Techo Rama

Nokia has introduced new cell-phone accessory designed for users with hearing aids. The Nokia Wireless Loopset is compatible with T-coil-equipped hearing aids or cochlear implants and makes hands-free connections between the hearing aid devices and Bluetooth 2.1-equipped mobile phones. This device can help hearing aid users to enjoy premium audio and handsfree operation of their mobile devices and other compatible audio devices. The Nokia Wireless Loopset provides hearing aid users with a hassle-free and handsfree connection to their mobile phones. It comes with a comfortable neckloop and a single button for call handling. Earlier, people with hearing aids had faced difficulties in using digital mobile phones in noisy environments or due to interference picked up from the radio transmission of the phone. The induction technology has improved the calls to be distortion-free and clear. The HS-67WL has a vibrating alert function to notify users of incoming calls. It will be available worldwide in the first quarter of 2009 with an equivalent price of about $315. Via: Crave

Uk-based company TriMetric has introduced a new device called TMX1000 which is small single-board computer (SBC) and is especially designed for the devices which make intense use of biometric scanners. This single-board computer is quite functional and can be used in diverse fields, like from time/attendance and access control to the point of sales equipments from supermarkets. It measures 2.5 x 1.7 x 0.3 inches (63 x 42 x 9mm) and comes with very classy board. It can efficiently run both application software and biometric software and is based on a 240MHz ARM9 processor. The device can be proficiently configured with 16 to 32 MB of RAM, respectively from 4 to 16 MB of flash memory and the open-source software heap is based on Linux 2.6. The TMX1000 also comes equipped with RJ-45 connector for the10/100 Ethernet interface and its I/O is exposed with the help of board-to-wire and board-to-board connectors. Details of Board-to-wire connectors are: – RS-232 serial – RS-485 serial (optional) – Weigand – 1 x USB host port – 1 x USB device port – smart card interface – audio – 4 general purpose I/O lines Board-to-board connectors include: – monochrome and color STN, CSTN and TFT LCD interface; up to VGA resolution with 16-bit color – camera Interface – 12 general purpose I/O lines – 16 addressable SPI slave ports – SD memory card interface Highlights in the TMX1000 interfaces with fingerprint sensors : – UPEK T1/T2 (flat flexible cable) – Authentec 8600 (flat flexible cable) – Atmel Swipe (flat flexible cable) – Futronic optical (USB) – Algorithm – Innovatrics However, the company has not stated the price and the avalibility of the SBC. Via: Softpedia

Recently Hitachi has released world’s first 1TB internal hard drive and has received immense accolades for this deed. This company has always been known for the easy line up of hard drives. This huge offer is available in two forms. Firstly, the AC powered External USB storage device with 500GB, 750 GB. You may also opt for the single 1TB HDD available in a black colored matte case. Interestingly, 1TB HDD is strikingly similar to the Xbox 360 Elite. Portable USB storage has the capacity of 160GB,200GB. Its pocket friendly enclosure features space for full quarter terabyte and is powered with USB. So, do not miss this great deal! Best Buy is the ideal place to buy both the drives. They will cost you around 139.99 and $249.99 in accordance with the size. Via:engadget

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a new high-reliability technology for high power gallium nitride (GaN), named high electron-mobility transistors (HEMT). The new technology will make the way for commercialization of high power GaN HEMTs. The new technology will enable transistor to operate even at high temperature of 200 degrees Celsius for more than one million hours under pinch off condition with a drain voltage of 50 volts (50V). The company will use the GaN HEMTs technology for the high-speed wireless communications market, like atellite communication (VSATs), cellular base stations, WiMAX base stations, and other high-speed wireless communications infrastructure. Fujitsu has analyzed and discovered that in GaN HEMTs a correlation exists between gate leakage current and reliability. The company observed that the increase in gate leakage current depends on the quality of crystal and the structure of GaN HEMTs. Fujitsu has improved crystal quality and optimized the layer structure to mitigate the electric field in a gallium-nitride HEMT structure with few surface traps by using its proprietary n-type GaN cap layer. Image Credit: Data Cap Via: Tech On

By keeping in view consumers heavy demand for additional storage devices and to store all the data quickly and easily for safekeeping, Philips has introduced an external hard drive called SPD5130. This ground-breaking drive features an ultra-fast eSATA interface that is six times faster than the industry-standard USB 2.0, to offer users an extra storage capacity to store more music, movies and photos than ever before. Its unmatched one-terabyte capacity enables users to store 1 million photos, 250,000 songs or six weeks of uncompressed video whereas its 32MB buffer guarantee that data is transported unfailingly and free from error. The device also features an unusual extra-thick outer shell for smooth functioning whereas its heat control system regulates the drive’s built-in fan. The outer case of SPD5130 is made of stout aluminum that protects data from surplus temperatures and its inimitable suspension insulates the drive from potential shocks. The SPD5130 has a sleek, signature design to complement any modern desktop. The power management of this sleek, signature design device permits the disk to begin and shut down with the computer; so therefore, it is compatible with every machine. Like its predecessors this SPD5130 also comes with one-click backup button to instantaneously protect files and a safe shutdown button to prevent data loss. William Ripley, Products Strategy and Marketing Peripherals and Accessories Philips Consumer Electronics asserted: In the digital world, storage requirements are growing exponentially, while users need to access their files as quickly and as simply as possible and we’re delighted to shatter the one-terabyte storage barrier and boost our extensive range of computer peripherals with the SPD5130, a compact, single-disk external hard drive that’s also one of our fastest models yet. As compared to double-drive solutions those are currently ruling are shelves this SPD5130 hard drive also comes bundled with a revolutionary single-disk form. The disk is available in Europe and it will hit US in this summer with price tag of 449 EUR and 499 USD. Via: Physorg

