Daily Bits

Home Entertainment May Never Be the Same Again with WHDI

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When was the last time that you actually went to the movie theater to watch a film on the big screen?  I know a LOT of people (that includes me) who would rather watch movies at home.  For varying reasons, this option appeals to some, and quite understandably.  Movie theaters charge an arm and a leg these days, and going out to battle the traffic and the crowds is something that is totally depressing.  More so, with technological developments, watching a movie at home can actually rival the movie house experience.

With the pending release of Amimon’s WHDI dongle, I will not be surprised if the number of people opting to stay home to watch movies skyrocket.  The WHDI stick that is supposed to be released in 2011 (hopefully) is being touted as THE gadget that will revolutionize how we watch movies at home.  The basic idea is that you plug the dongle into any compatible device, and it will transmit your videos wirelessly to your kick-butt flat screen TV.

The device has an HDMI male port – so playback devices such as a camera, phone, or computer with an HDMI port will work – as well as a USB cable (for power).  So you plug this into your gadget that contains the video/movie you want to watch.  At the other end of the system, you need your high-def TV (duh) which should have a receiver.  The result?  Wireless video streaming with minimal lag.

Systems like this one are already in existence – why is there much excitement over the release of WHDI?

  1. Less than 1 ms of latency
  2. Ability to tolerate obstacles
  3. Ability to transmit 1080p/60-Hz video data

Can’t wait till 2011 now, can you?

Photo credit: Dong Ngo/CNET

Who’s Suing Whom?

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Lawsuits are so common these days that no one pays attention to them anymore. But, did you have an idea about the extent of pending lawsuits in the mobile industry? We hear about one company suing another for patent infringement all the time, but I doubt that we actually spend much time on thinking about these things.

Just recently, tech blogs and new sites exploded with reports on how Microsoft is suing Motorola over the latter’s line of Android phones. The lawsuit involves several cases of Motorola supposedly violating certain patents belonging to Microsoft. This is not the sole case, though. There are lots of others that have been on in this sector.

Here’s an interesting – amusing, actually – visual representation of what’s going on in that world, courtesy of The Guardian.

I don’t know about you, but one look at that, and I was exclaiming “What heck is wrong with these people?” I guess if it’s millions of money involved, then people take on a different perspective. In any case, the average consumer – you and I – will not have to worry about these lawsuits as they do tend to get settled. We just keep on going with our every day lives and buying whatever catches our fancy.

Turn Your iPod Touch into a Phone with Line2

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An iPod Touch is an iPhone without the phone. Yeah, I know – that explanation is crystal clear, isn’t it? But, you have to admit that it is what the iPod Touch is! It can do practically what the iPhone can do, except for the “real” phone line part. The best thing about the Touch is that it burns a much smaller hole in your pocket than its mobile phone counterpart!

For people who justify their iPhone purchase with the line “I need a real phone,” they might just have reason to regret burning so much cash on it. (I highly doubt that this will stop hardcore Apple fans, though.) So anyway, there’s this new app for iPod Touch which will turn the mp3 player into a full blown mobile phone.

For as little as $1, you can get the application called Line 2 and pretend that your iPod Touch is an iPhone use your iPod Touch as an iPhone. The app is developed by Toktumi and is actually an iPhone app but of course will work on the iPod Touch. Line2 is practically a duplicate of the calling interface of the iPhone, making the whole experience more realistic.

The original idea behind it is to provide a second line (hence the name, duh) for the iPhone, making some serious savings for the user. It works both via 3G and Wi-Fi – you can see the huge potential for this. As you are probably thinking now, Apple is not going to be very happy with Toktumi anytime soon. I bet users will be ecstatic though.

Frankfurt Book Fair: Bridging Lit and Tech

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From October 6 to October 10, residents of Frankfurt and the surrounding areas will be treated to one of the biggest (if not the biggest) happenings in the world of literature: The Frankfurt Book Fair.

While the breadth of the Frankfurt Book Fair is something to marvel at by itself, this year’s special “feature” just might draw more than hundreds of thousands of participants and visitors. The organizers are touting the book fair as what the bridge between literature and technology. This development has long been expected, especially with electronic formats gaining more acceptance.

Frankfurt SPARKS is the digital initiative of the event. From the web site:

“Frankfurt SPARKS is dedicated to facilitating the future of both publishing and technology by providing opportunities for people to meet and discuss new business strategies, partnerships and cooperations, and to figure out how to move forward together.”

With a literature event as big as the Frankfurt Book Fair (guests include Ken Follett, Jonathan Franzen, and two German Nobel Prize winners!) highlighting electronic formats, it is quite safe to say that technology will be becoming more and more part of the reading experience, isn’t it?

There are lots more in store for visitors who are interested in expanding their horizons beyond traditional print. From StoryDrive – the Conference (speakers include people from Nintendo and Walt Disney Studios) to Hot Spots, you’ll definitely get your share of technology and literature mixed together.

Needless to say, how I am wishing that I could go to this book fair. Maybe next time.

Photo credit: austinevan

Tricorder in Real Life

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If you think Star Trek’s tricorder is still just a figment of imagination, then you are definitely wrong. Things sci-fi are fast becoming reality everyday, and the medical tricorder is one of those things. (Yup, I can’t help but write about something eerily reminiscent of those good old Star Trek days.)

In Star Trek, all the doctor has to do to diagnose diseases is to hold the medical tricorder in front of a person, wave it around as if doing voodoo, and wait for the diagnosis.

GE’s Vscan, which came out early this year, is an ultrasound-imaging device that is only the size of a smartphone. The handheld device obviously will not diagnose all kinds of disease, but it is a step towards handheld diagnostic equipment. It can help measure and analyse data relating to abdominal issues and even more critical things, like cardiac issues.

Physicians are quite enthusiastic about the device, since it does help a lot in early diagnosis. Instead of having to schedule their patients for ultrasound, they can already perform it wherever they may be, whether that be in a clinic or in an accident site. It is also very handy, weighing less than 3 pounds, and has a battery life of more than 1 hour. It has its own battery charging station and can be connected to a printer and other add-ons via its USB port.

The VScan is available in the market for only $7,900. (Yeah right, ONLY!) Definitely not a toy to be bought for mere amusement, but well worth it for doctors, especially those that are part of emergency response teams and those located in remote areas.

Santa Can’t Deliver Nintendo 3DS This Year

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Come on now, you’re not really surprised are you?  After all, most – if not all – electronics manufacturers do experience delays every now and then.  Sony and Microsoft are pretty much the same way – why not Nintendo?

Anyhow, news about the Nintendo 3Ds has been going around for a while now, which, of course, has excited many a Nintendo fan.  The improved version of the Nintendo handheld gaming console promises a 3D experience to every gamer without having the neeed for 3D glasses.  Now isn’t that something?

Unfortunately, Nintendo just announced that we are not going to see the new console by Christmas.  This is, of course, a disappointment to the fans who have been dreaming of getting a new portable gaming device from Santa this year.  On a more practical note, this move also means big losses for Nintendo.  But who cares about their losses when you can’t have your wish for the holidays?

There’s not much that you can do about it, though, except to wait for March if you’re in the United Kingdom – and the rest of Europe.  If you’re in Japan, then the wait is a bit shorter, as the console will be released by February.  The reason for the delay?

Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president says: “At first we thought it would be desirable to launch the 3DS within the year, so we made our forecasts on that basis. At this point it is clear that if we launch within the year, we will not be able to supply enough units.”

Whether or not it’s the real reason, you might want to save some of your Christmas money for February or March, whichever the case may be.