Zune

Hi , in this post my subject will be Zune , a new technology launched by Microsoft . According to www.zunemax.com Zune is a 30-gigabyte model portable media player capable of playing ASF, MP3, WMA, WMA Pro (2 channel), MP4, WMV, MPEG4, JPEG and AAC files.

Unlike other portable players , Zune supports Wi-Fi connectivity. If you visit the same site mentioned in the first paragraph you will see that yhe Wi-Fi communication feature enables limited sharing of multimedia files to other Zune users within the 30feet radius. Image files can be distributed without any constraint but with music and video files, recipients can only play the file three times for three days and then the file expires. However, recipients can save the filenames of expired audio files for later purchase at Zune Marketplace. Zune users can also stream multimedia contents to Xbox 360 game console via USB or from a PC via Zune Software on a home network.

This technology first appeared in the us market on November,14,2006.The Zune system was sold at US$249.99 during the first release. However , it is getting cheaper day after day due to slugish sales.Zune players come in three different casing colors: brown, black and white . Orange, pink and red players also appeared as limited editions recently. The Zune system has 3-inch 320 x 240 screen resolution QVGA LCD display that can show over 65,000 colors . It has a dimension of 4.4 × 2.4 × 0.58-inch (11.2 × 6.1 × 1.4 cm) and weighs 5.6 ounces (158.8 grams) . The Zune comes with USB data cable, carrying bag and earphones .
www.zunemax.com

I made some interviews with some computer nurds in our university about their opinion in this technology . They all agreed that it is great, and liked the Wi-Fi connectivity in it . But still , there are some things they didn't like about it . For example ,they said : it is not backward compatible with WMA-DRM9 , it can't be used as a hard drive, it no podcast directory , it's maximum capacity of 30GB . It appeared that some of the people I interviwed have already buyed this technology . I asked them if they advise me to buy it , their answer was three letters "yes" . For this reason I am willing to buy a zune system as soon as possible .

If you are interested in buying this technology , you can visit www.cliczune.com or www.zunezone.com .

The next post wil be special . It is about some statistics I made . I am not gonna say more , just read it when it is published .

Note: The link option is not working in this post . I don't know the reason but I will solve this problem as soon as posible .

Done by Marwan Faissal

Attention

In an older post I have had received this reply:

The STOP HONORCIDE! campaign was launched on Mother's Day 2008. The goal of the campaign is to prosecute honorcides to the fullest extent of the law. We want honorcide to be classified as a hate crime and we advocate for every existing hate crime legislation to be amended to include honorcide.

http://www.reformislam.org/honorcide/

Make sure to visit this website :)

Thanks.

Dana

Where does it take place?

I am talking about this subject because I believe that it is a very important case that “we” should shed the lights on it.

I’m going to focus today about where it takes place. According to various websites; most "honor" killings of women occur in Muslim countries, “such killings "have been reported in Bangladesh, Britain, Brazil, Germany, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran."” Adding to that it also takes place “Throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.


Statistic showed in the “United Nations Population Fund” that approximately 5,000 women are killed each year. But off course this number is very small, when taking into consideration the number of deaths in Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan, and Palestine.

Who kills the girls and women? Not a very hard question; the “typical killer” is usually the father, the husband, or even the brother of the victim. In most cases the killer is chosen by the family or their communities which are the teenage brothers because they spend less time in prison and their punishment will be lighter.

I will shed the lights more today on these crimes that take place in my own country. Jordan!

On the 18th of April 1994; a 16-year-old girl was “killed at the hands of her brother because she had been raped by another brother.”

Rana Husseini, a journalist for the New York Times; stated the “"[My work involves] exposing these crimes for what they really are, cold-blooded and senseless murders, and struggling with the law to restore dignity to women and consider them full human beings," she told IRIN in the capital Amman.”

Till now there is no accurate number on the deaths that take place in Jordan but according to a “report by the Christian Science Monitor in March 2005, honour crimes account for one-third of all violent deaths in Jordan." What makes me think more is the continuation on this websites that says: “This runs counter to the perception of Jordan as one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East, where gender discrimination is officially minimal; women have voting rights, are present in parliament and government and hold influential positions in other sections of society.” and yet honor crimes still takes place!

According to Husseini, almost 70 percent of murdered women in honour killings are virgins!

Another example of these crimes is:- Two sisters, aged 20 and 27, were killed with axes in the capital Amman on Monday, according to a report in the Jordan Times newspaper. Officials told the paper the three brothers - who are in detention - admitted that they carried out the killing for reasons of "family honour".

“It was a brutal scene - one victim's head was nearly cut clean off.”

"Under the existing law, people found guilty of committing honour killings often receive sentences as light as six months in prison." I believe that murders should stay in prison for the rest of their lives. To suffer, to feel the pain they caused when they killed another!

To know more about these crimes that take place visit this website:-
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/jordan0404/

To know about Palestine and Pakistan click on the name of the country.

Dana...

Bleutooth.........

I talked in one of my previous posts about wibree and did a comparison between it and bluetooth . Well, I had a comment on that post that caught my attention . The writer of the comment wants to know more about bluetooth. For this reason I will write a complete post talking about this issue in the coming days ...................................

Done by Marwan Faissal

R.F.I.D!!!!!!

What is bar code?According to http://www.inventors.about.com/ , it is method of automatic identification and data collection. The first patent for a bar code type product (US Patent #2,612,994) was issued to inventors Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver on October 7, 1952. The Woodland and Silver bar code can be described as a "bull's eye" symbol, made up of a series of concentric circles. Well , this is not the subject of the post . The subject is RFID ,Radio Frequency Identification , which is a technology similar in theory to barcode identification but more advanced . According to http://www.webopedia.com/ With RFID, the electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the RF portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to transmit signals. An RFID system consists of an antenna and a transceiver, which read the radio frequency and transfer the information to a processing device, and a transponder, or tag, which is an integrated circuit containing the RF circuitry and information to be transmitted.

Moreover , RFID systems can be used just about anywhere, from clothing tags to missiles to pet tags to food -- anywhere that a unique identification system is needed. The tag can carry information as simple as a pet owners name and address or the cleaning instruction on a sweater to as complex as instructions on how to assemble a car. Some auto manufacturers use RFID systems to move cars through an assembly line. At each successive stage of production, the RFID tag tells the computers what the next step of automated assembly is.

One of the key differences between RFID and bar code technology is RFID eliminates the need for line-of-sight reading that bar coding depends on. Also, RFID scanning can be done at greater distances than bar code scanning. High frequency RFID systems (850 MHz to 950 MHz and 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz) offer transmission ranges of more than 90 feet, although wavelengths in the 2.4 GHz range are absorbed by water (the human body) and therefore has limitations.
RFID is also called dedicated short range communication (DSRC).

The question asked by many people right now is : Can RFID replace Bar code identification ?

In fact I asked this question to two specialists and they had two different answers . The first answer was "because the price of a barcode is so low, it is unlikely that RFID would be a viable replacement". The other specialist disagreed with that , he claimed that RFID is so much more advanced than Bar code . And because of the huge advantage it have money will not be a big problem.

I asked the the same spacialists if RFID code can replace UPS code and they had the same answers as the first time .

I also searched the internet to find out that there are 2 points of view concerning this issue.Some are against the idea of RFID replacing Barcode identification and others are with it .

I know I am not a specialist , but if I was asked my opinion I will be completely with

RFID replacing Barcode . The reason is that we cant refuse a new technology because we dont have money to pay for it . It doesn't make sense!!!!!

In the end , I hope you got information you didn't know before from this post , because this is the main concept of our work .

Done by Marwan Faissal

Continuing the New Subject…

Every year around the world an increasing number of women are killed in the name of "honor."

Ankara, Turkey -Ignoring the pleas of his 14-year old daughter to spare her life, Mehmet Halitogullari pulled on a wire wrapped around her neck and strangled her - supposedly to restore the family's honor after she was kidnapped and raped... "I decided to kill her because our honor was dirtied," the newspaper Sabah quoted the father as saying. "I didn't listen to her pleas, I wrapped the wire around her neck and pulled at it until she died" (The Associated Press).


Sunday May 11 2008:- 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

“For Abdel-Qader Ali there is only one regret: that he did not kill his daughter at birth. 'If I had realised then what she would become, I would have killed her the instant her mother delivered her,' he said with no trace of remorse.”

The story in short is that Rand Abdel-Qader, 17 years old, was murdered because of her infatuation with a British soldier in Basra, southern Iraq. Her father remains a free man today. “Despite having stamped on, suffocated and then stabbed his student daughter to death.”

What astonishes me every time I read a devastating story about honor killings is the way some people react to it – in this case the police officers who arrested Abdel-Qader for exactly two hours “congratulated him on what he had done.”

Rand died on the 16th of March. After her father discovered that she had been seen in public talking to the British soldier known as Paul. Considering that he was not only was the enemy, but the invader and a Christian.

While Rand’s father was hurting her, her mother called her two sons to hold back their father who choked on Rand’s throat with his leg but instead of controlling their father – they joined in as well!

To know the story in full click on the site!

So where does Honor Killing takes place? To know more come back again for more details about a heart-breaking reality that takes place in the world we live in!

Dana

Changing the Subject!

Have you ever thought that by talking to a guy might get you killed? Have you ever thought that by receiving a phone call from a guy might get you killed as well? Believe It or not these “Stupid” moves in our point of view, which might get a girl killed, have happened and it is still happening to this day. It’s so sad when you actually think about it and because of this I am going to talk about “Honor Killing of Women”



To start with, how can honor killing be defined? Honor killing of women can be defined as acts of murders in which a woman is killed for her actual or sense of her immoral behavior. These immoral behaviors may include the form of talking with an unrelated male, being a victim of rape, seeking a divorce, refusing to marry the man chosen by one's family or consensual sexual relations outside marriage.


These acts stated above may seem brutal or to us even damn crazy but what is even more brutal is a wife who was killed by her husband because he dreamt of her; committing adultery! Women have also been killed for disrespecting their husbands. (To read the example in more details go to the website and read -- "What can precipitate an "honor" killing?")


Hundreds, if not thousands, of women are murdered by their families each year in the name of family "honor." It's difficult to get precise numbers of honor killing; since the murders frequently go unreported, the perpetrators unpunished, and the concept of family honor justifies the act in the eyes of some societies.


This is the subject that I have decided to write about, because I believe that this is a very important subject that some of us may hear about it every now and then -- but not actually believing that it takes place every day of our lives!


Dana!

No More...

When doc. Augé said in class that we can write about anything we

want, an idea came to my mind!

So I'm done with

And I'll start with:-

Dana.

radio and airplanes

In this post I will talk about the relationship between radio and airplanes . There are three issues i am willing to mention:

1.Small radio airplanes

2.HD radio in airplanes

3.HD radio airplane stations

Lets start with small radio airplanes technnology. In fact this technology is not new but it is being updated in a very fast and dangerous way . Those airplanes are becomming faster and more capable of holding weights day after day.

There is something that shocked me when told to me by a friend . It is that small radio air planes or remote control airplanes can turn into a weapon in the hands of a terrorist. I searched http://www.wcbstv.com/ to know more about it. I found that it is real , accused terrorists have already tried it . For example in Maryland , a teacher was found guilty of helping a terror group get an electronic autopilot system and video equipment to use on these little airplanes.The funny thing is that those airplanes are the hobbie of many americans.

Well , sometimes new technologies could be harmfull if they were found in the wrong hands .In fact every thing in this life could be used for good and for evil not only new technologies .

Lets move on to the next issue:HD Radio in Airplanes. I am not gonna be inventing powderif I told you that HD Radio is being used in Airplanes. In fact all airlines are using this technology right now .

As for the stations , recently many airplane HD radio stations are working specially in the USA .The first HD radio airplane station was KOHM.

I will dedicate a whole new post to talk about it with other stations.........

Done by Marwan Faissal

Sorry for not updating the post last weak . I had very urging family issues that kept me from that . I know i am supposed to write 2 posts per weak , but because it is a very special case i will write 4 posts this weak . So keep in touch...........

IPTV

To start with what is an IPTV? Well it stands for Internet Protocol Television.

