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According to Sony Ericsson, Xperia X1 sets the example for a sophisticated combination of form with function in a full brushed-metal body. It boasts the world’s first arc-slider form factor, helping users to perfectly view the screen while typing.The diamond cut design on the four-way navigational keys and keyboard is ingeniously shaped introducing a “stressless” browsing experience by reducing strain on fingers!

At the heart of the X1 is the unique user interface of 9 different and customizable panels. According to X1 user interface designer Rui Yamagami, “I was inspired by windows in an apartment block, each X1 panel opens to reveal different applications contained within, just as each apartment window would show the diverse lives of its tenants.”

With Xperia’s four input options switching between applications and panels is just a matter of some simple finger movements. The touch screen navigation makes easier for consumers to navigate through the Internet or play videos with a stylus or a finger touch. Reading in X1 also comes effortless as documents can be simply scrolled through with the optical joystick and 4-way key.

Moreover, typing texts is a breeze with the QWERTY keyboard. In addition, for a more personal touch, you can use the stylus with handwriting recognition.

The Xperia X1 is Sony Ericsson’s first Windows Mobile phone.

For web applications on the move, the X1 provides with all the connectivity options anyone will ever need. With 3G connectivity, integrated Wi-Fi and EDGE, using Internet will never be so much easier. The X1 also features a full HTML Web browser which helps users to browse through just like on computers.

A WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) screen gives the users a lot of space to view what they need to view. Moreover, with its wide aspect ratio and inbuilt speakers give consumers the ultimate enjoyment of DVD quality videos.

Anyone can create a movie with the X1’s 30 frames-per-second video capture ability, showcasing subjects in a cinematic-like appearance. It is also the first Sony Ericsson phone to feature the industry standard 3.5mm headphone jack, letting audiophiles enjoy music with any headphones of choice.

With 3.2 megapixel camera and autofocus option, beautiful tangible memories can be created in just a moment. Further, with the free 4GB microSD™ memory card, the phone works as a portable photo album.

In order to understand the MIDI keyboard, we should know about the musical keyboard first. A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers on a musical instrument which cause the instrument to produce sounds.

Keyboards almost all share the common layout shown. Musical instruments with keyboards of this type include the piano, harpsichord, virginals, clavichord, organ, electric piano, digital piano, synthesizer, “arranger keyboard” or “home keyboard” (also called “electronic keyboard”), celesta, dulcitone, accordion, melodica, glasschord, and carillon. Since the most commonly encountered keyboard instrument is the piano, the keyboard layout is often called the piano keyboard.

The twelve notes of the Western musical scale are laid out with the lowest note on the left; the larger keys (for the seven “natural” notes of the C major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B) jut forward. Because these keys are often coloured white on a keyboard, these are often called the white notes or white keys. The keys for the remaining five notes which are not part of the C major scale (namely C#/D#, D#/E#, F#/G#, G#/A#, A#/B#) are set back. Because these keys are often coloured black, these notes are often called the black notes or black keys.

The pattern repeats at the interval of an octave. The arrangement of longer keys for C major with intervening, shorter keys for the intermediate semitones dates to the 15th century. Many keyboard instruments dating from before the nineteenth century have a keyboard with the colours of the keys reversed - darker coloured keys for the white notes and white keys for the black notes.

A few electric and electronic instruments have had this feature. It should be noted that the reverse-colored keys on Hammond organs such as the B3, C3 and A100 are not playable keys; they physically latch when pressed like radio buttons, and serve as selector switches for preset sounds. There are 21 white keys on the keyboard and 15 black.

How to make a MIDI Keyboard
MIDI keyboard connects to computer sound card or synthesizer module to create MIDI code.

This Project is built around the 8031 microcontroller. Once keyboard circuit diagram is drawn out, one can construct scanning circuitry that continuously loops through a test of each key to see if it is open or closed.

