Showing posts with label Science and Tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science and Tech. Show all posts

Monday, March 26, 2012

Next Gen iPhone5.1


The next iPhone (iPhone 5,1) will be available later this October will feature the same 3.5-inch screen or very close to it, support 4G LTE networks and come with  a new micro dock connector. 
Rene Ritchie of iMore writes:
  • Similar if not same sized screen (currently 3.5-inch but not set in stone)
  • 4G LTE radio
  • New “micro dock” connector
  • Fall/October 2012 release
iMore had correctly predicted the date of the iPad event and that the new iPad will support 4G LTE networks.
Apple was planning to replace the standard 30-pin dock connector that is used in the iPhone, iPad and iPod with something more compact. However, replacing the standard 30-pin connector would result in compatibility issues with existing accessories that make use of the dock connector (unless Apple also provides a convertor). Apple has been quite prepared to take such hard decisions to achieve the goal of making their iOS devices thinner and smaller in the past. For example: Apple was one of the first companies to start using the micro-SIM card. With the introduction of PC Free features such as Wi-Fi Sync, AirPlay and iCloud, the importance of the dock connector has changed, so the possibility of a smaller dock connector cannot be ruled out.

As we had mentioned yesterday that though the 4G strings that were discovered in iOS 5.1 did not confirm that the next iPhone will support 4G LTE networks, it was quite likely with the launch of 4G LTE iPad.
It remains to be seen if Apple will stick with the 3.5-inch screen, it is quite evident from the comments from some of our readers that it is quite high on the wish list for many users.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Surface Computing

Microsoft Surface (“Surface”) is a commercial computing platform that enables people to use touch and real world objects to share digital content at the same time. The Surface platform consists of software and hardware products that combine vision based multitouch PC hardware, 360-degree multiuser application design, and Windows software to create a natural user interface (NUI) for users. Microsoft Surface 1.0, the first version of Surface, was announced on May 29, 2007 at the D5 Conference. It shipped to customers in 2008 as an end-to-end solution with Microsoft producing and selling the combined hardware/software platform. Microsoft and Samsung partnered to announce the current version of Surface, the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface (“SUR40”), at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2011. Samsung began shipping the new SUR40 hardware with the Microsoft Surface 2.0 software platform to customers in early 2012. Microsoft also provides the free Microsoft Surface 2.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) for developers to create NUI touch applications for Surface and Windows 7 touch PCs.
Microsoft Surface is a commercial surface computing platform from Microsoft that enables people to use and touch real world objects to share digital content at the same time. The Surface platform consists of software and hardware products that combine vision based multitouch PC hardware, 360-degree multiuser application design, and Windows software to create a natural user interface (NUI).



The first Surface product, Microsoft Surface 1.0, is a 30 in (76 cm) 4:3 rear projection display (1024x768), with integrated PC, and five near-infrared (IR) cameras that can see fingers and objects placed on the display. The display is placed in a horizontal orientation, giving it a table-like appearance. The product and its applications are designed so that several people can approach the display from all sides to simultaneously share and interact with digital content. The cameras’ vision capabilities enable the product to see a near-IR image of what’s placed on the screen; captured at approximately 60 times per second. The Surface platform processing identifies three types of objects touching the screen: fingers, tags, and blobs. Raw vision data is also available and can be used in applications. The device is optimized to recognize 52 simultaneous multitouch points of contact. Microsoft Corporation produces the hardware and software for the Microsoft Surface 1.0 product. Sales of Microsoft Surface 1.0 were discontinued in 2011 in anticipation of the release of the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface and the Microsoft Surface 2.0 software platform.
The current Surface product, the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface, is a 40 in (102 cm) 16:9 LED backlit LCD display (1920x1080), with integrated PC, and PixelSense technology; which replaces the cameras in the previous product. PixelSense technology enables Samsung and Microsoft to reduce the thickness of the product from 22 in (56 cm) to 4 in (10 cm). The size reduction enables the product to be placed horizontally, and adds the capability to be mounted vertically while retaining the ability to recognize fingers, tags, blobs and utilize raw vision data. Samsung produces the hardware and Microsoft produces the software platform for the SUR40.
Surface is designed primarily for use by commercial customers to use in public settings. People interact with the product using direct touch interactions and by placing objects on the screen. Objects of a specific size and shape, or with tag patterns, can be uniquely identified to initiate a preprogrammed response by the computer. The device does not require the use of a traditional PC mouse or keyboard, and generally does not require training or foreknowledge to operate. Additionally, the system is designed to interact with several people at the same time so that content can be shared without the limitations of a single-user device. These combined characteristics place the Microsoft Surface platform in the category of so-called natural user interface (NUI), the apparent successor to the graphical user interface (GUI) systems popularized in the 1980s and 1990s.
Microsoft states that sales of Surface are targeted toward the following industry verticals: retail, media and entertainment, healthcare, financial services, education, and government. Surface is available for sale in 23 countries including: United States, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Korea, India, Singapore, Hong Kong. Samsung is expected to expand in to additional markets in 2012; but, no official announcements have been made.

Watch the Microsoft Surface Demo below

Microsoft notes four main components being important in Surface's interface: direct interaction, multi-touch contact, a multi-user experience, and object recognition.
Direct interaction refers to the user's ability to simply reach out and touch the interface of an application in order to interact with it, without the need for a mouse or keyboard. Multi-touch contact refers to the ability to have multiple contact points with an interface, unlike with a mouse, where there is only one cursor. Multi-user is a benefit of multi-touch—several people can orient themselves on different sides of the surface to interact with an application simultaneously. Object recognition refers to the device's ability to recognize the presence and orientation of tagged objects placed on top of it.
The technology allows non-digital objects to be used as input devices. In one example, a normal paint brush was used to create a digital painting in the software. This is made possible by the fact that, in using cameras for input, the system does not rely on restrictive properties required of conventional touchscreen or touchpad devices such as the capacitance, electrical resistance, or temperature of the tool used .
The computer's "vision" is created by a near-infrared, 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the surface. When an object touches the tabletop, the light is reflected to multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1024 x 768, allowing it to sense, and react to items touching the tabletop.
Surface will ship with basic applications, including photos, music, virtual concierge, and games, that can be customized for the customers.
A unique feature that comes preinstalled with Surface is the pond effect "Attract" application. Simply, it is a "picture" of water with leaves and rocks within it (a lot like Microsoft Surface Lagoon, included in the Surface Touch Pack). By touching the screen, users can create ripples in the water, much like a real stream. Additionally, the pressure of touch alters the size of the ripple created, and objects placed into the water create a barrier that ripples bounce off, just as they would in real life.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Mystery Behind Taj Mahal


No one has ever challenged it except Prof. P. N. Oak, who believes the whole world has been duped. In his book Taj Mahal: The True Story, Oak says the   Taj Mahal is not Queen Mumtaz’s tomb but an ancient Hindu temple palace of   Lord Shiva (then known as Tejo Mahalaya ) . In the course of his research Oak discovered that the Shiva temple palace was usurped by Shah Jahan from then Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh. In his own court chronicle, Badshahnama,   Shah Jahan admits that an exceptionally beautiful grand mansion in Agra was taken from Jai Singh for Mumtaz’s burial . The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur still  retains in his secret collection two orders from Shah Jahan for  surrendering the Taj building. Using captured temples and mansions, as a burial place for   dead courtiers and royalty was a common practice among Muslim rulers.
For example, Humayun,Akbar, Etmud-ud-Daula and Safdarjung are all buried in such mansions. Oak’s inquiries began with the name of Taj Mahal. He says the term ‘ Mahal ‘ has never been used for a building in any Muslim countries from Afghanistan to Algeria. ‘The unusual explanation that the term Taj   Mahal derives from Mumtaz Mahal was illogical in at least two respects.
Firstly, her name was never Mumtaz Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani,’ he writes. Secondly, one cannot omit the first three letters ‘Mum’ from a woman’s name to derive the remainder as the name for the building.’Taj Mahal, he claims, is a corrupt version of Tejo Mahalaya, or Lord Shiva’s Palace . Oak also says the love story of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan is a fairy tale created by  court sycophants, blundering historians and sloppy archaeologists . Not a single royal chronicle of Shah Jahan’s time corroborates the love story.
Furthermore, Oak cites several documents suggesting the Taj Mahal predates Shah Jahan’s era, and was a temple dedicated to Shiva, worshipped by Rajputs of Agra city. For example, Prof. Marvin Miller of New York took a few   samples from the riverside doorway of the Taj. Carbon dating tests revealed that the door was 300 years older than Shah Jahan. European traveler Johan Albert Mandelslo,who visited Agra in 1638 (only seven years after Mumtaz’s death), describes the life of the cit y in his memoirs. But he makes no reference to the Taj Mahal being built. The writings of Peter Mundy, an English visitor to Agra within a year of Mumtaz’s death, also suggest the Taj was a noteworthy building well before Shah Jahan’s time.
Prof. Oak points out a number of design and architectural inconsistencies that support the belief of the Taj Mahal being a typical Hindu temple  rather   than a mausoleum. Many rooms in the Taj ! Mahal have remained sealed since Shah Jahan’s time and are still inaccessible to the public . Oak asserts they contain a headless statue of Lord Shiva and other objects commonly used for worship rituals in Hindu temples … Fearing political backlash, government tried to have Prof. Oak’s book withdrawn from the bookstores, and threatened the Indian publisher of the first edition dire consequences . There is only one way to discredit or   validate Oak’s research.
The current government should open the sealed rooms of the Taj Mahal under U.N. supervision, and let international experts investigate.
Its not just taj mahal but even the red fort
The 5th generation Mogul emperor Shahjahan is credited with having built the Red Fort in Delhi. Shahjahan ascended the throne in 1628 A.D. This contemporary painting shows him receiving the Persian ambassador in 1628 itself, in the Diwan-i-Aam (Common Room) of the Red Fort itself. This painting preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, was reproduced in the Illustrated Weekly of India (page 32) of March 14, 1971. Since Shahjahan was in the fort in the year of his accession, this documentary evidence disproves the notion that he built the fort. Compare with this the photo of the tablet in English raised inside the fort by the Govt. of India’s archaeology department asserting that Shahjahan built the fort during 1639-48. This is emphatic proof of Indian history having been thoroughly falsified during Muslim rule in India.
The Red Fort in Delhi has in its Khas Mahal, alias the King’s apartment, the royal emblem of its builder King Anangoal. It consists of a pair of swords laid hilt to hilt curving upwards, the sacred Hindu pot (kalash) above the hilts, a lotus bud and a pair of scales of justice balanced over it. Dotted around are representations of the sun from whom Indian ruling dynasties claimed descent. At the sword points are two small conches considered sacred in Hindu tradition. Bigger conches may be seen at the left and right corners at the base.
This royal Hindu insignia of the Hindu king who built Delhi’s Red Fort, is still there in the Khas Mahal pavilion. But even this visual symbol has been blatantly misinterpreted. The two swords laid hilt to hilt, curving upward are being inadvertently styled by ignorant guides, archaeologists and historians as an Islamic crescent. The sacred Hindu Kalash (water pot) on the hilts is never noticed. The lotus bud on the kalash represents royal wealth. The pair of scales is symbolic of impartial justice.

The conical arch seen in Indian forts, palaces and temples though of native Hindu origin has been mistaken and misrepresented by erring Western scholars as Saracenic i.e. Muslim. This photo of a Saudi Arabian currency note shows the typical Muslim arch which is quite different from the conical Hindu arch. Had historic buildings in India been of Islamic origin they should have had such arches. In the top right corner is a palm tree and crossed, face-down swords. Even this typically Islamic motif exists nowhere on historic buildings in India.
and many others….

Note the veranda is typical Rajput architecture.
 
Inverted water-pots on top. Their number is always odd, 11 in this case, typical of the Vedic system. Notice also the cobra design in pairs below the gallery. Koranic inscriptions were a graffiti added by Shahjahan.

Wall decorations as we see here are typical Rajput style. There is also a balcony at first floor level.

Note the Trident within the lotus form at the apex. Both of which are Vedic references, the trident being connected with Lord Shiva.

You can see blocked doorways and windows where there are several rooms in the 19 foot high plinth. This would be where entrances would lead to many pathways to the rooms within.
 

We are now outside the Cenotaph Chamber. Note how the steps in plain marble break up the designs on the plinth wall. This means that they are not original.

The Cenotaph chamber with marble screen. The point is why have an octagonal screen around two graves? It is more likely to have been an area of where sacred activities once took place.

The Cenotaphs, or the supposed graves of Shahjahan (on the left) and Mumtaz.
If the tiles on the graves can me mimiced with the design on the outside then the scripting of the kuran can also be mimiked thats a point to note

The Vedic style design on the under-side of the dome over the central cenotaph chamber. Note the blazing sun surrounded by circle of Tridents, which are definite Vedic designs.

he interior of the so-called Mosque at one end from the Taj with evidence it was converted later into a mausoleum. Steps were for the Mullahs to preach. But see how they break the pattern of decoration on the wall and also on the floor. This means that these steps are not original, but were put up when this building was converted into Mosque by Shahjahan. Also, when praying in this building, Muslims would face West, i.e. Bandar Abbas in Iran, NOT Mecca as is more correct.

Survey plan of Taj Mahal by Col Hodgson, 1825. Note the platform on the north side running from N/W to N/E tower and steps at two places from this platform to go to the river: a sure sign of planning for residential activity, not what you would need for a vacant mausoleum.

Blue print of the Taj Mahal showing cross-section of Central Edifice in a book by J Fergusson in 1855. It clearly shows the hidden basements

Entrance to lower basement floor that is now bricked up.

The timber door before it was sealed up with bricks. In 1974 American Professor Marvin Mills took a sample from this door for Carbon dating and concluded that the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shahjahan. After this revelation, the Government of India removed the timber doors and the openings were bricked up, as shown in the previous photo.

After we climb down the steps we see a doorway to the passage on right of the hidden rooms.

Here is a typical tower (Burj) that is in familiar Rajput style, not Islamic in any way.
You can refer to any building built by rajputs it will resemble this….