WHDI Wireless Smart Display - Mobile Phone to TV Connection

Animom and 35.com recently announced a new technology of WHDI called the WHDI Wireless Smart Display.  This techonology by Animom is the first of its kind.  This technology enables the wireless connection from a smartphone or a mobile device to any external display such as a TV.

"When connected to a touch screen display AMIMON’s WHDI technology 

turns a smartphone into a tablet PC."

With this WHDI technology, the use of smartphone applications such as internet access, email, video, etc. can be fully maximize as the mobile screen can be displayed to a remote monitor. Whether for personal or business purpose any content or applications on a smartphone can be viewed, accessed, controlled and operated from a display or touch panel.

“Our first generation products featuring the WHDI technology will be 

sleeves for smartphones,”

The Transmitters

This device will be in a form of a smartphone sleeves acting as transmitters.  The smartphone sleeve will enable the device to wirelessly transmit HD video without lag or delay.  These sleeves will be provided by 35.com, an enterprise solutions provider.

The Receiver

On the receiver end, the WHDI Technology enables it to receive video in real time and in parallel send control signals from the display to the mobile phone.

The connection of WHDI Wireless Smart Display will be HD or 1080p.

This will be available in March 2011.

“We see strong use-cases for wireless mobile to display using AMIMON’s WHDI technology in business, enterprise and consumer environments,” said Kevin Gong CEO of 35.com. 

Smurfberries Price

Smurfberries are the rare items in the popular Iphone and Ipad app Smurfs' Village. These items are optional to buy when you play this big hit social game which is very much like Facebook's Farmville.

Smurfs' Village is from Capcom. The Smurfs' Village, just like Farmville, begins with a small plot of land and one mushroom house. From these, you can quickly progress and build nice houses, larger lands, and elaborate gardens.

The game is free to download and play, but it is the in-app content of Smurfberries that will cost you. However you will need the Smurfberries to 'quickly' progress in this game. Below are the Smurfberries prices as you buy them from the app store.

1. 1BUCKET OF SMURFBERR$4.99
2. 2BUSHEL OF SMURFBERRIES$9.99
3. 3BUCKET OF SMURFBERRIES$4.99
4. 4BUSHEL OF SMURFBERRIES$11.99
5. 5BARREL OF SMURFBERRIES$24.99
6. 6WAGON OF SMURFBERRIES$99.99
7. 7BARREL OF SMURFBERRIES$29.99
8. 8WHEELBARROW OF SMURFBERRIES$59.99
9. 9WHEELBARROW OF SMURFBERRIES$49.99

Be careful before you or your child taps (again) to purchase a bushel of Smurfberries.  It could cost you a lot of real money for sure.

The Google Chrome OS and the Google Chrome Laptop

On December 7, 2010 Google unveiled their very first laptop named Cr-48 with its own Chrome OS.  These laptops were colored black, no branding, no logos, no stickers, and distributed to a limited number of qualified hardware and software testers.

Google Chrome Laptop Specs
(from http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/07/google-unveils-cr-48-the-first-chrome-os-laptop/)

• 12.1-inch screen
• Full size keyboard
• Oversized clickpad
• Qualcomm Gobi 3G chip for Verizon data in the US, your carrier of choice internationally
• 802.11n dual-band WiFi
• 8+ hours of active use
• 8+ days of standby
• Webcam
• Flash storage

Google Chrome OS Facts

• Essentially a web browser - built and optimized for the Web
• Linux-based, open source
• Not available for download 
• Pre-shipped with a Chrome laptop
• Apps are available from the Chrome Web Store

“By building an experienced based totally on the web, 

we’ve made all of the user experiences instant." - Sunjar Pichai

This OS is still under beta testing and only a few people will receive the Chrome OS and Chrome laptop Cr-48.  Expect though by mid 2011 that Acer and Samsung will lead the distribution of these netbooks for mass roll out.

High Speed Internet is a Basic Service – Canadian Feds

High speed Internet must be part of basic service and be a legal right - this is the clamor of Liberal critics of Canada; a call for the politicians to fund for a universal access to high speed Internet across the country by 2014 and 2020.

This move of Canada follows the ambition of European countries like France, Finland, and Spain. These countries see broadband Internet as a means to open opportunities for all the residents, and that this service is crucially essential for their success. With the cooperation of private companies and funding from the government, this clamor for high speed Internet as a basic service will materialize in the near future.


oOo 
Canadian ISPs that provide download speeds of 1.5 mbps, reliable and cheap Internet services are too few to cover most of the remote places. Few ISPs give the choice that balances savings and reliable high speed Internet fit to the customers and business needs.  This service as of yet has not reached the greater residential rural areas in Canada and this presents a lot of unmaximized opportunities.

