that offer increased personalisation, and allow them to easily manage all the content they care about in one place on their phones" said Mitch Lazar, MD of Yahoo Mobile in Europe.

"To further capitalise on the market potential and continue our mobile leadership, we created Yahoo! Mobile, a dynamic starting point enabling consumers to discover the world around them, stay connected through a variety of communication services, and customise content to define their internet experience on mobile devices."

The service wraps up Yahoo's mobile search, an instant messenger client, Yahoo mail and third-party applications.

Early reviews on iPhone's App store are less than glowing, ranging from 'it's okay-ish' to 'not ready yet' with one user stating that it is 'slow over GPRS' and that there are 'too many oops! the page is not available' messages.

(courtesy : tecradar.com)

Thanko's latest USB pen sports four SDHC card slots (just because it can)

2009-04-01T21:49:00.003+05:00

SD card-reading pens are amongst the oldest, most reverent gadgets on the face of this planet. That said, even they aren't immune from upgrades, as THANKO has just produced one that's approximately four times superior than the one you're still trying to squeeze ink from. It's latest USB pen contains not one, not two, not even three -- but four integrated SDHC card slots. We get the feeling that actually writing anything while transferring data from a foursome of flash cards will be near impossible, but aren't you strangely inclined to hand over $14.87 in order to find out? (couttesy :engadget.com)

Land Rover working on new 8-speed automatic transmission, refinements for fuel economy

2009-04-01T20:17:00.004+05:00

Land Rover is set to unveil a newly-revised line of SUVs at the New York Auto Show in a couple of weeks, and we're expecting to see the latest version of Jaguar's excellent 5.0L all-aluminum V8 engine underhood, mated up with a 6-speed automatic transmission from supplier ZF. That powertrain combination should be a thorough improvement over the current 4.4L naturally-aspirated and 4.2L supercharged offerings, and we wouldn't be surprised to see at least a mild improvement in fuel efficiency along with the added power. According to Channel 4 in the UK, Land Rover is hard at work developing a new 8-speed automatic that should boost fuel economy by over 10 percent over the current 6-speed. Unfortunately, stop/start technology is reportedly still a few years away. Other fuel-saving modifications that are likely to make it to production in short order will include improved aerodynamics and low rolling-resistance tires. Land Rover is also expected to show off the latest version of its LRX concept in New York, which will reportedly be "the smallest, lightest, most efficient Range Rover ever." It's interesting that the LRX will be badged as a Range Rover, which is the firm's highest-end line of vehicles, so we'd expect it to be extremely well equipped and full of luxurious touches if it does indeed make it into production. (courtesy AutoGreen)

MERC...NEW AMG

2009-04-01T18:48:00.002+05:00

It's time for another auto show, so that means embargoes are breaking again. This time out, its the new E63 AMG from Mercedes Benz that will get its debut at the New York Auto Show next week. We're big fans of AMG's homegrown 6.2-liter V8 around the Autoblog campfire – particularly in C63 guise. The engine is now being dropped into the newest E-Class that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, along with all the other typical AMG goodness. The more spacious engine compartment of the mid-size E63 allows the big engine enough room to produce 518 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, the same as in the big boy S63. Unlike its AMG sedan siblings, however, the 186 mph E63 is equipped with the seven-speed dual clutch Speedshift gearbox that debuted in the SL63 roadster. That development allows it to consume 12% less premium petrol than the previous iteration which had a mere 507 hp to play with. Standard 18-inch or optional 19-inch alloys with matching rubber help transfer the drive and braking torque to the pavement – and in typical AMG fashion, there promises tl be plenty of the latter to counter-balance the former. Official press release after the jump. (courtesy by Autoblog)

