Subcom Limited

Touchscreen Touching base

Capacitive touch screens are very popular for self service touchscreen applications, as they are durable, reliable and optically clear to allow the full brightness and colour of the display graphics to shine through. A clear glass sensor is attached to the front of the machines display, typically an LCD panel in one of the standard sizes offered by display vendors. For technical reasons, capacitive touchscreens are usually offered in a range of 6.4″ up to a maximum of 32″ in standard and wide aspect ratios.

The retail touchscreen application generates the images of touch input controls, such as menu buttons to confirm choices or a numeric keypad to enter a product code. When the user touches the glass sensor at the position of one of these features, an electronic controller calculates the position and communicates the co-ordinates to the computer program. With this information the program is then able to decode the users command and react accordingly.

The construction of the touchscreen sensor begins with a glass ‘mothersheet’ of high optical quality. Individual panels are then cut out of this sheet, to match the required display sizes. To make the glass touch sensitive for a touchscreen, it is first coated with a thin conductive layer which is transparent to the user.

The key three components of a touchscreen, the sensor, the electronics and the software all must work together to fulfill all the requirements for the kiosk to come together in the right way

Touchscreen Learning Inside Out

From five years long experience within the touchscreen kiosk industry, Rosendahl Concept Kiosk has learnt that there is more to making outdoor interactive and multimedia kiosks than simply making a good looking enclosure that can survive the weather. It also requires that the components inside the kiosk are housed at the right working temperature, without moisture or dust, with a constant and adequate airflow through the kiosk and ensuring that black spots do not appear on the touchscreen monitor due to direct sunlight. All of these problems have been addressed in their newest large screen outdoor kiosk.

A new aluminum profile has been developed to house the existing proven kiosk technology, and it is now generally believed the most advanced big outdoor unit on the market, made from anodised aluminum, with from opening in a classic design and at a very reasonable price.

Subcom have a partnership agreement and stock all kiosk models, please contact sales for further information and prices - http://www.subcom.co.uk/contact-us/

All models are available in in different sizes and colours, with or without touchscreen technology.

Christmas 2009 gift ideas: Hottest new tech gadgets

New tech gadgets, whether you need them or you don’t thy are interesting and they are definitely a part of our everyday life.

There is no age limit for tech gadgets fans, whether its you, your grandparents or your children- there is something interesting on new tech gadget market for every generation.

There are all sorts of new tech gadgets on the sale today. Some of them are really useful and add to a quality of your life, and some of them….well some of them you can use as an original and amusing gift idea.

Let us therefore see what’s new on the tech gadget market:

Microsoft surface-TOUCH SCREEN TABLE

- How about a touch-screen coffee table with a 30 inch display. It allows a user together with all his family members to manipulate digital content by using natural hand motions. With such touch-screen table family can gather at look at digital photos or leave memos just by simply touching the table. This futuristic gadget will soon be available and its estimated price is about $10.000. I call it high performance high coast gadget.

ETYOTIC ER6i ISOLATOR EARPHONES

- If you want to fully enjoy listening to the music on your iPod then go and get yourself a pair of good sound-isolating in-ear earphones. They are not only a way more comfortable then regular earphones, but they completely block ambient noise so that you have felling that music is coming right from inside your head. Check the Etyotic ER6i Isolator earphones which are now on sale for $70, and brighten your day.

RCHOS Gmini 402 POCKET MULTIMEDIA CENTER

- Gadget I would like to have has all the fun staff elegantly packed together. The elegant Archos Gmini 402 Pocket Multimedia Center is easy to operate 20GB multimedia player on which you can watch photos or videos, listen to your favorite music and to top it all you can play games too. What’s more it can be plugged into your TV, computer or digital camera and it comes whit its own powerful recording unit. This gadget is a must for all fun lovers and its coast is $254, but if you dig around on the Web a bit you can acquire it for much less.

OLUX GPSmile52

- Sometimes it is a tough job finding your way from point A to point B (going around points C, D and F on your way), but then this little gadget comes in quite handy. Yes, I am talking about yet another GPS, but this new peace presents really sweat deal. Holux GPSmile52 has a 3.5 inch touch-screen which comes handy during a car drive. It comes with the preloaded maps

Put Your Hands Together For Touchscreens

3M is now selling the industry’s first 19″ Multi-Touch Touchscreen Developer Kit, which is capable of fast and accurate tracking of up to ten fingers. Two or four finger touch capabilities and simple pinch-and-expand gestures are no longer the extent of sophisticated technology of touchscreen Muti-touch interactivity.

True multi-touch functionality holds immense appeal for all demographic groups and has been eagerly awaited by touchscreen software developers. For proactive OEM’s, its introduction means that they have the opportunity to get involved with a trend setting touchscreen technology that can make them leaders in there field.

Using the 3M touchscreen kit, software developers can benefit from the largest displays available and all the necessary tools to create previously unattainable levels of touchscreen interactivity in there next generation games and user applications.

The ability to support standard flick and scale gestures, as well accurately track ten individual fingers from single or multiple users offers huge potential to involve two hands or other users for a more

Finger Lickin’ Good

Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC has decided to completely customise its new range of kiosks to offer its customers an original concept in fast food - ’speed attitude.’
Developed with Acrelec, and situated at the enterence of the restaurant, the speed attitude kiosks allow customers to place there order in a few seconds by means of an intuitive and user friendly touchscreen interface, pay by bank card and pick up their meal immediately at a dedicated counter.

Following initial testing in a restaurant in Paris, KFC is planning to extend this technology to the majority of its establishments in France. The aim of the project is to give customers control of the ordering process and then provide the fastest service possible. The customer chooses the meal on a touchscreen, the order is imediatly transmitted to the kitchen for for preparation and is ready when the customer arrives at the dedicated collection counter. Employees only have totake care of assembly operations, thereby increasing speed of service and quality.

To ensure the projects success, KFC’s operating procedures, preparation, service method and organisation of teams behind the counter had to be rethought. Employees also received special training on the touchscreen system. The touchscreen kiosk system now represent 35% of the transactions per hour at peak periods and account for between 12% and 20% of the restaurants daily sales.

Perfectly integrated into the KFC epos systems, the touchscreen kiosk software is automatically updated from the restaurants database in real time

Samsung F700 in Comparison

When we want something, and by something I mean an item, companies would usually respond to that. That is of course if the demand is really high. When it comes to hi-tech gadgets, demands are really high. So if you want to see something new on hi-tech gadgets, check out these two mobile phones: iPhone and Samsung F700. These mobile phones are now well known for being the best phones in terms of features and capabilities. Both of them can do just about anything you want mobile phones to do.

iPhone and Samsung F700 are being compared because they are very similar. When it comes to features and capabilities, no one can tell which of them is better. That is because these mobile phones showcase features and capabilities that are very powerful and it is supreme to its predecessors. Both iPhone and Samsung F700 have a full touch screen. iPhones LCD display is 3.5 and is bigger than Samsung F700 since its screen size is only 3.2. In terms of resolution, iPhone has 480×320 while Samsung F700 only has 440×240. Its not much of a difference since Samsung F700 has a smaller display. iPhones touch screen features multitouch function. Samsungs F700, on the other hand, has touch screen feature a drag and drop function. In terms of connectivity, Samsung F700 might just have the advantage. Both phones feature Bluetooth and Quad-Band GSM. But Samsung F700, being 3G capable, features HSDPA. You can connect to the internet with a connection speed of 3.6 Mbps. iPhones internet connection is good too so still; theres not much of an advantage. Both of the phones have a full html web browser making it easier to be online. Samsung F700 has a slide down keyboard. iPhone has on-screen keyboard that is programmable. It is a little more convenient to use a mini keyboard but once you get used to a programmable on-screen keyboard, again, theres a little difference between the two mobile phones. The real advantage by Samsung F700 is seen on its primary camera. It is a 3.0 megapixel camera and is definitely better than iPhones 2.0 megapixel camera. When it comes to media file support, Samsung F700 can again beat the iPhone. iPhones media file support is the same as those on iPod video. Samsung F700 on the other hand, can play real MP3, H.263, H.264, AAC+ and eAAC+.  In terms of storage, the iPhone has 4GB or 8GB. However, it does not have any expansion slots in it. So youll have to make do with that though that is quite large. Samsung F700 can be equipped with MicroSD though its internal memory is only 112 MB. With all these specifications, its really that hard to choose which one is better.

Apple iPhone and Samsung F700 are the best rivals on mobile phones today. If I were to choose, Id pick Samsung F700. But it is up to you to decide which of the two is better.

Windows 7, The Power of Multitouch

Microsoft had some problems over the last few years due to various failings of Vista. Another one of its operating systems has been building up a lot of momentum and receiving praise, due to advancements in speed, the actual interface and suitability.

Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will be available for pre-order from July 15th and that all new PC’s running Vista bought after the 26th June will receive a free W7 upgrade upon the official launch on the 22nd October

Upon launch windows 7 will be available in 14 languages around the world & is claimed to be the fastest global launch of a Windows Operating System.

The full RRP for Windows 7 Home Premium is £149.99, although Microsoft are offering a special offer from launch to the end of the year where users will be able to purchase a copy for £79.99. This deal may be extended but there is no official word on this yet

Hacked Touch Screens In US Presidential Race

Almost eight years ago we all knew about the chaos in Florida regarding the election. There have been reports of problems with touchscreen monitor voting machines recording the wrong candidates in early voting.

The touchscreen machines have been reported to be used by a third of American voters. They have an innovative interface by utilising colours to enable voters to cast ballots.

People in West Virginia, Colorado, Tennessee & Texas complained and reported problems with the touch screen system. The most common complaint with the touch screens were that they seemed to flip votes from Democratic choices to Republican ones, or vice versa.

A report from Princeton University confirmed that touch screen terminals used for voting could be easily manipulated & could be hacked in seven minutes, as well as this they claim that someone could replace the touch screen systems memory chip and replace it with another that could contain a malicious program that could be capable of changing results.

Thankfully these touchscreens were not provided by Subcom so please feel reassured when purchasing elo touchscreens from Subcom.

New Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) Touchscreen Display

Elo touch have presented a new touchscreen technology PoE 12.1 inch desktop touchscreen display that has full touch capabilities. The advantages of PoE is that there is no need for an external power source as all power is supplied from a ethernet cable from a network connection.

This gives the new 12.1 inch touch screen greater functionality & flexibility being able to be used in places where mains power is not available. The design is based around incorporating low power usage featuring PoE zero-client technology. This is a great step forward for touch screen monitors & an advancement in market place design.Elo touch have presented a new touchscreen technology PoE 12.1 inch desktop touchscreen display that has full touch capabilities. The advantages of PoE is that there is no need for an external power source as all power is supplied from a ethernet cable from a network connection.

This gives the new 12.1 inch touch screen greater functionality & flexibility being able to be used in places where mains power is not available. The design is based around incorporating low power usage featuring PoE zero-client technology. This is a great step forward for touch screen monitors & an advancement in market place design.

Golden Square Touchscreen Visitor Centre

We have just had news that we won the international design competition for the design of Golden Square, in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, as part of a team led by Capita Lovejoy’s Birmingham office, beating over 100 international practices in the process.

Golden Square is being created as one of the first new projects in Birmingham City Council’s ‘Big City Plan’, which will see the city centre transformed over the coming years. The proposals for this new public square seek to create an exciting, iconic and inspiring space, which would act as the focal point to the Jewellery Quarter.

Our part of the proposal was to implement digital media technology, providing visitor information facilities as an integral component of the scheme - connecting users of the square to the facilities and businesses within the Jewellery Quarter. This is a great opportunity for Subcom to work closely with sister company Substrakt to provide innovative touch screen display solutions alongside cutting edge web based applications.

We are delighted to have the opportunity to be involved in such a significant project and are excited to work closely with Capita Lovejoy and the wider design team, which include David Patten, Bryant Priest Newman, Ramboll Whitby Bird, Light Bureau, and Ocmis.

Its All About The Touch!

Touchscreens or a touchscreen is described as a screen that uses pressure to detect the location and presence of a touch within the area of display. Many objects can be used in order to activate the ‘touch’ the most common being a finger or hand. Other objects such as a stylus or light pen are becoming more popular in their marketplace.

Back in the day most touchscreens were limited by only being able to detect one point of contact at a time & very few could tell the degree of pressure applied to the touch. This started to change when touch screens started to gain momentum in the commercial marketplace.

Two main attributes govern a touch screen monitor, the first is interaction - being able to touch information directly displayed on the screen at the actual point it is shown as opposed to using an indirect object such as a mouse. The second is functionality and accessibility as the only object that’s needed to access the touch screen information is a part of your body, usually a hand or finger.

Touchscreens came from research labs in the early 70’s mainly used for computer assisted learning terminals. More recently we see touchscreens most commonly used in systems that contain kiosks in iundustries such as gaming and retail on point of sale systems (POS), Cash machines, PDA’s and gaming consoles. Touchscreens are also used frequently in industry such as supply lines in factories & touch screen displays used in shopping centres.

Epos - Electronic Point of Sales

History of EPOS technology

Before the evolution of epos systems, merchants relied on cash operated registers to tally their sales. Prices were manually punched in and totaled by cashiers and inventory records were kept by hand. The cashiers notes were then transcribed into an accounting ledger to keep track of finances. Inventory was managed by physically counting items in storage and carefully writing down every item purchased and sold.

It was not until 1986 that IBM introduced its first computer based EPOS system. Manufacturers developed credit card devices that were integrated into a companys EPOS system. While these devices seem relatively simple in nature, they eventually evolved to handle ever-increasing demands. Registers are now multi-function and can be used for employees to clock in, for age verification and gift card activation. They can also be used for charging credit cards.

Recently, EPOS made a significant leap with enhanced capability and total compatibility with other electronic management tools. Initially, it was too difficult to transfer data between manufacturers or even other cash registers. There was no portal that allowed a smooth transfer of information between different EPOS systems and software. However, it is now the norm for all EPOS terminals to be operated by Windows based programs.

Benefits and uses of EPOS systems

While cash management is one of the main components of EPOS systems technology, these systems now employ a wide variety of functions. They are used for inventory management, service management, customer relation management and even payroll modules. In fact, they are sometimes referred to as retail management software because of the absolute integration between business management and technology in the last twenty years.

A manager can, at any given time, access the necessary figures from the EPOS system, including total income, net income, the amount that needs to go to the government for taxes, number of items of any particular piece of merchandise that was sold, the number of units that should still remain in storage, and what products need to be reordered. In addition to those figures, electronic point of sales systems also assist in the accuracy of pricing and inventory and help reduce theft and stock shrinkage.

EPOS Effectiveness

Without an EPOS, many retail stores would find it simply impossible to handle the day to day cash management and inventory requirements.

The advent of EPOS and its integration with financial and inventory control has given businesses the insight and effectiveness to manage their products, control inventory and keep abreast of their business operations.

LG Ku990 Viewty Features and Disadvantages

The LG Viewty has been equipped with a 3-inch 262,144 colour touchscreen monitor. Average colour reproduction is fine. When a colorful object is captured, the colours are not well rendered on the monitor at times. In bright sunlight it is difficult to see clearly what is on the monitor. In this case you will have to go into the shadow or create some shade yourself. The touchscreen monitor responds very well.

The user interface has been fairly well thought through. Four trappable icons at the bottom of the Home screen let you get to messaging, contacts, the dial pad and the main menu of the phone.

The design of the Viewty isn’t that different from the Prada phone as both have only three buttons on the front and a rather large LCD display. The UI also shares several common aspects with the Prada phone, but the two are quite different. For starters, the Viewty is quite a bit larger at 103.5 x 54.4 x 14.8 compared to the Prada phone, and it weighs 27g more at 112g. It’s still quite pocket friendly by all means, especially compared to many Windows Mobile devices which it is competing against in terms of what’s on offer.

Viewing your pictures is almost as good as having your prints in your hand especially when using the landscape setting. Images can be viewed either as standard thumbnail or scattered around the screen which is quite snazzy. You can also zoom in and move your pictures around by brushing your finger over it which means you don’t miss any detail.

There is a comprehensive editing suite for images and video footage and the software included is easy to install and use which also allows you back up all you phones data. There is also a music player and FM radio. The web browser is easy to use and allows you to see full web pages and then to zoom. You can even open up two windows at once and toggle between the two. Battery life can be short if you find yourself playing with all the features – if using the camera on a day or night out, browsing the web and viewing images you will need your charger every couple of days.

Key features

* Tri-band GSM/GPRS plus HSDPA support

* 5 megapixel auto focus camera with image stabilization

* Camera strobe flash and focus assist beam

* Secondary video camera for video calls

* 3″ 262K color TFT touchscreen display with 240×400 pixels resolution

* VGA video recording at 30 fps

* QVGA video recording at 120 fps

* TV-out support

* Original stylus dongle

* DivX video playback

* Haptic feedback when the screen is pressed

Main disadvantages

* No hot-swap memory card capability

* Having stylus as a dongle is an inconvenient solution

* File management slows once the memory card starts filling up

* Operating the zooming jog wheel gets in the way of the lens

Choosing a Good Point of Sale System

Choosing a good point of sale system is one of the most important aspects of a new or existing business. A good point of sale system can help you serve your customers better and more effectively, helps with inventory and bookeeping, can give you valuable reporting features and streamline the checkout process.Do you use credit cards? A POS system can integrate that as well and can totally eliminate the terminal fees you are used to paying for.

A typical point of sale system consists of, the register computer, monitor, cash drawer, bar code scanner, receipt printer, mag strip reader, and pole display ( for retail establishments). Touch screen monitors are growing in popularity, making it easier by just having to touch the screen for what you want instead of having to remember keyboard keys or use a mouse.

The POS Software is a just as important item as the pos hardware. The pos software should be able to maintain an unlimited number of products in the database. It should work with or without a barcode, set price levels by customer, quantity or promotion, be compatible with regular monitors as well as touchscreen displays, run sales and inventory reports, support integration of data files, manage receivables, and one of the most important for your employee benefits is to be easy to learn and use.

When setting up your pos equipment, you need a basic network. All you need for an ethernet type network is Cat5 cabling to each register that plugs into a network switch ( I don’t recommend using a hub) or if you need internet access for cc processing you can use a router, but you may still need the switch as well. I also recommend that you have a back office computer that runs the same software. The reason for that is so you as a manager can check reports, do the accounting, receivables, etc all from the back office and you don’t have to interrupt operations on the sales floor. In the back office, you should have all the network cabling connecting into the switch/router (preferrably everything labeled as well), you’ll also have your dsl/broadband modem if you are using one and I would also highly recommend a backup power supply, UPS, and a network attached storage device , NAS, for backing up your data. Backups are extremely important! One other option that is becoming increasingly popular is video security such as IP video (network video) which allows you to be able to view your store from anywhere where internet access is available and the video quality is much better than the older analog cctv type video and with the proper software you can record, pause, zoom, rewind,etc. Once all this is setup your business should be streamlined and ready to go. Feel free to contact me for any additional information or advice or visit my website at www.hivelocitynetworks.com

An Example of the Benefits of Epos

Recently a fast food home delivery service, installed an EPoS system and within a few weeks deliveries had trebled purely down to the control that the system allowed.

The benefits of the system are many; caller recognition - customer details appear instantly on screen alongside the shop menu when the phone rings, postcode look-up - new customers are added quickly and accurately and fast touch screen ordering with (optional) selling prompts. In addition, meal deals, offers and delivery charges are calculated automatically.

The system eliminates human error at the counter and the caller recognition saves time for the user and the customer. Order taking is faster - so customer throughput is much quicker and far more efficient.

After a customer has placed an order for delivery and the food has been prepared and is ready to go, the screen is touched to tell the system which driver is taking the order. At this point, a map is displayed to help the driver. Payment can be taken from drivers after one order, a few orders or at the end of the night.

The business has 3 services to offer - these are Takeaway, Delivery and Collection. The EpoS system co-ordinates everything and the delivery service is now 40% of the business and growing. Collection orders are increasing too - but not at the expense of the takeaway business. Collection orders are bagged and waiting at the front when customers arrive - staff just need to touch a button on screen and we can have a separate and fast moving collection queue.

There are also touch screen terminals which are wall mounted in the food preparation area. One of the terminals displays pizzas, baked potatoes etc. to be made as they are ordered; the other displays special orders for frying. The screens relieve employee pressure at busy times and enable the users to check on orders and not continually look around for scraps of paper with hand-written notes.
The EpoS software is not just intended for order-taking, kitchen efficiency and driver management - it is an invaluable tool for customer relationship management. Every time that a new customer is added to the system or a customer orders again, the customer database is updated. This creates effective local marketing allowing the marketing of the business to customers by mail, by e-mail, or text messages. The system also makes it easy to send special offers and coupons to customers. The results can be monitored and the home delivery service found that they had a 65% return on their first mailing.
Many small businesses today view EPoS as an unnecessary expense, but the real benefits are seen both by the customer and the business itself. Customers have a more efficient experience at the Point of Sale, and the business tracks and records everything through the EPoS package which in turn improves stock management, margins, purchasing information, and customer information.

Microsoft and At&t Jaw Dropping Devices

Both Microsoft and AT&T are very well known companies world wide, however recently they have both created a partnership which will enhance the mobile phone buying experience. Microsoft has come up with a very innovative device called the “Surface” which is basically a 30 inch tablet-like monitor which has several infrared cameras which detect the slightest change in the surface and translates it into software commands which return a visually appealing response.

In order to better understand what the Surface does and how it will be of benefit to mobile phone retailers as well as casinos, restaurants, etc. is by comparing it to tablet PCs, as you may know tablet PCs have been designed to be user friendly, they have a touch screen on which digital artists are able to manipulate their images using a pen; traditional users are also able to benefit from tablets by being able to interact with their applications or browse the web using a pen instead of a mouse.

Incidentally, Microsoft’s Surface brings these elements and improves them dramatically in their latest product which will be launched primarily in retail stores such as AT&T. The way this new interactive virtual display works is by easily connecting to any device such as a mobile phone and instantly recognizing it’s content and giving the user several options to manipulate such content, some may say this is the perfect link between hardware and the virtual world.