Distributel.ca pioneers in providing Internet service to the whole of Canada.  The scope it provides in high speed Internet spans across urban and rural residential areas, proving its commitment in providing Internet as a basic service. Distributel.ca is a supporter of this post.

WHDI Competes With Intel WIDI

WHDI is the new wireless audio and video standard that allows high definition wireless streaming to any display throughout a home network.  WHDI stands for Wireless Home Digital Interface.  This technology is being driven by AMIMON, the semiconductor company producing the chipsets and modules for WHDI.

WHDI by Amimon is a competitor of Intel's Wireless Display technology (read here and here).  Both technologies provide almost the same technology of sharing or streaming videos from your computer, laptop, netbook to any other display devices in your home network; the former bumping up with fancier capabilities.

As of the latest, a WHDI capable device was demonstrated to stream HD (1080p) 3D uncompressed videos.  The set up was a laptop with a WHDI transmitter borad and on the receiving end, an LCD with a WHDI receiver board.  Aside from steaming 3D videos wirelessly, WHDI also transmits through walls and even a distance of up to 100 feet.  Intel WiDi can only reach up to 20 feet.

The future of wireless video looks bright. I look forward to mass roll-out of WHDI-capable devices.

Related Post:  WHDI Wireless Smart Display - Mobile Device to TV Wireless Connection

Acer 3935 Wifi Problem - The Solution Part 2

You are here maybe because Solutions to Case 1 and Case 2 did not solve your Acer 3935 Wifi problem. Don't worry, I still have Solutions below.

Case 3:

Deleting the Acer Backup Task in the Task Scheduler did not fix your problem. And the window still pops up constantly; the Bluetooth and Wifi still turns off and on.

Solution:

The solution for this is to give up Acer Backup Manager and completely uninstall it from your system. Go to Control Panel, Programs and Features, and select Acer Backup Manager. Click Uninstall/Change on the column header.

This part is quite tricky. It took me more than 3 minutes to complete the installation because the Backup Window keeps opening even during the uninstallation. So Open Task Manager, and End the Process of Acer Backup Manager. Repeat these steps until the uninstall is completed.

Case 4:

Hopefully by now we got rid of the Acer Backup Manager part. But still Bluetooth is a problem.

Solution:

Run Services, click Start and type "services". In this step, we will totally disable the Bluetooth of Acer 3935. I hope you can decide to disable it totally for the benefit of your Wifi. If Bluetooth is more important for you than your Wifi, skip this step.

Under Services, do these. Double click the Service Name (see below which ones), in Start Up Type dropdown list select Disable; and in Service Status click Stop button. Click Ok.

The following services should be disabled and stopped.

• Bluetooth Service
• Bluetooth Support Service

You can also choose to Disable Bluetooth Device under Control Panel -> Devices.

I hope this post have been helpful for you. Thank you for reading.

Acer 3935 Wifi Problem - The Solution Part 1

Have you encountered this problem on your Acer 3935? If yes, I can offer you a solution to your problem. There are two parts of this solution, Solutions to Case 1 and Case 2; and Solutions to Case 3 and Case 4.

Many owners of this laptop has encountered at some point this Wifi problem. In Acer 3935 Wifi drops, and turns off and on constantly. Not only the WiFi problem but also the Bluetooth turns off and on, and Acer Backup Manager turns off and on too.

This cause a big headache and so far the solutions in the web are not helping. Even Acer customer service cannot identify what is causing this.

The solution to Acer 3935 Wifi problem is here. I tried to sort things out and I think this is a very good solution. I hope you find this helpful. Don't forget to share this link if so.

Case 1:

I notice that this problem usually occurs when the laptop heats up, say for example you were running on battery and you decided to plug the charger. Immediately the problem starts - Wifi, Bluetooth, and Backup function keys blink like crazy.

Solution:

Place your laptop in an even position. Instead of carrying it on your lap, put it on the table for a while. Make sure it is well ventilated to cool it off. Avoid blocking the fans too.

Case 2:

Acer Backup Manager pops up as if it is infected with a virus or a very irritating internet advertisement.

Solution:

Open Task Scheduler, click Start and type "task". Under Task Scheduler Library, open Acer folder and remove the task run by Acer Backup Manager by selecting the task and clicking Delete under Action Menu. Just remember that you have to manually perform regular backup of your system since we deleted the Task Schedule.

Click here to continue reading Solutions to Cases 3 and 4.

JailbreakMe No More?

'Apple will brick your jailbroken iPhone' - in the near future?

More than a year ago, Apple applied for a patent to kill jailbroken devices. This is a security measure to protect the users from unauthorized uses of Apple devices such as hacking, jailbreaking, unlocking, or removal of SIM card.

If it is detected that there is an "unauthorize use", either they detected that your iPhone benefited from JailbreakMe or what not, "access to particular applications can be restricted, access to sensitive information can be restricted, sensitive information can be erased from the electronic device...," the application states, effectively wiping and bricking the device. To say that again, bricked iPhone!

Question, is it just to give them this right - to take back (by bricking) what you have already purchased and owned?

Voiding the warranty as consequence for jailbreaking, maybe or even a big yes, but surely not bricking the device. Seriously, Apple?

Setting Up WiDi (Wireless Display)

WiDi is the shortcut for Wireless Display unveiled by Intel this year in line with the release of their Intel Core processors.

You can back read here so you will have a idea of this new technology, and the laptops with WiDi capability.

This how-to guide is referenced from Netgear Push2TV (PTV1000) Adapter manual. Netgear Push2TV is one of the components that you will need to set up WiDi from your laptop to your HD TV. For a list of WiDi hardware requirements, read here.

Connecting the Devices

1. Open Intel Wireless Display on your laptop. Click Start, type Wireless Dislay, and click the program. Allow the program to run when the firewall alert pops up.
2. Wait the program as it scans for available adapters. If it does not begin scanning, click Scan for Available Adapters button. It will display the available adapters found, showing the Name, ID, and Signal Strength.
3. From the list of adapters, select the one that you will use and click Connect - in this case the Netgear Push2TV (PTV1000) Adapter. As the connection is established, both the screens of the TV and Laptop will display the word 'Connecting'.
4. From your TV, you should select the correct Input source. This varies from TV brands; generally it is HDMI 1, HDMI 2, or A/V.
5. Enter the Security Code that is displayed on the TV in the Security Code field in your laptop. As an option you can enter a descriptive name for your adapter. Click continue.
6. As the laptop connects to the Netgear Push2TV adapter, the TV will display the word 'Connected'.
7. Both the laptop screen and the TV screen will now display the same. Congratulations, you have successfully set up WiDi! The PC and TV is now in clone mode.
8. You can now enjoy Wireless Display by sharing photos, video, and even surf the web from your couch.
9. To stop Intel WiDi, click Disconnect on Inter Wireless Display, then click the close button.

Few things to remember:

• For best performance, keep the laptop and TV within the distance of 20feet or 3meters in the same room.
• Performance of the router during the Wireless Display may be reduced.

Is Your Password Secure?

Please take a moment to check whether your password is secure enough not to be hacked or stolen or guessed.

Hacking of online accounts from social networks, emails, banks, and others is so rampant. One cannot take too much care is securing passwords on them.

To mention, even Yahoo Messengers can hacked that illegitimate mails are being sent from your legitimate contacts. There were several instances that I receive e-mails from friends asking for money and other financial details when all along it was not them who sent it personally. There was also an workmate who lost a couple of thousand dollars because somebody else used his online bank account.

We all want to avoid this. Please take a moment to check if is your password is secure.

Visit: www.howsecureismypassword.net

One tip though, do not put your actual password there. Rather, enter a similar password that you intend to use or are currently using, for example, the same length of your password.

Play Torrent Downloads in Samsung LED TV with Vuze DLNA

Another way of sharing files from your computer to your Samsung aside from my posts here and here is by using Vuze.

Vuze can be used to stream files to Samsung LED TVs instead of using Samsung PC Share Manager. With Vuze you can easily share torrent downloads to your TV using the same sharing technology of DLNA. The files you can share are not limited to the torrents you have downloaded. You can also share photos, music, and videos if it is saved from your hard drive,

flash drive or other storage devices.

This way of sharing files to your Samsung LED TV is easier compared to using Samsung PC Share Manager. Vuze automatically lists the Samsung TV's or devices that it finds in your home network.

Just by Drag and Drop you can copy the media you want to share from the device's library in Vuze. In the above image, you can drop the files in Samsung DTV DMR under the Devices category. As you drag the file and hover it over the Samsung TV, you will see a small plus (+) sign indicating that the file will be added to the device's library.

