LG Optimus 3D gets augmented reality browser

The Optimus 3D becomes the first ever 3D smartphone to feature an augmented reality browser.

LG Optimus 3D, which is possibly the first smartphone to have a three dimensional screen, will also have a 3D augmented reality (AR) browser. LG Electronics has announced the inclusion of the AR browser in collaboration with Wikitude, an independent augmented reality browser developer.

With this, LG Optimus 3D became the first smartphone to feature a 3D augmented reality browser.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a real-time technology that overlays detailed information (such as graphics and audio) to the user's surrounding as captured through smartphone cameras and other devices.

The Wikitude 3D browser allows better interaction and engagement with real-time user environments. While 2D AR only displays overlapped objects, 3D AR takes it a step further while showing places, landmarks and objects in three dimensions, making them easier to distinguishable. The browser allows users to discover details about their surroundings and access related Wikipedia articles and Twitter information directly from within the application itself.

"AR technology has been praised for its potential to replace the 'abstract' realities of standard mobile browsers with 'actual' reality streamed through the camera of the smartphone," said Dr Jong-seok Park, chief executive officer and president of LG Mobile.

The browser currently provides support for 12 languages with plans to increase this number in the near future. Users will be able to download Wikitude 3D from LG World for free starting from the middle of June, which also gives out a clear indication that LG plans to start selling the Optimus 3D device world over before June this year.

LG had announced the Optimus 3D during the Mobile World Congress earlier this year but has been keeping quite since then even though its competitor HTC announced the EVO 3D smartphone.

Five best-selling VAS offerings from MT

This is the first of a series of articles in which we track the best value added offerings from a particular service provider, other than the normal offerings like caller ring back tune, SMS, and ring tone downloads. We begin with offerings from MTS.

MTS is the third and last service provider in the CDMA space, a segment that did not do well in India but that has capabilities which make it attractive, such as fast internet speed even on the 2G platform.

To cash in on this feature of CDMA technology, MTS has launched My MTS Planet, a platform that is loaded on the device, and is meant for distributing content through video on demand (VOD), mobile TV, mShortcut, idle screen promotion, m-Adcalls (rich video advertisements), SMS subscription, and time based content delivery.

It will also include features such as SMS subscription and CRBT subscription for devices across the range — very low end and high end ones.

mShortcut

It aims to deliver content in a better way and is thus qualified to be here. mShortcut is designed with a friendly, menu driven user interface that enables easy browsing and allows services to be previewed before download.

It enables quick access to music, videos, ringtones, wallpapers, games, SMS services and CRBT etc. The user can directly jump to any content category simply by dialing a number, and they are not required to have detailed knowledge of browsers, of the Mobile Shop, GPRS, data services, download, or installation.

Video On Demand

Video On Demand enables users to view, download and stream a variety of videos from various genres at a single point of entry. They can even watch high quality video on low end devices that do not have video players.

The service has full video player options and navigation such as play, pause, volume and player. The platform works on both RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) and non-RTSP supported handsets, and can play two-hour and longer files continuously.

Mobile TV

This phenomenal application from MTS allows its subscribers to enjoy Live TV on their mobile handsets. It is compatible with both RTSP supported and non-RTSP supported handsets.

Users can choose from various categories such as sports, news, movies and religion. It also allows access to compressed video of good quality with faster content delivery and streaming.

Idle Screen Promotion

Idle Screen Promotion is used to promote VAS content on mobiles when the device is idle. It is a mode of delivering VAS content seamlessly and very quickly to the end user, and it also increases download rates.

The function simply allows a promotional message to pop up on the mobile screen when the phone is on idle, and also offers the option of download by clicking 'Yes' or declining to download via 'No'.

Using this feature an MTS mobile subscriber can easily download VAS content. The feature automatically invokes the idle screen message box and shows the appropriate message to the user at specific times. This feature is very useful for promoting content such as wallpapers, ringtones, games and text services. (It can get annoying though, so you can switch it off whenever necessary from the settings)

Nokia to launch advanced 3D mobile

This will be world's first auto-stereoscopic vision based 3D smartphone, will incorporate two different displays that project a 3D image with the help of a camera that monitors the user's eye level for more accurate 3D projection.

With the world head over heels over the two 3D capable phones revealed by HTC and LG, Finnish handset maker Nokia, too, is reportedly making a dual screen 3D mobile phone.

The device, which would be the world's first auto-stereoscopic vision based 3D smartphone, will incorporate two different displays that project a three dimensional image with the help of a camera that monitors the user's eye level for more accurate 3D projection.

Since the images change according to the user's position, he needs to stay still to view 3D, which is the biggest problem with existing glasses-free 3D displays.

The patent of the auto-stereoscopic vision, which has been bagged by Nokia, describes the technology as "an apparatus comprising a sensor configured to detect the position and orientation of a user viewpoint with respect to an auto-stereoscopic display; a processor configured to determine a surface viewable from the user viewpoint of at least one three dimensional object; and an image generator configured to generate a left and right eye image for display on the auto-stereoscopic display dependent on the surface viewable from the user viewpoint."

Meanwhile, Nokia has patented a new touch technology that comprises a pressure sensor that can measure the depth of touch as well.

By using these two technologies together, a new level of realism in augmented reality can be achieved. Moreover, with a 3D touch interface, better and more realistic interaction can also be achieved.

Considering the present scenario it is expected that the new device will be based on the Windows operating system and is likely to feature Intel's latest 3D oriented processor based on tri-gate transistor architecture.

LG Optimus 3D and HTC Evo 3D are two other such phones that are based on Android operating system. While Evo 3D is expected to be launched in the second quarter of this year, Optimus may hit stores around the world by June.

BlackBerry PlayBook: good points

Despite negative reviews on the internet, PlayBook has several good and useful features too, such as an intuitive user interface, good word processing app, and browsing experience that keeps users happy.

The new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is an easy target for skeptics these days. The device has been panned by many reviewers who point out deficiencies such as the absence of a native email client and even basic apps, and the compulsion of connecting the device to a BlackBerry phone in order to use BlackBerry Messenger.

The user interface of BlackBerry is extremely complicated, and users have to dig their way through various menus. This makes them suspect that the PlayBook interface will also turn out to be complicated, but fortunately things are otherwise.

The device doesn't have buttons and there are only two basic gestures for operating it, swipe-up and swipe-down. It's very easy, just like Apple's iPad, but it hasn't actually copied iPad.

Here are some points that will make users feel good about PlayBook:

The user interface of BlackBerry PlayBook is a well thought out solution that utilises multi touch gestures really well. iPad or Android users who are accustomed to the home button will need to do some relearning, but once they are through that stage the swipe gestures will come easily to them.

Even those who are not used to gestures have an option in the form of buttons or icons on the user interface as well.

The speakers of the device are placed on the sides of the screen unlike in other tablets, which have them on the rear or bottom. The better than expected speakers definitely give you an enhanced video experience and audio through the headphones is good.

The QNX operating system handles multitasking extremely efficiently. The tablet has the required hardware to run apps in the background, quite like what happens in a desktop or laptop.

The PlayBook's browser is useful and fast, and it takes just one tap to remove the menu bar for a full screen experience. It supports multiple tabs as well, and the zoom feature allows users to concentrate on the desired part of web pages.

The device is light, narrow and slim, and its 7 inch size feels extremely comfortable in the hand. Users can hold it for longer as well.

The word processor of the PlayBook is an optimum example of a Word Processing app, which is needed in tablets like this. Named 'Word To Go', the app comes pre-installed on the tablet and is very easy to use.

A human shaped mobile phone with skin like feel

Coming soon: The phone, which is named Elfoid, is slightly bigger than the palm of a hand and has a speaker installed in the head of the doll-like gadget.

Japanese scientists have developed a mobile phone which not only looks like a human being; its body also feels like skin.

"The mobile phone may feel like the person you are talking to," said the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), which has developed the mobile in association with Osaka University.

The phone, which is named Elfoid, is slightly bigger than a palm and has a speaker installed in the head of the doll-like gadget.

The body resembles a human being but its design is so blurred that it could be either male or female and young or old. A light-emitting diode in its chest turns blue when the phone is in use and red when it is in standby mode.

"The new technology is designed to allow individuals in remote locations to converse in such a way that they feel each other's presence through voice, appearance, touch and motion," the researchers told 'The Telegraph' of UK.

Scientists are hoping to start its commercial production after adding image and voice recognition functions to it.