NEW DELHI: YouTube has launched a free movie service that will allow users to view full movies for free. The new service can be found at www.youtube.com/movies, and will show a range of films, including several Bollywood hits.
The company said that more than 400 movies will be initially available as part of the service.
According to the company, Titles will include a range that "brings together a library of film ranging from past mainstream hits to cult classics and beyond, and YouTube hopes the Movies section will grow in time."
YouTube has signed partnerships with www.blinkbox.com, British online film and TV aggregator, and US studios like Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures for the free movie channel. Some popular movies include The Addiction, Dark Side Of The Sun, The Clan Of The Cave Bear and Death Train.
Donagh O'Malley, Head of Video Partnerships, YouTube told Guardian, "This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows. This is a first step."
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Enter the 3D camcorder
HOKKAIDO: Panasonic has unveiled the world's first consumer 3D camcorder, the HDC-SDT750, at a press event in Japan.
The camcorder, when attached with a special 3D conversion lens, is capable of shooting amazing true-to-life 3D videos.
The 3D attachment uses two lenses to capture two images simultaneously - just like the human eyes - to form a 3D video.
The HDC-SDT750 records video in full 1080p resolution in AVCHD format with 5.1-channel audio.
The camcorder is also capable of taking still pictures and features Intelligent Auto mode, face detection and Hybrid OIS shake reduction system.
For editing the 3D videos, the camcorder comes with HD Writer AE 2.6T application which allows users to splice together videos and save them on a PC or burn them onto a Blu-ray or DVD disc.
Users can watch their 3D movies on a 3D capable TV such as the Panasonic Viera Full HD 3D TVs by hooking up the camcorder via a HDMI cable.
The camcorder uses a 3MOS system with improved noise reduction and manual ring for full control of the camcorder's zoom, focus and shutter speed.
It also has a large 3in touchscreen for easily accessing the camcorder's functions.
Buying smartphone? Here’s what not to miss
Smartphones are new-age computers. Almost. With more features and technology crammed into them, they're not used only to make calls and send text messages but to e-mail, for video-conferencing, for social networking, take pictures, shoot videos, play video games and watch high-definition videos on the move.
Smartphones are getting more complex and increasingly mimic computers , but what's inside them matters more than design or looks. Here's what to look out for when buying:
PROCESSOR
At the heart of a smartphone is the processor. "These are designed specifically for mobile devices and are not just a smaller version of computer processors," says Amandeep Singh Parmar, moderator of cellphone section at erodov.com, a technology forum.
"Unlike Intel's X86 architecture (technology on which processors are based) in the computer market, in the smartphone market, it's the ARM architecture that rules."
Currently, all high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S, HTC Desire and Google Nexus One come with a 1Ghz processor. A faster processor means a more responsive phone.
Snapdragon, Qualcomm's 1Ghz processor, would be the ideal candidate. Samsung's Hummingbird too is one of the best. iPhone uses an A4 processor, which reportedly runs at 750-800 Mhz.
RAM
This is important as it allows better multi-tasking . All high-end smartphones now come with at least 512MB RAM, which is likely to be more than on computers that are over five years old.
SCREEN
This is the most important component of a smartphone. "There are two major types of touchscreens in smartphones – resistive and capacitive," says Parmar.
Highend phones use the latter as they are considered faster. Capacitive screens, unlike resistive ones that can be used with devices like the stylus, only respond to human touch, not gloved fingers. Most display panels are fused with two types of technologies, says Parmar.
"LCD, OLED, AMOLED, SuperAMOLED – all can be found on smartphones. Most OLED and AMOLED screens produce vibrant colours and fantastic brightness indoors but give a washed out picture in sunlight. SuperAMOLED, though, has corrected this issue, to an extent. TFTLCD screens have poor viewing angle, washed out blacks and poor brightness level. If you watch a lot of videos, settle for nothing less than an AMOLED display," he says.
Another thing to watch for in screens is the size. "If you pick one with a big display, it'll be hard to use with one hand. An ideal size is 3.2-3 .5 inches. This makes the phone easily pocketable and is just big enough to read documents, browse the internet or watch movies without straining the eye," says Bangalore-based engineer Amarendra Bandla.
KEYBOARD
Virtual vs real. That's the debate among smartphones users who say it depends on personal preference. "Many users are not comfortable with touch QWERTY.
They prefer the tactile feedback they get when they press a real button. Users who send a lot of SMSes, those who never even look at their phones while typing, can never work on touchscreen keyboards," says Bandla.