Pieces of information and data found on a mobile phone such as contacts, MP3 files, videos, pictures, etc can all be seen through the Surface and then organized just the way the user wants. In retail stores the Surface will be used in a way which will allow interested mobile phone buyers to place two phones they are interested in and the Surface will then provide a table of contents for both items which will make it easy to compare the features on both phones. Plans can also be compared through the table which lays them out in a visually appealing way that is easy to understand.

Table users will also be able to transfer digital photos or MP3 tunes from their devices to their mobile phones by simply placing the devices on the Surface and dragging the media files from the source into the mobile phone, which is just amazing. The only problem is that not every phone is compatible with the Surface, so obviously buyers will have to acquire the latest mobile phones in order for the surface to be able to deliver all the benefits it is intended to. Without a doubt this is a great idea Microsoft and AT&T have come up with, lets see how the public will adapt to it when it is launched in retail stores in April 17th, 2008.

Product reviews: Apple iPod with touchscreen

When looking at the iPod Touch, you have a choice: you can either see it as an giant leap for iPods, or a small downgrade from iPhone. With the Touch you get a thinner form factor, roomy 16 GB of storage, and Wifi! You do lose the phone capability and various apps.

At 2/3 the thickness of its iPhone counterpart, the iPod Touch garners lots of attention. Yes, chrome backing is more prone to scratching, but it really is quite pretty. Getting rid of that propriety headphone jack was also a huge improvement. Now you no longer need that weird adapter-Way to go, Apple!

Many features from the iPhone stay with the Touch such as the awesome multitouch screen, a super intuitive Safari, a fast iTunes sync. A few new features like showing the music HUD by double clicking Home are very welcome- they really make the end user experience for the iPod touch refreshing.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store is flat out GOOD! Not only is easy as pie to find songs, click the animated icon for a preview and download it(in seconds) to your iPod; it’s even better how it syncs back to your computer’s iTunes library with no problem. And with iTunes Plus just coming out, iTunes music is better than ever.

Battery life is SWEET, well over the 5 hours of video claimed by the boys in Cupertino. I was able to choke out 6 hours and 45 minutes of constant “LOTR”, and “I Am Legend”.

There are, however, as with all gadgets, some issues with the thing.

Many people’s biggest complaint is that the touch’s screen is not as good as the iPhone’s screen. As I already said, when you look directly at the screen while playing video, the deep blacks look strange and opalescent, almost like a film negative. I have tried this on three iPods and they all returned the same result. The only way to solve this problem, in my experience, is to tilt the touch away from you slightly, so that the top left corner is angled down. Not a fun way to watch video. The iPhone does not have this problem in any noticeable way.

One of the quieter breakthroughs of the iPhone was the physical volume buttons on its side. I was hoping this was a sign that Apple had recognized the need for quick, no-look volume adjustments. With an iPhone, you can turn volume up or down without pulling it out of your pocket. I view the lack of physical volume buttons on the Touch as a step backwards.

I found that there can be some lag when doing video-intensive activities. I was actually trying to find a single frame of a movie to show off,

Cheap Computers: Incredible Electronic Devices

In today’s latest technology world, having a computer has become mandatory. These devices have made our daily tasks easy and fast. They are one of most innovative gifts that have made our lives comfortable. These devices with great capabilities and efficiency are most commonly used in offices, homes, schools, etc. In this modern age, a consumer can find a variety of hi-tech devices that facilitate our work on the go. Computers have become an essential part of our daily lives. Having computer knowledge has become important for getting a job in almost every sector. These equipments are available with the top brands like HP, Acer, Compaq and Lenovo. Some of the other features in the latest models include a web camera, touchscreen, Bluetooth, etc.

Due to the advancement in the technological area, we have been offered various innovative gadgets and devices that have bought a drastic change in our lives. This has contributed to increase our abilities and making our lives more comfortable.

One can easily find some great deals online for computers. They are available in a variety of designs and colours. These stylish devices are available with superb features like amazing sound and picture quality. The huge capacity of the hard disk lets the users save a large number of files in their computers. You can also look for cheap computers which have been recently introduced. This way you can save a lot of money on your purchase. The best part is that you can get a lot of goodies along with them. If you are looking for a cheap computer in the online market, you need to consider a few things before purchasing one. These include memory, power supply, monitor, and CPU (Central processing Unit). One should make sure that they are of top quality. Another thing to consider is the RAM (Read only memory) which is used by the computer while performing any process. The memory in your hard drive is also to be considered. This stores your essential files like pictures, files and programs of your computer.

With online shopping, one can easily find great deals and offers. There you can get low priced computers with some amazing deals. The user also needs to do some comparison shopping to get the best price. Do some research and compare prices and offers provided by different brands.

If the consumer finds out a cheap computer that consists of all the high quality features, then it is a good decision to purchase this computer for his or her daily needs. It may be sometimes difficult to find the computers which are cheap and offer superior quality performance.

The New Generation Pc Monitors

A computer is incomplete without its output device. Any work cannot be accomplished without this device. PC monitors are called visual display device units, which are simply known as monitors. There are generally five types of monitor available in the market. These are,- Cathode ray tube, passive liquid crystal display, TFT monitor, Plasma monitor and Penetron monitor.

The performance of a monitor can be measured by some factors like response time, refresh rate, display resolution, power consumption, contrast ratio and luminance. Modern computer displays can show thousands or millions of different colours in RGB colour space signals in continually variable intensities. While many monitors have the analog signal relay, some more recent models (mostly LCD) screens come with digital input signals. It is a common misconception that all computer monitors out there in the market use the digital technology.

The traditional home computers were using a composite signal output to drive the CRT monitor. Those were known as TTLs, which used to result in degraded resolution. Later, the digital monitors come with the support of LVDS, or TMDS protocols. For displaying the computer generated output, several different technologies are used like the liquid crystal display technology, video projector technology, organic light-emitting diode display, penetron technology and cathode ray tube technology. From all these technology, generally LCD technology, CRT technology and plasma technology are used.

Some users use multiple monitors. Then there are some monitors which can be operate in multiple modes. PC monitors also have some additional features like touch screen, directional screen and super power saver. Touching is the input method of Touchscreen monitors. Items can be selected or moved by the help of a finger, and finger gestures convey commands. This does however mean the screen needs frequent cleaning due to image from fingerprints. Narrow viewing angle screens are used in some security applications.

Major computer monitor manufacturing companies are – Acer, BenQ, Hewlet-Packard, LG Electronics, Viewsonic, Philips, Samsung and Sony.

Most modern displays come with a power saver system which is switched on if no video input signal is received. Modern operating systems can thus manage the power of a monitor after a specified period of inactivity. This also extends the service life of a monitor. Most modern laptops provide a method which gradually dimming the screen after periods of inactivity.

Difference Between 1st Generation iPod Touch and New 4th Generation iPod Nano-00-2827

At first glance, it would appear the market is being saturated by a constant influx of new Apple generation products. The continuing legacy of the iPod and, more recently, the iPhone has seemingly contributed to - if not provoked - a society that is entirely dependant on its music.

With the release of the original, 1st Generation iPod Touch, and its later partner, the 4th Generation iPod Nano, the world has witnessed a multitouch revolution. Each device is unique in its own right… but sometimes a user might wonder exactly how unique these countless gadgets can be. Taking the iPod Touch and 4G Nano as an example, both appear to have very similar exteriors (the myriad of available colors aside), come equipped with a program referred to as an accelerometer (which enables horizontal picture viewing or video display when the iPod is tilted), and have a seemingly similar interface.

In fact, the main difference between the two is - arguably - the storage capacities. Armed with an 8 GB or 16 GB Flash drive, the 4G Nano dominates the 1G Touch’s 8 GB, 16GB, or 32 GB regular hard drive.

Both sport a 2 inch display screen; however the Nano demonstrates a much sleeker, more modern design with its tapered edges and oval-like shape. It’s comparably lighter too - able to make a user wonder if he or she picked up the store’s demo by mistake.

The Nano, in comparison, has a few interesting innovations “under the hood” that would certainly separate it from the Touch, though. A new program called “Genius” mode enables a user to instantly create playlists based on similar song attributes. In addition to that, the shake-to-shuffle feature incorporates a whole new idea - simply shaking the device in order to shuffle the playlist.

What is possibly the most generous implementation, however, is simply the new incorporation of voice prompts. Unlike the iPod Touch, Nano offers the option of having a voice announce the different selections - making it a very user friendly device for the visually impaired.

Also, while the Touch was virtually useless without being connected to iTunes, the Nano is a fairly independent device - what with the introduction of WiFi and all. You could even record voice memos with the additional purchase of a compatible microphone (the port is a little picky about what mics will fit and which won’t). The mic is also a bit pricey, but well worth it for the people that might use it.

LG Viewty Pay Monthly: LG Viewty With Touchscreen Monitor

LG mobile phones are coming up with the advanced and eye catching features. People want to buy the Well-organized curve, stylish black colour and some silver- coloured accents are completely present in LG Viewty. The users can find it in two versions of LG KE990 Viewty and LG KU990 Viewty. It looks like LG Prada in appearance. The scroll wheel is truly a great innovation of LG phones. It has no more buttons for zooming in or out. Its main attraction is that it is available with the pay monthly mobile phone deals offered by the several network providers.

The LG Viewty has a 3 inch 256k coloured touchscreen monitor that takes action very well. It comes with a pen for the touchscreen monitor and it can be attached to the handset by a cord. You don’t need to press hard enough, as the touchscreen gives a slight vibration on touching it. Isn’t it a wonderful gizmo? Yes, it is an amazing handset, as it is wonderful in looks too. Just buy the Viewty phone with pay monthly deals to have a great experience.

The key feature of this system is its integrated 5 MP camera including autofocus, video recorder and a secondary VGA videocall camera, which lets you to do video calls. You can capture your charming memories and even share them with your friends through multimedia messaging. The handset with 3G technology allows its users to talk face-to-face. It also supports GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth, which help you to transfer the data to any other compatible device.

You can surf the internet whilst you are in train or on the move. It also comes with many powerful features including Java enabled games, FM Radio with RDS, MP3, MPEG4, WMV, AAC and DivX player etc. You can listen to your favourite radio station as well as songs through its so many music options. The users can also listen to the games news and other day to day news. Thus, it has many attractions for the users!

Designing and Testing Robust Industrial Computing Solutions

Amplicon has gained an unrivalled experience over the past 33 years in the design, manufacture and distribution of computer products, systems and solutions for industrial applications. They have the ability to tailor systems to meet application and environmental requirements across a wide range of industries. Their equipment would typically be destined for use in factories, transport, warehousing, laboratories and military COTS. Like all Amplicon products, their industrial computing systems are manufactured under strict quality management procedures certified to ISO9001:2000.

The first step in designing an industrial computing system is to be aware what product standards and directives have to be met. Industrial computing products would typically be covered by areas related to safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). If the product is to be put onto the European Market, it will need to be CE Marked to indicate that it has complied with all associated directives.