Infiniti will not produce show car, but its Essence will live on

2009-04-01T18:42:00.005+05:00

Some concept cars are design studies, while others closely preview production models. But as much as we may have hoped, the gorgeous Essence concept unveiled by Infiniti earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show will remain firmly in the former, as company spokesmen have reportedly verified that the show-stopping show car will not be entering production. Alright, so that may be no big surprise, but we're allowed to dream, aren't we? That doesn't mean elements previewed by the Essence won't be trickling down to production models. We certainly hope some of the breathtaking design will find its way into production sheetmetal, and reports suggest that the quirky kink in the C pillar could appear on future products from the premium Nissan division. The long-awaited successor to the flagship Q45, if produced, is tipped to borrow heavily from the Essence's design, while its concept drivetrain is expected to lead the way for a hybrid M as well. So while the show car itself will remain a glimmering memory, its bits and pieces will, in essence, resurface in future Infiniti products.

Hotelicopter....remodeled prototype of Soviet MiL Mi-V12...

2009-04-01T18:34:00.002+05:00

Experience the adrenaline rush of taking off and flying high in the largest helicopter ever produced.The Hotelicopter features 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for adrenaline junkies seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience.

Each soundproofed room is equipped with a queen-sized bed, fine linens, a mini-bar, coffee machine, wireless internet access, and all the luxurious appointments you’d expect from a flying five star hotel. Room service is available one hour after liftoff and prior to landing.

The Hotelicopter is due to fly its maiden journey this summer...

HOW IPHONE TOUCH SCREENS WORK

2009-03-31T23:15:00.005+05:00

Ever wondered how your simple finger tips work magic at an iPHONE??? If you thought it was THE HIDDEN POWER WITHIN;you weren't wrong. Electronic devices can use lots of different methods to detect a person's input on a touch-screen. Most of them use sensors and circuitry to monitor changes in a particular state. Many, including the iPhone, monitor changes in electrical current. Others monitor changes in the reflection of waves. These can be sound waves or beams of near-infrared. A few systems use transducers to measure changes in vibration caused when your finger hits the screen's surface or cameras to monitor changes in light and shadow.

The basic idea is pretty simple -- when you place your finger or a stylus on the screen, it changes the state that the device is monitoring. In screens that rely on sound or light waves, your finger physically blocks or reflects some of the waves. Capacitive touch-screens use a layer of capacitive material to hold an electrical charge; touching the screen changes the amount of charge at a specific point of contact. In resistive screens, the pressure from your finger causes conductive and resistive layers of circuitry to touch each other, changing the circuits' resistance.

Most of the time, these systems are good at detecting the location of exactly one touch. If you try to touch the screen in several places at once, the results can be erratic. Some screens simply disregard all touches after the first one. Others can detect simultaneous touches, but their software can't calculate the location of each one accurately. There are several reasons for this, including:

Many systems detect changes along an axis or in a specific direction instead of at each point on the screen.
Some screens rely on system-wide averages to determine touch locations.

Some systems take measurements by first establishing a baseline. When you touch the screen, you create a new baseline. Adding another touch causes the system to take a measurement using the wrong baseline as a starting point. (Courtesy: howstuffworks.com)

Another Iphone Next gen concept...

2009-03-31T17:42:00.003+05:00

I drooled at the idea of an iPhone Pro with slide keyboard and big camera, but let's face it: It's probably never going to happen. So—using logic—what will the next iPhone look like?

Probably something like this: A flatter, even more tapered and slender version of the current one. After all, if you have a winning formula, why radically change it?

Hassaan says that he would be disappointed if it ends being something like this, just a version of the current model. I'm going to be pessimist and expect just an evolution of the current design. The market keeps growing with what they have now, so it won't make sense for them to go through a radical design change just yet. And besides this point, there are at least three generations of smooth evolution and tweaks in Apple hardware designs until something completely new comes along (witness the iMacs, for example.)

Not that it really matters: As long as they include a bigger camera sensor while reducing the thickness to iPod touch levels, I'd be happy. But who knows, perhaps there will be a radical departure. What do you think? Do you have any original idea? write in the comment section... (Image Courtesy by Dotdash)

TV for iphone...

2009-03-31T17:36:00.003+05:00

Long rumored and eagerly awaited, DirecTV has finally posted their free iPhone app for finding and recording content. The DirecTV app [App Store link] has been pretty hard to find. It didn't come up in an iTunes search last night and this morning, but that may have been fixed. Locating programming is much faster and friendlier than using the iPhone friendly web page that had been the way to look at the DirecTV schedule. The new app allows you to search for any shows up to 14 days in advance. You can browse the DirecTV schedule by date and time or by channel. You can select from multiple DVRs if you have them, and you can record a single episode of a program or a series. The app runs on either the iPhone or iPod touch with version 2.2.1 software or above. You can search the schedule even if you're not a DirecTV subscriber, but if you want to trigger recordings you must use your DirecTV password. I set up a few tests and all the recording worked, one DVR request was made 2 minutes before the program started and the data made it to the DVR via satellite in time to catch the show. I liked the old web-based method, but this is light years better. You get good program descriptions and ratings when available, and speed over the 3G network or even EDGE was quite usable.

Contest: Engadget's recession antidote: win an iRobot Roomba Pet 562!

2009-03-31T17:30:00.004+05:00

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day.... blah! blah! blah!.... and so go out and apply for contest ...click on the title to redirect to the link... maybe you go lucky.

Never get lost.... World Tracker

2009-03-31T16:26:00.004+05:00

The folks at TrackingTheWorld have already proven themselves to be pretty capable at tracking letters using GPS, but they've now moved up to some considerably more demanding tasks with their new WorldTracker Enduro device, which promises to track anything it's paired with through frigid temperatures, sweltering heat, and other harsh conditions. Of course, it'll also do that with all the accuracy you'd expect, with it making use of both standard GPS and aGPS to avoid any dropouts, and employing a a full range of cellular connectivity options to ensure that it always stays in touch. Better still, you can also pair it with an optional 8-cell lithium ion battery (pictured above), which not only provides some added protection, but lets the tracker operate for up to six months on a single charge. As with the letter tracker, however, this one apparently won't be available to the general public, but those with a fleet behind 'em can get in touch with TrackingTheWorld to talk pricing.

Free Wallpapers that will rock ur desktop...

2009-03-31T16:12:00.006+05:00

This is another link that I stumble upon while surfing the the web...InterfaceLIFT... this websites has incredible wallpapers which have resolution from iphone to full HD wallpapers supporting both standard aspect and wide screen ratios...most important offer all is free. There also an app for iphone called Backdrops... you can download it from this website.. now go and see for yourselves... http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper_beta/downloads/

Pirates Board Apple's iPhone App Store

2009-03-31T16:04:00.003+05:00

The iPhone's App Store is becoming an increasingly juicy target for pirates, who have illegally cracked 20 percent of paid applications for free distribution.

Apple's App Store offers about 25,000 paid apps, and iPhone analytics company Medialets estimates at least 5,000 have been pirated. The company also said it has tracked dozens of apps with as high as a 100-to-1 pirated-to-paid ratio.

"It's a real problem that developers, Apple and the community need to address," said Eric Litman, CEO of Medialets, a market research company that tracks app statistics and usage for developers.

Just how much piracy affects App Store sales is unclear and remains up for debate — since Apple, tight-lipped as usual, has not disclosed any numbers. Apple didn't respond to several requests for comment.

Software piracy is rampant on the internet, with illegal, free downloads of expensive software just a Google search away.

The Business Software Alliance commissioned a study in 2008 that suggests the economic impact of software piracy is tens of billions of dollars. In the United States, if the amount of software piracy were reduced 10 percent over four years, the end result would be $41 billion in economic growth, according to the study.

So it was inevitable that the App Store would fall victim to piracy, too.

Pirated iPhone applications appear in a number of places. There is, for example, a 5.4 gigabyte Torrent file called the X-Mas iBrain Pack, which contains 808 cracked iPhone applications.

