Dell ADAMO ... Thinner as MAC

              If the rumors are accurate, Dell will soon launch a new laptop to compete with ultra-thin models from Apple, Lenovo and others. So just how thin would this new “Adamo” laptop need to be to lure some of those premium buyers over to Dell? Here’s how the competition measures up:

Apple MacBook Air: 0.16 to 0.79 inches
Voodoo Envy 133: 0.70 inches
Lenovo ThinkPad X301: 0.73 inches
Toshiba Portege R500: 0.77 inches
Toshiba Portege R600: 0.79 inches
Sony VAIO Z series: 1.0 inches
Amazon Kindle: 0.70 inches

However, how Dell came up with the name "Adamo" remains a mystery. Adamo in Latin means to find love or pleasure, which points to Dell trying to invoke the lust factor for the product.The naming convention is interesting on another count.

 
Based on the competition, the Adamo will almost certainly measure 0.7 inches or less. But perhaps Dell will really try to shake things up with an aggressively tapered design like that of the MacBook Air. The problem with this approach is that while the MacBook Air doesn’t have an internal DVD drive, several of the Windows competitors do. So it will be interesting to see just how radical Dell is willing to get with this new model.

My guess is that Dell will give it a decent set of features (13.3-inch LED-backlit display, internal DVD) but skip the more esoteric stuff such as SSDs and instead come in at a lower price. 

Dell earlier leaked out accessories available on its Web site for Adamo Thirteen, which it later deleted. Dell listed a 45-watt AC adapter, which is similar to the 45-watt MagSafe power adapter used in the MacBook Air.

Dell also leaked a DVD+/-RW slot drive. Few ultraportable laptops build in an optical drive because of size constraints, with one exception being Fujitsu's LifeBook P8020 laptop.

The company also listed a "DC to DC auto/air adapter" accessory, an external hard drive and Displayport HDMI and VGA video dongles for the Adamo Thirteen.

No details, specs, or prices were given (except that its design includes anodized aluminum and glass .... it will be avilable in two colors silver & black), but don't expect this one to be on Walmart's shelves any time soon, despite rumors that it is supposed to be a price-friendly competitor for Apple's Air.

Dell website: http://www.adamobydell.com/choose-country.html

Dell Adamo Video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyVCV_8K3bs

Nokia's concept mobile phone -- Morph

Nokia and the University of Cambridge on Monday introduced a nanotechnology concept called Morph, which demonstrates how future mobile devices could be flexible enough to transform into different shapes. 

Morph, jointly developed by the Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge, entails stretchable and flexible materials, transparent electronics, and self-cleaning surfaces that will give nanotechnology ultimate functionality, according to Nokia.


Imagine a self cleaning communication device that will analyse air pollution for you and will fit into your shirt pocket without feeling bulky.

With nanotechnology, anything and everything seems possible. Nanotechnology can benefit the following areas of mobility development for the future.

Watch the video below showing the MORPH concept.

Flexible & Changing Design

Nanotechnology enables materials to be flexible, stretchable, transparent and strong. “Fibril proteins are woven into a three dimensional mesh that reinforces thin elastic structures. Using the same principle behind spider silk, this elasticity enables the device to literally change shapes and configure itself to adapt to the task at hand.

A folded design would fit easily in a pocket and could lend itself ergonomically to being used as a Traditional handset. Further, utilization of biodegradable materials might make production and recycling of devices easier and ecologically friendly.”

Self-Cleaning

Nanotechnology also can be leveraged to create self-cleaning surfaces on mobile devices, ultimately reducing corrosion, wear and improving longevity.

Advanced Power Sources

Nanotechnology holds out the possibility that the surface of a device will become a natural source of energy. Built-in solar absorption might charge a device, whilst batteries become smaller, longer lasting and faster to charge.

Sensing the Environment

Nanosensors would empower users to examine the environment around them in completely new ways.

The device is ample proof of how nanoscale technologies can create a world of radically different devices that are bound to create some unbelievable opportunities for mobile devices.

Source: Nokia & youtube

Inkless printer....amazing technnology.

