The Best New Features in Windows 8

Windows 8 is available for download today, complete with a new tiled, touch-friendly interface as well as some enhancements to the traditional mouse-and-keyboard desktop. Here's everything you'll find in the newest version of Windows.
Microsoft's "re-imagining" of Windows is focused very heavily on a new, tiled, touch-centric interface for tablets. However, it's still somewhat usable with a mouse and keyboard-and no matter what device you're on, you can switch between the simple Metro interface and the traditional Windows desktop to fit whatever your needs are at that given moment.

Performance Increases

One of the issues that's been on our minds since they first previewed this new interface was whether this will keep bogging Windows down with more running processes, and whether running a full Windows desktop on a low-powered tablet was really a good idea (after all, we've seen Windows run on netbooks).
Microsoft knows your fears, and has addressed them: Windows 8 is slated to have better performance than Windows 7, even with this metro interface running on top of a desktop. We ran a few tests back when the the Developer Preview came out and found that to be the case, especially when it comes to boot times. Tablet users and netbook users especially should notice a fairly significant performance increase with Windows 8. Especially considering that any of your tablet-based apps will suspend themselves when you jump into the traditional desktop, so all they take up is a little of that extra RAM.

The Lock Screen

Windows 8's lock screen is pretty much what you'd expect: it's got a beautiful picture along with a few little widgets full of information, like the time, how many emails you have, and so on. You can swipe up to unlock, or press the spacebar if you're on a desktop keyboard. You can then proceed to type your normal password, or use one of Windows 8's "picture passwords," which let you swipe or draw an invisible gesture that only you know, using your lock screen photo as reference, to let yourself in (though this is really better on tablets than it is on a PC). For example, in Microsoft's original demo, they used a photo of a person, and the password was to tap on their nose and swipe left across their arm).

The Start Screen

Once you log in, you're taken to Windows 8's new Start screen, which replaces the old Start menu. The screen should be familiar to Windows Phone users: You've got a set of tiles, each of which represents an application, and many of which show information and notifications that correspond to the app. For example, your email tile will tell you how many unread emails you have (and who they're from), your calendar tile will show upcoming events, your music tile will show you what's playing, and so on. You can also create tiles for games, contacts, and even traditional Windows apps that will pull you into the Windows desktop. The tablet-optimized apps are all full screen and "immersive", though, and you can rearrange their icons on the home screen easily (just as you would on any other tablet platform). At any time, you can press Win+D or click on the Desktop tile to go to the familiar Windows desktop instead.

The Desktop

Once you get to the desktop, you'll be in much more familiar territory. You've got your taskbar, your desktop icons, and your normal windowed applications as you're used to (though they have a new, flatter, Aero-less theme). The Start menu, however, is gone—instead, you can move your mouse to the bottom left hot corner and click to return to the Start screen, or press the Windows key as normal. Like the old Start menu, you can start typing any time you're on the Start screen to start searching for an app or setting, giving you quick access to everything on your computer.
It isn't nearly as convenient as the old Start menu was, but you can get used to most stuff pretty quickly. Pressing the Windows button and typing in an app or setting is faster than browsing the Start menu anyway, so it's a good habit to get into, and you can always access a more traditional menu by pressing Win+X—this will bring up a small menu in the corner that has shortcuts to the Control Panel, Run, the Command Prompt, and other stuff advanced users may want to access.

Full Screen Apps

While you can pin your favorite apps to the taskbar, as usual, most of your apps will reside on the Start screen, just like they used to reside in the Start menu. Just fire up the Start screen and tap or click on the tile for the app you want to launch (or, as we mentioned above, type it in the search box). Tablet-optimized apps will go full screen, while others will shoot you back to the desktop.
The full-screen apps that come with Windows 8 are really nice: most have touch-based controls, like pinch to zoom and copy and paste, but you can also use them with a mouse and keyboard if you so desire. Each has options like search, share, and settings through the Charms bar, which you can get by swiping from the right edge of the screen or pressing Win+C. Apps can share information one another easily, such as selected text or photos. After picking your media from one app, you'll then be able to choose which app you want to share with, and work with it from there. For example, you can share photos to Facebook, send text from a web page in an email, and so on.
None of this is brand new to touch-based platforms, but what is new is the ability to not only multitask, but run these apps side by side. Say you want to watch a video and keep an eye on your news feed at the same time. Just like in Windows 7 for the desktop, you can dock an app to one side of the screen while docking another app at the opposite side, which is a seriously cool feature. Imagine being able to IM and play a game at the same time, or browse the web while writing an email. It's a fantastic way to fix one of the big shortcomings of mobile OSes, thus allowing you to ignore the full desktop interface more often and stay in the touch-friendly, tablet view.

The Windows Store

The Windows Store looks much like the home screen, with tiles that correspond to different categories and featured apps. From there, you can look at a more detailed list of the available apps in a given section. And, the store contains not only touch-based apps for the tablet interface, but some of the more traditional desktop Windows apps you're used to, so you have one portal to discover all your Windows apps no matter what interface you're using. The Store has free and paid apps, and you can try paid apps before you commit to buying, which is really, really nice.

Sync All Your Data to the Cloud

The cloud is taking center stage in Windows 8, with your Microsoft account driving all the syncing. Your address book, photos, SkyDrive data, and even data within third-party apps can sync up to the cloud, and you can access them on any Windows 8 device—even a brand new one. Just sign in, and you'll have access to everything (not unlike Chrome OS, which immediately loaded your themes and extensions when you logged in). The address book also syncs with other services like Facebook and Twitter as well. You can even sync all of your settings from one Windows 8 PC to another. Just sign onto your Windows 8 with a Microsoft account and you'll get all your themes, languages, app settings, taskbar, and other preferences will show right up. It's a pretty neat feature if you have multiple Windows 8 PCs and don't want to set them all up separately—just a few taps and you've got all your preferences ready to go (you will have to re-download your apps, though).

Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer has gone through a few changes this time around, most notably the "Ribbon" interface we've come to know from Microsoft Office. Instead of traditional menus like View, you now have three Ribbon panes: Home, Share, and View, that give you access to the features that used to be in the menus. If you're in a folder designed for certain file types—like the "Pictures" library—you'll get a few extra Ribbon panes centered around photos, which is pretty cool. Windows Explorer also has native mounting of ISO files, a one folder up button like the old days of XP (thank God), and a really cool "quick access" toolbar in the left-hand corner that lets you add your favorite shortcuts to the title bar. It also has a new file copy dialog that makes it easier to manage move-and-replace actions with lots of files.

A New Task Manager

Microsoft's finally redesigned the task manager, and it looks pretty great. You have a very simple task manager for basic task killing, but if you're a more advanced user, you can bring up the detailed task manager filled with information on CPU and RAM usage, Metro app history, and even startup tweaking—so you can get rid of apps that launch on startup without going all the way into msconfig.

Built-In Antivirus with Windows Defender

Remember Microsoft Security Essentials, our favorite antivirus app for Windows? Well, now it's built in to Windows 8 as Windows Defender. It has nearly the exact same interface and feature set; the main difference is that you no longer have to install it.

Other Features

Along with these cool features, Windows 8 also comes with other features we've come to know and love to see in desktop and mobile OSes alike. It's got system-wide spellchecking, so you don't have to rely on a specific app to keep your writing top-notch, as well as a system-wide search feature, that lets you search anything from your music library to your contacts to the web itself. It also has a really cool feature for desktop users that lets your run the Metro UI on one monitor while running the traditional desktop on the other (not to mention better support for multiple monitors in general—like having the taskbar on both screens).
It also has a really cool feature called "refresh your PC", where you can do a clean install with the tap of a button. Whether you're selling your machine or just want a cleaner, faster installation of Windows, you can do it all in one click. You can even set refresh points, similar to restore points, so you can refresh your PC to the way it was at a certain point in time.