Finally, on your Samsung TV remote press Source. The source list should show the Vuze DLNA Server. Select it, and it will display the files you have on the shared folder, whether it is Photo, Music or Movie.

What is Wrong with Yahoo.com Today

Update 2:

According to another report, the website of Yahoo is infiltrated. As of now, the main page is still not loading, and when visiting www.yahoo.com you will be redirected to another internal Yahoo page.

Update 1:

What is wrong with yahoo.com today? Is Yahoo down today? The main page is not loading and it shows this error message:

In Chrome browser it says:

Invalid URL

The requested URL "/7/32/11247/000/404handler?src=topdomain&fr=404_topdomain&url=xa.yahoo.com/", is invalid.

Reference #9.dcc74dd4.1280933666.625526c3

In Internet Explorer is says:

HTTP 400 Bad Request

The webpage cannot be found.

The Yahoo.com top domain is not working. Other subdomains of Yahoo work fine. I did a tracert and looked up the resulting IP Addresses, all routes were registered to Yahoo.

You can do the same trace I did to check:

1) Open Command.exe; or type cmd and run it.

2) Type tracert www.yahoo.com

3) Wait until the trace is finished and it will display 'Trace complete'.

4) Go to http://www.whatismyip.com/tools/ip-address-lookup.asp and type there the displayed IP addresses in the trace.

5) Report if you see anything suspicious.

Is this a Denial of Service attack on www.yahoo.com.? Please somebody explain what is wrong with yahoo.com?

Toshiba Satellite Pro L450

I was asked by a primary school to select for them a suitable small-office and student use laptop. Their requirement is to word process, basic Excel use, light graphics design and desktop publishing, and internet surfing.

I recommended to them the Toshiba Satellite Pro L450.

The specs I chose are the following:

• Intel Celeron 900
• 2GB RAM
• 250GB HDD SATA
• 15.6in TruBrite HD
• DVD
• LAN/ W-LAN
• Web Camera
• Win 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

At first I was unsure of the Celeron 900 but using it for 2 days now, I am quite impressed with the speed of the processing. I was running both the machines side by side with our older (but higher spec) laptop and it fairs good with it. The 64-bit OS really does the job.

I like the real estate of the screen, this is given to 15.6in laptops. The keypad is also good - not that noisy, clacky or resistive. It does not have the number pad unlike some 15-inchers. The track pad is fine, however, the buttons are a little hard and noisy. I resort to just tapping on the pad every time.

Well, 15.6in laptops are now the sort-of desktop replacements, so don't expect it to be lightweight if you plan to lug it for long walks or trips. Plus, the battery can last to more than a hour or less than two even if it is a 6-cell battery. But hey, this is not meant to compete with the Acer Timelines.

So there, the school got they want and they are happy with it, with only a small price to pay. The store where we bought it from offered a really good deal.

More Intel WiDi Laptops

One night my father and I was talking about displaying on our LED TV the movies I have saved on our laptop. I told him I can do it using DLNA as this is supported by both our laptop and our Samsung LED TV.

It was fine but he said he wants to see on the TV the live stream of movies on a particular website, (eg. Megaupload). I replied, okay that is possible. I will just need to hook up the laptop to the TV by HDMI cable.

He looked at me puzzled. He asked, it is not just another way of doing it 'TV Out'. I said yes, that is basically the 'TV Out' way. He was expecting more, like doing it with out the cables, less hassle. Of course, you can do it wireless with WiDi, I told him - but it is not possible with our current laptop. So..

To continue my WiDi posts, here are more of WiDi compatible laptops that has been released and will be released this year.

1. Acer Aspire 5820T
2. Asus U43F
3. Dell Studio 15Z
4. HP Pavilion dv5
5. MSI FR600

The common specs of Intel WiDi laptops are:

• Intel Core i3, i5, i7 Processors
• Intel HD Graphics
• Wireless Centrino
• My Wifi Technology software
• Intel Wireless Display software
• Windows 7 64-bit

Must Have Ipad Apps

As posted by Gizmodo as must-have apps for the Ipad, please consider this post a summarized repost.

As stated by the site, this is not the ultimate list as hundred of new apps are pouring in everyday, but still here goes the must-have Ipad apps, so far..