In designing a computing system, there are a number of main building components that influence the look, feel, performance, reliability, repeatability and robustness of the end product. These include the storage drives (HDD, Solid State, CompactFlash, CD drives and FDD), Memory, Central Processing Unit (CPU), processor cooler, Power Supply Unit (PSU) or redundant PSU, Motherboard or Single Board Computer (SBC) and Backplane combination, total chassis cooling mechanism and finally the Chassis.

A standard 4U chassis is highly scaleable and its versatility lends itself to many end applications and environments. Hence, in building a computing system, the industry and application in question have to be taken into consideration. Different applications may also require different IP ratings and certifications.

For the most extreme conditions and out-of-the-office applications, rugged mobile computer systems provide the ultimate in notebook and tablet computing. Rugged mobile computers feature protection against dust, debris and water by using the latest materials and sealing techniques. The rugged mobile computers offered are largely based on Intel’s 855GME chipset. This highly efficient chipset and associate component subsets, including processor and memory offer the performance to allow efficient fully sealed fanless rugged computers to be produced. Furthermore, flexible design techniques allow their rugged mobile computers to support plug-in PCI or ISA expansion cards. In this design, mobile application processors and associate fanless coolers are used; and for space conservation, a 2.5g HDD is used. This greatly improves the device shock and vibration tolerance.

For automotive applications, the computing system will be exposed to a lot of vibration and dust; hence it needs to be more robust in its total design. Any computing device made for use in the automotive industry needs e mark certification. The recommended design would be an embedded, fanless solution. Using a fully enclosed device, where the chassis acts as a cooling mechanism for the device

For medical, pharmaceutical and food applications the high tech modular industrial PC design is recommended. This can be easily configured to meet customer needs by including a touch screen and expansion slots for plug-in boards to further expand the system and provide additional features. The system can be operated using a touchscreen or via a rugged IP54/65 rated keyboard. The completely sealed stainless steel housing makes the system meet the IP specified protection norms and requirements for these industries.

Generally when designing an industrial computing system, a single board computer (SBC) solution will offer greater repeatability (typically 5 years). These products have a more versatile range of options and are revision controlled with a longer life cycle than motherboards. For projects requiring repeatability in excess of 5 years, spares requirements are calculated to support the product over its desired life cycle.

The PSU unit selection is dependant on the sum of the individual component power requirements, as well as the required availability of the device. It is also important to allow for any future increase in power demands, due to expansion of the original system. Industrial computing devices are designed for 24/7 use and in some cases a redundant PSU is required. These comprise of a minimum of two independent PSU modules housed in a single cage. The device needs to be capable of running effectively with just one of the modules operating. During normal mode there will be load sharing between both modules. When a module becomes defective an audible and visual alarm will indicate which module requires replacement.

Once the right components are put together to produce an end prototype unit, tests are carried out to ensure that the device gets the CE Mark.

After ensuring that components and hence the end product as a whole conforms to the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, the product then can undergo conformance testing. All associated Amplicon products fully conform to the RoHS Directives.

Amplicon owns an extensive purpose-built EMC and conformance laboratory. Using the latest test equipment, they ensure all products conform to relevant international standards.

The primary objective of the CE Mark and associated product assessment is to provide the customer and enforcement bodies with the evidence that the devices placed on the market conform to the essential requirements of all associated directives.

For most electrical devices the safety is covered by the Low Voltage Directive (LVD). This applies to nearly all electrical equipment designed for use between 50V and 1000V AC or between 75V and 1500V DC. This refers to the electrical input or output voltages, not just the supply voltage powering the device. This directive has a huge scope and applies to industrial, domestic and many other environments.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a serious and increasing form of environmental pollution. Its effects could range from minor crackles on broadcast reception to potential fatal accidents due to corruption of safety critical monitoring and control systems. Various forms of EMI can cause electrical and electronic malfunctions and may even have a direct effect on human tissue. The EMC Directive’s main objective is to minimise the effect caused by EMI from electrical and electronic devices.

Shock and vibration tests are also carried out on the range of products recommended for use in applications under extreme ambient conditions. Once the pre-conformance tests and modifications are made to produce a certified design, the product is then manufactured.

All of Amplicons industrial computing systems are revision controlled and undergo an extensive soak-test before shipment. This eliminates the shipment of faulty or incomplete systems.

Windows Based Electronic Point of Sale Solutions for the Independent Retailer

Nowadays with the current retail climate and ever increasing competition on the high street, the need for a closer view of stock levels and the ability to maintain stock at optimum levels has never been greater. For many years independent retailers have relied on the trusty cash register and ‘had a reasonable of their stock position’

Modern EPOS Sytems (Electronic Point of Sale) allow greater efficiencies and can improve all round margins. Inbuilt stock control allows retailers to pinpoint poorly performing products/suppliers/staff and allow them to rectify any issues.

Many Back Office applications have the facility to either link directly into supplier websites or to email/fax purchase orders through directly. This means that much less time is taken with administrative tasks.

Systems allow businesses to integrate data from EPOS with data from handheld scanners, which means you can track barcoded products on the journey from your suppliers to the warehouse to the store to the final point of sale. You can then identify where goods are being held up, compare the performance of different suppliers and their delivery times - and improve on the results.

Build a database of customers, review their spending patterns and run marketting campaigns based on customer spending history or based on the type of products bought historically.

With e-tailing gaining ground and taking market share from the high street, linking your EPOS system to your website provides online customers with rapid, up-to-date stock information. If stock runs out, EPOS can update the site to show that it is unavailable and warn potential customers that there will be a delay in delivery or offer an alternative.

Choosing the Right EPOS System?

EPOS particularly benefits organisations with a large throughput of goods to a large customer base. The larger the organisation the more sophisticated the EPOS solution should be, but it may not be necessary for smaller organisations to invest in complex solutions.

Software-based solutions
Your existing PC equipment may be able to run an EPOS application, costing around GBP 350. Additional hardware (printer, magnetic card reader, POS keyboard, keylock, operator monitor, cash drawer and customer display) is increasingly available in plug and play form.

Software packages linking EPOS to your accounting system
These cost around GBP 500 per terminal. However, the back office PC will need its own software and you may need to buy additional modules for extras like Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), label printing or remote access. This approach can be cheaper and more flexible than buying an off-the-shelf system, but you may need advice on setting it up.

Stand-alone EPOS systems
These cost around GBP 5,000. You receive a specialised EPOS terminal, software, a printer and a networked back office PC. Such systems often have XML or EDI links for connecting with your website or back-office systems. This would be suitable for a company with one or two retail stores, for example.

Apple Iphone: ‘i’ Means Power

Apple, the renowned American consumer electronics maker has established a big name worldwide - thanks to its top-of-the-class products. After the huge success of devices like personal computers, portable media players and i-Pods, Apple has recently launched the i-Phone which is a lethal combination of form and essence in an attractive casing. A large touch screen, 3G enabled, a nice camera, The design is quite new and never thought or seen before. The Apple iPhone has a stunning display, a sleek design, an innovative multitouch user interface, a one-button navigational key and on top of that it doubles as an iPod. The device comes embedded with GPS and Google Earth and offers easy-to-use applications.

The Apple i-Phone measures 115 x 61 x 11.6 mm and has got a solid weight of 135 grams. The big 3.5 inch 16 million colour TFT screen supports a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and offers very good viewing experience to the eyes. For those shutterbugs,the device turns into a very good musical instrument - it has got a 2 megapixel camera with 1600 x 1200 pixels. Memory room differs - while one version comes with 4GB internal memory, the other is equipped with massive 8GB memory space. iPhone features a rich HTML email client and Safari - the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device - which automatically syncs bookmarks from your PC or Mac. Safari also includes built-in Google and Yahoo! search. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background over Wi-Fi or EDGE. Rest of the features are photo browser/editor, voice memo, integrated handsfree, Bluetooth, USB et. The device runs on Mac OS X v10.4.8 OS.

Will Microsoft Windows version 7 live up to expectations?

Windows 7 may be the first Microsoft OS to live up to expectations in years. Microsoft has revised core functions while streamlining the interface. A quick look at Windows 7 shows Microsoft is prepared to address the criticisms leveled against Vista and ensure that Windows 7 is not just a reactionary product.

The interface may be the feature that garners the most interest from the average user. Windows 7 has a redesigned taskbar, one eerily reminiscent of the Mac OS application dock. The Start Button is still located on the extreme left side of the taskbar and it opens up a Vista-style Start Menu. Launching a program will place its icon on the taskbar for the entire time the application is running. Right-clicking the icon presents the typical options to minimize and close, as well as a new option to pin the program to the taskbar. Any Mac OS X user will instantly see the similarities between Window 7’s taskbar and Mac OS X’s dock has screen shots of Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) for a visual of Mac OS X’s dock. Windows 7 screen shots are coming soon as well.

Microsoft has also taken care to streamline the number of clicks to set any preferences on the system. Accessing the Control Panel can still be accomplished by clicking the Start Button, Control Panel. Alternatively, Windows 7 does a great job of placing links to the Control Panel in areas of the OS that could require a tweak to the system settings. Once in the Control Panel, the process of finding a specific setting is fairly painless. The Control Panel categories have been refined and the classic view provides direct access to options the veteran Windows user has come to expect.

User Account Control will still be present in Windows 7, but its presence will not be as annoying or obvious as in Vista. There will be process and commands that require authentication, but the persistent “are you really sure you want to do this” prompts stop with Vista. UAC will primarily function in the background and come to the surface only to confirm major changes and application installs.

Windows 7 may be the best Windows operating system ever. Microsoft has promised a lot of enhanced features with Windows 7. Expectations are high, and to meet them, Microsoft will need to put in some long nights of work. The average consumer wants a seamless experience that simply works. The average power user wants more non-intrusive security and better software compatibility. If Microsoft can do both, Windows 7 will not just meet expectations, it will surpass them.

Cheap LCD TV : Experience World Class Entertainment

The unusual steep rise in the demand for LCD TVs in recent times evidently points to the growing faith in the LCD technology. However, the most puzzling question for many of us who are still unfamiliar with this new age techno-mania is : what is this techno -manic notion of the LCD and why is there so much frantic fervour for the numerous LCD technology-driven products in today’s market.

To begin with, the digitally-rich LCD technology functions smoothly by utilising the properties of polarised light. The reason behind the increasing dependence on this digital-mantra is its flawless performance. Hence, the LCD technology is increasingly being optimised in a vast number of electronic gadget items for instance, laptops and computer monitors and touchscreen devices like smart mobile phone handsets and digitally loaded gaming consoles.

In fact, a recently concluded survey interestingly enough, revealed the sharp shift in the choices and dispositions of today’s customers. The LCD TVs in India are increasingly being preferred by the customer’s as these are replacing their yesteryears’ favourite CRT television sets. A lot of factors such as:creation of a strong market base, a change in customer’s preferences, rise in the prospective customer’s income, healthy competition between rival firms, positively influencing market trends and favourably disposed government policies - have given the required push to the market of LCD TVs.

Just in case you are wishing to strike a deal for one of these high-class yet cheap LCD TVs in the Indian market then a few criteria should be borne in mind by all discerning customers such as the prospective users should critically study a product on the yardsticks of quality, functionality, performance, availability of substitute products in the market.

As a matter of fact, Samsung LCD TVs are currently in hot demand. Samsung, the giant company that deals in digitally- rich display has recently launched a new series of LCD television sets to suit the requirements of their Indian clientèle. Some of these LCD TVs in Indian market include the Samsung LA26R71 (Bordeaux), Samsung LA32S8 (Sonoma Trenz) and the Samsung LA19R71(Bordeaux). These displays come with the promise of offering world class entertainment at very affordable price. So, without having to worry about the expenses one can strike a “safe” deal for these sophisticatedly designed high-end home entrainment electronic gadgets.

LG Viewty Review - a Closer Look at the Best Mobile Phone

The name of LG Viewty is now synonymous to mobile photography. This is because of the great features that the phone provides when taking images as well as editing them. But aside from its great camera features, consumers often ask what else can this LG phone offer? When answering that, there is a need to look at all the aspects in the LG Viewty.

Design

The first LG phones that entered the market were not attractive according to many reviews. But most of the LG Viewty reviews gave positive feedbacks about the phone’s design.

As most consumers would agree, it was the LG Prada who made a distinguishable and revolutionized change for LG phone design. The LG Viewty has carried that evolution and is now one of the best-looking phones in the market. The neat curves, elegance, and accents it has provide a very interesting appearance for the phone.

The phone may also seem to have a dual personality with its front and back view. In front, it’s an elegant touch screen phone. At its back, it’s a great digital SLR camera.

The Touchscreen

LG Viewty’s touchscreen is a wide and elegant 3-inch crystal clear. It is also a 262,144 colour monitor. However, some LG Viewty reviews say that the monitor cannot render the true colour of the captured images.

The bright sunlight also hinders in seeing the monitor clearly. But many critiques agree that the touchscreen can respond so well.

The user can also detect if the touchscreen responds with its vibrating functions.

Meanwhile, the pen used for the touchscreen can be conveniently attached to the phone through a cord.

Digital Camera

The phone’s digital camera makes it one of the best mobile phone deals in the world. The LG Viewty’s camera comes with an auto focus, flash, and a 5-megapixel capability. With this, the phone is capable of capturing rich images with the help of flash as well as the auto focus. There is also a manual focus capability that allows users to do the focusing independently. Flash is helpful for capturing images in a 2.5-meter range.

Capturing in poor lighted areas can also be done successfully with its SmartLight function. This helps in adjusting the light before actually capturing the image.

There are also applications installed in the LG Viewty that can make the captured images better-looking. Brightness and contrast can be adjusted and text can be added to the images.

However, the image stabilizer in LG Viewty is not that reliable. It will take some moments after pressing the capture button before the image can be actually captured.

USB Connection

The LG Viewty can be connected to a computer. It is very easy to use and provides faster connection. Easy management of music, photos, documents, and ringtones can be done with its USB connectivity functions.

MP3 Player

Playing and organizing music files and video files are just easy with the LG Viewty’s MP3 capabilities. It is also very easy to use and control. The mobile phone’s buttons are highly functional and user-friendly.

Although there are downsides with LG Viewty, it is still considered by many as among the best mobile phone deals. All in all, it has the capability of an iPhone at an extremely lower price. Included to the typical LG Viewty package are headphone, CD-ROM, USB cable, and charger.

Why Microsoft is lagging behind Apple and Google in innovation

Windows was never that great of a system to begin with. So millions of fanboys extol the virtue of operating systems when they’re all derivative. Microsoft stole the windows concept from Apple, who got it from Xerox. Microsoft built DOS off of technology from other companies, and at the time their biggest claim to fame was their own variant of Basic.

So what made Apple a great company; their own admitted attempt at an OS was failing miserably until Jobs came back and rebuilt the OS off of Unix. Apple has had some great successes at innovative hardware, until the iPhone, which started out great but is running into some lags in it’s implementation. Linux has the look and feel which Apple is built off of, being that Debian was the original inspiration for the OS. Apple idiot proofed Debian and built a great OS off of a viable platform.

Microsoft, the geniuses they were, reinvented the wheel, for God knows why. They idiot proofed DOS and slapped a GUI on top of it and called it an OS. Yet their fanboys continue to troll Internet forums and try to evangelize an OS that already runs on the overwhelming majority of PCs around the world.

Microsoft has great ideas, unfortunately their OS isn’t one of them. The real innovation at Microsoft is going to be in hardware, not software, and in Internet appliances, as opposed to traditional programs running on traditional PCs, an age which is pretty much over anyway. Surface is a revolutionary product, just not affordable, Zune has some really great features and when the 360 works it offers a viable alternative to the overpriced PS3.

Yet instead of staying committed to a future in hardware, Microsoft is trying to compete in the Web 2.0 when they failed miserably at making a considerable impact in Web 1.0; figure that this company never fully provided a viable web platform. MSN is still so-so, Live is a joke, though it has some interesting experiments there, and even .Net isn’t that much of an answer to Java. What is left isn’t really that exciting; Silverlight.

It is really, really difficult to tell if Microsoft is really creating anything new or just trying to find great applications for technologies after the fact of their being created by someone else. They used to do a great job of that, you know, reverse engineering. But then newer technologies from other companies entered the marketplace from companies that actually knew what to do with them, that actually knew how to implement them.

Incoming Iphone Killers? the Nokia Tube and Sony Ericsson Superphone

Not a great deal’s known about Sony Ericsson and Nokia’s upcoming attempts to build an iPhone Killer, a mobile phone with full touchscreen access, that will put the Apple offering in its place. But let’s take a look at what IS known…

Nokia Tube - Series 60 goes all touchy-feely

Nokia have a long history of building smartphones on the great UIQ Series 60 interface. When you look though the list of previous mobile phones that use that, it’s both long and impressive, with a lot of names you may well recognise:. N91… N80… N95… N82… N73… well, the list goes on, but what’s clear is that it IS a beautifully slick and user-friendly interface. But it’s never been able to support touchscreens…

Until now, that is, because Nokia recently officially announced that they’re working on a fully touchscreen mobile phone, powered by a brand new Series 60 ‘Touch’ interface. And it will be called the Nokia Tube. The look of the interface will be instantly recognisable to anyone who’s used a Nokia before, but with bigger icons, it’s going to make it a doddle to use with your finger. It’s rumoured that’s not QUITE an iPhone beater, but we’ll have to see…

Sony Ericsson Superphone - so good, no-one even knows what it’s called!

Meanwhile, the other competition for the iPhone Killer crown comes from Sony Ericsson. But the thing is, y’see, no-one actually knows what the new mobile phone’s called. All we know is that it WAS known recently as the Sony Ericsson Maria, although that name seems to have gone by the wayside. But, it’s as good a name as any, for now! It’s alleged to run the newest version of the UIQ touchscreen interface, optimised for finger control and multitouch, and will take the fight straight to the iPhone. Just a shame, that Sony Ericsson won’t tell us about it, and no-one knows what it’ll look like. I’ll hazard a guess, though. Like an iPhone.

Pros and cons of voting machines

I first used an electronic voting machine in 2006. I inserted my magnetic voter card and entered my votes on the touch screen, one time accidentally selecting the wrong candidate and backing up to change that vote. When I finished voting, I verified all my votes on the touchscreen. After that, the machine printed all my votes on a piece of paper for me to verify. When I was done, I returned my voter card and the paper tally to the proper boxes. I had created 2 separate records of my vote: one electronic, one paper. Piece of cake.

Electronic voting machines that produce a paper trail are a tremendous leap forward in vote security because these machines provide redundant vote counts. The electronic tally should always be compared against the paper trail tally and any discrepancies rectified to determine the final vote count. In order to corrupt these redundant vote counts, a crook must corrupt both the electronic tally and the paper tally, which is significantly more difficult than corrupting just one count, be it electronic or paper.

Redundant machines provide a significant improvement in vote security over either paper ballots or an electronic counts alone. But because of a study showing that these machines can be hacked, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has dictated that every county using voting machines also supply paper ballots in the March primaries, even though paper ballots can’t stop a hacker. She is also asking the legislature to outlaw voting machines before the 2008 presidential election.

It shouldn’t surprise anybody that voting machines can be hacked. Any computer can be hacked. Corrupt officials can corrupt voting machine counts just like they can corrupt paper ballot counts. That’s why officials develop procedures and penalties to make corrupting vote counts difficult and expensive. Electronic machines with a redundant paper trail are inherently more secure, and refining procedures to monitor the machines, electronic keys, and their printed results will make it virtually impossible to corrupt vote counts.

Mrs. Brunner did extensive work in election law in the age of paper ballots, so this great leap backward puts her in her comfort zone and appeases Democrats who either don’t want vote security or don’t want to move forward. Moving backward in security and technology instead of moving forward and improving technology, procedures, and security for the future undermines voter confidence and disenfranchises voters.

Important Features in Epos Software

Businesses are always looking for new ways to streamline their operations, keep them secure and analyze data to maximize returns.

These days EPoS (Electronic Point of Sale, also know as PoS) machines can be found in every major retailer or service industry organization. EPoS Machines providing the first point of data input for sales and cash. The more competitive your company is, the more your will make use of this valuable data.

While the EPoS Hardware you use is of upmost importance (it needs to be durable, and easily maintained) the most important part of EPoS is the PoS Software you choose to run on your machines.

EPoS Software that serves the basic purposes of paying for items and cashing up are a waste of both hardware and software outlay. Modern EPoS Software needs to go much further to assist your company in its day to day operations. Important features to look for in PoS Software are the ability to run detailed reports (queries) at any time to enable you to make strategic business decisions. These are reports such as Staff sales (who is performing the best) Time and location details (what is selling best and when). From this information you can make informed judgments and base your business decisions on sound data. In order to run complex reports you need modern software and databases developed by software development experts with experience in usability and reporting.

You should also look for further features such as business intelligence. Good EPoS Software will not allow you staff to make mistakes, and flag up and erroneous and potentially dangerous errors made by staff. The software should also be secure and not allow unauthorized exchanges, deletions or discounting and make private business information only available to those with the sufficient level of access. Potentially the most important feature of good EPoS Software is regular scheduled off site backing up of your data. Hardware failures happen, even within the most regulated environment, and keeping your financial data safe is mission critical. Further features such as Staff shift logging, and calculators and modules relevant to the nature of business you are in all help to make a worthwhile EPoS Software investment.

Because of the wide range of features available in modern day EPoS systems, POS Software can also be referred to as Retail Management Software or Business Management Software. Wireless PoS (WPoS) Software Wireless point of sale (Wireless PoS or WPoS) is the use of wireless devices for order-taking or payment for products or services. As a rule, a wireless point of sale system uses a base station directly connected to a central server computer and one or more handheld computers or other devices (PDAs) that communicate wirelessly.

Is the new Blackberry Storm better than the iPhone?

It seems BlackBerry has finally admitted the iPhone has market potential and, branching off from their usually unique phone designs, imitated Apple for once. Both devices have multitouch screens and fancy features, and both are competing for a high-price, high-tech phone market.