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Nigeria Leads In African Internet Speeds

According to the latest State of the Internet report by Akamai Technologies Global Internet Platform, Nigeria has overtaken South Africa in terms of Internet speed – less than eleven years after reforming its communications networks and market.

According to a report, Nigeria has overtaken South Africa in terms of internet speed (image: stock.xchng)

In the report it is revealed that Nigeria has an average connection speed of 322kbps with a peak rate of 5674kbps. But while South Africa’s average speed is faster at 496kbps, the country’s peak speed is only half that of Nigeria, at 2172kbps.

“All mobile providers had average peak connection speeds above 2 mbps, though last place South African provider, ZA-1 was just above the threshold, losing over 13 per cent from the prior quarter, at 2.2 mbps,” the report stated.

According to Leadership, “in 2011 South Africa was one of only two countries listed in the report with an average peak connection speed below 2 mbps. South Africa had average 442kbps over Nigeria’s 286kbps, however, Nigeria outperformed with peak 4871kbps and average 462mbps per month over South Africa’s 1654kbps and 197mbps.”

The report also noted that speeds across the globe were improving, and that all 117 countries that qualified for inclusion measured an increase in average connection speeds. The gain in average speed however isn’t uniform, as Montenegro grew by 0.2 per cent to 2.8 mbps, while Libya measured a 75 per cent increase to 0.5 mbps.

Source: IT News Africa - IT news, Telecom news and Mobile news from an African

MODEL RAILWAY LEVEL CROSSING LIGHTS

CIRCUIT OPERATION

        The weight of the train operates push button switch positioned on the track. The trigger push button switch starts the sequence by switching on the amber light, a few seconds later the two red lights lit ON. When the train has passed the level crossing it operates the cancel push button switch which switches OFF the red lights and switches the green lights ON to allow cars to cross the railway until the next train arrives.

The circuit contain two 555 timer

1.  Monostable

2.  Bistable

        This project uses a 555 monostable circuit to switch on the amber LED for a few seconds. When this switches off it triggers a 555 bistable circuit.

1.  Monostable

        A monostable circuit produces a single output pulse when triggered. It is called a monostable because it is stable in just one state: 'output low'. The 'output high' state is temporary.              

                        

                    

Monostable operation

        Monostable mode: in this mode, the 555 functions as a "one-shot" pulse generator. Applications include timers, missing pulse detection, bounce free switches, and touch switches, frequency divider, capacitance measurement, pulse-width modulation (PWM) and so on.

2. Bistable (flip-flop) - a memory circuit

        Bistable mode or Schmitt trigger: the 555 can operate as a flip-flop, if the DIS pin is not connected and no capacitor is used. Uses include bounce-free latched switches

        The circuit is called a bistable because it is stable in two states: output high and output low. It is also known as a 'flip-flop'.

Model railway level crossing lights is the circuit which designed to prevent cars from accident when the train crossing the road.

        This circuit allows car to cross the railway when green LED lights ON. When the train is coming it trigger the circuit through push button that placed a certain distance before the crossing level, amber LED lights ON for a few seconds and red LED lights ON that predicts the train is crossing.

        After crossing railway, the train cancel through push button, red LED lights OFF and green LED lights ON that allow cars to cross the railway until the next train arrives.

                                                      

Interesting news!!

Memristor circuits lead to ultrasmall PCs. Intel and AMD unleash massively multicore CPUs. Samsung TVs respond to your every gesture. These and other developing technologies will fundamentally change the way you think about--and use--technology.

The memristor, a microscopic component that can "remember" electrical states even when turned off. It's expected to be far cheaper and faster than flash storage. A theoretical concept since 1971, it has now been built in labs and is already starting to revolutionize everything we know about computing, possibly making flash memory, RAM, and even hard drives obsolete within a decade.

The memristor is just one of the incredible technological advances sending shock waves through the world of computing. Other innovations in the works are more down-to-earth, but they also carry watershed significance. From the technologies that finally make paperless offices a reality to those that deliver wireless power, these advances should make your humble PC a far different beast come the turn of the decade.

In the following sections, we outline the basics of 15 upcoming technologies, with predictions on what may come of them. Some are breathing down our necks; some advances are still just out of reach. And all have to be reckoned with.

iPhone 5 Features and specifications

Many Apple fans and present Apple iPhone consumers are wondering what would be the groundbreaking iPhone 5 features that can be expected when the iPhone 5 is released. Let us now a comprehensive roundup of all the widely speculated iPhone 5 features. This being a comprehensive list, there is all probability that many of these iPhone 5 features could actually appear in the iPhone 5 when it is expected to be release in June 2012.

iPhone 5 could be having a greater resolution
One of the hotly discussed topics with regard to the iPhone 5 features is its resolution. This is the most impressive of all iPhone 5 features doing rounds as it is rumored that the iPhone 5 could be sporting a Retina Display. And this is the state-of-the-art resolution that can possibly expect. Possibly, with an increased UI size, the resolution can get much stronger and consumers could hope to have a more brilliant video-viewing experience.
iPhone 5 could have a bigger form factor than the iPhone 4S?  The iPhone 5 testing hasn't been leaked “accidentally” so far like the case with iPhone 4. What this means is all the iPhone 5 features are built on speculation. Still, certain clues like the 4-inch iPhone 5 screen throw some light into the iPhone 5 form factor. The iPhone 5 can be a bit larger than the palm-friendly iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. But then the iPhone 5 could merely have a larger display screen and not the whole body. iPhone 5 could come with the 4G / LTE capability
The iPhone 5 could have the 4G capability because Samsung has got its Infuse 4G released already. Hence it would be only logical that Apple get iPhone 5 to support 4G capability. The LTE capability, if it comes, would be a boon.
iPhone 5 could incorporate a quad-core processor
A dual-core processor has become a pretty common thing in the smartphones of these days. There is a stiff competition between the processors of Apple smartphones running iOS and Samsung smartphones running Android. The A6 quad-processor expected to features in the iPhone 5 could leave any competition far behind.
Wireless charging feature in iPhone 5
It is expected that the iPhone 5 could sport the wireless charging feature and this could give the customers yet another break. However, whether the wireless charging feature is actually churning out a mass appeal is a moot question. This could be a distinct possibility with the inductive wireless charging technology.

Apple Hopes to Improve the Picture for the iPad

  With its new iPad, Apple focuses on a better screen and high-speed connectivity to stay ahead of competitors.

Apple's newest iPad sports a higher-resolution display.

The iPad is getting a facelift as Apple tries to stay way ahead of the competition.
The third version of the tablet, which Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced Wednesday in San Francisco, will include a high-resolution "retina display" like the iPhone, as well as the ability to access high-speed LTE wireless networks. Other features include a more powerful processing chip called the A5X, an improved rear camera, and dictation capabilities.
The event marked the company's first gadget unveiling since cofounder Steve Jobs died in October after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Cook and Apple's marketing head, Phil Schiller, shared the duties of introducing the device.
Schiller said the new iPad will be available March 16, though orders can be placed now. Apple is keeping the price of the new version between $499 and $829, depending on its storage capacity and wireless capabilities, and it will lower the price of the most inexpensive iPad 2 to $399.

Adobe releases public beta of Photoshop CS6

Let the celebrating—and inevitable complaining—begin: Adobe has announced the public beta of Photoshop CS6, the latest and greatest version of its flagship photo editing program. The first big update of the product in about two years, CS6 has been overhauled with a new interface that now sports a customizable background color and redesigned icons. There will of course be much gnashing of teeth from those who don’t like change, but the look does feel more current, in my opinion.

Available as a free download (Mac or Windows) from the Adobe Labs site, the beta requires online registration activation and at least 2GB of free disk space on the Mac, or 1GB in Windows XP or 7. It includes features from both the standard and extended versions of Photoshop that will ship this spring, such as two new tools that take advantage of the very cool content-aware technology Adobe debuted in CS4, Content-Aware Move and Content-Aware Patch. Other cool improvements include a revamped crop tool, the ability to migrate presets (as well as import and export them), improved raw image processing, and a new Blur Gallery that allows you to add Tilt-Shift, Iris, and Field blur effects easily.

For a complete list of new features, check out the installation and feature notes for the Photoshop CS6 beta, and for a great hands-on take, don’t miss Lori Grunin’s post at our sister site, CNET Crave.

SMD FM transmitter circuit

Let’s construct a low-power FM transmitter using surface-mount devices (SMD) that will be received with a standard FM radio. Soldering surface mounted devices is not so hard and actually is quite easy. There are many designs for small FM transmitters but they have some problems. First, you need an audio amplifier to get enough modulation. Second, the antenna is attached directly to the collector. Third, the coil L must be wound by hand and adjusted by stretching. It all ads with a weak signal that tends to drift in frequency. In contrastm the transmitter schematic we present here eliminates some of those problems, using varactor diode for tuning and modulation, givind great sensitivity without an audio amplifier.



FM Transmitter – How it works
The figure below shows the schematic of the transmitter which consists of two stages: an oscillator and an output amplifier. Modulation is from an electret microphone but you can use a low power audio source.
Oscillator stage
Transistor Q1 is a Colpitts oscillator where the frequency is determined by the parallel resonant circuit formed by inductor L, varactor V1 and capacitors C7 and C8. Q1 is a common-collector amplifier where the power gain counts. V1 is actually a dual varactor that eliminate the possibility of forward conduction at the sinewave peaks.
The frequency of oscillation is set by adjusting the DC voltage on V1 with potentiometer R2. R4 and C3 form a low-pass filter to prevent RF from feeding back onto the DC.
Capacitors C7 and C8 form an AC voltage divider to provide feedback at the emitter of Q1 to sustain oscillation. A necessary condition for oscillation to start is for the radio (C7+C8)/C7 to be sufficiently bigger than 1.

SMD transmitter circuit schematic

 

 

 Frequency Modulation
Modulation is done by superimposing an audio signal from the electret mic onto the DC bias applied to V1. R3 and C1 form a low-pass filter to prevent RF from feeding back to the mic. R3, R4 and R2 form a votage divider for the audio.
Transmitter output stage
The output of the oscillator is fed through C9 to the Q2 emitter-follower. The output of Q2 drives the antenna through C11. The Q2 emitter-follower it ensures that the oscillator is not loaded down by the impedance of the antenna and it provides power gain to drive the antenna.
SMD Transmitter layout
The figure below shows the layout of the PCB and it uses surface-mounted devices like resistors and capacitors (non-polar devices). All the caps are size 0805 and all resistors are size 1206. use through-hole components for Q1, Q2, IC1 and V1. You can use an SOT-89 device for IC1 and an SOT-23 device for V1. Use MPSH10 or a transistor equivalent.

 

 

 The inductor
A coil would consist of two or three turns of wire but for this schematic we will use an inductor with loops of copper on the PCB. Such flat spiral inductor are common at these frequencies.
One formula for flat spiral inductors is:

where
L = inductance in uH
r = radius of coil (outer radius + inner radius divided by 2 ) inches
N = number of turns
d = depth of coil (outer radius minus inner radius) inches

Tuning range
While commercial FM band goes from about 88 MHz to 108 MHz, the L and C values used in this design allow tuning up to 100 MHz.

Transmitter testing
You will need a portable FM radio and an assistant. First, find an empty spot on the FM dial and set your radio about 30 feet away (9 meters). The radio’s volume control should not be set too high to prevend feedback. Next, power-up your transmitter and talk to yourself as you adjust the frequency with the trim-pot. When your assintant hears you, your transmitter is tuned. You might have to adjust the radio’s tuner slightly for best reception.
Have fun with it but remember that using the transmitter as a bugging device may not be legal in your country. To use the circuit as a wireless microphone, increase the value of R3. The transmitter range is about 100 feet (30 meters) inside a building.