Monday 26 March 2018

Chrome 66 Beta Delivers On Async Clipboard API, Web Locks API

Google on Windows and Android has released the latest Chrome 66 Beta version.
The Chrome 66 Beta version is available for download in the beta channel and it will restrict media auto playback and reduce browser crashes on Windows. There will be additional features like Chrome Home Duplex and a new Design tab on the Android app.

The Chrome 66 Beta version, which is in the beta phase, promises to block autoplaying videos with sound. Google was supposed to do it in Chrome 64 in the month of January, but the block on autoplay video will come along with the Chrome 66.

The Chrome 66 beta is expected for release in mid-April.

According to Google, the Chrome 66 beta will allow autoplay only when the video is muted or when the media does not play sound or if the user is interacting with the media on the site or has frequently accessed media on the same site. This ensures that there will be no unexpected video playbacks with sound as soon as the web page is opened.

The Chrome 66 beta will reduce the number of browser crashes caused due to third party software on Windows. It will display warnings in case a crash occurs.

As regards the Chrome 66 for Android, the Chrome Home Duplex replaces the Chrome Home bottom bar. There will also be a new sliding bottom toolbar to redirect to the New Tab page. It will be a quick way to launch bookmarks, but it is still in the development stage. It also includes a new Modern Design flag which has a rounded bar for URLs and icons. There will be a white background on the tab switcher and New Tab page.

Features of Chrome 66 Beta: 


AudioWorklet API

Earlier, the Script Processor Node was asynchronous and required thread hops, producing unstable audio output. For developers, the Chrome 66 has the new AudioWorklet API for enhancing audio performance. The AudioWorklet provides a synchronous JavaScript execution. With the help of a program, the developers will be able to control audio without any additional latency and provide higher stability in the output audio. Media streaming resolution will be better on websites with the new decoding Info API which determines the decoding capabilities of devices.

Asynchronous Clipboard API


A new Asynchronous Clipboard API will improve the read and write functions on the clipboard and the later Chrome versions will provide additional support for copy and paste functions of images and other data.

CSS Typed Object Model


Earlier when the developers wanted to manipulate CSS properties, they had to do so by manipulating the strings for the browser and then convert it back to a typed form. The drawback was that when the value of the CSS property had to be read in Java, the typed value was converted back to a string.
With the Chrome 66, the CSS Typed Object Model (OM) Level 1 shows the CSS values as typed JavaScript objects instead of strings. The developers are able to write codes that can be maintained and easier to understand.

ImageBitmap Rendering Context


Previously, in order to render an image on to a canvas, the first thing was to create an image tag and then the contents were rendered onto the canvas. In the process there were many copies of the image which were created and they had to be stored in memory. With the new ImageBitmap rendering context, there is no memory duplication and the ImageBitmap objects were rendered more efficiently.

Friday 23 March 2018

8 of the Best Google Chrome Extensions to Make Your Life Easier

Google Chrome

Digital Gadgets – Google Chrome

Various digital gadgets are available in Chrome’s web store thus making web browsing experience besides being simple and fruitful, also pleasant. The following are some worth mentioning which can be downloaded at no cost within a few minutes-

LastPass

It means that the user needs to recall one password in order to keep the login details secured in one place. Moreover the gadgets could also be beneficial in keeping the other accounts secured by creating a secure password which would be filled in automatically whenever the need arises. An area for notes for offline details which can be secured is also available and can be installed if needed.

Colorzilla

Eyedropper of Colorizilla tends to check any pixel and can inform the user when you desire to know the exact hue of online matter. The data of the colour can then be pasted into another programme or the values adjusted and saved within the extension for reference in the later stage. These gadgets could be an important extension for the purpose of digital design work.

TinEye

TinEye’s reverse image search is said to be the best gadgets while locating the source of an image which seems complex. It targets the nearest match rather than the similarity which makes it advantageous in locating the originals, higher resolution versions or checking online replicas. The extension makes the possibility of search available within a couple of clicks and can be installed with ease.

Unpaywell

Users interested in reading academic papers without subscription fees could utilise Unpaywall gadgets. This free extension navigation is beneficial for those looking for research andis a probable saver on time as well as money.

Instapaper/Save to Pocket

Any ofthese extension gadgets would enable the user to save web pages as well as the articles to read later on synced devices without an internet connection. They have premium version if the user needs to support the developers and obtain additional features

The Great Suspender

To open illogical amount of tabs in the browser is a simple task. Here the Great Suspender gadgets are supportive in handling the performance of the computer by restricting abandoned tabs till the clicks back on them. Plenty of space is available for configuration and the extension enables in keeping certain sites open for an indefinite period of time or unloads the other after a shorter duration of time.

Backstop

One wrong key press could take you back to the earlier page and at times some of the information edited could get erased. This can take place with any one. These simple extension gadgets tends to stop the backspace key from moving to the previous page thereby saving the user from wasting time and inconvenience.

Wunderlist

These are amazing gadgets in helping the user in tracking and sharing to-dos. This extension available as an app helps in creating as well as saving the to-do lists ranging from work project to the things needed to be brought from the grocery store to the items for reading during your journey back home. Moreover it also enables you to share the list with several co-workers. These can be saved across several devices and on accomplishment,the same can be termed as completed.

Monday 19 March 2018

Researchers Demonstrate Existence of New Form of Electronic Matter

Electronic Matter
According to the news that has been published in the journal ‘Nature’, engineers based at the University of Illinois have shown that a new form of electronic matter exists. It is called quadrupole topological insulators (QTI).

The properties exhibited by this electronic matter, QTI could bring about a wide range of possibilities in the computer field. It holds great promise in the manufacturing of low-power, robust computers and various devices, that are all defined at the atomic scale.

The topological insulators (TI) are basically electrical insulators on the inside but are conductors along the boundaries. This unique property exhibited by the topological insulators makes them a special type of electronic matter.

A group of electrons form their own phases within the materials. This can be either in the solid, liquid and gas phase, as is seen in water. They can also form an uncommon phase like a topological insulator.

What is this new phase of Electronic Matter? 


The new form of electronic matter is the Quadrupole Topological Insulator. According to theoretical physics, some of the topological insulators have an electrical property known as quadrupole moment.

As we see in a material, the electrons carry a charge. In the process, the material becomes bipolar, that is it contains the positive as well as the negative charge.

Now, in a higher order class of material, we get a quadrupole which is a coupling of two positive and two negative charges. In crystals, the electrons can arrange themselves in such a way that they can give rise to high-order multipoles besides the usual dipole units. In the case of multipoles, four or eight charges are collectively arranged in a unit. The basic forms of multipoles are the quadrupoles wherein two positive and two negative charges are coupled together in a unit.

An analog of a QTI was shown by the researchers of the University of Illinois. They demonstrated it by using a special material from printed circuit boards.

Each circuit has a square of four identical resonators or devices that can absorb electromagnetic radiation at a particular frequency. The boards were positioned in a grid to form the crystal analog.
Each of these resonators behaves like an atom and the connections between the resonators act as bonds between these atoms.

The system is then subjected to microwave radiation to measure the amount that has been absorbed by each of the resonators. This in turn will indicate the behavior of the electrons in an analogous crystal. If the microwave radiation absorbed by a resonator is more, then there are higher chances of finding an electron on the corresponding atom.

