A USB drive for faster transfer of mobile files

People using Android devices know it's not easy to move files from their phone or tablet to a PC. Now, a special USB drive will make the task simpler. 

At present, you need an internet connection throughout to move files from Android to PC, a task that involves e-mailing the file or uploading it to a cloud storage site like Dropbox or Google Drive. 

Next you open the e-mail and download the attachment, or get the file from the cloud server. And finally you open the file on your computer. 

Now this task can be achieved even without a internet connection. Thanks to Leef's Bridge 3.0 flash drive, which provides a flexible, if not smooth, alternative. The drive comes with both full-sized and micro USB connectors. 

Housed in a black plastic slide-and-lock tray, each connector is exposed by pressing on a centre button and pushing forward or backward, reported Wired.com. 

Plug it in and you can stream or copy content to and from your Android phone, tablet, PC, or Mac. It's easy. 

The drive itself is designed for Android devices with Jelly Bean 4.1 or higher, Mac OS X or later, Windows XP (SP3) and later, as well as Linux Kernal 2.6 or later computers. 

But it does have its own set of problems. 

The Leef Bridge is supposedly compatible with some 40 Android phones and 16 tablets. Some of these devices can read and write data from Leef drives with their Android operating system, but most require the assistance of third-party file management apps available in the Google Play store. 

Since there is no intuitive design, it may take you some effort to figure out how to find the files you want to transfer, and once found, how to actually move them from one device to the other. 

So while the Leef Bridge 3.0 itself works well, users still need to overcome the clumsiness of the file manager apps the drive typically needs to operate.

Use WhatsApp on Android? Your chats are not so secure

NEW DELHI: If you use WhatsApp on an Android phone, you should be careful about what you talk about or share on the instant messaging app. Using a few scripts and a rogue app, anyone can peer into your chat logs and see what you talk about with your friends. 

A Dutch security consultant has found that WhatsApp chat logs saved on the SD card of an Android phone can be read by other apps because of the way Android allows sharing of data between apps.

"The WhatsApp database is saved on the SD card which can be read by any Android application if the user allows it to access the SD card. And since majority of the people allows everything on their Android device, this is not much of a problem," Bas Bosschert wrote on his blog.

"What do we need to steal someone's WhatsApp database? First we need a place to store the database," Bosschert explained. "Next thing we need is an Android application which uploads the WhatsApp database to the website."

When an Android application is installed, whether from the Play store or through an APK file, which is an installer file for Android phones and can be downloaded from various sources, the app requests for permissions to use network and SD card etc.

To explain his hack, Bosschert set up a web server and then created an Android application that required several special permissions on a user's phone. But because Android OS allows applications to access various parts of the phone - this is why users can conveniently share almost everything through any app on Android phone - Bosschert's app had no difficulty gaining access to WhatsApp data.

Bosschert wrote that the code that allows his application to access WhatsApp data and then upload it to his web server can be added to a popular Android app by a rogue developer to fool users and steal WhatsApp chat logs.

The older versions of WhatsApp were so insecure that they didn't even encrypt their data stored on SD card. The data from older versions of whatsApp could be read by anyone once it was uploaded on the web server. Even the data from newer version of WhatsApp, which uses encryption, can be accessed with ease.

"The WhatsAppp database is a SQLite3 database which can be converted to Excel for easier access. Lately WhatsApp is using encryption to encrypt the database, so it can no longer be opened by SQLite. But we can simply decrypt this database using a simple python script. This script converts the crypted database to a plain SQLite3 database," wrote Bosschert. "We can conclude that every application can read the WhatsApp database and it is also possible to read the chats from the encrypted databases."

Bosschert joked, "Facebook didn't need to buy WhatsApp to read your chats."

The security issue apparently doesn't exist on iPhones or Windows Phone devices because on these smartphones, apps have limited access to storage and other phone hardware. The more flexible access to phone hardware allows Android apps to talk to each other and helps a user quickly share content between apps. This is very convenient compared to what is possible on iPhone or Windows Phone, where it is difficult to share content between apps. But it also exposes data to rogue apps.

Google says that it keeps an eye on apps inside its Play store and removes apps if they pose any security risks. But this doesn't negate the fact that theoretically it is possible for a rogue app to do more damage on Android because of the open nature of the OS compared to iOS, which uses silos. Google also advises people against installing apps that don't come through Play store. By default Android phones are set to not install apps downloaded outside the Play store.

Source : timesofindia.com

Google working on offering 10 gigabits per second Internet speed

Currently, Google Fiber service offers data speeds of 1 gigabit per second, and the search giant is working on technology to provide faster data transfer speeds.

Google is reportedly working on offering data transfer speeds of 10 gigabits per second as part of its project to develop ‘next generation’ of the Internet.

Currently, Google Fiber service offers data speeds of 1 gigabit per second, and the search giant is working on technology to provide faster data transfer speeds.

Google’s Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Pichette, said that the project was part of the search giant’s broader, long-term obsession with speed, USA Todayreports.

According to the report, faster speeds would increase the use of software as a service because users would be able to trust that critical applications that are data intensive would run smoothly over the Internet.

Mr. Pichette said that Google is trying to make the technology available in three years.

The report said that Google is not the only one working on this technology as last year, researchers in the UK announced that they achieved data transmission speeds of 10 gigabits per second using “li-fi“ — a wireless Internet connectivity technology that uses light.

Source : The Hindu

World's longest free Wi-Fi zone in Patna

PATNA: If you have an internet-enabled device and you are anywhere on the stretch from NIT-Patna on Ashok Rajpath to Danapur, you can now access the internet free of cost.

Once known as a backward state, Bihar has made a strong bid for a mention on the world's infotech map as chief minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the 20km free Wi-Fi zone, the longest across the globe, at a function christened e-Bihar summit in Patna on Wednesday. Kumar also unveiled a 'city surveillance and dial 100' scheme under which at least 100 CCTV cameras installed in different localities of the state capital became operational. A state data centre has also been opened for storing of the 'data' collected by these cameras.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Kumar announced an IT City would be developed on a 200-acre plot at Rajgir. He also said the government has in principle approved an infotech building on a plot of one lakh sq ft and another on a plot of 5 lakh sq ft in Patna. Besides, an infotech park is coming up on the outskirts of the city.

Kumar asked the information technology department officials to hold roadshows in select cities across the country to spread awareness about the progress made by Bihar in the field of information technology. "Our state should now be the IT industry's fave destination," he said.

The state's free Wi-Fi zone is the longest in the world since China's 3.5km zone was treated as the longest so far. The 'city surveillance and dial 100' project is first of its kind in the country as it integrates the surveillance of the city, vehicle tracking and dial 100 control centre schemes. An automated number plate recognition system has been installed on 11 roads, which will automatically note the registration number of the vehicles entering and exiting the city. "It was with this surveillance system's help that the Patna police rescued the son of a city-based trader from Ara within 24 hours of his kidnapping recently," CM Kumar said.

IT minister Shahid Ali Khan said free Wi-Fi facility would be provided at all the tourist spots in the state. Principal secretary (IT) N K Sinha said Bihar might be a late entrant to this sector but "we are on the cusp of IT revolution". Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar and Beltron MD Atul Sinha were among those who also spoke at the e-Bihar event.

Source : TOI

Why Facebook is buying WhatsApp for a whopping $19bn

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is betting huge on mobile with an eye-popping cash-and-stock deal worth up to $19 billion for Internet Age smartphone messaging service WhatsApp.

The surprise, mega-deal announced on Wednesday bolsters the world's biggest social network -- which has more than 1.2 billion members -- with the 450-million-strong WhatsApp, which will be operated independently with its own board.

