1-Bit Music...

An electronic circuit is assembled inside a CD case with a headphone jack on the side. The device plays back 40 minutes of low-fi 1-bit electronic music—the lowest possible digital representation of audio. Available now from Cantaloupe Music or as a limited art edition.

Perich works with the same chips to create 1-Bit Video and his machine drawings, pen-on-paper drawings executed by machine that explore randomness and order.

1bitmusic

Best jabber clients for Windows...

Hi friends, many of you will think that i am addicted to IMing.Yeah,may be but i like to discuss about different IMs.It is one way through which the world is connected.

Mostly we all use different jabber clients for different purposes.Some having it for personal private office network to avoid heavy bandwidth usage,some uses gmail and other jabber based services.

There are many jabber clients listed on jabber.org, but recently they have changed the way to represent it.Now they allows users to rate their favorite client which are arranged on OS bases.


I am talking about windows based IMs.And no others would be of interest because of less nice options for other OS. Say, for Linux pidgin and for MAC adium is there.

On windows, i have used pidgin,Gajim,Psi,spark and Tkabber. And as per me, first three are better.Currently i am using Gajim.

Check the list in attached image.You can see how Gajim got ahead of Spark.May be because spark is heavy java based thing which just sits in your memory eating lots of memory and create every other program you run!

But my surprise is Psi.It is on top!And yeah it is not so good as compared to Gajim.But though many people have rated it better.Yeah,everyone has his choice.Psi 0.12 RC release is there,but its not having such great improvements to rate 5 star!And i am waiting since a long time for newer and better version of Gajim,but i think its development is on shelf!But still its usable, with older GTK+.Newer GTK+ is creating problems.

Lets see where this competition goes.Its based on if any new IMs will be added or these will be improved.And what new thing will be introduced?Like video/Audio chat,Phone calling or something new we can't thing right now? :)

share your idea what new can be introduces in jabber clients which you want or you think can be of our benefit.

For more on jabber, jabber.org

Music 2.0: Engineers giving MT9 format

Korean computer engineers are introducing a new digital music format that has a six-channel audio equalizer and separate controls on the sound volume for each musical instrument, such as guitar, drum, base and voice. The new format, which has a file extension format of MT9 and a commercial title of "Music 2.0", is poised to replace the popular MP3 file format as the de-facto standard of the digital music source, its inventors say.

The MT9 technology was selected as a candidate item for the new digital music standard at the last regular meeting of Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), the international body of the digital music and video industry.

Ham says that the music industry should change its attitude to the market as music is becoming a digital service, rather than a physical product. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are both interested in equipping their mobile phones with an MT9 player and their first commercial products are likely to debut early next year, he said.

Unlike other digital formats exclusively used by big companies, Audizen (the venture company behind the development) allows users to copy the MT9 files, making it a more attractive format.

"It's like having a CD or cassette tape. Once you buy it, you can lend it to your friends. We don't want to be too fussy about DRM (digital right management),''

said Ham Seung-chul, chief of Audizen.

Korea Times

HP's Teen Edition

HP's director of future innovations, Ameer Karim, has announced that HP will be launching a fall line of "Teen" PC products. HP has hired a council of teenagers who will help design the products, and even HP's website.

"That's a major transformation for a company like HP, which has been much more focused on an older crowd," said Karim.

Going from business friendly to teen friendly is a big step. Currently the devices that will be designed are unknown, however more details will be available in the future.

Does HP have some new innovations up their sleeves, or will we see new prices for standard PC specs? :)

news.com

500,000 GB MP3 Player!

Can you even imagine an MP3 player with a 500,000 GB capacity? It’s pretty much beyond belief. The most generous player today can only hold around 40,000 songs – they’d hardly make a dent on this.

The thing is, it could easily happen. Scientists at the University of Glasgow have created a nanotechnology breakthrough that could increase storage capacity by 150,000 times. It could mean 500,000 GB on a single chip and inch square.

The Glasgow scientists worked to create the molecule-sized switch that’s at the heart of it all.

More @ digitalTrends

Betavoltaic batteries offer 30 years of functioning without recharging

All the electronic devices are based on electricity. And when you run out of battery that’s a big problem. I mean, it happens when you need the device mostly. However, this problem seems to be eradicated once the Betavoltaic batteries will enter the scene.

The scientists form U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory have discovered the miracle of producing energy for 30 years without recharging. The secret - the Betavoltaic batteries that are constructed from semiconductors and use radioisotopes as the energy source.

The batteries are not nuclear as you may think so. The energy is produced when an electron strikes a particular interface between two layers of material. The scientists assure us that no radioactive or chemical reactions are produced during the process. That’s why these batteries won’t be an environmental problem. After their life cycle the Betavoltaic batteries are totally inert and non-toxic.

