I N T E L L I G E N T
YOUR GUIDE TO TECHNOLOGY TRENDS C
TRACING THE SUCCESS OF ANDROID We take a look at what the platform offers and the way ahead
ANDRDip APP-INESS Discover free and paid apps to suit your every need
H
| C O M P U T I N G
I
P
Supplement to CHIP March 2011
_ The m
Android
Invasion HOW GOOGLE CHRNGED THE SfYlRRTPHONE RMD TRBLET PC LRMDSCRPE
DEUICES ON THE HORIZON A sneak peek at the devices that are expected to be out soon
GEARING UP FOR THE REUOLUTION Explore your Android device to understand the full potential of the platform
PLUS: BUILD R PROmiSING CAREER IN IT, RFFORDABLE BIONIC ARfYl FOR THE DISABLED
Network 1 8
FOREWORD O
I
recently upgraded to a smartphone, and for anyone looking to do the same, there has never been a better time to make the switch. Not too
long ago, Symbian was the dominant platform, and while RIM and Apple both have great operating systems, they're restricted to the BlackBerry range and iPhone respectively. That's where Android came in and offered me something more in tune with my individual requirements. I wanted a robust device that would help me manage personal and professional matters when I was on the move. That was what prompted me to
I've always been one to stick to the PC for work, and I've never been too comfortable w i t h the idea of working on a one, but Android changed that.
consider the Android platform, and I eventually went with the Sony Ericsson Xperia xlO Mini Pro. There are many new technologies that Android brings, but most importantly for us users, it gives us choice. Android has been readily adopted by the world's leading phone manufacturers. What's more, there are Android phones for every budget. Even tablet PCs are now running on Android. Such is the power of Google's open-source mobile platform. My new phone has become my lifeline. I blog, read e-books, connect and network, watch movies, work, write my diary, maintain schedules, and even play games, all on one device. I've always been one to stick to the PC for work, and I've never been too comfortable with the idea of working on a phone, but Android changed that. With back-up solutions, easy syncing, and effortless Internet connectivity, working on-the-go is a breeze. Thanks to the thriving online community, even rooting my phone and tethering was fun to try out. And with strong developer support, you will always have great apps available to add more value to your Android device. Mine, being a mid-range device, does miss out on some features, like multi-touch and pinch-tozoom, but there's still so much on offer that nonAndroid phones at this price range simply cannot match. Then again, who knows what would be in store for me when I am ready for my next change!
KAMAKSHI S
[email protected]
CONTENTS
GOING ANDROID 6 TRACING THE SUCCESS OF ANDROID A look at h o w t h e Android platform h a s g r o w n a n d w h a t it h a s to offer. 8
THE LONG ARM OF ANDROID T h e portability and flexibility of Android gives end u s e r s more choice
10 SAFE BROWSING ON YOUR ANDROID DEVICE Android offers m a n y online f e a t u r e s Here's how you can use t h e m securely.
13 GET THE COMPLETE ANDROID EXPERIENCE Service providers are introducing p l a n s to help f l e s h out t h e Android experience.
SHOPPERS' STOP
E E LEARNING FROM YOUR ANDROID
45 INDIA'S FIRST UBUNTU DEVELOPER DAY
Make your Android device your s t u d y
A look at t h e Inagural U b u n t u Developer
a n d revision partner.
Day in B a n g a l o r e ,
E3 ANDROID APP-INESS T h e Android Market is b r i m m i n g w i t h
46 MCA: BUILD A CAREER IN L-T
apps. Here are s o m e of t h e best.
E n g i n e e r i n g is no longer a m u s t for a
M GET GAMING WITH ANDROID
p r o m i s i n g career in IT.
Keep t h e g a m e r in you a w a k e w i t h
48 A BIONIC ARM FOR THE DISABLED
these gaming apps.
A n innovative bionic a r m t h a t is
E2 ANDROID DEVICES ON THE HORIZON
surprisingly affordable.
MANAGING EDITOR
Devices t h a t will hit t h e m a r k e t soon.
Hatim Kantawalla DEPUTY EDITOR
Jamshed Avari
DO IT Y O U R S E L F
SENIOR FEATURE WRITER
Kamakshi S, Priyanka Tilve
E3 LET ANDROID POWER YOUR NETBOOK
FEATURE WRITER
Kushal Mamoowala
Before you buy an Android device, get
COPY EDITOR
t h e feel of it on your netbook or laptop.
Sameer Desai Rajesh D'Souza, Gautami Chalke
Here's w h a t s e t s Android a p a r t f r o m
E3 GETTING TO THE ROOT OF YOUR ANDROID
other mobile p l a t f o r m s .
R o o t i n g your Android is really e a s y if
EQ 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ANDROID
ES IN FOCUS: SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB P1000 A n indepth a n a l y s i s of t h e m o s t popular Android tablet in t h e country.
EH AN ANDROID FOR EVERY POCKET There's a n Android device for every budget a c r o s s all popular brands.
PROJECT COORDINATORS SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
Nirmal Biswas
you k n o w your w a y a r o u n d it.
E3 EXPAND YOUR NET BY TETHERING
SENIOR DESIGNER
Hemali Limbachiya ILLUSTRATORS
Sachin Pandit, Chaitanya Surpur COLOR CORRECTION
Use your phone a s a W i - F i h o t s p o t for
Sanjay Shelar
Web a c c e s s on your computer.
HEAD OFFICE intelligent Computing CHIP, Infomedia 18 Limited,
T E C H TALK
'A' Wing, Ruby House, 2nd Floor, J.K. Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028. INDIA Phone: (91 22) 3024 5000; Fax:(91 22) 3003 4499
ED BUSINESS AS USUAL
40 GIVE YOUR CAREER AN ANDROID JOLT
A p p s to help you get t h e job done on
Android app d e v e l o p m e n t is a s e r i o u s
t h e move.
a n d lucrative career option.
SMS your feedback to us at 51818. For general comments, create the following message: ICCO Example: ICCO The cover story was very useful
E3 MAKE YOUR PHONE YOUR BEST TRAVEL BUDDY
42 ANDROID APP DEVELOPMENT 101
To rate a story, product review, etc look out for the story tag at the base of each article and type: ICCO Example: ICCO PWS 5
From navigation to v a c a t i o n planning,
With t h e right tools a n d k n o w l e d g e app
there's an app for e v e r y travel need.
d e v e l o p m e n t can be quite easy.
The "Story tag" is mentioned at the base of every story in the magazine and the "Rating" is on a scale of 1 to 5.
A SMS
us
Please keep comments to 160 characters per message! Include your email address to help us reply.
61 GOING ANDROID
FROM PROTOTYPE TO PHENOMENON
TRRCING THE SUCCESS Starting from a vague mobile application development firm to Google's next big thing, Android has subtly changed the face of computing on the go. We take a look at what made the tide turn in its favor in a strong and competitive market. BY
KAMAK5HI
5
ith smartphones becoming the fastest
W
growing mobile phone segment and tablet PC market touted to see massive
growth this year, the Android platform stands firmly in the center of the revolution. Just as the mobile platform space was settling into clear segmentations, Android has made the industry sit up and take note. What is it that makes Android a stronger contender in a space which boasts of big players like Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, Apple's iOS, Symbian and Linux? We look back and trace the route Google took to revolutionize the face of mobile computing.
> HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Way back in 2005, a start-up company named Android, which was developing mobile applications, was acquired by Google. A Linux-based mobile device OS was developed as a flexible, upgradeable system, and released as the Android platform in 2007. The project has been backed by the Open Handset Alliance, which features over 80 hardware, software, and telecommunications companies to help make the movement interoperable and platform-friendly.
N THE CURRENT SCENARIO Three years later, the technology is all set to give the industry leaders a run for their money. A com-
GOING ANDROID 17
OF RNDROID According to Roberta Cozza, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner shares, "Android sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 continued to be driven by broad availability of many high-end products from HTC (Desire range, Incredible and EVO), Samsung (Galaxy S) and Motorola (Droid X, Droid 2). Symbian's market share dropped further in the fourth quarter Roberta Cozza, Principal of 2010 to 32,6 percent or 32.6 million units. Research Analyst, Gartner This allowed Android to overtake Nokia's Symbian unit sales during the fourth quarter of 2010. However, the Symbian 0 5 is also used by Fujitsu and Sharp as well as in legacy products from Sony Ericsson and Samsung, This aggregated volume kept Symbian slightly ahead of Android." parative analysis from Gartner reveals that in the smartphone segment, Android has seen a sales growth of 888.8 percent from 2009 to 2010. However, the report states that the OS will have to wait until 2014 to take over the current market leader, Symbian, which is down, but not completely out of the scene.
#> APP'S THE WORD The greatest advantage of using an Android-powered smartphone is that it isn't "locked" by some service provider or telecomm network. This means that you can download what ever you want, pick a service provider of your choice and opt for an Internet surfing data plan that suits your pocket. Moreover, accessing its kernel root (as a superuser, through a process called rooting) and playing around with the firmware is completely legitimate (not recommended, unless you know what you are doing). The platform also allows you to legally tether your phone, making it a Wi-Fi hot spot for your laptop or PC to access Internet with ease. if you don't have the desire to do a firmware based upgrade, but want to use the features that are available, you can turn to the Android Market. The Market has an app for everything that you can do with your Android device and the availability of apps is not really limited to the Market. There
Rajarshi Sengupta, Executive Director from
Deloitte & louche Consulting India Pvt. Ltd.
says, "Android is considered to be one of the key products in the smartphone market, competing with iPhone and expected to compete with the product that comes from the Nokia-Microsoft agreement. It has fared well in the market." However, while she does Rajarshi Sengupta, Executive agree that the style adapted by the Android Director, Deloitte India Market offers a good selling prospect for apps, the control that Google exercises over it cannot be overlooked. "Yes, the open nature of the Android Market has helped boost sales, but recognize that an Android phone also comes with the governance rules that Google dictates. So while the open platform in contrast to the more proprietary iPhone from Apple has helped, the overall application governance needs to be understood better." When asked about the effects of piracy that governs the Android Market today, she quips, "It's not more or less than any other form of piracy."
are several resources you can turn to but be sure to
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
| 8 GOING RNDROID
FLEXIBILITY WITH ANDROID
THE LONG RRfYl •F RNDROID Android has made a huge impact on the smartphones space in the global market and is currently the operating system of choice for tablets competing with the iPad. The popularity of the Android platform arises from its flexibility, something no other OS has managed to achieve. BY
KUSHAL
MAMOOWALA
I
n late 2007, there were rumors of Google work-
Android platform, with the four latest versions
ing on the GPhone, a smartphone design with
being released within the span of just over a year.
their own OS, which was supposed to compete
Each update differed slightly from its predecessor,
with Apple's iPhone and Nokia's new smartphone
but the hardware requirements remained almost
series. What we got instead was the revelation of
the same, giving manufacturers the ability to pro-
the Google Android operating system as an open
vide OS upgrades to handsets with older versions.
source platform for developers and the Open Hand-
Initially created for touchscreen
set Alliance, which then consisted of 34 members,
Google has now moved on to tablets with Android
including
3.0 Honeycomb being their first tablet-specific
mobile
handset
makers,
application
developers, mobile carriers, and chip makers.
smartphones,
operating system with support for high performance hardware.
# THE OPEN HANDSET ALLIANCE The Open Handset Alliance, with Android as its
OPEN SOURCE
flagship software, is a business alliance that now
By providing the source code of the operating sys-
consists of 80 firms that aim to pioneer Android
tem to manufacturers and also designing a software
and open standards for mobile devices. What
development kit (SDK) for application developers,
this means is that Android as an open source
Google has sort of outsourced its tasks and still
platform could be modified and tweaked to
pleased developers by giving them the freedom of
suit hardware and handsets manufactured by
personalizing and customizing Android. They have
multiple mobile phone manufacturers,
gone a step further by letting users " r o o t " their
thereby exponentially increasing the
Android device, which gives them superuser privi-
presence of Android as an operating
leges like access to administrative rights, system
system in the mobile phone market.
changes and running scripts that would generally
The compatibility of the Android plat-
be blocked for the standard user. This allows devel-
form to run on different chipsets
opers and coders to run their apps even if they
with different hardware is
require elevated privileges.
the prime attributor to
H I THE GOOGLE CLOUD
its flexibility.
Along with the ability to customize almost every-
# FREQUENT UPDATES Google of
has set
frequently
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
a
thing, Google has integrated its operating system into the Google cloud. With default apps for Gmail, trend
updating
its
Google Maps, Google Docs and other Google features, users are able to view and edit their tasks
GOING RNDROID
and work on their handset, which then automatically syncs with their Google account. What the end user gets is a simple, easy-to-use interface which accompanies them wherever they go and omits the
A release from Embedded Alley Solutions states, "The Development
need to manually transfer files and other data. In
S y s t e m enables development of Android-based intelligent devices
addition to these default apps, the Android market
targeting applications in domains beyond mobile handsets,
has been flooded with apps from developers that
Delivery of the Embedded Alley Development System enables
can do almost anything. Some of these apps are dependent on the Google cloud as well and others have syncing abilities of their own, making both
both s y s t e m s and applications developers to extend the reach of Android to encompass multimedia, Mobile Internet Devices, digital
Android phones and tablets the most sought after
video and home entertainment, automotive, medical, networking,
devices in today's market.
instrumentation and industrial control."
