IRIS - siri for android

As you all may know very well about SIRI in iPhone 4S, which answers to any of the questions that user asks. And this one known as IRIS is the SIRI for android phone users. Its now in its alpha stage of development.

Iris (Intelligent Rival Imitator of Siri) is a personal assistant application for Android. The application uses natural language processing to answer questions based on user voice request. Iris currently supports Call, Text, Contact Lookup, and Web Search actions. It was developed by Narayan Babu and his team at a Kochi (India) based firm named Dexetra.com in 8 hours.

Its available in the android market for downloading.

Download URL - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dexetra.iris

For more details, visit http://www.i-programmer.info/news/105-artificial-intelligence/3211-iris-siri-for-android-proves-apple-doesnt-have-an-edge.html

How to install Ubuntu using USB stick

I have noticed that some people are not aware what's ubuntu or what's linux even. So I thought of posting this, which could help you install ubuntu and try it out and explore what linux really is, as a first step.

Prerequisites:

1. A windows machine with internet connection

2. USB pen drive with 2 GB free space

Steps:

1. Download the latest ubuntu distribution image file from http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download

* Once you've finished downloading your file, you'll need to create a CD or USB drive. I am using USB here.

2. Insert a USB stick with at least 2GB of free spaceThe easiest way to get up and running with USB is to use the USB installer below. You'll need to download and install that and then come back here and follow the instructions. (alternate USB installer can be found on http://www.linuxliveusb.com/)

* Download from the URL - http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

* Select Ubuntu Desktop Edition from the dropdown list

* Click 'Browse' and open the downloaded ISO file

* Choose the USB drive and click 'Create'

Most newer computers can boot from USB. You should see a welcome screen prompting you to choose your language and giving you the option to install Ubuntu or try it from the CD.

If your computer does not automatically do so, you might need to edit the BIOS settings. Restart your computer, and watch for a message telling you which key to press to enter the BIOS setup. It will usually be one of F1, F2, DEL, ESC or F10. Press this key while your computer is booting to edit your BIOS settings.

You need to edit the Boot Order. Depending on your computer, and how your USB key was formatted, you should see an entry for 'removable drive' or 'USB media'. Move this to the top of the list to force the computer to attempt to boot from USB before booting from the hard disk. Save your changes and continue.

Choose your preferred language and click on 'Try Ubuntu'

Your live CD desktop should appear. Have a look around!

When you are ready to install Ubuntu click on the icon on your desktop: 'Install Ubuntu 11.10'

Prepare to install Ubuntu

1. It is recommended to plug your computer into a power source.
2. You should also make sure you have enough space on your computer to install Ubuntu.
3. Its advised to select Download updates while installing and Install this third-party software now.
4. You should also stay connected to the internet so you can get the latest updates while you install Ubuntu.
5. If you're not connected to the internet, next step show how to do that

Set up wireless

If you are not connected to the internet you will be asked to select a wireless network if available. Its advised to connect during the install so we can ensure your machine is up to date.

Allocate drive space

Use the checkboxes to choose whether you'd like to Install Ubuntu alongside another operating system, delete your existing operating system and replace it with Ubuntu, or – if you're an advanced user – choose the Something else option

Begin the installation

Depending on your previous selections, you can now verify that you have chosen the way in which you would like to install Ubuntu. The installation process will begin when you click the Install Now button.

Ubuntu needs about 4.5 GB to install so add a few extra GB to allow for your files.

Not sure about this step? Windows users can use Wubi, which will install and uninstall Ubuntu in the same way as any other Windows application. It's simple and safe.

Select your location

 If you are connected to the internet this should be done automatically. Check your location is correct and click Forward to proceed. If you're unsure of your time zone, type the name of the town you're in and it'll help you find it.

 If you're having problems connecting to the Internet, use the menu in the top-right-hand corner to select a network.

Select your preferred keyboard layout.

Enter your login and password details.

Learn more about Ubuntu while the system installs... Or make a cup of tea!

That's it, just a quick restart.

Enjoy Ubuntu!

Google Transliteration Input Method (IME)

Google has recently launched an offline tool for typing in Indian languages.

* Currently available only for windows platform.



Google Transliteration IME is an input method editor which allows users to enter text in one of the supported languages using a roman keyboard. Users can type a word the way it sounds using Latin characters and Google Transliteration IME will convert the word to its native script. Note that this is not the same as translation -- it is the sound of the words that is converted from one alphabet to the other, not their meaning. Converted content will always be in Unicode.

Google Transliteration IME is currently available for 14 different languages - Arabic, Bengali, Farsi (Persian), Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

Guys! Try this out and post the replies using the tool !!!

Download URL: http://www.google.com/ime/transliteration

Stop Using Internet Explorer

In a statement issued today (21st Jan, 2010), the German Federal Office for Security in Information Technology (known as BSI) recommends that all Internet Explorer users switch to an alternative browser. They may resume using Explorer after a fix is issued by Microsoft for a critical vulnerability that has been implicated in the Chinese cyber attack against Google. If you missed it, yesterday McAffee released a report outlining details of the cyber assault on Google and around 20 other major technology companies. It specifically implicates a critical flaw in all versions of IE that allows hackers to “perform reconnaissance and gain complete control over the compromised system.” Microsoft has responded that it is developing an update to the vulnerability. According to the statement from BSI, even running Internet Explorer in “protected” mode is not enough to prevent a hacker from exploiting this security flaw. IE, while the world’s most popular browser, has been steadily losing market share over perceptions that it is slower and less secure than rival browsers, especially Firefox.

570 Megapixel Camera to Capture Dark Energy

A 570 megapixel camera will launch next year to prove the existence of Dark Energy.

Here's a small disclaimer: the 570 megapixel camera currently under construction isn't exactly small, and it won't end up on Walmart shelves anytime soon. Rather than replace the aging Hubble telescope due to hit retirement in 2014 (the James Webb Space Telescope will actually have seat), this $35 million dollar camera will focus its 74 CCD sensors on dark energy.

Called the Dark Energy Camera, this rig isn't looking for the existence of the dark side of the Force, but rather the invisible substance that supposedly makes up 70-percent of the universe. The camera is currently under construction at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois under the supervision of Brenna Flaughter.

The idea of this camera is to peer back into time when the universe was only a few billion years old by pointing its mammoth lenses up into the Southern Hemisphere. Flaughter and her team of scientists want to understand how the dark energy diminished the influence gravity had over galaxies, thus allowing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

The scientists are betting that the 570 megapixel monster will help solve the riddle by mapping the light from over 300 million galaxies and supernovas. The Dark Energy Survey and the digital camera is expected to go live in 2011, and could even challenge Einstein's general theory of relativity. "It’s throwing the tools of the digital age onto the old question of where we are," said Craig Hogan, the director of the Center for Particle Astrophysics at Fermilab.

The images produced by the Dark Energy Camera should make one heck of a desktop wallpaper.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Digital-...news-5568.html

Intel Demos Single Chip with 48 Cores

Intel's latest prototype could eventually see what you're doing while dancing in front of the monitor.

Intel announced that company researchers demonstrated an experimental, 48-core processor--dubbed the "single-chip cloud computer"--that will supposedly pave the way for future generations of processors. According to the company, the "concept chip" is aimed at scaling on-chip performance, communication, and power consumption. The new prototype also offers 10 to 20 times the processing engines found in today's Intel Core processors.

Despite its many cores, Intel says that the futuristic prototype chip will consume the same amount of energy as two standard household light bulbs thanks to newly invented power management techniques. Even more, Intel claims that the processor could eventually become sophisticated enough to let PCs use "vision" to interact with people.

"Imagine, for example, someday interacting with a computer for a virtual dance lesson or on-line shopping that uses a future laptop's 3-D camera and display to show you a "mirror" of yourself wearing the clothes you are interested in," the company said. "Twirl and turn and watch how the fabric drapes and how the color complements your skin tone. This kind of interaction could eliminate the need of keyboards, remote controls or joysticks for gaming. Some researchers believe computers may even be able to read brain waves, so simply thinking about a command, such as dictating words, would happen without speaking."

Intel also said that it deemed the prototype as the "single-chip cloud computer" because of its similarities with data centers organized in a group to create a "cloud" of computing. The prototype's 48 cores seemingly mimics the configuration of a cloud server system, however casts aside the physical distance and is reduced down to a piece of 45nm, high-k metal-gate silicon "about the size of a postage stamp."


To learn more about the prototype processor, see the following links:


http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Int...-CPU,9193.html

NanoSSD Plugs Directly Into SATA Slot

Elecom Japan is launching two nanoSSDs in a few weeks that can plug into a SATA motherboard slot.

This seemed like utter coolness: an SSD that can plug directly into a SATA motherboard slot. Announced earlier today in Japan, Elecom's two new nanoSSDs--the ESD-IDSAA series--measures 25 x 39 x 6.5 mm, and could serve as a startup drive on a main system, or could even serve as a primary drive on a compact Mini-ITX system.

However, with the small size comes an even smaller storage capacity: 8 GB and 16 GB. Still, the drives offer decent read/write speeds, with read rates of up to 75 MB/sec. and write rates of up to 30 MB/sec. Unlike HDDs, the nanoSSDs feature minimal cooling requirements and are virtually quiet as a mouse.

The drives won't hit Japanese store shelves for another few weeks, and Elecom hasn't revealed pricing, however pre-orders are already underway. Akihabara News said that GeekStuff4U.com is scheduled to start selling the drives online in a couple of days.

Source : http://www.tomshardware.com/news/nan...SATA,8538.html