We’ve all played Holi at some point or another, and we’ve all tied our fare share of water balloons. Unfortunately, some people find it hard to tie water balloons. This might be for many reasons but most of the time its because the balloons are very small and the person tying them has fat fingers. Case in point – me.
Well we’ve found the perfect solution for all our balloon tying needs and its called the Tie Not. This fascinating gadget fits a standard garden hose and can fill a balloon and tie it for you too. The best part? Its amazingly simple to use. Watch the video below and then make a mental bookmark to get this for next Holi. Your friends will thank you…
MSI has just dropped the gaming bomb and is sticking to it, the company already has the worlds fastest gaming laptop and now releases the new GE620DX
Specs Include
2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
MSI Premium Sound and THX’s True Studio Pro
15.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD display
720p camera
HDMI out port and USB 3.0
GPU Boost feature
Along with the above specs the laptop is clad in a brushed metal aluminum finish and will go on sale sometime next month. No info on pricing.
[toggle title_open=”Collapse” title_closed=”Read The Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]MSI GE620DX Laptop Power plus performance, perfect for playing Wed, 27 Jul 2011
MSI just rolled out its new generation GE620DX gaming notebook computer with Intel Core i7-2630QM quad core processor, top-of-the-line nVidia GeForce GT 555M discrete graphics card, MSI Premium Sound, and THX TruStudio Pro wrap around sound. You’ll have so much fun gaming, a hundred orcs won’t be able to drag you away from your laptop.
Taipei-MSI has introduced its new GE620DX gaming laptop, featuring the Intel second generation Core i7-2630QM quad core processor (core speeds of 2.00GHz) and nVidia’s top-end GeForce GT 555M discrete graphics card. Not only does the GE620DX offer more powerful graphics performance and enhanced resolution, it supports nVidia’s PhysX and Microsoft’s DirectX 11 for great graphics with more detailed and convincing details, like cooler explosions and more realistic flowing water, to maximize your gaming pleasure.
Eric Kuo, associate vice president for global sales, MSI Notebook, points out that MSI’s superior Premium Sound and THX TruStudio Pro wrap around sound team up to offer you the perfect combination of sound and visuals for the ultimate multimedia experience. This gaming dream machine also boasts an exterior with awesome high tech lines. The letters “MSI” are emblazoned in the center of the GE620DX’ cover in luminescent white script which is set off by the metal brush finish. Not only is this machine a dream to play, it’s a dream to look at, too.
Power is the name of the game Intel 2nd generation Core i7 quad core CPU: The GE620DX features the latest Core i7-2630QM quad core processor with core speeds of 2.00GHz. The new generation Intel Core i7 processor supports Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 and Quick Sync Video. Intel’s Turbo Boost 2.0 greatly enhances performance in each core, automatically allocating processor resources to boost core clock speeds and overall computer performance, while Quick Sync Video revs up efficiency when ripping, synchronizing, and editing multimedia files.
nVidia’s high end GeForce GT 555M discrete graphics card: The GE620DX packs nVidia’s new generation GeForce GT 555M discrete graphics card with 2GB of display memory. The nVidia PhysX technology offers the serious gamer some seriously realistic visuals. In addition, the GE620DX supports DirectX 11 for higher resolution, allowing you to see, for example, details of distant buildings for more realistic gaming.
GPU Boost: The GE620DX laptop supports MSI GPU Boost technology which automatically switches back and forth between the discrete graphics card and the graphics chip. When your computer is processing graphics-heavy applications, it automatically kicks into the discrete graphics card mode to give you superior graphics processing capabilities and when performing general word processing tasks or browsing the Internet, it cuts to the power-sipping integrated graphics chip mode, striking the ideal balance between performance and battery life.
Realistic multimedia experience Top cinema-grade sound: The GE620DX comes with MSI’s Premium Sound to meet the need of even the most demanding audiophiles for crisp, clean sound. Now, you can experience sounds like you’ve never heard them before in an NB computer. The GE620DX also comes with THX TruStudio Pro smart surround sound technology previously found only in cinemas, which when coupled with its top-end internal speakers, reproduces any music type or frequency faithfully.
