Archive for April, 2009
Embedded systems
Apr 23rd
Many of us don’t have an idea about embedded systems. Embedded systems is a very vast area and can be applied literally to every aspect in life ranging from music to smart rocket science. Embedded science is mainly based on VLSI design (Very Large Scale Integrated Chips/ICs). These designs have been thoroughly exploited in the last few years. This breakthrough was possible because of the Moore’s law, which have helped designers to fabricate chips with double their previous capacities every year. If this trend continuous it could even lead to fabricate a chip with 10 billion transistors in the coming year. This has ultimately helped in the growth of embedded systems which are now designed with less cost and with more efficiency. Over the time period embedded systems have become immune to viruses and other malfunctions. Consequently embedded systems have started playing a crucial role in the various fields like telecommunication, automation and entertainment. Embedded systems make use of a single chip computer and the software is written in it to perform the necessary task. And even the traditional components on boards or hardware are being shifted to ASIC which is software which also provides with real time environment for designing an IC. In my opinion embedded system design is about doing things smartly which means more accurate output, lesser hardware and less power consumption. For more information check out this book and also read some good books on micro processors and micro controllers.
Sony Ericson G-502
Apr 19th
This is one of the latest models released by Sony Ericson recently. One could say it had a pretty good demand in the market. This model marks the beginning the 3G mobiles at a lower price.
The features include it is a slim mobile with a standard Sony Ericson keypad and a camera with a resolution of 2 mega pixels. The sound system in the mobile is also pretty good, but one shouldn’t compare this with the walkman series also released by Sony Ericson. The file transfer is possible through Bluetooth or by infra red or even by multimedia. The memory is 28 MB but the memory can be extended by a memory card made from Sony. But the above features are present in other models also; the main attraction of the G 502 is the internet facility. This model uses the 3G technology to connect to the internet, and one can even see stream videos from youtube etc. also the downloading speed is very high than the other mobiles in this price range. Even video conference is possible in this model. My suggestion is that if one is looking for a mobile with constant connection to the internet and also with the basic features, this is your best option. The price varies in different countries.
Cars fitted with GPS combined with telematics
Apr 13th
Volkswagen and General Motors are racing to develop a new technology that will allow cars and other vehicles to communicate with each other. The information on parking is sent to other vehicles nearby.
Consider a scenario where one has crashed in the side or the turning of the road, immediately the car or the vehicle sends out information alerting the nearby vehicles about the incident thereby preventing subsequent collision and other accidents.
Car to car communication has also got other advantages such as preventing traffic jam and speeding traffic flow, saving fuel and also more importantly time. The companies have also contacted with GOOGLE and nVIDIA that will allow them to collect the world map data and incorporate them with the GPS and with the help of nVIDIA a 3D realistic image is produced and even this can be used to find the direction etc. Another great advantage of using data from the internet using wireless communication is that it can always be updated or a program can be written to constantly update the data and kept. Another advantage is that no disk is required to store the data as the information of the place or the terrain as they can even also be directly acquired from the satellite.
Modern Watches
Apr 11th
Selecting a watch to buy is not like walking on feather, one has to see various features selecting. The modern generation watches are not only used for checking the time but also for a variety of purposes and this makes still more difficult for the people to make their choices. Here are a few tips to be considered when buying a watch.
First and the foremost factor to be considered is the price. As today’s watches range in a wide variety of prices, the variance on the price of the watches have been increased. There is no general method for calculating the worth of a watch. But it is always better to buy a good watch at a higher price which will last longer than a cheap watch which you will have to replace every now and then. Also there are a few type of watches like chronographic watches, calendar watches etc, which have additional features like world time, temperature measurement. Again if you are into designer watches it may cost you a lot but it has got additional features like moon phase indicators, second time zone indicators, perpetual calendars and cool tachy-meters. But if you are looking for a normal watch it is best to buy one from a reputed company.
