Now that BBM is available for both iOS and Android, i will  rather drop my BB pin so you can add me on BBM  25A27742

Bionic Man At Washington Air & Space Museum

A “bionic man” was the idea behind 1970s science fiction television show “The Six Million Dollar Man“.  The show followed the adventures of a character named Steve Austin, a former astronaut whose body was rebuilt using synthetic parts after he nearly died.  Forty years later and Science fiction has become science fact (well, almost) as the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum was the venue for London’s Shadow Robot Co “bionic man”.

The first robot of its kind to walk and talk, built entirely out of synthetic body parts made his Washington debut on Thursday (The robot made its U.S. debut previously at New York’s Comic Con convention).

London’s Shadow Robot Co was present to showcase medical breakthroughs in bionic body parts and artificial organs. Museum director John Dailey said “This is not a gimmick. This is a real science development”. The 170-pound (77-kg) 6-foot-tall (1.83 meter), robot is the subject of a one-hourSmithsonian Channel documentary, “The Incredible Bionic Man,” aired on Sunday

The robot on display at the museum cost $1 million and was made from 28 different artificial body parts on loan from biomedical innovators. They include a pancreas, lungs, spleen and circulatory system. Most of these parts were early design prototypes.  Assembly began in August 2012 and took three months to finish.

Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and host of the documentary said, “The whole idea of the project is to get together all of the spare parts that already exist for the human body today – one piece. If you did that, what would it look like?” The robot was modelled after the psychologist, who was born without a hand and subsequently relies on a synthetic limb. He showcased the bionic man by having it take a few steps and also by running artificial blood through its see-through circulatory system.

The robot has a motionless face and has almost no skin. The “bionic man” was controlled remotely from a computer with Bluetooth wireless connections being used to operate its limbs. The bionic creation’s artificial intelligence is limited to a chatbot computer program, similar to the digital assistant Siri on the Apple iPhone.  “The people who made it decided to program it with the personality of a 13-year-old boy from the Ukraine…So, he’s not really the most polite of people to have a conversation with.” said Robert Warburton, a design engineer for Shadow Robot.

If you are in Washington, then why not go and see this robotic marvel for yourself.  It will be on display at the museum throughout the fall.

Nokia's Lumia 2520 is the first tablet to incorporate Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor, and it's the first to include Zeiss lenses. Also, the addition of an LTE modem in the 2520 "is a great attempt to see if [Nokia] can change the game," said tech analysts, whoever can lead the charge by including a modem could be a bellwether for the rest of the market.

Nokia on Tuesday announced a slew of new products, including its first Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520.

Two phablets with 6-inch screens, the Lumia 1520 and 1320, were also in the lineup.

Features that distinguish the 2520 from other tablets include the use of Zeiss lenses for the first time in a tablet; Nokia Storyteller, an app that lets users curate and relive images and videos as a story on a map; and Nokia Video Director, which lets users edit videos shot on the 2520 and on Nokia smartphones.

It's designed for people who like to take photos on their smartphones and edit them on tablets.

That's probably the segment that will be most interested in the 2520 and it's not the biggest segment -- but at least it's something, and the tablet's differentiated from others.

The phablets "can be used as pretty decent readers, so they're a good alternative to having to carry both a phone and a tablet

The 2520's Specs

The 2520 has a 10.1-inch full HD ClearBlack IPS LCD capacitive multipoint touch display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.

It is the first tablet to be built around a 2.2 Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, and to have a built-in modem. The 2520 runs Windows RT 8.1.

The 2520 has a 6.7 MP camera and will come preloaded with the Dragons Adventureinteractive game Nokia developed with Dreamworks Animation; Nokia's HERE offline Maps; Nokia Music with Mix Radio; and Microsoft Office and Outlook.

It gets 80 percent charged in one hour and has a microSIM card slot and a micro HDMI connector.

Enterprise security features include a mobile VPN, remote-wipe capability over the Internet, device lock, device passcode and user data encryption capability.

The tablet has NFC to enable photo-sharing with other devices, and it can serve as a WiFi hotspot for up to eight other devices. It's also equipped with GPS.

The Lumia 2520 will be available in red and white or in cyan and black. It is scheduled to ship in Q4 and will cost US$499. AT&T has already announced it will carry the 2520.

The Nokia Power Keyboard, which has a keypad and gesture trackpad and two built-in USB ports, will be available for another $150. It offers an additional five hours of battery life.

Reactions to Nokia's Tablet

Nokia's Lumia 2520 could potentially be a high-performance device, Jeff Orr, senior practice director for mobile devices at ABI Research, told the press in an interview.

The closest is the Asus Padphone Infinity, which also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 but is a smartphone that docks into a tablet enclosure, Orr said.

