Mobile that 'talks' to the visually challenged

Mobile that 'talks' to the visually challenged

  • 1.3 megapixel camera (1280 x 960) with flash and 6x digital zoom for quality picture taking
  • Print and share your pictures with Nokia XpressPrint
  • VoiceSignal'sTM voice-activates your contacts for hands-free dialing
  • Integrated stereo music player to listen to tunes on the go
  • Email with attachments
  • Easy to remove reduced-size MultiMediaCard (MMC)

It is widely known that people with physical disabilities have a greater ability of perception and feel than others. In fact, it has been time and again proved that people suffering from disabilities such as blindness, physical impairment and deafness have been faring equally well or in certain instances better than their normal counterparts. Such is their determination to succeed in life. The telecommunications industry has been making strenuous efforts to make communication easy for such people. In one such initiative, Nokia has developed a handset for the visually challenged people. The handset has been introduced by Rogers Wireless of Canada recently.

Targeted at the visually impaired customers, the Nokia 6682RVI handset incorporates the 'Nuance TALKS' software developed by Nuance Communications. This software transforms the Nokia 6682RVI handset into a 'talking phone' so that visually challenged persons can use the device without any difficulty. The 'Nuance TALKS' software converts the menus and instructions and other content displayed on the screen into audio output. The converted audio output can be heard through the internal speaker in the mobile phone. Alternatively, an optional wired or Bluetooth headset can be used to listen to the audio output.

According to reports, Statistics Canada had put the number of people with significant vision loss in Canada at over six lakh. Going by the projections based on the aging population, this number is expected to witness a surge over the next decade. 'Nuance TALKS' would enable such people to remain connected wirelessly, with audible instructions allowing them to utilise the services that the mobile phone offers.

According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), while technology can be of tremendous benefit to the people with visual disability, the true potential of the technology can be realised only if the devices are made affordable. According to the CNIB, gadgets such as the Nokia 6682RVI handset with 'Nuance TALKS' would be of immense value not only for the visually challenged people, but also to the aged persons who find it difficult to read small characters.

Virtual keypad comes to mobiles


Virtual keypad comes to mobiles

From housing plain old keypad that is still in vogue in most of the mobile phone models to the later versions such as QWERTY keypads, mobile phones have come a long way. Several efforts at simplifying the usage of these gadgets have yielded notable results. Among the recent entrants in the handset market are the devices equipped with touch-screen displays.

In keeping with its tradition of bringing innovative devices to the market, Pantech Group of South Korea has brought out a dual-LCD sliding phone that incorporates an OLED touch-sensitive screen. Instead of a conventional keypad, the new handset, called 'IM-R200', has an LCD keypad. As soon as the device is slid up, the virtual keypad is displayed on the LCD panel. This keypad is touch-sensitive. Users can dial the numbers and also view contacts with a mere touch of a finger.

According to the Pantech Group, the 'IM-R200' handset is different from the other touch-screen models available in the market, because of its innovative touch-screen and sliding features. The company says that the combination of touch-screen keypad and the sliding feature would make the usage of touch-sensitive keypad extremely easy and hopes that it would become the major input technology in the future.

Because it offers separate and virtual interfaces for every function, the touch keypad simplifies the usage of multimedia applications. For instance, a list of songs will be displayed on the LCD panel when the phone is used as a music player. Similarly, the camera functions will be displayed on the LCD panel when the gadget is used as a camera.

When pressed, the capacitive touch-screen of the new handset vibrates, thereby giving the user a feel of real buttons. The 'IM-R200' handset is equipped with a dual camera, comprising a 2 megapixel camera and a VGA camera. The face recognition function in the dual camera can recognise the shape of a face and adjust it on its own so that the user can get the best picture while clicking. The handset also includes a 2,60,000-colour, 2-inch QVGA LCD for the main display and a 2,60,000-colour 1.6-inch OLED LCD for the keypad. Besides, the 'IM-R200' includes 128 polyphonic ringtones.

GPS in a shoe

GPS in a shoe

The next time you want to keep track of the whereabouts of your loved ones, simply make them wear shoes... that is, GPS-enabled shoes. Whether it is toddlers or grown-ups, it is essential that their family members know their whereabouts. And what better way to keep track of them than through their shoes? Because, shoes are the things almost every person tends to wear.

