Kulwinderjit's Tech Blog

Google Chromium Operating System

2009-11-23T14:57:00.003Z

Just tried Google Chrome OS in Virtual Box. Some screen shots of Chrome OS running in Virtual Box

Run Windows 3.1 on N810 Tablet

2008-07-19T18:04:00.003Z

It's totally unbelievable what geeks and fanboys can do to their hardware. Modding Symbian OS is so last decade!

After the groundbreaking news of Nokia making Symbian OS open source, fanboys and geeks have an even bigger reason to cheer. Nokia's N810 Internet Tablet managed to grab the attention of gadget geeks and Nokia fanboys. Installing Linux on mobile Internet devices like N810 would be the first thing on the minds of alpha-geeks.
Yesterday at the Internet Tablet forum, a nostalgic forum member John Mayson posted about his gig of installing Windows 3.1 under DOSBox on Nokia N810. With screenshots uploaded on Picasa Web to prove his point, he mentioned about threads used in running DOSBox on N810.

Forum members joined the nostalgic trip by talking about DOS games and applications. DOSBox, an x86 emulator with DOS, will be the killer app for emulating Windows on mobile Internet devices based on Intel's x86 based nostalgeek!

After announcement of Symbian going Open Source, Open Handset Alliance has pulled sleeves for pacing Android OS's development while Mobile Linux Foundation's work on LiMO Linux on Mobiles goes at their own pace. Apple's iPhone OS 2.0 has already made many drool over it. Geeks and fanboys will have much fun coming their way with these mobile platform OSes.

Instructions about Windows 3.1 on DOSBox can be found here.

PDF Now ISO Standard

2008-07-09T19:33:00.000Z

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has approved the PDF as a standard format for electronic documents. ISO has christened version 1.7 of PDF, the current working version, ISO 32000-1.

"As an ISO standard, we can ensure that this useful and widely popular format is easily available to all interested stakeholders," said ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden in a statement. "The standard will benefit both software developers and users by encouraging the propagation and dissemination of a common technology that cuts across systems and is designed for long-term survival.”

Developed by Adobe Systems, PDF is a digital document format designed to preserve the layout and appearance of an electronic document -- or the scanned version of a paper document -- on different platforms. Adobe submitted the format to ISO for standardization in February 2007.

With Adobe relinquishing control of PDF, the ISO Document Management Applications Technical Committee will review any changes made to the format. The openly published standard provides the technical information required for writing software programs that can create and read PDF files, ensuring that organizations will always have some tools available to render PDFs, even if Adobe stops shipping its PDF viewer.

This is not the first version of PDF to be under ISO's care. The organization also oversees PDF/X, a subset for the printing industry, and PDF/A, for long-term archiving of documents.

In related news, Adobe has released the latest version of its free PDF viewer, Adobe Reader. The new version is the first to support PDFs with embedded interactive Flash animations, a feature made available with the recently released version 9 of Adobe's Acrobat PDF creator. The new reader also allows multiple users to annotate and update documents through the company's online collaboration service, Acrobat.com.

"PDF documents are well beyond simple visual representation of paper on a screen," said Bobby Caudill, group manager of global government solutions at Adobe.

Robots scale new heights

2008-07-08T19:08:00.002Z

Robots that can climb walls have been developed by scientists in the United States.

The robots can scale surfaces using the same principles behind electrostatic charges, which make balloons stick to ceilings after being rubbed.

Developed by a team in SRI's Mobile Robotics and Transducers Programme, the machines are about the size of a remote-controlled car and have caterpillar tracks similar to those on toy tanks.

Inside these tracks are materials with electro-adhesive properties, which mean that when a current is applied, the tracks are attracted to the wall, preventing the robots from falling off.

"What we've invented is a way to induce charges on the wall using a power supply located on the robot," research engineer Harsha Prahlad told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme.

"The robot carries with it positive and negative charges, and when the walls sees these charges it automatically generates the opposite charge. The robot can then clamp onto those charges.

"In some ways it is similar to rubbing a balloon and sticking it on the wall, except we carry our own power supply and are able to control the adhesion."

Insect robots

The technology, called compliant electroadhesion, uses a very small amount of power and the robots can crawl at a speed of about one body length per second.

The robots are being touted for use by the military, for reconnissance, for service applications and as toys.

"It is very similar to how a toy tank works, with the two treads," Mr Prahlad explained.

"There are positive and negative traces attached to the treads.

"We simply drive it, moving it like a conveyer belt."

The team is now working on a way to apply their technology to more insect-like robots, to mirror the way that creatures such as flies are able to walk upside-down.

This will be done by putting electro-adhesive pads on the robot feet.

"We often think of electrostatic forces as very weak - but if you get very close, you can get very strong forces from this," Mr Prahlad added.

