Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard Features Ultra-thin, Lightweight Design

If you are a frequent traveler who uses a tablet computer extensively for work or just love to operate the smartphone on the go for blogging and accessing social media and have found it annoying to type in the crammed-up on-screen keyboard, well, the new Microsoft designed Universal Foldable Keyboard may be the right product for you. The bluetooth-enabled keyboard works with all Android devices, Windows Phones and tablets as well as iOS powered iPhones and iPads. It's the design that has been rethought while launching a portable keyboard. Microsoft researchers have brought an ultra-thin and super compact design to the tablet with the new foldable keyboard.

We all have one time or the other found that typing on the small touch screen keyboard gets uncomfortable if you are typing in a lot of content. Not only is it slow, but it's also prone to typing mistakes and editing the text is a hassle. As smartphones and tablets get thinner by the day, here is a product from Microsoft that's not only incredibly thin at 11.5 mm thickness when folded (and just 5mm thin when opened), but also really lightweight. The built-in rechargeable battery is said to last about three months in use on a single charge.

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Thanks to Bluetooth pairing, the Foldable Keyboard gets set up two any device in seconds and what we really love is the fact that if the user pairs the keyboard with any combination of two compatible devices, he can quickly switch between them with one touch. Last but not the least on the feature highlights list is the durable design. The keyboard is designed to be spill-resistant, hence you won't have to panic if you spill the coffee on it on your next round of meeting over gadgets.

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Microsoft has set the price of the Universal Foldable Keyboard at $99.95 (approx. Rs. 6,200) and would be available for buying by July 2015 via the Microsoft Store and various other retailers. Take a look at the following video to see the foldable keyboard in action -

University Of Cambridge Research Could Make 3D Holographic Display Possible

Researchers at University of Cambridge are working to make real time 3D holographic displays possible. The researchers have designed a new type pixel element having unique switching capability. This newly designed pixel element enables greater control over displays at the level of individual pixels. Scientists believe that this research might bring real-time 3D holographic displays one step closer to reality. A photograph is created due to light falling on an object, whereas light bouncing from a surface creates a hologram. The bouncing light projects the image of the surface which gives viewer an impression as if the object is present right in front of them.

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Large amount of optical information is present in a hologram and representation of holographic image requires information to be modulated on the display device. The findings of the research concludes that large area of the pixel is underutilised that can be used to store additional information in order to make the display suitable for holographic displays. Additional functionalities can be added with the help of nanostructures to increase the capacity of pixels.

The team working on this research is led by Calum Williams, a PhD student at Department of Engineering who is also the lead author of the paper and co-author Yunuen Montelongo. The team has achieved much control over holograms through plasmonics (study of how light interacts with metals on nanoscales). Real world applications require properties of optical antennas to be switched, which is not usually possible in currently available devices. However, integration with liquid crystals allowed researchers to actively switch which hologram is excited and there which output image is selected.

The research extends the opportunities in the field of plasmonics and these pixels could develop displays that would be totally different compared to currently used conventional displays.

Google Chromecast Can Now Be Controlled With Your TV Remote

Google’s Chromecast is one of the most popular digital media player available in the market. But one of the drawbacks that it had was that it could be controlled only via a smartphone or a laptop. Even if you want to pause a program for a few seconds, you need to open the laptop or go to the settings of the smartphone to do it. But Google seems to have quietly overcome this small yet significant problem. A recent update to Chromecast indicates that it is now possible to pause or restart playback video using the TV Remote control.

Although there has been no official word from Google, but tech buffs are speculating that control via TV Remote is possible now because of Chromecast’s use HDMI-CEC which is an extension of the HDMI protocol. It is HDMI-CEC that allows the TV Remote to interact with the Chromecast in the same manner as the remote interacts with a Blu-Ray player. The TV acts as a mediator and converts the infrared signals of the remote and sends it to Chromecast because the Chromecast doesn’t have an infrared player.

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After the pause/resume button is pressed, the state of the video player is updated on the smartphone/laptop and you can resume/pause the video using these devices as you normally do. This feature was added to Chromecast in the latest 27946 firmware update. The feature works with the old remotes but it might not work for old TVs because old TVs do not support the HDMI-CEC protocol.

According to Chromecast users, the feature is working successfully for most apps like YouTube, WatchESPN, HBO Go etc. but there are certain apps like Netflix which are yet to support the same. It is worth noting that in some TVs the HDMI-CEC protocol is present but is switched off by default. It is possible to change this setting and here is the link on how to do it easily.

NASA’s Four MMS Spacecraft To Provide Insight Into Magnetic Reconnection Phenomenon

With a mission to study and have a greater understanding of a phenomenon called ‘magnetic reconnection’, United Launch Alliance rocket- Atlas V 421 was successfully launched at 10:44 p.m. EDT on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. NASA’s four Magnetospheric Multiscale or MMS spacecraft were placed one on top of the other on the rocket and were later positioned in the Earth’s orbit in less than two hours after the launch. These identical observatories will be deployed into a pyramid formation for providing the very first 3D view of reconnection that occurs in the Earth’s magnetic space environment (magnetosphere).

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Magnetic reconnection is believed to be acting as a catalyst for the powerful explosions that are happening in the solar system. It takes place at the time when the magnetic fields link together, disconnect, and reconfigure explosively. During this fundamental process, billions of megatons of trinitrotoluene (TNT) of energy is released. These explosions are capable of sending the nearby space particles at about the speed of light. The study of the phenomenon will also provide deep understanding of these events that can damage present-day technological systems such as GPS navigation, communications networks, and electrical power grids. It will also help to acquire knowledge about the processes in the sun and other stars atmosphere, surroundings of black holes and neutron stars, and also at the borderline that is between the heliosphere of the solar system and interstellar space.

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The spacecraft will fly in a fixed formation while advancing through the areas of reconnection activity. The MMS consists of sensors for measuring the space environment and instruments that are sensitive enough to notice a difference equivalent to a 4 volt change in space. It is the fourth assignment in the NASA Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) Program.

Now Watch 360 Degree Videos On YouTube - Support Announced

Video-sharing giant YouTube has brought virtual reality now to actual reality. Although not as quite as effective, but YouTube has brought what it had promised back in January. YouTube has introduced the ability to upload and view 360 degree angle videos on their website naturally with the intent to keep up with the technology and attracting a larger audience. If you’d look at the video below, you will realize that YouTube has done a great job especially because the videos look great without the use of a virtual reality headset.

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The support to 360 degree views is currently available on YouTube’s Android app and on Google Chrome on the web. On the phone/tablet via the app, the user can change the angles of the video by changing the orientation of the device. On Chrome, the angle can be changed in a traditional Google Map style arrow buttons available on the video.

The good news is that it isn’t necessary to visit the YouTube website every time you wish to see 360-degree video. The same functionality is available also on embedded videos. The bad news is, currently there is no 360 degree support for iPad and iPhone users. However, YouTube has assured that they are working on the same and support will be available soon.

Intex 3111 - A 32 Inch LED HD TV For Under Rs. 24,000 Launched In India

Among the many products in the portfolio of Intex Technologies' televisions now stands a new 32-inch LED TV with HD resolution (1366 X 768 pixel). The 80 cm television comes with a price tag of Rs. 23,990 and the promise of a good viewing experience for the user. Powered by the Eye Safe T Matrix LED technology, the Intex 3111 HD TV features a vertical panel for wider view. The television has been designed to reduce power consumption and reduce time lag. Intex Technologies also bring auto channel search and sleep timer to the table. With a dynamic contrast ratio of 1000000:1, the Intex 3111 LED TV comes with stereo sound system with bottom speakers and some of the advanced features such as perceptual motion flow tech, full HD video playback through USB 2.0 and digital noise reduction.

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At a net weight of 4.4 kg, the television looks to be quite on the heavy side. Other than that, we take a look at the various ports on the Intex 3111 television, only to find a HDMI ports, a VGA input ports, two composite AV in ports and a composite AV out port as well as a RF in port.

If we compare the Intex 3111 with the other HD ready 32-inch TVs in India such as the LG LB515A or Samsung UA series or Bravia models, you will find that the Intex 3111 is one of the cheapest options. What are your thoughts on the new 32-inch model? Share with us in comments below.

Simmtronics XPAD Freedom Tablet Launched In India - Specs, Features & Price Revealed

Simmtronics Semiconductor Ltd., an Indian multinational computer technology company that is known best for manufacturing economical 3G Tablets with calling function and G-Sensor as well as for bringing India's First Solar Power operated Desktop PC, is here with the launch of a new tablet called XPAD Freedom. It has expanded its gadget portfolio by bringing in the Simmtronics XPAD Freedom tab that runs the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and has support for 2G as well as 3G. The tablet features a 7.85-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen with 1024 X 768 resolution along with 19.9 cm IPS Retina Screen.

Powered by a 1.2 GHz Quadcore processor, the XPAD Freedom tablet has 1 GB RAM, a 5 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front camera. For storage, the tablet has 8GB in-built storage which can be extended upto 32 GB via MicroSD card slot. For the user's connectivity needs, the Freedom tablet gives you support for WiFi, USB, HDMI and Bluetooth 4.0. Deriving its power from a 5,000 mAh battery that offers up to 5 hours of Web browsing time and up to 6 hours of video browsing, the tablet comes loaded with three axle load sensors and automatic four directions display. The tablet comes preloaded with apps like Documents To Go, Skype, BIGFLIX, YouTube among others.

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The Simmtronics XPAD Freedom tablet bring with it a a cover worth Rs 1990 out of the box. Bearing a price in India tag of Rs. 13,999, the tablet is available at all leading electronic stores across the country. Speaking at the launch, Indrajit S Sabharwal, Managing Director, Simmtronics said, "We are very enthralled with the introduction of this new tablet. This customized tab is designed for technology lovers who wish to use both 3G and 2G in a single device, which is enriched with a quad-core processor. We have manufactured a unibody enclosure and refined to process to be even more material-efficient and extract with tolerances measured in microns, mono-crystalline diamond cut-edges and sleek metallic finishes, designed to satisfy high-standards."

After a range of tablets like the XPAD-XQ1, XPAD X-722, XPAD X720, XPAD 801, XPAD X1010 and XPAD 802 tablets, Simmtronics XPAD Freedom has been a refreshing entry for the company in the bubbling tablet market in India.