THE NEXUS ONE - SMARTPHONE FROM GOOGLE

Runs the Google Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system

Google recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a phone that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and they shared this phone with Google employees across the globe according to Mario Queiroz, Vice President of Product Management.

The Nexus One is a very slick and beautiful phone that almost makes other devices look out dated. Rather than going the direction of the Motorola Droid with its hard edged corners, it took on the characteristics of the iPhone head-on by creating a curvier device. Where the iPhone flattens out on the top and bottom, the Nexus One takes on subtle curves that make the phone feel less boxy. The face of the phone even curves down slightly at the very bottom.

The Nexus One (codenamed 'HTC Passion) is a smartphone from Google that uses the Android open source mobile operating system. The device is manufactured by Taiwan's HTC Corporation, and became available on January 5, 2010. Features of the phone include the ability to transcribe voice to text, noise canceling dual microphones, and GPS guided turn-by-turn voice directions to drivers.

The device is sold unlocked (not restricted to use on a single network provider). Google currently offers it for use on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks in the United States; a version for use on Vodafone (European) networks was announced on 26 April 2010, available in the UK on 30 April 2010. On March 16, 2010, the Nexus One device became available on the Google web store for sale in Canada for use with Rogers Wireless, Telus, Bell and Wind Mobile.

The Nexus One runs the Google Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system. Android 2.2 has a number of highlights: a new Home screen, support for Adobe Flash 10.1, better Microsoft Exchange support, Wifi tethering, SD-card installable applications, cloud to device messaging for two-way push sync functionality and an overall 2-5x performance improvement.

The previous 2.1 firmware of the Android operating system adds a few aesthetic changes, such as "Live Wallpapers", which are animated and can react to different user inputs. It also replaces the "Application Drawer" with a single button which can be pressed to access the list of applications installed on the phone. This thumbnail list can be scrolled up and down and, as it's scrolled, the applications roll up into a 3D cube instead of disappearing from the screen. Once the bottom of the application thumbnail list is hit, the screen bounces off similar to the iPhone functionality.

The integrated Media Gallery, developed by Cooliris, provides several new features allowing the user to browse, edit, and share photos and videos on the phone. The Media Gallery and web browser display with 16-bit color rather than 24-bit.

On February 2, 2010 Google announced an over-the air update for the Nexus One. It adds pinch-to-zoom functionality to the web browser, gallery, and maps applications. In addition it adds Google Goggles natively and fixes many of the 3G connectivity issues reported by T-Mobile users. As of April 2010, Android-based phones have access to more than 50,000 applications through the Android Market.

The Nexus One has a 3.7 inch AMOLED screen with PenTile matrix pixel arrangement. The raster resolution is 800x480 pixels, however each pixel in the PenTile RGBG display has only two subpixels (red and green, or blue and green alternately), rather than the three found in most displays. This gives it a total effective subpixel resolution of a 392x653 RBG display.

The capacitive touchscreen which uses the Synaptics ClearPad 2000 sensor supports multi-touch gestures limited to single finger input and 2x1D two finger gestures. It has an illuminated trackball which can emit different colors of light based on the type of notification being received. A voice processor developed by Audience uses a second microphone (on the back) to suppress background noise during phone conversations. A 4-conductor TRRS style 3.5mm stereo headset jack is also provided, adding microphone and pause/resume/next/previous functions to the stereo earphones.

The phone features a 5.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and digital zoom, GPS receiver, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and 802.11b/g WiFi capabilities. The Snapdragon processor allows for many advanced capabilities including 720p video playback. There is built in hardware decoding for H.263, H.264 and MPEG-4 video, and is capable of playing MP3, AAC+, Ogg Vorbis, WAV, and MIDI audio, and displaying the JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP image formats. It has a micro USB port which conforms to the GSMA Universal Charging Solution instead of the common mini-USB port, or HTC's mini-USB compatible format (ExtUSB). The microSD card slot allows expansion up to 64 gigabytes of card storage. Applications can be installed either to the 512 MB internal flash memory, of which 190 MB are available for that purpose, or to the microSD card.

Physical Dimensions Vs iPhone and Motorola Droid

So we all can agree that the phone looks sexy, but how can I explain the way it feels in your hands? As soon as you pick it up, the first thing you’ll notice is how slim it feels. Although it’s only slightly thinner then the iPhone (11.5mm vs. 12.3mm), it truly feels like it’s half the size. It’s amazing to know that it’s really not, but it may have a lot to do with the coating of the phone. The back and sides of the phone are coated in Teflon, and feels almost rubbery. It’s very difficult to explain, but whatever it is they nailed it. It’s hard, but almost feels soft to the touch.

MASMIRA IDRIS
2009203608

Preparing for the Electric Car Future

In one article written by Oliver Hazimeh, he touched on how companies can win from the transition of fuel cars to electric cars. Just imagine on a typical day in the year 2020 for instance, you maybe driving your electric car home from work. On the way you decide to stop at the gym for a workout, figuring you'll re-charge your car battery at the same time. Using your voice-enabled vehicle communications system, you reserve a charge spot at the station next door to the gym.

As you arrive, your vehicle navigation system guides you to that reserved charge spot. While you're parking, the charge spot communicates with your vehicle electronics, confirming your reservation. You plug in your vehicle to the charge spot, press the "start charging" button on the display and head over to the gym. Returning an hour later, you pay for the electricity with loyalty points you've earned at the gym, and are on your way.

Various forces are converging to make this scenario a reality in the not-too-distant future. As concerns mount about global warming, oil dependence and urban traffic pollution, automotive manufacturers and policymakers are intensifying their efforts to make battery-powered vehicles a viable alternative to conventional oil-fueled cars.

From the consumer's perspective, the price will soon be right. With government incentives, the total cost of ownership for an electric vehicle (EV) is on par with the cost of owning a car with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) technology. Electric vehicle technology and operations advances will continue to bring the cost down, and innovative battery financing will make purchase prices more attractive, even after government incentives end. As this gap closes, demand for EVs will grow. The global management consulting firm PRTM, estimates that by 2020 EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) could account for nearly 10% of new vehicle sales. Less conservative forecasts peg penetration at 20%.

The introduction of the electric car will, of course, have an enormous impact on automakers. But that's only the beginning. Over the next few decades, we'll see a whole new value chain spring up with its own players, from utility companies to retail outlets. Revenue pools will shift dramatically downstream, from natural resources like oil to high-tech components like the battery. Important shifts will occur in the three chief parts of the transportation value chain: energy generation and distribution, propulsion systems and private services provision. These developments could create a $300 billion value chain with between 1 million and 1.5 million new jobs globally.

While the new value chain will generate enormous opportunities for some companies, it will create significant risks for others. Companies that include EVs in their business plans must identify the many products and services that customers across the entire EV value chain will need. Then they must build the operational strategies required to support these offerings. Conversely, companies in the oil-based value chain that view growing EV demand as a threat should reposition them to mitigate potential sales declines, lower asset utilization and technology obsolescence.

Here's a brief glimpse of the changes on the horizon--and various ways companies can capitalize on them.

Energy delivery.As an increasing number of cars come to rely on electricity instead of oil, the utility companies that generate and deliver the electricity will acquire a major new revenue stream, the charging provision market. Adding an Electric Vehicle to the grid is the equivalent of adding an average new household, translating into roughly $5,000 of electricity revenues over the life of the vehicle. Conversely, the part of the oil-based value chain focused on energy generation and distribution will lose about $14,000 of revenue per vehicle in related gas sales.

The rise in the number of battery-powered vehicles could strain electricity grids, so it will be critical for utilities to develop capabilities to manage their customers' charging needs. Recent advances in smart grid technology combined with discounts for off-peak charging should help.

Without question, shrinking demand for gasoline at the pump will hurt oil companies. But the negative impact should be dampened somewhat by overall vehicle growth and by the opportunity to focus on producing petrochemical products. These are more profitable than gasoline and in greater demand internationally. Plus, oil companies themselves may want to claim a piece of the new value chain.

Conversion and propulsion. The shift of the powertrain from internal combustion to a lithium-battery pack presents the greatest opportunities and challenges. By their estimates, it will probably shave $3,000 of revenue per vehicle from the oil-based value chain, and add $11,000 to the electric value chain.

Right now, large lithium batteries are very expensive, adding more than $15,000 to the cost of the car. Existing batteries enable a range of about 100 miles before needing a recharge. Companies that can design and produce these batteries with the same performance at half the current cost will garner a competitive edge. Firms across the value chain are racing to tap this new revenue stream and governments across the globe are increasingly viewing this technology as strategically vital.

Companies that provide traditional transmissions and other engine components to automakers will be at risk as demand shrinks. To combat declining sales and underutilized assets, these suppliers will need to leverage core competencies, like precision machining, so they can provide the equivalent products and services for EVs.

Private and public services. Companies that service cars with internal combustion engines will give up revenues since cars powered by electricity require less maintenance. Revenue will shift both to companies that can service electric drivetrain systems and to companies that can provide charging, maintenance and other location-based services. They predict the oil-based value chain will lose approximately $5,000 per vehicle, while the electricity-based value chain will gain $6,000.