The Storm has a sharper, more professional look compared to the iPhone, with tapered edges and a less Fisher-Price style user interface than its Apple counterpart. Looking at the front menu, Research In Motion goes for a more functional, businessey look, as compared to the traditional minimalist but sexy look that Apple is famous for. One major feature RIM always held over the iPhone was a tactile QWERTY keyboard, and the Storm attempts to rectify the obvious lack of one with its “click screen”, in which you have to physically press the screen to type rather than tapping it to type. The screen on the Storm is slightly smaller but is brilliant and easy-to-read, so the size, in this case, doesn’t matter. There are mixed reports from users on their typing experiences, but the consensus is that there is little to no improvement over Apple’s phone.

In fact, the Storm’s features are where it really (doesn’t) stand out. Almost everything in its specs seems to imitate the iPhone, and when you are a latecomer to Apple’s market it’s best to have something to differentiate your product. That’s not to say RIM hasn’t tried: the main points in which the Storm stands out is their “SurePress” screen, and a slightly better, 3.2 MP camera. These surely are nice features, with the exception of the clicky screen, but they don’t bring something absolutely new to the table. Another blip in the BlackBerry’s feature list is a lack of WiFi, which should be a top priority on a web-browsing smartphone. Of course, both phones have impressive hardware when compared to regular mobiles, but the BlackBerry does not overwhelm, especially considering the extra time RIM had to improve its smartphone in the months since the iPhone was released.

The connection speed, of course, depends on the networks. Both phones have 3G connectivity. With O, 35 pounds a month gets you an 8GB iPhone for 99, 600 minutes, 500 texts, and unlimited data on an 18-month plan. Vodafone is offering the same tariff, but sweetens the deal with unlimited text messages and the Storm itself for free.

Both phones are quite good, and their tariffs are very competitive. If you’re a business user who can’t live without the Microsoft app suite and don’t mind the lack of WiFi, go with the Storm. Otherwise, you might as well get the tried and true iPhone and enjoy a better interface and bigger selection of apps.

The Technical Aspects Of Monitor And Its Evaluation Criteria

Monitor is another term for display screen. The term monitor, however, usually refers to the entire box, whereas display screen can mean just the screen. In addition, the term monitor often implies graphics capabilities.

There are many ways to classify monitors. The most basic is in terms of color capabilities, which separates monitors into three classes:

1- Monochrome: Monochrome monitors actually display two colors, one for the background and one for the foreground. The colors can be black and white, green and black, or amber and black.

2- Gray-scale : A gray-scale monitor is a special type of monochrome monitor capable of displaying different shades of gray.

3- Color: Color monitors can display anywhere from 16 to over 1 million different colors. Color monitors are sometimes called RGB monitors because they accept three separate signals—red, green, and blue.

After this classification, the most important aspect of a monitor is its screen size. Like televisions, screen sizes are measured in diagonal inches, the distance from one corner to the opposite corner diagonally. A typical size for small VGA monitors is 14 inches. Monitors that are 16 or more inches diagonally are often called full-page monitors. In addition to their size, monitors can be either portrait (height greater than width) or landscape (width greater than height). Larger landscape monitors can display two full pages, side by side. The screen size is sometimes misleading because there is always an area around the edge of the screen that can’t be used. Therefore, monitor manufacturers must now also state the viewable area—that is, the area of screen that is actually used.

The resolution of a monitor indicates how densely packed the pixels are. In general, the more pixels (often expressed in dots per inch), the sharper the image. Most modern monitors can display 1024 by 768 pixels, the SVGA standard. Some high-end models can display 1280 by 1024, or even 1600 by 1200.

Another common way of classifying monitors is in terms of the type of signal they accept: analog or digital. Nearly all modern monitors accept analog signals, which is required by the VGA, SVGA, 8514/A, and other high-resolution color standards.

A few monitors are fixed frequency, which means that they accept input at only one frequency. Most monitors, however, are multiscanning, which means that they automatically adjust themselves to the frequency of the signals being sent to it. This means that they can display images at different resolutions, depending on the data being sent to them by the video adapters.

Other factors that determine a monitor’s quality include the following:

1- Bandwidth: The range of signal frequencies the monitor can handle. This determines how much data it can process and therefore how fast it can refresh at higher resolutions.
2- Refresh rate: How many times per second the screen is refreshed (redrawn). To avoid flickering, the refresh rate should be at least 72 Hz.
3- Interlaced or noninterlaced: Interlacing is a technique that enables a monitor to have more resolution, but it reduces the monitor’s reaction speed.
4- Dot pitch : The amount of space between each pixel. The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image.
5- Convergence: The clarity and sharpness of each pixel.

TOUCH SCREEN MONITOR

A touchscreen is an easy to use input device that allows users to control PC software, DVD video, camera etc. by touching the display screen. We manufacture and distribute a variety of touch screen related products. A touchscreen is an input device that allows users to operate a PC, camera etc. instruments by simply touching the display screen. Touch input is suitable for a wide variety of computing applications. A touchscreen can be used with most systems as easily as other input devices such as track balls or touch pads.

How Does a Touchscreen Work? A typical touchscreen input system is basically an input device like a mouse , trackpad or ball pens etc.. A touchscreen system is made up of a touch sensor, a controller card, and a software driver.

What Are Touchscreens Used For? Touchscreen systems are being used in a variety of applications, including point-of-sale systems, public information displays, industrial control systems, and more.

Touchscreen monitors have become more and more commonplace as their price has steadily dropped over the past decade. There are three basic systems that are used to recognize a person’s touch: 1- Resistive 2- Capacitive 3- Surface acoustic wave

The resistive system consists of a normal glass panel that is covered with a conductive and a resistive metallic layer. These two layers are held apart by spacers, and a scratch-resistant layer is placed on top of the whole setup. An electrical current runs through the two layers while the monitor is operational. When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact in that exact spot. The change in the electrical field is noted and the coordinates of the point of contact are calculated by the system. Once the coordinates are known, a special driver translates the touch into something that the operating system can understand, much as a computer mouse driver translates a mouse’s movements into a click or a drag.

In the capacitive system, a layer that stores electrical charge is placed on the glass panel of the monitor. When a user touches the monitor with his or her finger, some of the charge is transferred to the user, so the charge on the capacitive layer decreases. This decrease is measured in circuits located at each corner of the monitor. The computer calculates, from the relative differences in charge at each corner, exactly where the touch event took place and then relays that information to the touchscreen driver software. One advantage that the capacitive system has over the resistive system is that it transmits almost 90 percent of the light from the monitor, whereas the resistive system only transmits about 75 percent. This gives the capacitive system a much clearer picture than the resistive system.

On the monitor of a surface acoustic wave system, two transducers (one receiving and one sending) are placed along the x and y axes of the monitor’s glass plate. Also placed on the glass are reflectors—they reflect an electrical signal sent from one transducer to the other. The receiving transducer is able to tell if the wave has been disturbed by a touch event at any instant, and can locate it accordingly. The wave setup has no metallic layers on the screen, allowing for 100-percent light throughput and perfect image clarity. This makes the surface acoustic wave system best for displaying detailed graphics (both other systems have significant degradation in clarity).

Another area in which the systems differ is in which stimuli will register as a touch event. A resistive system registers a touch as long as the two layers make contact, which means that it doesn’t matter if you touch it with your finger or a rubber ball. A capacitive system, on the other hand, must have a conductive input, usually your finger, in order to register a touch. The surface acoustic wave system works much like the resistive system, allowing a touch with almost any object—except hard and small objects like a pen tip.

As far as price, the resistive system is the cheapest; its clarity is the lowest of the three, and its layers can be damaged by sharp objects. The surface acoustic wave setup is usually the most expensive.

MONITORING TOOLS

There are many types of tools, devices, instruments and software available in market for monitor. Some of the tools names I am giving below:

Blue eye 2 monitor calibration tool For accurate professional color rendering, the LaCie blue eye 2 with hardware-assisted LCD and CRT monitor calibration is an easy, compatible color evaluation tool.

Monitor with Built-In DVR and 4 Cameras Observe and record all your security activities with this all-in-one system. Includes monitor with built-in digital video recorder and 4 color.

Color Vision Spyder2PRO monitor calibration tool HP Hewlett Packard.

And many other tools available in market.

FLAT SCREEN MONITOR

You don’t have to feel boxed in by today’s selection of computer monitors. Nor must you purchase a space-swallowing monstrosity to view text and graphics. Modern-day monitors are an amalgam of fashion and functionality.

There are two main types of monitors: CRT flat-screen monitors and LCD flat-panel monitors.

Less expensive, cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) are the most common type of monitor. While earlier models have slightly rounded screens, today’s flat-screen CRTs are quickly gaining in popularity.

Whereas the origins of CRT technology can be traced to television sets, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have long been used in laptop computers. LCDs often deliver sharper and brighter images than their bulkier counterparts. And although they are traditionally more expensive than CRTs, LCDs are significantly dropping in price as they enter the mainstream market.

So is it better to stick to tried-and-true CRTs or jump on the LCD wave? Consider the following:

Save space on your desk

In today’s world of home offices and cramped quarters, size matters. Choose a resolution to suit your needs. LCDs might save on space but CRTs offer better sightlines. In addition to supporting multiple resolutions, CRTs let users view images clearly from various angles. LCD monitors, on the other hand, often appear blurry or dim when viewed from the side.

There are graphics people who still prefer a very large CRT flat-screen display to an LCD monitor. Digital photography enthusiasts will appreciate LCDs’ sharp and bright images, especially when enhancing and touching up digital photos. LCD monitors also prevent consumers from straining their eyes when staring at the screen, says Park.

Research upkeep and longevity

Whether your preference is a sturdy CRT or a lightweight LCD, both types of monitors enjoy an average lifespan of five to seven years.

Whereas CRT screens can be cleaned with a cloth, oil from a person’s skin can leave tough-to-remove markings on an LCD screen. When purchasing an LCD monitor, be sure to ask a store clerk to point you in the direction of appropriate cleansing solutions and wipe-ups in order to extend the life of your monitor.

FLAT PANEL MONITOR

A flat panel monitor can refer to either a computer or television monitor that does not use cathode ray tube (CRT) technology, but commonly LCD or plasma technology. This allows the monitor to have a thin profile, which is how the flat panel monitor gets its name. Because of its light weight, small footprint, clarity and digital technology, the flat panel monitor has become the monitor of choice.

Prior to the flat panel monitor, the CRT monitor was standard. These monitors are easily recognizable by the bulging back or picture tube. Vacuum tube monitors are not only bulky and heavy, but they are environmentally unfriendly and emit more radiation than a flat panel monitor.

While there are many advantages to a flat panel monitor, there are also one or two potential disadvantages. A limited viewing angle can be one, although this is easily avoided by shopping discriminately, as the viewing range is included in the specifications of these products. A second potential disadvantage is being bound to the “native resolution.”

A CRT monitor will display sharp text in any supported resolution, but a flat panel monitor only delivers perfectly clear text in the native resolution. On a 19-inch screen this might be 1280×1024 pixels. Switching to a lower resolution will make text appear slightly blurred or fuzzy.

