August 13, 2008

Video Sharing Has Benefits



Online video communities have evolved to a point, where people no longer have a problem finding a video sharing site to browse. Today, people have a problem of choosing which one of the video sites they want to browse through. All of the videos in the internet made it online by human hands. Users upload videos to different sites, hence, increasing the popularity, and database of that site. But what pushes a user towards uploading videos rather then simply enjoying watching their content? The truth is, there are many rewards for uploading videos. The most obvious one is the fact that after uploading a few videos, a user makes his way into and becomes part of the community. After all, video uploads are the biggest contributions to a video community. Once a part of that community, users can climb the virtual ranks and become famous within that video sharing site.

In the internet world of fast spreading multimedia, video files have become the ice breakers in conversations. Video comments have become a main tool for conversation between users. Therefore, by uploading a video, not only do you provide entertainment time for others, you also open the door to a conversation between people who have never met each other, yet, they find common grounds within the video content provided. Sites like www.YouTube.com focus primarily on video content, that leaves the aspect of community unattended, uninvolved. Sites like www.Myspace.com focus mainly on conversations and interactions among users. Yet that leaves out the function of a video community. The medium between the two would be sites like www.Clipta.com which prides itself in being called an online video community vs. video sharing site. Clipta’s users are given profiles that can be edited in more detail, messaging system that goes beyond forum chat, and rating/comments system which focuses on user interaction.

Even despite all the benefits, the fact that contributing to a community you can call your own, is a pleasurable experience, cannot be denied. Many users do not care for their own rank or how known they are, yet even one friendly comment can make the time spend uploading worth a smile. In the end, although users rely on video communities for entertainment, those same communities exist because of the users contributions.

August 9, 2008

Experience The Best Of The Viewing And Listening



The time is gone when the product manufacturers could have escaped the disapproval of their customers by offering obsolete products to them. The modern day customer is in no mood to offer his patronage to them unless they can justify the price asked for their produced goods with some unique features.

Let us try to find the reasons behind the popularity of the latest DVD players with respect to the prevailing market trends. A DVD player offers exceptional image and sound quality besides being high on the portability and affordability factors. Not only this, it can easily play several media formats with equal ease so that the users can enjoy the ultimate viewing and listening experience without compromising on the associated quality and performance. The demand and supply of these media players have been positively stimulated by favourable market trends, emergence of new market players, changing buying preferences of the customers and introduction of new and innovative products.

If you are looking for an exceptionally high-quality DVD player then the online market is a good choice. It offers ample choices when it comes to affordable media players that can incredibly live up to the expectations of the modern day customers. However, a prospective customer needs to be cautious while selecting this media player. Important factors such as sound quality, image resolution, performance, quality, price and warranty must not be neglected at all. These factors apply to both new as well as a second-hand DVD players.

Some of the biggest names in the world of digital media players are Philips and Samsung. Philips is a leading name in the world of digital devices and its products have been receiving huge acclaims from its worldwide customers and even market critics on a consistent basis. It has been introducing several new innovative products besides offering quality service to its esteemed customers. The latest Philips DVD players such as the Philips DVP 4000, Philips DVP 3126, Philips DVP 3146 and Philips DVP 3120 are some of the best available options in the current day market. These Philips DVD players never fall short of high expectations and are known to deliver seamless performance on a consistent basis without any fail.

Thus, it can be easily concluded that when it comes to attaining the real joys of world class viewing and listening experiences, there is simply no competitor to these smart media players.

August 6, 2008

Bluetooth Headphones


Nowadays, we are no longer surprised at people who appeared to talk to themselves, thanks to the Bluetooth technology that has enabled us to use our cell phones and headsets without wires. Bluetooth headphones are one of the latest obsessions in the world of multimedia. They are much like the cell phone earpiece and allow you the freedom to move around without trouble of remaining attached to the music source. Furthermore, you can also connect these sets to your computer, TV, home stereo, MP3 player, cell phone, DVD/ CD player, or to any other apparatus, which is supported by the stereo audio.

Just like you computer, these headphones also have wireless streaming ability from the media sources. In addition, they do not compromise with the high digital quality. However, their uniqueness lies in the convenience that they give you.

Most of us love to hear music while doing regular workouts. Despite being wireless, these headphones provide exceptional sound quality and can easily be compared to hi-fi digital CD quality sound. In fact, these Bluetooth headphones are also very good for your cell phone. You can listen to your favorite songs and can switch from the music to answer your phone calls. Moreover, after you are finished with you call, you can immediately switch back to resume the music, which is waiting in the same position you were listening to.

One of the most significant benefits of these wireless headphones is that they offer a tangle-free experience while you continue with your exercise routine.

August 3, 2008

Everyday Recreation Using Portable Solar Charger


Developments in solar technology have now put solar power within the reach of everyone. Until a few years ago, solar panels were relatively bulky, inefficient, and rather heavy to lug around and, on top of all this, very expensive. In other words, not very practical for the average person.

Solar Power and solar technology have advanced rapidly in the last few years. It and has come to the point where the use of solar energy is within the reach of the average person.
You can now buy relatively inexpensive lightweight portable solar panels (or portable solar chargers, as they are sometimes called) that will recharge your cell phone, iPod, MP3 player, or any from a host of other small electronic devices. There are even some medium size portable solar chargers that allow you to recharge your laptop batteries. And some even will run your laptop.

In effect, you could move your office to the beach if you wanted to, set up a portable solar panel and power your laptop with solar energy right at the beach. Your boss might however disagree, and, in any case you might want to make sure that your laptop screen is not overly reflective.

August 1, 2008

Saving Money On Gas


Are you interested in saving money on the price of gas? I believe it would be safe to say yes because of the constant increase in the cost per barrel of oil. As the price of oil rises, people are looking for a way to save at the pump through the use of gas mileage devices. In order for the price of gas to fall, we need to lower the demand we place on the market.

Now that we understand we have to lower demand, we need to know what gas mileage device is the best and most economical for us to use. There are a couple of these types of devices available and they encompass: air bleeding devices, various fuel additives, alternative fuels, engine modification and fuel line devices.

The one big issue with all these devices is that they are not cheap. Here are two reasons for this, one: the majority of us are not mechanics and therefore we would need some assistance installing these devices on our cars. The next problem is in the case of alternative fuels, we would have to continue paying even more for these fuels. These solutions will increase your gas mileage but at a pretty hefty cost.

As gas savers we need to focus on paying less at the pump and not more. There is another alternative that I have not disclosed to you that works great. This device uses water and can be built and installed by practically anyone. Interested in knowing what it is?

First, let me describe how it works. This device uses water that can be purchased at any corner store. The device or kit is known as a hydrogen fuel cell and is installed under the hood of your car. After you have successfully installed the device, you car will now begin to run on both gas and water. The cool thing is that you can do this yourself with the cost of parts running around sixty dollars. Once the device is completely installed you will see a big increase, over thirty percent in most cases, in gas mileage.

With our busy lives, the absolute last thing that should concern us is the price of gas. If you want to take your focus of gas prices for good then installing one of the fuel cell gas mileage devices will solve this problem. As an added bonus, your vehicle will have lower emissions thus protecting the environment. It's a win win situation for both the environment and what you pay for fuel every month.

July 30, 2008

Movies On Blu Ray Disc


Blu ray disc can be used to play movies stored in a digital form. One can also play movies directly from internet and use these discs simultaneously to store movies on them.

Blu Ray disc is a next generation optical disc which is used for storing huge quantity of digital data in a compact space. This disc is developed keeping in view that it would enable recording, rewriting and also playback of movies that require large storage space. Blu ray movies are an enormous source of entertainment for the people. These discs can be used to store upto five times more data compared to the traditional DVDs. A single layered disc can hold upto 25 GB of electronic data and a double layered disk can hold upto 50 GB of data. Movies, when stored on these discs provide great entertainment to the viewers. The latest Blu ray movies are known to provide high quality entertainment to the users. The name of the this disc is derived from the technology that is brought to use for its functioning. A 'blue-violet laser' is used to read and write data on the disc.

The Blu-ray disc can work on wide range of formats. This includes Rom, R and RW. The BD-Rom is a read only format that allows the opening of games and movie files. The BD-R is a format that allows HD video recording and data storage in a PC. The BD-RE is a writable format for PC data storage and HD video recording. Thus these formats effectively support the playing of any type of videos stored on the discs. Essentially the video codecs supported by Blu-ray are on formats such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC. The SMPTE VC 1 is another standard format based on Microsoft Windows Media Video (WMV) technology.

There are some compelling features of Blu ray recorders. They allow the users to have random access to a track that is being played. The user can jump to any position on the track. There is also the option whereby the user can quickly browse and watch recorded programs. One can also change the order in which recorded programs are stored on the device. One of the key features of this disc is that it can simultaneously be used to record as well as play videos. While doing this, the disc automatically finds an empty space so as to avoid recording over already stored programs.

One can record videos and simultaneously play movies on these discs. The disc can also be used to run online Blu-ray movies too where one gets the opportunity to store her or his favourite movies online while also simultaneously watching it on the internet. Nowadays, these discs are being used by high definition televisions (HDTV) for their improved picture quality. They also have the capability to record surround sound. All these parameters make these discs highly compatible.

July 27, 2008

Asimo


A robot to cook your dinner, do your homework, clean your house, or get your groceries? Robots already do a lot of the jobs that we humans don't want to do, can't do, or simply can't do as well as our robotic counterparts. In factories around the world, disembodied robot arms assemble cars, delicately place candies into their boxes, and do all sorts of tedious jobs. There are even a handful of robots on the market whose sole job is to vacuum the floor or mow your lawn.

Many of us grew up watching robots on TV and in the movies: There was Rosie, the Jetsons' robot housekeeper; Data, the android crewmember on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"; and of course, C3PO from "Star Wars." The robots being created today aren't quite in the realm of Data or C3PO, but there have been some amazing advances in their technology. Honda engineers have been busy creating the ASIMO robot for more than 20 years. In this article, we'll find out what makes ASIMO the most advanced humanoid robot to date.

The Honda Motor Company developed ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, and is the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. According to the ASIMO Web site, ASIMO is the first humanoid robot in the world that can walk independently and climb stairs.

In addition to ASIMO's ability to walk like we do, it can also understand preprogrammed gestures and spoken commands, recognize voices and faces and interface with IC Communication cards. ASIMO has arms and hands so it can do things like turn on light switches, open doors, carry objects, and push carts.

Rather than building a robot that would be another toy, Honda wanted to create a robot that would be a helper for people -- a robot to help around the house, help the elderly, or help someone confined to a wheelchair or bed. ASIMO is 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters) high, which is just the right height to look eye to eye with someone seated in a chair. This allows ASIMO to do the jobs it was created to do without being too big and menacing. Often referred to as looking like a "kid wearing a spacesuit," ASIMO's friendly appearance and nonthreatening size work well for the purposes Honda had in mind when creating it.

July 24, 2008

Nano Technology


There's an unprecedented multidisciplinary convergence of scientists dedicated to the study of a world so small, we can't see it even with a light microscope. That world is the field of nanotechnology, the realm of atoms and nanostructures. Nanotechnology is so new, no one is really sure what will come of it. Even so, predictions range from the ability to reproduce things like diamonds and food to the world being devoured by self-replicating nanorobots.