GTX Corporation (GTXC), US, has recently introduced the Enabler IIG-A-GPS embedded wireless and location module in the company's GTXC Xplorer GPS Smart Shoe. The wireless and location module has been developed by Enfora, Inc., US. The GPS Smart Shoe keeps track of the whereabouts of a person's loved ones.

The quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) Enabler IIG-A-GPS module derives the maximum out of the machine-to-machine (M2M) and tracking systems that need real-time access to GPS or Assisted GPS (A-GPS) location information. The module consists of an integrated, high-performance GPS solution from Global Locate, Inc., apart from Event Engine and IP router from Enfora. The Event Engine and the IP router are integrated in the GSM software layer. This reduces time and cost, simplifies the design.

The Xplorer GPS Smart Shoe tracks the wearer's location and movements and transmits this data to a monitoring unit over the operator's mobile network through a secure Internet interface. Subscribers can log on to the website instantly, receive alerts or accurately establish the position of the wearer on an interactive map.

The Enabler II and Xplorer GPS Smart Show were on display at the CTIA Wireless exhibition in the US recently. The GPS Smart Shoe brings software, Internet connectivity and customisation onto a single platform. With the demand for personal tracking and location applications increasing by the day, the Xplorer GPS Smart Shoe is expected to become popular in the market by its sheer innovativeness and its advantages.

Intelligroup Asia Pvt. Ltd.


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Top 5 mobile phones

TOP 5 MOBILE PHONES
TOP 1


SONY ERICSSON W 800i

Outstanding features: The 'Walkman' tag already suggests what the phone is meant for.

The phone offers 262K TFT display (which means your brightness and colour display are much better), is a quad-band product (can be used anywhere across the world) with EDGE and stereo speakers.

Audiophiles will enjoy its excellent sound.

The phone's 2-megapixel camera boasts auto focus and digital zoom; it even lets you capture videos. The VideoDJ allows you to enhance videos, jazz them up and share them with friends.

Drawbacks: No shutter for the camera. Also, it does not offer too much value as an upgrade from the W800i, which cost a few thousand rupees less.

Final word: The quad-band, the excellent sound quality and camera make it a good buy.

Cost: Rs 23,500 (Maximum Retail Price)

Top 2

NOKIA N 90

It is a dual display phone with a 262K colour main screen and 65K colour external screen. It has a 5-way navigation joystick, comes with a 64MB Multimedia Card and supports RS-MMC (this means your battery will last a bit longer). There's also a 31MB of internal memory to get you started.

A 3G phone, it has Bluetooth, EDGE (which ensures those streaming videos run smoothly) and supports playback of media files in MP3/ AAC/ MPEG4 formats.

Drawbacks: The phone is too large to hold once opened. There is a slight lag in performance as it has a Symbian-based operating system. It still lacks an FM tuner and is heavy on the pocket.

Final word: The Nokia N90 is a good multimedia phone but is priced higher than competitors with similar features. However, with M-Blogging (mobile blogging) catching up, the N90 has a good way to go.

Cost: Rs 32,500 (Maximum Retail Price)

Top 3

NOKIA N 70


Outstanding features: The first model of the N-series phones by Nokia. There is no major difference from the Nokia 6680, except better design and a 2-megapixels camera.

The phone has a dual camera -- one in front and the other at the back. The front camera is a 0.3-megapixel one, and the main camera is a 2-megapixel protected with a slider.

You can also make video phone calls on this phone.It features an FM tuner and can play and record audio and video media files.

This is a 3G phone with EDGE and Bluetooth connectivity. Based on the Series 60 Symbian operating system, it comes loaded with pretty useful office applications. It's the ideal PDA-cum-cell phone.

Drawbacks: The miniscule keys make sending SMSs a pain. Moreover, the slider mechanism is not that great and feels tacky.

Final word: The N70 lacks any considerable upgrade from the Nokia 6680. So, if you are using a 6680, it doesn�t make sense to upgrade to this. Moreover, the price is steep.

