Geolocation: personal assistant on the mobile
The geolocation mix the mobile phone's GPS information and maps of the Internet, to provide services, content and advertising based on where the user.
The American writer of science fiction Phillip K. Dick showed in his novel 'Minority Report' How the hero is personified as billboards went in front of them and they read in the iris of one eye data on their identity, their tastes and preferences. As with many others, this scene K. Dick was ahead of its time and the geolocation preconceived, a phenomenon referred to in the future be the main mode of advertising.
It is based on the combination of GPS navigators introduced in mobile phones with the user information available on the Web, in addition to mapping sites like Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps Maps or Bing, who in turn contain data on the location of each restaurant, pharmacy or shirts of a certain area. So that user to activate the GPS on your phone and get its exact position can combine it with another program on the terminal searches the data network over the area. If the user requests a restaurant, the program will tell you where the closest.
If the service knows well, likes, will suggest the most suitable to your palate. And so do thousands of businesses around where you are. In the case of pharmacies, if the user suffers from an illness in the future may tell a program what pharmacies have in stock the medicine you need.
Taxis without having to raise his arm
So far, the experiences do not go that far, but some point in this direction. In Barcelona, a company has designed a program, not yet implemented, that depending on the user's location tells you about the nearest taxi stand, and even the availability of taxis. The goal is to one day be possible to order the taxi from the phone by simply pressing a button and report service availability and the time it takes. Always according to the user's location.
The Android mobile operating system, sponsored by companies including Google, have the telephone number of downloadable applications that combine GPS tracking with information on the Internet. One is Sherpa, who with GPS enabled browser recalls the journeys made by the user and the type of premises where it enters, although so far only available for United States. So, when you query Sherpa, the service offers similar businesses in the area to which he has attended other: types of restaurants, clothing stores, etc ... And it does so based on business information that is hosted on its Google Maps service, which shows the major cities as a map, or aerial photographs at street level.
The mobile user's faithful squire
The reasons for the success which promises to be geo-services are several: the first is that the mobile phone is the technological device that spends more time with the user. The second is that the trend in computing is the ubiquitous access to the Internet, anywhere, without depending on tips, especially in permanent mobility.
Therefore, if a user spends more time moving than sitting at the computer, but want to be connected to the network, Variety of appropriate information depending on the geographic point where it is much more than an added value: is a way to address their needs at the time, whether in services, buy products or data.
However, the geolocation information to be fully consolidated among consumers. The reasons are mainly economic. First, a mobile and capable of providing such information belongs to the third generation of devices (3G), as the lower grades are not prepared to incorporate a GPS navigator or have access to the Internet or data network elements essential to provide geolocation information.
Given their performance, 3G mobile phones, also known as smartphones or smart phones, are priced above $ 500, which puts them beyond the reach of most pockets. Still, you can get at a reasonable cost after signing a contract with a telephone operator, but in that case have to deal with the data connection fees.
Although they have fallen in recent times and have become more affordable, haul counterpart connection time constraints and data traffic. Sometimes harshly taxed if their consumption exceeds the average contracted, so the monthly bills
These televisions will coincide with new Blu-Ray 3D, able to play movies in this format, which still has not consolidated due to low supply and high cost titles. Panasonic's proposal is a Blu-Ray 3D Full HD (video), with many opportunities to become a standard adopted by the content industry, as negotiations between the company and the audiovisual sector are well advanced.
New technology, new cables
Support for three-dimensional videos involve many external devices and connecting cables have to be replaced by other models compatible with this new technology. Currently, there develops a specification for high-definition HDMI connector to support three dimensional graphics formats.
We develop a specification for high-definition HDMI connector to support three dimensional graphics formats
For now, the content being displayed on these TVs will be movies and games, although there have been some experiences with other emissions. Last May, France and the operator Orange TV broadcast technology in the final of Roland Garros tennis. They used special cameras with a dual lens that simulates human vision.
Regarding video games, Sony has stated that the PlayStation 3 is compatible with 3D technology as it can convert an image into two to create the three-dimensional effect. The technology support will be done through a firmware upgrade (the software that mediates the function of the hardware mode) of the device, but will not be compatible with all games or is confirmed when all versions of the PS3 dropped to since 2006 are compatible with this update.
Creating a three dimensional image
The basis of the technique that makes it possible to display 3D images is known as stereoscopy and consists of creating the illusion of depth in them. Shows a different view for each eye, which being joined at the brain recreate the image as a three-dimensional visual information.
This technique copies the way humans are, when viewed as a distant object, each eye gets a vision of it from a different angle, the brain gathers information from eye bodies and unites in a single image .
When contemplating a distant object, each eye gets a vision of it from a different angle and the brain collects information
To date, to view a movie in three dimensions is necessary to use special glasses that create this optical illusion. TV manufacturers are working on prototypes of 3D screens to prevent their use.
Early models of 3D glasses possessed a red and blue lenses. These lenses in each eye filtered part of the image, to show two different spectra to the brain. Now polarizing filters are used (one lens polarized horizontally and the other vertical) showing a number of colors higher than that of the old glasses.
Vision problems
Because of the way in which these images, a minority of the population can not process this technology. This applies to people with vision problems such as lazy eye (amblyopia), crossed eyes or vision in one eye. And sometimes, three-dimensional images can cause headache and dizziness.
Similarly, people who use glasses may feel a great discomfort to put up polarized models or are unable to use both at once.