In the above experiment it was inferred that the corners of the connected resonators absorbed the microwave radiation at a specific frequency whereas the rest of the units did not do so. The researchers then separated the bottom row from the grid and on subjecting it to the microwave radiation, it was noticed that the next highest rows showed the topological effects on absorbing the radiation.

They concluded that the edges of a QTI are not conductive unlike that seen in a TI. It was only the corners which are active and they correspond to the four localized point charges that form the quadrupole moment.

On measuring the amount of microwave radiation each of the resonators absorbed in the QTI, it was confirmed that the resonant states was in a particular frequency range and localized in the four corners. This shows the existence of predicted protected states that would be filled up by electrons that would in turn form four corner charges.

With the experiment conducted, scientists are beginning to understand the possibilities of the new electronic matter and its application. As of now, the physicists can predict that the new form of electronic matter exists, but no material has been found to have these properties.

Tuesday 13 March 2018

How to Stop Annoying Robocalls on Your iPhone or Android phone

phones

Smart ways to stop spam calls on iPhone or Android devices

In the recent times we had seen an unwanted and extreme rise in the number of spam calls which had almost become an epidemic. A number of surveys have shown that on an average people gets 4-6 spam calls each day. Spam calls has become such a great nuisance that Federal Trade Commission got over 350,000 complaints for every month of last year. Spam calls are nothing more than unwelcome distraction which can become quite frustrating over time. Internet has simply offered a great power to the scammers by allowing them to shoot countless call ease like never before. Here are some smart ways to stop spam calls on both iPhone and Android devices.

Block numbers  of Spam Calls individually

If you wish to get rid of the spam calls for once and all embark on the laborious journey of blocking each spam number one by one. On iOS device just go the Phone app click on the Recents then tap on the blue information icon right next to the number you wish to block. On Android devices open the Phone app then click on Recents section finally give a long press on the spam number and block it. Do it repeatedly to clock all the spam calls from the spam numbers.

Get help of the carrier to protect yourself from Spam Calls

Almost all the telecom providers’ offers certain kind of service either paid or free which allow user to safeguard themselves from the commonly identified spam calls. AT&T provides a free app called "Call Protect" which helps in blocking a number of fraud spam calls with ease and simplicity.

This app doesn’t help in completely clocking the spam calls but it does help in identifying the suspected spam calls. 0n other hand some apps offers a Premium Caller ID which helps in identifying the spam callers and almost every other number which isn't available in the contact list at a price of $3 per month. T-Mobile also offers a Scam ID and Scam Block for free but only for the postpaid users and it is very good at blocking the spam calls even before the phone rings.

Make use of Third Party apps to block spam calls

A number of apps have cropped up on both the iOS and Android platform which are designed to get rid of the spam calls altogether. These apps are smart enough to do away with the spam call even before the phone start ringing. But these apps aren't free and can cost just a little bit for a monthly or even annual subscription.

These apps work through constantly updating and evolving the database of the fraud or spam callers in order to stop the nuisance spam calls with perfection. Whenever a call comes then this app runs it thorough its massive list of the scam numbers.

In case it registers a match then the incoming call is subsequently killed even before the phone rings. These apps even allow phone users to maintain their own set of blacklisted numbers which might be bothering or whitelist those which are of certain importance and need to be attended.

Monday 12 March 2018

HTC U12 with Dual Rear Cameras Expected in April

Leaks suggest HTC U12 will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset

Finally the time of the year has come for HTC to launch the next iteration of its flagship U series. As the trend suggests the new HTC U12 will be powered by the latest Snapdragon chipset 845 and it will become the second new flagship of this year after Samsung’s S9 to feature this chipset. There is no doubt that HTC will stick to its exiting nomenclature for the flagship as HTC U12 as last year’s version was HTC U11. This device was shown just a month ago in a 5G industry event. The leaks regarding the HTC U12 has come from a reliable leakster and ROM developer called LlabTooFeR.

Features to be seen in HTC U12

HTC U12 will feature a Quad HD+ display screen with 5.9 inches in the popular 18:9 aspect ratio. 18:9 aspect ratio has become the stand feature of all the flagship which are likely to be launched in 2018 thereby leading to the sad demise of 16:9 in the flagship market. It will sport the Snapdragon 845 processor along with the 6 GB RAM and an astonishing massive storage of 256 GB. It is likely that HTC will be launching some other variants of this HTC U12 with low RAM and storage as well as screen in upcoming days.

Building the perfect flagship

 

It will certainly boast of the dual camera setup at the back which had become a norm. Herein it has a 12 MP sensor along with a 16MP Sony IMX3xx sensor at the back while for selfie it has an 8MP shooter. To be a complete flagship it has to offer a reliable battery life therefore HTC 12 boasts of a commendable 3420 mAh and it does also possess IP68 rating. HTC12 users will not have to worry about the accidental drops in water as this device now comes with dust and waster resistance capability.

HTC 12 comes with Android Oreo along with the company’s very own Android skin called Sense UI 10. HTC iconic Edge sense 2.0 is also present here which allows users to perform various simple tasks based on the pressure given while gripping the phone. Following the Footsteps of Apple and varied other Android manufacturers HTC 12 will also be boasting its very Face Unlock capability. HTC is expected to launch this device in both single and dual sim versions globally.

Launching soon in April 2018


This leakster has revealed the complete specsheet on the twitter and had confirmed the launch of the device in April. Having a look at the specsheet it can be easily seen that HTC is playing safe with HTC U12 by offering the all the requisite features which has become staple in the last year. The presence of dual camera setup along with 18:9 aspect ratio is a welcome addition. The massive internal storage of 256 GB is simply too much for any user. If HTC wishes to remain competitive and get better sales traction then it has to be place the HTC U12 more competitively than past years.

Saturday 10 March 2018

IBM CIMON: IBM Ships Robotic Head to the International Space Station

IBM Cimon

IBM gets into the delivery of equipment to International Space station

International Space Station needs a consistent of supply of essential equipment and food supplies from the earth. Earlier Elon Musk’s SpaceX played a vital role in delivering supplies to the ISS but now even IBM is in the same fray. IBM is aiming towards delivering a very unusual eleven pound robot head to the International Space Station using a device called IBM Cimon or the Crew Interactive Mobile Companion.


All you need to know about IBM Cimon

 

IBM Cimon is powered by company's popular supercomputer Watson. But IBM is utilizing it in a different manner which enables to embark on a unique mission to the International Space Station. Earlier IBM has used the Watson technology to run a number of crystal experiments as well as solving the Rubik's Cube. IBM is working closely with a German Astronaut named Alexander Gerst in order to use the IBM Cimon to perform variety of tasks like conducting complex medical experiment just using the on-board camera.

IBM Cimon isn't just every tech piece rather the company wishes to establish it as a reliable companion for the astronaut in the space which can do a number of tasks on its own or with little guidance from the astronauts. With IBM Cimon astronauts will be able to get a number of prescribed tasks done with effortless co-ordination on the space station. Secondly IBM Cimon will also act as a safetyimprovement device by giving out timely warning of any impending failure. It will be smart and intuitive enough to find the failure even before it is shown on the astronauts control boards.