Cinema Pro technology: The GE620DX features powerful multimedia processing and MSI’s own Cinema Pro technology for superior graphics. One touch of the Cinema Pro hotkey instantly switches you to film mode for higher resolution and richer colors.
Full array of HD hardware: The MSI GE620DX sports a 720p webcam to give you high definition, smooth, bright pictures when video conferencing with friends and family. If you want something bigger than a high definition computer screen to view films, it comes with an HDMI port, so any type of high-fidelity, high-definition video can be played on your NB, but viewed via a cable on a large-screen LCD TV.
Designed with you in mind USB3.0: The GE620DX comes with new USB3.0 ports which boast transfer speeds of 4.8Gbps-10 times faster than USB2.0, and 80% higher power transmission, providing vastly higher data transfer rates and charging speeds for external hard drives, flash drives, and other handheld electronic devices.
Shortcuts to shut off power to idle hardware: Located above the GE620DX’ keyboard are six shortcuts. With one click of the mouse, you can eject a DVD, turn off the screen, or turn on the S-Bar, Turbo Battery+, Cinema Pro, or power, so don’t waste battery power when you’re away from your computer for a few minutes.
MSI S-Bar: Just one click of the GE620DX’ S-Bar hotkey calls up all functions onto the screen, so you can control everything from the webcam, projector, network, and Bluetooth to volume control, screen brightness, and standby mode.[/toggle]
One of the most successful smartphones of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S2, will now be available in White starting August 15 in the UK. The device is expected to hit India around the same time. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has been the most sought after cellphone in India, right after the iPhone 4 and above the LG Optimus 2X and HTC Sensation.
Samsung hopes to continue to sell the device through december, when a newer Galaxy with a 2Ghz dual core processor is supposed to be announced for 2012.
In China, SK Telecom has begun pilot testing of a new shopping cart system dubbed the Smart Cart. These carts basically have an integrated tablet which is running a proprietary software that communicates with a shoppers smart phone through an application developed for this purpose.
Once users have downloaded the Smart Cart application to their phones, they can search for product information, discounts, coupons and they can even make a shopping list. When in the supermarket, the users phone is synced to the aforementioned tablet, which has a positioning sensor which can determine a shoppers location to 1m within the store. This allows users to get information about that section of the store and also allows store owners to provide targeted advertisements.
Upon checkout, the tablet shows a list of purchased items as well as any membership points and coupons earned. SK Telecom elaborates:
We expect that ‘Smart Cart’ will become a more personalized smart shopping service when combined with customer information– like shopping history and usage pattern– managed by existing retailers. Customers will shop conveniently through product recommendations based on analysis of user’s shopping history and location information; manufacturers will be able to carry out targeted marketing for customers located in the store; and retailers will secure a new marketing channel that enables integrated and seamless communication with customers.
The Sanya Skypump is a wind powered charging station for electric vehicles and it has been developed by Urban Green Energy in collaboration with General Electric. While still in the conceptual stages, the Skypump combines a GE Wattstation with a urban green wind turbine which can capture up to 4KW of wind energy.
The turbine is 13m high and can easily be installed in parking lots, rest stops and other areas. As it is attached to the grid, once the station is fully charged and a vehicle is not plugged in, the Skypump will keep pumping electricity back into the grid. The company is also producing a version of the charging station for domestic use. The domestic version will be using a wall mounted GE Wattstation which can charge an electric car in four to eight hours. There is no news on whether the Skypump will offer similar efficiency.
Every now and again we find a product which we look at and go, “That’s cool, I want one”. Well the smart pebbles are one of those products. These colourful pebbles created by Korean designer Kijin Shin of Designmaxx provide a comfortable resting spot for your phone, tablet, laptop or any other device that you want. They can also be used as a wrist support while you’re using the mouse. To use the pebbles, simply press them in the center and you can then proceed to place your phone, laptop or tablet on them. The pebbles are available for 15 USD for a pair.
