Wednesday 22 February 2012

Biometrics in Cell Phone

No more mobile phone is mere a communicating device. With development in the mobility, it has become a computing device, a credit card, and a data store house. People are using it for surfing web, carrying out monetary transactions and lots of sensitive data are being stored in the phone, so it is very important to protect the data from unwanted access. Though many data protection applications are available, the consumers are expecting apposite mobile security. Wouldn’t it be good if the mobile devices have biometric security? If, you are also thinking the same way, there is a valid reason of bringing smile on-to your face. Developers are working to incorporate the biometric technology in mobile devices. 

The tech-developers are burning the midnight oil to implement biometric systems in mobile phone. Some of the expected biometric techniques to be incorporated in mobile phones are:

·         Fingerprint recognition
·         Face recognition
·         Iris pattern recognition
·         Voice recognition

Implementation of these techniques along with the existing security arrangement will help users protect the device from unwanted access. Imagine the strength of security when mobile banking transactions will be authorized through biometric recognition as well as using passwords and SMS codes. Such security arrangement will be very relaxing for people who are highly dependent upon cell phones for a variety of purposes including financial management.

It is buzzed that Motorola Atrix will be the first phone to come with finger print technology. A 1cm-wide scanner is fitted to the Motorola Atrix, which will scan the finger of the user. It will require the owner's fingerprint to be scanned before it will allow anyone to access the web, play games or even make a call. Similarly, a phone with face recognition system will require the user to come in front of device’s camera to get unlocked and being used.

Developers are working on the implementation of aforesaid biometric techniques in mobile phones. With successful implementation, high-end security for mobile phones will be achieved.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Angry Birds Space Lifts Off on March 22



After conquering the world of mobile devices and social networking sites, Rovio Mobile’s popular game Angry Birds is going to take over the Space. The new game, Angry Birds Space will blast off with NASA for the ride on March 22.

The video teaser of the Angry Birds Space released on February 17 had a Neil Armstrong-inspired slogan, “One small fling for a bird, one quantum leap for birdkind.”

Rovio has grand plans for the launch of the new game. The company’s blog says, “Angry Birds Space game launch will be the biggest since original Angry Birds. It’s a completely new game with innovative new gameplay, but with some familiar Angry Birds elements that fans already know and love.”

The New Angry Birds Space

It is said that the new Angry Birds Space will feature zero gravity levels and slow motion puzzles. Graphic on the new game’s website shows a slingshot places on the moon. New birds will be introduced in the game, while some of the birds from earlier games with “super powers” will also be seen in the game.

App Data, the analytics site claims Angry Birds to already have 3,40,000 daily active users. The new game will definitely add on-to the popularity of the game.

LG announces L7, L5 & L3

LG has officially announced the launch of three Android phones in “L” series – L7, L5, and L3. The phones will be rectangular in shape. They have thin metallic design with a textured leather-like panel on the back. 

The Optimus L7 - a 4.3" display phone will be running on Android ICS OS. The Optimus L5 will also run on ICS and will have a 4" display. Both phones may hit the European Market in the first half of the year. While LG Optimus L3 features a 3.2" display and will run Android Gingerbread. It is expected to be rolled in Europe by March.

Monday 20 February 2012

India is Ruled by Android!


There is no exaggeration in saying that Android phones are dominant in phone market today. With its software blessing, Android has achieved success in defending iOS, BlackBerry OS, Symbian and other operating systems. It may surprise you that Indian mobile segment is ruled by Android. A market researched company has revealed that Android phones will capture 80% of India market by the end of 2015. 

The adaptability of the software even in the low-cost hardware can be credited for its success in India. The flexibility and openness of the OS are also winning factors. The software can run smoothly even on a slow processor of 600MHz. The highly adaptable temperament of Android has made it king in diverse territory of India.

LG Announces the Optimus Vu

LG has officially announced the 5 inch mini tablet, Optimus Vu in Korea. Since Optimus Vu (90.4mm) is wider than Galaxy Note (83mm), it will be more difficult to handle the device. It has IPS display with 1024x768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio.

Some more features of Optimus Vu:
  • Android Gingerbread. Upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich will be available soon.
  • 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor.
  • Adreno 220 GPU
  • 8MP autofocus primary camera with LED flash. 1.3MP front camera.
  • LTE, HDMI, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, and T-DMB.
  • 32GB internal memory and 1GB RAM.
  • Li-Ion 2080 mAh battery.
LG has not revealed the pricing details yet.

VoIP (Voice over IP) – Cheap/Free Voice Calls over IP

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology for making phone calls over the Internet. VoIP transmits the sounds over the standard Internet infrastructure, using the IP protocol. In VoIP, analog voice is digitized, encoded, packetized, and transmitted as Internet Protocol packet over a packet switched network from the calling side, while from the receiving side IP packet is received, decoded and digital signal is converted to analog signal to reproduce original voice stream. 

Since the inception of VoIP technology during mid 1990s, growing number of people have adopted VoIP telephone system to avoid the pricey phone call. The technology that underlay the foundation of VoIP was initially developed in late 1970s, but it took about 20 years to evolve completely to a telephone system from a mere computer novelty. And now, there are hundreds and thousands of people using the technology every day. 

Advantages:
It has a lot of advantages over the traditional telephonic system. Cost effectiveness is main reason for which people are switching to VoIP technology. 

Use it for FREE! Yes, if you have a computer/laptop with a microphone, and speaker, and a good Internet connection, you can communicate using VoIP for free. VoIP service providers such as Skype is allowing free calls using PC. You can even talk for free with your mobile, tablet, and home phone, if they have Internet functionality. 

Make VoIP call everywhere. You can use this technology for making free or cheap calls at home, work, corporate network, during travel, and even on beach and mountain! Turn on your 3G over mobile network and enjoy cheap calling on-the-go!

There is a flat monthly fee structure for most of the Internet connections. One can use the same Internet connection for both data traffic and voice calls, which allow consumers to get rid of one monthly phone bill.

Trend:
VoIP is relatively new technology and it has achieved wide acceptance and use. Nowadays, VoIP support is available on many smartphones and Internet enabled devices to let users make phone calls over 3G and Wi-Fi. Making VoIP call is relatively cheaper than that of traditional phone calls. Even one can enjoy calling free over the Internet Protocol. Therefore, there is no denying fact that VoIP technology is trending! 

Skype has captured a good market share. It is the most popular VoIP service provider, which allows free calls using PC. It is also providing paid services over the IP at very reasonable pricing. 

VoIP calls seem thrilling when you consider international calls. Communication costs on international calls can be cut down by 90%.  Thanks to VoIP!

Challenges:
Of course, no blessing comes with all fruit juices. So, there are some obstacles associated with VoIP technology, along with numerous advantages. Its increasing worldwide uses have raised the concern of regulation and security. 

Vulnerable to attacks: VoIP telephone systems are vulnerable to attacks as are any Internet-connected devices. Hackers can harvest customer data, record conversations and break into voice mailboxes.  Therefore, a secure and standardized protocol is very necessary for secure calls. Most of the difficulties lie in creating secure connection. It is necessary to encrypt and authenticate the data stream. 

Routing VoIP traffic: Routing VoIP traffic through firewall and network address translator is another challenge. Network routers handle traffic on a first-come, first-served basis. Network routers on high volume traffic links is expected to introduce latency. Skype uses a proprietary protocol to route calls through other Skype peers on the network. Therefore, Skype is safer option to a greater extent, for using VoIP service. 

Note: In order to avert the security concerns, government and military organizations are using voice over secure IP (VoSIP), secure voice over IP (SVoIP), and secure voice over secure IP (SVoSIP) to protect confidential VoIP communications. Secure voice over IP is accomplished by encrypting VoIP with Type 1 encryption. 

Power back-up: Traditional telephone system are usually connected directly to telephone company phone lines, which provide direct current to basic analog handset. There is no need of independent availability of power locally. While an IP telephone adapters connect to router or cable modem, which depends on the availability local electricity. However, some VoIP service providers use customer premise equipment with battery-backed power supplies to assure uninterrupted service for up to several hours in case of local power failures.

Not reliable for emergency calls: Making an emergency call in emergency hour may not be possible. The nature of IP creates difficulty to locate network geographically and make emergency calls. Sometimes, VoIP systems route emergency calls to a non-emergency phone line at the intended department. 

Conclusion:
In a country like India, where Internet is not in reach of every head, the concept of VoIP seems not very practical. But it is a blessing for the urban populations, who are in reach of Internet and can enjoy the fruit of VoIP to curtail the phone bills. For international call, VoIP can be very hopeful as international call rate is very costly through traditional telephone system, PSTN (public switched telephone network).

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Samsung Launched Three Dual-SIM Android Phones


Samsung has launched three dual-SIM Android phones – Samsung Galaxy Y Duos, Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos (for India) and Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos (for Korea).

While Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Samsung Galaxy Y Pro are GSM+GSM , Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos is GSM+CDMA. All the three dual-SIM phones are running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS.


Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos are almost similar in features.  Some of the common features of the device are 3.15MP camera, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot functionality, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB v2.0,  3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, ChatON instant messaging app, Social Hub, TouchWiz UI, 830MHz processers, 384MB RAM, 512MB of ROM, 2GB microSD card (expandable up to 32GB). Both the devices are powered with Polaris Office document editor and Find My Mobile.  

The few differences between the phones are:

Model Name
Samsung Galaxy Y Duos
Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos
Pixel resolution
320x240
400x240
Battery (mAh)
1300 mAh
1350 mAh
Weight
109g
112g
Front camera
No
Yes, VGA front camera

The only major difference between the two devices is addition of front camera in Samsung Galaxy Y Pro. Also Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is a touch phone and Galaxy Y Pro Duos comes with QWERTY keypad with touchscreen display.

Here’s a quick look at the specifications of Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos:
Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS
832 MHz processor
3.5 inch display, 480x320 pixel display
5MP camera
1650 mAh battery
Bluetooth 3.0, 3G, and Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity

Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos have been priced at Rs 10, 490 and Rs 11,090 respectively. Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos, which has been launched for Korean market is available for Rs 16,900.  Check availability of devices at www.saholic.com

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Smartphone Made From Bamboo

A 23-year-old British student, Kieron Scott-Woodhouse, has designed a mobile phone made from bamboo. It is made from organically grown bamboo that has been treated to improve its durability. He said, "Bamboo may seem like a strange material to use for a phone, but it's actually extremely strong and very durable, perfect qualities for this kind of application."

The phone has been named as 'ADzero'. It runs on Google's Android operating system. Its weight is half of the iPhone. The device will feature a 'ring flash' to make the illumination of pictures taken with its camera.

This smartphone is expected to launch later this year. However, there is no confirmation on when it will actually be released. It looks like it will only be available in the UK and China at first.

Kieron Scott-Woodhouse is a full-time student on Middlesex University's studying Product Design course. He was frustrated with similar appearance of existing smartphones. So, he designed the phone in his spare time.