In order to understand the unusual world of nanotechnology, we need to get an idea of the units of measure involved. A centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter, a millimeter is one-thousandth of a meter, and a micrometer is one-millionth of a meter, but all of these are still huge compared to the nanoscale. A nanometer(nm) is one-billionth of a meter, smaller than the wavelength of visible light and a hundred-thousandth the width of a human hair.

As small as a nanometer is, it's still large compared to the atomic scale. An atom has a diameter of about 0.1 nm. An atom's nucleus is much smaller - about 0.00001 nm. Atoms are the building blocks for all matter in our universe. You and everything around you are made of atoms. Nature has perfected the science of manufacturing matter molecularly. For instance, our bodies are assembled in a specific manner from millions of living cells. Cells are nature's nanomachines. At the atomic scale, elements are at their most basic level. On the nanoscale, we can potentially put these atoms together to make almost anything.

In a lecture called "Small Wonders:The World of Nanoscience," Nobel Prize winner Dr. Horst Störmer said that the nanoscale is more interesting than the atomic scale because the nanoscale is the first point where we can assemble something - it's not until we start putting atoms together that we can make anything useful.

July 21, 2008

Iris Scanning


Iris scanning can seem very futuristic, but at the heart of the system is a simple CCD digital camera. It uses both visible and near-infrared light to take a clear, high-contrast picture of a person's iris. With near-infrared light, a person's pupil is very black, making it easy for the computer to isolate the pupil and iris.

When you look into an iris scanner, either the camera focuses automatically or you use a mirror or audible feedback from the system to make sure that you are positioned correctly. Usually, your eye is 3 to 10 inches from the camera. When the camera takes a picture, the computer locates:

* The center of the pupil
* The edge of the pupil
* The edge of the iris
* The eyelids and eyelashes

It then analyzes the patterns in the iris and translates them into a code. Iris scanners are becoming more common in high-security applications because people's eyes are so unique (the chance of mistaking one iris code for another is 1 in 10 to the 78th power. They also allow more than 200 points of reference for comparison, as opposed to 60 or 70 points in fingerprints.

The iris is a visible but protected structure, and it does not usually change over time, making it ideal for biometric identification. Most of the time, people's eyes also remain unchanged after eye surgery, and blind people can use iris scanners as long as their eyes have irises. Eyeglasses and contact lenses typically do not interfere or cause inaccurate readings.

July 18, 2008

Competing Technologies On Smart Window


There are several technologies that can be used in a smart-window application:

* Thermotropics
* Photocromics or photochromatics
* Liquid Crystals
* Suspended Partical Displays
* Electrochromics
* Reflective Hydrides

Cleaning window treatments can be a hassle. In this regard, smart windows are an easy alternative -- no more blinds to clean, or expensive drapery to be professionally cared for. Not only will smart windows cut down on your dry-cleaning bill, but they can save money on your power bill, too. When the summer sun is bathing your house in rays, things can really heat up inside your home, making your air conditioning work overtime. Smart windows can be used to block that extra heat. By blocking UV radiation, smart windows can protect paintings and furnishings in your home or office, too.

Although thermotropic and photochromic technology can be used in smart windows, both applications are ultimately impractical as energy saving devices because they cannot be manually controlled. Photochromic technology is most commonly used in sunglasses: Photochromatic material darkens in response to direct sunlight. As you can imagine, windows featuring this technology would not be entirely energy-efficient during cold winter months. On a cold but sunny day, instead of letting light in to warm a room, the windows would automatically darken instead. Thermotropic material responds to heat. So, on a beautiful, sunny summer's day, your view outside would be unavoidably diminished.

July 15, 2008

Digital Picture Frames


We all have at least one technologically challenged relative. We can e-mail photos or post them on a personal Web page for some of our loved ones, but there are others who want nothing to do with a computer, let alone the Internet.

The perfect gadget for sharing photos with the computerless is the digital picture frame. This is a device about the size and shape of an ordinary picture frame. It contains an LCD screen, which displays multiple photos in a slideshow format, and it connects to the Internet via phone line to download new pictures and information to display on the screen.

