Google kickstarts Indian Language Internet Alliance, focus first on Hindi

 Google on Monday roped in an array of partners to usher in the Indian Language Internet Alliance, a new platform to offer better content and technology for the Hindi speaking population. The search giant also announced the launch of the Hindi voice search in the country.
With most of the 200 million-odd English speakers already online, the growth of Internet in India will depend on lowering the entry barriers for the rest of the population. “To reach to our goal of 500 million Internet users by 2017 we need to make the Internet accessible to those who don’t speak English,” said Google India MD Rajan Anandan. He said most of the 5 million Internet users being added everyday are on the mobile and not all of them speak English. As a measure of the lack of Hindi content in the country, he said there were just 22,000 Wikipedia entries in the language while 400 million people spoke the language.
Inaugurating the initiative, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said he was confident that this can change the technology landscape of the country. “ We are very adaptive and have accepted new technology and techniques, be it in the farm or our workplace. It just has to be easy,” he said.

Google is developing cancer and heart attack detector

Google is aiming to diagnose cancers, impending heart attacks or strokes and other diseases, at a much earlier stage than is currently possible.

The company is working on technology that combines disease-detecting nanoparticles, which would enter a patient's bloodstream via a swallowed pill, with a wrist-worn sensor.

The idea is to identify slight changes in the person's biochemistry that could act as an early warning system.

The work is still at an early stage.

Early diagnosis is the key to treating disease. Many cancers, such as pancreatic, are detected only after they have become untreatable and fatal.

There are marked differences between cancerous and healthy tissues.

Microsoft drops Nokia name from Lumia smartphones, new devices will be branded 'Microsoft Lumia'

US software giant Microsoft said it will now start selling Lumia smartphones as 'Microsoft Lumia' device instead of calling them Nokia Lumia.
"Our global and local websites are going through a transition as we speak and in the coming days our social channels will get a new name too ? they will be called Microsoft Lumia," Microsoft's Senior Vice President of Marketing for Phones Tuula Rytila said on a blog.
"We have now started the transition from Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia," the company said.

The move comes within 6 month of Microsoft acquiring Finnish telecom company Nokia's mobile device business for about USD 7.5 billion. The deal was completed on April 25, 2014.

PhotoMath App Makes Solving Maths Equations as Simple as Taking a Picture

MicroBlink's PhotoMath is making waves on the App Store across several countries, an iOS (and Windows Phone) app that can solve equations users scan in via the device's camera, and even provides the steps taken to solve.

With its augmented reality interface, PhotoMath users have to centre the desired equation to solve on their device's camera, and PhotoMath recognising the mathematical expressions works out the answer, providing a detailed listed of steps taken to solve.

Currently meant to help children, the PhotoMath app is limited to a middle school level of math, as noted by the company's blog post celebrating the app's success, "At this stage it can solve basic arithmetics, fractions, decimals, powers, roots, linear equations and functions like log, exp, sin, cos. It can recognize printed characters only, not handwritten text. The app doesn't solve word problems, geometry, or calculus."

BlackBerry Passport: A hybrid workhorse coming your way

“Is that a phone?” “Whoa, so huge!” “I thought it was tempeh.”

These were just a few of the many remarks that people in the crowd around me made as I used my brand new, square BlackBerry Passport. The latest model of the smartphone is expected to hit the local market by the end of the year, and it is fun to hear people light-heartedly comment on my gargantuan phone. 

My teenage daughter teased me as to why in the world I was still going around with yet another BlackBerry when most of the manufacturer’s local fans have shifted their loyalties to Android and iOS phones. 

Airtel-Samsung launch India’s first Integrated Digital TV

Airtel digital TV, the Direct-To-Home (DTH) service from Bharti Airtel, today announced its partnership with Samsung to launch India’s very first Integrated Digital TV (iDTV).

Samsung’s range of SmartDirect TVs will come designed with an in-built Airtel digital TV Smart Card which will enable DTH signal reception without the need for customers to install an external set-top-box (STB).

Gmail 5.0 for Android Spotted; Supports Outlook, Yahoo, and Other Accounts

Google is reportedly all set to roll out a significantly revamped version of its Gmail app for Android, with a pre-release build of the overhauled app doing the rounds of the Internet. Most notably, the Gmail 5.0 app now supports multiple accounts from different email providers.

Reported by Android Police, the new Gmail v5.0 app for Android can be seen in what appears to be a video by Google that introduces the new features for returning users. The video says the new app brings "all the features you love with a fresh new look."

The video adds, "you can access other email accounts like Yahoo Mail, Outlook.com, and more," and shows that users can switch accounts in Gmail 5.0 by swiping, or selecting the account from the dropdown.

Android 5.0 Lollipop: What's New and Updated

Google previewed 'Android L' at its Google I/O developer event in June, and since then, developers and consumers have awaited the final version, which was finally announced on Wednesday as Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company also launched the platform lead devices for Android 5.0 Lollipop, namely the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and Nexus Player.
Since the Android L preview earlier this year, Google has added several new features to the final release of Android 5.0 Lollipop. While some changes are extensions of the themes introduced in Android L, some are relatively new, and other previously known features have now been detailed by the search giant.
Here are some of the biggest changes that Google brought to its widely-popular mobile and tablet platform with Android 5.0 Lollipop:

How To Setting up OS X Yosemite the way you want it

Apple's OS X Yosemite has dozens of new features and plenty of tricks to keep Mac users busy, but getting your system working just the way you want it to may take a few tweaks.


You and your UI

Yosemite has a new transparent view, but you may get slightly better system performance if you turn it off: System Preferences>Accessiblity>Display…"Reduce Transparency".

You can also set your menu bar and dock up to be darker, which you may prefer to Apple's default translucency. To use dark mode go to System Preferences>General…"Use dark menu bar and Dock".

Google's Android, Chrome software may converge, exec change suggests

Google may want one software platform to rule them all.

A top Google executive in charge of engineering for the company's Android mobile operating system is now also overseeing engineering for Chrome, software primarily used for personal computers, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google's vice president of Android engineering, has taken on the duties of Linus Upson, his counterpart in the Chrome division. Upson has left the role, according to The Wall Street Journal, which earlier reported the news. While Lockheimer takes over engineering for Chrome OS, he won't be responsible for other Chrome-related products, including the Chrome Web browser, Chromecast TV streaming stick or Chromebook laptop hardware, according to the Journal.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.

From apps to Google Glass: Indians are some of the most tech-savvy in the world

Tech-savvy Indians have emerged as the most hooked on to gadgets globally with as many as 95 percent finding their smartphones “critically important” while 75 percent use their smartphone or tablet to book a hotel, says a survey by leading online travel firm Expedia.”The findings clearly suggest an increasing dependency on the mobile platform. 95 percent Indian respondents feel that their smartphone is very or of critical importance to their daily life,” Vikram Malhi, MD, Asia, Expedia said.

He further said that Indians lead in app booking and data roaming plans globally.

“In fact, 75 percent of Indians who have used their smartphone or tablet to book a hotel have booked a hotel stay using a mobile app (the highest of any country), he said.

The survey highlights the maturation of Indian traveller who is fast moving up the ladder of travel apps and is no longer hooked with conventional modes of bookings, the findings said.

Twitter to launch tools for app developers

Micro blogging site Twitter is likely to announce a number of tools at a conference on Wednesday to make it easier for programmers to build apps, according to media reports. 

Developers were irked a couple of years back about the strict rules in existence with regard to applications, which plug into the social media service. The current move is seen as a damage control measure from Twitter. 

"It is about relationship-building. If you start by offering services that are globally interesting to mobile developers and not just ones that are interested in traditional Twitter data, you can build a better relationship with more developers and introduce more of them to Twitter by delivering them value right away," Ryan Sarver, Twitter's former director of platform was quoted as saying in The Wall Street Journal. 

Microsoft set to jump into smartwatch tussle

Tech giant Microsoft is reportedly set to release a smart watch of its own within weeks, joining Apple, Samsung and others in the smart watch race.

According to PC World, the smartwatch will passively track a wearer's heart rate and work across different mobile platforms, and that it would be able to go two days when fully charged. That would be an improvement over many current smartwatches, which often need to be charged nightly.

Motorola Moto G 2014 – A Cheap Smartphone For Every Pocket

179 dollars, off-contract, this is the price of the Moto G second generation, a phone that took all the credits for Motorola’s success in 2014. And no, it’s not a high-end device, but it has a beautiful design, it works like a charm and doesn’t come with a mediocre camera.

Design

If you were expecting a big visual improvement to the new Moto G, well, we’re sorry to be a killjoy, but we don’t have much to say about the new additions. The Moto G 2014 isn’t very

Google starts rolling out Play Store 5.0 with Material Design

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the expected unveiling of Android L, Google has started rolling out a new version of the Play Store that features Material Design elements, part of the new version of its mobile operating system.

Google Play Store version 5.0.31 comes with a flatter design but features bolder colours. The update also brings some UI changes in line with Android L.


The new version of the Google Play Store comes with a redesigned menu bar with colour coded section names. The 'what's new' section for app listings is also placed at the top and is highlighted with a different colour, so users no longer need to scroll down to check on recent changes. The update was spotted by Phandroid.

Motorola updates camera app, adds remote shutter for android wear

Motorola fans can rejoice as the company has just rolled out an update that now adds Android Wear support for its camera app. As we all know Android smartphone makers have recently begun to push out their core apps onto the Play Store in order to make updates for core functions easier without the need of a firmware upgrade. HTC started it and Motorola soon followed up.

As for the new update, its adds remote shutter control which basically allows you to click a picture from your Moto X, G or E’s smartphone camera via your smartwatch. Yes, the app runs on any Android Wear smartwatch, but you will need to have a Motorola smartphone to do the same.
  
The update makes taking photographs remotely a breeze. You simply turn on the camera app on your smartphone and your smartwatch will immediately prompt you with a notification, which then opens an app with a shutter button. No, there is no live view feed (similar to Wear

Zen Mobile to launch low cost Firefox handsets this month

Zen Mobile to launch low cost Firefox handsets this month. This is going to come with similar specs as other Firefox smartphones launched thus far.
Zen Mobile is all set to come out with a dirt cheap smartphone running on Firefox operating system. The handset will be the fourth in the country and is expected to be priced below Rs 2000.
The handsets from Zen Mobile is coming out with matching specs and features compared to the three other Firefox handsets that were launched in the last few weeks by the likes of Spice, Intex and Alcatel.

This seems to be just the beginning. There are many other smartphone makers who are just waiting to see the response that the Firefox handsets get in the Indian market and then take the plunge. It is really amazing to see India’s top smartphone maker Micromax still not deciding to come out with such an inexpensive smartphone.
But its acceptability may remain limited given the fact that these handsets run on a new operating system and despite their very low

Mark @India’s first minorities’ cyber village in Rajasthan

Mark Zuckerberg @India’s first minorities’ cyber village in Rajasthan. The Facebook CEO interacted with youth and children there
Mark Zuckerberg is meeting high and mighty across India. He has met almost every ‘who is who’ of business, tech and politics. He had a successful meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His company’s chief operating officer too had held meeting with the Indian Prime Minister in New Delhi, immediately after he became the Prime Minister of the country.
Now it was the turn of the Facebook chief executive officer and founder Mark Zuckerberg to have a one to one meeting with India’s prime minister narendra Modi who just had a successful trip of the country where Mark Zuckerberg’s company and top social networking site Facebook is based.

But he is not just meeting the high and the mighty in India. There are many other things, places and people on his minds to whom he is meeting and where he is going. And one of those places was a remote hamlet in Rajasthan that was the first minorities cyber village. I am sure not many of us had even heard about it. But Mark Zuckerberg was apparently made aware of it and he took time off from his very tight schedule to visit the place.
Chandauli, a little known village very close to

Apple needs to address iOS updating before it creates toxic hellstew of its own

Apple's iOS update mechanism has become so clumsy and cumbersome – not to mention iOS itself being buggy – that iPhone and iPad owners are holding off from upgrading to the latest release.

iOS 8 usage, as measured by Apple, currently stands at 47 percent, which is only one percentage point higher than it stood on September 21, four days after iOS 8 was released.

Zuckerberg wants to make internet connectivity a human right in India.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg today stressed on the need for bringing down the cost of accessing the Internet in India, as well as developing content locally to get more people connected to it.

In order to achieve its goal of connecting the two-thirds of the world who are not yet online, Facebook will focus on three key challenges in developing countries: making access affordable, using data more efficiently and focus on localising services — working with operating system providers and other partners to enable more languages on mobile devices, Zuckerberg said.

Philips Launches New Range of Televisions in India With Apple TV Features

Targeting the festive season sales, consumer electronic major Philips on Thursday introduced a new range of televisions that come bundled with Apple TV features.
Priced at Rs. 29,990 onwards, the new range would be a unison of the features, innovations of the two brands - Philips and Apple, PE Electronics said in a statement.

The new range would have access to Apple's iTunes, which is world's largest entertainment library containing music, movies, TV shows. It would also have Airplay and Screen Mirroring, which would render iPhone, iPad screen on Philips LED TV.

Control your smartphone with hand gestures

With a new app developed by Swiss researchers, users can now control their smartphones with gestures resembling sign language.

“Many movement-recognition programmes need plenty of processor and memory power. Our new algorithm uses a far smaller portion of computer memory and is ideal for smartphones,” explained its developer Otmar Hilliges, professor of computer science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ).

Mirosoft Xim: A new app that lets you temporarily share photos on your phone with others

Sharing photos with your friends has now become simpler and more secure with Microsoft's new Xim app. With this new photo-sharing app, built by Microsoft Research's FUSE labs, you can make others see photos on your phone without having to actually pass your phone around.

All you have to do is to download the app, choose photos you want others to see, and share with them. The photos will appear synchronously on everyone's devices even if others don't have the app. The same photos (or say, Xims created by you) will expire after a little while. In other words, people you have shared photos with will not have access to your photos after a while.
This whole concept makes the entire photo-viewing experience in a group more enjoyable as your friends can view photos from the comfort of their own seat and screen rather than waiting turns or huddling around one phone.

IIT-M tool to detect driver fatigue to hit roads soon

Driver fatigue is one of the main reasons for accidents, the state transport corporation has realized, and IIT-Madras has developed a tool to help detect fatigue behind the wheel. 

The tool was developed early this year and the government wants to test it on the road. "We are looking to test it on around 50 drivers from MTC (Metropolitan Transport Corporation) and see if it works," said an official from Institute for Road Transport (IRT). "We will draw up a schedule this week and see if we can install the system in the vehicles." 

HTC Desire Eye: HTC's selfie-focused smartphone with a 13MP front camera launched

After Samsung and Microsoft, HTC has now introduced its selfie-focused smartphone. Named the HTC Desire Eye, the new smartphone is claimed to include one of the best front-facing cameras.

The Desire Eye has a 13 megapixel front and rear cameras for detailed image quality. Its front camera is the highest resolution front camera to date. Both the front and rear cameras have a dual-LED flash to provide natural tones. The BSI sensors on both the cameras are said to capture crisp photos even in low-light conditions.
It has a dual-colour, waterproof unibody design with a 5.2-inch full HD display. Beating under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor.

HTC RE Camera: A waterproof, 16-megapixel external camera that you can control with your phone

HTC, alongside the Desire Eye selfie smartphone, has also launched a little camera, which the company claims is its newest photography innovation. It has a cylindrical design which is believed to fit comfortably in your hand.
The RE features a built-in grip sensor that instantly activates the camera on pick up, eliminating the need for a power button. Its single shutter button allows one tap to capture photos and a longer press for video recording.

The new camera features a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, Full HD (1080p) video recording, 146 degree wide-angle lens and slow-motion and time lapse recording. Its waterproof construction that lets you shoot up to 1 metre underwater.
HTC RE Camera: A waterproof, 16-megapixel external camera that you can control with your phone

Nexus 6 beats LG G3, Samsung Galaxy S5 in benchmark test

A Nexus 6 benchmark has appeared, showing it'll outperform top phones like the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S5. A listing for the Nexus 6 has appeared on Geekbench, one of the top benchmarking utilities.

It shows the as-yet-unannounced phone, code-named 'shamu', will offer more power than the current crop despite, with any luck, costing significantly less.

The Nexus 6 scores 3,199 points in the Geekbench 3 test, roughly 10% more than top phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

iPhone 6 India launch: Pre-orders have started on Infibeam, Amazon and Flipkart from Rs 53,500 onwards

Finally, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders have begun in India. While people are known to stand in long queues to grab the new iPhone, the company has also partnered with online retailer Infibeam to sell the plush devices.

In fact, Infibeam claims to be the sole Authorised Apple online retailer in India. Contrary to this, the device is also listed on Flipkart. However, Flipkart page also has a Pre-Order Now button and it also states the estimated delivery date as October 17th. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been listed on the site starting at Rs 53,500 and Rs 62,500, respectively.  The e-retailer also promises to get it delivered by October 17 in metros like Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Pune, Jaipur, 

Facebook launches new ad network for a bigger marketing audience

Those seeking to escape Facebook's targeted advertising may find avoiding it a little bit harder now that the social networking site's Audience Network is open to all marketers.

Facebook's Audience Network draws the social networking site's ads out into other apps. Developers looking to monetize apps can infuse them with ads from Audience Network, while publishers enjoy a wider reach for ad campaigns.

In a recent blog post, Facebook revealed it has expanded the availability of Audience Network and re-engineered the platform to support more ad types. Advertisers can now link ads to mobile websites.

Facebook reportedly testing new app that lets you chat anonymously

After Facebook's unsuccessful attempts at knocking off the anonymity crown of apps such as Snapchat and Secret, the social network is making another stab at letting users share more information anonymously with a new standalone app it is apparently working on.

The New York Times cites two sources with knowledge of Facebook plans who say that Facebook is veering off from its long-standing strategy of pushing for real user identities and will launch a new app in the coming weeks that will let users use pseudonyms to participate in discussions about subjects "which they may not be comfortable connecting to their real names." It's not clear if the app will allow users to be anonymous only to other users or if the anonymity will extend to Facebook itself.

Skype to stop domestic calling facility to phones from November 10

Skype users in India will not be able use the app to make calls to phones within India, as the company has announced that it will bar calling function from Skype to mobile and landlines within India starting from November 10.

The popular voice over internet service provider has mentioned in its blog that “As of 10 November 2014, if you are in India, calling from Skype to mobiles and landlines within India will unfortunately no longer be available.” Though, it has not mentioned the reason behind barring domestic calling facilities. 

The company has mentioned in its blog that the change in the calling facility is valid only on calls made from Skype to landlines and mobiles within India, and users will still be able to make free Skype-to-Skype calls within the country. Also, the company will continue providing free international calling functionalities to mobiles and landlines in India as well as from India. Skype Credit feature will also be functional to use Skype Wi-Fi or to send SMS messages to your contacts. Skype has mentioned that those who have bought the premium subscription must cancel it to avoid being billed in the future. 

Google Search will soon be available in a lite version, customised for slow Internet speeds

Aimed at strengthening its foothold in the Indian mobile Internet space, tech giant Google will enable a faster search capability for mobile phones with slower network connections.

Using a new streamlined version of its search results page, the US-based company will automatically check if a user has a slow wireless connection and deliver a fast loading version of Search.

“Increasingly, people in India are accessing the Internet through mobile devices such as their smartphones. However, not all of these devices come with fast, cheap connections,” Google Distinguished Software Engineer Bharat Mediratta said in a blogpost.

Fewer bytes means users get answers faster and cheaper, he added.

“Google’s high-quality results will remain the same, but elements such as images and maps will only show up when they are an essential part of the result,” he said.

This is just another step Google is taking to organise the world’s information and make it accessible to everyone, including those who do not have fast mobile connections, Mediratta added.

Google has been increasing its focus on the Indian market, bringing out products designed to cater to the price and quality-conscious people in the country.

Moto X: The second gen coming

Motorola is at it again. It cracked the budget smartphone segment with the Moto E and unlocked the mid-range segment with the Moto G. Now, the company has come out with another attraction - the all new Moto X. The new Moto X comes at a time when a slew of devices are fighting for a piece of the market pie. Let's see if it makes the cut.

New design

The new Moto X comes with a bigger screen - a 5.2-inch AMOLED display that gives the device a spacious look. In the front there's a bunch of elements - infrared sensors, two front-ported speakers and the front-facing camera. The nanoSIM tray is now on the top of the phone. The back cover on the new Moto X comes in various designs - from leather to wood. The wooden cover is slippery, so make sure you keep a tight grip.

Okay Moto or Jarvis? You name it

Remember the "magic words" in the first Moto X? This time, Motorola has given a more personal touch to the concept. Users can now create their own "hotword detection" prompt - a voice prompt in lay terms. I tried everything - "Ok Moto", "Hey buddy" and "Ok Jarvis". You will need to find a quiet spot and then repeat the phrase three times to get it right.

The Moto app

Voice control and motion actions are now under one app called Moto. The Moto app has four categories: Assist, Actions, Voice and Display. Assist adjusts to what the user is doing. You can now personalise the settings for when you are sleeping, driving, at home or in a meeting. In Actions, you can personalise how to silence a call with just a wave of your hand over the phone. Voice has the settings to your launch phrase, while Display allows you to choose what notifications to show when the device is locked.

'Offtime' App Helps You Unplug Without Missing Urgent Matters

A new app is here to not only help identify your bad habits - such as spending an inordinate amount of time on the phone - but also suggest ways to get rid of them.

A German psychologist Alexander Steinhart has developed the app called OFFTIME in collaboration with the Humboldt University of Berlin and designer Michael Dettbarn. A study at Humboldt University found that users were unlocking their phones 63 times per day." After using the app, that number declined. Users just unplugged for at least two hours per day," Steinhart was quoted as saying in media reports.

The app is designed in such a way that you can unplug without missing urgent matters. It lets you list contacts who can pierce through your downtime, like your spouse or children, but otherwise shuts down apps, calls, texts and emails.

Windows 10 the best ever windows. Matching with all your acceptations.

One way to look at it is that Windows is at a threshold ; It’s time for a new Windows. This new Windows must be built from the ground-up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world. This new Windows must help users to be productive in both their digital work and their digital life. This new Windows must empower people and organizations to do great things.

That new Windows is Windows 10.

Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of devices – from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise data centers worldwide. Some of these devices have 4 inch screens – some have 80 inch screens – and some don’t have screens at all. Some of these devices you hold in your hand, others are ten feet away. Some of these devices you primarily use touch/pen, others mouse/keyboard, others controller/gesture – and some devices can switch between input types.

Features of Windows 10:

Windows back in its own style with some add-on in WINDOWS 10. 

Start menu: 

The familiar Start menu is back, but it brings with it a new customizable space for your favorite apps and Live Tiles.

Everything runs in a window: 

Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop apps do and can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing for maximize, minimize, and close with a click.

What's in ios 8(iPhone) that will change your everyday mobile life ?

1. Battery usage indicator

It's probably the most common complaint about the iPhone: The battery drains too damn fast. This is, of course, dependent on exactly what you do with it, but how do users know whether to prioritize dimming the screen, quitting a particular app or turning off Background App Refresh?

In iOS 8, they'll finally get some guidance. The iPhone's settings will offer a way to check exactly which apps and functions are draining your battery. With that guidance, users will be able to selectively change their settings or uninstall the right apps to maximize their battery.

Developers will certainly find the feature useful as well, as it should help make their apps more efficient. In short, this could be the most welcome new feature in iOS 8.

2. New keyboard(s)

There's nothing more fundamental to the iPhone than its onscreen keyboard — and in iOS 8, it gets an upgrade via predictive typing, which suggests several options for the next word as you type. This is a feature that's been on Android for a while, although Apple says its implementation is superior — since it learns what you're likely to say to different friends and colleagues.

At the same time, Apple is letting developers offer their own keyboards. You may have tried Swype for Android, for example, which uses an algorithm that lets you swipe around a keyboard rather than tap; the company has already said it will make its keyboard available for iOS.

FOLED ( Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode)

A flexible organic light emitting diode (FOLED) is a type of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) incorporating a flexible plastic substrate on which the electroluminescent organic semiconductor is deposited. This enables the device to be bent or rolled while still operating. Currently the focus of research in industrial and academic groups, flexible OLEDs form one method of fabricating a rollable display.

The novel and truly exciting features of Universal Display’s proprietary FOLED^® flexible technology have the potential to engender a wide variety of new display and lighting products. With FOLED technology still under development today, the first commercial FOLED displays are targeted for use in portable electronics and lighting tiles – leveraging their advantages in ruggedness, thinness and light weight. Based on Universal Display's FOLED technology roadmap, the next generation of FOLEDs may provide added functionality through increased conformability. This feature may open up a wide range of new product opportunities – ranging from new shaped cell phone designs to novel communication devices that are wearable.

43Tbps over a single fiber: World’s fastest network would let you download a movie in 0.2 milliseconds

A research group at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU),

which was the first to break the one-terabit barrier in 2009, has today managed to squeeze 43 terabits per second over a single optical fiber with just one laser transmitter. In a more user-friendly unit, 43Tbps is equivalent to a transfer rate of around 5.4 terabytes per second — or 5,375 gigabytes to be exact. Yes, if you had your hands on DTU’s new fiber-optic network, you could transfer the entire contents of your 1TB hard drive in a fifth of a second — or, to put it another way, a 1GB DVD rip in 0.2 milliseconds.

How did the DTU hit 43Tbps and steal the world record away from Karlsruhe? Well, rather amusingly, they kind of cheated. While the researchers did only use a single laser, it used multi-core fiber. This is still a single filament of glass fiber, but it has multiple individual channels that can each carry their own optical signal. In this case, DTU used multi-core optical fibers with seven cores, produced by Japanese telecom giant NTT. Back in 2011 when Karlsruhe set its 26Tbps record (with a single-core fiber), multi-core fibers were both difficult and expensive to manufacture — now, in 2014, it would seem the bugs have been ironed out and NTT is moving ahead with commercial deployments. The photo at the top of the story, incidentally, is an experimental hollow-multi-core fiber developed by DARPA.