Remember the mini printer that fits in your pocket from Zink? They have partnered with the creator of instant photo, Polaroid to push Zink Imaging into an instant and inkless mobile printer that’s capable to produce a full 2”x3” in less than 60 seconds. The pocket-sized mobile printer uses zero ink technology aka ZINK photo paper that embedded minuscule dye crystals in the photo paper. Heat from printer activates the dye crystals to form the ‘inkless’ image. It’s water resistant and dry instantly, even come with a peel-off sticker in the back for multipurpose uses.

The portable supports Bluetooth-wireless and PictBridge for direct printing via USB connection that works with digital cameras and camera phones. The printer is selling for $150 and cost of paper per sheet is around $40 cents.

How it works:

Camera Phone:

The Polaroid Digital Instant Mobile Photo Printer is the easiest way to print photos from a camera phone. Wirelessly transfer images from a Bluetooth-enabled camera phone to the Mobile Printer and print instantly. Using the built-in OBEX (object exchange profile) Bluetooth in the phone and the printer, connecting and printing becomes instant.

Digital Camera:

Instantly printing images from a digital camera is as easy as connecting the USB cable to the PictBridge-enabled camera and printer. Once connected, follow the PictBridge screen on the camera display. Simply select what image to send to the printer and within 60 seconds, the print is ready to be shared.

The below picture indicates actual printer from Polaraid.

What You Get:

• 2” x 3” borderless, sticky-back prints• Bluetooth, PictBridge compatible• Smudge-proof, water-resistant, tear-proof photos• Fade-resistant, long-lasting images• No waste – no ink cartridges• Prints in about 60 seconds• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

ZINK technology:

ZINK™ stands for Zero Ink™ - a new and simpler approach to printing where high quality, colorful, durable and affordable prints are magically created – all without a drop of ink. The ZINK Technology, invented by ZINK Imaging, encompasses both the ZINK Paper™ and the intelligence embedded in every ZINK-enabled device. Over 100 patents and patents pending were generated in the development of this breakthrough technology.

The below picture indicate how ZINK technology work.

The heart of this new "ZINK" category of printing is the ZINK Paper™. The patented ZINK Paper is an advanced composite material with embedded yellow, magenta and cyan dye crystals, activated with 200 million heat pulses, in 30 seconds, in a single pass. With 100 billion crystals in a 2x3" print, the paper is 100% inkless. A ZINK-enabled printer uses heat to activate and colorize these crystals. Because there is no ink, every ZINK-enabled device has the unique benefits of being small, simple, elegant, and eco-friendly.

Polaroid is leveraging the ZINK Technology to bring a new family of digital instant products to the marketplace. The Polaroid Digital Instant Mobile Photo Printer is the first ZINK-enabled device available.

specifications:

Mobile Printer:

Size: 120mm (4.7”) H X 72mm (2.8”) W X 23.5mm (0.9”) D
Weight: 8 oz (without paper) includes battery
Battery: 7.2V rechargeable lithium-ion15 Prints per charge at 25 C Battery is replaceable
User Interface: 2 Tri-Color LED indicators
AC Adapter: 9V output Universal Input 100V to 240 VACPrinter will print when plug into the AC adapter

Connectivity: Bluetooth (Class 2) OPP USB 2.0 USB A connector
Print Speed: 60 seconds per print, from send to share

ZINK™ Paper:

Size: 50mm (2”) X 76.2mm (3”)
Features: Full-bleed, borderless imageZINK™ inkless printing embeds color into the paperPrints dry-to-touch, waterproof, tear-proof, smudge-proofPeel-off, sticky-backed Automatic image quality optimization.

HCl's Rs 13,900 laptop

HCL Infosystems, it seems, is trying to do to personal computers what Tata Motors’ has done to the automobiles by launching the world’s cheapest car, Nano. To tap the fast growing laptop segment in India, HCL Infosystems on Tuesday unveiled the sub-Rs 14,000 laptop, which is believed to be the cheapest portable PC available in the country so far.

The 'X' Series "MiLeap" laptops are available with both flash-based and disk-based storage. Their sturdy design makes them dust- and shock- proof. Among others, the leaptops are Wi-Fi ready, and feature network ports and an option for data card. They are available with GUI-enabled, user-friendly Linux operating system (OS).

The 'X' Series "MiLeap" laptops are priced, starting at Rs 13,990.

The other series launched by HCL, the 'Y' Series, has laptops powered by the latest Intel Ultra Mobile Platform (Intel processor A110 and Intel 945GU Express Chipset). They feature Microsoft's Vista Home Premium OS, a swivel seven touch-screen cum note pad, an 80GB HDD, wireless connectivity, data card option, Blue-tooth, and Ethernet network port, among others. These leaptops sport multiple navigation features, including touch- screen, thumboard, stylus, keyboard, mouse, and one-touch buttons.

The 'Y' Series "MiLeap" laptops are priced, starting at Rs 33,990.

Both 'X' and 'Y' Series leaptops are fully RoHS-compliant, and have a low energy footprint.

The notebook, which runs on Linux operating system, has a 7-inch LCD screen and weighs about 1 kg. HCL also launched the laptop with Windows Vista operating system at Rs 29,990. Ajai Chowdhry, chairman and CEO, HCL Infosystems, said, the device is half the price point of current similar products available in the market.

Chowdhry said just like Nano, the notebooks in the MiLeap series would create a different segment all together, which will help grow the market further. “This will herald in a new category of computing devices, opening up a wide range of new usage scenarios and application areas,” he said. The notebooks will start shipping from January 26.

Both the models have network ports, are Wi-Fi ready, have the option for data card. “In order for us to broaden the number of people who can have access to information via broadband internet we need to make the internet more affordable and accessible to a much larger number of people,” said Ramamurthy Sivakumar, managing director-sales and marketing, South Asia, Intel.

Notebooks in the sub Rs 25,000 range are already available in the market and are increasingly finding their way into homes, educational institutes, and SMEs. HP and Zenith Computers have introduced their standard notebooks at a starting price of Rs 24,990. While Dell’s notebooks are also available for as low as Rs 32,000, Acer’s laptops are also available at Rs 20,999.

Led by drop in prices and the benefit of mobility and space management, notebook sales in India are growing faster than desktop sales and are projected to corner 40% share of the India PC market by 2010. Notebook shipments have grown 86% in FY07, and today, one out of five PCs sold in India is a notebook.

The fact that every 50th Indian today owns a PC, shows there is a huge chunk of market yet to be tapped. Increased penetration of notebooks and desktops is expected to give a push to Internet usage in India, especially in the rural areas, from where the next stage of growth is expected to come.

Apple MacBook Air

Apple just announced the .16-inch thin MacBook Air -- a laptop so thin it fits in a manila envelope. The new machine features a full-size keyboard and LED-backlit 13.3-inch display with built-in iSight, and the new larger trackpad supports multi-touch gestures. Just like the iPhone, you'll be able to pan around, pinch to zoom, and rotate with two fingers, and move windows with a flick. Apple got the size down by using the same 1.8-inch 80GB drive that's in the iPod classic, but you'll be able to order a 64GB SSD as an option. The Air eschews optical media, but there's a separate external you can snag for $99 and Apple's also announced a feature called Remote Disk that'll let the Air get data off the optical drive in any PC or Mac running the Remote Disk software. Pricing starts at $1799, and the Air will be shipping in two weeks.

Most people are expecting a conventional sub-notebook — a super-thin, lightweight laptop that ships without an optical CD/DVD drive. The MacBook Air may also dispense with a wired Ethernet port, according to rumor. It will be a purely wireless device, relying solely on Wi-Fi or other wireless technology for its connectivity — hence the "Air" moniker.

But the Air seems more like a ultra portable with a physical keyboard and multi-touch screen, according to our source (who we promised not to name but confirmed works at an Apple third-party vendor).

The MacBook Air features a 1.8-inch hard disk drive with 80GB of storage capacity standard. A 64GB solid-state disk (SSD) drive is an option. The hard drive is a Parallel ATA (PATA) model that operates at 4200 RPM.

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo chip running at 1.6GHz, with 1.8GHz available as an option. Jobs noted that Intel was willing to engineer a new version of the Core 2 Duo specifically to Apple's specifications -- it's 60 percent smaller than others. The chip operates with 4MB of on-chip shared L2 cache running at full processor speed, and uses an 800MHz frontside bus. 2GB of 667MH DDR2 SDRAM is also included.

Like the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air features a slimmed down MagSafe connector for power. It comes with a 45 watt power adapter. A flip-down door on one side reveals USB 2.0, Micro-DVI (to connect an external display) and a headphone jack. The MacBook Air also includes 802.11n-based wireless networking support and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.

Apple estimates that with wireless networking turned on, the MacBook Air can get about 5 hours of battery life.

Mitsubishi laser TV

It's hardly a compliment to be called a lightweight, except if you happen to be a 62-inch rear-projection 1080p laser TV.

Consumer electronics giant Mitsubishi now hopes to combine the inherently large size of a rear-projection unit into a sleeker, lighter-weight product and pack it with enough advanced technology to out-dazzle the rest of the HD pack, although consumers may have to wait a while to see this next-gen version of DLP for themselves.

Since last winter, Mitsubishi has been trickling out details of what it unofficially is calling "Laser TV," citing it as a breakthrough in existing DLP (digital light processing) that it believes will eventually move HDTV one step further to perfection cosmetically and technologically, through the use of colored lasers.

DLP, a registered trademark of Texas Instruments, traditionally uses white-light mercury bulbs. Mitsubishi's new system, instead, uses separate red, green and blue semiconductor lasers in combination with an HD chip, which those who have seen a real-world demo (mostly dealers and Mitsubishi employees) say provides richer and more complex colors and hues, and noticeably more distinct HD clarity and depth-of-field.

Mitsubishi contends that lasers also prompt a more realistic manifestation of "black" than current DLP, plasma, LCD or CRT screens. Lasers purportedly shut off totally when not needed, frame-to-frame, creating a more natural blackness. (In contrast, today's DLP mercury bulbs do not completely blink off, according to Mit-subishi.) Today's DLP units without colored lasers already produce at least 16 million color variations, including 124,000 shades of gray, according to TI.

SOPHISTICATED LIGHT

The key component of non-laser DLP technology is an optical semiconductor (a Digital Micromirror Device or "DLP chip"), invented by TI nearly 20 years ago. It has called the chip "probably the world's most sophisticated light switch," with up to two-million hinge-mounted microscopic mirrors less than one-fifth the width of a human hair.

When the DLP chip is synchronized with a digital video signal, light source and projection lens, its flexible mirrors reflect digital images to a screen. The microscopic mirrors can reflex (blink on and off) a few thousand times per second. Much of TI's proprietary technology will be used with Mitsubishi's Laser TV, but source lighting from mercury bulbs will be replaced by the lasers.
It appears there is only one working Laser TV screen in existence for demo purposes for now; Mitsubishi is hesitant to show it off at trade shows because it still lacks suitable cabinetry and other non-technical aesthetics. A non-working cosmetic sample (see photo) of a 62-inch unit--along with the sole working screen demo--were featured at Mitsubishi's annual line show for dealers at its Huntington Beach, Calif., headquarters in April.

"We did display a working sample that was not in a finished cabinet [to] prove that we could produce a good HD picture in a finished cabinet using our laser technology," said Marty Zanfino, director of product development at Mitsubishi. Zanfino said the 62-inch diagonal screen will boast a depth of only about 10 inches and not require very much framing around the screen because advanced plastics will replace glass components in the rear projector, making the large unit lighter. (Plastics have replaced heavier glass casings in some current DLP products, as well.)
Consequently, he said, today's typical heavy-duty screen frames will not be necessary, and may be no wider than an eighth of an inch. The lighter overall weight will allow for a lower center of gravity; nearly the entire frontage can be devoted to screen surface. Thus, the Laser TV units will occupy a more compact footprint and allow sleeker cosmetic designs that could set the product apart from the rest.

But HDTV is usually about the picture--not weight or even design--and Mitsubishi is confident this is where Laser TV will excel.

"The color gamut is significantly larger because the lasers are so intense," Zanfino said. He compares its optimum video quality as being equal or superior to 35mm film. Zanfino said although prices will not be announced until the product is released, when asked, he acknowledged that Laser TV probably will start off somewhat higher-priced than today's DLP and plasma units: "We'll see, but lasers cost more than mercury bulbs."

Advantages

One major claim of laser advocates is the ability to produce undiluted, perfect colors allowing precise hue mixing. With the color enhancement capable with lasers, up to 90% of the visible spectrum can be displayed.Other improvements that laser advocates claim are bulbs that will never blow out, and increased efficiency by using two-thirds less power than traditional rear projection televisions. Historically, however, lasers have been too bulky and expensive for widespread adoption.
The laser technology advocates claim that the technology will allow displays with a richer, more vibrant color palette than the conventional plasma, LCD or CRT displays.

They also claim the displays will:

be half the weight and cost of Plasma or LCD displays
require around 25% of the power required by Plasma or LCD displays
be very thin like Plasma and LCD displays are today
have a very wide colour gamut
have a 50,000 hour life
maintain full power output for the lifespan of the laser, resulting in a picture that doesn't progressively degrade over time, such as with plasma and LCD technology

Drawbacks

Together with the advantages of laser sources, there are reports that also describe some of the current shortcomings of laser displays,[18] such as the following:
Safety. The high power emitted by the coherent laser sources is inherently dangerous to human vision. Proponents claim that integrating the devices with the needed diffusion filters removes this risk.

Speckle. Due to the narrowband coherent light source, speckle will be an issue at the display. This has also been a problem in laser lighting displays and has been solved through modulation of the light source thus widening the bandwidth and reducing the possibility for coherent interference. Proponents claim that this issue can be minimized by the use of diffusing elements and multiple sources. These, however, may impact display resolution and system cost.

Emtrance's PS100 photoskin fit in your wallet

Of course they fit in your wallet, they're probably vaporous non-ships like the Emtrace's last project, the Widgetstation. Looks like this digital photo frame, 5mm thick, and 9 by 7 cm wide and high, is what the station vaporized into. There's a dock that syncs data for stocks and other info via PC. The Linux-powered machine plans to run a 2.5-inch LCD, 320x240 16M colors, a rechargeable battery, 128MB of storage and 64MB of operational memory. And of course, those are renderings, not photos, so make of that what you will.

Wimax technology

First of all what is WIMAX?. A question will raise in our mind.

WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. It is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, which is also called WirelessMAN. The name WiMAX was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformance and interoperability of the standard. The forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL."

USES:

          The bandwidth and reach of WiMAX make it suitable for the following potential applications:

1. Connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with each other and to other parts of the Internet.
2. Providing a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile broadband access.
3. Providing high-speed data and telecommunications services.
4. Providing a diverse source of Internet connectivity as part of a business continuity plan. That is, if a business has a fixed and a wireless Internet connection, especially from unrelated providers, they are unlikely to be affected by the same service outage.
5.Providing nomadic connectivity.

Broadband Access: 

                                Many companies are closely examining WiMAX for "last mile" connectivity at high data rates. The resulting competition may bring lower pricing for both home and business customers or bring broadband access to places where it has been economically unavailable. Prior to WiMAX, many operators have been using proprietary fixed wireless technologies for broadband services.

WiMAX access was used to assist with communications in Aceh, Indonesia, after the tsunami in December 2004. All communication infrastructure in the area, other than Ham Radio, was destroyed, making the survivors unable to communicate with people outside the disaster area and vice versa. WiMAX provided broadband access that helped regenerate communication to and from Aceh.

WiMAX was used by Intel to assist the FCC and FEMA in their communications efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Mobile handset applications:

Some cellular companies are evaluating WiMAX as a means of increasing bandwidth for a variety of data-intensive applications.

Sprint Nextel announced in mid-2006 that it would invest about US$ 5 billion in a WiMAX technology buildout over the next few years.[3] As of Friday, November 9, 2007, this project in partnership with Clearwire has been shelved, but the project could be revived with or without Clearwire once Sprint hires a new CEO. On December 5, 2007, Bin Shen, Sprint's VP of Product Management and Partnership Development, announced that Sprint's WiMAX network will go live in a soft launch in Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington DC. Full commercial launch is still expected to be approximately spring of 2008.

In December 2007 Wateen Telecom Pakistan deployed the largest and the first in the world to roll-out WiMAX 802.16e network in 22 cities of Pakistan.

Future developments:

Mobile WiMAX based upon 802.16e-2005 has been accepted as IP-OFDMA for inclusion as the sixth wireless link system under IMT-2000. This can hasten acceptance by regulatory authorities and operators for use in cellular spectrum. WiMAX II, 802.16m will be proposed for IMT-Advanced 4G.

The goal for the long term evolution of both WiMAX and LTE is to achieve 100 Mbit/s mobile and 1 Gbit/s fixed-nomadic bandwidth as set by ITU for 4G NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Network) systems through the adaptive use of MIMO-AAS and smart, granular network topologies. 3GPP LTE and WiMAX-m are concentrating much effort on MIMO-AAS, mobile multi-hop relay networking and related developments needed to deliver 10X and higher Co-Channel reuse multiples.

Since the evolution of core air-link technologies has approached the practical limits imposed by Shannon's Theorem, the evolution of wireless has embarked on pursuit of the 3X to 10X+ greater bandwidth and network efficiency gains that are expected by advances in the spatial and smart wireless broadband networking technologies. What will clearly define 4G more than either WCDMA or OFDMA wireless link methods will be wireless networks that more effectively adapt to and take advantage of available spectrum.

Survey:

A survey from In-Stat reveals that when consumers had a choice of WiMAX, WiFi, or 3G, they resoundingly preferred WiMAX. The report cites a “significant preference” for the long distance WiMAX protocol. And, more than 50% of those surveyed said that they would ditch their current broadband provider for a provider than offered a bundled broadband internet and wireless phone service. Looks like Sprint’s move to get a head start on deploying WiMAX networks may turn out to pay off in the long run - if the results of this survey come to materialize. WiMAX will take some time to become fully available and reliable in the States, but when it does, we’ll all be glad that Fujitsu is working on making WiMAX phones last longer between charges.

Sony Micro TV amazing...

New materials and textures have always inspired us and offered new sensations. It's natural to reach out our hand when trying a product or deciding a purchase. Checking the texture by actually touching something reassures us, subconsciously. That's because on a physical level, we value the lasting impression things make on our senses, how they resonate with us. After technology of all kinds evolved dramatically in the late 20th century, we were surrounded by a rich array of manufactured goods. But in fact, a new product landscape is about to unfold again. Our lives are now filled with things designed for practicality and efficiency, but how things resonate with us emotionally is becoming a priority,

leading us to seek things that satisfy our senses. Times are changing, and the products in our lives must keep pace with our emotional evolution.For this design project, TV sets were chosen as the product category. In 1962, Sony introduced the "micro TV," the world's smallest and lightest portable set at the time. It was the moment transistors redefined television in our lives. There was a drive to make TV sets with a more human touch for personal enjoyment, sets we would develop an affection for and even want to touch. Designers also sought TV sets that were so cute and appealing, people would want to hold them in their hand as they watched. Fast forward to 2007, when TOKYO FIBER set the stage to reexamine TV sets in the context of textiles. This time, it is textiles that may redefine television sets. Introducing fabric in TV design can again change the product landscape and stimulate our senses in entirely new ways. Sets that rest comfortably in the palm of your hand. Sets projecting images that reach you like the song of a little bird by your pillow. They are a form of "senseware"; small, round, and soft reinterpretations of products that feel nice and have character.