Why would anyone want to switch to a lower resolution? In higher resolutions, images improve but they also become smaller. For instance, the icons on a desktop, toolbars within software, and menus within the operating system are all reduced at higher resolutions. Though many of these items can be adjusted up, some people prefer a lower resolution to get overall larger images on screen. This might be a particular concern for those with visual disabilities. In this case, one should carefully view the flat panel monitor prior to purchase to be sure the native resolution will be comfortable.

Flat panel monitors have decreased steadily in price while improving in quality. Gamers and video-editing professionals tended to avoid these monitors initially because of “ghosting” with fast moving graphics, but this is no longer an issue. A faster response time and increased viewing angle have made the flat panel monitor more popular than ever. With its clear digital picture, space-saving footprint, and ultra-light weight, the flat panel monitor is a welcome improvement over its CRT predecessor.

Make your business more profitable and more competitive with enterprise EPOS technology

By implementing a complete EPOS solution into your pub or chain of pubs, you give yourself a huge advantage over your competition. Why? Because you streamline your operations which then allows you to increase productivity, improve efficiency and maximise profitability.

Using a series of integrated applications you control every element of your business at the touch of a button, making your establishments more productive overall. You can manage orders, prices, menu items and staff on a chain-wide basis, increasing the effectiveness of seasonal or promotional changes.

Introducing a system which organises front of house, kitchens, supply chain and labour is a must in an age where pubs are highly competitive. With an Enterprise Management solution you can support the requirement for chain operations to manage and control pub level databases for both EPOS and back office applications.

With a solution like MICROS’ RES product, the Enterprise Management module provides chains with an enterprise-level management tool that enables their pubs to focus on operations and customer service, not database administration. Add menu items to implement a new promotion for one pub, a region, or the entire chain. Change pricing structures in response to local competitive pressures in key target markets. EM enables the HQ to easily manage pub level data to increase market share and maximize margins.

The future of enterprise EPOS technology

Where does the future lie for pub EPOS? Well like most things in this day and age, EPOS is heading for the Internet. With products such as MICROS’ ‘mymicros.net’ a content rich internet portal; pub management can now access hosted applications for electronic point-of-sale, back office, data warehousing, business intelligence and other business applications and content creating the next-generation model of pub enterprise systems.

mymicros.net offers outstanding benefits to both independent and chain pub operations. Independent pub owners and chain operators can experience a freedom they have never had before. Using this Internet technology, they have access to their operations’ real-time data from a Web browser - any time and anywhere. They can make adjustments to pricing, menu items, or inventory from across the street or across the country - all they’ll need to do is log onto the Web.

Sitting on top of the mymicros.net product is MICROS’ iCare Solution which provides a suite of CRM modules that deliver a 360 degree view of your customer’s activities. This allows pub chains and independent pubs to communicate with prospective new customers and stay connected to existing regulars. By creating mailing lists you can then support permission based email campaigns to prospects and customers about events, offers and promotions. If you accompany this solution with a ‘gift card’ scheme, you can reward your regulars at the same time by setting up a loyalty programme, all of which is available with the MICROS iCare Solution.

Also integrated with mymicros.net is MICROS’ MyInventory product which works with any EPOS system that is feeding data to the browser-based mymicros.net portal. Of all the cost components associated with back-office functions, inventory carries the greatest risk to a pub operator’s long-term success. Inventories require cash to produce adequate stock levels, fixed assets to store them, and human capital to manage them. Even if a pub is enormously successful, bloated inventories could mean that cash is declining.

What can iPhone competitors do to make their products more attractive

Much to the chagrin of the users of other pdaphone products, the iPhone has taken the smartphone market by storm and is becoming a household name. Now, as companies prepare to release new phones to make up for lost grounds against Apple’s surprise competitor, everyone scrambles to discover the golden secret for the ideal set of features to woo people away from Apple.

No one’s figured it out yet, unfortunately for other manufacturers, but fortunately for Apple.

The key thing to realize is that the iPhone added depth to the smartphone battleground. It has not merely revolutionized hardware (because even the iPhone, although it features some slick hardware features like it’s multitouch-recognizing touchscreen, lacks key features such as 3G support or true GPS access). The iPhone has brought software and interface as a crucial part of the mix: its successes show, at least partially, that a slick interface can make up for technical lapses elsewhere.

Iphone competitors need to focus on catching up to what Apple has innovated in both the hardware AND software categories, quite simply.

1) Larger, multitouch screens

More phones are coming out with touchscreens (such as the AT&T Tilt, Sprint HTC Touch, LG Voyager, etc.,) but the simple fact is that no other screen out in the market can match Apple’s gorgeous 3.5 inch, 320×480 screen (and devices that can lack in other areas). It’s surprising that HTC, the producer of the AT&T-branded Tilt and the Sprint-branded Touch, despite having phones that in all other ways meet and exceed expectations, sticks with the older QVGA screen resolution-certainly, to compete with Apple, they will have to improve in this area.

2) Hardware “goodies” (e.g., accelerometers, proximity sensors)

The iPhone’s 3-axis accelerometer is what allows it the futuristic ability to sense horizontal versus vertical orientation on the fly. Other phones can switch orientations, yes, (such as the Tilt’s ability to change with a few clicks of the stylus or by simply pulling out the keyboard), but Apple has simply used these advanced hardware features to polish this function.

3) Uncluttered, intuitive operating systems

Windows Mobile, for better or for worse, has become somewhat of a beast of an operating system for mobile devices. Similar to linux on the desktop arena, Windows Mobile allows users to dig deeply into the operating system, add third-party applications or tweak the system to their liking. Theoretically, quite a lot can be

Microsoft Shows Off New Technologies at Faculty Summit

Microsoft Shows off New Technologies at Faculty Summit

Another fun demonstration consists of six vertical tubes back lit to look like lava lamps. Valves at the bottom of the tubes release bubbles and can be programmed to send up bubbles across the tubes that take the shapes of letters. One of the device’s creators, Andrew Malota from the University of Texas A&M, envisions it could be used in a bar to advertise drink specials and generally contribute to the ambiance.

Sphere is a multi-touchscreen, similar to Microsoft’s Surface computer, but it is round. Microsoft envisions that it could be used in a collaborative public environment, like a hotel lobby.

“There is no master-user position,” said Hrvoje Banko, a Microsoft researcher who showed off the Sphere at the Microsoft Research Faculty Summit in Redmond, Washington, on Tuesday.

That means that users standing on either side of the globe could separately manipulate the device, viewing photos or videos independently of each other. But it was designed to ensure that such users could also interact with each other, he said. A user on one side can swipe a photo to send it around to the other side.

The Sphere was one of many devices on display at the event’s demo fest. Ken Perlin, a professor in New York University’s science department, showed off what he calls the UnMouse Pad. It looks like a mouse pad, but rather than using a mouse, people just touch the pad with their fingers to navigate a computer. It’s quite sensitive, Perlin said, so it could be easier on wrist and hand muscles than a mouse, and it could be useful to people with disabilities who may have limited use of their hands.

Graduate students from design institutions also showed off prototypes of concepts they developed as part of Microsoft Research sponsored classes. Nadim Matuk Villazon of the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, displayed Foodmate, a system designed to help kids eat better. Kids would wear a bracelet that they can wave over the barcode of a food product. The bracelet grows wider based on the nutritional value of the product. The bracelet will then shrink if the child does enough exercise to work off the calories from the food.

Foodmate comes with a service that parents use to monitor the calorie intake of their children and the number of calories they’ve burned off. It also offers them tips on balanced meals and good nutrition. Villazon and his colleagues are working with the health department in Mexico to set up a pilot of the product, he said.

Microsoft demonstrated a number of technologies that it is developing in its research department or in collaboration with university researchers, including a sphere-shaped touchscreen device, at its annual faculty get together.

Is the End Near for the Computer Mouse?

When you suddenly move from a desktop computer with a mouse to a laptop with a touchpad keyboard, what is your first instinct in order to perform a function? You reach for the computer mouse instinctively and once your hand discovers that it isn’t where you thought, it hits you with anxiety, “what do you do now? There isn’t a mouse!” You suddenly think, since I can’t communicate with the computer, it’s almost useless with out a computer mouse to access the “start” button. Until you realize that you have the touch pad keyboard, you realize how much dependence is on the computer mouse.

The computer mouse has had quite the legacy. From wireless to ergonomic to finger mouse styles and several kitschy computer mouse pads to go with it. All of it is about to change though. With the advent of touch screens, the era of the computer mouse is quickly coming to an end. Our society has already embraced both resistive and capacitive sensor technologies on a grand scale. We have seen touch screens impact our daily lives already, from the grocery store check out to the gas pump and at the bank. Now, with touch screen phones and soon, touch screen Microsoft Windows, the computer mouse will be unnecessary.

If users can speed up the process of touching something on the screen rather than reaching for the mouse and the pointer to produce a function, think of the time it will save and not to mention “mousing injuries.” “Mousing,” the term for using one’s computer mouse functions has also become known as a descriptor of a person who is considered an excessive computer mouse user with a computer related injury called a mousing injury. Most people who use their computer and computer mouse excessively know this type of pain. Sitting at a desk for hours with an arm outstretched and consistent tapping creates pain in shoulders, backs, necks, wrists and forearms.

According to recent media, Windows 7’s multitouch software can allow desktop and laptop PC users to use their fingers to draw pictures onto a computer screen, zoom in and out of photos, flip quickly through slideshows, search and skim maps, and play an on-screen piano. Also included in the new product is speech recognition technologies. This will allow users to communicate to their computer and hear their computer respond back. This multitouch technology is also being called “Surface.” First instances of the surface technology will be premiered at hotels, restaurants and other public venues.

Now, the question remains, will other companies besides the Microsoft giant be able to beat Microsoft to the market? As far as idealistic goals of going mouse-less next year, is the actual time line two or three? With so many people touching screens to connect to the internet and other functions via their telephone and other hand held devices, it almost seems like the next logical step would be seeking out ways to scroll our fingers down the computer’s screen, eliminating the clunky ol mouse and quickly accessing files, photos and music faster than ever possible before. Just think, soon double clicking will be a phrase of the past.

About Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface is a smart Microsoft new hardware that based on multi-touch technology, that enables you to contact with it using your fingertips or any physical object.

Microsoft Surface has the ability to recognize the object as an input by the cameras inside it, as well as it’s ability to recognize the wi fi enabled devices so you can use it to transfer files through it

without the need of using cables or any other technologies, it very easy for people to interact with without any need of a computer knowledge.

Microsoft Surface includes very interesting feature called Multi-touch contact which is your ability to manage the image data with more than one finger, also you it includes a video puzzles.

It is very helpful for hotels and restaurants and clubs to allow their clients to experience the magic of this new device.