Top of the Zombie charts: Verizon, Telecom Italia and Brasil Telecom

2008-07-08T18:50:00.003Z

Commtouch released its second quarter 2008 Email Threats Trend Report, based on the automated analysis of billions of email messages weekly. The report examines recent trends in email threats, especially the role of millions of dynamic zombie computers actively sending spam and malware every day.
Highlights of the report include:

Top domains with the most infected machines (aka zombies) based on Commtouch Labs research include: Telecom Italia, Brasil Telecom, and Verizon
Spam levels throughout the second quarter averaged 77%, ranging from a low of 64% to a peak of 94% of all email towards the end of the quarter
10 million zombie IP addresses are active each day, on average
United States drops to 9th place in number of zombies globally. Turkey is #1 with 11% of all zombies
Pharmaceutical spam is the most popular topic, comprising 40% of all spam
Phishing scams took advantage of higher education community, as well as Google adwords users

New 50 Mega Pixels Camera!

2008-07-08T18:41:00.001Z

There are high-end products and there are obscenely high-end products. This one comes under the latter bracket.

Hasselblad, the camera manufacturer known for its high-end imaging devices has pulled off yet another stunner. H3DII-50, the world's first 50 mega pixels camera is out for sale! Yes, we've seen 50 mega pixels sensors from Canon, but this is the first time such a sensor has been crammed into a camera. Earlier the company gave us the 39 mega pixels H3DII-39.
Coming to the latest show-stealer, the H3DII-50 features Kodak's 50 mega pixels 36 x 48mm CCD sensor, which is twice the physical size of the largest 35mm DSLR sensors. Specifications of the H3DII are:

integrated 50 mega pixels capture unit with 3-inches display

raw image size 300MB at 1 frame per second

optimal digital lens performance

Hasselblad natural color solution

integrated CCD cooling sink for low noise

direct ISO/WB control

thumb-wheel digital menu control

GPS accessory option

full-digital APO correction for improved image sharpness and detail

The H3DII-50 could be yours for under $37,000, which is a cool 16 lacs.

Google Earth moves to become Google Universe

2008-07-04T11:29:00.001Z

The world is not enough for Google Earth. The groundbreaking free application already provides satellite photos, maps, street-level photos and a vast range of data overlays for most of the planet, and its latest incarnation looks to the heavens as well. A fantastic resource for backyard astronomers, the new Sky module lets users explore the planets, stars, constellations and galaxies of the night sky, including high resolution highlights from the Hubble Space Telescope and useful information overlays.

Google Earth recently announced that its latest version includes a new module called Sky galaxies. High resolution imagery and informative overlays create a unique playground for visualizing and learning about space. that enables all Earth users to view and navigate through 100 million individual stars and 200 million http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy

To access Sky, users need only click "Switch to Sky" from the "view" drop-down menu in Google Earth, or click the Sky button on the Google Earth toolbar. The interface and navigation are similar to that of standard Google Earth steering, including dragging, zooming, search, "My Places," and layer selection. Google Earth

As part of the new feature, Google is introducing seven informative layers that illustrate various celestial bodies and events:

Constellations - From Cassiopeia to Andromeda, the Constellations layer connects the points of constellations through space, labeling each with its given name. Users can learn about the stars that make up their favorite constellations.

Backyard Astronomy - The Backyard Astronomy layer lets users click through a variety of placemarks and information on stars, galaxies, and nebulae visible to the eye, binoculars and small telescopes. This layer is useful for the amateur astronomer who may benefit from a comprehensive, organized way to reference fragments of the night sky.

Hubble Space Telescope Imagery - The HST layer provides users with over 120 high-resolution images provided by the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA/ESA's renowned orbiting telescope.

Moon - The Moon layer displays animations of two months of both lunar positions and moon phases.

Planets - The Planets layer illustrates the seven official planets and their positions in the sky two months into the future.

Users Guide to Galaxies - The Users Guide to Galaxies layer enables users to go on virtual tours through different types of galaxies, from Ursa Minor Dwarf to the Milky Way. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy

Life of a Star - The Life of a Star layer takes the user on a tour through the different stages of a star's life cycle.

Sky was created by Google's Pittsburgh engineering team by stitching together imagery from numerous scientific third parties including the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Digital Sky Survey Consortium (DSSC), CalTech's Palomar Observatory, the United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), and the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO). The initiative was born out of the University of Washington's participation in the Google Visiting Faculty Program, which makes it possible for leading academic researchers to visit Google for 6-12 month periods.

"We're excited to provide users with rich astronomical imagery and enhanced content that enables them to both learn about what they're seeing above and tell their own stories," said Lior Ron, Google Product Manager. "By working with some of the industry's leading experts, we've been able to transform Google Earth into a virtual telescope." Google Earth

"Sky is a very cool new feature for anyone who has ever looked up at the sky and wanted to know more," said Sally Ride, former astronaut and CEO of Sally Ride Science. "I think this is a great tool for satisfying that curiosity."