The tablet market this year will be $72 billion worldwide, and North America will take 47 percent of that, ABI Research has predicted

However, the Lumia 2520 might not be able to carve out much of a share for Nokia, because "any time Nokia has launched a device other than a mobile phone, it's been a disaster," Orr pointed out.

"They had the Nokia Booklet, and data-only devices that looked like smartphones but didn't have voice capability, and none of them took off," he noted.

The addition of an LTE modem in the 2520 "is a great attempt to see if they can change the game," Orr suggested. "I believe whoever can lead the charge by including a modem could be a bellwether for the rest of the market."

However, Microsoft's Surface 2, which also runs Windows RT, could battle the 2520 for market share.

"They're coming from similar parents," Orr said. "You should expect them to quarrel like siblings.

Gadget of the Week: BitLock, Bluetooth & GPS bike locks of the future

Our gadget of the week series brings you new and extraordinary technology or cool gadgets that make life easier or just more fun. This time we’ve discovered something really cool for urbanists, bike enthusiasts and open-minded people: BitLock, the first keyless bike lock which pairs with your smartphone.

What is BitLock?

BitLock is unlocked with your smartphone and thanks to Bluetooth, you don’t even need to whip your phone out from your pocket or search laboriously in your purse, a button on the lock is all you need to activate it. Using GPS, you are also able to locate your bike and because the app will allow you to set up many more than one user, the intelligent lock works also as a great bike sharing program. BitLock is double reinforced: made with heat-treated steel, lock cutters have no chance and thanks to the use of digital encryption, as used for online banking, BitLock has you saying bye bye to hackers.

BitLock is a Kickstarter campaign which has already reached the halfway mark of their 120,000 US dollar goal. With 24 days left, getting support for their project seems to be really promising.

How does it work?

BitLock consists of a well designed, 12 mm-thick U-lock made from cut-resistant steel that cannot be cracked with a bolt cutter or a hacksaw. The weatherproof mechanics are built into the cylinder and the gadget is run by a powerful battery which is said to last five years or up to 10,000 locks. Of course, the app will let you know when the charge is getting low, at which point in time the battery needs to be replaced. On your smartphone, the app communicates with the BitLock via Bluetooth, so that the lock detects when you are nearby. In order to lock and unlock it, you don’t need to physically operate your smartphone, pressing the button on the bar piece of the lock is enough, since it detects that you are one of the allowed users and easily pops open. Alternatively, a 16-digit code can be entered on the lock if the battery on your phone happens to crap out.

What makes it so cool.

BitLock is more than just a super anti-theft lock. Using GPS, it marks where you have parked your bicycle on a map. This not only helps you to easily locate your ride, the exact position can also be shared with friends. With more than one person using the app, many can benefit from the lock: BitLock has laid down the foundation for a bike sharing program, complete with access times and maps. The software will also let you know how you have been contributing to sustainable, environmental and healthy living: you’ll be provided with information on kilometers traveled, calories burned and the amount of  CO2 gas emissions you’ve reduced​​, all of which can be broken down into statistics.

The Verdict

The BitLock project hasn’t yet reached the end of its Kickstarter campaign. Those interested can get themselves a lock for 99 US dollars. The chances that the Bitlock project will succeed in becoming a reality are looking good and you’ll find a ton of extensive and informative documentation on the lock’s technical aspects right on the Kickstarter page, along with a explanatory teaser video.

Nokia Lumia 1320 brings larger display at lower price

We have seen Finnish smartphone manufacturer Nokia releasing a whole host of new Lumia devices during 2013, and the company has announced a few more devices that includes the Nokia Lumia 1320 that brings a larger display but at a lower price.

We have already heard about the Nokia Lumia 1520 and how it stacks up against the competition along with some new Asha models, and Nokia’s first tablet device. The Nokia Lumia 1320 meanwhile still has a 6-inch display but at a 720p HD resolution that has the Qualcomm dual core Snapdragon 400 processor under the hood which is clocked at 1.7GHz, and is paired with 1GB of RAM.

The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and there is 8GB of on board storage that is expandable by a further 64GB via microSD card, and uses the same 3,400 mAh battery that the 1520 has. The camera specs are not on the same level though as the handset features a 5-megapixel rear facer with autofocus and flash with Full HD video capture at 30fps

Around the front we only have a VGA 0.3-megapixel unit but the device will come with the latest Windows Phone 8 operating system, while the handset will be available in a number of colour finishes that include black, orange, white, and yellow and measures 64.25mm x 85.9mm x 9.79mm weighing 220grams.

The Nokia Lumia 1320 will be available during the first quarter of 2014 starting in China and Vietnam then followed by Asian and European markets, and priced at only $339.

