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6/24/2010

Rupee to get a symbol today!

Joining the club of other major currencies of the world like the US dollar, the pound sterling, the yen and the euro among others, the Indian rupee too is set to get its unique identification symbol that is recognisable worldwide.





In February 2009, the Finance Ministry had invited Indian residents to participate in a competition for designing a 'symbol for the Indian rupee', the results of which are to be announced today. Five designs have been shortlisted by the government after this all-India contest, of which one will be denoted as the symbol for the rupee.

These signs are easy to write and are specially designed to appeal to Indian and international community.

A symbol reflecting the Hindi alphabet 'R' is likely to be approved.

Reserve Bank of India’s Executive Director HR Khan feels a symbol for the rupee was absolutely necessary. “Every currency has a symbol so we thought that the Indian currency should also have a symbol. It is more of a symbolic value because we are an emerging power and most countries have some symbol with acts as an identification for the currency worldwide.”

* Source

6/19/2010

Tech feed

Microsoft's glasses-free 3D display technology

The popularity of 3-D cinema is skyrocketing and 3-D-capable TV sets are heading for our living rooms, but almost every 3-D ready technology still requires that you don a set of special glasses. Microsoft has developed lens which could help change all that. With the ability to keep track of the position of viewers and send separate images directly to each eye, the new prototype display eliminates the need for 3-D glasses. Read More




Better Place launches battery switching system for EVs

By now must of us are aware of the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs). They’re better for the environment, they’re quiet, they have less moving parts and are therefore more reliable and cheaper to operate and maintain than their combustion-powered counterparts. But it’s obviously not all upside or EVs would be the rule on our roads rather than the exception. One of the major hurdles holding EVs back is the time it takes for them to recharge their batteries. One solution is swapping a dead battery for a fully charged one. That’s just what a project in Tokyo is doing with the launch the world’s first switchable-battery electric taxi. Read More




RavenWindow automatically changes transparency with temperature

Windows that change their tint are not new, but this window by RavenBrick does so without any energy use required. The RavenWindow changes its transparency depending on the temperature, so basically if it's hot outside less heat passes through it and if it's cold outside then it becomes more transparent, allowing in more heat from the sun. The implications are obvious – savings on your energy bill as a result of reduced use of your heater or air conditioner. With "America's Greenest Building" commissioning the first commercial installation of the product, it's bound to have a bright future. Read More




Interactive rock t-shirts for kids

So you’ve got a junior wannabe rock star on your hands but you’re not convinced of their musical talent? Before you start forking out big bucks for that electric guitar or drum kit they have their eye on, how about testing their musical prowess on an interactive rock t-shirt? The kids’ rock guitar shirt and drum kit shirt can actually be played – just like real instruments – so junior can happily bang out a drum solo or guitar riff and you can hang on to your hard-earned bucks…for now. Read More




Tracking down endangered species

Documenting the location and number of rare animals isn’t an easy task - by definition there just aren’t that many of them around. That’s why researchers at Auburn University, Alabama, have turned to man’s best friend to lend a helping hand – or more accurately, a helping nose. The school’s EcoDogs project trains detection dogs to find endangered animal species, or rather their sign (read excrement), in the field to aid researchers in their goals of ecological research, management, and conservation. Read More




CRB100 module turns ordinary machines into robots

If the US Navy’s sociable Octavia robot is looking for a little synthetic companionship in the future, all she may have to do is plug a newly-developed electronic brain into the nearest vacuum cleaner, floor waxer, or other cleaning appliance. The CRB100 module, designed by researchers from Spain’s Universitat Jaume I (UJI), is intended to convert ordinary mobile machines into robots. Read More




Land mine detection system built using off-the-shelf components

Land mines are terrifying and indiscriminate weapons, harming soldiers and civilians alike. Even long after the conflict in which they were deployed has ceased they end up killing and injuring civilians and render land impassable and unusable for decades. There are a variety of methods used to detect mines by both humanitarian and military groups, but many are dangerous, most are less than 100 percent reliable and some of the more reliable detection methods are prohibitively expensive. Physicists have now built a relatively inexpensive land mine detection system using off-the-shelf components – including some sourced from online auction sites. Read More




CERN to open 'Universe of Particles' exhibition

Do you know your quarks from your leptons? Need to brush up on wave-particle duality? CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has announced that it will open a permanent “Universe of Particles” exhibition on the ground floor of its incredible conference center - the Globe of Science and Innovation. The exhibition is designed to provide visitors with a fascinating insight into the world of particles and will feature a display on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest accelerator – or as CERN describes it, “one of the most sophisticated scientific tools ever built to explore new territories of knowledge.” Read More