We’ve all seen Wile E Coyote trying to flap some ACME wings to take off from a cliff to catch the Road Runner and failing every single time. Well sadly, like the coyote, man has had the greatest trouble trying to design a machine that can fly like a bird. Until today, we have not had the materials or the scientific data to unravel the mystery of flight. And it’s not for a lack of trying. Many engineers and scientists have, over the years, tried to achieve this goal but have failed time and time again.
After many centuries of observing bird flight and analysing its motion and studying the anatomy of birds, man has enough data to replicate the way a bird flies. Researchers at Festo, a global leader in the fields of pneumatic and electrical automation technology, have developed a prototype that they’ve dubbed the Smart Bird. Watch the video below and see it take its first flight.
The carbon fibre loving, touchscreen boasting, fastest smartphone from Blackberry is coming to India in August. The steel frame device is already set to launch in the UK on 22nd August. The device will initially be available only in the black color , but RIM promises to release a chic white version in October sometime. The device is the biggest upgrade to the Bold lineup from RIM in the longest time since the 9700.
We also have exclusive news that the device will be priced at 32,500/- with a 1.5 year warranty.
The company is also planning to release the Torch 2 sometime later this year.
McAfee has launched its Family Protection Software in India. This software is not only an antivirus tool but it also provides content filters to protect children from the hazards of the Internet. It is designed to provide parents with an insight into the digital lives of their children. Read the Press Release for more information.
McAfee announced the launch of McAfee® Family Protection, a parental control program that protects children of all ages from online risks while allowing them the freedom to safely explore the Internet.
“Online concerns for tweens and teens are not what they were two years ago” said Venkat Krishnapur, Senior Director, McAfee India. “The threat landscape has changed dramatically – especially in the context of how children of various ages in urban India use the internet and how they are exposed to various forms of threats online. McAfee Family Protection is a powerful tool that helps parents get better insight to the digital lifestyles of their children. Parents can choose to block categories of sites, filter out only a handful of sites, or block nothing at all and simply review online activity reports. Its innovative features such as online activity reports, age appropriate settings and YouTube, games and website blocking and so on gives Indian parents a powerful tool to ensure their kids stay safe when using the Internet.”
Use of the Internet by Indian children and new parenting challenges:
McAfee commissioned Synovate, to conduct a comprehensive research titled ‘How safe are Indian kids online?’ across 10 cities- New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ludhiana, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Cochin, covering 500 children and 496 parents. Following are key highlights of the revelations from this survey:
62% of all polled kids have shared personal information online.
58% kids share their home addresses on the internet.
39% of all polled kids do not tell their parents about these online activities
12% of all polled kids had been victims of some kind of cyber threat
“These findings are extremely relevant from the perspective of Indian parents. As the internet evolves into a new platform for self expression and social interaction, children are indiscriminately indulging in information exchange leading to an increasing rate of cyber exploits. The introduction of technologies like McAfee Family Protection is a step in the right direction as it enables us parents to understand, handhold and mould our children’s online persona and behavior”, said Anindita Mishra- McAfee Cybermum India.
In the context of these newfound online threats, McAfee Family Protection offers a host of essential features to enable Indian families in monitoring their children’s online activities:
Age-Appropriate Settings – Settings are customized according to age-groups
Filtering for Music and Online Games –Parents can decide what rating of content children have access to. Types of filtering include:
Songs with explicit lyrics from iTunes
Access to online gaming sites
Viewing of objectionable videos on YouTube
Encrypted website blocking blocks teens from accessing proxy sites so they cannot try to bypass content filters
Program blocking enables parents to block any program, including file sharing networks which can lead to malware infections on PCs
Instant messaging monitoring enables parents to monitor and record complete instant message conversations to alert them of improper dialogue with strangers
Time limits help families manage the amount of time their children spend online: families are able to set the day and/or time for when their child can access the Internet
Email blocking pre-approves email accounts that a child is able to access and blocks emails from unknown sources
Instant email alerts can be sent to parents when access to objectionable material is attempted
Social network filtering records all social network postings that contain profanity and posts that include confidential information that has been predetermined by parents–such as a home address, phone, school name, etc
Conventional nuclear reactors use Uranium 235 as their power source. However, out of all the Uranium that we dig up, only about 1% is U-235 while the rest is composed of, its not so reactive cousin, U-238. So what can we do with this U-238? Well according to some new research, we can now use U-238 as a fuel to power a new generation of nuclear reactors.