IBM Cimon learns and improves on its own


As IBM Cimon is backed with the AI technology this device can literally act as the first space assistant which will be beneficial for the astronauts working on the International Space Station.The use of technology in IBM Cimon allows it to possess speech, text and other image processing capabilities. Secondly it will be smart enough to retrieve certain specific information and finding when needed to offer valuable insight in time of need. Thirdly astronauts will be able to teach a number of skills to the IBM Cimon individually thereby enhancing it application.

IBM is essentially making use of the Watson speech and vision technologies in order to make CIMON recognize and understand the different voice sample with perfection. Visual Recognition of Watson is employed to understand as well as learn the construction of plans of the Columbus module of the International Space Station.

As IBM Cimon will be deployed at the International Space Station it is necessary that it understand its layout so it can move around with ease and simplicity. Astronauts have even taught him a number of procedures which is ought tobe carried out by him in connection with the on-board experiments. IBM Cimon shows that the science fiction wouldn't be a fiction anymore as we move towards creating intelligent robots to assist astronauts in space.

Thursday 8 March 2018

Porsche Could Build Flying Cars, Says Sales Chief

Porsche Sales Chief Claims That They Can Build Flying Taxis

Flying cars may soon become a reality rather than staple feature of science fiction literature sand entertainment shows. Porsche is gearing towards bringing flying cars to consumers in a bid to shake up the automobile industry. It will soon be joining a group of companies to come with reliable designs of the flying cars. After the success of the electric cars spurred by the Tesla most of the automobile are simply looking forward to bring a definite shift in the traditional transport arena by doing with the conventional cars with self-driving vehicles and flying cars.

Porsche flying car reducing the commuting time


Uber has already started the trial of the self-driving vehicle which will effectively work as a taxi through it very own ride hailing app. It wouldn’t need a driver as the name suggests which will help in saving on the internal space ad get more people board the car at the same time. Porsche is thinking about lowering the commuting time drastically with the launch of the flying cars. Porsche official stated that at the moment it takes 30 minutes to reach the Stuttgart airport from the Porsche plant in Zuffenhansen but flying cars easily reduce the duration to just three and half minutes.

Similarly Volkswagen is also in the fray to come with a reliable and first flying car for the masses. It has collaborated with the famed auto designer Ital design and Airbus to come with a working prototype of the Geneva auto show. This car is tentatively titled Pop.Up and it happens to be a two-seater vehicle designed with ability to avoid the gridlocks present on the city roads.

Here comes the competition for flying cars


Porche isn't the only one with the aim of bringing flying cars to fruition and launching it for the masses in upcoming days. At recently started Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland automobile manufacturer are showcasing their attempt at creating the flying cars. One such notable flying car is PAL-V Liberty which happens to be most robust aero car to be displayed in the show.

The good thing is that it does look like a car rather than being a skirmish between a car and airplane. Its design feels quite suited for the super special racing circuit than the usual roads it is planned to play upon. It boasts of two side-by-side right in the front along with the unique tricycle design and a rotor isplaced right at the top which unmounts when the need arises.

Porsche flying car will not be completely automated rather it will offer certain amount of control over itself to the commuters. But passengers aren’t required to get a pilot license in order to take trips in the flying cars because the major aspects of the flying will be taken care of the automated features. Porsche is certainly feeling the heat of the competitors with similar ideas and prototypes in work for the ultimate flying car which will be launching by the mid 2020’s.

Friday 2 March 2018

Google Embrace the eSim Technology with Its New Pixel 2 Devices

eSim is all set to become the new standard in the mobile industry and t is being actively promoted by the GSMA which is an association of the popular network operators in the world. As the name suggest the eSim will come in form of the integrated SIM chop which certainly can’t be removed from the device. This move is also appreciated by the consumer electronics manufacturers as they wish to give a major push to the connected device with their very own Internet of Things devices. Google happens to be first to adopt the built in eSim technology with its Pixel 2 devices.

Advantage of having eSim in Google mobile devices


Google will be making use of the eSim in order to authenticate the cellular account. But it will be applicable for those consumers who are active Project Fi subscriber under the Google. It is worth noting that no other Smartphone in the history has made use of the eSim standard every on the planet. For the time being this technology is only being reserved for the LTE equipped devices like Smartphones, tablets and SmartWatches apart from few wearable gadgets.

With new Pixel devices users will get the option to make use of the eSim by simply connecting it to the Fi network. Upon powering up the device users are simply required to give a tap on the SIM free option during the setup and Google will take care of rest of the process to ensure you get the necessary operator coverage on your device.

How it works? 


The best thing about the eSim is that the information placed on it is compliant and can easily be rewritten by any operator. A user will be able to change the operator by placing a simple phone call. There is no need to get a new SIM or any kind of unwanted delay in switching the eSim on purpose. In order words there are simply now physical swapping of SIM cards are required by the user when they change the operator.

This is the usability advantage of the eSim. Secondly, it allows the Smartphone manufacturer to go for the revolutionary smaller Smartphone design. Because they are no longer needed to place the SIM card tray in the devices and it will be certainly quite beneficial for the wearable products in the long run.

Google isn’t the only one to bring products with eSim technology as Apple and Samsung are in talks with a number of major network providers globally to adopt this technology. Samsung has also started using the GSM enabled eSim on the Gear S2 Classic 3g device similarly Apple has went ahead and brought the eSim on the Apple Watch Series 3. Esim is not bringing a wide range of advantages to the device manufacturers but it is also bringing the similar advantages to the user as well. In future we are likely to see Smartphone more compact and smaller in footprint with the adoption of eSim technology.

Tuesday 27 February 2018

Metalens: Breakthrough Seen in Artificial Eye and Muscle Technology

Metalens

Metalens the new human eye?

Researchers may have just found a new version of electronic eye that behaves much like a human eye. This flat electronically controlled artificial eye known as a metalens can autocorrect for blurry vision, giving it a host of uses in various industries be it Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, in optical microscopes and so on.

By taking a cue from the human eye and its functioning, researchers have made an adaptive metalens that can control the main reasons for blurry vision, which are astigmatism, image shift and focus. While the former two is well out of control of the human eye in correcting on its own, the latter can be taken care of by the functioning of the human eye. Therefore metalens even goes beyond what a normal human eye can do.

What is a Metalens? 


Inspired by a human eye, researchers came up with a flat electronic artificial eye come to be known as a metalens. The Metalens can autocorrect for blurry images caused by focus, image shift and astigmatism.

Combining breakthrough tech in artificial muscle technology and meta lens technology, researchers have devised an artificial electronic eye that is a meta lens that can focus on images in real time much like the human eye does. Going even further than the human eye, a metalens can even correct for astigmatism and image shift that the normal human eye cannot do on its own.
Applicability of Metalens Technology:

Because of the feasibility of the project, metalens can be used in a host of applications such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Optical Microscopes that can work electronically without the need to refocus or adjust, mobile cellphones, cameras and a host of other applications as well.

While being used in these fields, ametalens is capable of auto correcting blurry vision caused by a number of factors simultaneously.

How is a Metalens made?