It fits with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's focus on being at the center of lifestyles in which billions of people around the world share whatever they wish over the internet using smartphones or tablets.

It is Facebook's biggest acquisition and comes less than two years after the California-based internet star raised $16 billion in the richest tech sector public stock offering.

Zuckerberg said that WhatsApp -- a cross-platform mobile app which allows users to exchange messages without having to pay telecom charges -- was worth the steep price because its blistering growth around the globe has it on a clear path to hit a billion users and beyond.

"Services with a billion people using them are all incredibly valuable," Zuckerberg said while discussing the purchase price during a conference call with analysts.

The deal came from a chat Zuckerberg had with WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, whom he described as a "valuable thought partner" and friend of many years.

"Last Sunday evening, about 11 days ago, I proposed if we joined together that would help us really connect the rest of the world," Zuckerberg said.

"He thought about it over the course of the week, came back and said he was interested."

The purchase includes $12 billion in Facebook shares and $4 billion cash. It calls for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp founders and employees that will vest over four years.

Facebook reportedly sought to acquire another hot messaging firm, Snapchat, for $3 billion last year. In 2012 Facebook closed its deal for Instagram, worth some $1 billion at the time based on stock value. 'Powerful capabilities'
Koum, who joins Facebook's board under the deal, said: "WhatsApp's extremely high user engagement and rapid growth are driven by the simple, powerful and instantaneous messaging capabilities we provide."

In a blog post, Koum added: "Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody. Nothing else mattered to us."

The tie-up gives WhatsApp "the flexibility to grow and expand," Koum said.

Zuckerberg and Koum, who both took part in the conference call, did not discuss details about WhatsApp revenue, saying the focus for the foreseeable future would be on growth, not making money.

WhatsApp software is available free, but after a year, users are asked to pay annual subscriptions of 99 cents each. Bubble fears
The acquisition represents likely the biggest-ever price for a tech startup, trumping the $8.5 billion paid for Skype -- which allows users to make voice and video calls over the Internet -- by Microsoft in 2011.

"The size of this deal is really massive and it will get people talking about a bubble," Greg Sterling at Opus Research told AFP.

Sterling said the deal is a risk for Facebook because "in social media you have a flavor of the month, and next year we might have another app with extremely rapid growth."

"I think (the high price tag) comes from the frustration of not being able to buy Snapchat, and then there is the youth factor," Sterling added.

"Facebook really needs to have vehicles to attract younger users, and Instagram is not going to do that by itself."

With this strategy, Sterling said Facebook "is becoming a kind of holding company for different social media properties that appeal to different groups."

Sterling said Facebook may have some ability to "monetize" WhatsApp by delivering ads over the messaging service.

Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies said WhatsApp has become one of the most popular mobile applications worldwide "because it allows you to message anybody anywhere for free."

Kay said the deal makes sense on one level because of Facebook's record stock run-up.

"When you have a stock like that which has run up quickly and created a lot of paper value, it's good to trade that for other value," he told AFP.

"It's not obvious how they can get $12 billion out of this but it's been clear for a while that WhatsApp is very interesting. It reminds me a little bit of Skype."

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

WhatsApp for $19 billion

NEW YORK: Facebook Inc will buy fast-growing mobile-messaging startup WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, as the world's largest social network looks for ways to boost its popularity, especially among a younger crowd.


The acquisition of the hot messaging service with more than 450 million users around the world stunned many Silicon Valley observers with its lofty price tag.

But it underscores Facebook's determination to win the market for messaging, an indispensable utility in a mobile era.

Combining text messaging and social networking, messaging apps provide a quick way for smartphone users to trade everything from brief texts to flirtatious pictures to YouTube clips - bypassing the need to pay wireless carriers for messaging services.

And it helps Facebook tap teens who will eschew the mainstream social networks and prefer WhatsApp and rivals such as Line and WeChat, which have exploded in size as mobile messaging takes off.