There are also websites hosting dozens of pirated iPhone apps, such as Appulo.us, which currently offers about 3,200 cracked apps. Another site, The Monkeys Ball, recently relaunched with 81 cracked apps. The Monkeys Ball promotes the cracked apps as "trial" downloads, encouraging users to buy the apps after they've tried them.

"We want people to think of these as trial apps since Apple doesn't allow trials of apps before purchase," said "Omar," one of the creators of the site, who refused to disclose his real name to Wired.com. "It's Apple's fault for not putting up a trials system."

Kai Yu, president of BeeJive, said he installed analytics software in his IM application BeeJive, and his company discovered 60 percent of activity comes from users who own pirated copies. BeeJive costs $16.

"We think that current piracy of content from the App Store is much more widespread than most people realize," Yu said.

Since Apple has not installed security in the App Store to combat piracy, BeeJive has had to enforce its own measures to disable cracked versions of its software. In fact, when users try to log in to pirated versions of BeeJive, they are instead pointed to a video clip of Office Space about theft.

However, not all app developers say piracy is a problem.

Brian Greenstone, owner of Pangea Software, said he actively tracked piracy of his iPhone game Enigmo, and piracy made a very insignificant impact on sales. During the first week of Enigmo's launch, only 5 percent of downloaded copies were pirated versions. After that week, piracy dropped to nearly 0 percent, according to Greenstone.

"Like any piracy scheme, it's just a matter of time until hackers find their way around," Greenstone said. "There are things we can do as developers, but since the piracy rate is so low, my thought is 'Who cares? It's not even worth the trouble.'"

Steve Demeter, developer of the popular iPhone puzzle game Trism, said he also saw little impact from piracy, even though his app was one of the first in the App Store to be pirated.

"When I first saw it on Pirate Bay I couldn't decide whether to freak out or to say, 'Whoa, cool!" he told Wired.com.

Demeter said his App Store sales decreased for about two weeks. However, he said eventually everything "evened out" and that he is not very concerned about piracy. (Demeter did, in fact, announce earning $250,000 in profit in just two months with Trism sales.)

Yu said he believes Apple is aware of App Store piracy and is working toward a permanent solution.

"This will hopefully be a temporary state, mostly due to the 'newness' of the App Store," Yu said. "It is like the Wild West."

(Image Courtesy Wired)

POWER METERS

2009-03-31T15:10:00.009+05:00

CONSCIOUS ABOUT WEIGHT??TRYING TO LOSE SOME EXTRA POUNDS???CYCLING WITH NO OUT PUT....WORRY NOT HERE'S THE SOLUTION TO YOUR DELIMA.."POWER METERS"... Power meters are an excellent aid to training and gauging effort levels. They can also be useful when racing time trials for helping to maintain a constant effort. Power meters are attached to the rear wheel and give an indication of your power depending on the gear you are in the cadence of the rider. Power meters can be revealing for indicating relative efforts. They show how unreliable speed and heart rate can be to your power expended. For example, riding into a headwind can lead to a much lower speed at the same heart rate. Many riders who have bought a power meter say they have been a powerful tool for improving their speed. In particular, they say that it focuses them to ride at a constant power and avoid coasting. By sticking to a target power output, you are able to increase the capacity for riding at progressively higher power outputs. One drawback of power meters is that they are expensive. Also it is not so easy to switch the power meter from wheel to wheel. If you have a power meter on a training wheel you will need to swap it over to a disc wheel for a time trial. However, riding with a power meter in a time trial is a great way of making you ride at a fixed effort level. This is the key to riding a time trial - riding at the highest sustainable power for the duration of a ride. It is often hard to measure how hard to ride going downhill or uphill into a headwind. Maintaining a constant power can lead to a huge variation in speed. SO NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO GAUGE YOUR EXERCISE TRY ONE POWER METERS... (courtesy: cyclinginfo.co.uk)

