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Netgear WNR1000 wireless router launched in India

adhish — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:38:46 +0000

Netgear has launched a wireless router, the Netgear WNR1000 for an increasing number of home office net users or SOHO users.

The Netgear WNR1000 wireless router measures 223 x 153 x 31mm and weighs 500 gms.

The wireless router is compact and comes with a dual band connection with enhanced connectivity for net surfing, emailing and streaming videos and music. The Netgear WNR1000 wireless router will be available in India at a price of Rs 2,900 with a two-year warranty. The Netgear WNR1000 wireless router measures 223 x 153 x 31mm and weighs 500 gms. N100-1720-out01-op Features: * Provides better wireless coverage than older Wireless-G routers * Extra performance boost when connected to Wireless-N devices * Surf, email, stream music, play on-line games, and make Internet phone calls * Push ‘N’ Connect can securely connect devices at the push of a button * Advanced wireless technologies and powerful internal antennas generate better speed and range than Wireless-G Pricing and Availability : NETGEAR’s WNR1000 RangeMax 150 Wireless Router is now available in India through authorized distributors –Rashi Peripherals & Ingram Micro with a list price of Rs.2950/- and is backed by 2 years warranty.

Nokia:charge cell phones by using ambient radio waves

adhish — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:31:29 +0000

Nokia says that in a few years time, they will be able to charge cell phones by using ambient radio waves. This intriguing and exciting technology could lead to huge reductions in energy demand if every cell phone could pull a charge of juice out of thin air. Researchers at the Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge in the UK are working hard on a technology that can harvest small amounts of energy from ambient radio and TV waves. The cell phone would pick up radio wave frequencies as low as 500 megahertz up to 10 gigahertz, which includes television broadcasts, microwave ovens, mobile phones, wireless LAN, bluetooth, GPS, and two-way radios. In theory, two circuits would be capable of receiving and then converting the free energy to an electrical current to charge the battery of a cell phone. Hopefully, it would be enough energy to keep the phone charged in standby mode; although at first it won’t be enough to charge the phone while in use, or to full battery capacity. Markku Rouvala, one of the researchers who developed the device, says “trick here is to ensure that these circuits use less power than is being received.” So far, their device can collect up to 5 milliwatts of power, and their short term goal is to collect 20 milliwatts of power, which is just enough to keep the phone charged in standby mode. Ultimately, 50 milliwatts of power would be ideal and could help slowly recharge the battery. This technology could be applied to other electronic equipment as well. Radio waves could be used to charge MP3 players, handheld devices, Kindles, portable game players, etc. Nokia isn’t relying on this type of technology alone to power their phones, they are also looking at integrated solar cells to work in conjunction with this new development. Deployment of this feature in Nokia phones is still at least 3 years away. We’ll be standing by with our waning cell phones waiting for word. SOURCE:Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge

Carbon Nanotube Technology

adhish — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:02:46 +0000

Making nanotubes into transistors has been a painstaking process & this complexity is being removed by Carbon nanotubes material for making display control circuits because they're more efficient than silicon and can be arrayed on flexible surfaces. Now researchers at the University of Southern California have demonstrated large, functional arrays of transistors made using simple methods from batches of carbon nanotubes that are relatively impure. Today most of technologies utilized the proper array of transistors, as in the case of a computer or television screen, whether it's an LCD or plasma, are each controlled by several transistors. These transistors are made from silicon. Arrays of these transistors need to be made at high temperatures and in a vacuum, so they're very expensive according to Chongwu Zhou, an associate professor of electrical engineering at USC and researcher on the nanotube project. Now a days, advance technology takes new shape with sharp turn with carbon nanotube transistors, Many people use one nanotube to make a very small, high-performance transistor. "If we use one nanotube for one transistor, the yield will never be high enough" to work for large-scale manufacturing of big screens, he says. Zhou believes his approach will solve this problem by making larger transistors from mats of nanotubes. The USC researchers make large arrays of carbon nanotube transistors using solution-processing techniques at room temperature. They start by placing a silicon wafer in a chemical bath to coat its surface with a nanotube-attracting chemical, then rinse off the residue. The treated wafer is then immersed in a solution of semiconducting carbon nanotubes, which are attracted to its surface. The wafer, now coated with a carpet of nanotubes, is rinsed clean again. To make transistors from this tangled mess, the researchers put down metal electrodes at selected locations. The electrodes define where each transistor is and carry electrons into and out of the nanotubes that lie between them. Areas of silicon underlying each device act as the transistors' gates. So far, they've built a prototype device on a four-inch silicon wafer and used it to control a simple organic light-emitting diode display.

Bionic Eye

adhish — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:29:03 +0000

The research on restoring partial vision to totally blind person was presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. Study focused on 15 blind participants who had the implant for at least three months, 10 of the patients subsequently tested were able to identify the direction of moving objects. In this amazing technology, a new artificial retina, an array of electrodes implanted on the back of the eye to restore partial vision to totally blind people. An ultra-thin wire strengthens the damaged optic nerve; its purpose is to transmit light and images to the brain's vision system, where it is normally processed. Other than the implanted chip and wire, most of the device sits outside the eye. The users would need to wear special eye glasses containing a tiny battery-powered camera and a transmitter, which would send images to the chip implanted behind the retina. The new device is expected to be quite durable, since the chip is enclosed in a titanium casing, making it both water-proof and corrosion-proof. The researchers estimate that the device will last for at least 10 years inside the eye. The scientists explain that the bionic eye will be affective for individuals who once had sight, since their brain knows how to process visual information. The unfortunate people who were born blind do not have the neurological capability to process the data received via the wire. Furthermore, the optic nerve must be at least partly functional. Otherwise, the data will not be fully processed. For many individuals that were born blind, this is a problem as well, since their optic nerve has never been used. However, most of these individuals have a natural compensation mechanism, in the form of enhanced senses, such as hearing and touch.

Creative unveiled touch screen Zen X-Fi2 media player

adhish — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:39:30 +0000

Screen touch technology redefines the meaning of technology. , a second-generation device that adds a touch screen and TV-out capability to the already solid X-Fi foundation , Creative Zen X-FI 2 media player has a 3-inch touch screen which can be used to access the player’s functions, play DivX and MPEG4 movies, and view pictures. The new player features a 3-inch, TFT LCD capable of displaying up to 262,000 colors, and by the looks of it, this new Zen carries over the excellent icon-based menu found on other players in the line. The Zen X-Fi 2 supports MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC audio formats, and supports Creative’s proprietary X-Fi Crystalizer and X-Fi Expand technologies to enhance sound quality. At 4 inches long by 2.2 inches wide by 0.4 inch deep, the Zen X-Fi2 is quite a bit longer than the previous-generation model & the player bundles EP-630 in-ear earphones with ear tips in three different sizes for comfort. The player also comes with a microSD slot for adding more data, and an AV-Out port (the A/V cable is sold separately) which can be used to display videos and pictures on the TV. In addition to the updated navigational method, the Zen X-Fi2 features direct TV-out capability, though you will need to purchase a cable accessory to take advantage of it. The X-Fi 2 also features a built-in speaker and microphone, and supports clock, alarm, calendar, task, and contacts functions. Creative Zen X-Fi 2 is priced at Rs 7,000, 9,500 and 12,000 for 8, 16, and 32GB versions. Creative ZEN X-Fi2 optional accessories:

Slim and stylish black leather case - $19.99
Silicon skin protects the player from knocks and bumps, available in clear and pink - $14.99
Customized screen protector - $9.99
AV cable brings digital pictures and videos with audio to the television screen - $19.99
ZEN USB power adapter charges the player via USB without the need to plug it into a PC - $29.99

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Light peak opticables: transfering data at 10 gigabits per second

adhish — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:19:51 +0000