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The Science of Paytag

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:03:13 +0000

“By any chance do you have some change on you?” “How much do you need?” “£2 would be great, if you have it.” “Sure, here you go.” “Thanks.” In five years that kind of conversation might not happen as often as it does today. The death of notes and coins as been talked about since the introduction of credit and debit cards, but there are a few developments that are making it more likely.

The most recent of these is the imminent introduction of PayTag, a sticker that can be placed on the back of mobile phones and used somewhat like the Oyster Card is on London’s bus and Tube system. The sticker would pass over a reading device and transactions of up to £15 can be made, increasing to £20 in June. In the short term it is only for Barclaycard Visa holders, but it is easy to imagine it being adopted by other banks and their customers. We are growing more and more accustomed to using certain devices and digital forms, so unlike 15 years ago the jump to a cashless society won’t be so abrupt.

Paytag could spell the end for traditional notes and coins, but only time will tell.

South Korea and Sweden are two countries that are already ahead of the UK and the US in regards to this. It helps that they are more technologically wired than the UK and the US thanks to their faster wireless speeds and successful mobile phone companies. Koreans have been able to do internet banking from their mobiles since 2000, similarly they have been able to charge online items to their phone bill since that date. 2008 saw the emergence of ‘T-money’ in South Korea, which was basically electronic cash held on their SIM cards with the opportunity to top it up. Sweden is similarly seeing changes, cash for instance is no longer dealt with at certain bank branches. That loose change in your pocket could soon be one more fond memory.

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Leviton’s Mobile Device Station Review

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:33:05 +0000

We all have gadgets and devices that we charge all over the house, on the kitchen counter, the coffee table, on the bed while we sleep or worst of all, on the floor, and these devices can easily fall, scratch or be stepped on. But on March 06, 2012, Leviton’s Network Solutions launched their innovative mobile device station. This device among other things is a convenient and safe place to store a portable music player or a phone while it charges.

This new gadget is a suitable wall-mounted support that runs storage for several mobile devices including the charging cables. This device easily uses your existing electrical outlet by attaching it to a Leviton station wallplate without having to create any new socket outlets in the wall. Installing the Mobile Device Station is easy, as all you have to do is screw it onto a wallplate, preferably from Leviton and install it. So while you are in the garage using industrial lubricants on your machines your device station can be charging all your mobile devices.

Besides being able to charge up your device, the Mobile Device Station has a cradle the holds most mobile devices such as many android and IPhones. The station also you to protect and organize your cables through its integrated cable management feature.

It is also designed to complement the wall plates in any office or home. It comes in black, white, or light almond.

The only downside is that, you will have the purchase the dual-gang wallplate that is required to install the device if you don’t own one already because the cradle comes all by itself.

The Leviton mobile device station receives a huge thumps up, because its helps to cradle and organize gadgets which can free up some storage space and for just a little investment of purchasing the mobile device station you can protect your gadgets or device from being damaged and avoid costs to replace them.

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Hooray for the iPhone

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:03:16 +0000

I turned on my web cam today to have a video chat with a fellow techie enthusiast on the other side of the world, and we suddenly realised with a double shout of joy that the iPhone 5 is just about upon us.

Although Apple are not calling it iPhone 5 and instead are using the label iPhone 4S, it is going to be the must-have techie gadget of 2011 and early 2012, with Apple’s trademark cool design as well as its amazing new bag of tricks. The California-based firm launched the first iPhone in 2007, and in those few years since it has revolutionised the mobile phone world.

Apple suffered a downturn in its share prices earlier in 2011 when its charismatic boss Steve Jobs announced that he was retiring for good. He has suffered from cancer for some years now, and clearly feels he has had enough with the day job.

His legacy is a company that is not only strong and secure, but is an actual leader in new technology, whether the iMac desktop computers, the iPhone, the iPod for music downloads, or the market-leading iPad tablet mobile device. In addition to launching truly revolutionary products, Apple under Steve Jobs also won the deserved reputation of producing really lovely, desirable objects.

The Apple Mac has always been the desktop computer of choice for many creative workers such as desktop publisher or artworkers. But the iconic designs of the newer machines, such as the first coloured or flowery-patterned iMacs, won Apple millions of new followers, particularly amongst the tech-savvy younger generations who are not satisfied just with the ground-breaking technology, but who also demand to look cool with their gadgets.

The iPhone 4S is accompanied by a new release of Apple’s operating software for its handheld devices, meaning that all its tricks, from video to voice recognition, will be fully up to date. Join the queue for one now.

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Data Quality — A Real Asset For Modern Businesses

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:33:03 +0000

In today’s scenario when most companies are heavily dependent on information technology, an integral set of data becomes a real asset. Unlike other assets, such as cash, jewellery and property, data is much more prone to being corrupt or can lose its importance due to some trivial errors in handling or storage. This is why several companies spend large amounts of money each year to make sure their data remains safe, accurate, and useful for the purposes it has been stored for.

Considering the importance of integrity of data, several companies, such as investment banks, large I.T. firms, equity research firms etc, are taking initiatives to employ data governance teams. These data governance teams are primarily responsible for ensuring that the data remains correct and useful at every stage of its lifecycle. They make use of several data quality management techniques, including data profiling, data cleansing and data quality assurance etc. You can read more on the data cleansing services webpage – click here.

These techniques ensure that dirty data is extracted out of the system before it may cause other pieces of data to get corrupted. Despite its obvious advantages, several companies still consider investing in data quality management as a financial overhead and are averse to spending money in improving and maintaining the data quality.

However, it is sensible to weigh its cost against the advantages it offers. For instance, it can protect an investment bank from potential reputational and operational risk if they maintain an adequate level of data integrity. Another example explaining the importance of data quality may be an e-mail marketing company. If e-mail addresses stored in their systems are incorrect or incomplete, they can lose on a good number of potential recipients, which could adversely impact the resultant outcome of their e-mail marketing campaigns.

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Ikan Wireless Kitchen Appliance Review

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:03:08 +0000

A modern kitchen should never be without an Ikan Wireless Kitchen Appliance. This state-of-the-art appliance is built with Wi-Fi integration, 7-inch touch screen and voice input features that make it an amazing device to create a shopping list from items that homeowners input or scan before they dispose them.

The Ikan Wireless Kitchen Appliance runs on Android operating system. It only requires owners to place this on the counter or frame it near the trash and they can expect a boosted productivity point in their lives. What makes this appliance really amazing is that it sends recorded items to the user’s mobile phone or to a shopping cart of an online retailer that supports Ikan. With this Ikan appliance, users can preset days so they will be ready to shop while they head for their home from work and its data cleansing services.

With the Ikan Wireless Kitchen Appliance, branded retailer apps owned by users can possibly be included. With this, they can be able to view recipes, specials, promotions and a lot more stuffs that are relevant to their shopping plans and these are all possible right from their kitchen or Android phone.

What could possibly turn consumers away from this kitchen appliance is its $400 price tag. This will probably be out of reach for most shoppers. But, for those who have more than enough budget, the Ikan Wireless Kitchen Appliance is definitely a must-try kitchen addition. It is advised that you look out for bargains on this device.

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Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:33:10 +0000

A couple of weeks back I managed to get me and one of my close friends some temporary Teaching Assistant Jobs at a local high school. We were having a sandwich and a coffee in the staff room at lunch when we started talking about some of our favourite film. Vanilla Sky and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind were both mentioned because of their strange and interesting story line. Basically both films are about the idea of experiencing memory loss out of choice. Whilst we were having a debate about which one was the best and why the science teacher must have overheard us as he comes rushing over to tell us about this crazy new creation in Israel which they actually believe can do just what we were talking about, erase your memories!

This notion of erasing your unwanted hurtful or painful memories has always been something to only ponder about but now there are people out there making it a reality! Scientists in Israel are saying they have devised a way to eliminate the memories that cause our cravings. They have been testing the method on rats, they gave the rats cocaine in a designated area in their pen over a period of time and then injected them with ZIP the new memory eraser, they say the results worked so well that the rats ignored the place they had scored the drug suggesting that all memories of the effect of the drug and their cravings for it had been eliminated. This new protein which is supposed to help erase memories is called ZIP and scientists are hoping it will help humans in overcoming their own drug addictions, by erasing any memories associated with the drug. Will other memories be affected though? Will people forget their good memories as well as their bad?

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A Review of the Samsung Galaxy S

admin — Sat, 21 May 2011 20:33:10 +0000

A mobile phone packed with features, the Samsung Galaxy S is a direct competitor to the likes of Apple, BlackBerry, HTC and Nokia. It looks somewhat similar to the HTC Desire, and has an Android operating system with a large 4 inch AMOLED colour touchscreen. This touchscreen, according to Samsung, is the brightest available phone touchscreen in the market.

This lightweight phone also packs in a 5 megapixel camera (albeit with no flash) and the now expected features of video recording, music playback and internet browsing. There is social networking support and you can use Facebook, Twitter and Flickr on this phone. Apps can also be downloaded from the Samsung app store or the Android Market store on the internet. Samsung’s built in customised widgets on the phone are also a treat to use.

Samsung has also packed in a very fast 1 gigahertz processor to power the many applications found in the Galaxy S. Some cool stuff that comes bundled with the phone’s software is the proximity sensor, accelerometer sensor, and digital Compass. The touchscreen also has a great feature of running your thumb over the on-screen keyboard to quickly type out emails, text messages and internet addresses. At the same time it is quite sturdy, however, don’t try your luck by carelessly dropping it off a 10 storied building or into an utensil full of heating oil!

The phone also comes pre-loaded with Google Maps and a GPS, which allows you to navigate and get directions to places. Google Voice also comes pre-loaded and lets you search and type using your own voice. As Google makes the Android operating system, you can expect the phone to be in sync with all Google applications, synonymous with speed, innovation and efficiency.

As far as touchscreen smartphones go, the Samsung Galaxy S is a great phone. It has become quite popular in the UK, and there are some great schemes which offer the phone with talktime loaded at a competitive price.

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Review of the Airvolt Wireless iPhone Charger

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:03:09 +0000

The Airvolt Wireless iPhone Charger has some cool features. It is actually an inductive charging kit for the iPhone 3G and 3GS and costs $49.99. The kit consists of a case for keeping the handset, a tray for charging and an AC adapter. The simplicity of the Airvolt makes it a wonderful gadget as the charging takes place without the help of any wires, so it will help all those on the move who want to know how to get aroung roaming charges. All you have to do is put your iPhone into the case and then put the handset on the tray and connect the tray to a wall outlet. Your phone will start charging. It is as simple as that! The device also has a USB port for powering/charging any USB devices. You will also be able to plug your iPhone into this port and charge it by using the USB-to-30-pin wire.

The black plastic tray has an LED indicator that flashes red when the tray has power, green and red alternatively for indicating that the phone is being charged and steady green when the charging is completed. The packaging informs that the charging time would be the same as that of a standard charger. The Airvolt also automatically powers off and so there is no need to worry about your phone being overcharged. The instruction clearly indicates to unplug the Airvolt when it is not in use. The tray is made out of black plastic and is about the size of three stacked CD cases (4.5 x 5.5 inches) and is also very light.

Though the gadget looks and feels somewhat flimsy but it shouldn’t be a problem. Another peculiarity of the device is that on its underside you can find a battery department but with no connection. The case of the iPhone is sleeve styled and is coated with a soft touch material. It covers the bottom on the phone, though there are vents placed besides the speaker and the microphone. The bottom is completely enclosed and protected, while both the front and the top are left exposed. So, in case you accidently drop your phone, there would be a 50-50 chance that your phone is protected. The phone’s camera, buttons, and ear area that also hold the GPS and proximity detection, are not covered and so accessing is very easy. The gadget is slim and light, and adds minimum amount of material to a slim phone, and that is the best part of the gadget.

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Robotic Medical Interventions

admin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:33:13 +0000

The Robotic Medical interventions are no mystery for the modern days surgeons as they have been already applied in a few cases during the last 2 years. However, the application of robotics in the medicine might turn out to be in an even larger extent as scientists are now considering the implementation of the technology in nano sizes – something that might seem absolutely impossible, but in fact quite considered.

The nano technologies, as a common fact, are expanding rapidly in their influence. From carte r4 data storage units, to a more advanced concept of robotics. The nano technologies that are discussed by a few professors from the California Medical Technology Research Center in the latest edition of America’s Journal of Medical Studies, can have a great impact on the treatment of diseases and can prove to be crucial in the immediate intervention when a risk for the life of a person exists.

Particularly, the technology is discussed to be applied in people with heart problems. Almost 90% of the people that had a heart attack, inevitably die from another heart attack later in time. This is the reason why such problems cannot be responded to adequately. If a person is outside the hospital and suffers a heart attack, help can be provided within tens of minutes. However, with the robotic intervention help comes immediately. A nano robotic mechanism is installed in the heart of a patient. When the heart experience symptoms of a heart attack, the mechanism activates a nano electric transmitter which results in a tiny electric shock for the heart. A patient would feel that and would be able to call an ambulance and seek medical help in order to prevent any further complications. Thus, by winning a up to hour and a half, a patient might survive a fatal condition. Such mechanisms would be installed among individuals that have already suffered a heart attack and likely to suffer another, fatal one.

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The Incorporation of 3D technology

admin — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:03:06 +0000

The incorporation of 3D technology is quite popular nowadays as producers of multimedia devices such as Nintendo and LG have already developed their 3D mobile devices and have put them on the market. These companies are currently enjoying quite a success as people buy their products either from pure curiosity or because they really appreciate the progress of these two brands. Nintendo have incorporated the first gaming console in 3D format whereas LG have developed and released a full 3D no-glasses phone which has really become a significant competitor for brands such as Apple and Nokia.

The incorporation of 3D technology has been seen in home television systems as well. With special glasses you can easily transform your living room into a perfect 3D cinema experience. Sport matches providers have already released the 3D football games which is truly spectacular and might soon become comparable with the real experience on the playground. However, we will need more time before we see 3D tablets and laptops simply because the sophisticated technology of inputting 3D effects in a complicated device as a laptop is a hard job and something we will be looking forward to.

The 3D effects, even if applied in the observation of crafts fabric, is extremely catchy and this is what drives tech giants to develop it so rapidly. After the TVs and the mobile phones and gaming consoles, plans from corporations like LG and Toshiba include plans for the creation of tablets with 3D effects and computers supporting the technology. Scholars from Boston Technology University have already stated that in the next year we will have a fully operation 3D tablet on the market.

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