Circuit Components
Microcontroller, memory, keyboard/switch interface, MIDI/RS232 interface and power supply

Software Algorithm

• The software loops through a check of each 1st switch for every key.
• If it finds that switch 1 is open it checks to see if it was open the last time it looked. If this is the case it continues scanning.
• If it finds that it is open but was closed the last time it looked then it stores info that it is now open and then sends the “note off value” for that key out the midi port.
• If it finds that switch 1 is closed then it checks to see if switch 2 for that key is open.
• If it is open then it increments the velocity register value and continues the scan. If it finds that switch 2 is closed then it checks a register to see if that note is already on. If so then it continues the scan.
• If not then it sends the “note on value for that key out the midi port and also sends a velocity value from the velocity table that is incremented for each key check loop. Therefore, the more times that the software loops the lower the velocity value sent.

Still it is conceptual only. The idea is built around battery chargers instead of batteries. The trick would be to discover the materials and environmental cost of adding chargers to relatively simple items in the first place.It is one of the ideas submitted to the Next Generation competition 2007 featured in Metropolis Magazine was this Kinetic Energy-harnessing battery charger by Yael Miller. The concept is to take power from our daily life work - such as working out, flopping around in a baby rocker, vacuuming, or flushing the toilet - add the piezoelectric effect, and come out with batteries that are charged by “human power.”

Imagine all the television remotes we could power just from flushing!

Yael Miller’s “Kineticel” concept proposes to put small piezoelectric chargers inside common household furniture and appliances, trading a little extra effort in your endeavor for freeish power. Kineticel chargers in a set of dumbbells could make electricity while you’re just doing your daily works!

This computer-generated image released by the European Space Agency (ESA) on April 15 shows trackable objects in Low Earth Orbit (LOE) around Earth from the North Pole. There are now more than 12,000 objects that are monitored in orbit, 11,500 pieces of which are in low Earth orbit, which is at an altitude of between 800 and 1,500 kilometres, where there are many commercial, military, scientific and navigational satellites. In low orbit, debris can stay adrift for decades before they eventually burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Another 1,147 pieces are in geostationary orbit, about satellite orbits in the direction of the Earth’s rotation, at an altitude of approximately 35,786 km, where telecommunications satellites are typically deployed.

Photo: AFP 

Japan’s electronics giant Sony unveils the world’s first digital noise cancelling headphone “MDR-NC500D”, which enables to cut train, plane and automobile sounds by up to 99 percent and enjoy hi-fi quality audio reproduction at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo on March 13, 2008. Sony will put it on the market on April 21, 2008. Photo: AFP

TECHNOLOGY has become an integral part of human life, dramatically reshaping the existing socio-economic structure and driving the modern civilization towards a destination where only a knowledgeable community will survive.

No doubt technology has a great influence on our imagination and at the same time it is playing a crucial role in determining our lifestyle. This new phenomenon has given birth to a new concept called knowledge-based society (KBS).

KBS does not necessarily envisage a society where only intelligent people will live; rather it paves the way for the equal participation of people where their rights will be ensured.

Basically the concept of KBS became a reality when information technology integrated with social mechanisms to empower the people and spur sustainable development of the society.

People experienced phenomenal changes in their livelihood due to this influence of technology. Since then information technology (IT) has become a dynamic of KBS.

In a KBS, all people must have access to the right opportunity to utilise their inner potential and have the scope to take part in socio-economic development.

The ingredients of a KBS are technology, people and knowledge. We live in a technology-depended world and access to potential technology is mandatory to face the upcoming challenges. We also require sufficient flow of skilled manpower to generate innovate solutions by utilizing high-end technologies.

Before producing skilled human resource, we need to provide them with right knowledge or create the scope so that people get the chance to gather knowledge. On the other hand we need to create awareness to attract people.

There is no specific model of KBS, but worldwide this new-age concept is adopted and practiced by many countries. These countries in fact successfully incorporated IT in their national activities with a view to providing best possible services to their citizens.

Slovak Republic has taken many pragmatic steps to build a KBS where people enjoy the blessing of modern technology in their daily activities. The Slovak government believes this kind of society is a prerequisite for democratic development, scientific and technological progress, economic growth and social security, employment and growth.

Under this initiative the government envisioned to create a knowledge network between academia, research institutes, government organs, corporate world and others in order to bring the ‘unreachable’ opportunities to the citizens.

India has already formed a National Knowledge Commission (NKC) in 2005 and one of its prime objectives is to make India a knowledge-based society.

India adopted such a strategy in order to address the existing social problems. They are optimistic about gaining three objectives, such as enrichment of educational process, empowerment of Panchayats and ethical commercialization of the country’s creative and cultural tradition.

African country Uganda is also trying to merge itself with global information society trend. Other African countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal are also pacing towards knowledge-based society.

Bangladesh is now going through the transitional phase in terms of forming a true knowledge-based society. But the recent technology scenario also indicates new prospects for the country. The underlying reason for the sluggish development is government policy.

Now it is high time the government adopted right policy and took timely action in order to expedite the process to turn this country into a knowledge-based society. The first imperative for the government is to address the rural community and at the same time digitalise all operations in order to ensure transparency to citizens.

Bangladesh is a densely populated country and it is not possible to build KBS without the right participation of rural community. The government should take the lead for proper knowledge management and use IT as a catalyst to meet the objectives.

By adopting appropriate policies, the government must open all high-end technologies to the citizens. For instance, there is a high demand for IP telephony and in this regard prompt action is essential to attract BPO-related (Business Process Outsourcing) services in the country. This can create young entrepreneurship and leave a unique scope for IT-educated people.

Bangladesh is also an emerging market for WiMAX (World Wide Interpret ability for Microwave Access) technology. WiMAX is a dynamic solution to establishing long-haul data communication link to distant areas. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has plans to give WiMAX license in May this year.

The introduction of WiMAX can have a synergetic effect on rural areas. The government and private stakeholders could come forward and utilise this technology to build knowledge centres across the country where people can get e-heath, e-education and e-business related services which will effectively improve their livelihood.

Besides, the government can mobilise its existing telecommunication infrastructure. State-run BTTB (Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board) has its DDN node in 64 districts. Areas under these nodes can easily be connected with the internet, generating tremendous opportunity to unlock the potential in unprivileged areas.

Bangladesh can also take the advantage of regional cooperation. In this regard regional forum like Saarc can play a substantial role in sharing knowledge, technical expertise and financial matter to face the global challenges.

Right action plan is another important thing. In the World Summit on the Information Society, all countries agreed to develop action plan but Bangladesh, unfortunately, failed to unite itself with this practice. It is mandatory to develop proper action plan based on right national policies for the successful implementation of any strategy.

Public-private partnership is also crucial to materialise the idea of KBS. Private sector can come forward to develop solutions and generates employment opportunity. But it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the atmosphere for investment.

Alliance between industry and academia is another important thing to promulgate the concept of KBS. The active participation of academicians significantly improves knowledge management tactics and helps to take prudent decision.

The role of the media is also important in the development of knowledge-based society. The media can ensure wide access to information and create awareness as well. Bangladesh has 10 private TV channels which air different constructive programs. As satellite connectivity is needed to view the programs, most rural people do not have access to them. The government can provide some TV channels with terrestrial transmission facility.

Some private organisations have helped a lot in building a knowledge-based society. Reza Salim, project director of Amader Gram, told StarTech about “Knowledge Fair”, an initiative to promulgate the idea of knowledge society across the country. “There is a bright prospect of knowledge society in Bangladesh. We first require three things such as enabling the environment, proper policy and strategic planning”, Salim said.

Microsoft Bangladesh and Development Research Network (D.Net) have started their venture to produce knowledge-based manpower by initiating Click (Community for Learning Information, Communication and Knowledge) programme, a part of ‘Microsoft Unlimited Potential’ scheme and under this programme thirteen village information centres will be established in different parts of Bangladesh.

Anayana Raihan, executive director D.Net said, “We need more investment in education sector because it is necessary to produce skilled human resources”. He also suggested following the instance of ICTA (Information and Communication Technology Agency) of Sri Lanka for the well coordination of ICT-oriented activities.

D.Net’s concept of Mobile Lady, local language information knowledge base for the rural poor — ‘Jeeon’ and Village Information Centers known as ‘Pallitathya Kendras’ have revolutionized the access to information and knowledge base for the rural community.

It is true that the concept of knowledge society is not limited to information technology. But IT can be utilized to ensure transparency, empower poverty and make uniform distribution of opportunities. So it is equal responsibility both government and citizens to ensure best possible use of IT.