Twitter to soon be accessible on mobiles without Internet

Twitter Inc is tying up with a Singapore-based startup to make its 140-character messaging service available to users in emerging markets who have entry-level mobile phones which cannot access the Internet.

U2opia Mobile, which has a similar tie-up with Facebook Inc, will launch its Twitter service in the first quarter of next year, Chief Executive and Co-founder Sumesh Menon told Reuters.

Users will need to dial a simple code to get a feed of the popular trending topics on Twitter, he said.

More than 11 million people use U2opia's Fonetwish service, which helps access Facebook and Google Talk on mobile without a data connection.

Twitter, which boasts of about 230 million users, held a successful initial public offering last month that valued the company at around $25 billion.

U2opia uses a telecom protocol named USSD, or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, which does not allow viewing of pictures, videos or other graphics.

"USSD as a vehicle for Twitter is almost hand in glove because Twitter has by design a character limit, it's a very text-driven social network," Menon said.

Eight out of 10 people in emerging markets are still not accessing data on their phone, he said.

U2opia, which is present in 30 countries in seven international languages, will localize the Twitter feed according to the location of the user.

"So somebody in Paraguay would definitely get content that would be very very localized to that market vis a vis somebody sitting in Mumbai or Bangalore," he said.

The company, whose biggest markets are Africa and South America, partners with telecom carriers such as Telenor, Vodafone and Bharti Airtel Ltd. U2opia usually gets 30 to 40 percent of what users pay its telecom partners to access Fonetwish.

"For a lot of end users in the emerging markets, it's going to be their first Twitter experience," Menon said.

Read more : http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/twitter-to-soon-be-accessible-on-mobiles-without-internet-in-emerging-markets-455157?pfrom=gadgetstop

Sony’s Computerised Hair With Brainwave Monitoring Capabilities - "Will Change Your Life While Making You Look Damn Good"

Sony has filed a patent for a “SmartWig” device: A false hair piece complete with sensors for “providing data input” and capable of communicating with smartphones and computers.

Sony suggests that the SmartWig could fulfil a number of functions, from acting as a health care device that monitors users’ vital signs (including blood pressure, temperature and heart-rate) to acting as a “navigation wig” to assist the blind in finding their way around.

"The usage of a wig has several advantages that, compared to known wearable computing devices, include significantly increased user comfort and an improved handling of the wearable computing device," said in its U.S. patent filing, reported by Kotaku. The hair-raising idea was filed in May but only made public this week.

The hairpiece comes with hidden input sensors which process data, communicate wirelessly and also provide tactile feedback.

This latter implementation would include an onboard GPS system that would be used to locate the wearer whilst built-in “vibration motors” could provide feedback; notifying the user of the direction they need to take or when they arrive at their destination.

Meanwhile, the Sensing Wig monitors body temperature, blood pressure and brainwaves and can also record sounds and images to allow wearers to playback their day and see what set their systems aflutter.

“The wig itself may have a fancy or funny appearance, but may also have an inconspicuous appearance so that other people in the surroundings of the user may not even take notice of the wearable computing device.”

A spokeswoman for Sony said Thursday that patents for the SmartWig had been filed in the European Union and the United States, although there were currently no plans to commercialise the product.

Coin- A Universal Credit Card

Coin the only card you’ll need in your wallet.

Coin is the size of a standard credit card, and has an interface that lets you cycle through your stored cards. A small screen displays your name, expiration dates, card security codes and anything else a merchant needs to verify the transaction with the exception of a signature.

The device connects to your iOS or Android smartphone through Bluetooth, but a connection to the phone or to the internet isn’t required to use Coin. Its app is used as a means to load new cards (through an accompanying mag-stripe dongle) and manage the cards already stored in Coin. The device uses 128-bit encryption to secure all data stored and transferred, but it also uses Bluetooth as an additional layer of security. If your Coin loses radio contact with your phone, it will lock up and send you an alert. You can unlock the Coin with a code in case your phone battery dies, Bluetooth conks out or you leave it in the car.