But many users have no problem with a virtual keyboard, he says.
With technologies like Swype – you don't type words but swipe your finger on the alphabets and the phone predicts the word for you – dictionary and auto correction, typing on a virtual keyboard is no longer as frustrating as it once was.
PLATFORM & APPS
However good the hardware, what finally matters is the software. Currently , Apple's iOS is considered the gold standard for user experience. Google’s Android, an open and free platform, can be used by any cellphone company.
In the last few months, Android has gained lots of traction and Froyo, the latest Android version, has been deemed significantly faster than the competition. It may not be as polished as iOS 4 but those who love to take charge of their devices swear by it.
Android can be customized by anyone and cellphone companies like to give their own special touch to the user interface. If HTC has Sense UI and Samsung TouchWiz for its Android devices, Motorola offers MotoBlur . Each has pros and cons.
Bandla says that while both Android and iPhone are great platforms for devices that can give good multimedia, web-browsing and social networking experience, people who use smartphones for business still find Research In Motion's Blackberry a compelling device.
"Business-class users don't want a phone that has 10MP camera or an outstanding media player. They prefer QWERTY keypads and apps like document editor and exchange email push functionality. Thanks to RIM's internet services, Blackberry phones continue to be very strong in this market."
Smartphones are getting more complex and increasingly mimic computers , but what's inside them matters more than design or looks. Here's what to look out for when buying:
PROCESSOR
At the heart of a smartphone is the processor. "These are designed specifically for mobile devices and are not just a smaller version of computer processors," says Amandeep Singh Parmar, moderator of cellphone section at erodov.com, a technology forum.
"Unlike Intel's X86 architecture (technology on which processors are based) in the computer market, in the smartphone market, it's the ARM architecture that rules."
Currently, all high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S, HTC Desire and Google Nexus One come with a 1Ghz processor. A faster processor means a more responsive phone.
Snapdragon, Qualcomm's 1Ghz processor, would be the ideal candidate. Samsung's Hummingbird too is one of the best. iPhone uses an A4 processor, which reportedly runs at 750-800 Mhz.
RAM
This is important as it allows better multi-tasking . All high-end smartphones now come with at least 512MB RAM, which is likely to be more than on computers that are over five years old.
SCREEN
This is the most important component of a smartphone. "There are two major types of touchscreens in smartphones – resistive and capacitive," says Parmar.
Highend phones use the latter as they are considered faster. Capacitive screens, unlike resistive ones that can be used with devices like the stylus, only respond to human touch, not gloved fingers. Most display panels are fused with two types of technologies, says Parmar.
"LCD, OLED, AMOLED, SuperAMOLED – all can be found on smartphones. Most OLED and AMOLED screens produce vibrant colours and fantastic brightness indoors but give a washed out picture in sunlight. SuperAMOLED, though, has corrected this issue, to an extent. TFTLCD screens have poor viewing angle, washed out blacks and poor brightness level. If you watch a lot of videos, settle for nothing less than an AMOLED display," he says.
Another thing to watch for in screens is the size. "If you pick one with a big display, it'll be hard to use with one hand. An ideal size is 3.2-3 .5 inches. This makes the phone easily pocketable and is just big enough to read documents, browse the internet or watch movies without straining the eye," says Bangalore-based engineer Amarendra Bandla.
KEYBOARD
Virtual vs real. That's the debate among smartphones users who say it depends on personal preference. "Many users are not comfortable with touch QWERTY.
They prefer the tactile feedback they get when they press a real button. Users who send a lot of SMSes, those who never even look at their phones while typing, can never work on touchscreen keyboards," says Bandla.
But many users have no problem with a virtual keyboard, he says.
With technologies like Swype – you don't type words but swipe your finger on the alphabets and the phone predicts the word for you – dictionary and auto correction, typing on a virtual keyboard is no longer as frustrating as it once was.
PLATFORM & APPS
However good the hardware, what finally matters is the software. Currently , Apple's iOS is considered the gold standard for user experience. Google’s Android, an open and free platform, can be used by any cellphone company.
In the last few months, Android has gained lots of traction and Froyo, the latest Android version, has been deemed significantly faster than the competition. It may not be as polished as iOS 4 but those who love to take charge of their devices swear by it.
Android can be customized by anyone and cellphone companies like to give their own special touch to the user interface. If HTC has Sense UI and Samsung TouchWiz for its Android devices, Motorola offers MotoBlur . Each has pros and cons.
Bandla says that while both Android and iPhone are great platforms for devices that can give good multimedia, web-browsing and social networking experience, people who use smartphones for business still find Research In Motion's Blackberry a compelling device.