Several companies have made digital picture frames, including Polaroid, Kodak and Ceiva. The frames are fairly similar in construction, though they do offer some different features.

July 12, 2008

Protecting Your Cellphone


The best way to protect yourself from cellphone viruses is the same way you protect yourself from computer viruses: Never open anything if you don't know what it is, haven't requested it or have any suspicions whatsoever that it's not what it claims to be. That said, even the most cautious person can still end up with an infected phone. Here are some steps you can take to decrease your chances of installing a virus:

* Turn off Bluetooth discoverable mode.

* Check security updates to learn about filenames you should keep an eye out for.

* Install some type of security software on your phone.

Although some in the cell-phone industry think the potential problem is overstated, most experts agree that cell-phone viruses are on the brink of their destructive power. Installing a "security patch" that ends up turning your phone into a useless piece of plastic is definitely something to be concerned about, but it could still get worse. Future possibilities include viruses that bug phones, so someone can see every number you call and listen to your conversations and viruses that steal financial information, which would be a serious issue if smartphones end up being used as payment devices. Ultimately, more connectivity means more exposure to viruses and faster spreading of infection. As smartphones become more common and more complex, so will the viruses that target them.

July 9, 2008

Digital Television


Are you familiar with the world of DTV. Here is a quick summary of the important points:

* Broadcasters in your area have each been allocated a new channel for their DTV broadcasts.

* The broadcasters each transmit a 19.39-Mbps stream of digital data. This signal contains television programs compressed using the MPEG-2 compression system.

* DTV shows can be broadcast at several different resolutions:
- 480p - The picture is 704x480 scan lines sent at 60 complete frames per second.
- 720p - The picture is 1280x720 scan lines sent at 60 complete frames per second.
- 1080i - The picture is 1920x1080 scan lines sent at 60 interlaced frames per second (30 complete frames per second).

* Broadcasters can transmit either a single 1080i high-definition channel that consumes the entire 19.39-Mbps stream, or several different sub-channels by encoding multiple programs at 480p resolution and lower bit rates.

For example, the DTV station 53 can have sub-channels named 53.1, 53.2 and 53.3. accessDTV can record and play back the sub-channels.

The accessDTV Digital Media Receiver Solution consists of hardware and software. The hardware is a PCI card that you install inside your PC. The software controls the card and allows you to tune in and view DTV broadcasts in your area, using either your computer monitor or an external HDTV display

July 6, 2008

Fur Fabric Displays


There has been some confusion about what, exactly, a fur fabric display is. Philips Electronics filed a patent application with the simple title "Fabric Display," though some science blogs and magazines have referred to it as "furry television." At its most basic level, this fur fabric display relies on a very simple technology. Patches of fur cover an image, and when the fur moves, it reveals the image underneath. It's a simple way to conceal and reveal designs.

The fabric display has three layers. The bottom layer is conductive, which means it can carry electricity from a power source - like a small battery pack - to the rest of the fabric to create an electrostatic field across the fur, which gives each strand of fur the same electrical charge.

The next layer in a fur fabric display is the fabric's base color or design. This could be a company logo, a picture or just a particular color. The furry display doesn't change the design on the cloth; it just hides or reveals portions of the design at a given time.

The third layer is the fur. It can be any color, but it must be short enough so that when the user turns on the electrostatic field, the strands stand on end and reveal the design or color of the fabric underneath. For example, in a simple fur fabric display, you could use red fur to cover a blue shirt. When you turn on the power for the conductive layer, the red fur would stand on end, revealing the blue shirt underneath. To a distant observer, it would appear that the shirt had just magically changed colors.

The patent application refers to each small, visible section of the base fabric as a "pixel," which may be why some articles refer to the display as furry television. While it might be possible to approximate primitive animation techniques by printing one image across the fur layer and a slightly adjusted image on the fabric underneath, it's not quite the same as watching television on someone's jacket.