Apple Afraid of Microsoft as it unveils iPad Air, new Macs for holidays

The debut of the one-pound iPad Air and MacBook Pro with sharper 'retina' display repeats a pattern of recent launches with improvements in existing lines rather than totally new products, and Apple shares fell 0.3 percent for the day.

Apple said upgrades to its Mac operating system and iWork software suite, which compete with Microsoft Corp's Excel, Word and other applications, will now be offered for all MacBooks and Mac computers.

That brings Apple's model of free system software upgrades on phones and tablets to the computer market, where Apple is still the underdog to Microsoft's Windows.

Apple may be trying to safeguard its grip on mobile software as Microsoft revs up its Windows-powered Surface Pro, which runs applications, such as Word or Excel, that are the standard for business customers, analysts said.

"We are turning the industry on its ear, but this is not why we're doing it," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told media and technology executives at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center.

We want our customers to have our latest software."

The market is awash in inexpensive tablets running Google Inc's Android software, but the company may be focused on fending off a threat from the high end.

"In the tablet PC market, they do think Microsoft is a bigger threat than Android," said analyst  "The iPad Air will compete with Surface Pro, not some rinky-dink Android tablet."

Analyst estimates that Apple's share of the global tablet market will slip to 47.2 percent in 2014, with Android-based tablets just overtaking Apple's this year. The IT research outfit expects Microsoft tablets to grab 3.4 percent of the market this year, double the 1.7 percent forecast for 2013

PRESSURE

Microsoft gets 65 percent of its Windows revenue, which totaled $19.2 billion last fiscal year, from PC manufacturers which put the system on its machines, and 35 percent from other sources, chiefly people and businesses buying its software separately to install themselves.

The latest version of Windows, when bought separately to install on an old computer, starts at $120 for a home version and goes up to $200 for the full ‘Pro' version. The latest Windows 8.1 upgrade was free for customers running Windows 8.

The latest version of Windows, when bought separately to install on an old computer, starts at $120 for a home version and goes up to $200 for the full ‘Pro' version. The latest Windows 8.1 upgrade was free for customers running Windows 8.

Apple's product launches on Tuesday were evolutionary, with the new iPads equipped with faster processors and better screens. Cook, at an industry conference in May, had hinted at "several more game changers" from Apple which could include wearable computers, but had not given a time frame.

"As always with Apple, expectations on systematic breakthrough hardware innovations are irrational," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said. "Apple is good at inventing new products and at maximizing profitability of its product range over time through software innovations and clever marketing."

Apple's new iPad Air - its full-size tablet - is about 20 percent thinner than the previous generation of tablets, weighs one pound and starts at $499. It will go on sale on November 1.

The iPad mini now has a "retina" high-resolution screen and starts at $399, compared with $329 for the previous mini model. The two new tablets would face stiff competition, with Microsoft, Nokia and Amazon.com Inc all plugging rival devices in coming months.

Apple also showed off a new Mac Pro, a premium and high-powered cylindrical desktop computer that will be assembled in United States. It had shown the computer at a previously event.

For the first, Apple will launch the new iPads simultaneously in the United States and China, its biggest market, which is also a key growth region.

Apple, which jumpstarted the tablet computing market in 2010 with the first iPad, has already come under increasing pressure from cheaper devices ranging from Amazon's Kindle Fire to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Note.

But while Apple is ceding market share to rivals, its superior library of apps and content should safeguard its lead for years to come, analysts say.

Longer term however, investors hope to see real device innovation from a company that has not unveiled a new breakthrough product in years.

Cook on Tuesday dismissed the competition as directionless.

"Our competition is different: they're confused," he said. "Now they're trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs. Who knows what they'll do next?"

"We have a very clear direction and a very ambitious goal. We still believe deeply in this category and we're not slowing down on our innovation.

Nokia has unveiled its first tablet and large-screen smartphones

Nokia launches tablet to join Microsoft gadget push which will form part of Microsoft's global push to become a leading player in consumer devices when it takes over the Finnish company's handset business.

Many believe,s that the  Lumia 1520 smartphones is without doubt the best smartphones of 2013

The Lumia 2520 tablet, along with the Lumia 1320 and 1520 phones are among the last products Nokia developed before deciding to sell the devices unit to Microsoft in a deal that is due to close in the first quarter of next year.

Nokia, once the global leader in mobile phones, arrived late to the smartphone race and has struggled to catch up with Apple and Samsung, who dominate the increasingly crowded market for large-screen smartphones, known as phablets.

The Lumia tablet, which has a 10-inch screen, will also face tough competition from the likes of Apple, which is expected to unveil slimmer, faster iPads on Tuesday. The phablets, which both have 6-inch screens, will take on a multitude of similar devices from Samsung.

Analysts said the new products, which will retain the Nokia brand after the Microsoft handover, are priced low enough to attract interest.

The Lumia 2520, which comes in glossy red and white as well as matt cyan and black versions, is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter for about $499.

The tablet is a nice design, it's a good-value proposition, analyst said that however Nokia's first foray into the tablet market will bring billions in sales.

POSSIBLE CLASH

Others also questioned whether the new launch is enough to lure consumers back to Nokia and Microsoft, while Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said the Lumia 2520's position for Microsoft is unclear, particularly after the software giant launched its own tablets.

At midnight on Monday, Microsoft started selling its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Still feeling its way in the computer hardware business, the company is banking on the lighter and faster models boosting the lackluster sales of its touch-screen devices.

Despite a more affordable price, the respective positioning of Nokia's tablet versus the Surface 2 is not obvious and will have to be dealt with after the Nokia acquisition,

The new devices will help Microsoft to increase the number of Windows users experts said.

Nokia's former chief executive Stephen Elop, hired in 2010 to turn round the company, decided in early 2011 to drop Nokia's own operating system (symbian) in favor of the Microsoft's untested Windows Phone software.

The Lumia devices have been well received by technology blogs and critics, but sales have been slow to pick up, partly because of a lack of Windows Phone apps and a limited marketing budget.

After a few false starts, rumors, and malicious apps, BlackBerry Messenger for Android has finally arrived for real in the Google Play Store. For the first time ever, the premier messaging service is now available on operating systems other than BlackBerry’s very own. Hit the jump below for a little bit more information in regards to the app. 

While the app itself was rolled out a few weeks ago in a false start by the company, it wasn't official and caused all sorts of issues for users and BlackBerry alike. After quickly pulling the app after almost a million users downloaded the unauthorized app in just seven hours, BlackBerry has come back with a vengeance with the official release.

You can find the BBM app for Android here at the Google Play Store.

One thing to note though, in order to ensure a smooth roll out (and to maybe relieve the stress on their servers) when you install the app, you’ll be asked to enter in your e-mail address to hold your spot in line. You’ll get an e-mail from BlackBerry once you are able to continue with the process and get your BBM going.

Unfortunately, tablets aren’t supported at this moment, so I haven’t had a chance to check it out for myself. Those of you who have BBM fever, how is it working out for you?

Do you think your 802.11ac router is pretty fast? Well, I’m afraid it isn’t. In fact, it has got nothing on a new system created by the Fraunhofer Institute and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, which has recently completed a 100Gbps data transmission.

That’s approximately fourteen times faster than the most robust 802.11ac equipment can muster up. But, there is a catch. The research team’s success was conducted, as you may guess, in a laboratory environment and took place over a distance of just 20 meters.   Did I mention that there were no obstructions?  That doesn’t change the fact that the team sent and received the data equivalent of a full Blu-ray disc in just two seconds.  That is impressive in anyone’s book.

It’s great to see that the teams at Fraunhofer and KIT have accomplished such speed. They have the potential to vastly improve rural Internet access.  It could, theoretically, dramatically increase the speed in our home Wi-Fi networks in the not so distant future.

Unfortunately, the reality will be much different.  For starters, the implementation of the design is better suited as a replacement for commercial WANs, specifically remote office links that use microwave transmitters. The 237.5GHz signal wouldn’t be good at penetrating walls, but it is well suited to line-of-sight networking.

Furthermore, proof of concept setups, like this one, never make it to the consumer market in their pure forms. Trade-offs have to be made in order to get the tech out into the field and present ISPs are seldom eager to spend revenue on new technologies without making absolutely sure they have squeezed every last penny out of the old ones first. Take, for instance, how long it took for DSL to go from being a concept in the lab to being marketed globally for the average consumer.

So maybe in the future, your router will be capable of sending and receiving data at incredible speeds!

Google under fire for fake BBM release

A few weeks ago the BBM app for both the Android and iOS platforms was supposed to be released to users but the arrival of the service ran into  problems with still no sign of it, but Google is coming under fire for fake BBM apps getting a release on the Play Store.

Around the time of the supposed arrival of the BBM app for Android the Google Play Store was awash with fake versions of the app tricking users to part with cash or worse such as malware. Now a number of security experts have criticised Google for its failure to address the problem and clean up its own doorstep.

One expert Graham Cluley told Cnet that he has little confidence in Google’s attempts to protect the app store and put it as like “getting Norman Wisdom to defend the Crown Jewels”. He accused the company of being “sloppy and too laid-back” in terms of what is allowed onto Google Play.

Soon after the news broke that the BBM service was coming to the platform a number of fake apps appeared onto the store with logos taken from genuine sites to dupe unsuspecting users, which could mean some of the apps are full of malware.

David Emm of Kaspersky Lab says that Google has a duty to remove either fake or malicious applications from Google Play, and Cluley added that BlackBerry must have complained to Google about all the fake BBM offerings getting put up onto the store, as they are breaking the company’s trademarks and copyrights.

Another security expert Paul Ducklin from Sophos feels that it is disappointing that the Google Play Store is allowed to be “easily abused like this”, and points to the fact that Nintendo is often the victim of fake apps as well.

It’s a fine line of allowing the open source philosophy that is dearly loved with the Android eco system, and continually allowing fake apps to be put up to the Play Store. The Apple App Store has a more restrictive method of allowing applications onto the store front with all apps checked first, but it’s this restrictiveness that makes a number of users choose Android over iOS in the first place.

Google does remove fake apps but so many get submitted to Google Play as soon as some are taken down new ones take their place. The platform uses a system called Verify Apps that looks at an app when it is downloaded to the handset and matches it against information on malware, and Google Play has a system called Bouncer that also checks apps for malicious behaviour.

Security experts have found that some fake apps can beat this though by guarding bad behaviour until after it has been scanned. Google has an event planned for next week that looks to focus on all things Google Play so maybe the company will announce some welcome changes to the service in regards to fake apps.

We heard last week that the BBM app would be coming in a few days and at the time of writing there is no sign of it, but maybe this time BlackBerry will just release the app without no pre-warning of its arrival. At the time of writing i couldn’t find any fake BBM apps on the Google Play Store but when it is released it will be by BlackBerry Limited.

The claim that android has more apps than any other OS such as windows, Blackberry and iOS is to many just a ranting

considering the fact that there are more useless apps than important once. 

iPhone 5S the fastest smartphone around

There will always be mobile phone owners arguing that they have the best handset especially among Android and iPhone users, and now some new tests have found that the iPhone 5S was the fastest smartphone.
In some independent tests the iPhone 5S beat the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the LG G2 using the Geekbench app, with tests using both single core performance and multi core. All of the smartphones that were tested are multi core devices but more cores don’t always provide a faster performance.

The iPhone 5S came out on top thanks to its A7 64-bit processor that is actually manufactured by Samsung and these latest tests didn’t include the recently released Galaxy Note 3. The LG G2 managed to come in at second place in the single core tests and nearly matched the iPhone 5S in the dual core simulations.

The Galaxy S4 came in third place for both tests with the likes of the HTC One, iPhone 5C, and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini filling up the rest of the positions. It has to be remembered that benchmark tests don’t always reflect a smartphones use in the real world, and can differ from handset to handset of the same model depending on a number of factors.

These can include how the device is set up or even how much is stored onto the device, and for everyday use the majority of modern smartphones are more than quick enough for the average user.

The iPhone 5S scored 1,410 for the single core test and 2,561 in the multi core score, while the LG G2 managed an 882 single core score and 2355 for multi core. This compares to the Samsung Galaxy S4 that achieved a 687 single core score and 1,939 multi core.

Recently Microsoft announced the imminent launch of the latest Windows update for Windows Phone 8.

The timing of the update matches previous updates which tend to be around fall time. The update, labelled GDR3 (General Distribution Release) sees theWindows Phone empire beginning to join the large screen phone trend. One of the most prominent features of GDR3 is the fact that it will support displays between 5 and 7 inches with 1080p maximum resolution. At the moment though, Windows have no intention to add support for tablets

Windows Phone users will now be able to access a third row of tiles on their starts screens so now smart phone users are able to access a good looking start screen whether on their phone or tablet. Phones in the future that feature GDR3 as standard will be running on a more powerful quadcore processor and support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800.

Extras

The main points of the update address the software support and screen issues for the phones. However, there are a few bits and bobs that people will find useful:

• In an effort to make their Windows phones more accessible, Microsoft have made it easier for people who are visually impaired to use devices by sharing internet via Bluetooth.
• Driving Mode allows users to turn incoming calls on or off while driving and triggers any Bluetooth devices automatically.
• The screen will lock in place if the user wishes so that the display doesn’t switch from portrait to landscape when the position of the phone moves. For anyone who’s tried to look at a picture that has been posted at a 90 degrees angle, this will surely be good news!
• The way in which the internal storage usage is shown has also been altered, with the way in which data is counted being changed slightly.

Early Updates

Microsoft will be bypassing the carrier testing stage of the update and going straight to developers and is even offering Windows Phone users an opportunity to get their hands on the update before it is officially released to the public for a small subscription fee.

It’s unclear how future updates will work on the Windows Phone Preview program but it’s clear that Microsoft are actively trying to provide a solution to customer’s frustration at waiting for delays in updates due to carrier testing.

Microsoft Working On Technology To Replace Cookies

Microsoft is developing a new technology to replace cookies.  This work is similar to projects being undertaken by Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.   Tracking cookies have come under scrutiny recently from regulators by many concerned about privacy.

Certain types of cookies (Third party tracking cookies) are now easily blocked through built-in functions and extensions/add-ons within main web browsers.  Google’s Chrome browser, however, has all cookies fully enabled by default to maximize advertising revenue.  On the other hand Apple’s Safari browser blocks third party cookies by default and Firefox is considering doing the same.  The Do Not Track function is also impeding advertisers; with Microsoft’s browser, Internet Explorer, at the forefront having it enabled by default.  Most browsers also have a private setting which blocks many cookies when it is enabled.

Microsoft’s new technology will be designed to enable tracking across a users desktop, tablet, smartphone, and Xbox console.  This technology should also include Microsoft services including their search engine Bing.  Tracking in mobile devices remains a key point. The big advantage of Microsoft’s emerging technology is that it could track a user across a platform.  Microsoft plans are currently in the early stages, and no further details whatsoever are know, but, Microsoft have released a statement:  “We agree that going beyond the cookie is important. Our priority will be to find ways to do this that respect the interests of consumers,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email.

Microsoft’s cookie replacement would essentially be a device identifier, meaning consumers could give permission for its advertising use when opting in to a device’s regular user agreement or terms of service. Microsoft would then become directly responsible for users’ data and, assuming it doesn’t share it with third parties, confine privacy concerns to the Redmond, Wash. based company rather than countless companies that currently collect data on people’s browsing behaviours.

At its core, Microsoft’s cookie replacement would enable what’s already possible on a desktop web browser with third-party cookies and extend it to a new device, such as a smartphone or a connected TV.

Microsoft’s cookie replacement program could also include behavioural data from Microsoft’s own services, such as Bing, sources said.  This means that search data could inform TV-style advertising within streaming video apps on The Xbox platform. 

In terms of identifying the same user across platforms, there has to be another way.”  The Media Kitchen president Barry Lowenthal commented, “Not only would [Microsoft] be building out an ad ID, but they would also be building out a cross-channel attribution model, which everybody wants.”

A cookie replacement that would work on Xbox should round up advertiser interest, considering the console has become more of a connected tv device. In the last year, 46 million people devoted 18 billion hours of non-gaming entertainment on their consoles, such as movies and TV shows, Xbox marketing executive Yusuf Mehdi said earlier this year.

Underwater Wi-Fi

A research team from the University of Buffalo, New York have been testing an underwater wi-fi network in a lake near Buffalo. The aim is to make a deep-sea internet; an agreed standard for underwater communications so that interaction and data-sharing is easier.

Sound Waves

The team are not using the conventional wi-fi, which makes use of radio waves. Although radio waves can penetrate water, they have extremely limited range and stability. So the researches are experimenting with the use of sound waves, which are already naturally used by many aquatic species such as dolphins and whales.

Wireless communication underwater is already possible but there are some problems. For example getting seperate systems used by different organisations to communicate with one another is an issue.

Although the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been able to use acoustic waves to send data from tsunami sensors on the sea floor to surface buoys, the data collected cannot be shared quickly with other information collected by the US Navy.

Help Save Lives”

The Buffalo team are working to create a shared standard. They carried out a test at Lake Erie near Buffalo, where they dropped two 18kg sensors into the water and then using a laptop they transmitted the information back.

“A submerged wireless network will give us an unprecedented ability to collect and analyse data from our oceans in real time,” said Tommaso Melodia, lead researcher.

“Making this information available to anyone with a smartphone or computer, especially when a tsunami or other type of disaster occurs, could help save lives.”

It is hoped that the sensors will help detect and solve environmental issues and then with the shared standard, different research groups will be able to combine the data easier and in real-time.

The team will present their findings at a conference for underwater networking next month in Taiwan.

Li-Fi: WiFi From A Lightbulb

The use of light bulbs for wi-fi connectivity is one step closer according to new findings from Chi Nan, an IT professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University.
Nan told Xinhua News that a microchipped bulb has the ability to produce data speeds of up to 150 megabits per second (Mbps). Researchers claim that a one-watt LED light bulb would provide net connectivity to four computers.
However there has been no supporting video or photos to back these claims up, sparking questions as to the validity of the findings.
Back in 2011, Professor Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh demonstrated how an LED bulb fitted with signal processing technology could stream high-definition video to a computer. Following that he created the term “light fidelity” or li-fi and set up a company named PureVLC in order to make use of the technology.


A spokesperson from PureVLC said of the latest findings: “We’re just as surprised as everyone else by this announcement, but how valid this is we don’t know without seeing more evidence. We remain sceptical.”

More Efficient

Despite the sceptism, li-fi still promises to be cheaper and more efficient due to the fact that LED bulbs are universal and the lighting infrastructure is already in place.

Compared to the radio spectrum, visible light which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum is 10,000 times bigger and therefore has potential unlimited capacity.

By blocking the light, the signal is blocked. Although this is a possible drawback, it also has its advantages. Because light cannot penetrate walls, it would make it near enough impossible for drive-by hackers to use others people’s internet.

Professor Chi has admitted that the technology still needs further developments in microchip design and communication controls but the team is hoping to show off sample li-fi kits at the China International Industry Fair in Shanghai on 5 November.

The BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 were the first two smartphones that released using the new BB10 operating system. The new BlackBerry Z30 launches with the BB10.2 OS update. However, the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 haven’t been forgotten as the 10.2 update has now begun rolling out to these devices.

It was hoped that the revamped BB10 OS and new devices running it would rejuvenate the company, but it hasn’t quite worked out like that. While BlackBerry struggles on in its attempts to breathe new life into the company, it’s good to hear that efforts are still being made to bring OS updates to existing devices.

The 10.2 update for the Z10 and Q10 won’t be available in every region yet, but owners of the handset in Singapore are currently reporting that their devices are now receiving BB10.2.

There has been no timeframe given for when the update will arrive to other regions, but the fact that the update is now rolling out in Singapore certainly indicates that it might not take too much longer to appear elsewhere.

The 10.2 update includes features such as a Priority Hub that will bring particular messages to your attention, and also a lockscreen notification preview. Users will also be able to set multiple alarms and send group SMS messages, and there are also improvements for the camera and browser.

BlackBerry 10.2 is a 117MB update, and hopefully if you have the BlackBerry Z10 or Q10 your device will be receiving this upgrade soon.

If you have one of these phones we’d like to hear from you when the 10.2 update reaches your region, so please do send us your comments. If you are one of the lucky ones to have already received the update, please let us know your observations

BlackBerry: Chinese tech firm Lenovo considers buying entire company

There’s still no telling what will become of struggling mobile maker BlackBerry, with Chinese PC and mobile-device maker Lenovo the latest player said to be considering putting in a bid for the company.

Late last month a consortium led by Toronto-based Fairfax Financial offered $4.7 billion for BlackBerry. More recently, it emerged that company co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fredin are also considering buying the once mighty Canadian company.

And now, it seems, there’s interest from overseas with a Wall Street Journal report Thursday revealing Lenovo could offer to purchase the company in its entirety.

According to the Journal’s unnamed source, Lenovo has signed a non-disclosure agreement allowing it to take a look at BlackBerry’s books.

Scrutiny

However, any subsequent deal would face scrutiny by the Canadian government, as any bid exceeding CAD$344 million ($334 million) from overseas for a Canadian company must pass a government review to see if it brings about a “net economic benefit”.

An evaluation as to whether such a buyout would generate a security risk for the country would also be carried out. With BlackBerry still used by a number of Canadian and US government agencies, and the House of Representatives intelligence panel last year suggesting Chinese telecom companies ZTE and Huawei could pose a security threat, the evaluation will certainly be an interesting element of any proposed buyout. Incidentally, on Friday Huawei insisted it operates completely independently of the Chinese government and has never once come under its influence.

Lenovo saw its Q2 2013 smartphone shipments hit 11.3 million units, up from 4.9 million a year earlier. The majority of these sales were in the Chinese market, so buying BlackBerry could lead to a more global presence for Lenovo.

News of Lenovo’s interest hasn’t come as a total surprise to those who’ve been following the story. Company CEO Yang Yuanqing said back in March that Lenovo could conceivably buy BlackBerry, depending on market conditions.

Earlier reports have suggested other companies such as Samsung, Google, and Cisco have been interested in buying parts of the firm formerly known as Research In Motion, though Lenovo appears to be interested in purchasing the whole company.

It wouldn’t be Lenovo’s first takeover of a Western business – nine years ago it bought IBM’s PC business for $1.25 billion. The deal was, at the time, one of the biggest ever buyouts by a Chinese firm, the Journal said.

In the face of competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung, BlackBerry’s share of the smartphone market has plummeted in recent years. Its all-new BB10 mobile platform, launched at the start of the year, failed to grab the attention of consumers, leading to the company’s revelation over the summer that it was looking at the possibility of putting itself up for sale.

With BlackBerry reportedly keen to get a deal inked by November, we don’t have too long to wait to learn the fate of the firm that once dominated the smartphone market.

Humans belonged to one species rather than a bunch of different ones, that is what a 1.8-million-year-old skull unearthed in the Republic of Georgia indicate.

The skull, known as Skull 5, is like nothing seen before. It was discovered in pieces in 2000 and 2005 alongside the remains of four other early human ancestors, a variety of animal fossils and some stone tools in the village of Dmanisi.

Those who have studied, published in Science, suggest that 1.8 million years ago humans belonged to one species rather than a bunch of different ones.

Los Angeles Times Teased:

In the humid foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, deep within a carnivore's bloody lair, an early human ancestor fought a life-or-death struggle, and lost.

He had entered the den on a scavenging mission, possibly with several others. Their plan: Use a stone to scrape meat from the bones of freshly killed prey, then flee before a saber-tooth cat or other giant predator caught him in the act.

"It seems that they were fighting for the carcasses, and unfortunately ... they were not always successful," said David Lordkipanidze, a paleoanthropologist and director of the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi.

Now, nearly 2 million years later, the intact remains of that failed foraging mission are causing researchers to doubt the shape of the humanity's family tree.

What makes the find truly unique is that the skull and other remains provides a glimpse of a population of pre-humans of various sizes living at the same time and same geological space - something that scientists had not observed until now.

Scientists have studied the skull for eight years, comparing Skull 5's cranium and jaw with four other hominid skulls of individuals who died within a few centuries of each other at most.

By analyzing the shape of the Dmanisi skulls, they found that its measurements are similar to those found in modern humans.

The parallel suggests that all five Dmanisi individuals belonged to the same species of early human, which many scientists think spawned the lineage that led to us.

"Since we see a similar pattern and variation in the African fossil record ... it is sensible to assume that there was a single Homo species at that time in Africa," a co-author of the journal report, Christoph Zollikofer of the University of Zurich, said in a statement. "And since the Dmanisi hominids are so similar to the African ones, we further assume that they both represent the same species."

Skull 5 shares several characteristics from two early species, Homo habilis and Homo erectus, but the study's authors suggest that those along with a third early human species, Homo rudolfensis, are part of one species that stretched from Africa to Southeast Asia.

"We have, now, one global human species," Zollikofer told the Globe and Mail. "What we can infer from our studies at Dmanisi is that 1.8 million years ago, there was another single, global species."

While most scientists do find common ground in Skull 5's brain size, other scientists disagree. Paleoanthropologist Susan Antón of New York University told USA Today that the Dmanisi team did not compare the anatomy around the front teeth that differ between two different species of early humans. So she was not convinced by the team's hypothesis.

LG Nexus 5 Supports LTE Cat4 Upto 150Mbps

The LG Nexus 4 is a great smartphone.  It rivals more expensive handsets available and it is no wonder that it sold out faster than hot cakes when the price was dropped recently.  However, it did have one flaw, the lack of support for LTE.
Good news though, as it appears that an LG device, (model number LG-D821) was just spotted at the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and exited with several new certifications including LTE UE Category 4. This is very interesting, as this band of LTE carries a maximum potential speed of 150 Mbps. However, currently; almost all carrier networks are not designed to handle this speed.  After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigated the device last month, the Nexus 5 recently appeared in Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).  The Bluetooth certification database does not actually reveal much information but suggests the LG Nexus 5 model number LG-D821 supports Bluetooth  version 4.0 and is an LTE-enabled handset. Now, the similar LG-D821 Nexus 5 model has received a GCF  certification.  The certification database confirms that the LG Nexus 5 supports LTE 2600(B7)/2100(B1)/1800(B3)/850(B5)/800(B20) MHz, W-CDMA 2100(I)/1900(II)/1700(IV)/900(VIII)/850(V) MHz and GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz.
Prior to this, the specifications leaked via a service manual for the LG-D821 also suggests the new Nexus smartphone supports LTE network speeds and Bluetooth v4.0.  A draft version of  a service manual for the LG Nexus 5 has been leaked last week and it contained details of the hardware and software features, specifications, troubleshooting info and diagrams etc.

According to the data in the service manual, the Nexus 5 will be powered by a MSM8974 chip, which is Snapdragon 800 featuring a quad-core processor, clocked at 2.3GHz and comes with 2GB of RAM.  It will feature a 4.95in, 1920 x 1080 pixel IPS TFT display.  The device will be a Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled handset and it will also support wireless charging. The Google Nexus 5 is expected to come in 16GB and 32GB storage capacity. It will feature an eight megapixel rear camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. It will be powered by a Li-ion battery of 2,300mAh.  If its predecessor is anything to go by, then this model should be something to watch out for when it finally arrives.