New service revenue streams will come largely from services such as construction, communications, retail, media and advertising. Imagine ads informing drivers of the nearest charge point, or retail outlets offering discounts on charges through a 'green' loyalty program. Chargers could also become part of every new home construction, with the general contractor offsetting initial installation and service-provisioning costs. Software applications developed for smart phones could notify EV owners when their charge is running low. Nissan is already working with Apple to develop an application that does just that.

The advent of the electric car is no longer in question--only the timetable is. Like any disruptive innovation, the new value chain will bring numerous white-space opportunities as well as risks. Companies that proactively stake their claim in this new landscape will be the ones leading the way in the next generation.

Retrieved at http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/02/electric-vehicles-services-technology-ecotech-autos.html, on 20th May 2010

NUR NADIA ADJRINA BT. KAMARUDDIN
2009805396

SMARTPHONE

Nowadays in Malaysia, people start crazy towards smartphone including university/college students. It gives many benefits to them especially when they want to send/receive email, transfer file and also can do their work everywhere, anywhere, and anytime. A smartphone is a mobile phone that offers more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a basic 'feature phone'. While some feature phones are able to run simple applications based on generic platforms such as Java ME or BREW, a smartphone allows the user to install and run much more advanced applications based on a specific platform. Smartphones run complete operating system software providing a platform for application developers.

Growth in demand for advanced mobile devices boasting powerful processors, abundant memory, larger screens and open operating systems has outpaced the rest of the mobile phone market for several years. According to a study by ComScore, in 2010, over 45.5 million people in the United States owned smartphones and it is the fastest growing segment of the mobile phone market, which comprised of 234 million subscribers in the United States. The examples of popular smartphone are come from brand of BlackBerry and HTC but other competitors in the industry starts promote thir smartphone like Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, LG, and many more.

The first smartphone was called Simon; it was designed by IBM in 1992 and shown as a concept product that year at COMDEX, the computer industry trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was released to the public in 1993 and sold by BellSouth. Besides being a mobile phone, it also contained a calendar, address book, world clock, calculator, note pad, e-mail, send and receive fax, and games. It had no physical buttons to dial with. Instead customers used a touch-screen to select phone numbers with a finger or create facsimiles and memos with an optional stylus. Text was entered with a unique on-screen "predictive" keyboard. By today's standards, the Simon would be a fairly low-end product; however, its feature set at the time was incredibly advanced.

The Benefits of Smartphone

Because greater functionality is built-in, smartphones can do things much more quickly than their standard mobile phone and PDA precursors. It can keeping people organised where the smartphone handsets can function as personal organisers, with electronic diaries, contact lists, and automatic reminders. Other than that, it is flexible working as with a PDA, people can use their smartphone to take notes, review and edit your appointments, contacts and documents, all while they’re on the move. All the information at the fingertips when using it because more and more services are being made available on smartphones, from access to maps and directions to television transmissions with news coverage or weather reports to traffic information and scheduling alerts, which means users’ business can always stay one step ahead of what's going on.

Smartphone for Business People

Smartphones combine the functionality of PDAs, wireless PCs, phones, and even digital cameras in one handset, making them a powerful business tool. It is really suitable for business purpose where this group of people can connect to the internet for e-mail and web access 'on the move', or connect to the computer network to access relevant data, wherever they are, making it easier for remote workers, or a mobile workforce to stay in touch with the business. By using it, they get better information sharing which considerably more data can be received and transmitted via a smartphone, such as large e-mail attachments or data files from websites. Previous mobiles could only manage small e-mails without attachments. Smartphone also has greater functionality where many models offer built-in digital cameras with immediate snap and send functionality, so remote workers or offsite staff can instantly photograph and send images or videos of anything from supplier's goods to site inspections or damaged warehouse machinery. Smartphones could offer a new way of marketing to customers, Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) lets users include animation, graphics and music in a message. By using it, the communication become faster where the users able to access any web quicker than in previously available mobiles, making it easier to access e-mail and information from the Net. Some models and carriers offer an 'always-on' internet access service making connection easier.

It has become a standard piece of office equipment in some industry settings. Of course, just because everyone else is doing something does not mean that it is the best idea for a particular business. There is often a societal expectation for companies to stay technologically-advanced and people have often convinced themselves that they must stay on the "cutting edge" in order to survive. However, there are still some "old school" methodologies that allow people to conduct business and be successful. With technology there is training, adjustment, and cost. Therefore, organizations need to decide whether certain devices are a good fit for their business model. Here are a few pros and cons of using smartphone in business.

The Challenges of using Smartphone in Business

Smartphone have a lot of potential, but they also have some drawbacks. Mobile companies are usually happy to sell their devices at affordable prices, but the service plans can be fairly expensive. If a company is considering getting smartphone for a number of employees, they may be incurring a large monthly cost that can have a strong negative impact on the budget. In addition, some applications on smartphone can be suspect at times. Some networks are slow or do not provide certain services. In addition, people may be able to access information, but seeing it on a tiny screen can sometimes be annoying or downright impossible. Smartphone may be intriguing, but companies have to decide whether people actually need the technology to do their job.

Overall, companies have to decide if smartphone will make them more productive or whether it will just be expensive "eye candy." People like toys, and sometimes employees may lobby for a device because it seems "cool" to carry around. The reality is that people can still do jobs even without some of the latest technology. Advanced electronics can do some amazing things, but companies still need to measure the cost.

NURUL SYAZWANI BT MOHAMAD SAID

2009445942

Apple ipad : A test from every angle!

The iPad is a software environment developed specifically for the iPhone and iPod Touch. In addition, tens of thousands of applications developed for the family iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad operate perfectly its physical characteristics: they work well and quickly, take up little space in memory and the overwhelming majority of extremely cheap. The iPad is the antithesis of Netbooks: no multitasking, it is single user only accepts software previously validated by Apple available only via its website Appstore. It is also a closed system: there are no plans to add memory or to connect devices as common as a printer. Even its battery cannot be replaced by an individual. The iPad comes in six versions that differ only in their memory (16, 32 or 64GB) and their method of connecting to Internet via a single Wi-Fi connection, like the iPod Touch, or a cellular connection

The iPad and the Internet

The iPad features Safari, the browser developed by Apple. We can tried it on a Wi-Fi 802.11g, the most common among individuals with a wide flow smoothly enough to watch short videos online in Quicktime or WindThe iPad .

At the official launch of the iPad by Steve Jobs, he had brought Phil Schiller, the head of global marketing at Apple for it to do the demo of iWork for iPad. iWork is Apple in the world that it is in Microsoft Works for Windows: a range of desktop applications with limited functionality when compared to those of Microsoft Office, but sufficient in the context of a household. iWork is built around three products sold separately at the low price : Keynote (for presentations), Numbers (spreadsheet) and Pages (word processor.). Numbers and Pages can be used interchangeably in portrait and landscape so that Keynote works only in landscape mode. In terms of email, the iPad supports IMAP, POP3, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL Mail, and MobileMe Microsoft Exchange, of particular interest to businesses.

The iPad and Multimedia

The screen of the iPad associated with the 4:3, that we might have thought obsolete these days: all the monitors and screens lately Netbooks are indeed 16:9 or 16:10. 4:3 But the house is ideal for photos taken with digital cameras, most of which still operate this format.

The software environment of the iPad is sensational when it comes to watching and rank pictures. His Photos application is very user friendly. It allows you to organize all the slides synchronized via iTunes by date and event, but also in terms of people and places photographed. For games, the iPhone and especially the latest generation iPod Touch have proven to be excellent platforms that support recreational compares favorably address gender experts, namely the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

The iPad and reading digital books

With the iPad, Apple launches an assault on the digital book readers through its application iBooks. It does not come with the iPad but can be downloaded for free from the Appstore. In line with Sony and Barnes & Noble, Apple has chosen for its format ePub eBook. ePub is the acronym for electronic publishing and was developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum. This standard is to digital books what MP3 music files is on. It accepts both public domain books that those protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management) as is the case of books sold on the Apple iBookstore.

In each of the areas tested, the iPad has not especially conspicuous, except in the digital books. This is a gadget that costs a fortune, is unclear because surfing the Internet to embrace all the standards that abound, sometimes painstakingly create documents, do not know calls or even take photos and Yet, we loved it! The iPad is not just a super iPod Touch screen which has tripled in size. It introduces a new way to approach the computer, much more natural and intuitive than anything we have experienced so far. This is the first computer that makes us forget that this is a computer. Just like the iPod had disrupted the market for music players, the iPad will shake the mobile computing. However, we were frankly annoyed by the number of kits available as optional, mutually exclusive. Missing in fact a “Universal iDock” that would simultaneously recharge the iPod from the mains, connect it to speakers, read the contents of an SD memory card and connect a digital camera via a USB cable. It is hoped that such a kit will be sold in the near future at a reasonable price by a third company that specializes in accessories for iPod, iPhone, etc.

NABILAH ABDUL SHUKUR

2009406988