After launching their much awaited operating system, Google launched a new free DNS service – called Google Public DNS – Google now thinks they can make the internet a very fast place. For those who aren’t familiar with DNS, Google offers you an explanation.

Most of us aren’t familiar with DNS because it’s often handled automatically by our Internet Service Provider (ISP), but it provides an essential function for the web. You could think of it as the switchboard of the Internet, converting easy-to-remember domain names – e.g., www.google.com – into the unique Internet Protocol (IP) numbers – e.g., 74.125.45.100 – that computers use to communicate with one another.

Google Public DNS aims what your ISP’s service always seems to fail at (loading webpages faster). But Google Public DNS isn’t the first freely available alternative DNS. OpenDNS has been out for quite a while and I have used it for quite a long time and it always seems to be very fast indeed. Besides that it offers you keyboard shortcuts, parental filters and few more. But we can only hope for Google’s benevolent idea of keeping the Internet fast and free stays sane till unforeseen future.

If you want to use the new service, all you got to do is change your network settings to use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as your DNS servers. For more details, check out the Google Code page for their Public DNS project.

If you already hooked with Linux, the release of Fedora’s latest version 12, code-named Constantine, might get you even more hooked. Fixes and features include better Blue-tooth reception, latest network and chat apps, improved CPU and GPU performance. For the full list of fixes and changes you can refer to Fedora’s full documentation .

Fedora 12 is a free download, works on Intel and Power PC-based systems. Give it a go, just grab a Live CD or USB image.

Fedora 12 (release notes) [Fedora Project]

Novell-backed project the OpenSUSE  has its latest offering the OpenSUSE 11.2 sporting sleek and snazzy looking KDE 4.3 . Also the latest version  of the popular GNOME desktop 2.28 is integrated alongside a brand new theme, with improvements including GNOME’s Webcam and video applications and many other improvements. Also included is the latest version of OpenOffice.org 3.1 .

OpenSUSE 11.2 is available for download for free, hit the download link below.

This is something I have been thinking of owning. You operating a computer system from/with your sixth sense. Pretty cool eh? MIT student Pranav Mistry wants everyone to build it themselves to enjoy it instead of marketing it and waiting for the market to accept it.

Pranav doesn’t want his invention to comply with some ‘corporate policy’ and wants people to immediately start working on their own sixth sense prototypes.

The sixth sense system consists of a camera and projector that will hang around your neck. The camera which is connected to a PC with internet connection will record your hand gestures and acts accordingly.

Pranav promises that the Sixth Sense system will be available fully licensed in the coming months in the market as a software. In his words,

“I notice that it’s hard to for these kind of things to market in some sense. . . because I don’t want this to comply with some of kind of corporate policy. Rather than waiting for that time to come, I want people to make their own system. Why not?

People will be able to make their own hardware. I will give them instructions how to make it. And also provide them key software…give them basic key software layers. . . they will be able to build their own applications. They will be able to modify base level and do anything”.

$350 is all that is going to cost you for this device. This device from Pranav literally puts the internet on your finger tips.

Via

]]> http://www.thinktechno.com/2009/11/07/sixth-sense-system-might-become-commercial/feed/ 6 http://www.thinktechno.com/2009/09/15/how-to-tag-people-in-facebook-you/ http://www.thinktechno.com/2009/09/15/how-to-tag-people-in-facebook-you/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:33:20 +0000 Pushkar http://www.thinktechno.com/?p=2422

Facebook has rolled out its much awaited new feature of tagging people. Lets just say Twitter is happy with this and just to make it a tad different from them, Facebook has removed the mention of ‘@’ symbol. Otherwise, its all the same.

Instead of you having to remember the person’s name (like in Twitter), here all you have to do is remember the first letter and Facebook lets down an auto-suggestion box for you to choose from. This new feature not only allows you to tag friends but also groups, events, meetups and lot more.

Just click the person/event/group from the drop down suggestion box and thats pretty much it. Unlike Twitter, you will not have ‘@’ symbol mentioned. I feel kind of indifferent towards this as ‘@’ is pretty much a traditional symbol in the chat lingo if you want to refer someone.

Theres one downside though. You cant use this feature in the comments box. You cannot mention people during your comments. This feature applies only for your status and friend’s walls. Facebook is right now looking into enabling it into the comments section as well. Too many mentions you think? Let me know.

Thats right. Another real life contraption to relate yourself with exciting virtual world called gaming. Mr.Nintendo DS Lite is the ambassador this time. NAMCO BANDAI have announced that they will ship ‘Easy Piano’ which gives the gamers to learn some real piano. Really.

The 8 Note full octave keyboard lets you play the keyboard quite enthusiastically. You can switch between modes like ‘Learn’, ‘Play Along’ and ‘Create Your Own Compostion’.

