iPads, Android tablets and smartphones join the military

Shooting turtles or attacking enemy warplanes with game apps on an iPad is child's play compared to the apps two military contractors are planning for use with low-cost, consumer-grade tablets and smartphones.

For example, Harris, a Pentagon contractor with experience in commercial broadcast video products, is working on an app for Apple's iPad and other tablets that will allow a soldier on the ground to use touchscreen gestures to remotely move a camera aboard an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to find enemy weapons or troops, while watching what the camera sees on the tablet. The video information, combined with data about location and time, can be quickly transmitted using Harris video technology to a network manned by intelligence commanders around the globe who could make quick decisions about military targets.

Meanwhile, Pentagon contractor Intelligent Software Solutions (ISS) is readying a field test for Android and iPhone smartphone apps that will tell a soldier arriving in a war zone what fighting and bombings have already occurred at that precise location. Geo-mapping on the smartphones would be super-imposed with historical data sent wirelessly from a command center, showing the locations and types of encounters -- from shootings and bombings to arrests -- to better prepare troops on the ground.

The applications from Harris and ISS rely on relatively inexpensive smartphones and tablets, company officials said, either from Apple or various Android manufacturers. Such devices might cost $300 to $800 apiece, compared to super-rugged gear previously used in military operations that can cost $10,000 or more per device because they can withstand dust, drops and vibrations.

Another benefit to using commercially-available smartphones and tablets is that soldiers and other users know about them from civilian life, lessening the training time dramatically, an ISS executive said.

"We've seen first-hand what happens to a laptop used in the desert [in combat], so there's going to be some problem with...these [consumer handheld] devices that are fairly inexpensive and almost disposable," said Rob Rogers, vice president of national systems for ISS.

"But if they break or get dust in them, you don't have to shell out a lot to replace them," he said. "It's a trade-off. I would anticipate a lot of broken Androids and iPhones."

One of ISS's major goals is "to use off-the-shelf, widely used and generally accepted products...to drive down costs for the government," Rogers said.

Since so many military personnel know how to use newer smartphones and tablets, rolling them out to soldiers and other military and law enforcement personnel means "we will not need a week-long training session."

ISS has built its mobile intelligence visualization and event reporting application to run on multiple sizes of displays and form factors, Rogers explained. He would not disclose any terms or details of the ISS contract for the software with the Pentagon, however.

Harris is planning to demonstrate its remote camera guidance app for iPads or iPad 2s that could be used with military-grade UAVs at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in mid-April, said John Delay, director of architectures for emerging business at Harris.

Report: HP CEO, directors broke rules in new board nominees

According to one of the very famous website http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/29626/report-hp-ceo-directors-broke-rules-new-board-nominees

HP CEO Leo Apotheker and three directors broke company rules by participating in the nomination of five new board members, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper said that Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a stock investor advisory firm, issued a report saying Apotheker and the three directors violated HP's own rules regarding the nomination and independence of board members by their participation in nominating five new people to the company's board of directors.

Their participation in the nominations compromised the independence of those board members.

The ISS recommended that shareholders of HP vote against the three directors of HP involved in the nominating controversy and to reject Apotheker's proposed pay package, which it valued at $47 million, due to his role in nominating the new directors.

The HP board has seen its share of controversy over the past year, from the resignation of former CEO Mark Hurd amid sexual harassment allegations to the appointment of Apotheker, former CEO of software vendor SAP, which was being sued by Oracle over alleged theft of intellectual property.Apotheker never appeared at the trial, in which a jury awarded Oracle US$1.3 billion.

The board has faced criticism over its handling of Hurd and its choice of Apotheker.

IRELAND STUNS ENGLAND IN WORLD CUP

Kevin O'Brien scored a 50-ball century as Ireland chased down a target of 328 to upset England by three wickets at the World Cup.

O'Brien's effort was the fastest hundred in tournament history, all the more incredible given his side looked dead and buried at 111-5 shortly after his arrival at the crease.

He blasted 113 off 63 deliveries, including 13 fours and six sixes, and shared a 162-run stand in 17 overs with Alex Cusack (47) as England - for the third match in a row - lost the plot in the field.

O'Brien was run out with 11 still needed but John Mooney (33no) and Trent Johnston (7no) saw Ireland over the line from the first ball of the final over, Mooney finishing it in style with a boundary off James Anderson.

The result ranks as one of the great World Cup shocks - taking its place alongside Ireland's victory over Pakistan in 2007 and Kenya's wins against West Indies in 1996 and Sri Lanka in 2003.

It also blows Group B wide open and leaves England badly needing to bounce back straight away against South Africa on Sunday, while Ireland - who are also in action on Sunday against India - are firmly in control of their quarter-final destiny.

THE KINGS SPEECH WINS THE OSCARS

Jane Fraser, president, The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org), issued the following reaction to the Oscar awards:

“It is an eloquently golden night for people who stutter. The King’s Speech has been a godsend for the entirestuttering community.

“Tom Hooper gave us an inspirational hero, David Seidler gave us an impassioned voice, Helena Bonham Carter gave us a forceful yet supportive spouse, and Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush portrayed the perfect relationship between therapist and patient, an alliance built upon unbreakable trust, mutual respect and lifelong friendship.

“We salute tonight’s Oscar winners, including best movie.The King’s Speech, Best Director Tom Hooper, Best Original Screenplay David Seidler, Best Leading Actor Colin Firth, and the entire cast and crew, for their courage, grace and humanity in making this film for audiences to appreciate.

“The real winners tonight, however, are people who stutter, especially those who require the courage of a King to cope with stuttering on a daily basis.”

Sony unveils 17-inch, 25-inch professional OLED monitors

Sony will soon begin selling a professional monitor that contains the largest commercial organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen yet produced.

OLED is a flat-panel screen technology that rivals liquid-crystal display (LCD). OLED screens have pixels that contain an organic material that emits its own light, so screens using the technology can be made thinner than LCDs and are more power efficient. OLED also handles fast-moving images better and colors appear richer on the screens than on LCD, but large-size OLED panels are expensive to produce.

Sony is positioning the monitors for use in editing bays, satellite trucks and broadcasting control rooms. A high-quality picture is required for these so-called "reference monitors" and Sony said the OLED panels produce an image superior to LCD.

During a demonstration at its Tokyo headquarters, Sony played identical video footage on the new 25-inch OLED monitor and an LCD broadcasting monitor placed side-by-side.

The picture from the OLED screen was noticeably better, with richer and deeper colors. When the screen faded to black, the OLED monitor showed nothing but the LCD monitor continued to glow a light shade of grey because of its backlight.

Like a lot of equipment used in the broadcasting industry, the new monitors won't be cheap. The 25-inch model will cost ¥2.4 million (US$28,840) and the 17-inch model will cost ¥1.3 million. But while they appear expensive compared to consumer-grade monitors, the OLED screens cost only about 10 percent more than the LCD monitors they aim to replace.

Sony's launch of commercial 17-inch and 25-inch OLED monitors is a step forward for the display industry, which has made a habit out of promising bigger OLED screens then failing to deliver.

Despite several technical advances, flat-screen makers have had a hard time perfecting OLED production to the stage where it can reliably make large, flawless screens. Smaller size screens around 3-inches have proved no problem and can be found in many cell phones and portable gadgets, but larger screens have remained a hurdle.

The difficulty was most vividly demonstrated in late 2007 when Sony launched the industry's first -- and still the only -- OLED television. The XEL-1 had an 11-inch screen yet cost US$2,500, which was significantly higher than much larger LCD televisions on the market at the time. Monthly production was set at just 2,000 units.

A few months after the XEL-1 launched, Sony CEO Howard Stringer promised a 27-inch model "fairly soon," but it never appeared. Competitors including Samsung and LG Electronics also showed prototypes and also made promises, but they never got an OLED television to market.

WHAT CAN 3D DO FOR WEB?

In 2009, director James Cameron made people love seeing 3D movies in the theater again. In 2010, electronics companies began offering the first in-home stereoscopic 3D TV sets, and content providers launched Blu-ray 3D and broadcast 3D channels.

Now it's 2011, and there are still big changes happening in the 3D space, but there's one major source of media and entertainment that hasn't really come a-knocking to the 3D door yet.

It's surely only a matter of time before the Web starts going to a new dimension.

arly 3D Troubles

Despite all of the 3D stuff going on in the consumer electronics market these days, advances may be coming a little too fast for some consumers. 3D TV sales  last year were below expectations for manufacturers like Samsung, which threw considerable weight behind the new format. Many consumers shied away from this expensive new format that had almost no content.
Despite that, many are starting to take a different path. One of the emerging trends is glasses-free 3D technology, also known as "autostereoscopic 3D." LG has introduced a new iPad rival, the G-Slate, which can produce images that have the sense of depth, without the need for users to wear glasses. But something like that can only have high appeal if there is compelling content.
Obviously, 3D TV programming and Blu-ray 3D movies are out of the question there, so 3D content on the Internet would perhaps be the most compelling selling point.
Aside from glasses-free 3D tablets, computer makers that are manufacturing 3D hardware are finding it difficult to advertise exclusive 3D content. 3D computers are selling even worse than 3D TVs. At this point, it's up to online  content providers to step up to the plate and bring this home media revolution to the cyber world.

Adding 3D to the Web

This isn't a completely new idea. There have been limited 3D streaming events online. NASCAR helped bring some of its races last year to 3D computer viewers via an exclusive online stream that was not broadcast on any 3D TV network. For the most part, though, 3D hasn't penetrated the Net.
It's a tough game of catch-22, Jordan Cressman, associate professor at The Ohio State University and a blogger for I4U News, told TechNewsWorld.
"Internet content providers don't want to spend resources creating 3D content unless there are a lot of people with Internet-connected 3D devices," she noted. "But by the same token, people don't want to buy expensive 3D devices unless there's a lot of 3D content."
Realistically, Cressman said, it's the content providers who need to make the first move. However, that might be an easier proposition for the Internet than it is for a traditional movie studio or satellite provider. Current 3D pioneers like DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV) and ESPN have had to not only buy new 3D video equipment and transmission technologies, but they have to lobby advertisers to make 3D commercials and help manufacturers market their 3D hardware.

It's Not As Easy As It Sounds

For an Internet company, the only thing required is content. Distribution is easy, as Forresteranalyst Josh Bernoff pointed out.
"The technology is there. Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) and Roxio have 3D video software, and there are already affordable 3D cameras on the market," Bernoff told TechNewsWorld. However, he said, there is still a hurdle with getting consumers to buy the hardware. "Sluggish sales of 3D TVs are sending a clear message that consumers don't really want 3D content in their homes, at least not yet."
That could be the message, or it could just be that consumers are confused by the whole 3D technology revolution. After all, there are a lot of things to consider when getting a 3D setup. It's not as easy as when the HD shift happened -- back then, consumers needed to buy an HDTV and an appropriate set of cables.
Now, they have to buy a 3D TV and 3D glasses that are made by the same manufacturer as the TV -- that is, if you buy a stereoscopic 3D TV. However, if you buy a Cinema 3D TV, like the one currently available from Vizio, you can buy any set of passive 3D glasses. Then again, there are new 3D TVs coming out that don't require any glasses. And to watch a Blu-ray 3D movie, you can't use any old Blu-ray player; you need one that specifically has 3D functionality.
Unfortunately, that same confusion applies to computers as well, with some displays that require 3D glasses and some that don't.
Also, many consumers have eye conditions that simply don't allow them to see 3D effects at all.
"Before launching, did [3D TV manufacturers] know that the thing can actually make roughly 20 percent of the audience sick to their stomachs? Did they take into account that an overwhelming majority of consumers say they are not interested in 3D TV? Or, at least, paying premium prices to bring one home?" said TVPredictions.com President Phillip Swann.
"If TV makers don't slow this train down, 3D TV could become the biggest -- and most costly -- mistake in the history of consumer electronics," he told TechNewsWorld.

Too Big to Fail?

In the end, it may be this variety of formats that kills 3D, but no one seems to want to stop trying. 3D is not a fad, Cressman contended, but merely a format experiencing growing pangs.

"There are a lot of problems with 3D in the marketplace, but with the entire consumer electronics and content industries in extreme support of it, there's no way it will die," she said.

CRICKET WORLD CUP HISTORY

1975

The first ever World Cup – called the Prudential Cup – was held in England and won by the West Indies. Led by Clive Lloyd and boasting the likes of Gordon Greenidge, Rohan Kanhai and a young Vivian Richards – the men from the Caribbean brooked no opposition in their march towards world glory. Lloyd himself caned 102 off 85 balls in the final against Australia while Richards effected three run-outs as the Windies beat the Aussies by 17 runs to lift the trophy.

1979

Clive Lloyd’s men retained the title of world champions with an even more imperious display in the second edition. Both Australia and Pakistan had come close to beating them in 1975. This time, no quarter was given – especially by the pace-bowling quartet of Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Colin Croft. On the batting front Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Alvin Kallicharran and Lloyd struck fear into the heart of the opposition. However, Collis King and Viv Richards stole the show with a violent 139-run partnership against England in the final as the Windies posted 286 in their 60 overs. England were ripped apart by Joel Garner – who took five wickets for 38 runs – and fell short by 92 runs.

1983

Having won only one game in the previous two world cups, India were rank outsiders in the third one. However, led by the legendary Kapil Dev, the unheralded Indians stormed into the final – even beating West Indies in the process. They met the two-time defending champions again in the summit clash and were dismissed for a mere 183. Not even the most one-eyed Indian supporter would have given his side a chance but India’s medium-pacers tore into the feared Windies line-up. Lloyd’s men were reduced to 66 for five; Kapil accounting for Richards with a catch that has now become part of Indian cricket’s folklore. Mohinder Amarnath applied the finishing touches and when he dismissed Michael Holding with the score on 140 – the Indians had sealed one of the most unlikely victories of all-time.

1987

Bobby Simpson and Allan Border put together a gritty Aussie outfit that defied expectations to win the first world cup held outside England. On home soil, India and Pakistan were the favourites but lost to England and Australia respectively in the semi-finals. Batting first in the final – Australia put up 253 in 50 overs – with David Boon’s sedate 75 laying the foundation and Mike Veletta’s quick-fire 45 adding the flourish. England looked well in control until Mike Gatting’s reverse-sweep – perhaps the most reviled shot in English cricket history – led to their chase being derailed. Ultimately, they fell short by 7 runs as Australia took over the mantle of world champions.

1992

Pakistan shocked all by winning the Benson & Hedges World Cup in Australia. The shock was not because the team wasn’t considered good enough but because they had been on the verge of being knocked out in the group stages. Dismissed for 74 against England, Imran Khan’s men looked destined for defeat until rain led to the match being abandoned. They managed to qualify for the last four on the back of three successive group wins before an Inzamam-ul-Haq hurricane (66 off 37 balls) helped them beat New Zealand in the semi-finals. The two old hands - Imran and Javed Miandad then helped the side post 249 in the final against England before a superb bowling attack (containing Wasim Akram, Aqib Javed, Imran and Mushtaq Ahmed) condemned the English to their third World Cup final defeat. Imran’s tigers had conquered the world.

1996

The world cup returned to the sub-continent and Sri Lanka made history by becoming the only host nation to win the cricket’s most prestigious trophy. The Lankans were the dark horses for the tournament but gave notice of their title credentials by destroying India in a group game in New Delhi. In Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumara Dharmasena, they had spinners perfectly suited to the slow sub-continental surface. But the real sting was in the batting. Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana habitually destroyed bowlers before the likes of Arjuna Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama and Aravinda de Silva put on the squeeze. De Silva, in particular, was simply sensational in this tournament – his silky batting and flighted off-spinners grabbing the headlines. “Mad Max” saved his best for the last though – taking three wickets in the final against Australia before putting the game to bed with a chanceless century to take his side to the title. Sri Lanka had arrived on the world stage in a big way.

1999

The return of the world cup to England also signaled the beginning of Australia’s stranglehold on the trophy. Through the 90s, the men from Down Under had been going from strength to strength. By the end of the decade their hegemony had begun to resemble that of the Windies in the 80s. There were still teams who could challenge them though – none more so than South Africa. Between them the teams served up two great games. First Steve Waugh’s “you’ve dropped the world cup son” innings helped the Aussies into the semis – where the two outfits played out a tie – and perhaps the greatest one-day international of all time. Australia progressed into the final by dint of a superior run-rate. At Lord’s – the scene of so many great cricket moments – the men in baggy green, led by Shane Warne knocked Pakistan over for 132 and cantered to an eight-wicket win – the first of three successive trophies.

2003

Australia left the rest of the cricket world trailing in their wake with an unbeaten run that culminated in a 125-run thrashing of India in the final. If 1999 had been a back-to-the-wall victory, 2003 was a majestic march to glory for the Aussies. In Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Andrew Symonds, Michael Bevan, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, they had players at the top of their game. It was little surprise then that they cast a colossal shadow over the rest of the opposition. Messrs Ponting and Martyn put on a magnificent 234-run unbeaten partnership as Australia all but sealed the title by setting India a target of 360 runs. 

Indian hopes of regaining the title they had won two decades ago were smashed when McGrath accounted for Sachin Tendulkar in the first over of the innings. Virender Sehwag smacked 82 off 81 balls – but there was no way this Aussie juggernaut was going to be stopped. It was all yellow – once again.

2007

Australia maintained their incredible world cup record with yet another unbeaten campaign – this time in the West Indies. They had retained the services of most of their 2003 heroes – who stepped up yet again when called upon. Glenn McGrath was man-of-the-series with the most wickets, Matthew Hayden scored the most runs while Adam Gilchrist put Ricky Ponting’s 2003 exploits in the shade. The opener struck 149 in 104 balls as the champions amassed 281 for four in a rain-curtailed 38 over final against Sri Lanka. The 1996 winners were never really in contention and fell 53 runs short of the target as darkness enveloped the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Australia had achieved an unprecedented hat-trick and scalped the third major sub-continental team in three finals.