A metalens focuses light and gets rid of spherical aberrations by using a dense layer of nanostructures which are smaller than a wavelength of light.

Researchers first developed a metalens which was the size of a single piece of glitter. In order to be used for commercial applications the size of a metalens had to be scaled up. Since each metalens has a lot of information pertaining to it, increasing the size of the metalens from 100 microns to a centimeter sized lens, increases the information relating to it by more than 10,000 times the original metalens. This leads to a file size of gigabytes or even tetrabytes of information pertaining to the design of a metalens.

In order to reduce the size of the file, researchers came up with an algorithm that is commonly used in fabricating integrated circuits. In making a metalens for commercial purposes would require the use of two industries, the semi-conductor industry that makes computer chips and the lens manufacturing industry.

Right now researchers have no plans in selling the intellectual rights of the metalens tech and are exploring avenues to bring the metalens to the manufacturing belt.

Friday 23 February 2018

NASA Developing 3D Printable Tools to Help Analyse Biological Samples without Sending Them Back to Earth

NASA builds up 3D printable apparatus to help evaluate biological samples without transporting them back to our planet

To make possible astronauts on the ship the International Space Station (ISS) to study biological samples without transferring them back to our planet, NASA scientists, together with an of Indian scientist, are budding 3D printable apparatus that can hold liquids such as blood biological samples with no spill out into micro-gravity.

To understand, how to have an effect on team physical condition, how to formulate an enduring role to Mars furthermore afar, NASA told on 8 February. The innovative NASA’s mission, known as Omics in Space, plans to build up expertise to cram "omics" - in microbiology that are imperative to the health of humans. Omics comprises of exploration hooked on genome, microbiomes as well as proteomes.

NASA has by now deliberated omics by way of attempts such as the Microbial trailing 1 research that check up microbial multiplicity lying on the space station. However there is no method to route biological samples lying on the station, thus they enclose to be propel down to globe. It may possibly be months between the moment biological samples are taken as well as an examination is done, told Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA's (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and chief researcher meant for the Omics in Space mission.

He is a former pupil of Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, told: This mission intends to widen an programmed structure meant for learn molecular biology by means of least team intercession.

This researcher proclaimed that this is one of the major achievements in microgravity. Astronauts amass a range of biological samples, takes account of their own saliva as well as blood, and microbes washed down from the hedges of the ISS. These biological samples could subsequently be jumble through water. Exclusive of the suitable apparatus, biological samples can dribble, glide or else structure air bubbles that could conciliate consequences.

Two years ago, NASA obtains a huge leap through progressive DNA hooked on space meant for the initial time. Astronauts make use of a small, hand-held succession utensil known as the MinION, founded by Oxford Nanopore Technologies. It is a corporation having its head office at Oxford, England.

NASA told the Space mission tactics to put up this sensation by means of budding a programmed DNA / RNA extractor that may put in order biological samples intended for a MinION apparatus. A significant component of this extractor is a 3D printable synthetic sealed unit required to haul out nucleic acids from the biological samples intended for the Minion progression.

Camilla Urbaniak, a Postdoctoral investigator on JPL in addition to co-investigator on Omics in Space, told this has been checked on our Planet. "We are obtaining what is on our planet to study DNA along with uniting the entire rung hooked on an programmed method," Urbaniak told. "What is innovative is a single stop store that could haul out and route the entire of these biological samples," Urbaniak said.

Tuesday 20 February 2018

The Next Generation of Cameras Might see Behind Walls




Single Pixel Camera/Multi-Sensor Imaging/Quantum Technology

 

Users are very much taken up with the camera technology, which has given an enhanced look to the images clicked. However these technological achievements have more in store for the users. Single-pixel cameras, multi-sensor imaging together with quantum technologies would bring about great achievements in the way we tend to take images.

The updated camera exploration has been moving away from increasing the number of mega-pixels to merging camera data with computational processing. It is a radical new approach wherein the incoming data may not seem like an image. It tends to be an image after a sequence of computational steps which involves complex mathematics together with modelling on how light tends to travel through the scene or the camera.

The extra layer of computational processing tends to eliminate the chains of conservative imaging systems and there may be an instance where we may not need camera in the conservative sense any longer. On the contrary we would utilise light detectors which few years back would never have been considered for imaging.

 However, they would be capable of performing incredible results like viewing through fog, inside the human body as well as behind the walls.

Illuminations Spots/Patterns

 

The single pixel camera is one of the examples that depend on a simple source.The usual cameras tend to utilise plenty of pixels – tiny sensor features in order to capture a scene which is probably illuminated by an individual source.

However one can also manage thing in a different manner, capturing information from several light sources with an individual pixel. To achieve this one would need a controlled light source such as a simple data projector which tends to illuminate the scene a single spot at a time or with a sequence of various patterns.

For every individual illumination spot or pattern one can then measure the quantity of light reflected thereby adding all together in creating the ultimate image. Evidently the drawback of taking a photo in this way is that one will have to send plenty of illumination spots or pattern to obtain an image – one that would take only one snapshot with a regular camera.

However this type of imaging would enable in creating otherwise impossible camera, for instance that which tends to work at wavelengths of light beyond the visible spectrum, where good detectors cannot be made into cameras.

Quantum Entanglement 

 

These types of camera could be utilised in taking images through fog or thick snowfall. They could also imitate the eyes of some animals and mechanically increase the resolution of an image based on what is portrayed. There is also a possibility of capturing images from light particles which have not interacted with object needed to be photographed.

This would have the benefit of the idea of `quantum entanglement’ which two particles can be connected in a way meaning that whatever tends to occur to one can occur to the other even though they are apart at a long distance.

 Single pixel imaging is considered as one of the simplest innovation in future camera technology and depends on the traditional concept of what forms an image. Presently we are observing a surge of interest for methods wherein lot of information is utilised though out-dated techniques tend to gather only a small portion of it.

It is here that multi-sensor approaches involving a number of detectors pointing at the same scene could be utilised. One ground-breaking example of this was the Hubble telescope that produced images made from a mixture of several different images taken at various wavelengths.

Photon & Quantum Imaging


However, one can now purchase commercial version of this type of technology like the Lytro camera that tends to accumulate information regarding light intensity and direction on the similar sensor producing images, which could be progressed after the image has been taken. The next generation camera will possibly seem like the Light L16 camera featuring ground-breaking technology based on over 10 various sensors.

Their data are connected through a computer with a provision of 50Mb, refocus able and re-zoomable, professional-quality image. The camera tends to appear like a very thrilling Picasso interpretation of a crazy cellphone camera. Researchers have been working hard on the issue of seeing through fog, beyond walls as well as imaging deep within the human body and brain. All these techniques depend on linking images with models explaining how light tends to travel through or around various substances.

Another remarking method which has been achieving ground is based on artificial intelligence to `learn’ in recognising objects from the data and these methods have been inspired by learning process in the human brain which probably likely to play a major role in the forthcoming imaging system.

Individual photon and quantum imaging technologies have been developing to the extent that they can take image with extremely low light levels as well as videos with exceptionally fast speed attaining a trillion frames per second. This is adequate to capture images of light travelling across a scene.

Tuesday 13 February 2018

An Apology after Apple Sends wrong AD Spend Data to Developers

Apple
Recently certain developers got sent ad- spend data belonging to other apps and developers. This led to some awkward and uncomfortable questions being asked. iOS developers are given a choice whether to opt in for Apple’s search ads basic service. Developers have to pay only when their app has been installed by a user. Apple, in sending the-end-of-month ad review, has also inadvertently sent details of various developer’s ad spend details to different developers.

On Wednesday Apple acknowledged their mistake and issued an apology to all their developers. They also mentioned that henceforth all data pertaining to ad spend details can be obtained by the developer logging on to their account to prevent further mishaps in the future.

What is Apple’s Search Ad’s Basic Service? 

As a developer getting your app known to the world is always a struggle. Apple helps in solving the problem to a certain limit.

Search Ads basic is a service whereby, Apple advertises for a developers app in the app store, in exchange for signing up for this service as well as paying for the service as and when the app of the developer is downloaded.

This is cost effective as the developer pays only when the app is installed rather that when the user is just interested and does not actually download the app.

With the search Ads basic service developers get an end of month statement in which they can review the performance of their ads. They also get information such as their apps installs, average-spend per install, ads spend numbers related to their ad expenditure on the app store and more.

The search ads basic service was launched in December of 2017 and is targeted at young and emerging developers to promote their apps in the app store. Their apps will be listed in the search results. This service not only promotes an individual’s app but also gives the developer’s app a chance to be seen by the users on the app store as otherwise users would not even know of the existence of such an app.

What’s an even bigger advantage for developers is that they pay only when the app is installed as opposed to paying on an impression per app basis. Besides this the search Ads basic service also gives developers intelligent automation features in which results can be maximized with lesser efforts and a feature where developers can track performance on their individual dashboards.

Apple’s Apology after sharing different developer’s ad spend details:

Developers like to keep all their ad spend details such as installs, their expenditure related to the ads on the app store and so forth confidential. So when they got data pertaining to other developers there was also a more than probable chance that their own private ad data was being seen by someone else.
Apple realized their mistake and acknowledged their part in it by apologizing saying that the problem occurred due to “processing error” and hence forth all data will be available on an individual developer’s personal account.

Can Neural Networks Learn to Ride a bike?

Neural Networks
For some riding a bike is easy while for others it seems to be a very difficult task that they have to learn at any cost mostly because- the vast majority already know how to ride bikes and no one wants to be left out. But how easy is it for two yes you read right two neurons comprising a neural network to ride a bike?

Two neurons or two nodes forming a digital neural network to be accurate has learnt to ride a bike and that with no external information or programming to guide it. Researchers that study thinking have used neural networks to simulate models of how a person actually thinks- how thinking works, how it is made and how it responds to the external world.

What is neural networks? 


Neural networks are clusters of neurons that pass on information to one and another by simply strengthening and weakening the connections between them. Don’t be alarmed, these are not actual neurons but simulated nodes or model neurons on a neural network in a computer and not a body.

In a huge step towards artificial intelligence, neural networks can understand a problem and even respond to it without any prior programming about how to solve a certain issue.

Researchers have now used neural networks to learn to ride a bike in a simulated setting on a computer without any before- hand programming to do so. They have found that a neural network comprising of only two model neurons has proved to be successful in riding a bike.

Neural network and riding a bike: 

At the testing stage researchers used an algorithm or program, a human and of course the two neuron neural network to learn to pilot the bike giving all the same rules or instructions- controlling the speed of the bike, it’s leaning to one side or the other, the angle of the handlebars and so forth.

The researcher first tested the algorithm in riding a bike using “what if” programming- what move will keep the bike straight, what move will increase the speed of the bike?

But the algorithm was found to be unsuccessful in learning to ride a bike , it could not do two things at once and tried weird means to reach various goals such as increasing speed it would swoop from side to side to do so. As a conclusion, researchers have found that an algorithm would not have the ability to predict future outcomes as compared to neural networks and therefore would be unsuccessful in solving a particular problem.

The second round of testing involved humans where a human had to learn to ride a bike using only the keyboard. After a few tries, humans were also found to be able to ride a simulated bike.

After the human round of testing, it was time for the neural network. Based on experiences and information given by the people who tried the simulated bike, researchers built a neural network. The neural network assessed the environment the bike was in and how to maneuver in that environment- in which direction should the bike lean and how fast should its speed be. At the end of testing the neural network was found to be successful in learning to ride a bike.

In the neural network, the two neurons comprising the neural network passed on information to one another while one assessed the environment and passed on information to the other, the other neuron in the neural network actually controlled the bike.

Monday 12 February 2018

The Signs Your Child Might Have Screen Addition, Revealed

Children Engaged in Devices – Screen Addiction

With the progress in technology it is not surprising to see children engaged in deviceswhich have turnedthem into screen addiction. Though the approach of making them to start at an early age has been criticised by paediatric experts and adolescent researchers, several of the apps made available for download for children below five years of age in the Apple app store has shown that many parents as well as app developers have been ignoring the warnings with regards to the devices.

This exposure to screens for children comprising of video games, televisions, computers and tablets could be the reason for the addition trend which has been increasing – screen addiction. While this possibility has been considered by parents in the past by asking `how much screen time is too much? It seems that they had phrased the query wrongly.

As per a latest research published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, how children utilise the devices not on how much time they tend to spend on them, seems the strongest predictor of emotional or social issue lined with screen addiction’. Actually it does not really matter if a child tends to spend an hour or five, gazing at a screen, but would not suggest five hours duration.

An All-Consuming Activity

According to the new study there is more to it than the number of hours spent with the screen. What really matters whether usage of screen tends to cause issues in the other areas of life or it has become an all-consuming activity.

Now the query lies in how precisely could one tell if the child is addicted to screens. One needs to identify the warning signs like – should the screen time interfere with the daily activities, tends to cause conflict for the child or in the family or seems to be the only activity which brings some happiness to the child.

these gestures are displayed by the child, it could be essential to take action since screen addiction is connected to issues related to relationships, emotion and conduct. However considering it from the positive side, it could be most likely alright to keep them entertained with games on iPad for some time.

The television has been replaced by tablets and phone in soothing the children and keeping them busy. For instance, it has been revealed that one out of three kids tend to utilise gadgets much before they can even speak.

Kids utilising these devices at their tender age could have a substantial effect on the mental health of these toddlers.

Technology Addiction – Influence Behaviour/Sleeping Pattern


Dr Richard Graham, London-based Consultant Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Psychologist Dr Jay Watts have stated that technology addiction could have an influence on the behaviour and sleeping pattern of a child. Five signs had been highlighted in an interview with MailOnline stating that one should observe if the child seems to be hooked.

 Moreover they had also emphasized on the importance of taking a digital detox in order to resolve the obsession. Dr Graham from the Capio Nightingale Hospital which is a mental health hospital located in central London had commented that when people tend to feel an uncomfortable sense of withdrawal when they are not online, is a known fact that the relationship with technology is not handled in a proper manner.

Dr Watts added that parents presently tend to struggle with understanding how crucial social media is to the present generation, the modern day playground is virtual. He added that when electronic devices began to have more importance over behaviour than anyone else or thing and when children seemed to get upset when they were deprived of the technology, it is at that point of time that one needs to begin changing things.