The upcoming LG GD900 Crystal S-Class

2009-03-31T02:28:00.014+05:00

The new LG GD900 will hit the markets by the Mid of 2009. The phone has a transparent keypad,made of glass, which makes it unique and more elegant, as compared to other phones.The phone has a touch screen as well,for Multi-input.Furthermore the phone is equipped with a Haptic surface which allows it to recognize handwriting.All these features make this phone look more sexy and lot much technologically advanced.These features provide some following uses:- 1.The Multi-touch input can be used to zoom a picture by placing two fingers on the screen. 2.The touch screen allows the user to write some specific words for some specific features.i.e writing M on the screen will launch the MP3 Player and drawing a circle controls the volume. 3.With such an improved version of touch screen, the user can easily surf the web through a virtual mouse; just like the mouse in a laptop. It seems that LG has made great improvisations in the Nokia'a Morph Concept Phone.But best of luck to LG & Lets hope that this phone trembles the market in future by Introducing a new concept, in the world of cell phones. ( Courtesy: Gsmarena)

Apple iPod Shuffle 3rd Gen Review...

2009-03-30T21:08:00.002+05:00

Apple's newest Shuffle (at almost 50 percent smaller than the previous Shuffles) could easily be mistaken for a stick of Trident, features no buttons and it pimps voice-identification technology. But even given its apparent readily consumable stature, there are a few features on the Shuffle that are a bit tough to swallow.

Like the fact that there are no friggin' buttons! None. El zilcho. Shuffle 3.0 basically looks like a USB drive with a clip attached to it. Apple ditched the ~~scroll wheel~~ round control pad like a one-night stand and moved it onto the earbuds. A small plastic cylinder sitting six inches below the right 'bud is adorned with three buttons. Two handle volume up and down duties while the third button in the middle is kind of an uber controller. One click pauses the music, two clicks skip forward a track, and three clicks revert back a track. Hold the button down for a few seconds though and a feature kicks in that no one has ever seen or heard on an iPod before.

The biggest deal on the smallest iPod is undoubtedly the voice software. Dubbed VoiceOver by Apple, it works like this: You press the middle button for several seconds and a disembodied Steven Hawking-esque voice tells you what track or playlist you're listening to. It's fairly accurate at telling you the track — just as long as the name is not terribly complex. Rolling Stones? Clearly chirped by VoiceOver. But Sigur Ros? The program garbled something that sounded more like "boozy roogs."

Our dealings with VoiceOver were about as refined as a gallon of crude oil. But its presence on the Shuffle is actually a smart move on Apple's part. We predict Apple will continue to make steady improvements to the software, adding new features and tweaks. They're essentially running a Beta test. Once they get the software fine-tuned, expect it to roll out on devices like the iPod Touch and iPhone 3.0. The biggest gripe on the 4-GB Shuffle we tested is definitely the control set. First off, it's completely counter-intuitive; Apple says you can easily use it without looking. We still don't have the hang of it after a few days of testing. What's worse if you have a decent set of earbuds (say a pair of Shures or Ultimate Ears) you're totally hosed — you'll have to endure the 'buds that come with the shuffle or pick up a specially made third party headphones. Our recommendation? Pick up a new Shuffle only if you're prepared to deal with proprietary headphones and ambiguous controls. PROS: Thumb drive size. Can double as a tie clip. Battery life lasts for 12 freaking hours. Short USB sync cord is the sexiness. Yes, we'll admit, it's another beautifully designed piece of hardware from Apple. Battery bonked out after 11 constant hours of blasting Thunderstruck on loop. Cons:Proprietary headphones are required. Control set awkward to use, hard to get used to. So small, it nearly gets lost in the packaging it comes in. Price: $80 (4GB)

Release Date: March 11, 2009 [via Wired]

MAGIC of 3d technology of Benjamin Button

2009-03-30T19:15:00.005+05:00

Ed Ulbrich, visual effects executive producer at Digital Domain, gave a fascinating demonstration of how a team of 155 artists working for more than two years created the face of Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Contrary to published reports that Pitt's head was superimposed on the body of other actors for the film, the face of Benjamin Button was entirely digital for the first hour of the film, though it was painstakingly crafted using Pitt's face and a series of technologies that were merged for the first time to create a new technique they're calling Emotion Capture.

