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NeuroSky Brain-Computer Interface Technology Now Available in Europe

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:43:51 +0000

NeuroSky Brain-Computer Interface technology enhances interactivity between the mind and the world around it.

Today NeuroSky announced an agreement with Titan Commerce, in Linden Germany, for distribution and support operations of the NeuroSky MindSet and ThinkGear technology components to the EU; including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc. NeuroSky’s current distribution markets include the United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China.

NeuroSky has a growing number of EU partners, including renowned universities, gaming companies and researchers. Richard Reilly Ph.D., professor at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland states, “We have been impressed with the quality of data from the MindKit Pro, compared to our gold-standard EEG acquisitions system. It has opened new possibilities for the remote monitoring patients’ activity – a great benefit in patient care.”

David Wortley, Director of the Serious Games Institute at Coventry University in the UK states, “There is already evidence that the use of ‘off-the-shelf’ video games by children in hospitals can provide more effective pain relief and recovery processes than drugs, and devices like Neurosky’s could take these applications to a whole new level. The Holy Grail of computer-assisted learning has been an environment which supports self-directed learning and testing by recognising the ability and interest of the learner, and controlling the pace and direction of the learning experience to gain maximum interest and motivation.”

Act3Gaming, in France is creating science museums and exhibit space displays. Wissam Kahi, COO states, “We believe this is just the beginning of a larger revolution that will enable us to discover hidden and powerful abilities of our brain. Up to now, brainwave interpretation has been limited to a small niche of scientific and medical experts. Neurosky’s technology opens this fascinating field to everyone.”

Roll 7, in the UK, develops software that communicate socially responsible and educational messages for youth. Currently they are developing a number of applications for the MindSet.

CEO of NeuroSky Stanley Yang states, “BCI will become like what the Internet – something you don’t know how you lived without.” Jim Sullivan, Vice President of Worldwide Sales states, “Every partner brings in their own expertise, providing an almost limitless creative capacity for ways that BCI can excite and benefit their customers.”

CIO, CTO & Developer Resources
The first NeuroSky products, like Mattel’s Mindflex, were received with phenomenal success, including the People’s Play Award for “Best Game of the Year”; was rated one of the top five toys by Bloomberg; and was so popular it sold out well before Christmas 09’.

About NeuroSky

NeuroSky, Inc. is the leader in Brain-Computer Interface technologies for consumer applications and works with industry partners, developers, and academic and research institutions. It is headquartered in San Jose, CA, USA. NeuroSky has evolved medical technology for application to the mass market by making it more user-friendly and cost-effective.

NeuroSky MindSet, a multimedia headset which connects to PC’s and Mobile devices (including the iPhone) via bluetooth, was available in the USA in the summer of 2009.

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Asus Eeebox PC EB1501

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:41:40 +0000

Product: Asus Eeebox PC EB1501

Website: www.asus.com/eb1501

System Specifications: Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel Atom N330 Dual Core, 2GB DDR2-800, 250GB HDD, Slot-in DVD drive, Nvidia Ion, Ethernet, WiFi, memory card reader, USB, HDMI, eSATA, 3.5mm audio Jack, Mic

Price: £339

THE EEEBOX SERIES is Asus range of nettops, with the first of these greener, low power alternatives to a desktop PC shipped in mid 2008.

They were seen then as a netbook minus a screen, keyboard and optical drive, where now they’ve undergone some much needed improvements and updating. The modifications in the EB1501 include more processing power, improved graphical capabilities and more storage but it is still essentially a netbook type of desktop PC.

few manufacturers now offer nettops and usually those companies also sell netbooks as well. The size of the Asus Eeebox isn’t too far off the dimensions of Acer’s nettop PC, which we first saw last year at a Nvidia event in London. Acer seemed to be the first to market with both the Nvidia Ion GPU and Intel Atom CPU in a nettop. The dimensions of the EB1501 are 193mm high, 193mm wide and only 39mm thick at a weight of 1.2kg. We are also hearing rumours there will be another SKU to the Asus EB1501, which reportedly will have an internal Blu-ray drive thrown in to replace the DVD drive that’s onboard.

