Gesture recognition technology developed using wi-fi signals

Posted by: Avirup Basu

Dept:         Technology

This technology, which they call 'WiSee', is to appear at The 19th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking.

A team, led by a Indian researcher, has developed a system which uses radio waves from Wi-Fi to sense human body movements and detect command gestures from anywhere within a home or office.  University of Washington computer scientists have shown it’s possible to leverage Wi-Fi signals around us to detect specific movements without needing sensors on the human body or cameras.  By using an adapted Wi-Fi router and a few wireless devices in the living room, users could control their electronics and household appliances from any room in the home with a simple gesture.  “This is repurposing wireless signals that already exist in new ways,” lead researcher Shyam Gollakota, a UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering, said.  “You can actually use wireless for gesture recognition without needing to deploy more sensors,” he said.  This technology, which they call “WiSee,” is to appear at The 19th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking.  The concept is similar to Xbox Kinect – a commercial product that uses cameras to recognize gestures – but the UW technology is simpler, cheaper and doesn’t require users to be in the same room as the device they want to control.  That’s because Wi-Fi signals can travel through walls and aren’t bound by line-of-sight or sound restrictions.  The UW researchers built a “smart” receiver device that essentially listens to all of the wireless transmissions coming from devices throughout a home, including smartphones, laptops and tablets.  A standard Wi-Fi router could be adapted to function as a receiver.  When a person moves, there is a slight change in the frequency of the wireless signal.  Moving a hand or foot causes the receiver to detect a pattern of changes known as the Doppler frequency shift.  These frequency changes are very small – only several hertz – when compared with Wi-Fi signals that have a 20 megahertz bandwidth and operate at 5 gigahertz.  Researchers developed an algorithm to detect these slight shifts. The technology also accounts for gaps in wireless signals when devices aren’t transmitting.  The technology can identify nine different whole-body gestures, ranging from pushing, pulling and punching to full-body bowling.  The researchers tested these gestures with five users in a two-bedroom apartment and an office environment.  Out of the 900 gestures performed, WiSee accurately classified 94 percent of them.

Source: dnaindia

Posters Comment: Amazing technology!! 

Apple shows off the new OS for there devices IOS7

Posted by: Avirup Basu

dept:          Technology

As per expectation, Apple showed off the new operating system for the mobile devices – the iPhone, the iPads and the iPod Touch. Named iOS 7, the new OS brings in a completely different user interface. Tim Cook described this as the biggest iOS update since the launch of the iPhone. Out go the skeumorphic layout, and in comes the cleaner layout with a completely new and crisper font. The focus is on the “depth” perception at most parts of the interface, and even overlays, like the Control Centre, tend to take influence from the part of the UI that is currently on the screen.  “There is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity, in clarity, in efficiency. True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation—it’s about bringing order to complexity,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design. “iOS 7 is a clear representation of these goals. It has a whole new structure that is coherent and applied across the entire system.”  The new OS will bring in a lot of new features, as well as tweak some existing ones to make them better.  iOS 7 will introduce the Control Centre. This is essentially a bunch of settings that you can quickly access anywhere in the UI by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Quick settings like Airplane Mode, Brightness levels, Wi-Fi, AirPlay, music playback etc. will be available.  The Notifications have been given an overhaul as well, and the new Today feature gives you an at-a-glance view of your day with a summary of the important details such as weather, traffic, meetings and events. Notification Center is now available from the Lock screen as well.  Multi-tasking has now been extended to all apps that you may have on the device, and the visual layout of how you manage switching between apps has also been given a complete overhaul. The method of double tapping the home key to get to the option remains the same.

Apple has added the AirDrop feature to iOS 7, making sharing files between Apple devices a lot easier. It works exactly as it does between two Macs. Apple did take a dig at the NFC technology, by joking about the fact that AirDrop negates the need to go around tapping phones with each other! iOS 7 gets a new Camera app, with new features like filters, allowing you to add real-time photo effects. The Camera app also gets the square camera option, and you can quickly and easily switch between your four cameras—video, photo, square and panorama—with just a swipe within the app. Carrying on with the theme of photography, iOS 7 will feature a completely redesigned Photos app. The biggest new feature is called Moments, which automatically organises your photos and videos based on time and location they were shot. You can also see these Moments sorted by location, month and even by year. The updated iCloud Photo Sharing allows your family and friends to add photos to your shared photo streams, and the new Activity view displays updates from your shared streams all in one place. Now, iCloud Photo Stream also allows sharing videos. Safari has been given a complete makeover as well. The redesigned interface focuses on bringing more content on the screen. Safari now gets the full-screen browsing mode as well. Smart Search field now looks through your bookmarks and online search results simultaneously. If you have multiple tabs open on the browser, the way they are stacked has been completely redone as well. Safari will also benefit from the iCloud Keychain, which can now store your passwords and credit card information and make them available across all devices. The idea is to ensure that you have any login or transaction details available on any device at any time. Enhanced Parental Controls will allow specific websites to be blocked. SIRI has been given some love as well. The female voice has been changed, and a male voice has also been added. There is now the language option as well, with German and French being two examples. SIRI now has Twitter integration, and will pull search results to show what people are saying. For the web based searches, Bing continues to be the engine.

The Music app on iOS 7 has been given a complete overhaul. The most important change is the addition of the new iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service featuring over 200 stations and music from the iTunes Store. Apple says, “When you tune into iTunes Radio on any device running iTunes, you’ll have access to stations inspired by the music you already listen to, Featured Stations curated by Apple and genre-focused stations that are personalised just for you. iTunes Radio evolves based on the music you play and download. The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalised your experience becomes.” iTunes Radio also gives you access to exclusive “first listen” premieres from top selling artists, Siri integration plus the ability to buy anything you hear with just one tap.

That’s not all! iOS 7’s feature list has not ended yet! The new Find My iPhone Activation Lock feature that requires your Apple ID and password before you can turn off Find My iPhone, erase data or re-activate a device after it’s been remotely erased. This is to make the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch less enticing to steal! FaceTime gets the audio calls feature, allowing users to make voice only calls over the service, on Wi-Fi or a mobile service provider’s data connection. The new Notification Centre comes with Notification Sync, which will sync your interaction with every notification across all devices. You don’t need to repeat the same action across all devices now. Phone, FaceTime and Messages blocking to prevent specific people from being able to contact you. Apple did not release many details regarding this feature, but we sure believe this is very interesting. The iOS 7 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members. For the consumers, the new OS will be available “this fall”. At the moment, Apple says the update will be available for the iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation).


Source: Think Digit.

Posters comment: I just can't wait to lay my hands on it.

Humans of the future to look like Pokemon characters

Posted by: Avirup Basu

E-mail:       ami.avirup17@gmail.com

Dept:         Science

Humans of the future might look more like Pokemon characters with bigger heads, bigger eyes and improved night vision, two researchers have suggested.   Computational geneticist Alan Kwan and artist Nickolay Lamm d said that in 100,000 years, people might have larger heads, Google Glasstype contact lenses and sideways-blinking oversized Disney eyes that glow green with cat-like night vision.   They envision a future where zygotic genome engineering technology develops to the point where humans will be able to control their own evolution. This ability could result in more facial features that humans find attractive : strong lines, straight noses and perfect symmetry. But other changes may be driven by function, they said.   Kwan said heads might also expand to accommodate larger brains as our knowledge increases, and space colonization could produce larger eyes to account for dimmer environments. 

   

Posters comment--- I only hope that BNS stays active for atleast 100,000 years. 

Microsoft's X-Box one to cost $449 will be out in November

Posted by: Avirup Basu

E-mail;      ami.avirup17@gmail.com

dept:         Technology

 Microsoft has its head in the cloud with Xbox One.  The company focused on how cloud computing will make games for its next-generation Xbox One console more immersive during its Monday presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry’s annual trade show. Microsoft announced last week that the successor to the Xbox 360 must be connected to the Internet every 24 hours to operate, and the system would ideally always be online.  “The platform features and capabilities exclusive to Xbox One allow developers to push the boundaries of creativity and take gaming in completely new directions,” Microsoft Vice President Phil Harrison told the crowd.  The upcoming console’s cloud computing capabilities were demonstrated by fleshing out dense environments in third-person open-world games like the zombie-fighting sequel “Dead Rising 3″ and cartoony shooter “Sunset Overdrive.” The racing simulator “Forza MotorSport 5″ introduced a feature called “drivatar,” which mimics players’ driving styles and allows their “drivatars” to play for them offline.  “It’s about delivering real human behaviour,” said “Forza MotorSport” creative director Dan Greenawalt.  Microsoft revealed the console, which it has billed as an “all-in-one” entertainment solution for living rooms, will be released in November and cost $499. The company debuted the console earlier this year at its headquarters in Redmond, Wash. The initial reactions to the device have been mixed.  Other games coming to Xbox One include the historical third-person game “Ryse: Son of Rome,” hard-knuckled brawler “Killer Instinct,” a bigger edition of “Minecraft,” terra-forming simulator “Project Spark” and a new installment of the sci-fi shooter series “Halo.”  Monday’s flashy event concluded with the debut of the mech-heavy multiplayer shooter “Titanfall,” the first game from Respawn Entertainment, which was founded by “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” creators Vince Zampella and Jason West.  The company said it was doing away with its Microsoft points system for online purchases with its Xbox Live online service, opting instead for local currency.  Microsoft didn’t address concerns over connectivity, used games and privacy issues with the Xbox One, which will feature a new version of its camera-based Kinect sensor. In a blog post on Microsoft’s site last Thursday ahead of E3, the company outlined more details about the console, including that there would be restrictions on how previously played or used games could be shared.  “For people who are in a completely disconnected state, I think (Xbox) 360 is definitely a great content base for them and a great console, and we’ll continue to invest in that,” said Phil Spencer, Microsoft Studios’ vice president, after the event.  Microsoft Corp. kicked off Monday’s presentation by revealing the Xbox 360 is getting a makeover with a design inspired by the Xbox One.  Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s vice president of marketing and strategy, said the updated Xbox 360 is “smaller, sleeker and as quiet as ever.” He added it would be available beginning Monday.  The company boasted that hundreds of new games are still coming to Xbox 360, which was originally released eight years ago as the high-definition successor to the Xbox. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has outsold rivals like the Wii and PlayStation 3 from Nintendo and Sony for the past two years. It’s sold more than 76 million Xbox 360 units.

Let's Change---- A new initiative by a group of teens from Siliguri, West Bengal, India. 

Posted by: Avirup Basu

E-mail:      ami.avirup17@gmail.com

Dept:        Miscellaneous( Innovation )

A new initiative taken by a group of teens to highlight the anti-social and abominable ambiance of the Indian Politics and culture. It all started in a classroom and spread as a local facebook page. Now it is at it heights of initial success. It is maintained by a small yet Intelligent school going students. Like there facebook page here. Also join there group here. The organisation's prime aim is to " ‘Lets change’ takes pride to cherish the fine aspects concerning India and its society all together. However it concurrently strives to expose the shady face which shackles the genuine development of our country. The prime intent is to liberate ourselves from the unwanted inertia that has gripped the nation’s psyche.". Keep a visit on there page to get all the latest updates. 

As told by one of the co-founder Mr Sayan Sanyal, the group has high future plans. Alone with other members, (Rick Chakrabarti, Shaswata Das, Sarbojit Majumdar) we hope that they succeed and wish a bright future of the Organisation. This post is to highlight there activities. 

The Long Awaited event for Microsoft Student Partners finally starts on 17th June, 2013----- MSP-BootCamp.

Posted by: Avirup Basu

E-mail:      ami.avirup17@gmail.com

Dept:        Technology.

Subject:    The Long awaited event MSP Bootcamp.

Microsoft declares the launch of the long awaited event MSP Bootcamp. Unlike other bootcamps, this one is solely for MSPs(Microsoft Student Partners). This time it is launched as a series which will be held at 4 different locations across India namely Greater Noida, Lonavala, Chennai, Tadepallegudem. It will be held on 4 different dates starting from 17th and ending on 27th June and the most exciting news is that all the MSPs are invited. 

     The MSP bootcamp is the ultimate desire of all the MSPs since it is the place to meet all the MSPs across the country, interact with Microsoft guys, attend technical sessions, special prizes for top performers and a hell lot of more interesting stuffs. There would be a total of 1 and a half day program which would include keynote, some technical sessions, and a lot more interesting stuffs. Just wait a little bit more till we get some hands on experience by the MSPs who will be attending the bootcamp. Very soon we will be posting the stuffs about it. Stay tuned ....!!!! 

NEW DRAMA ON THE RELEASE OF ASSASSIN'S CREED 4: BLACK FLAG

When Ubisoft unveiled the gameplay of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, it was expected that Whaling will be a part of this games as Pirates made whaling a part of their life in 16th century. The animal-rights group PETA was quick to condemn Ubisoft, saying its inclusion glorifies hurting and killing animals.
Polygon spoke to Matt Bruce of PETA's International Grassroots Campaigns to clarify the animal-rights group's stance. "There are so many creative minds at Ubisoft that are involved with the Assassin's Creed series that we find it really disappointing that they feel the need to glorify whaling," Bruce said. "PETA encourages video game companies to create games that celebrate animals, not games that promote hurting and killing them."
PETA's objection on AC4 deals with the real world suffering. According to PETA, Ubisoft is the organization that supports whaling which is now prohibited in much of the world as a barbaric practice. Its presence in the game, PETA says, trivializes what whales endure.
"JOE SHMOE WHO PLAYS THIS GAME IN HIS MOTHER'S BASEMENT IN THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF HIS HOME WILL FEEL A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT BY KILLING THIS WHALE."
"This would be a different story if the game portrayed the cruelty and horror experienced when a whale is literally fleeing for her life and then shot with a harpoon — or even several harpoons — and forced to struggle for hours or be hacked apart while still alive aboard a ship," he said.
However, Whaling was a common prectice of the time period when the game takes place. Ubisoft said that a historical plot doesn't change the organization's underlying objection, Bruce said, comparing it to human slavery.
"If there was a game that took place in pre-Civil War America where your character had to enslave people, people would definitely have a problem with that because they would feel like it was glorifying the enslavement of people," he said.
"History is our playground in Assassin's Creed," Chin said. "Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is a work of fiction that depicts the real events during the golden era of pirates. We do not condone illegal whaling, just as we don't condone a pirate lifestyle of poor hygiene, plundering, hijacking ships and over-the-legal-limit drunken debauchery."
PETA's recommendation is for Ubisoft to simply remove whaling from the game, a decision it claims wouldn't harm the experience.
"It doesn't take anything away from having [whaling] not be a part of the game, but they insisted on putting it in," Peta said. "Unfortunately, it's glorifying something that's still happening today and is as cruel and bloody as it was 300 years ago."
Source: Internet