The 64-year old Hungarian Professor and inventor Erno Rubik is back with a bang with his latest invention ‘Rubik 360’. This brain teasing puzzle will be storming the market in Hamleys on 15th July, 2009. Each 360 will cost £ 18 and is already reported to be the most popular item in the London Toy Store’s website. It’s anticipated that Rubik 360 is going to be the most sought-after puzzle game in this Christmas-holiday season. 

Let’s see what 360 or Rubik 360 is all about…

360 is a transparent plastic ball. Inside this plastic ball there are 3 interlocking sphere. These three interlocking sphere contain 6 balls of different colours. The challenge is to take these balls into the matching colour coded slots in the outer sphere by shaking them through the middle sphere, which has only two holes. Prof Rubik claims that it involves a lot of kinetic and physical challenge because of gravity involved. It took The Times, 5 hrs to roll the first ball to its correct slot. The first Rubik 360 tournament is scheduled to be held in Dusseldorf in October.

Some Interesting facts about Rubik Cube that will influence you to raise your expectations from Rubik 360:

1.  350 million units of Rubik Cube sold after its invention in 1974 by Prof.Erno Rubik in Budapest, Hungary
2.  The world record for completing the cube was 7.08 sec in 2008.
3.  The largest cube weighs 500kgs and is 3 metres tall, is in display in Tennessee.
4.  The 25 move solution, named God’s Algorithm is the shortest solution.
5.  ‘Rubik Cube’ made its place in Oxford English Dictionary just after two years of its launch and is permanently exhibited in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

This is what David Hedley, the senior vice-president of the Rubik brand had to say about Rubik 360 “It can’t be that hard. But it is incredibly complicated — there are some really cunning tricks to it.”

As Rubik 360 hits the market, we will see how many of us grab a 360 and test our patience to solve the puzzle.

Google launches Chrome based operating system  

The tussle between Microsoft Corp and Google Inc, the giant powerhouses of technology is always behind the veil with sugar-coated news releases without inviting much of disdain. However, this time Google Inc is expected to pose a competition to Microsoft’s core competency in the area of operating system.  

Top executives of Google Inc is of the opinion that Microsoft Windows operating system that dominates market and has changed the face of personal computing experience often rigs its system and limits the choice of consumers. Second, there are issues of viruses and security lapses as well in Microsoft operating System.  

Google is aiming to usher in a new area in the world of netbook computing. Netbooks are the latest buzzword in the industry and these lap tops are low cost, user-friendly and less powerful. Netbooks will be perfect choice for budget-conscious consumers who would enjoy web surfing with a difference. Yes, its here that Google feels that a new operating system based on its 9 month old Google Chrome web browser will definitely serve purpose with greater efficacy.  

However, it needs to be admitted that it’s not easy to topple an established market leader. For example, in case of Google chrome web browser, Google claims that 30 million people are using Chrome web browser that is only a fraction of the people that relies on Microsoft Internet Explorer.  

Again Google has greater market dominance in terms of search engine market. Microsoft is on its way to thwart this dominance of Google by investing in internet search and advertising methods. With Bing, Microsoft is aiming for a greater makeover in the world of search engine market by investing $100 million in terms of marketing campaigns and advertisements. Google on the other hand have rankled Microsoft as they have lured some top-notch people from Microsoft who have helped design online computer programs that would pose competition to Microsoft’s calendar application, word processing and spreadsheet.  

Google has already made its name in the field of operating system with Android. Now this chrome based operating system that Google feels will be best for netbooks will be designed on top of a Linux Kernel and in a new windowing system.  

Come the second half of 2010, and we expect to see some great changes in the world of computing experience. We will wait and watch whether Google Chrome becomes the killer for Windows OS.

Android, a product of Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a complete package of software for mobile devices. It is comprised of an operating system, middleware and mobile applications. The android operating system runs on open Linux kernel. It contains a set of APIs (Application Programming Interface) and libraries that gives users enormous facility to innovate new applications, for example: a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual’s mobile phone — such as the user’s contacts, calendar, or geographic location. A developer can build an application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect.

Android provides a software development kit (SDK) which is constituted of debugger, libraries, a handset emulator (based on QEMU), documentation, sample code, and tutorials.

Key features of an Android operating system:

• Handset Layout>: The platform is adaptable to VGA, 2D graphics library, 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 1.0 specifications, and traditional Smartphone layouts.
• Storage: The Database Software SQLite is used for data storage purposes
• Connectivity: Android supports connectivity technologies including GSM/EDGE, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. 
• Messaging: SMS and MMS are available forms of messaging including threaded text messaging.
• Web browser: The web browser available in Android is based on the open-source WebKit application framework.
• Media support: Android supports the following audio/video/still media formats: MPEG-4, H.264, MP3, AAC, MIDI, OGG, AMR, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
• Additional hardware support: Android can utilize video/still cameras, touch screens, GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers, accelerated 2D (with hardware orientation, scaling, and pixel format conversion) and accelerated 3D graphics.
• Development environment: Includes a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, a plug-in for the Eclipse IDE.
• Market: The Android Market is a store house of applications that can be downloaded and installed .Originally only freeware applications were supported. Paid-for applications have been available on the Android Market in the United States since 19 February 2009.
• Multi-touch: Android has native support for multi-touch but the feature is disabled at the kernel level. An unofficial mod has been developed that enables multi-touch, but requires superuser access to the device to flash an unsigned kernel.

Evolution of Android:

Way back, on November 5, 2007 a consortium of companies(whose count is 47 now) comprising of  Broadcom Corporation, Google, HTC, Intel, LG, Marvell Technology Group, Motorola, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Texas Instruments came into existence, coinciding with the release of their first product ‘Android’ with ARM Holdings Plc, Atheros Communications, Asustek Computer Inc, Garmin Ltd, Softbank, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba Corp, and Vodafone Group joining later. The latest entry in OHA is Acer.

Android is available as an entirely open source since October 21, 2008. Despite of the fact that it is an open source product, there are few developments happening in the product in a private development branch named ‘Cupcake’ (Its a read-only mirror branch for public view). This development activity will result in changes in download manager, the framework, Bluetooth, the system software, radio and telephony, developer tools, the build system and several applications, as well as a number of bug fixes.

On 30th April, 2009 another milestone was achieved with the release of 1.5 update for Android which led to following enhancements:

•  Ability to record and watch videos with the camcorder mode

•  Uploading videos to YouTube and pictures to Picasa directly from the phone

•  A new soft keyboard with an “Autocomplete” feature

•  Ability to automatically connect to a Bluetooth headset within a certain distance

•  New widgets and folders that can populate the desktop

•  Animations between screens

•  Expanded ability of Copy and paste to include web pages. 

Lets have some insight on devices already running on Android and those which would be running on it soon. HTC dream, HTC Magic, Chinese company QIGI I6, Geeks phone ONE (first Spanish android phone) are the ones which are already using android. The mobiles which are coming soon with android are Samsung I7500, HTC Hero, HKC Imobile. Acer is expected to release Android for the Acer One netbook in Q3 2009. Chinese ODM Yuhua’s first Android phone, the dual-SIM DSTL1 will be released in June.

Latest Buzz in the territory of android based device is the announcement of Android Native development kit version 1.0 which allows software or applications to run natively on the Linux layer below and the possibility of fennec (Firefox’s mobile version) to be a part of Android mobile OS.

With Android around we can customize our phones to our interests and has the capacity to incorporate almost all the technologies coming in future.

Already Report says Google Android to grow 900% in 2009. Keep watching … 

Preview of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and last of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The movie release has been split up in two parts. Directed by David Yates, harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a craze and when it will be released it would attract likes of you and me in numbers into the theaters.  

In this latest flick, Harry faces completely different types of problems and he is in a mission to collect all Horcruxes that evil Lord Voldemort has left behind. He needs to destroy all these and Harry simply does not know how to do it. The film revolves, rotates and vibrates around this plot leaving an indelible imprint in the minds of all ages.  

 What we need to watch with bated breath is how our hero saves the day.  

The cast includes Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.  

So wait before you hit the theaters. Just watch out the trailer to know more.  

Roger Federer wins Wimbledon 2009 in a marathon fight

An epic Wimbledon final for all to remember that marked the beginning of an era of Roger Federer affirming his place in the history of tennis with a scintillating win.  

It’s after Serena Williams ousted her sister Venus William to clinch the Women’s Wimbledon, the battle of Men’s Wimbledon crown got hotter with Roger Federer and Andy Roddicks.  

This final for Roger Federer of Switzerland implied a 15^th grand slam victory and that by itself created a record as he chased history. By this win he actually beat the record of 14 grand slam victories that of Pete Sampras.  

Again, this 2009 Wimbledon final also went into the fifth set as it was in the last year. The fight was intense and the first set win (7-5) went to the 6^th seeded Andy Roddicks. The second and third set, both were tie breakers and Roger Federer pulled a win in both the sets. However, without losing the calm and composure, Andy Roddicks pulled a win in the fourth set (6-3) and forced Wimbledon 2009 into a fifth set game.

The showdown lasted for more than four hours and finally ended in the 30^th game in the fifth set. With this win, Roger Federer puts under his belt sixth Wimbledon championship title.

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is a concept phrase coined by O’Reilly Media that refers to a new generation of Internet based services that involve enhanced online collaboration among users.

Web 2.0 provides a new and enhanced makeover for the World Wide Web by providing users with an easier and a faster web. Web 2.0 makes use of the desktop applications at a greater level than the traditional version with static web pages. It makes use of a number of techniques that includes web syndication, AJAX, and public web service APIs. In web syndication, a part of the website is made available to be used by other sites. AJAX is used to create interactive web applications.

Web 2.0 also supports mass publishing like wikis and blogs. Wiki refers to a site that facilitates easy addition, removal and editing of the contents of a site, with or without registration. Blogs are publications of periodic articles on the web. Web 2.0 is often used to describe anything that is new and popular on the World Wide Web.

Technology Infrastructure of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has a developing and complex technology infrastructure. The technology includes the use of content syndication, server software, standards-based browsers that have extensions and plugins, client applications, and messaging protocols. All these advanced technology provides Web 2.0 with dissemination, creation, and information storage capability. There are a number of major techniques that Web 2.0 website uses. Some of them include:

• Rich Internet Application techniques that are unobtrusive like AJAX. The Rich Internet Applications are the web applications having the traditional desktop applications functionality and features.
• CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are used to describe the presentations of documents that are documented in a markup language. CSS describes them in a stylesheet language.
• Semantically valid XHTML markup and the application of Microformats. The Microformats are the markups that permit expression of semantics in an HTML web page.
• Proper aggregation and syndication of data in RSS/Atom. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is mainly used by the news websites and weblogs for web syndication in XML.
• Significant and clean URLs.
• Publishing Weblogs. Weblogs are the web-based periodic publication of articles.
• Mashup, which is a web application or a site that merges content from various sources into an integral knowledge.
• REST or XML Webservice APIs. Representation State Transfer (REST) is a software architectural approach for dispersed hypermedia systems similar to the World Wide Web.

Most of the Web 2.0 websites attach great importance to the visual appeal and aesthetics of the site. To achieve such an effect, they make use of drop shadows, rounded corners, and gradients to make the site more appealing to the eyes.

America’s newest profession- Blogging

Did we know that in US, it’s the bloggers community that is growing rapidly and is considered to be a very powerful niche for fostering changes as well as generating income? Yes, America is a nation of almost 20 million bloggers and it is this one percent of independent-minded population that is growing more than firefighters, programmers and even lawyers. People are passionate about blogging as they can freely translate their emotion and ideas into words and actions. It is also considered as ushering a new era of cultural and social movement. Perhaps, with the rate at which blogging community is grown, days are not far when US will emerge as the most noisy and opinionated land of people in earth 

Out of this 20 million blogging population, it has been estimated that almost 1.7 million earns profit from the time they spend on writing, while for almost 452,000 people; it is the primary source of income.

The areas encompassed in blogging is wide and diverse ranging from arts and fashion to latest political controversies and social movement. You can always present an opinionated view with evergreen content. This has been possible just because the bloggers are quite educated. Statistics indicate that one out of three people who are bloggers are college graduates.

How serious blogging can be source of income?

Various reports indicate that to generate approximately $75,000 a year, 1 lac visitors per month becomes essential. Again, if writing your opinion is your passion, you can be rest assured that for a good post bloggers are paid in the range of $25-$200. Again, bloggers who work for corporate houses are paid in the range of $45,000-$90,000 in a year.

What is the revenue model underlying blogging?

It is on-line advertising that is the revenue model. On the blogging sites there will be ads and if consumers click on them bloggers make money. There are sites that pay writers on the basis of the clicks that is measured mostly be the traffic flow.

Flipside to blogging

Most bloggers are freelancers and what happens if they lose their job or the site is down? Are they subjected to legal suits? Will bloggers be considered as journalists?Again are there any group to rein these opinionated content? So the questions are many. Even people will cry out loud regarding the statistical reports, but then there is no denying the fact that Blogging is a growing niche. It is a micro-trend that will soon see many courses cropping up and institutes mushrooming to streamline and educate the educated ones

The blogosphere is reigning high. So keep blogging …