In the case of children the main issue is about the way they tend to get addicted to technology and the way they feel when using it.

Unhealthy Independence 

Those kids who tend to portray any indications of severe distress and agitation when deprived of the technology could be considered as unhealthy dependency. It could be somewhat a condition similar to a drug user and this unhealthy dependency could mean that the child gets agitated when they are deprived on the use of technology.

Dr Graham clarifies that the addiction could be apparent itself in other behaviour pattern. The influence of technology could affect the sleeping pattern of the child; interfere with meal times together with eating habits making the youngster to act up during play time. Dr Graham further stated that addicted children could also tend to be secretive as well as defensive regarding their devices and the usage of them and also debate with parents on a regular basis.

Moreover, children addicted to technology could also refrain or ignore real-life activities, refusing to go to locations where they would not be in a position to use their devices like the cinema.Dr Watts mentioned that it is quite guaranteed that parents are under the misconception that their kid has been spending much time on smartphone or online.

Restrict Time Spent on Usage of Technology 


The main concern is to talk to other parents at school or to observe if a child is more preoccupied than the others. If there seems to be a real difference, one needs to speak to the child regarding cybersafety but also study what could be on the mind of the child which could be addictive within and how this addiction could be helpful in avoiding in the real world.

 It seems essential to restrict the children on the time spend on the usage of technology in order to prevent the formation of unhealthy dependence according to Dr Graham. Techniques comprises of ensuring prolonged periods wherein the youngsters are absorbed on the `real world’ and play time with the other kids.

Forming a determined routine time allowance could be an excellent place to begin with. It could also be essential to ensure that adults switch off their phone or keep it on silent mode while having meals and while spending quality time with family and friends since examples given by the parents could be fruitful and meaningful.

Saturday 10 February 2018

Global Mobile Operators Select Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G Modem for Mobile 5G NR Trials in 2018

Move over 4G there’s a New Sheriff in Town: Mobile 5G

2018 is the year when the world opens its eyes to mobile 5G connectivity. Qualcomm is all set to showcase their Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem. Qualcomm has tied up with a number of OEMs to bring mobile 5G network to the world, with the first smartphone having the Snapdragon X50 5G NR mobile 5G network coming out in the first half of 2019. Chinese brand Vivo has also said that consumers can expect the first mobile 5G smartphone somewhere next year.

Some of the major mobile phone OEMs partnering with Qualcomm in their Snapdragon X50 5G modem trials are Xiaomi, Global, Nokia, Oppo, HTC, ZTE, LG and HMD. Notably absent from this list, are the companies- Samsung, Apple and Huawei, accounting for over 50% of the world’s smartphone market. Most of these names signing up for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem have major presence in Asia rather than the US. There’s a more than possible chance that Asia maybe the first to see the likes of mobile 5G.

OEMs partnering with Qualcomm for mobile 5G: 


Fujitsu, Novatel wireless, Netgear, Sharp, WNC, Telit, Wingtech and NetComm Wireless are some of the other OEMs to sign up for mobile 5G with Qualcomm.

Devices manufactured by these OEMs will function at bandwidths of 6GHz and millimeter wavelength spectrum bands and will supposedly come out in 2019.

Other devices featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G Modem with mobile 5G:


Other than OEMs featuring Snapdragon X50 5G modem, other devices to have mobile 5G are Always Connected PCs, VR Headsets and AR Headsets and Extended Reality Headsets. The speeds of this mobile 5G network are never seen before with speeds reaching 5Gbps and offering faster downloads, faster browsing speeds, better streaming from apps and instant cloud access on smart phones. The snapdragon X50 5G modem is also supposed to offer low latency in Always Connected PCs and ultra-low latency in HMDs.

The Qualcomm snapdragon X50 5G modem is going to be compatible with both 4G and mobile 5G networks.

Network Operators pairing up with Qualcomm on the mobile 5G Journey: 


Many network operators are also partnering up with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G network for mobile 5G. Some of the more prominent names are AT&T, Sprint China Telecom, British Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, NTT DOCOMO, Verizon, Orange, Telstra and Singtel besides others.
The aim is to combine Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem with Smartphone and other device’s designs that are compatible with mobile 5G and which are also compliant with mobile 5G standards. After that smartphones and other devices supporting mobile 5G will go in for commercialization.

Showcasing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem: 

Qualcomm is all set to showcase mobile 5G with their Snapdragon X50 5G modem in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress. Qualcomm has a booth all set up with their mobile 5G modem delivering Speeds of several gigabytes per second.

A HTC headset with mobile 5G connectivity was recently launched at an industry event in Taiwan.

Thursday 8 February 2018

Nintendo's Next Big Mobile Game Will Be 'Mario Kart Tour'

Popular Kart Racer – Mario Kart Tour

Mario Kart Tour
An outbreak of Nintendo news had been announced recently among which was a Mario movie with the Despicable Me studio, the launch of online service of Nintendo and to summarize Miyamoto, the revelation that Nintendo’s is a `fun’ company and not a `games’ company.

However, the biggest news of all was the announcement of Nintendo which was their next huge mobile project - Mario Kart Tour. The game is presently under development and according to the company; the popular kart racer would be released in Android as well as iOS devices before March 2019.

This would be a first for the Mario Kart franchise on modern smartphones. Though Nintendo has not been sharing much besides a logo, there seems to be a lot from the disclosure and the time in the mobile spaces for Nintendo has been a hit or miss. Recently Miitomo their first experimental mobile had been shut down and Super Mario run excellently failed to convert interested player into playing players with its `one and one’ at a cost of $10.

However Fire Emblem Heroes in contrast had made $100M in its first year with its extremely profitable gacha model together with the Nintendo’s piece of huge $1 billion and Pokémon GO pie.

Nintendo Partnering with Illumination

The big question is where will Mario Kart Tour fall and how does Nintendo tend to monetize it? The company had announced that 14.86 million Switch consoles had been sold together with around half as many copies of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a straight port of game which sold a further 8 million copies also on the Wii U.

Nintendo is said to have more mobile tiles in the pipeline. Initially the company had intended to release five smartphone games by 2017 though only Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing, Pocket Cam together with the ill-fated Miitomo social app had made it till now. The Wall Street Journal had reported last year that Nintendo had been operational on a Legend of Zelda mobile title.

Moreover, Nintendo had also made an announcement that it would be partnering with Illumination for a movie known as Mario. Illumination is well known for animated hit films like Despicable Me and Minions. Besides the title together with a release window, details pertaining to Mario Kart Tour mobile game have not been disclosed by Nintendo.

Additional Mobile Titles in Progress

Tweet of Nintendo reads thus `The chequered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTourReleasing in the fiscal year ending March 2019.’Now it is left to be seen and only time will tell what Mario Kart Tour achieves in maintaining its relative success of its smartphone siblings.

While the Nintendo Switch had sold around 15 million units from the time of its launch in March 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold around 7.33 million units. Nintendo could have additional mobile titles in progress. The company had observed that the smartphone linked revenue had been around JPY 29.1 billion, in its nine-month earnings report.

Monday 5 February 2018

Google Pixel 3 Release Date Rumours: This Could Be 2018’s Best Phone

Google Pixel 3

Rumor Has it: All We’ve Heard so Far about the new Google pixel 3



Since Google’s pixel first released in 2016, it has been one of the best phones that is out there. Google then repeated its spectacular performance with pixel two the year after. It will be no surprise now when Google pixel 3, which is slated to be released this year, will repeat that same performance.


As a major contender to Apple’s IPhone, The Google pixel 3 is a highly anticipated release. With a face id, doing away with the annoying bezel or reducing it and debuting with android’s latest release in the maybe department, the phone is also slated to have much more.

When can we expect the Google pixel 3?



Taking an educated guess, we would say that Google is all set on an October launch or to be specific, A launch date of October 4th with the Google pixel 3 coming on shelves somewhere between 16th to 19th of the same month.

Google has been fairly consistent when it comes to launching its phones. The first pixel came out on October 4th 2016 and pixel 2 came out on 4th October the following year, with both phones hitting the shelves on the 25th and 19th of the same month (different year naturally) respectively.

But keep in mind predicting the exact site of sale is not possible as or again you can take an educated guess as the Google pixel 3 has not actually been announced yet.

Rumor about the design of the Google pixel 3 and its features:



Based on an expert website, the Google pixel 3 is rumored to be coming out in 3 models codenamed albacore, crosshatch and blueline. These names are a part of Google’s tradition of naming all their products after species of fish.

As for the specs that the Google pixel 3 will have is anyone’s guess. There has not been much leaks regarding the Google pixel 3’s specs, but based on competing with other phones in the market, some of the latest specs might be seen on the Google pixel 3.

The Google pixel 3 is said to be coming with Qualcomm’s snapdragon 845 processor which is supposed to make the Google pixel 3 25% faster than its predecessor which runs on a 835 snapdragon chip.

Coming at the premium end of the market, all phones have started reducing the bezel surrounding the phone. It may come as no surprise if Google does the same as well.

Another feature the Google pixel 3 is rumored to have is the Face id that has become so popular with Apple’s IPhone. Besides this an under screen finger print scanner and wireless charging also seem to be in the specs list of the Google pixel 3 based on various experts in the field.

What we do know for certain based on past experience with pixel phones is that Google will launch their newest offering with the latest android OS which is the Android 9.0.

How much will the Google pixel 3cost?



Since Apple has launched IPhone X, prices of smartphones in the premium end of the market have increased so it may mean that the Google pixel 3 is likely to burn not only a huge hole in your pocket but also in your bank account.







Thursday 1 February 2018

Talking Artificial Intelligence to the Next Generation

Artificial Intelligence

Bringing artificial intelligence as a subject to study for younger generation

The world is moving towards the artificial intelligence and it will become an integral part of everything from technology, hardware, software to almost anything comprehensible. Before that happens we need to get our next generation known about its intricate and complex concepts and science governing it.

Taking artificial intelligence right to the younger audience wouldn’t be a simple task given its complexity. However a professor from the Queensland University of technology has found a remarkable way of teaching the intricate working of the artificial intelligence with a simple book titled “The Complete Guide to Artificial intelligence for Kids”.

Introducing Artificial intelligence to kids

The professor of the Robotics from QUT named Michael Milford is keen on making the young generation adept at understanding the artificial intelligence than any generation before them. He is introducing the AI to the kids in the primary school through a specially crafted book and a number of accompanying tactics which makes the complex themes and working of AI as simple enough to understand by a young mind. The best thing about this teaching methodology is that it can even used to teach AI even to the parents and grandparents alike which will help in creating a world where AI isn’t an enigma.

Michael has created this teaching program by drawing the insights from his vast experiences as the teacher as well as a capable researcher in the field robotics. He is also well versed in the field of the autonomous vehicles and even the exclusive brain-related technology.

In simple words he is best person to unlock the mysteries of the AI to the younger generation in a way which is both interaction and educational in every given manner. It is worth pointing out that Michael is regular speaker on the subject of Artificial intelligence at varied conference, schools, workshops and other popular events like World Science Festival Brisbane.



Michaela states that currently our world is buzzing with the talks about AI and the demand of deriving insights and information utilizing the AI capabilities is at its peak. We are bringing the AI right to the every basic sector of the society from the transport, finance, government to the public institutions. Therefore it is necessary to bring the knowledge of the artificial intelligence in tits and bits which help them in getting the bigger picture of the AI like even we can’t understand and or make them understand the way we know it.

Educating kids in their way using Artificial intelligence

The inspiration behind taking AI to the kids emerges from the constant enquiries made by his son about his work. IN order to make him understand about his work he had to make his understand some bits of the robotics then some bits about the AI. But when it came to AI he had make his understand a number of basic underlying concepts like how actually AI works, learns, interpret data and how good or bad affects it can have upon the society.

Artificial intelligence as simple as it sounds because it brings the culmination of varied fields like machine learning, science, computing, mathematics and other but this book helps in explaining everything to kids.

Tuesday 30 January 2018

Philips SmartSleep: Philips personal health solutions at CES

Philips SmartSleep

Throw those Sleeping Pills Away: there’s a New Sleep Partner in Town: The Philips SmartSleep

 

For those who don’t sleep easy or who only manage to get a few hours of sleep, sleeping pills and the rest seem to be a commonplace phenomenon in their medicine cabinets. Only those who don’t get a goodnight’s sleep are aware of the actual importance of it. That’s not to say that others out there don’t know of the same but when you have something you don’t really comprehend the value of it till it’s gone. Well, all that’s going to change with Philips SmartSleep

Philips SmartSleep was recently launched at the CES held in Las Vegas, the company claims to give you a better night’s sleep without needing to put in any extra hours of dosing. You will reportedly get up feeling more alert, refreshed and rejuvenated.

What is Philips SmartSleep about? 


Philips SmartSleep is a foam-like headband that is supposed to give you a relaxing night’s sleep. This gadget plays soft soothing sounds to help you get that good night’s sleep. It is said that while playing these relaxing tones from the Philips SmartSleep you can get more energy from your sleep.

Besides recording the quality of your sleep on to an app that connect to the Philips SmartSleep, that you can check in the morning, the Philips SmartSleep kicks into motion once you enter a “slow wave sleep”, which is basically a sleep stage where your breathing slows as well as your heart rate with relaxed muscles. For those who don’t get sleep easy, reaching this stage itself might be difficult and in that case how much good this product will do is anyone’s guess.

How does the Philips SmartSleep really know when you’ve reached that stage of sleep? The answer is simple there is a lot of complex algorithms involved in the Philips SmartSleep. These algorithms were made in close partnership with various neurologists and doctors.

The Philips SmartSleep has sensors in it that helps detect when a person is in the said stage of sleep. The customized tones are then played when a person is in this stage of sleep, with the tones playing through an integrated speaker, the tones are played at a volume and their timing is all customized to make this stage of sleep more relaxing and lasting while using the Philips SmartSleep.

Testing conducted on the Philips SmartSleep: 


Philips says that they have tested this product on people who don’t really get enough sleep because of their hectic lifestyles and they go on to say that about 70% of this test population found that they got a feeling of being less tired when using the Philips SmartSleep. The target market is seemingly those who don’t get enough sleep, not those who have a difficulty in sleeping in the first place. The test subjects were shown to be more alert, having a higher level of energy and who had a better quality of sleep overall.
As to how many were exactly tested, there is no clear indication. Philips also goes on to say that the Philips SmartSleep is clinically proven and is the first sleeping wearable that is come out.

Monday 29 January 2018

Apple is Reportedly Renaming iBooks to Books

iBooks
iOS 11.3: Apple plans to rearrange the iBooks app from the App Store

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple will reorganize the iBooks application later this year with a major overhaul, with a new Reading Now tab, a separate section for audiobooks, and a store interface that uses the same design as the App Store under iOS 11.

The report follows last night's launch of the first iOS 11.3 beta, which includes a name change from the iBooks app to just "Books." However, for the moment, there is a change in the user interface. In addition, the iBookstore will become the Apple Books Store. The app itself makes virtually no changes in the current beta, although the dark theme now uses a true black background color on iPhone X.

While Apple has planned a number of its top chart apps as well as stores in late years, one feature of the company’s involvement has perceptibly stayed unswayed: iBooks. Reported to a news report in Bloomberg, that’s primed to alter as Apple is reportedly arranging the app with a simplex programme and a spic-and-span front, and has employed a new administrator to superintend the work. Bloomberg reports that the application will be called “Books” and will reportedly be release soon (may be within some months).The programme will be easy, high spot books that are presently being read, on with a abstracted tab meant for audio books.

The store will besides be undergone inspection and repair to contest the newly redesigned Application Store. The piece of work also aired that Apple employed Kashif Zafar in Dec 2017, to head iBooks. Zafar antecedently employed as the V.P of digital products for Barnes & Noble’s Nook section, ahead tossing to Audible, where he set up the company’s podcast system, Channels.

Six years ago, the Dep. of Justice defend Apple as well as various leading publishing firm of conspiring to increase ebook prices, as well as a regime court subordinate that Apple complot to rise the cost of ebooks, and was issuing a sinewy $450 million fine. Since then, Apple’s store as well as apps have mostly flown under the radar, while Amazon has henpecked the ebook industry. The two evolution could signaling a revived attempt from Apple in the publication business.

Newly, Google proclaimed that it was offering audiobooks through with Google Play, while Audible has successful with a momentous thrust into the avant-garde content business with first-string presentation, audio books assistance on Kindle devices, and fresh digital attributes. Both the companies also compounded ways last year ended upsets from European publishing houses that Apple’s alone business with Audible was quelling contest. With its fresh act and a new design app, Apple could be orienting itself to get over a spirit in the publication world again by rendering a finer reading experience for its users, merely besides by fastening conjointly ebooks as well as audio books in a single program.

Friday 26 January 2018

Article: Augmented Reality on the Web, for Everyone

Article
Google wants to bring augmented reality to browsers and web pages

Google seeks to bring augmented reality technology (AR) to a web platform in the name called 'Article'. On Monday, the company published advances in the performance of a 3D prototype in both mobile device browsers and desktop computers. The objective of this series of tests is to expand access to this technology and advance the development of browsers that in the future are enabled to support AR.

According to a publication on the official blog, millions of Android and iOS devices will be able to provide AR experiences from their browsers in the coming months. This means that to experience this technology a user would not need a specific application but with the browser open you can visualize digital objects pointing to real places through your cell phone. Through Google's 'Article', the user could access a page with AR contents and view them from their desktop computer, in the office or at home.

Until now to use a game or watch a content in augmented reality had to pass two assumptions: that we had an app pre-installed on our mobile or download a specific way to see it. We also have the disadvantage that not all AR experiences work the same, so we can easily install a few of them.

Google wants to break that barrier with a very good idea: to introduce this function in a web browser. In this way, all we need is to have a Chrome app, open a web page, click on a button and have the camera open so we can see the object in question. At the moment it is a project in development but as a proposal to make this technology more accessible it can be very successful.

Article, as Google has called it, is a 3D object viewer that will be integrated into the browser. When we see 'Article' we can interact with it and spin it, for example, to see how 'Article' looks on each side. This is not all, we will have a dedicated button in 'Article' to take us to the camera and we can place the model in question in front of our eyes.

So explain the Mountain View when we activate the option of augmented reality in 'Article' will take us to the camera and we will see a white ring where a few seconds later the object in question will appear. In the demo of 'Article' that they have shown in the blog it is seen that this function is very intuitive and easy to use.

For augmented reality it will be an important step because of the agility it will bring to use it without any intermediary in the form of additional application. In addition, with the quality they have today any Android phone is enough to offer a basic but satisfactory experience.

At the moment, the 'Article' is only a prototype and it seems that we will soon see it integrated into the browser that we use daily to visit web pages. What they have facilitated are the tools to encourage content developers to create their own objects and test Article's capabilities.

Thursday 18 January 2018

Samsung Unveils “The Wall,” the World’s First Modular MicroLED 146-inch TV

The Wall
One of the products that would stop you in your tracks this time around in the CES is Samsung’s The Wall TV. This has merely nothing to do with its 146 inch size but also it’s amazing quality of images which is bound to stop anyone and draw their attention.

The Wall’s rich colors, insanely bright pictures and sharp images puts any other Television out there as a mere screen with nothing much to offer.

The Wall and its Micro Led Tech:

For some you see one Television you feel like you’ve seen them all. I mean what more can a TV offer? Well Samsung has proved that a TV can do much more with it’s “The Wall”. The Wall’s micro led feature, as Samsung like to call this new form of tech, is something that separates this TV from the rest.

Micro led or in other words self –emissive LCD is a tech where 3840 by 2160 liquid crystals all generate their own color and light. What separates the Wall from the rest is that there are no longer pixels that have to share a light emitting from an external backlight.

Ok you might say that OLED can already do this but with the Wall and micro led tech, the bright pixels and dark pixels go together without any bleed and what’s more is that the colors are even more brighter and vibrant with the micro LED tech than what any OLED TV would be able to achieve.

“Modular Design” in The Wall:

Coming to the screen itself in The Wall, is not actually a single screen but rows and rows of pixel blocks that come together in a way that can be used in screens of any size maybe even bigger than 146 inches.

Planning to buy the Wall for your Home? You might want to look at this:

One of the main concerns when looking at the wall at close range is that you would notice the seams in the pixel blocks when a darker picture is shown. While from far there is not much you can see by way of the seams, the closer and darker the picture gets you can see through the seams in the so called modular design. Brighter imagery again covers up those seams.

Another issue that comes to mind when looking at the The Wall screen is that it’s lesser than smooth finish slightly reflects light from surrounding areas.

The next issue is the price, having a screen with micro led tech and a whole other lot going on is not going to come cheap to anyone’s bank account even if you do get the wall in a smaller size.

Quality of Pictures on The Wall:

It goes without saying, but in such a huge TV with micro led tech where each pixel gives off their own color and with insanely bright imagery, the picture quality on the Wall is better than good.

In spite of its largeness the Wall affords pretty sharp imagery, it makes you wonder what it can do with 8K resolution than the 4K it comes with.