Ulbrich explained how they did it. The project was first conceived in the late 90s when studios first considered making the film. But the the idea of creating a life-like face that was capable of minutely expressing all human emotion and age over several decades was deemed impossible and beyond the technology of the day.

"The human form, and particularly the human head, has been considered the Holy Grail of our industry," Ulbrich said.

Then director David Fincher came on the project.

"David won't take no," Ulbrich said. "He thinks anything is possible as long as you have the time, resources and money."

Fincher wanted the main character of the film to be played from cradle to grave by one actor, but the filmmakers quickly ruled out the idea of using prosthetic makeup, which would be distracting in close-ups and wouldn't hold up under everything they wanted the character to do. So they decided to cast a series of people of different sizes to play the different bodies of Benjamin through his life and superimpose a digital version of Pitt's head onto the bodies.

But the studios were worried. They wanted proof that it would work, so in 2004 Ulbrich's team created a screen test showing a raw prototype of an actor with a digital head superimposed on his body to show the studios what they had in mind. He played that initial video for the audience.

When he got the phone call saying a studio was willing to green-light the project, he says he threw up.

"We had a big problem," he said. "We didn't know how we were going to do this. But we believed we had enough time and resources and hopefully had enough money as well. And we had passion to will the process and technology into existence."

They needed to make Pitt age 45 years, and they needed to make sure they could take his ticks and the subtleties that make him who he is and translate them through computers. They needed a character who could hold up in various kinds of light, who would be able to sweat, cry, take a bath and do everything an actor would do, but in a seamless way that wouldn't distract the audience or make it obvious that what they were looking at was digital.

But there was a giant chasm between the technology available in 2004 and where they needed to be. They considered marker-based motion-capture technology to capture the motions of the body and apply them to computer characters. But that didn't work. They also looked at facial-marker technology, but the result was artificial.

"We realized that what we needed was the information going on between the markers to see the subtleties of the skin and muscle," Ulbrich said. "We were now well out of our comfort zone."

In the end, they created a "technology stew" that reappropriated technologies from other fields and wrote code that would allow the disparate pieces of software to come together.

They used the research of former psychology professor Paul Ekman, who devised a facial action decoding system. Ekman determined that there are 70 basic poses of the human face that can be combined into every expression the human face is capable of making.

Then they decided to use a then-unproven technology called phosphorous capture technology that involves applying phosphorescent powder to a face, exposing it to black light, and imaging it to create 3D-data of the facial expressions. It worked.

They created a database of everything that Pitt's face was capable of doing. Then they had to age him from 44 to 87. They brought in artists to take a life cast of Pitt and make several busts of him as "Benjamin Button" at 60, 70 and 80 years of age. They scanned the faces into a computer at very high resolution. Then they began the process of transposing the 3D data of Pitt's expressions onto each of the scanned faces.

They still had to create teeth and a tongue. One person worked solely on the tongue for nine months.

Although the finished product had a bit of what Ulbrich called a digital botox effect -- "it kind of sandblasted some of the edges off the performance" -- they had succeeded in creating a new visualization technique.

(courtesy by Wired)

Tilt-shift Photography stumble...

2009-03-30T19:01:00.004+05:00

What is Tilt-shift photography? The phrase "tilt-shift" describes a photographic technique that is used to create special effects when taking a photo. A type of camera lens that can be moved (shifted) and pointed at different angles (tilted) is used. This can have the effect of changing the focus of the picture in unusual ways. Tilt-shift style miniature photos are simply photos of real life scenes that are made to look like miniature scale models.This is done using either a special camera lens (one with tilt capability), or with software, instead of a special lens. These photos are sometimes called "fake" miniatures, because they are pictures of real-life scenes. During surfing i stumble upon this site... www.tiltshiftmaker.com TiltShiftMaker lets you easily transform your existing digital photos into cool miniature style pictures. Usually you would have to do this by following tutorials in image editing software. Now you can do it in a few easy steps - all online and for free. Now go and try for yourself...