Easy Piano will offer 40 of the most awesomest tracks in the world. And you can play along with different difficulty modes.

The creation mode allows you to record maximum of 3 minutes of your plain mastery or plain dumbness with the Easy Piano. The beginners have the option of using those interesting tools of their choice to help them with their recording.

The only problem is with the keyboard on the Nintendo DS. If you want to play like one of them old greats, you would have to do it in one hand.

Easy Piano Will release in November in Europe and other PAL regions. Press release after the break.

via gameindustry.biz

LYON, FRANCE – 29 July 2009 – NAMCO BANDAI Partners today announced that it will distribute the new game from publisher Game Life, ‘Easy Piano’. The fun and educational new game lets players enjoy the most realistic piano experience ever on DS thanks to its unique 8-note full-octave keyboard peripheral. The various game modes will guide players’ first steps in the piano world and offer the chance for more practiced players to play all-time classics. The game is scheduled for release in November 2009 in Europe and PAL regions.

Whether you are playing along with different tracks from the game or learning the piano, for the first time on DS players will be able to practice on a real keyboard and be tutored in the correct finger movements and skills required to become a mobile virtuoso. The 8-note piano keyboard peripheral represents a complete musical octave, but players will have access to a full three octave range while playing. Players can also choose from piano, guitar or a number of other instruments included with the game depending on how the mood takes them or what their chosen musical opus demands.

The game’s tracklisting contains 40 of some of the world’s most famous songs, spanning time and genres to offer something for everyone. Discover how to play Mozart, or Beethoven then switch styles to hammer out Bohemian Rhapsody, Bittersweet Symphony, Every Breath You Take or even The Jingle Bells theme tune. With 2 different difficulty modes, everyone can have fun testing and improving their keyboard skills.

The creation mode allows players to record up to four 3-minute-long masterpieces, with tools giving everyone the chance to enhance their creativity. Beginners can use simplified staves to assist and practice, while those with more honed skills can get straight into recording their live performances. After listening and correcting the work of one hand, players will then be able to add a second hand to the recording.

The lesson mode is specifically designed for people discovering the wonders of piano playing for the first time, with a series of 10 involving lessons and a host of mini-games to teach the basics of playing and music in a way that never fails to entertain.

]]> http://www.thinktechno.com/2009/07/31/now-play-easy-piano-on-your-nintendo-ds-lite/feed/ 1 http://www.thinktechno.com/2009/05/18/nokia-n97-to-be-launched-on-june-2nd/ http://www.thinktechno.com/2009/05/18/nokia-n97-to-be-launched-on-june-2nd/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 09:32:59 +0000 Pushkar http://www.thinktechno.com/?p=2230

The Nokia N97 is soon going to be launched around june 2nd. 

The June launch is something we’ve been hearing quite often, but the hype surrounding this device has greatly decreased, since all major websites started criticizing the handset’s CPU. We’re dealing with a processor that’s a tad over 400 MHz and doesn’t do multitasking, but otherwise the N97 is quite a decent smartphone, with pretty hot features. 

The N97 should be available in the next weeks for $699, although the actual price might be a bit lower than this.

Via GSM DOME

Bang and Olufsen known for there outrageous audio and video electronics comes up with another, the BeoVision 4-103, is a 103-inch plasma that “rests on a motorized floor stand that can automatically elevate itself so that you can have the optimal viewing height and angle while putting the built-in center channel speaker into position directly beneath the screen.” The BeoVision 4-103 is powered by a wicked cool looking 1920×1080 resolution plasma panel. But at $130,000 I doubt i’ll be ever able to pay for this one.

Now if someone wanted to give me a 103-inch television set, I certainly wouldn’t complain. But with a retail price of about $130,000, this massive set seems like quite an extravagance in these challenging economic times.

[BeoVision 4-103 via Technabob]

Click here to view the embedded video.

SwitchEasy’s ThumbTacks looks really ugly for an iPod accessory, its looks more like an oversized push pin then a real microphone. If you don’t mind the ugliness, it features an integrated microphone, and a 3.5mm jack that plugs directly into the iPod, allowing to make audio recordings with the built-in application. You get to chose between black, white, or red, ThumbTacks is selling for $13.

[Via iLounge]

From the galaxy not so far, far away here comes  Star Wars Force FX Lightsaber from the guys at ThinkGeek. These sabers will give you almost the same sound and lighting effects that original lightsabers are known for. You also get to select the saber of your choice all six of them Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker,Obi-Wan, Darth Maul. So if your a real fan of StarWars show it some love. Available now, priced at $99.99.

ThinkGeek via TecheBlog