Technology feature of the month
Hot New Video Standard Round The Corner

The technical design of a new video compression standard that promises dramatic improvement in video quality has been agreed upon by an influential group of world’s leading technical experts. It is likely to find its use in a wide variety of application from mobile phones to high definition television (HDTV) and could revolutionise video picture quality over Internet, high-speed wireless mobile phone networks deploying 3G technologies and even the PSTN. 
The standard known as H. 264/AVC will be given final shape by Joint Video Team (JVT) that comprises experts from three international standards setting organizations: The International Telecom Union (ITU) The International Organisation for Standardization and the International Electro Technical Commission the new standard follows in the footsteps of earlier mould breaking video coding advances, such as, H.261, H.262/MPEG-2 Video and H.263. 

Source : (Times News Network : December 2002)

IT Humour

Windows

There are three engineers in a car; an electrical engineer, a chemical engineer and a Microsoft engineer.

Suddenly the car just stops by the side of the road, and the three engineers look at each other wondering what could be wrong.
The electrical engineer suggests stripping down the electronics of the car and trying to trace where a fault might have occurred.
The chemical engineer, not knowing much about cars, suggests that maybe the fuel is becoming emulsified and getting blocked somewhere.
Then, the Microsoft engineer, not knowing much about anything, comes up with a suggestion, “Why don’t we close all the windows, get out, get back in, open the windows again, and maybe it’ll work!?”

Source: (Jokes Gallery.com)

IT Snippets
Charge pad

Just plug the pad in, and it converts your alternating current supply to direct current. It is automatically powered up and its batteries are recharged, in roughly the time required for a conventional connection. You can charge multiple devices at one go. The technology allows the base to communicate with compatible devices and deliver power only to the nubs that are in contact with a suitable receptor which means that curious dogs and babies won’t get the shock of their lives if they touch it.

Source: (Data Quest : December 2002)

Finding My Way

Carry this device and you will never get lost. It is a pocket sized global positioning system (GPS) device. As you hike or climb your favorite trails, you can set virtual markers (up to 500) and save them into a file.
You can use this information to find your way back, or if you enjoyed your hike, to trek again another time. Plus an altimeter tells you how high you are.
Just the kind of device amateur mountain climbers and urban explorers always desired to possess.

Source :(Data Quest : December 2002)

IT Quiz

1. What is the communication technology used in Reliance cell phones?

2. What is steganography?

3. What are leased lines?

4. What is the full form of Wi-Fi?

Paying Via Fingerprint

Finger imaging is being used as a method of payment in US supermarkets these days. A machine scans the index finger, matching, the customers unique finger print with the individuals account. Customers can register for the voluntary program by presenting a drivers licence, an index finger and a method of payment either credit card, debit card or electronic cheque.

Source : (TOI : January 2003)

Squeeze The Cell Phone

MIT Media lab is working on letting people communicate by passing along the ‘touch’ element. They have come up with a prototype design that features five tiny speakers that vibrate against the skin on the fingers and thumbs some 250 times per second. Pressure sensors tucked behind the speakers let you vibrate the person right back. The intensity of vibration depends upon how hard you squeeze. The idea is to let people transmit thoughts and feelings more effectively and also help people with disabilities communicate using cell phones. 

Source : (Digit : January 2003)

Molecular Photography

Researches at the Oklahoma University in US have invented a method to store digital information on hydrogen atoms. 19 hydrogen atoms in a single liquid crystal molecule can be used to store 1,024 bits of digital information. The information is stored in the interaction of the magnetic moments of the protons within the atoms and is related to the spins of the subatomic particles of the atoms. The information stored was read by firing different radio frequencies at the molecule. Each of the frequencies either had an amplitude (representing a binary 1) or did not (representing a 0) The information was read by measuring the changes is the interference pattern using a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) instrument. 

Source : (Digit : January 2003)

IT Quiz Solutions

1. These phones shall use the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) Technology. CDMA technology allows many users to talk simultaneously on same frequency using digital coding techniques.

2. This is a technique of hiding textual information behind a picture, audio or video files by putting the digital impression of bits in the text stream over the bits in the target stream. This technique was also used by Bin Laden supporters in 2000 to fool US - FBI by sending their coded messages in normal pictures.

3. Leased lines is a direct connection from Exchange to End-user. This connection is usually provided with a fixed maximum band width such as 64 Kbps, 128 Kbps, 2 Mbps etc. 

4. Wi-Fi is the short form for wireless fidelity and is another name for IEEE 802.11b. It is a trade term promulgated by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WEC A).