July 3, 2008

WiFi On Cellphones


Free stuff is good, and free stuff that you'd ordinarily have to pay for is even better. That's one of the reasons people have tried using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to make phone calls. With VoIP, you can make calls, even long-distance and international ones, for free. But until recently, VoIP had one pretty big limitation to make a call, you had to be at a computer.

New phones make it possible for people to place VoIP calls without being leashed to a computer. WiFi phones use the same wireless network technology that computers use, making VoIP a lot more portable.

This article will explore WiFi phones and their abilities, as well as the pros and cons of using them. We'll start with a quick review of VoIP and WiFi.

WiFi & Telephone Basics. Understanding VoIP is easier if you have a basic understanding of how old-fashioned telephones work. Most people have used an ordinary "land line" phone so often that the process seems instinctive. You just pick up the phone, hear a dial tone, dial, talk and hang up.

But several things happen between you dialing the phone and the other person answering. To get from person to person, the call travels through the wires that make up the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Your local phone carrier routes your call through a series of physical switches that eventually connect your phone to the other person's. This is called circuit switching.

This isn't a particularly efficient way of making phone calls. The entire circuit between the two phones stays open during the conversation, even though only one person is talking at a time. It's also open when neither person is talking.

July 1, 2008

Life Is Easy With Your GPS System


Global Positioning System(GPS) is a modern technology which is used primarily for tracking the position of your object. The object can be anything from vehicles to human. The invention of GPS system can be dated back to the year 1940 when the radio-based navigational systems was used for Long Range Navigation. The GPS as we know today is the evolution of the Long Range Navigation technology. However, the system was available to public until 20 years ago. Now-a-days, GPS system is implemented in almost every facet of human life.

Mobile phones: The advancement of GPS technology can also be seen being used in the mobile phone industry. For instance, some of the latest mobile phones are based on 3G network. Today`s mobile phones use the Global Navigation Satellite system. The GPS receiver in the mobile phones catches the signal transmitted by the Global Navigation Satellite. This helps in determining the location, time and speed of the object, i.e. the handset.

Personal vehicles: What works for a mobile phone also works for vehicles such buses, trucks, cars and even motorbikes. The Global Positing System technology is being predominantly used for tracking the position and movement of the vehicles. Using GPS system in your vehicle helps you know the accurate route of your vehicle.

Police department: The Global Positing System technology is also used by the police department to track the criminal through route maps and voice guidance. Understandably, this system is used under the sea and also in the sky for surveillance purpose.

Gaming console: GPS system is used in many gaming consoles allowing the gamers to figure out their speed of the vehicles to improve their gaming skills. The latest play station introduced by Sony is the best example of GPS system-based gaming console.

How GPS Can Help You Improve Your Personal Life:

In your car: If you are driving a GPS automobile you are least likely to lose you way no mater wherever you go. With the help of GPS you can figure out where you are located at any particular point of time. As a result you save your precious time in wondering about you are located.

While you play: If you are a serious golfer, GPS will help can help you determine things such as how far is your ball from the hole, a bunker or even a water hazard. If you are sucker for soccer, use GPS to figure out your speed on the ground and total distance covered by you.

For you family members: If you are one of those who always worry about their kids taking their car out, you can use the GPS in your car to track their movement no matter wherever they go. Similarly, if your parents or any family members are suffering from dementia and likely to get lost in their way back to home, you can use GPS in their vehicles which will help you tack their position and rescue them accordingly.

In your business: If you are running a transport business and need to keep track of the drivers, GPS can do a world of good to your business. GPS system will help you find if your drivers are taking undue breaks or using wrong routes. Moreover, GPS will help you find the status of your shipment.

It`s not always easy to ensure you remember everything in the fast-paced life. To reduce the risk many people use GPS technology where they feel its importance.