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Showing posts from July, 2013

GlassUp: Google Glass but Cheaper

Google Glass is still a long way away and the projected price of $1,500 (Rs. 90,000 approx) may be a bit too steep for many. But there is an alternative out there for 1/10th the price, and it doesn't even require you to look sideways to see the messages. Meet GlassUp, a new startup that is looking to raise $150,000 (Rs. 90 lac approx) through a campaign on Indiegogo. GlassUp can show you maps while driving, recipes while cooking and even translate foreign languages. GlassUp is like Google Glass in most ways, except it's a "receive-only" device - this means you won't be able to record videos or capture any information. It will only show info from your Android or iOS smartphone, with which it pairs via Bluetooth. GlassUp is made up of four elements: the frame, the optical system, a touch-pad and electronic circuit. The optical system sends the message from the circuit to the eye of the user, and allows him to see the status towards the centre-bottom of his vi

NearBytes: an NFC alternative for all Smartphones

It has been a few years since Near Field Communication (NFC) was first introduced to the world as the next step in phone data transfers, but the technology has been slow to catch on. It's often incompatible between handsets by different manufacturers and isn't available on all phones. Enter NearBytes, a new Brazilian startup that wants to change the game of mobile data transfers by relying on a technology that is inherent in each phone: sound. It works on all older and new smartphones by transferring bytes via sound, as long as the two devices are in close proximity -- no more than 10 cms apart. Basically, NearBytes encrypts the data you want to send and transmits it as a series of chirps that sound like a cricket. The receiving phone then captures and decrypts these sounds. The company claims that the technology has been tested in noisy environments, including a train station, and works just fine. The speeds are slow -- about 100 kbps -- but hey, at least it works on

Android May Get Banned In India Says Government Read more: Android May Get Banned In India Says Government Kapil Sibbal

According to DNA and PTI, Google’s Android platform, on which many smartphones are built and sold in India, reportedly hosts many adult applications that are considered unsuitable for viewing by children. Amid rising instances of adult content freely available on applications supported by Android phones, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal sought suggestions from the media to deal with the issue. “I want you people to suggest how can we close it. If we want to close it, you will attack us. I want all the media to come together and tell the minister how to deal with it so that if I do something about it, you don’t attack me,” Sibal told reporters in response to a query on the government’s action to adult applications on Android platform. When contacted, a Google spokesperson said the company builds tools and controls into products that help people manage their online experience. “Google Play developer programme policy does not allow content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts,