Google Goggles & Project Natal: The Sixth Sense?

Google Goggles is a new initiative taken by Search engine team to make search even more user convenient and friendly. This service will allow end users to take real world pictures and generate a related Google Search. It will be a Visual Mobile Search (VMS) app developed for Android powered Smartphones.  This technology uses Visual recognition and Location based results to provide accurate results. CNBC covers a entertaining video about whats inside the Google visual project

There are couple of known apps which serve this visual search purpose on a smaller scale. One is SnapTell for music, movies, books and other one is PlinkArt for art searches. Now it will be interesting how Google implements Voice search technology on a large scale and how it competes with iPhone which has more than 100,000 apps in Apple Store.

On the other hand Microsoft is also working on Visual Computing projects at its research center. Microsoft Project named "Natal" is a XBox 360 platform for controller free gaming and entertainment.

Microsoft "Natal" to be launched in late 2010 will enable users with a natural interface control with gestures, voice commands or objects and images. However it may sound like something different as compared to Google Goggles but it is the same tree with two branches.

Microsoft Project "Natal" and Google Goggles initiative somehow replicates the TED Sixth Sense idea presented by Pranav Mistry. PhD student at MIT Pranav explains how he manages to converge the Real World objects to Digital World and vice versa. Mistry also explains that his project will be open source and would like end users to extend its open source capabilities.

It will be really interesting to see how these technologies are revolutionized by High Tech Companies like Google and Microsoft to change the future of Visual Computing and Image processing. This will conclude to an era where sixth sense will be a major contributor to worlds economy.

Google launches Dictionary site

Google Inc. is purely focusing on user required content which is the key for their success. Recently Launched Google Dictionary targets mainly user interests. There are many websites dedicated for this purpose, but many people are seen searching  for meanings on Google even though they know about Microsoft Encarta, Answers or Yahoo answers. This new service includes definitions, acronyms from different sites such as Wikipedia. Google Dictionary supports 28 languages. Since Google is on every tongue and it will be a hard for great sites such as Answers.com to maintain its reputation.

Head over to Google Dictionary

multifl0w 1.21 gets updated

New multifl0w 1.21 update is available for download. You can add the source address in cydia

http://repo.beyouriphone.com

This update is available on Cydia for MobileVolumeSound. It brings typical sound of the Mac in iPhone or iPod when pressing their buttons. This update also corresponds to bring compatibility on devices with OS 3.0 and adds sound when even the screen is off while listening songs. Also now you can double tap to open Multifl0w and gives snapshot of each background application for easy selection of apps. Multifl0w uses very less RAM and CPU. You can find the update on Cydia via Bigboss repository or download Multifl0w_1.21.deb.

HTC G3 [HTC Hero Clone]

We have seen many clones for iPhone and other popular gadgets, but its seems HTC is also in the hit list. HTC G3 Asian is the perfect clone till yet to come up. The only difference is that it runs WinMo 6.5 instead of Android.

WinMo is based on Hisilicon K3 Platform and probably the first to get a TrackBall. HTC G3 will come up with 528MHz processor, 3.2 in 320x480 display, 288MB RAM, 512MB ROM, 5MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM Radio. Price will be $217 USD.

Download Calculate Linux 10.0

Gentoo based Linux distribution for desktops and servers, Calculate Linux 10.0 is released today. This type of Linux may not be much popular to users but Linux geeks should try once. It is powered by Linux Kernel 2.6.31.6 and X.org 7.4.  In addition Calculate Desktop receive Mozilla Firefox 3.5.4, OpenOffice.org 3.1.1, Calculate server 2.1.6, Calculate Client 2.1.8. New version comes with several editions including Calculate Directory server (CDS), Calculate Linux Desktop with KDE 4.3.3 (CLD) or Xfce 4.6.1 (CLDX), Calculate Linux Scratch without Desktop (CLS) or GNOME 2.26.3 (CLSG). 

 Download Calculate Linux 10.0 live CD/DVD image

TweetDeck 0.32.1 Updated

It was like 1 week ago when the TweetDeck 0.32.0 rolled on. And its been already updated with some fixes and couple of updates. Change log includes fixes for

> Missed tweets
> Issues with linkedin
> RTs not displayed properly

View complete details


Download TweetDeck 0.32.1

Picasa Downloader

Picasa is a free photo editing software from Google. It helps create free online albums and organize them the way you want to. Like PhotoBucket downloader, Picasa downloader also downloads albums but only pertaining to Picasa. It requires Picasa Username. Select albums and download.



Download source code
Download Picasa Downloader

First 3G Blackberry 9100

First Blackberry with 3G capabilities is on its way. Also named as Stratus, Pearl 2 and Striker runs Blackberry OS 5.0.0.350. It is said to be released in April 2010. Follow some screen shots below

Video

Specs

1. 3.2 MP camera
2. GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA support
3. microUSB
4. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
5. Bluetooth
6. MP3
7. WAP 2.0, HTML
8. Email

LastPass Password Manager 1.62.0

Ever tried one Master password for all passwords? Now you will. LastPass makes life easier by remembering all the passwords. It supports IE and Firefox Plugins. Opera, Safari, Chrome and Opera Mini with Bookmarklets. Definitely it saves a lot of time and if you save all of your passwords in some file then you won't have a need to access it always and search for particular one. Some other benefits include

1. Auto-fill of forms
2. Single click site login
3. Support for import, export and capture passwords
4. Data encryption locally before uploading
5. Password recovery in Windows
6. Mobile access at http://m.lastpass.com
7. Sync among different browsers
8. Access from USB keys
9. Phishing Protection
10. Support for iPhone, Blackberry Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian S60

Download LastPass

How to Install Google Chrome OS via USB

Previously we covered installing Google Chrome OS via VirtualBox or VMware, and can be implemented with any OS. If you are peculiar how to install it via USB, follow below steps. However it must be noticed that your system BIOS should have support for USB Boot.

1. Download Google Chrome OS img (298.8MB) for USB

2. Uncompress 'chromiumos.img' USB Bootable file with WinRar

3. Download Win32 Disk Imager and run Win32DiskImager.exe

4. Give chromiumos.img file path and select USB drive

5. Click 'Write' and restart your PC.

HTC Rome to run BrewMP

HTC new Touch Phone Rome a.k.a Touch.B is to be equipped with Brew Mobile Platform (BrewMP). Previously it was rumored to be Android OS based but not so. BrewMP is the Open source mobile platform from Qualcomm. .

ROM is still in Alpha stages. As reported by mobifrance, HTC Touch.B is said to have Non Player Character (NPC) 2M, support for 3G and Bluetooth but sadly no Wi-Fi or Video recording. Watch Video

Google Maps 3.3 for Symbian and Windows Mobile

Google Maps 3.3 have been updated for Symbian and Windows Mobile sets as reported on Google Mobile. The prominent feature is its ability to sync saved locations. As we know Google Maps allow to favorite locations as a star just like bookmarks in any browsers for easy reference in future.

Type http://m.google.com/maps in Mobile browser or download .cab file from direct link.

Leaked HTC HD2 Official ROM Update

Tom at HTC forum posted HTC HD2 update (1.48.xxx series). Software Version 1.48.707.2 with WM6.5 ROM. This seems to be Official and it will soon be updated on Official website. You can access the Update from here.