Magellan's waterproof Toughcase wraps...

Magellan's waterproof Toughcase wraps GPS module, extended battery around your iPhone

from Engadget by Darren Murph

7 people liked this

There are iPhone cases, and then there's Magellan's waterproof Toughcase. Priced at $199.99, it's actually just as expensive as a new iPhone 4 on contract, and double the price of an iPhone 3GS (which it actually houses). So, what does two Benjamins get you? Most would argue "not nearly enough," but argonauts may beg to differ. The case meets IPX-7 waterproof standards, enabling it to be submerged at a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, and there's also an integrated 1,840mAh battery that's able to "double the life" of your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or second / third-generation iPod touch. Moreover, there's a built-in high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS chipset for superior GPS reception, and nothing here prevents consumers from accessing the touchscreen. 'Course, the sex appeal of your iDevice goes right out of the window once you strap this monster on, and there's no official support for Apple's newest iPhone, but it's hard to knock the approach here.

Continue reading Magellan's waterproof Toughcase wraps GPS module, extended battery around your iPhone

Windows Mobile - Why Bother?

AdMob’s Final Mobile Metrics Report: Android Rising, But Apple Still Dominates Worldwide

from TechCrunch by Erick Schonfeld

3 people liked this

Mobile ad network AdMob (now part of Google) released its final Mobile Metrics report today (embedded below), at least for a while. AdMob gathers data from millions of phones and mobile devices which serve up its ad impressions, including almost 44 million iOS devices (iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads). The decision to stop disclosing the data may have something to do with its new owner, Google, wanting to assess what it wants to let out there, but it could also be tied to the fact that AdMob might no longer have access to any iPhone data since Apple is specifically threatening to block it.

Slicer3: Make physical site models fast

Slicer3: Make physical site models fast

from geo2web.com by geo2web

Making physical site models was the bane of my architecture school existence. The photocopying, the tracing, the hundreds of dollars spent on wasted reams of chipboard — I can smell the spray mount just thinking about it. Ugh.

I recently came upon Slicer3, a Ruby plugin for SketchUp by TIG that’s so useful and so easy to grasp that I couldn’t wait to write about it. What it does is simple: Given a piece of geometry, Slicer3 slices it up. You tell it what spacing to use, how thick the slices should be and which direction to cut, and it does the rest. For turning a piece of digital terrain into a physical model, it’s a godsend.

Take a look at what I was able to do with Slicer3:

Start with a terrain surface, then make it a solid (I use the Line tool) and group it.

Choosing X for “Slice Orientation” produces slices that are perpendicular to the X axis.

Specify your units in the Spacing and Thickness fields.

Entering the same value for Spacing and Thickness (and choosing Z for Slice Orientation) yields a traditional contour model.

Some things you should know about this awesome script:

• Slicer3 is free; you can download it from the Ruby Library Depot
• To install it, just drop it in your Plugins folder.
• This SketchUcation thread provides some nice discussion and examples.
• This Pushpull Bar post is also very informative.
• For this script to work, the thing you want to slice has to be solid (watertight) and either a group or a component.
• Slicer3 doesn’t automatically scale your model for you; you’ll have to do that part yourself.

And if that isn’t enough, Slicer3 will also (if you wish) lay out each slice on the ground, separating them by an amount that you specify. It can even number the slices for you. Can you say “laser cutter”?

Tell Slicer3 to lay out copies of each slice on the ground — and number them automatically.

One last thing: I thought it might be neat to try using Slicer3 on some 3D terrain from Google Earth. Here’s my attempt:

Start by framing a view in Google Earth. This is a section of Boulder Canyon, a few miles West of the SketchUp office.

Import a terrain snapshot into SketchUp and color it (because it’s prettier in color).

Make a giant 3D “crop box” that encloses the terrain you want to keep.

Use Intersect with Model to merge the box and terrain surface into a single, solid object. Then group it.

Scale the terrain object. I scaled by a factor of 0.005 to achieve 1:200 scale.

Use Slicer3 (this is the fun part).

The resulting stack of slices. Cut, stack, glue and enjoy.

On behalf of the entire SketchUp community, thanks for this script, TIG. A thousand architecture students will get another hour of sleep because of you.

Posted by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist

Report: Android 3.0 “Gingerbread” to ...

Report: Android 3.0 “Gingerbread” to launch in October, with hardware spec requirements

from EuroDroid by Gary C

Uh-oh, just when we thought the SPECTRE of fragmentation was beginning to recede thanks to the HTC Hero update and the emergence of Android 2.2 as a possible new “default” Android – news arrives of the upcoming “Gingerbread” update.

Speaking in a Mobile Review podcast – which has been transcribed by Unwired View – MR’s reporter claims the next Android will require a 1GHz processor if you want to operate the top-tier new release.

That’ll cause major RUCTIONS, if true. Here’s the full list of alleged “Gingerbread” features:

* Android 3.0 Gingerbread will be released in mid- October (around 15 -16th), 2010. First handsets shipping in November/December – for the Holiday Season

* Minimum hardware requirements for Android 3.0 devices are: 1GHZ CPU, 512MB or RAM, displays from 3.5″ and higher

* New 1280×760 resolution available for the devices with displays of 4″ and higher

* Completely revamped user interface. If you want to get a feeling of what Android 3.0 Gingerbread UX is like, check out the Gallery App on Nexus One. The same overall feel, light animated transitions,etc. Natively, through all the UI

* Android’s split into 2 branches becomes official. 3.0 for top of the line/high end devices. Cheap, low-end mass market handsets will keep Android 2.1/2.2

That lot might take some time to digest, so we’ll not distract you with an image beneath this. Read and digest. Links via Gizmodo.

Budget compact shootout finds the bes...

Budget compact shootout finds the best little digicams for your buck

from Engadget by Tim Stevens

24 people liked this

Sure, we all like reading reviews of high-end compact shooters, like the Olympus E-PL1 and Ricoh's transformingGXR, but, when it comes to actually putting down the credit card most folks go with something a bit more... frugal. So, Digital Camera Resource Page has created the 2010 Budget Camera Shootout, which includes eight cameras in the $150 to $180 range with tiny cases and 4 or 5x zoom lenses. Contenders include the Olympus FE-4030, Samsung SL600, and Canon SD1300. It's perhaps no surprise that the PowerShot, long king of the budget roost, comes out on top, but we won't spoil the rest of the rankings, which do include some unexpected performances, and should enable your buying with confidence for this summer's shooting season -- without blowing your budget.

New Droid X Forums Added – Side by Si...

New Droid X Forums Added – Side by Side Comparison with HD2 and EVO

from xda-developers by egzthunder1

Due to an increase in demand and a huge rise to popularity even before its official release, we have decided to add a forum for discussion and development of the much anticipated Motorola Droid X. The device is so impressive in the hardware department that we simply couldn’t resist as we see a ton of potential for it. The announced release date for this is expected to be July 2, but Verizon Wireless will be making an announcement on June 23 regarding its newest Android additions.

The device itself is Motorola’s answer in the “bigger, better, and faster” game that HTC started playing with the release of the HD2 (and that Apple has been playing since 2007). As it turns out, small screen devices did not cut it anymore for people who wanted to watch their movies, play 3D games without going cross-eyed, or see pictures in high def, so the manufacturers took the next logical step and made everything ridiculously large. Here is a side by side comparison of the 3 top large devices out there running WinMo and Android

HTC HD2 aka Leo (T-Mobile USA Version)

• Screen: 4.3 inches (WVGA Resolution = 800 x 480)
• Memory: 1 GB ROM / 576 MB RAM
• Processor: 1 GHz Snapdragon
• Camera: 5 megapixels with dual LED flash and autofocus
• Connectivity: HSPA/WCDMA, Wifi (N available with hack), BT 2.1
• OS: WM 6.5 Build 21889 (Stock)
• Other: G-Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, GPS, Compass

HTC EVO 4G aka Supersonic (Sprint Version)

• Screen: 4.3 inches (WVGA Resolution = 800 x 480)
• Memory: 512 MB RAM / 1 GB of Storage
• Processor: 1 GHz Snapdragon
• Camera: Front 1.3 megapixel CMOS camera for video conferencing, 8 megapixel back camera with dual LED flash and autofocus, can shoot 720p video
• Connectivity: 4G/WiMax, Wifi, BT 2.1
• OS: Android 2.1 (Stock)
• Other: Kick Stand, G-Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, GPS, Compass, HDMI Connector

