Friday, 25 November 2011
Monday, 14 November 2011
WIndows 8 Developer Preview
Windows 8 Developer Preview
Last month, Microsoft released a developer
preview of its successor to Windows 7, code named Windows 8. The big deal about
it, which can also be considered more of a necessity than a luxury in today's
date and age, is compatibility for the three screens-smartphones, tablet PCs,
and laptops/desktop PCs. The OS will be optimized to work on any device, and
supports touch. Plus, Microsoft has even added support for ARM processors,
making its span much more wider. The developer preview provides developers a
chance to develop the metro-style applications before the Windows 8 launch.
Our experience
We downloaded Windows 8 Developer Preview 64-bit version
from http://ld2.in/3q5 and installed it on a machine with Intel Core i3
processor with 2 GB RAM. Installation was similar to Windows 7, in terms of
user interaction and it took around 25 minutes for the complete thing, which
also includes user account creation. Unlike previous versions of Windows,
Windows 8 gives you two options for logon. You can either create a local
account or you can sign in using your Windows Live account. This is a nice
feature that has been added, which actually enables you to synchronize your
settings like shortcuts, application settings with your other machines.
We tried to login using Windows Live ID. After validation of
the account, it automatically detected the display image of the Live ID and
displayed it as user image at the logon screen. Once logged in, it displays a
completed re-defined Start Screen, without the conventional Start Menu bar.
Instead, it displays the Metro-style tile version of the Start Menu. These
tiles can be arranged according to your preference.
As it is a complete 360 degrees change in the Start Menu, so
you may not be able to find certain options like search and shut-down. That's
because to search for something, you simply have to start typing the name of
the application or file on the start screen and it will immediately search it
for you. The Shut down option has been placed in the Windows button on the
lower left corner.
The
Control Panel has been completely changed as well. If you will open Control
Panel in Metro interface you will find a totally changed control panel but you
can also open it normal desktop mode. Same is the case with Internet Explorer.
Windows 8 includes internet Explorer 10 which can also be opened in metro
interface and in desktop and in both the scenarios its interface is different.
Since the Windows 8 is also targeted at tablets, it has
Metro style apps that are tablet specific, like PaintPlay and Ink Pad. Also if
you are on the go, then you can use Near Me, which is an app that works on GPS
and will let you know about different places around you like adventure,
cultural, family time, etc. We're not sure whether this feature will work in
India or not, but it's a good thing to start with. Interestingly, once you've
opened an app, there's a roundabout way of closing them, unlike the famous “X”
box found in top right corner of traditional Windows apps. Here, you'll have to
go to Task Manager to close them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Download the Windows 8 Developer Preview - Direct Link
3 versions of downloads are currently available officially
from Microsoft on MSDN. If you decides to install Windows 8
Developer Preview, do read the Windows Developer Preview guide.
1. Windows Developer Preview English, 64-bit (x64)
Size: 3.6 GB
SHA-1 Hash: 79DBF235FD49F5C1C8F8C04E24BDE6E1D04DA1E9
SHA-1 Hash: 79DBF235FD49F5C1C8F8C04E24BDE6E1D04DA1E9
Direct Download
Link: WindowsDeveloperPreview-64bit-English.iso
Note: Includes a
disk image file (.iso) to install the Windows Developer Preview and Metro style
apps on a 64-bit PC.
2. Windows Developer Preview English, 32-bit (x86)
Size: 2.8 GB
SHA-1 Hash: 4E0698BBABE01ED27582C9FC16AD21C4422913CC
SHA-1 Hash: 4E0698BBABE01ED27582C9FC16AD21C4422913CC
Direct Download
Link: WindowsDeveloperPreview-32bit-English.iso
Note: Includes a
disk image file (.iso) to install the Windows Developer Preview and Metro style
apps on a 32-bit PC
3. Windows Developer Preview with developer tools
English, 64-bit (x64)
Size: 4.8 GB
SHA-1 Hash: 6FE9352FB59F6D0789AF35D1001BD4E4E81E42AF
SHA-1 Hash: 6FE9352FB59F6D0789AF35D1001BD4E4E81E42AF
Direct Download
Link: WindowsDeveloperPreview-64bit-English-Developer.iso
Note: All of the
following come on a disk image file (.iso): 64-bit Windows Developer Preview,
Windows SDK for Metro style apps,
Microsoft Visual Studio 11 Express for Windows Developer
Preview, Microsoft Expression Blend
5 Developer Preview and 28 Metro style apps including the
BUILD Conference app
Windows 8 has the similar system requirements with Windows
7:
- 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
- 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
- Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch
Windows 8 Developer Preview - Boot Screen
Windows Developer Preview – A Lock Screen
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Download Latest Songs
Last Update : 22 Nov 2011
Post Date : 13 Nov 2011
Friday, 11 November 2011
Latest Tabs in India
Current and upcoming tablets
The tablet market is like that kid in school who, at first, no one really noticed. Then, a year later he starts the school year a foot taller, with a new wardrobe, and suddenly everyone wants to be his friend. But, does he deserve his newfound popularity?
I really don't know. Personally, I've yet to purchase a tablet, and I've still not seen a compelling reason to do so. Still, millions feel differently and have already dived full on into the tablet sector.
Yet, every day there seems to be a new announcement of another manufacturer's plans to release a tablet. It's getting confusing and a little crazy out there, and we at CNET wanted to provide you with a snapshot of not only the current tablet landscape, but a look into the near future and how it's evolving.
We've compiled a list of all the major U.S. released current tablets interwoven with all the tablets yet to be released in the U.S. This list will focus on non-Windows tablets only for now. Enjoy, and if there's any other information you'd like to see on this list, let us know in the comments or via e-mail.
Look for this post to be updated frequently. The post date will be changed each time an additional tablet is added to the list; however, the date won't update for simple changes like price, release date, etc.
| Name | OS | Price | Release date | Screen size | 4G support confirmed? | Wifi-only version confirmed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Iconia Tab A100 | Honeycomb | $330-$350 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Acer Iconia Tab A500 | Honeycomb | $400 | Available now | 10-inch | No | Yes |
| Acer Iconia Tab A501 | Honeycomb | $329 w/AT&T contract | Available now | 10-inch | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Tablet 10-inch | Unknown | Unknown | 2012 | 10-inch | Unannounced | Unannounced |
| Amazon Kindle Fire | Amazon-customized Android 2.3 | $199 | November 15, 2011 | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Apple iPad | iOS | $500 | Available now | 9.7-inch | No | Yes |
| Apple iPad 2 | iOS | $500-$830 | Available now | 9.7-inch | No | Yes |
| Archos 70 | Android 2.2 | $260 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Archos 101 | Android 2.2 | $260 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Archos 80 G9 | Honeycomb | $300 | Available now | 8-inch | No | Yes |
| Archos 101 G9 | Honeycomb | $370 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Asus Slider | Honeycomb | $480-$580 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Asus Transformer | Honeycomb | $400 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Asus Transformer Prime | Honeycomb 3.2 (upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich) | $500-$600 | December 2011 | 10.1-inch | Yes | No |
| Asus MeMO | Honeycomb | $500-$700 | 2012 | 7-inch | Unannounced | No |
| Barnes and Nobles Nook Tablet | Android 2.3 | $250 | November 17, 2011 | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Coby Kyros | Android 2.2 | $170 | Available now | 8-inch | No | Yes |
| Dell Streak 5 | Android 2.2 | $200-$550 | Available now | 5-inch | No | No |
| Dell Streak 7 | Android 3.2 | $270-$450 | Available now | 7-inch | Yes | No |
| Fusion Garage Grid 10 | Grid OS | $300-$400 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | No |
| HP TouchPad | WebOS 3.0 | $100-200 | Available now | 9.7-inch | No | Yes |
| HTC Evo View 4G (Sprint) | Android 2.3 | $400 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| HTC Flyer | Android 2.3 | $300 | Available now (at Best Buy only) | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| HTC Jetstream | Honeycomb | $700-$800 | Available now | 10.1-inch | Yes | No |
| Kobo Vox | Android 2.3 | $200 | October 28, 2011 | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Lenovo IdeaPad A1 | Android 2.3 | $250 | Unannounced | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Lenovo IdeaPad K1 | Honeycomb | $440 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet | Honeycomb | $430 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Maylong Universe M-150 | Android 2.2 | $130 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Motorola Xoom 2 | Honeycomb | n/a | Unannounced | 10-inch | Unannounced | Yes |
| Motorola Xoom | Honeycomb | $600 | Available now | 10.1-inch | Yes | Yes |
| RIM Blackberry Playbook | BlackBerry Tablet OS | $300-$500 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab | Android 2.2 | $150-$550 | Available now | 7-inch | No | No |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi | Android 2.2 | $300-$350 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus | Honeycomb | Unannounced | Unannounced | 7.7-inch | Yes | No |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 | Honeycomb | Unannounced | Unannounced | 7.7-inch | Yes | No |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 | Honeycomb | $470-$570 | Available now | 8.9-inch | No | Yes |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 | Honeycomb | $480-$600 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G | Honeycomb | $530-$630 | Available now | 10.1-inch | Yes | No |
| Sony S Tablet | Honeycomb | $500-$600 | Available now | 9.4-inch | No | Yes |
| Sony P Tablet | Honeycomb | Unannounced | Fall 2011 | 5.5-inch (dual-screen) | Yes | No |
| T-Mobile G-Slate | Honeycomb | $300-$600 | Available now | 8.9-inch | Yes | No |
| T-Mobile SpringBoard | Honeycomb | $180-$430 | 2011 | 7-inch | Yes | No |
| Toshiba AT200 | Honeycomb | Unannounced | 2011 | 10.1-inch | Unannounced | Yes |
| Toshiba Thrive 7 | Honeycomb | Unannounced | 2011 | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Toshiba Thrive 10 | Honeycomb | $370-520 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Velocity Micro Cruz T408 | Android 2.3 | $240 | Available now | 8-inch | No | Yes |
| Velocity Micro Cruz T410 | Android 2.3 | $300 | Available now | 10-inch | No | Yes |
| Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet | Android 2.2 | $145-$200 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Viewsonic Viewpad 7 | Android 2.2 | $300-$500 | Available now | 7-inch | No | Yes |
| Viewsonic ViewPad 10 | Android 2.2 Windows 7) | $480-$650 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Viewsonic ViewPad 10pro | Android 2.3 (and Windows 7) | $600-$700 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Viewsonic ViewPad G Tablet | Android 2.2 | $270-$325 | Available now | 10.1-inch | No | Yes |
| Vizio Tablet VTAB1008 | Android 2.3 | $317 | Available now | 8-inch | No | Yes |
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Wearable Depth-Sensing Projection System Makes Any Surface Capable of Multitouch Interaction
wearable projection system developed by researchers at Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University, enables users to turn pads of paper, walls or even their own hands, arms and legs into graphical, interactive surfaces.
OmniTouch employs a depth-sensing camera, similar to the Microsoft Kinect, to track the user's fingers on everyday surfaces. This allows users to control interactive applications by tapping or dragging their fingers, much as they would with touchscreens found on smartphones or tablet computers. The projector can superimpose keyboards, keypads and other controls onto any surface, automatically adjusting for the surface's shape and orientation to minimize distortion of the projected images.
"It's conceivable that anything you can do on today's mobile devices, you will be able to do on your hand using OmniTouch," said Chris Harrison, a Ph.D. student in Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute. The palm of the hand could be used as a phone keypad, or as a tablet for jotting down brief notes. Maps projected onto a wall could be panned and zoomed with the same finger motions that work with a conventional multitouch screen.
Harrison was an intern at Microsoft Research when he developed OmniTouch in collaboration with Microsoft Research's Hrvoje Benko and Andrew D. Wilson. Harrison will describe the technology Oct. 19 at the Association for Computing Machinery's Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) in Santa Barbara, Calif.
A video demonstrating OmniTouch and additional downloadable media are available at: http://www.chrisharrison.net/index.php/Research/OmniTouch
The OmniTouch device includes a short-range depth camera and laser pico-projector and is mounted on a user's shoulder. But Harrison said the device ultimately could be the size of a deck of cards, or even a matchbox, so that it could fit in a pocket, be easily wearable, or be integrated into future handheld devices.
"With OmniTouch, we wanted to capitalize on the tremendous surface area the real world provides," said Benko, a researcher in Microsoft Research's Adaptive Systems and Interaction group. "We see this work as an evolutionary step in a larger effort at Microsoft Research to investigate the unconventional use of touch and gesture in devices to extend our vision of ubiquitous computing even further. Being able to collaborate openly with academics and researchers like Chris on such work is critical to our organization's ability to do great research -- and to advancing the state of the art of computer user interfaces in general."
Harrison previously worked with Microsoft Research to develop Skinput, a technology that used bioacoustic sensors to detect finger taps on a person's hands or forearm. Skinput thus enabled users to control smartphones or other compact computing devices.
The optical sensing used in OmniTouch, by contrast, allows a wide range of interactions, similar to the capabilities of a computer mouse or touchscreen. It can track three-dimensional motion on the hand or other commonplace surfaces, and can sense whether fingers are "clicked" or hovering. What's more, OmniTouch does not require calibration -- users can simply wear the device and immediately use its features. No instrumentation of the environment is needed; only the wearable device is needed.
OmniTouch employs a depth-sensing camera, similar to the Microsoft Kinect, to track the user's fingers on everyday surfaces. This allows users to control interactive applications by tapping or dragging their fingers, much as they would with touchscreens found on smartphones or tablet computers. The projector can superimpose keyboards, keypads and other controls onto any surface, automatically adjusting for the surface's shape and orientation to minimize distortion of the projected images.
"It's conceivable that anything you can do on today's mobile devices, you will be able to do on your hand using OmniTouch," said Chris Harrison, a Ph.D. student in Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute. The palm of the hand could be used as a phone keypad, or as a tablet for jotting down brief notes. Maps projected onto a wall could be panned and zoomed with the same finger motions that work with a conventional multitouch screen.
Harrison was an intern at Microsoft Research when he developed OmniTouch in collaboration with Microsoft Research's Hrvoje Benko and Andrew D. Wilson. Harrison will describe the technology Oct. 19 at the Association for Computing Machinery's Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) in Santa Barbara, Calif.
A video demonstrating OmniTouch and additional downloadable media are available at: http://www.chrisharrison.net/index.php/Research/OmniTouch
The OmniTouch device includes a short-range depth camera and laser pico-projector and is mounted on a user's shoulder. But Harrison said the device ultimately could be the size of a deck of cards, or even a matchbox, so that it could fit in a pocket, be easily wearable, or be integrated into future handheld devices.
"With OmniTouch, we wanted to capitalize on the tremendous surface area the real world provides," said Benko, a researcher in Microsoft Research's Adaptive Systems and Interaction group. "We see this work as an evolutionary step in a larger effort at Microsoft Research to investigate the unconventional use of touch and gesture in devices to extend our vision of ubiquitous computing even further. Being able to collaborate openly with academics and researchers like Chris on such work is critical to our organization's ability to do great research -- and to advancing the state of the art of computer user interfaces in general."
Harrison previously worked with Microsoft Research to develop Skinput, a technology that used bioacoustic sensors to detect finger taps on a person's hands or forearm. Skinput thus enabled users to control smartphones or other compact computing devices.
The optical sensing used in OmniTouch, by contrast, allows a wide range of interactions, similar to the capabilities of a computer mouse or touchscreen. It can track three-dimensional motion on the hand or other commonplace surfaces, and can sense whether fingers are "clicked" or hovering. What's more, OmniTouch does not require calibration -- users can simply wear the device and immediately use its features. No instrumentation of the environment is needed; only the wearable device is needed.
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