The device has an internal non-replaceable battery that Coin claims will last two years. It’s also designed to take a lot more abuse than your regular credit cards. It’s shock and water resistant, and its strip won’t demagnetize in the presence of magnets, other credit cards or electronics.

Coin is due to hit the market some time in 2014, priced at $100. If you’re keen to get your hands on one as soon as possible, and like the idea of saving some money, there are a limited number of Coins available for just $50. You might usually feel that it’s good to have a heavy moneybag, but Coin lightens your wallet in a very good way.

Why an Indian born Entrepreneur’s Smart Watch will save Lives and transform Healthcare

Raj Sadhu, Founder, Vyzin, has created a smart watch that allows one to remotely monitor critical health parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, sugar levels, ECG, pulse rate as well as the physical location.

Jyotsna Desai, a promising scientist based in Gujarat, was in a major dilemma. She had just received a letter from a major R&D firm based in the USA offering her the opportunity to work on a futuristic technology that would propel her career to new heights. Not only was the R&D firm willing to sponsor her research, it was even willing to offer her a joint patent if her research was successful. While Jyotsna would have been normally excited by this opportunity, she was confused because of the health of her aged parents. Some thoughts quickly raced through her head, “Who would remind her diabetic mother to regularly check her sugar levels? How would she ensure that her father who had already suffered one heart attack was taking medications on time?” 

Jyotsna’s dilemma is similar to many young professionals who have their aged parents at home, and have no way to monitor the health or understand if their parents are safe. This was exactly the situation that inspired and prompted Raj Sadhu, Founder, Vyzin to create a smart watch, called VESAG that can remotely transmit key health parameters via existing cellular networks to a central server.

Explaining the inspiration behind creating this device, Raj Sadhu, says, “In 2010, I had to come back to India from the U.S. to take care of my parents. In India, I started thinking why cannot I monitor their health from there? So, I searched for some devices, but could not find anything. This prompted me to create the device; I patented the idea in USPTO, India and started working on a device that can send data through mobile communications. I rented an apartment, hired couple of freshers with IT background and started building the product. I can proudly say that we are the first ones.” 

The device can monitor critical health parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, sugar levels, ECG, pulse rate as well as the physical location (via GPS tracking), when defined thresholds are reached. This is specifically useful for elderly patients with critical health problems and who require regular monitoring of their health parameters.

Read more at: http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/news-analysis/286368/indian-born-entrepreneur-smart-watch-save-lives-transform-healthcare?utm_source=referrence_article

Hyundai To Sell Hydrogen Powered Car in 2014, 300-mile range expected

Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world's transportation of the future.

Hyundai says it will begin selling a hydrogen-powered Tucson compact SUV in 2014. It’s one of several auto show announcements this week in Los Angeles and Tokyo about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles being readied for production. Hyundai says this will be the first mass-market hydrogen vehicle available in the US.

"These things are now ready for prime time," said John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai North America. Less ready is the infrastructure needed to keep the cars on the road: California has only nine hydrogen filling stations, and no state has them widely available. California will have 100 more stations by 2023.

Even as the industry focused on battery-powered and hybrid cars, automakers such as Hyundai, Honda and Toyota kept up research on fuel cells. Now they appear to have conquered obstacles such as high costs, safety concerns and a lack of filling stations. These vehicles could help the companies meet stricter future fuel-economy standards.

At a media event in Michigan at a Hyundai R&D facility, Hyundai North America CEO John Krafcik told reporters that a hydrogen fuel cell “brings together the best features of battery electric vehicles.” Krafcik also touted the “great range” of hydrogen vehicles. Range in the new generation of hydrogen vehicles could be 300 miles versus the 75-100 miles for most EVs, or 200-250 miles for Teslas.

Hyundai says it has overcome safety and storage issues with a rear-mounted tank that has passed numerous crash tests without incident. The fuel cell combines pressurized, gaseous hydrogen with oxygen in the air to produce electricity that powers electric motors and move the vehicle. Water is the only emission. 

