Bullet train technology set to come to India, Japan to invest heavily

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh noted Japan's interest in supporting the introduction of high speed railway systems in India.

India is set to benefit from the famed Japanese bullet train technology, with Tokyo today pledging to invest heavily in building high speed railway systems in the country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe issued a joint statement today in which they laid down the course of co-operation between the two countries on setting up high speed railway systems in India.
The two sides signed the Exchange of Notes for yen loan totalling $424 billion. This includes a $71 billion for the Mumbai Metro Line-lll project as well as the yen loan of the fiscal year 2012 for $ 353.106 billion for eight projects.
Prime Minister Singh noted Japan's interest in supporting the introduction of high speed railway systems in India.
Singh appreciated Japan's high level of expertise in designing and implementing Shinkansen (Bullet Train) systems.
Singh conveyed that India will plan such projects based on its infrastructure priorities, commercial viability and financial resources in India.

"The two Prime Ministers decided that the two sides will co-finance a joint feasibility study of high speed railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route," the joint statement issued after the bilateral summit said.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad rail line would stretch 500 kilometres at an estimated cost of upto one trillion yen.
The two Prime Ministers, recognising the importance of upgrading the speed of passenger trains on the existing Delhi-Mumbai route to 160-200 kmph (semi-high speed railway system), welcomed the final report of the feasibility study undertaken with Japan's cooperation, and confirmed that further consultation between the two countries would be continued to draw up a road-map.

Future Technology Trends: 2014

Smart TVs

This new form of technology will define the second digital transition of TV, because every High Def TV will become a web media receiver, allowing you to reach the Internet, watch Youtube videos or see your Facebook feed. If we are to believe the rumors and speculations, Apple is preparing a new gadget: the iTV, and it could be released by the end of 2014. The new TV may include technologies like iCloud sync, custom iOS, iPhone control, AirPlay mirroring and most important, it could feature a Kinekt-style controller. 2014 could also be the year when we’ll be able buy 8K TV’s with a screen resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels (4320p), with 5 times more details than current 1080p TVs. Hopefully, these devices will be available at reasonable prices.



Ubuntu OS Smartphones

Do you remember Symbian OS? Once upon a time, it was the most advanced operating system for cell phones. But iOS and Android kicked in, and the world embraced them, forgetting about Symbian. Ever since, no other mobile OS was able to compete with these two. All this could change in 2014, with Ubuntu OS, a mobile OS derived from the open source operating system for computers. Ubuntu OS proposes an unified experience for TV’s, PC’s and smartphones, so you could work and play every where you are, as long as you’re using a Ubuntu device. If you have an Android device with ARM or x86 processor, you might be able to install Ubuntu pretty soon. In 2014, we can get our hands on the first Ubuntu smartphones.   image source



Smart Watch

Everyone is talking about the new smart watch from Apple, the iWatch. Although this appeared on the Internet as a rumor, Samsung could not let it pass just like that, and it seems that they are also preparing a smart watch: the Galaxy Altius. It does not matter if the rumors are true or not at this point, all that matter is the customers’ reaction to these rumors. I am sure that Samsung and Apple have their eyes on every tech blog on the Internet, and they can see if there is indeed a real demand for these cool gadgets. 2014 is the year when we could read our emails on our watches.

Google Glass

This is a gadget that it’s baked for so long, it needs to be released by the end of 2014 before becoming a Internet myth. Google is taking their time to design a revolutionary device that might change the way we interact with reality, with information, with people. Just like the smart watch, Glass pairs with a smartphone, allowing the users to access additional apps and many cool features.


Windows 9

Windows 8 was not the huge success Microsoft was hoping for. Now, rumors about a new operating system emerged, and signs lead to the conclusion that Microsoft is preparing a new version of their legendary operating system. Their next project is codenamed Windows Blue, and I guess it’s official name would be Windows 9. It could be cheaper, more compact and it could feature more apps. If  these rumors are true, we could see the beta releases by the mid 2013, and we can install the final Windows 9 version by the end of 2014.


Electric cars

According to a documentary from 2006, the electric car was killed before getting a chance to prove itself. 2014 could be the year of resurrection, because car manufacturers finally understood that there is a real demand for clean and green, efficient vehicles. Tesla Motors, Audi, Ford and even Fiat enrolled in the battle for the best electric car. In 2014, we could finally be able to buy affordable electric cars with mileage performances that will compete with traditional cars.


Solar-Powered Airplane

If having an electric car does not meet your “go green” criteria, how about flying a solar airplane? As I said in the banning of this article, we are stepping toward the golden age of solar energy, and everyone wants to get involved. Solar Impulse, a company founded in 2003, has already built a plane that flew solely on solar power for 26 hours. Their next goal is to build another airplane that will circle the globe using only the green energy captured from the sun. We have a long way from this project to commercial airplanes, but as I said, this are the first steps we are willing to take towards human’s green future.
Conclusion
We can hope for big things to come in 2014. Like the past trends, every new device that will be released is connected to the Internet, marking one step towards the complete digital world of the future, where everyone is connected to everyone.

CES 2013: Tobii Introduces New Eye-Tracking Technology

While the tablet PC may be slowly rendering the physical keyboard and mouse a thing of the past, touch-based devices could be replaced by those that are controlled by eyeballs. On Monday Tobii offered a peek at its Windows 8 eye-controller at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
This, of course, isn’t the first time this eye-controlling technology has attracted eyeballs. The company showed off its eyeball-tracking technology at last year’s CES, but this year the company announced it won’t just be for looking at, but rather could soon be technology that could be used for looking with. Tobii announced a 5,000 unit production run of a USB-enabled bar that can be placed at the bottom of any monitor of any Windows PC.
The Tobii REX can connect to any computer via USB and actually allows the computer to track the user’s gaze, which in turn can be used as a visual control interface. If this sounds a bit complicated, it should be noted that the system can’t actually replace a mouse and keyboard, but rather would be a complimentary controller with the interface.

This technology also doesn’t appear to be the most user intuitive right out of the box, and according to NBCnews.com, it does have a rather laborious calibration process. The process requires remapping a key on a keyboard or using the scroll wheel. Once this is accomplished, however, users can select emails from lists, scroll through websites with reasonable accuracy and even select areas on a map to zoom in and zoom out.

While currently this is being touted as add-on technology, Tobii’s long term outlook appears to see eye-tracking technology built directly into devices such as laptops, tablets and other devices. How soon this will come about, however, has yet to be seen, as Tobii still needs to get REX into developers’ hands and then encourage them to build eye-tracking friendly apps.
Where Tobii’s technology could also gain momentum is in integration with older computers that are upgraded to Windows 8, but lack a touch screen.
Tobii CEO Henrik Eskilsson told CNET that this technology could possibly help people navigate better on touch screen devices as well.
Unlike touch screens, the Tobii REX could also better replicate the functionality of the mouse, something that a mere touch can’t quite do. By design, a mouse can allow for at least two levels of interaction: a mouse-over with the cursor and then the actual click. This multi-level of usability remains elusive with touch screens and only truly offers the functionality when an added device such as a stylus is added to the mix.
Tobii could get around that problem by providing a button that can be depressed while looking at the screen, offering those two levels of interaction.
Tobii isn’t alone in trying to let the “eyes” have it. Lenovo is also reportedly working on new technology, although at present its technology is only tracking fingers. This capability is being added to Yoga laptops.
This technology could give new meaning to the concept of tracking eyeballs.

 

 

Voice Activated USB drive

This new Voice Activated USB drive looks and functions like an ordinary flash drive. Yet this storage device conceals hidden microphone. Hang on a lanyard or slip into a pocket for discreet recording at the office or school, or to covertly record voice as a secret shopper or personal investigator. Voice activation mode.

 

 

 

 This unit takes quality audio recordings, even while plugged in to charge. The voice activation feature allows you to avoid long hours of silent recording and save battery life. Portable and easy to use. The flash drive needs no cables or batteries, making perfect for the covert operative on the go. It doesn't need to be plugged in. Recording is as simple as a touch of the button.