> A LITTLE TOO FLEXIBLE? While the flexibility of Android has been its biggest selling point, the openness does bring with it a few drawbacks. Manufacturers have taken advantage of Android's minimal hardware requirements and
table
developed smartphones and tablets with varied
and even TVs. Barnes
media
players
hardware performance to suit all budgets. While
&
Android might run smoothly on a cheaper phone, it
Spring
is hard to tell how some apps with a higher CPU load
PocketBook
or power requirement would perform. The Android
used Android to power
Noble,
Entourage,
Design
and
have
all
market limits the installation of certain apps based
certain
on the device being used, but third party apps can
their
still be installed without any regulation.
as Wi-Fi or 3G technol-
There is also the risk of security, which is per-
nook
aspects
e-readers
of such
ogy. Acer and Toshiba
fectly exemplified by the Soundminer app. Security
have
researchers developed Soundminer as a working
factured
already
manu-
spyware app that is disguised as a voice recorder.
that are powered by
Soundminer runs silently in the background and
Android and Samsung
netbooks
listens for PIN or Credit Card numbers during your
and Philips have used
phone calls. The application records this informa-
Android 2.1 on their
tion, converts the recording into a number and
music players. There is
relays it over the network to the developer. It can
also speculation about
even recognize numbers typed on the virtual key-
Android-powered
board and voice-activated IVR systems. Another
Internet
instance of the gaping hole in the Android Market
from Sony and NCPG.
televisions
is the Angry Birds Viral app. A mobile security
UMESOUBU
The Barnes & Noble Nook is one of many e-readers that is powered by Android.
guise a Trojan virus and had no trouble getting
# SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE
it onto the Android Market. Although it was only
The acquisition of a small Californian start-up
developed to demonstrate to Google the gaps in
called Embedded Alley Solutions by Mentor Graph-
their security, the app brings to light how easy it
ics has raised a few eyebrows. Embedded Alley
expert used the popular Angry Birds game to dis-
would be for third party developers to access per-
Solutions specialize in Linux and Android tools and
sonal information.
have developed the Embedded Alley Development
§ OTHER DEVICES
System for Android-based devices. What this means is that the Android platform
Along with its widespread presence in smartphones
could possibly be tweaked to run on home appli-
and tablets from manufacturers like Motorola, LG,
ances, such as telephones, navigation systems and
HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, Android has also
even Internet refrigerators. Only time will tell how
been adapted to run on e-readers, netbooks, por-
far Google's Android net will eventually spread. ®
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
10
SECURING YOUR ANDROID DEVICE
SAFEGUARDING Android opens up a whole world of possibilities, from social networking and Web browsing to downloading apps and
exchanging email, all on-the-go. But before you go on an app downloading spree, make sure that your Android device a n d the
data in it are protected and taken care of. BY
KAMAKSHI
5
w: #
With most people living their personal
F | SECURITY AT THE ROOT
and professional lives on their smart-
The Android OS does feature solid security archi-
phones, it's not just the data that has
tecture at the kernel level. The kernel is pro-
been fed into these devices, but also financial
grammed to sandbox applications from each other,
transactions and communication links that can
which means that if an application wants access
be violated. While Android has not seen too many
to details like network access, reading or writing
security scares, the massive number of devices
data, and personal contacts, each request is made
^
rill
a
5:14
Enter name for situation:
| Home Select the application(s) you want to protect while this situation is active: m Liitalt
L_J
p i
Gallery
•
Messaging
•
• • •
Music
Phone
I
Settings
V
Add
they be made available.
Android Market really make you
If you do grant access to a malware app, then
think about how safe your data
the security mechanism is of no use, so you need
is. Here are some things that you
to exercise more caution and keep a tab on what to
need to watch out for, and a list
download to your phone. You should also be care-
of apps that can help you secure
ful when updating an installed app because it is at
your data.
times as good as installing a new app.
# THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
F | WHAT ARE YOU UP AGAINST? Android apps can be targeted by a virus that can
There are certain bits of informa-
corrupt the data on your phone, spyware that can
tion
that
read critical data like credit card details and pass-
on your
smartphone
can become a target for viruses,
words without your knowledge, or apps can act as
worms or other malware. First is
nuisance-ware or adware that interrupts the nor-
your personal data, email, text
mal working of your phone.
notes
and
contacts.
Next are your personal and profes-
I I i |
explicitly and only on granting permission, will
apps that make their way into the
messages,
Search
xt
and high number of un-scanned
I
Cancel
Apps like Seal help you passwordprotect applications on an individual level.
1
{ § SAFE BROWSING
sional account details like email
Although you can avail help f r o m antivirus apps,
set-up, social networking details,
you should also exercise caution when you go on
and schedules. Your Wi-Fi network
to the Android Market and download an app for
settings and online banking and
your phone. Firstly, make sure that the app comes
trading website details are also at
from a legitimate source. Even though the Market
risk. Malware is capable of send-
is considered a legitimate source, the apps that go
ing text or multimedia messages,
up are not really screened, merely signed by the
making premium phone calls, or
makers. Read through the comments posted by
utilizing your funds to buy apps.
other users. If it sounds fishy, it's wise to give it a
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
GOING ANDROID 11
YOUR INTERESTS ^lookout
traffic option off when not in use, you can opt for apps like WiTopia or the free Hotspot Shield and services like Free Shield VPN (http://go.chip.in/ qnwbi) that offers increased safety for your VPN.
(§1 APPS TO GUIDE YOU There are apps can help you protect existing data as well as help you safeguard your future downloads. You can secure your Android devices (FroYo and above) with unlocking options, like using a numeric PIN, a password or a graphical pattern. However, a University of Pennsylvania research reveals how smudges on your screen can actually make hacking your graphical password quite a cake walk. You can start off with a free app called Android Protector, which can assign passwords to protect details like your text messages, Gmail accounts, contacts details, schedulers, Internet and Wi-Fi settings, and photos. If you are looking for something a bit more secure, you can pick the Seal app
If you want to secure your device from hacks, an app like Lookout can be very useful.
(Rs 122.19), Carrot App Lock Pro (Rs 68.18), or app protector pro (Rs 90.46). These apps also offer lite versions so that you can try before you buy the app.
miss. If you wish to go ahead, the next thing to do
If you wish to have an app
is visit the developer's website. Most developers
that backs up and restores your
who take their apps seriously would have a dedi-
data, helps you track your miss-
cated space to promote it. Finally, check the type
ing or stolen phone, and scan an
of permissions the apps require for installation.
app for malware, the free ver-
For example, if a game app is trying to access your
sion of Lookout Mobile Security
contact information, which is ideally not required,
or MacAfee's recently acquired
it is recommended to avoid it.
WaveSecure
are
very
good
McAfee WaveSecure
9
port, but both applications can
One of the easiest techniques to infiltrate your
help you lock or wipe data off
Android device's security is through the Wi-Fi or
your device remotely.
does not provide antivirus sup-
VPN (virtual private network) settings. Although it
If you are looking for tools
is advisable to use SSL or HTTPS encryption when
that can help you scan the apps
using an unprotected Wi-Fi hotspot, many email
for
providers don't support encryption. Therefore, it
them to your device, you can
you
before
is better to use a VPN network that offers better
t r y the beta version of Norton
encryption supported by your mobile phone ser-
Mobile for Android, or the Free
vice provider. Even though you can keep your data
or Pro (Rs 454.10) AVG apps. ©
WaveSecure
gip5 Backup Backup contacts, SMS and call logs
Upload Media Upload photos and videos
«
Restore Restore contacts and SMS
options. However, WaveSecure
# PROTECTING YOUR COMMUNICATION ROUTES
j
A V
Lock Down Phone l o c k the phone now! (You can unlock it w i t h your PIN)
Wipe Now! Wipe all contacts, SMS, call logs, photos, videos and m e m o r y card
downloading
An antivirus can not only protect you from malware, but also come to your rescue if you lose your device.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
|
12 GOING RNDROID
WHAT THE INDUSTRY LEADERS HAVE TO SAY: he high volume
things. First is the enterprise or the end user
of
being
level, where the protection is in terms of filtering,
over
management or just good antivirus security. The
powered
next level is to work with device manufacturers,
enough
like Sony Ericsson or Nokia to embed security
T
data
exchanged
Android devices
for mischief makers
into their phones, so that security software comes
to t r y and
siphon
bundled and people don't have to w o r r y about
data
buying or installing anything. The third level
and use it to their
comes in the form of a partnership with telecomm
off
Vinoo Thomas, Technical Product Manager, McAfee Labs
is
critical
advantage.
As
the
providers or banks. We work with them to ensure
Android
Market
that people who subscribe to their services such
doesn't really guar-
as mobile banking, have to go through certain
antee security, it is
security measures to access these services.
advisable to protect to be cautious when heading Thomas, who is the Technical Product Manager at
® What kind of support do you provide for Android users?
the McAfee Labs, and the virus research lead with
©
McAfee Labs Bangalore. Here are his thoughts on
can use on your Android device. If the tablet is
online via your mobile device. We spoke to Vinoo
There is family protection software that you
the security issues pertaining to the Android plat-
being used by kids, parents would be able to moni-
form:
tor their online activities inside and outside the house, they could block browsing of inappropriate
® What kind of security threats has the Android platform seen? How serious can these get?
websites based on categories, and they would be able to block Internet access for particular time periods.
Last year saw a couple of notable viruses that
In terms of mobile security, we have an antivi-
targeted the Android platform. There were a cou-
rus optimized for mobile devices. You will be able
ple of viruses which would accept every incoming
to scan attachments and applications. If some-
call without users knowledge, causing battery
thing is found malicious, you can get it cleaned
©
drain. Then there was a virus known as the Fake
or quarantined. It also offers protection against
Player Codec, which would send SMSes to a pre-
phishing and offers safe mobile browsing.
mium rate number without the user's knowledge,
selves to everybody on the infected user's address
© Can you use any McAfee product on an Android or are there specific products?
book via an MMS. In India, an MMS costs Rs 5, so
©
if you have 100 contacts, it results in direct Rs 500
work not just on the Android, but the Symbian,
inflation in your monthly bills.
Apple iOS and the Windows CE platforms. Tradi-
which resulted in inflated monthly bills. There have also been viruses which send a copy of them-
Lately we also had a high profile Android virus
We have a couple of MacAfee products that
tionally, MacAfee had MacAfee Mobile Security for
by the name of Geinimi, which poses as a legiti-
smartphones and tablets, and then we expanded
mate app and is the first known Android malware
to MacAfee Family Protection for Mobiles, where
in the open that displays botnet capabilities. So
we are not just providing security, but also allow-
once the malware is installed on a user's phone, it
ing parents to do URL filtering, safe search and
has the potential to allow the attacker to remotely
Internet usage reporting.
control the device. The app can pull out all contact
Last year, MacAfee acquired WaveSecure, which
information, read, send or delete SMSes, make a
allows us to manage mobile devices better. So in
phone call, install an app, and launch browsers
addition to security, you will now be able to back up and restore data on your mobile, and you will
© What is the nature of protection that a user can adopt? ©
At MacAfee, we have our target set at three
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
be able to locate and track a lost device. You can also perform a remote lock and wipe all the data in case your device is misplaced. ©
GOING RNDROID
VALUE ADDED SERVICES
GET THE COfYlPLETE RNDROID EXPERIENCE While Android devices are selling like hot cakes and 3G services now up and running, we look at the various value added services that are being offered by the popular telecomm service providers. BY
KAMAKSHI
5
W
What good is an Android phone if you
the App Central, which features more than 71,000
can't really surf the Internet and down-
apps segregated under 25 categories, which can be
load apps of your liking? Here's a look
downloaded to over 550 compatible devices.
at what the major telecomm service providers
have to help you enjoy your Android experience to
#AIRCEL
the fullest.
If you plan to buy a Galaxy Tab, then Aircel is all set to sell you a pretty package. For a price of Rs
#VODAFONE
29,500, you get the gadget, plus a 3 GB free plan
While Vodafone has the Vodafone Live and Voda-
for 3 months for prepaid users, or a 1 GB free plan
fone Mobile Connect services on o f f e r for internet
for 6 months for postpaid users. You also get a 2
surfing, Vodafone Live will not work with your
GB memory card and a leather case. However,
Android device. The Vodafone Mobile Connect
their customer care is not too clear about extend-
works with a prepaid and a post paid plan.
ing Internet support to other Android devices.
While it is a zero rental plan for prepaid users, postpaid users can pick between a Rs 299 plan
N TATA DOCOMO
that offers 2 GB of free surfing, a Rs 499 plan that
While Tata Docomo has been making claims of
offers 4 GB of free surfing, and a Rs 699 plan that
going 3G for a long time, there is still no trace of
offers unlimited surfing.
the company delivering on that promise. While
Vodafone supports tethering, so you can freely
you can use the Tata Photon Wi-Fi pocket router
use your Android phone as a Wi-Fi hot spot to
for Internet connectivity on your Android device,
connect your laptop or PC to the Internet. The
you will have to wait a little longer for any data
connection takes 4 hours to activate on a prepaid
plans for your device on the go. if not, mobile
account and 24 hours on a postpaid one.
number portability is always an option.
AIRTEL
K | REDIFF NG
Airtel offers Airtel Live services for WAP and
While you can configure 10 email accounts on
GPRS-enabled handsets and a mobile
Internet
your BlackBerry phone, Rediff NG enables you to
pack that offers up to 2 GB of free surfing at rent-
do the same on your Android as well. At just Rs
als of Rs 99, but the service is currently available
50 a month, you can do all that on your Symbian,
for Blackberry, Apple iPhone and Windows Mobile
Java, and Android powered smartphones.
6.5 powered smartphones only.
The service enables you to port data across
While their customer service is unclear about extending
these services to
Android-powered
devices, Airtel does have its own app store called
phones, so even if you do change your mobile phone, your settings and emails remain intact. The annual plan will cost you Rs 600. ©
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
IT'S OPEN FOR EVERYONE Android was designed and developed as an open source, fully customizable mobile phone platform; the first of its kind. This means that manufacturers can customize their phones however they want and design any type of applications without many restrictions.
GOOD SOFTWARE NEEDS GOOD HARDWARE Due to its ease of availability, developers have taken to manufacturing handsets and tablets running on Android. However, all devices have different hardware configurations and if the hardware cannot match the software, it will not give you the best Android experience.
things to know about
ANDROID If you're considering a switch to an Android-powered smartphone
IT CAN TETHER
or tablet, here are a few tips and pointers on what you can expect from your device. BY
KUSHAL
MAMOOWALA
IT'S GONE 3D^ Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the latest version of the OS, was recently unveiled by Google. At the official launch of Honeycomb, Google displayed its 3D capabilities with the Google Maps and YouTube apps, assuring users that the company has done quite a bit to ensure 3D works well on the platform. This could usher in big changes in the mobile phone marketplace.
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
Android has taken pairing devices to the next level. Tethering your Android device with your PC means you can use your service provider's Internet plan with your computer. With 3G services hitting the market, tethering your mobile and PC could see a great reduction in Internet service subscriptions.
SHOPPERS' STOP
MAKE SURE IT'S THE LATEST VERSION In the space of one year, Google made four revisions to its OS Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6), Eclair (2.0/2.1), FroYo (2.2) and Honeycomb (3.0). With such rapid updates to the OS, manufacturers are finding it hard to develop hardware and modify the OS to suit their latest handsets.
NOT ALL APPS ARE VERIFIED It's safe to install or buy apps from the Android Market, but a simple change in your phone or tablet's security settings can let you install apps from unverified sites. What this means is that not all the apps you use are verified by Android and could do more harm than good.
IT CAN RUN MULTIPLE TASKS
IT'S ALL IN THE GOOGLE CLOUD
Android is able to run multiple applications at the same time regardless of whether they are system apps or apps from the Android Market. Android users benefit greatly from this discrepancy, as they can receive notifications, listen to music, or even record GPS data without keeping the application open.
Android phones don't sync with your computer because they don't have to. Your contacts, calendar and mail are all backed up in the great Googleplex. What this means is that any changes or entries you make to your Google-based organizer will automatically appear on your Android phone.
APP INCOMPATIBILITIES
IT CAN REMOTE WIPE
As mentioned earlier, all phones have different hardware setups. A difference in resolution, processor speed and RAM means that an app that runs perfectly fine on one Android device might not work as well on another. Developers need to consider modifying their apps to suit different devices.
Google has added a remote wipe feature with Android 2.2 (FroYo). This remote wipe feature enables users to program the device to automatically wipe its memory clean in certain-conditions. If your phone is lost or stolen, a simple SMS, failed password entry or a change of SIM Card can trigger the wipe. It's up to you.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
In Focus: The Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 Will Samsung live upto the hype created around the Galaxy Tab P1000? We take a look at one of the most awaited tablets to hit the Indian markets. BY
5HAYNE
RANA
S
ing if there is a 1 GHz processor running the show.
confusion when it comes to choice. The Dell Streak
smooth, but there's just that hint of lag. The multi
didn't impress me and I had my doubts about the
touch zooming is as responsive as the iPad's. Sam-
amsung's highly anticipated Galaxy Tab actually managed to get itself here legally before
The three axis Gyro makes accelerometer-based
Apple's iPad, and brought with it quite a bit of
functionality from games to screen rotation quite
Olive Pad, the only two other tablets in India to
sung's also thrown in a Task Manager to kill all
make it out in an official capacity. Here's my take
background running apps or the specific ones you
on the whole 'Tabbing' experience.
want. Using the normal on-screen keypad was a
0 FORM FACTOR 1 believe that the 7-inch display, protected by the hardcore Gorilla Glass pane with a 600x1024 pixel
breeze, but Swype on a larger display, although requiring you to stretch quite a bit to trail words, is still a speedier way to get the job done.
resolution is about the right size for a tablet. It
MEDIA
allows for easy handling and storage. Samsung's
Aside from the 5.1 audio channel support, the Gal-
gone with a set of touch sensitive keys below the
axy Tab also comes with Samsung's DNSe audio
display. At 380 grams, it's a tad on the heavy side
enhancement with a set of EQ presets and an
with a screen lock/power button on the same side
eight-band customizable graphic EQ setting. Audio
as the volume/zoom keys, micro SD card port (1GB
Effects like Bass Enhancement, Wide and Concert
on board memory with support for 32GB cards)
Hall settings are also provided. The Tab's audio
and standard SIM card slot. The 3.5mm handsfree
player is sure fire winner. The cherry on top is of
socket is located on the top.
course video codec support for AVI files (DivX and
A set of built in speakers, which seemed loud
XviD), which enables you to simply drag and drop
enough for audio, but oddly low for calls, are
your favorite movies on the ample storage space for
located at the bottom on either side of the propri-
instant playback.
etary Samsung USB/Charger port at the bottom.
The 7-inch display is great for viewing videos,
This was the first thing I disliked about the device.
however games and quite a few other apps are still
Aesthetically, I found the Tab an easy device to
to be upscaled for this genre of Android devices.
work with purely from the design perspective.
Unlike the iPad's option to stretch games/apps to
0 FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE
fit the screen, the Tab allows you to play or access apps in the native resolution the app as designed
Here is an indepth analysis on the features and
for. This means they'll open only in the middle of
performance offered by the tablet.
the screen. There are many e-readers preloaded on
INTERFACE
the Tab. An e-book application similar to Aldiko's app allows you to import e-books off of your mem-
I'm not a fan of Samsung's TouchWiz UI, so I swapped
ory card, but I could not find an option to download
the UI with another from the Android market. The
any books from a website. The fonts and page colors
Galaxy Tab is powered by an ARM Cortex A8 1 GHz
can be adjusted and the overall layout is extremely
processor with PowerVR SGX540 graphics for added
conducive for easy reading. But changing pages is a
support. It's running on Android 2.2 aka Froyo out
slow and laggy process, the lack of a smooth transi-
of the box. Most of the UI navigation is quite seam-
tion is very evident. The Readers Hub application
less, but there are moments when you'll be wonder-
is also an e-book reader powered by Kobo, but one
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
SHOPPERS' STOP
that allows you to download content off the Web. A Zinio magazine reader and a newspaper reader by PressDisplay are also available.
CONNECTIVITY
namely Route 66 Navigation. You'll have to stick
The Galaxy Tab, is capable of making and taking
to Google Maps or use the Layar browser for an
calls, messages and sending and receiving emails
augmented reality GPS-enabled search. Of course,
from your standard POP and IMAP accounts, and
there's Bluetooth 3.0 and all the goodies that it
also plays nice with Microsoft Exchange services. It
comes with, including A2DP is supported, and of
supports 3G with HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps or typical
USB 2.0.
EDGE speeds for now. Like any Android device run-
BAD
ning Froyo, you can use the Tab as a Wi-Fi hotspot
CAMERA
and Samsung's All Share application allows you to
The 3 megapixel autofocus camera comes with an
hook up to a DLNA supported device to transfer
LED flash, face and smile detection, a few scene
and/or stream media. Everything you'd expect
modes, geotagging and video recording (720x480 at
from a high-end Android handset can be found on
30fps) are all present. A forward-facing VGA cam-
the Tab, from social networking with Facebook,
era is also present for self portraits and video call-
Twitter and Google syncing for your phone book
ing. I found the pictures to be as good as any other
integration, to standalone apps and Google Talk. It
3 megapixel camera. Indoor images with light gave
also supports Google Voice Search and tethering.
focused pictures. Outdoor images weren't too bad
The native browser, irrespective of the boost with Flash 10.1 support, turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. When I compared it to the iPad's
GOOD
Weil designed, Comes with DivX and Xvid support, Samsung DNSe, 5,1 surround, Flash 10.1 support, Camera quality is quite decent
Web browsing is not fluid, Laggy eBook readers, Proprietary USB/Charging
either, although excess sunlight did make portions of the image a bit over exposed.
browsing experience, the Galaxy Tab fell drastically
BATTERY LIFE
short on speed even though functionality was a bit
The Galaxy Tab managed to give a relatively high
more. Pages tend to be laggy while scrolling and
battery life. With a single charge I used it for Web
there always seemed to be a jerky break when mov-
and calls for two full days, with an average talktime
ing through screens. Unfortunately, it was s similar
of over 4 hours 40 minutes. That's quite impressive.
experience with Opera's new beta mobile browser, even if rendering was a lot faster. The Galaxy tab also comes with GPS capabilities
0 THE BOTTOM LINE I've become quite the fan of tabbing in general even
supported by A-GPS. Samsung hasn't included any
though the Web browsing or gaming experience
software with this device like it would with others,
was not as fluid as the iPad's. ©
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
POPULAR ANDROID DEVICES IN EVERY PRICE RANGE
An Android For Android devices are available in a range of shapes, sizes and prices. Manufacturers have developed Android smartphones and tablets to suit every budget and serve a range of needs. BY
KUSHAL
AMOOWALA
anufacturers have captured every level
quick browsing. With Wi-Fi, e-mail and a good cam-
of communication and computing by
era, both devices will service a user's basic needs.
M
developing Android-based smartphones
and tablets to fit a wide price range. This ensures
Rs 10,000 - Rs 15,000
the popularity of Android amongst users with
The Samsung 15801 Gal-
budgetary constraints as well as big spenders.
axy
The difference between a cheap smartphone and
an entry level Android
3 at Rs
an expensive one is primarily in the hardware,
smartphone
with the cheaper devices having a weaker proces-
Android
sor, less RAM and limited storage space. But these
2.1
13,300 is running Eclair.
A
3.2-inch touch screen, 3
differences are negligible when it comes to basic
megapixel camera and a
usage. It is only noticeable when the devices are
few unique features
used to run multiple, memory heavy apps or apps
DivX/XviD
like
compatibility
that require high performance. Here's a look at
and Kinetic scrolling
some popular Android smartphones and tablets
it an edge. The Sony Erics-
that fit into different budgets.
give
son Xperia X10 mini pro, on the other hand, is a pocket
Q SMARTPHONES
rocket. It runs Android 1.6
The Open Handset Alliance includes companies that
Donut and supports 2.1 Eclair.
manufacture smartphones for
With a tiny 2.55-inch screen, slide out QWERTY
a diverse group of consumers.
keyboard
and
600
MHz
processor, it packs quite
Rs 5 , 0 0 0 - R s 10,000
a punch at Rs 14,245.
For people looking to spend as
Other
little as possible on a smart-
that fit into this cat-
smartphones
phone without expecting some-
egory include Acer
thing really flashy, there are
beTouch E130, Vid
the Micromax Andro A60 and
eocon
the Spice MI300. Priced at Rs
Wildfire
8,599 and Rs 9,990 respectively,
Sony
both devices support Android
Xperia
2.1 Eclair and are 3G ready for
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
Zeus,HTC and
Ericsson X10
SHOPPERS' STOP
tvery Pocket smartphone, and the HTC Desire gives you a lot for its Rs 23,490 price tag. It has a speedy 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, large AMOLED screen and HTC's Sense UI with multitouch support. It boasts an excellent Web browser and integrated social networking services. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, priced Rs 24,995, is also armed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It combines stylish looks with killer specs, and with Android 2.1 and a huge 4-inch display, it is perfect for those who want a simple yet robust device that's also good looking. Other smartphones within this price range include the Motorola Milestone, HTC Legend and Acer A1 Liquid.