"Business-class users don't want a phone that has 10MP camera or an outstanding media player. They prefer QWERTY keypads and apps like document editor and exchange email push functionality. Thanks to RIM's internet services, Blackberry phones continue to be very strong in this market."
Special casing converts iPod touch to phone
BEIJING: A Chinese firm has developed a special protective case known as the Apple Peel for converting the iPod touch media player into a mobile phone, state media said on July 10.
The Apple Peel 520 from Shenzhen-based Yosion Technology is expected to be available next week in online stores and is targeted at aspirant owners of Apple's trendy iPhone who are baulking at paying the full price.
The device attaches to the iPod touch like a protective case but has a dock connector, an extended battery and a SIM card slot, enabling users to make phone calls and send text messages, the Beijing News said. Users who unlock their iPod touch can install the rubber and plastic case for 388 yuan (RM181).
The iPhone became legally available via China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile operator, in October - more than two years after its US debut.
An iPod touch costs around 1,500 yuan (700) in China, compared with 4,999 yuan (RM2,330) for the Apple smartphone.
Sales of iPhones in China were initially sluggish as the price was much higher than for those sold on the grey market, which has been thriving for years.
The Apple Peel 520 from Shenzhen-based Yosion Technology is expected to be available next week in online stores and is targeted at aspirant owners of Apple's trendy iPhone who are baulking at paying the full price.
The device attaches to the iPod touch like a protective case but has a dock connector, an extended battery and a SIM card slot, enabling users to make phone calls and send text messages, the Beijing News said. Users who unlock their iPod touch can install the rubber and plastic case for 388 yuan (RM181).
The iPhone became legally available via China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile operator, in October - more than two years after its US debut.
An iPod touch costs around 1,500 yuan (700) in China, compared with 4,999 yuan (RM2,330) for the Apple smartphone.
Sales of iPhones in China were initially sluggish as the price was much higher than for those sold on the grey market, which has been thriving for years.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Google to allow phone calls from Gmail
NEW YORK: Google Inc said users of Gmail will now be able to call telephones directly from their email, putting it in direct competition with Web calling service Skype and more traditional operators such as AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications.
While Google had already offered computer-to-computer voice and video chat services, it said that starting on Wednesday it will now allow calls to home phones and mobile phones directly from Gmail for the first time.
Google promised free calls to US and Canadian phones from Gmail for the rest of this year and said it would charge low rates for calls made to other countries. For example it said calls to Britain, France, Germany, China and Japan would be as low as 2 cents per minute.
Analysts said the service would likely be a bigger competitive threat to services like Skype's than to traditional phone companies, which have already been cutting their call prices in recent years in response to stiff competition.
"This is a risk to Skype. It's a competitor with a pretty good brand name," said Hudson Square analyst Todd Rethemeier.
Skype, which owned by private equity firms and eBay Inc and planning a $100 million initial public offering, has long allowed consumers to make calls from computers to phones.
Skype became popular by first offering free computer-to-computer voice and video services.
Like Skype, Rethemeier said the Google service will likely be much more popular among US consumers making international calls, than among people calling friends inside the country.
"Calling is so cheap already that I don't think it will attract a huge amount of domestic calling. It could take some of the international market," he said.
Another analyst, Steve Clement from Pacific Crest, said that anybody who is tempted by Internet calling services has likely already disconnected their home phone. "The type of person who would use a service like that isn't the type of customer who still has a landline," Clement said.
Google said making a call through its service works like a normal phone in that a user could click on the "call phone" option in their chat buddy list in Gmail and type in the number or enter a contact's name.
Calls that cost money will be charged from an online account that users can top up with a credit card, Google said. The service will not be available for making outgoing calls on cell phones because other Google apps already cater to that market, the company added.
How to do without antivirus
Do you wish you could do without antivirus software? There are certainly plenty of good reasons not to like it. After all, antivirus programs invariably slow down your computer, annoy you with false positives or status pop-ups, and of course most of them cost money - often on a recurring, yearly basis.
But can you just say no to antivirus software and still stay safe? The short answer is 'yes' - if you adopt some security-savvy computing practices.
If you only use commercial software and never install programs you've downloaded from the internet or copied from a friend, then your main sources of concern for contracting a computer virus will come from websites and email. Common sense -- and following the guidelines below -- will protect you the rest of the way.