"People are calling them 'Facebook Nevers,'" said Jeremy Liew, a partner at Lightspeed and an early investor in Snapchat.

WhatsApp is adding about a million users per day, Facebook co-founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg said on his page on Wednesday.

"WhatsApp will complement our existing chat and messaging services to provide new tools for our community," he wrote on his Facebook page. "Since WhatsApp and (Facebook) Messenger serve such different and important users, we will continue investing in both."

Smartphone-based messaging apps are now sweeping across North America, Asia and Europe.

"Communication is the one thing that you have to use daily, and it has a strong network effect," said Jonathan Teo, an early investor in Snapchat, another red-hot messaging company that flirted year ago with a multibillion dollar acquisition offer from Facebook.

"Facebook is more about content and has not yet fully figured out communication."

Even so, he balked at the price tag.

As part of the deal, WhatsApp co-founder and chief executive officer Jan Koum will join Facebook's board, and the social network will grant an additional $3 billion worth of restricted stock units to WhatsApp's founders, including Koum.

That is on top of the $16 billion in cash and stock that Facebook will pay.

"Goodness gracious, it's a good deal for WhatsApp," Teo said.

TERMS

Shares in Facebook slid 5 percent to $64.70 after hours, from a close of $68.06 on the Nasdaq.

Facebook said on Wednesday it will pay $4 billion in cash and about $12 billion in stock in its single largest acquisition, dwarfing the $1 billion it paid for photo-sharing app Instagram.

The price paid for Instagram, which with just 30 million users was already considered overvalued by many observers at the time.

Facebook promised to keep the WhatsApp brand and service, and pledged a $1 billion cash break-up fee if the deal falls through.

Facebook was advised by Allen & Co, while WhatsApp has enlisted Morgan Stanley for the deal

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

6 awesome things you can do with your Gmail ID

Everyone has a Google account, and most of us tend to use it only for emails. A few others might probably be active on Google+ and YouTube... perhaps, even use the Google Drive service. But did you know that this single ID could be put to other amazing uses? Ashutosh Desai tells you about...

Turn Google Drive into your jukebox

Google Drive is a great cloud service to store all your documents, presentations and spreadsheets. But I bet you didn't know that you can also use it - in conjunction with a few third-party tools - to create your own virtual jukebox that lets you stream your songs to wherever you are as long as you have an internet connection.

For PCs...

To listen to the music you've uploaded to Drive, visit www.drivetunes.org (preferably using the Chrome browser) and sign in with your Google account.

Allow Drivetunes to access your Google Drive by clicking 'Accept'. The website automatically detects and lists all MP3 and M4A files, letting you play your tunes from any web-enabled computer.

For smartphones...

You can install apps like CloudBeats Lite or GDrive (for iOS) or CloudAround (for Android devices).

Make your own maps

So you've moved to a new home, or you're probably hosting your birthday party at this new pub. One of the problems you're faced with is giving detailed directions to get to the venue. Guess what? You can use Google Maps. The service lets you create custom maps, add waypoint symbols and colours; you can also annotate it with text; add snapshots for visual aids, and more...

* Sign in to Google Maps, click My Places > Create Map.

* Something called Maps Engine Lite will open in a new tab.

You can now use this interface to plot your route. There are four tools - to select items, add markers, draw lines, and add directions. The elements you add are represented as layers (just like in photo-editing software). This makes it easier to mask out certain annotations or routes. The map editor also includes a handy undo-redo option.

Once you are done, click the Share button to send it via e-mail, Google+, Facebook or Twitter.

Print from anywhere

The wonders of technology. Do you know you can now use the Chrome browser and your Google account to send a printout to your home printer from anywhere in the world?

To set up on your home computer...

* First, make sure your printer is on.

* In Chrome browser, click the 'Menu' button and select 'Settings'.

* Click the 'Show Advanced Settings' link.

* Scroll down to the 'Google Cloud Print' section and sign in to enable the service.

* Select your printer in the list, click 'Add Printers', and you're ready to go.

To print from a remote computer...

* Ensure that your printer and the PC that it is connected to are switched on.

* Sign in with your Google account in Chrome.

* Click on the menu button, and select the 'Print' option.

* In the 'Print' panel that appears under 'Destination', click on 'Change' to select your remote printer. Hit Print.

It should be noted that you can only print the contents of your browser window using this method. If you want to print a .doc file, for instance, you will need to open it in a cloud service like Google Drive.

Android and iOS apps like Google Print and PrintCentral Pro can also be used to send prints using Google's cloud print service.

Manage your phone contacts

Changing your smartphone can be a chore, especially when you have to copy all your contacts from one handset to the other. Hah! You wouldn't have to go through this pain; not if you had stored all your contacts on your Gmail account...

* In your inbox, click the drop-down labelled Gmail (top-left corner under 'Google' ).

* Select Contacts, and in a one-time effort, manually update phone numbers, email IDs, et al - for all the people in your address book. Alternatively, if you have an existing backup in the CSV or vCard format, click on More > Import.

* Now, whenever you switch handsets - whether Android, BlackBerry, iOS or Windows Phone - all you need to do is add this Google account and set it to sync Contacts.

* Also, whenever you add a new number on your smartphone, make sure it is synced to this Google account.

Run your own show on YouTube

So you've always believed you have what it takes to be a video jockey or a TV show host. Sadly, you've never had the opportunity to show off your skills. Not true. With your Google account, a webcam, and a good microphone, you can start your own channel on YouTube. Who knows, you might just.

To create a video...

Log in to YouTube with your Google ID; click on your account name at the top right-hand corner, and click My Channels to create one.

Click the Upload button at the top of the page. Then, in the Privacy drop-down list, select Private (you can change this later from Video Manager).

Now click the Record button under Webcam capture to start rolling. Once done, stop the recording and click Play to preview.

Click Publish to finalise your recording or Start Over to do a retake.

How to check what's occupying your storage space on Google

Every Google user gets 15GB of storage space. This is shared between Gmail, Google+ and Google Drive. To find out how much is being consumed by each service...

* Sign in to your Gmail account and in your inbox, scroll down to the last email.

* Below, on the left-hand side, you will see how much space is being used. For example, '5.79GB (38%) of 15GB used'. Click on the 'Manage' link under this line.

* Google will display your usage in a pie chart with a break up of how much storage each of the three services are using. catch the eye of some big-time producer.

Never run out of space for your photos and videos

Regardless of how much storage space we have at our disposal, the many photographs and videos we shoot tend to occupy huge chunks of memory on our devices. Well, did you know, you could use your Google+ account to back these up? Install the Google+ app for your Android or iOS smartphone.

* After installation, in the app click on the 'Settings' icon and enable 'Auto Backup'.

* Make sure you set the auto-backup to initiate only over a Wi-Fi connection (using your mobile network will incur extra charges).

* Additionally, to backup the pictures and videos on your PC, use the latest version of Picasa (v3.9).

Having all of your stuff backed up to your Google+ account means you can visit those memories any time you choose, even after you have deleted them from your phone or computer. And don't worry; all your stuff is marked private by default. You can, however, choose to share whatever you want with friends from within the app itself.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

http://akulapraveen.blogspot.in/

• Android is a mobile operating system created by Google that has the capability of being edited by any open-source developer.
• Think of it as the underlying software that instructs your device what to do, much like how the Windows operating system powers laptop and desktop computers.

• However , Android is not just for mobile phones: it is an embedded operating system suitable for any device with a display. Typical applications include medical equipment, test equipment and multimedia consumer devices. 

• Unlike closed systems that depend on one company for innovative new ideas, Android is “open to the public” – people can edit, add, and personalize Android, and Android takes on popular, useful ideas in future versions.
• Android is created with various layers, including Linux Kernel, the Android native libraries, the Android runtime, the Application Framework layer, and the Applications layer.
• Android code is written internally in C/C++, but developers can access them through Java interfaces.
• Developers most often add or edit Android code in the Applications layer.

• Android is an open source operating system — a large community of companies and developers maintain it and contribute toward developing newer versions of it. 
• This all takes place under the auspices of Google, which bought the company (Android, Inc.) that first developed the Android OS.

• Unlike Apple’s iOS operating system for mobile devices, the Android operating system’s ongoing development isn’t hidden behind lock and key.

• In fact, about 80 companies are members of the group — the Open Handset Alliance — that contribute towards the further development of the Android operating system.
• All of this openness allows for innovation from many different sources. 
• This also allows for many different Android devices in all shapes and sizes, which creates a compatibility problem for the app developers. 
• The compatibility issue with Android devices has even got a name: fragmentation.
• Manufacturers can modify the Android operating system as they see fit for their devices. 
• This allows them a way to differentiate their devices from their competitors’ devices, by adding unique features. 
• This also results in different customized versions of Android running on different devices.

An example of this is that mobile phone maker HTC inserts its own HTC Sense user interface into many of its Android phones, whereas Samsung puts its own TouchWiz user interface into its Android devices. 

The following figure shows a couple of screens from the Samsung Epic 4G Android phone.

The Samsung Epic 4G Android phone’s home page (left) and one of the app pages (right).

*********************************************************************************

Architecture of Android

In order to understand how Android works, take a look at given below Figure, which shows the various layers that make up the Android operating system (OS).

The Android OS has four to five layers !

➤ Linux kernel            

• ·       This is the kernel on which Android is based.
• ·       This layer contains all the low-level device drivers for the various hardware components of an Android device.

➤ Libraries                  

• ·       These contain all the code that provides the main features of an Android OS.
• ·       For example, the SQLite library provides database support so that an application can use it for data storage.
• ·       The WebKit library provides functionalities for web browsing.

➤ Android runtime          —

• ·       At the same layer as the libraries, the Android runtime provides a set of corelibraries that enable developers to write Android apps using the Java programming language.
• ·       The Android runtime also includes the Dalvik virtual machine, which enables every Android application to run in its own process, with its own instance of the Dalvik virtual machine (Android applications are compiled into the Dalvik executables).
• ·       Dalvik is a specialized virtual machine designed specifically for Android and optimized for battery-powered mobile devices with limited memory and CPU.

➤Application framework  

• ·       Exposes the various capabilities of the Android OS to application developers so that they can make use of them in their applications.

➤ Applications                    

• ·       At this top layer, you will find applications that ship with the Android device (such as Phone, Contacts, Browser, etc.), as well as applications that you download and install from the Android Market.
• ·       Any applications that you write are located at this layer.

Courtesy : http://akulapraveen.blogspot.in/

Top 3 tablets in India below Rs10,000 for September 2013

Apple started it and the others perfected it. What we are talking about here is the tablet arena in the country. But amidst the iPads and the Galaxy Note 8.0’s, there has been a class of tablets that has been gaining popularity constantly. The sub Rs 10,000 price bracket accounts for a big share of the tablet market in the country and we take a look at top 3 tablets below Rs 10,000 on sale in India.

Lenovo Idea Tab 1000

The Lenovo offering is on sale for around Rs 8,400-8,600 which makes it quite a value for money. Seeing the fact that it has a strong backing from Lenovo, the product is expected to sell like hot cakes. It can be bought from the major offline and online retail outlets and here’s a list of its specifications:

· 7 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, supports multi touch upto 5 fingers.
· Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
· 1.2 GHz MTK8317 Dual Core processor
· 1 GB RAM
· 4GB internal storage capacity, 32GB expandable storage capacity
· VGA front camera, no rear camera
· Wi-Fi support, USB on the go and 3G Data Card facility for connectivity
· Voice calling ability on offer
· 3,500 mAh battery with a standby time of 336 hours
· Price: Rs 8,400-8,600

Simmtronics Xpad Mini Tablet

Simmtronics is a relatively unknown name in the Indian tablet arena but if you look at the price of the device and its specifications, it simply makes you fall in love with it. It has just been launched for Rs 9,999 and has a quad core processor as its heart. And yes, it looks a bit like the iPad Mini. Here’s a look at its specifications:

· 7.85 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels
· Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
· 1 GHz quad core processor
· 1GB RAM
· 8GB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory
· 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
· Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth and HDMI-out on offer for connectivity
· 4,000 mAh battery
· Price: Rs 9,999

iBall Performance Series 3G 7334i

One of the few dual SIM tablets in the Rs 10,000 category, the iBall offering is on sale for Rs 10,000 exactly. It comes with decent specifications for the price it asks you for. Here’s a list of its specifications:

· 7 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels
· Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
· 1 GHz dual core processor
· 1GB RAM
· 16GB internal storage, 32GB expandable storage capacity
· 2MP rear camera, VGA front camera
· 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to take care of the connectivity
· Dual SIM (GSM+GSM connectivity)
· 3,000 mAh battery
· Price: Rs 10,000

Our Take: All the three tablets have something unique to offer. You need to decide upon what your priorities are. If you are looking for a branded budget tablet, the Lenovo slate is what you should be looking forward to. Just in case brand value does not matter to you, you can go in for the Simmtronics tablet and if dual SIM is what you need, the iBall device is the answer.

கூகிள் கண்ணாடி - "ஓஹோ..!"

தொழில்நுட்பம்.. தொழில்நுட்பம்... எங்கும் எதிலும் தொழில்நுட்பம்.. 

கடந்த பதிவொன்றில் கூறியது போல இனி கடுகளவிற்கு சுருங்கிவிடும் போலிருக்கிறது தகவல்தொழில்நுட்பச் சாதனங்கள். கையளவு தொலைப்பேசி.... ஒரு ஸ்மார்ட் வாட்சாக மாறியுள்ளது.. 

சிறிய மூக்கு கண்ணாடி பட்டையளவே உள்ள கூகிள் கண்ணாடியில் அசத்தலான அனைத்து வசதிகளும் வந்துவிட்டது. 

இது வெறும் கண்ணாடி அல்ல.. ஒரு மினி ஸ்மார்ட்போன், ஒரு மினி கம்ப்யூட்டர்.. ஒரு மினி லேப்டாப்.. ஒரு மினி டேப்ளட்... இப்படி எதைச்சொன்னாலும் இதற்கு ஒப்பாகாது... ஏனென்றால் இவைகளில் உள்ள அனைத்து வசதிகளையும் ஒருங்கே பெற்றுள்ளது கூகிள் கண்ணாடி (Google Glass).

மொபைல் தொழில்நுட்பத்தின் அடுத்தக்கட்ட பரிணாமம் என்று கூட இதைச் சொல்லலாம். 

அப்படி என்னதான் இந்த கூகிள் கண்ணாடியில் உள்ளது? 

இல்லாததது எது என்று கேட்டால்தான் சரியான கேள்வியாக இருக்கும். காரணம் இதுவரைக்கும் வந்த மொபைல்களில் உள்ள அனைத்து ஸ்பெஸிலிட்டிகளும் உள்ளன. 