Bill Gates has funded a new startup called Terrapower which is attempting to build the first prototype of a new type of nuclear reactor called a traveling wave reactor. this reactor will be using uranium 238 as a fuel source. How this will work is that a bunch of uranium 238 rods will be placed around a rod of uranium 235. This rod of U235 will kickstart the entire process. The uranium 238 gets converted into plutonium 239. This will generate heat and keep the entire reaction going, and as it propagates outwards from the center in a kind of wave, more rods of U-238 can be added to keep it going. Once the fuel gets used up, it can be used to kickstart a new reaction.
What this basically means is that you can burn the expensive fuel, you can burn the cheap fuel, you can burn the waste from other nuclear reactors and generate electricity from the whole thing. If we start extracting Uranium from sea water, which is apparently easy to do, we can provide enough electricity to power the entire human race without any problems for thousands of years.
Nokia has announced that its Ovi Store has served a record 7.62 million downloads, this figure is more than twice of the 3 Million seen in October last year.
In addition, Nokia said downloads more than tripled in India, which remains at the top in terms of downloaded volumes. Calculating on basis of totals, the Apple App Store serves about 16 million downloads a day.
Several cases for the next gen of iPhone have been leaked online, looking at the images the case looks definitely thinner than the existing iPhone 4s case. Although they are also identical to the shape an design of the iPod touch, suggesting an iPod touch with camera flash. Several manufacturers have also claimed to be shipping their cases for retail for the iPhone 5.
The device is expected to be announced in August and shipped in September, Either way its going to be an exciting quarter.
Apple is in the last stages of testing a 15 inch ultra thin Notebook pc that will be part of the MacBook family. According to various reports by TUAW and MacRumors the devices will be 15 inch and 17 inch in size will fall under the Macbook Pro Lineup and will be available in time for christmas.
The ultra-thin market is also about to get much more competitive this fall as Intel’s partners begin launching their notebooks.
Microsoft confirmed on its Windows Team Blog on Monday that it has released the RTM build of Windows Phone “Mango” to manufacturing partners.
This marks the point in the development process where we hand code to our handset and mobile operator partners to optimize Mango for their specific phone and network configurations,” explained Microsoft’s Windows Phone corporate vice president Terry Myerson.
Microsoft has said Mango will deliver more than 500 new features to the Windows Phone platform, including Internet Explorer 9 and deeper social network integration. Mango is also set to release sometime in August to all existing devices.
Microsoft also plans to release Nokia, HTC, LG, Samsung, Dell, Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE branded Windows Phone ‘Mango’ devices.
Bang & Olufsen has just announced the new BeoSound 5 Encore, calling it an affordable yet luxurious piece of audio hardware. Compared to the BeoSound 5 the new BeoSound 5 Encore comes in at a mere $3350 or Rs. 1,70,000.
BeoSound 5 Encore carries over the 10.4-inch LCD / scroll wheel controller from its predecessor. It has multiple inputs for content, via USB, NAS, A2DP Bluetooth, or from one of 13,000 internet radio stations.
[toggle title_open=”Collapse” title_closed=”Read The Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Bang & Olufsen Launches BeoSound 5 Encore Digital Music System
Presenting a window to the world of digital music with patented playlist technology and convenient “plug and play” operation
Arlington Heights, IL – July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Bang & Olufsen, the worldwide provider of exclusive, custom made audio and video products, announces the arrival of its BeoSound 5 Encore – a digital music system that allows for easy navigation to one’s preferred digital music library, access to over 13,000 internet radio stations and a high quality listening experience featuring an award winning playlist technology, intuitive graphical user interface, and an interactive, convenient operation for the end user. BeoSound 5 Encore is the new addition to the BeoSound 5 digital audio family. It is Bang & Olufsen’s plug-n-play answer to a growing demand in the era of digital music, as it allows for easy access of one’s music library without a complicated navigation process. BeoSound 5 Encore acts as an all-consuming sound hub with content conveniently and instantly arranged by album, artist, track, or ‘favorites’ category. It can be used as a stand-alone audio system or in a multi-source/multi-room application.
“BeoSound 5 Encore represents the first step into the new digital world where both permanent and temporary devices constantly change,” states Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen America, Inc. “We believe BeoSound 5 Encore acknowledges the different customer levels – in terms of familiarity with the digital music paradigm – and will appeal to both the technologically advanced and those that prefer a more simplistic way of interacting and navigating with ones preferred digital music library.”
A variety of sources and genres
BeoSound 5 Encore offers easy access to more than 13,000 internet radio stations from all over the world, and with every possible genre and language represented. The quality of the stations is monitored and constantly updated automatically by Bang & Olufsen.
In addition to internet radio, BeoSound 5 Encore can browse and play music from a plethora of sources; a connected hard disc, a NAS server, a computer, a USB stick or a handheld device. It supports music in lossless quality; therefore it is possible to enjoy the full qualities of one’s favorite music tracks.
BeoSound 5 Encore is an excellent and simple solution for those wanting to clean up the mess of a physical, CD-based music collection. Simply connect Encore to a pair of Bang & Olufsen speakers and the setup is complete. It can work as your primary music system connected to the internet (either wired or wirelessly) with access to internet radio and music on a server, or a USB connected hard disc. Additionally, it can also act as an access point for your secondary music devices.
The customer can connect up to eight BeoSound 5 Encores to the same server, with the added benefit of being able to play different music content in different rooms at the same time. Resulting in less arguments with the family about what to listen to, and where. Everyone can simultaneously enjoy their favorite tunes in the comfort of their own room, be it internet radio or digital music files, and the music is still stored in one place.
Re-inventing the wheel
BeoSound 5 Encore conveniently presents a rich choice of content in a well-organized way, appealing to those who desire simplicity and easy access. Visually it proudly displays its design heritage from BeoSound 5 with a unique mixture of mechanical tactile elements and a strong graphical expression.
BeoSound 5 Encore features a 10.4″ full graphical display and a magical wheel that easily scrolls through even the greatest of music collections at the spin of a finger. With a number of different options for wall, table or floor placement, BeoSound 5 Encore will easily fit into any home decor. Additionally, it has been specially designed with permanent sockets hidden for concealed and elegant cabling. Also, sockets for temporary devices such as USB sticks, portable players or headphones are easily accessible below the display. Automatic playlist with a high IQ
The patented MOTS ‘More of the Same’ algorithm, is an award-winning Bang & Olufsen technology. It automatically captures the unique musical identity of a track and then builds a playlist of similar music – based on parameters such as sound, dynamics, and rhythmic aspects of a particular track.
Being the intelligent playlist of the future, MOTS automatically generates a playlist when the user accesses the content of a USB or WLAN/LAN connected device, leaving the end user with more time to rediscover the music collection, instead of manually having to select a number of tracks every time. It is a fast and convenient way to set the musical scene for any mood or setting, (i.e. a dinner party or a laid-back evening on the couch). Additionally, the customer can select a particular favorite playlist offered by MOTS, by simply saving the track initially selected, and then the customer can listen to the specific playlist whenever desired.
With the launch of BeoSound 5 Encore, Bang & Olufsen is now able to offer customers two different state-of-the-art digital audio solutions which – with their individual advantages – are designed to exceed the expectations of any discerning customer eager to take the next step into the world of digital music. BeoSound 5 Encore is available for purchase in all Bang & Olufsen showrooms in August 2011. It retails at $3350.00.
Bang & Olufsen was founded in Struer, Denmark, in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, two innovative, young engineers devoted to high quality audio reproduction. Since then, the brand has become an icon of performance and design excellence through its long-standing craftsmanship tradition and the strongest possible commitment to high-tech research and development.
Still at the forefront of domestic technology, Bang & Olufsen has extended its comprehensive experience with integrated audio and video solutions for the home to other areas such as the hospitality and automotive industries in recent years. Consequently, its current product range epitomizes seamless media experiences in the home as well as in the car and on the move.
For more information on Bang & Olufsen, please visit www.bang-olufsen.com.[/toggle]
