Chrome & it's Extensions

Chrome is an incredibly fast browser with very less interface.  Simply speaking it does more with less.  Though certain tasks still prefer IE like shopping, streaming videos, etc. the larger part of about 95% of browsing has shifted to Chrome.

And now with extensions, it is only getting better. The following are some of the extensions that I have installed.

Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate - Version: 2.0
Capture the whole page or any portion, annotate it with rectangles, circles, arrows, lines and text, one-click upload to share.  It's so simple that once you click on this extension, it gives you a very simple interface for performing the most common tasks and either save it to your computer or upload to any website.

Chrome Gestures - Version: 1.12.0
Chrome Mouse Gestures.  You can use your mouse clicks to perform certain operations like back, forward, etc.

Chromey Calculator - Version: 4.0.1
A shockingly versatile scrolling calculator for Chrome. Results are generated using Google and Wolfram|Alpha.

Facebook Photo Zoom - Version: 1.1007.20.2
The best way to view photos on Facebook!  Simply mouse over the thumbnails and gives a large preview of the photo.  I feel the preview size is definitely much bigger than what you would get to see in the actual album.

Feedly - Version: 2.15.290
Feedly organizes your favorite sources in a magazine-like start page. Powered by Google Reader and Twitter.  Amazing extension that presents all your feeds and other sources of reading like the front page of a newspaper.  Has made reading definitely more interesting.

Google Calendar Checker (by Google) - Version: 1.0.3
Quickly see the time until your next meeting. Click the button to open your calendar.  Simple and does it's job.

Google Dictionary (by Google) - Version: 1.0.2
View definitions easily as you browse the web.  Simply double click and select the word for which you need to know the meaning and there pops a small window giving the  meaning.

Google Translate - Version: 1.2.3.1
This extension translates entire web pages into a language of your choice with one click. By the Google Translate team.

Google Voice (by Google) - Version: 2.2.1.8
Make calls, send SMS, preview Inbox, and get notified of new messages. (US only) 

Send from Gmail (by Google) - Version: 1.11
Makes Gmail your default email application and provides a button to compose a Gmail message to quickly share a link via email.

Slideshow - Version: 1.2.9
Turn your favorite photo sites, such as Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, and Google Images into a slideshow.  Detects when you browse those sites and automatically pops the option for running a slideshow.

Turn Off the Lights - Version: 1.7.9.29
The entire page will be fading to dark, so you can watch video as if you are in the cinema.  Amazing extension that makes video watching more interesting.

Web2PDFConverter - Version: 2.4.0
Convert any webpage to PDF including most SSL based sites, using http://www.Web2PdfConvert.com.

Indian Rupee Symbol

This is the presentation by D.Udaya Kumar.

Indian rupee symbol

Viewsonic's NexTV VMP75

 

This nice little device is capable of numerous formats, connectivity and simplicity.  It is a one stop media playback device with quick Internet Browsing capability.

Formats supported include:

Video: MPEG1 (AVI/MKV/TS/DAT/MPG/MPEG/VOB), MPEG2 (MKV/DAT/MPG/MPEG/VOB/ISO/IFO/TS/TP)/M2TS, MPEG4 (AVI/MP4/MKV/MOV/WMV/ASF), DivX 3/4/5/6 Xvid (AVI/MKV/MP4/MOV), H.264/AVC (TS/AVI/MP4/MKV/MOV/FLV)/M2TS, VC-1 (TS/AVI/ASF/WMV)/M2TS, WMV9 (ASF/WMV)

Audio: MP3, MPEG Audio, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA, WMA Pro, PCM, LPCM, FLAC, WAV, AAC, HE-AAC, OGG,

MKA,VORBIS

Photo: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF

Subtitles: SRT, SMI, SUB, SSA, IDX+SUB, IDX, AAS, TXT

All said, this device cannot decode DTS on board.  To enjoy DTS, the device passes it through it’s optical output to your Surround Sound receiver which should be DTS capable.

Retails at 130 USD on Amazon.com.

 

 

Amazing Son

Masayoshi Son is a Korean-Japanese businessman - whose grandfather came from Korea to Japan - and the founder and current chief executive officer of SoftBank Capital, and the chief executive officer of SoftBank Mobile. According to the Forbes magazine, his net worth is 7 billion dollars and he is the richest man in Japan, despite being the single person who has lost the most money in history (approximately 70 billion dollars in the dot com crash of 2000).

The company was one of the first to invest in Yahoo.com before the dot com boom, then took the Yahoo! Brand to Japan and established it as the dominant internet service in the country. Purchasing Vodafone UK‘s mobile license in 2006 gave it access to Japan’s 100m+ mobile subscribers and since then the company has innovated in bringing iPhone and iPad to the market, promoted Twitter and recently invested in video streaming service uStream amongst other things.

A third-generation son of a Korean family in Japan, Son was not considered a Japanese citizen until his family adopted a Japanese surname. Son pursued his interests in business by securing a meeting with Japan McDonald's president Den Fujita. Taking his advice, Son began studying English and computer science.

At age 16, Son moved to California and finished high school while staying with friends and family in South San Francisco. He then enrolled at University of California, Berkeley in which he majored in economics and took some computer science courses. Enamored by a microchip featured in a magazine, Son at age 19 became confident that computer technology would ignite the next commercial revolution.

Convinced that anything related to microchips could yield a fortune, Son decided to produce at least one entrepreneurial idea a day. He patented a translating device that he eventually sold to Sharp Electronics for $1 million. Applications of the patent include the Wizard series of Sharp PDAs.

Flush with cash, Son imported Space Invaders video arcade systems and dispersed them about the UC Berkeley campus. Soon after graduating from Berkeley with a BA in economics in 1980, Son started Unison in Oakland, California, which has since been bought by Kyocera.

The charismatic president of Softbank Corp., has announced a decade-long search for someone worthy of stepping into his shoes. About 300 people will be enrolled in the Softbank Academia, which is tasked with grooming his successor. About 10 percent of the candidates will be drawn from outside the company. Son has said he will hand over the company's management when he is in his 60s. At an annual shareholders meeting in June, he described the issue of who would succeed him as "the biggest risk for the company."

The "Next 30-Year Vision" calls for the Softbank group to expand its market capitalization from 2.6 trillion yen to 200 trillion yen, earn a place among the world's top 10 companies and increase the number of its group companies by 5-6 times!!!

From Wikipedia and Asahi Shimbun.

HDBaseT Networking

HDBaseT to replace HDMI as the new A/V/control standard

HDBaseT technology runs over STANDARD Cat5e/6 cable and implements ‘5Play’, which is a feature-set that converges full uncompressed HD video, audio, 100BaseT Ethernet, and various control signals. It also transmits up to 100W of power - that's enough to drive a 37-inch TV. And it can extend up to 100 meters passively. HDBaseT has the bandwidth to support the highest video resolutions such as full HD 1080p as well as 3D and 2Kx4K formats. HDBaseT is the first to provide all-in-one connectivity, making it possible for a single-connector TV to receive power, video/audio, Internet and control signals from the same cable.

What makes HDBaseT so odd is that it is sending more info than HDMI over a set of 8 wires within a standard Cat5e or Cat6 cable. It can do this by using much lower frequency modulated packets. These are not IP packets like you find in Gigabit Ethernet. Since they run on such low frequency, they are not subjected to typical EM (electromagnetic) interference. That means you can make the the cables lie in front of a microwave or a cell phone and there are no problems with signal degradation.

What's REALLY impressive is that HDBaseT's protocol allows you to literally NETWORK your sources and displays just like you do your home data network.

5Play is concurrent in its ability to send all of these different types of data. It converges full uncompressed HD video, audio, 100BaseT Ethernet, high power over cable and various control signals through a single 100m/328ft CAT5e/6 LAN cable. HDBaseT has the bandwidth to support the highest video resolutions such as full HD 1080p as well as 3D and 4K x 2K formats. HDBaseT is the first to provide all-in-one connectivity, making it possible for a single-connector TV to receive power, video/audio, Internet and control signals from the same cable.

Here's a quick comparison against other existing technologies:

 

Feature	HDMI 1.4a	DisplayPort 1.2	HDBaseT 1.0
Uncompressed Video/Audio	10.2Gbps	21.6 Gbps (17Gbps data)	10.2Gbps (can scale to 20Gbps)
Max Passive Cable Length	~5-7m	15m for 5Gbps (3m for 5-21.6Gbps)	100m (plus 8x multiple hops)
Cable type	HDMI	DisplayPort	Cat5e/6
Connector type	HDMI	DisplayPort	RJ-45
Charging power	No	No	100W
Daisy chainable	No	Yes	Yes
Installation-friendly	Heck No	No	Yes (can use existing wiring)
USB	No	Yes	Yes
Networking methods	None	Daisy & Star	Daisy & Star (with extended-range)

LG, Samsung, Valens Semiconductor and Sony Pictures are behind the HDBaseT. The 1.0 spec is completed.

Since HDBaseT is capable of sending 100W of POWER over a single Cat5e/6 cable, this means that many smaller televisions (figure 37-inch TVs at the most right now) are going to be able to receive literally everything they need from a single cable - even without an electrical outlet nearby. This is over a standard Cat5e/6 (Ethernet) cable. It doesn't need to be shielded and there's no danger involved in sending power within. HDBaseT is working with UL right now on certification for this, but there are no warning signs or inherent problems with it passing. At this point, it's just going though the proper motions & channels.

From audioholics.com.

Attitude is Everything!

IT'S BETTER TO LOSE YOUR EGO TO THE ONE YOU LOVE.

THAN TO LOSE THE ONE YOU LOVE ....... BECAUSE OF EGO

WHY WE HAVE SO MANY TEMPLES, IF GOD IS EVERYWHERE ?

A WISE MAN SAID :

AIR IS EVERYWHERE,

BUT WE STILL NEED A FAN TO FEEL IT .

WHEN YOU TRUST SOMEONE TRUST HIM COMPLETELY WITHOUT

ANY DOUBT....... AT THE END YOU WOULD GET ONE OF THE TWO: EITHER A LESSON FOR YOUR LIFE OR A VERY GOOD PERSON

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ACT TRUE TO YOUR FACE ........

IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO REMAIN TRUE BEHIND YOUR BACK

SOLDIER : SIR WE ARE SURROUNDED FROM ALL SIDES BY ENEMIES ,

MAJOR : EXCELLENT ! WE CAN ATTACK IN ANY DIRECTION.

THE WORST IN LIFE IS "ATTACHMENT " IT HURTS WHEN YOU LOSE IT. THE BEST THING IN LIFE IS " LONELINESS " BECAUSE IT TEACHES YOU EVERYTHING AND, WHEN YOU LOSE IT, YOU GET EVERYTHING.

"You never conquer a mountain. You stand on the summit a few moments; then the wind blows your footprints away."

“I hear and I forget.

I see and I remember.

I do and I understand.”

Chinese proverb

Past is Experience! Present is Experiment! Future is Expectation!

Use your Experience in u r Experiment to achieve u r Expectations!

Bharath Bandh!

Why will someone make life come to a standstill and incur millions in losses for protesting against another loss? Is this not a fictitious cycle of losing always?

Bharath Bandh organized by the opposition parties on July 5th made Bharath incur a loss of about Rs. 13,000 crore says, Assocham.

When will this aam aadmi realize that the opposition is only trying to bring the Government down and not trying to understand the situation. The thousands of youth recruited to organize bandhs, hartals, etc is not a good sign for a progressive India relying mainly on it's young educated workforce.


God save India.

HomePlug Alliance

An interesting and a futuristic alliance promotes networking using the existing electrical wiring in homes (called powerline networking). HomePlug technology uses the existing electrical wiring in a house for transfer of data and also smart management of power.

The HomePlugAV2 is a project which is currently under development and is the prospective next generation for the HomePlug line. Current estimates state that it will operate upon a 600 Mbps transfer capability. HomePlug AV2 offers Gigabit speed at the physical layer and 600Mbs+ at the MAC layer. The AV2 spec is expected to be completed in late 2010, with products expected to ship in 2011.

The most interesting and ever needed convenience is the facility of a SmartGrid.

HomePlug Green PHY is a new specification that is specifically designed for the requirements of the smart grid market. It has peak rates of 10 Mbps and is designed to go into smart meters and smaller appliances such as HVAC/thermostats,, home appliances and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles so that data can be shared over a Home Area Network (HAN) and back to the utility. The Smart Grid is a nationwide network that will deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources. Smart energy coupled with the advanced smart grid infrastructure enables communication between utility companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. Individual homes with home area networks (HANs) will communicate through the electricity meter with the Smart Grid, offering management of resources by both utilities and consumers.

Access Broadband Power Line (BPL) refers to a to-the-home broadband access technology.

ThinkPad W510

Most powerful, responsive ThinkPad ever.

This one is a beast.  Yet so simple and unassuming.  It’s got some of the best specifications under it’s hood.  It’s a dream machine for a Graphic Artist, Media Renderer or an Entertainment Enthusiast.

From Lenovo;

Lightning-fast processors, advanced graphics, cutting-edge technology and the rock-solid reliability you'd expect from Lenovo's ultimate mobile workstation.

Unstoppable performance:

• Powerful Intel® processor for more power when you need it most and easier multitasking
• Genuine Windows® 7 OS for a premium user experience (other editions of Windows available)
• Plenty of storage space with Full Disk Encryption (FDE) for maximum security
• Improved performance, reliability and battery life with solid-state drives (SSDs)
• RAID 0 and RAID 1 technology for more reliable storage
• Less power consumption with DDR3 memory

Graphics horsepower:

• NVIDIA® Quadro FX® MXM-based graphics (select models)—stable, compatible and optimized for all professional applications
• OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) with lots of dedicated video memory for graphic-intensive applications
• Improved viewing with high-resolution, premium WSXGA+ or WUXGA displays
• Next-generation DisplayPort technology for clearer, crisper images and a larger viewing area
• Color by Pantone® - For greater image accuracy, more precise color matching and a consistently true display automatically analyze and modify your individual display to show true color over the lifetime of the notebook. Now you don't have to carry an extra peripheral or wrangle with cables to get predictable and easily-managed color, no matter where you are.
• Up to 100% NTSC gamut display for working with true-life 2-D and 3-D images
• Easy-to-use touch-screen technology on W510

Built-in solutions and security:

• ThinkVantage® Rescue and Recovery™ for quick recovery from system crashes, even if the primary operating system won't boot
• ThinkVantage Active Protection System™ to help protect your hard drive from sudden impacts (not applicable to SSD models)
• Great warranty protection and superiorsupport and services
• Integrated fingerprint reader for easy, fast and secure system access
• 32-byte pre-boot password protection
• ThinkVantage Client Security Solution software preloaded to help protect passwords, encryption keys and electronic credentials, and help guard against unauthorized access to data
• BIOS port disable as a final layer of protection
• Legendary ThinkPad durability, featuring roll-cage technology and rigorous military spec testing

 

Wide range of connectivity options:

• Wireless LAN
• Wireless WAN
• Ultra Wideband (W510 only)
• WiMAX (W510 only)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Bluetooth®
• ConstantConnect support (with your Bluetooth-enabled BlackBerry®) (W510 only)

Surround Sound A/V Receivers

A PS3 can decode 7.1 audio and output through HDMI or the Optical output port. You will still need a Surround Sound receiver to process this output for a true 5.1 or 7.1 experience.

Given below are some very good options for Home Theater System in combination with a PS3.

SONY HT-SS370

HDMI™ Repeater: Connect multiple devices via HDMI™ to your surround sound system, easily switch between them, and then connect everything to your HDTV with just one HDMI cable.

Digital Media Port: Connect a Digital Media Port (DMP) adapter (sold separately) to your audio system and access music from your iPod®, Walkman® player, or PC device.

BRAVIA® Sync™ Capable: Conveniently operate and control all your HDMI™ connected BRAVIA® Sync™ devices with one remote including: Blu-ray Disc™ Players, BRAVIA® HDTVs, home theater products, Handycam® Camcorders and Cyber-shot® Digital Cameras.

Digital Cinema Auto Calibration: Ensure you get the best sound experience from your surround sound system with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration. Simply place the included microphone where you will be seated and settings are automatically optimized based on the distance, delays and placement of your speakers.

Wireless S-AIR™ Rear Speakers & multi-room capability: Enjoy 5.1 channel surround sound without needing to run wires across the room to the rear speakers. Easily stream audio to up to 10 rooms when you add optional S-AIR™ receiver/speaker systems (AIR-SA10) and a S-AIR™ Card (EZW-T100) to your S-AIR Capable System (EZW-T100 and each S-AIR Speaker System sold separately).

Blu-ray Disc™ HD Audio (Linear PCM): With Linear PCM support, when you connect via HDMI a Blu-ray Disc player that can decode the latest high definition audio formats, including Dolby® TrueHD™ and DTS®-HD Master Audio you can experience sound closer to the way it was captured.

ONKYO HT-S3300

HDMI 1.4a, three HDMI inputs on the receiver, the receiver handles high-definition lossless codecs from Dolby and DTS, On-Screen Display function for easy adjustment of settings; four gaming audio modes; and a Universal Port for single-cable connection of peripherals.

FEATURES

HDMI® 1.4a Support for 3D Video and Audio Return Channel: The three HDMI 1.4a inputs on the HT-S3300’s A/V receiver let you simultaneously connect high-def sources such as a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, and a cable/satellite tuner. A single output then sends a pristine signal to your connected highresolution display. This system also offers the convenience of an Audio Return Channel via HDMI. Audio content received directly by your HDTV’s tuner can be sent “upstream” to the A/V receiver, without the need for a separate S/PDIF audio cable.

Decoding of High-Definition Surround-Sound Codecs: The HT-S3300’s A/V receiver can decode Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™—two lossless formats that enable delivery of a bit-for-bit soundtrack identical to the studio master track. These codecs, previously available only on mid-range and high-end receivers, take advantage of the high data capacity of the Blu-ray format.

Convenient Overlaid On-Screen Display via HDMI: Changing your A/V receiver’s settings is now more seamless than ever, thanks to Onkyo’s new overlaid On-Screen Display (OSD) feature. On-screen set-up menus appear overlaid on the video image you’re watching. This means you can adjust the settings immediately, without having to switch back and forth from a blank screen background.

192 kHz/24-Bit Burr-Brown DACs: Improve Jitter Performance to Deliver Clearer Sound. High-quality Burr-Brown DACs (PCM1690) workto optimize analog audio performance on the HT-S3300’s A/V receiver. These DACs perform advanced 24-bit signal processing and support sampling rates of up to 192 kHz, while displaying high resistance to clock jitter and offering a 113 dB dynamic range.

EX.Bass for Deeper, More Dynamic Bass: Onkyo’s proprietary EX.Bass function boosts lowfrequency output at two separate points: 40 Hz and 80 Hz. At low volumes, EX.Bass creates a deeper, more dynamic bass sound for your music and movies. When the volume is turned up high, the boosted bass automatically returns to normal levels.

 

More here for SONY and here for Onkyo.

PS3 Analysis

 

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION	USAGE/BENEFITS	LIMITATION
HARD DRIVE	· 2.5' Serial ATA	User interchangeable. Very simple and can use any 2.5” drive (laptop HDD).	The PS3 supports only FAT32 formatting which limits the file size of a single file not to exceed 4GB. This is true for external HDDs attached via USB.
CONNECTIVITY	· Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) IEEE · 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi* · Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Wireless Controller Bluetooth (up to 7)	Gigabit Ethernet allows for playing high bitrate movies. Blu-ray movie dumps/rips which have a very high bit rate for high quality can be played without any hassle. Copying files across the network is so fast that the speed is comparable to copying within a HDD. Has inbuilt 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi (54 mbps) for those who want only streaming of standard bitrate media. Bluetooth 2.0 enables connecting multiple Bluetooth devices like Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that can aid in easier browsing.	No support for 802.11n which can support speeds of up to 300 Mbps. Upgrading to this feature will need hardware rework and cannot be done as an accessory.
VIDEO OUTPUT	· HDMI: HDMI + Bravia Sync · Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1	HDMI output for TV and/or Home Theater receiver. Support for upscaling of SD DVDs to HD (up to 1080p). Support for BD 1080p 24 Hz Output. HDMI is v1.3a which has support for higher bandwidth (10.2 Gbps), support for Deep Color, etc. Bravia sync, a feature unique to SONY products is very convenient in handling multiple devices with a single button. Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
AUDIO OUTPUT	· Digital: HDMI · DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1 · Analog: AV MULTI OUT	Optical Audio Out can be used for passing sound to a Surround Sound Receiver. Decoding of Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby TrueHD. Up to 7.1   channels of Surround Sound. Support for Linear PCM 7.1 Channel Audio Output which can convert all Dolby/DTS audio to a surround receiver that does not have decoding facility.	No support for onboard decoding of DTS-HD. This system does not support output from the DTS-HD 7.1 Ch. DTS-HD 7.1 Ch audio is output from a 5.1 or lower channel.
I/O	· USB 2.0 X 2	2 x USB2.0 ports at the front.	USB3.0 is a nice to have feature in the next console version.
MEDIA SERVER	· DLNA Certified	DLNA Certified makes PS3 receive media from various DLNA certified devices across the network
VIDEO		Support for the following file types natively; · MPEG-4 SP (AAC LC), H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile (AAC LC) · MPEG-1 (MPEG Audio Layer 2), · MPEG-2 PS (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2, AAC LC, AC3(Dolby Digital), LPCM) · MPEG-2 TS (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2, AC3 (Dolby Digital), AAC LC) · MPEG-2 TS (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, AAC LC) · AVI ( Motion JPEG (Linear PCM), Motion JPEG (μ-Law)) · AVCHD (.m2ts / .mts) · DivX · WMV ( VC-1 (WMA Standard V2))	No native support for .MKV files which is the most common container for BluRay rips across the world. This should be simple via a software update.
AUDIO		Support for the following file types natively; · Memory Stick Audio Format(ATRAC) · MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer3, MP3 Surround) · MP4(MPEG-4 AAC) · WAVE(Linear PCM) · WMA
OPTICAL DRIVE	· Blu-ray Optical Drive w/Blu-ray Disc™ Profile 2.0	Inbuilt Blu-ray drive can handle CDs, DVDs and BDs. BD Profile 2.0 allows for BD live streaming from the internet for additional content, downloadable bonus content, movie-based games and more special features.
CONVINIENCE	· Internet Browser · Video Editor/Uploader · Photo Gallery	Browse the internet with an inbuilt full function internet browser. Edit captured videos (via webcam) or stored videos and upload them to Youtube, Facebook, etc. Download photos from camera, edit and upload to a preferred sharing site.
GAMING	· SIXAXIS™ motion-sensing system	Allows users to maneuver the controller as a natural extension of their bodies. With this system, sensors read when a player angles, tilts, thrusts, or pulls the controller, all in real-time and with high precision.
MUSCLE	· Cell Broadband Engine · RSX Graphics Processing Unit · 256MB XDR Main RAM + 256MB GDDR3 VRAM	Raw power at it’s best. The Cell Broadband Engine has up to eight Synergistic Processor Units (SPUs) or "cores" to help balance the processor workload thus making it more powerful and more efficient than traditional "single-core" processors. The computational power of the system itself sports the equivalent of 2 teraflops, meaning that entirely new graphical expressions that have never been seen before will become possible. In games, not only will movement of characters and objects be far more refined and realistic, but landscapes and virtual worlds can also be rendered in real-time, thereby elevating the freedom of graphics expression to levels not experienced in the past. Gamers will literally be able to dive into the realistic world seen in large screen movies and experience the excitement in real-time.	As expected, such a high power machine generates so much of heat that a high noise is heard due to the higher spinning of the fan. Especially, when a PS3 is enclosed in an A/V cabinet, the sound level may be too high that it could disturb a normal low sound movie.

Tokyo Baby Cafe

From GaijinPot;

The second GaijinPot story for today looking at Japanese architecture.

Meguro, Tokyo-based Japanese design boutique Nendo has recently made a splash with its friendly, consumer-focused designs. Catering for both parents and kids, their new Tokyo Baby Cafe is a fantasy playground with exaggerated angles and unusual turns putting a unique twist on its mix of coffee shop, retail outlet and playground.

Kid-sized tables and chairs provide room for relaxed reading and eating, wide-open floors provide space for mums to move around prams, strollers and baby baskets while their kids can run around without fear of hurting themselves on the soft-finished furniture.

There are plenty of books for the kids to read and the cafe also boasts “senpai mums” who help with in-store baby care and give assistance in selecting the latest clothes and toys to buy.

Tokyo Baby Cafe can be found in Jingu-Mae, close to Ometesando.

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10 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About China!!!!

From a mail forward;

01. China executes three times as many people as the rest of the world

China carries out almost three times as many executions as the rest of the world put together, according to the most conservative estimate by Amnesty International. In 2008, the group confirmed 1,718 executions through news reports and public documents, but many others are not reported. Some analysts say the figure may be above 6,000. The exact number is a state secret. Many executions are done on the road using vehicles called the death vans designed by Jinguan Motors. The makers of these vans say the vehicles and injections are a civilized alternative to the firing squad, ending the life of the condemned more quickly, clinically and safely. According to them, the switch from gunshots to injections is a sign thatChina "promotes" human rights now.

02. There are already more Christians in China than Italy, and it's on track to become the largest center of Christianity in the world

Due to the extremely rapid expansion of Christianity in China, there are now an estimated 54 million Christians in the country, comprised of about 40 million Protestants and 14 million Catholics. Meanwhile, Italy has just 60 million people in total, of which 79% are Christian these days, which means Italy has 47.4 million Christians, that's 12% less than China.

03. Over 4000 babies in China were named "Olympic Games" while the country was getting ready for Beijing 2008

The Beijing Olympics was more than just a point of pride for China — it was such an important part of the national consciousness that over 4,000 children have been named for the event. Most of the 4,104 people with the name "Aoyun," meaning Olympics , were born around the year 2000, as Beijing was bidding to host the 2008 Summer Games. The vast majority of people named Aoyun are male. Names related to the Olympics don't just stop with "Olympics ." More than 4,000 Chinese share their names with the Beijing Games mascots, the "Five Friendlies." Chinese have increasingly turned to unique names as a way to express a child's individuality.

04. China uses 45 billion chopsticks per year.

In China, an estimated 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are used and thrown away annually. This adds up to 1.7 million cubic metres of timber or 25 million fully grown trees every year.

05. 200 million people in China live on less than $1 a day.

Poverty in China refers to people whose income is less than a poverty line of $1.25 per day. The poverty rate in China in 1981 was 64% of the population. Fortunately, this rate declined to 10% in 2004, indicating that about 500 million people have climbed out of poverty during this period.

06. Over 700 million Chinese people drink polluted water.

China has 20% of the world's population but only 7% of global water resources. To make matters worse, 90% of cities' groundwater and 75% of rivers and lakes are polluted according to the World Bank. This means that 700 million people drink contaminated water every day.

07. Ice Cream and Pasta may have been created in China.

A frozen mixture of milk and rice was invented in China around 200 BC, giving birth to ice cream. Also, a 4,000-year-old bowl of noodles was discovered at an archaeological site in western China, possible demonstrating that China invented pasta before Italy.

08. Over 50% of counterfeit goods in the EU come from China.

In Europe, China was the main source country for intellectual property rights infringing articles with 54% of the total amount.CD/DVD was the top category of articles detained with a total amount of 79 million, which accounted for 44% of the entire amount, followed by cigarettes (23%) and clothing and accessories (10%).

09. China is not free from Europe's medieval plague yet.

In 2009 China ended a quarantine blockade around a remote northwestern town hit by pneumonic plague. The outbreak of the highly infectious disease killed three villagers around Ziketan Town in Qinghai province. But with no new infections reported for over a week, authorities decided to lift the blockade on the remote town of 10,000 in a heavily ethnic Tibetan area.China experiences sporadic outbreaks of the plague, which is typically spread by rodents and fleas and can pass easily between people.

10. By 2025, China will build TEN New York-sized cities.

The scale and pace of China's urbanization promises to continue at an unprecedented rate. If current trends hold, China's urban population will expand from 572 million in 2005 to 926 million in 2025 and hit the one billion mark by 2030. In 20 years,China's cities will have added 350 million people—more than the entire population of the United States today. By 2025, China will have 219 cities with more than one million inhabitants—compared with 35 in Europe today—and 24 cities with more than five million people. Also, 40 billion square meters of floor space will be built - in five million buildings. 50,000 of these buildings could be skyscrapers - the equivalent of ten New York Cities.

BSNL Broadband Speed Doubles

Good News for BSNL Users.

"

BSNL Broadband Offers Double Speed At Same Price.

In a bid to provide High Speed Broadband service at affordable price BSNL India National Telecom backbone and largest Broadband service provider today announced free Up-gradation of Broadband Speed in for Certain Home and Rural Unlimited Plans free of cost.

The offer is valid for a limited period up-to 30.04.2010.Keeping plan charges same, BSNL increased broadband speed.

Now subscribers of BB Home Combo UL 625 CS1, BB Home UL 750 and BB Home Combo UL 750 users will be eligible for the 512 Kbps instead of its earlier speed of 256kbps, while the BB Home Combo ULF 900, DSL Unlimited 999 users will get 1 Mbps up to 8 GB, 256 Kbps beyond 8 GB,the faster broadband speed enhancements at the existing rates."

Here are the Details

BDP vs PS3

There is no difference between a BDP and a PS3.  Listed below is the comparison of features between the most common of BDP available from Sony and a PS3.  The PS3 has the upper hand due to inbuilt WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

FEATURE	BDP-S370/PLAYSTATION-3
Video
Deep Color	Yes
Internet Video Streaming Decode	Yes
Precision Cinema HD Upscale	Yes
Video Digital-to-Analog Converter	Composite (12bit/148.5MHz) Y/C (12bit/54MHz)
Video Features
24p True Cinema™ Technology	Yes
AVC-HD	Yes (8cm/12cm)?DVD+R/RW/-R/-RW)
BD-R/RE Read Compatibility	Yes (BDMV & BDAV)
BD-ROM	Bonus View(Profile1.1); BD-Live(Profile2.0); BD-ROM (SL/DL)
CD-R/RW	Yes (CD-DA & Data)
DVD Playback	Yes
DVD+R Read Compatibility	Yes (DL) (+VR) (SACD)
DVD+RW Read Compatibility	Yes (+VR) (8cm)
DVD-R Read Compatibility	Yes (DL) (VR) (VR with CPRM) (8cm)
DVD-RW Read Compatibility	Yes (VR) (VR with CPRM) (8cm)
JPEG Playback	Yes (BD-R/REDVD+RW/+R/-RW/-R/CD-R,RW)
Noise Reduction	Yes (BNR on DVDs Only)
PhotoTV HD	Yes
x.v.Color™ Technology	Yes
Network Features
BRAVIA® Internet Video	Ready
Convenience Features
A/V Sync	Yes
BRAVIA® Sync™	Yes
Bit Rate Indicator (Video)	Yes
Child Lock	Yes
Easy Setup	Yes
Favorites	Yes
Parental Control	Yes
Quick Start Mode	Yes
Startup Screen	Yes
Wireless LAN	Ready (via USB)	In built in PS3
Function
		-
PREV/NEXT	Yes
Play / Stop / Pause	Yes
Playback Memory	Yes
REV/ FWD	Yes
Repeat (All/ 1title)	Yes (All/1title/1Chapter/1Track)
SLOW Playback	Yes (Forward)
Screen Saver	Yes
XMB	Yes
Audio
Analog-to-Digital Converter	192kHz/24bit
Audio Features
CD-DA	Yes
Dolby®	Yes & Dolby® TrueHD bitstream out over HDMI™ (V1.3)
Dolby® True HD Bitstream Output	Yes
LPCM	Yes (multi channel decoder)
MP3 Playback	Yes (BD-R/RE/DVD+RW/+R/-RW/-R/CD-R,RW)5
SA-CD	Yes
dts® HD Bitstream Output	Yes
dts® Output	Yes (dts®-HD bitstream out over HDMI™)
General
BD-Live (Profile 2.0)	Yes
Inputs and Outputs
Analog Audio Output(s)	1 (Rear)
Coaxial Audio Digital Output(s)	1 (Rear)	-
Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Output(s)	1 (Rear)
Composite Video Output(s)	1 (Rear)	-
Ethernet Connection(s)	1 (Rear)
HDMI™ Connection Output(s)	1 (Rear)
Optical Audio Output(s)	1 (Rear)
USB Port(s)	2 (1 Rear/ 1 Front)

HD Player

The arrival of a Bravia has changed the way we view movies. And as mentioned before, a full HD TV makes SD picture look sub-standard. So a HDTV makes a natural progression to updating the remaining components of the Home Entertainment System, more precisely the playback console… oops, did I spill out something?

Yes, if you guys guessed it right, the decision has gone into getting a PlayStation 3 (PS3) instead of a standard home BluRay player (BDP).

So why a PS3 instead of a BDP?

A PS3 is not just a gaming console but a powerful BD player too. This is due to the inclusion of BD drive on it which can perform all functions similar to a BDP. There ends the single and most simple reason why someone can choose a PS3 over a BDP.

But that’s not to it. There is more to a PS3 that’ll blow you off. Read on.

The big deal with the Playstation 3 is that it sports Sony's new Cell Processor that was jointly developed by IBM, Sony Group and Toshiba Corporation. It also features a new graphics processor (RSX) co-developed by NVIDIA Corporation and SCEI, and XDR memory developed by Rambus Inc. Also, it adopts BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc ROM) with maximum storage capacity of 54 GB (dual layer), enabling delivery of entertainment content in full high-definition (HD) quality, under a secure environment made possible through the most advanced copyright protection technology. To match the accelerating convergence of digital consumer electronics and computer technology, PS3 announced support for high quality display in resolution of 1080p in addition to 720p/1080i.

The computational power of the system itself sports the equivalent of 2 teraflops, meaning that entirely new graphical expressions that have never been seen before will become possible. In games, not only will movement of characters and objects be far more refined and realistic, but landscapes and virtual worlds can also be rendered in real-time, thereby elevating the freedom of graphics expression to levels not experienced in the past. Gamers will literally be able to dive into the realistic world seen in large screen movies and experience the excitement in real-time. Just extend the same to movies and you are in for a larger than life experience.

The following are the features of a PS3;

• Cell Broadband Engine
• RSX Graphics Processing Unit
• 256MB XDR Main RAM + 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
• BluRay Optical Drive w/Blu-ray Disc™ Profile 2.0
• Inbuilt WiFi (802.11b/g)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• DVD Upscaling upto 1080p/1080i
• Support for DTS-HD
• Deep Color/Colour Signal
• HDMI 1.3a + Bravia Sync
• Linear PCM 7.1 Channel Audio Output
• DLNA Certified
• Internet browser
• Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
• 2xUSB 2.0 Ports
• Removable and upgradeable HDD

So now we can have the best of both worlds; Media & Gaming.

Stay tuned as we will have more analysis about the PS3, feature comparisons, etc.

Media Entertainment System

With the arrival of a Bravia, my home entertainment system defenitly needs an upgrade which has been long overdue. The Pioneer DVD HTS had done it's bit to the best possible level and was truly an amazing system. I am still in love with it except for the fact that it was great for only SD movies.

Had I not upgraded my TV, there would not have been an immediate need for upgrading the HTS. But Bravia was so much within reachable distance that it was hard to give it a miss.

HDTV's are great. They have this nice 16:9 aspect ratio which makes your living room appear like a theater. Full HDTV's are excellent in which they can support resolutions upto 1920x1080. On contrast, a SD TV can only support 640x480 pixel.

So my Pioneer gives which excellent clarity on a SD TV is strugling to show good picture on a HD TV. It does not have HDMI upscaling and cannot play BD based formats. Though the source is a full DVD, due to no upscaling, the picture appears blurred when viewing on a HDTV.

I can simply get a standalone BD player. But that would do the trick only till showing the picture. I will not be able to listen to true 5.1 surround sound. BluRay Home Theater Systems are a common in the US and elsewhere. Sony, Yamaha, Panasonic, etc. which are Japanese brands do not sell the all-in-one BluRay HTS in Japan. What a shock!

I've got to upgrade my Pioneer to a system that'll have BluRay playback as well as Surround Sound system. I am in the process of researching the best options and shall soon zero in on one.

It's a SONY

40" Bravia. Just arrived.

Specs:

Video

Video Signal : 1080/60p (HDMI™ / COMPONENT), 1080/60i, 1080/24p (HDMI™ ONLY), 720/60p, 480/60p, 480/60i

Audio Features

5.1 Channel Audio Out : Yes

5.1ch Through Out (Handycam) : Yes

Alternate Audio (Digital) : yes

Audio Out : Fixed

Auto Mute (on no signal) : Yes

Auto SAP : 20FM/10AM

Clear Voice : Yes

Dolby® : Dolby® Digital

Invisible Speaker (w/Sound Elevation) : Yes

Sound Mode : Dynamic, Standard, Clear Voice, Custom

SteadySound® Automatic Volume Control : Yes

Stereo System : MTS

Surround Effect : Cinema, Music, Live Sports, Game

Video Features

24p True Cinema™ Technology : Yes

3D Comb Filter : Yes

4:3 Default : Yes

Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) : Yes

Auto Wide : Yes

CineMotion® Reverse 3:2 Pulldown Technology : Yes

Cinema Mode : Yes

Live Color™ Technology : Yes

MPEG Noise Reduction : Yes

Motionflow™ Technology : 120Hz

Picture Mode : Vivid, Standard, Cinema

Video Processing : BRAVIA Engine 2™ Technology

Wide Mode : Normal, Zoom, Wide Zoom, Full (Full1-2 for PC)

Inputs and Outputs

AC Power Input : 1 (Rear) Pigtail

Analog Audio Input(s) (Total) : 4 (1 Side / 3 Rear)

Audio Out : 1(Rear)

Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Input(s) : 2 (Rear) (1 fixed/1 selectable)

Composite Video Input(s) : 2 (1 Side/1 Rear)

Digital Audio Output(s) : Optical Digital Output - 1 (Rear)

HDMI™ Connection(s) (Total) : 4 (2 Side/2 Rear)

HDMI™ PC Input : Yes

PC In (D-Sub) + Audio In (Stereo Mini) : 1 (Rear)

RF Connection Input(s) : 1 (Rear)

USB 2.0 : 1(Side)

Display

Aspect Ratio : 16:9

Display Resolution : Full HD 1080(1920x1080)

Dynamic Contrast Ratio : 150,000:1

Screen Size (measured diagonally) : 40"

Viewing Angle (Right/Left) : 178(89/89)

Viewing Angle (Up/Down) : 178(89/89)