• வை-பை, புளூடூத், டச் ஸ்கிரீன், இன்டர்நெட் வசதிகள்...
• வீடியோ எடுக்கும் வசதி...
• போட்டோ எடுக்கும் வசதி..
• எடுக்கப்படும் படங்கள் மற்றும் வீடியோக்கள், அக்கண்ணாடியில் உள்ள Memory Card ல் சேமிக்கும் வசதி..
• எடுக்கப்பட்ட படங்கள், வீடியோக்களை சமூக வலைதளங்கள் மற்றும் இ-மெயிலில் பகிர்ந்து (Share) கொள்ளும் வசதி... 
• E-mail களை இக்கண்ணாடியிலேயே பார்த்துக்கொள்ளும் வசதி... 
• மின்னஞ்சலுக்கு வாய்மொழி (Voice input) மூலம் பதிலளித்தால், அது எழுத்துகளாக மாறிவிடும். 
• ஏதாவது சந்தேகம் ஏற்பட்டு, கண்ணாடியிடம் கேட்டால், உடனே பதில் தந்து விடும். உதாரணமாக உலக வங்கி எங்குள்ளது? உலக வங்கியின் படங்கள் ணடும் எனக் கேட்டால், இன்டர்நெட்டில் தேடி, அதற்குரிய தகவல்களை உடனே நமது கண் முன்னே நிறுத்தும்.  கண்ணாடியின் சிறிய ஸ்கிரீனில் அதுபற்றிய தகவல்களைப் படங்களை காட்டும்.  
• எங்காவது வெளியில்  அல்லது வெளியூரில் பயணிக்கும் போது, செல்லவேண்டிய பகுதிக்கு வழி கேட்டால் அந்த வழிக்குரிய MAP ஸ்கிரீனில் காண்பிக்கும். 
• செல்லுமிடமெல்லாம் உள்ளதை, நம் கண்ணால் பார்க்கும் பகுதிகள் அனைத்தையும்,  இங்கிருக்கும் உறவினர்கள், நண்பர்களுக்கு  நேரடியாக ஒளிப்பரப்பலாம் (Live Telecos). 
• இந்த கண்ணாடியில் உள்ள தொழில்நுட்பம், அன்றாட பழக்க வழக்கங்களை கவனிக்கிறது. உதாரணத்துக்கு அலுவலகம் செல்லும் நேரம், செல்லும் வழி, காலநிலை போன்றவற்றை தெரிவிக்கிறது. 
• இது ஒரு மொழி மாற்றியாகவும் (Translator) செயல்படுகிறது. மொழி தெரியாத நாடுகளில் பயணம் மேற்கொள்ளும்போது அங்கு பேசப்படும் மொழியை நமக்கு வேண்டிய மொழியில் மொழிப்பெயர்த்துக் கொடுக்க்கிறது.. 
• இத்தனை சிறப்பம்சங்கள் கொண்ட  இதனுடைய விலை சற்று அதிகம்தான்... ஆனால் இதிலுள்ள வசதிகளை ஒப்பிட்டுப் பார்க்கும்போது இதனுடைய விலையும் குறைவுதான்.. எவ்வளவு என கேட்கிறீர்களா? அதிகமில்லை ஜென்டிமேல்.. ஒன்லி 95 ஆயிரம் மட்டும்தான்..

கூகிள் கண்ணாடியை  "ஓஹோ.." என கொண்டாடுவோம். ஏனெனில் அடுத்த தலைமுறை தகவல்தொழில்நுட்பத்தின் முதல் வாரிசு இதுவாகத்தான் இருக்கும். இல்லாத்து இல்லை என்று சொல்லமளவிற்கு வசதிகளடங்கிய இக்கூகிள் கண்ணாடி.. இனி உலகையே ஆளப்போகிறது என்பதில் சந்தேகமில்லை...இனி நீங்கள் கூகிள் கண்ணாடி என்று சொன்னாலே.. சொல்வீர்கள்...

"ஓ...ஹோ....!!!!"

Google Glass Specs in English: 

Android 4.0.4(Ice Cream Sandwich)

682mb of RAM

Dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor

New-technological-evolution-Google-glass.

Source and Image credit: google.com

Courtesy : http://www.tholilnutpam.com/2013/09/google-glass-New-technological-evolution.html