Bublcam: 360º Camera Technology

Whether you're documenting mountains at sunset or the urban jungle of New York City's Times Square, Bublcam claims to capture "everything around you."

The bublcam is the world’s most innovative 360º camera, inside and out. Our camera has been developed to be light and extremely portable. Just a bit larger than a baseball, the portable camera shoots 14 megapixel spherical photos and videos at 1080p at 15 frames per second and 720p at 30 fps in H.264. Equipped with a Wi-Fi connection, Bublcam allows users to stream live video to computers and mobile devices. It also has USB streaming and a micro SD slot.

When shooting photos or videos, Bublcam ensures no blind spots with its patent-pending tetrahedral design, according to creator Sean Ramsay, who launched Bublcam on Kickstarter earlier this month through his company Bubl Technology Inc. Ramsay also foresees it as a tool for security and surveillance.

Bublcam's Kickstarter campaign has already more than doubled its funding goal of CA$100,000 (nearly $96,000). At the time of writing, backers who contribute $529 or more will receive their own white or black Bublcam, a mini tripod, camera pouch, lens cloth and limited-edition t-shirt by May 2014.

Other 360-degree cameras exist on the market, including the throwable ball-like device Panono Ball, which has 36 cameras that fire simultaneously once the camera reaches its highest point in the air. However, the device only takes photos, unlike Bublcam, which also shoots video.

The bubl team has developed the bublcam and the bubl software in order to help evolve all of the markets that really could take advantage of capturing and allowing us all to experience everything in a single moment.

LG Nexus 10 tablet images, price leaked

LG has been the manufacturer for two-generations of Nexus smartphones, the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5. Now, new leaked images suggest that the South Korean giant may be Google's new partner for the next generation 10-inch tablet, the Nexus 10.

The Google Nexus 10 is originally priced $399 for the 16GB wifi model and Staples' discount will bring it down to $349. The 32GB model costs $499 and will now cost $449

The promotion is only available on devices that cost $149 and more. However, interested buyers who desire the new Nexus 7 should shop elsewhere as the tablet is currently out of stock through Staples.

Other discounted tablets are the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1. However, Android Authority claimed that there are issues using the code on the Galaxy Tab 3. Tablets will be selling like hotcakes this holiday season. Thus, various retailers offer deals and discounts just in time for the holidays.

The Google Nexus 10 features a 10.1 inches screen display armed with Corning Gorilla Glass 2. The device is powered by a dual core A15 processor paired with 2GB of RAM. The tablet is available in 16 GB and 32 GB storage variants.

The Google Nexus 10 was released with the 4.2 version Jelly Bean OS will get the latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS update in the coming weeks. Google's tablet also packed a 5MP back camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera. Lastly, the tablet also boasts an amazing 9,000 mAh battery life.

Meanwhile, Google's Nexus 10 2 release date is still unconfirmed by the search engine giant but it is speculated that the tablet will arrive before the holidays.

The spec sheet of the tablet revealed that Google Nexus 10 2 will retain its 10 inches screen display with a 2560x1600 pixel resolution. It will pack a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 8 MP and 2.1 MP back and front camera as well as 9,500 mAh battery capacity.

Other rumours claimed that the next generation of Google Nexus 10 will have a larger internal storage and an expandable storage via MicroSD slot as well as LTE Connectivity support that were skipped on the current Nexus 10. It is given that the 10-inch tablet will run with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat. Google is known for offering cheap yet high quality devices.

Google's BALLOON-POWERED INTERNET : Project Loon Balloons can circle Earth three times

Google’s floating network in sky — Project Loon — won’t just be mobile, following the stratospheric wind currents; it will be the very definition of a evolving network with new transmitters launched into the sky every 100 days. In a new video on Loon's Google+ site, Google explained that each Loon balloon is designed to stay aloft for three trips around the globe.

A key component of the Google [x] Lab project to deliver Wi-Fi to remote parts of the world via souped-up weather balloons, according to a new Google video.  Its Latest video takes it a step further: tearing apart one of its blimp-tracking antennas and explaining how it works. Every unit houses a radio, what Google is calling "radiating elements" and a disc-shaped reflector. This reflector has to be circular to boost the antenna's off-angle sensitivity, which enables the receiver to maintain an even signal with Project Loon's drifting internet-carriers. 

Pam Desrochers, Google's balloon manufacturing manager said “The most important part about keeping balloons in the air for a long time is making sure that they are leak-proof “. The surface area of the balloon is really vast, about 500 square meters, and it provides a lot of opportunities for little pinholes and leaks, which can shorten the life of our flight.”

The balloons will be subjected to big changes in temperature as the sun rises and sets, causing its internal pressure to change dramatically. Meanwhile, Loon will be “steering” the balloons in the stratospheric winds by pumping air in and out of them creating additional stresses.

 While originally the balloons that were tested in Project Loon's demo in New Zealand were made out of polyethylene film, the video makes it sound like Google is still undecided on what kind of material will best suit its balloons. Google now appears to be testing all manner of materials, subjecting them to durability, temperature and leak tests.

To Mars and back quickly: Improved propulsion technology in works

A concept image of a spacecraft powered by a fusion-driven rocket. In this image, the crew would be in the forward-most chamber. Solar panels on the sides would collect energy to initiate the process that creates fusion.

New propulsion technologies may blast astronauts through space at breakneck speeds in the coming decades, making manned Mars missions much faster and safer.

Souped-up electric propulsion systems and rockets driven by nuclear fusion or fission could end up shortening travel times to the Red Planet dramatically, proponents say, potentially opening up a new era in manned space exploration.

"Using existing rocket fuels, it's nearly impossible for humans to explore much beyond Earth," John Slough of the University of Washington, leader of a team developing a fusion-driven rocket, said in a statement earlier this year. "We are hoping to give us a much more powerful source of energy in space that could eventually lead to making interplanetary travel commonplace." 

Fast track to Mars

Putting boots on the Red Planet is a chief ambition of NASA, which aims to send astronauts to the vicinity of Mars by the mid-2030s.

As it works toward this goal, the space agency is investigating and encouraging the development of advanced propulsion systems to take the reins from traditional chemical rockets, which could get astronauts to Mars and back in about 500 days. That's too slow for NASA's liking. People living in deep space for that amount of time could accumulate relatively high radiation doses, officials say, and they'd have to exercise a great deal to stave off bone loss, muscle atrophy and other hazards of long-term microgravity exposure.

One possible solution is the nuclear fusion rocket being developed by Slough and his team, with funding from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, or NIAC. 

Such a system could get astronauts to the Red Planet in just 90 days or so, the researchers say. In fact, they're designing their work around a reference mission that lasts a total of 210 days — 83 days for the flight out, 30 days on the Red Planet's surface and a 97-day journey back to Earth.

Apple rumored to be Developing Curved IPhone Screens, New Sensors

The new iPhone could look like, left, and current iPhone design

Apple Inc is developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing a unnamed person familiar with the plans.

Two models planned for release in the second half of next year would feature larger displays with glass that curves downward at the edges, said the person, declining to be identified because the details aren’t public. Sensors that can distinguish heavy or light touches on the screen may be incorporated into subsequent models, the person said.

With screens of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, the two new models would be Apple’s largest iPhones, the person said, and would approach in size the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 that Samsung Electronics Co. debuted in September. The South Korean maker last month released its curved-screen Galaxy Round, the latest phone in an array of sizes and price points that’s helping keep Samsung ahead of Apple in global market share.

Apple last changed the iPhone's form factor in 2012 with the iPhone 5, upping screen size from 3.5 inches to 4 inches. Instead of increasing the phone's width, Apple chose to stretch the screen's height, and boasted that the larger screen still allowed for easy one-handed operation. This year's two new iPhone models, the 5c and 5s, both kept the same 4-inch Retina display.

The new Apple handsets are still in development and plans haven’t been completed, the person said, adding that the company probably would release them in the third quarter of next year.

Man Implants Smartphone-Sized Computer Into His Arm

Self-professed biohacker Tim Cannon has become the first human being to have a non-medical computer implanted inside his body. The Circadia 1.0 is about the size of a small smartphone and was implanted in Tim’s forearm without the aid of anesthetic or a licensed doctor. The device is designed to gather biometric data and beam it to a mobile device, making Tim Cannon the first DIY Cyborg.

The wirelessly charged sensor, developed over the course of 18 months by Cannon and his fellow hackers/artists at Grindhouse Wetware, monitors his vital signs, then transmits that real-time data via Bluetooth to his Android device.

Cannon told Vice's Motherboard that Circadia 1.0 could “send me a text message if it thinks that I’m getting a fever.” The device could then help determine what factors are causing the fever. Future versions of the sensor are expected to monitor the pulse and — thankfully — come in a smaller, less ghastly package.

The team at Grindhouse Wetware claims to have already perfected a pulse sensor that will be integrated with the next version of the Circadia. Cannon expects the first production series of the chip to be ready in a few months and said it will cost around $500. 

Hands-on with the Olympus Stylus 1

The "superzoom" category of small-sensor point-and-shoots with zoom lenses of 10X or greater is a strange one, but travelers and people catching shots of their kids at the Little League game love them. The new Stylus 1 from Olpympus tickles that telephoto fancy while keeping serious photographers in mind.

The 12 MP Stylus 1 premium compact superzoom, combining DSLR-like operation and performance and compact camera portability, the prothusiast camera features a 300-mm fixed aperture zoom lens (with the option to extend the telephoto end via an adapter and add-on lens), a tilting touchscreen display and an electronic viewfinder, and built-in Wi-Fi.

The Olympus STYLUS 1 will come with a 12MP 1/1.7” BSI CMOS sensor. It will sport a 10.7x i.Zuiko Optical Zoom 28-300mm equivalent lens with a constant aperture of f/2.8. It will also feature a Super Macro Mode with a 2” minimum focus distance, a 1.4M-dot high-def EVF with an eye sensor, a 3” touchscreen LCD display that can be tilted, WiFi connectivity, and Full HD 1080p video capture. It will also come with built-in flash and a hot shoe for added peripherals in the future.

To help it really live up to its superzoom status, users can mount a TCON-17x 1.7x teleconverter lens using a CLA-13 converter adapter, which will extend the telephoto end to 510 mm, but doing so will obviously adversely affect the camera's portability and convenience.

The compact has also been treated to the same 1.44 million dot resolution LCD electronic viewfinder as can be found on the Olympus OM-D E-M5, with 1.15x magnification and 100 percent field of view. An eye sensor turns off LiveView on the touchscreen display when an approaching eye is detected.

The 4.5 x 3.4 x 2.2 in (116.2 x 87 x 56.5 mm) Stylus 1 has a fully loaded weight of 14.2 oz (about 400 g), and is capable of Full HD video recording at 30 fps with stereo audio. Users can capture footage at up to 240 fps for those much-loved dramatic slow motion scenes, though the resolution will need to drop to 320 x 240.

Users are offered a choice of four aspects for capturing stills, and 11 art filters and five effects should help satisfy the creativity muse. An included Neutral Density filter helps prevent overexposure during motion blur shooting.

World's first Bitcoin ATM Opens

Three young Canadian entrepreneurs have opened the world's first automated teller able to exchange bitcoins for currency. The world's first Bitcoin ATM has opened in Vancouver, Canada - "An ATM that converts bitcoins to Canadian dollars and vice versa".

The machine, which resides at Waves Coffee House in Vancouver's downtown area, uses a palm scanner to access each Bitcoin owner's account. Users who don't already own Bitcoin can still exchange cash for the currency, and create an account on the spot. The ATM is the world's first, said co-owner Mitchell Demeter, a local entrepreneur who started trading in bitcoins several years ago. 

Customers use a private key - like a bank PIN - to access their online account of bitcoins on the ATM. They withdraw cash equivalents for their bitcoins, or deposit cash bills, which are then converted into bitcoins and deposited into a virtual account. The prevailing conversion rate is about one bitcoin for C$200 (HK$1,484). Users can then spend their bitcoins with a smartphone, in a similar way to how credit cards are used, or by transferring the money to purchase goods and services online. "It's the currency of the internet, as real as any other," said Demeter.

In Vancouver, bitcoins are accepted by some 15 local businesses, from coffee shops to a landscaping business. The ATM machine, operated by Vancouver-based Bitcoiniacs and Nevada-based Robocoin.

"We're freaking out [due to excitement]," says Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley. "What this machine has done is it's removed the barriers to entry for the masses."

Kelley says he hopes to have Bitcoin ATMs across Canada by the end of the year, and into the United States in 2014. Interested users can expect the first Bitcoin ATM to crop up in Boston, he says, followed by California and New York.

Google and HP Team Up to Bring featherweight Chromebook 11

After releasing the “prototype” Chromebook Pixel earlier this year, Google has gone the opposite way for the mass market with the lightweight, low-powered Chromebook 11 from HP.

Google and HP collaborated on the design of the new Chromebook, which ships this week for $279. It is essentially a successor to last year’s $250 Chromebook from Samsung, with the same ARM-based Exynos 5250 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and two USB ports. Both the old and new laptops have 11-inch displays, each with a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels.

The improvements in the Chromebook 11 are all about design and fine-tuning. Google says this new Chromebook has a sturdier magnesium frame, so it won’t flex when you hold it up from one corner, and it manages to be a tenth of a pound lighter than the Samsung Chromebook, weighing in at just 2.3 pounds.

Although the screen resolution is unchanged, the display has 176-degree viewing angles. Google also claims that the Chromebook’s speakers are “finely tuned,” and placed under the keyboard so the sound projects toward the user.

While there is offline support for Google documents and other apps, this a laptop that is best when connected to a Wi-Fi network. As with other Chromebooks, Google throws in 100GB of Google Drive storage for two years and 12 free GoGo in-flight Internet sessions

Volvo new battery technology that uses car body panels

Electric vehicles are a fast-growing technology that is ever evolving, and one of the latest contributors to that technological evolution is Volvo. The auto maker has come forward with details about its new battery technology, which, among other things, utilizes the car’s body panels and super capacitors. We’ve got all the details on this tech after the jump.

That technology aims to improve the amount of energy an electric vehicle can store and utilize, making the entire process more efficient and giving better range for the driver, not to mention being environmentally-friendly. The project, which was funded under a larger EU research mission, took place with eight unnamed “major participants” and the Imperial College London academic lead.

Volvo says it is the only auto maker working as part of the project, helping to find a way to reduce the weight and size (and comparable costs) of modern EV battery solutions. By utilizing nano-structured batteries, carbon fibers, and super capacitors, a solution has been identified — the feasibility of such, at least. For other auto makers, the design is more cost effective due to the car structure options it poses.

Energy regeneration from the brakes is used to charge a material made of polymer resin and carbon fibers, which is moulded into shapes that can be implemented into the car’s larger design. The capacitors are then set within the “component skin.” One of its upsides is also more rapid charging than current battery tech.

Test components

Volvo Car Group has evaluated the technology by creating two components for testing and development. These are a boot lid and a plenum cover, tested within the Volvo S80. The boot lid is a functioning electrically powered storage component and has the potential to replace the standard batteries seen in today’s cars. It is lighter than a standard boot lid, saving on both volume and weight. The new plenum demonstrates that it can also replace both the rally bar, a strong structural piece that stabilises the car in the front, and the start-stop battery. This saves more than 50% in weight and is powerful enough to supply energy to the car’s 12 Volt system

It is believed that the complete substitution of an electric car’s existing components with the new material could cut the overall weight by more than 15%. This is not only cost effective but would also have improvements to the impact on the environment.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet Launches with Curved Handle

Lenovo has launched two new Android tablets, the Yoga 8-inch and Yoga 10-inch. The Lenovo Yoga 8-inch tablet comes at $249 (Rs. 15,200 approximately) while the Lenovo Yoga 10-inch tablet has been priced at $299 (Rs. 18,300 approximately) weighing in at 0.88 pounds and 1.33 pounds respectively.  The tablets have been launched in the US, and for now, no global availability details have been released.

Both the newly announced tablets sports Lenovo's multimode feature, offering  three modes: Hold (for, well holding the tablet), Stand (for propping it up, say, for a video) and Tilt, which may be the best way to enter data with your fingers. The tablet is designed with a kickstand on the back and a cylindrical battery that Lenovo claims can last up to 18 hours, at least when you're reading.

Both devices have an MT8125 SoC, usually seen in budget tablets, which run Android 4.2.2 on a modest quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 with 1GB of RAM. Lenovo has chosen a strange Android skin that more closely resembles iOS than Android, with apps covering the home screens rather than tucked inside an app launcher. Almost surprisingly, the OS feels fast and responsive, with impressive scrolling rendering in both the default browser and Chrome. Both tablets have low-res 1280 x 800 resolution screens, although both colors and viewing angles are fairly impressive.

The machines come with 16GB or 32GB of memory, which can be expanded via microSD. Each has a 1.6 megapixel front camera along with a 5 megapixel rear camera.

Lenovo also roped in Ashton Kutcher as its new brand ambassador. Commenting on the launch, Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Lenovo Business Group, Lenovo said, "Watching and discovering that people frequently use tablets in three main ways allowed us to break the mold on the current 'sea of sameness' designs, giving them a better way to read, browse, watch and interact with content. As consumers' continue to demand innovative multimode designs we're thrilled to have Ashton Kutcher on board with us to help further develop the immersive and complementary hardware and rich content experience."

Space Tourism by Balloon Coming

Space tourism has been a hot topic for years, with passengers shelling out up to $20 million for a shot at getting out of Earth's atmosphere.The latest space tourism venture depends more on hot air than rocket science.

World View Enterprises announced plans Tuesday to send people up in a capsule, lifted 19 miles by a high-altitude balloon. Jane Poynter, CEO of the Tucson, Ariz.-based company, said the price for the four-hour ride would be $75,000.

Poynter said the plan uses existing technology and the first launch could be as early as the end of 2016.

"There are balloons this size that have already flown up many, many times for decades," Poynter said. "From a technical point of view this is incredibly doable, low risk."

Poynter points out that the main virtue of a balloon trip is to get an excellent look at the curvature of the earth.he venture isn't designed for passengers to experience weightlessness.The flight would take 90 minutes to go up at about 1,000 feet a minute, set sail up high for 2 hours with an emphasis on smooth riding, and then come back down in 40 minutes, Poynter said. The capsule's interior will be roomy enough for its eight passengers to walk around.

Outside space expert Scott Pace, a former NASA associate administrator now space policy director at George Washington University, agreed that this is technically feasible. He said the issue is whether there's enough of a market for it to be financially doable, calling it "an interesting market test."

A concept image of the balloon in flight

 Poynter is confident that there’s a market, with other firms like Virgin Galatic  pre-selling tickets for their space trips. Poynter, who also runs the space firm Paragon Space Development Corporation, claims that “Space tourism is here to stay.” 

World's first Bionic man, REX

The Bionic Man is the world's first robot human made entirely
of prosthetic parts.

While scientists have built many artificial organs individually, they have never before been put together to create an entire human body. Rex or as he has recently been renamed Frank (after Frankenstein), the world's first fully functional bionic man has just changed that. Now on display at the National Air And Space Museum in Washington D.C., the human clone was assembled in three short months using state-of-the-art organs that were donated by 17 manufacturers- A good thing given that the total cost came to about $1 million USD.

Million-dollar man

Roboticists Rich Walker and Matthew Godden of Shadow Robot Co. in England led the assembly of the bionic man from prosthetic body parts and artificial organs donated by laboratories around the world.

The robot, which cost almost $1 million to build, was modeled in some physical aspects after Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist at the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, who wears one of the world's most advanced bionic hands. 

The bionic man is six and half feet tall, weighs 170lbs and can sit, stand and walk with the help of an exoskeleton that is used to help people with spinal injuries.

While the exterior is certainly interesting, it is as they say what's on the inside, that matters - And in Rex's case there is plenty - Starting from most technologically advanced robotic limbs to a functioning heart that pumps oxygen and artificial blood around his body. He also has a lung, kidney, heart, spleen and even a pancreas. A retinal implant allows the bionic man to sense objects around him, while a cochlear insert enables him to hear.

All in all, Rex has about 60-70 percent functionality of a normal human. He is still missing some key parts like a digestive system, liver, skin and most importantly, a brain.

Rex who was first unveiled at London's Science Museum in February of this year, made his way across the Atlantic neatly packed up in two suitcases, earlier this month. After meeting with his fans at New York's Comic-Con, the bionic man flew to the National Air and Space Museum, where he will will be on display for a few months for all to admire, before heading back to England.

Apple's powerful, cylindrical new Mac Pro : A Mini SuperComputer

Apple surprised the world when it previewed the new cylindrical Mac at WWDC 2013. The company has just revealed that the tiny new desktop will start at $2,999 this December.

“It’s our vision of the Pro desktop,” said Apple VP of marketing Phil Schiller. “It has the fastest processor we’ve ever put in a Mac … the fastest memory we’ve ever put in a Mac.”

The new Mac Pro is a beast of a machine. Sporting Intel Xeon E5 processors with between 4 and 12 cores—and topping out at 7 teraflops of computing power—with up to 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM with a 30MB L3 cache, the 2013 MP can hold its own against even the most resource intensive of professional design application.

The graphics are equally impressive. Apple says it has 7 teraflops of compute power and should be able to do things like "seamlessly edit full-resolution 4K video while simultaneously rendering effects in the background." Around back, there's six Thunderbolt 2 ports to drive those 4K displays and connect to next-gen peripherals, as well as four USB 3.0 ports, a 2Gb Ethernet port, HDMI, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It will ship with OS X Mavericks, the latest version of Apple's operating system.

The new product is as quiet as a Mac Mini and has one central fan as well as a unique head dispersal system that ensures the hardware stays cool.

Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet to unveil at October 22 Abu Dhabi event

Nokia is expected to officially announce its first Windows tablet on October 22, the Lumia 2520 in multiple colours much like the Lumia smartphones at Abu Dhabi event titled "Nokia World" .As reported earlier the 10.1-inch display bearing Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet would be based on Windows RT operating system and will offer functionality much similar to that of the Microsoft's RT tablets but with LTE connectivity.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 will feature a 10.1-inch touchscreen Full HD display with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution. This tablet will be powered using a 2.15 GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 System-on-Chip with 2 GB RAM. Although it is not clear as to how much internal memory the device will come with but we expect it to have at-least feature 32 GB on board storage and also feature a memory card slot.

Nokia Lumia 2520 will also come with an industry leading 6.7 megapixel camera based with PureView functionality, much similar to the camera unit featured on the Nokia Lumia 720. Along with that the tablet is claimed to be offering up to 10 hours of battery backup and will come with a detachable keyboard solution with its additional battery.

There is still no word on when you’ll be able to get your hands on the tablet, but Nokia is set to show it off for the first time on October 22nd during Nokia World in Abu Dhabi.. Yup the same day Apple shows off its next generation iPads. To be fair to Nokia, Apple was supposed to be unveiling its tablets on the 15th, but then moved its event to the week after.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 is expected to be priced at  $499 or Rs 32,000 but actual price will only be known once the tablet makes an official break in to the market.