Rs 25,000 AND ABOVE In the highest price range, there is the popular HTC Desire HD, priced at Rs 26,990 and Samsung 19000 Galaxy S, at Rs 31,500. The Desire HD is a robust
Rs 15,000 - Rs 20,000
phone with a 4.3-inch LCD display, 1 GHz processor
The LG Optimus One P500, priced at Rs. 15,000, is
and 8 megapixel camera. It runs Android 2.2 and
the cheapest phone in this price range. It is a stan-
with 1 GB storage, plus microSD extendible mem-
dard no frills 3.2-inch Android 2.2 smartphone with
ory, it gives you enough room for videos, music,
a moderately clocked CPU and ample RAM to give
images and tons of apps.
you a bit of freedom with your apps. The Garmin Asus A10 has a smooth and elegant appearance
The Samsung Galaxy S carries a 4-inch super AMOLED
with a 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen, a 5 megapixel
display
camera, and runs on Android 2.1 Eclair. It gives spe-
of
cial importance to maps and navigation powered
makes viewing movies and
___ — • — ^
a
resolution
pixels,
which
by Garmin, for which it has a
Web browsing an absolute
powerful processor and long
pleasure. The 5 megapixel
battery life. It is reasonably
camera allows HD video
priced at Rs 18,990.
recording and it has an
Other smartphones that
integrated social hub and
fit into this category include
other apps to exploit its 1
Dell XCD35, Motorola
GHz processor and 16 GB
Cliq
internal memory.
and Motorola Backflip.
Other
Rs 20,000 Rs 25,000 S 3
with
480x800
products
in
the higher end of the market
include
LG
Moving into the higher price
GW620, Samsung 17500
range
Galaxy, Acer Liquid E
means
you
would
expect much more from your
Ferrari, and HTC HD7.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
Q TABLETS
Rs 30,000 - Rs 35,000
The cheapest tablet in the market, the Wespro
The Dell Streak 7 features Nvidia's Tegra 2 dual core
ePad at Rs. 7,999, costs far less than most Android
processor, 512 MB RAM, and comes bundled with 16
smartphones and as the technology improves more
GB of storage space. With 4G compatibility, video
low cost tablets are expected. Here's a look at some of tablets available in the Indian market.
Rs 20,000 - Rs 25,000 At Rs 23,990, the OlivePad VT100 fits snuggly into this price range. Running Android
calling capability, a 7-inch WVGA multi-touch display and 5 megapixel camera it can service a high end user's every need. Priced at Rs 34,990, it competes with products like the Viewsonic Viewpad 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab P1000.
Rs 35,000 AND ABOVE Viewsonic's Viewpad 10 is the closest a tablet comes to being a netbook. Powered by an Intel Atom N455 processor and 1 GB of DDR3 RAM, it houses a 16GB Solid State Drive and a 1.3 MP camera. It is
2.2, it is a 7-inch tablet phone, which is sleek and attractive. It comes with features such as multi codec media players, dual cameras for video calling and 3G support. A 600 MHz Qualcomm processor with 512 MB RAM and support for up to 32 GB memory enable it to run smoothly and also allow Internet browsing, video
streaming,
social networking, and GPS.
Rs 25,000 - Rs 30,000 At Rs 29,000, the Samsung Galaxy Tab runs Android 2.2 on an ARM 1 GHz Cortex processor with 512 MB RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. The 7-inch TFT
a dual booting tablet with a choice to boot either
LCD display gives you a crisp viewing
Android or Windows 7 and a quick switch between
experience, be it for reading, view-
the two. The 10-inch display is the biggest a tablet
ing videos, or watching movies. It's
has featured, and it even has two USB 2.0 ports, a
fast, effective at multitasking and has
mini VGA port and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabil-
admirable mobile and wireless network
ity. At Rs 38,000, the one feature missing is 3G
connectivity.
compatibility. ©
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
SHOPPERS' STOP
ANDROID APPS FOR BUSINESS USERS
Business As Usual: Apps to Stay Connected some apps that will help you keep up with work and constantly stay connected when you're travelling.
Here are BY
KAMAKSHI
S
ith the android OS making its presence
as Documents To Go Version 3.0, OpenOffice or
felt very strongly, smartphones have
ThinkFree Online. However, if you wish to edit
today become
W
computing
documents on the go, you will need a good editor.
device when on the move. When work demands
a popular
While you can opt for the freely available GDocs
that you constantly stay connected, some apps can
if you want your Android phone to sync with
come make life a bit easier. Here are some Android
Google docs, you cannot open these files directly
apps to help you get the job done.
f r o m your inbox or SD card. Moreover, you can
6 DOCUMENT SUPPORT
only used simple Word or text files and view PDFs; nothing more. While GDocs is a popular app, there
You might have to check documents or spread-
are several such free apps on the Android market
sheets quite frequently even on the move. If you
that offer connectivity with Google Docs.
are not keen on editing on your Android device
If you don't mind investing in a robust app for
and just require a viewer, then there are several
your Android device, then you can pick between
f r e e document viewers to choose f r o m , such
Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, the OfficeSuite Pro and the Documents to Go package. These suites are paid and allow you to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations and view PDFs. The most recent versions also extend support to Office 2007 formats and syncing with Google Docs, but do not cater to Open Office formats. If you are looking for ZIP file support along
Herry Chen CamCard {Wester
Steve Wang ! 205M3-S?-U;39;51
Jack Wu riniiiuiw ?! »!0-eS-1?-!3:3fcJ7
|-
David Ling
with inbuilt File Manager support, you can opt for either OfficeSuite Pro or the Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite. While Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite would cost you Rs 453, Documents to Go and OfficeSuite Pro are priced at Rs 680.
Q BUSINESS CARD READERS if you meet lots of people during the course of work and have many visiting cards to handle, it
Maria Ling I
a i w w j a u
can be cumbersome to track numbers down when you really need to get in touch. Instead, you can get a business card reader app that works with your Android phone.
If you tend to meet lots of pople, you can save their contact details in real time with a card reader app like CamCard.
These apps use your camera to scan the card and help you to store the contact details as well as a copy of the card on your phone. The most popular business card reader apps are MobiReader,
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
WorldCard
My D r o p b o x
—
90 Bytes modified 3 months ago
i
dropbox_parser.html
^
While
costs Rs 1,351.
of
the
signed up for the service on their website and
are
free
of
install the corresponding application on your
39.2 KB modified 2 months ago
cost, you can pick up the
desktop. The final step is to get the app on your
lite version
Android device.
dropbox_parser.zip
which
DropboxMobileAPI.pdf
223.3 KB modified 4 months ago
jjp Fiona.mp3
—
and
To use the cloud effectively, you need to be none
applications
2.0 MB modified 2 months ago —
Mobile,
CamCard.
4.3 MB modified 4 months ago
©
fl
o e 0
Search
Refresh
New
Help
Upload
Settings
It may not be possible to carry all you data with you, and that's where a cloud service like Dropbox can help.
can
of
CamCard,
be
upgraded
While most services o f f e r 2 GB of free data
later. Most of these apps
storage, SugarSync offers you 5GB of free space.
can read details like name,
You'll have to upgrade to a paid plan to increase
phone
the cloud storage space.
numbers,
email
addresses, web links and
While Dropbox works best for document files,
postal addresses with ease.
you'll need editor apps to use the service effec-
They also enable you send
tively. Zumodrive is equally easy to use, but works
emails and access company
better if you wish to sync your iTunes music
websites directly. The apps
library on your phone through the cloud.
also o f f e r multi-language
If syncing photographs is what you're looking for,
support, with some o f f e r -
Google Picasa is a better app. And even for Picasa,
ing languages like Chinese,
you would find a plethora of options to pick from.
Japanese, Korean, Finnish, French, German, Hungar-
Q CODE MEMOS
ian,
Planning your
Italian,
Portuguese,
Norwegian, Spanish
schedule
ahead can
help
you
and
accomplish everything you planned for the day,
Although you may have
the-go or need to share your device with anybody,
s.wedish, among others.
and if you have to keep track of your schedule on-
occasional hassles with the character recognition, especially if the picture
Contact i n f o i m a t i o n
is taken under improper lighting, and with business cards with heavy background colors, most of them work quite well in storing accurate data on to your phone. WorldCard Mobile is priced at Rs 271, while MobiReader would cost you Rs 471. CamCard comes in two versions; the BCR Western priced at Rs 316 that reads languages using the English typography, and a Business Card Reader version priced at Rs 543 for complex languages like Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Q CLOUD SHARING For those who are constantly on the move, a cloud application to help synchronize data between your computer, your Android device and the Internet is essential. While most cloud apps are free of cost up to a particular data storage limit, what you need to consider before settling on an app is the usage and types of files that you wish to work with. There are several options that you can choose from, of which Dropbox, Zumodrive and SugarSync are the most popular. If you are used to LogMeln on your desktop, you can continue using the service with your Android device too. The LogMeIN Ignition for Android
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
Apps like WordCard Mobile not only store data off visiting cards, but also use tools like Google Maps as locators.
SHOPPERS' STOP
having a password protected code memo is the
While PDAnet is one of
perfect app to have on your Android device. There
the most widely used teth-
are several free options to pick from depending
ering apps, and it does pro-
on what you need.
vide you with a free trial,
You can opt for a notepad style Ultra Notes
you will have to buy it to
app, but if you need your data to be password-
use all of its functionalities.
protected, you can use the Ultra Mate private
It costs $23.95 (roughly Rs
diary app. You can opt for the 01 Safe app to save
1,087) and is not officially
critical data like account numbers, passwords and
available
on
the
Indian
other confidential details.
Android
market).
Other
If you need something that is printer friendly
apps which do not require
as well, Wizard Memo is a good option. Make sure
root access to your phone to
you pick a strong master password and remember
tether include EasyTether,
it too, or all your precious memos will be locked
which is priced at Rs 452.
up for good.
There are some free apps your rooted phone into a
If you have a 3G network connection and an unlim-
Wi-Fi hot spot, like Barncle
ited Internet surfing plan on your phone, you
Wi-fi Tether
can extend that connectivity to your PC as well.
Tether for Root Users.
While you can tether your Android device using
However,
Bluetooth, USB cables or Wi-Fi, you may have to
check with your service pro-
fidget around with Android versions below 2.2. If
vider if tethering your device
you don't really have the patience or time to do it,
violates any of the terms and
getting an app would be a better option.
conditions of your usage plan,
Make sure Internet works on your smartphone and select the operating system installed on your computer: ^ W i n d o w s 7/Vista/XP/2000 $
or
you'll
Wireless need
Do not confuse EasyTether with any built-in USB tethering or modem support your smartphone may have. This particularly means you should not enable Mobile Broadband Connect (Verizon), Internet sharing (Sprint) or similar built-in options if you want to connect via EasyTether. If you are wary of rooting your phone and still want a decent free tethering app, EasyTether can come in handy.
to
While a private diary will help you secure sensitive data, you can use apps like 01 Safe for critical data values.
moreso if you have an unlimited Internet connection on your account. ©
W m f f l S m m•
Barnacle Wifi Tether Stop
Mac OS X 10.4+ Ubuntu 10.4+ or Fedora 12+
Openlritents h o m e p a g e
that can help you convert
Q TETHERING YOUR PHONE
EasyTether - Se
01 Safe - Edit Entry
Associate
Download
Upload
4.13 MB
1.00 MB
192.85 kB/s
3.59 kB/s
A rooted phone can be tethered with even more ease. Free apps like Barnacle make tethering a breeze.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT <
MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
ANDROID APPS FOR TRAVELERS
Make Your Phone Your Best Travel Buddy All set to hit the road for a long overdue vacation and well deserved break? Here are some tools to help reduce the stress of planning your travels. BY
KAMAKSHI
W
hether
5
you're
planning
a
weekend
getaway or a long holiday, you would usually pick a spot that you are yet to
Z O m
Delhi/NCR •
d t O l
explore. And if you have your Android device with
Global Village
you, you can pretty much enjoy your time without
Greater Kailash(GK) 2, Delhi
getting lost or requiring local assistance.
Cuisines; Continental, North Indian, Italian
Q TRAVEL MATES The first thing you need is an app that can help you plan your vacation and help you make the required bookings. If you are
@ backtrack |Search where/when...
looking at taking your family along for the trip, it is always
T
sensible to plan your bookings well in advance. Two popular
WWWi^'ur
Upload photo
8§! CALL
J
r v i © j i i \ m \ ®
•
travel portals, Trip Advisor and Cleartrip, have apps for Android. You can book and cancel
•
List View
J L The BackTrack app records travel data in real time when you travel.
train/flight
If you want to savor local cuisines, the Zomato app is a nice place to start.
tickets,
make enquiries on your PNR
Q LISTS
enquiries, and book hotels too.
When you are all excited about a trip, there is a
If you are traveling to a new
chance that you may skip some details or forget to
place, being able to navigate
pack an essential item. There are many apps that
the area is essential. There are
help you organise your trip more efficiently. The
several applications that can
free Packing List app comes with pre-created lists
come to your rescue. One such
depending on the kind of trip you're about to take.
application is Zomato. You can
If that isn't good enough, you can generate your
browse for as many as 11,000
own to add up all the things to need to carry. If you
restaurants across six cities
need something more comprehensive, you can opt
in India, including Delhi-NCR,
for the Vacation Planner, which is priced at Rs 45.
Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata,
Another checklist of considerable
Pune and Chennai. Addition-
especially if you are taking kids or the elderly along
ally, your
devices
is a first aid list. You can purchase the very useful
come loaded with Google Maps
First Aid Checklist app priced at Rs 44.97. The list
and Google Latitude for point to
consists of over 140 first aid items that you could
point navigation.
need when you are traveling. You can also add and
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
Android
importance,
SHOPPERS' STOP
Featured Photos
—'—~
army knife. Similarly, there are some tools that can come to your rescue when you least expect it. The most essential app you need whether you are travelling or not is the free Where's My Droid app. The
wlss
app makes your phone ring when a text message with a predetermined keyword is sent to it even if it is in silent mode. There are also several Android
FCIIL
apps that help you prolong your phone's battery life. One such app is the Ultimatejuice!, which is priced at Rs 180. If directions can cause confusion, you need a good compass tool too. You can get the augmented reality 3D compass app 3D Compass Pro priced Rs 90. It also has a free version called 3D Compass that you can try before you buy. Another must-have app when you're travelling to a new place is the free TeslaLED Flashlight. It uses the flash of your camera as a handy makeshift torch.
Sharing photos with your loved ones can be very easy with Picasa on your device.
If travelling to a new place makes you feel linguistically inadequate, a good translation tool that helps you with pronunciations will come in handy.
edit entries as per your requirements. You will also
You can opt for Google Translate app, which works
find a trekking and baby planner from the same
with more than 50 languages. It not only supports
developer at the same price.
text-to-speech and voice inputs, but also doubles
QTRAVELOGUES
up as a dictionary.
Most people enjoy keeping a detailed travelogue to
Q BOOKS
keep a track of all their holiday escapades and like
If you have your luggage all stacked to match the
sharing them with their loved ones. If you are look-
permissible weight limit, and you like reading when
ing for a detailed travel journal app, then the free
you travel, making place
backTrack Personal Travel Log is a good option to
for bulky books can get
use. It's convenient because it records your journey
tiresome. Instead, you
automatically allowing you to enjoy your holiday.
can look for apps like
You can browse though the entries in your free
Aldiko Book Reader or
time in a list or detailed map view. You can also
the Kindle for Android,
map the app to your calendar to make chronologi-
which provides you with
cal entries. If you love taking lots of pictures, then
an e-book reader
you can a pick a tool to sync your photographs to
enables you to download
be uploaded to your PicasaWeb account online.
free and paid e-books,
One such tool is the Picasa Tool Pro. It can help you
and
clear space on your memory card and back up your
(with the Kindle) to your
pictures online too.
Android device.
even
and
newspapers While
If you enjoy blogging, you can use the Wordpress
both apps are free of
for Android app. You can post blog entries with
cost, you can opt for
pictures offline, and publish them online when you
the premium version of
have Web access. You can also keep a track of post
the Aldiko Book Reader,
comments and site stats. You can manage multiple
priced at Rs 136. While
blogs that are linked to a single account.
you can read ePub and PDF formats, the Micro-
0 TOOLS
soft Reader-specific LIT
If there is one thing that you should not be caught
files may not work on
without while camping or on a trek, it's a Swiss
these readers. ©
The Aldiko Book Reader app is ideal for reading on-the-go to pass the time.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
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ANDROID APPS FOR STUDENTS
Learning From Your Android There are Android apps that cater to a student's every need, from formula sheets and periodic tables to note-taking and organizers. Students can install these apps to increase their productivity, knowledge and have everything they need at their fingertips. BY
KUSHAL
MAMOOWALA
T
here are many aspects to studying, such as
does have another great feature, however, which
note-taking, studying, and exercising, and
is its social media integration. With Catch, you can
they all come with specialized tool sets,
share your notes with friends via Twitter or Face-
each with additional costs and practical difficul-
book, something that every student would find
ties. Most people don't realize how powerful their
extremely handy when exams are looming.
smartphones really are, and how diverse the appli-
Other note-taking apps include Documents to Go,
cations available for them are. It's often hard to
Note Everything, and Take Note.
find the right applications for the job, so to get you started, here are some incredible Android applica-
Q ACADEMIC AIDS
tions that every student should consider installing.
Everyone knows how tedious it is to remember
S B 2 ®
©
12:54 P M
Create n e w n o t e
Search
your answers faster and easier. RealCalc is a fully
There
featured scientific calculator, which looks and
are
that do these for you to ease your mind and get
several
notepad-style apps out
operates just like the real thing. It provides result
there,
Evernote
history, unit conversions, percentages, ten memo-
takes the cake with its
ries, hex/binary/octal, trig functions in degrees,
ability to sync with an
radians or grads, engineering
online account and your
display modes, digit grouping, and a built-in help
desktop
module.
but
PC.
The
app
and fixed-point
enables you to j o t down
Formulas Lite is a simple, easy-to-use app that
notes on your phone or
helps you refer to collections of the most important
tablet as text, photos or
formulae of maths, physics and chemistry. A simi-
even voice
recordings.
lar tool specific for chemistry is Perfect Chemistry
You can make different
Lite. It helps you balance chemical equations and
'notebooks' for different
gives you details about different elements, chemical
subjects
Evernote offers a clean, simple layout to take down and organize your notes.
formulae and equations. You can get Android apps
Q HELP WITH NOTES
and you
can
compounds, and much more. There is also Calculus
even add tags to each
Tools that helps you with calculus and finds deriva-
note. Best of all, it's com-
tives, computes definite integrals, arc lengths and
pletely free and runs on
plots graphs of functions. It also includes integral
Android 1.5 and above.
tables and a custom keyboard.
Catch is similar to Evernote, except it lacks a
£
desktop application. It
There are plenty of Android apps that serve as
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
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app that lets you easily track all your assignments, work finished, work due and how you're progressing towards your results. It helps you keep track of homework with a simple to-do style list, custom list your assignment types and grade weights, and track your report card with a custom grading scheme. The Demo version limits you to four courses with five assignments each, and the full
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version costs around Rs 300. There are also apps that manage your active profile to your preset settings. PhoneWeaver changes
DEL
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your profile depending on the time or your location
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ring in class or die on you when you're on the go.
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taking notes, and planning tasks. CoursePro is an
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RealCalc turns your Android into a fully functional scientific calculator.
and battery life to make sure your phone doesn't Sweet Dreams is another similar profile management app that alters your phone settings to avoid unwanted calls according to your filters based on location, movement or sound.
Q INFORMATION WikiDroid is a Wikipedia app that allows you to research anything you need conveniently on your phone. You can start your research or get more information on a topic being discussed with its easy-to-use interface and simplistic design. The free version is ad-supported and the pro version
readers. There are a handful of apps that take read-
at Rs 100 is ad-free and
ing and collecting your reading material to the
enables you to view saved
next level. MultiReader is a voice reader that can
articles offline.
speak several languages, give you access to online libraries, and run several popular file formats.
ColorDict
Universal
Dictionary is a useful dic-
WordPlayer is a similar book reader, which lets
tionary app. It's more than
you download from amongst millions of books in
just
seconds, or load from your memory card. Its page
thesaurus, bible dictionary
navigation, bookmarking, speech and customizable
and foreign-language dic-
a dictionary;
it's a
settings make reading a breeze. For those that like
tionary all rolled into one.
to find their material online, InstaFetch lets you
You can search words and
save complete web pages to your Android device for
idioms in several diction-
offline reading. Turn your phone into a scanner to
aries at once and it works
copy that library book that you can't rent out with
offline. A similar vocabu-
DroidScan. You can save files as PDFs and it even
lary app is SAT Vocabulary,
corrects your alignment and contrast to give best
which gives you more than
results.
4,500 words and definitions to help prepare for SAT
0 ORGANIZERS
exams that students aspir-
Students are often overworked with assignments,
ing to study abroad must
projects, homework and getting them done before
appear
the deadline can be quite difficult. Thinking Space
knowledge, you can
is a mind mapping app for Android that lets you
apps like World FactBook
create visual mind maps to organize your activi-
and
ties and ideas. It's great for summarizing lectures,
eQuizBook. ©
for. For
General
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general try
Knowledge
homework CourePro has custom grading schemes which allow you to track your GPA.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT <
MARCH 2011
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ANDROID APPS FOR ENTERTAINMENT
Android App-iness When you're tired, bored or just need to kill some time, you shouldn't have to look any further than your Android phone or tablet. Here are some great apps that will keep you busy and entertained. BY
K U S H AL
M AMOOWALA
hether you're an avid movie buff, a
Player. It is free and offers advanced features like
music lover, or enjoy messing around
subtitles, file ratings, ID3 tags and gestures. Other
W
with photos, you can grab plenty of fun
Android apps that will keep you entertained. But with over 30,000 apps now available in the Android
popular media players include A c t l Video Player, Pandora KMPlayer and YXFlash.
Market, finding the real gems can take a while.
© V I D E O STREAMING
Here are a few apps for your consideration as far as
The first site anyone would think of when it comes
entertainment is concerned, and best of all, most
to video streaming is YouTube, and of course,
of them are free!
there's an app for it, but if you want to stream T V shows longer than 10 minutes, then T V Shows
Q MEDIA PLAYERS
Stream is the app for you. The application searches
RockPlayer is the best alternative to the default
over the Internet for hundreds of T V show links
Android media player. This app supports virtually
that you can play directly on your device with full
all the popular video formats. The only disadvantage
screen support using Megavideo and other host-
of the free lite version is that it supports advertise-
ing services. The search results are shown in an
ments so if you don't want any distractions while
intuitive and easy-to-use interface. The lite version
watching your favorite videos, you can buy the full
comes with 12 preselected shows and the full ver-
version for Rs 500. The app comes in three versions
sion at Rs 180 gives you unlimited access.
and produces best results with devices with power-
Stream Media Player and Full T V episodes are
ful processors. For a media player that plays videos
two other video streaming apps that are worth
and music, look no further than Meridian Media
their relatively cheap price tag.
Media Information
Time: 23:52:20
Battery: 75%
Audio: mp3 [48Q00Hz®2ch] Video: mpeg4 [624*352@0Kbps] file: avi [358075KB]
Q MUSIC TuneWiki is a media player similar to RockPlayer, but lacking the video playback function, which it more than makes up for with its advanced music features. It has a very nice interface, is stable, supports ID3 tags and gestures and can stream any music from online sources (various online radio stations, for example). It also displays the lyrics to a song using a nice overlay. If you prefer to listen to your music via internet
My wife and daughter are in the residencg/SM! •plaiting instructMte. Rock Player can play audio and video files and has features like phone status, file info display, and subtitles.
radio, you can choose from Winamp's Android app, which streams music from Last.fm, Shoutcast and FM Radio, which provides you with a wide range of genres and channels to choose from. Also worth a mention is Shazam. If you're listening to the radio or watching T V and you come across a song that
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
SHOPPERS' STOP ••
it will identify the song and give you more details,
Q IMAGE EDITING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
including lyrics.
For the amateur photo edi-
you really like, just let Shazam give it a hear and
tor or those that like to mess
0 SOCIAL NETWORKING
i S f f i C 11:09
A
around with photos of them-
Tag (1/1)
TikTok Ke$ha
There is a wide array of Facebook and Twitter apps
selves and their friends, apps
spread across the Android market, but there are a
like
few apps out there that really stand out. With the
will give you endless hours
Animal
increasing number of social networking websites
of entertainment. They
Genre
hitting the netscape, it is best to have an app that
packed with options to distort,
Pop
can update all your different profiles with just one
color-correct, add word bal-
Tagged
simple push, and that's exactly what Tweetdeck
loons, titles and add graphics
8 Jul 2010 11:08
does for Twitter, Faceb ook, Buzz and Foursquare.
to your pictures. For the pro-
There's also HootSuite, which does the same, but
fessionals, there's Photoshop
with only Twitter and Facebook. For free mobile-
Express, which enables you to
to-mobile messaging and free VoIP calling, there
make professional changes to
are apps like Nimbuzz and WhatsApp. The biggest
your images.
advantage of apps like these is that they are com-
PhotoFunia
or
are
Another popular app for
patible with other operating systems as well.
avid photographers is Camera
PicPush is a unique social networking app that
360, which turns your device
allows you to automatically share your pics and
into
a professional
Album
PicSay
0
Tour Info
©
YouTube Video
V
Recommendations
camera
videos across all popular media services. It gives
with an impressive set of fea-
Shazam identifies unknown songs
you a convenient one-touch service for uploading
tures like touch focus, zoom,
f o r y o u a n d e v e n g i v e s y o u vide
media to Facebook, Photobucket, SmugMug, Picassa
fish eye, photo symmetry, back-
'V'cs and concert information,
and Twitter.
ground sceneries, and more.