Motorola Droid X

• Screen: 4.3 inch (FWVGA Resolution = 854 x 480)
• Memory: 8 GB Storage (rumors of a 16 GB version are floating around but not confirmed)
• Processor: 1 GHz ARMv7
• Camera: 8 megapixel back camera, can shoot 720p video
• Connectivity: 3G/CDMA, Wifi, BT 2.1
• OS: Android 2.1 with Motoblur (rumors of Android 2.2 are floating around but nothing has been confirmed as of yet)
• Other: Multitouch keyboard, HDMI Connector

Not an awful lot of information has been made available yet, but the device seems rather promising. In fact, the multitouch keyboard might open the doors for a whole new generation of input apps for Android (as well as for Windows Mobile). Has this picked your interest yet? If so, you can hop over to the new forums and add your two cents, share some specs or information, or simply speculate like the rest of us.

You can find the new forums here.

SanDisk intros write-once SD card wit...

SanDisk intros write-once SD card with 100-year lifespan

from Electronista | The Macintosh News Network

1 person liked this

SanDisk on Wednesday began shipping a new SD memory card for forensic applications. The SanDisk SD WORM is only available in a 1GB capacity, and can only be written once but read many times for tamper-proof archiving that might be essential for evidence in a court case. The card is said to be capable of safely storing files for up to 100 years....

Garmin GPSMAP 78s review

Garmin GPSMAP 78s review

from GPS Tracklog by Rich Owings

Hands on with the Garmin GPSMAP 78s

The Garmin GPSMAP 78s brings the first major update to the GPSMAP handheld line in over four years. The reason for it taking so long is that Garmin had a huge hit with the 60/76 series, and instead of messing with a winner, they turned their attention to new interfaces, which were introduced on the Colorado series, followed by the touch screen Oregon line. These new units brought the ability to add custom maps and aerial imagery, paperless geocaching, and high-resolution screens, but the latter made them less than bright (although the latest model, theOregon 450, has largely solved this problem).

But patience has its rewards and Garmin did well not to rush things. With the 78 (and the forthcoming 62 series, which shares the same interface), Garmin has married the best features of the 60/76 models, with many of the advantages of the Oregon line. Before we get into the details, lets look at some closely…

Digital Products - FalconView/TalonVi...

Digital Products - FalconView/TalonView Software

The National Geospacial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) replaced FalconLite 3.2.0 with TalonView version 4.1.1. TalonView is a Microsoft Windows based mapping application that displays various types of maps and geographically referenced overlays. Many types of maps and imagery files are supported, but the primary ones of interest to most users are aeronautical, hydrographic, and topographic maps and charts, satellite images and elevation maps.

New in TalonView 4.1.1 is support for GeoPDF formatted data files. TalonView also supports a large number of overlay types that can be displayed and printed over any map background. TalonView is a subset of FalconView that does not include flight mission planning components and threat analysis capabilities. TalonView was designed to be distributed to other federal agencies, first responders, and foreign partners so they may have a Windows software program that utilizes NGA digital mapping and imagery products along with applications for GEOINT data interpretation, scene visualization, and situational awareness.

NGA also provides the TalonView software on the SIPRNet and JWICS.

NRN: SFTWRTALONVIEW
NSN: 7644015739027

iPhone Apps - Show me the money

Lets dig into Apple 1B dollars paid out by iPhone App Store - how relevant is this number

from Communities Dominate Brands by Tomi T Ahonen

One of the numbers I told readers to look out for, in 2010, was when Apple will announce it has passed 1 billion dollars of App Store sales. We didn't hear that moment, but when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4, he did reveal that Apple has now paid out 1 Billion dollars to Apps developers. As Apple keeps 30% of the revenues, that means that as of June 7, 2010 - in a little less than 2 years from launch - the total revenues generated by all iPhone apps sold since July 2008 has now passed 1.43 Billion dollars - of which Apple has kept 30%, and paid out 1.0 Billion to the developers.

So we also heard that the total cumulative downloads had passed 5 Billion apps, so if we count that across all apps, we get an average of 29 cents earned per app downloaded. That is not exactly overwhelming..

Of course the vast majority of all apps are free apps. The conventional wisdom - based on no real facts but some gut feelings and very small smaple surveys, has been saying that 70% of all apps are free - and thus 30% of all apps earn revenues from the consumers who download them. That is now not supported by the facts from Apple.

If we map out app revenues against the 30% of all downloaded apps, we get an average price paid of 95 cents paid per downloaded app. That is clearly not reasonable where the minimum price of any iPhone app is 99 cents and many apps cost far higher levels like 3.99 or 4.99 or 9.99 etc. We had Chetan Sharma's calculation of the average price of a paid app to be 1.90 dollars. Yankee Group measured it at 1.99 dollars. Both of these were numbers effective March 2010. If we assume the average price is the half point of those two - at 1.95 dollars per iPhone app, that means that to get 1.43 Billion dollars total revenues, there were 732 million apps that were paid apps, and almost 4.3 billion free apps. Thus free apps would form 85% of all downloaded apps on the Apple iPhone App Store, and paid apps only for 15% of all apps.

Cyber-shot HX5V/B - GPS and COMPASS

Cyber-shot® Digital Camera HX5V/B

Capture stunning low-light 10.2-megapixel images and sweeping panoramic views with the DSC-HX5V/B featuring an "Exmor R" CMOS Sensor. Plus, catch fast action shots with up to 10 frames per seconds shooting. AVCHD Movie Mode (1920x1080 @ 60i) records amazingly detailed video and a 25mm equivalent wide angle 10x high-zoom G Lens allows you to take captivating images.

Top-of-the-line Lens
It all starts with the lens. Designed and manufactured to the highest standards of optical performance, the Sony G-Lens is optimized to perfectly complement the advanced image sensors and image processing technology in Sony's cameras. G lenses are also used in high-end digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras and advanced pro-sumer HD camcorders.

GPS and Compass
An integrated GPS receiver and compass record the location and direction of every shot you take and let you view your images on a map with compatible computer and internet applications, so you can remember where you took your favorite shots3.

1080i AVCHD Movie Mode
Record movies in 1080i AVCHD high definition at 60i9. The AVCHD format captures a high degree of detail and smooth movement, and when footage is burned to disc, can be played back on Blu-ray Disc™ players, Sony® PlayStation®3 systems and compatible PCs and HDTVs.7

720p MP4 HD Movie Mode
In 720p MP4 movie mode the camera shoots 1280 x 720 high definition movies at 30 fps, which is the format when working with a PC. Users will create high quality movies with full use of optical zoom in their Cyber-shot®DSCs in files small enough to transfer to compatible PC or Mac®. Once transferred to your computer you can effortlessly upload your media to popular photo and video-sharing websites such as Photobucket® and YouTubeTM. (Compatible computer with internet capability required)

Memory Types
Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick PRO High Speed Duo, Secure Digital (SD) Card, Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Card

Recent price $325

This article is damm good...

Top 5 Augmented Reality Apps for Android

by BINOY XAVIER on JUNE 5, 2010

The highly experimental and anticipated technology which we used to see only in Sci-fi movies is now a reality. Yes, we are talking about Augmented Reality ( AR ) which is something new and a WOW factor to the end user. Wiki says,

Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery.

For Augmented Reality to work and provide rich visual experience the combination of GPS, Compass, Camera and a 3G/WiFi connection is required. And with the existence of powerful mobile platform like Android things are much easier for developers to roll out more apps. Here is our list of apps that make use of AR technology which we believe has a promising future.

1) Layar

Layar is the worlds first augmented reality app and it uses Android’s GPS, camera, and compass features to display real-time information on the things you see and explore. Once you point your phone camera to the places in front, details are displayed on the screen. Be it restaurant, school or hospital you will get the info quickly. Developers created many layers for diff services and many more are in pipeline.

2) WikiTude Drive

Wikitude Drive is an Android navigation app that make use of the Augmented Reality technology to overlay your route directly on top of what is coming through your Android phone camera’s viewfinder. This app can truly replace your virtual tour guide and can be helpful for frequent vehicle users. Real time geographical data is spiced up with camera inputs to give you a visually rich experience.

3) TagWhat

TagWhat is basically a social networking app that make use augmented technology. It lets users to tag whatever they see in front of them using the apps tag feature. Once tagged your friends when visiting those tagged places will see the details while pointing their android phone to places in front.

4) Google Goggles

Goggles is Google Inc’s contribution to this emerging revolutionary technology. While the app is running just point your android phone’s camera to an object in front and capture. The app then uploads it to SnapTell server and image recognition backend compares images with available ones to find an exact match. A very useful and worth using AR app available till date we say.

5) Space InvadAR

Space InvadAR is the latest addition to Android augmented reality space. It’s actually a vision based game that make use of AR. You point the camera towards a high resolution image and the app loads the right game based on the image. Here for demo purpose they have used an earth image and a fun game loads. Watch out this app is a paid app and is costly.

Hope you liked our post. Do check out our earlier list post Top 5 Free Alternatives to Safari Browser for iPhone.

SmartPhone Market Share

Millennial Media: Apple OS Drops By 33 Percent In May But iPad Impressions Grow 160 Percent

from TechCrunch by Leena Rao

3 people liked this

Mobile ad network Millennial Media, which claims that its network reaches 82 percent of 72 million mobile web users in the U.S., is reporting that iPad ad requests grew 160 percent from April to May with global Apple ad requests dropping 33 percent in May. Apple OS U.S. ad requests dropped by nearly 14 percent month-over-month after an 8 percent decrease in requests in April.

That being said, the Apple OS is still the leading mobile operating system in Millennial’s U.S. network, with a 48 percent share of Smartphone impressions. RIM’s BlackBerry remained the second largest OS on Millennial’s network for the tenth consecutive month with a 3% increase month-over-month and a 19 percent share of impressions. Android’s share rose by 5 percent to a 15 percent share of impressions for the month of May.

Android total ad requests grew by 15 percent in May, which is slower growth than the OS has seen. Last month, Android saw a 77 percent jump in impressions, and a 72 percent jump in May. But the jump in impressions for Android over the past six months is staggering, with requests having grown by 338 percent since January.

Android Smartphone manufacturer, HTC received the largest share increase month-over month for the second month in a row with a 2.5% impression share increase in May, rising to the fourth spot of the Top 15 Manufacturers. Apple leads the manufacturing list but dropped by 10 percent in terms of device impressions. In terms of type of device, the majority of ad impressions took place on smart phones (46 percent), with Feature Phones seeing 35 percent of ad impressions, and Connected Devices, like the iPad, seeing 20% of impressions.

Millennial added a new measurement this month, focusing on mobile developer channels and trends. For May, Gaming apps placed in the number one spot and accounted for 58 percent of app revenue on devices. Social Networking claimed the number two spot and experienced a 124 percent growth on Millennial’s network since the beginning of 2010. The Entertainment channel, which placed in the number four position, has experienced the largest percentage of growth in 2010 – a 648 percent increase since January and is expected to grow with the summer blockbuster movie season. In May, of the developers who focused on a single platform, 56% were focused on Apple and 29% were focused on Android.

If Millennial’s numbers are accurate, Android impressions may be slowing down in terms of growth. Of course, we need to see another few months of slow growth before determining making any definitive judgements but it should be interesting to see if Android’s growth plateaus. The significant growth in iPad impressions is also significant as the device is growing in usage.

As one of the largest mobile ad networks in the arena, Millennial has been seeing strong growth, just launching aniPad SDK, and is now one of the largest mobile ad networks in the space. The Baltimore-based startup is growing; in February Millennial Media acquired mobile metrics and analytics firm TapMetrics. Additionally, the ad network raised $16 million in Series C funding last November.

However, with Apple’s iAd platform entering the mix, the mobile ad network space may be facing some significant changes. At the moment Millennial seems to be in a good place with Apple’s new iAd policies on outside networks advertising on the iPhone. But Millennial’s future may be in question if the network is looking to be acquired by a major tech giant, like Microsoft. But the FTC is reportedly looking into Apple’s iAd policies to determine if they are anti-competitive, so an big exit for Millennial could still be a possibility.

Smartphone Growth

Report: Mobile Searches Estimated To Grow To 20 Percent Of Total By 2012

from TechCrunch by Erick Schonfeld

This year, Sandler estimates there will be 374 million people with smartphones, increasing to 766 million in 2012. Consequently, the number of smartphone searches will grow from 157 billion to 586 billion (up from 35 billion two years ago). The comparable number of searches on PCs this year will be 1.3 trillion, growing to 1.6 trillion in 2012. Any way you look at it, mobile searches will become a significant portion of total searches within two years. But how much will those searches be worth? That is still a guessing game at this point.

Android 3.0 to hasten the end of cust...

Android 3.0 to hasten the end of custom UIs?

Android's Gingerbread may hurt HTC, Motorola

Google could put an end to custom Android interfaces with its next major release, sources said Wednesday. Android 3.0, also known as Gingerbread, will focus heavily on the user experience and is specifically aimed at reducing the need for layers like HTC's Sense UI or Motorola's Motoblur. As most core features were added with Android 2.2, the attention now is on having an interface with polish closer to that of the iPhone.

The insiders briefing TechCrunch on the subject didn't say what UI features would come with the upgrade, though most custom Android layers have focused on widgets or alternative apps for similar functions, like e-mail. Most of Google's changes have come through Android 2.1 and 2.2, where it added a home screen grid and later permanent shortcuts to the browser and phone functions. Other areas have received minor polish, such as a pseudo-3D gallery.

While it's doubtful Google would outright restrict custom interfaces, the move could potentially solve much of the OS fragmentation issue that plagues Android today. Proprietary interface layers have been the primary cause of OS upgrade delays as phone makers have gone several months before updating the OS or even skipped upgrades entirely because of the extra testing and compatibility problems found in Google's own updates. Despite Android 2.2 being available for the Nexus One a month ago, for example, no other Android phone currently uses it.

The uniformity of OS updates has been considered a strength for the iPhone, as it has kept virtually every device using the latest features; only iPhone 4.0 has started limiting OS releases due to hardware requirements. Android 3.0 may close this gap as it would have more phones using stock operating systems and should also reduce the dependence on core OS updates. However, it may also reduce the diversity of Android phones as companies are given fewer options for making their devices stand out.

Read more: Android 3.0 to hasten the end of custom UIs?

Tablets versus Laptops

Steve Ballmer Is Right: The PC Market Is Getting Bigger

Posted by Sarah Rotman Epps on June 17, 2010

At The Wall Street Journal’s D8 conference in June, Apple CEO Steve Jobs compared the PC to a farm truck, saying that when America was an agrarian economy: “All cars were trucks because that’s what you needed on the farm. Now trucks are one in 25 to 30 vehicles sold.” Whether you think PCs will shrink or grow in importance seems to depend partly on semantics. During the same conference, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer countered: “I think people are going to be using PCs in greater and greater numbers for years to come. . . . The PC as we know it will continue to morph form factor. The real question is, what are you going to push.”

Jobs may not view the iPad as a PC, but we do.

Our view is that the consumer PC market in the US is indeed getting bigger: Over the next five years, PC unit sales across all form factors will increase by 52%. In fact, desktops are the only type of PC whose numbers will be fewer in 2015 than they are today — and even desktops will benefit from innovation in gaming and 3D. We detail our findings in a new report, The US Consumer PC Market In 2015. Clients can read the full report on our Web site, but here are a few key takeaways:

1. US consumers will buy more PCs in 2015 than they do in 2010.
2. Growth will come from new form factors like tablets, but laptop sales will increase steadily also.
3. Tablets will cannibalize netbooks, outselling netbooks starting in 2012.
4. In 2015, 23% of all PCs sold to consumers in the US will be tablets.
5. Desktops aren’t dead. Fewer desktops will be sold in 2015 than in 2010, but in 2015, they’ll still be used by more consumers than any other type of PC.

• 
  

The bottom line for product strategists: Plan for growth in new form factors but also anticipate the continued relevance of “traditional” PCs, which aren’t becoming farm trucks anytime soon.

A HUD for a car. Uses a pico-projector

SpringTeq A HUD for a car. Uses a pico-projector below. You need the proper wind shield IMHO. An interesting indea... Tie this into the data port and things could get really interesting.

50% Of Android Phones Now Running OS 2.1

50% Of Android Phones Now Running OS 2.1

from TechCrunch by Jason Kincaid

13 people liked this

Every few weeks, Google’s Android team updates their Platform Versions page that breaks down how many Android devices are running each version of the OS, based on data from the official Android Market. Today’s it’s reached a big milestone: exactly 50% of Android phones are running 2.1, the latest officially released version of Android (2.2, or Froyo, went live for a small number of userslast month, but has not officially been deployed on a wide scale).

This is a big change since early May, when only 32.4% of phones were running 2.1. Since then, a number of olderphones have been upgraded, and the new Sprint Evo and some other newer devices run it as well.

So why does this matter? We’ve written pretty extensively about Android fragmentation, or the fact that there are many phones running older versions of the OS. The Android team contests the use of the word ‘fragmentation’, (one blog post actually calls the term useless because it has been used in so many ways).

But the fact remains that nearly 50% of phones are running older versions of the OS, and if a developer wants to make use of the latest Android features, they’ll leave a big chunk of the Android userbase behind. Case in point: when the official Twitter application was released in April, it was only available to 27.3% of all Android users.

Still, the tide appears to be turning. OEMs are going to get faster with their updates, and Android upgrades willeventually start coming more slowly, which will hopefully result in fewer phones getting left behind.

CrunchBase Information

Android

Information provided by CrunchBase

iPhone Armed With Facial Recognition ...

iPhone Armed With Facial Recognition App Lets Cops ID Perps on the Street

from picturephoning.com by emily

Law officers in Brockton, Mass., have a new tool for fighting crime: the iPhone. Using a new app armed with facial recognition software linked to a statewide database, cops can snap a picture of a suspect in the field and within seconds pull up that person's identity on the device. Popsci reports.

The system, known as MORIS (Mobile Offender Recognition and Identification System), will allow officers out on the road to identify those people who already have their face -- and, if applicable, their criminal history -- in the police database. It will initially be used by Brockton's gang unit, but will eventually be deployed statewide.

... Don't look for MORIS under the "Free Apps" section of the iTunes store. The augmented devices, loaded with all the proper software, cost around $3,000 each.

Advanced Ruler Pro Android App Measur...

Advanced Ruler Pro Android App Measures Heights So You Don't Have To

Any carpenters or architects reading this? Leave your measuring tape at home and download theAdvanced Ruler Pro app on your Android phone, which measures the height of buildings, people—basically, whatever you aim it at.

You'll have to enter your own height into the app first, deducting a couple of inches if you hold the phone at eye-level or chest-level. That way the app will know roughly how high off the ground it's being held, so can get on with measuring an estimate of the object in front of you.

It supports both imperial and metric measurements, first measuring the distance between yourself and the object, and then the distance between the bottom and top of the object. 99 cents isn't bad for what could potentially help you out in situations involving getting cats out of trees, or buying a new ladder for fixing that broken gutter. [Recombu]

New iPhone to trigger explosive growt...

New iPhone to trigger explosive growth in mobile gyroscope market, says iSuppli

Press release; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES [Thursday 10 June 2010] Monday's introduction of the iPhone 4 is set to trigger explosive growth in the market for gyroscopes used in mobile phones, as a flood of competitors vie to emulate the feature, iSuppli believes. The research firm forecasts that shipments of handset-use gyroscopes will reach 285.9 million units in 2014, compared to 26 million in 2010 and zero in 2009. Steve Jobs at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7 gave a dramatic demonstration of the gyroscope by playing a virtual game on the iPhone 4. In the demonstration, Jobs spun around on the stage, causing the gyroscope in the iPhone 4 he was holding to detect a change in direction, thus moving a piece in the game. The integration of the gyroscope in the iPhone 4, which is set to begin shipping on June 24, confirms iSuppli's forecast that these parts would make their first appearance in smartphones this summer. "Because of Apple's role as a technology trendsetter, a multitude of mobile handset OEMs are expected to offer smartphones that integrate gyroscopes," said Jeremie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), for iSuppli. "This will cause shipments to rise by 157% in 2011 and by 60% in 2012 and 2013." Handset makers until recently have shown little interest in gyroscopes, Bouchaud noted. However, the success of the Nintendo Wii Motion Plus video game console demonstrated the consumer appeal of gyroscopes for game playing. Meanwhile, InvenSense and STMicroelectronics have offered a cascade of new gyroscopes with two and three axes, making the technology more accessible. "STMicroelectronics is the sole supplier of accelerometers for previous models of the iPhone, as well as for the iPad and the iPod line," Bouchaud said. "Because of this, we believe that STMicroelectronics is also the supplier of the gyroscope in the iPhone 4. However, we will have to wait for confirmation from iSuppli's Teardown Analysis Service when it dissects the iPhone 4 in late June." The main applications for gyroscopes in mobile phones in 2010 and 2011 will comprise a user interface utilizing a gyroscope in combination with an accelerometer, followed by image stabilization and dead-reckoning for in-vehicle navigation, according to iSuppli. From 2012, gyroscopes will start to be used for indoor navigation in combination with an accelerometer, compass and pressure sensor for floor accuracy. By 2014, iSuppli projects the market for gyroscopes in handsets will amount to US$220 million. Source: iSuppli, compiled by Digitimes, June 2010

Media Metadata - Tools I use: EXIF Reader and MediaInfo

JPEG and EXIF

One of the major advantages of digital media is the attachement of digital metadata within the image. In the case of imagery, JPEG and its metadata header, EXIF, are typically the normal solution for organization as processing. For imagery I thing EXIF Reader is the one I prefer and I have used a number of them over the years.

VIDEO and ??

Video on the other hand is a jumble of formats and the sorting out of all the confusions of COTS handicam and prosumer systems with competing HD formats of essentially competitive slants on “standards” is litterally a pain in my Xss via my wallet's digestion of its hard-knocks. For me, MediaInfo, has allowed a number of lights to finally go on for me as I have wandered the waste land of MOV, MPG, AVI, H.264, and etc.

Exif Reader is image file analysis software for Windows. It analyzes and displays the shutter speed, flash condition, focal length, and other image information included in the Exif image format which is supported by almost all the latest digital cameras. Exif image files with an extension of JPG can be treated in the same manner as conventional JPEG files. This software analyzes JPEG files created by digital cameras. Exif Reader can analyze some maker-specific formats such as Makernote. This software can display the image information in more details than any other Exif analysis software. For details, refer to the operating environment. In addition to the Exif format, Exif Reader is applicable to the TIFF/EP format supported by CANON EOS D Series and Kodak digital cameras for professionals, the NSK-TIFF format by the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, the TIFF-FX format for FAX by Xerox, and many other special image formats. High-performance Image Viewer which contained ExifReader technology Public beta version released! File format MakerNote EXIF(all versions) NSK-TIFF(IPTC/NAA) TIFF/EP TIFF-FX AdobeResource PSD(PhotoshopImage) NEF(Nikon CCDRAW) CRW(Canon CCDRAW) MRW(Minolta CCDRAW) ORF(Olympus CCDRAW) //Makernote// Olympus EPSON SANYO RICOH Nikon COOLPIX Nikon D1 CASIO Canon Toshiba FUJIFILM KODAK KONICA SONY Minolta PENTAX KYOCERA PANASONIC This software is a freeware. It may not be reengineered or disassembled without prior permission from the author. Before redistributing it to Internet sites, books, magazines, or any other media, please contact the author. The author assumes no responsibility for effects resulting from the use of this software. E-Mail : ryuuji@takenet.or.jp What is MediaInfo? MediaInfo supplies technical and tag information about a video or audio file. It is free software (free of charge and free access to source code: GPL or LGPL licence) Download it! (version 0.7.33, Graphical User Interface with installer, for Windows, 32 bits, 1.7 MB) () Other versions (packaging, OS, interface...) are also available ( ) You can see change log You can donate to support further development. MediaInfo is supported by What information can I get from MediaInfo?

General: title, author, director, album, track number, date, duration...

Video: codec, aspect, fps, bitrate...

Audio: codec, sample rate, channels, language, bitrate...

Text: language of subtitle

Chapters: number of chapters, list of chapters

What format (container) does MediaInfo support?

Video: MKV, OGM, AVI, DivX, WMV, QuickTime, Real, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DVD (VOB)...

(Codecs: DivX, XviD, MSMPEG4, ASP, H.264, AVC...)

Audio: OGG, MP3, WAV, RA, AC3, DTS, AAC, M4A, AU, AIFF...

Subtitles: SRT, SSA, ASS, SAMI...

What can I do with it?

Read many video and audio file formats

Different methods of viewing information (text, sheet, tree, HTML...)

You can customise these views

Exporting information as text, CSV, HTML...

Graphical Interface, Command Line, or DLL

Integration with MS-Windows shell (drag 'n' drop, and Context menu)

Internationalisation: Any language display on any version of your operating system

Localisation capability (but volunteers needed)