Probably in a few years we could use them without problems. So, think a little about the great advantage of non-charging your laptop around 30 years. First you won’t need regular energy power. And second, you will need a cool laptop because in so many years it will be outdated.

Newlaunches

Icuiti DV920

The DV920 is an all-digital 640x480 (VGA) native resolution Video Eyewear system with progressive-scan capabilities and an automatic scaling engine that supports resolutions of 1024x768 and 800x600 from your computer. On-screen programmable controls allow you to use your Video Eyewear while adjusting contrast, brightness, positioning, etc. The DV920 will auto-detect between NTSC and PAL, so you can use it without worrying about different country standards. The design has changed to include shorter temples for a more comfortable fit on your head and is now available in black, pearl, blue and red so you can choose the colour that best fits your lifestyle.

• Use with any source with a Video out (DVD player, Video iPod, Laptop, PC, A/V cell phone, multi-media player, or game console)
• 42” image appears as if projected at a distance of 7 feet
• Separate focal adjustments for each eye
• Powers off 2 AA batteries, rechargeable batteries, a standard wall outlet, or a USB drive from your computer with an optional cable

The DV920 is a lightweight, portable Video Eyewear device that is unlike any other product on the market. You wear it like a pair of sunglasses and it plugs directly into a video source such as a VCR, DVD player, cell phone, game console, PC or laptop. The content is displayed on micro-lcd displays to portray an image of 42” at a distance of 7 feet. If using the DV920 on a PC or Laptop, the resolution must be scaled back to 640x480 to view content. You can even wear prescription eyewear or contacts while using the DV920, however each display has a separate focal adjustment to compensate for a +2 through -6 diopters so you can determine the best option for your personal needs. The DV920 can power off of 2 AA batteries, rechargeable batteries, a standard wall outlet, or a USB slot from your computer with an optional cable.

HomePage

The DV920 is an all-digital 640x480 (VGA) native resolution Video Eyewear system with progressive-scan capabilities and an automatic scaling engine that supports resolutions of 1024x768 and 800x600 from your computer. On-screen programmable controls allow you to use your Video Eyewear while adjusting contrast, brightness, positioning, etc. The DV920 will auto-detect between NTSC and PAL, so you can use it without worrying about different country standards. The design has changed to include shorter temples for a more comfortable fit on your head and is now available in black, pearl, blue and red so you can choose the colour that best fits your lifestyle.

• Use with any source with a Video out (DVD player, Video iPod, Laptop, PC, A/V cell phone, multi-media player, or game console)
• 42” image appears as if projected at a distance of 7 feet
• Separate focal adjustments for each eye
• Powers off 2 AA batteries, rechargeable batteries, a standard wall outlet, or a USB drive from your computer with an optional cable

The DV920 is a lightweight, portable Video Eyewear device that is unlike any other product on the market. You wear it like a pair of sunglasses and it plugs directly into a video source such as a VCR, DVD player, cell phone, game console, PC or laptop. The content is displayed on micro-lcd displays to portray an image of 42” at a distance of 7 feet. If using the DV920 on a PC or Laptop, the resolution must be scaled back to 640x480 to view content. You can even wear prescription eyewear or contacts while using the DV920, however each display has a separate focal adjustment to compensate for a +2 through -6 diopters so you can determine the best option for your personal needs. The DV920 can power off of 2 AA batteries, rechargeable batteries, a standard wall outlet, or a USB slot from your computer with an optional cable.

HomePage

Micro-USB Mobile Phone Charging Standard

Last week, at the Open Mobile Terminal Platform, mobile phone manufacturing leaders such as Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG discussed the future of phone charging and data exchange. The companies agreed to adopt a new USB standard called Micro-USB, hopefully putting an end to the mess of incompatible proprietary power connectors that has plagued the cell phone industry for years. The move will likely be first implemented in next year's cell phone designs. The Micro-USB standard was develop early this year and introduced by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the group responsible for new USB standards.

Until a new standard is adopted, consumers will finally be able to use their old charger when they purchase a new phone. Companies will no longer have to pay for part of the user disposal and recycling fees for chargers as certain environmental laws worldwide have forced them to do in the past. Another financial benefit for the cell phone companies is that they won't have to include a charger with phones they sell, possibly cutting a major cost. This will in turn allow for smaller, lighter phone boxes, which will cost less to ship and store. Overall, both companies and consumers should end up spending less money once the new standard is implemented.

DailyTech

Indian Firm Touts "Alternative Internet"

Indian technology firm NetAlter Software has unveiled details of what it claims is a virus and spam-free "internet alternative". According to the company, it has patented a "true P2P" system that offers a domain-less alternative to the web and the internet. The NetAlter system will "offer a secure, trusted, spam-free and virus-free software and network for end users and businesses". Users wishing to access the network will have to use the NetAlter Service Browser, available free to end users worldwide, enabling them to connect, communicate and share with other users from their PCs via a P2P network.

"Users will no longer have to worry about their personal and financial information being hacked or misused as the NetAlter browser will not allow unauthorised programs to run and will protect the intellectual property of creators of content and applications," NetAlter claimed. The network will provide features such as email, file sharing, information sharing and messaging, as well as allowing the creation of personal and business networks. "Wherever you are, by simply installing the NetAlter browser on your PC, you can publish content across the network without registering a domain name or hosting a web server."

vnunet.com

Toshiba Unveils First 32GB High-Density Flash Card

Toshiba revealed Aug. 22 that it will soon add three new high-density flash memory cards to its product lineup—including one it touts as the world's first 32GB flash card. The Tokyo-based company, which partners with SanDisk to produce SanDisk High Capacity cards, also announced a 16GB SDHC card and an 8GB microSDHC card.

All the new cards meet the Class 4 specification in the SD Speed Class (a minimum of 4GB per second of throughput), which enable them to deliver enough power to run new-generation mobile phones and other handheld products. "The speed class is important to maximize performance for demanding applications and help the consumer choose the right card for their camera or camcorder," said Brian Kumagai, business development manager for NAND Flash with Irvine, Calif.-based Toshiba America Electronic Components.

eWeek

Engineers construct 220 million pixel computer display

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have constructed the highest-resolution computer display in the world – with a screen resolution up to 220 million pixels. The system located at the UCSD division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) is also linked via optical fiber to Calit2’s building at UC Irvine, which boasts the previous record holder. The combination – known as the Highly Interactive Parallelized Display Space (HIPerSpace) – can deliver real-time rendered graphics simultaneously across 420 million pixels to audiences in Irvine and San Diego.

“We don’t intend to stop there,” said Falko Kuester, Calit2 professor for visualization and virtual reality and associate professor of structural engineering in UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering. “HIPerSpace provides a unique environment for visual analytics and cyberinfrastructure research and we are now seeking funding to double the size of the system at UC San Diego alone to reach half a billion pixels with a one gigapixel distributed display in sight.”

Physorg

Tokyo team breaks the Ethernet speed record!

A team led by Toyko University researchers has set a new "land speed record" for IPv6 Ethernet, transferring data over a distance of 30,000km at an application rate of 9.08Gbit/s.

The team leader, Dr Kei Hiraki, claimed this will not be beaten for the 10Gig generation because the contest organiser, the Internet2 consortium, demands that each new record shows a 10 per cent improvement over its predecessor.

The team actually broke the record twice - first sending 7.67Gbit/s using standard protocols, and then two days later sending 9.08Gbit/s using modified protocols - and they did so in both the single and multi-stream classes. The record-breaking run took place last December but has only just been reported, at a recent Internet2 members meeting in the US.

"These records are final for the 10Gbit/s era because they represent more than 99 per cent of the upper limit of network capacity," said Dr Hiraki.

He added that the test crossed six international IP networks, thanks to the team also including the WIDE Project, NTT Communications, JGN2, SURFnet, CANARIE, Pacific Northwest Gigapop, and other institutions. Data travelled from Tokyo to Chicago, on to Amsterdam, then Seattle, and finally back to Tokyo.

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Scientists Develop Thinnest Material Ever !

British-based scientists have created graphene, supposedly the thinnest material in the world: a one atom thick layer of carbon formed in hexagonal gropus. The substance, which is about 200,000 thinner than a human hair, was created two years ago but could be made only when stuck to another material. Researchers at the University of Manchester, England, have now managed to manufacture it as a film suspended between the nanoscale bars of scaffolding made from gold. Such a feat was held to be impossible by theorists, backed up by experimentation, because it is in effect a two-dimensional crystal that is supposed to be destroyed instantly by heat. It is so stable that it holds together in vacuums and at room temperature; it is thought to be able to exist because it undulates slightly. All other known materials oxidize, decompose and become unstable at sizes ten times the thickness. It was created by scientists at the University of Manchester, working with the Max Planck Institute in Germany.

Possible applications for the new advancement are expected in researching new drugs and to separate gases into their constituent parts. In medical research the membrane, which at single-atom thickness measures 0.35 nanometers, could be used as the support for molecules being analyzed by electron microscopes. The thinness of graphene membranes is such that the electrons would have much less irrelevant material to pass through and so be able to give a clearer picture of the structure of molecules, especially the proteins believed to hold the key to a generation of medicines. It can also be used to vastly increase computer speeds; it can potentially one day replace silicon because it can be used as a faster transistor that consumes less power.

Source: Fox News