Q MISCELLANEOUS H
B
10:00 PM
Me
•
• ••••
There are thousands of other apps that you can install on your Android device to keep yourself busy. There are apps that can give you information
I call that WIN
on events taking place in your city, like Gigbox,
Tom Dolina also commented on Alan Bedenko's photo.
which gives you details of upcoming music concerts
@buffawhat The ui is very good. Seesmic what?;)
news for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, etc. It is the ultimate
nyergler
allow you to use your Android device as a remote
update: Apparently those on custom rooted ROMs can adb to uninstall the original google search app then re-download (U i.i
Remote and Remote for iTunes are just a few of the
and festivals near you. Gamecenter is a very useful app for gamers, highlighting the latest video game
B p
video game app equipped with trailers, cheats, videos and reviews. Then there are remote apps that for your PC and your media player. Gmote, VLC
• an •••
Q
^GW
W3m
TweetDeck combines your social network profiles into one page, giving you updates from all sites in one simple window.
many remote apps. The list of apps for your entertainment is endless and you could spend hours browsing the Android Market to find apps that suit you. Many apps have free 'lite' versions and a full paid version, so you can test them out before you buy them. Also keep in mind that most apps require an Internet connection, either a data plan on your SIM card or a Wi-fi connection, so make sure you have access to the Internet to get the most out of your apps. ®
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
ANDROID APPS FOR GAMERS
Get Gaming With Android With the Google Android gaming platform becoming so commonly used
by game developers, there are lots of great games to choose from. You can fling vengeful birds at thieving pigs or strategize with friends online to take over the world. BY
KU5HAL
E
MAMOOWALA
veryone has probably played a game on
A simple touch-based game that features challeng-
their phones at one time or another. Mobile
ing physics-based gameplay with hours of replay
phone
value, it truly tests your patience and determina-
gaming
has
been
revolutionized
by the advent of multi-touch screens and high
tion.
performance portable devices, making the gam-
There are other games that also exploit the
ing experience far more interactive and fun. The
motion sensitivity and touch interface of your
Android gaming platform gives developers an
device. Abduction and Doodle Jump are two games
easy scaffolding to build their games around, so
based on a simple motive of upward movement.
the online market is flooded with new games and
The objective is to progress upwards on platforms
updated versions everyday. Here are some of the
by tilting your device left and right to control
must-haves in different gaming genres.
your character. Basketball Shot and Paper Toss
© ARCADE GAMES
throw balls into a basket. These games are a sure
Angry Birds is one of the most popular games for
hit with people of all ages.
touchscreen devices. Initially developed for the
are games that require precision finger swiping to
iPhone, it was quickly modified to run on multiple
©ACTION GAMES
operating systems, including Android 1.6 and up.
Tank Hero is a fairly simple game that involves controlling a tank to obliterate the enemy. It has an innovative virtual gamepad for navigation, a simple tap for firing ammunition and lots of challenging levels. Compatible with Android 2.1 and upwards, it is free and promises newer features and levels in the future. Crazy Snowboard is an action game that will keep you on the edge of your seat, with intuitive controls and tap-based tricks. It is compatible with Android 2.0 and up and runs fairly smoothly on most devices. Another sports action game that is quite popular is Reckless Racing. It has a single player campaign as well as a multiplayer mode. The off-road racing relies on power-sliding and opposite lock, making every race feel like a sequel to The Fast and the Furious.
Slingshot your birds around the level to kill all the pigs. Who would have thought physics could be so much fun.
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
Also check out Sniper, Let's Golf and Guns 'n' Glory for other great action based games.
to earn, Live Holdem Poker is the perfect fix for gambling enthusiasts. There is also Real Blackjack, which gives you strategy tips and sharpens your counting skills for the real deal. You can also customize your game to add a variety of rules to make it a challenge.
Q ONLINE MULTIPLAYER GAMES The biggest advantage of Android gaming is that
Play notes, chords and choose your instrument on a virtual piano with xPiano.
you can collaborate and compete online with other real players and some games have harnessed this opportunity to the fullest. Armored Strike Online
0 PUZZLE GAMES
gives you an array of tanks, weapons and terrain
For those who prefer a bit of brain teasing, there
to battle with. The online mode pits you against
are games like WordSearch Unlimited and Chess
other users and adds features like zoom and in-
for Android that are hits amongst Android users.
game chat and statistics like player rankings and
They're both free and will run on any Android
a leaderboard. It can be installed on any Android
device. The Moron Test is a uniquely testing game
operating system and an initial purchase gives
that questions your IQ and attentiveness. The free
you endless free updates.
version allows you to play only the first level and the paid version gives you three more levels. Alchemy is a game that requires you to make
Uniwar is an online multiplayer strategy game in which players take turns building their army and fighting against each other using the strengths
more than 300 complex elements by combining the
of their units while taking advantage of the terrain.
four basic elements - fire, earth, water and air. It is
You can join several games
a challenging game that keeps you gripped. It runs
to increase your player rat-
on Android 1.5 and up.
ing. It also has a campaign
Also check out Unblock Me and Bubble Buster
mode
with
a
worldwide
for more mind bending fun.
leaderboard. Although it is
Q CASUAL GAMES
the small price of Rs 250.
a paid app, it is truly worth For the casual gamer who prefers to kill time with-
The Great Land Grab is
out getting too drawn into a game, there are apps
a novel, real-world game
like xPiano, RD3 Groovebox and Guitar Solo that
which uses your
give you the opportunity to create some music of
detect your location. The
GPS to
your own. You can play notes, guitar chords and
idea of the game is to claim
drum beats and even record it as reference for
the
later. Apps like Air Control, Tetris and Untangle
you are located in. As you
Me are basic logic games that test your organiza-
travel, you can claim more
tional skills. Although there is a high score to con-
land or try to grab the land
land
(via
GPS)
that
tend for, the games have a calming effect and are
owned by someone
perfect for unwinding or keeping you busy when
You can purchase lawyers
you're in a waiting room or on the bus.
and building
else.
permits
to
buy other parcels of land
Q CARD GAMES
near you and build stores
Solitaire comes with a collection of different for-
on your land. It's a great
mats of the game made famous by Windows, includ-
way to travel and see new
ing regular, spider, free cell and forty thieves. It is
places around you.
compatible with all versions of Android. Live Holdem Poker Pro allows you to play Texas
Other
multiplayer
online games include Pool
and beginners. With features like live chat, tour-
Break Pro and a virtual Pictionary style What the
Uniwar offers online gaming, which means you can play against real
nament mode, personal avatars and virtual money
Doodle?®
PlaVers'
Hold 'em Poker online with millions of Poker Pros
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
SHOPPERS' STOP
UPCOMING ANDROID DEVICES
Android Devices On The Horizon
With more companies joining the Open Handset Alliance and with Google's new Android 3.0 Honeycomb release, there are some exciting new devices that are about to hit the market. These smartphones and tablets are going to take the market by storm. BY
K U S H A L
A M O O W A L A
oogle released Android 2.3 Gingerbread
G
The screen is the same size and resolution as the
release their new smartphones and tablets run-
and it runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. With a
ning these operating systems. With an updated
BRAVIA Engine powering the screen and a 1 GHz
user interface, support for extra large screen sizes
processor, it promises a smooth and clear gaming
in December 2010, and 3.0 Honeycomb on
Xperia X10. The QWERTY keypad on the X10 has
January 26, so manufacturers are yet to
been replaced by a slide-out game controller,
and improved power management, Gingerbread
experience. There are already some games avail-
will give manufacturers the choice to make smart-
able on demo devices and will soon be available on
phones with larger screens and better resolutions
the Android Market.
and offer higher performance hardware and utilities. Honeycomb, on the other hand, is optimized for tablets with support for multi-core processors and 3D graphics. It also offers tabbed browsing and syncing with Google Chrome. Here are a few supported devices that will be here soon.
Q SONY ERICSSON XPERIA PLAY With the success of the PSP and PS3, it was only a matter of time before Sony made a PlayStation phone. With the recent reveal of the latest Xperia series phone called Play, they've done just that. The phone was launched on the February 13 at the Mobile World Congress 2011 and is expected in India soon.
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
SHOPPERS' STOP • •
camera setup on the back, which you can later view on a 3D T V via its HDMI port. It runs a dualcore 1 GHz OMAP 4 processor, dual-channel RAM, has dual 1080p cameras, and a 4.3-inch 800*480
O MOTOROLA XOOM
screen. It has a parallax barrier to create the 3D
The Motorola Xoom tablet was unveiled at CES
effect, which means you no longer need those
2011 this January and when Google revealed its
annoying 3D glasses. The Optimus 3D is powered
new Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS, it was showcased
by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is tipped to begin
on the Xoom as well. It runs on Nvidia's Tegra 2
shipping in the second quarter of 2011.
platform, with a dual-core 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of on-board user memory, plus an
Q MOTOROLA ATRIX
SD card slot. The display measures 10.1 inches, and
Motorola's new Atrix is being touted as the world's
it packs a 1280x800 resolution display. Honeycomb
most powerful smartphone. It runs on Android
has integrated 3D carousels for music, YouTube,
2.2, with HTML5 support, on a dual-core processor
and Google Books, and the Xoom has integrated
with 1 GB of RAM. It also boasts a browser that's
the navigation buttons into the touch interface.
twice as fast as any competing Web browser. The
The Xoom and Android 3.0 looks to be a winning combination. Motorola is said to release the
shocker
though
is
that it docks into a
tablet on February 17 at an estimated price of
laptop. The Atrix
$700 (approximately Rs 32,000).
Webtop
0 LG OPTIMUS 3D
tion
Applica-
docks
your
phone into a lap-
LG has followed up on the success of its Opti-
top and uses it to
mus phone with the Optimus 3D.It has a 4.3-
power the laptop.
inch glasses-free 3D display, which is quite
It also docks into
effective for games and movies and you can
an HD dock that
even film your own 3D videos using the dual
has
three
USB
ports and an HDMI port,
enabling
connections to a keyboard, mouse, speakers
and
HDMI-compatible monitor. There is still no information on an India release
date
or
pricing. ©
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
p L I • • IT YOURSELF
RUN ANDROID OFF A USB DRIVE
LET ANDROID POWER YOUR NETBOOK just like you can get a live bootable Linux OS on your system without any installation, Android can help you do the same on a non-touch screen device. R e a d o n to know how you can create a live Android OS set right c ice! BY
K A M A K A S H I
S
f you have heard enough about the Android
I
platform, but are wary about investing in an
Android-powered device, here is one way you
can power up your netbook or laptop with a nontouch version of Android. This version, the Android x86, is equivalent to Android OS version 1.6 (there is a stable release for version 2.1 and an unstable one for version 2.2 as well), which was originally called "patch hosting for Android x86 support". This project was originally created as a patch for non-compliant systems to be a part of the Android technology movement. It offers support for Intel chipsets to run the platform on devices
•
B
f
l
i
M
C Distribution
H
H
H
The system is extremely light and boots up without any delay on an Intel Core 2 Duo-backed system. like netbooks and tablets, especially those using
i
Atom processors. Thus you can enjoy Android on
Select Distribution
3
J"-Select Wtrsxxi--
3
Welcome to UtfetaiiQj the Universal Netboot Installer, Usage;
your Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 powered netbooks and laptps too.
1. Select a distribution and version to download from the list above, or manually specify files to load below, 2. Select an installation type, and press OK to begin instating.
© T H E REQUIRED TOOLS Once you have decided to take Android on a dry run, you'll need a USB drive with at least 256 MB
Diskimage
pio
3
of free storage space. It is advisable to back up any
j
data on it so that this becomes a dedicated boot-
r~ Show All Drives (Use with Care) Type: (use Drive
~ ~ ~ 3
able device for the Android OS. £>rive:
*
3
„J2L_j
Cancel
Plug in your USB device and start UNetbootin. Load the ISO and select the device to mount the Android OS.
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
[
tNext, you need to arrange for the Android X 86 setup files. Go to http://go.chip.in/nlotp, and save the "android-x86-1.6-r2.iso" file listed under the Stable Release section. Alternatively, you can use
DO IT YOURSELF |2fl
the Version 2.2 bridge to mount. For that download the " android-x86-2.2-generic.iso" file instead from the Stable Release section. Next, mount the ISO file to create a live bootable USB drive. Go to http://go.chip.in/lndnf and
ftndroid-x86
L i u e & I n s t a l l a t i o n CD
L i u e CD - Run flndroid-x86 U ' J B SSI - y j S L j ^ g g l
LI'JH LI) ~ UH'MIJ MUilzt
without
1.6-r2
M
installation V. B
9j
•
HHHH
save the Windows version of UNetbootin. Now, you can proceed to turn your USB into a Live Android OS boot source.
Q SETTING UP THE USB DEVICE Once you have all the required tools set up, proceed to converting your USB drive into a bootable Live USB drive. Plug in your USB drive and run the UNetbootin application. Select the "Diskimage" option and browse to and load the ISO file. Next, set the type to "USB Drive" and select the USB
ijjSau
iu bilii 'iyi iwo
Select the 'Live CD - Run Android-x86 without installation' option and proceed to load the OS on your system.
drive f r o m the drop down menu. Click OK, and ffl
your live bootable USB is ready for use.
11:27 PM
A f t e r all the files are copied, you w i l l be prompted for a reboot. You can click Reboot to launch the Android OS right away or you can use it through the flash drive when required.
Q BOOTING UP THE SYSTEM If you want your system to boot into the Android
»
(S535
OS, you must change the boot sequence. For that, start your PC and enter the BIOS menus. Set your flash drive as the booting drive. If your system doesn't support booting flash drives, you can directly burn the ISO file on to a CD and use the CD as a live OS instead. On booting, select the Live CD, and select the "Run Android x86 without installation" option.
