G-Speak Will Make Keyboard & Mouse Obsolete

A new system being developed by Oblong Industries harnesses gesture technology that uses special surfaces and displays that can track hand movements, providing the operator is wearing the special conducting gloves. The system works with images and videos, and has been dubbed the “G-Speak” spatial operating environment (SOE).

In a G-Speak environment everything on screen can be directly manipulated by gestures such as pointing, and the system simplifies the control of real-world objects such as robots or vehicles, and allows physical tools and interfaces to be used as input devices




John Underkoffler, co-founder of Oblong Industries, says G-Speak should be available for consumers within five years, and its combination of interpretation of gestures, real-world pixels and recombinant networking represents the biggest step forward in computer interfaces since 1984.

Underkoffler says applications for the new interface technology include the operation of 3-D interfaces, processing of large data sets, integration of multiple computers and large screens into building-scale work environments. G-speak networking’s collection of library components allows applications to scale dynamically and transparently across multiple computers, and in a LAN network this makes more effective use of CPU power and provides support for applications enabling collaborative work over the network. It will also be possible to add new people and computers to the network, and to add new code at run-time.

G-speak controls applications through hand poses, pointing, and hand movements, with input from several hands simultaneously being fully supported. Hand and finger motions are tracked to an accuracy of 0.1 mm at 100 Hz.

Using gestural I/Os is much more efficient at complex navigation tasks and selection/sorting, than the mouse and keyboard, but both will still be available for use when appropriate.

G-Speak is already in use by Fortune 50 companies, and by some universities and government agencies, and a software development kit running on Linux and Mac is already available.

More information:
-- Oblong.com - http://oblong.com/article/086E19gPvDcktAf9.html
-- More videos: http://vimeo.com/user922585/videos
-- Video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqyHM29VNqM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyMVZqJk8s4

‘Skinput’ turns body into touchscreen interface

Touchscreens may be popular both in science fiction and real life as the symbol of next-gen technology, but an innovation called Skinput suggests the true interface of the future might be us.

Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University unveiled Skinput recently, showing how it can turn your own body into a touchscreen interface.
Skinput uses a series of sensors to track where a user taps on his arm. Previous attempts at using projected interfaces used motion-tracking to determine where a person taps.




Skinput uses a different and novel technique: It "listens" to the vibrations in your body.

Tapping on different parts of your arm creates different kinds of vibrations depending on the amount and shape of bones, tendons and muscle in that specific area. Skinput sensors can track those vibrations using an armband and discern where the user tapped.

"Accuracy is already good, in the high 90s percent accuracy for finger input," said project team member Chris Harrison, from Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute.

"The arm band is a crude prototype,” Harrison said. “The next generation could be made considerably smaller – likely easily fitting into a wristwatch."

How to Check Balance Of Prepaid Mobiles?

How To Check Balance? The Basic Question Which Troubles you when you switch from one cellular network provider to other.
With The Increased number of cellular network providers each day, more People struggling to check balance in their mobile account, This Post has tried to cover information about your mobile network provider in India.

Reliance GSM



How to check Balance on Reliance GSM Mobile?
Dial *367# From Your Reliance Mobile to Check Account Balance.
Customer Care Number for Reliance GSM Mobile: Dial *333

Tata Docomo



How to Check Balance on Tata Docomo?
To Know Account Balance information dial *111# from your Tata Docomo Mobile.
Get Interactive Voice Call Balance Announcement by dialling 12525 from your Tata Docomo Mobile.

Aircel



How to Check Balance on Aircel?
To Check your Balance in Aircel, Dial *125# from your Aircel Mobile.
For Voice Announcement of your balance, Dial 123
Customer Care Support Dial 121.

Idea



How to Check Balance on Idea?
To Check Account Balance in your Idea Mobile Dial *130# from Your Idea Mobile.
Customer Care Number for Idea: 98*** 12345
[Replace *** with respective Phone Number Series]

Airtel



How to Check Balance on Airtel?
To Check Balance in Airtel Dial *123# from Your Airtel mobile.
Customer Care Support for Airtel: 121


Vodafone



How to check balance on Vodafone?
To Check Balance from your Vodafone Mobile Dial *111# .
Happy to Help Customer Care Support: 111

BSNL



How to Check Balance on BSNL?
To Check Balance Dial *123# from your BSNL Prepaid Mobile.

How To Install Windows 7 On USB Flash Drive

Microsoft has been doing only right things with the much anticipated Windows 7 and the release candidate (RC) is available to download for free.



As you all know creating a bootable USB, or installing Windows 7 or Vista using USB is a piece of cake. It doesn’t take much time and effort to have a bootable USB. Now, after replaying to several e-mails about installing Windows 7 or Vista on a USB drive, I have decided to write this detailed guide.

Requirements to install Windows 7 on USB:

# An USB flash drive with a minimum of 6 GB disk space to install Windows 7 or Vista. You can use a 4 GB drive to install XP.

# Bootable Windows 7 USB or DVD.

# Free time

So let’s begin with the installing Windows 7 on USB procedure:

1. First of all, connect your USB to the machine and backup all the data from the USB drive.

2. Download VirtualBox portable, double-click on the executable file and extract the contents to your USB.



3. Now, go to the VirtualBox portable folder in USB, and execute the Portable-VirtualBox (.exe) file.

4. From here onwards, you need to follow the onscreen procedure to create a virtual disk and install Windows 7 on USB. Follow the install Windows 7 on VirtualBox guide to complete the process.

5. Once you finish the installation process, you can safely close VirtualBox and remove your USB drive.

6. You can now use this Windows 7 USB drive on any Windows machine that you want. To use Windows 7 on other machine, connect the Windows 7 USB, open USB drive, and run portable-VirtualBox file.

Why are my Desktop Icons Highlighted in Blue?

Start / Control Panel
Performance and Maintenance(if in Category View)
System / Advanced Tab
under Performance click on Settings / Visual Effects Tab
put a check next to
"Use drop down shadows for icon labels on the desktop"
Apply / Ok

If this still doesn't work, right-click on the desktop >
point to Arrange Icons By >
and make sure that "Lock Web Items on Desktop" is un-checked.

If you have Desktop settings set to "Lock Desktop Items"
you can't remove the background color.
It can be checked here too,
Right click on desktop / Properties / Desktop Tab /
Customize Desktop button / Web Tab
and take the check out of "Lock Desktop Items"
Ok / Apply / Ok

Also, if you have ever right clicked on an item and clicked
"Set as desktop item..." then this may be the problem. You need to make
sure that they are not selected. Do this by going to Control Panel /
Display / Desktop tab / then selcting "Customize Desktop".
Click on the Web tab and make sure none are selected.

Best Ways...

Right click on the Desktop and select Arrange Icons By> make sure that a check mark is not by
Lock Web Items on Desktop.
Then right click on the Desktop and select Properties. Then click Desktop tab> Customize Desktop button> Web tab> make sure that nothing is checked in the Web pages: windows and that Lock web items is not checked.

Try this, right click on Desktop> Properties> Desktop tab> select a different background and then click Apply and OK. Go back to the Advanced tab as before and uncheck the box:
Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop.
Then go back and recheck the box and see if that works.

Start> Run> type: sysdm.cpl then hit OK.
Click on Advanced tab> Visual Effects tab, check the box:
Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop then OK, Apply and OK.

Turbo C For Vista or Windows 7 !!!

I tired to run Turbo C in Vista and failed and so found a solution for the same. Now U can run Turbo C++ 3.0 on Windows XP 64 bit , Vista 32 bit and 64 bit OS (in full screen) using the tutorial below :




(1) Install the software DOSBox ver 0.72 ( 1.2 MB ) (Freeware) from the link below (Direct Link)

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/dosbox/DOSBox0.72-win32-installer.exe?download

(2) Before going to the details u have to create a folder (any name will do). Here we name it as Turbo

(3) Copy the TC into the Turbo folder. You can download Turbo C/C++ here.

(4) Run the DOSBox 0.72 from the icon located on the desktop or from the location of the installation folder

(5) Then u are presented with two screens which look like the command prompt in Windows. One with a Z prompt. You can ignore the other screen.

(6) Type the following commands at the command prompt [Z]:

Mount [Type in any alphabet that u wish except z] [Type the source of the turbo C] press enter


(7) Now , Type in the following commands after the Z prompt:

Z: mount d c:\Turbo\ [The folder TC is present inside the folder Turbo]



(8) Now u should get a message which says: Drive D is mounted as a local directory c:\Turbo\

(9) Type d: to shift to d: prompt . Next follow the commands below


cd TC [The contents inside the folder Turbo gets mounted as a virtual drive (Here D drive)

cd Bin

TC or Tc.exe [This presents u the Turbo C++3.0 screen]



(10) In the Turbo C++ goto Options>Directories> Change the source of TC to the source directory [D] ( i.e. virtual D: refers to original c:\Turbo\ . So make the path change to something like D:\TC\include and D:\TC\lib respectively )


===========================================================

Points to Note:

(1) In order to get the full screen use the key combination of Alt and Enter

(2) When u exit from the DosBox [precisely when u unmount the virtual drive where Turbo C++ 3.0 has been mounted] all the files u have saved or made changes in Turbo C++ 3.0 will be copied into the source directory(The directory which contains TC folder)

(3) It is a good idea to backup your files in the source directory prior to running DOSBox 0.72

(4) For additional help go through the readme file located in the installation folder or look on the website of the DOSBox forum.

(5) Don't use shortcut keys to perform operations in TC because they might be a shortcut key for DOSBOX also . Eg : Ctrl+F9 will exit DOSBOX rather running the code .

UPDATE :

You can save yourself some time by having DOSBox automatically MOUNT your folders

For DOSBox versions older then 0.73 browse into program installation folder and open the dosbox.conf file in any text editor. For version 0.73 go to Start Menu and click on "Configuration" and then "Edit Configuration". Then scroll down to the very end, and add the lines which you want to automatically execute when DOS BOX starts.

Now those commands will be executed automatically when DOS BOX starts!


If still you face some problem running the program read the comments below or post you query as a comment .

How do I tell if I have 32 bit or 64 bit ?

According to the MS XP Newsgroups, this question is being asked almost as much as questions about the Blaster virus lately.

Here are a few ways that you can tell whether you have the 32 Bit or 64 Bit version.
----------------------
Right click My Computer, click Properties.
If you have a 64 bit computer, *it will say 64 bit on that page*.
Also 64 bit is available for Windows XP Pro *not Windows XP Home*.
----------------------

Go to Kelly's Korner XP site at the link below and scroll all the way down to:
Do you have a 32 or 64 bit in XP?
You'll see 2 downloads, 1 for an .exe file and 1 for a .vbs file that will tell you. Here's the link.

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

NOTE: I can not personally vouch as to just what the .exe file will do, but I would trust it from her site.

I did open the .vbs file and it is quite safe to run.

This manual method will accomplish the same as the .vbs file above
----------------------
Manual:method

Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: systeminfo.
System Type will probably read: X86

Or go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment.

In the right pane: Processor_Architecture should read: x86 for 32 bit.

You *cannot* buy XP 64-bit edition "off the shelf" in *any* software store, or off of *any* retail outlet.

If you're running 64-bit WinXP, at the *minimum* you're using it in a professional engineering or scientific environment, and most likely have an IT department taking care of these things for you.

I hope this helps to clear this up.