Spotify Launches in the US And We Have Some FREE Invites

Spotify has been something of a music phenomena in Europe, it lets you stream and listen to music legally and for free. It’s catalogue of tracks totals over 15 million with more being added constantly and we are happy to report it is now available in the USA.

You can use Spotify via an application on your PC or on your cell phone (there are dedicated apps for iPhone, Android, Symbian, Windows and Palm), though you will need to go for a paid subscription to use the mobile service. You create playlists of your favourite tunes and can listen to and share them via services like ShareMyPlaylists.comand expand your music repertoire by playing playlists created by people with similar tastes.

Presently it is in an invite only beta in the US but happy to say we have 48 invites to give away, if you’re US based and would like to start using Spotify leave a comment on ourfacebook page or down below and we’ll get an invite out to you.

FIJIT Friends targets the fairer sex

They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but we suppose that claim holds true only after the poor girl has been jilted numerous times, and got her heart broken for the umpteenth moment. This might lead to her release stress via retail therapy, but how many diamonds can one actually afford before scraping the bottom of the financial barrel? Why not settle for something far more affordable – but equally engaging and mesmerizing as a diamond (to look at anyways), which comes in the form of theFIJIT Friends?

This �54.99 pre-order are adorable to look at, where it boasts some rather realistic skin that can be ‘squished’ if you so desire, and FIJIT Friends will even dance to any tune which reaches their “ears”. Not only that, they can perform their own songs, make a joke, and even chat with you to help you chase away those Monday blues. Heck, they might even be more responsive than Fido with the ability to react intuitively to your voice, boasting the intelligence to identify more than 30 commands and responding with over 150 phrases.

Best of all is? You can shut down the FIJIT when it gets too yappy, where the same cannot be said of your best pal or husband.

Griffin and Dijit rolls out Android-Compatible Beacon Universal Remote Control System

The new Beacon universal remote control system is said to be able to transform Android phones and tablets into easy-to-use, never-lost remotes that will target home entertainment centers. This is the fruit of the partnership between Griffin and Dijit, where the latest Android-only version of the Beacon Universal Remote Control System will pair itself with Android-powered devices over a Bluetooth connection, where it will play nice with Dijit’s free Universal Remote App so that you are able to experience full and complete control over the entire home entertainment system straight from the Android interface.

According to Mark Rowan, President of Griffin Technology, “With the proliferation of new Android-based phones being announced each week, Beacon for Android was a natural progression for us. We look forward to bringing the most powerful and easiest-to-use remote control to the Android user base.”

Just how does the Beacon work? Well, it basically converts Bluetooth signals from smartphones and tablets into infrared signals that are the norm used to control consumer electronics devices. Beacon more or less delivers complete control over TVs, DVRs, stereos and other home entertainment devices to users, although you will be able to benefit from the flexibility of a touchscreen interface. Even better is this – since you lose your smartphone far less often than a couch remote control, this is one remote that I am quite sure you will not end up losing.

The Beacon will run off a quartet of AA batteries, and since there are no bulky cases or dongles, wires or cables to work with, setting it up is a cinch. All you need to do is pair it up via Bluetooth and download the free Dijit app for Android, and you are good to go. Just make sure your tablet or smartphone running the Dijit app is powered by Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread or greater.

Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive

If you are rocking to a Mac machine, then chances are you would have plenty of media stored on it, let alone data of your work and what not. Well, making a backup is always important as you can never quite tell when disaster in the guise of Murphy will strike, so choosing the right kind of backup medium is always important. Iomega’s got your back this time around with the eGo Mac Edition portable hard , where this new Mac-oriented hard drive range will offer plenty of storage alongside unprecedented durability, as it can withstand drops and still travel easily in a pocketbook or briefcase while looking dressed to the nines.

When combined with the recent launches of the Iomega Helium portable hard drive and the Iomega Mac Companion hard drive, Iomega;s new line of portable and desktop hard drives for Mac users seems to be complete. All three drives will come formatted in HFS+ for compatibility with Mac computers the moment you unbox it, making them the perfect addition for Mac owners, regardless of whether they are rocking to notebooks or desktops.

Coming in 500GB and 1TB capacities, the new black Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive will feature a couple of FireWire 800 ports as well as one USB 2.0 port that delivers fast performance and versatile connections. Not only that, you will also be able to keep your heart in your mouth since it will feature a Drop Guard Case that helps protect the drive from drops of up to seven feet in height – that is more than two meters when you think about it. Forget about lugging around a power adapter, as the eGo Mac Edition will not need any external power supply to keep it going. After all, each purchase comes with a trio of cables – USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and a FireWire 800-FireWire 400 adaptor.

As for the new Iomega Helium portable hard drive, it will also come in 500GB and 1TB capacities, sporting a solitary USB 2.0 port and a durable aluminum case. It also needs no power supply and will be equipped with one USB 2.0 cable.

Shared features include 256-bit AES encryption, the Iomega Protection Suite, Iomega QuikProtect for simple scheduled file-level backup, and MozyHome Online Backup for convenient online backup of up to 2GB free. Regardless of which model you pick up, it will come with a three-year warranty.

Cotton Candy offers Android on platforms other than phones and tablets

I myself am quite surprised (pleasantly, of course) at the progress that Google’s Android mobile operating system has made since it was introduced just a few years back. I clearly remember the first few Android smartphones from HTC that did not really do that well in the market, but over the years, things have changed a whole lot – and now, more than 50% of smartphones in the US are running on some version of Android or another. In fact, Google intends to bring Android’s presence to just about everywhere, and FXI Technologies’ Cotton Candy USB device is said to aid Google’s quest.

Basically, FXI’s idea is to deliver an ultra-lean computer that is confined within the physical limitations of a small USB stick. Using it is simple – as long as the device supports USB storage, plug in the Cotton Candy and you’re good to go as it registers as a USB drive. Once that is done, you are able to run the Android OS in a secure environment within your desktop, thanks to the presence of a Windows/OSX/Linux-compatible virtualization client that is embedded in the device itself.

Once the Cotton Candy is stuck into a computer, the Android operating system will appear in a virtualized window on your desktop. There is another positive to this particular USB key as well – it will feature an HDMI connector, letting you stick it to your TV and use Android on the big screen to boot. Of course, to take full advantage of this situation, you are required to have some sort of secondary input device, including a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard combo for you to get work done.

Just what kind of system specifications does it have? Well, for starters, there is a 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A9-based processor in addition to ARM’s quad-core Mali GPU and 1GB RAM. Seems rather impressive for something so small, where it is good enough to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. I wonder just how far the Android operating system is going to permeate itself across multiple platforms and devices, but the Cotton Candy is tipped to arrive only sometime in the middle of 2012 for $200 thereabouts.

Glass keyboard and mouse: Handle with Care

Kickstarter certainly has a lot of terrific things that I would love to see on the market, and this one looks like something that Apple would try to put out.

This is designed by Jason Giddings, and it uses Frustated Total Internal Reflection (FTIR) technology with an embedded camera to pick up infrared light reflected off the inside walls. I’m not certain what that means, but it is to insure the device knows where you are tapping.

By the way, the software that was developed for these particular devices is open source, which means you can have some serious user manipulation going on this. Also, this glass keyboard comes with a glass mouse, which you can see after the jump.

I suppose that transparent is the real aesthetic of the future. Perhaps we will soon live in a world where the display, printer, and all other computer accessories will be completely transparent.

You should be able to go to the Kickstarter donation page and give your money for this thing. They need about $50,000 to get things started. If you pledge $10 right now, you will get a chance to name it, and the winner gets one for their very own.

Source

LED Keyboard

Loads of programs have different uses for different keys, especially games. Wouldn’t it be really cool if every key was like a mini LCD screen and the contents of it would change depending on what program you were using.

Well the smart people at Art. Lebedev Studio are on the case and have a prototype. It looks pretty swish and will be on many gadgeteers shopping lists when it’s released.

You can be editing images one minute with 

then if you fancy a bit of fragging switch to quake mode 

Kingston urDrive changes the way you view USB flash drives

When it comes to USB flash drives, most of the time we would be wondering just what kind of improvements can be made to such peripherals apart from ever increasing storage space in addition to the data transfer speed. Well, Kingston has an idea – after all, they have been in the memory business for the longest time already, so why not leave it to them to figure out a way? Their latest brainstorming session has resulted in the Kingston urDrive, where it will turn your average USB flash drive into an active storage device.

urDrive will be a free pre-loaded application that will make its appearance on a range of Kingston’s DataTraveler USB flash drives, turning your average USB drive from passive storage mode to engaged, active storage. This will also enable consumers to easily access and organize your personal files, photos, music, games and videos. Heck, there will even be a built-in photo viewer and MP3 player that makes it a snap to check out your favorite digital moments, while rocking to tunes that bring back good memories.

Of course, all that feel good factor is compounded by enhanced security offered with Norton PC Checkup. This particular diagnostic tool is capable of scanning for virus infections that will include spyware, worms and adware, while performing checks for slow performance as well as potential risks to identity and data. The inclusion of urDrive will also further enhance the digital experience with the Maxthon 3 Web browser. I know, I haven’t heard of Maxthon 3 myself before, but it is said to boast industry-leading startup and rendering speeds, while sporting an architecture which delivers users a truly portable, safe browsing experience. You can basically browse on public computers while ensuring all temporary files, history and cookies are stored on your flash drive and not on the computer itself.

At first, urDrive will be available as a free, pre-loaded application that can be found on Kingston�s entry-level DataTraveler 101G2, 108 and 109 USB flash drives, with the DTIG3 getting it sometime down the road as well, coming in capacities ranging from 4GB to 32GB.

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music specifications

As the days are passing, technology as not letting any stone in its direction unturned, and yesNOKIA 5800 Xpress Music is another example for this.!!!


Here are main features of Nokia 5800 Xpress Music highlighted:

Software platform and user interface

• S60 5th edition
• Symbian OS version 9.4
• Active standby
• Media Bar
• Contacts bar

Music and audio playback

• Nokia Nseries digital music player
  - Playlists
  - 8-band graphical equalizer
  - selection by artist, composers, album and genre
  album graphics display and audio visualisations
  bass booster, stereo widening, loudness
• Music playback file formats: .mp3, SpMidi, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA
• Dedicated volume keys & immediate access to Music Player from Media Bar, dedicated music keys in the headset control unit AD-54
• Stereo FM radio
• 3.5 mm Nokia AV connector
• Music Player
• Nokia Music Manager
• Nokia Music Store support
• Nokia Podcasting support
• Ring tones: 3D stereo ring tones, 64-tone polyphonic, mp3 & video ring tones (3 videos and 9 mp3 songs built-in)
• Integrated stereo speakers with surround sound (crystal clear hi-fi sound quality with dedicated audio chip)

Photography

• 3.2 megapixel camera (2048 x 1536 pixels)
• Image formats: JPEG
• Carl Zeiss optics
• 3x digital zoom
• Autofocus
• Dual LED flash
• Flash modes: On, off, automatic, red-eye reduction
• White balance modes: automatic, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent
• Centre weighted auto exposure; exposure compensation: +2 ~ -2EV at 0.5 step
• Normal, Sepia, Black&White, Vivid, Negative
• Dedicated camera key
• Landscape (horizontal) orientation
• Photo editor on device
• Direct printing to compatible picture printers

Memory

• MicroSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 16 GB
• 81 MB internal memory
• 8GB microSD memory card in-box, expandable up to 16GB

To read about detailed specification visit NOKIA 5800 Xpress Music website

CONTENT SOURCE : http://www.nokia.co.in/A41273063

Microsoft Kinect Motion Sensor With XBOX 360

Isn't This Awesome...

Now lets go into the details.:


The Kinect sensor is a horizontal bar connected to a small base with a motorized pivot, and is designed to be positioned lengthwise below the video display. The device features an "RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software", which provides full-body 3D motion capture, facial recognition, and voice recognition capabilities. Voice recognition capabilities will be available in Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States at launch, but have been postponed until spring 2011 in mainland Europe and Canada. The Kinect sensor's microphone array enables the Xbox 360 to conduct acoustic source localization and ambient noise suppression, allowing for things such as headset-free party chat over Xbox Live.



The depth sensor consists of an infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor, and allows the Kinect sensor to see in 3D under any ambient light conditions. The sensing range of the depth sensor is adjustable, with the Kinect software capable of automatically calibrating the sensor based on gameplay and the player's physical environment, such as the presence of furniture.

Kinect is based on software technology developed internally by Microsoft and range camera technology by Israeli developer PrimeSense, which interprets 3D scene information from a continuously-projected infrared pattern.

Described by Microsoft personnel as the primary innovation of Kinect, the software technology enables advanced gesture recognition, facial recognition, and voice recognition. According to information supplied to retailers, the Kinect is capable of simultaneously tracking up to six people, including two active players for motion analysis with a feature extraction of 20 joints per player.

According to information supplied to retailers, the Kinect sensor outputs video at a frame rate of 30 Hz, with the RGB video stream at 32-bit color VGA resolution (640×480 pixels), and the monochrome video stream used for depth sensing at 16-bit QVGA resolution (320×240 pixels with 65,536 levels of sensitivity). The Kinect sensor has a practical ranging limit of 1.2–3.5 metres (3.9–11 ft) distance. The sensor has an angular field of view of 57° horizontally and a 43° vertically, while the motorized pivot is capable of tilting the sensor as much as 27° either up or down. The microphone array features four microphone capsules, and operates with each channel processing 16-bit audio at a sampling rate of 16 kHz.

Because the Kinect sensor's motorized tilt mechanism requires more power than can be supplied via the Xbox 360's USB ports, the Kinect sensor features a special connector combining USB communication with additional power. Redesigned "Xbox 360 S" models include special AUX ports for accommodating the connector, whereas older models require a special power supply cable (included with the sensor) which splits the connection into separate USB and power connections, with the USB connecting to the console and the power being supplied from the mains by way of an AC adapter.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect

The question that remains is about its pricing.. There are some rumors that Microsoft is already planning to cut the price of Kinect gadget from the announced price of $150 to $119.

Let Gadget information know what do you think about this and what are your reviews of Microsoft Kinect Motion Sensor: