SiriusXM Lynx Portable Android-Powered Radio, The First SiriusXM 2.0 Radio Review

SiriusXM introduces the Lynx portable radio, the first SiriusXM 2.0 radio that offers new features and expanded channel lineup via satellite and internet, the new device features for satellite radio when docked with the optional Lynx LV1 Vehicle Kit or Lynx LH1 Home Kit. The Lynx is powered by a 1200mAh rechargeable battery and has a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 multi-touch display, microSD card slot for storing MP3 and AAC+ files and also Bluetooth connectivity. It's currently available online for $250 and will be hitting retail shops in the near future, still no word on that whereabouts of that shaker of salt.

Sirius XM Radio introduced the SiriusXM Lynx Portable Radio, the first SiriusXM 2.0 radio that offers new features and receives an expanded channel lineup via satellite and Internet. Lynx is the most advanced radio ever from SiriusXM, able to receive the new expanded SiriusXM 2.0 channel lineup of commercial-free music, sports, and comedy that includes SiriusXM Latino, a new suite of Spanish-language programming. Lynx is built with a flexible architecture which allows for new features and capabilities to be added through software updates. "Lynx gives subscribers the expanded SiriusXM 2.0 content lineup and advanced features, enabling time shifting and storage of content, offering listeners more control over the programming they subscribe to," said Jim Meyer, President, Operations and Sales, SiriusXM. "Lynx will offer even more options to manage our exclusive and expertly curated content through future software updates." SiriusXM 2.0 is a major upgrade and evolution of SiriusXM's satellite and Internet delivered service that will ultimately span hardware, software, audio and data services.


Lynx gives subscribers more control over how they listen to SiriusXM satellite radio, allowing them to start a song from the beginning when tuning to a Favorite music channel or store broadcast content to listen to later. Subscribers can also restart their favorite content while connected to SiriusXM Internet Radio via Wi-Fi. Subscribers can control their listening experience easily using the large touch screen display. Lynx can stream SiriusXM content to Bluetooth stereo speakers, headphones, vehicle stereo systems or optional accessories for the home, vehicle or portable use. Lynx is based on the Android operating system and is fully updatable via a Wi-Fi connection. SiriusXM Lynx is available now at shop.siriusxm.com or crutchfield.com at an MSRP of $249.99. Lynx will be available soon at retail stores nationwide. Lynx offers key SiriusXM 2.0 features for satellite radio when docked with the optional Lynx LV1 Vehicle Kit or Lynx LH1 Home Kit, including:

• Tune Start: Automatically starts the currently playing song from the beginning so listeners will hear the whole song when tuning to any of their satellite radio music channels saved as a Favorite channel.
• Radio Replays: Subscribers can build a library of up to 200 hours of programming from their Favorite satellite radio channels which are automatically recorded to allow for playback anywhere.
• Pause, Rewind and Replay: Listeners can replay up to 30 minutes of live SiriusXM content on the currently tuned channel, and also access replay content on 5 favorite preset channels currently displayed.
• Featured Favorites: A dynamic set of presets that can be automatically added as favorite channels, allowing users to easily discover new and specialty programming.
• Show Finder: An easy-to-use electronic programming guide offering a complete list of what's on over the next 7 days by channel, with the ability to set reminder alerts when favorite shows are being broadcast.

Lynx also offers SiriusXM 2.0 features for listening to SiriusXM Internet Radio via Wi-Fi networks at home, office or accessible hotspot, including:

• Start Now allows subscribers to go back 5 hours to select and listen to previously broadcast programming.
• View program information, album art and read artist bios.
• Rewind to hear programming again or skip forward to hear what's playing next.
• Pause live radio and pick up right where the listener left off
• Access to Show Finder, the electronic programming guide.

The SiriusXM Lynx LV1 Vehicle Kit gives subscribers everything needed to listen to satellite radio in the vehicle. Drivers and passengers can browse and quickly tune channels with a convenient rotary control knob. An Aux-In Cable is included to facilitate audio connection in vehicles that have audio systems with an auxiliary input connection. The LV1 can also connect to Bluetooth Audio-enabled systems, or through the vehicles existing radio using SiriusXM's PowerConnect transmitter. The vehicle kit also charges Lynx while docked. The Lynx vehicle kit is available at an MSRP of $69.99. The SiriusXM Lynx LH1 Home Kit gives subscribers everything needed to listen to SiriusXM satellite radio or Internet radio in the home or office. Subscribers can connect to a home audio system with easy, do-it-yourself set up and stream SiriusXM from Lynx to the home kit with Bluetooth. The Lynx home kit is available at an MSRP of $69.99. Lynx receives the new array of channels, added to the already ground-breaking and award-winning SiriusXM programming lineup. The expanded channel selection includes new commercial-free music plus new sports and comedy channels including channels created with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ESPN SportsCenter and Upright Citizens Brigade, as well as Carlin's Corner featuring albums, concerts and comedy from the archives of the legendary George Carlin. SiriusXM Lynx also receives the full SiriusXM Latino channel lineup. SiriusXM Latino is the most comprehensive Latin programming lineup available to radio listeners, including exclusive commercial-free music channels and a wide variety of music genres, including tropical, salsa, merengue, Latin pop hits, Latin hip-hop, Latin rock classics and more. Listeners will also get 24/7 news and talk from RadioFormula Mexico, the leading radio broadcaster from Mexico; sexy, smart, refined and exclusive adult programming showcasing Latin talent on Playboy Radio en Espanol and Spanish-language coverage of world-class professional sports on multiple Deportes en Vivo channels. SiriusXM Latino will also include Cristina Radio from iconic talk show host Cristina Saralegui, and featuring lifestyle, health and family programming for Latinas. Cristina Radio, produced by National Latino Broadcasting, is launching in the coming months.

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LG 84-Inch Ultra Definition 4K TV Review

LG Electronics is set to debut an 84-inch ultra definition 4K television at next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the new TV set will be a 3-D TV as well and also LG is calling the new 4K display ultra definition or UD, to signal that this set can output a higher resolution image than current high-definition televisions. LG has of course packed in all of its latest Smart TV functions with access to premium content services and more than 1,200 apps and if using a regular remote control doesn't do it for you, LG's ergonomically designed Magic Remote will now recognize four types of command input: Voice Recognition, Wheel, Magic Gesture, and Point. Its Cinema 3D tech uses a Film Pattern Retarder (FPR) screen and passive glasses that result in lowered resolution, but with those extra pixels there's no question about whether viewers are still getting at least an HD picture and so far 4K at home is the domain of Sony and JVC's high-priced projectors.



LG Electronics (LG) will unveil the world's largest 3D Ultra Definition (UD) TV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. By combining LG's industry-leading 3D technology and Smart TV function with UD display technology, the 84-inch TV breaks new ground in immersive 3D home entertainment. "LG is pushing the limits of home entertainment innovation with this 3D UD TV," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. "We are bringing together all our Smart TV and 3D knowledge in the 3D UD TV in order to demonstrate to the CES audience that LG is committed to being the world's leading brand for immersive home entertainment in 2012 and beyond." LG's 3D UD TV boasts superb picture quality with 8 million pixels, four times the resolution clarity (3840x2160) of existing Full HD TV panels. Combined with LG's Slim and Narrow Bezel Design, the 3D UD TV provides the most convincing 3D viewing experience currently available outside of a movie theater. What's more, 3D Depth Control allows users to customize their viewing experience by controlling the 3D effect while 3D Sound Zooming provides users with 3D sound that rivals the output of all but the best home theater systems. Via the superior display panel, users can access LG's Smart TV ecosystem, which comprises over 1,200 apps and gives users access to a growing range of premium content services such as the 3D Zone where viewers can select from a wealth of 3D movies. The imbedded 2D to 3D conversion engine expands the availability of 3D content to limitless levels. Users can easily browse and navigate the Smart TV ecosystem using LG's new, ergonomically-designed Magic Remote which now recognizes four different types of command input: Voice Recognition, Wheel, Magic Gesture and Point.

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AMD Radeon HD 7970 Single-GPU Graphics Card With Graphics Core Next Architecture And AMD CrossFire Technology Review

AMD announces next-gen Radeon HD 7970 for $549 and it's AMD's first 28nm GPU. This new card uses the Tahiti XT GPU, which aside from being built on 28nm process also uses the brand new AMD Graphics Core Next architecture and Graphics Core Next (GDC) is a revolutionary new architecture that eliminates the previous VLIW design for a non-VLIW SIMD engine. AMD Randon HD 7970 includes 768KB of L2 cache and eight render back-ends capable of pushing 32 color ROPs per clock and 128 Z/stencil ROPs per clock cycle. AMD hopes to make the card more practical than the dual-processor 6990 by bringing the card's power consumption down to less than 300W under load and a mere 3W in 'long idle' mode, and promising quieter cooling thanks to improved airflow and a bigger fan. We'll have to wait for benchmarks in January before we hand out any medals, but in the meantime NVIDIA's forthcoming 28nm Kepler GPU might want to step up its training schedule and each of AMD’s GCN Compute Units accesses a dedicated L1 read/write cache. Each group of four units shares a 16KB instruction cache and a 32KB scalar data cache.

AMD launched the AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card for desktop PCs, introducing the world's fastest single GPU graphics card and the only GPU based on 28nm production technology. With the arrival of the AMD Radeon HD 7970, AMD has unleashed its revolutionary new Graphics Core Next Architecture that enables new levels of gaming and compute capabilities – realizing an improvement of over 150% in performance/sq mm over the prior generation. Engineered with support for PCI Express 3.0 and AMD CrossFire technology, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card arrives prepared for the next generation of gaming. "True to the adage, "never settle," AMD is once again aggressively advancing the state of the graphics industry – this time with the arrival of the world's fastest single GPU graphics card, the AMD Radeon HD 7970," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. ―"This graphics card represents a revolution in the graphics industry. To put it bluntly, at 28 nm the AMD Radeon HD 7970 changes everything!" AMD further extends its GPU leadership with the AMD Radeon HD 7970 through AMD App Acceleration, which enables exquisite high-definition video images and exceptional performance improvements for everyday applications. Ground-breaking advancements with AMD Eyefinity technology enable gamers and desktop enthusiasts to connect up to six displays to one graphics card, delivering immersive stereoscopic 3D experiences and astonishing 16k x 16k display resolutions. It's also armed with the latest PCI Express 3.0 standard to enable uncompromised image quality, and is additionally equipped with GDDR5 memory, enabling accelerated GPU performance. Through its intelligent AMD PowerTune and AMD ZeroCore Power technologies, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 enables higher performance levels while maximizing power efficiencies.

"The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is an awesome tool in any gamer's arsenal," said Johan Andersson, Rendering Architect at DICE. ―"We have worked closely with AMD during the development of the Frostbite 2 game engine to take full advantage of AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology and DirectX 11 for a more realistic, entertaining and visceral gaming experience in Battlefield 3." The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is available January 9, 2012 from retailers worldwide, with select models starting at $549 US SEP.


Efficient Architecture for Leading DirectX 11 Performance:

• New architecture for greater performance: AMD has further enhanced its GPU design efficiency through the introduction of the 28nm process technology and Graphics Core Next Architecture, realizing an improvement of over 150% in performance/sq mm over the prior generation.
• Refined AMD PowerTune technology: Designed with the most advanced power management features, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is equipped with the intelligence to convert unused power headroom into extra performance by dynamically controlling clock speeds, allowing gamers advanced performance inside of the power envelope they specify.
• AMD ZeroCore Power Technology: Gamers asked, AMD delivered – the AMD ZeroCore Power technology found in the AMD Radeon HD 7970 ensures that no power is wasted when the graphics card is not in use, enabling lower idle power than any other currently available graphics card. With support for AMD CrossFire technology, AMD ZeroCore Power eliminates wasted power, as well as additional heat and noise from extra cards when you are not using them.
• PCI Express 3.0: The AMD Radeon HD 7970 comes natively equipped with support for PCI Express 3.0. With world-class performance scaling, enthusiasts' GPU experience is maximized when paired with the latest platforms.
• Discrete Digital Multi-Point (DDM) Audio: DDM Audio provides multiple independent audio streams for audio-capable displays via DisplayPort or HDMI signals. DDM Audio delivers unique experiences in cases where multi-display video conferencing, directional audio or multi-room entertainment hubs are being used.
• Enhanced Multi-GPU Capabilities: AMD CrossFire technology is the ultimate multi-GPU performance gaming platform. Unlocking game-dominating power, AMD CrossFire technology, coupled with PCI Express 3.0, will allow for unprecedented bandwidth in TriFire and QuadFire configurations.

The Ultimate Immersive Gaming Experience and Innovative AMD Eyefinity 2.0 Technology:

• Next Generation AMD Eyefinity technology: AMD Eyefinity 2.0 features all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation, brand new display configurations and an expanded and more immersive field of view. This allows users with 2560x1600 monitors in an AMD Eyefinity 5x1 landscape configuration to achieve a horizontal resolution of 12,800 pixels, driving more than 20 million pixels of screen real estate. More than 70 game titles have been AMD Eyefinity- validated, while many are AMD Eyefinity-ready, and hundreds more are AMD Eyefinity-compatible.
• DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a: With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is set to drive next generation displays at up to 4K resolution.
• 3D entertainment choices with AMD HD3D technology: With the arrival of the latest in stereo 3D technology, AMD continues to deliver an enhanced visual experience on stereo 3D-capable desktops and notebooks powered by AMD Radeon graphics. The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is backed by AMD's open 3D initiative for stereo 3D gaming and Blu-ray 3D movies.
• Better Performance through AMD App Acceleration
• AMD App Acceleration lets you do more, faster: Enthusiasts will enjoy improved GPGPU performance and new features in many top media, entertainment and everyday productivity applications with AMD App Acceleration.
• Extensive support of industry standards: AMD Radeon HD 7970 fully supports DirectCompute and OpenCL technologies, enabling broad application support today and tomorrow.

Overview:

• The world’s first 28nm GPU. The revolutionary new GCN Architecture. Ready for DirectX 11. PCI Express 3.0. The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is your personal checklist for ground-breaking technology.
• The next generation of AMD Eyefinity technology is here, featuring all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation and brand new display configurations. Face it: the best just got better.
• Armed with the new PCI Express 3.0 standard, multi-GPU configurations with AMD CrossFire technology are just another way to obliterate the competition with the revolutionary AMD Radeon™ HD 7970.^4,5
• Leave no performance behind. Get higher clocks and faster gaming with AMD PowerTune technology on AMD Radeon HD 7970 Graphics.
• Fold and mine faster than ever with AMD App Acceleration powered by the unprecedented 28nm GCN Architecture.
• The market isn’t ready for 4k video, but Radeon is. With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is set for quad HD.

System Requirements:

• PCI Express based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard
• 500W (or greater) power supply with one 150W 8-pin PCI Express power connector and one 75W 6-pin PCI Express power connector recommended.
• Certified power supplies are recommended. Refer to http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSU for a list of Certified products
• Minimum 1GB of system memory
• Installation software requires CD-ROM drive, a keyboard, a mouse, and a display
• DVD playback requires DVD drive and a DVD
• Blu-ray playback requires Blu-ray drive and a Blu-ray disc
• For an AMD CrossFire system, a second AMD Radeon HD 7970 Graphics card, an AMD CrossFire Ready motherboard and one AMD CrossFire Bridge Interconnect cable is required
• Use of 3 or more displays with AMD Eyefinity technology requires a DisplayPort-capable panel or an AMD Eyefinity validated dongle. See http://www.amd.com/EyefinityDongles for a list of validated DisplayPort dongles

Specifications:

• Up to 925MHz Engine Clock
• 3GB GDDR5 Memory
• 1375MHz Memory Clock (5.5Gbps GDDR5)
• 264GB/s memory bandwidth (maximum)
• 3.79 TFLOPs Single Precision compute power
• 947 GFLOPs Double Precision compute power
• GCN Architecture
  • 32 compute units (2048 Stream Processors)
  • 128 Texture Units
  • 128 Z/Stencil ROP Units
  • 32 Color ROP Units
  • Dual Geometry Engines
  • Dual Asynchronous Compute Engines (ACE)
• PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus interface
• DirectX 11-capable graphics
  • 9th generation programmable hardware tessellation units
  • Shader Model 5.0
  • DirectCompute 11
  • Accelerated multi-threading
  • HDR texture compression
  • Order-independent transparency
• OpenGL 4.2 support
  • Partially Resident Textures (PRT)
    • Ultra-high resolution texture streaming
• Image quality enhancement technology
  • Up to 24x multi-sample and super-sample anti-aliasing modes
  • Adaptive anti-aliasing
  • Morphological Anti-Aliasing (MLAA)
  • DirectX® 10/11 Super-Sample Anti-Aliasing (SSAA)
  • 16x angle independent anisotropic texture filtering
  • 128-bit floating point HDR rendering
• AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology
  • Up to 6 displays supported with DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport
  • Independent resolutions, refresh rates, color controls, and video overlays
  • Display grouping
    • Combine multiple displays to behave like a single large display
• AMD App Acceleration
  • OpenCL 1.2 Support
  • Microsoft C++ AMP
  • DirectCompute 11
  • Double Precision Floating Point
  • AMD HD Media Accelerator
    • Universal Video Decoder (UVD)
      • H.264
      • VC-1
      • MPEG-2 (SD & HD)
      • MVC (Blu-ray 3D)
      • MPEG-4 Part 2 (DivX/Xvid)
      • Adobe Flash
      • DXVA 1.0 & 2.0 support
    • Enhanced Video Quality features
      • Advanced post-processing and scaling
        • Deblocking
        • Denoising
        • Automatic deinterlacing
        • Mosquito noise reduction
        • Edge enhancement
        • 3:2 pulldown detection
      • Advanced video color correction
        • Brighter whites processing (Blue Stretch)
        • Independent video gamma control
        • Flesh tone correction
        • Color vibrance control
        • Dynamic contrast
        • Dynamic video range control
• AMD HD3D technology
  • Stereoscopic 3D display/glasses support
  • Blu-ray 3D support
  • Stereoscopic 3D gaming
  • 3rd party Stereoscopic 3D middleware software support
• AMD CrossFire multi-GPU technology
  • Dual, triple or quad-GPU scaling
• Cutting-edge integrated display support
  • DisplayPort 1.2
    • Max resolution: 4096x2160 per display
    • Multi-Stream Transport
    • 21.6 Gbps bandwidth
    • High bit-rate audio
    • Quad HD/4k video support
  • 3GHz HDMI 1.4a with Stereoscopic 3D Frame Packing Format, Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio
    • Max resolution: 4096x3112
    • 1080p60 Stereoscopic 3D
    • Quad HD/4k video support
  • Dual-link DVI with HDCP
    • Max resolution: 2560x1600
  • VGA
    • Max resolution: 2048x1536
• Integrated HD audio controller
  • Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI with no additional cables required
  • Supports AC-3, AAC, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio formats
• AMD PowerPlay power management technology
  • Automatic power management with low power idle states
• AMD PowerTune technology
  • Intelligent TDP management technology
  • Dynamic clockspeed/performance enhancement for games
• AMD ZeroCore Power
  • Ultra-low idle power when the system’s display is off
  • Secondary GPUs in an AMD CrossFire configuration power down when unneeded
• AMD Catalyst graphics and HD video configuration software
  • Software support for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
  • AMD Catalyst Control Center - AMD Catalyst software application and user interface for setup, configuration, and accessing features of AMD Radeon products
  • Unified Graphics display driver - AMD Catalyst software enabling other PC programs and devices to use advanced graphics, video, and features of AMD Radeon products

Architecture Pictures:

AMD Radeon HD 7970 Video Review:

Myriad Alien Vue Android Apps Service For HDTVs Review

Myriad Group is probably best known for creating a solution that brings Android apps to some decidedly non-Android devices and it looks like the Zurich-based company has set their sights on app-ifying yet another screen in your life, Myriad’s new Alien Vue software is meant for television service providers looking for a bit of an edge against the robust media experiences that Google and Apple can deliver. In addition to supporting Android apps, Alien Vue will also support HTML5 apps and access to the internet, Alien Vue also comes with an app store that can be branded by service providers and supports additional plugins like Myriad Connect & Share and so on. Targeted at OEMs and service providers who want to take advantage of Android apps, yet maintain control over the whole user experience, Myriad Alien Vue seems like the way to go and Alien Vue comes with an app store and support for features like multi-screen playback and cross-platform TV/smartphone/tablet viewing.




Myriad Group AG, the company powering billions of rich mobile social and web experiences on any connected device unveils the latest chapter of Myriad Alien Dalvik, called Myriad Alien Vue. Myriad's latest Alien release enables Internet access via TV allowing Android apps to run alongside existing television functions, in a unified user experience. Myriad will be showcasing Alien Vue, demonstrating Android apps on TV for the first time at CES 2012 January 10-13. Myriad Alien Vue is a complete end-to-end solution that enables TV service providers to add apps to their existing managed service offerings, in order to respond to the threat of new over-the-top content distribution channels from Apple, Google and others. The release, powered by Myriad Alien Dalvik technology, includes an app store developed in conjunction with AppCarousel that can be fully branded by service providers. Myriad Alien Vue also supports additional plug-in components like Myriad Connect & Share, providing multi-screen functionality for personal and premium content. Myriad Alien Vue is unique in that not only does it allow customers to leverage their existing TV and set-top box equipment, it also works seamlessly with mobile phones and tablets giving users complete control over their TV experience. "Since launching at Mobile World Congress early this year, we have had an incredible response to our Myriad Alien Dalvik software," said Simon Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Myriad Group. "We have shown how Android apps can work seamlessly across non-Android devices, including mobile phones, tablets and iPads, and now, with Myriad Alien Vue, we have delivered Android to another key screen in people's lives, the TV." This new release supports apps designed to run on GoogleTV and HTML5, including YouTube, Netflix and Twitter. Apps, content and services appear and function as they would in their native environment with no disruption or loss of performance. "Alien Vue provides a great alternative to OEMs and service providers who want to harness the Android ecosystem, while leveraging existing investments and retaining control of their customer's TV experience," added Wilkinson.

VMware View Virtual Desktops For Kindle Fire, Mac And Linux Review

VMware launched VMware View Clients for three new platforms, noticeably expanding the market for its desktop virtualization software and you can Simplify desktop and application management while increasing security and control with VMware View. Deliver a personalized high fidelity experience for end-users across sessions and devices and enable higher availability and agility of desktop services unmatched by traditional PCs while reducing the total cost of desktop ownership up to 50%. The most notable item in that mix is VMware View for the Kindle Fire and VMware View brings Windows desktops to various devices and can mix and match environments on various systems. Two other major selling points, according to VMware, is that View is supposed to help improve security while lowering operating costs and VMware is especially targeting education customers with these new options, touting VMware View to enable campus IT organizations to better support users on many more mobile devices and also ensuring that students have immediate access to their applications on these gadgets.

VMware Inc., the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure announced the availability of new VMware View Clients for Kindle Fire, Mac and Linux, along with updates to its popular VMware View Clients for Android and iPad. Available today as technology previews, the new VMware View Clients for Mac and Linux allow IT organizations to empower more agile, productive and connected workforce or school communities by enabling an easy to access, high fidelity desktop virtualization experience optimized for the device of their choice. "More and more people want the freedom to choose the device that best fits their computing needs in school and into the workplace," said Pat Lee, director, end user clients, VMware. "With the new VMware View Clients, both IT and end users win with a complete, secure and easily-accessible virtual desktop on the devices that best meet their needs." While the proliferation of new devices is prevalent across all industries today, the education sector is at the forefront of this trend with labs supporting both Mac and Windows desktops as well as students bringing in their own tablets, laptops and PCs that are based on OS X, Windows and other platforms. The introduction of the new VMware View Clients for Mac and Linux will allow campus IT organizations to better support these end users and ensure that students have readily-available access to their applications and a consistent learning experience across devices. "Fifty one-percent of our faculty computers are Macs and just over twenty nine-percent of our student population uses Macs," said Steve Swartz, chief information officer and AVP of Technology at Fitchburg State University. "Having a Mac client running PCoIP is critical to our ability to extend VDI to these users."

"We're very excited about this release," added Dale A. Starr, junior associate director, Technology Support & Service, Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts – Amherst. "We've recently started deploying Mac computers in a managed configuration. One of the sticking points that users are commonly running into is software that only runs on Windows. It will be a great benefit to have the PCoIP client for Mac." VMware View is a complete, virtual desktop solution that enables enterprises to improve security and lower operating costs, while simplifying desktop administration and management by establishing a modern, end-user computing architecture. The result is a more flexible, centrally hosted computing model that provides IT with greater control and end users with freedom to access to their desktop across the broadest set of devices. The new VMware View Clients deliver:

• Rich Desktop Experience with PCoIP: The new VMware View clients for Mac and Linux bring users the rich desktop VMware View experience to Mac and Linux users. VMware View clients with PCoIP provide end-users with top performance regardless of network conditions.
• Optimized for Mac OS X Lion: Designed from the ground up for the Mac and with support for Lion Full Screen mode, Mac users can seamless switch between their Mac apps and their View virtual desktop with a swipe on the trackpad.
• Simple Connectivity: The VMware View clients for Mac and Linux are tightly integrated with the VMware View 4.6 and 5.0 for simple setup and connectivity. Quickly reconnect to your desktop in a few simple steps.
• Available in Ubuntu Software Center: VMware View client for Linux is available in the Ubuntu Software Center, making it easy for desktop Linux users to install the VMware View client and access their virtual desktops.
• Available in Amazon Appstore for Android for the Amazon Kindle Fire: VMware View client for Android is now available in the Amazon Appstore for Android, making it easy for Amazon Kindle Fire users to install the VMware View client and access their virtual desktops.

Overview:

Transform Desktop Management, Energize Users: Deliver rich, personalized virtual desktops as a managed service from a virtualization platform built to deliver the entire desktop, including the operating system, applications and data. With VMware View, desktop administrators virtualize the operating system, applications, and user data and deliver modern desktops to end-users. Get centralized automated management of these components for increased control and cost savings. Improve business agility while providing a flexible high performance desktop experience for end-users, across a variety of network conditions.

Deliver Business Agility and Service Availability: Bring the agility and availability of cloud computing to the desktop and applications with VMware View. Built on VMware vSphere, View delivers desktops from a single integrated platform as part of your cloud services. Dynamically allocate resources to enable highly responsive and available environment to end users. Scale up and down desktop services on demand to quickly meet changing business needs and proactively protect against planned and unplanned downtime. Run your desktops as business critical services for your workforce.

Easily Control and Manage Desktops: Increase control of desktops, applications and data by delivering and managing them as centralized services. A single, powerful administrative console provides oversight of desktop services while enabling IT to execute previously cumbersome tasks like provisioning, updates and patches into a few clicks of a mouse. Manage desktop components separately for greater flexibility in provisioning, updates and delivery. Easily apply policies, quickly enable and disable users all from a centralized console for optimal business response. Free up time from maintenance for technology innovation.

Deliver a Better Desktop Experience: Unlike traditional PCs, View desktops are not tied to the physical computer. Instead, they reside in your cloud and end-users can access their View desktop when needed. VMware View with PCoIP delivers the richest, most flexible and adaptive experience for end-users around the world in a variety of network conditions. Business happens everywhere and whether online or offline, basic or 3D applications, LAN or WAN, VMware View delivers maximum workplace productivity.

Key Features:

• View Media Services for 3D Graphics enables basic 3D applications like Windows Aero, Office 2010 or those requiring OpenGL or DirectX in View desktops without the need for specialized graphics cards or client devices. (Requires vSphere 5 or later as the platform.)
• View Media Services for Integrated Unified Communications enables an integrated VOIP and View desktop experience for the end-user with an architecture to provide optimized performance for both the desktop and unified communication.
• View Persona Management (View Premier editions only) dynamically associates a user persona to stateless floating desktops. IT administrators can deploy easier to manage stateless floating desktops to more use cases while enabling user personalization to persist between sessions.
• PCoIP Extension Services allow WMI based tools to collect over 20 session statistics for monitoring, trending and troubleshooting end-user support issues.
• PCoIP Optimization Controls deliver protocol efficiency and enables IT administrators to configure the bandwidth settings by use case, user or network requirements to consume up to 75% less bandwidth.
• PCoIP Continuity Services deliver a seamless end-user experience regardless of network reliability by detecting interruptions and automatically reconnecting the session.
• View Client for Android enables end-users with Android based tablets to access View virtual desktops.
• Enhanced Security Settings enable client certificate handling customization using established browser certificate model to reinforce corporate policy.
• vSphere 5 support ensures that View desktop services run on the industry’s most complete and robust cloud infrastructure platform for flexible, reliable IT services.

Corsair New Vengeance Gaming Keyboards And Laser Gaming Mice Review

Corsair ships Vengeance gaming mice and keyboards, procrastinating shoppers rejoice and a quick refresher for those who might have forgotten, the Vengeance K90 keyboard will feature blue LED backlit keys and 18 programmable macro keys whose settings are stored on a flash memory on board the keyboard itself. Vengeance gaming mice are precision tools, their adjustable DPI, intelligent ergonomics, on-board profile storage and configurable weight systems deliver all the performance you need. Vengeance high-performance gaming keyboards are designed for the flexibility and responsiveness that’s necessary for competitive play and also crafted with high-quality components and materials, Vengeance USB keyboards offer easy on-the-fly configuration, great key feel. The Vengeance K90 keyboard retailing for $129 and the M90 going for $79.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market announced immediate retail availability of their new line of Vengeance PC gaming peripherals. Corsair's new PC gaming peripherals line includes four new HID products: The Vengeance K60 and Vengeance K90 gaming keyboards and the Vengeance M60 and Vengeance M90 laser gaming mice. A key feature of all four of these new Vengeance Series products is the use of an aluminum structure to provide strength and durability, as well as a stunning industrial design. "We're hardcore gamers ourselves and with the new Corsair Vengeance line, we've developed precisely the products we always wanted." said Ruben Mookerjee, VP and General Manager of the Components Business Unit at Corsair. "They're carefully designed to give you the competitive edge you need to win." The Vengeance K60 gaming keyboard and the Vengeance M60 laser gaming mouse are designed for PC Gamers who specialize in First-Person Shooters (FPS). The Vengeance K60 keyboard features the predictable linear response and light touch of Cherry MX Red mechanical key switches for more agile movement and faster multi-taps. The contoured left-wrist rest plus shaped and textured WASD key caps increase comfort, even during extended gaming sessions. The K60 uses an advanced key matrix design that delivers complete anti-ghosting so no keystrokes are missed. Unlike other USB gaming keyboards that are limited to the USB-standard 6-key rollover, the K60 features a 20-key rollover and a blazing fast 1ms reporting rate (1000 reports per second). The Vengeance M60 mouse features an enthusiast-grade 5700 DPI Avago Technologies LaserStream gaming sensor with on-the-fly resolution switching, an aluminum unibody design with adjustable center of gravity, programmable lift detection, a high-mass scroll wheel and PTFE glide pads. A key innovation of the M60 mouse is the Sniper button, allowing an instant toggle from fast movement, high DPI-resolution mode down to a high-precision mode for more accurate aiming.

The Vengeance K90 gaming keyboard and M90 laser gaming mouse are optimized to meet the unique needs of MMO and RTS gaming. The Vengeance K90 keyboard also features Cherry MX Red key switches, full anti-ghosting, 20-key rollover, 1ms reporting rate, and each key is individually backlit with a cool blue LED that can be adjusted to three different levels of intensity. The K90 also includes 18 dedicated macro keys that can be programmed either through software or on the fly, and with three user-selectable banks of macros you have a total of 54 independent macros available at any time. Your macros are stored in flash memory on the keyboard so you'll be able to bring them with you wherever your gaming takes you. The Vengeance M90 gaming mouse features 15 fully programmable buttons, arranged and tuned for intuitive operation without compromising your grip, and on-board flash memory lets you save your macros in up to six profiles that can be switched on-the-fly. The Avago Technologies 5700 DPI LaserStream gaming sensor allows on-the-fly resolution adjustment and the programmable lift detection, high-mass scroll wheel, and PTFE glide pads ensure swift, precise movement. The intuitive Windows-based Vengeance software utility lets you manage your macro keys, on-board profiles, and sensor settings so you can customize your M90 to exactly match your gaming style. The Vengeance K90 gaming keyboard has an MSRP in the United States of $129 and the K60 has an MSRP of $109. The Vengeance M90 gaming mouse has an MSRP of $79 and the M60 has an MSRP of $69. The full range of Vengeance gaming peripherals is available from authorized Corsair retailers and etailers worldwide.

Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Smartphone Review

Verizon announced that it will launch the Galaxy Nexus today, December 15th and the device will sold for an unexpectedly-steep $299 alongside a new two-year contract. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first device running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, making its launch a fairly significant one for the short-term future of the OS and the Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch 720p HD display, 1.2GHz processor, 32 GB of storage and a 1,850 mAh battery.

Verizon Wireless, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and Google announced Galaxy Nexus is available starting today in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers can browse the Web, stream music and more at blazing speeds using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy access to the 4G LTE network in 190 markets covering over 200 million people across the United States, and fly through the Web with fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within the 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area. Galaxy Nexus runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. Galaxy Nexus offers customers a redesigned user experience with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Near Field Communications (NFC) sharing with Android Beam and a full Web-browsing experience. The lock screen, home screen, phone app and everything in between have been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and useful. Galaxy Nexus also features an ultra-thin 9.47mm design with a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED Contour Display to watch movies, view pictures and play games that come to life in 720p (1280 x 720) resolution.

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) features:

• Redesigned user interface: software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones, and a dedicated recent apps button to make multi-tasking easy
• Face Unlock: use state-of-the-art facial recognition to unlock Galaxy Nexus
• Android Beam: quickly share Web pages, apps, contacts and YouTube videos with friends by simply tapping two compatible phones together
• Redesigned Camera: introduces panorama mode, 1080p video capture, zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, and effects such as silly faces and background replacement
• People Application: browse friends, family and coworkers, see their photos in high-resolution and check their latest status updates from Google+ and other social networks
• Cloud Services: keep email, contacts, photos, music, browser bookmarks and other data synced to the cloud, available across multiple devices so customers never lose important data
• Google Music: upload up to 20,000 songs to the cloud, discover and buy new music from Android Market, and stream it instantly on Galaxy Nexus and from the Web for free
• Google+: Create a Google+ account right from the phone and check status updates, manage circles, quickly share updates and photos, video chat with up to ten friends with Mobile Hangouts, and chat with groups of friends with Google+ Messenger
• Support for Google Mobile Services: Gmail, Google Maps with 3D maps and free turn-by-turn navigation, Google Earth, Movie Studio, YouTube, syncing with Google Calendar, a redesigned Google+ app and access to more than 300,000 apps, millions of eBooks, thousands of movies to rent, and millions of songs available to download from Android Market

Additional features:

• Dual-core 1.2 GHz application processor and HTML5 Web browser: optimized dual-core processing with Android 4.0 combined with lightning fast 4G LTE connectivity for fast downloading of graphics, applications processing and Web browsing
• Mobile Hotspot capability: share 4G LTE or 3G connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, autofocus and LED flash with full 1080p recording
• Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat
• • Textured soft-touch back cover: enhances the ergonomic feel and makes the phone slip-resistant
• Bluetooth 3.0 technology: support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, human interface device (HID) and object push for vCard and vCalendar
• 1 GB RAM and 32 GB on-board memory (actual formatted capacity will be less)

Pricing and data packages:

• Galaxy Nexus is available now in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a Galaxy Nexus by Samsung will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Video:

iLuv iSM524 ArtStation Pro, World's First Audio Docking Station For Samsung GALAXY Tablets Review

iLuv has typically made products such as speaker docks for iOS devices, such as for the iPad and the iPhone, now iLuv has announced what they’re claiming is the world’s first audio dock for Samsung Galaxy tablets. iLuv ArtStation Pro (iSM525) appears to have been a collaborative effort between both Samsung and iLuv and the audio dock will support both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Tab 7 (version 2) and will come with a remote control that allows users skip through content. iLuv ArtStation Pro is expected to be made available some time later this month and it will be priced at $169.99.

iLuv Creative Technology, the premier provider of the most comprehensive line of accessories for the mobile lifestyle introduces the world's first and only audio docking station for Samsung GALAXY Tablets, the iSM524, ArtStation Pro. The iSM524 combines superior aesthetic design with cinematic sound quality to heighten your Samsung GALAXY Tab experience. Now you can transform your Samsung GALAXY Tablet into a home entertainment center with the iLuv ArtStation Pro Audio Dock. iLuv is the only mobile accessories innovator to deliver an audio docking system that unleashes the full potential of the Samsung GALAXY Tab and transforms the tablet into a home entertainment center that enables users to easily and comfortably enjoy music, movies, TV shows and more. The ArtStation Pro is the result of the Designed for Samsung Mobile strategic partnership between iLuv and Samsung, which brings to the market highly differentiated accessories solutions with unquestionable value for Samsung GALAXY mobile devices. "At iLuv, we continually strive to anticipate and deliver the most comprehensive range of feature-rich solutions for every facet of the mobile lifestyle," said Pia Chon, marketing director at iLuv. "We are proud of our partnership with Samsung, and of the fact that we are the first and only company to offer an audio dock for the GALAXY Tab series.The ArtStation Pro for GALAXY Tab is truly a testament to iLuv's design and engineering prowess and enhances the Samsung GALAXY Tab beautifully."

The ArtStation Pro (iSM524)complements the Samsung GALAXY Tablet line with a sleek design that can fit in with any décor-from a minimalist modern loft to a jewel-toned media room. Just place your tablet in the ArtStation Pro and luxuriate in the rich, bold jAura acoustics that every demanding consumer craves. The articulating arm rotates for portrait or landscape viewing options and allows tilt adjustment for maximum viewing comfort for GALAXY Tab 10.1/8.9. Additionally, the remote control allows users to skip through audio and video tracks and adjust the volume with ease. For added convenience, the compact remote stores magnetically against the back of the system. The ArtStation Pro (iSM524) will be available at select iLuv retailers in December and will have a street price (SRP) of $149.99. iSM524 is compatible with Samsung GALAXY Tab 7-inch (version 2), 7.7-inch, 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch.


Features:

• Experience unmatched audio fidelity that can only be iLuv’s patent-pending jAura® Sound technology
• Acoustically tuned 2-way speaker system provides crisp treble and tight bass
• Articulating arm rotates for portrait or landscape viewing options. The arm also allows tilt adjustment for maximum viewing comfort
• Charge and play your Samsung GALAXY Tab
• Easy to use controls or control with IR remote; skip through audio and video tracks and adjust the volume
• Never lose the remote, an integrated magnet stores remote in the back of the station
• 3.5mm auxiliary input

What is included:

• Rubber pads for GALAXY Tab 10.1
• AC Power Adapter
• Remote Control

Video: iLuv ArtStation Pro Unboxed

iLuv's ArtStation Pro for iPad, iPhone and iPod from Dave the Gadget Guy on Vimeo.

Aldebaran Robotics Nao Next Gen Fully Programmable Humanoid Robot Review

Aldebaran Robotics' Nao robot has already received a few upgrades from both the company itself and other developers, but it now has a proper successor and now they look the wraps off its new and improved Nao Next Gen robot, touting features like a 1.6GHz Atom processor and dual HD cameras that promise to allow for better face and object recognition even in poor lighting conditions. The Nao Next Gen launches three years after the original Nao's debut and continues to target the same markets: research and educational institutions, personal wellbeing nd individual developers, who may apply to join the Nao Developer Program and Aldebaran Robotics says it has sold 2,000 units of Nao so far, though the goal for Nao Next Gen will surely be exponentially higher.

Aldebaran Robotics, the world leader in humanoid robotics has released its latest version of the NAO robot - NAO Next Gen. The power of NAO Next Gen, the new fully programmable humanoid robot that has the most extensive worldwide use, is opening up new perspectives and fields of application for its users. "The inception of this new generation of NAO robots means a lot to our company. We are proud to be in a position to provide our customers with endless options, whatever their sector. With NAO Next Gen coming of age, we shall be able to make it serve organizations that care for autistic children and those losing their autonomy. I created Aldebaran Robotics in 2005 with this aim: to contribute to humankind‟s well-being." Three years after it started selling its first NAO models, the company has sold 2,000 robots worldwide. Aldebaran Robotics has now released the latest generation of its programmable humanoid robots, which is intended for research, teaching and, more generally, for exploring the new area of service robotics. Stemming from six years of research and dialogue with its community of researchers and users, NAO Next Gen is capable of a higher level of interaction, thanks to increased computing power, improved stability and higher accuracy. Therefore, the latest version of the NAO robot widens considerably the range of research, teaching and application possibilities made available to specific user groups.

One of the NAO Next Gen's novel and most remarkable features is the fact that it is fitted with a new on-board computer, based on the powerful 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, which is suitable for multi-tasking calculations. It also has two HD cameras that are attached to a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This set-up allows the simultaneous reception of two video streams, significantly increasing speed and performance in face-and-object recognition, even under poor-lighting conditions. As well as its innovative features with respect to hardware, NAO Next Gen boasts a new, faster and more reliable vocal-recognition program called Nuance. This program is coupled with a new functionality known as word spotting, which is capable of isolating and recognizing a specific word within a sentence or a conversation. "On top of this new hardware version, we shall be delivering new software functionalities like smart torque control, a system to prevent limb/body collisions, an improved walking algorithm, and more. We have capitalized upon our experience and customer feedback in order to deliver the most suitable and efficient platform. In terms of applications especially at high-school level, we are focused on educational content, while, when it comes to improvements in personal well-being, we are working on developing specialized applications," explains Bruno Maisonnier. "We are also pursuing our goal to provide a NAO intended for individuals through the Developer Program - a community of programmers who are working with us today to invent tomorrow‟s personal robotics," adds the chairman of Aldebaran Robotics.

Hardware Platform

NAO is a programmable, 57-cm tall humanoid robot with the following key components:

• Body with 25 degrees of freedom (DOF) whose key elements are electric motors and actuators
• Sensor network, including 2 cameras, 4 microphones, sonar rangefinder, 2 IR emitters and receivers, 1 inertial board, 9 tactile sensors, and 8 pressure sensors
• Various communication devices, including voice synthesizer, LED lights, and 2 high-fidelity speakers
• Intel ATOM 1,6ghz CPU (located in the head) that runs a Linux kernel and supports Aldebaran’s proprietary middleware (NAOqi)
• Second CPU (located in the torso)
• 27,6-watt-hour battery that provides NAO with 1.5 or more hours of autonomy, depending on usage

NAOqi

Building robotics applications is challenging

• The building blocks of robotics applications include state-of-the-art, complex technologies, such as speech recognition, object recognition, and object mapping.
• Applications must be secure and able to run in constrained environments that have limited resources.
• NAOqi, the embedded NAO software, includes a fast, secure and reliable, cross-platform, distributed robotics framework that provides a solid foundation on which developers can leverage and improve NAO's functionality.
• NAOqi allows algorithms to share their APIs with others and helps prepare modules to run on NAO or remote PCs.
• Code development can take place in Windows, Mac OS, or Linux and be called from many languages, including C++, Python, Urbi, and .Net. Modules built on top of this framework offer rich APIs for interacting with NAO.
• NAOqi meets common robotics needs: parallelism, resources, synchronization, and events.
• n NAOqi, as in other frameworks, there are generic layers, but they are created especially for NAO. NAOqi allows homogeneous communication between different modules (motion, audio, and video), homogeneous programming, and homogeneous information sharing with ALMemory.

Motion

Omnidirectional walking:

NAO's walking uses a simple dynamic model (linear inverse pendulum) and quadratic programming. It is stabilized using feedback from joint sensors. This makes walking robust and resistant to small disturbances, and torso oscillations in the frontal and lateral planes are absorbed. NAO can walk on a variety of floor surfaces, such as carpeted, tiled, and wooden floors. NAO can transition between these surfaces while walking.

Whole body motion:


NAO's motion module is based on generalized inverse kinematics, which handles Cartesian coordinates, joint control, balance, redundancy, and task priority. This means that when asking NAO to extend its arm, it bends over because its arms and leg joints are taken into account. NAO will stop its movement to maintain balance.

Fall Manager:

The Fall Manager protects NAO when it falls. Its main function is to detect when NAO's center of mass (CoM) shifts outside the support polygon. The support polygon is determined by the position of the foot or feet in contact with the ground. When a fall is detected, all motion tasks are killed and, depending on the direction, NAO's arms assume protective positioning, the CoM is lowered, and robot stiffness is reduced to zero.

Vision

NAO has two cameras and can track, learn, and recognize images and faces.

• NAO sees using two 920p cameras, which can capture up to 30 images per second.
• The first camera, located on NAO’s forehead, scans the horizon, while the second located at mouth level scans the immediate surroundings.
• The software lets you recover photos and video streams of what NAO sees. But eyes are only useful if you can interpret what you see.
• That’s why NAO contains a set of algorithms for detecting and recognizing faces and shapes. NAO can recognize who is talking to it or find a ball or, eventually, more complex objects.
• These algorithms have been specially developed, with constant attention to using a minimum of processor resources.
• Furthermore, NAO’s SDK lets you develop your own modules to interface with OpenCV (the Open Source Computer Vision library originally developed by Intel).
• Since you can execute modules on NAO or transfer them to a PC connected to NAO, you can easily use the OpenCV display functions to develop and test your algorithms with image feedback.

Audio

NAO uses four microphones to track sounds, and its voice recognition and text-to-speech capabilities allow it to communicate in 8 languages.
Sound Source Localization:
Sound Source Localization:

One of the main purposes of humanoid robots is to interact with people. Sound localization allows a robot to identify the direction of sounds. To produce robust and useful outputs while meeting CPU and memory requirements, NAO sound source localization is based on an approach known as “Time Difference of Arrival.”
When a nearby source emits a sound, each of NAO’s four microphones receives the sound wave at slightly different times.
For example, if someone talks to NAO on its left side, the corresponding sound wave first hits the left microphones, then the front and rear microphones a few milliseconds later, and finally the right microphone.
These differences, known as interaural time difference (ITD), can then be mathematically processed to determine the current location of the emitting source.
By solving the equation every time it hears a sound, NAO can determine the direction of the emitting source (azimuthal and elevation angles) from ITDs between the four microphones.
This feature is available as a NAOqi module called ALAudioSourceLocalization; it provides a C++ and Python API that allows precise interactions with a Python script or NAOqi module.

Possible applications include::

• Human Detection, Tracking, and Recognition
• Noisy Object Detection, Tracking, and Recognition
• Speech Recognition in a specific direction
• Speaker Recognition in a specific direction
• Remote Monitoring/Security applications
• Entertainment applications

Audio Signal Processing:

n robotics, embedded processors have limited computational power, making it useful to perform some calculations remotely on a desktop computer or server.
This is especially true for audio signal processing; for example, speech recognition often takes place more efficiently, faster, and more accurately on a remote processor. Most modern smartphones process voice recognition remotely.
Users may want to use their own signal processing algorithms directly in the robot.
The NAOqi framework uses Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to send and receive audio signals over the Web.
Sound is produced and recorded in NAO using the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) library.
The ALAudioDevice module manages audio inputs and outputs.
Using NAO’s audio capabilities, a wide range of experiments and research can take place in the fields of communications and human-robot interaction.
For example, users can employ NAO as a communication device, interacting with NAO (talk and hear) as if it were a human being.
Signal processing is of course an interesting example. Thanks to the audio module, you can get the raw audio data from the microphones in real time and process it with your own code.

Tactile Sensors

Besides cameras and microphones, NAO is fitted with capacitive sensors positioned on top of its head in three sections and on its hands.
You can therefore give NAO information through touch: pressing once to tell it shut down, for example, or using the sensors as a series of buttons to trigger an associated action.
The system comes with LED lights that indicate the type of contact. You can also program complex sequences.

Sonar Rangefinders

NAO is equipped with two sonar channels: two transmitters and two receivers.
They allow NAO to estimate the distances to obstacles in its environment. The detection range is 0–70 cm.
Less than 15 cm, there is no distance information; NAO only knows that an object is present.

Connectivity

1. Ethernet and Wi-Fi:
NAO currently supports Wi-Fi (a, b, and g) and Ethernet, the most widespread network communication protocols. In addition, infrared transceivers in the eyes allow connection to objects in the environment. NAO is compatible with the IEE 802.11g Wi-Fi standard and can be used on both WPA and WEP networks, making it possible to connect to most home and office networks. NAO's OS supports both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections and requires no Wi-Fi setup other than entering the password.
NAO's ability to connect to networks offers a wide range of possibilities. You can pilot and program NAO using any computer on the network.
Here are a few examples of applications NAO users have already created:

• Based on NAO's IP address, NAO can figure out its location and give you a personalized weather report.
• Ask NAO about a topic and it connects to Wikipedia and read you the relevant entry.
• Connect NAO to an audio stream and it plays an Internet radio station for you.

Using XMPP technology (like in the Google Chat system), you can control NAO remotely and stream video from its cameras.


2. Infrared:

Using infrared, NAO can communicate with other NAOs and other devices that support infrared. You can configure NAO to use infrared to control other devices (“NAO, please turn on the TV”). In addition, NAO can also receive instructions from infrared emitters, such as remote controls. And of course, two NAOs can communicate with each other directly.
Infrared is already the most common method of controlling appliances, making NAO easily adaptable to domotics applications. NAO can also detect whether an infrared signal received is coming from the left or right.

Open Source

With over five years of experience in developing embedded systems for robotics platforms, Aldebaran Robotics is sharing its cross-platform build tools, the core communication library, and other essential modules with researchers, developers, and emerging projects in humanoid robotics.
By capitalizing on Aldebaran Robotics's extensive experience, users can concentrate their efforts on creating innovative and exciting applications.
In addition, users benefit from the strong innovation that characterizes the growing NAO community.
Robotics and its associated applications are still emerging fields of research.
Collaboration in exploring future applications and ongoing exchange within our user community are essential.

Nao Next Gen For Education:

Robotics is one of the latest technological innovations, and a humanoid robot is an ideal learning tool for classes at all levels.

Robots allow students to connect theory with practice and discover a wide range of robotics-related fields, such as computer science, engineering, and mathematics.

Students gain hands-on experience using NAO, and, when used in the lab, they discover exciting topics such as locomotion, grasping, audio and video signal processing, voice recognition, and much more.

NAO also allows teachers to integrate team work, project management, problem solving, and communication skills in a stimulating setting. NAO offers the flexibility for developing interdisciplinary projects.

Nao Next Gen For Research:

NAO is a research platform used by more than 350 prestigious universities and research labs around the world. It is a versatile platform used to explore a wide variety of research topics in robotics as well as computer science, human-machine interaction, and the social sciences. This fully programmable robot comes with a programming environment suitable even for researchers with no programming experience. NAO’s many sensors and actuators, convenient size, and attractive appearance, combined with sophisticated embedded software, makes it a unique humanoid robot ideal for many research fields. NAO boasts, for example, face and object recognition, automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech in seven languages, and whole body motion.

Nao Next Gen For Development:

What do you get out of it?

The Developer Program is a privileged place for exchange between Aldebaran Robotics developers and you!

Each participant receives:

Aldebaran Robotics's

latest innovations and developments

Aldebaran Robotics includes you in a special team with access to the latest innovations and developments in the cutting-edge field of humanoid robotics.

You have access to code, the SDK, and prototypes from Aldebaran Robotics thanks to the dedicated Developer Program website.

NAO: humanoid robot

NAO, a state-of-the-art, fully programmable, 58 cm, humanoid robot is your platform for developing behaviors and apps and bringing the robot to life in collaboration with the community.

Today, there are more than 1500 NAOs used by laboratories and universities worldwide for research and education in the fields of robotics, computer sciences, cognitive sciences, mathematics, vision, sensors, motion, and more. NAO is also famous in the research community. The robot is not yet available to the general public, but together we are going to prepare for this adventure.

Each NAO Developer Program Member receives the best Aldebaran Robotics technology, a NAO H25, version 3.3.

You have access to code, the SDK, and prototypes from Aldebaran Robotics thanks to the dedicated Developer Program website.

Complete software suite

You have immediate access to a complete software suite for your NAO, which comes ready to be programmed. What NAO can do is up to your imagination and skills!

NAO contains an open framework called NAOqi. It can be programmed in different ways thanks to Choregraphe, our user-friendly behavior editor. Program by creating sequences of predefined behavior boxes, or code your own behavior boxes.

With Choregraphe, program with Python or Urbi Script (.Net and Visual Studio or C# are compatible). You can also program NAO with our SDK to use C++ and directly access the NAOqi application programming interface (API). NAOqi APIs are well documented and introspective and allow you to take advantage of:

• High Level Modules: Walking engine, whole-body motion, speech recognition, voice synthesis, face detection, face recognition, sound localization, and much more
• Low-level access to NAO’s sensors and actuators

With the SDK, it is easy to get the image and sound streams from the robot. You can do this locally or remotely. We also provide a program called Telepathe designed to collect data from the sensors. Use NAOsim, a 3D simulator, to quickly test and debug NAO’s behavior and applications.

You have access to code, the SDK, and prototypes from Aldebaran Robotics thanks to the dedicated Developer Program website.

Be part of a strong and active community

The Developer Program website gives you access to an international community of 200 top developers.

A forum allows you to interact with Aldebaran Robotics specialists and Developer Program community members and includes:

• Code versioning tools, wiki, and bug tracker for each project
• Collaborative workspace
• Project development workspace
• Data repository and wiki

Special access to Aldebaran Robotics source code

You have access to important source code, the SDK, and projects developed by teams of engineers at Aldebaran Robotics.

The website allows you to create and share your project with the Developer Program Community and Aldebaran Robotics R&D.

You can also join existing projects or create new common tasks with other community members.

Even better: you can propose your own developments for integration into NAO’s official distribution or in the online NAOstore. You will be considered a high representative user.

Go To NAO's official Site

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