Which is a system used to deliver digital television to the consumer who is registered subscribes for this system. And this delivery is made possible by using Internet Protocol connection by a managed network and not by the public internet to give better quality.

IPTV is "creating headlines all over the world." IPTV is very useful devise since a person is receiving both TV and Video signals as well as other multimedia services by the internet connection via broadband.

Benjamin Lehmann of Jupiter Research believes that: " in 2011, IPTV will have penetrated 6% of European households, up from 2% in 2006," he says.

To see the picture more clearer click here.

The shape of an IPTV device is the same as the ones we have at home but it is unique in its own way. The role of this device as well is to "mark out the preferences and selections over a particular time period."

This new technology is more advanced and user friendly. It also has a higher speed digital line such as (ADSL). It is also good to remember that the device has an effective delivery of voice, data and video services to customers.

Finally I can restate that IPTV is a fusion of "voice, video, and data service." It is simply the result of high bandwidth and high speed internet access.

To know more about this IPTV and if you are intrested you can log into:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/speeches/stories/highfield_iptv.shtml

Dana :)

Just More Information...

If you are or someone in your family intrested and wants to buy a new television
here is the perfect website where you can find the Top 10 TV's!

Or you can even log into:-
http://www.doorone.co.uk/xGS-new%20televisions~NS-1~linkin_id-8003549~S-1

and you can click on whatever you are Interested in!

Television more Exciting!

My post for this week might be a little bit short but I found it very interesting. I've decided to talk about how "New technology could make TV more exciting."

They say that for the first time and thanks to the camera navigation technology now under development that "Live TV" broadcast will be able to combine real action with computer- generated images -- could become possible!

This will be done to the outdoor sporting, the musical events and other TV coverage that will combine the excitement of being live with the spectacular visual impact that computer graphics can create. It can also be applied at the consumer level. This means that it will enable interior design ideas to be visualized.

Before this new technology "the blending of live action and computer-generated images has only been possible in controlled studio environments." Now "The system is able to work out in real-time."

This new system is being developed at Oxford University with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Dr Ian Reid and Dr Andrew Davison of Oxford University's Department of Engineering Science are leading the project. Andrew says: "This localization and mapping technology turns a camera into a flexible, real-time position sensor. It has all kinds of potential applications."


To know how this system works click on: - http://www.physorg.com/news2909.html
Simply it is that the camera is connected to a laptop computer which in turn will analyses the images it receives using a special software.

This technology under development could provide a low-cost and high-performance navigation. It could also be incorporated into video games.

Source: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

To see a picture of the new camera navigation tool click here.

Dana.

TV is Changing!

Thinking about what to write when it comes to television is actually hard due to the fact that there is a loot of stuff that could be covered and choosing one subject is not easy. And so -- I’ve decided to talk about how television is changing; since we all know that everyday something new is being added to televisions.

How television is changing? Well the US Congress said that by February 17, 2009 -- which is less that ONE year from now -- all the TV signals will be in a digital format.

There are a lot of advantages to digital TV. This means that “analog over the air TV signals will be discontinued and only digital TV signals will remain” and this will widespread wireless networks.

Now there are some major problems with this switch to the digital TV format and more confusion about the switch from the analog broadcasting. And this is because many people do not know what is digital TV is.

There’s a miss understanding also about digital TV. Which are people think that it is the same as HDTV but the truth is -- not all digital TV is a high definition. Simply digital TV means that the signals are transmitted in a digital format which takes up less bandwidth, and therefore increasing the number of channels that can be transmitted using any given number of frequencies.

The only problem that might occur is that people still don’t know that this is going to happen and because of this people who have been watching TV in an analog format and who does not have a digital tuner built into their TV set or a special converter box to change the digital TV signals into analog before feeding them into the TV set, won’t be able to watch TV on February 17, 2009 and because of this many people will get pissed!

If you want to more about the converter go to:- http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/344651.html

The funny thing about this subject is that the TV manufacturers who have known about this for years – have continued selling analog ONLY TVs but only recently they have actually bothered putting warning on them saying that they will not work when the transition comes.

Dana :)

Podcasting and Radio

Lets start with the meaning of podcasting . According to http://www.podcastingnews.com/ podcasting is delivering audio content to iPods and other portable media players on demand, so that it can be listened to at the user's convenience. The main benefit of podcasting is that listeners can sync content to their media player and take it with them to listen whenever they want to. Because podcasts are typically saved in MP3 format, they can also be listened to on nearly any computer.

The term podcasting was popularized by media entrepeneuar and former MTV VJ Adam Curry. Curry created an Applescript application that automated the process of downloading and syncing audio files to iPods.

After you had enough information about podcasting . Lets move on to the important part which is how is podcasting related to radio.Well, on may 16 2005 the first podcast radio station was launched by Infinity Broadcasting, the radio division of Viacom. Infinity converted a San Francisco's 1550 KYCY, an AM station, to listener-submitted content.This station was renamed KYOURadio. Many more podcast stations were launched later.
(http://www.wired.com/)

Moreover,radio national websites are being replaced by radio national podcast survices. You no longer have to seek out the most recent audio from your favourite radio programs on the Radio National website — it comes to you!
(http://http://www.abc.net.au/)

The question asked now, How is podcasting affecting radio? According to more than one owner of podcast satations it is having a posotive impact on the listners that are participating personally in radio, sharing their feelings on music, news, politics, and many other things.

Well this is another new technology that makes radio more entertaining for the listeners.
Still,there are other technologies . I will try to inform you about many of them in the coming posts.

Plasma!

So you wanna buy a television but you cannot choose which one to get? Or you cannot decide which is better? Well I am here to help you as much as I can. Since last time in an older post I’ve talked about HDTV and also talked about LCD’s today I’m gonna talk about Plasma TV’s.


To start with Plasma screens are changing the shape of television, from the familiar TV that we have been around 50 years to a sleek, flat display that can hang on a wall. These new Plasmas displays also deliver HDTV and they serve as TV and a flat computer monitor.

The Plasma screen is covered with millions of tiny glass bubbles. Each bubble contains a gas-like substance, the plasma, and has a phosphor coating. Think of the bubbles as the pixels. Now think of each pixel as having 3 sub-pixels – one red, one green, one blue. When it is time to display an image signal, a digitally controlled electric current flows through the flat screen, causing the plasma inside designated bubbles to give off ultraviolet rays. This light in turn causes the phosphor coatings to glow the appropriate color. Millions of bubbles glow to make a rich, vivid image.

If you want to know more about the basics of this television go to:-http://www.hdtv.ca/plasma_lcd_projector/about-plasma.php

So which plasma television is right for you; well as I was surfing the net I found that there is 10 easy ways to buy a Plasma TV:-
· Step 1: Plasma Display Technology
· Step 2: Plasma TV Screen Sizes
· Step 3: Is a 1080P Plasma TV Worth the Extra Money?
· Step 4: Plasma TV Audio Options
· Step 5: Mounting Your Plasma TV
· Step 6: Choosing a Plasma TV Brand and Model
· Step 7: How and Where to Buy a Plasma
· Step 8: Find an Online Plasma Dealer
· Step 9: Plasma Television Installation
· Step 10: Connecting Your Plasma TV



Now the difference between an LCD and a Plasma TV is a complicated topic in a way since both TVs are achieving the similar features (bright, crystal-clear image and super color picture) but despite all these similarities, these technologies differ in how they process and display incoming video/computer signals. And I’ve already talked about how both TVs work. But I also came to notice a very good chart that shows some of the differences.


Viewing angle for the Plasma TV is 160 degrees+, typically about 90 degrees vertically while for the LCD is Up to 160 degrees horizontally, typically less.

The Lightsource for the Plasma TV is Emissive (internal) while for the LCD is Transmissive (External backlight).

The Switching speeds for the Plasma TV is Switching speeds while for the LCD is >20ms (may have image lag at video rates)

The Color technology for the Plasma TV is Phosphor (Natural TV colors) while for the LCD is Color Filters (Not the same color system as TV).

Deal Application for the Plasma TV is TV, signage, public display while for the LCD is PC data, PC graphics, desktop use.


Finally as we all know there are a lot of different companies that make Plasma TVs with a lot of different prices. Like Pioneer Plasma TV KURO, Panasonic Plasma Television, LG Plasma Television, Samsung Plasma TV and much more if you are interested in any of them they are all in ONE website, yeah ONE website go to :-

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasma-tv-ces-2008.html

I really hope that i've helped you a little,
Dana :)

Liquid Crystal Diode Television!

Last time I’ve talked about HDTV today I’m going to talk about LCD – which stands for Liquid Crystal Diode Television that is a thin, flat display television.

The main reason for people who choose LCD’s is because of the flat-screen set. The idea of how it works is actually interesting as according to Larry Dixon he said on Saturday, February 25, 2006: “it consist of two transparent, polarized layers of material the LCD display make use of liquid crystals. These crystals are contained in one of the polarized layers. When a current is passed through the crystals, the crystals either obstruct light or transmit it, thus creating an image. Because the crystals don’t generate their own light, an extraneous source of illumination like a fluorescent bulb is required in order for the images to be visible.”

What makes LCD’s different than any other television sets and especially than plasma sets is that they require less power and generate less heat and they do not use phosphors and have a brighter picture than plasma. Adding to all that they have a display life of around 60,000 hours. While comparing it to a plasma set which has a display life of approximately 30,000 hours.

The one problem might be with LCD’s is that there is no variety in the screen size. The biggest screen for an LCD is 37 inches. Also another problem with it is that it is less powerful than plasma and the pixels in it can burn out which means that it will result in black and white dots and these can be seen on the screen and with time if these dots become troublesome the screen itself will have to be discarded since the pixels can’t be repaired.



This is a picture of a 37 inche LCD.

Adding to the advantages I’ve stated above; what makes it even more special is its ability to move in all directions so that everyone in the room can see the picture. Also it gives the person more space as the person may choose to hang the television on the wall or it can be even suspended from the ceiling and tilted downward!

To know more about LCD's feel free to access either:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display
http://www.newtechnologytv.com/index.php?itemid=69&catid=1 http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LCD.html

And if are even intrested in knowing the prices you may visit:-
http://www.shopbot.ca/c-90-0-0-1.html

Come again to stay in touch with the latest technologies of TV's :)

Dana!

Television Revolution.

I guess the most important thing in media is how people are using it, what kind of information we are receiving from it and how we are reacting to all of these things. Are people getting too attached to it? Are we at the point that we are copying it? Today I am going to talk about the television revolution.

To start with what is television? Television (often abbreviated to TV or telly) is used as a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound over a distance! The word is derived from mixed Latin and Greek roots, meaning “far sight”; Greek tele, far, and Latin vision, sight.

TV’s became available during the late 1930’s and day by day it became part of every house. It was used as a source of entertainment and news. Without the help of many men and scientists we wouldn’t have televisions today and because of them television came into being. I was surprised to know that the “first” generation of television sets were not electronic. They said that the TV screen had a small motor with a spinning disc and a neon lamp; imagine that and all of these worked together to give a reddish-orange picture about HALF the size of a business card! Imagine the blessing we are living in today! Adding to that they say that the period before 1935 is called the "Mechanical Television Era".

This is a picture taken by Mr. Steve McVoy, as displayed on his 1930 mechanical television sets!

This is the Neon Lamp or the "Kino Lamp" that is behind the
the rotating aluminum disk in the TV receiver. Now how does this work? well to know all the details about it you should go to:-

http://www.tvhistory.tv/1920s%20TV%20Picture.htm

in this site you will find the exact way -- how the lamp gives the picture.


And if you want to know more all about the American, the British, the French, and the Russian Television Sets. Click on Televisino Sets :)

Television was and is a big revolution that took place in our world today. It has influenced millions of people world wide and without it some of us are lost. It’s like an essential or a major priority that we cannot abandon. If the electricity is off we wait patiently until its back to watch the program we love. I believe Television is a great invention made by a man, can’t wait to see what a brain of a human being is capable of doing…

Just one more thing -- They have tried to make people for one whole week to turn off their TV’s in a way to make them see what they are missing in their lifes. Do you think it worked? I personally doubt it!

They called it International TV-Turnoff Week!

Dando0n!