ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year

ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year 

ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year 

ZTE is one of the few companies making a sly side-bet on Firefox OS, and next year it's planning to double-down on that initial wager with the launch of a second handset running Mozilla's smartphone platform. Speaking with IDG's Michael Kan at Expo Comm China 2013, ZTE's Executive VP He Shiyou expects the device to land first half 2014, with a larger display than its predecessor, a dual-core processor, a "revamped user experience" and, of course, a low price tag. The exec also said that, with approximately 100,000 units sold, demand for the ZTE Open "has exceeded supply," and he anticipates double that figure in total sales. ZTE deliberately manufactured the Open on a small scale, but is optimistic about future adoption of Firefox OS. Shiyou believes HTML5-based apps will become more relevant as speedy network technology like LTE reduces reliance on native software, stating: "In the future, the app store business model will be no more."

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Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Three new Kindle Fires have risen from the ashes of Amazon's current tablet range, which the company has tossed into the flames in favour of more powerful specs, superior screens and better battery life.

At the top end of the new lineup are the Kindle Fire HDX tablets, which directly replace the current Kindle Fire devices. Two models will be available -- an 8.9-inch version with a 2560x1600-pixel display, which works out at 339 pixels per inch (ppi), and a 7-inch model with a 1920x1200-pixel screen at 323 ppi. Read more: http://bit.ly/16zbXMN

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Solar Powered UAVs To Replace Satellites

Solar Powered UAVs To Replace Satellites

Man’s ambition has always been to touch the sky and then to touch what’s beyond it. We all are aware of this quest that began so many years ago, and over the years, scientists have been busy in refining their methods and techniques. Today’s article covers one such attempt where the scientists have presented a substitute for the regular satellite.

Satellites are very costly; irrespective of their function. In order to keep in revolution, millions of dollars are needed just for one satellite from launch costs to repairs. Nonetheless, Titan Aerospace has attempted to alter the rules of satellite game by presenting a new high altitude UAV in order to trade typical satellites.

The solar powered UAV entitled Solera has an enormous wingspan of 50 meter (164 ft) and 15.5 meter (54 ft) body. Solera weighs only 159 kg (350 lbs) and is capable of generating 7kW of power in daylight with the help of 3,000 solar cells covering its body.

It is the performance of UAV that specifies the craft although its physical features are quite amazing. Solera can orbit for about five years at 104 km/h (65mph) and can reach heights of 20 km (65,000 ft).

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WORLD’S FIRST FLYING BICYCLE

WORLD’S FIRST FLYING BICYCLE 

In addition to creating useful everyday products, Kickstarter inventors have also had a chance to test the waters with their wildest dreams – dreams like the Paravelo flying bicycle.

The designers at XploreAir have created the first ever flying bicycle, and now they are looking for your help to take this thing to production. An electric motor fires up the biofuel-powered fan, while the flexible wing controls the takeoff process. The bike can reach altitudes of 4,000 feet allowing users the ability to enjoy the great outdoors with a bird’s eye view. The vehicle can also reach speeds of 15 miles per hour on the ground, while achieving higher speeds of 25 miles per hour in the air. There is no need for a license to fly this bad boy, and with the ability to take off from virtually anywhere, riders will fully be able to appreciate the 3 hours of flight time. Support the project on Kickstarter (http://kck.st/15Eooeu) , and see this thing in action here: http://youtu.be/EpY1Q6IUb0s

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BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend

BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend

BlackBerry's effort to extend its messaging service beyond its own failed hardware has finally come to fruition. After some awkward false starts, plus a detailed leak, BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android will soon be available for download at the respective app stores, allowing members of those more popular ecosystems to do... well, chat-related things that they could largely do already, except now through BlackBerry's BBM servers. The company has confirmed that the Android BBM app will launch at 7AM ET on Saturday, while its iOS equivalent will be available beginning at 12:01AM local time (in each market) on Sunday. More details : http://bit.ly/15Eo3II

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LG Nexus 5 launching with Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October?

LG Nexus 5 launching with Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October?

According to Ausdroid and several other publications around the net, LG and Google will officially be taking the wraps off the LG Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October. The timing makes sense given past Nexus events held by Google in October, but nothing has actually been confirmed by the company.

Past FCC filings noted the Nexus 5 features Qi wireless charging capabilities inside of the back cover, which will allow customers to place their device on a charging stone and forget cords. You'll find LTE bands (unlike the Nexus 4), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and of course, CDMA / EVDO rev A, pentaband DC-HSPA+ and quadband GSM / EDGE.

The FCC documents further revealed a 4.96-inch diagonal for display, hence the Nexus 5 name, with a length and width of 131.9 mm x 68.2 mm. A Snapdragon 800 SoC was also mentioned.

