Technology News Blog

How many series of phones in Nokia?

2009-07-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, at the outset there are only 2 series - the N series, which is defined by the high end phones for the more savvy users. The other is the E series, which is for the business guys. To me, it comprises of all those phones that could be mistaken for a calculator (yeah, remember!). All other phones have a four digit code that makes life tough and sad for owners of these phones.

But there is a new series just trademarked by Nokia in Finland. Anyone's guess who it is meant for. It is the C series. Like engadget mentions, it could mean both computer and crap! LOL

Free Norton Scan

2007-10-15T09:55:00.001-07:00

There is so much of concern on the internet about the kind of viruses that are rampant these days. One small mistake in downloading a file from internet or through LAN may make you susceptible to virus.

There is Norton Anti-virus, no matter. But how many can afford to buy it for security? Atleast I did not. Instead, I got a free norton anti virus software from the link. You can now scan your computer for free.

If you have not scanned it in sometime, do check out how the system behaves after all the viruses have been cleaned. You'll love Norton for that!

Universal planning free music service

2007-10-14T10:00:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, UK-based newspaper Telegraph reported that Universal is pitching a free mobile music service, called Total Music, to be paid for by carriers and some hardware manufacturers. Among the potential partners approached, according to the newspaper, are Zune-maker Microsoft, Sony BMG, and Warner Music. Sony and Warner are reportedly on board.

Once the service is established and marketed, consumers would know that Total Music devices include a free music subscription. Other details about the service, such as the companies' split, rights management, and playability on various devices have not yet been reported.

Source

Creating an Ipod Screensaver

2007-03-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here is an easy way to create a screensaver for your iPod screen. Remember that this is only an easter egg and works only when the iPod is not working(that was obvious!) and is charging

Now, to create the iPod Screensaver, follow the below simple steps

1. Create a new folder named "Demo Mode" on your iPod
2. Rename the video file you want to make the screensaver in iTunes as "Demo"
3. Now, if you simply don't play anything and charge your iPod, you will find that the iPod starts playing the "Demo" video file continuously..

Wasn't that cool!?Thanks to Lifehacker...

Sweden plans a cottage on the moon

2007-03-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered where astronauts who go to moon stay? In a Swedish cottage!!! Atleast that is what Sweden plans to claim as it plans to build a cottage, so typical of a Swedish countryside on the moon.

Unlike the wooden cottages made in Sweden, this cottage is planned to be made of a lighter material that shall also be collapsible and inflatable easily so that it is easier to carry and install on the surface of the moon.

Sweden has also announced a competition amongst students for the design of the special cottage that will make Sweden the third country to make it to the moon by 2011. The project is estimated to cost around 500 million dollars and if not for financial constraints is now deemed a reality.

Configuring Desktop settings for people with vision and hearing problems

2007-03-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Though Windows when installed looks the same anywhere it is installed, it can be customized to suit the personal needs. For example, older people often have problems looking at the small icons or text, or in using the sticky keys, those that most use so effortlessly for copying, pasting(ctrl+c and ctrl+v respectively).

So, if you want to configure your computer for elderly people or those with vision and hearing problems, follow these steps.

Step 1: Press Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.

Step 2:Inside the control panel, choose Accessibility Options

Step 3:Here, click the second option, that is

Configure Windows to work for your vision, hearing and mobility needs.

Step 4:You are then taken to the following screen.

Here, you are given the same text in three different sizes. Choose the option that the actual user of the system is comfortable reading.After you click on one of those three texts, press Next.

Step 5:You are now presented with the following options.

Choose the appropriate option that if the user has problems with the vision or hearing or simply using the sticky keys on the keyboard.

Step 6:Once you choose this and click Next, you are presented with the appropriate alternatives. Proceed and answer all the appropriate requirements. Your computer is now ready for use by the special person!

Top Five Wired Nations

2007-03-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Though this is an old report, it was recently on Digg. IBM had, way back in June 2005 published its study of the five most wired nations in the world. The study was based on the Information Society Index of 2004.

According to this report, Singapore,Denmark, Canada, Sweden and USA are the top most wired nations. All these nations had around 65 percent odd Internet connectivity.

Analysing the results, I feel Singapore, USA and Canada' yes, even I would have guessed. The listing of Denmark and Sweden was quite surprising, considering that I had expected much more wiredness from the more internet savvy countries like South Korea, Japan, UK, France, etc.

But reading further into the article delves into the reasons. GSM, WCDMA, EDGE and Bluetooth were all invented in Sweden.

Denmark scored high mainly due to the terrific infrastructure as well as great price competition among the internet providers, which I guess does indeed supplement the high literacy levels, which has made such a high penetration level possible.

Read full article

Invisible Ink Pen

2007-03-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

Was browsing through eBay and came across an interesing item on sale called the Invisible ink. Now, what it says is that this ink can write in invisible characters, so that nobody can see;except when seen in UV light. This can help you to store secret messages, passwords, or also simply mark an end of your credit card, so that when you pay it at a bill or something, you cannot be cheated with a counterfeit one. You can always check if it is still yours.

The manufacturer goes beyond and says that it can be used for parties where you can scribble all that you want on your shirts so that in parties where you have a lot of UV light up, they are seen.

It does sound cool; but then, I doubt how long this will last. Like, it comes with a UV LED so that you can actually read what you have written. But sorry, I am not sure of how it will work, or atleast why I would need it :-D

Hawk Eye - Revolutionizing or Americanizing

2007-03-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

Most people in the west who follow tennis think that the hawk eye that has of late been used to make a judgement of whether the ball fell inside the line or out is the best thing to have happened to technology in sports.

But then, not many know that this technology was first adopted in Cricket, a sport that millions cherish in this part of the world in Asia. In fact, the first ever cricket match featured Pakistan, an Asian country.

Ok, but unlike in tennis, accepting this as well as other technologies has been sluggish in cricket. This is because a majority in the cricketing world still feel that human error in judgement is part and parcel of sport and hence technology should not be imposed beyond limits. This was best quoted by Steve Waugh, the former Australian captain who felt that such technologies being used by umpires to take a decision would amount to Americanizing the game and take the charm out of it.

Agreed. But then, TV viewers, and the competitive media cannot let go off this marvel, simply because it provides that extra mileage to analysis of the play. Atleast hawk eye has revolutionized the way cricket, and tennis is being followed.

Ubuntu Ubuntu

2007-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

One of the first questions Linux users often ask, after installing their distro of choice, is “How do I install Nvidia drivers?” Although the process has been hit and miss in the past, one of the best solutions that I have come across is Envy for the Ubuntu distribution.

Follow the link here that I got from Digg...

Technology for the the severely disabled

2007-03-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

Sometime back, I had written about customizing Windows for people with slight handicaps. I recently came across this article on how technology has been helping people who are much more severely handicapped than just plain vision or hearing disabilities.

I was particularly impressed with how the Wivik virtual keyboard has been of help to the special people. According to the Wivik website, people with spinal cord injuries, celebral palsy and muscular dystrphy can highly benefit from this technology.

As is give in the article, coupled with a sensor-sensitive headset, a person with a paralytic attack; one who cannot move his neck at ease can easily get the virtual keyboard appear at the most covenient position, place the cursor at the required position and also click on links and buttons.

Make a video your avatar

2007-02-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

Have you observed creative and funny avatars on profiles when you visit some forums? Well, you might know they are of the GIF format. GIFs, unlike JPG(the usual picture format) can be made animated with recurring picture movements.

While there exist a lot of softwares to convert a bunch of JPG pictures together into a GIF, I found this new website that helps you to make a GIF from a video.

Now, you have to make a four-second odd video(in WMV format), upload it and click on 'Make my GIF'. And the website converts your video to a GIF which you can as your avatar elsewhere.

Here is a good one, I found at the website.Now you go, make yours...!

Weird Music T-Shirt

2007-02-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

What you wear to a party is one question to which there are no satisfying answers. I do not party much, but I have quite a few friends who are simply party-animals. I came across a T-Shirt just for such kind of people.

Before you start thinking what this has got to do with in a technology blog, let me tell you that this one is quite weird. It is called a T-qualiser..And, this T-shirt works on a battery. It has a equaliser panel(which we normally see on music players!), and when on a party, this equaliser moves in tune to the song and beats. I am sure that if you wear this to a party, getting a date is not too difficult ;-)

Video to Photo conversion

2007-02-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Using Windows, it is easy to make a movie out of a bunch of photos. But, there is no readymade solution to do the reverse, that is, to cut out a single photo out of a video. In fact, I tried doing it using conventional tools like printscreen. Printscreen, for some good reason, does not provide the actual image of the screen, while running a movie. You simply get a dark blank image in the place of the movie.

I guess, for such simple tasks, it makes no sense to go for priced products. You can very well try out free download softwares available. For this particular task, I tried using this software called SC Video Cut and Split 1.3.0.3

This one allows you to zoom into the part of the movie you require, then cut that particular portion of the movie. Infact, this point can be chosen to either make a single photo or use that point as a split point to make two parts of the single movie. I do not think it is necessary to explain the usage as the buttons are quite intuitive. You may either download this or look for other similar tools at freedownloadscenter.com.

Check this Bling mouse out!

2007-02-07T02:50:00.000-08:00

Came across this new design of mouse..It is called the Bling Bling mouse. They resemble more like a lady's mini-purse, i mean looking at the design.

It weighs 0.20 Kg. You could rather check out the entire stuff and also probably order one here

Dishmaker: Don't wash your dish next time

2007-02-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

If you think your kitchen is small and you don't have enough space to take in all the dishes, then here is a nice way out. Dishmaker helps you to convert your acrylic plates into dishes and vice versa. The next model should enable you to wash dishes too. That should be good fun!

PS: Regarding my first statement don't ask me if there is no space for dishes, where will you keep the dishmaker. I don't have an answer to that :D
Via

Sunlight intenstiy on your laptop

2007-02-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

You can now see the intensity of your sun (or more simply put, intensity based on the time of the day it is!) on your laptop. Not rocket science, but then, it looked interesting, so I thought I should put it up here on my blog.

Actually, it is not just on the laptop. Depending on the time of the day, a bulb increases its intensity of light, peaking in the noon and dimming away at the end of the day. Similarly, you can see the same on your laptop or on your mobile phone.

You can check out Jimpalt.Org for more...

Audiodizer - free RSS to MP3 conversion

2007-02-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

Sometime back, I had posted about a RSS to MP3 service, though for a price. Thanks to a comment by one of our readers here,I came to know about another free service called Audiodizer.

I tried out the site. Well, I find that the service offered is not anything different from what Odiogo has offered. The voice quality too looks good enough for a free service; i.e. it is also not very robotic, and is very much comprehendable.

If you were looking for a free service, I would recommend this to you. Keep sending comments with your tech info everyone of you. It will greatly help my blog :)

Flight tracking technology

2007-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Of late, it has become extremely easy to track the flights. In fact, Aeroseek, a flight tracking service uses a mashup with Google Earth to provide a real time feed of where the the flight is moving as seen from the satellite.

Well, okay, this does not mean that you shall see all clouds on a cloudy day and all bright on a sunny day. The service only makes use of the picture available on Google Earth to give you an idea of where your flight is at that particular moment. You obviously cannot question your kin about the bright view he had on board who came by one particular flight you tracked!

Nice way to use technology to give real time updates....

Microsoft Narrator

2007-01-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today I chanced upon a software that I seriously did not existed. I normally press Windows followed by U for Shut Down, and today did it in a quick succession. Instead of opening the Shut down window, it took me to the Microsoft Narrator window.

In fact, as soon as you get these windows on the screen, a text to voice converter starts reading out the options like File, Edit etc. It is basically useful for people with low vision to find out the options that they require to choose, for which this screen reader might be of utmost help.

I guess this is part of the softwares that Microsoft has created to help the disabled.

View 2D as a 3D

2007-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

In June this year, Carnegie Mellon University,USA came up with a technology to help computers comprehend 2D images much more than what they normally tend to do, thereby gaining a 3D vision of an image that is actually 2D.
Though layman techniques exist on how to see 2D images as 3D pictures, this technology was significant as this can lay the foundation for further technological advances. For example, today you can view Google Earth as it is visible from the satellite. But it is still a picture taken from the sky, that's it. Imagine yourself dropping from 30000 feet to 15 feet between two tall buildings, be able to view the walls on your both sides, then again move up to be in the sky. This is a definite possibility. Watch this video based on the university's technology.

Nice alternative way to use a webcam

2007-01-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

Have a look at the following video. A nice alternative way to use a webcam to effectively use the scanner.

Is the time on your watch accurate?

2007-01-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, are you confident that the answer you give to the question I asked is cent percent true?Well, Casio has just answered this and have come up with their wave ceptor watch. Now, this watch does not require manual calibration to set the time( which is the reason for the time being wrong on many occassions).

To tackle this, the Casio WVA105HA-1AV wave ceptor watch makes use of radio signals to automatically calibrate the time. This means that you can be rest assured that the time on your watch is the most accurate.

But, I don't think it will suit every person's needs. Some people have their watch intentionally calibrated five minutes fast so that they get their acts going on time. Another friend of mine in school actually had other intentions. He set his time something like 7 minutes and 15 seconds or so fast because this will get him to calculate the correct time, each time helping him improve his calculation ability.

Seriously too, I have apprehensions about factors that we cannot control. We do know of places and times where radio signals do not reach us. So, how will the watch live upto then. At such times, you will have to revert back to the traditional ways, which makes the new technology redundant.

But still, I think this is on the right track to help all people actually see the "correct" time everytime...

Stockholm metro

2007-01-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

Stockholm's metro is well known for its decoration of the stations; it has been called the longest art exhibit in the world. Several of the stations are left with the bedrock exposed, crude and unfinished, or as part of the decorations. You should see it to get amazed.

Partitioning in Linux

2007-01-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Partioning is kind of intuitive with the necessary softwares. I thought it goes the same way in Linux. But that was not to be. Many newcomers to Linux learn of partitions, yet don't know how to fully utilize them. Here's a short guide into the wonderful world of Linux partitions.

New hairdryer could make head lice extinct

2006-11-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had lice on your hair. It used to be such a pain for my sister when I was young because of head lice. I do not remember anyone having had it here for quite a long time now. But then, that does not mean noone is getting troubled still, right?

Now, a new kind of hairdryer promises to kill lice by as much as 80 percent. The rest of the lice, were also kind of sterilized, 98 percent of the eggs destroyed that it almost equivalent to saying that you have cleaned your head off lice.

The hairdryer basically uses a modified version of nozzle, which increases the speed of airflow and lowers the temperature of air so that the hairdryer basically dries up the parasites along with the scalp.

Xena need not pose as this anymore ;-)

Electronic Sticky notes

2006-10-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

I have always had a poor memory and so have always used the 'tasks' option in my cell phone to keep track of reminders. But just came across this new launch of electronic sticky notes. It is a nice tool, much like the other freebie sticky notes available already. This one keeps tracks of reminder dates and has a good alarm feature.

If you are ready to shell out 15 odd bucks and then this also provides features like scheduled turning off of the computer, additional tool skins, etc.

Five more dollars extra and you can also launch files and websites at the required time, keep track of birthdays and anniversaries, etc.

Quite a nice feature. I have right now downloaded the free part. Do not think I actually require the advanced versions.

Listen to RSS feeds : Convert RSS to MP3

2006-10-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

Just when websites have been advertising the fantastic option of reading new updates on sites through email rather than having to visit the website each time comes a much fantastic feature. You no longer even need to go through the pages of text from the different websites that you have subscribed. Rather you can play them on while you drive or go for a walk in the mornings.

Odiogo has come out with a software that can convert your RSS feed to MP3 which you can load to your iPod and listen as you drive or walk. There is a demo play of a New York Times news article on the website. It looks pretty good to me. Probably because I did not expect even the kind of voice modulation that was shown there.

But all this comes at a cost of around $30. Go for it if you feel it is worth of.

Setting up your own Internet Radio station

2006-10-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

Internet Radio is not simply about playing the same hackneyed music that one can even otherwise get from the hundreds of other places. Internet radios are infact used to cast talks and discussions related to one's industry. Suppose you run a pet shop. You can publicize your company by holding a half hour talk show everyday related to pet care.

Now, since this is the kind of requirement most of the businessmen have and not something of all-day network, it is of no use in going to places like Live365. You can check out the lesser ones, which in fact only require you to have a broadband or a dialup internet connection to get started.

Softwares like PirateRadio are useful in achieving just that. These are available at a fraction of the dedicated server internet radio stations and they can simply play any of the poular audio files. So, economically and from the point of what is required, they achieve our needs.

Do suggest ways in which I too can use something of this kind of a radio to supplement my blog. Remember that since I can play any audio file, I need not necessarily have to speak on that !!

Things to know about a cell phone

2006-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Got this sometime as an email forward. Copy pasting it, hoping it to be useful...
--------------------------
Things you never know your cellphone could !!!There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for
survival. Check out the things that you can do with it: -

*EMERGENCY*

*I*
*The Emergency Number worldwide for **Mobile** is 112.* If you find yourself out of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112
can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. **Try it out.**

*II*
*Subject: Have you locked your keys in the car? Does you car have remote keys?*

This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone.

Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of
miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can
unlock the doors (or the trunk).

Editor's Note: *It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!"*

*III*
Subject: Hidden Battery power

Imagine your cell battery is very low, you are expecting an important call and you don't have a charger. Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.
This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

*IV*
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone:

* # 0 6 #

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. when your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code.

They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.

If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

Dancing Robots

2006-10-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this really cool video of robots dancing in traditional Japanese style. It is really amazing at the way Robots have come to resemble human beings. And if you have observed a robot working, you would have noticed that all movement is engineered most often by simple pneumatic or hydraulic systems, that makes robots truly awesome.

Pretty Crazy alarm clock

2006-10-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Look at the picture.No, it is not some mixer that you find in the kitchen. It is called a bender alarm clock. And the purpose: to get people like me, even me out of the bed. Now, how this works is, those styrofoam beads inside the plastic enclosure start creating a ruckus at the set time. Add four annoying tunes to it that also start off and it is sure to get anybody out of the bed. Call it a plus-point or not, it does not have an option of snooze..So, you WILL have to wake up when it rings.

But then, who wants to buy such an annoy-machine. All said and done, everyone of us love the snap after actually waking up. And I definitely don't want to wake up all angry and irritated. However, this one does look good. I tell you, don't keep this to yourself, but buy one for your friend on his or her birthday ;-)

Electrolux Screen Fridge

2006-10-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Now, this is what I call technology, just for the heck of it. I simply do not understand what else got Electroux to come up with this new model of fridge. Called the 'Screen fridge', this model of refrigerator comes with a computer that is connected wireless to the TV and broadband.

And the purpose? - To make the kitchen the center hub of your household.
How? - The user can get details about weather and traffic details before leaving the kitchen and the house for work, check out the appointments, make a printout of your shopping list(Now, how do you get a printer to the kitchen!?). And apart from other standard controls, this fridge, priced at over $9000 and scheduled to be released at the end of 2006, comes with a remote access feature, which seems to be the only good thing about it, but then, why do you want to open and close a fridge if there is noone to pick or place a thing?

Looks like a big flop from the company. But then, I am hardly the person you should be asking when it comes to household appliances :)

Make your own cell phone movie

2006-10-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

The growing number of cell-phone movie contest is amazing. It is cool in a way, because it gives everyone of us a chance to become a movie-maker for a time, and who knows, even win prizes from one of those cell phone movie contests.

If you are serious about such contests, start deciding on the cell phones which might help you best in such cases. Recently came across the capabilities of J-phone Toshiba T-08.

Unlike most other cell phones which only help you in catching a shot and trasferring it to your computer or send it across, this phone has the ability to splice multiple shots, trim the images, add background score, redub the existing ones, add textual overlays, and a lot more.

This might look overwhelming for a device such as a cell phone, and if ever anyone who contemplates this one, just for such features, it should be one of those cell phone movie aspirants.

But then, my point is that it does not matter much. The movie is ultimately transferred out of your cell phone and only then watched. Why not transfer it out in the first place itself to your computer and then do the editing. You have a zillion softwares to do just that.The choice to get it is simply yours. Both ways, you are at a winning side!