2009-03-30T18:43:00.010+05:00

Imagine never upgrading your hardware again. If you're a console gamer playing on your HDTV, that means avoiding shelling out $500 to play next generation titles. If you're a PC gamer, it means opting out of the endless cycle of new CPUs, motherboards, and graphics cards. It also means you can play your favorite game on just about any platform—even laptops or netbooks. This even includes games famous for being resource hogs, like the Crysis series.

OnLive threw the gaming world into a tizzy this last Tuesday, and since then other names started crawling out of the woodwork. In case you haven't heard, OnLive just announced a subscription-based streaming games service. The company claims that by using either a web plugin, or their MicroConsole, you will be able to run the newest PC games at HDTV resolutions with no downloads, and all on the most pathetic of computer hardware.

If that wasn't astounding enough, David Perry of Acclaim (formerly of Shiny Entertainment) runs out and says me too! His company, an outfit by the name of GaiKai, just popped into public existence. Apparently he was planning on holding out until E3. Gaikai offers a similar service, except without the MicroConsole aspect that OnLive has(or at least until Perry says they have a little box as well). GaiKai calls their service Streaming Worlds and it only requires a web browser with Flash installed.

Then, we spoke with Jules Urbach, CEO of OTOY and Lightwave. His company basically offers up cloud computing (the technology behind these services) to the highest bidder. This essentially makes them a mercenary computing outfit of sorts, that has the side benefit of being able to stream games as well. In our conversation with him, he stated that his company is in talks with publishers and a whole host of other outfits that want to use the service.

If you're confused, you're not alone. All of these companies have a ways to go before we see them at a consumer level. There's a million questions out there and few answers to go with them.

(For more detail on Onlive Service) http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2343703,00.asp

At last Skype for iPhone...coming tomorrow

2009-03-30T18:05:00.008+05:00

Skype is set to launch its iPhone application Tuesday bringing its much anticipated Net-based phone service to Apple's mobile platform. With the Skype iPhone app users will be able to make free calls using Wi-Fi to other Skype users as well as use their Skype accounts to make reduced price calls to traditional landline phones. Skype announced its iPhone application would be available on Tuesday for free. Mobile versions of Skype are already available for Nokia, Windows Mobile, and Google Android phones.

From what we can tell the Skype for iPhone looks great, but there are some drawbacks. One disappoint is users won't be able to place calls over cellular networks but only via Wi-Fi. Still, for international callers especially Skype's iPhone app will save callers money by allowing them to avoid AT&T's traditional wireless phone network and adds the convenience of allowing Skype users to use their iPhone handset for Skype calls.

Looking more like a traditional iPhone app rather than its desktop Windows counterpart most of its 400 million users are used to, Skype for iPhone features five tabs at the bottom of the screen, displaying contacts, chats, a calling panel, call history and your profile (with Facebook style status).

Skype for iPhone will use phone numbers directly from your phone's address book, so no more nasty duplicated contact lists. It even displays your contacts' photos (if they have one set up on Skype). Conference calling is available, but for the moment you can only take part in one if someone invites you.

You can also chat with your Skype friends, but unfortunately this is the only thing (besides seeing who's online) you can do over a cellular network. Skype for iPhone places calls only via Wi-Fi, not differentiating itself much from the other voice apps in the App Store.

Skype for phone is still a young app and is short on some of the features its desktop counterpart has. SMS, video and proper conference calling, file transfer and voicemail are missing from this first version, but they would hopefully make their way in future versions.

iPod Touch users will also be able to enjoy Skype, but this would require them to purchase a microphone, or headphones with built-in microphones (like the iPhone's).

(Images Courtesey by PWM)

Greencar Tesla Model S now official...