On the other hand, if you're addicted to free downloads, shareware, and 'warez' sites that purport to offer commercial software at no cost, then you have no viable option. You must install antivirus software -- and perhaps even use a couple of programs -- to make sure you don't fall victim to malicious software or phishing attacks.
Most people, however, run just the few programs that came with their PCs and don't venture into dangerous territory on the web. For them, the guidelines below will provide adequate protection.
Today's browsers have a lot of security controls built in, and these tend to do a fine job of preventing phishing attacks or the automatic downloading of potentially malicious software. Antivirus tools add little to their already robust protections.
So if you want to be free of antivirus software, be sure to use to latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or Chrome, and keep those browsers up to date through your operating system's automatic update feature. Also, do not disable or alter the default security settings of the major browsers unless you know what you're doing.
If you attempt to access a website that's known to be harmful, most modern web browsers will warn you before the site is displayed on your screen. If you'd like to feel even more secure when you're surfing, consider installing the free McAfee SiteAdvisor tool (http://www.siteadvisor.com), which adds small site rating icons to your search results and a new browser button and optional search box to your browser. These controls together do a good job of alerting you to a potentially dangerous site before you reach it.
Most of the generalised warnings you hear about virus-carrying email messages are misleading. You can't get a computer virus merely by receiving an email message. You would have to click on a link within the message that downloads a harmful file onto your PC, or you would have to open or run a malicious file attached to a message.
So don't do either one of those things if you receive an email message from someone you don't know. Combine that common sense approach with the latest patches or updates for your e-mail program of choice, and you should have no use for additional protection offered by a bloated security package.
You can add yet another level of security by configuring your email program so that it displays incoming messages as plain text. Doing so will turn off the display of graphics, which, when clicked, may unleash a virus-carrying file. If you use a traditional email client such as Outlook or Outlook Express, add a good spam-blocking like Cloudmark Desktop (http://bit.ly/7zrVeU) to your toolkit, and chances are very good that any potentially dangerous messages will get routed automatically to your Spam folder, where you will never see it.
Just because you decide to run your PC without antivirus software doesn't mean you shouldn't check for viruses occasionally. You can do so, however, without installing anything if you stop in occasionally at one of the free online virus scanners.
Among them are Eset Online Scanner (http://www.eset.com/online-scanner), Avast Online Scanner (http://onlinescan.avast.com), and TrendMicro Online Scanner (http://housecall.trendmicro.com). All of these allow you to initiate a system scan without installing a permanent antivirus package.
But can you just say no to antivirus software and still stay safe? The short answer is 'yes' - if you adopt some security-savvy computing practices.
Know what you download
If you only use commercial software and never install programs you've downloaded from the internet or copied from a friend, then your main sources of concern for contracting a computer virus will come from websites and email. Common sense -- and following the guidelines below -- will protect you the rest of the way.
On the other hand, if you're addicted to free downloads, shareware, and 'warez' sites that purport to offer commercial software at no cost, then you have no viable option. You must install antivirus software -- and perhaps even use a couple of programs -- to make sure you don't fall victim to malicious software or phishing attacks.
Most people, however, run just the few programs that came with their PCs and don't venture into dangerous territory on the web. For them, the guidelines below will provide adequate protection.
Upgrade your browser
Today's browsers have a lot of security controls built in, and these tend to do a fine job of preventing phishing attacks or the automatic downloading of potentially malicious software. Antivirus tools add little to their already robust protections.
So if you want to be free of antivirus software, be sure to use to latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or Chrome, and keep those browsers up to date through your operating system's automatic update feature. Also, do not disable or alter the default security settings of the major browsers unless you know what you're doing.
If you attempt to access a website that's known to be harmful, most modern web browsers will warn you before the site is displayed on your screen. If you'd like to feel even more secure when you're surfing, consider installing the free McAfee SiteAdvisor tool (http://www.siteadvisor.com), which adds small site rating icons to your search results and a new browser button and optional search box to your browser. These controls together do a good job of alerting you to a potentially dangerous site before you reach it.
Clean email
Most of the generalised warnings you hear about virus-carrying email messages are misleading. You can't get a computer virus merely by receiving an email message. You would have to click on a link within the message that downloads a harmful file onto your PC, or you would have to open or run a malicious file attached to a message.
So don't do either one of those things if you receive an email message from someone you don't know. Combine that common sense approach with the latest patches or updates for your e-mail program of choice, and you should have no use for additional protection offered by a bloated security package.