Just like in a regular Android device, you can customize the intro screen with widgets.
Being light, it takes little time to load up.
0 SURFING ON ANDROID The Android x 86 extends support to cameras, Wi-Fi, and more. Although it has been tested on several platforms with positive results, it may not work fine with every setup. For instance, we tried using the setup with a Dell laptop. The camera and recorder worked fine, but the Wi-Fi options did not work. Moreover, it requires a SD card to save data; it doesn't really save or pick up anything f r o m your hard-drive. Any apps you install will be available for the current session only, and you will not find them on reboot. Although Android does offer a decent surfing experience, it is not recommended that you install the OS on your hard disk. ©
The OS comes with a set of pre-existing apps and widgets. Since it doesn't support Wi-Fi, you might not be able to do much.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
• • IT YOURSELF
GAIN SUPERUSER ACCESS
GETTING TO THE ROOT OF YOUR ANDROID The biggest advantage of using a smartphone with an open source OS is
the level o f customization you can have with it, that too without too much
professional help. Rooting your phone will help you get started. Here's a
quick guide to help root your Android device. BY
KAMAKSHI
S
U
nlike jailbreaking, rooting is a perfectly legal and well promoted process, which comes with several benefits. For starters
you can upgrade the firmware on your phone to house the latest operating system. However, if you are a new user, flashing your memory even with adequate back up may not be such a smart thing to do.
i
H B O
Development' USB d e b u g g i n g Stay a w a k e
A l l o w m o c k locations
'superuser' privileges on your Android device.
Allow mock locations
While the term rooting
Application settings
is not new
for
Linux
users, it means gaining right to script on the
Unknown sources
I
kernel shell. It is similar
Allow install of non-Market applications
®
Windows administrator
Manage applications Manage and remove installed applications
Running services View and control currently running services
Development Set options for application development To start rooting, you must give access to the external application. For this, keep the 'Unknown sources' option checked.
•Hill
Debug mode when USB Is connected
In the simplest of terms, 'rooting' means getting
t J 1 0 © ' $ 10:05 AM
21:14
Screen will never sleep while charging
O WHAT IS ROOTING?
HA
AS 20 '
After collecting the required tools, prepare your phone for rooting by enabling the 'USB Debugging' option.
rights in Windows, who
you don't need, but once these apps have been
can control every run-
removed, you cannot reset your phone to fac-
ning aspect that the OS
tory settings for damage control. So when you do
offers. For most phones,
remove an app, make sure that you know it will
this root access is not
not hamper the regular working of your phone,
really encrypted so root
if upgrading the OS versions gives you the jitters,
access gives you com-
you can use apps that need root access to perform
plete
exclusive functions like tethering.
access
to
every
aspect of your OS.
© W H Y ROOT? With a rooted
© H O W IS IT DONE? For this demo, we would be rooting a Sony Erics-
phone,
son Xperia X10 mini pro that has been upgraded
uninstall
to Android 2.1 Eclair. The procedure to root the
ROM applications that
same phone for Android version 1.6 is the same.
you
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
can
DO IT YOURSELF | 2 f l
However, after every firmware upgrade, you will have to root your phone. Make sure you back up
Uwvma! : SamamgCapavate
your data after every root process. ;
ASow Non Mwkei GWKStftSKMO
:
(fj pamuter
fageasaitttttoc
0 WARMING UP If you wish to start with a firmware upgrade on your phone right f r o m the vendors, visit http:// go.chip.in/siuty. Download, install and update your phone using the upgrade offered. Next start your phone, go to 'Settings | Applications'. Check on the 'Unknown sources' option. Proceed to the Development sub menu and turn on the 'USB Debugging' option.
0 GATHER THE TOOLS Apart from the updates for your phone, you need
ADS (ia«nM not !t*¥#»s aattig a now on port 5037 " dwmai started succeaaKfy * )K " S T OS Version Check failed! J Waling fw«fevic«,. bK Automatic version check failed, h your OS version 2.0 or higher? *ushr>9 psfseuter. 2158 KB/s (5S5731 in G.2S5*} OK ^wnod psneuter.. >K S u p e r O n e C l i c k v 1 . 5 . 5 i d e a l l y r o o t s A n d r o i d v1.6. T h i s p h o n e w a s r u n n i n g o n v2.1, w h i c h is a u t o m a t i c a l l y d e t e c t e d by t h e a p p l i c a t i o n .
to install you phone drivers and the SuperOneClick tool. You can get the phone drivers from the Sony Ericsson PC component f r o m http://go.chip.in/ relxm, and you can download the SuperOneClick tool from http://go.chip.in/lxevg. in
Install
the
your
phone
cable.
Unzip
and you're
phone to
the
ready
drivers
your
PC
contents to
start
and
with
of with
the the
plug
the ZIP
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f;J
' \ ikmA
Msw Urn Mwket ^pps
Donate
j , SspM: (§ psneuter awaoaim
i
USB file
rooting
K KJWdbt^bCK..
process.
0 ROOTING THE DEVICE Once your phone is connected to your PC, make sure that the drivers load up and your system recognizes the device. Start the SuperOneClick application and click Root. if it throws up any errors, t r y rooting the phone again. If the app goes into a loop instead,
ettsrtg mount fewfetocMMfttoekO K 6«Sri3 OS Version prcpei&K... snisni 2.0 K ttmutisng systm wth read-wrae accem. ,. K /ottm suCn*«m
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can now go ahead and explore.
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0 BACKING UP DATA Once you have rooted your device, you may want to upgrade the firmware to the latest version of Android. It is advisable to back up all you data on to your SD card with a reliable tool. One such tool is Titanium Backup Pro. Priced at Rs 270.22, you would also need the BusyBox app to help you back up your files. Apart f r o m these, you'll need a tool to back up your
mpwOrwGsdc v 1.6 JJ J&ngMB Server ... tarting ABB Server dsooon not twtvig. starting t now on port SS37Testing! " ; daemon started euceesafciy" 5/aS«g for device...
a An *su' command wilt now be send to your phone. You might have to Jill seSect Aiiew in Superusec.
>K ustsng psnsv(ef..158 KB/s f5§5731 bytesh 0.2659}
messages. You can use Backup to Gmail, which is priced Rs 90.25 and can back up all your messages and send them to your Gmail account. ©
A f t e r r o o t i n g , t h e S u p e r u s e r icon is m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o y o u r p h o n e . You m i g h t h a v e t o g i v e t h e a p p l i c a t i o n 'su' r i g h t s t o p r o c e e d .
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
g n DO IT YOURSELF
HOW TO TETHER YOUR ANDROID DEVICE
EXPAND YOUR NET WITH TETHERING With the advent of 3 G and unbelievably fast Internet speeds from mobile
service providers, tethering is going to be a big hit with Android users.
Share your service provider's 3 G speeds wirelessly, b y USB or b y Bluetooth;
the choice is yours. BY
K U 5 H A L
M A M 0 0 W A L A
ethering basically means using an Internet-
It gets a little more complicated when you tether
enabled device as a modem for another
with Windows XP. First, you must download a con-
T
device, generally a notebook or a PC. What
figuration file tetherxp.inf and save it on your PC.
this means is that you can ditch your broadband
When you connect you device to your PC with the
service and tether your Android device with your
USB cable, Windows XP's New Hardware Wizard
PC and use it a modem, sharing your mobile Inter-
will open and ask to install drivers for your new
net service between your phone and your PC.
device. Here, you must manually select and install the configuration file you have downloaded, which
0 TETHERING WITH FROYO
then configures XP to support USB tethering with
Most Android devices in the market today run on
your Android device. It is also worth noting that at
Android 2.1 Eclair or 1.6 Donut and only recently
this point, Mac does not support USB tethering.
have newer products running on 2.2 FroYo been
Turning your FroYo device into a Wi-Fi hotspot
introduced. If you are using an Android FroYo
is much quicker and easier. As long as your mobile
device, tethering will be pretty easy as it is a
phone service has a data plan, all you have to do
built-in option in your
is go into the wireless and network settings and
wireless
and
network
can leave it as an open access point or even assign a
do is choose f r o m teth-
WPA2 PSK password to restrict access. The advan-
ering it via USB cable or
tage of portable Wi-Fi hotspot tethering is that
turning it into a Wi-Fi
more than one device can use your Internet at the
hotspot.
same time. It is also easier to tether for Windows
Tethering with your USB cable is simple if
XP and Macintosh users and other cellular devices.
dows 7, Windows Vista
0 TETHERING WITH ECLAIR OR EARLIER
you're
Google h a s a d d e d t e t h e r i n g as a f e a t u r e t o A n d r o i d 2.2 (FroYo).
configure your device to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot. You
settings. All you have to
running
Win-
or Linux. The Android
Android operating systems before FroYo did not
user's guide gives you
have a built in option for tethering, but that doesn't
simple, easy to
follow
mean you cannot do it. There are many ways in
instructions and config-
which you can still tether your device for Internet
urations to setup your
access, either by using tethering apps, rooting your
device for USB tethering.
MARCH 2011 > INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
device, or using a proxy server.
DO IT YOURSELF
TETHERING APP THAT NEEDS ROOT ACCESS
Proxoid". This method is completely free and
Android Wi-Fi Tether is an app that turns your
relatively
easier
than
device into a Wi-Fi hotspot with one simple tap.
rooting
your
device,
There is a fair bit of configuration to be done
but
does
require
it
j ®
jSX&E,-.
........
10:03 A M
mm&mmmmmm
w — i Find a Restaurant in your area ^ E S
Ads by AdMob
before you can get there though. First, you have to
installing the Android
get root access to your device, a fairly complicated,
SDK software on your
Start/Stop Proxoid
multi-step process that uses an unofficial Android
computer and changing
Proxy currently off. Select to switch on.
add-on, which can turn your device into a brick if
your
applied incorrectly. You can read the 'Getting to
settings each time you
Port
the root of your Android' article in this issue to get
want to tether.
Listening port. Current v a l u e : 8080
better information and directions on rooting your Android device. Once you have rooted your phone, you must
browser's
proxy
TETHERING APP WITHOUT ROOT far
the
By
which is available at 'http://go.chip.in/wifitether'.
method
Note that the app is made specific to your device's
is by using the PDANet
for
easiest tethering
Proxoid helps share your Android device's Internet connection with other devices.
app. The free version of
loaded for different devices. This app can now turn
the app gives you access
your device into a Wi-Fi hotspot and clients can
to all basic websites and
connect via ad-hoc Wi-Fi mode or by Bluetooth to
gives you limited 14-day access to secure (https)
get access to the Internet.
websites. The full version is currently priced at $24 (approx Rs 1,125).
any extra software or messing with your com-
You can find both versions of the app on the
puter's settings, you can do serious harm to your
Android Market and you will also need to install
Android device if something goes wrong.
TETHERING BY PROXY
the PC software f r o m the PDANet website. Once you have installed the app and the software, all you need to do is make one small adjustment
If you are not confident enough to root your device,
to your phone's settings by checking the "USB
you can try using the Proxoid app to tether your
debugging" option in your device's development
phone via USB. Proxoid turns your Android device
settings. Now connect your device to your com-
into a proxy server that your computer uses to
puter, run the PDANet app, and select "Enable USB
make Internet requests.
tether".
The app is currently free on the Android Market,
•
User-Agent filtering. Current v a l u e : Replace w i t h d u m m y
hardware and so a different version must be down-
Although this process is free and doesn't require
© V /
U s e r - A g e n t filter
download and install the Android Wi-Fi Tether app,
•
I d 9:58 AM
There is also an option
but to get access to your device's Internet connec-
for Bluetooth tethering if
tion, you need to install the Android SDK or device
you wish to tether
drivers onto your computer, tweak some of the
device wirelessly. Now run PDANet
your
settings, and then configure your browser to use
the
a proxy server whenever you want to tether. You
your computer, right-click
software
on
can download and install the Android SDK from
on the icon in the system
the Android for Developers page or get a modi-
tray, select "Connect" from
fied version for Proxoid f r o m http://go.chip.in/
the
proxoid-sdk. Once installed, connect your device
you're ready to
pop-up
menu,
and
© j -fMJMet
Version
2.16
PdaNet is currently turned off. Please turn it on before connecting from the computer end.
surf.This
via USB and set it so that the USB debugging option
is the quickest and easiest
is turned on.
method for tethering, but
Now you must configure your browser to use a
if you want access to secure
proxy server to connect to the Internet. Proxoid
sites such as online bank-
uses the server name "localhost" and port "8080".
ing and credit card pay-
You also need to run a batch file named "start-
ment pages, you will need
tunnel.bat" in the "proxy-adb" folder. Once the
to spend approximately Rs
proxy settings have been done, all you have to do
1,200 to buy the full version
is run Proxoid on your device and check "Start
f r o m the PDA Net website.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
I l-l_l I • n u i \
»P DEVELOPMENT 101
Sachin Pandit
While
Begin with the standard Android SDK package.
there
are
many
packages
that
you
You can install it f r o m http://developer.android.
can use f r o m the site, the one recommend on
com/sdk/index.html depending on the OS of the
the Android Developer forum consists of the
system that you need to develop your app. if you
following utilities:
are confused about which Integrated Develop-
•
Eclipse IDE for Java Developers
ment Environment (IDE) to use, you can settle for
•
Eclipse Classic (versions 3.5.1 and higher)
Eclipse.