2009-03-30T17:43:00.004+05:00

Excitement is high. . . . the just-unveiled Tesla Model S ($50,000 after tax breaks) is literally the reinvention of the automobile. This electric sedan will offer a 300-mile range and 45-minute QuickCharge capability, all while sporting some of the most beautiful styling you'll find. With seating for five adults and two children, the Model S has it all. Its powertrain includes a liquid-cooled 9-inch motor combined with a single-speed gearbox (just gun it — no shifting required) that's good for a 0-60 time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph. It offers a 5-minute battery swap and charges from any outlet, with charges costing as little as $4 to "fill up." Features include (taking deep breath) a 17-inch infotainment touchscreen with all-time 3G connectivity, 21-inch wheels, Brembo brakes, panoramic roof with sliding moon roof, retracting door handles, a hatch for large items and a 2nd trunk under the hood, a fully digital instrument cluster, LED and neon headlight and taillights, and a pretty crazy RFID keyless entry and ignition system. Sadly, this beauty won't go into production until 2011. It's going to be a long two years.

Nokia 5800XMe vs Nokia 5330 XMe(Xpress Music Edition)

2009-03-29T18:08:00.005+05:00

In 2008 October Nokia released the bar style 5800 Xpress Music Edition. The phone is fully equipped with 2G & 3G Network, so it covers a wider Geographic area.The phone as an excellent 3.2 inch touch screen, featuring 16 million colours. Being a Music Series phone the phone is equipped with stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone also has modern features like proximity sensor(for Auto turn Off by sensing the environment), Accelerometer sensor(for auto-rotate),Handwriting recognition,Wi-Fi,3G(32Mbps) and A-GPS(for Positioning). The Phone is not just a Music phone but it also has two cameras which make it suitable for photography and videocall service.The phone has a primary camera of 3.15MP (2048*1536) with features like autofocus and LED flash.The camera is capable of making VGA quality videos at 30fps(Frame Rates per Second) and the output can be viewed on a TV, through TV-out. The phone being highly functional contains a microprocessor with 128MB RAM and a CPU of ARM 11 369 MHz.The Phone has a Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60.The phone has a good internal memory featuring 81MB whereas it comes with 8GB of MicroSD card.The memory is extendable upto 16GB.The phone has an average stand-by time of 407 hrs. The phone being highly functional has all features which a standard phone has; whereas it comes with an additional Office Suite.The phone has only 3Buttons on its front face, so its not difficult to operate as Nokia N81.All above mentioned features make this phone have a high tag price. Now coming to Nokia 5330 Xpress Music Edition which is expected to be released by this year.This phone as is having smaller dimensions than the above mentioned and is a slider phone.Whereas Nokia 5330 also being a Music Series phone is having a keypad for data entry.This phone also works in 2G and 3G Network environment.This phone being the latest version in the specific series is able to play more Audio and Video formats, so this makes it a more technological gadget.This phone has a built-in 3.5mm Audio Jack and a 2.4inch low resolution screen than Nokia 5800XMe.Although being the newer version this phone doesnot have the latest features like an accelerometer or proximity sensor e.t.c. This phone has a single primary camera of 3.15 MP (2048x1536 pixels) with no LED.It is capable of making videos at 15fps. So here it the point where this phone lacks from being a multi-dimensional phone as Nokia 5800XMe. Moving on its further functionality this phone comes with a built-in memory of 70MB and a Micro SD card of 2GB.Whereas it can support card upto 16GB.This phone has a Stand-by time of 350hrs.The phone does not offer Wi-Fi connectivity.Well with these features we hope that phone would be cheaper than Nokia 5800XMe and would be much slower. At last I feel that having a cell phone is the only gadget which leaves an impression about you, so if you want to impress your girls or the people in your close proximity than you must have style and style is all what Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Edition is all about.So I'll recommend Nokia 5800XMe ; what I calll to be a muti-featured and a stylo phone.Remember its not less than the Apple iphone!! (Courtesy: Nokia , gsmarena) (The information provided above is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate)