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Printable Antenna Generates Electricity from Out of the Blue

WiFi networks, Cellphone and Radio Signals. These are just a few of the waves that are spamming the Electro Magnetic Spectrum around you most of the time. You can harvest this energy for more than its intended use. With printable antennas, you can power battery free electronics in most urban environments.

Since this technology is still in its infancy and generates only a few milliwatts, so don’t expect it to power your cellphone or laptop anytime soon. What this technology is good for is powering networks of sensors in locations that don’t have electrical outlets, batteries or access to solar power. This could be a temperature sensor placed in the wall of your home, or a sensor built into the body of your car to check for structural damage. These sensors could also be teamed up with capacitors to collect power and send short bursts of wireless data to a receiver nearby.

Theoretically, the amount of electricity generated could be increased in two ways. The first way would involve stacking these antennas one on top of the other and the second way would be to increase the surface area of each antenna. Combined, perhaps we could have a self charging battery or phone in the near future. We can only hope…

July 11, 2011
Toshiba Unveils a New CMOS Sensor

Toshiba has released a new CMOS image sensor with a 0.25 inch optical format. This new sensor has the smallest pixel size to date of 1.12 micrometers and delivers cutting edge peformance with its built in back-side illumination technology.

The sensor has been designed to accomodate tight form factors and still capture high definition images. Due to this feature, the company expects it to be embedded into mobile devices such as cameras, smartphones, tablets and even laptops in the near future. The 8.08 MP sensor can capture video at 60 frames per second at both 720p and 1080p resolutions.

Andrew Burt, vice president, Analog and Imaging Business Unit, System LSI Group, TAEC had this to say,

As smartphones and other portable digital devices move to smaller form factors, image sensors must also shrink in size. This presents imaging subsystem designers with a challenge: how do you get smaller and smaller image sensors to support higher image resolutions when miniaturization can cause a fall off in performance? Our BSI technology overcomes this problem by deploying the lens on the rear of the sensor, on its silicon substrate, not on the front, where wiring limits light absorption. This positioning boosts light sensitivity and absorption, and allows Toshiba to make finer quality image pixels in smaller-sized CMOS image sensors. This increased sensitivity also makes our BSI CMOS image sensors more suitable for video applications, such as video capture or video chat.

July 11, 2011
LG joins the Android QWERTY bandwagon with Optimus Pro

Looks like a Samsung Galaxy Pro competitor from Samsung competitor – The LG Optimus Pro is on sale in Italy and coming to the rest of the world soon. Known specs include Android 2.3 gingerbread a 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen and a 3.2 MP camera. All of this will run on a 800MHZ processor and 256mb of RAM. The device has a nice Candy Bar design and should fare well against competition if the pricing is right. Currently it sells for €179 which seems a tad bit high.

July 11, 2011
HTC will start Bootloader Unlock in August – HTC Sensation on the List

HTC has confirmed via their official Facebook fan page that they will start unlocking bootloaders in their popular phones come August. On the List is the HTC Sensation (global – yes the one in India) along with Sensation 4G on T-Mobile and the EVO 3D on Sprint.

HTC wont stop there and says that it will continue to provide unlocking capabilities to other devices as time progresses.

**UPDATE 7/10**

We wanted to provide an update on HTC’s progress with bringing bootloader unlocking to our newest phones. We know how excited some of you are for this capability, and we’ve put significant resources behind making this change as soon as possible. While we wish we could flip a simple switch and unlock all bootloaders across our device portfolio, this is actually a complex challenge that requires a new software build and extensive testing to deliver the best possible customer experience.

We’re thrilled to announce today that software updates to support bootloader unlocking will begin rolling out in August for the global HTC Sensation, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA and the HTC EVO 3D on Sprint. We’re in the testing phase for the unlocking capability now, and we expect it to be fully operational by early September for devices that have received the software updates. We’ll continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments.

HTC continues its commitment to unlocking bootloaders and supporting the developer community. Because of the importance of this community to us, please expect an update on this about every few weeks as we make progress toward launch. Thank you for your patience and continued support!

[HTC on Facebook]

July 11, 2011
iPhone 5 with Edge to Edge Screen Spotted on Screen Grabs? Video

A mockup of iPhone 5 was spotted on TV show Covert Affairs, Although it resembles a lot of rumors we have hearing lately, it is a clear video implant of the device.

July 11, 2011
New Macbook air to come July 13th, Even Mac OS X Lion , After Store Update

The inter-webs are abuzz with news of Apple Sale Item refresh on the 13th of July. This news comes as many have confirmed that Apple has started to ask Apple Store employees to prepare for an “overnight” shift on July 13th.

Many claim that the Macbook air and Lion OS X will be available from the 14th of July in Apple Stores. and the Macbook Air refresh will bring a lot of new things, including SandyBridge processors and Thunderbolt I/O.

A black Macbook Air (premium) is also in the “AIR”, but seems highly unlikely.

July 9, 2011
Apple Planning to Kill WebOS Wireless Sharing, With a Patent of Their Own

Looks like Apple is preparing to end HP’s “Touch to Share” in one single sweep. As the folks fro PatentlyApple found in the new patent 20110163944, the new wireless sharing feature that could allow users to quickly and easily transfer files from various iOS devices. a user might be able to “pour” the files from an iPhone onto an iPad in one single gesture or motion of the wrist.

July 9, 2011
Apple May release an iPod Touch 3G, Data only

Looks like Apple might bring a total of three new things to the Table this September. New iPhone 5, revised iPad 2 ( 3) and a totally new iPod 3g?. Yes you read it right, several sources including a dutch website claim that Apple will release a 3G iPod touch this year. Similar to the iPad , the iPod touch 3G will only be able to use the onboard radio for data connectivity and not to make phone calls.

But we know there is always a work around for that, right?

So essentially a total of three totally revamped iOS devices are heading your way in September. We sure hope you start saving up!

[Read]

July 9, 2011
Lens Free Camera Developed at Cornell

Patrick Gill, a postdoctoral associate, led a team that invented the camera in the laboratory of Alyosha Molnar, assistant professor of computing and electrical engineering at Cornell. Their working prototype, resolves images 20 pixels across, which is not studio quality but is quite impressive from a camera that’s only a hundredth of a millimeter thick. The camera was developed to shed light onto objects that were previously hard to see.

Gill’s camera looks like a tiny compact disc and is made of a flat piece of doped silicone, which makes its manufacturing costs amount to just a few cents. The camera is incredibly small and light and is much cheaper than traditional small cameras which cost a dollar or more to manufacture and require bulky focusing optics.

The scientists call the camera a Planar Fourier Capture Array (PFCA) since it uses the principles of the Fourier transformation, which is a mathematical tool that allows multiple ways of capturing the same information. The scientists would continue to refine the camera’s resolution and efficiency as they believe that such a device can have a multitude of applications. It could be used in devices that need to measure the angle of the sun or in a simple robot that requires a vision system to navigate.

July 9, 2011
Apple – Stylus Patents Approved

Apple had applied for two patents for styluses for capacitive touchscreens and other surfaces last year, but the US Patent office has approved them only yesterday. The first patent is for a stylus with a heated conductive tip which would be charged when it is inserted back into the phone to be used with touchscreen devices.

The second patent is for a stylus which could be used to write on any surface, with the results appearing on a computing device; a phone, tablet or computer, which is programmed to receive the input. This would be similar to the already existing Livescribe pen. These patents leave us wondering just what kind of devices does Apple have is store for release.

July 9, 2011
Dell Peju tablet leaked, 10.1-inch , Windows 8 and Core i5?
A new source of information for the upcoming Dell Peju tablet has surface. Looks the the device is a 10.1 inch tablet has a gorilla glass front and with its internals clocking Core i5 and Windows 8 os. The Device is set to launch in october this year (if the source is to be believed)

Other Specs Include
- CPU: Intel Core i5 processor
- Memory: 4 GB
- Storage: 64 GB SSD or 120 GB SSD
- Display: 10.1-inch, wide-angle, 1920×1080
- OS: Windows 7 Pro / Windows 8 Compatible
- Slots/ ports: 2-USB, Mini VGA, HDMI, microSD, audio, SIM (3G)
- Battery: integrated, 5,500 mAh, 6 – 8 hour real-world battery life
- Connectivity: WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, 3G & 4G
- Webcam: 1.3 MP Front Facing & 5MP Rear Facing Camera
- Input: Touch, Stylus, Bluetooth Keyboard, & USB Keyboard. via the docking station. (Keyboard not included)
- Dimensions: 10.8 x 6.7 x 0.63 inches, 1.9 lbs.
July 9, 2011
Swype Comes to iPhone, IPod and iPad Courtesy Jailbreak : How To
The most popular keyboard from the Android OS has finally been ported to iOS via Jailbreak. So , if you have already Jailbroken your device, follow the step by step below to add swype to your device

Step 1:
- Open Cydia and move to Manage tab
Step 2:
- Tap on Sources > Edit > Add
Step 3:
- When you tap on add, a window will pop up asking for a URL, type following URL:
- http://wynd.x10.mx
- Then tap on Add.
Step 4:
- Once repo is added and packages are downloaded.
- Go to the “Changes” Screen and Tap on “Swype”
- Tap Install
Step 5
- Once Installed Respring Your Device
- Swype is enabled on your standard keyboard
A quick Video Demo is coming up shortly

[@WyndWarrior (Twitter)]
July 9, 2011
Apple iOS 4.3.4 will Fix the Jailbreak and Security Flaws.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he PDF exploit that was used in JailreakMe last year which allowed a one tap Jailbreak and a fast unlock for users. Apple had fixed the flaw in its early stages and now its back. Looks like that is the reason for the quick iPad 2 Jailbreak and the new exploit the Jailbreakers have been enjoying. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple acknowledged the exploit, and is working on an update. The said update will not only fix the JailbreakMe 3.0 exploit but also another exploit that could allow unwanted eyes to your information.

[Wall Street Journal]

July 8, 2011
Apple Struggling with iADs, Minimum Buy-In Reduced

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he reinvention of basic products like the Notebook computer , personal media player and a common man’s phone has been an easy task for Cupertino based Apple Computer inc. But looks like mobile advertising is yet to become their forte.

When iAds started Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the minimum Buy-In for Advertisers was 1 Million US $. But, earlier this year Apple had dropped its minimum buy in to half of the original resting it at US $ 500,000 . Now according to a report filed by Bloomberg, because agencies are taking business elsewhere from Apple due to lower costs from competition like Millennial Media, Greystripe, and Google’s AdMob, Apple is further reducing its iAd Buy-In to just US $ 300,000.

GroupM ( the ad booking unit) committed to over $1 Million in spending, will now allow its clients to buy packages of US $ 300,000. The actual price of 1 cent / impression and $1 / tap remains unchanged.

Mobile App developers are only filling up 15-20 % of their portfolios using Apple iAds, and looks like the company is facing a hard time getting the right type of clients.

July 8, 2011
YouTube – Cosmic Panda Interface Now Available

With the beta test of Google+ we’ve seen an across the board redesign of most of Google’s services. Google search got the black bar on top. Gmail got two new themes for users to try out. Now it’s YouTube’s turn.

Google has announced the availability of the Cosmic Panda Interface for users to test. The interface sports a clean and professional look which gives more emphasis to video space. The interface is designed to be quite dark, which might be an effort by Google to reduce electricity consumption across the world.

The first thing that you notice when you use the new interface is the video. It has been brought to the center of the screen and the clutter around it has been removed. It is very easy to switch video sizes from the buttons at the bottom of the interface. The comments section has been placed under the video in a better interface which makes viewing comments easier.

Another feature to note is that Google has increased the size of the related video preview images. This makes it easier to view related videos but the downside is that it requires users to scroll a bit more. One feature we really liked is the redesign of the video player itself. The progress bar has been coloured in such a way that the loaded section is grey and blends into the background. The section that has already been played turns red like the old interface.

The channels interface has gone through an upgrade as well. The video links are now much larger and the latest video player has been removed. Chrome users will benefit from a really cool feature called “Keep Watching” which lets you watch a video and browse a users channel at the same time to queue your next video. The video that is playing gets reduced to a small thumbnail on the top of the screen. You can queue videos and resume watching the currently playing video simply by clicking the thumbnail.

You can test out the new interface and leave your feedback with Google at http://www.youtube.com/cosmicpanda.

July 8, 2011