Cost: Rs 24,419 (Maximum Retail Price)

Top 4

samsung d 600


Outstanding features: A pioneer in consumer electronics, Samsung has many good GSM mobile phones to its credit.

The much acclaimed D600 is now followed by the D820 -- a slider phone with 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and EDGE.

The bright 262K TFT screen displays vibrant colours even when you are using this phone in bright light.

The phone comes with 73MB of shared memory and a provision for expanding the same in the form of a Transflash card.

It can play music and video and the camera can capture images at a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels and has a 180-degree rotating lens.

Just like theD600, the D820 also has a television-out jack that allows you to display the content of the phone on a television screen after you use the necessary A/V cable.

Drawbacks: Though Samsung is the master of slider phones, the D820 lacks necessary feature

s like FM tuner. Also, for the price they are charging, it should have been a 3G phone (which offers much better data transfer speed when you are sending or receiving information).

Final word: The Samsung D820 is a fusion of immaculate style and function. With the 1.3-megapixel camera, coupled with 4x zoom, this quad-band phone is a good buy for businessmen and youth alike.

Cost: Rs 14,500 (street price)

Top 5 Motorola v3i


Outstanding features: V3i has always been appreciated for its sleek design and attractive colours. The latest addition in the Indian market is the pink model; many new colours are on their way.

It has a 256K TFT internal screen and 65K external one.

The phone is iTunes compatible, has Bluetooth connectivity and a 1.2-megapixel camera.

The 10MB of internal memory is not enough, so it has a slot for Transflash cards. The camera is a CMOS one with 8x digital zoom and is quite effective when used in the light.

Drawbacks: When opened, the size of the phone is too long -- it is almost like a remote control.

Final word: Motorola was criticised for the lack of an intuitive interface among their phones. But things have changed for the better with the Razr series. The V3i is a perfect blend of fashion, features and looks.

Cost: Rs 12,990 (Maximum Retail Price)

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Setting up shop in UAE

By Bassma Al Jandaly, gulf news
Dubai: In order to run a business in the UAE, the applicant should not be under 21 years of age.

If the applicant is younger, permission is needed from the civil court of the emirate where the person plans to run the business.

The UAE Federal Law allows expatriates to run their own business here and allows 49 per cent ownership. The rest 51 can be owned by one or more Emiratis.

In Free Trade Zones expatriate businesses are exempt from most of the requirements applicable elsewhere and can hold 100 per cent ownership of the company.

In Dubai, expatriate architects, engineers, management consultants, health care professionals, legal and accounting people can obtain professional licences in their fields and operate the firms with 100 per cent foreign ownership, but with an Emirati appointed as a local service agent.

The local agent has no direct involvement in the business and is paid a sum or percentage of profits or income. The number of staff members that may be employed in a professional firm is limited.

A foreign company may establish a branch in any of the emirates but a local sponsor or agent is required who must be an Emirati. The trade licence can be obtained from the Department of Economic Development. The partnership contract should be attested by the Ministry of Justice and the civil court.

Inspection

The Department of Economic Development will inspect the establishment's site. One needs documents for the licensing section including the rent contract, partnership contract and fee payment papers.

A photocopy of the licence from the Department of Economic Development should be submitted at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

One also needs to apply for membership of the chamber. Industrial companies require special licence from the Ministry of Industry. One also needs an approval from the industrial section of the Department of Economic Development.

The running of a bank requires approval from the UAE Central bank.

Practising trade activities like jewellery shops or insurance requires the submission of specific financial guarantees issued by a bank.

All commercial and industrial businesses should be registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the emirate where the company will operate.

Documents needed

- Partnership contract between expatriate investor and Emirati partner or agent must be attested by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce.

- Expatriate investors or partners should have valid residence or visit visa or visas from GCC states.

- Expatriate partners or the investor must be medically fit, and a letter to this effect must be obtained from the Ministry of Health.

--A work licence or labour card will be issued by the labour department under the name of business partner or sponsored investor.

--For application of an establishment card, the expatriate needs to submit a photocopy of the passport, photocopies of chamber membership certificate, commercial registration at the Department of Economic Development(DED) and rent contract.

- The documents include the copy of licences that the UAE national has from Department of Economic Development, photocopy of the attested partnership contract and a map of the location of the company and the stamp of the commercial establishment.

--For work visa applications from the ministry of labour, a photocopy of the worker's passport is required, including the photocopy of the licence from DED, copy of the chamber's membership certificate, copy of the signature endorsement card and copy of the partnership contract.

--In the case of companies endorsed by the Ministry of Economy and Trade, a contract copy should be attested from the Ministry of Economy, with copy of the visit visa and the original, specifying the profession.

- An investor's card is obtained after the investor's arrival in the country. A residence visa is then stamped on his passport.

- For obtaining an investor's card, two photos, health certificate, copy of the licence from the DED are needed.

Gitex faces competition

gulf news
Dubai: Gitex's glory days as the only tech show in town may be over.

While the tech fair has been the Middle East's dominate showcase of up-and-coming products in IT and consumer electronics, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which hosts the largest consumer electronics show in the world every January in Las Vegas, just finished sponsoring Hometech Middle East 2007 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

"I hope that we can create as dynamic a trade show here as we have in Las Vegas. That would be the goal," said Kathy Gornik, co-founder and president of Thiel Audio and a board member of the CEA. "I would like to see the two shows compete with each other for size, scope and attendance."

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA, said he'd like the show in Dubai to approach the size of the Las Vegas show in 10 to 15 years, adding the organisation's interest in Dubai was a "long-term investment."

Gitex, which will run this year from September 8 through 12 at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, is one of the top IT exhibitions in the world. Gitex also usually hosts a large number of consumer electronics vendors.

Welcome

Helal Saeed Al Merri, director general of the Dubai World Trade Centre, which manages Gitex, said in a statement that the organisation "welcomed CEA's announcement that it plans to expand its presence, because it reinforces Dubai's increasing importance within the international technology industry."

The DWTC did not respond to questions about a possible impact of a CES-sponsored event on Gitex.

Bradley Bennett, divisional manager for Plug-Ins Electronics said he did not think the two tech fairs would compete with each other since they are scheduled four months apart.

Bennett said his company was happy to see the CEA hosting Hometech, as Plug-Ins focused equally on both IT and consumer electronics. "The influence will maintain the visibility if consumer electronics in the consumer's minds," he said.

Sandeep Attri, a deputy marketing manager at Jumbo, said it would only be interested in Hometech if it became more consumer-oriented.

Bennett agreed saying Hometech would have a hard time developing as a consumer electronics show unless changes where made in its format. Currently, Hometech is billed as a tradeshow and does not allow consumers.

Gitex also does not focus on retail sales, but hosts the Gitex Shopper. According to the organisation, the 2006 Shopper attracted a total of 132,327 visitors in a period of seven days and reported sales of over $23 million.

Nokia 8600 Pictures Officiate Rumours Online



Rumors about the new Nokia 8600 "Luna" just got a lot more real now with pictures of the phone having surfaced all over the net. The phone is touted to have an "on-screen menu system, video & MP3 player, and 1GB of built-in memory. It's also likely to be sporting Series 40 under that sliding, semi-transparent hood.
The pictures of the 8600 have been posted, tagging it as the "official" picture of it in the mobile review forums. Other specs include a Series 40 OS, quad-band GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth, and a QVGA display.

Kick that butt with e-cigarettes

CNN-IBN

New Delhi: If you are a chain smoker and trying hard to quit then this story is just for you. Technology can now help you quit smoking. It's the world's first "electronic cigarette" that’s delivering controlled doses of nicotine to the user and ultimately, helping them kick the habit.

Developed by a company in Hong Kong, it's being touted as better than nicotine patches or gum. Scott Fraser, vice-president SBT, “It's like smoking physiologically. People are getting their dose of nicotine absorbed much more readily with our product than with the nicotine gum which takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get absorbed."

Sold now in China, Israel, Turkey, and Europe, the battery-powered ‘ciggie’ is yet to hit the United States. At $208 per piece, it burns up a lot of money than a real butt of cigarette. But then, who said you could get a techie ciggie for free?

“When a person goes to inhale, it activates a flow sensor which draws the solution from the cartridge in the atomizing chamber where it's vaporized into tiny droplets which then exhale," said Scott Fraser.

Almost 10 percent of China's 400 million smokers are trying to quit, while only 2 percent really succeed. Understandably, e-cigarette sales have surged more than ten-fold since being introduced in 2005.

NetD sees opportunity for its technology to be promoted worldwide

NetD sees opportunity for its technology to be promoted worldwide

D. Murali and C. Ramesh (The Hindu)

Chennai, May 19: Marking the newest update in the Indian tech M&A story, Bangalore-based privately held NetDevices (NetD) was acquired this week by Alcatel-Lucent for an undisclosed sum.

The company, which specialises in services gateway products for enterprise branch networks, delivers a platform known as a unified service gateway that is designed to reduce the cost and complexity of managing branch office networks.

“This acquisition will give an opportunity for our technology to be promoted worldwide through a very strong global player like Alcatel-Lucent,” said Mr Uday Birje, Country Manager and Vice-President (India and Asean Region).

Speaking to Business Line on the contours of the deal, he said that it adds value to NetDevices and bodes well for its future because the overall strengths of Alcatel-Lucent in various fields – like voice, wireless and telephony – provide an opportunity for NetD’s technology to be integrated with these, “thus meeting the future and current requirements of today’s enterprises.”

NetD was founded in 2003 and has 45 employees located in Sunnyvale, US (its headquarters) and Bangalore.

Mr Seenu Banda, founder and CEO, had said during the announcement of the merger that NetD “joins Alcatel-Lucent to complement its solutions, and to pursue our goal of delivering innovative products to a large set of customers worldwide.”

Mr Birje also said that he would continue to play a key role in expanding the business and opportunities with the new company.

“At the moment I am excited at the opportunity of being a part of a large global corporation and have not made any future plans.”

According to him, all NetD employees will be integrated with the Enterprise Division of Alcatel-Lucent. “This deal will be great boost for the careers of the employees in being a part of a large global corporation.”

Microsoft acquires aQuantive for $6 bn

Silicon Valley, May 19 (PTI): Software giant Microsoft announced the biggest acquisition in its history by buying digital marketing firm aQuantive for $6 billion in an all-cash deal.

"The advertising industry is evolving and growing at an incredible pace, moving increasingly toward online and IP-served platforms, which dramatically increases the importance of software for this industry," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

The acquisition, the largest deal in the advertising industry, continues the frenzy of interest in online advertising as companies try to corner a bigger piece of this lucrative market that is expected to continue to grow, said CNET News.

Apple gets go ahead for iPhone launch

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given its seal of approval to Apple's iPhone, clearing the way for the handset to hit the US market next month. "The iPhone has passed its required FCC certification milestone and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris told Reuters. US telecoms firm AT&T plans to start selling the iPhone late next month.

The iPhone was unveiled by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs in January and is expected to come to market with a price tag of USD500. News of FCC approval came after Apple had to quell rumours of a delay to the iPhone which initiated a USD2.8 billion dollar panic.

On Wednesday a spoof e-mail posing as an internal Apple news alert was sent to Apple employees, informing them that the release of the touch screen hybrid phone-and-music player was being delayed from June to October. It added that Leopard, the next version of the Mac operating system, would move back its launch from October to January.

Tech news blog Engadget, which is owned by AOL, posted news of the delays later that day. Apple's shares dropped 3 percent once news of the delays became public. The firm's stock price dropped from USD107.89 to USD104.61 in the space of six minutes as Wall Street went into panic mode.

Apple rebutted the rumour and by close of trading on Wednesday the share price had by and large recovered, rising to USD107.29. Kerris told Reuters the e-mail that started the frenzy was spreading false information. "That e-mail was a fake and did not come from Apple," she said. Confirmation of the iPhone's June release saw Apple's share rise 2.2 percent on Thursday, reaching USD109.70 in late afternoon trading.

While the FCC report spells good news for consumers in the US, Irish customers will likely have to wait a while before getting their hands on the iPhone. The Irish Times said on Tuesday reports that the iPhone media player from Apple may not be available initially in Ireland when it launches in Europe later this year, if Apple signs its anticipated European distribution deal with T-Mobile. The German telco, which has no relationship with any Irish mobile network, is believed to be the favourite instead of Vodafone to land the deal.

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