You can add yet another level of security by configuring your email program so that it displays incoming messages as plain text. Doing so will turn off the display of graphics, which, when clicked, may unleash a virus-carrying file. If you use a traditional email client such as Outlook or Outlook Express, add a good spam-blocking like Cloudmark Desktop (http://bit.ly/7zrVeU) to your toolkit, and chances are very good that any potentially dangerous messages will get routed automatically to your Spam folder, where you will never see it.
Periodic scans
Just because you decide to run your PC without antivirus software doesn't mean you shouldn't check for viruses occasionally. You can do so, however, without installing anything if you stop in occasionally at one of the free online virus scanners.
Among them are Eset Online Scanner (http://www.eset.com/online-scanner), Avast Online Scanner (http://onlinescan.avast.com), and TrendMicro Online Scanner (http://housecall.trendmicro.com). All of these allow you to initiate a system scan without installing a permanent antivirus package.
Go for security apps
If you don't like the idea of initiating a virus scan from a website or you just don't feel comfortable going without antivirus software, you can keep system slowdowns to a minimum and annoyance at bay by opting for one of the security applications that are known to be effective at detecting threats, relatively easy on system resources, and reasonably priced.
Titles that meet all of those criteria include Microsoft's Security Essentials (http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials) - which is free - PC Tools' Spyware Doctor with Antivirus =(http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor), and Norton Antivirus 2010 (http://www.symantec.com). Each of these will provide the background scanning and on-demand protection that you might need, and each can be configured not to bug you unless absolutely necessary.
Titles that meet all of those criteria include Microsoft's Security Essentials (http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials) - which is free - PC Tools' Spyware Doctor with Antivirus =(http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor), and Norton Antivirus 2010 (http://www.symantec.com). Each of these will provide the background scanning and on-demand protection that you might need, and each can be configured not to bug you unless absolutely necessary.
You may not need glasses for 3D TV
TOKYO: Toshiba Corp is developing televisions that can show 3D images without the viewer wearing special glasses, Kaori Hiraki, a Tokyo-based spokesman said by phone today. No decision has been made on when to start sales of such sets, she said.
Toshiba will start selling 3D TVs that don't require the use of special glasses by the end of this year, the Yomiuri newspaper reported earlier today.
Toshiba will start selling 3D TVs that don't require the use of special glasses by the end of this year, the Yomiuri newspaper reported earlier today.
Next-gen iPhone to go theft-proof
NEW YORK: Your next iPhone might listen to your heartbeat or scan your face to identify its rightful owner, and it could react with anti-theft measures if it ended up in the wrong hands, according to a patent recently filed by Apple.
Filed in February and made public this month, the patent describes an invention that uses several methods to detect "unauthorised" usage of a device, such as voice and facial recognition or a heart rate monitor.
Possible anti-theft measures include restricting access to some applications, gathering location data about the unauthorised user or shutting down the device remotely.
One method the patent describes for detecting a stolen iPhone is checking whether it's been hacked (aka "jailbroken") or its SIM card has been yanked out. The up-close-and-personal security patent has some concerned journalists screaming "1984," interpreting the patent application as a draconian move by Apple to spy on users and punish customers who hack their iPhones.
"The system described in the patent [would] allow Apple to effectively kill jailbroken devices under the guise of protecting customers from theft, since it may not be able to determine whether a device has been stolen or if it is being willingly jailbroken by users," writes Mashable's Lauren Indvik.
Filed in February and made public this month, the patent describes an invention that uses several methods to detect "unauthorised" usage of a device, such as voice and facial recognition or a heart rate monitor.
Possible anti-theft measures include restricting access to some applications, gathering location data about the unauthorised user or shutting down the device remotely.
One method the patent describes for detecting a stolen iPhone is checking whether it's been hacked (aka "jailbroken") or its SIM card has been yanked out. The up-close-and-personal security patent has some concerned journalists screaming "1984," interpreting the patent application as a draconian move by Apple to spy on users and punish customers who hack their iPhones.
"The system described in the patent [would] allow Apple to effectively kill jailbroken devices under the guise of protecting customers from theft, since it may not be able to determine whether a device has been stolen or if it is being willingly jailbroken by users," writes Mashable's Lauren Indvik.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Crimping of Twisted Pair Cable (RJ45 Colour Coding)
Straight cable
It is used between unlike device (dissimilar devices) e.g. Hub to PC, Switch to PC, Hub to Router
Cross cable
It is used between like device (Similar devices) e.g. Hub to HUB, PC to PC, Switch to Switch, HUB to Switch, exception is PC to Router
Rollover Cable
It is used for connecting Router Console Port to PC Com Ports or Serial ports.
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