The Asus EB1501 has a quirky way of standing upright, as the stand holds it up at a jaunty angle. This is said to be inspired by a ballerina, although it comes off resembling a diamond in the rough for our penny’s worth. This stand is a bit avant-garde for our tastes, especially for something that for all intents and purposes is just a netbook without a screen. However, the stand is necessary as the device can’t stand upright by itself due to its lack of rubberised feet and its rounded edges, while on its side it ends up sliding around. Some versions sold elsewhere bundle a VESA mount for bolting the Eeebox onto the rear of a LCD monitor, but the unit we tested didn’t have one.

The EB1501 comes with a decent array of ports, from VGA to HDMI, eSata to a memory card reader and a good number of USB ports. It has six USB sockets, which we initially thought was seriously overkill. But after setting up the Eeebox for the first time we discovered our first assumption was wrong and soon began to populate the sockets. The unit we tested shipped with a USB keyboard and a USB mouse, which took up two ports. In everyday life we are swapping and changing from computer to computer with all our files usually kept on a USB stick, which takes up another socket. Charging the auld mobile phone or two, as usually is the case, uses another couple of them for several hours at a time. So those six USB sockets don’t seem that excessive after all.

The Asus EB1501 handled video playback effortlessly, even at 1080p, just as if the nettop was playing a simple mpeg-2 file. Both QuickTime 1080 video and high bitrate MKV based video played extremely well, whereas many computers we’ve seen struggled with even 720p and low bitrate media. This ease of playback is all thanks to the Nvidia Ion graphics chipset along with the Intel Atom 330 dual core 1.6GHz processor.

This is also done without busting the bank in terms of CPU usage, and all the media we tried played very well indeed with no fault whatsoever. Even playing lesser graphically demanding games is possible, as we saw a high frame rate of 40FPS achieved in World of Warcraft, as an example. There is even technology included, called SimHD, which upscales SD media, such as a normal DVD, to be played in almost HD quality on a 1080p screen. Asus made the right choice in moving away from ATI graphics chipsets that they’ve used before in nettops, to include the rival Nvidia Ion graphics instead.

We found some oddities whilst using the EB1501, some of which were just downright weird. Having used the Eeebox as a desktop PC, we moved on to connecting the device up to a Toshiba 19-inch 19AV615D LCD TV which was small enough to be used as a screen replacement for the nettop. This produced a good, decent picture at 1080p that clearly showed off the video capabilities and usefulness of the Eeebox as a media centre. However the Sky+ Satellite remote control appears to share the same frequency as the EB1501 infrared capabilities.

Pressing the TV Guide button on the Sky remote powers on the EeeBox, then some other buttons when pressed take the Asus nettop on a crazy ride and throws the device into disarray. The model that was shipped to us was the same model shipping in the UK, which doesn’t come with any niceties only the device and a wired keyboard and mouse. Elsewhere in the world the EB1501 is actually sold with a remote control for accessing its media centre capabilities and for using the device for media playback from the comfort of a sofa. This obviously extends the usefulness of the nettop, but could heavily conflict with other systems as we’ve seen. We have no clue as to whether the Asus remote would go crazy and take control of the Sky+ box, deleting programs or changing channels when someone is watching, but we suspect it could happen.

In Short
As a low powered, lightweight alternative to a computer the Eeebox EB1501 is a good all round system, and now that Asus has thrown in an HDMI port, decent graphics and an optical drive it can also double up as a reasonable media centre too. This could very easily be hooked up to a small HDTV and used with a wireless mouse and keyboard as a second computer in the home that can be moved from room to room as easily as a netbook or laptop. With the ability to play HD video effortlessly, either downloaded or streamed on a large screen, it’s a media leechers dream. µ

The Good
Small and compact, Nvidia Ion graphics handles HD media well, greener alternative to a desktop PC.

The Bad
Should have shipped with all the niceties other countries have, such as a remote and VESA mount.

The Ugly
Shares the same frequency as other remote controls, causing chaos unless unplugged.

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ASUS PL30JT Laptop with Turbo33 technology

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:16:08 +0000

ASUS PL30JT business notebook is one such laptops that comes with the companies own Turbo33 technology.

This turbo technology promises to enhance your computer performance up to 33%. Since it was unveiled at the CeBIT last Week, the pricing and the release date are unknown yet. But, all we know is the advanced features which laptop is going to catch all the eyes on it.

The features include the Turbo33 Technology as said above and with this technology it contains the 1.06GHz Intel Core i5 CPU along with the NVIDIA’s 1GB GeForce 310M graphics chip set and the Intel’s integrated GMA HD graphics processor. Apart from these features it has got the following specs listed below.

Features of ASUS PL30JT model:

1) 13.3-inch 1,336 x 768 display

2) Optional 4GB RAM

3) 640GB hard drive

4) 1.06GHz Intel Core i5

5) NVIDIA’s 1GB GeForce 310M graphics chip set

Looks like with the above features and the ASUS’s own Turbo33 Technology, ASUS is mostly focused on the performance of the computer (which every user is worried about the Computer Performance). The ASUS PL30JT model pricing and release date are not revealed yet. Stay tuned for more updates.

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MSI Introduces X-Slim X360 Ultraportable Notebook

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:11:53 +0000

MSI has been steamrolling lately, with a whole bunch of new notebooks hitting the market recently to suit those looking for netbooks, business machines and multimedia power houses. The latest machine to prop up MSI’s lineup is the X-Slim X360, which comes equipped with a Core i5 CPU, Intel’s Turbo Boost/Hyper-Threading technology, 9 hours of battery life and a super thin shell.

As with the other X-Slim machines, this one is also exceptionally slim. It measures just 1″ thick and features MSI’s own fancy color scheme, and other specs include Windows 7 Home Premium, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 13″ 1366×768 display, 250/320/500GB hard drive, a 2-in-1 card reader, HDMI/VGA outputs, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1, a 1.3MP webcam and 2 built-in speakers. No price or release date has been set yet.

MSI’s X-Slim X360, with the Intel Arrandale ULV processor, comes equipped with the Intel Core i5 processor with Intel’s Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading technology for excellent processing performance and up to 9 hours of battery life. Graced with MSI’s exclusive stylish rhombic pattern, the X360 is the apex in slim computer technology.

Taipei–The X360, the latest step in the evolution of MSI’s beautiful X-Slim series of notebooks, comes with the Intel Arrandale ULV processor to provide outstanding performance with a longer-lasting, more environmentally friendly battery. The X360 comes with the Intel Core i5 processor with Intel Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading technology. The Intel HM55 chipset gives the X360 high-quality audio/video performance and 9 hours of ultra-long battery life.

MSI Notebook Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the X360 features the standard ultra-thin body and feather pattern lines common with the rest of the X-Slim series. Weighing only 1.4kg and less than 1-inch thick, the X360 boasts MSI’s own chic rhombic pattern and Color Film Print. The brilliant blending of the X360’s rhombic and diamond designs underscore the X-Slim X360’s distinctive style

Quality audio/video & processing capabilities, 9hours of battery life*
The latest Intel Core i5 processor: The first ultra-slim notebook to utilize Intel’s Arrandale ULV platform, the X-Slim X360 is equipped with the Intel Core i5 processor with Intel Turbo Boost, Hyper-Threading technology, and Intel’s HM55 chipset. The superior audio/video and processing performance enable the X360 to multitask, while ensuring smooth operation for the best performance anytime.

9 hours of battery life: In addition to quality audio/video performance and processing capabilities, MSI’s exclusive ECO power-saving technology allows you to select from among five power management levels—Game, Film, Presentation, Word Processing, and Turbo Battery. In addition, Intel’s Turbo Boost technology automatically adjusts power levels to provide the amount of power needed for various applications, while allocating resources necessary for operations to give the X360 9-hours of battery life.
*Actual battery time will differ depending on settings and how the computer is used.

The ultimate in elegant technology
Feathered lines: MSI incorporates master craftsmanship, the Color Film Print and rhombic pattern add a touch of sophistication and style. Tipping the scales at a mere 1.4kg and less than 1-inch thin, the X360 is the ultimate blend of fashion and technology.

Stylish rhombic pattern: MSI’s own rhombic pattern on the cover, the diamond pattern on the body, and MSI’s exclusive Color Film Print highlight the X360’s unparalleled good taste. What’s more, the silver trim, chrome-plated power button, LED status indicators, and touchpad edges combine with MSI’s unique Chiclet keyboard to offer a stylish blend of sophistication, style, and minimalism.

Exclusive software make life easier
MSI EasyViewer: The X360 comes equipped with several of MSI’s exclusive software programs to make your laptop smarter and more user friendly. The unique EasyViewer utilizes a 3D image display which allows you to choose zoom in/out, full screen display, or auto play to preview images. Slide mode lets you edit photos, enlarging or reducing them, rotating them gradually or by 90 degrees. HDII image enhancement, intelligent white balance, and image sharpness can by employed to make images richer and enhance contrast and layering.

MSI EasyFace: The X360 comes with Easy Face, MSI’s own face identification software, to protect information on your laptop. Simply take several photos of yourself with the X360’s webcam and register them in your laptop, then you can use Easyface Autolocker and Easyface Logon. The easy-to-use, high-end biometric identification system is the best safeguard for personal information on your laptop.

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AccessKey IP’s Set Top Box and Technology System

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:19:01 +0000

AccessKey IP, Inc., /quotes/comstock/11k!akyi (AKYI 0.00, 0.00, -6.00%) developer, designer and producer of advanced entertainment and communication devices, details what has been accomplished and what makes it different.

AccessKey IP has completed the development of their Set Top Box and end to end system. Why is this IPTV box different and where is it going? How will this be marketed and where will it be sold? Craig Erickson, AccessKey IPs VP of Technology explains:

The secure proprietary USB device that is used as the core in combination with the IPTV Set Top Box can be manufactured as an internal part (non-removable), or as a removable and multipurpose device. A tremendous amount of research and development has been invested in this technology. This is what gives us an edge in this competitive market. Our STB uses Linux 2.6 as its core operating system. Combined with this STB is our secure USB technology. The system provides for a secure identification that cannot be easily circumvented. The STB has stereo, composite, S-Video, component and HDMI outputs. 2 USB ports are provided and the box comes in several variations, depending upon requirements. It can be a straight IPTV box, or a hybrid box combined with either digital terrestrial, satellite reception or cable along with IPTV. This provides us with the best flexibility of use for any of our customers.

Our secure USB device also has a multiple purpose. With this device and our drivers, firmware and encryption partner, we can provide detailed forensic watermarking that makes it nearly impossible to duplicate illegally pirated content without providing a trail back to the source. The USB device also sets up a reception point and player on any PC that it is installed on, so that when a customer travels, they can now enjoy their content anywhere on the planet. The HD streams have been tested at 4.5Mb/s and above, going from Los Angeles to China and back again, while keeping perfect integrity. Unique patented proprietary IP transmission technologies have been combined to provide this level of Open Internet Broadcasting melded with secure customer identification. Any computer that is set up with our technology requires the USB device to operate, so there is no security compromise to our delivery system when the device has been removed. The base AccessKey IP system technology is designed with the same secure chipset that is also used as the operating core within the TeknoCreations product, the TeknoVault(R).