Flat Screen Monitors - Most Reliable

Monitors that use flat panel displays are used to observe television, streaming media and gaming. They can be employed with televisions and any computer and to have an effect that is very calming compared to CRT devices. Most users will not face any sight problems whilst working or looking on these screens. These monitors are found in a variety of formats one of the most popular of these utilises touchscreen technology. These monitors have made video and televised programs very enjoyable to watch, giving the user a unique experience. The device can be adapted for a variety of monitors, which for example can be televisions or computers. Thus, creating a very attractive experience for the user. the touchscreen technology used in the screens is extremely rugged and is designed to be hard wearing and built to last. once transformed in this way the screens are referred to as touchscreen monitors or touchmonitors, they are easily portable and designed to excel in a number of applications.

A single flat panel display uses LCD or the plasma technology for its operation. Space quality is used better & controlled than a traditional monitor in CRT format. The touchmonitor is also smooth, thin, with flat panel and has emerged as the peoples choice in monitors. Several monitors have USB ports which allow the user to transfer many different files or media such as digital photographs which are shown in crunching colors as well as pin point quality

The response time of these monitors is also reasonably less and is one of the reasons for which it can be started easily. The launching period of these monitors is also less than its earlier counterparts. Elsewhere, the power by these monitors are less compared to earlier versions & CRT monitors. Subtle deformations which are marked in the conventional touchmonitors. This also allows users to overcome any eye constraints.

Bus Tours in Style

Perhaps you will never take an excursion or a simple bus trip. You cannot realize that the companies that operate buses & offer excursions also use a series of coaches which are used as transport with all bus travels. This is not a case of one adjustment fits all sizes.

The larger buses are built to a certain specification and until recently held from 30 to as much much as 58 passengers. These models include all the kinds of devices such as radio, CD or cassettes. DVD players with four to six visual monitors. Naturally, they all are entirely equipped with air conditioning, essential in order to control the internal climate.

The Tribute 2009 260 includes a radio of Kenwood® AM/FM and a CD reader with two loudspeakers similar to that in a living room. There is also a mini system, refrigerator with ice-maker & adjustable seats for driver and passenger. The highlight of the system is  a navigation system  GPS with XM smart antenna that is controlled using touchscreen technology. The touchscreen interface or touchmonitor can be controlled by driver and passenger alike to display where they are during the current journey and how much traveling is left to reach there destination.

LCD Touch Screen Monitor for Business

Since they were developed at the beginning of the 1970’s,  monitors or touchscreen monitors, also known as LCD touchmonitors had been developed for more and more of the economic applications. One of the most obvious & favored applications of the LCD touchscreen monitors. It completely eliminates the need for external devices such as indicators or a mouse. Moreover, it makes the choice so much simpler because the person employing the touchscreen monitor pushes simply what ever  they want on the screen using their finger.

Perfect for Restaurants

Restaurants were possibly the first business to incorporate touch screen monitors on a wide scale at their POS “point of sale”. The reasons for this are simple, once it is understood all that a touch screen monitor brings to the business setting. For once it was understood all that a touch screen monitor was capable of, restaurant managers and owners everywhere were quick to install them.

The restaurants were probably the first businesses to incorporate monitors that use touchscreens for widespread applications. The reasons of this are simple, once you can fully understand all the benefits that a touchmonitor can bring to the business enviroment. For once  it was fully understood all that a touchmonitor was able to bring to the table, the directors of restaurant and the owners everywhere were fast to install them

Simple Solution to Business Problems

Ease of use, simplicity, adaptability and efficiency are just a few of the reasons why restaurants were so quick to implement LCD touchscreen into their POS systems. So many of the problems that business owner commonly complain about are quickly solved with an LCD touchscreen monitor.

The simplicity, ease, ability to train staff members quickly and cost effectiveness are some of the reasons for which the restaurants were so fast to apply touch technology and touch monitors in their systems. So much of the problems that contractors complained about were generally  solved with a touchmonitor & touchscreen technology.

Any Idiot Can Operate One

In short, any idiot that has use of a finger can accurately operate one and they make the chance of any wrong doing much more difficult. Moreover, to have a touchmonitor & touch technology made available for customers, releases time for the top employees who can then allocate that time to help a customer by making a sale or a choice.

Here to Stay

The touchmonitors role in any dynamic business is not simply a short term thing of going beyond or a will of technology in time becomes obsolete. There is nothing that which will replace them, thus they are here to remain, which carries out a significant investment for touch technology to make them important to businesses.

Touch Screen LCD Monitor - Planar Pt-191mu

A monitor or touchscreen monitor is a complete part of material, which has a screen with a built-in cover with touch. The most well-known equipment two used in monitors or touchscreen monitors is the tube and l’ posting d’ posting with liquid crystals. A posting with liquid crystals is more advanced equipment and thus it is more expensive. The touchscreens are very with the mode in commercial installations like restaurants, airports, ATMs, industrial automation, and in computer-assisted learning.

Features of touch screen model “Planar PT_191MU” is given below

Model Name : - PT191MU

Planar Part Number : - 997-2687-00 (Black), 997-2688-00 (White)
Viewable Size : - 19 inch diagonal
Touchscreen Type : - 3M® ClearTek™ Capacitive touchscreen
Touchscreen Interface : - USB
Transmissivity : - Up to 88%

Contrast Ratio (Typical) : - 1000:1

Viewing Angle (Typical) : - 170° Horizontal and Vertical (Specified at CR>/=10:1)

Response Time (Typical) : - 8 ms

Brightness (Typical) : - 250 cd/m²

Display Type : - LCD Active Matrix Flat Panel Display (TFT)

Display Resolution : - 1280 x 1024 SXGA

Tilt Range : - -5° to +45°

Palette : - 16.7 million colors

Pixel Pitch : - 0.294 mm

Refresh Rate : - 56-75 Hz (60 Hz recommended)

Dimensions (W x H x D) : - 17.4″ x 17.2″ x 9.0″

Dimensions without Stand : - 17.4″ x 15.0″ x 2.7″

Panel Depth : - 2.7″

Display Weight : - 21 lbs (28.6 lbs shipping)

Video Inputs : - Analog, DVI-D

Audio Output : - Integrated stereo speakers with 1W/channel

External Connections : - D-sub 15-pin, 1/8 inch audio jack

Compatibility : - PC

Power Supply : - External

Power Consumption : - 60W (5W standby)

Power requirements : - AC 110/220 V ± 10% (50/75 Hz)

VESA Compatible/Location : - Built-in 100mm VESA, back

Product Approvals : - UL/cUL, FCC-B, CE-B, TUV

Options / Features : - Capacitive touchscreen, USB driver, swivel stand,
anti-glare coating, multi-language OSD,
Kensington® Security Slot, 2+1 USB hub

Coolest gadgets and technologies

Current technologies. Whats hot, cool, useful, but also easy to use. I’m not going to mention any iPhones or MacBook Air’s in this article, because this article is about useful gadgets, not just fancy designs.

Microsoft Surface. You probably haven’t heard of this yet. As you can tell Microsoft makes this beast of a gadget. Basically, it is a giant coffee table. But it does more than providing you with a leg rest. On the top of the table, there is an enormous screen that you can use just by reaching out with your finger. Surface will currently be aimed towards retail stores and entertainment lobbies. Right now you may be able to find one at a T-Mobile store or a Sheraton hotel. But more will definitely be coming to stores near you. Why is this simple product going to be such a hit in retail stores? Because, it is not that simple at all. Underneath the screen, there are infrared cameras and projection lights that process up to 50 simultaneously touches on the screen, allowing multiple users at one time to interact with Surface while using all 10 fingers at one time.

So what is this Surface going to do?

Currently, Surface has a decent variety of programs written for it, including some fairly useful ones. First, they have their entertainment side of the Surface. With the Paint application, multiple users can draw with all of their fingers on the screen with virtual paint. You can also use real world items such as paintbrushes for real world effects. Then there is the media part, which makes managing your music fun and very visual. You can slide through all of your albums and then select ones you want. Then virtually turn the album over to view the songs. To add them to your Now Playing list, you just drag the song to the Now Playing sphere. And if you want to view and share music from your Portable Media Player, you can place your Zune down on the surface, (yes, only Zunes will work, and a Zune is basically Microsoft’s version of an iPod) the Surface will automatically connect with it wirelessly with no configuration needed, and the albums will fly out from your Zune, waiting for you to interact with them. Also with pictures and a Wi-Fi enabled camera, you can simply take a picture, and then place it on the Surface, and the picture you took will pop out of your camera, wirelessly. Interacting with pictures and videos has never been easier. Just like in real life, you can push around your pictures, but you can also resize them just by pulling your fingers

MP7 Cell Phone: The Mobile Phone of the New Era

We are informed well owing to the fact that the cellphones touched the new sizes in their executions using of technologies of edge. Technologies of the cellphone made such fast forward movements that day laborer a new kind of cellphone is introduced on the market which sports even more advanced devices than as of its precedents.

People are also sharp to update themselves with new models of the cellphones and to assert their passion for new technologies. The last buzz of the cellphones is about cellphones MP7. There is different fact of the telephones available on the market but cellphone MP7 created a mania among the people with its last configurations.

Cellphone MP7 is a perfect example of what you want of your modern compound. We will discuss about the remarkable devices cellphones MP7 point.

GSM handset:

Cellphone MP7 is a device permitted by GSM. The technology of GSM is basically employed to provide networks for connections of telephone. Consequently, telephones MP7 can be used internationally because they are compatible with the network of GSM. Now, using your cellphone in a foreign country  is easier. With cellphone MP7 you can obtain a kind of module subscriber (SIM) these of the stores your lists of contact and any other information and allow you to transfer them to operate other telephones permitted by GSM. It also allows you actuate the cellphone in various frequency bands.

1.3 Mega-pixel camera:

Nowadays, with the cellphones are equipped with the cameras of high-resolution. Cellphone MP7 is developed with a camera of 1.3 méga-Pixel. Although the resolution of the camera is not too high compared to the other cameras of high-resolution, it can take photographs of good quality reducing the need to use a separate camera. Cellphone MP7 comes with the software and the cable to connect itself to any computer allowing you the transfer and to store the images in any computer.

Built-in FM tuner:

Many cellphones nowadays support music MP3 and the tuners of FM to test the music of quality with cellphones. Cellphones MP7 bring good news for the music lovers. Equipped with the integrated FM tuner, the cellphone also has supports of Mobile television in format MP7. An instrument of the new-age has all the devices necessary that the technology-friendly users seek.

Touch screen:

The use of the digital keyboard in the cellphones is named now as out-of-date. Inspired by the devices that use touchscreens, like the iPhones, much of the manufacturers of cellphones employ a touchscreen device for convenient use. The users of cellphone also seek the advanced devices like  touchscreens and the large monitors. The most attractive device of cellphone MP7 is its posting of 320 X 240 touchscreens. It made with the cellphone a device coveted for the technology-intuitive young people.

The new inventions in the direction of the cellphones created new occasions so that the users of cellphones come more close to the techniques of the new era. Before a few years, to have a cellphone was a need for the people who wanted to face new technologies. But, nowadays, is the advanced devices which make all the differences on the telephones.

The possession of a cellphone MP7 is as a dream comes true for the music lovers and is the best instrument as you can find for other devices such as slits of memory to store images, videos and the music. The most remarkable device of cellphone MP7 is its price.