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The Ulster Fry on your mobile phone

Wednesday, April 1, 2009


REMEMBER those warnings from a few years ago that holding a mobile phone against your ear for too long could cause cancer in your brain? Well it turned out mobiles were safe enough to use on Ryanair - and now it turns out that they could, in fact, be the ultimate student oven. Queen's University academic Professor Barra Ceide has managed to harnass the power of mobile phone batteries into a tool that could revolutionise how we eat convenience food forever. However, there are also fears that it would be be developed into a WMD for the republican movement.

A new, free downloadable application now available on the internet allows mobile users to substantially increase their phone battery temperature and utilise microwave power... just enough to heat up pre-cooked supermarket meals and drinks using any smartphone with a flat touchscreen.

For example, once the software is installed, users can place a cup of tea on top of a touch-screen phone (such as an iPhone) or beside any other brand with a half-decent battery, like a Blackberry Storm (see screenshots) - and the drink heats to an acceptable temperature using microwaves. The inventor calls the software hack, the ‘Ulster Fry'...

Apart from the fact that the application uses microwaves and the screenshot is of a touch-sensitive ‘gas ring', it works exactly like a cheap household microwave. Just set a ceramic cup on your phone and hit enter.

According to the BBC, south Belfast student entrepreneur Mr Ceide said: "This is just the first step in multi-application mobile technology. At the moment, the combination of an overheated mobile phone battery and G3 smartphone connection can only create enough heat to warm a cup of coffee or pre-heated microwave dinner, but the possibilities are endless.

"Because it's the first of its type and it was invented in Belfast, we decided to call the beta version the ‘Ulster Fry'. Of course, it doesn't actually fry, as the software works on microwaves, but the commercial applications of such a brand would clearly strike a nerve with an American market.

"Imagine being able to heat up a KFC or your post-pub ‘Rustlers' microwave cheeseburger with a Nokia cellphone running Google Android software. Think how useful that would be!"

The application has been tested with some Samsung and Nokia models, but according to Ceile, works best with flat-screen mobiles.

He added: "The software has a touchscreen interface and while ultimately it could heat up home-cooked meals, at the moment, the pressure of setting a mug or cup on a sensitive screen should activate the graphical ‘gas ring'."

However, unionists are concerned that the application could be used by dissident republicans as a trigger for a hi-tech bomb.

Said a security source: "Any device that heats up to a certain temperature is bound to attract the attention of dissident republicans, as it could be used as a simplified trigger for a bomb. Hopefully, this software will be seen as another idiotic attempt by some eejit to gain publicity for himself."

Nokia introduces Nokia Point & Find For UK and US


Nokia introduces an innovative service concept that enables people on the move to access relevant information and services on the internet, simply by pointing their mobile phone camera at real-life objects.

A beta version of Nokia Point & Find, focusing on movies, is now available in the UK and US. Capabilities will later expand into other services and countries.

"With Nokia Point & Find, businesses are able to target engaging experiences and calls-to-action to consumers. We believe that this first Nokia Point & Find-based service for movies will add something special to the cinema experi... ..

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Nokia N78

Nokia N78Nokia N78 and 'a candybar designed for young audiences. The display has a resolution of 240x320 pixels and the antenna and 'integrated. It has a VGA camera two: the main '3.2 MegaPixel, with 20X digital zoom, flash, Zeiss optics, secondary and' used for video calls. Equipped with writing facilitated T9, SMS, MMS, E-mail, vibration, alarm clock, calculator, clock, contacts, PictBridge Print, Type 'airplane, stereo speaker, 3.5mm Nokia A / V Connector. Form A-GPS allows you to geo-locating photos in order to have information on the place where they were taken, in addition to providing the service of satellite navigation with Nokia Maps. Develop a connectivity '2.0/WAP JAVA MIDP 2.0, GPRS, Bluetooth 1.2, integrated modem, USB 2.0. Playing MP3/AAC/WMA, Visual Radio + FM Radio, polyphonic ringtones, images, logos and games downloaded from the Internet. Based on Symbian OS 9.1 - Series 60 3rd Edition FP2. The internal memory and 'of 70 MB expandable with microSD / T-Flash.


Apple patents new records


Apple registra nuevas patentes


Apple, like nearly every multinational company dedicated to technology, has some new patents that will predictably use in the near future. In the first of the patents Apple as a record of working with integrated Heatpipe (Patent No. 7508662). A patent will probably get to see some day in the MacBooks.

The Heatpipe is a device used in computers to dissipate heat from them. And although using these as the sole source of cooling a processor is not viable (they emit too little space in temperature and time faults occurring in the system) if they can be used to release (in a passive way) certain components of a computer .

The second patent is a biometric security system and have described in greater detail here (though in English). The biometric DENTIFICATION should work simply by putting our thumb on the touch screen if this is an iPhone or an iPod. In the event that we are in a notebook, so this would work with the touchpad (the sensor that moves with the mouse on some laptops) and the webcam (so you will use something else to it from ciberligue to undress in front of the shift).

In addition to the patents described above, there are rumors about the possibility of using the microphone, or shaking the iPhone in a predefined sequence, this also could be used to unlock, for example.

Source

Samsung Worlds, a MID with conectividad WiMAX

Samsung Mondi

Samsung wants to enter the field of MID as have other manufacturers, such as Nokia or Tablets with the HTC Advantage. What makes the Samsung Mondi, a device that comes equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity and WiMAX, which currently seems unlikely that we will get here.

And Taking the Advantage, it works with Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, which can control from its 4.3-inch touchscreen. It is a slider-type device, which are a sliding QWERTY keyboard, probably the least graceful design.

Among their other specifications include 4 GB of internal memory, a 3 megapixel camera that allows video recording, Bluetooth connectivity and a GPS receiver that comes with the Route 66 application for use as a web browser, in addition to an HDMI output.

On the software side, Samsung is equipped with Mondi Opera 9.5 browser and messaging applications as diverse Fringe, Gypsii and Live Messenger, in addition to all that is installed by default Windows Mobile.

Of time has confirmed his departure in United States with Clearwire, a WiMAX operator to offer.

More Info.

Nokia Messaging Gets Support For HTML, Windows Live Hotmail and Nokia 5800 XM

Windows Live Hotmail, one of the world's most popular web-based email solutions, is now available on Nokia Messaging, the service that enables people to access their personal email on their Nokia devices.

In May, Nokia Messaging will also be supported by the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia's first mass-market touchscreen device, adding to the tens of millions of popular Nokia devices in the hands of consumers that already support the service.

Nokia Messaging is currently free to download and set-up, and supports the world's most popular email accounts - Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL Mail - and a... .. .

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HEROES creator to launch new project through Nokia's Ovi Store


As content providers and developers continue to sign up to publish content on the Ovi Store, Nokia has begun working with Tim Kring, creator and executive producer of HEROES, one of the most watched shows internationally, to develop innovative, new content for the Ovi Store. When it opens globally in May, the Ovi Store will offer consumers relevant, targeted media across a broad portfolio of Nokia devices.

For its maiden venture with Kring, Nokia has signed on as a strategic partner and technology enabler for a project created by Kring, Code named TEVA. The multi platform narrative will be an immersive experience with elements of individual act... ..

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Noted: Braille on mobile touch screens


pin.pngFrom NewScientist, Vibrating touch screens spell out Braille:

In Braille, letters are encoded using a two-by-three matrix in which each character is represented by a different configuration of raised and absent dots at the six locations. To display these dots on a touch-screen device, Jussi Rantala of the University of Tampere in Finland and colleagues used a Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, which has a piezoelectric material built into the touch screen that vibrates when an electric signal is applied to it. The team installed software that represents a raised dot as a single pulse of intense vibration, and an absent dot as a longer vibration made up of several weaker pulses.

braille.png

The team developed two methods: (1) the user moves a finger horizontally across the screen to detect the bumps, and (2) the finger stays still but the screen vibrates the sequence of six dots, each 360 milliseconds apart. In the latter method, once users got used to it, they could read a character in as little as 1.25 seconds.

The team's next step, says NewScientist

will be to present entire words and sentences. Screen-reading software is already available that "grabs" information displayed as text and turns it into speech. The same information could be turned into Braille characters on phones with vibrating touch screens.

Nokia introduces Point & Find service

Nokia has introduced a service that enables people on the move to access information and services on the internet by pointing their mobile phone camera at real-life objects.

A beta version of Point & Find, which focuses on movies, is now available in the UK and US. It will later expand into other services and countries.

Nokia Point & Find general manager, Philipp Schloter, said: ‘With Nokia Point & Find, businesses are able to target engaging experiences and calls-to-action to consumers.

‘We believe that this first Nokia Point & Find-based service for movies will add something special to the cinema experience. Simply by pointing their camera phone at a poster for a new movie, people can watch the trailer, read reviews, and find the closest cinema where it is playing.’

Ponit & Find is an open service platform that will also allow other companies to build customised experiences for customers. The manufacturer is now inviting businesses, content providers and agencies to discuss how the Nokia Point & Find service could help them with specific applications, campaigns or promotional activities.

The platform uses advanced real time image processing and recognition technologies to link the user to digital content and services. It also recognises bar codes, integrates GPS positioning technology, and supports category-specific text entry search.

Source

Nokia N97 Analysis: Compared to iPhone 3G and Google G1 Phone

nokia_n97_white_05a_lowres-560x407

iPhones seem to be everywhere these days and even the release of the G1 phone hasn’t really had an impact on their growing marketshare. Palm have also announced that they will soon be launching their new smartphone called the Palm Pre, which is getting a huge amount of buzz at the moment. Thus bringing us to the final major player in the market who is yet to release a smartphone that can actually take marketshare and thats Nokia.

Nokia announced about three months ago that they will be releasing the N97 which is their rival to the iPhone. The N97 will be release in the 2nd quarter of 2009 and its sure to raise some eyebrows.

Here at Crenk we are still yet to get our hands on a new N97 test version, but I thought I would provide our readers with a basic overview of the phone and how it compares to iPhone and G1.

nokia-n97-side-by-side

Nokia N97 - compared to the iPhone3G and G1

3.5 inches screen size

( iPhone3G : 3.5 inch ; G1 : 3.2 inch )

640 x 360 pixel resolution

(iPhone3G : 320×480 pixels ; G1 : 480×320 pixels resolution)

16:9 Aspect ratio,the same as that of TV,PC Monitors etc

(both iPhone and G1 have aspect ratio of 3:2 )

Resistive touchscreen display with tactile feedback

(both iPhone & G1 boast a capacitive touchscreen(feather touch sensitive) )

Sliding QWERTY Keyboard

( iPhone : No physical keyboard ; G1 : Sliding QWERTY Keyboard )

Inbuilt WiFi,Bluetooth,HSDPA,A-GPS,3G

( Both iPhone and G1 have it )

32GB Onboard memory (expandable through microSD card upto 48GB as total capacity)

(neither iPhone nor G1 go beyond 32 GB as total capacity )

Battery : 1500 mAh (Heavy duty ! )

(iPhone : 1400 mAh ; G1 : 1150 mAh )

5 MP Digital Camera (DVD quality video capture)

(iPhone : 2.0 MP ; G1 : 3.2 MP )

OS : S60 5th Edition

(iPhone : iPhone OS 2.2 ; G1 : Android 1.0 )

Weight : 150 g (approx.)

( iPhone : 133 g ; G1 : 158 g )

Price : $550 (before network subsidies so expect it to go way cheaper than this)

(iPhone : $199(min.) ; G1 : $179(min.) )

Conclusions:

After a direct comparison with all the feature of the n97, G1 and iPhone3G the Nokia is by far the leader from a hardware perspective. However, it terms of the software and the OS, Nokia is a long way behind Google and Apple but this is expected.

The key also is that the App Store has made a huge impact on making the iPhone such a big success, and with the Android Market just being launched I’m sure that the G1 will slowly gain more and more marketshare. Where does this leave Nokia? Nokia really need to think hard and long about how they are going to open up their software to outside developers and then allow the average user the ability to pick and choose the applications that are right for them. OS has never been a strong point for Nokia, but it is about time they actually improved this sector if they are going to continue to be a major player in the smartphone market.

Also that the 'App Store' is something that has played a very critical role in making iPhone a worldwide success and now the same thing is occurring in the form of 'Android Market' for G1, Nokia(being 'new' to open developer support for apps) can't afford to reach the standards set by the other two veteran smartphones(specially iPhone)


Source

NOKIA fashion 7610S "twin brothers" Arrive

This mobile phone is the Nokia Series the main type in low-end fashion model, a slider design are the 7610S its launch in 2008 of a mobile phone, a very avant-garde designs, blending the use of bold design, stylish appearance, mainstream function, beautiful appearance and a moderate price for them has won a good market sales. Recently I pass from Dixon's new seven-day direct electrical Net (4006607566) that China Mobile customized version of the 7612S, is the Nokia 7610 [buy quotation Taobao parameters] S of the "twin brothers" has been the arrival in Beijing, the current licensed price of 1699 yuan, as the only New 7610S expensive than 100 yuan, or is worthy of our attention.



Nokia products fashion positioning itself, this relatively high-end slider design of the 7612S, and before and after the shell user can replace the use of the mirror front panel design, gorgeous fashion show. Aspects of its use of the screen 2.0 inches with a 26W-color QVGA display, a resolution of 320X240, although the smaller screen size, but showed a clear and sharp, showing good results.



7612S Nokia multimedia player with built-in support MP3/AAC/ACC + / eAAC + / WMA format music player and so on, using an independent speaker, good sound quality. It also has FM radio, Bluetooth and other functions; photographed aspects of the back of its fuselage a 320W built-in megapixel camera, autofocus and support for AF with dual-LED flash, 8x digital zoom, can record VGA and an audio level short, the actual effect of a good camera.


Nokia 7612S


Nokia 7610s
Network standard
GSM(850/900/1800/1900MHz)
Screen parameters
240 × 320 pixels, 2.0 inches, 16.7 million colors
Product Size
98×48×15(mm),99g
Lens configuration
3,200,000 pixels
Ring with
64 polyphonic ringtones
Music player
Selectable ring tones, built-in vibration, download ring tones; support for MP3, MPEG-4, AAC, eAAC +, WMA, AMR-NB, AMR-WB formats
Video player
3GPP(H.263),MPEG4
Transfer function
Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth 2.0, A2DP, Data Line Interface: USB interface
Storage capacity
Micro SD, supporting up to 2GB
Standby time
BL-4S Li-ion battery, 860mAh