Our unique end to end system, Set Top Box plus USB device allows the broadcasting of High Definition premium content over the Open Internet without any breach of security providing desirable content to a larger user base of customers than is currently available. Now a set fixed closed network is no longer a requirement. True Open Internet Broadcasting (OIB) can now be realized and customer ID does not require the box to be in a fixed location or at a fixed IP address. The customer ID no longer is based upon this fixed MAC address and fixed IP address. Our device provides the unique encrypted ID information and communications for the system.

With our unique system and hardware, we are now approaching the ‘customer base’ that before has not been attainable. The big box retailers, retail stores and even etailers are open to us. We can now provide HD secure content distribution around the globe.

About AccessKey IP, Inc.

AccessKey IP, Inc. is a developer of cutting-edge technologies and best-of-breed products tailored to address the market opportunities created by the explosive growth of digital communications, entertainment-related services and specific consumer electronics platforms. AccessKey IP’s AccessKey(TM) products, powered by the Company’s patented technology, provide complete access to the coveted “Triple Play” Set Top Box (voice, video and data) and “Quadruple Play” Set Top Box (voice, video, data and wireless) offerings of cable, telecom, satellite and broadband service providers. The Company’s AccessKey Home(TM) and portable flash drive-sized AccessKey PC(TM) allow subscribers to “channel surf” streaming “HD Quality” television content (IPtv), navigate the internet, watch Video on Demand (VOD) offerings, play video or internet-based games, listen to music, make phone calls (VoIP), video conference, run a full array of computing applications, securely store data and more, all from a single device and service provider network. Its wholly owned subsidiary TeknoCreations was founded to participate in the explosive growth of Consumer Electronics and Business security needs.

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Help Bring Google Fiber 1Gbps Network to Boulder

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:15:20 +0000

If you live in Boulder, it’s time to help bring the Google Fiber experiment to our awesome city. A bunch of folks from all over Boulder are working on the Boulder Fiber project to help us become one of the cities for the Google Fiber for Communities project.

Boulder is a perfect city for this. When I moved here in 1995 I didn’t expect to engage in much business as I was spending most of my time in Boston, NY, and San Francisco. However, I discovered an incredibly smart community that was extremely computer and Internet savvy. As the commercial Internet started to take off in the mid-1990’s, Boulder was a hotbed for Internet usage and innovation as we rapidly became an incredibly wired city. I attributed this to the convergence of (a) a smart, well-educated population, (b) a university at the core of the city, (c) a bunch of national labs, (d) a solid legacy of tech startups, especially around storage, cable, and telecom, and (e) a strong culture of independence which was well suited to all things Internet.

What I didn’t realize at the time were two important metrics that underscore both the technology and the entrepreneurial energy in Boulder. The two metrics are that on a per-capita basis, Boulder has the highest percentage of computer scientists and the highest percentage of Ph.D.’s in the US. When combined with a vibrant entrepreneurial community that has deep software and Internet expertise, magic things happen.

We’ve seen a lot of this magic in Boulder in the past five years. I’m proud of how the city I call home has arisen as one of the most important entrepreneurial communities in the US with much more activity, visibility, and influence than a city with a population of 150,000 typically has. More importantly, the amount of innovation coming out of Boulder is extraordinary.

Google has put out a challenge to find communities that are willing to be a test bed for an experimental ultra-high speed broadband network to see what kind of innovation will emerge. If you are a member of the Boulder community, even if you aren’t in the high tech or entrepreneurial sector, help us tell Google why Boulder is the best city in the US for this experiment.

If you are game to help, do the following things:

Go to the Boulder Fiber site and follow the directions – it’ll take five minutes.
Follow the Boulder Fiber project on Twitter
Fan Bring Google Fiber to the City of Boulder on Facebook.

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MSI Updates the Wind U160 with Pine Trail CPU

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:11:59 +0000

MSI Computer released an updated Wind U160 netbook with Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail CPU with extended battery life. The design has changed also, now the Wind U160 features a regular notebook design with a slim body.