"Never before has a roadmap of the entire sky been made so readily available. Anyone interested in exploring the wonders of our universe can quickly see where the stunning objects photographed by Hubble actually dwell in the heavens. Sky in Google Earth will foster and initiate new understanding of the universe by bringing it to everyone's home computer," said Dr. Carol Christian of STScI, who co-led the organization's Sky team with Dr. Alberto Conti.

The announcement follows last month's inclusion of the NASA layer group in Google Earth, showcasing NASA's Earth exploration. The group has three main components, including Astronaut Photography of Earth, Satellite Imagery, and Earth City Lights. Astronaut Photography of Earth showcases photographs of the Earth as seen from space from the early 1960s on, while Satellite Imagery highlights Earth images taken by NASA satellites over the years and Earth City Lights traces well-lit cities across the globe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth

To access Sky in Google Earth, users need to download the newest version of Google Earth, available at: http://earth.google.com. The feature will be available on all Google Earth domains, in 13 languages.

Virtual keyboard could revolutionise telephone usage

2008-07-04T11:08:00.003Z

The Virtual Keyboard (VKB) has reached market in the UK and the world will be watching over the coming months to see how this new and potentially very important device is adopted. The VKB could revolutionise the way that PDAs and Smartphones http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone are used, exploiting much of the unused computing power of such mobile devices, thushelping users to work more effectively on the move.

The cigarette-lighter-sized VKB uses laser and infrared technology to project a full-size QWERTY keyboard onto any flat surface for almost any palmtop computer, PDA or mobile phone. It is also easily integrated into a mobile phone, with Siemens and Samsung having shown versions of the technology integrated into their phones at recent trade shows. Hutchison Harbour Ring (HHR), a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutchison_Whampoa , has launched the first virtual keyboard (VKB) in the United Kingdom and been the first to offer the technology to consumers.

Roughly the size of a disposable lighter, (90 x 34 x 24 mm), the VKB enables users to type email or long text as easily as with a conventional keyboard.

The initial product offering is compatible with the Palm 505. July will see the launch of the second version, which will be compatible with SPV E200, X da II, Tungsten T3 and iPAQ h 5550. As compatibility with other devices continues to be developed, additional models will be introduced to the market.

VKB works by using both infrared technology to produce an invisible circuit and laser technology to project a full-size keyboard that performs exactly like a real one. Its direction technology, based on optical recognition, enables users to tap the images of the keys, complemented with the realistic tapping sound, and then feed the commands into the compatible PDAs, Smartphones, lap-top or personal computers. i.Tech Dynamic General Manager Patrick Tsang said applications of VKB are limitless. “It could, for example, revolutionise sterile and medical environments as well as other multi-media and industrial applications,” he said, “We have not come across anything comparable in the world. For the mobile communications and consumer electronics industries, it represents a major breakthrough.”

Avenir Sales and Marketing Director Tanny Price said VKB has significant sales prospects both in the UK and overseas. “We have been highly impressed with sales inquiries from markets worldwide. Indeed, our initial shipment was in strong demand within days of its arrival.”

Initially, sales of VKB to consumers will be through a website and will be rolled out into retail channels as production increases and new versions come on stream.

Hutchison Harbour Ring Limited (“HHR ”) is a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa Limited ( “HWL ”)(Stock code: 013), one of the largest companies listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_exchange . HWL is the holding company of the Hutchison Whampoa Group of companies.

As one of the earliest big “hongs”, or trading companies, in Hong Kong, HWL ’s history dates back to the 1800s. Today, HWL is a multi-national conglomerate with businesses spanning 4 2countries. With over 170,000 employees worldwide, HWL operates and invests in five core businesses: ports and related services; telecommunications; property and hotels; retail and manufacturing; and energy and infrastructure.

HHR is a leading company in the Hong Kong toy industry, which has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1991 (Stock code: 715). As an original equipment manufacturer, the company specialises in mass production of a wide range of toys for world leading toy brands. HHR’s subsidiaries are also engaged in the design, marketing and sales of telecommunications accessories, premium and electronic products, licensing as well as property investment.

i.Tech Dynamic Limited (“i.Tech”) was established in 2002 as a division of HHR to specialise in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of mobile phone accessories, computer peripherals and wireless consumer products. As a young, forward looking enterprise, i.Tech benefits from the experience, expertise and support of both HHR and of HWL . North London-based Avenir Telecom UK Limited is part of the international Avenir Telecom Group. It is one of this country’s leading distributors for mobile phone networks Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and 3, major mobile phone manufacturers and accessories and its own Top Suxess accessories brand.