•
Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers
To run the Eclipse IDE, you would need to
Other IDEs that you can opt for include Apache
equip your machine with Eclipse 3.4 (Ganymede)
Ant 1.8 or later, IntelliJ or Emacs. However, the
or greater and the Eclipse JDT plugin, JDK 5 or
Android SDK is not compatible with Gnu Compiler
JDK 6 (just the JRE alone would not work) and
for Java (gcj).
the Android Development Tools plugin. You will
Once you have all the tools in place, you
find the Eclipse tools at http://www.eclipse.org/
need
downloads/.
profile before you start the coding process.
to
check
your
computer's
hardware
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
-T-rf
44
ItCMTHLK
SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM
execution
The Android SDK, its specified plug-ins and IDEs
requirement is that it needs to be compiled in an
can work fine with Windows, Mac OS and Linux
.APK file format.
(32- or 64-bit), or Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit), Mac
details. These manifest files will help make the
OS X 10.5.8 or x86, Ubuntu Linux version 8.04 or
app available only for those devices which fulfill
later, or Lucid Lynx, which comes equipped with
the required hardware, OS version, and form fac-
the GNU C Library (glibc) 2.7 or later.
tor values. you as an app developer, the official forum has
tools mentioned in the previous section. All the
also put up certain practices that can help you
specified tools can be found at http://developer.
make your app more efficient and hence more
android.com/sdk/index.html.
popular when you put it on the Market.
CRACKING THE CODE
don't drain the battery, have a good response
Once you have your system set, you need to start
time, and don't crash. For more details, you
developing your app. You can either develop a
can
standalone utility app or a service that runs in
index.html.
These practices include designing apps that
visit
http://developer.android.com/guide/
The process for putting your apps up for sale
source code to the Android OS better instead, you
or f r e e distribution is explained in detail in the article titled " " in this issue.
add to the tools and utilities in the form of plug-
TESTING YOUR FINAL PRODUCT
ins, services and apps. For details on how you can
Like every other software that you code, it is a
contribute to the open source project of Android,
good practice to test your product on the coding
visit http://source.android.com/index.html
level (white box testing) and also with sample
The apps that are compatible with Android
values once the app is ready (black box testing).
devices need to work efficiently in the Android
The SDK and Eclipse IDE provide you with a strong set of tools to not only test your apps, but to also
» £clip&# SDK project ftjn waidow yelp
- . o x
• %iiak*/*r£/cam/Q0OQletantiroict/$nak#/Stmkt>.javii Search
"i "* 0 ,i; SnalwViiM.)wa j Q) Snakejava IS "i ^ puMic etas* Snake en tends activity < !i
37.
While these mandates have to be followed by
required
can either send forth reports or send bug fixes, or
'
first
While this is a mandate, another mandate is to
If you are planning to contribute to make the
NS3
the
code the required manifest files with the required
the background.
file gdit Source Hefactor yav*gate
hence
tions. It can work with Windows XP (32-bit), Vista
space for the tools, apart f r o m the
Java
and
operating systems which support 32-bit applica-
You will require between 195-600 MB of f r e e
2
environment,
private SnakaVtew mSnakeView; private M a t i < String I C K i t j G '
» *«n«k».vie
Called when A c t i v i t y i s f i r s t created, tur
the content vie^s, ar*ri fires, up tr>e Snakev
debug them with efficiency and ease if you detect any code errors on final testing.
B j
When you carry out black box testing on your app, you can figure out a simulation on how the
ft INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT
TECH TALK 47
have got the basic skills like numerical analysis
entrance exams. Even though there are different
and aptitude can opt for MCA instead of engineer-
entrance exams, the content is more or less the
ing, which focuses on learning a lot more than
same. It tests the candidates for mathematical,
what is required for coding in the IT industry. Also,
logical, analytical, basic computers and general
the private institutes that offer courses similar to
knowledge.
MCA have tie-ups with companies for placement,
Gaurav has a word of advice for those wanting
which is good. So before opting for an institute,
to pursue an MCA degree. "Work hard in the first
you should check their records, credentials, place-
and second semester, because the study method
ments, etc."
and preparation mechanism for exams is very different in MCA. These two semesters are the foun-
GROWTH PROSPECTS
dations of your degree. Students should normally
"An MCA fresher starts as a programmer and
start preparing for the entrance exam of MCA in
acquires additional skills as they interact with
the years of graduation itself. Elite institutes offer
their teams. They would move on to
becom-
a very good environment to study and handsome
ing analysts, architects or senior programmers
employment opportunities through campus place-
and, in the long term, even project managers.
ments. If non-IT students study the basics of C, C++
However, they could hit the ceiling in terms of
(or any other computer language), it will work to
growth because of their non-engineering back-
their advantage, since many universities include
ground, but if they are smart enough, they can
these languages in their entrance exam." ©
easily surpass it. It all depends on their skills," Thiruvengadam P says. Gaurav agrees. "The very first advantage is that MCA is a masters degree that helps in building your career. For instance, if you have completed B.Tech or BE, after a particular stage, your growth can stagnate, so if you want to be a project manager or head of a particular department, you won't be given preference. At that stage, you would need to take admission in some distance learning course to be the eligible for that post. But with a MCA degree, you have the advantage of having the required educational experience. So according to me, MCA is a complete package."
•
There are many institutes that offer MCA courses across India, and these courses are accredited by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. It's a post graduate course and a candidate has to appear for a written entrance exam. Candidates have to secure 50 percent or above in their Bachelors or equivalent degree. Some universities may also require the candidate to have studied mathematics during graduation. There are two kinds of entrance exams - one is the common entrance exam like NIMCET coninstitutes like the
Symbiosis (Pune), Birla Institute of Technology (Ranchi), etc. conduct their own entrance exams. Additionally states like Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra also conduct their own common
Delhi I n s t i t u t e of A d v a n c e d Studies, N e w Delhi
•
U n i v e r s i t y of M a d r a s , Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
•
ICFAI University, Tripura
•
Fergusson College, Pune
•
A n n a m a l a i University, C h i t a m b a r a m , Tamil Nadu.
•
Apeejay I n s t i t u t e of Technology, Noida, U t t a r Pradesh.
•
QUALIFICATIONS AND ENTRANCE EXAM
ducted by the NITs, while
SOME INSTITUTES OFFERING MCA
B a n g a l o r e I n s t i t u t e of Technology, Bangalore.
•
Pune U n i v e r s i t y , Pune, M a h a r a s h t r a .
•
5IES College of M a n a g e m e n t Studies, Nerul, Navi M u m b a i
•
Sinhgad I n s t i t u t e of M a n a g e m e n t and c o m p u t e r application, Pune
•
V e e r m a t a Jijabai Technological I n s t i t u t e , Mumbai
•
I n s t i t u t e of I n f o r m a t i o n Technology and M a n a g e m e n t , N e w Delhi
•
N i r m a I n s t i t u t e of Technology, A h m e d a b a d , Gujarat.
•
B a n a r a s H i n d u U n i v e r s i t y , Varanasi, U t t a r Pradesh.
•
MET I n s t i t u t e of C o m p u t e r Science, Bandra, M u m b a i
•
Indira Gandhi N a t i o n a l Open U n i v e r s i t y (IGNOU)
INTELUGENTCOMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT < MARCH 2011
48 TECHTRLK
INNOVATIONS
A BIONIC ARM FOR THE DISABLED Robotic prosthetics can be life changers for those with physical disabilities, but such technology demands a hefty price, which not many can afford. Nitesh Kumar Jangir shows us an economical alternative and explains the working of his robotic bionic arm. BY
K A M A K A S H I
S
P
hysical disabilities are hard to cope with, especially if you've been used to life with normal motor skills. While prosthetics is
the way forward, the huge costs mean that it isn't the most viable option. However, Nitesh Kumar Jangir f r o m RGPV Bhopal has designed a robotic bionic arm with advanced sensors, which is not only useful but also economical for people with disabilities. His project has been entered into various competitions, including Prayas at IITB, IIT KGP and an international conference at Nirma University. It has also cleared round one of the Intel Embedded Challenge.
> THE IDEA Although it is not rare to find disabled people with artificial limbs, the numbers are still relatively small because of the high price and cost of NITESH K U M A R JANGIR
maintenance. Nitesh explains, "Prosthetics give new life to a person with physical disability, if a
Nitesh
holds
a B.E.
in
Electronics
Communication Engineering from
&
RGPV
person loses his arm in an accident, an artificial body part is a boon to them. "
University of Technology of Madhya Pradesh,
He goes on to add, "Development in the field of
Bhopal. His other projects include i n f r a r e d
prosthetics has been going on for a long time and
music transistor, PLCC with microcontrollers,
many people are using these arms, but these are
DTMF controlled UMV, automatic CCTV, and
still out of the reach of many people due to their
automatic currency checker. An avid robotics
high cost and unavailability of proper resources,
enthusiast, he has attended training programs
so people who can't afford them remain handi-
in Texas Instruments 32-bit microcontroller
capped. This led me to develop my bionic arm,
and several others as well.
which is of low cost and can work like costly prosthetics."
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> THE GENERAL IMPACT OF THE PROJECT While an arm equipped with complex neural networks or artificial intelligence technologies can be most convenient, they are also expensive to develop. Talking about his creation, Nitesh explains, "This robotic arm works on the galvanic response of the human body. Due to the response of the skin and muscle tissue to these external and internal stimuli, the resistance can vary. When correctly calibrated, the galvanic skin response can measure these subtle differences. The galvanic skin response, known as GSR, is highly sensitive to emotions for some people. I have used this concept for this project, where I have calibrated this arm to the human body. It is not just a simple robot arm with embedded sensors, but it can also intimate the wearer about the temperature of objects. The idea was to design an arm similar to those made using neural technology, but only cheaper".
> THE DESIGN
The entire setup of the bionic arm, including all the required components and cicruitry.
> THE WORKING
Nitesh describes what is required to work such
The system consists of two components, the bri-
a complex system. " T h e system requires eight
quetting machine and a crushing machine. Nitesh
electrodes, foot Opamp, one ATMEGA16 micro-
elaborates, "The main functionality of this arm
controller, five servo motors, one LM35, one LCD
depends on galvanic response of skin. Galvanic
screen (which I used f r o m my Nokia 3310 handset),
skin response, also known as electro
one Bluetooth or infrared-based wireless control
response (EDR), psycho galvanic reflex (PGR), or
and one GSM module."
dermal
skin conductance response (SCR), is a method of measuring the electrical resistance of the skin. There has been a long history of research on electrodermal activity, most of it dealing with spontaneous fluctuations. This product takes galvanic skin response as input for the product and facilitates movements." "To measure this response, I have designed a circuit with electrodes and a p o w e r f u l amplifier using an operation amplifier. This amplifier increases the sensitivity of the signal to something that can be easily evaluated for decision making. The data is fed to a microcontroller unit according to the predefined conditions and data comes f r o m a galvanic response meter device, which will move the servo motors connected to this microcontroller unit." He adds, "The muscle re-innervations procedure allows the re-routed nerves to grow into the chest muscle and direct the signals to the robotic arm through the surface electrodes. A power-
A working module of the artifical arm, which is powered by a mobile phone.
ful sensor like LM35 helps to detect temperature variations. Depending on the use of microcon-
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trollers, the count of servo motors can be altered, but five motors is required for the basic hand movement mechanism. The most important part of the system is to program the microcontroller in accordance with the GSR inputs. This is achievable using winavr (for avr series). A single servo motor can normally move up to 1.5 kg, so a combination of five can easily carry out the work with usually associated with the working of an arm.
> PRACTICAL APPLICATION The usefulness of this project is very evident, and needs no further reiteration. However, you cannot qualify its success unless it has been tested in real life situations. Nitesh agrees and says, "For checking it's practicality, I went through a long process of testing. This involved visiting hospitals and testing it on real patients. My prototype uses three
While this is a prototype of the arm, it provides near accurate data recordings.
movements (upper, lower and hand grip) that can work efficiently with a power supply of 9 volts. For more movements, more servo motors and switch mode power supply needs to be added."
> FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY Nitesh reminds us that one of the important fac-
"Each arm needed to be specifically crafted for
tors considered for the project is its financial
the person it was tested on. A f t e r initial difficul-
viability. "The cost of this product depends upon
ties and with a little bit of practice, they found the
the configuration that is required. Minimum cost
system very helpful. As per out test records, our
with essential functionalities is between Rs 8,000
system scored 70 percent in handling abilities,
and Rs 10,000, which is quite economical. This is
and 74 percent reliability, with a response time of
because we used simple technology and cost effec-
4 milliseconds. He added."
tive components." ©
The complex circuitry helps to generate movements and reflexes that are senstive to temprature changes.
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A visual interpretation of a bionic arm attached to a severed human hand.