The MSI Wind U160 has an ultra-slim chassis (only 0.78” at the thinnest point) and weighs just 2.2lbs. The U160 has two color options: Fancy Gold or Jet Black. There is a rich variation in color tone depending on the light source that is being reflected off the surface. Color Film Print Technology, the sparkling, scratch-resistant enamel provides a high degree of rigidity.

The newest edition to the Wind family will also ships with 10-inch backlit LED display, 1 GB of DDR2 memory, a 160GB hard drive, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth connectivity and Microsoft’s Windows 7 Starter. MSI also included its user friendly EasyFace facial recognition security software to help U160 users protect their information.

U160-007US

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• Compact and sleek design
• 10″ Widescreen Display
• Chiclet Keyboard and SeamlessTouch Pad
• Long Battery Life for all-day Computing
• 8ms Response Time for Superb Image
• Hard Drive with Massive Capacity
• Built-in High 1.3M Webcam
• Built-in High-Performance 2 Channel Stereo Speakers, and Microphone
• 802.11b / g / draft n Wireless Lan
• Comprehensive Multi-Media Application Interface

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Mobile Computer includes 13.56 MHz RFID reader.

Krithi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:08:18 +0000

Supporting most tags compliant with ISO 14443A, ISO 14443B, and ISO 15693 standards, Model 243004 writes tag IDs and data blocks and protects data on compatible transponders for security purposes using encryption and authentication techniques. Unit includes RS232 serial port for communication and antenna that enable it to read tags in virtually any orientation.

Computer is suited for asset tracking, inventory management, event attendance, personnel access control, and fleet maintenance.

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Paypal Back in Action

Abhinav Kaiser — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:24:59 +0000

Paypal, which had mysteriously stopped all transactions to and fro from India is back up and running. This is a huge relief for thousands of freelancers from India and also the minute section of exporters from this country.

Paypal had stopped all transactions based on a direction from the Reserve Bank of India, which holds the ultimate financial authority in the country.

During the outage of 37 days, Paypal has managed to sneak in a modification to the way it deposits funds. Along with the withdrawal request, Paypal users will now have to provide a IE code to identify the kind of transaction that takes place. All they need to do is select one among the many options available in the drop down. I wonder how this helps RBI to track down conspirators, still shady indeed!

If you don’t trust Paypal anymore, some alternatives are Moneybookers and Payoneer. Although Paypal is the cheapest of them, the alternatives that I propose are quite firmly grounded in their respective businesses. Moneybookers wires your money directly to your banks through SWIFT codes while Payoneer provides a Mastercard which it uses to load money. Commissions and taxes are quite high on this service.

Intel to debut 6-core gaming chip

Krithi — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:59:18 +0000

Intel is expected to introduce a 6-core processor designed to crunch through the most 3D-intensive games in the coming weeks.

The first glimpses of the chip running 3D-intensive games such as Napoleon: Total War could happen at the 2010 Game Developer’s Conference next week, according to industry sources. The official roll-out of Intel’s 6-core “Westmere” processors, however, is expected later this month.

The Core i7-980X is distinguished primarily by being Intel’s first 6-core “Extreme Edition” processor based on the chipmaker’s cutting-edge 32-nanometer process technology. Generally, the smaller the manufacturing process, the more circuitry can be packed onto the chip, increasing performance. Most Intel processors still use “fatter” 45-nanometer technology.

Like other Core i series processors, it features Hyper-Threading, which can double the number of tasks–or threads–a processor can execute. So, a 6-core processor can handle 12 threads. This technology is not offered on prior-generation Core 2 chips.

Resellers–which have posted preliminary pricing–list the processor at just over $1,000 and show it running at 3.33GHz and packing 12MB of built-in cache memory. With an expected price of around $1,000, game boxes using the chip will not be cheap.

PC makers that typically offer high-end gaming boxes include Falcon Northwest, Velocity Micro, and Dell’s Alienware unit.

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