THE DIARY OF Z

Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed by technology? Sometimes I think the world may actually soon start looking like it does in old movies and TV shows set in the distant future. You know, the ones in which people ride in flying cars, talk to holograms, and have computer chips inside their heads?

Well, we don’t have flying cars yet, but in many ways I think we have technologies today that are far more advanced than any movie director in the 1960’s could have ever thought of – just look at the internet, and the iPhone!

And on the topic of smart phones, it looks like they’re about to get a lot smarter.

This week, the geeks at Google unveiled some of the new tech ideas they’ve been working on behind the scenes. Apparently we could soon be having live phone conversations with people who don’t speak the same language by using a phone app that will translate our speech! If you’ve ever read ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’, by Douglas Adams, you might be thinking that this sounds far more appealing than sticking a Babel fish in your ear!

We will also be able to take a photo of a restaurant menu written in German and have it translated into English within seconds.  And what about this – an app that can diagnose your cough?!

Personally, a lot of this makes my head spin. Don’t get me wrong - I grew up with new technologies, I love my iPhone and I use social networking sites regularly, but there are times when it feels exhausting just to try to keep up.

For us living here in Bangalore, of course, this is all good news. The IT era of Telco’s and technology is well upon us!

Honestly though, I think that Google should put their efforts into creating a flying skate board, just like the one that Michael J Fox rides

in the film Back to the Future 2. 

Contributed by Jeremy Veitch

If you are a die-hard Apple fan, I would be too happy to piss on your parade. No, not because I envy you, but because I have reasons other than merely emotional. I have five hard reasons why PCs stand up to iMacs.

But first off: I’m no Mac user. Or an iPod or iPhone owner. But I love them. Yes, I love Apple. Because they don’t have a single bug unlike the Microsofts of the world who have monopolised our computing systems. It’s just that I can’t afford a Mac. Not yet atleast. However, that’s not to say Apple is good all the way. Here are a few reasons why Macs still suck.
1. PCs Are Better For Games.
2. PCs Are Better Media Machines.
3. PCs Are More Cost-Effective.
4. Apple Is Fascist.
5. It’s Still a PC World Out There.

Don’t believe any of this, then maybe you should read FIVE REASONS WHY PCs ARE BETTER THAN MACs.

It’s amazing! In just three days, my new technology and digital photography blog Tech 5.0 is going great guns. Though the number of visitors aren’t much, what excites me is the amount of time spent by each visitor. It’s averaging at 30 minutes per person. Which is 30 times better than this blog which scores high on the number of visitors, but has an average visitor time of 1.15 mins only.

So do take a look. It’s not meant for the techies. It’s meant for you and me, the layman. Once you get to grips with technology, life becomes so much more easier. And my blog entries are a testimony to that. Read it (Tech 5.0) to believe it.

Happy reading!

PS: I have also got the same blog on the Word Press platform for a larger readership. You can check that out here - Tech 100

BenQ Portable CP220C DLP Projector

Rs 58,990

It’s new. It’s light-weight. And it’s quick and cool, function-wise. Making it a perfect accessory for professionals on the move. Coming from the World’s No 1 DLP projector brand, this got to be real good. Designed for portability, the new projector easily fits into a briefcase, making it a handy and suitable presentation tool. Further, its off-and-go function enables the projector to cool off quickly, saving you precious time when you are carrying it from one place to another. The additional features set it apart: the world-class Carl Zeiss lens, XGA (1024 X 768) resolution, brightness of 2000 ANSI lumens, contrast ratio of 700:1 and the colour matching technology that competes with the colour quality displayed on the notebook’s screen.

Pinnacle Video Transfer

Rs 7500

A gizmo geek’s wet dream, it’s an innovative device that records analog video from a TV, VCD/DVD player, VHS player, camcorder or set-top box and transfers it directly onto an iPod Video, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, PSP, USB flash drive, USB hard drive or any other portable video player without using a PC. Whew! Before we forget, it’s ideal for people who want to enjoy TV shows and personal videos on their iPod Video, PSP or just want to store them on a USB drive to archive or watch later. If you want to offload footage from your camera to a portable USB device when you are away from home and don’t have a PC, this will do it for you without a sweat.

Anti-Sleep Alert

Rs 125

If you are looking for a device that will keep you from sleeping, try out Zicom’s new light weight, compact device. Placed behind the ear, it emits a loud alarm signal when the driver’s head droops down a certain angle. This could be a great tool for overnight journeys when drivers tend to drift into the land of nod all too easily. Safe, easy-to-use and comfortable even with spectacles, it comes cheap, but is invaluable.

Anti – Loss Alarm

Rs 695

It’s perfect for parents taking care of kids. This device from Zicom alerts the parent when the child moves away from their orbit. It consists of a transmitter and a receiver designed like a key chain. The transmitter is attached to the child and the receiver is kept with the parent. A safe distance is set through the receiver (up to a max of 25 metres). If the distance between the transmitter and the receiver exceeds the pre-set limit, it will beep thrice to alert the parents that their child is no longer within the acceptable range. But if the child comes back into their safe orbit, the device stops beeping.

Security Alarm

Rs 545

It’s a portable security device from Zicom that greatly enhances the security of your purses, handbags and briefcases. This comes in handy particularly during walking, jogging or on an outing. To set it, just attach the ring clip to your bag and the snap clip to your wrist or belt loop. If someone tries to steal it, the alarm gets activated even as it stays attached to the stolen item and calls attention to the thief. If you are staying in a hotel, you can simply string the alarm cord across the door of the hotel room. If the door is opened, the pin gets detached and a piercing alarm sound ensues that could potentially scare off the intruder.

Longines watches

Rs 28500-1 lakh+

If style and sport is you, then this collected by the Swiss watchmaker could do the trick for you. The range is Faster (inspired by the world of automobiles and motor-sports), Further (for elegance of performance on treks) and Higher (influenced by aviation and Deeper—unveiling the ocean’s secrets). Sporting fluid lines, aerodynamic curves, energy-filled typography and tachymeter, it boasts of an automatic self winding mechanical movement and offering a power reserve of 46 hours. The watches are equipped with triple security deployment buckles that are water- resistant up to 300 metres. Lateral protection for the crown and double security folding clasp with integrated diving extension-piece.

CD/DVD Repair Kit

Rs 1600

It looks like a stylish portable CD player that will fit neatly on any desk or shelf. But what it does is take the hassle out of cleaning your discs as you simply pop the offending disc into the machine and leave it to work its magic. Cleans and repairs all your CDs, DVDs, CD-RWs, CD ROMs, XBox, Playstation, Nintendo Wii, Sega Dreamcast and GameCube game discs. So the next time, you are cleaning your important discs, be careful. You could actually be causing more damage if you’re wiping them with material that is even slightly abrasive. Just employ this all-purpose disc repairer. Retails on www.gizoo.co.uk.

Laser scissors

Rs 1000

With robust, stainless steel blades and a laser guide for absolute accuracy, you don’t have to look any further. The easy grip handle make them a breeze to use. With this handy tool, you will always cut straight lines every time. Sorry, if you thought this was some futuristic phaser that zaps aliens into obliteration. But if you are elbow deep in a DIY project where precision and accuracy are crucial, then there is nothing better than this tool. Retails on www.gizoo.co.uk.

Asus M530w

Rs 20,900

Want to stay connected even while abroad? Go for this Bluetooth-enabled 3G smart phone. It has a QWERTY keypad that can simultaneously receive mails from the office Outlook mail server and supports POP3, IMAP4, Microsoft Exchange and BlackBerry4.0. The ClearVue document viewer allows you to read Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF documents. Adding to the ammunition is a 2.0 mega pixels auto-macro camera and a built-in business card recognition software. And it can easily transfer data from the phone to a server, so if it is lost or stolen, you can retain the account number, and transfer the stored data onto another phone.

Spy Robot

Rs 16000

This remarkable robot becomes your walking, talking spy and doubles as a wireless VOIP phone, a webcam, a digital music player for your MP3s, and personal video surveillance. Boasting a motion detector, video camera, microphone and loudspeaker, Spyke is the ultimate Wi-Fi-enabled robot standing 1 foot tall. Run the comprehensive software and you have a Wi-Fi-enabled robot that can be controlled on a local connection or remotely from the Internet on a well-crafted and easy-to-navigate MMI or Machine Man Interface. Retails on www.gizoo.co.uk.

(This piece appeared in Windows & Aisles, the inflight magazine of Paramount Airways, South India’s business airline)

Carry your digital world in your shirt pocket. Get tomorrow’s technology today. Step right inside istore, India’s largest store for apple products. It’s an i-shaped store - walk in, and you will only keep walking, with gadgets on both sides vying for attention. From Free Agent Go that lets you store up to 160 GB of data (Rs 9200) to the large screen Apple monitor (Rs 35,600-Rs 1,01,300), there’s something for everyone. For travel buffs, there’s the world travel adapter kit (Rs 2100) that allows you to hook up to six international adapters.

I only have one problem with this store. Why do the guys bill your purchases on a PC, when they may as well afford a Mac. That’s the worst form of publicity for the big Apple!!!

iStore, No 87, Almas Centre, MG Road, Phone: 4157-1067/68. Next to Spencer’s

Great news for gaming buffs! The supremely fantabulous XBox360 gaming console is cheaper by $50. It’s down from nearly Rs 7000 ($180) to Rs 5000 ($130). If you want to make it your own lightning quick, just visit HERE.

Happy gaming! Just don’t become an addict! And in case you do, make sure you start a Gamers Anonymous!