With the LG Nexus 5 allegedly getting Android 4.4 KitKat in mid-October, this means other Nexus handsets will follow in subsequent days. Ausdroid says to expect updates in the fragmentation/screen resizing area, Miracast updates, new Gallery Visualisation, new APIs regarding animations, and new notification widgets. Perhaps most notably, the blue default colour scheme found in past versions of Android will be changed to other preset palette colours. 

Of course as we do with all rumours, we suggest you take this one with a healthy grain of salt. At any rate, an October release is sounding more than likely. 

Source: Ausdroid

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SanDisk's CFast 2.0 card is the world's fastest memory card of any kind

SanDisk's CFast 2.0 card is the world's fastest memory card of any kind

About a year after the CompactFlash Association announced the CFast 2.0 draft spec, SanDisk has revealed its new Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card. The first of its kind, SanDisk says read speeds of up to 450MB/s and write speeds of up to 350MB/s make it the world's fastest memory card, period. Speed isn't the only improvement either, as the cards claim a tougher, pinless design and even unique serial numbers that owners can register with customer support. For now however, its use is going to be quite limited. The only camera ready for it at launch is the just-announced Arri Amira, although the Arri XT and Classic (with the XR module) cameras can also use it with an adapter. For those still using traditional CompactFlash storage for their 4K shooting the company is stretching the limits there too, with a new 256GB card that it says has the highest capacity ever. That extra storage will cost you however, with a price of $1,809 for the new 256GB version. There's no word on a price for the CFast 2.0 cards or their USB 3.0-equipped reader, but pro videographers in the US and Europe should be able to find them soon at specialty shops and Arri-authorized locations.

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“Terminator” Polymer Discovered, Capable of Healing Itself

“Terminator” Polymer Discovered, Capable of Healing Itself

Spanish scientists, who have apparently never seen a James Cameron film, have developed a new polymer that spontaneously heals itself. Dubbing the material the “Terminator” polymer, after the T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2), the scientists maintain that the material’s true use is to improve the lifetime of everyday plastic products. 

First reported by the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Materials Horizons, no self-healing material has ever been created – until now. Basically acting like living Velcro, the Terminator polymer can fix any imperfections in itself up to 97 percent. And we’re not just talking about tiny blemishes, here; watch this video of someone literally slicing it in half with a razor blade before it magically heals itself: Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8NYRRz-jSxA

PhysOrg describes what’s going on up there like this: “[T]he permanently cross-linked poly(urea-urethane) elastomeric network completely mends itself after being cut in two with a razor blade. A metathesis reaction of aromatic disulphides, which naturally exchange at room temperature, causes the regeneration.”

We describe that video as “what children will look back on with terror when people ask how the human race was nearly annihilated.”

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XOLO heats up tablet race, launches Xolo Tab with 3G video calling for Rs 13,499 (USD 225)

XOLO heats up tablet race, launches Xolo Tab with 3G video calling for Rs 13,499 (USD 225)

The 8-inch tablet with a resolution of 1024x768 display is powered by Snapdragon 1.2 GHz quad-core Processor. It runs on runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and comes with Adreno 203 GPU and is capable of playing HD videos at 720p @30fps.

The USP of the tablet is 3G video and voice calling for connectivity with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and A-GPS options. It comes with 1GB RAM. It comes with 4GB of internal memory of which 2.5GB. Its external memory can be expanded using a microSD card up to 32 GB to store lots of songs, movies and games.

It sports a 2 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front camera which supports 3G video calls. It has 4000 mAh battery.

Earlier, Xolo launched its new flagship smartphone XOLO Q1000S in August for Rs 18,999 and NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered 4.7 incher Play T1000 at Rs 15,999. Both received good reviews.

XOLO TAB Key Specifications:

• 20.32 cm (8) IPS Display

• 3G Video Calling (using telecom network)

• Snapdragon 1.2 GHz quad-core Processor

• Adreno 203 GPU

• 1 GB RAM

• 4000 mAh Li-pol Battery

• Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2

• Wi-Fi

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Americans fear hackers more than the government over online privacy

Americans fear hackers more than the government over online privacy

Americans are concerned about internet privacy, but they're far less worried about government snooping than they are about their online activity being monitored by hackers and advertisers. That's according to a survey of 792 internet and smartphone users in the US by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, conducted in July. 86% of respondents said they had taken steps to remove or mask their digital footprints, including clearing cookies and browsing history (64%), deleting or editing something they had posted online (41%) and asking someone else to remove something posted about them (21%). "Users clearly want the option of being anonymous online and increasingly worry that this is not possible," said Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center's Internet Project. "Their concerns apply to an entire ecosystem of surveillance. In fact, they are more intent on trying to mask their personal information from hackers, advertisers, friends and family members than they are trying to avoid observation by the government." http://ow.ly/oAVDr

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Forget passwords and PINs: Nymi bracelet replaces logins, keys and even wallets with your own HEARTBEAT

Forget passwords and PINs: Nymi bracelet replaces logins, keys and even wallets with your own HEARTBEAT

Forget passwords and PINs: Nymi bracelet replaces logins, keys and even wallets with your own HEARTBEAT 

A Canadian firm wants to replace all our computer passwords, screen locks on phones and tablets, car and house keys and even wallets with a single authentication band worn on the wrist.

The Nymi bracelet reads and monitors the wearer's cardiac rhythm, which is as unique as a person's fingerprint, to authenticate who they are. 

A built-in proximity sensor can then detect where they are, and when the wearer is close to a paired computer, device or car, will automatically confirm their identity and unlock the required hardware or software. Read more:http://dailym.ai/18C71s0

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Now, computer that teaches people social skills

Now, computer that teaches people social skills

Scientists have developed an automated personal-computer system that can help people enhance their social interaction skills.

The programme called MACH, or "My Automated Conversation coacH" has been developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) mainly to help those who suffer from social phobia linked to autism.

It uses a computer-generated face that simulates a conversation. Using a standard web camera, MACH scans facial expressions, listens carefully to patterns of speech, and

reads behavioural cues. MACH keeps track of weak language, like utterances of 'Mmm', 'Uhh', and 'Basically'. It also provides feedback about how effectively the user has been communicating.

The software plays back a video of their speech, alongside charts monitoring intonation, head movements, and other coded gestures. "MACH must appear and behave human like, adapting its behaviours to changes in the interaction," researchers said in their paper to be presented at UbiComp conference in Zurich this month.

To achieve that level of realism, the animation of the virtual coach incorporated arm and posture movements, facial expressions, gaze behaviour and lip synchronisation.

The software was constructed over two years and tested on 90 MIT undergraduates seeking to improve their self-presentation in front of prospective employers, the 'New Yorker magazine' reported.

The team's paper stated that MACH led to a significant improvement in social interaction, based on a before-and-after evaluation of subjects by a professional career counsellor. Beyond job interviews, the programme could be useful for helping people with social phobia linked to autism - the root of the project - as well as public speaking or even dating, according to M Ehsan Hoque, who led the research.

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Micromax giving Samsung a run for its money, says report

Micromax giving Samsung a run for its money, says report

Domestic handset maker Micromax today said it aims to become the number one player in India in the smartphone category by Diwali on the back of excellent demand for its Canvas series. "As per the IDC figures for Q2, we are at number two with 22 per cent market share and given the growth we are seeing in the phablet category (Canvas series), we are aiming to be the top player by Diwali, which is Q3," Micromax Co-Founder Rahul Sharma said.

According to IDC figures for Q2 of 2013, Micromax stayed at No 2 spot and crossed the 2 million units mark in shipments. "The vendor is banking on the wave of phablet- driven smartphone adoption and is pushing the Canvas range of devices with bigger screens and compelling imaging capabilities," IDC said.

Sharma said IDC data substantiates its success, considering the fact that the maximum growth in Indian smartphone category has happened 5 inch-6.99 inch category which has grown 17 times year on year and the phablet share has steadily risen to 30 per cent of the smartphone market in Q2.

Micromax has increased its share from 18.8 per cent in the last quarter to 22 per cent.

"Micromax has crossed the 2 million units shipment mark in Q2 2013 and is poised to be the number one smartphone player in India by Q3. We hope to surpass USD 1 billion in revenues with our innovative product strategy, strong distribution and marketing focused on the Indian youth," Sharma said.

"We hope to cross 2.5 million units marks by third quarter of this year," he added. Without commenting on the number, Sharma said the company will continue launching new devices in third quarter also.

"With the kind of growth we are achieving, our strategy is working in right direction and going forward, we continue to stick to it," he added.

Sharma said not only in India, the company is among the top three players in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also and exploring new markets too.

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Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike

Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike

Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike incorporates a fly-by-wire injection system, traction control, ABS, electronically adjustable suspension and carbon fiber construction with a 1200cc, 90-degree v-twin engine that we are likely to see in the RSV and Tuono in the next couple of years.The dash integrates a nav system that also supports downloading of performance telemetry data or upload of new engine mappings from the Web.The 1200cc, 90-degree v-twin claims 134.5 metric horses and over 10.5 kgm of torque, which is in the ballpark for sporty streetbikes and nakeds these days.

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