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Sunday, May 29, 2011
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Monday, May 16, 2011
LCD Vs LED
LCD Vs LED
Difference between LCD and LED Televisions
Are you considering the idea of buying a new HDTV? With so many types and models of high definition televisions in the market one could easily get confused about the choices. You have many choices like LCD, Plasma and the new LED TV. How are they different and which TV is appropriate for you? In this article we will check the details of LED and LCD televisions.
The LCD television is a flat-panel television that utilizes the Liquid Crystal Display technology. The LCD TV has two layers of glass which are polarized and stuck together. One of these layers holds the liquid crystals. These liquid crystals allow the light to pass, or obstruct the light source, to deliver images on the LCD screen when the electric current flows through it.
The light source in LCD TV is a group of CCFL lamps (cold-cathode fluorescent lights) at the back of the screen. With the help of the fluorescent lamps, the pictures produced by the liquid crystals get viewable to the spectator.
The LED Televisions are actually a type of LCD TV. The LED telesvisions also make use of Liquid Crystal Display technology. The difference lies in their source of light, that is at the back of the screen. The LCD TV utilizes fluorescent lamps, and the LED TV uses Light Emitting Diodes (LED).
Types of LED TVs
There are mainly two types of LED TVs depending upon the system of light source. One is called the Edge lighting, and the second one is called Full-Array lighting. We will examine each one of these in detail.
Edge Lighting:
In the Edge lighting (or side-illuminated), the group of light emitting diodes are organized along the outside edges of the screen.
Full-Array Lighting:
In Full-Array lighting, there are several rows of light emitting diodes behind the whole surface of the screen. The second type of TVs provide better control over brightness and dimming, since the LEDs can be switched on and off independently.
The full-array LED backlight with local dimming provides the best results.
1. LED Edge-lit HDTVs are very thin:
The edge-lit LED HDTV models are way thin compared to LCD and Plasma TVs. For example the 32inch Samsung LED TV is just 1.17 inches thick.
2. Better Picture Quality:
Some LED HDTV models with dynamic RGB LED backlighting with local dimming can display truer blacks, whites at much higher dynamic contrast ratios. This can produce better quality motion graphics with right picture settings. But most of the edge-lit LED TV models doesn’t improve the picture quality at all.
3. Power Saving:
LED consumes less power compared to CCFL lamps and as a result the edge-lit LED HDTV consumes less power than regular LCD and Plasma televisions.
Are you considering the idea of buying a new HDTV? With so many types and models of high definition televisions in the market one could easily get confused about the choices. You have many choices like LCD, Plasma and the new LED TV. How are they different and which TV is appropriate for you? In this article we will check the details of LED and LCD televisions.
The LCD television is a flat-panel television that utilizes the Liquid Crystal Display technology. The LCD TV has two layers of glass which are polarized and stuck together. One of these layers holds the liquid crystals. These liquid crystals allow the light to pass, or obstruct the light source, to deliver images on the LCD screen when the electric current flows through it.
The light source in LCD TV is a group of CCFL lamps (cold-cathode fluorescent lights) at the back of the screen. With the help of the fluorescent lamps, the pictures produced by the liquid crystals get viewable to the spectator.
The LED Televisions are actually a type of LCD TV. The LED telesvisions also make use of Liquid Crystal Display technology. The difference lies in their source of light, that is at the back of the screen. The LCD TV utilizes fluorescent lamps, and the LED TV uses Light Emitting Diodes (LED).
Types of LED TVs
There are mainly two types of LED TVs depending upon the system of light source. One is called the Edge lighting, and the second one is called Full-Array lighting. We will examine each one of these in detail.
Edge Lighting:
In the Edge lighting (or side-illuminated), the group of light emitting diodes are organized along the outside edges of the screen.
Full-Array Lighting:
In Full-Array lighting, there are several rows of light emitting diodes behind the whole surface of the screen. The second type of TVs provide better control over brightness and dimming, since the LEDs can be switched on and off independently.
The full-array LED backlight with local dimming provides the best results.
Advantages of LED over LCD TV:
Keep in mind that the LED HDTV’s currenctly available in the market are nothing but LCD TVs with LED-backlight. There are few major benefits for LED HDTV’s over traditional LCD televisions with ccfl lamps. 1. LED Edge-lit HDTVs are very thin:
The edge-lit LED HDTV models are way thin compared to LCD and Plasma TVs. For example the 32inch Samsung LED TV is just 1.17 inches thick.
2. Better Picture Quality:
Some LED HDTV models with dynamic RGB LED backlighting with local dimming can display truer blacks, whites at much higher dynamic contrast ratios. This can produce better quality motion graphics with right picture settings. But most of the edge-lit LED TV models doesn’t improve the picture quality at all.
3. Power Saving:
LED consumes less power compared to CCFL lamps and as a result the edge-lit LED HDTV consumes less power than regular LCD and Plasma televisions.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Visa's mobile payment plan 'most comprehensive to date'
Visa's plan to launch a digital wallet system in the U.S. and Canada this fall is by far the largest and most ambitious of any similar initiative announced by credit card processors, banks or wireless carriers.
Still, Visa faces challenges when it comes to merchant acceptance of near field communication (NFC) terminals that work with smartphones and when it comes to merchants' willingness to pay transaction fees to Visa's partner banks, analysts said.
Part of what makes the announced plan so impressive, analysts said, is that Visa is already enormous: There are 1.8 billion Visa cards in use globally. More than half of U.S. credit card transactions each year are handled by Visa. MasterCard, American Express and Discover are the next largest credit card companies.
Visa runs a credit card network for 16,000 banks. On Wednesday, it named 14 banks and financial institutions that will be directly involved with the new digital wallet system, including US Bank and TD Bank Group (in the U.S. and Canada). Visa cards are accepted by more than 30 million stores and other merchants, and Visa said that its size will make it easier to encourage merchants to accept the new technology.
Visa officials said that the company's goal with its digital wallet initiative is to use NFC, a short-range wireless technology, to make it possible to complete transactions using smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices at stores and transit stops. It also wants to converge that newer technology with one-click desktop-PC e-commerce payment systems and to support easy person-to-person transactions within social networks and other online settings.
"We believe [payment] convergence is here, primarily driven by the mobile phone," said Jim McCarthy, head of global products for Visa, in a conference call. "Reliability, security and interoperability are critical to drive the electronification of payments. [This] will fundamentally change the way we interact with merchants."
Visa's announcement is "obviously the most comprehensive solution that's been announced to date," said Gartner analyst Mark Hung. "If anybody can make it happen, it would be Visa and [secondly] MasterCard. The fall 2011 availability date in North America is impressive. This is a significant step forward for the mobile wallet application."
In contrast, Isis, a consortium of three wireless carriers, has only announced a mid-2012 pilot of NFC payments in Salt Lake City, Hung noted. Visa said it will work with Isis, but it explained that Isis is not a part of the Visa plan.
Hung and other analysts said that NFC and other technologies are mature enough to make Visa's plan "definitely feasible."
Visa has been deploying NFC with digital smartcards in its PayWave technology for about five years. It already has 150,000 terminals in place with various merchants, including McDonalds restaurants and New York taxis, said Bill Gajda, head of mobile technology at Visa, in an interview. More recently, Visa has supported its PayWave NFC with microSD cards inserted in some smartphones, but Gajda said that almost all new smartphones will soon be embedded with NFC.
Hung said phone makers will need to support the PayWave application inside each phone's secure element for the Visa service to move ahead. Visa said it plans to license PayWave technology in new phones and other mobile devices, such as tablets.
Visa announced a digital wallet service that will enable people to use their smartphones to make retail purchases. (Image courtesy of Visa)
Part of what makes the announced plan so impressive, analysts said, is that Visa is already enormous: There are 1.8 billion Visa cards in use globally. More than half of U.S. credit card transactions each year are handled by Visa. MasterCard, American Express and Discover are the next largest credit card companies.
Visa runs a credit card network for 16,000 banks. On Wednesday, it named 14 banks and financial institutions that will be directly involved with the new digital wallet system, including US Bank and TD Bank Group (in the U.S. and Canada). Visa cards are accepted by more than 30 million stores and other merchants, and Visa said that its size will make it easier to encourage merchants to accept the new technology.