Replacing 'steel plate in the head' with skull's own material

People may joke about someone having a steel plate in their head, but in the case of punctures to the skull, that often ends up actually being the case - the hole in the bone is plugged with a permanent titanium-based patch. Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, however, have just announced the development of biodegradable patches that stimulate the skull into healing itself. As the bone grows back in, the patches disappear. Read More




RoboCup 2 – return of the golf ball

Last year, we told you about a little something cleverly named the RoboCup. Designed for golfers practicing their putting, it sits inside the hole on the green, and gently shoots balls up to 14 feet back to the golfer. It runs on four AA batteries, which should be good for around 15,000 ball-returns – that’s a lot of saved walking over and bending over. Fine Tune Golf has now announced the launch of “the new generation of RoboCup”... RoboCup 2, perhaps? Read More




Electrolux Design Lab 2010 semi-finalists announced

This year's Design Lab competition from Electrolux has seen 1,300 entries from 17 countries flood in for consideration. The theme for 2010 is the "2nd Space Age" and the 25 semi-finalists have just been announced. Soon that number will be further reduced to just eight, who will then battle it out to try and win a wad of cash and the chance to work at one of the company's design centers. But before that happens, let's take a quick look at what's on offer. Read More




Zoom launches its smallest recorder to date

Samson Technologies is about to release its smallest portable recorder to date. The Zoom H1 Handy Recorder is capable of recording up to 24-bit/96kHz WAV or 320Kbps MP3 using its built-in or external stereo microphones, and has an easy-to-use hardware-based user interface, where all of the controls are placed within easy reach. It weighs just a couple of ounces, runs on one AA battery and records to microSD. Read More




Nanosponge drug delivery claimed to work better than direct injection on tumors

Recent research suggest that a novel material called nanosponge could be up to five times more effective at reducing tumor growth than direct injection. The drug delivery system is likened to filling virus-sized sponges with an anti-cancer drug and attaching chemical linkers that bond to a feature of the surface of tumor cell and then injecting the sponges into the body. When the sponges come into contact with a tumor cell they either attach to the surface or are sucked into the cell where they offload their deadly contents in a predictable and controlled manner. Read More




Rayqual adapters get your Canon and Nikon lenses on Sony NEX compact cameras

Sony recently released a couple of interchangeable lens cameras – theNEX-3 and NEX-5. Although these models are great for boosting the functionality and flexibility of a compact, being tied down to Sony lenses would probably end up being a bit frustrating. What if you're a keen photographer who has already invested in other lenses from the likes of Canon and Nikon? What if you wanted to be able to take the lighter-weight compact with you now and again and maybe pop one of your old lenses in your bag? Japanese manufacturer Rayqual has snapped up this opportunity, releasing an additional range of adapters available for shipping from July 2010. Read More




Casio targets gamers with mercury-free GREEN SLIM projectors

Casio is taking aim at the growing gaming market with its new GREEN SLIM projectors. Showcased at this year’s E3, the projectors feature a mercury-free, laser and LED hybrid light source capable of high-brightness projection of displays 100 inches and larger for a truly immersive gaming experience. All offerings in the GREEN SLIM line are lightweight and extremely portable, which, Casio says, makes them the perfect option for taking some big screen interactive entertainment on the road. Read More




iSnapMe takes the guesswork out of mobile phone self-portraits

I’m sure there are some people out there who are able to take a perfect self-portrait with their mobile phone. Unfortunately, when most of us attempt to take one, we end up with our face off-center or blurry. The iSnapMe is a clever mirror attachment that turns your phone into a front-facing camera and helps you take the perfect shot. Now don’t stop reading just because you’re waiting on the iPhone 4 – its front-facing camera is only VGA-quality, so with iSnapMe you could make use of the 5-megapixel number on the back. Read More

6/17/2010

Past days log... :|

After a while now I am back with pen & paper (rather mouse & keyboard ;-) ...) to pen down something on my blog. I've been a bit involved for these days, to spare any time for blogging so...
On 7th this month I had the internals for final semester training's presentation. It didn't clicked well, as I per my expectation, but than expectations always kill you! The thing happened was like singing melody before a deaf. As my presentation subject was beyond the perceptions of my esteemed college teachers (or I must say the selected bimbos of college, specifically chosen for the task! ;-) ) who were mere acting as an object for distraction! :-p They didn't even got a slightest of idea of what I did in my project (Programming Radio frequency identification detection system on the VxWorks RTOS, the same OS that is used in Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot), & were not satisfied! But externals on 11th went par excellence, where the poor external examiner was speechless! :-D Now I am hoping for some descent marks, that's it, nothing more on it... My stay there was smooth, against the anticipations I was making, as I stayed at a friend's place @Ambala. & didn't had to live in the great place "Lalru!" ;-)

Now only one or two visits to college are left to collect the final mark sheet & the important thing, my engineering degree! :-D
Last days were not as rocking or party filled as I was expecting, some formal relations that were being carried forcibly were left behind, that might have carried away some good memories too... The good & true relations reflected shinning, that I can see shining ahead in life too...

Then I came back the sweet home. Got a new cellphone Nokia 5235. Again a small crap happened, that is making me think- have I repeated a mistake with buying Nokia?! As earlier also I faced some issues with Nokia 5233, (with mom now) though it is very fine now. I must say though Nokia has a sense for good engineering, they lack on the quality part still, if compared to global brands like Sony Ericsson, or Motorola. There seem to be no uniformity or standard in their products, still as I was not having more bucks I settled for Nokia. Hope to get a blackberry after job myself! ;-) Though Nokia phones are good, with good features, & I like them, but I am sincerely not a fan of Nokia!... Noway... I dream of a Sony Erricson Xperia, or Motorola Milestone or a Blackberry.... :-p
The issue I faced was with the display of my 5235, though 5235 seemed to be perfect in all respects after I purchased it from a Priority to be sure of quality, yes it is fine too, but as I placed both my 5235 & 5233 (older)... smash!... my happiness crashed! The "white" of my phone was paler than the "white" color of 5233 (No it's not an AD of Tide... ;-) ), that had really true & sharp contrast! This was disheartening but is not a reason enough to get me a replacement! :-( Though I am settled now as I don't have any affect of that difference, as my priority of usage is music, internet & office work & very less or least if I say I would use it for watching videos, though there won't be any pain in watching videos too, as the display actually has no issues, only the white is a bit pale, that's it! May be all 5235 had it, may be it is because 5235 is 80% made of recycled material, whatever, Nokia is not a brand for geeks!! ;-D

Also I had a small beer party with a friend here in Delhi, but there is nothing much to write, as nothing great happened. ;-)

Now a days I am involved in making a project for mom's school competition. It is robotic car with an robotic arm, all direction movements, remote controlled, it is almost done & have a power to lift upto 5kg load (or may be more!) :-D

6/03/2010

Nokia announces C1 and C2 - two SIMs inside, bargain prices

Affordable phones for developing countries have arrived to the Cseries. Two of the new offerings are dual-SIM solutions and the other two offer good connectivity and multimedia for a very limited price. Nokia also announced a bicycle charging solution for areas with limited access to electricity.

Lets start wit the Nokia C2 - before taxes and subsidies it will cost 45 euro (55 USD). The C2 is a dual-SIM phone and interestingly, the second SIM card is easily accessible and hot-swappable (a world's first). The phone supports the 900/1800 GSM bands.

Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2
The Nokia C2 has a unique dual-SIM solution - the second SIM card is hot-swappable

The battery is estimated to last 16,5 days on standby and 4 hours of talk time. The Nokia C2 also features VGA camera, GPRS Internet connectivity, Bluetooth and FM radio with broadcast recording. There's also a microSD card (up to 32GB, but those cost more than the phone itself), 3.5mm audio jack plus an MP3 player.

The other dual-SIM phone is the Nokia C1-00, which will cost 30 euro (37 USD). It doesn't have two active cards - just one, but there's a quick shortcut to switch between the two. The phone has a smashing standby of 48 days. It features an FM radio, 3.5mm audio jack and a flashlight.

Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2
The Nokia C1-00 has two SIM cards, but only one can be active at a time

This is where the new Nokia numbering scheme becomes a little confusing. The final two phones are the Nokia C1-01 (39 euro) and the C1-02 (35 euro) - both are somewhat similar, but not quite identical to the C1-00.

Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2 Nokia C1 and C2
The Nokia C1-01 and C1-02 have a single SIM, but add a microSD slot and GPRS

The Nokia C1-01 and Nokia C1-02 only have a single SIM card slot, but offer GPRS, Bluetooth, microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio and MP3 player. The Nokia C1-01 features a VGA camera, which the Nokia C1-02 lacks.

The Nokia C1-00 is expected in the third quarter, while the other two in the last quarter of this year.

Nokia C1 and C2
The bicycle charging kit from Nokia

By the year's end Nokia will also release the bicycle charging kit, which uses a dynamo to charge phones using the standard 2mm plug. It is targeted at areas with limited access to electricity, where bicycles are often the most popular mode of transportation.

Source

 
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