Entertainment and Video
1. Netflix
2. ABC Player
3. Marvel Comics
4. iBooks
5. NBA Game Time Courtside
6. MLB at Bat
7. ESPN Scorecenter
8. Yahoo Entertainment
9. Sound Hound
10. Shazam
11. Pandora


Games
1. Flight Control
2. Plants vs. Zombies
3. Fieldrunners
4. Scrabble for Ipad
5. Mirror's Edge
6. Civilization Revolution
7. Labyrinth 2
8. Uno
9. Geometry Wars
10. Smule Magic Piano

News/ Social
1. NYT Editor's Choice
2. USA Today
3. WSJ
4. AP
5. NPR for Ipad
6. Popular Science
7. BBC
8. Bloomberg
9. Stumbleupon
10. Instapaper
11. Newsrack
12. Feeddler
13. Fluent News
14. Accuweather Cirrus
15. Tweetdeck
16. AIM
17. IM+
18. Loopt Pulse
19. Dash Four
20. Craigsphone


Productivity/ Utilities
1. iWork
2. The Elements
3. Dragon Dictation
4. Wolfram Alpha
5. National Geographic World Atlas
6. Dictionary.com
7. Epicurious
8. Kayak
9. wikination
10. Brushes
11. Sketchbook Pro
12. Desktop Connect
13. Bento
14. iDisplay
15. Voice Memos

Guitar Hero on Ipad and Iphone

Further to my previous post, not only will it be Farmville on Ipad but Guitar Hero is also joining it to.

Guitar Hero on Ipad and Guitar Hero on Iphone will be available in the App Store by end of this June. The strumming, tapping, and sliding is headed to your Ipad screens and Iphone screens.

As earlier reported, songs will range from $0.99 to $2.99.

Farmville on Ipad and Iphone

Zynga currenlty offers games for Iphone such as Role Playing, Card and Puzzle Games. And it will only be soon enough that its most popular games will be on the Ipad as well and it is coming pretty soon.

Farmville will be heading on those 9-inch screens on your Ipad. Yup! Farmville on Ipad will be here; Farmville on Iphone too. True to its name, Zynga will be connecting the world further through Zynga games in Ipad and Iphones.

Farmville on Facebook is the one of the most loved (and hated?) games, and it will not remain there. You will be farming on Iphone and Ipad as earlier shown by Zynga in WWDC a few days ago.
This is a big deal to the millions of social gamers out there. You will be hearing more on this as the game is released on AppStore.

Thinkpad Edge vs. Dell Vostro - LCD Stress Test

I have been considering these two laptops in my next IT-gadget purchase. I am in the look-out for a business laptop and I am weighing on The Thinkpad Edge or the Dell Vostro V13.

So when I came across this video posted in Engadget, one laptop brand gained another point for me. Guess which one passed the test, the Thinkpad Edge or the Dell Vostro V13? Which LCD is more robust?

See this:





It was a quick test - pressing two pressure points on the corner and the center of the LCD lid of the laptops in less than 30 seconds.

Question is, were the pressure applied equal on both the laptops' LCDs?

Short iPad Hands On

Last Thursday, a co-worker of mine brought his iPad at work. He is one of the first many who pre-ordered iPad last March. While our workday was nearing an end, we bumped in the hallway. He asked if there is anything I need because he was leaving early. I said to him, 'Yeah, can I?', I was pointing at his fresh from the box Apple iPad.

He left the device with me for a few minutes, and I gladly test run it! Free Ipad hands-on experience, I must say!

So yes, the encounter with iPad was quick.

*A quick picture of an actual iPad on my desk, compared to an A4 paper;
Too glossy of a screen, yeah?

My first impression on the Apple iPad is that it feels solid. Encased in an aluminum body, and a thick glass screen, the iPad is simple yet classy, fragile but solid. It is a minimalist design, in it's face, only the depressed Home button.

Our office was quite cold, and the aluminum device I was holding really felt cold at that time!

iPad has a big screen too. Convenient for reading, surfing, and social networking. However, I think typing on it for a long time is quite awkward. Maybe because I was walking then, maybe typing on iPad is best when you are sitting down.

I browsed, the apps, and photos, videos. As what has been reviewed by many, I strongly agree that iPad is best for content-consumption, and not content-creation.

Well, it was only a good 30 minutes iPad hands-on but I can conclude that my mom will like it.

ThickButtons a Texting Convenience in Touchscreens

Touchscreen phones are really not for the speed texters. Admit it, frequently, your finger overlaps on the given area for a particular letter, that instead of typing A you also get Q on the sides. This annoying issue is given solution by ThickButtons. It adjusts the sizes of the keys on screen, as you type. It has predictive capability that knows what are the next possible letters you will type, and adjusts them to get a bigger screen area - as really what it's name ThickButtons. Now that is clever!

See below video:




You can get ThickButtons for free for Android phones.