Visa officials said that the company's goal with its digital wallet initiative is to use NFC, a short-range wireless technology, to make it possible to complete transactions using smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices at stores and transit stops. It also wants to converge that newer technology with one-click desktop-PC e-commerce payment systems and to support easy person-to-person transactions within social networks and other online settings.
"We believe [payment] convergence is here, primarily driven by the mobile phone," said Jim McCarthy, head of global products for Visa, in a conference call. "Reliability, security and interoperability are critical to drive the electronification of payments. [This] will fundamentally change the way we interact with merchants."
Visa's announcement is "obviously the most comprehensive solution that's been announced to date," said Gartner analyst Mark Hung. "If anybody can make it happen, it would be Visa and [secondly] MasterCard. The fall 2011 availability date in North America is impressive. This is a significant step forward for the mobile wallet application."
In contrast, Isis, a consortium of three wireless carriers, has only announced a mid-2012 pilot of NFC payments in Salt Lake City, Hung noted. Visa said it will work with Isis, but it explained that Isis is not a part of the Visa plan.
Hung and other analysts said that NFC and other technologies are mature enough to make Visa's plan "definitely feasible."
Visa has been deploying NFC with digital smartcards in its PayWave technology for about five years. It already has 150,000 terminals in place with various merchants, including McDonalds restaurants and New York taxis, said Bill Gajda, head of mobile technology at Visa, in an interview. More recently, Visa has supported its PayWave NFC with microSD cards inserted in some smartphones, but Gajda said that almost all new smartphones will soon be embedded with NFC.
Hung said phone makers will need to support the PayWave application inside each phone's secure element for the Visa service to move ahead. Visa said it plans to license PayWave technology in new phones and other mobile devices, such as tablets.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Alison Krauss - When You Say Nothing At All
It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as i may i could never explain
What i hear when you don’t say a thing
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever i fall
Now you say it best when you say nothing at all
All day long i can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old mr.webster could never define
What’s being said between your heart and mine
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever i fall
Now you say it best when you say nothing at all
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever i fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all Send “When You Say Nothing At All”
ToothTag 4 Android System
Description
Makes smartphones smart by tagging nearby wireless devices & automating actions.This application is for people who are tired of looking down at their phone to see where their friends are and want to look up, live life and interact in the real world.
You "tag" wireless Bluetooth and WiFi devices, then setup rules to automate actions on your smartphone. These can be cool things within the phone like playing a favorite song as you walk by a coffee shop where your friends are hanging out. Or, you can automatically drop a pin on a map where you park your Bluetooth enabled car. Never again will you hunt for your lost car in a city street.
If you are a foursquare user, ToothTag can automatically check you in to your favorite coffee shop just from their WiFi signal. If you have bad cellular service at home or work, setup your Google Voice to forward calls to another line, and save your minutes! Look for Twitter integration in future releases.
Rules can be setup for both connect or disconnect events, often without the requirement for pairing your phone to another device. That means if you want to see when someone gets too far away from you, like your child, you can setup your phone to vibrate upon a disconnect. Conversely, if you want to see when your ex-significant other gets too close for comfort, you can sound an alarm on just "seeing" their phone!
This runs upon the NeuAer ProxPlatform and is a showcase application to inspire other developers to create software that runs on the service. An open API and plug-ins to ToothTag are forthcoming. We are launching exclusively on the Android phone, but will bring other device support in the future.
So what are you waiting for? Download this and check it out on your other wireless devices! Once you install it, please use the Share button on the preferences menu from the home screen to tell all of your friends about ToothTag.
Don't forget to stop and smell the roses!
You "tag" wireless Bluetooth and WiFi devices, then setup rules to automate actions on your smartphone. These can be cool things within the phone like playing a favorite song as you walk by a coffee shop where your friends are hanging out. Or, you can automatically drop a pin on a map where you park your Bluetooth enabled car. Never again will you hunt for your lost car in a city street.
If you are a foursquare user, ToothTag can automatically check you in to your favorite coffee shop just from their WiFi signal. If you have bad cellular service at home or work, setup your Google Voice to forward calls to another line, and save your minutes! Look for Twitter integration in future releases.
Rules can be setup for both connect or disconnect events, often without the requirement for pairing your phone to another device. That means if you want to see when someone gets too far away from you, like your child, you can setup your phone to vibrate upon a disconnect. Conversely, if you want to see when your ex-significant other gets too close for comfort, you can sound an alarm on just "seeing" their phone!
This runs upon the NeuAer ProxPlatform and is a showcase application to inspire other developers to create software that runs on the service. An open API and plug-ins to ToothTag are forthcoming. We are launching exclusively on the Android phone, but will bring other device support in the future.
So what are you waiting for? Download this and check it out on your other wireless devices! Once you install it, please use the Share button on the preferences menu from the home screen to tell all of your friends about ToothTag.
Don't forget to stop and smell the roses!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Microsoft to Acquire Skype
REDMOND, Wash., and LUXEMBOURG – May 10, 2011 – Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: “MSFT”) and Skype Global S.à r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.
The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype’s world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft’s existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.
Google introduces laptops running Chrome system
Samsung Electronics will sell a version with a 12.1-inch screen and Wi-Fi for $429, and another model with Verizon Wireless 3G connectivity for $499. Acer will also make a Chromebook with prices as low as $349.
Google will also lease the laptops to corporations and schools, a deal that includes the hardware, support services and management software, executives said at the company's annual I/O conference here on Wednesday. Monthly subscriptions will start at $28 per user for businesses and $20 per user for schools.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Ubuntu 11.4
Ubuntu 11.04 dubbed Natty Narwhal will bring some major changes to the traditional Ubuntu desktop. As the conventional desktop gets a major overhaul, the spanking new Unity interface is busy preparing itself to replace the time-honored Gnome interface. Furthermore, some well-known default applications are getting replaced by newer and more feature-laden ones. While many users have welcomed these changes with open arms, a few disapproving nods have raised doubts over their success. Nevertheless, Natty promises to bring a burst of freshness to the Linux desktop along with a slew of new users. Note: Ubuntu 11.04 release date is 28th April 2011, here's a link to the official release schedule.
Here are 11 features that will make Ubuntu 11.04 worth the long wait.
Here are 11 features that will make Ubuntu 11.04 worth the long wait.
1. Unity Desktop
Unity is the most conspicuous change to the Ubuntu desktop till date. To new users this means that they’ll be able to get their hands on a completely new form of desktop, replete with features competing head on with major operating systems. The UI is built upon Ubuntu’s netbook interface called UNE, and Gnome early adopters will find it quite similar to Gnome Shell. However Unity, unlike Gnome3 and UNE, will be using the Compiz window manager instead of Mutter(which many users found to be slow and buggy). Also, many new and useful indicator applets are being developed which will help users add more functionality to a fresh installation. With Unity, Ubuntu 11.04 takes a completely new direction that will surely grab attention of desktop and netbook users alike.
2. Banshee as the default music player
For a long time Rhythmbox has been the default music player for the Ubuntu desktop. However, to match up with the features provided by competitors like iTunes, Windows Media Player and even Amarok, Canonical has decided to make Banshee the default music player. Banshee offers Bookmarks, Amazon Mp3 store support, Video support, Audiobooks support for library, Metadata fix up and a few more features that Rhythmbox doesn’t. However, the decision to include Banshee has left a few users frowning as it brings along mono libraries to the Ubuntu code pool. Also, questions have been raised whether or not Banshee’s stability will match up to Rhythmbox. Even though the outcome of this move can’t be predicted as of now, the addition of several new features to the audio department will certainly help Ubuntu catch up with competitors like itunes and Windows Media Player.
3. Office gets more libre
Since Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, many doubts were raised about the future of Openoffice, as Oracle is a name which the Free Software community was reluctant to trust. This polarization led to forking of Openoffice.org, thus giving birth to a new project called Libreoffice. This newly created or rather forked office suite offers the same features as Openoffice so old users won’t have any trouble switching. Additionally, the Libreoffice team is working assiduously to clean up code that dates back to 20 years. In fact, Libreoffice’s first stable release(v 3.3) was made public recently, clearing any fears about it being a hasty inclusion.
4. Firefox 4
Firefox stays as the default web browser despite facing stiff competition from the lightweight Google Chrome. Mozilla will be releasing Firefox 4 somewhere around February and its inclusion in Ubuntu 11.04 is very certain. Not only will Firefox 4 be faster than its predecessor, it will also come with a host of new features that will make the year long wait a worthy one.
5. 2.6.38 kernel
In November 2010, the Linux kernel received a small patch that radically boosted the performance of the Linux kernel across desktops and workstations. The patch has been incorporated in the kernel 2.6.38 which will be a part of Natty. Thus, users upgrading from Maverick can expect a great deal of improvements in the overall performance.
6. 2D unity interface
Ubuntu is known for its ability to run on PCs with even the most outdated configurations. However, with the introduction of some compiz eye-candy in Natty, achieving that becomes a problem on low-end graphic cards. This is where Unity 2D steps in. A few days ago, Bill Filler, a developer working for Canonical announced a new project called Unity 2D. According to him ---“Unity 2D’s main goal is to provide a Unity environment on hardware platforms that don’t support Unity’s Open GL requirements. Many ARM platforms fall into this category, so Unity 2D expands Unity’s goodness to a whole new set of platforms.".In short, if you’re running an Ubuntu pc with an outdated graphic card, you have no reason not to upgrade to Ubuntu Natty as it will come with all the features the 3D version offers except of course some fancy animations. To find out more about this project please visit this link. https://launchpad.net/unity-2d
7. Improved Ubuntu One interface
Ubuntu One is the Ubuntu’s attempt at integrating the desktop with the cloud. Like Dropbox it provides an ample 2GB of space for keeping one’s files on the cloud; however, it is meant to do much more than that. Ubuntu One aims at providing a seamless experience for users so that they could access their contacts, notes, or bookmarks from any computer with an internet connection. Though the current version of Ubuntu comes with Ubuntu One, its user interface is in need of an overhaul. Keeping that in mind, developers are working on simplifying the UI and giving the users more control over their account without any need of the web interface. Starting Natty, users can expect a completely redesigned and more user-friendly interface for Ubuntu One.
8. Improved Software Center
The Software center was one of the major highlights of Ubuntu Jaunty. Also, it was a feature that no other Operating System possessed; well not until recently when Steve Jobs announced the Mac app Store. Apple’s Mac App Store comes with features like ratings and reviews, which Ubuntu Software Center does not yet possess. Therefore, keeping up with the competition, ratings and review will be a part of the Software store in Natty. This will help users choose better applications based on reviews and ratings submitted by other users.
9. A Qt beginning
As mentioned before, Ubuntu will feature a 2D interface for better compatibility with low-end graphic cards. The UI part of the 2D desktop is implemented using Qt/Qml. Qt(pronounced cute) is a cross-platform application framework that is used for developing application softwares like KDE desktop, Google Earth, Skype, Vlc player and Virtualbox. As Qt is much more powerful than Gtk+, users will be able to see more cross-platform applications on their Ubuntu desktop. Moreover, users can expect Qt-based applications with multi-touch capabilities on platforms like ARM, Android and even iphone.
10. Papercuts Project
During the development of Karmic Koala 9.10, the Canonical team along with Ayatana Project introduced a new project called The One Hundred Paper Cuts Project. The goal of this endeavor was to fix 100 small usability bugs that an average user would encounter in a default application. After successfully improving the Karmic’s usability, the project has been brought back to make Natty the finest version ever. Users can expect more polished applications, without those tiny usability bugs that are easy to fix but never get any attention.11. More Indicator applets and applications
Indicator applets are a great addition to the Ubuntu desktop, not just because they de-clutter the notification area, but also because they provide a common interface for the user to interact with many applications at once. Since their introduction, they have received an overwhelming response from the Linux community, so much that even OpenSuse is considering incorporating them. This popularity motivated the developers to come up with simple indicator applets like cpu frequency monitor and weather indicator that are lightweight and consistent with the rest of the desktop. Furthermore, since Natty will not be supporting the traditional Gnome panel applets, users will see more and more indicator applets being developed, thus giving users more to choose from. Apart from indicator applets, many new applications are popping up in the Ubuntu Software Center, many of which are free and some are paid. Indie developers are coming up with new games, and a horde of different music players has sprung up.
Is it worth the wait?
Well, with the amount of work the Canonical team has put in, Ubuntu fanboys are in for a treat this April. However, with so many bold changes, many users are skeptical about its reception amongst new users. Despite the skepticism, Ubuntu has successfully managed to create a buzz in and out of the Linux community. What do you think?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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