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has inducted a ban on the import of mobile phones, which are developed with Qualcomm chips. The order was issued following the federal agency’s claim that the world’s second-biggest mobile chip maker has infringed Broadcom patents. ITC has also barred the company from testing its semiconductors in USA. The ban will adversely affect Motorola in particular and other handset makers and network providers in general. They include Verizon, AT&T and Sprint Nextel, Samsung and LG Electronics. San Diego, California-based Qualcomm generally develops mobile chips in foreign countries, like Ireland, Taiwan and in some Asian countries. They are sold in USA market in mobile phones. These chips are used in 3G phones. Broadcom Corporation, the leading supplier of integrated circuits for broadband-based communication services has sought a ban on the Qualcomm chips claiming patent infringement. Qualcomm has decided to appeal President Bush to veto the ruling explaining the ban would affect imports of millions of phones in the country. Image

First ARM v5 instruction set architecture compliant processor, FA626TE is now available from Faraday Technology Corp. The processor has a 32bit RISC excellent computing and power-efficient capabilities for applications like infotainment systems, portable navigation devices, IP-STBs, industrial PCs, high-speed network and storage SoCs. FA626TE processor is the first hard core, which reaches the worst clock speed of 533MHz and it is available in UMC 0.13um process. The FA626TE processor with eight pipeline stages has following features: 1) The processor has separate instruction/data caches and scratchpads 2) A buffer writer 3) A memory management unit 4) JTAG ICE interface The CPU of the FA626TE uses four AHB or AXI interfaces, which is configured with 32/64bit widths to communicate with external memory and devices. The device has fully synthesizable core and the single-phase clock based architecture especially designed to integrate the SoC for designers. The company is expecting that the next version of 90nm UMC running on 667MHz and 800MHz in worst case would be available by the end of this year. According to Thomas Hsieh, associate VP of central R&D at Faraday, the company is using data path optimization, process tuning, specific library and bin sorting to improve core clock speed. Thus, the company can implement the ultrahigh-performance FA626TE processor which enables the 800MHz speed in 90nm process. Mage Credit: US design Via: Tech On

Toshiba Corp. has proudly announced the development of a new 3D memory cell array structure that augments cell density and data capacity with a trifling increase in the chip die size. The new structure has been created by using through-silicon vias and features pillars of stacked memory elements that go vertically through multi-stacked layers of electrode material and make use of communal peripheral circuits. While the current memory stacking technologies merely stack two-dimensional memory array on top of another and the same process is repeated again and again, the new structure doesn’t add to the increase in chip area since peripheral circuits are shared by several silicon pillars. The process of doing this involves driving a through-hole down through a stacked substrate, filling the holes with pillars of silicon, and when the gate electrode cover the silicon pillar at even gaps, a pre-shaped nitride film work as NAND cell. It has a SONOS structure – silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide- silicon Toshiba has plans to work more on this technology to make this stand equivalent to the existing structures in terms of security and reliability. Via: Pennnet

Tokyo based company, Toshiba Corporation has launched the new technology, which opens the way to manufacture powerful ICs for the millimeter waveband. The company has unveiled the technology on June 15, 2007 at the 2007 Symposia on VLSI Circuits, in Kyoto, Japan. Toshiba’s new technology uses a low cost CMOS process to achieve high-speed, highly integrated wireless communications over short distances. Millimeter-wave communication is highly anticipated solution, which offers high-speed wireless communication in the 60 HZ band, a frequency which is ten times higher than wireless LAN. The wide bandwidth of signal allows data transfers at a rate of more than 1 gigabit a second. 60GHz IC for millimeter-wave communication have been fabricated with gallium arsenide (GaAs), which is more expensive than CMOS IC. Millimeter-wave GaAs IC also require separate integration on the module of an antenna and a synthesizer, which can not be fabricated with GaAs process technology. GaAs IC also includes bonding wire and costly ceramic board. Toshiba’s 60GHz CMOS receiver chip is integrated an on-chip antenna, LNA, a mixer with a preamplifier and a phase-locked loop (PLL) synthesizer in a die that is only 1.1mm x 2.4mm without pad area. The chip supports high levels of integration and provides high level performance. A fully integrated circuit improves signal quality and it is featured with noise-resistant, which suits to millimeter-wave IC application. The optimization of element structure and wiring structure restrain internal noise and contributes to realizing stable operation. Toshiba will continue to improve the integration and performance of the receiver IC, and also work to develop the high power technology required for a transmitter IC, aiming to achieve practical application Image Credit: Back Office & Electronic Specifier Via: Tech On

Sometimes, I really get confused when I find one search engine in another search engine. I think it happens with you also!! Well! I hope, Amvona’s new search engine will not adopt this theory. Amvona has unveiled Discovery, a revolutionary patented media search engine where users can independently handle twelve variables to fine and tune search results for either photos or videos. The company has launched Discovery as part of the Amvona 720 social shopping and social networking community. Sliders allow users to empower the influence of variables like popularity, views, category, and member location, which gives users a complete control of their results. Amvona’s Discovery also enhances Amvona’s free photo sharing application, Corridor. With Discovery, users can organize their Corridors by clicking and dragging thumbnails into collections. The company is focusing on creating the fastest, easiest and most enjoyable shopping experience. Amvona claimed that the company will continue its improvement in social shopping experience for growing online community. Image Credit: Matthew