Nokia XL announced at MWC 2014 : Nokia’s Android Vision in a 5-inch phablet

While everyone believed that Nokia will be announcing one Android phone, the company took MWC by surprise with three Android-based phones. The Nokia X and X+ are the 4-inch budget phones, while the Nokia XL is the 5-inch phablet version of Nokia’s Android reworking.

Just like its smaller siblings, the Nokia XL will be available in dual-SIM configuration in Q2 this year and thanks to the larger display and better camera, it sports a higher 109 euros price tag. Officially, the Nokia XL will run the Nokia X software platform that’s based on Android Open Source Project, with Microsoft and Nokia services baked in, instead of Google’s services.

The 5-inch IPS display might sound good, but it has a lowly WVGA resolution of 800×480 pixels, which might just be a tad too low-res for a display this size. We’ll have to see it in person, before making any judgment though.

Just like the other X phones, the XL boasts the Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1GHz processor, but it gets 768 MB of RAM, along with the 4GB internal storage. There’s also the provision for a microSD card slot. It gets a 2-megapixel front-facing camera along with a 5-megapixel primary shooter, which also has an LED flash.

In terms of connectivity options, the XL gets Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G for cellular connectivity. The 2000 mAh battery is removable and is rated for 16 hours of talk time on 2G and 13 hours on 3G, along with a standby time of 30 days.

Users can sideload apps, and get access to third-party app stores and Nokia’s own store. You will find Microsoft essentials such as Skype, Outlook and OneDrive on the Nokia XL, while search is powered by Bing. Users will get one month of free Skype calls to mobiles and landlines when they purchase the Nokia XL.

Outernet Era – World without Internet!

Outernet is the latest phenomenon that is going to take the world by storm. This technology which is being built by Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), is expected to change the way we communicate, interact and interconnect with millions of users worldwide. This transition is aimed at restructuring and transforming the locked barriers of Internet and provide an open user-populated network of information that will be available free of cost. Outernet is built by a team comprising of Aaron Rogers, Branko Vukelic, Edward Birrane and Syed Karim.

The Internet as you know, is a collection of interconnected computers and users who connect to World Wide Web. This forms a matrix of connectivity that includes multiple peripheral and subsidiary services, hardware and technologies. This includes entities such as server farms, Internet service providers, routers and many more. Outernet aims at breaking this conventional method of relying on paid services and providing free unlimited data and information for users. This is achieved by the use of a combination of:

·         Long range Wifi multicasting

·         Low altitude satellite constellations

·         End users with wifi enabled feature phones, smart devices etc.

The concept of outernet is simple and straightforward. Outernet will deploy huge arrays of satellite constellations which will work in unison to receive and transmit data to local ground units. The ground units will consist of multiple stations that will receive, distribute and transmit data from and to the satellites. The transmission medium will be long range low frequency Wi-Fi signals. Though Wi-Fi is currently used for connectivity in a closed environment, Outernet aims at utilizing the possibility of using this for long range data transmission.

The conventional Wi-Fi technology uses IEEE 802.11 standards that ensure up to 20 feet distance inside buildings. This technique provides a data transfer rate of 2.4 Ghz to 5.6 Ghz. Outernet aims at using lower frequency Wi-Fi signals which will allow signals to be sent across longer distances (>10) and thereby ensure a reliable communication path between satellites and  users on earth.

Low-frequency high-range Wi-Fi signals have the following qualities:

·         Higher penetration power (Obstacle penetration)

·         Higher transmission range without attenuation

·         Ability to get unlicensed Spectrum

These additional advantages of low frequency wi-fi signals make it the best suitable solution for Outernet technology. Along with the ease of implementation and lower set up cost(than conventional low frequency transmission antennas), researchers have come to the conclusion that Outernet can work flawlessly with the use of long range wi-fi transmission.

Outernet will act as a large scale broadcasting platform of interconnected users who share free data. They are in the process of discussing the terms with NASA for utilizing the International Space Station (ISS) for their deployment. The team is optimistic about providing free, “priceless” network connectivity and data access to everyone on earth by 2015. Outernet is a wonderful innovative and revolutionary technology that will transform the way we communicate, collaborate and evolve.

MYO GESTURE CONTROL ARMBAND

Forget camera-based gesture controls — if you want complete control wherever you are, you need something like the Myo Gesture Control Armband  ($150). This innovative new input device communicates with your Mac, PC, phone or tablet over Bluetooth 4.0, and uses proprietary muscle sensors as well as a 6-axis motion sensor to track your movement. The muscle sensors are advanced enough that it can detect changes in gestures down to the individual finger, and because your muscles pick up the signal to move before they actually do, you may see it respond to your movements before you even move. 

10 Programming Languages You Should Learn in 2014

The tech sector is booming. If you've used a smartphone or logged on to a computer at least once in the last few years, you've probably noticed this.

As a result, coding skills are in high demand, with programming jobs paying significantly more than the average position. Even beyond the tech world, an understanding of at least one programming language makes an impressive addition to any resumé.

1. Java

What it is: Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems in the 1990s. It's one of the most in-demand programming languages, a standard for enterprise software, web-based content, games and mobile apps, as well as the Android operating system. Java is designed to work across multiple software platforms, meaning a program written on Mac OS X, for example, could also run on Windows.

2. C Language

What it is: A general-purpose, imperative programming language developed in the early '70s, C is the oldest and most widely used language, providing the building blocks for other popular languages, such as C#, Java, JavaScript and Python. C is mostly used for implementing operating systems and embedded applications.

Because it provides the foundation for many other languages, it is advisable to learn C (and C++) before moving on to others.

 3. C++

What it is: C++ is an intermediate-level language with object-oriented programming features, originally designed to enhance the C language. C++ powers major software like Firefox, Winamp and Adobe programs. It's used to develop systems software, application software, high-performance server and client applications and video games.

4. C#

What it is: Pronounced "C-sharp," C# is a multi-paradigm language developed by Microsoft as part of its .NET initiative. Combining principles from C and C++, C# is a general-purpose language used to develop software for Microsoft and Windows platforms.

5. Objective-C

What it is: Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language used by the Apple operating system. It powers Apple's OS X and iOS, as well as its APIs, and can be used to create iPhone apps, which has generated a huge demand for this once-outmoded programming language.

6. PHP

What it is: PHP (Hypertext Processor) is a free, server-side scripting language designed for dynamic websites and app development. It can be directly embedded into an HTMLsource document rather than an external file, which has made it a popular programming language for web developers. PHP powers more than 200 million websites, including Wordpress, Digg and Facebook.

7. Python

What it is: Python is a high-level, server-side scripting language for websites and mobile apps. It's considered a fairly easy language for beginners due to its readability and compact syntax, meaning developers can use fewer lines of code to express a concept than they would in other languages. It powers the web apps for Instagram, Pinterest and Rdio through its associated web framework, Django, and is used by Google, Yahoo! And NASA.

8. Ruby

What it is: A dynamic, object-oriented scripting language for developing websites and mobile apps, Ruby was designed to be simple and easy to write. It powers the Ruby on Rails (or Rails) framework, which is used on Scribd, GitHub, Groupon and Shopify. Like Python, Ruby is considered a fairly user-friendly language for beginners.

9. JavaScript

What it is: JavaScript is a client and server-side scripting language developed by Netscape that derives much of its syntax from C. It can be used across multiple web browsers and is considered essential for developing interactive or animated web functions. It is also used in game development and writing desktop applications. JavaScript interpreters are embedded in Google's Chrome extensions, Apple's Safari extensions, Adobe Acrobat and Reader, and Adobe's Creative Suite.

Welcome to iPhone 5s

Apple launched its new smartphones, iPhone 5s and 5c. The smartphone giant has included a biometric device in iPhone 5s called Touch ID, which is a fingerprint sensor that allows users to unlock their iPhone or authenticate downloads from App Store, iTunes or iBooks, by simply placing their finger on the device.

The implementation of a biometric device in the iPhone 5S is a very interesting functionality. This functionality allows users to make payments safely on  iTunes or on other secure websites.

With the improvement in technology, biometric systems have evolved significantly in recent years and, as we can see, a fingerprint sensor today could be a strong system that is straightforward to bypass . This solution may seem to be out of a 007 film but duplicate fingerprints or a finger that is cut off from owner, are classical techniques to crack a control system based on fingerprint technology. Some cars like the Mercedes S-class have biometric systems, although you can bypass security using an amputated finger. I know it sounds morbid, but there have been incidents of car thefts in Malaysia using amputated fingers.

So, is it possible to surround Touch ID using a fake finger or a cut off finger silicone fake? The answer to this question is quite simple. No, it is not possible. Apple is not the first company to design a robust fingerprint sensor that is able to “avoid dead fingers”.  In fact, for years, many firms using security systems, use technologies that are able to detect blood flow in a finger (or hand). This way, the system can confirm whether the finger on the reader actually belongs to a living person (heart rate, temperature, etc.).

In the case of the iPhone 5S, no checking or transaction is done with an image or probing finger temperature. Here, the technology is based on a capacitive sensor that is able to detect the layers of our skin and generate a reliable map of our footprint and their reaction to an electromagnetic field (which is employed to observe skin layers).

Obviously, if we use our finger on a silicone that mimics the footprint of another, Touch ID will not work because the layer structure of our skin will not match the owner of the device (although we have a good replica of the fingerprint).

In short, if you distrusted the fingerprint sensor of iPhone 5S and feared the worst,  you can actually be calm and not fear you will lose one of your fingers.

The detection of “dead fingers” is something that has been in use in biometrics for many years and is not designed exclusively for Apple. But we must recognize that the Apple inclusion in a smartphone is a groundbreaking concept and quite original.

Reflecting on the future of such a system, I do not think it will be long before we see it in other manufacturer’s designs especially those who like to focus on providing their users with an extra level of security.

7 Ways Of Link Building

Link building is one of the most important parts of any good SEO plan.

1.Web directories

This is one of the oldest and most popular ways of link building.There are hundreds of web directories out there. A simple search for web directories on Google will give you a massive numbers of directories to submit your links to. There are two kinds of directories, free and paid ones.

2.Article Directories

A simple yet effective method for link building. Write and submit as many articles as you can to as many article directories as you can. This takes a lot of time and effort, but its well worth it. A link back from such a site can greatly increase your ranking and help you in SEO. If you don’t have time to write unique articles to submit, go ahead and use the same articles from your own blog.

3.Link bait Content

Link-bait refers to content that readers find so compelling that they go to any length to link to it and share it with other people. Its by far the easiest way to get thousands of quality backlinks that will grow on their own without you doing any work.

4.Citation-Based licensing agreement content

Its the link in the bottom of the theme that upon downloading it you agree to keep intact. Now imagine how many other people in the world might download that same theme, and you can begin to see the huge amounts of backlinks that could be created by that one theme.

This method is very powerful, as it has the potential to keep building links for you for years and years to come. You can do the same with articles, e-books, software, website templates, photos, videos, graphics and etc. To ensure that people leave your link intact, you can use Creative Commons Attribution system to license your product. It will make it illegal for other people to use your product without leaving your link intact.

5.Online Forums

Almost all online forums allow members to place links in their profile and also as signatures which will be shown alongside every thread you start or reply to. Although a link is a link, try to use forums related to your niche, as search engines tend to put more weight on links from relevant high authority sites.

6.Guest Posting

By guest posting on other related blogs and websites not only do you build links to your own site, your blog might also enjoy an increase in traffic, especially if the site you guest post on receives a great amount of traffic itself.

7.Commenting on blogs

While it’s been said that links from comment sections of phoenix don’t carry much weight with the search engines, none-the-less they can effect both your SEO and traffic. So, it is not a bad idea to build links by making relevant and genuine comments on related blogs whenever you can.

8.RSS-Submission

There are many RSS directories out there that you can submit your links to. When it comes to links, usually quality matters more than quantity, meaning a link from a high authority site matters more than 20 links from other lower ranking sites. But, since it takes only a few seconds to submit your links to hundreds of RSS directories using an RSS aggregator, it is ok to sacrifice quality for quantity.

9.Social Bookmarking

While link building with social bookmarking sites is almost like RSS directories, there are a few powerful social bookmarking sites that search engines tend to put a lot of weight on. Take Digg as an example, there are many stories where a link back from digg has moved a blogger’s blog from few pages down the search results to the first page of Google for the related keyword it was bookmarked for. There are many social bookmarking sites out there that submitting a link to each one would probably take you a whole day, thankfully, there are many good social bookmarker tools and plug-ins out there that will automate the process for you. Although, I would suggest to bookmark your links manually to at least the few top social bookmarking sites such as Dig and Stumble upon.

10.Yahoo Answers

Getting backlinks from Yahoo Answers can be a little tricky. Because of all the spamming, it is now harder to get links stick on Yahoo Answers. However, if you do manage to get a link or two from YA, almost instantly you will see a rise in your traffic and eventually your ranking. The best way to use YahooAnswers is to genuinely contribute and help as much as you can. Don’t answer questions just so you can place your link in it. Also, while no one knows this for sure, it is believed that backlinks from Yahoo Answers will only be counted if the question gets at least 10 or more answers. Regardless, a link or two from Yahoo Answers is definitely worth the hassle.

MOBILE CLOUD COMPUTING-The World On A Cloud

                      The cloud has been nothing short of a revolution in the computing world.if you thought that cloud computing was the next big thing, it’s time to wake up!

Cloud computing has evolved at such an alarming pace that it has gone mobile! It’s time to usher in a new kind of cloud computing- the Mobile Cloud Computing.

What is Mobile Cloud Computing?

Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) is a blend of mobile computing and cloud computing. It can be thought of as a further development of mobile computing and an extension of cloud computing.

MCC provides cloud based services to users through Internet and mobile devices. In MCC, the mobile device based computing, data storage and information processing has been taken up by the ‘cloud’ and this happens entirely outside the mobile device.

Why Mobile Cloud Computing?

Mobile devices have a wide range of constraints – from weight, size, ergonomics, battery life to heat dissipation from the mobile processors, etc. These constraints take a toll on the mobile hardware resources such as processing speed, memory size and storage capacity. Most of the applications in today’s mobile devices are resource-intensive and in most cases, exceeds the capabilities of the device’s performance.  In such a scenario, mobile computing can effectively harness the power of cloud computing providing virtually limitless processing power and storage capabilities with access to up-to-date databases.

Developers see this as an opportunity to make cloud computing a platform for mobile application development. By bringing up the computing and data processing phases into the ‘cloud’, the capability requirement of mobile devices can be reduced drastically. More and more mobile devices (including low-cost and non-smartphone devices) will be able to access the cloud, thus providing greater quality services to a larger span of mobile subscribers.

Working

Working on the backdrop of the cloud, MCC enables users to send service requests to the cloud through a web browser. The cloud has components that allocates the needed resources for the request and establishes the connection. Once this is done, monitoring and processing functionalities will kick in, ensuring quality of service until the connection is completed.

Advantages of MCC

The advantages provided by cloud computing apply to MCC as well. Developers and application managers need to have only a single instance of the application running on the cloud. This greatly eliminates the problems associated with different versions of the same program and makes the work of the developer far easier.

All users use the same version of the application and new updates can be made to the application without the user having to download the update.

The biggest plus is that application developers can run the same app in different platforms such as iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows.  As the mobile cloud provides computing and the storage, the need to develop and maintain multiple apps is eliminated.

Another area where MCC has been a real boon is in the social media market. MCC offers better integration with cloud based contents in social media and other sharing platforms. Apps having multiple user features can really help users to access data simultaneously.

The Future

With the advent of new technologies like HTML5 , CSS3, and cloudlets, there is no doubt that the cloud is going to play a very huge role in future application developments. Platform specific app development is going to be a thing of the past.

Mobile applications can greatly leverage on the cloud and provide a more reliable, scalable, and easy to use interface for the user.  Enterprises are sure to ride on this new wave as workflows become more mobile and fresh revenue streams start opening up.

GOOGLE "X"

                                     Google get underway as a web search engine company and  had stunning growth in both revenue and business, ultimately turning into the technology monster we know today. Some of their initiatives like search engine, mail services, maps and navigation are frequently used by people across the world. 

THE "X" FACTOR

                                     Google X comprises of a group of people working on radical and sci-fi technologies aimed at solving some of the challenging issues the world is facing now. Though much of the projects are still in their early stages, few have started their prototype testing (Google Glass project). The ambitious experiments carried out at the Google X facility, require generous capitals, willingness to take apart and redesign things and above all, faith in great quantity.

                                     The Google X secret research lab is said to be located somewhere in San Francisco. The lab is known to support advanced robotics experiments as well as new age conceptual experiments. The ultimate goal of all robotics related studies are a future towards a “i-Robot” like scenario, where machines will be able to work independently without supervision.

DREAM ON AIR

                              The Google X team has revealed a plan to send Internet beaming helium balloons to the edge of space. The technology giant released up to 30 balloons carrying antennae linked to ground stations, an ambitious plan aimed at providing Internet access to around two-thirds of the global population, currently without web access.

                              The first of the series test balloons were released near Christ Church in New Zealand around the 3rd week of June 2013 with around 50 volunteer households already getting connected to the Internet through their home PCs. The ambitious “Project Loon” termed initiative includes ground stations connected to local Internet infrastructure beaming signals to a network of solar powered balloons placed near the stratosphere. Signals beamed back from the balloons (using mounted transmitter) will be caught by the consumer household antennae. Google X has reported plans to extend the project to more regions including Australia, South Africa and Argentina.


go to our previous post : http://phoenixoperands.blogspot.in/2013/06/search-engine-optimization-seo-stands.html