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Backlit keyboards on premium laptop is must have

March 12, 2016 / / Comments Off on Backlit keyboards on premium laptop is must have

If you are looking for a premium laptop, having a backlit keyboard is a must have. In fact, it should be on top of your list. A laptop with SSD, touchscreen and backlit keyboard is considered a premium laptop now-a-days.

There are two kinds of backlit keyboards – one is plane white backlit and second is RGB type. You will find RGB backlit keyboards in all the top end gaming laptops. In such keyboards, one can change the color of any keys to his desire. You can even have colorful keyboards with each key having a different backlit. However, in professional laptops, you will find only white backlit keys. All those people want is a simple keyboard that they can type words on.

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Google and Partner Bring New Technology to Android Phones

March 10, 2016 / / Comments Off on Google and Partner Bring New Technology to Android Phones

GadgetMix1The search engine giant Google is partnering up with semiconductor chip giant Intel to bring depth sensing technology to Google’s Android smartphones. Intel showcased many of its new products recently at the Intel Developer Forum that was held in San Francisco. Intel introduced their Project Tango Developer Kit to the spectators, which the company has been collaborating on with Google. This developer kit will be integrated into Android smartphones along with its RealSense technology. This technology will give app developers the chance to develop depth sensing software powered by the developer kit. Users will be able to create apps that can perform indoor navigation, virtual reality, 3D scanning, area learning and much more. 

Intel announced that the developer kit is scheduled to be released at the end of the year for selected Android developers only. These developers are going to be testing the developer kit and will likely provide feedback to Intel and Google. The developer kit will eventually be released to the main public once all the bugs and glitches are worked out from the test run. Google has already put a Project Tango tablet for sale at a price of $512. You can purchase it at the Google Store. However, people are more excited to have this technology brought to Android smartphones because those mobile devices are more popular than tablets. 

Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel, had showed off a prototype of the Android smartphone developer kit. The device has several cameras on the backside, which makes it the perfect device for scanning objects in 3D. If you are an architect or someone getting involved in 3D printing, this 3D scanner could be just what you are looking for. Imagine being able to create blueprints in 3D using the scanner and then transferring those scanned images to a 3D printer that can turn them into a physical scale model. This would save so much time and money from having to create the model yourself. 

The Advanced Technology and Projects division of Google is overseeing Project Tango. Google is planning to bring Qualcomm in on the action by using their Snapdragon 810 processor in Project Tango. It will work in conjunction with the 3d motion tracking that will eventually be developed for Project Tango. The results will be phenomenal with the collaboration of all these great tech companies. Both professional and novice Android app developers will be very interested in getting this kit when it becomes mainstream.

Qualcomm Hexagon 680 promises improved location, better photos, and more battery life

March 1, 2016 / / Comments Off on Qualcomm Hexagon 680 promises improved location, better photos, and more battery life

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Qualcomm has developed a new digital signal processor chip called Hexagon 680. This is a mobile chip that is supposed to help prolong the battery life in your mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The chip will also give you better location data, even if you are in a location without a powerful navigational signal. Plus, if you take pictures with the mobile device then it will give you a nicer blend of bright and dark imagery. New smartphones that offer camera improvements are usually big sellers. We have already seen that plenty of times with Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones. Therefore, it is very likely that Qualcomm’s new Hexagon 680 chip will be in many mobile devices in the years to come.

The Hexagon Vector eXtensions is what gives the Hexagon 680 all of its power. This added hardware is what helps the chip produce advance imagery when used in conjunction with the Qualcomm Spectra camera image sensor. When it is used with the Snapdragon 820 processor, the CPU will be able to perform three times faster while using only 10% of its normal power. Many smartphone manufacturers have been looking for ways to cut down the power consumption of their smartphones. The one thing that consumers always complain about with their mobile devices is the fact the battery runs out too fast. We live in the age where people want the most convenience possible. In terms of batteries, this means consumers want the batteries to charge their mobile devices for longer periods of time. The smartphone that can do this the best will win over consumers. But the secret lies in the CPU of the mobile device, which is why Qualcomm is constantly working on a way to perfect this. That way they can gain more partnerships with smartphone companies that would be willing to put Qualcomm’s chips into their devices.

Qualcomm is looking to make a comeback in the chip technology market. Rumors suggest they have already lost their partnership with Samsung, which is a major mobile technology maker. Qualcomm simply cannot afford to lose any more major partnerships or else it could be the end of their operations. But for now, things are looking very good with the news about their Hexagon 680 chip. As long as another chip company doesn’t come along and create something similar. Qualcomm’s chips should be around for years to come.

Google’s Ara Phone Delayed

February 13, 2016 / / Comments Off on Google’s Ara Phone Delayed

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The new Google smartphone “Ara” has been delayed by the company until later this year. The delay is most blamed on iterations in its design quality. As you may know, the Google Ara is going to be a modular smartphone. This means that users will be able to put together parts on the phone or replace parts that break without having to get technical support. For example, if you were to drop your smartphone onto the ground and the screen got cracked, normally you would have to send the smartphone back to the manufacturer under a warranty and they would fix it for you. With the Google Ara modular smartphone, users will be able to replace the screen on their own. All they will have to do is slide out the old screen and slide in a new screen. It will be significantly cheaper to just purchase a spare screen than it would be to fix or replace an entire phone. If this modular smartphone were to be released, it would help people out in so many ways. People who purchase $500 smartphones will no longer have to worry about dropping their phone or spilling something on it. Users will also be able to upgrade their phone by simply replacing older parts with newer parts. Then they won’t have to go out and purchase a whole new phone just to get simple upgrades on things like cameras, speakers and so on.

Google originally had planned to give a trial run for its modular smartphone, nicknamed Project Ara. The trial was supposed to be done in Puerto Rico during the fall of 2015, but the Project Ara team decided that it would be better to choose a different location in the United States. All of this was announced in a series of recent tweets published by the heads of this project over at Google. The project is still going to be completed, but just at a later date. Obviously, consumers are very interested in this new smartphone style that has never been seen before. Once it does get released, it is predicted to have more sales than the newest Apple iPhone. The only question is, “What will the features be on the smartphone?” Even though you can take parts off and put new ones on, will the parts be powerful to run the phone or will they be substandard? Consumers and critics still have questions like these that are bound to get answered in the future.

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New Microsoft Translator for Apple Devices

January 13, 2016 / / Comments Off on New Microsoft Translator for Apple Devices

Translator software technology is expanding out to new devices all the time. When you perform a translation into the software, it may not give you a perfect translation because it doesn’t take into account the grammar and slang so much. But it will give you a basic idea of what the words actually mean that you are translating. So far you have seen this technology in Google, Microsoft and other online translators around the internet. You have also seen translator apps for iPhone and Android devices as well. One of the most popular translator apps is from Microsoft, which is called Microsoft Translator. They have already brought their translator technology to the Apple iPad and iPhone. Now they are going to bring it to the Apple Watch. This will be one of the first smartwatches to have a translator app on it. What is great about this particular app is that it can translate over 50 languages and is the first version to be released for the Apple Watch.

It only makes sense to have a smartwatch translator app because it will be very easy to translate messages or words that foreigners are speaking to you. Instead of having to pull out your Smartphone or tablet every time you have to translate something in real life, you can just look at the smartwatch on your wrist to translate it. This is a faster and more convenient way to conduct translations. It will also save you the embarrassment of having to pull out a device in front of a foreign speaker every time they talk. A translator on your wrist will actually look more professional than one may realize.

 

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The Apple Watch has already gotten the attention of consumers, despite the fact that smartwatches are not really popular devices overall. But as you probably know, anything with the Apple brand is going to attract people. Then with the Microsoft Translator added into the mix, it will certainly turn some heads. The biggest market for the Apple Watch will likely be with international businesspeople that have to deal with foreigners on a regular basis. If it is a wealthy businessperson then they will likely purchase the golden Apple Watch, which will certainly spell out success to whoever sees it on their wrist. As for everyone else, they can still purchase the basic Apple Watch and use the translator to understand their foreign coworkers or neighbors.

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How Tile Went from Crowdfunding to 2M Units Sold in Two Years

January 11, 2016 / / Comments Off on How Tile Went from Crowdfunding to 2M Units Sold in Two Years

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There is a new gadget currently in development called “Tile.” It is a small white object that is about the size of a poker chip, which means it can fit into virtually anywhere. You can put it in your wallet, purse, key ring or any small object that you would likely lose. Tile is basically a tracking device that a spy would use if they wanted to follow somebody. But what you can do is put the gadget in something that you would normally lose. That way if you do lose it you can find where your item is by using your smartphone to track the Tile gadget. However, this won’t have long range capabilities. It will utilize Bluetooth technology, which is a short distance wireless technology. Basically what you do is install the Tile app on your smartphone and use that to find whatever object the Tile gadget is connected to nearby. The app will tell you the last place the gadget was tracked, which will help if you don’t remember the last place you used the item. Then when you go to look for the item, the gadget attached to it will make beeping noises that you can hear.

Now you might be wondering what would happen if you were to leave your keys or other personal items on a park bench or coffee shop? How would Bluetooth technology help you then? Well what happens is the Tile gadget keeps communicating with the app on your phone. Then as soon as you step far enough away from the Tile gadget, the app will mark it as “lost.” It will also upload the location of the Tile gadget to cloud servers hosted by the company. Then it will communicate this location back to the owner, so they will see the last place the gadget was tracked.

 

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Tile had originally run a crowdfunding campaign on Selfstarter and through its own website. They eventually ended up completing the project from the donations and later sold two million units of the gadget. Seeing how Tile only planned to create 20,000 units, the vast amount of interest in this gadget was even a shock to the developers. But it proves that there is a big market for objects like this because people are always losing things like their keys and wallet. Tile will finally put these situations to rest by allowing people to track their location and not go crazy over trying to find them. At only $25 per unit, Tile will continue to be a huge seller in the years to come.

 

 

 

5 App Games Made For Virtual Reality

December 14, 2015 / / 1 Comment

Virtual Reality gaming is about to arrive in a big way, and there are tons of discussions going on about what the best gaming genres will be. But in these discussions people tend to think big, looking at the most significant existing console games and imagining them in VR form. This is probably the right way to go about it, but it’s also important to remember that the first generation of in-home VR games might be a little bit simpler than some are imagining. And with that in mind, one might wonder if app games might actually serve as better foundations for VR than console experiences that are already so big as to be totally immersive.

Gaming in general thrives on detail these days. On mobile devices, PCs and consoles alike, players appreciate big beautiful environments and realistic 3D graphics. The difference is that, on consoles, such environments are about as satisfying as they need to be, and it’s easy to imagine a sort of clunkiness to them in the early transformations to VR. Beautiful app games, however, are small and limited by nature, almost automatically making us long for more. Super-sizing a popular app game and turning it into a VR experience may be a better way to please a lot of gamers.

Whether or not this will happen on a large scale remains to be seen, but in the meantime here are a few popular app titles that illustrate the point across different genres.

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It’s one of the longest-running popular apps available, and it’s always been almost amazingly simple. Fruit flies up in the air, and you cut it up with a swipe of your finger. So why not do it with a VR headset on and more of an actual knife-swiping motion? This has actually already been attempted; an article at PC World revealed efforts by German University students to rig up their own VR version of Fruit Ninja, and it appears the results were satisfying. This would be a nice, simple game for VR developers to start out with.

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It’s been suggested that racing games could be some of the most successful titles on VR.  Wareable’s look ahead at the next year of VR game releases pointed to a couple racing games that are apparently on the way. However, it might just be simpler for developers to adapt an existing game. Real Racing 3 is an incredibly realistic and detailed game for a something that’s played on phones and tablets, and could do wonderfully if it were simply scaled up.

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The trouble with a lot of ambitious VR games is that movement is tricky. An environment can look stunning and real, but it’s tough to interact with it in a way that feels natural. That’s precisely why the casino gaming genre could do well—it requires minimal movement. There actually aren’t too many ready-made casino games featuring a legitimate variety of options, but the array of games at Betfair makes for an intriguing VR concept. Interacting with a full-scale casino (as opposed to just a single poker table or something of the like) could make for a deceptively big VR experience.

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Inevitably there will be plenty of shooters and adventure games released on VR, even if movement within them is at first difficult and unfamiliar. But the recently released Galaxy Of Heroes game could make for a smooth transition toward VR shooters.   EA describes this game as having  an “epic RPG-style combat,” which just seems brilliant for VR. An RPG can be more turn-based, meaning you can enjoy the realistic look of having someone shooting at you without having to figure out how to move around while your face is masked in a headset and your body is on your couch. Not to mention, given the Star Wars resurgence, this particular RPG title would undoubtedly be popular.

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This game might be cheating a bit, because it was actually designed specifically for a VR headset. Well, sort of.  Proton Pulse was designed for Google Cardboard play, meaning it’s a phone app that can be slotted into Google’s VR goggles and enjoyed as if it’s a full-fledged VR experience. Still, it’s probably the best existing example of how easily some app games can be transformed into this new genre of gaming. The game itself is basically a 3D brick buster.

Who knows if we’ll ever see these particular titles turned into VR games. But it’s easy to see how some simpler concepts could work better than full-blown shooter and adventure games.

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Better Battery Life? Huawei Creates a Super Fast Charging Battery

December 10, 2015 / / Comments Off on Better Battery Life? Huawei Creates a Super Fast Charging Battery

The one thing Smartphone users complain about the most is their poor battery life. With all the sophisticated apps out these days, they can drain the power of your Smartphone battery pretty fast. Then you have to find an outlet and spend the next 4-5 hours charging the battery of your Smartphone, which means you cannot use it during that time. Since people can barely put down their phones for more than 2 minutes, this makes it very difficult for them to conduct their daily affairs in a fast and convenient manner.

However, impatient Smartphone users might see their prayers answered after all. The technology company “Huawei” claims it has developed a lithium-ion battery for Smartphones that charges 10 times faster than the regular batteries. Huawei is already known for creating Google’s Nexus 6P, which is supposed to charge faster than other phones on the market. But the problem most Smartphone manufacturers have is they are still using lithium-ion batteries in their mobile devices. Mobile technology manufacturers are racing to be the first ones to create something better than the typical lithium-ion batteries that are in the current mobile devices.

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Huawei’s new lithium-ion battery features a new configuration which allows it to charge up to ten times faster than other lithium-ion batteries. If this proves to be true then it will attract more people to Huawei’s line of wearables, handsets and other mobile networking devices. The tech company already revealed its quick charging batteries during a video presentation last week at the 56th Battery Symposium held in Japan. They demonstrated to the spectators how a 3,000mAh battery that has a 620Wh/L energy density can be recharged to almost 50% within 5 minutes. They also demonstrated how a 600mAh battery could be recharged to 68% in just 2 minutes.

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Huawei seems very optimistic about their recent innovation. This fast charging battery could be used in electric vehicles, mobile phones, wearable devices, digital cameras, and any other mobile device that requires battery power. However, the company is not just stopping here. Their dream is to create an even faster charging battery. They claim they want to develop a battery that could be fully charged while the user is on a short coffee break. This could mean 5-10 minutes at the most, instead of the 2-3 hours it takes for modern day batteries to charge. If everything goes well then Huawei may be selling their batteries to all the major mobile phone manufacturers, so they can put it in their own technology.

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