Technology innovations from small groups are trying to bring about big changes for the countrys differently abled people,and for the large population living in remote villages Ancient India used to be the centre for innovations with some of the most path breaking medical and technological inventions fuelled by the desire to help their fellow man. That spirit,though dwindled over the centuries,still lives on in some of the latest creations from students and individual researchers with a desire to help our growing population of diffe rently-abled people. These innovations are the finalist for the Genpact Nasscom Social Innovation Honours 2011 THE CAMERA MOUSE India has a swelling population of people who have low vision,unable to do office work or use a computer.According to M S Raju of Vision Aid there are at least ten lakh individuals who can benefit from access to this device. The camera mouse is a self illuminated camera box that links up to a screen from where the person with low-vision can read text or clearly look at an object in real time.This would not be possible with say a computer magnification software that only lets you use your computer or a magnifying glass that cant achieve the desired results.More about the device can be read at www.visionaid.org. THE BLIND HELPER The blind helper is a 7 key customised wireless keyboard that help the visually handicapped person to operate a computer as well as control any electrical appliance wirelessly through software called E-Vision.The software interprets signals and transmits them to the user as voice.The device costs Rs 3,500 where a competing device would cost around $1000. Read more about this device on the Web site sites.google.com/site/ blindhelper1 BRAILLE DISPLAY Paul G DSouza has invented a device that can be used as a multiline refreshable display for Braille text,think of it as tactile equivalent of a computer monitor.The device is made of commonly found materials,is simple to construct,maintain and repair.The display produces hard Braille that is much easier to learn and use than piezoelectric displays,which produces soft Braille. The product is still in the prototype phase but an entry level single line device would cost Rs 5,000 each.You can watch a video of the device at tinyurl.com/mmdisplay PANINI KEYPAD Typing a regional language on the standard phone keypad whenever available is still a daunting task,but this little software makes it an easier and visually inviting experience.The Panini Keypad software lets you receive and send text messages in a local language and it doesnt require the need of the English keypad on your phone. It already supports Hindi,Bengali,Telegu,Tamil,Gujarati,Kannada,Malayalam and Punjabi.A list of compatible devices is listed at www.paninikeypad.comand it is free to download GAON KI AWAAZ Most villages in India have little access to information that is relevant to them,but Gaon Ki Awaaz aims to give them news that affects them in a language they understand,through a medium that has already invaded or villages,namely mobile phones.The information includes upcoming welfare schemes and agricultural developments.The broadcast is done in vocally in the Avadhi dialect. The news bits can also be accessed online at gaonkiawaaz.wordpress.com  The device costs Rs 2,400    |
Indian Inovations
HP Launches Touch Pro Tablet
By Georgina Enzer
HP has launched three new products to enlarge its HP webOS line. The products are its first webOS tablet device - the HP TouchPad, the HP Pre3 smartphone and the smaller HP Veer smartphone.
The HP TouchPad has a 9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch display, virtual keyboard and support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta in the browser as well as access to webOS applications. "Today we're embarking on a new era of webOS with the goal of linking a wide family of HP products through the best mobile experience available," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. "The flexibility of the webOS platform makes it ideal for creating a range of innovative devices that work together to keep you better connected to your world."
The TouchPad is designed to be used either alone, or as a companion device to a webOS smartphone. Calls can be answered and viewed from the TouchPad and a user can touch an enabled webOS phone to the TouchPad to share web URLs. The device has the HP Synergy feature, designed to enable users to sign into Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo! accounts and information from a users contacts, calendar and email automatically populate the TouchPad.
WebOS allows users to run multiple applications at the same time and shows your activities as cards on the screen. This is designed to allow the user to easily navigate between the functions they are using, such as Facebook, a music player and IM chat. TouchPad also features a webOS communication suite powered by HP Synergy, designed to keep a user connected, the solution includes email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar, videos and a front-facing camera for video calling.
The TouchPad also features Wi-Fi, GPS on the 3G model, Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.2GHz processor, the option of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam for live video calling.
A Micro-USB with USB 2.0 is also included. The device measures in at 190mm x 242mm x 13.7mm and weighs 740g. Amazon.com has announced that it will be launching a free Kindle app for HP webOS tailored for TouchPad, designed to give users access to more than 810,000 titles from Amazon's Kindle Store.
