Friday, 11 February 2011

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept: the car as a fully integrated part of the networked world

Like every other object in the world, the car is about to become networked. A glimpse into the automotive benefits of our networked future will be on show at the Geneva Motor Show next month when BMW shows its Vision ConnectedDrive concept car. The concept study, in a two-seat roadster guise, presents the automobile as a fully integrated part of the networked world in both its design and technological innovations. It is with this concept that BMW presents the potential of current and future in-car technology for optimizing comfort, safety and infotainment.
The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive employs a layering principal in its design, demonstrating the bond between the driver, passenger, vehicle and the surrounding environment. This is visualized by the complex light installation which shows the path of data exchange with the driver and passenger as the start and end point of each interaction.
The interior is divided into three layers – comfort, infotainment and safety – each with a corresponding light installation. Each layer is defined by a color, rhythm, motion and texture and, through the transparent surfaces the path taken by the information can be seen via fiber optic lighting.
The first layer focuses on safety, with a red light wrapping around the driver and coming together in a cone on the bonnet. This represents the flow of safety-specific information and the driver’s focus on the road ahead. The second layer encompasses the safety layer and extends to the passenger cell, focusing on infotainment. This layer promotes active social exchange between the driver and passenger and is outlined by the blue ribbon of light. The final layer, defined by the green light flow, concentrates on the interaction of the vehicle with the world around it. The emphasis is on the outside of the vehicle, starting and ending with the two antennas, in place of wing mirrors, providing the data link to the surrounding environment.
The layering principal in the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive requires individual components to perform a number of roles. This can be seen in the headlights and rear lights with their integrated sensors monitoring the traffic and external environment which feed information directly to the driver allowing him to take appropriate action.
The concept embodies the dynamic BMW design language with its long wheelbase, set back seating position and long bonnet but combines it with taut surfaces and distinctive flowing lines. This results in an interesting play of light and shadow making the car appear as if it is accelerating even at a standstill. The sliding doors, inspired by those on the BMW Z1, disappear into the body of the car. This allows the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive to be driven with the doors open, emphasizing the link between the vehicle and its environment.
The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive showcases the current and future capabilities of BMW’s ConnectedDrive technologies. Advanced Head-Up Display takes the technology currently available in production BMWs even further, placing a three-dimensional display of key information in the direct sight line of the driver, eliminating the need for the driver’s eyes to refocus. The three-dimensional display allows the real view to be overlaid with virtual information, highlighting hazards allowing the driver to assimilate all of the information quickly and take appropriate action.
In addition to Advanced Head-Up Display the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive is equipped with a freely programmable instrument cluster to provide the driver with additional information, optically emphasized to a greater or lesser degree. While for the first time passengers get their own information display, out of the driver’s field of vision, allowing them to evaluate information, music or navigation details and pass them onto the driver with a simple touch of a finger.
The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive demonstrates the interaction between the driver and the passenger and shows how networking with the environment can reach new levels.

Nikon's 36x COOLPIX superzoom breaks cover

Bringing distant subjects into sharp focus has just received a COOLPIX boost with the announcement of the P500 from Nikon. The 12.1 megapixel camera features a whopping 36x zoom lens, hybrid vibration reduction technology and a vari-angle high resolution display. It can shoot full high definition movies and sports a number of useful scene modes to help users capture the best panoramic, tone rich or low light images possible.

The P500 benefits from a built-in flash

 

Viewing all the angles on the 3-inch high definition tilting display

Frequently used functions can be accessed via the manual mode dial

 

Viewing all the angles on the 3-inch high definition tilting display

Nikon has revealed a 36x superzoom camera is to join its COOLPIX range in March

 

 

 

Ex British Prime Minister’s Sister converts into a Muslim

Ex British Prime Minister’s Sister converts into a Muslim


LONDON — The sister-in-law of former prime minister Tony Blair has converted to Islam following a visit to Iran, saying she is a “proud member” of the Muslim community.
Lauren Booth has given up alcohol and pork, prays five times a day and has not ruled out wearing a burqa in the future, she told The Mail on Sunday.
The 43-year-old journalist and reality television contestant underwent the religious conversion following a visit to the holy Iranian city of Qom six weeks ago.
She said that when she was in Iran, “I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy.”
Speaking to the newspaper after a multi-faith Global Peace and Unity Event in London on Saturday, Booth said: “What I wanted to share with you today is that I am Lauren Booth and I am a Muslim.
“I always felt that the Ummah (Muslim community) is a very loving, peaceful place and I am proud to be a member of it.”
Booth, who works for the English language Iranian news channel Press TV, has frequently criticised her brother-in-law, accusing the former leader of being biased towards Israel and the United States in his role as Middle East peace envoy.
She wrote a scathing open letter in last month’s far-left newspaper Morning Star.
“Personally I’ve never understood this fear of ‘political Islam’,” she wrote.
“It seems to me that religious people should always be educated on world events rather than kept in ignorance. Like, say, Midwest Christian Zionists in the US.”
After attending a rally in Iran to mourn Palestinian deaths in cities including Rafah and Nablus, Booth wrote: “Do you recognise these place names, Tony?
“As Middle East envoy, you really should. Israel has massacred children in all of these cities. Didn’t you know?”
She was refused entry to Israel and Egypt after travelling from Cyprus to Gaza on an activist ship which was protesting the blockade of Palestinian territory.
Religious enlightenment is not unknown in the family with brother-in-law Tony converting to Catholicism in December 2007.
Booth is the half-sister of Blair’s wife Cherie, a human rights lawyer.

Sohail Tanvir out of World Cup 2011 – Replaced by Junaid Khan

Sohail Tanvir out of World Cup 2011 – Replaced by Junaid Khan


This is news of the day. Pakistan Team, while preparing to leave for World Cup have to face the exclusion of Sohail Tanvir from the squad. The left arm medium fast bowler is still struggling with his knee injury which is troubling him since last 2 years. It will be a risk to take Sohail Tanvir for the world cup since he is completely out of form because of his injury as witnessed in the recent tour against New Zealand.
Sohail Tanvir will be replaced by a young and promising Left handed fast bowler, Junaid Khan. The CV of Junaid Khan is excellent. He is the best in the lot in the domestic cricket and at U-19 level Junaid Khan was among of a crop of the most promising young fast bowlers in recent years, alongside Mohammad Aamer.

He has been a consistent wicket-taker at domestic level, in all forms of the game, and given that he plays most of his cricket for one of the traditionally weaker regions, Abbottabad (in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province), it indeed is an impressive record.
Please note that Mohammed Aamer started his career in World Cup T 20 and Pakistan eventually won the World Cup under the leadership of Younis Khan. Many senior players think that Junaid Khan is equally good as Mohammed Aamer and some of them thought he will be selected before Aamer. Nevertheless, the 21 year old chap is in the squad now and who knows he will create the difference and Pakistan will won the World Cup. Good Luck to team Pakistan.
Take a look at some numbers:
Full name Mohammad Junaid Khan
Born December 24, 1989, Matra, North-West Frontier Province
Current age 21 years 47 days
Major teams Abbottabad, Abbottabad Rhinos,Pakistan Under-19s
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm medium-fast

First Class Career:

Matched Played 35 Innings 63 Runs 3562 Wickets 167 Average 21.32 Best 7/46

HP unveils 3 new devices, including its new TouchPad tablet

HP unveils 3 new devices, including its new TouchPad tablet



Today at HP and Palm‘s ‘Think Beyond’ webOS event, the lack of Palm logos was a tell-tale sign that HP would steal the show.
“We have a history of firsts. We have a tradition of creating firsts,” said Todd Bradley, the Executive VP of the Personal System Group at Hewlett-Packard, a company known for its sturdy computers, printers and laptops. With a focus on bringing scale to the mass markets, HP has acquired Palm and added hundreds of engineers to its force.
Jon Rubinstein, who helped to create the iPod and is now the senior VP and general manager at Hewlett-Packard took the stage to unveil 3 new HP devices all connected with HP’s Synergy product, which merges data from across the cloud and brings it together in an easy way.

1. The HP Veer

The Veer is the smallest webOS smartphone to date; it is the same size as a credit card and will be available in early spring. “Never before has a smartphone done so much, and felt so little,” says Rubinstein

2. The Pre 3

The smartphone for professionals will come in two versions- HSPA and and EVDO Rev A world phone — 8GB or 16GB. It will be available this summer.

3. The TouchPad.

This is the first in the webOS TouchPad family. Using the newest Snapdragon, dual core 1.2GHz CPU, it’s “screaming fast.” The device weighs in at 1.5lbs and is 13mm thick. It is compatible with QuickOffice, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Box.net as well as VPN, video calling, and wireless printing. Amazon has announced it will provide a Kindle app for the device. HP TouchPad is scheduled to be available in the summer. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.


The three new devices come in S, M and L flavors. webOS accounts will work in tandem on the phones and the TouchPad — just log in and it populates your info across all devices.

Kaun Banega Meera Patti on Geo Tv - Promo


Popular Posts

free counters