HP is also working with Quickoffice to include the Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite. The TouchPad also comes with VPN support to connect to corporate networks and the device has built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging.
The HP TouchPad is scheduled to be available later in the year and both pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. HP has also released the HP Pre3 smartphone, which features a 3.58-inch touchscreen, a 1.4GHz processor and a full slide-out keyboard. "In the suite of webOS products we're introducing today, Pre3 is our premier phone, designed for the speed of business," said Rubinstein. "It enables professionals to accomplish more of their important workday tasks while easily keeping their fingers on the pulse of their personal lives."
The phone, which runs on HP webOS features eight or 16 gigabytes of internal storage, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Wi-Fi, integrated GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot. The device also has a 5MP camera with autofocus and an LED flash and a front-facing camera for video calling. Weighing in at 156g, the device measures 111mm x 64mm x 16mm.
Pricing and availability is scheduled to be announced later in the year. The last device announced by HP is the HP Veer smartphone. This device is HPs smallest webOS smartphone to date, measuring in at 54.5mm x 84.0mm x 15.1mm and weighing in at 103g.
The Veer has a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, similar to the Pre3, an 800MHz processor, a 2.57-inch glass display, eight gigabytes of internal storage and a five-megapixel camera with geotagging.
"While much of the industry is trending toward larger and larger devices, we believe there's also a whole lot of room for thinking small," said Rubinstein. "Veer bridges the gap for a new generation of smartphone users, proving they really can have it all without sacrificing the size they want."
The phone also has Wi-Fi, integrated GPS and Bluetooth 2.1 with Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot.
Specifications :
My personal note? I would have probably bought the HP Slate 500 if the price would have been around the 400 dollars mark, for which now high end netbooks are selling.
HP has launched three new products to enlarge its HP webOS line. The products are its first webOS tablet device - the HP TouchPad, the HP Pre3 smartphone and the smaller HP Veer smartphone.
The HP TouchPad has a 9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch display, virtual keyboard and support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta in the browser as well as access to webOS applications. "Today we're embarking on a new era of webOS with the goal of linking a wide family of HP products through the best mobile experience available," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. "The flexibility of the webOS platform makes it ideal for creating a range of innovative devices that work together to keep you better connected to your world."
The TouchPad is designed to be used either alone, or as a companion device to a webOS smartphone. Calls can be answered and viewed from the TouchPad and a user can touch an enabled webOS phone to the TouchPad to share web URLs. The device has the HP Synergy feature, designed to enable users to sign into Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo! accounts and information from a users contacts, calendar and email automatically populate the TouchPad.
WebOS allows users to run multiple applications at the same time and shows your activities as cards on the screen. This is designed to allow the user to easily navigate between the functions they are using, such as Facebook, a music player and IM chat. TouchPad also features a webOS communication suite powered by HP Synergy, designed to keep a user connected, the solution includes email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar, videos and a front-facing camera for video calling.
The TouchPad also features Wi-Fi, GPS on the 3G model, Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.2GHz processor, the option of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam for live video calling.
A Micro-USB with USB 2.0 is also included. The device measures in at 190mm x 242mm x 13.7mm and weighs 740g. Amazon.com has announced that it will be launching a free Kindle app for HP webOS tailored for TouchPad, designed to give users access to more than 810,000 titles from Amazon's Kindle Store.
HP is also working with Quickoffice to include the Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite. The TouchPad also comes with VPN support to connect to corporate networks and the device has built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging.
The HP TouchPad is scheduled to be available later in the year and both pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. HP has also released the HP Pre3 smartphone, which features a 3.58-inch touchscreen, a 1.4GHz processor and a full slide-out keyboard. "In the suite of webOS products we're introducing today, Pre3 is our premier phone, designed for the speed of business," said Rubinstein. "It enables professionals to accomplish more of their important workday tasks while easily keeping their fingers on the pulse of their personal lives."
The phone, which runs on HP webOS features eight or 16 gigabytes of internal storage, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Wi-Fi, integrated GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot. The device also has a 5MP camera with autofocus and an LED flash and a front-facing camera for video calling. Weighing in at 156g, the device measures 111mm x 64mm x 16mm.
Pricing and availability is scheduled to be announced later in the year. The last device announced by HP is the HP Veer smartphone. This device is HPs smallest webOS smartphone to date, measuring in at 54.5mm x 84.0mm x 15.1mm and weighing in at 103g.
"While much of the industry is trending toward larger and larger devices, we believe there's also a whole lot of room for thinking small," said Rubinstein. "Veer bridges the gap for a new generation of smartphone users, proving they really can have it all without sacrificing the size they want."
The phone also has Wi-Fi, integrated GPS and Bluetooth 2.1 with Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot.
Specifications :
- 8.9 inch screen, 1024 x 600 pixels resolution, capacitive with multitouch and N-trig digitizer
- 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 64GB SSD
- Intel GMA 500 with Broadcom Crystal HD for Full HD decoding
- Wifi and Bluetooth
- 1 x USB, 3.5mm headset jack and SD card slot
- Frontfacing webcam and 3MP camera on the back
- Accelerometer for automatic screen rotation
- 2-cell 30 Wh battery (5 hours estimated runtime). Battery is non user replaceable
- Desktop dock with 2 x USB, headset and HDMI port
- Carrying case with holder for digitizer pen (the pen doesn’t dock inside the slate itself)
- Windows 7 Professional OS
- size: 226 x 150 x 14.7 mm
- weight: 680g
Buttons layout :
Now, let’s do a walk around and see what the buttons and openings on the sides of the device do. Front: the front-facing web-cam for video conferencing is placed in the upper left corner. Back: it hosts only the 3 megapixel digital camera. Bottom: docking connector in the middle and two stereo speakers on both sides. Left: SD card slot opening, keyboard button that brings up the Windows 7 keyboard when pressed, microphone. Top: USB port and CTRL+ALT+DELETE button on the right side. Right: On/Off slide button and 3.5 mm headset jack.
Preloaded software
Thankfully, HP has understood that a business device doesn’t have to come with tons of apps pre-installed that eat up processing power and occupy space on the internal SSD, so we have few things to slow down the Windows 7 installation, and the most notable is Evernote, the note taking, synchronizing and sorting program, which features versions for most of current used OSes, desktop and mobile versions included.HP Slate 500 vs Apple iPad
I guess you’ve understood our point on this matter: the HP Slate is not meant as a competitor to the Apple iPad, but just a device that can meet the productivity demands of enterprise customers. That doesn’t mean Windows 7 fans (yeah, the OS that lives up on over 95% of computers has fans) won’t get the HP Slate 500, which at 800 dollars is just about the same price as the 64 GB iPad. Plus it comes with the docking station and carrying case by default. A minus is lack 3G connectivity, which should have been included by HP, but that’s a minor annoyance for many, as you can hook up a USB dongle at any time into the tablet. Also on the cons, we have to note the lack of a fingerprint reader, something business devices enjoy for a while.My personal note? I would have probably bought the HP Slate 500 if the price would have been around the 400 dollars mark, for which now high end netbooks are selling.
Dual Touch screen Phone launched
Sprint, Kyocera's Echo Phone gives Android new hardware
Sprint and Kyocera introduced the dual-screen Echo smartphone, running Android 2.2. But can the unique-looking device combat the iPhone 4, plus other Android upstarts?
Laptops are starting to get in on it, too, whether in the form of an upcoming Acer laptop with dual touch screens, or other manufacturers’ models whose screens telescope out for a wraparound effect.
Now, evidently, it’s time for the dual-screen philosophy to make its way to smartphones. On Feb. 7, Sprint hosted a high-profile event in New York City to debut the Kyocera Echo, an Android smartphone with two 3.5-inch WVGA touch screens connected by a hinge.
All in all, the Echo is 4.53 inches long, 2.23 inches wide, and 0.68 inches thick.
Depending on that hinge’s angle, those screens can perform multiple functions. Slide one over the other, the Echo looks and feels like a somewhat thicker single-screen smartphone.
Slid flat and side-by-side, the smartphone offers a 4.7-inch screen (broken by the hinge) for displaying movies and other media (each screen offers 800x480 resolution).
One screen tilted at an angle to the other allows for typing on a virtual keyboard, on one screen, while viewing, say, e-mail or Facebook on the other.
The two screens can also run two applications “simultaneously and independently,” as Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told the audience at the New York City event. In other words, there’s high potential for versatility here. For business users, the smartphone will support Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, in addition to POP and IMAP e-mail accounts.
The Echo relies on Android 2.2 and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor as the foundation for its various functions. That’s generally the standard for Android-based smartphones these days, and it suggests the Echo will be able to perform with the same speed and power as other devices in its class. For the particularly gadget-happy, the Echo can act as a WiFi hotspot for up to five devices.
In a Feb. 8 conversation with eWEEK, Sprint and Kyocera executives seemed intent on separating the Echo from other plus-sized devices walking the line between tablets and smartphones, such as the Dell Streak. The Echo’s “tablet mode emulates some functionality of a tablet, but it’s not a tablet,” said David Owens, Sprint’s vice president of consumer acquisition. “It’s a phone first.”
Those executives offered eWEEK a brief up-close look at the Echo, including a run-through of its video-playing capabilities (using “Avatar,” inevitably), e-mail (you can sort through an e-mail box on one screen, while viewing individual e-mails on the other) and games (The Sims).
Sprint likely hopes the Echo’s form-factor will distinguish it within an increasingly crowded Android smartphone market. Certainly the carrier needs a new top-tier smartphone in the spirit of last year’s Evo 4G or Epic 4G, powerful devices in their own right but ones that, given the rapid pace of smartphone evolution these days, risk looking antiquated.
Indeed, with rivals busy rolling out 4G capability, once touted by Sprint as its primary competitive differentiator, the company needs something altogether new and shiny to maintain its market niche—and evidently, that means dual screens.
It also means stretching the battery life. Kyocera apparently plans to ship the phone with two batteries, alongside a charger capable of charging the phone and a second battery at the same time.
The Echo will arrive sometime this spring for $199 with a two-year contract and a $100 mail-in rebate. Whether it manages to wrest market share from the Verizon iPhone, Windows Phone 7 and its Android cousins remains to be seen. One thing’s for certain, though: Sprint and Kyocera will have one of the more unique-looking devices on the market
(Source: eWeek)
Smart phones overtakes PC's
NEW YORK For the first time ever,smart phones such as the iPhone are outselling personal computers,according to a report by research group IDC.Worldwide,consumer electronics makers shipped 100.9 million smart phones in the last three months of 2010,an 87 per cent jump from a year earlier.PC shipments were weaker than expected,edging up just three per cent to 92.1 million.
The two trends aren't necessarily related,said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.Smart phones and PCs serve different purposes,and consumers generally need both.PCs remain important for writing papers,editing photos and creating other kinds of content.
PC sales are,however,have been hurt by competition from tablet computers.
This is the graph which shows the growth of Smartphones in the coming year.
Meanwhile,smart phones are getting a boost from falling prices.It's not uncommon to find brand-new models on sale.Smart phone sales are also getting a push from growing interest in Google's Android software,which powers dozens of phones made by HTC,Samsung,Motorola Mobility and others.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds,helping to drive the smart phone market,"Llamas said.
People also tend to replace their phones much more often than they do their computers.Consumers might wait three to five years to replace computers,some of which are protected under warranties that last several years.
The two trends aren't necessarily related,said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.Smart phones and PCs serve different purposes,and consumers generally need both.PCs remain important for writing papers,editing photos and creating other kinds of content.
PC sales are,however,have been hurt by competition from tablet computers.
This is the graph which shows the growth of Smartphones in the coming year.
Meanwhile,smart phones are getting a boost from falling prices.It's not uncommon to find brand-new models on sale.Smart phone sales are also getting a push from growing interest in Google's Android software,which powers dozens of phones made by HTC,Samsung,Motorola Mobility and others.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds,helping to drive the smart phone market,"Llamas said.
People also tend to replace their phones much more often than they do their computers.Consumers might wait three to five years to replace computers,some of which are protected under warranties that last several years.
website of the day
makeyourgirlfriendhappy.com
This Web site is run by guys,with girlfriends,who have made mistakes and they want to make sure you never do the same.Join the Web site and receive emails about things to do and reminders about important dates
This Web site is run by guys,with girlfriends,who have made mistakes and they want to make sure you never do the same.Join the Web site and receive emails about things to do and reminders about important dates
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